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Nelson’s Mock Draft 2.0

April 1, 2013 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

We are now just 23 days away from the 2013 NFL Draft. As promised, scoutPRO expert Nelson Sousa is back to unveil his Mock Draft 2.0. Let’s check it out:

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon

3. Oakland Raiders: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

4. Philadelphia Eagles: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

5. Detroit Lions: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

6. Cleveland Browns: Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU

7. Arizona Cardinals: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

8. Buffalo Bills: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

9. New York Jets: Kenny Vaccaro, SS, Texas

10. Tennessee Titans: Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina

11. San Diego Chargers: Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

12. Miami Dolphins: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ziggy Ansah, DE, Brigham Young

14. Carolina Panthers: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

15. New Orleans Saints: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

16. St. Louis Rams: Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: D.J Fluker, OT, Alabama

18. Dallas Cowboys: Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State

19. New York Giants: Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse

20. Chicago Bears: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina

22. St. Louis Rams: Matt Elam, FS, Florida

23. Minnesota Vikings: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

24. Indianapolis Colts: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

25. Minnesota Vikings: Keenan Allen, WR, California

26. Green Bay Packers: Eric Reid, FS, LSU

27. Houston Texans: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

28. Denver Broncos: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina

29. New England Patriots: Robert Woods, WR, USC

30. Atlanta Falcons: D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston

31. San Francisco 49ers: Margus Hunt, DE, SMU

32. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Minter, LB, LSU

Nelson will continue to update his mock draft, so make sure to keep coming back over the next few weeks. Don’t forget to follow us (@CSAscoutPRO) and Nelson (@The_Franchise12) on Twitter!

Filed Under: NFL, Players, scoutPRO Tagged With: 2013 nfl mock drafts, 49ers, advice, alabama, analysis, barkevious mingo, bears, bengals, bills, bjoern werner, brigham young, Broncos, browns, buccaneers, california, cardinals, cb, central michigan, chance warmack, chargers, Chiefs, Colts, cowboys, de, dee milliner, defense, desmond trufant, dion jordan, dj fluker, dj hayden, Draft, dt, Eagles, eric fisher, eric reid, Falcons, fantasy, fantasy draft, fantasy football, fantasy value, florida, florida state, football, free agency, fs, geno smith, georgia, giants, giovani bernard, help, houston, insider, jaguars, jarvis jones, Jets, jonathan cooper, justin pugh, keenan allen, kenny vaccaro, kevin minter, lane johnson, lb, Lions, LSU, luke joeckel, margus hunt, matt elam, menelik watson, missouri, mock drafts, nelson sousa, nfl, north carolina, notre dame, og, oklahoma, oregon, ot, Packers, Panthers, Patriots, prediction, projections, QB, quarterback, raiders, rams, rankings, Ravens, RB, robert woods, roster, Saints, scoutPRO, sharrif floyd, sheldon richardson, smu, star lotulelei, steelers, sylvester williams, syracuse, tavon austin, te, Texans, texas am, titans, tools, touchdowns, tyler eifert, usc, utah, vikings, washington, west virginia, WR, xavier rhodes, ziggy ansah

Nelson’s Mock Draft 1.0

March 27, 2013 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

With Pro Days wrapping up in the next few days, it will be no time before the top college prospects are gathering in New York City for the 2013 NFL Draft. We are now less than a month away from the big day when the next round of fantasy football stars will get the phone call of a lifetime. To help you prepare, scoutPRO expert Nelson Sousa is here to unveil his Mock Draft 1.0. Let’s see what he has to say:

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon

3. Oakland Raiders: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

4. Philadelphia Eagles: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

5. Detroit Lions: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

6. Cleveland Browns: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

7. Arizona Cardinals: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

8. Buffalo Bills: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse

9. New York Jets: Kenny Vaccaro, SS, Texas

10. Tennessee Titans: Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina

11. San Diego Chargers: Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

12. Miami Dolphins: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ziggy Ansah, DE, Brigham Young

14. Carolina Panthers: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

15. New Orleans Saints: Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU

16. St. Louis Rams: Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: D.J Fluker, OT, Alabama

18. Dallas Cowboys: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

19. New York Giants: Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State

20. Chicago Bears: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama

22. St. Louis Rams: Matt Elam, FS, Florida

23. Minnesota Vikings: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

24. Indianapolis Colts: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama

25. Minnesota Vikings: Keenan Allen, WR, California

26. Green Bay Packers: Eric Reid, FS, LSU

27. Houston Texans: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

28. Denver Broncos: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina

29. New England Patriots: Robert Woods, WR, USC

30. Atlanta Falcons: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

31. San Francisco 49ers: Margus Hunt, DE, SMU

32. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Minter, LB, LSU

Filed Under: NFL, Players, scoutPRO Tagged With: 2013 nfl draft, 49ers, advice, alabama, analysis, barkevious mingo, bears, bengals, bills, bjoern werner, brigham young, Broncos, browns, buccaneers, california, cardinals, cb, central michigan, chance warmack, chargers, chiefs. jaguars, Colts, cordarrelle patterson, cowboys, de, dee milliner, defense, desmond trufant, dion jordan, dj fluker, Dolphins, Draft, draft analysis, dt, Eagles, eddie lacy, eric fisher, eric reid, Falcons, fantasy, fantasy analysis, fantasy draft, fantasy football, fantasy football app, fantasy football insider, fantasy value, florida, florida state, football, fs, geno smith, georgia, giants, help, insider, jarvis jones, Jets, jonathan cooper, keenan allen, kenny vaccaro, kevin minter, lane johnson, lb, Lions, LSU, luke joeckel, margus hunt, matt elam, menelik watson, missouri, mock draft, nelson sousa, nfl, nfl draft, north carolina, notre dame, og, oklahoma, oregon, ot, Packers, Panthers, Patriots, prediction, projections, QB, quarterback, raiders, rams, rankings, Ravens, RB, robert woods, roster, ryan nassib, Saints, scoutPRO, sharrif floyd, sheldon richardson, smu, ss, star lotulelei, steelers, sylvester williams, syracuse, tavon austin, te, tennessee, Texans, texas, texas am, tight end, titans, tools, tyler eifert, usc, utah, vikings, washington, west virginia, WR, xavier rhodes, ziggy ansah

Free Agency Preview – WR’s

February 23, 2013 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

With the Combine getting started this weekend, it will only be a few weeks before free agency begins. scoutPRO expert Nelson Sousa is back to talk about the talented group of free agents WR’s. Any team in need of some help has plenty of options to consider, including some big names.

Greg Jennings

In my opinion, I think he is the best of the bunch and the most valuable. He can play on the outside, in the slot, has a great work ethic and no off the field problems like some other free agent WR’s (Dwayne Bowe and Mike Wallace). Miami seems like a logical fit, as they are desperate for a WR1. Also, they are way under the salary cap and have plenty of money to spend. Dolphins HC Joe Philbin was Green Bay’s OC from 2007-2011, and during that period Jennings averaged over 1,100 yards per season while hauling in 46 TD’s. Philbin is clearly familiar with him and I’m sure Ryan Tannehill wouldn’t mind throwing to the two time Pro Bowler.

Possible destinations: Dolphins

Will Jennings take his talents to South Beach?

Mike Wallace

I think he is right behind Jennings in this class and could see the Chiefs making a run at him if they don’t end up keeping Dwayne Bowe. New Chiefs HC Andy Reid likes smaller, faster WR’s (Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin), and that’s exactly what Wallace brings to the table. He can really stretch a defense deep with his 4.3 speed, evidenced by his 21 yards per reception in 2010. If they want similar money, I think Kansas City would choose Wallace over Bowe. The Dolphins are another team that could target Wallace. They are weak at WR and could definitely benefit from his big play ability.

