Wednesday, August 31, 2011

2011 AFC Preview and Predictions

           Three days to go until the last two Super Bowl champs meet up at Lambeau Field for the Opening Kickoff on Thursday night. Who cares about Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all of the other holidays, because it is officially the best time of the year with the College Football and the NFL seasons getting underway. There are some exciting story-lines heading into the 2011 season. Will Peyton Manning streak finally end at 208 consecutive starts? (227 if you include the playoffs.) Will Chris Johnson be able to stay healthy after holding out until two weeks until week one? What young team will make a run to the playoffs? Can Bill Belicheck get the careers of Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth back to relevancy? What rookies will make impacts for their teams? This is just a small percentage of all of the big story-lines heading into the 2011 season. We will take a look at the AFC this week, and next week before Opening Night we will take a look at what to expect from the NFC. All of these questions will be answered as we preview and predict each division in the AFC. Lets start this off by beginning with the AFC West.

AFC WEST

Last year the Kansas City Chiefs shocked everybody by winning the AFC West. They have a ton of talented young players, but the San Diego Chargers handed them the West. The Chargers became the first team in NFL history to lead the NFL in total offense and total defense and not make the playoffs. Special teams for the Chargers were pathetic last year, and it single handily cost them three games. I see the AFC West coming down to the Chargers and the Chiefs this year. The Raiders have some talented young players but the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha will hurt their defense tremendously. Also, Jason Campbell is not the guy to lead the Raiders back to the post-season. It has been nine straight years since the Raiders have made it to the playoffs. Things are looking up for the Raiders down the road, but they are still a couple years away. They have some very talented young wide receivers to pay attention to in Jacoby Ford, Louis Murphy, and Denarious Moore. However, they do not have a quarterback they can depend on, so it will be another tough year for Raider Nation. Don't expect the Raiders to run the table in the AFC West again this year, and 8-8 would be another good year for Oakland. The Denver Broncos will be a mess this year. The whole Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton situation will be a distraction for a team that has way more issues than just their quarterback situation. The addition of Von Miller will be a bright spot for Denver, but that very well could be the only one. They are hoping Elvis Dumerville can stay healthy this year after missing all of the 2010 season. Dumerville and Miller will be a nice tandem down the road for the Broncos, but they have a ton of other issues on the defensive side. I see Denver winning seven games at best this year. This brings us back to the Chargers and Chiefs. Kansas City has a lot of good young players, but I see Phillip Rivers leading the Chargers back to the postseason in 2011. Rivers led the NFL in passing last year, and that was with Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, and Malcom Floyd only being on the field together for only one quarter. Rivers will be one of the leading candidates for MVP this year. Their defense should be amongst one of the better defenses in the league again this year. They replaced Special Teams Coach Steve Crosby with Rich Bisaccia, which should help fans quickly forget about all of the special team woes in 2010. Bisaccia was with the Buccaneers as their special teams coordinator for the past nine years, definitely a good hire by the Chargers.

AFC NORTH

The AFC North has the best rivalry currently in the NFL. When the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers play each other you better have your popcorn ready. Last year, they played in three epic games, all of them close. The Ravens still have that awful taste in their mouth after blowing a 21-7 halftime lead in the AFC Divisional game in Pittsburgh. Before we get into the discussion about the two top teams in the North, lets discuss the two bottom teams briefly. If you are a Bengals fan I feel sorry for you this year. Andy Dalton is not the answer. I expect AJ Green to have a good rookie season, but it might be hard with a rookie quarterback trying to get him the rock. Expect the Bengals to lock up the number one pick going into the 2012 NFL draft. (Andrew Luck heading to Cincy!) The Cleveland Browns are still a couple years away from being relevant, and that is if Colt McCoy is the answer. He has looked stellar in the pre-season, but it is just the pre-season. They have some good young talent, and also with Mike Holmgren in charge, things are finally heading in the right direction. I expect both the Ravens and the Steelers to be in the playoffs this year. It always seems like the Steelers find a way to win the North, and I do not see that changing this year. Joe Flacco has never beaten Big Ben in his young career yet. I still expect the Ravens to be a scary team in the playoffs with the additions of Ricky Williams and Lee Evans to the offense. Their defense will always be amongst the best with Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata on the field together. The Steelers are a very talented team and they will try come into this season hungry after losing to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV. Expect the Steelers to do what they do best, run the ball, and hit you in the mouth on defense. They might have the best defense in football, and also have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Everyone talks about Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees, but I think when you mention these quarterbacks you have to mention Big Ben. He is a proven winner and has made big time plays in his career. The Steelers have a well balanced attack on offense, with Rashard Mendenhall running the ball, and Mike Wallace on the outside. Also, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown have looked good this pre-season. And, we can not forget about Heath Miller and Hines Ward who have proven to be great chain movers. Pittsburgh will be battling for the number one seed in the AFC this year.

