Quarterbacks
1. Peyton Manning, IND
a. What more can we say about this guy? It’s Peyton Manning, the single-season passing touchdown leader and a Superbowl champion. He could go down as one of the, if not the best quarterback of all-time and he has already established himself as the top fantasy quarterback of this decade.
2. Carson Palmer, CIN
a. With Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh lined up at WR, Palmer can pretty much find whichever one of them is in single coverage and heave the ball in their direction for a completion. Palmer threw for over 4,000 yards and 28 TD’s in 2006; and that was after coming off of a torn ACL. With the Bengals looking to re-assert themselves into the playoffs, Palmer will be relied on to once again be looked upon to lead this offense.
3. Drew Brees, NO
a. One of the best surprises of the 2006 season, Drew Brees led all quarterbacks with 4,424 yards passing with a very young and inexperienced group of receivers. With Marques Colston and Reggie Bush entering their second seasons, look for Brees to establish a better relationship with them and have another very good fantasy season.
4. Marc Bulger, STL
a. Marc Bulger has very quietly been one of the top fantasy quarterbacks since he took over the starting job in 2002. 2006 was Bulger’s true breakout fantasy season as he threw for 4,301 yards and 24 touchdowns. In addition, he significantly lowered his number of interceptions thrown by throwing just 8 interceptions all year. Stephen Jackson’s threat out of the backfield, the addition of tight end Randy McMichael, and receivers Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Drew Bennett are all reasons that Marc Bulger may be in for the biggest fantasy season of his career.
5. Tom Brady, NE
a. As if he wasn’t already one of the best in the league, the Patriots gave fantasy owners another reason to be excited about Tom Brady when they signed three free agent wide receivers this off-season. Though Wes Welker is expected to mostly see work on kick returns, he along with Donte’ Stallworth and Randy Moss create a very interesting group of receivers that defenses are absolutely going to have to respect.
Running Backs
1. LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
a. This one should be obvious. Tomlinson set an all-time points record for most fantasy leagues in 2006 and has been the single most consistent running back in the league for a long time now. Tomlinson did lose his ’06 offensive coordinator this off-season, but he gained a new one who has a great track record with running backs – Norv Turner. Turner has been in charge of offenses that produced Emmitt Smith as well as LaMont Jordan’s 2005 & Frank Gore’s 2006 explosions. LaDainian Tomlinson is the single best fantasy football player and it should come as no surprise that he is ranked #1 on just about every cheat sheet you’ll see… In fact, if he’s not ranked number one, throw the thing away.
2. Steven Jackson, STL
a. Jackson surprised quite a few fantasy owners in 2006 with his league-leading 2,334 total yards and 16 touchdowns. Jackson also caught an impressive 90 passes, which could be a great sign for those in a point-per-reception league. Jackson is slated by most to be the #2 pick in fantasy drafts and it is very possible that he ends the season as the top fantasy back. The Rams’ offense is so explosive right now that it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jackson put up another 2,200+ total yards along with 18-20 touchdowns.
3. Larry Johnson, KC
a. Though Johnson is currently holding out, there is little doubt that if he returns, he will once again establish his dominance. The offensive line situation is scary, but Johnson is the kind of back who is going to grind out every inch that he possibly can on every single carry. He is a no-nonsense kind of runner who absolutely must be given the ball as often as possible, whether it be on the ground or receiving out of the backfield. Don’t expect Johnson to be the top rusher in 2006, but given his successful career as a goal-line back, it would be silly to think that he is not in line for another productive fantasy season.
4. Shaun Alexander, SEA
a. The 2006 season is something that Shaun Alexander would like to store away into a part of his mind that he will never again see. Coming off of a 2005 season where he broke the touchdown record, Alexander was injured in week 3 of the ’06 season and was never the same. Though he played in 10 games, Alexander had just two games over 100 yards rushing and scored just 7 touchdowns. The nagging foot injury was an obvious deterrent for Alexander who had been one of the league’s most consistent fantasy backs over the previous five seasons. 2007 is a chance for Shaun to once again show that he is one of the premier running backs in the NFL. Look for Alexander to return to form in 2007 with 12-15 touchdowns and 1,400-1,600 total yards.
5. Willie Parker, PIT
a. “Fast” Willie was tied for 3rd in the league with 16 total touchdowns in 2006. Parker had seven games with over 100 yards rushing and two games with over 200 yards rushing. With Ben Roethlisberger finally recovered from all of his minor injuries, the Steelers offense should be better in ’07 and they will look to Willie Parker to give them a consistent running attack. Despite Parker being mostly known as a small back who has “home run” speed, he is also Pittsburgh’s primary goal-line back.
6. Brian Westbrook, PHI
a. After finally playing a full season, Eagles running back Brian Westbrook broke out of his shell and amassed over 1,900 yards with 11 touchdowns. Westbrook is a great running back to have especially in the points-per-reception leagues as he has averaged 70 receptions per season over the past three seasons. Westbrook’s total yardage and touchdowns are better on a per-game basis with McNabb at quarterback than they are without McNabb, so the healthy return of the Eagles quarterback is an important thing to keep an eye on this pre-season.
