Week16 Picks

Week16 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Texans -7 @ Colts
Eagles @ Cowboys -2
Bears @ Packers -13

Week15 Picks

Week15 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Saints -7 @ Vikings
Panthers @ Texans -6.5
Titans -6.5 @ Colts
Bengals -6.5 @ Rams
Jets +3 @ Eagles

Week14 Recap

Week14 Recap:

Texans +3 @ Bengals W 20-19
49ers -4 @ Cardinals L 19-21
Rams @ Seahawks -5.5 W 13-30

Went 2-1 for the week.

Week1: 0-3-1
Week2: 1-3-2
Week3: 1-5
Week4: 2-2
Week5: 4-1
Week6: 5-1
Week7: 1-3-1
Week8: 3-4
Week9: 2-1
Week10: 2-0
Week11: 3-0
Week12: 2-2
Week13: 3-1
Week14: 2-1

That makes me 31-27-4 through week14.

Week14 Picks

Week14 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Texans +3 @ Bengals
49ers -4 @ Cardinals
Rams @ Seahawks -5.5

Week13 Picks

Week13 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Eagles @ Seahawks +3
Raiders +3 @ Dolphins
Falcons @ Texans +2.5
Broncos +6 @ Vikings

Week12 Picks

Week12 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Browns @ Bengals -7.5
Texans -3 @ Jaguars
Panthers -3.5 @ Colts
Steelers -10 @ Chiefs

Week11 Picks

Week11 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Raiders -1 @ Vikings
Panthers @ Lions -7
Chargers @ Bears -3.5

Week10 Recap

Week10 Recap:

Jaguars -3 @ Colts W 17-3
Texans -3 @ Bucs W 30-3

2-0 on the week.

Week1: 0-3-1
Week2: 1-3-2
Week3: 1-5
Week4: 2-2
Week5: 4-1
Week6: 5-1
Week7: 1-3-1
Week8: 3-4
Week9: 2-1
Week10: 2-0

That makes me 21-23-4 through week10.

Week10 Picks

Week10 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Jaguars -3 @ Colts
Texans -3 @ Bucs

Week9 Picks

Week9 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Falcons -7 @ Colts
Dolphins @ Chiefs -4
Bears +7.5 @ Eagles

Week8 Picks

Week8 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Saints -13.5 @ Rams
Cardinals @ Ravens -12.5
Dolphins @ Giants -10
Redskins @ Bills -6
Patriots @ Steelers +3
Browns @ 49ers -8.5
Cowboys + 3.5 @ Eagles

Jeff Nixon vs. Archie Manning, 1980

In 1980, Jeff Nixon played safety for the Buffalo Bills. By the goodness of youtube, Nixon recently posted his highlights from when the Bills played the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome in week3 of a monumentally awful 1-15 season for the "Aint's". Archie Manning does manage to wing a nice touchdown pass to Ike Harris, which is what I'd say makes the video footage a gem. But then there I see Saints kicker Benny Ricardo, who I once got a chance to talk to along the sideline of a game that very season. My question was as simple as his answer. Why do you where two different kinds of shoes? Well, one is for kicking, and one is for walking. It's no wonder that Ricardo went on to become a stand-up comedian.

Week7 Picks

Week7 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Seahawks +3 @ Browns
Chiefs @ Raiders -4
Steelers -3.5 @ Cardinals
Packers -9 @ Vikings
Ravens -7.5 @ Jaguars

Saints vs. Vikings, 1978

Sunday, September 3rd, 1978...that was the very day I became a New Orleans Saints fan. It was the first time my father took me to see the Saints play in the Superdome. They were pitted against the mighty Minnesota Vikings for the opening week of the 1978 season. I had just turned 7 years old, just started playing on my first organized football team, and somehow entered the Superdome that day as a fan of Fran Tarkenton and the Minnesota Vikings. Being an impressionable kid, the home crowd quickly had me doubting my allegience to the Vikings. And the very play that turned me into a Saints fan for the rest of my life was Tommy Myers' 97 yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed a 31-24 victory for the Saints...

Week6 Recap

Week6 Recap:

Rams @ Packers -15 W 3-24
Eagles @ Redskins +1.5 L 2-13
Colts @ Bengals -7 W 17-27
Bills +3.5 at Giants W 24-27
Vikings @ Bears -3 W 10-39
Dolphins @ Jets -7 W 6-24

Finally put together 2 strong weeks in a row, going 4-1 in week5 and 5-1 in week6. Here's a recap of the season to date:

Week1: 0-3-1
Week2: 1-3-2
Week3: 1-5
Week4: 2-2
Week5: 4-1
Week6: 5-1

That makes me 13-15-3 through week6, meaning that hopefully the tide has turned on assuming that my picks need to be faded. We'll see if week7 continues the upward trend.

