THE PHONE CALL THAT GOT JULIO JONES TRADED How did we get here? Shannon Sharpe called Julio Jones on the live TV show Undisputed and asked him, straight up, if he wanted to stay in Atlanta. Jones quickly responded, "No, I'm outta there." Julio probably didn't know he was on the air.  The Falcons and the NFL were like, WTF? Jones requested a trade a few months ago, according to NFL Network's Insider Ian Rapoport. The Falcons wanted a first-round…

The Impact of the 17th Game (18 weeks NFL Season) By John Falabella As we enter the 2021 NFL season, we will see a significant change to the schedule as a full NFL season will now consist of 17 games. Dating back to 1978, a full NFL season was 16 games (except for a couple strike-shortened seasons), and that is what most people, including players, have become accustomed to. So let’s take a look at how this extra game will…

You Don't Win Your Fantasy Football League On Draft Day. You don't win your fantasy football league on draft day, but you can lose it. I've seen guys go back to back with their first two picks and take wide receivers like Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens. It makes a splash at the draft party, but that team ends up sucking because they didn't get any stud running backs. I play in a standard snake draft with 14 teams, 16…

Must Have Wide Receivers The top three wide receivers off the draft board will more than likely be Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, and Davante Adams. I start drafting wide receivers in the 4th round, and those guys are already gone by then. I like target monsters like Keenan Allen, Allen Hurns, and Terry McLaurin. If I'm lucky, one of these guys will be available by the time it's my turn to pick. Last year I took Courtland Sutton as my…

Old School Rules for Fantasy Football I think I wrote this article in 2006. I'm dating myself. You can tell by the names of old players and references to tv shows. 2021 is my 21st year of playing fantasy football in the same league with most of the same guys, and we still follow these rules. Some things in life are inevitable. You know, like, there's never a cop around when you need one. Even though a beer at the…

Fantasy Football Cheaters You don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit in the wind. You don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger, and you sure as hell don't cheat in Fantasy Football. You can cheat on your taxes and your wife, but cheating in fantasy football is un-American. So if you plan to win some "cash and prizes" in my league, I suggest you not do this Bull S***. A while back, I talked to one of…

WTF, Fantasy Football? When I first heard of Fantasy Football ten years ago, that was the question that I asked, but now, after playing for a decade, I can tell you that Fantasy Football is the best Fantasy sport around, and it is as close to managing a real team as it comes. JOINING A LEAGUE In 1999, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to join his league. Now, this was a guy who I have known…

Top 10  Football Movies I should probably update this article since I wrote it in 2000. I love fantasy football, but I also enjoy a good flick. So I'll make some popcorn, grab a Mexican Coke (that's the one in the bottle) and sit back in my recliner and watch one of these classic movies in the comfort of my living room.   10. All the Right Moves (1983) Tom Cruise  Plot: A high school footballer desperate for a scholarship…

Don’t Draft these Guys! 2021 will be my 20th-year making draft boards and my 22-year playing fantasy football. And my name is etched on our championship trophy three times, so that makes me a fantasy football expert. Or maybe not, but here are some players I would not draft this year. Quarterback Jalen Hurts. He isn't proven yet, and he's competing with Joe Flacco for the starting job. His wide receivers are Jalen Reagor and Heisman winner DeVonta Smith. So…

AFC NORTH NFL Free Agency just started, and there has been a lot of player movement across the league. Throughout the offseason, we will discuss players on the move and what type of fantasy football impact it will have. In fact, some of the players in new uniforms will be rising up the 2021 fantasy football draft boards. We've already discussed the AFC East and AFC South so let's cut to the chase and break down the AFC North. Baltimore…