Let me start by saying, I’m sorry for not continuing to offer my fantasy football advice throughout the season, but I got wrapped up in school, softball, coaching hockey, and starting a business.  Oh and how could I forget, running my own fantasy football teams.  And if you were wondering, Yes, I did win both of my leagues this year (thank you Michael Vick).

Before I started school this last fall, I was really set on blogging full-time about fantasy football, and hopefully helping owners win their leagues.  Unfortunately, a 19-credit workload cut my free-time in half, and from September to November, Monday and Wednesday night softball leagues took up those weeknights.

Then almost immediately after wrapping up the softball season, I began volunteering as an assistant JV hockey coach at my former high-school, and the season wrapped a few weeks ago.  Now I’m on to my next endeavor, and basically the entire reason for this post; Loose Leaf Apparel.

After much deliberation and encouragement from our peers, two close friends and myself decided to launch our own apparel company.  The goal was to produce clothes that showcase our strengths in design and creativity; and of course, stuff that we wanted to wear.

Long-story-short, we’ve spent the last month or so getting designs together, registering, and marketing our brand without products; we like to keep the suspense!  But now it’s time to kick this thing in gear, so look for our products to be available by early April!

Here’s a list of our business pages, feel free to follow us for updates!

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Anthony Gonzalez

I’m surprised that Gonzalez is as available as he is (owned in 24% of leagues), and that the Indianapolis Colts have demoted him to 4th on the depth-chart.  However, I’m sure the only reasoning behind his “benching,” is that he is coming off injury from 2009, and the Colts are now comfortable with Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie on the field at the same time.  We all know Peyton Manning doesn’t care who is catching the ball for Colts, as long as they are doing just that.  Watch for how productive Gonzalez is from that 4-spot against the Houston Texans, because he could end up being worth a week 2 pick-up.

Kareem Huggins

Huggins is relatively unknown, but with the release of Derrick Ward last week, don’t expect that to last too much longer.  Huggins is an undrafted free agent out of Hofstra.  In 2009, he ran a 4.28 40-yard-dash at the combine; so he’s got some wheels.  His upside doesn’t stop there.  He sits right behind Cadillac Williams on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers depth-chart, and with Williams’ injury history, he’s not far from being a starting running back in the NFL.  Even if Williams manages to stay 100% healthy this season, we can assume he’ll be doing so on limited carries.  I mean, I don’t see him shouldering 350 plus.  It’s a two back league these days, so Huggins will get his touches, and with his skill-set, he’s always a threat to take it to the house.

Mark Clayton

Clayton’s fantasy-worth has risen as much as any other player in the last week.  The St. Louis Rams recently acquired Clayton from the Baltimore Ravens for “late-round considerations,” and I believe he is exactly what rookie quarterback, Sam Bradford, needs.  After a knee-injury sidelined Donnie Avery for the season, the Rams were in desperate need of a veteran receiver.  I have no-doubt that Laurant Robinson will still be a solid receiver this season, but once Clayton is up-to-speed with the offense, he’ll quickly become the go-to guy.

Brandon Tate

It’s no secret, the New England Patriots love to throw the ball.  Now I know no one is going to supplant Randy Moss or Wes Welker, but Tate will get his share of looks.  It’s likely that Moss will be double-covered all season, and Welker will be the secondary focus for most defenses.  Therefore, with Julian Edelman questionable for Sunday against the Bengals, Tate is primed for man-to-man targets all-day.  And with Tom Brady as his quarterback, it’s a safe bet that if he gets open, he’ll get the ball.

Harry Douglas

Michael Jenkins has been ruled out of the Atlanta Falcons game at Pittsburgh, and this could be the week that Matt Ryan finds a better receiver to opposite Roddy White.  Douglas showed flashes as a deep threat as a rookie in 2008, but missed all of 2009 due to injury.  The Falcons need a deep threat and someone has to benefit from the double-coverage that White commands.  Might I add that defenses are also loading the box in an attempt to stop pro-bowl running back, Michael Turner.  Don’t be surprised if Matty-ice develops a rapport with Douglas, come Sunday.

Tim Hightower

Hightower is only being started in 28% of fantasy leagues.  If you own him or if he’s on your league’s waiver wire, I suggest you insert him into your line-up somehow.  Assumed starting running back, Beanie Wells, has missed practice all week with a knee injury, and is listed as questionable on the Arizona Cardinals injury report.  Oh yea, don’t forget that Hightower will be facing a St. Louis Rams defense that gave up 22.5 ppg to RB’s last season, and there is no reason to believe they will be any better in 2010.

Prediction: 15 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD…7 catches, 50 yards, 0 TD

Carson Palmer

Palmer is owned in 92% of leagues, but started in less than 30% of them; which means he is relegated to back-up duty for a majority of owners.  Week 1 is not the time to leave Palmer on your bench; unless of course you have Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady or Matt Schaub.  Palmer faces the New England Patriots, which means two things; 1) it could turn into an aerial shoot-out, and 2) he is facing one of the worst pass-defenses in the NFL.  Those sound like a pretty good combination to me.  Also, look for the Bengals to show-off their all-pro receivers; Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.

Prediction: 22-40, 285 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Derrick Mason

Mason’s stock may have taken a hit when the Baltimore Ravens signed all-pro receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, earlier this week, but that doesn’t scare me away from starting him in week 1.  Mason is being started in 29% of leagues, and has proven to be one of the most consistent fantasy receivers in recent years.  The Ravens are facing the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, and more importantly, the recently signed, shut-down corner back, Darrell Revis.  However, he should be match-up’d on Anquan Boldin for much of the night, leaving Mason to battle with Antonio Cromartie or rookie corner, Kyle Wilson.  Either way, I see Joe Flacco targeting Mason more than any other Raven receiver in week 1.

Prediction: 6 catches, 85 yards, 1 TD

Darren McFadden

This very-well may be McFadden’s last chance at earning the starting job in Oakland.  Michael Bush had a great pre-season and was named the starting running back before breaking his thumb, late in the pre-season.  McFadden is being started in 8% of leagues, and facing the Tennessee Titans.  The Titans ranked 21st in run-defense last season, giving up over 21 ppg to fantasy running backs.  They lost Keith Bullock and Kyle Vanden Bosch, and failed to add any significant run-stoppers.  This will be the week that McFadden gains back the respect he has lost from fantasy owners since his injury-plagued career began.

Prediction: 20 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD…3 catches, 25 yards, 0 TD

Mike Williams & Mike Williams

Williams from Tampa Bay and Williams from Seattle are both started in less than 5% of fantasy leagues.  Does anyone else think that is entirely too low for two guys that are number one receivers on their respective teams?  The comparisons between the two are eerily similar; both are tall possession guys, that had monster pre-seasons.  And there’s no reason to doubt that it will continue in week 1.  Tampa Bay will have second-year QB, Josh Freeman back, and they are facing the Cleveland Browns; a quite favorable match-up.  Seattle will have a tougher-go against San Francisco, but you gotta figure they’ll be down and have to throw the ball late.  After releasing their go-to wide receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, earlier this week, we must assume Williams will control that role.  Hey, someone on both of their teams has to catch the ball each week, and the Williams’ will be those guys.

Prediction: TB- 6 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD… SEA- 6 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD

The number one thing on my hate list for this season, isn’t one player, it’s a draft strategy.  Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers are both being drafted in the first round this season.  Stop, right now, just stop if you’re even thinking about drafting one of these guys in the first round.  I understand that Brees and Rodgers were the 2nd and 3rd highest scoring players in fantasy last season, but did you also know that 11 of the top 15 scoring players were quarterbacks?  Yea, it’s true.  The quarterback position is especially deep this season, and there isn’t much difference in the best starting quarterback to the worst (assuming you’re in a 12-team league).  So, why not wait on your quarterback until the middle rounds, and focus on stocking up on running backs and wide receivers early.  You’re still going to be able to get Tony Romo, Matt Schaub, and Philip Rivers in the 4th round.  Or if you want to wait even longer, you can snag Brett Favre in the 6th, Joe Flacco in the 7th, and Jay Cutler or my own fantasy-lover, Kevin Kolb in the 8th round.  See what I mean?  If you’re that guy who drafts Brees, Rodgers, Manning or Brady early, you’re going to be scrambling to find solid flex-plays in the 7th or 8th round (unless you’ve read my “love” article, and know who to target) .  While I’ll be sitting with a line-up packed with nothing-less than number 2 fantasy starters; you take your pick.

The first actual player on my hate list had a break-out season last year, but I don’t think he’ll do it again in 2010.  Cedric Benson, would have been the biggest surprise in 2009, had Miles Austin not emerged in Dallas.  Everyone I’ve talked to is saying that the Cincinnati Bengals are a run-first, smash-mouth team.  Well I’m not buying it.  I attribute Benson’s success last season to Carson Palmer coming off an injury from 2008, and a depleted receiving core.  The Bengals have clearly focused on their passing game this off-season.  They drafted a tight end, Jermaine Gresham, in the 1st round, and a wide receiver, Jordan Shipley, in the 3rd round.  Then they went out and signed not one, but two pro-bowl receivers, Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens.  None of these signings say, “We want to run the ball.”  Oh yea, and let’s not forget, “The Ultimate Catch,” Chad Ochocinco is going to want the ball as well.  Also, don’t be surprised if electric, second-year running back, Bernard Scott takes over more than just the change-of-pace role.

