Fantasy Preview: NFC East
Fantasy Preview: AFC East By Jay Ruggiero (email)
NY Jets
Undervalued: There are a few guys that fit this spot, but I’m going to go with Braylon Edwards. By all accounts, he has looked terrific in camp, making acrobatic catch after acrobatic catch. Sure, we’ve heard this before, but he is in a contract year. With Santonio Holmes facing a four game suspension and defenses having to stack the box to prevent the running game, Edwards is fantastic value in the seventh or eighth round, which is where he is going according to MockDraftCentral.com.
Sleeper: The Jets last season were the very definition of a smash mouth football team. Do you have ANY idea how many times the Jets ran the ball? Over 600 times. 607 times, to be exact. To put that in context, the next closest team had 525 rushes. Now, the Jets have added a ton of aerial weapons to help “The Sanchize,” but the strength of this team is its offensive line and running attack. Shonn Greene will get the bulk of the carries, but even if he gets 300, you figure there are another 250 at least to go. Enter LT. Tomlinson isn’t nearly the weapon he used to be, but with the shaky injury history of Greene, the running style of the team and the fact that Greene isn’t adept at catching passes, LT will get a lot of run. Currently, he is going in the 11th round and is a steal if you grab him in the 9th round.
Bust: Ugh… I hate to do it. Really, I do. I love the Jets, I love Rex Ryan and his brash mouth. And even though both HBO and the Jets are telling everyone Sanchez looks to have taken the next step, I just don’t buy it. First, as stated earlier, this team runs the ball. A LOT. Sanchez had 12 TDs and 20 interceptions last year. He carried the ball sloppy and should have fumbled even more then he did. Santonio Holmes is going to take time to develop chemistry. I hope I’m wrong, but Sanchez should not be drafted in anything but the DEEPEST of leagues.
Patriots
Undervalued: Even though he burns fantasy owners more the Chris Johnson burns defenses, Lawrence Maroney is extremely undervalued. At least for now, Maroney is the starting RB on a top offense, and yet he is going on average in the eleventh round. Getting a starting running back that late is unheard of. Now, I wouldn’t want to have to depend on him as a starting RB, but if you get him as a third or fourth RB on your roster, he is an ideal fill in for injury/bye week. Also, he’s playing for a contract. When you’re playing for a new deal, you tend to show up.
Sleeper: Brandon Tate has been a human highlight reel thus far in camp. A second year guy with good speed and size, there is a legit shot he wins the starting wide receiver spot on the opposite side of Randy Moss and the team cuts Tory Holt. Any receiver playing in a system that throws the ball as often as the Pats do has value. Tate is not getting selected in most drafts, and is an ideal late round flier. This is the type of player that could become the Miles Austin of this season. Instead of grabbing a backup defense or kicker, give Tate a chance. You’ll thank me later.
Bust: It’s difficult to find a guy to place here. Most of the Pats are going right around the spot they should. If I had to pick one, I would have to say Wes Welker. Look, if you’re in a point per catch league, Welker is a number one wide receiver. If you aren’t, this is a guy that racks up 1,000 yards but rarely scores touchdowns. Factoring in the injury concerns (even though he is practicing), the other weapons and the relatively high draft pick you need to use on “The Slot Machine,” I could see Welker being a major bust.
Dolphins
Undervalued: I love Ronnie Brown this year. Sure, he has the Lisfranc injury that he is still recovering from but he is practicing already at full speed, and every time he gets hurt he bounces back the next season. Brown is playing for a contract this year, and I have made my feelings known on guys who are playing for new deals. I can see the Dolphins relying heavily on Brown then letting him walk after the season. For a guy going late in round four, I think you get second round production out of him. IF he stays healthy.
Sleeper: The sexy pick here is Chad Henne. The sleeper that I like best, however, is Brian Hartline. A big guy that has deceptive speed, Hartline now has Brandon Marshall on the other side and Bess in the slot. Both Marshall and Bess are guys that catch short passes, and the Dolphins will need someone to stretch the field to keep the safeties honest. Reportedly Hartline has won the job, and I can foresee Hartline handling the deep passes and being an ideal compliment to Marshall.
Bust: Sticky Icky Williams gets the call here. I know Ricky had a big year last year, but the big numbers really started when Brown went down. Factoring in his age, his… shall we say… questionable history, and the fact that Brown is back as well as Brandon Marshall came into town, and I just think round five is too high for him. You’ve been warned.
Bills
Undervalued: Fred Jackson. Look, this is a guy that played great in limited opportunities two years ago, and really came into his own last year. What the Bills needed to push Jackson into stardom is offensive line help. So it makes total sense that they took CJ Spiller in round one, and didn’t add any line help until late in the draft. Please note, that was complete sarcasm. While Spiller is getting the headlines (and I love him on most other teams), Jackson is going to be the guy to handle the rock on the inside. Considering he is going three rounds later then Spiller, he’s a steal.
Sleeper: Two years ago, Marshawn Lynch was a first round pick. He was the second running back taken a couple spots behind Adrian Peterson. Now, he is buried on the depth charts. The reason I listed him here is there is a great chance he gets dealt once an injury occurs somewhere else in the NFL. Otherwise, this is a guy that is going undrafted that will still get some run, and could be useful. He is definitely worth a shot late in the draft.
Bust: This is the spot for the third head of the three headed monster. CJ Spiller is dynamic. He is the Bills version of Reggie Bush. If your league counts special teams yards, Spiller is a beast. Otherwise, please explain to me how this kid is going to run the ball. The line is bad. The quarterback is bad. The wide receivers are bad. The tight end? Bad. Reggie Bush has value because he has a great O-Line and an even greater quarterback to get him the ball when he splits out wide. But guess what? This ain’t New Orleans… Round four or five makes Spiller a huge bust.
