FanHouse Michaellewis

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.

Meet the ...
Perennial sleepers. It seems like almost every season, people are discussing the fact that the 49ers are ready to break out and surprise people and win the NFC West. And then, almost every season, they suck. They might not be great this year either. Mike Singletary brings a more disciplined approach than even Mike Nolan, but you can't possibly expect Shaun Hill or Alex Smith to lead a team to the playoffs. Or can you? Well, actually, for fantasy purposes, who cares? There's going to be a lot of running and a lot of surprises on defense in San Fran this year, and that's going to be where you pick up the value.

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"Under The Gun" takes a look at one player from each team who will bear all the pressure for the upcoming '08 season.

The Athletics may be amidst a brand new rebuilding process after trading Dan Haren, Nick Swisher, Mark Kotsay, Stomper, and Billy Beane's first edition of Moneyball signed by Michael Lewis this offseason for all the prospects they can get their hands on, but that doesn't mean there aren't players on the team feeling pressure this season.

If you're Eric Chavez, for instance, you've got a lot to prove to yourself and the Athletics this season. Chavez missed 72 games last season thanks to a whole myriad of injuries. He had three surgeries this offseason alone to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, one to fix a bulging disc in his lower back, and then for good measure, he had the labrum in his left shoulder fixed as well.

There have been cadavers who've experienced less intrusion.

Chavez obviously struggled in 2007 while battling these injuries, putting up career lows in batting average (.240), OBP (.306), OPS (.752), and RBI (46) to name a few. HIs 15 home runs were also his lowest total since Eric's first full season in Oakland back in 1999.

Considering that Chavez is Oakland's highest paid player at $9.5 million this season, it's also very possible he won't finish the season as a member of the Athletics. Which means if he does perform well, he may have a way out to a contender come July.

This Sunday's game between the 49ers and Saints in San Francisco will see returner Michael Lewis and tight end Eric Johnson line up against teams for which they played and were beloved. When that happens, there's basically just two attitudes a player can adopt, and each has chosen one.

Lewis wants revenge ...

"When you're playing against your former team, of course I want to bust one on them," Lewis said Wednesday. "I didn't like the way it ended (in New Orleans)."

... while Johnson keeps things diplomatic.

"It was actually a hard decision," Johnson said Wednesday on a conference call with Bay Area reporters. ... "Hopefully, they get things going ... after we play them"

Both teams' replacements have really been sideways steps, and each have performed well with their new teams. No matter what they say, though, I'm sure both are going to be giving a little extra this weekend.

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's New Orleans' outlook.

2006 record: 10-6

2006 Offense: The #1 offense in the league. Drew Brees. Reggie Bush. Deuce McAllister. Marques Colston. Devery Henderson. All led by Sean Payton, who has proved to be one of the most innovative offensive coaches in the NFL after but one year. Yeah, it was pretty good.

2006 Defense: The Saints ran an unusual defense last year -- the break but don't bend variety (yes, you read that correctly). Their job primarily was just to get the ball back to the offense, either by forcing an early three-and-out or by quickly giving up the big score. And they succeeded one way or the other. They still finished with the 11th overall defense, but causing turnovers was a major problem.

2006 Special Teams: Between Lance Moore, Michael Lewis, and Bush, the team did well enough returning the ball. Kickoffs were a problem though, so much so that the team had to waste a roster spot on Billy Cundiff, a kickoff specialist who still couldn't boom touchbacks into the endzone. John Carney retained his accuracy, but lost even more distance on his field goals. From the blocked punt that sparked the Superdome reopening, to Bush's first NFL touchdown (a game-winning punt return against Tampa), this unit produced some of the most memorable plays of the season.

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's San Francisco's outlook.

2006 Record: 7-9

2006 Offense: Frank Gore stepped into the upper echelon of running backs; unfortunately, the rest of the offense is a year or two behind. Still, this unit showed marked improvement over the second half of the year. Alex Smith made his bones without any real playmakers in the passing game, especially with Vernon Davis missing a chunk of his rookie year because of an injury. A lot of this has been attributed to the work of offensive coordinator/quarterback guru Norv Turner, who's now preparing to fail as a head coach again running the Chargers.

2006 Defense: The 49ers defense finished 26th last year, Mike Nolan's last employing the 4-3. That's what you'd about expect from a unit that, Manny Lawson aside, was comprised of aging, unspectacular veterans. The team ranked in the second half of the league in rush defense, pass defense, interceptions, and sacks. Pretty substandard all around. They also didn't benefit from weak field position (see below).

The casual football fan may not be familiar with Steve Gleason, one of the NFL's most vivid personalities. He's one of the Saints' longest-tenured players, a cult hero, and, as seen above, responsible for maybe the most memorable moment in team history (not to mention the ultimate achievement, honorable mention status in our City's Best series).

But Gleason will miss the first two-three weeks of training camp, putting the future of his career with the Saints in jeopardy. Since Sean Payton's arrival in New Orleans, "specialists" have been systematically weeded out in favor of special teams players who can double on offense or defense. Gleason, a liability at safety (his listen position), was on the bubble last year but survived the numbers crunch. He was entering this year's training camp on the brink, as well, and this injury doesn't bode well for him.

This offseason has already seen three longtime fan favorites (Joe Horn, Michael Lewis, Willie Whitehead) depart, Gleason could make four. If his tenure in New Orleans is winding down, however, he gave Saints fans something to remember him forever by.

Amidst the splendid news that the Saints have inked three of their draft choices -- third-rounders Andy Alleman and Usama Young, with fifth-rounder David Jones -- comes a bit of sadness, as the team has cut two long-standing, beloved Saints. The releases of return man Michael Lewis and defensive end/tackle Willie Whitehead were announced today.

Whitehead is the last last hold-over from Mike Ditka's disastrous run in the Big Easy, and has proved to be incredibly valuable. His versatility has done a lot in bolstering a Saints defensive line that has been the strength of the team for years, even as the rest of the roster lagged behind. He never received a ton of attention (if any) outside of New Orleans, but Whitehead always showed up for work prepared and did his job admirably.

Michael Lewis, meanwhile, has become a legend in New Orleans. Forget Invincible -- Vince Papale's got nothing on "Beerman." A local product who never went to college (driving a Budweiser truck for a living) and walked on at the NFL level, Lewis didn't just make it into a game, as Papale did. He owns the Saints records for kickoff and punt return yards. He also owns the season-high marks in both categories, and in 2002 set an NFL record with 2,432 combined return yards, a distinction that sent him to the Pro Bowl.

But both are long in the tooth, and room is needed for the Saints' influx of young talent. Lewis' release was expected -- he's dealt with injuries the last two seasons and with Reggie Bush, Lance Moore, and Jones looming, Lewis' inability to play receiver hurt his chances -- but Whitehead's was a bit more of a surprise. The team must feel comfortable in their depth at end behind starters Charles Grant and Will Smith, but Rob Ninkovich and Josh Cooper are largely unproven.

Though the future is exciting, it's hard for Saints fans not to be a bit saddened by today's news. Was it Nietzsche who said "It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday"? Actually, it was Boyz II Men. Still poignant.