It pains me to put this guy in my avoid-list for 2010. But when the most dominant receiver in the NFL loses his hall-of-fame quarterback and fellow pro-bowl counterpart, how can he still be counted on to carry a fantasy team?  Don’t get me wrong, I know Larry Fitzgerald is still going to be a top receiver this season, but I don’t think Matt Leinart is capable of getting him the ball like Kurt Warner did.  Plus, with Anquan Boldin in Baltimore, teams are going to focus on eliminating Fitzgerald even more.  It won’t take long for him to understand what Calvin Johnson has been going through his entire career.  Fitzgerald is currently being drafted 15th overall; 3rd in overall receivers after Andre Johnson and Randy Moss.  That is way too high.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Reggie Wayne, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Roddy White, Miles Austin, Greg Jennings and Sidney Rice all have better seasons than Fitzgerald.  Once again, that’s not based on talent, but the fact that all of them have better quarterback situations.  That’s right, I’d trust Matthew Stafford and Chad Henne before Leinart.  You be the judge, is the risk worth his draft position?

Okay, I know the New York Jets defense is great, but who are these crazy people drafting them in the 6th round?  That’s 8 rounds before you’re even supposed to be thinking about drafting a defense.  Keep in mind that there were only 40 points separating the Jets from the worst-starting fantasy defense last season.  That’s 2.5 more points per week out of a 6th-round defense than a 14th-round defense.  I’d suggest to just draft a regular 6th round position player because he’ll likely earn more than 5 points per week over a 14th-rounder.  And only one time in the last 6 years has the consensus number one ranked defense actually finished the season at number one, and it was the 2006 Chicago Bears.  Remember, it’s all about value in fantasy football.  So, don’t be the one who reaches for a defense first.  Also, don’t panic if there are a run of defenses going off the board because every year there are two or three who emerge from the waiver-wire.  For example, last season the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers all went un-drafted in both my leagues, and yet finished in the top-12 by season’s end.  On the flip side, there are always defenses that are ranked high at draft-time, but falter as the season progresses.  Just last season the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were all ranked in the top-12, but failed to meet their pre-season hype.  Trust me, it’s safer to be patient on defenses because they are the hardest thing to predict.

Hey, all good things must come to an end sometime, right? Well, at least that’s my feeling about Thomas Jones.  Jones has been one of the rare running backs to be successful into his 30′s; but that stops in 2010.  The Kansas City Chiefs already have a starting running back that is on the verge of super-stardom in Jamaal Charles, and no disrespect, but the Chiefs offensive-line isn’t the New York Jets offensive-line.  Nor are the Chiefs dedicated to running the ball as much as the Jets had been.  Plus, I’m under the belief that fantasy football is all about, “What have you done for me lately?”  And Jones’ playoff performance was less than stellar.  In 3 games, he averaged 15 carries for 39 yards (2.6 yards per carry), and only scored one touchdown.  It’s no wonder why the Jets decided to let him go to free agency.  Jones is currently being drafted in the 8th round, ahead of other back-ups such as Donald Brown, Darren Sproles, Tim Hightower, and LaDainian Tomlinson.  All of these guys have better fantasy value heading into draft day, so don’t go reaching for Jones.

Another 8th rounder that I’m avoiding this season is Braylon Edwards.  I’m beginning to think that we’ve seen the best of Edwards.  He and Derek Anderson had their day in the sun; welcome back to mediocrity Braylon.  In 2007, Edwards caught 16 touchdown passes, in the previous 2 season, he hasn’t even caught half of that.  I’m sorry, but 7 touchdowns and several dropped passes does not warrant an 8th round pick.  And there is no reason to believe he’ll even have enough targets in New York to be that productive.  The New York Jets are clearly a run-first team, and the deep receiving core isn’t helping Edwards one bit.  Plus, Mark Sanchez has yet to prove that he can be an accurate passer in the NFL.  If you take the chance on Edwards, you’d better  hope he dominates in the first 4 weeks, because once Santonio Holmes comes back from suspension he’ll take over as the go-to receiver.  Why else would the Jets go out and trade for him?  Look for Holmes to take-over opposite Jerricho Cotchery in week 4; leaving Edwards to be the odd-man out.

