BHu's Fantasy Football Primer Pt. 4: Tight Ends

With the emergence of the TE in many offences around the league, TE has become a much deeper position than in previous seasons. Considering there are about 12 legitimate starting TE options and another 7 or 8 fringe starters, there is really no need to draft a TE too early, with the exception being Antonio Gates in the 4th or 5th round (at the earliest!). After Gates is off the board there really isn't a heck of a lot of difference between options 2 and 12. It all depends on how you like their situation going into the season.

Throughout my drafting experiences this year, I've drafted my QBs, RBs (usually about 5), and my WRs (about 4) before picking a TE and have been choosing between guys like LJ Smith, Randy McMichael and Jason Witten. When you consider that I could draft a running back like Brandon Jackson when guys like Alge Crumpler are going off the board or else waiting for later and taking Witten when backs like Chris Brown and TJ Duckett are the most inspiring options, passing on Crumpler for Witten makes a lot of sense.

Tier 1

1.) Antonio Gates - Posts WR2 numbers from the TE position. Clearly the cream of the crop.

Tier 2

2.) Alge Crumpler - I like Crumpler's physical tools alot, even without Vick. Might drop him a bit, though, with the offseason surgery.

3.) Todd Heap - Very consistent TE option. If he only had a QB.....

4.) Tony Gonzalez - Age and a depleted O-Line (ie. more blocking in the running game) will lower Gonzalez's effectiveness.

5.) Chris Cooley - Great young player that really found some chemistry with Jason Campbell at the end of last year.

6.) Jeremy Shockey - Probably the second best receiver on a team with a strong armed QB.

Tier 3

7.) LJ Smith - Great option in PPR leagues....has great chemistry with McNabb.

8.) Vernon Davis - If he develops quickly, should provide Tier 2 value.

9.) Ben Watson - A favorite target of Tom Brady. May see less balls with the addition of Moss, Stallworth, et. al.

10.) Randy McMichael - Boom or bust. In a great offense but can he put last year's disappointing season behind him?

11.) Jason Witten - Was underutilized under Parcells. May see his role increase with the coaching changes.

12.) Kellen Winslow - Tremendous talent, but injury concerns abound. No need to take a gamble on him early with so many solid options later.

Tier 4

13.) Dallas Clark - Starting TE in Colts offence. Somewhat enigmatic in the regular season.

14.) Heath Miller - Highly regarded out of college, Miller has been unable to find a niche as a pass catcher in the Steelers conservative offence.

15.) Desmond Clark - Would benefit from a more consistent QB. Has first round pick Greg Olsen challenging for playing time.
16.) Tony Scheffler - Finished last year strong but the Broncos signed Daniel Graham in free agency. Also recovering from off season surgery.
17.) Owen Daniels - Posted most of his gaudy numbers in only a couple games. Is he legit or a fluke?

18.) Eric Johnson - Overrated in real football but could have moderate value in fantasy. 19.) Jeramy Stevens - If off field issues are behind him, could be a threat in T-Bay. Also, Stevens is a yearly injury concern.

20.) Marcedes Lewis - Highly touted rookie failed to show anything last year. Could adjust to the pro game this year.

21.) Bo Scaife - Was Young's teammate in college. Somebody needs to catch passes in Tennessee.

Tier 5

22.) Greg Olsen - I don't like taking rookie TEs. Especially ones that most experts considered overrated coming out of college.

23.) David Martin - The feature TE in Miami and they say the intend to feature him a lot. We'll see.

24.) Leonard Pope - A high draft pick, Pope has the skills but is still very raw.
25.) Visanthe Shiancoe - Minnesota paid this guy an assload of money, even though he was a back-up last year. I assume that means they intend to get him a bunch of touches.
26.) Daniel Graham - More of a blocking TE than a pass catcher. Still, he plays in a decent offense.

27.) George Wrighster - Appears set to overtake the starting TE position from Lewis in Jacksonville.
28.) Donald Lee - Brett Favre's TE. Question: Did Bubba Franks suck or did Favre just not like throwing to TEs? I don't know.

29.) Chris Baker - Jets TE. Not great, not going to kill you.

30.) Alex Smith - Could be the starter in T-Bay and has great potential if they use him.

31.) Courtney Anderson - Has the tools but might not have Oakland's coaches confidence.

32.) Dan Campbell - Likely Detroit Lions TE.

33.) Casey Fitzsimmons - Possible Detroit Lions TE. Perhaps more skilled in the passing game than Campbell.
34.) Zach Miller - 2nd TE taken in the draft, could see lots of time in Oakland. Rookie TE in Oakland. Yuck.
35.) Marcus Pollard - Never draft Marcus Pollard. Don't say I didn't warn you.....
36.) Ben Utecht - Back-up Colts TE. Colts offence = possible value!

There you go. I'm not going to rank defences and kickers. I don't believe in drafting kickers period and defences can effectively be plucked from waiver wires to play week to week match-ups in many leagues. My strategy is to not draft a kicker and instead take a flyer on a high ceiling player that could start with a nice camp (Jerry Porter, Chris Henry (Titans), etc.) and then pick up a waiver wire kicker before Week 1.

Next up will be my sleepers and busts.

BHu's Fantasy Football Primer Pt. 3: Wide Outs

We here at Visions of Joe Thornton have one piece of wisdom to impart on the masses: don't get too wrapped up in bold and trendy predictions from the so called experts. Magazines and websites usually go out of their way to make these bold predictions so that the next year they can gloat about how they were "correct about Maurice Jones-Drew." What they fail to tell you is that a couple years ago they were dead wrong about J.J. Arrington. Or they were wrong about Roddy White last year. And so on and so on.

So when we set up the rankings here, we take a much more conservative approach. Remember, every player that starts getting pegged as a trendy sleeper quickly becomes overrated and almost ALWAYS gets drafted to early. Don't be that guy. A true sleeper is a guy that is not getting any attention as a "sleeper" and thus will likely fly way under the radar. Same goes for players labelled as potential busts. Sure, there is some concern in drafting Larry Johnson, but are you really going to take Frank Gore ahead of him? Last year people started getting way too overcritical of LaDanian Tomlinson and the guy slipped to the 2nd-4th picks of a lot of drafts.

But I'll save my true sleepers column for another day. Today we're going to look at perhaps the hardest position to rank: WR. There is so much variance in WR from year to year that it's really hard to say with any certainty who's the top WR to target. Or even the top 10. But I'm going to try. The key to these rankings is the tiers....within a tier I don't think there is much difference between the top guy and the bottom guy...it's essentially a crapshoot.

Tier 1

1.) Steve Smith - When healthy this guy is unstoppable. A bit of a risk but also has the 2nd highest upside of any receiver this year.
2.) Marvin Harrison - The opposite of Smith. Probably the safest bet at the position. You know what you're getting with him, with perhaps a small decline.
3.) Chad Johnson - Frustrating to own last year (weeks of no production followed by a few massive weeks). I think Johnson becomes a bit more consistent game to game this year.
4.) Terrell Owens - Although he's a risky pick, Owens' upside makes him worth the gamble here.
5.) Reggie Wayne - Another very safe pick at receiver. Perhaps the least upside of this group but you know what you're getting, which is always a good thing in fantasy.
6.) Larry Fitzgerald - I had to talk myself out of NOT putting Fitzgerald at one. He has the most talent and upside but lacks the system and QB for this year.
7.) Roy Williams - The addition of Calvin Johnson helps, not hinders, Roy Williams this year. Johnson will draw some multiple coverages opening up more field for Williams.
8.) Torry Holt - My top receiver last year, Holt drops a bit after it looked like age took a bite out of his production.

Tier 2

9.) T.J. Houshmandzadeh - The Housh is a pretty consistent option but lacks the serious upside of the above guys with Chad Johnson ahead of him on the roster.
10.) Anquan Boldin - Only thing wrong with Boldin last year was the lack of TD's, which is a high variance statistic for WR. Strong yardage totals is more an indicator of his talent.
11.) Lee Evans - J.P. Losman started resembling an NFL QB last year and Evans exploded. Long regarded as one of the most talented young receivers in the league, Evans looks to have found his groove.
12.) Donald Driver - Brett Favre is going to air the ball out alot. Driver is not penalized by the INTs and stands to rack up lots of yardage.
13.) Andre Johnson - Would possibly be higher if I had more confidence in Matt Schaub as a starting QB.
14.) Javon Walker - He looks to have recovered well from knee problems and should be a fine option this year.
15.) Randy Moss - Trendy pick this year but there is no reason to believe he'll approach the numbers he did with the Vikings. He'll be better than last year though, for sure.
16.) Marques Colston - I'm just not very high on Colston. That being said, anybody posting those kinds of numbers as a rookie has to be put into the second tier. Will likely get drafted ahead of many better receivers.

Tier 3

17.) Deion Branch - I love Branch this year...especially considering where he's going in fantasy drafts. The top receiver in a pass happy offense with a good QB and great co-ordinator.
18.) Plaxico Burress - Good downfield threat playing with a strong armed QB.
19.) Darrell Jackson - Solid possession type receiver but moving to a less receiver friendly team. Has been getting drafted way too early IMO.
20.) Laveraneus Coles - Weak armed QB really deflates value of this talented receiver.
21.) Santana Moss - Look for a bounce back now that Brunell isn't underthrowing him all the time.
22.) Reggie Brown - The Eagles play in a pass friendly system and Brown is the most talented receiver.
23.) Calvin Johnson - Possesses Tier 1 upside but I don't think we'll see it this year. Great player to take a flyer on if the price is right.
24.) Hines Ward - Continues to decline but is still a durable and reliable receiving option.
25.) Mark Clayton - Underrated receiver that would really benefit if he ever got the opportunity to play with a QB that didn't completely suck.
26.) Braylon Edwards - Cleveland should have a better offense this year and Edwards should post decent numbers. Have him as a fringe tier 3/4 player and am giving him the benefit of the doubt putting him here.

Tier 4

27.) Terry Glenn - Just keeps producing...long after you thought he was completely done. One of the least sexiest (yet solid) picks you could make at WR this year.
28.) Donte Stallworth - Excellent talent and high ceiling but he can't seem to stay healthy.
29.) Chris Chambers - Possesses the talent to be in a higher tier but isn't playing on a great offense for wide receivers.
30.) Jericho Cotchery - A solid option as a WR2/3 on your team.
31.) Jerry Porter - Ridiculous upside but also risky. Makes a great end of the draft gamble.
32.) Bernard Berrian - Seems to be a relatively talented receiver but is hampered by Rex Grossman's level of suckitude.
33.) Vincent Jackson - One of those trendy sleepers probably being overvalued. Top receiver in San Diego and should be good for at least 800 yards and 5-7 TDs.
34.) Greg Jennings - Packers WRs are fantasy gold as long as Brett Favre is still around slinging the ball long, far and recklessly.
35.) Joey Galloway - Frustrating to own....big week one week then zero catches the next. Age is also becoming a big issue.
36.) Isaac Bruce - Aging Rams vet posted a solid year last year and looks to hold onto the number 2 job again this year.
37.) Mushin Muhammed - Had a solid season last year. Still has enough talent to be extremely valuable if Rex Grossman stops sucking.
38.) Santonio Holmes - Solid rookie season yardage wise and will likely take on a much bigger role. Could be poised for a breakout.

