Quarterback

Tier 1

1. Tom Brady Patriots Bye:4
2. Peyton Manning Colts Bye:4

Tier 2

3. Drew Brees Saints Bye: 9
4. Tony Romo Cowboys Bye: 10
5. Carson Palmer Bengals Bye: 8

Tier 3

6. Matt Hasselbeck Seahawks Bye: 4

7. Derek Anderson Browns Bye: 5

8. Ben Roethlisberger Steelers Bye: 6

Tier 4

9. Jay Cutler Broncos Bye: 8

10. Donovan McNabb Eagles Bye: 7

11. Marc Bulger Rams Bye: 5

12. Eli Manning Giants Bye: 4

13. David Garrard Jaguars Bye: 7

14. Matt Schaub Texans Bye: 8

15. Phillip Rivers Chargers Bye: 9

16. Jake Delhomme Panthers Bye: 9

Tier 5

17. Jon Kitna Lions Bye: 4

18. Kurt Warner/Matt Leinart Cardinals Bye: 7

19. Jason Campbell Redskins Bye: 10

20. Aaron Rodgers Packers Bye: 8

21. Alex Smith 49ers Bye: 9

22. Jeff Garcia Bucs Bye: 10

23. Vince Young Titans Bye: 6

24. JaMarcus Russell Raiders Bye: 5

Running Backs

Tier 1

1. Ladanian Tomlinson Chargers Bye: 9

2. Adrian Peterson Vikings Bye: 8

Tier 2

3. Joseph Addai Colts Bye: 4

4. Brian Westbrook Eagles Bye: 7

5. Frank Gore 49ers Bye: 9

6. Steven Jackson Rams Bye: 5

7. Larry Johnson Chiefs Bye: 6

8. Marion Barber III Cowboys Bye: 10

9. Marshawn Lynch Bills Bye: 6

Tier 3

10. Ryan Grant Packers Bye: 8

11. Clinton Portis Redskins Bye: 10

12. Willis McGahee Ravens Bye: 10

13. Willie Parker Steelers Bye: 6

14. Laurence Maroney Patriots Bye: 6

15. Jamal Lewis Browns Bye: 5

Tier 4

16. Maurice Jones-Drew Jaquars Bye: 7

17. Brandon Jacobs Giants Bye: 4

18. Michael Turner Falcons Bye: 9

19. Reggie Bush Saints Bye: 9

20. Selvin Young Broncos Bye: 8

21. Earnest Graham Bucs Bye: 10

22. Ronnie Brown Dolphins Bye: 4

23. Darren McFadden Raiders Bye: 5

24. Edgerrin James Cardinals Bye: 7

25. Thomas Jones Jets Bye: 5

26. Lendale White Titans Bye: 6

27. Fred Taylor Jaquars Bye: 7

28. Rudi Johnson Bengals Bye: 8

29. Julius Jones Seahawks Bye: 4

Tier 5

30. Jonathon Stewart Panthers Bye: 9

31. Justin Fargas Raiders Bye: 5

32. Kevin Smith Lions Bye: 4

33. DeAngelo Williams Panthers Bye: 9

34. Chester Taylor Vikings Bye: 8

35. Felix Jones Cowboys Bye: 10

36. Deuce McAllister Saints Bye: 9

37. Ahmad Bradshaw Giants Bye: 4

38. Ahman Green Texans Bye: 8

39. Rashard Mendenhall Steelers Bye: 6

40. Matt Forte Bears Bye: 8

41. Jerious Norwood Falcons Bye: 7

42. Sammy Morris Patriots Bye: 4

43. Tatum Bell Lions Bye: 4

44. Leon Washington Jets Bye: 5

45. Kenny Watson Bengals BYe: 8

46. Chris Johnson Titans Bye: 6

47. Derrick Ward Giants Bye: 4

48. Ricky Williams Dolphins Bye: 4

Wide Receivers

Tier 1

1. Randy Moss Patriots Bye: 4

2. Terrell Owens Cowboys Bye: 10

3. Reggie Wayne Colts Bye: 4

Tier 2

4. Braylon Edwards Browns Bye: 5

5. Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals Bye: 7

6. Steve Smith Panthers Bye: 9

7. Chad Johnson Bengals Bye: 8

8. TJ Houshmandzedah Bengals Bye: 8

9. Andre Johnson Texans Bye: 8

10. Marques Colston Saints Bye: 9

11. Brandon Marshall Broncos Bye: 8

Tier 3

12. Plaxico Burress Giants Bye: 4

13. Torry Holt Rams Bye: 5

