Tag Archives: 2009 Fantasy Rankings

2009 Tiered Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs

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Running backs are the key to fantasy football. If you blow your first two picks on a receiver and a quarterback, you have to really luck out to find yourself in the playoffs come Week 14 (or where ever you start the post-season). The same can be said for blowing your first two picks, if your top two studs start slow or get hurt, you’ll find yourself in an early season hole. These tiered rankings should help you find value at the running back position throughout your draft.

I

  1. Maurice Jones-Drew (1)
  2. Matt Forte (2)
  3. Adrian Peterson (3)
  4. Michael Turner (4)

My first tier is bigger than most, with a different order than most. What can I say, it pays to be different. Almost every ranking I’ve seen has Peterson and Turner or Turner and Peterson cuddling up like puppies at the top of their player rankings. Not me, oh no, not I. Talent-wise, sure, Peterson takes the cake, but Percy Harvin only takes away from his touches, and the guy is going to take one to many hits one of these days. Production-wise, I see how he can go #1, but right in front of Turner at #3 is where I have AP. Turner was a stud last year and despite the high carry load in ’08, I predict his ’09 will be right in the top tier of backs. He doesn’t have too much wear on his tires, but his team has only gotten stronger in the talented weapon department. His back-up is talented, and added to one of the best young receivers in the game is probably the best receiving TE ever, Tony Gonzalez. Less touches for Turner means less fantasy production, but still plenty of action to be considered a top pick. With everyone’s Top 2 at 3 and 4 respectively, that means my top 2 looks a little different. Matt Forte busts in at 2 on my sheets, as he should be smiling from ear to ear at the addition of Jay Cutler. I don’t think Forte will catch as many passes as last season, Cutler’s not much of a dump down guy, but he will get a lot of carries, he will be playing against defenses that have to worry about the air attack, and thus his YPC will go from 3.9 to 4.4 – at least that’s what I’ve got. That moves his production up – and last year his production was consistent and legit. Forte will be great, but MJD will be better. That offensive line is healthy and stocked with more talent than it’s ever been. Jones Drew will aproach 18-20 carries a game, and that is what gets him to the top of my chart. He’s never been a high-touch back, but he’s always been a big time game breaker, touchdown maker, and fantasy producer. That’s a lot of ers, but they are all good. When you add 8-10 more touches a game to his talent, you get the best fantasy back in the league.

II

  1. LaDainian Tomlinson (5)
  2. Chris Johnson (6)
  3. Steve Slaton (7)
  4. Frank Gore (8)
  5. Steven Jackson (9)
  6. Brian Westbrook (10)

My 2nd tier is 2 backs heavier than my 1st, which means I have a lot of guys resting near the same value. Which means I’d rather be at the end of drafts, picking in the 8-12 slot – you’re guaranteed a good one, maybe not sexy, but sexy gets you money as a playboy model, not a spot in fantasy playoffs. LT gets the 5th spot on my list. Dude may be 30, but he’s one of the best backs of all time, and he’ll be a great option again this year. This might be the last year LT breaks my top 10, but I’d love to get him on my squad, especially where he’s going in most drafts (about 10th overall). Chris Johnson is a stud, and many have him pegged with more touches in 2009, but I’m not so sure. LenDale White is a productive big man, and he’s in as good a shape as he’s ever been in since somebody gave him his first twinky. People are stupid, they jump on the “fat” band wagon, but White is in good shape and will steal yards and touchdowns from the owners taking Chris Johnson in the Top 5. However, he’s still worth an early pick, and he has as much upside as anyone. He’s the Usain Bolt of running backs, on a different speed level than everyone else. Steve Slaton is a flat out stud on a team that will be one of the Top 10 offenses in 2009, and a lot of that has to do with his all around skill set. Great receiver, great runner inside, outside – he does it all. He may be small, but all he needs to do is stay healthy to easily be a top 10 back in his 2nd season. Gore is a great player on and offense that should be improved in ’09. It is also an offense that won’t go away from their main guy. If healthy, Gore is as talented as any back in the league, and with a new smash mouth approach, he’ll be a nice top 10 guy. Steven Jackson is a beast, and while I dig his talent, his offense is young and Marc Bulger is a sack artist – or at least a canvas for other sack artists. That won’t help the Rams stay in running situations. But Jackson might go back to his early years, and I expect his rushing yards to be easily over 1000 while his receiving yards get up to 600+ yards as well. Will the Rams be in touchdown position that often? That’s why he slips a bit. Brian Westbrook is old, yes, but he stays in my 2nd tier because all he does is produce. He was pretty inconsistent last season, despite his nice end-game numbers, most of his stats came in big chunks. Still, this offense only gets better with additions of young talent, and Westy should be back to his old tricks (even though his age is catching up to his injury history) and still deserves to be a Top 10 back.

