By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Lopsided wins in fantasy football usually come from one of two places. Running backs having career days, or defenses just playing stout wrecking havoc and scoring multiple touchdowns. Points add up quick in terms of defensive fantasy points. Defensive coordinators preach and teach extra drills now on stripping the football. Last year the football seemed to touch the ground more than the norm.

It’s not good enough just to pounce on the ball either. Defenses turn into a rugby style attack once they have possession. They’re freelancing running for daylight and patient at the same time waiting for a block or two to free them for six. If snatching running backs so quickly is the main tactic in fantasy football drafts, than why do owners still neglect to draft a sure fire defense? If you end up with a semi decent and inconsistent defense you might as well subtract double digit points from your squad. Make up points of that magnitude are not easy. So do yourself a favor and get at least a top eight defense.

1. Baltimore Ravens- Comparable to the Boston Celtics of the NBA. Aged and predicted too slide a bit. Their front seven is lethal and with Ed Reed still in the fold their ball hawking style will not diminish.

2. New York Jets- Rex Ryan’s team is geared for a good season. It all starts of the defensive side of the ball where they have unquestionably the best corner in the game. When offenses can’t even throw to one side of the field that just perpetuates the aggressiveness that Ryan has to work with.

3. San Francisco 49ers- Not many people were able to watch this west coast team due to the fact that they were not prime time friendly. Things are changing upward for the 49ers who have built up the best young defense in the NFL. Giving up the big play may happen from time to time, but they’re as loaded as can be.

4. Dallas Cowboys- For a team that’s always been super talented on both sides of the ball it baffles us that they experience such let downs. Jerry Jones has stayed very quiet as Ed Werder has not reported a thing. That’s extremely awkward. Maybe Dallas is keeping things internal for a change and going to play up to their personnel standards.

5. Cincinnati Bengals- Often times last season the spotlight was shined on Chad Johnson and Cedric Benson. They both had productive years but the main reason Cincinnati was competitive and made the post season was because of their defense. Can they keep that going forward?

6. Minnesota Vikings

7. Green Bay Packers

8. Philadelphia Eagles

9. New Orleans Saints

10. Houston Texans

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Miami Dolphins

13. Chicago Bears

14. Cleveland Browns

15. Denver Broncos

16. New England Patriots

17. San Diego Chargers

18. New York Giants

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Indianapolis Colts

21. Atlanta Falcons

22. Kansas City Chiefs

23. Arizona Cardinals

24. Buffalo Bills

25. Washington Redskins

26. Seattle Seahawks

27. Tennessee Titans

28. Detroit Lions

29. Jacksonville Jaguars

30. Oakland Raiders

31. Carolina Panthers

32. St. Louis Rams

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Long gone are the perfect systems. Systems in which teams had one main feature back that garnered carry after carry. Those were the reliable studs. Behind them typically use to be the occasional fullback that could get some sleeper fantasy points. The Zach Crocketts, Larry Centers, and backs that went from halfback to fullback such as Tyrone Wheatley. With dual and triple backfields in use now owners have to get creative in how they’re going to get reliable fantasy points. An area that has sort of bridged the gap from the use of fullbacks and halfbacks is the short yardage-dirty work plunging back.

This guy may not get upwards of even ten carries a game. Top tailbacks will have monster days and over 100 yards rushing. Only to be nullified of what should have been a great fantasy day with multiple touchdowns. Reason their stats did not meet you’re expectations surely falls on that pile forward moving back that gobbled a touchdown or two away from you. It is hard to predict when a back is going to produce a string of touchdowns especially when his carries and yardage totals are small. Yet, some of these backs are getting between eight and ten touchdowns a year. Who will they be this season?

