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	<title>Fantasy Guru Blog &#187; Desmond Clark</title>
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	<description>In it&#039;s 4th year, FantasyGuru.com&#039;s John Hansen&#039;s Fantasy Football Blog</description>
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	<copyright>Copyright &#38;#xA9; Fantasy Guru Blog 2010 </copyright>
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		<title>Fantasy Guru Blog &#187; Desmond Clark</title>
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	<itunes:summary>In it's 3rd year, FantasyGuru.com's John Hansen's Fantasy Football Blog</itunes:summary>
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		<title>TE Keeper Overviews</title>
		<link>http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/2010/03/30/te-keeper-overviews-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/2010/03/30/te-keeper-overviews-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:54:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John Hansen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fantasy Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Keeper & Dynasty Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Fasano]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Ben Patrick]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Dallas Clark]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Graham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dante Rosario]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Thomas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desmond Clark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Lee]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Heath Miller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jacob Tamme]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Jared Cook]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Jeff King]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Jermichael Finley]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Zach Miller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zack Miller]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/?p=759</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>For those in standard keeper leagues, especially ones that keep only 3-4 players, retaining a TE and using a valuable keeper spot on him usually isn’t a great idea unless you have one of the fantasy superstars at the position. However, with the production being spread thinly these days among RBs and WRs, keeping an elite TE you can count on may be more prudent than usual.</p>
<p>Although both are getting a little older these days, you still have to include Dallas Clark (IND, 31) and Antonio Gates (SD, 30) as the top options. Clark’s been in a major zone with his QB for years now, and there’s no end in sight to his production. Although the Colts have riches at the WR position now, Clark’s role is so cemented in the offense now, so he should still be golden at least two more years with Peyton Manning. As for Gates, I think he’s lost a little bit, but he did look good on film last year, and he should have 2-3 peak years left. With the team currently lacking a legit RB (they will certainly draft someone early), it’s looking like their offense will be keyed by Philip Rivers and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For those in standard keeper leagues, especially ones that keep only 3-4 players, retaining a TE and using a valuable keeper spot on him usually isn’t a great idea unless you have one of the fantasy superstars at the position. However, with the production being spread thinly these days among RBs and WRs, keeping an elite TE you can count on may be more prudent than usual.</p>
<p>Although both are getting a little older these days, you still have to include <strong>Dallas Clark</strong> (IND, 31) and <strong>Antonio Gates</strong> (SD, 30) as the top options. Clark’s been in a major zone with his QB for years now, and there’s no end in sight to his production. Although the Colts have riches at the WR position now, Clark’s role is so cemented in the offense now, so he should still be golden at least two more years with <strong>Peyton Manning</strong>. As for Gates, I think he’s lost a little bit, but he did look good on film last year, and he should have 2-3 peak years left. With the team currently lacking a legit RB (they will certainly draft someone early), it’s looking like their offense will be keyed by <strong>Philip Rivers</strong> and the pass going forward. <strong>Jason Witten</strong> (Dal, 28) is younger than those two, and he does click extremely well with QB <strong>Tony Romo</strong>, so he needs to be in this conversation as well, especially in a PPR league.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 323px"><img src="http://www.fantasyguru.com/football/subscribers/images/jermichaelfinley.jpg" alt="" width="313" height="468" /><p class="wp-caption-text">If you didn&#39;t get him already, it&#39;s last call time for Jermichael Finley because if you don&#39;t get him now you probably won&#39;t be able to, since he could be the #1 fantasy TE very soon</p></div>