III

  1. DeAngelo Williams (11)
  2. Marion Barber (12)
  3. Kevin Smith (13)
  4. Brandon Jacobs (14)
  5. Clinton Portis (15)
  6. Ronnie Brown (16)
  7. Ryan Grant (17)

My 3rd tier has some stars from last year, yester year, and the future. DeAngelo Williams had a great year last season, better than any other back in the league, but Jonathan Stewart will stay healthy this year, and while that won’t make Williams a bum, it will keep him out of the Top 10. He’s a solid runner on a run-happy team, if he didn’t have one of the league’s most talented backs teaming up with him in the backfield then he’d easily bust into the Top 10. Marion Barber is a beast, one of my favorite backs in the league. He struggled as the Cowboys struggled last year, but before his injury he was a Top 5 back. This year he falls a bit because I can only imagine Felix Jones getting more carries, and even though Dallas will run more in ’09, Barber will be lucky to slip into the Top 10, but he’s still a solid #2 for your fantasy squad. Kevin Smith isn’t getting as much love as he deserves. Last year, on one of the worst teams in NFL history (worst record-wise) Kevin still rushed for just under 1000 yards and caught 39 passes as well. He’ll be a go to guy in this offense, an offense that is getting tougher up front. Brandon Jacobs is a beast, the scarriest guy to tackle in the NFL, but he’s a really big guy that runs fast, and that’s cause for concern (injury-wise and for defensive health). Jacobs will get his 100+ and a TD if he’s playing, that’s almost a given, but defenses will key in on him this coming season, and his health could easily have him missing the better part of 3-4 games. Still, with 12 games starting he’s a Top 15 player. He loses some in PPR leagues though. Clinton Portis is always good. He was a surprise fantasy all-star in the first half of last season, going for 940 yards and 7 TDs. He finished slow, like the Redskins, but still managed 1487 yards and 9 TDs and just over 1700 total yards for the season. He’s only 27 when the season starts. But he’s older than his age insists, and while I’d love to see him prove me wrong, it will be tough for him to duplicate last season’s stellar stats. He’s still a great #2 though. Ronnie Brown gets a lot of flak for getting most of his fantasy points in one week last season against New England. But I don’t worry about that. He’ll get more carries, more catches, and more touchdowns this season, and he’ll do it more consistently. A great all around back 2 years after knee surgery. Remember 2007 when he tore up the first half of the season? His numbers will be closer to that than last year’s totals. Ryan Grant is a beast. He started slow, hung on to a naggnig hammy injury, and got carries taken away from him during the first half. But this year his TDs will double, and he’ll run more efficiently. He runs down hill really hard, expect better things from him – I do.

IV

  1. Larry Johnson (18)
  2. Darren McFadden (19)
  3. Knowshon Moreno (20)
  4. Derrick Ward (21)
  5. Marshawn Lynch (22)
  6. Jonathan Stewart (23)

