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Deep Draft Thoughts by Fantasy Buddha

Yeah. I know.

There are still four rounds left in this year's NFL Draft.

It doesn't matter because I have few things to say right now.

We can evaluate the draft in it's entirety later. Besides, there are approximately the same amount of current players in the NFL who were undrafted as there are from Rounds 4-7 combined. So, ya know, who cares that much about what happens today?

Unless, of course, there's another Tom Brady just waiting to be unearthed.

Anyway, these are some observations I have over the first two days:

• The term "scheme diverse" will be put to the test after this draft. In the first round alone, guys like Ryan Kerrigan, Cameron Jordan and Phil Taylor all went to situations which seem to fly in the face of what each player is best suited for. Kerrigan seems, to me anyway, to be more of a 4-3 end and he got selected by Washington, which runs a 3-4 defense. And on the flipside, Jordan and Taylor both seemed perfect for 3-4 schemes and they both went to 4-3 teams.
• Reaches were the story of the first round. Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City all reached dramatically and, I fear, could pay dearly for their transgressions. Christian Ponder could set the Vikings organization back years if someone like Joe Webb can't bail them out. Meanwhile, Jonathan Baldwin's lackadaisical attitude and lazy play will mesh with head coach Todd Haley about as well as Sith get along with Jedi. And, while I like James Carpenter, the Seahawks could have waited and possibly still gotten him as late as the third round.
• Quarterbacks have been seriously overvalued so far this draft. Except for Ryan Mallett. And that's another story altogether. Bottom line, there is no true franchise QB in this draft. Cam Newton has "sky's the limit" potential but a very low floor too. Jake Locker did the whole senior season thing at U Dub, but is still no lock to be a productive NFL signal caller. Blaine Gabbert landed in an incredible situation in Jacksonville and should get a chance to learn the Jaguars system before being thrown into the fray. But he's not ready now. And you know how hopeless I think Ponder is. Beyond that, Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick each experienced inflated value because NFL decision makers apparently thought the sky was falling and felt they had to get their guy at QB posthaste. History has taught us that many more QBs miss than hit in the NFL Draft. This year will be no different.
• Minnesota and Kansas City were at least able to redeem themselves on Day 2 of the draft. The Vikings got first round value at a second round price in Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph while the Chiefs added useful players like Rodney Hudson, Allen Bailey and Justin Houston to offset the mistake of drafting Baldwin, the next Darrius Heyward-Bey, in the first.
• It may be time to start taking Detroit and Tampa Bay really seriously on defense. The Lions added Ndamukong Suh at defensive tackle in 2010 and he became arguably the best DT in the NFL by season's end. This year, Detroit was able to pair the nasty Nick Fairley with Suh for what could become a historically dominant defensive tackle duo. And, in Tampa, the Bucs followed up last season's drafting of solid young DTs Gerald McCoy and Brian Price by adding two talented defensive ends, Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers, and an underrated linebacker in Mason Foster.
• A few teams sent out big F-U's to current (soon to be former?) players. Carolina, by taking Cam Newton with Jimmy Clausen still on board. New Orleans, by drafting Mark Ingram with Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas still on the roster. Dallas, by drafting the talented yet injury prone DeMarco Murray with an aging Marion Barber still around. Green Bay, by selecting Randall Cobb with James Jones uncertain of his standing with the team. And lastly, Arizona. The Cardinals took explosive running back Ryan Williams from Virginia Tech to send a clear message to both Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower.
• The fantasy football fallout from the NFL Draft so far is still to be determined, but Ingram, Julio Jones and Daniel Thomas are all in positions to contribute immediately while Mikel LeShoure could render Jahvid Best nothing more than a Justin Forsett type back in Detroit and A.J. Green, despite his blue chip ability, will be limited by how fast his young QB develops. Also keep an eye on both of the young Boise State wide receivers (Titus Young in Detroit and Austin Pettis in St. Louis) and Lance Kendricks at tight end for the Rams.
• A few bold trade predictions if/when teams are allowed to start making moves again? Why certainly. Donovan McNabb gets dealt to Arizona straight up for Beanie Wells. Steve Smith gets shipped out to Boston by the Panthers to play out his final productive years with Tom Brady. Seattle realizes that Matt Hasselbeck is done as an NFL starter and Charlie Whitehurst isn't the answer and responds by going out and dealing for Carson Palmer, who happily reunites with Pete Carroll. Cincy also deals Chad Ochocinco away to the always happy to overpay Raiders and he changes his name back to Johnson. Finally, Poor Kevin Kolb goes nowhere.
  

