A Tribute

Brian Westbrook was officially released by the Philadelphia Eagles this past week. As a huge BWest fan I can truely say that i will miss him. And I'm sure I can speak on behalf of most Philly fans when saying how much he will be missed. BWest was a dynamic and versatile player, who not only changed the way the runningback position was played in the NFL but also how runningbacks were drafted in fantasy football. BWest wasn't your normal every down back, he was much more than that. He was a game changer. At any second, if the ball was in his hands, he could take it to pay dirt. Every team in the NFL wished they had a guy like BWest when he was in his prime. He was really that much of a weapon. BWest led the Eagles in rushing yard and in receptions for a few seasons. Thats an accomplisment! No other running backs were doing that for their teams. In fantasy leagues this was a huge plus because not only did he get points for rushing yards and touchdowns, he also got points for receiving yards and receptions, making him a top 3 RB in fantasy football for a few seasons. And on top of all of that, BWest was an incredible punt returner, but because he was so involved in the offense he rarely got to show off his punt returning skills.

At age 30 and coming off of major injuries to his knees and concussions, BWest's days as a starting runningback in the NFL are most likely numbered. When watching him run last season it was easy to tell he lost a step. He didn't have that quick cut ability anymore that made him so dangerous throughout his career. BWest isn't ready to hang up the cleets yet, but it would be nice to see him retire as an Eagle. The team that originally drafted him, and took a chance on him by drafting him in the 3rd round out of Villanova. Theres still a small chance that the Eagles could resign him, at a lower salary, to be a backup and mentor but it kills me to see such a prolific player in such a role. BWest was a classy player with a great attitude. He never complained, and stayed out of the media. The city of Philadelphia and all of the fans of the Philadelphia Eagles will miss you.

Major Changes at the RB Position

One of the easiest ways to be successful in fantasy football is to get two stud runningbacks on your team. This is because runningbacks are relatively consistent and tend to have a few breakout games. Of course, this is easier said than done.
For quite a while now stacking up on runningbacks has been a popular draft day strategy. Last year if you were lucky enough to get Chris Johnson and Ray Rice, you probably won your league. And if you were unfortunate enough to draft Matt Forte and Steve Slaton you probably didn't do too well in your league. Runningbacks are somewhat hit or miss, but as I mentioned earlier, they can be a major factor in winning your fantasy league. So let's take a look at the major changes at the running back position this season.

Jets: Thomas Jones had another strong campaign last season putting up RB1 numbers but saw his carries limited during the playoffs due to the emergence of Shonn Green. Leon Washington should also be back from his season ending injury. At age 31, Jones is already considered "old" for a RB. The Jets could ultimately release Jones and if so Shonn Green immediately becomes a top 15 RB. But I expect a share of the workload in New York this year. Jones being drafted as a RB2, where as Green will be drafted as a RB3. My advice: Take Green in a later round, he has much more upside. Pass on TJ.

Chargers: Ladainian Tomlinson has been one of the most dominant runningbacks of the decade, but he has already packed his bags and is out of San Diego. His back up, the speedy Darren Sproles is going to be a free agent and will get a decent amount of cash from some team this off season. This leaves the Chargers with a huge hole at the RB position. Drafting later in round 1, they could grab a running back. Jahvid Best out of Cal and Ryan Matthews out of Fresno St. should both still be available. If they do draft a RB, that RB immediately becomes a RB2 in fantasy next year. Expect numbers similar to Knowshon Moreno's last year. The Chargers could also trade for a RB. Willis McGahee from Baltimore and Marshawn Lynch from Buffalo are both available. If either of these RBs are acquired, they both too would become RB2s in fantasy, with McGahee having the higher upside. I see them ultimately drafting a RB though.

Drafting Tips: The QB Position

There once was a time in fantasy football when top Quarterbacks were always drafted in round 1. But those days have been long gone. Yes, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees still get drafted in the first round in some drafts, but more people have realized that you can get a quality QB in between rounds 5-7. Of course, Quarterbacks usually score the most points in fantasy football, but the variance in points between the top quarterbacks, and the quarterbacks from the 10-15 range is so small. For example, outside of the top 3 fantasy quarterbacks last year, (Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning) the number 4 QB only averaged 3 more points a game than the number 15 QB. Which means there were 12 Quarterbacks who basically put up the same amount of points per game. So in my opinion, pass on a quarterback in the first 4 rounds, stock up of WRs and RBs and grab a guy within that 4-15 range that you think has lots of upside in a later round.

Last year in my draft, both Manning and Brees were taken in round 1. Brady was taken in round 2, and then no other QBs were drafted until this 5-7 round range. I grabbed Kurt Warner in round 5, which at the time I thought was a steal since he was a top 3 QB the year before. I also took a flier on Matt Schaubb in round 10 or 11, when the talent starts to really diminish. After the draft I realized I lacked some depth at the WR position, so I decided to trade Warner because I realized that the QB position isn't really that important. It ended up working out well because Matt Schaubb ended up as the 4th best QB overall last year.

QBs to target in later rounds next year:

Jay Cutler - Chicago Bears - Jay throws lots of interceptions but he has an enormous amount of talent and the Bears recently hired Mike Martz as their offensive coordinator.

David Gerrard - Jacksonville Jaguars - This guy always seems to finish as a top 15 QB, and he'll be around in round 7.

Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions - The number one overall pick last year in the NFL rookie draft had an injury plagued season. Look for him to turn it around this year and build a good connection with Calvin Johnson, the stud Lions receiver.