ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly from training camp to Super Bowl with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them: Which training camp battle are you most intrigued by?
MIKE CLAY
I'll be watching the Rams' backfield very closely. I know plenty of people are planning on completely avoiding the situation, but many used that gameplan when dealing with the Washington backfield last year. There may not be an Alfred Morris on the Rams' roster, but all three backs are intriguing. Isaiah Pead looked outstanding on a small sample of tape last year. Daryl Richardson was even better and showed major toughness and explosiveness. Stacy is the biggest of the three backs and has a great opportunity to steal, at least, goal-line work. Of course, all three have concerns. Pead barely played as a rookie despite coming off the board in the second round and his pass-blocking needs work. Richardson's usage tailed off during the later stages of 2012 and he averaged only 3.2 yards-per-carry on 67 attempts behind or inside the tackles (compared to 8.5 YPC on 31 outside runs). Stacy was a fifth-round pick and has yet to play an NFL down. These guys are risky, but the odds are in favor of one of them earning the lead back job.
Clay is the Managing Editor and Director at Pro Football Focus Fantasy. It's there that he created a batch of advanced statistics, most notably average depth of target (aDOT). Mike also works as an NFL writer at Rotoworld.com and has contributed at PhiladelphiaEagles.com and for Athlon Sports.
MICAH JAMES
Fantasy football enthusiasts are crying for clarity from a number of NFL backfields as training camps open, but the one which I find most interesting is in Cincinnati. The Bengals selected the very first running back in this year's draft class and his name wasn't Eddie Lacy, but Giovani Bernard. Bernard has good hands and an ability to make defenders miss. He is one of the most complete backs to enter the league this season, and while he will definitely be the Bengals' 3rd-down back, I have a hunch he ends up overtaking BenJarvus Green-Ellis during camp. I'm thinking Bernard wins the starting job before Week 1 and am excited to see the battle play out over the upcoming weeks.
James, the FFMagicMan, has been playing fantasy football since 2000. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief at FantasyInsights.com, one of the oldest and most-respected fantasy sites on the 'Net. James won the FSTA Accuracy Rankings Challenge in 2012, finishing 1st out of 61 expert entries with an unprecedented Top-9 performance across all four skill positions. You can follow James on Twitter (@FFMagicMan) and be sure to listen to his weekly fantasy football strategy podcast, The Magic Formula.
PRETZEL MAY
The obvious one here is the Eagles QB situation but with nobody really knowing how the Chip Kelly system is going to work in the NFL I am going to be a little leery of drafting anyone in this situation. The Lions RB situation is the most intriguing for me. It will be significant in determining if that position has any value at all. If Leshoure wins the starting job then look for the RB position to provide little value in the Lions heavy passing attack. However, if Bush takes the job then I would consider drafting him quite a bit earlier just because of his ability to catch the ball and make plays after the catch.
The May brothers have more than 20 years of combined fantasy football experience and are the co-founders of FantasyDraftMaster.com. In FDM's first 3 years as part of the Fantasy Index Experts Poll, they have amassed 1st- and 2nd-place finishes. The cornerstone of FantasyDraftMaster.com is the UberRank which is a revolutionary approach to the traditional fantasy football cheat sheet. FantasyDraftMaster.com also offers insightful and humorous commentary and recommendations on waiver wire pickups, lineup submissions and weekly pick em' pools. For more info on FDM, visit the web site or email info@fantasydraftmaster.com.
IAN ALLAN
Seattle’s backup running back spot. Marshawn Lynch is a violent, high-contact runner. With that playing style, it will be hard for him to stay in the lineup for all 16 games. With that in mind, I’m very interested to see who’ll wind up in that No. 2 spot — said player could be a top-10 running back for a portion of the season. The backup they took in the second round, Christine Michael, has great raw skills and ability, but he’s just a rookie. So I believe Robert Turbin will be able to hang onto that job for at least another year. I was impressed by Turbin last year — he looks a lot like Lynch when he’s out there.
Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index. He's been in that role since 1987, generating most of the player rankings and analysis for that publication. His work can be seen in Fantasy Football Index magazine, and also at www.fantasyindex.com.
SAM HENDRICKS
Let me give you three, one from each of the main FF positions. First the PHI QB battle between Michael Vick and Nick Foles. Whoever wins the keys to the Chip Kelly offense will be a steal in the draft. If it is Vick my bet is he will not last the entire season ( I also like Matt Barkley but will save that for another week). At STL they have three RBs fighting for the starting role: Daryl Richardson, Zac Stacy and Isaiah Pead. That is the order I expect them to perform. Richardson showed some flash last year and may be rewarded with the starting gig on day one. Whether he can hold it remains to be seen. Finally, who will win the battle for the Pat's WR2. They have a few rookies in Dobson and Boyce and let Donald Jones go this week; so my money is on Julian Edelman. But I am definitely keeping an eye on this battle as a sleeper WR.
Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics, all available at ExtraPointPress.com, at all major bookstores, and at Amazon and BN.com. He is a 20-plus year fantasy football veteran who regularly participates in the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall (out of 228 competitors) in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC). Follow him at his web site, www.ffguidebook.com.
