Fantasy Football Sleepers Ahead of the Playoffs

The fantasy football playoffs are beginning this week. Here are some of these sleepers that I’d recommend picking up for final weeks of fantasy:

Quarterbacks

Derek Carr (62% ownership) – Despite being the 10^th highest scoring passer this season, his ownership remains low.  While the upcoming matchup against the top ranked defense, the Denver Broncos, looks intimidating, he could be worth a pickup.

Blake Bortles (55% ownership) – Sure the Jacksonville Jaguars stink, but Bortles is ranked 7^th in scoring this season.  Last week he got 32 points.

Running Backs

Mike Tolbert (<1% ownership) – This is a definite risk but let’s think about it.  Premier rushers Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton will be rested as we approach the playoffs meaning more carries for Tolbert.  While his yardage is low this season, he has been able to nab a few touchdowns, especially as a receiver.

David Johnson (61% ownership) – Given a chance by virtue of injuries to Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington, the Arizona Cardinals running back got a season-high 17 points last week and could be poised for more opportunities.

Wide Receivers

Doug Baldwin (55% ownership) – He’s been crushing it, especially in the TD department for the last two weeks with 5.  As part of a Seattle Seahawks team that is in the thick of the playoff race and are known for late-season surges, Baldwin could be your fantasy hero.

Anquan Boldin (50% ownership) – Obviously the San Francisco 49ers have regressed this season, but Boldin is still a great pass catcher.  A soft end to the season schedule could spell wonders for your fantasy title hopes.

Tight End

Richard Rodgers (35% ownership) – After his monster game in Detroit, he could become the focal point of the Green Bay Packers’ offense for the playoff run.

Stay ahead of the competition and good luck to those who have made it to the playoffs!

11 AFC Teams Having Winning Records but Only 6 Playoff Spots are Available

It’s going to be a soul-crushing experience in January for much of the AFC.  At the current moment 11 of the conference’s 16 NFL teams have winning records, but just 6 of them will reach the playoffs.  That means that nearly half of the teams that are currently feeling quite good about their season won’t even get to watch their teams compete in a playoff game!  Let’s take a look at who will be figuring to come out of this mess with a postseason berth and who will be looking back at the month of December and wondering what happened.

First, let’s take a look at how this strange scenario has come to be.  One thing odd about the AFC (and the entire NFL) this year is that no team has dominated up until this point.  The best teams stand at 9-3, which is only a 75% winning record.  While good, when we realize that these are the league’s current strongest teams we have great parity.  But at the other end of the standings lies the dark truth.  4 AFC teams have become the dreaded whipping boys of the conference.  The New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Oakland Raiders all sit poorly placed at 2-10 or worse.  Their overall atrociousness has been gifting all the other teams easy victories, which is in large part responsible for the current situation.  However, while some of these AFC teams’ wins may be unjustified, the fact that so many are winning will set up for an enthralling December!

What’s truly astounding about these records is that typically strong teams like the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos have very little wiggle room in the upcoming weeks.  Tom Brady and the Patriots are just 2 games ahead of both the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins (both at 7-5).  With games against both teams, New England could possibly lose their division lead and perhaps even a playoff spot!  While I certainly doubt that will happen, the very possibility of it this late in the season speaks to the conference’s strength and equality.

It’s also worth noting that many of these 7-5 teams are going to be playing one another and their records will balance out.  An intriguing situation has developed in the AFC North, where the Cincinnati Bengals hold a 1.5 game lead over the 7-5 Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers.  Each team could conceivably win the division or finish in 4^th!  While a Browns surprise would be delightful, I suspect the Bengals should hold onto the lead.

Elsewhere, I expect the Broncos, Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts to hold onto their division leads while the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens should claim the wildcard sports.

However, with these wildcard opportunities still hotly contested, the final weeks of the year will be extremely entertaining as the stakes continue to grow.  For all the contending teams of the AFC, the playoffs are basically starting right now.  No one can afford to slip up and it’s all up to play for.  While the current mass of 11 winning teams lopped in the conference will certainly change in the next month, those who do reach the NFL playoffs will have earned their tickets!

