Fantasy Football
by Joseph P. Flood
Byline: Sonny Amato
The Post's Sonny Amato was online Monday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss his Sunday Source article, How to Win at Fantasy Football .
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Sonny Amato: Hi everyone. I'm glad that everyone is as pumped up about their fantasy drafts and seasons as I am. It was fun writing the article and I'm excited about answering your questions. Hopefully I can be of some help and I'll answer as many questions as I can. Good luck with your seasons (unless you're in my league).
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Kensington, Md.: Sonny,
I am in a 12 team league that is doing an autodraft. It consists of a QB, 2 WR's, RB, W/T, W/E, Def and 2 DL, 2 DB, 2 D's.
With the players spread so thin, what advice can you give me to make sure I do well?
Sonny Amato: Wow, that's a very defensive league. Without having a chance to see the scoring system, I don't think your strategy is going to alter much from a more traditional league -- get your running back and focus on the offense first. Also, if you save those team defenses for last, take a close look at their opponents. Matching average defenses against poor offenses will usually earn you more points than good defenses against good offenses.
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Arlington, Va.: What are your thoughts on Jamal Lewis? He had a rough season last year, but he also had a lot going on outside the league! I am considering picking him.
Sonny Amato: As an avid Steeler, fan I'll keep my real Jamal Lewis thoughts to myself. Seriously, though, I don't think that Lewis is as much a risk as everyone is making him out to be. His ankle injury is more of a worry to me than his time in a halfway house. However, the Ravens may have a legitimate passing attack for the first time in his career, which will keep teams from crowding the line of scrimmage as much as they did last year. Combine that with memories of a 2,000 yard season in 2003 and you still have a solid Top Ten pick.
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Washington, D.C.: I'm having trouble figuring out where to rank Jamal Lewis amongst running backs. His injury and off-field problems diminish his value a bit, but how far does he slide? Right now I have him eighth, but I could see him below K. Jones, J. Jones, R. Johnson... What say you?
Sonny Amato: See my other response re:Jamal. But I think you have him slotted just about right at No. 8 among running backs. Of the guys you mentioned, I can see possibly sliding Kevin Jones ahead of him, but his success will hinge on how well the Harrington/Garcia passing game comes together. Jamal's got the perfect blend of speed, size, and strength. Don't underestimate him.
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Washington, D.C.: Hello Sonny, Thanks for taking my question. I would like to know why so many leagues do not do individual defensive players. The league my team is in we use this format and it is a lot more exciting to follow as opposed to an individual team. We are in our 15th year doing this.
Thanks.
Sonny Amato: Congrats on the longevity of your league. Impressive. I think that most leagues don't like to put the extra time and effort it takes to research defensive players individually and some think that stats like tackles are kind of a crap shoot--who's in the right place and who doesn't get double-teamed by blockers? I disagree. I think it adds a fun twist to the game and I'm glad you enjoy it too.
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Clark's Summit, Pa.: Keeper league Q: who's the better QB to keep on my roster for this season -- Pennington or Carr?
Sonny Amato: Pennington. He is so accurate and has a better offensive line and weapons--Coles and McCareins. Plus, his offseason surgery seems to have been successful and he'll be able to get the ball downfield better.
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Springfield, Va.: Hi Sonny, I am drafting number 6 in an 8 team performance scoring league. My guess is that McCallister, D. Davis and J. lewis should all be available. Who would you pick?
Sonny Amato: The toughest choice in the draft this year are between those running backs right outside of the Top 4. Since you put me on the spot, I'll have to go with Davis. He might be the best pass-catching RB outside of Tomlinson and Houston's offensive line zone blocks well for him.
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Arlington, Va.: I'm hearing contradictory things about Kurt Warner's potential value this year -- some fantasy "experts" say he's a sure bust because it's been ages since he's had a 300-yard passing game; but then guys like Chris Mortenson of ESPN say he's looked sharp in camp. With his talented young receivers, will Warner be a viable #1 fantasy QB?
Sonny Amato: From what I've seen, Warner has actually looked pretty sharp in camp, but picking him as your #1 QB would be a reach. While he probably has the most talented young recievers outside of Detroit, he is also the most immobile quarterback around. He would be a solid #2 guy and I would give him some starts against those weak NFC West secondaries.
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Washington, D.C.: Fifth pick in a 10 team league, touchdowns and yardage. I expect the top 4 to be Tomlinson, Alexander, Holmes and Manning in some order. So I am torn. I'd like to take Culpepper here and RB on the way back, but then my second RB and likely both recievers will pretty weak. SO do I go for two RB in the first two rounds with this pick or take McGahee and then go for Moss/Harrison/Owens at 16? Hard to pass on Culpepper though.
Sonny Amato: What you need to consider is the gap between your first and second pick. With most teams likely to take RBs in the first round, if you don't take a RB first, they will get thin very fast. My advice is to go with someone like McGahee first and then reevaluate at 16. If someone else jumps on QBs or WRs you'll probably be able to add Green, Dillon, Jordan or Martin in your backfield, too. Not too shabby.
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Colesville, Md.: Great article yesterday! Is The Post going to have a weekly FF column?
Sonny Amato: Thanks. Rumor is that the Post will have a weekly fantasy football column. With all the quality sports writers, I'm sure it will be a valuable resource.
