By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Little noise has been created for the other New York team. The New York Giants swayed from resigning Plaxico Burress, and stuck to their core structure as a team overall. Tom Coughlin’s always been an in-house kind of guy. Teaching and training through his proper system and instilling his overall team concept. It’s worked in the past for Jacksonville’s success, and obviously in New York where they have won a Super Bowl.

No big signings have come from the New York Giants. Just a solid draft and retaining some key free agents. Their bright nucleus of wide receivers remain intact, and will likely blossom even further this season. The area in which many are surprised a move wasn’t made would have to be at running back.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have had their fair share of ups and downs as Giants. Jacobs went from a breakout back to bust in a quick time span. Last year though, with the Giants relegating his carries he showed proper production as the second option back. Bursting through tacklers late in games and tacking on touchdowns gave Jacobs fantasy value once again. We all knew Jacobs would be back in 2011, it was who he would be paired with that was the question.

Ahmad Bradshaw had an out the gate type of 2010 season. Starting off so well that he supplanted Jacobs as feature back with ease. The grind of carries can typically catch up to a back in the latter parts of the year. For Bradshaw he hit a wall basically at the midpoint of the year. His value and stock dropped dramatically as he only produced one game over a hundred yards. What made matters worse was the fact that he fumbled the ball at a high rate.

As Bradshaw became less dependable that was when Brandon Jacobs seemed to resurrect. He had a three game tear weeks twelve through fourteen in which he averaged nearly one hundred yards a game. Even when he wasn’t having monster games from a yardage standpoint, he was the second half factor back for the Giants. Garnering the key carries, mostly because Tom Coughlin was likely afraid of Bradshaw coughing up the football.

So with this duo back together in 2011, fantasy owners have to be juggling to decide who will do what. One thing that can’t be taken away from either is they will produce touchdowns. The Giants run the football with the best of any NFL team. Another great plus is how the Giants spread the football around through the air. With all of their great targets it opens up the running lanes and keeps defenses on their heels. While Jacobs will burst through tacklers, Bradshaw has the long gainer ability that he is well known for.

We are worried that Ahmad Bradshaw may have had an above average season last year. He just didn’t have the feature back skills of a top tier back the second half of last season. He’ll likely slip in drafts a tad, but is a viable bottom tier number two fantasy starter, and great third option. Jacobs on the other hand will offset his five to seven points average of rushing yards, with a solid scatter of single or two touchdown games. His a quiet fantasy force that will give you close to ten points a game.

Jacobs isn’t a back that you would want to count on, but he’ll end up being one of those backs you drafted late that sneaks up your roster depth chart as a starter.

By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Rankings are always needed to see where players fall for trade purposes. It’s also not too bad to see some steals that you landed rise well above anticipated predictions. Here’s our latest fantasy running back rankings.

1. Chris Johnson
2. Arian Foster
3. Adrian Peterson
4. Ahmad Bradshaw
5. Rashard Mendenhall
6. MJD
7. Ray Rice
8. Matt Forte
9. Steven Jackson
10. Frank Gore
11. Jamaal Charles
12. Michael Turner
13. LeSean McCoy
14. LT
15. Joseph Addai
16. Thomas Jones
17. Pierre Thomas
18. Cedric Benson
19. Peyton Hillis
20. Ryan Torain
21. Jahvid Best
22. Ryan Matthews
23. DeAngelo Williams
24. Ronnie Brown
25. Brandon Jackson
26. Shonn Greene
27. Michael Bush
28. Beanie Wells
29. Darren McFadden
30. Felix Jones
31. Reggie Bush
32. Ricky Williams
33. Marshawn Lynch
34. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
35. Fred Jackson
36. Knowshown Moreno
37. Tim Hightower
38. Jonathan Stewart
39. Marion Barber
40. Brandon Jacobs
41. Chris Ivory
42. Jason Snelling
43. Danny Woodhead
44. Cadillac Williams
45. Derrick Ward
46. Jerome Harrison
47. Javon Ringer
48. CJ Spiller
49. Justin Forsett
50. Mike Tolbert
51. Donald Brown
52. Chester Taylor
53. Willis McGahee
54. John Kuhn
55. LeGarrette Blount
56. Laurence Maroney
57. Kenneth Darby
58. James Starks
59. Fred Taylor
60. Darren Sproles
61. Mike Hart

By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Every year as the injuries pile up teams find a gem buried on their roster. We’ve seen flashes from some of the guys mentioned below already this year. More than likely most of them are available on your waiver wire. We profile eight guys that have little fantasy relevance right now but may have an opportunity to shine and save your fantasy season.