LT- Were putting LT atop our plunger backs. His role is yet to be defined as a Jet. For all we know he could outdo Shonne Greene and win outright the starting position. Were going to say that does not happen and LT is their short yardage change of pace back. LT has a knack for getting into the end zone even with his other skills teetering away. Athletes that have had his type of success just do not fade completely away at age 31. He has surely lost some years with the burden of too many carries nine years in San Diego. Whatever he has left in the tank will be brought on the football field each and every Sunday. He’ll get double digit touchdowns once again.

Tim Hightower- What is going to keep Beanie Wells from being a sure lock second back in most drafts is Hightower. Not that Hightower is going to be in a perfect share load like last season. Where the question is at is if Hightower will still be the hog of success in the red zone. If it were not for Hightower’s ability to get in the end zone he’d likely have been cut by now. As the season goes past the halfway mark we’d expect the Cardinals to lean more heavily in Wells direction. Hightower should still get near six to eight touchdowns.

Willis McGahee- McGahee took no the relegated role of reduced carries and job loss better than almost any back over the last ten years. His production while on the field turned the Ravens second half of the season around. With Flacco struggling the Ravens saw they could pound away with McGahee and Rice. Even with defenses gearing to shut down the run. It’s a role the Ravens will milk until something goes awry. If McGahee can handle the lick he took last season than he can keep making fantasy owners happy with his red zone touchdowns. Ray Rice owners just want three to four of those McGahee plunges.

Marion Barber- Felix Jones may be the 2010 starter but if the time share is slightly in Jones favor we still like Barber’s value higher. Jones may be the home run hitter and high yards per carry guy, but Barber will be the man when it comes to touchdowns. He battled hard through injuries last season and was not the same athlete of years past. He’ll be healthy this season and may take his job back outright. Barber is one of our top sleepers going into 2010 fantasy drafts.

Thomas Jones- Based on what we’ve seen from prior thirty plus year old backs Jones should simmer down quite a bit this season. It’s as if the Jets saw what they could squeeze out of Jones and did just that. Heading to Kansas City, Jones will quietly take on a backup role. Jamaal Charles showed all of us enough (Lets hope you picked him up when we told you way before he put on as how last season) that replacing him would only happen because of an injury. We will soon find out if it was the Jets offensive line that made Jones or he truly matured as a professional mentally and physically with the Jets. He went much of his career as a labeled bust only to have back to back seasons of double digit touchdowns (13 in 08’ and 14 in 09’).

Montario Hardesty- Jerome Harrison was buried on the Browns roster for many of reasons, but one in particular. He is a tiny back all around. In height comparable to Maurice Jones-Drew, and in size compared to old Raider back Napolean Kaufman. What he did in the last quarter of the fantasy season gave owners the extra push to win their fantasy titles. Surely, Harrison probably went into the off-season and hit a tough regimen to add extra pounds to his body. Playing at an optimal size for Harrison’s skill level is where he was at last year. We just see him breaking down at some point in the season and losing his starting role to Hardesty. With the way the Browns like to shuffle around backs it may happen before week one. Harrison is a nifty back that deserves to be on the field. In a lot of ways though he is like Darren Sproles a few years ago. Teased a lot of fantasy owners into believing he can do it all, but the NFL is a different beast. You’ve got to be a big powerful back to have a lasting impact for you’re body to hold up an entire season or perform at a high level.

Mike Bell- Bell has close to thirty extra pounds on him then McCoy. McCoy was recruited by Andy Reid to play exactly to the style of Brian Westbrook. When Correll Buckhalter was healthy as an Eagle he someone that had a sporadic fantasy impact. Reason being he was hardly ever healthy. McCoy is not the same type of player as Westbrook as evidenced last season when he struggled. Therefore we think the time share will be better for Bell. Add the short yardage and goal line impact on Bell’s side and he is worth taking a flier as a deep late round pick. Don’t wait for the waiver wire period after week one or two.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Replacing starters is a weekly occurrence. Shifting from starters that had longevity though is not. There are a lot of teams gearing up their 2010 season with quarterbacks that have are inexperienced. Stats do not replace stats. Are there capable quarterbacks that can make a seamless transition from the old wily veteran to being a fantasy marginal option? Even a bye week filler. Lets see..

