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:

Which player that you liked two months ago have you now given up on?

CORY BONINI

I feel as though this question was tailored for me. It's easy: New England Patriots running back Laurence Maroney. I was really high on him for a myriad of reasons ranging from Fred Taylor's injury history to Sammy Morris' age to Maroney being determined to succeed. Watching Maroney run in the preseason made me quickly scrap that sentiment after seeing how tentative he looked. He suffered a fracture in his shoulder last year and appears hesitant to bull through anyone; this was the primary reason for me to remove him from KFFL.com's sleeper list and cross him off my personal rankings sheet. I concede that "bust" is the right label for Phony Maroney at this point in time.

KFFL.com offers fantasy football, fantasy baseball and fantasy NASCAR content. We have captured well more than a dozen expert league championships. Founded in 1996, KFFL offers award-winning daily news feeds, preseason draft guides, player rankings, sleepers, busts, weekly newsletters and more. KFFL is completely free! For more information, visit www.kffl.com.

MIKE NAZAREK

I liked the potential of what rookie WR Michael Crabtree could bring to the 49ers, but since he seems willing to sit out the season, he's basically worthless for 2009.

Nazarek is the CEO of Fantasy Football Mastermind Inc. His company offers an online rookie draft kit, preseason draft guide, customizable cheat sheets, fantasy auction & regular drafting programs, weekly in-season fantasy newsletters, injury reports and free NFL news (updated daily) at its web site. He has been playing fantasy football since 1988 and is the reigning four-peat champion of the SI.com Experts Fantasy League, a nationally published writer in several fantasy magazines and a columnist for SI.com. For more info go to www.ffmastermind.com. Nazarek can be reached at 702-568-7118 or miken@ffmastermind.com.

SCOTT ENDSLEY

Larry Johnson. Early on we thought LJ would be hungry and running for another contract. We still believe this to be true BUT Kansas City's offensive line is terrible. We thought they'd be at least better enough that LJ could have a nice season, but at this point it appears we were very wrong.

Endsley is co-owner and a senior fantasy football consultant for FantasyDraftEdge.com offering customizable fantasy football cheat sheets and professional VIP advice all season long. For more info, go to www.fantasydraftedge.com.

SAM HENDRICKS

Never say never. I have not given up on anyone this year (except Plaxico Burress), but I have lowered my expectations on some players. In the May release of Fantasy Football Almanac 2009 I suggested that Cedric Peerman, RB might be “worth a late round chance”. Saturday BAL cut him, but another team may pick him up. Nevertheless, Brandon Marshall is the player that dropped the most. In May, I had him as high as fourth-best WR. Now he will be lucky to make the Top 30 at WR. Neither Peerman nor Marshall are avoid players, they just have moved considerably down the rankings.

Sam Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Almanac 2009, all available at his website, www.ffguidebook.com, at all major bookstores, and at www.amazon.com. He is a 19-year fantasy football veteran who regularly participates in the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF), National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th overall in the 2008 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC).

IAN ALLAN

I expected big things from Derrick Ward. He’s got some ability, and he’s going to a Tampa Bay team with a good offensive line. I was thinking he’d run for something like 1,100 or 1,200 yards and catch 50 passes. But now it looks certain that the Bucs are going to extensively rotate their running backs. Cadillac Williams is the starter for now. Earnest Graham also is going to play. Also, it’s looking more and more certain that Tampa Bay is going to be the last-place team in the NFC South. Ward now, therefore, isn’t even one of the top 40 running backs on my draft board.

Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index. He’s been in that role since 1987, generating most of the player rankings and analysis for that publication. His work can be seen in Fantasy Football Index magazine, and also at the company’s website, www.fantasyindex.com.

COLIN DARLINGTON

Brandon Marshall. I still really like his talent, but his off the field issues, his trade demands, his team imposed suspension for not practicing, coupled with Orton's injury have made him a very risky play. I still think and hope he can get it together, but he went from a low-end Top 10 WR to an ideal No. 1 backup WR...not good!

Darlington is the owner of MyStartEmSitEm.com and has been an owner, commissioner and consultant in Fantasy Football since 1992. MyStartEmSitEm.com provides weekly advice based on your league, your scoring system, with custom emails about your team, preseason cheat sheets, draft day assistance and much more.

RICK HAWES

Not sure I have given up on him, but Rashard Mendenhall has been a major disappointment. Between averaging 3.1 yards per tote on 32 carries in the preseason, and head coach Mike Tomlin proclaiming Willie Parker his feature back, the bloom is definitely off Mendenhall’s rose. The fact that he hasn’t pushed FWP harder heading into his sophomore campaign is extremely troubling. It’s too early to label him a bust, but Mendenhall needs to start flashing the skills that made him 23rd overall pick in last year’s draft.

