Fantasy Football Player's Edge

August 23, 2008

Site updated by 11am EST daily.

2008 Fantasy Draft Preview

The following rankings are based on a 10 team league using a
scoring format of 25 yards per point and 4 points per TD with
a 1 point deduction for interceptions and a 2 point deduction
for fumbles for QB's. RB/WR/TE receive 1 point per 10 yards
and 6 points per touchdown minus 2 points per fumble. Kickers
will receive 3, 4, 5 points respectively for 1-30, 40 and 50/over
yard field goals and 1 point for PAT's. Defenses will be awarded
2 points for safeties, fumble recoveries, interceptions and blocked
kicks. Each sack will earn 1 point. Additionally, points will accrue
for points allowed to opponents starting at 10 for a shutout to a
-4 for a blowout against the unit.

Each team will start 1 QB, 2 RB's, 3 WR's, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 Defense
and 6 reserves from any group.

The Rankings

Quarterbacks: Rankings

1. Tom Brady- has all his weapons available
2. Peyton Manning- Marvin's return a boost
3. Drew Brees- has to get off to a better start
4. Tony Romo- could easily move up to #2
5. Carson Palmer- better than last year.
6. Derek Anderson- better than last year
7. Donovan McNabb- stays healthy he's #5
8. Ben Rothlisberger- was 4th last year
9. Jay Cutler- Marshall out for 2 games
10. Matt Schaub- has weapons
11. Philip Rivers- primed for solid season
12. David Garrard- McNabb-lite.
13. Eli Manning- momentum on his side
14. Brett Favre- we'll see
15. Matt Hasselbeck- needs Branch

Others: Bulger, Kitna, Young, Campbell,
Warner/Leinart, Delhomme, Garcia.

Steals: Garrard, Rivers.

Late Breaking News: Derek Anderson
should be cleared to play in the preseason
finale. Jeff Garcia will play this week while
Marc Bulger got good news when Orlando
Pace returned to practice. Trent Edwards
is out this week. Tom Brady sat out against
the Eagles last night. J.T. O'Sullivan has
been named the 49ers starting QB making
it likely that Alex Smith will be released.

Preseason Week 3/ Grades-QB:

A:
Kyle Orton- 10/17, 2 TD's
J.T. O'Sullivan- 7/8, TD
A. Rodgers- 18/22, 193, TD/rushing TD
D. McNabb- 13/17, 180, TD

B:
J. Cutler- 6/13, 2 TD's
M. Schaub- 15/27, 166, TD

C:
M.Ryan- 15/21, 102, TD

D:

F:
V. Young- 9/18, 102, Int

Comments: Vince Young continues to struggle
and is undraftable. Aaron Rodgers had a big night
against a depleted Broncos secondary. He's still a bit
risky heading into the season. McNabb should be
moving up on draft boards along with Cutler. Matt
Schaub is an absolute Van Winkle. O'Sullivan
might be Kitnaesque (inconsistent) on the Martz
merry go round.


Running Backs: Rankings

1. LaDainian Tomlinson- 1
2. Adrian Peterson- 1A
3. Steven Jackson- if he signs on.
4. Joseph Addai- very consistent
5. Brian Westbrook- amazing/injury risk
6. Frank Gore- look for a rebound w/Martz
7. Marion Barber- he's the man
8. Larry Johnson- still has the juice
9. Jamal Lewis- fantastic 2007
10. Clinton Portis- could easily move up
11. Marshawn Lynch- nice rookie season
12. Michael Turner- if Atlanta can block
13. Ryan Grant- marked man w/Rodgers
14. Darren McFadden- could easily move up
15. Maurice-Jones Drew- moves up with lead role.
16. Earnest Graham- solid #2 RB
17. Willis McGahee- new offense/knee issues
18. Brandon Jacobs- Droughns/Bradshaw
19. Edgerrin James- will be available rd. 3/4
20. Ricky Williams- moving up fast
21. Willie Parker- moves up w/goal line touches
22. Chris Perry- has to fend off Rudi Johnson
23. LenDale White- plowshare is useful
24. Reggie Bush- runs scared/receptions yards useful
25. Laurence Maroney- underutilized by Belichick

Others: T. Jones, J. Stewart/Williams, Forte/
K. Jones, S. Young/A. Hall, K. Smith, Taylor,
J. Jones/Morris, Fargas, C. Johnson, C. Brown
/Slaton/Green, McAllister/P. Thomas, R. Brown
L. Jordan, R. Johnson, Bradshaw, Hightower,
R. Rice.

