The Cardinals lost two fantasy superstars this offseason and neither of their replacements are likely to fill their shoes. Matt Leinart replaces Kurt Warner at quarterback, while Steve Breaston steps into the WR2 role after Anquan Boldin was shipped to Baltimore. Still, the team could have 5-6 fantasy relevant contributors, with Chris Wells expected to take on a larger role and Early Doucet likely to become a larger part of the passing game.

Chris Wells will benefit most from the team's more run-friendly offense in 2010.

QB: Matt Leinart : 327-of-528, 3720 yards, 22 TD, 16 INT, 37 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD – The Cardinals have been a pass heavy team for quite some time, but expect them to switch to more of a balanced attack this season. Leinart isn’t as good as Warner and Wells is entering his 2nd NFL season after a successful rookie season. The loss of Boldin also hurts Leinart’s stock.

RB: Chris Wells : 224 carries, 1051 yards, 8 TD, 28 targets, 19 receptions, 167 yards, 1 TD – 2010 could be a breakout season for Wells. He should take on a bigger chunk of the carries and could close in on 10 rushing touchdowns. His value takes a hit, however, when you consider that Tim Hightower is a better goal line back and will be on the field in passing situations. Wells is a better value in standard leagues than PPR formats.

RB: Tim Hightower : 130 carries, 521 yards, 7 TD, 67 targets, 47 receptions, 339 yards, 1 TD – Hightower will still get a decent chunk of carries and will be on the field in enough goal line situations to rack up more than 5 TDs. He was a huge part of the team’s pass game in 2009 and returns to the same role in 2010. He’s the opposite of Wells in that he is more valuable in PPR leagues than in standard formats.

WR: Larry Fitzgerald : 156 targets, 91 receptions, 1157 yards, 11 TD – Fitzgerald takes a hit because of the Warner retirement, but he is still an elite wide receiver. Leinart will get him the ball and if he doesn’t, Derek Anderson will.

WR: Steve Breaston : 111 targets, 68 receptions, 887 yards, 4 TD – Breaston will be asked to do more on offense this season with Boldin out of the picture. Arizona will run more, yes, but they’ll still be one of the league’s pass heavy teams. That gives Breaston decent fantasy value as the WR2.

WR: Early Doucet : 83 targets, 53 receptions, 659 yards, 3 TD – Boldin’s true replacement is Doucet, who becomes fantasy relevant now that Boldin and Jerheme Urban are completely out of the way. Doucet made little impact during his first 2 seasons (including the 2009 regular season), but came up huge in the playoffs, earning himself the WR3 job in Arizona.

TE : Ben Patrick : 33 targets, 20 receptions, 212 yards, 2 TD – No one uses the tight end less than the Cardinals and that shouldn’t change much in 2010. Even if Matt Leinart decides to check down to the TE a few more times than Warner did, Patrick is unlikely to enter top 20 TE talk.

This is the point in the fantasy season where owning a great player on an NFL team with one of the league’s best records gets tricky. The “will he or won’t he rest” debate has been on for a week now and it’s going to continue all the way up to week 17.

Taking that into consideration, I threw some notes together on six teams who are or could be in a position to rest players over the next 2 weeks. I also add some fantasy advice to help you make decisions if you happen to own any of the players expected to rest. Note that I’m not guaranteeing these players will rest and I’m not advising you sit them unless it is reported that they will sit out.

Colts – Clinched home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Fantasy Studs: Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne

Available Replacements: Curtis Painter, Mike Hart, Gijon Robinson, Hank Baskett

It’s possible that the Colts could go all out for the 16-0 record, but there is always the chance that the fantasy studs in question could take a seat and rest up for the playoffs.

If Manning were to take a seat, Curtis Painter would step in. The rookie has little experience and would not be relied on to make big plays. You shouldn’t bother with him. If Addai were to sit, it is unlikely that rookie Donald Brown would play considering his recent injury issues. Mike Hart has been spelling Addai for weeks and would likely get significant work. He is worth consideration as a Flex play if he were to be announced the starter for any of the final 2 games. If Clark sits, any of Gijon Robinson, Jacob Tamme, or Tom Santi could see most of the targets, but Robinson is the most likely bet. Considering how Indy uses the tight end, he is a tempting play if you’re a Clark owner. Replacing Reggie Wayne is trickier because Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon are likely owned in your league. Hank Baskett (and Anthony Gonzalez if he is healthy) will see extra reps if Wayne sits.

