This is going to be my fourth installment of an eight part series that focuses on players that could find themselves being released from each division. I had previously focused on the AFC West, AFC North and AFC South. Today’s article is going to take a look at the AFC East.

It goes without saying that the New England Patriots are the class of that division with the rest of the teams vying for second-best. With that said, their window appears to be gradually closing. Expect the defending AFC Champions and every other team in this division to make some significant moves to rebuild and reload.

So, lets take a look.

New England Patriots

OT- Matt Light: $6.5 million cap hit

The Patriots are actually projected to be about $23 million under the cap when free agency starts, so they don’t have to make any roster decisions based solely on finances. Instead, they can look at upgrading the roster. With Nate Solder entering his second season, it makes sense for New England to let the veteran Matt Light go in order to use that $6.5 million elsewhere.

Light has made three Pro Bowl appearances throughout his career and has been a lynchpin for their offensive line. But, there comes a time when all good things must come to an end. It appears his days in Foxboro are numbered.

WR- Chad Ochocinco: $6.2 million cap hit

No. 85 has seen his best days and isn’t much better than a #3 wide receiver on a good team, if that. He has lost the speed that made him dangerous and is unable to make the break at the line that is necessary to gain separation. Many people expected the experiment in New England to work out, but I had my reservations. It appears that experiment is over after one disappointing season.

DL- Ron Brace: $1.4 million cap hit

The New England Patriots selected Ron Brace in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft to be the eventual replacement for Vince Wilfork. All he has done in three seasons is acquire a total of 35 tackles in seven starts, not what you want from a high pick. We all know that Belichick and Co. have a short leash when it comes to under performing players, this will be the case with Brace during the 2012 off-season.

New York Jets

LB- Bart Scott: $6.0 million cap hit

The Jets already find themselves roughly $5 million over the cap and without an opportunity to upgrade a team that performed at a disastrous level in 2011. In short, they are going to have to cut money somewhere from the 53. Bart Scott is a prime candidate to get released if he refuses to restructure that contract. The Jets really need to get younger at the linebacker position. This coupled with the fact that Scott is set to make $6 million in 2012 and regressed last season, leads me to believe he is on his way out of Jersey.

LB- Calvin Pace: $7.4 million cap hit

The veteran linebacker has seen his sack total drop over the course of the last few seasons as his tackle total has gone up. It seems that Pace translates better to a 4-3 scheme at this point in his career. With the added onus of getting pass rushers to play OLB in a 3-4, he could be on the way out. Aaron Maybin, who led the Jets in sacks last season, is a free agent and could be the heir-apparent to Pace at the ROLB position.

Buffalo Bills

DE- Chris Kelsay: $5.8 million cap hit

The Bills are definitely going to look for an upgrade over Chris Kelsay at the outside linebacker position. I fully expect them to jump on Courtney Upshaw should he fall to them. Just one year after signing a four year, $28 million contract, the veteran linebacker regressed along one of the weakest units in the entire NFL. Kelsay is currently the Bills third highest paid player and I expect them to cut their losses this off-season.

CB- Terrence McGee: $6.3 million cap hit

Injuries are what have cost McGee over his career. This is an extremely talented corner who was playing elite football back in 2004. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy. We are looking at a corner that has missed 22 games over the course of the last three seasons.

You also have to realize that he is set to make $13 million in 2012 and 2013.  Buffalo has two young corners in Justin Rogers and Aaron Williams fully prepared to take his spot. There is no doubt that McGee will be looking for another home this off-season. Lets just hope he can stay healthy enough to salvage what was once a promising career.

LB- Shawne Merriman: $5.8 million cap hit

As much as it sounds like pure conjecture, Shawne Merriman is nowhere near the player he was during his Steroid days. The linebacker absolutely dominating opposing AFC offenses from 2005-to-2007, recording a total of 40 sacks. Since, he has compiled a grand total of 4.5. Needless to say, Buffalo isn’t going to pay him nearly $6 million per sack in 2012. He is as good as gone.

Miami Dolphins

S- Yeremiah Bell: $5.8 million cap hit

There have been various reports indicating that the Miami Dolphins are incredibly interested in signing Reggie Nelson this off-season. If that is true Bell better be packing his bags. He struggled a great deal in 2011 and was one of the primary reasons that the Dolphins secondary didn’t live up to expectations. With that said, he is just two years removed from a Pro bowl season and will get interest from multiple teams in March.