This next guy was one of the key factors in my love article.  Steve Slaton was once a fantasy-stud, but lately he’s been a fantasy-dud.  Last season, Slaton fumbled the ball 7 times and averaged less than 4 yards per carry.  He is currently being drafted in the 9th round, and for what?  The only thing that kept Slaton fantasy-relevant, was that he caught 44 passes for 417 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Not many every-down backs are more productive receiving than rushing, but Slaton is one of them.    Now I know the Houston Texans are a pass-happy team, but there is no way that Slaton is the favorite to get more carries than Arian Foster.  Keep in mind that before the pre-season, Ben Tate was on track to become the starter, with Foster as the back-up.  But now with Tate out for the season, Foster should inherit all of Tate’s carries, on top of his own.  Just another reason to love Foster and hate Slaton in 2010.

The Seattle Seahawks’ running back situation is relatively unsure.  Nobody knows how Pete Carroll will divvy up his carries, and they have three running backs that will presumably get a share.  Keep in mind that Carroll is notorious for preaching about competition.  He believes it brings out the best in his players, and it’s safe to assume that his evaluation of the starting running back will be on-going. Leon Washington and Julius Jones are going undrafted in most leagues, so I have no problem with them.  But Justin Forsett is being drafted in the 6th round, and I think that is too high for a player in a running-back-by-committee.  Don’t get me wrong, if Forsett were to takeover the majority of carries, then he’d be on my love list, but right now on draft day, I’m going to avoid him.  This doesn’t mean I would let him fall far from his current ADP; I’d target him in the mid-to-late 7th round.  Either way, keep an eye open for who’s making the most impressive pitch for the starting running back job as the season progresses.

I know I said that I loved Kevin Kolb this season partly because of his receiving-core.  Well that doesn’t mean I think one of those receivers will have the same type of season he did in 2009.  I really think DeSean Jackson benefited most from Donovan McNabb’s arm strength.  Jackson had 7 receiving touchdowns of 50-yards or more, and one 67 yard rushing touchdown.  That’s almost half of Jackson’s fantasy production.  I’m not doubting Kolb’s arm strength, but I think the play-calling will cater to route running, yards after catch, and Kolb’s accuracy.  Also, I feel like Kolb’s favorite target is tight-end, Brent Celek.  Jackson is currently being drafted early in the 3rd round, as most fantasy teams’ number one receiver.  That’s a lot of reliance on a guy who is mediocre without long touchdowns.  Believe me, I love watching Jackson play, and I’d love to see him continue his home-run-hitting productivity, but I’m forcing myself to be cautious.  My advice, wait one more round on Jackson.  Doing so will allow your team to benefit more from his production; rather than having his draft stock dictate your expectations.

This should be common knowledge by now, but by Clinton Portis’ average draft position, it needs to be said again.  Mike Shanahan-running backs can not be counted on in fantasy football!  I know everyone wants to believe that Shanahan and Portis will rekindle the magic they had together in Denver, but it’s not going to happen.   Portis is currently being drafted in the 7th round; that’s weekly fantasy-starter territory.  No Washington Redskins running backs should be non-bye-week fantasy-starters, ever.  The Redskins also have Larry Johnson, Willie Parker and Ryan Torrain on the roster.  How many work-horse, injury-prone running backs does one team need before you realize, “They don’t want a work-horse running back?”  You should know exactly what is going to happen with the Redskin running backs this season; they will turn into the most unpredictable running-back-by-committee in the NFL.  I don’t even think Shanahan knows how he’s going to use any of these backs.  Look at that, I started this paragraph about Portis and I couldn’t even keep my hate focused on him.  I guess my hate is more directed at Mike Shanahan, “Would you please let one of these guys get 300 carries?”  Anyway, back to Portis because I don’t have a problem where Johnson, Parker and Torrain are being drafted, because they’re not.  He’s just not worth a 7th round pick, please don’t be the guy who is kicking himself all season for drafting this guy so high.  If you want to target him, put him in the 10th to 11th round, nothing more, enough said.

Well there you have it, my 2010 fantasy football love/hate lists are finished.  I hope you enjoyed the read and I wish your team nothing but success (unless of course you’re in one of my leagues).  Be sure to check back throughout the season, as I will be publishing weekly wrap-ups and a list of players to watch on the waiver-wire.

Leading off, I’m all about Frank Gore this year. Now, I’m not saying that if you’re drafting in the top 4 that you have to take him. Obviously you’re going to be getting one of the elite backs (Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice and Maurice Jones-Drew), but if you’re sitting at 5 or later, I encourage you to follow my lead on drafting Frank Gore. Let’s take a look back at his production last year. Gore scored double digit fantasy points in every game but two that he played in. I’m not counting the game against the Vikings where he got injured on his first carry and was forced to miss the next three games. And one of those single digit games was his first game back from injury, where he only got 15 touches. Even after missing 3 games and having 2 weeks of 5 or less fantasy points, Gore still ranked 18th in overall scoring and 6th among running backs.

