Ranking the Running Backs Sharing the Rock (Aug. 28, 2007)

After the true starting running backs are drafted, you might be stuck taking someone who shares the load. But who are the real deal duo backfields and which tadums will tank? Here are my rankings of the running backs that are sharing the rock this season:

1. Reggie Bush / Deuce McAllister
Bush could run for 1,000 and catch 1,000 to go along with 20 touchdowns, he's the next LaDainian. Deuce will rush for 1,000 yards and run for 10 touchdowns again this season making the Bush/McAllister combo the best in fantasy. If they live up to expectations they could put together over 3,000 combined yards and 30 touchdowns -- yikes!

2. Clinton Portis / Ladell Betts
Clinton Portis is not injury prone. He's a running back in the NFL -- injuries happen. He missed one game out of 31 before missed eight last season. Portis still ran for seven touchdowns last year. Seven touchdowns was more than Reggie Bush, Ronnie Brown, Edgerrin James and Laurence Maroney. Seven touchdowns was the same number Shuan Alexander, Brian Westbrook, Willie Parker, Joseph Addai and Travis Henry scored. Betts is also no slouch, he had more than 1,000 yards rushing last year to go along with his 53 receptions. The Portis/Betts duo could be the best backfield in the NFL.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew / Fred Taylor
Fred Taylor ran for 5.0 yard per carry and 1,146 yards last season in 15 games. Taylors injuries (32 games in nine seasons and a tweaked hammy last fantasy playffs) could be a thing of the past with Maurice Jones-Drew now softening the defense with 5.7 yards per carry. Jones-Drew exploded last season and almost ran for 1,000 yards on 166 runs. His 13 rushing touchdowns were tied with Steven Jackson for third most last season. If this backfield is full strength for the entire season, they could be a serious fantasy producing pair.

4. Marion Barber / Julius Jones
Julius Jones and Marion Barber could each be the featured back. Instead, they seem to have taken the most 50/50 running back duo role in the NFL. Jones ran for just over 1,000 yards and Barber scored 14 touchdowns last season. It appears that Barber is taking the knockout role in the this season and Jones seems to be the set-up jab in the one-two punch. Both backs are capable of 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns -- which would make any fantasy own grin.

5. Jerious Norwood / Warrick Dunn
Norwood broke out onto the scene last season with just 99 rushes. He topped 10 carries only once but his long runs resulted in 6.4 yards per carry. If Norwood gets 200 carries he could easily top 1,200 yards rushing. Dunn has three straight seasons of 1,000 yards and averaged 100 yards in the first five games of the season. Because Dunn has become what is known as an older back, I would assume that he might take a back seat role to Norwood. Don't think that Dunn isn't going to try to run for 1,000 yards again. The Falcons rushing game has been the ranked first in the NFL for the last three seasons.


6. LaDainian Tomlinson / Michael Turner

7. Adrian Peterson / Chester Taylor

8. DeAngelo Williams / DeShaun Foster

9. Thomas Jones / Leon Washington

10. Bradon Jacobs / Reuben Droughns

Fantasy Football: Best of the Rest Rankings (8/28/07)

Everyone knows who to pick in the first few rounds, or at least you have your wants. But what about when the big names are gone and your left to decide between players who aren't as clear cut. Here are my best of the rest rankings.

Second Running Backs:
1. Brandon Jacobs
2. Willis McGahee
3. Cedric Benson
4. Thomas Jones
5. Clinton Portis

Third Running Backs:
1. Jamal Lewis
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Marion Barber
4. Deuce McAllister
5. Carnell Williams

Third Wide Receiver:
1. Darrell Jackson
2. Braylon Edwards
3. Reggie Brown
4. Joey Galloway
5. Chris Chambers

After the Top Tight Ends:
1. Kellen Winslow
2. Vernon Davis
3. Randy McMichael
4. Dallas Clark
5. David Martin

Round Nine Running Backs:
1. Julius Jones
2. DeAngelo Williams
3. Tatum Bell
4. Jerious Norwood
5. Brandon Jackson

Round 10 Wide Receivers:
1. D.J. Hackett
2. Jericho Cotchery
3. Devery Henderson
4. Vincent Jackson
5. Mark Clayton
6. Gerg Jennings
7. Donte Stallworth
8. Santonio Holmes
9. Drew Bennett
10. Kevin Curtis

Late Round Quarterbacks:
1. Eli Manning
2. Jake Delhomme
3. Jay Cutler
4. Chad Pennington
5. Alex Smith

Who Cares Kickers:
1. Jason Elam
2. Jason Hanson
3. Stephen Gostkowski
4. Josh Scobee
5. Joe Nedney

Missed Out Defenses:
1. Denver
2. Carolina
3. Minnesota
4. St. Louis
5. New York Jets

Fantasy Football: X or Y? (8/28/07)

During your fantasy football draft, you may come to a point when you will be forced to choose between two solid players. Selecting the correct player could help you reach the title game. Here is my take on a few possible decision-makers:

Round 1:
Frank Gore or Larry Johnson
CHE: Frank Gore

Willie Parker or Joseph Addai
CHE: Willie Parker

Reggie Bush or Brian Westbrook
CHE: Reggie Bush

Round 2:
Travis Henry or Ronnie Brown
CHE: Ronnie Brown

Steve Smith, Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt or Chad Johnson
CHE: Marvin Harrison, Chad Johnson, Torry Holt, Steve Smith

Round 3:
Randy Moss or Javon Walker
CHE: Randy Moss

Marshawn Lynch or Clinton Portis
CHE: Marshawn Lynch

Round 4:
Jerious Norwood or DeAngelo Williams
CHE: Jerious Norwood

Hines Ward or T.J. Houshmandzadeh
CHE: T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Round 5:
Lee Evans or Darrell Jackson
CHE: Darrell Jackson

