Fantasy Preview: NFC West

Whether it’s a first-year player or a flat-out bust under center this season, the 49ers offense is going to be horrific and should not be counted on to perform. Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards, both of whom would normally be WR2s, are worth considering as WR4s, if that.

Though the receivers aren’t much to rave about, it’s worth noting that Vernon Davis is still a top-tier tight end. It has yet to be seen how Davis will fit in with Harbaugh’s offense, but over the past two seasons, he’s racked up 20 touchdowns and over 900 receiving yards per year. After finishing fifth among tight ends in receiving yardage in his breakout 2009 campaign, he finished second last season.

The other option to consider is, of course, Frank Gore. The talented but oft-injured running back is expected to have a dynamic 2011 season, though we’ll have to see if his contract dispute will weigh on him. He held out earlier this training camp.

The team added insurance during the draft, snaring Kendall Hunter as a possible third-down option, though Gore is currently penciled in to take those snaps still.

Gore is a threat not only on the ground but also out of the backfield. Since 2006, his breakout season, Gore has averaged about 250 rushing attempts and 50 catches per year, which equals out to about 1,600 total yards and nine scores per year. And in this style of offense Gore could see an even heavier load in the passing game.

The main problem, though, is health. Gore has played in just one full season this entering the league. Coming off a hip injury, Gore’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, declared him healthy. Owners must realize the possibility of Gore going down; Anthony Dixon is the sure handcuff.

Fantasy Preview: AFC West

E-mail Sam

Follow Sam on Twitter

The Wild Wild West saw its share of fantasy surprises in 2010, as well as some ultimate busts. The Kansas City Chiefs turned out to be an offensive juggernaut, while Mike Tolbert turned out to be the better back than Ryan Mathews. What should we make of the AFC West this year?

Denver Broncos

Kyle Orton won the quarterback competition over Tim Tebow, if you haven’t heard. But with Orton, the Broncos are getting a sure thing behind center. So with Tebow supposedly battling to be the third- or fourth-string quarterback now, Orton is the one to target.

He’s not going to wow you with his heroism like Tom Brady or his record-breaking performances like Peyton Manning, but Orton is solid producer and a valid starter in a 12-team league. Last season, his career year was cut short because then-head coach Josh McDaniels benched him due to injury in an effort to get Tebow on the field.

Orton had 1,733 yards and eight touchdowns through five weeks last year. After a two-game slump, he picked up where he left off and tossed another 1,229 yards and five touchdowns. Keep in mind that he was operating in McDaniels’ pass-first scheme, and with John Fox on the sidelines there will be a greater emphasis on the running game.

Consider Orton a high-upside QB2 and a solid back-up option. He has potential, despite the lack of weapons around him and the little faith his coaches have put into him.

The less pass attempts also diminish the value of wideout Brandon Lloyd. Currently the 18^th receiver drafted, he’s being considered a better investment than Santonio Holmes, Marques Colston, Anquan Boldin and Jeremy Maclin.

Lloyd may have had a career season in 2010, but there’s no way that he can replicate those results given the new offensive system he’s in and the fact that there may be a new quarterback throwing him passes mid-season.

Broncos' Knowshon Moreno could be in store for a breakout season under new head coach John Fox and a revamped running game.

If we’re talking running game in Denver, we’re talking about third-year running back Knownshon Moreno, who is entering a critical make-or-break year in his career. Moreno has yet to surpass 1,000 yards in a season, though his statics reveal some potential to be used in aDeAngelo Williams-like way.

Moreno has impressedduring training camp, showing up in the best physical shape of any player. All the tealeaves spell that Moreno is in store for a breakout season, but to be safe consider him a RB2 or flex option before we see results on the field.

Moreno owners should also keep an eye on Willis MacGahee, who signed with the Broncos as a goal-line back. In touchdown-heavy leagues, MacGahee is a great gamble in the later rounds, especially if you went after Moreno.

