Fantasy Football Analysis Draft - Round 11
By KFFL Staff
1) Terrell Owens, wide receiver, free agent
Team: Nicholas Minnix | Team Roster
Reason: Throwing caution to the wind: There isn't much in the way of risk at this stage. I have a lack of depth at wideout, so I wanted to add one with considerable upside. Owens is 36 and has lost a step, but his biggest impediment to success last year was the offense he joined. He's a workout fiend. Lack of interest on the open market may humble him - a little. Will he have something to prove? I'll take my chances that he ends up as a complementary receiver on a better team than the
Buffalo Bills.
2) Kenny Britt, wide receiver, Tennessee Titans
Team: Tim Heaney | Team Roster
Talent wins out |
Reason: "Question Mark" - man, that makes me confident - showed big-play ability last year, even when
Vince Young took over under center. It's early enough for him to correct problems he has had in offseason workouts.
Nate Washington?
Justin Gage? Please. Britt (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) is a big target. I know, it's a run-first offense, but for my No. 5 wideout, I'm willing to select talent above all else.
3) Darren Sproles, running back, San Diego Chargers
Team: Ilan Mochari | Team Roster
Reason: Sproles caught 45 passes last year - good for 11th in the
NFL among running backs. Better still, Sproles ranked third among running backs with 497 receiving yards. He added seven total touchdowns, four of which came through the air. Those numbers could actually increase now that
LaDainian Tomlinson is out of town. Sure, I expect
Ryan Mathews to log the majority of carries, but Sproles could see tons of time on passing downs as the rookie learns the art of blocking. I'm not expecting miracles from Sproles, but I believe he'll be a superb No. 4 RB and bye-week starter in a PPR format.
4) Kevin Smith, running back, Detroit Lions
Team: Mike Egnak | Team Roster
Reason: Smith struggled last season before suffering a torn ACL Week 14. He may start the year on the PUP list and the team is looking to work him in slowly, but he has taken part in some drills this offseason. Even if he comes back, he will still have to compete with running back
Jahvid Best for playing time. However, if Best struggles or gets hurt, Smith could find himself in a starting role again.
5) Visanthe Shiancoe, tight end, Minnesota Vikings
Team: Ryan R. Bonini | Team Roster
Reason: I've waited long enough for a tight end, but it's a deep class this year, and I have no reservations having Shiancoe as my No. 1 option. Ideally, I could have waited longer on him, but teams are starting to add second tight ends, so I don't want to be left out in the cold. For such a big guy, Shiancoe has very soft hands and a nose for the end zone. He has 18 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined, and provided
Brett Favre is under center, he will see plenty of opportunities again while defenses focus on the other talented skill players on Minnesota's roster.
6) Devin Thomas, wide receiver, Washington Redskins
Team: Keith Hernandez | Team Roster
In for a big season? |
Reason: A little WR handcuff for
Santana Moss can't hurt, considering Moss is nearing the end of his career. With a new and better quarterback in town (
Donovan McNabb), I am excited for a potential breakout season from Thomas. He is definitely worth the risk as my No. 5 receiver; Thomas' size and speed easily make him a candidate for a huge year in what could be a high-scoring offense.
7) Austin Collie, wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts
Team: Jack Douglas | Team Roster
Reason: I needed depth at wide receiver, having just three on my roster before this pick. Collie was a pleasant surprise in 2009, a season wherein he caught 60 balls for 676 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The
Indianapolis Colts' receiving corps may be a bit crowded this season if wide receiver
Anthony Gonzalez (knee) makes a return from last year's season lost to injury. Even so, Collie proved to be a gamer and in this, his second year, I look for him to catch another 50-60 passes for around 600-700 yards and five to seven touchdowns, which is decent for a fill-in player off my bench.
8) Kevin Boss, tight end, New York Giants
Team: Tim Piotrowski | Team Roster
Reason: I needed an insurance policy in case
Owen Daniels is not able to come back healthy from his knee injury, so I decided to select Boss because he appeared to have a good chemistry with quarterback
Eli Manning last season and should continue to build that relationship.
9) Nate Burleson, wide receiver, Detroit Lions
Team: John Kotch | Team Roster
Reason: Burleson will be playing opposite
Calvin Johnson this season and will likely see a lot of single coverage. Burleson had his best season as a pro in 2004, when he was playing opposite
Randy Moss in Minnesota. He was also coached by
Scott Linehan during that season, and returns to a Linehan-run offensive scheme in Detroit. Despite playing on a bad
Seattle Seahawks team last season, Burleson still managed 63 catches for 812 yards and three touchdowns in only 13 games. He was a good value here, and I like his upside.
10) Matthew Stafford, quarterback, Detroit Lions
Team: Jared Byrd | Team Roster
Better in his second year? |
Reason: I wanted to have a competent backup quarterback in case anything happened to
Drew Brees and chose Stafford over
Mark Sanchez because the Lions' offense was more pass-oriented. I'd like to see him cut down on the number of interceptions he threw last season (20) and feel that the addition of
Nate Burleson to a receiving corps that already included
Calvin Johnson can only help him.
11) Leon Washington, running back, Seattle Seahawks
Team: Cory J. Bonini | Team Roster
Reason: As a fifth back, in PPR, Washington (leg) has plenty of upside. I am not concerned about his leg but rather aware that he may be eased into the game plan in the early portion of the season. Washington could make for a quality flex play most weeks.
12) Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver, Denver Broncos
Team: Bryce McRae | Team Roster
Reason: One of Denver's first-round picks this year, Thomas still needs some polish, but his physical talents should win him the job in camp. He has the most big-play potential of any wideout in this offense, and head coach
Josh McDaniels likes to make use of the mismatches on offense, rather than force the ball. The 6-foot-3, 224-pound wideout with blazing speed should create plenty of those favorable situations. A worthwhile gamble as my No. 4 receiver.