Saints-wise, that was a brutal road loass against the Bucs on Sunday, including the injuries to head coach Sean Payton. Drew Brees can certainly carry the team on his back, but maybe not every single week. Our porous defense, lacking in skills related to coverage, tackling, and pressure on the edges, made Tampa's Josh Freeman look like an all-pro quarterback. While safety Malcolm Jenkins made 4 exceptional plays breaking up passes, he looked awful trying to stop Tampa's Preston Parker on a 19 yard touchdown reception. Offensively, Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham shined with 7 catches a piece, but the Mark Ingram experiment continues to lag in quantifiable production. Luckily, the Saints return home after 3 consecutive road games to play the lowly Colts Sunday evening.

Saints' 1st Ever Win in the Superdome, 1975

On October 12th, 1975, Archie Manning led the New Orleans Saints from 16 points down to the Green Packers, allowing Rich Szaro to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired in a 20-19 victory, marking the first time the Saints had won a game in their newly christened Superdome...

Guido Merkens

After graduating from San Houston State University and spending two seasons as a special teams player for the Houston Oilers, Guido Merkens joined the New Orleans Saints in 1980. If starting 11 games at wide receiver for the Saints in 1981 wasn't enough, Merkens also spent time during his 5-year stint as a Saint playing quarterback, defensive back, punter, and kick returner. He also held kicks for Morten Anderson. A fan favorite in New Orleans, #19 was apt to electrify the Superdome each time he stepped on the field.

Week6 Picks

Week6 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Rams @ Packers -15
Eagles @ Redskins +1.5
Colts @ Bengals -7
Bills +3.5 at Giants
Vikings @ Bears -3
Dolphins @ Jets -7

Week5 Picks

Week5 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Eagles @ Bills +3
Raiders +5.5 @ Texans
Saints -6.5 @ Panthers
Bengals +2 @ Jaguars
Chargers -4 @ Broncos

Week4 Picks

Week4 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Lions +1.5 @ Cowboys
Saints -7 @ Jaguars
Panthers @ Bears -6
Steelers +3.5 @ Texans

Week3 Picks

Week3 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Lions -3.5 @ Vikings
Jaguars @ Panthers -3.5
Chiefs @ Chargers -14.5
Jets -3.5 @ Raiders
Falcons +1.5 @ Bucs
Steelers -10.5 @ Colts

Week2 Recap

Week2 Recap:

Raiders @ Bills -3 P 35-38
Ravens -6 @ Titans L 13-26
Packers -9.5 @ Panthers L 30-23
Bucs +3 @ Vikings W 24-20
Cowboys @ 49ers +3 P 27-24
Rams +5.5 @ Giants L 16-28

1-3-2 for the week. Oof! again...continue to fade is all I can say for this horrible run of picks.

It was rewarding to see the Saints handle the Bears so convincingly at home in the Dome. The defense roughed up Jay Cutler like it was nobody's business...had the poor guy down on his knees praying for some sort of relief. And even without Marques Colston and Lance Moore available, the offense was definitely clicking. I do wish we would stop forcing the issue with Mark Ingram in short yardage situations though. Gotta mix it up and not be so darned predictable. Anyway, watch out Texans, you're on a great run yourselves, but you're gonna have your work cut out for you on Sunday. Can't wait for that one.

Week2 Picks

Week2 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Raiders @ Bills -3
Ravens -6 @ Titans
Packers -9.5 @ Panthers
Bucs +3 @ Vikings
Cowboys @ 49ers +3
Rams +5.5 @ Giants

Week1 Recap

Week1 Recap:

Steelers +1.5 @ Ravens L 7-35
Lions @ Bucs -1.5 L 27-20
Seahawks +5.5 @ 49ers L 17-33
Panthers @ Cardinals -7 P 21-28

Alright, I'm not gonna cuss. And hopefully, you've learned by now to fade my picks. But seriously, how in the world did I go 0-3-1 week1? This isn't a joke either, other than joke's on me. Had no idea Big Ben would turn the ball over 5 times against the Ravens. I figured LeGarrette Blunt would gain more than 15 rushing yards against the Lions. And since when isn't a meeting between the Seahawks and 49ers a tightly contested game?

The Saints lost in a thriller against Green Bay. And I don't even want to mention that I took losses in each of my 3 fantasy leagues. What is happening here?

Week1 Picks

Week1 Picks Against the Spread
(Suggested Winner with Vegas line attached)

Steelers +1.5 @ Ravens
Lions @ Bucs -1.5
Seahawks +5.5 @ 49ers
Panthers @ Cardinals -7

Darren Sproles Becomes a Saint

With each of Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, and Mark Ingram available for backfield duty, few figured that the departure of Reggie Bush would prompt a transaction to replace him. But Saints general manager Mickey Loomis went right ahead and signed running back Darren Sproles as a free agent from the San Diego Chargers. Seems like quite an upgrade over Bush to me...

