FF-Winners.Com Reacts: Tom “Milkshake” Brady Goes to the Buccaneers

March 17, 2020 by Winn Jones

With Brady joining the Bucs, Tampa Bay now has better Super Bowl odds than New England. The Westgate moved the Bucs from + 4000 to + 1400 and dropped the Patriots from + 1400 to + 3000.

Jeff Sherman of the Westgate told the Las Vegas Review-Journal “We didn’t want to be too aggressive on them as long as Belichick is there… The year Brady was out they won 11 games with Matt Cassel. We trust more in Belichick’s system than Brady at his age right now.”

Circa Sports moved the Patriots win total from 9 (over -120) to 8.5 (even -110 both sides). Their odds to win the AFC dropped from + 625 to + 1200. The Patriots remain slight favorites to win the AFC East, falling from -278 to -125 at DraftKings. The Bills improve from + 325 to + 175. Jets move from + 1200 to + 900 and Dolphins move from + 1600 to + 1000.

Folks, this is a very interesting development. Fortunately, we can gain insight from our industry-leading AI Power Rankings. The interpretation might surprise you:

Tampa Bay has the 4th Strongest Offense in all of football at 28.0 points per game. While this would seem to be an exciting position for Brady, we doubt he can maintain this production compared to Jameis Winston the previous QB.

Tampa Bay has the third worst defense in the NFL, giving up 30 points a game. By Brady producing many fewer turnovers this should improve dramatically.

The Bucs were 7-9 last year, we look for a 9-7 record in 2020, which might make the now 7-team per conference playoffs.

New England has the number 1 defense in the NFL, giving up just 10.8 points per game.

Their offense is just rated 10th, at 25.1 points per game. We doubt the loss of Brady will change these numbers dramatically. Look for the 12-4 Patriots to go 10-6 in 2020, making the playoffs once again.

For more opinion, CLICK HERE!

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Opinion, Player News, Tom Brady Tagged With: brady, bratty, buccaneers, reacts, winners

Winners and Losers at the NFL Scouting Combine

March 3, 2020 by Winn Jones

A good or bad Combine, as with many things in the NFL can cause swings of thousands or millions of dollars.

Players should prepare for the Cognitive Ability Test

CLICK HERE for the Combine Report!

Filed Under: Draft, Player News, Podcasts Tagged With: combine, losers, winners

Exclusive Report: FF-Winners Top 10 Draft Choices for Fantasy Football 2020-21

February 22, 2020 by literateumar

It is almost the end of February 2020 with the Super bowl having been concluded a few weeks ago. And yet different news stories of the 2020 NFL season are already heating up. With Drew Brees announcing another year with the Saints and the uncertainty surrounding where Tom Brady is going to end up, the discussion around the NFL leagues will continue to go on. Then there is the NFL 2020 draft which is just 8 weeks away! Having said that, there is no better way to start your fantasy football season as soon as possible. Whether you are going to start a dynasty league or going to participate in a casual PPR or standard leagues, it is always a good idea to prepare yourself for the upcoming season.

We have researched the top 10 NFL fantasy football draft players which will surely make a huge impact in the upcoming season. The position of the pick is based on the player’s past performance and the circumstances of the upcoming season. We have done scientific research before listing these players however, still, they may change depending on the situation as it did with Antonio Brown in 2019. But for now here are our top 10 players for the 2020 Fantasy Football season.

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, (Carolina Panthers)

No surprises there at all. McCaffrey’s work ethics and his workload have made him a huge name in the past year. In 2019 Christian McCaffrey made 287 rushing attempts for 1387 yard and he scored a staggering 15 rushing TD’s. To make this even more terrific, McCaffrey also caught 116 passes for 1005 yards while catching 4 passes in the end zone taking his total TD tally to 19.

Now the biggest question going into the 2020 season will be whether McCaffrey will be given the same workload. And the answer to a question like that would be with a guy like McCaffrey, WHY NOT? Matt Rhule is a pro RB coach who has done well in his college coaching years. So, we have little fear that McCaffrey stats in 2020 will dwindle.

2. Ezekiel Elliot, RB, (Dallas Cowboys)

Most people may not agree with us putting Ezekiel at number 2 but the thing about him is that he never disappoints. He has continued to put up numbers year after year. In fantasy football, consistency is the key if you want to win. Sure enough, Ezekiel numbers were down from the 2018 season but still, he rushed for 1,357 yards in 301 carries and scored 12 times through the ground. You have to get McCaffrey if you are number 1 in draft order otherwise Ezekiel Elliot is the safest option afterward who will continue to shine in 2020.

3. Michael Thomas, WR, (New Orleans Saints)

Michael Thomas is perhaps the safest bet in terms of the wide receiver ever since Calvin Johnson retired – that is the reason Michael Thomas is on number 3 on my list. When Drew Brees got injured there was a huge concern about Michael’s production, however, not only the backup QB Teddy Bridgewater played brilliantly but Michael’s targets were never down. He continued to be a workhorse.

Michael Thomas has a rare talent with the right amount of size, strength and speed with safe hands (just like Calvin Johnson). With Drew Brees announcing another year with the Saints, Michael Thomas will be again the center of Brees’s attention in this upcoming season.

4. Saquon Barkley, RB, (New York Giants)

Admittedly, Saquon’s 2019 season was a bit disappointing but a high ankle sprain in a running back is just a killer. However, Saquon’s potential cannot be denied in any way. We think that with Daniel Jones returning as NY Giants QB, the coach Joe Judge may make the necessary changes to build an offense similar to the Ravens which will create immediate value for not only Jones but it will boost up the offensive value of Saquon Barkley. Going into the 2020 season, we are placing Saquon on number 4 on our list.

5. Dalvin Cook, RB, (Minnesota Vikings)

In 2019, Cook’s start was nothing short of a dream start. In his first 7 games of the 2019 season, Cook had 5 games where he rushed for 100 yards or more. In the 8^th game, he rushed for 98 yards. Kirk Cousins’s presence has been a blessing for Cook and Minnesota’s read-option worked really well.We think this year will be the best year for Dalvin Cook and he will be a definite top 5 fantasy player.

6. Nick Chubb, RB, (Cleveland Browns)

When you talk about workhorse you have to mention Nick Chubb no matter what. Chubb ran for 1494 yards in 298 carries with an impressive average of 5.0. He had 8 games where he carried the ball 20 times or more. Expect him to be the best offensive player for the Browns in the 2020 season. Chubb is definitely a safe and best draft pick at number 6.

7. Alvin Kamara, RB, (New Orleans Saints)

Alvin Kamara had a down season in 2019 but most of it can be blamed on his high ankle sprain. Sean Peyton has been known to play it safe and I think that’s why Alvin Kamara was not given a green light when It came to big plays. Expect Kamara to be back in 2020 with full swing and if you want a player closer to McCaffrey then, of course, look no further than Kamara.

8. Derrick Henry, RB, (Tennessee Titans)

Derrick Henry was a total beast in 2019. He carried his whole team on his shoulders to the AFC championship game. He gave the word “Workhorse” a whole new meaning in the 2019 season. He scored 16 rushing touchdowns and led the league in rushing with 1540 yards with an amazing 5.1 YPA. Expect Mike Vrabel to give Henry a good workload in 2020 as well.

9. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, (Houston Texans)

DeAndre Hopkins will have a great season in 2020. Part of Hopkins’s success can be credited to the starting quarterback DeShaun Watson who keeps getting better best every year and is expected to perform at his best in the 2020 season. In our opinion in 2020 Watson-Hopkins will be one of the best QB-WR connections.

10. Tyreek Hill, WR, (Kansas City Chiefs)

Speedster Tyreek Hill had a low fantasy season but he made up most of it in the postseason. We should expect the same performance in the 2020 season. Let’s face it, no one can become open and create a gap as Hill does and that’s why there are certain plays in Andy Reid’s play-book that have been specifically designed for Hill. Expect Chief’s star QB Mahomes to throw to Hill’s way in the upcoming season. He will remain a very important offensive weapon in the 2020 season.

Filed Under: Fantasy Football Strategy, NFL Forecasting, Player News Tagged With: choices, draft, exclusive, fantasy, football, report, winners

How Hard is NFL Betting Really? Why Not Consult FF-Winners.com? OMG! It’s Free!

February 17, 2020 by Winn Jones

Astute bettors know that at -110 odds (the standard for NFL picks against the spread), you need to win 52.4% of your bets to break even. That decimal is rounded up, so you’d actually make a tiny fraction in profit at that rate. Picking EVERY NFL GAME, with no points shopping or shaving, the FF-Winners self-taught AI computer has won 53.1%, 55.4%, 52.9%,47.3%(covid), 53.4%,54.9% of ATS picks, respectively, in the last 6 years. These are publicly audited results. It is THE ONLY NFL SYSTEM (out of 65+ tracked) to be profitable against the pointspread in 5 of the last 6 years! During this period, FF-Winners has finished 1st or 2nd each year in at least 1 of the 6 metrics tracked!

IN 2020, each week we entered our top 5 rated bets in the MyBookie NFL Supercontest. We finished 81st out of about 1500 participants for a $394 prize (on a $100 entry fee). We won 61.1 percent of our bets for almost a 300 percent return on investment!

Results from Supercontests suggest that only 30% of bettors are profitable over a season and that even the very best bettors only score between 65% and 70%. Anybody claiming results above this (such as on Twitter or Facebook) is simply lying (or they could win $1.5 million in the Westgate Supercontest, for example).

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Sports Betting Tagged With: betting, consult, really, winners

FF-Winners.com Reveals: Top Wagers for 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

July 14, 2019 by Rajan Nanavati

There’s no question that the 2018 NFL Draft will be defined by the five quarterbacks who were taken in the first round. But, it’s hard for most quarterbacks to see immediate success, given the steep learning curve they face when transitioning from the college game to the NFL.

Given that, who are the favorites to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after this season? Here are three names to consider:

Ronald Jones (+3300) – They say the best gamblers aren’t so much looking at who’ll win, as much as they are looking for the best value for their wager. If you happen to be among the latter group, then running back Ronald Jones of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be right up your alley. Somewhat overlooked as the fifth running back taken in the 2018 NFL Draft, Jones was one of the most explosive running backs in the nation last year, finishing with 1,550 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns (both of which were top 10 among all running backs in college football). Playing within an offense that features skill position guys like Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson (and young talents on the cusp of breaking out, like O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin), there is plenty of space for Jones to gash defenses. It’s just a matter of time before he assumes the full-time job as the Buccaneers’ starting running back.

Sam Darnold (+1600) – Baker Mayfield was the surprise and Josh Allen was the prototype, which led to everyone forgetting the fact that Sam Darnold was the guy that most teams had declared as the best quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft. The New York Jets – and their fans – should be thanking every religious being of their choosing for the fact that he fell to them at the #3 overall pick, because they might’ve finally solidified the position for the next decade. Darnold’s ability to scramble around the pocket and create big plays by delivering well-time darts down the field makes him eerily reminiscent of a bigger Tony Romo. Anyone paying attention to the happenings in the Tri-State area knows that Darnold looks like he has a stranglehold on the starting quarterback job for the Jets. If he has a good year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him emerge as a surprise challenger for this award.

Saquon Barkley (+140) – In reality, everyone knows this award is Saquon Barkley’s to lose. The running back with the generational physical talents and well-rounded game is a virtual lock to accumulate at least 250 touches this year (if not substantially more), given the fact that the New York Giants invested the #2 overall pick in the draft on him. At 5’10 and 230lbs, with the strength of a linebacker and the speed of a cornerback, Barkley is like a human cheat code. An accurate comparison that many have made for him, given his talents as a runner and a pass catcher, as well as his size and his strength, is Todd Gurley – that’s the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Without any sense of hyperbole, Barkley possesses that level of talent.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Player News, Sports Betting Tagged With: offensive, reveals, rookie, wagers, winners

WATCH: Fox Sports’s Colin Cowherd and FF-Winners AI Computer in Full Agreement on Divisional Playoff Bets

January 12, 2019 by Winn Jones

Colin Cowherd is an excellent (though sometimes annoying) NFL analyst. We are pleased he agrees with all 4 of our picks this week!

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Podcasts, Sports Betting Tagged With: agreement, colin, computer, cowherd, divisional, playoff, winners

FF-Winners.Com Reveals: Top Wagers for 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award

August 15, 2018 by Rajan Nanavati

A year after watching a cornerback win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award for the first time in nearly two decades, who are the favorites to win it this year?

Although the 2018 NFL Draft was heavy on big names on the offensive side of the football, there were a few standout prospects on defense who headlined this year’s class, and unsurprisingly, are among the favorites to win said hardware:

Tremaine Edmunds (+800) – After months of projecting him as a top-10 selection in the draft, it was something of a surprise to see Tremaine Edmunds fall to the 16^th overall pick. The Buffalo Bills reportedly would’ve been content walking out of the draft with either one of quarterback Josh Allen or Edmunds with their top pick, so having the opportunity to walk out of the draft with both guys left them beyond thrilled. Head coach Sean McDermott made no reservations when discussing what Edmunds could do Buffalo’s defense; McDermott unquestionably sees Edmunds as being his version of Luke Kuechly, whom McDermott coached as the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. With the size of a (smaller) defensive end and the speed of a running back, Edmunds is a threat to literally rack up a myriad of stats, from sacks to tackles for losses to forced fumbles to passes broken up (if not interceptions). While he still has to further develop his football instincts, with the right coaching, he has the chance to be an absolute force in Buffalo very quickly.

Roquan Smith (+400) – Roquan Smith vs. Tremaine Edmunds was something of a “Miller Lite versus Bud Light” debate in this draft, with certain factions in the NFL favoring one over the other. But the Chicago Bears were absolutely thrilled to have landed Smith with the 8^th overall pick, and to add him to a defense where they continue to add speed and athleticism. Under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, there are people who are immediately people who are comparing Smith to Patrick Willis, the former All-Pro linebacker whom Fangio coached while they were both with the San Francisco 49ers. As the textbook definition of “a football player,” comparing Smith to one of the best linebackers of the past decade isn’t that far-fetched. Nobody would be surprised to see him emerge as the best defensive player to come out of this draft.

Bradley Chubb (+140) – Bradley Chubb of the Denver Broncos is the favorite among the group, and for good reason. Even if he wasn’t the first defensive player taken in the 2018 NFL Draft, many people considered him to be the best defensive player among the class. Moreover, the simple fact is that big sack totals will very likely sway the votes of media members who cast their ballots for this award, and Chubb has the potential to approach – if not surpass – double-digit sacks. Most elite pass rushers taken high-up in the draft usually end up being the focus of the blocking schemes of opposing offenses, but anyone playing the Broncos has to deal with blocking Von Miller first and foremost. That’s going to present a lot of opportunities for Chubb to see one-on-one blocking situations, when he can leverage his size, strength, and relentless motor to attack helpless blockers.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Player News, Sports Betting Tagged With: award, defensive, reveals, rookie, wagers, winners

FF-Winners.Com Reveals: Top Wagers for 2018 NFL MVP Award

August 15, 2018 by Rajan Nanavati

Deshaun Watson (+1500) — In Jalen Ramsey “feather-ruffling” interview published in GQ Magazine, the Pro Bowl cornerback identified Deshaun Watson as someone who is “going to be an MVP in a couple of years.” But is it possible that Watson accelerates that timeline, and ends up becoming the league’s most valuable player this season? It’s a bit lofty to anoint someone who has a grand total of seven meaningful NFL games under his belt as such, but it’s not entirely far-fetched. After all, in those seven games last year, Watson averaged three touchdowns per game; at that rate, he would’ve finished with somewhere around 43 touchdown passes and another five rushing touchdowns. Obviously, such numbers aren’t sustainable over the course of an entire season, but Watson proved to be a one-man offensive dynamo last year, and if he leads the Houston Texans to an AFC South title, he could very well enter the conversation.

Carson Wentz (+700) – How quickly man of us forget that Carson Wentz was the runaway favorite to win the NFL’s MVP award last season, before sustaining the season-ending knee injury against the Los Angeles Rams last year. But even after missing three full games last year, Wentz still finished with 33 passing touchdowns (good for second in the NFL) and 101.9 passer rating (4th in the NFL). The beauty of Wentz’ situation is that his Philadelphia Eagles team is far from dependent on him to win them games; they can do so on the power of their stacked defense, if need be, or even run the football with the committee of running backs they have on their roster. In other words, there are too many things for opponents to worry about, for them to focus on trying to stop Wentz. With the early reports of him actually throwing with more velocity trickling out of Eagles camp, there’s plenty of reason to believe he could challenge for the award he should’ve won last year.

Aaron Rodgers (+550) — Or maybe we should ask if you remember him? Even with substantial questions along his offensive line, and without the services of his longtime favorite receiver, we simply cannot rule out the two-time MVP and maybe the most dangerous quarterback in the NFL. Before we began talking about guys like Carson Wentz, Russell Wilson, and Tom Brady in the MVP conversation last year, Rodgers looked like the early favorite, as he was eviscerating defenses over the first five games of last year. Between the first week of September and the first week of October, Rodgers threw for 13 touchdown passes, compared to only three interceptions. If you project out his stats over the course of the year, he would’ve had 41 touchdown passes and over 4,300 yards passing. With Davante Adams emerging as a top-15 receiver, Randall Cobb finally coming into the season healthy, and Jimmy Graham as a new red zone target, don’t overlook Rodgers’ chances becoming a three-time MVP.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Player News, Sports Betting Tagged With: award, ff-winners week 2, reveals, wagers, winners

ALERT: FF-Winners.Com Warns On the 2017-8 Falcon Team: TAKE THE UNDER!

September 5, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

Some Las Vegas oddsmakers have sent the “over/under” on the win total for the 2017 Atlanta Falcons at 9.5 wins. At least initially, that number seems ridiculously low, given the fact that this team finished with an 11-5 record last season, and beat the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers en route to representing the NFC in Super Bowl LI this past February.

And yet, we’re not only telling you to bet the “under,” wagering that the Falcons will win less than 9.5 games this year, but we’re also saying that the 2017 Atlanta Falcons will not only fail to win the NFC South division this year, but also fail to make the playoffs.

Here’s a fact for you: over the last 20 years, the team that lost the Super Bowl failed to make the playoffs 9 times. Over the last 15 years, the Super Bowl loser failed to make the playoffs the ensuing year. In other words, it’s basically a 50/50 chance that if you lose the Super Bowl, you’re not making the postseason the following year.

But specifically, in terms of the Falcons, there are two big reasons why we’re confident enough to make such a statement:

1. We think everyone overlooked an Atlanta defense that really wasn’t all that great

2. The difference between Kyle Shanahan’s offense and Steve Sarkisian’s offense is going to be jarring, in a really, really bad way if you’re a Falcons fan.

While the offense was busy putting up franchise-best numbers last season, the defense finished 26th in defensive DVOA last season, 25th in total yards allowed per game, and 28th in passing yards allowed per game. They allowed the fifth-most touchdown passes in the NFL to opponents last year, and didn’t have anyone on the entire team (outside of Vic Beasley Jr.) register more than five sacks. Does that sound like a “good defense” to you? In fact, name a player on the Falcons defense, outside of maybe Beasley, who opposing teams really need to worry about. If you polled 100 relatively knowledgeable NFL fans, could they name more than three players on the Falcons defense?

Atlanta plays in a division where they’ll face Drew Brees, Cam Newton, or Jameis Winston in more than a third of their games this year; that’s not even mentioning the fact that Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson are all on teams who are on the Falcons’ schedule this year as well.

And before you say: “well, Atlanta can win those games in a shootout,” that brings us to the Shanahan-Sarkisian issue, with that issue specifically being the fact that the Falcons are replacing one of the BEST offensive minds in the NFL with someone who has NEVER called plays or ran an offense in the NFL at any point in his career.

What Shanahan did for the Falcons offense last year was his career’s magnum opus. He found a way to masterfully utilize Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Taylor Gabriel, Mohamed Sanu, the incomparable Julio Jones, and a veritable pupu platter of tight ends, taking all of those random ingredients and concocting an offering in a way that would’ve made an Iron Chef proud.

But Shanahan is gone, and being replaced by Steve Sarkisian. Here’s what you need to know about about Sarkisian: 1) the last time he was a head coach, he was fired because of a history of alcohol abuse; and 2) Sarkisian has never been an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

In the three seasons prior to 2016, Atlanta finished 21st, 12th, and 20th in the NFL in points per game. So tell us what sounds more realistic: Sarkisian implementing another league-leading, well-oiled offensive juggernaut? Or Atlanta’s offense reverting back to the mean, thanks to a coordinator who was so toxic that most college programs gave tremendous pause to the idea of hiring him?

So, scoff at our less 9.5 wins projection. Go ahead and overlook the fact that, in the three seasons before last year, Atlanta failed to reach nine wins, or the fact that they’ve ranked in the bottom six in the NFL in points allowed per game in three of the past four seasons.

We stand by our prediction that the Falcons will be suffering the “Super Bowl loser hangover” this upcoming season.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Opinion, Sports Betting, Team News Tagged With: alert, drew brees, falcon, under, winners

FF-Winners.com’s 2017-8 AFC West Preview

September 4, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

For all the buzz around the other teams in the division, it gets easily overlooked that the Kansas City Chiefs are the reigning division champions, coming off a 12-4 record last year. But the question around the Chiefs is whether this team can take that next step forward and make a deep postseason run, or will they take a step back given all the questions they have on offense. The defense shouldn’t miss a beat, with as many as five Pro Bowl-caliber players on defense — cornerback Marcus Peters, safety Eric Berry, outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, and inside linebacker Derrick Johnson — along with an emerging stud in defensive end Chris Jones, and a very solid free agent acquisition in defensive tackle Bennie Logan. But the offense, which ranked in the bottom half of the league in total yards (20th) and passing yards (19th) per game, has plenty of questions left to be answered this season. How does the Chiefs selection of quarterback Patrick Mahomes with their top pick in the 2017 NFL Draft affect the play of quarterback Alex Smith, whom Mahomes was drafted to replace? How will the Chiefs running game fare with rookie Kareem Hunt (the team’s 3rd round pick) taking over for Spencer Ware, who was lost to a season-ending injury in the preseason? And does the team have any receiver they can reliably trust, outside of Tyreek Hill, after releasing Jeremy Maclin in the offseason? It’s going to take every ounce of guidance that head coach Andy Reid can muster to get this team to the heights that many believe they’re capable of, given the aforementioned challenges.

Nobody will question whether the Oakland Raiders will have the capability to move the football and score a lot of points with their offense. Derek Carr is one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the league. Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper are one of the most productive wide receiver duos in the NFL. The offensive line doesn’t get quite as much credit as it should, but it’s easily one of the three or four best units in the league. The unretired Marshawn Lynch should, at least in theory, provide some punch to the running game. No, the thing that everyone will question is whether Oakland can stop anyone from moving the football up and down the field against their defense, which finished last season giving up the seventh-most yards per game in the league last year. While the team used six of their nine draft picks in the 2017 NFL Draft on defensive players, the unit remains largely the same as the group from last year. Will the continuity, coupled with the addition of John Pagano as the Assistant Head Coach — Defense, be enough to get a serviceable performance from that side of the ball?

Less than two years removed from winning the Super Bowl, the Denver Broncos now find themselves amidst a major transition in the team’s direction. Gone are surefire Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, head coach Gary Kubiak, and venerated defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. New head coach Vance Joseph seemingly has his hands full, with a team that has a bevy of talented players, but a roster that’s been slowly depleted because of free agent defections and ineffective draft classes. The team’s calling card will remain its defense, considering the team still has the best pure edge rusher in the NFL (Von Miller) and the best pair of cornerbacks in the league (Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr.), but it may not be safe to assume they’ll be just as dominant has they have been in years past, considering how many key veterans they’ve lost from that group in recent years — most recently safety TJ Ward, whom the team released just days before the 2017 roster cut down date. On offense, the team still has yet to find it’s answer at quarterback, as they’ll continue to start Trevor Siemian under center, behind an offensive line that still has plenty of questions of its own.

The Chargers, who officially moved to Los Angeles this past offseason, will also have a new head coach along with a new home town. After parting ways with Mike McCoy, they brought in Anthony Lynn — the former interim head coach of the Buffalo Bills — as the new lead man, along with Gus Bradley as the new defensive coordinator. Lynn helped guide the Bills to the top-ranked rushing offense in the NFL in 2016, which only bodes well for running back Melvin Gordon, who enjoyed a breakout season of his own last year. On defense, Bradley will oversee a defense featuring breakout edge rusher Joey Bosa — the Defensive Rookie of the Year last year (voted by his peers) — and Melvin Ingram, along with cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Casey Hayward (the latter of whom led the NFL in interceptions last year). With Philip Rivers under center, the return of Keenan Allen at wide receiver, and second year tight end Hunter Henry emerging as yet another red zone weapon, the Chargers could be the biggest wildcard of this division, and a darkhorse playoff contender.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News Tagged With: preview, winners

FF-Winners.com’s 2017-8 AFC South Preview

August 31, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

There’s a reason why many people believe that the AFC South is essentially the Junior Varsity division of the NFL. All four teams have plenty of interesting young players and essential pieces needed to build a successful team, but they have even bigger questions that are hindering them from truly being among the contenders in their conference.

