RB Start ‘Em:

Brian Westbrook vs Seahawks, Peyton Hillis vs Bills, Chris Johnson vs Colts, Rashard Mendenhall vs Bengals, LeGarrette Blount vs Redskins.

Sleeper:   Tim Hightower vs Broncos

RB Bench ‘Em:  

Cedric Benson vs Steelers,  Mike Hart vs Titans, Jahvid Best vs Packers, Brandon Jacobs vs Vikings.

QB Start ‘Em:

 Ben Roethlisberger vs Bengals, Aaron Rodgers vs Lions, Eli Manning vs Vikings, Josh Freeman vs Redskins, Michael Vick vs Cowboys.

Sleeper:  Alex Smith vs Seahawks

QB Bench ‘EM:  

Matt Schaub vs Ravens, Carson Pamler vs Steelers, Matt Ryan vs Panthers, Brett Favre vs Giants.

WR Start ‘Em:

Mike Wallace vs Bengals, Roddy White vs Panthers, Steve Johnson vs Browns, Brandon Lloyd vs Cardinals,  Anquan Boldin vs Texans.

Sleeper:  Jacoby Ford vs Jaguars

WR Bench ‘Em:  

Devin Hester vs Patriots, Mike Sims-Walker vs Raiders, Santana Moss vs Buccaneers, Brandon Marshall vs Jets. 

TE Start ‘Em:

Greg Olsen vs Patriots, Jacob Tamme vs Titans, Ben Watson vs Bills, Tony Gonzalez vs Panthers, Antonio Gates vs Chiefs.

Sleeper: David Johnson vs Bengals 

TE Bench ‘Em: 

Bo Scaife vs Colts, Visanthe Shiancoe vs Giants, Andrew Quarless vs Lions, Joel Dreesen vs Ravens.

DEF Start ‘Em:

Steelers vs Bengals, Jets vs Dolphins, Ravens vs Texans, Titans vs Colts, Falcons vs Panthers.

Sleeper: Patriots vs Bears 

DEF Bench ‘Em:

Bengals vs Steelers, Houston vs Ravens, Dolphins vs Jets, Lions vs Packers, Vikings vs Giants.

If Portis goes down (which is very likely), Torain is a good stash in a deeper leagues if you have room on your bench.  It’s worth noting that Torain received the same amount of carries as starter Clinton Portis, and had 2 more yards than Portis. 

Former backup Larry Johnson was released by the Redskins last week, and Willie Parker was released several weeks ago.

Also worth noting is that coach Mike Shanahan has a reputation of getting career years out of most any RB in his offensive system.

1. Kenny Britt WR (Titans): Britt was in my 5 fantasy players on the rise just over a month ago, as his promise was evident late last season. Word from Titans camp that he has been dealing with numerous small injuries and is having a pretty bad camp, however lands him on this list today. I’d stay away from Britt until at least the 7th or 8th round.

2. Rashard Mendenhall RB (Steelers): T Willie Colon is out for the season with a torn achilles and that spells trouble for an already uncertain offensive line. The Steelers hope that rookie C/G Maurkice Pouncey can become the player they need him to be – and fast! With the O-Line’s best player out of the fold and an uncertainty in the passing game while Ben Roethlisberger is out, that means less and smaller holes for Mendenhall. The Steelers RB is going in rounds 2-3 in most mock drafts and I’m telling you that is much too high. Take a pass on him unless you get him at a great bargain.

3. LeSean McCoy RB (Eagles): Brian Westbrook he is not and he didn’t show much last year to suggest that he can handle the starter role. Perhaps more importantly is the Eagles’ penchant for using too many RB’s, especially near the goal line. This offseason, the Eagles signed RB Mike Bell who played with the Saints last year and vultured many a TD from Pierre Thomas.