TIM HEANEY
The direction I'll most intensely look toward is Pittsburgh's, specifically their backfield. Technically, it's a competition, and strange things have happen, but I want to confirm that LeVeon Bell will win Steelers' full-time carries outright. Bell, who ran for 1,793 yards at Michigan State last year, must move to a thick playbook. Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman have experience on their side but haven't done much with it. Bell has three-down capabilities, even for a 6-foot-1, 244-pounder. I'm buying into Bell heavily as an RB2 on draft day because of his perfect build and situation to seize something close to workhorse touches. I want to avoid even considering an Eagles quarterback until August, but the Michael Vick-Nick Foles tango could have widespread results, especially if Vick gets released and tries to land somewhere else. Precision will dictate how successful Chip Kelly's offense will be in its first NFL trial; so far, Foles reportedly has done better in that facet. Vick has arm strength but not the accuracy that this offense demands on paper. Of course, even if this offense clicks, I think the statistical distribution will frustrate owners of these skills players. At this point, though, it seems Foles might be able to direct things in a smoother manner.
Since 1996, KFFL.com has been combining its award-winning news service with fantasy analysis. KFFL.com offers services including daily news, draft guides and in-season advice. Completely free, KFFL.com is your destination for fantasy baseball, football and NASCAR cheat sheets, tips, sleepers and much more. KFFL.com has won more than a dozen expert championships and was listed as "One of the 10 essential sports-related online destinations for fans, athletes and fantasy owners" by Time.com. KFFL.com is property of USA TODAY Sports Media Group.
MIKE NAZAREK
The Denver running back situation is very intriguing, as the winner of the starting job could be a true workhorse for that running game.
Nazarek is the CEO of Fantasy Football Mastermind Inc. His company offers a preseason draft guide, customizable cheat sheets, a multi-use fantasy drafting program including auction values, weekly in-season fantasy newsletters, injury reports and free NFL news (updated daily) at its web site. He has been playing fantasy football since 1988 and is a four-peat champion of the SI.com Experts Fantasy League, a nationally published writer in several fantasy magazines and a former columnist for SI.com. For more info go to www.ffmastermind.com. Nazarek can be reached via email at miken@ffmastermind.com.
ERIC CATURIA
The Broncos backfield holds three potential fantasy goldmines, depending on who emerges as the victor out of training camp. After the release of Willis McGahee in mid-June, the running back corps in Denver is now composed of incumbents Ronnie Hillman and Knowshon Moreno, as well as 2013 second-round pick Montee Ball. In recent days, it was announced that Hillman will open camp as the starter, with Ball acting as a third-down back and a potential rusher on earlier downs. While Moreno may also factor into third-down situations, if Ball continue to display a nose for the end zone – he dashed for 41 scores as a high school senior in Missouri, before setting the NCAA Division 1 record for rushing touchdowns with 77 at the University of Wisconsin – he appears to have the most upside among the trio, especially due to his receiving ability in an offensive scheme led by the inimitable Peyton Manning.
Eric Caturia is a writer/editor of NFL, MLB, and NBA content for RotoWire. He can be found on Twitter @etcat30.
SCOTT SACHS
Avoiding the J-E-T-S QB circus, I am more interested in starting RB battles in a number of camps, to include Green Bay and St. Louis. Say what you will about Steven Jackson, he provided a clear-cut non-RBBC situation year after year for the Rams when healthy. Now, there is open competition--will there be a starter with Pead or Richardson, or will it go to RBBC? Unlike the Rams, the situation in Packerville has been fluid over the last few years. Every time a clear starter emerged, he got hurt. Just like shampoo directions--lather/rinse/repeat--it has been find a guy/lose a guy/find another guy. This year, Lacy was drafted to be the go-to guy, but Franklin is not going to roll over either. The other fantasy-impacted training camp battles of interest to all should be the No. 2 RB battles, and they're spread throughout the league--SF, NE, ATL, INDY, NO, PITT, CLE--and many more. With the lack of clear No. 1 RBs in fantasy drafts, knowing who's No. 2 becomes even more important as July turns to August, and draft day looms ahead!
Scott Sachs runs Perfect Season Fantasy Football, offering LIVE Talk/Text/Email consulting & advice. Winner of Fantasy Football Index's 2012 Experts Poll & 2011 Mock Auction League, Scott can be found at http://perfectseasonffb.com/.
