TOP 5 NFL NEWS ITEMS FROM THURSDAY 5/27/10 TO WEDNESDAY 6/2/10

We have many great articles planned leading up to the 2010 Fantasy Football season including sleepers, busts, rookies, strategy, full player rankings and projections all wrapped up into a nifty draft kit to help you win your league next year. Below, we analyze the top fantasy football news items from the previous week.

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5. Hillis, Peyton RB CLE is impressing his new coaches

If you're at the end of your draft, and he's available, give him a try. It could be rookie Montario Hardesty and incumbent Jerome Harrison getting most of the touches in the Cleveland backfield this season, but Hillis is good at the goal line and good at catching passes, so he could carve out a role, perhaps being a useful bye-week replacement in deep PPR leagues.

4. Portis, Clinton RB WAS is currently considered the starter

Still keep him pretty low on your draft board, however. He'll have to stay healthy and fend off Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, and Ryan Torrain, all of which isn't the easiest task for the vet who isn't what he once was the last time he was coached by Shanahan in Denver. If Portis fails, look for Johnson to perhaps have one last hurrah this season in the run-friendly Shanahan offense.

3. Austin, Miles WR DAL has been working out of the slot

This is good news for Austin in PPR leagues, as he is sure to see double-teams on the outside. This also opens up more potential targets for Dez Bryant on the outside, which is good news for the rookie.

2. Welker, Wes WR NE may start the regular season healthy

Then again, he may begin the first six weeks of the season on the PUP list. Do know that he is recovering well right now, and starting Week 1 in the line-up is absolutely not out of the question. He's a hard worker and tough competitor, so don't rule him out, and if he comes at a discount on draft day, take him.

1. White, LenDale RB was released by SEA

White was cited as looking like he didn't want to be there at Seahawks work-outs. If that's truly the case, he got his wish. We'd be leery of him wherever he signs next (there's always one team that'll take a chance -- the Bengals have been rumored to be interested), but the big impact is on the team he left behind. We all know that Julius Jones is not a very good NFL running back, and Leon Washington is recovering from injury and most likely a third-down, change-of-pace back. Of course, the team could always trade for another back (Marshawn Lynch?), but in the meantime, Justin Forsett looks like the featured back. We actually would like for things to stand pat so he keeps the job. He excelled as the starter when given a chance last season, so let's see what he can do for a full season!

ALSO

Talk out of Detroit is that this should be WR Calvin Johnson's best season yet. The additions of free agent Nate Burleson, tight end Tony Scheffler, and rookie running back Jahvid Best should help alleviate Johnson's constant double teams from a year ago... They're thinking that Matt Leinart QB ARI is currently ahead of Derek Anderson in the starting quarterback battle. He should win the job, but expect the offense to be more run-heave and less quarterback-dependent, making him a bye-week replacement, at best... Fred Davis TE WAS and Chris Cooley TE WAS will likely split targets this year. This will make them inconsistent and fairly useless in fantasy. It's a good situation for Washington, but a bad one for fantasy. You're probably best off avoiding both.

Again, ask a question about your keepers in our FORUM. Leave a comment about this article down below.