Fantasy Football News and Rumors

[Chef99]

RBs talking smack already, I love it.

Joique Bell Predicts that he will rush for over 1,200 yards.

Jerrick McKinnon says that if he had a fantasy team, he would surely pick himself.

Let's get it on!

 

[Chef99]

From Rotoworld...

The Buffalo News believes it's "really possible" the Bills name Tyrod Taylor their starting quarterback.


Taylor, Matt Cassel and E.J. Manuel split reps evenly throughout the offseason program, with Cassel performing the poorest. It's not that far-fetched to suggest Taylor could beat out Manuel and his 58.6 career completion percentage. Rex Ryan appears most enthusiastic about Taylor, the quarterback he "hand picked." Taylor has never started an NFL game, spending the last four years as Joe Flacco's backup.

 

[Trudem]

RBs talking smack already, I love it.

Joique Bell Predicts that he will rush for over 1,200 yards.

Jerrick McKinnon says that if he had a fantasy team, he would surely pick himself.

Let's get it on!

I would be happy with that. However I hope most of them are in losing efforts

 

[Chef99]

I would be happy with that. However I hope most of them are in losing efforts

The best of both worlds, eh?

 

[Chef99]

This one's for @MilkSpiller22 :

ESPN's Ron Jaworski said he "like(s) the future of the Jets with Geno Smith at quarterback."


Geno's career has often been the butt of jokes through two seasons, but he's played in a QB-unfriendly system with guys like Jeremy Kerley and Jeff Cumberland as primary targets. We saw a flicker of hope over last season's final four games as he completed 65.1 percent of his throws with a 6:2 TD-to-INT ration en route to a 105.3 passer rating. Now Smith has excellent weapons (Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Jace Amaro, Devin Smith) to fit the Chan Gailey's spread scheme that's similar to the one he excelled in at West Virginia. We're not ruling out a big step forward.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

This one's for @MilkSpiller22 :

ESPN's Ron Jaworski said he "like(s) the future of the Jets with Geno Smith at quarterback."


Geno's career has often been the butt of jokes through two seasons, but he's played in a QB-unfriendly system with guys like Jeremy Kerley and Jeff Cumberland as primary targets. We saw a flicker of hope over last season's final four games as he completed 65.1 percent of his throws with a 6:2 TD-to-INT ration en route to a 105.3 passer rating. Now Smith has excellent weapons (Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Jace Amaro, Devin Smith) to fit the Chan Gailey's spread scheme that's similar to the one he excelled in at West Virginia. We're not ruling out a big step forward.

He definitely is being given the opportunity to be good... Hopefully he takes the opportunity and never looks back...

 

[Microwahevo]

I feel bad for Buffalo. Nobody should have to have Tyrod as their starter.

 

[Chef99]

Jeremy Hill focused on breaking more tackles this year

Getty Images
After Bengals running back Jeremy Hill ran for 40 yards on 13 carries against the Buccaneers last season, he said there wasn’t a lot of running room available because the Bucs were playing eight men in the box.


Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson didn’t care for Hill’s read on what happened to the running game that afternoon. Jackson said that running backs are supposed to break tackles and that Hill’s “job is to run through somebody and come out the other side” regardless of what the defensive front looks like on a given play.


Getting past initial contact was a focus for Hill this offseason and Jackson said that the back did a good job laying the groundwork for better results.


“For me, it’s just getting that acceleration from the first level to the second level,” Hill said, via ESPN.com. “I’m just trying to lift my acceleration up and miss more tackles. That’s the biggest thing for me. The first guy got me down way too much last season.”


ESPN Stats and Info had Hill averaging 2.29 yards after contact during his rookie season, which was good for fourth in the league last season and helps explain why Hill became such a big part of the offense in the second half of the season. If he becomes even harder for defenses to stop this time around, the backfield work in Cincinnati may not be as balanced as Hill expected earlier this offseason.

 

[Chef99]

Mike Evans suggests mediocre QB play limited him as a rookie

"The quarterback would just look me off, and then I'd be dead," Evans said. "And I didn't understand, because I always think I'm open. Just throw that thing up." Evans makes a good point. He had 38 receptions for 1,051 yards and 12 TDs with Josh McCown and Mike Glennon as his quarterbacks. (USA Today)

Fantasy Impact: Now with Jameis Winston as an upgrade, the sky is the limit for the talented WR. He is only 22 and the X receiver in Dirk Koetter's offense. That's where Julio Jones buttered his bread. He should be targeted in all formats.