TE- Anthony Fasano: $4.5 million cap hit

The Dolphins don’t have a ton of cap room to work with this off-season. With the reports that they are interested in both Payton Manning and Matt Flynn comes the idea that they are going to have to do a mini “salary cap purge.” If that is the case, Fasano is likely to be gone. He hasn’t been nearly what Miami had hoped when the traded for him with Dallas following the 2007 season. I fully expect them to let him go and look for a replacement in the NFL Draft, Dwayne Allen comes to mind first.

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

Click image to get $10 bucks free

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.

After falling to pick 1.10, Gore was the first pick in our first expert league of the Summer.

Even though the NFL season has been going strong for weeks now, Fantasy Knuckleheads’ official start to the fantasy season began with our first expert draft of the 2011 season; KFFL NFL Experts League. This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill draft either. We’re talking about some of the top dogs in not only fantasy football, but guys who cover the NFL on a daily basis. Here is a list of the participants:

RotoExperts.com
FootballGuys.com
FOXSports.com
FFToday.com
RotoWire.com
RTSports.com
KFFL.com
BrunoBoys.net
FantasyGuru.com
CBSSports.com
Gridiron-Guru.com
FantasyKnuckleheads.com

Below is how the draft went down and a quick synopsis on each of Knuckleheads’ picks, round-by-round.
PPR, 4 points per passing TD, 6 points per rushing/receiving TD.
1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1Flex/RB/WR/TE, 1DEF, 1K

Round One
#1 BrunoBoys.net – Arian Foster RB, HOU
#2 RotoWire.com – Adrian Peterson RB, MIN
#3 CBSSports.com – Chris Johnson RB, TEN
#4 FOXSports.com – Jamaal Charles RB, KAN
#5 FootballGuys.com – Ray Rice RB, BAL
#6 RotoExperts.com – LeSean McCoy RB, PHI
#7 FantasyGuru.com – Andre Johnson WR, HOU
#8 RTSports.com – Darren McFadden RB, OAK
#9 FFToday.com – Roddy White WR, ATL
#10 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Frank Gore RB, SFO
#11 Gridiron-Guru.com – Calvin Johnson WR, DET
#12 KFFL.com – Maurice Jones-Drew RB, JAC

In a PPR league, I was hoping one of the last pass-catching running backs would be left, so I decided to take Gore instead of quarterback or receiver. A healthy Frank Gore will produce big numbers under a new coaching staff.

Round 2
#1 KFFL.com – Larry Fitzgerald WR, ARI
#2 Gridiron-Guru.com – Peyton Hillis RB, CLE
#3 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Hakeem Nicks WR, NYG
#4 FFToday.com – Rashard Mendenhall RB, PIT
#5 RTSports.com – Greg Jennings WR, GNB
#6 FantasyGuru.com – Matt Forte RB, CHI
#7 RotoExperts.com – Reggie Wayne WR, IND
#8 FootballGuys.com – Aaron Rodgers QB, GNB
#9 FOXSports.com – Michael Turner RB, ATL
#10 CBSSports.com – Brandon Marshall WR, MIA
#11 RotoWire.com – Drew Brees QB, NOR
#12 BrunoBoys.net – Steven Jackson RB, STL

Going with the strategy of taking a top player in each position in the first 4-5 rounds, Hakeem Nicks was the best available receiver left on our board. With Steve Smith’s recovery from microfracture surgery expected to take months, Nicks will easily top last year’s stats in terms of receptions (79) and yardage (1052).

Round 3
#1 BrunoBoys.net – Miles Austin WR, DAL
#2 RotoWire.com – Jahvid Best RB, DET
#3 CBSSports.com – Mike Wallace WR, PIT
#4 FOXSports.com – Vincent Jackson WR, SDG
#5 FootballGuys.com – Ahmad Bradshaw RB, NYG
#6 RotoExperts.com – Felix Jones RB, DAL
#7 FantasyGuru.com – Michael Vick QB, PHI
#8 RTSports.com – Mike Williams WR, TAM
#9 FFToday.com – Antonio Gates TE, SDG
#10 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Wes Welker WR, NWE
#11 Gridiron-Guru.com – Knowshon Moreno RB, DEN
#12 KFFL.com – Dwayne Bowe WR, KAN

Welker is only a year removed from 123 catches in 2009. Hell, he still had 86 last year when the team was going through Randy Moss withdrawals and added in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. If Chad Ochocinco can squeeze out another strong year, Welker should at least hit 100 receptions again.

