DraftBuddy.com

Fantasy Baseball and Fantasy Football Draft Tools

  • Member Login
  • Register

     

  • Fantasy Football
  • Fantasy Baseball
  • Draft Buddy
  • Rankings
  • News
  • Stats
  • Draft Buddy
  • Rankings
  • News
  • Stats

Preseason Week 3 Fantasy Football News and Notes

August 28, 2015 By Draft Buddy 2 Comments

Is RB Arian Foster getting back on the field than originally expected? It seems like that might be the case, pushing Alfred Blue down the rankings and Foster back up.

Is RB Arian Foster getting back on the field than originally expected? It seems like that might be the case, pushing Alfred Blue down the rankings and Foster back up.

Here is a major news and notes recap since our last update plus the separate Jordy Nelson injury fantasy impact. The all important Preseason Week 3 starts tonight, and this is a heavy draft weekend. Our projections and rankings will be updated soon reflecting this latest news.

Arizona Cardinals

HC Bruce Arians is confident WR Michael Floyd will be ready to play Week 1 of the regular season. There is no timetable for his return.

Baltimore Ravens

WR Breshad Perriman is recovering very slowly. He’s falling into do not draft (in redraft) territory, not worth the risk.

Buffalo Bills

Tyrod Taylor seemed to win support for the starting QB job after the Bills last preseason game. It looks like all three could rotate in with the starters in the team’s third preseason game.

Denver Broncos

Ronnie Hillman moved ahead of Montee Ball for the backup job. If memory serves Hillman has impressed in preseason before only to falter later.

The Broncos cut K Connor Barth. We don’t even rank kickers at our website. I suppose we should, but kickers really just annoy me. At any rate, don’t draft Barth. Brandon McManus is the Broncos kicker.

Getting a little worried about Emmanuel Sanders status to open the season since he continues to miss practice and preseason games with a hamstring injury. We already have him down with an avoid icon in our rankings.

Green Bay Packers

We updated earlier this week for Jordy Nelson’s knee injury sidelining him for the season. Randall Cobb received a slight bump while Davante Adams really becomes a player to target. Andrew Luck would seem to now own the tiebreaker over Aaron Rodgers for top spot in our QB rankings.

In terms of picking the right WR3 on the Packers, that is up for debate. Ty Montgomery appears to be first in line, but Jeff Janis and Myles White are in the mix.

Houston Texans

Arian Foster rehab news is getting better, as the timetable for his return continues to shrink. The latest, a possible early season return in the range of Weeks 2 to 4, and based on the injury, he should be pretty much a full-go on return. That would mean we have Alfred Blue too high and Foster too low in our projections and rankings prior to the update accompanying this post.

New England Patriots

The Pats signed veteran WR Reggie Wayne, which was a signal maybe Brandon LaFell isn’t as healthy as the team would have hoped. Julian Edelman also recently revealed he might miss Week 1.

New York Giants

Tap the brakes on all the positive Victor Cruz rehab stories. He is dealing with inflammation in his calf and now looks to be eased back in to regular playing time, even though he remains confident he will play Week 1.

There is some noise of RB Andre Williams taking over as the primary back ahead of Rashad Jennings. Don’t really buy it, but the next preseason game hopefully sheds some light on the situation.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed QB Michael Vick, Bruce Gradkowski to IR.

Steelers get slapped with another suspension, and it is another big one. WR Martavis Bryant gets 4 games for substance abuse. He is appealing, so we are waiting to hear the outcome of that, but Markus Wheaton moves up and Bryant drops in anticipation of missing at least a couple of games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

WR Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury and the team is going to hold him out for the remainder of the preseason. It doesn’t appear overly serious but he wouldn’t be my first choice amongst similar ranked receivers in the same tier. Hamstring injuries can linger.

Washington Redskins

The relationship between QB Robert Griffin III and the Redskins organization is heading down a rocky road again. He got beat up in their last preseason game. It doesn’t matter to me where the blame lies, but hard to imagine he plays 16 games at this rate, and the upside we might have thought could return, appears to be gone. Moving down.

