It is time for yet another exercise in futility. I am going to join the ranks of those prognosticators and seers who put their reputation on the line to predict who the best Fantasy Football Players are going to be. This is easy for me because I have no reputation to ruin.
Unlike some of my colleagues, I am not going to bother giving overall rankings because those rankings vary according the scoring settings of the leagues. Rather, I am going to provide a list of players by Position. The positions I am going to address are QB, RB, WR, TE, K, D/ST as that will fit with the arrangement of most leagues.
Here are a few points I will be taking into account.
1. I will include return duties when evaluating data. This may skew a bit for those of you who do not include return yards or individual return TD's in your league.
2. I will take into account the schedule that the players are playing against. I don't expect this to lead to any considerable changes at the tops of the lists, but may lead to some rearranging further down the list.
3. I will take into account the depth charts of the teams. For Example, Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles are both good backs, but because they are on the same team, neither of them will get the same credit that they would if they were a true lead back.
4. I am predicting the best point maker in FFL, not the best talent, or the best player.
QB
1. Aaron Rogers: Rogers exploded onto the scene last year, and was considered one of the best in the league despite playing behind a porous offensive line. With Brian Bulaga and time to heal, the offensive line should be much improved. With a stable of big, athletic receivers to throw to both on the outside and at tight end, look for Rodgers to absolutely light it up this year.
2. Brett Favre: Favre is a pain in the ass, and a prima donna, but he sure can play. On top of that, he plays for a team that is loaded from top to bottom and plays in a relatively weak division. Look for him to have another 4000 yards and 25+ touchdowns this year.
3. Drew Brees: Without him, the Saints would be hard pressed to make the playoffs. With him, they win the whole thing. It's true enough that a whole lot of things had to go right for them, but Brees can flat out play. This is a passing offense, and he is the engine that makes it go.
4. Phillip Rivers: Ah yes, time for the man that they love to hate. They being everyone outside of San Diego. LT is gone, but the chargers are still loaded and this year they have none of the yearly Super Bowl pressure that has followed them the past few years. Look for Rivers to have his 3rd straight 4000+ yard system.
5. Peyton Manning: Hey, Peyton is still Peyton. He has been the best QB in this league, statistically, for the majority of his career and if he lit up last year with backup receivers playing, there is no reason for us to expect him to be anything less than himself. That said, he didn't get much help from the running game last year and he is everyone's focus. He will get his, but I don't think he will be able to dominate quite like he has in some past years. This is all relative with him dropping to #5 overall of course, which most QB's would love to reach.
6. Tony Romo: Romo rebounded nicely to have the best yardage year of his career last year. The Cowboys are loaded on offense, if Doug Free can play a serviceable left tackle. If Romo ends up running for his life, it's going to be a long season. After all, if Alex Barron cannot play tackle for the Rams, he can't play it for the Boys. Tony will be solid for fantasy, but if they can't protect with their base line, they will have to limit their skill position packages.
7. Tom Brady: Brady is Brady. He still has Randy Moss, has Welker coming back, and added a weapon last year in Julian Edelman. The Pats offense has a few questions up front, but in their quick hitting offense, that is less of an issue than it would be fro some teams, and their second stringers would start for some teams anyway.
8. Matt Schaub: 4770 yards and 29 touchdowns. As long as he has Andre Johnson on the outside, Schaub is going to have the potential to blow up every week. There is a tough schedule on tap with out of division games against the entire NFC East, Baltimore, NY Jets, and the Chargers. Those are some tough defenses to have to deal with so Schaub may be hard pressed to repeat last year. Remember though, he had success last year with near to no running game. If Arian Foster can give them a consistent running attack, the balance may be enough.
9. Donovan McNabb: If there is anyone out there who thinks Donovan can't do it anymore, they haven't been paying attention. He does choke on occasion, but we aren't talking about Super Bowls, we are talking about FFL. Some want to question his receiver corp, but until DeSean Jackson got to Philly, this would have been the best group of receivers he has ever had. If they can gel, this is going to be a big year. If they don't, it will still be above average.
10. Eli Manning: Little brother Eli is ready for a nice season. He has a big arm, a short memory, and his own reputation, good and bad. More importantly, he has a stable of receivers who are hungry and will go out and make plays for him. The Giants are weak at a few spots, but the passing game is not one of them. They better run the ball tough, otherwise, Eli and the offensive line in front of him are going to be steamrolled by the aggressive pass rushers in this division.