Patriots – A win away from clinching the division, but still tied with the Bengals for the 3-seed. We could see players rested once the division is clinched, but it isn’t likely until at least week 17.

Fantasy Studs: Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney, Randy Moss, Wes Welker

Available Replacements: Brian Hoyer, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Sam Aiken, Julian Edelman

If Brady were to take a seat, backup Hoyer would take control. He has very limited experience and is not someone you want to be relying on. The Patriots backfield is tricky because it’s already a three-headed attack with Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk (four if you include Fred Taylor, who should be back soon). Each of those players has plenty of experience and/or injury concerns. Green-Ellis handled the load for this team late in the 2008 season and could be called on again for some work later this year. That said, he’s not worth starting in fantasy leagues because the other players mentioned would likely still be involved in some nature. If Moss and Welker are sent to the bench, Sam Aiken and Julian Edelman would move up to the WR1 and 2 roles. Aiken has proven to be a big play WR, while Edelman filled in nicely for Welker when he missed time earlier this season.

Chargers – The Chargers are 11-3 and no other team in the AFC is better than 9-5 or worse than 14-0. That means they have plenty of separation from the one team they are chasing and the several teams chasing them. This is likely to result in rest for key players in week 17 and possibly in week 16.

Fantasy Studs: Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson

Available Replacements: Billy Volek, Michael Bennett, Brandon Manumaleuna, Legedu Naanee

If Rivers were to sit, Volek is a player worth considering if you don’t have a decent backup. Tomlinson is very likely to rest and because Sproles could sit as well, Bennett should step in and see some reps. Rest for Gates would mean more work for Manumaleuna and Kris Wilson. Neither are likely to be better plays than your backup or what is on your waiver wire. If Jackson rests, Floyd would likely move up to the WR1 slot to get some experience. Naanee, Kassim Osgood, and Buster Davis would all see work as well.

Saints – One more win clinches homefield throughout the playoffs and they no longer have to try for the 16-0 record, which likely means rest for starters over the next 2 games.

Fantasy Studs: Drew Brees, Pierre Thomas/Reggie Bush/Mike Bell, Jeremy Shockey, Marques Colston

Available replacements: Mark Brunell, Lynell Hamilton, David Thomas, Lance Moore

When Brees takes some time off, it will be the veteran Mark Brunell who steps in. He is at least slightly appealing considering the finally tuned offensive machine he’d be running, but the team would more than likely run the ball as much as possible. In deeper leagues, you could consider him if you had Brees, but there are likely better options out there. If the Saints decide to rest their three-headed RB monster, Lynell Hamilton would see a ton of work. He is very appealing in most formats. If he gets the start, feel free to deploy him as your RB2. Shockey is already out with an injury and David Thomas filled in nicely in week 15. He’s a fine replacement if you need TE help down the stretch. If Colston takes some time off, Lance Moore would see an increase in workload. Robert Meachem is starting for a lot of people right now and playing a lot for New Orleans, but I’d imagine that Colston and Devery Henderson would get a break before he does. Someone has to play after all.

Vikings – A Vikings win at Chicago this week coupled with an Eagles loss at home to Denver clinches the Vikings a first round bye, which means week 17 rest for most players against the Giants.

Fantasy Studs: Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Visanthe Shiancoe, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian

Available Replacements: Tarvaris Jackson, Chester Taylor, Jim Kleinsasser, Greg Lewis, Darius Reynaud, Jaymar Johnson
Tarvaris Jackson / Chester Taylor

Favre might be the most likely player in this article to see significant rest over the team’s final two games. If so, Jackson is a player worth considering in deeper leagues. He’s played well in minimal action this season. If Peterson were to get some rest, it would likely be Chester Taylor who would see extra work. Albert Young would get reps as well. I wouldn’t recommend Kleinsasser or Jeff Dugan if Shiancoe sits, but there is definitely touchdown potential there. If the team’s top 3 receivers get some rest, Lewis and the inexperienced Johnson and Reynaud would see work. The rookie Harvin could see extended work, but it is doubtful considering his recent injury woes.

Cardinals – Arizona has already clinched the NFC West and is currently the fourth seed, but still has an outside chance at a first round bye. Depending on how things go in week 16, we could see players rested in week 17.

