Has Ocho Cinco Gone Cuckoo?

Chad Johnson has always been viewed as an odd ball for his on the field antics, but his past shenanigans don’t compare to what he just did off the field this week.

According to Miami radio station 790 The Ticket, the receiver has legally changed his last name to “Ocho Cinco.”
Johnson forewarned the public that a major surprise was coming during a recent interview with Chris McKendry on ESPN’s SportsCenter & he couldn’t have been more correct.

Ocho Cinco, The Wide Receiver Formerly known as Chad Johnson, has always wanted to wear his nickname on the back of his Jersey, but the National Football League wouldn’t allow it without fining the Prima donna receiver.
Johnson started a buzz in Cincinnati during the off season by requesting a trade because he didn’t feel enough love from Carson Palmer & The Bengals organization. Ocho Cinco, loves the lime light and will do anything he can to make sure he’s a highlight on ESPN and in the public eye!

I can’t help, but to ask myself if he’s a genius who will be able to make millions marketing his own brand identity or has he gone completely mad like Mike Tyson did when he tattooed a tribal scribe on his face to look more intimidating in the ring?

Whatever it is, Ocho Cinco has sent shockwaves around the football world with his unpredictable behavior once again & I’m even happier with myself that I drafted him on my fantasy football team this 2008 season!

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Sorting Through The Fluff

Pre-season, in my opinion is the most frustrating four weeks of the year. Still, some folks love pre-season. I’ll admit it, when the Hall of Fame game finally rolls around, I do find myself randomly giggling with joy. Can you blame me? This game is the first glimpse of real football in months. But other than that, pre-season is nothing more than an injury filled boring lump of games. First of all, anyone who already has a guaranteed job is doing everything they can to avoid an injury. So when we see our top fantasy players struggling in pre-season, it’s simply because there not giving it all they got. Really, why would they? Is it really worth a season ending injury? Unfortunately, pre-season can also be terribly misleading for all of us fantasy geeks. With only a week and half left before the start of the season, I’m sure you want all of the relevant fantasy analysis you can get. So, here is my best effort to sort through all of the pre-season fluff in an attempt to provide you with quality fantasy analysis. You won’t find any useless ranting about guys who still haven’t solidified a spot on their team.

We May Finally See The Real Calvin Johnson

Many people never truly had the chance to watch Calvin Johnson play in college. For the most part, everything they know of Johnson comes from the constant highlights of his brilliant plays. Whether it was a sick one handed grab over the middle, making an opposing defensive back look like he was in high school, or his blazing speed as he out ran an entire defense, everyone knew Calvin Johnson was a freakishly amazing athlete. Yet, Johnson was also one of the best route runners we’ve seen come out of college in years, something that went unnoticed to most. Johnson is an all around phenomenal player and this looks like it will be his year. Last year was a tough year for Johnson as fought a lower back injury for most of the season. This limited his playing time and his production. Entering a new season with full health, we expect Johnson to regain his old form and establish himself among the elite at his position. Through three pre-season games, Johnson has 9 receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown. To help his cause, the Lions have clearly stated they will establish a running game, something that has been missing from their offense for some time. Because of this, Johnson should see more play-action looks, giving him more room to work some of his magic. If you’re looking to pick up receivers early, Johnson will be available as an early second option, but may perform as a number one.

DeSean Jackson In For A Solid Year!

The injuries to Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown make this one an easy call, but regardless of his spot on the depth chart, Jackson has proven that he can compete at the pro level. Jackson has 16 receptions for 189 yards through his first three games. To top it off, Jackson returned a punt 76 yards for a score against New England. This guy is game breaker and can take it the distance from anywhere on the field. With Curtis out indefinitely and Brown nursing a tender hamstring, Jackson will be in the starting line-up on opening day. Don’t pass on Jackson in your draft.

Frank Gore Is A Perfect Fit For A Mike Martz’s Offense

With only three pre-season games to analyze, this one seems a little difficult to believe. For some reason, however, Frank Gore has been incorrectly labeled as a power back and many thought this would hold him back in offense that required a versatile back. After watching Gore in camp and specifically on the field, it’s pretty obvious Gore will be just fine. Martz is fully aware of his shaky quarterback situation and in their last pre-season game, he made it clear that they plan to use Gore to the full. Their first three offensive plays went to Gore and he made the most of it rushing for 43 yards. In those plays, he showed great vision and was quickly cutting up field for extra yardage. When they eventually decided to sit Gore, looking back to their first two offensive drives, 10 out of their 18 offensive plays went through Gore. With 10 total touches (8 carries, 2 receptions), Gore totaled 70 yards. Even though Martz has been known to abandon the run, we can easily see him reverting back to the days when he had Marshall Faulk in his backfield. Yes, he still did pass quite often, but always made sure Faulk frequently touched the ball in some way. We expect the same philosophy this year with Gore.

Watch Out For Hightower!

The rookie running back from Richmond has made strong case for more carries thus far. He has a touchdown in all 3 pre-season games and there are rumors that he will be the permanent goal-line back in 08’. He has already locked in the second spot on the depth chart and if Egderrin James was to be injured, the load would fall on Hightower’s shoulders. View him as a fifth option with tremendous upside.

QB Week 3 Progress Report

Tom Brady

Team: Patriots

Last game: 17-27 loss vs. Eagles

Results: DNP…Brady missed yet another preseason game, but says he’ll be ready for the opener.

Tony Romo

Team: Cowboys

Last game: 23-22 win vs. Texans

Results: 15-19, 166 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT…This was a very solid performance for Romo and he appears ready for the season.

Peyton Manning

Team: Colts

Last game: 7-20 loss vs. Bills

Results: DNP. He has yet to test out his knee.

Ben Roethlisberger

Team: Steelers

Last game: 12-10 win vs. Vikings

Results: 10-17, 65 yds…Big Ben gave way for Leftwich to have an extended look in this one.

Derek Anderson

Team: Browns

Last game: 6-26 loss vs. Lions

Results: DNP. He’s still sitting out due to his head injury.

Drew Brees

Team: Saints

Last game: 13-0 win vs. Bengals

Results: 14-22, 199 yds, 1 TD…Brees will be one of the best again this year.

Matt Hasselbeck

Team: Seahawks

Last game: 17-18 loss vs. Chargers

Results: DNP. Frye got the look in this one.

Kurt Warner

Team: Cardinals

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Raiders

Results: 2-4, 40 yds…The best thing for Warner was Leinart’s 3 INT.

Carson Palmer

Team: Bengals

Last game: 0-13 loss vs. Saints

Results: 11-16, 105 yds…This doesn’t say much without Housh and Chad on the field.

Eli Manning

Team: Giants

Last game: 7-10 loss vs. Jets

Results: 10-17, 113 yds…It’s tough to gauge Eli when Plax isn’t on the field.

Philip Rivers

Team: Chargers

Last game: 18-17 win vs. Seahawks

Results: 11-21, 143 yds…So far, the knee is holding up.

