AFC Team by Team News and Notes for Week 1

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	Topic: AFC Team by Team News and Notes for Week 1
Russ Bliss_108 Admin Membership: Starter Joined: September 04 Total Posts: 18355 Favorite Team: Offline	Post Date: 09/08/12 10:17 Buffalo: WR Steve Johnson is Questionable because of his not being fully recovered from groin surgery back in May. But he is expected to start and be fine. Donald Jones won the #2 WR job, but he isn't as big a fantasy contributor as #3 WR David Nelson. Fred Jackson starts at RB and I expect him to pick up where he left off before a broken leg ended his 2011 season. Many are down on Jackson again this year and I just don't get it. What does this guy need to do to get the respect he's proven to deserve? Miami: After missing all of training camp and preseason with a calf injury, WR Brian Hartline is Probable for week 1. He won't start, but it's a step in the right direction for him. Legedu Naanee will likely start opposite Davone Bess, but we could also see Anthony Armstrong, Rishard Matthews, and Marlon Moore get time as well. Bess is the only WR worth having right now. Reggie Bush will start and be the primary RB. Daniel Thomas and rookie Lamar Miller failed to impress in preseason. New England: RB Shane Vereen is OUT with a preseason foot injury. Stevan Ridley will dominate carries and Danny Woodhead is likely to handle most of the 3rd down duties week 1 and get a few carries as well. Lex Hilliard was signed as insurance to be a backup. There's been reports that there could some chemistry issues between Tom Brady and Brandon Lloyd, but I think once the games get meaningful you'll see all that disappear. New York Jets: The Tebow/Sanchez circus begins for real this week. TE Dustin Keller is Questionable because of a hamstring injury, but he is expected to play. Until I see anything that makes me believe the passing game is even going to be mediocre, I'd stay away from all Jets WR's and TE's. Shonn Greene gets a crack at being the top dog without having to look over his shoulder like in years past, but he had better produce or the "ground and pound" will be a "turd in the punchbowl". Baltimore: Word is that the Ravens will go with more no-huddle looks this year and run a more wide open attack. Ray Rice owners shouldn't worry though as Rice could actually benefit from a better passing game taking pressure off him from opposing defenses. Neither TE's Ed Dickson (knee) nor Dennis Pitta (hand) is on the injury listings and both should be fine for Monday night's game. Although the presence of each limits the upside of both. Cincinnati: Bernard Scott will not play because of a preseason hand injury. Brian Leonard will backup BenJavrus Green-Ellis. Brandon Tate is listed as the starting WR opposite A.J. Green, but expect to see a platoon between Tate and Armon Binns. As the season goes along I expect rookie Mohamed Sanu to step into the mix. TE Jermaine Gresham (knee) should be listed as Probable after practicing in full this week. QB Andy Dalton has made the injury list with a biceps injury but it won't prevent him from starting. Cleveland: RB Trent Richardson should start despite being listed as Questionable. He was able to practice in limited fashion all week for the first time since having an early August knee procedure. He's likely not ready for a full complement of carries so expect to see more of Brandon Jackson or Montario Hardesty as well. Both TE's Ben Watson (leg) and Jordan Cameron (groin) are Questionable and considered game time decisions, neither should be considered for starting fantasy lineups. Mohamed Massaquoi will start opposite Greg Little at WR to begin the season. Rookie Josh Gordon is not deemed ready for prime time just yet. Pittsburgh: Rashard Mendenhall is Doubtful and despite some creative use of the mid-week injury listings, he is not expected to play until week 5. Isaac Redman (Probable; ankle) will start but should split a lot of time with preseason darling Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer has a real chance to wrestle that primary job away from Redman. WR Mike Wallace will start despite only having been with the team less than 2 weeks after a preseason holdout. Houston: Arian Foster is Questionable and considered a game time decision after an undisclosed knee issue caused him to be held out all of Friday practice. Foster says he'll play, but you have to think there's a good bet we'll see a lot more of Ben Tate week 1. We'll know more for sure about Foster an hour before the early Sunday games get going. WR Andre Johnson is Probable with a minor chest injury and he'll be fine as an elite WR option this week. TE Owen Daniels is Probable after being sick on Thursday and Friday. Indianapolis: The Andrew Luck era begins, but he may be missing some weapons. WR Austin Collie is Questionable and will be a game time decision because of his preseason concussion. Collie got thru 2011 without any issue after having 3 concussions in 2010. There's no reason to chance starting Collie. Rookie WR T.Y. Hilton is also Questionable with a shoulder injury. It could be Donnie Avery and rookie LaVon Brazill going in three WR sets with Reggie Wayne. Donald Brown is the starting RB with rookie Vick Ballard as the top backup. Delone Carter is 4th on the RB depth chart and is Questionable with a chest injury. Jacksonville: Rashad Jennings is expected to start, but Maurice Jones-Drew will play and serve as the 3rd down RB, limiting Jennings upside. After week 1 we'll have a better idea of how the split will go going forward, but expect to see a lot more MJD in week 2 if he shows well in week 1. Rookie WR Justin Blackmon is Probable with a minor ankle injury. We'll see whether Blaine Gabbert has improved enough for Blackmon or Laurent Robinson to be worth a bench spot as fantasy WR's 4/5. Tennessee: WR Kenny Britt serves a league imposed 1 game suspension and won't be active. It's questionable he would have been active anyway as he is still not fully recovered from his knee surgeries. Rookie Kendall Wright will start in his place opposite Nate Washington. Against a suspect Patriots pass defense both make sleeper fantasy plays this week. QB Jake Locker gets an opportunity to take this team and make it his own. RB Chris Johnson looks to redeem himself to fantasy owners after a disappointing 2011 season. Denver: The Peyton Manning Denver era begins. He's looked good in preseason and we'll see how the neck holds up going thru full games now. Knowshon Moreno has won the top backup RB job to Willis McGahee. Rookie Ronnie Hillman may end up being inactive on game days until Moreno suffers his annual injury. Kansas City: Neither RB Jamaal Charles nor TE Tony Moeaki are on the injury report at all. That's good news since both are coming back from torn ACL's suffered early in the 2011 season. The Chiefs plan to use Charles and Peyton Hillis both in a way similar to how they ran it a couple of years ago with Charles and Thomas Jones. This limits the ability of either to be a reliable fantasy RB1, but it could be both turn out to be good RB2's. Oakland: WR Denarius Moore is considered Questionable and a game time decision for Monday night. Even if he plays he may be limited some after missing most of training camp and all of preseason with a hamstring injury. With Jacoby Ford unlikely to play with a foot injury, undrafted rookie Rod Streater could see a lot of playing time. Rookie Juron Criner has an ankle injury and may not be ready to play so Oakland signed veteran Derek Hagan as insurance and depth at the position. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski will be fine despite a minor preseason groin injury. San Diego: Ryan Mathews will not play Monday night because of his preseason clavicle injury. He stands a chance of returning week 2 though. Ronnie Brown will start in his absence, but we could also see some of Leron McClain, Curtis Brinkley, and/or Jackie Battle too at RB. Antonio Gates has reportedly looked great this off-season and it appears he is completely over the foot injuries that have plagued him the last 2 seasons. ---- On any given Sunday any fantasy team can beat another, only to still lose Monday night.
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