By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

For a minute the football world looked like it would be TO free for 2010. The media was jumping on the fact that Terrell Owens had little interest for months. Teams would speculate at the possibility but ultimately say they were going to look in a different route. The Jets, Seahawks, etc. all decided that Terrell wasn’t worth a years deal. By looking at what happened last season it was not too hard to predict this was coming. Buffalo was pretty much the only team that had strong interest last off-season. Were pretty sure if Terrell had serious options he would have went elsewhere. Come on, who would sign on to play where they knew getting the football would be as hard as Jamarcus Russell throwing an accurate pass over five yards?

A team that is not afraid to be contrarian is the Cincinnati Bengals. They’ve brought in and resigned troubled players in the past like Chris Henry and Tank Johnson. They’ve been subjected to numerous internal issues with players getting in trouble off the field. As the business goes any signing is a risk. Faulting a team for making a mistake is the way things go. No one expected Cedric Benson to resurrect his career. Turning from a third or fourth running back on many fantasy teams to being the main running back. It paid off.

The signing of Terrell Owens is as sneaky as can be. He goes in without having to have the responsibilities of the sole main option at receiver. All the years Terrell Owens has been a number one receiver he played opposite second receivers that were more comparable to a third or fourth receiver. In San Francisco it was JJ Stokes, Philadelphia Reggie Brown, and in Buffalo Lee Evans followed by a bunch of no names. Call it a perfect link but teaming up with Chad Johnson and Antonio Bryant is Owens best fit maybe of his career. Balls are going to be a plenty as well. Definitely at a higher clip than was in Buffalo. Throw last year out, and Cincinnati had some formidable years with there receivers one through three putting up fantasy stats. Chad Johnson, TJ Housh, and Chris Henry were one of the best triple threats in the league.

A Hall of Fame player such as Owens may be putting on the Hollywood smile right now. Away from the camera he is on a mission to show that he still has it. He wants to prove to teams and owners throughout the league that not entertaining or submitting an offer to him was a big mistake. Sure he may have lost a step but he has the smarts, physical tools, and playmaking ability to be that additional threat that makes Cincinnati a scary team.

Compared to last season things look golden for TO. The Bills pathetic offense had a hard time mustering 100 yards a game through the air, and that was a losing team usually down early. Carson Palmer had his ups and downs last season but is now two full years from his 2008 season ending elbow injury. Besides that last year Palmer struggled to find other options besides Chad Johnson. Chris Henry was out with injury before his tragic death, and they had let Housh go. Guys that had been with Carson for years were gone and the high hopes for Lavernues Coles meeting expectations just didn’t happen.

The Bengals have upgraded their offense a few notches with TO and Antonio Bryant. We expect TO to be an above average second receiver. Lots of owners will probably be able to be lucky enough to have TO as their third fantasy wide receiver. Even as a second fantasy wideout on your teams we believe he will pay huge dividends. The yardage totals may not be as large as his prime years but hovering near double digit touchdowns should become an actuality. Last year we had TO on our list of top ten busts, this year we love him. What a difference a one year contract makes.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

First round draft picks by position are often compared and linked to each other from day one to when the separation occurs between the two. It makes the value of a draft even better. Fantasy owners besides dynasty drafts are usually fairly hesitant on when to nab a rookie. Playing time and usual rookie woes can leave an average draft position of a player at a high variable. Nonetheless this years 2010 draft featured two backs taken that figure to be instant impact guys to their offense. CJ Spiller for the Buffalo Bills and Ryan Matthews of the San Diego Chargers.  This is a conundrum that we like to compare to Robert Edwards and Fred Taylor way back in 1998.  Two rookies that stormed on the scene and made all fantasy owners very happy. Can this happen again with Spiller and Matthews?

Both teams offenses are opposites on how they are going to get things done. Buffalo has more of a methodical approach which could bode well for Spiller. The pros with him are there should be plenty of games of twenty plus carries. The obvious cons are that the Bills tend to rank near the bottom of offensive production due to their glaring weakness at quarterback. Spiller could have a tough time with yards per carry and getting the most wanted points from fantasy owners in touchdowns.

