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 The Football Diner Big Interview:
Gregg Rosenthal
interviewed by Michael E Lawrence
8/11/2008
Almost a year on from our last chat with him, Rotoworld.com head football honcho and award winning columnist Gregg Rosenthal is back with chilli-hot strategy and tips for fantasy football fanatics everywhere. As leagues across the planet round the bend into the home straight, these are the insights that will finally help you finagle that elusive championship.
A long time supporter of the NFL scene in the UK, Gregg also chipped in some thoughts on Wembley, a Super Bowl in London, and the god-awful British weather.
Enjoy.
FD
Hey Gregg, it’s been nearly a year since we talked to you last how have you been?
Gregg
Really good. Rotoworld continues to grow in traffic and scope and we’re becoming more and more integrated with NBC. It’s great to see the site thrive and watch fantasy football go from strength to strength.
FD
We notice you’ve picked up a prestigious writing award along the way too
Gregg
Yeah, I was lucky enough to win the Fantasy Sports Writer Association Football Writer of the Year last year. Anything that gets Rotoworld noticed is a good thing.
FD
How about some tips for us? Now that it’s getting towards crunch time in fantasy leagues, what strategy would you offer to teams who are fighting to make the playoffs?
Gregg
 Two things really one, start looking at the matchups your players have during the rest of the season and the fantasy playoffs. For example the Vikings are a team with a nice schedule coming up so that a player like Gus Frerotte could excel down the stretch. Equally the Giants’ season gets a lot harder from now on and a guy like Brandon Jacobs could be worth trading away. Second, for redraft leagues, it could be time to think about trading away excess depth now that the byes are done. We have an office league at Rotoworld which is pretty hotly contested! and I have Chris Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson and Matt Forte. I can only start two so it might be time to package one with another player and get hold of a stud receiver or tight end. Target teams with a hole at a position you’re strong in and make an offer.
FD
Are there other NFL teams whose offensive units you think will improve?
Gregg
The Colts’ offense has been pretty bad by their standards and they are about to face Pittsburgh, but their schedule gets outrageously good after that with Houston, San Diego, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit and Jacksonville, all of whom should surrender yards and points. The Texans are another one they are already putting up some good stats but their run-in should see them build on that. I credit Gary Kubiak he’s just a great playcaller in the Mike Shanahan mould.
FD
Any NFL offenses you see tanking?
Gregg
I think Tennessee could have a problem. Kerry Collins gets worse every week if you watch him. You don’t want him out there too long or he gets exposed and more and more defenses figure him out. I wouldn’t even be shocked if we saw Vince Young back at the helm before the year is out, for one reason or another. The Titans running game is strong and Chris Johnson should remain matchup proof, but LenDale White needs to be benched against tougher teams.
FD
Who are your fantasy MVPs at this point of the season?
Gregg
I think Drew Brees is a pretty good starting point. Right now you’d have to vote for Clinton Portis, although I don’t think he’ll be there at the end of the year. Kurt Warner would also be in the mix, but when it’s all said and done I think we’ll be talking about Adrian Peterson, Marion Barber, Brian Westbrook and maybe Chris Johnson and LT.
FD
There have been some unbelievable rookies in the league this year at the skill positions too
Gregg
 That’s true and the odd thing about the receivers is they’re all little guys, under 190 lbs. Eddie Royal has really come from nowhere, Donnie Avery was though of really as a track guy, and DeSean Jackson had character question marks, but all three have thrived. You worry that they’ll fade as the season wears on, though I think Royal is likely to stay productive in that offense. The running backs are as fine a group as I’ve seen better even than ’06 with Maurice-Jones Drew and Reggie Bush. Johnson, Forte, Steve Slaton and Ray Rice are all having an impact, and now Tim Hightower and Jamaal Charles are producing too. The disappointments have really been the highly-touted guys Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart and Rashard Mendenhall, though Stewart has done some good things.
FD
Do you think these are players that will stay fantasy-relevant for years to come?
Gregg
Certainly Johnson can be a top-five player for a long time, and Forte will be close. He’s a solid player, a rock who can do everything.
FD
And what about Matt Ryan?
Gregg
Honestly he’s the best rookie quarterback I’ve ever seen in my years of watching football. As a fantasy quarterback he’s already top 15 so the sky is the limit for him, both in fantasy and in the league proper. He’s really been helped out by Roddy White. He took a leap forward last year along with Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, and he’s gone to the next level in ’08 while the others have regressed a little bit.
FD
Biggest bust of ’08 so far?
Gregg
It has to be LT because so far he’s been pretty ordinary, though I do think he’ll improve moving forward. Joseph Addai hasn’t justified his average draft position either, partly because his team is struggling around him. Lots of the so-called safe picks have been a letdown for all sorts of different reasons: Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Chad Johnson, Edwards. I think you see some decline in Terrell Owens too, and Tory Holt has fallen off a cliff.
FD
And those that have exceeded expectations?
Gregg
Jay Cutler reminded us on Thursday night what a great season fantasy wise he’s having; he’s really blossoming. Aaron Rodgers has stepped in and from day one has played well and overcome obstacles. Philip Rivers might be the most surprising of all because he’s having a career season coming off a torn ACL. Other than that, Michael Turner has been inconsistent but better than I thought, and Bernard Berrian has been incredible recently. We nailed a lot of sleepers on our pre-season Rotoworld rankings, but he’s one who has surprised me.
FD
Who do you think will be the number one pick in next year’s fantasy drafts?
Gregg
 My first pick for 2009 and for the rest of this season would be AP. He’s still improving and people forget how young he is. He’s very patient and more powerful than he was in ’07. He’s second in the league in rushing yards and still there’s a sense he could be doing even better, which is saying something.
FD
Lastly then, to move away from fantasy briefly, you’ve always supported the NFL scene in the UK did you have any thoughts on this year’s Wembley game?
Gregg
The NFL really wanted it to be a great game and they chose two strong offensive teams for that reason. I was so excited to see it was high scoring for the sake of all the fans in London and the rest of the world, though I bet that intentional Drew Brees safety had a lot of people confused even Phil Simms was baffled! I loved it because it was a real event and there was also a great storyline with Brees defeating the team that dumped him.
FD
There’ still talk of Super Bowls and Pro Bowls coming to London I can’t believe that would go down too well with US fans
Gregg
You know I’d really like to see it, seeing as how the Super Bowl is played on pretty much a neutral site anyway. Let’s face it, unless Tampa make it no team will have a huge attachment to Florida this year. The UK weather might be a deal-breaker, but Goodell still talks a lot about putting a team in London period the international scene is clearly something on the top of his agenda.
FD
Ok Gregg, it’s been a pleasure as ever any messages for UK fantasy heads out there?
Gregg
I just hope the more and fans get the chance to see the game and learn about its complexity and its strategy, because the more people know it the more they’ll love it, and that means more fantasy footballers on the planet!
FD
Amen to that. Thanks Gregg.
Gregg
Thanks.
Don’t miss Gregg’s weekly 90-minute football primer Fantasy Fix, at www.rotoworld.com
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