Miami Dolphins defensive ends Cameron Wake (knee) and Andre Branch (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. It's not a good sign after the team lost pass-rusher William Hayes for the season last weekend. The Dolphins will need to get as much pressure as possible on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in order to have a shot at winning this matchup.

Miami Dolphins DE Andre Branch (knee) will most likely miss a couple weeks after he received a knee injury on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. Along with [...]

Just as the moth returns to the flame, I continue to roll out the mock drafts. As free agency and trades have altered NFL rosters, so too has it altered the NFL Draft landscape. With rumors and innuendoes of what team, loves what prospect continuing to flood the airwaves and internet, it's time to throw those proverbial darts at just how I see the first round of April's draft unfolding. As March Madness draws to a close and my string of consecutive years without winning a bracket pool reaches 30 (yes, you read that right ... 30), it's nice to turn my full attention back to draft evaluation. So here is Mock 2.0 in all its glory! 1. KANSAS CITY - Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M: After shoring up their offense on multiple fronts through free agency, the Chiefs don't overthink this one and go with arguably the top left tackle available in the draft. Selecting Joeckel to pave the way for Jamaal Charles as well as protect new quarterback Alex Smith 's blind side also opens up the trade possibilities for franchised offensive tackle Branden Albert. In a perfect scenario Kansas City is able to recoup the second-round pick they traded for Smith in an Albert deal. 2. JACKSONVILLE - Dion Jordan , OLB/DE, Oregon: The Jaguars need so much help on both sides of the ball that their selection here could go a number of ways. After swinging and missing on pass rushing options in the past such as Derrick Harvey , Quentin Groves and Andre Branch (the jury is still out but his rookie season was unimpressive to say the least), look for Jacksonville to take one more shot at it. Jordan is a physical freak at 6-foot-6, 248 pounds and versatile enough to play outside linebacker or defensive end. He has drawn comparisons to San Francisco's Aldon Smith. 3. OAKLAND - Sharrif Floyd , DT, Florida: The Raiders avoided the need to select West Virginia's Geno Smith by acquiring former Green Bay and Seattle quarterback, Matt Flynn . They also avoid having to realistically consider starting Terrelle Pryor next season as general manager Reggie McKenzie gets a familiar face to play under center for Oakland. That frees them up to grab the best defensive line prospect in the entire draft. Floyd is solid against the run and provides above average interior pressure from the defensive tackle position. He is also versatile and explosive enough to kick outside and play defensive end for Oakland. He'll step in as a Day 1, three-down player on the defensive front. 4. PHILADELPHIA - Star Lotulelei ...

The NFL Combine is in our rearview mirror, and it is time to look ahead to the start of NFL free agency in early March and then the draft in April. Yes indeed, it is that time of year when Individual Defensive Player (IDP) owners get to look around the league and play the age-old game of ‘who should sign where' to offer the best fantasy production. When compiling this initial list of defensive linemen and where they could best flourish from a fantasy perspective, I made a conscious effort to disregard whether or not the matchup would be an ideal one from a NFL standpoint. As IDP owners, we are more concerned with what stats the individual amasses as opposed to how he would or wouldn't help a NFL team to make the playoffs. The following assessments were made with that in mind, and, while they may not come to fruition, they would be very fantasy friendly landing spots for 2013. Dwight Freeney, DE, Indianapolis : Freeney struggled as an outside linebacker last season for the Colts, finishing the 2012 season with only five sacks in 14 games played. That is the lowest total since he totaled 3½ sacks back in 2007 when he missed the final seven games of the regular season. Indianapolis has already decided to move on from the 33-year-old, 11-year veteran, so look for Freeney to sign with a team that will utilize him at his more familiar and productive defensive end position. A very favorable destination for Freeney would keep him in the AFC South by signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. While it is more likely that Freeney decides to sign with Denver, Dallas or Atlanta (as they are contenders), the Jaguars could be the better landing spot from a fantasy perspective. It depends on if Freeney is looking to be a rotational type of player on a contending team or is looking to land where he'll get the most playing time. In Jacksonville he would be the big fish in a little pond and potentially line up opposite another veteran sack specialist Jason Babin while seeing his defensive snap count rise above 800 again. The Jaguars have selected numerous players at the defensive end position over the years (Andre Branch, Derrick Harvey, Quentin Groves) with high round draft choices and have nothing to show for it. It may be time for Jacksonville to look for veteran proven pass rushers to bolster their anemic pass rush. The Jaguars finished last in the league with 20 team sacks last season, and, let's face it, could use a big name signing or two to get the fan base ...

