Jet fans may need a while to get used to it, and it may be hard for some to say goodbye to Chad Pennington, but it shouldn’t take too long for them to realize that they are now players and playoff contenders in the AFC.

The timing was pretty good for this move, too, since the Jets upgraded and solidified their offense line this off-season. And Brett Favre will make this line better. D’Brickashaw Ferguson hasn’t stood out on film at all, in fact he’s struggled, but he’s had a good off-season, and Favre could actually make him look like one of the better LTs in the AFC this year. Favre gets rid of the ball quickly, and he’s very hard to sack.

Favre will have to adjust to a new offense and its terminology, and that could take a little while, but I can’t see Favre struggling for too, too long with it. They’ll run the ball a ton, too, so this move is great news for RB Thomas Jones. Favre will challenge defenses vertically on the outside and over the middle, so things should really open up for Jones.

I also think that Favre and Laveranues Coles appears on the surface to be a good marriage on the field, and Jericho Cotchery’s value goes up a little as well. I’m particularly intrigued by rookie TE Dustin Keller now. I spoke to former GM and current personnel guy Terry Bradway in the spring after the draft, and he was really intense when he spoke about how much they are counting on him to make some plays for them. Favre, as we all know, usually clicks very well with a TE, and the athletic Keller is the ideal tight end for Favre.

As for Pennington, he’ll be released, and if I owned the Packers, I’d be signing him within 24 hours. That’s one way to improve the fan base’s comfort level of entering the 2008 season with a first-year starter and a backup with 0 NFL games under belt. Pennington, too, is familiar with the west coast offense. The Chiefs are also a possibility, since Pennington played under Herman Edwards. And I suppose the Vikings should be interested as well.

It still does remain something of a shame for Aaron Rodgers because the pressure now is so much greater than it was 2-3 months ago, and Rodgers hasn’t helped the perception that he’s not ready to lead this team by struggling the last 1-2 weeks in practice. I still think his biggest problem is staying healthy, but I’m rooting for him.

I’m kind of having a hard with Larry Johnson this year in fantasy drafts, but I think I’ve reached a conclusion: I’m going to avoid him.

We all know what Johnson can do, both good and bad. He can be a man amongst boys, dominant. He can also be a dog who seemingly can’t get out of his own way when running in a bad offense and behind a bad line.

Complicating matters a little this summer, however, is how he looks, which is very good. Our own Adam Caplan was a little taken back last week watching him scrimmage against the Vikings in Minnesota by how slim, trim, and quick he looked. His schedule is also very favorable, and QB Brodie Croyle has seemingly taken a step forward this year. The Chief defense may be decent, although their secondary is still a big question.

However, and it’s a big however, their line is still a mess. Have you ever heard of Rudy Niswanger? Neither did I until recently. He’s their starting center. They have a rookie at LT, and he’s banged up, too. If RT Damion McIntosh goes down again, they’re in trouble, and they’re in trouble no matter what, really. Can Johnson overcome a bad line? He didn’t last year. Can he bring it on every carry when he has to carry an offense on his back? He didn’t last year. Can he show the heavy workload from 2005-2006 hasn’t slowed him down? He didn’t last year.

Yes, we have him pretty high in our rankings, but we really have no choice, and I suspect we have him lower than most. It’s not that I view him as being un-draftable. My avoidance of Johnson is very simple.

Johnson’s ADP is about 13. Obviously, there are plenty of stud players being drafted in that range, such as Maurice Jones-Drew, Reggie Wayne, Terrell Owens, Andre Johnson, etc.

Bottom line, and it’s really very simple: if you take Johnson, you’re going to do so over another stud who is much safer. And I’m just not willing to do that, especially with so many solid options at RB available in the 4^th round and beyond.

We’ve seen only one preseason game so far, so it’s still very early, but so far in training camps, it appears this year’s crop of rookie runners is a very good one.

