One significant exception aside, the Raiders did not make many changes to their personnel at offensive skill positions. The exception, of course, is the release of quarterback JaMarcus Russell and the acquisition of Jason Campbell. Darren McFadden and Michael Bush are back at running back and Rock Cartwright and Michael Bennett were added for depth after the release of Justin Fargas. The top 4 are back at receiver, but Jacoby Ford was drafted and will push to make an impact. Zach Miller returns to lead the tight ends.

Michael Bush (29) makes for a good flex option as long as he can hold off Darren McFadden for carries.

QB: Jason Campbell : 289-of-466, 3377 yards, 18 TD, 13 INT, 44 carries, 221 yards, 1 TD – Campbell is a massive upgrade over Russell and that in itself will help this entire offense improve in 2010. The catch rates we saw from Oakland receivers in 2009 were pathetic and the main reason for that was poor production from the quarterback position. The Raiders won’t have an explosive pass-based offense, however, so Campbell barely finds himself inside the top 20 among quarterbacks.

RB: Michael Bush : 212 carries, 975 yards, 6 TD, 29 targets, 21 receptions, 161 yards, 1 TD – Bush and McFadden are expected to split the carries, but Bush has been the better ball carrier over the last 2 seasons and should end up seeing a few more than his counterpart. Bush is a good option at RB3 or Flex and has RB2 sleeper potential if the offense improves as expected.

RB: Darren McFadden : 172 carries, 689 yards, 5 TD, 48 targets, 34 receptions, 343 yards, 1 TD – McFadden has disappointed thus far in his young career, but with Justin Fargas gone, he has a chance to step up and beat Bush out for significant carries. The more likely scenario is that Bush will handle a larger load of the early down carries and McFadden will do most of the 3rd down work. The two backs have equal fantasy value in PPR formats, but Bush gets the nod in standard leagues.

WR: Chaz Schilens : 82 targets, 49 receptions, 614 yards, 4 TD – Schilens can’t seem to stay healthy, but he sees a decent amount of work when active. He is the favorite to lead the wide receivers in receptions, but the potential emergence of Heyward-Bey could stand in his way of any type of fantasy significance. Schilens is worth nothing more than a bench spot in 12-team leagues.

WR: Louis Murphy : 82 targets, 43 receptions, 628 yards, 4 TD – Heyward-Bey was the team’s first round pick in 2009, but it was the fourth round pick Murphy who was productive in his rookie season. Murphy was the most heavily relied on receiver on the team by a long shot and saw just about the exact amount of targets Schilens did each game upon Schilens return from injury. Heyward-Bey should be more involved in 2010, but Murphy and Schilens are still the top 2 targets at the position.

WR: Darrius Heyward-Bey : 72 targets, 37 receptions, 524 yards, 3 TD – Heyward-Bey is having an outstanding offseason, but it seems that his main role will be as a situational downfield threat in 2010. It won’t be easy finding targets as the 4th option in the passing game, but the team won’t completely forget about their first round pick from just one season ago.

TE: Zach J Miller : 106 targets, 71 receptions, 853 yards, 6 TD – Miller had another outstanding fantasy season in 2009, which is amazing when you consider how terrible the quarterback play was. His new quarterback (Campbell) used the tight end heavily in Washington and that shouldn’t change in Oakland. Miller is the favorite to lead this team in both receptions and yards, which should lead to a top 10 fantasy season among tight ends.

Running Backs –

Maurice Morris – I’m fairly certain that I was the only one talking this cat up all week and it paid off with a huge effort on Sunday. I speculated that Morris could touch the ball close to 20 times and he responded with 17 carries for 126 yards and a rushing touchdown along with 6 looks, 5 receptions, and 35 receiving yards. That’s a solid 20+ point effort in most formats.

Advice: I see no reason why anything would change in weeks 16 and 17. Morris should continue to approach 20 touches each week unless the team decides to give Aaron Brown a chance to show what he do. I can’t guarantee Morris will go over the century mark again, but he’s a solid RB2 play in 12 team leagues.

