Fantasy Football

Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt is entering his fifth season in the NFL, so I guess this is a story about quot;better late than never." From the Tennessean's Jim Wyatt: "By all accounts, Britt got serious this offseason. After a squabble with police in his native New Jersey, he trained in California and showed up for the start of the offseason program in good shape, impressing coaches and teammates. After multiple knee surgeries last offseason, Britt avoided the knife this offseason. If he's healthy and motivated -- which he should be in a contract year -- this could be a launching pad for a big season." FANTASY ANALYSIS: We know what Britt can do when healthy and not in trouble with the law. Just look at his injury-shortened seasons in 2010 and 2011. Small sample size, yes, but Britt's talent is undeniable. Britt has his doubters since he really hasn't done much on the field in 20 months. One of those doubters might be his own team as the Titans appear to be planning for Britt's exit as they have spent high-round picks on wide receivers in the last two drafts. Britt better have a big chip on his shoulder this year, and he could be a great value pick on fantasy draft day. He should be selected as a WR3, but expectations should be higher.

Written by Marc Caviglia In January we were asked to participate in Dynasty Football Warehouse’s first fantasy football mock draft of the 2013 season. The 2013 fantasy football mock draft was Dynasty based and was a 20 round draft. Every owner was required to start a QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, Flex, TE, K, DEF in PPR scoring. You can view our team, as well as round-by round analysis here: 2013 Fantasy Football Dynasty Mock Draft (January). As you all know, a lot has changed since January, and our good friend over at Dynasty Football Warehouse have invited us back for another fantasy football mock draft. The owners are the same, however this time around we are allowed to draft current rookies from the 2013 NFL Draft. So if you are wondering where you should draft the NFL’s newest rookies in a dynast format fantasy football league, check out our 2013 fantasy football mock draft. PPR Scoring Pass TD: 4 points | All Other TDs: 6 points 25 Passing Yards: 1 point | All Turnovers: - 2 points 10 Rushing Yards: 1 point | 10 Receiving Yards: 1 point | Reception: 1 point Now, let’s jump right into the ROUND 9 results of the 2013 Fantasy Football Dynasty Mock Draft (May) hosted by Dynasty Football Warehouse. 2013 Fantasy Football Dynasty Mock Draft - Round 9 Results (May) 9.01 Pro Football Focus I: 9.02 Zach Law: 9.03 Wild Thing Football: 9.04 Fantasy Football Xtreme I: 9.05 Dynasty Football Warehouse: 9.06 Draft Calc: 9.07 Fantasy Taz: 9.08 Pro Football Focus II: 9.09 X’s and Y’s Podcast: 9.10 Bruno Boys: Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens 9.11 Fantasy Football Xtreme II: 9.12 Football Guys Round 9 Reaction: Bruno Boys Picks: 1.10 Bruno Boys: Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks 2.03 Bruno Boys: Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos 3.10 Bruno Boys: Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers 4.03 Bruno Boys: Darren Sproles, RB, New Orleans Saints 5.10 Bruno Boys: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers 6.03 Bruno Boys: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons 7.10 Bruno Boys: Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers 8.03 Bruno Boys: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelpahi Eagles 9.10 Bruno Boys: Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens 10.03 Bruno Boys: Marcus Lattimore, RB, San Francisco 49ers OTHER ROUNDS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Written by Rich Arleo Edited by Marc Caviglia To help better prepare you for your upcoming 2013 fantasy football drafts we have has decided to take a close look at each team’s depth and predict how each players role will play out during the 2013 NFL season. These fantasy football depth charts will cover every position, however the main focus will be on the running back and wide receiver positions, since fantasy football owners have the toughest time projecting these positions. Keep in mind our NFL Depth Charts are fantasy football specific. Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart QB1: Alex Smith | QB2: Chase Daniel | QB3: Tyler Bray RB1: Jamaal Charles | RB2: Knile Davis | RB3: Shaun Draughn | RB4: Cyrus Gray WR1: Dwayne Bowe | WR2: Donnie Avery | WR3: Dexter McCluster | WR4: Jon Baldwin TE1: Travis Kelce | TE1: Tony Moeaki | TE2: Anthony Fasano K: Ryan Succop 2012 In Review It was another rough year for the Kansas City Chiefs. One of the worst offenses in the league was anchored by a struggling Matt Cassel before he was hurt. Brady Quinn failed miserably filling in for him and the entire offenses faltered because of it. Dwayne Bowe struggled to put up numbers for fantasy football owners, but it wasn’t all his fault. He finished with 803 yards and only three touchdowns (the only receiver to score more than once). Dexter McCluster was second with 452 yards and one touchdown and tight end Tony Moeaki had almost identical numbers as the top tight end. Star running back Jamaal Charles was able to produce all by himself, however he was inconsistent as an RB1. He finished with over 1,700 total yards and seven touchdowns. Peyton Hillis failed to do much of anything as his counterpart while Shaun Draughn showed he’s basically as valuable as Hillis. Kicker Ryan Succop didn’t have many scoring chances but was able to nail some long kicks. What to Expect in 2013 The Chiefs made a big move this offseason bringing in Alex Smith and he should make the Chiefs offense somewhat respectable. Smith can be a decent QB2 and will help the fantasy football value of every other key offensive player…especially Bowe. The veteran Bowe can again be drafted with confidence and should return to the high end WR2 form he had back when Cassel at least had a respectable year. Donnie Avery as the second wide receiver should also help Bowe. Avery probably won’t be as valuable as he was last year with Andrew Luck , but he could be roster worthy. McCluster and Jon Baldwin will get looks here and there, but they will be few and far between. Charles should also be able to score more as the offense will actually move the chains. Hillis is gone, so Charles will have basically all of the carries to himself, though the Chiefs did invest a draft pick on Knile Davis. Davis is explosive, tough to tackle and will spell Charles the majority of the time. Draughn has good hands and may be able to see some touches through the air with Smith under center. Moeaki could improve a bit but the Chiefs also brought in Anthony Fasano and drafted Travis Kelce in Round 3. None of the tight ends are fantasy relevant in re-draft leagues as of now, though Kelce is a solid late round pickup in fantasy football dynasty leagues and is fairly advanced despite being a rookie. Don’t be surprised if… ...Smith becomes a very good QB2 and Bowe is a very solid WR1 all year. Bowe is too talented to be kept out of the end zone as much as he was last season, and Smith should thrive with a top-flight receiver and great running back behind him. Plus the selection of Eric Fisher at No/ 1 overal helps bolster the offensive line. AFC EAST DEPTH CHART: BUF | MIA | NEP | NYJ AFC WEST DEPTH CHART: DEN | KCC | OAK | SDC AFC SOUTH DEPTH CHART: HOU | IND | JAC | TEN AFC NORTH DEPTH CHART: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT NFC EAST DEPTH CHART: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS NFC WEST DEPTH CHART: ARI | STL | SAN | SE