Steals: C. Perry, J. Jones, Slaton, K. Jones.

Late Breaking News: Ronnie Brown was back on the
practice field wearing a soft cast. He's out this week.
Rudi Johnson is hearing footsteps as he vows to suit
up for the Bengals preseason finale. Chris Brown was
a late scratch due to a sore hip increasing PT for Steve
Slaton and Chris Taylor.

Preseason Week 3/Grades-RB: (excludes top 10)

A:
J. Norwood- 4/53
S. Slaton- 8/46
S. Young- 6/42
A. Hall- 9/46, rec 1/12

B:
M. Forte- 11/44

C:
K. Jones- 3/30 (long gain/34)
C. Johnson- 11/35

D:
L. Maroney- 5/18
M. Turner- 5/16

Comments: Steve Slaton should become a featured
back as the season progresses. Lawrence Maroney
should disappoint again this season as a product of a
RB by committee/pass proficient system. Be aware.
The same hold true for Selvin Young. Kevin Jones
returned to action with 3 carries. He could be a late
round steal as the Bears may turn to the veteran and
use Matt Forte as the situation back. The Falcons
are being very careful with Michael Turner as he
had only 5 touches against the Titans, implying that
he'll be a workhorse on week 1.


Wide Receivers: Rankings

1. Randy Moss- comparable to 2007
2. Terrell Owens- trails only Moss
3. Reggie Wayne- elite last season
4. Larry Fitzgerald- gets better in 08
5. Braylon Edwards- was 3rd last season
6. Chad Johnson- something to prove
7. Marques Colston- Brees go to WR
8. T.J. Houshmandzadeh- money
9. Brandon Marshall- big time player
10. Andre Johnson- needs to stay healthy
11. Steve Smith- misses 3 starts w/bye
12. Plaxico Burress- ankle has improved
13. Anquan Boldin- great #2
14. Wes Welker- slot supreme
15. Torry Holt- not done yet
16. Marvin Harrison- Marv at 16
17. Santonio Holmes- could move up
18. Calvin Johnson- big time upside
19. Greg Jennings- Rodgers prime target
20. Roy Williams- always disappoints
21. Chris Chambers- enigmatic
22. Lee Evans- needs chemistry w/Edwards
23. Hines Ward- steady
24. Roddy White- Redman/Ryan inhibitors
25. Jericho Cotchery- nice #3
26. Dwayne Bowe- lacks a QB
27. Anthony Gonzalez- could easily move up
28. Vincent Jackson- big target, soft hands
29. Devin Hester- moves way up as a #1 WR.
30. Santana Moss- inconsistent
31. Ted Ginn- moves up w/Pennington
32. DeSean Jackson- has a bit of magic
33. Joey Galloway- back at practice
34. Donald Driver- Favre free hurts him
35. Jerry Porter- returns to practice next week.

Others: Hackett, Coles, J. Walker, Crayton,
Branch, Burleson, Mason, Hardy, Meachem,
Bruce, Walter, Berrian, Darrell Jackson,
Curtis, R. Davis.

Steals: DeSean Jackson, Branch, Porter.

Late Breaking News- Torry Holt is feeling better
and is expected to play against the Ravens this week.
Jerry Porter's return to practice has been pushed out
until next week. Wes Welker had a rib injury put him
out of last night's game, details should be available today.

Preseason Week 3/Grades-WR: (excludes top 15)

A:
R. Davis- 4/58, 2 TD's
De. Jackson- 4/67, punt ret. TD
B. Marshall- 2/71, TD
K. Walter- 6/61, TD

B:
I. Bruce- 2/23
G. Jennings- 4/42
D. Driver- 2/33, TD
P. Crayton- 3/39, TD

C:

D:

F:

Comments: DeSean Jackson has been very impressive
and should be considered as a #3. Kevin Walter is sure
handed and continues to shine. Greg Jennings looked to
be in mid-season form and has a connection with Rodgers.
Brandon Marshall will emerge as a tier 1 receiver this
season. Rashied Davis is the Bears #1 for whatever that
is worth.


