Cleveland's Rocks

MLB Game Day Recap: Day 1

2021-04-02T02:06:00.004-04:00

Well, it took all of 0 games until we had Major League Baseball announce our first game postponement due to COVID-19. While we are going to get far closer to 162 in 2021 than we did in 2020 the virus is still here and operational, ready to any team or person at any time. I don't want to start off the first of these daily recaps with such a bummer topic, but I didn't get to watch Jacob deGrom pitch against Max Scherzer because someone did something that didn't put their own health and the health of those around them, their teammates, first. Not only did we not get this matchup today, we're not going to get it any time soon as contact tracing has already brought back multiple confirmed cases among players on the Nationals. It's going to get uglier as we as a nation insist this pandemic is over when it simply isn't. On to the good stuff.

CLE @ DET (Bieber @ Boyd) - Out of all the Opening Day games, this one was supposed to be the most predictable. We got Shane Bieber looking like he was making his first start after Spring Training. He struck out a dozen but also gave up an opposite field dinger to Miguel Cabrera as he pitched through snowy conditions and took the loss. Matthew Boyd looked good and got the win, but his K/BB of 0.50 suggests he's still the same Matthew Boyd under the hood, he just got to face one of the lamest duck offenses to start the season. Gregory Soto got the save, but he gave up a 2 run shot to Roberto Perez that was a no doubter and while his velocity is up, this outing did nothing to make me more confident in him as the primary 9th inning option. Keep Bryan Garcia on your radar, and if you have bench spots he's a stash I'd be making. Cesar Hernandez had the only other XBH for Cleveland and only he and Jose Ramirez reached base multiple times for Cleveland. Robbie Grossman had 3 walks and did exactly what he should do as a leadoff hitter, if you're in an OBP league you might want to get Grossman on your roster sooner rather than later.

TOR @ NYY (Ryu @ Cole) - Each team scored early before the starters could become their settled in selves, as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drove in Teoscar Hernandez in the top of the 2nd while Gary Sanchez hit a 2-run dong in the bottom of the inning. Sanchez reached base 3 times and if you are going to make any gigantic leaps due to Opening Day results, Gary Sanchez making contact going forward is one leap I'd want to come true. Clint Frazier reached base 3 times too and Mike Tauchman pinch ran for Sanchez and stole two bases in the 9th. The deployment of Tauchman might have been matchup based as Jordan Romano isn't a guy who is known to hold baserunners well. Teoscar Hernandez hit a solo shot in the 6th after scoring on the Gurriel single in the 2nd and anyone who was worried a slow start might lead to reduced at bats (me) can breath a sight of relief. The Yankees bullpen usage was surprising, as Nick Nelson took the loss after allowing a Randall Grichuk RBI double in the 10th when Aroldis Chapman never appeared and Nelson was only the 4th Yankees pitcher of the game. Romano picked up the win after Rafael Dolis pitched the 8th and Julian Merryweather struck out the side in order in the 10th. Cole and Ryu both with 5.1 giving up 2 runs with Cole getting 8 K's and Ryu 5.

PIT @ CHC (Kuhl @ Hendricks) - Ke'Bryan Hayes picked up where he left off last year with a first inning 2 run bomb of Kyle Hendricks, and the Pirates chased him after the 3rd. Surprisingly enough, Chad Kuhl also got chased after 3 as both starters did not look particularly good. It makes sense with Kuhl, but seeing Hendricks not be able to handle this Pirates lineup early is as big of a cause for concern as a poor Opening Day performance can be from a weak contact starter on a team that is not expected to be good. The Pirates somehow managed a 2 hitter behind Duane Underwood Jr., Clay Holmes, Sam Howard, David Bednar, Chris Stratton and Richard Rodriguez. Wilson Contreras stole a base and drove in a run, while Adam Frazier drove in 2 for the Buccos while stealing a base. Given how 15 pitchers were used across both teams, it will be interesting to see how bullpen usage flows if the starting pitching gives up runs early on Saturday, although both teams should be able to weather the storm pretty easily.

MIN @ MIL (Maeda @ Woodruff) - Another game where both Opening Day starters couldn't make it 5.0 innings. Woodruff got hit all over the place allowing 3 runs on 6 hits over 4.0 innings while walking 2. Woodruff didn't allow an extra base hit, but he allowed plenty of baserunners and did not look sharp at all. Maeda didn't fare much better as he also allowed 6 hits and 2 walks, but only allowed 2 runs and got one out in the 4th before being pulled. Alex Colome blew the game immediately in the 9th, with his own throwing error leading to 3 unearned runs. Perhaps surprising, but Hansel Robles pitched the 8th and Taylor Rogers was nowhere to be found as Randy Dobnak to the loss in the 10th. Freddy Peralta pitched the 5th and the 6th and confused his fantasy owners as he was slated to be the 5th starter to open this season, but when you realize there is a day off tomorrow there are still 6 days until Peralta's next start and he was simply used as the long man because he was the best arm available, no cause for concern in my eyes. Travis Shaw and Omar Narvaez both looked good combining for 4 hits and 4 RBIs while on the Twins side not only did Byron Buxton steal a base and hit a homer, but he walked, twice. If there is a pipe dream, it's the walking Byron Buxton, maybe it will happen this year? Luis Arraez reached base 3 times out of the leadoff spot and quietly is one going to hit for average and score a ton of runs this year while being 2B, 3B, and OF eligible and he's owned in around 20% of leagues which is far too few.

ATL @ PHI (Fried @ Nola) - This game actually felt right. Fried put up a near clone of Gerrit Cole's start allowing 6 hits, 2 walks and 2 earned while striking out 8 over 5.0 innings missing a pure clone by one out in the 6th. Aaron Nola looked like the Cy Young contender he always is going 6 scoreless innings only to give up a single to Christian Pache and 2 run shot to Pablo Sandoval when he couldn't finish the 7th. Acuna Jr. was the only Brave to reach base more than once which the ultimate downfall as Nate Jones allowed a 2 out RBI single to Jean Segura in the 9th, after Chris Martin pitched the 8th and Will Smith pitched the 9th in a tied game. On the Phillies side, Archie Bradley was deployed to get the final out in the 7th which does not bode well for his save chances as Jose Alvarado pitched the 8th and Hector Neris the 9th before Connor Brogdon picked up the win after a scoreless top of the 10th.

TEX @ KC (Gibson @ Keller) - Oh god, this game did not have any pitching. Kyle Gibson gave up 5 runs in 0.1 innings yet left with the lead as his counterpart Brad Keller gave up 6 runs in 1.1 innings. If you starter Kyle Gibson, well, you knew this was possible but this type of disaster is not supposed to happen in a Brad Keller start. I was buying him all off season but I am immediately regretting that as when you allow over twice as many hits as you get outs and you're the starter, things are not good. Everyone on these offenses scored a bunch and drove in a bunch as no pitchers could pitch, but I don't need to tell you it's not time to buy anyone on these teams until they play a team with a real pitching staff. Of notes with the bullpen, Wade Davis picked up the save as Greg Holland was looking like 2018 Greg Holland.

TB @ MIA (Glasnow @ Alcantara) - This game was exactly what it should have been, as Glasnow and Alcantara were unhittable and the only reason this game didn't go to extras was Austin Meadows got into one off Yimi Garcia. Only Jesus Aguilar and Brandon Lowe reached based more than once as Lowe got the only other XBH of the game with a double off Alcantara. The Rays bullpen performed as expected with Pete Fairbanks pitching the 8th and Diego Castillo shutting down the side in the 9th.

STL @ CIN (Flaherty @ Castillo) - This game was supposed to go exactly as the Tampa Bay/Miami game, but it did not. Flaherty gave up 2 bombs Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez while Castillo gave up 10 runs in 3.1 innings. I'm not really sure why Cincinnati didn't pull Castillo earlier with an entirely fresh bullpen, but I'm just a writer I guess. Alex Reyes pitched the 9th and while it was not a save situation, he was declared closer by Mike Shildt earlier in the day. Goldschmidt got 4 hits and scored 3 runs, Arenado scored once on two hits, and Dylan Carlson picked up a walk to go with his 3 run shot. I quick note that while this was an offensive explosion game, Jonathan India going 2 for 4 in his debut is definitely something to monitor, as is Nick Senzel leaving the game early with an injury which seems like it's as much of an April tradition as Opening Day itself.

LAD @ COL (Kershaw @ Marquez) - Man, the Dodgers looked as bad as the Dodgers could possibly look, as Kershaw got dinked and dunked for 10 hits and 5 earned over 5.2. German Marquez was effectively wild allowing 6 hits and 6 walks over 4.0 IP yet only allowed a single run. Chi Chi Gonzalez was an ineffective bridge who got the win despite allowing 3 runs on 5 hits over 2.0 innings with Daniel Bard striking out 2, and allowing 2 base runners while picking up the save. Chris Owings won the Opening Day Emilio Bonifacio award for the most effective fantasy game by a multi-positional utility player going 3 for 3 with 2 steals, 3 run, 1 RBI and 1 BB. Every starting Rockie outside of Marquez reached base at least once while every Dodgers (including Kershaw!) reached base twice except Justin Turner (once) and Austin Barnes (none). Barnes also left the game in the due to a cut on his throwing hand so it will be interesting to see if he makes his way onto the IL and we get our first big time prospect call with a short run for Keibert Ruiz.

ARZ @ SDP (Bumgarner @ Darvish) - Like many of these Opening Day aces, both Bumgarner and Darvish got knocked around and didn't see the end of the 5th. Stefon Crichton gave up a run out of the pen in the 6th which is excellent news for Joakim Soria owners as he was nowhere near the 9th. Pagan-Pomeranz-Melancon allowed 1 base runner while striking out 4 in the 7th-8th-9th. Tatis Jr. and Machado struggled despite the offense lighting up Madbum as they went a combined 1 for 10 with 4 strikeouts. Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers both went deep while Victor Caratini drove in 3. If Caratini is available in your league, get him on your roster as soon as possible, he's going to take the starting job and never look back. Ketel Marte went 4 for 5 with a homer and 2 runs scored while Asdrubal Cabrera hit 5th and drove in 3 with a dinger. Tim Locastro got a surprise dinger off the bench is should be someone to keep on your radar with his speed and on base skill. Carson Kelly had a pinch hit single after Stephen Vogt started, which is an excellent sign for a top 10 dynasty catching asset who didn't get an Opening Day start.

HOU @ OAK (Greinke @ Bassitt) - Greinke looked like the future Hall of Famer that he is, allowing only 3 base runners over 6 innings. Chris Bassitt looked to match him through the first time through the order, but Bregman grounded in a run in the 4th and Yordan Alvarez drove in two on a double in the 6th to chase Bassitt before the 6th. Brantley & Bregman took Adam Kolarek deep in the 7th to seal the game for the Astros. They knocked in another 3 in the 8th to put the game away 8-1. 2021 could be the season where the Astros feel the boos at the ballpark as opposed to 2020, but they most certainly did not on Opening Day.

CHW @ LAA (Giolito @ Bundy) - Giolito was absolutely terrific except for a dinger to dead center by Max Stassi. Dylan Bundy far more mediocre allowing a two run shot to Adam Eaton over 6.0 innings. The White Sox bullpen, which looked on paper like it was one of the best in the league, was a huge Bummer and gave up the lead in the 8th on an infield single, throwing error on Nick Madrigal, Mike Trout single, Anthony Rendon K, Justin Upton walk, and then an RBI groundout by Albert Pujols. Raisel Iglesias pitched a clean 9th and the White Sox completely blew a gem from Lucas Giolito. Moncada and Trout both reached base 3 times, and while Trout doing this is typical and nothing out of the ordinary, Moncada doing this gives hopes to those who saw his 2020 as a product of his COVID-19 diagnosis with 2021 being a return to his 2019 self.

SF @ SEA (Gausman @ Gonzales) - If there was a start today that made someone look like the star they just might be, it was Kevin Gausman. 6 K's, 2 hits, 2 walks and 1 earned over 6.2 made Kevin look like the ace he's supposed to be. His counterpart Marco Gonzales looked far more mortal, pretending it was 2014 again letting both Evan Longoria and Buster Posey connect on dingers in addition to Austin Slater. Matt Wisler and Jarlin Garcia combined to walk 3 in the 7th and then submariner Tyler Rogers gave up a two run double and then just like in the Angels game, an infield error by Brandon Belt on a sure fire double play ball causes his team to blow a lead and the game. Another gem wasted here for Gausman. The one good thing for Giants fans is that Jake McGee and Reyes Moronta weren't the ones to blow this game, but at the same time one has to wonder why one of them weren't called upon in the 7th to save the game when there was still a lead to save. Every Mariner reached base despite Gausman allowing 4 baserunners of 6.2 innings. The Giants simply can't blow these kind of games if they want to compete, which they seemingly are telling their fan base they are trying to do. All that complaining said, Rafael Montero immediately blew the game to a pinch hit home run from Alex Dickerson. The game went to extras after the actually good reliever Jake McGee pitched the 9th for the Giants, but in the 10th they avoided pitching their other actually good reliever Reyes Moronta so naturally Jose Alvarez walked his fellow lefty Taylor Trammell and then Dylan Moore to load the bases Jake Fraley to lose the game. This was the ugliest game of the night and our first gigantic bullpen meltdown of the year.

Today was definitely interesting in terms of extra inning usage, as every team had fresh a fresh bullpen yet we saw the likes of Nick Nelson, Nate Jones, Randy Dobnak take 10th inning losses instead of seeing Aroldis Chapman, Amir Garrett and Taylor Rogers get extra inning usage. Since I started this article on a negative tone, I'll end it on a positive one. I love baseball. I am thrilled baseball is back. I cannot wait for more tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after. And the day after that. This is the greatest game on earth. I'm so happy we've got a realistic shot at 162. Goodnight.

Follow James on Twitter @whatmoney3000 for his deep league dynasty rankings and all his live takes before you skim this nice long article.

2021 Dynasty Start-up Rankings: WR

2021-01-06T03:23:00.000-05:00

So I think I am settling into a post every other day? Maybe once I spit these final rankings I will be easier to write think pieces on individual players as opposed to big long lists that look really fun but also are very difficult to pinpoint and will be largely wrong. Either way, it's post #4 this year which is more posts than we've had in the past 4 years so it's coming along just fine.

Looks like I am settling into a post every other day, which means it could become a post every three or four days, and then fade into nothing this. My current mindset is that is not that case and that once these final rankings are spit out it will be easier to write individualized pieces on certain players or groupings of players than it is to make the big, long lists. Either way, this is post #4 on the year which is three more posts than we had all over the past four years so things are coming along just fine in my head.

Tier 1

1. Justin Jefferson - age 22

2. DK Metcalf - age 23

3. AJ Brown - age 24

4. Calvin Ridley - age 26

5. Davante Adams - age 28

This is probably the first list where I'm going to deviate heavily from the industry consensus, as not only is Tyreek Hill not in my top 5 he doesn't make my top tier, and that's the first thing people will notice. The second, more glaring response is I think Justin Jefferson is already there. I'm not dealing anyone for him and I think it's time to buy his stock from now until the season starts. Metcalf and Brown are really 1B and 1C but their age differences give them an ever so slight drop off. Ridley appears to be an absolute monster for years to come, but a looming move-on from Matt Ryan stunts his value slightly. Adams is your #1 redraft WR but entering his age 28 season means his high end value run is closer to an end than anyone wants to admit.

