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Ask the Experts

ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly, with answers to a new question being posted every Thursday morning.

How the guest experts responded when we asked them:

Cleveland Rocks! Where do you expect to be ranking Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow and Derek Anderson the rest of the way, and next preseason?

STEVEN LASSAN

After their opening week performance against Pittsburgh, it is definitely surprising to see the Browns playing this well and in second place in the AFC North - one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. Although Anderson is having a terrific season, the Browns still have Brady Quinn waiting in the wings and he's the future of this team. Could this be another Philip Rivers-Drew Brees situation? I look for Anderson to start the remaining games in 2007 and 2008 - but if he stumbles, this team won't hesitate to turn to Quinn. With a more stable quarterback situation than in recent memory, Edwards and Winslow should rate among the top players at their position. Edwards is worthy of a fringe No. 1, definitely a No. 2 spot on any roster, while Winslow is a top-5 fantasy tight end. The Browns have room to grow, but these three players are key fantasy cogs for some owners in 2007.

Lassan is a senior staff writer for Pro Fantasy Sports. For more info, visit the websites www.profantasysports.com and www.fswa.org.

DAVID DOREY

Braylon Edwards has big-time talent as a wide receiver and should be easily top 10 for many years as long as the quarterback situation in Cleveland remains good. He’s matured nicely and is a definite difference-maker. Kellen Winslow is also a top tight end and should easily remain there since there are hardly a dozen tight ends with significant numbers each year. He doesn’t catch many touchdowns which prevents him from ever challenging the top spot and his knee still is an issue he just plays with, but Winslow is a gamer. Derek Anderson is having a great season but to me it smacks of Jon Kitna in Cincinnati who threw for 36 touchdowns and 3591 yards in 2003 and then stepped to the side the next year so that Carson Palmer could play. Not that Brady Quinn is necessarily the next Palmer, but he will get his shot eventually and that could happen next year. The Browns have some tough match-ups over the next five games – let’s see what Anderson looks like at the end of that.

Dorey is the co-founder of TheHuddle.com and the lead NFL analyst. He has been projecting players and predicting games since 1997 and has also authored the book Fantasy Football: The Next Level which is available at all major bookstores and at Amazon.com. Dorey is one of the top prognosticators in the Fantasy Football Index Experts Poll every year and won it in 2005.

PATRICK GLEESING

Romeo Crennel is a very good coach and has the Super Bowl rings to prove it. He has been drafting linemen and setting up the future. Cleveland is committed to his vision. Anderson has promise but is still on a rebuilding team with a high draft pick nipping at his heels. Edwards is finally coming into his own and filling the void. He has learned tremendously from the knowledge, professionalism and class of Jurevicius. Their average rank will be 10-15 and many will have Edwards higher as his upside is great. One can only hope that Winslow is also learning from the veteran and will temper his ego. He has lost a step due to injuries but is still a potent force on this offense and will rank solidly in the top 10.

Gleesing is the owner of and senior writer for fantasyfootballdrafthub.com. He can be reached at patrick@fantasyfootballdrafthub.com.

CARL WEATHERFORD

Derek Anderson is really the only true surprise here. Winslow was already a top TE and Edwards had the talent – but no one could see Anderson being the one getting them both the ball. Winslow has now produced with bad and good QB play – he’s a top-tier TE going forward. Edwards is a top-10 WR but needs a good QB to stay there, which he has in Anderson. Anderson had earned his worth as a Top-5 fantasy QB. He’s going to have to do well the second half of the season but has already proven his worth as a fantasy QB and as the Browns’ QB – over Brady Quinn.

Weatherford is owner/editor of www.coachbox.com, a fantasy football news and advice community online since 1997. Weatherford was author of the directory and technical editor for IDG Book’s Fantasy Sports Online For Dummies. He has been participating in magazine and expert panels since 1997 and has played fantasy football for over 20 years.

SCOTT ENDSLEY

It’s exceptionally early for that question to be fairly answered. We had Edwards and Winslow pretty high this year and certainly at this point they’ve done nothing but improve their stock. Anderson has been a pleasant surprise but the problem here is Brady Quinn – the Browns find themselves with 2 young QB prospects which adds to mix and emphasizes our original point that’s a little too early to ask this question.

Endsley is co-owner and a senior fantasy football consultant for FantasyDraftEdge.com. For more info, go to www.fantasydraftedge.com.

TOM KESSENICH

I think Edwards and Winslow are locks in the top 5 at their respective positions going forward. Winslow could be as high as 4th (I'd rank Gates, Gonzalez and Witten ahead of him) but you could easily make a case for Edwards being top 3 next season. He has amazing talent and is clearly putting it all together this season. Anderson is trickier because there's no way of knowing at this time where he'll be next season. If he remains in Cleveland he could rank in the top 10 but Quinn's presence adds some trepidation. If he leaves Cleveland he'll likely be a lock for the top 10 if he winds up in a good situation. He's talented, can make all the throws and clearly knows how to finish drives.

Kessenich is the managing editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine, which began publishing in 1989. Editor Greg Ambrosius is the founder of the National Fantasy Football Championship, the industry's first multi-city, high-stakes event with a $100,000 grand prize. Ambrosius also founded the Fantasy Sports Trade Conference and was the FSTA president from 2002-2006. For more information on the NFFC, go to www.fantasyfootballchampionship.com.