Jerome Harrison – Not many people had Harrison in their lineup this week and rightfully so. There was no telling if Harrison would see most of the looks, or if it would be Chris Jennings, who saw 20 carries in week 14, compared to just 7 for Harrison. Still, even has the backup, Harrison should’ve been considered a very deep sleeper up against the porous Chiefs. He showed up big time with 34 carries, 286 yards, and 3 touchdowns in what is the biggest fantasy performance by a running back this season. This is not Harrison’s first big game of the season. Back in week 4 he went for 152 yards on 34 touches, but the next week he touched the ball just 8 times with Jamal Lewis back in the fold. Lewis is gone now, but Jennings is still in the mix in Cleveland.

Advice: You almost have to consider Harrison in your flex spot for week 16, but you shouldn’t feel comfortable about it and you won’t hear me recommending it. The Browns run offense has been anything but effective for a majority of the season and the split in carries has been off the charts inconsistent. He has upside, but don’t be shocked if he ends up with 28 total yards on 9 touches.

Michael Bush – An injury to Justin Fargas allowed Michael Bush to rush for 133 yards and a score on 18 carries against Denver on Sunday. Prior to that game, Bush had carried the ball only 8 times since week 11. Fargas’ injury seems to be minor and if he is back in the fold next week, Bush cannot be relied on for double-digit looks once again. Although you’d expect him to see more looks after such a strong effort, it’s still a three-headed monster in Oakland.

Advice: Unless Fargas is out or Coach Cable says otherwise, Bush is third in line for carries and should not be considered in any format. If Fargas is out or Bush is named the RB2, those of you in very deep leagues who are desperate for help at your flex spot can consider his services.

Jason Snelling – Michael Turner made his return in week 15, which led to the masses dropping Snelling. Turner lasted only 1 carry before sitting out the rest of the game and it’s unknown whether he will suit up for the rest of the season, especially considering that Atlanta has been eliminated from the playoffs. Snelling ended up with only 64 yards, but did have an intriguing 21 looks, which was 10 more than seen by Jerious Norwood.

Advice: Snelling has done an okay job filling in for Turner when he’s missed time and that, coupled with the fact that he could start the team’s final 2 games, means he’s worth consideration as a flex play going forward. That said, if Turner plays, Snelling should not be in your lineup.

Derrick Ward – Whenever I’ve had an empty roster spot this season, Ward has been a player I’ve consistently turned to. Cadillac Williams has stayed relatively healthy so it hasn’t quite paid off as I’d hoped, but consider that in week 15, Ward carried the ball 19 times compared to 12 for Williams. Williams did, however, rack up 88 total yards on 13 touches, which was more efficient than the 73 yards on 20 touches for Ward. Neither has been overly impressive this season, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the timeshare.

Advice: You can’t rely on 20 touches for Ward unless news breaks that he is the new starter. If you have a roster spot to fill, he’s a good speculative pick for your bench, but nothing more right now.

Wide Receivers –

Lance Moore – Moore was back in the fold in week 15 and took advantage by scoring a touchdown despite only 2 looks. Despite the score, two looks should concern you if you’re considering using him in week 16 for several reasons. (a) It’s two looks. That’s not a lot (b) The Saints threw the ball 45 times, which is almost a dozen more pass attempts than they average a game this season and (c) The percentage of passes going to his teammates was about the same as in recent weeks. I’d mention that Jeremy Shockey was out as another reason to be skeptical of Moore, but David Thomas filled in with a whopping 10 targets, which is more than even Shockey is accustomed to.

Advice: Moore will always have decent potential because of the outstanding offense he is a part of, but he’s going to have trouble finding playing time with all the stars around him. At this point, he’s only worth a desperate play in a deep league.

Malcom Floyd – Floyd didn’t exactly light it up after Chris Chambers was cut loose, but he’s now been targeted a total of 16 times over the last 2 games. That is a healthy number for a player not being used in most leagues, but part of the reason for that is the fact that he’s caught only 7 of those 16 balls.

