AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
Today I want to discuss some of the picks made in this year’s draft that will directly impact fantasy football. It is pretty difficult for a rookie in a skill position to make a big enough splash statistically to be relevant in fantasy football, but as Percy Harvin owners can attest to… it happens. Rookies are also often drafted higher in keeper leagues so that you can reserve them for future seasons.
Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers traded up aggressively to get the 11th pick in the draft to get a new left tackle in Anthony Davis. Davis is a prototypical left tackle at 6’5’’ 323 lbs; he has long arms and quick feet. With their pick at number 17 they further fortify their offensive line with Mike Iupati. Iupati is quick and athletic and is a sure fit at guard where he can pull around the edge and seal off lanes for Frank Gore. These selections give the 49ers their physicality back up front and solidify Gore as my number four RB for next season’s draft. Alex Smith also stands to benefit from better protection up front.
Sergio Kindle and Terrance Cody, Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens did not pick in the first round this year, but got two potential first round players with the 11th and 25th picks of round two. The Ravens have been known as a defensive power house for years now, but since the emergence of Flacco, Ray Rice and now Anquan Boldin on the offensive side of the ball, the defense has slipped. The 43rd pick landed the Ravens a great edge rusher Sergio Kindle who will be transitioning from DE to OLB. The 57th pick gives the Ravens a new 354 lb nose tackle in Alabama’s Terrence Cody, and has helped shore up the hurting front seven on defense. With the addition of these two the Ravens do wonders for their defense and will return to a dominating force on that side of the ball. As of now the Ravens are my number two ranked D/ST.
Jimmy Clausen, Carolina Panthers – I liked Matt Moore’s production at the end of last season, and was planning to list him as a sleeper for the upcoming fantasy football draft season. The Panthers first pick in this year’s draft didn’t till the second round and they jumped on the opportunity to nab the most pro-ready QB in this year’s draft class… Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame was projected by many people to be a top 10 selection but he fell all the way down to the Panther’s lap at the 48th pick. Armanti Edwards was a QB in college but the plan is to transition him to wide receiver and utilize his throwing ability for trick plays and option plays out of the wildcat formation. And to completely kill any chance that Matt Moore is going to start for any extended period of time they also ignored plenty of available needed talent to draft Tony Pike who played for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Clausen is now the most viable QB from a fantasy standpoint but let’s be honest, you shouldn’t be drafting any of these guys.
Toby Gerhart, Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings made a surprising and perplexing decision to move up in the second round to take Toby Gerhart with the 51st pick in the draft. Gerhart is a big physical back that is adept running between the tackles. In his 2009 Heisman Trophy campaign he racked up 1,871 yards and 28 TDs. He led the country in both categories, but lost the trophy to Mark Ingram Jr. of the University of Alabama by the closest margin in the history of the award (28-points). As impressive as Gerhart is I don’t think that an offense that has Adrian Peterson can get the most out of him. The issue is that because Gerhart is bigger physically than Peterson the goal line carries could very well go to Gerhart. The Vikes needed to replace Chester Taylor who was shiftier than Peterson and was a better 3rd down back for screens and check down passes, and they did not get that back in Gerhart. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and I won’t be downgrading AP from his number 2 spot because they will need him more on third down, but it will likely cost him some touchdowns by the end of the season.
Dexter McCluster, Kansas City Chiefs – The fourth pick in the 2nd round belonged to the Chiefs and they ignored a gaping need on the offensive line to add a dynamic playmaker at the running back position in Dexter McCluster. While McCluster can do more than play RB all he can really do is take work from Jamaal Charles both on offense and in the return game.
Sleeper picks from the draft for the coming fantasy season: CJ Spiller (BUF), Dez Bryant (DAL), Demaryius Thomas (DEN), Ryan Mathews (SD), Dexter McCluster (KC – deep sleeper)
Tom Brady (NE) – Not the best match-up but the Patriots never let up, and I don’t see them starting to now. If the lead is big they will sit people… however the Pats want the win even if they don’t need it.
Tony Romo (DAL) – Division rivals playing in Week 17 to decide who wins the Division… I can’t wait to see this game, shootout is inevitable.
Ray Rice (BAL) – Who doesn’t love Ray Rice!? Oh yea, playing the Raiders too!
Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC) – I love every RB against the Browns, and I think we can expect a very big game from MJD in this incredibly soft match-up.
Antonio Bryant (TB) – Your definitely taking a risk here, but this is a VERY talented receiver that is only hindered by his average at best team. With that said they just beat the Saints so they are definitely full of confidence getting ready to play against a pretty bad secondary.
Greg Olsen (CHI) – The match-up is great and the offense found some rhythm last week. He’s good to start again!
49ers (D/ST) – They came it at number five in my ranks this week but will be going up when I update i’m sure.
Hines Ward (PIT) -
Cedric Benson (CIN) – Don’t see them risking his injury in a meaningless game.
Chad Ochocinco (CIN) – If he plays the whole time, he is against Darelle Revis which makes him an auto sit anyways.
Drew Brees (NO) – Don’t see him playing all four quarters, you should still probably start him as the offense needs to find its rhythm again…
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Cowboys at Saints – This is a match-up between a team struggling for a playoff birth and another team striving for a perfect season. There is a lot of emotion involved in a game like this. If the Cowboys lose to the perfect Saints their playoff hopes are all but gone, and many people with-in the organization will need to update resumes. I actually think that this Cowboys offense is playing well and that despite everything that is stacked up against them, the Boys will find a way to win this one. They are a desperate team that has struggled as of late, however good games from Romo and the receiving core could give the Saints their only loss of the year if they can force a couple turnovers on defense. Upgrade Miles Austin, Tony Romo, Marques Colston and Reggie Bush as this should be a game of big plays.
Dolphins at Titans – This is a battle for the inside track to the wild-card seed in the playoffs. The Titans need to win out, and the Dolphins still have the division within their grasp, though they need some help from the Patriots to over take them. Both teams are fighting for their lives and this always leads to some exciting football. Williams owners should curb your expectations for him… he is still as a RB2 or a great flex option but he wont be having a huge yardage game this week. Davone Bess is the best fantasy option at receiver from the Dolphins but you’re digging deep if your going there anyways because there are no big play threats in that receiving core which was built for Pennington and can’t take advantage of Henne’s deep ball ability. Kenny Britt should be fine as a flex or WR3 play in 12 team leagues (or more) assuming VY is active, and of course Chris Johnson is the best back in fantasy this season and there is no reason that should change this week.
49ers at Eagles – DeSean Jackson is set to go off this week against a 9ers secondary vulnerable to the big play. They beat up on the Cardinals because they got so much pressure, they wont have as much luck against this offensive line. Gore is a great play at RB as last week there was an excellent balance in the San Francisco offense which is the environment that Gore thrives in. Maclin is going to be inactive for this week so Jason Avant is a great play at WR this week, and Michael Crabtree is also a great play. As this offense matures so does Crabtree, excellent flex option this week in what could be a shoot out.
Bengals at Chargers – Two AFC studs meet this weekend in a potential playoff preview. The Chargers don’t lose in December, and the Bengals have only been beaten twice this year (I know they have three losses, I just don’t count that fluke play against Denver as being “beaten”) and are coming off a loss and want the momentum back for going into the playoffs. The Chargers are pretty decent at stopping the run but Benson gets so many carries that he overcomes bad match-ups and he remains a good start this week. Temper expectations on players in this one, as there are good defenses on the field and big plays wont come easy. Vincent Jackson should stay on track as an elite receiver.
Well, what a week for Fantasy Playoffs to begin! Lots of Studs this week so lets get right to it! Oh yea, there are plenty of Duds too! =P
Eli Manning (NYG) - Top Fantasy QB honors in a loss Sunday against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. He looked very good with three TD passes and just shy of 400 yards. He did lose two fumbles, but that is largely a protection issue and with those stats it’s easy to forgive.
Chris Johnson (TEN) – Ok, we expected it, but not quite this big, huge week from CJ this Sunday. Likely was enough to push you through this round of the playoffs.
Adrian Peterson (MIN) – A lot of readers asked about potentially benching Peterson this week and I did everything in my power to convince you not to do this. Peterson is set to go off any week regardless of match-up, let alone the fact that despite the impressive numbers the Bengals had defending the run, they really hadn’t faced too many elite backs this season.
Ryan Grant (GB) – Wow! No one saw this big of a game coming from Grant as he totaled 137 yards and two scores. Grant remains a great RB2 down the stretch, but Rodgers wont see that little production again, which is bound to hurt Grant’s chances of finding the end-zone twice.
