Fantasy Football

With a month-and-a-half of the baseball season in the rear view mirror, many owners are shaking their heads with a few key players. While a few sleepers have emerged, some early first- and second- round picks appear to still be … asleep! Take a dive with me as I review several of these names in “The Weekly Catch.”

Cleveland Browns TEs Jordan Cameron and Kellen Davis have each worked with the first-team offense during drills at organized team activities (OTAs) this week. Huddle Up: It's easy to project Cameron as a sleeper fantasy tight end this year given his athleticism and the TE-development record of new Browns coach Rob Chudzinski. But he'll need to secure playing time to make that happen, so the Davis/Cameron battle (or the Browns using more two-TE sets) is a situation to keep an eye on.

Scott Feldman of the Chicago Cubs has been dominant at home this season, earning him FFToolbox

Apr 25, 2013; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduces offensive tackle Lane Johnson (Oklahoma) as the fourth overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports 1. First round, 4th overall: Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma Lane Johnson is one of the most freakishly athletic offensive linemen you will probably ever see. The former quarterback and tight end joins an Eagles offensive line that was one of the most depleted and weakest in the NFL last season. Mike Vick was injured and sacked a terribly high amount of times last season, and having Johnson will significantly upgrade the pass protection. He has the kind of athleticism to be a key piece of an offensive attack run by Chip Kelly that is aggressive, fast-paced, and very versatile. The Eagles had to be jumping for joy when he fell in their laps at number four overall. I think this was a perfect fit for the Eagles’ offense, and a huge upgrade to the worst area of their offense.

. Jeff Locke, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Houston Astros Locke is 3-1 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He’s 2-0 in his past five starts with a 2.10 ERA. . Season Totals: 15-18, 257.1 IP, 205 Ks, 4.27 ERA (122 earned runs), 1.32 WHIP (252 hits, 88 walks) .

New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski's problem with a disc in his back is not related to the disc problem he had while in college in 2009. Gronkowski underwent a procedure to fix his back problem in college. It is not known when Gronkowski suffered his current injury, but it is believed to date back to last season. Even if it does require surgery, Gronkowski's back injury won't keep him from participating in training camp, unless his forearm needs several more surgeries. Huddle Up: Forearm, back... it's getting more and more difficult to keep Gronkowski atop the tight end rankings. Right now most of the news is speculative--the back injury shouldn't be a problem, he'll only need another surgery on his forearm if the infection still lingers--but fantasy owners will want to see some good news in August before making him the first tight end off the board.

Gronkowski ?Probably? Needs Back Surgery A source with knowledge of the situation has stated New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will ?probably? need back surgery. ?If the surgery occurs, it is expected to happen within three-to-four weeks after the upcoming surgery on his forearm. Gronk is currently waiting for a second opinion. Rumors are he will see a spine specialist named Robert Watkins in the near future.?This disk injury in his back is not related to the disk problem that required a procedure in 2009. Although, most people forget Rob?Gronkowski was available in the second round of the 2010 draft due to his back problem which caused him to miss all of the 2009 college football season. Fantasy Factor: The sky is definitely not falling. There is still time for Gronk to have his surgeries and recover for a strong season.?This will be a interesting storyline that we will monitor closely over the next couple weeks. Gridiron Experts is advising fantasy owners to be cautious in their fantasy drafts moving forward -Don’t reach, but don’t avoid him completely. Gridiron Experts is scheduled to release our first edition of fantasy players of the year in June. Stay posted of this story and many more by following us on Twitter, or “Like Us” on our Facebook page to get our article feed. The post Is Rob Gronkowski’s String of Surgeries a Concern? appeared first on Gridiron Experts.