He figures to do the same this season as reports are saying that Bell has the #2 RB spot locked up. He’ll steal touches and TD’s from McCoy, especially at the goal line, and the Eagles also employed FB Leonard Weaver last season at RB many times who also took some TD’s. With such a committee in the Eagles’ offensive system, McCoy will be lucky to have 800 yds and 6 TD’s. Respectable, but not what you’d want from a #1 or #2 RB in a 10 team league.

4. Kevin Walter WR (Texans): Not that he was going to be a top 100 guy anyway after doing nothing last year, but Walter is also being pressed hard for his #2 WR spot on the team thanks to Jacoby Jones showing flashes of being a very good receiver last season. Walter had a very good season in 2008, but those days are gone.

5. Kyle Orton QB (Broncos): WR Brandon Marshall is gone, leaving Orton with Eddie Royal, Jabbar Gaffney, or Demaryius Thomas as the #1 WR, and Brandon Stokely and Brandon Lloyd on the bench. Orton was a repectable QB last season for the Broncos, but the seemingly schizophrenic coach Josh McDaniels is coy when asked about his QB situation after drafting Tim Tebow in the 1st round and trading for Brady Quinn. McDaniels won’t even say who the starter will be when the season opens, and with this type of situation, even if Orton starts the first few weeks, if he performs in a manner that is less than stellar, McDaniels may yank him for one of his shiny new football throwing toys.

Jackson pleaded guilty in February to driving while intoxicated. This is Jackson’s second conviction for the same charge.

No word on whether or not he will appeal.

WR Steve Smith, Carolina branch (Panthers) has a broken arm he suffered in a flag football game according to Mike Cranston, AP sports writer.

Smith had surgery Sunday night on the same arm he broke against the New York Giants last season, though not in the same place. The team does not have a timetable for his return.

However, all may not be lost, fantasy owners because though Smith will miss the start of training camp for certain, the reports at this early stage sound optimistic about Smith possibly being able to play by week 1 of the regular season.

Either way, I wouldn’t count on Smith being a top notch WR this season.

Click for an updated version of my 2010 fantasy mock draft!

http://nfldraftmock.com/2010-nfl-fantasy-football-mock-draft/

As your fantasy football expert, I am here with a warning.  Do not commit these common fantsy draft mistakes.  If you do, you’ll likely miss your playoffs and wish you had heeded these 5 deadly sins of fantasy drafting:

1.      Taking the D/ST or DEF and K positions early:

I’ll be short and sweet here.  The D/ST or DEF and K positions can wait until the end of your draft.  There generally is not that much discrepancy in defensive point totals for the top 10 defenses in the league each week.  In addition, D/ST stats vary from year to year because there are so many altering factors.  Every single year I find a D/ST that surprises and does very well in fantasy points on the waiver wire and I end up dropping the one I drafted by mid-season.  If you drafted yours in the 8^th round (in a 16 round league), you could have gotten a good WR or backup QB in that spot but wasted the pick only to find out that the better defense was never even drafted.  The only thing I’ll say about kickers is that they are a bigger waste of a draft pick than the defenses.  Please don’t come crying to me if you lose your league and you drafted a D/ST, DEF, or K before the third to last round.  I’ll shun you!

2.      Drafting with your heart instead of your head:

‘Homerism’ affects fantasy owners in ways that can really affect their teams.  You may love your (insert team name here) but don’t draft a player because he plays for your favorite team.  Draft a player because you really believe that he can help your fantasy team.  I’ve seen owners draft players from their team because they let their heart convince their mind that it was a good move.  Needless to say, they didn’t even have a chance to win.  The same can be said for not drafting players from teams you dislike.  You may pass on a player that can be the difference for your fantasy team.  He could be that one missing piece who has a career year and wins you your championship!  Pretend in your draft that each player plays for a team you like, and take the best player available that suits your team’s needs.  Use your head instead of your heart, and you’ll have a much greater chance to win.

