Today, I plan on writing about running backs and making this a weekly thing as well. I'm not going to put any rankings up until after week 4 like with the other positions. Simply put, I did not do enough research in the off-season to compile an initial list, then plug in the weekly stats and see how they correlate to the end of the season. That's what I would do in future years, but I'm not there yet. I am prepping already for future seasons, so that next year, it'll be better. In the meantime, I did some other stuff, looked over carries, touches, red zone stuff. Posting everyone's numbers would be ridiculous since everyone knows what stats running backs put up.
So here's some interesting running back numbers...
Carries (at least 15)
Tim Hightower - 25
Cedric Benson - 25
Ben Tate - 24
Maurice Jones-Drew - 24
Darren McFadden - 22
Frank Gore - 22
Jahvid Best -21
Fred Jackson - 20
Ray Rice - 19
Cadillac Williams - 19
Beanie Wells - 18
Peyton Hillis - 17
Felix Jones - 17
Matt Forte - 16
Adrian Peterson - 16
LeSean McCoy - 15
Targets
Earnest Graham - 9
Cadillac Williams - 9
Darren Sproles - 9
Peyton Hillis - 8
Ladainian Tomlinson - 7
Willis McGahee - 7
Jason Snelling - 7
Chris Johnson - 7
Matt Forte - 6
Jamaal Charles - 6
Pierre Thomas - 5
Ray Rice - 5
Justin Forsett - 5
Ryan Matthews - 5
Jahvid Best - 5
Jacquizz Rodgers - 5
Carries in the Red Zone (at least 3)
Frank Gore - 7
Fred Jackson - 6
Ben Tate - 6
Maurice Jones-Drew - 6
Mike Tolbert - 5
Ray Rice - 5
Derrick Ward - 5
Ricky Williams - 4
Cedric Benson - 4
Felix Jones - 4
James Starks - 3
Reggie Bush - 3
Rashard Mendenhall - 3
Tim Hightower - 3
Mark Ingram - 3
Peyton Hillis - 3
Beanie Wells - 3
Danny Woodhead - 3
Targets in the Red Zone (at least 3)
Mike Tolbert - 5
Darren Sproles - 5
Total Red Zone Touches (at least 4)
Mike Tolbert - 10
Frank Gore - 9
Darren Sproles - 7
Fred Jcakson - 7
Ray Rice - 6
Ben Tate - 6
Maurice Jones-Drew - 6
James Starks - 5
Reggie Bush - 5
Derrick Ward - 5
Rashard Mendenhall - 4
Tim Hightower - 4
Ricky Williams - 4
Cedric Benson - 4
Felix Jones - 4
You may ask what all these numbers mean. Well, they can be used to interpret a lot of things. You can see which teams trust their primary back as a receiver. You can also see which backs each team uses down in the Red Zone as well. I'll make it simpler for you folks that don't get it.
Arizona Cardinals - Beanie Wells is the feature back, he got 85 percent of the carries and had all of the carries in the red zone. The Skins shut down Bradshaw and Jacobs, they could do the same to Beanie.
Atlanta Falcons - Michael Turner had 10 carries for 100 yards and Jason Snelling had 2 for 10. If they had ran consistently during the game, Turner might've had a great game. Problem was, they were down the entire game and Turner stopped running after the first series in the third quarter. Sure, Turner had a fumble, but Matt Ryan threw way too much for a team that should be relying more on it's feature back than it's wideouts. Atlanta plays a tough Philly team that is weak against the run, should they choose to exploit it.
Baltimore Ravens - Ray Rice destroyed Pittsburgh on Sunday, and he's going to continue to wreck teams the rest of this season. Sure, he had a good game, but if I were his owner, I'd be concerned about Ricky Williams getting four carries inside the 20 compared to Ray Rice's 5. He didn't steal a touchdown this week, but it's something to be concerned bout as a Ray Rice owner.
Buffalo Bills - Fred Jackson got 61% of the carries with Johnny White getting about 24% and Spiller getting 15%, but Spiller got the lone touchdown. Don't worry Jackson owners, Fred got 7 shots in the red zone, 6 carries and a pass, Spiller only had 2. They're playing a tough Oakland team that won't let Fitzpatrick be so pass happy, so expect more from the run game.
Carolina Panthers - DeAngelo is #1, Stewart is #2, but all the goal-line carries went to Cam Newton. That's gonna hurt owners of any of the Carolina running backs. Neither back had 15 carries and Newton threw 37 times. Even if they do run next week, they're not going to get much.
Chicago Bears - Every time the Bears got in the red zone, they passed the ball. Forte got one of those passes, but it indicates that Forte will have to catch passes inside the 20 and run it in. He only had 16 carries, while his backup got 10, but Forte's most dangerous aspect is his ability to run after the catch as witnessed by his 56 yard touchdown against Atlanta. Expect more of the same against the Saints.
Cincinnati Bengals - Cedric Benson had a great run to seal the game, but they played against a weak Cleveland team, whose defense looked awful and had some big mental mistakes. He's their only weapon right now and he'll be going against a Denver team that got wrecked by McFadden and Bush. Expect a good week.
