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Earlier this morning, I released my initial fantasy football rankings for 2012. One thing is certain: They will change a lot from now until the start of the 2012 NFL season.

At the top of my tight end rankings, you will find New England's Rob Gronkowski, who had arthroscopic surgery on his ankle this morning, and New Orleans' Jimmy Graham in the top two spots. And from site to site, that will (should) be the case.

As we do every Friday, we respond to a weekly fantasy football roundtable question.

This week's topic: Who should be the third tight end off the board in 2012 fantasy football drafts?

Kevin (follow on Twitter):

In my rankings, Jason Witten is a spot higher than Antonio Gates at No.'s 3 and 4, respectively. When drafting a tight end, however, my hope is to take the guy that goes last out of my top six (in order of my rankings): Gronkowski, Graham, Witten, Gates, Vernon Davis and Aaron Hernandez. I can see any of the next four after Gronkkowski and Graham finishing third at the position in fantasy points. Witten had five-year lows in receptions (79), targets (117) and receiving yards (942), but I expect him to bounce back in 2012. Especially if the Cowboys don't re-sign receiver Laurent Robinson, an unrestricted free agent, Witten may get a few more targets that would otherwise go to Robinson. Either way, I worry about Gates durability so I'll let someone else assume that risk. And again, I'd prefer to draft Davis or Hernandez, assuming the other four players are the first four tight ends off the board.

John (follow on Twitter):

The position of TE has expanded offensively of late. A few years ago it was pretty much Tony Gonzalez and maybe a few guys that had good years, but that was about it. Today, it's a different game, and there are several quality options. After Gronkowski and Graham, I think there are a lot of guys that are pretty close in value; guys like Vernon Davis, Jermichael Finley, Jason Witten, Aaron Hernandez, and Brandon Pettigrew are all solid options. Still, my number three TE would have to be Antonio Gates. Gates seemed to be emerging as the premiere TE in the league over the last few years, but has been so injury-plagued that it has kept him from truly separating himself. Gates' athleticism has made him either 1 or 1a for Philip Rivers, and anytime you have a TE that is a number one option for a quarterback, you have a guy worth having on your fantasy team. In spite of his injuries, I would take a chance on Gates. There is enough depth at TE now that you could likely get a guy like Owen Daniels or Greg Olson as a viable back up in the event that Gates does miss time.

Sean (follow on Twitter):

So to answer the big question on who I want as the 3rd TE off the board this year, it's ... drum roll ... Aaron Hernandez, and the beauty of Hernandez is that most likely Witten & Gates will likely both be gone before him. I wouldn't try to get too fancy though and wait on him too long. The main reason why I love Hernandez this year is because of the amount of balls Brady throws to his TEs. Hernandez only had 11 less receptions, and even better only less 11 targets than Gronkowski. Brady's numbers to his two big TEs: 169 receptions, 2,237 yds and 24 TDs. I'm not suggesting, we split these numbers 50/50, but I could see a scenario where Gronkowski gets a lot of extra attention and Hernandez surpasses him as the team's top TE. Randy Moss had a disappointing year after his 2007 ridiculous season and I could see the same thing happening to Gronkowski. Brady will throw the ball to whomever, and can make a star out of anyone even if they don't have a ton of talent. Look out Hernandez in 2012!

Dan (follow on Twitter):

If I have the chance to take the third tight end this year, I am grabbing Antonio Gates of the Chargers. Gates has been hobbled the last few years with the toe and other assorted injuries. Although he missed time last year, he still had 13 games with 778 yards and seven touchdowns, and not all of those games were quality starts. Gates was the prototype TE, and he is always the No. 1 target in the red zone.

Steve:

Aaron Hernandez should be third off the board. It's hard to imagine the second tight end from the Patriots, but the Pats are the best offense in the NFL at using the TE. Despite Gronkowski's record-setting performance last year, Hernandez was still was fifth in targets and fourth in receiving yards for the position. As defenses continue to adjust for Gronkowski, I'd expect it to open up more opportunties Hernandez. If Aaron Hernandez's number of targets goes up from the 113 he got this year, I'd forecast 1,000-1,100 yards and 10-12 TDs.

Related: Our 2012 Fantasy Football Mock Draft, 1.0

Previous Fantasy Football Friday Posts:
- Feb. 3: Which AFC West RB will have a better 2012 season: McFadden or Mathews?
- Jan. 27: Who should be the 2nd WR selected in Fantasy Football Drafts?
- Jan. 20: Who should be the No. 1 pick in 2012 Fantasy Football Drafts?
- Jan. 13: Will Tim Tebow finish in the top 12 in fantasy points among QBs in 2012?
- Jan. 6: Better Fantasy TE in 2012: Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not only did Drew Brees become the first player to have two 5,000-yard seasons, but this time he broke Dan Marino's previous single-season record of 5,084 passing yards.

In fact, he shattered it.

The Saints quarterback threw for 5,476 as he broke the record in his 15th game of the season. Brees broke a number of other records this year including completions (468), completion percentage (71.2 percent) and 300-yard games (13).

In his two postseason games this year, Brees threw the second- and third-most yards ever in a playoff game after Cleveland's Bernie Kosar. Brees completed 73 of 106 passes for 928 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions in those two games.

If you include the playoffs, Brees threw for 6,404 yards, 53 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 18 games this year.

That said, he's unlikely to win the league's MVP award.

In my predictions of postseason awards a month ago, I thought Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers would win the MVP and Brees would win the Offensive Player of the Year award, which is the way it turned out.

It made sense.

Brees was more prolific, Rodgers was more efficient.

Rodgers was nearly perfect this season.

Although 15 quarterbacks threw more pass attempts than Rodgers (502), no quarterback had more fantasy points. Rodgers set the NFL record for passer rating (122.5) and broke the franchise record for passing touchdowns (45) while throwing a career low of six interceptions as a starter.

Here are some more notes on quarterbacks:

- As Rodgers sat out, Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn set the franchise record with 480 passing yards and six touchdowns against the Lions in the regular-season finale. With the Dolphins naming Joe Philbin, who was the Packers offensive coordinator as their new head coach, the Flynn-to-Miami speculation has begun for the soon-to-be free-agent signalcaller.

- Brees wasn't the only 5,000-yard passer this season. New England's Tom Brady (5,235) and Detroit's Matthew Stafford (5,038) both reached the 5,000-yard milestone and New York's Eli Manning, Super Bowl XLVI MVP, just missed it by 67 yards.

