NFL.com ranks Hasselbeck as the #2 fantasy QB (1 Viewer)

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

COVER BOY: Running back Shaun Alexander, the NFL most valuable player in 2005, is on the cover of NFL.com's 2006 Fantasy Football Preview that goes on sale Monday.

Despite scoring a league-record 28 touchdowns last season, Alexander is ranked the No. 3 fantasy pick among the running backs -- behind LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson. Matt Hasselbeck ranks No. 2 among quarterbacks -- behind Peyton Manning -- and Darrell Jackson No. 8 at wide receiver.

That's a pretty bold prediction.

 

[Stillers Jr.]

COVER BOY: Running back Shaun Alexander, the NFL most valuable player in 2005, is on the cover of NFL.com's 2006 Fantasy Football Preview that goes on sale Monday.

Despite scoring a league-record 28 touchdowns last season, Alexander is ranked the No. 3 fantasy pick among the running backs -- behind LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson. Matt Hasselbeck ranks No. 2 among quarterbacks -- behind Peyton Manning -- and Darrell Jackson No. 8 at wide receiver.

That's a pretty bold prediction.

I think he's a top 5 QB, so at worst he's off by 3 slots...

 

[mad sweeney]

COVER BOY: Running back Shaun Alexander, the NFL most valuable player in 2005, is on the cover of NFL.com's 2006 Fantasy Football Preview that goes on sale Monday.

Despite scoring a league-record 28 touchdowns last season, Alexander is ranked the No. 3 fantasy pick among the running backs -- behind LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson. Matt Hasselbeck ranks No. 2 among quarterbacks -- behind Peyton Manning -- and Darrell Jackson No. 8 at wide receiver.

That's a pretty bold prediction.

So the NFC ProBowl starter (along with 3 other starters and 1 2nd stringer who are still on the team) on the highest scoring offense in the league last year and who improved his WR situation is a stretch to be #2? Interesting

 

[Fullback Fro]

I have him at 2. This has been discussed. I think that it is a fair ranking based on risk assesment. Who would you rank above him?

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

I think Brady deserves the #2 spot personally.

My top 5 would like this:

1- Manning

2- Brady

3- McNabb

4- Hasselbeck

5- Green

Yes, I'm that high on McNabb. And I'm leaving Culpepper and Palmer out of my rankings until I have a better idea of their physical condition.

 

[jeter23]

I think the FBG staff had him at #2 as well.

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

I think Brady deserves the #2 spot personally.

My top 5 would like this:

1- Manning

2- Brady

3- McNabb

4- Hasselbeck

5- Green

Yes, I'm that high on McNabb. And I'm leaving Culpepper and Palmer out of my rankings until I have a better idea of their physical condition.

bold prediction = finishing 2 spots higher than you have him ?

 

[diesel7982]

I think Brady deserves the #2 spot personally.

My top 5 would like this:

1- Manning

2- Brady

3- McNabb

4- Hasselbeck

5- Green

Yes, I'm that high on McNabb. And I'm leaving Culpepper and Palmer out of my rankings until I have a better idea of their physical condition.

Brady's WRs get worse, his RBs vastly improve, and hes going to be the #2 QB?

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

I think Brady deserves the #2 spot personally.

My top 5 would like this:

1- Manning

2- Brady

3- McNabb

4- Hasselbeck

5- Green

Yes, I'm that high on McNabb. And I'm leaving Culpepper and Palmer out of my rankings until I have a better idea of their physical condition.

bold prediction = finishing 2 spots higher than you have him ?

It's all relative. I view Cliton Portis as a top 5 RB and I think people are crazy to rank him at 3 ahead of Alexander.

 

[MLBrandow]

I think I agree with it. I don't know if I accept it yet, but I agree with it.

He almost wins by default because of so many great QBs coming off injury or bad situations, etc.... but still.

I think he's legitimate top 5, and 2nd is not bad.

Terrible value IMO, but I think it's a deserved ranking.

 

[Sinrman]

Him at #2 isn't much of a stretch, I think. With Jackson healthy, and Alexander running wild, teams will have their hands full...

 

[mad sweeney]

I think Brady deserves the #2 spot personally.

My top 5 would like this:

1- Manning

2- Brady

3- McNabb

4- Hasselbeck

5- Green

Yes, I'm that high on McNabb. And I'm leaving Culpepper and Palmer out of my rankings until I have a better idea of their physical condition.

I think the bold predictions are coming from your camp. Alexander has outproduced Portis how many years in a row? He's 1 yard away from leading the league 2 years in a row, has 3 probowl blockers (the loss being replaced by multiple SB lineman Ashworth) on the #1 offense and somehow Portis is going to overtake him? I've heard Portis>Alexander for 3 years in a row, 4 now and it hasn't happened yet. In fact SA keeps getting better.What about McNabbs physical and WR condition? Except for the TO year and a half, McNabb has put up just under Hass numbers and SEA WRs>PHI WRs. SEA O>PHI O. McNabb surely could possibly overtake Hass but there's very little to suggest he should be ranked above him. That doesn't even take into account the much tougher division PHI plays in.

Same goes for Brady, possible to overtake Hass but very little evidence to warrant a higher ranking.

You may not agree with the #2 ranking for Hass, but to call it bold is far from the mark.

 

[-OZ-]

IMO, there's Peyton, then there's about 5-6 QBs in tier 2, can't really argue with any of them being ranked #2. Hasselbeck is in that group, with McNabb, Brady, Green, Eli, Warner - I wouldn't take Eli or Warner as the #2 QB, but I can see them finishing that high.

 

[Incogneto]

IMO, there's Peyton, then there's about 5-6 QBs in tier 2, can't really argue with any of them being ranked #2. Hasselbeck is in that group, with McNabb, Brady, Green, Eli, Warner - I wouldn't take Eli or Warner as the #2 QB, but I can see them finishing that high.