AFC SOUTH

This division has a lot of question marks about it. Will Peyton Manning's streak at 208 consecutive regular season starts come to an end? Can the Texans finally find a way to get into the playoffs? Will Chris Johnson be able to stay healthy after holding out for so long? Regarding Peyton Manning, I expect him to be behind center before week three for the Colts. Personally, I think the Texans will go 9-7 this year, but miss out on the playoffs once again. The Jaguars shocked a lot of people by battling the Colts for the AFC South last year, but I do not see that happening this year. Sorry Tennessee Titan fans, Matt Hasselbeck is not the answer. I see a struggle for the Titans this year. This division will come down to the Texans and the Colts. Until I see Peyton Manning not make the playoffs, I am not going to bet against him. Especially, with Houston always finding a way to miss the playoffs. I do love the additions made to their secondary in the off-season. Jonathon Joseph and Daniel Manning were big acquisitions to a weak secondary. Also, drafting JJ Watts, with their first round selection out of Wisconsin, was a great pick for their front seven. Brooks Reed, their second round pick from Arizona, might end up being like one of Brian Cushing's teammates when he was at USC (Clay Mathews). Wade Phillips was an outstanding hire for a weak defense in the past few years. Wade Phillips has proven himself to be one of the best defense coordinators in football, it is easy for him when he just has to focus on the defensive side of the ball. The Texans did all the right things in the offseason, but it will matter what they do on Sundays. The Texans also have a very explosive offense with Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson. However, the Colts' have made the playoffs nine straight years and it will be 10 after this year. The Colts' skill position players are healthy heading into 2011 so that is a good sign for the Colts' offense. But, if Peyton Manning can not stay healthy the door is wide open for the Texans, and their might be a problem in Indy.

AFC EAST

Things are not looking great for fans out in Miami and Buffalo, but if you are a Jets' fan or Patriots' fan you are juiced for this season. This very well could be Tony Sparano's last year as the Miami Head Coach after they tried to give Jim Harbaugh seven million last year, while Sparano was still under contract. They are hoping Reggie Bush can be the Reggie Bush he was back at USC. The Bills are making all the right moves into becoming a good team in the future. They have added some nice pieces on defense, especially selecting Marcell Dareus third overall. Dareus was a monster at Alabama, and could end up being in the running for 2011 Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Jets did not get Nnamdi Asomugha, but they did re-sign Antonio Cromartie to keep their secondary amongst the best. Also, the addition of Plaxico Burress will be a solid addition if he can stay healthy. He hasn't been on the football field for over two years so it might take him a few weeks to get comfortable. Also, Derrick Mason was a nice pick up because he has always been an excellent possession receiver during his career, and is a great third down receiver. If Shonn Greene can step up after a sub-par 2010 season, the Jets will be a scary team. The Patriots added a couple of veterans to an already talented team. It seems like Ochocinco is taking longer than expected to get use to his new team, and Albert Haynseworth has only been on the practice field a handful of times. However, New England won 14 games last year with a great quarterback, decent skill players, and a very young defense. Man, that Bill Belicheck is a pretty good coach. However, the Patriots have not won a playoff game since 2008, and Brady is only 3-3 in his last six playoff games. I think this will be the year the Jets find a way to win the AFC East. I still think the Jets and Patriots will both make the playoffs this year.

AFC PLAYOFF PREDICTION

1. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (12-4)
2. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (11-5)
3. NEW YORK JETS (11-5)
4. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-6)
5. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-6)
6. BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-6)

AFC WILD-CARD (Winner is high-lighted)

3. NEW YORK JETS vs 6. BALTIMORE RAVENS

4. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS vs 5. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND

1. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS vs 6. BALTIMORE RAVENS

2. PITTSBURGH STEELERS vs 5. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

2. PITTSBURGH STEELERS vs 6. BALTIMORE RAVENS

2011 AFC CHAMPIONS: BALTIMORE RAVENS

Friday, August 26, 2011

UFC 134 Preview: The Main Card

             The UFC is finally making its return back to Brazil this Saturday night. It has been nearly thirteen years since the UFC has been back, and this wait was long overdue. This card is going to set the tone for the upcoming UFC events coming up before 2011 is over. This is also the first card after the UFC announced their new partnership deal with FOX. UFC 134 features a ton of talent, both young and old. There are exciting match-ups throughout the card, and we get a chance to see the best fighter in the world display his talent. (Sorry Chael Sonnen, Anderson Silva is the best fighter in the world, his 13-0 record in the UFC proves it.) Also, anytime Forrest Griffin is on a fight card it's awesome. Shogun Rua gets a chance to show that he is back as one of the top 205-pounders in the world after his lackluster performance against Jon Jones. Old timer vs. new timer when Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Brendan Schaub lock horns as Big Nog tries for one last run at the Heavyweight title, and Schaub tries to establish himself as one of best up and coming fighters in the world. Don't blink during the Ross Pearson and Edson Barbosa fight because this is going to be a stand up war and should be a very exciting fight. Luiz Cane and UFC newcomer Stanislav Nedkov will start UFC 134 in Rio on the pay-per-view card. The HSBC Arena in Rio de Janiero will be off the hook, and once Big Nog, Shogun, and The Spider are entering the cage, the energy in the Arena will be nuts! All 14,000 tickets sold out in 74 minutes once the tickets went on sell, and that just shows how excited the fans of Brazil are for the return of the UFC.

LUIZ CANE (11-3, 4-3 in the UFC) 
VS STANISLAV NEDKOV (11-0, 0-0 in the UFC)

Just about every fight that Luiz Cane is in is always full of excitement. Cane does one thing, he comes in to knock you out or to be knocked out. Only one of his seven UFC fights have ended up in the judge's hands. Cane is looking to start a two-fight winning streak after he beat Eliot Marshall at UFC 128. Before that, Cane dropped two fights in a row so this will be a big fight for Cane if he wants to stay relevant in the 205-pound division. He is going to have his hands full against UFC newcomer Stanislav Nedkov. Nedkov brings a perfect 11-0 record, but he has not fought the same caliber of fighters that Cane has. The toughest guy Nedkov beat was Kevin Randleman at Sengoku 8, back in May 2009. Cane will definitely be the toughest fight that Nedkov has had in his young fighting career. The 30-year old Bulgarian fighter will look to start his UFC career with a bang and become someone to wrecking with. Nine of his 11 career fights have either ended in submission or (T)KO, so do not expect this fight to go to the judges. Luiz Cane is the 2:1 favorite in the Vegas betting odds, and in my opinion I think that is a safe bet. I think Nedkov will have his hands full in his first UFC fight, and especially with it being in Cane's backyard in Brazil. Cane will look to set the tone off with excitement in the first fight of the pay-per-view card. I think Cane will get the TKO in the first round, but Cane could very well get caught, because he is going to be willing to stand and trade with Nedkov.

ROSS PEARSON (12-4, 4-1 in the UFC)
VS EDSON BARBOSA (8-0, 2-0 in the UFC)

This fight has fight of the night written all over it. Both of these guys are going to come in and stand and bang. Pearson has shown how good of a fighter he is when he dominated Dennis Siver back in March 2010, but in his next fight Cole Miller submitted him. It is hard to tell how good Pearson is going to be, but one thing is for sure the ceiling is very high for the young lad from England. Pearson bounced back after his loss to Miller, and won a unanimous decision against Spencer Fisher in his last fight. Pearson has shown to be a very capable striker, but he lacks the power as three of his four UFC wins have been by decision. The Ultimate Fighter Nine winner looks to get another win streak as he tries to capture his second straight win against a very game opponent. Edson Barbosa might be the best fighter in the world that no one has ever heard of. This kid is an absolute beast. Barbosa looked very impressive in his last fight against a very tough striker in Anthony Njokuani in route to his unanimous decision victory. All of the other seven fights Barbosa has not made it to the judge's scorecards. He has six wins by (T)KO and one win by submission. This is going to be an exciting back and forth fight, and I am calling this one for fight of the night honors. I have Barbosa winning this fight by a decision, and I think it will be a close fight. I am giving Pearson a better chance at winning than Vegas is, because Barbosa is nearly a 3:1 favorite. I think Barbosa will win via split decision, but do not count out the tough kid from England. Both of these guys are both very talented young fighters in the stacked 155-pound division, and the winner will move up the rankings significantly and probably get a top ten lightweight next.