Advice: Any player seeing 8 targets a game in an above average offense is worth keeping an eye on. Floyd isn’t the safest play, but he has a ton of upside and is worth consideration in WR-deep leagues.

Josh Morgan has now been targeted at least 8 times in 3 of the 49ers last 4 games.

Josh Morgan – One of the most popular sleepers heading into this season, Morgan has been a disappointment for fantasy owners who reached on him in their draft. He’s quietly been picking it up over the last few weeks, as he’s now been targeted 8 times in 3 of the 49ers last 4 games. His numbers from the last four games (which includes a 3-catch, 14-yard week 14 effort) total to 29 targets, 22 receptions, 174 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Morgan is the third option in San Francisco with Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis keeping Alex Smith busy, but he’s a talented receiver yet to break out who is now seeing almost double-digits in looks every game.

Advice: Definitely worth considering in deeper leagues and someone you should definitely snag for your bench if you’re in any type of dynasty league. The Gore-Crabtree-Morgan-V Davis offense has tons of potential.

Tight Ends –

Bo Scaife – Although Scaife is anything but a gamebreaker, he’s been extremely consistent over the last 6 games and is worth a mention. In those six games, he’s been targeted 42 times, has 25 receptions, 261 yards, and 1 score. He was targeted 10 times on one occasion and has caught 5 balls three times. His high for yardage is 68. What does that all mean? It means he’s a safe play for close to 8 points in PPR formats and considering all the targets, it’s only a matter of time before he gets into the endzone again.

Advice: Again, he doesn’t have a ton of breakout potential, but he’s safe for 4 catches, 50 yards. If you’re desperate for tight end help and looking around on the Waiver Wire, he’s worth a look.

Quick Hits and Follow Ups –

Arian Foster / Ryan Moats / Chris Brown – I’ve been preaching this and preaching this. Stay away from Houston running backs. Everyone was excited about Foster this week and I just didn’t understand it. All it takes is one fumble and the “starter” gets sent to the bench for the rest of the game. Anyone who owned Steve Slaton or Ryan Moats knows all about this. If you played Foster in week 15, now you do, too.

Felix Jones – His touches continue to increase over the last month or two and it’s something worth keeping an eye on. Since week 11, he’s seen no fewer than 9 looks in any given week. His latest effort was 15 looks (14 touches) against the Saints. He racked up 68 yards on those touches and is still averaging just under 6 yards per carry.

Greg Camarillo – Mentioned him last week after he was targeted 17 times in 2 games. Make it 27 times in 3 games after 10 more looks this week. He only caught 5 of them for 46 yards, but bump him up a few notches on your watch list.

Devin Aromashodu – Devin Hester was out again so another guy I mentioned last week saw significant action. Aromashodu saw 10 more targets, but disappointed in the execution part of the deal with only 2 receptions for 10 yards. Hard to recommend him going forward, but if Hester is out again in week 16, those double-digit targets in back-to-back weeks make him worth consideration in deeper leagues.

Bernard Berrian – 7 targets, 5 catches, 36 yards. 6 targets , 4 catches , 43 yards . 5 targets, 3 catches , 25 yards. Those are Berrian’s stat lines from his last three games. Add to the equation that Brett Favre and the running game are struggling and that 6-4-35 average line feels even worse.

Kevin Curtis – Back in the fold in week 15, but was targeted only twice. Jeremy Maclin should still be out in week 16, but there is no reason to believe Curtis will see more than 4-5 looks a game going forward with Jackson, Celek, Avant, and Brown ahead of him for looks. He has potential because this offense is so stellar, but he’s not worth the gamble this week.

Runningbacks:

Leonard Weaver – Weaver, a fullback, went for 100 total yards and a score against the Falcons on Sunday, but note that he touched the ball only 7 times. In fact, in the 6 games Brian Westbrook was inactive this season, he’s averaged just under 7 looks a game. 7 yards per touch is nice, but you can’t expect much on fewer than 10 touches.

Advice: Should not be starting anywhere and should only be owned in the deepest of leagues.

Sammy Morris – Morris is healthy and back in the lineup, which doesn’t bode well for the stock of Laurence Maroney. Morris carried it 9 times on Sunday and was targeted twice, racking up 65 total yards.

Advice: He’s not someone you want to be starting right now, but should be on someone’s bench in 12+ team leagues.

Larry Johnson – Some people still seem to be unclear about his role, so I’m going to clarify it for you: He’s a backup running back who is not, and I repeat, not a threat to Cedric Benson (as can be seen in the week 13 boxscore). Johnson is worth a bench spot in case Benson re-injures himself. In that case, Johnson could see 15-20 looks in an offense that loves to run. That said, even if Benson goes down, Bernard Scott will still steal some of the looks.

Advice: As mentioned, he’s worth a bench spot in all formats, but shouldn’t be starting in any league as long as Benson is active.

Runningback Committees:

Jerome Harrison/Chris Jennings – With Jamal Lewis’ season—and possibly career—over, Harrison and Jennings take over the running back duties for the remainder of the season. Most felt that Jennings would handle much of the workload with Harrison apparently in Eric Mangini’s doghouse, but it was Harrison who had 21 looks in week 13 compared to just 7 for Jennings. Harrison was ineffective in the run game (3.5 YPC), but racked up 62 yards on 7 receptions and scored twice. Jennings, meanwhile, averaged over 5 yards per carry on 5 attempts.

Advice: Harrison is worth a look as a flex player in most formats, especially in PPR. Don’t expect to see 10+ targets every week, but he should see his share with the team usually playing from behind. Jennings is only worth a bench spot in deep leagues.

Rock Cartwright / Quinton Ganther / Marcus Mason – Because Clinton Portis is now officially done for the season, the Redskins running back mess is worth looking into if you’re in need of some help at the position. Cartwright is clearly the top dog so far with 35 looks over the last 2 games, including 28 of the team’s 47 carries by runningbacks. That being said, Ganther was more effective on 5 fewer carries against the Saints on Sunday and could see an extended look during the team’s final few games. The same can be said for Marcus Mason, who despite only 6 carries (8 looks) over the last 2 games, could be in line for a few extra “audition” carries.

Advice: Cartwright has racked up 18 and 17 looks, respectively, over the last 2 games and so he is worth consideration at the flex spot in most formats if you need a body. Ganther is not a bad speculative add in deeper leagues and Mason should only be owned in extremely deep leagues.

Justin Fargas / Darren McFadden / Michael Bush – 27 total carries over the last 2 games for Fargas is more than McFadden (15) and Bush (4) combined. Considering that he’s been effective on those carries (128 yards total), one would have to imagine that they’d continue along with him as their RB1 as long as they are competitive.

Advice: Fargas is worth flex consideration in 12 team standard leagues. McFadden should be owned in dynasty leagues, but is worth no more than bench spot in deeper leagues at this point. Bush has no value unless one of the top 2 are injured.

Wide Receivers:

Kenny Britt – 20 total targets over the last 2 games and a receiving touchdown in three straight for the rookie. The Titans won’t continue to pass the ball 43 times a game like they did the last two weeks, but Britt should still see 7-8 targets most weeks.

Advice: Worth consideration in 16 team leagues, but you shouldn’t feel too comfortable quite yet, especially considering that this team will be running the ball more than they have been and the inconsistency of Britt’s looks this season.

Devin Thomas – I touched on Thomas last week in my ‘Things you should know’ feature, as a player who was seeing more looks, but was unlikely to make a huge fantasy impact this season. He sure made me look silly with 7 receptions on 7 targets for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. I’d call that fantasy relevant. Thomas has be targeted 20 times total over the last 3 games and is seemingly earning the trust of Jason Campbell.

Advice: You shouldn’t feel comfortable with him as your WR3 in standard leagues quite yet, but he’s certainly worth a bench spot. He should certainly be owned in dynasty leagues considering his age and potential.

