Three preseason games in store for tonight. I'll have fantasy thoughts on all 3 late tonight or tomorrow. Here's a few things I'll be watching.
Carolina-Cincinnati
If Andy Dalton doesn't look any better in the Bengals 3rd preseason game then they seriously have to consider going with Bruce Gradkowski to start the season.
Certainly watching Cam Newton as well. As long as he avoids injury tonight and in the 4th preseason game, then he's the week 1 starter. More importantly though, can he get in a rythm with guys like Steve Smith and Greg Olsen.
Cleveland-Philadelphia
I'll go out on a limb and say that Vick plays a little better against Cleveland D than he did against Pitt D (crazy right lol). Whatever tonights outcome, I think he's still going a little high in most fantasy drafts.
Browns have a number of guys I have late round interest in. Colt McCoy has been fantastic so far in the preseason. We usually see the starters the longest in the 3rd preseason game, so we should see quite a bit of McCoy against that highly publicized Eagles secondary. Also watching Greg Little, who sounds like the real deal, and running back Montario Hardesty. Right now Little's definitely worth a late round flier. Hardesty was on many sleeper lists so we'll see what he can do.
Watch the Browns TE's as well for possible midseason pickups. Ben Watson was a favorite of McCoys last year and Evan Moore reminds many of Jermichael Finley.
Washington-Baltimore
Looks the Redskins will start John Beck but we should see plenty of Rex Grossman as well. Both guys have looked good in the preseason but it sounds like the staff really wants Beck under center week 1.
Ryan Torain's still out which should give Roy Helu the chance to backup Tim Hightower early in the season. Keeping an eye on him tonight.
Like what I saw between Joe Flacco and Lee Evans last week against the Chiefs. A similar performance tonight and Evans becomes a legit WR3.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Few Fantasy Thoughts from Saturday 8/13/2011 Preseason Games
Here are a few thinks I noticed in Saturday's preseason action that may have some impact on your fantasy season.
Colt McCoy and the Cleveland offense has looked great so far scoring on 2 of their first 3 drives. McCoy is 9/10 for 135 yards and 1 TD. Hillis finished off the other drive with a 3 yard TD but it was McCoy that got them down the field with 2 passes to TE Ben Watson for 56 yards. McCoy also did a nice job of spreading the ball around, completing passes to 6 different receivers in this short time. I'll definitely be watching this Browns offense the rest of the preseason.
The Packers have announced Ryan Grant as the starter, but it was clear on their first few series that James Starks will be fairly involved as well.
Sam Bradford was looking towards rookie TE Lance Kendricks quite a bit tonight. 4 targets, 3 grabs, 29 yards, and TD. And it looks like Feely just hit him with a 9 yard reception. Kendricks could add even more depth to the TE position.
In Carolina, Greg Olsen is having an even better night than Kendricks. Between Clausen & Newton he's been targeted 4 times for 3 receptions, 58 yards, and a score.
In Carolina, Greg Olsen is having an even better night than Kendricks. Between Clausen & Newton he's been targeted 4 times for 3 receptions, 58 yards, and a score.
We've now seen 30 of 32 teams in action. The New York Jets and Houston Texans play Monday.
Some Preseason Thoughts from Games on 8/12/2011
Few things I noticed last night.
Matt Ryan made it a point to find Julio Jones. 4 catches, 2 targets for 43 yards, and 1 carry for 12 yards. He should be a major factor in the Falcons offense.
Michael Turner looked better than I expected. I'll bump him up a couple spots in my rankings and will keep an eye on him the rest of the preseason.
Matthew Stafford looked really good going 6 for 7 for 71 yards and 2 TDs. One to Megatron and the other a great catch by Burleson in the endzone. He could easily be a top 10 fantasy QB if healthy.
Tim Hightower looked decent against Pitt D. He managed 4 carries for 30 yards and 1 reception for 8 yards on his first 5 touches. He did struggle after that only gaining 14 yards on his next 6 carries, but positive things overall.
5 more preseason games going tonight. Packers/Browns starts on NFL Network in about an hour. Will have some fantasy thoughts on these games tonight/tomorrow.
Matt Ryan made it a point to find Julio Jones. 4 catches, 2 targets for 43 yards, and 1 carry for 12 yards. He should be a major factor in the Falcons offense.
Michael Turner looked better than I expected. I'll bump him up a couple spots in my rankings and will keep an eye on him the rest of the preseason.
Matthew Stafford looked really good going 6 for 7 for 71 yards and 2 TDs. One to Megatron and the other a great catch by Burleson in the endzone. He could easily be a top 10 fantasy QB if healthy.
Tim Hightower looked decent against Pitt D. He managed 4 carries for 30 yards and 1 reception for 8 yards on his first 5 touches. He did struggle after that only gaining 14 yards on his next 6 carries, but positive things overall.
5 more preseason games going tonight. Packers/Browns starts on NFL Network in about an hour. Will have some fantasy thoughts on these games tonight/tomorrow.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Updated Fantasy QB, RB, & WR Top 25
Here's my updated fantasy rankings for the QB, RB, & WR positions. This is through preseason games on Thursday, August, 11th.
