Brandon's NFL Playoff Predictions

Welcome back football fans, yesterday John showed you his playoff predictions. Today you’ll get to see my playoff predictions. Now keep in mind that is only July, and most predictions are likely to fall on their face. Nevertheless, as a football fan it’s still fun to speculate and dream big. Without further ado, let’s take a look.

AFC Playoff Picture:

Division Winners

1.  Houston Texans

2.  Denver Broncos

3.  New England Patriots

4.  Baltimore Ravens

Wildcards:

5.  Cincinnati Bengals

6.  Kansas City Chiefs

Wildcard Round:

Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots – Patriots win 31- 24

Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens – Bengals win 17-14

Divisional Round:

New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos – Broncos win 35- 27

Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans – Texans win 24- 14

AFC Championship:

Denver Broncos @ Houston Texans – Texans win 31- 28

NFC Playoff Picture:

Division Winners:

1.   Atlanta Falcons

2.   Green Bay Packers

3.   San Francisco 49ers

4.   Washington Redskins

Wildcards

5.  Seattle Seahawks

6.  Minnesota Vikings

Wildcard Round:

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers – Seahawks win 17-13

Minnesota Vikings @ Washington Redskins – Redskins win 21-14

Divisional Round:

Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons – Falcons win 28-24

Washington Redskins @ Green Bay Packers – Redskins win 31- 21

NFC Championship:

Washington Redskins @ Atlanta Falcons – Falcons win 27-20

Super Bowl:

Houston Texans @ Atlanta Falcons – Texans win 35-31

And there you have it football fans. My prediction is that Texans take it all for the first time in their franchise history. Now I’m sure most of you are outraged at my predictions and to that I say leave a comment below saying why you’re outraged and who you think will win the Super Bowl. Next time John and I will present our arguments and reasoning for our predictions. So stay tuned for that. Until next time, best wishes.

NFL Playoff Predictions: John's

Well, the NFL is certainly shaping up to be an interesting ride, with a lot of teams changing key personnel and very few teams standing pat. Of course, those teams who did stand pat are the teams that were already gunning for a playoff berth. So as teams gear up for the pennant race, we attempt to predict which of those teams are for real, or not for real. And without further ado, 

AFC East Winner: New England Patriots

AFC North Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

AFC South Winner: Houston Texans

AFC West Winner: Denver Broncos

Wild Cards: Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins

NFC East Winner: Washington Redskins

NFC North Winner: Green Bay Packers

NFC South Winner: New Orleans Saints

NFC West Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Wild Cards: San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons

Dolphins over Patriots

Bengals over Colts

Broncos over Dolphins

Bengals over Texans

Broncos over Bengals

Redskins over Falcons

Saints over 49ers

Seahawks over Redskins

Saints over Packers

Seahawks over Saints

Super Bowl XLVIII: Broncos over Seahawks

Fantasy Analysis: Kansas City Chiefs

Welcome back football fans. Today marks the last day of our fantasy analyses. I know you’re all probably very saddened by this, but no worries there will be more content coming. But for now let’s take a look at the Kansas City Chiefs.

Alex Smith: In regards to the Chiefs the main question being asked is will Alex Smith play like he has the past season and a half or will he play like he did before Harbaugh arrived. Well new head coach Andy Reid is known as being a QB guru that’s able to get the best out of them. Given that I’d venture to say that Alex will play at a similar level when Harbaugh was there. With all the uncertainty, Alex is worth no more than a flyer with high potential in the mid to late rounds.

Jamaal Charles: Some people are concerned that Charles will lose carries in Andy Reid’s West Coast Offense but to that I say it doesn’t matter. Charles is a threat to break away every time he touches the ball. That includes in the passing game, which he will see more of in the WCO. Expect Charles’ carries to go down but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Take a look at the 2012 season versus the 2010 season (the last time Charles played a full season). Charles had 55 less carries in 2010 but finished with only 42 yards less than he did in 2012. And not so coincidentally 2010 was also the last time the QB play wasn’t horrendous, meaning the Chiefs didn’t need to lean on Charles as much in 2010 as they did in 2012. With the addition of the more accurate Alex Smith, Charles will benefit and may very well have a career year in 2013.

Dwayne Bowe, Jon Baldwin, Donnie Avery, and Dexter McCluster: Dwayne Bowe is the focus of the Chiefs aerial attack. And Bowe has already made bold predictions, stating that he’ll lead the lead the league in receptions and receiving TDs. Now before you get skeptical if you look back in 2010, you’ll see that Bowe has already led the league in TDs once. And with a better QB than Cassel it’s not impossible for it to happen. Not to mention that another legitimate receiving threat has failed to emerge so far. Speaking of other receiving threats, I’m looking at you Jon Baldwin. Baldwin has been the black sheep of a receiving draft class that featured AJ Green and Julio Jones. If Baldwin will ever break out it will be this year, otherwise he’ll be likely looking for a job on another team. Reports have been good regarding Baldwin, but the same thing happened last year, so don’t buy the hype until he actually shows up on the field. Avery is more proven. He’ll bring a deep threat to keep defenses honest. While Alex isn’t really known for his deep ball, reports are that the coaches are letting him take his shots. Granted it’s only minicamp so it may turn into nothing, but if anyone would benefit from shots down the field it’ll likely be Avery. Expect similar numbers to his stint in Indy. I only mention McCluster here because Reid has taken a liking to him. How he’ll perform isn’t really known just yet, but he may be a dark horse fantasy player.

Anthony Fasano: With the type of contract Fasano received it’s safe to say that he’s locked in as the starter. Fasano has made his living as a red zone target that rarely, if ever, dropped the ball. With the Chiefs, Fasano may see an expanded role and his stats go up as a result.

Ryan Succop: Succop hasn’t really been fantasy relevant because the Chiefs offense has been awful. If you need proof, last year he attempted only 17 PATs and 20 the year before. With the Chiefs offense hitting rock bottom last year, they can only improve along with Succop’s value. But even so, I recommend a safer kicker for your fantasy team.

And there you have it football fans, the last fantasy analysis. Leave a comment below saying what you think. In the meantime stay tuned for more content. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: Oakland Raiders

Welcome back football fans, yesterday John looked over the RG3 led Redskins. Now normally we don’t post on Sunday, but as I said before the holiday has thrown off our schedule so we’re making an exception. And today we will be looking at the San Diego Chargers. Let’s get started.

Phillip Rivers: Rivers had a down year finishing with a stat line of 3606 yards, 26 TDs and 15 INTs. But that’s why Mike McCoy was brought in, to fix Rivers. If you’re unfamiliar with who Mike McCoy is, he was the offensive coordinator for the Broncos the last couple of years. Expect some improvement from Rivers this year.

Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead: Ryan Mathews was drafted to be the replacement to LT. As you may have noticed, he hasn’t exactly done that. He has yet to play a full season and he hasn’t exactly impressed when he is on the field. Fun fact: In his three seasons in the NFL, Ryan Mathews has never rushed for more than 40 yards in a single attempt. You read that right, his longest rush is only 39 yard. He doesn’t need to be anything more than a RB2 on your fantasy team. Woodhead was a fantasy enigma in New England, some games he’d put up great points others he would disappear. Don’t expect that to change just because he’s on different team.

