My Michael Crabtree Blog

As the NCAA College Football gets into full swing, college campuses nationwide are filled with the buzz of who might win this year's Heisman trophy. Honoring the best player in college football each year, the award went to sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow of Florida last year. While Tebow returns to lead the Gators, there are a number of other contenders for the trophy this year.

Coming out of (seemingly) nowhere last year, the Missouri Tigers rose to the top of the Big 12 pack, earning a number one ranking until their loss in the conference championship game to perennial power Oklahoma. Led by two Heisman contenders, senior quarterback Chase Daniel and true sophomore receiver Jeremy Maclin. With a top 10 rating and early season success, if this Tigers go all the way, then either of these players are capable of bringing home the hardware.

While Heisman winners generally play for national contender teams, there are a number of impressive players who play on good, but not great, teams. South Florida Quarterback Matt Grothe is an outstanding athlete, as is Boise State running back Ian Johnson who could run for over 7,000 yards in his college career.

There are a number of competitive quarterback sin this year's class ranging from the impressive first-year USC starter Mark Sanchez, Texas' Colt McCoy, the efficient passer Todd Reesing of Kansas and the talented Ryan Perrilloux of LSU.

Texas Tech also featured two top-tier Heisman candidates in quarterback Graham Harrell and wide receiver Michael Crabtree who caught 21 touchdowns last year. While Tech is in a competitive conference, the combination of Harrell and Crabtree could propel them to the top tier this season.

Among top running backs, Chris "Beanie" Wells leads last year's runner-up Ohio State where he ran for over 1500 yards and Wisconsin's PJ Hill will put in a competitive season for the Badgers. Texas running back Jamaal Charles is one of the fastest players in college football, and should put up some impressive numbers this season.

This year's Heisman competition features one of the more talented classes in recent history, and should make for an exciting year heading into the BCS.

Jason Forthofer is the owner of Get Football Helmets where you can shop for college football helmets from all major universities.

Last year was definitely an off year for wide receivers, and while this year looks a little deeper, you do not want to pay too much for your WR's production. Follow the Do's and Dont's below, and you will greatly improve your chances of hefting your Fantasy Football League Championship Trophy.

Do...

...nab one of the big ones if you can, without disobeying the 2 RBs in the first 3 rounds rule. If you pick 10th, and the top 6 or 7 primary backs are off the board, picking Larry Fitzgerald with your first round pick may be the way to go. Kurt Warner is back, Boldin is signed, and the Cards face the most favorable matchups for a passing game in the NFL this year over 17 weeks. Same goes for Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, etc. Just make sure all the marquee RBs are off the board.

Do...

...check schedules! A quick look at Buffalo's schedule shows only one home game in freezing bad-weather December at home, and that is against the lowly Oakland Raiders, so maybe Trent Edwards to Terrell Owens will be okay. But do not overlook the fact that this game is a week 15 4:00pm game, meaning playoff time for us Fantasy Footballers. You would hate to end your championship run because there was a blizzard in Denver and the Broncos handed the ball off 40 times.

DON'T...

...draft teammates! Kurt Warner / Larry Fitzgerald or Michael Turner / Roddy White may seem enticing, as your mind starts extrapolating all the huge numbers they could put up any given Sunday, but the downside is too great. Stick with players on separate teams, and you will limit your downside, and bye weeks will not be so hard to manage.

DON'T...

...waste time on Rookie WRs unless you want to roll the dice in a late round! Yes, DeSean Jackson was great last year as a rookie WR for the Eagles, but seriously, do you want to risk a mid-round pick on Darrius Heyward-Bey just because he was the 1st overall receiver to go in the NFL draft in April? "Crazy Al" and the Oakland passing game can be counted on for one thing only ... inconsistency. If you do look to sneak a winner late, take a peak at Michael Crabtree in San Francisco. They have a very favorable schedule against week passing defenses, and Crabtree should start.

Remember, Wide Receivers can be the most up and down performers in the Fantasy game. All a QB has to do to get the RB the ball is turn around and hand it to him. A lot has to go right for a WR to get the ball. That is why it is so important to get consistent performers at this position. And when you are looking for great stats, head on over to the NFL website for all your stats, schedules, and info. Sporting News Fantasy Football guide is also indispensable. All the stats above, and all my research comes from these 2 resources. This is the second in a series of Draft Day Do's and Dont's you need to adhere to in 2009. Make sure to check out my other articles offering Draft Day Secrets and tips. When you put them all together, you will have a strong game plan for your Fantasy Football Draft. See you in the playoffs!

Patrick O'Neill is an 18 year Fantasy Football Veteran who has won countless local and internet Fantasy Football Championships.
"If you are serious about winning, instead of competing, I recommend the same software I use, catered to your League's rules and scoring system. Win In 2009. Get it now, and win in 2009."
Patrick ONeill

After months of analysis and projections leading up to the April 25-26 NFL draft followed by days of draft recap and team grades, we focus on what really matters to us; how the draft affects our fantasy football leagues. While we may have thoughts on the absurdity of the contracts signed by high draft picks, it has no effect on our fantasy football team's payroll. Players may have been drafted higher or lower than projected, but that has no impact on where they will be drafted in our leagues. What matters most to us is if the player will play and if it will be this year or in upcoming years.   Let's take a quick spin through the NFC and look at each team's new additions that could factor into our fantasy football drafts.

