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Fantasy Football: 20 Questions with Engel and Ice
by Tommy Landry, Executive Editor, RotoExperts.com and Kyle Stack, RotoExperts.com Staff Writer on August 05 2008
Sponsored by: RotoExperts
The following article is a free preview piece from RotoExperts.com 2008 Fantasy Football Draft Central. The kit includes nearly 70 strategic advice columns, positional analyses, team previews, and draft tools, so register today at RotoExperts.com to see the full range of coverage.
How better to start your fantasy football prep than to get the skinny from two of the game`s most respected analysts` That`s what we think, so we`ve stepped out to present to you "20 Questions with Engel and Ice". We cobbled together 20 important questions on topics you need to address before your draft. With a combined 36 years of fantasy football experience, and numerous fantasy sportswriting awards between them, Scott Engel and Ben Ice are here for one thing: to help you draft a fantasy football team worthy of a king.
That`s right, you can get it "straight from the horse`s mouth" [so to say, not that we are insinuating anything about Scott or Ben of course!]...which players are the cream of the crop? Who is ready to breakout? Who`ll drop off in production? We`ve got the answers to those questions and much more.
But enough of the "blah blah blah" intro stuff. Ben and Scott...you`re on!
1. Who are your top three picks and why?
Scott: LaDainian Tomlinson is first off the board for me. He`s annually excellent and reliable at a position where there is more uncertainty than ever before, and you still have to start two guys. Plus, after how last season ended in Foxborough, Tomlinson will be primed to carry his team to the Super Bowl from Week One. I`m not worried about injuries with him. He has missed only one game in his entire career, and reports indicate that his knee is just fine. Tom Brady goes second, because you can`t really point to past statistical trends as a basis for a significant decline. This isn`t fantasy baseball. I need to hear more than just "he can`t do that again." Randy Moss returns, period. I don`t see how past history repeats itself when the players and circumstances are different. I`m not looking for coincidence -- that doesn`t play into my draft strategies. Third, I go with Steven Jackson. He is versatile and nearly unstoppable after he gets through the initial wave of defenders. He`s ready for a huge year.
Ben: As much as I feel he is a serious injury risk, Tomlinson has to be the first pick of the draft until he actually does crash and burn. While Scott doesn`t think football should be analyzed like baseball, I disagree, if simply because it is easy to ignore history. But history does repeat itself, and that`s been proven more often than LT has been a top draft pick, which of course means that Brady doesn`t make my top ten. With true one-back offenses on the decline in favor of more Running Back by Committee`s (RBBC), it is even more imperative to lock up a stud RB early. SJax becomes my number two selection, barely beating out Adrian Peterson. Both have had some issues with injury, but Peterson is younger, runs behind one of the best offensive lines in football, and is the most dynamic runner in the game this year. Even better, the Viking defense is likely to put them in great field position throughout the year, meaning more touchdown opportunities for Peterson. There is only only thing standing in the way of AP being a top two fantasy pick: Chester Taylor.
2. What players of note are you avoiding in the first round?
Scott: Not only will I not take Larry Johnson in the first round, I won`t even take him in the first three rounds, knowing how the offensive line and passing game will look. Johnson will simply have to work too hard for his yardage. Ryan Grant is more of a late second-rounder with Aaron Rodgers` inexperience, which should bog down their offense early in the year.
Ben: I completely agree with Scott on Johnson. I said last year that he was no more than an RB2, and people scoffed at me With an inexperienced QB, with the loss of their long-time offensive coordinator, and with an offensive line in massive decline (and frankly worse this year), it was pretty obvious to me that Johnson is in for a rough time. For reasons stated in my "Big Fat Claims" column, Brady is another guy I`ll avoid in the first round.
