If you have not yet played in any of the Zealots dynasty leagues, you ought to consider joining. They are great leagues, especially if you have interest in dynasty leagues that incorporate individual defensive players. I belong to two classic leagues, Zealots 20 and Zealots 51. I won the championship in both of these leagues last season. It was my first championship in Zealots 51, but I’ve won the championship in Zealots 20 in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2011… 4 of the last 6 years!
The rookie drafts in both of these leagues have recently been completed. Since I was much more active in the Zealots 51 rookie draft than the Zealots 20 rookie draft, I thought I’d start there.
In Zealots 51, I walked into the draft holding the following picks… 1.06, 1.12, 2.12, 3.12, 4.07, 4.12, 5.12, and the 6.12. During the draft I traded Mario Fannin (RB, Broncos) for Curtis Brinkley (RB, Chargers) + the 3.07 draft pick. Looking back, I’m not sure this was the wisest of moves. I believe that Fannin has a real chance to emerge in the next 1 or 2 years in the Denver backfield. He and Hillman could easily be the future of the Denver rushing attack, but only time will tell.
Here’s how the draft played out for me…
1.06… being a bit weaker at RB than I would like to be (Mathews, Ingram, & Stewart), I was targeting David Wilson (RB, Giants) with this pick. Every draft I’ve seen, Wilson was available with the 1.06; unfortunately, Wilson was the third pick in this draft after Richardson (RB, Browns) and Martin (RB, Buccaneers). After this development, I thought I had a real shot at one of the two top quarterbacks since only two of the teams before me had a need at this position. That didn’t work out either as both Griffin and Luck were selected at 1.04 and 1.05, respectively. So at 1.06, I selected Justin Blackmon… here’s hoping he lives up to the hype!
1.12… With my quarterbacks being Ryan, Gabbert, and Moore, I decided to corner the market on the Dolphins QB by selecting Ryan Tannehill (QB, Dolphins). I consider Tannehill a bit of a boom or bust player, so I’m a bit worried about this pick. I really considered Lamar Miller (RB, Dolphins) with the 1.12, but decided to shore up the QB position.
2.12… Chris Polk (RB, Eagles) was my selection at the end of the 2nd round. Having missed out on all the top running backs in the draft and confident that Polk would not make it through the 3rd round, I took a chance at him here. I’m a believer in his abilities and don’t think the past shoulder issues will prevent him from performing when called upon. The problem here is that LeSean McCoy just recently signed a 5-year extension, making it unlikely that Polk will ever see more than a backup role in Philadelphia. Nonetheless, I believe Polk to be the best option in Philadelphia after McCoy. I can either hold onto Polk in hopes that he gets traded or I can try to move him to the McCoy owner in our league.
3.07… With the 3.07 pick that I picked up in the trade for Mannin, I selected Chris Givens (WR, Rams). St. Louis is a mess at the moment and any of the WRs there have a chance at fantasy relevance. Givens and Quick are rumored to be the opening day starters, but only training camp will truly tell. I do believe that the Rams have the talent to improve dramatically in the next couple of years and that Bradford will be an above average NFL QB, so hopefully Givens will prove to be a productive WR both in the NFL and for fantasy purposes.
3.12… Ladarius Green (TE, Chargers) was my selection here. I initially thought that this might be a tad too early in the draft to take Green, but I’ve now seen other drafts where he was selected in the 3rd. This is a long-term prospecting pick. With Gates getting up there in years, Green has the opportunity to become his heir in an offense that uses the TE regularly.
4.07… By the time you get to this point in the draft, I believe it becomes a bit of a crap-shoot. I felt pretty decent about my defense and thought I could target some good IDP prospects later in the draft, so with the 4.07 I took a gamble on Cyrus Gray (RB, Chiefs). Gray appears to have some talent and may well be the best back behind Jamaal Charles in Kansas City. With Hillis on a one-year contract, Gray has some future upside as part of a committee in Kansas City or trade bait to the Charles owner.
4.12… I now felt it was time to address the defensive side of the ball. With the 4.12, I took Andre Branch (DE, Jaguars). My team is a bit weak at this position (Calais Campbell, Morgan, Quinn, and Bowers) and Branch has the opportunity to step into a productive role at the beginning of his career.
5.12… Sticking with the defensive angle, I selected Demario Davis (LB, Jets) with the last pick in the 5th round. With Bart Scott turning 32 at the start of the season, I envision Davis as a future starter at inside linebacker for the Jets for the next several years.
