Fantasy football dreaming

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

So what's your dream team in fantasy football?

If you could pick an entire starting lineup -- quarterback, 2 running backs, 3 wide receivers, one tight end, one kicker and one team defense -- who would you pick and why?

Well, it's my turn to turn my cast on big-game winners into a fantasy football championship. Do you think this team would compete, more like compete at a very high level week in and week out? We all know how important consistency is in fantasy football.

Here's my championship club:

QUARTERBACK

Tom Brady -- Are you really surprised? I'll spit at the next person who says his knee injury is a concern entering the season. He's fine. He might be a tad rusty early so only expect maybe 280 yards a game and a few scores, but when that rust is completely gone, look out. Brady has the best cast around him -- Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway, Fred Taylor, ect. -- plus we all know how the Patriots like to expose secondaries. Expect -- more like bank -- on an MVP-type season. If you made a case for Drew Brees here, I wouldn't argue.

RUNNING BACKS

Adrian Peterson -- In a new wave of running back by committee approaches, you know in Minnesota who's going to get the ball early and often. AP is a beast, no doubt. He's averaged 12 TDs and 1,551 yards in his two years in the league, so Year 3 should be even better. Image if he only factored into the passing game (40 catches in 2 years)?

Matt Forte -- The second-year back in Chicago is a fantasy superstar since he can run like the wind and he's got glue on his hands in the passing game. Forte had 1,238 yards receiving and 63 catches for 477 yards as a rookie. Can you say stud?

WIDE RECEIVERS

Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, Andre Johnson -- All three star wide receivers have the same thing in common -- they have the ability to score from anywhere on the field, plus they are clearly the No. 1 options on their respective teams. Fitzgerald keeps improving (12 TDs last year and up from 10 in 2007), Moss has a mojo with Brady (23 TDs in 2007, 11 last year with Matt Cassel at the helm) and Johnson (115 receptions, 1,575 yards, 8 TDs) should be a household name. If I had all three of them, no one could touch me at the position.

TIGHT END

Tony Gonzalez -- Please look past the fact that I met Gonzalez years ago at a New England Patriots game and I've got many autographs from him, bottom line is he keeps getting his numbers. Still, at the age of 33, he's the most productive guy on the block (some say Jason Witten, I say Touchdown Tony). Don't be afraid that he's now on the Falcons, he still will post top-of-the-line numbers. Over 1,000 yards the last two years ...that's just sick, considering he's a tight end.

KICKER

Stephen Gostkowski -- Kickers are so hard to predict, but the Patriots kicker has been a nice treat in fantasy circles for two straight years with 135-plus points in each of those years (137 in 2007 and 148 in 2008). He may blast a lot of PATs, but he'll always be scoring points because of how good the Patriots' offense is. But there are plenty of other guys that can do the job, too.

DEFENSE

Steelers -- I guess you have to go with the defending Super Bowl champs? This in another crap-shoot position where plenty of teams deserve to be recognized. But The Steelers attack, attack and attack some more. They had 51 sacks last year, 20 INTs, 22 fumble recoveries, one TD off of a fumble and 2 INT touchdowns. It all equals friendly fantasy points. Ravens, Eagles, Giants and Vikings are also good picks that should be highly productive.

Beckett gets bombed again

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Another outing like that and Josh Beckett will have pitched his way right out of Cy Young contention.

In fact, over his last two starts, Beckett has looked less like the ace and more like the shell-shocked National League pitcher who came to the Red Sox in 2006.

Before getting rocked in back-to-back outings, Beckett had won eight of his previous thirteen starts dating back to the beginning of June. Over that span he posted a 2.10 ERA and gave up six home runs. Fast forward to his last two outings against Toronto and tonight's debacle against the Yankees. Over those two games alone, Beckett allowed eight home runs and saw his season ERA rise just a shade under half a run.

This is not the time for Beckett to be imploding. Or is it?

Over his career, there is only one month that has been a losing one for Beckett and we just happen to be smack dab in the middle of that month. Going into tonight's game, Beckett had a career record of 14-15 with an ERA over 4.00 and historically, his K/BB ratio takes a dive.

But fear not, Sox fans, for we know more than any that Josh Beckett is no burnout. In fact, in September, he boasts a career 18-8 record and a 2.86 ERA, a 1.32 run difference from month to month. The division is all but decided and was before this series with the Yankees ever came to pass. But do not forget that there is still a month of meaningful baseball left to be played. Thanks to the loss tonight, the Texas Rangers are breathing down the Red Sox' necks at just a game back and Tampa Bay is making a play at the Wild Card after taking two of three from those Rangers.

While the Red Sox don't face Texas at all and will require help keeping them at bay, Boston has two upcoming series in September against the Rays. If the rotation continues in the pattern it should, Beckett will take his good September numbers and his solid numbers against the Rays (6-4, 3.63 ERA, 98 K in 84.1 innings) into what could be some critical games.

You always want your ace to be on, but this is especially the time when you need him to come up big. He failed to do it tonight, but history suggests he could be up to rebound in a big way.