Fantasy Football's Yellow Brick Road

Imagine, if you will, that Judy Garland played fantasy football. Now imagine that Judy had the foresight to draft Dwayne Bowe. Now imagine, once again, if Judy decided to sing about her adventures in fantasy football. It may go a little something like this:

(To the tune of Somewhere Over the Rainbow)
Somewhere over D-wayne Bowe
Way up high,
Started him every week
Except for his week 4 bye.

Somewhere over D-wayne Bowe
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
3 TD games do come true.

Somewhere over D-wayne Bowe
Opponents cry.
They had the chance to draft him.
Now they can only sigh.

Fantasy Football 2010: Defenses and Kickers

First off, my advice is to never...ever...get caught up in the inevitable...way too early...defensive runs that have occurred in every fantasy football draft in the history of mankind. Just don't do it. A defense, or three, will inevitably emerge from seemingly out of nowhere and handily outscore the preseason number one unit. In fact, no consensus preseason number one defense/special teams unit has even finished in the Top 10 for that season since the 2005 Chicago Bears. For this reason, I offer you my defensive suggestions, rather than rankings, for the 2010 season:

San Francisco 49ers - Great schedule. Best defensive player, not holding out, in the NFL. Defensive minded head coach. Great return guy in Ted Ginn Jr. I'd take them over anyone else.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Traditionally tough. Troy Polamalu is healthy again. Nice 3rd place schedule. Steelers looking for redemption after wetting the bed in 2009. Maybe they'll finally bring hell with 'em.

Baltimore Ravens - Regardless how bad their defensive backs are without Ed Reed, and they're pretty bad, the Ravens will always make plays. Sacks and turnovers = fantasy points.

Cincinnati Bengals - Nice corners in Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall. Improving defense versus run. Nice return guys. I don't think they'll be great, just better than expected.

New Orleans Saints - They were a top defense last season and I don't see any reason to think they'll fall off. Playmakers in the defensive backfield. Plus return game. Blitzing madman Gregg Williams calling the game.

Now, here is my sage advice on drafting kickers: If you draft one before the final round, then you're an idiot. Do not convince yourself that the edge you get from taking Garrett Hartley or Stephen Gostkowski justifies grabbing them a few rounds early. It doesn't. You might get your guy, but my guy will probably outscore him...and I just got a serviceable position player in the round you grabbed your "top ranked" kicker. Once again, these are merely suggestions, not rankings:

Sebastian Janikowski - He has as strong a leg as anyone in the NFL and a coach who isn't afraid to use it. New QB Jason Campbell specializes in getting teams in FG range. Top 5 kicker at season's end.

Graham Gano - Another Florida State alum. I liked Gano a lot coming out of college but, as with so many others in the past, it took some time for him to be ready for the NFL. Should get lots of chances.

Ryan Succop - Another guy with a big leg on a mediocre offensive team. Todd Haley is much more conservative than Tom Cable, but Succop should get a chance to develop into the next Mason Crosby.

Adam Vinatieri - Injury riddled and accuracy challenged the past two years, the potential Hall of Famer should rebound big this season. Lots of extra points and FG's inside of 40.

David Akers - Akers is almost never overdrafted, yet he almost always finishes among the top kickers. The Eagles, minus McNabb and Westbrook, may face an adjustment period and Akers would be the beneficiary.

Lastly, don't ever draft Jeff Reed. Ever. Would you want your fantasy football hopes and dreams hinging on this guy? My answer is a resounding "No!"

Fantasy Football 2010: Top 24 Tight Ends

1)Antonio Gates - Gates is the tight end equivalent of Andre Johnson. He's so steady he's boring to most fantasy owners. Guys are always looking for the "big thing" and often overlook the fact that there cannot be a next until the actual "big thing" is gone. Gates is it. Possessor of the one of the best stiff arms in the NFL, Gates has also done a perfect job of melding his football and basketball skills to become as good as any player who has ever lived at boxing out opposing DB's and pulling down the football the same way he pulled down rebounds for the Kent State basketball team in college. The absence of Vincent Jackson only helps Gates case for number one.