Frank Gore (SF) – Despite the offense having become more of a passing oriented attack over the past few weeks, when the 9ers dominated the Cardinals on Monday night they did it on the shoulders of Frank Gore. It looked like this round one pick was going to cost his owners dearly in the playoffs as he was utilized less and facing a team that destroyed the Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson just last week. However with San Francisco apparently rededicated to the run, Gore managed 167 yards and a TD. Keep trusting him, because this offense is learning balance quickly.
Jamaal Charles (KC) – His team had trouble scoring, but not because of him. Charles broke off a 70+ yard TD run Sunday for the Chiefs only time in the end-zone. Despite the failures of his team Charles will still help you in the playoffs if the match-up is good.
Quinton Ganther (WAS) – OK, so if you were in a bind this week and you went with Ganther you were rewarded. His match-up was great, and he got the job done. However you can’t expect him to be able to score like that on other teams, so do you really want a RB that can only manage 50 yards against Oakland and in a GREAT week for him only sees 3 targets in the passing game? I wouldn’t and neither should you. Also if you wanted to start Ganther over a struggling star then it likely came back to bite you anyways, many people asked about him over the likes of Gore and Grant (and a few too many even thought he was a better play than Peterson).
Reggie Bush (NO) – Bush finally made a statement that he is healthy again this week with his 19 point fantasy day Sunday. He will remain a great flex play through the playoffs, as he is the 4th receiving option in that offense. For those keeping track Meachem is 5th so yes, he is a better play than Meachem in the flex.
Brandon Marshall (DEN) – Making a strong statement for being a top 3 fantasy football receiver next season with a record breaking performance on Sunday. Marshall was targeted 28 times and hauled in 21 of them for 200 yards and two scores. Enough said.
Andre Johnson (HOU) – This performance will take a back seat to Marshall’s but lets be honest this was a ridiculous game as well. 11 catches 193 yards and two scores as well.
DeSean Jackson (PHI) – Jackson has tied an NFL record for most 50+ yard TD plays in a season. This is one heck of an explosive receiver that was a bargain deal where he was drafted in every league. Oh, and he is going to remain dynamic the rest of the season.
Derrick Mason (BAL) - You see that play? He has my attention and respect now however, he won’t be upgraded too much as he is limited by the shaky play of Joe Flacco, but he will remain a very good flex or WR3 play.
Hakeem Nicks (NYG) – Nicks wont be a regular in your starting lineup during the playoffs but he had a huge game and might make a flex appearance and definitely in deep formats.
Dallas Clark (IND) – Not much for yardage this week, but three TD grabs is almost unheard of for a TE that isn’t Vernon Davis.
Fred Davis (WAS) – He’s available in too many leagues, Miller just got a concussion (his 2nd this season).
49ers (D/ST) – I still can’t believe they shut down that offense last night. Warner got ONE point.
Randy Moss (NE) – negative points (-1) from a guy you start every week regardless of match-up is a tough beat in the playoffs. If your still in it then your still starting Moss.
Rashard Mendenhall (PIT) – It was the Browns. Be concerned if your still in the playoffs.
Mike Sims-Walker (JAC) – Hopefully you didn’t play him due to his injury, but I would have played him and would have been burned.
Greg Olsen (CHI) – Two weeks in a row, is Fred Davis available?
Mario Manningham (NYG) – Was on my dump-list, and even in a shootout he can’t perform barely at all.
Steven Jackson (STL) – Bad week I admit, you have better? Doubt it!
Visanthe Shiancoe (MIN) – TE’s are inconsistent, with as many TD passes as he’s got he’s earned a down week.
Donald Driver (GB) – You’ve seen all across the league that as the play of the QB drops so does the production of the WR. This is just the first week Rodgers has slipped, and he didn’t so much as he wasn’t needed. Jennings might be an issue, but Driver’s stock doesn’t change.
Kurt Warner (ARI) – Easiest match-up possible on the rebound so if your still around then he’ll still be ok.
Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) - IT WAS THE BROWNS!!! WHATS GOING ON IN PITTSBURGH? Honestly, i don’t know but Santonio Homes is the only one playing well.
Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) – Just hope he’s healthy, ignore the bad week as I’m sure you were planning on.
LeSean McCoy (PHI) - Stick a fork in him, he’s done. Westbrook might be coming back this week, and you can’t entrust him with your entire season.
Aaron Rodgers (GB) – He just wasn’t needed to make plays. Grant took the first play for the Packers to the house and they controlled the game through the run ever since.
