Mock NFL Draft Picks, get your fix and sound off!

With the 2012 NFL Draft only a couple days away, we have recently completed our full 32-team Mock Draft list for your viewing pleasure! The lockout last year may have shortened the 2011 offseason. But for us Fantasy Knuckleheads a lot happened in a short period of time. T.O. didn’t get signed, Moss didn’t play, Kenny Britt got hurt, who I like as a 2012 Sleeper, and MJD proved an ACL tear can’t stop him. Now enter the 2012 NFL Draft. A time when teams blow a chunk of cash on prospects that never pan out, and fans get to express what they think is their teams needs. Well, Fantasy Knuckleheads is here to help you explore the players your team may draft, how we feel about the draft prospects and so much more from our “fan experts”.

So let’s kick it off with Team by Team – Full 7 Round Mock Drafts

Here’s our Round By Round Coverage

Dre’ Kirkpatrick was considered a lock to go in the top ten when the 2011 season started, but a sub-par year at Alabama coupled with off-field issues, has caused his draft stock to plummet. Today, I am going to give you a fully detailed scouting report for the talented young player.

No. 24 on my big board.

Strengths

Physical: Kirkpatrick is going to be a really good press cover man at the next level. He gets extremely physical, throwing receivers off their route early in the play. This causes tremendous issues in regards to timing on offense. He is also a willing tackler in the run game, which brings back memories of a player like Charles Woodson. Won’t be a one-dimensional player in the NFL.

Size: This is something that NFL front office take seriously. The new breed of receivers have caused tremendous fits for smaller corners and teams utilizing the zone coverage on the outside. We see this a lot with fades in the end zone and short outs towards the sidelines. They won’t be able to do that against Dre’ Kirkpatrick because of his frame. This is a corner that stands at 6’2″ and uses every inch of the frame to shield receivers from the ball.

Ceiling: This is what separates first round prospects from those of the mid-round variety, ceiling. Rarely do you see teams say “that’s going to be a marginal starter, lets go for him.” Due to superb athletic ability and a massive frame for a defensive back, Kirkpatrick has a tremendous amount of upside. In fact, it could be stated he has one of the highest ceilings of any defensive players in the draft.

Not scheme specific: In order to be successful, even at the college level, a corner must have some man coverage skills. While this wasn’t a strength of Kirkpatrick’s, he wasn’t completely lost in this aspect of his game. What makes the former Alabama star compelling is the fact that he is great in press coverage. This will make his draft stock that much more valuable because teams running both defensive schemes will take a look at him.

Weaknesses

Technique: Kirkpatrick is extremely raw in this aspect of his game. He isn’t fluid in the hips, gets turned around a great deal, and struggles with on-ball ability. Three huge red flags that front offices are going to notice moving forward. If your not running fluidly down field, you are vulnerable to the comeback route and the double move. Two routes that are run a majority of the time in the NFL. Unlike college, receivers don’t go simply fly most of the time. Defenses may need to rotate coverage over to Kirkpatrick’s side, which causes a tremendous amount of issues. He needs to get this fixed in relatively short order.

Reaction skills: I had just mentioned on-ball ability. Due to the fact that Kirkpatrick likes to play press coverage a lot, he has issues adjusting mid-route. Once again, this makes him vulnerable to the big play. It also gives the quarterback a much larger window to throw into.

Character issues: There really weren’t any character issues prior to Kirkpatrick’s arrest for marijuana possession. While it isn’t like he was popped for intent to sell or another felony charge, teams are definitely going to take notice of this situation. He will have to interview well at the NFL Scouting Combine and stay out of trouble for this not to effect his draft stock. Organizations are looking much closer at character issues into today’s NFL, so this could hurt him.

Raw: Technique wise, Kirkpatrick makes you want to cringe. With that said, he did perform at a high level against elite competition in the SEC. Don’t expect this to be the case in the NFL if this isn’t fixed. He needs to hone this in order to become a true starter at the next level. This also leads me to believe that a switch to safety is a real possibility.

Draft status: Currently the fifth corner on my board behind Morris Claiborne, Janoris Jenkins, Stephon Gilmore and Jamell Fleming. Will be a first round pick, but postseason events will dictate where he goes in the initial round.