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Washington, D.C.: I'm a woman that's brand new to fantasy football -- though I do follow football and know a fair amount about it. What are some general things I should look for before drafting or trading players and keep in mind now that I am following the sport as a "General Manager" rather than just following it as a casual NFL fan?
Sonny Amato: Welcome to the world of fantasy football. You'll enjoy it. You'll find yourself keeping your eye on injuries and trends more than you have in the past. My advice would be to look at last year's stats before the draft and to read the box scores during the year.
The casual NFL fans look at the scores. Us GMs look at the stats. Yeah, the 'Skins lost...but did the line block well for Portis? That sort of thing.
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Vienna, Va.: It's pretty safe to assume that if you have a Redskin leading your team in anything this season, you should plan on not winning at all. Is there ANY 'Skin out there that I HAVE to have on my squad in order to win?
Sonny Amato: The thing about fantasy football is that there is no "must haves" in order to win. It's all about balance. As far as 'Skins, I'd be happy to have Clinton Portis on my squad or Chris Cooley at tight end. If you have a defense in your league, Washington isn't a bad D to have.
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New York, N.Y.: Sonny,
Are there any RB picks you would recommend that may come out of nowhere via the starter going down with an injury?
Sonny Amato: Yeah, there's a guy named Greg Jones in Jacksonville that might pay off big if "Fragile" Fred Taylor goes down. I also like picking up Ladell Betts as an insurance policy against Portis going down. Betts is a better back that he is given credit for.
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Jacksonville, Fla.: QB or RB with first pick?
Sonny Amato: RB.
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Washington, D.C.: Harrington seems to be lighting it up. Is he finally for real?
Sonny Amato: Don't invest to much in preseason perceptions. What you have to remember is that NFL defensive coordinators are using their most "vanilla" schemes in exhibition games. They don't want to give anything away. He will be better, but not that good.
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Alexandria, Va.: LT seems to be the unanimous choice as the top pick on most draft boards. Could this be the year where a QB (i.e. Peyton Manning) would be a good pick at #2?
Sonny Amato: Let me admit this. I won my league last year BECAUSE I took Manning as the first non-RB. That said, I still wouldn't take him at #2. He won't throw 49 touchdowns again and while he's the best passer in the league, a lot of experts still say Culpepper is a better fantasy pick. No. 2? Shaun Alexander.
Arlington, Va.: Who are your top sleeper picks for QB, RB and WR?
Sonny Amato: Sleeper is a tricky word to define...but I'll try. QB-Kerry Collins OAK, RB-Michael Clayton TB, WR-Keary Colbert CAR, and you didn't ask, but... TE-Marcus Pollard DET (When the focus is on a team's receivers, I like the TE)
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Houston, TX: Most experts advise choosing a RB first as the best foundation for your team. In our league, however, QBs score 6 points for each TD pass plus get 1 point/25 passing yard. It seems that makes a top QB more valuable than a top RB.
Am I missing something? Is our scoring system dramatically different than most leagues?
Sonny Amato: No, you're right. That is a QB friendly league. Remember, though, the reason for valuing RBs is often that you need two of them and if you don't get one quickly, your second RB can be awfully weak. In big leagues, you might even be risking having a second back that isn't a starter. With 32 starting QBs and one per fantasy team, there is no risk of that. You can always plug in an average QB facing a bad defense.
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Pittsburgh, Pa.: Sonny, great to hear your a Steelers fan. So, a Steelers question: Where do you see Hines Ward going in most drafts? And is Ben Roethlisberger a good No. 2 QB?
Sonny Amato: Ahh, a fellow Pittsburgher.....
Hines may be a Top 5 receiver for everything he does for Pittsburgh, but he's probably about the 10th WR I would take. Pittsburgh is just a run-first offense. Using that logic, I wouldn't take Roethlisberger too early either. He didn't lose a regular season game, but he only threw for 2,621 yards in 14 games. He's only a No. 2 QB in big leagues in my opinion.
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Washington, D.C.: Sonny,
My buddy lives in Denver and he swears that Plummer will be benched this year in favor of a 2nd year QB (can't remember his name)...do you agree?
Sonny Amato: Danny Kanell? Plummer is a puzzle, but he's still better than Kanell.
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Arlington, Va.: Hey Sonny, thanks for doing the chat. What's the latest with Tiki Barber -- will his value be negatively affected by the nice play of rookie Brandon Jacobs? Would you select Tiki over the less-proven Lamont Jordan?
Sonny Amato: I wouldn't worry about Jacobs taking too many touches away from Tiki Barber. Barber nearly gained 2,000 total yards and had 11 touchdowns last seasin. My instict with guys like Barber and Curtis Martin have been to shy away because of age, but they continually prove me wrong. If he's available in the second half of your first round, grab him. Jordan isn't a bad pick, but he's more of a late second round/early third rounder. He won't have the ball nearly as much as Barber.
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Shanghai, China: What is the best free site for learning about players, their stats, and their likely worth? Thank you.
Sonny Amato: You win the award for long-distance question. Thanks for joining us.
My friend turned me on to a great site called Fantasy Football Toolbox that really gives up-to-date information about players. http://www.fftoolbox.com
They really give detailed player information and stats and put it together so it's easy to find.
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Sonny Amato: Thanks everyone. My time is up. I wish I could have gotten to more of your questions. Good luck to everyone this year--just do your research and don't forget to have fun. Yay, football!
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