2012 Fantasy Football Rankings v1.1

Yes, I realize it's still only the second half of July, but I want to update my rankings anyway.  After finishing "Guys I'll Let Someone Else Draft" and working on (teaser alert!) "Guys I Might Reach For a Round Early", it makes me think that I need to adjust my personal rankings to account for some of these opinions of mine.  Also, there are idiots getting arrested left and right, so I can move Mr. Skittles down my board even further.  I'm only going to add comments where I've moved someone around.  For previous comments, check my original rankings. 1. Arian Foster

2. Ray Rice

3. Calvin Johnson

4. Aaron Rodgers

5. LeSean McCoy

6. Tom Brady

7. Drew Brees

8. Maurice Jones-Drew: Only down one because I want one of the top 3 QBs in the first round.

9. Chris Johnson

10.Ryan Mathews

11.Matthew Stafford

12.Larry Fitzgerald

13.Greg Jennings

14.Matt Forte

15.Darren McFadden

16.Jimmy Graham

17.Rob Gronkowski

18.Steven Jackson

19.Adrian Peterson

20.Jamaal Charles

21.Trent Richardson

22.Ahmad Bradshaw

23.DeMarco Murray

24.Roddie White: Dropping slightly because RBs at a premium early and I like a lot of WRs later on.

25.Frank Gore

26.Michael Turner

27.Andre Johnson

28.Brandon Marshall: Just a feeling about him and Cutler together again.

29.Wes Welker

30.Mike Wallace

31.AJ Green

32.Julio Jones

33.Hakeem Nicks

34.Brandon Lloyd

35.Victor Cruz

36.Antonio Gates

37.Cam Newton

38.Michael Vick

39.Jason Witten

40.Darren Sproles

41.Beanie Wells

42.Reggie Bush

43.Green-Ellis

44.Fred Jackson

45.Marshawn Lynch: I'll just move him down to here for now, but probably will move again.

46.Isaac Redman

47.Doug Martin

48.Willis McGahee

49.Vernon Davis

50.Jermichael Finley

51.Aaron Hernandez

52.Tony Romo

53.Philip Rivers

54.Marques Colston

55.Demaryius Thomas: If Peyton is healthy, I like him a LOT.

56.Percy Harvin

57.Dwayne Bowe: No contract extension = motivation to get paid

58.Steve Smith

59.Miles Austin

60.Jordy Nelson

61.Jeremy Maclin

62.Jahvid Best: Just have a feeling he stays healthy this year.  We'll see how preseason goes.

63.Stevie Johnson

64.Vincent Jackson

65.James Starks: I realize Kuhn is a vulture, but what other competition does he have?

66.Dez Bryant: Another one I'll move down a little for now, maybe more in a few weeks...

67.Eli Manning: Moving the Mannings down a bit. Position players more valuable here I think.

68.Peyton Manning: Same. 69.DeShaun Jackson

70.Antonio Brown

71.Eric Decker

72.Torrey Smith

73.Shonn Greene

74.Roy Helu

75.Donald Brown

76.CJ Spiller: I'm targeting him this year.

77.Robert Meachem

78.Pierre Garcon

79.Lance Moore 80.Peyton Hillis: Remember Thomas Jones still had a solid season when Charles busted out.

81.Reggie Wayne

82.Anquan Boldin

83.Malcom Floyd

84.Sidney Rice

85.Mark Ingram

86.Stevan Ridley

87.Toby Gerhart: Will continue to monitor AP's progress, but moving Toby up in the meantime.

88.Ben Tate

89.Lagarette Blount

90.Michael Bush

91.DeAngelo Williams

92.David Wilson

93.Robert Turbin: Lynch getting in trouble makes me think Turbin could a lot of early work.

94.Santonio Holmes: Did I mention I've never had him in any league ever?

95.Fred Davis

96.Jared Cook: With Kenny Britt's knee problem, I like Cook even more to breakout this year.

97.Brandon Pettigrew

98.Jacob Tamme

99.Coby Fleener

100.Jermaine Gresham

101.Tony Gonzalez: I just like the upside of the younger guys, especially in a keeper league.

102.Nate Washington: Have to move him up if I'm moving Britt down so far.

103.Greg Little

104.Mike Williams(TB) 105.Darrius Heyward-Bey: The more I look at Moore, the more I like DHB.

106.Jonathan Baldwin: Another third year guy I like here in the later rounds, clear #2 in Kansas City. 107.Mario Manningham: Harbaugh says Moss looks the best?  Moving the Niners down a bit.

108.Michael Crabtree: Yeah, him too.

109.Justin Blackmon

110.Titus Young

111.David Nelson: He was sort of an afterthought.  On second thought, needed to be ranked higher.

112.Denarius Moore: Very inconsistent season.  I like Heyward-Bey a little more this late.

113.Michael Floyd

114.Jacquizz Rodgers

115.Daniel Thomas

116.Mike Goodson

117.Isaiah Pead

118.Shane Vereen

119.Felix Jones: If push comes to shove, I'm taking him over either Carolina RB below here.