We can only hope.

Tough Titan: Durand not hurting his chances of making the team

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Two NFL preseason games down, three more to go.

That's the life of rookie 7th-round pick Ryan Durand, an offensive guard who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans.

"I'm really not looking at the big picture," said Durand, who played his college ball at Syracuse University. "I'm just trying to improve every day."

So does he think he'll make the Titans' roster?

"It's so hard to tell," he said. "There's three weeks left and three preseason games. There's still a lot of football to play."

Durand has done nothing to hurt his chances of wearing a Titans uniform to start the regular season.

After a very good showing against the Buffalo Bills in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, he and his teammates enjoyed their first home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Durand played the entire second half, protecting quarterbacks Vince Young and Patrick Ramsey.

"I think I did good," Durand said. "I did my assignments. I think I played well, but not everything was perfect."

Durand enjoyed playing in front of the home fans, too.

"It was great, it was a great atmosphere," he said.

Now the Titans travel to Dallas on Friday where the Cowboys will officially unveil their new state-of-the-art stadium.

"It's the first game in the new stadium so that's going to be exciting," Durand said. "I'm expecting a great atmosphere."

Durand has grown accustomed to the demands of the NFL already.

"There's more time involved now," he said. "It's strickly football now. There's more demand on you. They don't show you stuff three or four times, they expect you to know it after the first couple of times."

Durand's mindset hasn't changed.

"Mentally, I look at it like it's a great opportunity," he said. "I'm taking the challenges as they come."

So what are the Titans, as an organization, all about?

"We're a competitive team that likes to win and works hard," Durand said. "We're a blue-collar, hard-working team that practices hard and plays hard."

That's why Durand has fit in so well.

(PHOTO COURTESY/ Tennessee Titans)

College Hockey: BU vs. BC at Fenway!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Do you want another chance to see an outdoor game at Fenway Park this coming January? Well that's just what you're going to get. On Friday, January 8th, at 8 pm, The Boston University Terriers will be facing off against the Boston College Eagles. Why spend the money to see the Bruins/Flyers game when you can check out a much better rivalry a week after the NHL's Winter Classic. You will have a much better chance at getting tickets for this game, at a much lower price, than the Winter Classic.

Why would you choose this game over the Bruins? This is THE BEST rivalry in all of College Hockey. This is the Red Sox/Yankees of College Hockey. These two teams are also the last two National Champions, and still have great programs that will put them in the national mix again this season. Boston is a great hockey town, so this should be another sell out for Fenway Park. There will be many Bruins fans left looking for tickets to an outdoor game that will go, there are the many BU & BC fans, and there will be a ton of general hockey fans who will throw on his or her parka, hat and gloves to watch in the icy cold January weather.

There will be a Thursday morning press conference at Fenway Park to formally announce the game. Make sure to stay tuned to Fan Fanatic Sports for great College Hockey coverage throughout the season.

Current draft system is no good for baseball

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The kid has never thrown a pitch in professional baseball, and yet he's guaranteed to make enough money that he could never throw one at all and be financially stable for the rest of his life.

It's not Stephen Strasburg's fault, even though he put his pen on the dotted line of a record-breaking $15.1 million contract. It's not Scott Boras' fault for negotiating the best contract he could for his client. All he's doing is using what the current system is giving him.

And it's certainly not the Washington Nationals' fault. The Nationals were put in a terrible position. Sure, it's a position they put themselves in by being the worst team in baseball. But they shouldn't be held captive by that fact. Some say that if Washington had doubts about their ability to sign Strasburg, they shouldn't have drafted him. But if they did not draft him, they would be criticized for not choosing the best player and not being committed to winning. And in drafting him, they were pretty much forced to sign him or suffer the exact same reaction as if they never drafted him at all.

They had to sign a ridiculous contract for a pitcher- granted, with loads of potential - who may or may not ever see their major league facility. They did what they had to do with the pick because they couldn't do anything else with it. Major League Baseball does not allow draft picks to be traded. If you're the first pick, you have to be ready to give a boatload of money to a player who statistically speaking doesn't have much of a shot of ever living up to its potential and hype.

This isn't like football or basketball where draft picks make immediate impact in the league. It takes years sometimes for these guys to develop into the players we see on Major League diamonds, if they do at all. How valuable Strasburg really is to the Nationals will not be decided this year and maybe not even next year. Even if he does reach the majors, the return on his club's investment could be obscenely limited, as his best years could come after his four-year contract has expired and he's left Washington for bigger dollars he'd be able to get elsewhere.

Baseball needs to allow teams to do with picks what they wish. If the Nationals can sacrifice a gamble on a very good prospect to get someone closer to major league ready or a couple of lower picks to save money that they can use on the free agent market, then why should they not be able to if that's what they think the team needs?

Until this happens, small market teams will continue to be forced into this perilous situation. And how much better are they getting by it?

Are you scared of Brady playing in preseason games?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

If you were the head coach of the New England Patriots, would you play superstar quarterback Tom Brady in preseason games?

