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Aaron Rodgers has lit up the NFL and fantasy football world year after year. Any fantasy football stat tracker on a Sunday will showcase Rodgers points moving upward like a hot stock on Wall Street. He has earned the top spot as best quarterback in football and therefore fantasy football.

Age has a lot to do with why people will still draft Rodgers without thinking twice. His counterparts that still rank high in fantasy football efficiency are several years older than him. Players such as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and even Tony Romo.

Hot stocks in Wall Street are the ones that can bite you in a hurry. Aaron Rodgers has some gray areas that are evident but not being discussed.

For one he is a quarterback that has never had a proper running game. The Packers have made things work with a plethora of below average running backs. That has partly had to do with injuries occurring at a high rate. Things may be looking upward in that department with the combo of Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin. But will either or be a viable option consistently?

Another area being over looked is the tenure between Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy has been the Packers head coach since 2007. There is no reason to consider firing McCarthy, but there is a common link between coaches and starting quarterbacks. They don’t go hand in hand over a long period of time without failure.

Look at over the course of even the last ten to fifteen years and you’ll notice the regression amongst good coaches and great quarterbacks. At some point or another that coaches system breaks down and effects the quarterback on the field.

That hasn’t happened to a noticeable effect yet, but you can see teams are better prepared for the Packers aerial attack than in years past. It’s similar to the way teams have been able to limit the Saints offense when big games occur. You’ll notice that since the Packers and Saints Super Bowl wins their playoff success and regular season success against winning teams has waned.

The biggest area to cast a shadow of doubt with Rodgers is his injury history. Injuries are so common now in fantasy football that some aren’t even factoring it in to their drafts. Their idea is to secure themselves for the inevitable with depth.

Well just like a scout team and personnel in major sports, drafting a player requires thinking of all possibilities.

Rodgers is coming off a year in which he missed six games due to injury. It was the first time he has missed more than one game in a season. In prior years he has only missed an individual game. Some would say back then he shook off injuries a week or two earlier than he should have to get back on the field.

Either way he has shown a history of injury concerns.

Rodgers time as an elite fantasy quarterback is not coming to an end. I’d just be a little bit leery drafting him without a proper top notch backup fantasy quarterback. If you’re in a top spot and someone wants to trade up to get Rodgers, maybe that’s a safer option.

Impact Wide Receivers In Fantasy Football 2014

Author: Robert McSain

There was a lot of talk surrounding the 2014 NFL draft thanks in large part to all the wide receivers available. Now that we know who is playing on which teams, it is time to break it down from a fantasy football 2014 standpoint. Even if a player has high potential, they might not necessarily have success early on. Here is a look at the top 3 rookies to consider drafting this fall.

Sammy Watkins

The standout from Clemson was the 1st wide receiver off of the board, and he is probably going to be the 1st off the board as far as fantasy football 2014 is concerned as well. He is a guy who has a chance to have a lot of success with the Buffalo Bills this upcoming season. They moved up in the draft to get him, so obviously they have high expectations. He has a chance to work with a promising quarterback named EJ Manuel, and that should lead to quite a few targets all year long. He is athletic enough to have an impact almost right away at the NFL level.

Mike Evans

When it comes to red zone targets, Evans might be the best option as far as rookies are concerned. He is not only a tall wide receiver, but he is very athletic as well. Some wonder if he is strong enough to have an impact at the NFL level right away, but he should have no problem fitting into the system in Tampa Bay. Josh McCown is about to throw the football a lot as the new quarterback, and Evans could be one of his favorite receivers.

Brandin Cooks

Right now, Cooks is considered to be a borderline pick in fantasy football 2014. Plenty of people will be monitoring his progress from afar, but he has a great chance to have success with the New Orleans Saints. He is a bit undersized, but it seems like it could be a perfect situation for him to play in at the NFL level. If he gets the ball in the open field on a consistent basis, he could be a breakout star.

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Tenure as a top fantasy football running back is a long gone signature to fantasy football. Back in the 1990’s and even early 2000’s the way a running back was handled is completely different from today. Coaches use to burn their star running back year after year, and made fantasy owners quite happy. Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Ricky Waters, etc. all enjoyed a top tier track record as fantasy backs.