11. Ben Roethlisburger: He has lost himself a lot of fans outside of Pittsburgh this off-season, and cost himself a month of the season. That said, Big Ben is a monster in fantasy and is going to be the focus of the Pittsburgh attack. Missing a month will hurt, but if you can get him with a good second to carry the first month, it will be a big win. A bigger question for me is how much losing Santonio is going to hurt.
12. Kevin Kolb: Kolb is the great unknown, but all reports he looks like he is ready to go. The Philly offense is deadly to everyone except the Cowboys, and Kolb is supposed to be the prototype for this offense. He looked good in limited time last year, and DeSean Jackson can hide a lot of sins statistically. Time to step up.
13. Matt Ryan: Matty Ice has a bit of a sophomore slump, but the Falcons are looking to make moves this year. His yardage was a bit lower than some of the guys on this list, but his TD/Int % was just fine. Look for him to take another step forward this year.
14. Joe Flacco: Flacco was handed the reins last year and put up nice numbers. To make it even better, he did that without a legit group of receivers. With Anquan Boldin and Dante Stallworth coming to town, that is no longer the case. That is assuming that they can both stay on the field, which has been a challenge at times for both.
15. Carson Palmer: Carson is past his prime by a bit, but he has one of the best receivers sets, talent-wise, in recent history. Even past the starters, there is great depth and youth with Jordan Shipley looking like he wants the starting slot receiver spot. Gresham should be starting sooner rather than later at TE too. All Carson has to do is distribute, and he has shown flashes of what he used to be in the pre-season. If it all works out, this ranking may be low.
16. Kyle Orton: Just asking, did you know that he threw for 3800 yards last year? Basically, Orton's stats were on par with McNabb's. Not bad for a guy who doesn't have the arm to start in this league. Now personally, I hope Denver goes O-fer, but that's per bias. A better question is whether Demaryius Thomas can play from day one. If he can't, the Donkeys have issues in the passing game. I am a fan of Eddie Royal, but he didn't get much love last year. If Orton can't lean on Royal or Stokely, this rating may drop like a stone.
17. Jay Cutler: This spot will be wrong at the end of the year. It will likely be wrong by a lot. The question is, up or down? All the right noise is coming out of Bears camp, but Cutler is not the kind of QB that Mike Martz usually works with. The question is, was that because this kind of arm is rare, or because it doesn't fit the offense? We'll see.
18. Alex Smith: Smith took over the starting spot in week 7 last year and played very solid ball for 2/3 of a season. If you pro-rate, you are looking at 3400 yards and 26 TD's. And, he is mobile. This is an up and coming team, and the more time that Smith spends throwing to Crabtree, Vernon Davis, and Ted Ginn, the more explosive they are going to get. Yes, you read that right, I have not given up on Ted Ginn yet. He is still dangerous with the ball in his hands, and I think he will make a very good #2 to pair with Crabtree.
19. Jason Campbell: Jason Campbell got drafted after working at the helm of a power rushing attack with a play action game. Does that sound like Raider football to anyone else, or is it just me? Campbell will not go to the pro bowl, but if he puts up last year's numbers (3618 yards, 20 TD's, 15 Int's), the Raiders will be in the hunt for a playoff spot. After all, let us not forget what division they are playing in, and the defense that they will be bringing to bare.
20. Mark Sanchez: He had some rough moments as a rookie, but if you take out his 2 best, and 2 worst games, you get some interesting numbers. 11 TDs 11 Ints. You combine that with how he played in the playoffs, and you feel a whole lot better about Sanchez's rookie season. I mean, maybe it's just me, but the kid looked like he had it figured out in the playoffs. Now, let's take a look at his receivers. Jerricho Cotchery, Braylan Edwards, and Santonio Holmes? I think that's a crime in some states. Big, fast, and athletic. And 2 of them even have really good hands. Yeah, this is going to be a big step forward for the kid. Look for him to improve as the a season goes.
RB
1. Chris Johnson: Johnson exploded onto the scene last year, and chances are if you were smart/lucky enough to pick up late, you made the playoffs. He isn't going to sneak up on anyone this year though. Playing on a team with a mediocre passing attack, he went off for 2006 yards and another 500+ receiving.
2. Maurice Jones-Drew: MJD is the Jags offense. They have a couple of receivers who are starting to emerge, led by Sims-Walker, but this is the engine that makes it go. Nearly 1400 yards rushing with 16 total TD's and 53 catches. That is flat out getting it done, again. The only question is how he will hold up with this many carries, but last was his first year with over 300 carries. Even at his short stature, he should be good for a few more.
