Broncos Back Knowshon Moreno on Crutches after Career Day

Moreno is long shot to play Week 13 as he deals with a bad bone bruise

In Sunday night’s devastating loss to the New England Patriots, Knowshon Moreno rushed for a career high 224 yards, but was seen in crutches and left in a walking boot.

Denver Broncos interim head coach, Jack Del Rio, told the media that Moreno has not been officially proclaimed out for the Broncos Week 13 matchup against the divisional rival Kansas City Chiefs. Moreno is day to day with a bruised ankle.

Knowshon Moreno consistently puts up phenomenal fantasy numbers, having rushed for 824 yards and 9 touchdowns, and caught 38 passes for 342 and another touchdown.

If Moreno is ruled out for Sunday, the next to step up will most likely be rookie running back Montee Ball. Ball has had more carries than fellow Broncos backs, Ronnie Hillman and CJ Anderson, but suffers from a fumbling problem. Del Rio will most likely utilize all of the backs, but Ball will be the goal-line back.

Chad Henne In, Blaine Gabbert Out for Week 2

Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley named Chad Henne as the Week 2 starter for this week’s road game against Oakland. Blaine Gabbert has been ruled out for Week 2, not due to his sub-par play this past Sunday, but due to an injury he suffered in the final minutes of the Jaguars embarrassing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Gabbert sustained a “severe” laceration on his right hand that reportedly ripped some skin off of the quarterback’s hand and required 15 stitches to close.

This injury comes as a potential blessing in disguise for the Jaguars. During the offseason, Gabbert was in a close quarterback competition with veteran Chad Henne. Henne will get the Week 2 start and if he outshines Gabbert, there’s a good chance Henne could steal the starting position.

Outperforming Gabbert should not be a difficult task, as the former 1st round pick completed only 16 of his 35 passes for a mere 121 yards, to go along with two interceptions.

Gabbert’s injury was just one of the many Jaguars flaws in their embarrassing 28-2 loss this past Sunday. The Chief’s defense completely shut down Gabbert and the Jaguars defense. The Jags failed to score any points at all and generated a pathetic 180 total yards of total offense.

Alex Smith Prepares for the Andy Reid Show

Alex Smith has a cake matchup against Jacksonville

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith was in good form during last week’s preseason game against the Steelers. Smith went 17 of 24 for 158 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t throw any interceptions and rushed 38 yards on one breakaway run.

Smith remains something of a mystery to fans in his new home, but his consistent performance should clear up all the questions up for Chiefs fans and fantasy owners alike. He doesn’t turn the ball over, completes a high percentage of passes, and is a vast improvement under center for his new team.

Last year, Smith completed more than 70% of his passes and threw only 5 interceptions. This is precisely what should be expected from the newly appointed quarterback in Kansas City. However, do not expect him to become the leader of a brand new aerial assault for the Chiefs.

Smith has never been known as the guy to put a team on his back and carry them. In San Francisco, he did a fine job keeping the team at a high level, but was also helped by a terrific defense.

Smith is a fine pick at backup quarterback for fantasy CEOs, but should not be the bread and butter for any team (real or imaginary). You can expect him to be exactly what he has proven to be: consistent and reliable. However, he’s not a game changer, and will need help to take the Chiefs, and his career, to the next level.

Draft Zone: 4th Ranked Running Back – Chiefs Jamaal Charles

Kansas City Chiefs’ Jamaal Charles is the 4^th ranked running back in this year’s fantasy draft standings. With an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 4, he’s likely to be taken with one of the top five picks in all fantasy drafts.

The sixth year player currently holds the all-time career leader in yards per carry title with an impressive 5.8 per carry. He’s also one of the only true playmakers on the Chiefs’ offense.

During the 2011 season, he tore his ACL in the second game of the season and was placed on the injured reserve for the remainder of the year. Charles made a miraculous rebound rushing for 1,509 yards and five touchdowns last season. In 2012 he rushed for more than 100 yards seven times, two of which were for over 220 yards. Charles also hauled in 35 receptions for 236 yards and one touchdown.

New head coach Andy Reid will likely utilize Charles’ unique skill set like he did with running backs Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy in Philadelphia, earning them both All-Pro accolades.

This offseason has been tough on Charles who sprained his foot in training camp and has only recently returned to practice. Expect Charles to be back to full health and ready to start week 1.

If the 26-year-old back can stay healthy, expect him to produce at a very high level once again. Fantasy owners should expect him to rush for more that 1,200 yards this season and is well worth a top five draft pick in all fantasy leagues.

Reid Calls Donnie Avery His #2 Receiver

The Kansas City Cheifs are moving forward with Donnie Avery as the #2 target for quarterback, Alex Smith. The newly acquired receiver started the offseason behind Jon Baldwin on the depth chart after missing Offseason Training Activities with a bum ankle. However, now that Baldwin has been banished to San Francisco and Avery is healthy, he’s already been plugged into the #2 wide receiver position by head coach Andy Reid.

Fantasy owners should still be wary of drafting the injury-prone Avery. The 29-year-old has a long history of injuries and has also struggled with dropped passes. Last year, Avery hauled in career highs in catches (60) and yards (781) with the Indianapolis Colts. However, this only amounted to 3 touchdowns and far too many dropped balls.

Despite this adverse past, Donnie Avery has a chance to succeed, entering a new system which will emphasize a passing attack. Reid is known to let the ball fly, so there will surely be plenty of opportunity thrown Avery’s way.

The negative is that Avery is a deep-threat receiver who plays with a quarterback who doesn’t have very much arm strength and has a problem throwing deep downfield. This is the 3rd straight year on a new team for Donnie Avery, who still hasn’t been able to find the right system to play in.