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said running back Jonathan Stewart was quot;very limited" during organized team activities this week, doing only some stretching and working on a stationary bike. Stewart is more than four months removed from arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle, but he is expected to be ready for training camp. Ankle and feet ailments have been consistent problems for Stewart during his five-year career. Elsewhere at Panthers camp, Rivera said top wideout Steve Smith looks like he is 25 years old and has been diving for passes during OTAs. Smith turned 34 years old last week. FANTASY ANALYSIS: We keep waiting for Faither Time to claim inevitable victory over Steve Smith, but the ultra-competitive Smith is still holding him off. He topped 1,100 yards in each of the past two years. He can produce like a WR2 in fantasy, but he should probably be drafted as more of a WR3. Smith is going to get "old" at some point soon. People in the know expect DeAngelo Williams to be released prior to the season, which makes Stewart attractive, especially at a discounted rate because of his lengthy record of nagging foot injuries. He won't take anything close to a full load, but if he holds up, Stewart should be the leading rusher in a run-heavy offense.

Michael Crabtree is gone until late Novemeber at the very least, so who is going to pick up the slack? 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh will find his guy among those three mentioned in the title. quot;We'll put [A.J.] Jenkins, [Quinton] Patton, Ricardo Lockette at the same position and let them compete and emerge," Harbaugh said in a Friday radio interview. "The good news is somebody will emerge because they have to." FANTASY ANALYSIS: Myself and host Ben Standig talked about the Niners' offense in this sans-Crabtree period during Wednesday's podcast. We didn't mention Lockette, who is more of an athlete than a football player right now. Jenkins is coming off a rookie season in which he barely played, and Patton reportedly looked very raw during rookie camp. I don't think any of these three are going to make an especially large fantasy impact this year, but I'll pick Patton if I have to tie my wagon to one of those players. Mario Manningham is rehabbing from an ACL and a PCL tear. He may be ready to play by September, but he will need time to work off the rust, and I just don't trust him. I don't think Crabtree's injury changes Anquan Boldin's value much. At his age, Boldin is what he is: a solid possession receiver who is going to struggle to get away from top corners. I think tight end Vernon Davis benefits the most. He becomes, unquestionably, San Francisco's best playmaker among their established receivers. After disappearing late in the regular season, he and Colin Kaepernick finally started to click during the postseason. I also said that I wouldn't downgrade Kapernick's fantasy value much without Crabtree. Yes, it's a blow, but look at how great Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III were last season. Wilson's best wideout was Sidney Rice. Griffin had to make due with his top wideout, Pierre Garcon, hobbled for most of the season. I think Kaepernick can be similarly successful without a household name at WR. He will get his fantasy points, like Wilson and RGIII, with his legs, creating and making plays. Kaepernick is still a clear QB1 for me. However, I may have to re-examine some of my rankings. Specifically, I shouldn't have been so quick to rank him above Tony Romo. Good thing it's only May.