Ladell Betts or Fred Taylor
CHE: Fred Taylor

Round 6:
Donovan McNabb or Matt Hasselbeck
CHE: Donovan McNabb

Eli Manning or Philip Rivers
CHE: Philip Rivers

Round 7:
D.J. Hackett or Vincent Jackson
CHE: Vincent Jackson

Chicago Bears Defense or Baltimore Ravens Defense
CHE: Chicago Bears Defense

Round 8:
Michael Pittman or Ron Dayne
CHE: Michael Pittman

Ronald Curry or Jerry Porter
CHE: Ronald Curry

Round 9:
Michael Bennett or Marcel Shipp
CHE: Marcel Shipp

Michael Jenkins or Isaac Bruce
CHE: Michael Jenkins

Round 10:
Byron Leftwich or Brett Favre
CHE: Brett Favre

Troy Williamson or Bobby Wade
CHE: Bobby Wade

Cash In: Deutsche Bank Championship (Aug. 27, 2007)

The field has been cut down to the top 120 point scorers for the Deutsche Bank Championship and what is the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs. All but two, No. 15 Scott Verplank and No. 59 Bernhard Langer, of the 120 golfers who qualified will be teeing off this weekend. Choosing the top two, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh, might be a wise idea. Last year at this event, Woods and Singh were paired together in the final round where Singh posted a course record 61, but Woods managed to answer with a 63 to win. Singh has been off his game lately having missed two straight cuts and Woods might be rusty having stayed home last weekend. So even though Woods and Singh have each won and been runner-up at the TPC Boston, I'm not so certain they'll finish that way this weekend. Here are my golfers to consider:

1. Justin Rose --

Justin Rose knows how to pace himself from Thursday to Sunday as good as anyone on TOUR, making him a good bet to win the Deutsche Bank Championship. Rose and Tiger Woods are the only golfers on TOUR who made the cut in every event they entered this season (Rose has played four rounds in each of his last 15 tournaments). Even though Rose played in just 12 events, he still scored enough FedEx Cup points to rank 22nd. Rose is able to get it done on Thursday and Friday better than anyone -- his scoring average before the cut ranks first on TOUR (69.96). And his all around game (which is computed by totaling a player's rank in the following statistics: Scoring Leaders, Putting Leaders, Eagle/Birdie Leaders, Sand Saves, GIR, Driving Distance and Accuracy) is third best on TOUR behind Woods and Singh. Ever since Rose finished 62nd at the Nissan Open in February, he's basically been perfect. He had back to back T5 finishes, three top 10 finishes which included a tied for second and he filled in the rest of the weekends finishing T30, T12, T12 and T14. If Rose can capture the 9,000 points that come with winning the Deutsche, he'll move from 22nd to second in the FedEx Cup standings.

2. Mark Calcavecchia --

Mark Calcavecchia has been on my radar since the beginning of the season. One reason I've watched him closely is because Calcavecchia put up back to back top 10 finishes and won the PODS Championship all before mid-March. His strong play continued into April before trailing off in May and June. Calcavecchia appeared to be back on track after he tied for 23rd in the British Open and then tied for 14th at the Bridgestone Invitational. So, confidently picked him to do well at the PGA Championship where he shot a first round 79 and missed the cut. After a tie for fourth last weekend, I'm re-convinced that he's going to roll the rest of the way.

3. Sean O'Hair --

At just 25 years old, this young gun is ready to break out and he could use the playoffs as his launch pad. Maybe due to his inexperience or maybe it was nerves, O'Hair started the season slow missing the cut in five of the first six tournaments. Once O'Hair got comfortable he rang off a string of four straight top 20 finishes. O'Hair has the ability to put together four solid rounds of golf -- his best finish this season came at the Memorial where he tied for fifth. The end of the season stalled O'Hair, he finished tied for 67th and the British Open, tied for 50th at the Canadian Open and tied for 42nd at the PGA. O'Hair entered The Barclays right on the cut line for the BMW Championship as the 70th overall player in the FedEx Cup standings. And after his tie for 25th, he moved up two spots to 68th -- just under the cut line. O'Hair might be a player who thrives in a win or go home situation. We'll see if he can overcome his inexperience and focus for a top finish.

4. Ken Duke --

Yea, that's right. Ken Duke. You might be wondering how I came up with Ken Duke. Well, here's why. Not only does Duke need to earn points this weekend and next to get into the top 30, but he's mad at himself. Duke has played well all season -- he had four top 10 finishes including at second place at the Zurich Classic. And he's been clutch. Going into the stretch run of the season, Duke needed to score points. What resulted was a tie for 12th at the Reno-Tahoe Open and 217 points followed by a solid performance (T18) at the PGA Championship and an additional 359 points. With the top 70 locked-up after two consecutive weekends of great golf, Duke eagerly awaited his chance to play playoff golf. What happened during round one wasn't what Duke waited for at all, he disappointedly shot two rounds of 74 and missed the cut. If Duke can pull it together and keep his number of putts below 29 per round, he could have a great chance of earning enough points to get an invite into the final round of the playoffs.

Steve Stricker, K.J. Choi and Rory Sabbatini have all moved ahead of Woods in the FedEx Cup standings, but that doesn't mean they'll remain at the top over the next three events. With 50 golfers being eliminated after Sunday's final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship, there are sure to be plenty of big name players that will miss out on round three of the playoffs.

Here are my players to avoid:

1. Steve Stricker --

Stricker has already clinched his place in the top 30 and he's made the cut in 10 of the past 11 events he's started. After winning The Barclays and moving from 12th to first in the standings, my thoughts are that Stricker can't go anywhere but down from here. Also, after reviewing his results from past tournaments, Stricker tends to fall off the weekend after a top finish. In his first event of the year Stricker tied for fourth and missed the cut the next time he played. After finishing tied for fifth at the Honda Classic, he missed the cut at his next event. And after his tie for ninth at the Shell Houston Open, Stricker again missed the cut in the Masters the following weekend. Stricker did place T52 after finishing second at the Wachovia and followed a second place at the AT&T National with a tie for 8th at the British Open. But after four grueling rounds of pressure golf this past weekend, Stricker's mind and body might be drained. I expect a poor showing from The Barclays winner this weekend.

