Week 4 Suicide Picks

Take Rodgers for the easy win, don't
be greedy!

Suicide picks were the lone bright spot for ATP last week and we are still alive in our pools, so if you are still alive in yours, let us see if we can get you by this week.  The obvious choice is Green Bay vs Denver, as any team can win in any week, but Green Bay at home is the best choice and if you haven't used them yet, take them.  For the record, the rest of the larger spreads I am a bit wary of.  Tampa is playing Indy at home and is a heavy favorite, but they haven't shown me that they are worthy and Indy showed me something last week.  If I had to, I would go Tampa, but I for one am staying away.  The 2 teams that I have been wrestling with are New Orleans and Buffalo.  They are both on the road and I think that the Buffalo at Cincy game, could be a let down game after a big come back win vs NE last week.  I think I am going with New Orleans just because of the let down game worry.  Both teams are in the same situation, where they are high powered offenses going against offensively challenged teams, which takes away some of the worry for me.  Jacksonville has a rookie quarterback with no big threat receivers, so they should not be able to keep up with Brees and the Saints.  I do like Buffalo more than Tampa though.  For the record, I am going with Green Bay and the Saints.

My riskier picks for the less conservative.  I like Minnesota to get its first win on the road vs KC, as Jared Allen is highly motivated and they can't keep losing these first half leads.  Get ready to see a lot of Adrian Peterson if they have a lead and close out this game.  Tennessee is a half point underdog at Cleveland, but I like them to win this game as Hasselback is quietly playing as good as most quarterbacks in this league with a rating of over 100.

Week 3 Thoughts

I would like to first apologize for fantasy picks as they were the exact opposite of the week before, where pretty much all of them flopped.  I did somehow predict Vick would get hurt though, so if you listened to me there, that could have helped you.  It is confirmed, I am human.  My gambling theory did not work out so good this past week either.  One thing I do realize on that front, wait until that morning to put in the bet on an over/under so you know what the weather is like as it was obviously going to be tough to put up points in the monsoon that the Jags and Panthers played in.  The Bengals and 49ers were just offensively challenged and I will put that one on my shoulders.  Suicide picks were a bit scary as predicted, with the Chargers and Steelers squeaking out a win.  I went one and one with my gamble picks as the Jets couldn't pull one in Oakland, but Cam Newton was able to get his first victory against the Jags.

A couple of quick thoughts about what I saw this past weekend.  First things first, the Washington Redskins have a solid defense.  I think their offense is not good enough to really do too much damage against good teams, but they have a solid defense that should not be taken lightly.

Vick woes will lead to Eagle woes
all year long. 

The Philadelphia Eagles look exactly how I thought they would look.  They are a team that did not do enough to help out their run game or stop the run game, which has been their weakness on defense the past couple of years.  That being said, as long as Vick stays healthy, they are the best team in the NFC East despite the media going the other way now.

Between the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, the team that I could see making the playoffs out of these 3-0 teams is the Detroit Lions.  They both have good offenses, but I like Detroit's defense much more.  Come winter time, when you can't throw the ball around in Buffalo like they have been, I am not sure if Freddy Jackson will be able to lift them to the top of the AFC East.  I would like to see both teams make it though.  Detroit, playing in a dome will be able to do what they have been all season long, at least at home they will.  Nick Fairley, will be coming back soon, which will only help the defense that much more.

The New York Jets need some help on defense, as they look border line pathetic vs the run.  Revis can only do so much on his island.  It seems like they need a lot of help on the rest of their island chain.  As long as we are talking about defense, the NE Patriots are looking especially bad.  Not that they should have been in the Jets' class when talking about defense, but these guys look really bad.  Devin McCourty has taken a huge step back so far and the Pats will need him to get back to form in a hurry.

It was good to see the Colts and Chiefs actually put up a fight this week as it was beginning to look like they shouldn't even bother to show up on Sundays.  The Colts did a great job stopping the Steelers running game, which is maybe the most impressive thing I saw this weekend.

I will look to redeem myself this upcoming weekend, so please do not lose faith.

