My Brady Quinn Retort - a picture essay

If a picture is worth a thousand words.........

Start him or Sit him?

There are two quarterback situations in the NFL that I can't understand for the life of me. The first is in Chicago, with the ever sexy Rexy Grossman. The other is in Cleveland, with the recently signed Brady Quinn. I find the situations intriguing for opposing reasons: in Chicago, I can't understand why Lovie Smith is so committed to Rex, and in Cleveland, I can't believe that Romeo Crennel won't commit to Brady Quinn.
Let's start in Chicago, with the defending NFC Champion Bears. They have everything it takes to not only get to the Super Bowl, but to win it. Everything but a QB who doesn't turnover the ball. How many times did Lovie take the podium on Mondays last year, justifying his decision to stay with Rex? No, seriously. How many? I'm wondering, and I'd love to know. If anyone from the Chicago area is reading this and can contribute, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm going to guess about every week. After all, Rex did throw 20 interceptions and lost an additional 5 possessions on 8 fumbles. That's not Super Bowl caliber. Not even close. Make the change already, Lovie. This kid came into the league and sat with injuries for three years. That alone would have pushed me to replace him. He was a bad draft pick. Plain and simple. No biggie, happens all the time, especially with highly touted QB's who can't make the transition from college to the pros. You find a stable free agent to replace him (Brian Griese will do) and make the change already. You're telling me Urlacher and the rest of that defense doesn't want Rex's head on a platter? They can barely get a cup of gatorade and some oxygen before he turns the pill back over. If the Ravens can win the Super Bowl with a nasty defense and a run game, then so can the Bears. If the Buccaneers can win the Super Bowl with a nasty defense, and a really really weak West Coast offense, then so can the Bears. Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson. Arguably the two worst QB's to ever hoist the Lombardi trophy, but they were able to do so simply by protecting the ball.
Perhaps the Bears' front office has too much ego to admit Rex was a bad pick. I don't know how much money they guaranteed him, or exactly what their infatuation is, but whatever it may be, I hope it comes to end soon, so the team, and the loyal fans of Chicago, get what it deserves: an NFL-caliber quarterback.
The second situation that continues to perplex me is that of Brady Quinn. Normally, I would say it's an absolute imperative that rookie QB's hold the clip board for a year. A must. But here, in this situation, I think you throw the kid right into the fire. I'm all for bringing a rookie along slowly, like Cincinnati did with Carson Palmer. Carson came in the heir apparent, the Heisman winner, but still he sat behind Jon Kitna for year to learn the ropes, the reads, the subtleties of the offense, and of the league. And look at him now. We're talking best of the best, right up there with Peyton. The difference between Carson's situation and Brady Quinn's situation is the presence of a veteran QB. Makes all the difference. Palmer had someone to learn from, whereas Quinn is currently behind Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson. These are two terrible quarterbacks. They are two, third year guys with half the talent and zero the potential of Quinn. They are the epitome of journeymen. In 5 years time, I bet they both will have been rostered by 4 other teams. Quinn is coming into the league with the mental and physical abilities to be successful at the next level. Granted, Rex Grossman was also once this guy, but I think Quinn's two years of training under Charlie Weiss will make all the difference. Weiss was breeding a NFL guy; a QB who can look off a safety, check down to the right receiver, or audible into the best option at the line. Trust your boy, Romeo. Charlie wouldn't do you wrong like that. Make the call. Brady is your man.

"The Reverse"

On a recent trip home I accepted an invitation to co-manage a team in a 12 team redraft league. I decided to do this because and not in spite of the fact this team is picking 12th overall. I plan to employ the maverick draft stratefy to be formally referred to as "The Reverse". Instead of going RB, RB right off the bat, I plan to convince my co-manager that we need to go WR, WR or QB, WR if Peyton Manning is still around at pick 1.12 . You can spend all day comparing average production from 1st and 2nd rd RBs - that ends up being largely pointless and VERY boring. I predict this plan will land me the 1st and 2nd overall WRs on my board - Chad Johnson and TO. I antipate following up 22 picks later in the bottom of the 3rd/ top of the 4th with the two best starting RBs left. I anticipate them to be someone like M. Lynch and A. Green. My theory is that the two WR studs will outproduce or at least be more of a "sure thing" than 2 speculative RB picks at the end of the first round that might have experience or injury question marks hanging over their heads. I'm hoping this novel approach will shake some managers off their script and encourage them to pull the trigger early on a top WR when they otherwise wouldn't have. If that happens, my RB choices in the 3rd and 4th might be a few notches stronger. In any event it should be fun and I will post the draft after we have it this Thursday.

