Ian Allan's Mailbag
Posted Oct. 12 at 08:59 AM
Publisher Ian Allan fields your questions on strategy, how to run your league, player ratings -- and whatever else you think of. Updated every Friday during the season; Tuesdays and Fridays during the last two months of the preseason. You must be registered and signed-in to submit a mailbag question. After you sign in at the top of the page, the link to submit a mailbag question will become visible.
Question 1:
I followed your advice and went hard after Travis Henry this year. Gave up way too much to get him, and this thing has officially blown up on me. Can you please handicap who I should have on my roster to ensure I have the Denver running game? I've got Selvin Young and Mike Bell right now ... do I need to worry about Cecil Sapp or Andre Hall or even Ricky Williams or Corey Dillon?
David Hanley [WEST HARTFORD, CT]
A:
According to Adam Schefter of NFL.com, Henry probably will play into November while appeals are heard -- maybe another 3-4 games. If and when he is suspended, I expect Selvin Young will get the bulk of the carries and yards. He'll definitely be their starter at least to begin with. Now, Young isn't a real big guy, so they could go to a little more of a committee approach. If they do, I think you'll see Cecil Sapp move back to tailback (from fullback). I think he would be their No. 2 rusher. Probably Mike Bell No. 3. And Andre Hall would be the long shot to maybe do something. As for guys like Ricky Williams, Corey Dillon, Reuben Droughns and Tatum Bell, you'll be able to write off most of those guys after the trading deadline passes on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern time.
Question 2:
Looking at the latest Redrafter, I'm a little surprised to see Earnest Graham of the Bucs ranked so low, given that he's pretty much the last man standing in Tampa Bay. Even if the Bucs quickly acquire another back, Earnest should still be a key part of their RBBC.
Is your reasoning that Tampa Bay will be so low scoring and inept on offense that there aren't enough points to go around?
Greg Ivanov [TWINSBURG, OH]
A:
In the last overall draft board, which was published Tuesday, Earnest Graham was slotted assuming that the Bucs would obtain a co-starter type talent who would come in and get about half of the load -- somebody like a Mewelde Moore of the Vikings. The Bucs are definitely looking at running backs. Since that time, they added a piece to the puzzle, signing Zack Crockett. I expect Crockett to fill that Mike Alstott role for them, getting a few carries per game, and being their featured runner when the ball is inside the 3-yard line. If the Bucs do not add any other running backs prior to the Tuesday trade deadline, you'll see Graham climb a little on the next version of the Redrafter. Graham definitely looks like their top yardage guy right now. And Graham would stay in just about the same spot in a league based solely on touchdowns (I already had him slotted assuming he was going to lose a lot of those scores).
Question 3:
I have been offered Anquan Boldin for Torry Holt. Not sure if I want to make this trade or not. My reasoning is this, with Whisenhunt they are now a run-first team and the other thing that bothers me is the quarterback situation being in turmoil.
JOHN SHELBROCK [FRANKENMUTH, MI]
A:
Both have durability issues. Looks like Boldin will miss another game with his hip injury, but he's getting close. And Holt has the knee issues. As the losses keep piling up in St. Louis, it becomes more and more likely, in my opinion, that Holt will shut it down early, maybe missing the final two or three games. Why risk further messing up that knee for a lost cause? It's a close call between these two, in my opinion. Holt is definitely better short term, but I worry about the knee. And the injury to Matt Leinart could help Boldin. Kurt Warner is better right now. They are running the ball better, but Boldin caught 14 passes for 181 yards and 2 TDs in his last game.
Question 4:
I am in a league that allows us to put a player on IR if on the Thursday injury report he is listed as out. We can then add a player for one or however many weeks that player is out. It seems like every other injured player now is listed as questionable and a gametime decision. ( I think we have the Patriots to thank for this idea.) This is a league with no bench, so missing a player is huge. Any ideas on how to make the system better?
Art Bennett [LYNNWOOD, WA]
A:
The best solution, I think, would be to not allow any players to be placed on injured reserve. Either a guy has enough value that he takes up a roster spot, or he does not. There's no haggling over how injured anybody is. We had an IR in our fantasy league long ago, but we ditched it and nobody misses it. One of the problems (and this was way back in the late '80s and early '90s), was that team owners would place players on IR, then you'd have to track down those owners once those players became healthy. Forget about injured reserve. It's not worth the hassle.
