Fantasy Football Fix July 23 2010
Michael Vick is back! Or at least that’s what offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg says.
“”I think he’s back.”
“In our mini camps, you could see that great, great athleticism,” Mornhinweg told the Daily Press’ David Teel during a stop at the Top Gun football camp in James City County.
“I would expect great things from Michael Vick this year,” Mornhinweg said.”
Michael Vick may be used in goal-line situations and will get chance to start if Kolb falls on his face. This latest news is reason enough to bump Kolb down a tad on your cheat sheets as the threat of Micheal Vick stealing goal-line work puts a damper in the fantasy value of Kevin Kolb….as well as LeSean McCoy.
Hakeem Nicks or Steve Smith? Rotoworld Writer Evan Silva analyzes and points out that Nicks is the much better value and may indeed finish the season with more fantasy value than Smith. He goes onto say that it is not likely that Nicks surpasses Smith’s 09 campaign, but we here at WMFL do not expect Smith to surpass or even repeat his 09 fantasy performance. Smith is the better bet in PPR leagues but his current ADP is too expensive for a player that will likely see less TD’s and targets than last year. Look forward when drafting with past performances giving you extra information; do not draft on last years performance.
Teammate Steve Smith calls Hakeem Nicks a prime breakout candidate.
“Hakeem Nicks. He showed me a lot of ability last year, just raw talent. If he works on some of the little things, the sky is the limit.”
Smith is right and he has a chance to surpass Smith as the most valuable fantasy receiver on the New York Giants.
KFFL has released the ultra-handy running back handcuff chart; this is a must-have bookmark for all serious fantasy football G.M’s. Pay attention: deep leaguers, snap up your handcuff as a injury can be detrimental if you do not have an adequate replacement or his handcuff. Dynasty league G.M’s there are a bunch of handcuff’s you want to pay particular attention to and you should put all of them on your fantasy radar. Redraft players, know their names and if the starter goes down put in your claim and enjoy the benefits of his owner not covering all bases.
A fantasy owners worst nightmare is touchdown vultures, our friends at The Hazean gives us a rundown of the top TD vultures and you would be advised to adjust your cheat sheets accordingly. TD vultures are a detriment to a players fantasy potential and at the same time become fantasy relevant because of their red-zone usage.
Fantasy Football Maniax released a list of fantasy football sleepers which includes Michael Crabtree and Justin Forsett. Forsett is destined to breakout as he earned the coaches confidence last season and has little able competition to start as Leon Washington is coming off of injury and Julius Jones is better served as a backup at this point in his career. Crabtree averaged 7.8 targets a game last season and is destined for a breakout season and to begin his rise into the upper echelon of fantasy receivers.
Fantasy Football Librarian is a great source for fantasy sports links and is a site we visit daily.
Has Miles Austin seized the WR Crown? Yes, according to KC Joyner of ESPN. He makes an interesting case but with Dez Bryant being drafted Miles Austin is no longer the most talented receiver on his team, which is a major red flag and key reason I do not even have Miles Austin ranked in my top-5. Does Miles Austin have the potential to lead in fantasy value for wide-outs? Yes, but not likely in our eyes with Dez Bryant looking for touches as well as Roy Williams who has something to prove after a disappointing stint thus far in Dallas.
Is Rashard Mendenhall less effective than thought? That is the case Flex Position writer Ryan Chatelain is making:
“Running back Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 53 or fewer yards in four of the Steelers’ final eight games last season, averaging 3.5 yards per carry or worse in all four.”
A surprising tidbit that when added to the short-yardage job being up for grabs will make me knock Mendenhall out of the first round discussion. The injury to Colon as discussed here should be more reason to knock him down your rankings.
Interested in trading draft picks? Footballguys have a nice application to assist you in your trade decision.
If you did not already know the folks at KFFL have a super-handy trade analyzer which can help you decided which way to go on deals. The only issue with it is that rankings are not updated throughout the year for the analyzer so trade analysis will always be based on preseason rankings. This is a tool I have used quite a bit before and I highly recommend.
