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The AFC south had 2 of the top 3 picks in this year’s draft, meaning that half of the division was really, really bad last year. The Colts did manage to make it to the AFC championship game, going through the Bengals and Broncos before a “deflating” loss in New England. This year, everyone looks to improve their team, and the Houston Texans are going to be featured on this season’s Hard Knocks, starting August 11^th.

Check our breakdown of the AFC South

Fantasy Football Podcast, 8/4/15, AFC South Spotlight: 2015 Fantasy Preview

Indianapolis Colts (11-5):

Add/Re-sign –

Frank Gore, RB – Signed as a FA, 8.5mil in guarantees, big things are expected.

Andre Johnson, WR – Signed as a FA, 3 year, 21 mil contract.

Andrew Luck, QB – Club exercised his 5^th year option, no brainer of the century.

Phillip Dorsett, WR – Drafted 1^st round, 29^th overall in a position they already have depth.

Josh Robinson, RB – Drafted in the 6^th round, gets lots of MJD comparisons.

Departures –

Trent Richardson, RB – Good riddance! The ploddingist of the plodders has gone where RB’s go to die.

Reggie Wayne, WR – A former Colts superstar is left on the outside looking in, and still looking for a new team.

Issues:

The Colts are second only to the Packers in recovering from losing the best QB in franchise history. In 2011, they chanted “Suck for Luck”. This year they are Super Bowl contenders, and the favorites in some minds in the AFC. The main reason for this is Andrew Luck, a guy who has improved in each season so far in his young Career. Last season he threw for over 4700 yards and 40 TD’s (league leader), rushed for 3 TD’s and lead his team to their third straight 11-5 regular season.

So, we know that Luck is going to be great, but who’s going to be the beneficiary of his arm? Last year, T.Y. Hilton lead the team in receiving, netting over 1300 yards on 82 receptions. I expect a similar output from him this season, despite the fact that the WR core is now stacked in Indy. The additions of Andre Johnsonand Phillip Dorsett, along with Donte Moncreif, Griff Whalen and Duron Carter means that Luck is going to have plenty of secondary targets to choose from. It’s hard to predict who else will be fantasy relevant, but I suspect that Andre Johnson will rise to the top and Phillip Dorsett will be given a huge chance to contribute.

Running Back has been the weak link of the Colts offense for a while now. They have finally put the worst trade of 2013 behind them and Trent Richardson has moved on to Oakland. In his place, they have given Frank Gore, a 31-year-old RB who has been under 1000 yards only once in the last 10 years, a bunch of guaranteed money. Gore has only Dan Herron and Vick Ballard behind him, so it’s clear that the Colts plan on giving him at least as much work in previous seasons, so expect around 275 carries from a healthy Frank Gore. He has had his role in the passing game in San Fran reduced in the last few seasons, but he’s been a big feature in the years before that. Pay attention during preseason to how much Luck throws to him out of the backfield. Gore has an ADP of 13 (overall 28) and could reasonably live up to that spot. I’m skeptical that rookie Josh Robinson has fantasy value in his first year based on the value that the Colts are placing on Gore.

Tight End might be the most “toss-up” position on the team, though it seems that Dwayne Allen will be taking the primary role, over Coby Fleener. Allen is a more complete player and is entering the season as the #1 TE on the team. I don’t expect anything more than a ceiling of low-top 10 for Allen, as there are just too many fast targets for Luck to hit and not enough work at the TE position. If Allen can put up the same TD’s as last season, he will find his way into the top 10 (12 last year).

Houston Texans (9-7):

Add/Re-sign –

Ryan Mallett, QB – Signed to extension, will compete for starting job.

Brian Hoyer, QB – Signed from Cleveland, will compete for starting Job.

Vince Wilfork, NT – As if they needed more help on their D-line.

Chris Polk, RB – Suddenly in the mix with the Foster injury.

Cecil Shorts, WR – Drink five! He was a FA, signed a 2 year, $6 mil contract.

Jaelen Strong, WR – Third round pick by the Texans.

Departures –

Andre Johnson, WR – Released by the team, signed by their toughest division opponents.

Case Keenum, QB – Traded to StL, they’re starting over at QB this year.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB – The smartest man in the NFL never gets to stay somewhere for very long, it seems. Traded to the Jets.

