Tiers Of Joy

By Carlos 'Big C' Holmes

Posted: Jun 20 2010 5:37 pm

Permalink: http://www.bigcprofootball.com/blog/index.php?aid=1&bid=80

By Jimmy Da Fantasy Geek

Here are the top 10 players in the 2010 season who will be moving up fantasy draft boards and jump into a higher tier in the rankings for the upcoming NFL season.

Felix Jones, RB, Dallas Cowboys – It appears that Jones is moving ahead of teammate Marion Barber into the starting role. More touches mean more explosive plays for Jones in the Cowboys vaunted offense. The running back averaged 5.9 yards a carry last season. An expanded role in the offense makes him a solid RB2, and thus, a significant move up the rankings.

Devin Aromashodu, WR, Chicago Bears – Aromashadu is one of my breakout players for 2010. His stats last year don’t look that impressive, and that’s why he’ll be overlooked by many.

The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Aromashadu became a favorite target of quarterback Jay Cutler toward the end of the season. With Mike Martz now calling the plays on offense, the ball will be distributed to receivers with regularity. So bump Aromashodu up a couple tiers and consider him a WR3 or spot starter, as of right now.

Jermichael Finley, TE, Green Bay Packers – Finley is another one of my breakout players for 2010. Finley is poised to move into the top five of all tight ends in the NFL. Don’t believe me? Stats don’t lie. Finley finished in the top 10 last season amongst tight ends in receptions, targets and touchdowns. He missed three games with an injury and didn’t really click with quarterback Aaron Rodgers until midway through the season. So, it’s safe to expect Finley to be counted on as an elite tight end.

Tony Scheffler, TE, Detroit Lions – The move to Detroit is a good one for Scheffler. That being said, Scheffler should jump in production this season. He has a chance to be a nice red zone target for developing quarterback Matthew Safford. Scheffler is not going to jump into elite status, but can be counted on as a TE2 or bye week replacement.

Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore – The Ravens quarterback is ready to take the reigns of a much improved Baltimore offense (with the addition of Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth). Flacco, who threw 21 TDs and 3,600 yards last season, was already a borderline QB1 in 2009 but this year he jumps a tier into a solid starter. You can confidently count on Flacco as your starting fantasy quarterback and expect something in the area of 30 TDs and 4,000 yards.

Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets – Greene’s value has been as up and down as the stock market with the departure of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. The signing of Ladainian Tomlinson and drafting of Joe McKnight doesn't help his cause. However, Greene’s performance in the playoffs opened eyes and can be considered a RB2. Don’t let LT’s existence on the team sway you from drafting Greene with confidence.

Miles Austin, WR, Dallas Cowboys – Austin’s appearance on this list should come as no surprise. For those who drafted Austin last year (like yours truly), they reaped the benefit of his breakout year. Some are predicting a drop in stats for Austin, but I don’t see it. The Dallas offense is really good and adding rookie Dez Bryant to the arsenal will opening things up in the passing game. Austin was a bottom tier WR last year and is a top 10 receiver this year, so that warrants him making this list.

Steve Breaston, WR, Arizona Cardinals – Steve Breaston has both good and bad working against his 2010 value. The good is that Anquan Boldin is no longer on the team and Breaston slides into the #2 receiver role. The bad is that Kurt Warner is also gone and the quarterback situation in Arizona is unsettled. However, Breaston is in a great role on an above-average offense, so count on him as a WR3 or borderline WR2; a definite bump up the tier ladder for him.

Chad Henne, QB, Miami Dolphins – One of the interesting things to monitor this summer is the development of the Dolphins offense. Will they step up from a gimmicky/Wildcat/running style to a more explosive passing game? Indications are, with the arrival of Brandon Marshall, that Henne could be anchoring a much more potent offense. This makes Henne a nice prospect in keeper/dynasty leagues and a potential QB2 for 2010.

Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders – Okay, I put McFadden at the end of the list because I didn’t want you to stop reading. McFadden, and all Raiders, have been fantasy death. But, with Justin Fargas gone and only the injury-prone Michael Bush to compete with for carries, McFadden will still be the starter and still get plenty of touches. Plus, this is his third year in the NFL, so it’s time to blossom. Let’s not go crazy with McFadden expectations, but he can be considered a RB3 or flex option for your league. No, really, he can.

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2009 NFL Draft

By Carlos 'Big C' Holmes

Posted: Jan 23 2009 9:42 am

Permalink: http://www.bigcprofootball.com/blog/index.php?aid=1&bid=79

Read the latest from Big C on DaytonDailyNews.com

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Crabtree To Enter NFL Draft

By Carlos 'Big C' Holmes

Posted: Jan 02 2009 7:06 pm

Permalink: http://www.bigcprofootball.com/blog/index.php?aid=1&bid=77

A source close to the Texas Tech Red Raiders has informed BigCProfootball.com that star wide receiver Michael Crabtree is prepared to announce in the coming days that he is turning pro. Crabtree had four receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort against Ole Miss in Friday’s Cotton Bowl. The Biletnikoff Award winning receiver is projected as a “Top 10” draft pick. The Biletnikoff is given to the nation's top wide receiver. Crabtree has until Jan. 15 to declare for the NFL draft.

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Eagles Flying High

By Carlos 'Big C' Holmes

Posted: Dec 30 2008 4:38 pm

Permalink: http://www.bigcprofootball.com/blog/index.php?aid=1&bid=76

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb on Sunday’s win and making the playoffs:

“A lot of people counted us out and said it was over. We continued all week to stay focused on what the plan was. We knew we had to come out here and play a tough team that was hungry, just like we were. We wanted to come out and defend what happened last week and show it wasn’t us. Today was a total team effort. Things worked out well and we are playing next week.”

How far will the Eagles soar in the playoffs?

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Bengals CB Hall Named AFC Defensive Player Of The Week

By Carlos 'Big C' Holmes

Posted: Dec 24 2008 5:15 pm

Permalink: http://www.bigcprofootball.com/blog/index.php?aid=1&bid=75

Cincinnati Bengals CB Leon Hall was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week by the NFL. Hall tied a franchise record at Cleveland this past Sunday with three interceptions. His 87 return yards included a 50-yard TD on Cleveland’s first possession. It proved to be the only score the Bengals would need in a 14-0 win.

Early in the third quarter, Hall stopped Cleveland’s deepest drive of the day with an interception at the Cincinnati 19 and a 10-yard return. In the fourth quarter, Hall had a 27-yard INT return to the Browns 40. The second year pro from Michigan, Cincinnati’s first-round selection in the 2007 draft, also had five tackles. With credit for three passes defensed, he raised his team-leading PD total to 24.

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