Cleveland Browns - The Bengals managed to contain Peyton Hillis for a good majority of this game. They made Colt McCoy try to beat them and he couldn't. Next week against Indy should provide an interesting match-up as we find out if the Colts defense is really that bad, or if the Texans run game is really that good.
Dallas Cowboys - Felix Jones had a mediocre game as a result of a great Jets defense. But still found the end zone. He also proved viable in the passing game and had four carries inside the red zone. He won't be facing the Jets every week, but San Fran could still be tough as they shut down Lynch this past week.
Denver Broncos - There was no run game. They tried Moreno and McGahee, both fumbled, Moreno lost his, McGahee managed to keep his. Both contributed to the passing game, but McGahee is obviously the favorite to catch and run. 12 carries, 25 yards. 7 receptions, 67 yards. That was their contributions. Might be a little better against the Browns, but don't expect miracles.
Detroit Lions - Somebody say Jahvid Best wasn't healthy? Dude ran it 21 times for 72 yards and had 4 receptions for 42 yards, but didn't get a TD. It wasn't for lack of trying though, he got 2 out of the 3 carries in the red zone. Didn't get targeted on a pass, but obviously, Stafford was gunning for Calvin and Nate Burleson in the red zone. Against KC, expect Best to put up even better numbers.
Green Bay Packers - They didn't run much, but Starks is going to be the primary RB, sharing a 60/40 split with Grant. Starks had the rushing TD and had 3 carries compared to Grant's one if the red zone. They're playing Carolina next and if Beanie Wells can run on them, who says Starks can't?
Houston Texans - Ben Tate and Derrick Ward were great til Ward got injured, then Tate turned it up a notch and blew up the Colts D. Tate got 6 carries in the red zone, Ward got 5. Arian Foster will most likely be back this week and with Derrick Ward getting injured, expect Foster and Tate to share the carries. I still like Foster in this situation regardless, because the Texans are such a juggernaut on offense that both Foster and Tate could have monster games. Still, doesn't hurt to pick up Tate or wait on Foster to get healthy. The Texans had 41 rushing attempts against the Colts. Only concern is Ben Tate's fumble.
Indianapolis Colts - without Manning, the run game looked terrible, Addai got 8 carries, Carter got 7. Both combined for 64 yards rushing, and Addai had 2 catches for 13 yards, but it looked bad. Addai is not as big of a threat without Manning and Carter is just starting to get into the mix. They go against Cleveland this week, so Addai might do well.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD is on a limit this season and he had 24 carries for 97 yards against the Titans, his back-ups also got in some yards and Karim showed his ability to catch and run. MJD had six carries in the red zone, although all of it came in their one possession in the red zone, it's good to see they're devoted to running the ball with MJD. Expect more difficulties against the Jets.
Kansas City Chiefs - their run game was good, problem was, they were down 20-0 before Jamaal Charles scored right before the half. They got away from their run game and got wrecked trying to win off Matt Cassel's arm. They go into Detroit who shut down LeGarette Blount and will try to shut down Jamaal Charles with their front four. Charles and McCluster were each targeted once in the red zone, but this team looks awful.
Miami Dolphins - Reggie Bush is the unquestioned lead back in this offense. Although he only had 11 carries, that's because Miami was playing catch-up after halftime. Bush still had 9 receptions for a total of 20 touches, 94 yards, and 1 receiving touchdown. He is injury prone, but very dynamic. They take on Houston and it should be interesting as Bush did light up Houston before catching passes. Bush also had 3 runs and 2 targets in the red zone, one of which was a score. Chad Henne had the only rushing touchdown when he called his own number in the 1st quarter.
Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson did his job, the rest of the team did not. he had 98 yards on 16 carries and 2 receptions for 6 yards. McNabb was so bad, it's a surprise Peterson was able to run through the Chargers D. Well, he didn't obviously, he had 1 big run of 46 yards and the rest of his 15 carries for 52 yards, roughly 3.5 per attempt. Next is Tampa Bay who had trouble stopping Jahvid Best.
New England Patriots - Danny Woodhead had twice as many carries as BenJarvus Green-Ellis, hereafter referred to as The Law Firm. Woodhead also had 3 times as many carries as Green-Ellis in the red zone, although The Law Firm did score on his only carry inside the 20. Woodhead only had 1 catch this game, but that was because of the plethora of targets Brady has to throw to. Woodhead is the one you want.
New Orleans Saints - Mark Ingram got a majority of the carries, he also got stuffed at the goal-line to end the game. While Pierre Thomas got 31 yards on 5 carries and 37 yards on 4 receptions, the real running back to own is Darren Sproles, not only does he get to run the ball, catch passes and return kicks for touchdowns, he is the feature back in the red zone. Ingram had more rushes in the red zone than Sproles, but Sproles had 5 targets in the red zone. Brees' favorite red zone target is Darren Sproles.
