Ian Allan's Mailbag
Posted Jun. 29 at 07:03 AM
Publisher Ian Allan fields your questions on strategy, how to run your league, player ratings -- and whatever else you think of. Updated every Friday during the season; Tuesdays and Fridays during the last two months of the preseason. You must be registered and signed-in to submit a mailbag question. After you sign in at the top of the page, the link to submit a mailbag question will become visible.
Question 1:
If my count is close to correct,I see about 14 new coaches and or offensive coordinators.Would you have time to break down the possible changes that these teams and or player could be affected during 09 season?
BEN HOGEVOLL [SILETZ, OR]
A:
The big ones, I think, would be as follows:
49ERS: They were pass crazy under Mike Martz; now they're hoping to be a conservative, run-based team.
JETS: should run a lot more this year.
BRONCOS: Won't pass as often and will use far more formations with multiple wide receivers.
LIONS: Probably will spell Kevin Smith more often, and also should make better use of their other receiving targets (besides Calvin Johnson).
CARDINALS: With Todd Haley gone, I think they'll be more balanced this year -- they'll use the run more. (I think they'll still be a passing team, but I think you'll see more running plays and more effectiveness with those plays).
SEAHAWKS: I think they'll run more often and more effectively, particularly in the red zone. Mike Holmgren always heavily featured the pass in that area.
Question 2:
about what date can we expect to see the magazine in stores? I live in northern ca....and i am starting to go through withdrawls and i need my index fix!
JEFF FOSTER [CHICO, CA]
A:
Next Tuesday (July 7) is the official on-sale date. Typically it shows up a few days earlier or later in some locations.
If you order by our website or by phone (206-527-4444) we'll get one headed your way by first-class mail within 24 hours. (So if you ordered one before lunch on Tuesday, you'd likely get in Thursday's mail).
Question 3:
Is Donald Driver going to lose playing time to Jordy Nelson? It seems that Driver didn't do much last year even though Aaron Rodgers put up good numbers.
Duane Stay [ZIMMERMAN, MN]
A:
I think Driver is nearing the end of the road. He's 34, but he seems older. And there are two good wide receivers behind him (not only Jordy Nelson but also James Jones, who was outstanding as a rookie but was held back last season by a knee injury). I think you'll see those young guys play more this season. Probably one of those guys -- not sure if it will be Nelson or Jones -- will spell Driver this season, then become a starter in 2010.
Question 4:
I think that LaDainian Tomlinson is still one of the best five backs in the league, and I think if the situation is right in my draft I would draft him. What are your thoughts? I think his season is a very intriguing storyline for this year.
Joseph Winn [VIRGINIA BEACH, VA]
A:
I'm not a Tomlinson fan. He's 30 now, and I just don't think he's the same back he used to be. He was bothered for a good chunk of last year by a toe injury, but I remember thinking even prior to that injury that it looked like he had lost some speed and power. And late in the year -- long after Tomlinson had said the toe was no longer an issue -- he ran for only 63 yards on 29 carries in a pair of games against Atlanta and Kansas City (teams with leaky run defenses). He's just not a top back anymore, and I'm not buying into this talk about him feeling great and rejuvenated at the offseason workouts. I think that's just preseason blather that you hear out of all of the teams at this time of year. No way would I make Tomlinson one of the first dozen running backs selected -- I doubt that he'll be on any of my teams this year.
Question 5:
It's that time of year again .. torn between keeping WRs or RBs ... in a standard scoring league (no PPR), which of the following three do I keep? DeAngelo Williams, Steven Jackson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall. Since we start 2 RBs and 2WRs, I hate to keep three RBs, but how do you drop one of those guys?
Geoff Maleman [LOS ANGELES, CA]
A:
Maybe you could trade one of those running backs, plus Reggie Wayne or Brandon Marshall, to a team that had a truly studly wide receiver but not much talent at running back?
Question 6:
Any plans for a UFL Cheat Sheet?
THOMAS WRIGHT [CUYAHOGA FLS, OH]
A:
I don't think anybody is going to care about the UFL. I don't expect it to be as popular as NFL Europe or the XFL.
I've got the list of drafted players in front of me, and I'm not seeing a whole lot of talent. Brooks Bollinger might be the top quarterback right now. At running back, the biggest names are Chris Perry and LaBrandon Toefield.
If I were drafting today, I would take J.P. Losman early -- he might show up in that league. And I'd be looking to pick up running backs Quincy Wilson, Cecil Sapp and Tyson Thompson. Probably one or two of those guys will be starters, and one of them might lead the league in rushing.
Question 7:
Now that most of the chips have settled with the draft, etc, it is time for me to gear up for the upcoming season in my keeper league. We can keep up to 4 players each year (PPR format). Andre Johnson will cost me my first round pick to keep, and I have the option to keep Westbrook for the cost of my 2nd round pick (which in this format is really more like a 4th round pick). For my other two keepers, I have to decide between Calvin Johnson (he would cost me a 3rd round pick), MJD (cost of a 4th round pick), Tom Brady (cost of an 8th round pick), and Chris Johnson (cost of a 9th round pick). Due to the rules, I can keep Andre Johnson and/or Westbrook (or neither of them) and then I can only keep two of the remaining four players (for instance, I can’t replace Westbrook with any of the other four players listed).
With all of that in mind, which two (out of Calvin, MJD, Brady, and Chris Johnson) would you look at keeping and which two would you look to trade for picks prior to the draft? Also, I have to give up my 2nd round pick to keep Westbrook in a PPR format, right?
Thanks!
ZACH LEAVITT [ENGLEWOOD, CO]
A:
In keeper leagues, I'm looking for values. So when I see a really good player who comes at a cost of only an eighth- or ninth-round pick, that gets my attention. I would be very interested, therefore in Brady (8th) and Chris Johnson (9th). Would be nice to also figure out a way to keep Jones-Drew for a 4th, but I don't think that's possible with your rules.
Westbrook is a huge injury risk, so I'd be nervous about protecting him.
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Question 2: about what date can we...
Posted by BRIAN LASKIEWICZ | Jun. 30 at 01:54 AM
In northern New Jersey, I picked up my copy at the Morris Plains Barnes & Noble on June 29, ahead of the July 1/7 dates, and I am guessing only a couple of days after some subscribers apparently received theirs via mail. By the way, I like the idea of adding distance scoring cheat sheets and the ability to use it in the custom cheat sheets (as our IFFL gives double points for all 50 yard scores (old school suggestion in really old FFI issues) and triple points for 100 yard scores (very rare)). Also, the paper quality is really good, just like the 2007 issue. I do have some ideas for future editions, and will be emailing / posting those soon.
Question 6: Any plans for a UFL...
Posted by GREGORY BLAKE | Jun. 29 at 08:42 AM
UFL? Clearly a Lingerie Football League cheat sheet would be more useful. More fun to research too I suspect.
Question 6: Any plans for a UFL...
Posted by Chris Muschon | Jun. 30 at 01:31 AM
look out for Terrence Whitehead LOL
Question 7: Now that most of the...
Posted by ZACH LEAVITT | Jul. 23 at 01:44 AM
A little late to respond here, but with Andy Richardson's recent assessment that valuable QB's are dropping to the 6th and 7th rounds in the drafts he's seen, would you now lean more towards keeping MJD with my 4th, trading Brady, and rolling the dice that I could still get Rivers, Rodgers or Warner in the 6th or 7th?