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Fantasy Defense/ST Rankings

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Tuesday 15 August 2006 at 10:10 am
Bye Weeks ()

 1. Chicago Bears (7) The Bears have the best defense in the NFL, and they added return ace Devin Hester in the draft.

 2. Pittsburgh Steelers (4) The Steelers play keep away with their offense, but the defense is still very good and opportunistic.

 3. Tampa Bay Bucs (4) The Bucs are super quick on defense and rush the passer well.

 4. Philadelphia Eagles (9) The Eagles are a solid defensive team that has been good for awhile now.

 5. Baltimore Ravens (7) Drafting Ngata will keep O-Linemen off Ray Lewis…who should have a huge season.

 6. Washington Redskins (8) The Redskins’ offense will pressure other team into making mistakes.

 7. Indianapolis Colts (6) Colts fast defense takes advantage of teams trying to play “catch-up”.

 8. San Diego Chargers (3) Chargers have a quick, opportunistic defense.

 9. New England Patriots (6) As long as Belichick is putting the X’s and O’s on the chalkboard, the Patriots will have a good defense.

10. Dallas Cowboys (3)Â The Cowboys have re-loaded the defense with guys Parcells hand-picked for the job.

11. Miami Dolphins (8)Â Saban is a master at defense, and he has alot of good players on that side of the ball.

12. New York Giants (4)Â Big, physical defense that gets alot of sacks.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (6) Coach Del Rio stockpiled defensive players when he got the job, and now it’s paying off.

14. Carolina Panthers (9)Â Defense is opportunistic, and Peppers is a sack machine.

15. Atlanta Falcons (5)Â Adding John Abraham will make this a tough defense to deal with.

16. Kansas City (3) Herman Edwards is a defensive coach, but he’s not a miracle worker. They do have the best kick-returner in the NFL in Dante Hall.

17. Cleveland Browns (6)Â Four new starters on defense will make this a very physical unit.

18. Seattle Seahawks (5)Â Under-rated part of the team.

19. Minnesota Vikings (6) A quick unit that doesn’t make alot of big plays.

20. Green Bay Packers (6)Â Young linebackers Hawk and Hodge make this a unit on the way up.

21. Denver Broncos (4) Imported too many Ex-Browns that weren’t that good.

22. St. Louis Rams (7)Â Defense is under construction.

23. Cincinnati Bengals (5) Losing their best player for the first four games will hurt the defense…..badly.

24. Buffalo Bills (8) The draft was a good start, but the new blood won’t make that much of a difference this season.

25. NY Jets (9)Â Not alot of playmakers on this side of the ball.

26. Arizona Cardinals (9)Â Defense not in same league as the Cards offense.

27. Detroit Lions (8) Defense could be on the field alot…..and that’s not a good thing.

28. Tennessee Titans (7)Â Not a lot of playmakers on this side of the field.

29. New Orleans Saints (7)Â Rebuilding, just like the city.

30. Houston Texans (5) Mario Williams can’t do it alone.

31. San Francisco 49ers (7)Â Defense will be on the field alot, and they will more than likely be defending short fields because of their inept offense.

32. Oakland Raiders (3) A long way to go to just be average.

Â

Fantasy Tight End Rankings

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Monday 14 August 2006 at 10:18 am
Bye Weeks ()

 1. Antonio Gates, Chargers (3) The undisputed king of tight ends. A young QB’s best friend is the tight end.

 2. Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (3) Gonzalez is the Chiefs #1 receiver. Almost impossible to stop.

 3. Chris Cooley, Redskins (8) Was a force last season, and with Al Saunders calling the plays…he could explode.

 4. Jeremy Shockey, Giants (4) I love watching this guy play. He’s old-school, and he’s good.

 5. Todd Heap, Ravens (7) Watch out….he has a real QB for the first time in his career.

 6. Randy McMichael, Dolphins (8) With Culpepper on board he could make the Pro Bowl.

 7. Alge Crumpler, Falcons (5) Michael Vick’s favorite receiver. That shouldn’t mean too much, but if Schaub plays…look out!