- After playing only 13 games in his first two seasons, Stafford played a full 16-game season, was named AP Comeback Player of the Year and led the Lions to their first playoff appearance since the 1999 season. Perhaps with better health for their running backs (Mikel LeShoure, Jahvid Best, Kevin Smith, etc.) next year, Stafford will throw a few less times. That said, he threw a league-high 663 times, which is the third-highest in league history after Drew Bledsoe (691 in 1994) and Peyton Manning (679 in 2010).

- One of the biggest wildcards going into the 2012 season will be the status/health of Peyton Manning, who missed the entire season with his neck injury. Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus on March 8th. Not only are the Colts are virtually guaranteed of drafting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in this year's draft, they are expected to release Manning as well.

- Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had a record-setting rookie campaign and ran away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award (see past winners). Not only did Newton break the record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (14), he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,000-plus yards (4,051) and run for 700-plus yards (706).

- Similar to Newton as a dual-threat quarterback, Philadelpia's Michael Vick had a disappointing season. Not only did Vick miss three games and fail to reach 4,000 total yards (3,303 passing yards and 589 rushing yards), but he ran for only one touchdowns. In 2010, Vick ran for nine touchdowns. With his size and style of play, Vick will always have a higher-than-average risk of injury (missing games), but fantasy owners have the potential to reap huge returns on a per-game basis.

- Although he did not become the team's starting quarterback until Week 7, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow had the second-most rush attempts (122) and rushing yards (660) at the quarterback position this year. Counting his two postseason starts, however, Tebow threw for 200-plus yards only three times and had less than 100 passing yards in two starts.

- Tampa's Josh Freeman regressed considerably in his third season. After posting a 25:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2010, Freeman threw only 16 touchdowns and a league-worst 22 interceptions.

- Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, missed six games last year, but he struggled when he was on the field. Bradford's completion percentage dropped from 60.0 percent in 2010 to 53.5 percent in 2011 and he threw only six touchdowns in the 10 games he played last year. While the Rams will likely lose Brandon Lloyd via free agency, many mock drafts have the Rams taking Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, the back-to-back Biletnikoff winner.

- Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan threw a few less passes in 2011 (566) than he did in 2010 (571), but he set career highs in passing yards (4,177) and touchdowns (29). Although Ryan threw more interceptions this year than last, he had a 20:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio after the bye and it's expected that the Falcons will transition to becoming more of a passing offense.

Here are our 2012 fantasy football quarterback rankings:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
2. Drew Brees, Saints
3. Tom Brady, Patriots
4. Cam Newton, Panthers
5. Matthew Stafford, Lions
6. Tony Romo, Cowboys
7. Philip Rivers, Chargers
8. Eli Manning, Giants
9. Michael Vick, Eagles
10. Matt Schaub, Texans
11. Matt Ryan, Falcons
12. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
13. Tim Tebow, Broncos
14. Peyton Manning, Colts (soon-to-be free agent?)
15. Andy Dalton, Bengals
16. Jay Cutler, Bears
17. Joe Flacco, Ravens
18. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers
19. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills
20. Carson Palmer, Raiders
21. Matt Moore, Dolphins
22. Mark Sanchez, Jets
23. Alex Smith, 49ers
24. Matt Cassel, Chiefs
25. Sam Bradford, Rams

Note: We excluded rookies from our rankings and will include them after the 2012 NFL Draft in April.

More 2012 Rankings: RBs - WRs - TEs

2012 NFL Mock Drafts: Kevin Hanson - Brendan Donahue - Our Mock Draft Database

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Jaguars had the league's worst-ranked offense, which makes what running back Maurice Jones-Drew did all that more impressive.

Jacksonville averaged only 259.3 yards per game of total offense, but that was primarily due to their deficiencies in the passing game. The Jaguars averaged only 136.2 passing yards per game in 2011.

Despite having to face many eight-men fronts, Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards. And perhaps more impressively, he became the first running back in league history to rush for at least 80 yards in 15 of 16 games.

Along with Atlanta's Michael Turner, MJD was one of only two running backs to go over 300 carries. MJD had a league-high 343 carries, which is the fourth-most over the past five seasons.

Here are some more notes on running backs:

- Ravens running back Ray Rice set career highs in rushing yards (1,364) and receiving yards (704) plus he scored a total of 15 touchdowns, which shatters his previous career high of eight. Rice has three straight seasons with 1,200-plus rushing yards and 500-plus receiving yards and 60-plus receptions.

- Broncos running back Willis McGahee, who turned 30 in October, was one yard shy of 1,200 yards for the third time in his career and the first time since 2007. That said, he had a career low in rushing touchdowns (four) last year.

- Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch finished the season with 1,204 rushing yards and 212 receiving yards with 13 total touchdowns last year. He was particularly tough from Week 9 on. He rushed for 100-plus yards six times in his final nine games including against the 49ers, the league's top-ranked run defense.

- In the 11 games he finished, Bears running back Matt Forte was an absolute stud. During those 11 games, he had 985 rushing yards and 490 receiving yards on 52 receptions and he was on pace for 2,145 yards from scrimmage for the season.

- Despite missing three games, Houston's Arian Foster carried the ball 278 times for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns and had 53 receptions for 617 yards. Counting the postseason, Foster had nine 100-yard rushing games and three 100-yard receiving games in 15 games last year. Through the postseason, Foster has 656 carries for 3,125 yards and 29 touchdowns plus 127 receptions for 1,272 yards and four touchdowns in 31 games over the past two seasons.

- Foster's teammate Ben Tate finished with 942 rushing yards and 98 receiving yards. Tate rushed for 100-plus yards four times last year.

- Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy, the Eagles' second-round pick in 2009, set career highs in carries (273), rushing yards (1,309) and rushing touchdowns (17). McCoy sat out Week 17, but he scored at least one touchdown in every game he played except for Weeks 11 and 16.

- Miami's Reggie Bush nearly doubled his previous career high with 1,086 rushing yards on 216 carries. Like McCoy, Bush sat out Week 17. Before that, Bush rushed for 100-plus yards in four straight games and no running back had more rushing yards than Bush (519) during that four-game span.

- From Weeks 7 to 12, no running back had more rushing yards than Cowboys rookie DeMarco Murray (761). (Rams running back Steven Jackson (593) had the second most during that span.)

- Three elite running backs are coming off torn ACLs: Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Kansas City's Jamaal Charles and Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall. Of the three, Charles' injury happened the earliest (Week 2), which gives him the best chance to be ready for opening day.

- Jets running back Shonn Greene set career highs across the board: carries (253), rushing yards (1,054) and touchdowns (six) in addition to receptions (30) and receiving yards (211). That said, Greene was mostly mediocre aside from a two-game span in Weeks 13/14: 46 carries for 217 yards and four TDs plus six receptions for 84 yards.

