By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

Two Steve Smith’s at the same position and not much separating them to rate one higher than the other. Rankings happen for a reason and one of the Smith’s has to be the top dog. A year ago this was not even a question. Carolina’s Smith had been a top ten receiver for several years. While the Giants, Smith, had struggled to find his niche ever since the Giants drafted him. Playing behind long time Giants veteran Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress must have paid off in some fashion. Smith is the Giants clear cut receiver leader and he has fought off young talented receivers Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham in the process.

The first area we are going to analyze is both teams offensive balance. It’s no secret that Carolina has the best tandem of backs in the NFL. Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams have proven and shown that they can and will carry the Panthers with a minimum thirty combined carries a game. Even though Matt Moore is taking over that will not halt Carolina’s plans. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the carries per game claw up an extra six to eight a game.

Another glaring area with Carolina is they’ve lacked a legitamate second receiver behind Steve Smith for years. Take a second and think of who has played behind Smith……the Jeopardy five second buzzer has just sounded. Mushin Muhammed was a suitable possession receiver for a long time but not fantasy reliable. Carolina has never truly had a receiver you could draft besides Smith. Were sad to say but Dwayne Jarrett’s an absolute bust. Going into 2010 with Jarrett opposite Smith is only going to make things harder for Smith.

Age and Smith’s injuries the past few seasons have to raise some concerns. He is still a strong top fifteen receiver but we have him behind the Giants Smith.

The Giants style of offense has went more to the air. Partly because the running game has struggled since Tiki Barber departed. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward had a decent year together but 09’ saw that Jacobs will always need help. Another down year from him and he’ll likely be replaced via the draft or free agency.

A quarterback just doesn’t go from averaging between 3,200 and 3,300 yards three straight years and jump to over 4,000 yards. New York is officially an air attack team and Manning’s favorite target is Steve Smith. The cast of the Giants receivers does overshadow Carolina’s making it difficult to spread the ball to all, but were going to say take the Giants Smith over Carolina’s.

By Zack Cimini

Notjustagame23@gmail.com

Thoughts of fantasy football relevance when you look at Cleveland is minimal at best. Since 2008 the Browns as a whole have probably been near dead last for fantasy players. In terms of all around talent one player on their team has caught the eye of many in Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs began with Cleveland as a special teams threat running back several punts and kickoff returns.

Last year Cleveland decided to tinker with Cribbs a bit and utilize him more as a receiver. While his play as a returnee spiked up with three kickoff returns for touchdowns and one on a punt, as a receiver Cribbs never was a factor. There was a lot of room for Cribbs to backpedal a bit, and learn. Once the Browns saw that Cribbs really wouldn’t provide much as a receiver in 2009, they shifted him to their lead wildcat role.

While running the wildcat Cribbs caused havoc and seemingly defeated Pittsburgh with it. He Ronnie Browned the Steelers like Brown did to the Patriots. Rushing eight times for nearly ninety yards dealing a costly blow to the Steelers playoff hopes. Expect Cleveland to continue to cut a few plays here and there for Cribbs utilizing the wildcat.

2010 is a new year for Cleveland and they’ve got a new face at quarterback. Many doubt Jake Delhomme and think he is at the end of the road, after his inability to recover in Carolina. Thus far in preseason Delhomme looks steady and that’s all Cleveland wants to get out of him. A veteran that can lead a team and not lose the game solely with his arm. Which are the exact intangibles Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn lacked.

Already by watching the Browns first couple preseason games you can tell that someone has devoted serious time with Joshua Cribbs. His route running is much better which transcends and complements his natural speed. In the past preseason game against the Rams, Delhomme found Cribbs five times for thirty yards and a touchdown. Minimal action at that, Cribbs caught twenty five percent of the balls he had total in 2009. What jumps out are the type of routes he was running. Not deep burners that catch nobody off guard, but precision timing routes that no one can disrupt if the quarterback and receiver are on the same page.

Nobody has really talked about the Browns receivers as fantasy threats. Though Delhomme has had his rough days, he has put up solid numbers in years past. Someone in Cleveland will rise up to the occasion and why not Cribbs? His proved everyone wrong since his days at Kent State. In fact, he is actually listed as the Browns number one wide receiver ahead of last years rookie surprise Mohammed Massaquoi.