Tier 2

6. CeeDee Lamb - age 22

7. Tyreek Hill - age 27

8. Ja'Marr Chase - age 21

9. Devonta Smith - age 22

10. Terry McLaurin - age 25

11. Stefon Diggs - age 27

Lamb's situation is heavily tired to Dak Prescott, but it's so appealing that the minute chance of a new QB in Dallas really doesn't affect his ranking much. Tyreek, while still in the top 10, has red flags that I don't think anyone wants to admit, as his game is entirely speed based and tied to having Kelce as the dominate threat underneath. The odds of Tyreek losing a step, Kelce losing his dominance, or some other dent in the Kansas City offense's armor is closer on the horizon than anyone will admit. I'm not buying the long-term #1 offense status in KC (I'll buy top 5 or top 10). Chase and Smith we still don't have teams so they are hard to rank, but they certainly are elite talents. McLaurinF1 is a Davante Adams level weapon and all he needs is a QB, or maybe he doesn't need that at all. Diggs will remain consistently around the top 10 and easily could rank higher, but I just couldn't find a way to get him in the top 10.

Tier 3

12. Amari Cooper - age 27

13. Mike Evans - age 27

14. Chase Claypool - age 23

15. Tee Higgins - age 22

16. Diontae Johnson - age 25

17. DeAndre Hopkins - age 29

18. Michael Thomas - age 28

19. Keenan Allen - age 29

20. DJ Moore - age 24

21. Chris Godwin - age 25

22. Tyler Boyd - age 26

23. Kenny Golladay - age 27

Cooper and Evans are tied to elite offenses and have shown they can be WR1s, but they also have questions as to whether they will remain the focal point of their teams offense moving forward. Claypool and Higgins project to grow under offenses that should get better. Johnson's drops are way overstated and the bigger threat to his value is the loss of Big Ben (and not having a suitable replacement). Hopkins, Thomas and Allen are elite, but also aging quickly and in dynasty that is always a factor. Moore seems to be trending towards a Brandin Cooks career where his numbers are always great but he somehow never seems to be a true top end WR. Godwin, Boyd and Golladay have all shown flashes of being on the top end, but with age no longer clearly on their side.

Tier 4

24. DJ Chark - age 24

25. Rashod Bateman - age 21

26. Rondale Moore - age 21

27. Allen Robinson - age 27

28. Jerry Jeudy - age 22

29. Odell Beckham Jr - age 28

30. Will Fuller V - age 27

31. Gabriel Davis - age 22

32. Laviska Shenault - age 22

33. Chris Olave - age 21

34. Jaylen Waddle - age 22

35. JuJu Smith-Schuster - age 24

36. Justyn Ross - age 21

37. Terrace Marshall - age 21

38. Tyler Lockett - age 28

39. Adam Thielen - age 30

The drop off between Tier 3 and Tier 4 is pretty heavy as there are plenty of reasons to have concern or optimism here. Youth is readily available, as are dependable veterans, but no one in this tier has a "must draft me" sign strapped to their back.

Tier 5

40. Courtland Sutton - age 25

41. Brandin Cooks - age 27

42. Corey Davis - age 26

43 Marquise Brown - age 24

44. DeVante Parker - age 28

45 Christian Kirk - age 24

46. Jamison Crowder - age 28

47. Curtis Samuel - age 25

48. Robert Woods - age 29

49. Julio Jones - age 32

50. Cooper Kupp - age 28

51. Preston Williams - age 24

52. Jalen Reagor - age 22

53. KJ Hamler - age 22

54. Henry Ruggs - age 22

55. Amon-ra St. Brown - age 21

56. Tylan Wallace - age 22

57. Tamorrion Terry - age 21

58. Darnell Mooney - age 23

59. Tutu Atwell - age 21

60. Denzel Mims - age 23

61. Seth Williams - age 21

62. Michael Pittman Jr. - age 23

63. Amari Rodgers - age 21

64. Dyami Brown - age 21

There's a whole bunch of "well if [Team X] doesn't sign anyone new or [Player Y] signs with this team or [Player Z] gets drafted into a good situation" in this tier. It''s just hard to predict those things going right for everyone.

Tier 6

65. Deebo Samuel - age 25

66. Michael Gallup - age 25

67. Jarvis Landry - age 28

68. Robby Anderson - age 28

69. Darius Slayton - age 24

70. Keke Coutee - age 24

71. TY Hilton - age 31

72. Mecole Hardman - age 23

73. Nico Collins - age 21

74. Anthony Schwartz - age 21

75. Mike Williams - age 26

76. Parris Campbell - age 24

77. Devin Duvernay - age 23

78. Cole Beasley - age 32

79. Russell Gage - age 25

80. Sterling Shepard - age 28

81. John Brown - age 31

82. Jakobi Meyers - age 24

Things are getting bleaker here, but you can still find optimism. I'm just finding more pessimism than optimism.

Tier 7

83. Donovan Peoples-Jones - age 22

84. Bryan Edwards - age 22

85. N'Keal Harry - age 23

86. Quintez Cephus - age 23

87. Dazz Newsome - age 22

88. Ihmir Smith-Marsette - age 22

89. Damonte Coxie - age 22

90. Kadarius Toney - age 22

91. Trevon Grimes - age 22

92. Marlon Williams - age 22

93. Sage Surratt - age 23

94. Marvin Jones - age 31

It's the tier of unknown youth and Marvin Jones unknown free agency landing spot.

Tier 8

95. Allen Lazard - age 25

96. Tyler Johnson - age 23

97. Travis Fulgham - age 25

98. Van Jefferson - age 25

99. James Washington - age 25

100. Zach Pascal - age 26

101. Antonio Brown - age 33

102. Sammy Watkins - age 28

103. Josh Reynolds - age 26

104. Rashard Higgins - age 26

105. Colin Johnson - age 23

106. Scotty Miller - age 24

107. Hunter Renfrow - age 25

108. AJ Green - age 33

109. Keelan Cole - age 28

You're not drafting anyone here expecting production, but enough things could go wrong for their team that one of these guys has to step up and can put up weekly numbers.

Tier 9

110. Marquez Valdes-Scantling - age 27

111. David Moore - age 26

112. Tim Patrick - age 28

113. Miles Boykin - age 24

114. Emmanuel Sanders - age 34

115. Nelson Agholor - age 28

116. Antonio Gandy-Golden - age 23

117. Kelvin Harmon - age 23

118. Andy Isabella - age 24

119. Tre'Quan Smith - age 25

120. Anthony Miller - age 26

121. Breshad Perriman - age 27

122. Steven Sims - age 24

123. Auden Tate - age 24

124. JJ Arcega-Whiteside - age 24

125. Golden Tate - age 33

It's really bleak here. You can try and convince yourself that there is value, but that's all your doing.

2021 Dynasty Start-up Rankings: RB

2021-01-04T17:14:00.005-05:00

Look, it was decided that on Sundays I'm not going to post. I'm going to focus on watching football and enjoying that and not being a slave to my content (maybe I was also lazy, who knows). 3 posts in 4 days is still good, and I'm sticking to that statement regardless of whether or not you tell me I'm slipping in dedication. It's fine (maybe).

Tier 1

1. Christian McCaffrey - age 25

2. Saquon Barkley - age 24

3. Alvin Kamara - age 26

There are always question marks with RBs, just looking at the top Tier you have two guys coming off largely MIA campaigns and another one who disappears when the backup QB plays. That said, when these guys are on the field with the right personnel they are the premium players at their position and are still in their prime. One could argue Kamara entering his age 26 season might not be worth this value in a dynasty start-up but RBs who are receiving backs generally age well and I'm not going fade the team who kept Darren Sproles relevant well into his 30s.

Tier 2

4. Jonathan Taylor - age 22

5. Nick Chubb - age 25

6. Ezekiel Elliott - age 26

7. Dalvin Cook - age 26

8. James Robinson - age 23

9. JK Dobbins - age 22

10. Antonio Gibson - age 23

11. D'Andre Swift - age 22

12. David Montgomery - age 24

13. Miles Sanders - age 24

14. Josh Jacobs - age 23

Everyone in this tier is either projected to continue to move forward on a linear age progression chart or maintain in the case of Elliott and Cook. Taylor appears to have the most future talent left in the tank, but I'm not in enough love with his situation in IND to bump him to the top tier. Chubb will be splitting carries with Hunt, Robinson has to make sure a new coaching staff doesn't give up on him or reduce his workload drastically, and everyone else needs to take one more step forward to truly become elite.

Tier 3

15. Ronald Jones - age 24

16. Cam Akers - age 22

17. Joe Mixon - age 25

18. Travis Etienne - age 22

19. Clyde Edwards-Helaire - age 22

20. Javonte Williams - age 21

21. Austin Ekeler - age 26

22. Derrick Henry - age 28

23. Aaron Jones - age 26

Everyone in this tier has the same type of question marks in Tier 2, but they run a bit deeper. Will Jones, Akers or CEH really get the full workload? Will Mixon stay healthy and also take a step forward? Where will Etienne and Williams land and will they get playing time? Will Ekeler's new coaching staff keep him as the team's workhorse? Does Derrick Henry age? Will Aaron Jones resign with the Packers or fade into a sunset? There is plenty of upside with every player here, but the downside looms larger than anyone in Tier 2.

Tier 4

24. AJ Dillon - age 23

25. Kareem Hunt - age 26

26. Zack Moss - age 23

27. Devin Singletary - age 24

28. Jaret Patterson - age 21

29. Kenneth Gainwell - age 22

30. Michael Carter - age 22

31. Najee Harris - age 23

32. Trey Sermon - age 22

33. Chuba Hubbard - age 22

34. Melvin Gordon - age 28

This tear is consists of three types of backs. Players who if you remove other players from their current backfield, they could vault into the RB1 conversation, rookies who don't have a team yet, and Melvin Gordon.

Tier 5

35. Damien Harris - age 24

36. Rashaad Penny - age 25

37. Alexander Mattison - age 23

38. Tony Pollard - age 24

39. Darrell Henderson - age 24

40. Nyheim Hines - age 24

41. Justice Hill - age 23

42. Myles Gaskin - age 24

43. Lynn Bowden - age 23

44. Master Teague - age 21

45. Rhamondre Stevenson - age 22

46. Zamir White - age 22

47. James Conner - age 26

48. Ke'Shawn Vaughn - age 24

There are question marks galore in this tier. Plenty of young-ish talent tied to great team situations along with rookies who don't know where they'll go and a free agent in James Conner who appears to be on the backside of his career but also seems to be the best option for Pittsburgh at the moment.

Tier 6

49. Kylin Hill - age 23

50. Demetric Felton - age 23

51. DeeJay Dallas - age 22

52. Kennedy Brooks - age 22

53. Javian Hawkins - age 22

54. JaMycal Hasty - age 24

55. Sony Michel - age 26

56. Chris Carson - age 27

57. David Johnson - age 29

58. Marlon Mack - age 25

59. Kenyan Drake - age 27

60. Leonard Fournette - age 26

61. JD McKissic - age 28

62. Tarik Cohen - age 26

63. La'Mical Perine - age 23

64. Joshua Kelley - age 23

65. Chase Edmonds - age 25

66. Kerryon Johnson - age 24

67. Ryquell Armstead - age 24

68. Gus Edwards - age 26

69. Raheem Mostert - age 29

There is nothing in this tier that says buy. You have rookies who are not projected to get much playing time and will need some help to find carriers, and then veterans who are free agents who don't appear to be going anywhere to get more carries. This is the tier where you can still hit the jackpot, but the likelihood is super low.

Tier 7

70. Anthony McFarland Jr. - age 23

71. Benny Snell Jr. - age 23

72. Darrynton Evans - age 23

73. Trayveon Williams - age 23

74. Ty Johnson - age 23

75. Mohamed Ibrahim - age 23

76. Jamaal Williams - age 26

77. Damien Williams - age 29

78. Duke Johnson - age 27

79. Ito Smith - age 25

80. Gio Bernard - age 29

81. Justin Jackson - age 25

82. Phillip Lindsay - age 27

83. Wayne Gallman - age 26

84. Le'Veon Bell - age 29

85. Royce Freeman - age 25

86. Mark Ingram - age 31

87. Bryce Love - age 24

88. Derrius Guice - age 24

89. Todd Gurley - age 27

90. Eno Benjamin - age 22

91. Salvon Ahmed - age 22

92. Jaylen Samuels - age 25

93. Darwin Thompson - age 25

94. Kalen Ballage - age 25

95. Jeff Wilson - age 26

96. Jeremy McNichols - age 25

97. Latavius Murray - age 31

98. Jordan Wilkins - age 27

99. Travis Homer - age 23

100. Mike Davis - age 28

Everything in this tier is about finding a needle in a haystack. Last year Mike Davis was that needle as he filled in for CMC and became a weekly RB1. Someone in here will do that again in 2021, but everyone else will be roster fodder. You don't want these guys.

2021 Dynasty Start-up Rankings: QB

2021-01-02T14:26:00.003-05:00

We are two days into 2021 and there are two posts on this blog in 2021, this is an accomplishment that cannot go unrecognized. The amount of effort put into this place has already surpassed all the (nonexistent) hard work we put in from 2015-2020. I'm not really sure who to thank at this point, since it's all just two rankings posts but you get my point. The effort level has been raised and we are going to try and sustain this level of effort for as long as possible. Let's see how it goes.

Tier 1

1. Patrick Mahomes - age 25

If you don't have Patrick Mahomes in a tier all by himself there are only two options: 1. You are looking to get views/hits/engagement/whatever and are "embracing debate" as to why someone else is on his level when you know it is not true, or 2. You very bad at this. It's very difficult to be able to claim something is outright wrong in fantasy football, but if you place someone else on Patrick Mahomes level there is no question about it, you are wrong.

Tier 2

2. Kyler Murray - age 24

3. Lamar Jackson - age 24

4. Deshaun Watson - age 25

Murray is the clear cut #2 and while this season has been all doom and gloom for Lamar Jackson apologists as the Ravens have been exceedingly mediocre and Jackson has barely been a top 12 QB, but when you look deeper and see the Ravens withheld JK Dobbins for far too long and will likely take a WR near the top of their draft you see Lamar's stock coming back to prominence. The saying is that the NFL is a "what have you done for me lately?" league and Lamar is no exception (and neither is Watson who has been stuck in an awful situation in Houston) but these guys are at the bottom end of their value right now. Dynasty is about predicting the future, and we know well and good things aren't going to get worse for these two, only better.

Tier 3

5. Dak Prescott - age 28

6. Trevor Lawrence - age 21

7. Russell Wilson - age 32

8. Joe Burrow - age 24

9. Josh Allen - age 25

10. Justin Herbert - age 23

11. Tua Tagovailoa - age 23

12. Justin Fields - age 22

13. Zach Wilson - age 21

The immediate ranking that will jump out is how Josh Allen barely cracks single digits. Everything has gone perfect for Allen so far in his career, from finding the best coach for his skills to acquiring Stefon Diggs this year, and while that has made him a top tier QB in 2020 moving forward these things aren't going to continually get better. He's very good, much better than most thought he would be coming out of college, but projecting him forward in a dynasty I am still bullish. Dak could easily get bumped up a tier but with the minute chances of him leaving Dallas mixed with the minute chances he come back a step slow from injury he doesn't get the bump. Wilson's age and late season decline along with Burrow's injury leave you with more question marks than you'd like. Lawrence should be a start but we all know landing spot is key. The back half of the list is young players with great potential that could get squandered but likely won't.