BRENDAN SCHAUB (8-1, 4-1 in the UFC)
VS ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA (32-6-1-1 NC, 3-2 in the UFC)

This is a huge fight for both of these fighters. Schaub wants to prove himself as one of the top tier Heavyweights in the world. Big Nog wants to stay relevant in the Heavyweight division and make one last run at the Heavyweight belt. Rodrigo Nogueira has fought the best in the world during his tremendous career. He has beaten the likes of Mark Coleman, Dan Henderson, Heath Herring (3x), Mirko Cro-Cop, Sergei Kharitonov, Randy Couture, Josh Barnett, Tim Sylvia, and Fabricio Werdum. Plain and simple Big Nog has been around fighting the best in the World for a long time. However, a lot of these wins came back in Big Nog's Pride days so we will see whaw Big Nog shows up. The one against Randy Couture at UFC 102, or the one against Cain Velasquez at UFC 110. On the other hand, Brendan Schaub is a young up and coming fighter who is looking to add another signature win to his resume. He has won four fights in a row since his KO loss to Roy Nelson in TUF 10 Finale. Three of his four UFC wins have come by (T)KO and has shown tremendous striking. Schaub has some of the best hands in the Heavyweight division and his power can end the fight at anytime, just ask Mirko Cro-Cop what happened. Also, Schaub looked very impressive against a very game Gabriel Gonzaga in route of a dominating unanimous decision victory. If Schaub can add Big Nog to his hit list expect him to quickly jump in the mix for the Heavyweight belt. This fight is 50-50 in my eyes and I can see this going either way. Schaub continues to say his jiu-jitsu is right there with Big Nog, but that would be a huge mistake if he really thinks that. However, Schaub definitely has the advantage in striking so this fight will be very intriguing. Schaub is better than a 2:1 favorite in Vegas, and I would put my money on Schaub. I think Big Nog is on the downhill of his career, but still he is a guy that is hard to count out. I could see Big Nog pulling out a submission victory, especially since this fight is in his backyard in Brazil. This should give Rodrigo some extra energy to work with and might push him towards victory as he tries to get back in the Heavyweight title picture. In my opinion, I see the road coming close to an end for Big Nog and I think Schaub will get a second round KO victory with one strong right hand that puts Big Nig out cold.

FORREST GRIFFIN (18-6, 9-4 in the UFC)
VS MAURICIO "SHOGUN" RUA (19-5, 3-3 in the UFC)

Nobody gave Forrest Griffin a chance to beat Shogun at UFC 76 when Shogun made his Octagon debut, but Griffin pulled off the upset with a rear naked choke in the third round. Even if Griffin did not pull out the submission victory he was dominating the fight and would have won on the scorecards. (Most likely I should say, because there have been some head scratching decisions from the judges in the past.) For some odd reason Forrest Griffin always seems to win when he is the heavy underdog. Griffin is a lot more talented than people give him credit for. He is a well rounded fighter and is comfortable wherever the fight ends up. Ever since his back to back losses to Anderon Silva and Rashad Evans, Griffin has bounced back and looked good against Tito Ortiz, and then dominated Rich Franklin in his last fight. Shogun is looking to bounce back after a lackluster performance against Jon Jones when he lost his Light Heavyweight belt. However, Jon Jones has made everyone look bad in every fight he has had in the UFC. Rua has been on of the hardest fighters to predict, mainly because of injuries. Word is Shogun is 100% for this fight, so will see if the Shogun that knocked out Chuck Liddell and Lyota Machida shows up. Also, with the fight being in Brazil you would think that the real Shogun would show up and immolate the Shogun we saw run through Pride. Shogun is a 2.5:1 favorite in Vegas, but I have a funny feeling that if you bet on Forrest you will have some money coming your way. Forrest Griffin always seems to pull out wins when he is the underdog, and I see him doing the same on Saturday night. I see Griffin pulling out a close fight, and I think it will come down to the third round. Shogun has always had an issue with cardio, and Griffin seems to always be ready to fight the full 15 minutes. I see Griffin taking down Shogun in the third round in route to a unanimous 29-28 victory on the scorecards. However, I definitely would not be surprised to see Shogun win this fight either, but I think Griffin will find a way to pull out a grueling decision on the judge's scorecards. This is a huge fight for both fighters as they both try and get closer to getting in a position to capture the 205-pound belt once again.