Round 4
#1 KFFL.com – Shonn Greene RB, NYJ
#2 Gridiron-Guru.com – Tom Brady QB, NWE
#3 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Peyton Manning QB, IND
#4 FFToday.com – LeGarrette Blount RB, TAM
#5 RTSports.com – DeAngelo Williams RB, CAR
#6 FantasyGuru.com – Ryan Mathews RB, SDG
#7 RotoExperts.com – Tony Romo QB, DAL
#8 FootballGuys.com – Mark Ingram RB, NOR
#9 FOXSports.com – Jason Witten TE, DAL
#10 CBSSports.com – Dez Bryant WR, DAL
#11 RotoWire.com – Dallas Clark TE, IND
#12 BrunoBoys.net – Jeremy Maclin WR, PHI

Peyton Manning is coming off neck surgery and it’s still unknown if he will be ready by Week One. This is the main reason why he likely slid all the way to the fourth round. Even so, I simply don’t see him missing any of the regular season. While he is getting bumped down by guys like Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, and Michael Vick, Manning will hold his own and put up disgustingly huge numbers if he’s ready by Week One. If so, 30+ touchdown passes here I come!!!!! He still has plenty of time to prepare.

Fred Jackson should get 250+ touches this year.

Round 5
#1 BrunoBoys.net – Philip Rivers QB, SDG
#2 RotoWire.com – Marques Colston WR, NOR
#3 CBSSports.com – Cedric Benson RB, CIN
#4 FOXSports.com – Steve Johnson WR, BUF
#5 FootballGuys.com – DeSean Jackson WR, PHI
#6 RotoExperts.com – Santonio Holmes WR, NYJ
#7 FantasyGuru.com – Jermichael Finley TE, GNB
#8 RTSports.com – Brandon Lloyd WR, DEN
#9 FFToday.com – Matt Schaub QB, HOU
#10 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Fred Jackson RB, BUF
#11 Gridiron-Guru.com – Ryan Torain RB, WAS
#12 KFFL.com – Percy Harvin WR, MIN

Jackson had a down year in 2010 after achieving 1000 rushing yards in 2009. But this year will be a different story. He no longer has to compete with Marshawn Lynch. And with CJ Spiller still having fumble issues and pass-protecting problems in practice, Jackson will touch the ball 250+ times this season.

Round 6
#1 KFFL.com – Chris Wells RB, ARI
#2 Gridiron-Guru.com – Vernon Davis TE, SFO
#3 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Greg Olsen TE, CAR
#4 FFToday.com – Kenny Britt WR, TEN
#5 RTSports.com – Matt Ryan QB, ATL
#6 FantasyGuru.com – Daniel Thomas RB, MIA
#7 RotoExperts.com – Ryan Grant RB, GNB
#8 FootballGuys.com – Austin Collie WR, IND
#9 FOXSports.com – Sidney Rice WR, SEA
#10 CBSSports.com – BenJarvus Green-Ellis RB, NWE
#11 RotoWire.com – Marshawn Lynch RB, SEA
#12 BrunoBoys.net – Jonathan Stewart RB, CAR

Out of all the picks, this is the one I regret……but just a little bit. Playing in OC Mike Martz’s offense killed Olsen’s value in Chicago. And he’ll have some growing pains as he gets adjusted to playing in a new system and a new quarterback. What I am banking on is Carolina OC Rob Chudzinski making Olsen a big part of the offense. Chud was the tight ends coach in San Diego and was a big part of making some dude named Antonio Gates a stud.

Round 7
#1 BrunoBoys.net – Anquan Boldin WR, BAL
#2 RotoWire.com – Chad Ochocinco WR, NWE
#3 CBSSports.com – Ben Roethlisberger QB, PIT
#4 FOXSports.com – Eli Manning QB, NYG
#5 FootballGuys.com – Jimmy Graham TE, NOR
#6 RotoExperts.com – Mike Thomas WR, JAC
#7 FantasyGuru.com – Pierre Garcon WR, IND
#8 RTSports.com – Brandon Jacobs RB, NYG
#9 FFToday.com – Mario Manningham WR, NYG
#10 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Jordy Nelson WR, GNB
#11 Gridiron-Guru.com – Ryan Williams RB, ARI
#12 KFFL.com – Matthew Stafford QB, DET

After putting up a huge game in the Super Bowl, and also suffering a burst bursa sac in his left knee, Nelson figures to see a lot more time on the field this year. James Jones coming back does hurt some, but we doubt he has fixed his inconsistencies. And Donald Driver is close to being done completely. Nelson has sleeper written all over him. He’s the team’s most talented receiver outside of Greg Jennings.

