Fantasy Football Re-draft: How the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Rounds Should Have Gone

Every single year around the fantasy football circles there are surprises and disappointments. Last season, no one expected Arian Foster to put up the fantasy numbers that he did. Fast forward one season, and he isn't producing at the level that many people would have expected: mainly due to injury.

On the other hand, there are fantasy football studs that you can rely on every single year. These players include: Adrian Peterson, Drew Brees and Andre Johnson. 

The first three weeks of this season have been extremely interesting in regards to fantasy football. Quarterbacks are putting up huge numbers, while some of the mainstays at running back are struggling to put up like numbers: Chris Johnson comes to mind first.

You cannot anticipate injuries, team issues or personal conduct either. So, that is the hidden aspect of attempting to put together a winning fantasy football team every single week.

Today, I am going to focus on how the first three rounds would have gone if the draft was held following last week. 

30. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

Points: 64

Statistics: 841 yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions

Next three opponents: Cincinnati, Philadelphia and New York (G)

Ryan Fitzpatrick has been one of the big fantasy surprises thus far. He is leading the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL and seems to be building off of what was a solid 2010 campaign. Look for him to shoot up this board as the season progresses. The Buffalo Bills have a nice amount of offensive weapons and their play calling seems to be quarterback friendly. 

29. Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns

Points: 29

Statistics: 151 rush yards, 10 receptions, 53 yards and two touchdowns

Next three opponents: Tennessee, Oakland and Seattle

Peyton Hillis missed last weeks game with strep throat but will be back against Tennessee this week. He didn't exactly set the world on fire in Cleveland's first two games either. One primary concern is the emergence of Montario Hardesty in Cleveland's back field, he will probably take some carries away from Hillis.

Still, I like what Hillis brings to the table and am interested in what Cleveland plans to do with their running game. Either way, it doesn't hurt that Owen Marecic is the lead blocker and that the Browns will force the issue on the ground.

28. Daniel Thomas, Miami Dolphins

Points: 26

Statistics: 202 rush yards, four receptions, 37 yards and one touchdown

Next three opponents: San Diego, New York (J) and Denver

The rookie from Kansas State has rushed the ball for over 200 yards in his last two games and looks to be taking over regular rushing duties for the Miami Dolphins. He seems extremely decisive out in the open field and hits holes extremely well. Miami will be relying on Thomas to continue this strong emergence as Chad Henne has struggled over the last couple games.

You can expect to be hearing a lot more about this up-and-coming running back in the next few weeks. However, he will have tough matchups against San Diego and New York over the nest two games, before taking on a relatively weak Denver Broncos rush defense. 

27. TE- Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Points: 56

Statistics: 17 receptions, 281 yards and five touchdowns

Next three opponents: Oakland, New York (J) and Dallas

The second year player out of Arizona is my first and only tight end on this list, sorry Antonio Gates, Jermichael Finley and Vernon Davis.

Rob Gronkowski has been Tom Brady's favorite red zone target over the course of New England's first three games. He leads all NFL tight ends with five touchdown receptions. He is a big target for the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback and seems to have found a nice rhythm in their offense.

The possible return of Aaron Hernandez from a knee injury this week could complicate Gronkowski's fantasy value moving forward. Still, the Patriots will be going up against two weak pass defenses in their next three games: Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

26. Tim Hightower, Washington Redskins

Points: 38

Statistics: 209 yards rushing, nine receptions, 74 yards and two touchdowns

Next three opponents: St. Louis, Philadelphia and Carolina

I really like how Hightower fits with the Washington Redskins, their scheme seems to utilize his skill set greatly. The former Arizona Cardinal has been extremely productive in nearly every aspect of the game for the first three weeks and looks to be a huge fantasy sleeper. As Hightower gets more comfortable with Washington's offense you can expect his receiving totals to go up a great deal.

One issue that you might have in considering Hightower is the fact that Roy Helu has played well and will be splitting time with the veteran running back.

25. Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants

Points: 39

Statistics: 189 yards rushing, 11 receptions, 108 yards and two touchdowns

Next Three Opponents: Arizona, Seattle and Buffalo

The New York Giants are going with Ahmad Bradshaw on the ground a lot more than they are Brandon Jacobs at this point, the former has 14 more rushing attempts through his first three games. He is averaging nearly 100 total yards per game and 0.6 touchdowns an outing: not bad for a No. 2 fantasy running back. 

The Giants will also be facing Arizona and Seattle over the course of the next two weeks, which should enable Bradshaw to see a nice amount of action on the ground considering that New York will probably be playing with the lead a great deal. 

24. Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions

Points: 42

Statistics: 143 rush yards, 15 receptions, 182 yards, two touchdowns

Next three opponents: Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco

Best is averaging well over 100 total yards per game this season, so I could have had him higher. That said, I don't envision him as a No. 1 fantasy running back unless you decided to go quarterback and receiver first, like I did. 

There are a couple reasons for this. First, he is averaging less than three yards per rush this season, which isn't great. Secondly, the Detroit Lions are a pass orientated offense despite the fact that they have more rushing attempts. Once games become closer down the stretch they will look to win it through the air with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. 

Detroit also has to take on two of the top three rush defenses over the next few weeks in Dallas and San Francisco. 

23. Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers

Points: 38

Statistics: 17 receptions, 266 yards and two touchdowns

Next three opponents: Miami, Denver and New York (J)

After struggling in San Diego's season opening win over the Minnesota Vikings, Vincent Jackson has lit it up over the last two weeks. He is becoming a much more consistent receiver and is able to get nice separation down field. 

San Diego has also become a pass orientated offense so far this season, meaning that Jackson will see a lot of targets moving forward. The fact that Antonio Gates only has eight receptions could also lead many to believe that the Chargers are going away from the All-Pro tight end. 

22. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

Points: 28

Stats: 20 receptions, 224 yards and one touchdown

Next three opponents: Seattle, Green Bay and Arizona

Roddy White has been one of the best fantasy receivers in the league over the last three seasons but has struggled to an extent in that aspect so far this year. There are extenuating circumstances that are causing this minor struggle. First, Atlanta's offensive timing has been thrown off because of bad offensive line play, hence White's low yards per catch average. 

I still expect Atlanta to be able to overcome these offensive line woes and for White to become a much better fantasy bet moving forward. If they are able to get that straightened out, there is no reason why he isn't a top five fantasy receiver. 

21. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Points: 17

Statistics: 98 rush yards, 13 receptions, 91 yards and zero touchdowns

Next three opponents: Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Houston

Chris Johnson's stats are ugly and that is one of the reasons why he is relatively low on this list. The reason he isn't completely off this list is because of what he can do in the snap of a finger: take it to the house. 

Once Chris Johnson gets his legs back, which has to be soon, you can expect him to break out in a big way. Still, there has to be some concern with his decrease in every major statistical category from the 2009 season to last year: nearly 900 less total yards and five fewer touchdowns. 

20. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Points: 37

Stats: 15 receptions, 259 yards, two touchdowns

Next three opponents: New York Giants,  Minnesota and Pittsburgh

Normally I would have Larry Fitzgerald much higher on this list, but Kevin Kolb makes me weary of having him any higher. While the two have seemed in sync over the first couple games, defenses will be able to hone in on Fitzgerald and attempt to take him out of the game. It might not work considering he is one of the best receivers in the entire league, but it may still limit his production a little bit. 

Still, five receptions and 83 yards per game isn't bad for a fantasy receiver. This puts him on pace for 80 receptions and 1,328 yards in 2011. 

19. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

Points: 49

Statistics: 823 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions

Next three opponents: Pittsburgh, Oakland and Baltimore

Houston's offense is an interesting study so far in 2011. With a healthy Arian Foster, the Texans have two really good running backs that will take the load off of Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. Last season, Houston ran the ball 54 percent of the time, but still had over 4,300 yards passing. 

So, there is somewhat of a quandary as to where to put Schaub on this list. He remains one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in the league, still it make sense to have Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, both in pass-orientated offenses, higher on this list. 