Issues:

The Texans will be featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks series this season, which to me, traditionally means a couple of things. First, any drama on the team will be exaggerated ten-fold. Secondly, these players are likely to be over-valued come draft time. Most people are not exposed to EVERYONE, so the players they are exposed to a lot will have an artificially inflated value. Finally, HBO will stress the biggest positional competition, which is QB this season, so that means more drama, more “at home” scenes and more uncomfortable cut scenes.

QB is definitely a position that is up in the air on this team. Everyone knows that QB is the most important position on the offense, and everyone knows that the Texans don’t have one yet. This puts far too much pressure on their running game and defense to be perfect. This year, it looks like camp will feature a competition between Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer. Hoyer started with the first team reps, but Mallett has also been taking reps with the starters. This battle won’t likely be decided until after the third preseason game has concluded. Even once a QB is chosen, I wouldn’t consider either to be a starter in any 10-12 man leagues.

The RB position, once secured by Arian Foster, is now up for grabs. Foster suffered a groin injury on 8/3 and it will require surgery and he will likely be on the IR/designated to return list to begin the season, meaning he won’t be eligible to return until week 10. This leaves a huge, warrior-poet sized hole in our season of Hard Knocks AND the Texans backfield. Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk will battle in camp to get the starter’s role. Blue will be the favorite to get the job, as he’s filled in for Foster in the past already, but it may end up being RBBC once the season starts. I’m just sad that we’re losing the guy who has tweets that warn us of the dangers of bacteria in your gums, confessions of stolen towels from Trump hotels and his disinterest in Seinfeld. Look at the news over the next few days, the Texans will be shopping for a free agent to add to this RB group.

The WR position has changed a bit in Houston, mostly since Andre Johnson will not be there for the first time in 12 years. Filling his shoes will be DeAndre Hopkins, the clear cut #1 WR on the team. Hopkins is known for catching nearly every catchable ball thrown his way. Hopkins has what it takes to be an elite WR in this league, he just needs a QB to get him the ball. Hopkins has an ADP of 13 (WR) and 29 overall. With even adequate QB play, he can live up to those numbers. Meanwhile, Cecil Shorts will be lining up opposite him. His adp is all the way down at 72 (WR) and 186 (overall), basically undraftable. I’m all for taking a flyer on him and making everyone drink five at the end of the draft, but don’t expect a ton of fantasy production out of Jaelen Strong or Cecil Shorts unless the QB gets a big improvement.

At TE, the Texans have Garrett Graham, (not Jimmy’s little brother). Graham has had a few spots of good play, but hasn’t been used enough to really be noticed, especially when he was behind Owen Daniels. It looks like Graham is going to move into the first string spot at TE, but your guess is as good as mine as to whether he will translate into a top 10 fantasy TE. There’s just too many questions at the QB position to answer it at this time.

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-13):

Add/Re-sign –

Julius Thomas, TE – The new juice got a 5 year contract as a free agent from Jacksonville.

Bernard Pierce, RB – Claimed off waivers from Baltimore.

T.J. Yeldon, RB – 2^nd round pick (36^th overall).

Rashad Greene, WR – 5^th round pick, 139^th overall.

Departures –

Cecil Shorts, WR – Left for Texas.

Ace Sanders, WR – Released in mid-July.

Issues:

As is tradition, the Jaguars lost their first round pick to injury – Dante Fowler tore his ACL just days after being drafted. The Jaguars did have a great draft, despite the injury, picking up T.J. Yeldon in the 2^nd and Guard A.J. Cann in the third, a guy who will probably start in week 1. With some added protection and tools for Blake Bortles, I expect him to begin the process of getting better. Bortles left a lot to be desired, but he was a constant presence on a team that hasn’t had a real QB since David Gerrard. Bortles is basically the same size as Ben Roethlisberger, and big QB’s have been having a lot of success in the league lately. Bortles has the potential to be an impact player for Jacksonville, but he needs a lot of work to get there. Bortles may be a relevant QB2 in leagues that start 2 QB’s, but even that’s a stretch, for now.

At WR, the situation is rather muddy. I hate to say it, but the departure of Cecil Shorts is likely to go unnoticed in Jacksonville. They have lots of young guys, but nobody who seems to want to step up into the main role. Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Rashad Greene & company are all going to see some of their targets go to Julius Thomas, easily the most talented pass catcher on the team (even if his greatest talent is having played with Peyton Manning). There isn’t much here other than bench depth. If someone goes down, it’s possible that another player gets a big enough role that he’s worth starting in a WR3 role, but I just don’t see the garbage time points that Jacksonville has been known for in the past. They are a team that is slowly improving, and as a result, is less likely to be getting blown out week after week.

The only place where the Jags are relatively loaded would be at RB. Rookie T.J. Yeldon is sitting on top of the depth chart and should get a decent amount of carries. Toby Gerhart will resume his backup role, one that he did well with in Minnesota (though it means zero fantasy production). Denard Robinson should continue to be a wild card and third down back and have limited PPR production value, though that increases if Yeldon can’t get on the field. This rbbc will irritate fantasy owners for sure, but there may be just enough value here for people to keep coming back.

As for the TE position, I feel that Julius Thomas is still a guy who can be in the top 10 TE’s at the end of the year easily. His ADP is 10 for TE’s and 99 overall, so I see some good value here. Be patient and scoop up Thomas late, or let someone else reach for him.

Tennessee Titans (2-14):

Add/Re-sign -

Marcus Mariota (QB, Rookie)

Dorial Green-Beckham (WR, Rookie)

Brian Orakpo (OL, from WAS)

Dick LeBeau (Assistant Head Coach, from PIT)

Hakeem Nicks (WR, from IND)

Harry Douglas (WR, from ATL)

David Cobb (RB, Rookie)

Departures:

Jake Locker (QB, FA)

Shonn Greene (RB, FA)

Nate Washington (WR, to HOU)

Outlook:

The Titans needed a reboot pretty badly after a terrible 2-14 season in 2014. So that’s what they did. And their offseason moves have been heralded by many as being among the best in the league. Starting from under center, The Titans drafted mobile QB Marcus Mariota at #2 overall to be the new franchise QB in Tennessee. Good riddance Jake Locker! Move over, Zach Mettenberger. Mariota will take the helm of this team in 2015 and with a huge amount of rope as well. As far as how he’ll perform from a fantasy perspective, comparisons to the athleticism and rushing ability of Colin Kaepernick have been made, but Mariota is a more skilled passer out of the box. We expect there to be some stumbling out of the gate, but Mariota should be a serviceable QB2 with a high ceiling going forward. He’ll be very interesting to watch, but unfortunately the rest of the team around him is not good enough to warrant drafting him yet in standard leagues.

Kendall Wright fell off the map last year (not entirely his fault, mostly due to inconsistent QB play) after putting up some impressive stats in his 2^nd year (94 receptions for 1079 yards and 2 TDs). Maybe he doesn’t gel very well with Ken Whisenhunt’s offensive scheme? Regardless, Wright is the #1 option for the Titans and will likely finish with an improved, but still mediocre stat line this year. His ADP is in the 15^th round and he’s likely off the radar in redraft leagues, though there is value there still in PPR and dynasty leagues as a WR4/5. After Justin Hunter’s arrest for felony assault, it looks like the #2 spot in Tennessee comes down to a battle between newcomer Dorial Green-Beckham and former Falcon Harry Douglas. Although Green-Beckham is the better raw talent, I’m betting that the veteran Douglas gets the start from day 1. The 6’5”, 237 lb (reported to camp at a stunning 246 lbs) rookie could be an outstanding receiver in the NFL eventually – but for now he is still a project. Lest I forget, Hakeem Nicks is now on the Titans. Eh, his production has declined for four years straight and Tennessee is not exactly the place where you go to revive a dying career. Not expecting much relevance from Nicks.

After the wheels fell off of Shonn Greene, the Titans parted ways with him and look to use a committee at RB in 2015, made up of Bishop Sankey, David Cobb and Dexter McCluster. In his 2^nd year, Sankey has been getting the first team reps at Titans’ camp but is looking as mediocre as he did last year (152 rushes for 569 yards and 2 TDs). The magic 8-ball says that all of these running backs will be involved in the offense, making it a frustrating experience for fantasy footballers everywhere. I do think that RB David Cobb may have a bright future in the league, but that is more of a far-off glimmer at this point. Stats from this rag tag group of backs will be disappointing, at best.

Tight end Delanie Walker has enjoyed two fairly productive years in 2013 and 2014 (most recently putting up 63 receptions for 890 yards and 4 TDs) and his ADP is somewhere between the 11^th and 12^th rounds in standard drafts. With a new QB and only scattered receiving talent on the field otherwise, Walker’s role should only improve in 2015. Many experts have him ranked at the tail end of the top 10 TEs for the upcoming season and I have to agree. He’ll be receiving a lot of dump-off passes from Mariota. Anthony Fasano seems like a great guy, but he’s not fantasy relevant.

Last year, the NFC South were essentially the basement dwellers of the NFL, with none of the teams even reaching .500. There were 22 wins between all 4 teams, Tampa Bay didn't win a single game at home, Carolina had a tie (ugh, the worst). 5 of Atlanta's 6 wins came inside the division, where they went an astounding 5-1. None of the teams had a better point differential than -23! Of course, with all of that being said, Carolina still managed to win a playoff game and had an OK showing in Seattle, for one half. So, enough looking in the past, let's see what these teams have done to make things better!

Carolina Panthers (7-8-1):

Add/Re-sign -

Greg Olsen, TE - 3 year extension

Michael Oher, T, 2 year FA contract, Jonathan Martin, T, claimed from waivers

Ted Ginn Jr., WR, 2 year contract (was on the team in 2013)

Cam Newton, QB, 6 year extension

Devin Funchess, WR - 2nd round pick (#41 overall)

Jarrett Boykin, WR - one year contract

Departures -

DeAngelo Williams, RB - Released, now in PIT

Issues:

Last year, the Panthers were severely lacking at the wide receiver position. Their first round pick in 2014, Kelvin Benjamin, did stand out and show a lot of promise. Even with that, it's clear that this offseason, the plan was to get much better at that position. The Panthers will now feature guys on the outside at 6'4" and 6'5", and should easily pass the 3828 yards they had cumulatively last season.

Cam Newton and Greg Olsen, their most legitimate and consistent threat over the last few years, have been re-signed. Olsen, Funchess and Benjamin will help Cam improve from an off year last season where he was troubled by injury early, and again late in the season. A healthy Cam ought to get at least 4000 yards with an improved receiving core.

Jonathan Stewart is now the clear #1 in Carolina, and we all saw how well that worked out at the end of last year. Over the years, fantasy owners have been constantly burned by the two-headed attack that the Panthers have had, splitting carries between Williams and Stewart. Well, worry no more. Stewart is backed up by Mike Tolbert and Fozzy Whittaker, so there's really no stopping him from getting the ball 20-25 times per game. The Panthers are packed with good fantasy potential this season, with 4 and perhaps 5 for sure weekly starters.

New Orleans Saints (7-9):

Add/Re-Sign -

C.J. Spiller, RB - FA, 4 year contract

Mark Ingram, RB - 4 year extension

Departures -

Jimmy Graham, TE - Traded to SEA

Pierre Thomas, RB - Cut

Kenny Stills, WR - Traded to MIA

Issues:

It would appear that the Saints have several issues. Traditionally a pass-first team, they traded away two of their top receiving threats, Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills. This has a lot of people scratching their head, trying to figure out what the Saints are thinking. Last year's play selection, the addition of C.J. Spiller and the new contract for Mark Ingram all point to this team shifting their focus to a run-first attitude. The early prediction is that Spiller and Ingram will split carries, which, I suppose, will result in the same guessing game that fantasy owners have been dealing with for years.

Drew Brees will continue to be Drew Brees, that is, he's the guy that's thrown for over 4300 yards the last 9 years in a row, and once again lead the league (tied) in passing yards. He may not approach 5000 yards again, but it's probably a sure thing that he has his 10th straight season over 4000 yards. He will probably be a top 5 fantasy QB and will make use of whoever is there at WR.

Speaking of the WR's, who's left? Marques Colston is past his prime, but will still enter the season as the top guy. Brandin Cooks and Nick Toon both showed promise, and they will likely take another step up in their development, with Drew Brees leading the way. Finally, the question most people have been asking about the Saints all offseason, how do you replace Jimmy Graham? Josh Hill will try, but Drew Brees can't perform miracles, so don't expect one. The only sure fantasy value on this team seems to start with Drew Brees. Brandin Cooks has a good shot at being a solid WR2/3, and it's pretty unclear as to who is going to be worth starting at RB, but they're both worth owning.

Atlanta Falcons (6-10):

Add/Re-Sign -

Jacob Tamme, TE - 2 year contract

Tony Moeaki, TE - 1 year contract

Antone Smith, RB - re-sign 1 year contract

Eric Weems, WR - re-sign 2 year contract

Tevin Coleman, RB - 3rd round pick, #73 overall

Departures -

Steven Jackson, RB - Released

Harry Douglans, WR - Released, now in TEN

Jacquizz Rogers, RB - Signed by Bears

Issues:

The Falcons were only able to win one game outside of their division in 2014, yet still had a chance in week 17 to make the playoffs. The NFL is kinda weird sometimes. So, the Falcons already have a few well established fantasy names on their team that you can count on for 2015. Starting with the WR's, Jones and White are going to continue to dominate the targets on the team. Jones has the potential to finish as a top WR, and White, while getting older, can definitely be a threat and fantasy relevant if he stays healthy. Eric Weems was re-signed as the third WR to replace Harry Douglas, but like Douglas, he won't be relevant unless one of the big two guys goes down.

Matt Ryan finished as the #7 fantasy QB last year, and with the same weapons as last year, he will likely remain in the top 10. They're still trying to find a replacement for Tony Gonzalez. They'll use Tamme and Moeaki this season, with Tamme in a primary role. They won't likely wind up as top 10 fantasy guys, however the potential is there in this offense for big production at that position.

The rushing game has been lacking in Atlanta for the last couple of seasons. This year, it's all about the youth movement. Second year RB Devonta Freeman may sit on top of depth charts, but expect third round pick Tevin Coleman to have a good chance at starting. I'm interested in seeing if they will make more use of Antone Smith, a guy who seemed magical every time he touched the ball last season. Overall, the Falcons have three guys you can count on for reliable fantasy production, and a few spots where you could get a couple of surprise performances.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14):

Add/Re-Sign -

Jameis Winston, QB - First Overall pick in the 2015 draft

Donovan Smith, T - 34th overall pick, will protect Winson's blind side

Tim Wright, TE - Claimed off waivers

Henry Melton, Chris Conte, Major Wright - Lovie Smith is adding a bunch of guys that he used to coach on the Bears

Departures -

Josh McCown, QB - Went to Cleveland

Issues:

Last year the Bucs finished a dismal 2-10, they didn't win a single game at home, and they scored 133 fewer points than their opponents, the 4th worst in the league. So, with all of that in mind, the Bucs are putting their faith in Jameis Winston, their first overall draft pick and hopeful franchise QB. Winston is unlikely to break into the top 10 QB's in his first season (few ever do), but he might be worth keeping around as a backup and for bye weeks. His rushing ability will keep his fantasy floor high.

The Bucs current strength on offense definitely lies at the WR position. Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson are another tall duo on the outside, something that has become very popular lately in the NFL, and for good reason. Both Evans and Jackson went over 1000 yards each, with Evans scoring 12 times. I expect both of them to break 1000 again this year, but any production further down the depth chart is questionable at best.

Doug Martin has had a tumultuous few seasons in the NFL. He was a rookie phenom, but struggled and was also bit by the injury bug in the next two seasons. He's still in line for the starting job, but he has Bobby Rainey, Mike James and Charles Sims all breathing down his neck. This situation will get fleshed out through the preseason - it's anyone's guess at this point what will happen at RB for the Bucs. The Bucs will go with either Tim Wright or Austin Seferian-Jenkins at TE, but neither are really likely to bust out into relevance in Winston's first year. Overall, stick with the WR's on this team for fantasy relevance, and monitor the rest for waiver wire pickups or bench depth.

Over the past few years, there has been a definite change in America’s attitude towards marijuana prohibition. In just my lifetime, we’ve gone from the “Just Say No” 1980’s to seeing 4 states and D.C. legalize recreational marijuana, with many more states offering some form of medicinal marijuana. So, how did the laws get like this in the first place, and what’s being done to bring this issue into the 21^st century?

Listen to the Retrospectical Podcast Ep 13 – Legalizing Marijuana in the United States, featuring an interview with Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of NORML

History of Marijuana Laws in America

Marijuana has been popular for centuries and many smaller municipalities - up to the state level - have had various restrictions on it. “Hashish parlors” were as popular as opium dens and in the 1880’s, it was estimated that there were 500 such establishments in New York City alone. These could be found in most major cities in America and were frequented by men and women of all social classes.

Ironically enough, nationwide prohibition really began in the 1920’s, during the same era of alcohol prohibition in America (we all know how well that worked out). The Marijuana Tax act of 1937 took this all a step further. It was now heavily regulated via taxes since the federal government couldn’t regulate medicines at that time, only states could. Harry J Anslinger, the first head of the Federal Narcotics Bureau, launched a campaign against the “evils” of marijuana, connecting its use with violent crime and dirty, dirty immigrants.

William Randolph Hearst used his newspaper empire to help spread this propaganda in the late 30’s. Through fear and misinformation (and a bit of racism), Hearst and Anslinger were able to successfully turn public opinion against marijuana. In hindsight, many argue that this was mostly a campaign created to destroy the commercial hemp industry, which made a superior product for paper compared to Hearst’s wood pulp interests. Hemp was also in conflict with DuPont and their new product, Nylon, to replace hemp ropes. Never underestimate what people will lie about to make a buck, I suppose.

This era also saw the release of the now infamous movie, Reefer Madness (1936). This propaganda movie fit right in with the message that was being sent out at this time. It regained some popularity in the 1970’s as an unintentional satire about the misguided cannabis reform that had gone on some 40 years prior. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. It’s now in the public domain and should be available on YouTube.

War on Drugs

The roots of the war on drugs started in the late 60’s, but in the 1980’s, the focus of law enforcement shifted to the “war on drugs”, led by the Reagan administration. Each president since Nixon has basically continued or augmented the war on drugs from his predecessor, and so it was left up to the states to attempt to pass some more logical legislation when it came to certain drugs. Some states went the other way, though, namely New York City’s “stop and frisk” policy, or California’s “three strikes” felony laws.

After thirty years of a mostly failed policy, popular opinion is beginning to shift away from the war on drugs, with people arguing that it’s a war on an idea and simply can't be won in any measurable fashion. The policy of just locking up drug users has not done anything to stop drug related violence or drug use at all, and it’s made lots of people rich (law enforcement contractors, private prisons) while not solving any problems at all.

Policies such as mandatory sentencing were deemed racist, as they tended to punish “ghetto” drugs much more harshly than ones that richer white folks might be abusing. This, of course, doesn’t even get into the legal drug abuse that was really starting up.. prescription pills.

Road to Legalization

In more recent times, things have began to change. Individual states started passing laws that slowly introduced decriminalization and medical marijuana. It became a state vs federal issue in the courts. A couple of cases set precedent for no use (even medicinal) from the fed, but in 2009 US Attorney General Eric Holder (AG) issued new guidelines: “It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana, but we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal”.

In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana. Each state would treat marijuana like alcohol, limiting it to adults over the age of 21 and not allowing you to drive under the influence. Sales began Jan 1, 2014 in Colorado, and Washington followed later that year.

As of 2015, 4 states: Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, in addition to Washington, D.C., have passed laws that legalize recreational sales. There are 18 other states that have medical marijuana laws, ranging from California's system which almost feels like the wild west to Colorado's newer, more streamlined system. Other states allow only strains that are high in CBD and low in THC. Some states, like our home state of Illinois, have dragged their feet and, while there is a law in place, there is nothing happening on the ground.

What's Next?

Now that laws have been relaxed, there's actually an opportunity for regulation in the industry and medical research to be performed and peer reviewed. Colorado has seen numerous benefits after legalizing marijuana for recreational use. In the first 10 months, nearly $40 million in tax revenue was raised (from medical, recreational and licenses), the violent crime rate in Denver continues to decrease and so do statewide traffic fatalities. Marijuana is showing promise in all kinds of areas, from helping with Chemotherapy to preventing seizures to actually helping to kill cancer cells. Everything is starting to change quickly now, and there's no telling what the landscape will look like in a few years.

CBD, or Cannabidiol has been identified as having many more medical applications than THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. CBD has been used in the United States to treat children who have Dravet Syndrome, which is a severe form of epilepsy. CBD treatments can prevent seizures, and are far less harmful than other medicines, which sometime have deadly side effects. CBD quiets all of the electrical activity in the brain which helps stop seizures.

