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Between surprising nobody with the Kevin Kolb trade, surprising everybody with the Nnamdi Asomugha signing, bringing in Vince Young and the  and the fear of a DeSean Jackson holdout, the Eagles have been the most active franchise in this whirlwind NFL free agency period. With all those headlines, a big story has hardly received the buzz that it deserves. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia’s other starting receiver, is not participating in the Eagles’ training camp.
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Maclin, who battled with a “mon0-like” illness this winter lost about 15 pounds. When you’re 6’0″ and 198 pounds, losing 7.6 percent of your body weight is no joke. Especially when you are playing in the National Football League with safeties that are as big as linebackers used to be and as fast as cornerbacks used to be. Maclin is said to have gained most of the weight back, but until he can practice with the team, color me nervous.
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Maclin is coming off a terrific year that saw him catch 70 passes for 964 yards and ten touchdowns. If he goes into the season weak in any way, I worry that he won’t be able to handle the physical nature of the game.
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I may be a little too quick to hit the panic button, but I can’t help but slide him down my wide receiver rankings a touch. There are several players in his tier that don’t present as big of a risk. If he can show he’s good to go, then he’ll see a small climb in the rankings. If you’re drafting early though, I don’t know how you roll the dice on him when there is a comparable wideout available without those concerns. I still consider Maclin a WR2 at this point. He’s perhaps one of the more intriguing players to follow if and when he gets into camp.
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What’s your take on Maclin?
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Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football TE Rankings

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This week’s topic:
Would you rather have Tampa Bay’s Mike Williams or Philadelphia’s Jeremy Maclin in a redraft league for next year?
Click here to see the full article.

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My response:
Another tough choice. I like both Mike Williams and Jeremy Maclin, as I’m sure the majority of fantasy football players do. What’s not to love? Mike Williams was a beast as a rookie catching 65 passes for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. He scored four touchdowns in the final three weeks of the season. He was only held without a score in six games last year. If you want a downside, it’s that Williams never had a monster game. He only topped 100 yards once, back in Week 8 against a bad Cardinals team. He also was held below 80 yards in eleven games last year.
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Jeremy Maclin was held below 80 yards in 12 games, but he did have some bigger games. He had two 120+ yard games, as well as three multiple touchdown games. Their numbers are virtually identical. Maclin caught 70 passes for 964 yards and ten touchdowns. Maclin’s big games made him less consistent. He was held without a touchdown in nine games.
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They both have pros. Maclin has to share looks with DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, and Brent Celek. He also has a quarterback (Michael Vick) that piles up a ton of yards and touchdowns on the ground. Quite simply, there are more mouths to feed in Philly. That said, at least at this point, if their starting quarterback were to go down, the Eagles are in a much better spot with Kevin Kolb waiting in the wings.
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I don’t think you can go wrong either way. It’s really just a preference thing. Despite Mike Williams being an Orangeman like myself, I’m going to have to go with Jeremy Maclin. He has a longer track record with two solid seasons under his belt. Williams set the bar much higher in his rookie year than Maclin did, but he has to prove that he can come back and do it again.

Image courtesy of Icon SMI
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Having players go in the Thursday night games gives you a little bit of advantage. If your players do good, you can perhaps be a little more cautions with your team. If your players failed to put up good numbers, perhaps you will want to take a bigger risk, hoping for a bigger reward to make up for it. You also get a feel for your match-up depending on how your opponents players did. Let’s take a look at how fantasy owners will be feeling about their players.
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Top of the World
With the fantasy playoffs on the doorstep, you can’t help but swell with pride based on the numbers these guys dropped.
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Michael Vick – My #1 ranked QB this week did not disappoint. He threw for 302 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. He added 48 yards on the ground. He’s definitely in the MVP hunt (both in fantasy and reality).
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Matt Schaub – Vick did his thing, but Schaub was no slouch. He threw for 337 yards, 2 TDs, and an INT. If you stuck with him (despite my #18 ranking) kudos to you. If you sat him because of me, my apologies.
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Arian Foster - Wow. That’s all I can say. Wow. 109 total yards (83 rushing, 26 receiving) and a score on the ground and through the air. You’ve been counting on  him all year, and he didn’t disappoint.
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LeSean McCoy – Not to be outdone, McCoy accumulated 130 total yards (44 rushing, 86 receiving) as well as a rushing and receiving touchdown. If you own McCoy, you can breath a sigh of relief.
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Andre Johnson –  So he didn’t score a touchdown. His six catches for 149 yards and two carries for ten yards got his owners off to a great start. It wasn’t enough to change your strategy, but it’s certainly a good start.

