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5 Rookies Who Could Make the Biggest Mid-Draft Impact

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

After the first, second, and third rounds of your fantasy draft have come and gone, and essential fantasy RBs (Arian Foster and Ray Rice), QBs (Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees), and WRs (Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson) are long off the board, it is time for the pivotal fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds. Starting to fill out your roster with second tier guys who will contribute serious value will mean the difference in depth that wins fantasy leagues year after year.

There are no shortage of quality players likely still available (Cam Newton, Victor Cruz, and Adrian Peterson will probably still be hanging around), but this is the time to consider taking a hard look at the incoming rookie class to find a potential fantasy diamond in the rough. Here are 5 of the newbies who may give their owners a competitive edge in this crucial stage of the draft:

1. RB Trent Richardson (CLE) – Richardson has the most obvious potential of rookies in this year’s fantasy leagues. He should get the large majority of the Browns’ touches, and has the talent to turn a high number of carries into a huge number of fantasy points.

2. QB Robert Griffin III (WAS) – RG3 commands a significant amount of fantasy interest, and for very good reason. He will be free in a new look Redskins offense to play his style, mostly outside the pocket, which means yardage and TDs from scrambles and carries in addition to his passing game.

3. RB Doug Martin (TB) – Martin should get a solid look in Tampa Bay, especially on third down situations; he has better hands and blocks better than LeGarrette Blount. He will have ample opportunity to contribute.

4. WR Michael Floyd (AZ) – He will have to deal with being Larry Fitzgerald’s teammate (Fitzgerald will probably be targeted upwards of 150 times this season), but Floyd has the size and the skill to be a quality receiver. He could be the biggest surprise contributor if defenses focus on Fitzgerald and leave him open.

5. WR Rueben Randle (NYG) – Randle joins a team of Super Bowl champs that will bring serious swagger to the field, and fits in nicely with a corps of receivers that lacks a true number 1. He will get plenty of looks from Eli Manning and will benefit from spread-out defenses trying to cover 3 or more quality wide outs at a time.

After the drafting is all done, the beginning of the season is always an exciting time. Look for a few rookies to quickly become breakout fantasy contributors who offer a big bang for your buck!

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What Do the Saints’ Suspensions Mean for the NFL’s 2012 Season?

May 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

With Jonathan Vilma suspended for the entire 2012 season, the backlash from the Saints’ bounty program continues. In recent years, Drew Brees and other members of the Saints’ potent offense emerged as dependable fantasy plays, but it may be time to begin wondering what impact the absence of Coach Sean Payton and now one of the defensive and emotional leaders in Vilma will mean for the overall success of this team. The wheels seem to be coming off in New Orleans – off-field distractions and a difficult atmosphere in the locker room can wreak havoc on Sunday successes.

The scandal may have a wider impact on the entire NFL too. After the league promised to be more aggressive in player suspensions for illegal hits in 2011, many players have had to adapt their game to avoid supplemental discipline that can have severe costs for them and their teams. Suspensions due to on or off-field behavior can have a significant impact on a player’s approach to the game; intimidating defenses become slightly less so, and skilled offensive players have a little more breathing room. The effects of the Saints’ suspensions are as of yet unknown, but could influence matchup decisions come gametime.

The league is trying to be firm with its stance on inappropriate behavior that poisons the game of football, and this most recent suspension is the most striking to date. What do you think? Is Vilma’s suspension merited? What will be the consequences for the Saints and their opponents?

 

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2012 NFL Draft First Round – Impact Players

April 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Last night’s NFL Draft featured little of the usual drama, with the top 2 picks effectively locked down for almost a month leading up to draft day. Sure enough, standout QBs Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III made the headlines as they took their rightful places on Thursday night, but while there may not have been any bombshells, there were some unexpected surprises, including some interesting selections that fantasy owners should note.

Here is a look into the first round picks that should make the most impact this fantasy season:

- Thanks to last year’s trade with the Atlanta Falcons, the Cleveland Browns drafted the blue chip RB in this year’s class in Trent Richardson (Alabama).  With the number of touches he should receive, Richardson has the potential be a playmaker and point machine.

- Doug Martin (Boise St.) is a complete RB, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers know it’s not a stretch that he could unseat LaGarrette Blount as a number 1 back. Martin has a great set of hands, and as a double threat, could cause havoc for opposing defenses.