New York Giants - The Giants got both their TDs on runs. Eli Manning with a 2 yard run and Ahmad Bradshaw with a 6 yard run. In total they had 75 yards on 20 carries. If you think about it, they really did get shut down outside the red zone when it came to rushing. In the second half, they had 1 drive that exceeded 15 yards and that drive ended with Bradshaw getting stuffed on 4th and 1. I'd be worried about their new fullback, cause he's not blocking that well.
New York Jets - looking on paper, Shonn Greene had 10 rushing attempts compared to LT's 5. Looking at the passing game, Greene had one reception for 7 yards and LT had 6 receptions for 73 yards. Clearly, their is a timeshare going on here. If you own Greene, shame of you for not picking up LT, if you own LT, what a great steal for PPR leagues. Moving forward, Greene will still get 66% of the carries, but rarely will he get an opportunity to catch and run.
Oakland Raiders - they run, they smash, they seek and destroy. That's their run game. They run the ball more than they throw and they ran it down the throats of the Broncos. They take on Buffalo which also has a weak run defense, but got lucky against KC because they went up early, still, expect more of the same from Run DMC and Michael Bush. Interesting stat, McFadden, Bush, and Campbell each ran it twice inside the red zone.
Philadelphia Eagles - LeSean McCoy had a monster game against the Rams, 15 carries, 122 yards, 1 rushing td, 2 receptions, 15 receiving yards, 1 receiving td. They play Atlanta this week, Matt Forte carved up the Falcons D and look for McCoy to do the same as well. Only concern is Ronnie Brown had more carries in the red zone than McCoy, but with McCoy being a dual threat, it's not much to worry about.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Pittsburgh got away from the run and it's because they were manhandled from the start of the game. Mendenhall fumbling wasn't great either, but at least he got 3 carries in the red zone. This was an anomaly, look forward to him running over the Seahawks.
San Diego Chargers - There is only one fact you need to know about the Chargers. Mike Tolbert either ran or was targeted on every single play in the red zone in the second half. Check the play-by-play if you don't believe me. That is the only thing you need to know. He carried the ball 5 times in the red zone and was targeted 5 times in the red zone for a total of 10 shots to score a TD, and you wonder how he got three TDs? Ryan Matthews had 0 touches in the red zone. ZERO!
San Francisco 49ers - not much can be said about the niners' offense. Gore had a ton of shots to run it in this game, but the Seahawks defense stiffened in the red zone. Frank Gore will still get a good majority of the touches in the red zone, so that's nothing to worry about, what is to worry about is Alex Smith, dude was as bad as Tavaris Jackson, cept he didn't turn the ball over and Ted Ginn Jr. saved this team from a potential loss. Frank Gore will still hit 1000 yards and a decent amount of touchdowns. Not so sure about how he'll fare against the Dallas D.
Seattle Seahawks - I really doubt the ability of this team to move the ball, the fact they had trouble against San Francisco makes me wonder how they'll fare against Pittsburgh. Even if you have Lynch, don't start him. They had 7 drives go for under 10 yards and Jackson isn't a threat to anybody
St. Louis Rams - Stephen Jackson got injured, but not before taking a big one to the house against the Eagles D. Cadillac came in and did his job when Jackson had to step down due to injury. Both guys are capable backs who can run the ball. Cadillac more so in the receiving game than Jackson. If Jackson isn't back week 2, expect the Cadillac to start and put up decent points against a solid Giants D.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - We have a problem. Blount was given the ball 5 times. Graham 6 times with 8 receptions to boot. Graham had 1 carry and 2 targets in the red zone. Blount had 0. There is clearly a problem and it had to do with the Lions front four. Next week is Minnesota who got beat by Mike Tolbert. Yes, they got beat by one of the running backs in San Diego. Expect both Graham and Blount to be running the ball next week. If you have Blount, you might wanna pick up Graham.
Tennessee Titans - Chris Johnson got wrecked. The Jaguars stacked it up against him and he couldn't do anything about it. I wouldn't be too worried though, he had 57 yards rushing against the Steelers on 15 attempts to open the 2009 season, he ended up with 2006 yards that season. Then again, he does face the Baltimore defense this week that shut down Mendenhall and the entire Steelers offense...
Washington Redskins - their run game was decent, it did it's job, Tim Hightower, 25 carries, 72 yards, 1 TD, 3 catches, 25 receiving yards. The G-Men were missing some key defensive lineman, but the Redskins managed to grind it out on the ground, expect more next week against a weak Arizona Defense.
Showing posts with label Ben Tate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Tate. Show all posts
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wednesday's Waivers
So, most leagues have their waivers on Wednesdays (next week, I will post this on Tuesday) so that ya'll know who to pick up and who not to pick up. These are gonna be guys owned in 50% or less of all fantasy football leagues according to Yahoo! I would throw in other hosting sites as well, but I like Yahoo!'s interface. Plus, I don't like how ESPN has their scoring set-up. Moving on...
To pick up or not to pick up... that is the question...