Sure, why not. 

But wait.

I'm starting to get that nervous feeling in my gut that the all-everything franchise quarterback could be in serious danger if he suits up and plays in these final three preseason games.

Call me crazy, I know, but I'm starting not to like it.

One game was fine against the Eagles. Brady's surgically repaired knee looks good, he held up under pressure, moved perfectly fine in the pocket, made his reads and got rid of the football with accuracy and heat on the ball.

All systems go in my book.

But I don't really think he's got anything else to prove in the preseason.

I know he wants to shake off all the rust since he sat out all of last year after his season ended in the first game against Kansas City. 

But I'm nervous to see him slinging it in preseason games, aren't you?

I know he's going to get hit many times during the regular season and he's probably going to get hit on the knee a few times (fingers crossed that it holds up), but I'd rather that happen when games actually matter instead of the preseason.

I'd like to think Brady, a three-time Super Bowl champion and a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he retires, isn't playing in the preseason to secure his spot as the No. 1 quarterback on the team. The team, especially the receivers and tight ends, have a lot to gain with Brady under center. Brady can gain a lot, too, especially the mental aspect of coming back from serious injury (he should know he's ready to play now, though). He also does get his chance to see live game action, get the speed of the game down pat again and work on his timing, his reads and everything else that goes into being the best signal-caller in the NFL.

But I'm perfectly fine with Brady working his tail off in practice, holding the clipboard on the sidelines in the last three preseason games and getting ready for the first game of the season -- a Monday Night showdown against Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills.

Call me crazy, but I'm just nervous seeing No. 12 in meaningless preseason games.

Can the Big East prove it's more than just a basketball conference?

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

(Note: As the college football season approaches, I will be breaking down the following conferences: The Big XII, the PAC-10, the WAC and the Big East. This week I tackle the Big East in the last preview of this segment. If you haven't already, check out the past previews.)

It's a conference that has been craving legitimacy for, oh, going on five years?

Since its two best programs decided to jump ship, followed a year later by Boston College, the Big East has been toiling in mediocrity. Could this be the season the Big East steps it up and proves they can be heavy hitters in college football? Not likely, as there doesn't even appear to be anything that could be considered a dominant team.

West Virginia has to be considered the favorite this season, even with the loss of quarterback Pat White. What was a very young defense last year is a year more experienced. For most it's a cliche, but for the Mountaineers, you have to consider the 2008 experience to be some of the best you can have. The defense gave up just 17 points a game, which ranked 11th in the nation. The problem for West Virginia is even with Pat White, the offense was still 73rd in the nation in scoring offense and now must do so with Jarrett Brown, a senior quarterback who has thrown 110 passes in his career and no offensive line in front of him. Behind him is Noel Devine, who brings experience to the backfield, but again, with a weak line in front of him, you have to wonder how far this offense can go.

Pittsburgh is looking to turn a corner this season, but they just might take a step back. 2008 was a major improvement, but the main reason for that success (LeSean McCoy) is now getting ready to suit up on Sundays. Without anything resembling a running back they can lean on this season Brian Stull will have to vastly improve his passing and cut way down on mistakes. The strength on this team, like West Virginia, lies in the defense. While not outstanding, the defense was more than solid and the defensive line figures to be very talented at getting to the quarterback.

South Florida could be the team to watch in the conference. Matt Grothe has turned into probably the best quarterback in the conference and he has a plethora of options to throw to. But the offense around him needs to help out, especially in the backfield. I'm always wary of teams whose quarterbacks are their leading rushers. Mike Ford has to step up and provide another look for the offense or this team runs the serious risk of getting its quarterback killed. If that happens, say goodnight.

Do NOT expect Cincinnati to repeat its success from last season, which included the Big East championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl. This is not the same team. Quarterback Tony Pike and receiver Marshawn Gilyard figure to be a standouts and the offense should once again be solid. The defense, however, is a problem. The Bearcats have to replace all but two of its starters from last year and are switching formations to the 3-4 to accommodate their talent. It's never god when a team has to alter its game plan to make up for the fact it didn't recruit well enough to make its system work.

Connecticut is another team you should expect to fall off the table. Calling themselves the fastest rising programs in college football history, the Huskies are in line for a rude awakening this year. Donald Brown was this team's entire offense and he is long gone. Even with college football's leading rusher, UConn ranked 65th in scoring offense and 63rd in total offensive yards. That doesn't speak volumes for the passing game. They only threw five touchdown passes all season last year. Defense will be the name of the game for the Huskies, who ranked in the top-25 in both yards allowed (6th) and points allowed (22). But even that unit doesn't figure to be as good with the loss of guys like Darius Butler and Cody Brown.

Prediction: West Virginia is the only team in the conference with nine wins and takes the conference title.

Projected Big East Standings
1. West Virginia
2. South Florida
3. Pittsburgh
4. Rutgers
5. Cincinnati
6. Connecticut
7. Louisville
8. Syracuse