Danario Alexander, Malcolm Floyd, Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates: Danario Alexander didn’t catch a pass in 2012 until week 9 but he quickly became Rivers main target racking up 658 yards and 7 TDs in just 9 games. Expect more of the same next season. Malcolm Floyd was meant to step into the number one role with the departure of Vincent Jackson, but he didn’t live up to expectations. But despite that he finished with 814 yards and 5 TDs. His numbers may drop slightly as Alexander takes away his targets, but he should still be worth a WR2 role. Keenan Allen was drafted in the third round, but in my opinion that was a steal, Now Allen won’t be handed the job he’ll have to compete with Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal. But considering their disappointing performances last year I wouldn’t be surprised to see Allen win the job. But keep an eye on this battle. Gates has always been a favorite target of Rivers, the only knock on him is that he can’t stay healthy, but if he’s on the field he’s getting his targets and as such he’s worth starting.

Nick Novak: He made every FG except for two. I think that speaks for itself. He’s reliable and he rarely misses.

And that’s that. We’ll resume normal posts tomorrow when I finish off the AFC with the Kansas City Chiefs (the best for last obviously). And that will mark the end of our fantasy analyses. But until then leave a comment offering us your opinion. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin & Kirk Cousins

Griffin is a big time gamer. And it shows. It shows when he runs for a 12 yard gain, or when he limps out on the field during the playoffs to attempt to lead his team back to victory. He’ll need to curb that enthusiasm a little bit if he doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of Coach Mike Shanahan, or get himself injured again. However, it is that same desire to succeed that makes Griffin so indomitably good. In his inaugural season, he finished as the 5^th best QB for fantasy. His accuracy was the second- best ever for a rookie (behind only Ben Roesthlisberger), and he finished 2^nd in QB rushing yards and TDs. Now he has big- play weapon Pierre Garcon healthy for hopefully a full season, as well as safety valve Fred Davis. The Redskins also picked up longtime Saint Devery Henderson, giving Griffin yet another weapon who can get downfield.

But you don’t need me to tell you about Griffin’s talent. He’s coming off ACL and LCL surgery, the same surgeries Adrian Peterson had a season ago. And much like the legendary great, Griffin is supposedly doing everything he was pre- injury. He’s almost certain to start the season under center, with more of a desire to protect himself. He might not get all of those little extra yards, but he promises to keep running, which is great news for fantasy owners. Needless to say, he’s a great option for fantasy owners this year. For those extra- cautious owners, Kirk Cousins is the handcuff. He played pretty well replacing Griffin, making him worth owning even if you don’t own Griffin, in deeper leagues.

Albert Morris

An unheralded rookie last year, Morris came on strong in the preseason to win the starting job all to himself. He finished second in yards and touchdowns, and 12^th in YPC. In an effort to protect star quarterback Robert Griffin, some have speculated that more rushing attempts could be in line for Morris, meaning more production. He’s definitely caught the attention of the coaching staff, saying Morris is “as good a back as I’ve been around.” Coming off a season in which he inished 5^th amongst fantasy RB’s, Morris is currently being drafted 9^th, or 12.0. Buy.

Pierre Garcon, Devery Henderson, Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson, Josh Morgan

Garcon had trouble staying healthy last season, but he flashed immense potential during his 10 starts. For example, witness his 4/109/1 performance in Week 1 before he broke his leg. He’s still having trouble with his leg. We’ll know more about this in the preseason, but the signing of deep threat Devery Henderson likely isn’t good for his value. The rest of the receiver s are battling for second- receiver duties. The Redskins like Josh Morgan for his blocking, but he’s not often asked to score. Hankerson has the pedigree, but he has been a disappointment to date. Moss is the aged former No.1 receiver, and he did catch 8 Td’s last season, but that was on 41 catches and only 43% of the Redskins snaps. He’s likely regress. None of these guys need to be drafted outside of extremely deep leagues.  

Fred Davis

Davis might have been the only Redskin whose value fell with the arrival of Robert Griffin the Third. He managed only a 24/325/0 line in 7 games before falling victim to a torn ACL. He’s healthy now, and has managed to put up big numbers before (59/796/3 line in 2011, 12^th amongst TE’s), but unless he shows some on- field chemistry with Griffin, he’ll be worthless in fantasy leagues.

Kai Forbath

Forbath came on in Week 6 to put up top- 12 kicking numbers. He plays in the explosive Redskins offense that could be better this year with Pierre Garcon and RG3 healthy. Enough said. 

Fantasy Analysis: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Anyone else feeling the love! Happy Independence  Day readers, the birth of our nation is a beautiful thing. And so is the birth of a solid fantasy team. Doug Martin rose from rookie to top- fantasy performer, and Vincent Jackson resurrected his career in the Bay. All- in- all, it made for a solid fantasy offering. 

Josh Freeman

Freeman has been an enigma since arriving in the league back in 2009. He throws many, many interceptions (63 career), but also can be quite adept at getting the ball downfield, when he’s on. His sophomore year, when he posted a 25:6 TD:INT ratio with a 7.3 YPA, he was definitely on. His third year in the league, he regressed badly, throwing only 16 TD’s compared to 22 INT’s and a mediocre 6.5 YPA. Last year was a mix of both. He passed for the most yards (4065)and TD’s (27) in his career, and matched his career high with a 7.3 YPA, but also threw 17 interceptions. I think that’s a fair estimate of how his final numbers will look this season, which was good enough for 13^th place among quarterbacks last year. As a final word, it is worth pointing out that Freeman threw a miserable 2:9 TD:INT ratio over his last 3 games, inflating his final interceptions numbers, and bringing Freeman’s overall value crashing down. While this question bears no answer for his poor performance, Freeman is unlikely to perform that badly again. Consider him a QB2 with middling upside until further notice.

Doug Martin

To the surprise of even his admirers, Martin finished 2^nd in the running back ranks last season, behind only the legendary Adrian Peterson and his historical season. “Muscle Hamster” ran over the competition last season with his well- rounded game, rushing for 100 yards 5 times and catching 49 passes. Overall, he had 1454 rushing yards, 472 receiving yards (1926 total), and 12 total TDs. And remember, he did all that as a rookie. He has the league’s 3^rd easiest schedule for running backs, to boot. Anyone bashing Martin for his 251- yard, 4- TD destruction of the Raiders in Week 9 is missing out on a top- tier talent. A second- year jump is quite possible, and perhaps probable.

Vincent Jackson& Mike Williams

The Bucs like to run their receivers deep off of the play- action, and it’s worked, as far as fantasy is concerned. Vincent Jackson posted a career best 72/1348/8 line in his first year in Tampa, finishing among the top- 10 receivers. He’s firmly planted in WR1 territory. Mike Williams came in the top 20 receivers, with a 63/996/9 line. He just missed 1000 yards, and his second go- round in the Greg Schiano offense could put him there. He’s in high WR3 territory.