Week 3 is upon us and the IDP landscape is still in an uncertain state. The defensive line position is a topsy-turvy mess, as some very big name players have yet to appear on the fantasy landscape. For example, Nick Fairley has more sacks right now, than Jared Allen and Mario Williams COMBINED. That's all we need to say about that. Injured and suspended players will begin to make their way back on to the field in the coming weeks, further muddling the situation, but we'll keep rolling out the hot sleepers each week. Week 3 brings some very nice matchups in which our lower ranked gems will shine. So, without further ado... DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Andre Branch, DE, JACKSONVILLE, at INDIANAPOLIS: The rookie has yet to record a sack and has amassed five total tackles through the first two weeks of the season. The Jaguars head to Indianapolis in week three and Branch is due to break the ice on getting to the quarterback. Look for Branch to have a solid fantasy outing in week three as he has shown better push to the quarterback week-by-week and it pays off against the Colts. Shea McClellin, DE, CHICAGO, vs. ST LOUIS: After swinging and missing with McClellin as a week one sleeper, when he managed only a couple of quarterback hurries, we return the rookie to the list. In week two against the Packers he managed to post 1½ sacks and four total tackles. Week three brings the Rams and their shaky offensive line to the Windy City. The rookie looks have adjusted to the speed of the NFL and will be chasing down Sam Bradford all day. Frostee Rucker, DE, CLEVELAND, vs. BUFFALO: Rucker has posted seven overall tackles in the first two weeks of the season and is a solid run defender. Against the Bengals in week two he added a sack and that is what the Browns were looking for when they signed him this off-season. The week three match up with Buffalo should see Rucker post solid tackle numbers, as well as have the chance to get to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Tommy Kelly, DT, OAKLAND, vs. PITTSBURGH: Kelly is solid against the run and the Steelers will show a commitment to pounding the rock in week three. To date in 2012, Kelly has put up six solo tackles and will be a sure bet to add to that total this week. Pittsburgh has allowed eight sacks of Ben Roethlisberger in two games, the offensive line is struggling and that will give Kelly the chance to garner his first sack of 2012. Jonathan Babineaux, DT, ATLANTA, at SAN DIEGO: ‘Babs' has already notched two sacks in 2012 but is lacking ...

Luke Kuechly, Lavonte David and Andre Branch are just a few of the rookies that are tabbed to step right in and play significant roles on their respective NFL teams. They will be fantasy relevant from the word go, will be high on fantasy draft boards, and deservedly so. They are the cream of the crop, dynasty ‘must drafts' and capable of helping out Individual Defensive Player (IDP) teams in redraft formats as well. That's not who we are dealing with in this article. Nope, we are going to head down the depth charts and mine for some under-the-radar rookies who may just end up helping fantasy owners from deep in the draft. These are a few players that have made a name for themselves in organized team activities and preseason action to date, looking to unseat the incumbents and make their way onto the field. Jayron Hosley, CB, New York Giants: The Hosley hype machine has hit a bump in the road as he is currently recovering from a turf toe problem and sitting out valuable practice time. While the injury has been stated to be of the day-to-day variety, it is unfortunate timing and he may lose some of the momentum he had built thus far in training camp. The Giants selected Hosley in the third round last April out of Virginia Tech. He has been turning heads in training camp and preseason action, actually intercepting a Mark Sanchez pass and returning it 77 yards for a touchdown and added a sack in the Giants' first preseason game against Jacksonville. Hosley has been playing both outside and slot cornerback in practice and was set up to see some time at nickel back before the toe injury sidelined him. He is a bit undersized but plays hard with intensity, physicality, does not shy away from helping out in run-defense and possesses solid tackling skills. The recent high-ankle sprain suffered by Prince Amukamara also opens the door for the rookie to see more snaps, providing he is able to get back on the field. The Giants are also going to take a look at Hosly as a punt returner, and that increases his fantasy value in leagues that also count individual return yards in their scoring. New York is thin at the cornerback position with the injuries to Amukamara and Terrell Thomas, so the sooner Hosley can throw his name back into the ring for playing time the better, as the Giants will now be lining up either Bruce Johnson or Michael Coe with veteran Corey Webster in the defensive backfield. Hosley has the chance to step in and become fantasy relevant as long ...

