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Here’s a look at my 2011 fantasy football kicker rankings.
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1.  Nate Kaeding, San Diego Chargers:  I’m expecting a much better showing out of Kaeding this year.
2. Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland Raiders: Seabass tied for the league in FGs made last year and finished second in points.
3.  Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots: So far so good, but I can’t trust him as the #1 again.
4.  David Akers, San Francisco 49ers:  The move to the Bay Area scares me a little. The Niners offense is simply not as explosive.
5.  Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers:  Super Bowl Champs could have an even better offense in 2011.
6.  Rob Bironas, Tennessee Titans:  I can see them moving the chains under Hasselbeck, but coming up short. Enter Rob Bironas.
7.  Neil Rackers, Houston Texans:  Somehow I don’t think the Texans will be as effective in the red zone.
8.  Nick Folk, New York Jets:  One of three kickers with 30+ PATs and FGs last year.
9.  Alex Henery, Philadelphia Eagles:  He may not be Akers, but he’s in a great spot.
10.  Josh Brown, St. Louis Rams:  Tied Seabass for most FGs last year.
11.  Dan Carpenter, Miami Dolphins:  Scoring TDs could be an issue in Miami.
12.  Lawrence Tynes, New York Giants:  Not a flashy pick, but a solid one.
13.  Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts:  Kicking for the Colts (and indoors) has it’s perks.
14.  Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons:  The Dirty Birds should be even better this year.
15. David Buehler, Dallas Cowboys:  Hartley’s injury opens the door for Buehler.
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Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings - PPR
• 2011 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings

Rashard Mendenhall owners got a bit of bad news when Pittsburgh Coach Mike Tomlin named Isaac Redman as the short-yardage back. While it isn’t an ideal situation, I wouldn’t write off Mendenhall as a legitimate WR1.

In fact, some of the other RBs that have similar ADPs like DeAngelo Williams, Pierre Thomas, LeSean McCoy, Beanie Wells and Shonn Greene could also find themselves yielding the goal line touches as well.

Mendenhall had 1108 yards on 242 carries for a solid 4.6 yards per carry. He also added 25 catches for 261 yards and a score. I believe it’s that versatility that will keep him on the field inside the five. Maybe he loses a few one-yard plunges from Redman, but it shouldn’t be enough to drastically sway your opinion about Mendenhall.

It’s not like Mendenhall struggled inside the five last year as six of his rushing touchdowns came from four or fewer yards, with the seventh coming from seven yards out. His lone TD reception was from eight yards out. That’s eight TDs inside the ten yard line in the 13 games he started.

Redman may have the size (6’0″, 230 lbs), but he’ll have to prove he can handle the punishment around the goal line. You may want to lower your expectations for Mendenhall, but this news doesn’t budge him out of the #9 ranking I give him (click to see my 2010 RB rankings).

Also check out:
- Week 1 QB Rankings
- Week 1 RB Rankings
- Week 1 WR Rankings
- Week 1 TE Rankings
- Week 1 K Rankings
- Week 1 DEF Rankings
- Week 1 IDP Rankings

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

Mark Clayton never quite made the splash everybody was expecting him to in Baltimore. Things did not look good when Baltimore acquired Anquan Boldin. Then the acquisition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh sealed his fate. Obviously going from a playoff team to a 1-15 team is not good for your chances of winning, but will the move be good for his fantasy value?

I’m in the camp that thinks it will. For starters he doesn’t have much competition in St. Louis. Laurent Robinson, Danny Amendola, Mardy Gilyard, and Brandon Gibson aren’t exactly the who’s who of NFL wideouts. My guess is Clayton will eventually force start opposite of Robinson and Amendola to the slot.

Clayton won’t have a lot of time to build a rapport with Sam Bradford, but it shouldn’t take long for the two former Sooners to get on the same page. You won’t want to use him the first couple of weeks as he gets used to the system, and potentially will be matched up with Nnamdi Asomugha in Week 2. After he gets by Washington in Week 3, it should be smooth sailing for a few weeks (Seattle, Detroit, San Diego, Tampa Bay).

Clayton represents a low risk, but he could end up paying dividends. If you have question marks at WR, it wouldn’t hurt to give Clayton a shot.

You can also check out my Week 1 Rankings:
Week 1 QB Rankings
Week 1 RB Rankings
Week 1 WR Rankings
Week 1 TE Rankings
Week 1 K Rankings
Week 1 DEF Rankings
Week 1 IDP Rankings

Written by Eric Stashin of www.rotoprofessor.com

When Glen Coffee suddenly retired, it looked like the 49ers would be left with little behind star running back Frank Gore.  Less then three weeks later, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Not only did they bring Brian Westbrook into the mix, but sixth round pick Anthony Dixon has emerged from obscurity.  While a lot of his impressive preseason statistics came against marginal NFL players, at best, it still is hard to overlook.

He led the NFL with 300 rushing yards (Michael Bennett was second with 236). He led the NFL with four rushing touchdowns.

Then again, he had 20 more carries then any other running back, at 74.  When you have that big of a lead in carries, it’s easy to out rush the competition by such a great margin.

Despite coach Mike Singleton telling Comcast Sports Net California that, “When you have a guy like that, there’s going to be a role”, it’s impossible to think the role is going to be anything too special at this point.

With the options that the team has in front of him, it’s going to take a lot for Dixon to get regular touches.  Granted, Westbrook certainly is an injury risk, but even if he were the primary understudy to Gore would you expect him to develop into usability?

Gore has played in 14 or more games each of the past four years, only once having less then 1,100 yards during that span (1,036 in 2008).  He’s a workhorse, and should remain to be the main man in San Francisco.

Coffee, as the primary backup to Gore in 2009, got just 83 carries for 226 yards and a touchdown (plus 11 catches for 76 yards).

An impressive preseason is nice, but Dixon just isn’t likely to make an impact in 2010.  Don’t bother getting caught up in any attention he may be receiving.  There are much better options that should be available to you.

Keep an eye on him, just in case, but there certainly is no reason to be making a move right now.

What are your thoughts of Dixon?  Is there any chance he develops into a usable option in 2010?  Why or why not?

Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s 2010 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers

You can also check out my Week 1 Rankings:
Week 1 QB Rankings
Week 1 RB Rankings
Week 1 WR Rankings
Week 1 TE Rankings
Week 1 K Rankings
Week 1 DEF Rankings
Week 1 IDP Rankings

Written by Eric Stashin of www.rotoprofessor.com

Kyle Orton could have been considered a 2009 surprise, posting solid numbers after being acquired from the Bears in the trade sending Jay Cutler out of Denver.  Having only spent one year as a starter prior to the trade, it was hard to imagine what we were going to see, but he certainly delivered.

Orton completed over 62 percent of his passes, going for 3,802 yards (11th in the league) and 21 TD.  Additionally, he only threw 12 INT, ninth fewest among QB with at least 300 attempts.

The problem, as we enter 2010, is wondering where the production on the outside will come from with Brandon Marshall now calling Miami home.  Nearly one-third of the yards Orton threw for went to Marshall, nearly half the TDs.

Not only that, but Tony Sheffler, who could have emerged as a big-time go to target at TE, is now in Detroit, just adding to the lack of receiving threats.

Demaryious Thomas, drafted to replace Marshall, has been hampered by a foot injury, and no one really knows what to expect from him.

That leaves a number of question marks surrounding what’s left.  Can Eddie Royal rediscover his rookie form?  Can Jabar Gaffney, who showed signs last season, emerge as a number one WR?  Can Brandon Lloyd, a perpetual disappointment, provide any type of offense?

Knowshown Moreno, if healthy, could emerge as the biggest threat coming out of the backfield, but that’s not going to provide Orton with many downfield opportunities.  If their leading receiver turns out to be a running back, just how can we expect him to accumulate a ton of numbers?

The best example of a RB who turned in a monster receiving season is Reggie Bush in 2006 and 2007.  In 2006 he had 88 catches for just 742 yards (8.4 yards/reception).  In 2007, it was 73 catches for 417 yards (5.7 yards/reception).  That’s not a lot of bang for your competions.

