Best and Worst of the NFL - Week 5

Let's call it Opposite Day!  It's easy to call the Lions and the Bills the worst teams in the league and it's easy to name the Saints, the Steelers, and the Packers the most talented, but what about the worst of the best and the best of the worst?  Now, that's fun!

BEST team with 1 win: Dallas Cowboys
The Vikings are a very close second here, but the Cowboys we all saw in the first two weeks won't show its face again.

WORST team with 3 wins: Chicago Bears
Even with Jay Cutler, the Bears have some major issues...and now they don't even have him.

BEST team without a win: San Francisco 49ers
Almost went with the Panthers here, but the 49ers just have too much talent to keep this losing streak - plus, they get to play every team in the NFC West...twice.

WORST team with 2 wins: Arizona Cardinals
Take your pick of first-place teams in the NFC West - Seattle, St. Louis, and Arizona all aren't getting it done, but the Cardinals have the most question marks.

BEST team with 2 wins: Indianapolis Colts
This one was easy.  Peyton Manning will bring this team back from their temporary lull.

Some notes on the upcoming games for the above teams:

• The Cardinals will have a very tough time with the Saints this weekend starting an undrafted rookie in Max Hall at quarterback.  This will definitely test the resolve of Arizona's struggling defense.
• Who would have thought that the Chiefs would be the undefeated of the two teams in the Colts-Chiefs matchup (and the Colts at just .500).  Incredible.
• Dallas-Tennessee should be a great matchup, but if the Titans aren't careful, I could see Romo ripping them up after beating a very good Houston team.
• The Bears are last in rushing and allowed double-digit sacks last week - not good when going up against an angry Panthers team that needs to play well as not to get booed out of their own stadium.
• The football Gods have taken pity on the 49ers by making Kevin Kolb the starter in this game.  Vick would have given them fits.  Instead, I think they come out the victors here.

What Should the Super Bowl Cardinals Do Next?

Okay, so the Cardinals have signed Warner...Check. They have gotten a new shut-down cornerback in McFadden from the Steelers...Check. So what should happen next? What is the future of Boldin? Who should they go after in the draft?

Here's what they OUGHT to do:

1. The Kansas City Chiefs filled a HUGE need at quarterback by paying for Matt Cassel (smart move, KC), so the next logical step is to get Cassel a receiver to throw to.

Anquan Boldin enter stage right.

The Cardinals should trade the unhappy Boldin to the Chiefs for this year's first AND third round picks. Now, the Cardinals' first three rounds looks like this:

Round 1 - #3 Pick
Round 1 - #31 Pick
Round 2 - #63 Pick
Round 3 - #67 Pick
Round 3 - #95 Pick

2. They can get TWO huge needs in the first round instead of settling for later, less-worthy draft-picks. My suggestions would be to take Aaron Curry, DB from Wake Forest with the #3 pick and Donald Brown, RB from Connecticut with the #31 pick.

Get a not-so-bad tight-end with #63 or #67 and grab value-players with the other two. Done.

Ksquared's Picks for the Next Round of the NFL Postseason

I have decided that this will be short and sweet so I don't embarrass myself too much...There is so much parity in the NFL anymore, any one of these teams could win the whole darn thing. Here goes nothin'...

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans - Saturday, January 10th - 4:30 pm ET
Tennessee 13 - Baltimore 10

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers - Sunday, January 11th - 4:45 pm ET
Pittsburgh 20 - San Diego 17

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers - Saturday, January 10th - 8:15 pm ET
Arizona 32 - Carolina 28

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants - Sunday, January 11th - 1:00 pm ET
New York 24 - Philadelphia 17

Arizona is my only true upset, but it is a biggy...

Why I picked how I did:
I like Tennessee because of the amount of time to prepare.
I like Pittsburgh because of the immense home field advantage.
I like the Cardinals because they are more motivated than any team in the playoffs.
I like New York because nobody should pick against Tom Coughlin in the postseason.

And done!

"Where, Oh Where, Will LeBron James Go?" Part II

As promised, here’s a run down on some of the King’s more probable options for 2010:

New York Knicks
This is the team that got the most votes in the ESPN poll and the one that has had the most talk. Knowing that LeBron James wants to win championships, I can't really see him going to New York unless they make some moves to get some better players. He's not going to leave Cleveland to go play in New York just because it's New York. He wants to win and you win with good players. Not only do they need to get players that will make LeBron feel like they could win a championship, but they also have to clear out enough CAP room to be able to pay him what he wants. The Knicks have two years to try and build a team that would fit this criteria, and as I see it, it doesn’t seem all that likely.

Euroleague Team
A Euroleague team wouldn't bring LeBron James an NBA Championship. It would, however, bring James other things such as a big fat paycheck and International fame; something I'm sure King James would enjoy, but he hasn't came right out and said it yet. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he did ponder, “You never know....I can't throw all my eggs in one basket. There's going to be a lot of opportunities for me in 2010 to decide if I want to stay with Cleveland or if I want to go elsewhere. Could I ever imagine [playing internationally]? No. Is it a possibility? Yes.” He was also quoted as saying, “I haven't talked to any of them at all....So it's kind of a rumor that was put out there...With the right opportunity, you never know. I love basketball. So I'll play basketball anywhere.”

One of his Olympic teammates, Carmelo Anthony, said, “If somebody throws $50 million on the table for me...We can talk.”

Another teammate, Chris Paul, said, “What would you do? Show me a person that's not going [to take the money]...Maybe Bill Gates.”

So you can see that a big pay check from a Euroleague team could easily sway a person to go overseas and play ball and though LeBron has made it clear that a championship is his main priority, a Euroleague team could still be a viable option.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is the place where LeBron James's NBA legacy has started and the place where the Cavaliers would like it to see it end, I’m sure. Lebron James has expressed the need for better players around him and the team has made moves to try and bring players in that they think would work best for him. So far, however, they haven't found the right mix to win a championship. James isn't out of Cleveland yet and if the Cavs find the players the fit in with James, then I could definitely see him staying in Cleveland.

LeBron James has said, “I am focused on the team I am on right now and winning a championship.”
He has also has said about the Cavs, “I think we have made strides since I have been here. We have gotten better every year and I think this year is probably the best team we've had since I have been here. You got to see how the season plays out. Just because you have a different team, with different players, doesn't automatically guarantee you a championship. I have to be smart about things and be patient.”

So can the Cavaliers put together that championship team before 2010 to keep James in Cleveland? That is the multi-million dollar question.

2010 is still two years away and a lot can change from now to then, but one thing will stay the same: LeBron James wants to win championships. For teams that want to acquire King James, they will have to build a championship team for him to play on. The team that builds the best team in the next two years will have the best shot at grabbing James from free agency; it’s that simple. There will be a lot for James to think about in the near future and with plenty of scenarios, it’s still anyone’s guess as to where he might end up. The safe money is on Cleveland, with his roots, his home, his family, and a huge fan support already in place, but after looking at the options, there's no telling how many other teams may jump into the mix as 2010 grows closer. You never know, he might end up on a team that isn’t even listed in that ESPN poll…Who knows…Not James, not ESPN, and definitely not me!

This blog is courtesy of Bertman. A big thank you to him!

Check out Bertman’s fresh sports blog, “Sports Never End” for more great sports info, where sports truly never end.

Are The 9-0 Tennessee Titans For Real?

I'm going to break this down very simply. Usually, I like to give an opinion one way or another on this team or that, but this time will be different. This time, the facts will tell the story for me.

Let's start with the "weakness" - Offense:
Points/game - 10th
Rush Yards/game - 6th

Now, the fun begins - let's do Special Teams and Intangibles:
Penalty Yards - 12th
Kick Touchbacks - T-5th
Punts inside 20 - T-1st
Avg. Kick Return - 1st

And the clincher - Defense:
Rush Yards/game - 8th
Sacks - 7th
Total Yards/game - 5th
Interceptions - T-2nd
Points/game - 1st

I think we're done here...

Fantasy Football Sleepers - Week 8

My Mewelde Moore and Wes Welker picks should have gotten you some big points (if you had listened). This week, I've got some dandies for y'all:

1. Deuce McCallister, RB, New Orleans - With Reggie Bush out, McCallister should get close to 20 carries and in effect, should put up some solid points as a #3 running back. Start him if you have an opening. I'm guessing he won't be on the waiver wires (although, many people who had drafted him at the beginning of the season might have let him go by now), but if you have him, this is the week to use him. *see my comment post

2. Brad Johnson, QB, Dallas - Another sleeper by default...Without Tony Romo, Johnson is the guy and there's no way an offense like Dallas, regardless of the quarterback, won't put points on the board. A warning, however, that he is a last resort and only if you have no other choice.

3. BenJarvis Green-Ellis, RB, New England - This is my pick-of-the week. Most leagues should still have this undrafted rookie on the wire and with Morris out again, he should rack up some good yardage and could get some short-yardage TD's. After New England's passing display last week, look for the St. Louis' secondary to be backed-up in zone coverage most of the game, making for some nice holes in-between the tackle-box.

