Fantasy Sports Review

It has long been stated that football is won in the trenches, and the signing of Michigan tackle Jake Long by the Miami Dolphins as the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft underscores that importance. Since New England has dominated its division foes by giving quarterback Tom Brady all day to pick apart opposing defenses for nearly a decade, it’s clear the Dolphins, Jets and Bills are trying to match the Patriots with strong play up front. Have any of them closed the gap on New England? Stay tuned.

New England Patriots (1st in AFC East, 6th in Conference)
They didn’t do much to consistently establish the run last season, though I guess when you go undefeated in the regular season, it doesn’t matter how you got there. Much like Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning, Tom Brady makes this group better.

LT Matt Light
LG Logan Mankins
C Dan Koppen
RG Stephen Neal
RT Nick Kaczur

New York Jets (2nd in AFC East, 8th in Conference)
With the free agent signings of Alan Faneca and Damien Woody along with the additional seasoning of D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, this unit appears to be on the upswing. Now if only they could find a quarterback.

LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson
LG Allan Faneca
C Nick Mangold
RG Brandon Moore
RT Damien Woody

Buffalo Bills (3rd in AFC East, 9th in Conference)
The offensive line was one of the few bright spots for this injury-riddled team in 2007. With Jason Peters, who receives praise as one of the best young tackles in the league, paired with guard Derrick Dockery, expect Marshawn Lynch to run left a lot behind this improving unit.

LT Jason Peters
LG Derrick Dockery
C Melvin Fowler
RG Brad Butler
RT Langston Walker

Miami Dolphins (4th in AFC East, 15th in Conference)
The Dolphins move up from the cellar on the strength of Long being named the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. This 6-foot-7, 325-pound monster should open a few holes for Ronnie Brown.

LT Jake Long (1st overall pick)
LG Justin Smiley
C Samson Satele
RG Shawn Murphy
RT Vernon Carey

This is another post in a series in which we go division by division looking at and ranking the most overlooked factor in the success of your fantasy football squad, the offensive line. So you might want to keep an eye out over the next few weeks - which by the way, I have made it easy for you to do because…

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Choosing the right player who is in just the Right Spot is critical for winning your fantasy football league. And that doesn’t mean you have to have one of the top picks to select San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson, Kansas City’s Larry Johnson or St. Louis’ Steven Jackson. It’s all about location, location, location when a player is in the Right Spot. Is he playing on a good team? Is he surrounded by a good supporting cast? Does the offensive feature him? And is he in a contract year?

Having one of those top guys can help, but it’s not the answer. Just look at how each of those players struggled last season: Tomlinson was off his game, Johnson failed to dominate after the Chiefs lost a few key linemen, and Jackson suffered through injuries.

Further down the draft board, running backs like Cleveland’s Jamal Lewis, Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker, Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook, Indianapolis’ Joseph Addai, Dallas’ Marion Barber and Jacksonville’s Fred Taylor thrived. Then there were the surprise backs of 2007, including rookies Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) and Marshawn Lynch (Buffalo) and emerging runners like Earnest Graham (Tampa Bay) and Ryan Grant (Green Bay) — who flourished when finally give a chance.

There are always players who come out of nowhere and produce big numbers, like wide receiver Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints a few years ago or the above mentioned Grant. So for this discussion, we’ll leave the players that burst on the scene out of the equation. There is no way to predict it, unless you have a hunch. But drafting smart and winning your league should be about more than just a hunch.

Arm yourself with facts

Know what players are having good camps. Know who is winning the position battles. Know what teams have improved themselves in the offseason, both through free agency and the draft. And that doesn’t mean just offensive players either. If a team made substantial improvements on defense, that success should transfer over to offensive skill guys because generating turnovers or more three-and-outs on defense will give the offense more opportunities to score.

You can never have enough depth

If you’ve done your homework, then you are poised to build a strong, competitive team. Everyone can pick out the top players at each position. That’s easy. It doesn’t take a ton of skill. But when you get into the middle-to-late rounds, choosing wisely can make all the difference. And those smart choices are all about the right player in just the Right Spot.

How to draft a gem

With a former offensive line coach taking over the head coaching reigns in Miami, look for running back Ronnie Brown to have an impressive season. It’s not just the coach, but with Bill Parcells overseeing the operation you can bet on a commitment to running the ball. And with No. 1 overall pick and offensive tackle Jake Long leading a new group of line additions, the Dolphins should be leaning on Brown heavily. Especially when their quarterback situation is shaky at best.

How to avoid a lemon

Don’t draft Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Johnson. Unless he gets traded or finally signs a big deal, it’s far too risky to draft him. He’s one of the best receivers in the league, but thanks to his power struggle with the Bengals, he might not play a down as he is threatening to sit out the season. He’s simply in the wrong spot.

Brown and Johnson are just examples, and Johnson is pretty obvious, but each example makes a strong point. Know who has the tools around him to succeed. Who is in the Right Spot. By studying up and keeping your ear to the ground this summer, you just might be the envy of your league when the dust settles following your draft. And just maybe, a championship will follow.