Fantasy Football

Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson wasn't expected to be on a football field until July as he continued his rehab following surgery to fix a broken leg. He admits that he is not at full strength, but he was taking part in organized team activities earlier this week. quot;It's as healed up as it's going to get," Burleson said of his repaired right leg, via The Detroit News. "The good thing about being out there is I am playing at a high level and I am not 100 percent. When it gets stronger and I get endurance back in it, I will be back to play with extreme confidence." One Lion who is being held out of action is running back Mikel Leshoure. Head coach Jim Schwartz didn't specify what Leshoure's injury actually is. "He's battling some stuff," Schwartz said. "He can do some individual stuff but he's not ready to do any team work." FANTASY ANALYSIS: It's May, and Leshoure is already banged up. Brilliant. He will be a complementary player behind Reggie Bush this year with most of his value coming from potential goal-line touches. I will be staying away from him. It's impressive that the 31-year-old Burleson is months ahead of schedule in his recovery. He could be very important to a Lions offense that lacks a clear No. 2 WR right now. The team may look to Burleson to fill that role for most of the season, at least until Ryan Broyles returns from his ACL tear. That's a sweet gig for any wide receiver in a pass-happy offense, but Burleson should be drafted as a WR5.

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 5 results of the 2013 Fantasy Football Dynasty Mock Draft (May) hosted by Dynasty Football Warehouse. 2013 Fantasy Football Dynasty Mock Draft - Round 5 Results (May) 5.01 Pro Football Focus I: Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers 5.02 Zach Law: Vick Ballard, RB, Indianapolis Colts 5.03 Wild Thing Football: Wes Welker, WR, Denver Broncos 5.04 Fantasy Football Xtreme I: Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers 5.05 Dynasty Football Warehouse: Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego Chargers 5.06 Draft Calc: Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns 5.07 Fantasy Taz: Eric Decker, WR, Denver Broncos 5.08 Pro Football Focus II: Robert Griffin, QB, Washington Redskins 5.09 X’s and Y’s Podcast: Jason Witten, WR, Dallas Cowboys 5.10 Bruno Boys: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers 5.11 Fantasy Football Xtreme II: Mike Wallace, WR, Miami Dolphins 5.12 Football Guys: Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers Round 5 Reaction: Stewart isn’t the trendiest of picks, however he needs to breakout at some point and with this selection I am gambling that it’s in 2013. I debated Jason Witten and Colin Kaepernick, however Witten went to a savvy owner the pick before me and when it was my turn I just couldn’t pull the trigger on Kaepernick with so much solid quarterback talent still on the fantasy football draft board. Injuries and poor play led to Stewart averaging just 3.6 yards per carry (YPC) in nine games last season, however the hard nosed runner averages 4.7 YPC over his career and has a nose for the end zone. He enters the season as my RB3 and if given the opportunity (250 touches) you can expect over 1,000 rushing yards and 8-10 scores. 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 OTHER ROUNDS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Steelers tight end Heath Miller spoke to the media on Wednesday for the first time since tearing three ligaments in his right knee in Week 16 last season. During the press conference, Miller said he is running but not at full speed. Miller also said quot;there's a chance" that he can play by Week 1, but it's a little too early to draw conclusions. "It's a long time before training camp, so that's a long time to make gains positively or maybe even for something to happen negatively," Miller said. "So, I'm just taking one day at a time, and I hope to get better every day." FANTASY ANALYSIS: Miller is 30 years old and will turn 31 in October. Even without this injury, he should be heading into his NFL twilight years. But with this major knee injury, he faces long odds of reaching his previous numbers. He was unexpectedly solid last season, but even among a relatively weak tight end class, he is nothing more than an uninspiring TE2 this season. Matt Spaeth, David Paulson and David Johnson are the other tight ends on the Steelers' roster, so ... yeah, nothing much to like here.

