Fbkid's Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Quarterbacks

As the preseason comes to an end, more and more people are having their fantasy drafts which is why I am releasing my cheat sheets for every position. The first installment is quarterback and the rest will be posted later today. Hopefully these help you at your drafts.




Quarterbacks:
1. Drew Brees Saints 5
2. Tom Brady Patriots 8
3. Peyton Manning Colts 6
4. Philip Rivers Chargers 5
5. Aaron Rodgers Packers 5
6. Matt Ryan Falcons 4
7. Kurt Warner Cardinals 4
8. Carson Palmer Bengals 8
9. Donovan McNabb Eagles 4
10. Tony Romo Cowboys 6
11. Jay Cutler Bears 5
12. Ben Roethlisberger Steelers 8
13. Matt Hasselbeck Seahawks 7
14. Matt Schaub Texans 10
15. Matt Cassel Chiefs 8
16. Eli Manning Giants 10
17. Trent Edwards Bills 9
18. Joe Flacco Ravens 7
19. Brett Favre Vikings 9
20. David Garrard Jaguars 7
21. Chad Pennington Dolphins 6
22. Kyle Orton Broncos 7
23. Jason Campbell Redskins 8
24. JaMarcus Russell Raiders 9
25. Shaun Hill 49ers 6
26. Mark Sanchez Jets 9
27. Marc Bulger Rams 9
28. Jake Delhomme Panthers 4
29. Kerry Collins Titans 7
30. Brady Quinn Browns 9

Fbkid's All Twitter Team

When people look back on the 2009 NFL season and the year in general, one thing that people will remember is Twitter. It has become a world wide phenomenon and in the NFL teams have started fining players if they "tweet" during meetings or from the sidelines.


I finally took the plunge this past week and joined Twitter (username is fbkid if you care to follow). With all the NFL players on Twitter I decided to come up with the first "All Twitter" team with players at every position. I am also putting all the players Twitter usernames in parenthesis so you can follow your favorite player if your not already. Here is my all Twitter team and let me know what players you feel are missing.


QB: Matt Hasselbeck Seahawks: Hasselbeck (MatthewHass008) is one of the few quarterback's on Twitter. He is a frequent poster who responds to fans, talks about football and also talks about his family as well.

RB: Chris Johnson Titans: Johnson (ChrisJohnson28) is a frequent poster who also connects with fans on his Ustream channel. He is one of the more entertaining NFL Tweeters.

RB: Steven Jackson Rams: Jackson (sj39) has compiled almost 2,300 tweets as of now and is very good at answering questions from fans along with telling everyone what is going on around the team.

WR: Chad Ochocinco Bengals: Ochocinco (OGOchocinco) is one of if not the most active NFL player on Twitter. He has compiled over 5,000 tweets and broadcasts almost nightly on his Ustream channel. Ochocinco has also brought fame to the term "child please" which has been made into a shirt by Reebok and will be released soon.

WR: Terrell Owens Bills: Owens (terrellowens) tweets frequently and is one of the most followed athletes on the site with almost 125 thousand followers. He is very good at responding to fans questions and should be one of the more entertaining players on the site during the course of the year.

TE: Martellus Bennett Cowboys: Bennett (MartyBTV)is one of the funniest NFL players on Twitter. He has over 8 thousand tweets along with responding to his fans, talks about football and his random thoughts.

OL: Marcus McNeill Chargers: McNeill (MarcusMcNeill73) is one of the many active Chargers on Twitter. He regularly posts about his thoughts on and off the field which gives you a look inside one of the more underrated players in the game.

OL: Eric Winston Texans: Winston (ericwinston) gives insight to his thoughts about topics ranging from football to music along with interacting with his fans. It should be interesting reading his thoughts during the season as the Texans are a trendy surprise pick in the AFC.

OL: Nick Mangold Jets: Mangold (nickmangold) may take a few days between tweets, but he is good at responding to fans and has also had contests. He tweets about his thoughts on football and other things.

OL: Bryant McKinnie Vikings: McKinnie (bigmacvikings) hasn't been on Twitter as long as some of the other players, but he tweets frequently and is good at responding to fans questions.