6.12… With the last pick in our Zealots 51 draft, I selected Zach Brown (LB, Titans). Everything I’ve read about Brown indicates that he is yet another high-risk, high-reward player. The talent appears to be there, so if his drive and work ethic can match his talent then I will have gotten a very productive LB at the end of the draft. I feel very good about taking Brown here.
In addition to these draft picks, I made one other move worth mentioning. I traded Victor Cruz + Mike Goodson in exchange for Roy Helu (RB, Redskins) + Torrey Smith (WR, Ravens). This is the second league in which I have traded Cruz. This is NOT a reflection on my faith in Cruz’s ability to remain a highly productive fantasy WR, but rather a sell-high opportunity where I could build needed depth. With Evan Royster on my roster and needing depth at RB, I felt this was a good opportunity to build RB depth and still get a young, high-upside wide receiver as part of the bargain.
The key players on my team now are…
- QB… Ryan, Tannehill (Moore), Gabbert (Henne)
- RB… Mathews, Stewart, Ingram, Helu (Royster)
- WR… Calvin Johnson, Bryant, Nelson, Meacham, Blackmon, Torrey Smith
- TE… Fred Davis, Cook, Miller (Seahawks), Dickson
- LB… Beason, Weatherspoon, DJ Williams, Kerrigan, Aldon Smith, Acho
- DL… Campbell, Idonije, Quinn, Branch, Bowers
- DB… Stewart, Moore, Allen, Houston, Browner, Toler
Now to see if I can defend my championship!
We are almost done in the Cool World rookie draft and I tried to do some maneuvering around since all I had was the 1.12 draft pick (14 team league) and the 3.07 pick. I had some success, but not quite as much as I had hoped.
Here’s how it went…
The day before the draft, I traded Victor Cruz (WR, NYG) for Adrian Peterson (RB, MIN) and the 2.04 rookie pick. This now gave me the 1.12, 2.04, and 3.07 rookie picks.
At the top of the draft, I traded my newly acquired Adrian Peterson + Eric Decker (WR, DEN) in exchange for the 1.04 draft pick and Randall Cobb (WR, GBP).
With the 1.04 pick in the draft, I selected Robert Griffin III (QB, WAS).
With my 1.12 draft pick, I selected Kendall Wright (WR, TEN). Considering that he is usually ranked around the 7th or 8th rookie for fantasy rookie drafts, I was pleased to see him fall to me.
With the newly acquired 2.04 draft pick, I selected Reuben Randle (WR, NYG).
So, that set of trades and selections resulted in me giving up Eric Decker + Victor Cruz from my original roster in exchange for Robert Griffin III + Randall Cobb + Reuben Randle. I’m still not sure if I came out ahead or not. I was pretty high on Cruz and Decker, but there is the possibility that Cruz is a one-year wonder (probably unlikely) and while Decker probably has better short-term returns, I’m pretty high on Cobb’s long-term outlook. A similar rationale can be used in regards to moving Adrian Peterson. While his recovery seems to be going well, he probably has only 2 or maybe 3 good years left in him. On the other hand, if Griffin doesn’t bust, he should be a stellar part of my team for the next decade.
So, did I make smart moves that will help me in the long run or will this backfire, leaving me regretting my decisions? Only time will tell, but my roster has some nice upside if they pan out.
QBs… Rivers, Griffin, Freeman, Gabbert
RBs… Rice, Mathews, Daniel Thomas, Hunter, Tolbert, Ivory
WRs… Marshall, Demaryius Thomas, Anquan Bolden, Cobb, J. Baldwin, Wright, Randle, and AJ Jenkins
TEs… Moeaki, Miller (SEA), and Cooley.
A year ago, I had the greatest of intentions start this blog with the intention of making it a place I could put my thoughts on fantasy football down, vent (or gloat) about trades I made, etc.
But then I got laid off work, found a new job, and found myself without the time I thought I would have to devote to the occasional blog post.
With the NFL draft starting tonight, I’m going to give this a second attempt and try to to a better job of writing at least twice a week.
Wish me luck!
I hate to give anyone a hard time unless its all in fun, but Mike Shanahan, the coach of the Washington Redskins, seems to be at it again. He just can’t seem to have enough running backs. I don’t know whether it is because he hates to draft a stud running back in the early rounds of the NFL draft or he thinks he can continue to find late-round gems at the running back position, but it kills us fantasy football team owners that take a chance on any of the Redskins’ running backs.
