Fantasy Football Local Insider Info Thread

[albionmoonlight]

Many of us are in fantasy leagues. I thought that this thread might be one small way that we could get an edge on folks in our league. No matter how comprehensive national media coverage is, unless your local team is the Cowboys or Patriots, they will not bother on reporting on every aspect of your team.

It occurs to me, though, that we all follow our teams and might have some insight to share in this thread that could help us all. I am not thinking in terms of the major stuff that everyone generally knows--but the things that you hear coming out of camp that might be flying under the national radar.

Here's an example with the Saints:

The team seems committed to running the ball more than in the past. I think that Brees will be an elite fantasy QB again, but I think that he's probably going to be more, like, top-5 elite, instead of setting records.

If you are into handcuffing your running backs, Travaris Cadet is Sproles's handcuff.

I was going to recommend Chris Ivory (now of the Jets), but he's got a sore hamstring, so I have no idea. When healthy, though, he's the real deal.

Jimmy Graham looks elite again.

Looks like a timeshare between Ingram, Sproles, and Thomas.

Nick Toon is the sleeper receiver I'd pick up for $1 in an auction or late in a draft.

Joe Morgan also has potential, but I hear him getting some buzz already, so he will probably be fairly valued in your auction/draft.

If you are drafting IDP, Junior Gallette is the most likely player on the team to put up some significant sack numbers. But this was the worst defense in history last season, so I can't recommend anyone on it too highly.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Reports that Vernon Davis is lining up as a WR are way overblown (according to local beat writers he's done that exactly twice so far). While he may see more action with Crabtree out, he's not going to be lining up as a WR very often, if at all.

[Danny]

Here's your insider raiders draft guide. Janikowski is the only one I would draft.

[SegRat]

Jermichael Finley is looking really good. He is also in a contract year, so he should be playing extra hard.

Dont listen to people saying Johnathan Franklin will "BE" the Packers running back. He was a fourth round pick for a reason. He is no better than the third best running back on the roster. Eddie Lacy will be the back and he will be very productive. Alex Green who was a third round pick a couple of years ago is finally over his ACL tear and should be our third down back.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Danny

Here's your insider raiders draft guide. Janikowski is the only one I would draft.

ford is a good late round depth steal if your league pays return yards.

[BishopMVP]

Danny Amendola will have a monster year... if healthy. Dobson seems to be the main guy getting reps on the outside, but he'll struggle early on and go through growing pains, so there probably isn't another WR worth grabbing. A lot of people have Jake Ballard as a big sleeper, but Zach Sudfeld's really the TE who's stood out.

[spleen1015]

Andrew Luck is good. You should draft him.

[Qwikshot]

Mike Vick seems to be outplaying Foles/Barkley

No idea who receiver #2 is going to be for the Iggles.

[Qwikshot]

I do like hearing that Vereen might be a dual threat for the Pats...I'm just not sure how effective he'll be in either position. But he may be the superflex everyone looks for.

[HomerSimpson98]

Dez Bryant is tearing shit up (in a good way) out in Oxnard.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by SegRat

Jermichael Finley is looking really good. He is also in a contract year, so he should be playing extra hard.

Dont listen to people saying Johnathan Franklin will "BE" the Packers running back. He was a fourth round pick for a reason. He is no better than the third best running back on the roster. Eddie Lacy will be the back and he will be very productive. Alex Green who was a third round pick a couple of years ago is finally over his ACL tear and should be our third down back.

What he said.

[Honolulu_Blue]

There really isn't much in the way of surprises so far in Lions camp.

Fantasy-wise there are three players of note: Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush and Stafford.

David Akers will likely win the kicking job over Kickalicious, which is too bad, because I like the idea of having a Norwegian YouTube sensation as a kicker.

The only potentially under-the-radar type player of note could be Ryan Broyles. If he can stay healthy, he could put up some decent numbers.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

Mike Vick seems to be outplaying Foles/Barkley

No idea who receiver #2 is going to be for the Iggles.

CSN Philly considers the Eagles' No. 2 receiver position "Russell Shepard's to lose."
With Jeremy Maclin out for the year and Riley Cooper on leave, Shepard is practicing as the starter opposite DeSean Jackson. And he's playing outside, not in the slot, where veteran Jason Avant is the incumbent. Shepard was a huge high school quarterback recruit when he arrived at LSU, but never found a steady position in college. He's someone to begin considering in Dynasty leagues

I know nothing of the man.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

I do like hearing that Vereen might be a dual threat for the Pats...I'm just not sure how effective he'll be in either position. But he may be the superflex everyone looks for.

