It appears as though the NFL’s adjustment to rules regarding hits to the head has worked.  Fantasy owners were treated to a week that did not see many, if any, receivers or running backs go down with serious injuries.  However, the quarterbacks still appear to be dropping like flies.  Here is an interesting stat for you all.  In the past two Monday night games, three of the four starting quarterbacks have left the game with an injury.  And here is another stat for you.  The Giants have knocked five quarterbacks out of the game thus far this season.

So with that being said, perhaps you should stay away from quarterbacks who are starting on Monday night or playing against the Giants.  Or maybe not (this Monday’s game features Peyton Manning vs. Matt Schaub).  Here are some guys you may want to target on your fantasy league’s waiver wire.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – Wondering just how good Ryan Fitzpatrick has been since taking over the starting duties for the Bills?  Through those four games he has recorded 969 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he currently has me contemplating starting him over Tom Brady in one of my leagues.  Seems crazy, but he has recorded 18, 24, 26 and 36 fantasy points (in standard scoring leagues) over the course of his four starts and with the Bills expected to be trailing often this season, look for Fitzpatrick to be airing out the pigskin week in and week out.

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET – Shaun Hill was solid in place of Matthew Stafford, but now that the Lions former first-overall pick is back, he appears to be a great addition to any fantasy football team.  If Shaun Hill can turn himself into a top ten fantasy quarterback with the Lions’ offensive weapons around him (and believe it or not, he was putting up top 10 points at his position), just imagine what Stafford can do.  If he was dropped in your league, you may want to pick him up now before it is too late.  He is expected to return in week 8 with Detroit coming off their bye.

Jon Kitna, QB, DAL – Kitna didn’t look all that good in his first couple drives after coming in for an injured Tony Romo, but he did settle in late, recording 187 yards and two touchdowns in just over one half of football.  He may not be able to duplicate Romo’s numbers, but with a talented receiving corps, Kitna is capable of putting up some decent stats.  If you are in need of a quarterback, he may be a serviceable acquisition for you.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – It has been hard to predict what we should expect from Blount in recent weeks as he gave us an impressive showing against the Steelers before being shut out the next week, and deactivated the week after that.  But he was able to follow that up with a solid 11 carries for 72 yards against the Rams in week 7, and suddenly it appears as though Blount could be the go-to guy in the Bucs’ backfield.  That makes him well worth the roster spot for anyone in need of a running back.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF - As Ryan Fitzpatrick has flourished, so too has Steve Johnson.  The 3rd-year wide receiver has scored a touchdown in four consecutive weeks, with his most impressive performance coming in week 7 against the Ravens as he went off for 158 yards and a touchdown.  He may not be the biggest name at the wide receiver position, but he seems to have built some chemistry with Fitzpatrick.  Look for Johnson to continue to be a top target in the Bills’ passing game.

Marisa Miller

The two were in Miami this weekend for the Super Bowl, and that was when Matt’s head became the focus of Marisa’s attention.  It was a scene that would make just about any man jelous; having the incredibly hot Marisa Miller stroke her hands through your hair repeatedly as she brushes up against your arms and caresses your shoulders.

So what are we to take from all of this?  I mean, Matthew Stafford is clearly not a looker, but he does have a rather remarkable ability to pick up hot chicks that may otherwise be way out of his league.  I guess it is safe to say that Axe really does work well.

Hat Tip Video – [Guyism]

So how do you get thousands of angry fans back on your good side in just a couple of hours. How about by throwing for 422 yards and five touchdowns as you lead your team to a thrilling comeback victory.

That is what Stafford did as he used some late game heroics to seal a 38-37 win for the Lions, their second of the season. After a rough start, the former Georgia Bulldog rebounded by throwing one touchdown at the end of the first quarter to Aaron Brown, two in the second quarter to both Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson, and one more in the third to Will Heller before completing his big day in a rather dramatic fashion.

Down by six points, Stafford took his team to the Browns’ 32-yard line. With only eight seconds remaining, he would heave a desperation attempt into the end zone, but it fell incomplete. However, the officials had called pass interference on the play, leaving the Lions with one more shot, this time from the Cleveland one-yard line.

