Last Night Review

All About the Quarterback.
For the majority of us that have been starving for football, yesterday was filled with major storylines all revolving around the Quarterback position.

Josh McDaniels is cementing his legacy early
Don't get me wrong, I think Jay Cutler might be in the running for douche of the year award; but right now he's making Josh McDaniels look like an idiot. Kyle Orton couldn't have had a worse start. 9/16 for 89 yards and 3 interceptions. You have to feel for Broncos fans. They lose Mike Shanahan, get McDaniels. Cutler consistenly rips on Denver, but now Chris Simms might be their savior, yikes. Worst of all, they won't be bad enough that they can hope for Sam Bradford. Fantasy wise, Brandon Marshall went from a bottom-tier #1 option last year, to a solid #2. Now, he may be a bottom-tier #2 fantasy option, unless he gets moved. He can only hope.

Sanchez or Clemens
Regardless of what Rex Ryan says, the belief here is that Mark Sanchez will be the QB of the NY Jets, sooner than later. Not that either are good fantasy options this season, but if Sanchez plays well enough by seasons end, he might be in consideration in deep keeper leagues. Either way, I like Dustin Keller to get a lot of targets this year.

Old Fantasy Stars shine
Marc Bulger and Carson Palmer are so 2006. It seems like so long ago that these guys were fantasy studs, but maybe they can help your team this year. Bulger, I'm nowhere near sold on yet. The line has a lot of new pieces, but they were dreadful last year, and Bulger was just destroyed. Steven Jackson is a beast, and will help out the passing game, but Bulger should go very late in drafts, and may be worth a flyer. Remember, I like Carson Palmer(a potential #1 QB you can get late) and OchoCinco to bounce back this year (http://foprojections.blogspot.com/2009/08/afc-north-fantasy-preview.html). Chris Henry was my sleepr pick for the Bengals and shined last night with 7 catches, 100 yards, and a TD. He is immensely talented, the Bengals only real redzone threat, it's all about staying on the field and out of jail for him.

Preseason Football

Preseason games 8/14

Players to Watch

New York Jets versus St. Louis Rams- For both teams, the running game represents the focal point of each teams offense. The Jets possess a nice trio of running backs- in Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and Shonn Greene- who all have fantasy potential coming into this season. Last season, Thomas Jones was the bell cow, for the team, in posting the best season of his inconsistent career. However, going into this season his fantasy prospects are up in the air as he has been disgruntled in not receiving a contract extension and has subsequently been subject to some trade rumors. With that said, look to see how Shonn Greene performs early and if he can be a viable brushing back ( at 6'0 233) to compliment the speed of Leon Washington. If he looks good, he may ultimately force Thomas Jones out of the rotation and into another uniform. Leon Washington is the name worth watching as he probably represents the best potential fantasy performer of the bunch- but for the purposes of this game and getting a better understanding of the Jets runningback situation, it is most worth watching Greene. In terms of QB battles, it is important to watch both Clemens and Sanchez, to see who looks better; but at the end of the day, neither factor in much as fantasy options for next season. The QB situation does matter, however, in terms of how Jerricho Cotchery will perform this season as he finally looks to have a break out season and become a solid number 2 for any fantasy team- getting out from behind Laveranues Coles' shadow was a big step mentally. Dustin Keller should be a top 10 fantasy TE, this year, and expect either QB to rely on him early and often during the season. Finally, look for who will emerge as the number 2 receiver- the battle consists of David Clowney, Chansi Stuckey, and Brad Smith.

For the Rams, the success of their offense hinges on the performance of Steven Jackson- although, you likely will not see much of him in this game. Most importantly, you want to watch Marc Bulger closely in order to make an initial determination about whether he will be an effective QB this season. He may be a fantasy option this season, if healthy, but more importantly you want to see that he can be effective so that opponents have to respect the run- and don't just load up in the box to stop the run. Also look to see how the offensive line is performing- in their first year without stalwart Orlando Pace- because their success has a direct effect on Jackson's success. Unfortunately, Donnie Avery is out 4-6 weeks with an injury; so there is no receivers who are worth noting.