My Chris Johnson Blog

Fantasy football projections are a bit different than fantasy rankings. Rankings will just give you a numbered list from the number one player to whatever number they decide to go up to. Projections are actual statistics that someone projects a player to have by the end of the year.
Sometimes new players (or even older experts) mix up the terms which is then more confusing to people trying to learn how to play fantasy football. They two concepts are very similar, but they have different uses when your planning your roster or cheatsheets.
A sample fantasy football ranking list:
1. Runnngback(RB) Chris Johnson /Tennessee Titans
2. RB Adrian Peterson/Minnesota Vikings
3. RB Maurice Jones-Drew/Jacksonville Jaguars And so on...
A sample of fantasy football projections
1. RB Chris Johnson/Titans -1735 Rushing Yards, 503 receiving yards, 12 Touchdown(TD)
2. RB Adrian Peterson/Vikings-1650 Rushing Yards, 333 receiving yards, 13 TD
3. RB Maurice Jones-DrewJaguars-1291 Rushing Yards, 447 receiving yards, 10 TD
4. Wide Receiver Randy Moss/Patriots 89 receptions, 1300 receiving yards, 12 TD
5. Quarter Back(QB) Drew Brees/Saints 4447 passing yards, 26 TD, 10 Interceptions
You can see that projections usually include the ranking system as well. While this probably wouldn't be an actual top 5, these are just to give you an idea of what would be projected for each position.
As you can see, projections are much more specific. Fantasy football projections are a prediction of points you are estimating that a player could earn in the future. Projections help you build out your rankings.
I did my own projections a few seasons ago and found that it's pretty much the same as ranking your players anyway, so to me it just seemed like a little extra effort that wasn't really needed. As long as you have a solid ranking system, I think projections may just be a little over-rated. However, if you do prefer using a website that uses projections, here is a strategy that may be able to help you.
Simply compare how the fantasy football website posted rankings compares to where you think the player should be ranked. You can then move them up and down depending on if you think they will do better or worse than what has been projected.
However, remember that each website may have very different projections for players. Projections are based upon points. The point system varies from league to league.
This can give you a good feel on developing your own rankings, and by using this method in conjunction with all of the other sources you choose to use, it could help you develop a winning team.

In 2008, the Tennessee Titans ended Indy's reign at the top of the AFC South by posting an NFL-best 13-3 regular season record. But the Titans were not able to build on their impressive 2008 campaign. In fact, they were 0-6 before you could even blink last season.

Tennessee's horrific start prompted head coach Jeff Fisher to give quarterback Vince Young another shot. The move paid off as Tennessee went on to finish the year 8-2. It was too little too late in terms of the playoffs, but the Titans' second half surge has them very confident as they enter their 2010 campaign.

Offense: Led by running back Chris Johnson, the Titans boasted the No. 2 ranked rushing offense in the NFL last season. Johnson was nothing short of spectacular as he became only the sixth back in NFL history to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a single season. Johnson also proved to be a major asset in the passing game, catching 50 passes for 503 yards. He will be the focal point of the Tennessee offense once again.

Young got the shot he was looking for, and he took full advantage, leading the Titans to eight wins in 10 games while posting a quarterback rating of 82.8, the highest of his career. Tennessee's strong running attack will give Young plenty of play-action opportunities.

The Titans will also need Young to make plays with his legs. He is not a pure pocket passer, but he is a great athlete. Making teams respect his ability to pull it down and run will make the offense even more feared.

Nate Washington and Kenny Britt lead a receiving corps that will get an added boost from rookie Damian Williams

Michael Roose, David Stewart, Eugene Amamo and Jake Scott return to form one of the best blocking units in football.

Defense: Because of Johnson, Tennessee's offense has the potential to give opponents headaches, but it will be all for not if the defense can't hold up on its end of the bargain. The Titans ranked No. 28 in the NFL in scoring defense last season, giving up 25.1 points per game. Their disappointing pass defense was responsible for most of those points. In fact, the Titans finished next to last in the league in passing defense, allowing 258.7 yards per game.

While Kyle Vanden Bosch and Keith Bulluck have found new homes, I'm confident that Tennessee will defend much better in 2010.

Stud tackle Tony Brown anchors a solid line that will get a boost from rookie defensive end Derrick Morgan. The linebacker corps will miss Bulluck, but veterans Will Witherspoon and Stephen Tulloch will keep this unit respectable.