Player comparison: Jimmy Smith, Baltimore Ravens

As Detroit improved a great deal both the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears took a step back. Those two teams are going to have to restructure their rosters in order to contend with the Lions and Packers. If not, they are going to be consistently vying for last place in the division.

Green Bay Packers

LB- A.J. Hawk: $6.6 million cap hit

This linebacker is one high draft pick that just hasn’t worked out too well for the Green Bay Packers over the course of the last couple of seasons. Instead, Hawk has saw his game regress a great deal in 2011 as he became nothing more than an marginal starting linebacker in the NFL.

I am not sure what the possible replacements for Hawk would be on Green Bay’s roster. A possibility would be to move Erik Walden inside, which seems to be a fit for the up-and-coming backer. Either way, the Packers are not in the game of paying marginal players nearly $7 million on an annual basis.

S- Nick Collins: $3.5 million cap hit

This has absolutely nothing to do with performance. Rather, it is all about injury and a possibility that Collins might not play again. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that a decision will come down in March whether Collins will ever play again. For his part, Collins has pretty much said it is up to the doctors at this point. Considering that he needed fusion on that injured neck, my money is on Collins retiring.

While it is a sad end to what promised to be a great career, the Packers are going to have to make a strictly business decision. Releasing Collins would save them $3.5 million against the 12′ cap.

WR- Donald Driver: $5.6 million cap hit

The idea of Donald Driver playing anywhere else than Green Bay makes me cringe, but it is a real possibility at this point. While I assumed the descending receiver would just retire than try to hang on with another team, that doesn’t seem to be the case right now.

“If the Packers don’t want me, I’ve got to go somewhere else and play,” Driver said. “I don’t have a choice. I’m not ready to hang the cleats up. My wife feels like I still got it. I feel like I still got it. If my family feels that way, then I’m going to continue to play. It’s up to the organization to make that decision.”

One thing is clear, either Driver agrees to restructure his contract or he will be looking for a new team in March.

Detroit Lions

DT- Corey Williams: $6.1 million cap hit

I am working under the assumption that the Detroit Lions remain high on Nick Fairley, if that is the case Corey Williams is as good as gone. While Detroit did some amazing things in 2011, they still have numerous holes to fill in order to be considered an elite team in the NFC. Among them is retaining the services of Cliff Avril. Short of getting Calvin Johnson to restructure his whopping $17 million cap figure for 2012, Detroit is going to have to get creative.

They also need to get a top tier offensive linemen, another linebacker and some secondary help. That all cannot be done via the NFL Draft. Instead, they are going to have to cut some fat from the 53 and Williams will be the first to go.

C- Dominic Raiola:$3.4 million cap hit

NFL free agency is all about upgrading at positions of weakness or relative mediocrity. This is where taking a look at the pending free agent class comes into play. Accordingly, the center position is going to be absolutely stacked when the league year begins in March.

Raiola is due $3.4 million in 2012 and has regressed a great deal over the course of the last couple seasons. Considering the San Francisco 49ers got an above-average center, Jonathan Goodwin, for pennies on the dollar last off-season, there is no reason to believe that Detroit cannot do the same thing this off-season. If not, the draft class is stacked at that position as well. Peter Konz (Wisconsin) comes to mind first.

Chicago Bears

WR- Earl Bennett: $3.4 million

If Bennett is in the Bears regular wide receiver rotation next season they are in a lot of trouble. This is a unit that needs more upgrades out of any “contending” team not named the San Francisco 49ers.  The free agent class of receivers is absolutely stacked this season and I fully expect Chicago to make a play for one of the top ten players on that list. Additionally, it can already be concluded that they are going receiver in the first round if the board plays out to their liking.

With that said, Chicago seems to like Bennett a lot despite the fact that he has regressed a great deal since a breakout 2009 season. Maybe he was a pet project of Jerry Angelo, who is no longer with the team. If that is the case Bennett could be looking for a new team in a couple weeks.

OL- Frank Omiyale:$2.9 million

Right up there with Charlie Johnson( who you will see later) as well as Marc Columbo as the absolute worst offensive linemen in the entire NFL, Omiyale just cannot get it done. He is one of the primary reasons that Jay Cutler went down and consistently struggles in pass protection. It goes without saying that Chicago must address this unit in the off-season. If so, he is as good as gone.

