TTR's Players to Watch: WR Edition

by Tiger Hebert


As the 2012 season approaches optimism is in the air no matter what team you are pulling for, heck even the Dolphins said they should win the AFC this year!  So as we look forward to this season, I am going to share a short list of players that will be better in 2012.

This week we cover the Wide Receivers!

1. Eric Decker, Denver Broncos - This young man is very intriguing to me this year and I think he will be one of the biggest surprises of 2012.  Despite playing in the Tim Tebow offense last year, Decker still managed to land at 32nd in fantasy football rankings among wide receivers last season.  With Peyton Manning now under center in Denver the passing game with thrive again.  Most experts are predicting Demaryius Thomas to get the lion's share of production this year, but I think that will only benefit Decker further.  Thomas is clearly the number one, and Decker will face much more single coverage.  Manning has always found ways to take lesser known players and turn them into production machines, look at Anthony Gonzales, Austin Collie, Brandon Stokley, and Jacob Tamme to name a few.  I would not be surprised to see #87 almost double his numbers from 2011.  He could easily post over 80 receptions, 1,200 yards and at least 12 touchdowns this season.  


2. Titus Young, Detroit Lions - Not often in the NFL do offensive rookies have an immediate impact.  Yes we do see superstars burst onto the scene, but it is definitely not the norm.  Especially on an offense as talent as the Lions.  However, Titus Young was far more productive than many realize.  As a rookie Titus was the 4th highest scoring fantasy player on the Lions offense, and was actually 42nd among all receivers.  The 48 catches for 607 yards and 6 touchdowns was a pretty good start.  Yes Titus showed immaturity over the last 9 months, but all indications out of MoTown are that he has his head screwed on straight.  Reports out of the mini camps are that he has been uncoverable in practices as his offseason work and focus is really showing.  If he can maintain this new level of focus while leaving behind the childish antics, he will explode this season.  I could see over 70 receptions and 1,000 yards with double digit touchdowns for Young this season, as he surpasses Burelson as the team's number two receiver.


3. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - In the 2010 draft Mike Williams stock plummeted, as the former Orangemen who quit on his team wasn't to be trusted.  Tampa pulled the trigger on the New York native and he quickly surpassed highly touted rookie teammate Arrelious Benn, to become the teams number one.  Williams did not disappoint with 65 grabs, 964 yards and 11 touchdowns.  He only caught 50% of his targets that year, but he made them count.  In 2012 the Bucs as a whole did not play up to expectations, and Williams was no exception.  He caught another 65 passes, but for only 771 yards and 3 touchdowns.  His catch rate was actually slightly better as it was up to 52%, but he really just struggled to get open.  Since his struggles were more about getting open in his second year, I think it is more about exposing Williams for what he really is, rather than being an indictment on his play in '11.  Williams was trying to carry an offense as a number one receiver, but he is really suited better as a number two.  The great news, and much to his delight, is that he no longer has to try to be that go to guy.  With the brilliant addition of Vincent Jackson, Freeman now has a legit number one, and Mike Williams will now gladly face single coverage.  Williams may not put up gaudy statistics, but he should easily improve upon last years numbers in at least two categories, yards and touchdowns.  Williams could still hover around 65-70 receptions, but he should be closer to 1,000 yards and 8 or more touchdowns.  This could land him in fantasy football's top 40 receivers in 2012.


4. Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears - Brandon Marshall averaged over 83.5 receptions and 1,114 yards and 4.5 touchdowns during his two years in Miami, but was widely considered a disappoint.  His lapses in concentration leading to several crucial drops lead to much criticism, but the truth is that despite those lapses and his personal struggles off the field, he still produced at a very high level, especially considering Miami's quarterback woes.  According to Pro Football Outsiders, Marshall was actually ranked 16th among receivers for his effectiveness.  Marshall is now reunited with the quarterback that helped him have three straight 100 plus reception seasons on his way to becoming at one time, the highest paid receiver in the league.  Cutler is ecstatic to have his big target back and will easily find ways to feed the beast.  During their three best years together, Cutler targeted Marshall roughly 166 times per season.  During his two years in South Beach he was targeted an average of 144 times per year.  If we use that data we can assume that Brandon Marshall will produce at least 90 receptions this year with over 1,100 yards and 6 touchdowns.  Not bad for a guy that was traded way for what amounts to a pair of dirty socks (in reality it was two 3rd round picks, but I prefer the hyperbole for effect).


5. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers - In his first season as a starter, Antonio Brownwas special.  While Mike Wallace gets all the love, Brown nearly matched his production with 69 receptions for 1,108 yards and 2 touchdowns.  This sneaky good season put the second year pro in fantasy footballs top 25 receivers.  This year, I expect him to improve upon that.  Brown will not get as much attention as Wallace, because he is not used to take the top off the defenses as much.  This forces teams to keep a safety over top of #17 at all times, which will continue to create opportunities for Brown.  Additionally, and I hope I am wrong, but I steer clear from players with holdouts.  That means that unless Wallace signs his tender soon, then we don't know when he will show up to play.  More often than not, players end up hurting themselves by holding out, and wind up with some form of serious or nagging injuries that plague their season.  I hate to see it happen, but it is usually the case.  If the holdout continues, I would trust Brown over Wallace.  Especially with the new offense they are installing, as he is already behind the learning curve.  Regardless of Wallace's presence, I expect Brown to trend upward with 75 or more receptions, nearly 1,300 yards and close to 10 all purpose touchdowns.


6. Brandon Lloyd, New England Patriots - I expected this move to happen a long time ago, so it was no surprise when Brandon Lloyd asked to be released, that he followed Josh McDaniels to New England.  Lloyd has always had the talent, but earlier in his career he was immature and gave his coaches headaches with his attitude.  But that changed in 2010 when he had the best season of his career grabbing 77 balls for 1,448 yards and 11 scores as a Bronco.  The McDaniels era quickly came to a close and Orton and Lloyd both found themselves shipped out of town the following season.  Lloyd still showed he was explosive in his short time with the Rams, but they were so awful it was lost among the losing.  Now in New England and back in McDaniels' system, I expect Lloyd to flourish giving Tom Brady a deep threat that they have not had since Randy Moss left the team.  Lloyd may not compare to some of Welker's numbers, but 80 receptions for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns is not unrealistic season for Lloyd in 2012.

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Five fantasy football sleepers with low ADP

Adam Levitan - Rotoworld

You think you’re sneaky, right? You’re going to stack a team with Ryan Mathews, Julio Jones, Trent Richardson and Demaryius Thomas while nobody is looking, thus coasting to the title. Think again.

By taking an early look at the average draft position (ADP) tool in our Draft Guide, we can see that those “buzz” players aren’t as undervalued as you might think. Mathews (5.6) and Richardson (12.8) are both first-round picks, while Jones’ ADP is currently at 36.9. Thomas is at 58.2, a number that is sure to rise once the general public sees Peyton Manning actually throwing passes again.

In order to find true “undervalued” guys, we’re going to have to dig deeper.

* Editor's Note: The full Draft Guide will be available on July 5 and will be constantly updated until Week 1.

These ADP numbers are sure to fluctuate significantly once training camp and drafting season kicks into high gear. But initial impressions are hard to shake, so we can gain a lot by evaluating the report. Some guys currently flying under the public’s radar:

1. Brandon Lloyd – ADP 64.1
Where he went in Rotoworld’s June 11 expert mock: 53^rd overall

Perhaps Lloyd is slipping because owners have bad memories of failed Patriots wideout experiments such asJoey Galloway and Chad Ochocinco. But this one feels different. Lloyd is a personal favorite of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and his strength lies in the deep, vertical passing game. Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney,Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez can’t say that.

The last time McDaniels was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator with a healthy Tom Brady (2007), they led the league in overall offense and passing offense. That year, vertical threat Randy Moss had 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns. That might sound crazy, until you recall that Lloyd had 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010 withKyle Orton and Tim Tebow as his quarterbacks -- and McDaniels calling the plays.

2. Michael Vick – ADP 51.6
Where he went in Rotoworld’s June 11 expert mock: 20^th overall

Stars coming off bad years are often going to be undervalued. And Vick certainly fits that criterion. He sustained a concussion in Week 2 last season and also fractured two ribs in Week 10. Even when Vick was on the field for 13 games, he threw a career-high 14 interceptions and flukily ran for just one score.

By all accounts, Vick has rededicated himself as he goes through his first full offseason as a starter since 2006. The Eagles’ offense is just as potent as it was last year when Vick was a consensus first-round fantasy pick. If there’s any kind of bounce-back here – and there should be – Vick is a great bet to regain top-10 status.

3. Brandon LaFell – ADP 159.1
Where he went in Rotoworld’s June 11 expert mock: 110^th overall

LaFell curiously played behind Legedu Naanee for much of last season. Coach Ron Rivera says that was to keep a “carrot” in front of him. Regardless, it’s obvious that the 6’2/211 LaFell is locked in as the No. 2 wideout opposite Smith heading into this season. Naanee is in Miami and David Gettis is coming off a torn ACL.