This article inspired my quest to prove you don't need stud RBs to win it all.

Also, a special shout-out is in order for X-body. His longtime keeper league Ashley's New Teeth was featured in a newspaper expose on fatasy football in the East Valley Tribune, a Phoenix area newspaper. Please take a look.

Worth the money?

Admission: Larry Johnson is my favorite NFL player. I am absolutely biased towards him, so when he finally ended his holdout and signed a new, lucrative, contract this week, I was in the camp that thought it was money well spent. His senior year at Penn State, when he rushed for over 2,000 yards, I sat freezing Bloomington, IN with my father and watched Larry go for 327 yards on 28 carries (over 11 yards a carry!!!) and score 4 TD's. Watching that day, I knew Larry would be the running back to break the poor Penn State RB streak in the NFL of Kijana Carter and Curtis Enis.

Three years ago, I drafted Larry in the 8th round of my fantasy draft, really just to screw over my buddy who had taken Priest in the 1st, and boy did it pay off. When he started his onslaught that season, I knew I had my hands on a fantasy 'franchise' back. He entered last season with a lot of buzz about eclipsing 2,000 yards, but he was unable to reach that level. He lost Willie Roaf to retirement, which made big headlines, but on a less publicized level, his beast of a fullback Tony Richardson left in free agency for Minnesota. So he didn't reach 2,000; he got 1,789. Not bad. LaDainian Tomlinson, who I am absolutely convinced is the greatest running back ever, has dominated the league the last several years, setting the single season TD record last season on his way to winning the league's MVP. But over the last two seasons, Tomlinson's numbers are not so much greater than Larry's that people should think the now highest paid RB isn't worth the money.

Taking a further look into those numbers, we see that in the past two seasons, LT has started 32 games, emassed 3,277 rushing yards and 878 receiving yards while scoring 51 touchdowns. In those same two seasons, but having started in just 25 games, LJ has rushed for 3,539 yards, caught for 753 more, and scored 40 TD's. Looking at these figures, its easy to see we're dealing with the best two backs in football.

I expect more of the same from both this year, as they are the focal points of their respective teams. But no matter who comes up with the higher stats this year, its safe to say that Larry Johnson is worth the money. Since LT signed the then richest RB contract a few years back, the collective bargaining agreement was re-negotiated, and thus, the salary cap elevated. Larry's compensation is just and deserved, and I expect he proves it--again--this year.

Why my team will win your league, Davecat.

I thought I'd breakdown my draft a bit for Davecat, so he can understand the mental approach it takes to come out on top on draft day. Although the rules of your league are standard enough, I cannot believe for the life of me why all players aren't on waivers after draft day. That's a whole different topic, so let's just get to my draft.

At the 5th position in a 10 man draft, I knew I'd have a shot at Shaun Alexander, league MVP two years removed. Although he looked good in his playoff return against Chicago last year, I couldn't justify taking a 30 year old back coming off an injury year (he dropped below 4 yards per carry for the first time in his career last year). The age and injury are huge red flags to me, so I took Joseph Addai, who I think is a next generation back. In splitting time with Dominic Rhodes, Addai had 226 carries for 1,081 yards for an average of 4.8. Just what I want to see out of a young stud: over 4 yards a carry. I think it's safe to assume he takes on an additional 100 carries this season and ends up being a top 5 back, running behind what has been one of the league's most solid offensive lines for years. And we also know you can't put eight in the box against Peyton Manning, or he'll destroy you.