Tier 5

38.) D.J. Hackett - Hackett is expected to slide into the number two receiver spot in the pass happy Seattle offense.
39.) Joe Horn - The most reliable receiver on the Falcons this year.
40.) Drew Bennett - Will likely start the year as the third receiver in St. Louis but should see enough snaps to be a quasi-number two receiver in a great passing offense.
41.) Ronald Curry - Gifted receiver that would be higher if he had a reliable QB.
42.) Kevin Curtis - Should see a lot more playing time in Philly this year as the number two guy.
43.) Eddie Kennison - A very poor man's version of Marvin Harrisson....you basically now Kennison is good for about 800 yds receiving and 4-5 TDs.
44.) Brandon Marshall - A high upside pick that would be a bit higher if there weren't so many question marks.
45.) Brandon Jones - I hate endorsing a receiver with "someone in Tennessee has to catch passes from Vince Young" but, well, someone does, right?
46.) Derrick Mason - Never an explosive receiver, age is catching up to Mason quickly. Still the first guy McNair looks for, though.
47.) Mike Furrey - Value took a big hit with the acquisition of Calvin Johnson. Could still have reasonable value, though.

Tier 6

48.) Dwayne Bowe - Should win a starting job in KC and have a serviceable rookie season.
49.) Matt Jones - Probably the best receiving option in a lackluster Jags passing game.
50.) Marty Booker - A limited upside receiver that shouldn't have a problem getting about 700 yards and a few scores.
51.) Robert Meachem - A bit of an injury risk but likely slots in as the number two receiver in New Orleans if healthy.
52.) Anthony Gonzalez - Likely the third receiver for the Colts, which never hurts a rookie's value.
53.) Devery Henderson - If he wins a starting job in training camp he should likely be moved up a tier.
54.) Reggie Williams - Enigmatic former first rounder that is, sadly, option 1B in the Jags passing offence.
55.) Bobby Wade - Likely the Vikes number one receiver. Man it sucks to be a Vikes fan.
56.) Troy Williamson - Speedy receiver could improve in this, his third season (usually the year most young receivers take a big step forward).
57.) Ashley Lelie - Was once a promising young receiver that somehow developed an attitude problem. Could potentially turn it around.
58.) Sinorice Moss - If he forces Toomer to the bench he could have a breakout season.
59.) Dwayne Jarrett - The favorite to win the number two job in Carolina.
60.) Chris Henry - Will be suspended for the first half of the season but would be a decent pick-up or roster stash away for the fantasy playoffs.
61.) Rod Smith - Most likely done at this point in his career, could still pull down a few TDs as a reliable handed red zone target.
62.) Joe Jurevicius - The complement to Braylon Edwards in Cleveland.
63.) Michael Jenkins - Might have some value for the Falcons...maybe.
64.) Bryant Johnson - Gifted third receiver in Arizona.
65.) Eric Parker - Likely number two receiver in San Diego.
66.) Sidney Rice - Appears to be challenging Williamson for the number two job in Minnesota.
67.) Amani Toomer - Done. But the Giants keep trotting him out there.
68.) Craig Davis - Raw yet gifted athlete that could steal playing time for the Chargers.
69.) Nate Burleson - Gifted receiver that might get another shot in Seattle this year.
70.) Wes Welker - Versatile receiver that will likely return kicks and punts (if your league awards that sort of thing.)
71.) Antwan Randle El - Overrated as a fantasy player but one would think he's getting paid too much money not to be given a rather fair shake.
72.) Keenan McCardell - Just signed with the Texans and will likely be the number two receiver if things work out.
73.) Ernest Wilford - Could sneak into the Jacksonville starting WR equation.
74.) Patrick Crayton - Third receiver in an underrated offence. Could see more time if Terry Glenn succumbs to age or Terrell Owens goes all Terrell Owens this year.
75.) Michael Clayton - Showed a lot of talent in his rookie season so its just a matter of whether he can fall in favor of the coaching staff and/or whomever becomes Tampa's starting QB.

The rest (in no particular order)

Arnaz Battle (SF)
Terrance Copper (NO)
Kevin Walter (HOU)
Nate Washington (PIT)
Roddy White (ATL)
Drew Carter (CAR)
Hank Baskett (PHI)
Demetrius Williams (BAL)
Ted Ginn (MIA)
Maurice Stovall (TB)
Peerless Price (BUF)
Reche Caldwell (NE)
Sammie Parker (KC)
Brandon Lloyd (WAS)
Travis Taylor (OAK)
Jacoby Jones (HOU)
Dennis Northcutt (JAX)

When do you draft a wide receiver? Not in the first two rounds, I'll tell you that. There is FAR too much depth and the top of the WR pool to reach for a WR in the 2nd round. Grab your two RBs first and then consider a WR in rounds 3, 4, and/or 5. You need to grab a back-up running back or two in there and if the right QB is sitting around you could consider one in one of those rounds, too. In almost every draft some very serviceable WRs will slip and can be picked up. They might not have the lustre of a Reggie Wayne or Anquan Boldin, but guys like Deion Branch, Santana Moss, Terry Glenn and Mark Clayton can all be starting WRs on a championship team.

BHu's Fantasy Football Primer Pt. 2: The Running Backs

Running back is the most important position in fantasy football. I almost ALWAYS draft the best back on my board in rounds 1 and 2. You can never have too many running backs as they get all kinds of touches, put up points consistently and can be relied upon to carry your team. The most important reason for depth, though, is because running backs tend to get injured. Your average NFL running back has a career of something like 3 years. It makes sense considering they run full speed into a scrum of 10-15 300 pound behemoths in which half of those guys are trying to forcibly separate the running back's head from his body.