- Speaking of mediocre, Titans running back Chris Johnson had a lackluster season with the exception of a four-game span. Johnson rushed for a total of 486 yards and had three of his four 100-yard games of the season during that stretch. In the other 12 games, however, Johnson had 177 carries for 561 yards (3.17 yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown.

- For the third straight season, Bengals running back Cedric Benson has rushed for more than 1,000 yards. That said, only three backs have had more carries than Benson (895) over the past three seasons. Both Brendan Donahue (see his mock) and I (see my mock) have the Bengals using one of their two first-round picks on a running back.

- In the final six games of the season, the Redskins had five 100-yard rushing games by rookie running backs. Roy Helu, their fourth-round pick, had three of them and Evan Royster, a sixth-round pick, had two of them.

- Only four players had more rushing touchdowns than New England's BenJarvus Green-Ellis (11). Of the players with double-digit rushing touchdowns, The Law Firm had the fewest rushing yards (667), by far.

Based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) scoring), here are our 2012 fantasy football running backs rankings:

1. Ray Rice, Ravens
2. Arian Foster, Texans
3. LeSean McCoy, Eagles
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
5. Matt Forte, Bears
6. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks
7. Ryan Mathews, Chargers
8. Darren McFadden, Raiders
9. Chris Johnson, Titans
10. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs
11. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys
12. Steven Jackson, Rams
13. Frank Gore, 49ers
14. Michael Turner, Falcons
15. Fred Jackson, Bills
16. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
17. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants
18. Michael Bush, Raiders
19. Darren Sproles, Saints
20. Reggie Bush, Dolphins
21. Roy Helu, Redskins
22. Willis McGahee, Broncos
23. Shonn Greene, Jets
24. Beanie Wells, Cardinals
25. Mark Ingram, Saints
26. C.J. Spiller, Bills
27. LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers
28. Cedric Benson, Bengals
29. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers
30. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers
31. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers
32. Peyton Hillis, Browns
33. Ben Tate, Texans
34. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots
35. Jahvid Best, Lions
36. Brandon Jacobs, Giants
37. Pierre Thomas, Saints
38. Kevin Smith, Lions
39. Toby Gerhart, Vikings
40. Donald Brown, Colts
41. Daniel Thomas, Dolphins
42. Ryan Williams, Cardinals

Note: We excluded rookies from our rankings and will include them after the 2012 NFL Draft in April.

More 2012 Rankings: QBs - WRs - TEs

2012 NFL Mock Drafts: Kevin Hanson - Brendan Donahue - Our Mock Draft Database

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Detroit's Calvin Johnson had some (very) good seasons going into the 2011 season.

With elite size (6-5, 235 pounds) and athleticism, however, Megatron seemed capable of even more, especially with improved quarterback play. Not only did Matthew Stafford, the top overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, stay healthy for 16 games, he is one of only (now) four quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 5,000-plus yards.

Meanwhile, Johnson blew away his previous career highs. In 2011 (previous highs in parenthesis), Johnson had 96 receptions (78) for 1,681 yards (1,331) and 16 touchdowns (12).

Only six players in NFL history had more receiving yards in a season.

Before 2011, the last player(s) to finish with 1,600 yards in a season were Torry Holt and Randy Moss back in 2003. Plus, Moss and Johnson were the only two receivers to have at least 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns in the same season.

Johnson had a little bit of dryspell from Weeks 10 to 14 -- no 100-yard games and only one touchdown in five games.

In his next (and final) four games counting the Lions' playoff loss, however, Megatron had three 200-yard games. During that four-game span, he had 36 receptions for 771 yards and six touchdowns!

Hands down, he goes into 2012 season as the clear No. 1 fantasy wide receiver and it's not close.

Here are some more notes on wide receivers:

- Based on data from Pro Football Reference, a player has reached 110-plus receptions 25 times in NFL history. Over the past five years, Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker has done it four of those 25 times. Welker finished with career highs in yards (1,569) and touchdowns (nine) and his 122 receptions was one shy of his previous career high.

- Rookie receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones made big splashes as rookies despite a lack of an offseason to get acclimated to their respective offenses. Green became the first rookie to finish with at least 1,000 yards since Marques Colstson did in 2006. Jones had 54 receptions for 959 yards and eight touchdowns, but he missed three games and would have likely finished with more than 1,000 yards had he stayed healthy for all 16 games.

- The top rookie receiver in the 2012 NFL Draft is Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, who has won the Biletnikoff award in back-to-back seasons. During the past two seasons, Blackmon has tallied 232 receptions for 3,304 yards and 38 touchdowns.

[Related: Take our poll on whether Blackmon or another prospect will be the second pick in this year's draft.]

- After not catching a single pass in 2010, Giants receiver Victor Cruz burst onto the scene in Week 3 and finished the season with 1,536 receiving yards, which ranked him third in the NFL behind Megatron and Welker. In addition, it set a franchise record. Cruz had more receptions (82), yards (1,536) and touchdowns (nine) than Hakeem Nicks (76-1,192-7).

- Green Bay's Jordy Nelson had a huge performance in Super Bowl XLV and seemed poised to break out in 2011 with the possible barrier of too many talented passcatchers in the Packers offense. Like Cruz, Nelson was "snubbed" in not being named initially to the Pro Bowl. Nelson finished the season with 68 receptions for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns.

- Steelers second-year receiver Antonio Brown, the team's sixth-round pick in 2010, had a breakout season: 69 receptions for 1,108 yards but only two (receiving) touchdowns. If your league awards points for return yards, Brown ranked fifth in the NFL in kick return average (27.3 yards) and 10th in punt return average (10.8).

- Vikings receiver Percy Harvin set career highs in receptions (87) and receiving yards (967) and tied his career high in receiving touchdowns (six). Harvin was much better after the bye (56-633-6) than he was before it (31-334-0). From Week 10 to 17, only Atlanta's Roddy White (57) and Welker (56) had as many receptions as Harvin (56). In addition to his receiving stats, Harvin carried the ball 56 times for 345 yards and two touchdowns as well.

- Oakland's Darrius Heyward-Bey, the first wide receiver drafted in 2009, shattered his previous career highs with 64 receptions for 975 yards and four touchdowns. While there was an inexplicable two-game stretch with no receptions in the middle of the season, DHB finished strong: 21 receptions for 355 yards and two touchdowns in the final three weeks of the season.

- Colts receiver Pierre Garcon had only three games with double-digit fantasy points in 2011, however, none of them were for 10 to 19 fantasy points. Garcon had either 24-plus fantasy points (three times) or eight or less fantasy points (13 times).