Arizona - The Cards happily grabbed RB Chris "Beanie" Wells with the first pick in the second round. He will play immediately as Edgerrin James was released and Tim Hightower appears to be best suited as a goal-line back. Beanie should be drafted in one-season in rounds 4-5 in standard 12-team leagues and rounds 3-4 in Keeper leagues.

Atlanta - Eight picks, all on defense. So, obviously, the Falcons D is the only position that improved. They have some solid additions to support their corners as well as help John Abraham, especially DT Peria Jerry, S William Moore and DE Lawrence Sidbury. This will propel them into the top half of draftable defenses.

Carolina - DE Everette Brown and S Sherrod Martin will help the defense a bit, though not near as much as keeping Julius Peppers will. Their defense should remain in the same draft position.

Chicago - The Bears did pretty well considering they only drafted on Day 2. WR Juaquin Iglesias is a nice addition to a weak receiving core and could be a productive late round pick on draft day. DT Jarron Gilbert will help the Bears D out a bit, though not altering their draft position.

Dallas - The Cowboys traded their way into a lot of worthless picks. Even though the Cowboys had no draftable backup QB last year, I do not believe that QB Stephen McGee is in that category this year. If you draft QB Tony Romo, your backup should be a starting QB on another team.

Detroit - QB Matthew Stafford is giddy knowing that he will be given the reigns to a winless team, so the bar for success in worm-high. It also brings a rare smile to his face when he envisions WR Calvin Johnson in his huddle. However, he is still a rookie QB on a winless team, so don't pick him as your number 1 QB. He should be drafted higher in Keeper leagues. TE Brandon Pettigrew is a must-draft TE in later rounds.

Green Bay - Green Bay's D was productive in the TD category last season, but was a bit of a sieve. Adding DT B.J. Raji and LB Clay Matthews enhances this position a few rounds. 

Minnesota - The Vikings grabbed WR Percy Harvin to add a new dimension to their offense. The kid can flat-out play, if he adjusts to life in the Twin Cities. I would definitely recommend picking him up in early double-digit rounds.

New Orleans - The Saints' D was startable at certain times last season coming off the waiver wire. That will change a bit this year with the additions of CB Malcolm Jenkins and S Chip Vaughn. I feel good recommending drafting them in the last round.

New York Giants - The G-Men addressed their biggest need right away by drafting WR Hakeem Nicks. He should be drafted in early double digit rounds. I would recommend a late round handcuff of RB Andre Brown if you draft Brandon Jacobs. RB Derrick Ward is now on Tampa so Brown will be taking over for him.

Philadelphia - Philly will have the most rookies drafted this year. They landed WR Jeremy Maclin, TE Cornelius Ingram and RB LeSean McCoy. Maclin may be a DeSean Jackson clone in play making ability, which is good if he waits until he crosses the goal line to celebrate his scores. Ingram will be a favorite target of McNabb when he needs a tough catch across the middle and McCoy is a must-draft handcuff to Westbrook.

Seattle - LB Aaron Curry will definitely help Seattle on defense, but makes no difference in fantasy land. WR Deon Butler was drafted to replace Bobby Engram, but I see no reason to draft him unless you are in a really deep league.

San Francisco - The Niners get a gift in picking up WR Michael Crabtree with the 10th pick. He is the class of the receiving group and will be a flat-out receiving stud in the NFL. I don't think you'll get him if you wait until the middle rounds of your draft. You especially want to grab him early in your Keeper Leagues. In addition to Crabtree, the Niners picked up RB Glen Coffey who should be your handcuff to Frank Gore.

St. Louis - The Rams picked up T Jason Smith to replace Orlando Pace and will show immediate dividends in the passing and running game as Pace is vastly overrated and almost stationary nowadays. That being said, Marc Bulger is a late draft pick and Steven Jackson is still a first round pick. As much as I love LB James Laurinaitis, he doesn't make the Rams D draftable in any format.

Tampa Bay - Good luck with QB Josh Freeman. If he only played as well as he talks. He has the size for an NFL QB (6' 6"), but I don't even recommend drafting him in a Keeper League.

Washington - The Skins further enhanced their defensive front by drafting DE Brian Orakpo. In addition to line help, they also grabbed two LBs and CB Kevin Barnes. This greatly enhances the attraction of the Washington D and moves them into the top 8-10 defenses to draft.

Bill Parsons is the owner of MaximumFantasySports.com and a rabid fantasy sports participant. He began creating his own football and baseball fantasy leagues at the ripe old age of seven; tracking stats and standings on paper. Bill decided to create a real-time fantasy football league website that includes all of the best features and some of which have never been attempted at any other website. Join Maximum Fantasy Sports today by visiting http://www.maximumfantasysports.com Membership is Free!

Goodbye Texas. Hello Alabama. It is now the Crimson Tide that have become the No. 1 coveted target in the nation for big-time college football programs in America.