Warner? Really? I mean, he has a good situation, but its only a matter of time until Leinart is in there. Warner and Volek are in the same boat and bucket, IMO.

 

[Noahs Troopers]

3- McNabb

Good grief, wanna join my league? :X

 

[slayer666]

Hasselbeck has been in the top five in two of the past three seasons. I don't see anything wrong with those who choose to rank him QB2 in 2006. I also agree with those folks giving you grief for having Donavon McNabb ranked QB3. That seems a lot more off base than the NFL.com ranking of Hasselbeck.

 

[-OZ-]

IMO, there's Peyton, then there's about 5-6 QBs in tier 2, can't really argue with any of them being ranked #2. Hasselbeck is in that group, with McNabb, Brady, Green, Eli, Warner - I wouldn't take Eli or Warner as the #2 QB, but I can see them finishing that high.

Warner? Really? I mean, he has a good situation, but its only a matter of time until Leinart is in there. Warner and Volek are in the same boat and bucket, IMO.

Maybe, and the risk is why I wouldn't take him that high, but if he starts all season, can you say you cannot see him finishing #2? In my redraft leagues, I'll be targetting Warner somewhere in the 6-8th rounds.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

3- McNabb

Good grief, wanna join my league? :X

All the Eagles do is throw the ball. Couple that with the fact that the Eagles may end up playing from behind quite a bit this year, and McNabb should put up great numbers.If you're mocking me because you don't think he can stay healthy, that's fine. But I'd be interested to hear why you think he won't put up top-tier numbers if he plays in almost every game this year.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

3- McNabb

Good grief, wanna join my league? :X

this bit never gets old.I have no problem with Hass being #2.

McNabb at 3 looks high, but not knowing Palmer's status, he's right there.

 

[Noahs Troopers]

3- McNabb

Good grief, wanna join my league? :X

All the Eagles do is throw the ball. Couple that with the fact that the Eagles may end up playing from behind quite a bit this year, and McNabb should put up great numbers.If you're mocking me because you don't think he can stay healthy, that's fine. But I'd be interested to hear why you think he won't put up top-tier numbers if he plays in almost every game this year.

2005 - Injured2004 - 3rd with Terrell Owens

2003 - 13th QB

2002 - 12th QB

2001 - 8th QB

2000 - 5th QB

This is how he finished in my fantasy league, Since 2000 his rushing totals have steadily declined and so has his fantasy value with the exception of the TO time period. McNabb isn't getting any younger and does have chronic health issues so I'd expect him to be lucky to be a borderline starter in fantasy football. If he ends up 12th I'd say it was about what I'd expect.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

I think Brady deserves the #2 spot personally.

My top 5 would like this:

1- Manning

2- Brady

3- McNabb

4- Hasselbeck

5- Green

Yes, I'm that high on McNabb. And I'm leaving Culpepper and Palmer out of my rankings until I have a better idea of their physical condition.

I think the bold predictions are coming from your camp. Alexander has outproduced Portis how many years in a row? He's 1 yard away from leading the league 2 years in a row, has 3 probowl blockers (the loss being replaced by multiple SB lineman Ashworth) on the #1 offense and somehow Portis is going to overtake him? I've heard Portis>Alexander for 3 years in a row, 4 now and it hasn't happened yet. In fact SA keeps getting better.What about McNabbs physical and WR condition? Except for the TO year and a half, McNabb has put up just under Hass numbers and SEA WRs>PHI WRs. SEA O>PHI O. McNabb surely could possibly overtake Hass but there's very little to suggest he should be ranked above him. That doesn't even take into account the much tougher division PHI plays in.

Same goes for Brady, possible to overtake Hass but very little evidence to warrant a higher ranking.

You may not agree with the #2 ranking for Hass, but to call it bold is far from the mark.

My camp? I'm a diehard Seahawks fan and Hasselbeck is my second favorite player of all time behind only Elway.And I stated in my previous post that I thought it was nuts that anyone would take Portis before Alexander. You must have misread it.

The reason I don't think Hasselbeck will be a top 2 fantasy QB is because the Seahawks are so perfectly balanced----On both sides of the ball. If their defense is as good as I think it is going to be, there simply isn't going to be a need for Hasselbeck to throw the ball a ton this year. Hasselbeck will have strong first halfs passing the ball, and the defense and running game will seal the deal the rest of the way. I'm sorry, but that's simply not a recipe for gaudy stats.

I think Hasselbeck's most telling stat this year will be his ridiculously high QB rating. Unfortunately, my league doesn't give points for that category...Does yours?

 

[Bankerguy]

I have Hass as 3, he could move up depending on Palmers health.

No problem with that ranking.

 

[mad sweeney]

I think Brady deserves the #2 spot personally.

My top 5 would like this:

1- Manning

2- Brady

3- McNabb

4- Hasselbeck

5- Green

Yes, I'm that high on McNabb. And I'm leaving Culpepper and Palmer out of my rankings until I have a better idea of their physical condition.

I think the bold predictions are coming from your camp. Alexander has outproduced Portis how many years in a row? He's 1 yard away from leading the league 2 years in a row, has 3 probowl blockers (the loss being replaced by multiple SB lineman Ashworth) on the #1 offense and somehow Portis is going to overtake him? I've heard Portis>Alexander for 3 years in a row, 4 now and it hasn't happened yet. In fact SA keeps getting better.What about McNabbs physical and WR condition? Except for the TO year and a half, McNabb has put up just under Hass numbers and SEA WRs>PHI WRs. SEA O>PHI O. McNabb surely could possibly overtake Hass but there's very little to suggest he should be ranked above him. That doesn't even take into account the much tougher division PHI plays in.

