5/24/2010
By Michael Nazarek

 

It's time to take a closer look at the North Division teams to see how they are shaping up coming off May mini-camps. Let’s get right to it…

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens has another successful season in 2009, but failed to make it to the big game. But the team is inching closer towards becoming a true Super Bowl contender. QB Joe Flacco begins his third season in 2010 clearly as the team leader, at least offensively. QB Troy Smith and QB John Beck return as depth players behind Flacco. The team acquired WR Anquan Boldin, a move that dramatically will help the passing game and Flacco’s fantasy numbers. In fact, Flacco is on the verge of becoming a solid top 10 fantasy QB after this move. Of course, the running game remains the primary focus of this offense, as RB Ray Rice broke out in as big way as the starter last year. He returns with a very deep RB corps, including RB Willis McGahee and FB Le’Ron McClain. Rice is a clear top 5 overall fantasy pick, while McGahee is a decent fantasy backup for owners in basic scoring leagues. As for Boldin, his talent is undeniable, as he should be a top 15 fantasy WR in Baltimore. The team also re-signed veteran WR Derrick Mason for two more years. Mason becomes the #2 WR option with Boldin on the roster, but fantasy owners shouldn’t overlook what he can still do. The Ravens also signed WR Donte Stallworth this off-season. He has the insider track to fill the #3 WR role. Veterans WR Mark Clayton and WR Demetrius Williams also return, primarily for depth, but don’t be shocked in one is cut before the season begins. Injuries has been a big factor in their inability to help this team over the long haul. WR David Reed was drafted in the 5th round for depth back in April. Veteran TE Todd Heap returns as the starter, while the team drafted TE Ed Dickson in the 3rd round and TE Dennis Pitta in the 4th. While Heap will see less targets, he won’t be the forgotten man in this offense. Gone is TE L.J. Smith and TE Quinn Sypniewski. The Ravens refuse to spend money on a kicker, so currently PK Billy Cundiff has that job, but he’s less than good when it comes to clutch kicks. Quick Draft Summary: The team focused the rest of their draft on defensive players, taking two in the first two rounds, as well as one later. They also draft an offensive tackle in the 6th round.

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals made the playoffs in 2009, and promptly lost to the Jets. The defense was up and down, and while the running game was a good one, the passing game left a lot to be desired. Veteran QB Carson Palmer returns, but questions remain regarding the strength of his elbow. As a result, he's no longer a solid fantasy starter, but rather a decent backup with a bit of potential. QB J.T. O’Sullivan returns to back up Palmer. In the running game, RB Cedric Benson became a true fantasy force last year, and returns as the starter. He is a solid #2 fantasy RB. RB Bernard Scott and RB Brian Leonard return as the backups to Benson. As for the wideout corps, WR Chad Ochocinco rebounded with a nice season last year despite Palmer’s inconsistencies. Veteran WR Laveranues Coles was cut loose after a season where he struggled to produce much of anything. It’s a shame WR Chris Henry passed away after falling out of a moving truck, as the team really missed his deep outside speed. Veteran WR Antonio Bryant was signed in an effort to fill that void, but can his knee hold up? WR Andre Caldwell had his moments last year, and appears to be a good fit for the #3 WR job. WR Jerome Simpson has been nothing but a bust, and isn’t expected to be with the team later this summer. Veteran WR Matt Jones was signed and provides decent depth should another injury strike Bryant. The team also drafted WR Jordan Shipley in the 3rd round and WR Dezmon Briscoe in the 6th. The Bengals have struggled in recent years to get any production from their TEs. That didn’t change in 2009 when rookie TE Chase Coffman missed the season due to injury. Veteran TE Reggie Kelly was also injured, but both players return for 2010. In addition, the Bengals drafted TE Jermaine Gresham in the first round in an effort to make the TE a threat in the passing game. PK Shayne Graham sealed his fate with field goal misses in the playoff game against the Jets, and finds himself unemployed. PK Mike Nugent was signed and will compete with PK Dave Rayner for the job this summer. Quick Draft Summary: The other players drafted in April consisted of offensive linemen and defensive players.

