In-depth film analysis of NFL Draft Prospects With a Fantasy Football Lens - by Matt Waldman ©2025
Fantasy Football
At Footballguys.com, I kicked off my Gut Check column with what I’m calling the Insanity Series: Players that will drive you mad in 2012. You can find column at Footbalguys and I’ll also link to them on this page. The first two published pieces in the series are on Adrian Peterson and Brandon Lloyd.
2013 Rookies Continue reading
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Welcome to Reads Listens Views. It’s my Friday space where, in contrast to the rest of the week, I write less about football and share a little more about life in general. I’d like to thank my avid readers for your patronage during the quiet months of late spring-early summer. I’m growing more attached to this blog with each passing month. Hopefully, everyone has been getting good use of the 2012 RSP and 2012 RSP Post-Draft addendum.
If you have a dynasty draft coming up and haven’t downloaded it, you’ll love it. I have a lot of first-timers this year that have told me how pleased they are with it. I’m also days away from cutting my second donation to Darkness to Light, thanks to my readers. Every $10 I’ve been able to donate on behalf of the RSP pays for training of an adult to understand how to combat and prevent sexual abuse in the community.
Football Reads Continue reading
The idea of compiling a rankings analysis across several years of Rookie Scouting Portfolio publications has been a popular request by readers for years, but something I have resisted doing. For a complete explanation why please read Part I. If you want to know how my ranking of these players differs from the actual process I use for the RSP publication please read Part I. And if you want to know why I view this exercise as an entertainment piece and not a more serious analysis please read Part I.
Moreover, if you want to see players 11-20, you know what to do. See, I didn’t even need to say it.
Entering my third year of studying film for The Rookie Scouting Portfolio, I had just finished a year of film study that included a player who continues to be one of the bigger lessons I have encountered, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. The highly coveted prospect had some raving fans, but I wasn’t one of them.
I didn’t see what others thought even after studying a half-dozen games. And despite a strong 2010 campaign, I’m still not convinced he’ll be a consistent 1000-yard rusher as an every down back. I’m looking forward to seeing something from his game that will change my mind.
My initial take on Darren McFadden in 2008 was how I became acquainted with NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell. I read his Sporting News piece on McFadden and I was surprised to learn that we had similar takes on the runner. I sent Cosell my RSP analysis on McFadden and this fueled a longer conversation over the telephone. While Parts I, II, and III were from a recent conversation. Part IV is a conversation from 2008. Continue reading