14. Wes Welker Patriots Bye: 4

15. Anquan Boldin Cardinals Bye: 7

16. Roy Williams Lions Bye: 4

17. Santonio Holmes Steelers Bye: 6

18. Marvin Harrison Colts Bye: 4

19. Hines Ward Steelers Bye: 6

20. Greg Jennings Packers Bye: 5

21. Calvin Johnson Lions Bye: 4

Tier 4

22. Dwayne Bowe Chiefs Bye: 6

23. Donald Driver Packers Bye: 8

24. Santana Moss Redskins Bye: 10

25. Lee Evans Bills Bye: 6

26. Roddy White Falcons Bye: 7

27. Chris Chambers Chargers Bye: 9

28. Joey Galloway Bucs Bye: 10

29. Jerry Porter Raiders Bye: 7

30. Kevin Curtis Eagles Bye: 7

31. Laveranues Coles Jets Bye: 5

32. Bobby Engram Seahawks Bye: 4

33. Derrick Mason Ravens Bye: 10

34. Jerricho Cotchery Jets Bye: 5

35. Bernard Berrian Vikings Bye: 8

Tier 5

36. Anthony Gonzalez Colts Bye: 4

37. Patrick Crayton Cowboys Bye: 10

38. Nate Burleson Vikings Bye: 4

39. Jabar Gaffney Patriots Bye: 4

40. Vincent Jackson Chargers Bye: 9

41. Isaac Bruce 49ers Bye: 9

42. Donte Stallworth Browns Bye: 5

43. Sidney Rice Vikings Bye: 8

44. DJ Hackett Panthers Bye: 9

45. Reggie Brown Eagles Bye: 7

46. James Hardy Bills Bye: 6

47. Devin Thomas Redskins Bye: 10

48. Ted Ginn Jr. Dolphins Bye: 4

Tight Ends

1. Antonio Gates Chargers Bye: 9

2. Jason Witten Cowboys Bye: 10

3. Kellew Winslow Jr. Browns Bye: 5

4. Chris Cooley Redskins Bye: 10

5. Dallas Clark Colts Bye: 4

6. Tony Gonzalez Chiefs Bye: 6

7. Heath Miller Steelers Bye: 6

8. Todd Heap Ravens Bye: 10

9. Vernon Davis 49ers Bye: 9

10. Jeremy Shockey Saints Bye: 4

11. Owen Daniels Texans Bye: 8

12. Tony Scheffler Broncos Bye: 8

13. Alge Crumpler Titans Bye: 6

14. Ben Watson Patriots Bye: 4

15. LJ Smith Eagles Bye: 7

16. Donald Lee Packers Bye: 8

17. Greg Olsen Bears Bye: 8

18. Randy McMichael Rams Bye: 5

19. Zach Miller Raiders Bye: 5

20. Dustin Keller Jets Bye: 5

Defense/Special Teams

1. Chicago Bears Bye: 8

2. MInnesota Vikings Bye: 8

3. San Diego Chargers Bye: 9

4. New England Patriots Bye: 4

5. Dallas Cowboys Bye: 10

6. Jacksonville Jaguars Bye: 7

7. Pittsburgh Steelers Bye: 6

8. New York Giants Bye: 4

9. Seattle Seahawks Bye: 4

10. Indianapolis Colts Bye: 4

11. Green Bay Packers Bye: 8

12. Washington Redskins Bye: 10

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bye: 10

14. Philadelphia Eagles Bye: 7

15. Baltimore Ravens Bye: 10

16. Buffalo Bills Bye: 6

17. Oakland Raiders Bye: 5

18. New York Jets Bye: 5

19. Tennessee Titans Bye: 6

20. Denver Broncos Bye: 8

As crazy as this may sound I have been expecting a serious injury to Ladanian Tomlinson these last few years and have always worried if I got the #1 pick would I take him or trade it away. I didn’t have to worry about making that pick but LT has also proven me dead wrong showing me despite his very large number of touches over the years, he has the ability to stay healthy and productive. LT makes it impossible for any sane fantasy owner to not draft him #1 this season (depending on your scoring system of course but very, very few scoring systems don’t favor LT).