3. What 2 teams will most surprise us offensively?
Ben: Call me a homer, but I am also a believer in the Buccaneers this year on offense. Graham has proven himself as a quality starter. The offensive line was one of the most improved last year and should easily move into the top ten, especially with the addition of Jeff Faine at C. The St. Louis Rams suffered through a nightmare of injuries last year, and no part of the offense was spared. With Marc Bulger, Jackson, and Orlando Pace healthy and a defense on the rise, the Rams should find their way back as one of the more explosive offenses in the league.
Scott: Trent Edwards will confidently run the Bills offense and bring it to respectability, and that is enough of a surprise. Marshawn Lynch will be the centerpiece of the attack and a fine fantasy RB1. The Jets will also have a better passing game than expected, and Kellen Clemens will be a pleasant surprise in fantasy, while Jerricho Cotchery will score more often.
4. What 2 teams will surprise us defensively?
Scott: Seattle may be an elite fantasy defense this season. People expect them to be good, but not great. They will surprise people, because you may be able to get them in the final round, and they will outperform just about every other unit. The Seahawks have a deep rotation on the defensive line, the best group of starting linebackers in the NFL, and a very underrated secondary. The 49ers will keep scoring down more than in the past. They have a good back seven, and the secondary may perform above expectations.
Ben: I am a big fan of the Seahawks defense, but I don`t think they belong in the surprise category this year. Green Bay was my sleeper D last year, and I`ll stick with them to continue their rise. The Baltimore D was another of those units that disappointed last year, but they also suffered from injuries across the board. Haloti Ngata anchors a stout core of run stuffers, and the return of Trevor Pryce will give them the speed off the edge to create havoc. Even with future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis on the decline, the linebacker and secondary corps, led by Bart Scott and Ed Reed respectively, are still loaded with talent. They might be one of the more under-rated units overall this year, as I expect them to return to their perennial top five status.
5. What under-the-radar player excites you most for this year?
Scott: Darrell Jackson. I think he will be out to prove that he is not done and will do much better than expected with a fine surrounding cast in Denver.
Ben: Paris Warren had easily earned a spot as Tampa`s #2 receiver last year, but he suffered a broken leg in the last preseason game. With his leg mended and the Bucs in need of options to complement Joey Galloway, I think most people will be surprised at how productive Warren will be. He`ll easily be a last round or waiver wire selection and should produce as at least a solid WR3.
How better to start your fantasy football prep than to get the skinny from two of the game`s most respected analysts` That`s what we think, so we`ve stepped out to present to you "20 Questions with Engel and Ice". We cobbled together 20 important questions on topics you need to address before your draft. With a combined 36 years of fantasy football experience, and numerous fantasy sportswriting awards between them, Scott Engel and Ben Ice are here for one thing: to help you draft a fantasy football team worthy of a king.
That`s right, you can get it "straight from the horse`s mouth" [so to say, not that we are insinuating anything about Scott or Ben of course!]...which players are the cream of the crop? Who is ready to breakout? Who`ll drop off in production? We`ve got the answers to those questions and much more.
But enough of the "blah blah blah" intro stuff. Ben and Scott...you`re on!
1. Who are your top three picks and why?
Scott: LaDainian Tomlinson is first off the board for me. He`s annually excellent and reliable at a position where there is more uncertainty than ever before, and you still have to start two guys. Plus, after how last season ended in Foxborough, Tomlinson will be primed to carry his team to the Super Bowl from Week One. I`m not worried about injuries with him. He has missed only one game in his entire career, and reports indicate that his knee is just fine. Tom Brady goes second, because you can`t really point to past statistical trends as a basis for a significant decline. This isn`t fantasy baseball. I need to hear more than just "he can`t do that again." Randy Moss returns, period. I don`t see how past history repeats itself when the players and circumstances are different. I`m not looking for coincidence -- that doesn`t play into my draft strategies. Third, I go with Steven Jackson. He is versatile and nearly unstoppable after he gets through the initial wave of defenders. He`s ready for a huge year.