 8. Jason Witten, Cowboys (3) The Tuna loves throwing to the tight end, and Witten is a good one.

 9. L.J. Smith, Eagles (9) Donovan McNabb has to throw to someone.

10. Kellen Winslow, Browns (6) A man on a mission. Safeties beware.

11. Vernon Davis, 49ers (7) He’ll be the guy Alex Smith is looking for….and soon.

12. Jermaine Wiggins, Vikings (6) Wiggins doesn’t look the part, but he’s been very good for the Vikings.

13. Heath Miller, Steelers (4) A carbon copy of Todd Heap. If Big Ben looks his way….Miller will catch it.

14. Zach Hilton, Saints (7)Â Brees likes throwing to his tight end, and Hilton had a good second half last year.

15. Mercedes Lewis, Jaguars (6)Â The Jags first round pick has alot of ability, and Leftwich needs someone to throw to.

16. Ben Watson, Patriots (6) Brady’s receiving corps is looking thin, so he will look to the TE more this season.

17. Dallas Clark, Colts (6)Â Clark is a good athlete that catches his share of passes.

18. Marcus Pollard, Lions (8)Â Pollard is getting old, but he can still catch the football.

19. Erron Kinney, Titans (7) Tight-ends catch alot of passes in the Titans offense, but they’re usually short ones.

20. Eric Johnson, 49ers (7) If healthy, and that’s a big if, Johnson is a good TE.

21. Jeb Putzier, Texans (5) Putzier should catch alot of short passes from Carr. It should help Carr from taking a beating again this year.

22. Doug Jolley, Jets (9) Jolley is a good receiver, but he’s under utilized by the Jets.

23. Jeramy Stevens, Seahawks (5)Â If Stevens just caught the passes that hit him in the hands, he would rank much higher.

