By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Fox Sports use to have a show called, Beyond the Glory. An interesting documentary that told the stories of how athletes rose to their acclaimed status. In the NFL, quarterbacks are usually known names expected to produce. Once in awhile though you will have the diamonds in the rough found. Kurt Warner is probably the last unknown to produce for a long duration of his career.

Is Ryan Fitzpatrick next?

By now everyone knows a little bit about Fitzpatrick’s past. An unheralded quarterback from Gilbert Highland High, that only had two scholarship offers. He went to Harvard became a 7^th round pick, and instead of becoming a casualty like most late round quarterbacks, Fitzpatrick became the St. Louis Rams backup quarterback.

Injuries to Marc Bulger allowed Fitzpatrick to get on the field as a rookie. He shined in his first game action against Houston, leading a comeback win with three touchdown passes. His other starts that year displayed that Fitzpatrick was a rookie. It looked like a typical spotlight duty that came and went for Fitzpatrick.

When he became a free agent and landed on Cincinnati, it appeared he would be buried behind Carson Palmer. Again, the starter went down and Fitzpatrick got his opportunity to shine for a high amount of games. It was enough to attract teams interest for Fitzpatrick to be a solid backup quarterback.

Buffalo landed him, and after a couple seasons back and forth with Trent Edwards, Fitzpatrick finally surged past Edwards in 2010. Fitzpatrick has been more than a game manager for the Bills. He darts balls left and right, which has resulted in streaky stretches for Fitz. When his accuracy is on, Fitzpatrick has been a top ten fantasy quarterback. When he is off he makes owners dread the decision on drafting him.

He is sort of similar to Eli Manning in the fantasy realm. He has enough upside to want to start him, but his turnover issues make it problematic to insert him on a weekly basis. Overall though Fitzpatrick has thrown for solid yardage totals and around twenty four touchdowns each of the past two seasons.

When Fitzpatrick began to struggle last season after an impressive six games to start, it appeared that Fitzpatrick may have had the pressure of a new contract on his mind. Buffalo negotiated and sealed a big contract with Fitzpatrick, but instead of his play rising it started to get rougher. He did lose Fred Jackson, and had done as well as he could with a team of receivers unknown besides Stevie Johnson.

Yet it was not assurring enough and made Buffalo have to consider a backup that could become a starter. So in comes Vince Young. Will the Bills go back to the Doug Johnson/Doug Flute, Losman/Bledsoe and Fitzpatrick/Edwards quarterback brewing controversy? Come on it’s Buffalo, of course they will.

From a fantasy perspective based on last year, Fitzpatrick has to be considered a number two fantasy quarterback. Pressure is on him to produce, especially with the offseason additions the Bills have made. He is a streaky performer, so there is no doubt his value be higher certain weeks than others.

A quality that you will not find from most fantasy quarterbacks, as they usually perform fairly close to their quarterback ranking. Fitz on the other hand could have a top five or top ten performance any given week. It’s holding up for a full season that is worrisome.

Will the Real Mike Williams, Please Stand Up?

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Playing with Greg Paulus as his quarterback during his junior year at Syracuse, Mike Williams broke multiple records at Syracuse. Including consecutive games with a touchdown at nine. Paulus had just went from finishing his basketball career at Duke to using his graduate eligibility at Syracuse to have a shot at quarterback.

For Syracuse fans it still is one of the better seasons offensively in quite some time. 2009, also was costly for Williams as himself and other Syracuse teammates were disciplined by head coach Doug Marrone for violating team rules. Williams was suspended for the rest of Syracuse’s games in 2009, and the team never had the explosiveness it had prior.

Instead of coming back for his senior season, Williams decided to put his name in the NFL Draft. Expecting to get drafted in the first two rounds was out of the question, after his troubled career at Syracuse. Yet, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a gamble on him in the third round, going higher than most draft prognosticators had predicted.

During 2010, Williams and quarterback Josh Freeman were a dynamic duo. With Tampa Bay struggling to find a solid tight end, Williams became Freeman’s main red zone threat. Eleven touchdowns as a rookie is unheard of, and Williams entered the class of rising wide receivers along with Josh Freeman becoming an elite quarterback.

Year two together did not fare very well, as both had awful seasons. Freeman as the quarterback just did not look remotely similar to 2010. He was one of the few quarterbacks that seemed affected by the lockout. Either that or Tampa Bay’s receiving core just was not cutting it.