3.      Going into the draft without a plan:

This is a very important, but simple concept.  Look at bye weeks for players you want to draft, participate in some interactive mock drafts to get a good feel, or – most importantly – read my 2010 NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL MOCK DRAFT, and have a plan in place before your draft.  Are you going to take the best player available each round?  Drafting RB’s first?  Taking a QB first to assure that you get your guy?  When should you start drafting WR’s?  In the draft, the clock is running.  A plan will guide you so you don’t run out of time on a pick and draft players you really don’t want by mistake.  It will also help you to visualize scenarios that may occur and be more capable of making a good decision if they do.

4.      Drafting without regard to bye weeks:

When you are drafting, pay close attention to bye weeks.  If you draft too many players that have the same bye week, you’ll have no players to use for that particular week and will likely end up trading for a lower valued player or dropping one of your good players to pick one up from the free agent list.  This is another reason why it is a must that you go into your draft with a plan of some sort.  At minimum, look at bye week conflicts.  If necessary, make a cheat sheet of players listed by position and bye week.  This could help you in your decision making while you’re on the clock! 

5.      Not doing your homework:

My second grader comes home from school each day with a math page and a spelling page to return the following day.  He doesn’t always get the answers right, but being the attentive father that I am, I check his work for accuracy.  I won’t give him the answers, but I will guide him by showing him what he did wrong and asking him to do it again, possibly with a pointer or two.  My son is an Honor Roll student.  He gets good grades at crunch time on tests. What does this have to do with your fantasy draft?  He wouldn’t be an honor roll student or get those good grades if he didn’t work at it.  If he didn’t do his homework.  The same goes for a fantasy owner.  Sure, one year an owner could surprise and even win a league without studying much.  But if you really want to be a good fantasy player, do your homework.  Look at statistics from a particular player for the past 2 years.  Find out if injuries played a factor in a down year, if any roster changes might affect a certain player, and even the current NFL schedule for his team.  I don’t expect you to check out every player, but it does wonders if you do a little research on at least a few and look at fantasy trends from the prior season.  They could give you clues to get an edge on your opponent.

http://nfldraftmock.com/2010-nfl-fantasy-football-mock-draft/

Here is a list of my top 5 players who could be on the rise, and are valuable considerations for your fantasy team in 2010.

 1.   Matthew Stafford -Lions QB: 

Coach Jim Schwartz had done a great job so far rebuilding the Lions.  It will take some time however, since Detroit’s offense ranked 26th in the league last season.  This year, Nate Burleson has been added at WR and will likely start opposite Calvin Johnson.  If Burleson can stay healthy, he will provide a great veteran presence at WR.  The Lions also drafted RB Jahvid Best, which will give Stafford a good pass catcher and play-maker out of the backfield.  Brandon Pettigrew will be able to do more blocking for Stafford, since the team traded for TE Tony Scheffler, who will provide yet another good weapon for Stafford in 2010.

2.  Kenny Britt – Titans WR: 

 Teams will no doubt put 8 men in the box all year to try to stop RB Chris Johnson, and Britt was Vince Young’s favorite target last season at WR when he started after the Titans benched QB Kerry Collins.  Nate Washington hasn’t blossomed into what fantasy owners had hoped and Justin Gage is inconsistent.  This leaves Britt in a position to put up the best WR numbers for Tennessee this season, warranting his spot in my top 5 players on the rise.

3.  Mike Wallace – Steelers WR:

No Big Ben for the first 4-6 games this year, likely the #2 WR for the Steelers, and his HUGE upside makes Wallace a great value sleeper!  He will likely still be available after you’ve already drafted 2 WR’s in your league, and he will be undervalued by many.  Pick him up if you are looking for a late round pick at the position.  You won’t be disappointed.

4. Frank Gore – 49ers RB:

Offensive Linemen Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati were the 49ers’ top 2 draft picks this year (both drafted in the 1st round) and are great run blockers.  Gore had 229 carries for 1,120 yards and 10 TD’s averaging 4.9 yards per carry with a weaker offensive line.  If Gore can stay healthy, he could end up as a 1,500 yard rusher or better with around 18 TD’s this coming season.

