What we are talking about:
Eric Decker
He's the one to have in Denver
Ryan Clark
A player worth following
Mandy Peet
She's back on TV; life's good
Tim Tebow was recently gunning for Mark Sanchez's girl, Kate Upton, and now he's going for his job. To quote the great Vince Lombardi, what the hell is going on here?
Well, we should pump the brakes for a moment. Tim Tebow was a New York Jet -- for about 11 minutes or a lifetime for a Kardashian marriage -- before reports of a snag surfaced. Figures, just another instance of something Tebow can't complete.
But the deal went through, and fantasy enthusiasts should breathe a sigh of relief, as you'll no longer be tempted to draft either quarterback. Sanchez scored the tenth-most fantasy points at quarterback, but his six touchdowns from last year would likely evaporate. Even Shonn Greene's value as a breakout and Joe McKnight as a sleeper take a hit with Tebow calling his number at the goal line.
So what do you do with Manning this season?
Manning is still a member of the Fantasy Illuminati, just based on history. And to be honest, everybody carries a risk of serious injury every time he takes a snap. But not every quarterback is coming off four neck surgeries and an entire year on the sidelines.
I'll let Manning be somebody else's worries. I'll take Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Tony Romo, Philip Rivers and even Eli Manning ahead of Peyton.
But we'll have time to think this out as we get closer to training camp. For right now, here are my Likes and Dislikes of free agency so far. And the other inanity which you have all grown to like or dislike (... mostly dislike).
And without further ado ...
Eric Decker is going to be the WR who benefits the most from Peyton Manning. Look at the receivers who flourish the most under Manning -- savvy route runners. That's Decker, who should get 90 catches this season, no problem. …
Am I taking Decker over Thomas in my fantasy drafts? That's a tough call. Decker is the obvious call in PPR leagues, though. …
I can understand why the Broncos fans are so happy with Manning. I feel the same way about the Angels' signing of Albert Pujols. Except Pujols is five years younger. And not coming off four neck surgeries. And clutch. Wait, why are Broncos fans so excited again? …
ImageThe Angels' Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick and Pujols are all hitting over .400 this spring. Kendrick and Pujols each have three dingers. Manning talk has dominated the sports world, except for here in Orange County. Hey, don't blame us; the NFL has left us without a team since 1994. …
Josh Freeman should have a nice bounce-back year, especially with Vincent Jackson in the mix. Well, that and having a coach who knows what he's doing also should help. I like Freeman as a low-end No. 1 QB right now. …
Robert Meachem had 20 touchdown receptions over the last three seasons. Jackson had 21. And before you point out Jackson's absence in 2010, realize Meachem only started a handful of games for the Saints during that time. …
Meachem is one of those guys who will fit the Chargers' system. This is the kind of move to leave fans angry based on name recognition, but Meachem will easily match most of Jackson's numbers. Jackson did have a pretty yards-per-catch average, which Meachem might not reach. But lock Meachem down for double-digit touchdowns. …
Eddie Royal has some sleeper appeal. It's weird, you talk to defensive backs about the best receivers going, and Royal's name comes up a lot. The Chargers obviously know something, having seen him for four years. When your division rival scoops up one of your players, take that as a good sign -- they're often the most familiar with them. …
ImageI guess with Royal's situation, it's similar to comedy, whereas the funniest guys you'll ever see are the people most have never heard of -- like Eric Schwartz. So take it from somebody who was there. Did a show with him this week and can't remember a time when I was more impressed. Smooth E, as he's called, was amazing. Follow him on Twitter. …
Ryan Mathews benefits from Tolbert being in Carolina, which is a big boon. Unless the Chargers bring in a touchdown vulture to replace him. But guys like Jackie Battle don't scare me. …