Josh Freeman dedicated his off-season to getting in shape and lost nearly twenty pounds. Tampa Bay also went out and signed receiver Vincent Jackson. Jackson who was embattled in a contract dispute with San Diego for a couple of seasons, finally was able to land elsewhere.

With a top target alongside him, can Williams come anywhere near his rookie levels? There are always variables to look at. Josh Freeman should have regained confidence, that hopefully can transfer to on the field. Excitement over rookie running back Doug Martin and power back LeGarrette Blount should provide a proper ground attack.

It boils down to Williams. Nothing is just going to come to him. His rookie season he had the hunger of someone that needed to prove something. He played as if he was an undrafted athlete. Fantasy owners should keep a radar eye on Williams during the important second and third preseason games.

If Tampa Bay’s offense looks fluid and Williams looks involved, than touchdowns can be counted on for Williams. Yardage has not been an area Williams has excelled in as he has caught 65 catches in both his seasons. If his touchdown consistency can rise though, Williams will be a high caliber number two fantasy wide receiver.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Drafted in the first and second rounds last year at wide receiver were A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Torrey Smith. Each of the rookies endured a successful season comparable to expectations of a rookie. With a mini-camp and training camp unlike last season, will a rise occur in statistics from all of them?

Our infatuation rests in the speed of Torrey Smith. Like the receiver beside him in Anquan Boldin, Smith may bolt up in fantasy receiver rankings; ignoring the fact he was a second round pick. A year ago Smith dotted the fantasy spectrum with his three touchdown performance against the St. Louis Rams, and a masterful game winning catch against the Steelers.

How he caught the majority of his touchdowns were on laser throws from Joe Flacco. That is the area that the connection currently lies between Flacco and Smith. The player that was supposed to stretch the field for the Ravens last year was Lee Evans, which never unfolded the way the Ravens would imagined.

With the big seasons first round picks A.J. Green (1,057 yds, 7 Tds) and Julio Jones (959 Yds, 8 Tds), you would of thought their statistics engulfed Torrey Smith’s. In actuality Smith was right there with both of them. Having near 900 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. Neither of the three were high volume catchers, but all did great in the department of yards per catch. Averaging between sixteen and eighteen yards amongst each other.

Smith has the most upside of any of the three going into 2012. For one, the Ravens are going to have to unleash Joe Flacco more than they have. Ray Rice is carrying the load far too much. Giving Flacco an extra five to seven throws a game will be beneficial to Smith. Anquan Boldin still has some years left in the league, but has been right up there with Hines Ward in his physicality at the position. Blocks, runs after the catch, and his overall play has resulted in Boldin teetering down quicker at the receiver position.

The area for improvement you can circle for Smith is caught balls. He only had fifty catches in his rookie season. With his speed in the open field, Baltimore has to figure a way to get him more throws. Expect the possibility of the Ravens inserting the New England Patriots quick read throw at the line of scrimmage. Letting Smith catch the ball at the line of scrimmage and try to toast the corner with a quick cut once the cornerback runs up to him.

Deep ball catches may even rise. Feel comfortable in having Smith as your number two wide receiver. In Atlanta, the Falcons may have too many weapons, including Roddy White who is not going to decline in any facet. Cincinnati is dealing with a new running back tandem and unproven talent at wide receiver behind A.J. Green.

The possibility of Smith outperforming Jones and Green could be a thought to entertain in your fantasy drafts.

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com 

One of the by-products of the Andrew Luck-Robert Griffin III sweepstakes is that it has taken the spotlight away from the other playmakers in the 2012 draft class. Count Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon among the players that would have gotten top billing if not for the two superstar quarterbacks who will go 1-2.

The two-time Biletnikoff Award-winner is projected to be a top-10 pick and considered the best receiver in the draft along with Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd. Many experts have Blackmon going No. 6 to the Rams, but no matter where he goes, he should be an instant contributor and someone you look out for during your fantasy draft.

Both his own talent and the strong production of recent rookie receivers indicate that Blackmon will make an immediate impact. His size allows him to be an effective route runner and turn short plays into big gains, and he certainly came up big in the biggest moments. He caught eight passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 41-38 win over the Stanford Cardinal in the Fiesta Bowl and caught no fewer than six passes in any game last season.

Just last season, rookie receivers like A.J. Green and Julio Jones　showed that they will probably be among the elite receivers in the NFL very soon. Seven rookies caught more than 40 passes last season, including Redskins running back Roy Helu.