2)Dallas Clark - With all the weapons at Peyton Manning's disposal in Indy, you'd think the TE might get overlooked. Nope. Not only does Dallas Clark not get overlooked by the Colts' stellar QB, he gets featured. Especially in the red zone. No player in the NFL has had more targets inside the 20 yard line in the last 3 seasons. Clark had a huge breakout season in 2009 with 100 catches for 1106 yards and 10 TD's. I look for Pierre Garcon to continue blossoming and cut into Clark's production ever so slightly, but you can still expect 85/950/10 from big number 44.

3)Tony Gonzalez - I guess I'm just a sucker for old guys. In what was almost universally panned as an "off" year in 2009, Gonzalez put up 83 receptions for 867 yards and 6 touchdowns. Career numbers for a lot of NFL tight ends, but below average for the greatest tight end who has ever lived. Gonzo was called on to block more in Atlanta last season and wasn't allowed to run routes as often as he had been as the number one receiver in Kansas City. This season, with the emphasis on reducing RB Michael Turner's workload, you'll see more Gonzalez inside the red zone. More red zone looks will equal more TD's which will equal more fantasy football goodness for you.

4)Vernon Davis - Lots of you are probably disregarding me as some hack contrarian for ranking VD this low. Maybe you're right, but everything about Davis' 2009 season screams career spike to me. It was the perfect storm for Davis: Alex Smith rediscovered himself, the Niners running game was so strong that opposing teams played eight in the box against them, and Davis was forced into the lead receiver role because of Michael Crabtree's prolonged holdout. This year, you have to worry if Smith can continue to be as effective and how much Crabtree's presence from day 1 will adversely affect Davis' chances to shine. Expect a decrease.

5)Jason Witten - If the Cowboys ever threw the ball to Witten around the goal line he would be a Top 3 tight end. But they don't. Inexplicably, they just do not utilize their best offensive weapon when it matters the most. Maybe Jason Garrett's Ivy League education has made him too smart for his own good. Whatever the reason, Witten gets the short end of the TD stick and slides in the fantasy rankings as a result. He's still a PPR beast. We would just like to see him finish more often. Two touchdowns last season? Just not good enough.

6)Jermichael Finley - I like Finley. I really do. How can you not be fascinated by his incredible size and athleticism? He's a physical monster. Too big for defensive backs. Too fast for linebackers. But Finley has mucho competition for Aaron Rodgers' affection and until I actually see A-Rod show that preferential treatment to his tight end, I'll keep the hype machine in check. Besides, isn't number six still pretty good? Don't take his injury-riddled past for granted either.

7)Brent Celek - Celek emerged last season as a stud at the tight end position and a go-to guy in Philly on 3rd down and in the red zone. He was consistent and strong from start to finish. And that was with Donovan McNabb still at QB. Word out of the City of Brotherly Love is that Celek's BFF is new QB Kevin Kolb. That a kind of Romo/Witten relationship could develop with the Eagles should make fantasy owners drool. Celek's receptions and yards should both increase with a strong likelihood of double digit touchdowns.

8)Chris Cooley - The clown prince of the tight end position is back and he looks as good as he ever has. Cooley's ankle injury last season saved a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on his body competing for a team that was going nowhere. If you look at the numbers Cooley's been able to amass in his career, it's rather remarkable. Especially when you consider he's never played with a legitimate upper echelon NFL quarterback. Enter Donovan McNabb. 2010 has a chance to be Cooley's greatest season yet with the veteran McNabb. If you have to settle for Cooley around Round 10, don't hang your head over it.

9)Zach Miller (Oak) - Chris Cooley's success in Washington with Jason Campbell is the precise reason I am projecting the Raiders' talented tight end to finally break out of obscurity and push Antonio Gates and Dallas Clark for a Pro Bowl berth. Campbell has an affinity for his tight ends and Miller is much better than most people actually realize. He's been starter worthy in PPR leagues for two seasons and should move up to that level in standard leagues in '10. With no accomplished lead receiver in Oakland, Miller looks to be the man.

10)Kellen Winslow - I have never figured out why Cleveland decided to deal Kellen Winslow to the Buccaneers. They are a team still lacking a presence in their passing game and K2 displayed dominance while he was with them. I guess some guys just wear out their welcome. While the Browns are no longer in the "Soldier" business, Tampa Bay's young QB Josh Freeman is happy to be. The addition of rookies Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn should allow Winslow to work in more open space down the middle in 2010.