The Redskins trade with the Arizona Cardinals for Tim Hightower added yet another running back to an already deep corp, giving them Hightower, Ryan Torain, Roy Helu, Keiland Williams, and Evan Royster. Going into training camp, everything I read indicated that the Redskins believed in Torain and his ability to be the main ball carrier this year; however, the trade for Hightower brings those thoughts crashing down.
Torain didn’t have a bad season in 2010 considering he only played in 10 games. He finished with 164 rushes for 742 yards (4.5 yards per carry average) and 4 touchdowns, adding another 125 yards and 2 TDs on 18 receptions. At 74 yards per game, if he had played the full season, he might have finished near 1200 yards rushing and perhaps a couple of more touchdowns. Despite this the Redskins felt the need to add Hightower, in all likelihood because of Torains injury history.
Hightower is often a second thought to fantasy owners. Most of the fantasy experts consider Hightower to be an average talent with little upside. Last season, Hightower rushed for 736 yards and 5 touchdowns on 153 carries (4.8 yard per carry average) and added another 136 yards (0 TDs) on 21 carries. Hightower seems to have a reputation for staying healthy, being good at blitz pickup, and catching the ball well, but he has also had problems holding onto the football.
Hightower and Torain are both 25 years of age and they are both of similar build (6’1″ and about 220 lbs) and their rushing average is also similar. This makes them seem like very similar running backs. However, the fact that Hightower hasn’t had any health issues and can pick up the blitz well are good signs for his chances of taking over the starting running back position for the Redskins. With Torain out with an injured hand, Hightower has been making the most of his opportunity.
Right now, it looks like Hightower will be the Redskins’ 2011 starting running back. BUT, Coach Shanahan has the reputation of switching running backs on a regular basis, making it anyone’s guess which will be the better overall running back for fantasy purposes. In all likelihood, assuming that Torain can get and remain healthy, Hightower and Torain will split the load fairly evenly this year until one of the rookies is ready to take over. That probably won’t happen until the 2012 season.
Considering that I acquired Torain, Royster, and Williams as part of a trade for Dez Bryant (gave up Shonn Greene & Johnny Knox) in one of my dynasty leagues this year, the Redskins’ move for Hightower hurts. Granted, Torain was going to be my #4RB behing Ingram, Matthews, and Stewart, but with Stewart’s demotion back to a timeshare, it would have been nice if Torain had remained in a position to garner the lion’s share of carries in Washington.
Right now it looks like #1 = Hightower, #2 = Torain, #3 = Helu, and #4 = Royster/Williams (depending on how Royster looks and if Williams sticks at fullback where he’s been seeing some time lately). However, this situation is VERY fluid and could change at any moment.
Good luck if you are like me and own one or more of the Reskins’ running backs!
The Arizona Cardinals have made some pretty interesting moves this off-season. In addition to obtaining quarterback Kevin Kolb from Philadelphia, they have traded Tim Hightower to Washington and lost Steve Breaston to Kansas City. From a fantasy football perspective, there is a lot of potential on the Cardinals squad. The running game will be lead by Chris Wells and Ryan Williams and if Kolb performs to expectations, they should have room to run the ball.
In regards to the Cardinals’ wide receivers, the loss of Breaston leaves them with Fitzgerald, Early Doucet, Andre Roberts, and Stephen Williams. While Doucet has play making abilities, he just can’t seem to stay healthy and I have little confidence that he will have much fantasy relevance this year. However, I believe that if Kolb plays well in Arizona that Andre Roberts and Stephen Williams have real solid sleeper potential. Let’s take a brief look at both of these wide receivers…
Andre Roberts (5’11″, 195 lbs)… Roberts was drafted out of The Citadel in the 3rd round last year and had a relatively decent rookie season. He finished the season with 24 receptions for 307 yards and 2 touchdowns. Fifteen of those 24 receptions came in 3 games with two of those games being the last two games of the season. This suggests that Roberts ended the season on a high note, which is often thought to be a good sign for the next season. Initial scouting reports indicated that Roberts has good run-after-the-catch ability and is willing to work the middle of the field. The draft mags that I read had him ranked as the 15th or 16th best WR prospect in the 2010 draft. With the loss of Breaston and the history of Doucet, Roberts looks to see the ball a lot more this year in what looks like a potentially explosive Cardinals’ offense. I’ve seen projections for Roberts of around 50 catches, 650 yards, and 4 touchdowns for the 2011 season. This certainly seems reasonable, but I also see an opportunity for even greater production than this.
