Stargup

Where do the New York Jets' defense fall in the list of top fantasy teams?

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – Led by the dynamic linebacking duo of James Harrison and James Farrior, and a top-notch defensive backfield including safety Troy Polamalu, the Steelers had the NFL’s top defense in 2008. No other team allowed fewer points or yards per game. This version of the Steel Curtain also finished second in the league in sacks and tied for sixth in interceptions. The Super Bowl champs will continue to dominate their offensive opposition, especially in the mediocre AFC North. Fantasy owners should expect the Steelers to be the first defensive unit selected in most drafts. (Bye: Week
2. New York Giants – The Giants finished ninth among fantasy defenses on NFL.com last season, and the overall value of this unit is clearly on the rise. LB Antonio Pierce is New York’s top tackler, and DE Justin Tuck is one of the NFL’s top sack specialists. The return of DEs Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka from injuries will improve the team’s pass rush, which had 42 sacks in 2008. The Giants also added talented defenders such as DT Rocky Bernard, LB Michael Boley, and DE Chris Canty, so they will be deeper and even more formidable. Fantasy owners should love this unit in 2009. (Bye: Week 10)
3. Minnesota Vikings – A consistent fantasy option, Minnesota has finished in the top seven among defenses on NFL.com in each of the last three seasons. In 2008, the Vikings ranked fourth in the league in sacks, in large part because of DE Jared Allen, and they finished second in forced fumbles. They were first against the run for the third consecutive season, as the Williams Wall (DTs Kevin and Pat) continued to make life difficult for opposing runners. This aggressive unit also has averaged 6 TDs per year since 2005. The Vikings are almost certain to be one of the first defenses taken in drafts. (Bye: Week 9)
4. Baltimore Ravens – One of the most ferocious defensive units in the league, the Ravens will have a new look in 2009. Former coordinator Rex Ryan took the head coaching job with the New York Jets, and several players have departed via free agency or release. This team still has several stars, however, including linebacker Ray Lewis, defensive end Terrell Suggs, safety Ed Reed, and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, so the new coordinator, Greg Mattison, won’t be short on talent. While a decrease in fantasy points should be expected, the Ravens are still a top-notch defensive unit. (Bye: Week 7)
5. Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys led the NFL with 59 sacks last season, but they still failed to finish in the top 10 in fantasy points on NFL.com. However, they were more productive down the stretch after coach Wade Phillips took over the play calling. In fact, the Cowboys scored double-digit fantasy points in five of their final six games. New additions such as LB Keith Brooking, DE Igor Olshansky, and S Gerald Sensabaugh should fortify this unit. With stars like LBs DeMarcus Ware and Bradie James also on the roster, the Cowboys have become a more attractive option in fantasy leagues. (Bye: Week 6)

If you are not able to get any of these defenses…

6.San Diego Chargers

7.New York Jets

8.Tennessee Titans

9.New England Patriots

10.Chicago Bears

Where does Ryan Longwell fall in terms of the best kickers in fantasy football?

1.Stephen Gostkowski (New England) – He was on fire last year and almost average 10 points a game for his fantasy owners. To give you some comparison only 7 wide receivers averaged more points than Gostkowski and Gostkowski led the league in 2008 with 36 field goals. With Tom Brady back behind center and a hungry Randy Moss, you know Stephen will get his chances and I’ll bet on him cashing them in.

2. Ryan Longwell (Minnesota) – He is good long making the most of his 50+ FG opportunities last year hitting 6 out 6 chances. I like this kicker to surpass Gostkowski in points possibly this year, especially if the Vikings remain in QB limbo and keep producing the numerous field goal opportunities for Longwell.

3. David Akers (Philadelphia) – Akers is a very good consistent kicker that put up great numbers in 2008 and finished just below Gostkowski in average points per game with 9.3. Although he doesn’t have the leg of Longwell, something in Philly is bound to go wrong and the offense will give Akers plenty of opportunities along the way to make him worth a Top 5 pick in 2009.

4. Nate Kaeding (San Diego) – Kaeding possesses a strong, accurate leg and plays in an offense that allows him opportunities to produce. He had a nice season in 2008, posting career highs in both field goals (27) and attempts (32), but he was also inconsistent. In fact, he scored 6 or fewer fantasy points on NFL.com six times. Still, Kaeding has averaged a respectable 134 fantasy points over the last three seasons and remains a viable starter in most leagues. The Chargers should continue to score points, so look for Kaeding to produce good — but not great — numbers in 2009.