Kansas City Chiefs

The year 2011 should be heralded as The Year of Jamaal Charles. His 2010 breakout campaign had fantasy owners intrigued and frustrated – sure he managed almost 2,000 yards from scrimmage and eight scores, but why does Todd Haley insist of feeding Thomas Jones with carries?

Charles rushed the ball 230 times in an effort to remain healthy and effective throughout the season, and Haley believes this is the right formula for the Chiefs to win. However, though he won’t just come out and say he wants Charles to have an even bigger workload, he’s surely implied it.

Charles was suddenly thrust into the elite four running backs for 2011, along with Adrian Peterson, Arian Fosterand Chris Johnson. Though I would not hesitate to snare Charles in a snake draft, I’m not paying huge money for him in an auction. Unlike the aforementioned backs, Charles is still splitting carries, and there’s a chance he loses goal-line carries to Jones. He’s obviously a RB1 because of his talents, though I’d be wary of ranking him along the likes of AP or CJ.

The other Chief who enjoyed a breakout season under Haley’s direction was Dwayne Bowe, who, when paired with Matt Cassell, had almost 1,200 yards and a league-high 15 touchdowns.

There are plenty of naysayers, though, that believe Bowe’s 2010 season was merely an aberration and that there’s not a chance he can produce those same numbers this year. I don’t think Bowe can catch 15 touchdowns again, but I do expect him to post WR1 numbers.

The Chiefs bolstered their wide receiver corps by adding Steve Breaston in the slot and drafting Jonathon Baldwin out of Pittsburgh. Jerheme Urban, who spent all of last season on injured reserve with a torn flexor tendon in his right hand, is taking snaps as the flanker opposite of Bowe. That’s a pretty electric top four wideouts, if Urban can prove to be a capable No. 2 receiver. Baldwin, recovering from a thumb injury, could eventually replace Urban during the season.

Quick Hit: If you’re looking for a sleeper tight end, consider Tony Moeaki. In his first season, Moeaki caught three touchdowns, all within the opponents’ 20-yard line. Another year in the league, another season in Haley’s system, Moeaki could double those touchdown numbers and be drafted as your back-up.

San Diego Chargers

You know who led the National Football League in passing last year? Not Manning, or Brady, or Drew Brees; it was Philip Rivers.

Still, with Michael Vick and Aaron Rodgers better threats to post more touchdowns with their athleticism, Rivers is arguable the best pure passer and should be the third quarterback off the board in all leagues.

Rivers tossed 4,710 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. His leading receiver: Antonio Gates, who played in just 10 games. Second: Malcolm Floyd, who played in 11 games. Third: Vincent Jackson, who played in five.

What Rivers did was make the most out of an awful situation in San Diego. Receivers riddled by injury, a running game that did not exist, and Rivers threw 30 touchdowns to the likes of Seyi Ajirotuto and Patrick Crayton andKelley Washington. Now imagine what he can do with a healthy Gates and a full 16 games with Jackson.

Now keep in mind Jackson held out last season in hopes of being rewarded with a new contract. He’s taken the opposite approach this year, playing for that big-money deal. Tell me what’s more intriguing that a 6-5 wideout paired up with Rivers in a contract year?

The Chargers’ passing attack is going to be dynamic, no question about it. The running game, though, is suspect. It’s Ryan Mathews’ sophomore year, after a rookie campaign where he did finish with 675 yards and seven rushing scores in just a dozen games.

But Mathews’ value is hurt by the grounder, the pounder that is Mike Tolbert, who’s expected to be the goal-line and short-yardage back in the team’s two-back system. Tolbert finished fifth among backs with 11 touchdowns last season, tied with Chris Johnson and Peyton Hillis.

Mathews is being drafted 22^nd among running backs, ahead of Mark Ingram, Ryan Grant and Fred Jackson.Meanwhile, Tolbert is being drafted nine slots later, and will be the far superior fantasy producer in 2011.

Oakland Raiders

Here’s a sleeper for ya, Terrelle Pryor. Nah, but I would stay tuned to see if Hue Jackson finds an innovative way to use the former Ohio State quarterback in the offense, somehow, someway.

Perhaps the safest – if you want to deem it that – fantasy commodity on the R-R-R-aiders is Darren McFadden, a season removed from his breakout campaign. McFadden finished fifth in yards from scrimmage last season, with almost 1,200 rushing yards and over 500 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns.

In 2011, under Jackson’s tutelage, the Raiders offense was constructed around Run DMC’s talents…whatever that means. The Raiders’ offensive line ranked 26^th in the league last season, and their best wideout would normally be a third or fourth receiver on a championship-caliber team.

As the centerpiece of the offense, barring injury, McFadden should be in store for another top-10-like season. He’s being drafted ninth among running backs, though he should outproduce a player like LeSean McCoybecause of the fewer talented players around him.

Among the wideouts, Jacoby Ford is the Raiders’ No. 1 option right now, as Louis Murphy, the team’s leader in touchdown receptions in 2009, is injured. In his rookie season, Ford finished fourth on the team in receiving yardage behind the team’s leading pass-catcher, Zach Miller, who has since left for Seattle.

Ford has been a coach’s favorite this offseason, and has added value as a kickoff returner. Last season Ford returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, tied among the best in the league along with Leon Washington.

Ford is being drafted as the 42^nd receiver, and he’s definitely worth it with the kickoff return points. Draft Murphy, too, as a late-round flier towards the end of your draft.

Quick Hit: Replacing Miller as the Raiders’ tight end is Kevin Boss, who was signed away from the New York Giants, and could actually upgrade the position.

Fantasy Preview: NFC South

E-mail Sam

Follow Sam on Twitter

One of the most competitive divisions in all the National Football League and one the deepest in fantasy talent, the AFC South saw its fantasy pool grow through the draft this past April. With many young superstars, let’s examine which should be targeted at your fantasy draft.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of our favor waiver wire selections last year was LeGarrette Blount, who down the stretch of the season posted RB1-type numbers. From Week 7 on, Blount rushed for 977 yards (88.8 per game) and five touchdowns. In contrast, that was more than 10 of the top 12 rushers – Darren McFadden, Peyton Hillis, Ray Rice, Ahmad Bradshaw, Steven Jackson, Rashard Mendenhall, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson andMichael Turner. Only Jamaal Charles and the league’s leading rusher Arian Foster rushed for more yards during that span.

Over a full 16-game schedule, Blount projects to more than 1,400 yards and between 10 to 12 total touchdowns, which is most rankings would earn top-tier RB1 numbers. And with the loss of Cadillac Williams to the St. Louis Rams, Blount is in store to get more opportunities to make an impact in the Bucs’ passing game, too.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' LeGarrette Blount rushed for 977 yards from Week 7 on, more than 10 of the 12 leading rushers in 2010.

Blount, according to Fantasy Football Calculator, is being drafted towards the end of the third round, behind backs like Jackson and Turner and Jones-Drew, who are riddled with question marks heading into 2011. The third round is a steal for Blount; he’s easily a second-round talent.

The other Buc not receiving his due credit is Mike Williams, the talented second-year wide receiver who has far and away distinguished himself asJosh Freeman’s go-to guy. In his rookie season, Williams caught 11 touchdown passes – and did so in a consistent fashion. His longest touchdown drought was two weeks.

Williams ranked 13^th in targets in 2010, tied with the likes of Hakeem Nicks, ahead of WR1s like Greg Jennings, Miles Austin and Mike Wallace, all of whom are being drafted ahead of Williams. Like Blount, he’s being overlooked and underrated; draft with confidence.

Atlanta Falcons

Once touted as one of the up-and-coming quarterbacks in the league, now Matt Ryan is being considered one of the up-and-coming fantasy quarters in the league.