I’ll start with Matt Forte, one of our favorites in the league already. Talk about being “as advertised.” He’s been so damn solid that I’m starting to feel bad that he’s on the Bears, a bad offense. But he will make them better, for sure. Most encouraging, he’s been good picking up the blitz, his biggest problem. If healthy, Forte’s going to have a nicer NFL career. He’s not bursting with upside, but he’s going to be very, very solid.

In Detroit, Kevin Smith has also impressed. Just keep in mind that he’s far from a special talent. But he’s a very hard worker with high marks for his character and work ethic, and he’s tireless. This offense could be surprisingly good, too. Keep in mind they still have two stud wideouts on the outside and Jon Kitna is still serviceable.

In Oakland, the reviews on Darren McFadden have been phenomenal. Head coach Lane Kiffen can’t contain his excitement. That’s nice and all, but we’re still going to make the call that he’ll be overvalued based on his name recognition and his limitations. But he’s certainly off to a fine start.

In Dallas, Felix Jones is yet another player who has been “as advertised” in camp. He’s a complementary player, but he has a chance to be one of the best non-starters at the position, as soon as this year. For as much as I respect Marion Barber, he’s not a special talent. A great football player, yes, but not a special talent.

In Tennessee, Chris Johnson has already cemented a spot as the #2, plus he’s wowed with his speed. As we wrote all spring, Johnson’s elite speed shows on film during real football action, so this isn’t a track star playing football.

Carolina’s Jonathan Stewart has been practicing and is everything the team hoped, as well.

Ray Rice? I’ve loved this guy from Day One this year, and so far he’s been incredible in Ravens camp. As I’ve written a few times, I simply cannot envision him failing if give the ball at some point. He may not be a stud talent physically, but neither was Emmitt Smith.

Bronco Ryan Torain has been seeing ample time with the first-team offense, and my buddy who covers the team has told me that he’s seeing a lot of action in red zone and goal line packages, and he’s doing well. Torain will make an impact for fantasy this year at some point, no doubt.

Heck, even Tim Hightower in Arizona is looking like someone who needs to be on your radar now that Marcel Shipp has been cut. We’ve been telling people that the team really likes him, and Shipp’s release speaks to that.

The RB position is shakier at the top this year, but it’s also deeper than it’s ever been. Knowing what we know about injuries, underachieving players, etc., don’t be surprised if there are 50+ backs who are relevant this year at some point. That’s why I think it’s paramount to get that one stud if you can, load up on quality wideouts, and then take advantage of the unusual depth at the position this year.

The RB position is unique in that, if a starter goes down, you can realistically expect the backup to step in and immediately offer fantasy relief, and as you know many RBs do get hurt. It’s always easiest to grab the next great pickup at this position, whereas the others are trickier. So keep an eye on all these high quality backups and complementary players.

I have to chime in on my boy Steve Smith, who I met and interviewed for our magazine cover two years ago in 2006. I knew going into the interview that he was a firecracker, but I was a little surprised at how calm and reserved he was for the interview.

My feeling, based on the encounter, his past going way back, his recent past, and of course yesterday’s “incident” is that Smith had matured and gotten past his anger management issues – but that the demon just came out, perhaps from nowhere, and hopefully for the last time.

Smith takes football very, very serious. He’s not an immature kid, he’s not a punk. Not even close. He is incredibly focused on doing everything he needs to excel, and that includes preparation off the field and in the classroom. I just think that what makes him such a great football player is basically the same thing that caused him to blow up and beat on one of his teammates.
I’m not condoning what Smith did, especially if the reports are true that it was basically a “sucker punch” on CB Ken Lucas. He lost it, and that’s not good. But I can also make an educated guess that Smith was antagonized, and I’d be shocked if the attack came unsolicited.

It’s somewhat hypocritical to praise his exploits on the field at one turn, and then lambaste him for losing his head at another. It’s a violent sport, and it’s not natural what these players are asked to do each Sunday. The only comparison would be a soldier or a warrior from days past, and those people sometimes wind up killing people. I mean, look at this guy. I’m 6’2” about 200lbs. I’m a bigger guy, but I’m not that big. Smith looks like my 11-year old son next to me.