Perhaps no NFL team will look more different in 2010 than the Eagles. After all they one of the most familiar faces in franchise history when Donovan McNabb was dealt to the Redskins. Brian Westbrook, a staple in Philly’s offense for the past seven years is also gone. That said, the Eagles should, in theory, continue to hum right along as one of the league’s best offenses.

Fantasy Playoffs Schedule:  Difficult
I’m not going to say that you should bench the likes of Kevin Kolb, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Brent Celek, but you should know going into the year that the Birds face the Cowboys in Dallas (Week 14), the Giants in New Jersey (15), and the Vikings at home (16).

Five Star Fantasy Options
DeSean Jackson – Jackson certainly cannot be measured by his stature (5’10″, 175). His quickness is off-the-charts. He is working with a new QB, but one that he racked up 10 catches for 250 yards and 2 TDs with in Kolb’s two starts last year. Like Westbrook, he can scare you a little with injury concerns, but he can put up fantasy points in a hurry.

Four Star Fantasy Options
Kevin Kolb – While I appreciate the talent level Donovan McNabb possess, I do believe that the system and the players in that system play a big role in the success of a player. Brett Favre is an amazing talent, but when he left Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense didn’t miss a beat. Same with Joe Montana to Steve Young. Now I’m not saying Kolb is going to put up Steve Young or even Aaron Rodgers, but the pieces are in place for a real solid season.

LeSean McCoy – Everything I mentioned above regarding McNabb and Kolb, paste in Westbrook and McCoy. Actually McCoy has an easier hole to fill. He is replacing a talented RB that was basically missing in action all of last season anyway. Kolb has to replace a franchise QB. McCoy has the perfect skill set for this offense. Yardage will be the name of the game for McCoy. Mike Bell and Michael Vick will likely get the short yardage TDs for the Eagles.

Brent Celek – Celek caught 76 passes for 971 yards and 8 TDs. Like Jackson, he played great with Kolb under center. In Kolb’s two starts Celek had 8 catches for 104 yards each game with 1 TD. He’s a big target in the red zone, which could allow him to approach double-digit TDs.

Three Star Fantasy Options
Jeremy Maclin – Maclin had a solid rookie season catching 56 passes for 773 yards and 4 TDs. With Jackson and Celek garnering so much attention, Maclin could lead the team in receptions.

Eagles Defense/Special Teams – Their fantasy playoff schedule keeps me from giving them a four star rating. That and the fact that they face the Packers, Falcons, Titans, Colts, and Texans along with two match-ups each against the tough NFC East. You know Donovan McNabb will be gunning for them in Weeks 4 & 10.

Two Star Fantasy Options
Mike Bell – Bell will be used to get the tough yard, most notably near the goal line. He could also be used to close out games. Michael Vick’s potential to snipe short TDs could keep Bell from being a viable flex option.

One Star Fantasy Options
Michael Vick – Vick is a rare backup QB that could actually put up some numbers week-to-week thanks to the Wildcat. If Kolb gets injured or is overwhelmed by the role of starting QB, Vick could be called upon.

Charles Scott – The rookie RB out of LSU could also be used in short yardage situations, as well as to close out games. He will need an injury or ineffectiveness from McCoy or Bell to become a fantasy threat, but the potential is there.

Jason Avant – Avant will work the slot in three-receiver sets. He has great hands , but won’t get enough touches week-to-week to be a true fantasy threat. 329 of his 587 yards (56%) came in Weeks 2, 10, and 12. He didn’t top 45 yards in any other game.

Click here for additional 2010 NFL Team Previews.

By Marc Mancuso

These are the guys who will be fantasy relevant in 2009.  They are must drafts for keeper leagues.   Opportunity is the key to rookie value and all of these players will see significant PT this year.

