Here we go…..release time continues for some big names along with the “keepers”, such as Michael Vick. The latest to be dropped is Anderson, the Browns starting QB for a few years. Since he went to the ProBowl only two years ago he might be a good pickup for someone. Fantasy fans should watch were he lands, since he could be the starter and possibly a sleeper in deep leagues. Player rankings will have him relatively low and that could make him a good late round pick. Someone to watch.

Speaking of the Browns, Mike Holgrem made an interesting move in obtaining Seneca Wallace. A player that Mike always had a good feeling about. He drafted and sometimes played him. Good luck to Seneca, another potential sleeper.

The Michael Vick move was good for Vick…a million and a half reasons. What are the Eagles planning? Vick is no where near as good as McNabb is and maybe even Kolb. However, if someone could teach him to pass with finess, he might be another sleeper for the mock and real drafts next summer.

The Bears seem to have done themselves proud last week. A great pass rusher and a good overall back. Now for the rest of the defensive line and then the offensive line. However, they will make a bigger splash in the NFC North.

L.T. and T.O. are looking for a good fit for themselves. If I were T.O. I wouldn’t complain if I landed anywhere. Cincy might be good for him. L.T. may join the Vikes, which might be a great fit. He would have a chance for a championship assuming Farve comes back. He can still score touchdowns and doesn’t fumble. He would be great at the goal line if AP doesn’t stop fumbling near the goal line.

Well so long for two weeks. I hope you can put up with Sweetness next week. I know it isn’t easy.

Braincase Uncategorized

We are headed into one of the craziest years in a long time. For fantasy football fans this is going to be a tough year as many of the old reliables may not work.

Mock drafts and player rankings will be super important to see where you should end up. Already we have seen many old, but serviceable running backs get the heave ho. LT, Westbrook and T. Jones to name a few. What does this mean for next summer and picking your fantasy teams?

Let this lowly blogger give you some points to ponder. First, in player rankings be wary of those that list 18 running backs out of the top 25 players. Cheat sheets that do this are not looking at the final point totals for 2009. The rules haven’t changed and they now favor the passing game.

Secondly, be alert to major changes in a team’s structure. For example, Kurt Warner is gone. Of course he could pull a Farve, but I doubt it. What does this mean for L. Fitzgeralds’ value….nothing good that I can see.

Thirdly, be aware of what is happening in the division of your key players. If the Bears get Julius Pepper, then the three other teams in the Black and Blue division have a different look when they play the Bears twice. Remember, the Vikes lost to the Bears in December without the Bears having a great pass rusher. There will be lots of movement this off year and rookies will play a different role with different teams. The rookie back for the Chargers will probably be a starter, very interesting!!!!

Fourth, look for some ranking aid that takes into account the “true strength of schedule.” Data Sense and the Live cheat sheet of Fantasy Sports Optimizer, FSO for short, are the type of tools that will help you in you upcoming drafts.

It looks like a fun year ahead and this blogger cannot wait for July. Go Bears!!!!

Sweetness Uncategorized

Last year, we saw the emergence of the Quarterback and the decline of the running back. Why? The answer has a lot to do with TV ratings and the fans who wanted more excitment to watch on the Jumbo-tron. So the NFL in its wisdom changed the rules to better protect the QBs and give the receivers an easier way to get in the open. Notice I capitilize the QB, while other lowly players start with lower case letters. That’s how it is…..and should be according to the QB’s club.

However, some of the early player rankings still list the first several players as running backs and have few QBs in the top 15. To me this is not looking at their own scoring systems and seeing who was the leading point getters for 2009 and what position did they play. Fortunately, these early player rankings and mock drafts are for free. The price is what they are worth, NOTHING!!!!!

Fantasy Sports Optimizer is now working on its player rankings for 2010 and they will reflect what anybody who plays fantasy football knows…the QBs are “hot to trot.”

Does this mean that the runners and receivers are not important, of course not, just a little less than they used to be. The excitment of the game has increased as Brees, Manning, Farve etc. work their magic. Unless there are significant rule changes, next year promises more of the same on the real field. It will be interesting to see if any of the fantasy leagues change their scoring systems to make the game more even among positions. This year it will be more important to read the rules than ever before if there are any bigtime changes.

Private leagues, and other big money leagues, may have to make some changes especially in keeper leagues. Can you image having a real good running back and now finding out that he is actually scored lower than 10 QBs. Well, as the wise old owl said “that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
What does that really mean?

Have a good week and keep those cards and letters, electronic ones that is, coming to FSO.

Braincase Uncategorized Braincase

This week I saw one of the fantasy football sites talking about a mock draft…..for the real draft. How about player rankings for draft beers? Or how about bringing back the armed forces draft to cut unemployment? Or how about closing the window to prevent the draft? Now that would get Fantasy football fans all hot and bothered, no draft. Open the damn windows and let the draft in….please.