MAIN EVENT

ANDERSON SILVA (30-4, 13-0 in the UFC)
VS YUSHIN OKAMI (26-5, 10-2 in the UFC)

There are not many people giving Yushin Okami a chance to win this fight, and I am one of those people. Anderson Silva is 13-0 in the UFC and only one man ever was close to beating Anderson Silva in the UFC. Chael Sonnen was two minutes away from becoming the first guy to beat Silva in the UFC. Okami has been training with Sonnen ever since Sonnen beat Okami in 2009. Sonnen is definitely the right guy to be training with preparing for Anderson Silva because he clearly knows how to give Silva his run for his money. However, I think Sonnen and Okami are not in the same class. Okami has always done well against B level fighters but against the top guys in the Middleweight division he has not performed that well. I do not see that changing against Silva. Okami definitely has a good wrestling pedigree and is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, 185-pounder in the world. Okami was the last guy to beat Silva, but Okami was the one who was rocked in the fight and could not continue. An illegal up kick from Silva got him the DQ in the fight with a vicious up kick to the face. This time around Anderson Silva knows the rules and we will not see this again. Okami wants to prove he can beat Silva the right way, and Silva wants to prove he can beat Okami the legal way. I see Silva dominating this fight and getting the KO victory in the first round. I think Silva will get an even better KO victory than the one he displayed on Vitor Belfort with a nasty front kick to the face. I am going on a limb and saying Silva will either win with a KO victory with a spinning back fist or a spinning back kick. Anderson Silva will improve his undefeated UFC record to an impressive 14-0 and will be praying for Chael Sonnen to beat Brian Stann at UFC 136 for one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history. Hopefully this time around Silva won't be fighting with cracked ribs. Anderson Silva will prove once again that he is the best fighter in the World.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Top 10 Fantasy Football Sleepers

          Fantasy football fans were scared for 135 days not knowing what they were going to do while the NFL lockout was enduring the longest lockout in NFL history. Fantasy football fans were more worried about not being able to compete in fantasy football than they were about watching the actual games. Fantasy football has become one of the largest hobbies that people participate in, whether it is for money, or simply, bragging rights. Luckily, everyone knew the lockout was going to end because the NFL owner's would be throwing money down the drain. Millions of dollars would have been lost from each team by simply just missing one or two preseason games. The lockout ended and now it is time to sign up with your buddies and try and earn the right of being able to talk some smack and win your league. I will try and help out fantasy football fans by making a list of the top ten fantasy sleeper picks for this season. Last year, I was able to get Arian Foster in the 8th round and also Michael Vick in the 11th round and that helped me in my ESPN league to make it all the way to the championship game. The first four rounds are key to get players that will be consistent, but as you get into the later rounds it is important to try and find players that are capable of putting up big numbers weekly. Last year, Arian Foster, Peyton Hillis, Michael Vick, Chris Ivory, Mike Tolbert and many other guys were guys who put up good numbers, and yet, a lot of these guys were drafted late or not drafted at all. Alright, time to get the list crackin' of the top ten fantasy football sleeper picks for your teams this year.

10. Dennis Pitta (TE-Baltimore Ravens)

The Baltimore Ravens knew what they were doing when they gave Todd Heap his pink slip. Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson are both very talented young tight-ends who are both entering their sophomore seasons. Pitta battled a little bit of the injury woe last year, but is 100% healthy entering this season. Currently, Pitta is second on the depth chart behind Dickson, but expect Pitta to surpass Dickson early in the season. The reason why Pitta is a sleeper is because in a lot of fantasy drafts he might not even get drafted, and if you want to wait and grab a tight-end in one of the latter rounds, Pitta is your guy. Expect Pitta to be a big redzone target this year for Joe Flacco. Pitta looked great in the Ravens opening preseason game against the Eagles, making four grabs for nearly 50 yards. Expect Pitta to be in the same situation Marcedes Lewis was last year, go undrafted in a lot of fantasy drafts and work his way into being a consistent starter on fantasy rosters as the season progresses. I expect Pitta to be a big threat in the redzone, which should make his TD numbers pretty impressive this season. With Derrick Mason gone, expect Flacco to try and find a new security blanket when Boldin is getting double teamed, and Pitta could very well be that guy. Don't draft Pitta before the last couple of rounds because he has a good chance to go undrafted and could be one of the sexier free agents to pick up on your roster.