Donovan McNabb

Team: Eagles

Last game: 27-17 win vs. Patriots

Results: 13-17, 180 yds, 1 TD…McNabb looked very efficient in his most extended preseason game.

David Garrard

Team: Jaguars

Last game: 23-17 win vs. Buccaneers

Results: 10-16, 118 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT…This was a very solid showing for Garrard. If he plays that way the whole year, the Jags will be near the top of the AFC.

Marc Bulger

Team: Rams

Last game: 24-10 win vs. Ravens

Results: 18-25, 182 yds, 2 TD…This looks like the Bulger of old.

Jay Cutler

Team: Broncos

Last game: 24-27 loss vs. Packers

Results: 6-13, 115 yds, 2 TD…Cutler didn’t complete many passes but he certainly made the most of them.

Jon Kitna

Team: Lions

Last game: 26-6 win vs. Browns

Results: 9-11, 98 yds…Kitna was accurate and more importantly he didn’t turn the ball over.

Jeff Garcia

Team: Buccaneers

Last game: 17-23 loss vs. Jaquars

Results: 11-18, 79 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT…Garcia can’t be happy about this performance, but he won’t be losing his job over it.

Jason Campbell

Team: Redskins

Last game: 3-47 loss vs. Panthers

Results: 6-10, 39 yds…It was not a good game for Campbell, as the score indicates.

Matt Schaub

Team: Texans

Last game: 22-23 loss vs. Cowboys

Results: 15-27, 166 yds, 1 TD…Schaub wasn’t very accurate but he’ll be huge for Houston if he can stay healthy.

Tarvaris Jackson

Team: Vikings

Last game: 10-12 loss vs. Steelers

Results: DNP. He’s still nursing his knee.

Vince Young

Team: Titans

Last game: 3-17 loss vs. Falcons

Results: 9-18, 102 yds, 1 INT…Standard Vince here. He has yet to turn into a complete QB.

Jake Delhomme

Team: Panthers

Last game: 47-3 win vs. Redskins

Results: 11-19, 159 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT…So far, so good for Delhomme.

Aaron Rodgers

Team: Packers

Last game: 27-24 win vs. Broncos

Results: 18-22, 193 yds, 1 TD…This is exactly what Rodgers needed to get fans to forget about Brett Favre.

Sage Rosenfels

Team: Texans

Last game: 22-23 loss vs. Cowboys

Results: 4-8, 29 yds…There’s not much to report here as he wasn’t given much playing time.

Damon Huard

Team: Chiefs

Last game: 0-24 loss vs. Dolphins

Results: 3-7, 26 yds, 1 INT…Ouch.

Chad Pennington

Team: Dolphins

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Chiefs

Results: 11-15, 94 yds, 1 TD…Short passes and a high completion percentage are exactly what Miami fans can get used to seeing.

Brian Griese

Team: Buccaneers

Last game: 17-23 loss vs. Jaquars

Results: 7-11, 71 yds…He has proven that he can be solid in relief of Garcia.

Josh McCown

Team: Dolphins

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Chiefs

Results: DNP…McCown is probably 4^th in line right now.

Quinn Gray

Team: Colts

Last game: 7-20 loss vs. Bills

Results: 8-16, 158 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT…Gray will find himself buried on the depth chart after this game.

Chris Redman

Team: Falcons

Last game: 17-3 win vs. Titans

Results: 9-11, 83 yds…Redman was good enough to lock up the backup spot and will take over if Ryan struggles.

Kyle Boller

Team: Ravens

Last game: 10-24 loss vs. Rams

Results: DNP. Flacco was given a long look in this one.

Joey Harrington

Team: Falcons

Last game: 17-3 win vs. Titans

Results: DNP…It’s not a good sign when you’re sitting out preseason games and you’re not the starter.

Trent Edwards

Team: Bills

Last game: 20-7 win vs. Colts

Results: DNP. The Bills let Losman handle this one.

Gus Frerotte

Team: Vikings

Last game: 10-12 loss vs. Steelers

Results: 13-19, 133 yds, 1 INT…He started in place of Jackson and struggled.

Brodie Croyle

Team: Chiefs

Last game: 0-24 loss vs. Dolphins

Results: 12-21, 110 yds, 1 INT…It wasn’t a good outing, but he’s clearly the best of the KC options.

Cleo Lemon

Team: Jaguars

Last game: 23-17 win vs. Buccaneers

Results: 9-12, 56 yds…No INT’s is key here. If he finds himself in the game, he’ll need to take care of the ball.

Kellen Clemens

Team: Jets

Last game: 10-7 win vs. Giants

Results: 9-12, 83 yds…Clemens turned in numbers very close to Favre, so the Jets have to be happy about that.

Trent Green

Team: Rams

Last game: 24-10 win vs. Ravens

Results: DNP. Kind of concerning since the Rams played 3 QB.

Luke McCown

Team: Buccaneers

Last game: 17-23 loss vs. Jaguars

Results: 11-19, 104 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT…He was the best of the Bucs quarterbacks.

Todd Collins

Team: Redskins

Last game: 3-47 loss vs. Panthers

Results: 9-15, 79 yds…He was the most impressive of the Washington QBs, or is it the least unimpressive?

Shaun Hill

Team: 49ers

Last game: 37-30 win vs. Bears

Results: 6-7, 60 yds…Hill was effective but O’ Sullivan has clearly taken the reigns.

JP Losman

Team: Bills

Last game: 20-7 win vs. Colts

Results: 13-19, 108 yds…JP did nothing to prove that he should be starting.

Rex Grossman

Team: Bears

Last game: 30-37 loss vs. 49ers

Results: 1-4, 6 yds…Lovie made the right call.

Kyle Orton

Team: Bears

Last game: 30-37 loss vs. 49ers

Results: 10-17, 147 yds, 2 TD…Orton showed that he can manage the game and give Chicago the best chance to win

Matt Leinart

Team: Cardinals

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Raiders

Results: 4-12, 24 yds, 3 INT…This is the game that lost him his job.

JaMarcus Russell

Team: Raiders

Last game: 0-24 loss vs. Cardinals

Results: 14-28, 140 yds, 1 INT…This could be an average game for Russell this year.

Alex Smith

Team: 49ers

Last game: 37-30 win vs. Bears

Results: 6-17, 83 yds…Smith has a lot of work to do if he ever wants to start again.

Brady Quinn

Team: Browns

Last game: 6-26 loss vs. Lions

Results: 14-24, 106 yds…Quinn looked good, but then again so did Ken Dorsey.

John Beck

Team: Dolphins

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Chiefs

Results: DNP…Beck is 3^rd on the depth chart.

Billy Volek

Team: Chargers

Last game: 18-17 win vs. Seahawks

Results: 3-9, 33 yds…This couldn’t be any less news worthy.

Drew Stanton

Team: Lions

Last game: 26-6 win vs. Browns

Results: DNP. Meanwhile Dan Orlovsky was very solid. Not a good sign.

Matt Ryan

Team: Falcons

Last game: 17-3 win vs. Titans

Results: 15-21, 102 yds, 1 TD…Ryan showed that he can be efficient and not make mistakes.