Then things began to change in the 2000’s. The size of athletes grew, along with intense training, salary cap restrictions, and a plethora of other dynamics. Teams began to realize they had to shift their player priority plans in two to three year spans, instead of long term. Relying on a running back on the downtrend of his career just was not feasible anymore.

Teams began to implore better analytics to achieve youthful running backs for a lower dollar amount. Essentially they had a backup plan in their backfield, and in turn could keep their backfield competitive with proper rotation.

The period where fantasy owners were leery on how to draft in a dual backfield system has been over. Fantasy owners have adjusted and many could argue that this day and age of fantasy football there is better depth to be had. Before owners could win the league based on having two to three of the top players. Now you truly have to grind out your roster top to bottom on a week to week basis.

Still a draft can be ruined if your top pick(s) end up the IR report for a long duration of the season or hit an abrupt fantasy wall.

There is no other position that has a free fall at the top position like a running back. An elite receiver or quarterback can sustain their careers into their 30’s. At running back that wall can come abruptly well before the age of 30 or shortly thereafter.

Priest Holmes, Shaun Alexander, LT, Ray Rice, Brian Westbrook and countless others have deteriorated in one season right before our eyes. It’s like watching a stock downtrend month to month after a strong run. As a fantasy owner you think the back will bounce back any week, but it just doesn’t happen. The next season that back is properly ranked with a red down arrow next to his name. His stock is still sinking and his backup is gaining on him via the front office and coaching staff.

That’s the business of the NFL.

In Philadelphia, Eagles fans have become accustomed to top backs that fizzle quickly. Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter, and Ricky Waters all saw their time come and go.

McCoy is just 25 but not a young 25. He has been a strong back in this league for a good five years now. Unheard of for backs his age. He also has been the type of back that carries the load running and out of the backfield. Andy Reid was one of the few coaches that didn’t mind utilizing his backs at a high rate, and was always infatuated with backs that could catch the ball. Chip Kelly may even hold this area of football higher than Reid.

You wouldn’t expect a tremendous blip from McCoy this year barring injury, but a dip is possible. Sooner or later McCoy is going to slowly lose one of his dominant traits. It may just be this season. Draft cautiously.

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The attraction of Sportscenter highlights has a brain wash effect for NBA team’s fans and in turn to NBA general managers. Busts are bound to happen but the attraction of a high flyer never goes away. had the attention of every college and the NBA while in high school.

Why? Because he made it look easy and possesses uncanny athleticism. Putting him on the court with college athletes was not an easy transition like people would have thought. He struggled just like most freshman do, but also put together solid games that caught the eyes of the media. Riveting games like the one he had against West Virginia are all reasons to draft Wiggins. As a number one pick is the question.

We all were shocked when Cleveland selected Anthony Bennett a year ago as the number one pick. This time around there would not be any head scratching with Wiggins. Can he live up to the billing and deliver with all the top prospects Cleveland has? Maybe. Time to develop just won’t be a luxury for Wiggins. What we saw a year ago with Bennett will not be replicated in Cleveland. Bennett was often times sat on the bench and did not receive proper minutes of a number one pick. Instead he looked like a project of a second round pick.

Struggles will happen for Wiggins. When they do what will be his signature basketball skill set to rely on? Likely his athleticism. His latest one step vertical leap was showcased all over social media like an art display at an exhibit. It’s social media hoopla. No different than Nik Stauskas showcasing a video of him making numerous three’s in a row, or the numerous others on youtube.

During certain games in the Big 12 conference, Wiggins athleticism did not translate to on court success. His go-to move in college was to use his foot speed to get in the lane and attack the rim. His slight frame and the NBA’s more physical nature will likely take that ability away in the NBA. That and the fact that there will be true power forward’s and centers in the lane to prevent an easy attempt. The Big 12 just did not have too many lane protectors this past season.

People expecting Wiggins to run away with rookie of the year should truly evaluate his season at Kansas. He just is not ready to be the type of rookie that Michael Carter-Williams was last year. Heading to Cleveland may darken his early career than brighten it. Just a half-season ago Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters were in a public tantrum against each other. There likely were more players involved in the Cavaliers pointing fingers sessions.

