The Guru's First Half Awards for the 2008 Fantasy AFL Season
By Scott Lange
Most Valuable Offensive Player; T.T. Toliver, WR, Orlando
From a fantasy perspective, Toliver is carrying any and all teams who drafted him. Toliver was a third or maybe forth round pick in fantasy drafts and is the top WR in overall points through eight weeks. What helps T.T. and his owners out is that the Preds defense is giving up a ridiculous amount of touchdowns this year. As long as their defense allows opposing teams to put points on the board, you can expect T.T. to continue his production.
Most Valuable Defensive Player; Mike Brown DS, Philadelphia
Brown is enjoying a career year on both the defensive side of the ball and returning kicks. For the year, Brown has racked up 28 tackles, four interceptions, 958 return yards, and three return kickoffs for TDs. His dual threat of playing defense and returning kicks has made him the top DS through eight weeks. Look for Brown to continue to rack up more tackles and yardage through the next eight weeks.
Most Surprising Player; Joe Germaine, QB, Utah
I have to admit, I did nothing but tell everybody how bad the Blaze would stink this year without Siaha Burley. And although they are winless, from a fantasy perspective, Germaine, Whittaker, McKelvey, and Boone have been what peeps in fantasy nation call STUDS. Their offense is averaging over 55 points per game. Germaine leads all AFL QB through the first eight weeks with 50 TD passes through the air. He's also added two more on the ground. With the defense giving up more points than they are scoring, look for Joe's production to stay consistent as the Blaze try and win a couple of games in the second half of the season.
Most Disappointing Player; Damian Harrell, WR, Chicago
Without a doubt, Damian Harrell is the best AFL fantasy player on the planet in my mind. The problem is the Rush refuse to take advantage of his skills, instead using a much more balanced offense with RB Dan Alexander, and WRs Travis LaTendresse and Donovan Morgan. Gone are the days where Harrell would go crazy and catch 10+ passes for 150+ yards and five TDs. In Chicago, a typical night for Harrell is seven to nine catches, maybe 100 yards and the occasional three TD game. It's not Harrell's fault though, but rather the system that Chicago's offense is running. Harrell is not even a top 20 WR fantasy player in fantasy land, as he stands 21st in scoring so far through eight weeks. Owners have to be frustrated and hoping for a turnaround second half of the season.
Most Impressive Team; Philadelphia
Through the first eight weeks, it looks as though it will be Philly and Dallas in the National Conference Championship game. I don't see anybody getting in the way of Dallas or Philly. Philly's duo of Chris Jackson and Larry Brackins has been unstoppable and could carry this team to the Arena Bowl.
Most Disappointing Team; Tampa Bay
This was supposed to be one of the top teams not only within their division, but also within the AFL. Instead, their defense has let them down and through eight weeks they are a disappointing 2-5, good for last place in their division. The Southern Division is turning out to be a little tougher than most expected, but seeing the Storm in last place is a shocker.
Most Surprising Team; New Orleans
All the talk for the 2008 season for the VooDoo was QB Steve Bellisari and WR Derrick Lewis and how explosive this offense was supposed to be. The early devastating season-ending injury to Lewis and to Bellisari had fans asking how they would respond. Enter QB Danny Wimprine and WR James Jordan, who replaced Bellisari and Lewis. Wimprine and Jordan have found some nice chemistry and are now a deadly one-two combination on a weekly basis. Jordan is the number six overall WR in fantasy points while Wimprine is ranked seventh overall in fantasy points. They have sparked the VooDoo to a 6-2 record as they sit tied upon the Southern Conference. I don't expect their offense to be sputtering anytime soon as they play a very light schedule the next eight weeks. The VooDoo plays Utah, Georgia, Tampa Bay, and Orlando who all have problems defending the pass. James Jordan and Wimprine have top five potential in their respective positions. Look for the VooDoo to be in the playoffs and giving teams fits.
Scott Lange is a founding member of Arena Football Online and has been following Arena Football since 2000. Contact Scott at slange@arenafootballonline.com
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