So how exactly does a 5’9” 189lb wideout completely dominate on the field going up against the best athletes in the world who are so much bigger than him? We found out yesterday.

Yeah, Smith’s incredible fire, perhaps anger, is something to behold, but it can be dangerous if utilized in a negative fashion.

But instead of being angry with Smith, we should feel sorry for him because, again, this is not a punk kid whose priorities are out of whack. He’s probably a guy who got pushed around too much when he was a kid, or whose rough childhood continues to haunt him.

That’s right; today, July 31^st is my birthday and Lordy-freaking-Lordy, I am 40.

First of all, I’m happy to be alive, and to be healthy. I’m happy to have four special children, and a fantastic wife, and I’m happy to have my health. I’m very pleased to still have some hair. I destroy Matt Hasselbeck in that area.

And yeah, 40 is just a number, I know. Problem is, so is 87, so that little cliché offers very little relief.

I’m not real good on the aging thing, and I’m not exactly sure why. It may be because I reflect on the various phases of my life more than the average person, who just chugs along without really thinking about what’s going on. I was the guy in High School who said to people, “Man, these are times we’ll never forget.” My friends replied “Yeah, sure,” as they checked my fridge for human heads. Of course, many of those people now live in the past. I don’t live in the past, but I take note of all the phases of my life, and it’s never easy to say goodbye to one of them, as I did last night to my 30s.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always been very ambitious, and to be young and successful meant a lot to me. When you’re 40 and successful, it’s no big achievement; you’re freaking 40. You better be doing something if you’re goal is to be a mover and a shaker.

Or maybe it’s simply because I find my eyes drawn to fully developed female adults who live in my town and actually call me “Mr. Hansen.” It may take another decade to get used to that one.

It could be because whenever I go to a party or a barbeque, I always gravitate to the young people. Ironically, when I was very young, I hung tough with the old guys at such events, but now I’m very interested to talk to young guys in their early 20s to find out what’s going on with people who actually have legit social lives and the like. Like exactly what is standard these days in terms of the base attained on a first or second date, among other things. And these are certainly the only people I can talk to about music and other hip things that I still cling to at this point. At least in a party setting, I honestly relate to someone 22 better than someone 42. I had new neighbors a few years ago and hung out with them a fair amount one summer. I called over once asking for Bob. Only problem was, I was asking for “Little Bob,” who just graduated from college. Big Bob, about 7 years older than me, is a nice guy, but I was more on Little Bob’s wavelength.

Finally, I may simply feel the residual affects of feeling old for damn near 20 years. I got married very young, at 23. That wasn’t so bad, but I accidentally become a father, at 24. Apparently, antibiotics can nullify the effects of The Pill. (In my best Johnny Carson voice): I did not know that. And neither did my wife. I’m embarrassed to say, but I actually felt old at 24 because I was married with a kid. I have issues, I know. That son is now only two years younger than I was when I started dating my wife, and he’s exactly her age at the time we started going out. To put it in greater and more relevant perspective, I was 26 years old when I started this website. Unbelievable.

Ah, but it’s all ok. I just have to get used to another phase of my life and make some small adjustments. At 30, I acted like I was 20, so I guess I’ll roll with 30. I might even be able to pull that off visually. With a hat. At night. In a blackout.

I’m also a little freaked out this week because my wife threw me a surprise party on Saturday night, and I had absolutely no idea it was coming. Didn’t even think that I was out kayaking all day, something I do twice a decade, set up by her, with her cousin, who I last hung out with in 1993. That’s how shot out I am. It was surreal, actually, walking into my house and then into my backyard. Cars were hidden, and long story short she got me to approach the house on a specific street so I didn’t see them, still clueless. Best gift? Easy, someone gave me an unopened bottle of Chivas Regal, circa 1968. Cracked that bad boy open at the stroke of midnight today. It’s a big bottle, so if I take just one shot once a year on my birthday, that beotch might someday be 60 year old scotch.