- Carolina's Steve Smith had a bounce-back year and finished with 840 yards more than he had last year. Smith finished the season with 79 receptions for 1,394 yards and seven touchdowns. That said, Smith was much more productive in the eight games before the bye (46-918-4) than he was in the eight games after the bye (33-476-3).

- In the seven games starting with Week 13, Denver's Demaryius Thomas had 75-plus yards in six games including a 204-yard performance in the playoffs. During that seven-game span, Thomas had 35 receptions for 745 yards and four touchdowns.

- Cowboys receiver Laurent Robinson was a touchdown-scoring machine. From Weeks 8 to 17, Robinson scored all 11 of his touchdowns this season.

- Bucs receiver Mike Williams followed up his strong rookie season with a disappointing performance. While he had exactly 65 receptions in both seasons, he finished with only 771 yards (964 in 2010) and three touchdowns (11 in 2010) last year.

- Before tearing his ACL and MCL in the third game of the season, Titans receiver Kenny Britt had back-to-back 100-yard games to begin the year. In those two games, Britt totaled 14 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. If there's anything positive with the injury, it happened early in the season, which gives him a better chance of being ready for the start of the 2012 season. That said, it usually takes a full season before a player returns back to pre-injury levels, if he does.

Based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) scoring), here are our 2012 fantasy football wide receiver rankings:

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions
2. Andre Johnson, Texans
3. Hakeem Nicks, Giants
4. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
5. Wes Welker, Patriots
6. Greg Jennings, Packers
7. Roddy White, Falcons
8. Mike Wallace, Steelers
9. A.J. Green, Bengals
10. Victor Cruz, Giants
11. Julio Jones, Falcons
12. Jordy Nelson, Packers
13. Brandon Marshall, Dolohins
14. Vincent Jackson, Chargers
15. Dez Bryant, Cowboys
16. Miles Austin, Cowboys
17. Percy Harvin, Vikings
18. Steve Smith, Panthers
19. Marques Colston, Saints
20. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles
21. Kenny Britt, Titans
22. Antonio Brown, Steelers
23. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs
24. Steve Johnson, Bills
25. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos
26. Santana Moss, Redskins
27. Brandon Lloyd, Rams
28. Laurent Robinson, Cowboys
29. Denarius Moore, Raiders
30. Michael Crabtree, 49ers
31. DeSean Jackson, Eagles
32. Torrey Smith, Ravens
33. Mike Williams, Buccaneers
34. Reggie Wayne, Colts
35. Santonio Holmes, Jets
36. Pierre Garcon, Colts
37. Mario Manningham, Giants
38. Anquan Boldin, Ravens
39. Lance Moore, Saints
40. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders
41. Sidney Rice, Seahawks
42. Malcom Floyd, Chargers
43. Johnny Knox, Bears
44. Eric Decker, Broncos
45. Titus Young, Lions
46. Jabar Gaffney, Redskins
47. Deion Branch, Patriots
48. Danny Amendola, Rams
49. Jacoby Ford, Raiders
50. Robert Meachem, Saints
51. Greg Little, Browns
52. Nate Washington, Titans

Note: We excluded rookies from our rankings and will include them after the 2012 NFL Draft in April.

More 2012 Rankings: QBs - RBs - TEs

2012 NFL Mock Drafts: Kevin Hanson - Brendan Donahue - Our Mock Draft Database

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you begin to discuss fantasy tight ends, the conversation has to start with a pair of second-year players that had the two best years anyone has ever had at that position from a statistical standpoint.

Although they finished sixth and seventh in the NFL in receiving yards, tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham were two of only three players to finish with 90-plus receptions for 1,300-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns along with Lions receiver Calvin Johnson.

Gronkowski finished the season with 1,327 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns, both of which were single-season records for a tight end, on 90 receptions. Graham had more receptions (99) but slightly fewer yards (1,310) and less touchdowns (10).

Before a high-ankle sprain slowed down Gronkowski, both of them continued to roll in the postseason.

In two playoff games, Graham had 12 receptions for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Before suffering the high-ankle sprain, Gronkowski had 15 receptions for 232 yards and three touchdowns in his first two playoff games before Super Bowl XLVI.

How rare is the 90-1,300-10 season that both Graham and Gronkowski had?

Based on data from Pro Football Reference, it has happened 38 times in NFL history. In the previous three seasons, the only two players to reach those levels in the same season were Roddy White (2010) and Larry Fitzgerald (2008).

While Gronkowski and Graham are clearly at the top of the fantasy football tight end class, the position is as talented and productive as ever.

Here are some more notes on tight ends:

- Gronkowski's teammate Aaron Hernandez missed two games, but he still finished with 79 receptions for 910 yards and seven touchdowns. Based on his production of 65 yards per game, Hernandez would have likely given the Pats two 1,000-yard tight ends if he had played all 16 games. In addition, Hernandez was used as a rusher more frequently down the stretch.

- Eagles tight end Brent Celek got off to a slow start after a down season in 2010 but came on strong. In his first six games before the bye, Celek had only 13 receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown. In 10 games after the bye, Celek had 49 receptions for 696 yards and four touchdowns. In his final three games, he did even better: 13 receptions for 290 yards and scored a touchdown in each game.

- After missing a few games early in the season due to his foot, San Diego's Antonio Gates had 56 receptions for 704 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. Hopefully he'll be able to stay on the field for a full season, but there's a good chance that the foot injury will continue to slow him down in the future considering it's lingered over the past two years.

- Tennessee's Jared Cook has a ton of upside and positive momentum heading into 2012. In his final three games, Cook finished with 21 receptions for 335 yards and a touchdown. (That said, Cook had a strong finish to the 2010 season, but he got off to a slow start in 2011.)

- Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew, the team's other first-round pick in 2009, finished with career highs across the board: 83 receptions, 777 yards and five touchdowns. Pettigrew is a solid low-end TE1, but he is even better in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues than those with standard scoring.

- Solid but inconsistent, Jets tight end Dustin Keller finished with 65 receptions for 815 yards and five touchdowns. In the first three weeks this season, he had 16 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns. In Weeks 2 to 4 in 2010, Keller had 17 receptions for 241 yards and five touchdowns. Stated another way: Keller had 490 yards and seven TDs in those six games and only 1,012 yards and three TDs in the other 26 games over the past two years.

- Speaking of inconsistency, Packers tight end Jermichael Finley, who is due to become a free agent this offseason, had three fantasy points or less in five games this season. Although he set a career high in touchdowns (eight), he had his lowest yards-per-game average (47.9) since his rookie season.

- Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, who has 1,149 career receptions for 13,338 yards, has decided to play another season, which makes sense considering how productive he was. Gonzalez finished with 80 receptions for 875 yards and seven touchdowns in 2011.