C- Chris Spencer: $3.8 million

The former Seattle Seahawks center was a late addition last season when the Bears couldn’t work out a contract with Olin Kreutz. He is a marginal starting center at best and struggled to pick up the middle blitz during the 2011 season. As I mentioned before, the center position in free agency is stacked. Look for Chicago to rid themselves of Spencer’s $3.8 million price tag and acquire an upgrade at this position.

RB- Marion Barber: $2.9 million

This has nothing to do with Marion Barber’s struggles against the Denver Broncos in the Hail Tebow comeback during the 2011 season. It has more to do with roster logistics than anything else. Kahlil Bell, who performed great in Matt Forte’s stead, is an exclusive rights free agent. While he will only receive the league minimum next season, Bell needs to be inserted in as the Bears No. 2 back behind Forte. He has more explosiveness and is a better blocker than Barber. Is this happens, which I expect it will, Chicago isn’t paying a third string back nearly $3 million. That slot is usually reserved for late round projects.

Minnesota Vikings

DT- Kevin Williams: $7.0 million

The “Williams Wall” will be no longer heading into the 2012 season. Instead, the Vikings are rebuilding and looking to get some young blood on both sides of the ball.  Kevin Williams, who was suspended for the first two games of 2011, had the worst season of his career. He continually struggled in the run game and looked old, for a lack of a better word. With the direction that Minnesota is going in, I doubt very much they pay this nine year vet the $7 million that he is owed. This money would be better used going after an elite wide receiver for Christian Ponder in free agency or upgrading a poor offensive line.

OT- Charlie Johnson: $4.0 million

Speaking of poor offensive line performances, Charlie Johnson was one of the worst pass protectors in the entire league last season. After coming over from Indianapolis in free agency, Johnson consistently struggled on the outside in protection of Christian Ponder. You just cannot have a tackle struggle the way he did in front of a young quarterback. Just look at what happened to David Carr with the Houston Texans last decade. It has become a necessity to get a franchise offensive tackle when looking to groom a young signal caller. If you don’t do that, all of the indicators of failure are going to be there.

Minnesota, who has the third pick in the draft, is probably going to Matt Kalil. Even if they don’t, expect this team upgrade the left tackle position.

*All Salary Cap Figures Provided by Spotrac

If I showed you the next page you would have seen the last of 11 week 3 match-ups which was a $9 win in a heads up expert only game. Expert only means you get less $$$ to play with. Expert get $55,000 - standard gets $60,000 and Beg. get $65,000

Here is what I do to find the excellent match ups headed into the week and rank them accordingly.

1. Get the top 10 or so fantasy points allowed by position (listed below)
2. Find the obvious studs with great match ups (high dollar value guys on fanduel)
3. Find the “flex starts” with great match ups that present high upside (low dollar value guys on fanduel)
4. TOP 10 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing QB’s this year.

You can use this method to determine who is a great weekly fantasy play based on match up, helpful for you guys without a backup for Antonio Gates, more on that later.

I’ll start at the Quarterback position.

Eli Manning comes to mind over the next several weeks, this week he face the Cardinals who allow the 8th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks.

TOP 10 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing QB’s this year.

1. New England Patriots vs. QB – 1,163 yards – 6 TD
2. Green Bay Packers vs. QB – 1,153 yards – 6 TD
3. Oakland Raiders vs. QB 937 yards 6 TD
4. Miami Dolphins vs. QB 957 yards 8 TD
5. St. Louis Rams vs. QB 799 yards 7 TD
6. Buffalo Bills vs. QB 829 yards 7 TD
7. New Orleans Saints vs. QB 929 yards 7 TD
8. Arizona Cardinals vs. QB 884 yards 4 TD
9. Kansas City Chiefs vs. QB 796 yards 8 TD
10. Minnesota Vikings vs. QB 956 yards 5 TD

QB Match-ups to exploit in week 4 are:

• Jason Campbell faces the New England Patriots who, as you see above, are allow a sever amount of fantasy stats to opposing QB’s.
• Rex Grossman AKA “Sexy Rexy” have a juicy match-up against St. Louis Rams who rank 5th in most fantasy points allowed.
• Andy Dalton should bounce back this week versus the Bills, who rank 6th in points allowed to opposing QB’s.
• Eli Manning comes to mind over the next several weeks, this week he face the Cardinals who allow the 8th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks. Excellent Value on Fanduel.

