http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/3808 Recent articles about Kenny Watson en-us A list of the top 40 fantasy NFL running backs heading into the 2008 season. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:22:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295576 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295576 We've done the Big Dog RBs, Second Tier RBs, Third Tier RBs, and Fourth Tier RBs, now it's time to look at the next wave of RBs. We're getting your bench RBs and Bye Week plays. You can use these guys for trades or simply use them as insurance policies in case of injury. Selvin Young - Usually a Denver RB is as good as gold. I just can't quite trust any of them this year. Selvin had 960 total yards last year, but only 1 TD. Michael Pittman and Ryan Torain could steal touches from Young. Rudi Johnson/Kenny Watson - Early indications are that Rudi is back. He's in terrific shape and is hitting the holes hard. Problem is Kenny Watson easily outplayed him last year. I think this is going to be a true RBBC with them splittiing carries fairly equally (barring injury). Kenny Watson had over 1000 total yards and 7 TDs. Rudi had 600 and 4. You would think Rudi would be the short yardage back, but Watson will probably get plenty of work in the redzone because of his pass-catching ability. Jonathan Stewart - Since DeAngelo Williams hasn't lived up to the hype, I see the Oregon rookie stealing the show down in Carolina. He's a bruiser at 5?11?, 230 Lbs with good speed. He ran for 1722 yards for the Ducks last year, and should have a solid rookie showing. Matt Forté - Things looked real good for the Tulane rookie before Kevin Jones inked a deal with Da Bears. That said, I'm not sure KJ is healthy enough (or will remain healthy) to keep Forte from being a decent fantasy play. He ran for 2127 yards and 23 TDs in his Senior season. He's also capable of catching the ball out of the backfield. Kevin Smith - Another rookie that could make waves this year is Detroit's Kevin Smith. He doesn't have great speed, but he tore it up for UCF last year racking up 2567 yards and 29 TDs. If the Pro game isn't too fast for him, he could be a steady contributor. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:25:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293771 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293771 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 The Chickster thinks RB Chris Perry could be on the outside looking in at the end of August. His sleeper at running back, undrafted free agent James Johnson, was almost a Chief. While DeDe Dorsey's hammy injury in minicamp points out the folly of predicting rosters in June, my money says that Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson [...] Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:46:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281397 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281397 For a team that had aspirations of winning its division and making it to the playoffs, the 2007 season for the Cincinnati Bengals can only be described as a disappointment. The Bengals finished 8-8 overall and received uninspiring performances from Carson Palmer, Rudi Johnson and Chad Johnson, all of whom were expected to make big contributions. Make sure to read what Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff writer Cory Steger has to say about the Cincinnati Bengals heading into the 2008 season by clicking below.... Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:40:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277909 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277909 Before anyone criticizes our draft order we did it as fairly as we could. Four of our writers helped with the draft and we all agreed on our 12 playoff teams before we did anything. So we then drew team names out of a hat for the non playoff teams, positions 1-20. After that we stuck our 12 playoff teams in a hat and drew for positions 21-32. Amazingly Carolina got the top pick, which it traded to Philadelphia in the 2008 NFL Draft. There are a lot of happy Eagles fans out there. The biggest loser in our second NFL Mock Draft? The Atlanta Falcons who fall all the way from the #1 pick to the #9 pick. That means no Michael Crabtree or Michael Oher to compliment QB Matt Ryan. This time they select Travis Beckum, a very athletic tight end from Wisconsin. He should still help Ryan a lot. Some of the tougher picks of this mock draft were the Chargers, Saints, Patriots, and Colts picks at the end of the first round. Those four teams are all solid in a lot of areas (especially NE and IND). Guards aren't usually selected in the first round and we have San Diego selecting Duke Robinson. Robinson is a special talent and San Diego selected him in that spot because he probably would be gone by the time they selected in round two. Fili Moala is the big gainer in this mock draft. He gains 17 spots. Just to be honest, we knew he was too low in our initial mock draft but we just couldn't find anywhere to put him. The biggest faller was Tyson Jackson, falling 13 spots, but at least he made this draft. Brian Cushing fell considerably from the first mock draft, mainly due to need. Cushing fell from #19 out of the first round. Michael Johnson is a guy we have ranked fifth on our big board but he also tumbled out of this first round, once again mainly due to need for his position. These guys will eventually