- Dallas tight end Jason Witten set five-year lows in both receptions (79) and yards (942), which is partly due to the production of the Cowboys top three receivers: Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson.

Here are our 2012 fantasy football tight end rankings (using standard scoring -- i.e., not PPR scoring):

1. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
2. Jimmy Graham, Saints
3. Jason Witten, Cowboys
4. Antonio Gates, Chargers
5. Vernon Davis, 49ers
6. Aaron Hernandez, Patriots
7. Jermichael Finley, Packers
8. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons
9. Brandon Pettigrew, Lions
10. Fred Davis, Redskins
11. Dallas Clark, Colts
12. Owen Daniels, Texans
13. Jermaine Gresham, Bengals
14. Brent Celek, Eagles
15. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers
16. Dustin Keller, Jets
17. Jared Cook, Titans
18. Greg Olsen, Panthers
19. Anthony Fasano, Dolphins
20. Heath Miller, Steelers
21. Tony Moeaki, Chiefs
22. Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars
23. Scott Chandler, Bills
24. Kyle Rudolph, Vikings
25. Evan Moore, Browns
26. Ed Dickson, Ravens

Note: We excluded rookies from our rankings and will include them after the 2012 NFL Draft in April.

More 2012 Rankings: QBs - RBs - WRs

2012 NFL Mock Drafts: Kevin Hanson - Brendan Donahue - Our Mock Draft Database

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now the Giants have won their second Super Bowl (over the Patriots) in the past five years (list of all winners), it is time to start looking forward to the upcoming season.

That is, if you haven't done so already.

Based on odds from Sportsbook.com, neither the Giants nor the Patriots are early favorites to win Super Bowl XVLII. Here are the teams with the best odds:

- Green Bay Packers: +500 (5/1)
- New Orleans Saints: +600 (6/1)
- New England Patriots: +700 (7/1)
- New York Giants: +1,000 (10/1)
- Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles: +1,200 (12/1)
- San Diego Chargers: +1,500 (15/1)
- New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions: +2,000 (20/1)

[UPDATE: Earlier this morning, the Giants were at +2,000. As of 6 p.m., they are now +1,000. The other odds did not change.]

The longest of long shots are (all at +10,000, 100/1): Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If you're looking for 2012 NFL Draft information, here is some information you'll find on our site:

- 2012 NFL Mock Drafts: Kevin Hanson - Brendan Donahue
- 2012 NFL Mock Draft Database
- List of underclassmen eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft

We are also in the process of releasing our initial 2012 Fantasy Football rankings, which will happen early this week. For a mock draft we are doing, click here.

To keep track of our updates, follow us on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One month ago, I took a stab at who I'd thought would win the AP NFL postseason awards. Of the seven main awards, I predicted four correctly and three incorrectly.

Here are this year's winners:

AP NFL MVP - Aaron Rodgers, Packers: While Drew Brees was more prolific, Rodgers was more efficient this year. That was essentially why I predicted Rodgers would win the MVP and Brees would the Offensive Player of the Year award. Rodgers led the Packers to a league-high 15 regular-season wins and he set an NFL record with a 122.5 passer rating.

AP Offensive Player of the Year - Drew Brees, Saints: As noted above, this makes sense to me (since it was what I expected). Not only did Brees break the long-standing single-season passing yards record held by Dan Marino, but he shattered it (5,476 yards) and broke it with a week to spare. While the award is decided based on regular-season games only, Brees also threw for nearly 1,000 yards in his two postseason games (928 yards).

AP Defensive Player of the Year - Terrell Suggs, Ravens: As I noted in my predictions, where I had Suggs as the runner-up to the runner-up, he had great overall numbers -- first in forced fumbles (seven), fifth in sacks (14.0) and he had two interceptions. That said, nine of those sacks and six of the forced fumbles happened in three dominant games. In other words, he had only five sacks and one forced fumble in the other 13 games.

AP Comeback Player of the Year - Matthew Stafford, Lions: After playing in only three games in 2010 and 13 games in his first two seasons, Stafford was called a "China Doll" by a former teammate last offseason. Not only did he stay healthy for the full season, but Stafford became one of three players this season (but only four in NFL history) to throw for 5,000-plus yards.

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year - Cam Newton, Panthers: As well as some other rookies played this season, Newton won the award in a landslide as expected. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton finished second with three votes, but I had A.J. Green as the runner-up in my prediction from January 4th. The only quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000-plus yards and rush for 700-plus yards is Newton, who also set the rushing touchdown record for quarterbacks (14) this year.

AP Defensive Rookie of the Year - Von Miller, Broncos: Before his injury forced him to miss a game and slow him down thereafter, Miller had 10.5 sacks in his first 11 games played. Although I would have given the award to San Francisco's Aldon Smith, it's hard to argue with either of the two winning the award.

AP Coach of the Year - Jim Harbaugh, 49ers: While there was plenty of talent already in place, especially on the defensive side of the ball, Harbaugh turned an under-achieving six-win team into a 13-win team with the second-best record in the NFC. Quarterback Alex Smith, a former No. 1 overall pick, had his best season with a 22:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio counting the postseason.

Our 2012 fantasy football rankings will be released by Monday.

To keep track of our updates, follow me on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Super Bowl XVLI: Prediction - Poll - Fantasy Rankings - Past Results - SB Squares

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

More than in any other sport, getting things right in the NFL Draft is critical to a team's ability to create and maintain long-term success.

In most cases, it is not necessarily the player(s) selected in the first round each year that leads to that success. It is the ability to find players in the later rounds of the draft or even the undrafted free agents that can contribute.

As we get closer to the draft, we will include mock drafts that go beyond the first round.

Last week, Brendan Donahue released his first 2012 NFL Mock Draft,

Here is how I see the first round unfolding:

1. Indianapolis Colts (2-14) - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

We've seen the results without a healthy Peyton Manning, a four-time league MVP. The trio of Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky led the Colts to two wins and subsequently the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. And we've seen the results with a healthy Manning: double-digit wins in 11 of 12 seasons. It is looking less and less likely that Manning, who will turn 36 this year, will be on the Colts' roster to receive a $28 million bonus he's due on March 8th. Fortunately for Indianapolis, who may or may not have decided to move on weeks ago, Luck is one of the best quarterback prospects to come along in a long time.

2. St. Louis Rams (2-14) - Matt Kalil, OT, USC

It is possible (even likely) that one of the quarterback-needy teams will trade up to the No. 2 spot to take Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. While the Rams trading down is a very real possibility, I'm going to keep them here, for now.

