Initalone 

Henry and Lewis are possibly the league's best 1-2 punch at RB.  Is starting RB status on the Steelers really meaningful or will Linda be waiting for a Bus Breakdown? Appears the Bus is parked.  IN-IT has the Bills past and present #2 WRs.  Can they both thrive in their new surroundings, or will they suffer adjusting? How much will a missing Vick hurt Price's production? So far, there is some concern for Price and Reed.  Is the breakout year for Ashley Lelie? He's moved into the lineup but will need better QB production.

Nazi Note:

Initalone's Rep Rating has been modified due to an earlier oversight. The Gamblers are no longer alone at the top.

Blue Dogs 

Benefited from Tomlinson's unexpected drop.  Much depends on the productivity of Eddie George and Duce Staley. What uniform will Duce be wearing? Does Tim Brown have another productive season in him, or will he give way to Jerry Porter? So, far Porter is limping.  Can Wesley Walls find a happy home with Bret Favre and Bubba Franks?  QB depth is never a problem for the Blue Dogs.

George looks better this year and will be a nice compliment to LT. Will need to keep drug suspended players out of the lineup. No active TEs on the roster. Can the Bills D play the Pats every week? What if Coles could always play the Jets?  With Smith and Chamberlan, the lead the league in drug suspensions.

La Danian Thomlinson RB
Peyton Manning QB
Eddie George RB
Lavanues Coles WR
Duce Staley	RB
Jimmy Smith	WR
Tim Brown	WR
Jeff Garcia	QB
Jason Elam	K
Ed McCaffrey WR
Byron Chamberlan TE
Steelers	D
Wesly Walls	TE
Dorsey LevinsRB
Wayne Crebet WR
David Patten	WR
Paul Edinger	K
Bills D	D
Willis McGay-Hee RB
Brian Griese	QB

NYC Bullies 

Something old, something new might describe their Hall of Fame WR lineup: Moss, Bruce and Rice. Why would anyone underestimate Jerry Rice?  It's still tough for me to rate the oldsters high.  That said, Quincy Morgan could be poised to join the NFL's elite. So age may not matter. Speaking of oldsters, will Curtis Martin see his workload reduced? No, but Vinnie isn't helping his cause.  McNair is healthy, for now. Age and the absence of a bye week RB have held down their ratings. Could be Mo! Their performance can defy the ratings if the oldsters come through.  Not yet too old, Moss and Bruce came through nicely as the Vikes and Rams look improved.

Nazi Note: I made my first ever FF draft pick in our neighborhood league when my daughter Laura was 8 months old.  Laura is now 17. Who was that first pick?  Jerry Rice, and he wasn't a rookie.

Ricky Williams RB
Curtis Martin	RB
Randy Moss	WR
Isaac Bruce	WR
Jerry Rice	WR
Steve McNair QB
Quincy Morgan WR
Martin Gramatica K
Doug Jolly	TE
Panthers	D
LaMont Jordan RB
Redskins	D
Mo Williams	RB
Joey Harrington QB
Jay Reimersma TE
Keenan McArdell WR
Matt Stover	K
Nejah Davenport RB
Kelly Holcomb QB
Terry Glenn	WR

Braeside Bruisers 

The Nazi used to believe in the theory: you can never have too many starting RBs. The Bruiser's draft has challenged that belief.  There's a nice stable of RBs (Portis, Green, Barlow, A. Smith, K. Faulk). The WRs pose significant questions after Horn as productivity is missing from the résumés.  Is Marc Boerighter ready to break out? Is he even a starter? No! Was this an instance of drafting from the heart? The NPR system includes grades on reputation for post draft improvement skills. It's a tough deal for rookies.  With trade bait in place, could Gannon or Warner be added to the roster? Would Warner help?  Because...

With Ferguson cut, WR power outage must be solved to contend. 