Tight Ends: Rankings

1. Jason Witten- Gates heir apparent
2. Antonio Gates- still the best/sore toe
3. Kellen Winslow- soldier
4. Jeremy Shockey- Brees a big +
5. Chris Cooley- consistent scorer
6. Tony Gonzalez- needs a QB
7. Vernon Davis- on the Martz merry go round
8. Dallas Clark- injury prone but huge upside
9. Randy McMichael- OC Saunders likes TE's
10. Heath Miller- red zone monster
11. Alge Crumpler- Young will target him
12. Owen Daniels- useful
13. Tony Scheffler- could move up
14. L.J. Smith- must stay healthy
15. Todd Heap- seemingly never healthy

Others: Boss, Lee, Watson, Olsen, Royal,
Z. Miller, J. Carlson.

Steals: Crumpler, McMichael, L.J. Smith.

Late Breaking News: Todd Heap has been ruled out
for this week but is adamant that he'll be ready for week 1.
Antonio Gates is participating in team drills exceeding
team expectations. Jeremy Shockey is playing this week.

Preseason Week 3/Grades-TE: (excludes top 3)

A:
V. Davis- 1/40

B:
L. J. Smith- 3/44
O. Daniels- 4/35

C:
G. Olsen- 1/18

D:
A. Crumpler- 2/9
D. Lee- 1/8

F:
T. Scheffler- 0

Comments: Good to see Crumpler catch a few balls.
Vernon Davis should evolve into a tier 2 TE this season.
Owen Daniels and L.J. Smith, if he can stay healthy,
should be than adequate scorers from the position.


Kickers: Rankings

1. Nick Folk- lots of chances with Big D
2. Josh Brown- superb kicker in Dome
3. Rob Bironas- offense stalls frequently
4. Adam Vinatieri- bounce back year
5. Shayne Graham- consistent
6. Kris Brown- finished 8th in points 07
7. Phil Dawson- great offense/bad weather
8. Nate Kaeding- Chargers will be better
9. Stephen Gotkowski- needs a few more FG's
10. Mason Crosby- depends on Rodgers
11. Jason Elam- kicking in Georgia Dome
12. Neil Rackers- may return to 06 form
13. Martin Gramatica- great offense/dome
14. Robbie Gould- Bears offense weak
15. Ryan Longwell- inconsistent offense

Other: Suisham, Nugent, Tynes, Mare,
Reed, Janikowski, Kasey, Bryant, Akers,
Scobee, Hanson, Coutu, Carpenter.

Steal: Gramatica

Week 3 News: Gramatica is a real sleeper kicking in
a dome for a high powered offense. Brandon Coutu
had 5 FG's in an effort to beat out Mare in Seattle.

Preseason Week 3/Grades-K: (excludes top 5)

A:
M. Crosby- 2/3 FG's (44, 46-missed 53)
K. Brown- 3/3 FG's (44)

B:

C:
R. Gould- 3/4 FG's (21,24,28-missed 48)
J. Elam- 1/2 FG's (49-missed 33)

Comments: Kris Brown could have a gigantic year
if Matt Schaub stays upright.


Defenses: Rankings

1. San Diego- should repeat as #1
2. Minnesota- Allen will help CB's
3. New England- healthy upfront
4. Seattle- weak division/great pressure
5. Pittsburgh- only with Polamalu
6. Indianapolis- Freeney has to be 100%
7. Dallas- improves with Pacman Jones
8. Tampa Bay- will be better 08
9. Philadelphia- Samuel helps
10. Chicago- might surprise
11. Jacksonville- on the cusp
12. Tennessee- needs Haynesworth
13. N.Y. Giants- sacks may suffer
14. Green Bay- could be overworked
15. Baltimore- pride but getting old

Others: Denver, Buffalo, Washington.

Steals: Philadelphia, Chicago

Late Breaking News: Dwight Freeney and Bob
Sanders will both be playing this week for the Colts
vs. the Bills on Sunday. Shawne Merriman has a
torn PCL. He has not decided on what course of action
to take but speculation by a beat writer from San Diego
is that he'll opt for season ending surgery rather than
risk a career ending injury to the knee this year. Brian
Dawkins had an ankle injury and although x-rays were
negative he's scheduled for an MRI today.

Preseason Week 3/Grades-DEF:

A:

B:
Eagles- 4 sacks, 3 points, no Brady

C:

D:
Bears- 13 points, long drives, big plays vs O'Sullivan.

Comments: The Eagles continue to impress but play
in a very tough division.


Bye Weeks:

Week 4: Lions, Colts, Dolphins, Patriots, Giants, Seahawks
Week 5: Browns, Raiders, Rams, Jets
Week 6: Bills, Titans, Chiefs, Steelers
Week 7: Falcons, Eagles, Cards, Jaguars
Week 8: Bears, Bengals, Broncos, Packers, Vikings, Texans
Week 9: Saints, Chargers, 49ers, Panthers
Week 10: Cowboys, Buccaneers, Redskins, Ravens

Bye week management is critical to a successful draft. It's
mandatory that you consider bye weeks when drafting your
team to avoid having multiple starters on bye any given week
basically forfeiting your chance to win that week. There are
only 14 regular season games in standard fantasy football
league seasons so you can hardly give away any and expect
to make the playoffs. For example if you're lucky enough to
get Adrian Peterson early in round 1 you may pass on Rudi
Johnson and opt for Graham, Jacobs, Brown or James at the
bottom of the 2nd or top of the 3rd round. If it's too good to
pass on such as Westbrook and Turner then make certain
that your reserve running backs are not off on the same week.
Also, if you can select a tight end, a kicker and a defense with
different bye weeks you'll only need 1 flex spot on your roster
to cover all 3 byes.

Draft Strategy:

It all begins with mock drafts. Try to participate in at least 3
approximately 2 days before your actual draft. Enter each
draft from a different position, one at the top, one middle,
one at the bottom, if possible. Print the results of each and
study patterns that emerge consistently especially in the
middle rounds. Look at positions primarily to see if QB's
are going late, WR's early and which running backs are
falling. Make note of which and when the top 4 defenses
are coming off the board as well as the tight end distribution.

Try to use the 1st 6 mock rounds to grab you're starters at RB,
WR and QB but be flexible as to the order you use to achieve
this objective. Most experts recommend you pick the best 2
RB's available with your 1st picks and it's a sound practice.
However depending on the nature of the draft it may be
prudent to go RB, WR, WR, RB, QB, WR/RB. You've got to
recognize opportunities in the skill positions. As an example
you may pick early and grab Addai but as you come back
around the RB choices could be Rudi Johnson, Jacobs and
Maroney. It might be wise to grab Edwards and Fitzgerald
and with the 4th pick reach for James or Willie Parker. The
combinations are infinite so having a good handle on how
players will come off the board will give you a real advantage
on draft day. Mock drafting from different positions allows
for the formulation of diverse plans and contingencies. You
are now ready for your live draft.

Plot your draft. Typically your draft position will be revealed
approximately 30 minutes before going live. Use this time to
game plan. If you have the 7th pick your game plan may look
something like this: Rd 1- Larry Johnson, Rd 2- Terrell Owens,
Rd 3- Chad Johnson, Rd 4- Edgerrin James, Rd 5- McNabb, Rd
6-Santonio Holmes, Rd 7- Kevin Jones, Rd 8- Cotchery, Rd 9-
Jerry Porter, Rd 10- Tampa Bay, Rd 11- McMichael, Rd 12-
Steve Slaton, Rd 13- Nate Kaeding , Rd 14- Jeff Garcia, Rd 15-
flex. Looking at this game plan from a bye week perspective;
L. Johnson/Holmes week 6, McNabb/James week 7, Owens/
Tampa Bay week 10 are spaced perfectly with reserve RB K.
Jones off on week 8, Cotchery off on week 5 and Garcia sitting
week 10. The flex play will allow for bye week replacement of
TE/K/DEF which are on bye week 5/9/10 respectively. It's
this type of roadmap that will provide the direction that you'll
need when the draft goes off course which it invariably does.

Make certain you check NFL news before the draft to assess
a players availability. An injured or suspended player may
drop appreciably on draft boards and could represent a
steal or a bust on draft day. Whenever possible join leagues
that draft after the 3rd pre-season game as typically teams
will extend their starters in this game and use them prudently,
if at all, in the final exhibition game.

Lastly try not to have pages of notes to work as your guide.
A one pager with bye weeks, the game plan, the top players
by position and sleepers is all that you'll need to make sound
decisions in 90 second intervals.


Updates to the Rankings and News will occur daily
reflecting training camp and preseason activities
through August 31st.

The 2008 Regular Season site will go live on:

September 1st at 10am EST.