San Francisco 49ers

• Head Coach Jim Harbaugh replaces Mike Singletary
• Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman replaces Mike Johnson

The signing of Harbaugh was supposed to breathe new life into Alex Smith, whose career has been lackluster so far, but Smith hasn’t exactly endeared himself to the new staff. The team used a fourth-round pick on Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick, but he is a bit too raw to take the starting job. However, Harbaugh has officially opened up the starting job and it was also revealed that the 49ers were courting, now Titans, Matt Hasselbeck. Not to mention the team had brought in  Daunte Culpepper in for a workout. So while Harbaugh had been able to use his magic on players like Andrew Luck and Buccaneers backup Josh Johnson, there might not be enough to make Smith a competant starter.

Frank Gore’s role doesn’t change with the coaching change. He will continue to be the bell cow in the backfield and should reach another 1000-1100 yard season, but health is always a factor. Harbaugh was able to turn Toby Gerhart into a top player, so he should be able to keep Gore alive as one of the league’s leading rushers. But, again, Gore has to remain healthy to do it.

The passing game was supposed to have improved, but Michael Crabtree has already gotten bit by the injury bug when he suffered a foot injury early in practice. The team, worried about Crabtree’s availability, signed former Jets receiver Braylon Edwards to a one year deal. Once Crabtree comes back, current No. 2 Josh Morgan could kick into the slot in three-receiver sets. Tight end Vernon Davis could easily lead the team in receptions in 2011.

Minnesota Vikings

• Interim Head Coach Leslie Frazier named head coach
• Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave replaces Darrell Bevell

After much speculation regarding the quarterback situation, the Vikings finally settled on former Eagles/Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb as the stopgap until rookie Christian Ponder is ready to take over the reigns. McNabb showed last year that he is clearly on the decline, but Musgrave will still use what arm strength he has left to stretch the field and make more down-field throws.

Just weeks after Frazier’s promotion, it wasn’t much of a surprise that he officially announced that the offense would run through Adrian Peterson. As the top back in the backfield, expect AD to flirt with 300 carries and close to 1300 rushing yards. And now that Musgrave is calling the offense, Peterson could start seeing an increase in receptions if he can show he can stay in on third downs, which AD has been lobbying for in training camp.

With Sidney Rice gone, Musgrave will use Percy Harvin a lot this year, moving him around in certain situations and creating mismatches. Unfortunately, outside of Harvin, this receiving unit is going to need to be coached up a lot in order to have any success. Bernard Berrian is pedestrian, Michael Jenkins is a better blocker than receiver and Greg Camarillo is just okay. Because of the lack of talent, Musgrave will use more two-tight end sets with Visanthe Shiancoe and rookie Kyle Rudolph. This will also help McNabb as he has shown in the past that he loves throwing to tight ends.

Carolina Panthers

• Head Coach Ron Rivera replaces John Fox in Carolina
• Offensive Coordinator Rob Chudzinski replaces Jeff Davidson

Rivera will have some work to do for an offense that had troubles at all the skill positions last year.

Starting with quarterback, it’s still a tossup as to who will start Week One between rookie Cam Newton and Jimmy Clausen. Neither has shown enough in the preseason that made one stick out from other other. As far as fantasy owners are concerned, Newton should only be owned in Dynasty leagues. Don’t expect this team to pass much in Rivera’s year one as the head coach.

Somehow the Panthers managed to bring back running back DeAngelo Williams, who was the hottest free agent on the market after the lockout ended. With Williams locked up, expect Rivera and Chud to use a lot of the ground game in 2011 to easy the passing game slowly into the fold as the season wears on.

Along with Williams, the Panthers also managed to appease receiver Steve Smith to the point where his trade demands disappeared. As the lone wide receiver with any sort of legitimate talent, Smith is going to see a lot of defensive attention this year.