2. Retief Goosen --

Retief Goosen is currently ranked 17th in the world. It was only a short time ago that Goosen was compared to elite golfers Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh. Goosen finds himself on life support this upcoming weekend as he sits 86th overall in the FedEx Cup point standings. Goosen needs to pick up more than 1,500 points to move into the top 70, which would take a top five finish. The more you play, the more you score and by entering just 12 events, Goosen didn't exactly make it easy on himself to score points. He's only missed the cut once, but he has just one top 10 finish. The reason for Goosen's fall off could be due to his poor play on Saturdays. Goosen's round three scoring average is 72.27 which is 161st on TOUR. Goosen's problem could be his poor play in general, he's averaging 72 shots per round this year, good enough for 169th. When Goosen was compared to Els, Mickelson and Singh he was averaging 69.97 per round (2005). It might take four straight rounds of better than his best in 2005 in order to earn his way to the next round.

3. Chad Campbell --

Chad Campbell is 108th in points after missing the cut at The Barclays. Campbell doesn't have any expectations going into this event and there's no pressure. His play this past season has been some that Campbell will want to forget and I'm predicting that he's ready to get the season over with. After having five top 10 finishes in 2006, Campbell has just one this season (it came at a Match Play Championship). In his past six events he's missed the cut three times and tied for 57th, 67th and 77th. It wouldn't surprise me to see Campbell shoot rounds in the upper 70's at the Deutsche Bank.

4. Fred Funk --

Fred Funk currently sits just outside the BMW Championship cut line at 75th overall. As much as I want Funk to get into the next round of the playoffs, I'm not sure he's got it in him to finish where he needs to in order to earn his way in. He doesn't have to win or finish in the top five to make it to round three. But in order to save his season, Funk will need to do what Rich Beem did at The Barclays -- grab a top 10 finish. Since 11th or worse this weekend will leave Funk just outside the top 70, and the fact that the field contains the best 118 golfers on the planet, I think a top 10 is too much to achieve. Funk might be running out of energy or thinking about other projects. This season, to go along with his 19 events on the PGA Tour, Funk played in five events on the Champions Tour. The Deutsche Bank Championship will be Funk's fifth straight weekend of action, and likely his last of the PGA season.

ALSO FOUND ON PGATOUR.com:

http://www.pgatour.com/2007/tournaments/r505/08/29/protrade0829/index.html

Fantasy Football CHEat Sheet: Top 200 (8/25/07)

Getting ready for your fantasy draft? Don't trust those outdated magazines? This could be your "CHEat Sheet". I based my rankings off of a scoring system that awards four points for a touchdown pass, one point for every 50 yards passing, six points for a touchdown run or catch and one point for every 25 yards rushing or receiving. This list also factors in a roster of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Steven Jackson
3. Frank Gore
4. Larry Johnson
5. Rudi Johnson
6. Joseph Addai
7. Willie Parker
8. Reggie Bush
9. Shaun Alexander
10. Peyton Manning
11. Brian Westbrook
12. Laurence Maroney
13. Edgerrin James
14. Ronnie Brown
15. Maurice Jones-Drew
16. Travis Henry
17. Torry Holt
18. Marvin Harrison
19. Willis McGahee
20. Thomas Jones
21. Steve Smith
22. Cedric Benson
23. Brandon Jacobs
24. Reggie Wayne
25. Chad Johnson
26. Carson Palmer
27. Terrell Owens
28. Antonio Gates
29. Larry Fitzgerald
30. Javon Walker
31. Randy Moss
32. Clinton Portis
33. Anquan Boldin
34. Jamal Lewis
35. Marshawn Lynch
36. Drew Brees
37. Andre Johnson
38. Plaxico Burress
39. Tom Brady
40. T. J. Houshmandzadeh
41. Marion Barber
42. Tatum Bell
43. Hines Ward
44. Marques Colston
45. Carnell Williams
46. Jerious Norwood
47. Marc Bulger
48. Adrian Peterson (MIN)
49. DeAngleo Williams
50. Duece McAllister
51. Roy Williams
52. Laveranues Coles
53. Lee Evans
54. Brandon Jackson
55. Darell Jackson
56. Santana Moss
57. Donald Driver
58. Chester Taylor
59. DeShaun Foster
60. Fred Taylor
61. Ahman Green
62. Ladell Betts
63. Warrick Dunn
64. Tony Gonzalez
65. LenDale White
66. Jeremy Shockey
67. Braylon Edwards
68. Chris Chambers
69. Jerricho Cotchery
70. Julius Jones
71. Donovan McNabb
72. Devery Henderson
73. Mark Clayton
74. Mike Bell
75. LaMont Jordan
76. Reggie Brown
77. Jon Kitna
78. Tony Romo
79. Chris Brown
80. Matt Hasselbeck
81. Joey Galloway
82. Reuben Droughns
83. Eli Manning
84. Calvin Johnson
85. Philip Rivers
86. Matt Leinart
87. Drew Bennett
88. Baltimore Ravens Defense
89. Vincent Jackson
90. D.J. Hackett
91. Vince Young
92. Kellen Winslow
93. Santonio Holmes
94. Bernard Berrian
95. Vernand Morency
96. Chicago Bears Defense
97. Jay Cutler
98. Deion Branch
99. Vernon Davis
100. Donte Stallworth
101. Greg Jennings
102. Matt Jones
103. Chris Cooley
104. Todd Heap
105. Ben Roethlisberger
106. Terry Glenn
107. Kevin Curtis
108. Alge Crumpler
109. Alex Smith
110. Randy McMichael
111. Jake Delhomme
112. L. J. Smith
113. Heath Miller
114. Leon Washington
115. Anthony Thomas (CHI)
116. Muhsin Muhammad
117. Michael Clayton
118. Mike Furrey
119. San Diego Chargers Defense
120. Michael Turner
121. Chad Pennington
122. Ernest Wilford
123. Matt Schaub
124. Rex Grossman
125. Adam Vinatieri
126. Eddie Kennison
127. Brandon Jones
128. Kevin Jones
129. Derrick Mason
130. Jason Witten
131. Joe Jurevicius
132. Chris Henry
133. Jerry Porter
134. Jeff Wilkins
135. Wes Welker
136. Michael Pittman
137. J. P. Losman
138. Ben Watson
139. New England Patriots Defense
140. Ron Dayne
141. Robert Meachem
142. Ronald Curry
143. Joe Horn
144. Brian Leonard
145. Brandon Marshall
146. Shayne Graham
147. Anthony Gonzalez
148. Michael Bennett
149. Dallas Clark
150. Arnaz Battle
151. Marcel Shipp
152. Nate Kaeding
153. Jeff Garcia
154. Michael Jenkins
155. Byron Leftwich
156. Brett Favre
157. Isaac Bruce
158. Jacksonville Jaguars Defense
159. Steve McNair
160. Bo Scaife
161. Minnesota Vikings Defense
162. Daunte Culpepper
163. Sammie Parker
164. Jason Campbell
165. Dallas Cowboys Defense
166. Eric Johnson
167. Philadelphia Eagles Defense
168. Marcus Pollard
169. Dominic Rhodes
170. Eric Moulds
171. Troy Williamson
172. Robbie Gould
173. Matt Stover
174. Chris Baker
175. Damon Huard
176. Dwayne Jarrett
177. Bobby Wade
178. Pittsburgh Steelers Defense
179. Miami Dolphins Defense
180. Trent Green
181. Neil Rackers
182. Tavaris Jackson
183. Tony Scheffler
184. Jason Elam
185. Denver Broncos Defense
186. Joey Harrington
187. Jason Hanson
188. Joe Nedney
189. Carolina Panthers Defense
190. Dave Rayner
191. Michael Robinson
192. Greg Olson
193. Josh Scobee
194. Bryant Johnson
195. New Orleans Saints Defense
196. Lawrence Tynes
197. James Jones
198. Desmond Clark
199. Marcedes Lewis
200. Devin Hester