Same goes for Brady, possible to overtake Hass but very little evidence to warrant a higher ranking.

You may not agree with the #2 ranking for Hass, but to call it bold is far from the mark.

My camp? I'm a diehard Seahawks fan and Hasselbeck is my second favorite player of all time behind only Elway.And I stated in my previous post that I thought it was nuts that anyone would take Portis before Alexander. You must have misread it.

The reason I don't think Hasselbeck will be a top 2 fantasy QB is because the Seahawks are so perfectly balanced----On both sides of the ball. If their defense is as good as I think it is going to be, there simply isn't going to be a need for Hasselbeck to throw the ball a ton this year. Hasselbeck will have strong first halfs passing the ball, and the defense and running game will seal the deal the rest of the way. I'm sorry, but that's simply not a recipe for gaudy stats.

I think Hasselbeck's most telling stat this year will be his ridiculously high QB rating. Unfortunately, my league doesn't give points for that category...Does yours?

In this case your "camp" would be the camp that calls Hass at 2 as a bold prediciton. Has nothing to do with anythng else, what team you like or what your league does or doesn't give pints for. You're calling Hass at 2 a bold prediction, it is not. It may not happen, but it is far from a bold call. No way Alexander gets 28 TDs again and this team will score. We play the AFCW as well as AZ and StL twice. Plenty of opps to put money on the board. We've been close to 50-50 run pass for the whole Homie era and I can't see that changing which means Hass' opps will stay at or above last year's mark (assuming a slightly smaller role in scoring by SA). In addition he has improved each year and so therefore this year will (should) be better than last. And I believe the WR corps is much better this year assuming Jax stays healthy, still better even if he doesn't. Stevens and Wallace should emerge more and Stevens will repair his SB flubs with another productive season. On top of that, there's certainly little you could argue to put McNabb or Brady ahead of him. So at #2 is pretty much on the consensus side, which would make your predictions the bold one.

Yes, I misread the Portis post.

And let me tell you more thing. No true die-hard Seahawk fan would EVER list Elway as their favorite player. NEVER EVER. Especially not over the best QB the Seahawks have ever had. Elway #1??? Publin enemy #1 maybe. Check your true colors.

 

[Blitzkrieg914]

And let me tell you more thing. No true die-hard Seahawk fan would EVER list Elway as their favorite player. NEVER EVER. Especially not over the best QB the Seahawks have ever had. Elway #1??? Publin enemy #1 maybe. Check your true colors.

Now this is VERY true....in fact....any true die-hard Hawks fan wouldn't even refer to The Donkey as El....El.....see...I can't even do it. If you REALLY want to refer to him......then you should call him Mr. Ed. That is his only true name to us Hawks' fans. Long live the Bronco Busters & Raider Busters!!!

 

[jurb26]

I think Brady deserves the #2 spot personally.

My top 5 would like this:

1- Manning

2- Brady

3- McNabb

4- Hasselbeck

5- Green

Yes, I'm that high on McNabb. And I'm leaving Culpepper and Palmer out of my rankings until I have a better idea of their physical condition.

bold prediction = finishing 2 spots higher than you have him ?

 

[mad sweeney]

And let me tell you more thing. No true die-hard Seahawk fan would EVER list Elway as their favorite player. NEVER EVER. Especially not over the best QB the Seahawks have ever had. Elway #1??? Publin enemy #1 maybe. Check your true colors.

Now this is VERY true....in fact....any true die-hard Hawks fan wouldn't even refer to The Donkey as El....El.....see...I can't even do it. If you REALLY want to refer to him......then you should call him Mr. Ed. That is his only true name to us Hawks' fans. Long live the Bronco Busters & Raider Busters!!!

Well, my normal name for him is unprintable and somewhat personal. There'd be so many #s in it...And I'm very excited to play the AFCW again this year. We lost to the Raiders last we played and that is unacceptable. I was hoping for a game in SD this year as it's been years since I got to see the Hawks here in sunny SoCal.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

And let me tell you more thing. No true die-hard Seahawk fan would EVER list Elway as their favorite player. NEVER EVER. Especially not over the best QB the Seahawks have ever had. Elway #1??? Publin enemy #1 maybe. Check your true colors.

Now this is VERY true....in fact....any true die-hard Hawks fan wouldn't even refer to The Donkey as El....El.....see...I can't even do it. If you REALLY want to refer to him......then you should call him Mr. Ed. That is his only true name to us Hawks' fans. Long live the Bronco Busters & Raider Busters!!!

I was 6 years old in 1986 when I watched John Elway lead the Broncos on "The Drive" against Cleveland in the AFC Championship game. Much to my father's chagrin, he has been my favorite player ever since.What can I say? I was young and impressionable

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

And let me tell you more thing. No true die-hard Seahawk fan would EVER list Elway as their favorite player. NEVER EVER. Especially not over the best QB the Seahawks have ever had. Elway #1??? Publin enemy #1 maybe. Check your true colors.

Now this is VERY true....in fact....any true die-hard Hawks fan wouldn't even refer to The Donkey as El....El.....see...I can't even do it. If you REALLY want to refer to him......then you should call him Mr. Ed. That is his only true name to us Hawks' fans. Long live the Bronco Busters & Raider Busters!!!

I was 6 years old in 1986 when I watched John Elway lead the Broncos on "The Drive" against Cleveland in the AFC Championship game. Much to my father's chagrin, he has been my favorite player ever since.What can I say? I was young and impressionable

I became an Elway fan because of that drive as well (also 6 in 86). However my favorite players are Steelers

 

[mad sweeney]

And let me tell you more thing. No true die-hard Seahawk fan would EVER list Elway as their favorite player. NEVER EVER. Especially not over the best QB the Seahawks have ever had. Elway #1??? Publin enemy #1 maybe. Check your true colors.