Those around the Panthers have speculated strongly that the organization believes LaFell is in for a breakout year. He’s in his third season, has Cam Newton throwing him the ball and has highly aggressive Rob Chudzinski calling the plays. Value LaFell as a strong bench player with upside rather than the mere flier his current ADP suggests.

4. James Starks – ADP 80.1
Where he went in Rotoworld’s June 11 expert mock: 80^th overall

Unquestioned starting running backs don’t usually last into the seventh round. Some guesses as to why Starks’ ADP is so low:

A) There’s a perception that the Packers throw on every play: Well, this one just isn’t true. The Pack attempted 34.5 passes per game last season, 14^th in the league.

B) There’s a perception that Starks won’t get the bulk of the carries: The depth chart behind Starks currently includesAlex Green (coming off an ACL tear), middling talent Brandon Saine and fullback John Kuhn. That shouldn’t scare anyone.

C) Starks isn’t durable: There’s some validity here. Starks hasn’t played a full season since 2008, when he was at the University of Buffalo.

Add this up and we don’t have a mid-round "yawn" pick. Considering the ever-present need for depth at the running back spot, Starks projects to give a lot of value if his ADP sticks around 80.

5. Titus Young – ADP 117.3
Where he went in Rotoworld’s June 11 expert mock: 97^th overall

We can often find value where there’s young talent blocked by a less explosive veteran. That’s what we have here as Young figures to be pushing Nate Burleson for snaps in two-wide sets come training camp. Thanks to this article from Mike Clay, we already know that Young will see plenty of action regardless. The Lions ran three-wide sets 58 percent of the time last season.

Young has had a buzzworthy offseason, and I’m not talking about his fight with teammate Louis Delmas. He’s ripped apart offseason workouts, drawing rave reviews from his coaches and the media. Young fits perfectly withMatthew Stafford’s rocket arm as a burner opposite Calvin Johnson. 

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Buyer Beware: Michael Turner

Michael Turner - RB - Falcons

ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas confirms the Falcons "repeatedly have said they plan to limit Michael Turner's carries."

The coaching staff has been relatively quiet on the topic of late, but coach Mike Smith made it a point of emphasis early in the offseason. Since then, we've learned that OC Dirk Koetter plans to shift toward a more pass-heavy offense. We had already planned to steer clear of the one-dimensional Turner after a second consecutive late-season fade. This is another reminder that the 30-year-old isn't worthy of his early third-round ADP.

Source: ESPN.com

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TTR's Players to Watch: QB Edition

by Tiger Hebert


As the 2012 season approaches optimism is in the air no matter what team you are pulling for, heck even the Dolphins said they should win the AFC this year!  So as we look forward to this season, I am going to share a short list of players that will be better in 2012.

We will start off with the Quarterbacks!

1. Sam Bradford, St Louis Rams - After the season that Cam Newton had last year, we can quickly forget just how special Sam Bradford was as a rookie in 2010.  Last year was a different story for Bradford and the Rams though.  Spagnuola was already on the hot seat going into the season last year, so they brought in Josh McDaniels to help spark the offense and it just didn't work.  Between the injuries to the team and the transition to the new system, the offense was out of sync all year.  To compound matters, Bradford got pounded and seemed to lose his confidence.  This year Bradford is healthy and the Rams have new direction under Jeff Fisher.  We can expect the Rams will get back to a more conventional offense, which should help their running game.  Ultimately forcing the defenses to respect the whole field.  I am still not certain that the Rams have given Sam a legitimate number one receiver yet, but with Salas, Pettis, Quick, Givens and Alexander you have a solid group of young and healthy receivers that can contribute.  If Amendola and Smith can show that their injuries are behind them, they too could be big time difference makers in that group.  Add to the mix rookie running back Isaiah Pead out of Cincinnati and you could be looking at a wide assortment of weapons.  They still need one of those receivers to emerge as a go to guy and the offensive line needs to play better, but until that happens they will struggle.  I still feel Bradford shows progress this year.  Expect around 3,500 yards and 22 touchdowns.


2. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears - Cutler is such a polarizing figure because his personality doesn't seem to fit the mold.  People will also look at the Bears struggles and use it as an opportunity to bash Cutler, but it isn't warranted.  Cutler has spent three miserable years in the place where receivers go to die.  Yet all he has done is throw for 225 yards and 1.5 touchdowns per game.  Not bad for a guy that has almost zero help outside of Matt Forte.  This year the Bears have added Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery to their receiving core and I believe it will pay immediate dividends.  Even if Marshall has a slow start or a down year, he will still be a massive upgrade.  Last year in Miami he had his worst season since his rookie year, and he still pulled in 81 grabs for 1,214 yards, 6 TDs and 53 first downs.  That is more than double what Chicago's best receiver posted in 2010.  Additionally this should allow new offensive coordinator Mike Tice to use Devin Hester in a more natural role in the offense, moving him around the formations and putting him in the slot where he can become a match-up nightmare.  Cutler will play well, and put up numbers that will remind people how  stupid it was for Denver to trade him.  Look for around 4,000 yards and 25+ touchdowns this season.


3. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles - Vick threw for more yards, was sacked less, and ran for more yards per carry last year than he did during his special 2010 season, but it wasn't enough.  You can't place all the blame on Vick because that team under-performed in so many areas last year, especially on offense.  Jason Peters injury is terrible, but if they can find someone that can handle playing LT then this offense becomes elite.  Fortunately the LT is not the premium that it is for most teams, since Vick is a lefty.  This offense returns stud running back LeSean McCoy who should only build upon what he did last year, and they should have a healthy pair of receivers this year (minus the off-the-field drama).  I still don't expect Vick to play a full 16 game season, but if he plays 12 or 13 games again he should put up 300 total yards and almost 2 touchdowns per game.  If that holds true Vick could easily have 3,600+ all purpose yards and 24 touchdowns.  


4. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans - Schaub only gets on this list because of injury, but I also feel that he is still very underrated.  When the Texans traded with the Falcons to get him in 2007, I thought it was a hasty and bad move for an unproven backup.  I was wrong.  When healthy Matt has done very well in Gary Kubiak's system.  Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter both appear healthy right now, and if Mike Sims-Walker does indeed make the team, he could add a dangerous element to their passing attack if he can return to form.  The only thing other than injury that can holdback Schaub is their right tackle.  As long as they find a suitable replacement to fill the void at RT left by Eric Winston, then I trust Schaub to have 3,800+ yards with 25+ touchdowns and a 90+ passer rating.


5. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Bucs - It is funny how quickly things change in the NFL.  Josh Freeman entered the league in 2009 as a talented but raw prospect.  In many corners people felt Tampa Bay moving up two spots to select Freeman at 17 was a bit of a reach.  But Raheem Morris who knew Josh from his time at Kansas State loved the kid.  His first year was rough as are most rookie seasons.  The Bucs, however, surprised many in 2010 and Freeman put up impressive numbers as a sophomore.  Last year though, was largely a disappointment.  Enter Greg Schiano.  He has come in and aggressively moved to acquire talent, landing two of the top free agents in Carl Nicks and Vincent Jackson as well as Dallas Clark.  Then they moved up to draft Doug Martin to bring more versatility to their backfield.  Suddenly this Bucs offense has a lot of weapons.  Now I expect this to still be a run first team, but Freeman should be able to put up another 3,500 yard season.  Additionally he should easily have a better TD to Int ratio, especially if Mike Williams learns out to catch the ball again.  Something like 24 TDs to 13 picks doesn't seem unrealistic.  I think the Bucs only win 7 or 8 games, but Freeman's play is improved.


6. Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs fans have been clamoring for a new quarterback, and I don't think that will change this year either.  What I do expect though, is for Matt to rebound from a forgettable 2011 season.  Cassel is healthy and the good news is that Moeaki and Charles should be fully recovered as well.  Add to that, the fact that Breaston and Baldwin are entering their second year with the team.  They are also experiencing their first full off season as Chiefs.  Additionally they have added Peyton Hillis and Kevin Boss to help resurrect the 31st ranked scoring offense in the league.  I expect Cassel to produce in the range of 3,400 yards and 25 touchdowns and a passer rating in the high 80s low 90s.  He won't be leading the league in MVP votes, but the Chiefs could certainly do worse.

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Chris Wesseling's Top 10 Fantasy QBs

Chris Wesseling - Rotoworld

Quarterbacks

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers – The point guard for Mike McCarthy’s fast-break offense, Rodgers has finished first, second, and first in fantasy points the past three years while continuing to evolve as a passer. Jordy Nelson has emerged as one of the most efficient deep threats in the game, and Randall Cobb could do the same in the slot.