120.Jonathan Stewart

121.Mike Tolbert

122.Bears DEF

123.Jets DEF

124.Eagles DEF

125.49ers DEF

126.Steelers DEF

127.Ravens DEF

128.Bills DEF

129.Seahawks DEF

130.Patriots DEF

131.Packers DEF

132.Texans DEF

133.Lions DEF

134.Matt Ryan

135.Big Ben

136.Jay Cutler

137.RGIII

138.Matt Schaub

139.Josh Freeman

140.Andrew Luck

141.Kenny Britt: I'll just move him all the way down here for now.  Knee is troublesome.

142.Ronnie Brown

143.Ryan Williams

144.Mikel Leshoure

145.Alex Green

146.Tim Hightower

147.Rashad Jennings

148.Ronnie Hillman

149.Delone Carter

150.Bernard Scott

151.Dion Lewis

152.Bernard Pierce

153.Rashard Mendenhall

154.Javon Ringer

155.Montario Hardesty

156.Joe McKnight: Ranking even lower due to Tebow realization.

157.Mohamed Sanu

158.Stephen Hill

159.Brian Quick

160.Danny Amendola

161.Leonard Hankerson

162.Nate Burleson

163.Austin Collie

164.Earl Bennett

165.Kevin Walter

166.Jerome Simpson 167.Randall Cobb 168.Reuben Randle 169.Laurent Robinson 170.Joseph Addai 171.Doug Baldwin 172.Santana Moss: I removed Owen Daniels, so I'm throwing a Skin in here at the bottom.

173.Roy Williams: FREE AGENT

174.Mike Sims-Walker: FREE AGENT 175.Thomas Jones: FREE AGENT 176.Jason Snelling: FREE AGENT 177.Cedric Benson: FREE AGENT 178.Ryan Grant: FREE AGENT

179.Gostkowski (bye:9)

180.Akers (bye:9)

181.Prater (bye:7): Not that it matters, but this is one of those gut feelings.

182.Bailey (bye:5)

183.Janikowski (bye:5)

184.Henery (bye:7)

185.Bryant (bye:7)

186.Crosby (bye:10)

187.Gould (bye:6)

188.Rackers (bye:10)

189.Bironas (bye:11)

190.Hanson (bye:5)

Guys I'll Let Someone Else Draft

I've been looking at rankings out there on the interweb, and I've noticed several players who I have ranked much lower than others have them ranked.  I also realized there are a few who I don't even have in my top 190 but made it into the top 100 in some people's lists.  So I thought I would post a few notes about these guys who I'm down on this year (by comparison).  Some of these are obvious and others are late rounders anyway.  If you looked at my rankings and noticed that a guy like Marshawn Lynch was pretty far down the board, I'd call that obvious.  If you completely forgot about someone like Steve Breaston, well good for you.  That would be a less obvious one, and although I didn't forget about him, it's OK if you did.  Trust me.  I'm a scientist.

I'll try to give some comments as to why I'll let someone else draft these guys.  Some of the comments I think are quite valid, while others are more of just a gut feel of mine.  So I understand if you completely disagree with me having a guy like Jordy Nelson on here.  I don't have a lot to back that one up, seeing as how he blew up last year and he still has Rodgers throwing to him in that high powered offense.  I'm just going to chalk that one up to my big gut, along with a few others.  Anyway, let's get to it.

Running Backs

Marshawn Lynch: Lots of people have Beast Mode ranked ahead of guys like Matt Forte and Darren McFadden.  Wow.  I'm not going to claim I can predict injuries, but this guy misses one or two games every year, and in 2010 he only played in four contests.  Yes, he had his best season last year, but let’s remember he had something to play for (straight cash, homie).  I don’t trust his motivation, and I just read something hot off the press that he got arrested last night for what sounds like a DUI.  I don’t like unpredictable guys like this on my squad, and my prediction is a mediocre season.

Fred Jackson: Coming off an injury and at age 31, I think Fred’s going a little too high for me.  If I’m going to take an older guy, I’d much rather have someone like Gore or Turner.  In fact, CJ Spiller a few rounds later is much more interesting to me than Jackson anyway.  I think this year will be closer to a 50/50 split with these two, with Spiller even getting the majority of the touches by the end of the year.

Roy Helu (or any other Redskins RB): As a Redskins fan, I hope Helu has a great year.  But as a fantasy footballer, I’ll let someone else draft him.  How can you trust Shanahan when it comes to fantasy?  I'll go ahead and mention Evan Royster here as well because I don’t even have him on my radar, and others have him ranked as a top backup.  Maybe I’m showing too much love for the University of Richmond grad, but I think Timmy’s knee will be just fine.  Any way you slice it though, I'm too close to this situation to take any of them.

Any Carolina Panthers RB: Here's another entire group that I'll be staying away from.  I feel like I end up with DeAngelo Williams just about every year, and lately that's because he keeps falling and falling to a point at which he appears to have value.  Let me tell you, it's not worth it.  The same can be said for Jonathan Stewart, and now they've also added Mike Tolbert to the mix.  I thought the fantasy situation was bad last year when Cam Newton emerged to vulture the goal line TDs, but now Tolbert is there too?  I might adjust my rankings to lower all three of these guys even more, but in reality, there's no way I'm drafting any of them.

