More smoke from the fire possibly igniting in Tennessee

chris-johnson-gets-more-support-for-his-holdout

The most important handcuff in fantasy football

I see it reported this offseason that Chris Johnson may be prepared to stage a lengthy hold-out that could potentially linger into the regular season. What I haven't seen written is who would stand to benefit the most from such a move by Johnson: Javon Ringer.

Ringer slipped in the draft two years ago, after entering his senior year at Michigan State as the top-ranked rusher on many boards. Johnson's explosive 2009 left him an afterthought behind Lendale White, who was jettisoned to Seattle this offseason.

I'm not telling you Ringer can match Johnson's lofty 2009 production, but if "Every Coach's Dream" holds out or gets injured - holdouts are often banged up if they miss much camp - Ringer stands to inherit a 20-touch role in an offense that loves to run.

It's always about preparing for what's next.

Fantasy 6 Pack - Dynasty QB Free Agent Options

Here are six quaterbacks in attractive positions to succeed this year. They are all available in my dynasty league prior to free agency.

1) Charlie Whitehurst, SEA - Former Rivers understudy only behind a declining injury-prone Matt Hasselbeck.

2) Matt Moore, CAR - Will have to beat out Nuke Clausen but still has a chance to be a good #2 QB. More on Moore in my last post. Couldn't help it...

3) Dennis Dixon, PIT - Suddenly in the conversation after Roethlisberger's continued off-field issues. More upside than Moore. The Pittsburgh brass likes him and he may get a 4-6 games audition to begin the year if he can beat out Byron Leftwich.

4) Tavarius Jackson, QB, MIN - Vikes didn't make a move to upgrade the position behind Favre for fear he won't return probably so T-Jack gets another year of learning, possibly get a chance to redeem himself if/when Favre takes his final crushing hit.

5) Nate Davis, QB, SF - Alex Smith may stand as the best QB in the NFC West today but may not be the best QB on his own team. Davis has great physical tools but may be a year away. Still if Smith goes down or reverts to his former play, Davis stands to inherit the job and the porous secondaries of the NFC West.

6) Brian Brohm, QB, BUF - Former sure #1 QB in the draft has fallen off the map after not being able to win the back-up job in Green Bay. However, he gets a fresh start in Buffalo against the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards. Bills fans hope he was watching Aaron Rodgers closely.

Maybe one of these guys is worth a gamble if you need to develop a Dynasty QB and are all worth watching if not drafting in seasonal leagues.

Fantasy 6 Pack - Dynasty Free Agents

Not sure about yours, but my Dynasty league opens up for Free Agency on June 1. Here are the 10 best available players in my league (21 slots x 12 teams =252 rostered spots total):

1) NYJ Def/ST - I can't believe I dropped these guys late last year. They are out there and my #1 priority this year. I know it's a DST but it's often hard to find a good team much less the consensus #1 DST going into 2010.

2) Jabar Gaffney, Den, WR - Maybe some of you noticed Gaffney had a decent year last season. With Marshall gone, he only has Eddie Royal and Demaryius Thomas - a rookie - as his main competition.

3) Chaz Schilens, Oak, WR - Maybe the addition of Jason Campbell makes someone in Oakland's receiving corp worth playing weekly. Schilens was a beast in a preseason game against the Cowboys in 2009 but was slowed by an early injury and never regained his form in the last half of the season. He's also entering the coveted 3rd year. (Honorable mention to 2nd-year Raider WR Louis Murphy)

4) James Jones, GB, WR - Hello my old friend. You probably know this guy. He is a physical beast with size and speed but questionable hands and a long injury history. Donald Driver has to retire or break down eventually, and Aaron Rodgers is poised to be a great QB for the next 10 years. Only competition from Jordy Nelson and the questions about player himself remain to be the new #2 for the Pack.

5) Matt Moore, QB, Car - A former 3rd-stringer in Dallas, Moore finally gets his shot for the Panthers but will face pressure from rookie Jimmy "Nuke" Clausen. Moore showed some promise late last year including a 299 yd, 3 TD game against Minnesota. He also has Steve Smith, formerly considered a top-5 receiver and a sure #1.

6) Julian Edelman, NEP, WR - The former college QB showed a lot of promise filling in for Welker last year. Welker is hurt again and if he doesn't start the season healthy or fails to regain his form (he blew out his knee in Week 17), Edelman is a player (read: starter) in PPR leagues once again.