After LT you have the most popular fantasy tight end Antonio Gates, a player I have never been real high on but who continues to prove me wrong the last few seasons. Gates is usually drafted very early in my drafts but has performed so its hard for me to say again to pass on him. However if you really like Gates, you will have to pay a high price for him meaning you will have to find some values at other positions later in your draft. After Gates and LT, I don’t see much fantasy potential on the Chargers. I have always thought it a mistake to ditch Brees for Rivers but Rivers had a very good season 2 years ago. This last season not so much but still not bad (3100+ yds, 21 TDs, 15 Ints). I see Rivers as one of those quarterbacks who would make a great back up on the fantasy roster. However if I am wrapping up my draft and Rivers is my starter I see that as a bad draft day.

Chargers 2008 NFL Schedule

• Week 1- Sep 7 Carolina 4:15pm
• Week 2- Sep 14 @Denver 4:15pm
• Week 3- Sep 22 N.Y. Jets 8:30pm
• Week 4- Sep 28 @Oakland 4:05pm
• Week 5- Oct 5 @Miami 1:00pm
• Week 6- Oct 12 New England 8:15pm
• Week 7- Oct 19 @Buffalo 1:00pm
• Week 8- Oct 26 @New Orleans 1:00pm
• Week 9- BYE
• Week 10- Nov 9 Kansas City 4:15pm
• Week 11- Nov 16 @Pittsburgh 4:15pm
• Week 12- Nov 23 Indianapolis 8:15pm
• Week 13- Nov 30 Atlanta 4:05pm
• Week 14- Dec 4 Oakland 8:15pm
• Week 15- Dec 14 @Kansas City 1:00pm
• Week 16- Dec 21 @Tampa Bay 8:15pm
• Week 17- Dec 28 Denver 4:15pm

Chargers 2008 NFL Draft Picks

1. CB Antoine Cason Arizona
2. FB Jacob Hester LSU
3. RB Marcus Thomas Texas El Paso
4. CB Dejuan Tribble Boston College
5. OT Corey Clark Texas A&M

The Browns very unexpectedly became one of the most exciting offenses to watch on tv last year, especially if you were one of the lucky owners who drafted Braylon Edwards or snagged Derek Anderson off the free agent wire after Browns starting QB Charlie Frye was traded. Anderson is now a definite fantasy starting quarterback as he accrued over 3700 yards and 32 total touchdowns last season. While I would like to see more from Anderson before ranking him very high, he is definitely an affordable option if you are unable to snag a top tier QB like Brady or Manning.

Braylon Edwards 16 touchdowns also were quite a surprise to many fantasy owners as he seemed to explode once he became the prime target of Anderson. I don’t expect Edwards to repeat his career year but I do expect him to continue to score and rack up yards as I don’t see much improvement in the Cleveland defense so the Browns offense will like last year see many more opportunities this upcoming season to amass many more fantasy points.

Browns 2008 NFL Schedule

• Week 1- Sep 7 Dallas 4:15pm
• Week 2- Sep 14 Pittsburgh 8:15pm
• Week 3- Sep 21 @Baltimore 4:15pm
• Week 4- Sep 28 @Cincinnati 1:00pm
• Week 5- BYE
• Week 6- Oct 13 N.Y. Giants 8:30pm
• Week 7- Oct 19 @Washington 4:15pm
• Week 8- Oct 26 @Jacksonville 4:05pm
• Week 9- Nov 2 Baltimore 1:00pm
• Week 10- Nov 6 Denver 8:15pm
• Week 11- Nov 17 @Buffalo 8:30pm
• Week 12- Nov 23 Houston 1:00pm
• Week 13- Nov 30 Indianapolis 1:00pm
• Week 14- Dec 7 @Tennessee 1:00pm
• Week 15- Dec 15 @Philadelphia 8:30pm
• Week 16- Dec 21 Cincinnati 1:00pm
• Week 17- Dec 28 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm

Browns 2008 NFL Draft Picks

1. ILB Beau Bell Nevada
2. TE Martin Rucker Missouri
3. DT Ahtyba Rubin Iowa State
4. WR Paul Hubbard Wisconsin
5. OLB Alex Hall St. Augustine’s