Gambler's Corner Roundup for week 3

For the week 3, I am going to present a strategy as opposed to anything solid.  This is going to be a twist on the old 3 team tease getting 9 points each.  Instead of picking teams, I am going to go with three overs here.  In the first 2 weeks, only 2 games have gone for 30 points or under, one each week.  The NFL is seeing much higher scoring and this is a way to take advantage of it, until Vegas starts raising the over/under line.  It is especially good at the beginning of the year as there is usually much better weather.  The first game I like is San Fran vs the Bengals, which will be at around 31.5 points.  The second one I like is the Jaguars vs the Panthers game, which will be at around 34.  The Jaguars offense scares me a little bit, but as long as the Panthers can score 20, we should be good.  The last one I like is Detroit vs Minnesota, which can be had for 36 points.  Vegas really doesn't like McNabb to think that these 2 teams can't put up these kind of points.  There really isn't much to this strategy as I am going on simply the fact that weather shouldn't be an issue and teams are scoring more.  The only one that scares me is Pittsburgh vs  Indy, even though it can be had for 30.5 points.  I could see that one going either way, I would actually almost feel safer teasing the under on that one.  Good luck with your picks as in the end you only need to win more than you lose to make some money.  In theory it sounds easy.

Fantasy Options for Week 3

First of all, I just want to let you know that if you had listened to me last week you would have done fairly well as the 3 receivers I said to pick up all scored a touchdown.  Those were free agent pick up type of guys as well.  My must starts were a little bit more impressive as Romo and Stafford combined for 600 passing yards and 6 touchdowns.  Hillis added 90 yards and 2 touchdowns and Pittsburgh's defense after being obliterated in the media as being too old, posted a shut out.  This is the NFL and a shut out is a shut out no matter who it is against.

I was very prophetic in my call that Baltimore's defense is a run stopping defense as it held CJ2K to 50 yards last week, but also as I stated their pass defense is still young and are hoping for Ed Reed to stop 4 receivers at a time.  This didn't work as Matt Hasselback threw for over 350 yards against them.

My first can't miss guy who needs it more than his fantasy owners is Chris Johnson.  This guy should have a big game against the Denver Broncos, who have not shown that they can stop the run.  This will be a get back game for this guy.

My favorite can't miss guy is Rashard Mendenhall as whenever you go against the Colts and you have an above average back, he turns into a superstar for a day.  The Colts have to worry about the pass game as well, so there will be a lot more room than there was for Peyton Hillis last week, who still had a good game.  Expect a lot of yards from Mendenhall.

This next one is obvious as Phillip Rivers is going against KC.  I like the Chiefs' corners and they know Rivers well, but there are too many options for him.  I don't expect Jackson to do what he did last week, but if Malcolm Floyd is out, he just might as he will get a lot more targets.  So depending upon who you have Jackson is a should start unless you have 2 other superstars.  Watch for Floyd's injury report, if he does not play, Patrick Crayton could be a guy in the pinch for really deep leagues.

I would say Michael Vick as the Giants are decimated on defense and frankly, they are not that good.  That being said, they have a good pass rush and can get to the quarterback.  One good hit and Vick is out for the game and there is too much history of that, so I would stay away if you have another good option.

I don't like Adrian Peterson this week as I expect the Lions to put all of their force in stopping him and letting McNabb try to put up some numbers.  That being said, he is AP and most people will start him, but I don't expect big yardage out of him.  He could find the end zone though.

Longshot who has plenty of upside and could begin to pick things up this week is Danario Alexander from the St. Louis Rams.  He is turning into a big play guy and I just don't like this offense around the goal line, especially without Danny Amendola around, which takes away from some easy scores down there.  This guy will be good for yards but not touchdowns, not until they get this offense in the end zone instead of kicking field goals.

Suicide Picks for week 3

So far, I am 4-0 with my main picks as they have been fairly safe.  The safe ones are becoming fewer and fewer and the further you go into the season you will not be able to use the most likely picks.  I never like to pick this team as they are the epitome of a Jekyll and Hyde.  I am personally picking the San Diego Chargers as I don't think the Chiefs can get out of their own way yet.  This is the NFL and it is still early in the season, which means the Chargers can always disappoint.  I still feel pretty good as they are mainly healthy and have too many receiving options.  Until the Chiefs show they can either score some points or actually stop somebody, they don't stand a chance.  A lot of what I just said applies to the Steelers vs Indy, except for the fact that the Steelers usually beat the teams they should beat.  My go out on the limb picks this week are the NY Jets going into Oakland and coming home with the win.  Vegas only has them as 3 pt favorites, so it is not a gimme by their standards.  My super gamble pick is the Carolina Panthers to get their first win with Cam Newton going against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Carolina.  I am not sure if the Jaguars can score with the Panthers as they seem to be offensively challenged.  I see a 21-17 win a real possibility here as long as Newton can stay healthy, which is more likely than a Michael Vick as he is much bigger.

