Though most had the Minnesota Vikings as the favorites to win the NFC North heading into the season, nearly everyone agreed that either the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers -- or both -- would at least pose a challenge to the Vikes' second straight division crown. Instead, we're taking this division race off life support and putting it to rest after Week 9. The 2009 NFC North champions will be the Vikings. They can now focus on securing home-field advantage in the playoffs.
The reason for the above sentiment is that both the Bears and Packers were abysmal, in different circumstances, Sunday afternoon. The Pack went into Tampa Bay and lost to the formerly winless Buccaneers, while the Bears were absolutely manhandled for the majority of the afternoon by a fickle Arizona squad.
After the jump: video of the anti-Favre faction of the Packers fan base, expressing their mild disappointment at the Vikings' latest victory, which came courtesy of a last-second Ravens' missed field goal.
(In case it's not obvious: naughty language alert)
In continuing with our three-part series on ADP analysis (check here for Part 1 and Part 2), today we look at the third and final method in which average draft position can be utilized to uncover values come draft day -- the value method.
This so-called value method involves more of an active draft approach as opposed to simply a way of looking at the data in advance. By showing up to your draft with an up-to-date ADP chart, you can simply compare who is on the board when your draft position arises and select the best ADP bang for your buck at that spot. For example, say you are up with the 28th pick and a player with an ADP of 19 is still on the board, snatch him up. It's a no-brainer. Whether this player is on your preconceived list of players or not, you select him because he offers good value. It helps takes the emotion out of the game and this systematic approach can often lead to a great draft.
As the season nears, FanHouse's fantasy football team decided to put our heads together for another set of updated positional rankings. First up, the signal-callers.
We've now established thrice what everyone already knew anyway: Drew Brees is heading into the season as the consensus No. 1 fantasy football quarterback. This time around, though, we did have quite the knock-down, drag-out battle for a spot toward the top -- the two-hole. Rivals Peyton Manning and Tom Brady did battle, and their average ranking amongst our staff was a near dead heat (2.5 to 2.67).
Click through to see who emerged -- along with the rest of our top 45 quarterbacks.(Last Updated: 8/27/09)
It's July, the slowest month of the year for the NFL, and it's driving you nuts. You need a fix. A hit. Anything NFL to pull you through the dog days. FanHouse is here to help with an in-depth look at each division that should have you plenty prepared for training camp. We're calling it the Summer Scramble. Today we look at some burning questions in the NFC North and offer a ridiculously early prediction for how the teams in the Black-and-Blue Division will finish.
It's been over a month since we last posted positional fantasy football rankings, so it's time to run our second version. Plus, we added some staff. This is now an average ranking from eight Fantasy FanHouse writers. To view the early version of our quarterback rankings, click here.
Since we last checked in, there have been a few difference in the quarterback rankings. Not only have OTAs taken place, but we've also had some changes of heart and done a lot more studying -- plus the aforementioned FanHouse staff additions. One thing that didn't change? The top three ... Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning remain intact.
Retired NFL quarterback Trent Green is the first-ever guest columnist of MMQB, filling in while Peter King is on vacation. Green provided an interesting read on subjects relating to the league's personal conduct policy, concussions and the expanded season. And of course it wouldn't be a MMQB without a healthy dose of Favre thrown in for good measure.
Good news: the Vikings are still in the running for Brett Favre. Despite reports, head coach Brad Childress hasn't given Favre a deadline and even admitted that he's "anxious to see exactly what he's got left in that cannon because he had a pretty good arm as we know."
FanHouse's crack squad of savvy fantasy football personnel put our five heads together and amassed consensus rankings for non-keeper, standard scoring leagues. We'll update as the season gets closer, but this is our "incredibly early yet still fun" version.
Was last season the year of the quarterback or what? You still had the old reliables like Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb doing their thing, but a whole new crop of passers have elevated themselves. Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler led the way for the youth movement. You could have even waited toward the end of your draft and landed stud QBs in Matt Ryan and Tyler Thigpen (who would have been waiver-wire fodder). Team all that with Tom Brady's Week 1 injury, and we had a really interesting season. Let's see how they fall out presently for 2009.
No one doubts the primary draft needs of the Green Bay Packers. After a 6-10 season where the offense performed fairly well and close games were sabotaged by the defense's inability to generate late-game stops or turnovers, the Packers have to get better on that side of the ball.
However, general manager Ted Thompson has always been a "best player available" kind of guy. Examples of this could be found in 2005, when the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers in the first round, and in 2007, when Justin Harrell was the pick. They weren't areas of need, instead the best players on the board.
Though most had the Minnesota Vikings as the favorites to win the NFC North heading into the season, nearly everyone agreed that either the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers -- or both -- would at least pose a challenge to the Vikes' second straight division crown. Instead, we're taking this division race off life support and putting it to rest after Week 9. The 2009 NFC North champions will be the Vikings. They can now focus on securing home-field advantage in the playoffs. 
Pretty sure this bar full of Packers' supporters won't have a winning 
In continuing with our three-part series on ADP analysis (check here for 
As the season nears, FanHouse's fantasy football team decided to put our heads together for another set of updated positional rankings. First up, the signal-callers. 
It's been over a month since we last posted positional fantasy football rankings, so it's time to run our second version. Plus, we added some staff. This is now an average ranking 
Retired NFL quarterback 
Good news: the Vikings are still in the running for 
FanHouse's crack squad of savvy fantasy football personnel put our five heads together and amassed consensus rankings for non-keeper, standard scoring leagues. We'll update as the season gets closer, but this is our "incredibly early yet still fun" version. 
No one doubts the primary draft needs of the Green Bay Packers. After a 6-10 season where the offense performed fairly well and close games were sabotaged by the defense's inability to generate late-game stops or turnovers, the Packers have to get better on that side of the ball.