Chansi Stuckey could press both guys but Cleveland is going to give Cribbs every chance to be a thorn in opposing secondarys. We actually think he’ll have a more favorable shot than Devin Hester from a fantasy standpoint. Hester has dotted the radar the past few seasons but has yet to develop into a solid starting receiver. Just keep your eye on Cribbs. Would you rather draft a fifth receiver that has tremendous upside or one that is just there to fill in for a bye occasionally? Cribbs is that late round pick you need.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Days of split carries in the backfield have grown over the last five years. More teams have become cognizant of protecting not just their feature backs but backfield as a whole. Protecting the health and investment of one of their main positions has helped sustain teams, and prolong backs from unneeded wear and tear.  From a fantasy football standpoint unless you’ve seen it work, you become weary of how a team is going to run that percentage of carries. Usually someone takes a couple of ticks down because of it in the backfield. Whether it’s a loss of carries in the red zone or one back separating a bit from the other and boosting their percentage of carries.

Out in Kansas City there is a definite lingering outlook on how the carries will be split. You’ve got Jamaal Charles who was equally a Chris Johnson the second half of the season. Coming in to thwart his one man show for 2010 is Thomas Jones. The veteran that has somehow came to life as his career has evolved. As a Jet, Jones busted up fantasy running back rankings with two phenomenal seasons. Strong years of double digit touchdowns to go along with an average of 1,350 yards.

New York planned ahead and decided to draft Shonne Greene in 2009 to forgo resigning Jones in 2010. Saving the money to go on the side of youth could prove to be a great move. Kansas City though believes Jones still has solid years left in him, and will complement Charles.

Youth is the name of the game in the NFL, and Charles is the guy who has that. He has that home run threat speed to change a game on any play. Out of the backfield or slashing through holes, Charles is a factor back. Jones on the other hand never has been a scary open field runner. He was on a New York Jets team that had one of the best if not the best offensive lines in the NFL. The way he got his yards was similar to Edgerrin James. They came in chunks but you’ll never see runs of forty or fifty yards.

One thing that the Jets did do with Jones is up his carries. Since 2005, Jones has averaged just over 300 carries a season. Durability hasn’t been a question though as he has played in every game but one. At 32, you’d think he’d be on the downside of his career. What level he is at is the veteran stage, like Fred Taylor. He is going to have his games where he pops on the scene and has a big game, but for the most part he is going to be a short yardage workhorse.

Kansas City has Jones listed as their number one back, but does that really mean anything? No. Charles is rated consistently as a top ten fantasy back for specific reasons. He is going to be heavily involved in the Chiefs running game, and as the season trickles on he will start to separate from Jones in carries. It’s the natural pattern of how the NFL works. It happened to Jones just last season. As a Jet he was practically a lone force every week carrying the load. Until the playoffs came along and Greene’s play forced the Jets to say this is our guy now, not just after the season.

Will see how this plays out, but those worried on drafting Charles early don’t be. Dividends will pay off just like the waiver wire pickup he was last season.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

NFL fans are forced to pay attention to what the media shoves in their face. The era of glitz and glamour is not only in Hollywood, it’s turned to the profession of sports. Brett Favre’s drama with retiring or playing on and twitter comments galore have shifted the attention from one athlete in particular. An athlete that a year ago was looking like an immature college athlete. Nit picking about his contract, new coach, and threatening of a holdout. Wanting to leave Denver he demanded a trade that did not happen. To keep from getting fined he attended training camp and mocked drills. Off the field he was embroiled with issues with his ex-girlfriend.

It seemed like a rough year was ahead for Brandon Marshall. Instead once the season began he stormed the scene and shined. Even Josh McDaniels joined the hoopla for a bit when they mutually hugged postgame after another incredible performance from Marshall. The soap opera had its ups and downs but the sides agreed that Marshall had to go elsewhere. His talent is unquestionable.

Now Miami has its hands on a receiver that’s entering the trending dominant years of a superior talent. He has kept his name out of any high profiled negative stories, and thus far is just doing his duties. With new talents rising amongst receivers, Miles Austin, DeSean Jackson, Sidney Rice, etc. there isn’t too many talents that have done it consistently. The aforementioned receivers are literally coming off their first breakout years. Other top receivers in the mix are aging a bit, Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, and Reggie Wayne.