<p>Next up, you should be looking at the younger options at the position, and <strong>Jermichael Finley</strong> (GB, 23) really stands out. He’s in a great situation with QB <strong>Aaron Rodgers</strong>, and his athletic ability is off the charts. We have him in our top-5, so we’re giving him major props, but the reality is he’s capable of being the #1 fantasy TE overall the next three years. I’m not as convinced <strong>Vernon Davis</strong> (SF, 26) will be a beast because of his limitations, but he certainly was in 2009. Davis seems to be limited to mainly running vertical routes, but you have to think defenses knew that last year, yet they really couldn’t stop him. He’s also good in the red zone. His production may be a little up-and-down, but he’s clearly able to put up big numbers due to his outstanding athleticism and ability to run. I’d include <strong>Owen Daniels</strong> (Hou, 27) in the Clark-Gates realm had he not suffered a serious knee injury, but while he’s on track to play to start 2010, it’s still questionable if he’ll be the same guy. When healthy, Daniels is very athletic and, unlike Davis, is a complete player in terms of his ability to run all kinds of routes and make plays all over the field. Even if he’s not quite the same guy in 2010, he’s still (for now) in a great situation in Houston. I’ll also include <strong>Kellen Winslow</strong> (TB, 27) and <strong>Brent Celek</strong> (Phi, 25) in this group. Winslow’s no spring chicken, but he’s still in his prime, and he’s still running very well. He’s the foundation of the Buc passing game, so he has definite top-10 potential the next couple of years at least. Celek is firmly entrenched now as the guy in Philly, and he clearly has a lot to offer. Winslow has a better chance of being a major go-to guy, but Celek’s in a better situation overall, and he’s younger.</p>
<p>We obviously need to include <strong>Tony Gonzalez</strong> (Atl, 34), who’s the best TE to ever play. He’s still playing at an elite level, but here’s the problem with Gonzo: 2010 could be his last season. Gonzalez is getting heavy into business work on the side, and he’s indicated this year could be his last. We’ll see, but that’s certainly a concern for those in keeper leagues. <strong>Visanthe Shiancoe</strong> (Min, 30) is more of a 1-2 year guy as opposed to a young player who you can count on, but he’s in a good situation in 2010 if <strong>Brett Favre</strong> is back. <strong>Chris Cooley</strong> (Was, 28) is also an older player who has definite value this year, but the presence of <strong>Fred Davis</strong> is a concern. The good news for Cooley is that Davis isn’t a good blocker, which could hurt him under <strong>Mike Shanahan</strong>.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 423px"><img class=" " src="http://www.fantasyguru.com/football/subscribers/images/dustinkeller.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="312" /><p class="wp-caption-text">If you&#39;re looking for a young option who has the ability to develop into a fantasy star, Dustin Keller fits the bill very well</p></div>
<p>As usual, in a keeper league, I’d prefer to target some of the younger players who have value now, yet also have upside to put up even bigger numbers in the future. <strong>John Carlson</strong> (Sea, 26), <strong>Dustin Keller</strong> (NYJ, 25), <strong>Zach Miller</strong> (Oak, 24), and <strong>Greg Olsen</strong> (Chi, 25) fit the bill well. Carlson was off to a sparkling start his rookie season in 2008 and very early in 2009, and it’s unfair to blame him given the poor offense he was in. It’s not exactly clear if he’ll be a foundation in Seattle going forward, but he should be because he’s one of the better all-around TEs in the league. He’s definitely worth keeping. Keller’s got great upside, probably the most in this group, but he didn’t exactly establish himself as a go-to guy in 2009. As his young QB matures, Keller’s production should be more consistent. Miller’s really solid and if he ever gets a real QB (<strong>Donovan McNabb</strong>?), he’d easily be a top-10 guy and a PPR machine, so he’s a very solid keeper. As for Olsen, I’m disappointed in his 2009 season, and the presence of <strong>Mike Martz</strong> doesn’t help at all. Martz has already said he knows he doesn’t use the TE much, but that he’s never had someone as talented as Olsen. Problem is he said the same thing about <strong>Vernon Davis</strong> in San Francisco and Davis’ production was very underwhelming. But based on talent and youth, Olsen is still appealing.</p>
<p>The viable options are dwindling down a little, but <strong>Heath Miller</strong> (Pit, 27) is rock solid and is coming off his best and most consistent season, so he’s worth a look. <strong>Ben Watson</strong> (Cle, 29) and <strong>Kevin Boss</strong> (NYG, 26) have some short-term value, and unlike most of the younger options listed below, can actually help you now, in 2010.</p>