Stephen Williams (6’5″, 208 lbs)… Williams is a tall wide receiver out of Toledo. Williams left Toledo as their all-time leading wide receiver after breaking the records held by Lance Moore (WR, Saints), so it seems that there is certainly some talent there. However, he wasn’t highly rated coming out of Toledo by NFL draft experts and ended up going undrafted. Williams had a good training camp and preseason by all reports and followed that up with 7 catches for 75 yards in the first 4 games he played. However, in week 5, Williams injured his back and did not register another catch until the last game of the season when he caught 2 balls for 26 yards and finishing the season with 9 catches for 101 yards and 0 touchdowns. Most sites I’ve seen project Williams with around 13 catches for about 150 yards and one touchdown. I personally have a hard time believing that he won’t be more productive than that.
While I might be premature in ruling out Early Doucet as a starting wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, Doucet has only played in 7, 9, and 10 games in his first three seasons. He certainly has time to turn things around if he can stay healthy, but I am more apt to believe that Roberts and perhaps even Williams are going to be more productive than Doucet this season.
Andre Roberts is clearly getting more attention than Stephen Williams as a possible sleeper at the wide receiver position this year, but I would not rule out Williams. If he can have another good pre-season and turn that into playing time, I can see Williams as a productive part of the Cardinals’ passing a game and a player worth tucking away at the end of your fantasy football bench. I own him in two of my three dynasty leagues and have both him and Roberts in one league. If Kolb is as good for the Cardinals as everyone hopes, the the #2 and perhaps even the #3 Arizona WR has value, particularly dynasty value.
Good luck this season!
Man, it feels good to be back writing again. Between work-related issues (still working through those) and the lack of football, there either wasn’t much to write about or I didn’t have the time to write about anything. But with the end of the lockout earlier this week and the flurry of free agent signings, there are lots of great topics to write about.
It seems like one of the first things that typically happens is the signing of undrafted free agents (UDFAs). While the VAST majority of these players will either be cut during training camp or placed on a team’s practice squad, a few of them will inevitably make an impact. This is true for both their NFL team and any fantasy team that drafts them or picks them up on the waiver wire. The position that seems to be getting the most attention among undrafted free agents is the running back position. This has been helped by the performance of players like Arian Foster, LeGarrette Blount, Fred Jackson, and Benjarvus Green-Ellis. Running backs don’t seem to be getting drafted all that high in the NFL draft anymore and many NFL teams find running back gems in the latter rounds of the draft or in the UDFA pool. Therefore, it is always wise for a fantasy team owner, especially in dynasty fantasy football leagues, to keep an eye on these undrafted running backs and where they sign.
The website NEPatriotsDraft.com does an excellent job of tracking where these UDFAs sign. The list of signed UDFA running backs below was pulled from this site.
Undrafted Free Agent Running Backs…
Allen, Armando (Buccaneers) – Allen is a smaller back (5’8″, 199 lbs) that sits behind Blount and Bradford in Tampa Bay. With Kareem Huggins injured, Allen might have a shot as a 3rd down, change-of-pace running back. However, even if he makes the roster, it is clear that he’ll probably get little playing time with Blount almost assured of getting most of the snaps in Tampa.
Buckram, Donald (Browns) – Buckram appears to have a shot of sticking on the Browns roster if for no other reason than the Browns only have 4 running backs at the moment. However, with Hillis’ showing last season, Hardesty coming back from injury, and the free agency signing of Brandon Jackson, Buckram won’t get much playing time this season. However, if Buckram can return to full health after his knee injury, he might earn playing time in the future.
Cooper, Graig (Eagles) – Cooper (5’10″, 205 lbs) is the larger of the 4 new runnings backs on the Eagles current roster. Should he prove to be over his knee injury, Cooper might actually be the best bet to be McCoy’s true backup. While his value might be low this season as he continues his recovery, his value as McCoy’s possible backup could grow substantially should he prove healthy.
Devine, Noel (Eagles) – Devine is an extremely small (5’7″, 160 lbs according to the draft mags), but very fast running back. Without a lot of quality depth behind LeSean McCoy, Devine has the opportunity to stick as a change-of-pace back, but will have a fight on his hands from the other smallish running backs that the Eagles have added to their roster (Dion Lewis and Derrick Locke).