Just off the list:
Sidney Rice, Roydell Williams, Priest Holmes, Kenneth Darby, Lorenzo Booker, Marty Booker, Keary Colbert, Bobby Engram, Nate Burleson, Owen Daniels, Daniel Graham, David Martin, Donald Lee, Ashley Lelie, Jerramy Stevens, Robert Ferguson

Fantasy Football Draft: Who's No. 2? (Aug. 24, 2007)

LaDainian Tomlinson was last season's 'sure bet' number one fantasy draft pick and he finds himself in the top spot again this year. With the first pick being a no-brainer, who should go second?

No.1 Overall: LaDainian Tomlinson

No. 2 Overall: ?

From the beginning of the summer up until now, the number one draft choice has stayed the same. The number two spot is a different story. If you end up with the No. 2 pick in your draft, whoever you pick is going to turn out to be a great player. But the important thing is figuring out who will be the greater player. Let's review the candidates.

No. 2 Overall: Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams

Steven Jackson could turn out to be the biggest fantasy point producer this season. Jackson can compete with Tomlinson for fantasy numbers because he has the skill to bull through defensive lines (1528 yards rushing) and the finesse to catch balls from the backfield (90 catches last year). The Rams offense is primed to return to being known as the best show on turf and Jackson will be the ring leader. With the addition of Randy McMichael and Drew Bennett, the passing game received a much needed make-over and Jackson will benefit. But you might be thinking that Jackson will receive less carries than the 346 carries he got last year and that his 806 receiving yards might be effected. My opinion is that the offense just got better and Jackson's job just got easier. Yes, he might not catch the ball 90 times, but with the additional help on offense, his 16 total touchdowns should improve to over 20. Keep in mind that Jackson is just 24 years old and his three years in the league are more like two (Jackson only started three games his rookie season). If Jackson carries the ball 400 times and catches another 90 passes, he could be next year's clear favorite for number one.

No. 2 Overall: Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

There are plenty of knocks on Larry Johnson. He just recently signed, but before that was complaining about his contract. His team doesn't have a solid quarterback, offensive line or wide receivers. And he did just run the ball for a record 416 times last season in his first year starting every game and carrying a full load. Well, the contract dispute is over. The team made the playoffs last year. And the carries, get ready for more! Johnson would have carried the ball 464 times if his numbers from the nine games he started during 2005 were extrapolated over 16 games. Johnson could, and might have to, run the ball 450 times this season. With 450 carries, Eric Dickerson's 2,105 could be in jeopardy. Now, think back to your draft in 2003 -- did you pass on Jamal Lewis who ran for 2,066 yards? What about in 1997 -- did you pass up Barry Sanders who ran for 2,053? Can you afford to do the same this year? If you think that Larry Johnson is strictly a runner and won't score points as a receiving threat, think again. When Johnson catches the ball from the backfield he gets a first down everytime. In 2005, Johnson was ranked best amongst running backs with at least 25 receptions in yards per catch (10.4) and last season he picked up an average of 10.0 yards on his 41 catches. Larry might not need to run 450 times if Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Mike Solari can find a way to double Johnson's receptions. This could be the year that 2,000 yards is eclipse, will you remember when you had Larry Johnson? Or will you remember when you didn't draft him?

No. 2 Overall: Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Frank Gore's stock took a stumble when he broke his hand early in pre-season. On draft night, Gore's injury might turn out to be a good thing and could be a reason to draft him, not avoid him. As Gore waits, his hunger grows. With Gore watching more than running in pre-season, he'll have fresh legs in order to defend his NFC rushing title. Last season Gore ran for a Niner record 1,695 yards and has been saying he wouldn't mind pushing for 2,000 in 2007. Gore, much like Steven Jackson, will see improvements in his own game thanks to improvements to the offense around him. Alex Smith is another year older and got his passing game pimped this offseason with the addition of Darrell Jackson. Smith will also get a healthy Vernon Davis which could help open up more room for Gore to work. Last year was basically Gore's first season as a pro. Granted he did run the ball 127 times in 2005, his 312 carries and 16 consecutive starts last year proved his past was behind and his future was ahead. You might be familiar with Gore's injury history, but he is a review: After his Freshman season at the University of Miami Gore suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during spring practice and spent 2002 recovering. He returned in 2003 with three straight 100 yard games before tearing the ACL in his right knee. Gore returned in 2004 for his final season as a Hurricane before he was drafted by the 49ers 65th overall in 2005. In 2005, he was inactive for only two games with a groin injury, and as a rookie he led the team in rushing. Last year, Gore's 2,180 total yards, which broke the Niners franchise record, were second in the NFL to Steven Jackson. In a fantasy league that favors yardage over touchdowns, Gore's comfortable to compare himself with Tomlinson. A pre-season hand injury have fantasy owners wondering if they should gamble on Gore. A review of the NFL Draft in 2005 said about Gore that "Although his natural talent as a runner was remarkable, a less than stellar injury history caused him to slip to the 3rd round". Don't let Gore slip in your draft -- he could turn out to be the second best player behind Tomlinson.

