Off Season Preparations For Your Fantasy Team

Off-Season Preparations For Your Fantasy Team

It is never too early to think about your Fantasy Football team, and time spent prepping yourself will only help your team during the season. Winning in Fantasy Football takes luck, but it also takes commitment and preparation. Far too often, you will see teams with marginal owners work their way to the middle or bottom of their respective leagues, and the owners who keep an eye on their teams almost always find themselves deciding where to put the trophies or spend the winner’s checks.

The formula for winning is relatively simple. Plan in the off season, and never lose sight of your team’s goals. There are, however, some things that one must be cognizant of during the off season when building their winner.

1. Read As Much As Possible
Subscribe to weekly publications, and try to read the USA Today daily. Weekly magazines can give an insight to what teams are doing, and a daily newspaper can give specific news on teams and transactions. Owners need to know if their starters will remain starters, or be traded or demoted, and weekly or daily publications can give some insight to that information.

2. Steer Clear From Annual Publications
Stay away from magazines published in May, usually these are published only one a year. All too often, their information is outdated upon its release and useless to the serious fantasy owner in the off-season and on draft day. These magazines also give insight on information that is accurate for only the top players, and even then (Ricky Williams) the information is not completely accurate. Buy these magazines if you want old statistics, but if you want current information, look to other sources.

3. Subscribe To Websites
Spend money to make money. That formula has worked out in many different vocations, and Fantasy Football Management is no exception. You have to spend some cash to get some cash back in the form of winner’s checks. Money well spent is in the form of investing in websites that deal with Fantasy Sports, such as Triple Crown Fantasy Sports. These websites provide information on a timely basis, and can prove quite useful in the off season when evaluating trades and forming opinion on who will be your players taken on draft day. Keep your information as up to date as possible and build yourself a winner.

4. Pay Attention To Player Movement
In this day of free agency, it is imperative that an savvy owner keep track of where skill players find work. For instance, a running back who was with Denver in one season will not perform as well the next season if he is with Arizona. The proactive owner will be aware of these things, and will not have to ask questions on draft day regarding a player’s whereabouts. This information can also be used as ammunition against less informed franchise owners when asking for a trade. Keep current, and stay ahead of the competition.

5. Get A Grip On Rookies
Rookie performers can be a great source of wealth for fantasy owners, and they can just as easily land an owner in the cellar. The smart owner will know the draft picks, for what teams they play, and their performance in training camp battles. Just because a player is great in college is no guarantee that he will be a blue chipper in the pros. The same works in reverse too, one needs only to remember that Terrell Davis was a 7th round pick. Don’t be afraid to draft a rookie over a veteran on the downside of his career. The risk/reward is much greater, but if a choice is right, the rookie will pay dividends for many years to come. Do your homework, and choose a rookie that has a good chance to pay immediate rewards.

6. Rank Players Often
Early in the off season, make a player ranking, and continue to fine tune it and make changes all the way through the off season. There are may times that the player near the top in February is the there in August. That is why you need to keep an accurate ranking of the players at least monthly through June, weekly through July and visit the list at least every other day in August. Keep an eye on your information sources often the week before and the day of the draft. You don’t want to be caught drafting a retired player or a recently injured player. It happens all the time, and teams can be written off early. Leagues can be easily lost on draft day if your information is not up to date.

7. Take Part In Mock Drafts
Mock drafts can give owners good insight as to where other owners value players. They are good practice before the real thing. A mock draft will help you get better prepared for your own draft, and it time permits, it helps to take part in more than one. Practice makes perfect, and draining information from as many resources as possible will minimize mistakes made on draft day. A note on mock drafts: Pay particular attention to players who are drafted well above or below where you expect them to be drafted. If you see this happen, immediately find out why this is happening. You can ask the person who drafted the player, or you can search the web for the information. Whatever the case, make adjustments to your own draft list so that you will not err at your draft.
8. Search Out Lemmings
Now that you are armed with information and you have practiced drafting, search out the lemmings from your league and victimize them. They are easy to spot, usually a rookie owner or a magazine drafter. All is fair in Fantasy Football, and getting valuable players and not hurting your squad is paramount. The easiest way to do that is to take advantage of less informed owners. The toughest part of drafting with lemmings is that their availability is somewhat limited, or they hedge on trades. You have to be persistent with lemmings, and soon you will have valuable commodities for a very frugal price.