The obvious starter with exceptional match ups:

• Tom Brady obviously.. Oakland just sweetens the pot.
• Phillip Rivers is another no brain-er with a sweet match-up versus Miami who ranks 4th in most points allowed.

Here are are WEEK 4 Quarterback Rankings

Either Cedric Benson (if allowed to play) or Bernard Scott should have success this week versus Buffalo however, I'd only start Bernard Scott in PPR leagues as the Bengals will have to play from behind.

TOP 10 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing RB’s this year.

1. Philadelphia Eagles vs. RB 394 yards 2 TD, 15 Catches for 185 yards 3 TD
2. Kansas City Chiefs vs. RB 360 yards 5 TD, 16 Catches for 153 1 TD
3. Oakland Raiders vs. RB 305 yards 2 TD, 24 Catches for 283 2 TD
4. St. Louis Rams vs. RB 399 yards 2 TD, 19 Catches for 187 1 TD
5. Minnesota Vikings vs. RB 190 yards 3 TD, 27 Catches for 256 2 TD
6. New York Jets vs. RB 356 yards 4 TD, 15 Catches for 106 0 TD
7. Buffalo Bills vs. RB 292 yards 2 TD, 25 Catches for 152 2 TD
8. New England Patriots vs. RB 202 yards 2 TD, 30 Catches for 271 1 TD
9. Indianapolis Colts vs. RB 315 yards 4 TD, 11 Catches for 73 0 TD
10. Atlanta Falcons vs. RB 277 yards 2 TD, 18 Catches for 165 1 TD

RB Match-ups to exploit in week 4 are:

• Dexter McCluster faces the Vikings BUT WAIT they got back some players in Week 3 and picked up the run stuff. Only consider McCluster in PPR leagues as a strong FLEX.
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis / Stevan Ridley are both good flexes this week versus the porous Raiders. I like Ridley this week to get plenty of chances as New England burns the clock holding a lead.
• Frank Gore could easily bounce back this week against the Eagles who are allowing the most points to RB’s this year.
• Tim Hightower should toss the Rams salad this week, they rank 4th in points allowed.
• LeGarrette Blount should have a bounce back week against Indy, but don’t keep your hopes to high.
• Either Cedric Benson (if allowed to play) or Bernard Scott should have success this week versus Buffalo however, I’d only start Bernard Scott in PPR leagues as the Bengals will have to play from behind.

The obvious starter with exceptional match up:

• A. Peterson is an obvious start any week but this week is exceptional as he faces the Chief’s who can’t stop tumbleweed from blowing across the field.

Here are our Week 4 Running Back Rankings

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TOP 16 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing WR’s this year.

Denarius Moore is poised for a break out game.

1. New England Patriots vs. WR 48 catches for 794 yards and 4 TD
2. Green Bay Packers vs. WR 42 catches for 660 yards and 4 TD
3. St. Louis Rams vs. WR 34 catches for 535 yards and 6 TD
4. Miami Dolphins vs. WR 37 catches for 578 yards and 5 TD
5. New Orleans Saints vs. WR 39 catches for 525 yards and 3 TD
6. San Francisco 49ers vs. WR 36 catches for 514 yards and 5 TD
7. New York Giants vs. WR 41 catches for 606 yards and 3 TD
8. Baltimore Ravens vs. WR 50 catches for 600 yards and 3 TD
9. Arizona Cardinals vs. WR 41 catches for 581 yards and 3 TD
10. Houston Texans vs. WR 37 catches for 503 yards and 4 TD
11. Kansas City Chiefs vs. WR 37 catches for 484 yards and 4 TD
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. WR 44 catches for 582 yards and 2 TD
13. Oakland Raiders vs. WR 45 catches for 519 yards and 3 TD
14. Buffalo Bills vs. WR 36 catches for 517 yards and 3 TD
15. Denver Broncos vs. WR 42 catches for 517 yards and 3 TD
16. Carolina Panthers vs. WR 20 catches for 437 yards and 4 TD