Brian Brohm

Team: Packers

Last game: 27-24 win vs. Broncos

Results: 0-4…This is not what Green Bay wants to see.

Joe Flacco

Team: Ravens

Last game: 10-24 loss vs. Rams

Results: 18-37, 152 yds, 1 TD…Flacco was given a whole game and he wasn’t amazing, but he wasn’t terrible either.

Chad Henne

Team: Dolphins

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Chiefs

Results: 2-7, 14 yds, 1 INT…Not a good showing for Henne, but he’s clearly the backup.

Brett Favre

Team: Jets

Last game: 10-7 win vs. Giants

Results: 9-12, 96 yds…Brett continues to settle in and has looked solid so far.

J.T. O’Sullivan

Team: 49ers

Last game: 37-30 win vs. Bears

Results: 7-8, 126 yds, 1 TD…O’ Sullivan looked calm and composed and solidified his spot as the starter.

Tyler Thigpen

Team: Chiefs

Last game: 0-24 loss vs. Dolphins

Results: 1-5, -5 yds, 1 INT…No comment.

Troy Smith

Team: Ravens

Last game: 10-24 loss vs. Rams

Results: DNP. Flacco played the whole game.

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Fantasy Running Back Sleeper of the Year

Thomas Jones, New York JetsBefore you read the reasons why Jones receives this lofty claim, the definition of why he's considered a sleeper should be clear. Jones is coming off a somewhat disappointing 2007, as he only reached the end zone twice, (just once on the ground) and is playing for a team coming off a 4-12 season.

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NFL Injury Report 8.24.2008

Arizona Cardinals

Matt Leinart: According to team reports, Leinart has officially been benched in favor of Kurt Warner. Leinart’s 4 for 12 & 3 INT performance is what did him in.

Kurt Warner: The greatest show on earth may be in full effect in Arizona this season. Kurt Warner has just been named the clubs start to being the ‘08 season.

Atlanta Falcons

Joe Horn: Joe Horn was released by the falcons ball club this week. Horn should catch on with another ball club before the season starts.

Baltimore Ravens

Willis McGahee: McGahee indicated that he should be ready for the regular season, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Buffalo Bills

Roscoe Parrish: Parrish has been nursing a leg injury

Trent Edwards: Edwards is recovering from a deep bruise in his right thigh just above his knee, won’t play in Sunday’s preseason game against the Colts.

Carolina Panthers

D.J. Hackett: Hackett (toe) did not play against the Redskins on Saturday night. Hackett is going to benefit from Steve Smith’s absence the first 2 weeks of the season.

Muhsin Muhammad: Muhammad (sore ribs) sat out Saturday’s preseason win over the Redskins and may be out till the regular season opener.

Chicago Bears

Kevin Jones: KJ made his first appearance with the Bears this past week and had three carries for 30 yards in his Bears debut. Orton will greatly benefit from
KJ’s presence on the football field this year if he can stay healthy.

Desmond Clark: Clark missed Thursday’s preseason game against the 49ers with a sprained knee.

Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer: Palmer’s nose was treated Sunday after it was slightly fractured in Saturday’s game. Palmer will miss the final pre-seaon game, but will be
ready to go come week 1.

Rudi Johnson: Johnson (hamstring) said he’ll return to game action in this coming Thursday night’s preseason finale.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh: Houshmandzadeh didn’t in Saturday’s preseason game against New Orleans. Housh, may suit up for the finale, but don’t count on it.

Chad Johnson: Johnson’s sprained shoulder has progressed quicker than first thought and the regular season opener remains the target for his return, according to team reports.

Cleveland Browns

Derek Anderson: Coach Crennel said if Anderson is cleared to return to practice, he may play in the Browns’ preseason finale on Aug. 28.Derek Anderson is recovering from a
mild concussion.

Braylon Edwards: The Browns said that Edwards is “making progress” with his foot, which was cut in practice 10 days ago. Brylon will miss the rest of the pre-season to
be ready for week 1 action.

Jamal Lewis: Lewis missed Saturday’s game in Detroit after pulling a hamstring in Monday’s loss to the Giants.

Dallas Cowboys

Key Injuries: None

Denver Broncos

Brandon Marshall: Marshall hauled in two passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s preseason game against the Packers. Marshall will be out the first 2 games of
the season,but that shouldn’t stop you from taking him in in the first 4 to 5 rounds of your Fantasy Football draft.

Detroit Lions

Jason Hanson: Hanson (hip flexor/thigh sprain) did not play Saturday against the Browns & may miss next weeks game too.

Green Bay Packers

James Jones: Jones has been diagnosed with a sprained knee and he’s considered “week-to-week,” according to team reports.

Ryan Grant: Grant (hamstring) was back at Packers practice Sunday.

Houston Texans

Ahman Green: Green (groin) will not be ready to play in Houston’s preseason finale Thursday, according to team reports.

Chris Brown: Brown (back) is unlikely to play in Houston’s preseason finale on Thursday.

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning: Nothing new here, Manning will continue to miss pre-season play after having minor knee surgery, but will be ready come week 1.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew: The ankle sprain that Jones-Drew sustained early in Saturday’s preseason game isn’t considered serious and will most likely miss their final pre-season game.

Jerry Porter: Porter may return to practice next week, according to team reports.

Reggie Williams: Williams (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday & should see some action their final pre-season game. Williams had a big year last year & should continue to
be one of David Garrard’s favorite targets in ‘08.

Kansas City Chiefs

Brodie Croyle: Croyle has one more pre-season game to provie he should be the starter of the Chief’s in ‘08. Tyler Thigpen or Damon Huard will get the nod if he continues to
struggle or put up mediocre performances.

Miami Dolphins

Ronnie Brown: Brown may see a lightened workload early in the season as he nurses his injured right thumb back to health. This may leave the door wide open for Ricky Williams
to prove that he should be the primary back for the fish in ‘08.

Minnesota Vikings

Robert Ferguson: Ferguson injured his right leg playing special teams in Saturday’s preseason game.

Tarvaris Jackson: Jackson (knee) sat out Saturday’s exhibition game after warming up but said after the game he definitely will play in the Vikings’ regular season opener.

Sidney Rice: Rice missed Saturday’s preseason game after missing four days of practice with a virus.

New Orleans Saints

Jeremy Shockey: Shockey, didn’t make his Saints’ debut in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Bengals, but may play in their pre-season finale game.

Reggie Bush: Bush suffered a contusion to his quadriceps late in the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason game against the Bengals, according to team reports.

Marques Colston: Colston suffered bruised ribs in Saturday’s preseason win over the Bengals & is considered day to day.

New England Patriots

Wes Welker: Wild Wes Welker did not have an update on Welker’s rib injury Saturday, the Boston Herald reports.

LaMont Jordan: Jordan (undisclosed) did not play in Friday’s preseason game against the Eagles.

Tom Brady: The pride of beantown (right foot) won’t see any pre-season action, but will be ready for week 1.