Pierre Thomas: I’ve been burned by Pierre in the past, so maybe there's too much emotion involved with this pick, but this is another guy who always seems to have some kind of nagging injury.  He might get 100 carries and a handful of TDs, but I think Mark Ingram becomes the Thunder to Sproles's Lightning this year. 

A few others who I’ll let someone else take in the later rounds…

Joseph Addai: I’m probably not drafting any Patriot RB, but if I do I’ll take one of the youngins.

Bernard Scott: I think The Law Firm will get the same kind of workload they gave to Cedric Benson, meaning Scott gets 6 or 7 touches a game.  Even if Green-Ellis gets hurt, what has Bernard Scott ever done?

Kevin Smith: I like Jahvid Best to have a big year, and the only burn Kevin Smith should get will be a handful of touches in the first two weeks when Leshoure is serving a suspension.  Even if the first two guys on the depth chart BOTH go down with injuries, Smith probably will too with his injury history.

Joe McKnight: You recall that Tebow’s in town, right?  I don’t like Greene as much as in previous years, which means I really don’t like McKnight as a backup’s backup.

Wide Receivers

Jordy Nelson: There’s no denying the season Jordy had last year, but no way am I chasing those 15 TDs considering he had two in each of his first three years in the league.  I’m sure he’ll still have an OK year, but I think he’ll come back to earth in a big way (I’m thinking about 800 yards and 7 TDs).  Keep in mind that 5 of those 15 TDs came in the last two games of the season (which Greg Jennings wasn’t playing, and one of which was QB’d by Matt Flynn—3 TD game). 

Denarius Moore: I don’t even know why I ranked him.  He might have to come off in the next updated rankings.  The more I look at Darrius Heyward-Bey’s game log from last season, the more I think he and Carson Palmer have the connection going, not Palmer and Moore.  When I look at Moore’s game log, it’s the most inconsistent-looking thing I’ve ever seen.  I probably won’t take any Oakland WR.  But if I do, I’m jumping on the Heyward-Bey train.

Randy Moss: You’re going to believe Harbaugh’s statement that Randy is the 49ers “Best Receiver Right Now”?  Really???  I’m pretty sure he also said Michael Crabtree had “the best hands [he’d] ever seen on a wide receiver”.  OK, Jim.  If you want to draft a 49er, take David Akers in the last round.  Otherwise it’s just going to end in tears.  I’m not ranking Moss.  I think he’s done.

A few more quick ones…

Laurent Robinson: I don’t trust Gabbert throwing to anyone, but if I was going to take a Jacksonville WR, I’d take a flier on Blackmon, not Robinson.

Plaxico Burress: People are still ranking him?  Sure, give me Braylon Edwards while you’re at it too!  I think he’s currently a free agent, but even if someone picks him up, no thanks.

Steve Breaston: Jonathan Baldwin has emerged as the clear #2 in KC.  Even if you want to draft him in the last round because you want to name your team “Breaston Plants”, don’t do it.

James Jones: We know Rodgers will have a huge year and he’ll spread it around, but how many times are you going to hope that this guy has some kind of breakout year?  It’s not going to happen.  I think Randall Cobb finishes with more fantasy points, easily.

Vincent Brown: Again, not a lot of value with Floyd, Meachem, and oh yeah Antonio Gates on the depth chart.  Brown will be starving for catches along with Eddie Royal, who is also in the mix.

Quarterbacks

Alex Smith and Joe Flacco:  I’m just going to give you two because I’m pretty high on QBs in general.  I plan on taking one in the first couple of rounds, so hopefully this isn't relevant to me personally.  In fact, I highly recommend not waiting to draft a QB until the likes of Smith and Flacco are some of your better options.  Because let’s be real: these guys aren’t going to win you a fantasy football championship.  Take a chance on a guy like Andrew Luck or Matt Flynn (and even get them a couple rounds later probably).  Or maybe you take an even riskier chance on a guy like RGIII a couple rounds earlier.  Yes, there are some unknowns there, but you have a better chance of striking fantasy gold with these guys.  Meanwhile, you know what you’re getting with Smith and Flacco, and it’s called mediocrity.  Trust me, if you try to anchor your squad with a guy like Luck or Flynn and it doesn’t work out, you can always find a mediocre QB on the waiver wire to fill in.

Tight Ends

Tony Gonzalez: I can’t believe he was still putting up good numbers at the ripe old age of 35 last year, but he did.  And it’s not like I can point to his production declining steadily over the last few years (because it hasn’t).  I just think his ceiling is about 750 yards and 5 or 6 TDs.  On the other hand, there are a few players getting ranked/drafted behind him who I think could ultimately sneak into that top 5 TE by the end of the year, namely guys like Pettigrew, Cook, or even Tamme (IF Peyton is healthy).  Similar to the argument I made against Smith and Flacco, I’d just rather take a risk on one of the younger guys to breakout this year than take the safe pick of Gonzalez in the tier I have him ranked.

