Fantasy Defense Report

Happy Labor day weekend, everybody! I hope everyone is enjoying what I am sure is a three day weekend for most people. This is the last of my fantasy reports. This week I'm looking at the fantasy Defense/Special Teams. You usually can begin to pick up a good D/ST around the 6th or 7th round of your draft. I would not pick one earlier than that. Here are the teams that I'm looking to be top performers this year. I don't rank them. These are the teams I'm hunting for when I'm planning my draft.

The New York Jets. The stars of Hard Knocks, Rex Ryan and his defense are the toast of the town these days. Last season, the Jets and Darelle Revis, who just signed this morning have wrecked havoc all over the AFC West. They led the league giving up only 236 points last season. They recovered 14 fumbles and had 17 interceptions, led by Revis and his 6 INTs, scoring 2 touchdowns. The defense also had 32 sacks led by Calvin Pace with 8 and David Harris with 5.5. According to ESPN.com, the Jets scored 161 fantasy points last season. They are projecting them to have a 133 points this season.

The Baltimore Ravens. This team, too, was once the star of Hard Knocks, and it is an appropriate title for a group lead by one of the most fearsome guys in the league, Mr. Ray Lewis. The Ravens gave up only 261 points last season. They had 32 sacks led by Jarrat Johnson with 6 and Trevor Price with 6.5. They had 10 fumble recovers and 22 INTS, Dawan Landry and Dominique Foxworth led the team with 4 INTS each, for 3 touchdowns. They scored 153 fantasy points in 2009 and are projected to score 119 this season.

The San Francisco 49ers. One of my old favorites, the 49ers have been on an upswing since Mike Singletary became head coach, and they drafted the gorgeous Patrick Willis. The Niners allowed 281 points last season. They were tied for second place in the league with 44 sacks, led by Manny Lawson with 6.5, Justin Smith and Ahmad Brooks with 6 each. They recovered 15 fumbles and snatched 18 picks led by Dashon Goldson with 4 INTS. They led the league with 167 fantasy points last season and are projected to score 117 points this season.

The Green Bay Packers. I personally have drafted the Pack this year, even though they are not one of my favorite teams. I recognize the skill. The Pack put the quarterback down last year with 37 sacks, led by Clay Matthews with 10 (I love me some Clay Matthews). The Pack recovered 11 fumbles and had 30 picks, 9 of which were Charles Woodson's, last season for 4 touchdowns (3 scored by Woodson). Last season, they scored 152 fantasy points and are projected to earn 112 this season.

The Minnesota Vikings. While I don't particularly care for what's going on on the offensive side of the ball, there is no denying that the Vikes are a defensive team to be reckoned with. The Vikes gave up 312 points last season. They led the league with 48 sacks, with Jared Allen taking the lead with 14.5 sacks. They also had 13 fumble recoveries and 11 interceptions, led by Cedric Griffin with 4 INTs. Last season, they scored 126 fantasy points and are projected to earn 112 this season.

Other Top Ten Fantasy D/STs: The Dallas Cowboys, The Philadelphia Eagles, The Pittsburgh Steelers, The Cincinnati Bengals, and The New Orleans Saints (get well soon, Darren Sharper).

Rookie on the Rise: Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska. All eyes are on the number 2 pick in Detroit, who has all ready picked up his first fine for practically body slamming a quarterback. In 2009, he had 12 sacks, 82 tackles (47 solo), and an interception. He had 212 career tackles and 23 sacks at Nebraska. Good luck with the Lions young man...

Well, that's it y'all! No, I will not be doin a post on kickers. Because they are kickers...just pick one. Last year's great, will be this year's goat. Good luck...

Fantasy Draft #3 of Five: The Cromartie Eight

It's the weekend, everybody! Today was the third of my fantasy drafts. This draft takes place with the NFL. com fantasy football, and the league is called the Football Fist Pump. I was really nervous because I had the 11th pick out of 12. Let me introduce you to The Cromartie Eight!

Introducing the starting line-up:

1st round-11th Pick: Ryan Mathews RB San Diego Chargers. I watched Mathews, the rookie replacement for LaDainian Tomlinson, play Friday night against the New Orleans Saints. The young running back from Fresno State looked pretty good, and he wasn't bad on the field either. NFL.com has him projected to earn 200 fantasy points. I hope so young man.

2nd round-14th Pick: Philip Rivers QB San Diego Chargers. I want go on about how much I love Philip Rivers. You guys know by now that he is mine and @theNFLChick's favorite Quarterback. Rivers had 4,254 yards with 28 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. Philip had 282 fantasy points last year and is projected to have 254 this year.

3rd round-35th Pick: Greg Jennings WR Green Bay Packers. Greg Jennings...Greg Jennings...Well, I'll admit. I grabbed him without thinking. I'm hoping his bye week doesn't kill me. Jennings caught 1113 yards for 4 touchdowns last season. He had 80 Fantasy points in 2009. Hope he is much, MUCH, better this year.

