LestersLegends.com

.
Adrian Peterson is having another fantastic season. He squares off against the Raiders in Week 11, who are giving up 132.4 yards per game on the ground, at home. All you have to do is guess how many fantasy points he’ll have. We’ll do six points for a touchdown and 0.1 points for every yard he gets.
.
This time I am sponsoring the contest. Whoever comes the closest without going over takes home an XL LestersLegends t-shirt.
.
As always, be original. If somebody guessed a total you want, you’ll have to come up with another one. Just leave a comment with your best guess.
.
.

.
Visanthe Shiancoe ‘s numbers took quite a hit last year. I know 47 catches for 530 yards and two scores isn’t terrible, but when you consider that 162 of those yards and one of those touchdowns came in the first two weeks, it starts to paint a grim picture.
.
One year after catching 56 passes for 566 yards and 11 touchdowns with Brett Favre and Shiancoe became an afterthought after two games. He had just one more standout fantasy game when he picked up 66 yards and a score against Arizona in Week 9. He had one more game with 54 yards which is a mediocre performance, but he had 41 or fewer years in the remaining 12 games.
.
It wasn’t just Favre’s arrival in 2009 though that made Shiancoe a viable fantasy option. In 2008 he caught 42 passes for 596 yards and seven touchdowns. While his 2009 production would be a reach, can he get back to the 2008 level?
.
There are some things working in his favor. For starters, without Sidney Rice the Vikings lack a legitimate red zone threat at wide receiver. Percy Harvin’s quickness and versatility will be called upon, but when they want to throw it to a big body, Shiancoe figures to be the man. |
.
Visanthe could be one of the few players that benefit from the NFL lockout as rookie Kyle Rudolph didn’t get to attend the mini-camps and OTAs to speed up his learning curve. Not only does Rudolph have to learn his role in the passing game, he also has to learn blocking assignments.
.
Finally, Shiancoe’s quarterback has a history of utilizing tight ends. When you looks at Minnesota’s sad cast of characters at WR outside of Percy, I wouldn’t be surprised if Shiancoe was the secondary read.
.
I wouldn’t necessarily draft Shiancoe at this point, especially with all the time he’s missed because of his hamstring injury. I would just monitor to see whether or not he develops a rapport with McNabb. If those two gel, Shiancoe could be a solid TE2 once again.
.
.

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
• 2011 Fantasy Football K Rankings

Click here to enter the 2011 LestersLegends fantasy football team name contest!
.

.
Christian Ponder and Kyle Rudolph were drafted together. Ponder went in the first round and Rudolph, his future safety net came in the second. While the rookies were locked out of mini-camps and OTAs they worked out together. Both Ponder and Rudolph were going the same thing.
.
They had yet to get the first taste of NFL money and they had to know they would be the sacrificial lamb of the collective bargaining negotiations. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say they formed a great rapport. As they started their NFL careers they would lean on each other.
.
While that is still the case, a lot of their time could be spent together on the second team.
.
Sure the Vikings will run plenty of two tight end sets, but by bringing in McNabb the Vikings are making a statement that says they want to win now. McNabb has been known to work well with tight ends in the past, but he may be more comfortable throwing to veteran Visanthe Shiancoe as he tries to restore his reputation.
.
Besides, being a rookie tight end is one of the more difficult assignments. Not only do you have to learn the offensive terminology, timing, and routes, but let’s not forget that catching passes is only half of what tight ends do. Perhaps more important, in terms of playing time, will be the ability to pass protect. That balancing act is a difficult one.
.
I don’t think anyone was planning on using Rudolph as a number one tight end this year for their fantasy team, but I’m certain he would have made his way on some fantasy rosters as a sleeper TE2. Given the circumstances I would instead put Rudolph in the tickler file. If he gets off to a good start then you may want to add him. If not, maybe next year will be his time.
.
.

Also check out:

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

Click here to enter the 2011 LestersLegends fantasy football team name contest!
.


.
It appears the NFL Lockout has a casualty in Minnesota. The lack of OTAs and time for Christian Ponder to work with the coach staff may have cost the rookie the opportunity to lead the Vikings out of the gate.
.
Rumors are swirling hot and heavy that a trade to bring in Donovan McNabb to lead the Purple is in the works.
.
The McNabb Experiment in Washington failed miserably last year. In part because of conditioning, which Mike Shanahan showed with Albert Haynesworth that he takes seriously, and in part because McNabb simply didn’t have many weapons to work with. He got by earlier in his career with an inferior cast of characters, but going from DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Brent Celek, and Jeremy Maclin to Santana Moss, Chris Cooley, and well, that was about  it, was too much for McNabb.
.
Will he have better weapons in Minnesota? For starters, he will have an excellent running attack to support him. Percy Harvin is an upgrade over what McNabb had to work with in D.C. Visanthe Shiancoe and Kyle Rudolph should form a pair of reliable tight ends. The Vikings will likely add a wide receiver is Sidney Rice walks.
.
Bottom line is McNabb will have better weapons if he goes to Minnesota. He’ll also have better support from the coaching staff.
.

Also check out:

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

Click here to enter the 2011 LestersLegends fantasy football team name contest!
.

.
The top two quarterbacks on the Vikings’ depth chart last year have rumors swirling around them. Tarvaris Jackson has been linked to the Seahawks and Brett Favre to the Eagles as a backup to Michael Vick.
.
T-Jack to Seattle does have some merit as Seattle has a need at quarterback, especially if they part ways with Matt Hasselbeck. Plus, Jackson would be comfortable with their offense and their new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
.
While I’m not convinced that Jackson has what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, he would come as a much cheaper alternative than Kevin Kolb or Kyle Orton and is probably an upgrade over Charlie Whitehurst.
.
A summer without a Brett Favre watch would be new territory. This year is no difference. He has been linked to Philadelphia, which was quickly shot down. Michael Vick  has said that he would be OK having #4 as a backup. No word on whether or not Favre would be  up for the role.
.
Favre would probably want to wait until the flood of transactions took place so he would get the proper media treatment. Time will tell if the old gunslinger will give it a go one more time.
.

Also check out:

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

.
This article is also featured at NFLTouchdown.com, where I am the Vikings Fan Voice writer.