Looking forward to this year, Frank Gore has one of the most fantasy-running-back-friendly schedules in the league. The San Francisco 49ers play one of the leagues bottom ten rush defenses 9 times, and only play a top ranked rush defense once. So, over half of Frank Gore’s season is going to be a favorable match-up, to say the least. Only one other team has above 3 favorable match-ups, and it’s division-mate, the Arizona Cardinals. Not to mention the 49ers added two solid lineman through the draft this year, and Mike Singletary has committed to developing a more balanced attack this year. All of which are reasons to believe Frank Gore can repeat his monstrous 2006 season, where he eclipsed 2000 total yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns.

The next player I’m looking at snagging a round early is Jamaal Charles. This guy is poised for a Chris Johnson-like breakout this season. I don’t even care that Thomas Jones is there to possibly vulture some scores. The kid can absolutely fly, and at next year’s fantasy draft I am willing to bet that he will be a first-rounder. Need proof? Look at the last 8 games Charles played in. He scored double-digit fantasy points in all of them, and scored a touchdown in all but one. Keep in mind week 10 was the first time Charles saw more than 6 carries. Through the final 8 games, Charles rushed for 968 yards and 7 touchdowns. If he were to keep this pace for an entire season, Charles would rush for over 2000 yards and 14 touchdowns. If those aren’t Chris Johnson type numbers, I don’t know what are. And even if you’re wary of Thomas Jones, I’m not telling you to take Charles with your first pick. However, the potential that comes with Charles still warrants a 2nd or early 3rd round selection, and I don’t want to be the one kicking myself that I didn’t take a chance on him.

The first Wide Receiver on my Love list is Pierre Garcon. His current average draft position (ADP) is 74th overall. That puts him as a 7th rounder. That probably makes sense if you’re expecting him to repeat his seasonal statistics from a year ago. However, if you’re like me, you expect Garcon to keep up with his playoff numbers (21 catches, 251 yards and 2 touchdowns in three games). Now I know you’re probably thinking of all the weapons Peyton Manning has to throw to (Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, Anthony Gonzalez) and wondering why Garcon is going to be “the guy” to breakout. Simply put, Manning has run the offense the same way he did when Marvin Harrison was there, and Reggie Wayne was his compliment. Only now, Reggie Wayne has moved into the Harrison role, of go-to receiver, and Garcon is beginning to remind me of a younger Reggie Wayne. Therefore, I expect Garcon to put up Wayne type numbers and carry fantasy owners as a strong number 2 WR week-in and week-out.

If I told you that you could choose the leading pass-catcher last season, and a potential number 1 fantasy receiver in the 6th round, how could you turn it down? Well you couldn’t, I guarantee it. Sure, Wes Welker is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in January, but he’s been practicing through training camp and just completed a flawless quarter of football in the New England Patriots second pre-season game. It was clear that Tom Brady wanted to get Welker involved right away. The first four plays of the game were passes to Welker, and he looked as normal as ever. If Welker makes it through the pre-season healthy, I have no doubt that he will catch another 100 balls for over 1200 yards and 4 touchdowns again. What other 6th rounder is going to give you that production? That’s right, no one. I’d even venture to say that Welker is worthy of being drafted in the 3rd round, but hey, if you can wait and he actually falls to you, congratulations. Either way, wherever you draft Welker this season, he will be more productive than everyone else drafted around him.

Alright, now I know it’s hard to predict rookie production, but if there is one guy who could have an Adrian Peterson-like rookie season, it’s C.J. Spiller. Up until the first pre-season game, I wasn’t as convinced that he would have a major fantasy impact this season, but after fellow running backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson went down with injuries, I’m sold. The opportunity to take reps with the first team in the remaining pre-season games, is just what Spiller needs to catapult his name through the running-back-by-committee situation in Buffalo. Just take a look at his production in the second pre-season game, he gashed the Colts on multiple occasions, and his touchdown run was the icing on the cake. Spiller is currently being drafted 75th overall, which is mid-7th round, around other running backs associated with other fantasy-dreaded, running-back-by-committee’s (how dare those coaches worry about the longevity of their players).