There is far too much talent in the secondary for the Titans to defend the pass as poorly as they did last year. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan, who tallied five interceptions in 2009, and Pro Bowl safeties Michael Griffin and Chris Hope are all solid, and there is a lot of competition for the other corner spot, where the addition of rookie corner Alterraun Verner provides depth.

Prediction: 2nd AFC South - 2009 left a sour taste in the mouth of the Titans. They'll want nothing more than to get rid of that taste with a playoff berth, which is very much in the cards when you consider how close they came last season despite an 0-6 start. Be sure to check out my 2010 NFL predictions to see which teams I like to win their respective divisions this season.

For as long as I can remember, there's been an adjustment period for running backs as they come into the NFL. No matter how highly touted a running back prospect was, their first year was spent on the bench and in blocking situations to learn the ropes. Whether it's due to increasingly more pro-style offenses in college or simply coaches being more willing to let rookies spread their wings, there has clearly been an increase this year in rookie running back productivity. 3 rookies (Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton, and Matt Forte) rank among the top 15 yardage leaders in the NFL, with several others Tim Hightower, Jonathan Stewart, Darren McFadden, Felix Jones) falling in shortly behind, while each showing flashes of brilliance early.

All of the above mentioned running backs are part of a 2-back tandem except for Matt Forte, and that makes Forte an intriguing prospect. As a rookie, Forte is proving a capable feature back on a team that enters its bye week tied for the division lead. Forte has received 20 or more carries in all but two of the Bears games this season, and currently ranks 4th among all running backs in the NFL with 147 carries. He came into an extremely advantageous situation in Chicago, who had recently been disillusioned by Cedric Benson's lackluster attempt at power running game. Forte has a consistent running style (he has 0 fumbles all season) that fits well into Chicago's possession-based style of offense, and he has taken full advantage of his opportunities as a rookie starter.

Steve Slayton, on the other hand, earned his touches due to injuries to Ahman Green. He wasted little time showing the Texans that was a weapon to be utilized even when Green is healthy. Nicknamed "The Slasher" for his quick cuts and slashing play-style, Slayton also has proven himself to be a capable target out of the backfield, even while the Texans have been losing games. He has scored a touchdown in all but two of the Texans games, including the games he had to split time with Green in. Slayton has all the components to be a terrific positional player as a finesse back in a two-back system, and if the Texans could find a better compliment than Green, it could be one of the most dominant backfields in the NFL.

Speaking of the most dominant backfield on the NFL, another rookie, Chris Johnson, can boast that he is a part of it. Johnson and LenDale White (the NFL's touchdown leader) have formed a tandem so potent that it has carried the Titans to an undefeated record despite the loss of Vince Young. Johnson leads all starting backs with 5.1 yards per carry, and ranks 5th with 626 yards, which would be an impressive stat-line for a feature back, let alone someone splitting time with the NFL's touchdown leader. He's even managed to find the end zone himself 5 times. Once Vince Young returns to this offense, I'm not sure they'll even bother to line up wide receivers any more - just run, run, run, run.

While the position of RB has never been an old man's game, it's never been more clear that rookies can make an impact on their teams, and some can even be the difference maker that pushes their team over the edge.

The Tennessee Titans came of age in 2008 posting a 13-3 record and claiming the AFC South title knocking the Indianapolis Colts off of their perch. However, the season failed to end the way the Titans hoped as they were defeated 13-10 by the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Playoffs. The end of my fantasy season was far more favorable than the Titans as I claimed my 2nd Super Bowl title in 10 years. One of the big reasons I was celebrating around Christmas time when other owners were crying in their beer is Titans RB Chris Johnson. It all started in August when I saw Johnson break a long TD run during a pre-season game and I was amazed at his speed and I kept that vision in my head when my draft day came rolling around. I managed to steal Johnson in the 14th round of my draft and rode that train along with fellow rookie sensation Matt Forte to a championship and about $1100.00. Will Johnson be able to duplicate his success for 2009? Who are some of the other Titans to keep an eye on for the upcoming season? Let's take a look at the Titans fantasy potential heading into 2009.

