Fabiano’s Fantasy Focus: 2014 Pre-season Week 4, Volume II

Arizona Sports News online

The 2014 fantasy football season is here! Whether you’re a first timer or an experienced fantasy football veteran, NFL.com has the league for you. Set up your FREE and customizable league on NFL.com today!

Each week during the season NFL Network and NFL.com Senior Fantasy Analyst Michael Fabiano joins Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat to share his insight on building and developing your fantasy team for success.

Here are some hi-lights from our most recent conversation (August 27) with the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Famer.

Where are you at on Le’Veon Bell in Pittsburgh heading into regular season? “That was a messy situation [marijuana possession]. Le’Veon Bell, he’s fallen a little bit for me. I had him pegged as sort of a late first-round pick, maybe a month ago. Now I’m seeing him more as a two or a three especially after he came out and said, ‘well, LaGarrette Blount is going to see most of the goal line work.’ OK, that’s never a good thing when you’re talking about a running back’s fantasy potential and production. So now I see him more as a high-end RB2 or a low-end RB1 in a 12-team league  I’m not super concerned about it because in this day and age the NFL utilizes committees more often than I’ve ever seen before. That’s why it’s important to get those true feature backs early in your draft. Even if LeGarrette Blount vultures some touchdowns from Le’Veon Bell doesn’t mean he can’t score seven to nine times this year.”

How concerned are you about Cam Newton and his rib injury? “I don’t think it’s as big of a deal as people make it out to be. Tony Romo…is the first guy that comes to mind that has played with broken ribs, flak jacket and they shoot it up before the game so that’s something you need to remember. I would not draft him in one of the first seven rounds. Eight to 10 is where I’m more comfortable drafting him.”

Is there an under-the-radar quarterback who you could see having a productive fantasy season? “Maybe Carson Palmer in Arizona. I know Gil Brandt, who is the Godfather of the NFL, thinks that Carson’s going to throw for over 5,000 yards this year so take that for what you will. I don’t trust him because he turns the ball over quite a bit but Carson Palmer is worth drafting late as a QB2 as a match-up based starter but those guys though guys are not going to win or lose you a fantasy championship because the depth at the quarterback position is ridiculous.”

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