http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/2904 Recent articles about Sammy Morris en-us Fantasy football drafts are right around the corner, so who looks to be the hits and misses? This guide's a long read, but it's in-depth, and it channels the wayback machine for some who are older than they'd like to admit (or buy lots of old DVDs). Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:36:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292572 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292572 Can Tom Brady reward his fantasy owners with another record breaking season? There's no doubt about his fantasy value and where he should be drafted, but there are many more Patriots you'll want to choose for your fantasy team. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:58:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290609 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290609 Full Disclosure: I (Joel Stubblefield) hate the New England Patriots. I'm not sure why, but the overall smugness of the entire organization is really annoying to me. So what can be said about the 2007 season for the New England Patriots that hasn't already been said? Contributing greatly to my overall happiness, they didn't win the Super Bowl. But, they did complete a perfect 16-0 regular season, and had some incredible performances fantasy football wise. In fact, if you owned Tom Brady, Randy Moss, or Wes Welker in many leagues, you had quite the season. Brady, perhaps my least favorite player on the planet, was absolutely surgical last year. His final numbers of 398 completions, 4,806 yards, and 50 touchdowns were simply filthy. Moss managed a bounce-back year of epic proportions, harkening back to the days of purple and gold in the Metrodome and totaling 98 receptions, 1493 yards, and 23 touchdowns. Welker? What's 112 receptions, 1175 yards, and eight touchdowns? Paltry compared to Moss. Of minor disappointment, however, was Laurence Maroney, who likely cost you a first round pick, finishing with 835 rushing yards and six touchdowns. There's reason for excitement for Maroney owners in keeper leagues, however, as we'll get to later. Make sure to read more of what Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff writer Joel Stubblefield has to say about the New England Patriots and their fantasy football worthy players heading into the 2008 season by clicking below... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:59:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282487 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282487 In 2007, the Patriots were a force during free agency signing linebacker Adalius Thomas, tight end Kyle Brady and running back Sammy Morris. The Patriots quickly followed that up by signing receivers Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth and Kelley Washington. So far in 2008, the Patriots have not brought in any new faces to join the team and are having a hard time closing the deal with Moss. The bigger concern may be who the Patriots released Rosevelt Colvin and Eugene Wilson and have lost Donte' Stallworth to the Browns and Asante Samuel to the Eagles. The Patriots also stand to lose Randall Gay. Whereas so far in 2008, Patriots have re-signed a few old boys in linebacker and speciel teams captain Larry Izzo, Tedy Bruschi and long snapper Lonie Paxton as well as Kelley Washington, their competition in the AFC EAST has improved dramatically. Bill Parcells has wasted no time during free agency, as the Dolphins have signed QB Josh McCown, WR Ernest Wilford, LB Reggie Torbor and TE Sean Ryan. The Dolphins also spoke with Arizona's defensive end (OLB in 3-4) Calvin Pace. Pace was given a contract, but will first meet with the Jets. Patriots fans knew there was interest from the Patriots, but it looks like we may miss the opportunity to talk to him. The Buffalo Bills also made a splash on defense by signing former Giants linebacker Kawika Mitchell, defensive tackle Marcus Stroud from Jacksonville (trade for 3rd and 5th round picks) and also former Minnesota defensive tackle Spencer Johnson. Even the Jets have been busy during free agency as they traded linebacker Jonathan Vilma to the New Orleans Saints for a 2008 4th-round draft pick (an optional 2nd-round 2009 pick if Vilma re-signs in 2009). The Jets also traded 3rd and 5th-round picks to the Carolina Panthers for defensive tackle Kris Jenkins. The Jets also signed offensive guard Alan Faneca to a record 5-year, $40 million contract, with $21 million in guaranteed money. But the interesting signing may still be to come with Calvin Pace, Randall Gay and Damien Woody expecting to visit the club. Soon we will take a look at the free agents still available and who may be a good fit with the Patriots. But I still think the Patriots will make a trade or offer up draft picks. Ty Law has basically admitted he wants out of Kansas City and would like to return to the Pats… And with the signing of Zach Thomas in Dallas there were rumors that the Cowboys were selling Thomas jerseys with the number 54 - but that is worn by Bobby Carpenter. I checked the website and Thomas is advertised as #55. Any one heard from Cinnci's Chad Johnson yet? Or Lito Shepard? Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:58:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/177671 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/177671 The 2007 fantasy football season may be over, but it's already time to be thinking about 2008. The Fantasy Football Experts are already hard at work completing a 2008 Fantasy Football Mock Draft. Here are the contestants: 1. Rob Shaw, Lead Expert for FantasyFanatics.com 2. Dan Cypra, Marketing Director for FantasyFanatics.com 3. Phil Jean, Fantasy Football Expert for FantasyFanatics.com The rules are simple: 1. This is a standard Yahoo scoring league. 