The rankings below are based not only on skill, but a running back's system (good offense or poor offense), opportunity (are they a featured back or splitting carries) and health. Health's a big factor and it's the difference between Brian Westbrook being the third or fourth ranked running back and being the ninth running back. Another piece of helpful advice is to try and pick-up your star running backs' back-ups. That way you have another starting running back in Michael Turner after LaDanian Tomlinson blows out his knee in week 2.

(A couple notes on the tiers: Tier 6 is mainly back-up running backs that should still get you some fantasy points if the starter on their team is healthy while the Tier 7 running backs shouldn't get much playing time unless there is an injury.)

Tier 1

1.) LaDanian Tomlinson - Ummm....not much to say here. Won't need to worry about him on your team unless you have the first pick.

2.) Steven Jackson - Ahead of Johnson because there are far fewer question marks.

3.) Larry Johnson - Should be okay for, although there are some concerns.

Tier 2

4.) Shaun Alexander - I'm not as concerned about his injury as others are.

5.) Joseph Addai - Barring a freak injury, Addai is bulletproof in that offense.

6.) Frank Gore - Hugely talented though I think last year was his peak. Also, injuries are a concern.

7.) Rudi Johnson - A very safe pick in terms of a durable, featured back in a great offense.

8.) Willie Parker - Fast Willie is a solid back that should be a pretty safe bet going forward.

9.) Brian Westbrook - In terms of talent, Westbrook should be higher than this, but injuries are ALWAYS a concern with this guy.

Tier 3

10.) Ronnie Brown - Has elite running back talent, but lacks the O-Line and offense to take that next step.

11.) Reggie Bush - Will continue to see his role expanded and this might be too low to rank him, though the presence of Deuce McAllister deflates his value somewhat.
12.) Laurence Maroney - A solid back that played through pain last year and should be a very solid option.

13.) Clinton Portis - If Clinton Portis was reliable, he'd probably be a top 5 back. Instead, I can't see myself drafting him before anyone above him on this list.

14.) Travis Henry - Henry is playing in the right system...unfortunately Mike Shanahan has a way of ruining a running back's fantasy value.

15.) Brandon Jacobs - I think he's perhaps the most underrated running back this year. He's the featured back in a serviceable offense and has tremendous upside.
16.) Maurice Jones-Drew - Jones-Drew would've been a top 10 back if the Jaguars hadn't resigned Fred Taylor. Still could perform like a top 10 back down the stretch when Taylor is inevitably injured.

17.) Cedric Benson - The Bears have a great defense and shaky quarterback which means they should be pounding the ball on the ground all year. If so, Benson stands to be a big factor.

18.) Thomas Jones - I keep giving this guy no respect and he keeps producing. Will get the bulk of the touches in a mediocre Jets offense.

19.) Willis McGahee - I don't think McGahee is that great. But he's going to get a bunch of touches and will have value...just don't expect him to move up a tier with the move to Baltimore.

20.) Marshawn Lynch - Lynch might fall down the rankings if Buffalo does in fact move to a running back by committee approach this year. Pay attention during training camp to see what's going on.

Tier 4

21.) Cadillac Williams - I didn't think Cadillac was THAT good in his rookie season, but he certainly isn't THAT bad as last season.

22.) Deuce McAllister - If Reggie Bush weren't lurking on his team, Deuce would probably be another 5 or 6 spots higher.

23.) Edgerrin James - Could still have a productive season if Arizona does in fact run more. Just don't expect the same numbers from a few years ago.

24.) DeAngelo Williams - Immensely talented back that may lose touches to DeShaun Foster if Foster is healthy and effective.

25.) Adrian Peterson (MIN) - Wasn't drafted to be Chester Taylor's back-up. Has a BIG ceiling but likely won't hit it this year. I'd take Peterson over Lynch in keeper leagues (unless I'm going for a championship run this year).

26.) Julius Jones - Is still more talented than Marion Barber, just loses a lot of value since he's not getting those TDs.

27.) Ahman Green - Not an exciting option but could be flying under the radar in most drafts and could post respectable numbers if healthy.

28.) Jerious Norwood - An intriguing option in that he could be huge if they make him the starter over Warrick Dunn.

29.) Jamal Lewis - Jamal Lewis looks just about done and will be playing behind a poorer O-Line. I still think Cleveland feeds him the ball, though, which gives him value.

30.) Chester Taylor - Minnesota is paying him too much money not to involve him in the offense. Besides, he's still a decent back.

Tier 5

31.) Brandon Jackson - He's ranked here assuming he gets the starting job in Green Bay.

32.) Fred Taylor - Will likely be starting for the Jaguars but will lose a bunch of carries to MoJo.

33.) Marion Barber III - Value was tied solely to TDs last year and he may see a drop in those this year.

34.) Tatum Bell - If Kevin Jones is healthy (I'm doubtful Jones lasts all year), Bell will likely be 2nd string. If Jones is out, Bell should probably be ranked somewhere in the mid 20's.

35.) LaMont Jordan - I think the talent is still here, the question is whether the O-Line is improved and whether the coaching staff wants Rhodes to be the starter when he comes off suspension.

36.) LenDale White - Tennessee's backfield is a crap shoot at this point by White looks to be the (uninspiring) favorite.

37.) Ladell Betts - A must own for Portis owners. I imagine we'll see Betts get his fair share of touches regardless of Portis' health.