9. Daniel Thomas (RB-Miami Dolphins)

There is a reason why the Miami Dolphins chose to not re-sign Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. We all know Reggie Bush is not the type of running back that can carry the ball 20-25 times every Sunday. Daniel Thomas is a physical back who also has good agility. Thomas will be the guy who will be the running back when the Dolphins get inside their opponents red zone. Expect Thomas to put up good numbers in his rookie campaign and to be a good running back to have as your flex running back. Thomas should go in rounds six or seven, and it might be a reach to take him anytime before that. Expect Thomas to end up with around 800 yards this season and double-digit touchdowns. Especially, with Miami's weak passing game expect Thomas to carry most the load in getting a lot of carries as they try and use Bush as more of a receiving running back. Thomas is arguably the best rookie running back to go along with Mark Ingram and Ryan Williams. Expect for Thomas to emulate LeGarrette Blount and he might end up putting up better numbers than Blount did last year because he will be in the mix right from the start.

8. Jacoby Ford (WR-Oakland Raiders)

Jacoby Ford proved to be a playmaker last season for the Oakland Raiders. Ford scored seven TD's last season as a rookie receiver out of Clemson. Also, Ford became more of a threat as the Raiders got deeper into the season. Expect Ford to be a starting receiver for the Raiders week one. Ford is coming off a broken hand injury in training camp, but he should be good to go by week one. He quickly became one of Jason Campbells' favorite targets last year as he continued to make big plays for the Raiders offense. If Ford is available in rounds eight or nine you should pick him up because he is capable of putting up good numbers as your second or third receiver. Ford is a good guy to use for your flex position and also a good guy to have on your bench to fill in for injuries or during bye weeks for your top two receivers.

7. Tim Hightower (RB-Washington Redskins)

Tim Hightower should be the number one back on the Redskins roster by the time week one starts. Ryan Torrain will be battling Hightower for the number one back position. With John Beck probably being the starting quarterback for Washington, expect the Redskins to look run first and pass second. Especially with Head Coach, Mike Shannahan, being a coach who likes to run the ball, as we saw when he was with the Denver Broncos. With Denver, Shannahan always ran the ball, and was very effective with guys like Olandis Gary and Mike Anderson. If Hightower is avaliable in rounds six or seven he would be a good guy to pick up as your flex running back. Hightower might be available after those rounds, but anywhere after round six he would be a good guy to pick up for your roster. Expect Hightower to put up good numbers, as he averaged close to five yards per carry last year with the Arizona Cardinals.

6. Julio Jones (WR-Atlanta Falcons)

Jones is in a perfect situation to put up big numbers as a rookie wide receiver with a very explosive Falcons' offense. Especially, with Roddy White being lined up on the other side to take on double team after double team. Julio Jones is a very explosive wide out and should have no trouble with coming up with big plays for Atlanta. It might take Jones a few weeks to get acclimated with Matt Ryan, but expect Jones to have a big second half. I expect Jones to go in rounds nine or ten, which is an absolute steal if you can get him after round nine. Jones should be a receiver to have on your bench in the early part of the season, but could very well be a consistent starter on your fantasy roster as the season progresses. I think Jones is in a perfect situation with the Falcons offense. He is a perfect guy to have as a back up wide out to put up pretty good numbers for your squad.

5. Mike Sims-Walker (WR-St. Louis Rams)

This was a huge off-season signing by the Rams as they look to bolster a weak receiving core. Sims-Walker should be starting week one opposite of wide out Mark Clayton. Sam Bradford had a stellar rookie campaign almost leading the Rams to the playoffs single handily. Expect Bradford to have an even better sophomore season and throw for more than 3,000 yards and over 20 touchdowns. Sims-Walker would be an absolute good pick in rounds seven or eight and should put up good numbers in his first season as a Ram. I really think he is capable to be a starter on your team, but would be better fit to be a flex option and a guy to have on your bench just in case of injuries or on bye weeks to fill in. He is in a perfect situation with second year starter Sam Bradford and should see a lot of balls coming his way.

