Michael Fabiano is off this week, so fantasy editor Marcas Grant comes off the bench to fill in for the Fantasy Mailbag.
With so many options in Denver, is it worth making a Bronco WR your No. 1? - @BigtimrrDion (via Twitter)
Marcas Grant: It's a fair question considering the addition of Wes Welker to a receiving corps that already features Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. But the player most likely to see a decline in targets is going to be Decker. Peyton Manning has always been good about spreading the ball around, but he's also always had a favorite target, whether it was Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne. In this case, that favorite target is going to be Thomas. If there's a Broncos wideout to target as a No. 1, Thomas is the guy.
Is Russell Wilson an early draft pick? - @jaymapps (via Twitter)
MG: That all depends on what your definition of "early" is. In all seriousness, Wilson has a bright future ahead of him after his fantastic rookie season. He's currently ranked eighth among the NFL.com fantasy staff, which puts him as a low-end No. 1 QB option. If you subscribe to Michael Fabiano's theory that no quarterbacks should come off the board until the fourth round at the earliest, it likely slots Wilson somewhere in the fifth or sixth round. However, since it's probable that not everyone in your league will read this (although they should), it wouldn't be a surprise to see Wilson selected in the third or fourth round in plenty of drafts.
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In his latest mock draft, Daniel Jeremiah says Geno Smith could land in a surprising place -- with the Eagles. **More ...**
Which rookie wide receiver and running back could have a big year? - @bicgenius (via Twitter)
MG: This year's draft isn't loaded with immediate impact players, unlike last season which gave us Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Alfred Morris and others. Of course, a prospect's fantasy value has a lot to do with which team he lands with. However, there are a couple of potential draftees that could have some decent fantasy value. At the receiver spot, West Virginia's Tavon Austin has fantastic speed and is drawing comparisons to Percy Harvin. Among running backs, Eddie Lacy's power and strength could make him a quality short-yardage and goal line runner at the next level. Regardless, neither should come off the board until the late rounds in any draft.
MG: Actually, they already do. Seattle's defense -- can we nickname them the Ballhawks? -- is a unanimous number one among our staff leading into 2013. But the Niners aren't far behind. Both squads should have quality defensive units once again next season and are likely to be among the first defenses off the board. While we have the Seahawks ranked first, if you end up with the Niners instead, you'll still be in good shape.
Will the new crown of the helmet rule for running backs hurt their fantasy value? - @cwsircy (via Twitter)
MG: We won't know for certain until we get a sense of how officials are going to interpret the rule on the field. But early indications are that the rule has a much narrower focus than many originally anticipated. Not to mention that plenty of running backs have said they have no plans to change up their running styles. It will be interesting to watch, but I wouldn't go about changing your draft strategies just yet.
Will Greg jennings be a top 10 receiver this season? - @DanniZhu (via Twitter)
MG: In a word ... no. Jennings' best days appear to be behind him. Injuries have limited him to 21 games in the past two seasons and even if he had stayed in Green Bay, he would be challenged by Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson for the top spot on the depth chart. Now he's making the move to Minnesota where he'll experience a severe downgrade in quarterback from Aaron Rodgers to Christian Ponder. At this point, even considering Jennings as a top 15 wideout would be a stretch.
Is Maurice Jones-Drew worth a keeper selection? And I have Aaron Rodgers as a keeper, is it time to trade him? - @APEXoftheAVATAR (via Twitter)
MG: Let's start with Rodgers. The Packers star has finished among the top three fantasy scorers for each of the past four seasons and there's little indication that he's going to experience a major dropoff this year. Besides, there's no real way you can get anything close to commensurate value for a player with such value. As for MJD, his general absence from the fantasy scene means you should have a fair chance to pick him up in a re-draft. With a full offseason to rehab and no competition in the backfield, there's a solid chance that he can rebound from an awful 2012.
16-team standard scoring league with three keepers. LeSean McCoy, Chris Johnson, Trent Richardson, Jimmy Graham and Percy Harvin -- which three? - @scoop74 (via Twitter)
MG:Â McCoy and Richardson are the easy ones -- that would give you two top 10 running backs and giving you a leg up at the position. As for your third keeper, staying with Harvin adds a top 10 receiver to your roster ... and a guy who has every chance to make the leap into the ranks of the elite this season. Graham is an interesting prospect, but he should be available in a re-draft while Johnson is primed for a decline with Shonn Greene now in the fold in Tennessee.
I'm in a keeper league having trouble with who to keep. Either Julio Jones or Dez Bryant. I'm keeping Trent Richardson, Arian Foster and A.J. Green. - @DB0ve (via Twitter)
MG: That's a good problem to have, but I'd suggest rolling with Bryant. Whether or not you believe he has the ability to be a 2,000-yard receiver, he's definitely the clear-cut No. 1 pass-catcher for the Cowboys. Jones will undoubtedly be a top 10 receiver this season, but he's also playing alongside another No. 1-caliber receiver in Roddy White. Bryant finished last season on a tear and looks poised to keep it going into 2013.
Which RB tandem will produce the most this year? David Wilson-Andre Brown, Daryl Richardson-Isaiah Pead or Lamar Miller-Daniel Thomas? - @DarthLoco
MG: Wilson and Brown were both quite productive at times last season and with Ahmad Bradshaw now out of the mix in New York, they will have more chances to contribute. Richardson performed well behind Steven Jackson last season, but Pead remains an unknown. And while the Dolphins are excited about what Lamar Miller can do, they seem much less confident about Daniel Thomas.
Follow Marcas on Twitter @MarcasG