Old: Jamarcus Russell New: Jason Campbell

Campbell could step out week one and have a career day of three touchdowns and that would outdo a seasons worth from Russell. Oakland has finally made a wise move. Campbell has shown the skill set to be an NFL starter and a possible good one at that. He just needs to be set in a system where he can grow. That has not necessarily been the case in Oakland, but somehow an organization has to move forward. Oakland has some weapons offensively and Campbell should find a balance to keep the Raiders a dangerous team.

Old: Donovan McNabb New: Kevin Kolb

The spotlight will be the brightest on Mr. Kolb. Not only is he trying to show his value compared to McNabb, he also has to worry about Mike Vick who has one foot in bounds waiting for Andy Reid to tap him on the shoulder. Kolb may be more like Matt Schaub was when he left Atlanta. Looking great in a few spot starts but he is going to need a lot of on field action to develop into a pro starter. Expect a rough year in a city that is use to winning.

Old: Chad Pennington New: Chad Henne

Henne received some starts due to Pennington’s season ending injury last season. He showed that demeanor and attitude of a first string quarterback from day one. That was with Ted Ginn as his number one receiver, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo. Show us a tougher group of receivers for a rookie to break in the league with? When the wildcat had to be abandoned once Ronnie Brown was lost for the season, the Dolphins had to let their rookie Henne go. That’s when he began to get comfortable and had the type of outings that gave the appearance that Henne just needs more talent around him. Miami added Brandon Marshall which should be a great complement to Henne’s arm strength and accuracy for years to come.

Old: Jason Campbell New: Donovan McNabb

A new environment is not always the best. For McNabb becoming a Redskin was the last thing he wanted to do. Being an Eagle was what he had his hopes set out on. That obviously did not happen and now maybe McNabb will wake up and find that extra gear to finish out a season. He’ll build a winning attitude with Mike Shanahan from day one. Fizzling out and erratic play is what has notoriously plagued McNabb. Shanahan has loaded up on backs and will not be as pro pass as Reid has been in Philly. That will diminish McNabb’s numbers a bit and put into question if he is a fantasy starter.

Old: Kurt Warner New: Matt Leinart

This was flip flopped a few times but now is official with Warner being retired. All you can hope for Leinart’s sake is that he grasped and learned skills from Warner. Leinart is now 27 and it’s now or never. Arizona could have shipped him out or cut him to go in another direction. Now they’ll see if they can get a return on their first round investment. He allegedly has been working hard off the field. We’re hesitant to believe Leinart will be able to fill the shoes anywhere near the way Warner did. Arizona knows that and will find a way to cater to Leinart’s strengths. Quick passes and simplified decision making. Also expect the ground game not to abandon with ease as they would do almost on a weekly basis with Warner.

Old: Jake Delhomme New: Matt Moore

Delhomme never could recover from his catastrophic melt down performance against the Cardinals. It was similar to a pitcher getting lit up and not being able to get past it. Every time he dropped back he looked like a former NFL Europe player. Oh wait, he was. Matt Moore had semi decent success last year, as anyone should with a talented backfield as Carolina has. Likely the number one threat in the league. Moore is a hot sleeper that will stave off rookie Jimmy Clausen for a few years.

Old: Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson New: Jake Delhomme

Cleveland might be the only team to go from an awful quarterback situation to worse. We don’t know what’s going on in the front office at Cleveland, but we all know they love the back and forth musical quarterback game. What will be the games start split between Delhomme and Seneca Wallace? Will go with seven games for Delhomme and nine for Wallace.