Last year, Ryan attempted and completed more passes, throwing for a career-high 3,705 yards and 28 touchdowns, only being picked off nine times. As we know, there’s two different schools of thought when it comes to drafting quarterbacks: draft an elite quarterback early (or devote a lot of money in your auction budget), or stockpile talent positions and get your quarterback late. Ryan is the type of quarterback you can gamble on later and expect results.

Ryan is being drafted ninth among quarterbacks in 10-team leagues. He not only has an elite wide receiver inRoddy White, a Hall of Fame-bound tight end in Tony Gonzalez and perennial Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner, but the team traded up in the draft to snare Julio Jones out of Alabama to buff up the receiving corps and add yet another weapon for the fourth-year signal-caller.

White and Jones already classify as one of the more formidable receiver tandems in the entire league. Coming out of four straight 1,000-plus-yard seasons, double-digit touchdown totals in the last two, White has distinguished himself as an elite talent, and he’s finally garnering the credit he deserves.

Jones, an impressive physical being, is already inserted into the starting lineup, and will be the reason whyteams can no longer double-team White. With Gonzalez commanding the attention of linebackers in the middle of the field, and White and Jones spread out wide, Ryan and the Falcons’ passing game should thrive in 2011.

Of course, with Jones being the recipient of more passes, White owners should expect a dip in his product, mainly in PPR leagues. Still, though, White is an elite receiver, and Jones should be a safe WR3. Gonzalez, being drafted eighth among tight ends in 10-team leagues, should be a safe TE1.

Quick Hit: Despite a 1,371-yard, 12-touchdown campaign in 2010, Turner is a back expected to start declining this season. Of course, a small dip in those numbers would still be wonderful for owners. However, Turner is in his eighth season in the league, and he’s ran the ball more than 330 times in two of the past three years, after missing five games due to injury in 2009.

Turner has the potential to be a touchdown machine, but eventually the heavy workload has to catch up with him. We already saw third-down back Jason Snelling begin to steal carries from Turner, which could help Turner stay on the field for first- and second-down, but it does cut into his production.

Carolina Panthers

Before you can ask, the answer is no; do not expect Cam Newton to be a fantasy sleeper. If you don’t believe, seewhat I wrote back in the spring.

However, with a rookie quarterback behind center, or Jimmy Clausen for that matter, a heavy running attack is to be relied on. But due to the Panthers resigning DeAngelo Williams, an already cluttered backfield just got a lot more confusing. Ugh.

Addressing the best wide receiver corps the Panthers have had in years, surprisingly, expect Steve Smith to have yet another wasted season. Newton has a big arm, but we’ve yet to see him air it out to Smith to burn opposing defenses, especially within a division with some talented defensive backs.

Smith has been on the decline since 2008, when he lost Jake Delhomme and began the quarterback carousel ofMatt Moore and Clausen. Smith barely put up WR4 numbers last season, but with Delhomme he managed to finish WR2-worthy. The Panthers’ third preseason game should help forecast the chemistry between Newton and Smith.

One option to surprise, however, is tight end Greg Olsen, who the Panthers traded for from the Chicago Bears. The talented pass-catcher fell out of favor in Mike Martz’s offense, and could benefit from a rookie quarterback. Olsen, currently the 17^th tight end being taken, could easily emerge as Newton’s safety valve, and perhaps his main target. Draft as a back-up; he could surprise.

New Orleans Saints

Frequently being heralded as the offseason victors, the Saints added one key component on the offensive side of the ball that turned heads. I am, of course, talking about drafting Mark Ingram this past April.

Are we making too much of a big deal about it, though?

Ingram currently sits second atop the depth chart behind incumbent Pierre Thomas, while the team also addedDarren Sproles to fulfill the third-down back role. Considered the candidate to receive goal-line carries, Ingram is perhaps a bit overrated.