Question 5:
First let me say that you do a great job. But....I really can't understand how you have Lee Evans ranked at No. 19 overall among receivers in the October 9th redrafter. This is a joke. You may believe that Lee Evans is an elite receiver (as you have stated in just about every issue this season). However, it is quite the contrary. You have really missed the boat on Lee Evans. He is small and unable to run routes over the middle. Due to his lack of height, his red zone looks are minimal. As a matter of fact, he gets very minimal looks at all. It's frustrating to see other receivers on the Bills catching multiple balls a game. Coaches in the NFL will find ways to get elite receivers the ball. This is not the case in Buffalo. All he can really do is run a fly pattern seemingly on every passing down simply to keep the defenses honest. Defensive backs are already well aware of his speed (just ask Terence Newman on his interception run back) and will not get beat deep, especially with the rookie at quarterback. Evans is not ambushing anyone this year with his speed. Yes, I know that he was the target of the Newman interception in the red zone, but Evans was covered like a blanket on that play. Your last week's rankings were brutal, and cost me big time. Lee Evans is not even close to being a No. 1 fantasy receiver. He is a very low end No. 3 fantasy receiver at best. I had other 3rd WRs/TEs I could've played (Dallas Clark, Greg Jennings) which would have made my team 4-1. I do value your opinion very much. But you really need to rethink this Lee Evans thing. I am well aware that Evans had a great second half of last year. However, just like you adjusted your rankings upward for Randy Moss, who is now your No. 1 receiver overall, a downward adjustment is now needed for Evans big-time. Yes, it is time to panic for Evans owners.
NEAL BHARDWAJ [LOMBARD, IL]
A:
Lee Evans is, in my opinion, one of the top 10 receivers in the league. He's got the speed to run by anyone. And he's not too small. He's 5-10 and 197. According to my numbers, he's had 8 balls thrown his way inside the 10 yard line the last two years. He's not producing right now, so probably best to leave him as a reserve on your fantasy roster right now -- stash him away until the Bills figure out how to use him again. I believe that will happen at some point. Perhaps if and when they go back to Losman after their bye week. Evans and Losman had a nice rapport last year. Until then, you should try to get by with guys like Clark and Jennings, who have the hot hand at the moment.
Question 6:
I know Drew Brees is having an off year but what are your thoughts on him long-term. I have an offer of Brees and Jerry Porter for JaMarcus Russell and Greg Jennings in a dynasty league I am in. I'm seriously thinking of going for this but then I start to think maybe I'm nuts and should just wait for Russell down the line. I have McNabb as my main QB. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Chris Krumenauer [GREENVILLE, WI]
A:
I would rather have Brees than Russell. It could be a long, long time before Russell is a productive NFL quarterback. Brees, on the other hand, could/should be back to throwing about 27 TD passes next year. On the flip side, Jennings is better than Porter, which could be a factor for you.
Question 7:
I'm in a point per rush/reception league and have Cedric Benson as my 3rd RB. Ahman Green is available and I wondered what your thoughts are regarding the rest of the season for both players? I think I like Green better for the long-haul. Your thoughts?
GRANT HUBBARD [ROCHESTER HILLS, MI]
A:
Slight edge to Benson. Green is a better receiver and returns from his knee injury this week. Benson has been struggling, averaging down around 3 yards per carry in most games. He's not going to do anything, for example, this week against Minnesota. But Green, even before his injury, was splitting carries fairly evenly with Ron Dayne. I don't see him as a big enough upgrade to merit releasing a younger, more durable player.
Question 8:
Hi. I'm in a 14-team league with Eli Manning as my lone QB, after losing Jake Delhomme to injury. My meager pickings for a replacement are Joey Harrington, Trent Edwards, Tarvaris Jackson, Cleo Lemon, Brodie Croyle and Trent Dilfer. I'm leaning toward Harrington because most of the rest of these folks likely won't be starting when Eli's week 9 bye comes. Any suggestions?
Doug Alger [San Jose, CA]
A:
With Manning as your quarterback, I would look solely at week 9. That means, in my opinion, that your fill-in quarterback probably will whoever's starting for Atlanta (Harrington or Leftwich at home against San Francisco), or the starter for Buffalo (J.P. Losman or Trent Edwards at home against Cincinnati). Sleeper: Kellen Clemens, who should be starting before long for the Jets.