9. Ask For Trades
Contact all owners in your league and ask them to trade with you. Let them know who is available from your team and who you are interested in acquiring. Don’t be afraid to ask for the best players, sometimes you can get them. Of course, you will have to be prepared to part with your best players in return. That is where you will have to weigh out the trade in your mind, and decide if the deal is right for you. If you look at trades as everyone has their price, you will be surprised at who ends up on your fantasy team. On a side note, most owners prefer to be contacted via e-mail, since it puts the ability to weigh the trade on hold for a while before giving an answer.

10. Have Fun
The bottom line in Fantasy Football is to have fun, and it is important to keep that in mind when victimizing other owners. More informed owners have a distinct advantage over their less intuitive counterparts, but don’t be so overzealous that there is no fun in the league. The best owners will find a way to delicately mix fun and competition together so that Fantasy Football is and enjoyable experience.

Take these ten principles and put them to use in your league, and see how fast the cream will rise to the top. Knowledge is power, and possessing the Fantasy Football knowledge will make you a powerful force in the 2005 season, and for many years to come.

Free Agent Moves We Want To See

FREE AGENT MOVES WE WANT TO SEE

Najeh Davenport(RB) Having played his college ball at the University of Miami it would seem like the perfect fit for this talented free agent to end up a Dolphin in ’05. Najeh would immediately assume the starting tailback position and would also take a lot of the pressure off whoever the quarterback will be. He showed his potential in the one game he started in 04 gaining 178 yards and for his career is averaging a hefty 5.1 yards per carry. For fantasy owners these are the type of numbers we would all love to have on our team.

Lamont Jordan (RB) With the new hiring on Romeo Crennel in Cleveland this would be a great fit for Jordan. Having faced each other in the same division over the last 4 years Crennel is very aware of the talents Jordan possesses. Cleveland never could decide on a true number one running back last season and this move would solve that problem. Jordan is both a threat running the ball (4.9 ypc) and receiving as witness to his 50 career receptions. If given the opportunity Jordan could put up significant numbers in 05.

Cedric Wilson (WR) If there is ever a team that needed an upgrade at the receiver position it would have to be the Seattle Seahawks. We all saw in the playoff game against St. Louis all the dropped balls as was the case the entire season. This move is in the same lines as the Justin McCariens signing by the Jets last season. Koren Robinson seems to be uninterested at times and Bobby Engram just seems to drop too many balls. This signing would also have an immediate effect on the numbers and value of Matt Hasselback as well.

Adam Vinatieri (K) Adam has shown over and over again just how valuable a great kicker can be. The Patriots it seems carve their game plan around close games knowing they have that automatic waiting for his moment. The Patriots should do whatever it takes to keep Adam in town and for us fantasy nuts is always good to have a kicker that the coach believes in to be given the amount of chances he has gotten to kick field goals.

Mike McMahon(QB) The rumblings out of Detroit seem to indicate that the Lions aren’t completely sold on the future of Joey Harrington and would like to keep McMahon around as an insurance policy but the staff at TCFS would like to see McMahon as a Cleveland Brown. The Browns are almost certain to part ways with Jeff Garcia and Kelly Holcomb has proven to be far too inconsistent. McMahon is a scrambler as evidence of his 6.1 yards per carry and in Detroit when given the chance to play seems to make things happen. Given the chance to start McMahon could put up 20 touchdown passes and add another 5-7 on the ground. This is one player to keep an eye on this off season.

TCFS STAFF

Don't Forget These Guys On Fantasy Draft Day - Part 3

Don’t Forget These Guys On Draft Day

Everyone knows that the key to a successful draft is to find the guys who exceed expectations. Well, the following is a list of players who should be undervalued due to their injury plagued 2004 season. Most of these guys are not top draft picks anyway, but if you see any of these players lingering around well past the position that they should be drafted, then don’t be afraid to gobble them up. The article has been divided into 3 parts. Part three, will include Wide Receivers.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Steve Smith, Car – Many Fantasy Owners were disappointed to see Smith go down in the first game of the 2004 season. Smith is an explosive performer, and he is Jake Delhomme’s #1 target. He became a starter for the Panthers in 2002 and immediately began paying dividends. Smith can be dangerous on end arounds and also on punt returns. He has 6 career punt returns for touchdowns. Entering his 5th year, you should have the 5’9” 185 pound Smith listed as a top 10 wide receiver and could easily be a #1 fantasy receiver for your team.