Evans, Darren (Colts) – The Colts added a larger running back to their roster with Evans (6’0″; 220 lbs). With Addai’s time in Indy likely running short and the uncertainty about Donald Brown, Delone Carter (drafted) and Evans both have the potential to be move-the-chain grinders who can punch it into the endzone.
Fannin, Mario (Broncos) – From what I can gather, Fannin (5’10″; 231 lbs) is all about potential. He is reported to be strong at the point of contact and make extra yards after the initial hit. He appears to be a solid, though not necessarily spectacular, all-around runnning back. Considering all the talk about Denver not being sold on Moreno, Fannin might have found himself with an excellent shot at real playing time in the future.
Grigsby, Nic (Dolphins) – With Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams probably not returning to Miami, Grigsby has an opportunity to make the Dolphins roster. But with the drafting of Daniel Thomas and the free agent signing of Reggie Bush, it is unlikely that Grigsby will see much, if any, playing time. It is more likely that Grigsby will end up on the practice squad or simply released after training camp.
Hughes, Robert (Bears) - Listed as a fullback coming out of college, Hughes is reported to be a versatile runner and receiver; however, his lack of speed will probably keep him from ever becoming more than a short yardage back. Despite this, there are a lot of question marks behind Matt Forte, so Hughes has the potential to garner some playing time as a short-yardage, goal line running back and might vulture a few touchdowns from Forte if he makes the final roster.
Locke, Derrick (Eagles) – The Eagles added 3 UDFA running backs to their roster including Locke, Devine, and Graig Cooper. Both Locke and Devine seem like similar backs in that they are both smaller players with lots of speed and playmaking ability. Either Locke or Devine might make the Eagles opening day roster as a change-of-pace runner or returner, but it is unlikely that either will get much playing time behind McCoy.
Madu, Mossis (Buccaneers) – Similar to Armando Allen, Madu it likely an attempt by the Buccs to fill their ‘change-of-pace’ running back needs. An article on the web site The Pewter Plank suggests that Madu might have an even better chance of making the Buccs opening day roster than Allen.
Spann, Chad (Colts) – Reports indicated that Spann has the ability to be a very good cut-back runner with good explosion through the line, giving him a realistic shot at making the Colts’ roster, especially if Addai is not brought back during free agency. If Addai is gone, the addition of Spann and Evans and the drafting of Carter give the Colts some options behind Brown should he not live up to his draft potential. It should be an interesting training camp in Indy.
Taua, Vai (Bills) – Listed as a potential sleeper running back in the Sporting News NFL Draft magazine, Taua lands is a spot where there is plenty of opportunity to earn playing time. Fred Jackson is getting old in football years and Spiller still has to show that he’s more than a 3rd down specialist. Either Vai or Johnny White (drafted) might prove to be the other half of the Bills future running back committee once Jackson moves on.
While there were several other UDFA running backs added to NFL rosters, I was not able to find much information on them and none of them were ranked by the scouting sites I perused for information. This would suggest that their chances of making an NFL roster are even slimmer than the players listed above.
Some of the players discussed above appear to have a real chance at making their or perhaps some other team’s final roster. If not, they certainly have a good shot at making a practice squad and earning playing time as injuries occur during the season. Players like Evans, Spann, Fannin appear to be in prime spots to garner playing time and are rapidly being picked up by fantasy football teams. I also like the potential of Cooper (Eagles) and Taua (Bills) as real deep sleepers to watch closely.
I am thrilled that the NFL season is about to commence!
The average dynasty rankings for Defensive Backs is below. The rankings come from Football Guys, Dynasty League Football, and Pro Football Focus. Because there were only 3 lists and some wide variation in where the DBs were ranked, I decided to only list those who were ranked at least two times. Defensive backs who were only ranked once were dropped from the list to prevent possible inflated rankings.
I hope you will find these rankings useful during your dynasty drafts and when making trade decisions.