Marshall Faulk Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Congratulations to New Orleans native Marshall Faulk for being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Faulk attended Carver High School in New Orleans where he starred on both sides of the ball. His senior season playing cornerback for Carver, Faulk intercepted 11 passes and returned 6 of them for touchdowns. He went on to play 3 seasons at San Diego State, where he became a 2-time All-American in the process of rushing for 4,589 yars and scoring 62 touchdowns. Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, Faulk was awarded as the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1994. Over the course of his 12-year NFL career, Faulk amassed 12,279 rushing yards and scored 136 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowler 7 times, an NFL MVP in 2000, and won a Super Bowl as a member of the St. Louis Rams in 1999.

My 10 Favorite LSU Running Backs of All-Time

Actually, let's go with my 10 favorite LSU running backs of my own lifetime, in that I never got to see old-timers such as Steve Van Buren, Billy Cannon, Jim Taylor, and Jerry Stovall play.

1. Charles Alexander

2. Dalton Hilliard

3. Garry James

4. Kevin Faulk

5. Joseph Addai

6. Terry Robiskie

7. Rondell Mealey

8. Domanick Davis

9. Jacob Hester

10 Harvey Williams

Honorable Mentions: Hokie Gajan, Sammie Martin, Cecil Collins, LaBrandon Toefield, Justin Vincent, Alley Broussard, Charles Scott.

Steve Foley

Steve Foley played football at Jesuit High School in New Orleans before walking on at Tulane University. Playing quarterback in 1973, Foley led the Green Wave to a 9-3 season including a monumental 14-0 victory over LSU. In 1974, Foley piloted the Green Wave to 5 straight victories before succumbing to injury. After a season playing for the Jacksonville Sharks of the World Football League, Foley emerged as a game-breaking safety for the Denver Broncos. Collecting 44 interceptions over the course of his 11-year NFL career, Foley played in 2 Super Bowls and has since been inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Nickie Hall

After 3 years of serving as a back-up to Roch Hontas, Nickie Hall began the 1980 season as the Tulane Green Wave's starting quarterback. He went on to set the Tulane single-season record for touchdown passes with 21. Against Rice, he threw 5 touchdowns with 4 of them going to wide receiver Robert Griffin. Against SMU, Hall threw for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tallying 2,561 passing yards and a respectable 7-4 team record for the season, Hall drew enough attention to himself to be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 1981 NFL Draft.

Roch Hontas

Roch Hontas was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Tulane Green Wave from 1976-79. Hontas finished his college career with 5,669 passing yards and threw for 39 touchdowns. His greatest success was leading the 1979 Green Wave team to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the Hall of Fame Bowl against Penn State. Hontas passed up a chance at playing in the NFl to go to medical school at Tulane. Hontas is currently an orthopedic surgeon based out of Covington, Louisiana.

John Fourcade

John Fourcade was born on the West Bank of New Orleans in Gretna and became a high school quarterback phenomenon at Archbishp Shaw in Marrero. Fourcade was the 4A All-State MVP in 1977 despite falling to Bobby Hebert's eventual state champion South Lafourche sqaud in the state semi-finals. Fourcade would go on to quarterback the Ole Miss Rebels, breaking most of Archie Manning's school passing records and being named the MVP of the 1982 Senior Bowl. After stints in the CFL, USFL, and the Arena Football League, Fourcade filled in as the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints during the strike of 1987. Fourcade did so well during those 3 games that he made the Saints' regular roster and started 8 games during the 1988 & 1989 seasons.

New Orleans Catholic League Football

Found these two gems while browing Youtube. The first video spotlights the 1980 District 11 AAAA All-Star team, featuring such luminaries as future New Orleans Saints running back Gil Fenerty (Jesuit), future Tulane Green Wave defensive back Treg Songy (St. Augustine), and future LSU Tigers defensive tackle Roland Barbay (Holy Cross). The second video is a trailer for a documentary on the Glory Days of Catholic League football.

2010's Top 40 in Workload Ratio

In fantasy football, you want to draft players that are viewed by their own teams as go-to assets. These players have the ability to carry their entire offenses on their own individual backs.

2010's Top 40 in Workload Ratio

(Percentage is comprised of total individual yards rushing and receiving divided by team's total yards rushing and receiving.)

