1. Tom Brady, Patriots—I wouldn't expect another record-breaking year, but another 40-TD season is not out of the question.
2. Peyton Manning, Colts—When veteran WR Marvin Harrison can return to action will determine how well Manning will fare this season.
3. Tony Romo, Cowboys—Whether Terry Glenn returns or not, the Cowboys have enough weapons for Romo to be a threat to score every time they have the ball.
4. Drew Brees, Saints—If Devery Henderson or Robert Meachem can finally emerge as even a halfway consistent threat, Brees will be tough to stop.
5. Donovan McNabb, Eagles—McNabb should be fully healthy, and he can still run with the ball. He also still has RB Brian Westbrook to carry the load, both rushing and receiving, so expect him to have a big year again, spreading the ball around to his other various targets when Westbrook needs a break.
6. Carson Palmer, Bengals—Palmer will likely always put up decent numbers as long as Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are around. However, third WR Chris Henry is gone, and the offensive line is not as good as it has been, so a small drop could be in order for Palmer's numbers this season.
7. Derek Anderson, Browns—If you would have told me last year that I would have had Anderson ranked as one of the top 10 QBs this season, I would have thought you were nuts!
However, with weapons like WR Braylon Edwards and TE Kellen Winslow, and now ex-Patriot WR Donte Stallworth, if WR Joe Jurevicius can mend his knee, Anderson should have himself a pretty good year.
8. Jay Cutler, Broncos—His ranking here all depends on the status of WR Brandon Marshall. Marshall could be suspended because of multiple arrests and alleged incidents, which could devastate both the Broncos' and Cutler's season, so I'll keep you up to date on this one, because without him, the numbers will fall.
9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks—The offensive line does a great job of protecting Hasselbeck, and he knows how to find the open receiver, no matter who is on the field. Expect another solid year from this veteran.
10. Philip Rivers, Chargers—When you have a back that can catch the ball like LT, a TE like Antonio Gates, and a full season with Chris Chambers at WR, not to mention a pretty good offensive line, you should be able to put up some numbers.
11. Jon Kitna, Lions—The Lions are loaded at WR again, and the offensive line should do a better job of protection this season as well. Kitna still may throw his share of INTs, but he should also throw up some nice yardage and decent TDs once again.
12. Eli Manning, Giants—How well Eli can do again this season could depend on TE Jeremy Shockey. The Giants have a great running game, and without Shockey, if he doesn't feel he's being treated right and gets traded, teams will start to find a way to slow down Burress, and the passing game could be in for a letdown. So keep an eye on Shockey. That will affect where you may want to rank Eli in the future.
13. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers—With WR Santonio Holmes getting better, and veteran WR Hines Ward still around, along with TE Heath Miller, Big Ben should have another solid season.
14. David Garrard, Jaguars—The additions of ex-Raider WR Jerry Porter and ex-Viking Troy Williamson should at least add a little more consistency to the offense, and should make WRs Reggie Williams and Matt Jones better as well. The versatile Garrard should be able to find enough open receivers to have a good year in 2008.
15. Aaron Rodgers, Packers—OK, don't expect Brett Favre, but with the same weapons as Favre had last season, and a good offensive line, Rodgers could have a pretty good year.
16. Matt Leinart, Cardinals—When you have WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, you're going to have a decent year. However, the offensive line is still better at run blocking, and Leinart can also be a health risk, so I wouldn't rank him as high as you may expect.
17. Jake Delhomme, Panthers—Delhomme still has WR Steve Smith, and if the return of Muhsin Muhammad and the addition of ex-Seahawk D.J. Hackett can help, Delhomme should be able to have a good season. I just don't trust the offensive line enough to rank him any higher.
18. Jason Campbell, Redskins—WR Santana Moss should be better this year, and he should be the main receiver over Antwan Randle-El. The addition of rookies Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas should also help, and remember, there's TE Chris Cooley, too. Don't underestimate what Campbell can do if he can stay healthy.
19. Marc Bulger, Rams—The loss of WR Isaac Bruce to the Niners has to hurt a little. Plus, the fact that the offensive line is still getting mended and Bulger has enough trouble staying healthy anyway; he could be a risk as your starting QB this year.
Sure he still has WR Torry Holt and versatile RB Steven Jackson, so he may be able to put up some good numbers at times, but this could be a risky pick if you are going to count on him as your QB for the entire season.
20. Vince Young, Titans—Top four WRs: Justin Gage, Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, Justin McCareins...need I say more? If not for a decent offensive line, and Young's ability to run the ball, he would not be in the Top 20.
21. Jeff Garcia, Bucs—The only thing preventing Garcia from having a big year is a WR to complement veteran speedster Joey Galloway. This offensive line should be pretty good, and with the lack of WRs, and RBs Ernest Graham and Warrick Dunn now returning, this could be a team that could have two 1,000-yard rushers, so Garcia's passes could be limited.
22. (R) Joe Flacco, Ravens—Right now, Flacco looks to have a small edge, but either Kyle Boller or Troy Smith could also end up starting on opening day. Any of these three should be counted on for nothing more than a bye-week replacement/weekly play!