Much of this month, I felt like the pick would be receiver Justin Blackmon, especially with Brandon Lloyd expected to leave via free agency (and perhaps to follow Josh McDaniels to New England). Instead, I have the Rams going with Kalil, an athletic offensive tackle from USC and the brother of Panthers Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil. No team allowed more sacks than the Rams (55) last year. Although St. Louis had injuries along their line, Jason Smith has been a bust so far and the team may even cut him if he doesn't agree to a pay cut.

[Related: Take our poll on which player will be selected second overall.]

3. Minnesota Vikings (3-13) - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

If the Rams trade down (and RG3 goes second overall), I would expect the Vikings to take Kalil. Only four teams allowed more sacks than Minnesota. However, their pass defense was atrocious last year and they have to face the Packers and Lions four times a year. No team allowed more passing touchdowns (34) than the Vikings and no team intercepted fewer passes (eight). Especially after Dre Kirkpatrick's brush-in with the law earlier this month, Claiborne is clearly the top corner in this year's draft class.

4. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

If the Browns don't trade up to take RG3 and he's still available here (I'm beginning to sound like a broken record), the Browns won't pass up the opportunity to take this year's Heisman Trophy recipient (see past winners). Accurate, athletic and intelligent, Griffin completed 72.4 percent of his passes and was just shy of 5,000 combined yards -- 4,293 passing yards and 699 rushing yards -- in 2011. For his career, Griffin has a 78:17 touchdown-to-interception ratio not counting his 33 rushing touchdowns.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The Bucs would probably prefer to take Claiborne at this spot with Ronde Barber nearing (or maybe coming to) the end of his career and the off-the-field issues of Aqib Talib. That said, I don't think the Bucs take Kirkpatrick, who created some questions about his character as noted above. Richardson has an impressive combination of size, strength and speed and is one of the best running back prospects in years.

6. Washington Redskins (5-11) - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

There is plenty of speculation that the Redskins will try to trade up to select RG3. If they don't, they will boost their passing game with the draft's most-talented pass-catcher. Blackmon, who is the back-to-back Biletnikoff recipient, has 232 receptions for 3,304 yards and 38 touchdowns combined over the past two seasons.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

If Blackmon is still available at No. 7, they won't hesitate to get their "franchise" quarterback a legitimate weapon in the passing game. (Granted, Blaine Gabbert looked horrible -- and scared -- last season, but the Jags arguably have the league's worst receiving corps). While many question Coples' motor, he is the premiere pass-rusher in the draft and the Jags have ranked in the bottom 10 in sacks for the past three years in a row.

8. Miami Dolphins (6-10) - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Although the Dolphins have an elite left tackle in Jake Long, the top overall pick in 2008, they could certainly use an upgrade on the right side to replace Marc Colombo. Along with Kalil and Jonathan Martin, Reiff is one of the three best offensive tackles in this year's draft class.

9. Carolina Panthers (6-10) - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Regardless of how free agency shakes out, the top two teams in the NFC South (New Orleans and Atlanta) have elite passing attacks. As noted earlier, Kirkpatrick will have some 'splaining to do (as Ricky Ricardo would say) about his off-field issues. But the Panthers get a cornerback with elite size (approximately 6-3) to pair up with Chris Gamble.

10. Buffalo Bills (6-10) - Courtney Upshaw, DE/LB, Alabama

Only the Titans (28) and Bucs (23) had fewer sacks last year than the Bills (29). Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, Upshaw's teammate at Alabama and the Bills' first-round pick last year, led the team in sacks last year with only 5.5. Upshaw will help.

To see the full first-round mock, click here.

For more mocks from around the internet, check out our 2012 NFL Mock Draft Database.

To keep track of our updates, follow me on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier today, we released the first iteration of Brendan Donahue's 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

Here is how he projects the first round to begin:

1. Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: This is already a done deal according to owner Jim Irsay. Luck has been rated as the best QB prospect since John Elway so this is pretty much a no-brainer especially now that the Colts have made it clear that they are clearing house and going into a full rebuilding mode.

2. Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State: I could see the Rams being tempted by a team trying to trade up to get RG3 and moving this pick, but if they stay put I look for them to add the most dynamic weapon available in the draft. Although I don't have Blackmon as highly rated as Calvin Johnson, I do see him having an instant impact in the NFL and developing into a Pro Bowl receiver down the road.

3. Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT, USC: Maybe the safest pick in the entire draft.  The clear cut best tackle in the draft and someone that the Vikings can put on Chrisian Ponder's blind side and protect him for the next 10 years (this is if Ponder plays for the next ten years...). If Rams trade their pick or pass on Blackmon for some reason, look for Vikings to snatch him up here.

4. Browns - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: The Heisman winner has been rapidly moving up draft boards and could eventually move up to #2 come draft day but for this mock were going to assume everyone drafts where they are slated and the Browns would be very happy to draft RGIII here. I think they are ready to concede that Colt McCoy is not a franchise QB in the NFL and will jump at the opportunity to add one here.

5. Bucs - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU: Based on how the Bucs finished the year, they could clearly use help in just about every area. With Blackmon off the board however, I look for them to add the best cornerback available in Morris Claiborne. A big physical corner who is also considered the best cover corner in the draft is exactly what they need as they battle in the same division with the air attacks of the Saints and Falcons.

See the full first round here.

For more mock drafts, visit our 2012 NFL Mock Draft Database.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After Saints tight end Jimmy Graham caught the go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes of today's game, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis caught the game-winning score in the final seconds of the game.

It was the second touchdown of the game for each tight end.

Between Graham, Davis and Patriots tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, they posted ridiculous combined stats -- 26 receptions for 483 yards and eight touchdowns.

Of those four tight ends, Hernandez was the only one to finish with only one touchdown, but he also led the Patriots in rushing with five carries for 61 yards. BenJarvus Green-Ellis finished second on the team with 28 yards on 13 carries.

The other three tight ends all finished with 100-plus yards and two-plus scores: Gronkowski (10 receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns), Davis (7-180-2) and Graham (5-103-2).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This season, Saints running back Darren Sproles set a career high in rushing yards (603), however, the sixth-year back is more valuable in the passing game.

Sproles set career highs in receptions (86), receiving yards (710) and receiving touchdowns (seven) this season while also breaking the NFL record for all-purpose yards (2,696).

In today's loss to the 49ers, Sproles set the NFL record for most receptions (15) in a playoff game and finished with 119 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Before today's game, the record was 13 held by four players: Chad Morton, Shannon Sharpe, Thurman Thomas and Kellen Winslow Sr.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Saints quarterback Drew Brees has now thrown for 460-plus yards in back-to-back games this postseason.