WR Match-ups to exploit in week 4 are:

• Brandon Lloyd and Eric Decker should have a good day against Green Bay who allow the 2nd most fantasy points to WR so far this year.
• Oakland has some nice flex plays lined up for you this week but gamble at your own risk here, while someone in Oakland is going to have a great day it’s hard to predict. I expect the Pats to stack the box and force Campbell to pass, Denarius Moore is poised for a break out game.
• Santana Moss WILL have a big day versus the Rams. I don’t think the Rams will move the ball on offense and Washington will be able to air it out versus their weak secondary who ranks 3rd in points allowed.
• Minnesota has a possible deep sleeper in PPR formats, deep leagues only, Michael Jenkins is on the rise as a nice match-ups based flex starter and this week he gets the Chiefs who rank 11th in points allowed.

More obvious starters with great match-ups

• Larry Fitzgerald versus NYG
• Vincent Jackson, especially if Gates returns to the line-up. Miami allows the 4th most points to WR.
• Hakeem Nicks / Mario Manningham or Victor Cruz depending on Manninghams status – Arizona allows the 9th most fantasy points to WR.

Greg Olsen has a great match-up versus the Bears, nice flex play in your a Antonio Gates owner in a time of need.

TOP 10 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing TE’s this year.

1. Miami Dolphins vs. TE 25 catches for 315 yards and 3 TD
2. San Diego Chargers vs. TE 14 catches for 180 yards and 4 TD
3. Chicago Bears vs. TE 19 catches for 237 yards and 3 TD
4. New Orleans Saints vs. TE 14 catches for 259 yards and 2 TD
5. Kansas City Chiefs vs. TE 12 catches for 159 yards and 3 TD
6. Cincinnati Bengals vs. TE 17 catches for 217 yards and 2 TD
7. Dallas Cowboys vs. TE 15 catches for 214 yards and 2 TD
8. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. TE 21 catches for 207 yards and 2 TD
9. Green Bay Packers vs. TE 9 catches for 178 yards and 2 TD
10. Buffalo Bills vs. TE 13 catches for 164 yards and 2 TD

• Greg Olsen has a great match-up versus the Bears, nice flex play in your a Antonio Gates owner in a time of need.
• Marcedes Lewis is a deep sleeper in DEEP leagues – he faces the Saints who can’t cover TE and you can bank that the Saints will score a lot of points.
• Randy McMichael (If Antonio Gates sits out) has a DECENT match-up versus Miami, but they’re ranked number one in points allowed due to the thrashing they took in week 1 versus the Pats.
• Jermaine Gresham is another Antonio Gates weekly flex replacement – the Bungles will have to air it out versus the Bills who rank 10th in points allowed.

More obvious starters with great match-ups this week:

• Jimmy Graham get the Jags who have trouble with tall TE’s.
• Scott Chandler gets the Cincinnati Bengals and they can’t cover TE either, rankings 6th in points allowed. Chandler has a TD in every game this year, it won’t stop this week.

Bouns Round for Kickers – top 10 teams allowing the most Kicker Fantasy Points

1. Cleveland Browns vs. K 10.7 points allowed
2. Kansas City Chiefs vs. K 10.3 this week they face Ryan Longwell
3. Indianapolis Colts vs. K 10.0 points allowed
4. Atlanta Falcons vs. K 9.7 points allowed
5. New Orleans Saints vs. K 9.3 points allowed
6. Chicago Bears vs. K 9.0 points allowed
7. Green Bay Packers vs. K 8.7 points allowed
8. Denver Broncos vs. K 8.7 this week they facec Jason Hanson
9. Dallas Cowboys vs. K 8.3 points allowed
10. Seattle Seahawks vs. K 8.3 points allowed

Locks this week are:

Ryan Longwell and Jason Hanson – both kickers present favorable TOP 10 match-ups this week and they’re in the TOP 10 in regards to FG and XP attempts.

NEW ORLEANS

Roman Harper is still relevant- I had Harper ranked 8^th this week amongst DBs and he did not disappoint. He may be losing a step or two, but that is more reason for teams to throw at him. He is still a decent tackler and he gets a good amount of blitzing opportunities. Not a bad showing with nine total tackles (seven solo) and a half sack.

