Fantasy Football 2011: Five Preseason Predicaments and Predictions

Tonight brings with it the kickoff of the 2011 preseason, and with it fans across America will get their first taste of live NFL action since last February's Super Bowl. Yes, the action will be watered down, but that doesn't mean it won't still taste sweet following the most tumultuous few months in the recent history of the NFL.

Tonight will also hopefully begin to shed some light on several situations across the league that are still very much up in the air, answering questions that could have a considerable impact on the upcoming fantasy football season. Let's take a look at a fistful of these questions, as well as what we believe the answers just might be once everything shakes itself out.

1.) Who Will Start at Wide Receiver for the St. Louis Rams?

While the St. Louis Rams are a young team looking to take the "next step" and make the playoffs the wide receiver position for the Rams has devolved into a quagmire of injury and mediocrity, with no clear-cut indications of who will start the season outside among the trio of Danario Alexander, Donnie Avery, and the recently acquired Mike Sims-Walker. It's also possible that the Rams will bring back free agent Mark Clayton, who was off to a strong start through four games in 2010 before a knee injury ended his season.

Danny Amendola, who averaged only eight yards a catch but led the Rams in receptions and yards in 2010, is locked into the slot, leaving the aforementioned quartet (plus others) to fight for the two outside spots. Both Alexander and Avery have fairly extensive knee injury histories of their own, Sims-Walker did manage nearly 900 yards and seven scores for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2009, and he can be expected to be the "winner" of this battle, but regardless of who starts Amendola will almost certainly be the best fantasy option among St. Louis Rams receivers in 2011, and even then only as a WR4 in point-per-reception leagues.

2.) Who Will Be the Top Running Back for the Washington Redskins?

There's an old school of thought that any running back with a pulse has fantasy value, and it's about to be put to the test as such luminaries as Ryan Torain (who is hurt...again), Tim Hightower (whose fumbling problem has apparently followed him cross-country), rookie Roy Helu (who has reportedly had issues with blitz pickups), and fellow rookie Evan Royster vie to be the top man in the Redskins backfield (and by top I mean least lousy).

Torain's injury could easily cost him the starting job should it linger (and if there's one thing Ryan Torain knows it's lingering), which could lead to a running back-by-committee (and then some), with Helu and Torain handling early down duties and Hightower being used as a third down back. Such a committee would sap most of the fantasy value from all the backs, leaving Hightower and Torain as RB4 candidates at best and the rookies as dynasty league projects.

3.) Can Larry Fitzgerald and Beanie Wells Bounce Back This Season?

It's very possible that no player in the NFL was more pleased with how events transpired in free agency this year than Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who after a sub par 2010 season that saw him finish outside the top 5 fantasy wideouts for the first time since 2006 no longer has to risk life and limb trying to catch passes from Derek Anderson. With new quarterback Kevin Kolb in town and wide receiver Steve Breaston gone Fitzgerald should see a ton of targets in 2011, and a return to the top 5 at his position is in the Cards.

The outlook isn't as rosy for third year running back Chris "Beanie" Wells, who suffered through a miserable season of his own a year ago resulting from a torn meniscus and maddeningly inconsistent play. Wells will be the nominal starter to begin the year, but with second round pick Ryan Williams breathing down his neck Beanie Wells will likely find himself on a very short leash, making him a risky choice as a fantasy RB3.

4.) How Big a Fantasy Concern Is Peyton Manning's Neck?

There has been no quarterback in the NFL this side of Brett Favre who has been more durable than Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Peyton Manning, who has started every game of his 13 year career. However, Manning had surgery in May to repair a bulging disk in his neck, has yet to participate in any team activities, and Colts head coach Jim Caldwell indicated recently that there is a possibility that Manning could miss the entire preseason.

Manning is 35, and this injury has certainly caused plenty of heartburn for his fantasy owners, but the Colts have yet to indicate that there's any sort of real possibility that Peyton Manning could miss the season opener, and the simple fact remains that he has yet to miss a start...ever. In fact, this injury could actually be a fantasy blessing in disguise for people willing to roll the dice that Manning will be fine, as concerns over whether his consecutive starts steak is indeed in jeopardy could cause his fantasy stock to slip a bit.

5.) Could the Chris Johnson Lockout Linger into the Season?

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson has become one of the most electrifying players in the NFL, following up the 2009 campaign, in which he topped 2,000 rushing yards, with over 1,600 total yards and a dozen touchdowns in 2010. Johnson now wants to be paid like one of the league's top young stars, holding out from Titans camp until his contract, which has two years remaining and pays him $800,000 in base salary this season, is renegotiated.

Johnson is apparently serious about wanting a new deal, already forfeiting thousands of dollars in fines and a season accrued towards free agency in the quest for his big payday. There's no question that Chris Johnson is underpaid, and the Titans would likely be best served by getting him into camp and onto the field as soon as possible, so this isn't an issue to be overly concerned about yet. However, there's also no question that if this matter still hasn't been resolved in a couple of weeks then Johnson will begin sliding down the top 10 fantasy running backs entering the 2011 regular season, and that if he hasn't signed by opening day many teams seasons may have ended before they began