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The Colts enter 2010 coming off a heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl in which the team’s usually potent offense went AWOL in the second half, a rare occurrence throughout much of Peyton Manning’s career in Indianapolis.
The team returns this year with its core players back for what figures to be another successful season.
Although the Colts disappointed in the Super Bowl, they had another outstanding season in 2009, finishing 14-2 and winning the AFC South for the sixth time in seven seasons. Rookie head coach Jim Caldwell made a seamless transition to the team’s top job, helping the Colts to a record-setting seventh consecutive 12-win season.
The Colts will feature a potent offensive attack again this season with Manning at the controls, maximizing the production of the team’s numerous, talented skill position players.
Joseph Addai enjoyed a solid comeback season in 2009, holding off first-round pick Donald Brown from taking over as the team’s feature back.
Addai is a solid runner and receiver, but he is unlikely to reach the upper echelon of backs, partly because of his injury issues. Brown had some big plays as a rookie but was inconsistent and had his own injury problems.
Entering training camp, Addai is the odds-on favorite to retain the starting position.
The team’s passing attack features the excellent receiving talents of wideout Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark. Wayne had a Pro Bowl year in 2009, but struggled down the stretch, while Clark had a career year.
Despite Wayne’s lack of production in the second half of last season, the consensus opinion is that he will have another solid year in 2010, even at 31 years of age.
The trio of Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, and Anthony Gonzalez will battle for the team’s starting spot opposite Wayne, as well for as the slot back role.
Garcon came out of nowhere to have a solid season, and Collie excelled as a rookie, becoming Manning’s security blanket (along with Clark) over the season’s second half. Gonzalez was considered a promising player before missing all but a handful of plays in 2009.
With Manning under center, the Colts offense has been in the league’s top five year in and year out, and there’s no reason for that to change in 2010. If the offensive line improves from the off year it had last season, the Colts could lead the league in offense in their march for another AFC South crown.
Fantasy owners are looking for solid production on a consistent basis, and no other player has displayed those traits more than Peyton Manning has since entering the league.
Over the past 12 years, Manning has topped 4,000 yards 10 times and has averaged over 30 passing touchdowns per season. In 2010, playing without Marvin Harrison for the first time, Manning finished as the fourth-ranked fantasy quarterback, and may have finished second had he not been benched for parts of the Colts final two games.
Look for Manning to have another exceptional season in 2010 as the Colts return all of the key parts of their offense, including Anthony Gonzalez, who will be back from the knee injury that ruined all but the first quarter of the opening game of his 2009 season.
Given his history of production and his ability to avoid injury, having never missed a start, Manning is the safest pick at the quarterback position. The only risk Manning presents is with the Colts wrapping up home-field advantage early, leaving fantasy owners to ponder how much he will play over the season’s final few games.
Addai rebounded from a miserable 2008 campaign to finish with 1,164 total yards and 13 touchdowns in 2009.
That production allowed him to sneak into the top 10 last year. However, he will never be a bell-cow runner, and predicting 13 touchdowns for Addai and more injury problems for backup Donald Brown (11 games and 90 touches as a rookie) in 2010 may not be the safest of bets.
Addai will need to hold off Brown to remain fantasy relevant—and he is likely to do so. However, while he may match his yardage totals from a year ago, expect fewer touchdowns, which drops him down to low-end RB2 status.
Brown suffered through a 2009 season of unmet expectations, as the Colts first-round pick failed to stay healthy or provide much competition to Joseph Addai for the starting spot at running back.
However, look for an increased role for Brown in his second year, provided he can remain healthy.
He displayed some big-play ability as a rookie, and may be the Colts future at the position given that Addai is entering a contract year. Brown is a must-have handcuff for Addai owners, but he is one that will have to be taken with a mid-round pick, given his potential to earn the starting role at some point during the season.
If Brown can stay healthy, look for him to approach 1,000 total yards and five or six touchdowns while splitting time with Addai.
The 31-year-old Wayne enters his 1oth season as the Colts’ top receiver, as he comes off another solid season in 2009.
Wayne has been a remarkably consistent performer, topping 1,000 yards in each of the last six seasons and averaging 1,249 yards and almost nine touchdowns per year over that period.
He was exceptional for the first nine games of 2009, but trailed off badly during the last seven (with a mere 385 yards and two touchdowns), which begs the question: Is he finally wearing down?