Perhaps no team in the NFL fits the “this team could be really good if they just had an answer at quarterback” description more than the Houston Texans. Needless to say, the $64 million gamble they took on quarterback Brock Osweiler last season turned out to be an utter catastrophe, to the point where they actually gave Cleveland a 2nd round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, in exchange for the Browns taking Osweiler off the Texans’ hands. If they can even get replacement-level play from under center, courtesy of either Tom Savage or first round pick Deshaun Watson, this team has a lot of interesting pieces assembled. DeAndre Hopkins is one of the most lethal wide receivers in the NFL. Lamar Miller is a very capable running back. There might not be a defense in the AFC with a better front seven than that of the Texans, and no team in the NFL has three fear-inspiring pass rushers like Houston has with Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, and the return of JJ Watt. If Houston’s offense doesn’t do its job this season, the seat that head coach Bill O’Brien is currently sitting on may begin to get uncomfortably warm.

The Tennessee Titans have become one of the “trendy” picks to win the AFC South and/or make the playoffs in 2017 by the media and fans, especially given the fact that they finished the season with a 5-2 record over their last seven games, en route to a 9-7 record overall. But for all the intrigue around the development of quarterback Marcus Mariota, the “exotic smash mouth” running game featuring Demarco Murray and Derrick Henry, the bevy of pass catchers this team has assembled, and a workmanlike group of defenders on the other side of the football, this team still has a lot to prove before they’re anointed as the next up-and-comer in the NFL. Mariota has sustained season-ending injuries over each of the past two seasons. Head coach Mike Mularkey has a career head coaching record of 27-46, and has never taken a team to the postseason. Murray is a few months away from his 30th birthday, the age when running backs start to fall off the proverbial cliff. The secondary was one of the worst in the NFL last season, and while they invested in the cornerback spot via free agency (signing Logan Ryan) and the draft (taking Adoree’ Jackson from USC), it’s far from solved. So, while t wouldn’t be that big of a surprise to see the Titans usurp the AFC South crown from the Texans, it wouldn’t be any surprise if they fell surprise if Mularkey’s crew fell short of expectations either.

The darkhorse team in this division is undoubtedly the Indianapolis Colts, but the entire outlook of their season rests on the surgically-repaired shoulder of Andrew Luck. Only days away from the start of the 2017 regular season, head coach Chuck Pagano claims that he hasn’t seen Luck throw the football normally this year. Indianapolis is planning to start backup quarterback Scott Tolzien in their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, but how long will Tolzien have to continue to play in place of Luck? That’s a question that virtually nobody in and around the team has been able to answer, and that dark cloud of uncertainty has cast a big shadow over what was otherwise a promising offseason. The Colts finally rid themselves with the general ineptitude of former General Manager Ryan Grigson, and replaced him with well-respected personnel czar Chris Ballard. In Ballard’s first draft, he took three guys who can help the perpetually beleaguered Colts defense immediately: safety Malik Hooker, cornerback Quincy Wilson, and edge rusher Tarell Basham. Running back Marlon Mack, whom the team also took in this year’s draft, presents an interesting change-of-pace option for the ageless Frank Gore as well. But as long as the cornerstone of this franchise is standing on the sidelines and not wearing a uniform, this team is still running in place.

Ironically, who continually rounds out the bottom of the AFC South — the Jacksonville Jaguars — find themselves in the same boat as the team that won this division last year. Blake Bortles was supposed to be the franchise quarterback for this team, and yet he’s turned into a quarterback version of Benjamin Button: he only gets worse with more experience. There have been plenty of headlines this offseason about Bortles’ teammates making their displeasure towards his poor caliber of play publicly known, to the point where the team seriously considered replacing him with backup quarterback Chad Henne; Henne didn’t get the job because he played equally as terrible in the preseason, during what was presumably his audition to be the starting quarterback. The mess under center overshadows what is otherwise a deceptively loaded roster. The depth this team has at both the running back (Leonard Fournette, Chris Ivory, and TJ Yeldon) — and wide receiver (Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, DeDe Westbrook) positions would be the envy of many teams around the league. The defensive front four has the potential to be one of the very best groups in the league. They have two Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks (Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye) and a pair of the rangiest linebackers in the NFL (Telvin Smith and Myles Jack). But the sheer incompetence this team has received from the quarterback position is the main reason they have never been able to finally emerge from the basement of this division.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News Tagged With: preview, south, winners

FF-Winners.com’s Opening Week 2017-8 Quarterback Power Rankings

August 25, 2017 by Roland Fuller

Quarterbacks are the powerhouses of each NFL team and play a large part in how the team does in the upcoming season. With the 2017/2018 NFL season looming on the horizon, knowing how the rankings stand will go a long way to helping you to place your bets for the upcoming season.

A great example is how the Dallas Cowboys fared at the bookmakers in the 2015 season. Their star quarterback Tony Romo ended up being out for most of the season due to injury. Before his accident, the Cowboys were 3 – 1, but without him, they quickly fell to 1 – 11, seriously disappointing some punters who had placed futures bets. NFL betting is popular across the globe and even betting NZ sites offer a selection of markets. Thus, the more information available about the players, their performance and the teams, the better,

A Season Predictor

Choosing the 2017 power quarterbacks is just an idea of what may happen throughout the season. Of course, there is the potential for injury, surprises and more to upset the apple cart. That being said, most experts tend to agree on the ranked order which does give us some idea of how the season may play out.

Interestingly, some of the quarterbacks for 2017 are brand new to the NFL. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, for example, is only a tender 22, which may either place him at an advantage over his older opponents, or a disadvantage due to his youth. For this reason, he is last on our list at number 32. Speed and agility may be his, but experience and sheer strength are usually some of the bonuses of age and practice. These newbies on the block are relatively untried, and although we can look back on their play records, how they fare against the big boys is a giant question mark until the season actually begins.

Ranking Considerations

The quarterback rankings have been chosen with care, taking into account both their current career stats, win-loss records, general performances, winning percentages and playoff victories.

Our top five ranked quarterbacks will probably come as no surprise to anyone. They are the pinnacle of the sport currently, with great career stats and a handful of Super Bowl wins between them. Anything can happen on the field, but the fact remains that these super athletes are most likely to take their teams to victory over their younger, less experienced counterparts.

And so, without further ado, we bring you a list of the 32 ranked power quarterbacks for the start of the 2017 season.

32. Jared Goff — Los Angeles Rams

31. Cody Kessler — Cleveland Browns (Projected Starter)

30. Josh McCown — New York Jets (Projected Starter)

29. Blake Bortles — Jacksonville Jaguars

28. Trevor Siemian — Denver Broncos

27. Sam Bradford — Minnesota Vikings

26. Mike Glennon — Chicago Bears

25. Deshaun Watson — Houston Texans (Projected Starter)

24. Brian Hoyer — San Francisco 49ers

23. Tyrod Taylor — Buffalo Bills

22. Alex Smith — Kansas City Chiefs

21. Eli Manning — New York Giants

20. Andy Dalton — Cincinnati Bengals

19. Carson Wentz — Philadelphia Eagles

18. Joe Flacco — Baltimore Ravens

17. Philip Rivers — Los Angeles Chargers

16. Carson Palmer — Arizona Cardinals

15. Jay Cutler — Miami Dolphins

14. Marcus Mariota — Tennessee Titans

13. Matthew Stafford — Detroit Lions

12. Cam Newton — Carolina Panthers

11. Kirk Cousins — Washington Redskins

10. Jameis Winston — Tampa Bay Buccaneers

9. Andrew Luck — Indianapolis Colts

8. Russell Wilson — Seattle Seahawks

7. Dak Prescott — Dallas Cowboys

6. Ben Roethlisberger — Pittsburgh Steelers

5. Drew Brees — New Orleans Saints

4. Derek Carr — Oakland Raiders

3. Aaron Rodgers — Green Bay Packers

2. Matt Ryan — Atlanta Falcons

1. Tom Brady — New England Patriots

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Player News, Tom Brady Tagged With: drew brees, ff-winners week 2, opening, power, quarterback, rankings, winners

FF-Winners.com’s 2017-8 AFC East Preview

August 23, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

The story of the AFC East in 2017 remains the same as it has for 14 of the past 16 NFL seasons: this division belongs to the New England Patriots, and everyone else is just competing for second place.

