LestersLegends.com

.
Though it was described as minor surgery, it is still a small setback in Kenny Britt’s recovery from his knee injury that shortened his 2011 season after just three games.
.
Britt had 14 catches for 271 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games before tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 3 against the Broncos.
.
Britt is expected to be ready Week 1, but it is a little troublesome that he is still having issues over seven months after the surgery.
.
Britt has WR1 potential, but his health will play a major factor. He has combined to play 15 games over the past two seasons and has totaled 59 catches for 1064 yards and 12 TDs.
.
There is definitely a risk/reward factor at play for those that draft (keep) Britt.
.
.
Also check out:

• 2012 Early Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2012 Early Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2012 Early Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2012 Early Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2012 Top Five Rookie Fantasy Football Quarterbacks
• 2012 Top Five Rookie Fantasy Football Running Backs
• 2012 Top Five Rookie Fantasy Football Wide Receivers
• 2012 NFL Draft First Round Skill Players: A Fantasy Perspective

.
James McDonald vs. Washington Nationals
McDonald has racked up 25 strikeouts in his past three starts as he has evened his record to 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA and a 1.03 ERA. He got a no-decision last year against Washington, but had a 2.84 ERA.
.
Season Totals:  18-12,  251 IP, 172 Ks, 3.19 ERA (89 earned runs), 1.16 WHIP (208 hits, 84 walks)

.
Now that the NFL Draft is behind us it is time for fantasy football nuts to start breaking down the rookies. Here’s the LestersLegends’ look at the 2012 NFL rookie quarterback class.
.
1.  Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
RG3 and Andrew Luck are basically a coin flip in terms of fantasy value. I prefer RG3 slightly because of his rushing ability. Both have big time arms and are capable of making the throws. RG3 ran for 33 scores in college. That could translate into big fantasy points.
.
2.  Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
Luck figures to be a heckuva consolation prize (or RG3 if Luck goes first) in dynasty leagues. RG3 has borderline QB1 potential in re-draft leagues while I would put Luck at a QB2. There is a wide chasm following these two.
.
3.  Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns
Weeden will likely be the third rookie QB to start. He figures to do a lot of handing off to Trent Richardson though. He is seasoned though so he could have some decent spot starts at times. I wouldn’t draft him initially.
.
4.  Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
Tannehill won’t likely start for the Dolphins out of the gate, but could easily see a few starts along the way. He should only be drafted in dynasty leagues.
.
5.  Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
Cousins would need an injury to RG3 to surface as a fantasy option. He would have had a better chance if he went elsewhere, but those are the breaks.
.
.
Also check out:

• 2012 Early Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2012 Early Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2012 Early Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2012 Early Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2012 Top Five Rookie Fantasy Football Running Backs
• 2012 Top Five Rookie Fantasy Football Wide Receivers
• 2012 Top Five Rookie Fantasy Football Tight Ends
• 2012 NFL Draft First Round Skill Players: A Fantasy Perspective

.
There is no offseason for the hardcore fantasy football player. The NFL Draft was a whirlwind of trades. Wouldn’t you like your league to have that same excitement?
.
Well, you can. A good start would be getting one of  FantasyFootballTrophies.com‘s fully customizable Fantasy Football Draft Boards. Add your League Name, your Private Message and your league logo or photo.
.
Once you have your draft order in place, that’s when the real fun can begin. You and your leaguemates can start wheeling and dealing draft picks. Want two first round picks? Perhaps you can jump back into the first round by dealing away a second and third round pick.
.
The DraftBoard will include a large one-piece fantasy football draft board and a complete set of pre-printed player labels (2012 draftees included) color coded by position. When a player is selected, simply peel off his label and stick it on the draft board. . Bye weeks listed on every board at no additional charge!
.
So if you want to take your league to the next level, a customized draft board and pre-draft trades is a great first step. Order one today at http://www.fantasysportstrophies.com/draftboardLL/draftboard.html. Tell them Lester sent you.
.