38.) Warrick Dunn - The last time everyone wrote of Dunn as being..ummm...done, he had a good year. Mind you that was three years ago and Dunn is getting very old.

39.) DeShaun Foster - Health issues have dogged the talented Foster and now he's battling age and some talented young competition in DeAngelo Williams.

40.) Kevin Jones - Keep an eye on Jones recovery from his injury. If he plays, he'll be much more valuable than this...however, at this point its too risky to draft him much higher than here.

Tier 6

41.) Chris Brown - Another possible option in the Tennessee backfield. The most proven player that has talent but doesn't seem to have the coaching staff's favor.

42.) Dominc Rhodes - Hard to say whether Oakland intends to start him ahead of Jordan or not. Either way, he's not going to provide huge value.

43.) Chris Henry - The final option in Tennessee. Once the backfield situation there shakes out, two of the three will plummet down my rankings.

44.) Vernand Morency - Could be the starter in Green Bay if Jackson doesn't win the job in training camp.

45.) Mike Bell - A must have for Henry owners. Bell might still have lots of value if Shanahan treats his running backs like recent years.

46.) Michael Turner - Will be backing up LT2 so touches will be very limited. A MUST own for LT2 owners.

47.) Reuben Droughns - Brandon Jacobs owners may want to grab him as insurance. May get a decent amount of carries throughout the year.

48.) Leon Washington - Rumour is that the Jets still want to have Washington play a big role on the offence, which would give him some value in fantasy.

49.) Ron Dayne - Ahman Green is pretty fragile and Ron Dayne looks to be next in line for carries.

50.) Tony Hunt - Brian Westbrook will miss some games this year and Hunt might just get the start in those situations.

51.) Adrian Peterson (CHI) - The Bears have mentioned including Peterson a fair bit in their offence. Could play a bigger role if Benson struggles as a starter.

52.) Anthony Thomas - If Buffalo does in fact go with a running back by committee, Thomas looks to have okay value.

53.) Kenny Irons - The back-up in Cincy. Don't forget the Bengals traded Corey Dillon in his prime (right before he began declining) to make way for Rudi Johnson....just saying.

54.) Sammy Morris - New England always seems to get more than one running back involved (and Maroney may be more injured than anyone is letting on). A must own for Maroney owners.

55.) Michael Pittman - Pittman has always been a decent complementary back and should have a smidge of value even if Cadillac performs well this year.

Tier 7

56.) Lorenzo Booker - The back-up in Miami...probably only concerns Ronnie Brown owners.

57.) Brian Leonard - Steven Jackson's back-up, FYI.

58.) Kevan Barlow - Enigmatic back that is backing up FWP in Pittsburgh.

59.) Mike Anderson - Fullback in Baltimore that could see playing time if something happened to Willis McGahee.

60.) Michael Bennett - You've no doubt read about Larry Johnson's heavy workload last year. This is the guy that looks to be his back-up.
61.) Greg Jones - Healthy and may vulture a bunch of TDs ala Marion Barber last year.

62.) DeDe Dorsey - The back-up in Indianapolis. Should mention the Colts usually like involving their back-up/third down back.

63.) Musa Smith - Looked poised to take over for Jamal Lewis early last year but struggled during the season. Stuck behind McGahee and possibly Mike Anderson.

64.) J.J. Arrington - I think Arrington deserves a second chance and may get one if Edgerrin James continues to regress.

65.) Kevin Faulk - Always seems to have a couple of games where he accrues some fantasy value.

BHu's Fantasy Football Primer Pt. 1

With my fantasy football draft a little over a month away, it's time to start preparing. In the next few weeks I have to browse through all kinds of scouting reports, depth charts, columns and player rankings to develop a strategy for my draft. I'm participating in two leagues competetively this year: one is a newly starting keeper league and the other I join as an expansion team.

My expansion team is off to a good start so far. We were assigned expansion draft picks to take place before the regular draft (after each team kept 1 QB, 1 RB, 1 WR, 1 WR/RB, 1 TE, 1 DEF, 1 K). However, we were able to trade these picks and I was blown away at the trades I was able to make. First off, its a 12 team league with 4 expansion teams. I wasn't anticipating landing any decent players because if the other owners were competent the top 12 QBs, WRs and TEs would all be unavailable to me as well as the top 24 RBs. My goal with trading my top picks, if I was going to, was to land players I had ranked anywhere above the 12th (or 24th) ranked player on my rankings list.

I was able to land two players I have ranked as being first round picks in re-draft leagues: Ronnie Brown and Maurice Jones-Drew. That was simply too good to pass up. If I had the 16th pick and this was our first season, I'd be elated taking Brown and Drew in rounds 1 and 2. I also landed Lee Evans at WR for another expansion pick. I'm not a huge Evans fan but he's significantly better than anybody else I would have gotten at WR. I then traded a late pick for Jason Campbell (essentially hedging my bets in case the league goes QB happy in the draft...I wanted to make sure I had an okay option). However, I then landed Matt Leinart for another expansion pick, so Campbell is probably kicked to the curb (although I'd have traded the pick I sent in the Leinart deal along with the pick I sent for Campbell as a package for Leinart). I've also got Heath Miller for a very late and inconsequential pick, so I like how my team is shaking out. I'm crossing my fingers that a few under the radar guys I like fall to me in the draft for depth, but I don't mind my starting line-up so far.

Anyways, much like with baseball, I'm going to take a position by position approach to fantasy football drafts. While I'm not going to say there are hard and fast rules I stand firmly behind when it comes to draft strategies, there are definitely some trends that I take into deep consideration.