Peter Warrick, Cin – For this 5’11” 192 pound Bengal, 2004 was the first time in his career that he had been hurt. Warrick seems to be productive in odd years, so 2005 could be a decent year for him. He has really never lived up to his superstar potential, and this year he could be forced into the 33 slot receiver with the Bengals, due to the emergence of T.J. Houshmanzadeh. Warrick could be productive on end arounds and the occasional punt return. An owner could expect 60 receptions, 700 yards, and 5 TDs from Warrick, making him a productive #3 fantasy receiver for all but the strongest teams.

Terry Glenn, Dal – In Glenn’s 10 years in the NFL, he has been a problem. He has had attitude problems, and he is often injured. He has missed significant time in 4 of his 10 seasons of pro football. However, Glenn is productive when he’s healthy, and seems to play well for Bill Parcells. If Glenn and Parcells remain with the Cowboys in 2005, and he can stay off of the IR, which is a big if, you could expect 50 receptions, 700 yards and 4 TDs from him. He is a definit risk/reward player.

Andre Davis, Cle – For those of you who play in leagues with IDP players, make sure you draft the right person. Andre Davis is the wide receiver for the Browns. Andra Davis is the linebacker for the Browns. Andre should be a starter for the Browns this season, after landing on the IR in 2004. He has the speed to stretch defenses, and there is a new coach and possibly a new quarterback in Cleveland, which will almost certainly benefit Davis. A conservative estimate on Davis is 35 receptions, 415 yards, and 4 TDs, making him a productive #4 fantasy wide receiver.

Joey Galloway, TB – Galloway, a speedster but entering his 11th season, is probably on the downside of his career. He missed 6 games in 2004, and has missed significant time in 3 of his 10 years in the league. Upon his return in 2004, however, he was a big part of the Tampa Bay offense. He also is used as a punt returner, so added touches come his way. If he could make it through a full season in 2005, you could expect 60 receptions, 800 yards, and 6 TDs, very good numbers for a #3 fantasy receiver.

Joe Jurevicius, TB – Strictly a possession receiver, Jurevicius has a great frame to be a red zone threat. He is 6’5” and 230 pounds and entering his 8th year, so he is hard for defensive backs to cover. He has not played a full season since 2002, which will make some owners shy away from him, but in deeper leagues he can be viewed as a #4 or #5 fantasy receiver. Expect 30 receptions, 400 yards, and 3 TDs from Jurevicius, all of the short yardage variety.

Koren Robinson, Sea – For Koren Robinson, 2004 was the first time he had missed large amunts of time in his career, but he has never lived up to his superstar potential. As the number one receiver for the Seahawks, more is expected of him. But if you take his numbers for their actual worth, he is a valuable #3 or #4 fantasy receiver. He is good between the 20’s, but he needs to find the end zone more often. An estimate of 55 receptions, 700 yards and 3 touchdowns are possible for Robinson.

Deion Branch, NE – If there was a big game receiver, Deion Branch is it. He showed everyone his ability in Super Bowl 39. He can get separation from defenders, and can score some long touchdowns. He is only 5’9”, and 193 pounds though, and he has missed games every year. Entering his 4th year, an argument can be made that he will have 45 receptions, 600 yards, and 4 TDs. The estimate is somewhat low, due to the fact that Branch has not proven that he can withstand a full season in the NFL, and Tom Brady, who uses all receivers, is his Quarterback.

Don't Forget These Guys On Fantasy Draft Day - Part 2

Don’t Forget These Guys On Draft Day

Everyone knows that the key to a successful draft is to find the guys who exceed expectations. Well, the following is a list of players who should be undervalued due to their injury plagued 2004 season. Most of these guys are not top draft picks anyway, but if you see any of these players lingering around well past the position that they should be drafted, then don’t be afraid to gobble them up. The article has been divided into 3 parts. Part two will include Running Backs

RUNNING BACKS
Travis Henry, Buf – Henry must find another team to once again become a top back. He got hurt, then lost his job to Willis McGahee. He never regained his spot in the lineup and spent the end of 2004 on the bench. If Henry can find employment elsewhere, look for him to carry the ball 300 times and catch for another 30, with 1500 total yards and 10 scores.