Question 9:
I've never had this happen before and would like your input. I'm in a CBS league and the team I'm playing picks up Kenton Keith over the weekend. He has Addai, so gets insurance. I watched all the games and my computer all day. Addai was in his lineup all the way to 7:30 p.m. eastern time, when the last game ended. Long after the Colts game had ended. I was pumped, as he hadn't changed his lineup from Addai to Keith and had a big doughnut. I get back online for the start of the Packer game and Keith is in his lineup with his point total and Addai is gone. Is this possible? I played the commish, who would be the only person to have "override" access. Am I crazy or is some kind of computer error truly possible? I'm crying foul.
JOHN RUPPE [FORT MYERS, FL]
A:
I've never played in a CBS League, but Andy Richardson (one of our writers) tells me that the commissioner of those leagues can in fact make lineup changes involving players in games that have started or even been completed. To find out if that's what happened here, Andy says, go to your league "Transactions Report" and under "Type" of transaction, choose "Lineup." There should be a date and time stamp that will tell you when he switched Addai out for Keith.
Question 10:
It doesn't seem a question of IF, but HOW badly will Steve Smith's value be affected by new QB David Carr?
Eugene Hitt [Garrison, NY]
A:
It's hard to take Carr seriously. With all the problems he's had over the years -- hanging onto the ball too long, missing open guys, etc. -- what's his answer? To switch to playing with white gloves on both hands, even though he plays in a warm-weather climate. And he seems awfully concerned with his hair (which has excellent shine and bounce, by the way). I don't think Carr can play, to the point where if I'm holding the rights to Steve Smith, I actually think it's a positive that Carr might not play this week (he didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday), potentially putting 43-year-old Vinny Testaverde in Carolina's starting lineup. With Carr at quarterback, I'm not sure Steve Smith is a top-10 receiver.
Question 11:
In my seasonal league should I drop either Drew Brees or Brian Griese to pick up Kurt Warner?
David Jung [SAN FRANCISCO, CA]
A:
I like Kurt Warner better than either of those guys. He's playing very well right now, and he's got excellent weapons to work with. I think the Cardinals are for real -- wouldn't surprise me if they won 10 games and went to the playoffs, and Warner could be ready to take off on a nice run right now. "What about Warner's history of fumbling and getting hurt?", some will wonder. I don't see that as a big issue. The Cardinals are running the ball more often and more effectively than any of the teams Warner has played with in recent years, and that will help keep pass rushers honest. Warner has been involved in 70 pass plays this year, and he's been sacked only one time. During that spell when Warner was getting hurt all the time and having the concussions, he was in the Mike Martz offense, getting sacked about once per every 10 pass plays.
Question 12:
There's no reason anyone should give you guff on Randy Moss. My main league has 50 percent Patriots homers and he still went 61st overall in our draft. All of the logical summer signs pointed against Moss, and as you point out, the Expert Poll was also universally skeptical on him in the magazine. Now, here's the beef I do have -- how can Kurt Warner be listed behind David Carr on the redrafter sheet? I know Warner has some fleas at this point of his career, but he's played reasonably well when called upon in 2007. He's the hot free agent of the week in my leagues. Meanwhile, Carr continues to look like a bust, and he's dressed more like a cleaning maid than an NFL quarterback. Steve Smith helps some, but I don't think Carr has it. If you could explain the rationale here, I'd like to hear. Thanks for the great service.
Katherine Morehead [BERKLEY, MI]
A:
David Carr as a cleaning maid. I like that line. Can I use it in next year's magazine? He was higher than Warner in the list that went out early in the week because at that time, he projected to play more games. (At that time, it wasn't clear than Matt Leinart would be out for the year). Also, the Cleaning Maid, unlike Warner, will run, which helps his fantasy cause. But Warner definitely is the more valuable fantasy commodity.
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Question 1: I followed your advice and...
Posted by BARRY BROWN | Oct. 16 at 04:52 PM
... am kicking ass in all my leagues, even the one with Drew Brees and Lee Evans on the team. Obviously these whiners haven't been with Fantasy Index for the long haul. Any "expert" who claims to hit on every prediction is full of sh*t. Anyone who expects an expert to hit on every prediction is full of even more. I can't believe all these guys on here going ballistic over Evans and Moss - totally unrealistic expectations and skirting all responsibility for their own individual picks.
Question 1: I followed your advice and...