23. Matt Schaub, Texans—This offensive line is still being built, and Schaub hasn't been able to stay healthy already. Feel free if you want to take a chance, but I think I would take my chances on nabbing him off the waiver wire instead, if I liked his matchup.
24. Chad Pennington, Jets—If only the Jets could combine Pennington and Kellen Clemens! Pennington is deadly accurate and experienced, but isn't exactly known for his "gun". Clemens is young and inexperienced, but has a much better "rifle". The rest of the team seems to be in place, but I don't think I would use either of these guys for anything other than a bye-week play.
25. Tarvaris Jackson, Vikings—While he should improve, the name of the game in Minnesota is going to be running the ball with AD, Chester Taylor, and a dominant offensive line.
There's a chance for that occasional good game, especially with the addition of ex-Bear Bernard Berrian, but overall, don't expect a lot of pass attempts from any QB here, whether it be Jackson, Frerotte, or Bollinger.
26. (R) Matt Ryan, Falcons—Whether it be Ryan or veteran Chris Redman starting, this offensive line needs to get a lot better for either of them to produce on a consistent basis.
27. J.P. Losman, Bills—Trent Edwards still has a chance to start on opening day, but until rookie WR James Hardy, or someone else besides Lee Evans, can become a receiving threat, either of these two should remain no more than a weekly play.
28. Brodie Croyle, Chiefs—Damon Huard still may be the QB come opening day, but either way, the offensive line still needs to supply better protection. Expect a heavy dose of Larry Johnson, as long as he stays healthy, and with WR Dwayne Bowe and TE Tony Gonzalez as the only real receiving threats, to use either Croyle or Huard as your starting QB could be risky.
29. Alex Smith, 49ers—Smith will battle Shaun Hill to remain the starter. Either way, the offensive line still needs to gel, and their top receiver is still TE Vernon Davis, which means his blocking is still going to be needed enough to limit his looks and effectiveness as a receiving target. I would only use one of these guys in a dire emergency.
30. John Beck, Dolphins—Beck, Josh McCown, or rookie Chad Henne, take your pick; the offensive line is still going to have problems, and their receiving corps is not going to scare to many defenses, not to mention the fact that with RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams around, expect a lot of running. If you draft any of these QBs, they better be buried deep on your bench.
31. JaMarcus Russell, Raiders—Rookie RB Darren McFadden should help the passing game, I just don't know how much you can expect when no one blocks. This offensive line could be the worst in football, and there are no signs that it's going to get better any time soon. WR Javon Walker is an overrated addition and may not be much better than WR Ronald Curry. I would use a wait-and-see approach before relying on Russell to lead your squad.
32. Rex Grossman, Bears—Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton...does it matter? If you draft either of these guys, you can hang your season up as soon as your draft ends!
33. Kurt Warner, Cardinals—If I have room to spare on my roster, I would think about stashing Warner if I could get away with it. He should be the starter to begin with, and if Leinart doesn't perform up to expectations, regardless of if he gets hurt or not, Warner could be a big pickup.
34. Brad Johnson, Cowboys—If Romo gets hurt, the Cowboys have so many weapons that the experienced Johnson should be able to put up some decent numbers.
35. Mark Brunell, Saints—Keep an eye on Brunell should anything happen to Brees, because the Saints like to put the ball in the air.
36. Sage Rosenfels, Texans—Rosenfels may be a better starter than Schaub to begin with, and could be a nice weekly play if Schaub cannot survive the season.
37. Matt Cassell, Patriots—Just in case Brady ever got hurt, Cassell could turn out to be a decent weekly play.
38. Jim Sorgi, Colts—Sorgi with WR Harrison, decent weekly play...without Harrison...he may be shaky.
39. Brady Quinn, Browns—Having to sit the bench again in his second year is not what Quinn was looking forward to. But if Anderson goes down, he could be a good play.
40. Seneca Wallace, Seahawks—Usually a good play if Hasselbeck gets injured.
Let me know what you think. You can get all of my rankings at: johnnynfl.
comments (18) write a comment »
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3 months ago
Great stuff. I think you underestimate Rosenfels, though.
from 3 months ago
Thanks for the comment Andy, and you could be right.I do like Sage and I do think he should start over Schaub, but that offensive line still needs time to develop. Hopefully he'll get the chance to compete with Schaub in the preseason, but it's not looking good right now.
3 months ago
I think Donovan McNabb's injury problems and lack of offensive production the past couple of years should make him drop down a couple of slots outside the top 8.
I don't think I would ever put Jon Kitna that high with his age, and the Lions loss of offensive coordinator Mike Martz means they'll be at the bottom of the league in the next 2 years, I wouldn't give them more than 6 wins this season.
from 3 months ago
Sorry Andrew but there is just too much talent at WR and on the offensive line for them not to put up some good numbers. Think of it this way, if they only get 6 wins, being generous, don't you think they will be playing from behind alot? This means they THROW THE BALL MORE. I never said this was a talent list, because thats a whole different ballgame. But the fact that they will likely put the ball in the air more than most teams could lead to some good fantasy numbers. And having Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson,Shaun McDonald, and Mike Furrey doesn't hurt. Anyway, just my view, good to hear from you and we'll see what happens when I get to my preseason preview. Thanks again.