Filed Under: Fantasy Football

Pre-Training Camp Fantasy Football News and Notes

July 21, 2015 By Draft Buddy Leave a Comment

Here is a recap of key NFL news and notes from the last two weeks potentially impacting the fantasy football value of the players mentioned and their teammates. It’s been pretty quiet on the news front heading into the start of training camps later this week, but a few of these items will factor in to our next projections and rankings update.

Free Agents of Interest

RB Chris Johnson
WR Reggie Wayne
TE Jermaine Gresham

Potential Roster Cuts

RB Ronnie Hillman, Broncos
WR Josh Morgan, Saints
WR Justin Hunter, Titans
TE Andrew Quarless, Packers

Arizona Cardinals

We have Michael Floyd ranked fairly high at wide receiver, wondering if he is a “year too early” candidate from high expectations heading into last season. Now it seems the fantasy community is very bullish about John Brown, who admittedly is receiving positive reports from working out with QB Carson Palmer. This is a situation to monitor closely through training camp.

Atlanta Falcons

WR Leonard Hankerson could assume the third wideout spot ahead of rookie Justin Hardy, who could be eased into action. Hankerson is reunited with Kyle Shanahan from their days together with the Washington Redskins.

Baltimore Ravens

If the Ravens don’t add a veteran receiver, then keep an eye on the progress of rookie Breshad Perriman vs. Marlon Brown to be the starter opposite Steve Smith.

Buffalo Bills

Praise for QB Tyrod Taylor out of Bills camp, and given the questionable competition in front of him, these reports have some merit. What the heck, I just added Taylor in a deep dynasty league, dropping Texans QB prospect Tom Savage.

TE MarQueis Gray is excited about the offense for the tight ends. Who? Exactly, but if what Gray is selling has some substance, then it is a good sign for the fantasy prospects of teammate Charles Clay.

Chicago Bears

The Bears are apparently excited about rookie RB Jeremy Langford due to his speed and all-around ability. Expect a heavy workload for Matt Forte, but it’s always good to know a team’s main RB backup if the starter goes down. Langford could be it for the Bears ahead of Ka’Deem Carey and Jacquizz Rodgers.

Cleveland Browns

Some confirmation Isaiah Crowell is expected to be the starter, but reports are the Browns will ride the “hot hand” and Duke Johnson should be used as the primary third down receiving back.

Per Browns beat writer Nathan Zegura, WR Taylor Gabriel will push to be a starter in this offense, ahead of Brian Hartline, with Andrew Hawkins the third down and slot receiver.

Dallas Cowboys

RB Darren McFadden is expected to open training camp as the backup behind anticipated starter Joseph Randle. It should be a good training camp battle to determine the depth chart come Week 1.

WR Terrance Williams received positive reviews from his position coach, and looks like a good value at his current ADP. Second year player Devin Street is another name to keep in mind amongst Cowboys receivers. He worked with the starters in OTAs in place of an absent Dez Bryant.

Denver Broncos

Report: Cody Latimer is the third wide receiver. Fact: We already knew that.

Detroit Lions

The battle is on for … backup QB! Kellen Moore will challenge Dan Orlovsky for the right to back up starter Matthew Stafford.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Positive reports that RB T.J. Yeldon is picking up the offense quickly. The team appears keen to make him the lead back.

Miami Dolphins

WR DeVante Parker is on track for the active roster Week 1, per a Miami Herald report. He is recovering from foot surgery and appears likely to miss at least some of training camp and the preseason.

Minnesota Vikings

WR Jarius Wright is expected to play the slot in 3-WR sets, further reducing the value of Cordarelle Patterson.

New Orleans Saints

Free agent TE Jermaine Gresham was offered a contract, indicating low confidence in current options Josh Hill or Ben Watson. Gresham is also expected to visit the Arizona Cardinals.