Owen Daniels: I want to like this guy, but neither the yards nor the TDs have ever been there.  He has a lot of talent, but I don’t see the Texans ever using him in a fantasy-productive way.  Again, this might be the last year I have this guy ranked at all, unless Arian Foster somehow gets eliminated from the picture.

Kellen Winslow: Zach Miller didn’t exactly tear it up for Seattle last year, but he’s still around.  I don’t see this being a situation like New England where two tight ends can have fantasy value, seeing as how Matt Flynn isn’t Tom Brady.  In fact, I think neither will have value because both will have very average numbers.

Defenses

49ers: Every year in my league, someone drafts a defense in the 9^th or 10^th round, and what inevitably follows is a big rush on them.  There may have been a time when I was involved in such tomfoolery, but now I think it's silly.  What also tends to happen just about every year for me is I won’t even finish the season with the defense that I drafted.  By week 11, 12, or sometimes even sooner, I’ll be playing the matchups and using the waiver wire.  The bottom line is this: I’m not going to draft the 49ers D when I might still be able to get the likes of a Peyton Hillis or a Greg Little.  It’s just not worth it.  Now with respect to the 49ers, I think they’ll probably have a good season.  But if you make it to the fantasy playoffs, will you feel confident enough to start them AT New England?  You just might be hunting for a better matchup on the waiver wire at that point.

NYG: Virtually no one drafts two defenses, so I only rank 12, and the Giants just don’t make my list.  Everyone else seems to be ranking them around 6^th or 7^th, but I don’t really get it.  They were 27^th in yards per game last year and 25^th in total points surrendered.  I realize they were 7^th and 17^th in those categories in 2010, respectively, but I don’t think you can blame all of that on injuries.  I’d rather have a defense like Seattle or Buffalo, who should have easier schedules and should also be available in the last couple of rounds.

OK.  I’ll give you a kicker…

Garrett Hartley: I understand why people are ranking him in their top 10 kickers.  The Saints score a lot of points.  I get it.  But back in April, the Saints also signed 42-year-old John Kasey to a one year deal, so there will be a competition in training camp.  Kasey had a great season in 2011 filling in for the injured Hartley.  By the way, Hartley’s injury was a hip flexor.  It’s not like he broke his wrist while dancing around like a Gramatica on Adderall.  Oh that’s right.  In 2009, Hartley was suspended for 4 games for testing positive for that.  I remember because I drafted him that year, waived him a week later, picked up some other kicker (who cares who it was), and everything was just fine.  Somehow I managed to still finish 2^nd in the league that year.  Whew!  Thanks for nothing, Hartley.  Look, don’t spend too much time thinking about which kicker to take.  When it comes to his bye week, you might end up waiving him anyway.  The only reason I even include kickers at all in this blog is for comic relief.  


I hope some of this helped explain my rankings a little more and maybe even give you a few nuggets of knowledge to consider when you’re drafting.

Cheers,

Bart

2012 Fantasy Football Rankings

Blog post #2.  Really rockin and rollin here.  As promised, here are my super early pre-training camp rankings.  I'll definitely be updating them regularly, more so once free agents get signed, injuries occur, contracts get sorted out, and preseason games start up.  I'm not sure if training camp will alter my rankings too much, but you never know.


A few notes before I get to it.  My rankings are based on my league, so the scoring might be a little different than your league (but probably close enough).  We don't do PPR and QBs get 6 points per TD instead of 4, but other than that it's a pretty standard Yahoo points system.  I mentioned in the first blog that we are a keeper league.  We can't keep anyone drafted in the first two rounds and you can only keep a guy for two additional seasons (so you really get him for 3 total).  My keepers this year are looking like Hakeem Nicks (drafted in 2010 round 3) and Ryan Mathews (drafted in 2011 round 5).  I'm really hoping for a big year from Mathews since I can keep him for yet another season.  One guy in our league lucked out on Arian Foster a couple years ago, so this is the last year he can be kept thank goodness.


All that being said, I'll still include these guys (and other keepers that I'm projecting from my league).  Just keep in mind that since I'll be starting my draft with one RB and one WR, I might have QBs and TEs ranked a little higher than normal because those are some of my needs.  However, I'm typically of the mindset to take the best available player, so maybe it's not too skewed.  Also keep in mind that our keeper line is going to start around #30 (since I included about 7 potential keepers in the first 30), so I do weigh that a little when considering someone in my draft's third round and beyond.  Pre-game speech is over.  Let's do this!

1. Arian Foster: A clear #1 to me, sadly undraftable in my league due to keeper status.

2. Ray Rice: Can't go wrong with little Ray.  Some have him over Foster, including my fiancee.

3. Calvin Johnson: Megatron is a freak.  No problem with him #1 overall if you so choose.

4. Aaron Rodgers: I hated to give up this keeper (finally).  He and Brees did me right over the years.

5. LeSean McCoy: So many touches, so many opportunities to score.

6. Tom Brady: You know the Patriots added Brandon Lloyd, right...?

7. Maurice Jones-Drew: Most touches in last 3 years, but the dude is still only 27!

8. Drew Brees: Not sure what's up with the contract situation, but they'll figure it out.

9. Chris Johnson: I think Locker takes over the Titans this year and CJ2K is back with motivation.

10.Ryan Mathews: Sproles gone in 2011.  Tolbert now gone in 2012.  Give him the ball, Norv!