Jonathan Vilma was slightly better than I expected, but still was nothing special- I posted in my IDP Week One: Start/Sit column that I would sit Vilma and expected him to tally less than six tackles. Well I was slightly off. He tallied seven, but only five were solo. All in all it was not a very good night for him and GB C Scott Wells was all over him all game long.

The NO Defense did not get much of a pass rush- Aaron Rodgers was not pressured often and when he was, he easily eluded it. One of the sacks came on a clear protection breakdown by James Starks on a play action fake and other than that, NO did not do much to make Rodgers uncomfortable. Part of the problem can be attributed to the absence of Will Smith. Part of it to the GB O-Line’s good performance. However, if NO wants to go anywhere they need more pressure from their front four.

Jabari Greer will be a sneaky start in CB-required leagues all year- Greer has been an underappreciated and underrated fantasy CB for years. He was better than advertised in Buffalo and also has been the same way in New Orleans. He is good for a handful of tackles a game and also some pass breakups. This game was no different. Greer was second only to Roman Harper as Greer tallied seven tackles (all solo) and also broke up a pass.

GREEN BAY

Morgan Burnett is going to be a stud- I tried to advise people in leagues all over the place that they should grab Burnett this year. He was an afterthought after missing almost all of last season. He didn’t do much in the preseason. Everyone was forgetting about him. Not me. I own him in 5 of my 8 leagues (and only do not own him in the other three because someone I advise beat me to him in one league and I took over two teams that didn’t have him in the other cases). He stepped up and led GB in tackles out of the gate with 14 total tackles (seven solo). As predicted in our IDP Week One: Start/Sit column, he was all over the field. Expect more of that all year long.

Desmond Bishop did not disappoint and is certainly for real- 12 tackles (eight solo) is a nice start for him. He is destined to be a top-15 LB and likely will be a top-10 LB by year’s end. He easily justified my top-10 ranking that I gave him in my Week One Rankings. Pencil him lineups every single week from here forward.

Clay Matthews is going to be a handful all year- Even though the stat sheet doesn’t show it (only four tackles), Matthews was everywhere last night. He was constantly applying pressure around the corner, and on stunted blitzes up the gut of the offense. Dom Capers was creative in moving him around and getting him favorable matchups to exploit. He will easily be a 10+ sack guy at this rate.

GB’s Defense needs to be better- Sure they were playing New Orleans and Drew Brees and sure that is a heck of an offense they had to face. Still, there is no excuse for the relative ease in which NO was able to march up and down the field on them. If not for a critical goal-line stand in bonus time, this game could have gone to OT when it had no business being that close. If not for a Marques Colston fumble and a great job by the GB D-line getting low to help neutralize the right side of the NO O-line on the final play, the outcome of this game could have been different. GB has some things to tighten up on defense, despite their great showing on offense in week one

You better believe it!

In a contest that featured two of the NFL’s most prolific offenses, it was a host of fantasy no-namers that really put on a show, and raised a few eyebrows.

Did Greg Jennings, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Marques Colston all have good days? Yes.

But it wasn’t just the fantasy elite that had fantasy owners jumping for joy, rather players like Randall Cobb (2 receptions for 35 yards and a TD, 135 return yards and a single touchdown), and Darrren Sproles (7 passes for 75 yards, a 36-yard reception, a 72-yard punt return, and a 57-yard kickoff return).

So what does it all mean?

Well for starters, the Packers showed that they actually have MORE than five well-known receivers that they can deploy, and they showed that they intend to use damn near everyone on that roster.

Randall Cobb showed some significant upside and added team value Thursday, and even played a role in the passing game as the Packers sixth WR on the depth chart. Cobb, is still sporting a 1.0% ownership in most leagues, and makes for an intriguing scoop off the wire for those in leagues that reward points for return yards.

Darren Sproles also showed the same type of potential waiver wire value but has a far bigger ownership percentage of 42%.

Other notable players to consider are the following:

Johnathan Casillas (1%) – LB – Saints: Expected to be primary pass rusher and was able to penetrate the Packers’ D-line all night.

Jarrett Bush (1%) – DB – Packers: Could be the handcuff starter for Green Bay is Tramon Williams’ injury is serious enough. Bush is a stellar alternative off the wire.