Sam Aiken – Aiken should be getting some attention after putting up 80+ receiving yards each of the last two games. Although he was looked at a healthy 10 times versus the Saints two weeks ago, you won’t see anything close to that most weeks considering that Wes Welker and Randy Moss see double-digit targets almost every game. On the year, Aiken is averaging only 3 looks a game, which is exactly what he saw in week 13. Fortunately for his owners (there’s not too many of you), his only reception of the three looks was an 81 yard touchdown.

Advice: Worth a speculative bench spot in deeper leagues and is a desperation start candidate in those same leagues just because of the Patriots’ offensive potential.

Brian Robiskie – Finally getting into the action, the rookie and pre-season sleeper favorite caught 4 of his 5 targets for 69 yards on Sunday and is back on the waiver wire map. It would be surprising not to see plenty of balls thrown his way as the season winds down, but he’s still competing with and likely behind Harrison, Jennings, Cribbs, Massaquoi, and Stuckey for looks.

Advice: Only worth a spot in dynasty leagues. If you’re in a very deep redraft league and looking for a deep sleeper for your bench, he should be a candidate.

Tight Ends:

Jermichael Finley is sure to be a hot Waiver Wire add this week, but make sure you put in a claim if you need help at tight end.

Jermichael Finley – Finley is going to be a hot commodity this week after a huge 2 touchdown game on national television Monday night. I’ve been on the Finley bandwagon for quite a while, so you know I think you should put in a claim if you are shaky at tight end. He’s quickly becoming one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite weapons with 24 targets total over the last 3 games. He’s caught an impressive 17 of those passes for 158 yards and 3 scores. He missed some time with a leg injury earlier this year, but don’t let that scare you away from one of the game’s top young fantasy tight ends.

Advice: Finley will be a borderline top 10 tight end the rest of the way and should be treated accordingly.

Fred Davis – Sticking with the Redskins theme, next on my list is Fred Davis. I’ve talked about him previously, but only now is he officially a starter for the rest of the season after Chris Cooley was finally placed on IR. Davis has been targeted 9 times each of the last 2 games, which is a lot for a tight end. He has 9 catches for 96 yards over those 2 games and scored a touchdown in both. That’s 10.3 and 11.3 fantasy points, respectively, in standard scoring leagues.

Advice: If he’s unowned and you are struggling at tight end, he is a pretty solid option considering the looks coming in. Don’t start him over a top tight end, but if you are bouncing around between John Carlson and Dustin Keller, Davis should be in your lineup going forward.

Evan Moore – Moore burst onto the scene with 11 targets, 6 catches, and 80 yards in his NFL debut Sunday. Robert Royal, Michael Gaines, and Greg Estandia are also tight ends on the roster, but Royal and Gaines are struggling with injuries and Estandia was a healthy inactive in week 13.

Advice: Not worth a look in any but the deepest of leagues. You’d have to imagine he will see more looks after a great debut, but his contributions will be limited in this, a poor, but improving offense.

Kickers:

Garrett Hartley – This one is pretty straightforward. Hartley has replaced John Carney as the kicker of the NFL’s most potent offense.

Advice: A top 5 kicker in all formats as long he remains the starter.

Recommended by ‘The Fifth Down’ blog on the website of the New York Times.

Some player notes from around the NFL:

Quinton Ganther/Marcus Mason – Ganther and Mason appear to be rotating as the spell back in Washington while Rock Cartwright is the feature back. Neither has much value, especially considering Portis should return over the next few weeks.

Devin Thomas – Another Redskin who is seeing an increase in playing time, Thomas has been targeted 17 times over the last 3 games and is quietly taking over as the 2nd most productive WR in Washington. Keep an eye on him, but he is unlikely to be fantasy relevant this season.

Matt Moore – Moore is the new starting QB in Carolina with Delhomme gone to the bench. Considering Moore’s inexperience and the fact that Carolina is the 3rd run-heaviest team in the NFL, you shouldn’t expect him to be relied on much, which means he isn’t even worth a bench spot in most leagues.