Brandon Jacobs- He is not in any way shape or form a fantasy stud, but the Giants have a prolific offense. They move the ball up and down the field with ease, and lately Jacobs has been capitalizing on it. He has scored touchdowns in each of the last three weeks and has been ticking off Ahmad Bradshaw owners.

Chris Ivory- Word is even if Pierre Thomas returns, Ivory has played his way into a complimentary role with Thomas. Will have to see if Thomas can stay away from the injury bug and how this plays out overall. With the amount of throws Drew Brees has per game, the Saints crowded backfield could be detrimental for any type of reliable fantasy numbers.

Derrick Ward- Steve Slaton is completely out of the picture with the Texans. It’s astonishing to see that with the way his rookie season went. Ward has solidified the backup role and has done a swell job. If you’re an Arian Foster owner make sure you take note. Handcuffing Foster with Ward is a must.

Mike Hart- Colts are on a bye week with a plethora of injury issues. At running back Joseph Addai has been dinged up continuously this year, and Donald Brown’s had a tough go with a hamstring injury. Hart’s scored a touchdown this year and might have to start a few games for the Colts.

Danny Woodhead- An emergency filler for fantasy teams. Woodhead is filling Kevin Faulk’s old role and may keep it. New England loves to throw the short dink and dump throws to all their players. Woodhead keeps getting involved more and more each week and is becoming a main threat for the Patriots. He poses a mismatch for opposing linebackers. With all the Patriots receivers running short routes it’s too difficult for teams to shackle everyone.

James Starks- Jackson has done little with his starting role and the Packers need someone to alleviate the pressure off of Aaron Rodgers. Starks just came off the PUP list and will likely not be used for a week or so. Remember Starks had a second round grade by NFL scouts before sustaining an MCL injury his senior year.

Javon Ringer- We’ve talked about the worries of Chris Johnson in previous articles. He is roughly 200 pounds and has been getting pounded thus far. Teams are stacking the box with eight or nine guys and laying tough licks on him. It’s just bound to happen that Ringer either gets more involved, or Johnson gets hurt.

LeGarrette Blount- Blount was inactive this past week but that should not happen again. Kareem Huggins was lost for the season, and the Buccaneers have been awful running the ball. They may split carries all around for a few weeks, but Blount should separate himself to be the number one guy. Going into the off-season he will be their clear cut fantasy starter.

Joe Lopat, Zack Cimini, and Jabbar Harris return once again to talk football hot topics, as well as their usual fantasy football segments. They’ll tell you who to start/sit and provide spread picks for week seven.

By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

For all the bad publicity the New York Jets have received this year there has been a very bright spot. Their signing of LT has quietly been the key to their early season success. He has by far outperformed Shonn Greene. Greene was expected to storm by LT, and make him look like a cast away veteran in the last stage of his career. Instead Greene looks like LT’s backup. Fantasy owners have to be boiling that drafted Greene as he has done little. Most likely you’ve been forced to start him based on the position you drafted him.

LT’s departure from San Diego wasn’t handled in the best way, but LT acted like a business man during the whole matter. He could have been bitter and voiced his opinion in a fashion that tore apart the organization. Everyone knows the Chargers have not been the best in handling situations with their players. As the writing was on the wall, LT looked for a place that he felt he could still thrive and win a title.

The way LT has been hitting the whole he looks like he may get the last laugh on the rest of the league that was ready to write him off. Brian Shottenheimer currently calls the first half run plays as even as possible. LT and Greene get to showcase for full time second half duties. Whoever is performing better gets the bulk of those second half carries. For the first three games those carries have shifted to LT. Currently he has over 200 yards rushing with a whopping 5.6 yards per carry average.