Posted by Daniel Burks | Oct. 18 at 09:15 PM
I am kicking ass in my league... even with Lee Evans. My question is about ethical trades. I made trade offer: Travis Henry, Selvin Young, and Lee Evans for Reggie Wayne, and Tony Gonzalez. I needed a TE and a more consistent WR. I had the depth to trade away Denver's backfield, and I'm tired of waiting for Evans to blow up. I'm trading with an 0-6 team who has pretty much given up. Is this a fair, ethical trade?
Question 4: I am in a league...
Posted by Alan Hight | Oct. 12 at 02:22 PM
Personally, I feel Injured Reserve is a positive aspect to any league, but it must be managed well. Roster limitations need to be appropriate {15 players for 12 team league}, for example, so the extra spot doesn't sap the FA pool. To foolproof the "chasing down owner aspect", I instituted a 24 rule where the owner has to act upon the newly healthy player {ex. Boldin coming off IR} and a player must be dropped {to prevent overmaxing the roster}. Since I comb the players every day, {this is no extra work on my part as Commish - labor of love}, an email is sent to inform owner. After 24 hours if nothing is done, the LAST player added to roster after the IR was originally placed, will be dropped. This prevents any owner stalling or having to chase him. If that player were dropped that was valuable, the owner should have been on top of things. This takes the hunting and guessing right out of the equation and has had no ill effects in the last ten years. Just a helpful thought.
Question 4: I am in a league...
Posted by BRIAN HOLMES | Oct. 18 at 12:05 PM
I have to agree with Ian. We had an IR many years ago. The problem is you have to police it. Owners would stash players and we would have to continually penalize team owners. Owners ratting on other owners is not a good thing. We just expanded the rosters and did away with IR which eliminated an unneeded problem. Brian Holmes
Question 5: First let me say that...
Posted by TIM LIEBERG | Oct. 13 at 08:38 AM
I'm amazed at Ian's powers of mind-control. Some poor chap starts Evans over both Clark and Jennings (who have multiple individual games where they've outscored Evans' entire season) and it's Ian's fault? Of course, I'm almost as amazed at Ian's powers of self-delusion. Evans plays for one of the worst organizations in the NFL with one of the top 3 bad qb situations (see also MN, MIA.) I, too, acquired Mr. Evans in two leagues, steered I'll confess by Ian. I've dropped him long ago in both and surprise, surprise, surprise he's still sitting out there ready for any willing owner. I'm shocked there isn't much interest for a WR who's been outscored by not 1 but 2 (!) other WR on his own team and who's put up a 0 or 1 in 4 of 5 games.
Question 5: First let me say that...
Posted by Frederick Buescher | Oct. 13 at 01:50 PM
If he's a top 10 WR, fantasy-wise or otherwise, which 5 guys that I listed is he better than and why?
Question 5: First let me say that...
Posted by KENNETH BARR | Oct. 16 at 09:50 AM
I enjoy the Trivia Questions and Factoids on this website but am wondering if they've ever addressed the following question: What was the greatest fantasy performance by a single player in a single game since the era of fantasy football popularity began? If not, can you help me out? Thanks.
Question 5: First let me say that...
Posted by joseph brinkos | Oct. 17 at 06:36 AM
Lee Evans still a top 10 receiver? That comment itself is a joke. Ian are you an agent for lee evans? Is your ego so big you can't admit you are wrong? Are you that stubborn? A top 10 receiver should have A touchdown and 1 100 yard game. How many does lee have of either? The answer is none. I can name 30 receivers that are better then evans. Potential is one thing ian. Every player has it. It's results that are the proof in the pudding. Lee is a bust pure and simple.
Question 9: I've never had this happen...
Posted by Greg Ivanov | Oct. 12 at 10:24 AM
The same thing happened in my CBS league during the 2000 season. The Commish was in the championship game, and around 11:30pm on Sunday his lineup miraculously changed to include a higher scoring RB that gave him the championship. The Commish denied the switch, so we contacted CBS Customer Service for access to the detailed transaction log, proving the Commish's malfeasance. We then suspected wrongdoing by our Commish during the entire season, which tainted all our game results throughout the year. So we just gave everyone their money back (we consider ourselves lucky to have retrieved the entry fees from the greedy b@$tard). Clearly you need to impeach YOUR Commish. CBS Customer Service can help you re-set passwords so that your current Commish can no longer run your league.
Question 9: I've never had this happen...