Luke Stocker

Let’s not kid ourselves. Stocker probably won’t be the starting tight end for Tampa Bay come the start of the season. However, since he’s top dog on the roster right now, we’re forced to talk about him. As a backup, Stocker grabbed a grand 16 receptions for 165 yards and 1 touchdown, good for 49^th place amongst tight ends. The starting tight end for Tampa Bay, the ageless Dallas Clark, finished 25^th. Stocker’s not even on the radar outside of deep leagues.

Connor Barth

Barth is a pretty good kicker. He hit 28 of 33 field goals last year (84.8%), and kicked in all 39 of his XP’s. That was good for 11^th place in the fantasy kicker rankings, and that’s about where he’ll place this season, too. He’s a low-end fantasy starter. 

Fantasy Analysis: Oakland Raiders

Welcome back football fans. You’ll have to forgive us, because of the holiday we are off schedule. But once the weekend hits we should be back on track. Now that you’ve been warned let’s move on to our fantasy analysis of the Oakland Raiders. Let’s begin.

Tyler Wilson, Matt Flynn, and maybe Terrelle Pryor: There’s a quarterback competition underway in Oakland. Unfortunately, for Raiders fans it hasn’t been going well according to reports. And considering all of these QBs are unproven commodities that does not bode well, but according to rumors Flynn is in the lead. However, none of these QBs have any fantasy value so steer clear.

Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings: Let me start by saying that Darren McFadden is an impressive talent, and that’s coming from a Chiefs fan. Now let me finish by saying that he is made of glass, and that’s coming from the fantasy owner of Michael Bush (when he was in Oakland). But both of these statements are common knowledge so his value will be low so there is potential for a steal in a later round. As for Rashad Jennings, he started in place of Maurice Jones-Drew when he was injured last year, but he was awful. But even so, McFadden’s injury is all but inevitable so keep watch on Jennings.

Denarius Moore, Rod Streater, Jacoby Ford, and Joshua Cribbs: This is a pretty underwhelming group of receivers. If there’s any fantasy value it’ll be in Moore and potentially Streater. With Heyward-Bey in Indy Moore will slide into the number one role and Streater will get more time on the field. However this parade has a rain cloud and it comes in the form of Brandon Myers. Myers was the leading receiver for this team, from the TE position, with 806 yards. Myers had 27 more receptions more than the next receiver with the next most receptions, which was the fullback. Do you see what I’m getting at? There was so little faith in these receivers that the fullback was targeted more. Additionally Ford and Cribbs are already injured. If there is any fantasy value it will be with Moore as a flex or WR2 if he steps up and Streater as a potential flex.

Sebastian Janikowski: This guy has a crazy strong leg. And he hits just about every old FG, he’s perennially in the top kickers in terms of fantasy points. He will likely be the first kicker off the board.

And there you have it. The Raiders are looking are a little on the downside but, as a Chiefs fan I’ve learned to never underestimate them. Because even when they aren’t good, they still play hard. Also I’d like to take a moment to say how weird it is that Shane Lechler is not on the Raiders anymore. It’s like a completely different team. Okay, that’s all. Leave a comment below saying what you think. Until next time, best wishes. 

Fantasy Analysis: Denver Broncos

Welcome back football fans. Yesterday was Sunday, so we didn’t post. And now we are on the home stretch for our initial fantasy analyses. I’ll be starting the AFC West today with the division winners, and who many consider Super Bowl favorites, the Denver Broncos. Let’s take a look.

Peyton Manning: The elder Manning finished 6^th amongst all players in fantasy points. And there’s no reason to believe he won’t do as well next year, if not better. And considering his stat line was 4659 yards, 37 TDs, and 11 INTs that’s a scary proposition. He’ll be one of the first QBs off the board.

Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, and Wes Welker: You’ll be hard pressed to find a better group of receivers than this. Thomas racked up 1434 yards and 10 TDs which was good enough for the 5^th most fantasy points amongst receivers. His counterpart Decker accounted for 1064 yards and 13 TDs which placed 7^th for receivers. And now they add the Broncos arguably the best slot receiver in the game to their high flying pass attack. But don’t expect Welker to replicate his success in New England. He’ll still be good but his stat line will considerably decrease making him a flex play with potential to be a WR2.

Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen: There is no featured TE in this offense like there has been in previous Peyton Manning offenses. And as result Tamme and Dreessen are just handcuffing each other’s value. There are better TEs fantasy wise.

Ronnie Hillman, Montee Ball, and Knowshon Moreno: There’s a battle for the starting running back position now that Willis McGahee is gone. As it stands Hillman is sitting atop the depth chart, but how long that will last is unknown. Ball was drafted in the second round so the Broncos are likely expecting him to win the competition. And Moreno has only regressed in his career, but he continue to flashes potential which is why he still has a roster spot. But more often than not he fails to live up to expectations, for which he has earned the loving nickname of No Show. No matter who wins this competition, the focus of the offense will be through Peyton Manning. Nevertheless this a competition worth watching.

Matt Prater: While Matt did miss some of the longer FGs that he is capable of making, he’s still a reliable kicker. And because the Broncos offense is as good as it is Prater will still be a top kicker even if he has the occasional miss.

And there you have it football fans. Let us know what you think with a comment below whether you love it or hate it. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: St. Louis Rams

Welcome back Football Fanatics! Brandon had been out for a while, so he did a double post yesterday. I won't be trying that today; ya'll can hardly stand one of my posts, I know. But, here it is! There's been a lot of discussion of the Rams and their shiny, new, explosive, speed- based attack. Will QB Sam Bradford play well enough to justify the Rams faith in him, and keep his job? Could they even (gasp!)

 provide more than one must- own fantasy player? We'll discuss that and more on today's Fantasy Analysis!

Sam Bradford

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about drafting Bradford. New additions Tavon Austin and Jared Cook, as well as new featured players Isaiah Pead and Chris Givens, promise a more exciting, high- octane attack. For the first time, Bradford has the same offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer. They’ve promised to recreate Bradford’s old college spread- offense attack, the one that helped make him the No.1 overall pick in 2010. Bradford finished the year on a tear, and set career highs in yards (3702), TD passes (21), and YPA (6.7).  Let’s not forget Bradford’s ADP of 121.9, the 20^th QB off the board. In a make- it- or- break- it year for Bradford, he has the potential to give owners a profit.

Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead, Zac Stacy

Richardson started off the season hot, with 62 rushes for 335 yards (5.4Y PC). However, Richardson only had 24 touches over the Rams final 5 games, grabbing an anemic 70 yards. The Rams have talked up Isaiah Pead all offseason long, and clearly prefer him as the early- down back. That’s not to say Richardson still couldn’t beat out Pead- Pead has a one- game suspension and a grand 13 total NFL touches- but he’ll have to have a strong preseason for that to happen. Stacy is a bruising back with little burst, but the Rams traded up to get him, and the Rams’ beat writers seem to think there’s a strong probability he’ll handle the short- down work. We wouldn’t disagree with them, but again, like this whole backfield, it’s a situation to monitor in the preseason. The three backs have very similar ADP’s (Pead RB52, Richardson RB53, Stacy RB54), so it’s really a matter of preference at this point.

Chris Givens, Tavon Austin, Brian Quick, Austin Pettis

Givens emerged as the Rams most reliable receiver and best deep threat last year. Though he didn’t finish high in the receiver rankings due to inconsistency, Givens flashed some solid potential, highlighted by efforts such as Week 12 against Arizona (5/115/1), and Week 13 against San Francisco (8/92/0). He’ll be asked to play more than just the “Z” speed receiver, also playing inside on occasion, but it’s tough to envision him performing much better than he did. He is what he is. Tavon Austin is the new Juaquan Iglesias in the Bradford passing attack, a shifty, speedy slot receiver. Iglesias put up a 74/1150/10 stat line in college, and while those numbers can be tapered a bit, because its college, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see a 70/900/8 line from Austin in his first year. Just recognize that he’s a rookie receiver coming out of a less- talented NCAA division, and there is a possibility of a slow start to the season before a hot finish. Keep him stashed on your bench until the breakout happens; he has a lot of potential and should be drafted as a high- upside WR3. Quick was the Rams second- round pick in the 2012 draft. He was considered to be unbelievably skilled, but came from a small school, and would have trouble adjusting to higher competition. Well, he’s had a year to adjust, but he was still beat out in OTA’s by Austin Pettis. If he wins the job, he’ll have value as a short- yardage/redzone threat. Pettis, who despite coming off of a strong performance in minicamp, stands to have little value if he wins the job.

Jared Cook

Underutilized by the Tennesse Titans for a long time, Cook now steps into an offense that promises to give him a featured role. Cook has far- and- away earned this promotion, putting up big stats when given the chance. He has sneaky low- end TE1 potential.

Greg Zuerlein

Zuerlein took the league by storm, going a perfect 15- for- 15 on his first field goal attempts, including 5 from 50+. However, he cooled after that, making only 8 of his next 16. In fact, he only finished as the 25^th ranked kicker in standard fantasy scoring, due in part to this late- season inaccuracy and the Rams struggle to score as a whole. The last part of the equation should be fixed, so it’s up to Greg “The Leg” to make more than 74% of his field goals to have fantasy value. He’s a sneaky kicker with upside. 

Fantasy Analysis: Houston Texans

Just like I promised football fans, the Houston Texans analysis. Enjoy.

Matt Schaub: Nobody is calling Schaub a world beater and he isn’t but he is wildly underrated. Last year he passed for 4008 yards, 22 TDs and 12 INTs. And that was a down year for him. I’m not trying to tell you this guy is a secret Tom Brady or anything, but an excellent backup QB for your fantasy team that many people forgot about.

Arian Foster: Foster is one of the premiere fantasy backs and no matter what this guy will get his touches. Not much else needs to be said about him, draft him early.

Andre Johnson, Deandre Hopkins and Lestar Jean: Andre Johnson has been a rock for this franchise for nearly every year of its existence (all but the first year). This year he finished 8^th amongst receivers in fantasy points. And if he stays healthy there is no reason to believe he won’t finish in the top ten again. Now some of you might say the drafting of Hopkins could limit the value of Johnson. To which I say: Wrong good sir or madam. Hopkins will be the number two receiver that the Texans have lacked and sorely needed and will help free up Johnson. Plenty of people are high on Hopkins, and we at Fantasy Sparks are as well but don’t expect him to be like AJ Green was in his rookie year. Lestar Jean is the third receiver but that is no sure thing. Devier Posey could just as easily take that role, but since he’s currently injured we’ll pretend Jean is the guy. Either way, both had only 6 receptions but they made them count. We won’t say they will become anything fantasy wise but we recognize the potential for it.

Owen Daniels: Schaub likes Daniels a lot. But that’s likely because he’s been playing the role of number two receiver. Last year he posted 716 yards and 6 TDs, but with the drafting of Hopkins it’s possible his numbers will fall. Be wary of that.

Randy Bullock: I literally have no idea who this is, I hadn’t heard of him before today. He has no previous statistics to offer. It’s a little sketchy so I’d avoid him altogether. And if he plays good enough to warrant a spot on your fantasy team then pick him up off the waiver wires.

And that wraps up our double post for today. We’ll be going to single posts tomorrow, so enjoy it while you can. As always let us know what you think with a comment below. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: Indianapolis Colts

Welcome back football fans, these last couple days John looked at the powerhouse that is the Seattle Seahawks and covered the fantasy impact of the Aaron Hernandez case. Now because we deviated from our normal post a couple days ago today we will double up today to finish off the AFC South. We’ll start with the Indianapolis Colts.

Andrew Luck: The former number overall choice led the way for a very young Colts team. He posted the stat line 4374 yards, 23 TDs, and 18 INTs plus 255 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs. For a rookie that isn’t too shabby. I fully expect to see improvement from the young QB specifically in the INT department. If he improves there then he becomes a low end QB1 or a strong backup. And with people clamoring after the RG3s, Kaepernick and Russel Wilsons of the fantasy world, you’ll be able to get good value with Luck.

Vick Ballard and Ahmad Bradshaw: As things stand right now Vick Ballard is the guy, according to Chuck Pagano. He rushed for 814 yards and 2 TDs. Not exactly impressive. Last year he was a solid flex but with the addition of Bradshaw his value is likely diminished. But that doesn't mean Bradshaw is the one you need to draft. He was clearly brought in to be the goal line back, but unless he dominates in the red zone, which I’m skeptical of, he isn’t worth drafting either. At this point these two are merely hindering their own value, though potential remains for them to become worthy of flex play.

Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton and Darrius Heyward-Bey: Reggie Wayne is one of the only holdovers from the Peyton Manning era, and he has produced even without the Hall of Fame bound QB. Last year he caught 106 passes for 1355 yards and 5 TDs. He immediately became the go to guy for Luck and showed no signs of slowing down. Expect him to resume his role next season. Hilton was yet another rookie that started for the Colts. And he showed up in a big way as the second receiver posting 861 yards and 7 TDs. With a year of experience under his belt it’s possible he could top 1000 yards but right now he’s just a WR2. Darrius Heyward-Bey will replace Donnie Avery as the deep threat, something he failed to be for the Raiders. With better receivers around him he may finally fulfill that role. Keep an eye on him with tempered expectations, as he has disappointed fantasy owners before.

Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener: Allen and Fleener put up 521 yards, 3 TDs and 281, 2 TDs respectively. Of the two rookies Allen showed the better ability, despite Fleener playing college football with Luck. However, neither are worth much fantasy wise.

Adam Vinatieri: Adam is typically a reliable kicker, (Just ask the Patriots back in 2001, 2003, and 2004) but he had a down this year finishing with 78.8 percent made. He’ll likely bounce back next year but it’s also possible he’s on the downward in his career (He is 40 after all).

Well that’s that. Tell us what you think with a comment below. And stay tuned for the Texans. Until then, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson

Despite being drafted in the third round of last year’s draft, Wilson handled the position like first- round picks Andrew Luck and RGIII. He played with poise and calm, and flashed some rushing ability, finishing 3^rd among QBs with 489 rushing yards. In fact, over the second half of the season, when the Seahawks finally took the kid gloves off of him, Wilson ranked 1^st among fantasy QBs, with a 16:2 TD:INT ratio, and all 4 of his rushing TDs. He completed 67.2% of his passes, carried a 9.03 YPA, and had a league- best 120.3 passes rating. If head coach Pete Carroll will allow Wilson to throw more, like he did late last season, Wilson has the potential to be the top ranked fantasy QB. However, odds are he’ll finish somewhere in the top 10.