1. Arian Foster 36%
2. Peyton Hillis 36%
3. Matt Forte 35%
4. Jamaal Charles 35%
5. Ray Rice 34%
6. Steven Jackson 34%
7. Chris Johnson 33%
8. Adrian Peterson 33%
9. Maurice Jones-Drew 30%
10. Darren McFadden 29%
11. LeSean McCoy 27%
12. Michael Turner 27%
13. Larry Fitzgerald 26%
14. Rashard Mendenhall 26%
15. Frank Gore 26%
16. Brandon Lloyd 26%
17. Roddy White 26%
18. Ahmad Bradshaw 25%
19. Cedric Benson 24%
20. Mike Wallace 23%
21. Fred Jackson 23%
22. Ladainian Tomlinson 23%
23. Reggie Wayne 22%
24. Greg Jennings 22%
25. Steve Johnson 22%
26. Felix Jones 21%
27. Calvin Johnson 21%
28. Jonathan Stewart 21%
29. Dwayne Bowe 21%
30. Johnny Knox 21%
31. Knowshon Moreno 21%
32. Santana Moss 21%
33. Tim Hightower 20%
34. Andre Johnson 20%
35. Brandon Marshall 20%
36. Miles Austin 19%
37. Percy Harvin 19%
38. Jahvid Best 19%
39. LeGarrette Blount 19%
40. Ronnie Bown 19%

2010's Top 40 in Receiving Targets

In fantasy football, it's not necessarily about drafting the most talented players. It's about drafting the most productive players. And when it comes to receivers and tight ends, they can only produce as much as they are given the opportunity to produce. Thus, receiving targets becomes an important statistic to monitor.

2010's Top 40 in Receiving Targets:

1. Roddy White, 179
2. Larry Fitzgerald, 174
3. Reggie Wayne, 173
4. Brandon Lloyd, 153
5. Brandon Marshall, 147
6. Santana Moss, 146
7. Steve Johnson, 143
8. Terrell Owens, 139
9. Andre Johnson, 138
10. Calvin Johnson, 137
11. Marques Colston, 133
12. Dwayne Bowe, 132
13. Jason Witten, 128
14. Hakeem Nicks, 128
15. Chris Cooley, 127
16. Mike Williams, TB, 127
17. Chad Ochocinco, 125
18. Greg Jennings, 125
19. Davone Bess, 125
20. Danny Amendola, 123
21. Wes Welker, 122
22. Miles Austin, 119
23. Pierre Garcon, 119
24. Jeremy Maclin, 116
25. Jabar Gaffney, 112
26. Tony Gonzalez, 111
27. Brandon Pettigrew, 111
28. Mike Williams, Sea, 110
29. Percy Harvin, 110
30. Anquan Boldin, 108
31. Eddie Royal, 105
32. Steve Smith, Car, 102
33. Benjamin Watson, 102
34. Braylon Edwards, 102
35. Mike Thomas, 102
36. Michael Crabtree, 101
37. Derrick Mason, 100
38. Dustin Keller, 100
39. Mike Wallace, 100
40. Johnny Knox, 100

Hokie Gajan

Hokie Gajan emerged out of Baker, Louisiana as a cult hero of a fullback who played for both the LSU Tigers and the New Orleans Saints. Blocking in front of Heisman hopeful Charles Alexander, Hokie became the Cajun face of the Tigers which made him a likely candidate to do the same for the Saints. In 1984, Gajan actually led the NFL with 6.0 yards per carry as he racked up 903 yards from scrimmage and even threw a 34 yard touchdown pass in the process. Since then, Gajan has become a fixture of a sports broadcaster on WWL radio in New Orleans.

1981 John Ehret Football

In 1981, John Ehret High School in Marrero fielded a squad for the ages. Coached by Jesse Daigle, the Patriots went 14-1 that year, capped by winning the 4A State Championship 32-13 against Covington. Their offense was led by quarterback Tyrone Mitchell and all-American wide receiver Tyrone Vaughan, who finished his 3-year high school career with a then-state record 60 touchdown receptions. Ehret's defense was led by safety Norman Jefferson who doubled as an exceptional kick returner.

It was with a late punt return for a touchdown that Norman Jefferson closed out what many still consider to be the best game ever played in New Orleans high school football history, pitting Ehret against their neighborly rivlas the West Jefferson Buccaneers. Despite a 260 yard rushing performance by West Jeff's Garry James, Ehret outlasted the Bucs 46-45 in front of ~10,000 fans packed into Hoss Memtsas Stadium.

My 10 Favorite LSU Wide Receivers of All-Time

1. Carlos Carson


2. Eric Martin


3. Wendell Davis


4. Josh Reed


5. Michael Clayton


6. Early Doucet


7. Eddie Kennison


8. Brandon LaFell


9. Dwayne Bowe


10. Devery Henderson

Honorable Mentions: Orlando McDaniel, Skyler Green, Todd Kinchen, Herman Fontenot.

