You can check out our top 10 back a spell, but we’re moving on okay? Let’s see what the future holds for us! We see the number of solid running backs dwindle very quickly here. There are a lot of backs later on that have upside that I’ll be trying for, but I still would like to have two solid backs before any other position. Of course as multi-millionaire Mick Jagger who dates models says, you can’t always get what you want.
11. Ryan Grant: I’m finally giving in to Grant’s charms, which include a strong second half and a great offense. As long as he stays healthy he is guaranteed production, which you can only say for a handful of players. Projection: 1250/11 — 30/250/0
12. Shonn Greene: With Tom Jones out of the picture there is nothing holding Greene back from becoming a stud fantasy running back. With the Jets o-line and Ryan’s run first, second and third philosophy, our projections are actually on the low side. You may be scared away from him due to LDT paranoia, don’t be, LDT is D-U-N. Projection: 1275/12 — 30/200/0
13. Larry Fitzgerald: Fitz is too good to drop in the rankings because of Matt Leinart, especially with Anquan Boldin shipped off to Baltimore. Leinart will learn that Fitz is his safety blanket. I could see him having one of his best years even if the Cardinals aren’t as good as last year. Projection: 95/1300/11
14. Reggie Wayne: The Colts aren’t going anywhere and even though Joseph Addai had a goodly amount of touchdowns the Colts were still the worst rushing team in the league. Will Reggie Wayne catch around 100 balls again? I don’t see why not. The emergence of Pierre Garcon can only help Wayne. As long as he has Peyton throwing his way he will be a reliable source of fantasy revenue. Projection: 100/1300/10
15. Beanie Wells: It’s looking like Beanie is going to be my go to second rounder this season. For my money there isn’t much stability after Grant, but I think Wells’ upside matches his stability. If I can’t grab Grant or Wells in the second round there’s a good chance I’ll be going after a wide receiver. Watching Wells run last season made me a believer. His blocking skills were keeping him from playing as much as Tim Hightower, but he improved as the season went on and became the primary back and that will continue into next season. The Cardinals will still throw with Leinart at the helm, but Wells is too good to take a back seat in the offense. Projection: 1200/9 — 40/275/1
16. Cedric Benson: I wanted to rank Benson much further down, but his situation is just too good. Carson Palmer is now an average quarterback, while the running game is strong. Last season Benson had great games against stout run defenses based partially on the strength of the Bengals’ offensive line which looked like it would be weak to start out the season. He had a little trouble getting into the end zone, but as long as he can stay healthy his touchdown numbers should rise. Projection: 1275/9 — 25/175/1
17. Aaron Rodgers: It will be interesting to see what quarterback goes first in ADP this season. It’s hard to push Brees, Manning, Rivers, Brady and company back, but Rodgers has been up to the task. I like having a QB that plays in a dome, but Rodgers continues to move past them with his ability to score with his legs. He ended up the best fantasy quarterback last season even with a suspect offensive line. Projection: 4500/31/10 — 45/250/3
18. Ryan Mathews: Fantasy football is all about opportunity and a good offense and the Chargers have given Mathews both. Barring an injury his floor is 1,000 yards and 10 TD’s and his ceiling is more than that. He’ll be touted pretty hard and a more seasoned RB might be the way to go depending on his ADP, but he has the best shot out of all the rookies to lead your fake team to a real championship. Projection: 1250/12 — 10/50/0
19. Miles Austin: The Cowboys have some good scouts or they just liked Austin because his name coincides with a city in Texas, but whatever the reason, he is the real deal. His ability to break tackles after the catch separates him from many receivers and defenders. Tony Romo is just going to continue to improve and unless the Cowboys get a big name free agent wide receiver he should be the clear cut #1 all year. Projection: 85/1275/10
20. Randy Moss: He was playing hurt much of the season, but still ended up with 13 touchdowns and was the #2 fantasy wide receiver. I believe he’s on a decline, but a decline for him still should get him double digit TD’s with Brady throwing to him. Projection: 80/1150/11
