2011 IDP Fantasy Football Projection: Stephen Tulloch Should Remain at MLB

Stephen Tulloch Should Remain In The Middle

It seemed like a no-brainer when the Lions signed Stephen Tulloch that the veteran would play middle linebacker. Why not? Head coach Jim Schwartz was familiar with Tulloch as the veteran played for him back when Schwartz was the Titans defensive coordinator.

However, at the start of camp, Detroit started to experiment with Tulloch over on the weak side, using third-year linebacker DeAndre Levy in the middle. Perhaps this was just to see how the two played in various packages, but as an active IDP fantasy football owner, I wanted to know if Tulloch would play the middle or not.

To find out more about this situation, I contacted Lions beat writer Dave Birkett to see what he thought about Tulloch’s chances. Birkett responded with a yes to the thought of Tulloch staying in the middle, and went one step further by saying he believes Tulloch is headed for a good year.

Just last season, Tulloch was arguably a top-five IDP performer with the Titans as he racked up 160 tackles. While I don’t expect Tulloch to reach that total with the Lions, he should be a lock for around 110 tackles. Look for Tulloch as a rock-solid LB-2 throughout the season.

Follow Dave Birkett on Twitter: http://twitter.com/davebirkett

Read Dave Birkett’s Work: http://www.freep.com/section/sports01

Other News On Twitter

Kendall Hunter Could Be 49ers No. 2 Back On Depth Chart

While Anthony Dixon will still be in the mix, coach Jim Harbaugh has admitted that rookie Kendall Hunter has impressed him in his pass blocking, in addition to his league-high 6.6 yard per carry average this preseason. Harbaugh was also quoted as saying Hunter is playing well enough to be a No. 2 back.

Fantasy Outlook: While Dixon will likely be the No. 2 back to start the season, Hunter would be the first runner to target off the waiver wire if something should happen to Frank Gore. Personally, I’ve watched every 49ers preseason game, and Hunter has been impressive—especially against the Raiders and Chargers.

What’s even more impressive about Hunter is that he was struggling mightily in the early part of camp with pass protection, and to see him make such strides in a few weeks is important.

As Hunter admitted, “NFL backs can’t play if they can’t block,” and this youngster is going to get on the field and make an impact at some point this season. Look to Hunter as a worthy hand cuff in leagues 12 teams and deeper.

Tweet - Hunter Has Surprised Jim Harbaugh

SS Adrian Wilson Expected To Start Week 1

In semi-surprising news, azcardinals.com writer Darren Urban tweeted that strong safety Adrian Wilson is expected to start Week 1.

Fantasy Outlook: Wilson is battling a torn bicep, and injury that cost many the entire season. While Wilson will attempt to gut it out, I suggest you stay away from him in IDP leagues. Furthermore, those of you in deep leagues might want to remember the name Rashad Johnson, as Wilson is likely to miss time at some point.

Tweet - Wilson To Play Week One

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