QB
QB
Elite Tier:
1) Rodgers
2) Vick
2nd Tier:
3) Brady
4) Manning: fantastic schedule the last 4 weeks
5) Brees
6) Romo
7) Rivers: think people are overrating him a little
3rd Tier:
8) Big Ben: amazing passing schedule; targeting him
9) Ryan
10) Schaub
4th Tier:
11) Freeman
12) Eli
13) Bradford
14) Stafford
5th Tier:
15) Flacco: could move to 4th tier but his lack of WRs hurts him
16) Cutler: really tough passing schedule; not very high on him at all
17) Kolb
6th Tier:
18) Orton
19) Fitzpatrick
20) Sanchez
21) Cassel
7th Tier:
22) Campbell
23) McNabb
24) McCoy
25) Hasselbeck
RB
Elite Tier:
1) C. Johnson
2) Peterson
3) Foster
4) Rice: either #2 or #1 in PPR leagues
2nd Tier:
5) McCoy: couple spots higher in PPR league
6) Charles
7) McFadden
8) Mendenhall
3rd Tier:
9) Gore
10) MJD
11) S. Jackson
12) Forte: probably top 10 in PPR leagues
4th Tier: having a tough time separating 4th & 5th Tiers
13) Blount: probably a little lower in PPR leagues
14) Bradshaw
15) Turner
16) Greene: little lower in PPR leagues; could be a touch high
17) Hillis: could move up spot or 2 w/ Hardesty’s knee still injured
18) Best: could still move up a spot or 2: maybe 16
5th Tier: lots of quality in this tier
19) D. Williams
20) Grant
21) Ingram: could flip w/ Grant
22) F. Jones: little higher in PPR leagues
23) Moreno
24) Thomas: have dropped a couple spots because of this Bush nonsense
25) Wells
WR
Elite Tier:
1) A. Johnson
2) Megatron
3) R. White
4) Fitzgerald
2nd Tier:
5) Nicks
6) Wallace
7) Jennings
8) V. Jackson: maybe a little lower in PPR leagues
3rd Tier:
9) Austin
10) Wayne: maybe a little higher in PPR leagues
11) Marshall: maybe a little higher in PPR leagues
12) D. Jackson: definitely lower in PPR leagues
4th Tier:
13) Bryant
14) M. Williams
15) Bowe
16) S. Johnson
5th Tier:
17) Holmes
18) Maclin: likely to plummet in my rankings soon because of this mystery illness
19) Manningham
20) Welker: little higher in PPR leagues
6th Tier:
21) Harvin: couple spots higher if he returns kicks but not much; lots of touchbacks this year
22) Lloyd
23) Britt
24) Colston
25) Collie
26) Ochocinco
Please feel free to leave a comment or you can email me at blakes.posting.email@gmail.com
NFL Preseason Thoughts from 8/11/2011
A few fantasy football things of note from Thursday nights preseason action:
Tolbert and Matthews each got 2 carries on the 1 drive they played, but Tolbert with the short receiving TD. Looks like carries will be about even and as expected Tolbert will get passing down work. He should be drafted higher than Matthews.
Dallas got the ball in Felix Jones' hands on 4 of 8 plays on their opening drive. He responded well with 39 total yards (23 rushing & 16 receiving). Looks like the Cowboys plan to get him heavily involved. We'll see if he can hold up with that many touches.
Vick looks good even without his top 2 WRs. And it looks like Jason Avant and Riley Cooper can be capable fill ins at WR. With Maclin's mystery illness, both are worth targeting late in fantasy drafts.
Haven't check the exact numbers yet, but it seems like there were quite a few touchbacks last night. I imagine with the league moving kickoffs up this will become the norm. If anyone's in a return yards league then don't expect return numbers similar to years past. Return men simply won't be getting the same number of opportunities this season.
Miami/Atlanta; Cincinnati/Denver; Pittsburgh/Washington; San Francisco/New Orleans; & Tampa Bay/Kansas City are all tonight. Check back on Saturday and I'll have some fantasy thoughts from those games.
Tolbert and Matthews each got 2 carries on the 1 drive they played, but Tolbert with the short receiving TD. Looks like carries will be about even and as expected Tolbert will get passing down work. He should be drafted higher than Matthews.
Dallas got the ball in Felix Jones' hands on 4 of 8 plays on their opening drive. He responded well with 39 total yards (23 rushing & 16 receiving). Looks like the Cowboys plan to get him heavily involved. We'll see if he can hold up with that many touches.
Vick looks good even without his top 2 WRs. And it looks like Jason Avant and Riley Cooper can be capable fill ins at WR. With Maclin's mystery illness, both are worth targeting late in fantasy drafts.
Someone to keep an eye on for the rest of the preseason is Steven Ridley. The LSU rookie had a big debut last night with 16 carries for 64 yards and 2 TDs plus 7 receptions for 47 yards and another score.
Of course it all came against 2nd and 3rd stringers but still worth noting.
Of course it all came against 2nd and 3rd stringers but still worth noting.