Really I should change the name of this article to Fantasy Football Frank Gore as I see him as the only viable fantasy option on this young team.  With Mike Martz in charge of the offense I expect  him to try and transform Gore into his Marshall Faulk of old.  While I am not a big fan of Martz or Gore, I do think Gore will be a great option in many fantasy drafts as owners will remember his underachieving stats from last season (1100 yards, 5 TD’s).  In quite a contrast to last year where I saw Gore ranked very high, Gore is now ranked somewhat low considering his potential.  Just 2 seasons ago Gore had 2,200 total yards and 9 touchdowns and the 49ers continue to use Gore primarily as their only running back, a thing tougher and tougher to find in today’s NFL where virtually every down a new back is in there per the situation.  While I’d be careful not to go crazy (i.e. don’t pass on LT in order to get your hands on Gore), Frank Gore is definitely on my short list of people I hope to get at a great value as other owners vastly overpay for backs like Adrian Peterson and Marion Barber.   I don’t expect many great things for the Niners this season, but I do expect a nice fantasy year out of Gore.

49ers 2008 NFL Schedule

• Week 1-  Sep 7    Arizona    4:15pm
• Week 2-  Sep 14    @Seattle    4:05pm
• Week 3-  Sep 21    Detroit    4:05pm
• Week 4-  Sep 28    @New Orleans    1:00pm
• Week 5-  Oct 5    New England    4:15pm
• Week 6-  Oct 12    Philadelphia    4:15pm
• Week 7-  Oct 19    @N.Y. Giants    1:00pm
• Week 8-  Oct 26    Seattle    4:15pm
• Week 9-    BYE
• Week 10-  Nov 10    @Arizona    8:30pm
• Week 11-  Nov 16    St. Louis    4:05pm
• Week 12-  Nov 23    @Dallas    1:00pm
• Week 13-  Nov 30    @Buffalo    1:00pm
• Week 14-  Dec 7    N.Y. Jets    4:05pm
• Week 15-  Dec 14    @Miami    1:00pm
• Week 16-  Dec 21    @St. Louis    1:00pm
• Week 17-  Dec 28    Washington    4:15pm

49ers 2008 NFL Draft Picks

1.  DT Kentwan Balmer North Carolina
2.  G Chilo Rachal USC
3.  CB Reggie Smith Oklahoma
4.  C Cody Wallace Texas A&M
5.  WR Josh Morgan Virginia Tech
6.  OLB Larry Grant Ohio State

I have to give coach jack Del Rio a lot of credit putting his faith in David Garrard and cutting Leftwich so early last year. It still amazes me that this team was able to put together an 11-5 record and make it into the playoffs from the AFC side. I expect the Jags to hover just above a 500 season this upcoming season as they have some easy teams on the schedule, but seemingly just as many tough teams lined up for them to play.  I continue to like David Garrard who has some fantasy potential however he really should be your #2 or #3 QB at best if he’s on your fantasy roster.  Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew continue to be the most valuable fantasy players on the Jags however if both of them stay healthy they hurt each other’s fantasy values.  Taylor had a very impressive 1200+ yard season last year however only a meager 5 touchdowns.  MJD had no problem scoring as he led the Jags with 10 touchdowns however less than 800 yards rushing.  MJD continues to be higher valued as Taylor is another year older and has a long history of injury.  MJD also added 400+ receiving yards making his upside much higher than Taylor’s, especially in any leagues that reward receptions.  The only gem at wideout (if you can call it that) is Reggie Williams who had 10 touchdown receptions with however only 629 yards receiving.  While I wouldn’t like to start Williams he might be useful during the by weeks as he and Garrard may continue the on field chemistry they showed as the year progressed last season.

Jaguars 2008 NFL Schedule

• Week 1- Sep 7 @Tennessee 1:00pm
• Week 2- Sep 14 Buffalo 1:00pm
• Week 3- Sep 21 @Indianapolis 4:15pm
• Week 4- Sep 28 Houston 1:00pm
• Week 5- Oct 5 Pittsburgh 8:15pm
• Week 6- Oct 12 @Denver 4:05pm
• Week 7- BYE
• Week 8- Oct 26 Cleveland 4:05pm
• Week 9- Nov 2 @Cincinnati 1:00pm
• Week 10- Nov 9 @Detroit 1:00pm
• Week 11- Nov 16 Tennessee 1:00pm
• Week 12- Nov 23 Minnesota 1:00pm
• Week 13- Dec 1 @Houston 8:30pm
• Week 14- Dec 7 @Chicago 1:00pm
• Week 15- Dec 14 Green Bay 1:00pm
• Week 16- Dec 18 Indianapolis 8:15pm
• Week 17- Dec 28 @Baltimore 1:00pm