I don't believe Matt Flynn settled for Seattle, rather this was an indictment of the situation in Miami. Flynn gets unfairly compared to other backup quarterbacks who have failed as starters. But let's look at the Packers' history -- Mark Brunnell, Matt Hasselbeck, Kurt Warner, Aaron Brooks and Aaron Rodgers. Not saying Flynn will be as good, but give him some credit. …
Oh yeah, Brett Favre was another former Packers backup who turned out all right. …
ImageSeems like the only reason people will be going to Miami is for Wrestlemania XXVIII. And there has been a lot of talk about The Miz turning heel at Wrestlemania. But you've heard the boos for months, right? He's already a heel. The amazing thing about this buildup with the Rock is Cena is actually turning face. I'll have my full Wrestlemania picks next week. …
ImageAnd should I be mad at David Otunga for stealing my coffee mug gag? He's kicked it up a notch by using the travel mug, but come on. And he wears sweaters? This is too much. But this puts me in a weird spot where I need Otunga's legal services to sue him. …
BTW, Lloyd joined the Dave Dameshek Football Program and talked a little bit about fashion and wrestling. In case you've never seen it, Lloyd mimics Cena's "you can't see me" move after a big play. So I figured he would catch a "Miz" reference I threw at him, but not so much. Maybe what they say about The Miz is true. …
ImageAll right, one early prediction: The Miz gets involved in the main event of Wrestlemania XXVIII. Otherwise his losing streak and promos about wanting a spot in the show would be pointless. Not like the WWE has never done anything pointless, but still. …
I like the Bengals' signing of BenJarvus Green-Ellis. As long as no other back is brought in to compete with him. I also like how the Bengals addressed all their previous legal problems by acquiring their own "Law Firm." Might have made more sense for the Saints, though. ...
I'll be bent if Michael Bush signs with the Seahawks. He would have been perfect as a feature back in Cincinnati. Now I'm worried he might hurt Marshawn Lynch's value. If he wants to make me happy, he can sign with Cleveland.
ImageSpeaking of which, I kept hearing the promos for "Bent" on NBC and it sounded like one of those hacky sitcoms that I would never watch (although this segue was worse). And then I heard Mandy Peet stars in it, so now I've already set up the DVR for a season pass. ...
I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm for RG3, Esquire. A lot of fantasy enthusiasts who missed out on Cam Newton last year are going to double-down on RG3 in 2012. And the same will go for Pierre Garcon, who was recently signed. I like Garcon a lot if you can get him at a proper value as a No. 2. I don't like him at all as a No. 1. …
I don't follow NFL players on Twitter. Partly because Steve Smith isn't on Twitter. And secondly, I did before and it failed to interest me. I'm now making an exception and I will follow Ryan Clark on Twitter. …
You're welcome, Ryan. …
Don't be so quick to believe Demaryius Thomas is the WR to have in Denver. One of the knocks against him when he entered last year's draft was that he struggles at route running, but makes up for it with his athleticism. …
That's not to say Thomas can't be great. But he's going to need to get up to speed rather quickly to be immediately effective. …
I'm trying to figure out if Manning's signing is more like the Yankees signing of Alex Rodriguez (years ago) or Andy Pettitte. I have to admit, I admire Pettitte. I don't know where a 39-year-old admitted steroid user finds a Fountain of Youth, but he seems to have found it. …
ImageI really feel sick to my stomach grabbing Yu Darvish for my fantasy team this season. He joins King Felix in my rotation. In fact, I have Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano on my team. No wonder I hate fantasy baseball so much. I have to root for my enemies every day. …
Vincent Jackson is a great talent, but don't look for his numbers to improve with the Buccaneers. He's going to be a great benefit to Freeman, but V.J.'s comparisons to T.O. are a little off. …
The most staggering thing about Jackson is he's never reached double-digits in touchdown receptions. For a guy his size, this has to be a concern. There were also times last year (particularly against the Raiders at home) where he seemed to give up on the ball way too easy. …