Quentin Griffin, Den - Griffin plays for the Broncos, which seem to make every running back a superstar. This young guy is hard to predict though. He is small, and has not played a full season yet. But Griffin could be a solid #3 Fantasy Back with 200 carries, 1000 yards and 6 TDs, with another 25 catches for 200 yards and2 more scores through the air.

Charlie Garner, TB – Garner is entering his 12th year in the league, and most people think that his best days are behind him. His numbers have always been sporadic, depending on the situation that he plays for his team. He is very versatile though, and he rarely fumbles, only three times since 2001. He has caught a TD in every season since 1999. Although Garner’s career is winding down, it is still within the realm of possibility to see 700 total yards and 5 TDs from him in 2005.

Ty Wheatley, Oak – Ty Wheatley is a running back who has never lived up to his potential. He was a stud out of college, but he has only eclipsed the 1000 yard mark once in his 10 years in the league. Entering his 11th year in the league, he has only fumbled 24 times, and he scores at least one touchdown in every year. The only year he was shut out was 1996. He should probably be looked at as a #4 running back for most fantasy teams, and should be counted on for 500 yards and 5 TDs if he remains healthy for most of 2005.

Correll Buckhalter, Phi – Another risk/reward guy is Buckhalter. He will almost surely split time with Brain Westbrook, so he should be looked at as a #4 running back. He seems to be healthy in odd years, so that’s a good thing entering 2005. And he fumbles rarely, only 5 times in his career, but he has never lost a single fumble so it proves that this guy is tough. A wise owner should expect 600 total yards and 5 TDs from Buckhalter in 2005.

Stephen Davis, Car – This was the first time in 10 years that Davis was hurt for any length of time, and it hurt most fantasy owners who had him on their roster. Normally, Davis is a dependable back, and although this latest injury was nagging, there is no reason to think that Davis will not resume solid fantasy numbers in 2005. He should be thought of as a #2 or #3 running back, with numbers of 1100 yards and 8 TDs possible. Davis is not much of a receiving threat, but he could surprise and grab a TD as well in 2005.

Marcel Shipp, Ari – Shipp, will be entering his 5th year in the league in 2005, and most running backs start reaching their prime around that time. Couple that with Emmitt Smith’s retirement (a story broke by TCFS reporter Jon Simonis well before Smith’s announcement), and Shipp looks to be worth a #2 fantasy running back for most teams. Smith scored 9 rushing TDs last year for the Cardinals, and Shipp should easily equal that mark, more than likely surpass it. In 2002 and 2003, Shipp ran for over 800 yards, scoring 6 TD’s in 2002. He also found the endzone 3 times as a receiver in 2002. Fully expect Shipp to top 1100 total yards and score 10 times in 2005.

Ricky Williams, FA – OK, so Ricky’s injury is to his head, and his old team, the Dolphins, do not want him back. But the truth is that Williams is a stud running back, capable of putting up some hefty numbers if he decides to return to the NFL. He “retired” at the top of his career, and would certainly garner a Top 6 pick in any fantasy draft, and would be most team’s #1 runner. If Williams signs with a team in 2005, look for 350+ carries, 1300+ yards rushing, and 10+ TDs. Add to that another 45+ receptions for another 350 yards, and you have a solid #1 draft pick. Be it known, however, that unless he is signed, in camp, and actually playing by the time that you draft your team, stay as far from this guy as possible.

Don't Forget These Guys On Fantasy Draft Day - Part 1

Don’t Forget These Guys On Draft Day

Everyone knows that the key to a successful draft is to find the guys who exceed expectations. Well, the following is a list of players who should be undervalued due to their injury plagued 2004 season. Most of these guys are not top draft picks anyway, but if you see any of these players lingering around well past the position that they should be drafted, then don’t be afraid to gobble them up. The article has been divided into 3 parts. Part one will include Quarterbacks, Kickers, and Tight Ends.