The biggest plus that Rob Chudzinski gives the offense is that the tight ends will be used a lot in the passing game. As a former tight end and a former tight ends coach at San Diego, Chud will make good use out of guys like Greg Olsen, who was mostly used as a blocker in Chicago. We already saw the tight ends make some noise in the first preseason game after Olsen and Gary Barnidge led the team with four targets a piece. And if Newton winds up being thrown to the wolves Week One, he will need the tight end safety net to make it through.

St. Louis Rams

• Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels replaces Pat Shurmur

With Pat Shurmur now in Cleveland as the new head coach, McDaniels brings his pass happy offense to St. Louis. This will be huge for the development of Sam Bradford, who had already grown leads and bounds in his rookie year. Bradford should easily match his passing numbers from 2010 and should see an uptick in passing touchdowns from the eighteen he threw last year.

Steven Jackson is Steven Jackson. A hard runner and one of the better pass-catching running backs in the league. The upside is that McDaniels will continue to use Jackson as the featured back in the running game. The bad news is that Jackson’s receptions might not be there this year. To find a running back who had more than 50 receptions in a year, you have to go all the way back to 2008 when Patriots running back Kevin Faulk had 58. Jackson is also starting to get a bit long in the tooth and is slowly breaking down, but he should squeeze out one more year of production.

St. Louis has a lot of receivers on the roster, but only a few of them possess enough talent to even be considered every-week starter. Newly-signed Mike Sims-Walker figures to end up landing one starting spot, but Brandon Gibson has really looked good in the preseason. The lone guy who I absolutely love is Danny Amendola. After 85 receptions in 2010, he reminds me a lot of a poor-man’s Wes Welker, who McDaniels had coached before going to Denver. If Bradford can continue to play well, Amendola will easily lead the team in receptions. Rookie tight end Lance Kendricks has the most upside of all the tight ends on the roster and will have a big role early.

Dallas Cowboys

• Interim Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett named head coach/offensive coordinator

Talking about Garrett and the Cowboys will be short and sweet. Expect Tony Romo to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2010. Felix Jones, if he can stay healthy, should enjoy his best season yet as a pro. Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten will all be huge assets in the passing game. Since Garrett called the plays near the end of last year, don’t expect his offensive philosophy to change.

Only difference between Garrett and Wade Phillips? Don’t expect the practices to be like eating a slice of blueberry pie. Garrett will push these guys to the limit unlike Phillips, whose practices were considered “creampuff.”

Seattle Seahawks

• Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell replaces Jeremy Bates

Bevell goes from Minnesota to Seattle with the same title and will take his West Coast offense with him. This offense looks good on paper, but head coach Pete Carroll’s affinity for sticking with Tarvaris Jackson as his starting quarterback is going to kill this entire offense. I beg of you Pete, PLEASE GIVE CHARLIE WHITEHURST A CHANCE!!!!!!!

Marshawn Lynch, an early sleeper of mind, will get most of the workload if he can find running room in Tom Cable’s zone blocking offensive line. But with Leon Washington expected to get an expanded role and Justin Forsett still lingering, this backfield could become a committee if Lynch doesn’t get going early in the season. And with the huge question mark at quarterback, defenses will be ready for the run.

In a perfect world, Sidney Rice will benefit the most as Seattle’s version of Percy Harvin. Newly-acquired tight end Zach Miller will see an expanded role in the passing game after John Carlson fell out of favor with the coaching staff in 2010. Unfortunately, I find it hard to believe Big Mike Williams will be able to improve his numbers from 2010.

Arizona Cardinals

• Offensive Coordinator Mike Miller replaces the OC vacancy

With Miller calling the offense, the passing game will be a major factor this year. The signing of Kevin Kolb finally gives the quarterback position some legitimacy is severely lacked last year. Larry Fitzgerald will be the center point, but there really isn’t anyone else who sticks out. Andre Roberts? Stephen Williams? Please.

Outside of Fitzgerald, the second highest passing option, in my opinion, will be Todd Heap, who finally gives this offense a talented option at tight end that it hasn’t seen under head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s tenure.

One of the many ways I use the “Personal Agent” is to watch guys I think are emerging but I haven’t yet decided to pick them up. After all, I’ve already got a loaded bench and I won’t drop just for the sake of dropping.

