2012 NFL Fantasy Free Football Agents

QB
Peyton Manning (FA)-
Jason Campbell (OAK)-
Matt Flynn (GB)-
Rex Grossman (WAS)-
Chad Henne (MIA)-
Donovan McNabb (FA)-
Kyle Orton (KC)-
Alex Smith (SF)-
Drew Brees has franchise tag from NO
RB
Matt Forte (CHI)-franchise tag from CHI
Peyton Hillis (CLE)-
Cedric Benson (CIN)-
Ryan Grant (GB)-
Michael Bush (OAK)-
LaGarrette Blount (RFA TB)-
Marshawn Lynch (SEA)-
Ray Rice (BAL)-franchise tag from BAL
Mike Tolbert (SD)-
Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis (NE)-
Lance Ball (RFA DEN)-
Jackie Battle (KC)-
Kahlil Bell (CHI)-
Tim Hightower (WAS)-
LaDanian Tomlinson (NYJ)-
Arian Foster has franchise tag from HOU


WR
Dwayne Bowe (KC)-franchise tag from KC
Plaxico Buress (NYJ)-
Marques Colston (NO)-
Pierre Garcon (IND)-
DeSean Jackson (PHI)-franchise tag from PHI
Vincent Jackson (SD)-
Stevie Johnson (BUF)-
Mario Manningham (NYG)-
Jerome Simpson (CIN)-
Mike Wallace (RFA PIT)-
Reggie Wayne (IND)-
Wes Welker (NE)-franchise tag from NE
Harry Douglas (ATL)-
Early Doucet (AZ)-
Ted Ginn Jr (SF)-
Brandon Lloyd (STL)-
Robert Meachem (NO)-
Laurent Robinson (DAL)-
Roy Williams (CHI)-


TE
Fred Davis (WAS)-franchise tag from WAS
Jake Ballard (RFA NYG)-
Joel Dressen (HOU)-
Scott Chandler (BUF)-
Martellus Bennett (DAL)-
Visanthe Chance (MIN-
Jeremy Shockey (CAR)-
John Carlson (SEA)-


K
Conner Barth (TB)-franchise tag from TB
Jay Feely (AZ)-
Nick Folk (NYJ)-
Graham Gano (RFA WAS)-
Shayne Graham (BAL)-
Steven Hauschka (SEA)-
John Kasay (NO)
Rian Lindell (BUF)-
Mike Nugent (CIN)-franchise tag from CIN
Matt Prater (DEN)-franchise tag from DEN
Neil Rackers (HOU)-
Dave Rayner (BUF)-
Josh Scobee (JAX)-franchise tag from JAX
Phil Dawson (CLE)-franchise tag from CLE


5 Kickers get the franchise tag. Go figure!


Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

Fantasy Football Tip #212 Fantasy Football NFL Playoff Contests

I know the moment has passed for those NFL Playoff FF Contests that lock in a roster for the entire playoffs, but if you are in a league that lets you change your roster from week to week, here is a quick tip.

It is obvious but in these playoff leagues you want to have the most players advance and have players who will score the most points. In most leagues with traditional scoring (4 pts per pass TD, 6 for rush/rec TDs, 1 pt per 20 pass yds and 1 per 10 rush/rec), QBs score more on average than other positions. So you want to have the QB that will score the most and advance to the Super Bowl. That should be priority one. Pick the QB that you think will make it all the way to the SB first. If he does make it, you should be in the driver seat.

Of course, in leagues that allow roster changes every week, you need to focus on who will score the most in the week ahead.

My picks for this week are:

QB
Aaron Rodgers GB
Tom Brady NE

RB
Matt Forte, CHI
Ray Rice, BAL (PPR leagues definitely, yardage only he drops)
Michael Turner, ATL
(although there are really not that many good RB choices-instead most face tough defenses)

WR
Roddy White, ATL
Greg Jennings, GB
Santonio Holmes, NYJ
Wes Welker, NE (PPR leagues)

TE
Tony Gonzalez, ATL
Rob Gronkowski, NE

K
Robbie Gould, CHI
Shayne Graham, NE

DEF
CHI
PIT





Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Ask the Expert: In a fantasy playoff league (let's assume 10-team league, 4-point TD passes, no PPR, and one draft for the entire playoffs), who 1st?

In a fantasy playoff league (let's assume 10-team league, 4-point TD passes, no PPR, and one draft for the entire playoffs), who would you make the No. 1 overall pick?

The first step in this type of playoff contest is to determine how many games each team will play. Do this by picking the winners of each game week by week till the Super Bowl.

I use Vegas odds for the first week and as a guide for who might advance in later games.

I predict single games for SEA, KC, NYJ, GB, ATL and CHI; 2 games for IND , BAL and PIT; 3 games for PHI and NE and 4 games for NO as the wildcard team advances to try and repeat as SB champion (NE vs. NO). Drew Brees gets the nod as he will play one more game than any other and he is the big play guy in a format such as this non PPR league.


ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly at http://www.fantasyindex.com/ with answers to a new question posted Thursday morning.

Sam Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips, Fantasy Football Basics and Fantasy Football Almanac 2010, all available at his website, http://www.ffguidebook.com/, at all major bookstores, and at http://www.amazon.com/. He is a 20-year fantasy football veteran who regularly participates in the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF), National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall (out of 228 top players) in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC).


Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693