Fantasy Football

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree suffered a torn Achilles tendon while participating in organized team activities on Tuesday. He will undergo what may be season-ending surgery. There has been no official word from the organization at this time. This injury places added pressure on the development of second year wideout AJ Jenkins and rookie Quinton Patton. Mario Manningham and the recently acquired Anquan Boldin are the 49ers' most two veteran receivers at the top of the depth chart. FANTASY ANALYSIS: This is a big blow to an offense that already lacks proven players at the wide receiver position. Crabtree really seemed to develop a repartee with quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the second half of the season. At 25 years of age, the former Texas Tech receiver was just entering the prime of his career and this injury is very likely to sideline him for the most, if not all of the regular season. This loss obviously hurts Kaepernick's fantasy value as well. Jenkins and Patton are going to see big increases in playing time.

What does Michael Crabtree's potentially season-ending injury mean for the 49ers offense?

Lord Zola delivers a fine lecture on things fantasy owners do when trading that can easily turn out to be mistakes.

Brian Urlacher, who was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times, announced his retirement on Wednesday after he and the Bears could not agree on a new contract in March.

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.

Gotcha! Dan Duquette tabbing one of his top prospects. The Marlins' blue-chipper might arrive soon, as well. Will the dipping Dodgers make some desperate decisions?

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

San Francisco 49ers WR Michael Crabtree suffered a torn Achilles' tendon during organized team activities Tuesday, May 21, and will undergo what could be season-ending surgery. Huddle Up: Crabtree's injury wipes out what was expected to be a promising fantasy season; it also has a ripple effect throughout the 49ers, starting with a ding to Colin Kaepernick's fantasy value. A.J. Jenkins and rookie Quinton Patton are the most likely candidates to replace him in the 49ers' lineup, as Mario Manningham is still coming back from a torn ACL and Kyle Williams is more of a return man than a receiver. Don't rule out the 49ers looking for a veteran option to complement Anquan Boldin; Brandon Lloyd is a distinct possibility.

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.