While Orton showed he had potential last season, the loss of Marshall is going to have a major effect on him.  He’s a low-end QB2 in my mind, and better suited to be a reserve in two-quarterback formats.

What are your thoughts?  Am I being too harsh on Orton and the Broncos receiving corps?  Can he turn out to be fantasy viable?

Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s 2010 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers

You can also check out my Week 1 Rankings:
Week 1 QB Rankings
Week 1 RB Rankings
Week 1 WR Rankings
Week 1 TE Rankings
Week 1 K Rankings
Week 1 DEF Rankings
Week 1 IDP Rankings

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Here’s an updated look at my fantasy football kicker rankings.
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1. Stephen Gostkowski, NE
2. Nate Kaeding, SD
3. Garrett Hartley, NO
4. Mason Crosby, GB
5. David Akers, PHI
6. Ryan Longwell, MIN
7. Lawrence Tynes, NYG
8. Matt Prater, DEN
9. Rob Bironas, TEN
10. Neil Rackers, HOU
11. Dan Carpenter, MIA
12. Billy Cundiff, BAL
13. Jay Feely, ARI
14. Robbie Gould, CHI
15. Sebastian Janikowski, OAK
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Notable changes:
- I bumped Stephen Gostkowski to the top slot as I think New England’s offense will be firing on all cylinders this year.
- I added Neil Rackers to the list as he won Houston’s kicker battle against Kris Brown.
- I dropped Jeff Reed off the list because the Steelers could struggle early with Big Ben and Byron Leftwich out.
- I swapped Garrett Hartley and Ryan Longwell. New Orleans’ high-powered offense should allow Hartley to put up a ton of points. I don’t think the Vikings will match last season’s production.
- I added Billy Cundiff and replace Shayne Graham as Cundiff won the kicker battle in Baltimore.
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Also check out:
- 2010 Top 30 Fantasy QB Rankings
- 2010 Top 50 Fantasy RB Rankings
- 2010 Top 60 Fantasy WR Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy TE Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy Team Defense Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy IDP Rankings
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Image courtesy of Icon SMI

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

Many figured that Donald Brown would replace Joseph Addai at some point last year the way Addai replaced Dominic Rhodes many years ago. Brown’s injuries prevented that from even being an option. He set a season high with 14 carries in Week Three, but didn’t reach double-digits again until Week 16 when the Colts basically called it a season.

To say it was a disappointing season for Brown would be a major understatement. He was expected to cut into Joseph Addai’s production, and only managed 450 total yards (289 rushing) and 3 TDs. That’s not to say he can’t have a mulligan. In fact, I expect a much better 2010 from Donald Brown.

Addai had the lion’s share of the carries last year, but did it at a 3.8 ypc clip. With a 3.5 ypc in 2008, and a 4.1 ypc in 2007, Addai clearly isn’t a gamebreaker. Meanwhile Donald Brown has the ability to take on the distance at any time. Addai is also not a workhorse back. His high game last year was 79 rushing yards. He only topped 70 one other time., meaning Brown could see a lot more work in the ground game.

Where Addai has a clear edge is in pass protection and short yardage situations. While Brown has good enough size (5’10″, 210) to get the tough yards if needed, failing to pick up the blitz will keep Brown from topping 100 carries in 2010.

The Colts understand that you need at least two good backs to make a playoff run. They will want to ensure that Addai has space in the tank for the playoffs. I simply can’t imagine that Brown won’t get at least ten touches a game. If he does, he has the ability to serve as a decent flex start. If Addai were to miss any games with an injury, Brown could put up top 15 numbers. Addai suffered a concussion in the Colts’ third preseason game. He is expected to be ready for the season opener, but only time will tell. If he gets his bell rung during the season, Brown could step in and get a few spot starts.

Donald Brown is one of the best handcuffs and represents a good value with an ADP of 103 (41st overall RB) according to Mock Draft Central. I actually have him slightly higher (click to see my RB rankings). He has a ton of upside for a ninth round pick and makes a solid RB4.

What are your thoughts on Donald Brown?