Month: August 2012

Dolphins’ Sean Smith down 24 pounds to 190

stevenlourie Dolphins, News

Sean Smith has reportedly showed up to camp slimmed down 24 pounds to 6-3 190, making a strong impression, and looking poised to bounce back from a down season. In 2011, he allowed 61 completions on 104 attempts (58.7%) for 793 yards (7.6 YPA), 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, while deflecting 5 passes and committing 2 penalties.

In 2010, he allowed 24 completions on 45 attempts (53.3%) for 325 yards (7.2 YPA), 1 touchdown and 1 interception, while deflecting 8 passes and committing 1 penalty in 11 starts at cornerback. He’ll compete with Vontae Davis, who is reportedly out of shape, and Richard Marshall, who is coming off a surprisingly strong season.

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Saints want Mark Ingram to be a 200 touch player

stevenlourie News, Saints

Mark Ingram is healthy and the Saints reportedly want him to have 200 touches or more this season, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He was on pace for 213 as a rookie in 10 games, before missing 6 with injury. There’s definitely upside in fantasy football with him potentially having a breakout year in 2012. He’ll also get the goal line carries, which there figure to be plenty of in New Orleans.

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Laurent Robinson struggling in Training Camp for Jaguars

stevenlourie Jaguars, News

This is not what you want to hear. Laurent Robinson, a one year wonder who could regress after signing a giant contract with a team with that has a terrible quarterback, is reportedly really struggling in Training Camp. Even both he and his team admit it in separate interviews with the Florida Times Union. I guess that’s what happens when you give 32.5 million over 5 years to a receiver who was a final cut last offseason. Stay away from him in fantasy football.

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Stevan Ridley, Brandon Lloyd having strong Training Camps for Patriots

stevenlourie News, Patriots

Stevan Ridley and Brandon Lloyd are reportedly having very strong Training Camps for the Patriots. Lloyd their best deep threat since Randy Moss gave a shit. Brandon Lloyd and Tom Brady reportedly look like they’ve been playing together for years and he is obviously very comfortable in new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ system, as is Brady, who set the single season touchdown record with 50 in 2007 under McDaniels.

Before McDaniels was fired as Head Coach in Denver in 2010, Lloyd caught 60 passes for 1153 yards and 9 touchdowns in 12 games with Kyle Orton as his quarterback. In 2011, he was traded to St. Louis, where McDaniels was the offensive coordinator. He caught 51 passes for 683 yards and 5 touchdowns in 11 games with an injured Sam Bradford, AJ Feeley, and Kellen Clemens at quarterback.

In the last 2 years, he has 111 catches for 1836 yards and 14 touchdowns in 23 games with McDaniels. Over 16 games, that’s 77 catches for 1277 yards and 10 touchdowns. With Kyle Orton, AJ Feeley, Kellen Clemens, and an injured Sam Bradford throwing him the football. Now he has Tom Brady throwing him the football. Remember, this guy led the league in receiving two years ago. He won’t do that because the Patriots just have too many options, but he could easily go for over 1000 yards receiving.

Tom Brady was 346 for 470 (73.6%) for 4420 yards (9.4 YPA), 39 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions when throwing to Welker, Gronkowski, and Hernandez. Throwing to everyone else, he was 131 of 216 (60.6%), 1719 yards (8.0 YPA), 7 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions (the rest were throw aways and other non-targets). Brandon Lloyd will undoubtedly help.

Meanwhile, Brady and the Patriots’ offense will also be helped out by the emergence of Stevan Ridley. While Lloyd is their best deep threat since Moss, Ridley could be their most explosive back since Corey Dillon. BenJarvus Green-Ellis was the perfect running back for the Patriots because he never fumbled and could run through holes.

However, he was not explosive at all and didn’t do anything after contact. In his career, including playoffs, BJGE had 1305 yards after contact on 557 carries, just 2.3 yards per carry after contact. Before him, Laurence Maroney was inconsistent, ranging from solid to all kinds of crap. Ridley looks poised to take over almost the entirety of BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ old work load (410 carries in the last 2 seasons), especially after getting all the first team reps in their first preseason game and impressing with 40 yards on 8 carries. The Patriots could exceed even the 32.1 points per game they had last season.

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Seahawks expected to hold Sidney Rice out of contact for most of Preseason

stevenlourie News, Seahawks

Sidney Rice is not expected to be cleared for contact for most of the Preseason. It’s mostly precautionary and he should be out there week 1, but it’s definitely not a good sign. Neither is the fact that they’ve signed Antonio Bryant (eventually cut 10 days later), Braylon Edwards, and Terrell Owens in the last couple weeks.