Here’s who I’m watching headed into week 2. These guys could be waiver wire pickups (for my team) in the near future if they continue to draw good PR and/or fantasy numbers. All of this information is sent to me via my “Personal Agent”.

So here’s who I’m watching with my Personal Agent:

1. Greg Camarillo – Sure handed and smart, small chance to develop with Favre
2. Rob Gronkowski – High powered offense in need of a pass catching TE
3. Kareem Huggins – When the Cadillac break down I’ll be ready
4. Legedu Naanee – One more strong showing and he’s all mine
5. Devin Aromashodu – 10 targets in week 1, what does week 2 hold?
6. Mark Clayton – 16 targets and 10 rec in week 1, a couple more like this and we have strong PPR WR in 2010
7. Mike Williams – both Williams are sleepers this year, a couple more games will tell the tale!
8. Sign up for our personal agent and get the fastest waiver wire alerts on the web!

This is our personal agent tool. You can load up players that are game time decisions (we will let you know if they start or sit), sleepers, etc or just players you want alerts on. Also, adding your email to the personal agent ensures you'll receive the fastest waiver wire alerts available from our staff here at fantasyknuckleheads.com - just put your email address in and we let you know when someone like Brandon Jackson becomes a hot pickup before you or anyone else in your league has time to hear about it else where.

Our goal is to make your entire season simple yet dominating and require as little research as possible; all while ensuring you dominate your league before, during and after the draft.

Can Camarillo be a steady target for Favre?

The final preseason games are over. Most drafts are over. Final roster cuts are being made. More injuries have occurred. This seems like a good time to get our first look at the best waiver wire pick-ups of the preseason.

Every position and every team has had some interesting twists and turns over the preseason’s four games. So let’s go around the league and take a look at each team’s standouts and potential waiver fodder, plus Watch-list candidates.

–NFC North–

Chicago Bears:

Nobody in Bears camp this year has really flown under-the-radar enough to consider waiver wire grabs. As expected WRs Johnny Knox and Devin Aromashodu have snagged the #2 and #3 receiving slots. The IDP players are all as anticipated. The one potential question mark is that of much maligned TE, Greg Olsen. No one is as yet quite sure how he will fair in Mike Martz’s offense, and there are rumors he could be traded. Keep in mind, Olsen has the skills to be a top 5 TE, so depending on how things play out he could be a huge sleeper this year. If you have room on your bench he could be a nice grab. Otherwise I would simply watch-list him for now.

Detroit Lions:

Much like the Bears, there were few standout surprises this summer. WR Nate Burleson has sewn up the #2 WR slot, and is still not getting much fantasy love on a team with a huge passing game. If you need depth at WR he’s a strong waiver grab. Other than that, the Lions fantasy notables are all on the radar.

Green Bay Packers:

The Pack end the preseason with few surprises. The big camp battle was for the WR3 slot. It seems my sleeper pick, James Jones has won the gig, and is worth a late pick or bench slot. Don’t discount Jordy Nelson yet though. Keep him on your watch list. Brandon Jackson is a definite handcuff to Ryan Grant who strikes me as fragile. For IDP players, the name to know is DB rookie Morgan Burnett.

Minnesota Vikings:

The Vikings wasted no time today in trading away RB Darius Reynaud and back-up QB, Sage Rosenfels. Both were shipped to the New York Giant’s today. I still think the Giants could turn around and trade Sage for Matt Leinart, but that’s for another column. The area of interest with the Vikes is at wide receiver. The team signed former Raider/Packer and oft-injured Javon Walker, and though the stats show him looking good, he may not make the 53-man roster. He is clearly rusty. Meanwhile the team also picked up former Dolphin Greg Camarillo who has already make a connection with Brett Favre. Barring the team signing another receiver (say T.J. Houshmanzadeh) I believe Camarillo will beat out Greg Lewis for the WR3 slot. He has sure hands (he had 50 recptions with no drops, in 2009). He should be a worthwhile pick-up in PPR leagues.