He’s still not the team’s featured back; the best-case scenario that he and Thomas split carries evenly this season. Nonetheless, Ingram is being drafted in the fifth around, ahead of Thomas.

There is, however, a good chance Thomas gets hurt this year. Thomas has yet to play in all 16 games in his career, and missed eight games due to an ankle injury that required surgery last year.

When healthy, Thomas is a threat near the goal line, where in 2008, as the featured back, scored seven touchdowns between the opponents’ 19- and one-yard line. That is, of course, expected to be Ingram’s role this season. We’ll have to see what head coach Sean Peyton decides to do – but for now, consider Ingram only in touchdown-heavy leagues.

The Saints’ biggest concern should be their wideouts. Their No. 1 receiver, Marques Colston, is coming off yet another knee surgery, and experience irritation and swelling earlier this month. The surgery was Colston’s fifth in five career seasons, so there’s a question of whether he’ll be able to maintain health over the course of the season.

Colston, to his credit, was a clear-cut WR1 down the stretch of the 2011 season, though. From Week 7 to Week 16, (he did not play Week 17), he caught 54 passes (5.4 per game) for 683 yards and seven touchdowns, right when fantasy owners were selling him after a painfully slow start.

So it is tough to write Colston off, because when healthy, he and Drew Brees are among the top duos in the NFL. If he’s injured to start the season, do not expect the No. 2 wide receiver, Devery Henderson, to take his place.

Henderson is not even considered a lock to make the Saints’ roster this year, and instead its slot receiver extraordinaire Lance Moore turning heads. Moore, fresh off a five-year deal signed in the offseason, scored a team-high eight touchdowns and was the second-most popular target. Currently the 47^th receiver taken, taken behind Santana Moss, Hines Ward, Michael Crabtree, Johnny Knox, Moore could be a late-round steal.

Quick Hit: Jimmy Graham, the Saints’ second-year tight end who caught five touchdowns last year, is considered a break-out candidate with the departure of Jeremy Shockey. While Graham could be in store for another five-touchdown campaign, the addition of Ingram convinces me Brees will look less to pass by the goal line, where Graham caught all of his touchdowns. However, Graham’s usually the seventh tight end off the board. If you’re not planning to spend big or invest in a tight end early, he’s not the worst option to settle for in touchdown-heavy leagues.

Fantasy Preview: AFC South

E-mail Sam

Follow Sam on Twitter

Last year, the AFC South played host to the biggest fantasy sleeper, Arian Foster, as well as top-10 talents likePeyton Manning, Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew. Ironically, all four of those fantasy superstars have glaring question marks hovering over them entering the 2011 season.

Indianapolis Colts

The biggest news out of Colts camps this weekend was that Manning may not be starting under center in Week 1 against the Houston Texans. Manning is recovering from offseason neck surgery, and has yet to participate in team drills. He said he’s a little behind schedule in his recovery, and Colts owner Jim Irsay implied it was likely the Manning will miss the early part of the season.

In 2008, Manning missed the entire preseason and training camp after having surgery to remove an infected bursar sac in his left knee. The lack of a preseason showed its ill effects, though, as Manning tossed a combined three touchdowns in his first three contests, and threw four interceptions during that same span.

However, after a bye week in Week 4, Manning began to resemble his usual self; he threw for 24 touchdowns to just nine picks the rest of the season, leading the Colts to 11 straight wins from Week 9 on en route to the playoffs.

Will Peyton Manning's offseason surgery and lack of training camp cause him to miss time in 2011?

It took Manning about a month, the usual length of a training camp, to ready himself into his regular-season form. If, hypothetically, Manning misses Weeks 1 and 2, and struggles through his first month back, he really will not put up top-tier quarterback numbers. Manning threw just 27 touchdowns that 2008 season without missing any regular season games; he would be on pace to throw between 20 and 25 in 2011, ranking him outside the top 10, around Sam Bradford, Matt Schaub and Jay Cutler.

