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The ongoing mock draft at www.chinstrapninjas.com has been garnering plenty of attention and comments as we weave through the rounds. Some crazy picks and unorthodox moves have defined this draft.
Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5
For an easy-to-navigate list of all our 2010 fantasy football strategies, advice, rankings, sleepers, etc., go here.
What craziness happens in round six of our redraft mock? Check it out below:
6.01 Owen Daniels, HOU (jzak)
Second part of my Texas two-step, Daniels, much like Schaub, has an injury onus on him, but few seem to remember how dominating he was at tight end last year before succumbing to injury. He deserves to be selected before some of the other tight ends on this list, in my opinion, and considering how many TEs are off the board at this point, I’m happy to take him here.
6.02 Pierre Garcon (ep)
Bottom line: Garcon is the No. 2 receiver for the high-powered Colts offense and could outscore Reggie Wayne in fantasy leagues in 2010. That makes him an easy sixth-rounder.
6.03 Jay Cutler (consigliere)
What’s not to like here. He has put up big numbers the past two years and the interception number doesn’t scare me one bit. He has also had low INT totals dating back to his Vandy days.
He is the most talented quarterback Mike Martz has had, all due respect to Kurt Warner.
6.04 Arian Foster (sockonfl)
I was going to wait another round, but I feel he will be the full time starter in Houston. That’s worth a ton considering how well that offense played last year. He also caught the ball out of the backfield some last year too. He could turn into an every down back. Just the type of back I need to take a chance on.
6.05 – Marion Barber (jay-mo)
I’ll probably get some grief for this pick, but I’m not drafting to make friends nor am I following some cookie-cutter glossy magazine. I was looking at WR here, but I’m confident my target will last until the next round. So, why not take the best available player (in my opinion)?
Obviously, Barber is going to get compared to Felix Jones. Barber is the starter: advantage one. Barber scores more often (7 TDs vs. 3 TDs): advantage two. Barber had nearly twice as many carries than Felix (214 vs. 116): advantage three. More importantly to me, Barber is the No. 1 runner in the red zone: advantage four.
I know, I know … that was last year and all of the fantasy experts are saying differently. Well, are they calling the plays for Dallas? Don’t believe me, watch the preseason …
6.06 Fred Jackson, BUF (jzak)Not thrilled with Jackson, but he is the official starter in Buffalo. In fact, he’s the main fantasy weapon in Buffalo at the moment. He’s the starter, for what it’s worth, and helps provide some RB depth.
6.07 Ahmad Bradshaw (speedy)
This might be a little high for him, but he’s been getting the starting carries early in training camp.
6.08 – Terrell Owens (ryder)
I’m going to go ahead and pick one half of the co-diva reality star T.O. Although he is getting older he still has a good year left in him. He is in much better situation this year with the Bengals rather then the dreadful Buffalo offense from a season ago. I cant believe I’m going to say this, but I think Chad Ochocinco and T.O. will help each other. Here comes Batman & Robin.
6.09 – Joe Flacco, BAL (krause)
I was going to wait on a QB but I like Flacco’s upside this year. Everything Baltimore did in the offseason makes me think their going to score a lot. Now I have Flacco and Ray Rice so 90% of the time Baltimore scores, I score.
6.10 Matt Ryan (consigliere)
Looking for a bounce back year for Ryan here. He has some legit weapons and i expect Michael Turner to be a lot better this year.
I am grabbing a top-10 quarterback here and hoping he plays like it. Not really a lot to say i am happy to have my starting line up filled out, now i need to fix my bench.
6.11 — Vincent Jackson, SD (ep)
It’s a risk because of Jackson’s holdout, but no other receiver has a better chance to transform my team at this point in the draft. If one side caves — V-Jax, dude, you’re not Andre Johnson — I get a top-10 receiver in the sixth round.
6.12 Hines Ward (sockonfl)
Seeing that ep stole my pick here right before me, I had to make a change of plans. I decided to go with the ever consistent and highly underrated Hines Ward. He puts up consistent numbers year in and year out. I know Ben Roethlisberger is out early on, but he will still post some solid numbers throughout the season.
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Here’s an updated look at my top 25 fantasy TE rankings.
1. Dallas Clark
2. Antonio Gates
3. Jason Witten
4. Jermichael Finley
5. Vernon Davis
6. Brent Celek
7. Tony Gonzalez
8. Zach Miller
9. John Carlson
10. Visanthe Shiancoe
11. Kellen Winslow
12. Owen Daniels
13. Chris Cooley
14. Dustin Keller
15. Heath Miller
16. Greg Olsen
17. Jeremy Shockey
18. Todd Heap
19. Fred Davis
20. Jermaine Gresham
21. Benjamin Watson
22. Kevin Boss
23. Marcedes Lewis
24. Anthony Fasano
25. Bo Scaife
Notable Changes:
- I moved Jason Witten up to No. 3. I love Finley’s potential, but he does have injury concerns. Vernon Davis was a beast last year, but a bust in previous years. I would rather have Witten’s consistency.