I might rank LJ higher than everyone else. I guess I remember the guy that buried opposing defenders when they got in his way. He was a beast teaming up with Preist Holmes, and he was even better when he got the #1 gig a year later. Some stuff has happened, he was carrying a lot of baggage, and he didn’t get many carries last season. It won’t take the new coach long to realize that he’s a top option on the team, and he’ll get back to scoring touchdowns and getting 20 touches a game. McFadden is too talented to struggle again. Last season was last season, you can’t always rely on what happened last year when drafting your team. Take a chance on a kid with all the talent in the world on a team that is gung-ho about getting him the ball – even if they are a semi-pro franchise. Knowshon may be a rookie, and he may be in the same scheme that never produced a Top 20 fantasy back in New England, but he does it all. He may not have the best 40, but there’s players that get it, run well in pads, and go fast enough to win – that’s Moreno, he’ll show it in his rookie season. Derrick Ward is a very good runner that can do all the little things. I honestly think he’s a better back than Jacobs, because he can catch too. I expect him to get most of the looks in Tampa, and that line is better than many people think. Marshawn Lynch will only play 13 games – but so what, so will a lot of running backs this season. You’ll be able to get him late for missing the first three games. Do it. Then even later pick up Fred Jackson, now you have a starting back, a good one, for two later picks. Lynch doesn’t get huge numbers, but he always gets solid stats, that helps your squad win every week. Jonathan Stewart, in my cocky opinion, is the best running back on this list, but he’s got a great back he’s sharing time with. Still, if Williams and Stewart are more even this season, splitting stats 50-50, that still makes for over 1170 yards and 14 touchdowns for J-Stew – that’s good production where he’s being drafted. Plus his upside is unlimited.

V

  1. Pierre Thomas (24)
  2. Reggie Bush (25)
  3. Joseph Addai (26)
  4. LenDale White (27)
  5. Ray Rice (28)
  6. Felix Jones (29)
  7. Beanie Wells (30)
  8. Thomas Jones (31)
  9. Julius Jones (32)
  10. Willie Parker (33)
  11. Cedric Benson (34)

Pierre Thomas would be ranked higher if I thought his coach would do anything right. The kid is talented, always has been, always produces when given the chance, and was the best back in NO last season. That being said, that clown in a man-suit running the Saints isn’t to be trusted, but Pierre is still Top 20. Even if he runs less, Bush is still a great receiver out of the backfield, and was having a pretty damn good fantasy season before an injury derailed his year. The Clown loves him, so he’ll get his touches. Bush is still magic with the football when he’s in space, he’s worth a pick in the 6th or 7th, where he’s being drafted. Addai might be good again this year, you never know, but it doesn’t seem like the Colts trust him much. That’s not a franchise that wastes early picks, and them taking a great all around college back in the 1st round doesn’t bread confidence in Addai. Still, Joseph is young and he’s had a couple pretty good years in a pretty potent offense – sounds like a buy low candidate to me. LenDale White can’t find love anywhere but here. You might think I just like fat running backs, but if you think LenDale is just a fat guy then you are an idiot. The guy can run the ball, always has been able to, and gets in the end-zone. This year he lost 20 lbs in the summer, and he’s in better shape than anytime in his career. Everyone can hate him, I’ll “round” off my Top 20 with his name. Ray Rice is in an interesting situation. The Ravens have put him as the #1, but you could argue that Le’Ron and Willis have shown better skills than Rice. Still, the Ravens see something, and they can pound the rock. Ray can compile the yards as a smart runner, a pretty good style for the Ravens offensive scheme. Felix Jones is amazing. If he stays healthy and gets the touches Dallas wants him to get, even this will be too low for his total output. But he’s a little-ish guy, and he has been hurt a few times. He’ll get a lot of TO’s touches though, so he’s definitely flex-worthy. Beanie Wells gets here on talent alone. He’s really big and really fast, which like I’ve said, is a recipe for injury. Still, he gets into a pretty nice offensive situation and should be able to beat out Hightower and his 2.8 YPC. Beanie is talented. Julius Jones might be an after-thought to everyone, but look at his stats, if you give him the ball 20 times he will do work for you. It happened in Dallas, and last year Seattle, and before both of those in Notre Dame. Julius is the unquestioned started in Seattle, and could prove to be a nice #2 for fantasy owners that take a chance on him. Willie Parker just keeps doing work. He won the job from Rashard Mendenhall (who I think is the better running in Pitt) last season, and put up pretty mediocre numbers while missing 5 games. His totals still project like a Top 25 back over 16 games, but I don’t think he’ll be the guy getting 20 carries next year, Rashard ruins some of Willie’s value. Cedric Benson is a nice story. He never figured it out in Chicago, but he found a home in Cincinnati last year, and cleaned up his act. That’s not how it usually goes, but give the guy two stars for swimming against the flow. Benson could benefit from Palmer being back in Tiger stripes, as his YPC and touchdown chances should go up this season.