Now this is VERY true....in fact....any true die-hard Hawks fan wouldn't even refer to The Donkey as El....El.....see...I can't even do it. If you REALLY want to refer to him......then you should call him Mr. Ed. That is his only true name to us Hawks' fans. Long live the Bronco Busters & Raider Busters!!!

I was 6 years old in 1986 when I watched John Elway lead the Broncos on "The Drive" against Cleveland in the AFC Championship game. Much to my father's chagrin, he has been my favorite player ever since.What can I say? I was young and impressionable

Even I will admit his football prowess, but favorite player? It just doesn't go along with die hard Hawks fan. What can you say? I dunno. But I do know what you can't say. It's like saying you're a die hard Muslim and then in the same sentence saying bacon is your favorite food.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

In this case your "camp" would be the camp that calls Hass at 2 as a bold prediciton. Has nothing to do with anythng else, what team you like or what your league does or doesn't give points for. You're calling Hass at 2 a bold prediction, it is not. It may not happen, but it is far from a bold call.

I called it a bold prediction, not a stretch. There's a difference. I don't believe Hasselbeck will be the concensus #2 pick @ QB in fantasy publications or most drafts. So in that sense, I think NFL.com is going a bit against the grain.

No way Alexander gets 28 TDs again and this team will score. We play the AFCW as well as AZ and StL twice. Plenty of opps to put money on the board. We've been close to 50-50 run pass for the whole Homie era and I can't see that changing which means Hass' opps will stay at or above last year's mark (assuming a slightly smaller role in scoring by SA). In addition he has improved each year and so therefore this year will (should) be better than last. And I believe the WR corps is much better this year assuming Jax stays healthy, still better even if he doesn't. Stevens and Wallace should emerge more and Stevens will repair his SB flubs with another productive season.

I still like Shaun for 20-24 TD's and I'd pencil MoMo and Strong down for a few as well. Hell, Weaver may even get his first taste of the endzone in a blowout victory this year.I agree with you that Hasselbeck is entering his prime and should be even better than he was last year. And it would be nice to see him finally have a healthy WR corps to work with. That said, I still foresee a lot of his statlines this year looking like this:

11/06 @ARI W 33-19 13-20 passing, 65.0% 162 yards, 1 TD 0 INT's 106.7 QB rating

01/22 CAR W 34-14 20-28 passing, 71.4% 219 yards, 2 TD's 0 INT's 118.0 QB rating

Basically under 30 passing attempts. Super accurate. And somewhere between 180-230 yards passing. He'll no doubt have some huge passing games against teams like St Louis, KC, and Oakland. But for the most part, I think he's just going to be the model of efficiency this year.

On top of that, there's certainly little you could argue to put McNabb or Brady ahead of him. So at #2 is pretty much on the consensus side, which would make your predictions the bold one.

You honestly have a problem with my ranking Brady at #2? He's coming off of a season in which he threw for 4,110 yards and 26 TD's. I think the Patriots are going to have to continue to really air it out to win games. As for McNabb it's just a hunch. Some would call it a bold statement

 

[mad sweeney]

In this case your "camp" would be the camp that calls Hass at 2 as a bold prediciton. Has nothing to do with anythng else, what team you like or what your league does or doesn't give points for. You're calling Hass at 2 a bold prediction, it is not. It may not happen, but it is far from a bold call.

I called it a bold prediction, not a stretch. There's a difference. I don't believe Hasselbeck will be the concensus #2 pick @ QB in fantasy publications or most drafts. So in that sense, I think NFL.com is going a bit against the grain.

No way Alexander gets 28 TDs again and this team will score. We play the AFCW as well as AZ and StL twice. Plenty of opps to put money on the board. We've been close to 50-50 run pass for the whole Homie era and I can't see that changing which means Hass' opps will stay at or above last year's mark (assuming a slightly smaller role in scoring by SA). In addition he has improved each year and so therefore this year will (should) be better than last. And I believe the WR corps is much better this year assuming Jax stays healthy, still better even if he doesn't. Stevens and Wallace should emerge more and Stevens will repair his SB flubs with another productive season.

I still like Shaun for 20-24 TD's and I'd pencil MoMo and Strong down for a few as well. Hell, Weaver may even get his first taste of the endzone in a blowout victory this year.I agree with you that Hasselbeck is entering his prime and should be even better than he was last year. And it would be nice to see him finally have a healthy WR corps to work with. That said, I still foresee a lot of his statlines this year looking like this:

11/06 @ARI W 33-19 13-20 passing, 65.0% 162 yards, 1 TD 0 INT's 106.7 QB rating

01/22 CAR W 34-14 20-28 passing, 71.4% 219 yards, 2 TD's 0 INT's 118.0 QB rating

Basically under 30 passing attempts. Super accurate. And somewhere between 180-230 yards passing. He'll no doubt have some huge passing games against teams like St Louis, KC, and Oakland. But for the most part, I think he's just going to be the model of efficiency this year.

On top of that, there's certainly little you could argue to put McNabb or Brady ahead of him. So at #2 is pretty much on the consensus side, which would make your predictions the bold one.

You honestly have a problem with my ranking Brady at #2? He's coming off of a season in which he threw for 4,110 yards and 26 TD's. I think the Patriots are going to have to continue to really air it out to win games. As for McNabb it's just a hunch. Some would call it a bold statement

It's all semantics. You called a 1 or 2 spot difference a 'bold statement", it isn't. In my book, 1 or 2 spots is not bold.I'd answer your other question about Brady except that I realized logical discourse with you ended with "I'm a die hard Seahawks fan and Elway is my favorite player". I have no common ground with which to debate someone with such views.