OL: Jared Gaither Ravens: Gaither (jaredgaither) also tweets frequently and it should be interesting reading his thoughts as he is an up and coming player who has Pro Bowl potential.

Defense:

DL: Tank Johnson Bengals: Johnson (TankJohnson99) is another Bengal who tweets frequently. To say the least, the Bengals should be a very entertaining team this year.

DL: Darnell Dockett Cardinals: Dockett (ddockett) along with his twitter account also does a show on ustream where he displays his thoughts to fans. He is now selling shirts on his site where part of the proceeds go towards getting gifts for less fortunate kids during the holiday season.

DL: John Thornton Bengals: Thornton (JohnThornton) is another frequent Twitter user on the Bengals. He tweets frequently and is good at responding to fans questions.

LB: Shawne Merriman Chargers: Merriman (shawnemerriman) posts frequently and along with talking to fans, banters back and forth with Chad Ochocinco.

LB: Kawika Mitchell Bills: Mitchell (Ka_Mitchell55) has been tweeting frequently throughout training camp. He brings lots of insight in his posts and considering that the Bills will be one of the most followed team's this season, it will be interesting to see what he says.

LB: Nick Barnett Packers: Barnett (NickBarnett) is one of the league's most active players on Twitter with almost 2000 tweets. He is good at responding to fans and also has contests.

LB: Shaun Phillips Chargers: Phillips (ShaunPhillips95) is another Chargers defender who is active on Twitter. He posts frequently and has also had contests where he gives away tickets to Chargers home games.

CB: Antonio Cromartie Chargers: Cromartie (crimetime31) like his teammate Phillip's has also given away tickets to games on Twitter. He is one of the more entertaining player's to follow on the site.

CB: Fabian Washington Ravens: Washington (FABEWASH31) has posted almost 3 thousand tweets and it doesn't seem like he will stop anytime soon. He is one of the best as far as responding to fans.

S: Kerry Rhodes Jets: Rhodes (kerryrhodes)is another one of the more active players on the site. With over 12 thousand followers, Rhodes has posted almost 3 thousand tweets and is very good at responding to fans.

S: Roy Williams Bengals: Williams (Datboyie) is another Bengal who is very active on Twitter. He has almost 2,700 tweets and posts frequently throughout the day.

Gerald Alexander Interview

Yesterday, I had the opportunity of a lifetime as I had a media pass for the morning Jaguars practice. This was made available to me through my participation with the Sportz Ventures program at my school. My thanks go out to Jennifer Corace, Development Director at Sportz Ventures and Jaguars’ Communications Manager Ryan Robinson who helped coordinate the program.
As part of my “all-access” pass I was able to interview Jaguar safety, Gerald Alexander. He discussed his recent trade to the Jaguars, his experience with the Lions, playing in one of the greatest college football games ever and the Boise State football program.


Fbkid: What is the biggest transition coming from the Lions to the Jaguars?

Gerald Alexander: The way things are done here as far as different plays and things on defense and getting used to the schedule and things like that. Football is football but generally speaking teams do things differently.

FB: What was it like being hurt last season and going through what the Lions did last year?

GA: It was painful both physically and emotionally as far as physically being hurt and then not being able to help my teammates and given what I saw my team go through last year, it was painful to watch and be a part of. It motivates me and I never want it to happen again.

FB:How did you feel about getting traded?

GA: I didn’t know how to feel at first rather if Detroit didn’t want me or that Jacksonville did. Eventually things worked out and I’m happy to be here now.

FB: How was it to be a part of one of the greatest games in college football history?

GA: It’s great now that I look back on it. When your in the emotion of the game you never really think about it but when you look back at it you can see it was one of the greatest games in the history in college football.
Did you ever talk to Adrian Peterson about the game when you played him?
No I never said anything since he’s making a name for himself in the NFL right now but if we ever got together and talk about college, I have one up on him.

FB: What does it feel like for you watching Boise State play now when they get so much national attention?

GA: It’s like being a proud father looking at a son as you were there to help bring the program to where it is now and they are continuing the success that you laid the foundation for and now they are ranked 16th in the country.

FB: What safeties do you watch and try and take things from their game?

GA: Guys that everybody knows about like Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu and Brian Dawkins those guys three of the best safeties playing in the NFL right now try to pick apart the good things they do and try to emulate them in your game.