All of Cleveland’s core and nucleus involves young players. They all want shots just like they did in college and what they’ve shown on the professional level.

The media is profiling how unique of an opportunity the Cavaliers have with getting the number one pick for the third time in four years. It’ll truly be unique when all the players end up on different teams because they couldn’t win with each other as a Cavalier.

They can’t even keep a coach. The fan base is growing anxious for a producer and may not get it.

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The answer to the title is no. A year ago the Heat nearly lost in the NBA Finals thanks to hot shooting from unheralded performer, Danny Green. He tailed off considerably in the final games of the Finals. Now the Heat must figure out a way to cool off George Hill. A task that should not be difficult.

This is not to discredit George Hill, it’s to discredit the Indiana Pacers. Indiana has been bashed by the media countless times, only to respond. There wins and responses often get erased the following game with an unsettling performance.

Indiana’s success when they’re winning is from standout defense and opportunistic steaks on offense. The problem with this Pacers team is their defense has not been nearly as consistent as it was earlier this season. Offensively they’re still the same but can go through poorer stretches of scoring.

That’s where I believe the Heat can turn things around and close out the Pacers. Even yesterday’s monster lead by the Pacers was almost erased. Getting to the free throw line was the obvious difference yesterday in addition to the Pacers hot three point shooting.

Look for that to be a detriment to the Pacers offense in game two. They’re not a jump shooting team and they’ll likely come out shooting from three point range once again. That’s what the Heat want.

Indiana will not go 8 for 19 from three point range in any other game this series. When the Pacers aren’t proficient from three point range they turn into a poor college basketball team in half court offense.

The lack of a true point guard hurts the Pacers this deep in the playoffs. Turnovers will start to become a problem and late shot clock attempts. Eventually their defense will cave as has been the case time and time again.

Don’t worry Heat fans. The time for a change is near but not yet.

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Just a few short years ago, Logan Thomas, was a projected top quarterback to be taken in the NFL draft. He has the physical tools and was leading a strong Hokies team as a young prospect. Then, Thomas’s stock plummeted during his final years at Virginia Tech. He looked to be out of shape and disconnected with the Hokies. He tipped the scales at right under 250 for the NFL combine. Likely he weighed near 260 while at Virginia Tech.

Maybe film on Thomas helped the ACC bottle him up along with the Hokies offense. But that part of Thomas’s career is done. He is lucky to have the opportunity he does as the Cardinals obviously see a salvageable quarterback. Thomas fall is eerily similar to that of USC’s Matt Barkley. It just goes to show that talent does peak in college, as college coordinators have stepped up their preparation for conference foes.

The drafting of Thomas should not come as a surprise to Arizona Cardinals fans. They have been the type of team that drafts or signs rookies to their needs. These needs are to procure a savings at the position and to seek out a blue chip quarterback. The Cardinals have had a plethora of names over the last few years, such as John Skelton, Ryan Lindley, Max Hall, and others. All have seen the field as starters at one point or another.

That’s a good sign for Thomas as the Cardinals look to their future with Carson Palmer aging. Bruce Arians is a mastermind at developing quarterbacks and has stated that Palmer and the offense are much further along than this time a year ago. That’s what happens when a coaching staff, offense, and nucleus of players get time together.

The bad news for Thomas is none of the aforementioned rookie quarterbacks made it beyond their initial stint with the Cardinals. I wouldn’t compare Thomas’s talent to the others, as the Cardinals invested a higher pick on Thomas. Still, the odds are against Thomas unless he has the burning desire to improve.

I’m not a Mel Kiper or a Todd McShay, but you would of expected Thomas to reemerge last year. After his dismal season the year before, that was Thomas’s chance to turn heads. Instead, the Hokies remained a lethargic offense that settled on field position and reliance of their defense. Maybe that was more of a factor of their head coach, but Thomas just didn’t make the key decisive plays you would expect.

With a fourth round pick invested on Thomas, he’ll likely get two full seasons as a Cardinal to prove his worth. As brittle as Carson Palmer has been don’t be shocked to see Thomas be another backup to see the field as a starter.