OK, I better wrap this thing up before I’m accused of making people pay to read my (likely misguided) ramblings about turning 40. If you are annoyed, I have good news, at least on the aging front: I don’t plan on ever writing about my age again. Now that I’m 40, there’s nothing gained out of advertising that fact. Let people think I’m still a guy in my 30s, I’m ok with that that. I know I don’t “sound” 40.

This has been therapeutic for me, and I do feel a little better now. Yeah, I know, it’s better than the alternative, at least you have your health, and it’s just a number. Got it.

But before I go, I thought it would be fun to see who among the famous was also turning 40 this year, my fellow 1968ers. As usual, when I see a list, I can’t help myself but to insert some comments, so I figured I’d share them.

• Celine Dion – One of the most annoying humans on the planet in every possible way.
• Christian Slater – The dude was off the charts in True Romance.
• Patricia Arquette – Also bad-ass in TR.
• Debra Messing – Blah, blah, blah.
• Hugh Jackman – Not a big fan. Wolverine, ok, but that’s it.
• John Singleton – Boyz in the hood is one of my favorites.
• Mike Piazza – Scammed full credential access to Dodgertown in Vero Beach in ’92 and conducted interviews for my own personal enjoyment, some huge names, too. I blew him off 20 times because he was a nobody. Whoops.
• Naomi Watts – One of my favorites; Mulholland Drive…enough said.
• Owen Wilson – More talented than people think; wrote and directed some good movies.
• Tony Hawk – OK, can this guy officially grow up now? Or does he actually need more money?
• Ashley Judd – My favorite Judd, by far, and yours too.
• Brendan Fraser – I can do without him, but he’s ok.
• Will Smith – Like the guy, but he may have to start cursing on his raps to sell records now.
• Josh Brolin – Not familiar until No Country for Old Men, I now like him. If I could, I would name the sequel “No Country for me and Josh Brolin.”
• Kenny Chesney – Apparently, he’s a country singer.
• Billy Crudup – Big Fish, quality flick.
• Aaron Eckhart – Thank you for also turning 40 this year.
• Cuba Gooding – Show me the AARP card! Even the “quan” couldn’t prevent him from hitting the big 4-0.
• Eddie Griffin – The New Guy was an underrated comedy thanks mainly to him. Shoot the gun! (which means absolutely nothing unless you’ve seen the movie)
• Vanilla Ice – Alright, stop. Collaborate and listen: you’re old.
• LL Cool J – Sat right behind him once at a Roy Jones Junior fight. My boy was 4 ½ feet wide.
• Brad Johnson – Please stay in the league a few more years, Brad. Now that Vinny’s gone, you’re all we got.
• Traci Lords – Always enjoyed her acting, and the articles in Playboy.
• Mark McGrath – Don’t like him. My wife once admitted to finding him attractive, so I don’t like him. And now he’s a lame-ass.
• Heather Mills – Nobody likes her.
• Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Ironically, he’s actually old now.
• Anthony Michael Hall – One of the most famous lines ever uttered on the silver screen: Hey! He doesn’t even have his license, Lisa!
• Tracy Morgan – That dude is crazy. For some reason, I’m Brian Fellow! Was funny on SNL.
• Mike Mussina – I think he’s still pitching.
• Molly Ringwald – Never got her, but that’s my generation in a nutshell.
• Barry Sanders – Two words: 1. The 2. Man.
• Gary Sheffield – Shared an elevator with him at the Staples Center once. He was ok – and his wife was smoking hot, as you would expect.
• Pauly Shore – To me, Pauly Shore and crickets go hand in hand.
• Sebastian Bach – Someone please tell this guy that hair bands sucked, at least his did. And also that it’s 2008. Skid Row? More like Skid Mark.
• Edward Burns – A little too hung up on relationships in his movies, but how can you not like this guy?
• James Caviezel – Jesus, he’s old!
• Thom Yorke - Radiohead frontman. He did a solo album last year and his big song had the chorus “This is F#cked Up,” which is ironically a song I was humming myself Wednesday morning, my last day ever in my 30s.
• Gary Coleman – I’m not even going to say it, and you know what I mean. If you do remember him well in the 80s, this one’s gotta make you feel old. Arnold Jackson is freaking 40?
• Lucy Liu - Kick ass in Kill Bill Vol I
• Sarah McLachlan – 90s version of the Carpenters in a Tommy Boy sort of way and if you don’t get that I totally understand.
• Sam Rockwell - One of the best actors nobody’s ever heard of.
• Shannon Sharpe – I’ve met him, and I worked with his Bro for a year on NFL Network. Sterling used to crack up every time I passed the time by crossing my arms on my chest like in a casket because I had makeup on. Little anecdote there.
• Sammy Sosa – How about that interview regarding Steroids when he couldn’t understand the questions because of a language barrier? Meanwhile, he talks like John Houseman now.
• Bernie Williams – Gotta like what you’re doing when fans go first name on you.
• Rick Salomon – Of Paris Hilton video fame. Only reason I bring him up is I actually spoke to this dude several times, pre-filming. But that dude’s 40.