To use a line made famous by legendary professional wrestler Ric Flair: “to be the man, you gotta beat the man.” And right now, there’s simply no two ways about it: there doesn’t appear to be a single team in the NFL that can go toe-to-toe with the New England Patriots, and beat them on a neutral field. Let’s start off with the fact that the Patriots are returning 17 of their 22 starters from the team that won the Super Bowl. Now, add in the fact that they might have actually gotten better at four of those five positions that will feature new players, like wide receiver Brandin Cooks, running back Mike Gillislee, cornerback Stephon Gillmore, and defensive end Kony Ealy. This was already a team that lost a grand total of one game after Tom Brady returned from suspension last year. What team, across the entire NFL, is capable of beating these guys?

You can make an argument that no team has been ravaged by injury before the preseason even started than the Miami Dolphins. Pretty much every single NFL fan is well aware of the season-ending knee injury to Ryan Tannehill, which led head coach to call up old friend Jay Cutler and convince him to take over as the starting quarterback of the Dolphins (after Cutler had decided to retire this past offseason). But that was far from the only blow the team was dealt by the injury bug. Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, the team’s second round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, looked like he was set to take over the starting middle linebacker spot for the Dolphins, but then suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Cornerback Tony Lippett, who started in 13 games for Miami last season, was lost for the year after tearing his Achilles tendon. Offensive guard Ted Larsen, who was both an opening-day starter and their insurance policy at center in case Mike Pouncey got hurt, tore his biceps muscle in training camp, and will miss a significant portion of this season. It’s going to take a borderline miraculous coaching job for Gase to help Miami move out from underneath the dark cloud they’re currently under.

No head coach will ever admit that they’re willing to lose more games in the short run if it means the team will improve in the long run. That’s why you’ll never hear head coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills say anything other than the fact that he’s positioning his team to compete in the AFC East immediately. But after spending much of the offseason waffling on whether to bring back quarterback Tyrod Taylor (whom they brought back on a deal that allows them to easily part ways after just one year), and then opening training camp by trading players like wide receiver Sammy Watkins, cornerback Ronald Darby, and quarterback Cardale Jones, the message is clear: they’re willing to take one step back with the roster, if it means they can take two steps forward in their rebuild. McDermott is going to try and win games the same way the Carolina Panthers — his former employer — have in recent years: run the ball down the throats of the opponents, and use their stout defensive line to keep opponents from scoring.

As far as the New York Jets, you may have heard many NFL analysts around the league say the same thing over-and-over again, because it’s the truth: there isn’t a NFL roster with less talent across the entire league than the one the Jets have currently constructed. Frankly, it’s a miracle that head coach Todd Bowles and General Manager Mike Maccagnan weren’t fired by the notoriously fickle owner of the Jets, Woody Johnson. Bowles and Maccagnan are gambling on Christian Hackenberg as the starting quarterback of the Jets this season, and so far, the early word out of New York is that Hackenberg still looks as broken and as hopeless as many people believed he was after his star-crossed career at Penn State. But even aside from Hackenberg, the Jets starting offensive line, wide receivers, and cornerbacks are all easily among the three worst units in the entire league, and two of the team’s former building blocks — defensive linemen Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson — have been malcontents that have spent time on the team’s trade block. Things are looking very, very bleak in Gotham, with Bowles and Maccagnan likely to be the first ones without jobs by Black Monday of 2018.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News, Tom Brady Tagged With: preview, winners

FF-Winners.Com’s 2017-8 AFC North Preview

August 18, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

The AFC North is another one of those divisions which, theoretically, could be up for grabs for (almost) anyone… except the poor Cleveland Browns, of course. After all, the division hasn’t had a back-to-back champion since 2011 and 2012, when the Ravens won the title both years and ended up winning the Super Bowl after the second division crown), and Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have spent the past four seasons handing the division crown back and forth each year since.

This year, the Steelers head into the season as the favorites to win the division, and make their fourth straight appearance in the postseason. After briefly (but legitimately) contemplating retirement during the offseason, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be back to orchestrate an offense that finished seventh in the NFL in yards per game last year, and fifth in passing yards per game. Plus, with Le’Veon Bell primed to be available right from the regular season get-go (for the first time in his career), and with the return of wide receiver Martavis Bryant from a season-long suspension (after violating the league’s substance abuse policy), there’s a very good chance that Pittsburgh’s offense could be even more prolific this year. True to the franchise’s long-time modus operandi, they spent their top pick in the draft on a defensive player — outside linebacker T.J. Watt from the University of Wisconsin — for the fifth straight year, as they continually rebuild a defense that was very “un-Pittsburgh-like” in it’s 2016 performance, ranking in the bottom half of the NFL in rushing yards (20th), passing yards (17th), and points allowed (23rd) per game. For a team with a history of totally stifling opposing offenses, time is running out for defensive coordinator Keith Butler — and head coach Mike Tomlin, who installed Butler in place of the venerated Dick LeBeau — to stop this group from being the hindrance from being a real contender in the AFC.

Despite finishing the 2016 with only six total wins, the Cincinnati Bengals still lurk as a team with the potential to steal back the division crown from Pittsburgh. He doesn’t quite have the same supporting cast as Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, but the Bengals have quietly assembled a very talented group of pass catchers around quarterback Andy Dalton, including superstar wide receiver AJ Green, second year receiver Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati’s second round pick in 2016), veteran Brandon LaFell, newcomer John Ross (the ninth overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft), and tight end Tyler Eifert (who has the most touchdown receptions of any tight end in the NFL over the last two seasons). Cincinnati’s rushing offense was already in the top half of the league last year (13th in rushing yards per game and tied for 6th in rushing touchdowns), and with the addition of second round pick Joe Mixon, it should be even better. On defense, Cincinnati will rely on (young) quantity versus quality, largely built on their recent years of good drafting. Edge rushers Jordan Willis (their 3rd round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft) and Carl Lawson (their 4th round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft) will come in on passing downs opposite of ace edge rusher Carlos Dunlap. In the secondary, cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick, William Jackson III, and Darqueze Dennard — all first round selections in the five drafts prior to 2017 — gives the Bengals as deep a group of cornerbacks as any in the NFL.

Five years removed from a Super Bowl victory, the Baltimore Ravens find themselves at a bit of a crossroads. Despite year after year of savvy drafting by General Manager Ozzie Newsome, this team perpetually seems to running in place, never able to take that next step towards being in the mix among contenders in the AFC. Things have not fared well for the Ravens heading into the 2017 season. Quarterback Joe Flacco hasn’t been able to practice at all during training camp, thanks to back soreness that has been lingering since July. Starting inside linebacker Zachary Orr retired right after the 2016 season due to a spinal condition. John Urschel, who was slated to be the team’s starting Center this year, abruptly retired in the offseason amidst concerns around CTE. Running back Kenneth Dixon, who was supposed to work in tandem with Terrance West in the backfield this year, was first suspended for four games to start the year, and then declared out for the year after undergoing knee surgery. Wide receiver Breshad Perriman, the team’s top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, continues to struggle to stay healthy. Baltimore’s defense has some interesting pieces, including stud middle linebacker CJ Mosley, pass-rushing stalwart Terrell Suggs, the immovable Brandon Williams (one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL that nobody talks about), and free agent signees Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson. But that might not be enough for the perennially heralded Baltimore defense, if the offense continues to struggle to put points on the board.

And then, as always on the bottom of the AFC North, there’s Cleveland. In fairness, this is only year two of the total renovations this team undertook starting last offseason. Unfortunately, the product on the field last year reflected that, culminating in their 1-15 record (and questions as to whether head coach Hue Jackson should be fired after just one year on the job). Their league-low win total did secure them the right to draft defensive end Myles Garrett from Texas A&M University with the #1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and make him one of the central cornerstones of their rebuild. There are interesting players on this roster. Joe Thomas and Joel Bitonio might be the best left guard and tackle combination in the NFL. Running back Isaiah Crowell finished just shy of 1,000 yards rushing last year, and Duke Johnson Jr. finished 7th in the NFL in most catches by a running back. Linebacker Jamie Collins, acquired from the New England Patriots during the 2016 season in exchange for one of the bevy of draft picks the Browns have, is one of the most talented linebackers in the NFL. Edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, the team’s second round pick in 2016, led the team in sacks last year and will rush the quarterback opposite of Garrett. Wide receiver Kenny Britt and guard Kevin Zeitler, acquired in free agency, will come in and contribute right away. But this team still has so many holes to fill, with none more glaring than their long-term solution at quarterback (although they might have found an answer in second round pick DeShone Kizer).