New York Giants

Osi Umenyiora: Umenyiora suffered serious ligament damage in his left knee Saturday, and he will miss the entire 2008 season.

Lawrence Tynes: Tynes (knee) will likely miss the Giants opener while recovering from exploratory knee surgery, according to team reports.

New York Jets

Laveranues Coles: Coles (leg) did not play in Saturday’s preseason win over the Giants.

Oakland Raiders

Drew Carter: Carter tore his left ACL in Saturday’s preseason game, and he will likely miss the 2008 regular season.

Sebastian Janikowski: The Polish Prince (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday, but may be ready to test his leg in their final pre-season game.

Philadelphia Eagles

Reggie Brown: Brown is out for the rest of the preseason with a hamstring injury, but said he expects to play in the season opener against the Rams on Sept. 7th.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Injuries: None

San Diego Chargers

Shawn Merriman: Merriman said Saturday that he has a torn LCL and a torn PCL in his left knee & that they’re career threatening.

Lawrence Tynes: Tynes underwent an exploratory arthroscopic procedure on his left knee Friday, which revealed no structural damage. Tynes may miss a couple of games to
start the season.

Antonio Gates: Gates (toe) was scheduled to just participate in individual drills on Thursday, but he felt so good that he decided to take his first snaps in team drills.
AG should be ready to go full speed come week 1 of the regular season.

Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck: Hasselbeck (back) will not play against San Diego on Monday or the rest of the pre-season.

San Francisco 49ers

Bryant Johnson: Johnson (hamstring) is expected to miss San Francisco’s final preseason game against San Diego on Friday, according to team reports.

St. Louis Rams

Orlando Pace: Here we go again, Pace (shoulder) sat out the Rams’ 24-10 win over Baltimore on Saturday night. Hopefully Pace just aggravated the injury and he’ll be fine
for the regular season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Antonio Bryant: Bryant (sore knee) did not play in Saturday’s Buccaneers-Jaguars game.

Tennessee Titans

LenDale White: White (ribs) is expected to play in the final preseason game against Green Bay, according to team report.

Washington Redskins

Jason Taylor: Taylor will be out for 10-14 days with a spraineed right knee. Campbell & the rest of the offense are going to miss JT’s putting pressure & sacking
opposing quarterbacks to improve thier field positions while he’s out.

AFC Quarterbacks Showdown!

AFC East
New England Patriots
The news out of Patriots camp is that there is no news. Tom Brady sat out another preseason game.Buffalo Bills
Trent Edwards continues to solidify his role as the starting QB for the Bills. Edwards turned in a nice game vs. Pittsburgh. He went 9-for-11 for 104 yards and 2 TD. JP Losman was 4-for-5 with just 19 yards.
New York Jets
Brett Favre made his debut and had the 3rd most passing yards for the Jets. New York made Brett’s debut a quick one as he attempted just 6 passes, completing 5 including a 4-yard TD toss to Dustin Keller.Miami Dolphins
Conventional wisdom will tell you that Chad Pennington is the starter so his 5-for-6 performance was plenty of work for him. It’s worth noting however that Chad Henne was 17-for-26 for 133 yards vs. the Jaguars.
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben is clearly ready for the season to start, as he is looking sharp. Roethlisberger completed 9 of 11 passes for 142 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT vs. Buffalo.Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco made the most of his chances vs. Minnesota. Flacco went 10-for-15 for 74 yards. He didn’t throw an interception and that’s something that Troy Smith and Kyle Boller can’t say. Boller had 40 yards and Smith had 25.Cincinnati Bengals
Palmer comes out of Sunday’s game with a sad stat line. Palmer went 6-for-13 for 50 yards and an INT. In fairness to Carson, he was without TJ Housh and Ocho Cinco left early with an injury.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns will take on the Giants in this week’s Monday night matchup. The New York frontline should prove to be a good test for Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.AFC SouthIndianapolis Colts
The news here is similar to that for the Pats. No Peyton Manning as he recovers from surgery. This was your chance to see Quinn Gray, Jim Sorgi and Jared Lorenzen, as they won’t be on the field when the games count.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee quarterbacks were a combined 14-for-39 against Oakland. Vince Young easily turned in the worst performance going 4-for-13 for 37 yards.Jacksonville Jaguars
David Garrard hasn’t been very impressive so far this preseason, but he’s not exactly a flashy QB to begin with either. Jacksonville has had wide receivers with injuries and drug arrests too. Having said that, 7-14 for 63 yards vs. the Dolphins is unacceptable.
Houston Texans
Matt Schaub turned in an impressive outing vs. New Orleans this week. Schaub completed 14 of 16 attempts for 187 yards and 2 TD. Sage Rosenfels was 6-for-8 for 94 yards.AFC WestDenver Broncos
Jay Cutler was in mid-season form vs. Dallas. Cutler attempted 20 passes and connected on 16 of them. He tallied 178 yards and 1 TD.
Kansas City Chiefs
Brodie Croyle completed 7 passes for just 38 yards vs. Arizona. He now has 120 yards in 2 games. Tyler Thigpen got an extended look this week and he made the most of it. He finished with 16 completions on 24 attempts for 174 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.San Diego Chargers
Philip Rivers was not on the field this week, as Charlie Whitehurst and Billy Volek handled the duties under center.
Oakland Raiders
JaMarcus Russell looked good this week with 75 yards and 1 TD. He completed 59% of his passes but recorded just 4.4 yards per attempt.
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Rumor Has It...

Ahman Green On His Way Out?

Just when you thought you had the Houston backfield figured out, rumors arise indicating the possible release of veteran running back Ahman Green. With the recent signing of Marcell Shipp, the Texans have made it clear that either Chris Brown or Ahman Green will get the boot. To make their decision easier, Steve Slaton went and out performed every back on their roster in the last pre-season game against the Saints. Head coach Gary Kubiak was very impressed with his performance. "First off, I can feel the speed on the field. When he’s out there, you can feel his speed and the chance to make big plays and the kick off return," Kubiak said. "He’s growing in what we are doing run-game wise. He makes some bad cuts, but then he makes some great cuts. It’s obvious that this kid’s going to be a big part of it, if he keeps heading the way he’s heading.” Initially, Slaton was competing with Chris Taylor for the 3rd spot on the depth chart, but that battle seems to be over. Taylor has been plagued by cramps and our sources are telling us that Slaton is rapidly moving up the depth chart. Coach Kubiak even mentioned that Slaton will begin to see some time with Houston’s first-team offense for their game against Dallas on Friday night. As we can see, Slaton now has his eyes on a much larger role.

Slaton easily warrants a selection in your draft as your 4th or 5th running back depending on the depth of your league. Regardless of what happens with Brown or Green, Slaton should enter the season 2nd on the depth chart and push the starter for playing time. With Houston’s improving pass offense, Slaton is in a position to make a decent impact in the fantasy world. As this story develops we will keep you updated. As always, check out our highly praised Custom Cheat Sheets with everyone’s current fantasy value.


Meachem To Start The Season!