Tier 4

14. Aaron Rodgers - age 37

15. Jared Goff - age 26

16. Ryan Tannehill - age 33

17. Baker Mayfield - age 26

18. Jalen Hurts - age 23

19. Kirk Cousins - age 33

20. Trey Lance - age 21

21. Mac Jones - age 23

I considered putting Rodgers in a tier all by himself, as he should continue to be great, but the Packers also drafted Love for a reason and he might get a Favre-ian exit sooner rather than later. Goff, Tannehill, Mayfield and Cousins all appear to be locked into the good but not great range while Hurts, Lance and Jones all have extremely high variance.

Tier 5

22. Matthew Stafford - age 33

23. Jordan Love - age 22

24. Matt Ryan - age 36

25. Daniel Jones - age 24

26. Sam Darnold - age 24

27. Teddy Bridgewater - age 28

28. Derek Carr - age 30

29. Taysom Hill - age 31

30. Kyle Allen - age 24

31. Carson Wentz - age 28

32. Kyle Trask - age 23

We're entering the part of the list where there are significant questions everywhere, but also a predictable path to playing time.

Tier 6

33. Ben Roethlisberger - age 39

34. Tom Brady - age 44

35. Drew Brees - age 42

36. Jameis Winston - age 27

37. Mitchell Trubisky - age 27

38. Drew Lock - age 24

39. Jimmy Garoppolo - age 29

40. Kenny Pickett - age 22

41. Jamie Newman - age 23

42. Shane Buechele - age 23

43. Desmond Ridder - age 23

44. Cam Newton - age 32

45. Phillip Rivers - age 39

46. Jacoby Brissett - age 28

47. Gardner Minshew - age 25

48. Marcus Mariota - age 27

49. Alex Smith - age 37

50. Andy Dalton age 33

This list is full of QBs who are too old for anyone to want to invest any significant draft and the other half is full of QBs who may never start again, but also could be the next Tannehill.

2021 Dynasty Start-up Rankings: TE

2021-01-01T21:13:00.001-05:00

There sure is nothing else like a brand spanking new calendar year that gets people to re-invest into their defunct projects. For me, that's typing up this here post, editing it, and then pressing that big orange publish button in the upper right hand corner so that my legions of anywhere between 0 to 5 followers read my thoughts on what the 2021 Dynasty Rankings at the TE position should be on January 1st, 2021. My ability to sustain any momentum when it comes to this site is extremely fleeting, but now that the calendar has flipped I can convince myself that there is optimism in writing and I'm going to give it a go once more. The over/under odds in Vegas for 1.5 total posts in 2021 (including this one) is dead even and I have fictional pit bosses texting me constantly for updates. We'll see how I do.

Tier 1

1. George Kittle - age 27

We'll get to in more in the next tier, but the general consensus is that this tier should only have one player, but that player isn't George Kittle. My reasoning for placing Kittle, alone, in the top tier is simple: he can improve in many areas in 2021. He has yet to play a full season, he has yet to have an elite QB, he has yet to have a game-changing WR line up with him, and one or all of these things can change next season. Sure he might still get stuck with Jimmy G, or maybe Brandon Aiyuk somehow takes a step lateral next year, but things look good moving forward. At a young 27, Kittle has plenty of life left in his bones to give you 4 or 5 elite seasons with the opportunity to grow.

Tier 2

2. Darren Waller - age 28

3. Mark Andrews - age 25

4. TJ Hockenson - age 24

5. Travis Kelce - age 31

Waller could have found himself in our top tier, but he doesn't have the obvious upside that Kittle does. For one, Waller already sees his lions share of targets from one of the best checkdown QBs in the league. We saw Oakland wants to add more passing game weapons when they drafted Henry Ruggs, and while Waller certainly is elite, he's not Kittle. Andrews and Hockenson are both members of the no-longer-sexy-names-and-just-put-up-very-solid-numbers-at-a-very-young-age club. No one in your draft is going to think you made a great pick when you take them, and that's on them. Consistency is key in fantasy sports, and both of these guys will be putting up consistent numbers once everyone else in the top 5 is no longer a fantasy asset. After the initial shock wears off, I hope you realize that Kelce is 6 months younger than Gronk and has never played less than 15 games in a season. That's real wear. Sure, he's tied to the best offense with the best QB in the league, with one of the top field stretching WRs in the league, but are those things going to remain going forward? I'm not doomsday predicting that any of these things collapse, but I'm also not expecting there to be no change going forward. Kelce has had a perfect environment that past few years and I don't expect things to stay the same because they never do.

Tier 3

6. Kyle Pitts - age 21

7. Hunter Henry - age 26

8. Irv Smith Jr. - age 23

9. Mike Gesicki - age 25

10. Evan Engram - age 27

11. Jonnu Smith - age 26

12. Noah Fant - age 23

13. Zach Ertz - age 30

These are just rankings for today, so without knowing where Pitts or Henry are going its hard to know where to place them, but their talent alone means ranking them above sub-optimal landing spots for the guys below. Smith's ranking is aggressive, but given all the other options in Minnesota he should be plenty of chances to get great matchups single coverage. Gesicki's, Engram's, and Fant's rankings are all tied to their QBs. Jonnu seems to have stuck in an offense that only needs him a few times a game, and it's very likely he and Irv Smith have similar numbers in 2020. Ertz is a wildcard since he is older, has no clear QB, and might not have a new coach but has put up elite numbers very recently.

Tier 4

14. Dalton Schultz - age 25

15. Logan Thomas - age 30

16. O.J. Howard - age 26

17. Dallas Goedert - age 26

18. Drew Sample - age 25

19. Harrison Bryant - age 23

20. Austin Hooper - age 26

These guys are all high variant plays, where the amount of question marks mixed with great opportunity will lead to highly divergent results.

Tier 5

21. Cole Kmet - age 22

22. Adam Trautman - age 24

23. Dawson Knox - age 24

24. David Njoku - age 25

25. Robert Tonyan - age 27

26. Eric Ebron - age 28

27. Josh Oliver - age 24

28. Hayden Hurst - age 28

29. Tyler Higbee - age 29

30. Pat Freiermuth - age 22

31. Will Dissly - age 25

32. Gerald Everett - age 27

33. Mo-Allie Cox - age 28

34. Chris Herndon - age 25

35. Ian Thomas - age 26

36. Blake Jarwin - age 27

37. Kyle Rudolph - age 32

Everyone in this has some sort of setback tied to their current status that is going to hold them from being every day players at the moment.

Tier 6

38. Jace Sternberger - age 25

39. Brevin Jordan - age 21

40. Brycen Hopkins - age 24

41. Richard Rodgers - age 29

42. Foster Moreau - age 24

43. Dalton Keene - age 22

44. Jordan Akins - age 29

45. Jake Ferguson - age 21

46. Charlie Kolar - age 22

47. Kahale Warring - age 24

48. Devin Asiasi - age 24

49. Adam Shaheen - age 26

50. Trey Burton - age 29

These are some shot in the dark young guns or very unsexy, unlikely to go off old guns.

The Quarantine Return

2020-06-15T22:07:00.004-04:00

It's only been 6 years since our last post, hopefully our boss does not realize we have been slacking. Now for the content no one has been clamoring for: the 2020 QB rankings

Tier 1
1. Patrick Mahomes
2. Lamar Jackson
3. Deshaun Watson
4. Russell Wilson
5. Josh Allen
6. Kyler Murray

The floor you get with Mahomes is insanely high. Now that we aren't posting in 2014 anymore, elite QBs have become underrated in fantasy circles. The expected sophomore slump for Jackson is now more unlikely to happen in a COVID-19 since teams will have less time to get their teams together and whatever worked will take the rest of the league longer to catch up. Watson and Wilson no longer land in the area where an uptick in performance is expected, and rather they are just supposed to continue their expected production.

Tier 2
7. Drew Brees
8. Aaron Rodgers
9. Baker Mayfield

10. Daniel Jones
11. Matt Ryan

12. Dak Prescott

Concerns that both Brees and Rodgers falling off are drastically overstated. We are living in a football world where QB age keeps getting higher and higher, and betting on the elites to fall is a bad bet. These guys are going to fall perfectly into the window of 'acceptable weekly performance'. Being a Cleveland homer blog, the ranking of Baker is optimistic but also something that should happen. The weapons are there, and Freddie Kitchens isn't. Daniel Jones will have the classic Matthew Stafford season of solid weekly fantasy performances while his real life output is not so good. Ryan will have another standard Ryan year, and Dak will be great but won't be playing a full season. It's happening, sorry Cowboys fans.

Tier 3
13. Joe Burrow
14. Matthew Stafford
15. Kirk Cousins
16. Drew Lock
17. Carson Wentz
18. Ryan Tannehill
19. Jared Goff
20. Jimmy Garoppolo
21. Tom Brady
22. Ben Roethlisberger
23. Cam Newton
24. Tua Tagovailoa

Huge ranking for Burrow, who is going to have insane variance but has all the weapons in the world to put up huge games. Stafford and Cousins wind up in their typical "we are good but also no one wants us" tier. Lock should be a poor mans Burrow with high variance, but with lower highs and higher lows, so to speak. Wentz will get hurt, Tannehill will be actual Tannehill. Jared and Jimmy are both tied to good teams, but aren't actually good at fantasy QB. Unlike Brees and Rodgers, Brady and Big Ben will be too old to put up good numbers, and by the end of the year both will be on their way out of the league. Newton and Tua won't play a full slate but will be good enough when he plays.

Tier 4
25. Teddy Bridgewater
26. Gardner Minshew II
27. Sam Darnold
28. Dwayne Haskins
29. Derek Carr
30. Nick Foles
31. Ryan Fitzpatrick
32. Philip Rivers
33. Jarrett Stidham
34. Tyrod Taylor
35. Jacoby Brissett
36. Justin Herbert

You don't want to own any of these losers. They aren't going to help you win.

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @whatmoney3000 or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Editor's Note: If you are reading this, I am amazed.

2014 NFL Draft Drinking Game

2014-05-06T18:44:00.000-04:00

2014 NFL Draft Drinking Game!!

Well, it's that time of year again, Browns fans. Here's our annual NFL draft drinking game, 2014 Edition! So, check it out and comment or tweet at us @ClevelandsRocks to give your input. If it's good, we'll include it in our updated rules.

NFL Draft Drinking Game

Please Drink ~~Responsibly~~

Things you will need:

1. Plenty of team gear.

2. Plenty of beer to have a great time.

3. Plenty of liquor if your team's draft blows.

Personal Team:

Personal power hour when your team is on the clock. 1 Drink per Minute
If you’re upset about your teams pick. Drink until your not

Socials:

Roger Goodell makes a pick announcement. Social
Any pick is traded. Social

General Phrases:

Any mention of the Scouting Combine i.e. 40-yard dash times, bench press, vertical leap 1 Drink
If a player is described as a "project", or "sleeper" 1 Drink
"Physical specimen." 1 Drink
"Intangibles." 1 Drink
“Drafting for need” 1 Drink
"Best athlete available." 1 Drink
“Tremendous upside” 1 Drink
"Raw" 1 Drink
"Tweener" (via @KSThomas8) 1 Drink

Situations:

Any analyst disagrees with the pick made. 1 Drink
Fans boo their first-round pick. 1 Drink
Whenever ESPN cuts to a team's “War Room” 1 Drink
Camera shot of draftee at home with family. 1 Drink
Camera shot of draftee at home with inexplicable amount of gorgeous girls in the background. 1 Drink per girl
Draftee at podium is wearing an obnoxiously colored suit (green, purple, yellow, sharkskin), a derby hat or hopelessly gaudy jewelry. 1 Drink
A player from a college you've never heard of is picked. 1 Drink
Draftee slips because of "personal problems”. 1 Drink (Will likely turn to 3 drinks. See Below)
Cincinnati drafts a player that's been arrested before. 2 Drinks
The highlight footage of a first-round pick makes him look like the single greatest player to put on a helmet and play the game of football. 1 Drink
Every time someone mentions that Tom Brady was drafted in the 6^th round. 1 Drink
Last player in green room after 20 picks. 2 Drinks per pick until he is drafted, then give him a standing ovation.
Every time someone compares a QB who's slipping in the draft to this year's Russell Wilson/Aaron Rodgers. 1 Drink
Any time Ryan Leaf is mentioned: 5-10 Drinks depending on good behavior

Personal Phrases/Situations:

Mel Kiper:

· Calls a pick a "steal" because he had him listed higher on his draft board 2 Drinks

· Someone makes a comment of his hair. 3 Drinks

Chris Berman:

· Anytime he interrupts someone. 1 Drink

· Anytime he says “Raydas,” "G-Men," "Super Chargers," or anyother terrible nickname for a franchise. 5 Drinks

Tom Jackson

· Let’s slip one of those high-pitched giggles that sounds funny coming from a former middle linebacker. 2 Drinks

Browns Related Scenarios: Anytime the following are mentioned:

· We get it, we drafted Tim Couch 1 Drink

· We get it, we drafted Courtney Brown 1 Drink

· We get it, we drafted Gerard Warren 1 Drink

· We get it, we drafted William Green 1 Drink
We get it, our 2nd round pick went with the selection of Josh Gordon
We get it, we traded down & missed out on Julio Jones (2011) & didn't move up for RGIII (2012)

Post Combine Mock Draft

2014-03-01T14:30:00.001-05:00

Laziness has seeped into the keyboards here at Cleveland's Rocks, seeing as this is our first blog since October...But more importantly, draft season is upon us. Following last weekends Combine in Indy, draft boards have shaken up and mock drafts have been all over the place. We here at Cleveland's Rocks are going to provide you with (in all likelihood) the three most accurate mock drafts on the internet.

Without further adu.....

#1. Houston Texans select....

http://www.dennisburnside.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Manziel1.jpg

Chip: Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M
Hometown kid gets the nod here. I just can't see the Houston brass opting for Clowney when they already have such a solid defense. Quarterback is the sole reason they are picking where they are and Johnny Football may have the highest stock of all the QBs right now.

James: Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville

#2. St. Louis Rams select....

Chip: Sammy Watkins, WR Clemson
Curveball here. Offensive tackle might make the most sense here, but it's a deep OT class. It's a deep WR class as well, but the argument can be made that Watkins is a better WR relative to the rest of his class than either of the top tackles are relative to theirs.

James: Greg Robinson, OT Auburn

#3. Jacksonville Jaguars select....

Chip: Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville
I'm tempted to go Clowney with this pick as well, but I can't look at the point totals for Jacksonville and justify not addressing the offense. Bridgewater's the surest bet from this quarterback class, and it's a need that Jacksonville hasn't filled since (kind of?) David Garrard.

James: Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina

Is that Lake Erie?

#4. Cleveland Browns select....

Chip: Blake Bortles, QB UCF
It's got to be quarterback here. Read all you want into the whispers about David Carr or the how Sammy Watkins would be unreal with Josh Gordon, but this pick has to be a quarterback. Unless all three of the top QBs are gone by this pick, expect Farmer and Co. to go with a signal caller. I like Bortles' size and strength, although I'll be the first to tell you I'm not a talent evaluator. From most of what I've read he seems like an excellent prospect who may benefit from sitting a little bit. Enter Brian Hoyer. The security of a vet like Hoyer would allow Farmer to make this pick, knowing that if he isn't ready by week one not all is lost.