3. Ray Rice: There are some concerns about his durability after being a 4-year workhorse in college, but he doesn't look to be worn out quite yet. The Ravens were smart and limited his carries last year and got great production out of him. Look for more of the same with an improved passing attack opening up the field for more long runs.
4. Joseph Addai: It may be surprise some people to see Addai so high on this list, but he is murder in a point-per-catch league coming out of that vaunted Colt passing attack. He doesn't light up any of the yardage areas, but 50 catches and 13 TD's will forgive a lot of fantasy sins. Now, if you are not in a point-per-catch league, go ahead and move him down about 10 spots. With his rep where it is though, we would be a steal in the third round as Indy lead back.
5. Frank Gore: There is a little secret about Frank Gore that will probably come to light shortly. This big back and catch the ball. The only reason that he is as low as he is on this list is his fumbles. He was literally less than half a point behind Addai. If he takes care of the ball and stay healthy for a full season, he may get as high as #2 at the end of the year.
6. Adrian Peterson: Yeah, I'm an idiot, I know. AP is a stud, and everyone knows it. He is the best pure running back in the league and is a physical force to be reckoned with. If you take #1 overall, noone will fault you for it. BUT, he fumbled the ball 6 times last year and does not catch the ball out the backfield. If you are not in a point per catch league, you take the fumbles and put him #2 overall. But if catches become significant, well he only had 16 last year. He did come out in the pre-season doing his best Tiki Barber imititation carrying the ball high and tight. If he can be consistent about this and trims those fumbles down, then he will jump up a couple.
7. Steven Jackson: Oh, if only he had some help. Jackson is a monster at Running Back. He is big, fast, and mean. The Rams are raw, but improved up front, and they are going to lean on Jackson to keep the heat off of Sam Bradford. That will be good news for his owners in FFL. He needs to stay healthy though.
8. LeSean McCoy: Shady is set up to be the man in Philly and, if you can catch the ball like he can, that is a wonderful thing. I figure him for 1100 yards rushing, 450 receiving and 10+ TD's. He will move up and down on this list according to the rules of your league, with PPC once again being the key.
12. Shonn Greene: Greene is going to be given the ball 250+ times this year and will dominate the red zone carries for a team that should playing on a short field a good amount of the time. The Jets need to run to keep things simple for one more year for Sanchez and want to use their running game and defense to make the games as short as possible. Anything under 1200 yards from Greene will dissapoint them. The problem is, even in a best case scenario, he does not catch the ball well so LT will take those 3rd down snaps a lot of the time.
9. Michael Turner: A down year for Mr. Turner still mean nearly 900 yards at just under 5 per carry. This is easy math, 250 carries means 1250 yards. He is their back if they have their choice. They say he is ready to go, and he should have a lot of tread left on the tires after playing second fiddle to LT before coming to Atlanta. He doesn't catch it much, thought his hands are solid. A nice back, and a good TD producer with 1 every 18.3 touches last year.
10. Ryan Grant: Grant had a very good season quietly last year. The news in Green Bay was about Rodgers, the OL woes, and the new 3/4 defense. Oh, and that old guy playing for the Vikings. In a lot of years, it would have been about Grant's 1450+ total yards and 11 TD's. With an improved OL and well stocked and balanced offense, Grant should be able to reproduce last year's results.
11. Ryan Matthews: The top rookie on the list, Matthews is going to be the lead back in a very productive offense. He would higher if he was not going to share with Darren Sproles. Of course, so would Sproles if he was not going to share with Matthews. That said, expect Matthews to dominate the red zone carries later in the year due to his size, relative to Sproles, and he will hit some home runs.
12. Ronnie Brown: Ronnie would be a top 5 back if it were not for 1 thing. Ricky Williams. Ronnie is the leader of the Miami offense and can do it all out of the backfield. Shoot he even throws a pass every now and again. Look for them to spread the wealth a bit more, and try to keep him healthy this year. He is still a Pro-Bowl talent though, and if they can keep him healthy, he will be a nice get.
13. Brandon Jacobs: Now for the guy who transferred out of Auburn because he couldn't get in front of Ronnie Brown. Yeah, small world huh :) There is noone in the NFL that defenders enjoy tackling less. Jacobs is a bruiser with wheels and he is the key to the Giants offense. Last year was a bit of a down year, but he was still #15 statistically for FFL. If he stays healthy all year, he will be much higher. That said, he takes a lot of punishment, so expect him to miss a game or two.
