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.