Round 8
#1 KFFL.com – Owen Daniels TE, HOU
#2 Gridiron-Guru.com – Roy Williams WR, CHI
#3 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Joseph Addai RB, IND
#4 FFToday.com – Danny Amendola WR, STL
#5 RTSports.com – Mike Tolbert RB, SDG
#6 FantasyGuru.com – Steve Smith WR, CAR
#7 RotoExperts.com – Kellen Winslow TE, TAM
#8 FootballGuys.com – A.J. Green WR, CIN
#9 FOXSports.com – C.J. Spiller RB, BUF
#10 CBSSports.com – Santana Moss WR, WAS
#11 RotoWire.com – Reggie Bush RB, MIA
#12 BrunoBoys.net – Davone Bess WR, MIA

Another guy who slid farther than I had anticipated, Addai re-signed with the Colts and will start Week One. Donald Brown showed me nothing last year that would make me believe he can unseat Addai for the starting job. Rookie Delone Carter could make some noise, but the starting job is clearly Addai’s to lose. And as my No. 3 running back, THAT’S GOLD JERRY GOLD!!!

Robert Meachem could finally have the breakout season the Saints have been waiting for.

Round 9
#1 BrunoBoys.net – Darren Sproles RB, NOR
#2 RotoWire.com – Braylon Edwards WR, SFO
#3 CBSSports.com – Tim Hightower RB, WAS
#4 FOXSports.com – Julio Jones WR, ATL
#5 FootballGuys.com – Jacoby Ford WR, OAK
#6 RotoExperts.com – Greg Little WR, CLE
#7 FantasyGuru.com – Josh Freeman QB, TAM
#8 RTSports.com – Deion Branch WR, NWE
#9 FFToday.com – Rashad Jennings RB, JAC
#10 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Robert Meachem WR, NOR
#11 Gridiron-Guru.com – Malcom Floyd WR, SDG
#12 KFFL.com – Johnny Knox WR, CHI

I initially ragged on Kurt for making a homer pick, but you can’t disagree that this could be Meachem’s year. Finally over injuries, Meachem is showing why the Saints drafted him in the first round back in 2007. With Marques Colston still sidelined with problematic knees, Meachem could end up being Drew Brees’ go-to guy. His upside is off the charts right now.

Round 10
#1 KFFL.com – Jay Cutler QB, CHI
#2 Gridiron-Guru.com – Sam Bradford QB, STL
#3 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Roy Helu RB, WAS
#4 FFToday.com – Michael Bush RB, OAK
#5 RTSports.com – Mike Sims-Walker WR, STL
#6 FantasyGuru.com – Lance Moore WR, NOR
#7 RotoExperts.com – Matt Cassel QB, KAN
#8 FootballGuys.com – Marcedes Lewis TE, JAC
#9 FOXSports.com – Kevin Kolb QB, ARI
#10 CBSSports.com – Rob Gronkowski TE, NWE
#11 RotoWire.com – Hines Ward WR, PIT
#12 BrunoBoys.net – Brandon Pettigrew TE, DET

Hate the Redskins, but I love me some Roy Helu. Ryan Torain can’t stay healthy and Tim Hightower is going to fumble his way into Mike Shanahan’s doghouse. I’m trying to temper my expectations because he’s a rookie, but I can’t see Helu not landing the starting job in-season.

Round 11
#1 BrunoBoys.net – James Starks RB, GNB
#2 RotoWire.com – Mike Williams WR, SEA
#3 CBSSports.com – Joe Flacco QB, BAL
#4 FOXSports.com – Pierre Thomas RB, NOR
#5 FootballGuys.com – Plaxico Burress WR, NYJ
#6 RotoExperts.com – Danny Woodhead RB, NWE
#7 FantasyGuru.com – Willis McGahee RB, DEN
#8 RTSports.com – Kyle Orton QB, DEN
#9 FFToday.com – James Jones WR, GNB
#10 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Jared Cook TE, TEN
#11 Gridiron-Guru.com – Green Bay Packers Def/ST, GNB
#12 KFFL.com – Michael Crabtree WR, SFO

Now we start getting into the players that are looking good in camp, but haven’t popped up on anyone else’s radar. With Matt Hasselbeck in town, Cook could be in for a solid season. Reports say that the coaches are lining him out as a wide receiver in practice, so we could see him push for a career year in 2011.