5. Mason Crosby (Green Bay) – Crosby, who led all kickers in points in his rookie season of 2007, had another productive season in 2008. He made close to 80 percent of his field-goal attempts, including an impressive 8 from 40-plus yards. He also scored double-digit fantasy points in 9 of his 16 games — including a five-game stretch in which he averaged 11.4 points — so he has proved to be consistent as well. In an offense that should continue to put up points, Crosby remains a valuable asset in fantasy leagues. He’ll be one of the first five kickers selected in most drafts. (Bye: Week 5)

Some other kickers that are pretty good…

6. Rob Bironas

7. Neil Rackers

8. Jason Elam

9. Ryan Longwell

10. John Carney

1. Jason Witten – Witten put up monster numbers last year at the Tight End position for the Dallas Cowboys hauling in 35 passes for a total of 442 yards in the first have weeks. With Terrell Owens out of Dallas and Romo coming back healthy, Witten should have numbers that match his 2007 season. Bye Week 6
2. Antonio Gates – The only problem with drafting Antonio Gates so high is the fact that he is injury prone. He was the best tight end from 2004 to 2007 and was drafted around the 3^rd or 4^th round. With the development of Phillip Rivers, look for Gates to act as a big target throughout the year. Bye: Week 5
3. Tony Gonzalez – Last year, Tony Gonzalez exploded with Tyler Thigpen at quarterback. In his final 11 games with Kansas City, he caught 75 passes for 865 yards and a total of 8 touchdowns. He had better numbers than Gates and Witten during that same time. This year he will be a very important target for young quarterback Matt Ryan. Bye: Week 4
4. Dallas Clark – Last year Clark had solid numbers for a tight end, hauling in 77 receptions for 848 yards while scoring 6 touchdowns. He has always been an attractive option because his Quarterback is Peyton Manning. Expect Clark to come off the board in the middle rounds. Bye: Week 6
5. Chris Cooley- Cooley comes in at number 5 because of his consistency over the last four years. He posted 83 catches for 849 yards while scoring just one touch down. Although he had just 79 fantasy points, he is looking for a major rebound this season. Bye: Week 8

If you couldn’t get any of these Tight Ends…

6. Greg Olsen

7. Owen Daniels

8. Kellen Winslow Jr.

9. Zach Miller

10. Kevin Boss

Where does Randy Moss fall in between all the other Wide Recievers?

2.  Randy Moss- Moss’ value fell last year after Tom Brady’s injury. However, with Brady coming back this year, it is not out of question that Moss has the potential to be the best wide receiver in fantasy. Last year, Moss was able to finish with a respectable 14 touchdowns with Matt Cassel as his Quarterback. Although Moss and Brady will not put up the same numbers as they did two seasons ago, watch from them to rebound and put up respectable numbers. Bye: Week 8

3.  Andre Johnson – Andre Johnson surprised fantasy owners last year by getting  115 receptions for 1575 yards and 8 touchdowns. As a strong receiver he had 8 100 yard games and caught more than 7 passes in a game 10 times last year. He has big fantasy upside, if Matt Schaub is healthy this season. Bye: Week 10

4.  Steve Smith – Smith is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL. Despite missing the first two games last year due to team suspension, Smith had 1421 yards but found the end zone only six times last year. If he is able to stay healthy this year, he can complement the Panthers run game very well and become one of the best fantasy players. Bye: Week 4

5.  Calvin Johnson – Calvin Johnson was able to put up monster numbers for the horrid winless Detroit Lions. He was to rack up 1331 yards as well as getting 12 touchdowns, all while battling double teams. This year he will have a stable quarterback in first pick Matthew Stafford. His production for the 2009 year is up in the air, majorly depending on Stafford’s performance. Bye: Week 7

6.  Reggie Wayne – Wayne has been a stable pick for fantasy owners. His numbers should rebound this year as he has one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Peyton Manning and is his primary target. Watch for very solid numbers from Reggie Wayne. Bye: Week 6

7.  Roddy White – White has been able to post over 1000 yards for the last two years in Atlanta. With Matt Ryan under center, he was able to produce 7 100 yard games. He interestingly enough had more points that Randy Moss or T.O. last year. The addition of Tony Gonzalez and the presence of Michael Turner should help to ease the pressure off White. Bye: Week 4

8.  Anquan Boldin – Boldin is one of the best fantasy wide receivers just because of his position on the Cardinals. He is in a primarily pass friendly team and lines up across from the best wide receiver in football. When Fitzgerald is double teamed, most of the passes should be directed towards Boldin boosting his yards. If you can get both Boldin and Fitzgerald, consider yourself one of the luckiest owners in fantasy football. Bye: Week 4

9.  Dwayne Bowe –  Bowe is just waiting for a breakout season. The addition of Matt Cassel should help Bowe’s fantasy value. Todd Haley’s playbook should also use Bowe as a major playmaker in the Chief’s playbook. Bye: Week 8

10.  Wes Welker – Welker has established as one of the best fantasy options in fantasy leagues. He has averaged 111.5 catches and 1170 yards in two years with the Patriots and with Tom Brady coming back, his numbers should just become better. Bye: Week 8

I am pretty sure you will need other wide recievers…

11. Greg Jennings

12. Chad Ochocinco

13. Roy Williams

14. Terrell Owens

15. Brandon Marshall

16. Marquez Colston

17. T.J. Houshmandzadeh

18. Anthony Gonzalez

19. Vincent Jackson

20. DeSean Jackson

Where Did LT fall in our Standings?