2. Each Expert is responsible for four teams, so there are 12 total teams in the league. 3. Rookies were not eligible to be drafted since their NFL teams and use are unknown. 4. Each roster consists of one quarterback, three wide receivers, two running backs, one tight end, one kicker, and one defense. 5. There are 13 rounds total. Here are Rounds 7-9! Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:37:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/78666 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/78666 Saturday's FIO weekly fantasy football column deals with the injury report for the coming weekend - co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter lists those players who may be in question for their respective games in Week 9. Check this article each and every week on Saturdays. Sat, 03 Nov 2007 19:25:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/34337 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/34337 The New England Patriots' high octane offense suffered a rare hit on Friday when backup tailback Sammy Morris, the team's leading rusher, was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. Morris, 30, suffered a chest injury in the Oct. 14 victory at Dallas and has been sidelined for the past two games. Signed as an unrestricted free agent this spring, Morris won the job as the backup to starter Laurence Maroney, essentially replacing Corey Dillon on the depth chart. Dillon, the nominal starter in 2006, requested and was granted his release in the offseason. In six appearances, including two starts, Morris carried 85 times for 384 yards and three touchdowns. He also had six receptions for 35 yards. Morris registered 100-yard outings in both starts in which he replaced an injured Maroney, rushing for 117 yards in an Oct. 1 win at Cincinnati and for 102 yards in an Oct. 7 victory over Cleveland. It was obvious as early as minicamps that the versatile Morris, who has also played some at fullback in his eight-year career, provided the Patriots more flexibility than Dillon. A hard-working, blue-collar player, Morris also contributed on special teams. The Patriots will likely now increase the workload of veteran back Heath Evans, who has seen his playing time increased in recent weeks. Kevin Faulk remains the third-down back and could also receive more carries now. New England will probably wait until Saturday to replace Morris on the roster, and his spot could go to cornerback Eddie Jackson, a standout special teams player who began the season on the physically unable to perform list but who returned to practice two weeks ago. A fifth-round pick of the Bills in the 2001 draft, Morris played for Buffalo (2001-2003) and Miami (2004-2006) before signing a four-year deal with New England. The former Texas Tech star has rushed for 1,853 yards and 17 touchdowns on 459 carries and has 118 receptions for 827 yards and one touchdown. He has appeared in 100 games, 25 of them as a starter. Sat, 03 Nov 2007 03:10:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/34278 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/34278 Listen as T- Money reviews Week 6 of the NFL Season, including Monday Night Match Up between the New York Giants and the Atlanta Falcons. He also previews Week 7 in the NFL, and welcomes FIO contributor Rob Edwards to talk some Fantasy Hockey. Topics Covered: 1)NFL Week 6 Review 2)Monday Night Match Up- Giants vs. Falcons- Plaxico, who needs practice? 3)Week 6 Preview- Defense vs. Offense-- Jaguars vs. Colts 4)Studs in Fantasy Hockey... Peter Forsberg 5)The All Away Arena? NHL in Vegas? 6)BoSox - Indians Game 7- Matsauzaka vs. Westbrook Sun, 21 Oct 2007 06:37:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/32172 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/32172 It is Sunday! It isn't the Superbowl yet, but what more could you ask for? Two 5-0 teams going head to head. So who is going to win? Isn't obvious?!?! Let's take a look at Dallas for a moment. Game 1 against the New York Giants. A team who I consider a cupcake team. Dallas gave up 35 points to who I see as a moderate offense for the New York Giants. Week 2 Dallas gave up 20 points to Miami. Miami is a 0-5 team and I really think 20 points is a lot to be giving for their kind of offense. Dallas certainly stepped up in weeks 3 and 4 only allowing 17 points combined. Then we move to week 5 against the Buffalo Bills. When we talk about bad teams Buffalo is the definition of bad teams. If Dallas never of recovered the onside kick, which they shouldn't have, Dallas would be 4-1 loosing to the worst team in the NFL. Let's move on the those great Patriots. The Pats have already taken down two of the NFL's elite. Which include Cincinnati Bengals and the San Diego Chargers. In all 5 games New England has managed to hold their opponent to 17 points and below. They have out scored their opponents by no less than 17. This New England team is dangerous. They will hurt you in every aspect of the game. Brady will hurt you passing, Maroney and Morris can run it, and their defense will shut you down. You throw in a experienced coach and this team will bring you a whole world of pain. Tonight the touchdowns will come for Romo and so will the interceptions. Brady will be who Brady has always been and see his open receivers. The defense of Dallas will give up a plethora of points while New England shuts down Dallas. Little does Dallas know, but they are in for a long night. www.athleticaddiction.com Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:27:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/31219 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/31219 Each week, FanProphet.com and FIO writer Aaron McGhee will take a look at one NFL match-up with huge fantasy implications. McGhee breaks down the contest and clues you in on how some of your fantasy players involved will perform this coming weekend. This Week: Patriots at Cowboys Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:36:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/31148 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/31148 Is this parity? The New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, and Miami Dolphins are a combined 0-14. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts are a combined 15-0!! Agreeably, many teams are finding their way to the middle, but how different is this scenario than other sports? Clearly, the undefeated Cowboys, Pats, and Colts are Super Bowl contenders, while the Saints, Rams, and Dolphins are already on the clock... Here are some other insights on week 5 in the NFL season: What a difference an offense makes? RB Sammy Morris, formerly the guy who could not handle even a partial load for the Miami Dolphins last season, has now rushed for back-to-back 100 yard games for the Pats. He will likely share time with Maroney, when the youngster returns from injury, but you should ride the Morris train while you can. Look who is the new number one receiver? Due to injuries to wide outs, Tight End Owen Daniels and WR Bobby Engram have been elevated to #1 receiver status. Keep them in mind as quality fill-ins as we enter the month of bye-week mania. Is that really Kurt Warner back under center? Despite attempts to keep the former two-time NFL MVP down, Warner has emerged as the new starting QB for the Cards. Although it took a big injury to Leinart to officially elevate Warner, Warner's recent success showed that his time was coming. The Cards O-line has been holding up well, so as long as Warner has time to throw, he will be a quality option. If he doesn't have time to throw, he will soon find his immobile self sitting next to Drew Bledsoe on the "what happened to us?" bench. Trent Edwards is just ok. While some are pointing to the next great QB controversy (Edwards afterall was tabbed "great" by QB guru Bill Walsh), he is more likely to follow in the footsteps of rookie QB's Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski, who started off with great games as rookies and then fell to mediocre once defenses had time to figure them out. Is there a Running back in the House? In only 5 weeks, Tampa Bay has managed to lose starting RB Cadillac Williams, and solid backup Michael Pittman, to injuries. With 3rd stringer Earnest Graham now left to grab the starting carries, the team was looking at signing Kevin Barlow and Ciatrick Fason for depth. Yikes! Eventually, the team signed Goal-line vulture Zack Crockett for depth, leaving the starting load to Graham. The Giants pulled off a great win against the Jets on Sunday. Brandon Jacobs returned and rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries. Now 3-2, and with the next few games against the likes of Atlanta, San Fran, and Miami, the G-Men could realistically go into their bye week with a record of 6-2. Not bad for a team that started 0-2 and could help but give up 30 points a game... Were the Dolphins really haggling for weeks over QB vet Trent Green? With another concussion last week and an 0-5 start, we may begin seeing rookie John Beck get some PT. Jason Campbell has big upside. Campbell put up a great game for the Redskins on Sunday. Despite suiting up without number one receiver Santana Moss, Campbell looked like a polished QB in the pocket. Remember, this is the leader of that Auburn team that went 11-0 and got screwed by the BCS. He is quickly becoming a great field general for the Skins. For More great articles, check out http://www.roto-world.com Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:15:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/30583 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/30583 Listen as T- Money reviews Week 4 in the NFL. He also analyzes the Monday Night Match Up between the Patriots and the Bengals, and also discusses the MLB Playoffs. Topics Covered: 1)NFL Week 4 Review 2)Injuries- Cadillac Williams, Alex Smith, Marvin Harrison 3)Get Chad Johnson the Ball! 4)Isiah Thomas 5)MLB Playoffs- Rockies, Phillies 6)National League Playoff's X- Factor Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:33:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29455 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29455 Another week, another dominant performance by the Bruno Boys. We still have three guys in the top 10, with Bruno Boys Jesse Burkhart and Corey Koehler leading the way. It's only a matter of time before 5 or 6 Bruno Boys are manning the top 10 in the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Challenge hosted by rotohog.com . To give you a better idea of which players should be a hot commodity on the RotoHog trading floor, we bring to you the Week 5 edition of the RotoHog Market Minute. —————————————————————————————- BUY BUY BUY! 1. RB Sammy Morris (New England Patriots)- When the RotoHog trading floor opens tomorrow morning, Morris will be a hot ticket. With regular New England Patriots running back Laurence Maroney inactive because of a groin injury, Morris had a big game during the Patriots 34-13 blowout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. He finished the night with 21 carries for 117 rushing yards and a rushing TD. There is no timetable on Maroney's return, but Morris is pushing hard to become the Patriots primary rushing option. He has 4 TD's on the young season, and is a favorite of Patriots head coach Bill Bellicheck. With the Patriots taking on a Cleveland Browns rushing defense that allows 160 rushing yards per contest, Morris will be a cheap and servicable running back option for your squad. He is currently trading at $22.01, but expect him to rise close to $30 dollars as we head into week 5. 2. WR Dwayne Bowe (Kansas City Chiefs) - With the NFL season 25 percent complete for most teams, it looks like Dwayne Bowe has the early lead on the rookie of the year award. Bowe has scored in three straight games and had a coming out party during the Chiefs 30-16 upset victory over the San Diego Chargers in week 4. In that game, Bowe burnt a stout Chargers defense for 164 receiving yards and a TD. On top of that, it looks like the physical receiver has surpassed Tony Gonzalez as quarterback Damon Huard's favorite target. Heading into week 5 of the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Challange, Bowe can be purchased at a reasonable $21.15. It is reccomended to purchase Bowe early in the week, and watch his market value surge. The Bruno Boys expect him to climb up closer to the $26-$28 dollar range before you think about selling him. His week 5 matchup against a tough Jacksonville Jaguars secondary doesn't make him a great play, but it's worth grabbing him and making some quick money based on his big week 4. 3. RB Earnest Graham (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) - Nobody likes to see a guy get his gig because of an injury, but when Cadillac Williams (torn patella tendon) went down, everybody who added Earnest Graham for a cheap price and kept him on their bench must be smiling. Since the injury to Cadillac, Graham has already seen his value rise from $5.11 to $14.06. Once the RotoHog trading floor opens for week 5, expect Graham to have a similar increase to New York Giants running back Derrick Ward ($4 to $35) in week 1. However, keep in mind that he will be splitting carries with veteran running back Michael Pittman, although Graham figures to be the goalline back, as evident by his 3 TD's. The Bruno Boys suggest that you buy Graham and let his value increase before trading him. To effectively get the most out of this buy and trade, you should monitor Graham's status throughout the week and when he starts dropping in price sell him immediately. From there, take your earnings and invest it in a running back that has a good week 5 matchup, like Edgerrin James ($32.15), Clinton Portis ($31.81) or Reggie Bush ($30.58). —————————————————————————————- SELL SELL SELL! 1. WR Kevin Curtis (Philadelphia Eagles) - If you were forunate enough to buy Kevin Curtis when the RotoHog trading floor opened after his big week 3, you made out like a bandit. In just one week, Curtis saw his value increase from $20.14 to $33.37, which turned out to be a good buy for his owners. However, in week 4,which was expected to be another big week for Curtis, the Eagles got manhandled by the New York Giants and Curtis finished the night with 2 receptions for 21 receiving yards. With the Eagles heading to a bye in week 5, and the offense failing to find it's identity in three of the first four games, it is advised to sell Curtis. Also you should consideri selling Donovan McNabb ($51.75), before he drops into the mid $40's. You will be able to take the money made off of Curtis and grab a more proven receiver with a good week 5 matchup, like Plaxico Burress ($36.72), Laveranues Coles ($27.09), Deion Branch ($27) or Larry Fitzgerald ($26.80). 2. WR Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers) - You can thank quarterback David Carr for this. Just two weeks ago, Smith was surging and his dollar value shot up to $51.39. However, mainly because Carr can't get him the football, Smith has accumulated 4.2 RotoHog points over the past two weeks and now is being traded at $47.55. Until usual quarterback Jake Delhomme (elbow) returns, owning Smith could be a rollercoaster ride. The Panthers have a favorable matchup against the New Orleans Saints in week 5, but the Bruno Boys suggest that Smith owners should sell him before he drops closer to the $40 range by weeks end. From there, invest his money in a more consistent and cheaper wide reciever. Some names that come to mind, who also have good matchups in week 5 are; Roy Williams ($45.28), Reggie Wayne (40.76) or Plaxico Burress ($36.72). Another route you can take is sell Smith high, and then when his value drops closer to $40 range, grab him again. By doing this, you don't lose the money and you can invest it at another position. Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:11:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29384 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29384 Check out a few of the players that may be available to help your fantasy team this season. Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:09:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28353 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28353 Looks like Belichick has decided he DOES need players to win it all. Starting with Thomas and then bringing in Morris (RB), Brady (TE), and Welker (WR) is a pretty good start. Now all he needs is to add some ILB talent and WR talent through the draft and perhaps more depth at CB and S. Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:27:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/10735 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/10735