By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Thursday’s NFL kickoff has fantasy owners drooling. Not because your going to see the same flash this weekend, but because you’re already buried in points behind. As your squad steps out onto the field Sunday, you have to think of it like a team being blown out. A gradual climb to chip away at that amount of points your behind. Here is a look at some players to start and sit week one.

Start- Matt Cassel QB
Cassel really started to emerge towards the latter part of the season. He is finally getting settled in as a Kansas City Chief, and will be ready to be a leader with his play this season. He isn’t a top ten or fifteen fantasy quarterback, but his matchup this week should get him to crack the top twelve or fourteen quarterbacks for week one.

Sit- Matt Hasselbeck QB
Hasselbeck should of went undrafted in the majority of leagues. Don’t be confused about the money spent on Hasselbeck. The Titans just needed a game manager, and that’s what Hasselbeck is.

Start- Sam Bradford QB
Bradford had one of the better rookie campaigns of a quarterback in a long time. Almost leading the Rams to a playoff berth. The Rams are young all around, but look for Bradford to stretch the field a bit more. They have an intermediate weapon with Lance Kendricks, their Wes Welker in Danny Amendola, and their over the top big play guy in wideout DeNario Alexander. Free agent pickup Mike Sims-Walker should be an added boost as well. Look for Bradford to put up better than expected numbers against the revamped Eagles.

Sit- Mark Sanchez QB
One statistic that I don’t think ever will erase in Sanchez’s game is turnovers. The Cowboys are going to take the ground game away from Sanchez and force him to throw more. Expect a couple turnovers from Sanchez to offset a decent amount of yards.

Start- Ben Tate RB
It’s not a good sign when a team is mum on their starting running back’s playing time this late in the week. Tate electrified the field in preseason and will bring that on the field starting Sunday. In a game that should be a blowout, Tate could get extra carries based on the scoreboard. Garbage fantasy points are delightful to all fantasy owners.

Sit- Michael Turner
All the carries over the years will begin to take it’s toll for Turner. The injury issues have nagged him a bit over the last few years, but now will see it in his on the field play. Facing Chicago’s defense week one isn’t a pleasant matchup either.

Start- Tim Hightower RB
The Giants are decimated in the secondary, meaning their linebackers will be exposed even more. Hightower is going to have a field day rushing with the Redskins zone blocking scheme. Don’t be surprised to see Hightower in the top five to seven fantasy backs for week one.

Sit- Joey Addai
Addai has been fairly consistent his career but the Colts have been ready to find that new replacement. They thought it was first round pick Donald Brown, but he has proven to be a disappointment. Now the Colts have Syracuse rookie Delone Carter and believe in him. Even though the Colts will likely run the ball more with Collins, Addai’s value still stays as a borderline third running back in leagues. He just doesn’t have the burst to pose a threat outside the ten yard line, where the Colts will have a hard time getting this season.

Start- Brandon Jacobs RB
Jacobs is extremely under rated backs for this season. He has the nimbleness back in his feet and will take more and more carries away from Bradshaw. This matchup of the Redskins/Giants should produce monster rushing games from both sides.

Sit- Plaxico Burress- WR
The Jets aren’t going to give Burress a ton of plays to start the season. He’ll likely be in for situations that look good, like third downs and red zone opportunities. Expect the Cowboys to be ready and shut him down to start the season.

Start- Lance Kendricks- TE
Rookie tight ends have made the transition extremely well the last few seasons. Kendricks may be the best of all the last few years. He’ll be the over the middle threat Bradford leans on week one.

Sit- Austin Collie- WR
The spread attack takes a huge hit without Manning, which drops Collie like a plunging stock. Owners that drafted Collie high to use as their third wide receiver have to be sick to their stomachs.

Start- Malcolm Floyd- WR
Philip Rivers is going to have a field day week one against the Vikings. Start all possible Chargers weapons including Floyd.

Sit- AJ Green- WR
Green is on a team that you’ll never be able to anticipate a good game from him. Do yourself a favor and release him or let him stay on the waiver wire. It’s not worth driving yourself crazy all season when he catches a touchdown in a certain game, or has one of his four one hundred yard receiving games.

Zack Cimini and Jabbar Harris break down week one with spread selections, sleeper starters, and key analysis on the signings of Kevin Kolb and Reggie Bush

By Zack Cimini

, runnotjustagame23@gmail.com

I just wrote an article detailing out how important running backs are again in fantasy football. The past few years, quarterbacks stole the show a bit by throwing for an inordinate amount of yardage. It’ll tone back down this year, and bring fantasy football back to it’s core value players. Here are running back rankings based upon week one match ups.

Undervalued Week One: Matt Forte , Tim Hightower, Brandon Jacobs

Overvalued (Risky Starters): Chris Johnson and Michael Turner

1. Jamaal Charles

He’ll torment the Bills defense all day. Expect a patented break away long yardage touchdown from Charles.