PGA Picks Rd. 1: The Barclays (8/20/07)

The inaugural FedEx Cup playoffs get started without the No. 1 overall seed and heavy favorite. A Tiger-less field at The Barclays this weekend is great news for the remaining 143 golfers competing against Woods for the sweet looking trophy and cool $10 million that the top point accumulator will receive Sunday, September 16th. Even if Woods was entered this weekend, he wouldn't make my list of favorites. Here are the golfers I'm eyeing at Westchester:

1. Vijay Singh --
With Woods taking it easy, Singh enters this event as the one to watch. Not only is he the defending champion, but he's played superb at the Westchester Country Club winning three times and finishing in the top seven four times. Second to Tiger in FedEx Cup points, All Around Ranking and Money, Singh has a great opportunity to pad is points if he's able to win. Singh's first round 75 and second round 71 at the PGA Championship weren't low enough to get him playing on the weekend, but that might end up being a good thing. While Singh sat out after missing the cut, Woods is sitting out The Barclays because making the cut and fighting the heat took a too much of a toll on him. If Singh cashes in on the 9,000 FedEx Cup points that come with the Barclays trophy, it would be a huge step towards outscoring Tiger and winning the playoffs.

2. Adam Scott --
Adam Scott is primed to play well during the first ever post-season. Over the year, Scott made the cut in 12 of the 14 events he entered and had five top 10 finishes. But closely following Scott has been rough. Scott is one of my favorite golfers and I thought he would break out this season, but his rounds, much like his season, have been like a roller coaster. Scott will shoot one under par after four bogeys and five birdies or he'll alternate bogey birdie all round and finish even. Scott ranks fourth on TOUR in both bouncing back and birdies per round. Scott is one of the best bounce back golfers on tour and when he gets a bogey or worse, he's likely going to grab a par or birdie on the next hole. Scott ended last season strong with a runner-up finish at The Barclays and a win at the TOUR Championship. Since the British Open, Scott has started to show he's ready to finish strong again -- look for four low rounds from Scott this weekend.

3. Zach Johnson --
At the Westchester Country Club, driving accuracy can be a critical factor to success. With short fairways and plenty of doglegs, being accurate off the tee should benefit Zach Johnson. Johnson, who is the fifth most accurate driver on TOUR, could use ability to hit the fairway to his advantage. Although, if he misses the fairway he could be in trouble -- Johnson is 119th when scrambling from the rough. Also, if Johnson misses, it's a good gamble he's missing to the left. His left rough tendency is second in the PGA. This major winner will try to have major success in the playoffs and it could start this weekend.

4. Hunter Mahan --
If you look at Hunter Mahan's season you might not consider him as a playoff contender. He's missed the cut in eight events and started the year with a 75th place finish at the Bob Hope Classic and a tie for 56th at the Buick Invitational. Don't consider Mahan for the way he started the year, but rather for how he finished it. Mahan hasn't missed a cut in his past eight events and ranks eight in Ball Striking (computed by totaling a player's rank in both Total Driving and Greens in Regulation) -- something that will be key for the narrow fairways and harsh doglegs found at Westchester. Mahan is only 4,500 points back of Tiger Woods for first place in the playoff standings. With first place taking home 9,000 and second taking home 5,400 points, Mahan could overtake Woods with quality play this weekend.

5. Brandt Snedeker --
Brandt Snedeker's rookie season has been a lot sweeter than some professionals best seasons on tour. He's made more than $2.5 million, made the cut in 20/25 tournaments and after winning the Wyndham Championship last weekend he moved into ninth in the FedEx Cup Standings. Despite finishing with an All Around Ranking of 50, I think Snedeker could go ride his winning momentum into this weekend. Snedeker looked great on Sunday shooting past everyone with ten birdies and a final round 63. He could ride his hot streak into the playoffs or he could fizzle. Snedeker has played in 25 events and might be getting tired. His past eight tournaments (top 10 finishes in 5/8) have helped put Snedeker into a top ten point position, now it's time for him to take advantage.

Tiger Woods is treating this weekend as a "bye" week, which should level the playing field and result in a closer more competitive playoffs. When Tiger is fighting for a top 10 finish at the TOUR Championship in four weeks, he'll regret that he didn't grab some easy first round points. This weekends winner has a great chance of capturing the first ever FedEx Cup playoffs.

Fantasy Football CHEat Sheet: Top 150 (8/19/07)

Drafting a fantasy football team? This could be your checklist. Many grocery market magazines have check-lists that are from the beginning of the summer and are very outdated. Pre-season action has impacted depth charts, making a lot of players up and down the fantasy cheat sheet. I've tried to keep my list of draftable players updated weekly. I based my rankings off of a scoring system that awards four points for a touchdown pass, one point for every 50 yards passing, six points for a touchdown run or catch and one point for every 25 yards rushing or receiving. This list also factors in a roster of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF.

This is my top 150 as of today, let me know what you think.