The burden he has lifted off of Mark Sanchez has been enormous. Could you imagine how the Jets would have started the season with just Greene as the main back? Teams would have had a feast and forced the Jets to throw every down like some teams are forced. As erratic as Sanchez has been who knows how he would of handled the pressure. Starting off the year poor with a young quarterback could have dug Sanchez a mental blow he would of never got out of. You just don’t know how a quarterback is going to handle himself under the scope of an increased role.

With Sanchez having the comfort ability of a veteran back he is slowly emerging into a quarterback. Before you could tell Sanchez’s play calls were scripted. One or two reads and deliver the football. The Jets were not going to take chances with him. Now he is lobbing paces up and trusting Dustin Keller. He’s also making some precision throws and prime spots.

Shonn Greene will break out of his bog soon. Once he does who knows how scary this team is going to be. Defensively they’ve been stout. If this offense picks up momentum, watch out. Sanchez is likely going to go into the playoffs with a phenomenal rushing attack. Santonio Holmes will be back from suspension soon. Adding another big play threat to replace Jerricho Cotchery who is at best a fourth receiver on most teams.

Praise the Jets for their signing of LT and for the way he has responded. He is having more of a fantasy impact than he has in a long time. The past two seasons he looked dog tired and physically not there. Whatever it was….rest, new regimen, or a new beginning, it is working for LT. He is not a fantasy starter but is one of the highest ranking third backs to have on a fantasy team. You never know what’s going to happen over the course of the year. He could be that familiar weapon that you need down the stretch when injuries begin to take place.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

New England has finally given up on one of their long term busts, Laurence Maroney. Maroney showed glimpses his rookie season of being a back of the future for the Patriots. After that year though he struggled to do much of anything on a consistent basis. At times the Patriots had to go with Sammy Morris, BenJarvis Green-Ellis, and even Kevin Faulk.

By bringing in Fred Taylor last off-season, Maroney figured to have a complement back to split carries with. Still he couldn’t muster anything on his last straw with the coaching staff. Denver agreed to trade a sixth round pick for him, and now has a crowded backfield.

It’s safe to say that Knowshown Moreno’s starting role is not in jeopardy. Denver went through preseason with their backfield banged up, so this is likely insurance if that circumstance re-arises. Correll Buckhalter is the current backup, but he has had a long history of nagging injuries. Moreno has struggled holding onto the football, and had a critical fumble week one versus the Jaguars.

All in all, Maroney may end up being cut at some point by Denver if he doesn’t show value. He needs to step up to the plate this time and get in the mix in Denver. Denver does love to run the football, and if he can get in the mix, Maroney could be a McGahee type to Moreno. That’s one department where he has had some effectiveness. A knack to get in the end zone.

For New England this move means they have more faith in Fred Taylor than anyone would of thought. Taylor is entering his thirteenth season and will likely be in some sort of 70/30 split carry load with Sammy Morris. Taylor still has the gears in his giddy up to be a fantasy producing back. It’s still a shocker to see this move by New England as Taylor has been fairly non-existent the past two seasons.

Belicheck has a plan so will see if it involves another trade or gambling on a rookie free agent.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Long gone are the perfect systems. Systems in which teams had one main feature back that garnered carry after carry. Those were the reliable studs. Behind them typically use to be the occasional fullback that could get some sleeper fantasy points. The Zach Crocketts, Larry Centers, and backs that went from halfback to fullback such as Tyrone Wheatley. With dual and triple backfields in use now owners have to get creative in how they’re going to get reliable fantasy points. An area that has sort of bridged the gap from the use of fullbacks and halfbacks is the short yardage-dirty work plunging back.

This guy may not get upwards of even ten carries a game. Top tailbacks will have monster days and over 100 yards rushing. Only to be nullified of what should have been a great fantasy day with multiple touchdowns. Reason their stats did not meet you’re expectations surely falls on that pile forward moving back that gobbled a touchdown or two away from you. It is hard to predict when a back is going to produce a string of touchdowns especially when his carries and yardage totals are small. Yet, some of these backs are getting between eight and ten touchdowns a year. Who will they be this season?