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News Tagged With: north, preview, winners

FF-Winners.Com’s 2017-8 NFC South Preview

August 12, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

Among all the divisions in the National Football Conference, the NFC East might be the one with the most parity, the NFC West might be the one with the best team overall, and the NFC North might host the best quarterback in the conference (if not the entire league). But it could very well be the case that the NFC South might feature the most entertaining race to the division crown this year.

How does a team recover from blowing a 25-point lead in the third quarter of the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance? That’s the question that’s going to hound the Atlanta Falcons all year long. It’s already been talked about ad nauseum, and if the team has any stumbles along the way this year, it’s certainly going to be brought up repeatedly. History is not on the Falcons side, either; nine of the last 20 teams to lose the Super Bowl failed to make the playoffs last season. Atlanta’s defense will be better this year, thanks to the addition of defensive tackle Dontari Poe, the selection of edge rusher Takkarist McKinley in the 2017 NFL Draft, and the return of cornerback Desmond Trufant from injury. But what type of drop off will Atlanta’s ultra-prolific offense see from last year’s performance, with the loss of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan? New offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has enormous shoes to fill, considering Shanahan guided the Falcons offense to the eighth-highest point total in NFL history, and helped quarterback Matt Ryan to an MVP award along the way; to make matters even more challenging, Sarkisian has never been an offensive coordinator in the NFL. In a division in which the Falcons top competitors certainly look to take a big step forward this year, the idea that Atlanta is a lock to repeat as the champions of the NFC South is far from a given.

The Carolina Panthers can provide first-hand attestation to the “hangover” that comes after losing the Super Bowl. After finishing the 2015 season with an NFL-best 15-1 record, the Panthers endured a season filled with all sorts of bumps and bruises, headlined by injuries to arguably the team’s two best players: quarterback Cam Newton, and middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. Newton played in 15 of 16 games las tyear, but as a result of the merciless beating he endured all season long, he put up the lowest completion percentage and yards per attempt of his career, his second lowest passing touchdown total, and his second highest interception total. Newton is unquestionably the team’s franchise player, so Carolina went out and signed tackle Matt Kalil from the Vikings to protect Newton’s blindside as the left tackle, and drafted tackle Taylor Moton from the University of Wisconsin with the intention of him coming over and manning the right tackle spot. And to add to Newton’s oft-maligned group of pass catchers, the Panthers used draft pick on “hybrid” run-pass options like Christian McCaffrey (their first round pick) and Curtis Samuel (the first of their two second round picks). With nine of 11 starters returning from last year’s defense, the Panthers are banking on the continuity of their group to keep opponents out of the endzone, and the young secondary to make a big leap forward from last year’s campaign that saw the team finish with the fourth-worst passing defense in the NFL.

There might not be a more intriguing team in the NFL heading into this season than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The league made a brilliant decision featuring them on HBO’s Hard Knocks television show, because they have the star power to absolutely compel audiences. After finishing among the top 10 quarterbacks in touchdown passes last year, Jameis Winston looks primed to make a big leap forward in year three of his young career. To facilitate that, his front office has given him a repertoire of weapons that would make any quarterback envious: wide receiver DeSean Jackson (brought in via free agency), tight end O.J. Howard (the team’s first round pick in the draft), and wide receiver Chris Godwin (the team’s third round selection), to join incumbent tight end Cameron Brate (who led the league in touchdown catches among tight ends last year) and superstud receiver Mike Evans. If the defense can improve on its performance from last year (they were ranked 22nd in most yards allowed last season), this team could make serious noise in the NFC.

The question for the New Orleans Saints (and its fans) for this year is pretty simple: can the team break free from the treadmill of 7-9 finishes they’ve had in each of the past three seasons? In each of those three years, the storyline seemed to be the same: a top three offense in the NFL (in yards per game), and a bottom five defense (in points allowed per game). There was a point in time where the idea of a quarterback throwing for 5,000 yards in a season was a mind-boggling feat, and yet the incomparable Drew Brees is coming off a year in which he exceeded the 5,000 yard mark for the fourth time in six years. That’s a big reason why the Saints were the only team in the NFL with two receivers to finish among the top 10 in yards receiving. One of those two receivers was rookie Michael Thomas, whose 92 catches last year was the second highest total in NFL history for a rookie. With Brandin Cooks (the other thousand-yard receiver) now gone, Thomas becomes the focal point of the passing offense, and seems more than capable of handling those responsibilities. Of course, with such a prolific passing maestro like Brees orchestrating the offense, it certainly won’t all be on him to make things go. Meanwhile, New Orleans’ annually porous defense went through yet another overhaul, resulting in as many as six new starters for the group this year. The headline addition would likely be cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the team’s top draft selection this year, who could turn out to be a steal of a pick. Still, the question is the same in the Big Easy: can the Saints’ defense stop anyone from moving the ball up and down the field at will, in order to let the offense do its magic?

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News Tagged With: drew brees, preview, south, winners

FF-Winners.Com’s 2017-8 NFC North Preview

August 7, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

Over the past decade, the Green Bay Packers or the Minnesota Vikings have won the NFC North division nine times in 10 years. Given the way the division looks heading into the 2017 season, it would be very surprising if that trend didn’t extend to 10 times in 11 years.

Green Bay Packers

During the 2016 NFL season, the Green Packers not only went undefeated between the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend through the third week in January of 2017, but they beat opponents by an average of more than 12 points per game. But it all came to an end with a resounding thud, when the Atlanta Falcons ambushed the Packers in the NFC Championship game, storming out to a 31-0 lead at one point, and handing Green Bay a 44-21 defeat. But during that second-half-of-the-season run, Green Bay re-established themselves as one of the top contenders in the NFC, and they’ll look to build on that momentum during the 2017 season. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is one of the early favorites for the Most Valuable Player award, and rightfully so. After leading the league in touchdown passes (40) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (almost 6-to-1), and finished 4th in total passing yards (4,428), he’ll get to throw to an even-better group of receivers this year, with Jordy Nelson another year removed from his season-ending ACL injury (in 2015), Randall Cobb coming into camp healthy after dealing with nagging injuries all of last year, and Davante Adams coming off a breakout season and looking as sharp as ever. On top of that, the Packers went out and acquired tight end Martellus Bennett, who could turn out to be one of the steals of free agency.

The question for the Packers will be if the defense can keep up its end of the bargain, having finished 22nd in total yards allowed last season, and a dismal 31st in passing yards allowed. Green Bay devoted their top two picks in the 2017 NFL Draft to the secondary, taking cornerback Kevin King and safety Josh Jones, and brought back cornerback Davon House to play the nickel spot. But losing safety Micah Hyde, one of the real leaders in the secondary, may prove to be a very difficult endeavor.

The Packers offense can score on nearly anyone in the NFL, but the question will be whether they can stop anyone from scoring on them.

Minnesota Vikings

This year’s Minnesota Vikings will feature the same storyline as last year’s Vikings — a game-managing quarterback, a dynamic running back, a patchwork offensive line, and a ridiculously stout defense — but with different characters filling many of those roles.

Sam Bradford will be back for the second year in a row as the Vikings quarterback, having taken over the role on the heels of the catastrophic knee injury to Teddy Bridgewater. In the backfield, he’ll spend much of this year handing off the football to rookie running back Dalvin Cook, the team’s second round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft (it’s just a matter of time before he takes over the job from free agent acquisition Latavius Murray). And the line that’ll be blocking for Bradford and Cook will feature as many as four new starters from last year’s group, as Minnesota continually looks to fix the beleaguered unit.

But the same “beleaguered unit” description simply cannot be used for the defense, which will return nine of 11 starters from last year’s group, and should be as good as any defense in the NFL. Minnesota ranked third in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game overall, and fewest passing yards allowed per game as well. They were fifth in the NFL in quarterback sacks, with three different edge rushers racking up seven or more sacks last season (and that’s even with star linebacker Anthony Barr suffering a big slump for much of last year).

The Vikings are essentially the mirror opposite of their division rivals in Green Bay: their defense will be good enough to limit any opponent from putting a lot of points on the board, but will the offense do enough to actually score enough points to squeak out a win?

