Hakeem Nicks Keys in on Staying Healthy

Staying healthy has always been a challenge for Nicks

New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks finally seems to be healthy after battling injuries for most of his young career. Nicks approached training camp cautiously this summer in order to give a groin injury time to heal.

In the Giants week 2 preseason loss to the Colts, Nicks had 2 catches for 20 yards each against the Colts first-team defense. Nicks and quarterback Eli Manning’s chemistry looked strong as ever, although they only connected twice. Hakeem admittedly didn’t move at 100% against the Colts, but claimed to feel good. Nicks’ route-running and strength still looked sharp as ever.

His last game against the Jets on Saturday night was a little more concerning after he dropped a touchdown catch in the end zone

Nicks has a long history of injuries during the course of his 5-year career. After a slew of injuries to his ankle, foot, knee and groin – staying healthy has not come easy for Nicks. As he enters the final year of his rookie contract, his health this season will likely determine how lucrative a contract offer he gets next season.

With the emergence of 2nd year man Rueben Randle, Nicks’ fantasy stock may drop this year. His touchdowns will likely go down and it could lead to him and the Giants to part ways next year. If Nicks gets hurt again, the Giants will have a better chance at holding onto him as his value will begin to diminish.

Coach Tom Coughlin has expressed no concern in his star receivers ability to play during Week 1 against the Cowboys. If the Giants want to have the bounce-back season like they’ve been hungry for, staying healthy will be a key theme for Nicks and the entire team.

Hakeem Nicks Keys in on Staying Healthy

Staying healthy has always been a challenge for Nicks

New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks finally seems to be healthy after battling injuries for most of his young career. Nicks approached training camp cautiously this summer in order to give a groin injury time to heal.

In the Giants week 2 preseason loss to the Colts, Nicks had 2 catches for 20 yards each against the Colts first-team defense. Nicks and quarterback Eli Manning’s chemistry looked strong as ever, although they only connected twice. Hakeem admittedly didn’t move at 100% against the Colts, but claimed to feel good. Nicks’ route-running and strength still looked sharp as ever.

His last game against the Jets on Saturday night was a little more concerning after he dropped a touchdown catch in the end zone

Nicks has a long history of injuries during the course of his 5-year career. After a slew of injuries to his ankle, foot, knee and groin – staying healthy has not come easy for Nicks. As he enters the final year of his rookie contract, his health this season will likely determine how lucrative a contract offer he gets next season.

With the emergence of 2nd year man Rueben Randle, Nicks’ fantasy stock may drop this year. His touchdowns will likely go down and it could lead to him and the Giants to part ways next year. If Nicks gets hurt again, the Giants will have a better chance at holding onto him as his value will begin to diminish.

Coach Tom Coughlin has expressed no concern in his star receivers ability to play during Week 1 against the Cowboys. If the Giants want to have the bounce-back season like they’ve been hungry for, staying healthy will be a key theme for Nicks and the entire team.

Giants Tight-Lipped on Victor Cruz Heel Injury

Hearts skipped a beat all around the New York area on Sunday night when the 46 million dollar man, Victor Cruz, was taken to the locker room after the team’s first possession to get his foot X-rayed. The X-rays were negative and Cruz reappeared on the sidelines shortly afterward in street clothes.

Cruz was diagnosed with just a bruised heel, and fantasy owners were finally able to breathe again.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin wasn’t exactly a fountain of information today calling the injury a “jammed heel” and said that Cruz was “sore” today.

Bruised heels are notoriously tricky injuries and can be very slow to heal. Rest assured that the Giants will take their time with Cruz during the preseason and not put him in any situation where he might aggravate the injury. Unless the injury is very minor, Sunday night was most probably the last action he will see during the preseason.

Draft Zone: 7th Ranked Running Back – Ravens Ray Rice

The Baltimore Ravens Ray Rice is the seventh-ranked running back in this year’s fantasy draft standings. With an average draft position (ADP) of seven, that makes Rice a sure-fire first-round pick in nearly every fantasy draft.

Rice has been a fantasy auto-start for the past four years. He’s had at least 1,000 yards rushing every year since 2009, and he’s added at least 60 catches per year, too. Rice is possibly the most valuable running back in PPR leagues, as the Ravens make it a point to throw the ball to him often.

Baltimore traded receiver Anquan Boldin in the offseason and lost tight end Dennis Pitta for the next extended period of time with a dislocated right hip. This can only boost Rice’s value, as he is assured plenty of touches in every facet of the offense.

During the team’s Super Bowl winning campaign in 2012, Rice had 1,143 yards rushing for nine touchdowns. He added 61 catches for 478 yards and a receiving touchdown.

On top of Rice’s massive production the last four years, it’s important to note that he missed three games during that span.

So, Rice will be the focal point of the Ravens’ offense this year. He has put up fantastic numbers for the vast majority of his career and has been incredibly durable. After elite options such as Adrian Peterson, Arian Foster and Jamaal Charles are off the board in your draft, Rice is a no-brainer No. 1 back in any format.

Colts Coby Fleener Sustains Another Concussion

The Indianapolis Colts up and coming tight end Coby Fleener was diagnosed with a concussion Tuesday, and will be held out of practice as a part of the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Couple this setback with Dwayne Allen’s foot injury and the Colts are left without both starting tight ends for this Sunday’s preseason game with the Giants. Coach Chuck Pagano did not specify when Fleener may have suffered the concussion, but it might have happened last week against the Bills.

Fleener now has a history of head injuries dating back to 2011 at Stanford. Last year during his rookie campaign, Fleener sustained another concussion heading into a bye week. In today’s NFL and with what science has determined about head injuries, the league will definitely keep a close eye on Fleener’s health.

