FFToolbox - 2015 NFL Draft Picks by Team plus 9 more

Link to Fantasy Football Toolbox Updates

2015 NFL Draft Picks by Team
WR Eric Decker has been 'pushing' Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas to join Jets
Bengals WR Marvin Jones, TE Tyler Eifert 'progressing well' from injuries
Seahawks CB Richard Sherman needs Tommy John surgery
Report: Broncos QB Peyton Manning will 'almost certainly' play next season
Patriots QB Tom Brady: 'I've got a lot of football left'
Tale of Two Receivers: Justin Blackmon & Josh Gordon
As expected, Falcons hire Dan Quinn to be head coach
Browns QB Johnny Manziel has entered rehab facility
Fantasy Baseball Basics

2015 NFL Draft Picks by Team

Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:35 AM PST

A pick chart showing the number of picks each team has and what they are.

WR Eric Decker has been 'pushing' Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas to join Jets

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 08:06 PM PST

We still have about five weeks remaining until Demaryius Thomas officially hits the open market. Chances are the Broncos won't allow him to get there, either via a big contract or the franchise tag. But Jets wide receiver Eric Decker has been trying to sell his old teammate on why they should re-join forces in New York. quot;I've been pushing for the entire year now," Decker said of his efforts to recruit Thomas "... It's going to be interesting to see what happens. I think it would be tough for Denver to let him go. So whether they franchise-tag him here in the next month or give him a long-term deal, he's just one of those premier players in this league. If he happens to make it to free agency, I would love to sign him because playing alongside him for four years and especially the last two years made it a lot of fun and made it a lot easier. He's just one of the great players in this league." Decker averaged 86 catches, 1,176 yards and 12 touchdowns during those last two years when he was on the field with Thomas -- and Peyton Manning. As the No. 1 wideout for the Geno Smith- and Michael Vick-led Jets, Decker recorded 74 receptions, 962 yards and five scores in 15 games. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Can't knock a guy for trying. But it's not all bad for Decker if his sales pitch doesn't work (and it won't). Decker was fantasy's No. 28 WR in 2014. In other words, he was a worthy WR3 in 10-team leagues despite missing one game and being bothered in a handful of others by a hamstring injury. The Jets need more talent on the outside, but they need to find a stable, accurate quarterback most of all. Decker knows this. Thomas knows this. And barring a dramatic, unexpected turn, Demaryius isn't going to leave the Broncos and Manning to go catch passes from ... well, that is anyone's guess at this point. If the Jets can finally solve their riddle under center this offseason, Decker would have top-20 upside among wideouts.

Bengals WR Marvin Jones, TE Tyler Eifert 'progressing well' from injuries

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 06:08 PM PST

The Bengals finished this season ranked 15th in points and yards gained. They were good enough to get to the playoffs, but there's little doubt that offense would have been better if wide receiver Marvin Jones and tight end Tyler Eifert had been physically able to play in more than a combined total of one game. The good news is those two players are quot;progressing well" from their season-ending injuries, head coach Marvin Lewis said last week. Jones never took part in a game because of a nagging ankle injury and a broken foot. Eifert was slow to recover from a dislocated elbow suffered in Week 1. His season officially ended when he underwent shoulder surgery in December. FANTASY ANALYSIS: I was all aboard the Jones bandwagon last summer. The 6-foot-2 wideout scored 10 touchdowns and gained more than 700 yards in 2013 despite playing fewer than 50 percent of the snaps. If he had been able to stay healthy, I believe it would have been Jones, not Mohamed Sanu, who carried the Bengals' passing attack while A.J. Green was on the mend. I'm still a believer for 2015. He'll be very cheap in drafts. I've never been a big Eifert fan, but he had a serviceable rookie season two years ago -- 39 catches, 445 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games -- and with Jermaine Gresham headed into free agency, this Golden Domer will likely find his way onto many tight end sleeper lists in about six months.

Seahawks CB Richard Sherman needs Tommy John surgery

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 12:20 PM PST

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman will undergo surgery to repair the torn ligaments in his left elbow. Specifically, he requires Tommy John surgery, which is common among baseball pitchers and involves replacing the elbow's ulnar collateral ligament with a tendon from elsewhere in the body, most often the forearm. Sherman tore that ligament, among others, during the NFC Championship game versus Green Bay. But Sherman isn't the only Seattle defensive back who will or could be going under the knife. Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed Monday that cornerback Jeremy Lane suffered a quot;significant" broken arm during Sunday's Super Bowl loss and needs surgery. Safety Earl Thomas may need surgery on his shoulder but will receive a second opinion before anything else happens. It's been rumored that he has a torn labrum. And safety Kam Chancellor may go into the OR to fix the knee injury he sustained late last week. FANTASY ANALYSIS: TJ surgery is a scourge in the MLB and usually requires a pitcher to stay away from competition for a full year or more. But Sherman isn't unleashing any 98 MPH fastballs any time soon. He should be fine for next season. So, what heals first for these banged-up DBs: The physical scars, or the emotional scars left behind by last night's conclusion?

