Keeping tabs

With the preseason over, and cuts recently made, there are a lot of faces in new places and expectations are at an all-time high. There are so many surprise cuts and still some anticipation from several general offices around the league. These players have made headlines in some way or another and I will be watching them from here on out, or I'm just excited about their fantasy prospects.

Mike Williams (SEA)--this former Lions-bust is being given another chance to shine in Seattle. With his former coach Pete Carroll now the head coach of the Seahawks, and #1 WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh released with final cuts, Williams is the clear #1 receiver for this offense. Although this still doesn't tickle me like a Vikings' signing of the aforementioned pre-madonna would, having a guy as the #1 receiver and being able to get him off waivers or late in drafts is excellent value.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh (FA)--I still believe in this man. Who's your mamma is more like who's your team because wherever this guy lands he will have fantasy value. Let's face it, no matter what team he signs with, he can't be in a much worse situation that he was already in. Last year, he had 79 receptions for 911 yards. While this was truly disappointing to those who drafted him expecting elite numbers, that still is not a bad year. If he signs with a decent team, he could be a very productive #3-4 WR. If he signs with the Vikings, watch out.

Keiland Williams (WAS)--the Redskins cut both speedy Willie Parker and Shanahan's project Ryan Torain, leaving Keiland as the #3 RB, behind 2 veterans who are both injury prone. He is a rookie out of LSU, and if Portis and/or Larry Johnson get injured or are unproductive, this guy could see his chance to make a fantasy impact.

Jabar Gaffney (DEN)--Josh McDaniels loves to throw the football. Kyle Orton had a decent year last year with Brandon Marshall in town, and even as the latter leaves to Dolphinland, this team is going to throw the ball--not to mention their backfield is in shambles to say the least. The 3 guys on this team that have the potential to be the top WR threat are Eddie Royal, Demaryius Thomas, and Gaffney. Gaffney has emerged has Orton's favorite target, and Thomas' injury should well delay his outbreak. Gaffney isn't being drafted until the latest of rounds, and the value their is through the roof. He will be a solid and consistent #3 WR (which is rare) throughout the season, and the vet will help many owners toward championship success.

Greg Camarillo (MIN)--the Vikings cut old-timer Javon Walker, leaving Camarillo as the clear-cut #3, slot WR. I expect him to quickly become Favre's favorite target, and I see him catching at least 60 passes this year. For a guy off of waivers, that's great. What's even better is Percy Harvin's spontaneous injury status, and for those games where Harvin is unable to play or is limited, Camarillo has excellent value. I watched their 3rd preseason game, and Favre was targeting Camarillo early and often, when he was on the field (it was his first week with the team). He is underrated as a receiver in general, plus he is a Favre-type player. Pick him up or draft him late.

Leon Washington (SEA)--the Seahawks also cut RB Julius Jones. This leaves Forsett and Washington for the backfield. While many are predicting Forsett as a sleeper and jumping on him in drafts, I have only heard rave reviews for Washington. He has claimed the top spot on the depth chart, and while he will never be a feature-back, he should get plenty of chances to make plays in a committee situation. Basically, I see Forsett and Washington as having the same value, yet Forsett is being drafted as high as the 5-6 round while Washington is left in the debris. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Final Notes From Preseason

More often than not, the final game of the preseason is pointless, and useless to the fantasy world. While skimming across the box scores this morning however, I noticed several intriguing situations that could end up being very beneficial to fantasy nerds down the road. I made a quick list of players (most of whom are fantasy irrelevant right now), who I think are worthy of roster spots or atleast worthy of keeping tabs on through the first couples weeks of the season.


Javon Walker (Vikings): I assume almost all of us know that the Vikings signed Walker when Sidney Rice went down with his hip injury. And out of everyone that knows about this signing, probably just wrote him off like me. But when you look at how thin/even the rest of the Vikings recieving core, I'm starting to think it's entirely possible for him to get significant playing time, as long as he is in shape. Combine this with his 6 rec./119 yd/2 td performance in his 2 preseason games, and it looks like he may have regained his old step. How do we know he's lost everything from seasons past? He's still young, and if he can stay healthy, I think he gets playing time and could be end up wr3 this year.

Eric Decker (Denver): There isn't a ton of information on this guy. He was almost a stud in college, and scouts always said he had NFL skills, but injuries just kept derailing him. Denver is extremely thin this year at wideout, and Decker is finally healthy. He put together a decent preseason, and he's going to atleast be on the field due to injuries and no one else who has stepped up. No denver receiver is going to be that valuable this year, but he has all the potential to be their go to guy in the redzone, and could also end up being a wr3 this year.