LT- Were putting LT atop our plunger backs. His role is yet to be defined as a Jet. For all we know he could outdo Shonne Greene and win outright the starting position. Were going to say that does not happen and LT is their short yardage change of pace back. LT has a knack for getting into the end zone even with his other skills teetering away. Athletes that have had his type of success just do not fade completely away at age 31. He has surely lost some years with the burden of too many carries nine years in San Diego. Whatever he has left in the tank will be brought on the football field each and every Sunday. He’ll get double digit touchdowns once again.

Tim Hightower- What is going to keep Beanie Wells from being a sure lock second back in most drafts is Hightower. Not that Hightower is going to be in a perfect share load like last season. Where the question is at is if Hightower will still be the hog of success in the red zone. If it were not for Hightower’s ability to get in the end zone he’d likely have been cut by now. As the season goes past the halfway mark we’d expect the Cardinals to lean more heavily in Wells direction. Hightower should still get near six to eight touchdowns.

Willis McGahee- McGahee took no the relegated role of reduced carries and job loss better than almost any back over the last ten years. His production while on the field turned the Ravens second half of the season around. With Flacco struggling the Ravens saw they could pound away with McGahee and Rice. Even with defenses gearing to shut down the run. It’s a role the Ravens will milk until something goes awry. If McGahee can handle the lick he took last season than he can keep making fantasy owners happy with his red zone touchdowns. Ray Rice owners just want three to four of those McGahee plunges.

Marion Barber- Felix Jones may be the 2010 starter but if the time share is slightly in Jones favor we still like Barber’s value higher. Jones may be the home run hitter and high yards per carry guy, but Barber will be the man when it comes to touchdowns. He battled hard through injuries last season and was not the same athlete of years past. He’ll be healthy this season and may take his job back outright. Barber is one of our top sleepers going into 2010 fantasy drafts.

Thomas Jones- Based on what we’ve seen from prior thirty plus year old backs Jones should simmer down quite a bit this season. It’s as if the Jets saw what they could squeeze out of Jones and did just that. Heading to Kansas City, Jones will quietly take on a backup role. Jamaal Charles showed all of us enough (Lets hope you picked him up when we told you way before he put on as how last season) that replacing him would only happen because of an injury. We will soon find out if it was the Jets offensive line that made Jones or he truly matured as a professional mentally and physically with the Jets. He went much of his career as a labeled bust only to have back to back seasons of double digit touchdowns (13 in 08’ and 14 in 09’).

Montario Hardesty- Jerome Harrison was buried on the Browns roster for many of reasons, but one in particular. He is a tiny back all around. In height comparable to Maurice Jones-Drew, and in size compared to old Raider back Napolean Kaufman. What he did in the last quarter of the fantasy season gave owners the extra push to win their fantasy titles. Surely, Harrison probably went into the off-season and hit a tough regimen to add extra pounds to his body. Playing at an optimal size for Harrison’s skill level is where he was at last year. We just see him breaking down at some point in the season and losing his starting role to Hardesty. With the way the Browns like to shuffle around backs it may happen before week one. Harrison is a nifty back that deserves to be on the field. In a lot of ways though he is like Darren Sproles a few years ago. Teased a lot of fantasy owners into believing he can do it all, but the NFL is a different beast. You’ve got to be a big powerful back to have a lasting impact for you’re body to hold up an entire season or perform at a high level.

Mike Bell- Bell has close to thirty extra pounds on him then McCoy. McCoy was recruited by Andy Reid to play exactly to the style of Brian Westbrook. When Correll Buckhalter was healthy as an Eagle he someone that had a sporadic fantasy impact. Reason being he was hardly ever healthy. McCoy is not the same type of player as Westbrook as evidenced last season when he struggled. Therefore we think the time share will be better for Bell. Add the short yardage and goal line impact on Bell’s side and he is worth taking a flier as a deep late round pick. Don’t wait for the waiver wire period after week one or two.