In the ever changing New Orleans pass offense, we can finally point to the player who will start opposite Colston. That man is Robert Meachem. Meachem had a great pre-season opener pulling in four balls for 129 yards and a score. His second opportunity was less impressive, only catching one ball for 11 yards, but according to our sources, the Saints are doing everything they can to help Meachem start the season. The odd man out seems to be Devery Henderson, who may even be released because of a nagging hamstring injury. The veteran David Patten is still in the mix, but all signs point to him as the slot receiver.

We recommend targeting Meachem as your 4th or 5th receiver. The Saints offense is always productive and he should have an easy time getting open with Colston and Shockey receiving most of the defense’s attention. Meachem was held out for most of the season last year because of a knee injury, but if you watched the first pre-season game, I’m sure you agree, Meachem looks just fine. Keep an eye on Meachem in your upcoming drafts.


Gruden Quite Displeased With Galloway!

Veteran Joey Galloway has not taken one rep in the Bucs training camp and currently has no timetable for his return. Galloway was dressed for the past pre-season game against the Patriots, but had no chance of playing due to his limited role in training camp.
In a recent interview, with a hint of sarcasm, Gruden commented on Galloway and said, "He's got to get back on the field, We need to get him back out there. This guy hasn't worn a football uniform since the Giants game... This is as close as we could get to him playing. We wanted Joey to have a real NFL experience tonight." Obviously, Galloway’s roster spot is guaranteed regardless of what happens, but his absence in team practices has opened up roles for some of the younger guys such as Dexter Jackson and specifically Antonio Bryant. Bryant has been the star of training camp and we like his potential. The Bucs need someone other than Galloway to create on the offensive side of the ball and Bryant has a history of making big plays. Unfortunately, he also has history of making dumb decisions. Bryant is by far the most talented receiver on the team and if he can get over himself, has the ability to produce immediately, making him a very intriguing option.

In most drafts, Bryant is going un-drafted and this is probably wise. Still, the Bryant fan in me (don’t ask) says take a shot on him with your second to last pick. In my most recent draft, I picked him up as my 7th receiver. If nothing comes of this, then I will drop him and pick somebody else up. On the other hand, if by chance he finds a solid role in Tampa, I have a 7th receiver who may see some action on my team.

NFC Quarterbacks Showdown

Here’s a quick round up of the major happenings concerning the NFC’s QB’s.NFC South: Everything’s as we expect in the NFC South. Undeniable the best QB in the NFC is housed right in the NFC South. Drew Brees is going to have a stellar season, you just mark my words.
 New Orleans – Drew “easy breezy” Brees. No battle going on here, Brees is poised to lead one of the NFC’s most explosive offensive units (is anyone else excited about WR’s Robert Meachum and seventh round draft pick Adrian Arrington?) The only question surrounding the Saint’s in their defense….oh dear shed a tear! Mark my words; if the Saints are able to maintain just a solid defensive unit then they will certainly be play-off bound! Back-up: Mark Brunell.
 Atlanta - It’s between Matt Ryan, Joey Harrington, Chris Redman, and DJ Shockley. I’m going to step out on a limb here and go with Matt Ryan! Seriously though, Ryan’s preseason performance has been solid (one game in.) Although the Dirty Birds came up short against J-Ville, Ryan made a splash with a 105.7 passer rating. Needless to say, the starting job is his.
 Carolina – Oh Boy…I’m concerned folks! Jake Delhomme is coming back for yet another season! How he manages to still be Carolina’s starting QB despite that fact that he missed the last 13 games of last season because of a devastating elbow injury is just plain weird! Only two QB’s in NFL history have ever come back from this type of injury and no one even remembers them…. Craig Erickson and Rob Johnson?! Point being…Jon Fox is gambling with his livelihood! Back-up: Matt Moore (Delhomme better stay healthy!)
 Tampa Bay – Jeff Garcia. Last week Garcia said he was a “dead man walking” when asked about the possible Favre trade. Ha, what a hoot! I respect Garcia’s candor; he knows he isn’t the leagues brightest talent. But he can certainly handle his own (pro-bowl selection last year.) Garcia may not have the finesse of P. Manning or the talent of Brady but he is a trooper and Tampa fans can rest knowing Garcia is at the helm. Watch out though, Garcia is coming off a ten day absence due to a minor injury…he’s got some work to catch up on! While this team probably isn’t play off bound fans can be reassured that the season won’t be a total loss, haha!NFC West: Two no brainers and two “well maybes”! Personally, I think all four teams have well settled starting QB’s. I think a lot of the hype surrounding AZ and San Fran’s QB race is just coaching staff attempts to spark competition and to bring out that competitive drive. With that being said, there isn’t much going on out West. The best QB in the West will be Matt Hasselbeck of course…oh it pains me to doubt my Cards!
 Arizona – It’s a battleground…a show down in the desert! As I said last week, Leinart is your starter but this is subject to change pending one series of unfortunate events. Seasoned vet Kurt Warner is poised and ready to assume the reigns…he will be on young Leinart’s heels the entire season. This is positive news for us Cards fans because competition makes the man! Matt just might FINALLY be focused!
 Seattle – There is no doubt that Matt Hasselback is the starter. Matt is def. a quality acquisition for your fantasy roster (even without Shaun Alexander!) Back-up: Now here we have a little battle brewing! It’s between Seneca Wallace and Charlie Frye….both men are quality reserves.
 St. Louis – Marc Bulger, I’m just not excited about his franchise in any way shape or form. Def. not a playoff bound team. I wouldn’t rush to acquire Bulger; I don’t think he has that many offensive weapons at his disposal. Back-Up: Trent Green (yeah, I know he’s still around!)
 San Francisco – Battleground Galactica! Who knows where this is going to end up. Personally, I think former first overall pick Alex Smith still has the position on lock, I don’t think San Fran is ready to throw in the towel. However, J.T. O’Sullivan and Shaun Hill (like division rival, Kurt Warner) will be riding Smith’s heels. At this point, I expect O’Sullivan to take the #2 spot behind Smith, simply because of his familiarity with Mike Martz’s offense. Of course, things may change during the season but for now, I’m going with Smith followed y O’Sullivan.
NFC North: Here lies the confusion! The NFC North will not be making a splash in terms of QB’s. If I had to pick the best QB out of the bunch I would go with Aaron Rodgers. Thus far in the pre season he looks decent. Additionally, he has one powerful offense behind him. I would look for Rodgers followed by Kitna to be the top NFC North leaders.
 Green Bay – Aaron Rodgers, phew…the man can finally rest! Rodgers looked decent in his first NFL start; he recorded 9 of 15 throws for 117 yards and a touchdown. Back-up: Brian Brohm or Matt Flynn…let’s go with Brohm
 Vikings – Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson is the undoubted starter. There are many outsiders, operative word being outsiders, who doubt Jackson’s abilities to lead his team. However, his teammates and coaches remain optimistic and supportive…and quite frankly only their opinion matters. If Jackson can remain calm and collected under pressure and keep his confidence up he should hold down the starting position with no real threat. Back-up: Gus Frerotte and John David Booty.
 Lions – Jon Kitna…for now. Back-up: Dan Orlovsky, and Drew Stanton will battle it out for the # 2 position. Insiders favor Stanton as the #2, and some expect him to make a push for the starting job.
 Bears – Battleground: The Windy City Brawl. Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton…truth be told, I’d prefer neither. However, if I had to pick one, I would go with Grossman. Grossman has flashes of brilliancy but they are always overshadowed by a few dumb moves.
NFC East: there isn’t too much going on in the NFC East. The starting crew is pretty confirmed. From this division I predict Romo to have the best season followed by Jason Campbell. Yes, I’m once again doubting NY!
 Giants – Eli Manning.…just not a fan so I’m going to move it along!
 Philadelphia – Donovan McNabb, aging but still serviceable.
 Red Skins – Interesting, Interesting, Interesting! Colt Brennan is making headlines…his first NFL appearance was well done, but that’s where the buck stops for now. Brenan will hold down the 3rd spot behind Todd Collins. Collins is a sold and proven back-up. The Skins are well invested in Jason Campbell. Campbell has a very nice arm…with just a bit more experience and confidence Campbell should be a pretty decent QB.
 Dallas – Tony Romo, once again not much of a battle going in Cowboy’s camp. I’m certainly not a Romo fan, I REFUSE to jump on his bandwagon and shout his praises! If Romo leads his team to a playoff win this season then I MIGHT just whisper “good job Romo.”
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Ray Day! Ray Day! There's Trouble in St. Petersburg