Possible destinations: Chiefs, Dolphins

Wes Welker

First off, I think the Patriots are going to trade for Percy Harvin. Bill Belichick likes him and he can step into Welker’s role while injecting some youth and speed into the offense. Furthermore, Harvin can stretch a defense deep and also line up in the backfield. With that being said, they are going to let Welker walk. He is going to get quite a bit of money and should attract attention from multiple teams. It all depends on cap room, but one team that makes sense is Dallas. Miles Austin is always hurt and Welker would pair well with Dez Bryant. Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones could view him as the piece to get them over the hump into the playoffs while providing a safety valve for Tony Romo. Denver would also be a good fit. He could be that slot guy, but with two young WR’s in Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas who are going to need new contracts soon, it might not work financially. The Bengals are in need of playmakers to go with A.J. Green, and he would be a great complement to him. This is a playoff caliber team, but they still need a guy like Welker to solidify the offense and help Andy Dalton out. A few more teams that make sense are the Falcons and Steelers. If Tony Gonzalez does end up retiring and they don’t sign a free agent TE, he could step in and take his catches in the middle. That’s a big part of their offense, and Welker would pair well with outside threats Julio Jones and Roddy White. Lastly, if Mike Wallace ends up leaving Pittsburgh, they are going to need a new WR.

Possible destinations: Cowboys, Bengals, Falcons, Steelers, Broncos

Welker has had 100+ catches in five of the last six seasons.

Dwayne Bowe

He is no doubt a talented player, but his off the field issues will raise concern with anyone looking to sign him. From conditioning and work ethic questions to a suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, he has quite a bit of baggage attached to his name. A team with a veteran coach who can control him would be an ideal fit for Bowe. If Mike Wallace leaves Pittsburgh, the Steelers could work. Mike Tomlin is a no-nonsense kind of guy and would provide some tough love that Bowe needs. Although he had some run-ins with Todd Haley while he was in Kansas City (now the Steelers OC), Bowe had his most productive seasons under Haley. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2010 and 2011, notching a career best 15 TD’s in 2010. Another team that could make sense is Minnesota. If they end up trading Harvin like I have predicted, they will be left with basically nothing at the WR position. Adrian Peterson can’t do everything, so they would have to make some moves and get Christian Ponder some weapons to work with.

Possible destinations: Steelers, Vikings

Thanks for stopping by! Come back next week for Nelson’s review of the NFL Combine. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @CSAscoutPRO!

Filed Under: NFL, Players, scoutPRO Tagged With: 2013 fantasy drafts, 2013 nfl free agency, 2013 nfl season, adrian peterson, advice, AJ Green, analysis, andy dalton, andy reid, atlanta, bengals, big play ability, bill belichick, Broncos, cap room, Chiefs, christian ponder, cincinnati, Combine, cowboys, dallas, defense, demaryius thomas, denver, desean jackson, Dolphins, Draft, dwayne bowe, Eagles, eric decker, Falcons, fantasy, fantasy analysis, fantasy draft, fantasy expert, fantasy football, fantasy sports software, fantasy value, football, free agency, green bay, greg jennings, hc, help, insider, jeremy maclin, jerry jones, joe philbin, Julio Jones, kansas city, miami, mike tomlin, mike wallace, miles austin, minnesota, nelson sousa, nfl, nfl combine, nfl free agency, OC, outside, Packers, Patriots, percy harvin, pittsburgh, prediction, pro bowl, projections, QB, rankings, RB, roddy white, ryan tannehill, salary cap, scoutPRO, slot, south beach, steelers, te, todd haley, tony gonzalez, tools, touchdowns, veteran, vikings, wes welker, work ethic, WR

Week 11 – How Does This Thing Work?

November 14, 2012 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

Fantasy Football is anything but a science… it is more of a chaotic mess throughout a 17 week season filled with twists and turns. Any hint of control an owner seems to have over their roster is an illusion. Predicting performance, injuries, breakouts, and busts is impossible, but there is somewhat of a method to the madness that can be exploited to attain a better chance of success.

Week in and week out, scoutPRO manages to predict fantasy outcomes more accurately than the vast majority of industry experts and NFL insiders. The misconception many fantasy GMs have about websites claiming to know what will happen in Fantasy Football is that somewhere, a single person playing armchair quarterback is sipping a beer and merely guessing that Drew Brees is going to be the #1 QB next week. The truth is that with scoutPRO, there are some very sophisticated analytics and expert insights at work, so we wanted to explain the process that goes into scoutPRO’s projections every single week.

Anybody could tell you Drew Brees is a must-start every week.

scoutPro has a three step process to determine each week’s rankings. First, we create an offensive profile for each team. We want to know a team’s tendencies – how much do they run and how much do they pass? Once we establish an initial snap shot of a team, we determine each position player’s role within the offensive system. We want to know how they fit in and to what extent they are used. For example, spotting Owen Daniels early in the season as the Texans’ go-to red zone receiver even in a run-heavy offense, has made him a new must-start TE. This allows us a more complete understanding to come up with the offensive splits for each team.