Old: Kerry Collins New: Vince Young

Here’s another back and forth maneuver over the last few years. You’d think Tennessee would have ended all doubt for Young and cut Collins. Then you here of Young messing up off the field and think how smart of them. How Young keeps producing wins is almost as stupefying as how Jay Fiedler did it with the Dolphins. Young might make Jamarcus Russell type plays but he also has Chris Johnson alongside him. We don’t envision the Young project lasting several years, but will give it a few more. As far as being a fantasy performer, don’t even attempt to think about Young. Young’s games are going to be like a scatter plot. Games all over the place with no consistency.

Old: Marc Bulger New: Sam Bradford/AJ Feeley

Bradford is going to get introduced quickly on how to lose. Taking those licks and growing pains is something some young quarterbacks never get over. Ahem, David Carr. St. Louis has to be careful how they bring Bradford along. Starting Feeley out to get pummeled may be a smart idea here.

Old: Byron Leftwich New: Josh Freeman

Freeman was able to get the traditional type of rookie experience. Sit and learn from the sidelines the first half of the year and then on the job training the second half. Freeman did not show much too prove being an every week starter. Developing from year one to year two is usually where you can see if a guy has it or not completely. Freeman’s likely ranked near or dead last in every fantasy quarterback ranking so we won’t delve any further here.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Talk about a position that has went from “kicker” type classification in fantasy leagues to a must need necessity. Tight ends have skied to levels of high demand. Back in the days you would have a few tight ends worthy of differentiating from the pack. Yeah the Ben Coates and Shannon Sharpe world days and everyone else being meaningless are done. Teams have configured their playbooks to involve tight ends at a much higher rate. Most quality franchises have tight ends that are going to put up the range of numbers comparable to a second wideout on your fantasy team.

The bait pick of a tight end in drafts usually signals the biggest rip of panic in leagues nowadays. Last year we were calm and had a feeling Brent Celek would be a huge payoff and he was. Good luck finding that this year. Sleeping and holding out on a tight end until late in your fantasy drafts is not a wise choice.

1. Antonio Gates
Injuries have set him back a bit but he still has great hands and the ability to get open. What has hurt Gates the most is the emergence of Vincent Jackson. Still the Chargers have yet to develop a solid second wide receiver. Compared to some of the other tight ends highly ranked which have a solid base of receivers. Gates should hit double digit touchdowns for the first time since 2006 and reclaim top tight end positioning.

2. Dallas Clark
The type of lock on connectedness that Clark and Manning have is approaching video game level. Manning zips the ball in a wide array of aerial art. Clark has gained a unique camaraderie with Manning. It’s the type that barring injury is almost a sure bet to be a statistical monster.

3. Jason Witten
The past two years have been a let down to owners for Witten. Expecting touchdowns from a tight end is what you want. Witten has not been able to achieve that type of success and it can be frustrating to see another tight end with low yardage eating up touchdowns. The only stat you need to look at is that Witten is going to catch a lot of balls. With all the touches he gets you have to expect him to reach at least six touchdowns.

4. Vernon Davis
It was a year that many expected a long time ago.  Davis is finally playing like an NFL athlete. Does he have the determination to continue up that road, or was he just willed by the challenge of Mike Singletary? We’d have him one or tow but we need to see one more year. After coming of an off-season with praise has he kept up his work ethic to come back even stronger?

5. Brent Celek
Celek went from a third tier tight end considered a relative low value bargain tight end. That changed with the quickness and now Celek is in prime position to be one of the better tight ends over the next five to seven years. With the Eagles penchant for throwing the football, only injuries could keep Celek from not being a major factor.

6. Visanthe Shiancoe
7. Jermichael Finley
8. Tony Gonzalez
9. Zach Miller
10. Kellen Winslow
11. Owen Daniels
12. Greg Olsen
13. John Carlson
14. Dustin Keller
15. Chris Cooley
16. Kevin Boss
17. Heath Miller
18. Tony Scheffler
19. Jeremy Shockey
20. Benjamin Watson
21. Todd Heap
22. Marcedes Lewis
23. Anthony Fasano
24. Fred Davis
25. Jermaine Gresham
26. Bo Scaife
27. Brandon Pettigrew
28. Zach Miller (Jacksonville)
29. David Thomas
30. Shawn Nelson
31. Martellus Bennett

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

One agent that deserves strong praise is that of Michael Vick’s. Away from the game over a year he landed Vick a contract over a million last year, and an option of 5.2 million for the second year. Well the Eagles brought him back after almost everyone expected them to part ways. That salary will make Vick one of the highest paid backups in the NFL. Pressure is on the young first year starting quarterback Kevin Kolb.