John Kuhn (0.6%) – FB – Packers: Kuhn showed himself to be a goaline option for the Packers last year, and the team has already said they want to use him more in those situations; something we saw Thursday night. An intriguing waiver wire consideration if you have space.

In-Game Injuries:
Tramon Williams – DB – Packers: left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. No update yet available.

Packers – Saints Box Score

Risk aversion is always a common place in fantasy football, but it isn’t always the best approach because of what could be sacrificed.

The best way to deal with this is to look at individual situations, and other hidden aspects that many overlook; not just statistical projections and consensual analysis.

Let’s take a look at who’s who.

Jordy Nelson – Green Bay Packers – Week 8 Bye

Jordy Nelson is an intriguing player in the sense that some people feel him to be a risky venture while others feel him to be a solid mid-to-late round grab.

But to be honest there is no risk aversion with Nelson whatsoever, despite the return of Jermichael Finley and the resigning of James Jones—the bulk of the concern here.

Nelson played more snaps than Jones in 2010 (701 for Nelson – 649 for Jones) and that was as the Packers 4th receiver on the depth chart, and the presence of Finley will undoubtedly open up passing opportunities for Nelson and the Packers passing game—gold for fantasy owners.

Nelson is a prime WR3 candidate who will easily be drafted as a WR5 which is an unbeatable price is you ask me.

Mike Sims-Walker – St. Louis Rams – Week 5 Bye

MSW struggled in 2010 as he dealt with double coverage all year long, but fantasy owners only see the drop in numbers and nothing more.

The fact is, it was easy to double up on MSW because at the time, there was no other receiving threat in Jacksonville until Mike Thomas starting emerging, so it isn’t a fair assessment of what MSW can do—and he STILL caught 43 balls for 562 yards and 7 touchdowns.

MSW is in a one-year “prove it” deal with a far more explosive QB in Sam Bradford than David Garrard. But the real intriguing part is MSW is just one of five offensive weapons that the Rams will deploy this season, making it virtually impossible to double team him this year.

MSW is not only undervalued, but he is also primed for a breakout season and if you’re lucky enough to grab him as a WR4, you’re basically paying for the Hyundai, but getting the Benz.

Jacob Ford – Oakland Raiders – Week 8 Bye

There is still a consensus that Jacoby Ford isn’t going to do much this season for fantasy owners which is being reflected in real-time drafts and mock drafts, showing him to be severely undervalued.

A lot of this could be based on the hype surrounding Denarius Moore and the fact that Ford has missed 20 plus days of camp with a broken hand, but the Raiders still list Ford as the starting flanker on this team.

If that’s not enough, the team will also deploy Ford in the slot on their 3-wide sets, and he also carries a ton of value as a return man making him extra valuable for leagues that award return yardage for a WR.

You’re looking at one of the best value receivers in fantasy football this season. For a more formal write-up, check out my analysis on Jacoby Ford’s Sleeper Value.

Santana Moss – Washington Redskins – Week 5 Bye

I know, the Redskins seemingly stink, and they have a much undecided QB situation going on right now, but these types of situations often provide fantasy owners with unexpected production and supplemental fantasy points.

The Redskins are likely to play from behind in the majority of their contests which bodes well for their primary receiver no matter who is throwing the ball; an aspect that potentially increases Moss’ fantasy value.

If you are looking for a WR to fill out the back end of your team with a lot of potential upside, then Moss is definitely your man, as he will likely be passed on altogether.

Chad Ochocinco – New England Patriots – Week 7 Bye

When the Patriots scooped up Ochocinco, his fantasy stock significantly increased no doubt.

But many still feel as if Ochocinco will be nothing more than a role player, rather than the once great fantasy stud he was, which in my opinion, is inaccurate and devalues Ochocinco greatly.

The Patriots proved they can literally pass the ball to the Gatorade boy if they needed to last season, but opted to run a good portion of the passing game through double tight-end sets because they lacked a true deep-ball threat which is precisely why Ochocinco was brought in.

Ochocinco has the potential to not only lead this team in catches  and touchdowns, and if he is still around in the mid-rounds you’ll be drafting a guy with WR2/3 potential at a WR3/4 asking price.