A special talent as himself though should be able too boost this teams offensive presence. Owners worried about Fred Jackson shouldn’t be. No team invests that high of a draft pick to not give that investment every opportunity to earn the millions on his contract. If anything Jackson will compliment Spiller and the Bills need to sustain drives with long drawn out possessions.  Marshawn Lynch is still hanging around as well but we expect Buffalo to eventually seek some sort of trade and bolster their roster in a different area.

With Ryan Matthews he has to come in and fill the big shoes of future Hall of Famer Ladainian Tomlinson. Matthews will have to deal with a fiery quarterback that will be quick to give the rookie an earful. Pressure is definitely on him to not be the cog for an offense that has been prolific dating back to the Drew Brees days. Philip Rivers takes more of a burden off of maybe any running back backfield in the NFL. He stretches defenses as just as high as Peyton Manning and last season hooked up with Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates deep down the field at an alarming pace. Matthews might be one of those rookie backs that struggles to get consistent chunk yards, but evens that out by breaking off a burner.

So with that in mind will stick to the order that these two players were drafted. Many fantasy owners are going to feel more comfortable selecting Matthews over Spiller, but we do believe Spiller will outperform Matthews in yards and touchdowns. Buffalo is never going to stop running the football no matter the situation as they’ve proved the past five years.

Fred Jackson knows more than most as he has had a ton of garbage touchdowns and fourth quarter rushing yards over the past few seasons. San Diego on the other hand will turn the ball to Philip Rivers and let him throw ala Andy Reid’s play calls if they have too. Stick with Spiller folks.

By Vidur Malik

Around the league, talented wide receivers seem to keep on sprouting up year after year. Every team has multiple receivers who can have breakout games any given week. Because there are so many productive wide outs, there are bound to be players that can help your fantasy team who won’t be picked on draft day. If one of your players isn’t getting it done, you should be able to drop him for another receiver who can help your team. Picking up one of these players during the season off of waivers can boost your point totals, and gives you the opportunity to make a more educated decision, because you can make your choice based on how the player has performed during the season, which you can’t do in the off-season. Rookies who you want to keep an eye on before adding them to your team, number two or three wide outs who aren’t enough of a lock to use a draft pick on, or veterans who need to show that they have enough left in the tank are examples of receivers who are great for mid-season pickups. Here are five guys to look out for if you want to switch up your roster during the season:

Terrell Owens- Until T.O. signs with a team, picking him up off waivers is the only way you can have him on your squad. If he does participate in a training camp and settles down somewhere, he is still worth keeping an eye on. Last year was a down year for Owens, who had 829 receiving yards and five touchdowns, and even though he might not be a number one receiver anymore, there is nothing to suggest that he can’t get it done anymore. If he lands on a team and isn’t drafted in your league, he could be a valuable addition.

Brian Hartline, Miami Dolphins- The addition of Brandon Marshall should open things up for other Dolphins receivers. Hartline should benefit from more looks with Marshall occupying defenses. Davone Bess had a solid year for the Dolphins last year, and he should see an improvement from his two touchdown catches last year. Bess is worth a late draft pick, so Hartline is a guy to look at during the season. He caught 31 passes last year for just over 500 yards and three touchdowns, and if he can take advantage of the opportunities he will get, he will be a smart addition to your team.

Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens- Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason will be reliable targets for quarterback Joe Flacco, and if Clayton can become another option, the Ravens offense will take off. Clayton caught 34 balls last year for 480 yards and two touchdowns, which were dips in production for him compared to previous seasons. With the addition of an All-pro wideout in Boldin, and expectations of a big year from Flacco, Clayton could be a guy who gets overlooked, but ends up having a good year.

Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos- The Broncos used their first-round draft pick on Thomas, a big receiver out of Georgia Tech. At 6’3” and 229 lbs., Thomas can get rough with defenders, and seems to have the physical ability to be a productive receiver. Because Brandon Marshall is gone and the quarterback situation in Denver isn’t wrapped up, it would be wise to keep Thomas on your radar early in the season. If he puts up good numbers consistently, he could be a great acquisition.