Also, can we dispel this notion that the Browns should take BPA and not a QB because it's such a deep draft. If anything, the fact that the draft is so deep should allow the Browns to feel comfortable grabbing their QB at 4, even if he's the 10th or 12th best prospect on their board. You make that pick and use pick 26 to grab someone who in any other draft would be a top 12 pick. Don't wait for the "second tier" of QBs.

Also, his girlfriend is smoking hot.

James: Johnny Dawgpound, QB Texas A&M

#5. Oakland Raiders select....

Chip: Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carlina
If Clowney drops out of the top four, every team is in play. It so happens that Oakland needs an upgrade at the defensive end position if Lamar Houston ends up leaving in free agency. Obviously QB is a top need for Oakland, but in this scenario they're all off the board.

James: Blake Bortles, QB UCF

#6. Atlanta Falcons select....

Chip: Greg Robinson, OT Auburn
Let the run on offensive tackles begin. In all honesty I'd be shocked if Robinson and/or Matthews falls this far, but that's how this has played out. Robinson is too good of a talent to pass up here, and protecting Matt Ryan has to be priority number 1.

James: Jake Matthews, OT Texas A&M

Lovie Smith loves his LBs, and Mack would be a force in his defense

#7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select....

Chip: Khalil Mack, OLB Buffalo
Mack's playmaking ability is incredible, and would be a great addition across from Lavonte David.

James: Khalil Mack, OLB Buffalo

#8. Minnesota Vikings select....

Chip: Aaron Donald, DT Pittsburgh
Donald dominated in 2013, then dominated the Senior Bowl, and cemented himself as a top interior lineman at the Combine. He fits the mold of new coach Mike Zimmer's defense, as his similarities to Geno Atkins are legit.

James: Sammy Watkins, WR Clemson

#9. Buffalo Bills select....

Chip: Anthony Barr, OLB UCLA
Outside linebacker help could be in the cards for Buffalo. Unless Doug Marrone and his staff have confidence in Jerry Hughes to repeat his double-digit sack season in the future, a pass rusher is needed. Anthony Barr fits the bill here.

James: Mike Evans, WR Texas A&M

#10. Detroit Lions select....

Chip: Darqueze Dennard, CB Michigan State
Corner is a huge need for Detroit, and though some might say Dennard had a sub-par performance at the Combine, so did Joe Haden back in 2010.

James: Justin Gilbert, CB Oklahoma State

Matthews is about a safe of a pick there is.

#11. Tennessee Titans select....

Chip: Jake Matthews, OT Texas A&M

James: Anthony Barr, OLB UCLA

#12. New York Giants select....

Chip: Taylor Lewan, OT Michigan

James: Eric Ebron, TE UNC

#13. St. Louis Rams select....

Chip: Calvin Pryor, S Louisville

James: Kony Ealy, DL Mizzou

#14. Chicago Bears select....

Chip: HaHa Clinton-Dix, S Alabama

James: C.J. Mosley, ILB Alabama

#15. Pittsburgh Steelers select....

Chip: Mike Evans, WR Texas A&M

James: Taylor Lewan, OL Michigan

#16. Dalas Cowboys select....

Chip: Timmy Jernigan, DT Florida State

A legitimate heir-apparent to Ray Lewis?

James: Jace Amaro, TE Texas Tech

#17. Baltimore Ravens select....

Chip: C.J. Mosley, ILB Alabama

James: Darqueze Dennard, CB Michigan State

#18. New York Jets select....

Chip: Marqise Lee, WR USC

James: Jordan Matthews, WR Vanderbilt

#19. Miami Dolphins select....

Chip: Zach Martin, OT Notre Dame

James: Marqise Lee, WR USC

#20. Arizona Cardinals select....

Chip: Eric Ebron, TE UNC

James: Zach Martin, OT Notre Dame

#21. Green Bay Packers select....

Chip: Louis Nix III, NT Notre Dame

James: Louis Nix III, NT Notre Dame

#22. Philadelphia Eagles select....

Chip: Justin Gilbert, CB Oklahoma State

James: HaHa Clinton-Dix, S Alabama

#23. Kansas City Chiefs select....

Chip: Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon State

Would Cincy invest a first rounder in a QB?

James: Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon State

#24. Cincinnati Bengals select....

Chip: Jason Verrett, CB TCU

James: Derek Carr, QB Fresno State

#25. San Diego Chargers select....

Chip: Ryan Shazier, OLB Ohio State

James: Calvin Pryor, S Louisville

#26. Cleveland Browns select....

Chip: Odell Beckham Jr., WR LSU

Beckham would be a nightmare matched with Josh Gordon.

Totally biased selection here. I love Odell Beckham. I think he looks like a stud in the 4 minute highlight tape I watched on YouTube and he performed well at the Combine. You could make the case
that offensive line or inside linebacker's a need--maybe even corner back here. But the fact is the Browns have a selection coming up in about a dozen picks. Beckham could be the shifty slot guy going underneath while Josh Gordon stretches the defense. I usually hate taking a wideout in the first round, because I don't value them as much as other positions. But if the Browns can grab a good quarterback (maybe Bortles can be that guy) and at least have a serviceable running game, the offense could be on the cusp of breaking out. Beckham could be one of the final pieces to the puzzle if free agency and the fourth pick go right.

James: Kelvin Benjamin, WR Florida State

#27. New Orleans Saints select....

Chip: Bradley Roby, CB Ohio State

James: Aaron Donald, DT Pittsburgh

#28. Carolina Panthers select....

Chip: Kelvin Benjamin, WR Florida State

James: Bradley Roby, CB Ohio State

#29. New England Patriots select....

Chip: Xavier Su'a-Filo, OG UCLA

James: Timmy Jernigan, DT Florida State

#30. San Francisco 49ers select....

Hageman could be a good replacement for Red Bryant.

Chip: Lamarcus Joiner, S Florida State

James: Davonte Adams, WR Fresno State

#31. Denver Broncos select....

Chip: Kony Ealy, DL Mizzou

James: Chris Kouanjio, OT Alabama

#32. Seattle Seahawks select....

Chip: Ra'shede Hageman, DT Minnesota

James: David Yankey, OL Stanford

Week 5 Shuffle: TE

2013-10-02T03:49:00.003-04:00

Listed are the Top 25 TEs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

They Start in All Leagues Top 12:

1. Jimmy Graham @CHI
   Projection: 8 catches for 85 yards 2 TDs: 20.5 points
2. Tony Gonzalez vs NYJ
   Projection: 6 catches for 74 yards 1 TD: 13.3 points
3. Jordan Cameron vs BUF
   Projection: 7 catches for 65 yards 1 TD: 12.5 points
4. Antonio Gates @OAK
   Projection: 6 catches for 64 yards 1 TD: 12.4 points
5. Jason Witten vs DEN
   Projection: 5 catches for 60 yards 1 TD: 12.0 points
6. Greg Olsen @ARI
   Projection: 4 catches for 53 yards 1 TD: 11.3 points
7. Jared Cook vs JAC
      Projection: 4 catches for 42 yards 1 TD: 10.2 points
8. Vernon Davis vs HOU
   Projection: 3 catches for 31 yards 1 TD: 9.1 points
9. Martellus Bennett vs NO
   Projection: 6 catches for 75 yards 0 TDs: 7.5 points
10. Julius Thomas @DAL
   Projection: 2 catches for 14 yards 1 TD: 7.4 points
11. Brandon Myers vs PHI
   Projection: 5 catches for 66 yards 0 TDs: 6.6 points
12. Charles Clay @BAL
   Projection: 4 catches for 56 yards 0 TDs: 5.6 points

They Do Not Start in Many Leagues 13-25:

13. Colby Fleener vs SEA
   Projection: 4 catches for 53 yards 0 TDs: 5.3 points
14. Owen Daniels @SF
   Projection: 4 catches for 46 yards 0 TDs: 4.6 points
15. Kellen Winslow @ATL
   Projection: 6 catches for 44 yards 0 TDs: 4.4 points
16. Tyler Eifert vs NE
   Projection: 4 catches for 43 yards 0 TDs: 4.3 points
17. Lance Kendricks vs JAC
   Projection: 4 catches for 42 yards 0 TDs: 4.2 points
18. Jermaine Gresham vs NE
   Projection: 3 catches for 41 yards 0 TDs: 4.1 points
19. Dallas Clark @MIA
   Projection: 4 catches for 39 yards 0 TDs: 3.9 points
20. Brent Celek @NYG
   Projection: 3 catches for 38 yards 0 TDs: 3.8 points
21. Brandon Pettigrew @GB
   Projection: 3 catches for 31 yards 0 TDs: 3.1 points
22. Garrett Graham @SF
   Projection: 3 catches for 28 yards 0 TDs: 2.8 points
23. Sean McGrath @TEN
   Projection: 3 catches for 27 yards 0 TDs: 2.7 points
24. Mychal Rivera vs SD
   Projection: 3 catches for 26 yards 0 TDs: 2.6 points
25. Delanie Walker vs KC
   Projection: 3 catches for 22 yards 0 TDs: 2.2 points

Check out all our Week 5 Rankings

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 5 Shuffle: WR

2013-10-02T03:49:00.000-04:00

Listed are the Top 60 WRs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Weekly Starters Top 12:

1. Victor Cruz vs PHI
   Projection: 10 catches for 168 yards 2 TDs: 28.8 points
2. Calvin Johnson @GB
   Projection: 8 catches for 133 yards 2 TDs: 25.3 points
3. Brandon Marshall vs NO
   Projection: 9 catches for 113 yards 2 TDs: 23.3 points
4. Jordy Nelson vs DET
   Projection: 8 catches for 96 yards 2 TDs: 21.6 points
5. Randall Cobb vs DET
   Projection: 7 catches for 114 yards 1 TD: 1 carry for 2 yards: 17.6 points
6. Julio Jones vs NYJ
   Projection: 8 catches for 108 yards 1 TD: 16.8 points
7. Dez Bryant vs DEN
   Projection: 7 catches for 103 yards 1 TD: 16.3 points
8. Demaryius Thomas @DAL
   Projection: 9 catches for 101 yards 1 TD: 16.1 points
9. DeSean Jackson @NYG
   Projection: 5 catches for 99 yards 1 TD: 15.9 points
10. A.J. Green vs NE
   Projection: 8 catches for 96 yards 1 TD: 15.6 points
11. Torrey Smith @MIA
   Projection: 5 catches for 88 yards 1 TD: 14.8 points
12. Eric Decker @DAL
   Projection: 5 catches for 84 yards 1 TD: 14.4 points

6+ Man League Every Week Starters 13-25:

13. Wes Welker @DAL
   Projection: 6 catches for 70 yards 1 TD: 13.0 points
14. James Jones vs DET
   Projection: 6 catches for 58 yards 1 TD: 11.8 points
15. Marques Colston @CHI
   Projection: 9 catches for 114 yards 0 TDs: 11.4 points
16. Andre Johnson @SF
   Projection: 7 catches for 111 yards 0 TDs: 11.1 points
17. Hakeem Nicks vs PHI
   Projection: 5 catches for 48 yards 1 TD: 10.8 points
18. Stevie Johnson @CLE
   Projection: 4 catches for 43 yards 1 TD: 10.4 points
19. Josh Gordon vs BUF
   Projection: 5 catches for 91 yards 0 TDs: 1 carry for 9 yards: 10.0 points
20. Steve Smith @ARI
   Projection: 4 catches for 38 yards 1 TD: 9.8 points
21. Nate Washington vs KC
   Projection: 6 catches for 91 yards 0 TDs: 9.1 points
22. Justin Blackmon @STL
   Projection: 7 catches for 88 yards 0 TDs: 8.8 points
23. Kenbrell Thompkins @CIN
   Projection: 6 catches for 83 yards 0 TDs: 8.3 points
24. Anquan Boldin vs HOU
   Projection: 5 catches for 79 yards 0 TDs: 7.9 points

Might as Well Start Me 25-36:

25. Brian Hartline vs BAL
   Projection: 6 catches for 78 yards 0 TDs: 7.8 points
26. Cecil Shorts @STL
   Projection: 6 catches for 76 yards 0 TDs: 7.6 points
27. Danny Amendola @CIN
   Projection: 6 catches for 75 yards 0 TDs: 7.5 points
28. Robert Woods @CLE
   Projection: 4 catches for 73 yards 0 TDs: 7.3 points
29. Larry Fitzgerald vs CAR
   Projection: 5 catches for 71 yards 0 TDs: 7.1 points
30. Reggie Wayne vs SEA
   Projection: 4 catches for 68 yards 0 TDs: 6.8 points
31. Mike Wallace vs BAL
   Projection: 3 catches for 65 yards 0 TDs: 6.5 points
32. Miles Austin vs DEN
   Projection: 6 catches for 64 yards 0 TDs: 6.4 points
33. Dwayne Bowe @TEN
   Projection: 4 catches for 63 yards 0 TDs: 6.3 points
34. Julian Edelman @CIN
   Projection: 6 catches for 59 yards 0 TDs: 5.9 points
35. Denarius Moore vs SD
   Projection: 4 catches for 56 yards 0 TDs: 5.6 points
36. Alshon Jeffery vs NO
   Projection: 4 catches for 54 yards 0 TDs: 5.4 points

Please Don't Rely on Me 37-48:

37. Stephen Hill @ATL
   Projection: 4 catches for 53 yards 0 TDs: 5.3 points
38. Tavon Austin vs JAC
   Projection: 6 catches for 51 yards 0 TDs: 5.1 points
39. Chris Givens vs JAC
   Projection: 4 catches for 49 yards 0 TDs: 4.9 points
40. Kendall Wright vs KC
   Projection: 5 catches for 47 yards 0 TDs: 4.7 points
41. DeAndre Hopkins @SF
   Projection: 3 catches for 46 yards 0 TDs: 4.6 points
42. Michael Floyd vs CAR
   Projection: 4 catches for 44 yards 0 TDs: 4.4 points
43. Eddie Royal @OAK
     Projection: 3 catches for 43 yards 0 TDs: 4.3 points
44. T.Y. Hilton vs SEA
   Projection: 2 catches for 29 yards: 1 carry for 12 yards: 4.1 points
45. Roddy White vs NYJ
   Projection: 4 catches for 38 yards 0 TDs: 3.8 points
46. Jeremy Kerley @ATL
   Projection: 3 catches for 37 yards 0 TDs: 3.7 points
47. Marlon Brown @MIA
   Projection: 4 catches for 36 yards 0 TDs: 3.6 points
48. Terrance Williams vs DEN
   Projection: 3 catches for 36 yards 0 TDs: 3.6 points

You Already Know You Will Be Losing 49-60:

49. Jason Avant @NYG
   Projection: 4 catches for 35 yards 0 TDs: 3.5 points
50. Brandon Gibson vs BAL
   Projection: 4 catches for 34 yards 0 TDs: 3.4 points
51. Rod Streater vs SD
   Projection: 3 catches for 34 yards 0 TDs: 3.4 points
52. Davone Bess vs BUF
   Projection: 5 catches for 32 yards 0 TDs: 3.2 points
53. Harry Douglas vs NYJ
   Projection: 4 catches for 29 yards 0 TDs: 2.9 points
54. Austin Pettis vs JAC
   Projection: 3 catches for 29 yards 0 TDs: 2.9 points
55. Donnie Avery @TEN
   Projection: 3 catches for 28 yards 0 TDs: 2.8 points
56. Golden Tate @IND
   Projection: 4 catches for 26 yards 0 TDs: 2.6 points
57. Vincent Brown @OAK
   Projection: 2 catches for 25 yards 0 TDs: 2.5 points
58. Rueben Randle vs PHI
   Projection: 2 catches for 23 yards 0 TDs: 2.3 points
59. Mohamed Sanu vs NE
   Projection: 3 catches for 23 yards 0 TDs: 2.3 points
60. Doug Baldwin @IND
   Projection: 3 catches for 22 yards 0 TDs: 2.2 points

Check out all our Week 5 Rankings

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 5 Shuffle: RB

2013-10-02T03:47:00.001-04:00

Listed are the Top 60 RBs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Cannot & Will Not Bench Top 12:

1. LeSean McCoy @NYG
   Projection: 23 carries for 151 yards 1 TD: 4 catches for 22 yards 1 TD: 29.3 points
2. Reggie Bush @GB
   Projection: 14 carries for 122 yards: 6 catches for 88 yards 1 TD: 27.0 points
3. Matt Forte vs NO
   Projection: 19 carries for 81 yards 1 TD: 6 catches for 61 yards: 20.2 points
4. Darren Sproles @CHI
   Projection: 6 carries for 31 yards 1 TD: 6 catches for 44 yards 1 TD: 19.5 points
5. Jamaal Charles @TEN
   Projection: 16 carries for 84 yards 1 TD: 5 catches for 48 yard: 19.2 points
6. Chris Johnson vs KC
   Projection: 22 carries for 122 yards 1 TD: 1 catches for 4 yards: 18.6 points
7. Marshawn Lynch @IND
   Projection: 19 carries for 78 yards 1 TD: 3 catches for 31 yards: 16.9 points
8. DeMarco Murray vs DEN
   Projection: 19 carries for 88 yards 1 TD: 2 catches for 12 yards: 16.0 points
9. Frank Gore vs HOU
   Projection: 17 carries for 96 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards 15.6 points
10. DeAngelo Williams @ARI
   Projection: 19 carries for 88 yards 1 TD: 1 catch for 5 yards: 15.3 points
11. Knowshon Moreno @DAL
   Projection: 16 carries for 64 yards 1 TD: 3 catches for 28 yards: 15.2 points
12. Ryan Mathews @OAK
   Projection: 19 carries for 61 yards 1 TD: 4 catches for 28 yards: 14.9 points

You Should Probably Start Me 13-25:

13. Eddie Lacy vs DET
   Projection: 16 carries for 66 yards 1 TD: 2 catches for 3 yards: 12.9 points
14. David Wilson vs PHI
   Projection: 14 carries for 55 yards 1 TD: 4 catches for 11 yards: 12.6 points
15. Rashad Jennings vs SD
   Projection: 15 carries for 81 yards 0 TDs: 5 catches for 41 yards: 12.2 points
16. Giovanni Bernard vs NE
   Projection: 12 carries for 81 yards 0 TDs: 6 catches for 40 yards: 12.1 points
17. Stevan Ridley @CIN
   Projection: 15 carries for 56 yards 1 TD: 1 catch for 4 yards: 12.0 points
18. Arian Foster @SF
   Projection: 18 carries for 86 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 33 yards: 11.9 points
19. Joique Bell @GB
   Projection: 6 carries for 14 yards 1 TD: 3 catches for 29 yards: 10.3 points
20. Bilal Powell @ATL
   Projection: 14 carries for 56 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 46 yards: 10.2 points
21. Ray Rice @MIA
   Projection: 13 carries for 31 yards 1 TD: 3 catches for 9 yards: 10.0 points
22. Lamar Miller vs BAL
   Projection: 14 carries for 35 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 9.5 points
23. Jason Snelling vs NYJ
   Projection: 6 carries for 16 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 18 yards 1 TD: 9.4 points
24. C.J. Spiller @CLE
   Projection: 12 carries for 45 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 41 yards: 8.6 points

Flex Play Sad Options 25-36:

25. Maurice Jones-Drew @STL
   Projection: 18 carries for 66 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 18 yards: 8.4 points
26. Daryl Richardson vs JAC
   Projection: 14 carries for 58 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 14 yards: 7.2 points
27. Fred Jackson @CLE
   Projection: 15 carries for 64 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 5 yards: 6.9 points
28. Danny Woodhead @OAK
   Projection: 3 carries for 12 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 56 yards: 6.8 points
29. Daniel Thomas vs BAL
   Projection: 6 carries for 4 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 6.4 points
30. Trent Richardson vs SEA
   Projection: 19 carries for 57 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 3 yards: 6.0 points
31. Willis McGahee vs BUF
   Projection: 17 carries for 56 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 4 yards: 6.0 points
32. Pierre Thomas @CHI
   Projection: 5 carries for 22 yards 0 TDs: 6 catches for 37 yards: 5.9 points
33. Rashad Mendenhall vs CAR
   Projection: 13 carries for 46 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 4.6 points
34. Ronnie Hillman @DAL
   Projection: 8 carries for 34 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 11 yards: 4.5 points
35. Bernard Pierce @MIA
   Projection: 13 carries for 38 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 0 yards: 3.8 points
36. Jacquizz Rodgers vs NYJ
   Projection: 8 carries for 13 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 34 yards: 3.7 points

You Really Don't Want to Do This 37-48:

37. Ahmad Bradshaw vs SEA
   Projection: 9 carries for 22 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 15 yards: 3.7 points
38. Chris Ivory @ATL
   Projection: 9 carries for 35 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards : 3.5 points
39. Ben Tate @SF
   Projection: 6 carries for 16 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 19 yards: 3.5 points
40. Brandon Bolden @CIN
   Projection: 5 carries for 15 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 19 yards: 3.4 points
41. LeGarrette Blount @CIN
   Projection: 12 carries for 33 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 3.3 points
42. BenJarvus Green Ellis vs NE
   Projection: 8 carries for 25 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 7 yards: 3.2 points
43. Andre Ellington vs CAR
   Projection: 5 carries for 9 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 21 yards: 3.0 points
44. Bryce Brown @NYG
   Projection: 11 carries for 27 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 2 yards 2.9 points
45. Tashard Choice @CLE
   Projection: 6 carries for 23 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 3 yards: 2.6 points
46. James Starks vs DET
   Projection: 4 carries for 24 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 2.4 points
47. Jonathan Franklin vs DET
   Projection: 4 carries for 15 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 6 yards: 2.2 points
48. Kendall Hunter vs HOU
   Projection: 4 carries for 17 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 4 yards: 2.1 points

You Are Probably Going to Lose this Week 49-60:

49. Chris Ogbonnaya vs BUF
   Projection: 4 carries for 9 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 12 yards: 2.1 points
50. Montee Ball @DAL
   Projection: 5 carries for 18 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 1.8 points
51. Mike Tolbert @ARI
   Projection: 5 carries for 17 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 1.7 points
52. Bobby Rainey
   Projection: 5 carries for 12 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 5 yards: 1.7 points
53. Benny Cunningham vs JAC
   Projection: 5 carries for 16 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 1 yard: 1.7 points
54. Isaiah Pead vs JAC
   Projection: 2 carries for 12 yards: 0 TDs: 2 catches for 4 yards: 1.6 points
55. Donald Brown vs SEA
   Projection: 4 carries for 9 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 5 yards: 1.4 points
56. Ronnie Brown @OAK
     Projection: 3 carries for 8 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 5 yards: 1.3 points
57. Michael Bush vs NO
   Projection: 4 carries for 12 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 1.2 points
58. Robert Turbin @IND
   Projection: 2 carries for 5 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 6 yards: 1.1 points
59. Mark Ingram @CHI
   Projection: 4 carries for 11 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 1.1 points
60. Khiry Robinson @CHI
   Projection: 6 carries for 11 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards : 1.1 points

Check out all our Week 5 Rankings

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 5 Shuffle: QB

2013-10-02T03:46:00.002-04:00

Listed are the Top 25 QBs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Clear Starters Top 12:

1. Aaron Rodgers vs DET
   Projection: 402 passing yards: 5 TDs 0 INTs: 5 carries for 3 yards: 36.4 points
2. Peyton Manning @DAL
   Projection: 388 passing yards: 5 TDs 1 INT: 0 carries for 0 yards: 33.5 points
3. Drew Brees @CHI
   Projection: 371 passing yards: 3 TDs 0 INTs: 1 carry for 2 yards: 27.1 points
4. Cam Newton @ARI
   Projection: 223 passing yards 2 TDs 0 INTs: 4 carries for 39 yards 1 TD: 26.8 points
5. Michael Vick @NYG
   Projection: 256 passing yards: 2 TDs 2 INTs: 6 carries for 61 yards 1 TD: 26.3 points
6. Matt Ryan vs NYJ
   Projection: 311 passing yards: 3 TDs 0 INTs: 3 carries for 1 yard: 24.5 points
7. Matthew Stafford @GB
   Projection: 361 passing yards: 4 TDs 2 INTs: 2 carries for 4 yards: 22.8 points
8. Tony Romo vs DEN
   Projection: 303 passing yards: 2 TDs 2 INTs: 2 carries for 19 yards: 22.0 points
9. Tom Brady @CIN
   Projection: 337 passing yards: 3 TDs 2 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 21.5 points
10. Russell Wilson @IND
   Projection: 255 passing yards: 0 TDs 0 INTs: 6 carries for 32 yards 1 TD: 19.4 points
11. Colin Kaepernick vs HOU
   Projection: 176 passing yards: 1 TD 0 INTs: 5 carries for 22 yards 1 TD: 19.2 points
12. Sam Bradford vs JAC
   Projection: 288 passing yards: 2 TDs 1 INT: 1 carry for -1 yards: 17.4 points

Gross Back-up Plays 13-25:

13. Terrelle Pryor vs SD
   Projection: 223 passing yards: 1 TDs 3 INTs: 11 carries for 103 yards: 17.2 points
14. Philip Rivers @OAK
   Projection: 311 passing yards: 2 TDs 2 INTs: 1 carries for 3 yards: 16.8 points
15. Andrew Luck vs SEA
   Projection: 239 passing yards: 1 TD 0 INTs: 3 carries for 31 yards: 16.7 points
16. Eli Manning vs PHI
   Projection: 318 passing yards: 3 TDs 3 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 1 fumble: 16.6 points
17. Jay Cutler vs NO
   Projection: 287 passing yards: 2 TDs 2 INTs: 2 carries for 6 yards: 16.1 points
18. Alex Smith @TEN
   Projection: 161 passing yards: 2 TDs 0 INTs: 3 carries for 13 yards: 15.7 points
19. Brian Hoyer vs BUF
   Projection: 288 passing yards: 2 TDs 2 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 15.5 points
20. Andy Dalton vs NE
   Projection: 256 passing yards: 2 TDs 2 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 14.2 points
21. Joe Flacco @MIA
   Projection: 301 passing yards 2 TDs 1 INT: 0 carries for 0 yards: 14.0 points
22. E.J. Manuel @CLE
   Projection: 212 passing yards: 2 TDs 2 INTs: 3 carries for 9 yards: 13.4 points
23. Geno Smith @ATL
   Projection: 288 passing yards: 1 TD 2 INTs: 4 carries for 16 yards: 13.1 points
24. Matt Schaub @SF
   Projection: 256 passing yards: 2 TDs 2 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 1 fumble: 12.2 points
25. Ryan Tannehill vs BAL
   Projection: 224 passing yards: 1 TD 2 INTs: 1 carry for 4 yards: 9.4 points

Check out all our Week 5 Rankings

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 4 Shuffle: TE

2013-09-24T23:06:00.001-04:00

Listed are the Top 25 TEs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

The Best Top 12:

1. Jimmy Graham vs MIA
   Projection: 7 catches for 86 yards 2 TDs: 20.6 points
2. Rob Gronkowski @ATL
   Projection: 7 catches for 114 yards 1 TD: 17.4 points
3. Jason Witten @SD
   Projection: 6 catches for 78 yards 1 TD: 13.8 points
4. Tony Gonzalez vs NE
   Projection: 4 catches for 54 yards 1 TD: 11.4 points
5. Julius Thomas vs PHI
   Projection: 4 catches for 54 yards 1 TD: 11.4 points
6. Brandon Myers @KC
     Projection: 8 catches for 113 yards 0 TDs: 11.3 points
7. Jordan Cameron vs CIN
   Projection: 5 catches for 48 yards 1 TD: 10.8 points
8. Martellus Bennett @DET
   Projection: 3 catches for 37 yards 1 TD: 9.7 points
9. Antonio Gates vs DAL
   Projection: 6 catches for 88 yards 0 TDs: 8.8 points
10. Charles Clay @NO
   Projection: 4 catches for 23 yards 1 TD: 1 carry for 1 yards: 8.4 points
11. Kyle Rudolph vs PIT
   Projection: 3 catches for 21 yards 1 TD: 8.1 points
12. Colby Fleener @JAC
   Projection: 6 catches for 79 yards 0 TDs : 7.9 points

Reserves & Unfriendly Plays:

13. Jared Cook vs SF
   Projection: 3 catches for 8 yards 1 TD: 6.8 points
14. Owen Daniels vs SEA
   Projection: 5 catches for 64 yards 0 TDs: 6.4 points
15. Vernon Davis @STL
   Projection: 1 catch for 3 yards 1 TD: 6.3 points
16. Jermaine Gresham vs GB
   Projection: 4 catches for 47 yards 0 TDs: 4.7 points
17. Scott Chandler vs BAL
   Projection: 3 catches for 43 yards 0 TDs: 4.3 points
18. Dallas Clark @BUF
   Projection: 4 catches for 41 yards 0 TDs: 4.1 points
19. Tyler Eifert @CLE
   Projection: 3 catches for 38 yards 0 TDs: 3.8 points
20. Logan Paulsen @OAK
   Projection: 4 catches for 36 yards 0 TDs: 3.6 points
21. Heath Miller @MIN
   Projection: 3 catches for 34 yards 0 TDs: 3.4 points
22. Delanie Walker vs NYJ
   Projection: 2 catches for 26 yards 0 TDs: 2.6 points
23. Jordan Reed @OAK
   Projection: 3 caches for 23 yards 0 TDs: 2.3 points
24. Garrett Graham vs SEA
   Projection: 1 catch for 18 yards 0 TDs: 1.8 points
25. Luke Wilson @HOU
   Projection: 2 catches for 17 yards 0 TDs: 1.7 points

Check out all our Week 4 Rankings

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 4 Shuffle: WR

2013-09-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

Listed are the Top 60 WRs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Obvious Start Top 12:

1. Calvin Johnson vs CHI
   Projection: 11 catches for 132 yards 1 TDs: 25.2 points
2. Demaryius Thomas vs PHI
   Projection: 13 catches for 156 yards 1 TD: 21.6 points
3. DeSean Jacksons @DEN
   Projection: 6 catches for 116 yards 1 TD: 17.6 points
4. Julio Jones vs NE
   Projection: 8 catches for 106 yards 1 TD: 16.6 points
5. A.J. Green @CLE
   Projection: 11 catches for 159 yards 0 TDs: 15.9 points
6. Wes Welker vs PHI
   Projection: 8 catches for 98 yards 1 TD: 15.8 points
7. Brandon Marshall @DET
   Projection: 8 catches for 94 yards 1 TD: 15.4 points
8. Pierre Garcon @OAK
   Projection: 4 catches for 88 yards 1 TD: 14.8 points
9. Eric Decker vs PHI
   Projection: 8 catches for 86 yards 1 TD: 14.6 points
10. Vincent Jackson vs ARI
   Projection: 10 catches for 141 yards 0 TDs: 14.1 points
11. Dez Bryant @SD
   Projection: 4 catches for 68 yards 1 TD: 1 carry for 12 yards: 14.0 points
12. Reggie Wayne @JAC
   Projection: 7 catches for 79 yards 1 TD: 13.9 points

Standard League Starters 13-25:

13. Victor Cruz @KC
   Projection: 6 catches for 78 yards 1 TD: 13.8 points
14. Antonio Brown @MIN
   Projection: 6 catches for 64 yards 1 TD: 1 carry for 6 yards: 13.0 points
15. Torrey Smith @BUF
   Projection: 4 catches for 61 yards 1 TD: 12.1 points
16. Marques Colston vs MIA
   Projection: 4 catches for 54 yards 1 TD: 11.4 points
17. Stevie Johnson vs BAL
   Projection: 8 catches for 108 yards 0 TDs: 10.8 points
18. Brian Hartline @NO
   Projection: 7 catches for 104 yards 0 TDs: 10.4 points
19. Larry Fitzgerald @TB
   Projection: 6 catches for 89 yards 0 TDs: 8.9 points
20. Cecil Shorts vs IND
   Projection: 5 catches for 85 yards 0 TDs: 8.5 points
21. Dwayne Bowe vs NYG
   Projection: 3 catches for 23 yards 1 TD: 8.3 points
22. Hakeem Nicks @KC
   Projection: 6 catches for 82 yards 0 TDs: 8.2 points
23. T.Y. Hilton @JAC
   Projection: 4 catches for 78 yards 0 TDs: 1 carry for 3 yards: 8.1 points
24. Josh Gordon vs CIN
   Projection: 3 catches for 79 yards 0 TDs: 1 carry for -5 yards: 7.4 points

Flex Play Wide Outs 25-36:

25. Anquan Boldin @STL
   Projection: 6 catches for 72 yards 0 TDs: 7.2 points
26. Andre Johnson vs SEA
   Projection: 4 catches for 69 yards 0 TDs: 6.9 points
27. Denarius Moore vs WAS
   Projection: 4 catches for 66 yards 0 TDs: 6.6 points
28. Kenbrell Thompkins @ATL
   Projection: 4 catches for 61 yards 0 TDs: 6.1 points
29. Emmanuel Sanders @MIN
   Projection: 5 catches for 59 yards 0 TDs: 5.9 points
30. Mike Wallace @NO
   Projection: 2 catches for 58 yards 0 TDs: 1 carry for -1 yards: 5.7 points
31. DeAndre Hopkins vs SEA
   Projection: 6 catches for 56 yards 0 TDs: 5.6 points
32. Julian Edelman @ATL
   Projection: 6 catches for 51 yards 0 TDs: 5.1 points
33. Eddie Royal vs DAL
   Projection: 4 catches for 48 yards 0 TDs: 4.8 points
34. Miles Austin @SD
   Projection: 6 catches for 44 yards 0 TDs: 4.4 points
35. Aaron Dobson @ATL
   Projection: 3 catches for 44 yards 0 TDs: 4.4 points
36. Golden Tate @HOU
   Projection: 5 catches for 43 yards 0 TDs: 4.3 points

Start me if you have to 37-48:

37. Kendall Wright vs NYJ
   Projection: 4 catches for 43 yards 0 TDs: 4.3 points
38. Michael Floyd @TB
   Projection: 4 catches for 42 yards 0 TDs: 4.2 points
39. Nate Washington vs NYJ
   Projection: 5 catches for 41 yards 0 TDs: 4.1 points
40. Stephen Hill @TEN
   Projection: 3 catches for 41 yards 0 TDs: 4.1 points
41. Tavon Austin vs SF
   Projection: 5 catches for 42 yards 0 TDs: 1 carry for -2 yards: 4.0 points
42. Mike Williams vs ARI
   Projection: 4 catches for 38 yards 0 TDs: 3.8 points
43. Santana Moss @OAK
   Projection: 4 catches for 37 yards 0 TDs: 3.7 points
44. Rod Streater vs WAS
   Projection: 3 catches for 36 yards 0 TDs: 3.6 points
45. Darrius Heyward-Bey @JAC
   Projection: 3 catches for 36 yards 0 TDs: 3.6 points
46. Donnie Avery vs NYG
   Projection: 6 catches for 35 yards 0 TDs: 3.5 points
47. Jason Avant @DEN
   Projection: 4 catches for 35 yards 0 TDs: 3.5 points
48. Davone Bess vs CIN
     Projection: 6 catches for 34 yards 0 TDs: 3.4 points

Deep League Fliers 49-60:

49. Greg Jennings vs PIT
   Projection: 3 catches for 33 yards 0 TDs: 3.3 points
50. Sidney Rice @HOU
   Projection: 2 catches for 32 yards 0 TDs: 3.2 points
51. Santonio Holmes @TEN
   Projection: 3 catches for 30 yards 0 TDs: 3.0 points
52. Andre Roberts @TB
   Projection: 3 catches for 29 yards 0 TDs: 2.9 points
53. Rueben Randle @KC
   Projection: 2 catches for 28 yards 0 TDs: 2.8 points
54. Chris Givens vs SF
   Projection: 1 catch for 27 yards 0 TDs: 2.7 points
55. Marlon Brown @BUF
   Projection: 2 catches for 24 yards 0 TDs: 2.4 points
56. Roddy White vs NE
   Projection: 3 catches for 21 yards 0 TDs: 2.1 points
57. Lance Moore vs MIA
   Projection: 3 catches for 18 yards 0 TDs: 1.8 points
58. Brandon Gibson @NO
   Projection: 3 catches for 18 yards 0 TDs: 1.8 points
59. Alshon Jeffrey @DET
   Projection: 1 catch for 16 yards 0 TDs: 1.6 points
60. Jerricho Cotchery @MIN
   Projection: 3 catches for 15 yards 0 TDs: 1.5 points

Check out all our Week 4 Rankings

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 4 Shuffle: RB

2013-09-24T22:17:00.000-04:00

Listed are the Top 60 RBs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Must Start Top 12:

1. LeSean McCoy @DEN
Projection: 23 carries for 134 yards 1 TD: 5 catches for 68 yards 1 TD: 32.2 points
2. Matt Forte @DET
   Projection: 19 carries for 91 yards 0 TDs: 8 catches for 88 yards 1 TD: 23.9
3. Jamaal Charles vs NYG
   Projection: 20 carries for 119 yards 1 TD: 6 catchers for 54 yards: 23.3 points
4. Adrian Peterson vs PIT
   Projection: 26 carries for 127 yards 1 TD: 3 catches for 22 yards: 20.9 points
5. Marshawn Lynch @HOU
   Projection: 24 carries for 86 yards 2 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 20.6 points
6. Doug Martin vs ARI
   Projection : 22 carries for 98 yards 0 TDs: 5 catches for 24 yards 1 TD: 18.2 points
7. Alfred Morris @OAK
   Projection: 23 carries for 103 yards 1 TD: 1 catch for 8 yards: 17.1 points
8. Darren McFadden vs WAS
   Projection: 16 carries for 76 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 34 yards 1 TD: 17.0 points
9. DeMarco Murray @SD
   Projection: 24 carries for 146 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 19 yards: 16.5 points
10. Knowshon Moreno vs PHI
   Projection: 13 carries for 66 yards 1 TD: 2 catches for 23 yard: 14.9 points
11. Bernard Pierce @BUF
   Projection: 22 carries for 75 yards 1 TD: 2 catches for 8 yards: 14.3 points
12. Joique Bell vs CHI
   Projection: 19 carries for 64 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 18 yards 1 TD: 14.2 points

Standard League Starters 13-25:

13. Arian Foster vs SEA
     Projection: 19 carries for 66 yards 1 TD: 2 catches for 14 yards: 14.0 points
14. Ahmad Bradshaw @JAC
   Projection: 13 carries for 91 yards 0 TDs: 5 catches for 41 yards: 13.2 points
15. Lamar Miller @NO
   Projection: 13 carries for 64 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 12.4 points
16. Darren Sproles vs MIA
     Projection: 6 carries for 23 yards 1 TD: 6 catches for 38 yards 12.1 points
17. Bilal Powell @TEN
   Projection: 23 carries for 98 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 22 yards: 12.0 points
18. Giovani Bernard @CLE
   Projection: 11 carries for 23 yards 1 TD: 5 catches for 36 yards: 11.9 points
19. Ryan Mathews vs DAL
   Projection: 20 carries for 66 yards 0 TDs: 6 catches for 47 yards: 11.3 points
20. Maurice Jones-Drew vs IND
   Projection: 18 carries for 44 yards 1 TD: 1 catch for 6 yards: 11.0 points
21. Chris Johnson vs NYJ
   Projection: 28 carries for 86 yards 0 TDs: 5 catches for 23 yards: 10.9 points
22. Fred Jackson vs BAL
   Projection: 14 carries 45 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 10.5 points
23. Frank Gore @STL
   Projection: 14 carries for 101 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 3 yards: 10.4 points
24. Trent Richardson @JAC
   Projection: 16 carries for 43 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 10.3 points

Flex Options 25-36:

25. Jason Snelling vs NE
Projection: 7 carries for 27 yards 1 TD: 3 catches for 16 yards: 10.3 points
26. C.J. Spiller vs BAL
   Projection: 6 carries for 44 yards 0 TDs: 5 catches for 58 yards: 10.0 points
27. Rashad Mendenhall @TB
   Projection: 16 carries for 38 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 9.8 points
28. Jacquizz Rodgers vs NE
   Projection: 12 carries for 29 yards 0 TDs: 8 catches for 67 yards: 9.6 points
29. David Wilson @KC
Projection: 13 carries for 86 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 8 yards: 9.4 points
30. Reggie Bush vs CHI
   Projection: 14 carries for 48 yards 0 TDs: 6 catches for 44 yards: 9.2 points
31. Ray Rice @BUF
   Projection: 9 carries for 13 yards 1 TD: 4 catches for 12 yards: 8.5 points
32. Stevan Ridley @ATL
   Projection: 8 carries for 24 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 8.4 points
33. Ronnie Hillman vs PHI
   Projection: 14 carries for 65 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 18 yards: 8.3 points
34. Brandon Boldin @ATL
   Projection: 9 carries for 45 yards 0 TDs: 5 catches for 35 yards: 8.0 points
35. BenJarvus Green-Ellis @CLE
   Projection: 11 carries for 18 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 7.8 points
36. LeGarrette Blount @ATL
   Projection: 14 carries for 64 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 11 yards: 7.3 points

Very Suspect Plays 37-49:

37. Daniel Thomas @NO
     Projection: 4 carries 9 yards 1 TD: 0 catches for 0 yards: 6.9 points
38. Le'Veon Bell @MIN
   Projection: 8 carries for 31 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 36 yards: 6.7 points
39. Isaiah Pead vs SF
   Projection: 14 carries for 23 yards 0 TDs: 6 catches for 43 yards: 6.6 points
40. Ben Tate vs SEA
   Projection: 7 carries for 24 yards 0 TDs: 5 catches for 39 yards: 6.3 points
41. Pierre Thomas vs MIA
Projection: 6 carries for 25 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 34 yards: 5.9 points
42. Jonathan Dwyer @MIN
Projection: 9 carries for 46 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 12 yards: 5.8 points
43. Danny Woodhead vs DAL
   Projection: 6 carries for 24 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 31 yards: 5.5 points
44. Montee Ball vs PHI
   Projection: 12 carries for 51 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 5.1 points
45. Chris Ogbonnaya vs CIN
   Projection: 7 carries for 19 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 28 yards: 4.7 points
46. Marcel Reece vs WAS
   Projection: 1 carry for 0 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 46 yards: 4.6 points
47. Daryl Richardson vs SF
   Projection: 9 carries for 45 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 4.5 points
48. Willis McGahee vs CIN
   Projection: 11 carries for 44 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 4.4 points

Hopefully You're Not Starting Me 49-60:

49. Kendall Hunter @STL
   Projection: 4 carries for 24 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 20 yards: 4.4 points
50. Andre Ellington @TB
   Projection: 3 carries for 8 yards 0 TDs: 2 catches for 32 yards: 4.0 points
51. Donald Brown @JAC
   Projection: 11 carries for 38 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 3.8 points
52. Bryce Brown @DEN
   Projection: 6 carries for 12 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 25 yards: 3.7 points
53. Ronnie Brown vs DAL
   Projection 2 carries for 3 yards 0 TDs: 3 catches for 27 yards: 3.0 points
54. Da'Rel Scott @KC
   Projection: 4 carries for 16 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 10 yards: 2.6 points
55. Brandon Jacobs @KC
   Projection: 5 carries for 19 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 6 yards: 2.5 points
56. Bobby Rainey vs CIN
   Projection: 4 carries for 7 yards 0 TDs: 4 catches for 16 yards: 2.3 points
57. Mark Ingram vs MIA
   Projection: 10 carries for 22 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 2.2 points
58. Robert Turbin @HOU
   Projection: 4 carries for 19 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 1 yard: 2.0 points
59. Felix Jones @MIN
   Projection: 4 carries for 9 yards 0 TDs: 1 catch for 9 yards: 1.8 points
60. Alfonso Smith @TB
   Projection: 3 carries for 17 yards 0 TDs: 0 catches for 0 yards: 1.7 points

Check out all our Week 4 Rankings

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 4 Shuffle: QB

2013-09-24T21:13:00.001-04:00

Listed are the Top 25 QBs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Elite Top 12:

1. Peyton Manning vs PHI
     Projection: 428 passing yards 5 TDs 0 INTs: 3 carries -3 yards: 36.8 points
2. Michael Vick @DEN
     Projection: 313 passing yards 3 TDs 1 INT: 7 carries for 67 yards 1 TD: 1 fumble: 33.2 points
3. Andrew Luck @JAC
   Projection: 378 passing yards 4 TDs 1 INT: 6 carries for 31 yards: 32.2 points
4. Robert Griffin III @OAK
   Projection: 341 passing yards 3 TDs 2 INTs: 4 carries for 41 yard 1 TD: 31.8 points
5. Matt Ryan vs NE
     Projection: 299 passing yards 4 TDs 0 INT: 1 carry for 6 yards: 28.5 points
6. Drew Brees vs MIA
   Projection: 347 passing yards 3 TDs 1 INT: 1 carry for -1 yards: 25.8 points
7. Tony Romo @SD
   Projection: 363 passing yards 3 TDs 2 INTs: 2 carries for 12 yards: 23.7 points
8. Matthew Stafford vs CHI
   Projection: 355 passing yards 3 TDs 2 INTs: 1 carry for 2 yards: 23.3 points
9. Tom Brady @ATL
   Projection: 413 passing yards 2 TDs 1 INT: 0 carries for 0 yards: 22.5 points
10. Russell Wilson @HOU
Projection: 245 passing yards 2 TDs 0 INTs: 5 carries for 45 yards: 22.3 points
11. Colin Kaepernick @STL
   Projection: 181 passing yards 1 TD 1 INT: 11 carries for 82 yards 1 TD: 1 fumble: 21.4 points
12. Alex Smith vs NYG
   Projection: 241 passing yards 2 TDs 0 INTs: 1 carry for 3 yards: 17.9 points

Spot Starters 13-25:

13. Philip Rivers vs DAL
Projection: 322 passing yards 2 TDs 1 INT: 0 carries for 0 yards: 1 fumble: 16.9 points
14. Ryan Tannehill @NO
   Projection: 281 passing yards 2 TDs 2 INTs: 4 carries 16 yards: 16.8 points
15. Jay Cutler @DET
   Projection: 266 passing yards 2 TDs 1 INT: 1 carry -1 yards: 16.5 points
16. Andy Dalton @CLE
   Projection: 246 passing yards 2 TDs 1 INT: 0 carries for 0 yards: 15.9 points
17. Ben Roethlisberger @MIN
   Projection: 354 passing yards: 1 TD 2 INTs: 3 carries for 17 yards: 15.7 points
18. Matt Flynn @WAS
   Projection: 339 passing yards 2 TDs 3 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 15.6 points
19. E.J. Manuel vs BAL
   Projection: 223 passing yards 1 TDs 2 INTs: 6 carries for 36 yards: 12.5 points
20. Joe Flacco @BUF
Projection: 294 passing yards: 0 TDs 0 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 11.8 points
21. Eli Manning @KC
      Projection: 336 passing yards 1 TD 3 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 11.5 points
22. Carson Palmer @TB
Projection: 271 passing yards 2 TD 3 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 1 fumble: 10.9 points
23. Sam Bradford vs SF
   Projection: 238 passing yards 1 TD 2 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 9.5 points
24. Jake Locker vs NYJ
     Projection: 217 passing yards 0 TDs 0 INTs: 4 carries for 8 yards: 9.3 points
25. Brian Hoyer vs CIN
   Projection: 306 passing yards 1 TD 3 INTs: 0 carries for 0 yards: 1 fumble: 9.2 points

Check out all our Week 4 Rankings

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

How We Trade Raped The Colts

2013-09-19T12:54:00.004-04:00

With emotions running high, most people just assumed the Trent trade was a classic Cleveland blunder. Social media was set ablaze and once again Cleveland was in the national spot light looking like a fool with it's pants on the ground.

I saw hundreds of posts, replies, and rants via all sorts of social media last night and this morning. People not thinking, just assuming that Cleveland was at the "Taco" end of a trade (thats a The League reference for those who don't watch one of the best shows on TV).

If only all of what I saw on social media was directed at me, I could have shown these people how to use your head and this thing called logic. In my opinion, the Browns got tremendous value for Richardson. The following will be a rhetorical Q & A. Kind of like when I plan an entire argument out in my head against my girlfriend, which usually never works out.

Again, these are all things I saw over the past 18 hours.

Also, some may just be statements instead of questions, still goes with the flow in my head.

Q: What the fuck did we just do!? We just traded our best player and franchise back!

A: Whoa compadre, the Browns just did what they thought best for the future of the team. And if you think he was our best player than I can't help you. And wtf is a franchise back? Is Trent gonna read the D, make checks, throw the ball, and run the ball? Cause so far he's done none of those.

Q: Trent's a beast! The Browns just gave up. I'm done with this team!

A: Ok, I know thats just an egregious statement rather than a question but we'll let it slide. Is Trent a beast though? Or do people just think he's a beast because he did great at Alabama and was picked at 3? What has Trent done exactly to be considered a beast? Run some dude over last year that's now a penalty? Fullbacks do that all the time and still have a better YPC than Trent. Hillis did that all the time. Speaking of Hillis, check out these stats.

Player A: 270 rushes, 1177 yards, 61 catches, 477 yards
Player B: 298 rushes, 1095 yards, 58. catches, 418 yards
Player C: 302 rushes, 1401 yards, 61 catches, 444 yards

Player A: Peyton Hillis during his 2010 season with the Browns as a glorified fullback.
Player B: Trent's entire career with the Browns, as a 3rd overall pick deemed the next AP.
Player C: Jerome f'ing Harrison's career Browns stats as a 3rd down back.

Oh, and for those who said you're done with the team. I hope you are. But I know you'll be back in April. See you then.

Q: Well Trent's o-line has been terrible for him.

A: I'll admit it hasn't been great this year. But last year everyone said it was the only bright part of the team. And last year Trent's numbers were pedestrian. Good, not great. And he was out preformed by 3 other rookies. And how were our o-line's when Hillis and Harrison were rushing?

Q: We have no passing game, so teams load the box to stop him.

A: You're right. Thankfully Christian Ponder and that high octane passing attack in Minnesota keeps the defense off Peterson.

Q: Why do we keep comparing Trent to Peterson?

A: Um, how bout cause we traded up to 3 to get him, and no other running back was taken that high in the last 10 years besides Peterson. We traded up with the intention that he was the next Peterson. AP averaged 5.6 YPC his rookie year. He also made plays that Trent just hasn't shown us he can make. Yes Trent is good, he can truck stick a DB, and constantly gets an extra yard than he should, but he hasn't made AP plays. And his stats are still very, very average.

Q: Why didn't we give him more time?

A: Ahhh didn't Colt McCoy coin that question? Running backs don't get more time. A lot of people thought Trent had too many touches in college. Are we just supposed to feed him 350 plus touches a year until he shows us something? Running backs need to produce, or at least show you something as rookies, or they are sent packing. He's a 22 year old with a 25 year old's amount of touches. Running back's life expectancy in the NFL is crazy small. He needed to produce, and he didn't. Waiting makes no sense.

Q: We drafted him at three last year and we're gonna get a pick in the 20's!?

A: First off, the people who drafted him at 3 are no longer with the Browns. This FO had nothing to do with the past drafts, and have been publicly criticizing them ever since they came along. Secondly, take a basic economics class. Just cause he was drafted at 3, doesn't mean crap to his current value. To get a 1st round pick for a guy who has been out preformed by Hillis (a guy released then traded around), and Jerome Harrison (a guy traded for Mike Bell), is pretty good. As many national analysts said, there isn't one NFL RB other than AP they would've traded a 1st for.

Q: Why are we giving up on the season so early?/ Tanking already?

A: First off, I wouldn't say we're giving up on the season. I mean we're already 0-2. But, we could have easily been 2-0 or at least 1-1 with even an average offense. What exactly did Trent do to help us win those games? Nothing. So in my opinion, the Browns will be no better or no worse than they already have been. As for tanking, which I think we all realize they're doing, I support it 100%. How can the Colts do it and get praised? What about the Cavs who did it for the last 3 years? (btw, Dan Gilbert, I love you man, but don't ever lecture us on Twitter about tanking) The Browns are clearly lining up to get a franchise QB, plus more picks to help our offense. For a team that has fluctuated between 4 and 7 wins for the past decade, you'd think fans wouldn't mind tanking for a QB.

If we don't trade up for a QB that leaves us with most likely a top 5 pick with a deep QB class. Plus a pick in the 20's (WR/RB), a pick in the early 2nd round (RB/WR), and two more in the 3rd and 4th. With the defense the Browns currently have, we are just one good draft and a QB away from competing. Pitt and Baltimore are only getting older and they are clearly not that good. Cincy is the best in the AFC North, but I think we're only a decent offense away from competing with them.

The facts are there. You just have to get passed the preconceived notion that Trent is already/guaranteed to be great. Facts are he's been average at best so far.

There you have it.

Boom. Trade raped.

Trent & Why

2013-09-19T02:39:00.002-04:00

Eventually the plan is going to work. Carmen Policy told us to be patient and let the expansion years play out. Phil Savage told us time was needed to right the wrongs of those who came before him. George Kokinis told us this would be the regime that finally put pieces together to win football games. Mike Holgren reminded us he built a winners in Green Bay and Seattle and knew the winning formula. Joe Banner has told us that the team is placing the best product it can on the field. Joe Banner has told us that the team is building for long term success. None of these statements have come true. None of these statements appear to be coming true soon. None of these statements makes anyone who gives a damn about Cleveland Browns football optimistic about any "regime" or "process" or "product" that the team is attempting. Everything about these statements tell us false hope is being sold. Everything about these statements tell us to not buy it. Everything tells us the past is destined to repeat itself. Everything tells us failure will always be.

Eventually a regime of blowhards is going to put together a winning Browns team. Eventually the process is going to play out and positive results will follow. Eventually the product will be worth watching, even if it's all sheer luck. The law of averages says so. It tells us to keep believing. It tells us that things will eventually change for the better. It tells us that there is no connection from previous leaders to the next. It tells us everyone who comes to Cleveland is not destined to be a colossal failure. It tells us to believe. It tells us over and over again: Believe.

It is not easy to believe. There have been 19 starting quarterbacks. There have been 16 first round picks. There have been 4 seasons over five wins. There have been 3 thousand yard backs. Only Jamal Lewis has repeated, doing so 1 time. There have been 4 thousand yard receivers. None have ever repeated. There have been 3 passers throw over three thousand yards in a season. None have ever repeated. There have been two winning seasons. There has been one double digit win season. There has been one playoff game. There have been zero play off wins. There have been boycotts. There have been petitions. There have been Twitter blow ups. There have been those who swore the team off only to come right back. There have been ownership changes. But most of all, above everything else, there has been misery.

Cleveland hasn't seen an offensive product worth watching since 2007. That was the year that Browns fans thought for a sliver of a second that we had an enviable quarterback situation. Derek Anderson was hot off a 29 TD season. Brady Quinn was the heir in waiting and there was actually a quarterback controversy to get excited about. Braylon Edwards hadn't yet embarrassed himself by thinking Cleveland had a vendetta for players who went to the University of Michigan and not instead players who lead the league in drops. Jamal Lewis amassed over 1,500 total yards and looked to still have good years left in the tank. Kellen Winslow looked like the elite athlete he was prior to doing his motorcycle stunts. Joe Thomas looked like he was the NFL's best tackle. The entire defense looked capable of stopping the opponent from scoring touchdowns on every drive.

All these pieces were in place in 2008, the year of hope was finally here. We went 4-12.

This is why we can't handle seeing Trent Richardson get traded in Week 2. There was no offseason full of buildup that management and player were no match made in heaven. There was no soundbite of Richardson frustrated with team's "direction". There was no clip of Richardson bashing his second head coach, offensive coordinator, or running backs coach in two years. There was no evidence that things were status quo. There was no evidence that Trent wasn't going to pile together 1,000 yards while the team marched its way to 6 wins, maybe 7 if we get lucky. This is what we had to look forward to. This was our season.

That's why this sucks. The best offensive player the New Browns have ever seen was traded because he "wasn't the right fit". The win total is what truly isn't "the right fit". It doesn't matter that Richardson had more attempts then Jerome Harrison when he was traded. It doesn't matter Richardson has less
total yards then Jerome Harrison when he was traded. It doesn't matter that Richardson had less 100+ yard games then Jerome Harrison. It doesn't matter that Richardson has a less catches then Jerome Harrison. It doesn't matter that Richardson had a lower Yard Per Carry and Yard Per Catch then Jerome Harrison. It doesn't matter that the first round pick we got in return is of far greater value then Mike Bell, the player we got in return for Jerome Harrison. It doesn't matter that Richardson really isn't the player the media, the fans, the pundits, the Twitters, the internet, the Alabama, the world has made him out to be. What matters is we are pissed.

This is another sign that the team is not winning now. This is another example of the "rebuilding process". This is another example of "out with the old, in with the new". This is another example of two years to show yourself or you ware shown the door. This is another set of suits telling us what is right. Yet every suit has told us to sit back, accept the process and wait or the results that will come. Only those results have always been terrible. Those results have made things like 2007 the only glimmer of results in over a decade of false hopes. But we need to sit back and accept. We need to let regime bring in "their" players. We need to allow this to happen. Because eventually, through the law of averages, it is going to work. Eventually, somehow, someway, the Browns will be good.

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 3 Shuffle: Defense Special Teams

2013-09-18T13:51:00.003-04:00

Listed are the Top 25 D/STs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Tier 1:
1. Seattle Seahawks vs JAC
2. New England Patriots vs TB
3. Denver Broncos vs OAK
4. Chicago Bears @PIT
5. San Francisco 49ers vs IND
6. Minnesota Vikings vs CLE
7. Houston Texans @BAL
8. Dallas Cowboys vs STL
9. Cleveland Browns @MIN
10. Atlanta Falcons @MIA
11. Baltimore Ravens vs HOU
12. Tennessee Titans vs SD

- After what the Seahawks did last week to the 49ers at home anything short of a 20 point performance is going to be seen against the Chad Henne led Jaguars. The back half of these rankings (Vikings, Cowboys, Browns, Falcons & Titans) are all commodities that should see their ownership rise as the week progresses. Everyone is a viable start against a weak opponent.

Tier 2:
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers @NE
14. Buffalo Bills @NYJ
15. Pittsburgh Steelers vs CHI
16. St. Louis Rams @DAL
17. Miami Dolphins vs ATL
18. San Diego Chargers @TEN
19. New York Jets @BUF
20. Cincinnati Bengals vs GB
21. New Orleans Saints vs ARI
22. Arizona Cardinals @NO
23. Kansas City Chiefs @PHI
24. Philadelphia Eagles vs KC
25. Green Bay Packers @CIN

- Excluding the Bengals, everyone listed here should making a weekly home on the waiver wire. The Steelers & Packers are not the same two defenses that have been seeing the field the past few years and should be owned accordingly. Excluding leagues over 12 owners, no one else here should be owned heading into Week 3.

Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 3 Shuffle: Kicker

2013-09-18T13:43:00.002-04:00

Listed are the Top 25 Ks for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Tier 1:
1. Blair Walsh vs CLE
2. Sebastian Janikowski @DEN
3. Josh Brown @CAR
4. Matt Prater vs OAK
5. Garrett Hartley vs ARI
6. Dan Bailey vs STL
7. Alex Henery vs KC
8. Stephen Gostkowski vs TB
9. Greg Zuerlein @DAL
10. Steven Hauschka vs JAC
11. David Akers @WAS
12. Matt Bryant @MIA

- These kickers have nice matchups. Henery is attached to the Chip Kelly offense and should see strong results the rest of the year. Zuerlein & Bailey should see a few FG opportunities each with Hauschka, Akers & Bryant looking to be extra point specialists this week.

Tier 2:
13. Caleb Sturgis vs ATL
14. Rob Bironas vs SD
15. Nick Novak @TEN
16. Ryan Succop @PHI
17. Nick Folk vs BUF
18. Mason Crosby @CIN
19. Jay Feely @NO
20. Mike Nugent vs GB
21. Robbie Gould @PIT
22. Justin Tucker vs HOU
23. Phil Dawson vs IND
24. Graham Gano vs NYG
25. Randy Bullock @BAL

- Unless you're in a league with over 12 members no one here should be rostered. Kickers are a commodity that you shouldn't be tied into for anything more then a week at a time. Tucker, Dawson & Bullock owners should move on.

Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 3 Shuffle: Defensive Back

2013-09-18T13:40:00.001-04:00

Listed are the Top 40 DBs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Tier 1:
1. Harrison Smith vs CLE
2. DeAngelo Hall vs DET
3. Patrick Peterson @NO
4. LaRon Landry @SF
5. Charles Tillman @PIT
6. Earl Thomas vs JAC
7. Duke Ihenacho vs OAK
8. Kam Chancellor vs JAC
9. Eric Berry @PHI
10. Malcolm Jenkins vs ARI
11. Da'Norris Searcy @NYJ
12. Bacarri Rambo vs DET

- Smith has quickly found himself as an elite play each week. He should feast on Brian Hoyer & Co. this week. Landry has been a tackling machine this year and is already over a quarter of the way to 100 stops. Tillman & Hall remain elite options to create turnovers with Chancellor, Ihenacho, Jenkins & Rambo being tackling machines with strong matchups. Peterson's play on offense seems him jump into the elite category, with more upside then anyone else on the list.

Tier 2:
13. Eric Weddle @TEN
14. Mark Barron @NE
15. Antoine Bethea @SF
16. Sam Shields @CIN
17. Brandon Boykin vs KC
18. Tim Jennings @PIT
19. Ryan Clark vs CHI
20. Tyrann Mathieu @NO
21. Cary Williams vs KC
22. Leodis McKelvin @NYJ
23. Josh Wilson vs DET
24. Robert McClain @MIA

- Weddle disappointed last week as the number one overall option, but should rebound nicely against the unproven Jake Locker led Titans. Boykin & Williams should find a turnover or two along the way against Kansas City. Bethea, Shields, Mathieu, McKelvin, Wilson & McClain have all been tackling machines and should all run into turnover opportunities as the season progresses.

Tier 3:
25. Roman Harper vs ARI
26. Leon Hall vs GB
27. William Moore @MIA
28. Bernard Pollard vs SD
29. Aaron Williams @NYJ
30. Ryan Mundy @CAR
31. Barry Church vs STL
32. Steve Gregory vs TB
33. Patrick Chung vs KC
34. Reshad Jones vs ATL
35. Prince Amukamara @CAR
36. Nate Allen vs KC
37. Jamarca Sanford vs CLE
38. Major Wright @PIT
39. Kyle Arrington vs TB
40. Janoris Jenkins @DAL

- Pollard owners would like to see him outperform this rank, but I'm not as high on the San Diego matchup as others are. Aaron Williams has played his way onto our list by racking up tackles all over the field in the first two weeks. Moore, Church, Gregory, Chung, Jones, Allen, Sanford & Wright are all tacklers with a low turnover probability, so deploy accordingly. Jenkins & Arrington could see a turnover given their opposing QB's play, but neither are locks to give you a good performance in Week 3.

Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 3 Shuffle: Defensive Line

2013-09-18T13:30:00.000-04:00

Listed are the Top 40 DLs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Tier 1:
1. J.J. Watt @BAL
2. Rob Ninkovich vs TB
3. Jared Allen vs CLE
4. Justin Tuck @CAR
5. Chandler Jones vs TB
6. Trent Cole vs KC
7. Cameron Jordan vs ARI
8. Robert Quinn @DAL
9. Desmond Bryant @MIN
10. Charles Johnson vs NYG
11. DeMarcus Ware vs STL
12. Greg Hardy vs NYG

- No amazing matchup plays this week. Bryant has already jumped into the circle of trust after the first two weeks & seeing Christian Ponder on the field every down is only going to help him stay there. Our top 6 players have insanely high floors should absolutely be deployed every week. Johnson & Hardy project to get to Eli Manning more then Giants fans are comfortable with, along with racking up RB tackles from their below average committee.

Tier 2:
13. Derrick Morgan vs SD
14. Elvis Dumervil vs HOU
15. Calais Campbell @NO
16. Mario Williams @NYJ
17. Carlos Dunlap vs GB
18. Lamarr Houston @DEN
19. Cameron Wake vs ATL
20. Jason Pierre-Paul @CAR
21. Geno Atkins vs GB
22. Jason Hunter @DEN
23. Adrian Clayborn @NE
24. Justin Smith vs IND

- Williams insane performance last week doesn't project to repeat, but he still gets to rush Geno Smith on every down, so results will be there. Dunlap, Wake, JPP & Atkins are feast or famine rushers who are either going to rack up a sack or two or not be seen on much on the fantasy stat sheet. Houston, Hunter & Clayborn has impressive matchups and should be deployed in all leagues that start two DLs.

Tier 3:
25. Julius Peppers @PIT
26. Ray McDonald vs IND
27. Tommy Kelly vs TB
28. Dontari Poe @PHI
29. Jason Hatcher vs STL
30. Brian Robison vs CLE
31. Jabaal Sheard @MIN
32. Ndamukong Suh @WAS
33. Sheldon Richardson vs BUF
34. Whitney Mercilus @BAL
35. Chris Long @DAL
36. Osi Umenyiora @MIA
37. Brett Keisel vs CHI
38. Haloti Ngata vs HOU
39. Shea McClellin @PIT
40. Fletcher Cox vs KC

- Peppers has seen his stock crash recording only one tackle over the first two weeks. Teams are double teaming him and he hasn't been a factor, yet. Kelly, Poe, Hatcher, & Robison have good looking matchups against weak QBs and/or OLines. Umenyiora projected to take Kroy Biermann's stats with his placement on IR while everyone else is a speculative play at best.

Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 3 Shuffle: Linebacker

2013-09-18T13:22:00.001-04:00

Listed are the Top 40 LBs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Tier 1:
1. Luke Kuechly vs NYG
2. Lavonte David @NE
3. Clay Matthews @CIN
4. Jerod Mayo vs TB
5. Wesley Woodyard vs OAK
6. Aldon Smith vs IND
7. Derrick Johnson @PHI
8. Navarro Bowman vs IND
9. Brian Cushing @BAL
10. Lance Briggs @PIT
11. D'Qwell Jackson @MIN
12. Kiko Alonso @NYJ

- With the exception of Alonso & possibly Woodyard, everyone listed here was drafted as a LB1 on draft day. Johnson has a great matchup against the fast paced Eagles and should benefit from sheer amount of plays being run. Smith & Bowman should feast on a still young Andrew Luck. Cushing, Briggs & D'Qwell should all be tackle machines and add some type of turnover along the way.

Tier 2:
13. Zach Brown vs SD
14. Paul Posluszny @SEA
15. Vontaze Burfict vs GB
16. London Fletcher vs DET
17. Chad Greenway vs CLE
18. Mychal Kendricks vs KC
19. DeAndre Levy @WAS
20. Karlos Dansby @NO
21. Jerrell Freeman @SF
22. DeMeco Ryans vs KC
23. Thomas Davis vs NYG
24. Donald Butler @TEN

- London Fletcher's value is in flux after an out of the ordinary 2 tackle performance again the Lions. Kendricks will benefit from the Chip Kelly offense all year by seeing more plays run against him. Levy has two endzone visits on the year, although one was taken away by Suh & his illegal blocking. Thomas Davis makes his way back into a starting spot after having more ACL explosions then anyone else on record.

Tier 3:
25. Ryan Kerrigan vs DET
26. Mason Foster @NE
27. Danny Trevathan vs OAK
28. Daryl Smith vs HOU
29. Perry Riley vs DET
30. Terrell Suggs vs HOU
31. Phillips Wheeler vs ATL
32. Patrick Willis vs IND
33. Alec Ogletree @DAL
34. Stephen Tulloch @WAS
35. Bruce Carter vs STL
36. Bobby Wagner vs JAC
37. Dannell Ellerbe vs ATL
38. Craig Robertson @MIN
39. David Harris vs BUF
40. Pat Angerer @SF

- No one in this ranking should be considered a must start, even in Patrick Willis was the #1 LB only 2 years ago. Kerrigan & Suggs rely on the sack in order to get their points, so adjust their ranking accordingly with your format. Foster, Trevathan, Smith, Wheeler, Ogletree & Ellerbe have all strong performances the first two weeks of the year but still remain relatively untrusted due to their age, starting experience, or new team setting. Angerer is a top tier LB when healthy, but I refuse to move him into elite status with just one matchup in the books. He's still a speculative play in my book.

Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 3 Shuffle: Tight End

2013-09-18T13:14:00.001-04:00

Listed are the Top 25 TEs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Tier 1:
1. Jimmy Graham vs ARI
2. Greg Olsen vs NYG
3. Jermichael Finley @CIN
4. Brandon Myers @CAR
5. Tony Gonzalez @MIA
6. Jason Witten vs STL
7. Owen Daniels @BAL
8. Julius Thomas vs OAK
9. Jordan Cameron @MIN
10. Antonio Gates vs TEN
11. Jared Cook @DAL
12. Martellus Bennett @PIT

- Last week Graham reminded the world why he was in a class by himself on draft day. Olsen & Finley are both dealing with friendly secondaries and should be deployed with safe floors in mind. Thomas, Cameron & Cook all the first tier tight ends with the lowest floor. No one quite sure where Julius fits into the Broncos offense long-term. Cameron is dealing with a QB change and the first road game of the year, which isn't the ideal fit for someone looking for a safe floor. Cook owners saw his floor last week with only 1 catch for 10 yards. Still, given the lack of overall depth at the position these guys should started in most formats.

Tier 2:
13. Rob Gronkowski vs TB
14. Kyle Rudolph vs CLE
15. Vernon Davis vs IND
16. Charles Clay vs ATL
17. Jermaine Gresham vs GB
18. Heath Miller vs CHI
19. Tyler Eifert vs GB
20. Jordan Reed vs DET
21. Garrett Graham @BAL
22. Brent Celek vs KC
23. Kellen Winslow vs BUF
24. Coby Fleener @SF
25. Zach Sudfeld vs TB

- Gronk's ranking is speculative of him playing the maximum possible snaps Belicheck will allow. Don't expect his initial deployment to be immediate fantasy rewards, they'll probably be a one week ease back into the offense with the Patriots not wanting a repeat of last year. Vernon Davis and his hamstring issues see him crash in the rankings. He was never a safe play last year and there is no reason to treat him like one this week. Eifert & Reed are two nice upside plays with good matchups, but starting rookie TEs is never the smart bet. Fleener should be a TE1 the rest of the season with Dwayne Allen done for the year, but he isn't being treated like one this week. Sudfeld is still a nice speculative play even if Gronk plays, but he needs to suit up too.

Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.

Week 3 Shuffle: Wide Reciever

2013-09-18T13:05:00.001-04:00

Listed are the Top 60 WRs for the upcoming week. Rankings are based on the projected mean performance without any specific team context on who you should start. Sometimes you need to start the lower of two players due to upside or a high floor, so things are fluid. As always, players can move up or down as we approach kickoff. So please indulge yourself & dissect our list from top to bottom. Let's Go!

Tier 1:
1. Calvin Johnson @WAS
2. A.J. Green vs GB
3. Brandon Marshall @PIT
4. Vincent Jackson @NE
5. Dwayne Bowe @PHI
6. Demaryius Thomas vs OAK
7. Randall Cobb @CIN
8. Jordy Nelson @CIN
9. Pierre Garcon vs DET
10. Victor Cruz @CAR
11. Dez Bryant vs STL
12. Larry Fitzgerald @NO

- Megatron finds himself back on elite ground after falling a bit last week. GB@CIN projects to be a bloodbath for opposing secondaries with three of the top 8 wide outs playing in Cincinnati this week. Dwayne Bowe finds himself in the top 5 with the friendly defense to a fantasy WR in Philadelphia. Despite injury concerns, Larry Fitzgerald & Dez Bryant still remain in the top 12 give their nice matchups & personal guarantees that they be on the field on Sunday.

Tier 2:
13. DeSean Jackson vs KC
14. Andre Johnson @BAL
15. Julio Jones @MIA
16. Marques Colston vs ARI
17. Steve Smith vs NYG
18. Wes Welker vs OAK
19. Hakeem Nicks @CAR
20. Stevie Johnson @NYJ
21. James Jones @CIN
22. Torrey Smith vs HOU
23. Eric Decker vs OAK
24. Mike Wallace vs ATL

- After lackluster Week 1 performances Eric Decker & James Jones reminded everyone why their fantasy values went up in the offseason putting up 9-87-0 and 11-178-0 performances respectively. If either wide out hit pay dirt their game one stats would be completely forgotten, but you can still get them at a reasonable price at the trade table. Stevie Johnson & E.J. Manuel have found a connection early in their career together which bodes well for gamers, since Buffalo is going to find themselves losing in most games. Treat this situation like Cam Newton-Steve Smith & reap the rewards. Andre Johnson is no longer questionable and should be a lock to do what he does best: get a ton of yards and get tackled at the 1 yard line.

Tier 3:
25. Brian Hartline vs ATL
26. Andre Roberts @NO
27. Julian Edelman vs TB
28. DeAndre Hopkins @BAL
29. Anquan Boldin vs IND
30. Tavon Austin @DAL
31. Antonio Brown vs CHI
32. Reggie Wayne @SF
33. Nate Burleson @WAS
34. Golden Tate vs JAC
35. Miles Austin vs STL
36. Mike Williams @NE

- For what it's worth, this week nearly every Flex WR has more starting appeal then Flex RBs. Edelman is conservatively ranked with Gronkowski projected to come back, while Wayne is very conservatively ranked playing on of the best defenses in football. Burleson should see double digit points against the worst secondary in football. Hartline, Roberts, Hopkins, Boldin, Brown & both Austins all appear to be locks for double digit performances as well.

Tier 4:
37. Greg Jennings vs CLE
38. Cecil Shorts @SEA
39. Kenbrell Thompkins vs TB
40. Lance Moore vs ARI
41. Michael Floyd @NO
42. Emmanuel Sanders vs CHI
43. Eddie Royal @TEN
44. Chris Givens @DAL
45. Stephen Hill vs BUF
46. Rod Streater @DEN
47. Santana Moss vs DET
48. T.Y. Hilton @SF

- There are plenty of questions with everyone in this grouping. Despite being tied to elite offenses, Thompkins & Moore haven't found many catches or yards for a multitude of reasons. Jennings, just like everyone catching passes from Christian Ponder, has no reason to be trusted week to week. Royal isn't going to maintain his unreal 40 TD pace and it is really a mystery what type of floor he holds at the moment. Streater & Moss are nice matchups on paper, but neither look like locks to record a catch so a floor like that doesn't move you high in the rankings. There is much respect around these parts for the 49ers pass D & Hilton's ranking shows it.

Tier 5:
49. Rueben Randle @CAR
50. Roddy White @MIA
51. Kendall Wright vs SD
52. Marlon Brown vs HOU
53. Josh Gordon @MIN
54. Robert Woods @NYJ
55. Doug Baldwin vs JAC
56. Aaron Dobson vs TB
57. Harry Douglas @MIA
58. Vincent Brown @TEN
59. Donnie Avery @PHI
60. Denarius Moore @DEN

- There is much more upside in these tier 5 WRs then their RB counterparts, but everyone here is still a last minute start. White shouldn't be trusted until he plays a game fully healthy. Randle, Wright & Brown all have plenty of positive factors going their way but the negatives (QBs, above average defenses) hold them back this week. Josh Gordon could be elite, but no one has ever taken the Brian Hoyer path to fantasy success. Dobson, Douglas, Donine & Denarius all are feast or famine plays and shouldn't be considered unless you're in dire need of a big game from your WR4.

Check out all our Week 2 Rankings: QB RB WR TE LB DL DB K D/ST

As always, read & discuss. You can reach me on Twitter @ClevRocks_James or comment your (dis)agreements below.