Clinton Portis	RB
William Green RB
Joe Horn	WR
Bret Favre	QB
Kevan Barlow RB
Antone Smith RB
Charles Rodgers WR
Robert Ferguson WR
Shannon Sharpe TE
Marc Boerighter WR
Brad Johnson QB
Kevin Faulk	RB
Thomas Jones RB
Pats D	D
Adam Vinieteri K
Antoine Randall El WR
Seahawks D	D
Michael Ricks TE
Jerome Pathon WR
Ryan Lyndell	K

Homer's Heroes

Ahhhh, the early and often QB draft strategy.  It has left them with A-train, Ducket and Bettis for RBs.  A lesson in the law of scarcity.  At the end of the draft, at least three starting NFL QBs were undrafted and available for claim. The same can not be said about the other position players.  Hopefully they can enjoy watching Bear games this season. (DOOOH!) If not, A-Train and Dez White could double the frustration.

If Warner is trade bait, how long will it take for injuries to inflate his value? What will their record be in the meantime? Will Gannon be the one to go? Not if Warner is on the bench. Gannon/Warner, Ward and Heap are superior weapons. Will that be enough?  The QB trade watch begins; tick, tick, tick.

The competitive juices must begin to flow. Learning lineup lessons with two too many Johnsons in week one lineup. 

Rich Gannon	QB
Kurt Warner	QB
Anthony Thomas	RB
Hines Ward	WR
T J Duckett	RB
Todd Heap	TE
Tai Streets	WR
James Thrash	WR
Jerome Bettis	RB
Brian Finneran	WR
Peter Warrick	WR
Packers	D
Adrian Peterson RB
Kyle Brady	TE
Larry Johnson RB
Morten Anderson K
Zach Crocket RB
Bryant Johnson WR
Lamar Smith	RB
Dez White	WR

 Division Average 

Football Nazis

Last season's hottest RB tandem (Holmes=#1, Garner=#4) have been reunited. There is annual disbelief surrounding Holmes and Garner. Will the Nazi's faith be rewarded again? For now, yes. Will Onterrio Smith be the rookie of the year? He will need to play for that to happen. As the Chiefs go, so go the Nazis as four KC Chiefs will be key: Holmes, Gonzo, Green and Morton.  Morton? Is he even worth a roster spot? Just a Nazi hunch. Good hunch on Chiefs. Morton a maybe.  Will the allegedly great Koren Robinson live up to the hype or be traded for better productivity? He will need to get in some shootouts.  Will Travis Taylor be a worthy #3 WR? Only with a decent QB.  Is this the breakout year for Antonio Bryant? Could be their #3.  Will an itchy trading trigger finger derail a potential runaway train?  Vike RBs must have value for the dealing to begin.  

Will the wheels come off in the playoffs again or will a fast healing Mike Vick propel them to the top?  While Vick's fast healing remains to be seen, Priest has healed nicely. 

Priest Holmes RB
Charlie Garner RB
Eric Moulds	WR
Koren Robinson WR
Tony Gonzalez TE
Warrick Dunn RB
Travis Taylor	WR
Onterrio Smith RB
Trent Green	QB
Michael Vick	QB
Ravens	D
Johnnie Morton WR
Stephen Alexander TE
Doug Chapman RB
Antonio Bryant WR
Mike Hollis	K
Steve Smith	WR
Derrick Blaylock RB
Teyo Johnson TE
Doug Johnson QB

Poopy Pants

Can the former head Hooter make it a three-peat? Inquiring minds demand to know: What stands in the way?  Stephen Davis?  Will he be the real deal in his new location? Real, so far.  What will the signing of Staley do to Buckhalter's value? Not helping.  Is Chad Johnson becoming an elite WR? Santana Moss without Pennington is like a day without sunshine.

Positive answers to these questions will be bad news for the rest of us. For the Pants, positives will bring a Festivous, odor free campaign.

Bulger could turn them into the favorite. If Stallworth can avoid Isaac Bruce disease, combined with Holt and Johnson, PPs could have the league's most feared WR trio. McAllister's health is their Achilles heal.

Deuce McAllister RB
Stephen Davis RB
Tory Holt WR
Chad Johnson WR
Jeremy Shocky TE
Kerry Collins	QB
Dante Stallworth WR
Correll Buckhalter RB
Reggie Wayne WR
Santana Moss WR
Titans D	D
DeShawn Foster RB
Billy Miller	TE
Darrius Thompson WR
Mark Brunell	QB
Joe Nedny	K
LaBrandon Toefield RB
Mark Bulger	QB
Justin Fargas RB
Kelly Washington WR

Loose Gooses

As a frustrated former owner of both Dillon and Taylor, it is difficult to fear the Gooses week in and week out.  What will the absence of Jimmy Smith do to Fragile Fred's first half? Will the Bengals ever improve enough to allow Dillon to get his late game carries?  Is Todd Pinkston ready to emerge, or is that too much to expect from a stick man?  