 

[Wadsworth]

I have Hasselbeck at 2 also. But there's no way I'd draft him early. Behind Manning there's a big group of guys that within a few lucky plays of each other. There should be a long wait between manning and the second QB taken in most drafts. So being ranked 2 doesn't really mean that much.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

And let me tell you more thing. No true die-hard Seahawk fan would EVER list Elway as their favorite player. NEVER EVER. Especially not over the best QB the Seahawks have ever had. Elway #1??? Publin enemy #1 maybe. Check your true colors.

Now this is VERY true....in fact....any true die-hard Hawks fan wouldn't even refer to The Donkey as El....El.....see...I can't even do it. If you REALLY want to refer to him......then you should call him Mr. Ed. That is his only true name to us Hawks' fans. Long live the Bronco Busters & Raider Busters!!!

I was 6 years old in 1986 when I watched John Elway lead the Broncos on "The Drive" against Cleveland in the AFC Championship game. Much to my father's chagrin, he has been my favorite player ever since.What can I say? I was young and impressionable

Even I will admit his football prowess, but favorite player? It just doesn't go along with die hard Hawks fan.

Most kids idolize QB's. Jim Zorn was before my time. And no disrespect to Dave Kreig...But he's a hard guy to put on a pedestal. Elway was just the right player, at the right team. And the drive was the defining tv sports memory of my childhood. I did the same thing with the NBA. I grew up watching Michael Jordan and he's still my favorite player even even though I'm a Sonics fan.

I pity any sports fan who misses out on the pleasure of rooting for some of the games greatest players soley because they play for a rival.

What can you say? I dunno. But I do know what you can't say. It's like saying you're a die hard Muslim and then in the same sentence saying bacon is your favorite food.

I'd say it's far more blasphemous for a Browns fan or a Colts fan to call Elway their favorite player than it is for a Seahawks fan.

I'd answer your other question about Brady except that I realized logical discourse with you ended with "I'm a die hard Seahawks fan and Elway is my favorite player". I have no common ground with which to debate someone with such views.

You did get the memo didn't you? Elway retired. Eight years ago. Time to let it go. Besides, the Seahawks will exact their revenge on the entire AFC West this season.

 

[MLBrandow]

IMO, there's Peyton, then there's about 5-6 QBs in tier 2, can't really argue with any of them being ranked #2. Hasselbeck is in that group, with McNabb, Brady, Green, Eli, Warner - I wouldn't take Eli or Warner as the #2 QB, but I can see them finishing that high.

Couldn't help but ask what in the hell that name was doing there?http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/12797

I skewed Warner's numbers for you over the past couple seasons so he'd have a "full" starting season under his belt:

2004: 3286 yards, 10TD, 6INT

2005: 4341 yards, 18TD, 14INT

hmmm....

I suppose you can make a legitimate top 10 argument for Warner if he plays all 16 games... but he hasn't had a healthy season since 2001, and we all know Leinart will be starting by the end of the season once they are out of playoff contention.

I'm sure with the addition of Edgerrin James that the Cardinals won't have to forcefeed the ball to its receivers as much this year, but hmm....

I guess it's not that far off, but I was admittedly laughing out loud when I saw Warner and #2 Fantasy QB in the same sentence.

What honestly kills the Cardinals is their lack of Red Zone scoring. And bringing in a RB notorious for disappearing in the red zone certainly doesn't help a QB who hasn't been able to put the ball in the endzone in recent years...

Looks like another rough year for the Cardinals, and with their improved defense, I expect a lot of close losses in the low 20s.... not the type of scoring indicative of fantasy studs.

I think Warner and Edge will both see a lot of yards, but I also have to believe both will be handicapped by poor red zone scoring.

The only real winner here is Neil "SuperFoot" Rackers.

 

[LHUCKS]

From my QB Critique Series(link in sig)...

FBG Shark Ranking - Excellent Ranking by the FBG Staff

1)  Matt Hasselbeck Ranked #2

ESPN Ranking:  #5

CBS Sportsline Ranking: #3

So you may think I’m nitpicking here given the relatively small differences in the site rankings, but it’s the little things that differentiate the champion in your fantasy football league from the second place finisher.  Last year I had Culpepper ranked lower than most at #5…that ranking was just low enough to ensure that he would not be on any of my fantasy teams and I in turn didn’t end up with a bust of a pick in the early rounds.  The same principle can be applied to this situation.

Let’s take a look at the three players the other websites ranked ahead of Hasselbeck not named Peyton.

McNabb(ranked higher by ESPN)- Has missed on average 3.5 games over the last four years

- Reid has made it very clear he wants a more balanced offense with less passing and more rushing

- Suspect WR Crew

Brady(Ranked higher by both CBS and ESPN)

- Coming off a career year where he had roughly 400 more yards passing than in each of the previous two years, historical precedent seems to favor a more conservative offense

- Suspect WR depth with the loss of Givens

- A healthy Dillon with the addition of Maroney should make for an improved rushing game enabling a more conservative offense

- Defense should be improved, which should enable BB to call more of his type of game, which means less passing based on previous years.

Culpepper(ranked higher by ESPN)

– With injury concerns I’m not going to address this ranking

Now let’s look at Hasselbeck’s last three years:

                +---------------------------------------+-----------------+                 |              Passing                  |     Rushing     |+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+| Year  TM |   G |  Comp   Att   PCT    YD   Y/A  TD INT |  Att  Yards  TD |+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+| 2003 sea |  16 |   313   513  61.0  3844   7.5  26  15 |    36   125   2 || 2004 sea |  14 |   279   474  58.9  3382   7.1  22  15 |    27    90   1 || 2005 sea |  16 |   294   449  65.5  3455   7.7  24   9 |    36   124   1 |+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+As you can see his yards per game took a hit compared to previous years as he had significantly fewer pass attempts.  There are three reasons for this as I see it.  1)  The Seattle Defense was much improved

2)  Seattle had one of the softest rushing schedules in the entire NFL last year, not to mention relatively weak opponents which allowed them to get up early and run, run, run in the second half.

