20-Nov-2009 18:05pm | |
RealTime Fantasy Sports Draft Guide
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Arizona Atlanta Baltimore Buffalo Carolina Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit Green Bay Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Kansas City Miami Minnesota New Orleans New England New York Giants New York Jets Oakland Philadelphia Pittsburgh San Diego Seattle San Francisco St Louis Tampa Bay Tennessee Washington Mid-round TargetsBy Jeff Paur RealTime Fantasy Sports A team can be made or broken during the middle rounds of a draft. So you'll want to do your best to get top value during those crucial rounds of the draft. Below is our list of guys we are targeting during the middle rounds come draft day. Most of these guys bring good value and upside for where they are going in early drafts, making them top mid-round targets for fantasy teams. Donald Brown, RB, Colts. The rookie has a chance to steal playing time from Joseph Addai, who hasn't been the back the Colts had hoped in recent seasons. If Brown comes on strong in camp and preseason action, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him play a huge role early in the season and even take over the starting job at some point. This potential makes him a great back to take as a No. 3 or 4 option for fantasy teams. 
Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos. Royal is dropping in drafts, mostly due to the fact Jay Cutler is gone. You can get him as a low-end No. 2 or even top No. 3 receiver. That is a steal. He is coming off a breakout rookie season. And while Cutler is gone, the Broncos are still going to be a pass-first team and Royal has the makeup to be the Wes Welker of Josh McDaniel's offense. Royal has a lot of potential in PPR leagues. He'll be a top safety net for starter Kyle Orton, who is an accurate passer but won't push the ball downfield a ton, which could benefit Royal. Donnie Avery, WR, Rams. The Rams offense was awful last season, but should be better with a healthy Steven Jackson in the mix and an improved offensive line. And with Torry Holt gone, Avery is the top option in the passing game. He'll get the most targets in the Rams offense. He should be a solid No. 2 receiver for fantasy teams. We could see him notching his first 1,000-yard season. Avery is a big-play threat that can make a lot happen after the catch. Ray Rice, RB, Ravens. The Ravens are likely going to go with a committee approach again at running back this season, but Rice is atop the depth chart for now. He has a chance to get more carries than the other two backs if he produces early in the season. And quite frankly, Rice has the most talent of the Ravens backs, which is a good thing. He catches the ball out of the backfield well and has the most big-play potential of the three backs. So getting a starting back in the middle of your draft could be a huge get for many fantasy teams. T.J. Duckett, RB, Seahawks. We aren't sure his yardage numbers will be off the charts, but he should get a few more carries this season with Gregg Knapp calling plays. Knapp was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta when Duckett enjoyed his most success. And Duckett should get the goal-line work for the Seahawks, which is another good reason to take a chance on him in the middle rounds. He could get double-digit scores in this offense. Duckett has a track record of success in this role. Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs. Larry Johnson has a lot of carries under his belt the last few seasons, so we aren't counting on him to make it through this year healthy. And if the goes down, Charles is the man. Charles has potential if he gets a starting job. He can make big plays in the running game and is a more than adequate pass catcher. He could surprise in what could be a fairly explosive Chiefs offense. Trent Edwards, QB, Bills. Edwards is a good upside pick for fantasy teams. We wouldn't take him as a No. 1, but he could be a great backup, capable of doing well with some spot starts. He gets another top receiver in Terrell Owens, which could really open up the passing game. Owens and Lee Evans could be a top duo at receiver in the entire league. If Edwards starts taking more chances and pushing the ball downfield, he could post big numbers in this Bills offense. 
David Garrard, QB, Jags. Garrard gets overlooked some come draft day. But you can't ignore his production. In our "Champs League" last season, Garrard ranked 13th in quarterback scoring and averaged about 1.5 points less than Tony Romo. And he didn't have much to work with at receiver. This season, Garrard finally gets a proven No. 1 in Torry Holt. This should help his production even more from last season. And don't overlook his rushing totals. Garrard is among the top rushing quarterbacks in the league, getting 322 yards and two touchdowns on the ground last season. John Carlson, TE, Seahawks. Carlson was the top rookie tight end last season. And he put up his big numbers with shaky quarterback play. He gets Matt Hasselbeck back this season, which should led to more targets this coming year. Plus, he is another year older, another bonus for him for the coming season. The Seahawks do have some weapons at receiver, but this could also open the middle of the field for Carlson. He has the potential to be a top-five tight end, making him a great value pick in the middle of your draft after the elite guys go off the board. Steve Smith, WR, Giants. The Giants are going to need a receiver to step up and assume the No. 1 receiving duties. Smith seems the most capable. He has good size, speed and hands. He just needs to be more consistent, but more playing time should help. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him near that 1,000-yard mark. The Giants are a run-first team, but aren't afraid to air it out when given the chance. Eli Manning has thrown for 3,200-plus yards in four straight seasons. Someone is going to have to be on the receiving end of that production. Why not Smith?
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