Houston will be going up against three average pass defenses over the next three games, so Schaub should put up solid numbers over that span. 

18. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Points: 46

Statistics: 942 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions

Next three opponents: Detroit, New England and St. Louis

When healthy, Tony Romo can be counted on to be a fantasy stud: however, there remains a wide array of injury and personnel concerns when it comes to Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. Can their offensive line hold up to protect him? Will injuries be an issue for Miles Austin and Dez Bryant throughout the 2011 season? 

If those issues are resolved you can expect Romo to continue to put up solid fantasy numbers. If not, he would be a risky proposition at this point. 

17. Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills

Points: 57

Statistics: 303 rush yards, eight receptions, 115 yards and three touchdowns

Next three opponents: Cincinnati, Philadelphia and New York (G)

Its hard to imagine having a running back that has only surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a season this high on the list. However, Fred Jackson has proven himself worthy of this ranking. He has been an extremely good complement to Buffalo's passing attack with Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

It also appears that Jackson will get a lot more rushing attempts this season than in previous years. He averaged just under 14 rush attempts per game last season. So far in 2011, Jackson is averaging about 16: expect that number to go up. 

16. Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers

Points: 48

Statistics: 21 receptions, 377 yards and two touchdowns

Next three opponents: Houston, Tennessee and Jacksonville

Mike Wallace deserves to be much higher on this list, but he hasn't proven it over a long period of time like the other receivers ahead of him. Still, what Wallace has done through the first three games is nothing short of extraordinary. He is averaging six receptions and 125 yards per game, which equates to 16 fantasy points per week.

Needless to say, I am happy I was able to pick him up in the fourth round of my fantasy draft. 

15. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

Points: 41

Statistics: 979 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions

Next three opponents: Miami, Denver and New York (J)

Surprisingly, Philip Rivers leads the NFL in interceptions through the first three games with six. That is one interception per 20 or so attempts. Last season, Rivers averaged one interception per 41 attempts. 

This cannot be helping his fantasy value. 

Still, you can expect the Pro Bowl quarterback to break out of this semi-slump and revert back to the form of the last few seasons. He has the weapons in Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson to do that. Additionally, the Chargers will be facing two poor pass defenses in the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins over the next couple weeks. 

14. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons

Points: 34

Statistics: 234 rush yards, four receptions, 73 yards and one touchdown 

Next three opponents: Seattle, Green Bay and Carolina

The one knock on Michael Turner's fantasy value has been his inability to catch the ball out of the back field, 34 receptions in his first seven seasons. Although he does have four catches in three games this season, it still remains somewhat of an issue. 

Still, Michael Turner has great late first-early second round value. He might be one of the best second-tier running backs on this list. 

13. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers

Points: 36

Statistics: 18 receptions, 263 yards and two touchdowns

Next three opponents: Denver, Atlanta and St. Louis

There is a reason I only have three other wide receivers ahead of Greg Jennings on this list. He is one of the best play-makers in the entire league. Through three games Jennings has racked up nearly 100 receiving yards per game and looks to be in sync with Aaron Rodgers a great deal.

Last season, Jennings racked up nearly 80 receiving yards a week and scored 12 touchdowns. With Green Bay utilizing more of a run-pass mix and the emergence of Jermichael Finley, some may be inclined to stay way from Jennings. Don't be fooled, he is an excellent value.

12. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

Points: 40

Statistics: 307 rush yards, six receptions, 64 yards and one touchdown

Next three opponents: New Orleans, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh

Despite facing a lot of eight man fronts due to Jacksonville's lack of a passing game, Jones-Drew has been able to rush for over 300 yards in his first three games. This has to say something about his ability to perform at a high level, even through adversity. 

With Blaine Gabbert starting you are probably going to see Jacksonville rely on the UCLA product even more, which could either be a good or bad thing in the running game. One thing is for sure: Jones-Drew will get a fair share of pass targets throughout the remainder of the season, which will add to his fantasy value. 

