Frederiksberg Oldies - Footballguys.com team analysis

QB: Colin Kaepernick, Matt Schaub
RB: Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore, Rashard Mendenhall, Isaiah Pead, Jonathan Stewart
WR: Randall Cobb, Cecil Shorts, DeSean Jackson, Golden Tate, Brian Hartline
TE: Owen Daniels
PK: Mason Crosby

Overview:

We think you're looking good at quarterback and running back. Your squad is therefore easy for us to like despite a bit of weakness at the receiver position. But as weaknesses go, this is one is survivable. It's usually relatively easy to find fill-in guys on a weekly basis until a better player emerges during the season. As long as you stay on top of things inseason, you should be a legitimate contender.

Players we particularly like on this team include Colin Kaepernick, Matt Schaub, Brian Hartline, and DeSean Jackson. 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 80 percent chance of making the playoffs.
With good inseason management, we think you have about a 70 percent chance of making the playoffs.
With average inseason management, we think you have a 56 percent chance of making the playoffs.

QB Summary:

We expect Colin Kaepernick to be a solid starter. According to our projections, he's the #6 QB, so you should be better off than most teams in the starting quarterback slot.

Matt Schaub, who we have rated as the #16 QB, should be a fine backup.

Incidentally, Schaub has what we project as a neutral matchup (IND) during Kaepernick's bye.

A quick note about the same-team Kaepernick/Frank Gore duo you've got here. Though the effect is probably negligible, this kind of pairing is likely to make your team more (not less) consistent than a comparable-scoring different-team pair. See this article (which was written before the 2008 season) for more discussion.

RB Summary:

Nice work here. We like both your starting running backs, as our projections indicate that they give you a combined 2.4 point-per-game advantage over an average opponent in this league. Our projections have Adrian Peterson ranked at #1 and Frank Gore ranked 17th.

Your bench also looks good. Rashard Mendenhall should serve as a very solid third running back.

Since you're strong at the position, you probably don't absolutely need to roster more than three players here. Of your remaining guys, we like Isaiah Pead 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:

Isaiah Pead is ranked #35 by some of our writers, which would make him a great fourth running back and even a legitimate RB3. Adam Harstad reasons, "If rookie year performance were all that mattered, Demaryius Thomas would be a 4th stringer and Michael Clayton would be the best receiver in the league. Pead started his career off on the wrong foot, but with Steven Jackson gone from St. Louis, he'll get a chance to convince the Rams that they didn't make a mistake when they took him in the 2nd round of the 2012 draft."

Jonathan Stewart is ranked #30 by some of our writers, which would make him a great fifth running back and even a legitimate RB3. Adam Harstad reasons, "Quelle frustration! There are not many examples of an RB who is still in his prime, among the highest paid players at his position in the league, and universally well-regarded, with a top-12 positional finish already under his belt... and who is still being drafted outside the top 30 at his position (Stewart's current ADP is RB31). Then again, there are not many situations similar to Jonathan Stewart's. You might have to go back to the '72-'73 Dolphins to find a pair of teammates more talented than Stewart and Williams. The only thing Stewart owners can comfort themselves with at this point is that it's a fallacy to believe that just because every critical juncture has broken against Stewart in the past, every future juncture will continue the pattern. Not even Stewart owners' rotten luck lasts forever."

WR Summary:

We see both your starters at receiver as below average. Randall Cobb is our #13 ranked receiver, and we have Cecil Shorts at #19.

Your bench looks good and should help offset the unexciting starting unit. DeSean Jackson should serve as a very solid third receiver; he's a likely flex starter. We also see Golden Tate as an above average WR4. Brian Hartline looks great as a fifth receiver.

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

Some of our staffers have Randall Cobb as high as #7, which would make him a fine first receiver. Ryan Hester's take: "After 80 catches, nearly 1,000 yards, and eight touchdowns in 2012, Cobb's arrow is pointing up. With the departure of veteran Greg Jennings, Cobb should have more opportunities to excel as the team's most game-breaking talent."

Some members of our staff have Cecil Shorts ranked as high as 17th, which would make him an above average second receiver. Matt Waldman defends his high ranking as follows: "If Shorts was on a mid-tier team like Miami, Indianapolis, Washington, or San Diego, he'd be a top-12 fantasy threat. Until the quarterback situation improves, he's a nice big-play option but still an untapped talent. I think he'll improve his production for a third consecutive year, but he still remains outside the WR1 tier. "

Some members of our staff have Golden Tate ranked as high as 30th, which would make him a great fourth receiver and even a legitimate WR3. Matt Waldman defends his high ranking as follows: "I think some people believe Tate and Percy Harvin play the same role in the Seahawks offense, but this is not necessarily so. It won't matter now that Harvin is out. The Notre Dame alum is a fine player after the catch and as we've seen, fights for the football in traffic. I think he'll build on his second-half production and represent fine value in early August drafts for those facing owners who haven't caught up with the Harvin news. "

TE Summary:

Owen Daniels, who we have ranked #10, is below average but probably adequate as a starting tight end. You might get by with only Daniels, but some additional help here probably wouldn't hurt.

Kicker Summary:

We don't think Mason Crosby is starter quality in this league. Keep a sharp eye on the waiver wire.