OH...and McNabb...I think I might agree.....shhhhh...thanks
3 months ago
Palmer is much better than you give him credit for. I think in many ways Carson has made Chad Johnson and T.J. look good rather than the other way around. The more time he spends with his new receivers the better they'll be as well. With the addition of a receiving tight end in Ben Utecht I look for Palmer's numbers to go back to ProBowl levels this year, especially with a healthy Willie Anderson and Levi Jones and another great lineman in Stacy Andrews. I put him at number 3 close with Romo but easily at number 4.
from 3 months ago
That's why I win championships while others don't! That's what the Bengals fans say every year as I have proceeded to rip apart Marvin Lewis and his joke of a team. If you look at the talent they've had for the last 4-5 seasons, how do they not have any championships? Why do they even have trouble making the playoffs? I agreed a few years back when they were a very good team, what was it, 13-3? And every move they have made since then has been questionable, if not downright funny. I grant you the fact they have had alot of injuries which hasn't helped(and alot of convicts). And maybe your right about Palmer, because Utecht should be better than anything they've had(i.e. Reggie Kelly) in a long time. And I didn't say the offensive line was horrible, but come on Jen.....Eric Ghiaciuc or Kyle Cook as your starting center?
Anyway, thanks for the comment and nothing against you, I just can't figure out the sense behind any of their drafts for at least the last 3 years, and they have choked in every big game recently, so I guess we'll have to see.Thanks again and good luck.
3 months ago
Nice work, I think Palmer and Rodgers are both a little low. Nice write-up.
from 3 months ago
Why do you think Rodgers is low? We haven't even really seen him play yet (in the NFL).
3 months ago
I have seen him play, both in the Dallas game last year, in OTA's this year as well as in mini-camp. Packer receivers have gone on record saying Rodgers not only throws harder than Favre, but has a much nicer deep ball as well.
As one of the most accurate quarterbacks in Cal history, Aaron will be running alot of five wide sets, as well as his starting his third year of the system, a west coast one, geared especially for Rodgers game.
Mike McCarthy will run the ball a little more if he can, but expect to see one of the deepest wide receiver corps in the league put up some big big fantasy numbers this year.
Check out my Packer blog, I have video from both the OTA's and mini-camp.
www.citizenwausau.com/packone
from 3 months ago
Nice job Alex and Chris. I like Rodgers too, so I'll see where he ends up later on. Palmer maybe I could see above McNabb, but 5-9 will likely be pretty close when it all ends anyway, so I guess it's just a matter of who you like. That's what makes this game so great, ya know! Anyway, good job and thanks for the comments.
3 months ago
"32. Rex Grossman, Bears—Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton...does it matter? If you draft either of these guys, you can hang your season up as soon as your draft ends!"
I want you to remember that you wrote this once the season starts so it can get thrown back in your face. Grossman's going to tear it up this year.
from 3 months ago
It's in writing here and on my website. Trust me Jimmy, I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER I WROTE THIS TOO! Did you see my blogs the past 2 years about Cedric Benson? Probably not but feel free to visit my website anytime if you want to check it out. Guess you could say I nailed that one right on the head! Somebody said the same thing last year, wasn't you too, was it? Because we all know how that went down now don't we? Anyway, I'm glad to see at least you have confidence in your team . Guess you wouldn't know I'm a Dolphin fan, huh? Just trying to be realisitic. But thanks for the comment, and please, if you do draft Rex as your fantasy QB, let me know if you finish in better than last, I would be curious,thanks for the comment and have a good night.
3 months ago
I'm sorry but where are you getting your info on Flacco? By all recent accounts, Troy Smith will start for the Ravens at the beginning of next year.
from 3 months ago
Just how I think it's going to end up Nicholas, that's all. I know they say Smith is the starter now, but they still have to get through preseason and it's just my opinion that I think Flacco is going to end up starting. Like I said though, Flacco,Boller,or Smith, they will likely all put up around the same numbers in this offense. And would you really trust any of them to lead your fantasy team? I would hope not, but thank you for your comment,it is appreciated.
3 months ago
McNabb back in the top-5 eh? I sure hope so. I like the Cutler ranking as well, he is high on my list this year too.
3 months ago
Thanks for the comment Mike. Yeah, but like I said, I wouldn't think the difference between him and any of the next five will be that significant, I think they are all pretty even. I'm still a little worried about the Brandon Marshall thing in Denver though. Like I said, they lose him for any amount of time and Cutler's rating is going to have to drop. Hopefully Marshall will be on the field though. Thanks again.
2 months ago
I see tavaris Jackson at a 30 or 31, it's not that he's a terrible QB(he's almost there though) it's Adrian Peterson getting every snap on the field going his way. No QB can do good on your fantasy team with a Running game like the Vikings.
2 months ago
Good point Taylor. I just would hope your fantasy league isn't deep enough to force you to make that decision, because once you get past the first 18 or so your just asking for trouble. I think I am thinking about moving Russell up a little though...we'll see. Anyway,thanks for the comment and we'll see what happens when I update my rankings.
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