The emergence of Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, coupled with the return of Anthony Gonzalez, figures to impact Wayne’s production in 2010. Still, he remains a top fantasy wide receiver, and another top-five fantasy season seems likely.
Gonzalez is back in Indy after a wasted 2009 campaign, but he may not resume his previous role as a starter on the outside.
Pierre Garcon has earned playing time there, and Austin Collie deserves playing time in the slot, so Gonzalez will have to fight for a spot in the starting lineup. However, he’s a solid option for Manning, since he has caught 71.8 percent of the passes thrown his way during his first three years in the league.
While others are clamoring for Garcon and Collie, fantasy owners will be able to get Gonzalez on the cheap in the final rounds of most drafts.
Garcon is coming off a solid season in which he emerged as a big-play threat for the Colts after languishing on the bench as a rookie in 2008.
The former sixth-round pick finished the year with 765 receiving yards and four touchdown, and improved on those numbers with 251 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs.
Despite all the euphoria regarding Garcon’s production, there should be some concern that he and Peyton Manning were clearly not always on the same page, hence his completion rate of 51 percent, as opposed to Manning’s overall rate of 68.8 percent. The Colts prefer reliability, and Anthony Gonzalez may bring more of that to the position, limiting Garcon’s upside unless he hits the playbook hard.
Based on his 2009 season, Garcon will be drafted as a fantasy starter in leagues that feature three wide receivers, but he carries significant risk as a top-30 wide receiver.
Let others take a shine to Garcon.
Collie enters 2010 coming off a solid rookie season in which he finished with 60 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. He performed well out of the slot, displaying excellent hands as the season progressed.
Collie was exceptional during the playoffs, finishing with 241 yards and two touchdowns through three games. In 2010, He will face competition for playing time from Anthony Gonzalez, who missed much of 2009 with a torn ACL.
Look for Collie to hold off Gonzalez and increase his yardage total from last season while remaining a solid option in the red zone, as opposing defenses focus on Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. However, don’t expect him to match his touchdown total of a year ago.
He should be a fantasy backup in most leagues.
Clark is coming off a career year in 2009, where he benefited from the absence of a solid threat opposite Reggie Wayne early in the season.
With Anthony Gonzalez injured in the opening game, quarterback Peyton Manning fed the ball to Clark, who finished the season with 132 targets, topping his previous high of 107 in 2008.
Clark made the most of his opportunities, finishing the year with 100 receptions for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, Gonzalez returns from injury and Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie have earned significant roles in the team’s offense, so Clark’s opportunities will likely be reduced in 2010.
Although he remains a top-five fantasy tight end, don’t expect him to match his 2009 production in 2010.
Dave Stringer is a staff writer at FFToday.com, home of the popular Cheatsheet Compiler & Draft Buddy custom cheatsheet and draft tracking software.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
After arguably the worst defensive season the Giants ever compiled, headlines that were reserved for the Giants this offseason were generally dedicated to the defense.
After all, the Giants offense was by far the biggest bright spot for the team last year. They ranked eighth in the league in points per game, as opposed to their defense that was ranked 30th.
Manning finished the season with career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage. The wide receiver corps boasted an array of talent. And while the production in the running game was not present, the pedigree and reputation of both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw remained.
This confidence in the offense prompted the Giants brass to aggressively pursue talent in all phases of the defense. They added defensive line depth with their first and second-round picks. They signed a former Pro Bowl linebacker a week before training camp broke. And they alleviated the issues at the position that caused the most detriment in 2009: safety.
While the Jets made no bones regarding their excitement to show off their new offensive toys, the Giants felt the same way on defense. And like the Jets, the Giants had a mixed bag to show for it.
Mark Sanchez’s first pass of the game was to a contested area, which in itself was a stark improvement from last season for the Giants. The tight coverage gave Sanchez little room for error, which ultimately allowed the ball to land in the playmaking Antrel Rolle’s hands.
After that, Sanchez calmed down and methodically drove the Jets down the field en route to a touchdown, coming on a play in which the Giants defense had a communication breakdown.
This drive was reminiscent of last year’s defense. Albeit, the defensive line wasn’t manhandled and the wide receivers weren’t roaming free 20 yards deep into the secondary.
Meanwhile, the Giants offense struggled out of the gate. They opened their first three drives with carries that went for minimal yardage—of course one of which started at the one-yard line. These short carries put Manning and a Giants offensive line missing 40 percent of its starters into blitzing situations.