New York Giants

The Giants indicate that training camp will provide clarity sorting out the roles for their backfield trio of Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen and Andre Williams.

Seattle Seahawks

There are positive vibes out of Seattle for rookie WR Tyler Lockett. Given the sketchy depth chart, it would be nice if someone established themselves as a reliable fantasy option at wide receiver on this team.

St. Louis Rams

WR Brian Quick is recovering from a pretty serious shoulder injury. He isn’t a lock to participate at the start of training camp, the ESPN report instead indicating Quick “could” be ready for Week 1.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rookie Kenny Bell is competing with Louis Murphy for the starting slot receiver spot in training camp.

TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a name with some building optimism in the fantasy community. Positive reports from OTAs, but there are already a bunch of mouths to feed in this offense.

Tennessee Titans

WR Justin Hunter was arrested July 20 for assault. As a result we’ve added him to the “potential roster cut” list at the top of this post.

Washington Redskins

TE Niles Paul is expected to start if (when?) Jordan Reed struggles with injuries again this year.

Filed Under: Fantasy Football

New York Giants Team Report

June 9, 2015 By Dave Leave a Comment

Look for New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. to average close to 10 targets per game. Barring injury, he rates as a mid to upper tier WR1, quite possibly drafted in the top 5.

Look for New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. to average close to 10 targets per game. Barring injury, he rates as a mid to upper tier WR1, quite possibly drafted in the top 5.

QB Eli Manning

After posting a pair of subpar seasons in 2012 and 2013, Manning returned to form in 2014 despite the absence of Victor Cruz at wide receiver for much of the season and the lack of a proven pass catching tight end entering the season. Despite those issues, he emerged as a solid fit in new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s west coast offense, completing 63.1% of his attempts, a career-high, for 4,410 yards with 30 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions. With the anticipated return of Cruz, Larry Donnell providing reasonably solid production at tight end and the addition of Shane Vereen as a pass receiving threat out of the backfield, look for Manning to remain a lower tier QB1.

RB Rashad Jennings

Signed prior to the 2014 season to a four-year, $10-million contract to lead the Giants backfield, Jennings had an uneven first season in New York as an ankle injury kept him out for five games and limited his usage in two other games. He struggled running the ball, averaging just 3.8 yards on 167 carries while failing to deliver many of the big plays that he managed in Jacksonville and Oakland. The Giants supplemented their backfield with the addition of Shane Vereen during the offseason and he is expected to assume a pass catching role which will likely result in a decrease in Jennings reception total of 30 from last season. In addition, second year player Andre Williams emerged as a solid short yardage option during his rookie season and figures to retain that role in 2015. With a deep backfield and Jennings possibly out of the mix for goal line work, he rates as a low end RB2 or upper tier RB3.

RB Shane Vereen

After four years of mostly teasing the Patriots with his promise as a change of pace, pass receiving option out of the backfield, Vereen signed a three-year contract worth over $12-million with the Giants. The good news is that Vereen reached career highs in most categories last season with 96 rushes for 391 yards and a pair of touchdowns while adding 53 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver. In New York, we can expect him to fulfill the same role as he did with the Patriots although Giants management is certainly hoping for improved health. Vereen appeared in 16 games just once with New England and played in just 24 of the first 48 games of his career. Vereen isn’t a great option in standard scoring leagues since Andre Williams would like take over in the event of an injury to starter Rashad Jennings. However, he rates as a solid option in PPR formats, particularly those that utilize a flex position.

RB Andre Williams

In the 2014 draft, the Giants used a 4th round pick to acquire Boston College’s Andre Williams and he produced a solid rookie season with 720 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 130 receiving yards on 18 receptions. An imposing, physical runner, Williams’ lack of speed figures to limit his touches in a now crowded backfield that will feature Rashad Jennings on early downs and free agent signee Shane Vereen in the passing game. After averaging just 3.3 yards per carry as a rookie, Williams will likely be relegated to spelling Jennings occasionally on early downs and possibly working as a short yardage, goal line back. Barring a Jennings injury, Williams isn’t worth owning in standard leagues and he rates as a low end dynasty prospect.