CHE's TOP 150 (8/19):
1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Steven Jackson
3. Frank Gore
4. Joseph Addai
5. Larry Johnson
6. Rudi Johnson
7. Willie Parker
8. Brian Westbrook
9. Reggie Bush
10. Shaun Alexander
11. Peyton Manning
12. Laurence Maroney
13. Maurice Jones-Drew
14. Torry Holt
15. Ronnie Brown
16. Marvin Harrison
17. Edgerrin James
18. Willis McGahee
19. Steve Smith
20. Thomas Jones
21. Carson Palmer
22. Reggie Wayne
23. Clinton Portis
24. Chad Johnson
25. Terrell Owens
26. Cedric Benson
27. Travis Henry
28. Larry Fitzgerald
29. Javon Walker
30. Carnell Williams
31. Randy Moss
32. Brandon Jacobs
33. Anquan Boldin
34. Andre Johnson
35. Antonio Gates
36. Drew Brees
37. Roy Williams
38. Jerious Norwood
39. Tom Brady
40. T. J. Houshmandzadeh
41. Marques Colston
42. Duece McAllister
43. Plaxico Burress
44. Hines Ward
45. Marc Bulger
46. Donovan McNabb
47. Marshawn Lynch
48. Donald Driver
49. Marion Barber
50. Jamal Lewis
51. Adrian Peterson (MIN)
52. Tatum Bell
53. Lee Evans
54. Darell Jackson
55. Laveranues Coles
56. Santana Moss
57. Chris Chambers
58. Jeremy Shockey
59. Julius Jones
60. Ladell Betts
61. Matt Hasselbeck
62. Tony Gonzalez
63. Chester Taylor
64. DeShaun Foster
65. Calvin Johnson
66. DeAngleo Williams
67. Braylon Edwards
68. Mark Clayton
69. Tony Romo
70. Warrick Dunn
71. Jerricho Cotchery
72. LaMont Jordan
73. Devery Henderson
74. D.J. Hackett
75. LenDale White
76. Reggie Brown
77. Todd Heap
78. Fred Taylor
79. Joey Galloway
80. Philip Rivers
81. Reuben Droughns
82. Jon Kitna
83. Mike Bell
84. Eli Manning
85. Vince Young
86. Chris Cooley
87. Matt Leinart
88. Drew Bennett
89. Brandon Jackson
90. Kellen Winslow
91. Ahman Green
92. Alge Crumpler
93. Vernand Morency
94. Vincent Jackson
95. Santonio Holmes
96. Chicago Bears Defense
97. Baltimore Ravens Defense
98. Matt Jones
99. Vernon Davis
100. Donte Stallworth
101. Chris Brown
102. Jay Cutler
103. Bernard Berrian
104. Deion Branch
105. Ben Roethlisberger
106. Terry Glenn
107. Kevin Curtis
108. Randy McMichael
109. Alex Smith
110. L. J. Smith
111. Mike Furrey
112. Chad Pennington
113. Heath Miller
114. Matt Schaub
115. Greg Jennings
116. Muhsin Muhammad
117. Michael Clayton
118. Brandon Jones
119. San Diego Chargers Defense
120. Michael Turner
121. Anthony Thomas (CHI)
122. Chris Henry
123. Ernest Wilford
124. Eddie Kennison
125. Adam Vinatieri
126. Kevin Jones
127. Jake Delhomme
128. Rex Grossman
129. Derrick Mason
130. Jason Witten
131. Joe Jurevicius
132. Leon Washington
133. Ben Watson
134. Jeff Wilkins
135. Wes Welker
136. Michael Pittman
137. New England Patriots Defense
138. Jerry Porter
139. Ronald Curry
140. Arnaz Battle
141. Robert Meachem
142. Michael Jenkins
143. Joe Horn
144. Brian Leonard
145. Brandon Marshall
146. Shayne Graham
147. Isaac Bruce
148. Michael Bennett
149. Dallas Clark
150. J. P. Losman

Just off the list:
Dominic Rhodes, Trent Green, Eric Parker, Priest Holmes, Dwayne Jarrett, Tony Scheffler, Sammie Parker, Bryant Johnson, Nate Kaeding, Marcel Shipp, Troy Williamson

Who's Who at Wyndham (8/13/07)

The Wyndham Championship represents the last chance for players to earn FedEx Cup points. The field of golfers might not be full of favorites, but someone has to win. Here are my guys:

1. John Senden --

John Senden enters the Wyndham Championship having made the cut in four of his last five events and is playing some of the best golf of his career. Senden was able to move up 23 spots to 46th in the FedEx Cup standings after he tied for fourth last weekend and wants to move into the top 30 after this weekend. Senden has been able to be successful because of his ability to set himself up for birdies (he's second on tour in birdies per round). He is consistently able to two putt for par because he ranks third in GIR (greens in regulation) and first in GIR when playing from off the fairway. Senden's tie for fourth last weekend is his best finish at a major in his career. Senden will try to continue his major momentum this weekend and take advantage of the weaker field.

2. Jonathan Byrd --

You can believe that Jonathan Byrd will go for the victory this weekend. Byrd sits at 27th on the FedEx Cup list with 7,329 points. If Byrd can manage to win his second event of the season, he'll leap all the way to 10th. Granted winning the tournament and moving from 27th to 10th will only give him an extra 3,000 points entering the playoffs, Byrd wants to prove he can fly with Golf's best. After missing the cut last weekend, Byrd will try to improve his public perception with Wyndham Championship win.

3. Lucas Glover --

Despite his very consistent play all season, Lucas Glover ranks 45th on the FedEx Cup standings. His chances at the Wyndham are pretty good. With a solid finish this weekend, Glover could get into the top 30 and receive an extra 1500 points once the FedEx Cup season points re-set. Even though Glover tied for 50th at the PGA last weekend, he entered playing a good streak of golf. Since he missed the cut at the U.S. Open, Glover has recorded a T10, T12, T11, T27 and T12. Look for Lucas to try to improve on his season best tied for fourth.

4. Bubba Watson --

Bubba Watson could play great this weekend, or he could play terrible -- but it won't be in the middle. Watson's off and on game is a lot like his bipolar success. He's ranked 1st in driving distance, but 179th in accuracy. He's managed a top five finish in half of the 10 tournament in which he's made the cut. But Watson has missed the cut in half of the 20 events he's entered. When Watson is on, he's great. He tied for fifth at the U.S. Open, tied for second at the Shell Houston and finished fourth at the Buick Invitational early in the season. I'm thinking because Watson missed the cut last weekend, he'll play well at the Wyndham.

5. Shigeki Maruyama --

For Shigeki Maruyama, the playoffs start this weekend. If he wants to make the 144 player cut, Maruyama must place in the top 10. Right now the 144th player in the field has 1669 points, which is 480 more than Maruyama's 1189. The FedEx Cup gives 675 points to a player who finishes in the top 10 -- making that the only option Maruyama has of continuing his golf season. A top 10 finish has eluded Maruyama this season, but he did finish tenth or better four times last year and has 39 top 10 finishes in his career. With the first ever FedEx Cup playoffs beginning next weekend, you can imagine there will be some preliminary competitiveness to get into the top 144. So, even though there aren't any big names in the field, that doesn't mean there won't be any excitement.

