Fantasy Preview: NFC South

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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.

Harbaugh to Dolphins, Still Plans to Draft Luck

Did you think Jim Harbaugh would take his talents to the National Football League without his partner in crime Andrew Luck? Odds are you're wrong.


The highly tauted Harbaugh accepted the head coaching position with the Miami Dolphins today knowingly that this team puts him in the best position to select his former quarterback in the 2012 N.F.L. Draft. He noted all the weapons the team had in place was the right formula to completely fail in his first season in South Beach.


"What we have in [quarterback] Chad Henne -- I think we're going in the right direction," Harbaugh said in during his introductory press conference. "Between [Henne], all of our running backs planning to flee in free agency and the most under-performing wide receiving core in the league -- you can't pass that up. I'd be shocked if we scored seven points all year."


The 'Fins already set an impressive precedent with the 30th best scoring offense, better than all but two teams. When informed of the statistic, Harbaugh simply replied "Damn," adding, "That'll be tough to top."


Rumors swirled that both the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos also had interest in Harbaugh joining their respective staffs. 


In the Bay Area, the prospect of coaching a bruising back in Frank Gore and talented receivers in Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan and Vernon Davis proved to be too dangerous, according to those close to Harbaugh. Perhaps the offensive potential would solidify a mid-range draft pick, and even a playoff berth given the division. 


Despite Tim Tebow's presence in the Mile High city, the Broncos also were too risky of a team for Harbaugh to take a chance on. The roster featured the N.F.L.'s leading wide receiver, the always reliable Brandon Lloyd, and third-year bust Knowshon Moreno, who is living up to his first-round potential. Combine that with two young, talented wideouts in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, who took Denver by storm with breakout rookie campaigns.


"That was something I considered, but I swear that's better than [Brian] Hartline," Harbaugh said.


Harbaugh opted for Miami after Luck announced his decision to remain at Stanford in order to finish out collegiate career and earn his degree in architecture. N.F.L. draft experts already have declared Luck the consensus No. 1 pick in next year's draft.


There is speculation, however, that the N.F.L. and the Dolphins have another challenger for compete Luck's talents in 2012. No, I am not talking about the Carolina Panthers who will be forced to ultimately start Jimmy Clausen in the coming season, or even Tennessee who has faith that Rusty Smith gives them the best option to win. In fact, neither of these teams who will rival the Dolphins 2011 aim for a winless season are the threat.


"The Home Depot is proud to announce that we will be involved in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes next spring when the talented builder gradates from Stanford," according to the press release the company made public late last evening."


"We are in the business of looking for the best builders in the nation. Luck has demonstrated he is a hard worker and has obviously shown he is passionate about the profession by electing to stay in school for another year. Luck brings exactly what we are looking for in our employees -- strength, delivery and strong vision to find customers in need."


The report also stated Luck's versatility on the field could easily translate into an employee in the aisles and at the register.


Harbaugh and co. cannot do much about the juggernaut The Depot vying for Luck's services, but has assured he will sure his Miami Dolphins will play to their unyielding potential. To this point, he has already anointed Henne a starter, letting everyone in South Beach he is all about business.






This article is satire. All quotes, sources and content are not real.

Evaluating The Top 10 Destinations for Randy Moss

With Randy Moss being ousted from Minnesota, the radar of contending teams throughout the National Football League with wide receiver vacancies suddenly skyrocketed.

While Moss is always a threat to "play when he wants to," there is no doubt in my mind that having been traded out of New England and now cut by his original team after just four games, Moss will want to prove to the rest of the league that both teams made a mistake. Moss is still a threat in the vertical passing game and could help a range of teams vying for playoff berths.

Here is an analysis of the top 10 fits for Moss after he claims waivers.

                                                                                                                                                         Source: zimbio.com

1. San Diego Chargers                              

Could you imagine pairing the high-flying Moss with the NFL's leading passer? Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in on a reckless pass to surpass the single-season passing yard record. He's done all his work without his top wideout Vincent Jackson, and his leading receiver in 2010 Malcolm Floyd.

Rivers makes stars out no-names, so if you pair him with Moss, you could bet the Chargers could still make a play for the the AFC West title. Moss can provide a compliment to Antonio Gates in the passing attack, which should also open up things for Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews in the running game.

Now picture a Philip Rivers-led offense come December when Jackson returns from suspension, Floyd is finally healthy and Moss has developed chemistry with his new quarterback. I think general manager A.J. Smith needs to pull the plug to save his job (see: LaDainian Tomlinson to the Jets)





2. St. Louis Rams
If Randy is going to be Manny, then I would never suggest pairing him with a rookie quarterback. And because St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo stems from the Bill Parcells-Tom Coughlin coaching tree, I don't think he wants to add a potential eruption in the volcano that is Randy Moss to a team that is coming off a one-win season.

But Sam Bradford is thriving with the likes of Danny Amendola and Lorenzo Alexander at wide receiver; what kind of success could he have with a player of Moss's caliber? 

Source: midwestsportsfan.com

3. Oakland Raiders

Don't call it a comeback, please. What  a nightmare it would be to reunite Moss with his former team and owner Al Davis. I can see it now -- Davis slowly walking up to the podium in his fashionable black and silver jogging suit to announce to signing of Moss -- just another example of the commitment to excellence.


But the lack of quarterbacking in Oakland would only present more problems for Moss (Please, do not try to convince anybody that Bruce Gradkowski or Jason Campbell are sufficient enough options to please Moss). However, I don't think his presence would ultimately hurt the development or either quarterback, not to mention open up things for the Raiders' young collection of wideouts and their dynamic tight end. Oh yeah, and don't think Run DMC wouldn't break loose with Moss taking another defender out of the box. Oh, Al -- don't say you haven't considered it.