WR Odell Beckham Jr.

The question isn’t whether Odell Beckham Jr. is good. It’s whether he is as good as he looked during his marvelous rookie campaign last season when he displayed game breaking speed and ability, catching 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games. Making those numbers even more impressive is that he caught 70% of his targets while averaging 14.3 yards per game. Did we mention his consistency? He amassed 9.0 or more fantasy points in 11 of his 12 games. And he got better as the season progressed, totaling 60 receptions for 842 yards and nine touchdowns in his final six games. Don’t buy into the notion that Victor Cruz will eat into Beckham’s targets. Look for him to average close to 10 per game. Barring injury, he rates as a mid to upper tier WR1 and we wouldn’t have any qualms with him drafted inside the top 5 wide receivers off the board.

WR Victor Cruz

We have seen a rather rapid decline in Cruz’s performance since his breakout season in 2011 when he caught 82 passes for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns. Last season, he was on his way to another 1,000 yard, 4-5 touchdown season when a torn patellar tendon ended his campaign in Week 6. This is a significant injury for a wide receiver to overcome and offseason reports indicated that he may not be ready for opening day. The truth is that his production in 2011 was in large part smoke and mirrors as he caught five touchdowns that accounted for 387 receiving yards, production that just wasn’t sustainable for a player with his skill set. While his fantasy prognosis doesn’t look great given the injury and Odell Beckham Jr.’s emergence as the team’s top receiving threat, it’s worth noting that his 2011 production occurred when he was thought of as the Giants second best receiving option behind Hakeem Nicks. Monitor his progress in the preseason and adjust accordingly.

WR Rueben Randle

At first glance, it would appear that Randle had a breakout season in 2014, finishing the year with career highs in receptions with 71 and yards with 938. However, the 2012 2nd round pick was once again underwhelming, forced into the starting line-up due to injuries to rookie phenom Odell Beckham Jr. and veteran Victor Cruz. A closer look reveals that Randle caught just 55.9% of his targets last season, only a marginal improvement on his 2013 rate of 51.3%. Not helping matters was that he managed to find pay dirt just three times despite a healthy number of red zone targets. While there is always a chance that the light could truly go on for Randle, the evidence suggests that he has limited upside and he won’t retain his starting spot once Cruz is healthy. Consider Randle worthy of a late round pick in standard 12 team leagues, especially if there are concerns about Cruz’s ability to play in Week 1.

TE Larry Donnell

Not even guaranteed a roster spot entering training camp let alone a major role in the Giants offense after catching just three passes during his first two years in the league, Donnell burst out of the gates last season, catching 25 of his 31 targets for 236 yards and four touchdowns during the first four weeks of the season. He crashed and burned after that, as the Giants started featuring Odell Beckham Jr. Over the final 12 games of the season, Donnell was mostly an afterthought in the team’s offensive game planning, catching 38 passes for 387 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Limited athletically with little big play ability (he averaged just 9.9 yards per reception), Donnell will be touchdown reliant for fantasy purposes this season if Victor Cruz returns to health, giving the team three solid receiving options at wide receiver to go along with newly acquired pass receiving back Shane Vereen. He rates as a mid to lower tier TE2.

Also see: New York Giants IDP Team Report

Filed Under: Fantasy Football

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »
  • Fantasy Baseball
    • Draft Buddy Software
    • Last Player Picked
    • Rankings
  •  
    • Articles
    • News
    • Stats
  • Fantasy Football
    • Draft Buddy Software
    • Rankings
    • Projections
  •  
    • Articles
    • News
    • Stats
Draft Buddy
Member Updates · Facebook icon Facebook · Twitter icon Twitter

Copyright © 2021 Draft Buddy • Privacy Policy