RotoScoop.com

By Dalton Del Don

Despite negative X-Rays on Steve Smith’s shoulder following an injury in Monday’s practice, he’s doubtful to play at all during the preseason – Smith was in considerable pain and is probably going to undergo an MRI. He hasn’t played a full 16-game schedule in any of his last three seasons, and over the past five years, he’s averaged four missed contests. Smith is easily one of the most talented receivers in the NFL, but since his health is a question mark, and he also relies on Jake Delhomme staying upright, guys like Greg Jennings and Roddy White are better fantasy picks. If Smith is out into the regular season, the Panthers would likely go with Muhsin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett as starters, and the offense would suffer greatly as a result.

Felix Jones (stiff toe) returned to the Cowboys’ Monday afternoon practice after sitting out the morning session – It’s obviously a concern considering a toe injury ended his season last year, and it’s safe to question whether Jones can handle many touches in the NFL. That said, there may not be a more explosive runner in the league, and with Marion Barber struggling given a full workload in 2008, and the Cowboys likely to run more with Terrell Owens jettisoned, Jones is the type of fantasy pick who could win your league for you.

Antonio Bryant will miss at least three weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee – Coach Raheem Morris said Bryant will not play in the preseason as a precaution but will be ready for the season opener Sept. 13 against Dallas. It’s the same knee Bryant injured Dec. 8 at Carolina when he torched the Panthers with nine catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns. The volatile Bryant was a bit of a risky pick to begin with, especially with the addition of Kellen Winslow and a shaky QB situation. Still, while maintaining last year’s second half pace (46 catches, 797 yards, six touchdowns) was unrealistic, the talent is very real, as his career 15.3 yards-per-catch mark suggests. He obviously needs to get bumped down some, but he’s still a top-25 fantasy wide receiver.

By Dalton Del Don

Risers

Kevin Smith – Coming off a 450-carry season at UCF, Smith was able to manage 4.1 YPC on a team that finished 0-16 last season. Over the final eight games, he totaled 795 yards with four touchdowns – that’s a 1,590-yard, eight-TD pace over a full season. He’s clearly Detroit’s workhorse, getting work between the 20s, out of the backfield as a receiver and at the goal-line, with little competition for carries. It’s too bad the Lions wasted a fist round pick on tackle Gosder Cherilus last year, as the offensive line could really use help. Still, defenses are going to be unable to keep eight men in the box with Calvin Johnson out wide, so Smith will have room to run. It’s recently been revealed he played through a painful ankle injury throughout last year, so it should be interesting to see what a healthy Smith can do, especially with improved quarterback play. A Week 14 meeting in Baltimore is tough, but with matchups against Arizona and San Francisco the following two games, he’ll be a difference maker come playoff time. Smith deserves consideration in the late first round of fantasy leagues.

Larry Johnson – When it comes to running backs, I’m rarely interested in someone approaching 30 years old, especially one who hasn’t rushed for even 875 yards since 2006. Still, Johnson’s career mileage is low (1,243 carries), and the 4.5 YPC mark last season suggests he’s not done. Usually attitude takes a backseat in my evaluations, but in this case, it’s worth noting just how good his behavior has been throughout the offseason and into training camp. The new regime, which once considered cutting him, is giving Johnson nothing, declaring the running back position an open competition. However, that’s more politics than anything, so as long as Johnson remains on good behavior, he’ll win the job and get the majority of touches on an offense that should be sneaky productive, with Matt Cassel and Todd Haley upgrading the passing attack. Remember, Johnson is just two years removed from a 2,199-yard, 19-TD campaign.

DeSean Jackson – Jackson has been the talk of Eagles camp, apparently impossible to cover one-on-one. His speed is apparent, and any rookie wideout who can tally 912 receiving yards is likely on the path to future stardom. He’s not a great red-zone target, and Philadelphia typically spreads the ball around, but Jackson is clearly the No. 1 option on a team sure to be pass-heavy. I bet he has more receiving yards this year than Terrell Owens.

Chris Henry – Henry isn’t much more than a late-round flier as the third WR for Cincinnati, but he has the upside of a top-20 receiver. By all accounts, the former troubled one has turned his life completely around, and don’t forget, he caught nine touchdowns in just 13 games two seasons ago. At 6-4, 200 lbs with blazing speed, Henry is the most physically gifted wide receiver on the Bengals, and although Chad Johnson looks rededicated as well, Laveranues Coles is an injury risk, and Cincinnati figures to be fairly pass-heavy on offense. With a healthy Carson Palmer, Henry is a gamble worth taking.

