The House of Crouse: 08.04.08

Posted by Mark Crouse on 08.04.2008

Mark analyzes the trade deadline deals of MLB, and gives his top ten quarterbacks for fantasy football, in this week's edition.

It's that time of the week again...time to enter The House of Crouse for some sports-related hijinx. This week, I'll break down the quarterback position for your fantasy drafting pleasure. I'll also take a look at some big baseball trades that have taken place before the trade deadline, and tell you which moves will affect your fantasy league.

Let's start with MLB, where the trade deadline allows contenders to prey on pretenders, and the deck is shuffled for the playoff run. Here are the biggest moves, along with fantasy views for your use.

-In one of the most brain-cramping trades I can remember in my twenty odd years of following baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers landed OF Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox by way of the Pittsburgh Pirates. OF Jason Bay went from the Pirates to Boston, and prospects from both teams, highlighted by RP Craig Hansen and 3B Andy LaRoche went to Pittsburgh. LA now has a realistic shot at the playoffs in an even weaker than usual NL West. If you own Manny, keep him. I know, Chavez Ravine is a pitcher's paradise, but Mar-Ram (I hate that nickname) owners have one very important factor in their favor: Manny has to be motivated and content being traded to a team that needs him and is poised for a playoff run. He is one of the few hitters in the league that can carry an offense single-handedly for a few months. Bay's move to Boston should have the same effect, since the Red Sox have a better offensive lineup.

-The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim traded 1B Casey Kotchman and a minor league pitcher for the best bat on the market, Atlanta Braves 1B Mark Teixeira. Teixeira makes the Angels equally as potent on paper with Boston for the best team in the AL. The slugger protects Vlad Guerrero, as well as gives the team their missing power bat for the stretch run. This is a great deal for LA, even if they lose Teixeira in the offseason. For fantasy purposes, Kotchman and Teixeira pretty much stay status quo, since they were already in decent lineups with neutral ballparks.

-The New York Yankees acquired OF Xavier Nady and journeyman reliever Damaso Marte from Pittsburgh for a package of prospects, most notably OF Jose Tabata. This is not a typical deadline deal for the Yanks, who did more than facilitate a salary-dump in getting Nady. Tabata is considered a decent prospect, and will further the youth movement in the Steel City. Nady's fantasy prospects improve slightly since he is in a much better lineup in New York. He will definitely score more runs and drive more in since he is surrounded by top-level talent.

-The New York Yankees acquires C Ivan Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers for RP Kyle Farnsworth. The Yanks had a large hole at catcher once Jorge Posada was lost to injury last week. Somehow, Jose Molina of the catching Molina brothers didn't fit the bill. The New Yorkers don't really lose much, considering Farnsworth never really performed to expectations in the Bronx. Pudge wasn't really a fantasy option, and he still isn't despite the move to another great hitting team. Farnsworth, on the other hand, presents a curious option for those owners in desperate need of saves. Since Todd Jones' demotion, the Tigers have been on the lookout for a closer. There's always a chance Farnsworth flames out in Detroit, but he may also contribute. He's worth a pickup if you have a free roster spot.



Let's talk about quarterbacks. In this edition, I'll break down the position and help wade through the sea of possibilities to make the best choice for your fantasy signal-caller (and backup). The best way to do this is to address each potential starter and evaluate their fantasy value. I'll even make predictions (hey, the "experts" do it, why can't I). At midseason, I'll even hold myself accountable and revisit these predictions. Without further ado, here are the ten quarterbacks which I'd have as starters in a ten team league. The rest of the NFL teams have questions that will be answered about their starters that will affect my rankings