He knows the team made a huge sacrifice and gutsy move by parting ways with one of the biggest Eagles franchise players since the 80’s in Donovan McNabb. Playing in Philadelphia comes with expected results. Wins. Kolb needs to go out and produce from week one onward. If not guess who is awaiting in the wings to get out there and showcase his redemption attempt as a starting quarterback? Mr. Vick.

Last year was sort of like a tune up for Vick. We all know his capabilities and what his old weaknesses were. Those likely will not change. After all his time off though he looked out of gear sort of like when Michael Jordan came back in 1995 after a huge layoff playing baseball. Now that Vick has familiarized himself and been active in football like drills daily, his sense of the game is going to reappear on a stronger level. The Eagles must of saw some flashes of Vick’s old self or the project of brining him back would have ended abruptly.

Right now the Eagles have no clue what direction they’re headed. They will know by mid to late October though. This franchise is either getting turned over to Kevin Kolb or Michael Vick. The game of toying with Vick as a decoy and specially utilized player ten times a game will not happen anymore. It caused more harm to the flow of the teams overall chemistry than Andy Reid would of liked in 2009. Plus Vick is no longer the third string quarterback. As a backup entering 2010 they need to protect their insurance in case Kolb lands out with an injury. They surely do not want to have to start Mike Kafka.

Showcasing what the Eagles have done from a front office stand point it leaves them with options. They’re believing Kevin Kolb can get the job done but are they? They extended his contract that was set to expire after this year only an extra season. The value is only 12.2 million for both those years. Not the top of the heap when it comes to starting quarterbacks money. Vick will be making nearly just as much this season. Call it more of an investment strategy where the Eagles spent a combined 11 million to figure things out.

Fantasy discussions of Vick are premature but he will be a factor this season. It’s hard to name a first year starter that has come out and lit afire from the gate. It just does not happen and won’t for Kevin Kolb. There’s just a lot more things they can go wrong instead of go his way. Donovan McNabb basically led the Eagles to the playoffs like clockwork every season.

Bordering at or below .500 will only raise the pressure on Kolb and reasons to see Vick in action. If Kolb gets the team rolling, how will the typical string of losses affect him as they happen? Some quarterbacks fight it off and others succumb and fold even further. It’ll be interesting to see what happens but Vick will be ready to go. Once he gets out there what type of quarterback will we see? We think Vick can flourish in the Eagles system and create havoc just like he did a few years ago. This is not a dream like turn of events story that we envision happening. This is business related. You can see where this is headed with a binocular view from general manager Tom Heckert’s press box.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Wide receivers consume the most starting spots and typically depth on your bench as well. The field too solidify a solid trio of receivers is just as difficult in fantasy as it is for NFL teams. Receivers tend to be the best area to find super sleepers that emerge with statistical breakout games no one expected. A day after every owner is bug eyed at their waiver wire position to see if they have a shot at picking that guy up. Miles Austin, Sidney Rice, Steve Smith, Mike Sims-Walker and Pierre Garcon went from being near Mr. Irrelevant fantasy picks to being top twenty fantasy receivers this year. Maybe this is why owners still choose to go after every running back possible before drafting a wide receiver.

This years receiver mix has a lot of differentially. A lot of youth and players aforementioned that came out of nowhere create an interesting way to rank these receivers. Veterans are still abound of course. Take a look at where we have your targets ranked.