While Manning was protected relatively well, he had to rush a few passes. On one third down, Mario Manningham slipped when he was on an island with Antonio Cromartie. Had he stayed up, there was a possibility that he could have planted his foot after the catch and exploded for a long play. Instead, Matt Dodge was called on to punt.
It became painfully clear that the Giants’ lack of a tight end really hurt their ability to work on offense. The middle of the field was essentially unusable, which allowed the Jets the opportunity to anticipate passes thrown outside the hash marks.
Also, this hindered the Giants’ ability to run. In addition to missing both starting guards, the lack of a blocking presence at tight end limited the Giants’ overall ability to generate a push. The Giants’ best run of the night—a 13-yard scamper from Jacobs—was called back for holding.
The inconsistency of the Giants first-string offense culminated in a full-fledged disaster. On third and one, Brandon Jacobs bumped into Manning, who appeared to be poised to lob a pass up to his 6’6″ target Ramses Barden. But Jacobs dislodged the ball from Manning, and as Eli reached up to retrieve it, he was crushed by an unblocked Calvin Pace.
From the other side came safety Jim Leonhard, who had Manning lined up until he saw the ball flutter away. Mercifully, Leonhard changed direction and only “scraped” Manning’s forehead, leaving the Giants star quarterback with a three-inch laceration. Manning said after the game that all things considered, he was fine.
On the defensive side of the ball, the backups held down the fort well for the most part. In the middle of the second quarter, the Jets left their starters in while Tom Coughlin pulled most of his starters. The Jets were able to drive down the field with relative ease, but were held to a field goal in the redzone.
On the next series, Sanchez was sacked by Jason Pierre-Paul, who had been struggling with right tackle Damien Woody up to that point. But on this particular play, Pierre-Paul showed the explosiveness off the edge that had Giants scouts drooling.
Ultimately, it was Victor Cruz that stole the show. The Patterson, New Jersey native showed the type of athleticism that had Coughlin joking that, “What do we need anybody else for? We’ve got Victor Cruz!” Maybe he wasn’t joking.
The Cruz Show began with a one-handed snare of a first-down pass from Jim Sorgi in which the undrafted rookie then sprinted down the sideline for a touchdown. He caught three touchdowns in all, also showing the ability to adjust to the ball in the air and catching it at its highest point.
I’ll have more on the Giants’ 31-16 victory over the week.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
As drafts and auctions are ramping up for leagues across North America, fantasy football fanatics are being inundated with information on how to pick their teams.
Some of it is useful, some of it is not. Some of it is boring, some of it is not.
This article has two of those four features. I leave it to you to decide which two they are.
1. Aaron Rodgers had 304 yards and five touchdowns rushing last year and the 60 fantasy points that provided is the reason why he was fantasy football’s top ranked quarterback.
2. There is no reason to suggest why he won’t accomplish both feats again in 2010.
3. Andre Johnson has topped 1,500 yards and eight touchdowns in each of the last two seasons.
4. I believe that the best predictor of future performance is past performance.
5. Larry Fitzgerald had the 15th most receiving yards in the league in 2009, but was the fourth-ranked fantasy wide receiver courtesy of his 13 touchdowns.
6. Kurt Warner retired and has been replaced by Matt Leinart.
7. Whereas Warner’s career completion percentage was 65.7% and his yards per attempt were 7.8, Leinart has compiled a completion rate of 57.1% to go along with an average yards per attempt of 5.6.
8. Reggie Wayne is 31 years old and only had 385 yards and two touchdowns during the last seven games of 2009.
9. Overall, I’m a lot more concerned about the top 15 fantasy wide receivers than I was last year.
10. The San Diego Chargers traded to move up in the first round of the NFL Draft in order to select Ryan Mathews and they have a very good offense.
11. I think Ryan Mathews will win the NFL’s Rookie Offensive Player of the Year award.
12. When the Buffalo Bills selected C.J. Spiller in the first round, Fred Jackson became the unqualified biggest fantasy loser from the NFL Draft.
13. I think C.J. Spiller will finish the year with 1,050 total yards and five touchdowns.
14. Amongst tight ends, Jason Witten had the second most receiving yards with 1,030, but finished tied with 17 other players for 25th most touchdowns with only two.