As the snake came back to me, I knew I was going running back. I am very 'old school' in my philosophy that RBs win fantasy championship, so I went with another back who I believe is on the rise, Edgerrin James. While James has been around for years, I say he's on the rise because of the change in offensive philosophy in Arizona. Ken Wisenhunt, former offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Russ Grimm, his offensive line coach there, take over and will implement their run system that made the Steelers dominate for the better part of the last decade. Although James also fell under 4 yards a carry, I think he'll rebound well under a new system. The Cardinals also used their 5th pick on Levi Jones, a beast of a tackle, to help solidify their line.

After three top receivers went in the 3rd, I was left to choose between the scraps of the top tier receivers, or stick with RBs. Again, I elected for RBs, as we start a 'flex' in our league. I always want to start three backs, so I went with Ronnie Brown, another young player who I believe is on the rise. Miami's quarterback situation was awful last year, and everyone was coming right for him, yet he still averaged four a carry and another 8.4 a catch. This year, Cam Cameron brings his offensive mindset to South Beach, and it will benefit no one more than Brown. LaDainian Tomlinson has excelled in his system, and I think Ronnie will as well. Plus, the addition of Trent Green should keep defenses honest and out of the box.

Because I went with three running backs to start, I knew my no.1 wideout would be lacking. I lucked out, however, selecting Roy "The Toy" Williams in the 4th. The Toy has caught at least 7 TD's in each of his first three seasons with no other receiver to relieve tension from him. Enter Calvin Johnson. This rookie sensation should attract a lot of attention, leaving The Toy to be even more effective. I expect Roy to approach 90 catches and eclipse 10 TD's for the first time this year, so I'm more than happy to have him at my no.1.

In the 5th round, I wanted to keep building the starting lineup, and all the top tier QB's were gone, so I went with Randy Moss. This is a bit of a flier, but so was Corey Dillon a few years back, who arrived in New England as a talented, but disruptive, player, and put up 1,600 yards and 14 TD's. I know the Patriots spread the ball around, and there are no 'stars', but again, I point to Dillon, whose similarities with Moss are striking. I really think Moss brings it all back together and tries to win his ring this year. For more on this, read my earlier post.

McNasty in the 6th! I'm thrilled with this. I needed a QB, and I got a stunner at the 56th overall pick. Yeah he's coming off (another) injury year, but he was sick last year, and Carson was able to come back after a far worse knee injury. I think the Eagles learned what an asset Westbrook was last year, and McNabb won't be asked to do quite as much this year. I expect 25 TDs and 3,500 yards, at least.

Not feeling the need to jump too early on the Ravens DST, and never wanting a TE this early, I got what I truly believe is the sleeper of the draft in Julius Jones. I've posted about him before and declared him my breakout candidate, so I'm glad he dropped this far. I think he can be a top ten back, which would make his 'value' in the 7th round immense. While Marion Barber stole carries and TD's last year, I just don't see it playing out the same this year. From everything I've read, Barber was a Parcells' favorite, and there's no reason to believe Wade Phillips will show the same favoritism. Phillips is used to seeing a back who can catch and hit the home run, and Jones will provide that this year. And if he doesn't pan out, he's on my bench anyway.

Braylon Edwards in the 8th is a major 'wait and see' pick. He's a 3rd year WR will all the tools for a breakout, expect having a QB to get him the ball. After seeing Brady Quinn take over, however, in last week's preseason game, I'm more excited about him. He was a stud in college, and really just needs the to get the ball thrown his way to make things happen. Hopefully, they happen for me in Williams' bye week.

Since he just kept slipping and slipping, and considering McNabb's recent injuries, I snagged Matt Hasselbeck in the 9th. Matt Hasselbeck is a legitimate starter in any league, any format, so to get him to back up McNabb is a treat.