- I bumped Owen Daniels down from 9 to 12. He has had numerous knee injuries, which concerns me. When I see him take his first real hit and bounce back up, I could move him back up.
- I bumped Chris Cooley up a few notches. The Redskins offer little at the WR position and McNabb is a QB that frequently targets TEs.
- I bumped Kevin Boss down a few slots. Injuries just keep mounting for Boss.
- I moved veterans Jeremy Shockey and Todd Heap up a few spots. They will be injury concerns all season long, but still offer enough upside as a TE2.
Also check out:
- 2010 Top 30 Fantasy QB Rankings
- 2010 Top 50 Fantasy RB Rankings
- 2010 Top 60 Fantasy WR Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy IDP Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Team Defense Rankings
- 2010 Top 15 Fantasy K Rankings
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
After back-to-back 8-8 seasons, the Houston Texans finally broke through with the first winning campaign in franchise history. They finished the 2009 season at 9-7, coming up just shy of a playoff berth. Winning the division and making the playoffs will be the goal this year, but that will be no easy task in a league that has superstars Peyton Manning and Chris Johnson, arguably the two best players at their respective positions in the entire NFL.
Offense
If the Texans are going to win the AFC South, they cannot afford an injury to quarterback Matt Schaub. After back-to-back seasons dealing with nagging injuries, Schaub played all 16 games in 2009, and the result was a huge year. He helped the Texans boast the NFL’s No. 1 ranked passing offense while leading the league with 4,770 passing yards.
Despite getting a lot of attention from opposing secondaries, star wide receiver Andre Johnson managed 101 receptions for 1,596 yards and nine touchdowns. With Pro Bowl tight end Owen Daniels expected to make a full recovery from last season’s knee injury, the Texans will be tough to stop through the air again in 2010.
I can’t see the Texans making the playoffs if they only get 92.2 yards per game out of their running attack again this year. After rushing for 1,282 yards in his rookie season, Steve Slaton suffered the mother of all sophomore slumps. He managed only 437 rushing yards and fumbled the ball seven times. The Texans have invested in rookie running back Ben Tate to help Slaton out, but head coach Gary Kubiak feels Tate still has a long way to go. This means that Arian Foster, who ended the season with a 119-yard performance against New England, could be getting a lot more carries.
Defense
In addition to improving the running game, Houston must get better in pass coverage in order to keep moving up the food chain. But progress in the defensive backfield could come slowly because of the amount of inexperience.
Last season, the Texans ranked No. 18 in the NFL in pass defense, allowing 217.9 yards per game. It’s hard to think this number will drop significantly after losing long-time starter Dunta Robinson. The Texans drafted Alabama’s Kareem Jackson to help fill the void. Houston will also be asking a lot of second-year guys Glover Quin and Brice McCain.
With so many young players across the back, the Texans must mount a formidable pass rush. Pro Bowl defensive end Mario Williams recorded nine sacks last year, but no one else on the roster managed more than four-and-a-half. Someone must step up to give Williams some help while he faces constant double teams. Last season’s pricey free agent acquisition, Antonio Smith, must do better than the four-and-a-half sacks he recorded in 2009.
Outside linebacker Brian Cushing, who took home 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, is a guy that can aid the pass rush because of his athleticism. He had four sacks last season, but he will miss the first four games of this season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.
While Cushing is out, Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans will have to hold down the fort.
Prediction: Third AFC South
The Colts are still the cream of the crop in this division, which means Houston and Tennessee will be battling it out for second place and an AFC Wild Card slot. Either team has the potential to grab it, but I give Tennessee the slight edge. The Titans underachieved last season in my book. They are a lot more like the team that finished 8-2 than the one that started 0-6. Be sure to check out my 2010 NFL predictions to see which teams I have picked to win the other seven divisions.
Need help beating the NFL odds this season? Put your trust in world champion handicapper Jimmy Boyd for consistent winners through the Super Bowl!
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Big week for Brett Favre.
Now that football season officially is underway via the Hall of Fame game last night, all eyes are squarely on the Vikings’ signal caller, even if most football fans are tired of his annual summer ritual.
Favre will meet with Dr. James Andrews this week to determine the status of his recovery from ankle surgery. News broke—prematurely—last week of Favre’s impending retirement, but the aging quarterback rebutted those news by saying he would play this season if his ankle is healthy.
I guess we will find out soon enough if that is true or not. Or maybe Favre will keep us all guessing, as he seems to do every summer, until the start of the regular season.
Brett Favre [QB, Vikings]
From ProFootballTalk:
“His arm feels great,” Mariucci said. “His conditioning is good but he hasn’t run much without pain in his ankle. It [his ankle] still gives him pain and it needs to be better before he reports.”