Slick Watts

This past week, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame also inducted basketball player Donald "Slick" Watts. The former NAIA All-American at Xavier University in New Orleans went on to become a cult hero in Seattle as a star guard playing for the Supersonics. Having gone undrafted in 1973, Watts was signed as a free agent by the Sonics thanks in part to then Seattle coach and general manager Bill Russell being the cousin of then Xavier coach Bob Hopkins. With his bald head and stylish headbands, Watts worked his way into the starting line-up for the Sonics in 1975 and wound up leading the NBA in both assists and steals that season. Midway through the 1977-78 season, Watts was traded to the New Orleans Jazz where he filled in for an injured Pete Maravich. Succumbing to his own injuries, Watts concluded his 6-year NBA career with the Houston Rockets.

Buford Jordan

Congratulations to former New Orleans Saints fullback Buford Jordan for being inducted to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. After setting the Louisiana college record for career rushing yards during his four years playing at McNeese State, Jordan starred in the USFL playing for the New Orleans and then Portland Breakers. After joining the NFL and the Saints in 1986, Jordan successfully served as chief blocking back in front of tailbacks Rueben Mayes and Dalton Hilliard as the Saints started approximating what a winning franchise should look like. Jordan was inducted last week to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame along with fellow Whodat veterans Morten Andersen and Vaughan Johnson.

Vida Blue

I recall that in 1979 the very first pack of baseball cards that my dad ever bought me had the Vida Blue card shown above in it. Of course, I already knew who Vida Blue was since he was a product of Mansfield, Louisiana. When Blue was attending DeSoto High School, he was a football star in addition to a genius on the baseball field. Playing quarterback for a 10-2 DeSoto squad his senior year, Blue threw for 3,484 yards and 35 touchdowns and also ran for an additional 1,600 yards. Yet despite many football scholarship offers, Blue stuck with baseball and wound up playing 17 major league seasons with the Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants, and Kansas City Royals. A 3-time All-Star, Blue won both the 1971 American League Cy Young and MVP awards, finishing the year with an astonishing 1.82 ERA. Leading up to the A's winning back-to-back-to-back World Series championships from 1972-74, Blue became the fodder for r-n-b singer Albert Jones to record a song about him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs_8KRZZd2Y

Alvin Dark

Alvin Dark enjoyed quite the dynamic sports career, initially surfacing as an effective running back in the same backfield as Steve Van Buren at LSU circa 1942. The Oklahoma native would then upon returning from service in World War II transfer to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and prove himself to be just as talented at baseball as he was at football. Beginning his major league career with a bang in 1948, Dark became the MLB Rookie of the Year for the Boston Braves. Playing shortstop and third base, Dark also spent quality time playing for the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Braves during the course of his 14 seasons in the bigs. Starting in 1961, Dark then went on to manage the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, and San Diego Padres, winning a pennant with the Giants in 1962 and the World Series for the Athletics in 1974.

However for all of his successes and accolades, Dark produced controversy of the ugliest order by publicly stating during the 1964 season as manager of the San Francisco Giants that: "We have trouble because we have so many Negro and Spanish-speaking ball players on this team. They are just not able to perform up to the white ball players when it comes to mental alertness. You can't make most Negro and Spanish players have the pride in their team that you can get from white players." Let's not forget that he was evidently including then-Giant players and future-Hall-of-Famers Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, and Juan Marichal within that sweeping analysis.

Sammy Knight Elected to Saints Hall of Fame

Sammy Knight was a hard-hitting playmaker who roamed the Saints' secondary at safety for 6 successful years from 1997 to 2002.

Here is the full roster of inductees to the Saints Hall of Fame, listed by year:

1988 - Archie Manning and Danny Abramowicz
1989 - Tommy Myers and Tom Dempsey
1990 - Billy Kilmer
1991 - Tony Galbreath and Derland Moore
1992 - George Rogers, Jake Kupp and John Hill
1993 - Joe Federspiel
1994 - Henry Childs and Jim Finks
1995 - Doug Atkins and Bob Pollard
1996 - Dave Whitsell and Dave Waymer
1997 - Stan Brock and Rickey Jackson
1998 - Dalton Hilliard and Sam Mills
1999 - Bobby Hebert and Eric Martin
2000 - Pat Swilling and Vaughan Johnson
2001 - Jim Wilks and Hoby Brenner
2002 - Jim Mora and Frank Warren
2003 - Jim Dombrowski and Wayne Martin
2004 - Rueben Mayes and Steve Sidwell
2006 - Joel Hilgenberg
2007 - Joe Johnson
2008 - William Roaf
2009 - Morten Andersen
2010 - Joe Horn
2011 - Sammy Knight

Todd Walker

Todd Walker graduated from Airline High School in Bossier City, LA in 1991. He then went on to spend three legendary years playing second base for the LSU Tigers. Walker hit for batting averages of .400 his freshman season, .395 his sophomore season, and .396 his junior season. The Tigers won the national championship in 1993, with Walker being named the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series. The 2-time 1st team All-American became the 8th overall pick of the 1994 Major League Draft by the Minnesota Twins. Walker went on to enjoy a 12 year career in the big leagues, playing for each of the Twins, Rockies, Reds, Red Sox, Cubs, Padres and Athletics. A career .289 hitter, Walker never made the All-Star team but he certainly held his own, becoming somewhat of a cult hero in Boston for hitting 5 post-season home runs for the Red Sox in 2003.