Previous: AFC North

Next up: AFC West

Prediction pieces are always fun aren’t they? They stir the waters, get people thinking, and always contain at least one half-cocked prediction within the list. But the other fun side of them is having the ability to come back to them at the end of the year, to see how close you were in each of your predictions.

I tried to mix in fantasy football and regular football predictions, which is something you don’t normally see. So read on, and have fun, because that’s what these lists are all about.

If you enjoyed this piece, check out our Top 10 Fantasy Team Names just for giggles.

Brandon Marshall: New in Miami

The Miami Dolphins added one of the best players at his position in the NFL this offseason, and he ranks as only the third-biggest addition in Miami this summer. Thanks to LeBron and Chris Bosh coming to South Beach, the Dolphins will have until the end of October to be relevant in Miami before the Heat’s season begins.

In the AFC, they might be relevant longer than that, though.

Thanks to the addition of Brandon Marshall on offense in a big trade with Denver, the Dolphins could have an explosive offense the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the early 1980s. With young signal caller Chad Henne‘s cannon under center, the Fins could be a great offense for fantasy owners this year.

Let’s look at the Dolphins a little closer.

Quarterback

Henne replaced Chad Pennington last year and emerged as a decent fantasy quarterback despite limited options. He threw 12 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions, but didn’t have an elite weapon outside like Marshall. By simply replacing Ted Ginn with Marshall, the Dolphins offense has improved by leaps and bounds. The continued development of secondary targets should also help Henne have a strong season under center in Miami.

Running Back

The running game in Miami has been a fantasy nightmare for fantasy owners ever since the Dolphins drafted Ronnie Brown. Brown’s talent is undeniable, and he’s one of the most productive backs in the NFL when he’s on the field.

But that’s the problem. Brown’s rarely on the field.

So the gamble is to look at Ricky Williams, who eclipsed 1,100 yards last year, as their top fantasy back. The Dolphins have a good offensive line, and will run the ball to keep defenses honest. But it’s hard for any fantasy owner to put #1 RB faith in any back from Miami because of Brown’s abilities and Williams’ inconsistent history. There are also a number of top rush defenses on the Dolphins schedule this year that impact the draft rankings of either Brown or Williams.

Wide Receivers

Marshall jumps to the top of the list, but the Fins have some other strong options. Davone Bess broke out with 76 catches for 758 yards last year, and should be the biggest beneficiary of the Marshall acquisition. Greg Camarillo should see plenty of action as the third receiver as well, after catching 50 balls for 552 yards last season.

The enormous catch-22 with Miami’s receivers, however, is the reality that there will be two lost weeks this season when they play the NY Jets, one of which comes during the playoffs in most leagues. So while there could be strong production throughout the season from this talented group, owners are advised to have good depth if banking on Marshall for playoffs. The Dolphins have favorable matchups in Weeks 15 and 16, but the Jets game on 14 is a speed bump for owners.

Tight Ends

Anthony Fasano had a nice season for the Dolphins last year with 31 catches and two touchdowns, and could be another player that benefits in the red zone because of the Marshall addition. However, owners shouldn’t look to Fasano as a top fantasy option because of the depth at receiver in Miami; Fasano should be used as an injury replacement or a bye-week/matchup TE.

Karlos Dansby: Also new in Miami

Defense

The addition of former Arizona Cardinals captain Karlos Dansby to play inside next to Channing Crowder gives the Dolphins great strength in their linebacking group heading into 2010. Another season from Vontae Davis, who had four interceptions last year at corner, also gives the Dolphins good secondary play as well.

MIA DEF should be handicapped in any draft, however, because of the number of strong offenses on their schedule this year. The draw of DET in Week 16 is a sweet fantasy matchup in championship week, but facing Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, Carson Palmer, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez and Tom Brady at quarterback and running backs like Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson should make owners think twice about locking in Miami for the full season.

There is a lot of IDP value on the Miami roster, but the team defense should be a caution.

