Sports Frog

Two weeks into the NFL preseason schedule, my tivo has been working hard to process as many of the NFL Network's rebroadcasts of preseason games as it can.

And just as the third preseason week is about to begin, so too will the bulk of many fantasy football drafts.

So since girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and wives all over the world will be sacrificing some of their next two weekends to snaking rounds of backs and receivers, here are a few notes of what my tivo has noticed along the way.

• Matt Schaub looks to me like the best deal at QB. The Texans are just loaded with WR talent, and have enough questions in the running game to lead me to think that their air attack will lead the offense this season. With Peyton Manning's status in Indy in doubt, Vince Young's continued troubles with the passing game in Nashville, and the Jags injuries at WR and troubles on the OL, don't be surprised if the Texans start the season as the front runner in the AFC South.
• The best QB on the Dolphins' roster right now is Chad Henne. He'll be starting before the year is out.
• Speaking of Miami, I'd rather have a Dolphin on my team this season than a Ram. St. Louis looks like another mess.
• Running backs who will end up being worth more than where they were drafted:
  • Chris Perry
    Talent has never been Perry's problem, injuries have. But this season, he looks healthy and it's Rudi Johnson that is having trouble getting on the field. If a full season of carries is in his future, Perry will earn notice as a top 10 fantasy RB.
  • Jacob Hester
    This just feels like the kind of season where LT2 suffers some kind of mild injury, misses 6 or so games, and the Chargers rally around it by finding a way to win without him on their way to the represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
  • DeAngelo Williams
    I've already written about what I think the Panthers will do this season, and Jonathan Stewart's lingering toe injury just makes me move Williams up higher and higher.
  • Ray Rice
    Willis McGahee is talking like he'll be ready but over the course of the entire season, my money is on Rice to get more carries than McGahee. Rice is the more consistent back, and a better long term option.
  • Willie Parker
    Ignore Rashard Mendenhall's size, he's not yet a good inside runner. So I expect Parker to still be the guy in the Steelers' offense - especially in the red zone.
  • Andre Hall
    Speaking of end zone ability, I was fortunate enough to watch in person Andre Hall play his college ball. He's a natural touchdown scorer, and overall a tougher runner than Selvin Young. I'm still shocked that Hall didn't catch on with a pro team right out of school three years ago, but I expect Hall to be a factor this season.
  • Ricky Williams
    Heaven help us, he just looks good. And Ronnie Brown doesn't.
• One guy I'm not as high on is Matt Forte, the Bears rookie from Tulane. Forte looks like a good, patient runner, but he's not game breaker. He runs tall, he is tall, and looks more like a wide receiver. He catches the ball like one too and I expect the Bears to use him a lot split out wide.
• The Jets have Brett Favre now, but their quarterback fortune hasn't ended just there. Third team QB Brett Ratliff has been exceptional this summer. He's technically entering his second pro year, but spent last season on the practice squad learning how to run an NFL offense after he spent his college years in Utah's spread system. It looks like he has figured it out. I expect him being given a chance to start somewhere in the NFL within the next two seasons.
• If you're drafting a kicker before the last round of your draft, you're drafting a kicker too early. I usually don't draft one at all because every year someone emerges from the back of pack to become a top 5 performer. This year, my money is on Miami rookie Dan Carpenter. He's a big reason the Fish released Jay Feely, and not only has Carpenter looked great this preseason, he's in the kind of offense that will struggle to convert red zone chances into touchdowns (which will then lead to field goal attempts). We already know that Chad Pennington = FG attempts, but the Fish have a strong running game that should be able to move the ball from 20 to 20.
• I haven't gotten much into the WR rankings yet, and don't usually spend much time thinking about the top or middle guys. But lower down on the list, Steve Breaston has stood out as a guy who was on his way to winning the #3 spot in Arizona. Now, if Boldin isn't playing for them, Breaston could have a chance to play a whole lot more. He's a dynamic returner, but could easily evolve into more.
• Look out for Chicago's Rashied Davis too. He's a former DB who then became primarily a slot receiver for the Bears. This season, he's #2 on the depth chart and looking as quick as ever.
• A couple of late TE values: Marcedes Lewis and Michael Gaines. Lewis is probably the most reliable pass catcher on his team, and has been compared to Heath Miller in terms of all-around game. Gaines is a huge long-shot, but the Lions have committed themselves to running a more traditional offense that will feature the TE more. Gaines has bounced around, but has good hands and is a huge target.
• One thing that impressed me about Matt Ryan from the start was his cadence. In his first preseason game as a pro, he was drawing the Jags defensive line off sides on a regular basis. Even his own linemen were having a tough time with it. They'll adjust, but defenses around the league will have to deal with Ryan's count. And it shows a lot of poise for the 23 year old to be able to come into his first pro game ever with that kind of confidence and understanding of his game. Keeper leagues should take note. He's on the good side of the 1st round QB 50% rule.