Kurt Warner beat out Matt Leinart to be named the starting quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. While Leinart has shown flashes of competence in his NFL career, his uneven play during preseason combined with Warner’s solid play made the decision easy for the Cardinals coaches.

This news is devestating for anyone who expected Leinart to produce this season. Especially if you own Leinart in a dynasty league, you may want to start planning on life without him. Part of Leinart’s problem so far in his NFL career is immaturity. Leinart and his partying ways this offseason probably didn’t help his standing with the coaches.

Warner, on the other hand, instantly becomes a fantasy football sleeper. At times last year, Warner was a very good fantasy quarterback. If he can remain healthy and the Cardinals can give him time in the pocket, he should have some big weeks in 2008 fantasy football.

Consider Warner a solid backup at fantasy quarterback, while Leinart becomes undraftable.

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Young was in the news recently for photos that made their way to the internet. In the photos, Young appeared topless and possibly drunk. A few days later, Young apologized for the photos.

All this Vince Young news can’t make fantasy owners too excited about his 2008 fantasy football season. Young was a poor fantasy quarterback in 2007 and his busy offseason hasn’t done much to end fears that 2008 could be another poor year for Young.

Right now, it appears that Young is a backup fantasy football quarterback in 2008. He’s a high-risk, high-reward type player at the moment.

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Although Young apologized, he also said that he won’t stop having fun in the offseason. While that is certainly understandable, it doesn’t ease the concern that fantasy football owners and the Tennessee Titans have about the young quarterback.

Young is immensely talented but he also has a lot of work to do to improve enough to be a solid quarterback in the NFL. His instincts are great and by all accounts he is a great leader, but his mechanics and ability to read the field need work. Whether he’s putting in the required time sharpening his football skills in the offseason is something only he knows for sure.

For now, Young’s fantasy football stock is a little bit lower than it was a couple months ago, however he still remains someone of a sleeper in 2008 at the quarterback position.

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Matt Leinart’s party pictures got him in some trouble with his team. Will these Vince Young pictures get the Titans’ star quarterback in trouble? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Surely, the Titans coaches can’t be excited by what they see.

And while Leinart got criticized, at least he had females at his party. There are no chicks visible in Vince Young’s party — not that there is anything wrong with that, of course.

This may or may not make you think twice about picking Vince Young to quarterback your fantasy football team in 2008.

At least Vince Young Doesn’t Look Drunk Here.

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For fantasy football owners, this was also bad news. Leinart was extremely underwhelming in 2007, to the point that Kurt Warner became the obviously better option at quarterback. Leinart struggled with everything from his condition to leadership. Coming into 2008, everyone was hoping that Leinart would dedicate himself to becoming a star quarterback.

So far, it doesn’t appear like Leinart will be a trustworthy option in 2008. He has great wide receivers in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald but he just doesn’t seem to want to be a good quarterback bad enough. Could Warner once again steal the job from him? It’s certainly possible.

Leinart’s fantasy projections for 2008 depend greatly on the effort Leinart is willing to put into getting better. If he dedicates himself to football, he has a chance to become a quarterback who throws for 3,000 yards and gets 22-25 touchdowns. If he doesn’t dedicate himself, expect another disappointing season.

If you are picking Leinart in your 2008 fantasy football draft, be sure to handcuff Kurt Warner to the Leinart selection. The good news is that at least one of the two should have a good season.

Here is a video of Matt Leinart with the co-eds and the beer bong assistance:

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At 36-years-old, Warner isn’t as ancient as it seems. In fact, opening day starters Brett Favre, Trent Green and Jeff Garcia are older than Warner. Favre and Garcia are still going strong and are both have good seasons. In regards to Warner, age alone shouldn’t hold him back.

What has held Warner back since his glory days has been playing on teams with a poor offensive line. However, that’s not the case this year with the Cardinals. Arizona has an improving offensive line that should just get better and better as the season goes along.

The best friends of a quarterback are great wide receivers. The Cardinals have two highly talented wideouts in Anquan Boldin (who is currently battling a hip injury) and Larry Fitzgerald. In fact, Boldin and Fitzgerald are arguably the best pair of wide receivers in the league.

Coaching is also a plus for Warner. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm came over from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Grimm is one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL and his units are always well prepared. Whisenhunt is a very inventive offensive mind who knows how to put his players where they need to be to reach their potential.

Finally, Warner should be helped by Edgerrin James and the Cardinals’ running game. The Cardinals are running better than they have in years, which will take pressure off of Warner and the passing game. No longer can defenses sit back and wait for the Cardinals to pass the ball.

Considering everything, Warner has all the pieces he needs to be successful. With that in mind and thinking back to when Warner was a dominating force both in the NFL and in fantasy football, don’t be surprised if Warner is able to reclaim some of that long lost magic.

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Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals
With Matt Leinart out for an extended amount of time with a broken collarbone, the door is wide open for Warner to step through and post big numbers. He has two great receivers and an improved offensive line. Pickup Warner if he’s available. While he isn’t starting material right away, he could be very soon once he gets comfortable.

David Carr, QB, Carolina Panthers
Jake Delhomme is out for the season after opting for elbow surgery. That means Carr gets first crack at securing the job in Carolina. Carr hasn’t had a very impressive career, or season for that matter, but he has weapons on offense. Steve Smith alone makes giving Carr a shot in the fantasy world worth a shot.

Jason Wright, RB, Cleveland Browns
Wright is a decent pickup if you have the roster room. At this point, the severity of the injury to Jamal Lewis’ foot is unknown. If Lewis were to be down long-term, Wright is a very good acquisition. Even if Lewis is going to only miss one week, Wright could be worth a start in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins. However, if Lewis isn’t going to miss any time, Wright should only be picked up by a Lewis owner looking to handcuff the backup.

Mewelde Moore, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Moore is currently the third string running back for the Vikings. The story here is that Moore could be traded to one of the many teams looking for depth at running back. Specifically, Tampa Bay has reportedly shown interest in Moore. If Moore gets traded to a situation where he’ll see a lot of playing time, he has a history of being a good fantasy player.

Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson, WR, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have two big injuries to their wide receiving corps with Deion Branch and DJ Hackett both sidelined. Engram and Burleson both move up on the depth charts into starting positions. The one to really go after is Engram. If he isn’t there, Burleson is a good fall back option.

Dennis Northcutt, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have a mediocre passing game, at best. However, Northcutt has emerged as the team’s best wide receiver. He’s not a huge fantasy option at this point but he’s a pretty good third WR in an emergency situation. If he’s available, pick up Northcutt for depth, if nothing else.

Greg Olson, TE, Chicago Bears
Olson looked like a huge part of the Bears offense in their game this week. His stats don’t show it, but he Olson was obviously a player the Bears wanted to get involved early and often. If he’s available in your league, he’s a good backup TE who could eventually start for your team.

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Jamal Lewis, RB, Baltimore Ravens
After his first carry, Lewis left the game against the Patriots and was unable to return. After the game, Lewis said the injury wasn’t serious. However, he’ll likely have an MRI which may tell a different story. Jason Wright is Lewis’ backup.

Michael Pittman, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pittman started in place of regular starter Cadillac Williams, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Pittman was injured early on and it appears he will be out for a while with an ankle sprain. The job of starting running back for the Bucs now falls on the shoulders of Earnest Graham.

Trent Green, QB, Miami Dolphins
Green was injured by a knee to the side of his helmet. He suffered a concussion and was taken off the field in a stretcher. Last season, Green had a concussion that kept him out for a number of weeks. At 37-years-old and with a history of concussions, it shouldn’t surprise if Green’s season and possibly career are over.

Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Leinart fractured his left collarbone and will be sidelined for a number of weeks. It’s possible that he’s out for the rest of the season. Fantasy-wise, there shouldn’t have been many teams relying on Leinart on a week to week basis. Kurt Warner will take over the reins as Arizona’s quarterback.

Damon Huard, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Huard exited the game with a bruised shoulder in the fourth quarter. While the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Huard could possibly lose his job anyways to backup Brodie Croyle. Croyle entered the game in the fourth quarter and led the Chiefs to their only points of the ballgame.

Deion Branch, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Branch left the game against the Steelers with a sprained right foot. His status going forward is unclear. If Branch were to miss any amount of time, Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson are likely replacements to see Branch’s targets.

Brandon Stokley, WR, Denver Broncos
Stokley left the game with a head injury. His status is unknown going forward. If he misses time, expect even more passes to go in the direction of Brandon Marshall. When Javon Walker returns to action, he’ll also pick up some of the extra targets if Stokley were to be sidelined.

Antwaan Randel El, WR, Washington Redskins
On his way to a big performance, Randel El got injured right before halftime and wasn’t able to return. His injury is being described as a hamstring issue. With Santana Moss also battling injuries, the Redskins wide receiving corps is really thin at the moment.

Bernard Berrian, WR, Chicago Bears
Berrian left the game against the Packers with a toe injury. If Berrian were to miss time, quarterback Brian Griese will probably target his pair of tight ends (Desmond Clark and Greg Olson) more often.

Photo credit: REUTERS/Brent Smith

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