Ben: As much as I feel he is a serious injury risk, Tomlinson has to be the first pick of the draft until he actually does crash and burn. While Scott doesn`t think football should be analyzed like baseball, I disagree, if simply because it is easy to ignore history. But history does repeat itself, and that`s been proven more often than LT has been a top draft pick, which of course means that Brady doesn`t make my top ten. With true one-back offenses on the decline in favor of more Running Back by Committee`s (RBBC), it is even more imperative to lock up a stud RB early. SJax becomes my number two selection, barely beating out Adrian Peterson. Both have had some issues with injury, but Peterson is younger, runs behind one of the best offensive lines in football, and is the most dynamic runner in the game this year. Even better, the Viking defense is likely to put them in great field position throughout the year, meaning more touchdown opportunities for Peterson. There is only only thing standing in the way of AP being a top two fantasy pick: Chester Taylor.
2. What players of note are you avoiding in the first round?
Scott: Not only will I not take Larry Johnson in the first round, I won`t even take him in the first three rounds, knowing how the offensive line and passing game will look. Johnson will simply have to work too hard for his yardage. Ryan Grant is more of a late second-rounder with Aaron Rodgers` inexperience, which should bog down their offense early in the year.
Ben: I completely agree with Scott on Johnson. I said last year that he was no more than an RB2, and people scoffed at me With an inexperienced QB, with the loss of their long-time offensive coordinator, and with an offensive line in massive decline (and frankly worse this year), it was pretty obvious to me that Johnson is in for a rough time. For reasons stated in my "Big Fat Claims" column, Brady is another guy I`ll avoid in the first round.
3. What 2 teams will most surprise us offensively?
Ben: Call me a homer, but I am also a believer in the Buccaneers this year on offense. Graham has proven himself as a quality starter. The offensive line was one of the most improved last year and should easily move into the top ten, especially with the addition of Jeff Faine at C. The St. Louis Rams suffered through a nightmare of injuries last year, and no part of the offense was spared. With Marc Bulger, Jackson, and Orlando Pace healthy and a defense on the rise, the Rams should find their way back as one of the more explosive offenses in the league.
Scott: Trent Edwards will confidently run the Bills offense and bring it to respectability, and that is enough of a surprise. Marshawn Lynch will be the centerpiece of the attack and a fine fantasy RB1. The Jets will also have a better passing game than expected, and Kellen Clemens will be a pleasant surprise in fantasy, while Jerricho Cotchery will score more often.
4. What 2 teams will surprise us defensively?
Scott: Seattle may be an elite fantasy defense this season. People expect them to be good, but not great. They will surprise people, because you may be able to get them in the final round, and they will outperform just about every other unit. The Seahawks have a deep rotation on the defensive line, the best group of starting linebackers in the NFL, and a very underrated secondary. The 49ers will keep scoring down more than in the past. They have a good back seven, and the secondary may perform above expectations.
Ben: I am a big fan of the Seahawks defense, but I don`t think they belong in the surprise category this year. Green Bay was my sleeper D last year, and I`ll stick with them to continue their rise. The Baltimore D was another of those units that disappointed last year, but they also suffered from injuries across the board. Haloti Ngata anchors a stout core of run stuffers, and the return of Trevor Pryce will give them the speed off the edge to create havoc. Even with future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis on the decline, the linebacker and secondary corps, led by Bart Scott and Ed Reed respectively, are still loaded with talent. They might be one of the more under-rated units overall this year, as I expect them to return to their perennial top five status.
5. What under-the-radar player excites you most for this year?
Scott: Darrell Jackson. I think he will be out to prove that he is not done and will do much better than expected with a fine surrounding cast in Denver.
Ben: Paris Warren had easily earned a spot as Tampa`s #2 receiver last year, but he suffered a broken leg in the last preseason game. With his leg mended and the Bucs in need of options to complement Joey Galloway, I think most people will be surprised at how productive Warren will be. He`ll easily be a last round or waiver wire selection and should produce as at least a solid WR3.
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