QUARTERBACKS
Steve McNair, Ten – McNair is a player, and everyone knows it. As a fantasy performer, though, he can be very frustrating. He always shows a lot of promise, but he has only had 4 injury free seasons since 1997. From 2001-2003 he averaged over 3300 yards passing, 23 passing TD’s, and 4 rushing TD’s. He has a career passing rating of 83.4. Chances are that McNair will never rush for 8 TD’s again, like he did in 1997, but numbers of 3000 yards passing, with 20 TD’s and another 3 rushing TD’s are not out of the question. That makes him a borderline #1 QB, or a solid #2 QB. Needless to say, however, that if you decide to draft McNair, handcuff him to Billy Volek.

Rex Grossman, Chi – Grossman is an unproven commodity, as well as a risk. There are talks about Kurt Warner coming to the Midway, and if that happens, it could be the bench for Rex. However, if Grossman remains the #1 man for the Bears, he could pass for 15 TDs and rush for possibly 4 more. It is tough to gauge a quarterback based on only 6 pro games, but if you are looking for a backup QB, an owner could do much worse than Grossman.

Tim Rattay, SF – After being given the full time starters job, Rattay performed decently. In 9 games in 2004, Rattay passed for 10 TDs as well as 2169 yards. In limited duty from 2001-2003, Rattay had over a 90.0 QB rating. With a healthy season, 20+ TDs and 3000+ yards are a definite possibility, making Rattay a solid backup for your fantasy team.

TIGHT ENDS
Todd Heap, Bal – There is no question that Todd Heap is s top 3 tight end. He is Kyle Boller’s favorite target and he has a nose for the end zone. At 6’5” and 252 lbs., he has the size and athleticism to be one of the greats. His return from injury at the end of 2004 gives hope that 2005 will be a big year for Heap. He figures to remain a big part of the Raven’s offense, and should be an every week starter on every fantasy team that he is a part of. In only 6 games in 2004, Heap scored 3 TDs. Looks for 60 receptions, 700 yards and 5 TDs from Heap in 2005.

Ben Watson, NE – A rookie in 2004, Watson fell to injury in the 1st game of the season. For that reason it makes it hard to gauge what he will do in 2005. But a few things can be said here. He plays for the Patriots, Tom Brady uses all of his receivers, and he started onver Daniel Graham in Watson’s only game of 2004. The tight end is heavily used as a receiver in the Patriot offense, so Watson could easily be a #2 tight end for most fantasy teams. Look for numbers of 30 receptions, 250 yards and 3 TDs from Watson in 2005, and with any injuries to other tight ends, look for his numbers to increase.

Kellen Winslow, Cle – Winslow, also a rookie in 2004, was injured early in the season. But the guy has a hall of fame tight end father, arguably the best tight end ever, so he has a great blood line and no better person to learn from. There is also no question that he is the starter for the Browns, and with Romeo Crennel as the new head coach, a Bill Belechick protégé, you know that Winslow will be a big part of the Browns offense. At 6’4” and 250 ponds, he has great size to go with his athleticism. An owner who drafts Winslow can certainly expect 40 receptions, 400 yards and 5 TDs.

Courtney Anderson, Oak – Along with Watson and Winslow, Anderson is another good rookie tight end in a good crop of rookies from 2004. The group was also injured for the majority of the season. Anderson, who was banged up for most of the year, came on strong at the end of the year. Head coach Norv Turner has a lot of confidence in him, and he will be the probably starter for the Raiders next season, jumping past Teyo Johnson and Doug Jolley. He has good athleticism, and good separation after the catch, as his 4 receptions of his 17 total went for over 20 yards. You should expect 30 receptions, 350 yards and 3 scores from Anderson in 2005.

KICKERS
John Hall, Was – In Hall’s career with the Jets and Redskins, this was the first time that he missed any significant time due to injury. From 2001-2003, hall averaged 104 points. He is a career 73.7% on field goals and 97.6% on extra points. Since there is no reason to believe that Hall will be injured again in 2005, expect 24 FG’s and 30 XP’s from Hall.

Aaron Elling, Min – If Elling can rebound from his injury plagued 2003 season, he could certainly put himself in the elite of the NFL’s kickers. He is 100% on extra points, and 70.4% on field goals. The field goal percentage should increase with experience. He has a career long field goal of 51 yards, so he has a strong leg. You can for sure expect 100 points from Elling for whatever team that he kicks for.