- WR Michael Floyd (Notre Dame) will give the Arizona Cardinals’ QBs a viable second strong option downfield. Look for him to be targeted early and often to draw some attention off of Fitzgerald. The Cards’ passing game should benefit greatly from this pick.

- WR Kendall Wright, RG3’s teammate at Baylor, was an excellent value for the Tennessee Titans at no. 20 overall. Not only is he a threat in the slot, he could also be a solid return man. Wright has huge potential.

- The biggest boost to team defense came in the form of the New England Patriots trading up twice in the first round to bolster the front seven, selecting Chandler Jones (Syracuse) and Dont’a Hightower (Alabama). This should indicate the Pats’ commitment to improving their D, which was dismal in 2011.

Following the top 2 picks, who will be obvious fantasy contributors, the QB class in the first round was a general letdown. Cleveland Browns pick Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) and the Miami Dolphins’ choice Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M) don’t even seem like true starters, let alone viable fantasy producers.

Now that the first round has come and gone, fantasy owners have to step back and evaluate which rookie players will merit a look come fantasy draft time. Stay tuned to the blog for more insights from scoutPRO on this year’s draft class!

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ZZZZ… NFL and Fantasy Draft Sleepers

April 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In the realm of fantasy sports, one of the best experiences for an owner is drafting a player that few are expecting to be a quality pick and being rewarded by the player with a great season. Aside from the performance of the expected power players, this set of players is the most important; having the right supporting cast to the stars is make or break in a fantasy season.

These ‘sleeper picks’ are incredibly important to NFL franchises too;  each year in the NFL Draft, owners, GMs, and coaches look for the guy that other teams haven’t noticed who may turn out to be something big. This year’s draft is chock full of unheralded players from smaller schools and underrated big conference standouts who are poised to really break out once they hit the big league. Here are a few that may be game changers this fantasy season:

- Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill is the product of a Yellow Jackets offense that coach Paul Johnson believes prepares receivers to thrive in the NFL.

- Ryan Lindley, a quarterback out of San Diego State, has been met with fears of inconsistency, but is considered by many to have a very high upside should he find the right organization.

- The dawn of the two Tight End system era may see Ladarius Green out of Louisiana Lafayette become a primary target for the QB of the team that drafts him.

Of course, it is hard to tell which off-the-radar player will be the next Tom Brady (199th overall pick) or Willie Parker (entirely undrafted). Luckily, NFL organizations do much of the leg work for you. Fantasy owners should watch the draft for whose stock is rising and which rookies-to-be are taken at much higher than their expected value – NFL scouts believe in the potential of those players, and they are worth consideration come fantasy draft time.

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RG3 Has More than Luck

April 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

At this juncture, it is widely speculated that after the Indianapolis Colts select Andrew Luck to succeed Peyton Manning and revive the dreams of Circle City football fans, Robert Griffin III will play second fiddle, “falling” to the Washington Redskins. However, while Luck is the safe bet, billed as “NFL-ready,” Griffin is a much more intriguing player, and actually may have a far greater value for fantasy owners.

Although it would be unfair to expect him to produce like Cam Newton did a year ago, RG3 has the same elite skillset as his Heisman Trophy predecessor and will be surrounded by the type of offense that will let him show his talents off. Much like Newton in 2011, the formula could make Griffin a top 10 fantasy producer, even in his rookie season. For that reason scoutPRO has tabbed the dynamic QB as the better choice for fantasy owners.

Stay tuned following the NFL Draft for more in depth analysis of scoutPRO’s rankings and why RG3 is way ahead of the pack, including the likely #1 pick.

 

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To Workout or Not To Workout?

April 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Having just bid adieu to Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts appear poised to select either standout QB Andrew Luck or Heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III with the first overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, just over a week away. Luck held a private workout with the Colts at Stanford, but curiously, RG3 denied the same request through his agent.

The news story made headlines, but it may be much ado about nothing. The Washington Redskins, who hold the second overall pick and have expressed a clear interest in RG3, have not requested any private workouts at all. Luck, who is considered possibly the most NFL-ready QB coming out of college since Manning himself in 1998, seems destined to end up the first overall pick and begin his NFL career by taking over the reins in Indy. Griffin, likewise, is essentially assured to go second, to the Redskins, assuming all goes to plan for Luck.

