FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 6/15/2013 9:54am et

Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffery has been limited during offseason workouts, but the team is pleased with how he has worked to get himself in better physical condition. He even added strength, working with teammate WR Brandon Marshall in Miami. "He's had a really good spring. Mentally he's been locked in since we got started," receivers coach Mike Groh said Friday, June 14. "He's made good improvement on the field with things (we) wanted to work on, and in terms of grasp of offense, he's where he should be."

Huddle Up: A hamstring issue has kept Jeffery from participating fully in offseason workouts, but it sounds as if he's picking up the new offense and has put in some work to give the Bears a legitimate option opposite Brandon Marshall. Physically he's a good fit for Marc Trestman's system, and with Marshall on the other side Jeffery should benefit from mostly single coverage, so there are plenty of reasons to expect big things in 2013.

Posted: 6/4/2013 11:51pm et

Updating previous reports, Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall (hip) returned to the practice field on Tuesday, June 4, to take part in organized team activities after missing much of the offseason because of arthroscopic surgery on his hip in January. The wideout expressed a fear that his hip will become a long-term problem, since he's had multiple procedures on it and has been affected by the injury in each of the past two years, but he's optimistic about his condition for the time being. Marshall participated in only individual drills on Tuesday but expects to do more at future sessions, with the goal of being at full speed by training camp. He feels that he hasn't lost any mobility or speed, and he displayed what appeared to be his top form during workouts. Initially, Marshall thought the pain he was feeling was the result of decreased strength and flexibility, but surgery led to the discovery that cleanup was necessary. He believes that he can have a better season this year than he did in 2012, when he caught 118 passes for 1,508 yards (on 188 targets), both single-season records for Chicago, because he considers himself fully healthy now, but he understands that ball distribution probably has to change for the team to be successful. Marshall will draw attention as an elite fantasy option, and his health bodes well for his chances to live up to expectations, but it'll be difficult to match what he did last season. The Bears hope to spread it around a little more. That could be more beneficial for him in the long run, especially if it results in more scoring, but it's TBD. He's still easily Jay Cutler's favorite receiver.

Huddle Up: Marshall's short- and long-term health concerns are shared by many considering the number of targets he gets and the receiver's refusal to shy away from contact. Now true, Marshall has only missed 5 games since becoming a full-time starter in 2007, but the physical toll tends to add up in the NFL.

Posted: 4/16/2013 11:11pm et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall (hip) did not participate in the team's first day of voluntary minicamp. 'It's one day at a time,' head coach Marc Trestman said. 'He said he's feeling better, and we'll talk to trainers every day and when they say he's ready, he'll go.' Marshall is recovering from minor hip surgery following the 2012 regular season.

Huddle Up: Marshall was bound to need some extra recovery time this offseason after being targeted 192 times and finishing second in the league with a career-high 118 catches.

Posted: 4/10/2013 3:34pm et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall said he likes what he has seen so far from the team's offensive scheme under new head coach Marc Trestman. Marshall and TE Martellus Bennett convened at Marshall's home after receiving their new playbook on team-issued iPads. The two pulled different-colored pieces from board games, simulated some formations and plays, then quizzed one another. "Oh, my gosh, I'm in love with it," Marshall said. "Martellus and I sat down and went through the formational stuff and started challenging each other. It was exciting to go through, and it's pretty cool to have a partner." Marshall feels the scheme will spread the wealth around. "It's so stimulating and it gets everyone involved, and that's exciting to me," Marshall said. "Because the better Alshon (Jeffery) is, the better I'll be. The better Earl (Bennett) is, the better Martellus will be. The better Martellus is, the better Matt Forte will be. And so on and so forth. It's just awesome."

Huddle Up: Trestman has always been viewed as a bright offensive mind, and his CFL teams put up plenty of points. He has some intriguing pieces to work with in Chicago, and if Marshall is already on board that's half the battle. Now we'll see how Jay Cutler can execute this offense, and if the Bears' offensive line gives Cutler the time necessary to do so.

Posted: 2/12/2013 12:57pm et

Outside of Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall, the rest of the team's passing game went by the wayside in 2012. Marshall accounted for 1,508 of the team's 3,298 passing yards (45.7 percent).