The only reason I have Jones-Drew so far down on the list is because of the Jaguars one-dimensional offense and opposing defenses honing in on the star back.

11. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

Points: 42

Statistics: 21 receptions, 316 yards and two touchdowns 

Next three opponents: Pittsburgh, Oakland and Baltimore

Though injuries did hamper his career early on, Andre Johnson has been a fantasy stud over the last three seasons. During that span he has caught over 300 passes for a whopping 4,400 yards. The one knock on Johnson is the fact that he has yet to record a double-digit touchdown season. As we all know fantasy leagues value six points a lot.

There is no rhyme or reason as to why he hasn't recorded more touchdowns, but one thing is for sure: Andre Johnson is and will continue to be one of the top wide receivers in the entire league. Shutdown corners have a hard time covering him, zone defenses don't work too well, and man-man, forget about it. 

When healthy, Johnson is one of the surest bets you can get. 

10. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Points: 70

Statistics: 977 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions

Next three opponents: Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco 

Last year at this time no one would have thought that Matthew Stafford would be a top 10 fantasy player, but this is exactly where I have him right now. It is an amazing turnaround for the often injured, yet talented signal-caller.

He leads one of the most prolific offenses in the entire league and is on pace to shatter the Detroit Lions record books. Through three games, Stafford is averaging over 300 yards and three touchdowns per outing. Detroit has a ton of weapons for him to utilize in the form of Jahvid Best, Brandon Pettigrew and Calvin Johnson.

There is no reason to expect him to tail off as the season progresses either. The Lions will be going up against five consecutive suspect pass defenses coming up: Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta and Denver. 

9. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

Points: 56

Statistics: 16 receptions, 225 yards, six touchdowns

Next three opponents: Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco

No you are not reading that wrong, Calvin Johnson has six touchdowns in three games. That statistic alone is a fantasy team's wet dream. This overrides the fact that Johnson hasn't compiled 80 receptions in a single season so far in his career. 

Right now, the duo of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson appears to be unstoppable and given their early season success there is no reason not to have him as the second rated fantasy receiver in the league. 

Of course, some people will be able to make a strong argument against that. 

8. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Points: 76

Statistics: 1,059 yards, nine touchdowns, two interceptions

Next three opponents: Jacksonville, Carolina and Tampa Bay

It really doesn't get any better than Drew Brees in the fantasy ranks. He has thrown for over 4,300 yards in each of the last five seasons and has 155 touchdowns during that span. Lets put that in perspective for a second. 

That is an average of 294 passing yards and two touchdown passes per game: you do the math.

This season, Brees has already compiled over 1,000 passing yards and seems to be right back into his comfort zone as one of the best quarterback in the entire league. The additional of Darren Sproles, who I contemplated putting on this list, has also helped him a lot. 

As long as Brees stays healthy and has the talent around him, you can expect him to continue putting up these Madden like numbers. 

7. Wes Welker, New England Patriots

Points: 70

Statistics: 31 receptions, 458 yards and four touchdowns

Next three opponents: Oakland, New York (J) and Dallas

Yes folks, Wes Welker is my No. 1 fantasy wide receiver right now and it is really hard to argue against that. He has put up some stupid numbers over the course of the first three games. While we are on a fantasy article, I want to include some "fantasy" numbers for you. The former Texas Tech star is on pace to put up the following stats.

165 receptions, 2,442 yards and 21 touchdowns.

We all know that isn't going to happen, but it is fun to look at nonetheless. Moving forward, There is no reason to expect that the Tom Brady-Wes Welker connection will be slowed considerably over the rest of the season: they are just that good. 

6. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens

Points: 57

Statistics: 228 rush yards, 14 receptions, 178 yards and three touchdowns

Next three opponents: New York (J), Houston and Jacksonville

Ray Rice might be the best all-around running back in the entire game. He is great running the ball, has great hands out of the backfield and is above-average in terms of blocking. Rice is averaging 5.7 yards per rush this season, so if he is able to see the ball more you are going to see his stats go up as the season progresses. 