Eric Decker Worth a Look

I know this could seem like a very reactionary move to yesterday, but Eric Decker should be a good option for a Denver team that likes to throw.  Eddie Royal will be out for at least 2 weeks and maybe up to 4 and Brandon Lloyd has also been hurting.    This leaves Eric Decker who made the most of his opportunity yesterday with 5 catches for 113 yards, including 2 touchdowns.  He has great hands and can make them all over the field whether it is going across the middle or speeding down the side line.  If you are in a deep league, it is a no brainer to give him a look.  I don't think he will be a game breaker for the season, but will give you a few good weeks.

Fantasy Options for Week 2

After a week 1 that showcased a lot of 300 yard passers and a good amount of 400 yard passers, we are starting to get the picture that there will be a lot of receiving yards to go around.

Guys that can still be picked up:

WR's Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem, now they may not be both available in some leagues, but usually one of them will be.  Marques Colston is still hurt and Lance Moore is probably not playing for the second week in a row.  Even though, the Chicago Bears are coming into town, Drew Brees will still need to throw the ball to somebody, so look for both of these guys to get a lot of looks and would probably start for me unless I have superstar options at the spot.

WR Jordy Nelson, if you are in a PPR league, and this guy hasn't been picked up, not sure what you are waiting for is this guys gets a lot of looks and could have a very big year.  Greg Jennings gets a lot of attention, which leave Nelson as the second option for Aaron Rodgers against the Carolina Panthers.

Must Start:

Peyton Hillis, this guy is a must start as he is playing against the Colts poor run defense.  This run defense even got worse this year as without Peyton Manning, they will be on the field a lot more than they are used to and let's face it this defense is not built that way.

Matt Stafford, this guy will become an every week starter this year as long as he can stay healthy.  I think it is amazing that they are already a 7 pt favorite after being terrible for so long, but it is warranted as I don't think KC is any good especially with Eric Berry out for the season.  Look for Stafford, to be looking at Pettigrew and Burleson a ton inside the 20's and then when it gets closer to the goal line, Calvin Johnson and Pettigrew will use their height against the much shorter defensive backs of Kansas City.  Stafford lights them up this week.  The Lions are a little bit more risky suicide pick because let's face it, they are still the Lions and it is still too early in my book to be using them without seeing a bit more, considering the safe options out there.  For the gamblers, suicide away as I do think they win this one easily.

Tony Romo, who has been getting blasted all week, despite the fact that he threw for over 300 yards easily versus the number one pass defense, the NY Jets.  He will be hungry to get back on the field and he knows that they can not start 0-2 vs the SF 49ers.  I am still not sold on their running game and the Cowboys are still pass happy as that is what Jason Garrett is truly known for, not the mirage we saw last year.

Dare I say, you start the Pittsburgh defense after last weeks' drubbing versus Baltimore.  I think I do as they are at home and will be foaming at the mouth to play the Seattle Seachickens this week.  I am not sure that Tavaris Jackson is going to  be able to weather the storm in Pittsburgh and do not expect a 100 yard rusher this week against the Steelers.

Gambler's Corner Roundup for week 2

After a 1-2 start last week, hopefully this will be a bit of a redemption week.  Just to let you know most wiseguys are happy to pick at a 58% clip.  Of course, I was at 33%, but this is a work in progress and I did finish the last few weeks of 2010 postseason undefeated.  I also like to tease more than take teams straight up so I am getting used to it still.
Now to the picks.  The first of them will be a team that I would never take had they won a big Sunday night game vs the Jets, but fortunately they lost and they can not afford to lose against the SF 49ers.  They are giving 3 points, but I do like them this week as Jenkins is looking like he is back to pro bowl form and I do love this defense.  I don't think this 49ers team is ready to win 2 games in a row, so take the Cowboys giving the points.
I am scared about this second pick, but just like the 82nd airborne says "Courage is when you are scared, but you go anyway."  So drumroll please, I am taking Tampa Bay on the road getting 3 vs Minnesota.  I don't think McNabb has the offense down yet and Tampa needs to get this win.  Minnesota looks pretty bad offensively without a main receiving threat like a Sidney Rice.  Percy Harvin loses his luster without a true vertical threat, which Bernard Berrian has not become.  This was a situation set to fail, and get ready for a new franchise LA, because here comes Minnesota.
For the risk takers, if I had a gun to my head I would go with Baltimore giving 6 on the road and Houston giving 3 on the road.  Only the original 2 count though, so don't hold these 2 against me.