Fantasy Focus: PGA Championship (8/12/07)

The key to Fantasy Golf is to successfully select a player during the tournaments that they finish best and avoid starting them during a weekend they don't do well. This weekend represents the fourth and final major as well as the final weekend before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin. It is time to capitalize by starting the golfers with the best potential value.

This is the first year of the FedEx Cup playoffs making the fantasy golf stretch run the most exciting it has ever been. Fantasy points become difficult to accumulate at the end of the Fantasy Golf season. One reason for this is because some owners use the popular golfers early and often to try to pile up points early in the year. If you've been patient and saved the best golfers to use during the final tournaments, you'll climb up the standings in your league during the stretch run.

A player who was declared active for at least one round of the tournament is eligible to score points. On any given weekend a fantasy owner is allowed to use any golfer who is entered, but a golfer can only be used for a total of 10 tournaments all season (37 tournaments are scored). My strategy from the start of the year was to save at least four starts from the PGA's best so that I could use them to score points in each of the four playoff tournaments. Out of the 11 events that Woods has entered, I've used him just five times. As tempting as is it to start Tiger every weekend, I have held my ground knowing the potential he could score during the final five events.

Another reason why it is important to save your best for last is because the best are expected to step up during the playoffs, thus improving their value. I've planned ahead and saved my starts on stud players like Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott. But because of how poorly both Mickelson and Scott have played this season I don't even want to use them.

Sure, Phil has earned enough FedEx Cup points to fall fourth in the standings, but his wrist injury has held him in check. Since winning THE PLAYERS Championship in mid-May, Mickelson has withdrawn, missed three straight cuts and finished +13 tied for 46th at the WGC last weekend. Adam Scott is 9th in FedEx Cup points, but his recent results aren't good. I'll choose someone other than Scott this weekend because in his last four events he's missed the cut twice and finished T27 and T36.

Other than Tiger, the players that I'm glad that I've saved starts for are Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia -- especially with major implications riding on the next five weekends. I'm going to leave Furyk and Singh on the bench and go with Els and Garcia for this weekend. Singh has a good value having played in 21 events without missing the cut, but his worst performance of the season came last weekend (T56). And Furyk back prevented him from playing last weekend, which might not mean anything, but it's good enough for me to go with someone else.

Sergio Garcia comes into this weekend more focused than ever. On Sunday, Woods was the only player in the field who posted a better round than Garcia. His major meltdown experience and recent final round momentum could be enough to propel Garcia to his first win of the season and first major of his career. Ernie Els overcame a second round 77 this past weekend to finish with a final round 68 and a top 25 finish. Els, who is sitting at 26th on that FedEx Cup standings, needs to finish somewhere at the top this weekend. Els hasn't won a major in five years and will look to enter the playoffs on a high note.

Tiger is favored to defend his PGA Championship and should score some bonus points by either winning or finishing just off the lead. The thing to remember this weekend is to use your bench. Make sure to maximize your chance of scoring points this weekend by "activating" your bench golfers after Thursday's round is over so that they are eligible for bonus points even if you decide to switch back to your starters for the weekend rounds.

You've waited since January and now that the season is coming to an end, it is time for you take advantage of your patience and move up the standings.

Fantasy Football CHEat Sheet: Top 150 (8/12/07)

Drafting a team? This could be your checklist. Rankings will change by the time the season gets underway, but it's helpful to adjust your list as draft day approaches. I would like to mention that I based these rankings off of a standard scoring system (4pts TD pass - 1pt per 50 yards passing, 6pts TD run/catch - 1 pt per 25 yards rushing/receiving). And a roster of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DEF.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Steven Jackson
3. Frank Gore
4. Rudi Johnson
5. Larry Johnson
6. Joseph Addai
7. Willie Parker
8. Brian Westbrook
9. Shaun Alexander
10. Peyton Manning
11. Reggie Bush
12. Laurence Maroney
13. Torry Holt
14. Marvin Harrison
15. Steve Smith
16. Willis McGahee
17. Edgerrin James
18. Maurice Jones-Drew
19. Thomas Jones
20. Carson Palmer
21. Chad Johnson
22. Reggie Wayne
23. Clinton Portis
24. Randy Moss
25. Ronnie Brown
26. Terrell Owens
27. Travis Henry
28. Javon Walker
29. Cedric Benson
30. Antonio Gates
31. Larry Fitzgerald
32. Carnell Williams
33. Duece McAllister
34. Tom Brady
35. Anquan Boldin
36. Drew Brees
37. Roy Williams
38. T. J. Houshmandzadeh
39. Andre Johnson
40. Brandon Jacobs
41. Marques Colston
42. Jerious Norwood
43. Plaxico Burress
44. Hines Ward
45. Donald Driver
46. Marc Bulger
47. Marshawn Lynch
48. Lee Evans
49. Marion Barber
50. Donovan McNabb
51. Laveranues Coles
52. Chester Taylor
53. Chris Chambers
54. Darell Jackson
55. Jamal Lewis
56. Jeremy Shockey
57. Tony Gonzalez
58. Adrian Peterson (MIN)
59. Santana Moss
60. DeAngleo Williams
61. Calvin Johnson
62. Julius Jones
63. Tatum Bell
64. Ladell Betts
65. Todd Heap
66. Tony Romo
67. Fred Taylor
68. Mark Clayton
69. LaMont Jordan
70. Matt Hasselbeck
71. Reuben Droughns
72. Warrick Dunn
73. Joey Galloway
74. D.J. Hackett
75. Vince Young
76. Braylon Edwards
77. Jerricho Cotchery
78. DeShaun Foster
79. Chris Cooley
80. Kellen Winslow
81. Philip Rivers
82. Reggie Brown
83. Alge Crumpler
84. Eli Manning
85. Drew Bennett
86. Jon Kitna
87. Chicago Bears Defense
88. Devery Henderson
89. Matt Leinart
90. Mike Bell
91. Ahman Green
92. Randy McMichael
93. Matt Jones
94. Vincent Jackson
95. Santonio Holmes
96. Terry Glenn
97. Vernon Davis
98. Donte Stallworth
99. Ben Roethlisberger
100. Baltimore Ravens Defense
101. Greg Jennings
102. Alex Smith
103. Jake Delhomme
104. Mike Furrey
105. Matt Schaub
106. LenDale White
107. Brandon Jackson
108. Vernand Morency
109. Jay Cutler
110. L. J. Smith
111. Ben Watson
112. Chad Pennington
113. Bernard Berrian
114. Chris Henry
115. Chris Brown
116. Muhsin Muhammad
117. Michael Clayton
118. Jason Witten
119. Heath Miller
120. Michael Turner
121. Adam Vinatieri
122. Deion Branch
123. Anthony Thomas (CHI)
124. Eddie Kennison
125. Derrick Mason
126. San Diego Chargers Defense
127. Brandon Jones
128. Ernest Wilford
129. Kevin Curtis
130. Kevin Jones
131. Joe Jurevicius
132. Rex Grossman
133. New England Patriots Defense
134. Jeff Wilkins
135. Wes Welker
136. Joe Horn
137. Isaac Bruce
138. Jerry Porter
139. Ronald Curry
140. Arnaz Battle
141. Trent Green
142. Michael Jenkinss
143. Leon Washington
144. Brett Favre
145. Brandon Marshall
146. Shayne Graham
147. Sammie Parker
148. Eric Parker
149. Dallas Clark
150. Jacksonville Jaguars Defense