Haven't check the exact numbers yet, but it seems like there were quite a few touchbacks last night. I imagine with the league moving kickoffs up this will become the norm. If anyone's in a return yards league then don't expect return numbers similar to years past. Return men simply won't be getting the same number of opportunities this season.
Miami/Atlanta; Cincinnati/Denver; Pittsburgh/Washington; San Francisco/New Orleans; & Tampa Bay/Kansas City are all tonight. Check back on Saturday and I'll have some fantasy thoughts from those games.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Few thoughts on initial 2011 NFL depth charts
Kansas City Chiefs RB:
Just like 2010, washed up Thomas Jones will likely start the season as #1 on the Chiefs depth chart. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have Jones around to give Charles a breather, but this equal carry crap is for the birds. You'd think after Charles averaged about 7 yards a carry and Jones averaged about 3 yards this would be a no brainer. But unfortunately, nothing's a no brainer when Todd Haley's involved. The Chiefs winning in 2010 was in spite of the clueless Haley, not because of him.
Washington Redskins QB:
Rex Grossman (emphasis on the Gross part) is at the top of the initial Redskins depth chart. Most reports have Mike Shanahan leaning towards John Beck as the starter, but he hasn't been practicing so Grossman atop the depth chart comes as no surprise. Regardless how this works out, Washington might have the worst starting QB in the NFL.
Miami Dolphins RB:
When the Dolphins acquired Reggie Bush, head coach Tony Sparano claimed the team was getting a 12-15 carry a game back. It sounded crazy at the time, but I think most people blew it off as a coach just going on about a new player the team had acquired. Well, I guess the Dolphins are still having those same dilusional thoughts because they've placed Reggie Bush at the top of their RB depth chart. I'm not dropping Daniel Thomas in my rankings because there's 2 simple outcomes here and both benefit him. The first is that Miami comes to its senses and makes Bush the complimentary back that he is. The second would be that the Dolphins actually keep Bush as the starter. They give him starter's touches and he lasts all of two games.
Carolina Panthers QB:
Jimmy Clausen has been named the starter for now but both QBs will get opportunities to start preseason games. I'd expect Cam Newton to open the season as the starter. He's the far more exciting player and the team drafted him 1st overall to put fans in the seats.
Just like 2010, washed up Thomas Jones will likely start the season as #1 on the Chiefs depth chart. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have Jones around to give Charles a breather, but this equal carry crap is for the birds. You'd think after Charles averaged about 7 yards a carry and Jones averaged about 3 yards this would be a no brainer. But unfortunately, nothing's a no brainer when Todd Haley's involved. The Chiefs winning in 2010 was in spite of the clueless Haley, not because of him.
Washington Redskins QB:
Rex Grossman (emphasis on the Gross part) is at the top of the initial Redskins depth chart. Most reports have Mike Shanahan leaning towards John Beck as the starter, but he hasn't been practicing so Grossman atop the depth chart comes as no surprise. Regardless how this works out, Washington might have the worst starting QB in the NFL.
Miami Dolphins RB:
When the Dolphins acquired Reggie Bush, head coach Tony Sparano claimed the team was getting a 12-15 carry a game back. It sounded crazy at the time, but I think most people blew it off as a coach just going on about a new player the team had acquired. Well, I guess the Dolphins are still having those same dilusional thoughts because they've placed Reggie Bush at the top of their RB depth chart. I'm not dropping Daniel Thomas in my rankings because there's 2 simple outcomes here and both benefit him. The first is that Miami comes to its senses and makes Bush the complimentary back that he is. The second would be that the Dolphins actually keep Bush as the starter. They give him starter's touches and he lasts all of two games.
Carolina Panthers QB:
Jimmy Clausen has been named the starter for now but both QBs will get opportunities to start preseason games. I'd expect Cam Newton to open the season as the starter. He's the far more exciting player and the team drafted him 1st overall to put fans in the seats.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Fantasy Thoughts for 8/8/2011
Have a few fantasy thoughts from today.
Lions rookie RB Mikel Leshoure blew out his ACL today and his year's over. As a result I'll be moving Jahvid Best up in my RB rankings. I think he has to be considered a top 20 back now.
In an incident from the Twilight Zone, the Dolphins have announced Reggie Bush their starting running back. It's tough to name a guy your starter who can't run between the tackles. I don't think I'll worry too much about this right now since I still expect Thomas to wind up getting most the work.
The Ravens signed Ricky Williams as the clear backup to Ray Rice. He could be worth a late round stash but without an injury to Rice he has little to no value.
Lions rookie RB Mikel Leshoure blew out his ACL today and his year's over. As a result I'll be moving Jahvid Best up in my RB rankings. I think he has to be considered a top 20 back now.
In an incident from the Twilight Zone, the Dolphins have announced Reggie Bush their starting running back. It's tough to name a guy your starter who can't run between the tackles. I don't think I'll worry too much about this right now since I still expect Thomas to wind up getting most the work.
The Ravens signed Ricky Williams as the clear backup to Ray Rice. He could be worth a late round stash but without an injury to Rice he has little to no value.
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