Fantasy Football Roundtable: AFC North Edition

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Fantasy Football Preferences - AFC North (Based on 12 team, standard scoring leagues)

1. Ray Rice vs. Willis McGahee vs. LeRon McClain

Bruno Boys Larry:  RICE. The easy answer would be to go with the veteran McGahee here or even McClain who was the team’s best back in 2008, but I believe when all is said and done, it will be the second-year man Rice who this team will rely on at running back.

McClain is expected to be used more as a fullback this season and Rice is younger and faster than McGahee and, I believe, better suited to be the team's primary back.

The only drawback with Rice is the fact that McClain and McGahee will likely see the bulk of short yardage and goal line situations, which may limit Ray's touchdowns.

Bruno Boys Ziza: RICE. All three of these backs have talent and, in a way, all three will be stealing carries from one another this season. But if it were to come down to one back that I would like to have off of this roster, it would most definitely be Ray Rice.

According to his offensive coordinator, Rice has improved all over the board. Further more, he is entering his second season, meaning he has had the opportunity to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. I, for one, believe Rice is going to have an excellent 2009 campaign.

2. Willie Parker vs. Jamal Lewis

Bruno Boys Ziza: PARKER. It isn't that I am blown away by Willie Parker's talent as he has not lived up to the expectations that were bestowed on him after a great start to his career. But, Parker is still young enough to make an impact whereas Jamal Lewis is getting older and is definitely on the downturn of his career.

Even with Rashard Mendenhall getting some of the playing time this year, Parker should produce adequately enough to be a solid RB3 option in deeper leagues.

Bruno Boys Larry:  PARKER. This wasn’t even close for me. Sure, Lewis actually had more yardage than Parker in 2008, but fast Willie did miss five games due to injury.

Lewis turns 30 this season and appears to be heading to the downside of his career. Plus, Lewis plays for the Browns who, compared to the Steelers, are offensively challenged. If Parker can stay healthy this season, he should improve on his yardage totals.

The addition of Rashard Mendenhall, who missed most of his rookie season with injuries, should help keep some of the wear and tear off of Parker’s 29-year-old body.

3. Pittsburgh DEF vs. Baltimore DEF

Bruno Boys Ziza: PITTSBURGH. There is a mixture of solid veterans with younger players in Pittsbugh that I just love. Honestly, though, both defenses are great and both team's deploy a solid ground attack, which only helps keep opposing offenses off of the field.

You really can't go wrong with either as I like them both pretty evenly. But when it comes down to it, I would put the Pittsburgh Steelers defense under my name during draft day. Expect big things from both defenses, though, this year.

Bruno Boys Larry: PITTSBURGH. This was another easy choice for me, Ziza. The Steelers did not lose much from the dominant defense that helped lead them to the Super Bowl in 2008. The Ravens, also, had a dominant defense in 2008, but they had some significant losses during the offseason.

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