4. Lance Moore, WR, New Orleans - Every wide receiver on this New Orleans offense should get some catches against a pretty soft San Diego secondary, so expect Moore to gain you some nice points. I include him here because he should still be available on waiver wire, but like Johnson, only pick him up if you are in dire need of a #2 or #3 wide receiver.

5. New York Jets ST/D - This is my second favorite pick of the week. The Jets defense has not played very well as of yet this season, but they will be hungry to get after a sputtering Kansas City offense that will playing it's third-string quarterback and most likely will be without Larry Johnson again. This is the only week I would suggest starting the Jets, but it is a good one to do so.

There you have it. As stated, Green-Ellis and the Jets D are my "Best Picks," and both are probably available to pick up right away. And JP, if you're reading this, Coles and Cotchery should both definitely start this week against a horrible Kansas City team. They aren't sleepers by any means, but I thought I'd throw it in for good measure.

Fantasy Football Sleepers - Week 7

Quickly, here's who to grab off the waivers if they're still available:

1. Sammy Morris, New England, RB - At this point, the most consistent back for New England. If you need a #2 or #3 RB because of bye weeks, he could be a nice replacement.

2. Wes Welker, New England, WR - Another New Englander, this time because Moss is going to be covered all day by Champ Bailey and Welker is due for a breakout game.

3. Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh, RB - With Willie Parker out, Moore is going to see the carries and will be racking up the points. Pick him up as a #2 or #3 back.

4. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City, RB - Another backup playing a full game this week, with Larry Johnson out, Charles could be a nice replacement. Careful here, however, because the Chiefs are going against a stout Titans defense. I would go with Moore or Morris before Charles.

5. Kevin Walter, Houston, WR - Houston is playing Detroit...Enough said.

I admit, my Le'Ron McClain pick last week was a VERY bad one, but Jackson AND Frerotte ended up being pretty solid scorers. I really like Moore and Walter this week.

Fantasy Football Sleepers - Week 6

Per request, these are my Top 5 Fantasy Football sleepers for this week. Now, understand that I am defining a FFS in which you might own this player as a #3 or #4, but this week, for some reason, he looks good to put up some points.

1. Gus Frerotte, QB - If you have him, start him. If you don't have him, pick him up from the waiver wire if he's available (my guess is he will be). I wouldn't normally start him over an Aaron Rodgers or Kurt Warner, but this week, he is playing the Lions. It is easy to find the first FFS most weeks by just looking at the players going up against the Lions. I wouldn't be surprised if Gus puts up 25-30 points this week.

2. Tim Hightower, RB - I guess by this point, some might not consider him a sleeper, but in my book, any backup running back is a tough Fantasy starter, especially if you are backup to Edgerrin James. If you have James, still start him, because Wisenhunt loves to pound the ball and you'll get 15 points just on yards alone, but I would put Hightower in there this week as well seeing as he will grab the touchdowns at the goalline. I do have some reservations because they are playing Dallas, but as we've seen in past games, the Dallas defense is not too intimidating.

3. Vincent Jackson, WR - This would never have been a "sleeper" last year, but he has been stuck behind Chris Chambers as the #3 wide receiver this season and his numbers reflect it. With Chambers most likely sidelined with an injury, Jackson becomes the #2 and against a New England secondary that has suffered lately, I expect him to give you a solid 15 or more points. Start him as a #2 in most leagues.

4. Redskins D/ST - This might scare a lot of you, as the Redskins haven't put up more than 7 points in a game yet this season. However, consider this: they have not been negative the entire season and they are playing the Rams this weekend. I expect Bulger's return to be more of the same for St. Louis, with a stout Redskins running defense stuffing them early. This will force Bulger to put it in the air and, at least this year, could turn into turnovers. Don't start the Redskins if you own the Vikings, Giants, or Eagles, but past that, go for it.

5. Le'Ron McClain, RB - If you've been following Fantasy Football at all, you know this isn't really a sleeper, as he has put up gaudy numbers, but just in case you've been walking around in fantasy land with your eyes closed (and the rest of your league has too), pick this guy up! He is the Ravens goalline back and is putting up almost as much yardage as McGahee in some games. Against Indianapolis this week, I expect another solid game. This is a great #2 or #3 back behind your #1. Consistency is key.

If you have any of your own sleepers or thoughts on mine, let me know. The only way I can improve this blog is with your help. Thanks especially to J.P. for the request and for being my MOST loyal follower!