Report: Broncos QB Peyton Manning will 'almost certainly' play next season

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 11:37 AM PST

It has been reported that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning could make his decision about whether to play in 2015 this week. NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt says playing will most likely indeed be Manning's choice. Brandt tweeted Monday that he's quot;hearing Peyton Manning almost certainly will return for 18th season." Manning was on his way to another amazing statistical year before a December quadriceps injury sapped his strength and ultimately played a big role in bringing down the Broncos' offense and season. FANTASY ANALYSIS: "Almost certainly." The door is left cracked for a switch to retirement probably because Manning still has to undergo his annual physical. As long as that comes back clean, Manning will stay in the NFL. His $19 million contract becomes fully guaranteed on March 10. Manning will be an interesting case when fantasy draft season gets underway this summer. He might come with some value because many people will remember how he cratered late in 2014 and overlook just how productive he was through Week 12 -- 3,558 yards and 34 touchdowns with five games left to play. However, it's not like those concerns are irrational. Between his surgically repaired neck and the quad injuries, Manning operating at full strength for a full season can't be taken for granted, especially as he enters his age-39 campaign. Plus, two of his most dangerous receivers, Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas, are scheduled to enter free agency next month. If you could assure me those guys will remain in Mile High and that Manning will make it through next year healthy, he's an easy top-three fantasy signal-caller, perhaps No. 1. With all of unknowns factored in, I think he's definitely no better than third; I'd rather own Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck at least. That's not bad at all, but Manning's current ceiling isn't quite as high as in years past.

Patriots QB Tom Brady: 'I've got a lot of football left'

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 10:39 AM PST

Tom Brady just won his fourth Super Bowl title. So, what's he going to do next? Well, he's not going to Disneyland; that trip has been booked for Julian Edelman and Malcolm Butler. And Brady is also not going to retire. After last night's dramatic win, Brady was asked if he's thought about what this latest achievement means for his NFL legacy. The 37-year-old Brady responded, quot;No. I've got a lot of football left." Despite throwing for fewer than 250 yards and no more than one touchdown in each of the season's first four games, 2014 marked the fourth time in the past five yards that Brady's topped 4,000 yards or 30 TDs. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Brady is no longer at the height of his powers, but he can still be plenty productive because of how the Patriots design their offense. This was no clearer than on the sport's biggest stage Sunday versus a very strong defense. Brady picked the Seahawks apart because he just has too many weapons -- Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Shane Vereen, Danny Amendola -- who are adept at running short routes with exceptional efficiency. Brady's physical skills have diminished with age, but he doesn't need much time or arm strength to get the ball where it needs to be. Those short routes help his accuracy, and defenses just can't react quickly enough to all of the movement by his targets within 5 to 7 yards from the line of scrimmage. Anything New England gets out of its running game or down the field from Brandon LaFell seems like a bonus because Brady is always going to find someone open short over the middle or along the sidelines. He leads his receivers in the route brilliantly and his smarts can't be disputed. As long as Gronkowski stays in one piece, Brady should remain a stellar QB1 for 2015. Despite those early struggles, which led to plenty of "Is he done?" conversations about Brady, he ended this season as fantasy's No. 9 quarterback.

Tale of Two Receivers: Justin Blackmon & Josh Gordon

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 09:43 AM PST

Josh Gordon and Justin Blackmon are two of the NFL's most promising – and troubled – young receivers. Here's a look at how their substance-related violations will affect their fantasy value in 2015.

As expected, Falcons hire Dan Quinn to be head coach

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 09:39 AM PST

An official announcement may not come until tomorrow, but the Falcons have hired Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to be their head coach. According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, via sources, the two sides agreed in principle to a five-year contract overnight. Quinn helped turn Seattle's defense into the league's best during his two seasons employed in the Pacific Northwest. FANTASY ANALYSIS: I gave my take on this story over the weekend. Since Quinn is a defense-first coach, the Falcons' fantasy prospects will depend much more on how they function under OC Kyle Shanahan. He's the coach fantasy owners should really care about here. But if Quinn is able to turn Atlanta's defense into something resembling Seattle's, that will undoubtedly have an effect on how the Falcons run their offense. Specifically, it may force them to become more dependent on ball control. Of course, that would require a strong running game, and that's not something anyone can say with conviction Atlanta has at the moment.

Browns QB Johnny Manziel has entered rehab facility

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 09:22 AM PST

The party-boy image of Johnny Manziel may have veiled a deeper, darker issue. The Browns announced today that their first-round quarterback entered a treatment facility last week. The exact reason for treatment or how long he will be in the facility is unknown. quot;We respect Johnny's initiative in this decision and will fully support him throughout this process," Browns general manager Ray Farmer said. "Our players' health and well-being will always be of the utmost importance to the Cleveland Browns. "We continually strive to create a supportive environment and provide the appropriate resources, with our foremost focus being on the individual and not just the football player. Johnny's privacy will be respected by us during this very important period and we hope that others will do the same." FANTASY ANALYSIS: This follows a recent report that chronicled how Manziel was committed to nightlife during his rookie season and was found "drunk off his ass" one day before Cleveland's regular-season finale. A lot of people will use this news to further pummel the punching bag that Manziel has become. Certainly, he brought a lot of the overwhelming attention and criticism upon himself with his words and actions -- *flashes the money sign*. But it's clear that Manziel has a serious problem. He needs help and support. Hopefully he finds it in spades. What he's dealing with now is much more important than his future as a football player.