FB: You’re a big shoe fan, what’s your favorite make of Jordan’s?

GA: I have to say the 11’s because of the patent leather.

FB: How many pairs of shoes do you have?

GA: I have probably over 100 pairs and I gave a lot away. If you look at my closet, it’s ridiculous. It’s like foot locker.


FB: What do you think of your Madden rating?

GA: I don’t even know my madden rating but I was hurt last year so it’s out of sight out of mind so I’m not going to be as good as I think I am but I’m a Madden player and it doesn’t matter. If you go up against me on the controller, you might run into a loss.

Fbkid's Breakout Players: Defensive Backs

Last year Cortland Finnegan and Darrelle Revis emerged as all pro caliber corners and should be Pro Bowl frequenters for years to come. Just like the linemen up front, defensive backs are becoming even more important as the quality of the passing game around the league increases. Here are some defensive backs that I think will breakout this year.


Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Cardinals: Rodgers-Cromartie showed tons of potential in his first season. He has excellent range and speed along with very good instincts. If Rodgers-Cromartie continues to improve on his performance he should be a Pro Bowl caliber corner for years to come.

Leodis McKelvin Bills: When quarterbacks go up against the Bills, they are going to have to pick their poison. The Bills have one of the league's most underrated and fastest cornerback tandems in McKelvin alongside Terrance McGee. McKelvin got better as the year went on and should continue to improve on his rookie performance. Don't be surprised if he makes the Pro Bowl in the next year or two.

Brandon Flowers Chiefs: Coming out of Virginia Tech, some scouts were doubting how Flowers could transition to the pro game. He is off to a good start in proving them wrong. Flowers was one of the bright spots on a defense that struggled last year and along with Brandon Carr forms one of the league's up and coming cornerback tandems.

Aqib Talib Buccaneers: Talib only started two games in his rookie season, but he was very impressive recording four interceptions and showing a never back down attitude that teams want to see in corners. With the departure of Phillip Buchanon, Talib will be starting opposite Ronde Barber and should learn many tips that could help develop into one of the top young corners in the game.

Leon Hall Bengals: The Bengals defense is improving and Hall is one of the main reasons. Hall and Johnathan Joseph are a very good pair of corners who are both very good in coverage and have good instincts. Hall is also a very good tackler and if the Bengals show that they are a sleeper team, he should start getting the attention he deserves.

Brandon Meriweather Patriots: Meriweather had a huge impact in his second season recording 83 tackles along with four interceptions and two sacks. Now that Rodney Harrison is retired, Meriweather can now take over the starting role and show what he has learned from one of the best to ever play the position. The Patriots defense is mainly consisted of older players so when they start going for a youth movement, look for Meriweather and Jerod Mayo to be two of the building blocks.

Fbkid's Breakout Players: Linebackers

Last year linebackers such as LaMarr Woodley and D'Qwell Jackson emerged as some of the better young linebackers in the league. Woodley was one of the key components of a strong Steelers defense that went on to win the Super Bowl while Jackson had an excellent year and was one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs. Here are some linebackers that I think will breakout this year.


Lawrence Timmons Steelers: Like his teammate Woodley last year, Timmons has the chance to really breakout into the national spotlight. He only started two games last year and was very effective with 65 tackles and five sacks. Timmons should start this season after the departure of Larry Foote and it wouldn't be surprising if he had double digit sacks on the year.

Keith Rivers Bengals: Rivers is best known for being the receipent of a Hines Ward block that broke his jaw but if it didn't happen, there is a very good chance he could have won rookie of the year. Rivers has great range and is very instinctive and should be one of the building blocks for a Bengals defense that is silently becoming a very good unit.

Anthony Spencer Cowboys: With the departure of Greg Ellis, Spencer now gets to show everybody why the Cowboys took him with a first round pick in 2007. He is very fast off the edge and has learned a lot playing alongside the vetran Ellis. Don't be surprised if he has a season similar to what Woodley did last year.

Tavares Gooden Ravens: Gooden only played in four games last season before suffering a season ending injury, but he now has an excellent opportunity. He has the opportunity to start alongside another former Miami Hurricane who will go down as one of the all time greats in Ray Lewis. Along side Lewis, Gooden should really learn many key tips in how to succeed at the position in the NFL. In other words, this could only be the beginning for him.