We also have to take into account performances in each of the previous weeks by every team. Looking at the NFL schedule as a whole shows a series of very telling data points. We make adjustments in our projections based on significant matchup implications and other conditions surrounding each team’s particular situation heading into a week. We also have our experts performing the eyeball test each week to account for noting playing time, injuries, and general player development. That’s how we noticed rookie Doug Martin long before the monster Week 9 that made him the newest fantasy star.

In the early season, we are at the mercy of our interpretation of each team’s profile plus our data for the opposing team’s defense (we still managed to foresee Tony Romo’s great Week 1 game vs. an imposing Giants defense), but as each week passes, our season-long data gets stronger to help us produce better results. Just like any good fantasy GM, we constantly self evaluate our processes and double check our data to make sure we are giving subscribers the best possible insights and projections to help them win their leagues.

Filed Under: scoutPRO Tagged With: adjustments, analysis, analytics, best fantasy tools, buccaneers, bye week, carries, climate, control, cowboys, data, defensive rankings, doug martin, drew brees, evaluation, expert, eyeball test, fantasy advice, fantasy GM, fantasy owner, fantasy projections, fantasy tools, football league, game conditions, how does scoutpro work, implications, injuries, insight, nfl, nfl injury report, nfl schedule, nfl teams, offensive system, optimize roster, owen daniels, power rankings, prediction, process, profile, qb rankings, quarterback, rankings, RB, receptions, red zone, roster management, running back, Saints, scheme, scoutPRO, scoutpro fantasy football, stat sheet, statistics, stats, take into account, targets, te, Texans, tight end, tony romo, touchdowns, trades, waiver wire, week 11, week 12, wide receiver, WR, yardage

Week 9 – Look into the Crystal Ball

November 1, 2012 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

Every week in the NFL has storylines that take twists and turns. Who predicted that Doug Martin would have a breakout game against a stout Minnesota D? Pittsburgh’s defense is notoriously solid, but hopefully you weren’t relying on RG3 to win your week as he delivered his worst performance of the season. The most successful fantasy owners know that in reality, there is some degree of order behind all the chaos and unpredictability. Looking at the information that matters most can reveal insights into who will get the job done and who will fizzle out each week.

Division matchups

We have seen it time and time again; players step up to perform in big games. In the NFL, games between division rivals carry more weight, and there is a special air around these matchups. Even a fantasy slouch like Mark Sanchez is almost guaranteed to play a solid game when up against his archrival New England Patriots.

It Happened in Week 8: Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree had a big night on Monday vs. Arizona. The Cardinals, especially the defense, may be overrated, but the game was still for first place in the division. Smith and his most targeted receiver both stepped up their game for some of their best fantasy performances of the season. Both have shown they can be counted on in the clutch, so start them going forward in games with implications.

It Will Happen in Week 9: There aren’t a ton of division games on the slate in Week 9, but look for Philip Rivers, Ryan Mathews, and the rest of the Chargers’ offense to take care of business and have a drastically better week against their lowly division foe Kansas City.

Individual Player Trends

It’s risky to put too much stock into streaks, but recognizing a player filling a consistent role in an offense is a good way to ensure a solid fantasy performance.

It Happened in Week 8: After 4 straight weeks with a reception of 50+ yards, Chris Givens made it 5 in a row and scored a touchdown on the play. Owners who picked up the St. Louis wide out to fill a hole left by injuries or byes were rewarded for recognizing this obvious trend. Sam Bradford is bound to continue looking for Givens downfield, often to the endzone, plays that carry big upside, even if he only reels in one per game.

It Will Happen in Week 9: Josh Freeman has been consistently outperforming fantasy expectations, and as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to try and prove that they, like their quarterback, are underrated, he may deserve a starting roster spot in many situations. After throwing 16 TDs against 22 INTs last year, he has turned it around and been highly consistent, already delivering 14 TDs vs. just 5 picks. A matchup vs. a mediocre Oakland defense would suggest the trend continues.