Jamaal Charles Day-to-Day, but Foot is OK

Note to Jamaal Charles fantasy owners – “It’s ok to breathe now.”

What a difference one day can make. The fantasy football community was in a tailspin on Monday when Charles was carted off the practice field after sustaining what many thought might be a serious foot injury. Tuesday, the Kansas City Chiefs star running back was diagnosed with nothing more than a sprained foot and is currently listed as day-to-day.

Charles had foot x-rays taken after practice on Monday and the news was all good, no breaks and no cause for major concern. The versatile running back reportedly suffered only a minor foot strain that caused him a lot of pain.

No official word yet, but Head Coach Andy Reid will likely sit the pro bowler for Friday’s preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Charles’ injury caused extreme panic throughout the Kansas City organization in fear that he would be down for the count. In 2011, Charles missed most of the season due to an ACL injury. In this case, Charles may be back at practice by the end of the week.

Draft Zone: 16th Ranked Wide Receiver – Chiefs Dwayne Bowe

Kansas City Chiefs Dwayne Bowe is the 16th ranked wide receiver in this year’s 2013 fantasy draft standings. With an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 47, he’s likely to be taken sometime in the fifth round of most fantasy drafts.

In 13 games last season, Bowe recorded 65 receptions for 801 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was on pace for nearly 80 receptions and 1,000 yards, which is very good if you consider how terrible his team’s passing game was. The Chiefs passing offense ranked dead last in the NFL with 2,713 passing yards and a measly 8 touchdowns. The team also ranked 11^th place in the NFL with 40 sacks allowed.

Yet there have been many changes made in Kansas City that could possibly make Bowe’s life easier. For one thing, the team brought in proven quarterback Alex Smith to try and turn things around. Smith had a passer rating of 104.1 in 10 games last season before losing his job with the 49ers.

Bowe is an undeniably talented receiver, so his success is dependent upon the success of his quarterback in Kansas City. Smith is a substantial upgrade from K.C. quarterback busts like Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn and Tyler Thigpen.

Also joining the Chiefs is ex-Eagles coach Andy Reid. Reid has a long history of running successful passing offenses and has helped turn many of his receivers into solid fantasy options. Bowe will be the featured receiver in Reid’s passing game and if he can stay healthy, he’s certainly worth your pick in the 5^th round.

Don’t Bother With Chiefs Wideout Donnie Avery

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Donnie Avery was medically cleared to practice with the team this week. Avery has been suffering from a high ankle sprain which caused him to miss the entire OTA program. This would explain why wideout Jon Baldwin has been receiving more first team reps before training camp.

Avery is supposed to be the starting receiver opposite of Dwayne Bowe in a new couching scheme introduced by Andy Reid. One of Reid’s first acquisitions when he came to Kansas City was former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. This bodes well for Avery who grabbed 60 receptions last season for 781 yards and three touchdowns while playing for the Colts.

The Chiefs are hoping that Avery can dodge the injury bug this year and match or surpass his numbers from last season. However, the fact that Avery was already dealing with an injury during the offseason, should throw up red flags for the Chiefs and potential fantasy owners.

With an Average Draft Position (ADP) hovering in the 280s, Avery is not worth consideration in any fantasy format.

Don’t Bother With Chiefs Wideout Donnie Avery

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Donnie Avery was medically cleared to practice with the team this week. Avery has been suffering from a high ankle sprain which caused him to miss the entire OTA program. This would explain why wideout Jon Baldwin has been receiving more first team reps before training camp.

Avery is supposed to be the starting receiver opposite of Dwayne Bowe in a new couching scheme introduced by Andy Reid. One of Reid’s first acquisitions when he came to Kansas City was former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. This bodes well for Avery who grabbed 60 receptions last season for 781 yards and three touchdowns while playing for the Colts.

The Chiefs are hoping that Avery can dodge the injury bug this year and match or surpass his numbers from last season. However, the fact that Avery was already dealing with an injury during the offseason, should throw up red flags for the Chiefs and potential fantasy owners.

With an Average Draft Position (ADP) hovering in the 280s, Avery is not worth consideration in any fantasy format.

Jamaal Charles Gets Good News Back from X-Rays

Fantasy owners planning on drafting running back Jamaal Charles got a bit of a scare yesterday, as the star left Friday’s practice early. A teammate stepped on Charles’ right foot, tweaking one of his toes. However, X-rays came back negative and the team said Charles is likely to return for the Chiefs’ three-day minicamp Tuesday.

Charles returned to the field last season after suffering a torn ACL in 2011. His return was likely overshadowed by the monster season by Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who also came back from an ACL injury. Charles ran for more than 1,500 yards and added 35 catches for 236 receiving yards. 

The feat is more impressive when you factor in the Chiefs’ mostly inept quarterback play and the fact they were playing from behind in most games. While the yards were great, Charles only had six total touchdowns last season. Still, he looks to be an attractive fantasy option after the Chiefs conducted an overhaul of the franchise this offseason.

The team brought in veteran Alex Smith to create stability at quarterback, upgraded the offensive line by drafting Eric Fisher No. 1 overall and — perhaps most importantly for Charles — hired former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid.

Reid spent 14 seasons in Philadelphia. One Super Bowl berth and four NFC Championship Game appearances highlighted his tenure with the Eagles. Reid’s style of offense creates several opportunities for running backs to catch the ball out of the backfield while contributing on the ground, too.

With a better team and proven system around him, look for Charles to put up first-round draft pick numbers in 2013.