5. Chad Henne - Dolphins QB:

The addition of Brandon Marshall is the obvious reason here, but also Henne now has almost a full season under his belt, and in 14 games played last season, he completed 60.8% of his passes for 2,878 yards and 12 TD’s.  He will improve on that total this year now that he has more experience.  Davone Bess was his most productive receiver in 2009 with 758 yards and 2 TD’s.  Marshall will do much more in Miami than Bess, and help Chad Henne post much bigger numbers in 2010.

For more fantasy draft guidance, visit my 2010 NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL MOCK DRAFT!

With all of the drama surrounding Ben Roethlisberger this past offseason and his 4-6 game suspension to start the year, I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about what a lot of fantasy players are wondering: What impact will this have on my fantasy team?  While some of you may steer clear of Steelers WR’s and QB’s because of this, others are in keeper leagues and may already be locked into having Big Ben or Hines Ward on their teams. 

 I have 2 simple words for you: DON’T PANIC!  Why would I say this?  Simple.  The Steelers’ passing game probably won’t be as proficient this season, but it has nothing to do with Big Ben not being there for a few games.  The loss of Santonio Holmes has more fantasy impact than Ben’s suspension.  Even with Ben playing, the Steelers’ passing game would have taken a bit of a hit, although not very much.  Holmes proved 2 years ago that he is a viable #1 WR (at least in Pittsburgh.  Mark Sanchez is no Big Ben) and with this loss, the Steelers have chosen to – at least so far – go with what they have as opposed to signing a big free agent WR or acquiring one in a trade.  This leaves Mike Wallace, who did a great job as the #3 WR replacing Nate Washington to step up to the #2 slot opposite Hines Ward.  I don’t believe that Wallace will be a problem, but I don’t expect him to replace Holmes’ production. 

 Even with this, I still believe that Hines Ward will be a fine #1 WR this season and Wallace a viable #2.  Wallace is being tutored by Hines Ward to get better, and I can think of no better WR to take him under his wing.  Check out my 2010 NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL MOCK DRAFT, so you can see where I have them ranked.

  As for the QB situation, Byron Leftwich figures to be the favorite after he filled in pretty well when Ben and Charlie Batch were out 2 seasons ago.  There is no guarantee however because if Batch gets healthy he may get the start, or they could go with Dennis Dixon, who impressed last year in a game against Baltimore in a prime time game.  A game which Pittsburgh nearly won.  If the Steelers’ brass wants insurance long term, they may let Dixon get some more experience to ready him as the future backup or starter if Ben messes up again.  Either way, you’ll still be ok with Ben assuming he stays out of trouble the rest of the year if you can get him later as your #2 QB and keep him in your hip pocket.  A lot of owners may be rightfully leery of drafting him, and you might find yourself a bargain near rounds 7 or 8.  By then you should already have a #1 QB and Ben could be a great backup value pick in mid-to-late rounds. 

As for the QB filling in those first 4-6 games, I’d advise against drafting him unless you get him toward the end of your draft.  After all, there is no guarantee the same QB will start all 4-6 games, and after that, he’ll be worthless to have on your roster.  Don’t reach for him!  In leagues where you start 2 QB’s however, there may be some value in getting the guy to start the year.  Just don’t paint yourself into a corner and have to drop him in week 4 and then find yourself struggling to find a good backup from the waiver wire/free agent list.

 With all of this in mind, popular belief is that the Steelers are possibly going back to their smash-mouth roots and running the ball more.  Still, the NFL has become a passing league and you still have to pass the ball some to win, and the Steelers have to face the Bengals and Ravens, both of which aren’t easy to run against.  There’s no telling what will happen, but my message to you is not to press the red button on the Steelers’ fantasy value. 

Remember: It is a long season and barring the unforeseen, Ben should be starting 10-12 games this year.  Plenty of time to be worth a spot on your roster.