Wild Card Weekend predictions
It is the season of NFL playoff brackets, and I have released mine on KFFL.com. You can also find the brackets for fellow KFFL editors and a group bracket.
I struggled with a few selections for this weekend's games, but I ultimately decided on my playoff predictions despite much angst. Tap your mouse here for more »
Week 9 fantasy football nuggets
Three notable players are in the news this week because of injuries and a signing. I felt compelled to provide a 30,000-foot view of those situations since they have fantasy ramifications. For more detailed analysis, check out KFFL.com's Weekly Playbook.
Our friends at FanDuel.com have set up a fun salary cap fantasy football challenge where you can take me on this weekend. It is free to play and all you have to do is finish higher than me to land $5 in your bankroll. Turn your free entry into $150 ... and more! There is $500 worth of prizes being dished out to the top teams. Do you have what it takes? Try to beat me in Week 9!
The NFL’s Week 1 scheduling conundrum
NFL franchises play the same non-conference division every four seasons, and this year the NFC East will do battle with its AFC counterpart. The first weekend of NFL action means we will have games being played on Sept. 11, the 10th anniversary of the tragic attacks that reshaped our nation. Tap your mouse here for more »
Tiki Barber planning a return to the NFL
Tiki Barber is coming out of retirement, eh? Wait ... that Tiki Barber?!?! You know, the one that played running back for 10 seasons and hasn't been in pads since the 2006 season ended?
Yup, that's the one.
Ronde Barber, Tiki's brother, recently signed a one-year deal to presumably finish his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tiki wants to play for the Bucs, and that marriage may not actually end as poorly as his last one.
Tiki turns 36 years old April 7, and while over the past four seasons his body hasn't taken the beating of an NFL player, he is still 36 years old with 15,632 offensive yards on his odometer.
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Will the Bucs bite? Maybe. They have shown a tremendous amount of loyalty toward Ronde. Barber could mentor LeGarrette Blount, but Antonio Pierce strongly disagrees with that notion.
Can Tiki get back into football shape and be a legitimate contributor again? Probably. He is reportedly 198 pounds (played mostly at 208 pounds) and said he was surprised by how little strength he lost. Of course, he is probably just saying that. Barber's best bet is to return as a change-of-pace and/or third-down back; in other words, he shouldn't bulk up to 208 pounds again.
Regardless of why Barber is returning (he says he has the itch again, others point to his spousal and child support woes), he has a hell of a mountain to climb to even land on an NFL roster and stick into the regular season.
Teams that could be interested in him: Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins.
Denver and the Saints have coaching connections to Barber, while the Redskins like to defy logic. You could probably even make an argument for the Oakland Raiders, strictly based on their history of ridiculous personnel moves.
My vote is he joins the Buccaneers. Optimistically, I want to think Barber can play a small but meaningful role for an NFL team in 2011, but reality outweighs my optimism.
Fantasy owners need not become excited, and if you're drafting now, avoid Barber in all standard formats.
I'll leave you with this: Did you ever expect to see Tiki Barber unretire before Brett Favre?
Steve Smith’s surgery clouds his long-term fantasy football value
Keeper league owners, listen up. It's time to reconsider the long-term value of injured New York Giants wide receiver Steve E. Smith (knee).
The scary word "microfracture" was used to describe a portion of the surgery he will have on his knee. Several careers have been ended, or drastically altered for the worse, because of this procedure, but it isn't nearly the career death sentence it once was. Tap your mouse here for more »
Which players returning from injury are worth a start?
This week features several high-profile players coming back from absences of varied lengths that concern fantasy players. That's a good thing, right? Normally, yes, but this week is extra crucial, as many playoffs are starting across the vast fantasy universe.
Taking a chance on a player that hasn't been on the field in several weeks is a risky endeavor. Some are started no matter what, and others require intense deliberation before deciding to take the plunge. Tap your mouse here for more »
Hakeem Nicks to miss three weeks
New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (leg) is expected to miss three weeks because he is suffering from compartment leg syndrome, according to The Star-Ledger's Mike Garafolo.
Already without Steve E. Smith (pectoral) and Ramses Barden (ankle), the Giants are in trouble at receiver. This leaves Mario Manningham as the No. 1 receiver for their Week 12 meeting with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Derek Hagan is expected to serve as the No. 2 receiver, with Duke Calhoun likely filling the No. 3 role. Tap your mouse here for more »
QB changes, an untraded WR and more
It's hard to believe Week 3 is upon us already! Pretty soon fantasy owners will be competing in championship games. A quick spin around the league poses more questions than the Internet has space to answer, but I'll give it a whirl. Brevity has never been my strong suit. You can also say the same about my intros.... Tap your mouse here for more »
Free agency's opening weekend
The firestorm of the first weekend of NFL free agency is behind us, so let's examine the aftermath. Did your favorite team better their chances? Which teams wasted money? The best signing? How about the worst? Tap your mouse here for more »
Will history repeat itself in Week 7?
The following players have positive history versus their Week 7 opponents. I will help you understand if these players can live up to the expectations of their past successes.
Quarterbacks
Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Laurels: Averaged 331 passing yards and two touchdowns per game last year
Fantasy tip: I don't think Rivers will have any trouble putting up yardage, but the Chiefs' defense isn't AS BAD as some people think. Rivers threw three interceptions to four touchdown passes in those two games, and prior to the '08 season Rivers' numbers against KC weren't exactly sparkling (averaged 184 yards, 0.5 TDs, 1.5 interceptions in 2007). Expect similar numbers to last year's averages, but don't be surprised if he is pressured into a few mistakes. Tap your mouse here for more »
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