Fantasy Football News & Notes (8/13)

Can anyone else feel the excitement? Here, we sit in the middle of August awaiting the first full weekend of preseason football. Its only the preseason, and I am ready to do back flips because I get to watch the Detroit Lions, who were 0-16 last season, play a preseason game. That is the joy of the NFL, no matter how bad your favorite team is (and trust me, it doesnt get any worse then watching your team go 0-16), you are always excited for a new NFL season. We all have our favorite teams to root for, not to mention our favorite fantasy football players, which of course are the ones that are on our fantasy team(s) this season.

So as you take a break from studying this years Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets Webazine, its time to take a look at the news around the NFL and study its potential fantasy football impact. This week we will touch on the injuries to Dallas Clark and Braylon Edwards, explore the battle between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson in Cleveland, discuss the Kansas City Chiefs listing Dwayne Bowe as third string on the depth chart, and visit Nate Burleson’s recovery from ACL surgery.

Dallas Clark sidelined with concussion

Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark missed his third straight practice on Wednesday and is expected to be out until at least Monday due to a concussion. This, also, means that he will miss the team’s first exhibition game on Friday against the Minnesota Vikings.

This situation should not effect Clark’s draft status. He should be ready to go for the regular season opener, meaning he remains as the fourth ranked tight end in our fantasy football cheat sheets. Clark had 77 catches for 848 yards with 6 touchdowns in 2008, and he is only a year removed from his 11 touchdown performance in 2007. He has proven to be one of Peyton Manning’s favorite targets over the years, especially in the red zone. Continue to draft Clark as a top-five tight end option this season.

Braylon Edwards leaves practice with apparent foot injury

After returning to practice a week ago Wednesday after missing the first four days of training camp and some of the teams minicamp in May, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards has yet another injury as he reportedly caught his foot in the turf during one-on-one drills Wednesday.

It is worth noting that he walked off the field without a limp, but he did not return to practice. However, he did ride the stationary bike in between his visits to the medical staff during the rest of the teams practice session. Edwards, who is the 17th ranked wide receiver by the Bruno Boys, could have a bounce back season as he looks to rebound from a sub-par 2008 season. To do so, he will need to improve on the 16 dropped passes he had last season. If Edwards can get healthy in training camp, he is worthy of a mid-to-low end WR2 ranking. After all, he did have 16 touchdowns just two seasons ago.

Quinn using underhanded tactics to get starting job?

Is Brady Quinn purposely sabotaging Derek Anderson as the two battle for the starting quarterback spot in Cleveland? The answer is no. It all started as a joke to the media by Anderson himself. During a scrimmage Sunday, Anderson’s radio transmitter in his helmet went out, leading to the use of hand signals to call in plays. Anderson joked with the media afterward that Quinn was reading the signals and telling the defense. According to Browns head coach Eric Mangini, his quarterbacks are competing, not cheating.

The Browns have officially listed Anderson and Quinn as co-starters on the depth chart. Mangini noted that he is not ready to name a starting quarterback at this time. We do expect Quinn to win the job to start the regular season, as such we have Quinn ranked as the No. 26 quarterback in our rankings, while Anderson comes in at No. 35. Both have minimal fantasy value at this time, with Quinn being worth a late round flier as a low-end QB2 or hig-end QB3.

Dwayne Bowe listed as third string on depth chart

The Kansas City Chiefs have listed wide receiver Dwayne Bowe as third string on the team’s depth chart, not first string like everyone had expected. It has been reported that Bowe has been having trouble with dropped passes all off-season. New Chiefs’ head coach Todd Haley has even gone as far as to have Bowes eyes checked to see if he has vision problems. Haley has said that the wide receiving group as a whole needs work. He even had all their cleats examined, hoping to improve their route running.

Placing Bowe as third string on the depth chart is likely just another tool that Haley is using to try and motivate Bowe into playing better. We have to believe that even though Bowe has been a little inconsistent over his first two season, he should be the teams top receiving options come Week 1 of the regular season. He is our 14th ranked wide receiver, and he should continue to be thought of as a solid WR2 option for the 2009 season.

Mora impressed with Burleson’s recovery from knee surgery

New Seahawks’ head coach Jim Mora said on Tuesday that he is impressed with wide receiver Nate Burleson’s recovery from ACL surgery just last year. Mora added that Burleson is really showing up and also noted that he is not even playing with a brace or sleeve on his repaired knee.

Burleson has reportedly looked good in camp. He is showing good speed and he hasn’t had any problem cutting. He is currently ranked as the No. 64 wide receiver in our cheat sheets. He will likely enter the season as the third wide receiver on the Seahawk’s depth chart behind T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deion Branch. Burleson is worth a late round pick as a deep sleeper, especially if he can continue his quick recovery from knee surgery. In 2007, he had 50 catches for 694 yards with nine touchdowns, while starting 12 games.

*THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BRUNO BOY LARRY JOSEPH. FOR MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL INSIGHT AND ADVICE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW!*

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