14. Reggie Bush: Reggie is an enigma. He doesn't get a lot of carries, but he averages 5.6 a carry. He is good out of the backfield, but only catches 47 balls. The thing is though, he scored 8 touchdowns in 117 touches last year, and they were starting to focus on him more as the season went on. You include the popssibility of him returning kicks, and he is just too intriguing to pass up.
15. Darren Sproles: Darren Sproles is one of my favorite players to watch play the game of football. He is explosive, exciting, and a threat to score on every touch. What he is not is a running back that is going to very successful in a traditional approach. He is a tiny guy, and should be used as what he is, the best scatback in the league. He shared with LT last year and was a top 20 back. He will get a bigger share this year while Matthews moves in and there is no reason to expect him to be anything but productive.
16. Pierre Thomas: I know I know...WHO? Thomas is the guy who is prevening Reggie Bush from being a top 10 running back. 5.4 yards a carry and 8 touchdowns in 186 touches. He is not quite as explosive as Reggie, but he is better between the tackles and he catches the ball very well, which is always good for a player on the New Orleans depth chart.
17. Chester Taylor: The question is, will Taylor be starting in Chicago. This rating was assuming that he would have a heavy share with Matt Forte, getting him more touches than he had in Minnesota. He is a big back who can do a bit of everything, and will be easily the best big back on the Bears' roster. If he starts, look for 1500 total yards and 8 TD's.
18. Jonathan Stewart: There is a logjam in the Carolina backfield, and that is a wonderful problem to have. Both backs had 1100+ rushing last year and Stewart is the younger of the 2. He may not start, but he will get enough carries to put up the numbers that a lot of starts would love to have in the run-heavy panther attack. I expect 1133 and 11 TD's to be a launching pad for his career.
19. Knowshon Moreno: Moreno is the lead back in Denver, and he can do it all. Except, last year, he couldn't stay on the field. There don't appear to be lingering injury concerns though, so this could be a big year for him.
20. Beanie Wells: Beanie, just stay on the field and hold the ball high and tight. You do that, and you will be a fantasy stud. Can you do that for us? Please? This guy is a specimen, and has been since high school. There is nothing that he cannot do on the football field, when he can get on the football field.
21. Arian Foster: This is Foster's big chance. He was expected to battle for the starting job in Houston, but do to injuries, the job is his. The offense is going to be pass heavy which will keep the safeties off the line. Go get it done son.
22. Matt Forte: Time to fight for your job Matt. He is a good fit for a Mike Martz offense, and has been productive since coming into the league. He has not been a star though. A very nice second or third back, with the potential to be higher, especially in point per catch leagues.
23. Jerome Harrison: This one is tough. Harrison will be the starter in Cleveland but Montario Hardesty and James Davis are both talented youngsters who want his job. If he performs they will have to sit and wait their turn, but if he does not, their will be changes made. That said, the 561 yards he ran for the last 3 weeks will get him a little bit of rope.
24. Rashard Mendenhall: When in doubt, the starting running back for the Steelers is always a nice pickup. With Willie Parker in DC, Mendenhall has the house to himself in Steel-Town. He took over last year a couple games into the season and never looked back. The question is, with Big Ben out, will be dominate as the workhorse, or will defenses load up and shut him down.
25. DeAngelo Williams: See Jonathan Stewart except the older of the pair. He can still get it done, but he will be sharing carries.
26. Marion Barber: Barber has taken a lot of punishment the last few years. He will be very productive while he is on the field, but recent history gives us reason to expect him to miss a few games. If he doesn't, it likely means that Felix Jones and Tashard Choice have taken a number of his carries with the Boys trying to keep him healthy.
27. Ricky Williams: Ricky is a stud. He is as fast and strong as nearly any back in the leagues and he loves the game of football gain. After Ronnie Brown went down last year, Ricky kept the ship afloat in Miami with 1121 on the ground and 25 catches. He can be a lead back, but will lose carries to Ronnie Brown. Pick him up and pray for an injury to the other guy.
28. LaDainian Tomlinson: They are saying that LT looks like himself again. I don't know if i buy that, but I tell you what. I will take 80% of a HoF'er as a second or third back anyday of the week. He will own the field in passing situations for the Jets, and I think he can still get it done in spot duty, at minimum.
