Thomas Jones Injured During Physical

Thomas Jones strained his hamstring during a physical Thursday morning.

Jones, who last season rushed for more than 1,300 yards, had been demoted to second string behind Cedric Benson after skipping voluntary offseason workouts with the team.

"It was something where I ran this morning kind of early. I may not have stretched as much as I should have been. It was something that just happened. It could happen to anybody," Jones said.

StatLeader 2006

A lot of you have been signing up for the 2006 season. Make no mistake, we're glad to have our old friends back and welcome new members. However, we are a little surprised by your ingenuity as we have yet to open the 2006 membership site. Still, it's flattering that you care enough to find a way to do join anyway.

So, given the level of enthusiasm you're showing, I wanted to take a few moments to let those of you that have already signed up (and those that want to sign up) know what is going on.

StatLeader is in the middle of a 2-year expansion and redesign.

This year's changes include updated statistical projection routines, a basic site redesign, and:

• We are putting the finishing touches on our 2006 draft package. To prepare for this, we have gone back and entered the individual data for every offensive player for every regular season game over for the 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 seasons. This data is being run through the enhanced calculation routines developed by Rocket Man during the off-season to give waht we believe to be the best draft information available.

• Rocket Man has also added now features to our already super regular-season point projection equations to increase their accuracy even further.

• Meanwhile, our web design team is busily preparing our new site for its debut. I haven't seen it you but have been told it will be "fantastic".

For the 2007 season, we are planning on some amazing features which will take the art of Fantasy Football player point projection to the next level. Can't tell you what they are now, but I can guarantee it will be unlike anything on the Fantasy Football market.

Remember, we provide 17 weeks of individual player point projections for the AOL, ESPN, CBSSportsline.com. NFL.com. FOR/MSN, Sporting News, and Yahoo default scoring systems.
So for those of you who manage to find the sign-up page, welcome home. For those of you that want something a little easier, just keep checking back. You'll see something soon.

By the way, I didn't forget the next Fantasy Football Draft Tip (Rookie Running Backs), that will be coming up in my next post.

Fantasy Football 2006: Draft Tip #11

The Rookies Part 2:

When I talked about the rookies way back in Draft Tip #7, I told you about my concerns in drafting the new kids too high. If you haven't read #7, scroll on down and do so now. I'll wait for you ........... OK, Done?

So now that you know my reservations about rookies in general and Reggie Bush in specific (also see Tip #10), lets talk some more about the new class.

We'll start with QBs.

Three QBs were drafted in the first round this year. Vince Young (TEN - 3rd overall pick), Matt Leinart (ARI - 10th overall pick), and Jay Cutler (DEN - 11th overall pick)

Vince Young:

• Has all the tools, but rookie QBs still have to adjust to the game (or at least with the exception of some guy named Roethlisberger). Unless Volek gets hurt expect Young to sit most of the season. When the Titanics sink out of contention, Vince will likely get the call and could put up some decent late season Fantasy points.

Matt Leinart:

• As with Young, expect Lienart to spend the early season games mostly on the bench, that is, as long as Kurt Warner stays healthy. When Leinart does start playing it won't take him long to realize that NFL Defenses are light years ahead of those "Downy Soft" D's he faced in the PAC-10. Still, if Warner does go down I don't think the Cardinals will waste much time moving Leinart ahead of John Navarre.
  
• (Note: My opinion on Navarre is the same today as it was two years ago. Just so you don't have to go back and find it - "Couldn't win the big one's at Michigan, won't even win the small one's here")

Jay Cutler:

• Cutler will flourish under Mike Shanahan's guidance. Expect him to knock Van Pelt out of the #2 slot and press Plummer before long. Plummer is coming of a great year after two down seasons. His job is safe, for now, but if he starts to falter expect to see Cutler on the doorstep.

Of course injuries have a way of changing things and sometimes, just sometimes, one of these new kids will step up and surprise you. Think "Big Ben".

Next up in Tip#12, we'll look at the rookie Running Backs.

Fantasy Football 2006: Draft Tip #10

Whose career is falling faster than President Bush's popularity rating?

Who has the Fantasy Football point earning potential of Donovan McNabb's mom?

Who is the player most likely to hear those famous words: "Not him, we had him on our team last time!"?

That's right; it's time for my 2006 Fantasy Football Bombs.

