Wide Receivers
Brandon Marshall: Right now I have him ranked as my #6 WR, but
I’m thinking of moving him up a notch or two.
I just have a feeling about him getting back together with JC (that’s
Jay Cutler, not any other famous “JC” you might be thinking of). The more I think about taking someone like
Andre3000 or Roddie White ahead of him, the more I think I would reach a round
early for Marshall. AJ has hurt me with
injuries in the past, and he already has a groin strain about 30 seconds into
practices. With Julio Jones emerging in
Atlanta, I wonder if Roddie will have a down year (at least by his standards).
Demaryius Thomas: A lot
of this hinges on Peyton’s health, and I’ve already seen a couple of articles
out there about how Eric Decker and Manning have great chemistry going. But Thomas has as much talent in his little
finger as Decker has in, well, let’s say both hands put together. I don’t want to get crazy with the
analogy. I think Decker will also reap
the benefits of the “new” QB in town (new like that ’01 Accord you just bought
with 150,000 miles on it), but I think Thomas is worth the risk because the
reward could be..........cheesy joke alert……….a MILE HIGH!
Brandon Lloyd: Tom
Brady + Josh McDaniels – Redskins Jersey = Fantasy Gold. I realize he hasn’t been a Redskin in a
while, but I thought I’d throw that in there to make myself a little more
miserable of that fact. The first part
of the equation is what I’m looking at, and if Lloyd could have that 2010 Pro
Bowl season with Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow throwing the ball over his head and
at his feet, think of what he could do with Brady zipping it to him on a frozen
rope. I realize the Pats have a lot of
weapons, and Brady will spread it around to Welker and the tight ends, but I
think Lloyd will be the biggest beneficiery of them all and will have a monster
year. Sadly, I don’t think Lloyd will be
available in my keeper league because I’m pretty sure the champ will be keeping
him and Gronk. Not a bad start to a
lineup that could potentially 3-peat.
(Dear League, Don’t Trade With Bird!!!)
Lance Moore: I’ve
always liked watching this guy play, but I don’t think I’ve ever had him on a
fantasy team. His last two seasons have
been solid but nothing to write home about.
[Side Note: I don’t know why you’d be writing a
letter home to someone about Lance Moore’s play from 2010-2011 anyway. That’s just weird.] What I like about this year is that Meachem
is gone, and that makes Lance Moore the #2 wideout on the depth chart. Yeah, Devery Henderson is still
around, but he hasn’t exactly been a touchdown machine. I think Lance Moore will have a season more
like 2008 when he had close to 1000 yards and pulled in 10 TDs.
Greg Little: This guy
is a beast, but he’s still a bit raw. He
had a solid rookie campaign as far as receptions and yards, but only two
touchdowns to his name. For what it’s
worth, those 2 TDs did come in the last five games he played. I have to think that he and Colt McCoy
developed a connection as the season progressed, and if Colt is the guy the
Browns go with, then I like Little to improve on his rookie numbers. If Colt isn’t the guy (and he probably won’t
be), I still like Little to have a better year.
I think Brandon Weeden could have a season similar to Andy Dalton's in
2011. I realize that could be a stretch
because it is the Browns, but I think
if Weeden is at the helm, it could only improve Little’s value. It’s a bit of a shot in the dark, but we’re
talking about later rounds so you should be able to get him with a huge discount.
Running Backs
James Starks: Maybe no one noticed, but Ryan Grant is no
longer a Packer. I realize that Kuhn
will vulture some TDs, and it’ll sound like all of Green Bay is booing the guy,
but Starks is in line to be THE guy in Green Bay. OK.
Maybe not THE guy (Aaron Rodgers), but THE running back. The ESPN ADP right now is 95, and I currently
have him ranked 66th. This guy’s getting drafted well after guys like Ben Tate, Michael
Bush, and CJ Spiller…all of whom are currently in secondary roles. More on CJ Spiller right about…now.