“So, Favre still says he needs the ankle to improve. No surprise there. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have a good excuse to hold out of the difficult part of training camp.”
Favre was spotted late last week on the practice field in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, throwing the football at the local high school. Just like last summer, it appears he is avoiding training camp at all cost.
I still believe fantasy owners should expect to see Favre on the field in week one against the Saints. But there is enough concern among the fantasy public to drop his average draft position in fantasy drafts, making him a bargain in the middle rounds. That is, if he can produce like he did last season.
Knowshon Moreno [RB, Broncos]
From Roto Arcade:
“On Sunday, the feeding frenzy continued. Knowshon Moreno(notes), who missed much of last August with a sprained MCL, was the latest breakout candidate to be victimized.”
“During the Broncos’ first camp session, the second-year back caught a pass, turned upfield and felt a pop. Originally feared to be a torn right hamstring, an MRI examination confirmed he only mildly frayed the muscle. He is expected to miss three weeks, but should be active for the season opener at Jacksonville.”
Moreno now has served a week of his three week recovery. It is going to be fairly difficult to trust Moreno this season on what looks to be a bad offense. Him getting hurt this early in camp also does not bode well for his long-term ability to stay healthy over the course of the season.
Buyer beware.
Wes Welker [WR, Patriots]
From FanHouse:
“Masslive.com reports that, without missing a beat, New England wide receiver Wes Welker resumed full-contact 11-on-11 drills at practice Thursday after coming off the PUP list just last Sunday. By all accounts, Welker looked great and “popped” up quickly from a couple of big hits by teammate Jerod Mayo.”
Welker’s recovery from an injury which usually takes at least eight months of recovery time has been nothing short of miraculous. Fantasy owners should draft him now with confidence, especially as a value pick in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.
Sidney Rice [WR, Vikings]
From FFToolBox:
“Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress said Wednesday that his No. 1 wide receiver is “a ways away” from being taken off the active/physically unable to perform list. Rice is still recovering from a hip injury that he sustained during the playoffs.”
As Favre goes, so too with Rice. His average draft position is hanging in the balance as fantasy owners wait for Favre’s decision. Without Favre, expect to see Rice’s ADP plummet substantially.
I think Favre’s decision will have more impact on Rice’s season than this injury.
Owen Daniels [TE, Texans]
From Roto Arcade:
“However, after he bombed a physical over the weekend more realistic expectations have set in. Placed on the active PUP list and relegated to Lance Armstrong duties, Daniels’ comeback has been temporarily derailed. Still, despite his initial poor bill of health, the recuperating Texan remains confident he’ll be ready to clash with arch-rival Indianapolis in a colossal season opener Sept. 12.”
Seems to be the polar opposite of Welker’s recovery.
Daniels was having a stellar season last year before succumbing to injury and now appears to be questionable for the season opener. Hard to trust a guy having this much trouble recovering, but he was too good last season to ignore.
Hakeem Nicks [WR, Giants]
From ProFootballTalk:
Giants V.P. of communications Pat Hanlon broke the news on Twitter. “Everything checked out A-OK,” Hanlon said.
Good news for Nicks on the injury front. He finished 2009 strong and appears poised to claim a starting spot opposite Steve Smith, but injuries in camp could hinder that effort. Hopefully he will be able to get back on the field again soon.
Jeremy Shockey [TE, Saints]
From Canal Street Chronicles:
“Between his showboating, competitive nature, minor injuries, and bouts with dehydration, there’s always something to talk about when it comes to Shockey. This time around, he’s tweaked his knee in camp. It’s apparently no big deal, but he’s been held out the last few days of practice, restricting his activity to riding the bike.”
Shockey appears to be breaking down. It seems every season he is dealing with some form of ailment, and struggled with injuries all of last season.
Hard to trust Shockey as an every-week fantasy tight end at this point in his career, despite the lucrative position he has in the New Orleans offense.
Dez Bryant [WR, Cowboys]
From ProFootballTalk:
“There’s no telling for sure, but I think it might be even sooner than that,” responded Bryant when asked if he’d be back in 3-4 weeks. ”It’s coming along pretty good.”
Fantasy owners are going to have a tough time grading Bryant heading into the 2010 season if he does not play any during the preseason. Who knows how the Cowboys are going to use him?
The more he sits out, the more entrenched Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton become in the offense for at least the start of the regular season.
The MMR will continue to run every Monday morning as scheduled during the regular season. If you have an injury update or want an update on a certain player, please leave a note in the comments.
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It is my belief that the first few rounds of a fantasy football draft are always the hardest ones. There are so many good players to choose from. You want to make sure you take the player that fits into your drafting strategy, but you have to avoid a bust in the process.
