2011 Fantasy Football: Mailbag


There will be many more 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings and features in the late spring and summer, including tons of 2011 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts and Player Rankings. I’ll also have an extensive 2011 NFL Fantasy Football Preseason Stock Report. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.



2011 Fantasy Football – Mailbag (June 12):

The following 2011 Fantasy Football mailbag questions are regarding the 2011 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings.


  • From Northern Touch:

    LOL @ Rivers @ # 8. The guy single-handedly carried the Chargers last year, and didn’t have his #1 WR or LT for the majority of the year, not to mention losing Gates mid-way through the year. LT is gone, this is Rivers’ team and Norv isn’t going to shy away from letting him air it out there. Heck, the dude was leading QB’s in almost every major statistical category for a good chunk of the year last season IIRC (before tom tom went off) Easily top 5.


    –> Philip Rivers did indeed carry the Chargers last year. But will he have to do that in 2011? I don’t think so. San Diego will be a better team.

    As for Norv Turner having Rivers “air it out,” check out Rivers’ pass attempts in the past five years: 460, 460, 478, 486, 541. Notice an outlier? If the Chargers have more leads, which they will because they’ll be better in 2011, then they won’t be throwing the ball as much. That’s just Football 101.



  • From HeyWalt:

    I’m guessing based on your rankings you’d rather have Tebow, who you think will not play all 16 games, over Sam Bradford and Eli Manning. Mind explaining the thinking behind that?


    –> Because Tim Tebow is a top-eight fantasy quarterback if he plays all 16 games. I don’t think he will, so he’s No. 12 in my current rankings. Tebow has a legitimate chance to score 10 rushing touchdowns. Not even the evil QB Dog Killa can say that.



  • From walt cherepensky:

    browns win against patriots wasn’t fluke!!! and thank you for putting fantasy stuff up already your fantasy advice is best in the business


    –> Thank you! I actually just re-watched that Browns-Patriots game a couple of weeks ago. New England had a bunch of fluke turnovers, and they seemed to play with absolutely no energy. Meanwhile, Eric Mangini just had Bill Belichick game planned perfectly. It was a cool win for the Browns, but you don’t go from destroying the Patriots to losing to Jacksonville two weeks later despite getting seven turnovers without something being a fluke.



  • From Ty:

    Ponder the pro ready accuarte QB naw he is gonna do worse than cam newton with less weapons. or worse tan jake who can throw a straight pass to save his life.


    –> You could be right about real football, but there’s no question Cam Newton is the better fantasy quarterback this year. The Vikings are going conservative and run-heavy. Newton, meanwhile, is going to pile up rushing yards and rushing touchdowns like Vince Young did back in 2006.




    The following 2011 Fantasy Football mailbag questions are regarding the 2011 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings.


  • From Really…:

    You are a fool if AP isn’t your top back. Best running back in the NFL period, and plays through injuries. Faces weak defenses….Walt sometimes you are a genius and sometimes you are plain stupid. This is one of them where you are stupid.


    –> Thanks for calling me a semi-genius!

    Let’s do the Adrian Peterson checklist:

    – Plays behind a poor offensive line? Check.

    – Plays with a rookie quarterback whom defenses won’t respect? Check.

    – Plays on a team that will be trailing a lot, so they won’t be able to run as much as they’d like to? Check.

    – Plays in a division with three tough run defenses? Check.

    I love Peterson as a player, but this is going to be one of his weaker seasons, fantasy-wise.



  • From Satan:

    Walt, I love the LeGs Blount love. I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised this year and seeing him involved in the passing game. They got a smart young coach, so hopefully he realizes that Blount could be deadly in the screen game, runnin downhill with nothing but DB’s in his path.


    –> I would love to see LeGarrette Blount develop the pass-catching part of his game. If he becomes a three-down player, there’s no question that he would be a top-five fantasy running back.



  • From Wow:

    I think that its pretty funny that every year you put all the Chiefs so low, and every year you make up crap about the Chiefs being terrible. Not a fan of these running back rankings. Jamaal Charles is top 6 easily.


    –> Every year? Like in 2006, when I correctly picked them to go 9-7? Or like in 2007, when I projected them to go 6-10 and they disappointed me with a 4-12 record? Or in 2008, when I said the Chiefs would go 3-13, and they once again disappointed me by finishing 2-14? Or in 2009, when I picked them to go 3-13, and they “fooled me wrong” by going 4-12?

    Kansas City’s 2010 season was such a farce. It was so predictable that they’d flop against the Ravens, one of the only legitimate teams they played all year. The Chiefs are going to suck in 2011, and all of the players will disappoint, fantasy-wise.

    Do I have Jamaal Charles a LITTLE BIT too low? Perhaps. Maybe I’ll move him up a tad as the summer progresses. But he’s definitely not a top-six fantasy running back.

    Top-six running backs need to do three things, or at least two of these three: 1) Play all three downs. 2) Score double-digit touchdowns. 3) Guarantee their owners 250-plus carries.

    Charles only does one of those things (Item 1). If you have Charles as your No. 1 running back, as someone else noted on the comment board, you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing, and you should quit fantasy football all together.

    More on Charles below.





  • From Matt:

    LeSean McCoy should be top five too. I think your hatred for Vick influenced McCoy being so low just a little.


    –> I’m going to recall that list I wrote earlier:

    Top-six running backs need to do three things, or at least two of these three: 1) Play all three downs. 2) Score double-digit touchdowns. 3) Guarantee their owners 250-plus carries.

    McCoy does No. 1, but not Nos. 2 and 3. Perhaps he could get to 10-plus touchdowns if Philadelphia’s quarterback stays healthy, but that’s a huge if, considering that QB Eagles No. 7 has played all 16 games only once in his career.

    So, in a sense, it’s not my hatred for QB Eagles No. 7 that influenced McCoy’s ranking; it’s the belief that QB Eagles No. 7 can stay healthy that influenced it.



  • From Skinsfan:

    Walter, you’re a idiot. The Giants DID draft a runningback. DaRel Scott out of Maryland. Google him. I sure hope this isn’t your main source of a income.


    –> Ah yes, how could I possibly forget about the venerable Da’Rel Scott, the 221st pick in the 2011 NFL Draft? Maybe it’s because, I don’t know, seventh-round picks are usually pretty insignificant?

    And yes, this is my main source of income, so your hopes have not come to fruition.



  • From Matty:

    I wouldn’t go so far as to say that James Starks is “way more talented” than Ryan Grant. Grant was coming off back to back 1,200 yard seasons in GB (behind a mediocre run blocking O line) before he was injured last year. He doesn’t have much wear on his body either. If Grant stays healthy he should be a good RB2 at worst IMO.


    –> Then we are in disagreement. James Starks would have been an early draft pick if it weren’t for his injury history. Despite all of those injuries, however, he was still selected in the fifth round. Ryan Grant is a pretty mediocre player who flourished because of the talent around him. Mediocre running backs have posted good numbers before.



    The following 2011 Fantasy Football mailbag questions came from my Facebook wall and my Twitter account.


  • From Michael F:

    Maybe its me but I like Chris Johnson more than Arian Foster ever so slightly… The titans will run the ball early and often.


    –> The Titans may not be able to run the ball because defenses won’t respect Jake Locker/Veteran QB like they did Vince Young’s ability to scramble and air it out downfield to Kenny Britt (who will probably be suspended for a couple of games).



  • From Travis L:

    You’re a Michael Turner hater. In my objective opinion Turner will get 1,843.3 rushing yards and 23 TDs.


    –> In his sleep maybe, Travis. I doubt he plays 12 games. Major injury risk. He’s also past his prime and doesn’t catch passes. He has more red flags than the Chinese embassy.



  • From Elliot D:

    Walter, the ONLY way that Jamaal Charles production goes down, is if he gets injured. I mean the last half of the 2009 season, he had about as many yards as you have him getting this season. AND that was without Charlie Weis. The guy is a stud, running behind a good runblocking o-line. It’s fine that you hate on the rest of the team, but you CAN’T hate on Jamaal Charles.


    –> You won’t like owning Jamaal Charles when he gets his first touch in the second quarter of most games. Charlie Weis is gone and Todd Haley is a freaking moron. Charles had ONE touch in the second half of that Baltimore game, and he doesn’t score touchdowns.



  • From Tom B:

    I wish I was in a league with you when you pick Foster #1……… you idiot


    –> Tom, I think you have a bit too much sand in your vag today.

    Anyway, I’d take offense to your insults if I didn’t go to the second round of the playoffs in all 7 of my leagues last year, and if I didn’t have Foster as a sleeper before anyone else this past summer.



    More 2011 Fantasy Football Articles:
    2011 Fantasy Football: Home

    2011 Fantasy Football Rankings:
    2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 9/1 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/26 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Downloadable Spreadsheets - 9/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Dynasty Rookie Rankings - 8/27 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Auction Values - 8/27 (Walt)

    2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
    2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 Traditional - 9/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 PPR - 9/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 Touchdown - 9/8 (Walt)

    2011 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
    2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Real League Draft - 8/31 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Fake Mock - 8/25 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Experts Draft - 8/25 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Forum 2-QB Mock - 7/21 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Mock Draft Scenarios - 7/17 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Auction: Mock PPR Auction - 7/14 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Forum PPR Mock - 7/7 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Forum Mock - 7/3 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Four-Man PPR Draft - 6/19 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Draft: Fox Sports - 5/5 (Walt)

    2011 Fantasy Football Articles:
    2011 Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 2 - 9/18 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Weekly Rankings: Week 2 - 9/18 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Week 2 Add/Drop - 9/13 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Training Camp Stock - 9/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Start Em, Sit Em - 9/6 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Preseason Stock - 9/3 (Walt)
    2011 Preseason Recap and Fantasy Football Notes - 9/3 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Preseason Targets - 9/3 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Late-Round Sleepers - 9/1 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Round-by-Round Strategy - 9/1 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Value Comparison - 9/1
    2011 Fantasy Football: Must-Have Players - 8/24 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Busts, Players to Avoid - 7/25 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 7/24 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 7/23 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Various League Strategy - 7/18 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Three-Dimensional Running Backs - 7/16 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: ADP Analysis - 7/15 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: First-Round Bust History - 7/10 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 7/9 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 7/4 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Analysis - 7/1 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 6/18 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 6/12 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 6/5 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Stock Up (Draft) - 5/6 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Stock Down (Draft) - 5/6 (Walt)
    2010 Fantasy Football: Buy Low - 4/8 (Walt)
    2011 Fantasy Football: Defense Strategy - 4/8 (Walt)
    Running Backs with Most Carries - 4/8 (Walt)





    2024 NFL Mock Draft - March 19


    NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22


    Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19


    NFL Picks - Feb. 12