Jared Cook (Tennessee): I'm 100% that when Cook starts getting regular playing time, he's going to be a very talented TE with a lot of value. But, regular playing time is probably going to be a problem with Bo Scaife number 1 on the depth chart, and Craig Stevens their best blocking TE. We know Vince Young loves throwing to his tight ends, and Cook is the most polished offensively. Look for him to slowly get more playing time as the season goes on, and I think he will have a lot of value at the end of the year, and in drafts next year.

Cincy's WR's: This is an interesting situation. There are loads of talent between 4 guys who could get regular playing time as the 3rd and 4th option in this offense. Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley, Dezmon Briscoe, and Jerome Simpson are all vying for basically two playing spots. I think the 3rd spot is gonna go to a combination of Caldwell and Shipley, but the latter 2 guys have BIG play potential if they ever get on the field. Shipley has the most upside in my opinion, and I actually expect him to be fantasy relevant for week to week plug-ins.

Darren Mcfadden: We all know the story with him. He's underachieved immensely. He's always hurt. He already lost his job this season. Luckily for him, Michael Bush may be out 4-6 weeks, so he's the clear cut starter and he has time to prove he's worthy. There's nothing else to say about run-DMC.

Deon Butler: I don't know about you, but I've been hearing more and more about Butler becoming Seattle's go to guy for the future, and his last preseason game backed up that hype. He put up 101 yds/1 td last night, and is easily the Seahawks #1/2 wr this year. With Seattle having a weak receiving group as well and TJ Housh on the trading block, there is no doubt Butler will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself. He is quite a speedster, so look for him to make big plays. The only thing holding him back as wr2, is the Seahawks passing game.

Anthony Dixon: Talk about having a good preseason and making a name for yourself. Dixon ended up leading everyone this preseason with 300 yds/3 td. We all know he's stuck behind Frank Gore, but this performance makes him a must handcuff. It's not out of the question either that he actually steals a few carries from Gore to keep him fresh. If Gore goes down with an injury, Dixon is going to become one hot commodity.

Jerome Harrison: The Cleveland Browns suck, and Cleveland just sucks in general as a city. The best thing going for them, is that suddenly Jerome Harrison's value has skyrocketed as a rb2, so more fantasy owners will follow more of their games now. Montario Hardesty probably tore his acl/mcl/pcl, one of those ligaments, so now Harrison is the go to guy - for sure. He had Hardesty in his rear view, but now needs not to worry anymore. With a strong finish last season, and a favorable schedule early on, he is going to provide nice production. We will find out if he can be valuable for a whole season, and if the forgotten James Davis steals any carries from him.

Week 1 Predictions

Well, we're almost there. Exactly 1 week until the 2010 season kicks off, so now we can finally start looking at week 1 matchups, sit/starts, and predictions. Without further ado, here is my forecast for week 1 top 5 scorers at each position:

QB
1. Phillip Rivers (@ KC)
2. Peyton Manning (@ Houston)
3. Drew Brees (vs. Minnesota)
4. Aaron Rodgers (@ Philadelphia)
5. Jay Cutler (vs. Detroit)

Suprise: Kyle Orton (@ Jax)

RB
1. Frank Gore (@ Seattle)
2. Chris Johnson (vs. Oakland)
3. Adrian Peterson (@ N.O.)
4. Arian Foster (vs. Indy)
5. Ronnie Brown (@ Buffalo)

Surprise: Cadillac Williams (vs. Cleveland)

WR
1. Randy Moss (vs. Cincy)
2. Andre Johnson (vs. Indy)
3. Reggie Wayne (@ Houston)
4. Larry Fitzgerald (@ STL)
5t. Calvin Johnson (@ Chi)
5t. Miles Austin (@ Wash)
5t. Roddy White (@ Pitt)

Surprise: Terrell Owens (@ NE)


TE
1. A. Gates (@ KC)
2. Dallas Clark (@ Houston)
3. V. Davis (@ Sea)
4. Z. Miller (@ Tennessee)
5. J. Finley (@ Philly)

Surprise: Heath Miller (@ Atl)

DEF
1. San Francisco (@ Seattle)
2. Bal (@ NYJ)
3. NYJ (vs. Bal)
4. NYG (vs. Car)
5. Pittsburgh (vs. ATL)

Surprise: Miami (@ Buffalo)