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Nun gehen sie also wieder los die Trainingcamps. Wie jedes Jahr machen sich die Sports Illustrated Autoren (u.a. Peter King und Don Banks) auf den Weg und klappern (fast) alle NFL-Teams ab. In jedem Bericht gibt es einen kleinen Fantasy-Absatz, den ich hier nun schon im dritten Jahr zusammen fasse.

Ich hoffe, dass das Interesse bei euch noch genauso hoch ist, wie die vorherigen Jahre .

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New England Patriots

Insider Fantasy Tip

I'm expecting Brady and Moss to quickly develop a nice on-field rapport, and that could result in plenty of red-zone catches for Moss, who can still go up and get the ball with the best of them. But I still anticipate that the busiest man in the Patriots offense will wind up being mighty mite receiver Wes Welker, who will line up in the slot the majority of the time. The 5-9, 185-pound Welker used to bedevil the Patriots when they tried to cover him as a Dolphin, and New England is going to invent ways to get him the ball with some open field in front of him.

I saw him take a hand-off on an end-around Friday, and he made major contributions to the Dolphins on both punt and kickoff returns. True, Welker has only one career receiving touchdown, and another one on a kickoff return. But he's going to jack up those numbers considerably this season in New England, and his potential as a weapon for the Patriots is worth taking a mid-round flyer on.

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New York Giants

Insider Fantasy Tip

Jacobs as a goal-line threat is an obvious consideration, but if you're looking for a new face to factor into your roster, consider rookie receiver Steve Smith, the second-round pick from Southern Cal. Coughlin loves his reliable hands, and it hasn't taken Manning long to figure out that completions ensue when he throws it in Smith's direction.

With starting receivers Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer both taking part in just one practice a day so far, Smith is getting lots of valuable reps during New York's early two-a-day schedule. His diving grab of a long sideline bomb from Jared Lorenzen on Saturday was one of the highlights of the Giants' first day of workouts.

"He's impressed us with how he can catch the ball,'' Coughlin said. "Those kind of guys, they just work their way in, and all of a sudden, they're there. The more of those guys you have, the better off you are.''

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Cleveland Browns

Insider Fantasy Tip

I know I've been accused in years past of screwing up fantasy drafts from coast to coast with idiotic suggestions, like my Danny Wuerffel recommendation a few years ago. But you can take this one to the bank: Jamal Lewis is going to run for 1,300 yards or my name is Lou Groza. This is a perfect place for him. A place that has just spent $40 million in guarantees on a drive-blocking left guard and left tackle, Eric Steinbach and Joe Thomas, respectively, a place with a coach (Romeo Crennel) who is dying to run the ball 55 to 60 percent of the snaps. In my opinion, 1,300 yards is the low end for Lewis.

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Pittsburgh Steelers

Insider Fantasy Tip

Not a lot of surprises here. Arians is making the offense more Roethlisberger-friendly -- that is, Big Ben will have more chances to change the play at the line than he's had, and he'll be freer to change formations. The buzz here is he's going to throw downfield more than last year, which means you probably should not allow Santonio Holmes to drift very far down the board in your draft. Amazing stat from last year that shows how underused Holmes was: Until catching the game-winner in overtime of Bill Cowher's last game last season, Holmes had the grand total of one touchdown catch and zero 100-yard games all season.

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Cincinnati Bengals

Insider Fantasy Tip

Heading into your draft, you're going to be asking: "Who's going to replace Henry as Palmer's deep threat this season?" While the Bengals definitely have not made up their minds, one guy you should watch in preseason games is former LSU track man Bennie Brazell. Unlike many sprinters trying to make a mark in football, Brazell has above-average hands and has shown the ability to take a hit and come back for more. He would do wonders as a much-needed burst of speed, and Palmer would love to fit that kind of guy into the receiving rotation.

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Buffalo Bills

Insider Fantasy Tip

This one is an instant impact no-brainer. Bills first-round running back Marshawn Lynch is going to get the ball plenty, and what I like about his game is the versatility he could bring to Buffalo's offense. I say could because Buffalo's re-tooled offensive line still needs to prove it can pass protect for quarterback J.P. Losman. If it can, then Lynch doesn't have to stay in to block so much on pass plays, and will get the chance to show off his receiving skills out of the backfield in ways Willis McGahee didn't. That's going to help Losman, who doesn't have the biggest-name receivers to work with after the ultra-productive Lee Evans.

Seeing Lynch on Monday, I realized he's a powerfully built guy from the waist up, but he runs with great vision and acceleration for a guy who goes a solid 5-11, 215. Swapping Lynch in for McGahee is an upgrade across the board for the Bills offense.

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Indianapolis Colts

Insider Fantasy Tip

Komischerweise hat Peter King zu den Colts keine Fantasy-Tips :?:

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Chicago Bears

Insider Fantasy Tip

The one guy on this team I'd take a fantasy flyer on is Bernard Berrian. "He's determined to join that upper echelon of receivers in the NFL,'' Lovie Smith told me this morning. The rail-thin Berrian, 6-foot-1 and 182, ran by cornerback Nathan Vasher and caught a well-thrown bomb from Rex Grossman under the lights at practice last night, and I'm told he caught several others like that early in camp. Grossman and Berrian have formed a good chemistry in a passing game designed to get the ball deep two or three times a game. In the last two years, Berrian has average 16.0 yards per catch. My guess is he's a good bet for 60 catches and seven or eight touchdowns if, and this is a big if, Grossman is more consistent this year.

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Washington Redskins

Insider Fantasy Tip

He disappointed you last year, but don't forget about Moss, who saw his statistics nose-dive in 2006 in part due to a balky hamstring. Moss is the clear-cut No. 1 threat in this receiving corps, and I expect Campbell and him to develop more rapport in the quarterback's first full season as a starter. Moss can make things happen and he has proven that he can turn even a short pass into a long gain with his speed and elusiveness. His return to his Pro Bowl form of 2005 (a team-record 1,483 yards, on 84 catches, with nine touchdowns) would again make him one of the most coveted pass-catchers in any fantasy league.

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