The fantasy football value of Marshawn Lynch took a major hit today when the NFL suspended him for the first three games of the 2009 fantasy football season. The announcement was made by Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL.

Marshawn Lynch Suspended (Image: Newscom)

The running back for the Buffalo Bills was suspended due to two brushes with the law. His first incident was when he hit a pedestrian near a bar in Buffalo. The second incident was a gun charge in California.

Three games in a fantasy football season is quite a big chunk. This news could drop him from a second rounder all the way into the fourth a fifth round. Any fantasy team that drafts Lynch would be handicapping themselves in the first three weeks of the season.

The player who will see his value increase is backup Bills running back Fred Jackson. He showed some glimpses last season and he’s likely to start the first three games of the season. If you are thinking about drafting Lynch, be sure to handcuff Lynch with Jackson.

In the second half of the fantasy season, Lynch could hold a lot of value. By then, he should be back into the groove and the Bills offense should be much improved due to the acquisition of Terrell Owens earlier in the offseason. If everything goes as planned, Lynch has a chance to be a sleeper acquisition for the second half of the fantasy football season.

Marshawn Lynch, the starting running back for the Buffalo Bills, was recently arrested and has been charged with three misdemeanors. The three misdemeanors are all gun-related.

While it appears as if he has avoided any harsh punishment from the legal system, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is likely to look at the situation. Considering that Lynch has had past brushes with the law, Goodell probably won’t be too kind to Lynch. A suspension of at least a couple of games seems likely.

All things being equal, Lynch is a very good prospect for the 2009 fantasy football season. He has had two solid seasons and with the overall offense improving, Lynch’s numbers should also improve.

Right now, before any suspensions, Lynch is probably an early second round pick in most 2009 fantasy drafts. If he gets suspended, he could drop to the end of the second round or possibly the beginning of the third.

QB Gus Frerotte, Minnesota Vikings
Although not considered a top fantasy football quarterback in 2008 by any means, Gus Frerotte has certainly exceeded expectations. He has thrown for at least one touchdown pass in each of his starts except for one game. In his last three games, he has six touchdown passes. Going up against an overrated Jacksonville Jaguars defense, Frerotte should continue to produce.

RB Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills
Fred Jackson has emerged as one of the better backup running backs in the NFL in 2008. In Week 12, Jackson and the Bills take on the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have played decently lately but they remain a horrid defensive team against the run. Look for Jackson to get plenty of touches and produce like a starter in Week 12.

WR Devin Hester, Chicago Bears
The St. Louis Rams have been horrible recently, especially when it comes to making tackles. With Devin Hester coming to town, that’s a bad combination. While Hester hasn’t had the amazing year many expected, he’s still a threat to break a long one — whether in the passing game or the return game. Week 12 may be his breakout game owners have been waiting for.

TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants
Last week, Kevin Boss was held without a catch. But that was against the Baltimore Ravens, one of the best defensive teams in the NFL. In the previous three weeks, Boss caught a touchdown pass in each. In Week 12, the Giants go up against the Arizona Cardinals and Boss should be able to get back into the swing of things.

10) Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are undefeated and they have a formidable combination of a great defense and great depth at running back.

9) Carolina Panthers
With Steve Smith back in action, the Panthers should make a legitimate push for the playoffs and could be a sleeper Super Bowl pick.

Buffalo Bills
At 3-0 it is hard to ignore the Bills. However, they still have a lot more to prove before people believe they are ready for the playoffs.

7) Green Bay Packers
Without Brett Favre, the Packers are still very good. They lost against the Cowboys this week but they should bounce back.

6) Pittsburgh Steelers
A loss against the Eagles doesn’t hurt the Steelers’ rank too much. They remain very good defensively and explosive offensively.

5) Denver Broncos
Speaking of explosive offenses, is there a more unexpectedly explosive passing attack than the one found in Denver?

4) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are playing very solid football in 2008. Their defense is deceptively fantastic and their offense is more than capable.

3) Tennessee Titans
The Titans have perhaps the most deadly defensive attack in the NFL. Their offense can be ugly but their duo at running back (Chris Johnson and LenDale White) is impressive.

2) Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are at 3-0 and appear to be the best team in the NFL at the moment. On both sides of the field, the Cowboys have a huge amount of talent.