1.Tom Brady-NE-Without a doubt, the top QB in the draft, and for the first time I can remember, the first one that is an unquestioned top-10 selection. After setting a record with 50 passing scores, Brady has retained every offensive weapon save Donte Stallworth. Sure, defenses got a blueprint on how to slow down Brady in the Super Bowl when the Giants hit him in the mouth over and over again, but there are only a few teams that have the personnel to implement that game plan. Don't overthink it and feel good about drafting Brady well before other quarterbacks. His consistency also allows his owner to take some chances in assembling his roster later in the draft. 4200 yards, 45 TD, 15 INT
2.Peyton Manning-IND-Manning had a great year in '07, and he's the other half of the top tier of quarterbacks, but he comes into the season off of knee surgery to remove a bursa sac. All indications are that he will miss no time, so I have to rank him with that in mind. Expect more of the same from the elder Manning, and take him in the second round if you can get the back you want in the third round. 4200 yards, 32 TD, 14 INT
3.Tony Romo-DAL-Jessica Simpson's boytoy is a sensational fantasy option, although it's unclear whether his success is more attributable to his talents or the stellar supporting cast he is blessed with. It's likely a mixture of both, but it's a moot point, since you don't care how he puts up the stats. He's a step down from Manning, but only by about a round. 3900 yards, 29 TD, 17 INT
4.Drew Brees-NO-The addition of TE Jeremy Shockey puts Brees slightly ahead of Carson Palmer. I also think New Orleans is an offense on the rise, while Cincy is an offense that will likely not be as potent as years past due to a sketchy running game. Brees has weapons, smarts, and has hit the bottom of his output, causing massive carnage for his owners in the first half of last season, only to come on late and throw for 4400 yards and 28 TD. His draft position is the line of demarcation for the top quarterbacks, as I can't see any others throwing for 30 scores. 4300 yards, 30 TD, 21 INT.
5.Carson Palmer-CIN-Palmer has thrown fewer touchdowns, more interceptions, and for a lower rating for the last three seasons. He still has two number one receivers, but his running game is less intimidating than when Rudi Johnson was moving the pile for 1300 yards every season like clockwork. He'll have some big games, but he won't reach 30 TD. 4000 yards, 26 TD, 19 INT.
6.Ben Roethlisberger-PIT-Big Ben had a breakthrough season in '07 and took a lot of fantasy teams to the promised land. Mike Tomlin's offense fit with Roethlisberger's improvisational style and he had more than a few two-yard scores to fullbacks and tight ends, to the detriment of Willie Parker's touchdown total. Big Ben won't have as many TDs, but will still be a quality starter. You may have to overpay to get him, though, but quarterbacks are very top-heavy this season. His yardage total makes him a notch lower than Palmer, but he will have some huge games along the way. 3500 yards, 26 TD, 15 INT.
7.Matt Hasselbeck-SEA-Hasselbeck is pure vanilla; he'll produce numbers, but never put up those numbers in huge chunks (only two 300 yard games, only two 3+ TD games). His consistency can be an asset to a team that has taken some chances with its early picks. Virtually risk free, you can count on 12-17 points from the Seattle quarterback in most standard leagues, but don't count on him to carry your squad. His new running attack, led by former Cowboy Julius Jones makes for even less big-play potential. Let your decision to draft Hasselbeck or my #8 quarterback be decided by your tolerance for risk. 3800 yards, 25 TD, 12 INT.
8.Donovan McNabb-PHI-Here is fantasy's riddle wrapped in an enigma. McNabb can put up mammoth games like he did in week three vs. Detroit (381 yards, 4 TD), but he misses at least a few games each year with an inevitable injury, and had eleven games with one or zero scores that killed fantasy owners out of fourteen. The eighth quarterback selected is about right for McNabb, considering he has the talent to be much better, but he has the inconsistency to be much worse. Here's a fun bit of trivia: Mr. Chunky Soup has never thrown for 4000 yards, and has only his stellar 2004 as a season with more than 25 TD passes. 3600 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT.
9.Derek Anderson-CLE-Anderson came out of absolutely nowhere to wrest the starting job from Charlie Frye (remember him) and put up the most improbable fantasy season of '07. Anderson and Braylon Edwards became one of the league's most potent combos, and that should continue into '08. However, Anderson is young, and throws a lot of picks, particularly once the league got a look at him. He finished with 29 TD and 19 INT, but I wouldn't be shocked if he has closer to the same number this year. Overall, I don't think he's going to improve from last year, so he'll likely regress slightly. 3700 yards, 25 TD, 20 INT.
10.Jay Cutler-DEN-Cutler is this year's breakthrough favorite in his second full season as a starter. The problem with that analysis is that his team isn't as strong as it used to be, particularly from a running standpoint. He also relies on scarily inconsistent wideout Brandon Marshall too heavily for my taste. Cutler has the talent, and will progress with better numbers than last year. Just don't expect the world, and consider drafting a backup that can be used in spots like Matt Schaub or David Garrard. 3700 yards, 23 TD, 15 INT.


That's all for this week, kids. Next week we'll see how the running back ranks look for '08, among other exciting topics. See you then, and as always, Godspeed.