James Jones, Green Bay Packers- Jones had a solid rookie season in 2007, but had a down year in 2008 after suffering an injury. He came back with a productive 2009, with 440 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 32 catches, and is a player who can see a big jump in numbers this year. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are locks to have good seasons, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a surefire elite NFL quarterback. Jones should get plenty of opportunities to become a consistent contributor to the Packers offense. If he isn’t drafted, he should be a very productive receiver for the owner who has the smarts to get him.

By Vidur Malik

In Devin Hester’s first two years in the NFL, everyone was talking about him.

He was running back kickoffs and punts for scores on a weekly basis, and was on his way to crushing the record for most career return touchdowns.

At the height of the craziness, Hester made the switch to wide receiver, effectively eliminating himself as a threat in the return game. He recorded 11 return touchdowns in 2006 and 2007, but hasn’t had one since. As a result, no one is talking about him anymore, but if you’re looking for another wide receiver, that is a good thing, because it shows that he has settled down in his new position.

Since becoming a wideout, Hester’s stats have improved every year. Last year, he recorded 757 receiving yards with three touchdowns. His yards per catch average went down from 15.0 in 2007 to 13.3 in 2009, but that is a good sign because it shows that Hester is becoming more of an all-around wideout, and not just a home run threat. That means consistent production, and a steady stream of points for fantasy owners.

Besides Hester, the Bears have several receivers who could break out in 2010. Johnny Knox and Devin Aromashodu, who both had pretty solid numbers last year and are expected to improve this year, could round out the top three receiver spots alongside Hester. The number one spot should be up for grabs, but whether or not Hester becomes quarterback Jay Cutler’s go-to guy, he should continue to improve this year, because defenses will need to account for a wider assortment of weapons.

Hester will still be the Bears’ biggest deep-threat because of his speed, but if he can continue to show glimpses of becoming a possession receiver as well, he can separate himself from the rest of the pack and provide a target for Cutler all over the field. With tight end Greg Olsen roaming the middle of the field and making himself a red-zone target, the area between the 20’s can become Hester’s stomping grounds. He will need to improve upon his three touchdowns last year if he’s going to become the number one guy, but he is always a threat to score. Of course, simply being a threat won’t get you fantasy points, but Hester is worth a pick. He is the type of player who can burn a defensive back for a long score, or turn a short slant into a touchdown.

Hester and his fellow Bears wide receivers show signs of having breakout years, but because of Hester’s speed and his consistent improvement, he looks to have the most upside. Though his days as a return specialist are long gone, Hester has become an important part of the Bears offense. If he keeps improving his stats, it’s quite possible that he could be a 1,000 yard receiver soon, in which case he could become the talk of the NFL once again.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Replacing starters is a weekly occurrence. Shifting from starters that had longevity though is not. There are a lot of teams gearing up their 2010 season with quarterbacks that have are inexperienced. Stats do not replace stats. Are there capable quarterbacks that can make a seamless transition from the old wily veteran to being a fantasy marginal option? Even a bye week filler. Lets see..

Old: Jamarcus Russell New: Jason Campbell

Campbell could step out week one and have a career day of three touchdowns and that would outdo a seasons worth from Russell. Oakland has finally made a wise move. Campbell has shown the skill set to be an NFL starter and a possible good one at that. He just needs to be set in a system where he can grow. That has not necessarily been the case in Oakland, but somehow an organization has to move forward. Oakland has some weapons offensively and Campbell should find a balance to keep the Raiders a dangerous team.

Old: Donovan McNabb New: Kevin Kolb

The spotlight will be the brightest on Mr. Kolb. Not only is he trying to show his value compared to McNabb, he also has to worry about Mike Vick who has one foot in bounds waiting for Andy Reid to tap him on the shoulder. Kolb may be more like Matt Schaub was when he left Atlanta. Looking great in a few spot starts but he is going to need a lot of on field action to develop into a pro starter. Expect a rough year in a city that is use to winning.