VI

  1. Rashard Mendenhall (35)
  2. Jamal Lewis (36)
  3. Donald Brown (37)
  4. Darren Sproles (38)

Backups and Jamal Lewis. Lewis still isn’t “old” but he is old. Age doesn’t tell the whole story, but the guy has many miles on his tires. Still, Mangini has a decent offensive line in Cleveland, and Lewis is the guy that should get the ball. Not much to be scared of from Cleveland’s offense, unless they revert back to 2007, but Lewis should still be able to get over 1000 and 6 touchdowns as the #1 in Ohio. Mendenhall, who I have ranked just ahead of Lewis, is super talented. I thought him and J-Stew were the best backs in last year’s rookie class. He got hurt early, and couldn’t unseat Willie Parker prior to that, but he looked solid against one of the league’s best defenses (Baltimore) before they knocked him out for the year. Plus I really like him. If he gets the carries, he’ll be an epic steal on draft day. Donald Brown looks like a pro back to me, a solid one. Joseph Addai has never really impressed me as a runner. He’s still a rookie and he’s still a back-up, but you never know, and I’d like to have this guy just in case. Darren Sproles might have a case for being the more productive back in San Diego late last year. He certainly did more with his opportunity, and made himself a lot of money in the process. He’s still a back-up this season, and LT does it all, but Sproles might get enough love to be ownable all year long, as a back-up/flex – not just an injury replacement. Those are the best kinds of back-ups to own.

VII

  1. Fred Jackson (39)
  2. Leon Washington (40)
  3. Jerious Norwood (41)

Fred Jackson has done pretty good work when given the chance in Buffalo. This season he’ll get 3 games as the starter for the Bills, and if he succeeds in those 3 games, I don’t think the Bills can continue to give Lynch 85% of the carries. Jackson is a great late pick-up that could be a starting RB the first few weeks – plus he has nice upside. Leon Washington is obviously the back the Jets value more than any other. But Thomas Jones was a Top 10 fantasy back last season. It will be interesting to see what kind of touches Washington gets this year, but I’m guessing it’s more than he got last season. He’s always done well when give the chance, the problem is, this late, what kind of chance will he get? He’s a lot like Sproles, but Washington has a rookie QB or Kellen Clemmens as his signal caller – hello 8 man fronts. Jerious Norwood, a YPC machine and a guy that can take it the distance any time. He’s a great hand-cuff for Turner owners because he’s startable even as a back-up. I wouldn’t want in my starting line-up every week, but last year I was happy to have him on more than a couple occasions.

VIII

  1. Tim Hightower (42)
  2. Chester Taylor (43)
  3. LeSean McCoy (44)
  4. Ahmad Bradshaw (45)
  5. Willis McGahee (46)
  6. Le’Ron McClain (47)
  7. Fred Taylor (48)
  8. Sammy Morris (49)
  9. Michael Bush (50)
  10. Laurence Maroney (51)
  11. Shonn Greene (52)
  12. Justin Fargas (53)
  13. Ricky Williams (54)

Alright, this is my last list, and I’m putting them all in the same tier because I’m not so sure that I would be excited on having any of these guys on my team. Maybe the upside of McCoy, Ahmad Bradshaw’s chance at sure thing numbers when Jacobs gets hurt, Chester Taylor because he’s a very good back with a good O-line, even though he’s stuck behind one of the most physically talented backs in a long time, if not ever, and Tim Hightower, becaue there’s a good chance he’ll start. So maybe those four guys should all be in a different tier, but I have to be honest, they’re upside might not match up with the opportunity some of these guys will get. Willis still has talent, if he wasn’t in a little dog house behind two other backs, McClain does well with his touches, but doesn’t get much guaranteed to him. Fred Taylor has always put up numbers and might, just might be the #1 in New England, but that’s a team that I can’t predict carries for, so I wouldn’t want to rely on him. Sammy Morris, same thing as Fred. Plus Laurence Maroney is the guy I think is most talented. Michael Bush has all the tools and is a beast, but he’s behind a first round pick who has better tools, and another guy that has been productive as a starter, Justin Fargas. Shonn Greene is a rookie, and will probably be the thunder to Leon’s lightning next season, but I wouldn’t expect a ton from him this year. And then there’s Ricky Williams, what’s a running back list without Ricky? I think Ronnie Brown should get an even bigger portion of the load this coming season, really limiting Ricky’s stock.

That’s the list, hop that helps!

2009 Tiered Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks

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Last year I busted out my Top 30 Quarterbacks (And other positions) in a tiered system, and many people thanked me for doing this all in a different and more helpful way. If you’ve drafted with help lists (or cheat sheets), you know there’s no better way than tiers. Not only do they help you assess value at a single position, but they also give you an open view at what’s left on your overall value board. These are how I rate out the quarterbacks for 2009, basically a prediction for how I think the quarterbacks will score out by season’s end. Hope this helps! Good luck on Draft Day!!!

I

  1. Tom Brady (1)
  2. Drew Brees (2)

Last year old Tom was numero uno and the only one in my first tier. How’d that work out? So well that I’m willing to rank him number one a second straight season. Okay, maybe he only had 3 fantasy points in 2009, but that was one heck of a pass to Randy for a big gain. He’ll be back this year and he still has Randy and Wes, some old running backs, and one heck of a head coach. If Matt Cassel can look like a stud in this system, you can bet Tom will do just fine. Drew Brees gets in the tier this year though. His coach is dumb enough to call Drew’s number on about 75% of the plays, and Drew is accurate and smart enough to take that and translate it into 30+ touchdowns and 5000 yards. Not too shabby. I still say, stay away on draft day if the cost is first round pay. Hay. Bay. May…

II

  1. Kurt Warner (3)
  2. Peyton Manning (4)
  3. Aaron Rodgers (5)
  4. Phillip Rivers (6)
  5. Donovan McNabb (7)

My second tier is full of studs, some of them have question marks, some of them are always good, some of them really surprised last season. But they are all had at a better value than the first two guys, and thus they are all more likely to make it on to my team than either guy in Tier 1. Kurt Warner might not be the sexiest name out there, but the guy deserves credit. He has a very talented offense that just got another weapon in Beanie Wells and last time I checked Anquan Boldin is still lining up at WR in Arizona. You can get him later than this, but he’s looking like a Top 3 QB to me. Peyton has a lot of question marks (new coach, no Marvin, running game questions) but he’s always been a consistent signal caller with all the answers. Aaron Rodgers wowed the world in his first season replacing a legend, and he’s won over some fans. He was better than Favre last year, and looks to have sealed his position as a Top 7 QB. Phillip Rivers may throw marshmallows, and LT may be getting old, and he may have a couple receivers that fantasy football doesn’t give much credit, but this guy wins and he puts up numbers and he plays in a terrible division. I like his chances at another huge season. McNabb won’t get as much love this year, but he stayed healthy and did work last season. He gets another stellar set of weapons in Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy (Draft) and Westy should be back doing damage in the backfield. I think McNabb could have one of his best years since TO went wacko. This tier might not be the first, but they are all close to the top two, and hold better value for sure.