For the last three years going into last fantasy football season, I had taken Brian Westbrook in the first two rounds and it had been great. He was always one of the top running backs, and I thought he would be a great pick again last year.
However, a combination of injuries, age, and a replacement led to his fantasy demise and I paid dearly for it. Picking a player with red flags in the first round could be a nightmare.
One pick I have had a really hard time with this year is choosing between Frank Gore and Andre Johnson. If you end up with the sixth or seventh pick, this decision is a nightmare. There are four elite fantasy backs this year and Frank Gore is the odd man out. Do you take the fifth running back or the best wide receiver? It’s a tough decision.
Let’s assume you are in a standard (non-PPR) 10-man league. In the second round you will be set up with the 15th pick, putting you in a position to grab Rashard Mendenhall or Shonn Greene at running back, or if you needed a wide receiver you could probably get Reggie Wayne or Brandon Marshall.
With the 26th pick it seems to get a little bit running back heavy. Beanie Wells, LeSean McCoy, Ryan Matthews, and Jonathan Stewart should all be available. After that it really evens out again. There will be a strong running back group available in the third round, possibly allowing you to take a wide receiver like Andre Johnson in the first round.
Before making a pick, you have to look at who you will be in a position to take within the next few rounds. You always have to be thinking ahead. There good players at every position right away, and you have to make smart decisions.
Let’s examine the cases for both players.
Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson has been a consistent fantasy producer over the past few seasons, and has really connected with quarterback Matt Schaub. Johnson is an elite talent who is really the complete package. He is fast, runs excellent routes, has amazing hands and leaping ability, and to top it off he does it week after week.
Johnson is heading into his prime, as he just turned 29 this offseason. At 6’3″ 225, Johnson has ideal size and strength for a wide receiver and physically dominates opposing players. Averaging almost 100 yards receiving a game last season (he would have gotten there if not for Revis), he now has over 3,000 receiving yards in the past two seasons.
With a lot of the elite receivers getting older, and Larry Fitzgerald losing both Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Johnson distance himself from the pack even further.
As of right now, Johnson is the only receiver that is basically a lock for the first round in 10-man leagues, and to think that he could separate himself from the field even further shows what a special player he is. Drafting Johnson would put you way ahead of everyone else as far as receivers go, while Gore isn’t even in the top three at his position.
When it comes to Andre Johnson, there is really only one red flag, and unsurprisingly, it has nothing to do with him. The Houston Texans have a good quarterback in Matt Schaub, but after that it gets pretty thin as far as offensive help goes.
Owen Daniels is a solid tight end, but they don’t have a great running game, and the second wide receiver is Kevin Walter, who recorded just over 600 yards last season. With Andre Johnson being the primary focus of all defensive schemes, there is a lot of pressure for him to perform at a high level through double, or even triple teams.
Overall, you can’t go wrong with Andre Johnson. I have little doubt that he will live up to his first round status. Taking a wide receiver late in the first round can definitely work to your advantage when it comes to the later rounds.
Frank Gore
Last season, Frank Gore was the model of inconsistency. Some games he was on, and others he was off. Gore suffered greatly from the inconsistency of the 49ers offense last season, but this season things will be different.
The 49ers will finally retain an offensive system in two straight years and that could do wonders for not only Alex Smith, but the 49ers offense in general. Alex Smith has been unfairly judged in his career so far, but it seems that everything is finally falling into place.
As the 49ers’ offense becomes mores more consistent, so will Frank Gore. The 49ers spent their draft bulking up the offensive line, which should also help Gore. Their are many factors that contribute to Gore’s potential improvement this season. He has always been a good running back, but now that he’ll have an offense around him it should open the door for better production from the run game.
Between Michael Crabtree, Alex Smith, Vernon Davis, and Frank Gore, the 49ers may have a legitimate chance at the playoffs next season. Frank Gore has been one of the most frustrating fantasy players, but if you pick him this season I promise you won’t regret it.
If you were to take Frank Gore with the sixth pick in the draft, you could more than likely get Reggie Wayne with your next pick and then try to go for Beanie Wells in the third round and go running back, wide receiver, running back.
Traditionally, having a great running game wins fantasy championships and while experts are now shifting more toward balance, having great running backs is never a bad thing.
Personally, I believe Frank Gore has a chance to a top three running back. He is one of the most underrated players in fantasy football this year, and could be the person who benefits most from an improved team. Frank Gore could have a huge season this year.
Conclusion
This is an impossible decision to make, both players have excellent fantasy value. This matchup is extremely even. I think that Frank Gore is a bigger risk, but Andre Johnson is more of a safe bet. Gore could end up in the top three, but he could also end up outside the top 10. I see Johnson between five and 10 no matter what.
In the end, I think I would have to take Gore. With San Francisco’s rising offense, and Alex Smith on the verge of a breakout year, I think Frank Gore could finally live up to his fantasy potential.
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