The smell of freshly mown grass, leather gloves and fresh uniforms is floating throughout Arizona and Florida, filling the nation with baseball fever. So what am I talking about football for?! Well its never too early to look forward to America's new favorite sport and take a crack at what the first round will probably look like in your league's next draft.
1. Chris Johnson RB, Tennessee Titans- There isn't much to say about this guy that you don't know. Over 2,000 yards rushing, 16 total TDs and throw on 50 receptions for 500 yards and you got yourself the undisputed fantasy MVP of 2009. He did touch the ball a lot, which might cause some to be intimidated by a down year due to injury, but its only his 3rd year in the league so trust in his fresh (extremely fast) legs.
2. Adrian Peterson RB, Minnesota Vikings- Adrian put up #1 pick type numbers, but CJ was just too amazing. In any other recent year, AP would have been the consensus top pick yet again. He lead the league in rushing TDs, and got heavily involved in the passing game after Favre joined. The fumblitis is the only cause for concern with the Purple Jesus, but even if he can't correct that, which I think he can since even Ahman Green learned how to hold the ball, AP will be in the top 3 picks no matter what.
3. Maurice Jones-Drew RB, Jacksonville Jaguars- He is probably the most entertaining person to watch on this list. While some guys may have breakaway speed or a great stiff arm, this guy is a flat out bowling ball. Its fun to have him on your team because whenever the Jags are on TV (which hopefully isn't that often) you can always spot MJD on the field because he's that short guy running into, around and over everybody. He will get you tons of TDs, and if Garrard starts playing like the Pro-Bowler that he magically was this year, he could really start racking up the yards again on the ground and especially through the air.
4. Ray Rice RB, Baltimore Ravens- Alright, so this guy might put up a good fight with MJD for most entertaining player in the league, solely because he has the similar wrecking ball build. Rice is just like guys like CJ and MJD, in that he is a ticking time bomb in terms of big plays. One of my favorite plays from this season was when Flacco threw yet another checkdown to Ray in the middle of the field, and Rice pulled out all sorts of ninja-like moves as he evaded the entire Bengals defense and scampered down the field for a huge TD. It’s the one-man explosiveness that gets players into the elite tier, and Ray Rice has it.
5. Frank Gore RB, San Francisco 49ers- He is the first classical running back off the board in my mind. Gore knows how to take punishment and deliver it as he gains healthy chunks of yards every play. While you will get quality production on the ground and in the passing game with Frankie G you still are taking on a major injury risk with the best player on your team. If you can stomach that kind of reliance on chance, or don’t mind playing the Gore or Coffee game every week, the 49ers RB can really produce for you.
6. Michael Turner RB, Atlanta Falcons- Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Last year, you would have been a fool to let the Turner slip past the top 3 picks. But that's how the fantasy business works, we only care about what you've done lately, and the Burner wasn't so hot last year. Everyone chimed on the fact that the Falcons top weapon eclipsed the dreaded 370 carry mark in 2008, but he was supposed to be the exception to the case with his big frame, ability to absorb hits and relative lack of use while sitting behind LT in San Diego. However, while Turner had a mediocre season last year, the 370 curse seems even more pretty believable now after only playing 11 games and scoring 10 TDs. I'm looking for a bounceback season from Turner and the Falcons. So, while others look at his 2009 numbers and think "ho-hum" I'm going to look to pick him and reap the rewards that this extremely talented runner can give.
7. Jamaal Charles RB, Kansas City- He won so many leagues last year, that if he got a dollar from each of them, he would definitely be making more than his real salary. I mean the guy is only making $500,00 dollars! How can he live off of that? So start sending in your dollars, every donation helps.
8. Steven Jackson RB, St. Louis Rams- Now, in no way am I endorsing some kind of Rams bounceback season, but S-Jax is talented enough to put up numbers even with a guy named Keith Null at QB. They might as well just play without an O-Line and just tell the defense every play they draw up. Oh wait they kinda do that already. But that doesn't slow Jackson down amazingly enough. Against all odds, the Rams' RB posted 7 100 yard games and finished with 1738 total yards from scrimmage. His TD total (4) was nowhere near what you want from a 1st rounder but he has a great track record and whole lot of talent. The rams might not help in any way but there's no way they can do worse than last year right? Right?
9. Shonn Greene RB, New York Jets- Greene was the biggest surprise of the postseason as he exploded for 135 and 128 yards in the first 2 rounds. In the three games he got 19+ carries Greene had over 125 yards and a TD. Now that Thomas Jones is completely out of the way the 2nd year RB has a spot as the fixture in a great run first offense. While he only has a few games of starting experience under his belt, the games he has been the starter in have been spectacular performances. Picking Greene comes with a lot of unknown, and in turn risk, but could pay huge dividends if he pans out.
10. Andre Johnson WR, Houston Texans- Im not a huge fan of the whole wideout in the first round idea, but AJ is just too good to pass up. Matt Schaub put up a career year and showed no sign of slowing down after his impressive Pro Bowl. He has put up monster numbers the past two seasons with 100 receptions and 1500 yards in each. Although he has never eclipsed the 10 TD mark, Andre 3000 is a premier receiver on a heavy passing team, a lethal combo in fantasy.
11. Rashard Mendenhall RB, Pittsburgh Steelers- The FWP era in Pittsburgh has come and gone and it sure was a fun time while it lasted. Now steps in Rashard Mendenhall who showed signs of fantasy stardom last season. In games where he had 20+ touches he also had 100 yards from scrimmage. The fact that he put up 1369 total yards last season after only 58 in his first 3 games is a promising sign for Rashard as a starter for 16 games.
12. Cedric Benson RB, Cincinnati Bengals- This spot was a real toss up for me between Benson, Grant and Fitzgerald. While my Packer homerism told me to pick Grant, I was just not sold on him for some reason this season. Fitzgerald would have been guaranteed th spot, but Warner's retirement and Boldin's departure makes his stock go crashing. That left me with Cedric the powerful. Benson will give you constant production and while it might not be pretty it's still quality stats. Had he not missed the last 2 games of the season, he could have had a lot better line than the already impressive one he had lined up before the injury. Benson's draft status might be low but he puts up mid-1st round production in the games he does suit up.
That is how a league of 12 me's would turn out. How do you think your draft would turn out should you sit down at the table with your buddies right now. Tell me what you think by e-mailing me at bglewis@fantasysportscircle.com