Patrick Crayton – While Miles Austin has an ADP about 20 spots ahead of Crayton, it’s the latter who is assured as the team’s starter. Recent reports suggest Roy Williams is developing a nice rapport with Tony Romo, but that’s hardly a guarantee to last into the season with the way Williams performed after joining Dallas last season. Since Romo is one of the truly elite quarterbacks in the league, any receiver getting a decent amount of targets should be relatively productive. Crayton is a solid end-game pick.

Ray Rice – Rice doesn’t have huge upside, ceding goal-line carries to Le’Ron McClain and fighting Willis McGahee for touches. Still, Rice has impressed throughout camp, and he’s the favorite to lead Baltimore in carries in 2009. He’s a good receiver out of the backfield, and although Rice is still searching for his first NFL touchdown, he can run between the tackles, as his weight (205 lbs) is more important than his height (5-8). The Ravens’ defense should remain strong, keeping it a ball-control offense. In fact, Baltimore easily led the NFL with a whopping 592 rushing attempts last season, so Rice should get plenty of opportunities.

Nate Washington – With Kenny Britt (hamstring) unable to practice with the Titans since the beginning of training camp, Washington is clearly the team’s No. 1 wide receiver – and he should be after getting paid $27 million during the offseason. Washington is finally getting a grasp of the playbook and has impressed in practice, so although Tennessee is a run-first team, Kerry Collins’ strong arm is a perfect fit for Washington’s ability to go downfield. Expect the Titans’ defense to take a step back this year, and away from Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, Washington should see a career-high in targets.

Fallers

Roddy White – White has improved his numbers during every season he’s been in the league, and he possesses the upside of a top-five fantasy wide receiver, especially now finally playing alongside a true star at quarterback. However, White and the Falcons remain far apart in their efforts to work out a long-term extension, as White is believed to be seeking something close to the four-year, $40 million deal Arizona gave Larry Fitzgerald, with the Falcons unwilling to go that high. With Harry Douglas recently suffering a season-ending knee injury, White just gained some leverage. In reality, very few holdouts last into the season, but this is a situation worth monitoring.

Reggie Bush – Bush has repeatedly left practice this week with continued swelling in his surgically-repaired knee. Since it was of the microfracture variety, this is especially concerning, although he claims a recent MRI came back clean. Bush has actually been undervalued so far in fantasy leagues, with an ADP of 43.07. Still, he’s essentially missed 12 games over the past two seasons, so he’s an obvious injury risk. Bump Pierre Thomas up even further.

Brandon Marshall – In addition to his hamstring and hip issues, Marshall is due in court for a trial in Atlanta for misdemeanor battery charges from a March 2008 incident with his former girlfriend. While Marshall is confident to be cleared of any charges, commissioner Roger Goodell could still potentially suspend the disgruntled wide receiver, who continues to look for a new contract or a trade. Marshall has talent, but there is a lot of risk involved with him right now, especially with the huge downgrade from Jay Cutler to Kyle Orton as his quarterback. The fact his hip, which he had surgery on during the offseason, still has lingering issues is a problem. Don’t be at all surprised when Eddie Royal leads the team in receiving this year.

Jonathan Stewart – Stemming from last year’s foot issues, Stewart has lingering Achilles soreness, which kept him out of all OTAs and has limited him to just one practice per day in training camp. Stewart was fantastic as a rookie, and even though he has DeAngelo Williams above him on the depth chart, with Carolina an extreme ground-heavy team sporting a terrific run-blocking unit, Stewart has huge upside. In fact, if Williams were to go down with an injury, Stewart would immediately become a top-five back. However, an Achilles injury really is worrisome, so approach this situation with caution.

Michael Crabtree – Crabtree remains unsigned and is reportedly willing to sit out all season and re-enter the 2010 NFL Draft. While that scenario is highly unlikely, it doesn’t appear he’ll be signed any time soon, and wide receiver is an especially difficult position to transition into the NFL. Considering he’s also coming off surgery, Crabtree is sure to get off to a slow start. Draft Josh Morgan instead.

Mark Clayton – First Derrick Mason decided to unretire and then Clayton suffered significant bleeding in his hamstring, which will keep him out of at least a few preseason games. On a run-heavy offense, Clayton now offers little upside. It’s not inconceivable Demetrius Williams steals the starting job away from him while sidelined.

Mark Bradley – Playing on a spread offense with Tony Gonzalez no longer around, Bradley seemed like a good sleeper, if he could only stay healthy. However, with Kansas City signing Amani Toomer, it’s clear the team isn’t satisfied with Bradley as a starter.