Marshawn Lynch

“Beast Mode,” has been truly that over the past two years, grabbing 23 TDs and just under 2800 yards. He has been a top- 5 running back over the past two seasons, and is one of the safest picks in the draft, playing in a juggernaut offense behind an excellent offensive line. He’s currently the 5^th RB off the board, and Yahoo! Sports has him ranked No.8. At that position, Lynch is a steal. He should eclipse his averages over the past two years, even if he doesn’t run as much as Russell Wilson takes the leap into greatness.

Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, and Golden Tate

Harvin is one of the more dynamic  players in the game, a multi- faceted weapon who plays inside, outside, running back, and returns, all well. That said, Harvin does so much he hasn’t yet cracked 1000 yards receiving. One reason could be former quarterback Christian Ponder’s 6.1 YPA, a very low number for a quarterback. New QB Russell Wilson averaged 9.03 during the second half of the season, and that number should assure that Harvin gets his first 1000 yards receiving. That said, the Seahawks have two very good end- zone receivers, and appear committed to the run game, so Harvin’s touchdown numbers could remain low. He’s never had more than 8 in a season, but even that seems too high.  His current ADP of 3.05 is a reach. The last time Rice and Harvin played together on the same team, Rice averaged 6.67 points through 6 games. Since then, Rice has yet to play like anything more than a WR3 in fantasy leagues. Despite a nice 50/748/7 line, Rice was only targeted a mere 80 times last season, behind the likes of Ben Watson, Nate Washington, and Chris Givens. The addition of Percy Harvin and Seattle’s own reluctance to throw the ball do not bode well for Rice’s fantasy value. Neither does it for Tate, who was targeted even less than Rice last season. He did, however, lead the team in catches while Wilson went on his 9- game tear, and he plays well in the red zone, so he could have similar value to Rice this season. Neither are more than WR4’s, though.

Zach Miller

Once one of the best TE’s in football, Miller has struggled in obscurity over the past 2 seasons since joining the Seahawks. However, things did look  brighter for him over the past 2 months. Over his final 10 games last season (including the playoffs), Miller pulled in 34 receptions for 359 yards and 4 TDs. Over a full season, that’s 54 receptions, 574 yards, and 6 TDs, enough to make him a dark horse candidate for TE2 production.

Steven Hauschka

Hauschka finished 13^th among kickers last season, hitting 24 of 27 field goals. He doesn’t have a big leg (just 4- 10 on 50+ field goals for his career), but Seattle’s offense keeps him relevant. Draft him if you like, as you know what you are getting from him- low- end K1 production. 

Fantasy Fallout: The Aaron Hernandez Story

Aaron Hernandez, the now ex- Patriot tight end, has finally been arrested for “orchestrating,” the murder of Odin Lloyd. It’s quite likely he has played his last down in the NFL, and the Patriots have already gone and released him. SO what does this mean for the rest of the Patriots roster? Let’s take a look.

Hernandez was responsible for 51 catches, 483 yards, and 5 TDs in just 10 games last season, and has long been established as one of the top tight ends in football. Now he’s gone, along with Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, and Danny Woodhead, 4 of quarterback Tom Brady’s top 5 weapons. That leaves 283 catches, 3194 yards, and 18 touchdowns left for grabs. To fill that void, we have Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, and running back Shane Vereen.

Now this isn’t an analysis of the New England Patriots. For that, go check out our earlier post. This is just an attempt to determine where the value that would have gone to Aaron Hernandez will go. So, to that-

We look straight at Shane Vereen. Taking over for the departed Danny Woodhead, he steps into the position of “third down safety valve,” a role which Hernandez and Woodhead essentially split last season. Vereen has shown himself capable of the role, chocking up 124 yards and 3 TDs on just 12 touches during the Divisional Round of last year’s playoffs. This was without Woodhead, and now with Hernandez and Woodhead out, he should see his touches increase. He already has the confidence of Tom Brady, calling Vereen’s game a “growing- up moment.” Sounds almost paternal from the elder statesman on the team. We’re excited.

Danny Amendola may also be the big winner of this fallout. Often called “the poor man’s Wes Welker,” that’s exactly the role he’ll occupy in 2013. As Welker and Hernandez often split snaps in the slot, Amendola will now have all the attention there to himself. Of course, it’s hard to believe that Amendola could actually outperform  Welker, but he just might. His potential is that high, if he can stay healthy.

Some pundits have been saying that the Patriots might garner more touches to star RB Stevan Ridley. Though we’re a little skeptical of this, it is a possibility, with Ridley being the only familiar offensive weapon left to start the Patriots Opening Day. That said, Ridley has stone hands, and the Patriots quietly had the 2^nd most rushing attempts last season. It’s hard to imagine a team like the Patriots rushing more than they did last season, especially with one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Tom Brady.

Aaron Dobson is an intriguing rookie, but his role with the team will most likely be only marginally affected by this transaction. Playing the “X” in the Patriots scheme, he will mostly be asked to run, to get open deep. Think Randy Moss before he retired, or the role Brandon Lloyd attempted to play last season. Not to say we’re sour on the young rookie; rather, we’re quite excited. He just has little reason to benefit from in this tragedy.

Minus another one of his best weapons, Brady’s value seems to be in free- fall. Recent polls show he has actually fallen behind rising rookie QB’s Cam Newton and Russell Wilson, making Brady the 6^th QB drafted in most drafts. While Brady could make chicken soup out of chicken, well, you know, we have to agree with that assessment. With Brady’s lost weapons, coupled with Belichick’s commitment to the run game, his value could take a nosedive this season. This might finally be the year Brady falls out of the top- 5.

As a last aside: a sleeper candidate for Hernandez’s production, Julian Edelman. Another possession receiver in the mold of Wes Welker and Danny Amendola, he has all the tools to succeed, he just hasn’t put them together yet. He’s also had trouble staying healthy. But he’s the best in- house option the Patriots have. As to those who project TE Jake Ballard to pick up Hernandez’s production, feel disappointment. 59% of Hernandez’s snaps came at the wide receiver position last season, while Ballard is a lumbering, in- line tight end. He might be a good fill- in for Rob Gronkowski while he sits for injury, but he won’t be able to handle the receiver position, something Belichick and the Patriots brass are smart enough to figure out. 

Fantasy Analysis: San Francisco 49ers

Colin Kaepernick

In 8 games that he started last year, Kaepernick set the world on fire, showcasing arm strength and running skill. He threw for 1725 yards with a 10:3 TD:INT ratio, with 304 rushing yards and 3 TDs. While the loss of top target Michael Crabtree hurts, Anquan Boldin proved during last year’s playoffs that he can still be a quality No.1 receiver. Speaking of the playoffs, Super Bowl XLVII was Kaepernick’s first time he ever threw for more than 300 yards in a game, so perhaps that was more signs of progress. Jim Harbaugh is entirely committed to him after starting him over incumbent quarterback Alex Smith. He’s a player on the rise with seemingly unlimited potential.