Posted by Joseph Smith | Oct. 12 at 01:38 PM
I'm in a CBS League, too. Before calling CBS Customer Service, though, you should be able to see the transaction report yourself. Go to your CBS fantasy homepage, then 'My Team/Transaction Report'. This shows all the transactions (adds, drops, waivers, etc.) during the current year. More importantly, it shows the time the transaction occurred... AND any transactions by the commissioner are shown in RED font. This will tell you whether the commish made the move and the time the move was made. I think all leagues have the transaction report online access in CBS Sportsline... and it really boils down to having your lineup set 5 minutes before kickoff. Fortunately our league is all close friends, but I can see how things can unravel in hurry with a crummy commish.
Question 9: I've never had this happen...
Posted by RON BEST | Oct. 12 at 02:50 PM
I am a commissioner in two leagues on CBS Sportsline, and we have had something like this happen. If you open up your "Live Scoring" window before the games begin and more than 5 minute deadline for changes before the games begin, your opponent could then change his starting line-up, before the 5 minute deadline, and it won't make the change on your "live scoring" line-up. Only if you leave that page and come back will it make the change.
Question 9: I've never had this happen...
Posted by MICHAEL FITZGERALD | Oct. 13 at 01:55 PM
I am the Commish of a CBS Sportsline league. I email the ENTIRE league my line up EVERY Sunday, and over the years I've had many of the guys tell me it means a lot to them to know the league is run legit!
Question 9: I've never had this happen...
Posted by Stephen Viau | Oct. 18 at 12:49 PM
I echo Ron's comment. if you launch live scoring before 1.00, lineup changes are not reflected on the page unless you refresh or leave the page. this gives the appearance of wrongdoing, but not so. And as others have said, check the transaction report. It's all there in black and white. (or... red for commissioner changes)
Question 11: In my seasonal league should...
Posted by BARRY BROWN | Oct. 14 at 08:57 AM
Ian - In this question, you say you'd rather have Warner over Griese or Brees, but your redrafter has both Brees and Griese rated much higher. What gives??
Question 11: In my seasonal league should...
Posted by ANDY RICHARDSON | Oct. 14 at 09:31 AM
The redrafter was compiled before Leinart was put on injured reserve.
Question 11: In my seasonal league should...
Posted by BARRY BROWN | Oct. 15 at 05:13 PM
I may have mentioned this one other time at the beginning of the season, but with injuries/benchings/suspensions happening on a daily basis, it sure would be nice if you were able to update the cheatsheet/redrafter on the website more than once per week. Is this even being talked about as a possibility in the future? Thanks guys.
Question 12: There's no reason anyone should...
Posted by Frederick Buescher | Oct. 12 at 10:14 AM
Dude...The Lee Evans thing, enough already. You just said he's a top 10 WR ??? Moss, Plaxico, Steve Smith, Braylon, Chad Johnson, TJ Houshlkabfkjbabsivlda, TO, Holt, Roy Williams, Wayne, Harrison, Andre Johnson, Boldin, Fitzgerald, Driver. There's 15. Which 5 is he better than?
Question 12: There's no reason anyone should...
Posted by IAN ALLAN | Oct. 12 at 03:35 PM
I didn't say I believed Lee Evans was one of the 10 best fantasy receivers right now. I said I believe Evans is one of the league's 10 best receivers. He'll return to fantasy prominence when the team gets him dialed in and starts banging on all cylinders.
Question 12: There's no reason anyone should...
Posted by Joe Savitsky | Oct. 12 at 03:55 PM
Lee Evans: Top 10 WR? No. But, let's not forget just how talented and dangerous he can be, especially in the 2nd half of the season (for whatever reason). He has excellent speed, very soft hands, and most importantly an innate ability to get separation. Unfortunately, he plays with a horrible coaching staff, raw/bad QB's, and a bad OL. But I would argue that in terms of talent, speed, ability to separate, and outrageous speed to burn you deep on any play, Evans is top 10. That said, there are about 20 WR's I'd rather have in a seasonal league.
Question 12: There's no reason anyone should...
Posted by MIKE GEORGE | Oct. 16 at 11:49 AM
.. doubt Fantasy Index. To all the Monday Morning QB's. Take a look at what Ian Allan is doing in the auction league against all the other "experts". My question is ... What kind of numbers do you forecast for Tom Brady as the season wears on? Will he break Peyton Manning's record?