The Carolina Panthers Prepare for Life Without Julius Peppers

The Carolina Panthers look poised after their first preseason game and a lot of attention is being placed on the wide receiver position as well as the quarterback position. The Panthers drafted Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike to ease the quarterback situation and also took Brandon LaFell and Armani Edwards to sure up the wide receiver position.

For those wondering about Steve Smith’s situation and his chances of playing in the first game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Smith caught passes from a JUGS machine Saturday for the first time since breaking his arm twice in the past year. Smith was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform List on Monday and caught live passes for the first time this season. When asked if there were any question whether he'll be able to play the Panthers' regular-season opener against the Giants, Smith responded: "The only question is, 'What time does the game start?' That's the only question. Because I'll be suited up."

In other good news for the Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart practiced Saturday for the first time since undergoing off-season foot surgery. That has a lot of fantasy owners feeling good about the running back situation. For Panther fans worrying about how good Stewart will be, he is a lot like most good running backs, he doesn’t need a lot of practice to be good on Sundays.

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2010 BCSOM Fantasy Football Draft Guide - Wide Receivers

Now that you have gotten your quarterback and running back situation under control, today we are going to discuss the speed demons. That’s right we are talking wide receivers. While you are looking for a wide receiver there are three things to keep in mind. The first thing you should look for is how many times your wide receiver is targeted per game. The more chances they get to handle the ball, the more likely they are to score points. Make sure if you are picking them early that they are the teams go to receiver. Secondly do they run well after the catch? In fantasy football you get 1 point per 10 yards receiving so you want to make sure that your wide receiver can run after the catch. Finally is your guy versatile. Does he run reverses or return kicks? Any extra ways to gain yards or score touchdowns is a plus.

Below I have compiled a list of the top 20 wide receivers to grab in the fantasy draft.

Receivers You Want To Get In the First Round

1 – Andre Johnson – Houston Texans – No doubt he will be targeted more than most and he is the playmaker for the Texans. Hold in high regard that Johnson is the cream of the crop at the wide receiver position.

2 – Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals – Fitzgerald would normally be first on the board but with a new quarterback in town and two relatively new complimentary receivers this year should see a lag in Fitz’s numbers.

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2010 BCSOM Fantasy Football Draft Guide - Running Backs

Now that you have gotten your quarterback situation under control today we are going to discuss the beasts of the fantasy draft. That’s right we are talking running backs. While you are looking for a running back there are three things to keep in mind. First of all do they score touchdowns? The reason is touchdowns are worth 6 points in most leagues. That is the most points you can get on any one play in fantasy on offense. Secondly do they gain a lot of yards per game? In fantasy football you get 1 point per 10 yards rushed for so you want to make sure that your runner gets close to a hundred yards per game.

The goal is to get a minimum of 10 points per game from your running back. Finally is your guy versatile. Versatility is key here because it gives you options. If your running back will be involved in the passing game, or even the return game, it is a plus. Touchdowns are touchdowns and any way your guy can score them you should take it.

Below I have compiled a list of the top 20 running backs to grab in the fantasy draft.

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Why Being Cheap May Cost the Chargers a Chance

I think there is a very slim chance that the Chargers will sign unrestricted free agents Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill. I even doubt that they will play a down for the Chargers at all this year. As unrestricted free agents they can sit 10 games. This would open up negotiations but they would both most likely only earn about $189,000.00 by playing the last six games so I doubt they would want to do that since they would both be ticketed for free agency in 2011 and neither would want to risk injury.

The Chargers have done their share of cost cutting this off season. The let long time running back LaDainian Tomlinson, nose guard Jamal Williams and cornerback Antonio Cromartie go to save some cash. You can arguably say they let a hall of fame running back, the fifth best corner in the league, and the second best nose guard in the league go without any real compensation.

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2010 BCSOM Fantasy Football Draft Guide - Quarterbacks

Fantasy football is very easy to play and the variety of systems and sites provide everything you need to get started. Fantasy football lets you try your skills as a fantasy coach. I suggest joining a random public league if this is your first time playing, rather then joining your friends in a league and being the butt of all jokes.

To join a public league all you need to do is go to one of the many fantasy football sites and sign up. Here are a few suggestions of popular fantasy football sites: FleaFlicker, Yahoo Fantasy Football, ESPN Fantasy Football, MSN Fantasy Football. 

After you join a league, you scout for and draft players, compete against other fantasy coaches, and use all your skills to make it to the playoffs. This is where I come in. I am going to help you figure out who you should draft based on where you are picking. These picks are for traditional scoring leagues which do not give points for receptions. Today we will take a look at the quarterbacks.

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