Frank Gore

Gore started off the season strong, but his numbers dipped by 13 YPG and about 1.5 YPC when Kaepernick took over. Granted, 84 YPG and 4.0 YPC still pays the bills in our fantasy leagues, but it’s not what we’ve come to expect from the aging vet. The loss of Michael Crabtree will force the 49ers to turn to the run, so he could still put up value based on volume. The 49ers also have a stable of quality backs behind him, in Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, and rookie Marcus Lattimore. There is some good news here; Gore has never averaged less than 75 YPG, and the 49ers have the 6^th easiest schedule for running backs. Still, Gore is nothing more than an RB2 at this stage in his career. As for the young pups, they will have little to no value unless Gore goes down with an injury. Trying to pick a handcuff, though, is looking for a needle in a haystack.

Anquan Boldin, Kyle Williams, A.J. Jenkins, Mario Manningham

Boldin was a beast in the playoffs under Joe Flacco, catching 22 passes for 380 yards and 4 TDs in 4 games. Now he goes to a team in which he’ll be the featured receiver under a better QB than Joe Flacco was. A return to the numbers he posted in Arizona (84 receptions, 1074 yards, 6 TDs), could be in line, making him a solid WR2 or strong WR3 in standard leagues. Jenkins, last year’s surprise first round pick, has failed to live up to his draft status, barely making the field last year and getting beat out in spring OTA’s for the second receiver spot by career special- teamer Kyle Williams. Neither should have value this season.  Manningham has proven to be a capable receiver, but is coming off of multiple knee surgeries and is not expected to be available to practice until late August. He may carry some value late in the season if he returns to form, but is still best left undrafted.

Vernon Davis

One of the biggest surprises coming out of the spring OTA’s was the news that Davis was practicing exclusively with the receiving corps. After averaging only 21 yards during the seven games Kaepernick started during the regular season, he put up210 yards between the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. San Francisco beat writers have been calling Davis the most likely to benefit from Crabtree’s injury, and while we here at Fantasy Sparks tend to believe in Boldin, we cannot disagree with the beat writers, as they probably know something we do not. He’s firmly planted in the second tier of tight ends.

Phil Dawson

After a year of enduring David Akers (69% on field goal attempts), the 49ers brass went out and acquired Phil Dawson, another aging vet who has been pretty spectacular throughout his career. He’s kicked 84% of his filed goals for his career, including 29- for- 31 (93.5%) last season. With the 49ers offense, he should easily crack the top 12 at his position. 

Fantasy Analysis: Tennessee Titans

Welcome back football fans. Yesterday was Sunday, so we rested. And today we continue through the AFC South looking at the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are an interesting team as they could be really good but they also could be really bad, both on the football field and on your fantasy team. But we’re here to talk about fantasy for now, so let’s begin.

Jake Locker: Despite inconsistent play Jake Locker is the guy in Tennessee. Last year he threw 10 TDs and 11 INTs with 2176 yards. Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence does it? Unless he takes a big step forward I would leave him alone. Also worth noting, should Locker ever go down his back up is Ryan Fitzpatrick who has proven to be a solid fantasy QB.

Chris Johnson and Shonn Greene: Chris Johnson is the kind of back that is truly hit or miss. When he’s on he puts up very good numbers but when he plays bad he’s really bad. For example in his first three games his rushing yards were 4, 17, and 24. Then in week 4 he gets 141 yards. The next week he gets only 24 yards. And then he gets 91 and 195 yards in weeks 6 and 7. And the trend continues in this fashion. The best advice I can offer you is to choose your matchups wisely. As for Shonn Greene he won’t take away from Chris Johnson’s value because Greene will function as the short yardage/goal line back, something Chris Johnson has never really done. And even though Greene played with the Jets last season he was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise inept offense. However if the Titans’ offense doesn’t improve then Greene’s value will be limited.

Kenny Britt, Kendall Wright, Nate Washington: This is a pretty solid group of receivers, each of them pulled in 4 TDs. However with Locker under center their production has left something to be desired. Kenny Britt is meant to be the number one receiver in this offense however he has only played a whole season once. Last season he missed two games but he finished as the third best receiver on the team with only 589 yards. Kendall Wright had a solid rookie season gaining 626 yards. And Nate Washington, who will be entering his ninth season, led the team in receiving with 746 yards. As it stands, none of these guys are better than a flex option, but if Jake Locker takes a step forward then their status could elevate.

Rob Bironas: Bironas is an average kicker. He’s shown he can make the long field goal but at the same time he is just as likely to miss it. Plus the Titans offense is not good enough to warrant using him.

And that's all for the Titans. They are certainly an intriguing team to consider this off season. Let us know what you think about them with a comment. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick & Nick Foles

Foles threw for 1699 yards with a 6:5 TD:INT ratio last season, and seems like a traditional West Coast quarterback. He seems like an odd fit for Chip Kelly’s new offense, but Pat Shurmur was also hired as OC, a traditional Mike Holmgren disciple. That might be part of the reason Foles and Vick have been on equal playing field during training camp. Either way, if Foles wins the job, he could post sneaky fantasy value. Assuming he can stay healthy and hold off Nick Foles in camp, Vick has legitimate sleeper status. He’s put up big numbers before, and he fits the mold of rookie sensations RGIII and Russell Wilson, a two- way threat who could put up big numbers, especially in Kelly’s system. A word of advice: Kelly’s offense requires a quarterback who can get rid of the ball quickly, and make short, accurate passes, something Vick  has never proven he can do.

LeSean McCoy & Bryce Brown

One year after finishing as fantasy’s No.2 back, with 1600 all- purpose yards and 20 total TDs, McCoy’s production fell off a roof, still totaling 1200 yards but only 5 total TDs, good for 21^st place. Needless to say, why it’s unrealistic to assume McCoy will return to his 2011 form, his production should certainly rise, regardless of whether Chip Kelly’s offense is a success in the NFL or not. Kelly intends to ride McCoy and second- year man Bryce Brown relentlessly, and as a result their value should rise. McCoy is expected to get the larger portion of carries. In four starts last season, Brown ran for 178, 169, 6, and 34 yards. He also fumbled 3 times in those starts. If Brown can cure his fumbilitis and be more consistent, he could carry solid fantasy value. If not, McCoy may be in for a larger workload than advertised.

Desean Jackson & Jeremy Maclin

Jackson has seen his numbers fall every year for the past four years. Well, glad that’s out of the way. Jackson is a dynamite receiver built to run, a plus in new head coach Chip Kelly’s breakneck system. Kelly also has Jackson lining up all over the field, telling him to learn every position and the offense and to do “everything the right way.” He’s also in a pseudo contract year, with little guaranteed money left on his contract and no security if he should fail this season. Jackson could be primed for a big year. Perhaps more than any other receiver, Maclin’s production is entirely dependent on who his quarterback is. In 8 games with Vick under center, Maclin had 32 catches for 378 yards and 4 TDs. In 6 games with Nick Foles under center, Maclin had 37 catches for 479 yards and 3 TDs. If Foles wins the job, Maclin could post big numbers. Outside of that, he may continue with his disappointing ways.

Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, & James Casey

Chip Kelly is a big fan of his tight ends. A really, really big fan. So big, in fact, he wants to have three of them on the field at once. Unfortunately, this TE- by- committee approach may be more harmful than good for the individual tight end’s value, as the competition will cut into their playing time. Brent Celek is the incumbent, but Kelly has already called him out for his strength of blocking. Zach Ertz has the highest upside of the bunch, definite receiving skills, and could be the most productive of the bunch. Casey has had a few productive years as the tight end/fullback for Houston, but his role is unclear so far, having missed spring workouts with arthroscopic surgery. He has the least upside of the bunch.

Alex Henery

Henery did a pretty good job last year, kicking 87.1% of his field goals, but his production was hurt due to the Eagles failure to score consistently. If Chip Kelly’s new offense turns into a juggernaut, Henery will be a top- 10 fantasy value. If not, he might finish right where he did last season (20^th place).

Fantasy Analysis: Jacksonville Jaguars

Welcome back football fans. Yesterday John analyzed the New York Giants and today I’ll be the moving on to the next division: the AFC South, specifically the Jacksonville Jaguars. They finished second worse in the league, ahead of only the Chiefs. Nevertheless this is not a team devoid of talent. Let’s take a look.

Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne: So down in Jacksonville there’s a QB competition going on between these two. Now if you look at their stats there isn’t a huge difference between the two. Gabbert threw for 1662 yards, 9 TDs and 6 INTs on a 58.3 completion percentage; Whereas Henne threw for 2084 yards, 11 TDs and 11 INTs with a 53.9 completion percentage. But here’s the deal breaker Gabbert put up all those stats in 11 games and Henne did it in six games. I say all this to say that Gabbert should never be your fantasy QB but Henne could be if your main guy is on a bye week, maybe.

Maurice Jones-Drew and Justin Forsett:  With Jones-Drew returning from injury expect him to become the focal point of this offense once again, assuming he returns to form, which I believe he will. But should that not happen Justin Forsett can step in and perform well enough, unlike Jones-Drew’s backups last year. Statistically Forsett doesn’t look good, but that can be directly attributed to the emergence of Marshawn Lynch, who Forsett backed up for a few years. In short draft Jones-Drew but if you’re worried about his health than get his handcuff in Forsett.

Justin Blackmon, Cecil Shorts, and Mohamed Massaquoi: It took a while but the Justin Blackmon got himself together and played like he deserved to be a first round pick. Coincidentally his production increased when Henne stepped in or maybe not coincidentally. But unfortunately he got suspended for the first four games so he will fall on draft day. While Blackmon was still learning the ropes and nobody else stepped up along came Cecil Shorts. He posted 979 yards and 7 TDs in just 55 catches. Expect this trend to continue or even increase with the emergence of Blackmon. The third man up is Massaquoi who will be expected to replace Laurent Robinson, which ought to be easy enough considering Robinson was a nonfactor. But even so Massaquoi has never been a world beater, I do not recommend him for your fantasy team.

Marcedes Lewis: Lewis has long been the only viable offensive weapon, besides Maurice Jones-Drew. However his stats aren’t good enough to warrant playing him on your fantasy team. You can do better.

Josh Scobee: He’s a solid enough kicker, but much like Lewis he doesn’t need to be on your fantasy team because the offense doesn’t move enough to give him consideration fantasy wise.

Well that’s it for today. Let us know what you think in the comments below. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: New York Giants

New York Giants

Eli Manning

Manning is one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league from a fantasy standpoint, never failing to throw for more than 3000 yards and only attempting under 500 passes once. He ranked as the 15^th best fantasy quarterback last season, and should finish once again near that number, as he returns most of his supporting cast. The younger Manning isn’t the sexiest pick you’ll make, but he may be the safest.

David Wilson & Andre Brown

A year after working as a dynamic return man, Wilson now returns in his second season as the feature back. An explosive runner, Wilson’s struggles with fumbles and pass protection led to him getting only 75 touches from scrimmage last season. Of course, those issues have been remedied. Tom Coughlin wouldn’t have let last year’s back, Ahmed Bradshaw, walk, if he wasn’t sure Wilson could handle the role? Right? Either way, what we know is that Wilson can be a dynamic runner when on the field, as a 5.0 YPC attests to. He’s also capable of putting up lines like this; 13 carries, 100 rushing yards, 227 return yards, 3 total TDs, during Week 14. He’s a high- risk, high- reward player this year. Third- year back Andre Brown is the handcuff and goal- line back, a role he carved out for himself last year. He scored 8 TDs in 10 weeks, and he’ll be a solid RB2 for fantasy purposes.

Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks & Reuben Randle

A year after posting a 1500 yard season, Cruz regressed some in 2012, catching 86 passes for 1092 yards and 10 TDs. Most noticeably, Cruz saw his average pass length fall from 18.7 to 12.7, a noticeable decline. That said, he still finished as a top- 15 receiver last season, so it’s not all bad. In fact, with Cruz currently caught in a contract negotiation squabble, he could enjoy a nice discount. If he falls past the 4 round in your league, he’ll be good value as a candidate to repost similar numbers to last season’s. Nicks, however, saw his numbers decline for the second year in a row because of injuries, not natural regression. When healthy, Nicks is an upper- level talent; however, the instances where he is healthy have been few over the last couple of seasons. However, despite these apparent risks, Nicks is still being drafted as a top- 20 receiver. If he’s healthy, Nicks will be a monster; but I think in his instance the draft day price is too high. Avoid. It’s worth mentioning 3^rd string wideout Reuben Randle as a player who has been hyped much by his coaching staff this offseason. Of course, this may be just a smokescreen to help a player who only managed 19 passes caught last season, but he is a player worth monitoring during the preseason.

Brandon Myers

Myers experienced a breakout season last year with the Raiders, catching 79 passes for 806 yards and 4 TDs. Primarily a safety valve, he takes his talents to Eli Manning and the Giants, who just resurrected TE Martellus Bennett’s career a season ago. It might be a stretch, but I expect Myers’ numbers to improve this season. Manning has shown he can help his tight ends achieve fantasy success, Myers is in a more competitive environment with better supporting talent, and the new staff seems to believe in him He could post sneaky TE1 value.

Josh Brown

Brown replaces Lawrence Tynes, the No.2 fantasy kicker last season. He kicked well in a 4- game stint with the Bengals, kicking 11- of 12 field goals. He could be an upper- tier kicker this season. 

Fantasy Analysis: Miami Dolphins

Welcome back football fans. Yesterday John covered for me because I was helping out a friend. But now I’ve returned and today we will look at the Dolphins who spent the most money in free agency this year, and are carrying a lot of hype with them this offseason.

