Over the past week there have been several quarterbacks to find new homes in the NFL. Let’s look at the fantasy impact of these moves.

CARDS DEAL FOR CARSON PALMER
Despite how bad he looked on tape at times, Palmer actually was a decent fantasy commodity in 2012 playing for a Raiders’ team that was playing from behind early-and-often.  It resulted in six 300-yard passing days, including in four of five games during a stretch from Week 9 to Week 14. 

While the move to Arizona gives Palmer some good weapons, his tendency to turn the ball over and his lack of mobility might become an issue playing behind a weak Cardinals’ o-line.  Palmer has promise as a mid-range QB2 in year-to-year formats. 

The biggest fantasy impact though could be on Larry Fitzgerald’s value. He will get a few bumps up in our rankings update coming soon after a disappointing 2012 campaign that was hindered by the disgraceful play under center in Arizona. 

After watching how Palmer helped Brandon Myers a household fantasy name last season, tight end Rob Housler becomes one my favorite sleepers at the position for the season ahead.

SEAHAWKS SEND MATT FLYNN TO RAIDERS
A year after making a big move to acquire Matt Flynn to help solve their problems at quarterback, Seattle traded the career-long backup to the Raiders.  Russell Wilson stole the job last preseason and never looked back on his way to a breakout debut season.

The jury is still out Flynn, but it was clear that the Raiders-Palmer marriage needed to come to an end. Aside from a two-game stretch with the Packers late in 2011 in which he blew it up (731 PaYd, 9 PaTD), Flynn is unproven. Assuming he holds off Terrell Pryor he will still be hard pressed to crack my top 25 rankings at QB entering 2013.

KEVIN KOLB LANDS IN BUFFALO
After being cut by the Cardinals, Kolb finds a new home in Buffalo where he figures to have the leg up over Tavaris Jackson entering camp.  It’s hard to imagine Kolb being a significant upgrade over Ryan Fitzpatrick. If nothing else, Buffalo is banking on fewer turnovers.  Durability has been an issue, but if Kolb can stay healthy he could serve as a low-end QB2.

BROWNS BRING IN JASON CAMPBELL
New Browns’ head coach Rob Chudzinski has made it clear that he’s not sold on second-year quarterback and incumbent starter Brandon Weeden. Campbell will get every chance to earn the starting job this summer. Even if he claims the gig, the lack of weapons in Cleveland’s passing attack makes him a mediocre fantasy option.

COLT MCCOY TRADED TO 49ERS
McCoy goes from a backup in one of the league’s worst offenses to being one in one of the NFL’s most dynamic offensive attacks. Either way he’s player that has no fantasy value. Even if Colin Kaepernick goes down and he’s get a shot for playing time it’s hard to imagine him becoming a factor.

These players are part of a growing list of signal callers to find a new home this offseason:

Alex Smith (KC) – Still the biggest move at the position
Matt Hasselbeck (IND)
Matt Cassel (MIN)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (TEN)
Drew Stanton (ARZ)
David Garrard (NYJ)
Bruce Gradkowski (PIT)
Josh Johnson (CIN)

Fantasy Football, NFL 2013 nfl offseason, carson palmer, matt flynn, kevin kolb

We've officially reached the halfway point of the NFL season, and more than halfway for most fantasy leagues. This week saw two rookie records fall, and without a doubt, 2012 is shaping up to be the year of the rookie. A few of those rookies receive this week’s game balls.

QB
Andrew Luck, IND, 433 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs – Luck broke the single game passing yard record for rookies and is on pace to shatter the total yardage record for rookies too. Luck looks so natural under center that it’s hard to believe he actually is a rookie. For those owners who have Luck in a dynasty format, well, congrats, he’s gonna be something special for a long time.

Carson Palmer, OAK, 414 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs – It pains me to include Palmer on this list, as I’ve been critical of Palmer for years. And if you started Palmer on your fantasy team, you enjoyed a statistic-rich performance. A lot of those yards were junk time, as were the TDs, but they still count. And you can’t deny 400+ yards as a quality fantasy performance.

RB
Doug Martin, TB, 251 yards, 4 TDs, 4 catches for 21 yards – Another rookie record, as Martin ran three TDs of 40+ yards en route to one of the top 10 best fantasy performances by a running back in the history of fantasy football. And did I mention that he’s a rookie?

Adrian Peterson, MIN, 182 yards, 2 TDs, 3 catches – I’m not convinced that Peterson is actually human. Most athletes coming back from a major knee injury aren’t nearly this productive. Peterson leads the league in rushing yards and has not missed a single beat. Fantasy owners who took the risk on him have found their investment paying off big time.

WR
Brandon Marshall, CHI, 9 catches 122 yards, 3 TDs – Everyone expected Marshall reunion with Jay Cutler to pay dividends, but this week was beyond those expectations. 3 TDs for the Bears receiver means fantasy gold for his owners.

T.Y Hilton, IND, 6 catches, 102 yards, 1 TD – Sticking with the rookie theme, Hilton made his presence known as Andrew Luck targeted him 7 times and Hilton caught his second TD of the year, but easily had his best performance of his young NFL career.

TE
Brandon Myers, OAK, 8 catches, 59 yards 2 TDs – Myers is quietly becoming a viable fantasy option at the tight end position. This week, in both PPR and non-PPR formats, he was valuable.

Jermaine Gresham, CIN, 6 catches, 108 yards – The only thing that could’ve made his performance better would’ve been a trip to the end zone, but the Bengals tight end was a beast making athletic catches and showing off the prowess that got him drafted in the first round by the Bengals.

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Eli Manning, NYG, 125 yards passing, 0 TDs, 1 INT – Nobody has been a bigger Eli fan than me. I’m still a fan. And Eli still has value for his owners. This was a blip on the radar, I believe, an enigma, a fantasy mirage so to speak. But, come on already. 125 yards passing and no TDs? That is just unacceptable. And so, justifiably, he lands here and receives his first game used sock award. I don’t anticipate him being here again this year though, especially with the Bengals as his next opponent.

Follow Jimmy Dinsmore, The Fantasy Geek, on Twitter @fantasy_geek

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
After sitting on his couch for the first part of last season, Carson Palmer found himself thrown into the Raiders’ starting spot following a mid-season trade. Being a bit rusty, he responded by completing 199/328 passes for 2,753 yards with 13 TD’s and 16 interceptions. That gives him 36 picks over the past two seasons to go along with 39 touchdowns. He’s going to turn the ball over, but he’s still great QB2 value.

SCHEDULE
The Raiders have drawn the AFC North and NFC South to go along with their eight divisional games which makes for a tough slate. Their two extra games though were friendly draws with Miami and Jacksonville filling things out. Three straight home games in Weeks 13-15 should help provide some late-season momentum.

STUD
If he can play in all 16 games Darren McFadden could prove to be fantasy football’s top running back, but that is a big if.  McFadden has never played in more than 13 during his brief career and over his four years he has now missed 19 games. Still he has averaged 88.5 rush yards and 33.0 receiving yards over his last 20 starts with 15 total touchdowns making him a top 5 fantasy RB regardless of the injury history.

DUD
Jacoby Ford has flashed moments of brilliance during his time as a Raider, but like so many others are this roster he has been able to stay healthy enough to stay on the football field. He’s a dangerous playmaker who averages 17.0 yards per catch as a pro, but he’s simply too inconsistent to be counted on. Already hobbled by a preseason foot injury, owners are best served to look elsewhere.

SLEEPERS
Like Ford, fellow wideouts Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey have also battled some early 2012 injuries. Both are hopeful to be ready for Week 1. Moore gave us flashes of what he is capable of as a rookie as he averaged 18.7 ypc while pulling 33 catches for 618 yards and five touchdowns. Heyward-Bey enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2011 and if he can stay on the field he could top those numbers in 2012.

NEW ADDITION
After seeing Michael Bush leave via free agency the Raiders moved to sign running back Mike Goodson. The former Panther should be able to fill the short-yardage role and is expected to get action at the goalline. A must have handcuff for McFadden owners, Goodson also presents value in deeper formats as a fantasy reserve who should be considered by all owners.

POSITION BATTLE
The Raiders revolving door at tight end has left Brandon Myers and David Ausberry as the top two players on the team’s depth chart.  Neither player is expected to be huge assets in the passing game. Myers is expected to start, but he only has 32 catches for 250 yards and zero touchdowns during his three-year NFL career. Owners need to stay away from this situation altogether.

BENCH BUILDER
Limited to just 10 carries during his 2011 rookie campaign, Taiwan Jones is off of many owners radars entering this season. The former Easter Washington speedster possesses remarkable speed and will likely have a bigger role in 2012. He makes for nice lottery ticket late in drafts that if things break right could prove to pay big dividends by season’s end.

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LIONS’ BACKFIELD IN SHAMBLES
Kevin Smith, the Week 1 projected starter for the Lions, and the current No. 31 back on the GetSportsInfo.com Cheat Sheet was forced to exit Saturday’s with an right ankle injury, it’s the same ankle that he hurt last year that forced him to miss time. Mikel Leshoure returned to the field for the first time Saturday night as he is recovering from a torn Achillies’ that cost him his entire rookie season, but he’s suspended the first two games and Jahvid Best still can’t get cleared from his concussion issues and is likely to start the season on the PUP list.

REDSKINS RUNNING BACK HEADACHES CONTINUE
Mike Shanahan is a long-known nemesis for fantasy owners with his running back and its appears that the 2012 Redskins’ backfield is going to help him continue to live up to his name.  Roy Helu (Achilles' tendons) and Evan Royster (knees) have had to deal with injury and veteran. Tim Hightower is coming back from an ACL tear a year ago. Meanwhile rookie Alfred Morris is taking advantage of carries. After rushing 107 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries vs. the Colts Saturday night, he is now averaging 5.0 per carry for the preseason.

PALMER CAN’T OVER COME TURNOVERS
Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer completed 17 of 26 passes for 181 yards on Saturday night, but was picked off twice in the game. That takes the former Bengal up to four picks through three preseason game and he has yet to throw a touchdown.

STILL NO MJD OR MIKE WALLACE
Two players have had lengthy preseason holdouts. Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew and Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace both stayed away in hopes of a raise. The Jaguars imposed a deadline of Saturday for Jones-Drew to report if he wanted to start in Week 1, but the elite fantasy running back was a no show. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh Wallace was expected to return to the team this weekend.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have hired former Raiders’ head coach Hue Jackson, bringing back the one-time assistant.

Jackson was fired earlier the offseason after Oakland hired Reggie McKenzie as their new general manager.

Ironically, it was Jackson that paid two draft picks, including a first-round selection in April’s draft to the Bengals in exchange for quarterback Carson Palmer. The move did not work out. Now Jackson will actually have a hand in helping Cincinnati select those very picks.

Geoff Hobson reports on Bengals.com that Jackson will assist new secondary coach Mark Carrier and special teams coach Darrin Simmons.

"I just want to coach football. I have a long relationship with Marvin and I'm looking to helping and assisting who ever in trying to help the organization attain its goal," Jackson told the team’s website.

From 2004-06 he served as the team’s wide receivers coach. Jackson also spent time in Baltimore as the Raven’s offensive coordinator. In one season in Oakland he led the Raiders to an 8-8 season, but the team failed to make it the playoffs.

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It was interesting enough that just over two months after dealing quarterback Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders, the Cincinnati Bengals needed their former signal caller to lose to get them into the playoffs.

After falling to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17, the Bengals needed either Denver or Oakland to lose their final game.  Both teams eventually loss. 

Had the Raiders simply won their game they would have secured an AFC West title, an accolade they were hoping to secure when they dealt a pair of draft picks for the self-proclaimed retired quarterback.

When the deal was made on October 18 the Raiders were 4-2 and in the driver’s seat in the division. Palmer would guide the Raiders to a 4-6 mark in his 10 games under center.

There were many factors that hurt his success. The obvious issues of joining a team mid-season and coming off your couch led to some rustiness and required a fair amount of time to adjust. Moreover, the lingering injury to Darren McFadden, the Raiders’ most explosive weapon, and many of the team's young and talented receivers also took their toll.

