7 Ballsy Predictions for 2009

When was the last time you won a fantasy championship being “safe?” I mean, if you are a conservative drafter, who doesn’t take many roster risks, that’s your prerogative - and it just may work for you. However, there are countless past examples of players considered to be “safe” picks at the time. Shaun Alexander in 2006, Larry Johnson in 2007, Priest Holmes and Randy Moss in 2005, Tom Brady and Joseph Addai in 2008 and on and on. How did those work out? Read more

Henry, Jarrett & Clayton Worth Watching

We’ve looked at several potential seasonal super sleeper wide receivers heading into the 2009 season, but there are three career underachievers that could redeem themselves. Dynasty owners, brace yourselves - after this you may feel comfortable investing in three names you likely gave up on long ago. Read more

Handcuffing Your Wide Receivers

Well, one concept all fantasy owners are now familiar with is “hand-cuffing” – the art of locking up a running back situation by drafting the back-up to your starter. It seems simple enough, and it has really come in handy in the past, especially for owners of Priest Holmes in 2005 and Adrian Peterson in 2007, and many other backs. Heading into 2008, however, it seems there are a couple of scenarios in which the hand-cuffing concept could actually be applied to a different position – wide receiver. Read more

Fantasy Impact: Chris Henry Returns

During his first two seasons in the NFL, a young, 6’4”, 200 lb. physically gifted WR out of West Virginia named Chris Henry looked like an up and coming player with superstar fantasy potential. Not only was he big and talented, but he played on a team – the Cincinnati Bengals – that had one of the most explosive passing offenses in the league. Fantasy owners saw his potential in 2006 as he caught 36 balls for 605 yards and nine TDs as Cincy’s third WR. He looked like a player who would play a key role for years to come.. Read more

Shockey Traded, Fantasy Value Rises Huge…

It’s not very often that two of the NFL’s biggest names get traded within 24 hours of one another, but lucky us - it happened this week, as Washington acquired Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor, and New Orleans saved Jeremy Shockey from a situation he did not want to be in. In this week’s stock market report, find out why fantasy owners of Taylor and Shockey should be just as happy about the moves. Read more

Bengals To Boot Housh After 2008?

One of the Bengals’ beat writers is reporting that Cincy may let 2009 unrestricted free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh simply walk away after this season.

Wow, does this seem unlikely. Housh is seen as a leader on that team, and Cincy could certainly use the franchise tag on him. Some weird stuff has been going on in the Bengals organization this off-season, from Chad Johnson, to Chris Henry, to Odell Thurman and now Housh. For now, his owners shouldn’t worry at all, but we’ll keep an eye on this.

Chris vs. Chris: Johnson vs. Henry…

Titans RBs Chris Johnson and Chris Henry are both playing extremely well in practice. Johnson is apparently even speedier than advertised, as Titans teammates have been extremely impressed with his explosiveness. The rookie has lined up at tailback and wide receiver, and it’s apparent that Jeff Fisher and Mike Heimerdinger want his hands on the rock at least 15 times a game in 2008. Johnson is a solid seasonal sleeper and a phenomenal dynasty asset in PPR leagues.

Henry, on the other hand, will likely only be a factor on special teams until he can learn to pass protect better. He has little to no fantasy value right now.

Worrying About Off-The-Field Issues?

Bills second round WR James Hardy’s recent decision to pull a gun on his father during a recent visit home to Indiana has our readers questioning whether or not off-the-field issues seriously affect fantasy performance, how to analyze this situations and draft accordingly. Read more

Chris Henry To New Orleans?

Former Bengals WR Chris Henry is talking about re-surfacing somewhere soon in the NFL, and the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys are on his list. If a team like New Orleans, or Dallas, gives him a chance, he could once again be a solid fantasy WR3. The only problem is that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell may want Henry to sit out a year first.

Bengals Interested In Malcolm Kelly?

We know the Bengals will need to draft a wide receiver due to the fact that they recently had to release Chris Henry, and that Chad Johnson could blow at any minute. Apparently the Bengals have told Oklahoma WR Malcolm Kelly that they’re interested in drafting him. He’d be a first rounder, so Cincy could be looking at trading back to around the 11th or 12th spot, or drafting him at 9th overall.

This type of thing happens a lot around this time of year, so we’re taking it with a grain of salt. We also hear that Cincy is interested in Vandy’s Earl Bennett - a likely second rounder.

Schaub, Utecht Rising; Henry, White Falling…

With free agency pretty much at a stand still for about the last few weeks, the No-Offseason.com Stock Market Report has slowed down a bit. The good news is that it will definitely pick up steam following the NFL Draft at the end of this month. But for now, we’ll monitor a few more of the players who are experiencing a slight rise or fall in value. Read more

Brett Favre Pondering A Comeback?…

Packers GM Ted Thompson disputed the rumors that Brett Favre may return to football, saying - “we don’t know anything about it.” I hate to tell you this Ted, but you wouldn’t. If the rumors are true, Favre will be playing somewhere else in 2008.

LenDale White, Titans RB
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White has a court date set for May 1 for a citation he received in Denver this offseason. White was cited for several things, including destruction of property. League punishment could definitely occur.

Kenny Wright, Browns DB
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Browns DB Kenny Wright was arrested on charges of evading arrest and possession of marijuana. Kenny Wright - not Eric Wright. Eric Wright is a solid fantasy IDP sleeper in 2008. Kenny Wright might be done for good in the NFL after this.

David Garrard, Jaguars QB
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Jags owner Wayne Weaver recently said that he expects his team to lock up David Garrard to a long term extension very soon. Garrard has become the heart and soul of the Jags offense and we expect him to only get better from a fantasy perspective, especially in leagues that take away points for INTs. The guy just doesn’t make mistakes.

Chris Henry, Bengals WR
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Chris Henry, who is likely to be suspended for all of 2008, was not only called a “one-man crive wave” by a Hamilton County Judge after being arrested, but teammate Chad Johnson told a radio station that the Bengals should not have released him, saying “Man, they can’t let him go. That dude is good. He’s very, very good.  We need him.” Are you freaking serious, Chad? We just lost way more respect for Chad Johnson here. The guy can’t even stay on the field and you NEED him? You want a guy who pissed away hundreds of thousands of dollars? The guy could have freaking stayed home and played X-Box 360 all day and still stayed on the field.