Bomb #5: Peerless Price

• Dive! Dive! Dive! This one is sinking faster than the "Red October". Being back in Buffalo means nothing when you are opposite Lee Evans and trying to catch whatever is left from J.P. Losman.

Bomb #4: Joe Horn

• In a city where music rules, Horn should be thinking about playing something related to his last name rather than football. He won't disappear completely, but don't expect a 1,000 yards.

Bomb #3: Charles Rogers

• Injuries, off-field issues, attitude problems, and you expect anyone to actually trust this guy? I like Kitna, but even if Rogers avoids his annual broken collarbone, Roy Williams will still be #1 here.

Bomb #2: Fragile Fred Taylor

• Just park the ambulance on the sideline. It won't take long. Greg Jones will take over soon.

Bomb #1: Reggie Bush

• Everyone expects Reggie to come in and rip up the league. Yeh, the kid has talent and ability, but, he is still a rookie and it takes time for the game to slow down. He may have a good year. Good, but not great. He will split carries with Deuce. Besides, how many times have you seen a Heisman trophy winner stand out in his first year? I'm not saying he's not going to be great eventually, just not this year.

Next up in part 11, revisiting the rookies.

Fantasy Football 2006: Draft Tip #9

The Comeback Kids.

First, thanks to Rocket Man for holding down the fort while I was gone.

Now, let's get down to business. Who are my top choices for comeback players of the year? First of all, let's realize that predicting comeback players is rather much like picking a dress for your wife to wear to a party. Whatever choice you make will inevitably be wrong, but you still have to try.

So here we go, position-by-position.

K:

• Best guess at this position will be David Akers (PHI) and John Hall (WAS). Both suffered injuries last year that cut down their production. Expect the Philly offense to give Akers lots of chances. Be a little more cautious with Hall.

TE:

• As much as I have virtually no love for anything involving the eweniversity of Miami, I have to go with Kellen Winslow Jr. (CLE). IF the Brown's own "mouth of the south" has finally grown up enough to talk and act responsibly and IF he stays healthy, he could finally demonstrate all that talent he has wasted so far.

WR:

• mmm, let's see, how about.... Issac Bruce? .... No! Maybe Muhsin Muhammad? .... Not gonna happen. Javon Walker? .... Gettin' Close. Darrel Jackson? .... Almost There. Yep, it's gotta be, the one, the only, the now happy in Dallas, TO.

QB:

• My mind says Donovan McNabb, but my heart says Brett Favre.

RB:

• I'll climb farther out on the already shaky prediction limb and go with Curtis Martin. He just works too hard to not be good.

Remember, if you decide to take a chance on these guys and they fail, you've been warned. If, however, they do great, well, you heard it here first.

Next up, the 2006 Fantasy Football bombs.

Player Ranking - Consistency Factors, and Confidence Ratings

I know many of you have been waiting for the continuation of Doc's Fantasy Football Draft Tips. He sort of left you hanging out there waiting for the next installment, The Comeback Kids. More on that shortly.

I have received numerous questions asking what types of information will be available in our draft package (to be released later this month). Well, there will be individual league by league rankings for the top 75 WRs, 60 RBs, 40 QBs and 35 TEs (not to mention Kickers and Ds) along with predicted carries, receptions, yards, etc.,

We'll also give you projected points, and perhaps most importantly our proprietary (copyright protected) Consistency Factor, and a new (and equally proprietary) Confidence Rating.

So what are the Consistency Factor and Confidence Rating and why do you need them?

• The Consistency Factor is a rating of how regularly a player equals his average point production. For example a player who scores 20 points every week (20 pt/week average) will have a consistency of 1.000. Meanwhile a player who scores 10 one week and 30 the next (also a 20 pt/week average) will have a Consistency Factor of somewhat less than one.

Now the Consistency Factor (CF) can be used in two ways.

• 1st, in player rankings. It allows us to rate players with different averages and CFs relative to one another. For example: Who is better a 20 pt/week average player with a .68 consistency factor or a 17 pt/week average player with a .80 CF?

• 2nd, It allows you to determine which player you want to draft or use in a certain situation. Sometimes you want the sure points a player with a high CF will earn. Other times you need the capability to have a player who can score well above his average. The CF allows you to make this choice.

Now, for the Confidence Rating (CR)

• Most every pre-season Fantasy Football publication gives you their predicted stats for a given player. However, they seldom tell you how they got those numbers or how confident they are that those numbers are correct.

