David Thomas- The Saints might be the only team in the NFL that has backup players at every position that could be starting. Tight end David Thomas is no exception. While Jeremy Shockey has been solid as the team’s starting tight end, Thomas showed last year that he could deliver if given playing time. Thomas spent his first three seasons with the New England Patriots, and didn’t record impressive numbers there, but caught 35 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown last year while Shockey was hurt. In an offense with so many weapons, it will be tough for Thomas to get starter-level stats, but he’s shown that he deserves a spot in the Saints’ arsenal, and if any quarterback can get everyone involved, it’s Drew Brees. He may not get much playing time this season, but a few good weeks in a row for him should be enough for you to claim him off waivers.

Delanie Walker- Like Thomas, Delanie Walker is playing behind an elite tight end, but has some skills of his own. Like 49ers starter Vernon Davis, Walker has the speed to stretch the middle of the field and provide another downfield threat. After Davis’s breakout 2009, he figures to be a crucial part of the offense in 2010. That will reduce Walker’s minutes, but in two tight end sets, or when the 49ers put more receivers on the field, Walker can be just as big a threat as anyone else on any given play. His career numbers so far are nothing special, and he may not significantly improve upon them, but it would be smart to keep an eye on him this year. During the preseason, Walker and quarterback Alex Smith have looked like they have good chemistry, which should translate to the regular season. He’s got the quickness to create mismatches, and with the talented players around him, he should get opportunities when he’s on the field.

Two Steve Smith’s at the same position and not much separating them to rate one higher than the other. Rankings happen for a reason and one of the Smith’s has to be the top dog. A year ago this was not even a question. Carolina’s Smith had been a top ten receiver for several years. While the Giants, Smith, had struggled to find his niche ever since the Giants drafted him. Playing behind long time Giants veteran Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress must have paid off in some fashion. Smith is the Giants clear cut receiver leader and he has fought off young talented receivers Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham in the process.

The first area we are going to analyze is both teams offensive balance. It’s no secret that Carolina has the best tandem of backs in the NFL. Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams have proven and shown that they can and will carry the Panthers with a minimum thirty combined carries a game. Even though Matt Moore is taking over that will not halt Carolina’s plans. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the carries per game claw up an extra six to eight a game.

Another glaring area with Carolina is they’ve lacked a legitamate second receiver behind Steve Smith for years. Take a second and think of who has played behind Smith……the Jeopardy five second buzzer has just sounded. Mushin Muhammed was a suitable possession receiver for a long time but not fantasy reliable. Carolina has never truly had a receiver you could draft besides Smith. Were sad to say but Dwayne Jarrett’s an absolute bust. Going into 2010 with Jarrett opposite Smith is only going to make things harder for Smith.

Age and Smith’s injuries the past few seasons have to raise some concerns. He is still a strong top fifteen receiver but we have him behind the Giants Smith.

The Giants style of offense has went more to the air. Partly because the running game has struggled since Tiki Barber departed. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward had a decent year together but 09’ saw that Jacobs will always need help. Another down year from him and he’ll likely be replaced via the draft or free agency.

A quarterback just doesn’t go from averaging between 3,200 and 3,300 yards three straight years and jump to over 4,000 yards. New York is officially an air attack team and Manning’s favorite target is Steve Smith. The cast of the Giants receivers does overshadow Carolina’s making it difficult to spread the ball to all, but were going to say take the Giants Smith over Carolina’s.

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Days of split carries in the backfield have grown over the last five years. More teams have become cognizant of protecting not just their feature backs but backfield as a whole. Protecting the health and investment of one of their main positions has helped sustain teams, and prolong backs from unneeded wear and tear.  From a fantasy football standpoint unless you’ve seen it work, you become weary of how a team is going to run that percentage of carries. Usually someone takes a couple of ticks down because of it in the backfield. Whether it’s a loss of carries in the red zone or one back separating a bit from the other and boosting their percentage of carries.

