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:

Mike Martz knows successful passing offenses, but has he met his match in San Francisco?

MIKE NAZAREK

It really depends upon the maturity and development of Alex Smith, which is a big question mark right now with J.T. O'Sullivan the current flavor of the day. Smith has more talent, but if he can't get Martz's system down pat, he will struggle and that will make the 49ers offense sputter, almost assuring disappointment by the Bay once again in 2008.

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 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.

CHRIS LISS

I think there's some upside in San Fran. Top-5 pass-catching RB, potential top-5 or -10 TE. And whoever wins the quarterback job should have value. Remember Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger were nobodies before Martz, too.

RotoWire.com is a leading independent provider of fantasy sports news on the web, covering all the news as it breaks, combining innovative analysis with an easy-to-use format. The site’s content has won numerous awards and has earned partnerships with ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, FoxSports, XM Satellite Radio, NFL.com, NBA.com and many other sites and networks. To sample site content, take advantage of their free 10-day trial.

BOB HECK

We think Mike Martz is overmatched here. His offense relies on having a good enough line to hold their blocks 4-5 seconds while the receivers get to their spots downfield. Of course he believes leaving only five guys in to block is the best way to go about hiding the Niners’ weak offensive line. We have that unit ranked 28th in the league. It's going to be "shock-n-awe" time for opposing defensive coordinators who know the best way to thwart Martz' scheme is to send multiple free blitzers.

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.

SCOTT ENDSLEY

If Martz's offense can make Jon Kitna a 4,000 yard passer 2 years in a row anything is possible. The Niners have some talented receivers and a strong RB however they appear to seriously lack the key spot of QB to this (or any) offense. Unless someone somehow emerges that can pass the ball the Martz express will likely derail in San Fran.

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.

LOUIS TRANQUILLI

Martz took a journeyman Jon Kitna and made him a top-12 FF player with no offensive line or running game to speak of. In San Fran he inherits an outstanding RB and TE, with Isaac Bruce still available to lead the WRs. I would expect a top-15 finish in total numbers from the QB position, but not any individual QB in SF. I expect Frank Gore to be the featured cog in the offense and Isaac Bruce to finish as a top-30 WR. Vernon Davis could surprise, but I take him as a later selection in drafts.

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.

SAM HENDRICKS

Yes and no. No, he will not produce the same type of numbers with the talent he has at SF, but he will produce great numbers with the offense. In this case, those numbers are spread around more to the RB and TE. Frank Gore is a great receiving back and looks to be Mad Mike's next Marshall Faulk (in PPR leagues he is huge, plan on 1600 combined yards, 10 TDs and 60+ receptions). Vernon Davis may become more of a WR than a TE in this offensive scheme (60/700/6), not a bad thing. Do not be surprised if the one throwing all these TDs is J.T. OSullivan, rather than Alex Smith. J.T. comes from the Lions where he learned Martz’s system. He will not be a Kurt Warner, but he could post mid QB numbers (2500/15/14). Finally, who benefits at WR? I look for I. Bruce to make a nice come back (he knows the system well) and keep Josh Morgan as a sleeper this year. The rookie from Va. Tech will surprise some folks with 30/300/3.

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 will participate this year in the inaugural season of the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC).

IAN ALLAN

I’m nervous about all things San Francisco. They just don’t seem to have the quarterback to make that kind of an offense work. I expect them to lead the league in sacks, interceptions and fumbles, and I think they’ll lose a lot of ball games. And as stubborn as Martz is in regards to play-calling, I can’t see Frank Gore putting up big rushing numbers. Under Martz, Detroit ran a record-low number of running plays over the last two years. Gore will have to make that up, I suppose, with lots of receptions. For now, I’m projecting that offense to rank last in rushing. For passing, I’ve got them at an above-average 235 yards per game, but with only 18 TD passes.

Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index magazine. He’s also one of the main content contributors for that company’s website, www.fantasyindex.com. His IAN ALLAN’S MAILBAG column is posted on Fridays.

GREGG ROSENTHAL

He has met his match. And his name is ... J.T. O' Sullivan. Martz could help this team improve to average yardage totals, but I don't think he'll find anyone consistent enough to rely on in fantasy leagues. I expect O'Sullivan and Alex Smith to get plenty of starts. Perhaps Shaun Hill when it gets desperate. The wide receivers are also going to cancel each other out because of mediocre talent and injuries. The only one I like is Josh Morgan in dynasty leagues.

Rosenthal is the managing editor of Rotoworld.com, the highest trafficked fantasy news web site on the web. He also writes a blog, contributes to NBCSports.com's NFL coverage and appears in the NBC Fantasy Fix three times a week, including a live show every Sunday morning at 11AM.

JEFFREY KAMYS

The 49ers don't have the players yet to run this system so I think this year will be an adjustment year. They are showing some potential with O'Sullivan and Gore and Davis, but not sure all of those guys are great fits in this system. When has a TE ever been prominent in a Martz system...never? Is Gore quick enough to make his money on the edges like Faulk did in this system? The sleeper pick is WR Josh Morgan who looks like a young TO in the making. Count this one as a building year, but in 2009 once this offense gets all of the players it needs to perform they should be much better.

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 don't have gigantic hopes on J.T. O'Sullivan, but I do think he's capable of being somewhere in the 15-20 range at QB, assuming he can withstand the pass-blocking issues of a Martz offense (all of those deep routes come at a price). I'm also intrigued by the receivers, because we have a chance to make a monstrous score on someone unheralded here. Josh Morgan, I'm looking at you.

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.

ANDY RICHARDSON

I don’t like that offensive line; they don’t either. Of course, that didn’t prevent Martz from having a top passing offense in Detroit, so they’ll manage. The problem is that their quarterbacks are going to get clobbered so badly that none will be reliable options, unless you’re in one of those “Team QB” leagues. I think Gore will be OK; he’ll catch plenty of passes. And I must like Josh Morgan after spending $5 on him in an auction last night; mostly it’s by default. In short, the offense will muddle along, but I don’t like any one QB to be successful this season and am wary of most of the receivers.

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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