24. Bubba Franks, Packers (6)Â Franks is slowing down, but Favre will be looking for him in the Red Zone.

25. Ben Troupe, Titans (7) Catches alot of passes, but doesn’t get alot of yards.

26. Daniel Graham, Patriots (6)Â Graham is a good receiver and should increase his receptions this season.

27. Steve Heiden, Browns (6) Tough as nails throwback. If you draft Winslow…..you better draft Heiden too.

28. Anthony Fasano, Cowboys (3)Â Rookie from Notre Dame is a good receiver.

29. Alex Smith, Buccaneers (4)Â Smith is just scratching the surface of his potential.

30. Bryan Fletcher, Colts (6) Fletcher was a find for the Colts as a rookie. His role could expand.

31. Dominique Byrd, Rams (7)Â Rams TE job is open and Byrd is a good receiver.

32. Leonard Pope, Cardinals (9) Rookie TE has the upper hand in Arizona. He’s a big target.

33. Stephen Alexander, Broncos (4)Â Good hands, but lacks speed.

34. Adam Bergen, Cardinals (9) Bergen looked decent as a rookie, but he’s a possession type receiver.

35. Jim Kleinsasser, Vikings (6)Â Better blocker than receiver.

36. Joe Klopfenstein, Rams (7) Will battle Byrd for starting spot. Has good hands.

37. Anthony Becht, Buccaneers (4)Â Over-rated every season.

38. Courtney Anderson, Raiders (3)Â Tight-end is an afterthought in Raiders offense.

39. Desmond Clark, Bears (7) Bears starter, but doesn’t get many balls thrown his way.

40. Jason Dunn, Chiefs (3) Gets an occasional bone thrown his way. Usually near the end-zone.

41. Christian Fauria, Redskins (8) Redskins will use the tight-end alot. You could do worse.

42. Kris Mangum, Panthers (9)Â Tight-ends block in Panthers offense.

43. Robert Royal, Bills (8)Â Starting TE for the Bills, but not much of a receiver.

44. Ernie Conwell, Saints (7)Â Dependable, but not flashy receiver.

45. Matt Schobel, Eagles (9)Â Decent back-up, value spikes if Smith is injured.

46. Aaron Shea, Chargers (3)Â Decent possession receiver.

47. Reggie Kelly, Bengals (5)Â Not used much in the passing game.

48. Kevin Everett, Bills (8)Â Good pass catching TE, but he missed his rookie season in Buffalo due to injury.

49. David Martin, Packers (6) Good speed, but under-utilized in the offense.

50. Chris Baker, Jets (9)Â Not much of a pass catcher.

51. Daniel Wilcox, Ravens (7) Now you’re reaching.

52. Itula Mili, Seahawks (5)Â Would rank higher but he missed all but two games last season.

53. Tony Scheffler, Broncos (4)Â Good receiver if he gets a chance to play.

54. Dwayne Blakely, Falcons (5) I know Vick likes the TE……but…..

55. Visanthe Shiancoe, Giants (4) You don’t even want him if Shockey gets hurt.

56. Jerame Tuman, Steelers (4)Â Rarely gets to go out for a pass.

57. Dan Campbell, Lions (8)Â Good hands, no speed.

58. Mike Seidman, Panthers (9)Â Never used in the passing game.

59. Mark Bruener, Texans (5)Â Good for one catch a game.

60. Kyle Brady, Jaguars (6)Â Also good for one catch a game.

61. Randal Williams, Raiders (3) You don’t want him.

62. Tony Stewart, Bengals (5) Until Marvin Lewis realizes that tight ends are eligible receivers…you don’t want him.

63. Justin Peele, Dolphins (8)Â Good blocker.

64. John Gilmore, Bears (7)Â Just say no.

Â

Colts lose 19-17 to Rams

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Friday 11 August 2006 at 9:55 am

The Colts shocked the Rams by starting the game with an outside kick, recovering it, and driving for a TD. The Rams looked great on offense rushing for 202 yards and passing for 202 yards. So the Colts have a lot of work to do on defense.Â

Shaun King tossed a 40 yard TD pass to Josh Thomas in the 4th quarter. King could battle Sorgi for the back-up QB job, as King started for Dungy in Tampa Bay.

T.J. Rushing (7, CB)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Wednesday 9 August 2006 at 10:12 am

The Colts were looking for a kick-returner in the draft to ease the workload on Dominic Rhodes who will be playing alot more running back this year, and found their man in the 7th round. He averaged 26.8 yards and scored 3 TDs as a kickoff returner at Stanford. He also returned punts as a senior.

This pick has upside written all over it.

Antoine Bethea (6, S)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Wednesday 9 August 2006 at 10:08 am

Once again Dungy goes off the board for a safety that played at Howard University. He’s a little on the short side (5’11″, 203) but he is an aggressive hitting machine. He was drafted for special teams, but could turn into more later in his career.

Charlie Johnson (6, OT)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Wednesday 9 August 2006 at 10:05 am

Charlie Johnson is a converted tight end that will need time to get up to speed in the NFL. He’s 6’4″, 298 and could use a little more bulk to play tackle in the NFL. This was a pick for the future because Johnson has a long way to go.

He wasn’t expected to be drafted, so Tony Dungy must know something everyone else doesn’t.

Michael Tourdouze (5, OT)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Wednesday 9 August 2006 at 10:01 am

Tourdouze is a big guy at 6’5″, 307 pounds…..but he needs to get stronger to start in the NFL. On the plus side, he is a good pass blocker already and he can play either side of the line. He only started 13 games at TCU (12 as a senior) so he will probably need a little time to play up to NFL speed. He also needs some weight room work, which I’m sure Tony Dungy will take care of.

A project pick with the eye on the future.

Freddy Keiaho (3, ILB)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page by ravenhater on Wednesday 9 August 2006 at 9:56 am

Keiaho was only a one year starter at SD State, but it was a very good one. Keiaho is a speed linebacker that needs the D-Line to keep offensive linemen off him in order for him to make plays. Keiaho is a sideline to sideline tackler as he proved against the Ohio State Buckeyes last season. He runs a 4.7 40 and always plays all out until the game is over. Has the ability to play OLB if the Colts need him to.

Keiaho started all 11 games as a senior at SD State. He made 113 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, had one sack, broke up 4 passes and had a interception.

A good pick for the Colts.