Ryan Tannehill: Tannehill was one of the only rookie QBs that actually looked like a rookie last season. And no, I didn’t forget Weeden, but he was 28. He may have played like a rookie but he did not look like one. Anyways last season, Tannehill threw 13 INTs compared to 12 TDs. As I said before there’s a lot of hype with the Dolphins but it lives and dies by Tannehill. And while Tannehill may improve, I do not recommend him for your fantasy team

Lamar Miller: All the buzz out of minicamps is that Lamar Miller is getting most of the first team reps and that the coaches like what they see. Miller didn’t get many carries last year but when he did he made them count posting a 4.9 YPC average. But even so, Miller is still a bit of unknown. Until we see if he can carry a bigger load he remains a low end RB2 at best.

Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, and Dustin Keller: This group here is the reason for a lot of the hype the Dolphins are getting. Mike Wallace is one of the fastest in the game and as such will add a deep threat to keep defenses honest. Last season he pulled in 64 catches for 836 yards and 8 TDs. Keep in mind that his numbers did suffer when Big Ben got hurt. He’ll be back to 1000 yards this year. He’s a low end WR1 or high end WR2 if you’re lucky Hartline finally came on last season when he broke a 1000 yards. But if you’re like me then you were tricked, because while he got the yards he did not get the TDs. So after rushing to waiver wire to pick him up I was slightly disappointed. But nevertheless, with Wallace commanding attention Hartline still has value. Brandon Gibson was another free agent addition that rounds out this receiving corps nicely. With Hartline and Wallace on the outside, Gibson will likely slide into the slot role. Now his value is more dependent on how Tannehill performs, if Tannehill shows considerable improvement then Gibson will benefit but if Tannehill does not improve then Gibson’s stats will suffer. And now we have Dustin Keller, the replacement for Anthony Fasano. Keller is a more versatile TE than Fasano was, who was mainly a redzone target, and has proven he can play well despite bad QB play (Mark Sanchez). However there are more reliable TEs to be had.

Dan Carpenter and Caleb Sturgis: We have a kicker battle! Exciting right? Not really. Dan Carpenter is now in a kicker battle with a rookie because he cost the Dolphins a couple games last year because he doesn’t have a very strong leg. As for rookie, unless he starts lighting it up like Blair Walsh did last year I’d stay away. There are better kickers out there.

And there you have it. A lot is riding on Tannehill’s development. If he steps up then so will everyone else but if he doesn’t then the rest will suffer. Let us know your thoughts with a comment below. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees

Brees has been a top- 6 fantasy QB ever since he landed in New Orleans back in 2006, and that should continue in 2013. Now reuniting with head coach and offensive guru Sean Payton, Brees is coming off a season in which he threw 5177 yards and 43 TDs, finishing atop the QB rankings, and Payton return can only mean bigger things for Brees. The Saints should also have to throw the ball a ton this year, as their defense has made no major improvements from a team that finished badly last season. Don’t sweat Payton’s remarks of going more to his ground game; this team is built to pass, pass, and pass some more. Draft Brees near the top of the QB scales, if he’s not the first quarterback selected.

Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles, and Pierre Thomas

Ingram has been a massive disappointment since been drafted in the first round of the 2011 draft, failing to top 4.0 YPC in either year he’s played. He’s been running with the second team during spring OTA’s, and while Payton won’t keep him there, it could be a signal to the young rusher that this is the year to prove himself. Sproles has been used as more of a receiver than rusher in Sean Payton’s offense, catching 86 passes back in 2011 and 75 last year. He’s good for 700+ yards and 5-7 TDs. Just keep your expectations low, and you’ll be rewarded. Thomas is the most intriguing of New Orleans trio of backs, finishing as fantasy’s No. 27 back before fading last year. Thomas has always produced when on the field- a 4.8 career YPC is testimony to that- but he’s never had more than 150 carries in a year. If he can get back to that 150 carry number, Thomas will be a solid fantasy value. If he hovers near 100, like he has the past two seasons, he may not be worth much.

Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Joe Morgan

Colston is maddeningly inconsistent- 5 of his 10 TDs last year came in 2 games- but his final numbers always look similar; about 1000-1100 yards with 8- 12 TDs. Sean Payton’s return won’t help Colston as much as it will everyone else, but we’re looking at a guy who puts up numbers year after year. He’s a low- end WR1 or preferably a high WR2.  Moore posted his first 1000 yard season last year, so some regression can be expected. That said, when Brees is hot, all of his receivers benefit, so Moore may not fall as far as some pundits call for. Morgan is a deep threat, in the mold of ex- Saint Robert Meachem. Payton has talked highly of him ever since he arrived in New Orleans, and should be a competent No.3. However, that doesn’t mean you need to draft him.

Jimmy Graham

Graham finished as last season’s No.1 TE, a role he should retain this season. A matchup nightmare, Graham can do everything, catch every pass in the book, short, intermediate, or deep. Graham had 99 catches, 1310 yards, and 11 TDs the last time he played under Payton, and he should be able to get back to those numbers as Payton retakes the reigns of the offense. He’s a second- round pick.

Garret Hartley

Hartley finished as fantasy No. 18 kicker last season, and with Payton now in charge of the high- powered Saints offense, he’s bound to improve upon that ranking. He’s solid kicker.  

Top 75 Receivers

Hell-o all! As the NFL kickoff draws ever closer and closer, we've decided its time to post our rankings for the upcoming season. Here's a look at the top 75 receivers. Feel free to comment and tell us how you think we did, we'd appreciate it.
Here they are:

1	Calvin Johnson
2	Brandon Marshall
3	A.J. Green
4	Dez Bryant
5	Julio Jones
6	Demaryius Thomas
7	Larry Fitzgerald
8	Vincent Jackson
9	Andre Johnson
10	Roddy White
11	Percy Harvin
12	Reggie Wayne
13	Marques Colston
14	Jordy Nelson
15	Victor Cruz
16	Randall Cobb
17	Dwayne Bowe
18	Eric Decker
19	Steve Smith
20	James Jones
21	Danny Amendola
22	Torrey Smith
23	Pierre Garcon
24	Hakeem Nicks
25	Mike Wallace
26	Wes Welker
27	Cecil Shorts
28	Greg Jennings
29	Steve Johnson
30	Danario Alexander
31	Anquan Boldin
32	Josh Gordon
33	Antonio Brown
34	T.Y. Hilton
35	Desean Jackson
36	Mike Williams
37	Jeremy Maclin
38	Kenny Britt
39	Miles Austin
40	Tavon Austin
41	Denarius Moore
42	Sidney Rice
43	Brian Hartline
44	Lance Moore
45	Santonio Holmes
46	Justin Blackmon
47	Chris Givens
48	Deandre Hopkins
49	Brandon Lafell
50	Emmanuel Sanders
51	Kendall Wright
52	Alshon Jeffery
53	Andre Roberts
54	Michael Floyd
55	Vincent Brown
56	Rod Streater
57	Aaron Dobson
58	Nate Burlseon
59	Malcom Floyd
60	Golden Tate
61	Greg Little
62	Jeremy Kerley
63	Darius Heyward- Bey
64	Reuben Randle
65	Cordarelle Patterson
66	Jacoby Jones
67	Ryan Broyles
68	Donnie Avery
69	Andrew Hawkins
70	Santana Moss
71	Stephen Hill
72	Michael Crabtree
73	Brandon Gibson
74	Mohammed Sanu
75	Robert Woods