4. Jeremy Maclin (WR-Philadelphia Eagles)

Maclin should drop a few rounds this year because of his illness he was dealing with during training camp, but luckily all of the tests came up negative and he will be ready to go week one. Maclin put up decent numbers last year as a rookie, and expect him to put up better numbers in his sophomore campaign. The Eagles have a very explosive offense and with Jackson, more than likely, to get double teamed expect a lot of balls going Maclin's direction. Maclin is a deep threat and a very explosive wide out, so expect him to put up big numbers. Of course, there will probably be weeks were Maclin might not put up huge numbers every week, but if he can get on track with Mike Vick, expect Maclin to have some big fantasy weeks. Maclin will probably go later in the draft in rounds six or seven, and you might be able to get him in the eighth or ninth round because of his illness he was dealing with during training camp. Maclin will be a perfect guy to have as a flex option or as a back up.

3. Mike Thomas (WR-Jacksonville Jaguars)

Expect Thomas to put up big numbers this year as he has become the Jaguars number one receiver with Mike Sims-Walker bouncing the St. Louis. Thomas had a good year last with the Jags with 820 yards receiving and four TD's. Expect those numbers to increase this year. It really doesn't matter if Garrard or Gabbert are throwing him to ball because both guys will be looking at him a lot and he will put up good numbers. For some odd reason Thomas is still ranked in the 30's among all NFL receivers so he should be going in rounds eight or nine. Thomas could very well end up being a consistent starter on a lot of fantasy rosters, but would be an absolute steal to have him as a flew option or as a guy to have on the bench. I think Thomas is going to put up huge numbers this year, and yet he continues to go under the radar among ESPN.com, NFL.com, and Yahoo.com rankings. Don't let that happen to you when it is round eight or nine and you need another receiver because Mike Thomas is your guy.

2. Mike Tolbert (RB-San Diego Chargers)

Just like last year there is a ton of hype about Ryan Mathews when no one is talking about Mike Tolbert. Tolbert was an absolute beast for the San Diego Chargers last year. Especially, with most defenses keying in on Phillip Rivers this opens up the Chargers' running game. Last year, Tolbert had 182 carries for 735 yards and 11 TD's, and also had another 200-plus receiving yards. Tolbert was a savior for a lot of fantasy owners last year when he was going faster in free agency than the hottest girl who just broke up with her boyfriend. Once again, Mathews will probably be going in rounds three or four as owners will draft him just on pure hype like most owners did last year. Expect Tolbert to be available in the eighth round or later, and you shouldn't even consider drafting him before that just because he is still listed as the number two running back on the Chargers depth chart. However, expect Tolbert to be the guy that is in for the Chargers in their goaline offense so he should produce a lot of TD's. Also, if Mathews has another injury plagued season Tolbert will put up big numbers and could be an excellent option as a flew running back. If Tolbert is available in the double digit rounds you better snag him up because he ranked in the top 20 among all running backs last year in fantasy production. Tolbert is a great flex option and also a good guy to have on your bench to put in during bye weeks for your other backs and also to put in if one of your backs get injured. Expect Tolbert to put up close to the same numbers he did last year, flirting with close to 1,000 total yards and right around the 10 TD mark.

1. LeGarrette Blount (RB-Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Blount is rated in the top 20 among all running backs but he is definitely a sleeper because he will be a great value pick to get in rounds three or four because he is definitely capable of putting up first round numbers. Blount rushed for over 1,000 yards last season even though he didn't get in consistently for the Bucs' offense until week seven. Last year, Blount averaged five yards per carry and found the endzone six times, and expect his TD number to double this season, and also he will be the featured back from week one this year so expect Blount's workload to increase significantly. Just as long as Blount doesn't punch somebody in the face and get suspended expect him to help your fantasy team tremendously. Blount proved he has matured a lot since his fiasco during his senior season at Oregon and was good on and off the field as an undrafted free agent for the Buccaneers last season, and Bucs' Head Coach Raheem Morris is the man to thank for that. If Blount is available in rounds three of four it would be wise to pick him up because he is very capable to put up the same numbers as the running backs who get taken late in the first round. Expect Blount to get close to 1,500 yards this season and double digit TD's. Also, Blount has been working hard at becoming a better wide receiver out of the backfield during the off-season and also working on pass protection, so he should be on the field more as the third down running back. If Blount can continue to mature expect him to be a huge contributor to your fantasy team.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

BenJarvis Green-Ellis (RB-New England)

Rashad Jennings (RB-Jacksonville)

Jordy Nelson (WR-Green Bay)

James Jones (WR-Green Bay)

Greg Little (WR-Cleveland)

Percy Harvin (WR-Minnesota)

Greg Olsen (TE-Carolina)

Colt McCoy (QB-Cleveland)

Mark Ingram (RB-New Orleans)

Denarius Moore (WR-Oakland)