One-Man's 2009 Fantasy Football Mock Draft

With the casual summer months just starting, the time to prepare for fantasy football is steadily creeping up on us. The season is like a thirst-quenching oasis in the desert that is just beyond the next sand dune.

We can’t quite reach the goods yet, but we know we’ll be there soon. And since we’re certain you’re doing everything in your power to prepare for those fantasy drafts, here’s one man’s two-round mock draft to help steer you in the right direction.

The draft will be in snake format based on a 10-team league with a standard scoring system.

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ROUND ONE

Team 1 – Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Essentially a no-brainer. The best running back in the game and the man who led the NFL in yards per scrimmage gets the nod.

Brett Favre or no Brett Favre, the Vikings will continue to pound the rock with Peterson. Here’s hoping he has cured the fumbling problems that plagued him last year when he led the NFL with nine total, and four lost.

Team 2 – Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

With Fred Taylor having moved on to the Patriots, we’ll finally get to see what MJD can do when he has to bear the full load.

This should be the year he finally breaks 1,000 rushing yards, and with that he’ll continue his career-long streak of accumulating at least 400 receiving yards and scoring double-digit touchdowns.

Team 3 – Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons

With Matt Ryan’s development and the solid receiving options the Falcons have available, a regression from Turner’s 17 rushing scores seems likely, but not enough that he won’t get double-digit scores once again.

Team 4 – Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears

Though Forte did not average 4.0 yards per carry last season, he, like Jones-Drew, did a little bit of everything, rushing for over 1,200 yards, catching 63 passes for nearly 500 yards and scoring 12 times.

Even with Jay Cutler under center, Forte should remain the Bears’ offensive centerpiece.

Team 5 – DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers

I could never understand why Panthers coach John Fox absolutely insisted that DeShaun Foster split carries, or even get more, than Williams.

So when Williams finally did get the amount of carries he deserved last season, he exploded for a total of 20 touchdowns (18 rushing), despite sharing some of the backfield load with Jonathan Stewart.

Even if Stewart does see an increased number of carries this season, Williams has proven his worth.

Team 6 – Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans

Another player who shares the load, this one with touchdown-vulture LenDale White, Johnson was consistently great last season for his fantasy football owners. He’d be higher on this list if not for White, but the Titans will remain a running team with Kerry Collins as the quarterback, meaning plenty of opportunities for Johnson and White both.

Team 7 – Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams

By the end of the 2009 season, Jackson could prove to be a steal at this spot. When healthy, there are few backs with his combination of speed, power, and pass-catching ability.

The Rams revamped their offensive line with mauling center Jason Brown and offensive tackle and No. 2 overall pick Jason Smith, while adding a blocking fullback in Mike Karney, so Jackson is primed for a big year.

But again, that requires him to be healthy, which he hasn’t been able to do the last two years.

Team 8 – Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans

Those fantasy owners who drafted Steve Slatonin the later rounds, or picked him up off the waiver wire last season undoubtedly had big smiles on their faces all year, as those are the type of moves that win championships.

Alas, Slaton won’t be tricking anybody in 2009, and his combined rushing/receiving output should once again be stellar.

Team 9 – Marion Barber, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Among the many things that went wrong last season for the Cowboys was the play of Barber. True, he battled a nagging injury at the end of the year, but he still wound up with just 885 rushing yards and seven rushing scores.

However, he did his usual thing through the air, collecting 52 passes for just over 400 yards and two scores, which was a boon for PPR owners.

Now, with the absence of Terrell  Owens, maybe offensive coordinator Jason Garrett won’t feel pressured to throw the ball every down, allowing Barber to do his thing with a bit more regularity.

Team 10 – Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Fitzgerald

Over 1,400 yards and an NFL-leading 12 touchdowns is plenty of evidence that he should be the first receiver off the board. Despite Arizona losing offensive coordinator Todd Haley to the Chiefs to be their new head coach, and the drafting of running back Chris Wells in the first round, rest assured Fitzgerald will get his numbers.

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2009 Fantasy Football One-Man's Mock Draft