Suicide Picks for week 2

I was able to go 2-0 last week with suicides as many people fell in my pool and from what I have heard in many others as well.  As I firmly believe that you keep going with who is going to win this week and not try and get fancy, the first of my 2 picks will be the Green Bay Packers.  Try not to out think the room as many did with the Cleveland Browns and KC Chiefs last week.
The first of my 2 picks will be the GB Packers as there is no way Carolina will have a chance against these guys as they won't be stopping them much with their defense and Cam Newton will have a much harder time this week.
The second of my picks is a little bit tougher as if I pick the Steelers at home against the Seahawks and lose, they would have made me look bad 3 times in the first 2 weeks as my preseason forecast would be looking pretty tough if they were 0-2.  Another team I like is the NY Jets at home vs the Jaguars, but this is one of those scary let down games.  All's it would take is a couple of bad Sanchez passes and I could see the Jaguars winning 16-13.  That being said, you could do worse than pick any of these 3, but I am going to officially state Green Bay and Pittsburgh are my 2 official picks for this week.

Come back to Earth Candidates

The first guy I am going to talk about is Cam Newton.  After his walking on water performance, he should be a guy that if  you can get a superstar at a position of need, should be traded.  I still think he will have a pretty good year but nowhere near what he did to that Arizona defense that looked more like a scout team defense.  Going against a Green Bay defense that will be in his face a lot will force a lot of rookie mistakes.      

Ray Lewis

I still think he will have a good year, but I think you could take advantage of some people in your league that might have fell in love with him.  Do not start this week, which should automatically mean don't start Steve Smith as well or any Panther for that matter.

Chris Johnson will be fine as he has a coach that wants to run, a quarterback that really isn't able to throw that well anymore and he wants to shut up his critics.  Unfortunately, he is going against a Ravens defense, whose strength is the run.  I think the Baltimore defense is getting a lot of credit for last week and will come back to earth, just not this week as they can concentrate on stopping the run against the Titans.  The Ravens defense have a lot of new defensive backs and Zbikowski as the strong safety.  Lucky for them, Ed Reed is back there.  They played out of their mind last week and don't be surprised if there is a let down, not that it will matter against these guys as they should win handily and are a prime suicide pick.

Week 1 Thoughts

First off my apologies to the betting public, as going 1-2 is no way to start a season.  That being said, the Jets and Cowboys scored the last 17 basically from defense, so that should have went under.  Pittsburgh threw up on themselves and kudos to the Ravens who actually looked like they knew the preseason ended a week prior.  This will be the first overreaction as everybody will start saying that the Steelers are not that good and this will be a down year.  It was a bad game and that happens, they will figure it out and be fine.  The Ravens will be much better on offense this year and I like Flacco as a fantasy option.
Cam Newton will easily get the 15 passing and 8-10 rushing touchdowns I mentioned recently, but do not expect what he did yesterday to be the norm.  What I learned more than anything watching that game is that the Arizona Cardinals defense is bad.  Newton did not face much of a rush and the coverage looked more like high school as their were some pretty wide open guys that Newton was throwing to.  He did look good and he was not missing the open receivers, which is the important part.  If they get near the goal line, he is going to score some touchdowns though.
Dez Bryant, if he can stay healthy, will be an absolute beast and will finish as a top 5 receiver.  Not sure if he will stay healthy though.  Romo likes him and this kid will take the ball from people.  If you can trade for him right now in fantasy, I would go and get him.  He will be that good.
I can't tell if Mike Shanahan knows what he is doing or if the Giants have absolutely no clue what they are doing.
Stat of the week, the Dallas Cowboys were 241-0-1 in games where they held a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter prior to last night.  Not exactly, the way to start your first season starting as a head coach.  Cue all of the it wasn't his fault people.  My only response would be simple 241-0-1 prior to last night.  Pretty tough to argue with that logic.