11.Matthew Stafford: Maybe #11 is high for Stafford, but I think he can repeat last year.

12.Larry Fitzgerald: Super consistent. He and Kolb showed good chemistry at times.

13.Greg Jennings: The last of three WRs I'd consider taking in the first round.

14.Matt Forte: Looks like he's holding out and Michael Bush brought to town.  Monitor closely.

15.Darren McFadden: If healthy, with Bush out of town, I think he could be a top 5 RB.

16.Jimmy Graham: I like him over Gronk because I think he'll see lots of Meachem's gone targets.

17.Rob Gronkowski: He and Graham will both be keepers in my league, but I'd draft either this high.

18.Steven Jackson: Had a great season despite his squad.  I think he finds the endzone more this year.

19.Adrian Peterson: Super recovery from torn ACL or hype?  Risky 2nd round pick, could pay off big.

20.Jamaal Charles: He tore his ACL early, so he should be good to go.  Hillis around, but that's OK.

21.Trent Richardson: Hate to rank a rookie so high, but all signs point to him getting lots of touches.

22.Roddie White: Still will see a ton of redzone targets even though Julio is emerging.

23.Ahmad Bradshaw: Wilson might get some touches but Jacobs is gone.  Every down type of back.

24.DeMarco Murray: Small sample set before injury in '11 but the workload is his in Big D.

25.Frank Gore: 49ers add Jacobs and James in addition to Hunter who also will steal touches.

26.Michael Turner: He's hit the dreaded 3-0.  I think it's time for Jacquizz to get some serious reps.

27.Andre Johnson: Hard for me to trust him after having him last year.  Still one of the best if healthy.

28.Wes Welker: Lloyd in town but there will be plenty to go around.  Brady tosses 50 TDs this year.

29.Mike Wallace: Antonio Brown emerging but Wallace still the top dog.

30.Brandon Marshall: I like him and Cutler back together.  I might even move him up the board a bit.

31.AJ Green: I don't see a sophomore slump here.  If anything I see more TDs.

32.Julio Jones: If he does get some of Roddie's redzone targets, he should be 10 spots higher.

33.Hakeem Nicks: My other keeper.  Injury worries me with him, but I do like him over Cruz.

34.Brandon Lloyd: How many times will I mention the former Redskin? Brady will get him 10+ TDs

35.Victor Cruz:: I don't know how much I trust him to keep it going, but hard to ignore 2011 numbers.

36.Antonio Gates: I think he stays healthy and bounces back in a huge way.

37.Marshawn Lynch: Do you really think he stays healthy and has that kind of season again?!?

38.Cam Newton: Getting into keepers in my league. Could be biggest prize if not kept from '11.

39.Michael Vick: Would have him ahead of Cam in non-keeper league (he's almost 5 in dog years).

40.Jason Witten: Super consistent, doesn't miss games.  Too bad he's a Cowboy.

41.Darren Sproles: I'm not big on this little guy.  I think Ingram gets more of timeshare this year.

42.Beanie Wells: Tough to still get workhorses this late in the draft, but he can be one.

43.Reggie Bush: Was getting 20+ touches last few games of '11 season.  Sounds motivated.

44.Green-Ellis: Maybe he'll split carries, but what has Bernard Scott ever done?

45.Fred Jackson: This guy is 31 years old.  I think CJ Spiller takes the reins midway through the year.

46.Isaac Redman: Everyone has given up on Mendenhall's knee.  Redman can take over nicely.

47.Doug Martin: Will monitor this in preseason.  Not sure I believe the hype...yet.

48.Willis McGahee: Another 31 year old (in October), but seems older.  Hillman on my sleeper list.

49.Vernon Davis: Everyone else seems to like Finley and Hernandez over Davis.  Not me.

50.Jermichael Finley: Grouped these 3 together due to TE run area. This is my order, take your pick!

51.Aaron Hernandez: For some reason I think he only gets 6 or 7 of Brady's TDs, but still lots of yards.

52.Tony Romo: I'll give Romo some credit, he can put up numbers...and fantasy playoffs end week 16.

53.Philip Rivers: VJax gone but Meachem in. I think Gates and Mathews help him more this year too.

54.Marques Colston: Probably should be higher, but Brees spreads it around too much for me.

55.Dez Bryant: Third year WR.  An injury-free season could land him in the top-10 for receivers.

56.Percy Harvin: If he gets traded, he could move up or down.  Will do well wherever he lands though.

57.Steve Smith: This guy has given me headaches in the past, but I think Cam likes him so I like him.

58.Miles Austin: And if Dez doesn't stay healthy, then bump this guy up to top 50.

59.Jordy Nelson: I have him lower than most, but I like Jennings and Finley to do more this year.

60.Dwayne Bowe: Still the #1 WR in KC for now. Baldwin could breakout, but I say 1 more year.