Arian Foster is another guy I am loving right now because of a pre-season injury. It’s amazing how much the pre-season means to Fantasy Football. After a season-ending injury to the likely number one running back, Ben Tate, Foster is clearly in the lead to shoulder the load in Houston. Steve Slaton is no longer being counted on as a workhorse back after having trouble holding on to the ball last season. In the 11 games Slaton played, he fumbled the ball 7 times. That’s simply unacceptable, well unless you’re Adrian Peterson. By the way, as a Viking and avid Peterson fan, I hope he gets that straightened out. Anyway, back to Foster. There isn’t much to judge off this kid. However, he did get two starts at the end of last season and rushed for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns. So, I’m not worried about counting on him as a weekly flex play, or better. Foster is currently being drafted 98th overall. That’s right, a starting running back is being drafted at the end of the 8th round, not much better value there. Don’t be surprised to see Foster making some fantasy owner reign supreme.

Alright, I know I’m starting to trend on pre-season injuries, but there is one more guy who is the same boat as Spiller and Foster. Michael Bush is said to be taking over as the number one running back in Oakland this season. Darren McFadden has been plagued with injuries since entering the league, and apparently, this season is no different. McFadden is dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of most of training camp and pre-season games. Therefore, Bush could be in for a stellar fantasy season, at least as far as value is concerned. He is currently being drafted 104th overall. Once again, that’s a potential number one running back going in the 9th round. Are you kidding me? That’s after back-ups like Darren Sproles, Tim Hightower and LaDainian Tomlinson. I’d much rather have a starting running back, or at the very least, a bruising-goal-line back, in a 50/50 split, than anyone of those guys. No disrespect to Sproles, Hightower and LT, but it’s all about value. I personally value starting running backs, but maybe you don’t. If you’re short on running backs entering the 8th or 9th rounds, don’t hesitate to snatch Bush with confidence.

The only quarterback on my love list is Kevin Kolb, but for good reason. Every other quarterback being taken ahead of Kolb has a solid track record. If you haven’t noticed, I kind of love the sexier picks when it comes to Fantasy Sports. And there isn’t a sexier (non-appearance related) quarterback going into the 2010 season. Kolb may only have two starts under his belt, but they were rather impressive. In back to back weeks last season, Kolb managed to throw for 718 yards, 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, along with 1 rushing touchdown. Strictly for Fantasy comparison, this guy reminds me a ton of Aaron Rodgers from 2008. Everyone knew Rodgers had solid receivers, a strong arm, and good feet, but he just hadn’t proven anything yet. Now look what Rodgers is doing for Fantasy owners. I see much of the same in Kolb. He has two freakishly-fast and athletic receivers, along with a stud tight-end and a developing running back. Not to mention he is being drafted in the 8th round. What more potential value could you ask for? So, don’t be so quick to jump-the-gun on a quarterback this year. Sit back, stockpile running backs and wide receivers because you know in the 8th round, you’ve got a top-5 fantasy quarterback in the making still on the board.

Back to another running back with considerable upside, Ahmad Bradshaw. If he could just get his chance to start ahead of Brandon Jacobs, he’d be poised for fantasy greatness. To be honest, I’m not quite sure why the New York Giants haven’t gone to Bradshaw as the main back yet. I mean Jacobs has always been better as a short yardage guy, where he can throw his weight around and punish and wear down defenses. While Bradshaw has proven to be the more dynamic of the two and worthy of more first and second down carries. Last season, Jacobs started every game and had more touches than Bradshaw in all-but two of them. However, on 58 more touches, he only managed to gain 34 more yards from scrimmage, than Bradshaw. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Bradshaw scored 2 more touchdowns than Jacobs last season, because he did. If you’re not sold on my pitch to draft Bradshaw this season, let me point out that he is currently being drafted at the end of the 10th round, at 120th overall. How could you not take a chance on him? Let’s be honest, fantasy season’s are made by successful late-round draft picks and free agent pick-ups, and Bradshaw is going to be one of those guys.

And finally, the last guy on my love list, for the 2010 season, is a wide receiver, in a pass-happy offense, who is only owned in 19% of fantasy leagues. Oh yea, and he plays opposite the best receiver in the game today, Andre Johnson. That’s right, I’m talking about Jacoby Jones. Not many people know that last season, Jones scored more touchdowns than Calvin Johnson, Terrell Owens, Santonio Holmes, Greg Jennings, Wes Welker and Anquan Boldin; nearly all of which 1000 yard seasons. Jones had less than half of that with 437 yards. I know it’s fantasy faux pas to rely on touchdowns, so that’s not where I’m going to make my pitch. Instead, I’m going to focus on his efficiency. Jones only caught 27 passes last season. That puts him with just over a 16 yard-per-catch average. And back to the touchdown thing, he scored a touchdown almost once every 4 passes he caught, now thats impressive! Don’t forget, he only caught more than 2 passes in a game 3 times. Imagine what could happen if he were able to average 4 catches a game; can you say double-digit touchdowns? Jones is currently being drafted at the beginning of the 13th round, that’s usually where people are just reaching for upside. And there is no better upside available in the 13th round than Jacoby Jones. Keep in mind that Matt Schaub averaged almost 25 pass completions, 300 yards, and 2 touchdowns per-game. Johnson and Owen Daniels aren’t splitting those 50/50, so target Jacoby Jones and it won’t take long for your investment to pay-off.