I do think Vereen is a lock to take Woodhead's role as pass-catching back, but so much of who the Pats give snaps to depends on opponent tendency that I wouldn't trust any of their RB's week to week. Plus, Vereen might be as low as 5th on the depth chart of goal-line RB's (Ridley, Blount, Bolden, Tom Brady sneaks).

[Coffee Warlord]

Heh. Keep it coming. Doing a fantasy football league at the office...first time I've done fantasy in years and years.

[Julio Riddols]

Cinci is likely to feature Tyler Eifert a lot more than just a typical rookie TE. Contrary to the Vernon Davis report, Eifert will likely line up everywhere and your mother this season. Gio Bernard probably takes a solid chunk of carries from BenJarvus Green Ellis, but I doubt he takes away many TD's. He'll be a nice handcuff to have though, incredible upside there. I don't think there will be a clear cut number 2 in Cincinnati this year though, although I believe Eifert will be the 2nd most targeted. The ball should be spread out pretty nice. Andy Dalton is a nice later round QB not many people are going to be jumping all over themselves to draft, but I consider him a lock for 4000 yds and 30 TD's if the offense stays healthy.

Defensively, Vontaze Burfict and Leon Hall are probably your best bets. Hall came on very strong at the end of last season while returning from an Achilles tear, and Burfict should rack up an absurd number of tackles. Geno Atkins is also a stud in case you haven't heard about him.

As a team defense I'd expect a top 5 finish this year. The depth all across the board is really good (except maybe SS- the jury is out there, but it seems George Iloka is getting a long look along with Shawn Williams) Dre Kirkpatrick has apparently played well in camp too.

I think your best bet for learning a lot about the Bengals will be from watching Hard Knocks though.

[HomerSimpson98]

Who do y'all think the 1st QB off the board should be?

Brady? He has all new receivers and Gronk returns who knows when.
Rodgers? Line looks like shit again and Jordy has injury problems - again.
Brees? Seems to be the safest choice but the OP has me concerned a bit.
Peyton? Are concerns with velocity still there? What about the winter months?
Stafford? Hahaha. Fuck you, you killed my team last year asshole. Never again.
Cam? Suck balls half the year and then pad stats when the season is basically over?

I'm having a hard time here.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by HomerSimpson98

Who do y'all think the 1st QB off the board should be?

Brady? He has all new receivers and Gronk returns who knows when.
Rodgers? Line looks like shit again and Jordy has injury problems - again.
Brees? Seems to be the safest choice but the OP has me concerned a bit.
Peyton? Are concerns with velocity still there? What about the winter months?
Stafford? Hahaha. Fuck you, you killed my team last year asshole. Never again.
Cam? Suck balls half the year and then pad stats when the season is basically over?

I'm having a hard time here.

Brees, Rodgers, Peyton, Brady, Cam, Stafford

...though I would be inclined to think due to his age, Peyton will be drafted later than Brady, Cam and Stafford.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by HomerSimpson98

Who do y'all think the 1st QB off the board should be?

Rodgers

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by HomerSimpson98

Who do y'all think the 1st QB off the board should be?

Definitely Rodgers, Brees, Manning, Brady, Newton, Stafford.

[PackerFanatic]

Rodgers had a shit line last year and still put up monster numbers. Even with Bulaga out, I would have to think they can't be that bad again (that's the eternal optimist in me). Team is pretty high on rookie Bakhtiari who looks like the front-runner to start at LT. I wouldn't write that line off yet

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

Brees, Rodgers, Peyton, Brady, Cam, Stafford

...though I would be inclined to think due to his age, Peyton will be drafted later than Brady, Cam and Stafford.

ADP on Yahoo:

Rodgers 12.8
Brees 18.3
Peyton 25.2
Cam 28.5
Brady 39.6
Stafford 63.2

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs3

ADP on Yahoo:

Rodgers 12.8
Brees 18.3
Peyton 25.2
Cam 28.5
Brady 39.6
Stafford 63.2

All way to high, but the order seems ok.

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

There really isn't much in the way of surprises so far in Lions camp.

Fantasy-wise there are three players of note: Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush and Stafford.

David Akers will likely win the kicking job over Kickalicious, which is too bad, because I like the idea of having a Norwegian YouTube sensation as a kicker.

The only potentially under-the-radar type player of note could be Ryan Broyles. If he can stay healthy, he could put up some decent numbers.

I can't get through a Lions or QB discussion without chuckling about his fantasy football nickname, Stat Padford.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Bobble

I can't get through a Lions or QB discussion without chuckling about his fantasy football nickname, Stat Padford.

That is hilarious, and incredibly accurate.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Danny

All way to high, but the order seems ok.

Depends on the scoring system. Sure those are low to some.

[HomerSimpson98]

Thanks for the input fellas. Brees and Rodgers are my 1 and 1a picks, so I may lean a little more towards Discounting the Double-Check as the draft approaches.