29. Jamaal Charles: The Chiefs are not good, but their running backs are. The question is, how productive can you be sharing time behind a mediocre offensive line? I am a fan of Jamaal Charles, and his speed erases mistakes by that O-Line, but sharing touches with a back who looks to still be in his prime won't help his FFL value.
30. Michael Bush: Bush running the ball gives the Raiders a chance, and they want to run and play-action off of it with Jason Campbell. For that to work, Bush has to do his job. The rumblings out of Raider camp is that he is ready and they are going to give him his chance.
30. Thomas Jones: Jones got screwed by the Jets. He can still play, but he needs the Cheifs to find a way to open holes for him to be successful. If either of the Chief's runningbacks gets hurt, the other is an instant start for FFL. With them both playing, I don't know if either will be.
WR
1. Andre Johnson: In my opinion, Andre Johnson has been the best receiver in the league since he came into the league. While that is arguable, his 3000+ yards the last 2 years and 17 TD's are not. If you can get him, take him.
2. Larry Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald would be the arguable part of whether or not Andre Johnson is the best in the league. Fitzgerald has been as productive as anyone and is on pace for a first ballot HoF career. That said, Matt Leinart is not Kurt Warner and Early Doucet is not Anquan Boldin. If either of them is slow to step up, things are going to be a whole lot tougher for Fitzgerald. Then again, as big as he is, he'll still get his, especially in the Red Zone. 25 TD's in the last 2 years does not lie.
3. Reggie Wayne: 6 consecutive 1000 yard receiving seasons. Please contact management if you need more information as to why you should draft Reggie Wayne.
4. Randy Moss; 1200 yards and 12 TD's. That is not a season, that's an average. He beat both of those averages last year. Yes he is a prick, and yes he is getting older, but he can still run and jump...oh and he has a fairly decent QB throwing him the ball.
5. Brandon Marshall: Marshall is as mercurial as they come, but then again, that doesn't make him much different from the rest of this list. He is also nearly impossible to cover and incredibly hard to bring down in the open field. With the cannon that Chad Henne calls a right arm, don't expect any letdown with Marshall's move to south beach. Well, that is assuming that he doesn't spend too much time on south beach.
6. DeSean Jackson: I am going to step out on a couple of limbs here and say that DeSean Jackson is the cockiest player in the NFL. Ok, there is the first limb, and I think it is going to hold. Here is the second, I think he is the fastest player in pads in the NFL as well. Now you can argue that what WR's call a set of pads don't really count, but you can't argue that this guy just always seems to be catching balls behind defenses. It's not like they don't know he is going to run by them, they just can't do much about it. Lightning is a bottle is what we have here.
7. Miles Austin: Good Size, Good Hands, great speed. Incredible Story. If he just didn't play for the Cowboys, I would love this guy. It will be interesting to see if he can reproduce what he did last year now that the whole league knows about him. I think he will alright though. Talent is talent, and he has plenty.
8. Steve Smith (NYG): Steve Smith was the nice, complimentary receiver coming out of USC. The line was that he was made to look better than he was by playing in a loaded offense. Well folks, I think he may have been the one making the other players look better. He is the #1in a good offense, and he is going to get a lot of targets.
9. Roddy White: There was a day when people were wondering if Roddy White was going to be a bust. He is strond and fast, but just didn't get it done his first 2 years. Well, those days are 3 years gone and Roddy is the WR that defenses have to plan for when they head to Atlanta. He is Matt Ryan's favorite target, and he is a tough cover. 3 straight 1000 yard seasons are plenty of proof.
10. Terrell Owens: I don't know about you, but what I have seen from T.O. in the preseason has told me something about his reported demise. I think it may have been a big premature. It is true that he is not the uncoverable receiver that helped carry the Eagles to the Super Bowl a few years back, but there are still very few Corners in the league who can deal with him one-on-one with any success. He is big and fast and is catching everything. Hey Carson, enjoy all your new toys.
11. Anquan Boldin: Boldin has produced like a #1 in Arizona and I have no doubt that he will produce in Baltimore. With Derrick Mason and Dante Stallworth in supporting roles, the defense will be hard pressed to give Boldin enough attention to shut him down. His violent style of play does leave some injury concerns, but if he is healthy, he is top 10.