move their way back into the first round more than likely. Others that fell out of the first round were Brian Robiskie, Gregg Middleton, Chase Daniel, and Brandon Lafell. One major difference you will notice is that there are no trades in our mock draft. In our first one there were many, but this time around we just didn't see any trades happening although they were considered for every single team. One of the most considered spots to trade in this draft was #24 when San Diego was on the clock. They took Duke Robinson, a guard (as noted above) instead when no trade partner could be thought of. Chicago is a team that could jump in that position by trading future picks to take a quarterback like Sam Bradford or Chase Daniel. That would've also allowed San Diego to move back into the early second round into a spot where Robinson would more than likely be available. If you like this mock draft then please tell people about it. It takes a lot of work to do this every month. Email me here and let me know what you think about it. If you'd like to see what else has changed since our initial mock draft last month you can review our first one right here. Now without further ado, onto the mock draft: # Pick Pos School 1 WR Michael Crabtree (+0) (Via trade with Panthers) WR Texas Tech How about the luck of the Eagles? When we drew the team names out of a hat Carolina was drawn first, having the worst record in the NFL but the Panthers had already traded their pick in the 2008 draft to Philadelphia. That means Philadelphia has to take Michael Crabtree. Donovan McNabb has needed a big play receiver since Terrell Owens left town and the Texas Tech wide receiver would be that guy. 2 Michael Oher (+0) OT Ole Miss Michael Oher is the most talented offensive lineman in the draft. He does it all, and would help any team he goes to, especially the Houston Texans, who give up lots of sacks. 3 Matthew Stafford (+0) QB Georgia Stafford is the pick over Tim Tebow here. Matthew plays in a pro style offense and would probably be more NFL ready than his Florida counterpart. The Chiefs (just like the Jets in our initial mock draft) select a QB #3 overall. 4 Malcolm Jenkins (+4) CB Ohio State The Rams have nobody to hang with big, tall receivers. Jenkins is 6?3? and has excellent coverage skills. He anchored the top pass defense in the country in 2007, so the transition to the NFL should be pretty smooth. St. Louis gets the same guy as last team, only a bit higher 5 James Laurinaitus LB Ohio State In our first mock draft the Raiders took Laurinitus at #4 overall. This time they have the fifth pick and they still get their guy. This pick will help a linebacking core that needs a playmaker, plus Oakland has went offense the last two years. 6 George Selvie (+3) DE South Florida The Denver Broncos choose Selvie to complement Elvis Dumervil. Selvie is very quick off the line, and he makes a ton of backfield stops. He runs a 4.5 40, and should be able to help out Denver's D-Line right away. This guy is the real deal, and will likely impact this team immensely as a rookie. 7 Tim Tebow (-1) QB Florida The choices here were Chris Wells or Tim Tebow. Last time we went with Wells. This time we go with Tebow. Why? Well Jon Kitna is 35 years old and he keeps guaranteeing 10 win seasons for the Lions. That is going to get old in a hurry. 8 Travis Beckum (+12) TE Wisconsin The Atlanta Falcons have no real tight end, and unless one of their current five emerges as a star in the 2008 season, they will look to bolster that position in the draft. Travis Beckum is the best tight end in the draft, and the Falcons scoop him up at number 8. 9 Fili Moala (+17) DT USC Wow. Buffalo is loaded. There really wasn't an area of weakness here with Buffalo being set at every position. Marcus Stroud is recovering from an ankle injury so that's the only hole we can find at all. 10 Percy Harvin (+3) WR Florida Bernard Berrian is not a number one receiver. The Vikings really need help at this position, so they take Percy Harvin, the do-it-all receiver from Florida. Harvin will give Tarvaris Jackson a safety outlet, because he can make something out of nothing with his quickness. 11 Chris Wells (-1) RB Ohio State Cedric Benson has not been the answer at running back for Chicago. They need someone else so they take Wells here, the first running back taken at #11 overall. He would make an immediate impact. 12 Mryon Rolle (+2) FS Florida State Last time we had Andre Smith picked here, but with Scott Locklear and Walter Jones at OT and a rookie joining the depth chart it appears the Seahawks will go somewhere else here. Myron Rolle would help a secondary that could use use some depth. 13 Curtis Painter (-2) QB Purdue This could be a reach because Painter is not really a top rated player but San Francisco needs a quarterback badly. Alex Smith has not grasped the NFL offense and San Francisco has to give up on him eventually don't they? This would be moving past the AS Era in SF. 14 Rey Maualuga (-9) LB USC Maualuga would be an absolute steal here. In the last mock draft we had Washington taking Brian Cushing but by gaining five spots the Redskins can take the even higher rated USC linebacker, Maualuga. 15 Derrius Heyward-Bey (+6) WR Maryland Derrius Heyward-Bey is the choice over Byrd, Robiskie, and Maclin. The Dolphins just drafted Ted Ginn Jr in 07, but he is never going to be a star receiver. He is mainly just an electrifying return man. Their other choices at wideout are Earnest Wilford and Derek Hagan. 