4. New England Patriots
Like The Hoodie would get away with trading his record-breaking wide receiver for a third-round draft pick and then resign him just a month later. Sounds like classic Belichick to me.

While Moss renounced his apparent man love for the Patriots when he faced them as a Viking, I am not sure the NFL could even allow the Patriots to reattain Moss's talents. But whoever says the Pats could not benefit from Moss Source: 365sportsnews.net                                returning to their offense is a straight up liar. I pity the fool.

The offensive juggernaut that was the Patriots offense has cooled off considerably since Moss departed for purpler pastures. In fact, they are more reminiscent of their early 2000s teams where they were actually winning Super Bowls on the reg. But anyone who believes the Pats' passing game is better off without Moss opposite of Wes Welker is delusional. Trust me -- go ask Welker's fantasy owners.

5. Kansas City Chiefs                                                             

  Source: arrowheadpride.com

Perhaps the biggest surprise team on the NFL season has been the resurgence of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, or New England West if you may, is led by former Patriot Matt Cassel and general manager Scott Pioli, both of whom have worked with Moss.

In 2008, when Cassel took over for an injured Tom Brady, the duo combined for over 1,000 yards and 11 scores.

With the Chiefs off to a hot start, one might suggest the addition to Moss alongside Dwayne Bowe would add another element to their passing game and another piece to their arsenal of weapons. This is one of the better fits for Moss.




6. Denver Broncos

Source: bostonherald.com


Yet another Belichick decipher, Josh McDaniels, was the man behind the 2007 Patriots' record-setting offense. Now, the Broncos head coach is on a Mile High hot seat. Would a move to snatch Moss be a step in the right direction?

Kyle Orton has shocked us all with his powerful right arm, as he ranks among the best in passing yardage this season. Orton's top receiver is Brandon Lloyd -- yes, the same Lloyd that once was traded for two draft picks and received a $10M contract with the Skins before producing a 25-catch season with not a single trip to the end-zone. Now Lloyd is tops in the league, so what kind of damage could Orton do with a player of Moss's caliber?

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Source: fantasyknuckleheads.com

Josh Freeman has performed beyond anyone's wildest expectations in 2010, becoming notorious for come-from-behind game-winning drives. At this point, his offensive weapons include rookie wideout Mike Williams and tight end Kellen Winslow, both of whom have had questionable pasts with their former teams.

Coming out of Syracuse, Williams's character was questioned because of his sudden departure for the Orange football program, despite leading the Big East in receiving and becoming a viable candidate for the Biletnikoff Award.

While Winslow was a Cleveland Brown, there was no doubt regarding his immense abilities and skill set at the tight end position. However, off-the-field issues plagued Winslow, which led to the Browns shipping off their stud receiver to the Bucs.

However, the Bucs regime under second-year head coach  Raheem Morris seems to be handling this character issues well. Williams, Winslow and even the problematic rookie out of Oregon, LaGarrette Blount are all becoming exceptional team players under Morris's coaching, so why not Moss?

8. Seattle Seahawks


Source: nfltouchdown.com

Pete Carroll likes big, athletic wide receivers; can you blame him? The Seahawks head coach has already made an attempt to acquire disgruntled Chargers wideout Vincent Jackson, and was in the hunt for Brandon Marshall during the offseason.

With Deon Branch gone and traded to New England, Carroll has a wide receiver core consisting of Deon Butler, rookie Golden Tate and his former USC star Mike Williams. Tell me Randy Moss couldn't help out this team.

And in the wide open NFC West, Moss could be the difference between making and not making the postseason.

9. Carolina Panthers

Source: zimbio.com

You do not have to tell me the Carolina Panthers have only one win on the season; I know they are not going to make the playoffs. But there is a plethora of talent on this team -- DeAngelo Williams, Jonathon Steward, Steve Smith -- the biggest question mark forever on this team is who can play opposite of Smith to improve this air attack?

Matt Moore may not be the answer at quarterback; and neither may Jimmy Clausen for that matter. But whichever one of these signal-callers takes  control of this offense could benefit from Moss's presence. 

Right now, rookie Brandon LaFell and some dude named  David Gettis are playing opposite of Smith -- yeah, the double-teams are not leaving the sight of number 89 anytime soon. It may not be the move to turn around the Panthers this season, but it is definitely a step in the right direction for 2011.

10. Tennessee Titans
Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Wouldn't you love to see the Tennessee Titans with an elite wide receiver? I know Kenny Britt is an emerging star, but I don't think we can pull his talents in the Hall of Fame just yet.

Vince Young or Kerry Collins could really benefit from having Moss lining up in their offense; as would Chris Johnson, who would see another defender out of the box.

The problem is Jeff Fisher is a strong-minded, discipline-preaching head coach. He would not tolerant Moss's antics, and would not want to take a chance disrupting his team's chemistry by adding a possible cancer to his locker room.

It also works the other way, though, as maybe the presence someone like Fisher could keep Moss under control. Never say never, Titans fans.




Honorable Mentions: 

• 49ers: Moss and Michael Crabtree -- maybe there is some hope in San Fran, Jed York.
• Bears: Remember when Jay Cutler wasn't turning the ball over every other possession? Maybe the presence of Brandon Marshall had something to do with it. I think Moss could be a big target, too?
• Packers: Aaron Rodgers can make any wide receiver look good; imagine what he could do with Moss?