<p>But again, I do tend to get more excited about the young options at the position, and this far down the list, no one stands out more than <strong>Jared Cook</strong> (Ten, 23). Veteran <strong>Bo Scaife</strong> will be back, but I can see the Titans working the extremely athletic Cook into the mix much like the Packers worked Finley into the mix in 2009. So it’s very possible that, in one year’s time, we’ll be viewing Cook as a seriously emerging player and a top-10 prospect at the position. <strong>Brandon Pettigrew</strong> (Det, 25) is coming off a serious knee injury and doesn’t have a ton of upside, but he’ll be a cornerstone in their offense, and he’s a good enough receiver to put up respectable numbers. <strong>Fred Davis</strong> (Was, 24) showed a lot of ability in 2009, but I’m concerned about his inferior blocking and the presence of <strong>Chris Cooley</strong>. He’s certainly worth a shot, but I don’t think you can count on him this year, at least. <strong>Shawn Nelson</strong> (Buf, 24) should be the guy for the Bills, and he does have good athletic ability. He just hasn’t shown much yet, so we can’t count on him.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 346px"><img src="http://www.fantasyguru.com/football/subscribers/images/jaredcook.jpg" alt="" width="336" height="293" /><p class="wp-caption-text">If you missed out on Finley, you may get the AFC&#39;s version of him in Tennessee&#39;s Jared Cook</p></div>
<p>If you’re looking for a sleeper, <strong>Anthony Fasano</strong> (Mia, 26) has a chance. Now that the team is moving back to more of a traditional offense with <strong>Chad Henne</strong> in at QB, Fasano could possibly emerge as a consistent weapon. His numbers improved once Henne took over, and he caught 4 or more passes in three of his final five games, which was a decent sign. He’s not a deadly threat down the seam, but he can make some plays, and he’s a good red-zone receiver.</p>
<p>Next up, we have some guys who are mostly older and thus not all that attractive for the long-term, but do have some value for right now. <strong>Jeremy Shockey</strong> (NO, 30), <strong>Marcedes Lewis</strong> (Jac, 26), <strong>Bo Scaife</strong> (Ten, 29), and <strong>Todd Heap</strong> (Bal, 30) are in this mix. I don’t feel good about any of them, however. Sure, they’ll have some value this coming year, but all of them should be replaced sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>Back to the younger players, there are still some decent guys to look at, like <strong>Tony Scheffler</strong> (Den, 27), <strong>David Thomas</strong> (NO, 27), <strong>Brad Cottam</strong> (KC, 25), <strong>Chase Coffman</strong> (Cin, 23), <strong>James Casey</strong> (Hou, 25), <strong>Zack Miller</strong> (Jac, 25), <strong>Martellus Bennett</strong> (Dal, 23), and <strong>Travis Beckum</strong> (NYG, 23). Scheffler’s probably going to be limited to a complementary role, but if he’s moved to another team, that could change, and he could be a dynamic pass-catcher. Thomas was impressive and is in a great situation, so he’s very interesting. Shockey’s still here, however, so Thomas can’t be considered a viable starter. Cottam could be a sleeper. He did absolutely nothing for most of 2009, but he did show a few flashes. Granted, I’m literally talking about a handful of plays, but I saw some great potential. He’s an injury risk, but at 6’7” he’s a huge target who could help their offense. If he continues to improve and carves a large niche, he could surprise. Casey’s a great athlete, but he showed last year that he’s not ready, and, of course, Daniels is there, so he’s a dynasty league guy all the way. Miller may be a better prospect than Lewis in Jacksonville at this point, but the team may look for an upgrade in the near future. Bennett’s very talented so he might be worth a shot in a large dynasty league, but his disappearance in ’09 was disconcerting. And finally, Beckum is also very talented and runs like a wideout, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be utilized as anything more than a complementary role player the next 1-2 years. Starter <strong>Kevin Boss</strong> is a much better blocker and a more complete TE. As for Coffman, his rookie season was a big disappointment last year, but this far down the list, he’s worth a look because he’s a talented pass-catcher, and there’s a great need in Cincy.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 404px"><img src="http://www.fantasyguru.com/football/subscribers/images/bradcottam.jpg" alt="" width="394" height="235" /><p class="wp-caption-text">If you&#39;re looking for a sleeper TE and the pickings are slim, KC&#39;s Brad Cottam is worth a try</p></div>
<p>Finally, we’re digging deep for some other options, and probably too deep. <strong>Daniel Fells</strong> (Stl, 26) looks like the guy for now at least in St. Louis, so he might have some value in 2010. <strong>Ben Patrick</strong> (Ari, 26) is the guy for now, but the Cards may actually draft a TE this year, which would kill his chances. <strong>Cornelius Ingram</strong> (Phi, 25) is very athletic, but he’s a major injury risk, and Celek has cemented himself in the starting lineup. <strong>Jerramy Stevens</strong> (TB, 30) has always had the tools to be an impact player, but he’s behind Winslow and isn’t someone you can count on. <strong>Jacob Tamme</strong> (Ind, 25), <strong>Dante Rosario</strong> (Car, 25), <strong>Gary Barnidge</strong> (Car, 24), and <strong>Derek Schouman</strong> (Buf, 25) are all young and have shown some potential, but there’s very little reason to feel good about their chances. Tamme’s solid, but Clark’s there, while the Panthers refuse to give Rosario a legit chance to be featured. Barnidge and Schouman are probably lost causes – but they are still young, as least.</p>
<p>Some other players who at least have a chance to do something of note in 2010 are</p>