1) New York Giants
The Giants are coming off of their 2007 Super Bowl championship and have started the season with three straight wins — which is good enough for the number one spot in the power rankings.

In 2008 fantasy football drafts, your first round pick is the most important pick you will make in the draft. A bad first round pick can doom your whole fantasy football season. While it is possible to make up for a bad first round selection, it means you will have to climb uphill all season long.

After studying drafts I have been in and other fantasy football draft information available throughout the internet, I’ve calculated that this is how the average fantasy football draft first round looks so far in 2008:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
3. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
5. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
6. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
7. Marion Barber III, Dallas Cowboys
8. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
9. Randy Moss, New England Patriots
10. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
11. Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills
12. Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs

Read more

A total of ten running backs are being drafted within the top twelve overall picks in typical 2008 fantasy football drafts. Who are those ten running backs and in which order are they being drafted?

1. LaDanian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
3. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
5. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
Read more

Marshawn Lynch, the starting running back for the Buffalo Bills, was fined and lost his license for the traffic incident that occurred earlier in the month. In that incident, a pedestrian was hit by Lynch’s car and was left with a bruised hip and seven stitches.

Lynch denied knowing that he hit the pedestrian, however he made a plea bargain with Buffalo police. The fine is believed to be $100.

Since Lynch wasn’t charged with a crime, chances are he won’t be suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. However, if he has anymore incidents in the coming year, this plea bargain could be used against him by the NFL to show a pattern of questionable behavior.

Here is a Marshawn Lynch video discussing the traffic infraction:

Marshawn Lynch, the up-and-coming second year running back for the Buffalo Bills, will reportedly plead guilty to an unspecified charge following a vehicular accident in the city of Buffalo. The accident involved a pedestrian who ended up with a bruised hip and the need for stitches.

While the charge is unspecified, it is expected to be a relatively minor misdemeanor charge. Lynch could be suspended or at least fined by the NFL, but that would be doubtful if the charge ends up being the equivalent of a traffic violation.

Having Lynch ready to carry its offense is vital for Bills. Lynch has a chance to be one of the best backs in both the NFL and fantasy football. He’s powerful and has good natural instincts. Lynch has a shot to establish himself as one of the best backs in football during the 2008 season.

Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills

Photo: Newscom

Television newsman Tim Russert, who was perhaps most well know for being the host of NBC’s “Meet The Press”, died of a heart attack on Friday. Russert had risen from humble beginnings to become of the of the most recognizable political analysts in the history of the United States.

Besides his work in politics, Russert was also known to be a die-hard fan of the Buffalo Bills. Russert grew up in the Buffalo area and remained loyal to his hometown team. The Bills released this statement regarding Russert’s death:

“The Buffalo Bills organization is devastated in hearing the news of the passing of Tim Russert. Tim, as everyone knows, was a tremendous Bills fan. He was always so proud to let people know just how much he loved our team and was such a great ambassador for Buffalo. So many times he ended his “Meet The Press” show with his patented “Go Bills!” that it became part of our Game Day morning rituals. He was a true friend and we will miss him immensely. Our sincere sympathies go out to his family and our team carries a heavy heart tonight as we mourn the loss of this great man, Buffalo’s native son and a Bills fan forever.”

R.I.P. Tim Russert

Tim Russert and Marv Levy of the Buffalo Bills

Photo: Newscom

Marshawn Lynch, who last year had a successful rookie campaign with the Buffalo Bills, is suspected in a hit and run car accident that left a pedestrian injured. The accident occurred in downtown Boston. Lynch is the owner of the car and is suspected of being in the car but it’s unknown if he was driving.

Lynch hasn’t spoken to investigators. However, Buffalo police seem intent to get to the bottom of the case.

If Lynch is found liable and is convicted of a crime, there is a very real possibility that he could get suspended by the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken a hard line against anything that tarnishes the NFL’s image and this type of incident would surely qualify. While the most likely scenario has Lynch suspended only for a few games if convicted of a crime, those few games would negatively affect his fantasy football stock.

Last season, Lynch had 1,115 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Right now, he’s considered a definite starting running back in fantasy football with good upside. If he’s going to miss a few games in 2008, his stock would drop about ten to fifteen spots in a fantasy football draft.

Photo: Newscom