A couple of teams stood out when I was ranking these. Pittsburgh’s D had a relatively disappointing year last year. When I looked at the numbers I found that the Steeler’s led the NFL by far in yards allowed yet had surprisingly few turnovers. It was almost flukey how few turnovers they ended up with. If they keep stifling teams on yardage and somehow luck into a few more turnovers, they’ll be a top 3 unit. Another underrated unit is the Seahawks. If you miss out on a top 3, you’ll be fine. They finished top 6 last year and play in an awful division.

2008 Big Board Defenses (Start 1/Draft 1 or 2)

1. Chargers   9  B+  7 (2nd D)
Most 20 point weeks in 2007. They allow a lot of yards but balance it out with heavy turnovers (INTs).

2.  Steelers   6  C-  9 (4th D)
They’re not getting love from magazine prognosticators but they led the league by far in yards allowed. It was, I believe, an anomaly they barely got turnovers. If they get a few more turnovers, they’ll be top 5 for sure and steady.

3.  Patriots   4  C  9 (5th D)
Can’t ignore 2007 totals even with the loss of Samuel.

4.  Seahawks   4  C-  11 (8th D)
No losses. Came in 3rd in 2007. Some streaky weeks but they play in a bad division and will be underrated.

5.  Cowboys    10  B  9 (6th D)
Steady. Nothing flashy. They won’t burn you.

6.  Vikings    8  B+  7 (1st D)
Most D TDs in 2007 which may seem they are a bit of a fluke. I think they’re overrated based on that. They’ll get scary sack totals but they were extremely heaven/hell in 2007.

7.  Jaguars    7  B  10 (7th D)
Ball control offense won’t get turnovers. Very steady corp in JAX.

8.  Colts    4  B-  11 (9th D)
No flash, few yards allowed. Steady. Injuries on D hurt in 2007 and could hurt going into 2008. Watch camp/preseason.

9.  Giants    4  B+  13 (11th D)
Led the league in Sacks last year after an awful start.

10.  Packers    8  B  13 (10th D)
Great depth and a great combo of turnovers vs yards allowed last year.

11.  Bears    8  C  9 (3rd D)
Great talent. Hoping last year was a fluke.

12. Titans    6  D+  13 (12th D)
INTS and Sacks kept them Titans in games.

13. Bucs    10  C+  13 (13th D)
2nd fewest yards allowed. Ball control offense.

14.  Ravens    6  C-  13 (14th)
Poor 2007 output due to injuries. Could be a bargain if they can regain any 2006 form whatsoever.

15. Eagles    7  C+  13 (15th)
Best corner tandem in NFL

16.  Bills    6  B+  14 (17th)
Great playoff schedule. Numbers take a hit playing Pats twice.

17. Broncos    8  A-  UND
Great SB schedule.

18. Redskins   10  B  14 (18th)

19. Arizona    7  D-  UND
Great against the run.

20. Detroit    4  C  UND
Play a crappy division.

  Not a lot of attention to details on my rankings for kickers because, frankly, I just don’t care much. I fully intend on drafting a kicker in the last round. I found the key to ranking kickers is to try to figure out which of the elite kickers get the most attempts. The rankings are slightly different here than my previous entries. The number next to the team name is the kicker’s bye week. The number next to that is the order that kicker was drafted (avg amongst kickers) in the thousands of drafts that have occured on NFL.com since July.

2008 Big Board Kickers

1.   Folk  DAL  10    1
2. Graham  CIN  8    5
3. Kaeding  SD  9    8
4.  J Brown  STL  5    6
5. Gostkowski NE  4    2
6. Dawson  CLE  5    4
7. Rackers  ARZ  7    11
8. Gould  CHI  8    
9. Bironas  TEN  6    9
10. K. Brown HOU  8    12
11. Vinatieri IND  4    3
12 Crosby  GB  8    7

Draft one last unless depth everywhere else is completely depleted. Gould seems to be a good last-ditch guy.

I’ve been playing Fantasy Football in one form or another since 1994 and I’ve never seen a TE pool quite so deep.  I’m noticing the top Tight Ends in Fantasy drafts start going earlier and earlier every year (and with good reason). I’ve done a lot of number crunching over the past few years and having a Top 3 TE every year is like getting the output of a solid #2 receiver (and they’re often far more reliable). So basically, it’s like having an extra wideout every week you play someone whose TE sucks (scores 5 or less points per week). If you miss out on a Top 3 TE this year, there’s hope. There are bargains to be had until the 10th pick. I only ranked 20 this year because I don’t intend on drafting more than one. When the starter’s bye-week arrives, I’ll be hitting the waiver wire for a 1 week only replacement.

