LestersLegends.com

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Here’s my first look at the top ten picks of the 2012 NFL Draft.
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1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Whether or not it’s the Colts taking Andrew Luck, he will be the number one pick in the draft. He’s been compared to Peyton Manning, but at the time even Peyton Manning wasn’t as much of a lock for the number one pick as Luck.
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2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
The Rams took Rodger Saffold with the 33rd pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and Jason Smith with the second pick of the 2009 NFL Draft. While Matt Kalil makes sense, the Rams desperately need to get Sam Bradford some playmakers.
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3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Vikings moved down in the draft to acquire additional picks. They have needs all over the place. RG3 would likely be the pick here if someone wanted to move up. If the Vikings keep the pick (and he’s available) I think they go with Matt Kalil. Christian Ponder took way too much of a beating last year.
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4. Cleveland Browns: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Somebody, possibly the Browns, could move up to get RG3. If he’s available at the four spot, the Browns will give up on Colt McCoy and start over with RG3.
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5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
The Bucs have gone defense with their first round picks the past two seasons, but their offense was dreadful. LeGarrette Blount isn’t the answer. Richardson is a complete back that should help the Bucs bounce back.
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6. Washington Redskins: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
In this pass-happy league you have to find a way to slow down the opposition. In a division that features Eli Manning, Michael Vick, and Tony Romo, the Skins would do well to add Claiborne to their secondary. The Skins very well could trade up with Minnesota to land RG3. If Kalil was unavailable, CB is definitely a need for the Vikings so Claiborne would still make sense here.
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7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
The Jags need to add a pass rusher, but Kirkpatrick is too good to pass up in this spot. It’s a passing league so a stud CB makes sense.
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8. Carolina Panthers: Devon Still, DE/DT, Penn State
The Panthers were dreadful at stopping the run ranking 25th with 130.8 ypg allowed and 29th with 18 rushing scores allowed. They also struggled to put pressure on the quarterback, tying the Jags at 25th with 31 sacks. Still should be able to help both areas.
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9. Miami Dolphins: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
The Dolphins were cruising toward Andrew Luck or Matt Barkley. Unfortunately they started winning behind Matt Moore and Reggie Bush, and Barkley (along with Landry Jones) returned to school. The Dolphins allowed the third most sacks (52). Getting Jake Long back healthy and pairing him with Reiff would go a long way in fixing that issue.
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10. Buffalo Bills: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
If the Bills want to knock off New England they will have to put pressure on Tom Brady. The Bills ranked 27th with 29 sacks so clearly improving their pass rush is a need.
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Click here for NFL Playoffs Fantasy Football Rankings.

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With fantasy football season a few weeks away we are looking to add some writers. Whether your specialty is baseball, basketball, football, or the NFL Draft, we’d love to hear from you.
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You’re already living and breathing fantasy sports. Why not get your thoughts out there? The extra research you do preparing your articles will even improve your performance in your leagues. Plus, it gives you a ton of street cred and the ladies–or dudes, this isn’t limited to just the guys–will be falling at your feet. OK, I made that last part up, but the rest is true.
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We’re looking for an article a week. If you can do more, cool. If you can only do one every two weeks, we can work with that too. We’ll promote your articles on Twitter and on our Facebook Page to maximize your exposure.
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These will be unpaid positions, but a chance to get your foot in the door in the fantasy sports industry. Plus, if you’re part of the team, you could get the opportunity to represent LestersLegends.com in fantasy expert leagues. Take down one of those puppies, and you’ll have some serious bragging rights.
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If you are interested, simply send me a sample of  your writing to ryan@lesterslegends.com.

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Boser’s Tweetbeat – Sifting through the hashtags to bring you the hottest trending Twitter topics in the Fantasy Football industry.
By Ryan Boser