The problem is that Ray Rice is only averaging about 16 rushes per game so far in his career and cannot be counted on to carry it 25 times or more every game. The other running backs I have on this list ahead of Ray Rice have that ability because their offenses dictate it. 

5. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Points: 66

Statistics: 917 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception

Next three opponents: Denver, Atlanta and St. Louis

I seriously debated whether to have Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers here and you could make a solid case for both. The reason that I went with Rodgers is the fact that he seems to have more consistent weapons in the passing game with Jermichael Finley and Greg Jennings. 

Statistically, Aaron Rodgers has been one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in the entire game over the last three seasons, but more than that he has been extremely consistent. This is something that you are looking for in a quarterback when putting together a fantasy football team.

You need to have a player that is going to put up solid numbers game in and game out. In his last 11 starts, Aaron Rodgers has put up 22 touchdowns, compared to just three interceptions. 

This is why he is the second highest rated quarterback on this list behind...well you are going to have to wait for that. 

4. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles

Points: 67

Statistics: 345 rush yards, nine receptions, 49 yards and five touchdowns

Next three opponents: San Francisco, Buffalo and Washington

Shady is back at full throttle right now. He has gained 95 or more rushing yards in each of the Eagles three games this season and has a total of five touchdowns. McCoy is averaging over 20 fantasy points per week, among the best in the entire league at the running back position.

Considering the Eagles have issues with pass protection and the injury to Michael Vick, I expect Philadelphia to protect their franchise quarterback and attempt to give McCoy more carries as the season progresses. He is already averaging nearly 20 rushes per outing and is putting up a crazy six yard average. 

You may see McCoy struggle a bit this week against San Francisco considering they have not given up a 100 yard rusher in 25 games, but moving forward McCoy will be one of your safest bets. 

3. Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders

Points: 68

Statistics: 393 rush yards, 11 receptions, 84 yards and four touchdowns

Next three opponents: New York (J), Houston and Cleveland

Lets face it, having an Oakland Raiders offensive player in the top five defies logic, but that is exactly where Darren McFadden has placed himself so far this season. He has run through, around, atop, over and under opposing defenses in the tune of nearly 400 yards in three games.

Last week, McFadden tore apart a New York Jets defense that had the third best rush defense in the NFL last season, but is struggling a great deal this year. There was no doubt that McFadden had tons of talent coming out of Arkansas to be the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 draft: however, injuries tempered expectations for him during his first couple of seasons.

That said, McFadden has put up over 100 rushing yards in four of his last six games and seems destined to be one of the top fantasy players in the league moving forward. 

Despite an injury, he is expected to play against New England this weekend. 

2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Points: 85

Statistics: 1,327 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions

Next three opponents: Oakland, New York (J) and Dallas

Four interceptions last week didn't help Tom Brady's cause to be one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in the history of the game this season, but it didn't hurt too much either. He is averaging an absurd 28 fantasy points per week, give me a freaking break man. 

Brady is averaging over 442 passing yards per game and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight in regards to this phenomenal display that the former seventh round pick is putting on right now. Brady also gets back one of his favorite targets, Aaron Hernandez, this week. 

You can expect Brady to throw for more than 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns this season. This is precisely why I considered having him No. 1 overall on this list. 

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

Points: 49

Statistics: 296 rush yards, eight receptions, 46 yards and three touchdowns

Next three opponents: Kansas City, Arizona and Chicago

Adrian Peterson is good, really really good. So, outside of being Mr. obvious here let me point out a few things that may have negatively impacted Adrian Peterson's fantasy output so far this season. 

The Minnesota Vikings cannot get their passing game going, so Peterson is facing eight men in the box and has to battle contact at the line of scrimmage on a continual basis. Still, he has been able to put up over 16 fantasy points per week. 

One thing that history tells me is that Adrian Peterson will put up the statistics that warrant him being a nearly consensus No. 1 overall pick in most leagues. He has put up 55 touchdown runs in 53 career starts, averages well over 100 combined yards per game and has averaged 107 rushing yards per outing during his first four-plus seasons. 

AP is just consistently great. 

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