Rayday! Rayday! There’s trouble in St. Petersburg
One week ago, everything was perfect in St. Petersburg. The Rays were sole owners of the 2nd best record in baseball and the division race was in their control.
What a difference a week can make. The Rays now face some serious adversity during the last 6 weeks of the season.
Here are three major reasons to worry if you’re a Tampa Bay Rays fan.
1. Carl Crawford
Crawford will miss 6-to-8 weeks with a torn tendon band in his right middle finger. That means he’ll miss the rest of the regular season and, if he opts for surgery, the postseason as well. That is, of course, if the Rays make the postseason.
Crawford provided a lot of leadership to a very young baseball team. He was there when Tampa Bay was terrible. Oh wait, most of these guys were around last year. Well, Crawford was around when there were no signs of hope and his veteran presence will be greatly missed.
2. Evan Longoria
Longoria has provided Tampa Bay with exactly the spark plug that they needed when he was called up one month into the season. Longoria took a J.J. Putz offering on the wrist and the result is a fractured wrist. The Rays will not only miss an irreplaceable stick at the plate, but also a very solid defender at the hot corner. Crawford and Longoria have combined for 39 Doubles, 12 Triples, 30 HR, 125 Runs, 128 RBI and 32 SB. Those numbers aren’t easily replaced.
3. Their Schedule
Tampa Bay has 24 of their remaining 43 games on the road. They have 3 games at Texas, 3 at Chicago, 3 at New York and 3 at Boston. The home games aren’t going to be easy either. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pay a visit to Florida next week, followed by the Yankees, Red Sox and Twins next month. With only 10 games remaining against teams below .500, the Rays better make every win count.

Watch and Listen to our Expert League Draft August 12th!

Need some serious expert help in fantasy football? Tomorrow August 12, 2008 at 9pm EST Fantasy Football Search will be having its expert league LIVE draft. It will be held at Mock Draft Central so it can be viewed by the public. Watch
Fantasy Football Search - Todd "The True Guru" Farino
Mock Draft Central - Geoffrey Stein
Scout Fantasy Football - Jeff Mans
No-Offseason.com - Paul Hickey
Xtreme Fantasy Football - Mike Bowser
Pro Fantasy Football - Chris Farino
Fantasy Football Starters - Jeff Coruccini
NFL Fantasy Playbook - AJ Pelletier
Fantasy Football Big Game - Patrick Welsh
Junkyard Jake - RC Rizza
Fighting Chance Fantasy - Ryan Hallam
Johnny Archive.com - Johnny Archive
Owners Box Sports - Joe Quiles
Fantasy Sports Zone - Rhett Oldham.

To watch the draft at at Mock Draft Central, follow this link http://www.mockdraftcentral.com/draft.jsp?id=77772. The draft starts at 9pm EST.

We will be broadcasting the draft on Blog Talk Radio at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Football-Scout as well, so tune in and get all the first hand information you need from Johnny Archive, Todd Farino, and RC Rizza. The show starts at 8:30pm EST and enter the chat room to ask our broadcasting team questions.

Rumor Has It...

Kevin Smith To Start The Season?

The position battle between rookie back Kevin Smith and veteran Tatum Bell was a hot topic for some time. For the most part, a split role was the obvious outcome but our sources are now telling us that Kevin Smith is the leading candidate for the starting job, and he would have to completely fall apart to lose the job. Smith, who had an amazing 2,567 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns in his Junior year at UCF, obviously has the tools needed to succeed. The Lions are confident in his ability to be a full-time back and since they are trying to re-establish their ground game, it’s safe to say Smith will touch the rock frequently. Even though the coaching staff will not name a starter for their upcoming pre-season game, Smith has worked with the first team both Saturday and Sunday and we don’t expect this to change.

From a fantasy standpoint, Smith will serve you well as an RB3 and in most cases, can be picked up in the middle of the 5^th round in a 12 team league. Considering the Lions already have multiple weapons in the passing game, we expect them to find their groove on the ground fairly quickly. Smith has a lot of potential and we suggest targeting him in most of your drafts.

Hightower Moving Up!

With the recent release of running back Marcel Shipp and the fact that Edgerrin James is getting older every day, Tim Hightower continues to look better and better. The 5th round pick from Richmond had a solid pre-season opener, rushing for 23 yards and a score on 5 carries and pulling in 2 balls for 11 yards. He even saw time on 3rd down which is something we did not initially expect with J.J. Arrington on the roster. Reports are that Hightower has a solid grasp of the second spot on the depth chart and may even steal goal-line looks from the fading James. As a Cardinal, James has not recorded a season where he averaged at least 4 yards per carry. Why would anything change next year? If James continues to struggle, Hightower will inevitably see more looks and touches making him a solid late draft choice. Still, James will start the year and it’s unlikely they remove him from that role, but there is no reason for them to limit a younger and far more athletic option to the bench.

Right now, you can easily pick up Hightower as your 5th running back. There is absolutely no risk with this pick as long as your 4 backs ahead of him will see substantial playing time. If Hightower is given the permanent goal-line role, expect at least 7 or 8 touchdowns, which is a great output from your 5th option.

Drew Bennett Number Two In St. Louis!

The release of Isaac Bruce has left a large role to fill in the passing game and we expect Bennett to step in and produce. Drew signed a 6 year, 30 million dollar contract with the Rams in 07’ and did not live up to expectations. He missed the first game with a hamstring injury which lingered throughout the year limiting his playing time and productivity. According to our sources, Bennett feels great and is excited about the opportunity in front of him. As the starter opposite Holt, he provides the Rams with a dangerous red-zone threat.