Dante Rosario – 7 targets each of the last 2 weeks for the tight end, but he’s still sharing the tight end load with Jeff King and Gary Barnidge. Also consider that the team throws the ball very little and they are making a change at quarterback. He’s not worth your time.

Jermichael Finley – Fellow TE Donald Lee scored the only touchdown by a Packers’TE in week 12, but Finley was targeted more (6-to-4) and is averaging around 7 looks a game when healthy. The Packers offense is on a roll and Finley will be a big part of it down the stretch. Unless you have a top tight end, he’s someone to consider starting.

Kahlil Bell – Bell burst onto the scene when he put up 81 yards on 4 carries 2 weeks ago, but he carried it just once in week 12. His only value right now is as a handcuff to Matt Forte.

Justin Forsett – Forsett is now owned in most leagues, but consider that Julius Jones will be back at some point. It’s hard to say whether or not the team will give Jones his starting job back, but you have to imagine Forsett has earned a bigger share of the workload. Keep an eye on each player’s looks once Jones returns.

Sam Aiken – Aiken was actually the team’s leading receiver in week 12 with 10 targets, 7 catches, and 80 yards, but note that Julian Edelman was inactive and that Wes Welker and Randy Moss are both still on the roster. Aiken is unlikely to approach those numbers again this season, but will continue to have at least some value as the slot receiver in this pass heavy offense.

Lex Hilliard – 13 total looks over the last 2 games isn’t much, but consider that the only thing between him and the starting RB job on the league’s 2nd-run heaviest team is an injury to 32-year-old Ricky Williams.

Considering his situation, Lex Hilliard should be considered for a spot on your bench in most leagues.

Mike Thomas – Will continue to be overshadowed by Mike Sims-Walker and Torry Holt, but consider that he’s caught 83% of passes thrown his way (best in the NFL for WRs with 30+ targets) and is only a rookie. He’s seeing 5-6 looks most weeks and should be considered a sleeper to explode if he sees more action late this season.

Larry Johnson/Bernard Scott – Johnson put up 100 rushing yards in week 12 and Scott has over 200 rushing yards the last 2 weeks, but don’t kid yourself. When Cedric Benson is healthy and returns to action, he will a majority of the carries. At that point, you should expect only 3-6 carries a game for each, which means very little fantasy value.

Chris Jennings – Jerome Harrison was active in 12 after spending a few weeks as a health scratch so that Jennings could have a shot at the RB2 role. This bumped Jennings back to the RB3 role and it’s anyone’s guess what Mangini will do going forward. Regardless, Jennings is not a player you should be rostering.

UPDATE: (Wednesday Dec 2) – It appears that Jamal Lewis will be heading to IR, which means Jennings could now be the starter in Cleveland. Snatch him up before someone else does if you’re in a deep league or desperate for RB help.

Chris Chambers – Chambers is probably owned in your league, but it’s worth noting that he has caught 74% of the 23 balls thrown his direction since joining the Chiefs and has scored on almost 18% of those catches. Although the fact that he was targeted a total of only 9 times over his first 2 games in KC was a concern, Cassel has now thrown his way 14 times total over the last 2 games.

Malcom Floyd – The man who replaced Chambers as a starter in San Diego is not seeing the same success that Chambers is enjoying in Kansas City. Floyd is being targeted only 3-5 times a game and although he did put up 85 yards in week 12, it was on only 3 catches (4 targets). Floyd has potential in this potent offense, but right now he’s not seeing enough looks.

Darren McFadden/Justin Fargas/Michael Bush – The Raiders running back situation might be the hardest unit to dissect in the league. Fargas wasn’t even active early in the year when McFadden and Bush were carrying most of the workload, but now Fargas seems to be the top runner of the group (sounds a lot like 2008-09) having carried it a team-high 20 total times over the last 2 games. McFadden has been the better bet in PPR leagues, however, over the last 2 weeks, racking up 9 looks and 7 catches despite only 12 carries. Bush, meanwhile, has only 7 looks (all carries) over the last 2 weeks.