And my league is very QB-heavy in scoring and the elite ones perform significantly better than the good ones, so I dont want to be left behind.

[bhlloy]

Saints receiving core is weaker than previous years with no Henderson and Morgan gone for the season. I think Brees is a clear #2 behind Rodgers, even with Payton back

[Julio Riddols]

If Dane Sanzenbacher plays consistently as well he did last night, he's going to be good.

[tarcone]

The Rams defense is poised to be a very good unit this year. Top 10 possibly top 5. This could be a sleeper pick for the leagues on the coast. It has all the components. And Fisher is a defense guy.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

Depends on the scoring system. Sure those are low to some.

Using a normal scoring system that is way too high. Qb depth this year is fantastic

[Honolulu_Blue]

It's odd to think that one of the things that I'm most interested in watching during the Lions pre-season games is Kickalicious.

[Honolulu_Blue]

A quick update on the Lions following the first pre-season game (take it for what it's worth)

- In two series the Lions first string offense looked a lot like the Lions offense of a year ago. Calvin Johnson. Calvin Johnson. Calvin Johnson. And.... nothing else. At all. Reggie Bush had one nice run where he hurdled some dude, but that was it.

- The secondary looked horrible, a lot like the Lions secondary of a year ago. Gave up some big third downs and Jets receivers were largely wide open on many plays.

- Ziggy Ansah looked great. He had a pick six on the Jets first drive and had a few other good plays.

- Kickalicious was 2-for-2 on field goals, including a 50 yarder. David Akers also looked solid. I imagine if Akers continues to look good, the Lions will go with the sure thing over the Norwegian sensation.

- In other kicking news, the Lions 5th round pick, punter David Martin, was great punts and kick-offs. Given how horrible the Lions special teams were last year (outside of Hanson on field goals) these are good things.

- The only guy on offense who stood out other than Calvin Johnson was wide out Matt Willis. He's a veteran guy who has bounced around the league a bit. He made two great catches. It was against back-ups, but good on him.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Late round WR for the Pats to keep an eye on - Kenbrell Thompkins. Looked to be running the Hernandez routes and caught everything thrown at him. Will likely not be spectacular but 70 balls is a possibility as a release valve.

[albionmoonlight]

With Joe Morgan lost for the year, the Saints need a speed guy to step up and fill his role. Based on the first preseason game, Kenny Stills might be that guy. Much like Nick Toon, he's a potential high-upside guy who you should be able to pick up for $1 or at the end of your draft.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs3

Late round WR for the Pats to keep an eye on - Kenbrell Thompkins. Looked to be running the Hernandez routes and caught everything thrown at him. Will likely not be spectacular but 70 balls is a possibility as a release valve.

Thompkins has been a great surprise, and I think he'll definitely make the team and get some PT, but I don't think he's worth drafting (mayyyybe in a PPR league). Amendola will duplicate Welker's numbers, Dobson will get most of the snaps on the outside and probably approach Lloyd's numbers (~800 yards, a few TD's), but be very inconsistent game to game, and Sudfeld (not Ballard) is a good pick up when Gronk is out of action (I won't rule Gronk out from playing Week 1, but he should start on the PUP list and miss the first 6 games). The other 3 WR's (Thompkins, Boyce, Edelman) though are still a little undefined, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Boyce getting more snaps than Thompkins in 3 WR sets due to his big-play ability. I suspect you'll see a lot of lines from Thompkins like Friday night - a couple important 1st downs, but only 4 catches, 26 yards, or 6 catches 45 yards, with no TD's.

(Fwiw, I'm surprised (and glad) no columnist has jumped on Thompkins history and claimed the Pats haven't learned anything from Hernandez's arrest.)

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

4*16 = 64
6*16 = 96

[Vince, Pt. II]

Reports from 49er land indicate that the #2 WR job is sill wide open. Last year's first round pick AJ Jenkins (who has 1 drop and 0 catches in his NFL career on a team that had very little WR talent last year) has been impressive in camp, but promptly fumbled his first preseason catch. Kyle Williams (most notable for his punt return flub in the 2011 NFC Championship against the Giants) missed all of last season with an injury, and is expected by many to win the job, but that's far from a sure thing. New TE Vance McDonald was very impressive in his debut, but he's still behind Vernon Davis.

The short version: there probably aren't very many 49er WRs worth drafting.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Reports from 49er land indicate that the #2 WR job is sill wide open. Last year's first round pick AJ Jenkins (who has 1 drop and 0 catches in his NFL career on a team that had very little WR talent last year) has been impressive in camp, but promptly fumbled his first preseason catch. Kyle Williams (most notable for his punt return flub in the 2011 NFC Championship against the Giants) missed all of last season with an injury, and is expected by many to win the job, but that's far from a sure thing. New TE Vance McDonald was very impressive in his debut, but he's still behind Vernon Davis.