Suicide and Gambling Picks for Week One

This will be the first of my weekly picks for the degenerates out there and I am going to start out with a doozy stating that  I would take Pittsburgh who is a pick em over Baltimore and I will also go with the over at 36.5.  Sounds crazy with these 2 great defenses, but I think Pittsburgh will be able to throw on these guys.  For fantasy people, I am not a huge fan of the Baltimore Defense.  They are more of a name now than anything else, I would say they are a top 10 but in the later part.  A lot of new defensive backs out there that will need to prove something before I can get behind them.
I like the under in the Jets vs the Cowboys, which is at 41.  I think both of these defenses are going to have a lot to prove this weekend and this will stay under easily.
My suicide picks of the week are usually teams that I feel are can't miss, I don't like to be pretty about it and make these crazy picks, which is why I would never take Pitt over Baltimore as even though I think they will win, it is too risky to do week one.  I am going to try and get to week 2 with Arizona over Carolina, as Carolina's defense won't be able to do much against the Cardinals.  There will be a lot of running by Carolina, so I don't like this as a gamble pick as the Cards are giving 7 points.  I would take Arizona in the suicide pool and stay away from the gambling end.
My second pick for the suicide pool is the NE Patriots over the Dolphins.  I think the Dolphins will be better than people think, but I am playing it safe and I don't think there is any chance that the Patriots don't win this game.
Suicide pool game that I don't like that people are crowing about is Philly over St. Louis.  I would stay away from it.  I could see Steve Spagnuolo's defense come up big in this game and if Philly can't stop the run, forget about it.  In St. Louis, a lot of pressure on Philly, this could be an upset.
Good luck and make some money this week.

Quick Thoughts

Here are a couple of guys who I think are still good players and good fantasy options, but I think will take a step back due to other mitigating factors.  Desean Jackson, who is an immense talent, will not put up the crazy numbers he has been due to Maclin, Celek, McCoy and now Steve Smith becoming more integral parts of the offense.  McCoy and Maclin really started to take off in the latter part of the season and I only expect that to be more of the case.  Jackson will still have a few of those crazy games where he just goes off though, just not as often as in the past.  Hakeem Nicks will have a quieter year as he will face a lot more double teams now that Eli Manning's security blankets Kevin Boss and Steve Smith have moved on.  This will also make Mario Manningham a much better option, I would keep him on my bench in fantasy until he becomes the consistent receiver I expect.  Miles Austin will start to decline a bit as Dez Bryant will become a top receiver this year, leaving Austin to still make a good amount of receptions just don't expect the touchdown production.

If you are the New Orleans Saints and are going to try and run it from the one against a much better defensive line, at least put in Pierre Thomas who is lighter and might be able to get a little bit more vertical.  Honestly, as has already been pointed out ad nauseam, they should have kept it in Brees' hands and let him throw the ball against the Green Bay defense.

Lasty, I just wanted to pat myself on the back as although everybody knew coming into this season that the Packers had a very good offense, not too many people were talking about this draft pick in the mid rounds that they made.

From April 30th post:

 "Randall Cobb just made Green Bay a very scary offense, enough said."

Predictions Part Deux: Fantasy Sleepers

Now that most fantasy drafts have been done, I can add my 2 cents about what I think.  The always controversial first pick is an overrated one.  If you decide to take Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson and even the oft mentioned Arian Foster in this years, you will be doing fine.  Any one of them can get injured and the fact that Foster is already nursing a hamstring injury does drop him a bit in a standard league. Now in a points per reception league, I think the risk would be warranted as he is much better in the receiving category than the other two.  That being said if all 3 are healthy, I am going to say I take Peterson last out of the three simply because he has to play against much better opponents.  The Titans and Texans both get to play a possibly very tired Colts defense if Manning does not come back for some time, never mind the fact that they are always a team that gives up a lot of yards on the ground.  I think the same can be said for the Jaguars, who most likely will not be putting up a lot of points as they just threw in the towel, by cutting David Garrard.  Teams will run in the AFC South as opposed to the Vikings who must play the much improved Lions, Bears and the Packers twice a year.
I think Aaron Rodgers will have a very good year, but I think if Ryan Grant and James Starks can start running the ball like 2 years ago, Rodgers will not have to put up the numbers that he did last year.  I do think that the Packers are still the team to beat with the Saints and the Eagles coming up third, as I do not think that Vick will be healthy all year long.