Detroit Lions

In a conference that’s filled with a good number of teams that will be vying for the six available postseason berths, the Detroit Lions find themselves in a place that most professional sports teams dread: sprinting on proverbial “treadmill of mediocrity.” They’re interesting enough to be relevant, but not relevant enough to be interesting.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford had a fantastic year in offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter’s offense, finishing with his second highest completion percentage, second highest yards per attempt, and second highest passer rating of his career last season, along with the fewest number of interceptions thrown. And even with that, the Lions still ranked outside the top 10 passing offenses last year (they were 11th) and didn’t have a single receiver finish in the top 10 in receiving yards (Golden Tate was 14th). For all the yards they could put up in a game, it didn’t translate to much, considering Detroit finished 20th in the NFL in total points per game.

Things weren’t better for Detroit’s defense, overseen by highly-esteemed coordinator Teryl Austin. The Lions defense was in the bottom half of the league in total yards allowed per game (18th in the NFL), rushing yards allowed (18th), passing yards allowed (19th), and quarterback sacks (tied for 30th).

So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Detroit spent much of the offseason fixing the defensive side of the ball, as almost half the unit will have new starters next season. But in an already loaded conference, and a division with two teams that have postseason aspirations themselves, have the Lions really done enough to make a return trip to the playoffs?

Chicago Bears

For sports fans in the greater Chicagoland area, the mantra this Fall likely won’t be all that much different than it was in the Fall of 2016: “well, at least the Cubs are doing well.”

It was another offseason of offensive upheaval for the Chicago Bears, marked by the team pushing it’s longtime starting quarterback, trading for a quarterback to presumably be the starter, and subsequently drafting a quarterback to also presumably be the starter. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that four of Chicago’s top five wide receivers will be different than the depth chart from last year, after watching their best wide receiver (Alshon Jeffrey) leave town as well.

So now, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (at some point this season anyway), running back Jordan Howard (who finished second in the NFL in rushing yards last season), and wide receiver Cameron Meredith (the team leader in virtually every receiving category last year) will form the foundation of the rebuilt Bears offense.

Ironically enough, the Bears defense will return all 11 starters from last year’s group. Take what you will from that fact, considering Chicago had the sixth-worst rushing defense in the NFL last year, ranked in the bottom 10 of the NFL in most points allowed per game, and featured exactly zero players with more than eight sacks recorded last year.

Winter is Coming, Chicago fans. And if you root for these Monsters of the Midway, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News Tagged With: ff-winners week 2, north, preview, winners

FF-Winners.Com 2017-8 NFC West Preview

July 30, 2017 by Rajan Nanavati

The story of the NFC West for the 2017-2018 season doesn’t really appear to be any different than the story we’ve seen in recent years: there are two teams in the division with legitimate aspirations of a deep playoff run, and then two teams that are still mired in a prolonged rebuilding process.

At the start of the season, it’s really hard to see anyone other than the Seattle Seahawks being the favorite to win the division crown. While the team sputtered to a 6-4-1 record over its last 11 games last year, they were decimated by injuries to so many key players. Even from a purely mathematical standpoint, it’s difficult for a team to endure that level of injury issues for yet another season. In doing his part to stay healthy through the course of the season, Russell Wilson came into training camp this year in the best shape of his life, working with celebrity nutritionist Dr. Philip Goglia in the offseason, losing 10lbs of weight and dropping his body fat by 6%. With no real superstud at running back — the team will cobble together a ground game featuring Green Bay Packers castoff Eddie Lacy, incumbent Thomas Rawls, and 2016 draft picks C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins — this offense really belongs to Wilson now. It’s much more about him running the show, throwing the football to Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Jermaine Kearse, Paul Richardson, and tight end Jimmy Graham. If the patchwork offensive line can simply give him any time to actually get the football out, he could be poised for an MVP-caliber season. And, of course, you can’t talk about the Seahawks without mentioning the defense. The unit will return nine of 11 starters, including defensive backbone Earl Thomas, meaning it should once again be as stout as we’ve come to know it in recent years.

Enduring an injury-riddled season in 2016 themselves, the Arizona Cardinals are looking to rebound closer to the form which saw them win an NFL-high 13 games in 2015. The biggest question for the Cardinals — along the lines of staying healthy — will be whether Carson Palmer’s arm can hold up for all 16 games, especially in an offense that demands a lot of vertical throws. Palmer has shown a penchant in recent years for starting out the season hot, but demonstrating arm fatigue as the year goes on. Of course, the latter the could be mitigated as the team begins to rely more on superstar running back David Johnson, whose combined 2,118 yards from scrimmage last year was second most in the NFL. Johnson’s ability as a running back and pass catcher make him one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL, and will likely make him the focal point of a somewhat aging Cardinals offense. Arizona’s defense faces questions of their own around health and personnel, especially as they’re looking for the return of a healthy Tyrann Mathieu — who finished last season on injured reserve for the third time in four years — and to overcome the loss of defensive lineman Calais Campbell. However, Arizona has done an excellent job in “restocking the cupboard” on defense with young talent, starting with defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (their top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft), linebacker Haason Reddick (taken with their first round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft) and safety Budda Baker (their second round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft). There are still plenty of core players left on this team to lead them to one last deep playoff run, if things can finally break right for them.

During an episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks, (now former) head coach Jeff Fisher of the Los Angeles Rams chastised his team for resembling a football team destined for a 7-9 record. Little did Fisher realize that his team would be so lucky as to finish with a 7-9 record. The Rams finished a 4-12 record at season’s end, and Fisher didn’t even make it through the season before he was dismissed from his position (which many saw as long-overdue move). As his replacement, the Rams went in the total opposite direction, hiring offensive wunderkind Sean McVay — the former offensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins — and making him the youngest head coach in NFL history (he was officially hired just days before his 31st birthday). McVay’s primary responsibility will be to rectify all the damage that Fisher and his staff did to quarterback Jared Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, McVay smartly hired defensive guru Wade Phillips, the latter of whom is only two years away from overseeing a defense that led its team to a Super Bowl victory (in Denver). Supposedly, the early whispers from the new regime are filled with glowing optimism, and everything you hear out of Los Angeles is that the player recognize what a difference in experience, leadership, and intellectual horsepower the new coaching staff has already brought. However, this roster still has major holes to fill — mostly on offense — before it can consider itself a contender in this division.

Rounding out the NFC West is the San Francisco 49ers, who underwent a much-needed housecleaning of their own last season, dismissing long time General Manager Trent Baalke and embattled head coach Chip Kelly. In their place will be new head coach Kyle Shanahan, fresh off leading the Atlanta Falcons to one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history, and new General Manager John Lynch, a surprise hire who lobbied Shanahan for the unorthodox opportunity of jumping straight from the broadcast booth to being the man in charge of a team’s front office. The two of them went to work adding numerous players to a roster that was badly in need of a talent infusion all over the board. At quarterback, journeymen Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley will vie for the team’s starting job in the near future, but it wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprising to see them them address the position with one of their picks in the 2018 NFL Draft (which looks to have a quarterback class absolutely loaded with talent). Early on, they’ll look to the defense to keep them in games, after spending a first round pick on a defensive lineman — Soloman Thomas from Stanford University — for the third year in a row, and then trading up into the latter part of the first round to select linebacker Rueben Foster from the University of Alabama. The defense has some really intriguing players in pass rushing specialist Elvis Dumvervil, stalwart linebacker NaVorro Bowman, free safety Jimmy Ward, and defensive linemen DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead (their first round picks in 2016 and 2015 respectively). But, with a much-needed roster turnover taking place over the long-term, this team is still years away from being ready to make any real noise in the division.

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News Tagged With: preview, winners

FF-Winners.Com 2017-8 NFC East Preview

July 22, 2017 by Winn Jones

Here’s one thing we know, for sure, about the NFC East: history tells us that, for as good as the Dallas Cowboys were last season, it’s far from a foregone conclusion that they’ll repeat as division champions. After all, a different team has won the division in each of the last six years, and only one team has won the division crown in back-to-back seasons over the past decade (Philadelphia did so in 2010 and 2011).

You could easily make the argument that the Dallas Cowboys were, in fact, the second best team in the NFL last season, behind the New England Patriots. They finished with 13 wins, which was more than anyone else in the NFC. They didn’t lose a single game between the middle of September and the middle of November. And they featured what was far and away the most dominant rushing attack in the NFL. So, the simple question for them is: what can they do in 2017 for an encore? For as magical as the rookie seasons were for quarterback Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, the harder part will be replicating their performances from their first year during their second year in the NFL, now that teams have much more film to study. The Cowboys might have brought back 10 of their 11 starters on offense to help keep things familiar, but this team will have a target on its back all season long.