 2008 Big Board Tight Ends

1.  Witten   DAL  10    4 (7th)
I like him better than Gates this year. So does the draft average. He’s never really been shut out and injuries aren’t a factor. He’s Romo’s 1st lookoff if TO is blanketed.

2. Gates   SD  9    5 (2nd)
One issue with Gates is injury and not just his. Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates have all had moderate to serious injuries to deal with in the offseason. If any of those injuries bother any of those guys, Gate’s numbers will likely suffer.

3. Gonzalez   KC  6    6 (6th)
He had 99 receptions with an awful QB. He was a bit streaky and he’s getting old. He’s a safe bet here.

4. Cooley   WSH  10    6 (4th)
His numbers were worse than Winslow’s but he’s a heckuva lot healthier.  Also, Zorn looks to include Cooley in a big way.

5. Winslow   CLE  5    5 (6th)
Backed up his talk last year but struggled in December. Still an injury risk but had the 2nd most catches of TEs in 2007.

6. Clark   IND  4    6 (11th)
Not many catches but had a ton of TDs last year. Very gaudy heaven/hell type weeks.

7. Shockey   NO  4    8 (7th)
Had his best year when Sean Payton was his O-Coordinator. Hopefully he can avoid the injury bug. It’d be a first if he did.

8. Heap    BAL  10    9 (2nd)
He’s a 70 plus catch/season guy when healthy. Top 5 ability here.

9. Miller   PIT  6    9 (5th)
He’s never caught more than 50/yr and Roethlisberger has plenty of other weapons.

10. Boss   NYG  4    13 (10th)
Excelled in replacing Shockey and could be a bargain.

11. V. Davis   SF  9    8 (1st)
I expect a couple of flashy weeks under Martz. He’s a great TE but has done little to earn his hype.

12. Daniels   HOU  8    11 (11th)
Impressive 63 catches last year. Doesn’t find the endzone much.

13. Scheffler   DEN  8    11 (5th)
Lots of potential but a deep receiving corp in Denver has me worried. Less of a gamble than Crumpler.

14. Crumpler   TEN  6    12 (4th)
Hoping Vince Young can be Mike Vick circa 2005. It’s a stretch.

15. LJ Smith   PHI  7    13 (12th)
The last possible bargain out there. McNabb loves him but he’s so injury prone.

16. Olsen   CHI  8    13 (3rd)
No one else to throw to and they love short yardage situations.

17. Watson   NE  4    13 (4th)
Injury prone. May get an TD or 2 every month. Very few catches.

18. Pope   ARZ  7    UND
May get red zone catches. Better chance with Warner.

19. Lewis   JAX  7    UND
3rd year breakout potential. Maybe 50 catches?

20. McMichael  STL  5    14 (7th)

The WR position was the hardest for me to rank this year as wide receivers are fast becoming as important as running backs. The injuries to Braylon Edwards, the suspensions to Steve Smith and Brandon Marshall didn’t make things any easier either.  There are a lot of attractive late rate options this year if you want to roll the dice. Devin Hester is going late and I love whoever emerges in New Orleans as the 2nd WR (don’t forget Shockey’s going to get a lot of looks though). You may also consider shoring up Bobby Engram or Deion Branch. You can’t start them right away, but they’ll eventually be used heavily in Seattle. The sooner the better. 

2008 Big Board Wide Receivers

1. Moss    NE  4  A+  1 (9th)
Undisputed #1. Tapered a bit after week 10 of last year but very impressive.  Outpointed TO last year by 40.

2. Owens   DAL  10  C-  2 (2nd)
Great attitude. The window is closing and he knows it. His numbers will drop slightly if Dallas picks up someone better than Patrick Crayton in camp.

3. Wayne   IND  4  B+  2 (5th)
Even with Harrison, Wayne should breakaway this year. He’s a sure thing with Manning barring injury.

4. Colston   NO  9  B  3 (2nd)
A lot like Braylon Edwards only more proven and with more experience. 3rd year breakout potential. I don’t think I’m overrating him here though others would.

5. Edwards   CLE  5  B-  2 (6th)
Lining Donte Stallworth at X will only help him. I may be overrating him here. Cleveland’s schedule is tougher than last year and they won’t sneak up on anyone. Watch that foot injury in the early drafts.

6. Houshmandzadeh  CIN  8  C+  3 (4th)
Tapered after Cinci imploded last year but steadier than Ocho Cinco. Playing in a contract year so attitude shouldn’t be an issue. So far Chad Johnson hasn’t been a distraction. If Chad was, the outlook would be rosier. Watch what happens in preseason.