In reflecting on the draft, both mock and real a few thoughts (very few good ones) come to mind. In last years fantasy football league draft(s), did anyone win by drafting AP first? I bet not. Quick, name the top three draft picks in the NFL’s draft of 2009. I don’t know either. So what this means is that picking the right players in a draft, either real or Mock, is much more important than picking first, or second or third.

We all try to gather information from many sources and then go at it. This is why Fantasy Sports Optimizer’s Data Sense and Live Cheat Sheet will be super important come next summer.

The live Cheet Sheet will help in estimating not only what you should do, by position, but what your fellow drafters will do. So FSO’s live Cheat Sheet will say pick a QB 65% or a RB 35%. If you go with the QB you will probable be right, but a RB is good second choice. No WRs or TEs in this round.

Data Sense will give the the rankings of the players at the various positions. Data Sense last year, ranked Manning and Bress almost identically and at the top of the heap. This great tool helps eliminate the worry as the rounds proceed and the available players diminish.

Another thought about the draft for fantasy football players is that no one wins the league on drafting days alone. Constant change is forced upon us players with injuries, byes and coaching decisions. Data Sense adjusts throughout the entire season to take this into account along with who is playing whom….a new wrinkle in 2010’s version. Strength of schedule will be the latest improvemnt to Data Sense.

So here’s to the February blahs and have a mock or real draft for old times sake. Better yet have a half a dozen drafts down at the corner sports bar.

Go Bears!!!

Sweetness Uncategorized Sweetness

To this humble blogger, humbled by his predictions and favorite team, those Bears, I can say the following with great certainty.

The most valuable person at last weeks Super Bowl was Payton, the coach, not the QB. Wow!!!! Guts and brains, the call for the on-side kick was really something else. The game didn’t turn on that play alone, but it sure was a super call in the Super Bowl.

The next observation is this greatest of all time thing-a -ma-jig. Every week, we would have the greatest based on one game and a little history. We started out with pop Warner, the greatest playoff QB of all time. Next week nothing and now he is retired. A great player for sure, but the greatest of all time?

Following that, we had a new greatest, Mr. Farve. Brett could do no wrong, and then as AP fumbled his way to glory, Brett was dismissed as a guy who ended with an interception. Brett is a great one also, but how can one pass change him from the greatest QB to Mr. Interception.

The senario continued with Peyton being proclaimed the greatest of all time in every phase of the QB game. A few dropped passes, a few bad play calls, a surprise move by the Saints and one interception and Peyton is now also kaput.

That brings us to the winner, Drew Brees. A gusty, cool QB, who plays tough and to win. Some announcer said that maybe this win means that Brees is now in the elite QB status in the NFL. Maybe???? Tom Brady has not won a Super Bowl in 5 years, but Drew has. He has the same number of Super Bowl wins as does Peyton, Brett and Kurt, and more passing yards than any of them in the past few years. I think that he qualifies.

Finally, I salute the CBS team for shutting up and letting the visual tell the story. I never thought that Jim Nance was a top flight football announcer, but he did very well. My congrats to him. To Phil Simms I say, you are really good. He knows his stuff and when to say it and when to let the action tell the story. The guy doesn’t need to hear himself talk, and that makes for a pleasant experience for the viewing audience to maximize their enjoyment of the game.

2009, football season is now history and fantasy fans can start to look forward to 2010. Its only 4 and 1/2 months to July 1st and the first fantasy draft.

Fantasy Sports Optimizer will be ready to assist you with the “OPTIMIZER”, Live Cheat Sheets and Data Sense. They will be even better next year and we look forward to the upcoming fantasy football season.

Go Bears!!!

Sweetness Uncategorized Sweetness

Last Sunday, almost the whole crew of FSO’s joined together for its first annual Super Bowl Party. We didn’t talk about player rankings, cheat sheets or draft position. Nope we ate, drank and had a great time.

The team included John, Pat, John, Sweetness, Teacher, Chris, Wes and yours truly Braincase. The only one missing was our beautiful blond, such is life!!!! Please note: Jill is John’s beautiful wife (not the beautiful blond on the home page, but another beauty), but was shopping on Sunday, so she wasn’t there either. Two chances, two misses. The gang was cheering for both teams and enjoyed the game thoroughly. A great end to the exciting first year.

Now it’s back to work to make Fantasy Sports Optimizer even better. John is looking at adding a few more variables to make the forecasting model even more accurate.

Remember last fall, the two top rated QBs were Mr. Brees and Mr. Peyton Manning. In the end, in the year of the QB, the two top rated QBs played in the Super Bowl. What can you say…..

As the season has ended, we will now alternate on blogging starting next week. This year has been a lot of fun and we look forward to the 2010 fantasy football season.

I will be talking to you soon.

Braincase Uncategorized Braincase

This modest blogger, humbled by first the Bears’ play, and then the Shadow’s predictions is looking forward to a fun day on Sunday. Two great offense teams with big play defenses will go at it, at it and at it.

You must admire both QBs and their head coaches. The Colts with Mr. Everthing at QB and the Saints with a guy who never quits trying and succeeding. Combine those pros with two winning head coaches and you have a Sunday feast.

Having been to New Orleans since Katrina, all I can say is that Drew Brees is what that city needed. A guy who says yes we can and delivers. A nice change of pace from others who say “yes we can”, but don’t deliver anything of value, except an unemployment check.

At San Diego, Brees never quit and hurt his arm trying to recover a fumble. The Chargers thought he was through; Miami didn’t want him and Sunday this gutsy guy takes the field, while the Dolfins and the Chargers watch. Good for you Mr. Brees!!!!

On the other side of the field comes The Great Mr. Peyton Manning. As a QB, he does just about everything right and with style. Truly a great field general and a master at his trade. Bravo Mr. Manning!!!!

Both teams have many skilled players, who do it in crucial times. Some goofy announcer will say, “so and so choked”. Cut the crap, these guys are all very good or they wouldn’t be there. They are also human, so mistakes are made, but both teams are loaded with winners and are led by two guys who never give in or give up.

The coaching staffs are top notch and deserve to be there. It should be a great Sunday.

Fantasy players still are very active, with many leagues’ championships still in the air.
In fact, there are still a few games where you pick your Super Bowl players based on salary cap considerations. I don’t know any with mock drafts, but I am sure they exist.

This week I say go with your hunches and have a great time. Sweetness has mixed emotions, but goes with the Colts 37-34.

Go Bears!!!! Why do I still say that?

Sweetness Uncategorized Sweetness

Well, the fantasy football wars are almost over. No more player rankings, mock drafts or anything else. Why? Because this is the weekend of SUPER BOWL. Yep, this is it (and a scoop for readers of this blog).

Finally, after several months of grinding the two best teams in the league get to play and one is the champ. Back in August, Fantasy Sports Optimizer rated Brees and Peyton as its two top QBs. They were ahead of all others in the FSO’s player rankings and by a good margin. So here we are…..

Of course, it takes more than a great QB to get you to the Super Bowl, but without a star at QB it is hard to do.

Other highly ranked players include Dallas Clark , Reggie Wayne and Marques Colston of the Saints. There are many other really good players in the Saints receiving corps, but they don’t do enough in fantasy terms to rate all that highly.

The runners were not that highly rated, mostly in the second or third tier.
Addai and Bush had the highest player ranks, and could be very important on Sunday.

The defenses were both midtier in the preseason and improved as the year went on. They are both capable of the big play and that is what is going to make this an exciting Super Bowl.

Braincase’s prediction is(drum roll)—-Colts 34, Saints 27.

Go Chargers!!!

Braincase Uncategorized Braincase

What we need for fantasy football fans is a road map on how to Optimize the time between early February and the summer when the drafts begin. Fantasy Sports Optimizer (FSO) will be deligently working on Data Sense, the live Cheat Sheet and the Optimizer products for the upcoming season, but what can the average fantasy football fan do.

Here are a few ideas:
-Review your season and ask what one thing could you have done differently that would have made a material difference in your league. Not silly answers, like better players, but a look at your stategy and weekly player selection from your bench.
-See if matchups really made any difference?
-Compare total points to consistent points. Which would have been better?
-Look at reasons why some of your big stars just didn’t perform. Was it injuries, a new offensive scheme, an off year or was it the end of the run, like LT.

For fantasy football players in keeper leagues, this is a great time to check your assumtions on who is staying on your roster.
I know that it hurts to let go of a great player who had an off year, but look carefully, because it is much better to move on too soon, rather than a year too late. This is especially true of RBs. Also look to see who should have a bounce back year and get set to pounce on them early in the draft. Many Falcons for example should have good years ahead of them, assuming the injury jinx moves on to another team.

Finally, for any fantasy football fan, remember that the organizations that are strong year in and year out give you a leg up. One year wonders can lead your astray.

You can be much better prepared for mock drafts, checking the reliability of Cheat Sheets and player rankings with some analytical looks at what you want to do before all the hype begins.

Go Bears!!!! Go somewhere and get some offensive linemen and defensive backs!!!!

Sweetness Uncategorized Sweetness

Now there is a silly idea, the Pro Bowl. It would be much better to take the two most disappointing teams, as voted on by the fans, and have them play. The winner gets to whoop it up while the loser must have a press conference to talk about how they “just didn’t step up” or some other silly cliches.

Fantasy football mock drafts for 2010 before the Saints-Cardinals game had Kurt Warner going high in the player rankings. Now he may retire and all those projections, cheat sheets and predictions go out the window.

As you can tell, there is not much to write about this week in the fantasy football world, but next week with the Super Bowl coming up, the gurus will abound.

I think that this week should be renamed the doldrums week and we should have reruns of last week’s exciting games.
I bet you could get good odds if you took the Vikings and two points. However, with the ability of hackers and techs, you could get a replay where AP takes the ball cleanly and runs into the endzone. No OT and an easy win for you.

Have fun on Sunday amd remember it is only seven more days until the Colts and Saints go at it.

Braincase Uncategorized