Industrial Hemp

Industrial Hemp used to be a very common product. It’s able to be used in products like paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction (insulation), health food and fuel (similar to ethanol). It’s one of the fastest growing biomasses in the world, requires little to no pesticide and produces far more product with less resources when compared, for example, to cotton clothing. Turning hemp into paper requires almost no chemicals, especially when compared to paper made from trees (which is also far more damaging to the environment).

Hemp is commonly known as the non-psychoactive strain of cannabis (though they are all technically hemp). Hemp has a very low level of THC - no more than 0.3%, compared to the strains of 6 or 7% up to 20+% that are commonly used for smoking (and that version of the plant has poor fiber quality anyways). Currently, the US government does not distinguish between marijuana (containing higher levels of THC) and Hemp, which is an industrial product and contains levels of THC which cannot get anyone high. Industrial hemp’s Wikipedia page and the description of its uses reads like it is a super plant. Widespread use of industrial hemp could greatly help slow down deforestation and help relieve a score of other agricultural problems.

Following the NFL during the offseason can be a long and tedious pursuit, interrupted by brief moments of excitement when your team signs someone. Now that most of the moves have been made, there’s little left to do but wait for training camp and preseason to start. With our downtime, we’re looking at each team, one division at a time, to look at the fantasy impact of each relevant player on each team and how their value has changed with the team’s changes. This time around, it’s the NFC North.

(Listen to the Fantasy Football Podcast: 6/9/15, NFC North Spotlight) 

Green Bay Packers:

Add/Re-sign –

Randall Cobb, (4 years for $40 mil)

Scott Tolzien, (1 year, $1.35 Mil)

Kyle Sebetic, Safety, from the Giants (their ONLY FA signing this offseason)

Ty Montgomery WR, (3^rd round draft pick)

Departures –

Jarrett Boykin, (Panthers)

Matt Flynn, (Patriots)

DuJuan Harris, (Vikings)

Brandon Bostick, (Vikings via waivers)

Issues:

The Packers never seem to add many, if any, impactful players through free agency. Nearly their entire roster is built on draft picks (I believe at one point last year, their only player they didn’t draft was Julius Peppers). The Pack had a trip to the Super Bowl already booked, but Russell Wilson had other plans for them.

Fantasy-wise, there isn’t a whole lot changing on the Packers. The only notable departure is Jarrett Boykin, who was only a WR3 of questionable weekly output last year. Expect Rodgers, Cobb and Nelson to all return to the top 10 of their positions (maybe top 15 for the WR’s, but Nelson and Cobb did finish 2^nd and 6^th last year, respectively). Look for Davante Adams to pick up the WR3 work, and I wouldn’t expect much production out of the TE position, as is tradition in Green Bay lately.

Eddie Lacy is once again a first round talent, and despite his slow start to last season, still finished 6^th overall for points, finding the end zone a satisfying 13 times. Last year, the top 4 fantasy players on the Packers were probably better than any 4 you could find on any other team. In standard scoring, Rodgers & Nelson finished 2^nd and Cobb and Lacy finished 6^th. That is reminiscent of the Broncos from the 2013. While that team did have a slight drop-off, they did not disappoint when it came time to tally up the points at the end of the year. I expect that Green Bay will be able to repeat their success of last year.

Detroit Lions:

Add/Re-sign –

Jeremy Ross WR, (re-sign)

Lance Moore WR, (signed to 1 year contract)

Ameer Abdullah RB, (2^nd round pick)

Haloti Ngata DT, (acquired in trade from Baltimore)

Departures –

Reggie Bush, (cut, now on SF)

Ndamukong Suh, (left as a FA, signed with Miami)

Issues:

The Lions made the playoffs last year, but were the victim of Dez Bryant and Tony Romo making ridiculous highlight reel plays (which they fell victim to the following week). It’s hard to say that they have made enough moves to help even improve their team, let alone pass the Packers for the division in 2015.

Matt Stafford will still be a solid QB1, Calvin Johnson will feel like a steal when he’s not the first WR off the board in your draft (he’s still WR1 talent) and Golden Tate should probably wind up starting every week. Tate had 99 catches last year, with Megatron (71 rec) missing only 3 games (though he was a decoy in a few he did play).

