(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Today I wanted to take a look at how I rank the Top 12 players in the league and the order I would draft them (obviously, league rules would alter this slightly):
- Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings - Like there should be any question here.
- Michael Turner - Atlanta Falcons - He’s the No. 2 back on my board, so he goes No. 2 here.
- LaDainian Tomlinson - San Diego Chargers - His ADP is 6.70, but I really don’t get it. I know, he’s old by NFL standards at 30-years old, and he “struggled” last season to over 1,500 combined yards and 12 TD. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but if I’m picking at No. 3, I’m going to take him every time.
- Matt Forte - Chicago Bears - He’s a second year back, so he is still a little bit of a risk. Can he repeat his ‘08 performance? How will Jay Cutler’s presence affect him? Either way, he’s going to be one of the better backs in the league.
- Maurice Jones-Drew - Jacksonville Jaguars - While some think he’s a “no doubt” performer now that he’s the man in the backfield for Jacksonville, there is reason to be skeptical. He’s never carried the ball more than 197 times in a season and never exceeded 941 yards. Still, with 38 total TD in his first three seasons while sharing the load, it’s a pretty good bet that he’s going to be top fantasy back this season.
- Larry Fitzgerald - Arizona Cardinals - This is a tough decision. Do you go with the top WR on the board, or some potentially questionable RB? Considering the production Fitzgerald has posted the past two seasons, I don’t think you can go wrong with him in this slot.
- Steven Jackson - St. Louis Rams - Injuries make him a risk, but if he stays on the field he’s going to be the team’s entire offense. We’ll have to take a deeper look into his potential in the coming days.
- Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints - He’s the top QB in the game, having thrown for over 5,000 yards and 34 TD. With a healthy Marques Colston, just how much better could he be? To me, he’s a definite first round pick, though exactly where is up for debate.
- Clinton Portis - Washington Redskins - At this point he’s the next RB on my board, so he’s going to be my pick in this slot.
- Frank Gore - San Francisco 49ers - As I said in my rankings, the acquisition of Michael Crabtree should go a long ways to opening up some holes and taking the focus off of him.
- Andre Johnson - Houston Texans - Two consecutive 100+ catch seasons says it all.
- Chris Johnson - Tennessee Titans - While he may lose a few TDs to LenDale White (maybe a few is an understatement), he’s still one of the better RB in the league.
Where do you disagree? Who do you think should go in the first round? Who shouldn’t?
This article is also featured on www.rotoprofessor.com/football
7 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete