Heading into the preseason, Jamaal Charles’s stock was quite high, and for good reason. The 23 year-old had just come off an eight-game stretch where he averaged 140.8 total yards and 1.0 TD per game. He was going in the early second — I even saw a few drafts where he was going in the late first — but with the acquisition of Thomas Jones and the beginning of Todd Haley’s mind games (i.e. refusing to list Charles atop the Chiefs’ depth chart), Charles’s stock has slipped into the late 3rd/early 4th.

I just snagged him in a slow email draft at 3.10 on the heels of his first start of the preseason. He fumbled his first attempt, but finished with 40 yards on six carries and caught a 20-yard pass. During the preseason, Charles has averaged 8.2 yards per touch versus TJ’s 3.2. Even Haley said that he’d “be a fool” if he didn’t play Charles given that type of disparity in production:

“We want this guy to be playing when the games count,” said Haley. “He’s coming off a pretty significant (surgery). … We want him to be playing at a high level.” Haley admitted he’d “be a fool” to not play Charles if he’s severely outproducing Thomas Jones in terms of yards per carry. Added the coach: “We’ve got great competition. Both of those guys want to be pretty good.”

Moreover, Footballguys lists KC’s schedule as the second-easiest for RBs, predicting four favorable matchups through Week 16 (along with zero unfavorable matchups).

I’d still take Pierre Thomas and maybe even Ryan Grant ahead of Charles, but once they’re off the board and I’m staring at guys like LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte, Knowshon Moreno, Chris Wells and Jahvid Best, Charles is looking awfully good.

There were a couple of pieces of good news for Owen Daniels this week. First, he had an MRI that said he was fully healed. Later, he was cleared to play by the noted sports physician Dr. James Andrews, who was the one who surgically repaired the torn ACL in Daniels’ right knee.

“Owen’s been cleared; totally healthy,” Kubiak said on Wednesday. “I was out on the practice field during special teams and he called (head athletic trainer Geoff Kaplan) and we talked to Dr. Andrews, and boy, he’s fired up. It’s great for our team.”

Daniels has been going in the late 7th for the whole month of August, but when you look at his average numbers for the first seven games of the season — 5.6 catches for 71 yards and 0.7 TDs — that’s 17.0 fantasy points per game in a PPR league, which are TE1-type numbers.

Sure, he’s a risk, and he’s probably not going to come out in Week 1 and tear up the Colts’ defense, but he is a proven player and the doctors are saying that he’s ready to go.

After Tony Gonzalez and Brent Celek are off the board, I’d start thinking about Daniels in the 6th round. I’ve been targeting Zach Miller in the 8th, and will continue to do so, but Daniels is the more proven player, so it’s a different kind of risk.

Earlier this week, I summarized my draft in the FSWA Industry Insiders League. My colleague (and Bullz-Eye Editor-In-Chief), Jamey Codding, is also in the league this year and the draft for his division was held last night.

The results for each round are below. For the first 10 rounds, I’ll analyze each pick while comparing his strategy to mine, and Jamey will provide an outline of his thinking for each selection.

Round 1
#1 Team Bob Harris – Chris Johnson, RB, TEN
#2 KFFL- R. Bonini – Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN
#3 Rotowire Houston-Smith – Ray Rice, RB, BAL
#4 Sporting News – Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC
#5 Fantasy Insights – Smitty – Andre Johnson, WR, HOU
#6 Team Shaw – Michael Turner, RB, ATL
#7 Draft Sharks – Smola – Frank Gore, RB, SFO
#8 Team J. Levit – Randy Moss, WR, NWE
#9 ProSportsBlogging Brian Moore – Steven Jackson, RB, STL
#10 The Scores Report – Reggie Wayne, WR, IND
#11 CBSSports – Eisenberg – Calvin Johnson, WR, DET
#12 KFFL – McRae – Ryan Mathews, RB, SDG

JP’s Analysis: There were no huge surprises in the 1st, and Jamey did well to grab arguably the most consistent WR of the last five years in Reggie Wayne. It’s a PPR league where owners can start up to four wideouts, so it makes a lot of sense to draft a WR late in the first when all of the top RBs are already gone.

Jamey’s Thoughts: I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve taken a receiver in the first round, but after doing a couple of mock drafts and getting a feel for the kind of RB and WR that would be available at the 3/4 turn, I did the unthinkable (for me) and committed to going WR/WR with my first two picks. I was hoping to get Moss here but, despite some concerns about the crowded receiving corps in Indy, I was happy to land Peyton Manning’s #1 in Wayne, a PPR rock.

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TMZ has the details…

As we previously reported, Chad is all set to appear on the show next season — as the love interest of his current girlfriend Evelyn Lozada.

Now, sources connected to the show tell us Chad has inked a deal to shoot several scenes between September and October … and the shoots will be scheduled around his football obligations.

We’re told some of Chad’s scenes will take place in Miami — where the show is based — whenever he can spare the time. However, sources tell us VH1 wants Ochocinco material so badly … they’re willing to shoot scenes out in Cincinnati too.

Lozada is the ex-fiancee of Antonie Walker, so technically she’s not a basketball wife, but the devil isn’t in the details as far as reality television is concerned.

From a fantasy football perspective, the more and more I think about Ochocinco, the less I like him as a WR1/WR2 this year. Terrell Owens is in town, he spent part of his summer on his own dating reality show and now he’s going to be flying back and forth to Miami to shoot scenes for “Basketball Wives.” This all adds up to distraction, and that can’t be good for his numbers this season.

Bottom line — I wouldn’t take him before the 5th round.

Wondering who to keep, who to draft at a certain pick or general football strategy? Click here to ask your question on our official preseason Q&A.

Adam Levitan of Rotoworld released his list of late-round fliers, and there are a few interesting names to be found:

1. JACOBY JONES: Kevin Walter continues to keep his nose in front as the starter, but Jones is right there.

For a guy that only had 27 catches last season, Jones had some good games. He went for 2-73-1 against Tennessee, 7-94-1 in two games against Indy, and finished with a total of 7-144-2 over the last two games against the Dolphins and Pats. Walter is better suited for the slot, but Jones has to be consistent to get starter’s snaps, especially if Owen Daniels is anywhere close to 100%.

2. JABAR GAFFNEY: Locked in as a starter and looking like Kyle Orton’s favorite target. How does he have an ADP of 160?

I’m starting to warm up to Gaffney, who continues to be Orton’s first choice in the passing game. A career filled with fantasy disappointment ensures that you’ll be able to get him late. His value is enhanced in PPR leagues.

3. KAREEM HUGGINS: He’s up to No. 2 on the Bucs’ depth chart, ahead of Derrick Ward. With Cadillac Williams still a major injury risk, Huggins should be drafted in all leagues at this point.

I was a fan of Ward when he went to TB, so I’m surprised that he’s on the outs given what they’re paying him, but there is a buzz about the ‘explosive’ Huggins.

5. MIKE WILLIAMS (TB): The rookie has drawn praise from everyone under the sun. Strong bet to lead the Bucs in receiving yards.

I reached for him in the early 10th in my industry insiders league, but I wanted to lock him up in at least one league. He’s the WR1 in Tampa Bay and Josh Freeman is a capable QB. Finishing in the top 30 is a real possibility.

7. LEGEDU NAANEE: He’s the clear No. 2 receiver in San Diego and is dropping jaws with his raw skills. Tons of upside here.

Owners are all over Maclom Floyd, But Naanee has considerable athleticism. Remember, with Gates controlling the middle of the field, the third option in the SD passing game generally doesn’t do a whole lot.

8. OWEN DANIELS: Coming off ACL surgery, he’s hoping to be cleared as soon as this week. He’s a beast when healthy and is worth a stash as well if there’s roster space.

It’s all about that knee. Daniels is in a contract year so he’s going to gut it out if he can. He’s not a bad guy to grab if you take Zach Miller or Visanthe Shiancoe later on, assuming you want to form a little TE committee.

In case you haven’t heard, Sidney Rice will be out until midseason after undergoing hip surgery. Obviously, this is a big loss for the Vikings, but what about the fantasy implications?

Let’s start with Rice himself. He’s going to miss the first half of the season and that assumes his recovery goes to plan. Rice is no more than a late-round pick. Stash him on your roster if you have the space and hope that he makes it back for the stretch run.

This news theoretically bumps up Harvin’s stock a bit, but with his migraine issues, there’s no guarantee he’s going to play 16 games either. He’s been going 6.10 over the last week, and while I’d rather have Santana Moss at this point, Harvin is not a bad pick in the 6th or the 7th. But don’t draft him unless you have a high tolerance for week-to-week uncertainty. That’s just how it’s going to be with Harvin, at least for this year.

Bernard Berrian seemingly gets the biggest bump of all the Viking players, and a 29 years old, he has plenty of football left to play. But Berrian is not Rice, so don’t expect anything more than fantasy WR3-type numbers. He’s currently going in the 14th, but I’d start to think about him in the 10th. And remember, he could be pushed back to the bench midseason if Rice comes back.

I’d also bump up Visanthe Shiancoe a bit more. I already liked him as a mid- to late-round sleeper after he posted TE5-type numbers over the last half of the ’09 season. Favre loves to throw to his tight end, especially around the goal line, and with Rice out, he’ll lean on Shiancoe even more.

As for Favre himself, this will probably hurt his numbers. He has a tendency to throw the ball up for grabs, and Rice excelled at using his length and leaping ability to go up and snag the ball out of the air. I’d expect fewer yards, fewer TDs and more picks. That’s just the nature of the beast.

The last guy to consider is Adrian Peterson. With Rice out, the defense will be able to crowd the box a bit more, but he’ll likely get more carries with the Vikings taking a more conservative approach offensively. His ypc will probably dip a bit, but more carries could offset this. I would still draft him in the top 4.

For the third straight season, I was invited to join the Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s Industry Insiders League. Last season, I made the playoffs and finished fourth out of 60 teams after scoring the most points in my 12-team division during the regular season. In 2008, I also made the postseason and finished second in my division in points scored.

The following is a run through of the first half of the draft. Keep in mind that this is a high-performance PPR league that starts 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 flex, 1 TE, 1 K and 1 DT.

1.10: Randy Moss, WR
I drew the 10th pick — grrr — and knew I was probably going to have to take a WR with at least one of my first two picks in order to keep pace with the owners picking earlier in the first round. It’s a PPR league and we can start up to four WRs, so wideouts are a vital part of the first couple of rounds. One RB/RB combo I was considering was Rashard Mendenhall and Jamaal Charles, but when my pick came up I elected to go with the top WR on my board, Randy Moss. The top four RBs, Andre Johnson and Frank Gore were off the board, and in the two seasons where he’s had Tom Brady as his QB, Moss has finished WR4 (in 2009) and WR1 (in 2007). And it didn’t hurt that his offseason workout ensures that he’ll be in top physical condition heading into the season. Regarding the other available WRs, Larry Fitzgerald’s QB situation worries me a little and Reggie Wayne has to fight for targets with several other capable receivers. Moss will get plenty of looks even with Wes Welker working the underneath stuff and he’s always a top target in the redzone.

2.03: Larry Fitzgerald, WR
Ryan Matthews, Reggie Wayne, Drew Brees and Rashard Mendenhall went on the turn, so it was down to Fitzy, Roddy White and Jamaal Charles for me at 2.03. Todd Haley is playing mind games with Charles in KC, and even though he tore up the league last season, I didn’t feel comfortable taking him here. Besides, I liked the RB talent that has been slipping into the late third and early fourth rounds in mock drafts this summer. So I went with Fitzy, Matt Leinart be damned. With Anquan Boldin in Baltimore, Fitzgerald is bound to get a few more targets, right?

3.10: Ryan Grant, RB
Grant isn’t going to catch many passes, but he was RB9 last season and will get plenty of goal line carries in the Packers’ potent offensive attack. The remaining WRs weren’t too enticing (Welker, Colston and both Steve Smiths were gone), so I was definitely looking RB here. DeAngelo Williams went 3.08 and Pierre Thomas went 3.09, and I would have drafted either before Grant. But with Moss and Fitzy already on the roster, I feel more than comfortable going with Grant as my RB1.

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I know there are many owners heading into drafts over the next few weekends, so I’m going to endeavor to update the position rankings every Friday through the weekend before the season starts.

Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends

I just added Mike Williams to my list of sleeper WRs:

The reviews have been rave for the rookie out of Syracuse. He has already won the starting split end job and has impressed Peter King, Pete Prisco and even Adam Schefter, who says that Williams “has star written all over him.” Now it’s important to keep in mind that Williams is a rookie, but when a player is impressing this much for a team in desperate need of a playmaker at WR, fantasy owners should take notice. I’d definitely look to draft Williams in the later rounds, but don’t wait too long.

Just the fact that Williams is the Bucs’ WR1 gives him a certain amount of value. Throw in the rave reviews from this summer and we have a very interesting pick once the 10th round arrives.