11)Owen Daniels - If Daniels were not coming back from knee surgery, he'd likely be a Top 5 guy at the position. But with the uncertainty of his health, I'm forced to drop him down a few notches. When Daniels gets back, be it Week 1 or whenever, he will produce for you. His presence provides Matt Schaub with a security blanket in the middle of the field on those rare occasions when Andre Johnson can't get open. If you gamble on Daniels, make sure you get a viable back-up.

12)Visanthe Shiancoe - Strange stat of the day: Only two receivers(Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss) have more touchdown receptions in the past two seasons than Shiancoe. Pretty surprising isn't it? Shiancoe is an old school tight end. A blocker between the 20's and a primary target in the red zone. He'll play that role for Brett Favre once again this year and maybe even have more TD opportunities with Sidney Rice down for at least eight weeks.


13)Todd Heap
14)Heath Miller
15)Jeremy Shockey
16)Greg Olsen
17)John Carlson
18)Jermaine Gresham
19)Tony Scheffler
20)Aaron Hernandez
21)Dustin Keller
22)Kevin Boss
23)Rob Gronkowski
24)Bo Scaife

Fantasy Football 2010: Top 48 Wide Receivers

1)Andre Johnson - The reigning and defending fantasy WR champion. Untouchable at the position over the past two seasons. The only other wide who can threaten AJ is my man at number two. And that's still a reach.

2)Roddy White - I'm very high on Roddy this season. The Falcons realize that they overworked Burner Turner and are looking to lighten the load on their star running back. Hence, the average NFL fan is in line to see how good Roddy White really is. Expect big-time yardage and a dozen scores a la Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison in their prime.

3)Reggie Wayne - Admittedly, this is more of a chalk ranking. Wayne's numbers and his rapport with Peyton Manning dictate that he be rated in this spot. My fear is that his wheels come off as quickly as Marvin Harrison's did. Probably won't happen in 2010, but look out in 2011. Just saying.

4)Randy Moss - Can Moss find his form with Tom Brady once more? If he can, now is the time to do it. The Freak is always a threat. I think. He has looked amazingly mortal many times over the past two years. He won't go for 23 TD's again, but sixteen is never out of the question for Moss.

5)Calvin Johnson - Megatron reminds me a whole lot of Andre Johnson. Huge wide receiver. Great speed. Incredible athletic gifts. Struggled with injuries a couple of seasons. Big Calvin is due for a healthy sixteen in 2010. With the development of his young star QB, he could finish as a top three WR.

6)Larry Fitzgerald - I feel guilty about having Fitz ranked this low, but his QB's suck. Plain and simple. One(Leinart) is fairly accurate but lacks the confidence to throw downfield and the other(Anderson) is a mad bomber who throws a football like Nuke Laloosh used to throw a baseball. Hot Tub Boy and Scatter Arm cannot and will not play to the level of QB that their predecessor, Kurt Warner, did and Fitzgerald's numbers will suffer. He may even fall out of the top 10.

7)Brandon Marshall - Marshall is happy to be in the wonderful state of Florida again after starring at Cenral Florida in college. He's also become fast friends with new QB Chad Henne. However, B-Marsh is suiting up for one of the more rush-heavy teams in all of the NFL. He should get more redzone opps, but I see the catch number coming down to about 85 this year.

8)Miles Austin - Austin is good. As a Redskins fan, this is very hard for me to admit. His game should not suffera bit with the addition of Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State. And we already know Roy Williams is no threat to his numbers. Austin will continue to dazzle with his ability to run after the catch for the Cowboys. Not a bad WR1 if you can get him in the mid- to late-second round.

9)DeSean Jackson - Jackson is a playmaker. He turns fairly routine looking plays into spectacular TD's for the Eagles. He is also a big factor in the punt return game. D-Jax could be the most electric player in the NFL and he has been Kevin Kolb's number one supporter as Philly transitions to the new QB. Think Torry Holt's numbers from 2000-2001. Smallish size keeps from being a regular redzone target.

10)Steve Smith (NYG) - I may be as high on the "new" Steve Smith as anyone around. Especially in PPR formats. Smith's numbers aren't going anywhere. He's Eli Manning's security blanket. If Dominique Wilkins was the "Human Highlight Reel", then Steve Smith is the "Human Third Down Conversion". He was amazingly steady in 2009 and all signs point to a continuation right where he left off.

