Fantasy Football

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

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

If you didn't notice, the Cincinnati Bengals tipped their hand by drafting more offensive weapons to diversify their attack. This will benefit Andy Dalton in his third season.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram has a fairly disappointing first two NFL seasons, with just 1,076 combined rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in 26 career games. Injuries have played a role, as he had knee and toe surgeries after his rookie season, but a deep group of running backs in New Orleans has also limited his role in certain situations. Ingram played all 16 games in 2012, and finished strongly with 250 rushing yards on 58 carries (4.3 yards per carry) over the final four games of the season. Taking a wider look to the final eight games, he averaged 4.2 yards per carry (424 yards on 102 carries) with four of his five rushing touchdowns for the season over that span. Can the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner build on last season’s solid finish and become a good option for fantasy football owners in 2013? The Saints unclogged their running back rotation a bit by trading Chris Ivory to the New York Jets, but Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles still remain to compete with Ingram for snaps and touches. Ingram should now get the lion’s share of the early-down and goal line work with Ivory gone, but his lack of prowess as a pass catcher (17 career receptions) should continue to limit his overall role in the New Orleans offense. Saints’ head coach Sean Payton has said he wants to improve the team’s rushing offense, and Ingram could be the driving force to help make that happen. But New Orleans had the 29th-most rushing attempts in the league in 2012 (23.1 per game), and they have not finished higher than 20th in rushing attempts in any of the last three seasons.  The Saints were last in the NFL in total defense (440.1 yards per game) and 31st in scoring defense (28.4 points per game) in 2012, but new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan should help bring improvement for a unit that has nowhere to go but up. That should also yield closer games next season, and theoretically a significant role for Ingram as the Saints attempt to run clock late. I don’t expect Ingram to become a top fantasy running back in 2013, but better health from the start of the season and an increased role gives him nice upside potential. I think 250 carries for around 1,000 yards and 5-10 touchdowns is a reasonable projection, which would make him a solid RB3 or perhaps even a low-end RB2 in most league formats. But Ingram will surely continue to cede passing down work to Sproles and Thomas, which puts a significant ceiling on his value in PPR leagues. Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.

. . Rick Stewart/Getty Images . WEBNEWS / NEWSPAPERS (Fantasy Articles will be posted in evening) Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Dez Bryant Has Different Mindset Going into 2013 by: jakecarapella Pressure-free Curry ready to be impact LB by: Ohm Youngmisuk Position Snapshot: Wide Receiver by: Bo Wulf Report: Clay Harbor to play outside linebacker? by: Mike Kaye How will the Philadelphia Eagles Defense Fare Next Season in the 3-4? by: ryanwenzell Washington Redskins: Keep Your Eye on Rookie RB Jawan Jamison by: Shae Cronin Breaking Down the Buffalo Bills’ New-Look Hybrid Defense Under Mike Pettine by: Erik Frenz When should the Dolphins trade Cameron Wake? by: USA Today 5 Ways Joe Philbin Can Take Pressure off Ryan Tannehill in 2013 by: Thomas Galicia Rob Gronkowski Likely Needs Back Surgery in Addition to Fourth Surgery on Forearm by: Tyler Ash Report: Gronkowski may need back surgery, too by: Mike McDermott Dont’a Hightower Embracing Leadership Role on Patriots Defense, Which Is Already Benefiting Jamie Collins by: Luke Hughes What to do with Mike Goodson? by: Matt Ehal Mike Goodson Arrested on Drugs and Weapons Charges by: mail@jetsinsider.com Chicago Bears: Can Jon Bostic replace Brian Urlacher in week one? by: Matt Eurich Dan Pompei: Matt Forte embraces all concepts of Bears’ new offense by: DAN POMPEI Reggie Bush excited about his role in the Lions’ offense by: Tim Twentyman Five potential breakout players for 2013: Who will it be? by: Marques Eversol Cincinnati Bengals: Why Giovani Bernard Will Win Offensive ROY by: Sean O’Donnell Top 5 Pittsburgh Steelers Poised For a Huge Season by: Curt Popejoy Atlanta Falcons: 5 Players Poised for Breakout Campaigns in 2013 by: Al Bruce Dimitroff on Matt Ryan contract talks: “We will get this done.” by: Curtis Crabtree Carolina Panthers: Six Players Poised for a Breakout Campaign in 2013 by: Charles Edwards Ravens suspected Reed had hip problem, Texans apparently didn’t by: Mike Florio T.Y. Hilton and Dwayne Allen look like huge steals after one year by: Colts Authority Indianapolis Colts: Pat Angerer Ready to Return to 2011 Form by: Andrew Fisher Jaguars 2013 predictions: Offensive line will be most improved group by: Alfie Crow Denard Robinson Will be Biggest Weapon for Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013 by: alexandereaglin Kendall Wright drops 14 pounds after cutting out junk food by: Josh Alpe Defensive Line Looking to Take Next Step in 2013 by: NFL: Tennessee Titans How the Arizona Cardinals will ‘flood the field’ with their vertical passing game by: Seth Cox San Francisco 49ers: What Does the Future Hold for Michael Crabtree? by: Dylan DeSimone The A.J. Jenkins Saga by: Al Sacco 49ers Blog: The skinny: A.J. Jenkins muscled up this offseason by: mbarrows@sacbee.com Seahawks’ Bruce Irvin suspended for four games by: Jayson Jenks Bruce Irvin suspended 4 games for violating NFL policy on performance enhancing substances by: Eric Williams Seahawks DE Bruce Irvin suspended four games for violating PED policy by: Nick Eaton Seahawks DE Bruce Irvin suspended 4 games by: TIM BOOTH St. Louis Rams: Don’t Sleep On This Defense by: Brandon Bate Three Players On The St. Louis Rams Ready To Break Out In 2013 by: Nathan Kearns Alec Ogletree is the Forgotten First Rounder for the St. Louis Rams by: Anthony Blake Chiefs’ inside linebacker competition should be interesting by: ADAM TEICHER Raiders sign KR/WR Josh Cribbs to 1-year deal by: ANTONIO GONZALEZ Raiders worst linebackers, defensive line in NFL by: Levi Damien How the Chargers Can Replace Melvin Ingram’s Projected Production by: Christopher Hansen

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