Stafford hurt his shoulder on the previous play and Dante Culpepper was expected to take over for Detroit’s final attempt, but a Browns timeout gave the rookie the opportunity to recover enough to throw one more pass. He did, and it would be completed in the end zone to Brandon Pettigrew for the touchdown, and the win.

It is unclear as to how long Stafford will be out because of the injury to his shoulder on the second last play of the game, but he should be able to use this win, and his impressive performance, to help ease some of the pain in the meantime.

Partying is not something characteristic of an 0-16 team, but don’t tell Stafford that.  Not too long ago we showed you a picture of the Lions quarterback, and first overall selection in this years draft, partying it up with some rather nice looking ladies.  Now more pictures of the fun have surfaced.

Stafford can be seen taking back some beers on a boat, grinding with some sexy young ladies, and eventually taking one into the nearby forest.  Good idea Matt.  You may want to hide in there for the next couple of seasons.  Anything to get out of playing in Detroit.

Whether Stafford can step up in his rookie season like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco did last year remains in doubt, as he will not have the team behind him to achieve what they did.  And while Flacco is picking off frisbees in the air with passes, maybe Stafford can get his own NFL Fantasy Files commercial.

So why should we take Stafford on our fantasy team?  Because if he can pick up receivers in the open field like he does with girls, he just might be in for a highly productive season.

While patience may be a good idea, you don’t want to settle for someone like the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford.  Although he is making some nice connections off the field, we don’t expect the same on it.  So who might fit the bill under-center for your team?  Joe Flacco has just the man for the job.

Himself!

In his NFL Fantasy File video, he makes a strong argument as he nails flying frisbees out of the arm from quite a long distance.  Not bad for the Baltimore Ravens’ second year man.

Okay.  So the video may be a fake, but Flacco did have himself an impressive rookie season last year, posting 2,971 yards passing, 14 touchdowns through the air, and two more on the ground.  I would not recommend him as a fantasy starter just yet, but Flacco should be considered a quality back-up for the 2009 season.

Beach, Babes, Booze and Boobs.  Sounds like an Arizona State cheerleader party, minus Hugh Jackman.

I guess life is good when you are the NFL’s first overall pick.  Enjoy it now Matt.  It will get a whole lot worse once you take your first snap under center for the lowly Lions.

Stafford was out and about enjoying the off season when he got in on this pic with some lovely ladies that will make you say “thank god for skimpy swimwear.”  The airbags growing on the girl to his right would likely come in handy for him this upcoming season.

Hat Tip Pic – [YepYep]

1 – Detroit Lions – Matthew Stafford – QB

Not much to say really. Right move.

2 – St. Lois Rams – Jason Smith – OT

The debate was Monroe vs. Smith and I think Smith won out because whilst he lacks in pass protection compared to Monroe, he has the athletic framework that can potentially be developed into a great pass blocker and already is a dominant lane opener in the running game. Eugene Monroe looks like he’s hit his ceiling, albeit a very talented ceiling.

3 – Kansas City Chiefs – Tyson Jackson – DE

Shocking! Aaron Curry at 3 was my lock of the draft and the Chiefs choose Tyson Jackson over the best player in the whole draft? I’m still trying to work this out; does Glenn Dorsey, a prototypical defensive tackle who will struggle at nose tackle, slide to DE with Jackson opposite and Tamba Hali at rush linebacker – meaning Hali and Dorsey are out of position. Or do you put Dorsey at nose tackle and Hali at 5 technique and watch them both struggle, now relying on Tyson Jackson to bail you out at left end? What stupidity will the Chiefs try next? Trading for a QB with one season under his belt since high school when they already have an adequate QB in place? Oh wait…

4 – Seattle Seahawks – Aaron Curry – OLB

Seattle isn’t a 4 win team and will likely return to the playoffs, meaning they won’t get a shot at number one overall talent like Curry for a long time to come. It’s no wonder they didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on him.