The final five rounds are nothing to speak of, so I'll sum them up briefly: 10. DeShaun Foster (I know DeAngelo is supposed to take over, but as of now, I just got a starting running back in the 10th round, and that, ladies and gentlemen, I'll take anyday), 11. D.J. Hackett (emerged late last year in Darrell Jackson's absence, and I could get him and Hasselbeck on a double-whammy if I see fit), 12. Greg Jennings (another receiver flier, no biggie, could be starting him by week 4 or dropping him), 13. Heath Miller (my starting tight end with a QB I really think will have a great year), 14. Shayne Graham (kicking off turf and on a prolific offense), 15. Carolina DST (eh, I would have liked better, but I wasn't willing to take anyone earlier, so I'll settle for John Fox's tough mentality, Julius Peppers' freakishness, Dan Morgan's return, and I'd be tickled if Steve Smith took a return back).

All in all, I love the team, drafting from the 5 spot. I've got 5 starting running backs on the roster, all of which could be fantasy starters as well. Roy and Randy make for a solid receiving core, and Donovan and Matt make my QB duo as good as it gets in this league. It'll be interesting to see how things come together, but I expect to take the money this year.

2007 Barney's Beanery FFB Draft - Revisited

Here are my rankings for this year's edition of the Barney's Beanery FFB league draft. This is not how I think the league will play out. Obviously, I will win it all. This is just a critique exploring who had too much beer to drink by the 4th round and who was actually paying attention.


Final Draft Rankings:

1) Jamestown Rainmakers / Average Score: 7.05

2) Jacaranda Jack / Average Score: 6.95

3) THOSE 2 BLACK GUYS - Average Score: 6.75

4) The Lawn Wranglers / Average Score: 6.7125

5) Go Rt Through / Fuck OU / Average Score: 6.6375

6) Kate's Section / Average Score: 6.5625

7) Breakfast by Yelly / Average Score: 6.45

8) TV Nazi / Average Score: 6.4375

9) Pitbull's Revenge / Average Score: 6.4

10) New Orleans Taints / Average Score: 6.35


Feel free to disagree and please comment if you do. We'll revist this post later in the year to see how accurate I was.

(by draft order)
1. THOSE 2 BLACK GUYS - Average Score: 6.75/10

RBs - I love the RBs. How could you not love LT. Also, I write extensivley on this site about my love affair with Benson. I will give this group an 8 out of 10 only because T2BG failed to land the all important handcuff for LT of Burner Turner. T2BG picked Jerricho in the 7th who will be your #3WR instead of Turner. Most people will say you picked a potential starter over a backup and that makes sense but I will argue you needed to overpay for Turner and you could have taken advantage of a ton of late round WR depth to take Jerricho's place. I love the Minny O-line so one of their RBs could do some damage. RB rating: 8/10
WRs- Assuming you have to start Jerricho as a flex due to Taylor and AP splitting carries this group is a little thin. I'm not sure how you are going to deal with bye weeks and I am not a Bruce fan at all. At that 10th round pick you passed up D.J Hackett, Greg Jennings and Kevin Curtis all of which I think will outproduce Issac. All that said, Marvin and Marques will produce and Jerricho may never sniff your starting lineup if only one of the Minny RBs gets meaningful carries. WR: Rating: 6.75/10
QB: I love this position group because of Bulger's consistency and Alex Smith's upside. Bulger was one of the last elite QBs on the board at the time. He is not in Carson, Drew or Peyton's group in terms of big games but he is very strong. QB Rating: 6.5/10
TE/DST: You picked a mediocre D late and a promising young TE (Click Clack!). I am giving you a bonus point because I am confident Vernon will be a stud. You will remember last year fondly (he had Balt. D) after you switch D's for the 15th time this year. TE/DST Rating: 5.75/10

Average Score: 6.75/10

2. Go Rt Through / Fuck OU / Average Score: 6.6375/10

RBs - Jackson was the no-brainer pick at 2. He could end up having a better year than LT if things fall just right. Jacobs is a potential pick but risk/reward dictates that you take the undisputed #1 RB on a good run team and don't look back. This group falls way off after those two.Norwood will lose touches to Dunn even though Dunn is ancient. The wildcard with the Flacons is their new coaching staff. Petrino is scraping the zone blocking run scheme in favor of a more traditional hat on hat scheme. We are all familiar with the new Falcon's QB and his track record which should point to a focus away from the pass and on the run but only time will tell. Jerious is a serviceable flex play most weeks. Bush and Turner may never see meaningful snaps this year so depth in this qroup is non-existent. LT is made of granite - he ain't going nowhere. Might of been better served stashing away Droughns (Jacob's B/U).