61.Demaryius Thomas: I want to rank this guy in my top-50.  Peyton's going to make him a star.

62.Jeremy Maclin: So many good WRs to choose from.  Maclin this late seems like a steal.

63.Eli Manning: One spot over his big bro.  I'll keep these two side by side, at least until week 2 or 3.

64.Peyton Manning: You want him? You take him.  I should probably have him lower.

65.Stevie Johnson: The clear #1 WR in Buffalo, and they are often playing from behind.

66.Vincent Jackson: I think Mike Williams bounces back and VJax isn't stealing the show in Tampa.

67.Kenny Britt: Too much talent to not get him the ball.

68.DeShaun Jackson: Too much of a headcase for me to take him, but too talented to rank any lower. 69.Antonio Brown: Might move up my board, but still some "#1" receivers below this line..

70.Eric Decker: If Peyton's healthy, think Brandon Stokely (2004).  Wait, Stokely's a Bronco too?!

71.Torrey Smith: The Mike Wallace of the Ravens.  If Joe can just get him the ball, he could explode.

72.Jahvid Best: Health is an issue, but a full season on that high powered offense would be huge.

73.Shonn Greene: I think Tebow steals goal line carries. Greene has had too many chances to be #1.

74.Roy Helu: As a Redskins fan, I don't trust Shanny when it comes to fantasy.

75.Donald Brown: Should get a lot of carries and probably dump off passes, but can the Colts score?

76.James Starks: No serious threat to his touches right now with Ryan Grant gone.

77.Robert Meachem: I like him over Malcom Floyd for now, but that may change.

78.Pierre Garcon: This early and another Redskin?  I think RGIII and Pierre will make some magic.

79.Lance Moore: With Meachem gone, should get more targets (unless they all go to Jimmy). 80.CJ Spiller: My first #2 RB in the list.  He's the future.  I think it's time for Fred to "drop dead".

81.Santonio Holmes: I've never had him in any league ever.  Probably will drop him a bit more.

82.Reggie Wayne: Yeah he's still around.  Luck has to try to throw to someone!

83.Anquan Boldin: Seems to be in decline, and Torrey Smith has become the dude in Bmore.

84.Malcom Floyd: I think Rivers has a much better year.  Plenty of passes to go around.

85.Sidney Rice: Could quickly become Flynn's favorite target, but who knows?

86.Mark Ingram: This guy could be a sneaky-good keeper.  Might have to move him up.

87.Stevan Ridley: I trust Belichik in fantasy about as much as Shanahan.  No thanks.

88.Ben Tate: I only see him higher than this if Foster has a hamstring problem again.

89.Lagarette Blount: People forget how good he was a couple years ago.  Not sure Martin is #1.

90.Michael Bush: Could vulture some TDs from Forte.  Had nice season last year in Oakland.

91.DeAngelo Williams: I'm staying away from the crowded Carolina backfield.

92.David Wilson: I like Bradshaw to maybe have a foot injury and Wilson get a chance early on.

93.Peyton Hillis: Remember Thomas Jones still had solid season when Charles busted out.

94.Toby Gerhart: Could move higher or lower depending on AP's knee.

95.Fred Davis: Rookie QBs tend to fall in love with that tight end safety net.

96.Jacob Tamme: Going to list off a few more TEs here.  Tamme can be Dallas Clark.  We've seen it.

97.Brandon Pettigrew: If Stafford repeats, so does he.

98.Tony Gonzalez: Shocked he's still going strong.  I think this is the year he slows down a bit.

99.Jared Cook: Locker had a couple big games with him.  If he has starting gig, look out!

100.Coby Fleener: Luck's TE at Stanford.  I think there's a little chemistry here.

101.Jermaine Gresham: Dalton's second or third option, and he's improving.

102.Owen Daniels: This is the last TE I'm ranking, and this may be the last year I rank Owen Daniels.

103.Greg Little: Sleeper alert.  I'd move him up but should have no problem getting him here.

104.Mario Manningham: Not really sure if he or Crabtree will have very productive years. 105.Michael Crabtree: Like I said, I think both will be mediocre and belong around here on the list.

106.Mike Williams(TB): Looking for a rebound season with lots of attention going to VJax. 107.Denarius Moore: I don't really see ranking an Oakland WR any higher than this.

108.Darrius Heyward-Bey: Or this.

109.Justin Blackmon: Go ahead and take a chance.  You never know with a talent like this.

110.Nate Washington: Solid #2 next to Britt, but I think Jared Cook is more of #2 than Nate.

111.Titus Young: Should become clear #2, but Burleson still lingering.

112.Jonathan Baldwin: Another third year guy I like here in the later rounds, clear #2 in Kansas City.

113.Michael Floyd: Rookie WR in Arizona.  Someone has to be the #2.  Maybe they finally have one?

114.Jacquizz Rodgers: This might be the year that he really starts to cut into The Burner's carries.

115.Daniel Thomas: I'm not sure Reggie Bush and "durable" belong in the same sentence.

116.Mike Goodson: There's a theme here.  You need handcuffs if you draft guys like McFadden.