1. Adrian Peterson – The top fantasy player, no doubt.. A powerful and elusive athlete, he led all backs in rushing yards last season and finished third in fantasy points at his position. Peterson rushed for more than 100 yards for 10 games and the number of carries has increased since last year. Look for his numbers to get better this season. Peterson will be the consensus No. 1 overall selection in fantasy drafts. (Bye: Week 9)

2. Michael Turner- After five seasons in San Diego backing up LaDainian Tomlinson, Micheal “The Burner” Turner proved himself as a top back in 2008, as he finished with 1699 rushing yards and 17 td’s. He was a big presence in the red zone and was able to run for 100 yards, eight times last year which included two games with over 200 yards. He carried the ball 376 times but expect that to decrease because of the arrival of Tony Gonzalez at the Tight End position. One of the few featured backs left in the league, Turner is a top-five pick for 2009. (Bye: Week 4)

3. Matt Forte – Forté was the best rookie runner last year. A versatile back with a nose for the end zone, he caught 63 passes while rushing for 1238 yards as well as scoring 12 touchdowns. With Jay Cutler coming from Chicago, Forte will be more productive as a catching running back this season. The upgrade of Orlando Pace at the tackle position, will also boost the production for Forte.(Bye: Week 5)

4. Maurice Jones-Drew- If you want a running back who is yearning for a breakout year, then look at Jones- Drew who now has the Jacksonville runningback position all to himself after the departure of Fred Taylor. This means that Jones-Drew will get most of the carries and will be a threat out of the backfield not only by running the ball but also as a receiver. (Bye: Week 7)

5. Chris Johnson- A versatile running back with good speed, Chris Johnson had a productive 2008 with 43 receptions, 1,488 yards from scrimmage, and 10 total touchdowns. He did this all at the same time as sharing the workload with LenDale White. Watch for his number of carries to increase this year. (Bye: Week 7)

6. LaDainian Tomlinson – I am going to against what all the other fantasy experts say about this guy. LaDainian Tomlinson has still got the magic that made him one of the elite running backs in the league. Everyone says he had a down year, but they do not look at the fact that he had turf toe and an injured groin. Look for Tomlinson to bounce back from a down year by his standards and prove his critics wrong. He could still be counted as a number 1 back but will lose some carries to Darren Sproles. (Bye: Week 5)

7. DeAngelo Williams – Rated as the second-most valuable fantasy back on his own team entering 2008, Williams held off rookie Jonathan Stewart and had 1,515 rushing yards and made 20 touchdowns. He scored at least 1 TD in 10 of the last 12 games, which includes 2 games with 4 touchdowns. Williams will obviously not put up the same monster numbers this year, but he’s still a surefire first-round pick. (Bye: Week 4)

8. Brandon Jacobs – Last Year Brandon Jacobs ran for 1,089 yards and an impressive 15 TDs in just 13 games. He will have a greater role in the Giants’ offensive scheme without Derrick Ward but Ahmad Bradshaw to back him should be healthy for most of the season unlike the last few years. Although he may be a gamble at this point, Jacobs should produce solid numbers as a number 2 back. (Bye: Week 10)

9. Steven Jackson – Many other fantasy analysts have Jackson higher on their boards, but unless Jackson can come out of the picture of a bust in my mind, I will play it safe and draft Steven Jackson later. He is a very talented player and new coach Steve Spangnuolo’s playbook should make Jackson a primary target in the Rams offense. There’s no reason to believe he can’t put up big numbers but I still have some doubts. Look for him to come off the board in the first round in both standard and PPR drafts. (Bye: Week 9)

10. Frank Gore – Drafting Frank Gore in the last two season has been a very big gamble. The number of games he has played, number of carries and rushing yards have all decreased each of last 2 yards. Yet with a new coaching staff, it looks like Gore should get at least 20 carries a week. The addition of Moran Norris should also help to bring up Gore’s fantasy value. (Bye: Week 6)

If you need a number 2 back or couldn’t get two of these players in your first two rounds you may want to try…