Quarterbacks:
Chad Henne (416 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 INT, 59 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD)
My problem is that New England had a very weak pass defense last season, and have it again this season. Do not overestimate Henne's actual worth. Only five receivers caught balls against the Patriots, which tells defenses that there's only five guys you need to worry about catching the ball. Brandon Marshall is a threat, while Davone Bess is a reception machine. Brian Hartline's performance was surprising. Fasano has always been able to produce when given the opportunity and Reggie Bush catching passes shouldn't be a surprise. But you're going to have four of those guys on the field to start the game and they're going to be subbing in and out, and smarter defenses will key on that and be able to stop Henne when they realize that his options are somewhat limited in the passing game.
DO NOT PICK UP
Cam Newton (422 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 INT, 18 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD)
Cam Newton went up against a weak Arizona pass defense and torched it. The key thing is that he has turned Steve Smith into a weapon that defenses should fear, once again. He also spread the ball out with 8 players receiving the ball and had about a 66% completion percentage, which is the percentage you're looking for in a starting QB. One concern is that the run game was not able to materialize, but Newton was still able to run with his legs. Add in the fact that he was willing to plunge into the end zone and his stock goes higher. He is also out to prove the critics wrong and has a very high potential, so he is working picking up and stashing on your bench as a #2.
PICK UP
Jay Cutler (312 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 INT)
A lot of people underestimate Jay Cutler, he usually has very good Septembers. He's got the Saints next who let Aaron Rodgers throw all over them. After that, he's got opponents that he can throw on all the way to the bye week. He might go pick happy some games, but it looks like he'll have a lot of good games down the line.
PICK UP - TRADE HIM AFTER SEPTEMBER
Rex Grossman (305 passing yards, 2 passing TDs)
Rex had an awesome game against the Giants, although they were depleted, Rex made the smart passes and threaded the needle on a few as well. Grossman started poorly in the first two series, but lit up the Giants after that. He's got plenty of weapons and spread the ball out a bit. Coming up is the Cardinals, Cowboys, and Rams. The only concern is the Eagles. He's well worth picking up.
PICK UP
Wide Receivers:
Devery Henderson (6 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD)
Henderson had 9 targets this game, and that was with Colston in the game. Without Colston, i can't imagine how it'll turn out now that he'll be the deep threat. He's definitely worth having while Colston is out and still has potential even when he returns.
PICK UP
Early Doucet (3 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD)
He had three targets, and three receptions for 105 yards and 1 TD. But a lot of it came on a 70 yard catch and run which was pretty much a short pass and poor defense by the Panthers, would I actually be intrigued to pick him up? Nope.
DO NOT PICK UP
Doug Baldwin (4 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD)
With Sidney Rice out, Doug Baldwin stepped up to take his place. While Sidney Rice is out, expect him to continue to put up points. I would highly advise picking him up while Rice is not playing. However, the chances of Tavaris Jackson actually performing well consistently...
DO NOT PICK UP
Running Backs:
Ben Tate (116 yards, 1 TD)
He is absolutely someone you must have if you have Arian Foster, but he is some one you should pick up if Arian is not going to be consistently healthy.
PICK UP
Carnell Williams (91 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 49 receiving yards)
He's a great pickup if Jackson isn't healthy, he's also a great handcuff if you have Jackson. Jackson's quad might get better, but what are the odds running backs stay healthy the entire season?
PICK UP IF NECESSARY
Tight Ends:
Scott Chandler (5 receptions, 63 yards, 2 TDs)
Many a time have we seen tight ends go crazy early in the season, while he may not be good the entire season, he'll be good in the immediate future
PICK UP
Fred Davis (5 receptions, 105 yards)
While Fred Davis had a great game, he also looks in better shape too, odds are when Cooley is 100% healthy, Davis will go back to being the #2 back. I like him, but I see no consistency in him.
DO NOT PICK UP
Kickers:
David Akers (4 FG, 3 PAT)
Two of his PATs came courtesty of Ted Ginn's kick returns. His four FGs came courtesy of San Francisco's inability to score. They always did have trouble finding the end zone
PICK UP
Robbie Gould (3 FG, 3 PAT)
I like the Bears whenever they're at home, that's when Gould will be at his best. On the road... not so much. However, he does have a good leg.
PICK UP
Josh Scobee (3 FG, 1 PAT)
Scobee has a good leg, but with McCown as QB and playing a poor Titans defense, it added up to him being in range for three field goals. Will it happen again? Probably not.
DO NOT PICK UP
That's my choices for Wednesday's Waivers. NEXT WEEK'S POST WILL COME TUESDAY!
To pick up or not to pick up... that is the question...
Quarterbacks:
Chad Henne (416 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 INT, 59 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD)
My problem is that New England had a very weak pass defense last season, and have it again this season. Do not overestimate Henne's actual worth. Only five receivers caught balls against the Patriots, which tells defenses that there's only five guys you need to worry about catching the ball. Brandon Marshall is a threat, while Davone Bess is a reception machine. Brian Hartline's performance was surprising. Fasano has always been able to produce when given the opportunity and Reggie Bush catching passes shouldn't be a surprise. But you're going to have four of those guys on the field to start the game and they're going to be subbing in and out, and smarter defenses will key on that and be able to stop Henne when they realize that his options are somewhat limited in the passing game.