Before I’d even cracked my second beer last Thursday night, the speculation was already swirling—how would the NFL’s newest employees impact fantasy football? Wait, are they employees? A non-unionized workforce? Icons? Conversationalists? Slaves? Screw it, I can’t keep up.
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Now that fantasy geeks have had a week to let the fresh meat marinate, here’s what they’re saying:
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WINNERS
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Matt Ryan won big. His Falcons overpaid to acquire Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. Adding a 6’3″, 220-lb. specimen who runs a 4.39-second 40 (on a broken foot) opposite Roddy White is intriguing, to say the least.
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The 6’4-1/2″, 228-lb. Jonathan Baldwin gives Matt Cassel another legitimate target to pair with Dwayne Bowe in Kansas City.
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Peyton Manning also came out of the draft smiling. The Colts used their first two picks to put 628 pounds of beef between Manning and opposing defenses. Tackles Anthony Castonzo and second-round pick Ben Ijalana (who will likely slide inside) should give Manning even more time to dissect defenses.
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Here, Pro Football Focus’ Mike Clay takes a look at players who got a boost by teams neglecting to add competition.
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UNDETERMINED
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Roddy White and Dwayne Bowe are in similar situations, as each was their respective teams’ sole receiving threat last season. While it’s likely that rookie first rounders Julio Jones and Jonathan Baldwin will steal some targets, they’ll also force defenses to play a bit more honest. And so goes the debate—which way will the scale tip?
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White led all receivers with 179 targets and 115 catches (for an outstanding 64% catch rate) last season. It stands to reason that he has nowhere to go but down, and I’m a bit surprised that most experts haven’t downgraded him at all.
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While White was able to beat double and triple teams last season, Bowe struggled greatly down the stretch as defenses caught on. He managed just 14 receptions in his final five games of 2010, and wasn’t even targeted in the team’s playoff loss to Baltimore. Baldwin should open things up for Bowe, but he’s also a bigger red-zone target. Like White, nobody’s making any drastic adjustments to their rankings of Bowe.
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LOSERS
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Jahvid Best is probably the biggest loser. The Lions traded up to select Illinois bruiser Mikel Leshoure in the second round. Leshoure is a lock for goal line duty, and though it’s not likely to happen immediately, he’s better suited for first and second down work than the 5’10″, 195-lb. Best.
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With the Bengals drafting A.J. Green, I guess I can forget about my Jerome Simpson man-crush.
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Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams likely go from “little” to “no” fantasy value after Miami moved up to select Kansas State’s 6’0″, 230-lb. Daniel Thomas. Of the two veterans, Brown’s the more likely to return, but Thomas is set to take over as the main man.
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Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, and Reggie Bush (if he returns) absorb crippling blows with the addition of former Heisman winner Mark Ingram.
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BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead got some unexpected competition when Bill Belichick made the puzzling decision to draft running backs in the second (Shane Vereen, California) and third (Stevan Ridley, LSU) rounds. Throw out last year—we’re back to fantasy headaches in the New England run game.
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Demarco Murray muddies the waters even more in the Dallas backfield.
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Ryan Torain‘s days as a fantasy RB2 are probably over. Washington selected two backs—fourth-rounder Roy Helu and sixth-rounder Evan Royster—to compete for his job. Helu may unseat Torain altogether.
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Arizona’s second round selection of Ryan Williams makes the Cardinals backfield (Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells) even less dependable than before. Avoid.
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THE ROOKIES
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The common perception is that none of the rookie quarterbacks are worthy of redraft consideration. However, there are some (myself included) who think Christian Ponder may be the one guy with the chance to sneak into QB2 territory. The fifth-year senior has a strong supporting cast in Minnesota, pro style experience, the intelligence to pick up a playbook quickly, and no real competition at the position. His mobility and accuracy in the short-to-intermediate passing game is a nice fit for offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s version of the West Coast offense.
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Daniel Thomas has risen to the top of most rookie boards. He’s not the most talented back, but his situation in Miami is prime for immediate fantasy contributions.
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Mark Ingram is a very good all-around back entering one of the league’s best offenses. The expectation is that he’ll win the starting gig, but share a sizable chunk of the workload with Pierre Thomas. Reggie Bush is not expected to be back, and Chris Ivory is now nothing more than a depth guy.
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Mikel Leshoure excites me. He’ll begin as the power compliment to Jahvid Best, giving him nice early touchdown potential. However, if Best remains brittle this season, Leshoure could easily become the top rookie runner.
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Ryan Williams and Roy Helu are worth late-round looks. Both enter murky situations, but have the potential to emerge as feature backs. Williams has the game-breaking upside, and Mike Shanahan is already gushing over Helu.
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Most have A.J. Green a notch higher than Julio Jones, but I have them flip-flopped. Green is NFL-ready, and he’s a lock to get more targets than Jones as the Bengals’ best receiver. However, with that comes a No. 1 cornerback. He’ll also be catching passes from rookie Andy Dalton (I still don’t think there’s any chance Carson Palmer returns). Conversely, Jones inherits Matt Ryan as his quarterback. An explosive playmaker, Jones projects as a weekly boom-or-bust fantasy play opposite Roddy White.
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Wide receivers Jonathan Baldwin and St. Louis’ Leonard Hankerson are names worth stashing as well.
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Consider this a first take. With the labor negotiations holding up the free agency and trading periods, this is still a very fluid situation.
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Ryan Boser is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA), and regularly contributes writing and commentary to numerous media outlets. Ryan’s own website, Out of My League, covers both fantasy football and the Minnesota sports landscape.