Omar Gaither Eagles: Last year Gaither played outside linebacker and was solid with 59 tackles and 2.5 sacks in ten starts. He will now move to the middle as Stewart Bradley suffered a season ending injury and has the opportunity to show everybody his talents. The departure of Bradley for the Eagles defense is a huge one and if Gaither can fill in without any problems, the Eagles have the potential to make a deep run into the playoffs.

Fbkid's Breakout Players: Defensive Linemen

Last year defensive linemen such as Jay Ratliff and Mathias Kiwanuka emerged and showed that they could be disruptive forces up front. As the league continues to become more passing oriented, it is very important to get young talent to rush the quarterback. Here are some defensive linemen that I think could breakout this year.


Derrick Harvey Jaguars: Due to the long holdout through training camp, Harvey didn't get to show all of his talent in his rookie season. He showed lots of potential but it was very hard to makeup all of the lost practice time. Harvey now has a year of the playbook under his belt and will be depended on to give the Jaguars a consistent pass rusher off the edge. Don't be surprised if he has around 8 sacks this year.

Chris Long Rams: Long played well in his rookie season but should make great strides under Steve Spagnuolo this year. Spagnuolo during his time as defensive coordinator for the Giants was surrounded by great pass rushers such as Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Look for this to only be the beginning for Long as he will become one of the premiere defensive ends in the league.

Cliff Avril Lions: The Lions defense wasn't very good last year, but Avril's second half performance was a bright spot. In his last six games, Avril had four of his five sacks and showed some of his potential. He is very fast off the edge and should be one of the building blocks as the Lions defense improves.

Jason Jones Titans: After drawing heavy criticism after being drafted in the second round, Jones is showing how he could prove them all wrong. He will be needed to fill the very large shoes that Albert Haynesworth left as the Titans are a team that is dedicated to stopping the run. Jones showed that he can also rush the passer and could become one of the league's better young player's upfront.

Sedrick Ellis Saints: Ellis showed lots of potential in his rookie year and is one of the key component's on an improving Saints defense. He has a very big frame and showed that he can stop the run and rush the passer. Now that Ellis is fully healthy from his arthroscopic surgery, look for him to emerge into one of the top run stoppers in the league.

Fbkid's Breakout Players: Tight Ends

Last year tight ends such as Vishante Shiancoe and Anthony Fasano broke out and became key targets in the passing game. Both Shiancoe and Fasano emerged on teams that weren't very deep at receiver and should continue to contribute. Here are some tight ends that I think will breakout this year.

John Carlson Seahawks: Carlson had a very impressive rookie season recording 627 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers should improve this year as the Seahawks receiving corps is finally healthy and got stronger with the addition of TJ Houshmandzadeh. Don't be surprised if Carlson has around 800 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Greg Olsen Bears: Olsen was on my breakout list last season, but he should truly breakout in his third season. He now has a reliable quarterback who can get him the ball in Jay Cutler and the Bears don't have many receivers who will take opportunities away from him. It wouldn't be surprising if Olsen made his first Pro Bowl appearence this season.

Brent Celek Eagles: Celek showed flashes of potential last season catching ten passes along with two touchdowns in the NFC Championship. Now that LJ Smith is gone, Celek will be the starter and could have a very big impact. He is a large target with soft hands who will become one of Donovan McNabb's favorite weapons in the red zone.

Dustin Keller Jets: By the end of last year, Keller started showing the potential that could make him a great tight end. Regardless of who starts between Kellen Clemens and Mark Sanchez, a young quarterback will be throwing him the ball and Keller is an excellent safety option. Keller is already one of the better young tight ends in the game and it wouldn't be surprising if he goes to the Pro Bowl this year.

Kevin Boss Giants: Coming out of a school such as Western Oregon, not many fans know who Boss is. That's about to change this year. Even though the receiving corps was addressed this offseason through the draft, the position is still very weak going into the year. As hard as it is to believe, Boss led the team with six touchdown catches last season. Boss should get even more looks this year and will be Eli Manning's primary target until somebody else steps up.