2010's Top15 Fantasy Defenses

2010's Top15 Fantasy Defenses by: Total Points per 16 Games

1. Packers, 15.75
2. Patriots, 15.13
3. Steelers, 15.00
4. Giants, 12.69
5. Raiders, 12.63
6. Jets, 12.06
7. Bears, 12.00
8. Chargers, 11.88
9. Lions, 11.44
10. 49ers, 11.00
11. Cardinals, 11.00
12. Eagles, 10.88
13. Falcons, 10.25
14. Seahawks, 10.19
15. Rams, 10.19

Scoring System: 2 points per Sack, interception, and/or defensive fumble recovery, 6 points per return touchdown, 4 points per safety, 20 points per shutout, 10 points for allowing 1-9 points, -5 points for giving up 40 or more points.

While it's important to have a sturdy defense in your line-up at all times, the slight deviation between the top15 defenses isn't worth spending a high draft pick on any one of them.

2010’s Best Fantasy Draft Values

Took the first 120 picks from a fantasy draft from last season and weighted each player’s total fantasy points for the season by their draft position in order to indicate the best value picks. Then ranked them by position.

Position:
Rank. Name, Draft Position, Total Fantasy Points, Weighted Fantasy Points by draft position

Quarterbacks:
1. Philip Rivers, 33, 386.6, 439.76
2. Eli Manning, 66, 343.08, 437.43
3. Tom Brady, 21, 396, 430.65
4. Peyton Manning, 10, 404.8, 421.67
5. Matt Ryan, 73, 321.4, 419.16
6. Drew Brees, 8, 393.5, 406.62
7. Carson Palmer, 68, 316.8, 406.56
8. Jay Cutler, 105, 281.16, 404.17
9. Aaron Rodgers, 2, 397.48, 400.79
10. Ben Roethlisberger, 119, 266.6, 398.79
11. Joe Flacco, 61, 300.28, 376.6
12. Matt Schaub, 14, 341.6, 361.53
13. Brett Favre, 67, 146.16, 186.96
14. Tony Romo, 22, 137, 149.56
15. Kevin Kolb, 108, 91.38, 132.5

The point here is that there was no pressing need to take Aaron Rodgers with the 2nd pick of the draft if you could instead wait to take someone with a similar total score as late as the 8th (Drew Brees), 10th (Peyton Manning), 21st (Tom Brady), and 33rd (Philip Rivers) positions.



Running Backs:
1. Arian Foster, 47, 439, 524.98
2. Darren McFadden, 100, 300.4, 425.57
3. Lesean McCoy, 40, 318.2, 371.23
4. Matt Forte, 65, 284.6, 361.68
5. Jamaal Charles, 36, 304.5, 350.18
6. Ahmad Bradshaw, 52, 263.9, 321.08
7. Chris Johnson, 1, 314.9, 316.21
8. Adrian Peterson, 3, 301.9, 305.67
9. Ladainian Tomlinson, 85, 221.2, 299.54
10. Ray Rice, 4, 286.6, 291.38
11. Rashard Mendenhall, 31, 258, 291.33
12. Steven Jackson, 17, 263.4, 282.06
13. Maurice Jones-Drew, 6, 273.1, 279.93
14. Michael Turner, 9, 262.6, 272.45
15. Felix Jones, 95, 189, 263.81
16. Knowshon Moreno, 60, 208.1, 260.13
17. Cedric Benson, 34, 214.9, 245.34
18. Michael Bush, 117, 160.9, 239.34
19. Jahvid Best, 39, 202.2, 235.06
20. Frank Gore, 5, 229.5, 234.28
21. Thomas Jones, 97, 160.8, 225.79
22. Brandon Jacobs, 102, 157.2, 224.01
23. Darren Sproles, 114, 146.7, 216.38
24. Ronnie Brown, 56, 158.6, 195.61
25. Tim Hightower, 78, 144.2, 191.07
26. Cadillac Williams, 82, 142.2, 190.79
27. Ryan Mathews, 18, 148.3, 159.42
28. Justin Forsett, 70, 122.5, 158.23
29. Ricky Williams, 83, 114.4, 153.96
30. Jonathan Stewart, 59, 119.3, 148.63
31. Shonn Greene, 37, 119.6, 138.04
32. Joseph Addai, 35, 108.9, 124.78
33. Marion Barber, 74, 77.3, 101.13
34. Pierre Thomas, 29, 88, 98.63
35. Reggie Bush, 53, 74.8, 91.32
36. C.J. Spiller, 50, 71, 85.79
37. Beanie Wells, 42, 64.1, 75.32
38. Jerome Harrison, 75, 50.3, 66.02
39. Deangelo Williams, 19, 58.2, 62.81
40. Clinton Portis, 64, 45.2, 57.25
41. Ryan Grant, 24, 4.5, 4.95