LENNY PAPPANO
We’re always searching for RB fantasy value. That makes the Rams’ wide-open backfield the most intriguing training camp battle Daryl Richardson and his 98 career carries head to camp as the most accomplished RB of the group. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry last year. That came as a pure change-of-pace back, though. Richardson saw double-digit carries in just 2 games. And he faded down the stretch, rushing just 16 times for 24 yards over the last 5 weeks – an abysmal 1.5-yard average. Richardson has plenty of shake and long speed. But the 5’10, 195-pounder struggles between the tackles. Based on what we saw last year, he doesn’t look like feature-back material. Isaiah Pead comes with the best pedigree of the group. The 2 nd -round pick averaged a juicy 6.0 yards per carry across 4 college seasons. But Cincinnati’s late graduation prevented him from working out with the Rams last spring. That put him in an early hole that he never climbed out of. He carried just 10 times all year, although he did average 5.4 yards per. The Rams still have high expectations for this guy, but he didn’t help himself by drawing a 1-game ban for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Most consider Stacy the longest shot to win the starting job among this trio. But I like his chances once the pads go on in camp. The 5’8, 216-pound bowling ball is easily the most physical of the 3. He’s a no-nonsense downhill runner who averaged 5.7 yards per carry at Vanderbilt over the past 2 years. Stacy also impressed with his pass-catching ability this spring. He caught 30 balls for 311 yards between 2011 and 2012. This could ultimately turn into a committee. But if 1 guy can step up and capture a feature-back role, he’ll present top-20 upside in what should be a much-improved Rams offense.
Lenny Pappano is a veteran of the fantasy sports industry. He founded DraftSharks.com in 1999, then co-founded the World Championship of Fantasy Football in 2002. Pappano is also an original board member of the Fantasy Writers Association. He and his crew at DraftSharks.com have won numerous expert leagues, expert polls and fantasy football awards.
L’ROY ANTHONY HALE
Sean Payton returns from his year-long suspension and will provide stability from the sidelines. With Payton back calling plays, there will be a much stronger commitment to running the ball in 2013. In 2011, the Saints were ranked 6th in rushing, despite being just 20th in attempts. The Saints starting RB could play an important role in fantasy football this season, especially with the departure of Chris Ivory. New Orleans would love to see Ingram, their former 1st round selection and Heisman Trophy winner, grab a hold the starter’s job and lock it down, but Ingram’s brief career has been marked by injuries and below-average production when healthy. Sproles is a prototypical 3rd down back and may be the most feared pass catcher out of the backfield in the NFL. Thomas can do it all and will have a prominent role because of his versatility. Look for Ingram to begin the season as the starter and be featured in the early downs. Sproles will be RB in passing situation and get a lot of touches due to the Saints’ reliance on the aerial attack. Thomas will spell both RBs and get the majority of carries should Ingram get hurt or fail to produce.
Hale has been part of the fantasy football landscape for approximately 15+ years and during that time has been radio host/analyst and an expert league champion on numerous occasions. Fantasy Maxam is dedicated to helping charities through fantasy sports and this year will be launching the first national fantasy football fundraiser program (Fantasy Gives). Additionally, Hale is launching two new fantasy football information/analysis services (Fantasy First and Fantasy Football For Females). Fantasy First provides information from 20+ fantasy football sites along with their own expert analysis, while Fantasy Football For Females is a ground breaking fantasy football web site written entirely by women and exclusively for the unique perspective of ladies.
ALAN SATTERLEE
It will be interesting to see the other responses as this seems like an immediate answer of either the Patriots' receivers or the Rams' running backs. For the Patriots, gone are Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Aaron Hernandez, not to mention Danny Woodhead as well, accounting for a staggering 70.4 percent of Tom Brady's completed passes last season. Who is going to step up there is of major fantasy consequence. For the Rams, after nine seasons Steven Jackson leaves a long shadow. Any one of the three running backs could be the starter or third string and there is likely a lot of fantasy points in a suddenly elite looking offensive unit. Regardless if he starts Week 1 or not, I like Zac Stacy's chances of being a nice sleeper this year. While they aren't camp battles, I also look forward to seeing how Cleveland uses TE Jordan Cameron. I gambled on him extremely aggressively in the Fantasy Index Experts Rankings this year. I also look forward to the preseason games and watching all these rookie running backs in NFL uniforms.
Alan Satterlee is Co-Owner and Chief Editor/COO of FantasyFootballWarehouse.com. FFW features comprehensive profiles for all the major 2013 skill-position rookies, its Trading Spaces series, the team Deep Dives, the Speed Bump competition plus draft strategies, rankings, projections and more. FFW runs in tandem with its dynasty site DynastyFootballWarehouse.com.
ANDY RICHARDSON
The Rams backfield, more than any other, has the chance to provide exceptional value for fantasy coaches who back the right horse. I think that one of these running backs (Pead, Richardson, Stacy) will be featured, but the uncertainty and unknown quantities mean all of these backs will be available fairly late in drafts, with the potential of delivering starter (if not elite) numbers. I don’t think there’s an Alfred Morris here, but there could be a weekly starter who gets the bulk of the carries and also plays in passing situations. I believe that player will be Pead, and think he is worth the modest risk of where he can be selected. If he wins the job, it’s a pick that could pay off handsomely. For a less obvious choice, I'll nominate the No. 2 wide receiver in Washington; no standout candidates, but possible value for whoever wins the job.
Richardson has been a columnist and contributor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and web site for 12 years. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual draft and auction leagues since their inception. He previews all the NFL games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays during the NFL season.
