The Monday Mommy: Your March Fantasy Football Fix via Free Agency
“Offense as a whole has taken a back seat in the first rush of free agency but there have been some deals that will impact the fantasy season in both a positive and negative manner. “
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The NFL free agent market has been open for business for almost a week now and there has been a nice flurry of activity.
The Denver Broncos have jumped head first into the mix and fans in the Mile High City have legitimate reasons to don their orange and blue again after the immense disappointment that was the Super Bowl. The majority of Denver’s free agent moves have come on the defensive side of the ball and understandably so.
Unless you play in a defense IDP league, those guys will have no relevance to your actual fantasy numbers, besides moving the Broncos defense up in the overall rankings. Offense as a whole has taken a back seat in the first rush of free agency but there have been some deals that will impact the fantasy season in both a positive and negative manner.
Here’s a look position by position on how these guys will fare on their new teams this season for fake football purposes. I did not include every single free agent signing, just the ones that would impact fantasy football the most and the guys that will actually be wearing different unis this season.
QB’s – Josh McCown, TB – Entering what will be his 11th season in the league, the perennial backup is reunited with head coach Lovie Smith and has already been declared the starter for the Bucs in 2014. I guess technically he will need to beat out 2013 rookie Mike Glennon in training camp, but all signs point to McCown having the job.
I would say that McCown could be a decent number two fantasy quarterback in 2014 if Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams are healthy. Of course, McCown is always a wildcard so I certainly wouldn’t count on him for too much.
WR’s – Steve Smith, BAL – While getting up there in age, Smith has always played with a mountain of a chip on his shoulder and this season will be fun to sit back, grab some popcorn and watch him in action. If he stays healthy, he could provide some decent fantasy numbers, although he does have Joe Flacco throwing him the rock.
Eric Decker, NYJ – Decker’s fantasy numbers will most certainly take a nose dive as he is going from a Cadillac of a signal caller in Peyton Manning to a Dodge Neon in Geno Smith. That being said, he could still be serviceable as a number three receiver and a bye week fill in.
Golden Tate, DET – Tate should see an improvement in his numbers in 2014 as a member of the Lions. The fact that he’s going from a run first offense in Seattle to hanging opposite Calvin Johnson with Matt Stafford tossing the ball is reason enough. 2014 should be his first chance for a 1,000 yard season and around seven touchdowns. Tate should be a solid number three guy and a mid-round pick.
Hakeem Nicks, IND – Andrew Luck has himself a nice little trio of receivers in Reggie Wayne, TY Hilton and now Hakeem Nicks. Nicks seems to be made of ceramic these days and to me doesn’t have much fantasy value beyond a low number three or a bye week fill in. Some will blame his lack of production of late on the struggling Eli Manning but he will have to prove himself in order for me to invest in him again.
Emmanuel Sanders, DEN– Sanders, if healthy will most likely see Decker- like numbers in 2014 (Bronco Decker, not Jet Decker) . There is no doubt that the kid has talent, however Sanders has had some foot issues that have sidelined him in Pittsburgh. He can play all over the field and will most certainly be an asset to the Broncos. Consider Sanders a solid number three receiver and even a potential number two with Manning at the helm.
RB’s – Donald Brown, SD – This was an odd signing to me. Brown went from only having the bust Trent Richardson as competition to now being third in line to touch the ball in San Diego. Ryan Mathews is coming off his best season in the league and workhorse Danny Woodhead had over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in 2013. Brown has little to no fantasy value besides a handcuff in 2014 and should be drafted with extreme caution.
Darren Sproles, PHI – Sproles is joining one of the most innovative offenses in the NFL. He should continue to get decent touches as a pass-catcher in the backfield but will not take any carries away from LeSean McCoy, making him valuable in PPR formats only. My condolences to those of you who have him in keeper and dynasty leagues.
Ben Tate. CLE – The Browns really needed an every down rusher and Tate fits the bill. He has dealt with some injury but is good to go in 2014 and should have success in the fantasy realm. Everyone bags on Cleveland because well, they’re the Browns, but with Josh Gordon and now Ben Tate on their roster, their offense should see some decent production which will equal fantasy happiness for their owners.
I know it’s a bit early to be talking the impact of fake football, however I am fired up and excited for things to get rolling. There are still plenty of free agents with fantasy football implications that have yet to sign and I will be updating with another article once it begins to come to a close.
For now, take this all in and day dream about your potential 2014 roster. It helps pass the time until football season is upon us.
