Fantasy Footballs' Top-50 Rankings for PPR Leagues, Part Two

Let’s get to it. If you missed Part One, you can find it here.

22) Chad Johnson

In three of the last four years, he’s put up better numbers in the last half of the season, and in the season he didn’t, both halves were pretty even. Last season, he finished just behind Housh and outscored him in the second half of the season.

Hopefully the offseason drama brings out the best in him.         

23) T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Good:  

               He catches a lot of passes.

            Carson Palmer likes him better then Ocho Cinco.         

            First eight games: 62 REC, 674 YDS, 10 TD

Bad:

            Final eight games: 50 REC, 469 YDS, 2 TD

24) Marshawn Lynch

Other than Kimberly Shpeley (the woman he ran over and left for dead), everyone likes him more then I do. He’s talented, but he only caught 18 passes last year, missed three games, and plays in an offense where defenses will key on him. And he has questions at the quarterback.

You’ll see me laying down $12 to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 before I buy tickets for Trent Edwards: Starting NFL Quarterback.

Anytime a player has a history of hitting people with his car, that’s a big red flag, according to my draft manifesto.

(He referred to her as the “dancing woman crossing the street” and says he slowed down to let her pass, but didn’t realize he hit her. I’d think a driver who was fit would notice if he struck a dancing woman in the middle of the street. I’ve never hit anyone without knowing it. Certainly not outside of a crowded club...where everyone knew who I was...not that I recall, anyway.)

25) Wes Welker

He was awesome last year. I don’t think he catches 112 passes again. Gaffney takes some away, but pencil him in for 90-1,000-8.

26) Drew Brees

If I don’t have a QB by the time Brees is taken, I’m going for two out of the Bulger/Schaub/Garrard trio about 50 picks from now.

27) Willis McGahee

I hate drafting RBs on offensively-challenged teams.

28) Jamal Lewis

I refused to draft him the past two seasons. His offensive line is one of the best in football, their passing offense looks strong, and I bet you can’t name his backup, so they really have to give him the ball.

On top of that, late in the season it becomes difficult to pass in the AFC North, so he should be at his best when it matters most. (He was a monster down the stretch.)

29) Earnest Graham

The forgotten man of the draft. He caught 49 passes last year. He only missed one game (to rest before the playoffs), yet he had double-digit carries in just 10 games. He scored 10 touchdowns and five of those were from inside the five, which tells me his 10 scores were no fluke.

I don’t advocate taking him here. In most drafts, he’ll go 10 picks later. Graham is the guy I’m looking for when I need a RB2 in the fourth and early fifth.

Don’t worry about a time-share, his three backfield rivals are all coming into the season battling career-threatening injuries: Williams with his patellar tendon, Bennett with his heart, and Dunn with that severe back injury (from being repeatedly stabbed by a fork).

30) Reggie Bush

I’ve seen him ranked in this vicinity in standard leagues, and that’s just crazy. His value comes from the fact that he’s going to catch five passes every week. He hasn’t shown that he can run or handle the workload of an every down back.

(Or outrun NFL linebackers. Hey, there’s no Fresno State in the NFL.)

If the stars align, I can see 150-175 carries for 500-700, 75-90 receptions for 650-800, 10-12 TDs.

Shhhh...this shoulda been Brandon Marshall’s spot. (Bows head)

32) Torry Holt

92 receptions each of the last two years.

33) Anquan Boldin

Pray for a keg-stand-related injury somewhere in Glendale this year...

Always underrated.

34)  Plaxico Burress

Like Plax, hate Eli. This is one of those picks that kills people who don’t draft well and works out for those who do. (If that makes any sense.)

35) Steve Smith

He’s missing the first two games of the season. So if you think you can survive with him riding your bench for the first two games, pick him up.   

36) Brandon Marshall

This is painful even to write about. I was going to steal him in the fourth or fifth round and cruise to the title. Now, I just don’t know. I should’ve realized something was wrong when he asked me to take out a life insurance policy.

(That was for those of us whose wife’s watch too much A&E.)  

37) Santonio Holmes

This is the year. This is where you have to pick him to get him.

38) Willie Parker

If Mendenhall couldn’t unseat Pierre Thomas, I don’t see him taking Parker’s job. I don’t see Parker scoring just two touchdowns again, either.

39) Brandon Jacobs

When he was healthy, he was pretty good. He doesn’t catch passes, and he has two pretty good backs breathing down his neck.

40) Ben Roethlisberger

It’s nice to not have to worry about your QB. So if I broke down and took a QB here, it would be Roethlisberger. I like him better then Palmer and Anderson. 

41) Roy Williams

Is this guy ever going to reach his potential? He’s like a lotto ticket that has yet to cash in.

42) Roddy White

Another underrated guy. The problem with his situation (Much like Roy Williams and the rest of the field from here on out) is that you can’t count on a whole lot of consistency. (It has nothing to do with him.) If you follow the line from the first pick in a 10-team draft you’d get:

RB1: L.T.

RB2: Johnson

WR1: Colston

WR2: Williams

WR3: White

And that’s not bad.

43) Greg Jennings

I’ll admit that this seems high for him, but it’s only due to his low number of receptions last year, (53) and the fact that Aaron Rodgers is the great unknown behind the center. So I will tell you that Jennings is the most talented receiver left, other than maybe Calvin Johnson, that he’s the best receiver the Packers have, and Rodgers will look to him more than Favre did. He also missed three games last year.

44) Laurence Maroney

Belichick is getting dangerously close to Mike Shanahan territory. Sammy Morris is back, and LaMont Jordan was brought in. This pick is a huge gamble. He could finish the year as a top-10 back, or he could spend half the season on your bench. There’s no way to know. Let someone else roll the dice in the third or fourth.

45) Darren McFadden

It’s time to roll the dice.

(Seriously, if he’s still on the board, now’s the time. Bush is going to get buried, and do you really trust Fargas to live up to last year? I don’t.)

46 & 47)  Laveranues Coles & Jerricho Cotchery

Reason No. 263 why I hate Bret Favre: Two solid, underrated WRs that I was able to pick up in later rounds are now going to be bumped up to a spot where I can’t get them.

Thanks Brett.

48) Jason Witten

Romo likes to give him the ball. I don’t advocate taking a TE this early, but he’s the guy to get. If he falls far enough that you can stomach taking him, do so.

49) Carson Palmer

            Bounce back year.

50) Calvin Johnson

Forget the three-year myth. It’s two years. Time to live up to the hype.

(Just clear the word Kitna from your mind.)

51) Anthony Gonzalez/Marvin Harrison

I know, this is a cop-out, but I just found out that Bobby Engram is going to miss the first three games of the regular season (I had him at 48, which is really 47), so I’m putting Gonzalez here.

If Harrison looks good, he takes the spot. Even if Harrison is ok, Gonzalez should still be worth a shot, even though he’s the Colts' fourth receiver.

(Wayne, Harrison, Clark, then Gonzalez)