3)  Darrel Jackson was injured and nearly all of the other WRs battled injury throughout the season.

In general I believe we can expect the Seahawks to revert back to their more pass-oriented offense for several reasons:

- With Jackson healthy and with an added weapon in Burleson, Holmgren will be more inclined to pass the ball.

-With a tougher schedule IMHO, I expect closer games and as a result more passing which is what we’ve seen from Holmgren's Hawks in the past.

- The loss of Hutchinson will not enable the Hawks to be quite as effective on the ground. 

In conclusion I see FBG’s #2 ranking of Hasselbeck as a “Shark” type ranking as a lot of people will look at last year’s stats and conclude that he’s not worthy of the ranking.  I’ve provided the main reasons why I believe otherwise.  Hasselbeck may not finish #2 next year, but his risk is so low that when you couple it with all of the positive factors I’ve hilighted above I believe he has the best chance of finishing #2. 

 

[shadyridr]

Those of you who have Green, McNabb, and Brady so high. What are you smoking? Do you know the WRs on those teams? KC is gonna lean towards the run more than ever, their WRs are horrible and Herm "conservative" Edwards is the coach. I got him out of my top 10. McNabb will still be top 10 due to his talent and I still they got some weapons (Westbrook, Smith, Brown) but those weapons arent that good. I have him ranked around #6. Brady's WRs are Branch and a rookie, he has 58 TEs and 2 RBs that Belichek is gonna pound with. Brady should put up the best #s but #2 overall QB?????? He has never been that high and hes had alot more weapons than he does this year.

I have Manning #1 and Hasslebeck as the clear cut #2 choice. If Im confident Palmer is healthy I slot him up to #2, and I have Bulger #3 (be he gets hurt all the time too). I think its rather obvious Hasslebeck is #2 and I dont even know why this shocked anybody. Just look at the weapons he has (Jackson, Burleson, Engram, Stevens). Alexander will take away alot of TDs but Hasslebeck put up great #s last year regardless and Jackson and Engram were hurt most of the year.

 

[mad sweeney]

And let me tell you more thing. No true die-hard Seahawk fan would EVER list Elway as their favorite player. NEVER EVER. Especially not over the best QB the Seahawks have ever had. Elway #1??? Publin enemy #1 maybe. Check your true colors.

Now this is VERY true....in fact....any true die-hard Hawks fan wouldn't even refer to The Donkey as El....El.....see...I can't even do it. If you REALLY want to refer to him......then you should call him Mr. Ed. That is his only true name to us Hawks' fans. Long live the Bronco Busters & Raider Busters!!!

I was 6 years old in 1986 when I watched John Elway lead the Broncos on "The Drive" against Cleveland in the AFC Championship game. Much to my father's chagrin, he has been my favorite player ever since.What can I say? I was young and impressionable

Even I will admit his football prowess, but favorite player? It just doesn't go along with die hard Hawks fan.

Most kids idolize QB's. Jim Zorn was before my time. And no disrespect to Dave Kreig...But he's a hard guy to put on a pedestal. Elway was just the right player, at the right team. And the drive was the defining tv sports memory of my childhood. I did the same thing with the NBA. I grew up watching Michael Jordan and he's still my favorite player even even though I'm a Sonics fan.

I pity any sports fan who misses out on the pleasure of rooting for some of the games greatest players soley because they play for a rival.

What can you say? I dunno. But I do know what you can't say. It's like saying you're a die hard Muslim and then in the same sentence saying bacon is your favorite food.

I'd say it's far more blasphemous for a Browns fan or a Colts fan to call Elway their favorite player than it is for a Seahawks fan.

I'd answer your other question about Brady except that I realized logical discourse with you ended with "I'm a die hard Seahawks fan and Elway is my favorite player". I have no common ground with which to debate someone with such views.

You did get the memo didn't you? Elway retired. Eight years ago. Time to let it go. Besides, the Seahawks will exact their revenge on the entire AFC West this season.

Just because it's more blasphemous for another team to despise him more, doesn't mean it isn't also blasphemy for an alleged "die hard" Hawks fan to idolize him either. It's still a suspect statement considering Horseface was the best player that the Hawks repeatedly lost to. I suppose if you like the Hawks to lose then you can have Elway as your favorite. Otherwise it doesn't compute. You can still enjoy him play but if you're a "die hard" fan, when he spent a career beating your team, he doesn't make it onto the my favorite player pedestal.

As for your other QBs, you have McNabb and Brady above Hass, but your only reasoning is one had a good year last year and the other is a hunch. Coupled with your blasphemy, I really find continuing this train of thought an exercise in futility.

 

[John Mamula]

My #2 QB projection is much more bold.

I do not have Hasselback in the top 5...I think I have him ranked 8th.

 

[John Mamula]

Those of you who have Green, McNabb, and Brady so high. What are you smoking? Do you know the WRs on those teams? KC is gonna lean towards the run more than ever, their WRs are horrible and Herm "conservative" Edwards is the coach. I got him out of my top 10. McNabb will still be top 10 due to his talent and I still they got some weapons (Westbrook, Smith, Brown) but those weapons arent that good. I have him ranked around #6. Brady's WRs are Branch and a rookie, he has 58 TEs and 2 RBs that Belichek is gonna pound with. Brady should put up the best #s but #2 overall QB?????? He has never been that high and hes had alot more weapons than he does this year.

I have Manning #1 and Hasslebeck as the clear cut #2 choice. If Im confident Palmer is healthy I slot him up to #2, and I have Bulger #3 (be he gets hurt all the time too). I think its rather obvious Hasslebeck is #2 and I dont even know why this shocked anybody. Just look at the weapons he has (Jackson, Burleson, Engram, Stevens). Alexander will take away alot of TDs but Hasslebeck put up great #s last year regardless and Jackson and Engram were hurt most of the year.