Old: Chad Pennington New: Chad Henne

Henne received some starts due to Pennington’s season ending injury last season. He showed that demeanor and attitude of a first string quarterback from day one. That was with Ted Ginn as his number one receiver, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo. Show us a tougher group of receivers for a rookie to break in the league with? When the wildcat had to be abandoned once Ronnie Brown was lost for the season, the Dolphins had to let their rookie Henne go. That’s when he began to get comfortable and had the type of outings that gave the appearance that Henne just needs more talent around him. Miami added Brandon Marshall which should be a great complement to Henne’s arm strength and accuracy for years to come.

Old: Jason Campbell New: Donovan McNabb

A new environment is not always the best. For McNabb becoming a Redskin was the last thing he wanted to do. Being an Eagle was what he had his hopes set out on. That obviously did not happen and now maybe McNabb will wake up and find that extra gear to finish out a season. He’ll build a winning attitude with Mike Shanahan from day one. Fizzling out and erratic play is what has notoriously plagued McNabb. Shanahan has loaded up on backs and will not be as pro pass as Reid has been in Philly. That will diminish McNabb’s numbers a bit and put into question if he is a fantasy starter.

Old: Kurt Warner New: Matt Leinart

This was flip flopped a few times but now is official with Warner being retired. All you can hope for Leinart’s sake is that he grasped and learned skills from Warner. Leinart is now 27 and it’s now or never. Arizona could have shipped him out or cut him to go in another direction. Now they’ll see if they can get a return on their first round investment. He allegedly has been working hard off the field. We’re hesitant to believe Leinart will be able to fill the shoes anywhere near the way Warner did. Arizona knows that and will find a way to cater to Leinart’s strengths. Quick passes and simplified decision making. Also expect the ground game not to abandon with ease as they would do almost on a weekly basis with Warner.

Old: Jake Delhomme New: Matt Moore

Delhomme never could recover from his catastrophic melt down performance against the Cardinals. It was similar to a pitcher getting lit up and not being able to get past it. Every time he dropped back he looked like a former NFL Europe player. Oh wait, he was. Matt Moore had semi decent success last year, as anyone should with a talented backfield as Carolina has. Likely the number one threat in the league. Moore is a hot sleeper that will stave off rookie Jimmy Clausen for a few years.

Old: Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson New: Jake Delhomme

Cleveland might be the only team to go from an awful quarterback situation to worse. We don’t know what’s going on in the front office at Cleveland, but we all know they love the back and forth musical quarterback game. What will be the games start split between Delhomme and Seneca Wallace? Will go with seven games for Delhomme and nine for Wallace.

Old: Kerry Collins New: Vince Young

Here’s another back and forth maneuver over the last few years. You’d think Tennessee would have ended all doubt for Young and cut Collins. Then you here of Young messing up off the field and think how smart of them. How Young keeps producing wins is almost as stupefying as how Jay Fiedler did it with the Dolphins. Young might make Jamarcus Russell type plays but he also has Chris Johnson alongside him. We don’t envision the Young project lasting several years, but will give it a few more. As far as being a fantasy performer, don’t even attempt to think about Young. Young’s games are going to be like a scatter plot. Games all over the place with no consistency.

Old: Marc Bulger New: Sam Bradford/AJ Feeley

Bradford is going to get introduced quickly on how to lose. Taking those licks and growing pains is something some young quarterbacks never get over. Ahem, David Carr. St. Louis has to be careful how they bring Bradford along. Starting Feeley out to get pummeled may be a smart idea here.