RB rating: 6.7/10

WRs- Strong WR group. Walker and Johnson are basically 2 WR1s. Bennett needs to take over the WR2 job for the Rams to make this group dangerous. I don't see Gonzales having the veteran savvy to excel in the Brandon Stokley WR3 role in Indy. WR: Rating: 7/10
QB: Martz + sick receivers + always playing from behind = QB stud. Kitna may throw more ints than he did last year (21) and still end up a top 3 FFB QB. If he goes down, prepare to hit the FA/waiver wire hard. Risky but could pay off huge. QB Rating: 6.15/10
TE/DST: Never bet against Belichick on D. Always assume Shockey is going to disappoint with an injury. TE/DST Rating: 6.7/10
Average Score: 6.6375/10

3. New Orleans Taints / Average Score: 6.35/10

RBs - Larry is Larry. He will sign and be his normal stud self. He may not challenge any records this year but he will end the season as a top 5 back. Thomas Jones is already injured and at the end of the day he simply doesn't punch in goal line opportunities well enough to be a strong RB2. Watch for Leon to take valuable 3rd down and RZ touches and steal a few TDs from TJ. I am not in the D. Williams fan club but he is a solid flex start and decent value in the 7th rd.Great depth at this position.

RB rating: 6.4/10

WRs- OY VEY! AJ didn't score much last year and they haven't really addressed the problems which caused that. Their QB is still a ? and there is no other WR to take the heat off him. I see AJ as strictly a moderate WR2 who will pile up yardage but struggle to get to 5-6 TDs. Dyslexico and Eli will be inconsistent and underwhelming assuming Burress can even stay healthy. Ashley????? We had a girl in our league last year named Ashley. While I would imagine the Bronco's Ashley is faster in the 40 I think our Ashley outproduces theirs if she gets to start at receiver on an NFL team. Ashley is currently 3rd string on the 9ers. Porter in the 15th round might be the hidden gem. I forcast him putting up WR2 numbers when its all said and done.
WR: Rating: 3.5/10

QB: I'll take Brady any day of the week. Lock him your lineup and leave him there. You picked him early with your 3rd rd pick passing up on several stud WRs (TO, Holt, Fitz among others). He might make up for that with a career year. Delhomme may not even be the starter in Carolina by the time Brady's bye rolls around so keep an eye open for fill-ins. Studs can carry you, Brady is a stud. QB Rating: 7.5/10

TE/DST: Start with the bad - your TEs are striaght-up walking wounded. LJ has some sort of hernia thing that will slow him this year and his value depends on McNabb staying healthy. K2 is talented but his knee is swiss cheese and the Brown's QB situation is weak at best. The good - You grabbed Balt D in the 6th 4 spots after Chicago. They could be the #1 FFB DST by a long shot if they field a credible return threat. Baltimore is agressive and looks to pick, strip and score at ever opportunity. These guys along with Brady and LJ will carry your squad week to week. When its all said and done who cares about TEs. TE/DST Rating: 8/10

Average Score: 6.35/10
(Prediction - you will trade RB depth for a WR at some point)

4. Kate's Section (This is me explaining why I did what I did - feel free to disagree) / Average Score: 6.5625/10
RBs - Gore is on the doorstep of a breakout season. Injury concerns have to factor into the conversation (both the broken hand and history of injury and surgery). MJD will share time with Fragile Fred this year. He did OK (15 TDs) in that role last year and I am skeptical Fred Taylor stays healthy 2 yrs in a row. I am not worried about Greg Jones stealing GL carries. I think he moves to fullback. Deuce should be a solid flex assuming Peyton uses him the same way they did last year. This group falls short on depth as there isn't anything behind the top 3 guys. The rating turns on how well and how much Kevin Jones ends up playing for the Lions. The potential is there to field 4 top 15 RBs by the end of the year but KJ makes this a gamble.
RB rating: 6.5/10
WRs- I feel very good about this position group. TO and Housh match up with any WR combo in the league. I am really excited about my WR sleepers picked from the 7th rd on (Galloway, Henderson, Curtis).
WR: Rating: 7.2/10 (based on proven production, sleeper upside and depth)
QB: I like not love Romo. I clearly reached for him in the 6th when Rivers and Hasselback went in the 9th. In hindsight I was too excited about having the TO/Romo connection. I also wanted D-Nabb one pick earlier. Big Ben in the 12th redeems me a bit since he might very well become my everyweek starter at some point.
QB Rating: 6.5/10
TE/DST: Cooley will end up being a top 5 tightend at worse and the Chargers will continue to rack up sacks playing the pass and protecting leads. Darren Sproles will be this year's Devin Hester with multiple KR/PR TDs.
TE/DST Rating: 6.5/10
Average Score: 6.5625/10