5 – New York Jets (trade from Cleveland) – Mark Sanchez – QB

AWESOME DRAFT MOMENT! The Radio City Music Hall is absolutely rocking. 5 down to 17 is a long fall for Cleveland who probably should have secured more than backups and a second, but having said that I like Brett Ratliff and obviously Mangini is thinking the same way. Projecting what Sanchez does in New York is useless, since he’ll live or die by his numbers, but one thing is for sure; Sanchez’s reaction to the news he’s getting top 5 money from a playoff caliber team is almost as good as those three Jets’ fans who were disgusted by him. Who could of possibly made those three guys happy?

Mike Mayock seems to think New York jumped all that way because someone else was sniffing about and I tend to agree. None of the Browns, Bengals or Raiders would have taken him, so I’m thinking Denver or Washington were prowling.

6 – Cincinnati Bengals – Andre Smith – OT

Off field issues and Cincinnati go hand in hand. This guy was being mocked as high as two a few months so I guess the Bengals value talent over character. What a surprise.

7 – Oakland Raiders – Darrius Heyward-Bey – WR

Crabtree is on the board… but our worst nightmares are realised. Al Davis you moron. Reggie Bush had speed and production but neither translated to the NFL, enter Heyward-Bey who doesn’t have the production and you’re sitting on a bust Davis. Oakland will not make the playoffs until Al Davis is gone.

The Jags want out. They’re using all of their 15 minutes, but there seems to be no biters with Sanchez off the board. I think they’re trying to move back for Vontae Davis.

8 – Jacksonville Jaguars – Eugene Monroe – OT

With 20 seconds left, the Jags settle for Monroe. What a ringing endorsement when a team uses all of its 15 minutes trying to get out of drafting you. Khalif Barnes sucks and is gone, so without a top 10 worthy corner this makes sense.

9 – Green Bay Packers – BJ Raji – NT

Puuurfect. Green Bay couldn’t have planned this better; exactly who they want at the nose of their 3-4.

10 – San Francisco 49ers – Michael Crabtree – WR

No one thought he’d be here, so I’m not sure what to make of this. Mike Singletary will have found passing on Michael Oher very difficult, but Crabtree is too talented not to take when you haven’t had a franchise receiver since Jerry Rice.

11 – Buffalo Bills – Aaron Maybin – DE/OLB

You had to replace Jason Peters. You had to. I honestly don’t think they realised Michael Oher was on the board, and considering they picked Aaron Maybin over Brian Orakpo I think the Bills need to seriously look at drafting a new guy to maintain the board.

12 – Denver Broncos – Knowshon Moreno – RB

You just switched to the 3-4. You just brought in a whole bunch of running backs. What are you doing with your franchise Denver? Seriously. You were meant to be contending the AFC championship and now you’ve just condemned yourself to picking inside the top 10 next year. This is in no way anti-Moreno – I think he’s a phenomenal player – but this is the second stupidest pick behind Heyward-Bey so far.

13 – Washington Redskins – Brian Orakpo – DE/OLB

Orakpo escapes the top 10 and Maybin is taken over him; so despite whiffing on a Sanchez trade, this is mighty fine compensation.

14 – New Orleans Saints – Malcolm Jenkins – CB/FS

This has been a lock for a while.

NFL Network’s Pieces of the Puzzle graphic being used to compare the 2008 New Orleans secondary to the 2009 secondary with Jabari Greer and Jenkins inserted is pretty redundant, but slick nonetheless. The Saints are a REALLY dangerous team. Possible NFC Superbowl representatives?

15 – Houston Texans – Brian Cushing – OLB

I don’t think that Houston were thrilled with the talent available at this point and neither am I. I’ve always maintained that Houston would trade down, or reach at 15 and they decided to do the latter. Cushing is a meh for me; this guy looked so serious at the combine, and even his family can’t crack a smile in the green room. The whole Cushing family looks thoroughly miserable at the prospect of their son making tens of millions of dollars in a NFL uniform.

16 – San Diego Chargers – Larry English – DE/OLB

Larry English isn’t an Igor Olshansky replacement so this pick knocks me sideways a little. A right tackle made more sense, especially with Michael Oher still there.