Josh Freeman has had a few great fantasy weeks

Game Conditions

It Happened in Week 8: Both Brandon Weeden and Philip Rivers struggled mightily to throw the football in heavy rains in Cleveland. A 7-6 final score isn’t what any fantasy owner is looking for.

It Will Happen in Week 9: The Packers host the Cardinals at Lambeau Field on Sunday, and as the season turns and it starts to get colder up North, the Pack will flourish more and more, as they do every year on the Frozen Tundra. Receivers like Jordy Nelson and the emerging Randall Cobb used to handling the ball in the cold will have decided advantages vs. opposing defenses.

One more tip from the pros: Follow the latest projections on www.scoutpro.com to see what the insiders already know about this week’s games!

Filed Under: NFL, scoutPRO Tagged With: 49ers, 50 yard, advice, AFC, alex smith, arizona, bench, big performance, blog, brandon weeden, cardinals, carries, catches, chargers offense, chris givens, cowboys, defense, division matchups, doug martin, fantasy, fantasy football, fantasy points, game conditions, green bay, hamstring, injury, interceptions, jordy nelson, josh freeman, Mark Sanchez, matchup, michael crabtree, minnesota, monday night football, nelson sousa, new england patriots, nfc, nfl, offense, owners, Packers, packers cold weather, philip rivers, pittsburgh steelers, player trends, rams offense, randall cobb, rankings, receptions, rg3, rosters, ryan mathews, scoutPRO, starters, statistics, steelers d, tampa bay, targets, tim tebow, tips, touchdown pass, tricks, weather, week 9

Week 7: Waiver Wire Workout

October 17, 2012 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

Coming into Week 7, many fantasy owners are reaching a critical point in the season. The league standings are starting to shake out and every matchup starts to mean a little more. Meanwhile, NFL squads are starting to run into their bye weeks, and for the next several Sundays you may be missing some of your best players and there’s nothing you can do about it… or is there?

With holes to fill thanks to bye weeks and the injuries that start to pile up over the course of the NFL season, everyone’s team has holes to fill. This is the time of the season that waiver wire additions and bye-week stand-ins begin to have huge implications for your fantasy team. In order to keep your early season successes rolling or catch up to your competition while they are weakened, it is important to stay ahead of the curve, and the best way to do that is to be informed.

There are plenty of players out there on the waiver wire, waiting for a loving owner to take them home and cherish them. The number one way to know exactly who you want on your roster in a pinch is to have watched them play. Seeing a player’s role in an offense first hand is key to understanding what to expect from them should you give them a chance, so if possible, watching games is a must.

One of the toughest parts of working the waiver wire is looking past hard statistics and accounting for reasonable chance that they will produce in a specific game given the matchup, and game conditions. For example, this past week, some savvy owners probably took a shot on Brandon Stokley, knowing the veteran WR had earned Peyton Manning’s trust in the red zone with 2 TD catches in his last 3 games. With Denver going up against their biggest division foe, the Chargers, in a pivotal Monday Night Football matchup, Stokley scored again and delivered a solid performance to plug the void left by byes and injuries.

DeMarco Murray's injury means he needs to be replaced for a stretch

The other aspect of success when it comes to waiver wire pickups is knowing when to gamble and when to play conservatively in terms of budget. After a big game, Michael Jenkins’ value will likely be greatly inflated, and he will be a fairly attractive fill-in on paper with the Vikings’ offense clicking as of late. Unfortunately, he lacks any foreseeable value when Jerome Simpson returns, so proceed with caution, careful not to overvalue his Week 6 performance. On the other hand, Felix Jones may not be so strong on paper, but if DeMarco Murray can’t go next week due to ligament damage sustained in Week 6, the Cowboys’ #2 appears ready to put in some solid stand-in numbers. He may be worth the investment for a longer term role.

Some aspects of picking players up to fill in boils down to pure luck, but knowing your league rules and the behaviors of your opponents, playing the waiver wire right is a game changing tool in your fantasy arsenal.