Cleveland Browns: The Browns were a big mess once again in 2009, but they have finally made a decision to change their situation at QB. Gone are QB Derek Anderson and QB Brady Quinn. The Browns chose to acquire QB Seneca Wallace from the Seahawks to back up new starting QB Jake Delhomme. These moves should help the team somewhat, but they obviously aren’t the long-term answer. The Browns did draft QB Colt McCoy in the third round in April’s draft, as a possible QB of the future. In the running game, RB Jamal Lewis is gone, leaving RB Jerome Harrison as the starter, but the team also drafted RB Montario Hardesty in the second round to challenge for playing time. FB Peyton Hillis was signed for depth. In the passing game, WR/KR Josh Cribbs finally got the extension he wanted for so long, but he’s not a starting WR. He’ll see action in the wildcat and sporadic use in multiple-WR sets, as well as plenty of action in the return game. The starters are likely to be WR Mohamed Massaquoi and WR Brian Robiskie. Veteran WR Mike Furrey wasn’t re-signed, while WR Chansi Stuckey and WR Syndric Steptoe return for depth (if you can call it that). The team also drafted WR Calton Mitchell in the 6th round. Let’s just say there isn’t a top 40 fantasy WR on this roster. At tight end, TE Robert Royal returns, but the team signed veteran TE Ben Watson as their new starter. They are counting on getting a lot from him in the passing game. TE Steve Heiden retired, as the team also signed TE Alex Smith. PK Phil Dawson returns (well, he wants a long-term deal), but will be lucky to see 20 FGA’s, keeping him a risky fantasy draft pick. Quick Draft Summary: The Browns mostly took defensive players with the rest of their draft picks.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers failed to make the playoffs just one season after winning it all. In addition, QB Ben Roethlisberger rocked the franchise to its core with a sex scandal that nearly turned into a felony charge. He’s been suspended for 4-6 games to begin the 2010 season, putting their playoff hopes in doubt months before the season begins. Needless to say, Big Ben is no longer a solid fantasy starter since he’ll miss at least the first four games, if not more. The team re-acquired QB Byron Leftwich from the Bucs, as he’s the likely starter while Big Ben sits. The team plans to run more, so that in itself means more value for the RBs and less for the WRs. QB Dennis Dixon and QB Charlie Batch return to back up Leftich and Roethlisberger. As for the running game, RB Willie Parker was not re-signed, as RB Rashard Mendenhall is the clear cut starter. Mendenhall is a top 10 fantasy RB, and will be leaned upon heavily to begin the season. The team drafted RB Jonathan Dywer in the 6th round to back up Mendenhall. Veteran RB Mewelde Moore returns to provide depth. In the passing game, WR Santonio Holmes was traded to the Jets, as veteran WR Hines Ward and WR Mike Wallace will be the starters. Wallace has the talent to be a true breakout player in 2010. WR Limas Sweed tore his Achilles last month, so he’s lost for the season. The team did bring WR Antwaan Randle El back to fill the #3 WR role. WR Arnaz Battle was also signed for depth, and the team drafted WR Emmanuel Sanders in the third round and WR Antonio Brown in the 6th back in April. TE Heath Miller remains the starting tight end, and a solid fantasy starter in larger leagues, especially while Big Ben sits. TE Matt Spaeth was re-signed to beck up Miller. PK Jeff Reed returns, and deserves a look as a final round fantasy pick. Quick Draft Summary: The Steelers other draft picks were five defensive players and two offensive linemen.

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears: The Bears failed to make the playoff once again, so they hired OC Mike Martz to see if he can get QB Jay Cutler straightened out. Cutler threw a whopping 26 picks last year to go along with 27 TDs. In Martz’s high-powered passing offense, Cutler has mad fantasy potential. QB Brett Basanez was recently released, leaving inexperienced QB Caleb Hanie and 6th-round draft pick QB Dan LeFevour as the backups. Don’t be shocked to see the Bears sign a veteran QB in the near future. Perhaps QB Marc Bulger? In the running game, second-year RB Matt Forte struggled in his sophomore season, which led to the signing of RB Chester Taylor in March. Forte remains the starter, but Taylor could steal scores in addition to carving out a possible 40% (or more) role in terms of playing time. RB Kevin Jones was released, leaving RB Kahlil Bell and RB Garrett Wolfe for depth. In the passing game, WR Devin Hester is excited about his role as a starter in Martz’s offense. The plan is to use him all over the field, which could make his fantasy value soar. WR Johnny Knox returns as the other starter, while WR Devin Aromashodu and WR Earl Bennett are both wildcards. WR Rashied Davis and WR Juaquin Iglesias return for depth. TE Greg Olsen also returns, but his role as starter is likely to mean less targets, since the tight end on Martz’s offense is primarily a blocker. TE Desmond Clark and TE Kellen Davis also return, while the team signed TE Brandon Manumaleuna as a blocking TE. PK Robbie Gould remains one of the better kickers in the league, and should be considered a top 12 fantasy producer. Quick Draft Summary: Beyond their quarterback, the other Bears draft picks this April were defensive players and an offensive tackle.