5. Pitbull's Revenge / Average Score: 6.4/10
RBs - Three backs in the first three rounds. Sounds familiar. If this were baseball you'd be batting .333 as only Addai will do anything remotely befiting a 1st, 2nd or 3rd round pick. Edge was weak last year and sadly his coach couldn't bring the Steeler OL with him. Ronnie is talented but his OL and QB are mediocre at best. Deshaun and Julius Jones could go either way but I like them as later round picks. Lots of depth but few difference makers.
RB rating: 6.2/10
WRs- WR1 - Roy / WR2 Moss / WR3 Braylon - This is great group who is potentially dominate if Moss lives up to the hype. I'm not buying what Randy is sellin'. Great sleeper picks round out the group (Hackett / Jennings).
WR: Rating: 6.85/10
QB: D-Nabb is back and he is ready to carry your team on his back. Great pick in the 6th (I was going for one pick prior) and he may very well turn out to be a top 3 QB. You need insurance with Donovan's knee and Hasselback is perfect for that purpose in the 9th. He is easily a starter on around half the teams in this league. You had the best QB draft of any manager in the league.
QB Rating: 7.55/10
TE/DST: Carolina may surprise but I am betting you are planning on playing DST musical chairs based on matchup. There is really nothing wrong with that other than when the matchups suck. Heath is a viable target but the more they go to 3 and 4 WR sets the less PT he will see.
TE/DST Rating: 5/10
Average Score: 6.4/10

6. Breakfast by Yelly / Average Score: 6.45
RBs - Great RB depth and Alexander might very well be the best value RB in the 1st round. Assuming he is fully healthy he could approach his 2003/2004 numbers. Barber, Lynch and Betts give you 4 servicable FFB plays to cement some of the best RB depth in the league. If Lynch realizes his potential this group will be special. This group is all about potential.
RB rating: 6.1/10
WRs- Steve Smith is potentially the LT of the receiver group. Bold move going after him in the 2nd rd. You ended up with solid starters across the board and really didn't suffer for the choice. Going 4 deep at the WR position combined with RB depth will give you tons of trade options down the road.
WR: Rating: 7.4/10
QB: Rivers and Leinart are a solid platoon for sure. Rivers in the 9th is a great value. You have to think you will plug him in and leave him to improve on last year's impressive numbers. I am projecting a decline for both Boldin and Fitzgerald with the new coaching staff but Leinart will still be an excellend spot starter and could surprise in the new offense if play action passing becomes more of a weapon for them with an improved run game.
QB Rating: 6.2/10
TE/DST: Steeler's D isn't what it once was and neither is McMichael. They are both decent weekly plays and you will use them and do well more often than not.
TE/DST Rating: 6.1/10
Average Score: 6.45

7. The Lawn Wranglers / Average Score: 6.7125
RBs - One stud and two solid yet unremarkable starters who are the clear #1s on their respective teams makes this a viable group. Not bad considering draft position. There isn't much there after those guys.
RB rating: 5.9/10
TV Nazi / Average Score: 6.4375- Holt and Lee Evans stack up well against every other team's top 2 WRs. Depth is spotty after them.
WR: Rating: 6.2/10
QB: Vince Young could explode or he could fall prey to the Madden cover jinx and get struck by lighting or a meteor. Young and Cutler at worst, will be servicable. I like that you went out and tried to get a WR that each of them throws to. I am not a VY fan and I love Madden.
QB Rating:5 .75/10
TE/DST: Bears / Antonio Gates - FFB is all about difference makers and you went out and grabbed 2 definite ones.
TE/DST Rating: 9/10
Average Score: 6.7125