12. Vincent Jackson: I remember when I saw him Jackson's name come across the draft ticker 6 years back, thinking to myself..."who in the (*&()* is Vincent Jackson?". I don't think I was the only one. Well, everyone knows who he is now. He is a prototypical big receiver. 6'5" 230 lbs and he can run. One of the best big play threats in the league averaging of 17 yards per catch the last 3 years. He is Phillip River's go to receiver, and they are becoming more of a passing team every year. My advice, if you get one of them, go get the other.
13. Hakeem Nicks: There were questions about Nicks coming out of college. Well, a lot of veterans would love a year like his rookie year. I expect this to be a breakout season for him. He attacks the ball and is one of the stronger receivers, making him very difficult after the catch. A sleeper I think.
14. Chad Ochocinco: He and Carson finally have some help in Cincy. He is still who he is, and has made some really great catches in the preseason. Remember what he did against double coverage during, well the rest of his career? Well, you can't double with T.O. across the field can you?
15. Marques Colston: Marques Colston is who Miles Austin hopes of being. The problem, FFL-wise, is that the Saints spread the ball around so much that you never know who is going to have the big game. A really nice second receiver because he will have a couple of games where he will put up #1 stats.
16. Wes Welker: In a point per catch league, Welker might be a 1st round pick. It will be interesting to see how fast and well he recovers from his Knee surgery. If he is slow, he may lose some catches to Julian Edelman.
17. Derrick Mason: For the first time in his career, Mason has another quality receiver on his team. He had a nice year last year without much help. I see no reason for that to change with Boldin on the team. He will just be open more often. Look for less targets and a higher completion % on those targets.
18. Donald Driver: 6 straight 1000 yard years, but he doesn't catch a lot of touchdowns. He is the leader of the receiving corp for GB, but it is a LOADED receiving corp. You don't hear much about them, but if you are looking 4 deep, I think they are among, if not, the best in the league.
19. Donnie Avery: Well, the upside is that he is his team's #1 receiver. The downside is that his team is the Rams and that there are whispers about possible knee trouble. A nice second or third receiver for the potential of him building a nice relationship with Bradford, but if there is no answer on the injuries, you may want to hold off a couple rounds.
20. Hines Ward: If you don't know who Hines Ward is and what he does by now, you should go back to watching Soccer. Mr. Consistency. He doesn't hit a lot of home runs, but puts up solid stats every single year. He needs Wallace to step up like they think he will to keep the safeties deep and off of him, but Hines is always a safe pick.
21. Greg Jennings: The #2 to Donald Driver's #1 in Green Bay. He is fast and has good hands. With Rodger's slinging it around, another 1200 yard season is very possible.
22. Mike Sims-Walker: A big receiver with home run potential. He fought off some nagging injuries last year to put together a suprising season. This is an offense that should come into it's own this year and Sims-Walker is the front runner to be the lead receiver on the Jacksonville squad. Don't be surprised if he and Mike Thomas both flirt with 1000 yards this year.
23. Dwayne Bowe: The Cheifs need Dwayne Bowe to recover from last year and play to his talent level. He has the size and speed to be a premier outside receiver, and the Chiefs need him to do just that if they are going to take any kind of a step forward. The rumblings out of camp have been good regarding his conditioning and effort. If that proves to be true, look for year resembling his sophomore campaign.
24. Calvin Johnson; This is possibly the most talented WR in the NFL. He is big and fast with great hands and an even better work ethic. The problem is, the Lions are terrible. If they can put together a rushing attack or find a second receiver, he has a chance for a big year.
25. Percy Harvin: Percy is scary. He can run, he can catch, and he can make you look stupid in the open field. There are concerns about him missing time with his Migraines though, and in a game where you take regular blows to the head, that has to be a concern. He could be a top 15, especially with Rice going down, but he has to be on the field todo that.
26. Santana Moss: Santana has been quietly steady in producing while the Redskins floundered. He has been their only threat at receiver for several years, and noone could stop him from having solid years. He is just the kind of Wide Receiver that Donovan McNabb has made a career out of throwing to. He is little and fast, and makes plays. Look for Donovan to make him a hero in DC this year.
27. Mike Wallace: This guy can flat out run, and surprised with his hands and route running to the point where the Steeler's were comfortable letting Santonio Holmes go. Don't forget, a few years back, Holmes was a Super Bowl hero. Big shoes, but Wallace is going to get some great opportunities. I think the talent is there, but not having Big Ben is going to hurt his stats a bit.