The NFL Network crew are loving that last selection; Gruden is beside himself at the prospect of Shawne Merriman AND Larry English blitzing. I think you’re the only one Jon.

The skills of the player seem an obvious start point for evaluation, but if recent history tells us anything GMs don’t find this easy. Arm strength is atop of many personnel coordinators’ list of desired attributes, and it got JaMarcus Russell ahead of Brady Quinn in 2007 and Joe Flacco flying up draft boards last year. It’s a pretty contentious issue and I personally don’t find it the be all and end all, since modern football is putting a greater emphasis on a game of efficiency since 60+ yard aerial plays tend to land in the hands of Ed Reed; throwing a more accurate seam route that bends away from the safety is a far more realistic goal than a deeper vertical. The biggest arm in the draft has catapulted Matthew Stafford to the top, and if he is throwing to one of the best down field threats in the league Calvin Johnson he’s going to need it. You also have to consider that division rivals Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota all struggle to defend the deep ball thanks to a combination of slow corners and poor safety play, but if Chad Pennington has shown us anything it’s that a big arm isn’t everything.

NFL teams love the intangibles, the skills you can’t put numbers to or glean from a combine. Matt Ryan earned the respect of the league and teammates with his high intelligence, character, leadership, clutch performances and game management skills, whilst JP Losman wound up offensive linemen with his erratic play and penchant for escaping the pocket without warning. Consequently, a lot of my skepticism about Mark Sanchez is because of his intangibles; a lack of game experience doesn’t help, and he has reportedly come across as borderline arrogant in interview. A USC quarterback who is a little too self confident and might be susceptible to off the field distractions. Where have I seen that before? Hmm.

As far as physical attributes go, I love Josh Freeman. 6’6″ and above average athleticism make this guy super impressive and I hope a team polishes his mechanics and turns him into a real force. You can’t talk physical freaks without mentioning Pat White. I understand his athleticism and NFL teams hate facing option plays that are pass or run, but at 6′ and under 200lbs he’ll be the shortest starter in the league by a long way, face practical problems of seeing over linemen and will have major durability concerns. He has his heart set on being a QB but suspect mechanics make that a struggle to believe – a slot receiver/returns man/backup within 3 years.

That’s the QB, but you also have to consider your own team. A bad line can kill a young QB – David Carr literally had the talent knocked out of him. Whether it’s through injury, demoralization or a total halt to development, careers can be put to rest if you don’t protect your signal caller. San Francisco and Detroit gave up more sacks than anyone else, and whilst I expect Detroit to add an offensive tackle at 20 giving Stafford the bare minimum protection, I really worry about Sanchez’s safety if he lands in San Fran. He isn’t mobile and may not have the game time experience to make veteran moves like spotting blitzes or quick reads; this may be enough to make offensive tackle the 49ers’ selection at 10. You also need to supply your QB with a strong running game to rely on – look what it did for Matt Ryan last year. If you can help reduce the number of third and 9 passing situations faced, you’ll keep a rookie QB’s turnovers to a minimum. Luckily for this year’s quarterbacks, most of the teams in the market for them have competent run games (Gore, Kevin Smith, Derrick Ward, Thomas Jones, AP), but what teams won’t do is sit on a QB and let him get used to the NFL’s speed under a veteran’s tutelage. Detroit, Tampa and San Francisco don’t have this luxury.

Finally you have to consider the pro style versus college system debate. Even if not all gimmick offenses produce busts it certainly helps, and that’s why professional sides value experience of 3, 5 and 7 step drops as well as depth to a QB’s route vocabulary – talk to Alex Smith if you need further clarification. Stafford and Sanchez ran pro-offenses, whilst Pat White and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell suffered from the number inflating shotgun gimmickry that can ruin a prospective pro.

Any position can bust, but when a QB goes down he goes down in a big expensive fireball. You have to limit the scope for failure, and looking at the player’s skills, the protection you’ll offer him and whether he’s a system quarterback with no transferable skills to the pros are good starts to finding the solution to a pivotal position.