8. TV Nazi / Average Score: 6.4375/10

RBs - This is the all potential squad at RB. If Maroney and Henry live up to their potential then look out.Your RB3 is a question mark with two young players. This will likely be a feast (7)or famine (5) year. I will split the difference.
RB rating: 6/10
WRs- Outside of Larry Fitz your WR draft reads like a whos-who of WR sleeper picks. Problem is some of them went a little earlier than most people are drafting them. This kind of pick prevents you from using a high pick on another position. Bottom line is if a few of them blow up and your other positions work out it will not matter where the WRs were drafted. I like their upside overall.
WR Rating: 6.45/10
QB: People are speculating that Brees will regress after a great 2006 but I this Bush's continued maturation in the offense will guarantee another banner year. Losman could be a sleeper but he faces a tough schedule.
QB Rating: 7/10
TE/DST: Philly could surprise with a great year defensivly. They also have a great kick returner in Jeremy Bloom playing this year for the first time (injured knee last year). I love this pick in the 11th. They could be top 3 if Kearse stays healthy and Spikes plays well. I actually like Alge assuming his knee holds up. Joey isn't comfortable winging it down field so Alge might become his security blanket while he wets the proverbial bed for yet another NFL franchise.
TE/DST Rating: 6.3/10
Average Score: 6.4375/10

9. Jamestown Rainmakers / Average Score: 7.05

RBs - Westbrook, Portis, Bush, Tatum Bell - WOW! Great depth and talent especially when you consider the draft position. Assuming Portis regains his past form this could be the premiere RB group in the league.
RB rating: 8.1/10
WRs - Injuries and age will be an issue for this group but a trade for a premiere WR later in the year is likely. If you assume good health this group still needs to deal with being hugely inconsistent. Never before has someone done less with opportunities than Chambers - he is not a good receiver. Moss will have a lot of 3 catch / 45 yrd statlines punctuated by games where he goes for 150+ and 2 TDs.
WR Rating: 6.3/10
QB: Carson could be the number one overall QB this year. He is a good QB.
QB Rating: 7.8/10
TE/DST: Gonzo is going to stay in and block a bunch this year with the Chief's o-line situation so I don't expect much but I love the Dolphins with their shiny new kick returner and their schedule playing 5 first year QBs. Joey Porter is also pretty good.
TE/DST Rating: 6/10
Average Score: 7.05

10. Jacaranda Jack / Average Score: 6.95/10

RBs - Rudi is Rudi - he will produce his 12 TDs and 1500 yrds. The rest of the RBs promise to be decent. I actually like Caddy more than most since Alstot will not be stealing any of his TDs this year. If Garcia plays as well as he did in Philly then Caddy could breakout.
RB rating: 5.95/10
WRs- This is a great group of WRs lead by Wayne who will rack up some points with Peyton. DJack and Hines will do what they normally do and Clayton is in his 3rd yr albeit on a mediocre passing team.
WR: Rating: 6.75/10
QB: Peyton will either be #1 or #2 overall this year among QBs. Nuff said. Eli is a fraud.
QB Rating: 8.5/10
TE/DST: Dallas should improve on D with their new head coach bringing the Chargers brand of high pressure D to Big D. They are loaded with young, explosive talent. Heap will be steady as the defacto go-to WR in Baltimore. Consistency is the name of his game.
TE/DST Rating: 6.6/10
Average Score: 6.95/10

X-Body's Breakouts

Davcat,

You've seen my comments on your guys, now see my picks, by position.