Mr. Newton could be a fantasy sleeper

A couple of wide receiver sleepers that I haven't seen drafted and are off the radar are Nate Burleson from the Detroit Lions, this is totally dependent upon Matt Stafford's health, and Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Big Ben has a lot of targets and this speedster will take advantage of single coverage, which will lead to some big plays.
I am not a big fan of Cam Newton as the number one overall pick, but I don't mind him as a reserve quarterback in a 2 quarterback league.  I think head coach Ron Rivera will have him take it slow and they will be a run heavy team.  Cam Newton is not a small guy like Michael Vick.  This guy can take some hits and keep going.  Defensive backs are not going to go head first with Mr. Newton and I am not sure linebackers will do it either.  Considering he is bigger than running back Jonathan Stewart and Deangelo Williams, get ready for at least 10 rushing touchdowns and at least 400 rushing yards (I think he will go over 400)  to go along with maybe 10 to 15 passing touchdowns.  That will give you some good depth and considering you can get him through free agency, a huge value to Vick who is usually going in the first round.
I will add snippets as I go, so if you are looking for some guys late in the week, I will try to pitch in and get you over the top on a week to week basis.

Why are the Jaguars Keeping Del Rio?

Does anybody really think that the Jaguars can make the playoffs without David Garrard?  I most certainly don't.  I think a team needing a quarterback like maybe the Redskins, should go and pick this guy up as he is a much better option than what they have.  That being said, if the Jaguars ownership is stating that they need to make the playoffs in order to keep Del Rio as their head coach, what are they truly saying? Obviously, they don't want to keep this guy.  So why not just get rid of him earlier in the off-season?  Maybe get their first round pick working with the same offensive coordinator, who will most likely be gone along with Del Rio, and head coach as opposed to starting a whole new system in season 2.
This is why I state fairly often, that just because people are in the business and are making the big money, does not mean they always know what they are doing.

2011 NFL Predictions

Before the season gets underway, I would like to make a few predictions and then can grade myself at the end of the year.  I was going to do something for fantasy football fans as well, but due to my wife's draft being tomorrow, she does not want me to give any tips to any possible opponents.  Maybe on Wednesday, I will come up with some individual predictions.
As much as I like the Texans, I am not going to follow suit to most people in the media stating that the Colts are done.  They still have a fairly easier division with the Jaguars and Titans being in the mix, despite them always playing Indy tough.  If Manning does not play, all bets are off.  I highly doubt that will be the case though.
If Pittsburgh's line stays healthy and they don't face NE in the playoffs, they are my favorite to make it back to the Super Bowl.  The defense is intact and the receivers are going to make a ton of plays this year.  Roethlisberger should be very good statistically, which will open up the running lanes for Mendenhall.  I don't like them against NE in the playoffs as it never works out well for the Steelers.
The KC Chiefs will take a step back.  I think they took advantage of a week schedule as well as a week division, which the Oakland Raiders went 6-0 in.  The AFC West will be won by the Chargers, who given a new coach and GM, would be my Super Bowl favorite year in and year out.  They have a ton of talent and have added good pieces this year, more importantly they kept Vincent Jackson and Eric Weddle wearing the powder blue and yellow.  If they don't start out slow as usual, they should win 12 games at least.
The Lions, Vikings and Browns are my sleeper teams.  I have mentioned the Lions in previous posts, but I will just say that if Stafford stays healthy and they can find some continuity in the defensive backfield, Motown may be playing into January and then some.  Cleveland will win 7-8 games, which is no small feat in the AFC North.  I love Colt McCoy and I would like them to give him some more toys but he finds ways too win.  I would not bet against them if they are more than 10 point underdogs as they will be in most games.  I would have the Vikings possibly as a wild card team if they had not traded Rice as I do not understand why you would bring in McNabb and take away his best option.  Keep an eye out on Kyle Rudolph and Visante Shiancoe as Donovan loves his tight ends.  They will be at least .500 and steal a couple of wins from the Bears and Packers.  The division is too tough in my opinion and is being underestimated by many.
Julio Jones is my favorite for Rookie of the year as he is a physical freak and is going to be playing opposite Roddy White.  Tony Gonzales and Michael Turner are other options for opposing defenses to pay attention to, which is going to open up Julio and the Falcons are going to want to get Mr. Jones involved early and often to show fans why they traded the farm to get him.
I am going to end with that for the time being and maybe add a part deux in the next couple of days.