About Fantasy Football

Carson Palmer is due for a bounce back year in 2008. Draft him as a solid number one fantasy quarterback.

Palmer threw the ball a whole lot last year. Their running game was not firing, and it really showed on Palmer’s bottom line numbers. I expect Chad Johnson to be back with the team, as well as TJ, giving Palmer two stud wide receivers to throw the ball to.
Additionally, the Bengals should come out a bit more committed to the run, taking some of the weight off of Palmers shoulders.
I look for Palmer to be a top 5, possibly top 3, quarterback this season. Let the other guys spend a first round pick on Brady or Manning, or even a second or third round pick on Romo. Palmer gives you great value a couple rounds later.

I have him marked as a stud quarterback this year, and will take a strong look at targeting him this season. He had an off season in 2007, but still tossed 26 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards. Look for those numbers to be improved upon in 2008.

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Santonio Holmes has huge upside potential entering the 2008 fantasy football season. I like him as a solid number 2 receiver, with the potential to surprise as a number 1.

Santionio Holmes is entering his third year in the NFL, historically a breakout year for wide receivers. He played in only 13 games last year, but ended just shy of 1,000 yards and found the endzone 8 times. I expect better numbers in the 2008 campaign, and if he stays healthy, potentially much better numbers.

The Steelers are turning into a passing team. Big Ben is due for a huge year, they have a solid team, and Holmes is poised to take over the number one wide out duties for Ward this year. Holmes is a fast receiver with excellent hands. I look for him to end the season with 80+ catches for better than 1200 yards and double digit touchdowns.

Holmes could be a great value pick in this years draft. Draft him as a number 2 receiver. Worst case scenario is he is an extremely solid number two. Chances are he ends up being inside the top 15 wideouts for fantasy numbers come the end of the season.

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Laurence Maroney is a pretty safe pick in the 2008 fantasy football draft. He won’t be a number one back, but should put up some solid numbers as a number two.

Maroney was brought in to be the man in New England. He may be the man, but he does have company in the backfield. Add to that the fact that the Patriots are a throwing team and you have a pretty solid runner who just does not put up huge numbers.

You can count on Maroney to get his carries each week, but I would not count on him to score every week, or even rush for 100 yards most weeks. He will be pretty reliable, and could have some upside if teams learn how to stop the air attack of Brady and company. So just count on him to be pretty reliable (he only ran for 800 yards and change last year, 6 touchdowns, although he was out a few games).

I would not pick up Maroney until about the fifth round. Chances are he’s not going to be there, and I’m ok with that. If he’s around in the fifth, I’ll take a look his way, otherwise I think he’s a player I pass on this year.

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LenDale White could be a bit of a sleeper for the 2008 fantasy football season. He should be the number one back for the Titans, but will be overlooked in the draft.

White split carries to start the 2007 season, but by the end of the year, was the featured back for the Titans. He finished the year with 1100 yards and 7 touchdowns, and I expect him to improve on those numbers come 2008.

The Titans are a scrappy team, and should have a pretty good defense in 2008. They are not the type of team that is going to air it out, and White should get 25-30 touches every game. I really really like White in the 2008 fantasy draft, and think you could pick him up somewhere in the fifth round. He has the potential to be a number one back, and is a player I would consider grabbing a round early just to ensure landing him.

Keep an eye on him, I see a big year ahead. He may not qualify as the typical sleeper, but come 2009, he will be one of the top ten running backs taken. He will put up better numbers than some players taken in the first round this year. Which players, I can’t tell you right now, but pick up White, he’ll be a workhorse for you.

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Earnest Graham may find himself in a running back by committee situation come the 2008 football season. The Bucs picked up Warrick Dunn this off-season, and they also expect Cadillac Williams to be back on the field.

Graham put up great numbers in the games he played last year, and it is a bit of a shame he has so much company in the backfield now. Expect him to be a decent number two back, but keep an eye on him through training camp. The potential is there for him to lose a bunch of carries to Cadillac. He played well enough in 2007 that he will get his touches, but I could see the Bucs backfield looking a lot like the Cowboys backfield in 2007.

A two man rotation with Graham and Williams, maybe a dash of Dunn here and there seems likely at this point in time. That kind of situation usually does not bode well for fantasy stats.

If that is the case, Graham should get the goal line carries and maybe 15-20 touches per game. He is a bit of a gamble, and I would not grab him before the fourth or fifth round unless something happens to clarify him as the number one back in Tampa Bay. If he is the featured back out there, his value jumps tremendously.

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Donald Driver is an interesting player coming into the 2008 fantasy football season. He has a number of questions surrounding him, but has always been a pretty solid fantasy performer.