 

[leftypower]

After the dust settles, it will very interesting to see which of these rumors, all the rookie love feasts, and other training camp 'battles' hold any water. ..... I know we've had 3 drafts - but it's still June. .... guess coaches and beat-writers have to do something in the off-season. ... and so do we.

 

[Chef99]

Terrelle Pryor says he's competing for a roster spot as a "slash" player.


"I'm going to give this slash-player deal a chance," Pryor said last week. "I just want to play football. I'm a playmaker, and I believe if I can touch the ball, I can go to the house, especially if I have space." A "slash" player is typically a quarterback who gets touches elsewhere on the field. The Browns have made it clear they signed Pryor as a wideout, and not a signal caller. Pryor would undoubtedly be used in gadget packages if he cracked the 53-man roster, but his odds live and die on his ability to adjust to receiver.

 

[TREFF]

Terrelle Pryor says he's competing for a roster spot as a "slash" player.


"I'm going to give this slash-player deal a chance," Pryor said last week. "I just want to play football. I'm a playmaker, and I believe if I can touch the ball, I can go to the house, especially if I have space." A "slash" player is typically a quarterback who gets touches elsewhere on the field. The Browns have made it clear they signed Pryor as a wideout, and not a signal caller. Pryor would undoubtedly be used in gadget packages if he cracked the 53-man roster, but his odds live and die on his ability to adjust to receiver.

They said that because they knowthat Johnny Football knows, he's a better QB, and he'd probably fall off the wagon

 

[Chef99]

The Rockland Boulders of the Can-Am professional baseball league have offered Odell Beckham a contract.


It's the deadest part of the NFL calendar, in case you couldn't tell. A video surfaced of Beckham throwing a softball 80-some odd miles an hour, and the Boulders came calling. "We think that getting experience pitching to professional hitters will give [Beckham] the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson," said Boulders GM Shawn Reilly. The Boulders want Beckham to report to spring training next May. Good one, Boulders. Good joke.

 

[Chef99]

NFL suspended Chargers TE Antonio Gates four games for violating the league's PED policy.


This one is a shocker. Headed into his 13th NFL campaign, Gates has always been a model NFL citizen, both on- and off-the-field. In a statement, Gates said he never "knowingly" ingested a banned substance. While possibly true, it's the oldest PED excuse in the book. Now 35, Gates has been thus far ageless as Philip Rivers' go-to target, but his absence will free up a massive amount of looks for Keenan Allen and Stevie Johnson, and give Ladarius Green the opportunity he's deserved for some time now. Missing such a huge chunk of the fantasy season right off the bat, it's hard to sell Gates as a TE1.

 

[Chef99]

Jets D takes a hit as well...

NFL suspended Jets DL Sheldon Richardson four games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.


"I apologize for letting down my family, teammates, this organization and the fans," Richardson said in a statement. With the Jets on bye in Week 5, Richardson won't make his season debut until Oct. 18 against the Redskins. It's a massive blow for Todd Bowles' defense, as Richardson will miss contests against the Browns, Colts, Eagles and Dolphins. Alongside an equally-dominant Mo Wilkerson, Richardson was one of the league's best defenders last season. His absence will ramp up the pressure on No. 6 overall pick Leonard Williams. Richardson has always been outspoken, but had previously avoided off-the-field drama through his first two years in the NFL.

 

[TDs3nOut]

I feel bad for Buffalo. Nobody should have to have Tyrod as their starter.

I always thought the same thing, so I was kind of surprised that Denver offered him a contract that I think was more lucrative than the one he ended up signing in Buffalo. The Broncos then failed to draft a QB, suggesting to me that they are content with Ozweiler as the backup, though they would have liked Taylor to compete for that job. And given Manning's age, I think Elway realizes that the backup better be prepared to start.

 

[averagejoe]

RE: Pryor/Buffalo
Rex Ryan lost the conference championship the first 2 years he took over the Jets. And he nearly pulled it off with rookie Mark Sanchez. You just never know...

 

[averagejoe]

"The quarterback would just look me off, and then I'd be dead," Evans said.

And Evans thinks that Winston won't play just as conservatively?

 

[HaroldSeattle]

And Evans thinks that Winston won't play just as conservatively?

I guess the hope is that he'll be a cocky QB that's willing to trust his arm....could happen.

 

[Chef99]

I guess the hope is that he'll be a cocky QB that's willing to trust his arm....could happen.

I kinda lean toward this as well. We'll see.