DO NOT PICK UP
Cam Newton (422 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 INT, 18 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD)
Cam Newton went up against a weak Arizona pass defense and torched it. The key thing is that he has turned Steve Smith into a weapon that defenses should fear, once again. He also spread the ball out with 8 players receiving the ball and had about a 66% completion percentage, which is the percentage you're looking for in a starting QB. One concern is that the run game was not able to materialize, but Newton was still able to run with his legs. Add in the fact that he was willing to plunge into the end zone and his stock goes higher. He is also out to prove the critics wrong and has a very high potential, so he is working picking up and stashing on your bench as a #2.
PICK UP
Jay Cutler (312 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 INT)
A lot of people underestimate Jay Cutler, he usually has very good Septembers. He's got the Saints next who let Aaron Rodgers throw all over them. After that, he's got opponents that he can throw on all the way to the bye week. He might go pick happy some games, but it looks like he'll have a lot of good games down the line.
PICK UP - TRADE HIM AFTER SEPTEMBER
Rex Grossman (305 passing yards, 2 passing TDs)
Rex had an awesome game against the Giants, although they were depleted, Rex made the smart passes and threaded the needle on a few as well. Grossman started poorly in the first two series, but lit up the Giants after that. He's got plenty of weapons and spread the ball out a bit. Coming up is the Cardinals, Cowboys, and Rams. The only concern is the Eagles. He's well worth picking up.
PICK UP
Wide Receivers:
Devery Henderson (6 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD)
Henderson had 9 targets this game, and that was with Colston in the game. Without Colston, i can't imagine how it'll turn out now that he'll be the deep threat. He's definitely worth having while Colston is out and still has potential even when he returns.
PICK UP
Early Doucet (3 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD)
He had three targets, and three receptions for 105 yards and 1 TD. But a lot of it came on a 70 yard catch and run which was pretty much a short pass and poor defense by the Panthers, would I actually be intrigued to pick him up? Nope.
DO NOT PICK UP
Doug Baldwin (4 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD)
With Sidney Rice out, Doug Baldwin stepped up to take his place. While Sidney Rice is out, expect him to continue to put up points. I would highly advise picking him up while Rice is not playing. However, the chances of Tavaris Jackson actually performing well consistently...
DO NOT PICK UP
Running Backs:
Ben Tate (116 yards, 1 TD)
He is absolutely someone you must have if you have Arian Foster, but he is some one you should pick up if Arian is not going to be consistently healthy.
PICK UP
Carnell Williams (91 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 49 receiving yards)
He's a great pickup if Jackson isn't healthy, he's also a great handcuff if you have Jackson. Jackson's quad might get better, but what are the odds running backs stay healthy the entire season?
PICK UP IF NECESSARY
Tight Ends:
Scott Chandler (5 receptions, 63 yards, 2 TDs)
Many a time have we seen tight ends go crazy early in the season, while he may not be good the entire season, he'll be good in the immediate future
PICK UP
Fred Davis (5 receptions, 105 yards)
While Fred Davis had a great game, he also looks in better shape too, odds are when Cooley is 100% healthy, Davis will go back to being the #2 back. I like him, but I see no consistency in him.
DO NOT PICK UP
Kickers:
David Akers (4 FG, 3 PAT)
Two of his PATs came courtesty of Ted Ginn's kick returns. His four FGs came courtesy of San Francisco's inability to score. They always did have trouble finding the end zone
PICK UP
Robbie Gould (3 FG, 3 PAT)
I like the Bears whenever they're at home, that's when Gould will be at his best. On the road... not so much. However, he does have a good leg.
PICK UP
Josh Scobee (3 FG, 1 PAT)
Scobee has a good leg, but with McCown as QB and playing a poor Titans defense, it added up to him being in range for three field goals. Will it happen again? Probably not.
DO NOT PICK UP
That's my choices for Wednesday's Waivers. NEXT WEEK'S POST WILL COME TUESDAY!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Deep Sleepers to look out for: AFC
So here's the AFC guys you might want to take a look at late in the draft.
TE Ed Dickson - Baltimore Ravens
Ed Dickson is the next Todd Heap, when Heap was in his prime with the Ravens and not injured. He has looked great this preseason and has the potential to run down the field as well as the short cut routes. He can go up and get it and has shown the ability to fight for the ball in the air. With Lee Evans and Anquan Boldin outside, and teams having to stop Ray Rice, the middle of the field will provide him plenty of space to catch and run. He's worth taking as a second TE and has the potential to end up being a top 10 TE.
RB C.J. Spiller - Buffalo Bills
He's going to be the #2 back and with Fred Jackson finally hitting 30, expect Spiller to get a lot more carries than last season. Also, like Fred Jackson, he has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and run with it, which is why Spiller should see more touches this year and Jackson less. While I doubt Spiller will be the #1 back in Buffalo, he could produce some very good games if Jackson were to get injured or not perform down the stretch. Regardless, he's worth taking late in the draft and especially if you have Fred Jackson on your team.