7. Fitzgerald   AZ  7  D  2 (10th)
If Leinhart is throwing to him I’m worried. His numbers could drop a bit if Bolden is healthy too. He can be a bit streaky.

8. Johnson   HOU  8  B  2 (12th)
Injuries are a concern but it’s hard to ignore his 2007 numbers.

9. Chad Johnson   CIN  8  C+  3 (8th)
Streaky last year but still posted good numbers.
10. Holmes   PIT  6  C-  5 (9th)
I’m putting him higher here but there a lot less risks than Smith (suspension) and Plax and Holt (injuries). 3rd year breakout potential. Tough schedule at muddy Heinz field.

11. Smith   CAR  9  B  3 (5th)
The 2 game suspension hurts a bit. Depending on Delhomme’s health doesn’t help either.

12. Holt   STL  5  A-  3 (10th)
Degenerative knee and age are catching up yet he still posted great numbers last year.

13. Plax   NYJ  4  C  3 (12th)
Bad ankle virtually all of 2007 but he still played well. Shockey leaving may help too.

14. Welker   NE  4  B  4 (3rd)
Won’t likely post 2007 numbers. A lot of heaven/hell weeks in 2007.

15. Boldin   AZ  7  D  4 (8th)
He’s unhappy with his contract which doesn’t bode well but played well last year despite being dinged up.

16. R. Williams   DET  4   C-  5 (5th)
Detroit has to prove they didn’t trade this guy in the offseason for a reason plus everyone is anticipating DET will usually be behind a bunch and have to throw.

17. Jennings   GB  8  D+  5 (10th)
I’d feel safer knowing Favre would be throwing to him but I don’t like the options after 17 much either. It’s hard to ignore his top 10 numbers from 2007. 3rd year breakout potential if GB doesn’t implode under Favre drama.

18. Evans   BUF  6  B  7 (7th)
He’s fantasy suicide but he has more upside and a QB with 1 more year of experience that could get Evans to 2006-type numbers. It’s a longshot but so are the guys lower than him on this list. Huge risk.

19. Calvin Johnson  DET  4  C-  6 (4th)
There’s still that chance he could unseat Roy Williams

20. D. Bowe   KC  7  B  6 (10th)
Put up damn good numbers as a rookie with an awful team. With LJ back and if the run sets up the pass, Bowe could have an even better 2008.

21. H. Ward   PIT  6  C-  6 (7th)
Put up top 20 numbers last year despite missing a few games. I’d much rather have Holmes but Ward is still competitive.

22. Harrison   IND  4  B+  5 (11th)
If the knee holds up, he’ll be fine.

23. B. Marshall   DEN  8  B  5 (4th)
The 3 game suspension will hurt, I’m worried the injury will hurt more.
Colbert or Stokely will start in his place

24. Coles   NYJ  5  B  7 (12th)
Hoping he can stay healthy and gets more looks than Crothery.

25. Galloway   TB  10  B  8 (9th)
Old, injury prone but still puts up top 20 numbers.

26. Berrian   MIN  8  B+  8 (4th)
Used to catching balls from crappy QBs so Tavaris Jackson shouldn’t be a problem.

27. Moss   WSH  10  B-  8 (10th)
Zorn will want to throw more. Moss looks like a safe bet. 

28. Chambers   SD  9  A-  8 (1st)
The ball will be spread around a lot. Immense talent.

29. Curtis   PHI  7  C+  9 (9th)
It’s Curtis vs Reggie Brown. Either way the ball will get spread around. I’ll go with the guy who posted top 15 numbers. He could be a bargain. Don’t expect consistency.

30. Stallworth   CLE  5  C  10 (2nd)
Cleveland’s number 2 (or 3 if you count Winslow)

31. Burleson   SEA  4    9 (6th)
SEA’s number 2 a threat to unseat aging Engram. Either way he’ll put a few points.

32. Crotchery   NYJ  5    9 (11th)
Jets weren’t afraid to throw to him last year.

33. Driver   GB  8  D+  8 (3rd)
Vault him if he does well in preseason, if not, leave him here.

34. White   ATL  7  D  8 (3rd)
A risk with such a crappy team and rookie QB.

35. V. Jackson   SD  9    12 (7th)
Had a great AFC champ game and could get more catches than Chambers.

36. Crayton   DAL  10    10 (5th)
Dal  #2. Wasn’t very productive last year in that role.

37. Porter   JAX  7  C+  12 (2nd)
Watch to see how he gels with Garrard. A bit of a risk because all of JAX receivers are unproven.

38. Bruce   SF  9    12 (10th)
In Martz we trust (or at least hope).

39. Ginn JR   MIA  4    13 (10th)
They have to justify his high draft pick somehow? Pennington will help.

40. J Walker   OAK  5    10 (3rd)
#1 in Oakland. Vault him if Preseason looks good.

41. D. Jackson   DEN  8    13th (6th)
Might be worth a flier with Marshall’s suspension

42. Mason   BAL  10  D-  12 (9th)
1,000 yard season but no TDs in 2007.

43. R. Brown   PHI  7    12 (7th)
#2 option in Philly with upside.

44. B. Johnson   SF  9    12 (10th)
If Bruce is hurt he’ll be the clear #1.

45. Meachem   NO  9    UND 
Undrafted but rising. If he is named #2 over Henderson and Patten, vault him to Top 30.

46. Gage   TEN  6    14 (5th)
Could be TEN #1 and very safe bet beyond round 11 or 12.

47. D. Bennett   STL  5    12 (12th)
If St. L offense is clicking, he could be a mild sleeper

48. Hester   CHI  8    13 (10th)
Worth a flier if you’re comfortable with the rest of your lineup and want decent reward with low risk

49. Gaffney   NE  4    13 (5th)
NE slot receiver. Bigger role if Welker goes down or Pats air it out big time again.

50. Gonzales   IND  4    10 (3rd)
Should get more looks with Harrison ailing.

51. Mush or Hackett  CAR  9    UND
Hackett going higher but not much.

52. D. Thomas   WSH  10    UND
Redskins #2 could be featured. Safe risk in last couple rounds.

53. Randle El   WSH  10    UND
He could start as #2 in WSH. Watch preseason.

54. Booker   CHI  8    14 (2nd)
#1 WR could be worth a look in last round. Probably deserves to be higher than this.

Do whatever you can to take a late flier (13th?) on Branch or Engram.

Tier the top 6. Anything from 7-18 has a high risk/reward factor to it. After 18 is even tougher to gauge and a lot of skill is needed in getting the right guys for the right price. I’m thinking the SB will be won by this position this year as opposed to RBs. Some interesting late round bargains could be had with some serious risks past round 10. If you’re going to roll the dice like this, try to make sure you have 2 sure fire WRs every week. Get a top 3 TE and it’ll make the WR posit less of a risk.

NO battle for #2 will be the biggest factor. Seattle, Washington and Denver need to clear up their depth chart a lot in preseason to make these rankings a bit clearer.

Watch the suspensions to Marshall (3 games) and Steve Smith (2 games).

 I probably didn’t explain my grading system real well in my first FF post (Big Board QBs). Here’s the key:

 Name     Bye Week     How easy is players schedule during stretch drive     Avg draft posit

See the previous post for more details. The number in ( ) next to the avg draft position is what pick they were in the round listed. IE: if the number is 3 (8th), it means that player was taken in the average spot of 3rd round/8th pick out of the bazillions of drafts nfl.com has held since July 1st.

Running backs were my 2nd hardest position to grade this year. It’s obviously time for traditionalists like myself to consider banning drafting RBs with the first 2 picks. The position was so difficult to grade because there were so many injuries and flukes last year that it made it hard to assess whether 2007 was a flukey year or a trend toward things to come. Steven Jackson, Rudi Johnson, Larry Johnson and Reggie Bush all missed significant time due to injury. Maroney was barely given the ball until week 13 and when he did he ran extremely well. No one quite knows what the hell happened to Frank Gore and Willie Parker running for a million yards and scoring only once was jaw-dropping.

Anyway, I sorted it out the best I could.

 2008 Big Board Running Backs

1. Tomlinson  SD  9  B+  1 (1st)
Slight injury concerns. Very easy stretch drive. 2 tough run Ds in 15 weeks 15 and 16.

2. Westbrook  PHI  7  B  1 (3rd)
Huge toss-up between Westbrook and Peterson. Westbrook is more consistent and proven. I’ll take that over raw talent.

3. Peterson  MIN  8  B+  1 (2nd)
Great stretch schedule. Huge upside. Offense isn’t balanced enough to warrant 2nd overall pick. Injury prone.

4. Addai  IND  4  B  1 (7th)
He’ll give away a few carries to D. Rhodes this year but proved himself in ’07. He’ll never dominate a game the way Peterson or LT can. His biggest point total was 28 last year. Far more consistent than AP.

5. Jackson  STL  5  A  1 (5th)
He’ll dominate if he’s healthy and the line holds up. Neither happened last year. It’s too dangerous to take him higher than this. Better watch his contract situation carefully.

6. Barber  DAL  10  C-  1 (11th)
Best team and system for him to succeed. I’m ranking him high. If Felix Jones steals carries and Dallas spreads the ball to Witten and TO, there is potential for him to be a bit of disappointment for a 1st round pick. If things go right, he’ll be fine. He was streaky as hell in 2007.

7. Johnson  KC  7  C  2 (3rd)
Best physical prospect on an awful team. He should be healthy and it can’t get any worse than 2007 for Chiefs with Chan Gailey as O-Coordinator.

8. Gore   SF  9  B-  1 (8th)
Martz should help Gore and not hurt him. His youth and lack of injuries make him a good bet here.

9. Grant  GB  8  D  3 (1st)
Brutal stretch drive schedule worries me a bit. 5 100 yard games in 7 starts has me optimistic. Ds may key on him minus Favre.

10. Lynch  BUF  6  C  1 (12th)
Massive off line but a terrible QB. He should top 300 carries which will put him feature back territory. He won’t dazzle you but he’s consistent.

11. Portis  WSH  10  C-  2 (2nd)
Will Zorn let him carry the ball 300+ times? If not, he could be a let down but he has a history of success.

12. McGahee  BAL  10  C-  2 (6th)
10-20 pts per week. No more, no less. No Ogden worries me a little. He battled injuries all last season and still did well.

13. Lewis  CLE  5  C  3 (2nd)
Should get nearly 300 carries if he can stay healthy and Ds can’t focus on him solely with all that talent around him.

14. Maroney  NE  8  B  3 (12th)
The Pats finally let him loose the last few weeks of the season and he did well. If they let him run, he’ll be a top 8 back. If the Pats throw all over the place like last year, he’ll be another disappointment. I may be overrating him a bit here. He’s the biggest risk of the top running backs. I just don’t know how he’ll be used.

15. Jones-Drew  JAX  7  C+  3 (5th)
Still dependable. Opening up the offense with Porter and Garrard could make him more valuable. Goal-line stud.

16. Johnson  CIN  8  D+  4 (3rd)
If he can battle #1 and confidence away from Kenny Watson, he’ll be a pleasant surprise. Monitor camp and preseason. He could move up a little or down quite a bit.

17. Parker  PIT  6  D-  5 (1st)
Yardage machine. Mendenhall could steal carries. He’ll rarely sniff the end zone but if Pittsburgh is still high on him, he’ll be a steal here.

18 Graham  TB  10  B  4 (4th)
Crowded backfield but he should fare well. Very consistent.

19 Jones  SEA  4  C+  4 (12th)
Huge upside if he impresses early. If not, it’ll be worse than the Dallas situation last year. Monitor camp.

20. Brown  MIA  4  B+  5 (9th)
The biggest risk/reward back of the crop. I’m thinking he can hold off Ricky Williams and injuries. If he does, he’ll be amazing. Get ready to gamble if you pick Brown.

21. L. White  TEN  6  B+  6 (5th)
Far safer than R. Brown. 300 plus carries last year in a solid 10-20 point per week guy. He’s losing 2 starting guards.

22. Bush  NO  9  B  4 (5th)
He could be a nice addition in a high octane offense. Streaky. He’ll have competition for carries.

23. B. Jacobs  NYG  4  D+  4 (8th)
Injury concerns and a crowded backfield have me worried. I think he’s overrated any higher than this.

24. Forte  CHI  8  C-  7 (2nd)
Will split with K. Jones and should get more carries than any other rookie.

25. T. Jones  NYJ  5  C-  5 (11th)
Line has improved. Jones should too. Younger legs in back of him though if he doesn’t start strong.

26. M. Turner  ATL  7  D  5 (2nd)
Norwood still around to steal carries. Horrible talent around him.

27. J. Stewart  CAR  9  B  5 (10th)
Will split with Williams but may blossom into more. Goal line back.

28. F. Taylor  JAX  7  C+  7 (10th)
Don’t laugh, he still gets his touches.

29. K. Smith  DET  4  C+  7 (5th)
Huge upside if he’s the number 1 starter. Bump him if he gets it. Monitor.

30. Edge  ARZ  7  D  6 (3rd)
They still seem to have faith in him.

31. S. Young  DEN  8  B  7 (3rd)
Shanahan sees him as a “15 carry/game guy”. Beware. Awesome number 3 but no better.

32. R. Mendenhall PIT  6  D-  9 (2nd)
If N. Davenport can get 7 TDs behind Parker, Mendenhall can get more!

33. T Bell  DET  4  C+  13 (2nd)
If he stays number 1 he’ll be a bargain here. A lot to prove.

34. D. McAllister NO  9  B  10 (5)
Great offense will give him goal-line opps.

35. D. Williams  CAR  9  C-  9 (10th)
He’ll get a few touches and still has a lot of talent.

36. A. Green  HOU  8    9 (12th)
Motivated. Will be given every opportunity to be #1 in Houston. Will run behind a great offense.

37. L. Washington NYJ  5  C-  14 (3rd)
He could wrestle #1 job away from T. Jones. Fared well last year as a starter.

38. C. Taylor  MIN  8    9 (3rd)
A handcuff for AP.

39. Bradshaw  NYG  4    13 (8th)
A good handcuff for Jacobs.

40. K Jones  CHI  8    14 (4th)
Will split with Forte if healthy enough.
41. D. Rhodes  IND  4    14th (1st)
Should get goal line opps.

42. C. Johnson  TEN  6    10 (12th)
High hopes for draft pick backing up White.

43. Norwood  ATL  7    11 (10th)
Will steal a few carries from Turner.

44. K. Watson  CIN  8    13 (10th)
He’ll be great if something happens to R. Johnson. He was an asset last year.

Handcuffs:
Hester   SD  9
Pierre Thomas  NO  9
F. Jones  DAL  10
Betts   WSH  10
Morris   NE  4
B. Jackson  GB  8
D. Foster  SF  9
Denver’s #2  DEN  8   

I’m knee deep in it now. These are my big board QB rankings that I work on for my personal leagues. My first draft in next Saturday so I’ll be getting all the rankings up for these within the next couple of days.

I take a lot of things into account when I process these. I know my descriptions are a little blunt but there is lots to do. Here’s how to read my lines: #Player bye week stretch run grade avg pos drfted.

The average position drafted is where these players are being drafted amongst all the free drafts at NFL.com so far. It’s not perfect and might not work for your draft, but it’s a great ballpark indicator to see where your favorite players are going. The number indicates the avg round they are going in and the number in parenthesis is the pick in that round they are going in. The Stretch run schedule grade I calculate using the last 4 teams the players team players from weeks 13-16 (16 being the usual Super Bowl week for Fantasy Players). For instance: Brady’s last 4 games are against Pittsburgh (home), Seattle (away), Oakland (away) and Arizona (home). I gave his schedule grade an A- because of his team’s passing success against those opponents last year. It’s subjective but it’s helped me in past drafts. Don’t think I wouldn’t have ranked Bulger quite a bit lower if not for his easy stretch drive schedule. My descriptions are short and to the point (and a bit boring). Please forgive typos/grammer etc.

Lastly, I didn’t get as deep as I could have with the QB pool because I have no intentions of getting any QB past 22 on the depth chart regardless of my depth.

2008 Big Board Quarterbacks

1.Brady NE 4 A- 1 (3rd)

Dream matchups in weeks 15 and 16. The only question mark is if he can do this without cheating. Won’t match 2007 but who could? Brady was 98 pts better than ROMO last year and 125 better than Manning.

2. Manning IND 4 A 1 (7th)

Awesome stretch schedule except for SB week at JAX. Slight injury, mobility concerns. He was a little more up and down in 2007 than I would have liked if I had to find 1 fault with the guy.

3. Romo DAL 10 C- 2 (14th)

I didn’t want to initially take him this high but there are factors to Romo I can’t ignore. He’s a bit streaky but he outpointed Manning last year by 27. TO seems content,

Witten is there and so is the O-line. The stretch run seems tough but the last 2 weeks have him at home. He throws a bunch of INTs but I see him as a pretty safe pick.

4. Brees NO 9 B 2 (20th)

Great stretch drive schedule. Horrible start to 2007 grew into great numbers. Great supporting cast. A really tough call between Brees and Roeth. I’ll put Brees here because of Roeth’s tough schedule.

5. Roethlisberger PIT 6 C- 3 (2nd)

Underrated for the 3rd year in a row but climbing. Great, steady numbers in 2007. Brutal stretch schedule but a great SB matchup (TEN). If PIT looks to get back to smash-mouth, it will diminish Ben’s TD totals. Doesn’t throw for a ton of yards. Very durable. That may be an advantage over Brees.

6. Hasselbeck SEA 4 C+ 6 (9th)

Am I really overrating him? He had a career 2007 and is in a weak division. Reliable and steady. Doesn’t throw for a ton of yards but gets the job done. Don’t count on flashy numbers.

7. Palmer CIN 8 B- 3 (4th)

Potential for flashy numbers but he really struggled the 2nd half of 2007. If the ships righted drama-wise, there’s real potential but that remains to be seen. High risk/high reward.