<p><strong>Donald Lee</strong> (GB, 30), <strong>Ben Utecht</strong> (Cin, 29), <strong>Daniel Graham</strong> (Den, 31), <strong>Leonard Pope</strong> (KC, 27), <strong>Jeff King</strong> (Car, 27), <strong>Desmond Clar</strong>k (Chi, 33), but I wouldn’t count on any of them. Lee’s lost his starting job to Finely, Utecht’s coming off a nightmare injury season, Graham’s still a glorified right tackle, Pope’s probably run out of chances, King’s just a guy, and Clark’s probably out of luck in Chicago with <strong>Mike Martz</strong> there.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Breaking down the Jay Cutler trade</title>
		<link>http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/2009/04/03/breaking-down-the-jay-cutler-trade/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/2009/04/03/breaking-down-the-jay-cutler-trade/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:15:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John Hansen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fantasy Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brandon Lloyd]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Desmond Clark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Devin Hester]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/?p=418</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Okay, here&#8217;s my spin on the big trade from yesterday.</p>
<p>First up, for the Bears. It&#8217;s always a risk to mortgage your future for any one player, but unless Cutler implodes off the field, this move has little downside for a franchise and fan base that has been without an elite passer since WWII. I&#8217;m big on building a team, or at least an offense, from the QB position up, and the Bears now have immediate credibility on the offense. They now have something to truly hang their hat on offensively, and they haven&#8217;t had that for a long time.</p>
<p>We get access to tidbits of information all the time, and one thing we heard late last year was that the Bears had come to the realization that Kyle Orton wasn&#8217;t the answer. He&#8217;s not bad, but unless you have the 2000 Raven defense on the field with him, he&#8217;s just not good enough. He&#8217;s limited as a passer, particularly his ability to hang in the pocket and deliver the ball down the field for big plays. I saw several times last year when WR Devin Hester was open deep, yet Orton couldn&#8217;t get him the ball. The Bears really had no [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Okay, here&#8217;s my spin on the big trade from yesterday.</p>
<p>First up, for the Bears. It&#8217;s always a risk to mortgage your future for any one player, but unless Cutler implodes off the field, this move has little downside for a franchise and fan base that has been without an elite passer since WWII. I&#8217;m big on building a team, or at least an offense, from the QB position up, and the Bears now have immediate credibility on the offense. They now have something to truly hang their hat on offensively, and they haven&#8217;t had that for a long time.</p>
<p>We get access to tidbits of information all the time, and one thing we heard late last year was that the Bears had come to the realization that <strong>Kyle Orton</strong> wasn&#8217;t the answer. He&#8217;s not bad, but unless you have the 2000 Raven defense on the field with him, he&#8217;s just not good enough. He&#8217;s limited as a passer, particularly his ability to hang in the pocket and deliver the ball down the field for big plays. I saw several times last year when WR <strong>Devin Hester</strong> was open deep, yet Orton couldn&#8217;t get him the ball. The Bears really had no other alternatives this off-season, so they were ready to roll with Orton for at least one more year &#8211; but they obviously pounced when Cutler became available.</p>
<p>The Bear OL is decent, and it got better this week when they also added veteran <strong>Orlando Pace</strong>. Pace is on his last legs and injuries have dogged him, but he does improve their line and their depth on their line. They will likely move 2008 #1 pick <strong>Chris Williams</strong> to RT, and they also added veteran <strong>Kevin Schaffer</strong>. They have at the very least replaced veteran <strong>John Tait</strong>, who is gone.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 496px"><img src="http://www.fantasyguru.com/football/subscribers/images/devinhester.jpg" alt="Devin Hester couldnt have asked for a better QB to help him develop his game and get the most out of his ability than Jay Cuter" width="486" height="324" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Devin Hester couldn&#39;t have asked for a better QB to help him develop his game and get the most out of his ability than Jay Cuter</p></div>
<p>The Bears have been a run-first team, but you don&#8217;t trade for <strong>Jay Cutler</strong> (who great up a Bear fan, by the way) and just hand the ball off, so they will pass it more than we&#8217;ve seen in a decade. They are still thin at receiver, but this is fantastic new for WR <strong>Devin Hester</strong>. We&#8217;ve written for well over a year how the team is VERY high on Hester the WR, and we saw that play out in 2008 with his role at that position and the lack of action he saw as a returner. Hester&#8217;s probably a year away from fully reaching his potential as a receiver, maybe even two, but I&#8217;m telling you right now that he&#8217;s really improved his route-running and he&#8217;s exhibited some serious upside. He&#8217;s obviously very dangerous after the catch, and I think he&#8217;s shown some serious potential as a deep threat. He couldn&#8217;t ask for a better QB, quite frankly. Cutler&#8217;s a gunslinger who will fire him the ball all over the field, and he can throw it 60 yards down the field while scrambling to his left, almost impossible for a right-handed QB. Forget about the cold and wind in Chicago; Cutler&#8217;s gun will slice through that.</p>