Out in Kansas City there is a definite lingering outlook on how the carries will be split. You’ve got Jamaal Charles who was equally a Chris Johnson the second half of the season. Coming in to thwart his one man show for 2010 is Thomas Jones. The veteran that has somehow came to life as his career has evolved. As a Jet, Jones busted up fantasy running back rankings with two phenomenal seasons. Strong years of double digit touchdowns to go along with an average of 1,350 yards.

New York planned ahead and decided to draft Shonne Greene in 2009 to forgo resigning Jones in 2010. Saving the money to go on the side of youth could prove to be a great move. Kansas City though believes Jones still has solid years left in him, and will complement Charles.

Youth is the name of the game in the NFL, and Charles is the guy who has that. He has that home run threat speed to change a game on any play. Out of the backfield or slashing through holes, Charles is a factor back. Jones on the other hand never has been a scary open field runner. He was on a New York Jets team that had one of the best if not the best offensive lines in the NFL. The way he got his yards was similar to Edgerrin James. They came in chunks but you’ll never see runs of forty or fifty yards.

One thing that the Jets did do with Jones is up his carries. Since 2005, Jones has averaged just over 300 carries a season. Durability hasn’t been a question though as he has played in every game but one. At 32, you’d think he’d be on the downside of his career. What level he is at is the veteran stage, like Fred Taylor. He is going to have his games where he pops on the scene and has a big game, but for the most part he is going to be a short yardage workhorse.

Kansas City has Jones listed as their number one back, but does that really mean anything? No. Charles is rated consistently as a top ten fantasy back for specific reasons. He is going to be heavily involved in the Chiefs running game, and as the season trickles on he will start to separate from Jones in carries. It’s the natural pattern of how the NFL works. It happened to Jones just last season. As a Jet he was practically a lone force every week carrying the load. Until the playoffs came along and Greene’s play forced the Jets to say this is our guy now, not just after the season.

Will see how this plays out, but those worried on drafting Charles early don’t be. Dividends will pay off just like the waiver wire pickup he was last season.

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We’ve had a Mike Williams sighting. He was seemingly written off after bustling out as a first round pick by the Lions, and small stints with the Raiders and Titans. Someone has woken him up. Linking back up with his former USC coach, Pete Carrol, may have done the trick. Thus far in preseason Williams looks like the tall physical specimen everyone expected him to be. The thing different from him now than in years past is that he seems to be in supreme shape. That is enabling him to create a bit of separation against opposing defensive backs while utilizing his tight end size.

In the first two preseason games, Williams has had two solid performances. He had a big catch for a fifty one yard touchdown, and this past week had four catches for nearly fifty yards. Talks are in place with Seattle negotiating contract lingo with Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson. Delays between the Seahawks front office and Jackson’s agent could be the best thing for Mike Williams. He’d be buried if the Seahawks trade for Jackson, and would still have to fight off rookie Golden Tate. Currently it seems like Williams could be the Seahawks third receiver if the roster stays the same.

Deion Branch and TJ Housh are older veterans that have fought off injuries, especially Branch. Chances are at some point in the year either or could fade. Williams will have to stay completely focused in order to stay on the radar in Seattle. Remember he was the tenth pick in the draft in 2005. He has the talent to shine and cause some friction amongst his fellow Seahawk receivers. Hasselbeck was looking his way numerous times especially on third downs in their past preseason game.

Keep an eye on Williams as the Seahawks should have three formidable fantasy receivers. They’ve typically been fantasy friendly at the receiver position. If Hasselbeck can stay healthy it should happen again in 2010. Looking at their running back situation only spotlights the receivers more. Julius Jones and Justin Forsett are the same tandem a year ago that had a hard time netting 1,200 yards rushing combined.