Here is the good news: For once, an injury isn't the reason why Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks is missing football activities. He underwent a scope on his left knee more than two months ago, but Nicks said Tuesday that he feels good physically. Alas, Nicks wasn't present for organized team activities on Wednesday, and a source has told Yahoo's Jason Cole that the absence has to do with Nicks' contract. Nicks is entering the final season of his rookie deal and will make about $2.7 million. OTAs are voluntary, but head coach Tom Coughlin was not happy when asked by the media about Nicks' whereabouts. quot;I don't know," Coughlin said. "He should be here." Teammate Victor Cruz is also missing OTAs as he waits for the Giants to take care of him financially. FANTASY ANALYSIS: This is nothing to worry about. Nicks is under contract, and I don't think that he would push this "holdout" deep into the summer. However, if worse comes to worst, Rueben Randle would see a big jump in value. For fantasy owners, the bigger deal with Nicks is his health, obviously. His body hasn't been able to hold up for a full season through his first four years, and that's why he is being drafted as a mid-range WR2 early on. But if he can finally play 16 games, Nicks will be a steal.

Pittsburgh Steelers TE Heath Miller said he is happy with the progress he has made in his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament but is not sure when he will be able to return. He said he has started to run as part of his rehab. He believes there is a chance he can be ready for the start of the regular season but will know more when training camp begins. Huddle Up: Doesn't sound as if Miller is overly confident about his availability for the start of the season. He was emerging as a steady fantasy contributor last season prior to his injury, so if he's on the field in training camp he warrants consideration as a low-end fantasy starter.

New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks did not show up to practice Wednesday, May 22, because he is unhappy with his contract situation, a source indicated. Nicks did not violate any rules, since organized team activities (OTAs) are voluntary, but head coach Tom Coughlin was expecting him. Huddle Up: If Nicks is unhappy now, how do you think he'll feel when Victor Cruz gets paid? Suddenly the Giants' receiver rotation is beginning to look a bit troublesome.

Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick, who held onto the ball for an average of 3.07 seconds last year, will likely have to change in order to be successful in head coach Chip Kelly's new offense. Kelly, while at Oregon, preached that his quarterbacks were urged to get the ball out of their hands in 1.5 seconds. "I think there is a lot more to Michael," Kelly said back in February. "I think quarterbacks are a byproduct of their experience. But to sit here and say I understood the system that Michael's been in whether he's with the Falcons under Coach (Dan) Reeves or here, that depends on the system that you run. Some of the systems that they run they don't ask him to get the ball out quick. Do I think he can get the ball out quick? I think he's got an unbelievable release. It's up and out and it's quick." Vick has had success in his career in waiting for plays to develop down the field, but the new offense will be a stark contrast to that. To help him become ready for the new season, Vick spent time simulating running an up-tempo offense consisting of read options and even added some muscle to his frame. Vick also did some boxing training to learn how to avoid taking big hits. The early reports out of practice have been positive for Vick. Huddle Up: Kelly's offense will be a change for just about any quarterback (Dennis Dixon being a notable exception), but indications are Vick is willing to put in the effort to make it work. Now we have to see how the battle between Vick and Nick Foles plays out.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan said he was disappointed with QB Mark Sanchez after he threw three interceptions during organized team activities Wednesday, May 22. "Yeah, it is. Absolutely. It's a good thing defense makes the plays, but no, I'd rather him not turn the ball over once," Ryan said. "He did a lot of great things, and then those negative things, at the end of the day, that's what gets you beat. And so we got to do a better job of eliminating those turnovers." Huddle Up: Disappointing performances are pretty much the norm for Sanchez. It would have been a great opportunity for Geno Smith to take hold of the starting gig, but he completed just three of 10 passes with an interception.

San Francisco 49ers WR Michael Crabtree has undergone surgery to repair his torn Achilles' tendon. Doctors believe Crabtree will miss six months; 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said he does not think Crabtree will miss the entire 2013 regular season. Huddle Up: This is as good of news as can be expected, though a six-month timetable puts Crabtree back on the field in mid-November--and who knows if he'll be anywhere close to game shape at that point. Go ahead and stash him in a keeper league, but it's looking like Crabtree's fantasy contribution in 2013 will be minimal at best.

Hands down,?SB Nation makes some of the best sports videos on the web. This short and sweet off topic vid is a quick Star Trek Review from some of the biggest names in the 2013 Rookie Draft class. Maybe it’s the white sunny glasses Kenny Stills is rocking, or the fact Matt Barkley in Eagle’s Green is such a diehard “Trekkie”?(me too), but I really enjoyed this.. check it out. The post Matt Barkley and 2013 Rookie’s Review Star Trek appeared first on Gridiron Experts.