117.Isaiah Pead: Personally I believe in SJax, but if I draft him I'm also drafting this guy.

118.Shane Vereen: Who knows with the Pats?  This guy might end up the top fantasy RB on the team!

119.Jonathan Stewart: Again, I'm staying away from Carolina RBs so I'm ranking him low.

120.Mike Tolbert: Great addition to a LOADED backfield and great O-Line, but too much to divide up.

121.Felix Jones: Murray got hurt last year.  Who's to say that won't happen again?

122.Bears DEF: Week 15 at home to Green Bay, but this is a Defense you play every week.

123.Jets DEF: Solid D and love their playoff schedule. Week 14-16: @JAC,@TEN,vsSD.

124.Eagles DEF: Always in top Ds, another good playoff schedule. Week 14-16: @TB,vsCIN,@WAS.

125.49ers DEF: Not ranking higher because they play @NE & @SEA during fantasy playoffs.

126.Steelers DEF: Good D but tough division schedule. Early Bye Week 4 (fill-in needed).

127.Ravens DEF: Also a tough schedule, guys getting old, and Suggs is out for season most likely.

128.Bills DEF: Picked up Super Mario and have one of easiest schedules in the league (based on 2011).

129.Seahawks DEF: Tough young defense with a pretty easy schedule too.

130.Patriots DEF: THE easiest schedule according to 2011 records.

131.Packers DEF: Offense should keep them off the field, like NE.

132.Texans DEF: Still a good young defense playing weak rookie QBs in division.

133.Lions DEF: Tough division but good D.

134.Matt Ryan: I plan to draft a QB well before this, so I just ranked the rest who I see as worthy.

135.Big Ben: Gets sacked a lot, has some really bad games, and I hate him.  But he's not terrible.

136.Jay Cutler: Has his old friend back and will probably be a little better with him.  But it's still Cutler.

137.RGIII: Wishful thinking or potentially another Cam Newton-like season?

138.Matt Schaub: Andre3000 staying healthy is crucial to his success.

139.Josh Freeman: Another good value as a second or third tier QB, but I'm not waiting this long.

140.Andrew Luck: Maybe take a flier on Luck and hope he does well (keeper).

141.Ronnie Brown: Here I'm ranking more handcuffs.  Ronnie's at the top since I have Mathews.

142.Ryan Williams: Beanie Wells hasn't always been 100% healthy.  Williams might be hungry too.

143.Mikel Leshoure: Suspended 2 games to start the season, but could get a shot if Best struggles.

144.Joe McKnight: I ranked Greene low due to Tebow, so I'm ranking McKnight really low.

145.Alex Green: If he's getting more of Starks's carries, he may jump up my board a bit.

146.Rashad Jennings: I'm drafting him late if I'm taking MJD early.

147.Tim Hightower: Who's to say that Helu gets all the carries?  I like Tim to split a lot with Roy.

148.Ronnie Hillman: I might have to move him up to get him too.  This could be the guy in Denver!

149.Delone Carter: Nothing too exciting here.  Neither he nor Brown were able to do much last year.

150.Bernard Scott: I don't believe he'll cut into The Law Firm's touches too much.

151.Dion Lewis: Appears to be the handcuff to have if you're a McCoy owner.

152.Bernard Pierce: Likewise, snatch up this rookie to back up Ray Ray.

153.Rashard Mendenhall: Sounds like he may go on PUP list. Own Dwyer if that happens.

154.Javon Ringer: If CJ goes down, you better have Javon in your pocket.

155.Montario Hardesty: A lot of hype about Richardson, but Hardesty could steal significant carries.

156.Robert Turbin: A good camp could move him up for me.  Lynch has injury history.

157.Mohamed Sanu: Rookie WR for Cincy could be the #2 guy for Dalton.

158.Stephen Hill: I don't trust anyone who has to catch balls from Sanchez, so he goes pretty low.

159.Brian Quick: No clear-cut #1 WR in St. Louis.  He could emerge as the guy quick......ly?

160.Danny Amendola: Or maybe he comes back as the #1 in STL.  Unclear for now.

161.Leonard Hankerson: It feels like the first time, Leonard.  Feels like the very first time.

162.Nate Burleson: Stafford is going to get a lot of yards.  Burleson will figure in to some of those.

163.Austin Collie: Welcome back, Collie.  You'll miss Peyton but Luck could like you.  We'll see.

164.Earl Bennett: I like the Vandy connection with these two, and it feels like he is #2 WR in Chicago.

165.Kevin Walter: Boy could the Texans use a solid #2 WR.  Walter has filled this same spot for years!

166.Jerome Simpson: Suspended 3 games, people will forget all about him, but he could show up big. 167.Randall Cobb: Probably should rank him a little higher, but staying down here for now. 168.Reuben Randle: I guess the #3 on NYG, but I don't see him being a viable starter in fantasy. 169.Laurent Robinson: Going to Jacksonville doesn't help his stock, but he does have skills. 170.Joseph Addai: Knowing New Englands RBs, he could end up the top dog when it's said and done. 171.Doug Baldwin: Had a solid year last season.  We'll see who Flynn goes to more often. 172.David Nelson: Another guy to put near the bottom of my list.  A forgotten, mediocre, #2 WR.

