Fantasy Football Cut-N-Go: Colon on IR, Rashard Mendenhall in Trouble?

The Cut-N-Go is back to keep you up-to-date on all the NFL news that affects the upcoming fantasy football season.

I'm probably one of the few people out there that's not considering spending a top-20 pick on Rashard Mendenhall. We expect the Steelers to go to the ground game without Ben Roethlisberger around, and while that alone could pump up a player's fantasy prospects, losing the line's best blocker certainly won't.

Willie Colon was officially placed on the IR today, with the Steelers signing journeyman Adrian Jones for depth. Without Colon, it's very likely the Steelers' line will falter, leaving Mendenhall to gain tough yards while putting the Steelers in a high rate of third-and-long situations.

If defenses pay the Steelers' temporary starting quarterback -- whether that be Byron Leftwich or Dennis Dixon -- lip service and stack the line against the team's most dangerous offensive weapon, fantasy owners with Mendenhall may struggle to earn solid investment from such a high pick.

It seems logical to ignore Mendenhall on draft day and spend your late first-round and second-round picks on a much safer commodity. Doing otherwise is playing with fire.

Some other notes with fantasy spin:

• Hakeen Nicks and Mario Manningham are slated to duke it out for the starting receiver spot opposite Steve Smith, according to ESPN New York. We expect Nicks to win, but this is a reminder not to overvalue the talented second-year man too much in fantasy drafts. It may be wiser to pick up proven commodities not fighting for a starting role, like Hines Ward and Dwayne Bowe. Don't let Nicks' tor injury bother you -- he says he'll be ready for camp, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

• The Kevin Kolb Love Train keeps rolling along. Add Adam Kaplan of Fox Sports to the list of people expecting big things out of Kolb in his first full year as a starter.

I think the Eagle fans will be surprised at how much of a command he has on everything. I know privately the coaching staff has felt he could have started all season last year and done well.

It does bear mentioning that Kaplan also said he believes Kolb will finish in the top 15 at the position, with a chance to reach top-ten status. In fantasy drafts, his stock will continue to rise to the point he'll have to be great to justify his draft slot. I'd still tread cautiously with the first-year starter.