Wow. Bulger isn't even top 10 for me.

 

[jurb26]

Wow. Bulger isn't even top 10 for me.

 

[shadyridr]

Those of you who have Green, McNabb, and Brady so high. What are you smoking? Do you know the WRs on those teams? KC is gonna lean towards the run more than ever, their WRs are horrible and Herm "conservative" Edwards is the coach. I got him out of my top 10. McNabb will still be top 10 due to his talent and I still they got some weapons (Westbrook, Smith, Brown) but those weapons arent that good. I have him ranked around #6. Brady's WRs are Branch and a rookie, he has 58 TEs and 2 RBs that Belichek is gonna pound with. Brady should put up the best #s but #2 overall QB?????? He has never been that high and hes had alot more weapons than he does this year.

I have Manning #1 and Hasslebeck as the clear cut #2 choice. If Im confident Palmer is healthy I slot him up to #2, and I have Bulger #3 (be he gets hurt all the time too). I think its rather obvious Hasslebeck is #2 and I dont even know why this shocked anybody. Just look at the weapons he has (Jackson, Burleson, Engram, Stevens). Alexander will take away alot of TDs but Hasslebeck put up great #s last year regardless and Jackson and Engram were hurt most of the year.

Wow. Bulger isn't even top 10 for me.

Do you follow football?

 

[-OZ-]

IMO, there's Peyton, then there's about 5-6 QBs in tier 2, can't really argue with any of them being ranked #2. Hasselbeck is in that group, with McNabb, Brady, Green, Eli, Warner - I wouldn't take Eli or Warner as the #2 QB, but I can see them finishing that high.

Couldn't help but ask what in the hell that name was doing there?http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/12797

I skewed Warner's numbers for you over the past couple seasons so he'd have a "full" starting season under his belt:

2004: 3286 yards, 10TD, 6INT

2005: 4341 yards, 18TD, 14INT

hmmm....

I suppose you can make a legitimate top 10 argument for Warner if he plays all 16 games... but he hasn't had a healthy season since 2001, and we all know Leinart will be starting by the end of the season once they are out of playoff contention.

I'm sure with the addition of Edgerrin James that the Cardinals won't have to forcefeed the ball to its receivers as much this year, but hmm....

I guess it's not that far off, but I was admittedly laughing out loud when I saw Warner and #2 Fantasy QB in the same sentence.

What honestly kills the Cardinals is their lack of Red Zone scoring. And bringing in a RB notorious for disappearing in the red zone certainly doesn't help a QB who hasn't been able to put the ball in the endzone in recent years...

Looks like another rough year for the Cardinals, and with their improved defense, I expect a lot of close losses in the low 20s.... not the type of scoring indicative of fantasy studs.

I think Warner and Edge will both see a lot of yards, but I also have to believe both will be handicapped by poor red zone scoring.

The only real winner here is Neil "SuperFoot" Rackers.

As a Leinart owner, I'm hoping you're right, but to say we know this, simply put, no, we don't. It's entirely possible that Leinart starts by mid season, but it's also possible that he follows the Carson Palmer road map to the NFL. I get it, Warner is nowhere near ranked in the top 5, won't be drafted there, all I'm saying is I wouldn't be shocked if he finishes #2. Given the relative risks, I'd rank a guy like Roethlisberger higher, but there's more risk/reward with Warner.

FWIW, I don't own him in any league, so mentioning him wasn't for ulterior motives.

 

[John Mamula]

Those of you who have Green, McNabb, and Brady so high. What are you smoking? Do you know the WRs on those teams? KC is gonna lean towards the run more than ever, their WRs are horrible and Herm "conservative" Edwards is the coach. I got him out of my top 10. McNabb will still be top 10 due to his talent and I still they got some weapons (Westbrook, Smith, Brown) but those weapons arent that good. I have him ranked around #6. Brady's WRs are Branch and a rookie, he has 58 TEs and 2 RBs that Belichek is gonna pound with. Brady should put up the best #s but #2 overall QB?????? He has never been that high and hes had alot more weapons than he does this year.

I have Manning #1 and Hasslebeck as the clear cut #2 choice. If Im confident Palmer is healthy I slot him up to #2, and I have Bulger #3 (be he gets hurt all the time too). I think its rather obvious Hasslebeck is #2 and I dont even know why this shocked anybody. Just look at the weapons he has (Jackson, Burleson, Engram, Stevens). Alexander will take away alot of TDs but Hasslebeck put up great #s last year regardless and Jackson and Engram were hurt most of the year.

Wow. Bulger isn't even top 10 for me.

Do you follow football?

Year Value Pos. Rank Overall Rank--------------------------------------------------2002 0 29 3462003 21 6 492004 27 9 502005 0 23 325--------------------------------------------------4 years in the NFL. Twice didn't break top 20, and once barely broke top 10 and has never broke into the top 5.So the question you should ask yourself is if you follow football.

 

[John Mamula]

Wow.  Bulger isn't even top 10 for me.

What's not to get? He is overhyped and taken way too early for his production.

 

[radballs]

Wow.  Bulger isn't even top 10 for me.

What's not to get? He is overhyped and taken way too early for his production.

It depends on what risk factors we're talking about with Bulger. There's concern about the coaching change which MIGHT bring a better balance of rushing/passing. He's also very immobile and takes shot in the pocket and is prone to injury. Still, on a points per game basis, he's in my top 7 for sure. The problem is he's being drafted even earlier than that so I doubt he'll end up on too many of my teams.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

Just because it's more blasphemous for another team to despise him more, doesn't mean it isn't also blasphemy for an alleged "die hard" Hawks fan to idolize him either.