2010 Regular Season Schedule (all times EST)

• Week One – SUN Sept 12 – @ BUF    1:00 PM
• Week Two – SUN Sept 19 – @ MIN    1:00 PM
• Week Three – SUN Sept 26 – vs NYJ    8:20 PM
• Week Four – MON Oct 4 – vs NE   8:30 PM
• Week Five – BYE
• Week Six – SUN Oct 17 – @ GB    1:00 PM
• Week Six – SUN Oct 24 – vs PIT    1:00 PM
• Week Eight – SUN Oct 31 – @ CIN   1:00 PM
• Week Nine - SUN Nov 7 – @ BAL    1:00 PM
• Week Ten – SUN Nov 14 – vs TEN    1:00 PM
• Week Eleven – SUN Nov 21 – vs CHI    8:20 PM
• Week Twelve – SUN Nov 28 – @ OAK    4:05 PM
• Week Thirteen – SUN Dec 5 – vs CLE   1:00 PM
• Week Fourteen - SUN Dec 12 – @ NYJ    4:15 PM
• Week Fifteen – SUN Dec 19 – vs BUF    1:00 PM
• Week Sixteen – SUN Dec 23 – vs DET   1:00 PM
• Week Seventeen – SUN Jan 2 – @ NE   1:00 PM

The schedule puts a lot of intrigue into the 2010 fantasy season in Miami. With big time offenses all over the schedule, and some tough defenses including NYJ and BAL as well, evey Dolphins player should be considered a week-by-week fantasy play.

Coaching Philosophy

The Dolphins should continue to be an aggressive defense that attacks opposing quarterbacks and focuses on turnovers. On offense, this could be an evolving situation with Henne under center and the running game being a question mark.

Last week, if I told you that Hines Ward, Dwayne Bowe, and Braylon Edwards were going to combine for a measly 3 catches, 33 yards and a single touchdown, you probably would’ve thought I was nuts.

If I also told you to SIT these three guys last week—which much to my dismay I did not— you probably would’ve thought “Yeah right, are you kidding me?”

Well, I said to start them, and sure enough all three combined for those stats above in arguably their worst game for all three players this year thanks largely to a growing trend defensively in the NFL: excellent defensive backs.

While the safeties are the majority leader in interceptions, it is the play of a handful of DBs that has most WRs lacking in the type of Fantasy numbers most expect. Bowe was a victim of Antoine Cason and Steven Gregory—although Matt Cassel’s play didn’t help either—Braylon Edwards had a long night dealing with arguably the best corner in the league Nnamdi Asomugha, and Hines Ward was victimized by a little dude named Benny Sapp, and for those of you who missed the Vikings-Steelers game you missed this guy literally throwing himself all over the field—it really was a sight.

So as we enter Week 8 it may be a good idea to remember who is out there covering your receivers as you try to get your roster set. Whether it’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie covering Carolina’s Steve Smith, Asante Samuel covering whoever the Giants feel they wanna throw at him, Charles Woodson helping out with Sidney Rice, or Darrell Revis covering the Dolphins wideouts, there is plenty of trouble out there to afford your notice.

This week features some interesting matchups including one game I think will be the Fantasy game of the Week which we’ll get to later.

The most interesting aspect of this week is the new kids are beginning to give the veterans a run for their money which is precisely the tone for this week’s Start-Sit—let’s begin:

Must Start of the Week:

Mike Sims-Walker: I was very tempted to put Miles Austin in this spot but with the consistent production of Sims-Walker, the fact he is the number one playmaker for the Jags every single week, and the fact they are facing the hauntingly horrid coverage of the Titans, it seemed to me a no contest—sorry Austin.

Sims-Walker is coming off an impressive outing against the lowly Rams and will ride that wave into Tennessee where he is sure to have huge success. Sims-Walker is averaging 7 catches for 99.5 yards and 1 TD per game, which ironically enough is right on-par with his last performance against the Titans where he caught 7 balls for 91 yards and two scores. Make sure he isn’t on your bench. 

Two through Ten:

Must Sit of the Week:

Robert Meachem has been a huge disappointment for owners this year, and the Saints are consistently showing that he is a last resort option for Drew Brees. It comes as a surprise considering the size and speed he has, and he has never really had problems catching the ball, it just seems to be the way right now.