4th round-38th Pick: Jonathan Stewart RB Carolina Panthers. Stewart ran for 1133 yards last season for 10 touchdowns. He had 186.25 fantasy points in 2009.

5th round-59th Pick: Tony Gonzalez TE Atlanta Falcons. Greatest Tight End Ever. One catch away from 1000. All World Tight End. TG had 83 receptions for 867 yards and 6 touchdowns in his first year in Atlanta. He had 79.35 fantasy points in 2009.

6th Round-62nd Pick: Minnesota Vikings DEF. The Vikings D had 48 sacks last season and 11 interceptions. They recovered 13 fumbles as well. They are ranked as the #6 defense in the league.

7th Round-83rd Pick: Johnny Knox WR Chicago Bears. Johnny Knox had 45 receptions for 527 yards and 5 touchdowns last year. Knox had 56.35 fantasy points in 2009.

8th Round-86th Pick: Dexter McCluster WR Kansas City Chiefs. Dexter McCluster rushed for 1169 yards and 8 touchdowns last year for the Ole Miss Rebels. This year, my Chiefs have decided to use him as a WR. I guess, Charlie Weis knows what he is doing. Good luck, Dexter.

Here are my Bench players:
9th round-107th pick: Donovan McNabb QB Washington Redskins
10th round-110th pick: Devin Aromashodu WR Chicago Bears
11th round-131st pick: Dustin Keller TE New York Jets
12th round-134th pick: San Diego Chargers DEF
13th round-155th pick: Ryan Succop K Kansas City Chiefs
14th round-158th pick: Mario Manningham WR New York Giants
15th round-179th pick: Mike Bell RB Philadelphia Eagles

Next week, I have a double draft, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Until next time, “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.”~Bill Shankly

Happy Birthday, DianaDishes

I offically suck, and I'm a big enough woman to admit when I screw up. I forgot the birth of my baby, DianaDishes. DianaDishes was born on May 16, 2009. I started out with 2 readers, who I might add were suppose to be part of a collective...I'm the only one who still posts...You guys know who you are...I'm now up to about 12 readers, which I totally appreciate because I never actually thought anyone would read my blog, much less take me seriously. I appreciate the support of all of you guys, especially my twitter BFFs @sportychic56 (go G-Men) and @ShirleyHuangESQ (Let's go Bucs!) who constantly support this blog. I am going to do my best continue to make DianaDishes a better blog. Thanks for the great year! I hope to make the next one better!

Fantasy Tight Ends Report

Hey, everybody! Sorry, it's been so long, but alas, my real job takes precedence over my blog. Well, I'm back, and I'm going to drop the last of my fantasy reports. I know, that I have already done a fantasy "tight end" report. I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I did :), but this is my real fantasy Tight End report. It's no secret the tight end position is probably my favorite. They are big, they block (some of them) and they catch. Once again, I don't rank them. I'll leave that to the experts and you kind reader, but these are the guys I want as my fantasy tight end, and they aren't half bad players either ;)

Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers. This former Kent State basketball player has been at the summit of the Tight End mountain for the past six years. He is definitely Philip Rivers go to guy, and with Vincent Jackson threatening to hold out for most of the season (in addition to his 3 game suspension), you know Philip will be looking for his big tight end (6' 4"/260 lbs). Last season, Gates pulled in 79 receptions for 1157 yards and 8 touchdowns. 2009 Fantasy Stat: 105.85 points.

Dallas Clark of the Indianapolis Colts. Tight Ends are a quarterbacks best friend, and Peyton Manning loves Dallas Clark. Clark finally made a Pro Bowl, after playing second and third fiddle to Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez. Clark had 100 receptions 1106 yards and 10 touchdowns. 2009 Fantasy Stat: 116.40 points.

Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers. I haven't been this excited by 49ers tight end since Brent Jones. Finally, Vernon Davis showed everyone what we had expected to see when he first came into the league. Once Vernon realized he was better off on Mike Singletary highway, he exploded. He corralled 78 receptions for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns. Hopefully, who ever is finally under center in San Francisco will find Davis early and often. 2009 Fantasy Stat: 126.25 points.

Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys. Generally speaking, I rarely have anything good to say about anybody wearing the "star." However, Dallas' tight end and Tony Romo's best friend is an exception to the rule. Witten has been a top five Tight End for the last three years. In 2009, Witten hauled in 1030 yards, but only two tight ends. 2009 Fantasy Stat: 63.50 points.