Filed Under: NFL, Players, scoutPRO Tagged With: analysis, best roster, brandon stokley, Broncos, bye week, chargers, cowboys, dealing with byes, demarco murray, fantasy advice, fantasy football, felix jones, filling holes, flex spot, game conditions, gm, handcuffing running back, help, how to use the waiver wire, injuries, insights, jerome simpson, league, m wide receiver, matchups, michael jenkins, monday night football, nfl, nfl bye weeks, nfl schedule, owner, peyton manning, pick up a player, predictions, RB, roster optimization, roster spot, running back, scouting, scoutPRO, stand-ins, statistics, te, tight end, tools, touchdowns, vikings, waiver wire, waiver wire add, watch tape, WR

Preseason Week 2 – Vital Info for Your Draft

August 23, 2012 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

scoutPRO has been busy watching all of the preseason Week 2 action unfold, and keeping our eyes on some players to watch or avoid as fantasy owners prepare to draft their 2012 rosters. Here are some of the most interesting developments from the weekend:

Michael Turner looks extremely slow. He has been ineffective in the first two weeks of the preseason, and with Matt Ryan making plenty of throws targeting Roddy White and Julio Jones, expectations for Turner are even lower.

It is still unclear whether the Bills will be able to live up to the lofty standard they set during last year’s surprise season. Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller both have had little success on the ground in the first two exhibitions, and behind Stevie Johnson, the boys from Buffalo are lacking much depth at WR, save for perhaps Donald Jones. These guys will need to be much better to merit roster spots, especially in less deep leagues.

Will this finally be the year the Raiders break 2 years stuck at the 8-8 plateau for a winning season? Darren McFadden is making a case for consideration among the elite RBs of the league, and he has been targeted with a number of screen and short passes in the current offense. Darius Heyward-Bey may fall down the draft board a bit after looking a bit untidy so far this preseason, but he will be a serious value at WR to owners who pick him up.

Darren McFadden could surprise this year

They still feature one of the league’s most intimidating defenses, but the Jets just can’t seem to get things together on the offensive side of the ball. Mark Sanchez went 9-11 in the second preseason game, but it wasn’t pretty. None of the team’s WR corps, save for perhaps the injured Santonio Holmes (who should be ready to go for Week 1), appear to be at a high enough level to earn a roster spot.Shonn Greene looks disoriented, running into his own lineman on several occasions this past week. Buyer beware; this offense is shaky at best.

The Cowboys have shown some interesting tricks in their first pair of preseason matchups that should grab the attention of fantasy owners everywhere. Dez Bryant has been a beast – but he is somewhat fragile (reports that he hurt his knee again in practice Monday are another red flag for owners). If he can stay healthy, he will absolutely be a top flight WR. Tony Romo’s athleticism has helped him maintain his status as one of the best QB options outside of the few elite guys at the top. Assuming Miles Austin is ready to go for Week 1, he should be ready to rock and roll to duplicate his great 2011 season.

scoutPRO fantasy expert Nelson Sousa’s full report on what he saw is available for members on www.scoutpro.com. Check it out today!

Filed Under: Draft, Preseason Tagged With: 2012, americas team, bills, cj spiller, cowboys, darius, darren mcfadden, dez bryant, donald jones, Draft, draft busts, draft sleepers, draft tips, Falcons, fantasy, fantasy football, fred jackson, heyward-bey, injury, insider, Jets, Julio Jones, Mark Sanchez, matt ryan, michael turner, mile austin, nelson sousa, nfl, picks, QB, raiders, RB, roddy white, santonio holmes, scoutPRO, shonn greene, stevie johnson, te, tips, tony romo, tools, WR

Tight End Frenzy

June 19, 2012 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

Last season, the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski led a class of tight ends that revitalized the position’s role in many teams’ offensive schemes as he set a new NFL record for touchdown receptions by a TE with 14. His numbers made him not only the top ranking player at his position, but put him right there near the top of the list of all receivers in fantasy leagues.

If you aren’t fortunate enough to snatch Gronk in this year’s draft, there are plenty of other great options in the strong group that will be on display in the 2012 season:

Aaron Hernandez is the dynamic other half of the Patriots impressive dual-tight end look. Hernandez provided Tom Brady with another great option in addition to Gronkowski and the dependable Wes Welker. Of course, his value is diminished a bit by having to share the spotlight, but he is still sure to have ample opportunity to deliver big plays for the Pats.