2. Drew Brees, Saints – I was tempted to go with Vick here, but Brees is simply too safe with three top-two fantasy finishes in the past four years. While Sean Payton is one of the most creative schemers in the league, the Saints offense hit its stride down the stretch last year with OC Pete Carmichael calling the plays.

3. Michael Vick, Eagles – If my fantasy sports philosophy could be boiled down to one sentence, it would be this: Give me the player with the highest upside in a best-case scenario. Vick may come with injury risk, but his fantasy ceiling is higher than any player in the NFL. I’m expecting a breakout season from Jeremy Maclin as well as a bounce-back campaign for DeSean Jackson.

4. Tom Brady, Patriots – Brady boasts two No. 1 finishes and a No. 3 in his last four full seasons. Acrobatic field-stretcher Brandon Lloyd will open up the offense, leaving defenses to pick their poison against Wes Welker and the two dynamic tight ends.

5. Matthew Stafford, Lions – Stafford edged Drew Brees out for the league lead in pass attempts and shotgun snaps last season. The Lions failed to bring in new backfield blood, leaving Stafford and Calvin Johnson to shoulder the weight of the scoring once again. This offense looks more and more like New Orleans North each year.

6. Cam Newton, Panthers – I agree with Silva on two points: 1. The top six quarterbacks are fairly interchangeable. 2. Newton’s 14 rushing scores are unrepeatable. I just don’t expect to see a big leap in Newton’s passing numbers with the same personnel in place.

7. Matt Ryan, Falcons – New coordinator Dirk Koetter runs a more vertical offense, which should allow Ryan to take full advantage of explosive downfield and run-after-catch threat Julio Jones. Coach Mike Smith has made it clearMichael Turner will have a reduced role this season. Hopefully that leads to more snaps for Ryan out of the no-huddle formation that clearly plays to his strengths.

8. Peyton Manning, Broncos – Denver’s non-divisional schedule is a bear, Manning’s arm strength is in question, and the early season could be spent developing a rapport with his receivers. I will be targeting Eric Decker in every draft this summer, but I’m inclined to let someone else roll the dice on Peyton as a QB1.

9. Eli Manning, Giants – I’m an Eli convert. Last year was the first time I’ve seen anything resembling an elite NFL quarterback, and he continued to improve throughout the season. Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle, andMartellus Bennett give Eli the best set of passing-game weapons in his eight-year career.

10. Tony Romo, Cowboys – Romo will miss security blanket Laurent Robinson in the red zone, but Dez Bryant has the talent to lead all non-Calvin Johnson receivers in touchdowns. When Romo is on the field, he always produces as a QB1.

Just Missed: Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Josh Freeman, Robert Griffin III

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2012 the year of the running back?

We all know the cliche that the NFL is a quarterback driven league.  It is true and we have to look no further than back to the 2011 season where for the first time in the history of the game, not two, but three quarterbacks passed for over 5,000 yards.

Now I will not spend too much time looking at those numbers, because there is truth that passing numbers are inflated, and passing yards can be an over valued statistic.  But the point remains that the NFL is a passing league.  A perfect example is this graphic that charts the evolution of the game by monitoring the change in the pass to run ratio in the league.

chart by Brian Burke of Advanced NFL Stats

According to Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics, that trend continued through the past two seasons, with a rise to 34.3 pass plays and down to only 26.9 runs per game.  So how could 2012 be any different?

It won't.  Ok, wait a minute, I just told you that 2012 could be the best season for running backs since the great season of 2006, but nothings going to change?  What gives?  And what was so special about 2006?

I will explain, but let's talk about 2006 first.  In 2006 LaDanian Tomlinson was with the San Diego Chargers, and he was at his peak.  That season he ran for 1,815 yards and 28 touchdowns.  He averaged a gaudy 5.2 yards per carry.  He reigned supreme among running backs that year, as only the Chiefs' Larry Johnson even came close to his totals, with 1,789 yards of his own.  Despite their dominant seasons, those guys were not alone.  In fact, that season a remarkable 22 backs toppled over the 1,000 yard barrier, which stands as the 2nd most in league history.  Yet there is something else that stands out about that season as particularly interesting.

I looked at the top ten running backs in terms of receptions for each of the last six seasons.  I then averaged their reception total.  Likewise, among the top ten for each season (still based on receptions), I averaged their receiving yards.  It was then to my surprise that I found out that the best year was 2006 as well.  In 2006 the top ten "receiving-backs" averaged 63.7 receptions and 544.8 yards over the course of the season.  That is 6 receptions and 50 yards more on average than  2011.