There’s no reason why Blackmon can’t be in that category. If he goes to the Rams, he’ll have a chance to become one of quarterback Sam Bradford’s favorite targets. Brandon Lloyd, the team’s top receiver last year, is now with the Patriots, so there’s an opportunity for Blackmon to show he’s an NFL-caliber receiver.

Even if he doesn’t go to the Rams, he’ll have a chance to contribute to his team. Teams like the Packers have shown that if you have a quarterback who can distribute the ball, there can never be too many weapons on an offense. It’s almost certain that the quarterback on Blackmon’s NFL team won’t be able to do that as well as Aaron Rodgers does, but he won’t need to. As long as Blackmon gets a chance to show his talents on short routes and a few deep throws, he can become a legitimate talent and a consistent fantasy producer. He should be available as your fantasy team’s second or third receiver and even if he isn’t a consistent producer, he could still be a good player for your flex spot. Blackmon’s potential is sky-high and he’s clearly on the short list for best receiver in this year’s draft, so he’s definitely someone you should consider making a part of your team.

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

There are some players that would just look strange in a uniform besides the one we’re used to seeing them in. Peyton Manning is definitely in that category, and we might have seen the last of him in the blue and white of the Colts.

The talk of the Colts possibly moving on without him is startling, but would not come as a surprise if it happened. Here’s a breakdown of what could happen if he stays in Indy, or if he goes to two of the most talked about possible destinations: Washington and San Francisco.

If he stays in Indy: If he continues his career with the Colts, scrutiny may be higher on him than ever before in his career. If his neck issues bother him throughout the season, critics could be wondering how the Colts would be doing if they let him go. With all the huge changes that have taken place in Indy, (they have a new head coach, new offensive and defensive coordinators and a new general manager), Manning’s struggles would be seen as the sad end to an extremely successful run for both himself and his team.

If he plays well, his status among the all-time greats would shoot up. If Manning can come back from a serious neck injury and play at his pre-injury level, his toughness, dedication and skill would be even more celebrated. The team’s success might be limited because of the new coaching staff, but if he plays well, talk would probably resume of Manning staying with the Colts.

Washington: If Manning goes to the Redskins, he would become part of an organization known for overpaying for free agents who don’t live up to their lofty expectations. Manning’s situation is different than that of other players who have underachieved, but it would only continue the criticism dished out at the Redskins. Personnel-wise, there are weapons on the team, so it isn’t crazy to think he might do well there. The Redskins have been looking for a franchise quarterback for years, so even if Manning doesn’t have many seasons left, they have reason to at least think about bringing him in.

San Francisco: The 49ers are coming off of a great and surprising season. They have earned a reputation as a contending team, and one that could put Manning in place for another Super Bowl run, but bringing in Manning could be an unpopular decision because it might be thought of as disrupting the momentum created by the 2011 season. It would also signal a lack of faith in Alex Smith, who is coming off an effective season. If the 49ers whether that storm, they would surround Manning with a solid running game and elite defense, and one good year from him could propel San Francisco to the brink of the Super Bowl again.

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

As the playoff time begins, it’s important to solidify your backups in case your starters get some late-season rest. This will probably be the case for those of you who have Frank Gore on your team, as he hasn’t been at full-strength for a while.

Fortunately, his backup Kendall Hunter should provide some production, and you should consider picking him up. The Niners already locked up the NFC West and are now playing for playoff seeding, so even though their games are still meaningful, Gore doesn’t necessarily need to have big days these last few weeks. He’s been the team’s workhorse for several seasons now, but Hunter showed he is a capable runner himself this season.

Hunter’s stats aren’t impressive (82 carries for 322 yards and two touchdowns), but he has made the most of his chances during his rookie season, and when Gore was struggling early this year, there was even talk of Hunter cutting into Gore’s carries. Gore ultimately proved he could handle a starter’s workload, but Hunter has still gotten consistent reps and has caught 11 passes for 149 yards, demonstrating that he can use his quickness as a receiver as well.

Hunter has probably not made many headlines on the national scene, but you should capitalize on that and pick him up if he is available in your league. Chances are Gore will not receive 20 carries a game, and any reps he doesn’t get should go to Hunter. He’s solidified himself as the No. 2 running back in San Francisco, and his value should be at its peak now that the 49er starters could rest in preparation for the playoffs.

One of the most challenging aspects of the fantasy playoffs is figuring out which starters to bench. If Gore is on your team, read up on his updates and pick up Hunter as insurance. If Gore looks like he’ll play, you’ve still got one of the league’s best on your team. If he doesn’t play, you’ll put yourself in the best position to get points he would normally pick up by starting Hunter.