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~ 2007 Fantasy Football HOT TOPICS ~
Just a few of the headlines and some of the news in and around the NFL that we've certainly taken note of...and a few of the common questions we've gotten in 2007....More in our new Fantasy Football Blog!

Larry Johnson in camp!
Not a surprise to us, nor was it to most. In today's NFL this is not unusual. But we have NOT pushed Larry back up our cheat sheet, we've had LJ ranked lower than most cheat sheets all summer long and we stand behind that even with LJ in camp.

Brady Quinn shines in pre-season debut!
First off, remember it was pre-season and it was the 4th quarter of a pre-season game. But.....Quinn looked simply outstanding in his debut, that is undeniable. And with no QB in camp doing much to impress before Quinn, Brady has certainly made a statement that he is ready to seriously considered as a starter sooner rather than later. And that's been our feeling all along. Quinn is the future and with another performance even close to what he did in his first chance we would be more convinced than we already have been that Brady Quinn will become the starter for the Cleveland Browns this season - perhaps within the first 4-5 games. Now....this does not mean he's a #1 option and QB in fantasy football, and although he's moving up our constantly update cheat sheets he should only be a #2 option at best (for now). Nearly all rookie QBs struggle but Quinn will have some solid weapons to throw to which will certainly help.

Travis Henry - and now, Travis Henry's knee...
We were ready to post some comments on the rise of Travis Henry as he seemed destined to finally give the Broncos a featured back. Being the featured back in Denver moves you quickly up the fantasy football player rankings and we certainly have been watching Henry in Denver and moving up the cheat sheets as he continues to impress. But in the Broncos 2nd pre-season game Henry left the game with a sprained knee. Now, as we've mentioned early - don't panic over the over cautious reactions to player injuries in the pre-season. But when you're talking about a RB who is approaching a Top 5 fantasy football running back, we must take notice. It appears that Henry will be OK but I can assure you, we'll be watching this one closely.

1st Pre-Season Weekend....have we learned anything?
Simply too early, most guys with nagging injuries are held out just to be safe and too often any numbers that may standout are potentially suspect because of so many second and third teamers in the game so often. It's the 2nd and especially the 3rd pre-season games that mean so mean something in evaluating who might make a splash this season.

Training camp injuries
Injuries happen and get reported everyday for nearly every team during training camp. Most sound worse than they really are as teams are exceptionally cautious, especially early in camp. We of course pay attention to all injuries but most don't warrant much concern early in camp. There are two notable exceptions. One is if it's a player with a history of injuries or coming off an injury. The other is when it begins to linger more than a few days - which in most cases means 4 practices. As we get later in pre-season we watch even closer. The moral of the story is don't worry too much, too early in camp about every little injury you hear about.

Frank Gore's broken hand.....
Will heal in time for the regular season - at least it should....Gore should have a huge year and as of early August this seems like a minor concern. He can still work out and should be able to stay in shape. Ideally he'd have a full camp but we still recommend him highly as a top tier running back in any league.

Why do you have Larry Johnson rated so low?
Several reasons we don't have LJ as high as many experts. Primarily is the Chiefs offensive line decline. They've lost 2 hall of famers off the line the past 2 years and will really struggle this season. And as good as LJ is he can't overcome a poor offensive line. Also, though Herm Edwards is a coach who will prefer the run he also likes FGs and overall the Chiefs offense will not be as agressive as in past years. Must also note the Larry Johnson has had a huge number of carries the past 2 years, the risk of injury is significant for LJ - obviously you can't predict injuries but historically backs that have his load over the past 2 seasons are much more likely to get hurt. Also, Larry may miss some of training camp - in fact it's likely - and again statistics show that not getting a full camp can lead to increased injuries. And the reason he may miss some camp is the dreaded "holdout" which could cause Larry to miss games as well. And now there's the Priest Holmes factor - see below. If any one of these things existed we'd be cautious but not move a player down so far but considering all factors we won't be drafting Larry at the top of a draft. If he gets traded (unlikely, but possible) we'll QUICKLY re-evaluate.

What should I do about Michael Vick?
The same thing we've been telling our clients since BEFORE all the trouble - avoid making him your #1 QB. The offense is changing in Atlanta with a new coach - they want Vick to stay in the pocket and pass more. The Falcons tried that before, it didn't work. So Vick may have had a tough year ahead of him anyway - because either the new system works and he doesn't run nearly as much (his biggest value in fantasy football) or it doesn't work and he just plain struggles all together. Now all the legal trouble and it just keeps getting worse so there is no reason to draft Mike Vick in 2007.

Should I draft Priest Holmes?
Certainly much too early to tell but the pre-camp news that Priest is making a comeback is certainly very interesting and we will be watching very closely. Until at least 2 pre-season games have been played he's a late round take a chance guy if you have a big bench - and that's where he is on our cheat sheet as camps begin to open. If he plays and looks healthy in a game or two he could quickly move up. Of course this could all be a media stunt and/or a bargaining tool with LJ and Priest will never see the field.

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