Fantasy Football Insights for Draft Day

Now that the preseason is winding down, fantasy football drafts will be taking center stage. Preseason gives fantasy owners just enough information to screw them up. Some big time players saw very little time, while subs and scrubs played meaningful minutes. Sorting out all the information is impossible, but I have developed some thoughts that can help fantasy owners draft a decent team. After that you still need to be lucky. Here is my thinking on some players heading into the fantasy football drafts.

Stay away from drafting any player who wears a Seattle Seahawks uniform. From watching bits and pieces of their preseason, Pete Carroll is destined to fail again. The Lions have more potential fantasy players than Seattle. That's easy because Seattle has nobody I would even consider. Detroit has a couple guys that are worth drafting in the late rounds.

Arian Foster may emerge as a top fantasy runner this season. He showed a glimpse late last year, and even more in the preseason. Foster will complement the Texans offense, which loves to air out the pigskin. Foster is a power runner that can be drafted as a third runner on most fantasy football teams. If my hunch is right, Foster will find enough yardage and points to make a good second running back for your team.

Tim Tebow should be drafted this year in keeper leagues, but not in other fantasy leagues. Tebow is a football player, and will eventually find a way to contribute in Denver. With the rash of injured runners, Tebow could see action sooner than you might think. Kyle Orton has proved to be the top QB in Denver, but Tebow will be used in certain packages. It is going to be hard to determine when and where Tebow will play this season. This makes him a poor pick this season in any leagues, other than keeper leagues. I think that Tebow will be a solid NFL player, just not yet. He is a quick study, and a winner. When intangibles are factored in, Tim Tebow's stock will rise. Watch his progress this season. Tebow will blossom given time.

I smell a rat in Jacksonville. Maurice Jones- Drew is going to be the third or fourth running back off the draft boards. By the way the Jaguars have protected him this preseason, I fear for his health. Last season the undersized over-achiever carried the ball over three hundred times. Do yourself a favor on draft day. If you pick third or fourth in the draft, take a QB instead of Maurice Jones-Drew. My gut says the Jaguars are fooling themselves, thinking Drew will last the season. I doubt that he stays healthy past mid-season. I hope I'm wrong, but caution is sometimes a red flag in preseason. Fantasy football hunches are a dime a dozen, but I feel strongly about this one.

Chad Henne is the perfect quarterback to use as an emergency starter. Henne shows flashes of brilliance, and moments of mediocrity. In between that, Bill Parcells sees the future of the Miami Dolphins. Henne can be had late in most drafts. Henne will have Brandon Marshall to chuck the ball to. Look for that combo to click for years to come in Miami. Henne is a bargain if you only need him for two weeks a year. Take Henne very late in the draft, or claim him off the waiver wire. Many leagues will let Henne go undrafted. That's their mistake.

Visanthe Shiancoe is the best bargain at tight end this season. Shiancoe is picked as the tenth or eleventh best tight end in most fantasy circles. Eleven touchdowns last year tells me he is better than most at finding the end zone. With all the injuries at wide-out, Favre will have to look in Shiancoe's direction more. Take Antonio Gates and Dallas Clark as the first two tight ends off the fantasy football draft board. After that, Shiancoe, Vernon Davis, and Jermichael Finley are all going to be pretty equal in my book.

Resources: Bleacherreport.com