As you’ve noticed, we frequently highlight late round prospects in attempt to optimize your draft. Fantasy league championships don’t just happen, it takes a lot preparation and digging to find those draft gems and Drew Bennett could be one of those. In a standard 12 team 18 round format, it’s likely Bennett will go un-drafted. Honestly, that doesn’t make sense to me. If anything, use your second to last pick to draft him as your 6^th wide receiver. (If you have read any of my articles, you already know I always recommend using your last pick on a kicker) In reality, you have nothing to lose. If Bennett bombs, drop him and pick up someone else. If he booms, then you just got yourself a solid fantasy option in the 17^th round.

Who's Hot, Who's Not

HOT:

Jason Campbell: The number one rule of the pre-season as it relates to fantasy football is never read too much into a player’s production. Please excuse me as I contradict myself for a moment…Jason Campbell looked outstanding in the pre-season opener against the Colts! All excitement over the pre-season starting aside however, there are plenty of reasons that Jason Campbell finds himself on my hot list. Two healthy speedsters and the addition of the 6-2 218 lb. playmaker out of Michigan, Devin Thomas, top the list. Chris Cooley is proven. Add to his ability the talents of a healthy Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, and Jason Campbell has a host of competent receiver options to choose from.
Reason number 2 is Clinton Portis coming off a strong showing in 2007, a year in which he proved that he is back to form and can play in every game. Portis handled the rock 325 times in 07’, so the interest of most defensive units will be on Portis first, Campbell second. The third and final reason is simply opportunity. The implementation of Jim Zorn’s west coast offense, will likely result in Jason improving upon his 417 pass attempts from the year prior. Zorn’s playbook should prove to be relatively easy for Jason to absorb and will employ quite a bit of dump-offs to the running back as Zorn himself indicated earlier in the off-season. So there you have it, three good reasons why Jason deserves a spot on your roster, as a reserve of course. Not based solely on his pre-season performance, although I will admit that initiative was sparked by it.

Santana Moss: Moss finds his way on the hot list for one of the same reasons that Campbell does…opportunity. Despite the acquisition of collegiate playmaking receivers in the draft, Moss will prove to be the focal point of this Washington pass offense. In an effort to acclimate Campbell to a new offense and to give him a level a comfort, Zorn will use Moss in a variety of sets which will include screens and slants that will allow Santana to use his speed and shiftiness to make plays. In most drafts Moss is going as a late WR3. Moss is good value that late in the draft as he has high potential. Don’t reach for Moss, but don’t hesitate to snag him as you WR3, should he fall to you.

D.J. Hackett: Hackett is hot for no other reason than that Steve Smith is suspended for the first two games of the season. There was talk out of Carolina that perhaps Head Coach John Fox would go with the safer option in Muhsin Muhammad as the second receiver. The first two games of the regular season can now serve as a further audition, and I fully expect D.J. Hackett to win out and continue to play a role in the Carolina offense after Steve Smith returns from his suspension, should he remain healthy of course. Consider Smith’s suspension a perfect opportunity for Jake and D.J. to get to know each other better on the field without distraction.

Ted Ginn, Jr.: Ginn continues to make strides in improving his receiving ability. In addition to the fact that Ginn is the favorite to claim the #1 receiver job, Tony Sparano has indicated that Ted will likely not relinquish any of his special team duties. He will be featured as the team’s premier kick and punt return specialist. It’s safe to say that Ted Ginn, Jr. has potential similar to that of Devin Hester. Although Ginn is far less explosive on special teams, he is the superior receiver and will likely be used in a similar fashion on offense. (Screens, reverses and so forth) In an offense that is lacking playmakers, rest assured that Ginn will be the primary target when the ball is in the air.

NOT:

Brandon Marshall: Marshall is not hot for an obvious reason, his current three game suspension. Keep in mind that his relationship with Jay Cutler is still fresh, and Cutler has already publically expressed his disapproval with Marshall’s off-season antics and this suspension will not help matters any. This is not to say that Marshall will not come in and perform, but his behavior thus far reeks of a guy who’s career could be riddled with “incidents”. His value as a WR2 is undeniable, so he is still impossible to pass on, despite the fact that his season will be cut short by at least 2 games, but buyers beware.

Laurence Maroney: Poor, poor Laurence. Overshadowed in 07’ by New England’s ridiculous pass offense, and now, with the addition of LaMont Jordon, he will no doubt have his looks and touches negatively affected. Kevin Faulk had already established himself as a more than competent third down back, which hurt Maroney’s value in PPR leagues. LaMont Jordon will prove to be a solid goal-line option in New England which may reduce Maroney’s looks to first and second down between the 20’s. It remains to be seen how this will play out, but draft with caution. Maroney currently sits as a low-end RB2, borderline RB3.

Fantasy Football News Bleeps - 8/3

Fantasy Football News Bleeps Interesting news items from around the NFL...

Updated August 3, 2008 JunkyardJake.Com

^♦ While Deuce McAllister tries to make it back from double-knee surgery, keep an eye on Pierre Thomas, who has been impressive in camp, and could emerge as a power running complement to Reggie Bush. Thomas was impressive last season when called upon, averaging 4.8 YPC. Link

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^♦ Steve Smith will be suspended for striking teammate Ken Lucas in a training camp altercation last week. The Panthers 3-time Pro-Bowl receiver will miss the Sept. 7 game against SanDiego, and the Sept 14th game vs. Chicago. Link

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^♦ Although Kevin Smith is technically still behind Tatum Bell on the depth chart, the rookie has been a pleasant surprise so far and done nothing to dispel the notion that he could emerge as the #1 option in Detriot's rushing attack early this season. Link

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^♦ The Jaguars receiving corps should be deeper this season, but so far injury problems have plagued the team with Jerry Porter missing time after July 18th hamstring surgery, and Reggie Williams recently requiring knee surgery to remove cartilage. Both players could miss the entire preseason. Link

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^♦ Ryan Grant and Packers reached agreement on new 4-year, incentive-based $30 million contract. Grant had been conspicuously missing from Packers training, but he could rejoin the team within the next couple days. Brandon Jackson has solidified his position the Packers #2 RB option in Grant's absence. Link

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^♦ Denver rookie Eddie Royal has been so good in training camp, that it wouldn't be a stretch to see him earn significant playing time at receiver this year, especially since Brandon Marshall could miss time due to a possible suspension. Link

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^♦ The Texans signed Mike Bell last week to further complicate a runningback situation that includes Ahman Green, Chris Brown, Darius Walker, Chris Taylor and rookie Steve Slaton. Green is still expected to start, when healthy. Link

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^♦ The Bengals were hoping that one of their rookie receivers Jerome Simpson or Andre Caldwell, would step up this preseason to fill the #3 receiver spot, but so far neither player has been able to distinguish themselves. Link

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^♦ Acquired from Dallas in the off-season, Anthony Fasano is having a solid camp, and Dolphins appear ready to turn the starting TE job over to him. Fasano is already a superior blocker to David Martin, but his receiving has been a pleasant surprise. Link