Joe Nedney, SF – Talk about high risk/high reward. Nedney is it. He has not been healthy since 2002, and chances are he will again in 2005. But, if he can remain on the Titans or anyone’s active roster, the guy will certainly pay dividends. Over Nedney’s career, he has connected on 98.5% of extra points and 74.7% . He will almost certainly give you 100 points for a season, and will also kick some long ones. He has kicked at least one 50 yard field goal in every season since 1998, with 53 yards being his career long. If he is healthy on draft day, the wise owner should grab him, but the smartest owners will also grab another good kicker just in case.

2005 Underrated Players

FANTASY’S UNDERRATED PLAYERS

Antwaan Randle-El ( Pitt-wr) The comparison of Randle-El and Hines Ward is remarkably similar at the same points of their careers. Through the first 3 years of Randle-El’s career he has grabbed 127 receptions for 1454 yards and 6 touchdowns compared with Ward’s numbers of 124 receptions,1556 yards and 11 touchdowns .
Randle-El will be entering his 4th season, Ward’s numbers exploded in his 4th season and with the probable loss of Plaxico Burress it could be Randle-El who could benefit the most.

Derrick Mason (Tenn-wr) When we think of elite receivers throughout the league Mason does not make many lists but his numbers tell a different story. Mason is a durable receiver missing only 2 games over the past 3 seasons. His 3 year averages of 6 receptions a game for 76 yards are the kind of production for a successful head to head league play. Mason also has averaged 7 touchdowns during this time. As a side note with the addition of Norm Chow as offensive coordinator, the Titans could become an even more explosive team. With the lack of respect from fantasy owners, Mason has been a great mid round value for the wise owner.

David Givens(NEP-wr) Here is a player who will be entering his third season and with the age of David Patten and Troy Brown, a player who could reward a team for drafting him. Givens averaged 15 yards a reception and proved to be the go to man as the season progressed. Another player to be a mid draft selection he could also give a team tremendous value for his selection.

Chris Chambers (Mia-wr) A common mistake that many people make is their reluctance to draft good players from bad teams. Miami was a team with no running game to speak of and a quarterback situation in as much turmoil. With the early loss of David Boston it only compounded the problem. His 898 yards receiving accounted for 27% of the Dolphins passing yards and of the 19 touchdowns Dolphin quarterbacks threw 7 went to Chambers.

Tiki Barber (NYG-rb) Tiki for some reason receives such little respect for all his value. Over the past 3 seasons Barber has averaged 1819 rushing/receiving yards a season (122 ypg) averaging 14 touchdowns. During the same time 2 running backs who are considered in the top 5 in the league, Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James, Barber has better stats than both. Alexander’s numbers for the same 3 year period have been 1747 yards a season (109ypg) while averaging 18 touchdowns. For James, his 1642 yards a season (115ypg) and 9 touchdowns a season but he missed 5 games in that span. While Alexander and James were considered top 10 players, it has been Barber delivering the most value in his draft position.
Trent Green (KC-qb) With Manning and Culpepper being the two quarterbacks most considered as the best, it has been the steady play of Trent Green that has his numbers surprisingly equal to them in fantasy value. Green’s 3 year averages of 4107 yards a season (257ypg) with 26 touchdowns compare favorably to Manning’s 4341 yards a season (271ypg) with 35 touchdowns and Culpepper’s averages of 4016yards a season (262ypg) and 27 touchdowns. While Manning and Culpepper both have excellent receivers, Green played much of this season without Johnnie Morton and Eddie Kennison. Greens value is made more valuable because of the Chiefs need to outscore their opponents so he is given every opportunity to put up numbers. Always a mid round selection, Green always seems to deliver great fantasy value to those who draft him.

Tom Brady (NEP-qb) Even with the impressive resume that Brady possesses, he, just as the rest of the Patriots, seems to be overlooked when drafting. Brady has played in all 48 games (not including playoffs) over the past 3 seasons while averaging 3692 yards a season (231ypg) and 26 touchdowns. Still only 27 years old, look for these numbers to continue for many years to come.