Round 12
#1 KFFL.com – LaDainian Tomlinson RB, NYJ
#2 Gridiron-Guru.com – Donald Driver WR, GNB
#3 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Philadelphia Eagles Def/ST, PHI
#4 FFToday.com – Ryan Fitzpatrick QB, BUF
#5 RTSports.com – Tony Gonzalez TE, ATL
#6 FantasyGuru.com – Dustin Keller TE, NYJ
#7 RotoExperts.com – New York Jets Def/ST, NYJ
#8 FootballGuys.com – Shane Vereen RB, NWE
#9 FOXSports.com – Zach Miller TE, SEA
#10 CBSSports.com – Pittsburgh Steelers Def/ST, PIT
#11 RotoWire.com – Mark Sanchez QB, NYJ
#12 BrunoBoys.net – Chris Cooley TE, WAS

My homer pick of the draft. The Eagles Defense still has to gel with all the new faces, plus a new defensive coordinator, but they should slowly start raining down some terror against opposing offenses. I still worry about the pass rush and the linebackers, but that secondary is just too sick to pass up. If they end up flopping, I’ll be eating some crow in the winter.

For at least one week, I'm hoping Matt Hasselbeck shines as much as his bald noggin does on a sunny day.

Round 13
#1 BrunoBoys.net – Donovan McNabb QB, MIN
#2 RotoWire.com – Justin Forsett RB, SEA
#3 CBSSports.com – Jerome Simpson WR, CIN
#4 FOXSports.com – Delone Carter RB, IND
#5 FootballGuys.com – New England Patriots Def/ST, NWE
#6 RotoExperts.com – Tony Moeaki TE, KAN
#7 FantasyGuru.com – Jordan Shipley WR, CIN
#8 RTSports.com – Chicago Bears Def/ST, CHI
#9 FFToday.com – Aaron Hernandez TE, NWE
#10 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Matt Hasselbeck QB, TEN
#11 Gridiron-Guru.com – Danario Alexander WR, STL
#12 KFFL.com – New York Giants Def/ST, NYG

I don’t expect Hasselbeck to find fantasy glory behind a questionable offensive line, but I only need him to pick up the slack during Peyton’s bye week (11). Luckily, he’s playing Atlanta in the dome, so weather won’t be an issue.

Round 14
#1 KFFL.com – Steve Breaston WR, KAN
#2 Gridiron-Guru.com – Leonard Hankerson WR, WAS
#3 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Torrey Smith WR, BAL
#4 FFToday.com – Baltimore Ravens Def/ST, BAL
#5 RTSports.com – Brent Celek TE, PHI
#6 FantasyGuru.com – Jerome Harrison RB, DET
#7 RotoExperts.com – Ronnie Brown RB, PHI
#8 FootballGuys.com – DeMarco Murray RB, DAL
#9 FOXSports.com – Lee Evans WR, BUF
#10 CBSSports.com – Javon Ringer RB, TEN
#11 RotoWire.com – Early Doucet WR, ARI
#12 BrunoBoys.net – Dallas Cowboys Def/ST, DAL

Another upside/depth pick, Smith has been looking really good in practice, yeah maybe I put too much stock in training camps, and he looks to be the starter alongside Anquan Boldin. Nice bye-week filler who could make a flex appearance.

Round 15
#1 BrunoBoys.net – Stephen Gostkowski K, NWE
#2 RotoWire.com – Detroit Lions Def/ST, DET
#3 CBSSports.com – Brandon Jackson RB, CLE
#4 FOXSports.com – New Orleans Saints Def/ST, NOR
#5 FootballGuys.com – Nate Kaeding K, SDG
#6 RotoExperts.com – Emmanuel Sanders WR, PIT
#7 FantasyGuru.com – Kansas City Chiefs Def/ST, KAN
#8 RTSports.com – Jabar Gaffney WR, WAS
#9 FFToday.com – Jason Snelling RB, ATL
#10 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Todd Heap TE, ARI
#11 Gridiron-Guru.com – Titus Young WR, DET
#12 KFFL.com – Rob Bironas K, TEN

I never take three tight ends. Sometimes, I don’t even take two. But I was so worried about my Olsen pick, that I picked up Cook and prayed. This league allows a tight end as a flex position, so Heap will help during the bye weeks. And playing with Kevin Kolb, who likes to throw to tight ends, Heap might have a little bit of TE2 value left.