<p>One thing&#8217;s for sure: Cutler will not stifle Hester&#8217;s development, as Orton definitely did. Cutler will do just the opposite, as he did for <strong>Brandon Marshall</strong> and <strong>Eddie Royal</strong>, who was a rookie in 2008.</p>
<p>I understand some people are skeptical with Hester. That&#8217;s your prerogative if you are. I personally play to win, so I&#8217;m going to be high on Hester&#8217;s potential this year, even in Cutler&#8217;s first year. Keep in mind <strong>Ron Turner&#8217;s</strong> offense in Chicago is about running the ball and taking shots deep, they will do so with Hester &#8211; a lot. I&#8217;m not sure if I&#8217;ll view Hester as a very low #2 fantasy WR or a high #3, but he&#8217;s in that range. I think Hester has a chance to be special with Cutler in, so I&#8217;m going to target him. The skeptics can hold off and select only &#8216;proven&#8217; commodities, but I like to be proactive and get the breakout guy on the cheap before his price goes way up.</p>
<p>This is also fantastic news for TE <strong>Greg Olsen</strong>, another guy I like a lot. Olsen runs like a WR, and he&#8217;s one of the best downfield threats at the TE position. Given how thin the Bear receiving corps is, you can bet Olsen will be a huge part of their passing game, along with <strong>Desmond Clark</strong>. Olsen to me is a viable starter at this point, no question. I can see 800-900 yards and 6-7 TDs.</p>
<p>If I were the Bears, I would bring <strong>Brandon Lloyd</strong> back in 2009. He was actually pretty darn good before getting hurt, and he&#8217;ll come cheaply. They also need to invest a draft pick in a bigger receiver, and they may be interested in <strong>Torry Holt</strong>. I&#8217;d also be looking into <strong>Drew Bennett</strong> right now if I were Chicago. He has the size they need, the experience, and he fits in pretty well in Chicago.</p>
<p>As for <strong>Matt Forte</strong>, I have absolutely no problem with his fantasy value, even if he won&#8217;t carry the ball quite as much. He wore down a little last year, anyway, and he&#8217;s a very good receiver out of the backfield, very smooth. They will still run him 15+ times per game, and he&#8217;ll get 5-6 ball thrown to him a game, at least. Given the threat Cutler brings to the table, and his ability to move the ball consistently, Forte&#8217;s value gets a boost, even if it&#8217;s a small boost.</p>
<p>In Denver, the outlook offensively isn&#8217;t quite as rosy. They do at least get a serviceable player in Orton. I actually don&#8217;t think Orton starting for Denver is a tragedy for Marshall. Orton can excel throwing in the intermediate area, and that&#8217;s where the physical Marshall tends to make his money. Orton is pretty accurate on shorter passes, and there is a sustaining element to Orton&#8217;s game, so Marshall&#8217;s catch and yardage totals should be okay. I have to look at all the other players at WR closely to determine if Marshall is still a legit #1 fantasy WR, though. Most likely, he is only in a PPR league. I&#8217;m not as encouraged with <strong>Eddie Royal</strong>. Royal can do well in the intermediate area, but he&#8217;s their deep threat (if they have one), and I don&#8217;t see him connecting on many deeper balls with Orton, so Royal&#8217;s potential takes a hit. He&#8217;s probably more of a fill-in starter at this point, and #3-#4 fantasy wideout. Keep in mind they have some other guys who excel in the intermediate area, like <strong>Brandon Stokley</strong> and <strong>Jabar Gaffney</strong>. Orton will take full advantage of his TEs, too, but the problem is, I see <strong>Daniel Graham</strong> being more of a factor now, since he&#8217;s a more complete TE. He won&#8217;t be anything special because he&#8217;s too valuable a blocker, but he could limit <strong>Tony Scheffler&#8217;s</strong> potential. Scheffler is a playmaker, though, and they need all the help they can get with Orton under center.</p>
<p>Orton should be okay for this year in Denver &#8211; provided he plays like he did before his ankle injury in 2008. Before that injury, he was actually razor sharp, and very effective. Afterward, not so much. He&#8217;s not an ideal franchise QB, so the Broncos will be targeting QB <strong>Mark Sanchez</strong> in the draft, for sure. Sanchez played in a pro style offense at USC, and even though he started only one year, that&#8217;s one more year than <strong>Matt Cassel</strong> did at USC. Sanchez would likely sit the bench for a season, and be given a chance to start for Denver in 2010. If he is a Bronco, that should help his fantasy value, since the system would be very QB-friendly and a good fit for him.</p>
<p>One final point: the Broncos has better run the ball and fully utilize all their backs this year with Orton in. I look for <strong>Correll Buckhalter</strong> to get the first crack, and I think <strong>J.J. Arrington</strong> will be an intriguing weapon, similar to <strong>Kevin Faulk</strong> in New England.</p>