Many rankings have Marshall all over the board, but there is no way he should be ranked outside a top five fantasy receiver. Every intangible you can think of for a receiver, Marshall excels at. He gets open on any type of route he runs with ease. Comparable to Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald in that category. Over the past three years he has had over 100 catches an area he holds to himself in the league. Everyone assumed last year would see a decline in his stats due to his issues with the Broncos and their quarterback. Ugh, Kyle Orton.

Orton though did a fine job or should we say Marshall was able to get open and exploit defenses. Either way as a Dolphin a rise in production is foreseeable. Chad Henne has better all around skill sets than Orton and will use Marshall even more as a safety valve then Orton did. Young quarterbacks have a tendency to do that and learn to build their confidence this route. Last year Henne’s number one option was Ted Ginn Jr a great special teams threat but surely not a number one wide receiver.

We see Henne and Marshall developing nicely over the next three to four years. A year from now the only question when it comes to fantasy number one receiver will be, Marshall or Andre Johnson.

By Vidur Malik

With NFL passing games becoming more creative, and talent being so widespread around the league, passing statistics for quarterbacks are sky-high. Every year, it seems like at least a handful of quarterbacks eclipse the 4,000 yard passing mark, with the top-tier guys consistently reaching 4,400-4,500 yards. Last year, Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub led the league in passing with 4,770 yards, and guided the Texans to an 8-8 finish. That number was also good for sixth all-time for passing yards in a season. Only Drew Brees and Dan Marino have passed for over 5,000 yards in a season, but after Schaub’s prolific 2009 season, it’s worth wondering whether he can join Brees and Marino in the 5,000 yard club next year.

To get to the 4,000+ range, you’ve got to have an assortment of weapons who can all make significant contributions. There can be a number one guy, but every receiver needs to have a good amount of touches and yards to get their quarterback to the elite level. Schaub has more than enough targets to throw to, and in 2009, he made use of all of them. Wide receiver Andre Johnson is clearly the number one guy in Houston, and is widely considered the best receiver in the game. He’s recorded over 100 catches and 1,500 receiving yards the last two years, and judging by his recent big-money contract extension, he’ll be putting up those numbers for the Texans in a while. In addition to Johnson, Schaub’s got receivers Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter to throw to. Jones only caught 27 passes last year, but had a 16.2 yards per catch average, and scored six touchdowns. Walter caught 53 balls for 611 yards and two scores last year. Aside from the wide outs, tight end Owen Daniels is becoming one of the league’s best at his spot. Last year, Daniels tore his ACL and only played in eight games, but still recorded 519 yards and five touchdowns, which would be solid numbers for a whole season for most tight ends. If Daniels is fully healed from his injury this year, he could provide a serious boost in Schaub’s numbers.

The Texan running backs should provide the offense with a pretty good running game, and if they can become good receivers out of the backfield, they might be able to help Schaub get to even higher passing numbers. Steve Slaton, Ben Tate, and Arian Foster will all see time at running back. Of the three, Slaton is the only proven receiving threat, with 417 receiving yards and three scores in 11 games last year. If Foster and Tate can be good runners and double as receiving options, Schaub can really stretch defenses, and take advantage of favorable matchups all across the field.

Houston’s defense is pretty good, but not great, which means he Texans will probably get victories by outscoring their opponents. They were ranked 13th overall in total defense last year, and gave up 20.8 points per game. If they are a middle-of-the-pack defense again this year, the Texans will still be a competitive team because of their offense, which bodes well for Schaub from a statistical standpoint. He has to produce in order to win, so he’ll put up huge numbers by necessity.

Throwing for 5,000 yards in a season requires a dangerous and spread-out attack, in which any receiver can have a big day. It requires a quarterback to average over 300 passing yards a game, while going against defenses who have prepared all week to stop the passing game. Matt Schaub is surrounded by players who can consistently deliver, and he’s got the skill to get find them and get them the ball. Brees and Marino are the only ones that have done it so far, and they’re both Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Whether or not Schaub will join them in Canton remains to be seen, but in today’s NFL, if anyone can get to 5,000 yards in a season, it’s him.

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.