That said, Brees would certainly trade that streak for the ability to extend his games played streak this postseason to three.

After throwing for 466 yards last week, Brees threw for 462 yards on 40-of-63 passing in today's loss to the 49ers.

Only Cleveland's Bernie Kosar threw for more yards (489) in an NFL postseason game than Brees. In other words, Brees now has thrown for the second- and third-most yards in playoff games in NFL history.

Brees ended his streak of postseason passes without an interception at 226 attempts as he threw four touchdowns and two interceptions today.

Earlier this month, I predicted that Brees would win the Offensive Player of the Year award while Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers would win the MVP award. Then again, I predicted the Saints would win the Super Bowl so what do I know ...

In my initial 2012 quarterback rankings, Brees will be my No. 2 fantasy quarterback behind only Rodgers.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Three of the four matchups in this weekend's divisional round of NFL playoffs are rematches from the regular season.

In the one game that is not a rematch (New Orleans at San Francisco), it features two teams that are polar opposites. Perhaps surprisingly, the Saints were the better run offense this season -- 132.9 yards per game (YPG) for New Orleans and 127.8 YPG for San Francisco.

While the Saints ranked first in total offense (467.1 YPG) and second in scoring offense (34.2 points per game), the 49ers ranked fourth in total defense (308.2 YPG) and second in scoring defense (14.3 PPG).

Here are our quarterback rankings for the divisional round:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs NYG): With Matt Flynn starting in Week 17 and the Packers having a first-round bye, Rodgers has not played since Christmas night. Rodgers, who set the single-season record for passer rating (122.5), had a passer rating of 100-plus in 13 of 15 games. He finished the season with a franchise-record 45 touchdowns and only threw six interceptions. The Giants had the fourth-worst pass defense this season, but they have played better recently.

2. Drew Brees, Saints (at SF): Not only did Brees break numerous records this season, he has been especially good in the past eight games counting last week's playoff win. During that eight-game span, Brees has thrown for 2,938 yards, which is an average of 367.25 yards per game, and has a 28:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Although Brees has thrown more touchdowns at home (29) than on the road (17) in the regular season, he has actually averaged more passing yards per game (369.8) outdoors than he did in domes this season.

3. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs DEN): Brady has thrown for 300-plus yards in four straight games and seven of his past nine games. Throwing at least one touchdown pass in every game this season, Brady was held to just one passing touchdown in only two games this season and he had two rushing touchdowns in one of those games. In his first matchup against the Broncos, Brady threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score.

4. Eli Manning, Giants (at GB): The Packers have allowed the most passing yards (299.8 per game) in the NFL this season. Although they have allowed the fifth-most passing touchdowns (29), they are one of only five teams to have more interceptions (31) than passing touchdowns allowed. Manning fell just short of 5,000 passing yards (4,933) and he threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns against the Packers the first time around this season.

5. Tim Tebow, Broncos (at NE): When it mattered the most, Tebow threw for a career-high 316 yards last week as he led the Broncos to an "upset" win over the Steelers. While he completed less than 50 percent of his passes (10-for-21), Tebow finished with 31 fantasy points, which was the most (by far) that the Steelers allowed all season. That said, it was only the third time in 12 starts this season that Tebow finished with more than 200 passing yards. (Take our poll on how many passing yards Tebow will have this week.)

6. Alex Smith, 49ers (vs NO): While Smith has played solid football, he has thrown more than 33 passes in only two games this season. Smith has no 300-yard games this year, but he has not thrown an interception since Thanksgiving either. The Saints have allowed eight 300-yard games this season including back-to-back 400-yard games in Weeks 12 and 13, but this game will have gone horribly wrong for the Niners if Smith throws for 400-plus yards.

7. Joe Flacco, Ravens (vs HOU): The Texans and Ravens both rank in the top four in pass defenses as the Texans have allowed only 189.7 yards per game. In their first matchup, however, Flacco threw for 305 yards and he is one of only two quarterbacks to throw for 300-plus yards against the Texans. Brees was the other.

8. T.J. Yates, Texans (at BAL): The Ravens allowed a league-low 11 passing touchdowns this season and have one of only five defenses to intercept more passes (15) than they have allowed passing touchdowns. The first time this season that these two teams met, Yates did not play but Matt Schaub had a mediocre performance: 220 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The Ravens have yet to allow a quarterback to throw for more than one touchdown in any game this season.

Other positions: RBs | WRs | TEs

Playoff Predictions: 49ers vs. Saints | Patriots vs. Broncos | Ravens vs. Texans | Packers vs. Giants

To keep track of our fantasy updates throughout the week, you can (1) follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) "like" us on Facebook or both.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Of the 15 NFL running backs that rushed for 1,000-plus yards this season, only four of them will be playing this weekend.

Three of them play in the AFC: Baltimore's Ray Rice, Houston's Arian Foster and Denver's Willis McGahee. The other is San Francisco's Frank Gore.

Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), they all play for the four teams that have the worst passing offenses of the remaining eight teams.

In other words, the quarterbacks of the teams with the 1,000-yard rushers are Joe Flacco, T.J. Yates, Tim Tebow and Alex Smith. The other four quarterbacks are Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning.

Here are our running back rankings for the divisional round:

1. Ray Rice, Ravens (vs HOU): Rice led the NFL in yards from scrimmage this season (2,068). In his first matchup against the Texans, Rice had 23 carries for 101 yards plus five receptions for 60 yards.

2. Arian Foster, Texans (at BAL): No running back has more yards from scrimmage over the past two seasons than Foster (4,061). Although Foster was inactive in Week 17, he has three consecutive games with 100-plus rushing yards and a touchdown. During that three-game span, Foster has 63 carries for 420 yards and four touchdowns plus 11 receptions for 103 yards. That said, Foster had only 49 rushing yards in his first matchup against the Ravens.

[Related: Take our poll on which RB will have more yards from scrimmage this weekend: Foster or Rice?]

3. Frank Gore, 49ers (vs NO): Gore stayed healthy enough to play in 16 games for only the second time in his career. He finished with 282 carries for 1,211 and eight touchdowns, all of which are the second-highest totals of his career. But he also finished with a career-low 114 receiving yards.

4. Darren Sproles, Saints (at SF): In the regular season, Sproles had one less reception (86) than he had carries (87). It's unlikely that Sproles gets even one rushing touchdown against the 49ers after having two of them last week against the Lions, but he had a receiving touchdown in each of the final three regular-season games of the year.

5. Willis McGahee, Broncos (at NE): McGahee had his third-highest yardage total (1,199 rushing yards) of his career, but he actually set a career low in rushing touchdowns (four) this season.

6. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (at GB): Bradshaw had a decent game last week (85 yards from scrimmage but no touchdowns). In the final three regular-season games of the year, Bradshaw scored a total of five touchdowns -- four rushing and one receiving.

7. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at GB): It's anyone's guess what you'll get from Jacobs in any given week. After three straight games with 42 yards or less, Jacobs ran with power and racked up 92 rushing yards on 14 carries and another eight yards on two receptions last week.

8. Pierre Thomas, Saints (at SF): Last week, Thomas had eight carries for 66 yards and a touchdown plus six receptions for 55 yards. Thomas has yet to have more than 10 carries in any game this season, but he has had at least three receptions in 11 games.

9. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots (vs DEN): The good news: Green-Ellis has scored six touchdowns in his past six games. The bad news: The Law Firm has less than 25 rushing yards in five consecutive games.

10. James Starks, Packers (vs NYG): Starks has only played in one game since his first matchup against the Giants on Dec. 4th, but he has practiced fully this week and is expected to play Sunday.

11. Ben Tate, Texans (at BAL): Tate averaged 62.8 rushing yards per game and finished with 942 yards this season in 15 games. Had he played all 16 games and rushed for his average in the game he missed, the Texans would have had two 1,000-yard rushers.

12. Ryan Grant, Packers (vs NYG): Grant has over 400 yards from scrimmage (243 rushing and 162 receiving) in his past four games. It's hard to imagine Grant being anywhere near as productive with Starks expected back this week.

13. Christopher Ivory, Saints (at SF): While Ivory will likely lead the Saints in carries, the 49ers have allowed a league-low 77.3 rushing yards per game and three rushing touchdowns all season. (That said, they did not allow a rushing touchdown until Week 16.)

14. Kendall Hunter, 49ers (vs NO): In his past two games, Hunter has 28 carries for 149 yards and three receptions for 22 yards. That said, there's little chance (barring injuries) that Hunter gets more work than Gore this week. I expect Hunter to get around 8-10 carries for 40-50 yards.

Other positions: QBs | WRs | TEs

Playoff Predictions: 49ers vs. Saints | Patriots vs. Broncos | Ravens vs. Texans | Packers vs. Giants

To keep track of our fantasy updates throughout the week, you can (1) follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) "like" us on Facebook or both.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the history of the NFL, a player has finished the season with 110-plus receptions 25 times and 120-plus receptions seven times.

Patriots receiver Wes Welker has two of the 120-reception seasons and four of the 110-reception seasons all during his five years in New England.

The one exception was his 86 receptions in 2010, which was the immediate full season after he tore his ACL.

As you would imagine, Welker leads the NFL in receptions (554) over the past five years. In other words, he's averaging more than 110 receptions during that span.

The next four players with the most receptions over the past five years are: Brandon Marshall (474), Reggie Wayne (472), Roddy White (471) and Larry Fitzgerald (463).

Here are our wide receiver rankings for the divisional round:

1. Wes Welker, Patriots (vs DEN): Welker set career highs in yards (1,569) and touchdowns (nine) and was only one reception shy of his career high (123) set in 2009. That said, Welker had one of his worst performances (four receptions for 41 yards) of the season against the Broncos a few weeks ago.

2. Hakeem Nicks, Giants (at GB): Nicks had his best game of the season in terms of fantasy points last week. He ended up with six receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns or 23 fantasy points. The only other game this season in which he scored multiple touchdowns was his first matchup against the Packers.

3. Jordy Nelson, Packers (vs NYG): Nelson led the team in receptions (68), yards (1,263) and touchdowns (15) this season. In his final two games of the season, Nelson had 15 receptions for 277 yards and five touchdowns.

4. Victor Cruz, Giants (at GB): Cruz has had plenty of big games this season, but last week was not one of them. After finishing with 342 yards and two touchdowns in the final two regular-season games, Cruz had only two receptions for 28 yards last week.

5. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs NYG): A knee injury has kept Jennings out of the lineup since Week 14, but he is expected to return this week against the Giants. In his first matchup against the Giants, Jennings finished with seven receptions for 94 yards and a score. For the season (13 games), Jennings had 67 receptions for 949 yards and nine touchdowns.

6. Marques Colston, Saints (at SF): Colston did not score a touchdown last week after finishing with five touchdowns in the final four regular-season games. But he finished with seven receptions for 120 yards. In his past five games, Colston has seven-plus receptions and 81-plus yards every week and three 100-yard games.

7. Andre Johnson, Texans (at BAL): One of the league's elite receivers, Johnson has battled hamstring injuries most of the year. It appears that he is fully healthy (or close to it) again as he finished with 90 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the Bengals.

8. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (at NE): Thomas is coming off a 204-yard performance in which he caught the game-winning 80-yard touchdown in overtime. Thomas has three 100-yard games in December and January including his 116-yard performance against the Patriots in mid-December.

9. Torrey Smith, Ravens (vs HOU): In the nine games played since Week 9, Smith has scored a touchdown and finished with double-digit fantasy points in four of them. In the other five games during that span, Smith has had 23-38 receiving yards and three (or less) fantasy points.

10. Mario Manningham, Giants (at GB): It has been a disappointing and injury-plagued season for Manningham, who missed the first matchup against the Packers. Last week, however, Manningham finished with 68 yards and a score against the Falcons.

11. Michael Crabtree, 49ers (vs NO): Crabtree had his best game of the season in Week 17 against the Rams: eight receptions for 86 yards and two scores. That said, it was only the fourth time this season that Crabtree had double-digit fantasy points.

12. Anquan Boldin, Ravens (vs HOU): Boldin hasn't played since Week 15, but he is expected to return this week. Boldin had one of his two best games of the season when the Ravens and Texans met in mid-October as he finished with eight receptions for 132 yards.

13. Deion Branch, Patriots (vs DEN): Branch has been inconsistent this season after a strong start (15 receptions for 222 yards in his first two games). In the other 13 games he played, Branch had only 36 receptions for 480 yards and five touchdowns.

14. Robert Meachem, Saints (at SF): With so many talented receivers on the Saints' offense, it's hard to trust any of them except Colston. That said, Meachem's 111-yard performance last week was his second 100-yard game in the past six games.

15. James Jones, Packers (vs NYG): Jones has the potential to have a big week in any given week, but he has the potential to have a dud performance as well. Jones has only seven games with more than two receptions this season.

Other positions: QBs | RBs | TEs

Playoff Predictions: 49ers vs. Saints | Patriots vs. Broncos | Ravens vs. Texans | Packers vs. Giants

To keep track of our fantasy updates throughout the week, you can (1) follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) "like" us on Facebook or both.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)