Thanks for reading thus far and stay tuned for the 10 guys I hate

2. Adrian Peterson- RB2

3. Ray Rice- RB3

4. Maurice Jones-Drew- RB4

5. Frank Gore- RB5

6. Andre Johnson- WR1

7. Michael Turner- RB6

8. Steven Jackson- RB7

9. Randy Moss- WR2

10. Drew Brees- QB1

11. Aaron Rodgers- QB2

12. Ryan Grant- RB8

13. Deangelo Williams- RB9

14. Rashard Mendenhall- RB10

15. Reggie Wayne- WR3

16. Larry Fitzgerald- WR4

17. Cedric Benson- RB11

18. Calvin Johnson- WR5

19. Peyton Manning- QB3

20. Brandon Marshall- WR6

21. Shonn Greene- RB12

22. Roddy White- WR7

23. Miles Austin- WR8

24. Ryan Mathews- RB13

25. Greg Jennings- WR9

26. Sidney Rice- WR10

27. Beanie Wells- RB14

28. Tom Brady- QB4

29. DeSean Jackson- WR11

30. Steve Smith (CAR)- WR12

31. Jamaal Charles- RB15

32. Knowshon Moreno- RB16

33. Jonathan Stewart- RB17

34. LeSean McCoy- RB18

35. Pierre Thomas- RB19

36. Marques Colston- WR13

37. Joseph Addai- RB20

38. Anquan Boldin- WR14

39. Dallas Clark- TE1

40. Steve Smith (NYG)- WR15

41. Ronnie Brown- RB21

42. Tony Romo- QB5

43. Matt Schaub- QB6

44. Phillip Rivers- QB7

45. Chad Ochocinco- WR16

46. Matt Forte- RB22

47. Antonio Gates- TE2

48. Ricky Williams- RB23

49. Vernon Davis- TE3

50. Michael Crabtree- WR17

51. Mike Sims-Walker- WR18

52. Justin Forsett- RB24

53. Felix Jones- RB25

54. Brent Celek- TE4

55. Hines Ward- WR19

56. Dwayne Bowe- WR20

57. Jerome Harrison- RB26

58. Jahvid Best- RB27

59. Hakeem Nicks- WR21

60. Pierre Garcon- WR22

61. Brandon Jacobs- RB28

62. Donald Driver- WR23

63. Wes Welker- WR24

64. Reggie Bush- RB29

65. Tony Gonzalez- TE5

66. Percy Harvin- WR25

67. Brett Favre- QB8

68. C.J. Spiller- RB30

69. JerMichael Finley- TE6

70. Arian Foster- RB31

71. Jeremy Maclin- WR26

72. Marion Barber- RB32

73. Mike Wallace- WR27

74. Santana Moss- WR28

75. Jason Witten- TE7

76. Joe Flacco- QB9

77. Darren McFadden- RB33

78. Steve Breaston- WR29

79. Clinton Portis- RB34

80. Thomas Jones- RB35

81. Robert Meachem- WR30

82. Michael Bush- RB36

83. Owen Daniels- TE8

84. Fred Jackson- RB37

85. T.J. Houshmanzadeh- WR31

86. Braylon Edwards- WR32

87. Santonio Holmes- WR33

88. Donald Brown- RB38

89. Lee Evans- WR34

90. Johnny Knox- WR35

91. Kevin Kolb- QB10

92. Jay Cutler- QB11

93. Visanthe Shiancoe- TE9

94. Eli Manning- QB12

95. Dez Bryant- WR36

96. Jacoby Jones- WR37

97. Darren Sproles- RB39

98. Cadillac Williams- RB40

99. Tim Hightower- RB41

100. Kenny Britt- WR38

101. Chris Cooley- TE10

102. Donovan McNabb- QB13

103. LaDainian Tomlinson- RB42

104. Kellen Winslow- TE11

105. New York Jets- DEF1

106. Montario Hardesty- RB43

107. Jerricho Cotchery- WR39

108. Steve Slaton- RB44

109. Chester Taylor- RB45

110. Matt Ryan- QB14

111. Derrick Mason- WR40

112. Ahmad Bradshaw- RB46

113. Ben Roethlisberger- QB15

114. Chaz Schilens- WR41

115. Laurence Maroney- RB47

116. Early Doucet- WR42

117. Philadelphia Eagles- DEF2

118. Green Bay Packers- DEF3

119. Baltimore Ravens- DEF4

120. Willis McGahee- RB48

121. Correll Buckhalter- RB49

122. Dallas Cowboys- DEF5

123. Devin Aromashadu- WR43

124. Minnesota Vikings- DEF6

125. Bernard Scott- RB50

126. Devery Henderson- WR44

127. Terrell Owens- WR45

128. Zach Miller- TE12

129. Chad Henne- QB16

130. Leon Washington- RB51

131. Austin Collie- WR46

132. Nate Burleson- WR47

133. Kevin Smith- RB52

134. Vince Young- QB17

