Jimmy Graham has averaged 85 catches and scored 35 TDs over the last three seasons. Despite rock solid consistent production, however, the Saints traded their star TE to Seattle during the offseason for a center and a first-round draft pick.
Does he become the red zone target the Seahawks need to take the offense to the next level? Or will his production slide on a team known more for pounding the ball with Marshawn Lynch on the ground?
It’s cliche, but also true – the most important thing about pre-season games isn’t winning, but getting out healthy.
Thus Sunday afternoon’s game between Green Bay and Pittsburgh can be classified as nothing but a disaster for both teams.
With a season-ending injury to Jordy Nelson‘s knee and a substantial injury to Steelers’ center Maurkice Pouncey, it had a pretty big impact on fantasy football players, too. Here are my quick thoughts on the fallout:
Calvin Johnson has spent much of the past half-decade as the league’s top WR. Over the last couple seasons, however, he’s seen injuries rob him of five games and force him into decoy roles in others. His numbers are still great, but he’s now going in the late second round of the average fantasy draft. Is he still worth taking at that price?
When Ray Rice was suspended and released by Baltimore following his legal issues last season, it looked like Bernard Pierce was going to get his shot at the starting RB job.
Then, out of the blue, Justin Forsett appeared on the scene, rushing for 1,266 yards and adding another 263 through the air. It was easily Forsett’s best season as a pro.
Now, with a new offensive coordinator in Marc Trestman, Forsett is the unquestioned starter. Can he build on the 2014 campaign and go even better this year?
After 10 solid years in San Francisco, Frank Gore has shuffled off to Indianapolis, where he’s already raving about the play of QB Andrew Luck. The Colts are hoping to take the next step toward a championship and they think Gore’s got enough left in the tank where his skills and leadership can help. At 32, does he have what it takes to put up the numbers to help fantasy players win championships too?
T.J. Yeldon was drafted 36th overall by Jacksonville in this year’s draft after entering the draft early from Alabama, where he split carries with Eddie Lacy early in his career, and Derrick Henry in his junior year.
At 6-1, 226 pounds, he fills the potential bruiser role that many Alabama backs seem to have the reputation for, but with 4.52 speed in the 40, he doesn’t have to solely rely on running people over to be effective.
The Jaguars struggled under rookie quarterback Blake Bortles in 2014, but with a solid young core on offense, could Yeldon help turn things around for the Jaguars, and possibly help fantasy owners in 2015?
Buy: Tony
Melvin Gordon is getting a lot of attention, and Todd Gurley will likely go down as the best RB in the class, but this year, T.J. Yeldon may actually be the rookie running back to bring the most value to the table.
Early reports out of Jacksonville have consistently said that Yeldon will win the job, and he’s already on top of every depth chart I’ve checked. Not surprising, given that he had to beat out Toby Gerhart (he of 326 yards on 101 carries last year after receiving a big contract), Denard Robinson (who put up bigger numbers, but is ultimately more of a change of pace guy), and newcomer Bernard Pierce, who couldn’t beat out a suspended Ray Rice.
The Jaguars are still going to want to rely heavily on the run to keep pressure off of Blake Bortles and their young WR like Allen Robinson.
The bigger thing for Yeldon, though, is that with limited competition (from a talent perspective), he may be a “bell cow” back—meaning even if he doesn’t put up a stellar YPC, he still may be more valuable than guys going ahead of him who will likely split time, like Joique Bell (59.7, 23), Andre Ellington (59.5, 22), and even possibly Carlos Hyde (40.9, 17), Lamar Miller (37.1, 15) and Mark Ingram (31.6, 12), who I still think will lose carries to C.J. Spiller.
Sell: Andy
Forget the fact that several NFL backs from Alabama – Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson come to mind – have shown flashes of skill but mostly have been flashes in the pan.
Forget that when T.J. Yeldon was drafted, his NFL.com draft profile compared him with the boring Terrance West and quoted a scout saying he wouldn’t take Yeldon before the fifth round, adding that he’s a rotational back with “no juice to get away from anyone.”
I’m staying far away from the excitement on Yeldon because he’s playing on a team that has been bad for years with a QB who left a lot to be desired in his rookie season and because both are playing behind an offensive line that Pro Football Focus ranked 18th overall, but 25th as a run blocking unit.
The Jaguars are an improving-but-still-bad team, and the likelihood is that Yeldon does come in and take some portion of the starting role as a rookie. But Denard Robinson was solid when he played last year and they’ll want to keep evaluating whether he can be a big-play maker. They also have a collection of young WRs who they need to test out in increasing roles as well. I just can’t get excited about Yeldon with all of these other young, developing players and a subpar offensive line at play.
He will get to do some things, but all of these factors tell me his role is not going to warrant a pick in the first half of fantasy drafts.
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Robert ok see you then
Robert ok see you then
Brian i could 100% see that in terms of anderson being the next senior elected by the hall of fame…
Malcolm Butler for ruining my 16th birthday Russell Wilson for throwing out his loyalties and Arthur Blank for trading Matt…
Why would you be upset with Butler, Wilson and Blank, Andy?