Monopoly - Week 9
Posted 10/30 by Jeff Pasquino and Teff Tefertiller, Exclusive to Footballguys.com
We can all remember the marathon Monopoly games of our youth. We would stay up late into the night rolling the dice and trying to acquire as many properties and cash as possible. Many lusted after Boardwalk and Park Place, while other collected the Railroad properties. The goal for Monopoly was to build the biggest empire as possible. Well, this is the same for dynasty leagues in fantasy football. The goal is to build such a "dynasty" that our team dominates year after year. Dynasty teams are built in many ways, just like with the game Monopoly. Every fantasy owner has their own style and types of players they prefer. Each week this article will examine players that are moving up and down dynasty rankings.
What are some of the ways to build dynasty teams? Some owners like to build teams to win in the short term while others like the youth movement. The other key is draft picks - some owners prefer to sell the picks for a proven veteran while other owners want to stockpile the picks in an attempt to strike it rich with the next great rookie prospect. What is the best way? It all depends on the owner. Some owners feel more comfortable with a top notch passer leading their team while others prefer to horde running backs. This diversity is what fuels dynasty leagues. For this reason, this weekly article will focus on players moving up and down the rankings. The players featured will be as varied as the owner preferences. Players will be from all positions and all talent levels.
This week, Jeff Pasquino's viewpoints are highlighted, in addition to an update to his Dynasty Rankings. The players mentioned below are viable in most leagues. There is little use discussing a player moving from 60th to 70th in the positional rankings. Fantasy owners care the most about the players at the top of the ranks. The rankings are available here:
Below are some of the biggest movers in the rankings. Preference was given to the players toward the top of the Dynasty Rankings.
Running backs
Chris Johnson, TEN - (+5) - I'm in agreement with Jeff Tefertiller here. Last week he moved him up to Top 10 status. I'm not quite ready to anoint him as being a fantasy RB1, especially with him getting pulled at the goal line for LenDale White on a regular basis, but he's certainly worthy of consideration. If he ever starts to take some of White's touchdowns (who happens to lead the league in scoring), he will catapult to Top 5 status.
Larry Johnson, KC - (-10) - Oh, how the once mighty has fallen. I warned of Johnson's demise last year when Bloom and I squared off on who should be the #2 running back on the Audible way back in 2007 (and if you want to hear a lively episode, click here). Anyway, everything that I pointed out as probable downsides has come to fruition - bad passing game, poor offensive line, and all those carries catching up with him. Now he has legal issues to boot? Good luck trading him now.
DeAngelo Williams, CAR - (+6) - Jonathan Stewart was supposed to be the savior for the Carolina running game, yet this other former first round draft pick has been stealing all the glory. Don't look now but "DeW" is far from all wet and carrying the load for a very competitive Carolina team.
Tim Hightower, AZ - (+8) - I'll take some credit for pointing out Tim Hightower to the Footballguys community back in May here, but he's far exceeding my wildest expectations. Who would have thought that a second day pick from Richmond would be threatening Edgerrin James' starting role? Okay, maybe I did - and I hope that you grabbed him before now, as his value has skyrocketed. If he gets some starter touches in that offense and with the Rams, 49ers and Seattle on the schedule over the next three weeks, he could really put up some big numbers and look to be one of the biggest finds of the 2008 season.
Edgerrin James, AZ - (-13) - Similarly to Hightower's rise, James is falling down the value chart and rankings. He's not getting any younger, and if the rumors do turn out to be true that he will lose more and more work to the rookie this could be his last hurrah in the NFL.
Wide Receivers
Roddy White, ATL - (+5) - Matt Ryan looks like the real deal, and he is not going anywhere in that Falcons offense. The rookie QB is going to be a fixture for years in Atlanta, and most quarterbacks love to have a reliable target to go to when he needs a completion. That's where White comes in. I expected for White to fall down the charts some to WR3 status with an inexperienced quarterback, but he has done no such thing. White has earned and deserved a Top 20 ranking and could go even higher as Atlanta builds up their offense.
Donnie Avery, STL - (+7) - The rookies continue to be big movers on the Dynasty rankings yet again, and with good reason. Avery has sparked the Rams offense since becoming a starter, and you could easily make the argument that he is playing better than Torry Holt right now. Think about that for a minute. Avery has great potential long term as St. Louis rebuilds their struggling offense.
Marvin Harrison, IND - (-10) - Something has gone horribly wrong in Indy. It could be that Peyton Manning is not healthy, or that Harrison is getting older, or that the offensive line is crumbling, or that Addai's injury and the loss of a ground game is hampering their production. Whatever it is, one thing is true - Harrison is aging rapidly. Without consistent production, Harrison will be viewed as an aging receiver that could be long past his prime. Watch Anthony Gonzalez closely, because if he can perform and Harrison cannot, that tells you all you need to know - that Harrison is the problem, not the supporting cast.
Josh Morgan, SF (+19) and Bryant Johnson, SF (-19) - If you look up the word "unstable" in the NFL offensive playbook, San Francisco will be the first entry. The quarterback situation is changing, the tight end is getting kicked off the bench, and a rookie is starting over a veteran signed in the offseason to be the starter. Feel good about this yet? Neither do I. The smart play here is to get both Morgan and Johnson when they dip in value so that you can have whichever receiver (possibly both?) that winds up starting in 2009.
Quarterbacks
Carson Palmer, CIN - (-4) - Speaking of unstable offenses, Cincinnati may be right next to San Francisco. Palmer has a bad arm injury, regardless of whatever is being reported. It is time for him to give up on the season (like most of his teammates) and start looking at 2009. If you need surgery Carson, go get it. As for Dynasty value, guess what - opportunities like this come along about once a year. Don't believe me? Look at Drew Brees and Jake Delhomme values following their surgeries.
Jeff Garcia, TB (+6) and Brian Griese, TB (-11) - The wheel of quarterbacks has stopped once again on Jeff Garcia, and he's playing like a stud veteran passer. Okay, maybe Seattle will make anyone look good, but he does have solid control of that passing attack. Dallas played him well, but Garcia will be the starter the rest of the year and could play again in 2009. The NFL is short on good QBs, which bodes well for Garcia's long term prospects. Griese takes a backseat yet again to a veteran quarterback that has stepped up as a starter. Griese would be wise to learn from that once he gets his next chance.
J.T. O'Sullivan, SF (-19) and Shaun Hill, SF (+26) - Mike Martz has finally been forced to give up on his favorite quarterback in O'Sullivan. Hill is playing much better as evidenced by his second half performance against Seattle. Hill has a quicker release and makes faster decisions, while O'Sullivan struggles just to keep from fumbling. Hill gets his shot now to stake his claim of the starting job once again for the 49ers.
Tight Ends
Vernon Davis, SF - (-7) - Did I mention that San Francisco was unstable? Davis got himself kicked off the bench in Week 8 in the fourth quarter by new head coach Mike Singletary. Yeah, that might mean a drop in value...
Until we meet again...
