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Every Wednesday during the season NFL Network and NFL.com Senior Fantasy Analyst Michael Fabiano joins Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat to share his insight on building and developing your fantasy team for success.
Here are some hi-lights from our most recent conversation (July 28th) with the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Famer.
Bigger fantasy upside this year: Derek Carr or Tony Romo? “Romo. I’m not just saying that because I’m a Cowboys’ fan. I like Derek Carr. I do. I like the addition of Amari Cooper but Tony Romo is one of the more underrated quarterbacks in fantasy football and when you consider the departure of DeMarco Murray to Philadelphia well, that means Romo and the Cowboys should throw the ball a little bit more. Remember, Scott Linehan the passing coordinator from last year is now the offensive coordinator–Bill Calahan is now with the Washington Redskins so I think they’re going to throw the ball more. Maybe not significantly more like the New Orleans Saints in past seasons but you lose a guy like Murray. You lose over 440 touches from one running back, I don’t think Darren McFadden or Joe Randle can handle that and I don’t think the Cowboys will ask them to handle that. So, Romo throws the ball more, I’m going Romo there.”
Isaiah Crowell or Duke Johnson in Cleveland? “Crowell is probably going to end up opening the season as the starter but that doesn’t mean he’ll end the season as the starter. I actually talked to Clinton Portis a couple months ago…former Miami of Florida running back who was one of the better fantasy backs during his time in the NFL and he told me he thought Duke Johnson would be the starter by Week 4 so take that for what you will. Johnson has more upside. Johnson is a guy who is going to help you in PPR leagues. He could line up in the slot. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. Crowell looks like he’ll be the early-down back and the goal line guy and that’s valuable. Right now I would go Crowell before I draft Johnson but I do think Duke has some definite sleeper potential and he could be a pretty decent draft bargain if he’s still on the board late.”
Carlos Hyde looks like the guy in San Francisco but will Reggie Bush decrease his value? “There’s going to be a committee there to a point. Now not a committee like you saw in Carolina for so many years when it was DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart basically splitting the work. Carlos Hyde will get the early down work. He will see the goal line work. He’ll see the short-yardage work but Reggie Bush is going to be utilized as a pass-catcher when the Niners have to throw the football and keep this in mind, that team at wide receiver has some question marks. You’re looking at Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and a lot of, ‘who’s that guy?’ So Reggie Bush could see quite a few touches as a receiver out of the backfield. I wouldn’t be shocked if he had 50 catches. But Carlos Hyde is clearly the guy you want to own in that backfield. Volume should be there for Hyde but I’m not sure how successful that offensive line will make him, though.”
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Eric Sorenson
A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.