Originally Posted on FantasyKnuckleheads.comThe Chicago Bears spent this off-season addressing some major problem areas on the offensive side of the ball, all of which is why you find Jay Cutler on the fantasy football sleeper list for 2013. Newly appointed Bears quarterback coach Matt Cavanaugh recently told the Chicago Tribune that after just four offseason workouts overseeing Cutler, he not likes what he sees, but more importantly what he hears. “Very impressed with Jay,” Cavanaugh said. “Very impressed. He’s borderline football brilliant. I think he gets it. I think he knows the game. I think he knows offensive schemes. I think he knows defenses.” This high praise comes after watching hours of film and coming from a guy who has worked with the likes of Randall Cunningham, Joe Flacco and Phil Simms. With “quarterback guru” Marc Trestman now calling the shots, I expect Cutty to finally take that next step in 2013 based upon the coaching changes alone. The key additions of Martellus Bennett and what looks to be a much improved offensive line with Jermon Bushrod, Matt Slauson and Kyle Long is only making Cutler’s expectations that much greater. Cutler finally has say in what the offense will look like. Impressed with Cutler’s football knowledge, Cavanaugh says Cutler’s arm is one of the best he’s ever been around. “I think he’s embracing how we want to approach things,” Cavanaugh said. “There has been a lot of give and take. We didn’t come in here with a mandate that this is exactly how we’re doing it and there is no leeway. We wanted his feedback. He’s been willing to do that. It’s a good working relationship now. … We’re trying to impress on him, Marc [Trestman] too, that our job is to protect you and allow you to finish the throwing motion. If that’s our sole focus for you, you have to hold up your end and hitch into throws and follow through and throw a bunch of completions.” Entering his fifth season as a Bear, this will mark the first in which the coaching staff understands that they need to build an offense around him and not the other way around. Combined with the best assortment of offensive talent during his tenure in Chicago, the staff will look to implement an offense which gets the ball out of Jay’s hands — and into the likes of Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Bennett — quickly. The good thing here, you will not have to waste an early round pick on Cutler. Most will remain reluctant to draft Jay and you should have no problem scooping him up as a solid No. 2 fantasy quarterback late in drafts. Jay has the talent, now the question is can he finally put it all together. Read More @ Fantasy Knuckleheads

More bad news for Rob Gronkowski fantasy owners. Not only does the Patriots tight end need arm surgery but it also looks like he'll need surgery on his back. SOURCE: ESPNFantasy Spin:The Patriots are still optimistic that Gronk will be ready for Week 1 but given what's already unfolded this offseason, that's no guarantee. Danny Amendola and Aaron Hernandez will both see more targets if Gronkowski ends up missing time in the regular season.

Originally Posted on FantasyKnuckleheads.comThe San Diego Chargers re-signed restricted free agent Danario Alexander to a one-year, $1.323 million contract making him an intriguing fantasy football sleeper for 2013. Alexander tested the market, but not many teams were willing to commit the money “DX” was looking for and considering he has undergone multiple (five) knee surgeries one can begin to understand why. Alexander spent last season putting up career numbers in every category including 37 receptions  for 658 yards while seeing action in only 10 games (starting 6). Do the math, that was good for 17.8 yards a clip while adding 7 tuddies! There in lies Danario Alexander’s fantasy value, he is a big target at 6’5″ and Philip Rivers looked to him early and often in the red zone. He will be the Chargers number 1 or ‘X’ receiver next year with Vincent Brown and Malcolm Floyd battling it out for the second spot on the opposite side of the field. Head coach Mike McCoy told the media recently what he likes about the fourth-year receiver, “When we first got here — looking at his yards per reception over 17 yards last year — he did some great things,” McCoy said. “It was great to see him from the first day of voluntary camps to the last day, you could see him buying into what we’re doing. You can see the reputation and really the relationship that he has with Philip (Rivers). Philip has a lot of confidence in him. They work well together. He works extremely hard and he has a great opportunity here. He’s excited moving forward. I think he likes what we’re doing here. I know he’s a big target for Philip and he’s doing some great things so we have a good group out there.” Some nice words of encouragement for future Alexander owners, not to mention that the Chargers went out and drafted the big man from Alabama D.J. Fluker to help shore up their offensive line which was putrid last season. Giving Rivers some additional time to look downfield is key to Alexander’s success. Now there is some risk here as mentioned above with some serious knee issues in his past, but given that San Diego will lean towards a pass-happy approach that only adds to DX’s value.  Also, one other thing to keep mind, River himself in entering a contract year and will be looking to put up some big numbers in hopes of cashing one last time at 31 years of age. With the Chargers and hopefully a full slate of games, Alexander is worth drafting as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy WR with a mid-round pick — and some pretty strong upside to become a legit No. 2. Read More @ Fantasy Knuckleheads