Week one WR output is an added concern. About the time Stacy Mack becomes their #2 RB, Dillion will have his next 25 point game.  Been there.

Cory Dillon	RB
Fred Taylor	RB
Donald Driver WR
Amani Toomer WR
Troy Brown	WR
Drew Bledsoe QB
Marcus Pollard TE
Stacy Mack	RB
Todd Pinkson WR
Mike Vanderjact K
Raiders	D
Aaron Stecker RB
Frank Wycheck TE
John Kitna	QB
Olindo Mare	K
Giants	D
Elvis Joseph	RB
DeWayne Bates WR
Brandon Bennett RB
Travis Minor	RB

Schmued Potatoes 

A healthy Marshall Faulk makes them a threat on any given Sunday. Drafting Lamont Gordon may have provided better sleeping conditions. Is Jerry Porter the guy you want as your #1 WR considering he is officially the #3 WR option on his own team? Not yet, he's hurting.  That said, Derrick Mason might be that guy and Darrel Jackson is poised to ascend if Koren Robinson can't come out for an encore.

First to be jinxed by predictions? Is it now the Stewed Potatoes? James Stewart's departure is a blow.  Cory Bradford is a great fill in.  Too bad Hearst doesn't play the Bears every week.  Could Jake Plummer be as bad as he seems?

Marshall Faulk RB
Dante Culpepper QB
James Stewart RB
Jerry Porter	WR
Derrick Mason WR
Darrel Jackson WR
Garrison Hearst RB
Bubba Franks TE
David Akers	K
Jake Plummer QB
Eagles	D
Jay Feely	K
Freddie Jones TE
Cory Bradford WR
Bill Schroeder W R
Broncos D	D
Jay Fiedler	QB
Joe Jurevicious WR
Michael Wiley RB
Frank Sanders WR

Beat The Heat

One of the deepest teams in the league.  My concerns lie with two front line players. RB Alexander is a good back for TD leagues, average in our system. Above average so far.  And Maurice Morris may challenge for PT.  David Boston has a high risk/reward scenario joining a new run orientated team.  When I read the Sports Illustrated story about him requesting that Cardinal DBs not hit him in practice out of concern for hurting his nipple piercings, I became a skeptic. He's a scary dude. As if Randy Moss and Terrell Owens are regular guys.

Tiki is another small RB that doesn't get enough draft day respect. He should have been a 1st rounder. If Galloway stays hot the Heat could be tough to beat. Boston needs to scare more than me.

Shawn Alexander RB
Tiki Barber	RB
David Boston WR
Trung Canidate RB
Curtis Conway WR
Tommy Maddox QB
Joey Galloway WR
Michael Pittman RB
Eddie Kennison WR
Chad Pennington QB
Jamal White	RB
Marcell Shipp RB
Jabar Gaffney WR
Dennis Northcut WR
Ryan Longwell K
Saints D	D
Daniel Graham TE
Jason McAddley WR
Deon Branch	WR
Jonathan Wells RB

Bocce Balls

They've again assembled an impressive arsenal of WRs (Harrison, Booker, Gardner, Chambers, Hilliard).  But after Edgerin James, I would be concerned about scoring points with RBs. While Troy Hambrick has a golden opportunity to shine, he has yet to be declared Tuna's starter and has not excelled in preseason games. He looks serviceable.  Should Marshall Faulk or Shawn Alexander go down, their fortunes would change dramatically. 

Weekly WR lineup decisions will be challenging. When do you start Booker?

Edgerin James RB
Marvin Harrison WR
Aaron Brooks QB
Troy Hambrick RB
Marty Booker WR
Rod Gardner	WR
Chris Chambers WR
Ike Hilliard	WR
Alge Crumpler TE
Sebastian Janikowski-K
Drew Brees	QB
Falcons	D
LaDell Betts	RB
Kevin Johnson WR
Eric Johnson	TE
Lamar Gordon RB
Rams D	D
Reche Caldwell WR
Maurice Morris RB
Marcus Robinson WR

Playoff Odds