Detroit Lions: After going winless in 2008, the Lions won two games last year. Second-year QB Matthew Stafford returns to lead the effort to make the team meaningful once again. QB Daunte Culpepper is gone, as the team acquired QB Shaun Hill from the 49ers. A healthy Stafford is a nice fantasy sleeper in 2010 due to the fact the team upgraded their receiving corps. In the running game, RB Kevin Smith returns, but is coming off a torn ACL injury. The team drafted RB Jahvid Best in April, and all signs point to Best being the starter. Veteran RB Maurice Morris and RB Aaron Brown return for depth. In the passing game, the team overhauled the corps again, seeking to take the pressure off WR Calvin Johnson, whom returns as the primary fantasy producing threat on this team in the passing game. Veteran WR Nate Burleson was signed to start opposite Johnson. WR Bryant Johnson and WR Dennis Northcutt return, but will take a back seat to Burleson. Let’s just say that teams won’t be able to double- and triple-team Johnson any longer, making him an elite fantasy producer once again, provided he stays healthy. At the tight end position, the Lions acquired TE Tony Scheffler from the Broncos. Scheffler is a big upgrade at this position in the passing game. TE Brandon Pettigrew (torn ACL) is working his way back to health. The Lions are expected to use both Scheffler and Pettigrew on the field at the same time. That’s good for the team, but it does downgrade their individual fantasy value. The one constant here remains PK Jason Hanson. He returns and if the team improves offensively as expected, that would make Hanson relevant for fantasy owners again. Quick Draft Summary: The rest of the Lions draft class is filled with defensive players, an offensive tackle, and a wide receiver (7th round) taken for developmental reasons.

Green Bay Packers: The Packers made the playoffs last year, but fell short of the big game. One big reason for their success was QB Aaron Rodgers, whom climbed to the top of the fantasy QBs of the league in 2009. He returns as the unquestioned starter and leader of the team, and remains an elite fantasy starter. QB Matt Flynn returns to back up Rodgers. In the running game, RB Ryan Grant rebounded as a more consistent fantasy producer in 2009, and also returns as the starter. He’s a top 10 fantasy RB. RB Brandon Jackson returns to back-up Grant, while RB Ahman Green has yet to re-sign. The team did draft RB James Starks in the 6th round for depth. In the passing game, WR Greg Jennings and WR Donald Driver return as one of the top tandem WRs in the league. Jennings slumped a bit in 2009 in the scoring department, but both are certainly top 30 fantasy WRs. Both WR James Jones and WR Jordy Nelson return to fill the #3 and #4 WR slots. At tight end, TE Donald Lee returns, but TE Jermichael Finley has taken over the starting job. Finley is a well-known fantasy sleeper for 2010, one with top 5 TE potential. TE Spencer Havner returns for depth. 5th-round draft pick TE Andrew Quarless was also added for depth. If he develops quickly, Lee might find himself out of a job. PK Mason Crosby remains a top 10 fantasy talent, but one prone to a bad game here and there. Quick Draft Summary: The Packers also drafted two offensive linemen and three defensive players this April.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings finished one game away from the Super Bowl after QB Brett Favre threw a late pick that cost them the game against the eventual World Champion Saints. The big question, of course, is whether Favre will return for another season. He recently underwent ankle surgery, which is a big indicator that he plans to return. Assuming he does, he’s a top 10 fantasy QB. QB Tarvaris Jackson and QB Sage Rosenfels return to back up Favre. In the running game, RB Adrian Peterson showed he’s an elite fantasy producer once again in 2009, and with RB Chester Taylor moving on to Chicago, Peterson is even more attractive. The team drafted RB Toby Gerhart in April to back up Peterson. He’s the handcuff to draft if you own Peterson. RB Albert Young returns for depth. In the passing game, WR Sidney Rice broke out in a big way with Favre at the helm last year. Assuming Favre returns, Rice is a top 10 fantasy WR. WR Bernard Berrian returns as the other starter, but nagging injuries have limited his effectiveness. Second-year WR Percy Harvin remains the wildcard of this passing game. He pretty much does it all, but his bouts of migraines are worrisome, as it could cause him to miss a few games here and there. WR Greg Lewis was re-signed for depth. He caught the game-winning TD pass against the 49ers last season, but has no real fantasy value barring an injury to the starters or an extended absence by Harvin due to migraines. TE Visanthe Shiancoe became a major threat in the passing game thanks to Favre last year. He scored a whopping 11 times despite catching less than 60 passes. TE Jim Kleinsasser returns to back up Shiancoe and also provide solid blocking. PK Ryan Longwell showed why he’s an elite fantasy producer last year, missing just two of 28 FGAs and adding 54 PATs. He returns in 2010 and remains a top five fantasy kicker. Quick Draft Summary: Besides Gerhart, the Vikings drafted four defensive players, an offensive lineman, and two developmental players, a QB in the 6th round and a TE in the 7th.

That does it for the North divisions. Look for my views regarding the teams in the South shortly.  All comments, complimentary or otherwise, are always welcome via our contact page. Let's talk fantasy football!