It appears that Ray Rice and Matt Forte had much better fantasy seasons than many realize. It’s also interesting to see that Lesean McCoy, picked in the 40th position, played to the level of the 1st overall pick Chris Johnson. Of course, so did Arian Foster and Darren McFadden from much lower positions. And as I mentioned earlier in the week in regard to rookies, Ryan Mathews was about as ill-advised a 2nd round pick as there has ever been.



Wide Receivers:
1. Santana Moss, 111, 252.9, 369.87
2. Dwayne Bowe, 49, 303.6, 365.59
3. Roddy White, 13, 343.2, 361.79
4. Mike Wallace, 62, 284.6, 358.12
5. Hakeem Nicks, 72, 270.2, 351.26
6. Mike Williams, TB, 106, 230.4, 332.16
7. Greg Jennings, 23, 299.4, 328.09
8. Reggie Wayne, 16, 306.5, 326.93
9. Jeremy Maclin, 87, 239, 325.64
10. Terrell Owens, 76, 244.3, 321.66
11. Calvin Johnson, 15, 284.2, 301.96
12. Andre Johnson, 7, 286.6, 294.96
13. Larry Fitzgerald, 26, 254.7, 282.29
14. Miles Austin, 25, 254.4, 280.9
15. Derrick Mason, 112, 188.2, 276.03
16. Marques Colston, 28, 243.4, 271.8
17. Percy Harvin, 51, 218.5, 264.93
18. Johnny Knox, 96, 181.2, 253.68
19. Austin Collie, 116, 169.6, 252.02
20. Santonio Holmes, 109, 172.3, 250.55
21. Mike Williams, Sea, 118, 167.1, 249.26
22. Hines Ward, 80, 183.3, 244.4
23. Brandon Marshall, 20, 224.7, 243.43
24. Pierre Garcon, 71, 187, 242.32
25. Wes Welker, 27, 217.8, 242.30
26. Desean Jackson, 11, 229, 239.5
27. Nate Burleson, 107, 164.6, 237.98
28. Jabar Gaffney, 90, 169.5, 233.06
29. Anquan Boldin, 32, 203.9, 231.09
30. Eddie Royal, 120, 148.8, 223.2
31. Chad Ochocinco, 41, 184.1, 215.55
32. Michael Crabtree, 55, 175.1, 215.23
33. Robert Meachem, 94, 149.2, 207.64
34. Malcolm Floyd, 81, 154.7, 206.911
35. Steve Breaston, 115, 138.3, 204.57
36. Dez Bryant, 93, 141.1, 195.78
37. Jacoby Jones, 103, 130.9, 187.08
38. Mike Sims-Walker, 58, 150.2, 186.5
39. Lee Evans, 92, 122.8, 169.87
40. Devin Hester, 110, 114.5, 166.98
41. Donald Driver, 57, 130.5, 161.49
42. Steve Smith, NYG, 30, 128.9, 145.01
43. Steve Smith, Car, 54, 112.3, 137.57
44. Jerricho Cotchery, 91, 96, 132.4
45. Randy Moss, 12, 97.3, 102.17
46. Sidney Rice, 104, 62, 88.87
47. Bernard Berrian, 77, 53.2, 70.27

Look at Santana Moss sitting there at the top of the list. For such a steady performer to have slipped all the way down to the 111th pick, just wow! It’s also interesting to see Brandon Marshall and Desean Jackson ranked so low in value. And Randy Moss, shouldn’t you have just retired before laying that egg of an awful season?



Tight Ends:
1. Jason Witten, 38, 253.2, 293.29
2. Antonio Gates, 43, 203.2, 239.61
3. Vernon Davis, 48, 199.4, 239.28
4. Chris Cooley, 79, 178.9, 237.79
5. Kellen Winslow, 86, 169, 229.56
6. Zach Miller, 84, 163.5, 220.73
7. Tony Gonzalez, 46, 176.6, 210.45
8. Visanthe, Shiancoe, 88, 112, 153.07
9. Brent Celek, 63, 117.1, 147.84
10. Heath Miller, Pitt, 89, 104.2, 142.84
11. Owen Daniels, 98, 97.1, 136.75
12. Dallas Clark, 44, 89.7, 106.15
13. Jermichael Finley, 45, 67.1, 79.68

The run on tight ends that occurred in the 4th round of the draft proved only 60% successful, with Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, and Vernon Davis meeting expectations, while Dallas Clark and Jermichael Finley succumbed to injuries. And rather than taking Tony Gonzalez with the 46th pick, Chris Cooley at 79th would have been a better selection.