Fantasy Studs: Kurt Warner, Beanie Wells, Tim Hightower, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin

Available Replacements: Matt Leinart, LaRod Stephens-Howling, Jason Wright, Early Doucet, Jerheme Urban

Unless Arizona somehow manages to get some breaks and has a legit shot at a first round bye, I’d be very surprised if Matt Leinart does not see some work over the next two weeks. He has some nice upside if you’re looking for a sleeper at QB. Wells has an injury plagued resume, so don’t be shocked if he gets some rest. Hightower could get a breather as well with the capable Stephens-Howling and Wright available to pick up the slack. If Fitzgerald and the oft-injured Boldin sit, Steve Breaston would likely see a few more looks. Doucet and Urban would also see an extended workload.

As the first days of Training Camp open nation wide, major & minor injury reports are starting to pile up. Today, two major players in positional battles found themselves watching from the sidelines.

• Tavaris Jackson MIN, QB

- Mr. Jackson found himself carted off the field with a grade 1 MCL sprain. This is likely to keep him day to day for the next couple weeks. The Vikings seemed pretty content to allow both Jackson & Rosenfels many snaps with the 1st team. Jackson is clearly the better of the two QBs and should be able to make up for lost time. However, the time on the sideline will not help continue Jackson’s much needed progress.

• Chris Wells ARI, RB

- Why am I shocked? I should be ashamed of myself for thinking he would make it through camp. But day one? Chris Wells was carted off the field with an ankle sprain. Depending on the severity of the sprain, Wells could lose significant time in the upcoming weeks. Being a rookie, Wells could really use the this time learning blocking schemes & becoming a better pass catcher. This injury shouldn’t hold back Wells to any over exaggerated extent but he may have lost his clear path to starter.

UPDATE: Wells is going to miss most of this week’s practice. Look for him to make up ground throughout the rest of training camp but be weary of ankle injuries that linger longer than they “should”.

San Francisco 49ers

Currently, there is a quarterback battle taking place between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith. Word is Shaun Hill has the competitive edge. I will leave the breakdown of those players for another time.

Frank Gore – Coach Singletary has let it be known that he wants this team to be a run oriented team. This means no matter which quarterback is starting, Gore will get a lot of carries. The problem is that defenses also are aware of Singletary’s plan so it will take Gore a lot of carries to get respectable fantasy yardage.

Isaac Bruce, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan – Inconsistency at the quarterback position will really hurt the fantasy production on these players. I wouldn’t count on many big games from any of these wide receivers.

Vernon Davis – Davis has been in and out of Singletary’s dog house and that may continue this season. Again, Davis’s numbers shouldn’t vary much with either Hill or Smith behind center.

Joe Nedney – There should be no difference in the kicking game production.

San Francisco Defense – Expect the same numbers from the defense.

Seattle Seahawks

We all saw the devastating affects of a Hasselbeck injury last season. Last season the Seahawks only put up 294 points and 4,599 yards. The season prior when Hasselbeck was leading the team, they scored 393 points and 5,800 yards. This is a considerable drop off in offensive production.

Matt Hasselbeck- Injured.

Seneca Wallace – Last season Wallace proved that he isn’t a viable fantasy option.

Julius Jones and TJ Duckett – Both backs struggled last season. This might be in part because of the issues at quarterback, but with Hasselbeck once again injured, expect the struggles to continue. However, if Seattle happens to make it to the goal line, Duckett will get the bulk of the carries.

TJ Houshmandzadeh, Deon Butler, & Nate Burleson – Houshmandzadeh struggled through a rough season last year when Carson Palmer went down. Now Hasselbeck is injured but TJ won’t see as significant of a drop as last year. Seneca Wallace is a more capable quarterback than Ryan Fitzpatrick. However, Houshmandzadeh will be the only wide receiver to have decent numbers.

John Carlson – With either Hasselbeck or Wallace starting, I expect Carlson to be a top 5 fantasy tight end.

Olindo Mare- There will be a drop in the kicking games production. With a lack of a running game and Wallace at quarterback the offense will provide fewer opportunities for field goals and extra points.

Seattle Defense- There will not be much of a drop off in the defensive production.