First up is the quarterback position. While it is the marquee position in real football, it takes a back seat to running back in fantasy football. There's also one rule you need to take in consideration when ranking your quarterbacks: a good NFL quarterback is not necessarily a good fantasy quarterback. Conversely, a bad NFL quarterback is not necessarily a bad fantasy quarterback (see Jon Kitna or a couple years ago's Brett Favre).

The big question every year is what to do with Peyton Manning. Is he a first round pick? When should you take him? Truth be told, I don't concern myself too much with this debate because in all of my experiences, someone reaches early for Peyton Manning. If I have an early pick in the first round, I'm always going RB. If I have a late pick (say 7 or 8) when I'd maybe have to consider Manning, someone has already picked him. The major issue with taking Manning is that usually it's at the end of the first round. This means you don't get your 2nd running back until the late 20th pick, which often leaves slim pickings. Although, I'd take Manning early second round, if you want my opinion.

So now that we've got that cleared, what about the rest of the field? Where do they rank? Well, to make this easier, I like to rank each position into tiers. That way, when you're drafting, you know when to grab a position. Lots of good tier 2 WRs on the board and only one tier 2 QB left? Take the QB! So without further adieu....

Tier 1

1.) Peyton Manning - Obviously. Highly skilled, very consistent and in a great system. HAS to be the top QB taken.
2.) Carson Palmer - Palmer is the one guy that might overtake Manning. Still, you can't take him ahead of Manning.

Tier 2

3.) Donovan McNabb - Higher than most people have him. Appears to be recovering well from injury and was actually the top fantasy QB pre-injury last year.
4.) Tom Brady - Finally added some good WRs. Still, I don't think he'll see a huge boost in his numbers because New England has always been a pass friendly offense that has thrived without premiere talent.
5.) Marc Bulger - Three great receivers to throw to and a good TE. Oh...and Steven Jackson catching passes out of the backfield.
6.) Drew Brees - I have Brees lower than most because I'm simply not buying into Marques Colston or the rest of New Orleans receiving corps. That and I think the running game vultures more TD scores this year.
7.) Jon Kitna - Remember what I said about bad NFL QBs still being good fantasy QBs? Kitna plays in a Mike Martz offense with two explosive receivers and a sure handed third option.

Tier 3

8.) Matt Hasselbeck - I think Hasselbeck still has a year or two of productive football left in him. Seattle has always been a good passing offense under him.
9.) Tony Romo - Sure, he might be overrated, but he is still throwing to some excellent receivers that can make things happen.
10.) Matt Leinart - A highly polished young QB that has two of the most explosive receivers in the NFL to throw to. Only concern is the O-Line.
11.) Jay Cutler - Another highly polished young QB, Cutler has a better line in front of him but lacks the big time receivers.
12.) Eli Manning - It's easy to hate on Manning. For non-Giants fans its his last name. For Giants fans its his ill-timed interceptions. Still, he's a talented arm and should produce.

Tier 4

13.) Vince Young - Much of his value last season was tied up in his rushing TDs. Those aren't always replicated and I'm not sure the receivers in Tennessee are going to do him many favors.
14.) Philip Rivers - A good young QB that just lacks the weapons to be ranked higher.
15.) Michael Vick - I'll admit that I may have been wrong with Vick...he may be an underrated fantasy QB. Still, I have him here because of potential legal and injury issues.
16.) Jake Delhomme - Delhomme was a different QB without Steve Smith. Fortunately, Steve Smith is healthy again.
17.) Brett Favre - Favre can still be a useful fantasy option when the match-up is right, as the gunslinger INT's he throws don't penalize you as much.
18.) Alex Smith - Smith finally has some decent weapons to use with Gore, Jackson and Davis.
19.) Ben Roehtlisberger - Perhaps overrated (by a lot, IMO), Roethlisberger can still be a serviceable option as a back-up QB.

Tier 5

20.) J.P. Losman - Made some decent strides last year into becoming a potential option. Could still use a good 2nd receiver.
21.) Jason Campbell - This might be too low, but it's just too hard to put him any higher based on sample size. Could have bottom Tier 3 upside potential considering the offensive weapons that surround him.
22.) Rex Grossman - Would be higher, as he does have potential for big weeks, but his inconsistency killed fantasy teams last year.
23.) Chad Pennington - Pennington was never an elite QB option and age and injury concerns will continue pushing him further down the rankings each year.
24.) Byron Leftwich - Should be starting in Jacksonville. I think he's more talented than most people give him credit for but lacks any reliable receiving options.
25.) Matt Schaub - Should post some okay totals throwing to Andre Johnson. Still not sold on him and Houston has never been known for its O-Line.
26.) Trent Green - Just last year Green was viewed as a serviceable option as a starting fantasy QB. He's a fantasy back-up now, but could put up some solid games.

Tier 6

27.) Steve McNair - Face it...McNair is done. Even if he had some great receivers I'd still avoid him at this point in his career.
28.) Damon Huard - Was alright as a sub last year. Would be higher if the Chiefs didn't seem so committed to making Brodie Croyle the starter.
29.) Jeff Garcia - Last year was the anamoly. Garcia has been done for a few years and I don't expect much of resurgence, if any.
30.) Tarvaris Jackson - Didn't look too good last year in spot duty and I was absolutely shocked the Vikings never even tried to upgrade at this position. His upside could put him much higher than this, but I'm not about to take the risk to find out.
31.) Charlie Frye/Derek Anderson - This appears to be a dead even race for the starting QB job in Cleveland and whomever wins should be serviceable, but consistent playing time will be hard to come by.
32.) JaMarcus Russell/Josh McCown - Even if you could predict who the starting QB for Oakland would be, would you really want to start him?

Tier 7 - The Rest

Brodie Croyle
Chris Simms
David Garrard
Duante Culpepper
Brady Quinn
A.J. Feely
Aaron Rodgers
Cleo Lemon
Brooks Bollinger

So when do you draft a QB? That depends, really. My motto tends to be grab two RBs early and then draft the best talent available.

A Weird Draft.....

I recently participated in an online, winner's league draft (in order to be allowed to join, you had to have won a league through the same website last year). As per usual, I ended up with the 10th pick (every draft except one I've been given that 10th pick...that other time I got the 7th pick! WOOO!)

As I prepared to decide between Laurence Maroney, Ronnie Brown, Brian Westbrook, Reggie Bush and/or Travis Henry, I started noticing a weird thing happening. Peyton Manning went at 2. Followed by Tom Brady at 3. I started thinking a Joseph Addai or Shaun Alexander might fall. Then, when they were both taken I noticed Frank Gore's name still on the board and with two picks before mine. Could it possibly....I mean....no.....Gore won't fall to me at 10. Then the 8th pick took Clinton Portis.

"I thought this was a winner's league," I contemplated to myself, "no way Gore slips past 9. Who could they even fathom picking ahead of Gore here....a reach on Reggie Bush or Carson Palmer or a WR?"

Then the 9th pick took the Chicago Bears defence. While I'd normally be stunned by such a terrible pick, I was too busy clicking on Frank Gore's name and then selecting draft, as if it were to good to be true and if I didn't act fast enough, I'd awake from some dream. This was only the start of a draft that used standard scoring, yet completely ignored the running back position. For example, one team didn't draft a RB until the 5th round and still ended up with Cedric Benson, Thomas Jones and Fred Taylor as his top 3 backs (not that you're going to win a championship with those three backs, but most drafts would see him with a backfield of Carnell Williams, Tatum Bell and Ladell Betts if he waits that long.) Let's take a look at my picks, which were ridiculously RB heavy.

1.) Frank Gore (RB) - Frank Gore has not fallen out of the top 5 in any draft I've participated in. In fact, the only thing that has prevented him from going top 4 is someone reaching on Peyton Manning. Needless to say, getting him at 10 is the equivalent of getting LaDanian Tomlinson at 3.

2.) Willie Parker (RB) - Since Gore was still around at 10, there was also a good chance another first round back was there at the 11th pick. I went with Willie Parker over Rudi Johnson just because I think Cincy is conjuring up some plan to soon replace Rudi. Kinda like they did just before Corey Dillon hit the wrong side of his prime.

3.) Ronnie Brown (RB) - Brown slipped to the end of the 3rd round and I just couldn't pass on him because, well, I have him as a late 1st/early 2nd round pick.

4.) T.J. Houshmandzadeh (WR) - My "sleeper" from last year that exceeded even my expectations, The Housh was the best receiver left on the board and there were no good QBs left on the board. It was hard NOT taking Cedric Benson or Travis Henry with this pick, even though I already had 3 RBs.

5.) Travis Henry (RB) - I really had to resist taking Henry at the start of Round 4 so there was no way I was passing on him at the end of round 5. I now have 4 top of the top 15 players on my draft board, even if 4 of them are RBs. Never hurts to have that sort of depth and/or trading chips.

6.) Deion Branch (WR) - I think Branch is the most underrated receiver this year. He is the undisputed number one receiver in a very good passing offense (Seattle). I think people forget last year's numbers were down because he missed training camp and took awhile to adjust both physically and to a new system. Great value here.

7.) Chris Chambers (WR) - This guy still has talent and I think Miami has a much better passing offense this year. He was also the last receiver in my tier before we get to the aging and/or unproven group of receivers, which is really a huge crap shoot as to whether they will have value or not.

8.) Brandon Jacobs (RB) - I didn't want to pick another RB here but, well, Brandon Jacobs in the 8th round!?!?! Last year everyone was drooling over what this guy would do if given the starting job. Now, all of a sudden, everyone has soured on him. The fact remains that he's a starting RB on a serviceable offence and he will get his touches.

9.) Tony Romo (QB) - Considering how quickly starting QBs flew off the board in this draft, I was happy enough to get the serviceable Romo here. He should go well with my next pick to form a QB rotation I can play based on match-ups.

10.) Eli Manning (QB) - Sure, he may be overrated as a real QB, but I actually think he is underrated in fantasy. He plays in a decent offense that will likely pass alot more without Tiki in the mix. Gets his TDs and yardage which helps offset the real football killing INTs.

11.) L.J. Smith (TE) - I think this guy is being underrated, especially in PPR leagues if Donovan McNabb stays healthy. McNabb loves throwing to this guy and he usually ends up with more catches than the leading receiver in Philly.

12.) Randy McMichael (TE) - A bit of an off year last year, except this year he goes from the floundering, Harrington/Culpepper passing offence of the Dolphins and moves to the pass happy, Marc Bulger led passing offence. Look for a return to previous production levels.

13.) Joe Horn (WR) - Horn isn't getting younger but he does have reliable hands, something that cannot be said for the rest of the Falcons receiving corps. Look for him to get some looks in the red zone and pull down some TDs, at the least.

14.) Anthony Gonzalez (WR) - I took Horn from the aging receiver group and decided to take a chance on a young player on an explosive offence that could provide "Brandon Stokely from a couple years ago" type production.

15.) Jerious Norwood (RB) - Yes...ANOTHER RB. I think Warrick Dunn is finally...well....done. So I took a flyer on the solid Norwood with the last pick in the draft.