Huddle Up: One player the Bears will be counting on is second-year wideout Alshon Jeffery, who averaged 15.3 yards per catch and hauled in 3 scoring passes despite missing 6 games of his rookie season due to various injuries.

Posted: 1/31/2013 10:54pm et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall (hip) said that he will begin training with WR Alshon Jeffery Monday, Feb. 4, in South Florida, although Marshall is still recovering from a minor hip procedure he had following the regular season.

Huddle Up: Jeffery was limited to 10 games his rookie season but showed some flashes with 24 catches for 367 yards and 3 TDs. Anything he can pick up from Marshall will be a huge bonus as the veteran wideout is coming off a career year across the board with 118 grabs, 1,508 yards and 11 TDs in 2012.

Posted: 1/16/2013 11:19am et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall (hip) will have an arthroscopic procedure on his hip, according to an NFL source, but it's unknown which hip he'll have repaired. The receiver has undergone at least one arthroscopic procedure on each of his hips over the course of his career. Marshall will be out of action for "probably two weeks." The source indicated it is doubtful Marshall will be able to play in the Pro Bowl Jan. 27 in Hawaii.

Huddle Up: There doesn't seem to be much concern regarding the injury or subsequent surgery, and Marshall will have plenty of time to recover and rehab before minicamp. However, with a new coach and new offense being installed in Chicago it would be best for all involved if Marshall is available for minicamps.

Posted: 12/21/2012 7:31pm et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall (hamstring) practiced in full Friday, Dec. 21, and is probable for Week 16.

Huddle Up: Marshall's hamstring issue is somewhat troubling as it cropped up on Thursday, but Friday's practice report was definitely brighter and it looks like the wideout will start the game. There's always the chance the hammy could act up during the contest, but Marshall is far too good to consider benching unless your squad is overflowing with top-10 fantasy WRs.

Posted: 11/23/2012 7:36pm et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall (shoulder) practiced in full Friday, Nov. 23, and are probable for Week 12.

Huddle Up: Marshall had been held out or limited in practice all week leading up to Friday, but there was never much doubt the talented wideout would suit up on Sunday. Marshall and his fantasy owners got another dose of good news Friday, with the Bears saying QB Jay Cutler likely will return this week.

Posted: 11/21/2012 7:16pm et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall (shoulder) did not practice Wednesday, Nov. 21.

Huddle Up: Marshall's shoulder likely is aching from carrying the Bears' offense, especially of late when QB Jay Cutler has missed the past game and a half. It's likely nothing to get too worked up about this early in the week, but his fantasy owners are now going to check his status on Thursday and Friday.

Posted: 11/9/2012 4:00pm et

Updating a previous report, the Houston Texans will not be Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall on every play in Week 10. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillip jokingly brought up the idea during his weekly meeting with the press.

Huddle Up: That does not mean Marshall will not be bracketed on every passing down, but it is good to know the Texans won't completely focus on Marshall. Still, this figures to be a down week for him as the Texans will likely focus on minimizing his impact and getting to Jay Cutler.

Posted: 10/27/2012 4:31pm et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall has been fined $10,500 for wearing orange cleats in the team's Week 7 game.

Huddle Up: That was pink you guys were cleared for there Brandon, not orange.

Posted: 10/23/2012 12:24am et

WR Brandon Marshall caught a team-high 6 passes for 81 yards and a TD Monday in the Chicago Bears' 13-7 Week 7 win over the Detroit Lions.

Huddle Up: Marshall was targeted a team-high 10 times and came through with a third-straight game with a TD reception. In that trio of contests, Marshall has caught 25 balls for 363 yards and has firmly entrenched himself as one of fantasy's top wideouts.

Posted: 9/14/2012 12:28am et

Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall was kept in check by the Green Bay Packers defense during a Week 2 loss. He finished the game with just two receptions for 24 yards. Marshall dropped a touchdown pass during the game.

Huddle Up: With the Bears' passing game totally out of sync thanks to constant Packer pressure, including 7 sacks, QB Jay Cutler never was able to get in sync with the WR, who caught his first pass with 7:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. Marshall was targeted only 5 times after seeing 15 passes thrown his way in this past Sunday's season opener against the Colts. Of course, his stats would've looked a whole lot better had he not dropped the earlier, wide-open pass in the end zone.