Arizona Cardinals

Kurt Warner elevated the offense to new heights last year. An injury to Kurt will affect the entire team and leave all eyes on former 1st round pick Matt Leinart. How will a Warner injury affect your fantasy football team? Below is a player by player breakdown.

Kurt Warner – Injured and working part-time bagging groceries (like we haven’t heard that enough).

Matt Leinart – Leinart has potential and the offensive weapons around him to put up huge numbers. Will that happen? I say yes. I think Leinart will seize the opportunity and lead the Cardinals to another playoff berth. He will also put up top 15 fantasy quarterback numbers.

Tim Hightower and Chris Wells – This offense will always focus on the pass, but there is room for these running backs to pick up fantasy points. I expect Wells to get the bulk of the carries and be the Cardinals best running back option.

Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban, & Lenard Pope – An injury to Warner will not affect this group. As I already predicted Leinart will step up and direct this high powered offense.

Neil Rackers – I don’t expect any changes in the kicking game production.

Arizona Defense- Expect the same defensive numbers.

St. Louis Rams

Marc Bulger is coming off of an injury plagued season and backup Kyle Boller is coming off of a shoulder injury that kept him out for all of last season. What happens to this team if Bulger is injured and Boller is the starting quarterback? How will this affect your fantasy football team? Below is a player by player breakdown.

Marc Bulger – Injured.

Kyle Boller – Boller had opportunities to show that he can be a starting quarterback, but he hasn’t proven anything yet. In St. Louis, Boller will have lack of weapons which basically means there is no room on your fantasy roster for Kyle Boller.

Steven Jackson – With or without Bulger, Jackson will be the focal point of this offense. Unfortunately, he will also be the fall guy that defenses focus on week in and week out.

Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, & Randy McMichael – Are any of these receivers fantasy options? Maybe Avery but having Boller at the quarterback position will not make a difference. It will be a long season in St. Louis.

Josh Brown – Again it’s going to be a long year for the St. Louis offense so don’t expect many extra points. However, I project a high number of field goal attempts.

St. Louis Defense- Expect no major changes to the defensive production.

Every February the NFL coaching carousel gets fired up, no pun intended, and head coaches and assistants go around like socks in a dryer. On the surface this shouldn’t have much effect on fantasy owners, but it really does.

Each coach wants to bring their system, their coaches and players who fit their system and will work with their system. All of these things have to fall into place for a team to be successful.

Did anyone know who Wes Welker was before he found a home in the Patriots scheme? Would Joe Montana have been a hall of famer in the “Air Coryell” system?

Here are three coaching changes that could impact fantasy owners this year:

Seattle: Mike Holmgren is out and Jim Mora is taking over the reigns. Holmgren is known for his love of developing quarterbacks to fit his west coast system and gets credit for molding guys like Montana, Steve Young, Brett Favre and Matt Hasselback. Three of those guys are Hall of Famers all four are Pro Bowlers.

When Mora was with the Falcons, back in the Vick days, they were the best rushing team in the NFL. With Hasselback getting older and coming off an injury season, look for Mora to stick with handing the ball off more. This might make Julius Jones and TJ Duckett more valuable. Plus, it might keep Hasselback healthy and take some pressure off of him to carry the team

Kansas City: With Larry Johnson staring to accumulate some mileage and Tony Gonzalez in Atlanta, it was shocking to see the Chiefs even field a team (just kidding.) Former Arizona OC Todd Haley is going from the Super Bowl assistant to head coach of Tom Brady’s back up and a bunch of guys no one has heard of.

In Arizona, Haley had the luxury of two all world wide outs, a Super Bowl MVP quarterback and very low fan expectations. Kansas City is a rabid football town and the fans want to win. OC Chan Gailey was retained from Herm Edwards staff and was given a much needed upgrade at quarterback in Matt Cassel. Look for the Chiefs to air it out more than they were able to last year. Also, look for Brad Cottam to have a solid season filling in for Gonzalez.

Arizona: With Haley riding the Cardinals Super Bowl run all the way to Kansas City, the Cardinals replaced their OC spot with…wait for it…NO ONE!

That’s right. It looks like HC Ken Whisenhunt is going to revert back to his Steeler days and call the plays. Whisenhunt is a smart guy and knows the strength of his team lies with passing the ball, but one has to think that Chris Wells is going to get a lot of touches that he wouldn’t if Haley was the OC.