• Our predicted player performance levels are provided to us by a variety of top-notch football prognosticators. We analyze these predictions and use them, among other things, to determine the CR. It basically tells you how confident we are that a given player will actually attain his projected performance numbers.

We've seen some other groups try to do something like our Consistency Factor, but frankly, they aren't even close yet. We have been doing this since we started up two and a half years ago and have continually tweaked it for accuracy during that time. As you know, all of our proprietary statistical analysis routines are done by a genuine 27 year rocket scientist (gee, I wonder who that could be).

Choose you information provider carefully and remember (with all humility) it's easier for a Rocket Scientist to become a Fantasy Football expert than it is for a Fantasy Football Expert to become a Rocket Scientist.

As for Doc, he and his family have been on pre-season vacation on the East Coast. He has promised to continue with his Draft Tips upon his return. Meanwhile Mister2 and his family have been doing the vacation thing on the West Coast. Since this is likely to be their last "time off" until after Week 17, I won't complain too much. Hey, wait a minute, why am I working?

Fantasy Football 2006 Player Rankings

While Doc and Mister2 are taking some extended holiday time off with their families, I though it would be a good time to let you know about some of the upcoming things you will be seeing on StatLeader.

Our 2006 draft package will soon be available. This package will include our cheat sheets for the default scoring systems for all your favorite leagues including Yahoo!, ESPN, CBSSportsline, NFL.com, AOL, FOX/MSN, The Sporting News, and more. Unlike other sources we will give you separate player rankings for each individual scoring system in the leagues I just mentioned.

• Our draft rankings are based on player performance for the past 4 seasons and take into consideration individual game-by-game statistics for the top 250 or so players over that period. (Do you really care who the 134th best Wide Receiver is?)

During the regular season we will provide 17 full weeks of league specific individual player point projections (along with a bunch of other useful numbers) to help you get the best performance possible out of your team. We also provide player updates and commentary as well as:

• The Final Countdown, our regular pre-game feature the provides latest player status.

• Ever spend endless hours scanning the various sources of player status just to find out that while looking at one you missed something on another one? Worse yet, the one you were watching never did report that your start RB was suddenly placed on the Inactive list due to a disagreement with the coach.

• Worry no more. We do the scanning for you. We monitor multiple sources and combine the information for you in one location. Better yet, we do it before every game. Sunday night, Thanksgiving, Christmas, doesn't matter. We are there for you.

Oh, and watch for our "new look" coming up soon. At the end of the '05 season we told you we would have some really cool new things starting in the '06 season. Well, it's almost time to start unveiling them. But as cool as they may be, it's only the beginning.

You get all this (and more) for only $29.99 for a full year's membership. Keep an eye out for our membership signup link.

RM

Superman vs Fantasy Football

"This is no fantasy." (Jor-El)

The first words spoken in 1978's "Superman The Movie". An ironic statement to lead off a movie best classified as "Fantasy".

This past Wednesday I had the pleasure of seeing the opening of Superman Returns at the Hampton Va. Air and Space Museum along with Mrs. B and two of the B kids. (9:50 show, Mrs. B was wearing the green hat with the white Superman Logo)

This was, imho, a tremendous movie. It never forgets its roots in either Superman legend or in the Christopher Reeve movies. From the opening credits, Glen Ford's picture on the Kent fireplace (come on guys, Jonathan Kent in the '78 flick), Brando's return as Jor-El, Clark's uttering of the word "swell", to the loving dedication to Christopher and Dana Reeve at the end.

Director Brian Singer is to be commended. He has taken something very important to many of us throughout not only the US, but the entire world, treated it with respect and honor, and given us something of which to be proud.

Superman IS important to the world and despite what many may say, Jor-El's words ring as true today as the did so many years ago. "This is no Fantasy."

Strange that the same word is used in describing a game the world loves so much. "Fantasy" football. Yet while many on the outside view this as nothing more than fantasy, we know better.

It's more than just a game. It brings out some of our best (and in some cases worst) qualities. Yes it's fun, competitive, intellectually challenging, and more. But beyond the game itself there is its ability to bring people together. New friendships form that span not only years but also geographical areas. Old friends we might otherwise lose are there waiting for us come August. In its own way, the game helps bring the world just a little closer together.

Superman. Fantasy Football. Let the skeptics say what they want. The bottom line is that for those of us who care about one, the other, or both, the effects on our lives are real. That is no Fantasy.