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The 2014 Mock Top 5 NFL Draft Picks

Mock drafts are an interesting endeavor.  Not only must one consider who are amongst the top football players available in the selection process, but we also have to think about which specific NFL teams are making those picks, and their particular needs and wants.  One must also consider the potential for big trades for draft picks and players that can totally throw any mock draft for a loop.  But with the NFL draft now just 1 month away, let’s have a go at deciding which players will go in the top 5, and to which teams they will go that are in such desperate need at the top of this 2014 NFL draft.

1. Houston Texans – Johnny Manziel – QB – Texas A&M – The Texans are in dire need of a new franchise quarterback.  One year ago they were considered potential Super Bowl contenders with Matt Schaub under center.  Now he is off the team, and the Texans just signed Ryan Fitzpatrick, who if anything, resembles a perfect carryover quarterback for Houston to nurture their next franchise star.  While the jury is certainly out on Manziel, especially with his rambunctious character, the player is a local Texas boy and he has a heck of a playmaking ability.  Perhaps he is a reach for being selected #1, but I think the Texans would greatly benefit from picking up this potential superstar.  A move back several spaces may be in their best interest if they can still nab him, but the Texans need a new face, and “Johnny Football” would be perfect for them!
2. St. Louis Rams – Greg Robinson – OT – Auburn – The Rams need to figure out if Sam Bradford is their franchise guy, and after 4 NFL seasons it’s looking less and less likely of ever panning out.  Injured halfway through the year, St. Louis needs to keep their man on his feet and having a potential Pro Bowl offensive lineman will do just that.  Robinson is a rock and will help Bradford have the time to hunt down Chris Givens and Tavon Austin.  This is a smart pick and one that could preserve their franchise quarterback and bring out the best of his abilities.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jadeveon Clowney – DE – South Carolina – He’s the best player in this draft and has all the tools to become a Hall of Fame NFL player, but the previous teams have larger needs to fulfill and already have strong pass rushers like Robert Quinn and J.J. Watt, meaning Clowney will slide to #3.  Jason Babin of the Jaguars was the team’s best defender with 7.5 sacks.  They need Clowney more than their burning desire for a star quarterback!  If someone intrigues them as a potential franchise star they may look elsewhere, but Clowney is someone with Julius Peppers-like potential and they won’t pass him up!
4. Cleveland Browns – Blake Bortles – QB – UCF – Bortles is a special talent and has all the tools needed to succeed in the NFL.  The only thing holding him back is his small-school collegiate playing experience, but he did manufacture big wins against Louisville and Baylor (both nationally ranked 6^th when they played) last year.  He proved that he can be a winner and a leader, and those characteristics are incredible valuable in the NFL.  The Browns have been a joke of a franchise for their entire existence this millennium and a superstar quarterback like Bortles might just make them relevant again…
5. Oakland Raiders – Sammy Watkins – WR – Clemson – With Matt Schaub as their quarterback and a crop of receivers including James Jones, Denarius Moore, and Rod Streater, the Raiders could use a playmaker.  Each of those aforementioned players are decent pass-catchers who can make a play or two every given Sunday, but Sammy Watkins can take over games.  He is by far the most intriguing wide receiver prospect available and could help spark a resurgence in Oakland’s offensive fortunes.  Don’t expect Watkins to slip out of the top 5 as he is an explosive player and the best offensive prospect available in 2014!

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Maurice Jones-Drew Signed Jaguars Black Jersey Action 8×10 Photo

Check out some of our newest autographed sports collectibles that were just added including this great autographed Maurice Jones-Drew Jaguars photo.

The Top 10 NFL Free Agents in 2013 Beginning to Bat Eyes

Reggie Bush Autographed New Orleans Saints 8×10 Photo – Super Bowl XLIV Champion

Predicting who are the top 10 free agents of 2013 in the NFL will be is not an easy task, especially since many of the free agents will be re-signed by their respective teams in the buildup to the free agency period that officially begins on March 12th. One player in particular, Joe Flacco, is surely going to continue playing as a Baltimore Raven following his Super Bowl victory. Several other players are simply too important to be let go too. Therefore, this list is my prediction of the best players available in the NFL who are highly unlikely to stay on board with their current teams:

10. Cliff Avril – Free agency is always full of big money players who will fail to live up to their hype and I think Cliff Avril will be the guy this year. His statistics appear to be that of a premier pass rusher as he has reached about 10 sacks per year in the last 3 seasons. But Avril is rather poor otherwise, so although he will occasionally get to the quarterback, he does little else for the team, which is why the Detroit Lions will let him go. Expect him to sign a big contract but end up disappointing.