15. In seven seasons in the league, Witten has averaged fewer than four touchdowns per year.
16. The average size of the Cowboys top three wide receivers is just under 6’3” and 218 pounds.
17. Ronnie Brown has missed 20 games over five years and finished two of those years on injured reserve.
18. Ricky Williams is 33 years old and had his highest average yards per carry in 2009 to go along with the second most touchdowns of his career.
19. During the last 12 weeks of the 2009 season, Ray Rice had 42 red zone touches while Willis McGahee had 16.
20. McGahee had a surprising 146 fantasy points last year but 113 of them came in five games, including the first three games of the season. In one of my leagues, he was on the bench for all five of those games.
21. During the last four games of last season, Chris Wells had 14 red zone touches while Tim Hightower had six.
22. During his two years in the league, Tim Hightower has 96 receptions (63 last year) to go along with 18 touchdowns.
23. There are fantasy football leagues that award a point per reception.
24. Owen Daniels would have been the top ranked fantasy tight end in 2009 had an ACL injury not ended his season.
25. Of Jamaal Charles’ 189 fantasy points, 85 came in three games against the Bills, Browns and Broncos during weeks 14, 15 and 17.
26. The Chiefs signed Thomas Jones during the off-season.
27. Jerome Harrison did nothing for three years, and 89 of his 150 fantasy points came in three games against the Chiefs, Raiders, and Jaguars.
28. The Browns drafted Montario Hardesty in the second round and general manager Tom Heckert said he views Hardesty as a feature back.
29. I am always sceptical of running backs who get a large portion of their fantasy points either at the end of the season or in a few games against weak opposition.
30. I am a Rams fan and think that Steven Jackson is the third best running back in the league. Despite that, I can tell you that there are at least seven running backs I will take instead of him because they will have more touchdown opportunities in 2010.
31. Hakeem Nicks had 115 fantasy points on only 74 targets, ranking him fifth in that category (of players with at least 40 targets). That means he’s a big play waiting to happen and assures the Giants will use him more in 2010.
32. Average fantasy points per target is a statistic that you’re going to hear a lot about in the future, especially in articles focusing on dynasty/keeper leagues.
33. Jermichael Finley had 97 fantasy points in 13 games and averaged 11.5 fantasy points per game over the last five games of the 2009 season.
34. Mike Wallace had an exceptional rookie year with 756 yards and six touchdowns.
35. Ben Roethlisberger had the third most fantasy points per game amongst quarterbacks last year.
36. The Steelers traded Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets.
37. The Steelers threw the ball 536 times in 2009 while the Jets threw it a league low 393 times. That’s a difference of 143 or 8.9 fewer attempts per game.
38. Visanthe Shiancoe has caught 18 touchdown passes over the last two years but has never topped 600 yards receiving.
39. With Ben Tate on injured reserve, Arian Foster is the first string Texans running back (he was holding down that position before Tate was injured).
40. The Houston Texans will have an outstanding offense in 2010 and I like Arian Foster.
41. The Baltimore Ravens ran 128 plays in the red zone last year and 95 of them were runs and 33 were passes.
42. Of the 8,004 fantasy points the top-30 ranked fantasy quarterbacks combined to score, 31.1% of those points came on touchdown passes.
43. Joe Flacco didn’t get a lot of chances to throw touchdown passes last year and the Ravens aren’t about the abandon their run game in the red zone in 2010.
44. Most people think Greg Olsen is a talented tight end, but no tight end in a Mike Martz offense has ever topped 380 yards.
45. Mike Martz is a stubborn man.
46. People tend to think of Devery Henderson as a solid deep threat but he has 16 touchdown receptions over the last five years (excluding his rookie season when he played one game).
47. Robert Meachem scored nine touchdowns in 2009, the first year he received extended playing time.
48. The Seahawks have tried desperately this off season to replace Julius Jones as the team’s lead running back including trading for an out-of-shape LenDale White and an injured Leon Washington.
49. If I don’t think a team likes a player, then I don’t like relying on those players for my fantasy teams, especially in dynasty leagues.
50. At times, I have had to go against my own advice but I will not rely on Jones in 2010 (repeat ten times).
51. Justin Forsett had four games with 10 or more carries and accumulated 397 rushing yards in those games while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
52. I like Forsett based on his current ADP of 6.01.
53. Coaches tend to talk up their players when there is a roster deficiency in order to drive down the trade value of players they are interested in. The Seahawks Pete Carroll sure has been talking up Forsett this summer and the Bills sure would like to trade Marshawn Lynch (despite what they’re saying).