QB   Mark Sanchez,  NYJ  — All indications are that Sanchez will start for the Jets.  He will definitely face ups and downs in his first season, but if the Jets can establish a strong running game, and he gets help from his talented WR’s and emerging star TE Dustin Keller, Sanchez may begin to pay dividends for Rex Ryan in Year 1.

RB:   Knowshown Moreno – The RB situation is getting clearer in Denver, with the release of JJ Arrington and Ryan Torain.    With Correll Buckhalter expected to play the Kevin Faulk role, and LaMont Jordan looking more like a situational back, Knowshown will emerge despite his holdout.  

RB:   James Davis, CLE  – Opportunity is everything in fantasy football.  Considering Jamal Lewis’ health, an uncertain QB situation, an O Line which is vastly improved, and a conservative coach in Eric Mangini, James Davis has opportunity.   Davis is a talented back with running an receiving skills who stayed in school and subsequently saw his draft status drop before the NFL draft, and backs up an aging vet with some injury concerns–this sounds a lot like Steve Slaton in 2008.

WR:  Hakeem Nicks, NYG  – Eli Manning needs a big receiver in the Plaxico mold and Nicks fits perfectly.  While his route running is still developing, as the “X” it relies less on precision patterns, and more on athleticism  to get Eli’s jump balls.     Nicks has little competition and should contribute right away.

WR:   Jeremy Maclin, PHI  – Maclin missed 15 days of camp, but he is already making an impact on the coaching staff.   It will take time for Maclin to adjust to the West Coast offense coming from a spread he had at Missouri, but DeSean Jackson will be getting a lot of double teams, meaning Maclin will get his share of looks.    Don’t expect a lot in the first part of the season, but as he gets familiar,  Marty Mornhinweg will find ways to get him involved.   It’s a make or break year for Philadelphia, so expect to see Reid open up the playbook this season.

WR:  Percy Harvin, MIN — Brad Childress needs to keep teams from stacking up against Adrian Peterson, and a guy like Harvin will help him spread the field and open the playbook as a receiving and running threat.

TE:    Jared Cook, TEN  — Cook is getting rave reviews with the aging Alge Crumpler and Bo Scaife as his only competition.     Fisher still plays a very conservative brand of offense, so expect lots of running, and dink and dunk.    

Notes:   You were probably expecting to see Beanie Wells on this list.   Two of the most underappreciated pieces of success in fantasy are durability and opportunity.   Beanie has already gotten nicked this preseason and I’m concerned about his ability to stay healthy, which he could never do at Ohio State.   Tim Hightower may not be the answer, but Arizona is a pass first team, and I don’t see them becoming a smash mouth team.   Reports from camp indicate Wells has fallen short of expectations thus far.

I continue my NFL Draft review with a look at the WRs drafted in the first three rounds.

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers - I love the pick for the 49ers, but I wish Crabtree was paired with a better QB.  Nate Davis could eventually make his way up the depth charts.  Until then Crabtree will just have to make due.  I think he’ll still be one of the best Rookie WRs this year.

Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles – I love this pick by the Eagles and I love Maclin’s prospects this year.  In fact, I think Maclin will be the most productive Rookie WR.  He gives McNabb another young, talented target.  With Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Westbrook, and McCoy, McNabb has more weapons than in recent years.  I expect big things from the Birds in 2009.

Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings – He has a ton of talent.  He’ll make a big impact and change the dynamic of the Viking Offense.  I’m just afraid he’ll miss a couple games to injury.  When he’s healthy he’ll make explosive plays. 

Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants - Nicks will make an impact right away for the G-Men, just not a major one.  The Giants have a lot of young talent at WR so he’ll have to earn his way onto the field.  He may be fantasy worthy next year.

Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans - Britt will get a chance to play as the Titans are hurting for WRs, but I’m not sure how much impact a Rookie WR on a run first team will make.  I love him long-term though.

Brian Robiskie & Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland Browns - The Browns need WRs in the worst way.  They did not trade Braylon Edwards as rumored, but they clearly aren’t happy with him.  Donte Stallworth could be going to jail, and in the very least will be suspended by the league.  To me Robiskie makes more of an immediate impact and could earn the #2 WR role.  Massaquoi will take a little longer to develop.