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After possibly reaching on their first pick, and taking a talented player that wasn’t a big need with their second pick, the Vikings were off to a rough start in the 2011 NFL Draft. Especially when you consider the Patriots used the Vikings’ third round pick from the Randy Moss trade to take Ryan Mallett.
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Ballard gives the Vikings flexibility on the defensive line thanks to his ability to play both defensive end and defensive tackle. The former tight end has the quickness to play outside and the strength to move inside on passing downs.
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This doesn’t make the draft a home run by any means, but it does ease the concerns a bit of Vikings fans that were confused by the Kyle Rudolph selection.
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Also check out:

• 2011 NFL Draft First Round Quarterbacks
• 2011 NFL Draft First Round Running Back and Wide Receivers
• 2011 NFL Draft Second Round Fantasy Perspective
• Was Christian Ponder a Good Pick for the Minnesota Vikings?
• Vikings Fail to Address Need with Second Pick

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

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Ryan Williams, RB, Arizona:  Looks like Beanie Wells has some competition. The Virginia Tech running back ran for 477 yards on 110 carries (4.3 ypc) with nine touchdowns. In 2009 he ran for 1655 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Cardinals will look to run more in 2011, and Williams will certainly be in the mix. With Beanie Wells and possibly restricted free agent Tim Hightower in the mix, the Cardinals’ backfield looks like one to avoid in 2011.
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Torrey Smith, WR, Baltimore:  The Maryland receiver slid to the second round, but found a good home with Baltimore. The Ravens were desperate to get younger at the position and add a deep threat. Smith accomplishes both. He’ll have limited value in redraft leagues, but is an intriguing option in dynasty leagues.
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Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati:  Dalton is a nice fit for the Bengals’ West Coast Offense. Looks like the Bengals are taking Carson Palmer’s threat serious after all. With A.J. Green and Jerome Simpson, Dalton may be worth a look at the end of fantasy drafts.
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Greg Little, WR, Cleveland:  Little was forced to sit out last year due to an NCAA violation. He caught 62 passes for 724 yards in 2009. Remember the name, but he’s probably not somebody to worry about in redraft leagues.
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Demarco Murray, RB, Dallas:  He may get a chance down the road, but even if Marion Barber III doesn’t return, Murray won’t get enough touches to be a fantasy factor in 2011.
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Titus Young, WR, Detroit Lions:  Young gives the Lions a deep threat to stretch the field. He won’t be a fantasy asset early on, but he gives Matthew Stafford and additional weapon.
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Mikel Leshoure, RB, Detroit Lions:  Jahvid Best is an electric back that has durability issues. Leshoure is a physical back that compliments Best perfectly. The Illini back ran for 1697 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. The Lions are no longer a pushover.
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Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers:  Cobb will soften the blow if James Jones leaves and gives the Packers another wide receiver when Donald Driver has had enough. His fantasy value is limited, but he should help keep the Packers’ offense humming.
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Alexander Green, RB, Green Bay Packers:   Green gives the Packers more versatility. He won’t get enough touches for fantasy purposes, but he should be the third-down back. His presence hinders James Starks’ and Ryan Grant’s fantasy value.
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Daniel Thomas, RB, Miami Dolphins:  Depending on what the Dolphins do with Ronnie Brown, Thomas has the potential to be the top of the rookie running back class next year, simply out of opportunity. He’s a big back that ran for 1585 yards and 19 touchdowns for Kansas State last year.
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Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings:  Rudolph will be Christian Ponder’s future safety valve. He’ll get plenty of work in two tight end sets, but will have minimal 2011 fantasy value.
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Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley, RB, New England Patriots:  Last year the Pats went with two rookie tight ends. This year they added two runnings backs. Vereen is a lot like Danny Woodhead. He’ll play on third downs and give the Patriots versatility. Ridley will share regular rushing duties with BenJarvus Green-Ellis. It looks like New England running backs won’t be fantasy friendly next year.
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Ryan Mallett, QB, New England Patriots:  He’s a guy to stash on your dynasty team, but doesn’t hold much fantasy value next year.
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Jerrel Jerningan, WR, New York Giants:   Look elsewhere for your fantasy team.
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Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego:  Look elsewhere for your fantasy team.
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Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers:  He’s very athletic, but he’s raw. He could have his moments if Alex Smith doesn’t return, but he’s probably not going to help your fantasy team in 2011.
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Lance Kendricks, TE, St. Louis Rams:  Kendricks probably won’t make much of an impact as a rookie, but he has the potential to develop a good rapport with Sam Bradford.
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Austin Pettis, TE, St. Louis Rams:  Pettis obviously isn’t Julio Jones, who the Rams were hoping for, but he does upgrade the position. I’ll probably look elsewhere for my fantasy teams though.
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Leonard Hankerson, WR, Washington:  Hankerson should get a chance to produce early as the Redskins don’t have much to offer at wide receiver. He caught 72 passes for 1156 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. He could be a decent WR4 or WR5 in 2011.
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Also check out:

• 2011 NFL Draft First Round Quarterbacks
• 2011 NFL Draft First Round Running Back and Wide Receivers