Who Will Be This Year's Braylon Edwards? 5 Possible Disappointments For Fantasy Owners in 2009

Every year it happens. We draft a can't miss player and they bomb. There is nothing more frustrating to fantasy owners than selecting a player that doesn't live up to expectations. The earlier you draft him, the more you want to kick yourself for taking him in the first place.

Last year if you drafted players like Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, Carson Palmer, or even LT, you were a frustrated fantasy owner.

Here is my list of 5 potential fantasy headaches for the 2009 season.

1. Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson was once a highly sought after first round pick in all leagues. His stock has been slipping the last two years. In 2008 Johnson did not even hit 1,000 yards and only had 5 touchdowns.

I foresee the decline to continue in the 2009 season.

It appears that Johnson does not have much gas left in his tank. For running backs that is not a good sign. It is a point that few are able to bounce back from.

Johnson is on a team with new leadership and a new QB. They are looking to go in a positive direction. Johnson seems to be heading in a negative one.

Not just his performance on the field. He also has off the field issues. These issues, if they continue, will not be looked upon lightly.

I expect that second year running back Jamaal Charles will eventually get the starting role this year, and help lead the Chiefs in the new direction they are seeking.

Other RBs to consider before drafting Larry Johnson: Ronnie Brown, Joesph Addai, LenDale White, and Willie Parker.

2. Brian Westbrook

Brian Westbrook when healthy is a fantasy stud. Westbrook always gets hurt at some point in the season. He has never played 16 games in his NFL career.

It's June and Westbrook is already hurt. The ankle procedure that he just had takes a big bite out of his fantasy value this year. Now there are a lot of question marks. We don't know how long he will be out. Speculation says at least six weeks, however he could miss more than that.

The more time he misses, the more his value will drop. Which, for those that draft, will lead to huge frustrations this year. Westbrook will probably still go in the second or third round.

For those who draft Westbrook this year, drafting handcuff rookie LeSean McCoy is now a must. The negative side is that McCoy is an unproven back who might not fill the hole on your roster as a number two fantasy option.

Other RBs to consider before drafting Westbrook: LT, Clinton Portis, Brandon Jacobs, and Ryan Grant.

3. Jay Cutler

Last year if you drafted Jay Cutler as your starting QB, you probably ended up very happy. He went towards the middle of most drafts meaning that you had a really good team around him. After all, he exceeded expectations with 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns.

However the broncos did not meet expectations in 2008 and missed the playoffs, which then led to the beginning of the Jay cutler saga. First Mike Shanahan was fired. That was not on top of Jay's most liked moves.

Then they bring in rookie head coach Josh McDaniels from the Bill Belichick family tree. Then rumors began to spread that the Broncos were interested in a trade to get Matt Cassel.

Well we all know the story and we know how it ended. Jay was traded to the Bears.

Now Jay is still the same rocket arm QB that he was last year. However he is now on a run first team. His best receiving options are TE Greg Olson, and RB Matt Forte. He does have speedster Devin Hester to showcase his rocket arm with. But this is a definite downgrade on weapons to throw to.

If you draft Cutler as you starting QB this year, your expectations might fall short.

Other QBs to consider before drafting Cutler: Matt Cassel, Carson Palmer, and Ben Roethlisberger.

3. Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall finished last year with an impressive 1,265 yards and 6 touchdowns. Even being suspended for one game.

The nickname given to Marshall by fellow teammates is Baby TO, mostly due to his natural ability. Marshall also has a tendency to find himself involved in negative attention just like TO.

This off season has not been a good one for Marshall.

First the Jay Cutler trade. Losing a quality QB like Cutler is usually not a positive one for the receivers on the team . I like Orton this year as a potential sleeper, but realistically I don't see him producing the numbers this year close to Cutler's last year.

Second, Marshall had hip surgery. This can be a tricky procedure for receivers and he might not be fully recovered this season.

Third, Marshall is now demanding a trade. With all of the off field issues, coupled with the question marks of his surgery, this is not good timing. I don't see the broncos giving in on his demands.

This scenario will usually lead to hold outs, which means missing time at training camp, the preseason, and potentially part of the season. Any time a player misses training camp or more it takes a big hit on their production.

If you draft Brandon Marshall this season, he will more than likely end up as your number one or number two receiver which means you will have to start him most weeks. That has the potential to lead to headaches for fantasy owners.

Other players to consider before drafting Marshall: Dwayne Bowe, Wes Welker, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

5. Michael Turner

Michael "The Burner" Turner may end up burning more fantasy owners than defenses this year. Last year he came out of nowhere when he rushed for an impressive 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Last year's performance has put him at the top of fantasy projections sheets. He could be drafted as early as number two over all in a lot of leagues this year. If you expect him to live up to last years numbers you will be disappointed.

Last year he had a very favorable schedule against defense that were soft against the run. This year is the opposite. The schedule the Falcon's have put him against some of the toughest run defenses in the NFL.

Turner should still produce good numbers, but those numbers will look more like he should have been drafted later than most will have taken him.

Other players you should consider before drafting Turner: Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte, and DeAngelo Williams.