NY Jets
Undervalued: There are a few guys that fit this spot, but I’m going to go with Braylon Edwards. By all accounts, he has looked terrific in camp, making acrobatic catch after acrobatic catch. Sure, we’ve heard this before, but he is in a contract year. With Santonio Holmes facing a four game suspension and defenses having to stack the box to prevent the running game, Edwards is fantastic value in the seventh or eighth round, which is where he is going according to MockDraftCentral.com.
Sleeper: The Jets last season were the very definition of a smash mouth football team. Do you have ANY idea how many times the Jets ran the ball? Over 600 times. 607 times, to be exact. To put that in context, the next closest team had 525 rushes. Now, the Jets have added a ton of aerial weapons to help “The Sanchize,” but the strength of this team is its offensive line and running attack. Shonn Greene will get the bulk of the carries, but even if he gets 300, you figure there are another 250 at least to go. Enter LT. Tomlinson isn’t nearly the weapon he used to be, but with the shaky injury history of Greene, the running style of the team and the fact that Greene isn’t adept at catching passes, LT will get a lot of run. Currently, he is going in the 11th round and is a steal if you grab him in the 9th round.
Bust: Ugh… I hate to do it. Really, I do. I love the Jets, I love Rex Ryan and his brash mouth. And even though both HBO and the Jets are telling everyone Sanchez looks to have taken the next step, I just don’t buy it. First, as stated earlier, this team runs the ball. A LOT. Sanchez had 12 TDs and 20 interceptions last year. He carried the ball sloppy and should have fumbled even more then he did. Santonio Holmes is going to take time to develop chemistry. I hope I’m wrong, but Sanchez should not be drafted in anything but the DEEPEST of leagues.
Patriots
Undervalued: Even though he burns fantasy owners more the Chris Johnson burns defenses, Lawrence Maroney is extremely undervalued. At least for now, Maroney is the starting RB on a top offense, and yet he is going on average in the eleventh round. Getting a starting running back that late is unheard of. Now, I wouldn’t want to have to depend on him as a starting RB, but if you get him as a third or fourth RB on your roster, he is an ideal fill in for injury/bye week. Also, he’s playing for a contract. When you’re playing for a new deal, you tend to show up.
Sleeper: Brandon Tate has been a human highlight reel thus far in camp. A second year guy with good speed and size, there is a legit shot he wins the starting wide receiver spot on the opposite side of Randy Moss and the team cuts Tory Holt. Any receiver playing in a system that throws the ball as often as the Pats do has value. Tate is not getting selected in most drafts, and is an ideal late round flier. This is the type of player that could become the Miles Austin of this season. Instead of grabbing a backup defense or kicker, give Tate a chance. You’ll thank me later.
Bust: It’s difficult to find a guy to place here. Most of the Pats are going right around the spot they should. If I had to pick one, I would have to say Wes Welker. Look, if you’re in a point per catch league, Welker is a number one wide receiver. If you aren’t, this is a guy that racks up 1,000 yards but rarely scores touchdowns. Factoring in the injury concerns (even though he is practicing), the other weapons and the relatively high draft pick you need to use on “The Slot Machine,” I could see Welker being a major bust.
Dolphins
Undervalued: I love Ronnie Brown this year. Sure, he has the Lisfranc injury that he is still recovering from but he is practicing already at full speed, and every time he gets hurt he bounces back the next season. Brown is playing for a contract this year, and I have made my feelings known on guys who are playing for new deals. I can see the Dolphins relying heavily on Brown then letting him walk after the season. For a guy going late in round four, I think you get second round production out of him. IF he stays healthy.
Sleeper: The sexy pick here is Chad Henne. The sleeper that I like best, however, is Brian Hartline. A big guy that has deceptive speed, Hartline now has Brandon Marshall on the other side and Bess in the slot. Both Marshall and Bess are guys that catch short passes, and the Dolphins will need someone to stretch the field to keep the safeties honest. Reportedly Hartline has won the job, and I can foresee Hartline handling the deep passes and being an ideal compliment to Marshall.
Bust: Sticky Icky Williams gets the call here. I know Ricky had a big year last year, but the big numbers really started when Brown went down. Factoring in his age, his… shall we say… questionable history, and the fact that Brown is back as well as Brandon Marshall came into town, and I just think round five is too high for him. You’ve been warned.
Bills
Undervalued: Fred Jackson. Look, this is a guy that played great in limited opportunities two years ago, and really came into his own last year. What the Bills needed to push Jackson into stardom is offensive line help. So it makes total sense that they took CJ Spiller in round one, and didn’t add any line help until late in the draft. Please note, that was complete sarcasm. While Spiller is getting the headlines (and I love him on most other teams), Jackson is going to be the guy to handle the rock on the inside. Considering he is going three rounds later then Spiller, he’s a steal.
Sleeper: Two years ago, Marshawn Lynch was a first round pick. He was the second running back taken a couple spots behind Adrian Peterson. Now, he is buried on the depth charts. The reason I listed him here is there is a great chance he gets dealt once an injury occurs somewhere else in the NFL. Otherwise, this is a guy that is going undrafted that will still get some run, and could be useful. He is definitely worth a shot late in the draft.
Bust: This is the spot for the third head of the three headed monster. CJ Spiller is dynamic. He is the Bills version of Reggie Bush. If your league counts special teams yards, Spiller is a beast. Otherwise, please explain to me how this kid is going to run the ball. The line is bad. The quarterback is bad. The wide receivers are bad. The tight end? Bad. Reggie Bush has value because he has a great O-Line and an even greater quarterback to get him the ball when he splits out wide. But guess what? This ain’t New Orleans… Round four or five makes Spiller a huge bust.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home