Wide Receivers
1. Chad Johnson, CIN
a. To the disappointment of many fantasy owners, Chad Johnson’s 2006 season started awfully slow with him going the first 8 games of the season without a single 100-yard receiving game. But it was a five-game, five touchdowns, 765-yard stretch that helped Johnson end the season as the leading receiver in yardage. Carson Palmer is still throwing Johnson the ball and Chad is poised to have another good fantasy season. Though Chad might not end the season as the #1 receiver in total points, he is a very low-risk player who should be in the top-5.
2. Steve Smith, CAR
a. Steve Smith’s production took a dip in 2006 as the receiver missed two games due to injury and the quarterback situation looked as rocky as ever. Even given these bumps in the road, Smith was able to put together a solid 1,166 yards and 8 touchdowns. Smith is a very dynamic, big-play receiver who can break out for huge games on any given week. Smith’s partner in crime Jake Delhomme is on the hot seat, though; and backup quarterback David Carr seems more than ready to step in and play.
3. Marvin Harrison, IND
a. We keep expecting to see a slowdown in Harrison’s production and it just never seems to come. Harrison put together another big season in 2006 with 1,366 receiving yards and 12 touchdown receptions – good enough for his 8th straight season of over 1,000 yards as well as his 8th straight season in which he has recorded double-digit touchdowns. While again, he is expected to have a drop-off in production, there’s nothing that says that he will other than the emergence of the other receivers on this team. Even if Harrison does drop off this season, expect at least 10 touchdowns or 1,000 yards receiving, which should still be good enough to make him one of the top fantasy wide receivers.
4. Terrell Owens, DAL
a. So much was made of Terrell Owens’ dropped passes in 2006. Though he was near the top of the league in that category, we don’t care as fantasy owners. The only thing that matters to us is the fact that he led all other receivers with 13 touchdown receptions. Though 1,180 yards isn’t anything spectacular, Owens was a valuable fantasy asset and he certainly can be relied on as a number one fantasy receiver.
5. Torry Holt, STL
a. Holt’s statistics took a slight slump in 2006 with the departure of Mike Martz’s offensive schemes. Holt pulled in 93 passes for 1,188 yards; and 10 touchdowns but averaged a career low 12.8 yards per reception. Holt started off the season strong by scoring seven touchdowns in six days, but scored only three more touchdowns in the remaining ten games. Holt may not be the top fantasy wide receiver anymore, but he remains one of the top consistent fantasy receivers over the last seven seasons.
6. Reggie Wayne, IND
a. You’d think it would be hard for another guy to be a top fantasy receiver when Marvin Harrison has been as productive as he has been; but Reggie Wayne is the kind of guy who feeds off of the success of the players around him. Wayne had an impressive 2006 season with 1,310 yards and nine touchdowns. Wayne hasn’t missed a single game over the past four seasons and has worked hard to keep his body in shape during this off season. Though Wayne is considered the No. 2 receiver in Indianapolis, there’s no shame in relying on him as a No. 1 fantasy receiver.
7. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
a. Taking a quick look back at Fitzgerald’s 2006 season shows that this young wide receiver struggled in his second season. Fitzgerald also suffered from lingering injuries that knocked him out of three games. Fitzgerald and rookie quarterback Matt Leinart struggled to get on the same page for most of the season, but started to get it together in the final six weeks of the season; when Fitzgerald did most of his damage. If the end of 2006 is any sort of an indication as to what will happen in 2007, expect Fitzgerald to finish around 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns.
8. Roy Williams, DET
a. It’s amazing to think that the Lions receivers got BETTER this off-season. When the Lions drafted Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams’ stock immediately jumped up. Despite the fact that Johnson will definitely see passes thrown his way, Williams benefits by seeing less double coverage and he may be able to do even more damage this year than he did in 2006 when he caught 82 passes for 1,310 yards and 7 touchdowns. Williams is a prime-time red-zone target and should see plenty of chances to score in 2007.
Tight Ends
1. Antonio Gates, SD
a. Though Gates plays a position in which most fantasy owners do not put much stock, he has been a very consistent receiver in the San Diego offense; primarily in the red zone. Gates scored 9 touchdowns on 71 receptions for 924 yards in 2006 and many expect that his numbers will be around the same, if not better than that in 2007. If you are in a league where you have a specific “Tight End” position, Antonio Gates needs to be high on your list. Though he’s not going to score as many points as the top wide receivers, the amount of points he scores more than the next best tight ends should be enough of a margin that warrants him being taken right up there with the top receivers.
2. Jeremy Shockey, NYG
a. Shockey has the ability to be the best tight end in the NFL, but injuries and awful play-calling have held him back from doing so. Though Shockey is not going to be on the same level as Antonio Gates, he is still a very respectable tight end who has a knack for the end-zone and plays as hard as anyone in the entire league. I don’t know if I’ll ever forget the game when he got his helmet ripped off mid-play, continued to run down the field, and proceeded to lower his unprotected head as he barreled into a group of defensive players. The guy has the heart and the determination, but the coaching staff in New York needs to start using him in a more appropriate way.
3. Kellen Winslow Jr., CLE
a. Some might be surprised to hear that a tight end led the Cleveland Browns in receptions in 2006. This “soldier” caught 89 passes for 875 yards, but only 3 touchdowns. Regardless of who wins the QB battle in Cleveland, Winslow is expected to be the primary target in the Browns’ passing game. With his 6’4”, 250 pound frame, Winslow should begin to develop into more of a red zone threat as his career progresses. Remember, 2006 was the first season that Winslow wasn’t injured in for 14+ games; so he still needs some time to develop.