54. The teams in the NFC North have to face the teams in the NFC East and the AFC East, which makes the Bears, Lions, Packers and the Vikings losers from a scheduling perspective.
55. The teams in the AFC West get to face the teams in the NFC West and the AFC South, which makes the Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers winners from a scheduling perspective.
56. Most of Eddie Royal’s 2009 targets came on short passes yet he caught only 46.8% of his targets whereas Brandon Marshall had more deep targets and caught 65.6% of his targets.
57. Brandon Marshall was traded to the Miami Dolphins.
58. There is a reason why the Denver Broncos drafted Demaryius Thomas in the first round and Eric Decker in the third round.
59. Now you know what that reason was.
60. During his three years as the Texans starter, Matt Schaub has started 11 games twice and 16 games once.
61. I believe in the law of averages (so should you).
62. As a rookie, Mohamad Massaquoi led the Browns with 624 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
63. Massaquoi caught 35.8% of his targets ranking him 94th amongst wide receivers with at least 40 targets.
64. I don’t think that was entirely because of the quarterback play in Cleveland last year.
65. Roy Williams caught 44% of his targets in 2009.
66. The Dallas Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant in the first round of the NFL Draft.
67. Pierre Garcon caught 51% of his targets last year. Austin Collie caught 67% of his targets and Anthony Gonzalez caught 72% of his targets during his first two years in the league.
68. Peyton Manning connected on 72.2% of his targets to players not named Pierre Garcon.
69. Quarterbacks like to throw to receivers who catch the ball, especially really good ones like Peyton Manning and Tony Romo.
70. Tony Gonzalez and Greg Olsen tied for the most red zone touches amongst tight ends with Brent Celek finishing third.
71. The Falcons, Bears, and Eagles failed to acquire a big wide receiver during the off season (or more accurately, none who are expected to contribute in 2010).
72. Reggie Bush’s touches have declined three straight years, hitting 117 last year.
73. In any situation, success is a function of opportunity, ability, and motivation.
74. Fantasy success cannot be achieved with minimal opportunity and is rarely achieved by players with declining opportunities.
75. At the end of all of my job interviews, I finish by stating that success requires three components – ability, motivation and opportunity, if you can provide the opportunity then I will provide the ability and motivation. This applies to fantasy football as well.
76. Brandon Pettigrew had five receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the three games before he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
77. The Lions traded for Tony Scheffler during the off season.
78. Panthers quarterback Matt Moore and wide receiver Steve Smith connected 20 times for 378 yards and three touchdowns in the four games they started together.
79. I don’t think Jimmy Clausen is going to unseat Moore in 2010.
80. LaDainian Tomlinson’s current ADP is 9.10.
81. Tomlinson backs up Shonn Greene, who had 541 rushing yards as a rookie.
82. The Jets ran the ball far more than any team in the NFL last year.
83. I like veteran running backs backing up largely unproven players playing in offenses that run heavily.
84. There are plenty of backup running backs being drafted before LaDainian Tomlinson.
85. I don’t know why that is.
86. Michael Bush of the Raiders has received 15 or more touches in six games over the course of his career.
87. He has averaged 122 total yards in those six games.
88. Darren McFadden of the Raiders has received 15 or more touches in five games over the course of his career.
89. He has averaged 93 total yards in those five games.
90. The current average draft positions for Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, and Vernon Davis are 1.06, 4.06, and 5.03 yet Alex Smith’s ADP is 12.03.
91. Alex Smith averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game during the eleven games he received extensive playing time last year.
92. I don’t know why Alex Smith isn’t being viewed as a sleeper at quarterback.
93. Ryan Grant is the undisputed lead running back for the Green Bay Packers.
94. The Packers had an explosive offense in 2009 and figure to have one again this year.
95. Ryan Grant’s is currently being taken 13th overall, amongst running backs, and that represents excellent value.
96. Marcedes Lewis has increased his yardage total every year but has never scored more than two touchdowns.
97. You have not read anything yet about kickers.
98. You have not read anything yet about defenses.
99. That’s because there’s no point wasting your time guessing how kickers and defenses will perform. Use the last two selections in your draft or your last two auction dollars to fill these positions.
100. If you liked this article, then you should check back regularly for fantasy tips and advice to help you win your league.