Why did I draft so many backs? Because an injury to a premiere back often kills your team. However, you can usually find some serviceable options at the other positions (especially WR) if you get struck by the injury bug. At the very worst, I can trade players like Travis Henry, Ronnie Brown and Brandon Jacobs if they start off well and get above value WRs or a stud QB.

The other thing you may notice from this draft is that I didn't draft a kicker or a defence. This is a strategy I'm applying more and more since I usually wait to the last two rounds to address these positions, anyways. It's still hard to distinguish which mid-level kickers are playing on the best offences (or even going to make their teams!) and it's also hard to gauge which defences are going to be the best this season. So instead of picking a Seattle defence and Josh Brown in the last two rounds, I'm picking some high upside players that could be huge at key positions (Norwood and Gonzalez) and then picking up a Matt Stover or Josh Scobee and a Buffalo or Atlanta defence right before the season starts. If Norwood and/or Gonzalez impress in the preseason and win prominent roles (or, say, Marvin Harrison gets injured), I'll keep these two players and drop Joe Horn and try and package Brandon Jacobs in a trade to create roster space for a defence and kicker. If they fail to impress, I can drop them and pick up my D and kicker.

2007 MLB All Stars

About a week ago I tried compiling my own All Star game rosters (because I'm a baseball nerd) using the same standards that those compiling the real rosters would have had to use (1 player from each team, same roster number, etc.). Of course this was also before the starters, which were voted in by the public, were announced. And since the baseball watching, all star voting public has proven year after year that their incompetence is really rivaled by that of Neifi Perez, the real manager's hands were tied with the inclusion of such unworthies as Ivan Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran. Neither of these players, along with Placido Polanco, ended up on my roster and rightfully so. So who did make it? Let's take a look.

The American League

Starting Line-up

C - Victor Martinez (.323/14/63)- A real no-brainer that the public completely screwed up.
1B - Mark Teixeira (.302/12/41)
2B - Brian Roberts (.327/5/24) - 25 stolen bases
3B - Alex Rodriguez (.327/28/79)
SS - Derek Jeter (.338/5/39)
RF - Ichiro Suzuki (.365/5/39) - 23 stolen bases
LF - Magglio Ordonez (.369/13/68)
CF - Grady Sizemore (.285/13/41) - 23 stolen bases

Bench

C - Jorge Posada (.336/9/45)
C - John Buck (.243/14/28) - The Kansas City rep. Batting average was up at .280 not too long ago.
1B - Justin Morneau (.279/20/61)
1B - David Ortiz (.314/13/49)
2B - B.J. Upton (.320/9/31) - 13 SB, lost some time to injury
3B - Mike Lowell (.297/12/55)
SS - Orlando Cabrera (.337/5/48)
SS - Carlos Guillen (.320/12/59)
OF - Vladimir Guerrero (.328/14/73)
OF - Torrii Hunter (.302/17/63) - 11 SB
OF - Alex Rios (.287/17/45)
OF - Gary Sheffield (.290/18/52) - 11 SB

Pitchers

SP - Dan Haren (10-2/2.20/98)
P - Johan Santana (9-6/2.76/120)
P - Josh Beckett (11-2/3.38/83)
P - C.C. Sabathia (12-2/3.20/116)
P - Justin Verlander (9-3/3.18/90)
P - John Lackey (11-5/3.04/87)
P - Erik Bedard (6-4/3.36/129)
RP - J.J. Putz (1-0/0.92/43/23 Saves)
RP - Fransisco Rodriguez (1-2/2.27/49/24 Saves)
RP - Jonathan Pablebon (0-1/1.50/42/19 Saves)
RP - Joe Nathan (3-1/2.29/40/16 Saves)
RP - Bobby Jenks (2-3/2.76/29/22 Saves)

The National League

Starting Line-up

C - Russell Martin (.297/9/53) - 15 SB
1B - Prince Fielder (.281/27/66)
2B - Chase Utley (.326/15/66)
3B - Miguel Cabrera (.329/17/57)
SS - Jose Reyes (.317/4/34) - 40 SB
LF - Ken Griffey, Jr. (.292/22/53)
RF - Matt Holliday (.349/13/62)
CF - Alfonso Soriano (.304/15/30) - 10 SB

Bench

C - Bengie Molina (.289/8/44)
1B - Adrian Gonzalez (.272/14/51) - Consider that Petco saps average and power.
1B - Albert Pujols (.307/16/49) - And he's struggling!?!!?!?
1B - Dmitri Young (.340/7/37) - The Nationals Rep.
2B - Brandon Phillips (.269/15/42) - 15 SB
3B - David Wright (.288/14/44) - 17 SB
SS - Hanley Ramirez (.318/11/29) - 25 SB
SS - Edgar Renteria (.324/10/41)
SS - Jimmy Rollins (.283/14/49) - 15 SB
OF - Barry Bonds (.304/16/40)
OF - Eric Byrnes (.315/13/46) - 15 SB
OF - Carlos Lee (.293/15/68)

Pitchers

SP - Jake Peavy (9-2/2.09/119)
P - Brad Penny (10-1/2.00/77)
P - Ian Snell (6-5/2.90/88)
P - John Smoltz (9-4/2.98/90)
P - Ben Sheets (10-3/3.19/81)
P - Chris Young (8-3/2.14/90)
P - Brandon Webb (8-5/2.05/100)
RP - Takashi Saito (1-0/1.34/42/22 Saves)
RP - Fransico Cordero (0-2/2.91/47/27 Saves)
RP - Trevor Hoffman (2-3/2.03/18/23 Saves)
RP - Jason Isringhausen (2-0/1.67/26/15 Saves)
RP - Billy Wagner (1-0/1.73/29/16 Saves)