You're quite the piece of work. Since when does hating a rival player make you a better fan than someone else who doesn't share your disdain for that same player?

It's still a suspect statement considering Horseface was the best player that the Hawks repeatedly lost to. I suppose if you like the Hawks to lose then you can have Elway as your favorite. Otherwise it doesn't compute. You can still enjoy him play but if you're a "die hard" fan, when he spent a career beating your team, he doesn't make it onto the my favorite player pedestal.

Here's the extent of the playoff history between the Seahawks and the Elway lead Broncos:

Dec. 24, 1983 - AFC Wild Card - Seattle 31, Denver 7

So the one time the Seahawks faced Elway in the playoffs they destroyed him.Other than that, the Seahawks vs Broncos rivalry was strictly a regular season affair. I was only only forced to root against Elway twice a year, and the games rarely carried any playoff implications.

Perhaps you disagree...But I always viewed the Raiders as the Seahawks biggest rival.

As for your other QBs, you have McNabb and Brady above Hass, but your only reasoning is one had a good year last year and the other is a hunch.

I've already stated numerous reasons as to why I think Brady and McNabb will finish with more fantasy points than Matt.

But just to reiterate:

-I don't think the Patriots and Eagles defenses are even close to what they once were. As a result, both teams will be playing from behind more often and forced to throw the ball to win. The Seahawks on the other hand, have the makings of what could be a top 3 defense. Look at the dropoff in Peyton Manning's stats last year when the Colts defense finally came into it's own.

-In the 9 games McNabb played in last year, he averaged 39.6 passing attempts per game. I expect that trend to continue this year, the only difference being that he's finally healthy. Meanwhile, Hasselbeck only averaged 29.4 passing attempts per game last year in 15 games (excluding the Green Bay game). I think his number of passing attempts per game will come down even more this year.

-I'm not putting Brady at number 2 merely because of "one good year." He's put up better fantasy numbers than Hasselbeck in 3 out of the last 4 years. I expect Hasselbeck to be right there with him in terms of TD passes (Matt will also throw less INTs), but nowhere close to him in passing yards. I fully expect Brady to have another 4,000 yard season, because that's what it's going to take for the Patriots to win consistantly.

Coupled with your blasphemy, I really find continuing this train of thought an exercise in futility.

Of course. Why address the real topic of this thread when you can just harp on the fact that John Elway is my favorite player.

Anyway, congrats on holding the title of the most bitter Hawks fan on this board. You should be proud. In the future please leave rational player rankings discussions to those of who us who can actually leave our biases at the door.

 

[MLBrandow]

IMO, there's Peyton, then there's about 5-6 QBs in tier 2, can't really argue with any of them being ranked #2. Hasselbeck is in that group, with McNabb, Brady, Green, Eli, Warner - I wouldn't take Eli or Warner as the #2 QB, but I can see them finishing that high.

Couldn't help but ask what in the hell that name was doing there?http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/12797

I skewed Warner's numbers for you over the past couple seasons so he'd have a "full" starting season under his belt:

2004: 3286 yards, 10TD, 6INT

2005: 4341 yards, 18TD, 14INT

hmmm....

I suppose you can make a legitimate top 10 argument for Warner if he plays all 16 games... but he hasn't had a healthy season since 2001, and we all know Leinart will be starting by the end of the season once they are out of playoff contention.

I'm sure with the addition of Edgerrin James that the Cardinals won't have to forcefeed the ball to its receivers as much this year, but hmm....

I guess it's not that far off, but I was admittedly laughing out loud when I saw Warner and #2 Fantasy QB in the same sentence.

What honestly kills the Cardinals is their lack of Red Zone scoring. And bringing in a RB notorious for disappearing in the red zone certainly doesn't help a QB who hasn't been able to put the ball in the endzone in recent years...

Looks like another rough year for the Cardinals, and with their improved defense, I expect a lot of close losses in the low 20s.... not the type of scoring indicative of fantasy studs.

I think Warner and Edge will both see a lot of yards, but I also have to believe both will be handicapped by poor red zone scoring.

The only real winner here is Neil "SuperFoot" Rackers.

As a Leinart owner, I'm hoping you're right, but to say we know this, simply put, no, we don't. It's entirely possible that Leinart starts by mid season, but it's also possible that he follows the Carson Palmer road map to the NFL. I get it, Warner is nowhere near ranked in the top 5, won't be drafted there, all I'm saying is I wouldn't be shocked if he finishes #2. Given the relative risks, I'd rank a guy like Roethlisberger higher, but there's more risk/reward with Warner.

FWIW, I don't own him in any league, so mentioning him wasn't for ulterior motives.

I don't think that's valid at all. Exactly what has he done to prove to you he can hold onto the ball, much less throw TDs? The nine injuries he's suffered to his throwing hand have completely mangled his ability to throw the football the way he used to.The reason Leinart will be starting is because the terrible red zone efficiency that plagues the Cardinals will net them another 6-10 finish.

Next year though.... I think 2007 is the year they break that trend and push for a playoff spot, and 2008 they should be contenders.

Now, whether Denny Green is around for that might be the bigger question.

 

[-OZ-]

there's more risk/reward with Warner.

I don't think that's valid at all. Exactly what has he done to prove to you he can hold onto the ball, much less throw TDs? The nine injuries he's suffered to his throwing hand have completely mangled his ability to throw the football the way he used to.The reason Leinart will be starting is because the terrible red zone efficiency that plagues the Cardinals will net them another 6-10 finish.

Next year though.... I think 2007 is the year they break that trend and push for a playoff spot, and 2008 they should be contenders.

Now, whether Denny Green is around for that might be the bigger question.

This is getting tiresome in the Hasselbeck thread. If there's a Warner spotlight thread, we'll take it up there.We'll just agree to disagree for now.