The New York Giants finished the 2016 ranked eighth in the total number of passes they threw on offense last year, but they apparently decided that their solution to dethroning the Dallas Cowboys involved throwing the football even more. How else would that explain their acquisition of wide receiver Brandon Marshall, in what could have been the most underrated free agent acquisition in the entire league. Putting Marshall on the opposite side of Odell Beckham Jr. has the potential to create nightmares for any opposing defensive coordinator who even considers the idea of rolling their coverage towards Beckham’s side of the field. On top of that, the Giants went and drafted tight end Evan Engram out of Ole Miss, who perfectly fits the mold of the new age, ultra-athletic tight end we’re seeing in the league. His combination of size (6’3 and 236lbs) and speed (a legitimate 4.41 in the 40 yard dash) will give quarterback Eli Manning a weapon the likes of which he’s never had in his career at tight end.

Conversely, the Washington Redskins decided to try and keep last year’s third-ranked offense together with duct tape and cheap replacements, while devoting their offseason resources to fixing a defense that was the fifth worst in the league in 2016. The Redskins totally revamped the defensive line that was the source of much consternation last year, adding defensive linemen Terrell McClain and Stacey McGee via free agency, and pouncing on defensive lineman Jonathan Allen with the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft (after he shockingly fell that far on draft night). On top of that, they added former Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Brown and safety DJ Swearinger to patch up a couple of their other major trouble spots from last year. If they can get contributions from the oft-injured Junior Galette (who’s missed the last two seasons due to injury) and Ryan Anderson (their second round pick in the last draft), the offense is still plenty good enough to help this team make some serious noise next year.

For the Philadelphia Eagles, who are coming off back-to-back losing seasons (the only team in the NFC East with that dubious distinction), their modus operandi for the immediate future is simple: do everything they can to help quarterback Carson Wentz develop. In Wentz’ rookie season last year, he looked absolutely terrific for stretches of the first half of the season, but looked much more like a rookie during the second half of the year. In his defense, having one of the worst groups of wide receivers in the NFL certainly didn’t help him. That’s a big reason why the Eagles went out and acquired wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey, the top ranked receiver in free agency last season. Philadelphia also decided to kick the tires on receiver Torrey Smith, which raised a few eyebrows from those observing the league, as Smith looked like he had nothing left in the tank during his last two seasons in San Francisco. But if Jeffrey and Smith both work out as the outside receivers, that’ll allow promising young receiver Jordan Matthews to operate from the slot, where he presents a major match up dilemma because of his size advantage against nickel cornerbacks.

Simply put: no matter who might be the favorite to win this division in the beginning of the season, any of these four teams has the chance to be the one wearing the division crown by the end of the season. That’s just the way it is in the “NFC Beast.”

Filed Under: NFL Forecasting, Team News Tagged With: preview, winners

FF-Winners.com Releases 3 Players to Avoid Like the Plague in 2017!

June 8, 2017 by Winn Jones

The 2017 NFL Season is just around the corner as mandatory team activities are set to get underway. While teams around the NFL get prepared for their 2017 NFL Schedule fantasy football owners are busy at work as well. This work includes building draft boards for their fantasy football drafts later this season as well as for the upcoming daily fantasy football campaign.

For us we are turning our attention today to our 3 fantasy busts for the NFL 2017 fantasy football season. Much like most seasons some of the games top fantasy options enter the season coming off big time fantasy season campaigns as well as historical accomplishments. This opens up the door for these players not only to be ranked near the top on sites like Fantasy Pros but also means fantasy football owners will draft them higher making them a bigger gamble.

Over the years we have seen many different stars take a big time step back including Shaun Alexander and Calvin Johnson after record breaking seasons. With that said here are our tops 3 Fantasy Busts for NFL 2017 season.

Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

For Gordon he benefits from a solid offense that likes to move the ball through the air forcing defenses to play off the line while also opening up red zone scoring chances. For us while we like Gordon at the position he currently ranks 9^th overall fantasy football option based on the rankings at Fantasy Pros. Now looking a little deeper Gordon wore out as the season slowed down failing to top the 100 yard mark in three straight games before getting knocked out after just three attempts to end his season on December 11^th. Along with being a great option early, Gordon has missed a total of 5 games over the past two seasons.

LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

McCoy has been one of the better fantasy running back options for most of his NFL career but that could be changing as he enters his ninth season in the NFL. Much like Gordon, we like McCoy as a 3^rd/4^th round pick but ranking in the top 10 might be a big time reach. McCoy and the Bills will move in a new direction this season with Rick Dennison calling the offensive plays and it could change the flow of their offense. Along with the change the biggest concern for the Bills will be behind center where they may lack production forcing teams to focus on slowing down the running game.

Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

We won’t back away and say tha Ajayi had a solid season in 2016 and one that many daily fantasy football owners shined with during his three break out games. With that said 624 of his 1272 yards came in three games. Outside of those three games, Ajayi topped the 100 yard mark one other time while failing to reach 70 yards in nine contests. In the end the reality of putting together three more 200 yard games in one season is almost impossible we could see Ajayi fail to reach the 100 yard mark.

Other Top NFL Fantasy Busts for the upcoming 2017 NFL Season could include Jordan Howard, Mike Evans and Kirk Cousins.

Filed Under: Fantasy Football Strategy Tagged With: avoid, plague, players, releases, winners

FF-Winners.com Reveals Top 3 Steals for 2017 Fantasy Season!

June 8, 2017 by Winn Jones

The preparation time has begun for teams around the NFL while fantasy football owners get set to get back to work as well. As we get set for the upcoming fantasy football season we will continue to take a look around the NFL after already taking a look at our Top 3 NFL Fantasy Busts for the 2017 NFL Season.

Today we will turn our attention to our Top 3 NFL Fantasy Bargains for the 2017 NFL Season. Now each season we see that one person that takes the big step forward while rewarding their fantasy football owner that took the risk on them while performing well above what is expected of them of a player picked in that round.

One of those players last season was Mike Wallace for the Baltimore Ravens who many experts left off their draft board. While Wallace slowed down the stretch he still finished the season with 72 catches for 1,017 yards to go with four touchdowns. Along with Wallace we also saw Kirk Cousins jump into a top 5 fantasy quarterback while Michael Thomas and Travis Kelce became prime fantasy threats week in and out.

With all that said here is our Top 3 NFL Fantasy Bargains for the 2017 NFL Season.

Breshad Perriman, Baltimore Ravens RB

After missing his entire rookie campaign in 2015, Perriman slowly became involved in the Ravens passing attack last season. Now as many voluntary workouts are in the books all the rave out of the Ravens camp is how good Perriman has looked this season in his route running, speed and his ability to catch everything in his way. Add that with the fact there is no more Steve Smith and Dennis Pitta for Joe Flacco to check down to someone will need to pick up this slack. While this might change with an addition of someone like Eric Decker or Jeremy Maclin, he currently is one of those players we will be looking at during our drafts.

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams WR

For some the rookie pool is one they love to tap into as many fall but for others they look to stay with an option that has put up the production. For us we love Kupp this season as he looks to become a key piece of a young Rams offense. Kupp brings speed, solid size and his ability to find the end zone to a Rams team that lacked a ton of play makers on offense. While the question mark will still be with this teams offense we expect the Rams will work Kupp into the mix while giving Jared Goff a weapon to throw to.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Oakland Raiders WR

Our biggest fantasy bargain of the year will come out west as we love the addition of Patterson to an already explosive Raiders offense. While Patterson had his ups and downs we expect the Raiders to use him as a more protypical wide receiver while teaming him up with Amari Cooper. While Patterson is a late tier draft pick we like him as a flyer and someone who could turn out a big time season for you.

Other Top NFL Fantasy Bargains for the upcoming 2017 NFL Season could include Benjamin Watson, Tyrod Taylor and Paul Perkins.

Filed Under: Fantasy Football Strategy Tagged With: fantasy, ff-winners week 2, reveals, season, steals, winners

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Over the years we have seen many different stars take a big time step back including Shaun Alexander and Calvin Johnson after record breaking seasons. With that said here are our tops 3 Fantasy Busts for NFL 2017 season.

Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

Other Top NFL Fantasy Busts for the upcoming 2017 NFL Season could include Jordan Howard, Mike Evans and Kirk Cousins.

With all that said here is our Top 3 NFL Fantasy Bargains for the 2017 NFL Season.

Breshad Perriman, Baltimore Ravens RB

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams WR

Cordarrelle Patterson, Oakland Raiders WR

Other Top NFL Fantasy Bargains for the upcoming 2017 NFL Season could include Benjamin Watson, Tyrod Taylor and Paul Perkins.

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