11)Greg Jennings - This may be the last time I go out on a limb for Jennings. Last season okay, but greatness was expected. Another ho-hum year in 2010 will pigeonhole Jennings as an eternal WR2 incapable of getting over the hump to become an elite WR1. The Packers have tons of weapons, but none with more ability to make plays than Greg Jennings. It's time for him to show up week in and week out.

12)Anquan Boldin - For a guy who misses as many games as Quan Quan does, it's a bit strange to think he's also known as one of the toughest guys in the entire NFL. Sure, he came back a few weeks after getting a steel plate put in his skull in 2008, but he's forever missing games with pulled groins and hammys and sprained ankles and knees. My instinct tells me that the move to Baltimore will make Boldin at least try to play through some of the seemingly minor stuff more often than when he was in Zona. Being teammates with Ray Lewis could have that effect.

13)Wes Welker - I know. I'm an idiot. This is way too high for a wide who's coming off reconstructive knee surgery and who's being forced to play with a brace on that left knee. Right? I just have to disagree. Welker's a stocky guy who relies more on quickness and route running ability than straight ahead speed. Along with Tom Brady looking 100% again after his knee injury in '08, I think Welker still breaks 100 catches in 2010. But, if you take him, please handcuff Julian Edelman to him later in your draft.

14)Steve Smith (Car) - The "old" Steve Smith will be looking to become "the" Steve Smith again this season. If God's willing and the Panthers QB's don't fail, he may be able to get his title back. I'm just not ready to say with certainty that Matt Moore and/or Jimmy Clausen can do it for sure. So the Panthers' Steve Smith is rated second in my Steve Smith rankings. Potentially explosive WR2.

15)Marques Colston - If only New Orleans didn't have a seemingly infinite amount of talented receivers on their roster. We, as fantasy football players, might finally see the full extent of Colston's skill set. Alas, Marques is surrounded by gifted WR's and his coach, Sean Payton, revels in using them all. Colston's still the number one guy for Drew Brees, but sharing the load will always limit his upside.

16)Hakeem Nicks - Nicks is one of the many extremely talented 2nd year WR's out there and he has a chance to take his game to the next level this year. He has great, strong hands and a knack for getting loose downfield. As much as I questioned the Giants' pick of Nicks to attempt to replace Plaxico Burress, it appears that he could actually wind up being better than Burress.

17)Dwayne Bowe - Last year was an aberration. Bowe took a step back because he didn't get along with new coach Todd Haley and becasue he couldn't keep himself in check. He had weight issues and got suspended for some sort of drug policy violation. Bowe will be back and should be the best we've seen yet in 2010. Matt Cassel should be more comfy in KC's offense and D-Bowe should be rewarded. Draft him as a low-end WR2 if there's a run or a WR3 if you can.

18)Michael Crabtree - It's time for Crabtree to be the player he views himself as and to become the player we all envisioned him as when he was at Texas Tech. He improving his route running as 2009 chugged along and should be even better after having an entire training camp under his belt. Vernon Davis' breakout will mean safeties will be occupied down the middle of the field and Crabtree should get some deep opportunities on the outside in addition to running his specialty out routes and underneath stuff. I have high expectations for the kid.

19)Percy Harvin - Sidney Rice's injury + Brett Favre's return + The discovery of the cause of his migraines = Harvin as a solid WR2. Harvin's game-changing skills are obvious. All you to do is watch him for a few plays. He even does a good job blocking downfield. Now, with Rice's hip injury, Percy gets a chance to be the man in the Minnesota passing game until at least Week 8. Medium risk, high reward.

20)Hines Ward - Few things on Earth are as steady as Hines Ward. Even without Big Ben Rapistberger for the first four weeks of the season Ward should still be an effective fantasy receiver. If this were just an NFL ranking, Hines would be much farther up this list. Still, #21 isn't that bad. Book him for another 80 catches and 950+ yards.

21)Chad Ochocinco - Oh my, Robin, you may have a problem on your hands. I'm not so much worried about everyone getting along with the presence of Batman, ahem T.O., as much as I am the effect that he'll have on your fantasy numbers. I've got you ranked here but, I have to say, I will not get on board this year. You won't be my Ultimate Catch, Chad.

22)Pierre Garcon - Garcon can play. Forget that he got his chance to shine because Anthony Gonzalez is a typical talented former Buckeye with zero heart. Firget the threat of Austin Collie. Collie can't get loose outside like Garcon and certainly is not the heir apparent to Reggie Wayne. Garcon is. Expect over 1000 yards this season.

