Fantasy News
The NFL season is set to kick off, and so is our annual TD-only league, featuring 12 Fantasy Index SuperFanatic subscribers. The league homepage is right here.
We asked the participants to evaluate their teams -- strengths, weaknesses -- and project a winner from among the other 11 teams. (Since we all figure everyone else is just playing for 2nd place, of course.) Here's what they had to say. Check out all the rosters at this link.
Brian Shemaria: Strength of my team is QB....Romo and Rivers. Also, I am pleased with my WRs, Wayne, Holt and Boldin. And I really don't think Coles is a bad choice as a No. 4. My weakness is my RBs. Turner should get some TDs (maybe 7). I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can catch lightning in a bottle with McFadden. Last I heard Hall may be the GL back, which is okay in a TD-only league. My biggest weakness is TE, but I am hoping that Crumpler becomes Young's favorite target. The team to beat has to be Geoff Maleman. He is solid at RB, WR and TE. His only weakness on his team is Cutler; however, Cutler is not a bad weakness to have.
Jeff Piehl: Strengths are RB, followed very closely by three top WRs. If the WRs can stay out of trouble first, then stay healthy – there are a ton of points to be had here. Weakness – McNabb – lots of questions about Philly’s offense and McNabbs ability to stay healthy. Julius Jones is the sleeper of the team – let's see if Ian Allan is right on avoiding the Seattle backfield – we hope he is wrong. Team to beat – is either Phil Mittenzwei (RBs) or Geoff Maleman (RBs and QB).
Jonathan Norman: My strength is depth with some players with nice potential upside (Bowe, Stewart, Thomas). I think there's strength at WR, TE and DEF. QB will be key. Weakness is no clear No. 1 RB. However, I felt at No. 6, with so much talent off the board, I had to go Manning, injury and all. He had the most upside, in my opinion. Maybe I'm not as concerned about DEF and K as I should be. I would say my team is solid, if not spectacular. I don't think there will be a single week that I won't be competitive.
Geoff Maleman: I feel pretty comfortable at RB, where MJD and Portis should be consistent scorers, and at QB where I think Cutler will have a breakout year. Gates, assuming the toe is fully healed, should mean a few more TDs than all but one or two other teams can count on at that position. WR is my biggest weakness, and I'm counting on good years from Cotchery, Williams and White. Who knows? Maybe Meachem or James will surprise. I tried to take guys with some upside potential. Overall, I think I may have missed some opportunities here and there but I think this is a solid, not spectacular, team. I think Jeff Piehl is the team to beat: a great stable of WRs, Lynch and Barber in the backfield, plus McNabb at QB, where he should score plenty as long as he stays healthy. Jonathan Norman has a nice, well-balanced team that should score consistently. Phil Mittnezwei looks solid. He certainly the best depth at RBs 1-3, but he will need his WRs to have outstanding years to make him competitive in a league that starts 3 WRs every week.
Phil Mittenzwei: I think I’ll have a competitive team for sure. Very strong at RB (Peterson, and LJ, and 3rd round pick was unintentional but Gore fell in my lap – couldn’t take a top WR when he was still out there in 3rd round), got a Top Tier 2 QB (Manning), and Tier 1 TE (Cooley). Concerned at WR – that’s why I drafted so many with hope of breakthrough candidates – Harrison, risky but high upside pick, Crayton (should be good but it’s too early to get excited), and Vincent Jackson (should have great year if LT slowed for any reason). I like Jeff Piehl’s team – if McNabb and Ginn and Marshall all have a good year, which I expect, Jeff’s team will be very balanced and tough to beat. I see a lot of TDs from those RBs, for sure.
John Knebels: There seems to be no obvious juggernaut among the 12 teams. That's primarily because running backs such as Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, Joseph Addai, and Larry Johnson have tremendous pedigrees but their teams suffer from a combination of poor offensive lines and questionable defenses that may leave their running gifts as superfluous since they'll be trailing early and often. I think this will come down to who stays healthy and which owners pay the closest attention to what is happening weekly in the NFL. As for the everyday lineup that looks best, I'd say it comes down to either Jeff Piehl, Mike McIlraith, or John Knebels. Then again, if some sleepers emerge like Eddie George and Abdul Jabbar did years ago, it's anyone's game. Only one thing for sure is that this is why fantasy football is outstanding -- analyzing stuff that is all about fun and nothing else.
Steve Oltman: For my own team I see my strengths as being my starting lineup and backup running backs; my weaknesses being my kicker and backup QB. As for the team to beat, I would give the edge to John Collins over Jeff Piehl with Marion Barber as possibly the steal of the draft with the 11th pick.
Their teams will compete during the season in a full-bore, hands-on league with starting lineups and a free agent grab bag. (This is different from our Experts mock draft league and our Experts mock auction league. There's no prize money involved. It's just for fun and for bragging rights.)
-Andy Richardson
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