2. Darren McFadden

McFadden’s going to become an elite fantasy back this season as long as he can stay away from injuries. He loves facing the Denver Broncos, and will make fantasy owners very happy week one.

3. Ray Rice

Even though he’ll be facing Pittsburgh, I like what he is going to do additionally pass catching in this game. Rice gets a heavy amount of carries but gets equal looks out of the backfield. Flacco is a check down quarterback, and may rely on Rice more without Derrick Mason.

4. Adrian Peterson

AP is going to crack the top five each week unless of course an injury occurs.

5. Peyton Hillis

The Browns offense is going to be much more effective than last season. With the expected increased points, Hillis may have been undervalued in fantasy drafts. Facing Cincinnati will get him a jump start in the fantasy points column.

6. Frank Gore

Inner divisional opponents of the NFC West have made Gore’s career. He’ll feast on the Seahawks once again.

7. Arian Foster

I assume he’ll play. Rumor though is that the Texans will ensure he is not over worked, and get Ben Tate some carries. This game could be a blowout. If so, Foster may not get more than twelve to fifteen carries.

8. Chris Johnson

I’m not buying an instant on the field great performance from Johnson. The money is there for Johnson, will the will and drive be anymore?

9. Matt Forte

This should be a tight defensive game, but Forte will cause issues for the Falcons. Total yardage numbers from him will likely be in the top five this week, but the if factor on cracking the end zone bumps him down.

10. Tim Hightower

Everyone thinks that a banged up secondary does more damage to the passing game. In does, but it also causes more issues in the rush defense. The Giants linebackers aren’t great as it is. Expect Hightower to continue off his great preseason with a one hundred yard performance and at least one touchdown.

11. LeSean McCoy

12. Steven Jackson

13. Maurice Jones-Drew

14. Jahvid Best

15. Reggie Bush

16. Beanie Wells

17. Rashard Mendenhall

18. Ahmad Bradshaw

19. Mark Ingram

20. LeGarrette Blount

21. Michael Turner

22. Shonn Greene

23. DeAngelo Williams

24. Fred Jackson

25. Brandon Jacobs

26. Knowshown Moreno

27. Ben Tate

28. Cedric Benson

29. BenJarvus Green-Ellis

30. Felix Jones

31. Marion Barber

32. Ryan Matthews

33. James Starks

34. Joseph Addai

35. Marshawn Lynch

36. Thomas Jones

37. Willis McGahee

38. Jonathan Stewart

39. Pierre Thomas

40. Mike Tolbert

41. Ryan Grant

42. CJ Spiller

43. Larod Stephens-Howling

44. Michael Bush

45. Roy Helu

46. LT

47. Ricky Williams

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

News this afternoon of Peyton Manning under going a third neck surgery can not be good news for football enthusiasts. From Colts fans to dynasty league owners that thought they were excluded from needing depth because of his starts history. This has all possible not goods to it. It doesn’t sound good, the fact that he hasn’t been able to participate and hasn’t been cleared for anything, doesn’t look good.

If the Colts kept news of Manning being declared out for Sunday’s start until just a few days ago, then how long do you think they’ll let the real information linger? Lately former NFL experts have been more up front about the difficulties coming back from a neck injury. Steve Young, Howie Long, Sterling Sharpe, have all disclosed pertinent information on this. The main forthcoming notes is that each successive issue makes it harder and harder. This could be a career ender.

Being a quarterback you have to be even more concerned for Manning. It has to be treated with extreme caution similar to a player returning with a concussion. As Kordell Stewart stated Wednesday, all functions start from the head down. Even if Manning is able to return, there are many variables to consider. His age, the teams age, and the rust of Manning missing an extended period of time.

As far as 2011, Kerry Collins is the quarterback for now. Think of the last 40 year old starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Of course Brett Favre tops the most recent list. Then you can date back to Doug Flutie and Vinny Testaverde. As the season goes on, the body beating takes it’s toll on the delivery of the football. The proper reads they see, there arm is a tad bit slower in delivering the football. Throw out Favre’s 2009 season, and think of those quarterbacks out their on display.

This brings a hot topic to the front of discussion. With the season in jeopardy, how will the Colts front office manage the year? Will they try and sign veteran David Garrard to see if they can make a run? Manning for years made this average team above average. So quarterbacks that are on the cusp of average will expose this team all out. Defensive coordinators will finally be able to attack freely without worries of getting burned over the top or across the field.

Remember Kerry Collins had the Tennessee Titans off to an 0-6 start out the gate, and basically forced the Titans to start Vince Young. As bad as Young is and was, he managed to get the Titans on a win streak. The season is not looking bright, but being in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes is highly probable.