III

  1. Tony Romo (8)

Tony Romo is a very good quarterback. TO’s departure isn’t going to kill him, but I do think it will effect him a little bit. It’s hard not to put him in the 2nd tier, and I’ll still be debating it all pre-season, but right now he’s going into tier 3 all by himself. He could be great, but it depends on Roy Williams, and I’m still waiting to see how that will work out. Does he have the talent to be one of the best? Yes. Weapons? Maybe…

IV

  1. Carson Palmer (9)
  2. Matt Schaub (10)
  3. Jay Cutler (11)

I didn’t get Carson Palmer’s rebound year right last season, but I’m hoping he fits well in my 3rd tier this time around. He was hurt basically all of 2008, but I expect 2009 to be different. Already the Bengals have a better rushing attack, and despite TJ Housh’s departure, a WR trio of Chad “Johnson”, Laveranues Coles, and Chris Henry isn’t something to scoff at. He’s far from safe, and I don’t know if I’d want him as my number one, but I think he’ll stay healthy, and if he does his talent will get him in the Top 10.  Matt Schaub needs to stay healthy and he’d be a Top 5 guy. That’s right, he’s got an offense with lots of talent, an O-Line that is slowly getting respectable, and one of the biggest baddest receivers in the game. He had the 2nd most fantasy points per attempt last season, and I’ve always liked the kid. He’ll do work in 2009. I loved Cutler last year and he did great. I don’t think as much of him this season, but he’s no slouch. I don’t think the Bears have a receiver as good as either of the Broncos’ starters in 2008, but his running game is better, and the play calling will be more balanced. I’ve yet to figure out how much that will hurt him. What does hurt him is his love for the interception, if that haunts him again, even this relatively low ranking (for him) is too high. He needs to be consistent to be a top tier guy.

V

  1. David Garrard (12)
  2. Matt Ryan (13)
  3. Matt Cassel (14)
  4. Matt Hasselbeck (15)
  5. Kyle Orton (16)
  6. Ben Roethlisberger (17)
  7. Eli Manning (18)

To make things easier on your life (keeping friends, not being angry and bitter, not quitting fantasy football altogether because you hate everything) I’d target somebody in the first 4 tiers… But, if you want to walk the line, take a chance, and really be a fantasy rebel, here are a group of guys that could deal out fantasy worthy numbers for you in 2009 – but don’t get really crazy and leave yourself without anybody in the top 19. Tiers 6 and on aren’t places you want to be choosing a fantasy starter from. David Garrard heads this list because despite a bad offense, no real receiving threat, an O-line that was never healthy, and being knocked down more than any other quarterback in the league, he was still a Top 12 QB last season. He’s good. He’s accurate, and unless forced into a hellstorm of 300lb defensive lineman, he’s as mistake free as they get. He has Tory Holt this season, and while old, Tory is still always open. Jones Drew will be in the back field even more in ’09, and that can only mean good things for Garrard. He’s not a top level guy, but he’s going to get you points week in and week out – there’s something to be said for that. Matt Ryan, here’s a guy with a high ceiling. But he’s still a second year player and he still is in an offense that will give lots of carries to two very good running backs, Turner and Norwood. Too many weapons isn’t a bad problem though. Matt Cassel makes the biggest jump from ’08 to ’09, but he looks like a nice back-up option with a high reward possible. He has a very offensive minded head coach, he’s accurate, he has some talented young receivers (Dwayne Bowe is legit) and while I don’t think he’ll match last year’s totals, he’ll be serviceable in ’09. Matt Hasselbeck is a pretty low risk pick here. He got the best receiver on the free agent market as an upgrade. All his hurt receivers are coming back, and his new offense should take more downfield chances. He’s still very accurate and if he can stay healthy, he could be back to the Pro Bowl. Kyle Orton might be an awkward name to see here, but why not? Orton is in a pretty good situation with and offensive genius, a decent O-line, a super talented rookie running back, two very good receivers and an accurate offense that fits his throwing style. He still has that weird facial hair, but if he can do what he did in Chicago, Denver might turn out to be real nice. Big Ben is an interesting case, he takes lots of hits and gets hurt a lot. He isn’t asked to make too many mistake happy throws, and he isn’t asked to light up the airways. He’ll never have high yardage numbers, and with a couple real good running backs, his TDs will be limited too – but he can start for you in more than a couple situations. Everybody was ready to anoint Eli as the second coming of Peyton – and while he kind of is, blood wise, he’s just not. He makes way too many mistakes. He doesn’t have the most talented set of receivers, and he’s never played that well without Plax. Plus, don’t look now but his numbers seem to be declining – is that a good sign for a young QB? At least he won a Super Bowl…