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos
Kyle Orton has been named the starter so he is the one getting injured in this scenario. The fans of Denver are hoping Coach McDaniels can work his magic again.

Chris Simms- Simms has had some limited success and if you believe that McDaniels is responsible for Matt Cassel’s success last year you could expect some decent fantasy numbers from Simms. I expect Simms to be a waiver wire hit if Orton suffers an injury.

Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter- There will not be a major change in production for the running backs. However, expect a few less receiving yards for the backs with Simms at the helm. Orton tends to rely heavy on the running backs as receiving options.

Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, Jabar Gaffney- With Simms at quarterback expect the receivers to have more deep plays. Orton struggles with the deep ball and last year in Chicago rarely threw to his wide outs (this could have been caused by the poor wide receiver options in Chicago).

Tony Scheffler, Daniel Graham- Expect slightly lower numbers with Simms behind center. This is only because Orton heavily favors the use of his tight ends.

Matt Prater- I don’t see any changes in the kicking game production.

Denver Defense- We will see the same production from the defense. Or should I say lack of fantasy production.

Oakland Raiders
Al Davis’s need for speed strikes again. Newly drafted receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey bets JaMarcus Russell he can’t out throw him. Russell wins the bet but tears his rotator cuff and is out for the season.

Jeff Garcia- Garcia just seems to keep on kicking. This Oakland team has some weapons but Garcia won’t put up huge fantasy numbers. He maybe helpful when your starter is on a bye week.

Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden, Michael Bush- Garcia is just a more seasoned and productive quarterback. He knows how to lead a team and this will result in better numbers for the running backs. Defenses will have to respect the passing game.

Javon Walker, Darrius Heyward- Bey, Johnnie Lee Higgins- Not the most experienced or productive group but Garcia will make the most of his situation. Garcia’s lack of arm strength will hurt the speed of Heyward-Bey.

Zach Miller- With Garcia behind center Miller will put up top 3 fantasy tight end numbers.

Sebastian Janikowski- The kicking game will be more effective with an injury to Russell.

Oakland Defense- Garcia will sustain drives and keep this unit off the field resulting in fewer points scored by the opposition.
San Diego Chargers
Darren Sproles tries to run under Phillip Rivers’s legs causing the need for surgery to a very sensitive area. Billy Volek will now be leading the super chargers.

Billy Volek- Volek has been a career back up with one season with 10 or more starts. In that season he passed for 2,486 yards and 18 touchdowns. At the most Volek would be a bye week starter.

LaDanian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles- With Volek behind center Tomlinson will see more 8 man fronts which means less production. Sproles will see a spike in his playing time because San Diego will need his playmaking ability to open up the defenses.

Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd- Volek’s limited ability will limit the production of this group. I would expect at least an average of seven less points a game scored by the offense. The fewer points scored means less fantasy points for your players.

Antonio Gates- Gates will still have a good year but the offense will have fewer trips to the red zone, where Gates is at his best.

Nate Kaeding- I don’t expect a major change in the kicking games production.

San Diego Defense- There will not be any major changes to the production of the San Diego defense.

Kansas City Chiefs
In a surprise move Matt Cassel accepts a job as the quarterback coach for the USC Trojans. He will be making more money a year than this NFL contract. Is anyone questioning how USC pays for all this? Maybe the same way it gets all those top recruits……wink wink.

Tyler Thigpen- Thigpen put up decent numbers last year as the starter. He is worthy of being the second quarterback on your fantasy roster.

Larry Johnson, Jamaal Charles- Nobody is completely sure what Matt Cassel can really do and the same can be said for Thigpen. I expect the numbers to remain the same with either Cassel or Thigpen starting.

Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram, Brad Cottam- Again the numbers for the wide receivers will not vary much.

Connor Barth- No major change in fantasy production

Kansas City Defense- The defense will have the same fantasy production.