Tim Jennings (2, CB)

Blogged under Bloglockers,Front Page,The Draft Report by ravenhater on Wednesday 9 August 2006 at 9:50 am

Tim Jennings is very fast (4.35 40), but very small (5’8″, 185). Jennings is very instinctive and gets good jumps on the ball and is a playmaker. He supports well vs. the run despite his size. He will get beat a few times because he’s so short, but there’s nothing he can do about that. Jennings should help out in the nickel from day one, and he might develop into a starter eventually.

Jennings played in 51 games at Georgia (35 starts) and made 170 tackles, he broke up 27 passes and intercepted 10 passes.

Jennings was a bit of a reach here because of his size.

Fantasy Kicker Rankings

Blogged under Fantasy Football Report by ravenhater on Tuesday 8 August 2006 at 2:56 pm

Bye Weeks ()Â

 1. Adam Vinatieri, Colts (6) Vinatieri is Mr.Clutch, and for that he becomes the kicker for the best offense in the NFL.

 2. Jeff Wilkins, Rams (7) Wilkins is a dominant kicker every so often, and he will be one this season.

 3. Shayne Graham, Bengals (5) Has increased his points scored 4 straight seasons, and scored 131 pts. last season.

 4. Mike Vanderjagt, Cowboys (3) Is the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Should be a weapon for Cowboys.

 5. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (9) Set NFL record last season making 40 FGs. Cards offense will score more TDs this season.

 6. Jason Elam, Broncos (4) Mr. Reliable. He always puts up points, and gets a few long ones at Mile High.

 7. David Akers, Eagles (9) Offense will need him more without a big-time receiver. He’s healthy and ready to rebound.

 8. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (3) Has a strong leg and might need it with Rivers replacing Brees.

 9. Matt Bryant, Buccaneers (4) He’s a sleeper here, as the Bucs offense should improve this year. He makes some long ones.

10. Jay Feely, Giants (4) Led the NFL in kicker points (148) last season, and it wasn’t a fluke.

11. Josh Brown, Seahawks (5)Â Brown is a solid kicker, with a solid offense.

12. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (6)Â Kicking inside should help him, and he hit alot of long field goals anyway.

13. Steve Gostkowski, Patriots (6) He’s a rookie, but he’s also on a good offensive team. Can he handle the pressure?

14. Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders (3)Â He has superb league strength and the Raiders should be a little better on offense.

15. Lester Tynes, Chiefs (3) Had a good season last year, but have to wait and see what Edwards’ offense looks like.

16. Olindo Mare, Dolphins (8) Marlins won’t make the playoffs, so he should be ok.

17. Matt Stover, Ravens (7)Â Getting a little long in tooth, but still accurate.

18. Rian Lindell, Bills (8)Â One of the best offensive weapons on the Bills, what does that tell you?

19. Jeff Reed, Steelers (4)Â Not very accurate, and questions all over the offense.

20. Jason Hanson, Lions (8)Â He could be a sleeper with Mike Martz running the offense in Detroit.

21. Mike Nugent, Jets (9)Â The Jets offense could be bad, real bad.

22. John Hall, Redskins (8) Could shoot up the list if he could stay healthy….hasn’t been for two years in a row.

23. John Kasay, Panthers (9)Â Getting a little old and has had some injuries recently.

24. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (6) Can hit the long one, but isn’t an accurate kicker overall.

25. Rob Bironas, Titans (7)Â Is a good kicker that will improve as much as the Titans offense improves.

26. John Carney, Saints (7) Still accurate at 42 years old, but can’t hit the deep ones anymore.

27. Phil Dawson, Browns (6)Â A good kicker that would move up this list if the offense improves.

28. Kris Brown, Texans (5)Â Brown is not very accurate, and the Texans have not been very good on offense.

29. Joe Nedney, 49ers (7) Only missed two kicks all of last season…..needs more opportunities.

30. Robbie Gould, Bears (7)Â Not very accurate and currently in a battle for his job.

31. Billy Cundiff, Packers (6) Has been bouncing around for a while. Not much upside here.

32. Tony Yelk, Falcons (5) Rookie trying to win a job on an offense that doesn’t light up the scoreboard.

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