Griffin seems perfectly content with this scenario. He is, after all, a vastly different player from the QB role that Manning has left with the Colts. It really shouldn’t be surprising at all that he politely declined the invitation to hold his own workout; the stars might already be aligned for the dynamo in the nation’s capital.

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March is for Madness

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Howdy fantasy footballers!

I hope all of y’all had a great St.Patty’s Day weekend! For those of you who forgot and were pinched repeatedly, well now you know better! And for those of you who cannot remember much of Saturday night, well good for you! Let’s begin by talking briefly about March Madness 2012: my bracket is dead. Thanks to Duke and Missouri (I had Missouri in the Final Four) my bracket is on life support and needs Kentucky vs. Kansas in the Finals for any sort of redemption. The main issue with Duke this year was talent. There was not enough talent to make them a strong candidate for March. Coach K did an amazing job in his coaching to lead Duke to a fantastic record and being ranked week in and week out. But March is where coaching can only do so much. There needs to be some level of higher talent to prevent a second round exit. Which is exactly what happened. In the Mizzou game, it was just Norfolk State outplaying Mizzou for the whole game. It was the perfect upset. Another unexpected upset? UNC G Kendall Marshall suffered a wrist injury. He will not play this Friday and depending on recovery from the surgery, he could miss the whole tournament.

But the biggest news of the hour isn’t Peyton Manning securing a contract with the Denver Broncos since they were one of the finalist (among the Titans and 49ers). The biggest news is where does Tebow end up. Reports are coming out saying Tebow will most likely be traded. But where and for what in return? At this point the Broncos would love to leverage Tebowmania to maximize a good return on a Tebow trade. With Manning coming on board, there is not much more the organization can do to boost fan support. Unless they play Tebow at fullback. Now the 49ers, Cardinals, Titans, and Miami have to work on their existing QBs to find someone to bring in. With Manning and Flynn out of the picture, time and talent are running out for these teams. But if I could ask Manning anything, it would be: why did you turn down the 49ers? They were one game away from the Super Bowl. But hey, Manning is a Super Bowl winner so I guess he knows what’s best. In other news the Cowboys are still flying under the radar this off-season so that there is not high expectations for the team when the season starts.

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Let the Race Begin

March 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Howdy fantasy footballers!

Before I begin, I just want to take a few moments to remember those people devastated by the string of dangerous and fatal storms that tore up many states. Hearts and prayers go out those families for a speedy recovery. Depending on where some of you guys are located, spring is here! The weather is getting warmer (aka hot) and for those of you with allergies, have fun!

I know all of you are waiting for baseball season to finally start (well some of you) but we have more pressing issues! In what I thought would never happen, Manning is out with the Colts. Where he ends up is anyone’s guess. Where should he end up? No disrespect to Alex Smith on his spectacular season, but imagine Manning on the 49ers. Just take a second to digest it and imagine the possibilities. People are talking about Manning going to the Dolphins, but what about Matt Flynn? He is also a great QB asset that could be dressing out in a different uniform next season (aka Dolphins). Looks like the Colts will place all their eggs in one basket to use their first round pick for Luck. Unless they shock the world (again) and get RG3. But there are other players that can end up moving also. Mario Williams, the hottest pass rusher in free agency, can get PAID (emphasis on the fat check). What about the Texans? By giving Foster a contract extension first, they limited themselves on what they can provide Williams. But if they bring back Williams, the Texans defense is looking to rank number 1 or 2 in almost all categories. And having JJ Watt, a rookie beast, train under Williams sets up the Texans for a long time. You know who has been pretty quiet, at least to my ears, this offseason? The Cowboys. Did someone tell them there isn’t a lock out again this offseason and stuff is happening in the league? Or is it the Cowboys just being the Cowboys?

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: ,

Weekend of All-Stars

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Howdy fantasy footballers!

Can you believe February is almost over?  Time has flown by this year. Soon it’ll be Opening Day for the MLB. But before that, let’s talk about this weekend. For those of you who still follow football in the off-season, the NFL Combine has been underway. The biggest names on the field? Luck vs RG3. It is a battle of who gets drafted first and if RG3 can show scouts he needs to be the number 2 pick if he doesn’t go first. I know a 40 time does not mean much when you play QB, but RG3 had a 4.41. That’s Vick fast. And Luck? Remember last year’s number one overall pick? Cam Newton, the athletic freak at Auburn who had scouts scrambling for his attention. Well Luck ran the same 40 time. Not once did I see that coming. I am not saying Luck is not athletic and strong. I just never imagined his quickness. But again a 40 yard time does not really mean anything for a QB. The biggest thing about the Combine is what it means. Performance at the Combine does have some correlation to success in the NFL but it is not a good predictive measure. Also in the NFL, free agency is well under way. Big names like Mario Williams, Foster, John Abraham, Matt Flynn and Matt Forte are some of the players that could stay or leave.

