Fantasy Football

Eight-time Pro Bowler calls it a career After 13 seasons in a Bears uniform, LB Brian Urlacher is retiring from the NFL. He announced his decision on his Twitter account on Wednesday. The Bears did try to re-sign Urlacher, offering him a one-year deal totaling $2 million. New Bears HC Marc Trestman even said that he told Urlacher that he wanted him to return. But the Bears announced on March 20 that a deal could not be reached. In the end, no other teams were seriously interested in the services of the 34-year-old. (Chicago Sun-Times) FF Today's Take: While there is always a small chance that Urlacher could get lured out of retirement if/when a team suffers an injury during training camp, this looks to be the end of the road for him after his play dropped off significantly in 2012. An eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro selection, Urlacher stands a pretty good chance at seeing his bust in Canton in a few years if his playing days are over.

Boldin moves into No. 1 slot Michael Crabtree suffered a torn Achilles tendon during OTAs Tuesday and will soon undergo what could be season-ending surgery, a person informed of the injury told USA TODAY Sports. The 49ers haven't commented yet on the injury, which used to be an automatic season-ender but has since become one that can sometimes be rehabbed in a matter of months - as Baltimore Ravens LB Terrell Suggs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers DE De'Quan Bowers did last year. Both players tore the tendon in the spring and returned to the field after starting the year on the physically unable to perform list. (USA Today) FF Today's Take: Crabtree is coming off a breakout season in which he had career-highs in receptions (85), yards (1,105) and touchdowns (nine). The major difference between Crabtree and players like Suggs and Bowers is that Crabtree's position requires him to plant and cut much more. Anquan Boldin moves to the top of depth chart and stands to be a solid fantasy WR3 at the very least. This also means A.J. Jenkins will most likely be counted on more heavily after a disappointing rookie season.

Originally Posted on FantasyKnuckleheads.comWith the news that 49ers WR Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles’ tendon in Tuesday’s OTAs, the 49ers go from a team that was close to becoming the clear-cut favorites in the NFC West to a team that is scrambling to find a new identity with their offense. After a career-year in 2012 and developing major chemistry with QB Colin Kaepernick, Crabtree finds his fantasy football value all but gone as the hopes of him playing at all this year dwindle. With that said, here are a few 49ers players who will see their stock rise and fall over the next few months in the wake of Crabtree’s absence. STOCK UP: Anquan Boldin – The 49ers trading for Boldin and giving up a sixth rounder in this year’s NFL Draft was a good move at the time. Now it looks brilliant. With Crabtree on the shelf, Boldin becomes the teams new No. 1 receiver. A distinction he was able to live up to in his last year as a Raven. Turning 33 this season, Boldin has a lot of mileage on his tires, but he could provide owners with at least one more year of WR3 value if he and Kaepernick develop chemistry in training camp. Frank Gore – The 49ers could wind up going with a more smash-mouth running attack to replace Crabtree’s absence. Like Boldin, Gore is also getting up there in years. But coming off back-to-back 1200+ rushing seasons, there is no reason to think he can’t be productive for a third-straight season. Gore had RB2 value going into May. While he still remains at that level, his value is slowly going to creep back up to the upper-half of the Tier-2 cheat sheets. Honorable Mention: Vernon Davis STOCK DOWN: Colin Kaepernick – Over the last five games of the 2012 regular season, Kaepernick and Crabtree hooked up for 35 receptions and four touchdowns. In the post season, Crabtree was second only to Boldin in total receptions with 20. That’s a lot of missing catches this year. If AJ Jenkins can live up to his first-round hype going into his sophomore year, Kaepernick could remain a steady QB1. His rushing yards will help keep his value somewhat high. And he may have to use those legs even more. As of right now, however, Kaepernick’s value is going to slide after many considered him a top-5 quarterback going into the summer. Michael Crabtree (DUH): Crabtree’s current ADP was as a low-end WR1. With his on-field presence after Alex Smith was benched, many predicted Crabtree would top the 85 catches, 1105 and 9 touchdowns from a year ago. But now that there is a better than 50% chance he will be put on injured reserve sometime during the year, or even before, those owners who drafted Crabtree already will be scrambling like the 49ers are with trades to make up for the loss. For those in leagues that have an IR spot while players are out, I can see many owners taking a gamble, drafting Crabtree late and putting him in that spot in the hopes he will make a comeback just in time for fantasy playoffs. Don’t bet on it. Read More @ Fantasy Knuckleheads

New York wideout Hakeem Nicks, who had a knee scope earlier this offseason, told Ralph Vacchiano he's "feeling as good as I've felt in awhile."Fantasy Spin:That's great news for Nicks' fantasy owners and Eli Manning owners too. A healthy Nicks is a top-10 fantasy receiver. Now if the Giants can just get the Victor Cruz situation under control they can have one of the league's best passing offenses.

The latest news, rumors and injury updates on key fantasy baseball players.

These are not the Falcons of the late 1990s. This is a team that needs to win now so the window of opportunity does not close on them.

Originally Posted on FantasyKnuckleheads.comTwitter has many uses other than sharing what you had for breakfast, what Justin Beiber’s hair looked like at the concert last night or what restaurant you plan on going to Friday. With the NFL being one of many businesses getting more involved in the social media world, it’s easier than ever for us fans to check out info on our favorite teams. More importantly, it’s a great way to interact and ask questions on certain big topics the media has pounced on. How is a player looking in practice? Will so-and-so be ready for training camp? Staying connected with every NFL team and fellow fans through Twitter is an excellent way to improve your knowledge of the game. Not to mention it also gives you just a little bit more of an edge in fantasy football. And we could all use that. To save the time and hassle it would take someone to look for every team’s official Twitter accounts, I’ve compiled a list of every official account that you can save and go back to whenever you want. Enjoy! Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Jets Oakland Raiders Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Diego Chargers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Redskins Read More @ Fantasy Knuckleheads

The latest news, rumors and injury updates on key fantasy football players.

Free-agent MLB Brian Urlacher retired after 13 seasons. Huddle Up: Urlacher drew some interest in short-term deals with teams other than the Bears but ultimately opted to walk away before donning another team's jersey.

Star linebacker Brian Urlacher says he's retiring after spending 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears.