FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS VERSION 4.0

Getting word that a lot of drafts are already looming this weekend, so it’s time for an upgrade:

The pre-season wraps will no doubt rattle the ranks, but ‘til then – away we go...

USER NOTE: These lists rank ‘em in terms of where I see the potential for production, not where I think these players will be taken. As you’ll see, I’m taking some shots and playing some hunches – hey, it’s the only way to draft and I think I’m setting you up for some real steals…

20@QB

OVERVIEW: You will have no problems waiting on this position. Once you’re past the elite 3, there are potential quality starters all the way to #20, if you keep your mind open and remember everything changes year to year – look for the break out guys, and listen to your instincts!!!

Draft Day Bottom Line: If your fellow owners know what they're doing, you can wait until round six or seven for a starting QB who won't cost you a shot at glory. If, on the other hand, you draft with mouth-breathing novices, the quarterback run will start early -- leaving you a shot at great RB/WR value in the first four rounds.

This is one of the key areas where knowing your scoring system comes into play: All values increase if your league awards a full 6 points for passing TD's.

1) PEYTON MANNING
A healthy Carson Palmer could have made this verrry interesting, but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? Peyton remains the gold standard, and a huge part of it is because he simply doesn’t get hurt. Pick him, and there’s none of this QB roulette week to week. Just write him in and spend the rest of your draft chasing RB depth because you'll have to take him high. He always delivers elite numbers, and without the Edge, his passing game might just elevate.

In my long-time, original FF league (which awards full points for passing TD's and yardage), I've used my sole keeper protection on him for years, and I've won three Lombardis in a row. The man has lowered my blood pressure and lined my purse with gold, so when others scoff at you for drafting him early, keep in mind that year after year, six of the top 10 RB's flame out and kill their owners. If you can keep an opportunistic eye on RB's with the kind of upside that speaks to a gambler's mentality, you can win by drafting Manning in the early going... or would you rather be the owner who passed him over last year so you could chase an RB run by picking Dom Davis? Think about it...

FILE THIS UNDER NO RISK, NO GROWTH, NO LONGEVITY:
That being said, the same league I have protected Peyton in has a very interesting rule I encourage you to adopt for your leagues: We can protect one player, ad infinitum, in whatever slot you picked him in. It's a great reward for your foresight and acumen. Case in point: I drafted Larry Johnson in the sixth round last year, and I can protect him in that same slot as long as I want. Needless to say, I'm switching my sole keeper designation to LJ this year. Come on! I can hold on to the consensus #1 RB with a sixth round pick? Are we kids, or what?

This underscores the three primary concepts you must always remember when you are drafting:

A) Take a deep breath and listen to your instincts!

B) Build your lineup with an eye on the players with the potential for huge, breakout potential at each starting position.

C) Much like a poker game, get a read on your fellow owners (and track their postional picks on the big board) as to where you think these great players will fall in the draft. The determining factors are the level of your rival's expertise and balls, as well as the ADP (average draft position) info available on any credible Fantasy Football site.

Okay, I've used our top rated QB to expose a crap-load of personal philosophy -- back to the ratings:

2) CARSON PALMER
If not for the injury, he’d be my #1. We don’t know when he’ll be full speed, but as soon as he is, he’s going to deliver. In a keeper league, this is the guy, but you might want to cover your ass with in the early going, because a week one start is far from a lock.

3) TOM BRADY
The Pats may spread the ball around, but either way, Brady is their lone, boffo fantasy football beneficiary. People have finally wised up here, so Brady no longer represents value -- he’ll go earlier this year, despite the fact that he lost some WR depth – I think the Branch hold out will get solved, but if not consider knocking Brady down a good four slots lower.

4) KURT WARNER
No doubt you’d better handcuff another QB, because Kurt is an injury waiting to happen, but when he starts, with these weapons, at the new crib? Marone!

5) ELI MANNING
Growing pains and all, he put up elite #’s last year, but suffered some very bad days, tailing off late in the season. Looking very sharp in preseason, and with weapons like Tiki, Shockey, Plaxico, Toomer and now Sinorice Moss, the future is bright, my friends.

6) DONOVAN MCNABB
A great fantasy QB who, once again, has a serious lack of support at the WR position and plays in a very tough division defensively. But it never stopped him before, and lots to prove this year so he’s motivated big time. The really interesting thing here is he’ll be available at a value slot for the first time in years. Seriously, I’ve seen him go crazy late in a lot of mocks.

7) DREW BLEDSOE
A top ten fantasy QB last year, and now he’s got T.O. – in theory. Terry Glenn remains the proven big play connection here, and things are already getting weird with T.O. and the Tuna. Still, Bledsoe is your guy if you like to pick a QB in the seventh round. Another plus is he stays healthy, he will be there every week. Take a deep breath, and pull the trigger... then hedge your bet with someone like Aaron Brooks, Mark Brunell, or Chris Simms as late round value insurance.

8) MATT HASSELBECK
While never quite spectacular, he’s solid as a rock and stays healthy. Alexander vultures a lot of TD’s here. Keep an eye on Jackson's health though, because Burleson has yet to prove he's a true #1.

9) MARC BULGER
New coach, new system... we’ll see if he can stay healthy, not to mention what he does without that Martz air attack. Also a bit of an injury risk player. Hmmm…

10) JAKE DELHOMME
The definition of a schizo starter -- Jake's stats add up in the end, but some weeks are down right fugly. Anyone who has ever owned this QB knows that you can go three weeks between difference-making starts, but the big ones are outrageous – and there could be more of them this year. While I think Keyshawn might help the team, the Panthers always want to run the ball, and DeAngelo Williams means they still can when Deshaun Foster gets hurt. In his favor, keep in mind that despite the conservative profile, the Panther offense loves the long ball, which means Delhomme will give you some fantastic weeks.

Adding fuel to the fire: Camp reports indicate that the Panther’s depth WR’s are also stepping it up, giving him even more options.

11) STEVE MCNAIR
Here, my friends, will be the great steal of your ’06 draft. Think about it – quality pass blocking, reunited with Mason, an all-world TE like Heap, and Clayton is poised and ready to take the next step – and the best part of the deal? He'll be overlooked by your cohorts. A starter you can get in the late rounds – but durability is an issue, so you’ll need depth at QB to play it safe.

12) AARON BROOKS
Flakiest starter in the League, but other than last season -- when the Saints were the NFL’s answer to wandering nomads -- Brook’s production always adds up in fantasy land better than it does in the won-loss column. Now he’s the clear #1 in Oakland with a crazy arsenal of weapons, and a defense that forced shoot-out mode every week last season. Starting to gel with the offense against the Niners, but fugly previously in preseason, which should raise his value further.

13) DAUNTE CULPEPPER
Gus Ferotte actually had a surprisingly good fantasy season in Saban’s system, so this is intriguing, were it not for the injury red flag. The whole situation is a mystery here – offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is new to Miami, and Culpepper has a lot to prove, starting with can he play healthy this year, and can he bounce back from the poor play in his final games in Minnesota?

14) BRETT FAVRE
How the mighty have fallen – I’ve seen Favre go undrafted in a ton of mock drafts! You can probably get him way past the tenth round, which is remarkable. I always say, “the numbers never lie,” and even though the Pack stunk out loud last year, Favre put up top ten numbers. Beware, however, if your scoring system deducts points for INT’s, because he’s good for about 40! On the plus side, the Packer defense seems doomed to force shoot-out mode again this year, which always pumps up a QB's FF stats.

15) JOHN KITNA
This one’s really a vote of confidence for the Mike Martz system, but the early money is on some explosive offense in Detroit. That being said, Kitna has never shown the ability to avoid killer mental gaffs, so if the Lion season takes the pipe early, look for a very short leash here. Worth a roll of the dice, since he'll be sitting there extremely late in your drafts.

16) MARK BRUNELL
He had some huge weeks last season, and that was only throwing to Moss and Cooley. Add new O.C. Sanders, Brandon Lloyd and Randle El, and Brunell could be great late round value.

17) JAKE PLUMMER
Forget about Jake’s draft day douche-chill, he’s the starter and Javon Walker finally gives him an outlet beyond Rod Smith. I’d like this better if the Broncos got their hands on a good tight end, but Jake will deliver solid numbers for you. If Walker gets his quicks back, this only gets better, but Shannahan is a run-first guy, and he keeps Plummer on the kind of short leash that will neither win your league nor kill you.

18) TRENT GREEN
I’ll admit that I chronically underrate Green, yet every year he gives you solid numbers. I just don’t know how the Chiefs can continue to stand pat with Eddie Kennison as their #1 WR. Let’s face it, this once-vaunted O-line is suddenly shaky, and it’s a new day with Herm Edwards, so I’ll be watching how this offense changes. Green ain't getting any younger, and my ample gut says he slips a few notches in ‘06. I humbly submit that you should look elsewhere for upside. For example:

19) CHRIS SIMMS
Here is another QB that will stay on your draft board way late, but could bust loose! Gruden is a master-builder of QB's, and I say this year Simms compounds his growth, gets a healthy Clayton back in the mix, and moves on up. I like this kid a lot. In fact, I already grabbed him, late, in an ESPN magazine expert draft.

20) DREW BREES
Want to see how the rotator cuff is healing up, but this is a solid fantasy starter who could have a break out year in New Orleans, with plenty o’ weapons, including a certain Heisman trophy winner who should catch the ball as often as he runs it. The big knock is the offensive line, so let’s file Brees under “cautious optimism.”

21) BEN ROETHLISBERGER
The scuttlebutt is the Steelers will finally open things up a little more, take the handcuffs off Big Ben, but that will only happen by degrees in Cowher’s system. Solid, but won’t win you any leagues on his own. Until proven otherwise, think of Big Ben as the anti-Aaron Brooks: He wins a ton of games, but the statistics may not add up in Fantasy terms.

22) DAVID CARR
They still didn’t fix the line, but Kubiak brought the Denver “blow their knees out” system and it’s working it’s usual evil magic. The coach has also lit a fire under Carr, I’m starting to think this could be a very interesting situation. Not starter-quality interesting, but a nice back up you can get way late in your draft. Moulds will open up Johnson, Putzier gives him the emergency outlet he’s lacked, it’s gotta get better here… right? One of my big questions is how much autonomy did Kubiak really have with a micro-manager like Mike Shanahan looking over his shoulder? I watched a game of the week last season on the NFL Network, and it was clear that Shanny was calling every play...

23) MICHAEL VICK
Gee, can you tell I think Vick is a fantasy killer? He will definitely give you some big games with his feet, but this is the fugliest passing attack since Bobby Douglas, even with the addition of Lelie – a deep threat now matched with a terrible deep ball QB. When a D shuts down his running lanes, you can be looking at a goose egg. However, Vick seems to be slipping in some expert drafts I’ve done this off-season, so you might be able to snag him as a #2, and spot start him depending on his weekly match up.

24) BYRON LEFTWICH
Is this guy gonna miss Jimmy Smith, or what? Don’t like this WR corps at all, even though Matt Jones has big upside.

25) PHILLIP RIVERS
Lot of buzz here, but remember: 30 career NFL passes. Yikes. He’s looked fantastic in camp, less so in the games against vanilla exibiton schemes. Rivers is the gambler’s dream – could be terrific, could sink the whole team when the bullets are live.

30@RB

1) SHAUN ALEXANDER
Lost his left guard, still a touchdown machine playing in the same system, for the same coach. Will the big contract $ make him play soft? I think that argument is dwarfed by his consistently dominant FF numbers of the past few seasons.

2) LARRY JOHNSON
I slid him down from #1 when Willie Roaf “retired.” The Chief’s line is in flux, but if the hall of fame left tackle is just sitting out the rigors of camp, I might just pop him back to the top slot. I’m also curious to eyeball where Herm Edwards wants to take this team offensively.

3) TIKI BARBER
It’s time to recognize his consistent greatness – even if he has already alerted the FF community that he won’t be the goal line back, he wasn’t last year – and he put up monster numbers. Extra bonus if your scoring system awards a point per catch.

4) LADANIAN TOMLINSON
Phillip Rivers? Can you say “eight in the box?” I’m downgrading all my Charger skill players, but if your league gives bonus points for receptions, kick LT up a notch, bam!

5) RONNIE BROWN
Now we get to a string of three young, vibrant RB’s with tons of upside. Ricky’s gone, so Ronnie is now what you call your good, old-fashioned, workhorse feature back. Big year. There, I said it.

6) STEVEN JACKSON
Touchdown machine, junior – will this be the year makes the leap to a top five RB? Sans Martz, we can’t assume anything about the artist formerly known as the Ram Fantasy Football machine, but Linehan's track record speaks of balance, and Faulk is now officially out of the picture. Slight flag on the play until Jackson shows more durability, but tremendous upside.

7) CARNELL WILLIAMS
Healthy = a monster year. It’s that simple. But there is no proof yet he can withstand a full season of NFL beatings...

8) LAMONT JORDAN
He’ll deliver big, provided the Oakland Defense doesn’t take him out of the game with weekly 21 point, pass-every-down deficits – although Jordan will catch passes too – a plus for PPC scoring.

9) CLINTON PORTIS
Big questions about the shoulder, but as Eddie George told me at the NFL Network draft, “You don’t run with your shoulders.” It knocks Portis down some notches, but conversely, now he might represent value in your draft. He finally found the end zone late last season, and it only gets better now that the Skin’s Offense has more weapons, and offensive coordinator Sanders brilliance. Remember, he's the man who found a way to catapult Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson into the stratosphere.

10) EDGERRIN JAMES
Buyer beware: AZ’s run-blocking am stinky! We all think RB's can be supermen, but the single biggest factor in their performance is the blocking they do or don't get, and this line graded out fugly in the running game, with no significant veteran additions for '06.

11) RUDI JOHNSON
Not the sexiest pick, but by season's end you never regret picking him. Year after year, one of the safest picks you can make. Keep an eye on Chris Perry’s health – if healthy, he will cobble away at Rudy’s statistical glory. If Perry is out, Rudy gets a big upgrade.

12) BRIAN WESTBROOK
Needless to say, bonus points if your scoring system gives points for receptions. Provided the foot is good, he’s going to get it done – all the more with T.O. gone. My sources say he’ll be healthy.

13) MIKE BELL
Do you really think the Ron Dayne era is upon us? Neither do I. Your momma could rush for 1,200 yards in Denver… which doesn't say much for Dayne, or, apparently Tatum Bell at this point. But will it say the right things for PRE-SEASON #1, rookie Mike Bell? We can only prey to know when the smoke clears. Shannahan is a fantasy owner’s worst nightmare – year after year, you never know who is going to be THE MAN in this automatic 1,400 yard system – sometimes it takes a good 4 games into the regular season to shake out. Beware of RBBC, but if one of these guys gets the official, regular season nod -- grab him. Could win your league for you.

14) WILLIS MCGAHEE
You all know I’m a Buffalo guy, and after last year, the best thing I can say here is he’s clearly the #1, workhorse back, and that’s of value. But the Bills passing game ain’t gonna fool nobody. I see a lot of 8-in–the-box, and Willis “slipping” on the snowy turf and crumpling into the fetal position. Go ahead – prove me wrong, Hurricane.
On the upside, he’s lean, and he’ll actually be in the game on third downs this year (riddle me that move, Mularckey?!) He’s also in a contract year, so I won’t yell at you if you take him in round two. But you’ve been warned…

15) CHESTER TAYLOR
He’s in a system that made Brian Westbrook a star, and they paid him #1 money – he’s worth a shot because it could be a breakout year.

16) KEVIN JONES
I drafted him last year, and I’m still vomiting, but the Lions were a complete mess. Once again, this is a bet on the Martz system… wow, I just crapped my pants.

17) REUBEN DROUGHNS
Once the Browns realized Lee Suggs will never stay healthy, Reuben took on a huge share of the offensive workload – it’ll only get bigger this year now that they know he’s the man. But buyer beware: He needs more touchdowns. The Bentley injury hurts a lot, but I think the Browns are improved this year, either way, and young Frye at QB requires them to keep it moving on the ground.

18) WILLIE PARKER
Sure, someone is going to come in and vulture the short TD runs, but who else is going to get the workload for the reining champs this year? He’ll give you at least three games that will win your week outright, and I predict more consistent production week-in, week-out. Rumor has it he might get some goal line carries, to boot – a very interesting value pick here.

19) DESHAUN FOSTER // DEANGELO WILLIAMS
Both of these guys could go off this year – Foster is a fabulous back until he gets hurt, Williams might be the best back in this draft – if they end up sharing the load all year, it’s gonna to hurt both, the same way it did when Foster was sharing the load with Stephen Davis. But very much worth considering as a handcuff tandem.

20) REGGIE BUSH
I’m probably underestimating Bush’s explosive potential, but we simply do not know how many touches he’ll get, and Deuce is likely to be the goal line vulture here. A situation to monitor, with a potential upgrade to come… but have you ever seen a sexier rookie flex starter? An intriguing pick for gamblers of all ages, although some star struck owner will probably pick him too early, so value isn’t likely here.

21) LAURENCE MARONEY
It feels like the Corey era is ending fast here, but we all know Belicheck will never tell you who his starter is, so prepare to pull your hair out. However, Maroney has keeper league stud written all over him.

22) JOSEPH ADDAI
Let’s see here – when Bill Polian drafts an RB high, they tend to be… Hall of Famers! Thurman Thomas, Edgerrin James – grab this kid, and trust the master! The odds are it will take a few games, but he should be the #1 by the halfway mark.

23) JULIUS JONES
All the upside in the world, but… read my sleeper profile on Marion Barber and you’ll see why I’m downgrading him. The problem is simple – you just don’t know when he’s going to disappear on you.

24) WARRICK DUNN
Year in, year out, arguably the most underrated Fantasy RB. Trust me, draft after draft he’ll be there later than he should be. Flex dreams can be made of this, and with Duckett gone, it only gets better.

25) FRANK GORE
The Barlow trade and an improved line makes Gore a fascinating upside player with great value in your draft. You could get a pretty interesting #1 back late here, folks.

26) WALI LUNDY
A little risky here, as it isn't clear he will be the true feature back, but with Dominick Davis headed for the I.R., and reports that Morency doesn't hit the hole the way his new head coach mandates, this could be the alpha dog slotted to take advantage of that Denver blocking scheme -- he'll be there at a value slot and represents tons of upside. A great High Risk/high reward pick.

27) FRED TAYLOR
Oft-injured, not a great TD maker, but at this point a great yardage back who you can steal really late, and will give you some big weeks.

28) THOMAS JONES
See Warrick Dunn regarding the chronically underrated, but my Spidey-sense tells me it’s going to be running back by committee time in Chicago with big $ Cedrick Benson finally over a bad case of the grumpies and up to speed. This has a RBBC stink to it.

FLAG ON THE PLAY: If Benson’s shoulder is a big hurt, you can kick Thomas up about ten notches!

29) DEUCE MCALLISTER
He’ll be sharing the load, his health is a always a mystery, and personally, the Big D has burned me too many times in the past – pass.

And speaking of committees…

PICK ‘EMS: nothing takes the place of a workhorse, feature back, but you won’t get RB depth without picking some players in committee backfields. It’s handcuff time, because if you get them both, you got something good here: you start the vet early in the season, or you start the kid late… and could catch some huge weeks if you get straight info on who the starter is:

30A) JAMAL LEWIS // MIKE ANDERSON
Okay, no kids here… and no clear starter either. In the early expert drafts I've participated in to date, Lewis seems to be hugely overvalued and going waaay early when owners are panicked after a big run on ball carriers. Sack up and defer for a young back with upside.

30B) CHRIS BROWN // LENDALE WHITE
Add in the wild card of Travis Henry and this is a real mess – although I suspect White will be the bull on the goal line from the get-go.

20@WR

1) STEVE SMITH
Keyshawn will hurt some of his production, but not those big, game breaking plays – in fact, he’ll help Smith get open more often and theoretically stop everyone from copying Seattle’s playoff scheme of shut down Steve and dare the rest of the Panthers to beat you. As an added bonus, if Me-shawn tweaks Smith’s diva ego to make more magic, you got fireworks. This guy won a lot of leagues for savvy owners last year. KEEP AN EYE ON THAT HAMMY, THOUGH…

2) LARRY FITZGERALD
The Edge is a downgrade for me, but he’ll only make this passing attack more outrageous, and the kid is heading into his third season -- the traditional break out year for receivers. He's touchdown gold in the redzone, and P.S. – other than Seattle, defensively the AFC West is a mess, easy schedule here, people!

3) TORRY HOLT
Holt is the safest, most consistent thing since locking the door before you jack off. On the cautious side, I'm just waiting to see what the new Ram offense is all about...

4) CHAD JOHNSON
Downgraded only because of the shroud of mystery surrounding Carson’s bum gam. I mean, can anyone name the Bengals second string QB? Didn’t think so… oh, wait, it’s Anthony Wright. Uh boy…

5) MARVIN HARRISON
Every fourth week, it’s Reggie Wayne time, but in the bigger picture, Marvin gets it done year after year, and no Edge might spike things statistically.

6) ANQUAN BOLDIN
Now here, we have a football player. Boldin plays with passion, he gets a lot of passes thrown his way, and he makes the big plays, get on board. Could use a little more TD’s, but they may just come this year.

7) REGGIE WAYNE
I always think Reggie goes a little too high in drafts, and last year his TD’s were down, But without the Edge, Manning is going to be throwing it like crazy.

8) TERRELL OWENS
Kookoo for touchdown puffs. He’ll do less in the Parcell’s system, and admittedly, Bledsoe moves like a collectable action figure, but he can still air out the long ball all day long, and Nutbag McAsshole will score the big ones week after week.

9) CHRIS CHAMBERS
Once Culpepper takes the rains, Chambers will be a big factor… the question is when??? It starting to look like week one, my little friends!

10) RANDY MOSS
I almost ranked him lower, but he’ll hook up with Brooks for the big plays, provided he can stay healthy. Starting to worry here – it’s been a while since Randy has played a full season, so buyer beware. On the plus side, I think he’ll slip in a lot of drafts, unless you’re in a league with a bunch of lame owners who still show up with a 2003 cheat sheet.

11) HINES WARD
Could be the year they take the muzzle off Big Ben and Ward is option Numero Uno. Either way, hugely consistent.

12) SANTANA MOSS
More weapons means he’ll have to share the ball, but it will also set him free. Santana was unstoppable in '05, and unlike some of his elite WR cohorts, he maintained his dominance all season long. I say trust last year’s dynamic results, and doubt Lavernius Coles all the more.

13) DERRICK MASON
Did an admirable job for his owners last year with Kyle Boller throwing to him, but now that McNair has landed in Baltimore, you can count on this reunion for some fireworks – no doubt he’ll slip in your drafts, and you can make a killing here -- there, I said it!

14) PLAXICO BURRESS
Dude drops his share of passes, but he’s also a game-changer and Eli’s growth only means more for this rising fantasy star.

15) ROY WILLIAMS
This kid is tantalizingly talented, he’s entering the fabled 3rd, year when WR’s blossom. You can call this yet another “yes” vote for the Mike Martz system, as well as the double QB upgrade with Kitna/McCown. Maybe I’m reaching, but I see big things…

16) JOEY GALLOWAY
I think Clayton rebounds this year, but Joey really clicked with young Simms, and no reason to doubt a redux, provided father time hasn't gained a step.

17) DONALD DRIVER
Favre’s clear #1 – ‘nuff said. Whatever happens in Wisconsin this year, we know Brett’s gonna chuck that ball.

18) DEION BRANCH
The Pats lost some WR depth, and I think this is going to be his breakout year, however the Pats system never lets any pass catcher consistently dominate from week to week, and he needs to get into camp!

19) T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH
I’d rank him higher if I knew Palmer’s readiness. Either way, he’s a big time playmaker, and by season’ end he’ll get you some great production. There are weeks when he eclipses Chad Johnson, what more can I say?

20) JAVON WALKER
The conservatives among us have slotted Rod Smith here, but I can’t forget how explosive Walker was before the injury. The man has top five talent. In Denver, the sky’s the limit if he can still plant and cut. Worth a shot.

And keep an eye on LEE EVANS – should team up with Losman for some huge bombs.

10@TE

1) TODD HEAP
Quietly had a huge year last season, and McNair looooves his tight ends. This is his career year. There, I said it.

2) ANTONIO GATES
What is not to love, here? I’ve drafted him for the past two years and loved my results. But this year, it’s not just my aversion to going with consensus #1 at a given position, it’s this whole Phillip Rivers thing. Why do I get the feeling the Charger brass is more interested in making a profit or relocating than they are about winning? Even Marty made it clear he didn’t have a “gleam” about letting Brees go. Opponents are going to challenge Rivers to beat them with his arm, and until he proves he can (can you say “30 total NFL passing attempts?!”), it’s going to hurt Gates’ big play numbers.

3) JEREMY SHOCKEY
Things are only going to get better with young Eli.

4) TONY GONZALEZ
Have you noticed the crazy run on Safeties around the NFL this year and in the draft? You gotta cover these freaky TE’s, and when you play KC, you don’t have to worry about their WR’s. His numbers were down last year, and I don’t see it getting better until they finally get some receivers to pull coverage away from this stud.

5) CHRIS COOLEY
Huge value last year, now people are on to him. He’ll have to share the ball more, with Randle El and Lloyd in the fold, but he’s a redzone machine.

6) RANDY MCMICHAEL
There was a run last year when he was good for a TD/week plus some reception totals. It only gets better.

7) L.J. SMITH
Poised to have a big year with T.O. gone – might be Mcnabb’s #1 redzone option.

8) HEATH MILLER
Less Randle El means even more Heath – the kid found the end zone a lot last year, great red zone rapport with Big Ben, who doesn’t get to ride The Bus on third and goal anymore.

9) JASON WITTEN
Git her done!

10)ALGE CRUMPLER
The only human being Michael Vick has ever completed a pass to.

11) BEN TROUPE
Is this the year he cements the job? If so, he’ll open your eyes.

15@PK

1) NEIL RACKERS
2) ADAM VINATEIRI
3) JEFF WILKINS
4) JASON ELAM
5) JEFF REED
6) SHAYNE GRAHAM
7) JASON HANSON
8) MIKE VANDERJAGT
9) RYAN LONGWELL
10) RIAN LINDELL
11) JOHN KASAY
12) JAY FEELY
13) JOSH BROWN
14) LAWRENCE TYNES
15) DAVID AKERS

15@DEF

1) CHICAGO
2) CAROLINA
3) NY GIANTS
4) INDIANAPOLIS
5) PITTSBURGH
6) SEATTLE
7) TAMPA BAY
8) JACKSONVILLE
9) WASHINGTON
10) BALTIMORE
11) DALLAS
12) MIAMI
13)MINNESOTA
14) CINCINNATI
15) ATLANTA

SLEEPERS:

MARION BARBER, RB, DALLAS:
Anyone who owned Julius Jones last season knows the frustration of seeing his impressive potential up on blocks, as well as the creeping suspicion that he may not be “a Parcell’s guy.” Meanwhile, the Tuna put a lot of trust in Barber during his rookie campaign. He not only averaged 4.5 YPC while Jones was out of the line up, but Barber hogged most of the Cowboys goal line action. Mix in rumors that Jones was offered to the Jets on draft day, and I smell trouble. If Jones can’t stay healthy, Barber could put up big numbers as a late round value pick.

DREW BLEDSOE, QB, DALLAS
If you don’t like to draft a QB until the seventh round, this is your guy. Bledsoe put up top ten Fantasy numbers last season, and he just landed one of the most explosive weapons in the game. While T.O. certainly puts the “D” in Douche… I mean Diva, the patterns say he’s got one season on his meds before the inevitable meltdown. Mix him in with Terry Glenn and Jason Witten, and Bledsoe has all the weapons he needs to take his numbers higher in ’06.

REGGIE BROWN, WR, PHILADELPHIA
This one is pretty academic. I mean, Mcnabb has to throw the ball to somebody, right? He’s the clear #1 in Philly, the Eagles think highly of him, and he’ll be sitting there late in your draft.

LATER ROUND VALUE PICKS:

WALLI LUNDY
GREG JENNINGS
MICHAEL CLAYTON
KEVIN CURTIS
VERRON HAYES
MATT JONES
GREG JONES
BRANDON LLOYD
HANK BASKET