Fantasy Football 101: 32+ Thoughts As Drafts Come Into Focus

After spending July and early August working on positional previews, booms and busts and draft strategy, it is time to switch things up with more of a team by team random fantasy thoughts column this week including pre-season thoughts, players to watch and other quick hits:

Arizona Cardinals - There is reason to be concerned about the Cardinals' passing game post-Kurt Warner.  Fitzgerald will find a way to remain relevant but let someone else take a chance on Steve Breaston.

Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons are making a concerted effort to throw the ball to Michael Turner in the pre-season.  Also, Michael Jenkins' injury has given Harry Douglas an opportunity to catch up after missing last season.

Baltimore Ravens - Joe Flacco continues to progress and the addition of Boldin is reason for optimism, but the conservative attack likely remains.  Injuries in the secondary make one of the league's most consistent fantasy defenses a question mark.

Buffalo Bills - CJ Spiller is flashing his playmaking ability in the pre-season.  He may not grind out yardage like Ryan Mathews, but he will make things happen on the ground and in the passing game.  Think Chris Johnson as a rookie.  He remains a great value in fantasy drafts as well.  His stock is rising though so be sure to draft him a round earlier than you want to.

Carolina Panthers - Matt Moore and the Panthers' defense are better than they are given credit for.  Brandon LaFell will quietly have a strong rookie season.  Johnathan Stewart will be the better running back by the end of the season.

Chicago Bears - The Mike Martz offense will generate excitement, but Matt Forte will be the offensive surprise in Chicago this season.  The best strategy with Bears wideouts is to handcuff Knox and Aromashodu.

Cincinnati Bengals - TO and Ocho will cancel each other out resulting in 900 yard seasons for each.  TE Jermaine Gresham will take advantage of the openings that the dynamic duo open up on the outside.  Cedric Benson owners should invest in Bernard Scott insurance.

Cleveland Browns - Montario Hardesty is getting a lot of pre-season buzz, but Jerome Harrison is the back to own especially in PPR leagues.  Don't be surprised is Massaquoi is not the team's leading receiver.

Dallas Cowboys - Something tells me Miles Austin disappoints from a fantasy perspective in large part due to Dez Bryant and a re-emergence of Jason Witten in the red zone.  Marion Barber will be needed to get tough yards in the red zone.

Denver Broncos - For the second consecutive year, Kyle Orton will find a way to be fantasy relevant thanks to a pass happy offense.  Under-the-radar Jabar Gaffney and 2009 disappointment Eddie Royal are solid late sleepers.  Demaryius Thomas will struggle to adjust to the pro game though.  Knowshon could have a breakout sophomore season as he flashes his receiving skills this season.

Detroit Lions - If the offensive line holds up this offense could put up a ton of points.  Jahvid Best is explosive as advertised, and Megatron looks to bounceback this season.  As a result, Matthew Stafford is a candidate for a breakout quarterback this year.

Green Bay Packers - Two words: Jermichael Finley. His late season performance was not a fluke. 

Houston Texans - Owen Daniels' knee has been acting up making him a slight risk.  Arian Foster is flying up draft boards but remains a risky RB2.  If the Texans really liked Foster in the off-season, they likely would not have drafted Ben Tate in Round 2.

Indianapolis Colts - The Colts have looked miserable in the pre-season, but Pierre Garcon continues to impress.  He is firmly the team's No. 3 receiving target behind Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.  Donald Brown does not appear close to stealing the starting running back job.

Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jags offense does not excite, but keep an eye on WR Jarrett Dillard and TE Zach Miller as deep sleepers.

Kansas City Chiefs - After spending 2009 in the doghouse, Dwayne Bowe has been on his best behavior and will look to bounceback with another 1,000 yard season.  Dexter McCluster's RB/WR eligibility and playmaking ability make him worthy of a late round flyer.  Don't expect the coaches to show you how he will be used until the games count.

Miami Dolphins - The addition of Brandon Marshall helps provide balance but the Dolphins remain a run first team.  Expect Marshall to struggle to get 90 passes, and Chad Henne looks like a long shot for a breakout season.

Minnesota Vikings - Brett Favre skips the camp portion of the pre-season for the second straight year, and the first thing he does is bash the head coach who has gone out of his way to accomodate him.  Talk about class. Ok, that has nothing to do with fantasy football, but I had to vent somewhere.  Fantasy wise, Sidney Rice missing half the season is a major concern, and Percy Harvin's migraines means the Vikings' passing attack may not be as prolific this season.  Draft accordingly.

New England Patriots - Tight Ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have looked fantastic in the pre-season.  WR Brandon Tate appears to be the No. 3 wideout. The ground game remains a mystery.

New Orleans Saints - Expect more of the spread-it-around approach.  Expect Pierre Thomas to take a bigger role this season.

New York Giants - Hakeem Nicks is on the verge of a breakthrough season which will hurt Steve Smith a tad.  Ahmad Bradshaw is a high upside RB3 with health, not Brandon Jacobs, being the biggest concern.

New York Jets - LaDainian Tomlinson is looking good in the pre-season but does not pose a threat to Shonn Greene owners.  Temper expectations on a major step up in the passing game though.  There will be more big plays, but avoiding mistakes will be Mark Sanchez's top priority.

Oakland Raiders - Zach Miller is arguably the most underrated tight end in fantasy, and with a competent quarterback this season he should become a threat in the red zone.  The defense is underrated as well and benefits from playing the AFC and NFC West.

Philadelphia Eagles - Lesean McCoy does not appear on the verge of a breakout season, and the offensive line has not been impressive in the pre-season which could hinder Kevin Kolb.

Pittsburgh Steelers - The backup quarterbacks are struggling behind an offensive line that did not do enough to improve this off-season.  Rashard Mendenhall has talent but may struggle to find rushing lanes until Roethlisberger returns, making him a risky first or second round investment.

St. Louis Rams - The injury to Donnie Avery has cleared the path for Laurant Robinson to emerge as the number one receiver on a team likely be playing from behind.

San Diego Chargers - Ryan Mathews is as good as advertised, but the lack-of-LT Macus MacNeil makes his blocking a concern.  Malcom Floyd has the opportunity, but not the talent, to be a number one receiver.

San Francisco 49ers - A renewed focus on the ground game has Frank Gore poised to have a huge season behind a revamped offensive line.   Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis are elite talents, but QB Alex Smith and a run-focused offense will make them more solid than spectacular.

Seattle Seahawks - WR Mike Williams is worth a late round flyer as he looks to live up to expectations that once made him a top 10 draft pick.  Be careful not to over-invest in Justin Forsett as the team does not seem overly committed to him as their running back.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - As long as WR Mike Williams remains focused, the fourth round pick should emerge as the No. 1 rookie wide receiver this season.  Speedy running back Kareem Huggins is worth a flyer late in deeper drafts as he closes in on the backup job to injury-prone Cadillac Williams.

Tennessee Titans - Vince Young continues to progress as a passer.  He could surprise as the Titans look to take pressure off Chris Johnson.   Javon Ringer is a must handcuff for CJ owners in deep leagues.  

Washington Redskins - Clinton Portis has emerged as the starting running back, but backups Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams have deep sleeper potential.  Speaking of deep sleepers keep an eye on WR Anthony Armstrong whose strong play has made Devin Thomas' role a question mark entering the season.

Chris Maier is senior editor for NFLDraft101.com.  He can be reached at [e-mail].  Follow me on twitter: nfldraft101