Dave Stringer is a staff writer at FFToday.com, home of the popular Cheatsheet Compiler & Draft Buddy custom cheatsheet and draft tracking software.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
With preseason games underway, there are some significant changes to the running back injuries. Let’s take a look at whose value has taken a hit, and who is on the rise.
- Chris Johnson – Tennessee Titans
- Adrian Peterson – Minnesota Vikings
- Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville Jaguars
- Ray Rice – Baltimore Ravens
- Frank Gore – San Francisco 49ers
- Steven Jackson – St. Louis Rams
- Michael Turner – Atlanta Falcons
- DeAngelo Williams – Carolina Panthers
- Ryan Grant – Green Bay Packers
- Rashard Mendenhall – Pittsburgh Steelers
- LeSean McCoy – Philadelphia Eagles
- Jonathan Stewart – Carolina Panthers
- Knowshon Moreno – Denver Broncos
- Beanie Wells – Arizona Cardinals
- Ryan Mathews – San Diego Chargers
- Cedric Benson – Cincinnati Bengals
- Jamaal Charles – Kansas City Chiefs
- Shonn Greene – New York Jets
- Pierre Thomas – New Orleans Saints
- Ronnie Brown – Miami Dolphins
- Matt Forte – Chicago Bears
- Felix Jones – Dallas Cowboys
- Arian Foster – Houston Texans
- Clinton Portis – Washington Redskins
- Joseph Addai – Indianapolis Colts
- C. J. Spiller – Buffalo Bills
- Brandon Jacobs – New York Giants
- Ahmad Bradshaw – New York Giants
- Jahvid Best – Detroit Lions
- Marion Barber – Dallas Cowboys
- Darren McFadden – Oakland Raiders
- Thomas Jones – Kansas City Chiefs
- Jerome Harrison – Cleveland Browns
- Justin Forsett – Seattle Seahawks
- Cadillac Williams – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Montario Hardesty – Cleveland Browns
- Chester Taylor – Chicago Bears
- Ricky Williams – Miami Dolphins
- Fred Jackson – Buffalo Bills
- LaDanian Tomlinson – New York Jets
Thoughts:
- Ben Tate’s season has ended before it started, having suffered a broken ankle in the preseason’s first game. With Steve Slaton fumbling, a problem that haunted him in 2009, Arian Foster could be primed to be the RB1. He was impressive in the preseason opener with four rushes for 31 yards. He seems like a lock to get the bulk of the carries at this point.
- Ryan Grant suffered a concussion in the preseason opener. His spot in the rankings isn’t dropping yet, but it certainly is possible depending on the severity and if he’s forced to miss time.
- Fred Jackson broke a bone in his hand and may miss the opening to the season. That opens the door for C.J. Spiller to emerge right away, and he may never look back. Jackson hangs on the rankings, but as nothing more than a late round flier now. He should still get carries upon his return, but his role could be reduced if Spiller grabs hold of this opportunity.
- There are rumblings that Ahmad Bradshaw could overtake Brandon Jacobs as the Giants’ RB1. I’m not putting much stock in Bradshaw’s start against the Jets, either. I’ll believe the change when I see it, but if you are going to draft one, you would be best served to have them both to protect yourself.
- Could the Chiefs actually give Thomas Jones more carries then Jamaal Charles? I’m not buying it, and not moving Charles down from my rankings. The news that Thomas could start does bump him up a few spots, however.
- Knowshon Moreno’s hamstring injury drops him a few spots, but don’t be deceived. My stance on him is unchanged. I still consider him a huge breakout candidate for 2010 (click here for my thoughts, which were written prior to the injury).
- I recently took a closer look at Darren McFadden, concluding that he was definitely worth drafting as a depth option. To find out why, click here for my thoughts.
- Rashard Mendenhall has moved into my Top 10, almost by default, but I don’t view him as a first round talent. Click here to find out why.
- People may be overvaluing Ryan Mathews, but he certainly looked impressive in his first professional action. He rushed the ball nine times for 50 yards, while adding a pair of receptions. He gets a slight boost in value.
- Is Beanie Wells a Top 25 player? Click here to find out why I don’t think so.
- Brian Westbrook has joined the San Francisco 49ers, where he will assume the backup role after Glen Coffee retired abruptly. Depending on how much playing time he gets behind Frank Gore will determine if he ultimately sneaks onto the list.
What are your thoughts on these rankings? Who is ranked too high? Who is ranked too low?
Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s other 2010 rankings:
Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:
THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM/FOOTBALL
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
For C.J. Spiller, the NFL Draft could not have been much worse.
Sure, he got paid. But as far as situations went, his was a bad one. For all that Buffalo has been terrible at lately—and there has been a lot—the one thing the Bills had going for them was the running game.
Both Fred Jackson and touchdown vulture Marshawn Lynch have been fantasy football relevant for quite some time. Lynch, a former first round pick, and Jackson produced quality fantasy lines behind suspect offensive line play. And without the support of a competent passing game.
Spiller figured to have less opportunity than some of his rookie cohorts to succeed this season. But luckily for Spiller, the NFL preseason has been more fortunate than his draft day.
Not that anyone should smile when it comes to players getting hurt (they are people, in case you forgot), but those who drafted Spiller in the last few weeks may be giddy this morning. Both Jackson and Lynch have gone down with lengthy injuries during preseason, opening the door for Spiller to get a ton of first-team work the rest of the way.
This should do wonders for Spiller’s average draft position.
Fred Jackson [RB, Bills]
From ProFootballTalk:
Running back Fred Jackson, expected to be the primary runner in Buffalo this year, suffered a hand injury during Friday night’s preseason opener against the Redskins. Coach Chan Gailey said Jackson will miss the rest of the preseason.
It sounds like Jackson could miss more than that.
“Fred hurt his hand and we hope to be able to get him back for the first game,” Gailey said, per Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. “We’re not sure.”
Jackson’s uncertain timeline is Spiller’s gain. A hand injury seems minor on the surface, but remember that running backs need to protect the football with those hands. If Jackson’s hand does not heal quickly enough for the coaches to feel comfortable with his ball security ability, Spiller will get more of the early-season touches.
Marshawn Lynch [RB, Bills]
From ProFootballTalk:
But the man most likely to benefit from Jackson’s absence won’t be able to try to leapfrog him on the depth chart. Per Gaughan, running back Marshawn Lynch is expected to miss three-to-four weeks with a sprained ankle.
Lynch, whom fantasy owners have written off this season according to his average draft position, may not be around to vulture touchdowns at the beginning of the 2010 season. That would mean more scoring opportunities for the rookie.
Ben Tate [RB, Texans]
From ProFootballTalk:
Texans coach Gary Kubiak won’t get to ride rookie running back Ben Tate in practice any longer. The “lower leg” injury Tate suffered Saturday night appears to be a broken right ankle that will knock Tate out for the season, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
Tate, one of three Houston running backs vying for major playing time this season, appears headed for injured reserve. Tough break for the rookie, who was generating a lot of buzz in fantasy circles this offseason.
Good news, however, for Arian Foster and Steve Slaton. The water now is less muddy for fantasy owners in regards to the Houston running back, and both Foster and Slaton should see gains in fantasy value from here on out.
Larry Fitzgerald [WR, Cardinals]
From RotoWorld:
Fitzgerald says he’ll “be conservative with it for a few weeks,” which indicates that we probably won’t see him for the remainder of the preseason. Still, the news is good. Fitzgerald should be 100 percent in time for Opening Day.
Big time scare in the desert. As if Fitzgerald’s fantasy value is not precarious enough with Matt Leinart at quarterback, an injury would be the coup de gras to his shaky fantasy value. Buyer beware with Fitz this season.
Percy Harvin [WR, Vikings]
From ProFootballTalk:
Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says “it’s believed” Harvin is struggling again with migraine headaches. Vikings coach Brad Childress isn’t sure what’s going on.
Harvin is expected to rejoin the team this week, so fears about his desire to actually play football have been dissuaded. It sounds like the migraines are going to be a long-term problem for Harvin, however. His fantasy owners remember all too well the problems he had with them last season.
Beanie Wells [RB, Cardinals]
From ProFootballTalk:
A fine second training camp for Cardinals running back Beanie Wells was interrupted on Monday by an injury to his ribs that kept him on the ground for several minutes.
The team sent Wells for tests, and a CT-scan revealed no fractures.
The one thing Wells has been unable to elude are questions about his durability. Those will have to be answered again this season. Fantasy owners will remain skeptical about his ability to last an entire NFL season without injury until he does it. And then does it again, and again, and again …
Darren McFadden [RB, Raiders]
From ProFootballTalk:
Raiders running back Darren McFadden won’t play in Thursday night’s preseason opener at Dallas because of a hamstring injury.