If Manning is out for the season, there is only the Seattle Seahawks that look like they would have a similar horrible record when the season ended. Even if some of the teams that are starting rookie quarterbacks end up towards the bottom of the NFL, they already have their signal caller for the upcoming years.

Wouldn’t that be something if the Colts were able to nab Luck, and Manning came back in 2012 fully recovered? Luck already showed patience in returning for his senior season, so sitting behind Manning would likely not be a problem. This would be awfully similar to what happened with the San Antonio Spurs. Aging veteran David Robinson was the heart and soul of the Spurs, and when he missed an entire season the team felt it 100%. Landing with the number one pick as a result, they built a formidable wall in the interior and Robinson had a wing man to dominate the paint.

Colts fans down right now have this other side of the spectrum to look at for the year, because it’s going to be an ugly one.

Last season was truly a solid year against the spread on a weekly basis. Picking the favorite is always the trendy pick, but I like to go against the grain with the contrarian selections. It’s the only way you’re truly going to be above 50% winners when the season is done. Early on in the season is when people think that it’s tough to pick. Not necessarily. Teams that showed rust in the preseason usually carry it over. Where it may not be the optimal time to nail a spread with a team, maybe you should look at the points total instead.

With a Thursday kickoff, it’s not only time to deliver your starting fantasy lineups. It’s also time to submit week one spread selections.

Green Bay at New Orleans +4.5— Pick New Orleans

The last two Super Bowl winners face off in what should be a great opening to the NFL season. Heading to Green Bay is always a tough task for any opponent. Look for the Saints to be competitive from the start. Drew Brees is one of the best leaders in the NFL, and he’ll have this team ready after an embarassing exit in 2010. Look for the upset in this one

Kansas City -6

Matt Cassel’s health should be fine, and I like the way he finished the 2010 season. Dwayne Bowe and Cassel are truly developing into a potent tandem. The Bills just have too many question marks on both sides of the football. Home field edge and uncertainty all around on the Bills, makes this an easy choice.

Chicago Bears +3

Being the home dog is strange, particularly from a team that went to the NFC championship. The Falcons won a lot of games last season, but none were really run away contests. They find ways to win at the end. This one will be tight, but the Bears will deliver in the end.

St. Louis Rams +4.5

This is the trickiest line of the weekend, that many will get suckered into. Don’t. St. Louis is on the rise, and you can’t expect the Eagles offense to click effectively right away. Besides the questions on the offensive line, Vick’s receivers have not really been out on the field for game speed yet. It’ll be a sluggish game that the Rams may win outright. Nothing like a typical week one loss to raise eyebrows and get the media stirring.

Houston Texans -8.5

The Colts don’t have the team tenacity and zeal it needs without Peyton Manning under center. Not having their star quarterback under center is going to affect this veteran laden team. Looking around the roster it may be time to reshuffle in many positions. Including inserting Delone Carter as the starting running back.

Cleveland Browns -6.5

This point spread is a little high for my liking, but they’re going against a Bengals team that is going to start a rookie quarterback. It took Andy Dalton a couple preseason games just to get rid of the jittery bugs. Imagine how he is going to be in his first start?

Baltimore Ravens -1.5

One of the best, if not the best current rivalries in football. Every game is down to the wire. Hence the barely there home point spread edge. Baltimore’s defense is continuing to get older, but they know the secrets of playing this Steelers team. All they need is for Flacco to deliver on a few drives.

Jacksonville Jaguars -2

Many are discounting Luke McCown. He has started in the NFL before and is a seasoned veteran, who has sat on the sidelines without a start for many years. There has to be a last shot mentality clicking in his head to prove himself. Jacksonville has some key weapons including two solid running backs. Starting new quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and being that Chris Johnson has no game action makes this one of our top plays this weekend.

Carolina Panthers +7

Don’t be shocked if Cam Newton gets win one in his first start. I’m not saying Carolina is going to roll off a bunch of wins, but this is one they can snag. Arizona always plays down to the level of their competition sort of like an over rated college basketball team. The Panthers coaching staff will ensure Newton’s designed plays are simplistic to minimize mistakes. For Arizona, you know the exact opposite will occur. They’re going to want to showcase the mega contract quarterback of newly signed Kevin Kolb. Handling that pressure might not be instant for Kolb.

San Francisco -5.5

Seattle’s just going to be a doormat cellar pitiful team all season. Across the board offensively they might have the worst starters in the league at main positions.

NY Giants -3

This is sort of a trap game vs. the spread, but the Giants will get it done with their dynamic ground game. It’s truly amazing to see the transformation Brandon Jacobs made after the horrid start he had last year.

Minnesota Vikings +9

Until it happens we’re not ignoring history. San Diego bites themselves in the rear each and every season with poor starts. You know that is going to be in every Chargers head, and will be shoved down their throats until Sunday. On the other hand, McNabb goes into the year with low expectations. Everyone is saying Minnesota is a horrible team, and McNabb is just a pit stop quarterback. Don’t discount him just yet.