8.Anderson CLE 5 B- 4 (3rd)

Pretty consistent numbers last year even after he fell to earth late in 2007. I love his upside (especially when compared to McNabb). He may be vastly overrated in the draft but a good risk if you go far without taking a QB.

9. Bulger STL 5 A 6 (10th)

Awesome schedule! If the line is great, if he doesn’t get injured, if they can play like 2006… A lot of ifs but his upside could be huge.

10. Schaub HOU 8 C+ 11 (7th)

Underrated? Very unproven and he plays against tough pass Ds. Great passing game building in

Houston but is this the year it comes together. Could easily be the biggest bargain in the QB draft. Taking him this high proves I’m not very comfortable at QB beyond Tier 1.

11. Cutler DEN 8 B+ 8 (2nd)

Very streaky. His team is getting worse or I’d rank him higher. He’s got upside.

12. Favre NYJ 5 B 11 (8th)

In a pretty good offense for him to succeed in. He has never fared well against the AFC East (he was basted by the Patriots last year). I think he’ll have a positive impact on Cotchery and Coles’ numbers this year. After all of this drama, this is pretty much where I had him ranked last year. That avg draft position will likely skyrocket.

13. McNabb PHI 7 B- 5 (11th)

Huge injury risk and something doesn’t feel right in Philly. Great weapons but too much dysfunction to pick without worry. Relatively consistent when healthy. Check camp for drama.

14. Garrard JAX 7 B 9 (4th)

Solidly consistent stretch last year. Very dependable and doesn’t make mistakes. It would be a reach to expect 20 points a week based on the offensive scheme.

15. Kitna DET 4 C- 12 (12th)

The Lions are preaching run but they’ll have to throw a lot if behind and I love Williams/Johnson. A high reward #2 at the very least.

16. Manning NYG 4 C 8 (8th)

Could use last year as a spring board to greatness with excellent talent around him. I’m not counting on it. Expect the same. Side note: I’m surprised he’s not overrated in the draft averages.

17. Rivers SD 9 A- 10 (3rd)

Huge injury risk, consistency and a run first offense. ‘Nuff said.

18. Rodgers GB 8 D+ 10 (11th)

Some upside with great talent around him. Watch camp.

19. Young TEN 6 B+ 12 (3rd)

Way too streaky but improving.

20. Delhomme CAR 9 C 9 (6th)

Injuries and offensive scheme inconsistency but if he’s healthy he’ll be a great #2 option.

21. A. Smith SF 9 B 15 (2nd)

Martz is the reason for optimism. Watch preseason. If he has a great campaign, he’s a great opportunity.

22.Campbell WAS 10 D 13 (8th)

Slow offense. Capable of 15 pts a week but not much more.

23. Garcia TB 10 C- 14 (2nd)

Others to slightly ponder: JaMarcus Russell, Leinhart vs Warner. Warner could shoot to 15 on this list if he’s named starter where Leinhart would go 19.

OK, I’ve finally leafed through most of the FF preview magazines and have done exhaustive research online trying to get up to speed before my first draft (August 16th). As usual, everything is subjective and it’s really hard to predict the future when it comes to this stuff but I’ve noticed some areas where my counterparts are flat out WRONG.

 BEN ROETHLISBERGER DOESN’T SUCK:  I haven’t seen him higher than the 5th best QB going despite ranking 4th overall all last year in QB pts (and I’ve seen him ranked as low as 9th)! He set a franchise record for TD’s last year and, get this, Ben says he’s “just now feeling comfortable with the offense”. If you’re going to spend your first 2 picks on running backs, you can still get a QB who can net you 20 plus points per week as late as the 6th round.

BEWARE OF ADRIAN PETERSON:  Most prognosticators are trying to get me to believe that Adrian Peterson warrants 1st overall pick consieration. These magazines and websites make it appear that somehow Adrian Peterson disemboweled Joseph Addai and Brian Westbrook en route to a 2,500 yard season last year. MINDLESS PROPAGANDA. Don’t get me wrong, AP is great but the stats reveal that he’s a bit streaky (and don’t get me started about the injuries). Also, don’t forget, 2007 saw injuries to many injuries to prominent runners. Steven Jackson, LJ, Kevin Jones, Brandon Jacobs, Rudi Johnson, Joseph Addai and Reggie Bush all missed games due to injury. It’s no wonder AP got all the press last year, no one else was healthy enough to even compete with him.