Jimmy Graham leads all TEs in receptions, racking up more than 1,300 receiving yards and scoring 11 TDs in 2011. If it weren’t for Gronkowski, he would be the clear cut #1 TE for this year’s fantasy rankings. He still may end up being the best if he manages to maintain his high level game, especially with Robert Meachem gone.

Jason Witten had a mediocre campaign last season, coming up short up 1,000 receiving yards and only 5 TDs. He is more talented than he sometimes gets credit for, and is still one of the more durable options in this category, having started every game for the last five seasons. Also, Tony Romo loves him. Like every year, the optimism for Dallas is high, and so it should be for Witten too. He will be a solid contributor.

Jermichael Finley was plagued by dropped-ball syndrome and hurt by the emergence of Jordy Nelson last season. Going into 2012, those problems will spark doubts, but there should be no questions about his awesome skill set. Finley is looking for a bounceback season, and he may break out since he is now reached the magical point of a full season removed from his knee injury.

Filed Under: NFL, Players Tagged With: aaron hernandez, blocking te, breakout season, cowboys, dallas cowboys, fantasy draft, fantasy option, fantasy points, fantasy TE, finley, football, gronk, hernandez patriots, jason witten, jermichael finley, jimmy graham, jordy nelson, knee injury, matchups, nfl record, NFL tight ends, offensive scheme, optimize, Patriots, points, pro football, receivers fantasy, receiving yards, rob gronkowski, robert meachem, roster, rushing te, scoutPRO, sunday matchup, te touchdown record, tight end, tight end offense, tight end position, tony romo, touchdowns, what is a tight end

Tweet This

September 6, 2011 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

Welcome back fantasy footballers!

We all know Twitter is a double-edged sword. One side has the nice green grass, with rainbows and serves as a tool to connect, share, and network. The other side is a dark, shadowy place where everything is made public and the wrong words can bring out the pitchforks. Still an awesome tool nonetheless. But what about for athletes? There has always been some debate (try the First Amendment) on whether athletes should watch what they say on Twitter. What do you think? If you are an athlete you are basically an employee of that organization. I know all of it get lost in the glamour and flashing lights but realistically the players are a part of a business. They sell a product and the business profits from them. Apple, BMW, and NFL are not different in what they do: sell goods/services to maximize profits. So if a player says something negative, does that not reflect on the business? If an Apple employee criticized the company media would be buzzing, and in the Twitter world a player goes off and its called insubordination and immaturity. But in both scenarios people are just saying what they feel and think, is that so wrong? With the (funny) Tweeting argument between Arian Foster and Colin Cowherd the line continues to get fuzzy on what is proper and what is not. My opinion: if a player says something from home, or outside the actual game he/she is playing in than by all means share to the world what you think. In school everyone learns to speak their mind and to engage in conversation, than why is the real world so opposite? Aside from all this serious talk, lets talk about something funny/hilarious. The Dallas Cowboys.

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: cowboys, Twitter

The Most Interesting Man in the World

August 5, 2011 By scoutpro Leave a Comment

Happy Friday fantasy footballers!

So the epic drama continues with the NFL. From the crazy free agency signings last week to figuring out what to do with players that didn’t get traded this week, the teams around the NFL are figuring out what to do with some players. The Broncos are probably thinking “well this is awkward, how do we tell Tim Tebow that he might not be our starter after making sure we told the press multiple times before that he is our QB” and the Patriots are probably thinking “Ochocinco cried? Like he literally cried when we called him? This could be a good thing or a very bad VH1 dating show.” I know what you are thinking, when has VH1 ever had a good dating show? I’m just kidding. Ochocinco is a man with many talents, interests, and emotions. Just imagine this commercial playing, “I don’t always cry, but when I do I prefer to do it uncontrollably. Stay dramatic my friends.” Earlier the (in)famous Pee Wee Herman visited the Cowboys at training camp and had a chance to hang out with Tony Romo. His absolute expertise, skill, and vast knowledge of the game allowed him to teach sound fundamentals to the QB and work with him on his mechanics. I mean what a perfect opportunity – the team has not been allowed to come together all summer till just last week and this week you have Pee Wee come into the huddle. When the Cowboys look back at this in the regular season and wonder what went wrong in the preseason, at least they can say they met Pee Wee.

Filed Under: NFL, Players Tagged With: cowboys, cry, Ochocinco, Patriots, Pee Wee

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