Tony Gonzalez of the Atlanta Falcons. My favorite tight end. The Greatest Tight End of All Time in my opinion. TG's first catch of the season will be number 1000 of his career. People keep waiting for Tony to fall off, but he continues to surpass every one's expectations. He left my Chiefs last year to join the Falcons in an attempt to chase that seemingly elusive Super Bowl ring. He finished the 2009 season with 83 receptions 867 yards and 6 touchdowns. Not bad for an "old timer." 2009 Fantasy Stat: 79.35 points.

Other Top Ten Tight Ends: Brent Celek (Philadelphia Eagles), Kellen Winslow (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Visanthe Shiancoe (Minnesota Vikings), Heath Miller (Pittsburgh Steelers), Greg Olsen (Chicago Bears). Watch for Jermichael Finley (Green Bay Packers), Owen Daniels (Houston Texans), and Dustin Keller (New York Jets).

Rookie on the Rise: Jermaine Gresham of the Cincinnati Bengals. Gresham was the 21st overall pick and the first tight end off the board. The 6'5", 261 pounder from Oklahoma was hampered a bit by a knee injury, but he finished his senior season with 66 receptions for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns. His college totals were 111 receptions, 1629 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Until next time, "Football is a game played with arms, legs and shoulders but mostly from the neck up."-Knute Rockne

*Gratuitous Tony Gonzalez shot

Fantasy Draft #2: Introducing Hecate's HellHounds...

It's the weekend, everybody! Today was the second of my fantasy drafts. This draft takes place with the NF L. com fantasy football , and the league is called the League of Champions. Once again, bec ause the draft order is randomized, we didn't find out our draft order until this morning. I had the 2nd pick out of 12! Let me introduce you to Hecate's HellHounds!

Introducing my starting line-up:
1st round-2th pick RB Adrian Peterson Minnesota Vikings. Despite a battle with the fumble-itis last year (7 fumbles), Peterson finished the season with 1383 yards and 18 touchdowns. 2009 Fantasy stats: 268.70 fantasy points.

2nd round-23rd pick QB Philip Rivers San Diego Chargers. Philip is one of my favorite quarterbacks, mostly because of that Southern Charm and his ability to get under the skin of opposing players. Rivers finished the season 4254 yards and 28 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. He'll be without his favorite WR Vincent Jackson, but he still has Antonio Gates. 2009 Fantasy stats: 307.70 fantasy points.

3rd round-26th pick RB Ryan Grant Green Bay Packers. Grant may not have the yards that Peterson does, but he has great hands. He committed only one fumble last year. He finished the season with 1253 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. 2009 Fantasy stats: 201.15 fantasy points.

4th round-47th pick WR Wes Welker New England Patriots. This is the down side of having a high pick. Something has to to suffer; for me, it is my receiving corps. Welker is Tom Brady's go to guy when Randy Moss is under pressure. He finished the season with 1348 yards and 4 touchdowns. 2009 Fantasy stats: 95.00 fantasy points.

5th round-50th pick The Captain of the HellHounds-TE Tony Gonzalez Atlanta Falcons. I got Tony, I got Tony...ha-ha-ha-haa-ha...ha-ha-ha-haa-ha...Uh-uhm. In his first year as an (sigh) Atlanta Falcon, TG finished the season with 867 yards and 6 touchdown. His next catch will be number 1,000, the first Tight End to reach that number. 2009 Fantasy stats: 79.35 fantasy points.

6th round-71st pick WR Pierre Garcon Indianapolis Colts. Last season, Garcon finshed with 765 yards and 4 touchdowns in 13 games. Plus, Peyton Manning is throwing to him. 2009 Fantasy stats: 63.25 points.

7th round-74th pick DEF Minnesota Vikings. Vikings finished 6th in overall defense last year. They led the league with 48 sacks, and they tacked on 11 interceptions. 2009 Fantasy Stats: 116 fantasy points.

8th round-95th pick WR Malcolm Floyd San Diego Chargers. Malcolm Floyd should benefit from Vincent Jackson's absence because of Jackson's holdout and impending suspension. He finished the 2009 season with 776 yards and 1 touchdown. Just one? C'mon, man. 2009 Fantasy stats: 44.80 points.

These are my bench players:
9th round-97th pick DEF San Diego Chargers (Lights out is back! Plus, I didn't want another team with the Chargers.

10th round-119th pick RB Clinton Portis Washington Redskins
11th round-122nd pick QB Carson Palmer Cincinnati Bengals
12th round-143rd pick TE Heath Miller Pittsburgh Steelers
13th round-146th pick WR Dexter McCluster Kansas City Chiefs
14th round-167th pick K Ryan Longwell Minnesota Vikings
15th round-169th pick WR Nate Burleson Detroit Lions

Will the HellHounds wreak havoc upon the League of Champions, or will they be a team of pitiful puppies? Only time will tell. What do you think? Leave me a line.

So until next time remember, "Football is easy, if you're crazy as hell."~Bo Jackson