Donte Stallworth Suspension (Image: Newscom)

In the fantasy football world, this makes Stallworth completely valueless. He had minimal value prior to this incident but now there’s no situation in which he should be selected in a 2009 fantasy football draft.

According to reports, Stallworth received 30 days of jail time, two years of house arrest and eight years of probation. Considering all that baggage and the fact that he’s suspended indefinitely without pay, that will likely lead to the Browns releasing him and cutting all ties.

In fact, some experts believe there’s a good chance that Stallworth never plays in the NFL again. He was a talented player but not talented to the point that a team is likely to roll the dice on him. And with Goodell trying to clean up the league’s image, there’s a good chance that Stallworth will be suspended for a long while.

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Marshawn Lynch Suspended (Image: Newscom)

The running back for the Buffalo Bills was suspended due to two brushes with the law. His first incident was when he hit a pedestrian near a bar in Buffalo. The second incident was a gun charge in California.

Three games in a fantasy football season is quite a big chunk. This news could drop him from a second rounder all the way into the fourth a fifth round. Any fantasy team that drafts Lynch would be handicapping themselves in the first three weeks of the season.

The player who will see his value increase is backup Bills running back Fred Jackson. He showed some glimpses last season and he’s likely to start the first three games of the season. If you are thinking about drafting Lynch, be sure to handcuff Lynch with Jackson.

In the second half of the fantasy season, Lynch could hold a lot of value. By then, he should be back into the groove and the Bills offense should be much improved due to the acquisition of Terrell Owens earlier in the offseason. If everything goes as planned, Lynch has a chance to be a sleeper acquisition for the second half of the fantasy football season.

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Plaxico Burress Released by the Giants (Image: Newscom)

The major trouble for Burress started when he shot himself in the leg back in November. Due to that incident, Burress faces a felony charge that could very well lead to prison time. Even if he’s not sent to prison, he could face a suspension from the NFL.

His value in fantasy football will depend on which team he lands with and how much action he will miss. Even though he has had a lot of personal problems over the years, Burress is a very good fantasy player. In 2006 and 2007 combined, Burress had 22 touchdowns and more than 2000 yards receiving. That type of production makes him viable in the fantasy world any time he steps onto the field.

As for the Giants, they actually have a lot of wide receiver talent and they should be able to pick up most of the slack. Domenik Hixon, Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss and Steve Smith are all very capable of stepping into larger roles. That said, quarterback Eli Manning’s stock is lowered due to this news because Burress was his favorite option and it will be harder now for Manning to accumulate touchdown passes.

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Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears (Image: Newscom)

First of all, Cutler himself probably sees his stock lower quite significantly. In Chicago, he joins a team with a mediocre receiving corps and a history of running the ball often. Logic suggests his stats will drop after spending his last few years in the wide open offense run in Denver.

For the Broncos, the wide receivers also see their stocks go south. Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal aren’t worth as much without Cutler delivering passes. However, whoever wins the running back battle for the Broncos could see their stock rise due to more carries.

In Chicago, the Bears receivers are now viable in the fantasy world. Devin Hester, the return specialist turned wide receiver, will be a popular sleeper pick during 2009 fantasy football drafts. If he enters the season as the number one wide receiver, Cutler could look for him early and often.

Tight end Greg Olson should also see his stock rise considerably following the acquisition of Cutler. He seems to have all the tools to be a star at the position and Cutler may be able to push him to the next level.

Also keep an eye to see on who will become the quarterback in Denver. With a new regime in town, the offensive tinkering may just have just begun.

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In Kansas City, Cassel is all but assured of being the starter. With new management in town, the Chiefs wanted a proven signal caller to run their offense — and they got one.

The good news for Cassel is the fact that the Chiefs have some talent on that end of the field. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is a big play threat and tight end Tony Gonzalez is still arguably the best player at his position in the NFL.