23)Terrell Owens - He's back! Somehow good ol' Terrell landed in a great spot for himself. Cincy has another star wideout, a solid running game, and a pretty decent QB who, if his elbow is healthy, should esily return to his old 4000 yard level. All this adds up to one more big year for Owens. 1000 yards and 10 TD's would not surprise me at all. Neither would another meltdown.

24)T.J. Houshmandzadeh - Who's your Momma? I bet you thought those jokes had died after that pathetic display T.J. put on in 2009, didn't you? Never count me out. I'm always willing to be "That Guy". The jackass in me just won't die. Anyway, I like Housh to bounce back and play well as a complement to Anquan in Baltimore.

25)Santonio Holmes
26)Mike Sims-Walker
27)Mike Wallace
28)Santana Moss
29)Johnny Knox
30)Derrick Mason
31)Jeremy Maclin
32)Robert Meachem
33)Donald Driver
34)Mike Williams (Sea)
35)Steve Breaston
36)Austin Collie
37)Mike Williams (TB)
38)Malcolm Floyd
39)Dez Bryant
40)Steve Johnson
41)Roy Williams
42)Legedu Naanee
43)Lee Evans
44)Braylon Edwards
45)James Jones
46)Eddie Royal
47)Sidney Rice
48)Dexter McCluster

Fantasy Football 2010: Top 36 Running Backs

1)Adrian Peterson - All hail Purple Jesus! Or The Diesel(with all due respect to John Riggins). Or All Day. It doesn't matter what you call him, just make sure you call his name on draft day if you have the chance. In what was considered a "down" year, Peterson still managed to put up over 1800 total yards and 18 toucdowns in 2009. He even added a career-best 43 receptions for those enlightened PPR players out there. Adrian has been the most consistent backfield force in fantasy football since the very first day he stepped onto an NFL gridiron and he has yet to have a true breakout season. It's coming. Trust me. And even if it doesn't arrive in his "age 25" season the production you'll get will keep you in contention.

2)Chris Johnson - The Titans' speed demon did, in fact, have his breakout season in 2009. His 2509 total yards and 16 TD's read almost as cartoonish. Johnson was flat-out unstoppable last year. No question. Unfortunately, no running back in fantasy history has ever followed a season like CJ28's with an improvement. Ever. So, assuming at least a small drop-off in 2010, you have to be wary of taking Johnson at #1 overall or dropping too much coin on him in your auction. I still believe he'll have his crazy-go-nuts moments this year, they just won't come like clockwork each and every Sunday.

3)Maurice Jones-Drew - Mojo is one bad mofo. He is money in the bank in any format and a bonus bonanza in PPR. And he loves fantasy football. Drew keeps churning out double digit TD totals year after year and you shouldn't expect that to stop anytime soon. Remember, this is only his "age 25" season too. Seems like he's been around longer than that doesn't it?

4)Ray Rice - Ray Rice is like Mojo Lite. He is a little fireplug the same as Drew who is also extremely adept at catching the ball out of the backfield and has a QB who is responsible with the ball and doesn't mind throwing the checkdown pass. I expect Rice to get to ten TD's this season to go with all the total yardage and PPR goodness.

5)Frank Gore - Most people think this is the year of a "Big 4", but I beg to differ. Gore is in a position to be every single bit as good as any of the previous backs, with the possibility of cracking the top three. San Fran should be vastly improved overall and they went out and got some pretty nasty big boys to add to their offensive front in this year's NFL Draft. With everyone predicting the 49ers to be better in 2010, there is absolutely no reason think Frank Gore will not improve too.

6)Steven Jackson - Love him or hate him, you simply have to respect Steven Jackson. S-Jax is the only true one-man wrecking crew in the entire NFL. And he still manages to put up numbers. Big #39 is amazing in his athleticism and toughness. Sure, he misses games from time to time, but the beating he takes is brutal. Jackson's getting up there in age now, so the injuries could be exacerbated. Of course, injuries can happen to anyone. Jackson should universally still be a fantasy first-rounder.

7)Michael Turner - Turner is like a modern-day Jamal Lewis. A hard inside runner who puts up big yardage and gets it down on the goal line. Also like Lewis, Turner isn't much of a PPR commodity. That lack of versatility keeps Turner off the field on passing downs and causes him to be slipping into the second round of most fantasy drafts this year. Don't let him fall that far in standard leagues, however. He can still drop a 15 touchdown bomb in 2010.