Needless to say that Johnson was an integral part of my team last year on a weekly basis. Johnson splashed onto the NFL scene with 1228 yards and 9 TD's and also chipped in with 43 receptions for 260 yds and 1 TD. Amazingly, there could have been so much more but Johnson continuously lost goal line reps and subsequently TD's to Lendale "Cheeseburger" White. Week in and week out I would just sit him and wonder what kind of numbers Johnson would have if White were not around. Cheeseburger himself accounted for 773 yards on the ground but scored an astonishing 15 TD's. As much as fantasy owners hated Head Coach Jeff Fisher for this the bottom line is that the Johnson/White platoon scenario (eloquently nicknamed "smash and dash") proved to be extremely successful for Tennessee and because of that success don't expect much to change this year. Can Johnson repeat his extraordinary rookie campaign? In the mock drafts that I have been doing recently Johnson has been going anywhere from 8th to 16th overall and as I have mentioned in other posts I am not really sold on any of the top rated backs. They all have major questions including Johnson. First, Johnson will not sneak up on the NFL this year as he did in 2008. Furthermore, White will surely continue to steal the majority of goal line touches meaning Johnson will likely have to break a long run to score. If in my draft it comes down to taking him or say Larry Fitzgerald I will be taking Fitz just because it is a safer pick. Regardless, Johnson is a great pick but if you select him know that you will be losing a lot of TD's to White so be prepared for that. As for the Cheeseburger himself, I actually like him more than Johnson this year simply due to the aforementioned reasons.

Bottom line is that you are looking for TD's in fantasy football and White scored 15 of them last year and most likely will post at least 10 more this year. Moreover, White can be had at a far greater value than Johnson as he has been going in the neighborhood of the 5th-6th round in the drafts I have participated in thus far. In summary, both these guys will produce. Tennessee is a run first team and I have not heard anything coming out of Nashville indicating a change is forthcoming even with the acquisition of WR Kenny Britt from Rutgers. Treat Johnson is a number 1 back and White is a low end number 2 or high end number 3 RB.

Historically, when discussing the Titans receiving corps fantasy owners utilized that time to do various family chores such as taking out the trash or reading stories to their children rather than participate in the discussion. Basically what I am trying to say is that Tennessee's WR'shave been non-existent in terms of fantasy production for some time. The Titans are desperately hoping that Britt starts to change all of that. Fisher usually refrains from taking receivers in the first round but even he realized how desperate the situation had become at the position. Britt is an immense talent and is a nice choice in keeper and dynasty leagues however, he will more than likely go undrafted in most traditional formats. Keep an eye on him but keep expectations to a minimum. In terms of the other Titan receivers it is quite simple: Justin Gage may be worth a late round flier but no other Titan receiver including TE Bo Scaife is worth spending any type of draft selection on come August.

The Titans DST was a solid unit in 2008 but suffered a huge off season loss with the departure of DT Albert Haynesworth who signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent. Keith Bullock still anchors down the defense but anyone who thinks the Titans will not miss Haynesworth is dreaming. Consider the Titans DST a number 1 option but keep expectations realistic without the big man in the middle. That concludes my examination of the AFC South. Next up: The AFC North and I will be starting with the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburg Steelers.

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider and fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Sign up for my free newsletter at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]

Statistics have always been a big part of sports, and in football there are tons of them. At the end of every year NFL players can marvel at themselves and keep track of how many yards, touchdowns, tackles, sacks, interceptions, or field goals that they stacked up in the previous season. But it just feels like there is something missing.

With all the recent rule changing in the NFL, I propose that they add a new stat to the list: times arrested. It's becoming so common recently that it would almost be a crime not to have it as a stat. The NFL could have league leaders and even hand out a pretty trophy to the biggest outlaw every year; it would be great.

Speaking of the biggest outlaw, Adam "Pacman" Jones might actually make his way onto the football field in the 2008 season, after being suspended for the entire 2007 season.
It's not really clear exactly how many times Pacman Jones has been arrested, but it falls somewhere between two and six. A few days ago Jones had a lengthy interview with the Michael Irvin Show and finally took responsibility for his actions, said he is a changed man, and that he promises to do gooder. You really got to hand it to the guy because he hasn't been in legal trouble for over two months; good for you Pacman, keep that streak alive for a few more days.

In the last few weeks the Dallas Cowboys, America's Team (of Criminals), have expressed interest in Jones and it's really looking like he'll get to hang out with his law-breaking buddy, Tank Johnson, in Dallas. I say that Cowboy's owner, Jerry Jones, just goes to a jail and pick up some guys for his team because it will probably leave him in a better situation.