Round 16
#1 KFFL.com – Lonyae Miller RB, DAL
#2 Gridiron-Guru.com – Mason Crosby K, GNB
#3 FantasyKnuckleheads.com – Garrett Hartley K, NOR
#4 FFToday.com – Alex Henery K, PHI
#5 RTSports.com – Matt Bryant K, ATL
#6 FantasyGuru.com – Sebastian Janikowski K, OAK
#7 RotoExperts.com – Josh Brown K, STL
#8 FootballGuys.com – Donnie Avery WR, STL
#9 FOXSports.com – Neil Rackers K, HOU
#10 CBSSports.com – David Buehler K, DAL
#11 RotoWire.com – Adam Vinatieri K, IND
#12 BrunoBoys.net – Jacoby Jones WR, HOU

A kicker is a kicker, but at least I got one that ranked fairly high. And since Kurt is a Saints fan, nothing wrong with appeasing the boss with guys from his own team.

With the lockout over, fantasy owners should be celebrating and preparing for the new fantasy season.

If you haven’t been paying attention today, the NFL players unanimously ratified the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, thus ending the months of lockout news that many of us have had to endure over the last several months.

With the lockout over and players ready to get back into game shape and also sign with new teams, here is ESPN’s description of the most up-to-date timeline:

According to the timeline for league business to begin, trades can be made beginning Tuesday and free-agent signings can be filed with the league office Friday at 6 p.m. ET.

Teams may begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents beginning Tuesday. Players can begin reporting to training camps 15 days before their first preseason games. According to the proposed timeline, 10 teams would report on Wednesday, 10 more on Thursday and 10 additional teams on Friday. The New York Jets and Houston Texans would be the last two teams to report, on Sunday.

What does it mean for us? It’s time for celebration and for us at Fantasy Knuckleheads to start pimping our content, which includes rankings, sleepers and all sorts of advice, that also includes the grand reopening of our football forum.

And aside from the content we provide on our site, also make sure to follow us on Twitter where we bring you the most up-to-date news on the happenings in the NFL. And make sure to check us out on Facebook.

And last, but not least, make sure to check out Greg Brosh and Brosh’s Fantasy Corner, the most informative fantasy football channel on YouTube. Every week, Greg will share with you his thoughts and insight on how to dominate your fantasy leagues in 2011.

With so many ways to find our great information, there is absolutely no reason you can’t get the edge you need in all your fantasy football leagues.

So buckle up everyone. Because the rest of the Summer is going to be a fantasy football roller coaster!

Peyton Manning. Tom Brady. Aaron Rogers.
Those are three quarterbacks who were at the top of every fantasy football players draft board last season. All of them turned out to be as good as advertised, but there was one guy, who for good reason, went largely unnoticed during many fantasy drafts. That player is Michael Vick.
I say for good reason because Vick was a backup heading into the 2010 season, with four-year quarterback Kevin Kolb slated to be a top 10 fantasy player. But in the first game of the season against the Green Bay Packers, Kolb went down with a concussion and Vick took off. No sooner than when he entered the game, flashed a few nifty jukes and scored a few touchdowns, did fantasy football players race to their laptops and snatch Vick off the waiver wire. That is, if they weren’t glued to their computer already at opening kickoff.

Vick was largely undrafted last season by almost every league, but by mid 2010 he had a %98.6 ownership rating. He turned out to be the best waiver pickup in all of fantasy football. He threw for over 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns, while also throwing a career-low six interceptions. He also rushed for nearly 700 yards and scored on the ground nine times. That’s 30 touchdowns and nearly 4,000 yards for those keeping track.

Vick peaked statistically against Washington in week 10, where he threw six touchdowns along with over 400 yards combined passing and rushing. There’s no telling how many games he won for fantasy teams that night, but I am sure there were a lot of fans who jumped on his bandwagon after that game.