Cassel’s fantasy football value will be that of a top end backup quarterback heading into the 2009 fantasy football season. Some fantasy owners will roll the dice and hope that Cassel can have the success he had during the second half of the season with the Patriots. While that’s not overly likely, he is definitely a high-risk, high-reward type player.

As far as the Patriots are concerned, the trading of Cassel indicates that the team is happy with where Tom Brady is in his recovery. Brady has insisted that he’ll be ready to begin the 2009 fantasy football season and this move proves that the Patriots are confident in that happening.

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Winslow’s talent has never been a question. Even though he plays tight end, he has the skillset of a big wide receiver. He runs good routes, has good hands and his speed and agility are very impressive for a player of his size.

Last season, Winslow struggled along with most of the Browns’ offense. After two solid fantasy football campaigns, his 2008 fantasy football season was a clunker. As usual, both injuries and off the field drama led to Winslow’s demise.

With the Buccaneers, Winslow has a chance to be a very good fantasy football tight end once again. The Bucs like to look to their tight ends around the goal line and their deliberate offense would be a good mix for Winslow’s skillset. Look for him to be one of the top five tight ends targeted in 2009 fantasy football drafts.

This is obviously bad news for Alex Smith and the other tight ends on Tampa Bay. Winslow will demand a lot of time on the field and should be able to easily win the starting job. Also keep an eye on Cleveland to see who will replace Winslow at tight end. The Browns very well may look to the draft to get a new starter at that position.

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Taylor was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier in the month and is free to sign with any team. In addition to the Bills, the New England Patriots and New York Jets are said to have interest. Although Taylor would like a starting job, there’s only a slight possibility that he can land such a job.

The Bills interest in Taylor might not be a good sign for Lynch. The teams starting running back the last two seasons, Marshawn Lynch was arrested earlier in the offseason and faces a likely suspension. If Buffalo doesn’t think Lynch is worth the trouble, they may even consider releasing or trading him.

Overall, this news does little to raise the fantasy value of Taylor. At the very most, Taylor could be a useful handcuff for the 2009 fantasy football season. This news does slightly lower the value of Lynch because it shows that the Bills may be looking at other options.

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If Minnesota successful trades for the quarterback, he becomes a candidate to become the teams starter at QB. Currently, the Vikings have Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte at the position. Although Jackson has shown some promise, he’s still extremely raw. Frerotte, on the other hand, has seen his best days.

Even if Rosenfels wins the starting job, he likely won’t be on the fantasy radar. Minnesota runs the ball a ton and their receiving corps is lacking talent. At best, Rosenfels would be a late round sleeper in 2009 fantasy football drafts.

While in Houston, Rosenfels has looked elite at times. At other times, he’s bumbled away very winnable games. He still has the potential to be a decent quarterback but he has a lot of work to do to master the position.

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If Harrison leaves the Colts, his fantasy football value would severely dip. As it is, Harrison isn’t worth much in the fantasy football world. In 2008, Harrison had a very underwhelming campaign. At 36, it appears as if Harrison’s days as an elite receiver are over.

Reggie Wayne’s fantasy value would rise if Harrison were to be released. The big winner would be Anthony Gonzalez, who would likely move into a starting role. Gonzalez would suddenly become a relatively good fantasy football wide receiving prospect.

As far as Harrison on another team, he’d have to land in a perfect situation to have any fantasy appeal. Even if he lands a role as a starting receiver, it’d be hard to imagine him being worth more than a middle to late fantasy draft pick.

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All of this comes as good news to the fantasy football world. Warner is one of the most explosive quarterbacks in the business and he showed that tendency once again in 2008. During the Cardinals’ magical trip to the Super Bowl, Warner was extremely impressive.

If Warner returns, his stock should be somewhat high. He has very good receivers and an offense that lets him toss the ball around. The negatives will be his advanced age and the fact that he is injury prone.

This is also good news for the Cardinals receivers. Larry Fitzgerald will be a top five wide receiver next year in fantasy football with Warner at the helm. Although Anquan Boldin isn’t happy in Arizona at the moment, if he changes his mind, Warner would do wonders for his production.

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