CJ Spiller: Fred
Jackson turned 31 earlier this year, so he’s well over the hill when it comes
to running backs. Oh and he’s also
coming off a broken leg. While Jackson
was performing well before his Week 11 injury, Spiller also did quite well in his
absence. When I see Spiller, all I can
think about is his senior season at Clemson.
That dude was a monster. I think
the Bills realize that Spiller is the future, and I also think he becomes the
lead guy by their Week 8 Bye. In a
keeper league, there is a lot of potential value with Spiller.
Mark Ingram: I’ve already hinted at my disdain for Pierre
Thomas, and I think Ingram steps into his shoes this year. I also have a feeling that Sproles will get
fewer carries (not touches, carries).
Sproles will still be in the backfield often and get lots of receiving
yards, but I think inside the 20 will be Ingram territory this season. Call it a hunch (because that’s what it is),
but I think this is the year to grab Ingram and stash him away for a couple
more in a keeper league like ours.
Future Detroit RB
Cedric Benson or Ryant Grant: I’m going
off the grid here with a prediction.
Currently these guys are trying to workout for whoever they can, and I
don’t think the Lions are one of those teams…yet. Jahvid Best still isn’t cleared to
participate in training camp due to his concussion symptoms, and there seems to
be a lot of worry in Motown about when or if he’ll return. Yeah, that doesn’t sound good. Mikel Leshoure is already dealing with a
hamstring injury in camp, and he’s suspended for the first couple of games
anyway due to the wacky tobaccky (which he also got in trouble for in
college). Well that doesn't sound too good either! I’m pretty sure that leaves
Kevin Smith, who has played a total of 13 games combined in the last two
seasons. If Smith can stay healthy, he
probably would be in line to benefit the most from this situation, but I think
the Lions will smarten up and sign either Benson or Grant. Stay tuned because if that happens, I think
one of them could find themselves in a tasty fantasy situation.
Tight Ends
Antonio Gates: I think he stays healthy this year, and VJax
is gone. Hell, Tolbert is gone. If Mathews can’t get it done on the goal
line, who are they going to turn to?
Rivers is going to toss the rock up to Gates, and he’ll come down with
it with someone 8 inches shorter trying to outjump him. Gronk and Graham are going to be keepers in
our league, so I think Gates is the best option available. He’s a prime candidate for a guy who I might
reach a round early to get. Then again,
someone else could very easily do the same thing.
Jason Witten: If someone grabs Gates early in our draft, I
might reach for Witten. No one has been
more consistant over the last 5-7 seasons, and the guy hasn’t missed a game
since his rookie year. With Dez Bryant
acting a fool, I think Romo’s trust stays with his tight end and the two
connect for 1000 yards and 8 TDs. If I
have to grab him a round early to get those numbers, I might do it.
Jared Cook: So if my plan fails and I don’t get Witten or
Gates, Cook is my guy. I think Locker
will win the starting quarterback job in Tennesee, possibly even for Week
1. I’m not sure if you saw Cook’s
numbers the last three games of the season, but they were pretty good (and Locker
was the QB). Everything I hear about
this guy makes him sound more athletic than Graham and Gronk combined, and while
that may be a bit of an exaggeration, I’m going to try to snatch him up if I
miss out on my first two targets. I
think Cook has the best chance to round out the top 5 fantasy TEs when it’s all said
and done this year.
If someone takes Gates, Witten, and Cook way earlier than they should, then I guess I won't be doing a fantasy football blog next year. Nah, I probably will. I'm not including QBs, DEF, or (*chuckle*) K in this list because I just don't think I have any that I'll reach for. If you consider taking either Rodgers, Brady, or Brees in the first round as a reach, then Go-Go-Gadget Arms. I'm going to try to get one of those guys. Defense and kickers are going to be reserved for the last two rounds (at least for me), so I don't have much to say about them. No reaching here.
Keep a lookout for updated rankings in the days to come.
Cheers,
Bart
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