Let’s not forget about the Raiders’ defense either. The unit did not live up to their end, particularly in the season-ending loss to the Chargers on Sunday.

Palmer himself sees his first year in Oakland a failure and indicated that to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"It was this year," he said. "It didn't work out for us this year. I always feel like when you don't win, the quarterback can always play better, and I can definitely play better. It stinks to sit here and say next year, what are we going to do next year.

"We'll get back together, look at film, find ways to get better, find a way to get to the playoffs next year."

THE NUMBERS
60.7% completion
2,753 yards
13 TD
16 INT
80.5 QB rating
8.39 yards per pass (career high/previous best 7.54 in 2005)

FINAL TAKE:  The Raiders gave up a ton and failed to win a weak AFC West.  If they are unable to make the postseason in 2012 this trade will be a huge failure. Meanwhile, Palmer’s former team, the Cincinnati Bengals, and his replacement, rookie Andy Dalton, will be playing in a post-season game this weekend.  For the Bengals, it worked out a great. If Dalton leads Cincinnati to a playoff win, something Palmer failed to do in his eight years under center, the Bengals will look even better.

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QB Game Ball - Tim Tebow, Denver - 13/27, 161 yards, 2 TD, 8 carries, 65 yards
After getting off to a shaky start against the Dolphins, Tebow eventually justified what many Bronco fans had been screaming about. The rookie QB threw two TDs in the fourth quarter including one with just over two minutes to play that tied the game. And while it certainly doesn't compare to 'The Drive' by a previous Denver quarterback, it certainly marked the beginning of a new era for the Broncos.

QB Honorable Mention - Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay - 24/30, 335 yards, 3 TD (now placed in the Game Ball Hall of Fame.)

RB Game Ball - DeMarco Murray, Dallas - 25 carries, 253 yards, 1 TD
Nothing like starting out the day with a 91 yard touchdown run. The Cowboys rookie back filled in nicely for Felix Jones against the Rams. And while it could be argued that Tony Dorsett, who is now 57, could have had a good game running against the Rams on Sunday, putting up 253 yards in your first start is pretty impressive. It's hard to say what will happen now in the Dallas backfield when Jones returns, but Murray has certainly made his case.

RB Honorable Mention - Arian Foster, Houston - 25 carries, 115 yards, 2 TD, 5 catches, 119 yards, 1 TD (healthy and studly.)

WR Game Ball - Steve Smith, Carolina - 7 catches, 143 yards
Things probably did not look too rosy for Smith before the season started. He was an aging wide receiver on a team rebuilding with a rookie QB who likes to run. But he may have been just what Cam Newton need - the veteran he can count on. Smith is having a great season and posted his fourth 100+ yard performance on Sunday. And more importanly for the Panthers, they are starting to win.

WR Honorable Mention - Marques Colston, New Orleans - 7 catches, 98 yards, 2 TD (clearly the best receiver on a team with a bunch of them.)

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Carson Palmer, QB, Oakland - 8/21, 116 yards, 0 TD, 3 Int
This Stinky Sock was a little too easy to give out this week. So let's give Palmer a little break. He has only been with the Raiders less than a week and he hasn't practiced or played with a team since last season. Of course, that was because he was holding out for a trade. But then again, he got his trade and still stunk it up. Yeah, he deserves to wear the rotten smelling sock this week.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Any fans that watched the Browns beat the Seahawks 6 to 3.

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All right it’s Tuesday and that means it time to hit the waiver wire. Here’s guys you should look at listed in the order I like them position-by-position.

PICKUP OF THE WEEK
QB Carson Palmer (OAK) - Temper you expectations a bit, but owners desperate at quarterback should make a claim for the former Bengal, who has the potential to be a high-end QB2 down the stretch.