And finally, I’d like to thank Mike Gundy for making this whole 40 thing much less painful. You are the man, Mike, and for 12 more days, you are still 40!

After the results of our site poll, the Minnesota Viking Defense is the DT to get #1.

It’s really hard to argue, too, given what we saw last year, the addition of DE Jared Allen (the best pass rushing DE in the league), and their incredible nose for the endzone. They also have a good schedule.

Now, you may not want to be the first person to take a DT, and I can see why. I haven’t taken them yet, so the question is, who is this year’s sleeper or surprise defense. We have a long history of finding the value defense, and we were on the Vikings and Packers last year pretty good.

This year’ choice is clear: The Dallas Cowboys. Given their talent, their upgrades in the secondary, their second season under Wade Phillips, and the addition of a very dangerous return man in Pacman Jones, we have Dallas’ D #2 behind the Vikings. That means they are a great value, since they are usually the 5th-7th DT off the board. That means they are THE fantasy defense to target this year. The upside is great, and if they don’t pan out (hard to envision), you won’t feel the burn of over-paying for them.

Here are the results of the poll:

1. Minnesota Vikings 507 59%
2. San Diego Chargers 204 24%
3. Chicago Bears 42 5%
4. Dallas Cowboys 80 9%
5. New England Patriots 24 3%
Summary: 857 votes

I participated in another “Expert Draft” on 7/28, this one for a fantasy TV show called “Fantasy Huddle” that airs in various markets on Time Warner Cable. I wish I could actually participate in a draft without distractions, but that’s an impossibility around my house if I’m drafting at night, which I did in this one. On this occasion, I was watching my 2 year old twins, as usual, running around the yard and wreaking havoc wherever they went.

I don’t think I had a bad draft because I drafted a lot of good players in good spots; I did have a plan, but I wanted this to be a “perfect” draft, and I fell a little short because I didn’t draft optimally. Due to the duties I had while drafting, I made a few picks in haste and simply took the best player on the board, or the best value on the board, so I didn’t get optimal results. I didn’t even cross guys off my cheat sheet, so I was going completely by the site’s draft list, which is a huge no-no.

I’m starting to think drafting online can do more harm than good – and least it does in my case since I simply can’t focus on the task at hand this time of the year, or any time of the year. I’d rather been in a room or a bar with only the draft to focus on.

But this was still a good exercise for those in 12-team PPR leagues. And I should mention that I won this league last year, so I can’t be taken lightly. I luckily drew the #1 spot, so let’s take a look at my team. I’ll have a whole recap of the draft up on the site in the draft section tomorrow. Probably the biggest surpriser of this draft was that Ryan Grant slipped to me in the 3rd round. That was ridiculous value even as it was the first pick of the round. I couldn’t pass on him, so I was left with few studs at WR.