9. Reggie Bush – The world was expected of him when he came to the NFL in 2006, but he has largely failed to live up to the hype. Nevertheless, Reggie Bush has actually been a solid player for the Miami Dolphins in the last two seasons, generating around 1,000 rushing yards and scoring 15 touchdowns while averaging well over 4 yards/carry. He still has a few good years left at age 27 and presents a solid, dynamic playmaking type player who makes an impact. Not necessarily a team’s number 1 running back, Reggie Bush would fit nicely in a running back by committee situation but probably wants premier money.

8. Wes Welker – With five 1,000-yard seasons behind him, Wes Welker has been a great player. He routinely catches over 100 balls a season and is a great receiver to move the chains. However at age 31, Welker is also reaching the end of his talents. Teams will also be wary of his success at the New England Patriots, who are known to get the best out of less than stellar players. Will Welker still be a great wide receiver somewhere else without Tom Brady? I believe so and I think someone will benefit with a couple solid years of production with his signing.

7. Dominique Rogers-Cromartie – He never quite produced for the Philadelphia Eagles despite his solid years with the Arizona Cardinals. Very athletic and talented, I feel that Rogers-Cromartie will benefit from a change of scenery. Although he will command a high dollar amount, he will produce if placed within the right defensive scheme. Clearly the faults of the Eagles went beyond him alone, and I think a fortunate team will be happy to have him, though he is hardly going to be a bargain buy at cornerback.

6. Derek Cox – Another intriguing cornerback on the market has 12 career interceptions in just 44 starts with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has had some niggling injuries but has also proven to be effective in guarding receivers and making plays. Less known than some of the other stars in the league, Cox is looking for a huge contract and may find just that given his young age and solid potential as a consistent and impactful cornerback.

5. Greg Jennings – A great wide receiver when healthy, it is worth noting that Jennings has missed a good deal of time over the last two seasons and hasn’t surpassed 1,000 receiving yards since 2010. Nevertheless, when healthy he is a great catcher of the ball with an eye for yards after the catch. Approaching 30, he may be reaching the end of the line, but will still command a decent price from a desperate team. How he fares without Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers tossing him the ball is an entirely different question though.

4. Osi Umenyiora – Some teams may shy away from the 31-year-old pass rusher who only earned 6 sacks last year, but Umenyiora can be a beast and performed remarkably in the playoffs during the New York Giants’ 2011 Super Bowl run, forcing a fumble and earning 3.5 sacks. A true professional, he will cement the end position for a team for several seasons and can make the plays. The Giants don’t have much cap room so he has to go, but I do suspect him to make a small fortune in a few weeks and be a solid starter for whomever he signs with.

3. Shonn Greene – Big and strong, Greene has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past 2 seasons and also makes for a great pass blocker. His intangibles make him a great free agent buy and the New York Jets are fools to let him go. Only 27 years old, he will be a force for a lucky team with more direction, and could well be on his way to reinvigorating his career at a legitimate NFL contender.

2. Mike Wallace – He catches a lot of balls for good yardage and scores a lot of touchdowns. What more could a team want? One of the fastest players around he will command a ton of money, and he knows it. The Pittsburgh Steelers rarely cave to players demanding big money, so Mike Wallace is set to hit the road and take his talents elsewhere. Although costly, Wallace will definitely make fans happy and score a lot of points for whomever he signs with. He is surely among the best free agent wide receivers available.

1. Jake Long – A capable left tackle, the Miami Dolphins seem to be annoyed with Long’s late-season injuries the past two seasons and his demands for $10 million per year. As the former top draft pick in 2008, Long has the publicity and talent to command this kind of money. Although this year’s draft is filled with great offensive tackles, Long is proven and will be a foundation for whichever team he signs for. Yes he is expensive, but he will be worth the high price with his great play. His injury worries are a definite concern though and make him a bit of a risk.

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