With NFL passing games becoming more creative, and talent being so widespread around the league, passing statistics for quarterbacks are sky-high. Every year, it seems like at least a handful of quarterbacks eclipse the 4,000 yard passing mark, with the top-tier guys consistently reaching 4,400-4,500 yards. Last year, Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub led the league in passing with 4,770 yards, and guided the Texans to an 8-8 finish. That number was also good for sixth all-time for passing yards in a season. Only Drew Brees and Dan Marino have passed for over 5,000 yards in a season, but after Schaub’s prolific 2009 season, it’s worth wondering whether he can join Brees and Marino in the 5,000 yard club next year.

To get to the 4,000+ range, you’ve got to have an assortment of weapons who can all make significant contributions. There can be a number one guy, but every receiver needs to have a good amount of touches and yards to get their quarterback to the elite level. Schaub has more than enough targets to throw to, and in 2009, he made use of all of them. Wide receiver Andre Johnson is clearly the number one guy in Houston, and is widely considered the best receiver in the game. He’s recorded over 100 catches and 1,500 receiving yards the last two years, and judging by his recent big-money contract extension, he’ll be putting up those numbers for the Texans in a while. In addition to Johnson, Schaub’s got receivers Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter to throw to. Jones only caught 27 passes last year, but had a 16.2 yards per catch average, and scored six touchdowns. Walter caught 53 balls for 611 yards and two scores last year. Aside from the wide outs, tight end Owen Daniels is becoming one of the league’s best at his spot. Last year, Daniels tore his ACL and only played in eight games, but still recorded 519 yards and five touchdowns, which would be solid numbers for a whole season for most tight ends. If Daniels is fully healed from his injury this year, he could provide a serious boost in Schaub’s numbers.

The Texan running backs should provide the offense with a pretty good running game, and if they can become good receivers out of the backfield, they might be able to help Schaub get to even higher passing numbers. Steve Slaton, Ben Tate, and Arian Foster will all see time at running back. Of the three, Slaton is the only proven receiving threat, with 417 receiving yards and three scores in 11 games last year. If Foster and Tate can be good runners and double as receiving options, Schaub can really stretch defenses, and take advantage of favorable matchups all across the field.

Houston’s defense is pretty good, but not great, which means he Texans will probably get victories by outscoring their opponents. They were ranked 13th overall in total defense last year, and gave up 20.8 points per game. If they are a middle-of-the-pack defense again this year, the Texans will still be a competitive team because of their offense, which bodes well for Schaub from a statistical standpoint. He has to produce in order to win, so he’ll put up huge numbers by necessity.

Throwing for 5,000 yards in a season requires a dangerous and spread-out attack, in which any receiver can have a big day. It requires a quarterback to average over 300 passing yards a game, while going against defenses who have prepared all week to stop the passing game. Matt Schaub is surrounded by players who can consistently deliver, and he’s got the skill to get find them and get them the ball. Brees and Marino are the only ones that have done it so far, and they’re both Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Whether or not Schaub will join them in Canton remains to be seen, but in today’s NFL, if anyone can get to 5,000 yards in a season, it’s him.

One of the best gifts a team can give a young quarterback is a big target who can be a reliable receiver over the middle of the field. Stafford has that in Pettigrew, who caught 30 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games in his rookie year before tearing his ACL late in the season. Before his injury, Pettigrew had some big games, catching seven balls for 70 yards and a touchdown in a week nine loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and six catches for 72 yards and a score in a thrilling 38-37 win over the Cleveland Browns in week 11. Reports indicate that Pettigrew has started practicing again, and is working his way back to full participation.

If he can stay healthy and move past the ACL injury, he can have a big sophomore season. With superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson being the focal point for defenders, and Nate Burleson joining the Lions after catching 63 passes for 812 yards with three touchdowns for the Seahawks last year, Pettigrew should get plenty of looks. If rookie running back Jahvid Best has a productive season, the Lions could boast a dangerous assortment of weapons. The Lions did also add tight end Tony Scheffler from the Denver Broncos, who is a solid tight end, and will take away some looks from Pettigrew, but the Lions should give Pettigrew a good amount of opportunities to produce.