Now this does not suggest a trend, but rather it shows why, at a glance, 2006 was such a special year for backs.  Since this caught me off guard, I wanted to look a little more at the top ten "receiving backs" of 2011.

2011 Season

What I find on this list is a group of players, who for the most part, did not even reach their potential, yet still produced quite well.

Chris Johnson held out last year and it not only hurt him, but his team as well.  It took about two months before he really hit his stride and became the dangerous player that everyone knows he can be.  This year with the contract issues behind him and a year in Mike Munchak's offense, CJ1k should return to his dominant form in both phases of the game.

Arian Foster has emerged out of nowhere to become one of the league's elite backs.  Last season he had some major hurdles with his lingering hamstring injury and the loss of Matt Schaub down the stretch.  Both of those severely impacted him and he still put up great numbers.  Expect him to have a monster year, especially if he can continue to average over 10 yards per reception.

Matt Forte continues to grab headlines because of the lack of a long term contract.  I was never a huge Forte fan, but he has won me over as he continues to produce and show his dedication and toughness.  I don't expect a holdout this year, as the Bears simply cannot afford it.  Put his knee injury behind him and add Brandon Marshall to the offense and you can count on increased production from this work horse.

Ryan Matthews has been labeled as a breakout player for both of his first two years and we have yet to see it.  What we have seen from Matthews is the rare explosiveness that helped him get drafted in the 1st round.  What we haven't seen is durability and the intangibles that would keep him on the field more than his counterparts.  However he appears healthy.  Going into his 3rd year he should be much improved in pass protection as well.  Add to that the fact the Mike Tolbert is now in Carolina, and Matthews' production could and should soar to new heights.

The Redskins grabbed a young stud running back out of Nebraska last year, but almost refused to use him even when they were decimated with injuries and lack of production.  However when Hightower was lost for the year and Torrain proved he couldn't produce on a consistent basis, the Shanahan's finally caved and gave the reigns to Roy Helu.  All he did was put up over 100 all-purpose yards in 4 of the 5 games in which he touched the ball over 15 times.  Another year to master the nuances of an NFL system should do wonders for the 2nd year back.  Additionally do not under estimate the impact that an athletic QB like RG3 has on the run game.  Like we have seen with Vick and Young, a QB with the ability to make plays with his feet forces the backside to play honest.  If they don't play honest, the boot game that Shanahan loves, will destroy opposing defenses.  I expect Helu to be the starter and to have a huge year.


The Eagles had a dream last season that turned into a nightmare.  However despite the chaos that surrounded the team, Shady McCoy turned out a spectacular season in which he was an early season MVP candidate.  With much of the drama from '11 behind them you can expect the Eagles to be an elite team this season on both sides of the ball.  Vick and DeSean will rebound from a down year and it will only open up the offense that much more.  Shady will continue to produce, with more production in the passing game this year.

I particularly like Bush and McCluster because I can see both being used more in a passing role on their offenses.  Bush will be pushed by Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller, so I expect Philbin to find a home for him flexed out and in the slot in his wide open west coast system.

Kansas City already has a crowded backfield with Jamal Charles and Peyton Hillis looking to share reps, so wisely, Romeo Crennel has already said that the team will look for more ways to get the ball to McCluster.  He is a player that excels in the open field, whether on special teams or in the passing game.  Expect McCluster to be used a lot like the Saints have used Bush and Sproles with a combination of him in the slot and as a flanker.  Additionally we should expect a lot of two back sets that will allow him to chip and release.

Other notable backs that will shine, especially in the passing game this year include Maurice Jones-Drew, Fred Jackson, Ray Rice and Tampa's rookie running back Doug Martin.  Last but not least, if they can stay healthy (which seems unlikely), Darren McFadden and Jahvid Best can move their names into the conversation as the top producing backs of 2012.

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Coming Soon - TTR Fantasy

As we The Tiger Report continues to grow, we are expanding to meet the needs of our audience.


As many of you have already noticed we launched TTR Draft to cover all of our college scouting and NFL draft related content as we move forward.

Now as the season draws near, we are taking the same steps for fantasy football coverage.  So just as TTR Draft is an extension of The Tiger Report, TTR Fantasy will function just the same.  All sites are interconnected and are a part of the whole.

Because we are still using the Blogger platform we are slightly limited, so this is the best way for us to bring you quality content, in an easy to find fashion.

Since all the sites are interconnected, you can easily navigate between them, but they do have different addresses as seen below.

TigerReport.blogspot.com
TTRDraft.blogspot.com
TTRFantasy.blogspot.com