.
Erik Bedard vs. Washington Nationals
He left his past game with back spasms after an inning. He’ll try his luck with the Nationals again. He’s 2-4 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.37 WHIP, plus he hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his starts. In 20 career innings against the Nats he is 0-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.
.
Season Totals:  18-12,  251 IP, 172 Ks, 3.19 ERA (89 earned runs), 1.16 WHIP (208 hits, 84 walks)

.
While Milwaukee Catcher Jonathan Lucroy doesn’t have as many at bats as some of the elite catchers in the league, his ownership in fantasy leagues (less than 30.0 percent of Yahoo! and 15.0 percent of ESPN leagues) is a bit puzzling.
.
After all, he is hitting .323, which puts him ahead of all those elite catchers in that category.
.
Lucroy hasn’t been a one-trick pony with merely a high batting average. It’s true that his eight runs scored and two home runs are far from elite numbers, but his RBI production (16) has been solid. So has his .845 OPS).
.
Lucroy doesn’t appear to have the makings of a flash in the pan either. He had a solid 2011 season posting a .265-45-12-59-2 line. While he was much better in the first half last year (.280 average prior to the All-Star break vs. .247 following it), he pretty much just seemed to run out of gas hitting .188 in September. Prior to that decline he was hitting .279.
.
Lucroy has had tremendous success against left-handed pitching. He hit .284 with a .735 OPS against southpaws in 2010 vs. .241, .590 against righities. Last year it was .291, .869 vs. .259, .662. So far this year he’s at .435, 1.197 vs. .292, .753.
.
While he still hits lefties harder, it is an encouraging sign that some of his growth has come vs. right-handed pitching as well.
.
Lucroy has been highly productive at home (.283, .722), but has really been masterful on the road (.381, 1.032).
.
He has been inserted into the two-hole for the Brewers with Richie Weeks out. That should allow him to see plenty of at bats, and build on his counting numbers.
.
I don’t expect Lucroy to continue hitting at the clip he currently is. His BABIP of .366 is significantly higher than his .312 career mark. He’s red hot right now though, hitting .378 for the month. Ride him while he’s hot. Even when he cools off, he should remain a productive hitter.
.
.
Also check out:

• Fantasy Feast Closer Report – 5/14/12
• Should You Buy Low on Matt Moore?
• Should You Be Streaming Gerardo Parra?
• Can James McDonald Keep Fantasy Owners Saying “I’m Lovin’ It”?
• Can Edwin Encarnacion Continue to Swing a Hot Bat?

.
By Brandon Berg
.
Grant Balfour is not a happy camper. He just lost the closing job in Oakland to Brian Fuentes. You can go ahead and pick up Fuentes for now, being that he owns the job, but I expect Balfour to get the job back at some point during the season.
.
Sean Marshall has had his share of struggles recently and has Logan Ondrusek and Aroldis Chapman breathing down his neck. However, he still has the job, so hold on to him, but he needs to start inspiring confidence.
.
Jordan Walden is going to eventually become the Angels closer again, but Scott Downs is the man right now and should be owned. He is going through a knee issue right now, but once healthy, should be in your lineup.
.
I suppose Rafael Dolis could be considered the closer for the Cubs, but Chicago claims they are using a closer-by-committee approach yet. I would leave Dolis on the wire. There are better options out there.
.
After just a week of being demoted out of the closer role, Heath Bell has reclaimed it. He is still struggling, so proceed with caution. However, with his track record, he has to turn it around eventually.
.
I’m not wasting my time with Frank Francisco. He has struggled brutally, owning an 8.56 ERA through 13.2 innings. While no one is breathing down his neck, he still isn’t a sexy option. I suspect Jon Rauch to eventually be given a few chances and if he succeeds, he should run away with the job.
.
Addison Reed and Matt Thornton will share chances going forward for the White Sox after Chris Sale was moved back into the rotation. Don’t own either at this point, but keep an eye on the situation as someone is bound to run away with the job. I expect that to be Reed.
.
You could pick up Casey Janssen for a couple weeks until Blue Jays closer Sergio Santos returns from injury. Janssen is a solid option.
.
I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. A closer for the Padres isn’t a preferable option. However, Dale Thayer is pitching very well and is worth a look in deeper leagues at this point. He will be getting the save chances and has taken advantage of them so far.
.
I would stay away from any Yankee right now. Neither Soriano nor Robertson has pitched well and both will keep getting opportunities. However, if Robertson starts taking advantage, he could become an option in all leagues, so keep tabs on the situation.
.
Check out the Fantasy Feast at 11:30 Eastern.