FFToolbox - Jets likely to release WR Percy Harvin plus 6 more

Link to Fantasy Football Toolbox Updates

Jets likely to release WR Percy Harvin
Steelers President Art Rooney wants team to build pass rush in offseason
Pete Carroll: Seahawks S Earl Thomas' shoulder injury is 'over'
RB Trent Richardson will be suspended for Week 1 of 2015 season if he's still with Colts
Ravens RB Justin Forsett claims the team wants him back
Report: Browns sources say QB Johnny Manziel showed a 'commitment to nightlife' as a rookie
Fantasy Football Weekly (Jan. 17 to 23)

Posted: 24 Jan 2015 01:18 PM PST

After relocating from one side of the country to the other, the Jets WR Percy Harvin may be on the move once again. Acquired by NYJ after Week 7, Harvin is set to make a base salary of $10 million in 2015. According to various reports, the former Seahawk is not willing to take a pay cut. Given the Jets recent coaching changes in tandem with more pressing offensive needs, the franchise may be forced to let Harvin go. FANTASY ANALYSIS: When he's good, he's so good. And when he's bad, he's really bad. Between durability concerns and usage issues, the 26-year-old slot man has always been a risky fantasy option. Given his unique skill set and fiery temperament, Harvin's fantasy value is frustratingly dependent on the offense in which plays. While it would be interesting to see how OC Chan Gailey might use him, it appears to be an improbable experiment. Retaining more value in PPR formats than standard scoring leagues, Harvin's 2015 value is nothing but a dart throw at the moment.

Steelers President Art Rooney wants team to build pass rush in offseason

Posted: 24 Jan 2015 12:52 PM PST

Speaking to the media this past Wednesday, Steelers team president Art Rooney II expressed his concerns over the team's inability to pressure opposing QBs in 2014. "I think that as a defense, we've got to get more sacks and put more pressure on the quarterback. That's a key piece of the puzzle we have to look at as we build this defense going into next year," stated Rooney. Closing out the regular season with the franchise's fewest number of sacks in 26 years, Rooney's concerns have been echoed by head coach Mike Tomlin and newly promoted defensive coordinator Keith Butler. FANTASY ANALYSIS: It's no secret the Steelers defense is aging. Rebuilding the vaunted Steel Curtain, however, may prove to be rather challenging. With Jason Worilds, Arthur Moats, and James Harrison all unrestricted free agents, Pittsburgh may lose three of their most effective sack-masters. A defense that allows opposing signal-callers to carve them up, however, means that Big Ben is likely to be playing from behind, making him an intriguing late-round value at the QB position.

Pete Carroll: Seahawks S Earl Thomas' shoulder injury is 'over'

Posted: 24 Jan 2015 11:21 AM PST

Shoulder injury? What shoulder injury? As far as Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is concerned, safety Earl Thomas is ready to roll in Super Bowl XLIX after dislocating a shoulder during the NFC Championship Game quot;It's over," Carroll told reporters Friday. "It's over, really. It was two days of him being very uncomfortable with the setting and it's over now. He was back in action and in full flow today." Thomas was officially limited in Friday's practice. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Well, that's nice. This is not to say that Thomas or fellow injured LOB'er Richard Sherman will be feeling tip-top come next Sunday in Arizona. But they will be ready to deliver the boom on the Patriots after a few more limited practices.