Scoring/Rules

Starting Lineup Requirements:
16 rounds with a starting roster of QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, FLEX (RB/WR), TE, K, DEF

Skill players
1 pt for every 25 yards passed
4 pts for every TD pass
-1 for every INT
1 pt for every reception
1 pt for every 10 yards rushing or receiving
6 pts for every rushing or receiving TD
-2 for every lost fumble

Kickers
1 pt for every PAT
3 pts for FG up to 39 yards
4 pts for FG 40-49 yards
5 pts for FG 50 and beyond
-2 for missed PAT
-1 missed FG 39 and below

Defense
1 pt for every sack
2 pts for turnover (fumble and INT)
2 pts for safety
6 pts for defensive and special teams TD
7 pts for 0 pts allowed
5 pts for 2-5 pts allowed
3 pts for 6-13 pts allowed
1 pts for 14-27 pts allowed
0 pts for 28 and above

Roster:
LaDainian Tomlinson
T.J Houshmandzadeh
Ryan Grant
Carson Palmer
Willie Parker
Kevin Curtis
Chris Chambers
DeAngelo Williams
Owen Daniels
Darrell Jackson
Ahman Green
Heath Miller
Dallas Cowboys
Fred Jackson
Kurt Warner
Mike Nugent

Projected Starting Lineup:
QB: Carson Palmer
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson, Ryan Grant
WR: T.J Houshmandzadeh, Kevin Curtis, Chris Chambers
Flex: Willie Parker
TE: Owen Daniels
PK: Mike Nugent
DT: Dallas Cowboys

As you may have noticed, we had Julius Jones buried in our initial projections. We moved him up a little, since head coach Mike Holmgren spoke positively about him and definitively about his role as the main ball carrier. We certainly knew Maurice Morris would be in the mix, but Holmgren made it pretty clear that Jones was bought in to be their lead back.

He may still be that, but as training camp kicked off in Seattle, Morris’ role is considered larger than anyone expected. We had him at 52, with over 100 carries, but we need to bump him up and project even more love for him.

There are issues with Jones behind what might not be a very good OL. He has an inability to make people miss, and his run instincts and vision leave a lot to be desired. Too often, Jones runs into the pile. He’s basically a one-dimensional back, which flies in the face of what he showcased back in his rookie season, when he was dynamic as hell. So if the offense is sputtering a little, and if the line is shaky as expected, we could see Jones getting stuffed a ton. After all, he got stuffed a lot in Dallas, and their line is strong. If things get a little ugly with their offense, I don’t think Jones is good enough to rise above that and make them better. If the ship is going down, Jones will not only be going down with it, he’ll be someone who causes it to sink faster.

Morris has a little more zuzu, and he’s very familiar with the offense and the personnel. Heck, he may be a better overall player than Jones at this point. Morris averaged a nice 4.5 yards per carry last year, up from 3.8 the year before, and he’s shown an ability to score, unlike Jones, who is apparently allergic to the endzone. Morris can catch the ball, too. I get the feeling that Jones will be used more simply in attempt to establish the running game with a back who’s a little bigger, whereas Morris will actually make the plays and truly help this offense. Of course, T.J. Duckett is also in the mix and could see some time as RB and could easily emerge as the goal line back.

So in short, I’ll be passing on Jones, and Morris looks like a nice value later in drafts for depth. He’d be an ideal #4 RB and a guy who’s value could rise later in the year, yet he’s someone who has value from Day One.

We’re really close to kicking off our daily News & Injury updates, and in fact we’re pushing that up to Monday, as opposed to the 8/1 date that was listed previously. I know people are starving for info and some feel we’re dropping the ball if we’re not completely all over everything, even though all 32 teams *still* aren’t in camp as of today.

