Sorts of Sports

Skip's Fantasy Do's and Don'ts

Tonight I’ve been asked to help a friend draft his fantasy football team. He’s never had a fantasy football team before, knows almost nothing about the game and possesses absolutely no athletic ability whatsoever. So how he even came to be involved in this league, I still haven’t discerned. Regardless, I feel obligated to help the kid out, and it has inspired this week’s Top 10.

I’m going to give you 5 Picks that Skip Endorses and 5 Picks that Skip hates in this year’s Fantasy Football league draft. Some may seem obvious, others no so much – but that’s how I roll. But trust that I’ll take my own advice to heart later this month when I draft my own team (who have been – and always will be – named the “2007 St. Louis Rams” in honor of Chris Carmona).

The 5 Picks that Skip Hates:

5. Desean Jackson

It pains me to put Desean (or any Eagle) on this list, but I sense impending doom for Philly’s fastest little receiver. The surprise here? I’m NOT putting him on the list because of Kevin Kolb. Jackson and Kolb actually gelled quite well when they were on the field together briefly last year. No, what I’m worried about is the Eagles’ lack of established weapons. Until someone else on the offense proves to be a threat, defenses are going to throw a blanket over Desean and dare Maclin, Avant and Celek to do something.

4. Ray Rice

Rice is a talented young running back that’s going to go high in a lot of leagues this year – but I hate the pick. Why? Because the Ravens air attack just has too much potential. Flacco’s into his third year, he’s got Boldin and Mason (and a strong supporting cast in guys like Heap and the relatively unnoticed Donte Stallworth), and we must remember that John Harbaugh is from the Andy Reid coaching tree. There’s a great chance that this offense goes wild in the air – and Rice’s numbers will fall off because of it. He’s still a great back to take, but I’m not ranking him nearly as high as many will.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew

Jones-Drew is another guy that’s got a lot of talent, but a lot working against him. Jacksonville doesn’t have a lot to supplement him with, and he devastated his former career mark for carries last year (going from 197 to 312). I consider anyone who ratchets things up that much a risk until proven otherwise.

2. Brandon Marshall

The man got paid, and went to a team that likes to run the football (22 rushing TD’s to 15 passing TD’s last season). The Dolphins haven’t had a 1,000 yard receiver since 2005. The schedule isn’t exactly a cake walk. He’s going to be partying with Lebron James, Chris Bosh and D-Wade all the time now. How many more reasons do you need to avoid this guy?

1. Rookies

I hate rookies. One in a hundred are worth anything of fantasy value in their first year, and yet each season people go gaga for them (I think it’s the ego-boost we get from saying we scored “sleepers” and all that jazz). Unless you’re in a keeper-style league, just leave rookies alone. Stick with established guys, or experienced players that might be on the cusp of breaking out – at least they already know the playbook.

The 5 Picks that Skip Endorses:

5. Tom Brady

It took Brady awhile to bounce back from that whole crushing knee injury thing last year and, coupled with the Patriots quiet descent from greatness, he’s kind of fallen under the radar in more low-key leagues. Tom’s not going to throw 50 TD passes again, but the Patriots have been a pass-first team for a number of years now – you can count on him to deliver 4,000+ yards and 30 TD’s this season, no problem.

4. Brent Celek

Celek had a breakout campaign last year (nearly 1,000 yards and 8 TDs) and I think the sky’s the limit (at least as far as Tight Ends go). The speed of Philly’s wideouts and the versatility of their backfield (where Weaver and McCoy are both are both receiving threats) means that defenses can’t waste too much focus on the big white tight end. Plus, Kevin Kolb loves this guy – in two games they combined for 16 hookups and 208 yards last season. They’re close friends, and you can count on Celek to be the guy Kolb looks for in the Red Zone.

3. Ben Roethlisberger

Big Ben caught a lot of bad press this off-season and is going to spend at least part of the year suspended. But the man’s a Top 10 fantasy quarterback when he’s playing, and his suspension means you can probably get him at a discounted rate. Draft him, wait on him and then unleash him on your league.

2 AND 1. Brett Favre

Because I need to keep the Favre-love on SOS rolling. Because if he does play he’ll probably throw 30 touchdown passes. Because everyone in your league will immediately hate you (and everybody wants to be the villain, right?). Because there are so many creative team names you can cook up when you’ve got Brett Favre on the roster. Just draft Brett Favre – do it for Skip.