VI

  1. Sage Rosenfels (19)
  2. Joe Flacco (20)
  3. Jason Campbell (21)
  4. Jake Delhomme (22)
  5. Marc Bulger (23)
  6. Trent Edwards (24)
  7. Shaun Hill (25)
  8. Chad Pennington (26)
  9. Daunte Culpepper (27)

I actually think Sage could be a starter (fantasy-wise) at some point during the season. He’s had some great games over the years, but he also makes some bone-head moves. He won’t be asked to light up the airways in Minnesota, but I do think he’ll win the job, and it’s not like ‘Sota is a place without weapons. Percy Harvin can only help to take some attention away from Bernard Berrien, and Adrian Peterson will require 7-8 guys near the box most of the time. Sage could really surprise. Joe Flacco loses Derrick Mason, and old guy who just happened to be his best receiver. Todd Heap is a shadow of his former self. I like Mark Clayton, but as a number 1? Yikes. But Joe put up solid points last year and he’s got a cannon. Jason Campbell was almost traded, but that doesn’t mean he won’t play well. Looking for a new chance, a new contract, and having a coach that believes in him are three things I like about the former Auburn Tiger. Campbell has the tools, I just hope that off season motivated him. Jake Delhomme had a semi-successful return from elbow surgery, and he might be even stronger in 2009, but his huge interceptions and the fact that Carolina runs the ball half the time makes Jake a tough sell to me, even with one of the scariest receivers in the league. Marc Bulger once had a promising career. Then he signed a big contract. Now he just throws interceptions. Still, those big numbers came from somewhere, and this late that might be worth a shot. Trent Edwards has TO on his side now. An older TO, sure, but still a freak of nature. Will that make him fantasy worthy in ’09? I bet a lot of leagues will see him owned on draft day. I’m not sure I believe the hype, but 2 talented receivers and couple solid running backs might have Trent as a steal on draft day. I’m assuming Shaun wins the job in SF, but you never know. Still, when he does play he usually makes good things happen. It’s never pretty, but Hill has started for me a couple times and always come through. Chad Pennington might deserve more love than this, I just don’t see any upside, and as a #3 *maybe low end #2 fantasy QB, low upside is Chinese water torture. Daunte Culpepper might not even get the start, but I’d love to see what happens if he does. If he’s in good shape, he might have just found his Randy Moss clone in Calvin Johnson, and if it weren’t for a few bad seasons, almost no future, and a #1 pick rookie QB behind him, I might just rank him higher…

VII

  1. Brady Quinn (28)
  2. JaMarcus Russell (29)
  3. Byron Leftwich (30)
  4. Vince Young (31)
  5. Matthew Stafford (32)
  6. Kerry Collins (33)
  7. Mark Sanchez (34)

I find it coincidental that these two find themselves ranked in the same tier, albeit a different order than a couple seasons ago when they found themselves drafted in the 1st round. JaMarcus actually looked pretty damn good at the end of the season, throwing 2 touchdowns in each of his last 3 games. But he plays for the Raiders. Not much better, but a little higher ranked in my lists, is Brady Quinn. Both of these guys have some talent, but I don’t see more than a handful of wins from each team and that usually doesn’t mean fantasy prowess. Byron Leftwich could find a nice fantasy situation, but who knows, I can’t trust him much, even though I like the guy. He has a couple good running backs, a nice offensive line, and a couple decent receivers – but he still winds up like Hideo freaking Nomo… Vince Young is the back-up in Tennessee, maybe, but I still think he’s the most valuable of QB’s there. Kerry Collins (even if he does start) isn’t worth anything fantasy-wise, where Vince can do some amazing things if he ever gets the chance again. Matt Stafford has a huge arm, and could be throwing to Calvin Johnson, so there’s at least 10 TDs… I already talked about Kerry, hope you never see that guy on your team. Mark Sanchez has a talented player or two in New York, and he’s a better fantasy prospect than the guy who will likely start, but I don’t see a fantasy worthy year out of either. Last but least I guess, but there’s 34….