Expert Fantasy » steve mcnair

Joe Flacco Signs – 2008 Fantasy Football

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:21:48 +0000

Joe Flacco officially signed with the Baltimore Ravens and now has the opportunity to vie for the starting quarterback job. While Flacco is definitely the quarterback for the future in Baltimore, he’ll have competition in 2008 for the starting gig.

In addition to Flacco, the Ravens have quarterbacks Kyle Boller and Troy Smith on the roster. Boller hasn’t had much success in his career but he’s a veteran who has a lot of experience. While Smith is a youngster, he played well for the Ravens last year and his play at Ohio State showed what he’s capable of on the football field.

Flacco was the Ravens’ first round pick in the 2008 draft and he may very will see some snaps late in the year. However, it is doubtful that the Ravens will give him the job right away. Even if they do, Flacco won’t be much of a fantasy football asset in 2008. The Ravens don’t have many offensive weapons and typically rookie quarterbacks don’t do much in fantasy football.

In fantasy football dynasty league, Flacco is a long-term prospect who could become a quality starter in a few years.

Can Joe Flacco win the starting quarterback job in Baltimore?

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Jonathan Ogden to Retire? Fantasy Impact

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:16:23 +0000

Jonathan Ogden of the Baltimore Ravens is reportedly set to retire. Ogden is battling a toe injury that has been slow to heal. The 33-year-old Ogden, who stands 6-foot-9 and weighs 345 pounds, has spent all 12 of his NFL seasons as an offensive lineman on the Ravens.

If Ogden retires, it will have deep fantasy football ramifications. Even at his age, Ogden was one of the better offensive linemen in the NFL. Without Ogden, the Ravens’ offense would struggle — even more than usual.

While none of the Ravens are rated too highly in fantasy football, it’s time to lower their stocks even more. Willis McGahee isn’t as valuable as he would be if Ogden stayed around. Kyle Boller is even less valuable than before. Wide receivers Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton and tight end Todd Heap are less appealing.

Earlier in the offseason, starting quarterback Steve McNair retired. Ogden retiring would have a similar negative affect on the offense.

Photo: Newscom

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Joe Flacco 2008 Fantasy Projections – Baltimore Ravens

admin — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:42:34 +0000

With the 18th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens took quarterback Joe Flacco out of Delaware. The Ravens, who lost Steve McNair to retirement earlier in the offseason, desperately needed a quarterback and got their man in the middle of the first round.

While Flacco comes from a small school, he has big frame, a big arm and big talent. At 6-foot-6, Flacco has great size for the quarterback position. While at Delaware, Flacco showed a powerful and accurate arm.

The big question mark regarding Flacco is whether he can make the jump from a small school to the NFL. Delaware is a Division I-AA football school, so obviously he didn’t play against great competition while at college.

Most quarterbacks who come from small schools to the NFL need a few years to adjust to the game speed. With that in mind, don’t pick Flacco in a redraft fantasy football league. He’s going to be on the sidelines a lot in 2008. Kyle Boller and maybe even Troy Smith will be ahead of him on the depth charts.

However, in a dynasty fantasy football league, Flacco is a high-risk, high-reward pick. Due to his size and his arm, Flacco might have the highest ceiling of any quarterback drafted in the 2008 NFL Draft. It will probably take two or three years to see much out of him, but there’s a chance that he could become a poor man’s Peyton Manning at some point down the line.

Photo: Newscom

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Steve McNair Retires – Fantasy Impact

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:32:52 +0000

After 13 grueling and hard fought seasons, Steve McNair has decided to retire. McNair, who was expected to enter the season as the Baltimore Ravens’ starting quarterback, said his body told him it was time to hang it up. McNair had a great career, including a near Super Bowl victory in 1999.

How will the Ravens move on with McNair now out of the picture? In the fantasy world, McNair retiring doesn’t have a huge impact. McNair wasn’t really a fantasy option at quarterback any longer – especially in the offensively challenged Ravens lineup. Truthfully, McNair was always a better real life quarterback than he was a fantasy quarterback.

For the Ravens, the job now falls to either Kyle Boller or Troy Smith. Boller has had plenty of chances to win the job and he’ll get another chance this season. Boller has decent enough skills but just hasn’t been able to string together enough quality games to keep the job on a long-term basis. Smith was a rookie last year who was coming off of a star-studded career at Ohio State. While Smith doesn’t have great size for an NFL quarterback, he has enough skill and enough toughness to be a candidate for the starting role.

Another option for the Ravens is to draft a quarterback in the 2008 NFL Draft – most namely Matt Ryan. While Ryan might not be available at number eight in the first round where the Ravens will pick, his selection by Baltimore now makes much more sense.

However, no matter who the quarterback is next year for the Ravens, whether it be Boller, Smith or a rookie like Ryan, stay away from this mess. Until the Ravens prove they can move the ball well offensively, it is best to take a wait and see approach.

Watch this video of Steve McNair Super Bowl highlights:

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