Fantasy Football: AFC North division preview

August 3, 2010 @ 04:03:59

By Cory J. Bonini
Edited by Bryce McRae

AFC East

Baltimore Ravens

Fantasy situations to watch

This Raven ready to fly?

• Will the offense transition from a run-first team to a pass-friendly attack with its new weapons? Will there be enough balls to go around for Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, Donte' Stallworth, Mark Clayton, Todd Heap and Ray Rice?
• Is quarterback Joe Flacco ready to make the leap from improving signal caller to the upper echelon? He better, because Baltimore's defense may be relying on the offense to carry this team in 2010. Flacco has the poise, arm, intelligence and now targets to get the job done.

Fantasy football sleepers

• Flacco tops the list of all our sleepers. He is in prime position to explode and can be drafted as a low-end No. 1 fantasy quarterback.
• Stallworth is also intriguing, but he's not worth drafting. He could make for a sneaky waiver wire play some weeks, but he'll be tough to count on. 

Offensive line analysis: Assuming the injured parties - center Matt Birk (elbow), right tackles Jared Gaither (undisclosed), Oniel Cousins (throat) - rebound, Baltimore has one of the strongest front fives in the league.

Cincinnati Bengals

Fantasy situations to watch

• No doubt most eyes will be on the relationship between wideouts Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, but we're not concerned about that. Quarterback Carson Palmer is the key here. He can't be tentative. His elbow has to be 100 percent, and Palmer needs to impose his leadership on this offense.
• Is running back Cedric Benson ready to start where he left off? Will he be the Benson we saw last year or the prior NFL version?
• Can right tackle Andre Smith (foot) stay healthy and productive? His growth will go a long way for this offense.

Fantasy football sleepers

• It's tough to call Owens a sleeper, but many owners are writing him off after last year. He makes for a quality No. 3 that you can often land as a fourth.
• Palmer has the tools around him, and the offense, despite what coordinator Bob Bratkowski wants us to think, should revert to its prior pass-happy ways.
• Running back Bernard Scott has upside as a late-round pick, even more so for Benson owners. Benson's knack of finding off-the-field trouble and history of injuries could pave the way for Scott to see the field often.

Offensive line analysis: Going on the premise that Smith stays healthy, this group could be very good. They're better suited to run block but are capable in the pass-protection game.

Cleveland Browns

Fantasy situations to watch

Any fantasy value in CLE's backfield?

• While we're not sure you even want to watch, Cleveland has a dearth of talent. The most exciting battle to watch is between rookie running back Montario Hardesty (knee), once he returns in a few weeks, and tailback Jerome Harrison. Hardesty is a better between-the-tackles guy, and Harrison complements him well on the outside as well as in the passing game.
• How long will it take before quarterback Jake Delhomme is benched for Seneca Wallace? If (when?) the team is completely out of it, will we see rookie Colt McCoy?

Fantasy football sleepers

• Given Hardesty's knee injury and the valuable loss of camp time, we'll point the finger at second-year receiver Brian Robiskie. Although no one may be capable of getting the ball to him, he has looked great and is running with the starters this offseason. The talent is there, but his QB situation may hinder his growth.

Offensive line analysis: They have improved, but center Alex Mack will need to be great. The left side of the line is their strength, but their overall depth is suspect.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Fantasy situations to watch

• All eyes are on the quarterback situation. The Steelers will need to balance first-team reps with Ben Roethlisberger, knowing he'll be out up to six games, and Byron Leftwich, who needs the work. Some are clamoring for Dennis Dixon here, but it seems like a long shot for him to start.
• Can wideout Mike Wallace effectively replace Santonio Holmes (Jets) as the No. 2? How will Wallace respond to double coverages and consistent jams at the line of scrimmage?
• Can running back Rashard Mendenhall expand on last year's promising season? Fantasy owners are drafting him like he will.

Fantasy football sleepers

• Can we say none? Sure, we can, but that would be too easy. Rookie running back Jonathan Dwyer could be in line for enough touches to matter to fantasy owners. He's a late flier in addition to being a handcuff to Mendenhall.

Offensive line analysis: Starting right tackle Willie Colon (Achilles') was lost for the season, but Pittsburgh signed veteran left tackle Flozell Adams (Cowboys) to replace Colon on the right side. Still, this doesn't make the Steelers' line markedly better. Leftwich, with his slow release, could be in for a few long days.

Also see:

AFC: East | North | South | West

NFC: East | North | South | West

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Cory J. Bonini

Cory J. Bonini is a senior editor at KFFL. In late 2002, Bonini joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst. He vaulted himself into one of the industry's leading fantasy analysts.

Bonini has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, he has been featured in print, on the radio and is also a published writer on scores of sites. Bonini co-hosted Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 2011 to 2012.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors.

Follow him on Twitter @CoryKFFL

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