Stop me if you heard this before but receiver Kenbrell Thompkins is looking good in Patriots camp. Any receiver in New England will be a risk thanks to the crowd they’ve accumulated.- Raiders receiver Andre Holmes is also looking good in camp. He has far less competition in Oakland and could be a starter sooner rather than later. However, he doesn’t exactly have a quarterback that’s shown to be reliable for 2014.
- Expect the Ravens to tone down the passing and become a more run-based offense under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. This is great news for Bernard Pierce and Ray Rice owners.
Tag Archives: ray rice
Daily Dynasty Update – June 24th
Now we have some definitive dates on Knowshon Moreno’s knee after undergoing a scope. Doctors give him 4-5 weeks before he sees action again.- Expect the Carlos Hyde bandwagon to get more crowded after he displayed feature back capabilities in practice. He’s squarely in the first round discussion in rookie drafts and could challenge Bishop Sankey for top back.
- Cowboys running back Lance Dunbar has lined up all over the field in OTA’s and could provide some Darren Sproles-type production under new coordinator Scott Linehan. Still just 25, Dunbar could be a valuable piece in a high-powered offense.
- Expect Bernard Pierce to be the starter in Baltimore should Ray Rice receive a multi-game suspension. Pierce has had an up and down career so far and is a complete gamble at this point.
- A name to keep on your radar is Bengals linebacker Emmanuel Lamur. He’s expected to play all three downs for a very good defense and could rack up plenty of tackles.
Daily Dynasty Update – June 17th
People are expecting the Ray Rice suspension to last at least four games to start the season. It’s a substantial amount of time to miss for a player looking to rebound. The fuse on Rice’s dynasty value is running out.- Raiders receiver Denarius Moore hasn’t had good reports this off-season and is in serious jeopardy of losing a starting spot. Moore’s play has been maddening his whole career.
- Look for Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph to have a big year with the arrival of Norv Turner. Turner likes to use a ’12’ offensive alignment which allows one tight end to remain in-line to block while the other is free to catch. Rudolph would be the latter.
Daily Dynasty Update – May 28th
With the news of Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee tearing his other ACL, Dallas will probably be without his services for a full year. This means rookie linebacker Anthony Hitchens will be a hot commodity in camp.- There’s no waiting on Ryan Shazier in Pittsburgh as he’s already practicing with the first team. He’ll border on the first round in IDP rookie drafts.
- Despite hip surgery in the off-season, Seahawks Kam Chancellor is expected to be back for the 2014 season. Chanchellor doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the other members of the Seattle secondary but he’s quietly been a reliable DB1/DB2, hovering around 100 tackles a year over the last three years.
- Some welcome news from Arizona where coach Bruce Arians finally concedes what we all knew when he said Andre Ellington was a #1 back. He also said he looks to get him 25 carries a game. Ellington-owners can only hope.
- Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis opened camp behind Giovani Bernard and rookie Jeremy Hill on the Bengals depth chart. If Hill plays well, he could be had in the second round of rookie drafts.
- Ravens rookie running back Lorenzo Taliaferro was arrested over the holiday. Taliaferro and Ray Rice’s issues have not looked good for the Ravens. For fantasy purposes, Bernard Pierce may be one of the only running backs left to start the season.
Daily Dynasty Update – May 25th
Ravens running back Ray Rice is expected to be suspended multiple games to start the season for an ugly incident with his wife this season.- Redskins receiver Leonard Hankerson may not be ready until August due to ACL surgery. He’s no higher than fourth on the depth chart so, for dynasty purposes, it’s probably ok to let him go.
- Lions receiver Ryan Broyles participated in OTA’s this week and looks like he’s almost completed healed from an Achilles injury. His ceiling is no higher than 3rd on the Lions depth chart but is someone worth monitoring in that offense.
- Steelers receiver Markus Wheaton is expected to be the starter to open the season opposite Antonio Brown even with the drafting of Martavis Bryant. Wheaton had a lot of dynasty value before last season but was injured most of the year. He won’t have a lot of margin for error this year.
Updated Dynasty Running Back Rankings – March 2014
Click here for complete dynasty running back rankings, now including Rotoworld dynasty rankings.
- Top five has a slightly different order but the same players: LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Eddie Lacy now at 3, Adrian Peterson now at 4, and Doug Martin dropping to 5.
