Boser talks fantasy football: closing 2011, opening 2012

by | Jan 8, 2012 | Fantasy Football

Unless you’re in a playoff league your fantasy football season ended sometime in the last couple of weeks. Maybe you’re probably a little bit burned out and ready to set the competition aside for a couple weeks. But if you’re like me, you never really stop trying to glean that last piece of knowledge that will give you the edge you need to win your league(s).

So, to start your reading entertainment for the week, we’ve again contacted Ryan Boser, a sports blogger and staff writer for Bruno Boys, for his thoughts on the end of the 2011 fantasy season and on what might happen in the year ahead.

We’re jumping the gun here, without a doubt, since the real playoffs just got underway and the draft and free agency are still several months away. But it’s never too early to start thinking about next year.

Here’s what Ryan had to say:

Zoneblitz: Michael Vick in 2011 became the most recent poster child for chasing one really good season in fantasy drafts. Whose 2011 stat lines will you not be chasing in 2012? (more…)

Playoff Fantasy Football

by | Jan 4, 2012 | 2011 season, Fantasy Football

Was recently introduced to a style of playoff fantasy football that I had not seen before, and wanted to get some additional opinions on strategy from other readers.

Basically, you pick a full team (2 QB, 3 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Kicker, 1 Def/ST, 1 Wild Card), but you must select one (and only one) from each team in the playoffs–and any person in the league can choose the same guy (ie, everyone would presumably want Drew Brees).

Let’s assume a standard scoring for this (6 pts/TD, 4 pts/passing TD, 1 pt/10 yards rushing/receiving, 1 pt/25 yards passing, etc).

Here’s the lineup I came up with:

Green Bay: Rodgers, QB
San Francisco: Gore, RB
New Orleans: Brees, QB
NY Giants: Cruz, WR
Atlanta: Gonzalez, TE
Detroit: C. Johnson, WR
New England: Brady, Wildcard
Baltimore: Rice, RB
Houston: Foster, RB
Denver: Prater, K
Pittsburgh: Defense/Special Teams
Cincinnati: AJ Green, WR

Let us know who you have in the comments…

Rookie offensive linemen will boost skill players’ fantasy value

by | May 4, 2011 | Fantasy Football, NFL Draft

When the Atlanta Falcons traded five picks to move up and draft Julio Jones in the first round last Thursday night, the move put the star wideout in an ideal situation where he is surrounded by a young, improving quarterback and superstar veterans at running back, tight end and wide receiver.

Jones’ skills boosted the fantasy value of several of his new teammates and the wealth of talent around him puts him in a position to contribute right away.

So sure, like every year, there are a handful of skill players (see Mark Ingram, New Orleans) who were drafted that could leave early impressions on fantasy teams. But in my eyes the biggest beneficiaries from a fantasy perspective in this NFL draft were veteran skill position players whose teams addressed deficient offensive line play. (more…)

Fantasy football also affected by lockout

by | Apr 19, 2011 | 2011 season, Fantasy Football, NFL Lockout, NFL Random Thoughts

The NFL lockout is becoming a drag in more ways than one. Sure, it’s kind of cute … well, no, it’s really not cute at all … when players and owners get up in front of cameras or type away on twitter telling fans not to worry because they expect to make a deal in time to ensure that games are not canceled.

Or when the league moves forward with their farcical plan for a two-hour special on NFL Network introducing the schedules for the season that may or may not be played.

The truth is even if the league and the players miraculously settle during forced negotiations this afternoon, the lockout has already gone on long enough to ensure that the quality of play on the field in 2011 will suffer.

Free agency has been postponed for more than a month, leaving teams unsure how they will fill holes from last season. Minicamps have been lost, especially hard for teams with new coaches and new systems. And at this point there is little indication the collective bargaining process will conclude by next week’s NFL draft, so rookies and other new entrants to the league are almost inevitably going to lose at least one and likely more opportunities for pre-training camp instruction with coaches.

That means we are also closing in on the point where, assuming football is played in 2011, the lockout will have a direct effect on fantasy football this season as well. What teams and players benefit from this situation? Will there still be rookies who are worth drafting for your teams in 2011? We at Zoneblitz feel continuity will be key this season but we contacted fantasy football writer Ryan Boser, who contributes to a number of fantasy sites, to see what he thinks.

Zoneblitz: With a shortened free agency period and minicamps already being canceled it would seem to us that continuity and lack of roster turnover will be key to success in 2011. Do you agree? (more…)