Despite this week’s injury, Fleener has been excelling in training camp and has very high expectations this season with quarterback Andrew Luck. His combination of size, speed, and athleticism poses a difficult matchup for opponents. Coach Pagano even predicted that Fleener would double his reception total of 26 in 2012. Assuming he can keep his head up and healthy, Fleener might become a major component in the Colts passing attack this season.

Ravens Raid the Old Folks Home

After breaking the bank to sign quarterback Joe Flacco – the Ravens are understandably a little short on cash. Maybe that’s why the team’s recent signing spree hasn’t included one player under the age of 30.

Don’t believe it? Since Dennis Pitta went down with an injury on July 27th, the Ravens have added 3 pass catchers who’s average age is just under 35-years-old.

These early bird specialists include tight ends Visanthe Shiancoe (33), Dallas Clark (34), and wide receiver Brandon Stokley (37) who actually played for the Ravens 2001 Super Bowl team. The Ravens even re-signed 31-year-old fullback Vonta Leach who will turn 32-years-old during the regular season.

Baltimore is filling holes in the offense with players that are well past their prime, with the obvious exception of Vonta Leach.

The Ravens might very well miss the playoffs this year, but the team’s AARP membership rating should ensure that they get good discount rates with every hotel stay.

Ravens Raid the Old Folks Home

After breaking the bank to sign quarterback Joe Flacco – the Ravens are understandably a little short on cash. Maybe that’s why the team’s recent signing spree hasn’t included one player under the age of 30.

Don’t believe it? Since Dennis Pitta went down with an injury on July 27th, the Ravens have added 3 pass catchers who’s average age is just under 35-years-old.

These early bird specialists include tight ends Visanthe Shiancoe (33), Dallas Clark (34), and wide receiver Brandon Stokley (37) who actually played for the Ravens 2001 Super Bowl team. The Ravens even re-signed 31-year-old fullback Vonta Leach who will turn 32-years-old during the regular season.

Baltimore is filling holes in the offense with players that are well past their prime, with the obvious exception of Vonta Leach.

The Ravens might very well miss the playoffs this year, but the team’s AARP membership rating should ensure that they get good discount rates with every hotel stay.

Draft Zone: 11th Ranked Wide Receiver – Giants Victor Cruz

The New York Giants’ Victor Cruz is the 11th ranked wide receiver in this year’s fantasy draft standings. With an average draft position (ADP) of 36, that puts Cruz in the beginning of the 3rd round of 12-team drafts.

While most of his offseason was spent talking about contract negotiations, it’s reasonable for fantasy owners to expect another solid year for Cruz. During the past two seasons in New York, Cruz hauled in 168 catches for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns. The salsa-dancing star broke the 1,000-yard mark in both seasons, and he should continue to see plenty of opportunities from veteran quarterback Eli Manning.

Cruz plays on the opposite side of fellow receiver Hakeem Nicks. The problem is that Nicks hasn’t played an entire 16-game season in his entire career. Coincidentally, Nicks was held out of a training camp practice earlier this week with tightness in his groin.

Either way, Cruz performs with Nicks on the field or on the sideline. Cruz is one of the faster wide receivers in the league and has an elite ability to get open. Look for Cruz in the third round as a solid value pick to fill your No. 2 wide receiver spot.

Ravens Bring on Wideout Brandon Stokley

With a desperate need for depth at the wide receiver position, the Baltimore Ravens signed former Broncos wideout, Brandon Stokley.

The 37-year-old receiver actually played for the Ravens when the team won their first Super Bowl in 2001. With 14 seasons under his belt, Stokley has plenty of miles under the hood.

Despite his age, he still netted 45 catches for 544 yards when he played for the Broncos last season. Stokley used to play for Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell in Indianapolis, so he will be familiar with the offense sets in Baltimore.

This is more of a band-aid than a solution for the Baltimore passing game. With the loss of Anquan Boldin to the Niners and the season-ending injury to Dennis Pitta, the Ravens need a big-time playmaker for Joe Flacco to throw to.

Torrey Smith is a fantastic vertical threat, but the Ravens need a more consistent receiver to keep the chains moving on passing downs.

Draft Zone: 18th Ranked Wide Receiver – Giants Hakeem Nicks

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New York Giants Hakeem Nicks is the 18th ranked wide receiver in this year’s 2013 fantasy draft standings. With an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 50, he’s likely to be taken sometime in the fifth round of most fantasy drafts.

Last season, Nicks was only able to play in 13 games due to injury. He was limited on the field, and most would agree that the receiver was never 100% healthy. He recorded 53 receptions for 692 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Nicks has proven multiple times in the past that he can put up tremendous numbers. Nicks reached the 1,000 receiving yards mark in 2 consecutive seasons from 2010 to 2011. In that span he also scored a combined 18 touchdowns in only 28 games.

Not much has changed to inhibit Nicks from putting up great numbers again. He will still be the starting wide out in New York and is the Giants best option down the field. Fellow receiver Victor Cruz lines up in the slot, so their roles do not interfere with one another.

In fact, Cruz even said recently that Nicks is the “Number 1” wide out on the team. Cruz claims that Nicks is still the team’s “big-play guy”, so no other receiver should challenge Nicks’ role while he’s healthy.

However, health is the main concern with Nicks. He was burdened last season by knee and foot issues. In previous seasons, he’s dealt with hamstring problems as well. Unfortunately, Nicks is already experiencing groin tightness, and is not 100% at the moment.

If he can get and stay healthy, Nicks could be expected to have a season similar to what he accomplished in 2010 and 2011. Doing that would make Nicks a great value pick in the 5th round. If you take the chance on him, make sure you have a few more consistent receivers on your team to back up Nicks if he gets hurt.