FFToolbox - Ravens WR Steve Smith instructed to take three weeks to mull future plus 5 more

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Ravens WR Steve Smith instructed to take three weeks to mull future
Conference Championships: Fantasy Versus Vegas
Bengals stick by QB Andy Dalton
Colts CB Vontae Davis (knee) returns to practice on Thursday
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy gets nervous about RB Eddie Lacy's knee
Ravens TE Owen Daniels not retiring, hopes to play 'couple more years'

Ravens WR Steve Smith instructed to take three weeks to mull future

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 10:02 PM PST

After declaring his intention to return to the Ravens in 2015, WR Steve Smith has been told by Baltimore's general manager, Ozzie Newsome, to quot;take three weeks" before committing to next season. Head coach John Harbaugh said he'd like to keep the 35-year-old receiver in Baltimore but seemed to agree with Newsome's advice, saying it "made a lot of sense." Smith just closed out his best statistical year since Cam Newton's rookie campaign in 2011. In his first year with the Ravens, the former Panther caught 79 balls for 1,065 yards and scored six touchdowns. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Smith did most of his damage in the first six weeks of the season. His production waned as the season progressed, but he did perform admirably in both the Wild Card and Divisional rounds of the playoffs. A fiery competitor, Smith certainly brings heart and grit to Charm City. While he was a value pick in 2014, I doubt he'll see enough action to remain fantasy-relevant next year.

Conference Championships: Fantasy Versus Vegas

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 03:12 PM PST

Using Vegas' lines, spreads and insights to your Fantasy Football advantage.

Bengals stick by QB Andy Dalton

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 01:55 PM PST

In the four years he's been under center in Cincinnati, QB Andy Dalton has yet to win any of his four playoff games. Despite this fact, the Bengals' organization appears to be sticking with the TCU product. Via the team's official website, editor Geoff Hobson admitted he didn't expect the Bengals to draft a QB this spring or bring in any competition for their current signal-caller. Hobson went on to say, quot;I'm not going to throw away a quarterback that has won 40 games in four years." FANTASY ANALYSIS: The Bengals' offense did suffer some devastating blows, losing WR Marvin Jones and TE Tyler Eifert for basically the whole regular season. The absence of both WR A.J. Green and TE Jermaine Gresham from the Wild Card round additionally hurt the team's chances of advancing. Of course, these setbacks negatively affected Dalton's numbers, but his inability to progress or show consistency over his tenure in Cincy is alarming. Heading into his second season with offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, Dalton will have to step up and show he can lead beyond Week 18. Dalton will never be a truly elite QB in fantasy, but if his receiving weapons stay healthy and he's better able to adjust to Jackson's offense, here is a chance he could be an asset in super-flex or QB2 formats.

Colts CB Vontae Davis (knee) returns to practice on Thursday

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 01:22 PM PST

After sitting out Wednesday, Colts cornerback Vontae Davis returned to practice on Thursday. Davis was able to get in a limited session and is expected to play on Sunday against the Patriots. The sixth-season vet is having a career year, earning 42 tackles, four interceptions and two forced fumbles throughout the regular season. FANTASY ANALYSIS: The Colts need Davis, who has been a revelation this year and shut down some of the league's most elite receivers, to play Sunday. Last week in Denver, he amassed eight tackles and defended five passes. The Patriots have a solid aerial attack, but with Davis in the mix, the Pats will have to focus more on the ground game. Understanding that the Colts can be had via the run and assuming Davis is healthy, New England's stable of running backs could be in for a busy afternoon.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy gets nervous about RB Eddie Lacy's knee

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 12:01 PM PST

Beat writer Tom Silverstein live-blogged Packers head coach Mike McCarthy's press conference Thursday in which the coach said he was quot;just nervous" about running back Lacy's knee being sore, so he pulled him from the day's practice. McCarthy admitted he was being conservative with his star RB and that he should be ready to play come Sunday. FANTASY ANALYSIS: The knee injury doesn't sound too bad, but it's of concern if Lacy is playing with a bum knee against a tough matchup in Seattle. This may also give credence to James Starks as a legitimate option for fantasy playoff and DFS lineups. This is a situation to monitor, especially if Lacy is limited again in Friday practice.

Ravens TE Owen Daniels not retiring, hopes to play 'couple more years'

Posted: 15 Jan 2015 11:46 AM PST

Ravens tight end Owen Daniels is scheduled to become a free agent in March, but he doesn't believe he will be free for long and would like to stay in Baltimore. quot;I think I got a couple more [years] in me, at least," Daniels said. "... I train my butt off during the offseason, so I'll be ready to go and hopefully I'll be back." There are some concerns that Daniels is slowing down as he turns 33 in November. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Daniels has no dynasty value and very little redraft value depending on Dennis Pitta and his possible return next year. Pitta is one of the better tight ends in the league when healthy but has battled back-to-back hip dislocations that have caused him to miss a large majority of the past two years. The Ravens may choose to keep Daniels around as insurance with offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak having a system that relies heavily on the tight end position.