Greg Jennings emerged last year as the top receiver in Green Bay. Whether he just had a run of great chemistry with Favre, or whether he is the number one out there remains to be seen.

With a new quarterback coming in, you may see Driver play a bigger role in 2008 than he did in 2007, but then again, you may not. If you play in a point per reception league, Driver should be a decent number two receiver. With no points per reception, I would put him as a high end number three, with some upside potential. He has been a 1,000 yard machine for the recent past, and he is in a contract year, but he is getting old by NFL wide receiver standards, and Green Bay has a number of quality young receivers, along with a young quarterback.

I’m not real sure on Driver, and would consider him a flyer with some upside potential. Start thinking about him at some point in the fifth round in a point per reception league, a bit later in other leagues. If he has the same season he had last year with a few more touchdowns, he will make you pretty happy. He is a bit of a gamble, however, so just be aware.

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Ben Roethlisberger should be one of the first five quarterbacks off the board in the 2008 fantasy football draft, and you should be able to pick him up without having to spend a terribly high pick on him.

Roethlisberger should have another solid outing in the upcoming season. With the Steelers starting to throw more, Ben with some good experience under his belt, and Holmes turning into a very capable target, Roethlisberger may well be primed for a career year.

He had a QB rating over 100 last year, and tossed 32 touchdowns. He could easily throw for 35-40 this season, and I think he has some yardage upside as well. He will be a solid performer, giving you solid stats at the quarterback position week in and week out. Look for him early in the fifth round this year, and he has the potential to slip further depending on how your draft goes.

I could see Palmer, Anderson, Brees, maybe even McNabb or Bulger going before Roethlisberger in some drafts, just because of their names. He should out perform these guys in 2008, take my word for it, he has a big year coming up. Maybe not 2007 Tom Brady big, but he will post some excellent numbers.

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Jamal Lewis is a solid running back coming into the 2008 fantasy football season.

The Browns have a high powered offense, and will put up some big numbers this year. Anderson is back, along with the supporting cast he had in 2007. Lewis is running strong, and should continue to be the man in Cleveland after resigning this off season. The Browns throw enough that teams are not going to stack the box to stop Lewis, which will let him turn in another strong season.

Pickup Lewis as a number two back and expect to start him every week. He is a rock solid number two back, and should turn in a few big games throughout the season. I see his 2008 season being pretty similar to the 2007 campaign, with some upside to it.

Don’t draft Lewis too early, if he is your number one back, you have problems. Target him with a pick sometime after the third round. Lewis is a guy who will go early in some drafts and late in others, with a wide variance on his average draft position. If you happen to be in a draft where he slips, he could be a very valuable addition to your team.

I don’t know that I would spend a first or second round pick on him, and I would be hesitant to take him in the third, but anytime after that will net you a very solid value running back.

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Marvin Harrison could be an excellent value pickup in the 2008 fantasy football draft. Look for him to slip further in this years draft than he has in recent years.

Harrison had a terrible 2007 season. He was hurt most of the year, and after being drafted as a number one receiver, spent the majority of the season on the bench. He is still rehabbing his knee, but is expected to be ready to start the 2008 season.

If Harrison can get and stay healthy, expect him to put up pretty good numbers in 2008. If he plays the entire season, 80 catches for 1,000+ yards and 8 touchdowns is pretty realistic, with the potential for better numbers. He is now the number two option in Indianapolis, but being Peyton’s number two target is still pretty good.

He has an excellent work ethic, and has a long history with Manning. He also plays for the Colts high powered offense, that seemed to struggle much of 2007 with Harrison out of the lineup. Many will be cautious picking up Harrison, pay attention to the training camp and how his knee comes along, but start looking at him when the fifth round rolls around. Marvin Harrison in the fifth round is a pretty good pickup, even with the questions surrounding him. For a fifth round wide-out, his upside is just too much to pass on him.

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Roy Williams was one of the top receivers taken in the 2007 draft, he should fall quite a bit in the 2008 fantasy draft.

He finished 2007 with 63 catches for 836 yards and only 5 touchdowns. The potential is there for a better season if he can stay healthy. Williams is a big play receiver, but with the exit of Martz as his offensive coordinator, the Lions may move away from a pass happy offense.

If he can start 16 games in 2008, I would pencil him in for about 80 catches for around 1000 yards and half a dozen or so touchdowns. He will be a solid number two receiver, and being in the final year of his contract, he has some additional upside.
Calvin Johnson still has a little ways to go before he takes over the number one role in Detroit, so Williams should put up bigger numbers, I just feel as if he is somewhat of a gamble this season.

I’ll probably take a look his way if he is around in the fifth round and I need a wide receiver with that selection, but he is not someone I would target in the draft. He could be a nice pickup if he falls, but I can see him going a bit earlier than I would feel comfortable taking him.

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