Of course if Curtis Painter or newly signed Dan Orlovskystarts for Indy in Manning’s absence, the wide receiver corps’ draft stock all take an enormous blow. Reggie Wayne’s stock has already fallen in pre-draft rankings this season, despite posting yet another 1,300-yard, six touchdown campaign in 2010.

Wayne obviously won’t produce early in the year without Manning rifling passes to him, but the fact you can draft him orAustin Collie and Dallas Clark in the later rounds could be a draft strategy. When Manning is healthy, he will post week-to-week numbers that will be among the top quarterbacks in the league; as will his receivers. If you draft the Colts as back-ups, they can pay off with starter-like statistics later and down the playoff run.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Another major injury concern out of the AFC South is the health of MoJo-Drew’s knee.

Jones-Drew had offseason surgery on his knee, which has fantasy guru’s questioning his ability to display the burst and quickness that allowed to him to run for back-to-back 1,300-yard seasons.

However, Jones-Drew suggests he’s fully healthy and that fantasy owners should draft him with ease. He’s probably a top-10 running back still, but we’ve yet to see him on the field, so how could we expect him to keep his word?

So far, he’s impressed in training camp. With a quarterback controversy brewing in Jacksonville, and a lack of a true No. 1 wideout, the Jags should rely on a heavy rushing attack all season long. Of course if David Garrard is anointed the starter he’s more of a threat to produce in the passing game, opening holes for the backs; if it’s first-rounder Blaine Gabbert taking snaps by mid-season then Jones-Drew should expect nine-men defensive fronts.

There is, of course, another setback foreseen by reporters. Rashad Jennings, Jones-Drew’s backup. This is nothing new in Jacksonville; in MoJo-Drew’s first few seasons, he split carries with the incumbent, Fred Taylor. And after seeing what Jennings is capable of last year – 5.5 yards per carry, four touchdowns and a receiving threat out of the backfield – another two-back system may be on the horizon.

Jones-Drew signed a five-year deal in 2009, so the team shouldn’t be worried about giving Jennings an opportunity to supplant Jones-Drew right away. But if they’re worried about their featured back’s recently repaired knee, or the fact he’s carried the ball close to or more than 300 times the past two seasons, then Jennings will get his fair share of carries. Consider Jennings a must-have handcuff, and a RB2 if Jones-Drew is injured at some point in the year.

Quick Hit: The loss of Mike Sims-Walker, really a mediocre wide receiver, leaves the Jaguars short of a true No. 1 threat. Mike Thomas showed glimpses of being a main receiver last year, posting 73 catches for over 850 yards and five touchdowns. Upgraded in the depth chart, as long as Garrard is under center, consider Thomas the only receiver worth drafting. He’s a safe WR3, with WR2 upside.

Houston Texans

Last year, Foster shocked the fantasy football world, going from Ben Tate’s back-up to the dude who blasted the Colts for 231 yards and three touchdowns in his season debut. A year later he’s considered the top-ranked running back, or least among the top three elite backs.

There was a quick scare for prospective Foster owners after missing the preseason opener against the New York Jets with a sore hammy. But Foster returned to action Sunday, rushing for 95 yards and scoring thrice against the News Orleans Saints in the first half.

Because of Foster’s ability to run and catch passes, he has a higher upside than both Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, his two closest competitors at the top fantasy back. He led the National Football League in rushing yardage, rushing touchdowns, yards per attempt, yards per game, receiving touchdowns and yards from scrimmage in 2010 – wow. And the fact is that he is now the centerpiece of a high-scoring offense translates into another spectacular season.

The only question mark is his health, as it is with every talented player. The preseason hamstring injury should be buried, but if it were to pop up again, consider Tate the best option to replace him. Derrick Ward is currently slated as the No. 2 back, but Tate was highly touted in pre-draft rankings for a reason; Ward is just a veteran who’s been in the system longer. We also saw Chris Ogbonnaya tear up the Jets in the preseason opener.