Some of y’all saw Ryan Braun win an appeal against the MLB. The MLB was looking to suspend the MVP winner but Braun fought back tooth and nail and won. And than there are those who watched the NBA All-Star weekend. Friday night showcased celebrities, Legends, and the US Secretary of Education. The best moment on Friday night was Kevin Hart, who after being ejected, won the MVP for the Celebrity game. After promising to go 40 and 10, he instead went 8 and 6. Not bad for a guy that can easily get dunked over. Key word: over. We have to see if the NBA and David Stern fine Kevin Hart for his actions against the officials and Mark Cuban for being Mark Cuban. I think $25k for both is reasonable. Saturday had other events such as the Skills Challenge, Rising Stars Challenge, 3 Point Contest and the Dunk Contest. Here is my pet peeve: the Dunk Contest has become the main All-Star event. And while it’s popularity has increased, the level of dunks has decreased. Back in the day you had Jordan, Vince Carter, D.Wilkins, Dr. J, Spudd Webb and McGrady going for the win. (Super)stars competing in the contest. Want to make the contest better? [I mean this year's dunk contest was not all that great - give it till April and the public will forget who won and competed]. Have Ibaka, Howard, Griffin, Lebron, Wade, and even Westbrook or DeAndre Jordan compete. Guys that are athletic freaks that can put on a show. I mean this year we had three different dunks involving jumping over another person (or two). Where is the creativity? Where is the pure athletic power that Vince Carter, Wilkins, and Jordan used to bring? You cannot possibly tell me athletic power has gone down with new training methods and technological advancements. Stop with the flashy dunk attempts that take 8 tries or the gimmicky props.

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What Did I Just See?

February 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Welcome fantasy footballers!

Please tell me one of you watched the Thunder/Nuggets game last night. Please. It was a complete shootout. By all definitions and angles of that word, it was one of the best shooting performances this season. Durant and Westbrook combined for 91 points. That’s right: 91 points. Westbrook had a monster game of 40 points but Durant blew him out by dropping 51. To top it off, Ibaka had a triple double with points, rebounds, and blocks. The Thunder are on fire and are flaming into the All Star weekend. Look at it this way: Lebron and Wade had 52 combined points in the Heat win on Sunday, Durant himself scored one less. MVP anyone?

Time to talk about Jeremy Lin. You know I don’t play well in terms of talking about these “Tim Tebow-like” players. But in reality, Lin is the complete opposite of Tebow. Timmy was an offensive monster at UF. He won the Heisman (which celebrates the best of the best), won awards celebrating his excellent QB role, and won a National Championship. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest college football athletes. Lin on the other hand went to Harvard. Never won any championships, major basketball awards, and until this year most of society had never heard of him. He wasn’t the best college ball athlete of all time, nor did he draw crowds to Harvard games. He’s been cut, demoted to D-League, and traded more than most other players in his sophomore class. The complete opposite of how Tebow’s football career has been. But he is on fire. Beating the reigning NBA champs, taking shots against the NBA Finals MVP, and winning. He’s done things as a PG faster than Magic has. The reason this is huge is because this has never happened. In basketball it is hard to have someone as skilled and as big of a threat just appear as Lin did. Talent thrives in the league and you know from before hand who is going to be good and who is going to be decent. Then you have Lin come into the picture contesting the status quo of the NBA playing like a veteran superstar against Darren Williams, Kobe, and Dirk. It has been a crazy story and a crazy year for underdogs this year for football and basketball. ESPN is having the time of its life beating up the Tebow, Lin, and Lebron stories to us. Oh ESPN, when will you learn? Could you imagine if a Lin-like player ever came on the Cowboys? I think ESPN would implode. Im just waiting for the next ESPN headline to say: “Tebow to be Best Man at Lin’s Wedding to Kim Kardashian, Lebron will be ring bearer.” That would be the day I give up on humanity and move to the mountains.

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