173.Roy Williams: FREE AGENT

174.Mike Sims-Walker: FREE AGENT 175.Thomas Jones: FREE AGENT 176.Jason Snelling: FREE AGENT 177.Cedric Benson: FREE AGENT 178.Ryan Grant: FREE AGENT

179.Gostkowski (bye:9)

180.Akers (bye:9)

181.Bailey (bye:5)

182.Janikowski (bye:5)

183.Henery (bye:7)

184.Bryant (bye:7)

185.Crosby (bye:10)

186.Gould (bye:6)

187.Prater (bye:7)

188.Rackers (bye:10)

189.Bironas (bye:11)

190.Hanson (bye:5)

First Timer

Hey there, internet.

So it's July, which means every sport is essentially on hiatus except for baseball (and as of this first post it's the All Star Break, so even they're taking time off).  By the way, I don't care to hear smack from fans of NASCAR, poker, or whatever else.  I get it.  I live in Virginia.  I've been to my share of races, and they're really fun.  But just because something is on ESPN doesn't mean it's a sport.  I also realize that the Summer Olympics are coming up in just a couple of weeks, and even though most of those events are also sports (ahem, archery?), like I said that's still a couple of weeks away.  So here goes...

July also means that it's time to start thinking about those upcoming fantasy football drafts.  I've been debating a blog for a couple of years now, and the only thing keeping me from doing it was the fear that the rest of the butt slappin bros in my league would know all of this stuff that I'm planning to write on here.
But then I thought:
1. Probably no one is going to read this, much less the dudes in my league.
2. Even if they do happen to stumble upon it, who cares?  I'm no expert.  I'm just a regular guy who loves fantasy football.  I listen to podcasts, read way too many articles, prep and re-prep for the upcoming season and then week to week once the games begin.  And the guys in the league are going to have their own rankings and form their own opinions, so I don't think I'm sharing any big secrets here.

Why should you listen to me/read my blog?  You probably shouldn't.  Like I said, I'm a pretty normal dude who's just really into fantasy football.  I'm also a Redskins fan in case you couldn't tell from the title of the blog, so this might give me something to do while they're sitting at 2-6 halfway through the season.  I've been in a highly competitive money league with my friends since the beginning of college.  I think we started with Sandbox when that was still around for free, but we've been using Yahoo since 2003 so I'm just going to lay out some of the numbers that are available from that.  By the way, the league has evolved from a $20 to $100 buy-in with some minor scoring changes here and there.  We also started doing keepers about four or five years ago, but essentially it's been the same competitive league with most of the same people/rules for the last 10 years or so.  In 2003 we had an 8 team league, 2004-2006 we had 10, and since 2007 we've been at 12 (with an unofficial waiting list of other friends who like to complain about being excluded).  

Here are my finishes from 2003-2011: 1st, 4th, 3rd, 7th, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 5th, 4th.

So I missed the playoffs one year, won the league twice, and my average finish is around 3rd.  I'm not trying to brag about my fantasy football skills, merely presenting the facts.  And I'm not trying to put this off as information that should encourage you to continue reading this.  By the way, you probably shouldn't.  I'm just trying to give you a little more background in case you actually are still reading this and want to know a little something about this random dude who is posting this fantasy football stuff.  


Want to know something else?  I get anxious waiting for other people's rankings to come out in June (and on Tuesday or Wednesday during the season), just to see what they think versus my rankings.  I've called, tweeted, emailed, live chatted various questions and comments to fantasy football "experts", only to get back information that I was already considering myself.  Start or sit questions getting answered with "Wow that is a tough one.  Really splitting hairs here, but blah blah blah."  I'm still going to listen to the radio shows and read the articles these guys put out because I really enjoy them and I get a lot of information from guys like Berry, Funston, etc.  But I just thought I'd put my own information out here as well.  If no one reads it, that's cool too.  This will be a place that I can at least come back to myself as a one stop shop to remember what I said about a particular guy or why I had guys like Knowshown Moreno ranked so highly in 2011.  Right now it's pretty much all in spreadsheets and word documents, so hopefully this will at least help with organization.  So let's talk about the rankings...


Again, this is THE main reason that I didn't do this years ago.  But whatever, I'm doing it.  No one's reading this anyway, right?  So what if the others in the league see how high I've ranked Demaryius Thomas and CJ Spiller?  I also don't care if they see how low I have team defenses on my list.  I'm probably going to wait around on drafting one whether or not someone knows it.  Inevitably someone in our draft is going to take a kicker in the next to last round (instead of the last round like a sane person).  I don't think it's going to kill me if they see that I have Gostkowski as my #1 ranked PK.  If they "steal" him from me, I'll live.  I'll live and I'll take the next guy on the list.  Or the last one.  Who cares?  They're KICKERS!!


OK so I'm still trying to figure out this whole blog thing.  I'm going to mess around with it a little and then be back with my rankings later this week (or maybe even today).


Cheers,
Bart