Mad Money

Joe Theismann's Fantasy Picks

Picking a fantasy football team is the same as picking stocks – it’s all about diversification.

So to help Home Gamers find the best players on the field and in the market, Cramer invited former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann on the show. Theismann led his team to victory in Super Bowl XVII and took Most Valuable Player honors in 1983. Tonight, though, his focus was solely on Wall Street.

Coaches need a player they can build a team around the same way investors need a stock to build a portfolio around. These are the franchise players. And Theismann liked Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, for fantasy leagues and Monsanto for Wall Street. 

Theismann said the stock is diversified, there’s room for growth and it has a 1% dividend. And don’t worry if MON seems expensive. “Peyton Manning is expensive,” he said.

“But he’s best of breed,” Cramer said.

Donovan McNabb, another quarterback, but instead he plays for Cramer’s Philadelphia Eagles, “should come back with a vengeance,” Theismann said. He said Six Flags should too. Cramer was worried about the weather, but “that’s only one element,” Theismann said. SIX is building eight new coasters on 12 theme parks so there’s potential for expansion and growth.

Looking for a sleeper stock? Theismann recommended looking for one that can deliver like Detroit Lions QB John Kitna. He threw for 4,000 yards last year and Theismann expects another great year – even though Kitna might not be on other football fans’ radar. Wells Fargo is in the same position. Probably overlooked because of this credit crunch, Cramer was quick to point out that WFC can make jumbo loans while others can’t.

People can only speculate on whether or not New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs can fill Tiki Barber’s shoes. Level 3 Communications deserves its own amount of speculation, Theismann said. LVLT’s business, fiber optics, “has to be part of our society,” but “it has to prove itself,” he said.

Intel is a good streak stock, Theismann said, meaning it will run at times and not at others. Luckily for investors, fall is when it runs, just like New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss.

Investors can’t have a balanced roster of players or stocks without some defense. Theismann is a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and Coca-Cola. Cramer agreed. “They’re always there” on bad days, he said.

Overall, Cramer was a solid buyer of Theismann’s portfolio, but he’s a bit hesitant on LVLT and SIX because of their “just OK” balance sheets.

What was Theismann’s prediction for this year’s Super Bowl winner? Baltimore.

“They got better offensively,” he said.

Questions for Cramer?

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