Here are the Average Dynasty Rankings for Defensive Backs…
- LaRon Landry (S, WAS)
- Eric Berry (S, KC)
- T.J. Ward (S, CLE)
- Tyvon Branch (S, OAK)
- Patrick Chung (S, NE)
- Michael Griffin (S, TEN)
- Bernard Pollard (S, HOU)
- Roman Harper (S, NO)
- Charles Woodson (CB, GB)
- Donte Whitner (S, BUF)
- Quintin Mikell (S, PHI)
- Eric Weddle (S, SD)
- Terrell Thomas (CB, NYG)
- Troy Polamalu (S, PIT)
- Jaiquawn Jarrett (S, PHI)
- Cortland Finnegan (CB, TEN)
- Oshiomogho Atogwe (S, WAS)
- Devin MCCourty (CB, NE)
- Louis Delmas (S, DET)
- Patrick Peterson (CB, ARI)
- DeAngelo Hall (CB, WAS)
- Charles Tillman (CB, CHI)
- Tramon Williams (CB, GB)
- Earl Thomas (S, SEA)
- Kerry Rhodes (S, ARI)
- Michael Huff (S, OAK)
- Adrian Wilson (S, ARI)
- Joe Haden (CB, CLE)
- Charles Godfrey (S, CAR)
- Antoine Bethea (S, IND)
- Brandon Flowers (CB, KC)
- Dawan Landry (S, BAL)
- Yeremiah Bell (S, MIA)
- William Moore (S, ATL)
- Greg Toler (CB, ARI)
- Craig Dahl (S, STL)
- Chris Hope (S, TEN)
- Malcolm Jenkins (S, NO)
- Tracy Porter (CB, NO)
- Kenny Phillips (S, NYG)
- Jairus Byrd (S, BUF)
- Courtney Greene (S, JAX)
- Antoine Winfield (CB, MIN)
- Nate Allen (S, PHI)
- Morgan Burnett (S, GB)
- Darrelle Revis (CB, NYJ)
- Nick Collins (S, GB)
- Ed Reed (S, BAL)
- Antrel Rolle (S, NYG)
- Dashon Goldson (S, SF)
- Leon Hall (CB, CIN)
- Gerald Sensabaugh (S, DAL)
The average dynasty rankings for Defensive Linemen is below. The rankings come from Football Guys, Dynasty League Football, and Pro Football Focus. Because there were only 3 lists and some wide variation in where defensive linemen were ranked, I decided to only list those who were ranked at least two times. Defensive linemen who were only ranked once were dropped from the list to prevent possible inflated rankings.
I hope you will find these rankings useful during your dynasty drafts and when making trade decisions.
Here are the Average Dynasty Rankings for Defensive Linemen…
- Justin Tuck (DE, NYG)
- Jared Allen (DE, MIN)
- Terrell Suggs (DE, BAL)
- Trent Cole (DE, PHI)
- Ndamukong Suh (DT, DET)
- Julius Peppers (DE, CHI)
- Carlos Dunlap (DE, CIN)
- Osi Umenyiora (DE, NYG)
- Charles Johnson (DE, CAR)
- Robert Mathis (DE, IND)
- Justin Smith (DE, SF)
- Ray Edwards (DE, MIN)
- Calais Campbell (DE, ARI)
- Jason Babin (DE, TEN)
- John Abraham (DE, ATL)
- Matt Shaughnessy (DE, OAK)
- Elvis Dumervil (DE, DEN)
- Kyle Williams (DT, BUF)
- Chris Long (DE, STL)
- Cliff Avril (DE, DET)
- Haloti Ngata (DT, BAL)
- Darnell Dockett (DE, ARI)
- Kyle Vanden Bosch (DE, DET)
- Will Smith (DE, NO)
- Jason Pierre-Paul (DE, NYG)
- Lamarr Houston (DE, OAK)
- Israel Idonije (DE, CHI)
- Kroy Biermann (DE, ATL)
- Dwight Freeney (DE, IND)
- DaQuan Bowers (DE, TB)
- Richard Seymour (DT, OAK)
- Aaron Kampman (DE, JAX)
- Robert Quinn (DE, STL)
- Gerald McCoy (DT, TB)
- James Hall (DE, STL)
- Mathias Kiwanuka (DE, NYG)
- Jabaal Sheard (DE, CLE)
- B.J. Raji (DT, GB)
- Tommy Kelly (DT, OAK)
- Jay Ratliff (DT, DAL)
- Chris Clemons (DE, SEA)
- Glenn Dorsey (DE, KC)
- Sedrick Ellis (DT, NO)
- Marcell Dareus (DE, BUF)
- Darryl Tapp (DE, PHI)
- Jonathan Babineaux (DT, ATL)
- Adrian Clayborn (DE, TB)
- Dwan Edwards (DE, BUF)
- Everette Brown (DE, CAR)
- Cameron Jordan (DE, NO)
- Lawrence Jackson (DE, DET)
- Greg Hardy (DE, CAR)
- Robert Ayers (DE, DEN)
- Jeremy Mincey (DE, JAX)
- William Hayes (DE, TEN)
- Alex Brown (DE, NO)
The average dynasty rankings for Linebackers is below. The rankings come from Football Guys, Dynasty League Football, and Pro Football Focus. Because there were only 3 lists and some wide variation in what linebackers were ranked, I decided to only list those who were ranked at least two times. Linebackers who were only ranked once were dropped from the list to prevent possible inflated rankings. There’s probably a better way to do this, perhaps assigning them a low rank. But since different sites ranked a different number of players, assigning a standard low rank seemed problematic.
I hope you will find these rankings useful during your dynasty drafts and when making trade decisions.
Here are the Average Dynasty Rankings for Linebackers…
- Patrick Willis (ILB, SF)
- Jerod Mayo (ILB, NE)
- Lawrence Timmons (ILB, PIT)
- Paul Posluszny (ILB, BUF)
- Jon Beason (ILB, CAR)
- James Laurinaitis (ILB, STL)
- Chad Greenway (OLB, MIN)
- Curtis Lofton (ILB, ATL)
- Desmond Bishop (ILB, GB)
- Stephen Tulloch (ILB, TEN)
- DeMarcus Ware (OLB, DAL)
- DeMeco Ryans (ILB, HOU)
- Derrick Johnson (ILB, KC)
- Ray Lewis (ILB, BAL)
- D.J. Williams (ILB, DEN)
- Rolando McClain (ILB, OAK)
- Jamar Chaney (ILB, PHI)
- Brian Urlacher (ILB, CHI)
- James Harrison (OLB, PIT)
- Barrett Ruud (ILB, TB)
- London Fletcher (ILB, WAS)
- Karlos Dansby (ILB, MIA)
- Clay Matthews (OLB, GB)
- Lance Briggs (OLB, CHI)
- Brian Cushing (ILB, HOU)
- DeAndre Levy (ILB, DET)
- James Anderson (OLB, CAR)
- Jonathan Vilma (ILB, NO)
- David Harris (ILB, NYJ)
- Cameron Wake (OLB, MIA)
- Mario Williams (OLB, HOU)
- Tamba Hali (OLB, KC)
- Daryl Washington (ILB, ARI)
- Geno Hayes (OLB, TB)
- David Hawthorne (OLB, SEA)
- E.J. Henderson (ILB, MIN)
- Paris Lenon (ILB, ARI)
- A.J. Hawk (ILB, GB)
- Lamarr Woodley (OLB, PIT)
- Dqwell Jackson (OLB, CLE)
- Bradie James (ILB, DAL)
- Nate Irving (ILB, DEN)
- Sean Weatherspoon (OLB, ATL)
- Brian Orakpo (OLB, WAS)
- Daryl Smith (OLB, JAX)
- Kirk Morrison (ILB, JAX)
- Aaron Curry (OLB, SEA)
- Keith Rivers (OLB, CIN)
- Clint Session (OLB, IND)
- Justin Durant (OLB, JAX)
- Rocky McIntosh (ILB, WAS)
- Gary Brackett (ILB, IND)
- Will Witherspoon (OLB, TEN)
- James Farrior (ILB, PIT)
- Lofa Tatupu (ILB, SEA)
- Michael Boley (OLB, NYG)
- Chris Gocong (ILB, CLE)
- Calvin Pace (OLB, NYJ)
Hope you are all enjoying the off-season!
The average dynasty rankings for Tight Ends is below. The rankings come from Football Guys, Beast or Bust, Dynasty League Football, Fantasy Football Xtreme, and Pro Football Focus. I hope you will find these rankings useful during your dynasty drafts and when making trade decisions.