In the meantime, we posted a massive team report as of today. There are a ton of tidbits, which should satisfy thirsts. This is our final off-season edition of our team reports. From here on out, it’s daily updates all of which are accessible in the Fantasy News section, or via you Myguru page. Or, you can view any player’s updates via his player page on the site.

Speaking of those player pages, we also added all the player profiles (updated today) to each player’s page, so you can read them there and view subsequent updates on the players for the rest of the year on that page as well. Here’s an example:

Terry Glenn

Real quick, I have some tidbits from our footballinjuries.com insiders, including of course our own Adam Caplan.

- Eagle QB Donovan McNabb reported to camp very slim, literally in the best shape of his life. I’ve seen him in camp in person before, and he’s looked overweight.

- TE LJ Smith is working with a personal trainer to do whatever he can to ensure his body doesn’t break down.

- Don’t read too much into any news you hear about the Giant RB situation; Brandon Jacobs is the starter. We should all know he can’t handle a massive workload, so others will play.

- Texan WR Andre Johnson seems to be good to go, great news.

- Saint RB Deuce McAllister is not only ready to go, he actually looks pretty darn good. That’s great news for Drew Brees and their offense.

- We still don’t know how much work we can expect from RB Ronnie Brown early on here in camp.

- Jet QB Kellen Clemens has been erratic still in camp. But Brett Favre could be coming to NY soon. If not, Chad Pennington looks like the starter.

- The Browns are happy with how much Brady Quinn has progressed this year, but there is no position battle.

- So far, so good on Marvin Harrison. He looks well on his way to returning to the starting lineup week one.

- Big surprise: Titan RB LenDale White is overweight.

- Not good about the possible Brandon Marshall suspension. We’ve believe it would be only a couple of games, but when you go see Goodell, it’s not good. If you are drafting before we know what the deal is, pass on Marshall.

- Darren Sproles should open as the #2 RB in SD, but they would actually like rookie Marcus Thomas to be the guy (Hester is also a FB).

- Panther RB Jonathan Stewart just started running, so he will likely be limited to 1 practice a day, he has a little ways to go.

That’s about it for now.

I’ve wanted to add a Player Matchup History tool to the site for a little while now, and it’s almost a reality. Phase One is done, so I wanted to introduce people to it. What this aspect of the tool does is it takes the 2008 schedule and ranks the players based on their average points per game against their opponents for a given week.

For example, let’s say you need a QB in Week 12. You’d head here and you’d see all the QBs ranked by their average points per game against their Week 12 opponents (you can go back 1 year or as many as 6 years). We default the tool to go back two years, so if you were in need of a QB and checked this tool out, you’d see that Chad Pennington was the 5th best QB for the Week (12) based on his history against the Titans. In his two games, he’s completed 76.9% of his passes and has averaged 21.2 fantasy points, so that would be a good example of the power of the History Tool

This works for all positions, including IDPs. Once it’s completed, too, you’ll be able to click on the player’s name and view game logs from his matchups with whatever team he’s playing whatever week you choose. You can also use this tool to look forward all the way through Week 17, so it’s not just the current week.

Get a sneak peek here:
http://www.fantasyguru.com/football/subscribers/ftdb.php?page=history

Finally, barring any setbacks, we’ll also have this History thing available for quick reference. Pick a player and pick and opponent and you’ll be able to quickly see what he’s done against them the last 6 years with full game logs. Of course, the fantasy point totals are always in your customized scoring system, if you so choose.

This is just another upgrade to the site this year in addition to our merger with footballinjuries.com, access to better “insider” information, having Adam Caplan and the rest of the footballinjuries.com people on our side, the new site design, the enhancements of our tools, the extra chats we’ll be doing, the expanded injury coverage and overall increase in quality due to a larger staff, more podcasts, and also another surprise upcoming. And this of course is on the heels of a massive upgrade last year, which completely stabilized out site to the point that we had zero technical meltdowns.

Alrighty then, back to our updated player profiles, which we’ll roll out tomorrow - all 100,000 words of them.