5. Continued improvement by Dennis Dixon
Dixon made his second start in the NFL against Atlanta and his inexperience showed. He threw one interception and nearly threw a couple others. Fortunately the Falcon defense couldn't make the plays. Dixon did have his good moments too. He threw a perfect pass to Mike Wallace for a long completion, not an easy thing to do since Wallace can outrun most throws. Dixon was known as an accurate passer in college and hit 18 of 26 passes in this game. He should continue to improve with additional time with the first team offense allowing him to get in sync with his receivers more. Look for the Titans to stack the line until DD proves he can beat them with his passing. He must play better in this game to beat the Titans in their home.

4. More consistent play from Rashard Mendenhall
Because the Falcons did not believe that Dennis Dixon could beat them with his arm, they stacked the line and challenged him to do it. Because of this Mendenhall was tackled for losses several times. Maybe this will be the season Mendenhall becomes the runner they thought he would be when they drafted him, but he must avoid all those negative yardage plays. If he did not have the game winner against Atlanta, most would have probably considered that an average to below average performance for him. Mendenhall needs to turn some of those negative yardage plays into gains for the Steelers to be on the winning side at the end of this game.

3. Backups will have to step up
Max Starks left the Atlanta game with what most thought was a high ankle sprain. This is an injury that most players and fans have come to realize can cost the player several games while trying to heal. Casey Hampton also left the game with a hamstring injury. If that is not given proper time to heal hamstring injuries will come back throughout the season. Behind these 2 players on the depth chart are Chris Hoke for Hampton and Jonathan Scott for Starks. These two have to step up and provide quality play for the Steelers to win. Hoke must plug the hole and keep the rushing defense from giving up big plays by Chris Johnson. Scott must keep the Titans defense from attacking Dixon, something he didn't do well against the Falcons. If he is not able to do what is needed there may be some major shifting of the offensive line going on. The prognosis is good for Starks though. He may be back by the next game. Hampton will be week to week. Backups, in general, need to step up for the Steelers to continue winning.

2. Keep Vince Young in the pocket
Vince Young is not the most accurate passer in the league. His feet and his running back are his weapons. The Steelers must keep him in the pocket and keep him from improvising to win this game. The more he throws the better the chances the Steelers have. The more he gets out of the pocket and uses his feet the less the chance the Steelers have in this game.

1. Hold Chris Johnson under 100 yards
It is no secret in the NFL that Chris Johnson is probably the elite running back in the league. If there's any doubt just remember the 2,000 yard club. He is one of the few members of this club. So, it is also no secret to Titans opponents what their game plan is, run, run, run. If the Steelers can stop Chris Johnson their chances to win this game are very good. The good news is this is the strength of the Steelers. Look for Johnson to be around 75 yards by the end of the game.

The Tennessee Titans kicked off their first football game of the 2008 opener against the Jacksonville jaguars. The Titans have some really young players that can come in and do some extremely large damage to their opponents. Titans quarterback Vince Young came out and was suppose to be questionable about playing in yesterdays game but ended up playing. He did really well, coach Fischer knew he did good but the problem they faced was that he got injured in the fourth quarter against the 17 to 10 win against the jaguars. The training staff said that he sprained his knee, so it was nothing major. Young should be expected to play next week.

Here are some statistics for the titans in yesterdays win which put them in first in the division up 1-0. Vince Young threw 12 completed passes on 22 attempts for a total number of 110 yards and he added one touchdown to youngster running back from Eastern Carolina and he also threw two interceptions that could of changed the game by a big lead. Johnson running back for the Titans had 93 rushing yards which really helped the Titans get passed this victory. The most effective thing that helped the Titans out of anything though was their defense. Their defense really stunk last year, but they got it together this year by receiving Albert Hansworth's health issues back to normal.

The Titans should be able to make it to the playoffs this year and might be able to go to the Super bowl. What is good about the Titans offense if that they have so many explosive running backs. Chris Brown, Chris Henry, and the new running back from Eastern Carolina is just amazing! Scoring is first career touchdown pass yesterday had to be a great feeling for him. As he went to the sidelines keeping his touchdown ball. In my opinion, if I gave the titans advice if they wanted to make it to the super bowl, I would tell them that every single impact player needs to stay healthy. If they continue to get hurt like Vince Young, they will just suffer.