Fantasy Impact: KJ To Chicago

25 year old former Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones signed a one year contract with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday afternoon. Now that he’s back on the fantasy radar, what’s Jones’ prognosis for 2008? Read more

Kevin Jones to visit Chicago

Kevin Jones (RB) 7/15: Kevin Jones will visit Halas Hall to take a physical for the Bears on Tuesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. His agent anticipates him landing in Chicago or Pittsburgh. No-Offseason Take: Chicago makes a heck of a lot more sense for KJ, in terms of being able to garner playing time, as he'd compete for snaps with rookie Matt Forte - who would still likely remain the favorite to start. Discuss this more in our forums.

Kevin Jones waiting for right situation

Kevin Jones (RB) 7/14: Free agent running back Kevin Jones commented (on Sirius NFL Radio) Monday that he'll wait for the right situation to arise before signing with a team, according to ESPN. No-Offseason Take: Jones is only 25, so to a certain extent, it makes sense for him to wait for the right situation to come along. Yet, at a certain point, he'll have to realize that with the free agent RB market so flooded right now, he'll have to take what he can get. He's made a lot of visits, but so far - no dice. Discuss this more on our forums.

MIN: Peterson improved blocking

Adrian Peterson (RB) 7/14: Coach Brad Childress said that he expects Adrian Peterson to be better at blocking in pass protection this season, according to the Star Tribune. No-Offseason Take: This means we could definitely see AP on more and more third downs this season, diminishing the role of Chester Taylor. Find out why we think AP is the top pick regardless of format this season.

Fantasy Impact: Laurence Maroney

Fantasy football draft guides and player rankings are definitely an important part of preparing for the upcoming fantasy football season - no question. However,  it’s important to take an in-depth look at some players who may outperform where they are ranked. For the record, we believe New England’s Laurence Maroney falls in that category. Read more

Super Sleeper Running Backs

Because five of the top 25 and 13 of the top 40 fantasy RBs were plucked from the waiver wire in 2007, and guys like Earnest Graham, Ryan Grant, Kenny Watson, Chicago’s Adrian Peterson and Justin Fargas made names for themselves, fantasy owners are now forced to pay attention to just about every single running back on all 32 rosters - but how do you sift through the clutter to find the best super sleepers? Read more

Marshawn Lynch Cuts Deal With D.A.

WBEN in Buffalo reports that Bills stud RB Marshawn Lynch reportedly reached an agreement tonight with the district attorney, in regards to a hit-and-run accident two weeks ago that involved his vehicle. He plead guilty to a misdemeanor, but will avoid jail time.

No-Offseason Take: This seems very positive for Lynch’s overall status, although there’s a slight chance that he could be suspended for a short period of time by the NFL. On the field in 2008, he’s expected to be an absolute beast - especially in PPR leagues. See where he ranks.

Kevin Jones Update…

Updating a previous report, apparently several NFL teams have shown interest in Kevin Jones, who says he’s ready to play right now.

No-Offseason Take: We believe him, and this is another example of why the Lions shouldn’t have cut him. Word all along was that he’d be ready be training camp. Now, it appears he’ll end up in a plethora of places. Teams like Buffalo, New England, Green Bay, Tennessee and the New York Jets have reportedly shown interest, but we see a perfect fit being a place like Houston or Denver.

Kevin Jones Still Working Hard…

Former Lions RB Kevin Jones worked out on Thursday, running a 4.3 short shuttle, which is pretty impressive, compared to other young backs. The 25 year old Jones has a workout scheduled with scouts in Saline, Michigan on June 28, according to KFFL. Apparently, he’d be ready for non-contract drills with the team that signs him. We expect him to end up somewhere by training camp and slowly rebuild his fantasy value throughout the 2008 season.

Ahmad Bradshaw Is NFL’s Latest Jail Bird…

Many fantasy owners were freaking gung-ho about Giants rookie RB Ahmad Bradshaw towards the end of the 2007 season. We weren’t - for many reasons. Now, it appears that Bradshaw has been locked up for violating probation. Apparently he has been in jail since Father’s Day, June 15. It’s unknown whether or not the NFL will suspend him, but it may not matter, because he’s nothing more than Brandon Jacobs’ occasional back-up anyway.

Don’t count on Bradshaw as more than a flier in points per reception leagues.

Shaun Alexander Has Lost All Trust…

CBSSports.com Senior Writer Clark Judge reports that free agent RB Shaun Alexander is definitely not a hot commodity on the open market. Not only that, but it seems that most NFL GM’s have lost trust in the former NFL MVP. They’re not impressed with the numbers he used to put up, and they’re very concerned with how soft he has appeared in recent seasons.

On top of that, Alexander’s heart and desire are being questioned.

This is not good. We do not recommend him as an option in any league format. This means he’s not worth a roster spot at all - even if he does land somewhere like Detroit, Houston, New Orleans or Chicago. He’s out folks.

Cardinals’ J.J. Arrington Arrested…

Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington was arrested yesterday morning for allegedly getting into a fight in North Carolina.

And the problems for NFL players keep on coming. Commish Roger Goodell is likely to let Arrington slide, due to having no prior blemishes while in the NFL. However, this definitely doesn’t help his cause for earning more of a role in the Cardinals’ offense in 2008.

Arrington has no fantasy value, but Cards rookie Tim Hightower is a definite super sleeper worth watching in our eyes, as Edgerrin James continues to slow down.