Jaguars 2008 NFL Draft Picks

1. DE Derrick Harvey Florida
2. OLB Quentin Groves Auburn
3. OLB Thomas Williams USC
4. CB Trae Williams Southern Florida
5. RB Chauncey Washington USC

Just two seasons removed from Shaun Alexander’s MVP season where he led the NFL in yards, touchdowns, and points scored;  the Seahawks  have decided to go in a new direction and cut their big name back.  Taking his place will be Julius Jones (formerly of the Cowboys) and Maurice Morris  in some sort of tandem.  Many fantasy experts think this is Julius Jone’s year and are very high on him.  I however am very skeptical as Jones had plenty of opportunities in Dallas where he underperformed greatly, especially when it came to spiking the ball in the end zone.  The Seahawks have Maurice Morris who I expect to take a significant amount of carries away from Jones as the year progresses (Morris averaged 4.5 ypc w/ 5 td’s w/ only 140 carries last season).  The Seahawks have also signed TJ Duckett who it is presumed will take over goal line & short yardage situations, meaning more fantasy points that can be stolen from Jones.  Julius is still worth starting if you draft him, just don’t draft him too early and it might be wise to have some other options in case Seattle ends up being just like Dallas for Jones.

Matt Hasselbeck is pretty much the only viable fantasy starter I see on this team.  He is consistently one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL though never a top tier QB.  Right now Hasselbeck is hovering around 6th best on my floating mock draft list but that always changes the more preseason games I see.  But definitely averaging the last 3 seasons almost 3,300 yards passing per year and 23+ touchdowns per year is something that makes him a very safe and reliable pick to lead your fantasy team.

Seahawks 2008 NFL Schedule

• Week 1- Sep 7 @Buffalo 1:00pm
• Week 2- Sep 14 San Francisco 4:05pm
• Week 3- Sep 21 St. Louis 4:05pm
• Week 4- BYE
• Week 5- Oct 5 @N.Y. Giants 1:00pm
• Week 6- Oct 12 Green Bay 4:15pm
• Week 7- Oct 19 @Tampa Bay 8:15pm
• Week 8- Oct 26 @San Francisco 4:15pm
• Week 9- Nov 2 Philadelphia 4:15pm
• Week 10- Nov 9 @Miami 1:00pm
• Week 11- Nov 16 Arizona 4:05pm
• Week 12- Nov 23 Washington 4:15pm
• Week 13- Nov 27 @Dallas 4:15pm
• Week 14- Dec 7 New England 8:15pm
• Week 15- Dec 14 @St. Louis 1:00pm
• Week 16- Dec 21 N.Y. Jets 4:05pm
• Week 17- Dec 28 @Arizona 4:15pm

2008 NFL Draft Picks

1.  DE Lawrence Jackson USC
2.  TE John Carlson Norte Dame
3.  DT Red Bryant Texas A&M
4.  FB Owen Schmitt West Viginia
5.  C Tyler Schmitt San Diego State
6.  RB Justin Forsett California
7.  K Brandon Coutu Georgia

The Titans might have a long year as Vince Young will try to recover from the Madden Curse that plagued him last season.  Considering the aftermath of the curse for the four previous victims:  Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, & Shaun Alexander; most likely Young will continue to be plagued with injuries throughout his career due to his greed of wanting to grace the cover of Madden last season.  This is very ominous for the Titans as I don’t see them being able to produce on offense again this year putting even more pressure on their defense.  The Titans defense performed well last season but based on this year’s schedule I see the Titans struggling to achieve 6 or 7 wins and really only see the Titans backfield as any viable fantasy options.

Lendale White is the top back in Tennessee and should be worth at least another 1,000 yards and 5+ touchdowns however after that I don’t see much fantasy scoring.  Chris Brown has shown some talent but with only less than 1 in four carries for the Titans he hasn’t been consistent.  Barring an injury to White Brown is a gamble to draft too early.  You also have to keep an eye on the Titans 1st round pick Chris Johnson out of East Carolina.  He’s an explosive back with some injury issues in the past.  He might steal some fantasy stats from the above two if he can stay healthy making all three backs a risk to draft too early.  There is a very good chance I won’t have one Titan on any of my fantasy teams this year.