11. Marion Barber
12. Steve Slaton
13. Ronnie Brown
14. Clinton Portis
15. Brian Westbrook

Drew Brees is expected to be the top fantasy quarterback next year

1.   Drew Brees – It is probably the safest pick at Quarterback. He will have Marques Colston, Reggie Bush, and Jeremy Shockey all healthy and this guy passed for 5,069 yards-just 15 yards short of Dan Marino’s NFL single-season record-and a career-best 34 touchdowns. He passed for 300-plus yards 10 times and tossed multiple touchdowns 11 times. The Saints will remain a pass-heavy offense, so Brees’ statistical success should continue in 2009. He is worth a first- or second-round selection in fantasy drafts. (Bye: Week 5)

2.  Peyton Manning- This would normally be taken up by Tom Brady but I don’t know if he can put up the same numbers as he did in the season before he got injured. Peyton Manning on the other hand is coming off a season with 4,002 passing yards and 28 total TDs, and those numbers where a disappointment compared to his other seasons. He started the season cold but really started to air it out in the last 13 games of the season. Manning will still be the top offensive threat in the Jim Caldwell playbook. Watch for Manning to throw for more than 4000 years as well as around 30-40 Touchdowns this season. (Bye: Week 6)

3.   Tom Brady – Well the big question with this pick is how Tom Brady will respond after his surgery. Brady should remain one of the top players in fantasy with Randy Moss and Wes Welker as his receivers .  His predictions for this year are similar to Manning; 4000 yards passing with about 30 touchdowns (Bye: Week

4.  Phillip Rivers – Phillip Rivers made himself a dominant fantasy force last year when he threw just over 4000 yards and 34 touchdowns. The upside about Rivers is that his production was mostly even throughout the season. With LaDainian Tomlinson in the downside of his career and Darren Sproles used primarily for screens, Rivers could put up similar numbers this season. Because running backs and wide receivers will dominate the first three rounds, Rivers should be targeted in Rounds 4 to 5 in most drafts. If you can get Phillip Rivers after you pick up your running backs, you may have stolen one of the best gems in the draft. (Bye: Week 5)

5.  Kurt Warner – He has one of the best receiving cores in the NFL. Period. He has two of the elite wide receivers in the football and will capitalize on their presence. Watch for Warner to throw near 4500 years and about 25 touchdowns. If he falls into the middle rounds, it is your lucky day(Bye: Week 4)

6.  Donavan McNabb – McNabb is coming off a roller coaster season that saw him open with a three-touchdown performance against the Rams, then get benched and then lead the Eagles to the NFC Championship. He finished with a career high 3,916 passing yards and his second-highest touchdown total. But McNabb loses some of his fantasy luster in his lack of consistent production and due to his injury prone career, as he threw for multiple touchdowns in just 44 percent of his starts. Still, McNabb has an improved core of receivers with the development of DeSean Jackson and the addition of Micheal Vick will probably help his value. Look to draft McNabb in the middle rounds. (Bye: Week 4)

7.  Aaron Rodgers – After being Brett Farve’s backup for three years, Rodgers took the reins of the Packers’ offense in 2008 and became a superior fantasy quarterback. He was able to pass for 4038 yards and 28 touchdowns.  He also led all quarterbacks with 4 rushing TDs. Only Drew Brees and Philip Rivers scored more fantasy points  among Quarterbacks last year. With a talented wide receivers that include Greg Jennings and Donald Driver,  Aaron Rodgers should have a solid season as the Packers’ Quarterback. (Bye: Week 5)

8.  Matt Ryan – As the 2008 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Matt Ryan had many weapons around him to help him lead the Falcons to the Super Bowl. The addition of Tony Gonzalez should help to boost his numbers. This year, defenses will also probably pay more attention to one of the best running backs in fantasy football, Micheal Turner, helping Ryan to be more effective. A No. 1 fantasy quarterback, he’ll come off the board in the middle rounds on Draft Day. (Bye: Week 4)

9.  Tony Romo – Theabsence of wide receiver Terrell Owens is almost certain to decrease Romo’s fantasy value. With a talented trio of backs in Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice, the Cowboys are expected to run the ball more often this season. Tony Romo will still have opportunities to produce, but it’s hard to expect him to record monster numbers that some expect from him. Fantasy leaguers should still consider Romo a No. 1 quarterback in all formats but they should keep within lower expectations. (Bye: Week 6)

10.  Jay Cutler – One of the most talented young quarterbacks in the NFL, Jay Cutler had a breakout 2008 season with 4,526 yards and 27 total touchdowns. His success was due in large part to a strong wide receiving corps which included Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. However, a trade that sent him to the Bears almost guarantees a fall in most statistical categories. Cutler has fewer weapons in his new pass attack – his No. 1 wide receiver is Devin Hester, a converted defensive back — and the Bears won’t turn into a pass-laden team with the talented Matt Forte in the backfield. Fantasy owners should still consider Cutler a No. 1 quarterback, but he’s no longer an elite option at his position. (Bye:Week 5)