By Dalton Del Don

Carson Palmer demonstrated that he had his full arm strength back in practice on Wednesday, throwing a number of good deep balls – It appears Palmer’s recent absence at practice truly was due to an illness, and all reports on his elbow have been positive so far. It’s not ideal having to face Pittsburgh and Baltimore four times, but with a rededicated Chris Henry, a rejuvenated Chad Johnson, and the addition of Laveranues Coles, Palmer has plenty of weapons on offense. He’s a fine second-tier target.

Coach Rex Ryan said he’d like to decide on a QB starter between Kellen Clemens and Mark Sanchez by the Jets’ third preseason game – This is pretty obvious, considering the third preseason game is when the starters play the most. The Jets’ defense could very well be a top-five unit this season, and the offensive line is one of the three best run-blocking groups in the NFL. The team is not going to throw much, so even if Sanchez bucks the odds and impresses as a rookie, he’s unlikely to be much of a fantasy option.

Brian Westbrook performed football activities Wednesday for the first time since undergoing ankle surgery in June – It’s becoming clearer Westbrook should be ready by the start of the season, but he remains a significant injury risk. LeSean McCoy has drawn rave reviews throughout camp, so he’s a must handcuff for prospective Westbrook owners.

Despite missing most of the offseason with a non-football injury, Braylon Edwards played well in his first practice of the season Wednesday – Edwards was probably the biggest non-injury bust of 2008, but with Kellen Winslow gone and a bad defense in Cleveland, he’s in a situation to succeed. Having Brady Quinn throwing to him instead of Derek Anderson, who loved to attack downfield, is a legit concern, but don’t forget just how impressive Edwards was two short years ago.

Eli Manning has agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $97.5 million — of which $35 million is guaranteed – The deal will make him the highest-paid player in the NFL, with an average salary of about $15.3 million. On a related note, Manning finished tied for 20^th in the league last season with a 6.8 YPA mark despite the benefit of having the league’s best rushing attack.

By Dalton Del Don

Marshawn Lynch’s three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy will be upheld – Lynch improved his skills as a receiver dramatically last season, but his 4.1 YPC mark for his career still leaves a lot to be desired. However, he got 4.8 YPC over the final seven games last year, and with the addition of Terrell Owens, there remains plenty of upside for the third-year back. Still, the offensive line is a big question mark, losing Jason Peters and starting a different player at all five positions compared to 2008. On one hand, Lynch could be considered a steal if you’re sure to draft Fred Jackson and can make the playoffs, as Lynch is often going after the top-20 running backs because of the suspension. On the other, unlike a rotisserie league like fantasy baseball, him missing the first three games is crucial, as that’s almost 25 percent of the regular season, and it’s awful tough digging out of a 0-3 hole in a head-to-head format.

DeShawn Wynn has been pushing Brandon Jackson as the backup running back to Ryan Grant – There’s a realistic chance the Packers boast the No. 1 offense in the NFC this season, so the running back position cannot be ignored. Grant is coming off a hugely disappointing season (3.9 YPC), but he battled a hamstring injury and makes for a decent buy-low target in 2009. However, he offers nothing as a receiver, and matchups in Chicago and in Pittsburgh during Weeks 14 and 15 limit his upside. While Grant is the unquestioned starter, he has little pedigree being undrafted, and he’ll need to show dramatic improvement from last year’s performance if he wants to keep the RB1 job, so the backup is certainly noteworthy. Jackson impressed with 5.5 YPC and was active in the passing game last season, but a lot of that production came on situations where Jackson was able to get in space, and he’ll never be mistaken for a tough runner. There’s been a lot of talk about Wynn actually being the most talented back on the roster, so he’s a deep sleeper.

Plaxico Burress was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment Monday – Antonio Pierce, meanwhile, was not indicted. Burress faces a minimum prison sentence of 3.5 years if convicted. As much as the Jets hoped otherwise, it really looks like he won’t be playing in the NFL for quite a while.

Antonio Gates is looking completely healthy in the early days of training camp and is running and cutting in a way that he has not been able to in recent years – Gates’ yardage output dropped last year, but he was playing at significantly less than 100 percent throughout the season. He’s still not 30 years old, and the former basketball star finally attacked the weight room like a football player should this offseason and enters 2009 fully healthy. With Philip Rivers developing into a superstar, Gates could be in store for a monstrous 2009 campaign. The tight end position is particularly deep right now, and Vincent Jackson will demand targets, but LaDainian Tomlinson and the running game continues to decline, so Gates is an intriguing option after the top-20 receivers are off the board.

Reggie Bush was held out of practice Monday after his surgically-repaired left knee became inflamed following Sunday’s two hour, 25 minute workout in pads – This latest setback is supposedly minor, but it’s worth noting Bush has missed 10 games over the past two seasons, including leaving a few others early. For the most part, he’s still being undervalued in 2009, but the knee problems are a pretty big long-term concern.