BRIAN SWAW

Derek Anderson is on fire and by far the biggest surprise at quarterback this season. Anderson has established himself as the Cleveland starter for at least one more season and should be a top-15 QB in 2008. Edwards was our 3rd-year breakout wide receiver in 2007 so what he is doing this season is not a surprise to us. I see Edwards as a top 5-8 WR next year and for many years to come. Winslow is a little tougher to project because of his injury history. As long as he can stay healthy he will be top-5 TE for the foreseeable future. Just imagine how much more potent this offense would be with a top 15-20 RB. Scary....

Swaw is senior writer and owner of GameTimeDecisions.net and the co-host of two fantasy football radio shows for ESPN AM 1000 in Chicago -- Fantasy Football Island and Fantasy Expert. He has been a keynote speaker for the FSTA and several fantasy football conventions with the likes of John Clayton, Chris Mortensen, Sean Salisbury and Mark Schlereth. For more info, visit www.gametimedecisions.net.

JEFFREY KAMYS

I think people will be suspect of Anderson because he came from nowhere essentially, but the real truth about Anderson is that he had a ton of experience because he was pretty much a 4-year starter when he was in college. The only thing on Anderson though is I think we are seeing his best. He has a huge arm, can throw some great deep balls, but he was and will always be a guy that throws a ton of INTs. He's probably a top-15 QB next year ranking-wise. As far as Edwards and Winslow go, we had Winslow top 5 this year and expect similar in 2008. Edwards will definitely be in that top-10 group, but beyond more proven guys like the Holt, Moss, Harrison and Wayne.

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 e-mail to webmaster@docstats.com.

SCOTT PIANOWSKI

Braylon Edwards is an elite receiver, a top-5 guy if healthy. Only Randy Moss plays the ball in the air better than he does. I'm just as bullish on Kellen Winslow, who might be the most dangerous run-after-catch tight end in the league. The Browns use him as a wideout more than a stance player, which helps the fantasy value considerably. Derek Anderson is a lot harder to peg, as the Browns need to figure out how they're going to handle the position going forward. If he's in Cleveland and clear to start entering 2008, I would slot him in the 6-10 range. For now, until further notice, he's top-5 like his teammates above. A lot to like with Anderson - he's got good size and mobility, excellent pocket awareness, and an arm strong enough to make all the throws. And as an added bonus, the Browns defense can't stop anyone, so shootouts are the order of the day in Cleveland.

Pianowski is a free-lance journalist who's been writing about sports (fantasy and otherwise) for a variety of websites, newspapers and magazines for the last 20 years. He can be reached at pianowski31@yahoo.com.

CORY J. BONINI

The Cleveland Browns have been a boon of fantasy production -- largely as a complete surprise. Derek Anderson is surely the must surprising fantasy player this year, and we haven't heard the name of quarterback Brady Quinn for several weeks now. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow are not nearly the surprises that Anderson is, especially Winslow, since both players were top-5 picks in their respective years of the NFL Draft. Each player has the talent level to be a star, so no one should be alarmed by their production. Perhaps the consistency of their production raises a few eyebrows, but their individual talent is hard to argue. If either of the two players is a surprise in the slightest sense of the word it would have to be Winslow, simply because he has lasted this long without a major injury or setback from offseason microfracture surgery. Anderson is a surprise, but the question is how long will he remain the starter with Quinn waiting in the wings? Barring a total collapse this year, Anderson should be their guy the rest of the way. Looking ahead, however, the situation for Anderson is murkier than the waters of Loch Ness. Too many variables exist at this time to forecast him that far in advance. As for Edwards, he should be a top-20 or top-15 player at his position, no matter who the quarterback is. Winslow should be no worse than a top-5 tight end, regardless of the starting quarterback.

KFFL offers football as well as baseball content and has captured over a dozen expert league championships. Founded in 1996, this company offers daily news, preseason draft guides, player rankings, sleepers, busts, weekly newsletters and more. KFFL also provides fantasy content to various organizations including SportsTicker and Yahoo! Sports. For more information, visit www.kffl.com .

DEAN RAMSAY

If the season were to end today you definitely have to consider all them top-10 players at their position. They have played some pretty soft pass defenses thus far. Weeks 10 and 11 pose some tough match-ups, but after that the sky is the limit for these guys. You may want to make a trade, especially for Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards. They have some great matchups from week 12 on. If you're looking towards the FFL playoffs, look at weeks 14 through 16 when they face the Jets, Bills, and Bengals. All three have shaky pass defenses which Anderson and Edwards can exploit.

Ramsay is the senior analyst for draftchamps.com. Draft Champs has been providing custom cheat sheets and value-based draft guides to the fantasy football community since 2003. For more info, visit www.draftchamps.com.

ANDY RICHARDSON

I really missed on these guys. I liked Winslow, but didn't figure his offense would be productive enough. I had no interest in Edwards. And I let Anderson pass me by on a waiver claim even after his huge game in week 2. Edwards and Winslow are clearly top-7 or 8 guys next year... maybe top 5. Anderson looks like the new Drew Brees: He'll start in Cleveland the rest of this year and maybe next, then be starting and playing well for a new team while Quinn plays in Cleveland. I'm annoyed to have ignored him in my dynasty league.

Richardson has been a columnist and contributor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and web site for the past six 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. Other writing credits have included FFToday.com and football coverage for newspapers in Colorado and Florida. For more information go to www.fantasyindex.com.

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