WR Jordan Shipley - Cincinnati Bengals
The one position you can never underestimate is the slot receiver, on any team. They're going to get a ton of catches and going to be the quarterback's primary option underneath. Jordan Shipley is that guy. Last season, he was behind T.O. and OchoCinco, both gone. While he's not starting out wide, he's going to get a lot of looks in the slot. He's had some monster games, and he's had some clunkers. You may point out that Andy Dalton is throwing and not Carson Palmer. That's even better, younger QBs are going to try to play it safe as much as possible and not wait to chuck it down the field if they feel rushed. Expect 8 targets a game for Shipley.
QB Colt McCoy - Cleveland Browns
While Colt had his moments last season, the Browns still sucked. Regardless, Colt has proven himself in college and will prove himself in the NFL, this season might be another step forward and I expect him to at least throw 20 TDs now that he has the starting job. Some may point to the fact that he has 9 INTs compared to 6 TDs, well, 8 of those INTs came against division rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore, two of the best defenses in the league, you can guarantee any rookie is going to get eaten alive by those secondaries. While I'd still bench him against top defenses, he has a shot to display what he's got when he takes on some of the weaker defenses in the league this season.
RB Willis McGahee - Denver Broncos
Many of us forget a few years back, McGahee was a goal-line vulture for Baltimore. Well, expect him to reprise that role this season for Denver. He's going to get a lot of opportunities inside the red zone and expect him to put up points. Knowshon Moreno, while the lead back, isn't someone the Broncos have instilled a lot of trust in as witnessed in the last three games of the previous season. Moreno still has the #1 gig, but for how long? And you can expect Willis McGahee will also be knocking at the door to getting all the carries from goal-line to goal-line
RB Ben Tate - Houston Texans
This was the guy that was originally supposed to start last season, but got injured in pre-season. Arian Foster played the first game, and the rest, was history. With Foster having a hammy problem to start the season (they don't go away, trust me) expect Tate to be in the mix for touches... a lot of touches... it really depends on Foster's hamstring, but I doubt the Texans coaching staff will want to take any chances, they'll be giving Foster more rest and Tate more touches. He's also a great handcuff should Foster go down at any point during the season.
RB Delone Carter - Indianapolis Colts
If you're a Colts fan, you're worried about one thing right now, Peyton Manning. If you're a fantasy football fan, you're worried about the Colts backfield. Last season Donald Brown led the team in rushing and carries because Addai couldn't stay healthy. Addai hasn't played 16 games since his rookie season. Delone Carter looks to be the #2 back in Indy. He's a young guy who has comparisons to MJD. Donald Brown showed what he couldn't do last season when Addai went down with inability to run for more than 50 yards, he ran for over 50 only three times last season! Furthermore, Brown couldn't punch it in from the goal-line. Expect Carter to get the back-up carries because Brown has not performed well this pre-season either.
RB Deji Kareem - Jacksonville Jaguars
He is the handcuff to MJD this season. With Jennings on IR, Kareem will assume the duties of the #2 back and will be getting significantly more carries than he did last season. He has the potential to break out some long runs, and could have some big games with MJD's bum knee. He looked good in preseason and is still a young fast back, much like Drew was when he first came into the league.
TE Leonard Pope - Kansas City Cheifs
Last season, Matt Cassel's second favorite target was Tony Moeaki. With Moeaki on IR this season, Leonard Pope will pick up the scraps. He's not as good as Moeaki, but Cassel loves to throw it to his tight end. Pope could easily surpass his career best numbers, which isn't much, but still someone that can provide points for owners during some weeks of the season.
RB Daniel Thomas - Miami Dolphins
Much has been made of his performance in the preseason, and while it is still preseason, he's still got an opportunity to shine. Reggie Bush is not an every down back and Thomas should be getting at least 33% of the carries in Miami. That being said, he still has an opportunity to prove himself. Reggie Bush is also injury prone and has difficulty running between the tackles. Expect him to earn the team's trust before the end of the season and takeover the workload from Reggie Bush.
TE Aaron Hernandez - New England Patriots
Sure, Rob Gronkowski got 10 TDs last season compared to Hernandez's 6, but did you know that in the two games that Hernandez missed, Gronkowski got 3 TDs and against the Steelers, who were determined to prevent Hernandez from getting a pass, Gronkowski got 3 TDs on them? So if you actually look at both of them playing together, where one team is not preventing either TE from getting the ball, Hernandez actually outproduced Gronkowski in every category, including TDs, 6 to 4. Hernandez is much more athletic and agile in the open field. Gronkowski also went 8 games last season with only one reception in the game while Hernandez had 1 reception in only 3 games and the zero reception game against Pittsburgh. So who's really Brady's favorite TE in New England?
RB LaDainian Tomlinson - New York Jets
Is everyone forgetting who started for the Jets last season? Is everyone forgetting that Shonn Greene is not a strong catch-and-run guy like LT? Yes, LT may be second string, but don't expect Greene to get anywhere NEAR the full workload, he will get more carries, but LT is still gonna be catching passes outta the backfield, and, let's face it, he's still LT. Might not be as quick, but he's LT. Give him his respect.
