Ask the Experts

ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them:

How do you see the remainder of the postseason playing out?JEFFREY KAMYS

Steelers 20-17 over the Ravens in the AFC, and the Eagles 24-21 over the Cardinals in the NFC. In the battle for Pennsylvania, we see the Eagles edging out the Steelers 23-20 in the Super Bowl.

Kamys is president of Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports. His company, via the web, offers player news, injury reports, cheat sheets, projections, weekly matchups, statistics, and a customized team tracker. Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports also e-mails preseason newsletters and reports throughout the season. For more info visit www.docstats.com or send email to webmaster@docstats.com.

SCOTT PIANOWSKI

I wanted to pick Baltimore, I really did, but I think they're too beaten up on defense. Pittsburgh needed a push offensively after the bye and it got it last week. The Steelers win another nasty, physical battle, call it 20-17. The Eagles have a defense that plays anywhere, and at times I wonder if they're better on the road away from the Philly element. Jim Johnson's blitz packages will upset Kurt Warner's timing, and Arizona won't be able to run on the Eagles at all. Westbrook's status is a concern, but Philly's win comes from the defensive effort. Eagles 27, Cardinals 20. In the Super Bowl, I'll take Pittsburgh to win it all.

Pianowski is a fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports. His work regularly appears on Yahoo's Roto Arcade Blog (rotoarcade.com), and you can also email him at pianowski31@yahoo.com.SAM HENDRICKS

PIT vs. BAL will be a great game as two tough defenses face off. To quote Yogi Berra "It's like déjà vu all over again" as a rookie QB advances to the AFC Championship game. And just like Roethlisberger in 2005, Flacco will lose. PHI should win at AZ as McNabb makes a last attempt at a Super Bowl ring; that’s right a Pennsylvania Super Bowl PIT vs. PHI. And the winner is……………… the Eagles with McNabb and Westbrook sharing MVP honors in the 43rd Super Bowl denying Pittsburgh a 6th ring and joining the Phillies as world champions in the same year.

Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook and the recently released Fantasy Football Almanac 2008 which are both available at his website, www.ffguidebook.com, at all major bookstores, and at www.amazon.com. He is an 18-year fantasy football veteran who regularly participates in the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF) and participated this year in the inaugural season of the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC).

BOB HECK

We have such a hard time picking against the Cardinals (they have proven us wrong now twice in the play-offs). However, we think the Philadelphia defense will ultimately prevail. In Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh, it's always tough to defeat a team three times in a season, but we have to go with the home-team Pittsburgh Steelers. So, we'll say it's an all Pennsylvania Super Bowl. The outcome is perhaps written with the football Gods and we've seen this already - but of course, Big Ben is a Super Bowl hero again for Iron City, while McNabb loses again for the City of Brothery Love (and then McNabb he is run out of town, ends up in Minnesota and wins a Super Bowl with the Vikings!). So, Steelers 30, Eagles 24.

Heck is a founding partner at Dynasty Rogues, a fantasy football website filled with football enthusiasts, run by football enthusiasts. The company provides year-round dynasty and redraft fantasy football coverage and analysis, including Dynasty Rogues Radio and the Rogues Forum. The site can be reached at www.dynastyrogues.com.

LOUIS TRANQUILLI

I like the Steelers over the Ravens. The defensive matchup is equal, each can get after the QB and make enough plays on the RBs to limit them. There are two advantages I see for the Steelers: Home field, and most importantly the Steelers passing game is better than the Titans passing game, and Kerry Collins had a good day throwing the ball. I think this game is won by Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Ben Roethlisberger. The Ravens corners are the weak link in that D and with #3 WR Nate Washington thrown into the mix the Steelers passing game at home is going to be too much for the Ravens. The Cardinals/Eagles game is a tough one. You can go to BFD and see what I wrote before the 1st Round of playoff games. Basically it was this: "The Cardinals will limit Michael Turner to a good, not great day; because they play well defensively at home". That still applies, the problem is Donovan McNabb is playing very well, and as non descript as his WR group is; it's nearly as effective as the Cardinals all world WRs. Arizona suffers here because their strength is the Philly D' strength. The Eagles corners can cover these WRs and cause enough of a disruption to Kurt Warner's timing that the Cards will have trouble keeping up. Westbrook is in for a BIG day here. I'll keep it shorter on the Super Bowl, there will be one HUGE difference in my opinion for the Eagles in the Super Bowl that will push them over the Steelers. Coaching. Andy Reid vs. Mike Tomlin is a Andy Reid win in my opinion. He's had some VERY rough coaching spots, but this Eagles team is excellent and Reid has been pushing the right buttons for weeks now. Eagles finally break through and bring home a Super Bowl to Philly.

Louis Tranquilli is the founder and the primary "brains" (if you stretch it) of BFDFANTASYfootball.com. BFD is about giving advice to players from a player. Lou's been a highly successful owner in many high stakes contests. BFD is giving away 50 fantasy football teams in 2008.

ANDY RICHARDSON

I feel like a lot of people nationally are picking the Steelers because it's logical -- they're home, they've got the higher seed, they've got the experienced quarterback and the better all-around offense. But the Ravens are where they are by defying logic, and it's awfully hard to bet against them. I'm picking a 20-17 Steelers win, but I can't help thinking that might be wishful thinking, and that the Ravens are going to find a way to get it done. In the NFC, I've seen Cardinals-Eagles once, and it wasn't pretty for the Cardinals. That game was in Philly, of course, but the Eagles have come too far and were too impressive knocking off the Giants to bet against them now. Call it 26-17 Eagles. That leaves the Super Bowl, and again, I'm backing the Eagles. Sometimes a team gets hot at the right time, and that looks like Philly. I'll say 20-13, Philadelphia, over whichever team survives the AFC clash.

Richardson has been a columnist and contributor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and web site for the past seven years. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections, as well as various site features. He has run the magazine's annual draft and auction leagues since their inception. His A DAY OF FOOTBALL wrap-up column appears Mondays during the NFL season. For more information go to www.fantasyindex.com.

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