The emergence of Foster seems to have indirectly hurt the stock of quarterback Matt Schaub. After throwing three straight 4,000-plus-yard seasons, averaging 26 touchdowns per season, Schaub is merely ranked at the bottom of the top-10 quarterbacks, sometimes considered No. 11 or 12.

Schaub has a dynamic back lined up behind him, but that only forces opposing defenses to prepare for either a smash-mouth running game or a more-than-capable passing attack based primarily on wideout Andre Johnson.

Johnson, year-in, year-out should be considered the top wide receiver. He’s put together three consecutive 1,200-plus-yard seasons, five in all, with eight touchdowns four years in a row. Drafting Johnson is equivalent to drafting a RB1 because of his consistency.  If you miss out on a Ray Rice or Jones-Drew, and you’re nearing the second class of running backs, make a play for Johnson, a sure thing.

The best Texans receiver aside from Johnson is tight end Owen Daniels, who appears to be fully healthy after two injury-plagued seasons. His last full season, in 2008, Daniels caught 70 passes for 862 yards and five touchdowns. Not only a safety valve for Schaub, Daniels receivers a lot of attention with defensive backs focusing on Johnson and linebackers struggling to keep up with him. He can match the production of Dallas Clark orVernon Davis, if healthy, and should be considered the No. 2 wideout on the team compared to Kevin Walter orJacoby Jones.

Tennessee Titans

Out with the old and in with the … old. The Titans exchanged veteran signal-callers this offseason, replacing the retired Kerry Collins with Matt Hasselbeck, who despite a mediocre 18-touchdown season last year with theSeattle Seahawks, lifted his team to the second weekend of the NFL playoffs.

Of course Hasselbeck isn’t a plausible option to start on your fantasy team; he had one 300-yard passing performance last season, and give in the last four years. But his veteran presence allows for Kenny Britt to be a high-upside WR2 for 2011.

Britt, despite a lack of a true quarterback under center his first two years with the Titans, has posted back-to-back 42-reception seasons, posting more than 700 yards both years. Far and away the most talented receiver on the roster, Britt should see an increase in targets, receive yards and touchdowns in 2011.

However, his productivity is contingent on a date with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Tuesday, which will determine if and the length of a suspension for some offseason antics that made headlines for the wrong reason. If suspended for more than two games, obviously Britt’s stock will take a huge hit, but like we discussed with the Colts wide receivers earlier, he could be drafted later on, or for less auction money, and could have an immediate impact when he returns.

The presence of Hasselbeck will benefit Chris Johnson, if and when the No. 3-ranked running back reports to Titans camp. Johnson had what fantasy owners would deem a “down year” in 2010, rushing for 1,200 yards and 10 total touchdowns after a 2,000-yard season the year prior with 16 total scores.

Johnson saw more defenses loading up the box against him when Collins went down and Vince Young was benched. Stuck with Rusty Smith as his quarterback on a struggling offense, Johnson still produced Pro Bowl numbers, including the fourth-higher rushing yardage total, sixth-most rushing touchdowns and seventh most scores overall.

He’s could be in line to improve all those numbers and vie to be the top back again in 2011, but his absence from camp means less chemistry with his team and less time to get into playing shape. Titans’ owner Bud Adamswon’t make an offer until Johnson reports to camp, and Johnson won’t report to camp until an offer is made. As the hardball continues, it becomes more and more of a question mark whether Johnson will play in 2011.

If he doesn’t play, Javon Ringers is currently second on the depth chart. The former Michigan State star averaged 4.7 yards-per-carry in back-up duties last year, and is very elusive in space like Johnson.

So far this preseason, however, Jamie Harper has received the bulk of the carries, followed by Stafon Johnsonand Herb Donaldson. Pay attention to their third preseason game Saturday night against the Chicago Bears to see which back gets the nod as the starter.