“It’s very frustrating,” McFadden said. “I feel like I’ve been having a good camp. It happened. It’s just something you have to deal with right now.”
Another player who has a long rap sheet of injuries since joining the league. McFadden is teetering on the “bust” label, although some already have given him that moniker. Personally, I will give him the benefit of the doubt one last time. But this season could burn McFadden’s owners for the final time (or at least until he finally puts together a solid fantasy season).
Demaryius Thomas [WR, Broncos]
From FFToolBox:
Head coach Josh McDaniels said Tuesday he doesn’t know when rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas will return to practice after missing the past couple of days due to soreness in his left foot. But McDaniels also said Thomas’ X-rays came back negative. You may recall that this is the same foot Thomas broke during a pre-draft workout in February.
Not good for the guy expected to be Brandon Marshall’s replacement. The Broncos’ passing game is not a place fantasy owners will find much value in fantasy drafts. Taking a flier on players like Eddie Royal and Jabar Gaffney late in drafts might be a good idea, but I would not hold onto either player too long if the early season returns are unpromising.
Lynell Hamilton [RB, Saints]
From Roto Arcade:
To the shallow leaguer, Lynell Hamilton(notes) is waiver fodder, leftover draft refuse worthy of little to no roster consideration. Vying for third-string duties behind Thomas and Reggie Bush(notes), the passed over rusher presented only a goal-line threat to the values of those ahead of him. However, after tearing his ACL in practice on Wednesday, Hamilton’s loss could rev the PT Cruiser’s engine. Or so we think.
Hamilton’s injury opened the door for a No. 3 running back competition between camp bodies P.J. Hill and Chris Ivory. Both played well against the Patriots in preseason action. For the fantasy-relevant runners on this roster, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush will see less competition for important touches this year with Hamilton out.
Dez Bryant [WR, Cowboys]
From ProFootballTalk:
Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas reports that Bryant is expected to shed his walking boot this Saturday, now two weeks removed from his high ankle sprain. With Das Boot removed, Bryant can begin to get ready for a hopeful return in Dallas’ preseason finale.
Fantasy owners would like to get a glimpse of Byrant on the field in real-time action before drafting him, but many are going to have to do it blind. Unless you have a very late draft and Bryant actually plays this preseason, fantasy owners will have to believe all the early camp hype.
Mike Sims-Walker [WR, Jaguars]
From ProFootballTalk:
The team’s No. 1 receiver watched the second half of Jacksonville’s loss to Philly in a sling. Sims-Walker hurt his shoulder during the last play for the Jaguars first team offense.
Both Sims-Walker and coach Jack Del Rio said they didn’t believe the injury was serious after the game. The Jaguars escaped injury otherwise after a weak effort from their starting unit.
Other than Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville is looking like a fantasy wasteland again this season. MSW did throw out a few nice performances last year, but was too inconsistent to use as an every-week option. Could be the same story again this year.
Steve Smith [WR, Giants]
From ProFootballTalk:
Smith told Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News he’ll “definitely” return to practice on Wednesday.
Many are predicting big things for the Giants’ passing game. Smith is a big part of that and his return is good news for Eli Manning and Co.
Dallas Clark [TE, Colts]
From ProFootballTalk:
Dallas Clark became the latest Colts offensive player to hit the sidelines when he pulled up lame at Friday’s practice, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Jacob Tamme played well in the preseason game as Clark’s sub, but he is no Clark. The Colts will be cautious with Clark’s health as he may be the most important part of Peyton Manning’s receiving corps.
Ryan Grant [RB, Packers]
From RotoWorld:
It’s being called a head injury, but Grant showed signs of being concussed. He got up woozy and staggered to the sidelines after being hit in the jaw on an inside run.
It was a very bad night for Grant, who had only six yards on three carries and fumbled once. Plus a head injury. This performance will not do anything to help his value on fantasy draft day and he probably will not see any more preseason action if he did, in fact, get concussed.
Vincent Jackson [WR, Chargers]
From ProFootballTalk:
“Vincent Jackson is not a part of the plan,” Acee writes. ” I don’t see them using the franchise [tag] on Jackson either. Not now. This has gotten ugly.”
Not injury related, but Jackson’s absence has serious fantasy repercussions. And the Chargers sound like a team preparing to be without his services for an extended period of time. Fantasy owners need to consider this when ranking Philip Rivers this 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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