Titans 2008 NFL Schedule

• Week 1- Sep 7 Jacksonville 1:00pm
• Week 2- Sep 14 @Cincinnati 1:00pm
• Week 3- Sep 21 Houston 1:00pm
• Week 4- Sep 28 Minnesota 1:00pm
• Week 5- Oct 5 @Baltimore 1:00pm
• Week 6- BYE
• Week 7- Oct 19 @Kansas City 1:00pm
• Week 8- Oct 27 Indianapolis 8:30pm
• Week 9- Nov 2 Green Bay 1:00pm
• Week 10- Nov 9 @Chicago 1:00pm
• Week 11- Nov 16 @Jacksonville 1:00pm
• Week 12- Nov 23 N.Y. Jets 1:00pm
• Week 13- Nov 27 @Detroit 12:30pm
• Week 14- Dec 7 Cleveland 1:00pm
• Week 15- Dec 14 @Houston 1:00pm
• Week 16- Dec 21 Pittsburgh 1:00pm
• Week 17- Dec 28 @Indianapolis 1:00pm

2008 Titans NFL Draft Picks

1. RB Chris Johnson East Carolina

2. DT Jason Jones Eastern Michigan

3. TE Craig Stevens California

4. DE William Hayes Winston Salem

5. WR Lavelle Hawkins California

6. OLB Stanford Keglar Purdue

7. CB Cary Williams Washburn

The Steelers got a genuine steal in getting running back Rashard Mendenhall so late in the first round of the NFL Draft. Willie Parker, with Mendenhall able to spell him periodically, should make a nice one two punch and keep the Steelers strong tradition in a strong running game going strong. Mendenhall might hurt Parker’s fantasy numbers a little as the year progresses but Parker is still the a fantasy starter with his ability to rack up yards and on the ground and as well as through the air. I would expect Mendenhall to have a similar yeah to Najeh Davenport last season, not extrememly impressive but a few nice weeks and a decent number of scores.

Big Ben was definitely the fantasy star of last season from this team as he accrued 32 touchdown passes. I am not a big fan of Big Ben but he has proven to me that I have underestimated him as he had a 104+QB Rating last season. I don’t expect as good a year for Big Ben however if he is out there at good value he might be worth drafting as your starting QB, depending who else is on the board of course. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes also are not top tier at their posistion, but good solid fantasy players none the less and should be picked up if the price is right.

Steelers 2008 NFL Schedule

• Week 1- Sep 7 Houston 1:00pm
• Week 2- Sep 14 @Cleveland 8:15pm
• Week 3- Sep 21 @Philadelphia 4:15pm
• Week 4- Sep 29 Baltimore 8:30pm
• Week 5- Oct 5 @Jacksonville 8:15pm
• Week 6- BYE
• Week 7- Oct 19 @Cincinnati 1:00pm
• Week 8- Oct 26 N.Y. Giants 4:15pm
• Week 9- Nov 3 @Washington 8:30pm
• Week 10- Nov 9 Indianapolis 4:15pm
• Week 11- Nov 16 San Diego 4:15pm
• Week 12- Nov 20 Cincinnati 8:15pm
• Week 13- Nov 30 @New England 4:15pm
• Week 14- Dec 7 Dallas 4:15pm
• Week 15- Dec 14 @Baltimore 1:00pm
• Week 16- Dec 21 @Tennessee 1:00pm
• Week 17- Dec 28 Cleveland 1:00pm

2008 NFL Draft Picks

1. RB Rashard Mendenhall Illinois

2. WR Limas Sweed Texas

3. DE Bruce Davis UCLA

4. OT Tony Hills Texas

5. QB Dennis Dixon Oregon

6. OLB Mike Humpal Iowa

7. FS Ryan Mundy West Virginia

I’m a big fan of Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson on the playing field as well as on the fantasy football field. However injuries seemed to follow both of these players around last season making both of them loose a lot of value on my personal draft board. If the Texans offensive line were better I would perhaps chalk up Schaub’s injuries last season to bad luck but with such a bad offensive line its hard for me to list Schaub higher than some QB’s with less talent than him. Johnson unfortunately suffers when Schaub is not in there and has some injury history of his own. After off season knee surgery Johnson should be 100% to start the season but for reasons mentioned above is a risk to draft too high. One sleeper I like on this team is 3rd round pick out of West Virginia Steve Slatan. He’s currently listed as 6th on the Texans depth chart at running back however I see him at least as third behind Ahman Green and Chris Brown when the season starts. I think Slatan could be this year’s Maurice Jones-Drew or Ryan Grant (that running back that comes out of nowhere to be a fantasy stud every year) and might be worth a very late pick, especially in keeper leagues.