135. Matthew Stafford- QB18

136. Derrick Ward- RB53

137. Marshawn Lynch- RB54

138. San Francisco 49ers- DEF7

139. Bernard Berrian- WR48

140. Josh Morgan- WR49

141. Cincinnati Bengals- DEF8

142. Pittsburg Steelers- DEF9

143. Greg Olsen- TE13

144. Carson Palmer- QB19

145. Kevin Walter- WR50

146. Laurant Robinson- WR51

147. Jason Campbell- QB20

148. Devin Hester- WR52

149. Kevin Boss- TE14

150. Mario Manningham- WR53

151. Louis Murphy- WR54

152. Heath Miller- TE15

153. Rashad Jennings- RB55

154. David Garrard- QB21

155. Joey Galloway- WR55

156. John Carlson- TE16

157. Brian Westbrook- RB56

158. Golden Tate- WR56

159. Julius Jones- RB57

160. Eddie Royal- WR57

161. Anthony Dixon- RB58

162. Malcolm Floyd- WR58

163. Legadu Nannee- WR59

164. Mike Williams- WR60

165. Mohamed Massoquoi- WR61

166. Toby Gerhart- RB59

167. Mike Bell- RB60

168. Tashard Choice- RB61

169. Denver Broncos- DEF10

170. New Orleans Saints- DEF11

171. New York Giants- DEF12

172. Dustin Keller- TE17

173. Mark Sanchez- QB22

174. Jason Snelling- RB62

175. Javon Ringer- RB63

176. Matt Leinart- QB23

177. Joe McKnight- RB64

178. Jeremy Shockey- TE18

179. Arrelious Benn- WR62

180. Alex Smith- QB24

181. Donnie Avery- WR63

182. Demaryius Thomas- WR64

183. Chris Chambers- WR65

184. Matt Cassell- QB25

185. Antonio Bryant- WR66

186. Fred Taylor- RB65

187. Matt Hasselbeck- QB26

188. Jerious Norwood- RB66

189. Nate Kaeding- K1

190. Stephen Gostkowski- K2

191. Rob Bironas- K3

192. Mason Crosby- K4

193. Ryan Longwell- K5

194. Garrett Hartley- K6

195. David Akers- K7

196. Robbie Gould- K8

197. Matt Prater- K9

198. Jay Feely- K10

199. Jeff Reed- K11

200. David Buehler- K12

Okay, now that that’s over with we can get onto the good stuff, the rankings and my advice.  As this is my first blog, I think it’s best to do this thing in parts.  I’ll start today by giving a brief overview of draft strategies and such.  Also, I’ll dive into how I came up with my rankings.  Obviously I’m not going to start from scratch.  I’ll be basing my rankings off of ESPN’s consensus rankings, and explaining what I think needs to change.  And yes, as a Minnesota Vikings fan, I purposely waited until Brett Favre made his decision before beginning this article.

For the last two years I’ve been starting my fantasy preparations by looking at ESPN’s Fantasy Football Points Against to gage the NFL’s best and worst pass and rush defenses because every player’s average points per week don’t reflect what to expect as a fantasy owner as well as it should.  So, what I’ve done is compared every team’s schedule to the pass and rush defense rankings.  I’ve broken the ESPN defense rankings into Top 10, Middle 12 and Bottom 10.  The Top 10 teams get a plus, the Middle 12 get nothing because that match-up can go either way, and the Bottom 10 get a minus.  If a team is playing the Buffalo Bills for instance, I would give their running game a plus (29th overall), but their passing game a minus (2nd overall).  Now, this is only for one week, and pretty much useless if it’s not all compiled together at draft time to help the fantasy world decide between X RB and Y WR.  Not to worry, I’ve gone through every team’s schedule and given them pluses and minuses, and you too will be able to take this knowledge with you to your draft.  Check back late this afternoon for the first breakdowns!