8)Rashard Mendenhall - Ahhh, Mister Mendenhall. Approximately three out of every four people who are reading this right now are disagreeing vehemently right now and laughing a laugh of superiority over me. Well, to you I say, "Just wait and see." Rashard gained the respect of a his hard-nosed coach last season while becoming the running back version of Miles Austin. Mendenhall also gained an experienced, run blocking right tackle in Flozell Adams and an extremely athletic young interior O-lineman in Maurkice Pouncey. The Steelers front has to be improved and, with Rapistberger out for at least the first month of the season, Mendenhall should be carrying the load in Pittsburgh.

9)LeSean McCoy - Looking for this year's Ray Rice? Look no further. This is a big leap of faith but no risk, no reward. Shady's ready to reward you. In a big way. He's an open field ace who's worked hard on his inside running in the offseason. I think McCoy's money in the bank for 1500 total yards, 60 receptions and 8 TD's. And I think these numbers might be conservative. McCoy will be a 5th round steal in your draft. Be the thief.

10)Pierre Thomas - Buh bye Mike Bell. Hasta la vista Lynell Hamilton. Hello Pierre. Of all fantasy RB's last season, Pierre Thomas did the most with the least amount of touches. With Bell and Hamilton now out of his way, look to see at least a five touch per game increase for Thomas and the expected bump in TD's as a direct result. Reggie Bush will stay be there to interfere a little, as will newly signed Ladell Betts, but the Saints' running game will hinge on Thomas. And you can easily get him as an RB2 in your leagues.

11)Jahvid Best - If his headaches are gone, I can see Jahvid being the best fantasy rookie. Pun fully intended. He's the most explosive offensive weapon the Lions have had since Barry Sanders. That is saying a lot. Do yourself a favor and steal this kid in the late 3rd or 4th round. He'll make you happy.

12)Ryan Grant - Grant is the opposite of sexy. He's a hard 6 out of 10. Nothing exotic about him. Very dependable, Grant will work hard for you, to make you happy. But you won't appreciate him. You'll downright take him for granted. No pun intended. Seriously. When the season's a wrap you look at Grant's numbers and wonder how he got there. And next season you'll miss him when he's gone. Solid low-end RB1 value if you want to go WR/QB or WR/WR early.

13)Shonn Greene - See Michael Turner. Basically. Except Greene hasn't proven he can do it over the grind of a full season yet and he is going to lose touches to former fantasy stalwart LaDainian Tomlinson. My gut tells me that Greene will get hurt at some point in 2010, therefore I will likely not own him in any leagues.
14)Jonathan Stewart - Outplayed D-Will last season and I see him doing it again.

15)Ryan Mathews - Everybody else's "best rookie on the board" struggled with injuries at Fresno State. Beware.

16)Cedric Benson - Ced finally realized his potential last year with the breakout Bengals. No reason to doubt him in 2010.

17)DeAngelo Williams - Williams will get his in spite of J-Stew. Solid RB2 value.

18)Arian Foster - No competition from Ben Tate(injury) or Steve Slaton(fumblitis) means Foster is set to take over. Great sleeper candidate for 10 TD's.

19)Joseph Addai - Colts' offensive line is a shell of its' former self and Addai takes a hit for it. At best, he's here. At worst, he's displaced a la Willie Parker in 2009.

20)Ronnie Brown - Enjoy Ronnie while you can. He will go down with an injury at some point. But he'll be great while he lasts.

21)Jamaal Charles - His fruitcake head coach is the only thing holding him back. He was a poor man's CJ28 over the second half last year, yet they bring in an old man "in front" of him.

22)Knowshon Moreno - I'm not completely sold on Knowshon, but I'll take his upside here. He's got all the tools in his toolbox.

23)Michael Bush - With Justin Fargas finally gone and Darren McFadden as fragile as a Faberge egg, I'm predicting Bush to be this year's Cedric Benson.

24)Beanie Wells - Coach Whiz wants to run the ball. Beanie can do that. And with Alan Faneca added, he should do it well. Uh-huh, another pun.

25)Matt Forte
26)Ahmad Bradshaw
27)Ricky Williams
28)Clinton Portis
29)Cadillac Williams
30)C.J. Spiller
31)Jerome Harrison
32)Felix Jones
33)Marion Barber
34)Tim Hightower
35)Reggie Bush
36)Brandon Jacobs