28. T.J. Houshmandzadeh: To hear people talk, you would think that TJ laid an egg in Seattle last year. That is quite a jaunt away from the truth of the matter. True, he didn't make it to 1000 yards, and he only caught 3 TD's. He had more yards and a better average than he did his last year in Cincy. TJ is what he has always been. He is a nice big posession receiver. If you are in a PPC league, he is a solid 2 or 3.
29. Steve Breaston: A smaller receiver who has made a short career out of being a premier slot recevier. He is locked in a fight with Early Doucet to see who is going to be the #2 in Arizona. I am expecting 80 or more catches this year with him getting more targets than he has in past years with Boldin's move east.
30. Austin Collie: In most offenses, Collie would be in trouble regarding playing time. After all, Wayne and Gonzalez are back and healthy, surely he is going to lose touches. That may prove to be the case, but after the rookie year he had, I can't help but think that he is going to be in the running for #2, and will definitely be in the rotation for the Colts. This is a bit of a gamble, but the boy can play.
TE
1. Dallas Clark: If you toss his stats in the overall receiving ratings for last year, he is #7 overall. That means he is productive enough to go to the Pro Bowl as a Wide Receiver. Marinade on that for a bit.
2. Vernon Davis: A freak of an athlete who was approaching bust status before last year. Iron Mike challenged his manhood and you know what? Now he is a team captain. He's not quite to Dallas Clark status, but that's mostly a question of consistency. He is in an improving offense, and should have another big yet.
3. Antonio Gates: Gates is the top receiver on the Chargers, and has been for several years. A simple enough sentence, but when you think about how good Vincent Jackson has become, it really is saying something.
4. Brent Celek: He is the #1 TE for the Eagles. Anybody who starts at a receiving position in this offense is going to get a lot of targets. Celek is not an overwhelming athlete, but he is very productive. He may be a bit of a sleeper for you.
5. Tony Gonzalez: Best. Tight End. Ever.
6. Jason Witten: The only reason he is not top 5 is because there are so many talents on the Cowboys roster. He will have huge weeks, but will dissapear due to the matchups some weeks. After all, who do you think you are going to throw it to first, Miles Austin or Jason Witten?
7. Jermichael Finley: Rodgers and Finley were working pretty well together by the end of last year and the rumblings out of their camp is that they are looking to him for a big year. This offense is loaded, so there is no way they will able to focus on him, so if they really do increase his targets, you will be glad to have him.
8. Kellen Winslow: I am really high on Winslow as a player. Last year he was the only real receiving threat on a rebuilding Buc offense and even with the attention that brings and learning a new offense, he had a very nice statisticaly year. Expect a better one, but with somewhat dampened expectations because this offense still has a long way to go.
9. Visanthe Shiancoe: This guy is the Tight End version of Chris Carter. All he does it catch touchdowns. He is not a huge yardage guy, but Favre looks for him in the red zone and he is a load to tackle. There is no reason to expect him to be be less of a target this year.
10. Jermaine Gresham: Without his injury, Gresham might have gone in the top 10. Yes, he is that good. There was some questions pending his recovery from his injury, but he has shown no ill-effects and is already the best tight end on the Bengals team. With him being a rookie, he may start slow, statistically, but look for him to make some big noise as the season goes on. After all, with the outside receivers that they have, the middle should be wide open.
11. Rob Gronkowski: Unless you were a hard-core college football fan you didn't know who this guy is. After the showing he has given in the pre-season, everyone knows who he is now. This guy is a well-rounded tight end who can flat out get it done.
12. Heath Miller: Heath is still doing it. It will be interesting to see how the QB mess that Big Ben has caused is going to affect the stats of the other skill position players in pittsburgh.
13. Zach Miller: Zach is a nice player, especially in the passing game. He has a very solid year while catching balls from the worst quarterback in recent NFL history. Ok, ok, so maybe fatty McCodeine was only the worst starting quarterback in recent history, but still. It will be interesting to see how adding Jason Campbell to the mix affects Millers stats.
14. Greg Olsen: Olsen is a great talen as a pass catching tight end. Moving into a Mike Martz offense should help him tremendously. Look for him to be used more like Dallas Clark and Antonio Gates, moving out to short splits and forcing defenses to decide between a linebacker and a safety to cover him. There aren't a lot of either who will be able to if they really turn him loose.
15. Todd Heap: Todd is finally getting some help in Baltimore. The question is, how much is left in the tank?
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