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It’s preseason once again and time to hype every guy who can make a walk on defender miss! But it’s football. And I think I’m safe in assuming all of us gathered around our computers and smart phones and iPads and whatever else you’ve got rigged up are all fans of the football. It was good to see some grown men hitting the snot out of each other once again. So let’s get down to it.

Stevan Ridley: I mentioned him as someone to watch and then he went off and scored 3 touchdowns in his first preseason game. Thanks Steven with an A. The Patriots backfield is a cluster eff of Washington proportions, but someone always seems to come out of the Belichick backer brigade with some fantasy value. Last season it was a whole law firm and this year it could be Ridley. The reason I am starting to like him besides the fact that he ran 16 times for 64 yards and 2 TDs and caught 7 passes for 47 yards and a TD is that he ran 16 times for 64, oh wait, I just said that. It’s this versatility that we are seeing out of him. 7 receptions is great for a bigger RB who looked like his value would be as a possible goal line back this season. Of course Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen are all still in the picture, but Ridley and Vereen are the talent in that group and Vereen is losing ground to Ridley as we speak. I’m taking a flier on Ridley right now.

Mike Tolbert: Tolbert started over Ryan Mathews and had a receiving touchdown. Mathews has been gimpy this preseason and just the fact that he played is decent news as long as we are grasping at straws, which I am. Mathews is more talented than Tolbert, but Tolbert gets the job done while Mathews tweaks things. He keeps inching down my rankings. And Tolbert will be inching up. Son of an inch.

Felix Jones: Reports out of camp have been good for Jones and in his first preseason game he continued to impress with a couple big gainers. His ability has never really been the question, more his instability. But if he can stay healthy in this Cowboy’s offense that should be spread all the hells out with Austin, Bryant and Witten, he could have a crazy PPR year.

Kevin Kolb: He didn’t look great, but just the fact that he lobbed the ball up for Larry Fitzgerald and let him make a spectacular grab says a lot in my book. And my book is very quiet about such things. Keep feeling good about Fitz, but don’t go grabbing Kolb as your starter anytime soon.

Victor Cruz: With Steve Smith (NYG) now Steve Smith (PHI) the preseason wonder has a shot at being the slot receiver in New York. He still has to beat out Dominick Hixon, but if he does that he’ll be worth grabbing late.Someday I may have the headline, Grab Victor to Cruz to Victory! Or not.

Jeremy Maclin: It is seeming like all of the secrecy surrounding Maclin’s illness is that they have no clue what the hell is going on. That is scary on many levels. On the very selfish, shitty surfacy level, it means that you probably should steer away from drafting him right now.

Tim Hightower: I hate the Redskins. I mean, really, they are my least favorite team. Shanahan and his orange skin (yes, I am racist against orangeys), their horrible racist name (yeah, pot calling the kettle orangey), their vindictive, petty and downright stupid owner, and well, I could go on (think Joe Theismann), but I’ll stop there and get back to Tim Hightower. Right now he is looking like the frontrunner as the lead back for the Indigenous Peoples. Does that mean he’s worth his weight and Albert Haynesworth? No, but it does mean he’s worth a roster spot for now. p.s. I just realized why I hate Oompa Loompas.

Ray Rice: Good news from Cam Cameron-land. (It’s always worth a visit as long as you get that coupon on the Coke can) He says Ray Rice is the goal line back!! Yee haaaaw! Woo hoo! and so forth and so on. I’m still keeping Rice where he is because I had high expectations and thought he would get plenty of goal line work anyway.

Tim Tebow: This whole Tebow vs. the world biz is a pile of shizz, but it’s there and he was slated to be the starter while they were trying to trade Kyle Orton, so I guess we have to talk about it. Tebow had a decent game and looked a lot like he did last season and would be a productive fantasy QB, but I doubt he would win many games. It looks as if he is acting on instinct alone and that can only carry you so far in the NFL. And when he runs he isn’t Michael Vick, he is Mike Tolbert. The dude is going to get hit hard and hit often by some very large men.

Vincent Jackson: Nothing is stopping the VJax hype this preseason, especially VJax. He had a couple receptions for 54 yards with no Antonio Gates around to cramp his style. I have a feeling we may see that more than once this season.