He’s still got upside in fantasy football, if he can stay healthy, and he’s worth a late round flier, but his current ADP in the 9th round is too high. He’s had 3 concussions and 2 shoulder surgeries in the last calendar year. Meanwhile, while he had 83 catches for 1312 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2009, he’s missed a combined 23 games in his other 4 seasons and never gone over 32 catches, 484 yards, or 4 touchdowns in any of those 4 seasons. He’s almost definitely going to be a fantasy dud this season.

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Lions’ Jahvid Best “weeks, not days” away from returning

stevenlourie Lions, News

According to the Detroit Free Press, Jim Schwartz says Jahvid Best is still “weeks” away from practicing. He probably will not return until the 3rd preseason game at the latest. Meanwhile, Mikel Leshoure is still not 100% back from a torn Achilles and will miss the first 2 games with a suspension. Because of this, Kevin Smith will almost definitely be their week 1 starter and could be much more if he impresses early. There’s definite sleeper value here in fantasy circles.

Meanwhile, as for Best, even when he returns, he’ll only be used in a Darren Sproles role to keep him fresh. Sproles is good in fantasy circles in the Darren Sproles role, but he’s the only one. If Best has the mere 87 carries Sproles had last season, he’ll be undraftable in non-PPR leagues. Sproles only had fantasy value because he averaged 6.9 YPC and caught 86 passes for 710 yards and 7 touchdowns. Not a lot of guys can do that.

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Chiefs’ Jonathan Baldwin dominating in absence of Dwayne Bowe

stevenlourie Chiefs, News

Baldwin didn’t do much as a rookie last year, but he was a 1st round pick and a bad rookie year is hardly damning for a receiver. Baldwin has been impressing in Dwayne Bowe’s absence in Training Camp and should be able to nail down a starting job, moving Steve Breaston to the slot, even once Bowe returns.

Breaston had 61 catches for 785 yards and 2 touchdowns last year with inferior quarterback play. Baldwin is more talented and definitely has upside as a late round flier in fantasy football. Unfortunately, he’s limited by his quarterback and Bowe’s presence, as well as the presence of Breaston and Tony Moeaki. He should be more productive in 2013, once Bowe is likely gone.

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Kyle Rudolph shining for Vikings in John Carlson’s absence

stevenlourie News, Vikings

Kyle Rudolph was a 2nd round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and he is reportedly having a very strong Training Camp. Meanwhile, #2 tight end John Carlson could miss a large portion of the preseason. If Rudolph had even the 70 targets that Visanthe Shiancoe, the incumbent starter who is gone, had last season, he would have had 47 catches for 450 yards and 5 touchdowns. Heading into his 2nd season in the league, with possibly improved quarterback play, he could exceed those numbers and end up being the 2nd leading receiver on a weak receiving corps.

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Eric Decker, Peyton Manning clicking in Training Camp for Broncos

stevenlourie Broncos, News

Eric Decker and Peyton Manning reportedly have great chemistry in Training Camp, much better than him and Demaryius Thomas. This makes a lot of sense because Peyton Manning loves crisp route runners with reliable hands, rather than pure athletic freaks like Thomas like Tim Tebow did. With Peyton Manning likely to show diminished arm strength this season at age 36 after 4 neck surgeries and a year out of football, Decker should lead the team in receiving and Peter King’s prediction that Decker will rank among the league leaders in catches doesn’t sound too crazy. He could have 90+ catches for 1100+ yards.

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Eagles’ Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie “just happy” to be playing outside this season

stevenlourie Eagles, News

In an interview with Wilmington News Journal, Eagles’ cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie says he’s “just happy” to be playing outside this season. In his first season with the Eagles, DRC really struggled playing primarily on the slot, allowing 25 completions on 42 attempts (59.5%) for 354 yards (8.4 YPA), no touchdowns, and no interceptions, while deflecting 6 passes and not committing a penalty. He was especially bad on the slot, allowing 17 completions on 23 attempts for 284 yards.

Now playing full time outside with Asante Samuel gone, DRC should have a bounce back year, especially in a contract year. Remember, he was a 2008 1st round pick and a 2009 Pro-Bowler. With Nnamdi Asomugha expected to have a bounce back year now that he’ll be playing more man coverage and less zone, and with Brandon Boykin, a natural fit on the slot, the Eagles should improve over their 16th ranked pass defense in 2011, allowing 7.2 YPA, even without Asante Samuel. With a strong pass rush and improved linebacking corps, the Eagles should have one of the best defenses in the league.

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