Undoubtedly, this decision was aided by the announcement made yesterday by Oklahoma standout Sam Bradford to remain is school for another year. Bradford’s absence in the draft left a huge hole at the top end of round one, and created an opportunity which Sanchez was not able to pass up. Going against the advice of USC Head Coach, Pete Carroll, and other NFL advisors to remain in school for his senior season, Sanchez remains excited about facing the challenges that he will experience at the next level.

“I’ve dreamed about being in the NFL since I was a kid, and I have an opportunity to realize that dream now”, Sanchez said during his press conference.

Carroll contends that it is a risk for Sanchez to leave early, citing the limited game film available for talent scouts to evaluate. With just sixteen games under his belt, Sanchez will have to rely on his physical talent, football acumen, and recent impressive showings, such as the stellar performance he posted against Penn State in Pasadena, to convince scouts that he has yet to reach his full potential and should warrant top ten draft consideration.

Had Sanchez returned for another year, I’m convinced that he would have gone no lower than number three overall in the 2010 draft, battling Bradford for the number one overall spot. As it stands now, I see Sanchez’s value starting at number ten overall, and will not slide past Chicago at number eighteen. That being said, this is an intriguing problem for several teams in the top ten.

It is clear that Sanchez has franchise quarterback ability, and would have gone much earlier if he’d spent another year fine-tuning his skills at the college level. So, what do you do if you’re St. Louis at number two, or Seattle at number four? These are teams that both have decent quarterbacks, and do have other needs, but will need to address the quarterback position within the next two to three seasons. The people running those organizations will be forced to look at each other in the eyes, amidst the mayhem within their respective draft “war rooms”, and answer this question: “If this conversation were happening in April of 2010, what would we do then?” Will they draft for the future, and allow Sanchez some time to learn from the sidelines from the likes of Mark Bulger or Matt Hasselbeck? The 49ers at number ten will definitely have a tough decision to make if he falls to them, but how willing are they to take another shot at a top ten quarterback, considering how Alex Smith has panned out? All are questions that will become clearer, as we approach April 25^th.

Sanchez has a brighter future in the NFL than his Georgia counterpart, Matthew Stafford, in my estimation, though Stafford is probably more ready to play now. As a passer, Sanchez’s skills rival those of Sam Bradford, but Bradford is a bit more polished, and is more comfortable reading defenses. While Sanchez did improve dramatically since the start of the 2008 season in that department, it might have taken another year of consistent play to convince some scouts that those improvements were permanent. The game film indicates a more confident, more decisive passer later in the season than in his earlier games. It shows a kid that has supreme control of his eyes, and is able to manipulate defenses well. It shows definitively, a poised, precise passer, with a big league arm. The earlier film shows a confused quarterback, uncomfortable with pressure, making poor decisions, and forcing too many throws into coverage. I believe that he will be drafted in the top ten, based on his huge “up-side”, and someone will likely be happy to pay him while he learns and matures.

The jury is out on whether or not he will lose money in this decision, and time will tell if he follows the path of Bengals’ star Carson Palmer or of former USC first round bust, Todd Marinovich. One thing is for sure, USC will not miss a beat without Sanchez. As always, it will simply be “next man up”, in the ranks of the Trojan army.

The decision I believe is completely financial, with Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow all returning, Sanchez may have seen this as an opportunity for a nice pay day. He jumps to the top of the list with the quarterbacks that have declared and will most likely be selected after Matthew Stafford.

With only 16 college football starts, NFL teams may not see Sanchez as an NFL ready quarterback.  He did lead the Trojans to a 12-1 record and a Rose Bowl Championship but that was behind a defense that ranked among the best in every defensive category.

There are many questions that have yet to be answered and doing it at the pro level may be a difficult task, however, one cannot judge the success of a USC graduate in the NFL. The last 2 of 3 quarterbacks under coach Carroll are playing in the NFL today along with several players at other positions.

We pose the question to the fans, knowing that Mark Sanchez’s decision was strictly financially based, was it the right move?