TCFS STAFF

2005 Sleepers

Players To Keep An Eye On

Part of the fun and intrigue of Fantasy Football is finding that sleeper that makes you the envy of the entire league. Sometimes these players are the result of a system (Brandon Stokely?), a result of an injury (Larry Johnson?), or just the maturity of a player. Just as the draft pundits say that you cannot judge a draft until the 3rd year, this same statement is also true for Fantasy players. Here is a list of some players that could be prime for a breakout season in 2005:

Patrick Ramsey (Wash)…We all saw that the Mark Brunell experiment was a miserable failure .Once the change was made and as the season wore on Ramsey became more comfortable in Coach Gibbs’ system. Having the confidence that it his job to lose heading into camp can only help his confidence. Look for his numbers to rise in “05

Tim Rattay (SF)…Although this was a terrible team it was one that could score early in the year. Once he learns to throw the ball away and avoid the interceptions he could become a valuable fantasy quarterback. If you have a stud QB he could be someone that will be available in the later rounds that will have some value and prove to be a solid backup.

J.P. Losman (BUFF)….With the Bills season coming down to the final week of the season we saw Drew Bledsoe resort to his old forms. Against a resting Steelers “D” Bledsoe looked terrible. Although he may begin the season on the bench, look for Losman to become the starter by midseason. With a solid running game and an above average receiving core Losman will be brought along slowly but should see significant playing time.

I group the trio of Lamont Jordan (NYJ), Marcel Shipp(AR) and Verron Haynes (PITT) as the three running backs that for their draft position will have significant value .All three players backup aging backs and especially in the case of Hayes and Shipp the possibility of the retirement of Bettis and Smith could open the door for these three to see increased playing time and numbers

Maurice Hicks (SF)…It seems that every year we are teased with the potential of Kevan Barlow and each year we seem to get the same results. With a new coaching staff in place, at worst the two backs will share playing time. Hicks proved to be a player worthy of more playing time and with the inconsistencies of Barlow he could be one of those low round draft picks that could reward a team for drafting him.

TJ Houshmanzadeh(CINN)…What a great situation in Cincinnati. Carson Palmer is the real deal…They have a quality running back and a legitimate go to receiver in Chad Johnson, so there is no instant pressure to perform. As the season wore on TJ saw his playing time increase as well as his numbers. A solid third down receiver, his number was called upon more and more as the Bengals made their late season push for the playoffs. That trend should continue into next season .A mid round pick that could be primed for a big season.

Kevin Curtis (STL)…The Rams, as long as Mike Martz is the head coach, will be a pass first offense. The third option in the slot turned in remarkable results for Brandon Stokely this season and this is the same position that Curtis filled in St. Louis. He probably won’t have the kind of season that Stokely did but 750 Yards and 6-8 touchdowns are numbers to look for in ’05.

Chris Cooley (WASH)…Joe Gibbs has always utilized his TE in the red zone and Cooley was his beneficiary this season. With the Redskins being a disappointment this season, Cooley’s 6 touchdowns went almost unnoticed. He may not get you many long receptions but he is a dependable threat to score inside the 20. Although the TE position has seen a resurgence around the league, this is a player that could reward a team for it’s late round selection.

TCFS Staff

2005 NFL Preseason Calendar

2005 NFL Preseason Calendar

March 1 -- Deadline for submission of qualifying offers by clubs to their restricted free agents whose contracts have expired and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation.
March 1 -- Deadline for clubs to submit offer of minimum salary to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with fewer than three seasons of free agency credit whose contracts have expired.
March 2 -- Veteran free agency signing period begins.
March 2 -- Trading period begins.
April 15 -- Signing period ends for restricted free agents.
April 22 -- Deadline for old club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.
April 23-24 -- NFL Draft -- location TBA.
June 1 -- Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned unrestricted free agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for rest of season if player is not signed by another club by July 22.
June 1 -- Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned restricted free agents or to extend qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights.
June 15 -- Deadline for old clubs to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting tender of 110 percent of previous year's salary.
Mid-July -- Training camps open.
July 22 -- Signing period ends at 4 p.m. ET for unrestricted free agents who received June 1 tender.
Aug. 6 -- American Bowl, Tokyo, Japan -- Atlanta vs. Indianapolis.
Aug. 8 -- Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio.
Aug. 11-15 -- First preseason weekend.
Aug. 30 -- Roster cutdown to maximum of 65 players.
Sept. 4 -- Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players.
Sept. 8-12 -- Kickoff 2005 Weekend