QB
Christian Ponder (MIN) - The Ponder Era officially begins as McNabb is benched
John Beck (WAS) - After Grossman's four INT's the door is opening for Beck in WAS
Matt Cassel (KC) - Not crazy about him, but he's not a bad bye-week filler

RB
DeMarco Murray (DAL) - In line to carry load with Felix Jones out 2-4 weeks
Ronnie Brown (DET) - Trade to Detroit and Best concussion makes his value go up
Montario Hardesty (CLE) - If Hillis continue to fall out of favor his carries will increase
Donald Brown (IND) - Worth a stash in deep leagues after showing signs of life vs CIN
C.J. Spiller (BUF) - New role as receiver makes him worth look in PPR formats

WR
Greg Little (CLE) - Has emerged as top option in Browns' passing attack as expected
Danario Alexander (STL) - Revamped Rams' WR corps has him as team's WR2
Arrelious Benn (TB) - Making more plays than Mike Williams to this point of season
Doug Baldwin (SEA) - A sleeper who's lost in Seattle offense; has some value
Demaryius Thomas (DEN) - Not expecting much, but he's finally healthy and ready to play

TE
Fred Davis (WAS) - Chris Cooley out for a while. Davis is a top 10 fantasy TE
Jake Ballard (NYG) - Role continues to expand in Giants passing game.

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, waiver wire, carson palmer, christian ponder, demarco murray, ronnie brown, greg little

 Just when it appeared it would never happen, the Bengals traded disgruntled and currently retired quarterback, Carson Palmer, to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a pair of first round picks.  It could go down as one of the biggest trade deadline deals in the history of the NFL, a league which rarely sees big name players traded during the season.

FOXSports.com first reported the news early on Tuesday.  Jay Glazer reports that the two sides are “very close to a deal that would send the former Cincy starting quarterback to Oakland to take the place of injured Jason Campbell in exchange for a first-round pick in 2012 and a future second-round pick that could escalate to a first-rounder based on his play.”

Oakland and Cincinnati spent much of Monday discussing the deal to the point early Monday night when a select few people realized it could happen, according to ESPN.com. People involved in the deal's discussions thought it could happen, but they also recognized how delicate the talks were.

Palmer has been working out in Southern California with former Jets quarterback Ken O'Brien. Palmer also has a strong relationship with Raiders head coach Hue Jackson, with the two men having worked together in Cincinnati from 2004-2006, when Jackson was the Bengals' receivers coach. It was Jackson’s close relationship with Bengals’ owner Mike Brown that likely led to this deal being done.

It is likely that the Raiders will allow backup Kyle Boller to start Week 7’s game against Kansas City with Palmer taking over at the team’s Week 8 bye. The Raiders currently sit 0.5 game back behind the Chargers in the AFC West with a 4-2 record.

FANTASY SLANT: Palmer’s numbers have declined over the past couple of seasons and with him being sidelined for an extended period, owners need to temper expectations. Regardless, he should be picked up immediately in all formats as potential trade bait or for added depth. He could end up becoming a viable fantasy option down the stretch of the season.  Palmer’s familiarity with Jackson should allow him to quickly pick up on the Raiders’ offense and Oakland has plenty of weapons. The move is huge to all Raiders’ offensive players’ fantasy values.

FINAL TAKE: I will be the first to admit being critical of Mike Brown for his stubbornness and shear disregard for common sense surrounding this whole situation. However, I never believed the Bengals would get a first round pick for Palmer, much less two of them (potentially).  With Andy Dalton having one of the best rookie seasons at quarterback as the league has seen in sometime and AJ Green delivering on his potential, the Bengals are only going to get better with the extra picks.

Fantasy Football, NFL cincinnati bengals, oakland raiders, carson palmer, hue jackson, mike brown

The last time the Bengals won a playoff game the year was 1990. A big part of the problem with the team has been the play at quarterback. For every Boomer Esiason and Carson Palmer there have been guys like David Klingler and Akili Smith. Which side of the ledger will the team’s latest rookie, Andy Dalton, fall on? Here’s a list of players to start a game under center for Cincinnati since 1991:

Jeff Blake
Boomer Esiason
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Gus Frerotte
David Klingler
Donald Hollas
Paul Justin
Jon Kitna
Scott Mitchell
Neil O'Donnell
Carson Palmer
Jay Schroeder
Akili Smith
Erik Wilhelm

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