Here are the Average Dynasty Rankings for Tight Ends…
- Antonio Gates (TE, SD)
- Jermichael Finley (TE, GB)
- Vernon Davis (TE, SF)
- Jason Witten (TE, DAL)
- Dallas Clark (TE, IND)
- Jimmy Graham (TE, NO)
- Marcedes Lewis (TE, JAX)
- Zach Miller (TE, OAK)
- Rob Gronkowski (TE, NE)
- Chris Cooley (TE, WAS)
- Owen Daniels (TE, HOU)
- Dustin Keller (TE, NYJ)
- Kellen Winslow (TE, TB)
- Aaron Hernandez (TE, NE)
- Jermaine Gresham (TE, CIN)
- Brandon Pettigrew (TE, DET)
- Brent Celek (TE, PHI)
- Tony Moeaki (TE, KC)
- Heath Miller (TE, PIT)
- Jared Cook (TE, TEN)
- Greg Olsen (TE, CHI)
- Todd Heap (TE, BAL)
- Tony Gonzalez (TE, ATL)
- Ben Watson (TE, CLE)
- Jacob Tamme (TE, IND)
- John Carlson (TE, SEA)
- Kyle Rudolph (TE, MIN)
- Jordan Cameron (TE, CLE)
- Visanthe Shiancoe (TE, MIN)
- Robert Housler (TE, ARI)
- Fred Davis (TE, WAS)
- Lance Kendricks (TE, STL)
- Virgil Green (TE, DEN)
- Kevin Boss (TE, NYG)
- Jeremy Shockey (TE, CAR)
- Luke Stocker (TE, TB)
- Tony Scheffler (TE, DET)
- D.J. Williams (TE, GB)
- Ed Dickson (TE, BAL)
- James Casey (TE, HOU)
- Anthony Fasano (TE, MIA)
- Martellus Bennett (TE, DAL)
- Delanie Walker (TE, SF)
- Julius Thomas (TE, DEN)
- Michael Hoomanawanui (TE, STL)
- Evan Moore (TE, CLE)
- Zach Miller (TE, JAX)
- Travis Beckum (TE, NYG)
- Bo Scaife (TE, TEN)
- Cameron Morrah (TE, SEA)
- Clay Harbor (TE, PHI)
- Dennis Pitta (TE, BAL)
- Randy McMichael (TE, SD)
- Andrew Quarless (TE, GB)
- Dante Rosario (TE, CAR)
Player News from RotoWorld- Ray Rice 'believed' to be seeking $10M a year - Ray Rice | BAL May 20, 2012According to the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei, "it is believed" that unsigned franchise player Ray Rice is seeking a contract worth $10 million annually. […]
- Seahawks see Drew Brees in Russell Wilson - Russell Wilson | SEA May 20, 2012Seahawks GM John Schneider compares third-round rookie Russell Wilson to Drew Brees for his accuracy and anticipation. […]
- Owner: Fins are 'not going to rush' Tannehill - Ryan Tannehill | MIA May 20, 2012Owner Stephen Ross indicated that the Dolphins plan to work in rookie Ryan Tannehill slowly despite his advanced knowledge of the offense. […]
- Report: Broncos looking to extend Ryan Clady - Ryan Clady | DEN May 19, 2012According to the Denver Post, the Broncos have opened long-term extension talks with LT Ryan Clady. […]
- Rookie Wagner works as Seahawks starting MLB - Bobby Wagner | SEA May 19, 2012Second-round pick Bobby Wagner is working with Seattle's first-team defense at middle linebacker during full-squad OTAs. […]
- Ray Rice 'believed' to be seeking $10M a year - Ray Rice | BAL May 20, 2012
- NFL Headlines
- Madden NFL 13 to feature 'Tebowing,' says creative director May 21, 2012EA Sports' Madden NFL 13 video game will feature "Tebowing," according to the game's creative director. […]
- Report: NFL takes action against 'My Jesus' t-shirt company May 20, 2012The NFL will step in and pursue legal action against the maker of the "My Jesus" t-shirt, if the company refuses to halt production, a league source told ProFootballTalk.com on Sunday. […]
- Jim Schwartz says Detroit Lions are settled at CB May 20, 2012The Detroit Lions' cornerbacks came under fire last year after the team yielded several prolific passing performances. But Jim Schwartz is confident in his defensive backfield heading into the upcoming season. […]
- Raiders' Denarius Moore OK with receiving extra attention May 20, 2012As a fifth-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders, Denarius Moore was one of the big surprises in 2011 season. The wide receiver won't be able to catch teams by surprise this season, but Moore said he is fine with the extra attention […]
- Rivera says Panthers' Newton will overcome struggles May 20, 2012There was little more that Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton could have accomplished in his rookie season. As the signal-caller enters his second year, Ron Rivera is confident he'll keep up his pace. […]
- Madden NFL 13 to feature 'Tebowing,' says creative director May 21, 2012