Defenses:
1. Jets, 69, 193, 248.49
2. Eagles, 101, 174, 247.23
3. Cowboys, 113, 162, 238.28
4. Vikings, 99, 125, 176.56

Taking the Jets defense so early in the draft probably wasn’t the best idea, in that there wasn’t enough separation in total points over defenses drafted much later to justify pulling such a quick trigger.

2010’s Top15 Fantasy Rookies

2010's Top15 Fantasy Rookies by: Total Points per Games Played (Games Played in Paranthesis)

1. Sam Bradford 15.55 (16 games)
2. Mike Williams, TB 14.40 (16 games)
3. Colt McCoy 13.72 (8 games)
4. Tim Tebow 12.98 (9 games)
5. Jahvid Best 12.64 (16 games)
6. Ryan Mathews 12.36 (12 games)
7. LeGarrette Blount 12.32 (13 games)
8. Dez Bryant 11.76 (12 games)
9. Aaron Hernandez 10.16 (14 games)
10. Rob Gronkowski 10.04 (16 games)
11. Chris Ivory 8.94 (12 games)
12. Jimmy Graham 8.78 (11 games)
13. Jermaine Gresham 8.14 (15 games)
14. Tony Moeaki 8.04 (15 games)
15. Jimmy Clausen 7.50 (10 games)

Scoring System: 1 point per 25 yards passing, 6 points per passing touchdown, -1 point per interception, 1 point per 10 yards receiving/rushing, 1 point per reception, 6 points per touchdown rushing/receiving, -1 point per fumble lost, 5 bonus points per 300 yards passing or 100 yard receiving or rushing game.

The numbers prove that there was really only one rookie in 2010 who was worth drafting in order to fill a full-time starting position on your fantasy team. That would have been Tampa Bay WR Mike Williams. QB Sam Bradford, while enjoying a solid season, still had over 20 other QB's rank higher than him in fantasy points per game. RB's Jahvid Best, Ryan Mathews, and LeGarrette Blount would have served as ample back-ups on your fantasy roster, as would WR Dez Bryant and a full selection of middle-of-the-road tight ends, but the point clearly becomes: DON'T USE YOUR TOP DRAFT PICKS ON ROOKIES!

Those who were drafting Ryan Mathews in the 1st and 2nd rounds last year must have felt quite foolish as the season wore on. Every now and then a rookie does manage to post up big league numbers his 1st season in the league, but the proposition is always a risky one. Something else to note is the issue of durability, with only 4 of the top15 rookies listed playing in all 16 games of the season. Again, be hesitant to expect much fantasy-wise from NFL rookies...it can't be said enough.

Then again, kudos to those who drafted Mike Williams in the late rounds of their drafts last year...

Saints 2011 Draft Picks, Rounds 2-6:

Appropriately, the Saints picked 4 consecutive defensive players. CB Johnny Patrick may wind up being the steal of the bunch, although it will be crucial for the Saints that LB Martez Wilson contributes early and often. DE Greg Romeus and OLB Nathan Bussey could also prove to be nice additions.

Saints select Cameron Jordan & Mark Ingram

So, the Saints fared far better than I ever expected in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Picking at the 24th position, we knew we badly needed a defensive end or outside linebacker, but few expected Cal DE Cameron Jordan to still be avilable for us. So, not only did the Saints fill their most pressing need, but then they went ahead and made a trade so that they could select former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram at the 28th position. The formidable Alabama running back immediately bolsters an offensive backfield that has been plagued by injuries over the past season or so. The Saints had to give up their 2nd round pick in this year's draft and their 1st round pick in next year's draft in order to nab Ingram, but it should prove to be a wise move on the part of Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.

Albert Belle

When former major league baseball player Albert Belle was still known as Joey Belle, the Shreveport native hit 49 home runs with a .332 batting average playing for the LSU Tigers from 1985-1987. During his 12-year major league career playing outfield for the Clevelenad Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles, Belle hit 381 home runs with 1,239 runs batted in. In 1995, Belle became the first player in major league history to hit 50 home runs and 50 doubles in the same season.



Unfortunately, Belle's history away from the batter's box has been as tumultuous as possible. He was suspended at LSU for going after a heckler in the stands, then he did it again as a pro in Cleveland, successfully chucking a ball at an outspoken fan at his home stadium. In '94, Belle was caught corking his bat and in '96, he was fined for knocking Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Fernando Vina into tomorrow for blocking his way on the basepath. I won't even bother to go into Belle's continuing off-the-field antics.

But nonetheless, Belle goes down as one of the most powerful hitters baseball has ever seen. Surely his negative temperment won't ever allow him to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but Albert Belle's brute strength certainly deserves to be remembered.