TE Kevin Boss - Oakland Raiders
I feel like everyone is forgetting that Kevin Boss went to Oakland. He went from a WR happy Eli Manning to a TE happy Jason Campbell. Check the stats if you don't believe me. Favorite Target in 2010: Zach Miller, 2009: Santana Moss (Cooley was injured), 2008: Santana Moss and Chris Cooley each had over 100 targets, 2007: same story as 2008, 2006: Cooley got 94, Moss got 101. You get the picture. Jason Campbell loves to throw it to his TE. Kevin Boss will be getting at least 80 targets this year, and that's on the low end, it could go up to 100 considering Campbell will play the entire season. Take a gander on him as a second TE.
WR Antonio Brown - Pittsburgh Steelers
Looks like the young guy has won the #3 receiver role. He's being picked up late in a lot of drafts and looks to have the potential for 50 receptions, 600+ yards and 4 TDs, it could go up depending on how healthy Hines Ward really is as he could easily supplant him as the #2 receiver. I don't need to say much more, you know what to do.
WR Malcom Floyd - San Diego Chargers
Last season Floyd was often injured and didn't catch as many passes as he should've. However, he still got 6 TDs and 700+ yards in what was an otherwise injury-riddled season. Imagine if he were actually healthy the entire season? He won't be fighting with Naanee for targets and should get at least 50 receptions and close to 900 yards. Is another 6+ TDs possible? Well, when you got Philip Rivers throwing to you, it most likely is.
QB Matt Hasselbeck - Seattle Seahawks
Is it really the end of Matt Hasselbeck? Or does he have one last hurrah? Honestly, he might be done, but much like Brett Farve who had a horrible season in New York, he might just want to prove to his doubters that he can still fling it. With targets like Kenny Britt and Nate Washington, as well as a strong RB in Chris Johnson... this sounds exactly like what Brett Favre stepped into at Minnesota. Now Matt Hasselbeck is not Brett Favre, but he was his understudy so many years ago and it wouldn't be surprising if he puts up some numbers to prove his doubters wrong... at least, for one more season.
TE Ed Dickson - Baltimore Ravens
Ed Dickson is the next Todd Heap, when Heap was in his prime with the Ravens and not injured. He has looked great this preseason and has the potential to run down the field as well as the short cut routes. He can go up and get it and has shown the ability to fight for the ball in the air. With Lee Evans and Anquan Boldin outside, and teams having to stop Ray Rice, the middle of the field will provide him plenty of space to catch and run. He's worth taking as a second TE and has the potential to end up being a top 10 TE.
RB C.J. Spiller - Buffalo Bills
He's going to be the #2 back and with Fred Jackson finally hitting 30, expect Spiller to get a lot more carries than last season. Also, like Fred Jackson, he has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and run with it, which is why Spiller should see more touches this year and Jackson less. While I doubt Spiller will be the #1 back in Buffalo, he could produce some very good games if Jackson were to get injured or not perform down the stretch. Regardless, he's worth taking late in the draft and especially if you have Fred Jackson on your team.
WR Jordan Shipley - Cincinnati Bengals
The one position you can never underestimate is the slot receiver, on any team. They're going to get a ton of catches and going to be the quarterback's primary option underneath. Jordan Shipley is that guy. Last season, he was behind T.O. and OchoCinco, both gone. While he's not starting out wide, he's going to get a lot of looks in the slot. He's had some monster games, and he's had some clunkers. You may point out that Andy Dalton is throwing and not Carson Palmer. That's even better, younger QBs are going to try to play it safe as much as possible and not wait to chuck it down the field if they feel rushed. Expect 8 targets a game for Shipley.
QB Colt McCoy - Cleveland Browns
While Colt had his moments last season, the Browns still sucked. Regardless, Colt has proven himself in college and will prove himself in the NFL, this season might be another step forward and I expect him to at least throw 20 TDs now that he has the starting job. Some may point to the fact that he has 9 INTs compared to 6 TDs, well, 8 of those INTs came against division rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore, two of the best defenses in the league, you can guarantee any rookie is going to get eaten alive by those secondaries. While I'd still bench him against top defenses, he has a shot to display what he's got when he takes on some of the weaker defenses in the league this season.
RB Willis McGahee - Denver Broncos
Many of us forget a few years back, McGahee was a goal-line vulture for Baltimore. Well, expect him to reprise that role this season for Denver. He's going to get a lot of opportunities inside the red zone and expect him to put up points. Knowshon Moreno, while the lead back, isn't someone the Broncos have instilled a lot of trust in as witnessed in the last three games of the previous season. Moreno still has the #1 gig, but for how long? And you can expect Willis McGahee will also be knocking at the door to getting all the carries from goal-line to goal-line
RB Ben Tate - Houston Texans
This was the guy that was originally supposed to start last season, but got injured in pre-season. Arian Foster played the first game, and the rest, was history. With Foster having a hammy problem to start the season (they don't go away, trust me) expect Tate to be in the mix for touches... a lot of touches... it really depends on Foster's hamstring, but I doubt the Texans coaching staff will want to take any chances, they'll be giving Foster more rest and Tate more touches. He's also a great handcuff should Foster go down at any point during the season.