 JASON WITTEN IS NOT THE 2nd BEST TE IN FANTASY FOOTBALL:  He’s number 1. Too many websites and magazines are getting lazy. They must just be copying and pasting their Big Board TE Rankings from last year and slapping it into 2008’s preview. Witten outpointed Gates last year and had 2 fewer weeks with 5 points or less. Witten is ROMO’s first lookoff when TO is double covered and he doesn’t have to worry about Tomlinson making him obsolete by rushing for 250 yards a game. Plus, Gates is entering camp with an injury that could hamper him. This one’s simple. Health: ADV Witten, QB: ADV Witten, OFF Scheme: ADV Witten, OFF Line: ADV Witten.

It’s a little late for me this year, actually, a lot late. Usually I begin my FF prep in early April around NFL draft-time and start my big board rankings in June. This year, for whatever reason, has been a little different and I’m only getting around to seriously diving in over the last few days. Sometimes the best part of the FF season is the prep work though over the past few years I’ve probably gone a little overboard with it. Maybe I’m getting to this a little late this year because I know what a daunting task it is with so little free time.

Obviously, the first step when it comes to ranking your big boards is the all-important Fantasy Football Magazine purchase. I’m starting to think that one day the internet will make these things obsolete but as long as someone is willing to cut down trees to print one, I’ll be there spending money on it. It’s the one thing the internet can never replace. That being said, the best Fantasy Football magazine by far is Fantasy Football Weekly by fanball.com (the one with ROMO on the cover). FFW’s mag is innovative in that it has 9 different editors ranking players instead of 1 and you get all 9’s opinions on their top 10 at each position. Next, they do varying Big Board drafts depending on which type of scoring system you use in your league. They rank players on their boards based on yardage system, points system, points and yardage systems, auctions system and keeper leagues. Genius.

I don’t always agree on everyone’s Big Boards no matter what the magazine but the magazines are always a catalyst to get my mind going. I already see some overrated players and busts in these things. I’m going to write about those later.

To write a column, blog entry or call a sports talk show about praising Ken Holland seems almost redundant at this point. So I’m not going to. To comment further on the brilliance of Ken Holland and the Red Wings organization would be a distraction from beholding it. There are others to thank for setting Ken up to make this deal. Let’s get to them.

MARIAN HOSSA: Hossa, in a show of maturity not often seen in athletes, decided he didn’t want to wait until he was 42 years old to win a title and wanted to do it in his prime. He’s no dummy. He’s worth over $80 million dollars now conservatively. Watch those numbers sky rocket with an even higher salary cap next year and Stanley Cup on his resume.

THE NHL OWNERS: Thanks to the Lockout, the NHL is making money hand over fist. The Salary Cap has gone up for 4 consecutive years and NHL attendance has gone up for 4 consecutive years. The cap for the upcoming season is $6.4 million dollars more than last years. Without such an increase, there is no way the Hossa deal could have happened.

THE STRONG CANADIAN DOLLAR: Ducks GM Brian Burke says the 6 Canadian franchises have never been on stronger footing thanks to the rise of the Loonie. Revenues grew 12% amongst the franchises and helped with the upper end of the salary cap spike.

The wrecking ball is coming to Detroit to finally take care of Tiger Stadium and it will be a sad day for every baseball fan in Detroit. I can’t believe they’re finally going to demolish it. Tiger Stadium has been one of the long-standing “hot topics” of sports talk radio in Detroit since I entered the fray in ‘96 with people like Bill Dow leading the charge to save the stadium and Mike Ilitch proposing Comerica Park to make it obsolete. Even after Comerica had been built and the Tigers settled in there was much discussion about what to do with the Tiger Stadium. Shopping centers, condos, museum plans, restaurants and a last ditch effort by Ernie Harwell to save the stadium were among the many ideas proposed by some group or another. The next coming weeks the book will finally close on the old ballpark and I anticipate we’ll do another show or two (or three) taking calls from people conjuring up shared memories of the majesty of Tiger Stadium. It’s going to feel like a wake.

Tiger Stadium reminds me of my grandfather and for reasons that have nothing to do with baseball. I was extremely close to my grandfather and loved him dearly. He starting having many ailments and physical problems as he crept up in years. The kind we’ll all get if we’re fortunate enough to live a long, full life. His knees gave out, he couldn’t walk very well without help, his kidneys were shot and he was having heart problems when he was hospitalized to see if there was some way modern medicine could save him. The last time I visited him it was painfully obvious to me that he wasn’t going to be able to recover and my hopes of sitting with him one more time on his front porch on a sunny day would never materialize. He died the next day.

While the funeral and wake for my grandfather was extremely difficult for me, I took solace in the wonderful memories that his friends and family had of him. I’ll never have another sunny day with my grandfather or another twi-night doubleheader at Tiger Stadium, but I’ll always have some cherished memories.