RB Trent Richardson will be suspended for Week 1 of 2015 season if he's still with Colts

Posted: 24 Jan 2015 10:37 AM PST

Trent Richardson didn't play in the final two games of the Colts' 2014 season. And if he remains under contract in Indy, he won't play in the first game of the Colts' 2015 season. General manager Ryan Grigson confirmed Friday that Richardson was suspended for two games for quot;personal reasons" before last Sunday's loss in the AFC Championship Game. Because the Colts did not advance to the Super Bowl, Richardson will serve the second game of his suspension at the start of the next regular season. Richardson admitted to missing practice one day prior to the game due to a "serious family medical situation." He was a healthy scratch for the Divisional round in Denver and played just one snap during Indianapolis' Wild Card round victory over the Bengals. FANTASY ANALYSIS: So, in other words, Richardson won't be suspended for the first game of the 2015 season. I assume most people would be shocked if Richardson is still on the Colts by September. And this suspension could void the remaining $3.19 million in guaranteed money on his rookie contract. With no strings attached, expect the Colts to release T-Rich relatively soon. No matter where he ends up next, the plodder will have minimal fantasy appeal.

Ravens RB Justin Forsett claims the team wants him back

Posted: 24 Jan 2015 10:24 AM PST

After seven years in the league, RB Justin Forsett has played for five different teams. Closing out a revelatory season with the Ravens, the journeyman back told reporters on Friday that the team has expressed an interest in re-signing him. Having played under Gary Kubiak in Houston, Forsett has obvious familiarity with his now-former coach's zone-blocking scheme. Taking over the offensive coordinator position in Baltimore, Marc Trestman has vowed to keep Kubiak's signature scheme in place. Despite Kubiak's departure to Denver, Forsett remains optimistic about staying in Charm City, though he admitted contract negotiations had yet to officially begin. FANTASY ANALYSIS: A capable pass-catching back, Forsett has the potential to succeed under Trestman. He doesn't possess Matt Forte's talent but could exist as a serviceable RB2 for fantasy owners in PPR formats. If his 2014 stats don't wildly inflate his ADP and assuming he remains the Ravens' No. 1 RB, the 29-year-old might have enough left in the tank for one last ride in redraft. That said, I would expect a decline in his yards-per-carry average, which should be noted by owners in standard scoring leagues.

Report: Browns sources say QB Johnny Manziel showed a 'commitment to nightlife' as a rookie

Posted: 24 Jan 2015 09:52 AM PST

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel struggled, to put it lightly, in his first season as a pro. And according to an ESPN report that cited nearly 20 team sources as well as league personnel, there's a good reason for that: Manziel just wasn't prepared. Manziel quot;showed a lack of commitment and preparation, a failure to be ready when given a chance in his first start against Cincinnati and a continued commitment to nightlife, which affected his preparation and work while in the team facility," according to the article. Manziel is presented as a player who was routinely late for team activities and, when he was named the starter for Week 15, didn't know the plays, didn't call the correct play in the huddle and/or had to be corrected by his teammates before the snap. One anonymous teammate said Manziel was a "100 percent joke" throughout the season. Manziel strained a hamstring in Week 16, an injury that kept him sidelined for the rest of the season. But when Manziel didn't show up for a rehab session the day before Cleveland's Week 17 game versus Baltimore, team security went to his house. "Two team sources said security found a player who they felt clearly had partied hard the night before," the article stated. "One source used the words 'drunk off his ass.'" Manziel was fined for missing treatment and watched that season finale from the locker room. This lack of preparation and prioritizing fell in line with Manziel's actions while at Texas A&M. One university source said Manziel was lax when it came to studying film and practicing unless the Aggies were preparing for a high-profile opponent such as Alabama. The article states that Manziel is still supported by the "business side" of the Browns' organization "because of the attention he commands in stadiums and merchandise lanes." But owner Jimmy Haslam and new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo have wondered openly if the team's 2015 starting QB is actually on the current roster. FANTASY ANALYSIS: In related news, the Browns have contacted Brian Hoyer about signing him to a contract extension. Hoyer once appeared to be as good as gone from Cleveland, but Manziel's public face-plant late in the year may have made the team realize that the veteran is possibly its best hope for next season under center. Hey, maybe Manziel will undergo a transformational maturation process over the next seven months. He better at some point if he wants to be successful in the NFL. He's still in Cleveland's plans, but he's far away from having any fantasy value at the moment.