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^♦ Also on the Dolphins passing game front, while the Dolphins signed Earnest Wilford for his size, he has never been known for his speed, and he is reportedly had trouble getting open during scrimmages. It is possible that Derek Hagan gets a shot to start at some point. Link

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^♦ He is still considered #4 on the depth chart, but rookie Tim Hightower is making a claim to move ahead of Marcel Shipp and/or JJ Arrington with his good decent quickness and power running. The winner of the #2 spot in Arizona could be valuable this year, given that Edgerrin James turns 30 this season. Link

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^♦ The Jets drafted TE Dustin Keller with the hopes that he could become a versatile passing game weapon, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Keller, is not much of a blocker, but he has been used at H-back, and even split wide on occasion during early action. Link

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^♦ After a brief departure for Oakland in 2007 Dominic Rhodes is back with his former team the Colts this season, where he played from 2001 thru 2006. Rhodes has immediately reassumed the important #2 RB job in Indy, so he becomes fantasy-relevant as a handcuff to starter Joseph Addai. Link

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^♦ The Chargers may need to lean a bit more on their wide receivers until Antonio Gates (toe) is back at 100%, but the good news is that both Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson are building a strong rapport with QB Philip Rivers, and the Chargers passing game looks great so far. Link

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^♦ Although the Bears have some question marks at wide receiver, there is no question that they have the luxury of two pretty good TEs, and it looks like they plan to use more double-TE formations featuring Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark this season. Link

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^♦ Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden is apparently regaining some faith in WR Michael Clayton this preseason, complimenting his new focus and committment. We will have to see Clayton step up in actual games to believe it, as he has obviously been a huge disappointment since his rookie season in 2004. Link

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Rumor Has It...

Rudi Johnson Bigger and Stronger!

We all remember Rudi’s old north-south running style and all of us miss it greatly. Johnson was the epitome of consistency from 2004-06, but had a disastrous, injury plagued year in 07’. After 3 consecutive seasons with over 340 carries and 12 touchdowns, Johnson followed with 3 measly touchdowns on 170 carries. We expect a change for the better this year. According to our sources, Johnson reported to camp at 230 pounds, up from his 212 pounds last season. Usually, a running back’s weight significantly increasing is bad news, but not this time. Johnson’s body fat percentage has gone down and Rudi feels great. "More power in the legs. I feel stronger getting in and out of my cuts. I can feel it every time I cut. It's just there," Johnson said.

With his current ADP just over 55, Johnson is a must have. In most cases he is the 25-27th back taken off the board. We’ve had him locked around 20 from day one and we expect a solid season from Johnson. There are two ways to attack this situation and it heavily depends on your league format. If your league rewards points for receptions, you can now target wide receivers earlier in the draft knowing Rudi Johnson will be available towards the end of the 4th round. We never recommend pre-selecting what positions you will select with each of your picks before the draft begins, since all drafts flow differently. But using your 2nd and 3rd pick on wide outs now becomes an option with Johnson being available in the 4th round. Keep in mind, others will be keen to this info as well, so everything may not go as planned, but having a slight edge on your competition is always nice. As for standard formats, Johnson can even be picked up as a 3rd back. I’ve seen a lot of experts, including myself, take 3 backs with their first 5 picks. The talent at the running back position takes a sudden drop after the first 4 or 5 rounds, whereas there are always a lot of sleepers at the receiver position. Simply said, keep an eye open for Rudi Johnson.

Chris Johnson Will See Significant Time!

I’m sure you’ve all heard about this guy by now. I mean he did run a 4.24 forty at the combine. Yeah, he’s fast. But we all know it takes much more than speed to make it in the big leagues. Well, we’re hearing great things out of Tennessee about rookie Chris Johnson. Titan’s offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger expects to use Johnson as both a receiver and a running back. He even went on to say that he will see 1st and 2nd down carries throughout the year making him more than just a 3rd down back.. Vince Young has already complemented his ability to pick-up the blitz and considering he probably will start the year as the Titans premier return man, we now have a sleeper in the making. Johnson provides the Titans with much more fire-power than currant starter LenDale White and trust me they will use it. We are hearing rumors of at least 15 touches through the air or on the ground. I’m going to make a big claim, but try to keep this in perspective. If we remember correctly, this situation is strangely similar to that of Brian Westbrook just a few years ago. Early in his career, he only saw the field on 3rd down and in special team situations. Coming out of college he was praised for his accomplishments in the passing game as well his electrifying game changing ability, yet he fell in the draft because of his small stature. Now Johnson has a long way to go before he is even mentioned with Westbrook, but he has a very similar style of play. I’ve taken Johnson in a few of my league and I recommend you do the same.

So far I’ve been able to scoop Johnson up as my 4th back, which is a very safe pick because I am not forced to rely heavily on his production. He is even more worthwhile in PPR formats, since he will be targeted through the air at least 4 – 5 times a game. If you like players with tremendous upside, Johnson is your man. The Titans are not enamored with LenDale White and they will give Johnson a lot of chances to succeed. His role will always be limited on the goal-line, because I’m pretty sure that’s one thing he will not be able to take away from the very robust White. Still, he will contribute in many other areas and will be a solid role player on your fantasy squad.


Anthony Fasano Will Take The Starting Gig

Newly acquired tight-end Anthony Fasano is currently involved in one of the many position battles in Miami. Last year’s starter David Martin is a mediocre player at best and our sources are telling us Fasano will start opening day. The former second round pick was originally drafted by Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys. He is already well known by his coaching staff and is quickly pushing Martin out of his former starting role. Unfortunately, in his first two seasons, Fasano was greatly overshadowed by All Pro Jason Witten and we never really had a chance to see what he brought to the table. Still, he’s only 24 years old and has a lot of potential. Keep in mind, Parcells was the individual responsible for uncovering Jason Witten in the 3rd round. While we don’t expect Fasano to ever match Witten’s abilities, as you can see, there are a lot factors pointing to Fasano’s success in Miami.

As of right now you can pick up Fasano very late as your back-up tight end. If you end up drafting someone like Witten or Gates, then Fasano does not have much value to you. The only thing you’ll need is bye week fillers, since I would never take those guys out of my line-up. But if you’re like me and you tend to always wait until the last minute to grab a tight-end, I recommend picking up Fasano towards the end of your draft. Realistically, he’s not going to light the stat books on fire, since Miami’s depth chart has big fat TBD in the quarterback slot, which is a never a good sign. Still, someone has to start the year and tight ends have always been a favorite of quarterbacks who are forced to watch their back the entire season. “Please just a complete a pass, please just complete a pass. Oh there’s my check-down!” As funny as that sounds, that’s the psychology of an inexperienced quarterback. Coaches hammer them with hundreds of scenarios, but when all else fails, what are they supposed to do? Check down or get rid of it, it’s that simple. So what can we conclude? Tight ends will have success in this situation. Hence the reason we like Fasano. Team him up with someone like Tony Scheffler, Vernon Davis or Owen Daniels. These guys will have solid years but will also face some tough match-ups and you will need someone to fill in.