16 Andre Smith (-4) OT Alabama Willie Anderson is getting up in years and Smith is a top offensive lineman. The Alabama lineman would be a great choice for the Bengals because he would open up holes for Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson. 17 Demetrius Byrd (+0) WR LSU Jon Gruden loves big receivers. With Joey Galloway at 36 and Ike Hillard at 31 it is time to go young. The Buccaneers don't know how who their QB of the future is but when they figure it out that guy will need a young receiver to throw the ball to. 18 Knowshon Moreno (+5) RB Georgia We all know what happens when a running back hits 30 and Thomas Jones will do just that this season. If he does slow down then New York will have to draft a running back for the future. Moreno has quick feet and runs through the SEC's best defenses. 19 Alex Boone (-4) OT Ohio State The Ravens selected Michael Oher in our last mock draft but in this draft they are selecting 17 spots later which means they get Boone, the third highest rated OT in this draft. They select him because Jonathon Ogden is 33 and getting up there in years. 20 Tyson Jackson (-13) DE LSU Robaire Smith will turn 31 this upcoming season and he will eventually lose a step. Without any major need positions to fill the Browns draft Jackson, who stumbles 13 spots from our last draft just because of lack of need. 21 C. J. Spiller (-3) RB Clemson Edgerrin James will turn 30 this season and has struggled since he signed with the Cardinals. Whether of not he struggles in 2008 is a guess but either way Arizona needs to grab a young running back. Spiller would be a great addition. 22 Victor Harris (+6) CB Virginia Tech Mike McKenzie is one of the NFL's première corners but is already 32 years old. The Saints just drafted a cornerback, Tracy Porter, this year but they need a big time defensive back. Harris could be that guy for New Orleans if given the chance. 23 Brandon Spikes (+7) LB Florida James Farrior is entering his 12th season and will probably retire within the next three seasons. If Pittsburgh wants to look towards the future then Spikes would be a great choice. He brings lots of athleticism and has a nose that takes him to the football. 24 Duke Robinson (+NR) OG Oklahoma Guard is a position that is usually filled in the second round or later but Robinson is too good to pass up for the Chargers. Mike Goff is 32 years old at one of the most grueling positions in the NFL, so San Diego has to prepare for the upcoming years. 25 Vontae Davis (+0) CB Illinois Sam Madison will play his 12th NFL season this year. R. W. McQuarters will play his 11th. It's time to draft a cornerback if you're the Giants and Vontae Davis is the playmaker they need. He's not afraid to be aggressive off the line and is quick enough to recover if the receiver makes a move to get by him. 26 Aaron Kelly (+NR) WR Clemson I'm not sure how Dallas missed out on taking a receiver in the 2008 NFL Draft but they did, making it an absolute must in the 09 Draft. The Cowboys are so desperate that they are going to use PacMan Jones at receiver due to the Terry Glenn situation. 27 Taylor Mays (-11) S USC Mays is more of a free safety but the Patriots need a strong safety to replace Rodney Harrison when he loses a step. They already have Brandon Merriweather to play free safety. Mays is a great player and would be a steal at #27 overall. In our last mock draft we had him going #16 overall. 28 Jeremy Maclin (-1) WR Missouri This pick would do two things for Tennessee. First of all we know Tennessee has to grab a receiver in this draft because their receiving corps is just not getting it done, so this would fill that need. Secondly Maclin would be a return man that electrifies crowds the same way PacMan Jones did before he was traded to Dallas. 29 Wopamo Osaisai (+NR) CB Stanford The Al Harris-Charles Woodson era in Green Bay cannot last forever. With Davis (the guy Green Bay took in our initial mock draft) gone the Packers go to the next wave of defensive backs. Osaisai will be a late first to mid second round pick. 30 Chase Coffman (+NR) TE Missouri Dallas Clark is a young guy that the Colts move around in the slot and put in many different places. Coffman would be a true tight end that could block and help Peyton Manning in the passing game. Clark is a do it all guy. Coffman would be strictly a tight end, something Indianapolis doesn't already have. They are basically set in every position. 31 Nic Harris (+NR) S Oklahoma Brian Dawkins is 34 and although J. R. Reed and Sean Considine are decent players neither are in the same league as Dawkins. The Eagles hope Harris can fill the void that Dawkins will leave when he retires when they select him here. 32 Senderrick Marks (+NR) DT Auburn The Jaguars continue working on their defensive line after taking Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves in the 08 Draft. Rob Meier is 30 so the Jaguars take Marks in a toss up over Al Woods from LSU here as the final pick in the NFL Draft. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:59:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277375 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277375 Few teams in the NFL evoked as much attention in the early rounds of fantasy drafts as the 2007 Bengals. There were no less than 5 players on the club that graded out as a 3rd round pick or higher talent. Once the dust settled on the season, it was a mixed bag. Some will call QB Carson Palmer's season a letdown, claiming that once you looked past his 6 TD game against the Browns in week 2, he was mediocre. Rudi Johnson owners will immediately interrupt those people, angrily reminding everyone that Palmer was a hero compared to Rudi; they will claim that Johnson not only stunk, (even when he wasn't hurt), but was surpassed by journeyman Kenny Watson as the season progressed. The team doesn't even pretend to have a pass-catching TE. On the flip side, those bright "I've just been to the dentist" smiles are plastered on the faces of anyone who had a piece of WRs T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Chad Johnson, both of whom were and will continue to be fantasy gold. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:04:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/165888 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/165888 The 2007 fantasy football season saw more than its share of fantasy studs injured. There were many "sure thing" players taken in the first several rounds of the draft that were big time bombs. Which players' fantasy seasons went up in flames? Which players will bounce back in 2008? Just as importantly, which players will continue their fantasy slide? Let's take a look at the running backs, perhaps the most disappointing position in 2007. The most noticeable fantasy failures were Steven Jackson (St Louis), Shaun Alexander (Seattle), and Larry Johnson (Kansas City). All were top five draft choices, and all were big time busts. Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:23:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/77018 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/77018 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's a snapshot of the results of Rounds 4-6. A team overview follows. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:49:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/72399 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/72399 For those of us in Keeper/Dynasty leagues, the pressure of choosing the right keeper can be massive. What's more, we're always looking for that darkhorse RB who will come out of the shadows and into Fantasy Dominance next year. Here is a list of players I believe have a chance to be that darkhorse RB in 2008 or 2009. Of course, all of these guys are question marks and many chips would have to fall into place, but who do YOU think has the best chance at being a Fantasy BEAST next year, or even years down the road. Who would YOU keep? In no particular order: Chris Henry, RB, Ten: 2007 Rookie backup to Lendale White and Chris Brown. Brown is rumored to be leaving in the offseason, and White may open up his own McDonalds. Brandon Jackson, RB, GB: 2007 Rookie could have had the starting spot but lost it to Ryan Grant. Many "experts" say Jackson and Grant will still fight for the starting spot next year. Maurice Morris, RB, SEA: Backup to the failing Shawn Alexander. Already splitting time this season and has played admirably. Rumor is Shawn could be DONE. Is he starter material? Adrian Peterson, RB, CHI: Not THAT Adrian Peterson, this guy filled in for the abysmal Cedric Benson and splits carries with Garrett Wolfe. Good pass catcher, but is he the total package? Pierre Thomas, RB, NO: Reggie Bush clearly cannot sustain being the single back in this offense and rumor has it they could move him to a split-end role. Thomas could be the next Deuce but what about Stecker? Kenny Watson, RB, CIN: Great player when he had the chance. In a timeshare with Rudi Johnson and Kenny Irons is coming off injury reserve in 2008. Jason Wright, RB, CLE: Fast, physical RB with good vision, but he's behind Jamal Lewis who had a renaissance of sorts this season. Rumor is Jamal could be traded. So who, if any, has the best shot to be a STUD next year? Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:10:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/63190 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/63190 This ones for you, the fantasy football diehard. Come and get your week seventeen fantasy football start'em sit'em picks. Thu, 27 Dec 2007 05:26:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/53567 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/53567 See the hot pick-ups that could provide your fantasy football team with some post season production. Go check it out. Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:41:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/52004 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/52004 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 16. Check this article each and every week on Saturdays. Sat, 22 Dec 2007 22:43:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/51399 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/51399 Each week, FIO and Fan Prophet 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: Cardinals at Bengals Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:03:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/36645 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/36645 The Fantasy Fanhouse (Fanhouse has fantasy sports? Oh hell yes!) does the weekly post changes in player values and who to trade for, who to trade away and dispenses other superbly brilliant advice. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:53:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/35890 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/35890