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		<title>TE Keeper Overviews</title>
		<link>http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/2009/03/23/te-keeper-overviews/</link>
		<comments>http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/2009/03/23/te-keeper-overviews/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:03:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John Hansen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fantasy Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alex Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alge Crumpler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Fasano]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Antonio Gates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Patrick]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Utecht]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Watson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Billy Miller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bo Scaife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brad Cottam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brent Celek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Baker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Cooley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Craig Stevens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dallas Clark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Graham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dante Rosario]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Martin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Derek Fine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Derek Schouman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desmond Clark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Lee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dustin Keller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fred Davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greg Olsen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heath Miller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jacob Tamme]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jason Witten]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeff King]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeremy Shockey’s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jermichael Finley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jerramy Stevens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joe Klopfenstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Carlson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kellen Davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kellen Winslow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Boss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[L.J. Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leonard Pope]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcedes Lewis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Martellus Bennett]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Martin Rucker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Gaines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Owen Daniels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Randy McMichael]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Royal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scott Chandler.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Heiden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Todd Heap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tony Gonzalez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tony Scheffler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vernon Davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Visanthe Shiancoe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zach Miller]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.fantasyguru.com/blog/?p=408</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s time to cover the TEs for those of you in keeper leagues. For many in these leagues, you&#8217;re not going to hold on to a TE, unless you have a high-end stud who is young, like Antonio Gates or Jason Witten &#8211; or unless you&#8217;re able to keep a high number of players.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s assume for now you can keep only a small number of players, like 2-3. If so, keeping Gates or Witten is a tough call. You have to consider your scoring, first of all, for example I&#8217;d view Witten as a VERY desirable in a PPR league. He may catch 100 balls this year if healthy with Terrell Owens gone. Gates is still a beast in a great spot, but I&#8217;d value a young quality back or a stud wideout over him. He hasn&#8217;t exactly been a fantasy savior the last couple of years.</p>
<p>But those two are clearly the top guys for keeper leagues. Tony Gonzalez is still playing at a high level, so he should be considered a top starter at the position for at least 1-2 more years. I have to assume his new coach will utilize him well.</p>