The short version: there probably aren't very many 49er WRs worth drafting.

Remind me, is Crabtree out for the year? If so, I presume Boldin is the #1?

[Vince, Pt. II]

Crabtree out until at least November. Boldin is the #1.

[Vince, Pt. II]

A little more in-depth about the 49ers wideout situation:

#1 WR:Michael Crabtree Anquan Boldin - This is really the only sure thing, and likely to be your only WR that is fantasy viable, at least via the draft.

The contenders:

A.J. Jenkins - Former first round pick, had a pretty terrible rookie year with 1 drop and 0 catches. He looked great in early camp, but has looked pretty terrible lately. Although he was getting more reps than anyone early in the pre-season, his snaps are being taken up by Collie and others as he isn't taking advantage of his opportunity. He's currently listed behind Boldin on the depth chart. It's worth noting that in college at Illinois, he was completely terrible for his first two seasons before a solid Junior season and a fantastic Senior season. He's shown flashes, so people around these parts are hoping it's just a matter of getting his head around things. The weak points that have been talked about are his inability to get off the line of scrimmage and his inability to win contested balls.

Kyle Williams - Coming off a torn ACL, he's been working his butt off in practice. Before his injury, he was coming on strong as a viable receiving option, and it appeared he was going to be a decent wideout. Right now, he's listed as the starter at WR #2 alongside Boldin.

Quinton Patton - 4th round pick out of LaTech, he's getting rave reviews from everyone. Mostly because he was so excited to get out here that he flew to SF on his own dime, rented a car and headed to the practice facility. The team literally had to turn him away because he wasn't allowed to be there for another week before the rookie camps started. He's working his tail off and has promise, but he broke his finger at the beginning of camp and hasn't been able to even attempt to catch balls. Currently they have him doing route running drills and then literally ducking as the ball sails over his head. He's getting a lot of pub as a player with upside, especially with the lack of receiving talent on the team currently. He's a pretty awesome interview, for what it's worth. I'll be keeping an eye on him.

Mario Manningham - Coming off a torn ACL, he hasn't even managed to find his way to the depth chart yet. Looking more and more like he's going to start the season on the PUP list.

Austin Collie - Well, he was signed. That's about all I can tell you. Simply based on his pedigree, he's probably got a better shot to contribute than the rest of the rabble on the roster at the moment.

Ricardo Lockette, Lavelle Hawkins, Chad Hall, Marlon Moore, Kassim Osgood, Chuck Jacobs - I can't imagine any of these guys making any noise. I've heard that Lockette and Osgood have looked pretty good, but only in passing.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Danny

Using a normal scoring system that is way too high. Qb depth this year is fantastic

That is very true - very good QB class this year, not as big of a need to jump for the "top tier", since they aren't as far away from the other tiers anymore.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs3

4*16 = 64
6*16 = 96

Yeah, I get that, but when you say a WR will have 70 receptions I think the natural assumption is he'll put up close to 1000 yards and 8 TD's (Of 21 receivers with 70+ receptions last year, only 3 didn't have 1000 yds - Randall Cobb (954) Brandon Lloyd (911) and oddly the least by far Larry Fitzgerald (798).) Now, I never play PPR, so maybe I'm underestimating the fantasy value of someone who's upside is Jason Avant/Donnie Avery.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

If it's late in the draft, that's great value. Yahoo just did an experts 14 team .75 PPR and Thompkins went Round 9 ahead of Alshon Jeffery, Aaron Dobson, Kendall Wright, Cordarrelle Patterson. So the cat might already be out of the bag on Thompkins.

[Passacaglia]

I had the NFL Network on randomly throughout the weekend, and I heard his name mentioned a few times.

[Danny]

Jered Veldheer down for the season. Raiders deservedly don't get much attention, but he was developing into a beast of a left tackle and with him now done for the season, downgrade all raider players even more.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Danny

Jered Veldheer down for the season. Raiders deservedly don't get much attention, but he was developing into a beast of a left tackle and with him now done for the season, downgrade all raider players even more.

Can I downgrade further than "DO NOT DRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"?

[Danny]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Can I downgrade further than "DO NOT DRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"?

lol, well Mcfadden has an ADP of 3rd round I think. I would downgrade him (although he was lower on my list already).

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Can I downgrade further than "DO NOT DRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"?

Downgrade him to DO NOT DRAFT with 20 exclamation points, not 17.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Not that I want any Raiders anyway, but I thought I read that the injury wasn't as bad as first reported.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...uch-of-season/