NY Jets -4.5

This will come down to the defenses, and the Jets have proven to be bolstered and well established in that department. Dallas on the other hand always gets the name to change the issue, but the result never shows up on the field.

Miami Dolphins +7

Oddsmakers are giving the Patriots way too much credit in this one. Sure, Chad Henne has not looked like a starting quarterback whatsoever, but he has put together decent games even dating back to last year. New England just doesn’t scare opponents like they use to. Discounting last years blowout losses, Miami typically plays well vs. New England. Reggie Bush will prove to be a better signing than most would have thought. Especially in this game, when Bush can get out in the open field against the slow defenders of New England.

Oakland Raiders +3

The Tim Tebow affect in year two will finally revive Kyle Orton’s true form. That’s poor decision making and pick six’s the other way. Denver has been waiting anxiously for Orton to self destruct so they can be forced to begin the Tim Tebow experiment. A guy can only mentally withstand knowing someone has his job for so long. Don’t forget Darren McFadden’s average last year versus Denver. Nearly 135 yards rushing, and three total touchdowns.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

The NFL thinks they have a proper showcase match up to kickoff the NFL season. There have been some ugly starts in years past. On paper though this game looks very intriguing. Two teams that have stormed to the top of the NFC over the last few years. Both winning Super Bowls by coming out of nowhere to do it. Will these two teams keep going in the right direction or will they fade down to the talent of the rest of the NFC?

Early in the season it’ll be too hard to tell. As Green Bay showed the world last year, it’s all about getting hot at the right time. The offensive fire power of both of these teams, should bode very well for fantasy owners most weeks. Rustiness could be there too start the game, but don’t expect it to linger over more than a few series.

Quarterbacks

There is not much analysis to give here, as both Rodgers and Brees rank atop just about every fantasy football prognosticators draft boards. The only stat that can drive you crazy with either is interceptions. Rodgers displayed great control last year and the ability to scramble for yards when needed. Brees on the other hand seemed to be overwhelmed at times. Too many pass attempts caused him to have an inordinate amount of interceptions. The Saints drafted Mark Ingram and upgraded over Reggie Bush with Darren Sproles. Look for Brees pass attempts to scale back, but for his consistency and big plays too rise off the balance of having a solid running game.

Running Backs

Here lies the uncertainty with both teams. With Green Bay, Ryan Grant is back from injury but his role with Green Bay remains unclear. They’ll likely ease him back depending on how well James Starks handles an increased role. Remember, Starks too was coming off an injury from college that kept him out for a good length of 2010. So there will be a need to have a time share of some sorts. A 60/40 split could be likely. Who the Packers will go too in the red zone is what fantasy owners want to know. At this point, neither should be considered a starter for fantasy purposes. They should be no higher than the third running back option on your team, and fourth in valued depth running back circumstances.

For New Orleans, they’re going to want to showcase their new running backs. As stated earlier they’re going to be more of a run oriented team this season. Mark Ingram has shown he is going to be able to make the transition from college back to NFL with ease. This will not be a year one breakdown like CJ Spiller and Ryan Matthews last year. We would start Ingram this week as your second option in twelve or fourteen team leagues, and in well managed ten team drafts. Sproles has always been a home run guy, but has heightened value in high scoring games. He could be a flex starter in deep leagues this week. As a short dump off, could turn into a long gainer.

Wide Receivers

Greg Jennings, check. He is an automatic top weapon to start each and every week. That is why you drafted him as an owner. Zero uncertainty on a weekly basis. Do not get to over analytical when it comes to starting your studs. A down week will average out over the long haul. Those extra yards and touchdowns will be crucial too you. The rest of the Packers depth at receiver seems to be up for grabs. Donald Driver is only aging. He had a sharpe decline in production a year ago, and it’ll likely continue to sputter. Meaning Jordy Nelson and James Jones are guys to keep an eye on. We like Nelson better for the simple fact that Rodgers leaned on him more down the stretch and increasingly as the team got hot. In three playoff games, Nelson had nearly three hundred yards receiving and two touchdowns. Expect that too carry over in 2011.

Week one for the Saints will exclude Lance Moore who is out due to injury. That means everyone’s favorite sleeper wide receiver, Robert Meachem will get a chance to show his value in a starting role. It’s not like he is new to the Saints so he should be boosted up your fantasy starter charts for week one. In fact you have to like Meachem’s value more, because he is more capable of big plays than Marques Colston. Colston reached his peak and has seemed to of lost a step. His size is similar to a tight end, so he uses his position and body more versus corners than anything else. A solid red zone target but never prolific in the yardage category anymore. Going against Green Bay’s tough corners will not bode well for Colston, so are advice is too sit him, and start Meachem.