With such stellar numbers in 2010, Vick will likely go in the top 10 for most fantasy drafts in 2011. But if Vick is going to have any shot at repeating what he did in 2010, he’ll need to rely more on his arm. The hits he took started to wear on him as the playoffs approached, and he’ll need to learn to preserve himself better so he can peak when it matters most.

But how likely is it that he will repeat what he did last season? To answer that, we must look at the Eagles schedule and what they’ve done to help Vick this offseason.

The Eagles had one of the toughest schedules last season, as they played tough NFC North teams such as the Packers, Bears, and Vikings, as well as AFC South team’s such as the Colts, Titans, and Jaguars.

This year, things get a little easier. The Eagles rank in the middle of the pack in strength of schedule for 2011, and will take on a weaker AFC East division with the New York Jets and New England Patriots being the only tough opponents.

Despite an easier schedule than last season, there’s one downfall. The Eagles play two opponents that are coming off their bye weeks in 2011, something that rarely happens. Those two opponents are the Redskins in week 5, and the Bears in week 9. Two well-rested teams could really make things a lot more difficult, especially the Redskins, who are a division rival, and the Bears, a team that went to the NFC Championship year.

Also, the Eagles play the Patriots late Sunday night followed by a trip all the way across the country to Seattle on a Thursday, giving them little time to rest. So overall, this schedule may prove more problematic than last year despite playing more slightly weaker teams.

When it comes to getting Vick more help, the Eagles have done a decent job so far this offseason. Notice I didn’t say great job, because there’s still some holes in their offense, mainly on the offensive line. But they did address one big need in the draft.

That big need was their first round draft pick, Baylor guard Danny Watkins. A former firefighter, Watkins was an All-Big 10 selection and will provide an immediate impact on an offensive line that gave up 49 sacks last season. Rich Gosselin of the Dallas Morning called Watkins the safest pick in the NFL draft.

In the fifth round, the Eagles also got Vick another weapon, Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis. Lewis broke a series of current records while at Pitt, including current Eagle running back LeSean McCoy’s record for most yards as a freshman and sophomore.

McCoy was a pro bowl alternate last season, and his versatility in the passing game can only help Vick’s stats. If Lewis turns out to be half of what McCoy is, he’ll be a worthy backup. Also, if McCoy happens to go down, Vick shouldn’t see his stats drop too much.

At receiver, Vick already has two of the best in the NFL. DeSean Jackson is one of the most explosive receivers in the game, and he and Vick showed great chemistry in 2010. Jeremy Maclin is also coming on, as he caught for 940 yards and ten touchdowns last season. It’s not out of the question that these two receivers could catch for over 1,000 yards in 2011.

With an improved offensive line, explosive weapons at receiver and running back, it’s not out of the question that Vick could notch 3800 yards passing and 30 touchdowns. He’ll probably throw a few more picks, and expect his rushing yards to dip a little bit, probably in the 300-400 range. But that’s a good thing, since he’ll likely avoid injury from taking hits while on the run.

Vick has all the tools and he proved a more competent passer than ever last year. While their schedule could pose a few problems, 2011 should be another great fantasy year for the 2011 comeback player of the year.

The Green Bay Packers ended the first round going very safe with an offensive lineman, pretty comparable to taking Bryan Bulaga, which they did in around the same position in the past. When you look ahead to the start of the second round tomorrow, there are some very intriguing story lines and players that inexplicably fell out of the Thursday night first round: Andy Dalton, Da’Quan Bowers, Brooks Reed and even Kyle Rudolph. Here is the order that will start the second round tomorrow night: New England, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver, Cleveland and Arizona. It is hard for me to see the Bills pick come and go and still see Andy Dalton still on the board. I just do not see Buffalo going with Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback for another full season, especially if they do not draft a quarterback to at least put some pressure on him and get some experience if their season does not pan out. Many people thought that Da’Quan Bowers would end up going at the end of the first round, especially when the New York Jets were on the clock, but they instead went with DT out of Temple, Muhammad Wilkerson, whom is going to be a very dangerous weapon for Rex Ryan’s defense in the many seasons to come. Bowers was originally being discussed around a month ago as possibly being a top 10 selection in this draft, but in the latest mock drafts from Mel Kiper Jr and Todd McShay, Bowers was completely left of the top half of the first round. When the draft started to get into the mid to late first round many people expected Bowers to already be gone, but with 12 defensive lineman going in the first round and Bowers still available for day two of the NFL draft, anything can happen.