<p class="wp-caption-text">If you&#39;re looking for a TE [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s time to cover the TEs for those of you in keeper leagues. For many in these leagues, you&#8217;re not going to hold on to a TE, unless you have a high-end stud who is young, like <strong>Antonio Gates</strong> or <strong>Jason Witten</strong> &#8211; or unless you&#8217;re able to keep a high number of players.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s assume for now you can keep only a small number of players, like 2-3. If so, keeping Gates or Witten is a tough call. You have to consider your scoring, first of all, for example I&#8217;d view Witten as a VERY desirable in a PPR league. He may catch 100 balls this year if healthy with Terrell Owens gone. Gates is still a beast in a great spot, but I&#8217;d value a young quality back or a stud wideout over him. He hasn&#8217;t exactly been a fantasy savior the last couple of years.</p>
<p>But those two are clearly the top guys for keeper leagues. <strong>Tony Gonzalez</strong> is still playing at a high level, so he should be considered a top starter at the position for at least 1-2 more years. I have to assume his new coach will utilize him well.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 463px"><img title="daniels" src="http://www.fantasyguru.com/images/owendaniels.jpg" alt="If youre looking for a TE keeper prospect, you first need to look at talent and situation, and Daniels stands out in those two areas." width="453" height="302" /><p class="wp-caption-text">If you&#39;re looking for a TE keeper prospect, you first need to look at talent and situation, and Daniels stands out in those two areas.</p></div>
<p>The next tier of players includes <strong>Dallas Clark</strong>, <strong>Owen Daniels</strong>, and <strong>Kellen Winslow</strong>. Winslow may be ranked as high as #3 overall for keeper leagues, but he&#8217;s on a new team and I always do worry about his injury history and his overall instability. I&#8217;d be okay letting him back into the player pool in a league that retained only 2-4 players. But on the other hand, he is still elite and young, so in most large keeper leagues, I&#8217;d be inclined to keep him around if possible. Clark is safer, and he should be set for 2-3 more years as a go-to guy for the Colts, especially with Marvin Harrison<strong> </strong>gone. There&#8217;s a lot to be said for the incredible chemistry he has with Peyton Manning. As for Daniels, I continue to be very high on him. I know he doesn&#8217;t score, but I love his ability and his role in the offense. Daniels is very athletic, and he&#8217;s a go-to guy and a huge part of the Texan offense, one that continues to inch closer to dominance. All he really needs is 2-3 more TDs, and he&#8217;ll be money.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re still considering a TE in a keeper league, it must be a league that allows you to retain a high number of players, 5-6 at least, or a full blown dynasty league. For these leagues, you want a young player with the talent to be a difference-maker, and preferably someone who looks like a go-to guy for his offense. <strong>John Carlson</strong> still needs to prove he can consistently produce and play at a high level (Daniels, for example, definitely has already), but he&#8217;s a very solid player who is athletic and well-rounded enough to be a difference-maker. <strong>Dustin Keller</strong> is probably a better upside choice, since he&#8217;s very athletic, but he does have a small QB issue right now. <strong>Greg Olsen</strong> is another young player with a lot of upside and juice, but expectations needs to be tempered a tad, since he&#8217;s still splitting time and hasn&#8217;t exactly shown he can be a true go-to guy. But he&#8217;s very young and very talented, and that&#8217;s what you look for. I&#8217;ll also throw my guy <strong>Zach Miller</strong> into this mix. Miller probably has more value right now in a PPR league than Keller or Olsen, since he&#8217;s already emerged as a go-to guy for QB JaMarcus Russell. He fails to land higher on this list simply because he&#8217;s a dreadful situation still on the Raiders. Miller&#8217;s not a freak talent, but I think he&#8217;s a little better than a guy like <strong>Chris Cooley</strong>. Cooley&#8217;s a viable starter in a keeper league, but I think we&#8217;ve seen the best from him already, so I don&#8217;t see a ton of upside.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 407px"><img title="keeper" src="http://www.fantasyguru.com/images/dustinkeller.jpg" alt="Dustin Keller is very talented and could easily be a star fantasy player provided he gets adequate QB play. " width="397" height="428" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dustin Keller is very talented and could easily be a star fantasy player provided he gets adequate QB play. </p></div>
<p>The talent level at the position does drop off at this point, but there are still some viable options, both for future potential and production now. <strong>Kevin Boss</strong> should be the guy for the Giants going forward, and while he doesn&#8217;t have a ton of upside, he did improve as the season wore on last year. <strong>Visanthe Shiancoe</strong> had a breakout season for the Vikings last year, and we view him as a legit starter for 2009, which says a lot. He&#8217;s still relatively young and he does have some juice due to his speed.</p>
