Denver Broncos:
The Broncos had a bit of bad luck, Jacksonville-style, already losing third-round pick TE Jeff Hauerman for the year with a torn ACL. He was signed as a replacement for TE Julius Thomas. The Broncos are deep at WR, but Peyton Manning loves throwing to his tight ends. They signed TE Owen Daniels after he spent a year in Baltimore, which surprised no one since it must be a separate deal that has him permanently tied to coach Gary Kubiak. He’s been a bit injury-prone as he’s gotten older, but he’s the best Peyton’s got for now.
The Broncos surprised with their first-round pick by selecting marijuana fanatic DE Shane Ray from Missouri. If his lack of intelligence in the days leading up to the draft was temporary insanity, this was a huge steal and will bolster the Broncos’ strong run this year. The Broncos focused much more on the run last year than any year under Peyton and it turned out to be a hit. So to help that aspect and help keep Peyton off his aging back, they added OT Ty Sambrailo from Colorado St and C Max Garcia from Florida.
Fantasy starters: QB Peyton Manning, RB CJ Anderson, WR Demarius Thomas, WR Emmanuel Sanders
Fantasy Bench: RB Montee Ball, TE Owen Daniels, Denver D
Fantasy Sleeper: WR Cody Latimer
san diego chargers:
I liked the Chargers’ pick of RB Ryan Mathews in 2010, but I didn’t expect him to have the trouble he’s had staying healthy. As a member of the Big Ten, I really like his choice this year of Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon. They may not have needed to trade to get him, but there was no reason to take chances when you know he’s going to be the man in their backfield. He doesn’t catch a lot of passes, so Danny Woodhead will see the normal workload from him. I don’t understand Chargers management’s interest in moving to Los Angeles, but these guys don’t become billionaires worrying about more than how they can squeeze the most dollars out of the little guy.
While the talk of the move led to quarterback Philip Rivers expressing his displeasure, the property made the right decision not to change it. I expect a lot of improvement on that side of the ball this year with Gordon carrying the rock. On defense, they still have work to do, but adding Miami LB Denzel Perryman was a solid step in the right direction. The additions of CB Craig Mager and LB Kyle Emanuel with the next 2 picks were decent and showed that San Diego isn’t so self-interested that they can’t find San Marcos, TX and Fargo ND on a map.
Fantasy starters: QB Philip Rivers, RB Melvin Gordon, WR Keenan Allen, TE Antonio Gates
Fantasy Bench: WR Malcolm Floyd
Fantasy Sleeper: TE Ladarius Green
Kansas City Chiefs:
The Chiefs had the most ridiculous group of WRs outside of Cleveland in the league last year. Yes, they didn’t have TD receptions, but they still had more talent than Cleveland. However, it was time to start over there. They started by adding WR Jeremy Maclin in free agency. That’s a vast improvement over their limp group from last year, but they also added WR Chris Conley of Georgia in the third round. I like his chances to make a major contribution in 2015 because of his size. At 6’2″ 213, he’s the anti-Maclin. With those pieces in place and a solid running game, they ran defense and plugged holes really well. Landing CB Marcus Peters from Washington was a top-tier pick. He’s aggressive, but if that can become a queen and align with the NFL’s crap rules to allow WRs freedom of movement, he has a huge upside this season.
Fantasy starters: RB Jamaal Charles, WR Jeremy Maclin
Fantasy Bench: QB Alex Smith, RB Knile Davis, TE Travis Kelce
Fantasy sleeper: WR Chris Conley
Oakland Raiders:
After looking like they might go winless last season, the Raiders put together a nice final stretch that gave them a bit of a spark heading into 2015. Landing WR stallion Amari Cooper with their first pick only stoked that spark into a nice fire. Quarterback Derek Carr seemed to “get it” late last season and having Cooper to throw will accelerate his progression into a true NFL quarterback. After years of ridiculous first-round picks at wide receivers, the Raiders struck gold with this one. After that, the Raiders used their remaining nine picks at positions across the board. There are no real standouts in the group, but they certainly favored Florida’s top three universities, as five of those nine picks came from those schools.
If RB Latavius Murray proves he can carry the load for a full season, the offense will improve greatly. In addition to Cooper, the Raiders took WR Michael Crabtree. On defense, the Raiders spent some money on LB Malcolm Smith and Curtis Lofton, as well as DT Dan Williams. The Raiders are definitely a team on the rise and won’t be the laughing stock they have been for several years.
Fantasy starters: RB Latavius Murray, WR Amari Cooper
Fantasy Bench: QB Derek Carr
Fantasy sleeper: WR Chris Conley