Just off the list:
J.P. Losman, Robert Meachem, Jason Campbell, Reggie Williams, Kevin Faulk, Michael Pittman, Drew Carter, Priest Holmes, Jeff Garcia, Byron Leftwhich, Joey Harrington, Dwayne Jarrett, Tony Scheffler

Fantasy Football CHEat Sheet: Top 150 (8/5/07)

Drafting a team? This could be your checklist. Rankings will change by the time the season starts, but it helps to make a list now and adjust it as draft day approaches (it has changed A LOT). This is my top 150 as of tonight:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Steven Jackson
3. Larry Johnson
4. Frank Gore
5. Rudi Johnson
6. Peyton Manning
7. Willie Parker
8. Joseph Addai
9. Shaun Alexander
10. Brian Westbrook
11. Reggie Bush
12. Laurence Maroney
13. Carson Palmer
14. Steve Smith
15. Torry Holt
16. Marvin Harrison
17. Edgerrin James
18. Tom Brady
19. Clinton Portis
20. Willis McGahee
21. Chad Johnson
22. Reggie Wayne
23. Maurice Jones-Drew
24. Randy Moss
25. Terrell Owens
26. Carnell Williams
27. Travis Henry
28. Ronnie Brown
29. Thomas Jones
30. Drew Brees
31. Larry Fitzgerald
32. Anquan Boldin
33. Duece McAllister
34. Roy Williams
35. Antonio Gates
36. Javon Walker
37. Cedric Benson
38. T. J. Houshmandzadeh
39. Andre Johnson
40. Hines Ward
41. Marques Colston
42. Marc Bulger
43. Plaxico Burress
44. Brandon Jacobs
45. Chris Chambers
46. Marion Barber
47. Donald Driver
48. Lee Evans
49. Jerious Norwood
50. Donovan McNabb
51. Laveranues Coles
52. Santana Moss
53. Marshawn Lynch
54. Darell Jackson
55. Jamal Lewis
56. Jeremy Shockey
57. Tony Gonzalez
58. Adrian Peterson (MIN)
59. Chester Taylor
60. DeAngleo Williams
61. LaMont Jordan
62. Julius Jones
63. Todd Heap
64. Tony Romo
65. Calvin Johnson
66. Ladell Betts
67. Fred Taylor
68. Mark Clayton
69. Alge Crumpler
70. Joey Galloway
71. Vince Young
72. DeShaun Foster
73. Philip Rivers
74. D.J. Hackett
75. Chris Cooley
76. Braylon Edwards
77. Jerricho Cotchery
78. Reuben Droughns
79. Reggie Brown
80. Kellen Winslow
81. Tatum Bell
82. Matt Hasselbeck
83. Warrick Dunn
84. Eli Manning
85. Drew Bennett
86. Jon Kitna
87. Chicago Bears Defense
88. Randy McMichael
89. Matt Leinart
90. Mike Bell
91. Ahman Green
92. Devery Henderson
93. Terry Glenn
94. Greg Jennings
95. Santonio Holmes
96. Vincent Jackson
97. Vernon Davis
98. Alex Smith
99. Ben Roethlisberger
100. Baltimore Ravens Defense
101. Donte Stallworth
102. Ben Watson
103. Jay Cutler
104. Mike Furrey
105. Matt Schaub
106. LenDale White
107. Matt Jones
108. Vernand Morency
109. Jake Delhomme
110. L. J. Smith
111. Michael Clayton
112. Chad Pennington
113. Bernard Berrian
114. Chris Henry
115. Chris Brown
116. Brandon Jackson
117. Muhsin Muhammad
118. Jason Witten
119. Heath Miller
120. Michael Turner
121. Eddie Kennison
122. Deion Branch
123. Anthony Thomas (CHI)
124. Kevin Curtis
125. Brandon Jones
126. San Diego Chargers Defense
127. Joe Horn
128. Ernest Wilford
129. Adam Vinatieri
130. Trent Green
131. Wes Welker
132. J.P. Losman
133. Jerry Porter
134. Jeff Wilkins
135. Arnaz Battle
136. Derrick Mason
137. Rex Grossman
138. Joe Jurevicius
139. New England Patriots Defense
140. Shayne Graham
141. Ronald Curry
142. Brandon Marshall
143. Leon Washington
144. Brett Favre
145. Kevin Jones
146. Robert Meachem
147. Sammie Parker
148. Eric Parker
149. Jason Campbell
150. Jacksonville Jaguars Defense

Just off the list:
Dallas Clark, Reggie Williams, Michael Jenkins, Kevin Faulk, Michael Pittman, Isaac Bruce, Priest Holmes, Jeff Garcia, Byron Leftwhich, Joey Harrington, Dwayne Jarrett, Tony Scheffler, Randy McMichael