<p><strong>Jeremy Shockey&#8217;s</strong> value has plummeted for sure, but he&#8217;s worth a shot this deep given his experience and since he&#8217;s in a good situation. <strong>Heath Miller</strong> has little upside, but he&#8217;s a quality starter in a pretty good spot. <strong>Tony Scheffler</strong> may be on his way out of Denver, and if so his value may soar. He&#8217;s not a complete TE, since he&#8217;s not a good blocker, but he&#8217;s a dynamic receiver. I would not be surprised if he eventually had a true breakout season, even in 2009 on another team. The other guy here who has issues but still potential is <strong>Vernon Davis</strong>. I&#8217;m officially in believe-it-when-I-see-it mode, but he is still very young and very gifted. He just has to actually learn how to run pass routes. <strong>Bo Scaife</strong> is a solid option this deep for the near future. He&#8217;s been franchised by the team, so they obviously value him, and he&#8217;s sneaky athletic, so he&#8217;s capable of putting up decent numbers.</p>
<p>After these guys, we&#8217;re looking at a lot of hit-or-miss guys, but <strong>Brent Celek</strong> in Philly has a chance to pan out. He can run, so he has potential, but he&#8217;s not a great blocker, so the Birds may look to upgrade the position. I quite frankly don&#8217;t know what to do with guys like <strong>L.J. Smith</strong>, <strong>Todd Heap</strong>, <strong>Ben Watson</strong>, <strong>Anthony Fasano</strong>,</p>
<p><strong>Marcedes Lewis</strong>, and <strong>Donald Lee</strong> for keeper leagues. Smith has disappointed and will split time with Heap, so I&#8217;m not enamored with either. I like Watson&#8217;s ability, but he&#8217;s proven on this team that he won&#8217;t command the ball, plus they added a decent veteran in <strong>Chris Baker</strong>. Fasano is a decent option, but he doesn&#8217;t command the ball, either, and neither do Lewis and Lee. But these guys do have value right now, since they will be very active in their respective offenses in 2009. The Smith-Heap situation, we&#8217;ll just have to see about, but they basically do cancel each other out.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 431px"><img title="cheffler" src="http://www.fantasyguru.com/images/tonyscheffler.jpg" alt="Even though his value is currently in a state of flux, its always wise to take a gamble on a dynamic player at this position, and Scheffler is that. " width="421" height="280" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Even though his value is currently in a state of flux, it&#39;s always wise to take a gamble on a dynamic player at this position, and Scheffler is that. </p></div>
<p>I think it&#8217;s much easier to say good things about some younger players who have a legit chance to emerge in a year or two and possibly be impact starters. <strong>Ben Patrick</strong>, <strong>Martellus Bennett</strong>, <strong>Martin Rucker</strong>, and <strong>Brad Cottam</strong> are viable. Patrick&#8217;s not a beast, but he may have an advantage over Leonard Pope now. Bennett is a specimen with big upside down the road, but he&#8217;s obviously behind Witten right now, and still raw. Rucker has the talent to be a starter, so if he can improve his route-running he might have a chance to be their starter, making him a legit sleeper. Cottam is a really good long-term prospect. Once Gonzalez calls it a career in KC, he&#8217;s probably the guy, so he&#8217;s a good one to stash away in a large keeper or dynasty league.</p>
<p>Even deeper, <strong>Jacob Tamme</strong>, <strong>Jermichael Finley</strong>, <strong>Fred Davis</strong>, and <strong>Derek Schouman</strong> are the guys to look at. Tamme is a Ben Utecht clone, and Finley, while raw, was considered perhaps the top receiving threats at the position from last year&#8217;s draft class. He could be a factor in 1-2 years. Davis is also very athletic, and his value could soar if the team trades Chris Cooley, which has been rumored. It&#8217;s revealing how they switched to a west coast system last year and took Davis high in the draft, despite having Cooley on the roster. Schouman is a player the Bills are high on, and have been since last year. He may be the front-runner to replace Robert Royal this year, over 2008 draft pick Derek Fine.</p>
<p>Speaking of <strong>Robert Royal</strong>, he does have some value now, as the presumed starter in Cleveland. So to backtrack a little, he has actual value right now. <strong>Desmond Clark</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Graham</strong>, <strong>Randy McMichael</strong>, and <strong>Ben Utecht</strong> do as well as active receivers for their teams from this position. But other than maybe Utecht, have little upside for keeper leagues.</p>
<p><strong>Jerramy Stevens</strong>, <strong>Alex Smith</strong>, <strong>Chris Baker</strong>, <strong>Leonard Pope</strong>, <strong>Steve Heiden</strong>, <strong>Derek Fine</strong>, <strong>Dante Rosario</strong>, <strong>Alge Crumpler</strong>, <strong>Jeff King</strong>, <strong>Billy Miller</strong>, <strong>David Martin</strong>, <strong>Michael Gaines</strong>, and <strong>Joe Klopfenstein</strong> have a prayer and something of a role for their team, but we&#8217;re now digging really deep.</p>
<p>Even deeper, if you&#8217;re in like a 30-team dynasty league, <strong>Kellen Davis</strong> (Chi), <strong>Craig Stevens</strong> (Ten), and <strong>Scott Chandler</strong> (SD) are young and likely to stick with their respective teams.</p>
<p>Well, that&#8217;s about all the TE market is offering right now. Keep in mind 5-10 of these guys will fall off the list, once the draft takes place.</p>
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