The RB situation is still sketchy, though removing Bush at least removes one of the more knee-jerk options that were available. Joique Bell, Theo Riddick (3^rd downs) and Ameer Abdullah will probably split most carries to start the season, with the stronger back, if one emerges, getting a larger percentage of the carries as the season goes on. This is going to change a lot, but with a pass first team like the Lions, I wouldn’t waste too high of a draft pick on one of their rotating RB’s. The one exception to this is if Bell keeps sliding into the doghouse. If so, go for Abdullah, but remember, temper your expectations on rookies!

Their TE’s Pettigrew, Ebron and Fauria can be fun, but none are THE guy, so stay away from them as every week starters. Their D/ST should still be strong, adding Ngata and losing Suh, but I prefer streaming D’s anyways, so don’t draft them high.

Minnesota Vikings

Add/Re-sign –

Matt Asiata RB, (re-sign 1 year)

Shaun Hill QB, (2 year 6.5 mil, #2 guy now)

Mike Wallace WR, (via trade with Miami)

Du Juan Harris RB, (FA via GB)

Brandon Bostick TE, (waiver via GB)

MyCole Pruitt (TE) and Stefon Diggs (WR) are their highest offensive (fantasy) draft picks, from the 5^th round

Departures –

Christian Ponder, (OAK)

Greg Jennings, (released, signed by Miami)

Issues:

The story of the Vikings early in 2015 is all about the return of Adrian Peterson. I know I wouldn’t want to line up opposite Purple Jesus after he’s been kept out of football for an entire year. He’s probably in the best shape and health of his life and will make an immediate impact on this team, greater than all of their signings combined.

Last year’s rookie QB, Teddy Bridgewater, will have a few more tools at his disposal and should take another step from last year. His rookie campaign was average – throwing more TD’s than INT’s does show promise going forward. Bridgewater won’t enter August as a QB 1 or 2, but could easily finish the year as a strong QB2, possibly approaching or exceeding the Andy Dalton Line.

AP is clearly the only RB to bother with on the team. I don’t even think I’d entertain a handcuff in this case, as superhumans don’t tend to get hurt like us mortals. Their WR core is much more of a toss-up. Between Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson, Jarius Wright, Cordarrelle Patterson and the field, I really have no good feel for who will emerge as the consistent WR on their team. It could wind up looking like the Seahawks where none of them are viable fantasy options, due to a conservative passing game and spreading the ball around when they do throw it. Kyle Rudolph at TE might end up being the best receiver on the team stats-wise.

Chicago Bears

Add/Re-sign –

John Fox, (head coach) and Ryan Pace, (GM)

Zach Miller TE, (1 year extension, played well in 2014 preseason, hurt in the preseason)

Jimmy Clausen QB, (1 year extension)

Jacquizz Rodgers RB, (1 year, from Atlanta)

Kevin White WR, (1^st round, 9^th overall)

Eddie Royal WR, (Reunited with Cutler)

Departures –

Mark Trestman (good riddance!)

Brandon Marshall (even gooder riddance!)

Issues:

The Bears have many issues they’re carrying over from 2014, but they will look like a different team in 2015. Any time a new regime takes control, they give everything a make-over, especially when the previous season was a disappointing (too light?) 5-11.

Jay Cutler has been on the team for 6 years now, and he still feels like he needs to somehow win over Chicago fans to feel comfortable. If it hasn’t happened by now, it’s not happening. Cutler is the best QB the Bears have the opportunity to start this year, and probably next year too, so just get used to it and hope he doesn’t lead the league in INT’s again. Fewer passes should help Cutler, as in 2015 he had his most pass attempts since he joined the Bears in 2009.

The Bears instantly addressed the departure of Brandon Marshall in the draft, picking Kevin White from West Virginia 9^th overall. He should be able to have a near immediate impact and could be going in redraft leagues as a WR3/WR4, but we’ll see how he fits in a few preseason games first. Alshon Jeffery immediately moves into a WR1/WR2 position, and Marquess Wilson has some fantasy value as well.

It remains to be seen if Martellus Bennett is going to throw more tantrums for whatever reason. If he settles down, he could be a TE1 in a league where the drop off after the first 5 or so TE’s is very steep. If not, Zach Miller might emerge as an option, since Cutler does seem to like throwing to the TE. Matt Forte will continue to carry the load for Chicago, and even though he felt overvalued last year, he finished 4^th overall for RB scoring. Is he the new Frank Gore (a guy who should be dropping off, but never does)?