1. Andre Johnson- Contract issues aside, Johnson will be worth every penny of a late first round pick for fantasy owners.

2. Calvin Johnson- We expect Stafford to show great improvement from his rookie season. This will finally bring Johnson to the level we all need to see. He has never came close to 100 receptions in his career. He should eclipse the 78 catch mark he had in 2008. That will mean huge numbers to keep you grinning all season.

3. Brandon Marshall- If he can have as great a year as he did with Kyle Orton throwing the football than Chad Henne will have him at career high levels. It’s hard to believe that Marshall is only 26.

4. Greg Jennings- Last year was definitely a downer for Jennings. Green Bay has so much talent that Jennings had a hard time getting the necessary looks when it came to red zone scores. A player with as much talent as Jennings will not be out of the fold two years in a row. Look for similar touchdown totals we saw from Jennings in years past.

5. Larry Fitzgerald- No worries with Leinart in the fold. Leinart is entering his fifth year with the Cardinals and will be ready to answer the call.

6. Reggie Wayne- Played with Marvin Harrison and now will put up similar numbers year after year until he is 36 just like Harrison did. After Manning’s career is done and he is in the Hall of Fame, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a Harrison/Wayne thank you in his speech. Even if Manning did not have an off the field relationship with Harrison.

7. Randy Moss- The pressure is mounting in New England. The running game looks like it will be near dead last in the league and that Patriots are likely going to be without Wes Welker most of the year. Moss is going to have to show for the first time since he was a Raider how he can handle the intense focus of defenses. Welker took a ton of weight off his shoulders and now his second receiver is a former college quarterback.

8. Vincent Jackson- It’s amazing he does not catch more footballs than he does. It sure seems like Rivers and Jackson connect a heck of a lot more than the statistics show. Jackson may miss a few games for off the field conduct. That is the reason he is not a top five receiver.

9. Anquan Boldin- Boldin is a perfect Joe Flacco target. He put a lot of damage on his body as a Cardinal. If he can stay away from injuries, Boldin and the Ravens look headed for an AFC Championship game against the Colts.

10. DeSean Jackson- When the Eagles are on a national televised game you expect Jackson to make at least one or two big plays a game. He is a the “Prime Time” athlete of the NFL today. We do believe Jackson will have a bit more difficulty scoring touchdowns compared to last year, but his special teams play and yardage will help alleviate that.

11. Roddy White

12. Miles Austin

13. Steve Smith Carolina

14. Marques Colston

15. Sidney Rice

16. Michael Crabtree

17. Steve Smith NYG

18. Donald Driver

19. Jeremy Maclin

20. Chad Ochocinco

21. Dwayne Bowe

22. Hakeem Nicks

23. Santana Moss

24. Mike Sims-Walker

25. Pierre Garcon

26. Hines Ward

27. Chaz Schilens

28. Dez Bryant

29. Braylon Edwards

30. Robert Meachem

31. Percy Harvin

32. Mike Wallace

33. TJ Houshmandzadeh

34. Derrick Mason

35. Steve Breaston

36. Santonio Holmes

37. Kenny Britt

38. Lee Evans

39. Devery Henderson

40. Antonio Bryant

41. Mike Williams

42. Devin Aromashodu

43. Mario Manningham

44. Julian Edelman

45. Golden Tate

46. Austin Collie

47. Bernard Berrian

48. Donnie Avery

49. Chris Chambers

50. Kevin Walter

51. Arrelious Benn

52. Devin Hester

53. Josh Morgan

54. Demaryius Thomas

55. Jerricho Cotchery

56. Early Doucet

57. Louis Murphy

58. Eddie Royal

59. Anthony Gonzalez

60. Malcolm Floyd

61. Earl Bennett

62. Roy Williams

63. Devin Thomas

64. Laurent Robinson

65. Davone Bess

66. Nate Washington

67. Mohamed Massaquoi

68. Johnny Knox

69. James Jones

70. Terrell Owens