It didn't work for the Raiders last year. The Jaguars will see if it works for them this year. And the Steelers are also going to test it out. it's a zone-blocking run scheme, and while the Steelers won't make a full change from their years as power run offense, they want to mix it up in an effort to confuse defenses and keep their offensive line fresh. Now they have to figure out which of their running backs -- Isaac Redman, rookie Le'Veon Bell and Jonathan Dwyer -- works best in that type of system. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Just because the zone-blocking scheme leads to tremendous success for a player like Arian Foster doesn't mean those results will be replicated for every team. It's about personnel, and there doesn't seem to be a perfect fit for such a scheme on Pittsburgh's roster. Bell, like Redman and Dwyer, is more of a grind-it-out running back. All three seem to be better for a power offense. I should restate that the power run game isn't leaving the Black and Yellow; it's just being scaled back a bit. Regardless, Bell should be expected to win the starting job out of training camp.

It must have been tough for Ryan Williams to admit that, but it made for a great piece written by Scott Bordow of AZCentral Sports. Williams missed his entire 2011 rookie season with a ruptured right patellar tendon. He was physically ready to return in 2012, but mentally, it was a different story. On Sept. 16, Williams' Cardinals were playing the Patriots. On a toss play out to the right, Williams saw linebacker Brandon Spikes darting right for him. He was so concerned about his knee, he quot;curled up and forgot about the ball. "It's a scary sight being a running back and being scared to run the ball," Williams said. "That's something that no running back should feel. I was pretty much scared all last year to get the ball in my hands." Three weeks later against the Rams, Williams suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that he considered a "blessing," because it gave him the time he needed to become comfortable with his right knee. Now, he is finally feeling like himself. "This is the healthiest I've felt in the past two years," Williams said. "If feels good to be able to run like myself, instinctive and not having to think about what I'm doing, just going out and doing it. "I've been working real hard, so things are looking good. My stars are aligned this year." FANTASY ANALYSIS: I'll be rooting for Williams to succeed, but it may be too late for him with the Cardinals. Scared or not, he averaged just 2.8 yards per carry last year, and we don't know how much ability he lost because of that torn patellar tendon. Although he fits head coach Bruce Arians' desire for a lead, three-down back, Williams will have to earn his carries. Arizona signed Rashard Mendenhall during the offseason and then drafted two running backs, Andre Ellington and Stepfan Taylor. That quartet will make for a really interesting training camp competition to watch. Williams is just a late-round pick right now.

Don Mattingly may need to shake up his 'pen to help save his job. Must Joe Maddon consider doing the same? Plus, an update on Rafael Betancourt and

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. is installing an outside zone, one-cut blocking scheme in organized team activities in favor of their old power and inside blocking scheme. The Steelers are changing their approach to take advantage of their big and nimble offensive line personnel. Pittsburgh got poor production from their running backs last year, and RB Jonathan Dwyer led the team in rushing with only 623 yards, the lowest total by a rusher in team history since Merrill Hoge ran for 810 in 1991. Bicknell had success with the blocking scheme with the Kansas City Chiefs last year. "We are going to be dedicated to the zone," RB Isaac Redman said. "We are still going to be a power team, but we are going to have this zone scheme in so we can keep the defense on its heels and keep them running." Huddle Up: It's not a complete overhaul for the Steelers, which should hopefully prevent the same kind of learning curve issues that derailed Darren McFadden and the Raiders' ground game last year. And kudos to the coaching staff for realizing something had to change after the team finished 26th in rushing last year. It's another reason to like the potential of rookie Le'Veon Bell, who should take over as the lead dog in Pittsburgh's backfield by committee.

New Orleans Saints WR Joe Morgan said he'll have to work on his intermediate route running to win the No. 3 receiver spot. Six of his 10 receptions last season were for over 30 yards, so defenses will game-plan on him being their deep threat. Huddle Up: If Morgan can bring more to the table than just being a deep threat, he'll not only improve his standing in the Saints' receiver rotation but also push his way onto the fantasy radar as well.