- The risers this month include Bernard Pierce, David Wilson, Latavius Murray, Rashad Jennings, and LeGarrette Blount. Pierce’s rise is inherently tied to Ray Rice‘s fall. Rice’s production dropped off a cliff last year and an off-season domestic assault incident doesn’t help. Wilson looks as healthy as he has in a while and there is optimism he’ll pick up where he left off as the primary back in New York. Murray ad Jennings, The two Oakland backs, now have a clear path to a more prominent role now that the Raiders are letting Darren McFadden walk. Blount’s rise will only prove accurate if he sticks in New England where coach Bill Belichick got the absolute most out of him.
- Drops this month include Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren Sproles, Danny Woodhead, Rashard Mendenhall, and Fred Jackson. Jones-Drew’s impending free agency, and where he signs, are resulting in his fall as he’s most likely done as a featured back. Sproles, recently released by the Saints, looked bad down the stretch and, at 32, still struggle to find a similar situation as he had in New Orleans. Woodhead’s play also tailed off at the end of 2013 but his value in PPR dynasty leagues should be higher. Mendenhall looks set to retire. And finally, add another year to Fred Jackson who, at 33, is officially the oldest running back on the list. His only value is if you need to win this year.
Updated Dynasty Running Back Rankings – January 2014
Click here for updated dynasty running back rankings.
- The top two remain the same as the Eagles LeSean McCoy takes the top spot with Jamaal Charles of the chiefs not far behind.
- After that, rookies are making the most noise with the Packers Eddie Lacy shooting up to 4th from 10th. He proved he could carry the load in Aaron Rodgers absence. The Rams Zac Stacy enters the top ten after bursting on the scene halfway through the season. He’ll be the lead back in St. Louis in 2014. The Steelers Le’Veon Bell also moved up to 13th from 17th. He might be the focal point of Pittsburgh’s offense next season.
- The big drops include the Ravens Ray Rice dropping from 8th to 14th largely due to his steep production drop this season. The hope is this season is an anomaly for Rice and not the norm. Colts running back Trent Richardson continues his fall from 12th to 17th. Don’t expect that to be the end for Richardson as I predict he’ll drop even further as the off-season goes on. Lions running back Reggie Bush also had a drop thanks to late season injuries and backup Joique Bell‘s emergence as a solid contributor.
Dynasty Recap – Week 12 – Ravens down Jets, 19-3
- Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith’s downward slide continues, going 9 of 22 for 127 yards, two interceptions and zero touchdowns and even lost a fumble. Smith’s stock will never be lower if you’re still interested.
- The Ravens running attack continues to struggle, averaging just 2.2 YPC between Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce. The Ravens need more playmakers on offense to take attention away from the run game otherwise Rice and Pierce will continue to get killed.
- Jets rookie defensive tackle continues to impress with an incredible (for an interior lineman) nine tackles and half sack. Richardson looks like another Geno Atkins which means a productive defensive tackle for dynasty leaguers, a feat almost as rare as unicorns.
Dynasty Recap – Week 11 – Bears escape Ravens, 23-20
- Baltimore running back Ray Rice came out of nowhere to have 131 rushing yards on 25 carries to go along with 17 yards receiving on three catches. By far his best game of the season, Rice has tanked for dynasty owners in 2013 but, hopefully, this is a sign of things to come in 2014 and beyond.
- Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery continues to command attention, leading the team in targets with 11 to go along with seven catches for 83 yards. It’s fair to wonder when Jeffery will overtake Brandon Marshall for good as Marshall will be 30 entering next season.
- Bears rookie linebacker Jon Bostic had a solid outing with five tackles, one tackle for a loss and an interception. Bostic won’t be going anywhere so you would be wise to see what it would take to extract Bostic for your team.
Dynasty Recap – Week 9 – Browns upset Ravens, 24-18
- The Ravens continue to use little of Ray Rice, frustrating fantasy owners. Rice had 17 rushing yards on 11 carries and added three catches for 21 yards. Now actually might be a good time to buy-low as the Ravens are far more likely to make a change with offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell instead of Ray Rice, who signed a five-year extension before the 2012 season.
- Also a disappointing day in the Ravens passing game as receiver Torrey Smith had only 78 yards on five catches even though Joe Flacco had 41 pass attempts. Smith is still a premier dynasty receiver but won’t have explosions every week.
- Browns safety TJ Ward had another productive week with seven tackles, a sack and two tackles for a loss. Ward continues to play well and is on pace for over 100 tackles. Ward will continue to be an anchor in a young, strong Cleveland defense.
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