Hawes is the Managing Editor of NFL content at Fanball.com. Fanball.com and OwnersEdge.com offer league management software, daily play fantasy games, Live Advice, up-to-date news, free and premium content, player rankings, custom projections and cheat sheets, in-depth IDP analysis, Fantasy Buffet Radio Show, NFL Draft Kit, Fanball Blog Network, daily newsletter, a vast array of fantasy football tools, including Draft Analyzer software and five magazines featuring the Pro Football Draft Preview, as well as four Fantasy Football publications. For more information send e-mail to rhawes@fanball.com.

PRETZEL MAY

For this one I think we need to look at the wide receiver position. Two names that spring to mind are Michael Crabtree and Brandon Marshall. Crabtree came in as the most talented rookie wideout and now looks like the next star rookie wideout to be bagging groceries at a store near you. Wanting to get paid like a top 3 pick despite being picked 10th he has threatened to holdout the entire season. A move that is sure to blow up in his face. One little factoid, Mike Williams also sat out a season after trying to declare for the draft early and was picked 10th. Anyone know where he is now? Now Brandon Marshall is doing his best TO impression by causing nothing but chaos for the Broncos. He wants to be Owens so bad he did everything he could to get suspended for acts detrimental to the team, just like T.O. He is still likely to start but with Orton only being able to build chemistry with one receiver, look for it to be Eddie Royal and not Marshall. Both MAJOR disappointments!

The May brothers have more than 16 years of combined fantasy football experience and are the co-founders of FantasyDraftMaster.com. The cornerstone of FDM is the UberRank which is a revolutionary approach to the traditional fantasy football cheat sheet. FantasyDraftMaster.com also offers insightful and humorous commentary on football happenings as well as recommendations on waiver wire pickups, line up submissions and weekly pick em' pools. For more info, visit www.fantasydraftmaster.com or email us at info@fantasydraftmaster.com.

JEFFREY KAMYS

We didn't think he would have a huge year but certainly the value of Michael Crabtree is down the drain. Even if Crabtree signs in the next week or two, he will have missed so much time in camp that his rookie year numbers will be miniscule at best.

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.

LOUIS TRANQUILLI

Devin Hester. I never overvalue preseason, but what I do value is the clear view of a receiver and QB's "hookup." Hester and Jay Cutler have very little rhythm at this point, and this is draft season. Hester looked like a rock solid No. 3 WR and a great No. 4 WR early in the preseason with such an outstanding QB on the roster. Now I would select Earl Bennett 5 rounds later and expect nearly the same production as Hester. Greg Olsen stole Jay Cutler's love for a security blanket.

Tranquilli is the founder and the primary "brains" (if you stretch it) of BFDFANTASYfootball.com. BFD is about delivering the information players want, not fluff, just opinions that matter to fantasy football players. Lou has worked with NFL players and gives a unique perspective because of it. We'll be giving MORE teams away in 2009 to BFD subscribers!

NATHAN ZEGURA

Michael Crabtree --- you have to actually sign with the team that drafted you to be a factor.

The Fantasy Consultant, the only fantasy football site on the web run by a former McKinsey and Co. consultant, provides in-depth, statistical analysis and uses a proprietary model to produce weekly and full-season player projections customized to your scoring system. TFC focuses on the most relevant fantasy-oriented stats (targets, red zone and GL performance, Opp yards/TDs allowed by position) and provides real-time injury updates to ensure that you have everything you need to set your ideal lineup every week. Heading in to the draft, you get full season projections customized to your scoring system, in-depth player profiles, plus position primers that identify bounce-back players, breakout candidates, and sleepers and busts. In a record setting 2008 season, 94% of Premium subscribers (87% of Standard) went to the playoffs and 62% (40% standard) WON their leagues. Check out thefantasyconsultant.com today.

ANDY RICHARDSON

I wasn't exactly high on these guys, but I drafted them as No. 4 (and in one lamentable case a No. 3) wide receivers in experts drafts back in May and June, and those decisions don't look so great right now. Ted Ginn should be the No. 1 in Miami, but I don't know that he's really any better than their other wideouts. And the Giants' Steve Smith didn't show anything in the preseason to indicate he's going to step up and be a quality starter for them. They can still prove my initial interest in them valid, but I'm not optimistic at this point. One dynasty note: I'm not as confident in Jeremy Maclin as I was back in May, either.

Richardson has been a columnist and contributor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and web site for the past eight 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.

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