Fantasy Football 2011: 10 Faces in New Places You Should Target

The NFL preseason is almost completed, and we're only one short week away from kicking off the 2011 regular season next Thursday night, when the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints get things started.

That will also mean the beginning of the fantasy football season, when enthusiasts across the land will get to see if all their careful preparation and crafty drafting will start to pay off in the form of a winning team.

Among those players who fantasy owners will be watching intently as opening week unfolds are the faces in new places, players who hopefully will benefit from a change in scenery, boosting both their NFL careers and their fantasy football fortunes.

It's those players we will focus on here by taking a look at the 10 players whose fantasy football value has improved the most with a change in the logo on their helmets.

10. Donovan McNabb: QB, Minnesota Vikings

2010 was not kind to quarterback Donovan McNabb, who endured one of his most disappointing seasons in the NFL in his one year as signal-caller for the Washington Redskins before being traded to the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason.

McNabb completed 275-of-472 passes for 3,377 yards, 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in the nation's capital last year.

McNabb is no longer anywhere near the elite fantasy option he was earlier in his career, finishing as the 21st ranked quarterback a season ago, but with an improved supporting cast including running back Adrian Peterson and wide receiver Percy Harvin, it's possible McNabb could once again crack the top 20 players at his position in 2011, making him a serviceable fantasy QB2.

9. Willis McGahee: RB, Denver Broncos

Running back Willis McGahee comes to the Denver Broncos from the Baltimore Ravens, where he spent the last two seasons serving as Ray Rice's backup.

The 29-year-old McGahee, who rushed for 380 yards and five scores in limited duty in Baltimore a year ago, will now serve as the backup to running back Knowshon Moreno with the Broncos.

Moreno's been something of a disappointment as a pro, so McGahee, who rushed for over 1,200 yards as recently as 2007, may get an opportunity to start should the youngster continue to struggle.

As it stands today, Willis McGahee is a necessary "handcuff" pick for fantasy owners who select Moreno, but should he get the chance to be Denver's primary back, his value would increase substantially, making him an interesting late-round "flier" type for speculative fantasy drafters.

8. Matt Hasselbeck: Tennessee Titans

Matt Hasselbeck will see the swan song of his NFL career play out in the Music City, joining the Tennessee Titans after spending the past 10 seasons under center for the Seattle Seahawks. Hasselbeck, 35, threw for just over 3,000 yards and a dozen scores a season ago, finishing as the 23rd ranked fantasy quarterback.

Hasselbeck's never been the flashiest fantasy option, but he does have three top 10 fantasy finishes to his credit, and while he's not going to return to those lofty heights barking out signals for the Titans, he should at least serve as an adequate fantasy backup for owners who wait until late in drafts to select one.

7. Chad Ochocinco: WR, New England Patriots

Mercurial wide receiver Chad Ochocinco escaped the fifth circle of football hell known as playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, as an offseason trade sent him to the New England Patriots where he'll now haul in passes from quarterback Tom Brady.

The 11th year veteran had 67 receptions for 831 yards and four scores in Cincinnati in 2010.

The 33 year-old is certainly on the downside of his career and hasn't posted top 10 fantasy stats since 2007, but going from the Bengals to the Patriots is an outhouse to penthouse move in the truest sense, making everyone's favorite loudmouth wideout an intriguing selection in fantasy drafts as an upside WR4.

6. Greg Olsen: TE, Carolina Panthers

Tight end Greg Olsen languished in offensive coordinator Mike Martz's offense in Chicago but will get a chance to excel once again after the Bears dealt him to the Carolina Panthers, who feature the much more tight end-friendly scheme of new OC Rob Chudzinski.

The fifth-year former Hurricane had just over 400 receiving yards and four touchdowns for Da Bears last season.

New Panthers head man Ron Rivera and Chudzinski both came over from the San Diego Chargers, where the tight end was a significant part of the offense, and rookie quarterback Cam Newton will need all the short-yardage targets he can get in Charlotte.

Olsen's our favorite sleeper candidate at his position this season, as his relatively modest price on draft day is more than offset by the very real possibility of a top ten fantasy campaign.

5. Plaxico Burress: WR, New York Jets

Any change of scenery would have been a significant improvement for New York Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who spent the last two-plus years in prison after his much-ballyhooed nightclub mishap involving an unlicensed handgun.

The 34-year-old Burress had 35 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns for the Giants in 2008, his last season in the NFL.

Burress' age and inactivity raise very real concerns about his durability, but he also has a very real chance of emerging as the Jets No. 2 wide receiver and top red-zone target for quarterback Mark Sanchez, so if he can stay healthy he represents a tempting, albeit risky choice as a fantasy WR3.

4. Reggie Bush: RB, Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush will once again get a chance to be a lead back in the NFL, as head coach Tony Sparano has named the sixth-year veteran from USC his starter at tailback entering the 2011 season.

Bush gained 358 total yards and scored once in a part-time role with the New Orleans Saints in 2010.

There are serious concerns as to whether Bush can hold up as an every-down back, but after rookie ball carrier Daniel Thomas slogged through a dismal training camp and preseason, Bush is going to get the opportunity to be Miami's primary back, at least in the early-going.

That may not stay the case, and Reggie Bush's receiving skills make him a much more attractive option in PPR (points per reception) leagues, but fantasy owners could likely do worse than taking a chance on Bush as a RB4 or "flex" player.

3. Kevin Kolb: QB, Arizona Cardinals

Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb was upstaged by Michael Vick yet again, as the $63 million contract Kolb signed with Arizona after being traded to the Cardinals was blown out of the water by Vick's $100 million mega-deal.

Regardless of this fact, Kolb, who threw for just under 1,200 yards and seven scores in seven starts in Philadelphia a year ago, now gets his opportunity to show what he can do as the unquestioned starter in the desert.

Kolb's resume is limited, but he's looked decent in preseason action and has developed a fairly solid early rapport with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona. Kevin Kolb isn't going to single-handedly win fantasy owners any games, but the 27-year-old quarterback is a worthwhile addition to fantasy rosters as a top backup or as part of a platoon at the position.

2. Lee Evans: WR, Baltimore Ravens

Wide receiver Lee Evans will attempt to jump start his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens after falling out of favor with the Buffalo Bills, where he was once considered one of the league's more promising young players at his position.

Evans, 30, hauled in 37 passes for 578 yards and four scores for the Bills last year.

While a recent foot injury has kept Evans from practicing, it's not believed to be serious, and he looked very good in preseason action before that, with six receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown in two games.

Evans has shown the ability to be a productive fantasy asset, with two 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons under his belt, and as the downfield complement to wide receiver Anquan Boldin in Baltimore, there's a very good chance that Lee Evans will outperform his fantasy WR4 price tag.

1. Tim Hightower: RB, Washington Redskins

No player who switched teams this offseason has seen his fantasy football stock jump more than running back Tim Hightower, who has looked excellent as the lead back in the Washington Redskins' zone-blocking scheme.

Hightower, who spent his first three NFL seasons in a carry-share with the Arizona Cardinals, gained 736 yards on 153 carries a year ago, averaging an impressive 4.8 yards a tote.

Hightower has leaped up fantasy draft boards from low-end RB4 territory and is now being selected as a high-end fantasy RB3 or low-end RB2, and taking into account his abilities as a receiver out of the backfield, it's not all inconceivable that he could outperform that position should he continue to run with the power and quickness he's displayed to this point in Washington.