RB Delone Carter - Indianapolis Colts
If you're a Colts fan, you're worried about one thing right now, Peyton Manning. If you're a fantasy football fan, you're worried about the Colts backfield. Last season Donald Brown led the team in rushing and carries because Addai couldn't stay healthy. Addai hasn't played 16 games since his rookie season. Delone Carter looks to be the #2 back in Indy. He's a young guy who has comparisons to MJD. Donald Brown showed what he couldn't do last season when Addai went down with inability to run for more than 50 yards, he ran for over 50 only three times last season! Furthermore, Brown couldn't punch it in from the goal-line. Expect Carter to get the back-up carries because Brown has not performed well this pre-season either.
RB Deji Kareem - Jacksonville Jaguars
He is the handcuff to MJD this season. With Jennings on IR, Kareem will assume the duties of the #2 back and will be getting significantly more carries than he did last season. He has the potential to break out some long runs, and could have some big games with MJD's bum knee. He looked good in preseason and is still a young fast back, much like Drew was when he first came into the league.
TE Leonard Pope - Kansas City Cheifs
Last season, Matt Cassel's second favorite target was Tony Moeaki. With Moeaki on IR this season, Leonard Pope will pick up the scraps. He's not as good as Moeaki, but Cassel loves to throw it to his tight end. Pope could easily surpass his career best numbers, which isn't much, but still someone that can provide points for owners during some weeks of the season.
RB Daniel Thomas - Miami Dolphins
Much has been made of his performance in the preseason, and while it is still preseason, he's still got an opportunity to shine. Reggie Bush is not an every down back and Thomas should be getting at least 33% of the carries in Miami. That being said, he still has an opportunity to prove himself. Reggie Bush is also injury prone and has difficulty running between the tackles. Expect him to earn the team's trust before the end of the season and takeover the workload from Reggie Bush.
TE Aaron Hernandez - New England Patriots
Sure, Rob Gronkowski got 10 TDs last season compared to Hernandez's 6, but did you know that in the two games that Hernandez missed, Gronkowski got 3 TDs and against the Steelers, who were determined to prevent Hernandez from getting a pass, Gronkowski got 3 TDs on them? So if you actually look at both of them playing together, where one team is not preventing either TE from getting the ball, Hernandez actually outproduced Gronkowski in every category, including TDs, 6 to 4. Hernandez is much more athletic and agile in the open field. Gronkowski also went 8 games last season with only one reception in the game while Hernandez had 1 reception in only 3 games and the zero reception game against Pittsburgh. So who's really Brady's favorite TE in New England?
RB LaDainian Tomlinson - New York Jets
Is everyone forgetting who started for the Jets last season? Is everyone forgetting that Shonn Greene is not a strong catch-and-run guy like LT? Yes, LT may be second string, but don't expect Greene to get anywhere NEAR the full workload, he will get more carries, but LT is still gonna be catching passes outta the backfield, and, let's face it, he's still LT. Might not be as quick, but he's LT. Give him his respect.
TE Kevin Boss - Oakland Raiders
I feel like everyone is forgetting that Kevin Boss went to Oakland. He went from a WR happy Eli Manning to a TE happy Jason Campbell. Check the stats if you don't believe me. Favorite Target in 2010: Zach Miller, 2009: Santana Moss (Cooley was injured), 2008: Santana Moss and Chris Cooley each had over 100 targets, 2007: same story as 2008, 2006: Cooley got 94, Moss got 101. You get the picture. Jason Campbell loves to throw it to his TE. Kevin Boss will be getting at least 80 targets this year, and that's on the low end, it could go up to 100 considering Campbell will play the entire season. Take a gander on him as a second TE.
WR Antonio Brown - Pittsburgh Steelers
Looks like the young guy has won the #3 receiver role. He's being picked up late in a lot of drafts and looks to have the potential for 50 receptions, 600+ yards and 4 TDs, it could go up depending on how healthy Hines Ward really is as he could easily supplant him as the #2 receiver. I don't need to say much more, you know what to do.
WR Malcom Floyd - San Diego Chargers
Last season Floyd was often injured and didn't catch as many passes as he should've. However, he still got 6 TDs and 700+ yards in what was an otherwise injury-riddled season. Imagine if he were actually healthy the entire season? He won't be fighting with Naanee for targets and should get at least 50 receptions and close to 900 yards. Is another 6+ TDs possible? Well, when you got Philip Rivers throwing to you, it most likely is.
QB Matt Hasselbeck - Seattle Seahawks
Is it really the end of Matt Hasselbeck? Or does he have one last hurrah? Honestly, he might be done, but much like Brett Farve who had a horrible season in New York, he might just want to prove to his doubters that he can still fling it. With targets like Kenny Britt and Nate Washington, as well as a strong RB in Chris Johnson... this sounds exactly like what Brett Favre stepped into at Minnesota. Now Matt Hasselbeck is not Brett Favre, but he was his understudy so many years ago and it wouldn't be surprising if he puts up some numbers to prove his doubters wrong... at least, for one more season.
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