Hvidovre Blitzers - Footballguys.com team analysis

QB: Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton
RB: Ray Rice, Ryan Mathews, Shane Vereen, Giovani Bernard, Ronnie Hillman
WR: Julio Jones, Vincent Jackson, Eric Decker, Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright
TE: Jermichael Finley
PK: Blair Walsh

Overview:

We'll start by complimenting you on your strength at quarterback, receiver, and tight end. As you know, it's very difficult in a competitive league to assemble a team that is strong at QB, RB, and WR, so just about every team will have a weakness. As you probably suspect, we perceive yours to be at running back.

In 2013, that's not an instant fantasy team killer like it might have been five years ago. And in this particular case, we absolutely think you're strong enough elsewhere to overcome it. You've definitely got a good team here, but we'd feel better if we knew you were committed to keeping an eye out for the 2013 version of last season's Alfred Morris, 2010's Peyton Hillis, or 2009's Jamaal Charles.

Players we particularly like on this team include Vincent Jackson, Shane Vereen, Michael Floyd, Jermichael Finley, Andy Dalton, and Eric Decker. We have all these guys ranked ahead of where they are typically being drafted.

Bottom line:
With great inseason management, we think you have about a 90 percent chance of making the playoffs.
With good inseason management, we think you have about a 85 percent chance of making the playoffs.
With average inseason management, we think you have a 76 percent chance of making the playoffs.

In any event, we wish you the best of luck. Here's hoping all your weeks are like week 2 of 2011:

Vincent Jackson vs. NE: 172 receiving yards, 2 TD
Eric Decker vs. CIN: 113 receiving yards, 2 TD
Ryan Mathews vs. NE: 126 combined yards, 1 TD
Matt Ryan vs. PHI: 195 passing yards, 4 TD

QB Summary:

We have Matt Ryan rated #7 among quarterbacks, which makes him a less-than-stellar starter in this league. But we like the selection of our #13-rated QB, Andy Dalton, to go with him. Hopefully between the two of them, you should be able to cobble together some good production at the position, but this strategy always carries with it the downside that you'll drive yourself crazy trying to decide who to start from week to week.

Incidentally, these two have a terrific combined schedule and a decent playoff schedule too. If you simply played the one with the better matchup each week, this is the schedule you'd face:
NO | STL | MIA | NE | NE | BUF | TB | NYJ | MIA | BAL | TB | NO | BUF | IND | WAS | MIN

A quick note about the Ryan/Julio Jones hookup you've got here: while we think the effect of the quarterback/receiver hookup has largely been exaggerated in fantasy football circles, it does have a tendency to make your team somewhat more inconsistent than comparable scoring duos from different NFL teams. But if you like the players at both ends of the connection, we do not see any need to make a change because of it.

RB Summary:

We like Ray Rice as a top RB, but we consider your starting running backs, as a group, to be a little below par. Our projections have Rice ranked seventh and Ryan Mathews ranked 23rd.

Your bench looks good and should help offset the unexciting starting unit. Shane Vereen should serve as a very solid third running back.

Though some teams will probably be content to roster as few as three players here, it was not a bad idea to take a few extras because you're not particularly strong overall at the position. Of your remaining guys, we like Giovani Bernard the best, but you should keep the one you think has the best chance of putting up starter numbers. The rest might be considered expendable if you find you need roster space elsewhere.

Note that the above "thoughts" were generated by David Dodds's projections. Others have different takes:

Some members of our staff have Ryan Mathews ranked as high as 19th, which would make him a fine second running back. Jeff Tefertiller defends his high ranking as follows: "Even with the injury issues the past couple of seasons, the youngster has loads of upside. He makes a high-ceiling RB2 with relatively low risk. Like Rivers, much depends on the offensive line. "

WR Summary:

Nice work here. We like both your starting receivers, as our projections indicate that they give you a combined 2.0 point-per-game advantage over an average opponent in this league. Julio Jones is our #5 ranked receiver, and we have Vincent Jackson at #9.

Your bench also looks good. Tough to do better than Eric Decker at WR3; he's a likely flex starter. Michael Floyd should also be solidly above average at WR4. We see Kendall Wright as an average fifth receiver.

Note that the above "thoughts" were generated by David Dodds's projections. Others have different takes:

Kendall Wright is ranked #37 by some of our writers, which would make him a great fifth receiver and even a legitimate WR4. Jeff Pasquino reasons, "Kendall Wright was drafted 20th overall in the 2012 NFL Draft by Tennessee with the hopes of either making him the complimentary wide receiver to Kenny Britt, or even possibly supplanting the tumultuous Britt if he could not stay clean off of the field. Wright stepped up to the plate and delivered in his first year, racking up 64 catches (the most of any Titan), 626 yards and four scores despite being third on the depth chart. With Nate Washington unlikely to return and Britt's future still not clear, the upside is huge for Wright both in 2013 and for seasons to come. "

TE Summary:

Jermichael Finley should be above average as a starting tight end. We have him ranked fifth overall at the position. Given your league rules and the presence of Finley, your decision to roll with just one tight end is a reasonable one.

Kicker Summary:

Blair Walsh, our 11th ranked kicker, is below average but probably adequate.