Old: Byron Leftwich New: Josh Freeman

Freeman was able to get the traditional type of rookie experience. Sit and learn from the sidelines the first half of the year and then on the job training the second half. Freeman did not show much too prove being an every week starter. Developing from year one to year two is usually where you can see if a guy has it or not completely. Freeman’s likely ranked near or dead last in every fantasy quarterback ranking so we won’t delve any further here.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Trending for potential overall fantasy points is always looked at on the basis of a cumulative average of anticipated touchdowns and yards. Predicting those variables has become some what of a measurable task and decent assessment for most fantasy analysts. The part that is becoming more overlooked is in the area of turnovers. Side stepping those marks of fumbles and interceptions can be a deadly move. Just ask Jay Cutler and Jake Delhomme owners last season. Most owners predicate their drafts based on running backs. The intangible points that come from a back can suddenly be offset by that minus two. Nothing is more frustrating than glancing at your stat tracker and seeing points taken off the board.

We take a look at some backs that have to be looked at from this perspective. Goal line fumbling is a big no-no, Matt Forte.

I may be a sleeper but will coach give me enough carries?

The following backs did not have what you would call huge seasons last year. In fact they had around 100 to 125 carries for a seasons worth. Yet they had sky high numbers when it came to fumbling the football. All these backs except for Steve Slaton are expected to have similar amounts of carries or even higher. A quick tempered coach in the NFL does not put up with issues as such unless you’re Adrian Peterson. Before the yank comes in terms of a back to permanently being seated on your fantasy bench or sent to the waiver wire, consider this.

Shonne Greene- He did enough in the playoffs to make the Jets think that he is their capable back for the next five to seven years. With only 108 regular season carries though he fumbled the football three times. New York likes to pound the football quite a bit. An average of near twenty carries a game for Greene makes him a hot commodity for upcoming fantasy drafts. Who knows maybe Greene was trying to impress too much during his limited time last year. You can believe opposing defensive coordinators know that Greene will and can place that ball on the ground. They’ll attack him with an array of strip tactics with swarming gang tackling to test him.

Steve Slaton- Talk about a rough sophomore season. Slaton went extremely high in most drafts last season. Late first round status in most leagues in fact. Sorry for those fantasy owners that had to endure Slaton as their number one back. What an ugly season that made for you. More than likely Slaton will be relegated to a third down back as they look to rookie Ben Tate. Slaton just didn’t show the same durability and coughed up the football five times on 131 carries.

Matt Forte- Everyone’s target to curse about weekly when it came to why they’re team was not winning. It’s still mind boggling how a back so young can have a phenomenal rookie season and just lose all ability a year later. There was no excuse for it. Correlating his poor production with his fumbling issues would be a reasonable assessment, but we’re not buying it. Forte is scattered on most fantasy rankings but should belong as a bottom tier second back if that. He’ll be hard pressed to ever duplicate his rookie season.

Darren McFadden- Who would of thought that Felix Jones could end up being the better overall running back? It just goes to show how much different college football is compared to the NFL. It’s a mans world on so many different levels not just the aspect of talent that gets so many college athletes by. McFadden has yet to adjust to NFL speed and will likely be behind Michael Bush when week one comes. You’re a top five pick and carry the football 104 times and fumble four. As Chris Berman would say, “COME ON MAN”.

Take -10 please with Beanie Wells and Hightower

If Minnesota is using a purple overweight medicine ball shaped like a football to try and cure Adrian Peterson’s fumbling issues, than out in Arizona they will need too invent a one upper. Last year a prime reason Kurt Warner was drilled and laid flat on his back so often was because of Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. Poor pass protectors and a knack for dropping the pigskin. Beanie Wells is probably going to earn a higher share of carries from the almost 50/50 last season. You’ve got to be worried on how he will handle the burden of an extra five to eight carries a game. Fumbling issues do not go away in one season. A territory of five fumbles could be in sight for Wells.

Take -12 please with Adrian Peterson

The constant talk of AP fixing his issues when it comes to fumbling are as prevalent as Brett Favre playing at age 41. Unless AP redefines the way he attacks opposing defenders than he will continue to be prone to this issue. Almost all his fumbles except against the Saints came when fighting for extra yards and trying to attack the opposing defender. Sure he can carry the ball higher and tighter to his chest. How many times though has he offset his fumbles with a daring leveling of a defender and then bursting for extra yardage? A ton. So with Peterson were not as worried that his fumbling will be as big a deal as advertised.