Monday Edition
August 20th, 2012
David’s Daily Digest
A
New Season and New Faces to Watch
With every new NFL season a new
fantasy season begins and with that the new crop faces and names of the payers
to watch. This year will be no different. There are going to be some real gems
in your fantasy draft that are going to out-perform their draft position (if
they are drafted), but the key is identifying these guys early before they
become public knowledge and up for grabs in your fantasy leagues.
Rising
Stars
Last season a couple of late bloomers
that figure to be key performers in the upcoming fantasy season include; Steelers
wide receiver Antonio Brown and Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. Now
of course this is only a short list and there are likely plenty more to talk
about, but let’s just start with these.
In only his second season the Steelers
newly resigned (just this off-season to a hefty extension) wideout made a very
good name for himself in 2011 playing opposite the speedy Mike Wallace. While
Wallace often demanded double coverage, Brown exploited the single coverage he
faced and produced strong numbers in his sophomore campaign; 69 receptions and
1,100 yards receiving. Entering his third season he looks ready to breakout.
Heyward-Bey, a fourth year player for
the Raiders started out slow last season, but finally broke out in week 4 with
against the Patriots. Just when it appeared he was finally starting to hit his
stride, down went quarterback Jason Campbell; enter Carson Palmer. It took a
while for Palmer and Heyward-Bey to gel, but once the two were in sync the
Raiders receiver starting to shine. In his last four starts Heyward-Bey caught
26 passes for 433 yards and two touchdowns. Palmer is back under center and
Heyward-Bey looks ready to rise to the next level.
Another name to consider is the
Dolphins running back Reggie Bush, who is no old dog, but seems to still have a
few tricks. Not a stranger to fantasy, Bush has been relatively irrelevant the
past several seasons falling off many drafts boards come draft day. It’s understandable;
he missed 20 games over his last four seasons in New Orleans before joining the
Phins in 2011, but after last season’s performance down the stretch he could be
experiencing a rebirth in South Beach.
With the Phins making the move to roll
with their rookie quarterback, Bush is going to be rookie quarterback Ryan
Tannehill’s best friend out of the backfield; and we already know what Reggie
can do with the ball in space. A lot of folks are skeptical about Bush’s
durability, but if used wisely he can be a monster on offense on the ground and
in the air. Last season Bush finished as the leagues’ 13th leading
rusher, coming on strong down the stretch. His last four starts he averaged around
23 touches per game and 150 yards of offense. He definitely looks primed to
rise in 2012.
Sleepers
Watch
Worthy
Hands?
These guys are likely off most radars
and understandably so, but I believe they are more than interesting enough to
keep a watch for; in Miami wide receiver Roberto Wallace, in St. Louis wide
receiver Steve Smith, in Tampa Bay Mike Williams, and in Detroit wide receiver
Titus Young.
Wallace is a relative unknown (unless
you have been watching “Hard Knocks”), but he has the size and athletic build
to be a star. He just needs a young strong arm to believe in him. With the wide
receiver position wide open in Miami, he not only has a chance to make the
team, but earn significant time. All he needs is opportunity to be a big
producer.
A receiver that knows something about
being a big producer may have just found himself the best home yet in St.
Louis. Steve Smith was highly productive in New York before injuries derailed
his ascension. Now with the Rams, this veteran has a chance to build a strong
rapport with a very young and confident arm in Sam Bradford. Already he is
making an impression with 11 catches in just two preseason games. This recipe
certainly has the smell and flavor of becoming something quite tasty for the
fantasy world.
Williams and Young are not quite
unknown, having had decent 2011 seasons, but playing in the shadows of Calvin
Johnson (in Detroit) and Vincent Jackson (former Charger) will certainly
improve their chances of continuing with that momentum. Young will enter his
second season and still play second fiddle, but with the young Matt Stafford
firing the pigskin, he should still get plenty of looks to be more than
relevant in 2011. Williams caught 65 balls for the second straight season, but only
found the end-zone 3 times (down from 11 in 2010). Jackson’s presence should
ensure he produces even better numbers in 2012, including many more touchdowns.
These are just my takes on a few of
the up and coming fantasy studs for 2012.
By David Ortega
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