2008 Texans Schedule

• Week 1- Sep 7 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm
• Week 2- Sep 14 Baltimore 4:15pm
• Week 3- Sep 21 @Tennessee 1:00pm
• Week 4- Sep 28 @Jacksonville 1:00pm
• Week 5- Oct 5 Indianapolis 1:00pm
• Week 6- Oct 12 Miami 1:00pm
• Week 7- Oct 19 Detroit 4:05pm
• Week 8- BYE
• Week 9- Nov 2 @Minnesota 1:00pm
• Week 10- Nov 9 Cincinnati 1:00pm
• Week 11- Nov 16 @Indianapolis 1:00pm
• Week 12- Nov 23 @Cleveland 1:00pm
• Week 13- Dec 1 Jacksonville 8:30pm
• Week 14- Dec 7 @Green Bay 1:00pm
• Week 15- Dec 14 Tennessee 1:00pm
• Week 16- Dec 21 @Oakland 4:05pm
• Week 17- Dec 28 Chicago 1:00pm

2008 NFL Draft Picks

1.  OT Duane Brown  Virginia Tech

2.  CB Antwaun Molden  Eastern Kentucky

3.  RB Steve Slatan  West Virginia

4.  OLB Xavier Adibi  Virginia Tech

5.  DT Frank Okam  Texas

6.  FS Dominique Barber  Minnesota

7.  QB Andre Brink  Washington State

Besides Larry Fitgerald and Anquan Boldin, the Cardinals are a team full of on field and fantasy uncertainty.  Matt Leinart has gone from promising young prospect to a big question mark. Kurt Warner has shown us he still has some skills but coach Whisenhunt has vowed to make your life a living hell if you decide to start one of his QB’s as he will shuffle them in and out on the goal line as though he actually knows what he is doing.  I would only draft a Cardinals QB if you are weak at the QB position and could use a spot starter and if its late enough in the draft that it won’t hurt you if its a wasted pick.  Sometimes last season Kurt Warner (Who probably will be #2 behind Leinart to start the year again) was a fantasy beast, such as his 484 yard game against the 49ers, however not consistent as the week after only 169 against the Browns. It also looks like Edge is back for another year as starter.  Edge still gets the majority of the carries and puts up some decent numbers but is also a year older and in my opinion is ready to have a bad fantasy year. Besides Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, draft and start any other Cardinal at your own risk.

2008 NFL Draft Picks

1. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Tennessee State

2. DE Calais Campbell Miami

3. WR Early Doucet LSU

3. DE Kenny Iwebema Iowa

4. RB Tim Hightower Richmond

5. DE Chris Harrington Texas A&M

6. OT Brandon Keith Northern Iowa

2008 Cardinals Schedule

• Week 1- Sep 7 @San Francisco 4:15pm
• Week 2- Sep 14 Miami 4:15pm
• Week 3- Sep 21 @Washington 1:00pm
• Week 4- Sep 28 @N.Y. Jets 1:00pm
• Week 5- Oct 5 Buffalo 4:15pm
• Week 6- Oct 12 Dallas 4:15pm
• Week 7- BYE
• Week 8- Oct 26 @Carolina 1:00pm
• Week 9- Nov 2 @St. Louis 1:00pm
• Week 10- Nov 10 San Francisco 8:30pm
• Week 11- Nov 16 @Seattle 4:05pm
• Week 12- Nov 23 N.Y. Giants 4:15pm
• Week 13- Nov 27 @Philadelphia 8:15pm
• Week 14- Dec 7 St. Louis 4:15pm
• Week 15- Dec 14 Minnesota 4:05pm
• Week 16- Dec 21 @New England 1:00pm
• Week 17- Dec 28 Seattle 4:15pm