Both Pettigrew and Stafford were rookies last year, and they will struggle and grow together. Being at the same stages in their careers should call for good chemistry between the two as they mature, which will result in Pettigrew being a go-to guy for his quarterback for years to come. At 6’5” and 265 pounds, Pettigrew is big enough to take the hits he’ll receive. His size is especially important when you consider the AFC North defenses he will be going up against. The Packers, Vikings, and Bears all have physical and intimidating defenses, so size on offense is an important advantage.
There’s a lot of work to be done before Pettigrew can become a top NFL tight end, but his numbers will improve along with his team. As Stafford works to develop into a consistent NFL quarterback, and the team finds the leaders who can get them out of their losing years, Pettigrew can assert himself as a threat. It may or may not happen in 2010, but Pettigrew is a player worth keeping an eye on, and can be a smart draft pick if he plays well early this season.

For a minute the football world looked like it would be TO free for 2010. The media was jumping on the fact that Terrell Owens had little interest for months. Teams would speculate at the possibility but ultimately say they were going to look in a different route. The Jets, Seahawks, etc. all decided that Terrell wasn’t worth a years deal. By looking at what happened last season it was not too hard to predict this was coming. Buffalo was pretty much the only team that had strong interest last off-season. Were pretty sure if Terrell had serious options he would have went elsewhere. Come on, who would sign on to play where they knew getting the football would be as hard as Jamarcus Russell throwing an accurate pass over five yards?

A team that is not afraid to be contrarian is the Cincinnati Bengals. They’ve brought in and resigned troubled players in the past like Chris Henry and Tank Johnson. They’ve been subjected to numerous internal issues with players getting in trouble off the field. As the business goes any signing is a risk. Faulting a team for making a mistake is the way things go. No one expected Cedric Benson to resurrect his career. Turning from a third or fourth running back on many fantasy teams to being the main running back. It paid off.

The signing of Terrell Owens is as sneaky as can be. He goes in without having to have the responsibilities of the sole main option at receiver. All the years Terrell Owens has been a number one receiver he played opposite second receivers that were more comparable to a third or fourth receiver. In San Francisco it was JJ Stokes, Philadelphia Reggie Brown, and in Buffalo Lee Evans followed by a bunch of no names. Call it a perfect link but teaming up with Chad Johnson and Antonio Bryant is Owens best fit maybe of his career. Balls are going to be a plenty as well. Definitely at a higher clip than was in Buffalo. Throw last year out, and Cincinnati had some formidable years with there receivers one through three putting up fantasy stats. Chad Johnson, TJ Housh, and Chris Henry were one of the best triple threats in the league.

A Hall of Fame player such as Owens may be putting on the Hollywood smile right now. Away from the camera he is on a mission to show that he still has it. He wants to prove to teams and owners throughout the league that not entertaining or submitting an offer to him was a big mistake. Sure he may have lost a step but he has the smarts, physical tools, and playmaking ability to be that additional threat that makes Cincinnati a scary team.

Compared to last season things look golden for TO. The Bills pathetic offense had a hard time mustering 100 yards a game through the air, and that was a losing team usually down early. Carson Palmer had his ups and downs last season but is now two full years from his 2008 season ending elbow injury. Besides that last year Palmer struggled to find other options besides Chad Johnson. Chris Henry was out with injury before his tragic death, and they had let Housh go. Guys that had been with Carson for years were gone and the high hopes for Lavernues Coles meeting expectations just didn’t happen.

The Bengals have upgraded their offense a few notches with TO and Antonio Bryant. We expect TO to be an above average second receiver. Lots of owners will probably be able to be lucky enough to have TO as their third fantasy wide receiver. Even as a second fantasy wideout on your teams we believe he will pay huge dividends. The yardage totals may not be as large as his prime years but hovering near double digit touchdowns should become an actuality. Last year we had TO on our list of top ten busts, this year we love him. What a difference a one year contract makes.