The 2012 NFL Draft is over and fantasy fanatics crave rankings, any type of rankings. With sweet memories of the draft still ringing in our ears, listen closely and Mike Mayock can still be heard saying, for the fifth time "This kid is my favorite guy in this year's draft." It is time to get some rankings out there, and what better way to start than with the top rookie Individual Defensive Player (IDP) prospects for 2012? OK, so there are probably a few better ways to start, especially for folks that don't participate in any IDP leagues, so we will let this be the bell ringing for everyone to join an IDP league! Let's get to it. No. 1 Luke Kuechly, MLB, Carolina: Move over Jon Beason (literally, this kid is playing in the middle for the Panthers), there is a new sheriff in town, and his name is Kuechly! He is a fantasy No. 1 linebacker from Day 1. No. 2 Lavonte David, OLB, Tampa Bay: The kid will be the WILL linebacker for the Buccaneers from Day 1 and could post more than 100 tackles his rookie season. Solid No. 2 fantasy linebacker with No. 1 upside. No. 3 Mark Barron, SS, Tampa Bay: Two rookie Buccaneers already? Yeah, their defense was that bad in 2011. Barron will team with Ronde Barber, who is switching to a free safety position this season, and be the run stuffing safety in Tampa Bay. Very solid No. 2 fantasy defensive back with big play potential. No. 4 Mychal Kendricks, ILB, Philadelphia: Philadelphia has been searching for quality linebacker play for the past few seasons. Hello DeMeco Ryans and Kendricks, problem solved. High end No. 2 fantasy linebacker, with No. 1 upside should Ryans go down. No. 5 Andre Branch, DE, Jacksonville: Traditionally, Jacksonville is where rookie defensive ends go to disappear. Remember Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves? Don't worry, nobody else does either. Sheer volume of time on the field for a bad Jaguar team makes Branch a viable fantasy option. Steady No. 2 fantasy defensive lineman. No. 6 Bobby Wagner, LB, Seattle: The Seahawks just need to figure out where to start Wagner and turn him loose. He is a tackling machine with the athleticism to drop into coverage. Fantasy gold. Another high end No. 2 fantasy linebacker with definite No. 1 linebacker potential. No. 7 Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE, Baltimore: The Terrell Suggs injury vaults Upshaw into this ranking. The Ravens will utilize the threesome of Paul Kruger, Pernell McPhee and Upshaw all over the place on the outside to create mismatches and get to ...

The 2012 NFL Draft is in the books, and from the sixth overall pick (LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne) to the 249th pick (South Carolina defensive tackle Travian Robertson) more than 100 of college football's top defensive players now call the National Football League home. Here's a look at how the NFL landing spots of some of the nation's top defensive rookies impacts their fantasy football fortunes for both the upcoming season and beyond, including some players who are climbing up Individual Defensive Player (IDP) draft boards and others who have seen their fantasy value take a kick in the teeth. UP THE LADDER Andre Branch, DE, Jacksonville: The Clemson standout may have been sucked into the fourth circle of NFL hell, but for this year at least Branch's selection by Jacksonville with the 38th overall pick was just about a best case scenario so far as his fantasy football value goes. One of the few "tweener" ends to catch on with a team running a 4-3 defense, Branch should see significant playing time from the get-go playing opposite Jeremy Mincey for the Jaguars, and while it's risky to expect too much from rookie defensive linemen, Branch is the early favorite to lead first-year defensive linemen in fantasy points in 2012. Chandler Jones, DE, New England : The Patriots traded up (yes, up) to the 21st overall selection to select Jones, who didn't post eye-popping stats at Syracuse but who had steadily been climbing draft boards of late. Jones, who NFL Network Draft Analyst Mike Mayock called "the best defensive player in the draft," is expected to slide into the "elephant" pass rusher role that Willie McGinest made famous in New England. That also produced a Top 12 season in fantasy points per game for Andre Carter last year, and that coupled with the early playing time he'll see thanks to Carter and Mark Anderson's departure should portend IDP DL3 value in redraft leagues if he's classified as a defensive lineman. Lavonte David, LB, Tampa Bay : David paced the Nebraska defense with 133 tackles last year, and the Blackshirts standout fell into what could be the most-favorable short-term situation of any rookie linebacker. If the 6-foot-1, 233-pounder can show the Buccaneers, who drafted him with the 58th overall pick, that he can hold up inside, he should have little trouble beating out journeyman Quincy Black and second-year disappointment Mason Foster for the starting job at middle linebacker. Were David to carve out a role in the nickel ...