The teams who became a lot more dangerous after just one round of drafting are the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots [potentially] and the Cleveland Browns. Saints became more dangerous because of their acquisitions of Cameron Jordan DE and Mark Ingram RB; they did end up having to trade their second round pick and their first rounder for next year to acquire Ingram, but they are going to need help with their beat up backfield. The Falcons basically traded away four very formidable future picks for the right to draft Julio Jones, who will now line up next to hall of famer Tony Gonzalez and WR stud Roddy White. The questions about how much Atlanta had to give up to get Jones are without a doubt big ones, especially with the injuries Jones has had in the past. I think the Browns became more dangerous in the first round of the NFL draft by taking run stuffer Phil Taylor and receiving all of Atlanta’s draft picks in the Julio Jones deal… in my opinion, Mike Holmgren knows what he is doing, just like you have to assume New England and Belichick do as well.

Here is a list of some of the names I expect to see come off the board pretty early starting in the second and third rounds tomorrow.

Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame

Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA

Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina

Aaron Williams, CB, Texas

Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech

Andy Dalton, QB, TCU

Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia

Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky

Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

Randy Moss when he used to play for the Oakland Radiers

If you didn’t know, now you know, the jets are very interested in Randy Moss.

• Bonston.com says Jets Have Definite Interest
• CBS.com says Jets Interested In Substandard Moss But Why

Rex Ryan, like most coaches, is infatuated with Randy Moss.  Heck, I even paid $50 bucks last year as part of an under the table fantasy football trade. I gave $50 bucks and Reggie Bush for Randy Moss, who at the time had just been cut from the Pats and hadn’t yet signed with Tennessee. You see me, like Rex Ryan, was in need of a big play receiver. We all know how it worked out, Moss played like he was in Oakland again and Jeff Fisher isn’t with Tennessee anymore.

Rex Ryan is blinded by old footage of Moss burning DB’s leaving a trail of smoke behind him everywhere he runs, but how is it that everyone knows those days are over, everyone but Rex; here’s Rex on Randy “Randy Moss, I’ve said all along, is a great vertical receiver,” Ryan told the Boston Globe at the owners meetings. “And you have to roll coverage. Most teams would have to roll coverage to him. We never did, but we got burned for a touchdown. But he was a weapon. A vertical weapon down the field.”

But Rex Ryan is a great coach right? Maybe he knows something we don’t!  Let take a stroll down memory lane and look at Randy’s last 8 years.

2005 (Oakland) – 60 catches for 1005 yards and 8 TD (tried but hey, he was in Oakland)

2006 (Oakland) – 42 catches for 553 yards and 3 TD (Moss gave up and we all saw his true colors)

2007 (New England) – 98 catches for 1493 yards and 23 TD (This is the tape Rex is looking at, oh and Bill was looking at “tape” this year too)

2008 (New England) – 69 catches for 1008 yards and 11 TD (Don’t forget his QB is Tom Brady)

2009 (New England) – 83 catches for 1264 yards and 13 TD (Wes Welker exploded so much that safeties now had to worry about Welker and Moss. Welker saw more doubles this year which opened up Moss)

2010 (New England then traded to Minnesota THEN fired and landed in Tenn.) – 13 Catches for 174 yards and 2 TD (Minn) – 6 catches for 80 yards no TD (Tenn.) – 9 catches for 139 yards and 3 TD (NE).

Wow that stroll helped me out.  Randy Moss didn’t look bad in New England from 2007 to 2009 but Moss had Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. They could have even been cheating (see Spygate) so do you think he can produce in New York? Moss won’t have Tom, Bill or any top secret footage. New York is run first and we all know Moss pouts if he doesn’t get the ball a lot. Moss will stop running routes when he thinks he isn’t going to get the ball which 1 out of 10 times leads to a break down in the play.

The way Moss crumbled in 2010 tells me he human, yes you heard it. The man was fired from his dream job in New England, and then kicked out of Minnesota only to be picked up by a team with huge QB issues. If I was Randy Moss I would have freaked out and gave up too. But when it’s all said and down you can’t risk it with Randy Moss. He is pretty much like T.O., known as a cancer on the team that divides the locker room. Rex PLEASE keep your club clean, you have a great thing going. Re-sign Edwards and Holmes and keep that tandem working with Mark Sanchez and you’ll be fine.

Moss can fade into the background.. go fishing and play pickup games like this one.