Through 6 games he has 6 catches for 151 yards and 2 TDs and while I don’t see this trend continuing down the stretch, Meachem would be lucky to see 2 grabs for 30 yards against the Falcons. IF you own him, and there are better options on the Waiver Wire, you can consider getting rid of him in shallow leagues.

Two Through Ten:

Risky Starters To Consider.

If you are hurting in the WR department and have any of the following guys, keep in mind that they may have more upside than down.

Greg Camarillo-Dolphins: Camarillo is an intriguing receiver in that; he consistently produces each week but on a very minimal basis. Camarillo is the Dolphins main possession receiver and although he doesn’t have a lot of downfield speed, he is usually good for about 4 or 5 catches and 30 to 40 yards.

The Dolphins are still deploying the Wildcat which dips into the production of receivers and they also have to deal with Darrell Revis this week, so if you need someone in a pinch Camarillo will give you something if you’re out of options.

Eddie Royal-Broncos: there has been a lot of inconsistency surrounding Royal and after his two returns last week he was rested by the staff. Hmm, rested huh?

I guess the old philosophy of…oh I don’t know, playing your players is a thing of the past in Denver but since this is the way they are treating the youngster he is worth a discerning eye. He shouldn’t be considered a top start, rather a bye week fill-in at best.

Nate Burleson-Seahawks: Burleson is such a gamble week in and week out and his track record shows it. Through 6 games he has had 3 awesome performances and three crappy ones. But Burleson is just that type of player, hot one minute then cold the next.

Still, if you’re in a spot, he makes for a nice start against the Cowboys on the road, but the likelihood is that the Cowboys will try to keep the Seahawks attack under lock and key. Out of all the risky starts, Burleson is second best.

Jerricho Cotchery-Jets: Rex Ryan is “very optimistic” about Cotchery starting this week, despite Cotchery holding himself out last week at the last minute. Cotchery said he didn’t feel 100% and wasn’t worth getting out there if he couldn’t help his team.

Cotchery faces a tough Miami defense and an even tougher corner in Will Allen, and if there are any lingering effects of the hamstring Cotchery will not be 100% which means his bread and butter—his exploitation of soft coverage with his speed—will not be a factor.

Keep an eye on him, and if he really is ready to go, and you’re in a spot give him the nod.

James Jones-Packers: The Packers only have three healthy receivers with Nelson and Finley out and it is so bad that the club has mentioned the possibility of calling up Jake Allen from the practice squad—I know, I have no idea who he is either and I’m a Packers fan.

With Driver, Jennings, and Jones the only three options right now, James Jones will surely see some extra targets this week form Rodgers making his value increase a bit.

Jones is the best risky start of the group with the highest ceiling for sleeper value, and if you need someone to plug and play you can bet Jones will come through.

Fantasy Game of the Week:  Eagles  vs. Giants.

OK no, this is not a plug for the World Series, but the Eagles vs. the Giants always winds up being a big time affair and you can bet this week’s game will be no different.

In the last four meetings, there has been a total combined 149 points, a total of 1,442 receiving yards and 9 total touchdowns, and one can make a stout argument that both teams are vastly improved at the WR spot than the past two years.

The Eagles will probably be without Brian Westbrook as he is dealing with a pretty nasty concussion which will clear the way for Jackson and Maclin to have a huge day.

The Giants have had success spreading the ball around to their big three and despite the quality of the Eagles defense, I think this game will turn into a shoot out late.

Fantasy Projections for Receivers:

DeSean Jackson: 6 catches for 85 yards and 1 TD
Jeremy Maclin:   5 catches for 101 yards and 1 TD
Hakeem Nicks:   6 catches for 90 yards and 1 TD
Steve Smith:       7 catches for 95 yards and 1 TD
Manningham:   4 catches for 51 yards

Final Score: 27-24 Philadelphia

Good Luck this week everyone.

TE Start Sit
RB Start Sit
Defense