QB - Big Ben. As I went over in the comments section of your post, Davecat, I see Ben as rebounding this year after the appendectomy and motorcycle accident that slowed him last year. Every report I have read about Steelers' camp is that they are committed to enabling Ben to throw more, and to take on more responsibility with the audibles at the line of scrimmage. Ben will continue to have Fast Willie Parker in his backfield to balance the attack, which can really open up the play action game. Hines Ward will be his usual productive self, with Heath Miller and Santonio Holmes stepping up for solid years as well. BigBen, despite the injuries/accidents last year, still did put up 3,500 yards. What hurt him though were his 18 touchdowns to 23 interceptions; look for him to reach 3,700 yards, 24 TD's, and 10 INT's.

Other QB Breakout - Jeff Garcia, TB. Jeff Garcia's ability to energize the Eagles last year and lead them to a division title was eye opening to say the least, especially coming off an atrocious spell in Cleveland. Jon Gruden turned an aging Rich Gannon into a stud, and while I don't think Garcia will reach the same level of success, you can expect to get this guy to get great value, even snagging him off the waiver wire. Garcia's pick leads nicely into my WR breakout of...

WR - Joey Galloway. In the past two seasons, Joey Galloway has finished fifth and fifteenth in fantasy receiving, but it almost always overlooked (except by Davcat, who selected him in our draft on Sunday). Despite his age (35), he will still be able to make significant contributions because he remains the team's prime target. With Garcia bringing some much needed stability to the QB position, I see Galloway approaching his 2005 numbers of 1,287 yards and 10 TDs, but not quite reaching that mark. Look for 1,100 and 8, which will still be a steal no matter what late round you land this guy in.

Other WR breakout - Javon Walker, Denver. Coming off an ACL injury and an offseason move from Green Bay to Denver, Walker did well last year, bringing in 69 balls for 1,000 and 8 TD's. And that was half a season with Jake Plummer, half with Jay Cutler. With an entire offseason and training camp to work on their timing, I love this duo to excel, especially with Travis Henry giving them a solid run game that they've lacked since the Clinton Portis departure.
Roy Williams - In his first three years, he's put up almost 2,500 yards and 23 TD's, and that's with no quarterback, no running game, and no other receiver to take away the double teams. Enter Calvin Johnson, and watch Roy emerge as the class of the NFC. Steve Smith and Terrell Owens will both be chasing 'The Toy'.

RB - Julius Jones. I know Marion Barber scored 16 touchdowns last year. I know Barber will steal 3rd down/short yardage and goal line carries from Jones, but this is this year, not last. Parcells was partial to Barber, but Wade Phillips comes in this year and the playing field has been leveled again. Jones has the tools to be a more productive NFL back, and I think Tony Romo will utilize him more as a receiver. But the most telling sign that Julius will have a breakout year...he's up for a new contract. This is Jones' shot to either prove he can carry the load for Dallas, or any team for that matter, or if he'll be someone who splits time his whole career. I'm guessing he steps up to the tune of 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns. Don't believe Jones can, and will, emerge as the featured back? Read this article.

Other RB breakouts - Travis Henry. Perhaps it's too easy to pick him, based on his 4.5 per carry avg. last year, but this year, in Denver, he could go for 1,500.

Chester Taylor - Thomas Jones was nothing more than a mediocre back when Chicago drafted Cedric Benson, and what did that do to Jones? It lit a fire under his ass. For all the talent that Adrian Peterson has, he's made of glass. An ankle, a collarbone...this guy just couldn't stay on the field, and that was in college. Now, he'll have the Brian Urlachers and Ernie Sims of the NFC North stalking him. I think Peterson's arrival motivates Taylor to at least match his 1,200 yards from last year. Value pick with an upside...don't pass him up as he falls and falls.

TE - Since I've already said I like Big Ben, might as well stick with his TE in Heath Miller. I don't think it's out of the question at all for Miller to almost double his 35 receptions from last year. I like him for 58 receptions, 675 yards, and 8 TD's. Also, really like Randy McMichael paired up with Marc Bulger's arm and the St. Louis offense.

DEF/ST - Kansas City. They have to play in San Diego and Indianapolis, but other than that, this veteran infused defense (Ty Law, Patrick Surtain, Donnie Edwards) has a great looking schedule throughout the year. With emerging youngters Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and Jared Allen, expect low scoring games and forced turnovers.