One name the Bucs fans don't want to hear is Alvin Harper. But don't worry, Harper was a No. 2 who benefitted from playing opposite Michael Irvin. It's not like Vincent Jackson had a big-bodied guy playing alongside him. At tight end. You know, a guy who played college basketball and then became a football player. Nope, nobody like that at all in San Diego. …
Wait, you know I was talking about Antonio Gates, right? Sometimes I'm a little too subtle for some of you. …
Mike Tolbert is another post-Chargers guy looking to strike out on his own. But Carolina, which already has DeAngelo Williams and Jon Stewart? Are the Panthers going to break out the single wing formation? All three of those guys lose some value because Tolbert is a known touchdown vulture. …
Tolbert's presence is enough to knock Cam Newton down my fantasy rankings. Not far, just from No. 2 to No. 5. The locker room in Carolina needs harmony, and there is no chance Newton reaches 14 rushing touchdowns again. Not with three running backs needing red zone touches. As Steve Smith once said on the DDFP, Cam is going to need to keep his teammates happy. …
Peyton Hillis to the Chiefs is a great football move, lousy fantasy move. Hillis just nuked his fantasy value, with Jamaal Charles suffering collateral damage. …
ImageSpeaking of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, is it my imagination or is "The Hunger Games" really just a reboot of "The Running Man"? How dare you make this reboot without Jim Brown. Wait, he's not in this, is he? Let me check IMDB real quick. (Pause) Nope, he's not in it. This is an outrage. …
The Browns should pass on Ryan Tannehill and Trent Richardson with the No. 4 overall selection and instead focus on Justin Blackmon or Morris Claiborne. Tannehill, Brandon Weeden or Lamar Miller will be available for the Browns for their second pick in the first round. …
Rashard Mendenhall looks like he won't return to the Steelers and even if he does, don't expect the real Mendenhall until at least 2013. …
Ahmad Bradshaw told reporters he's ready to go and 100 percent for the 2012 season. Bradshaw said he's willing to do whatever's asked for him, but it's hard to imagine the Giants giving him a heavy workload with his history of injuries. He'd be a great feature back, but he's splitting time with somebody next year. …
All right, what is wrong with the Dolphins? Are players that turned off by the B-list celebrities hanging around, they'd rather not go there? Ryan Clark said so. And you have to believe Manning felt the same way during his courtship. Well, so much for Reggie Bush's fantasy value. …
You have to imagine Alex Smith would take the opportunity to stick it to the 49ers for the whole Manning courtship by going with Miami, but even that's too severe. He's back, but it doesn't matter much fantasy wise …
And to be honest, how butt-hurt can Smith really be? We're talking about Peyton Manning, and this is the NFL -- not Little League. Even then, I had to sit behind Darryl Kile in Little League. …
Don't expect big numbers from Mario Manningham, probably the most apt comparison to Harper of all of the receivers out there. …
Oh wait, we have another contender for the dreaded Alvin Harper Award: It's former Cowboys WR Laurent Robinson. Congratulations on the new contract, but who much are you giving up in long-term viability signing with the Jaguars? Oh well, maybe he can reteam with Tony Romo in Jacksonville when he's released for not leading the Cowboys to the playoffs again this season. …
I like Kyle Rudolph as a fantasy sleeper at tight end this year. But having John Carlson in the mix now kills that. Seriously, the two tight end (expletive) only works in fantasy when Tom Brady is your quarterback. …
ImageNice work, Jets. It's bad enough you made a deal for Tebow, but you made your team look worse by trying to get out of it. I would have at least respected your decision if you stood by it and weathered the criticism. I mean, you did it when you signed Sanchez to an extension. Terrible. Not only did the Jets get sent to work in the boiler room, they lost their red Swingline stapler, too.
For the record, you can submit your fantasy questions to NFL Fantasy Live, Michael Fabiano or me on Twitter. But realize, NFL Fantasy Live has 45,000 followers, and Fabiano has 50,000. Me? Just 13. See, the odds are better I will answer your question, so hit me up both via Twitter or via Facebook. Also be sure to catch the latest "Dave Dameshek Football Program."