Mock Draft - 2.0 fantasysharks.com Wed 4/10/13 8:00 AM

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 IDP Dating Game - Ideal Landing Spots for Free Agent DL fantasysharks.com Mon 3/4/13 4:00 AM

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 ...

Top 10 fantasy IDP rookies rankings for 2012. fantasysharks.com Wed 5/16/12 6:25 AM

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 ...