The Texas Longhorns, who were No. 1, took on their 4th top-ranked team in consecutive weeks and came up short on the road Saturday (11-1-08) in Lubbock to No. 6 Texas Tech 39-33 on a scoring play that never should have happened with 1 second left.

In a Texas-style shootout, the Longhorns trailed 19-0 and rallied to take a 33-32 lead on Vondrell McGee's 4-yard touchdown run with only 1:29 to play. That gave just a little too much time left for the Red Raiders' Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, two gifted athletes on a mission few others would dare to take.

With virtually no time left and 28 yards from pay dirt, Harrell found himself surrounded by nasty Longhorns and out of time with Crabtree in double coverage and no room to even turn around. So what does a great quarterback do? He throws high into double coverage, hoping his All-American wide receiver is as great as Harrell thinks he is.

Michael Crabtree does not disappoint either his teammates or himself. He rises to the challenge, grabs the rock with sure hands, breaks the wannabe arm tackle of a sophomore cover back trying to strip the ball, and takes a couple of steps into the end zone and the game clock shows 1 second left.

Amazingly, Crabtree stays in bounds as thousands and thousands of screaming, delirious fans pour onto the field of play. It is sheer bedlam as fans begin to rip down the goal post at one end of the field, and the officials on the field try to restore order for the extra-point attempt and final kickoff to Texas to eliminate the one second left on the clock.

This is college football in America on a Saturday afternoon. A major university with thousands of fans who have suffered through the dominance of Texas and Oklahoma teams for too many years. This is their moment of glory and they will not be denied. It is the competitive spirit of America in its finest hour, their years of hardship and agony are over and their 15 minutes of fame and glory have arrived.

All of the Texas Tech fans, players and coaches need to party down big-time because Texas Tech's season is not over. The Red Raiders will now run a gauntlet somewhat similar to the one that the Longhorns faced as 8-1 Oklahoma State and 8-1 Oklahoma lie ahead and a lesser-light Baylor team lurks in the background.

The drama of this game could not have been higher. Texas Tech only needed a field goal to win the game, but could not rely on its kicker to convert from some 40 yards out. Not only was Harrell's pass into double coverage over the top, and even though Crabtree made a great catch, had he been tackled short of the end zone or gone out of bounds, it is unlikely in the moment that the Red Raiders could have called a time out and still had enough time to set up for a game-winning field goal try.

"All we needed was a field goal, but a touchdown's even sweeter," said Raider quarterback Graham Harrell after the game. "If you're a quarterback and don't want to be in that situation, you should change positions." Harrell finished with 474 yards passing and 2 touchdowns while completing 36 of 53 attempts.

Was this really THAT big of a win for Texas Tech? Yes it was. The Red Raider win over Texas was the biggest win in Texas Tech history and its first win against a No. 1-ranked team. The victory gave them command of the Big 12 South and put them smack in the middle of the race for a spot in the national championship game.

And just how close was Texas to winning? How about 1 second among 60 minutes of play? Or the fact that on the play prior to Crabtree's winning 28-yard TD catch, freshman safety Blake Gideon dropped what would have been a game-ending interception on a tipped pass. That single drop meant Harrell could make the dangerous decision to throw into double coverage to Crabtree. The rest is now history.

The win vaulted No. 6 Texas Tech past Penn State, Florida and Oklahoma into the No. 2 spot in this week's AP Top 25 Poll. For Texas Tech fans around the world, this rise to prominence came none too soon.

The reason Alabama vaulted from No. 2 in the AP rankings to the top spot is because the Crimson Tide shut out Arkansas State Saturday 35-0, scoring in every quarter and looking every bit as if they should be No. 1.

Coach Nick Saban has quickly become better than the gold standard in Alabama. Saban has taken the Crimson Tide to the No. 1 ranking in the nation in only his second year at Tuscaloosa.

Saban is the highest paid coach in college football ($32 million for 8 years). Many fans and boosters at Alabama believe Saban is worth every penny of it and now you know why.

Saban turned around Michigan State's program in one year and went to 3 bowl games in his first 3 years. He turned around Louisiana State's program in one year, won or shared 3 SEC titles, went to bowl games all 5 years and won the National Championship in 2003. He turned around Alabama in his first season last year and went to a bowl game. Now his Crimson Tide players are 9-0 and in the hunt for a spot in this year's national championship game.

No. 5 Florida recorded a huge win on the road at No. 8 Georgia, putting some major hurt on the Bulldogs, 49-10. Since their unexpected lack of focus and 31-30 loss to Mississippi, Coach Urban Meyer's Gators have gone ballistic croc hunting, ripping apart Arkansas 38-7, LSU 51-21 and Kentucky 63-5 before hosting Georgia.

Apparently the Gators have become so savage that they will rip apart their victims but also drink their blood in their quest to get into the national championship game. The next victim to visit Gainsville this coming Saturday is the Vanderbilt Commodores, who had better order up tons of anti-crocodile spray. The Gators mean business.

Both Texas and Georgia lost to top-ranked teams. Texas Tech, Alabama and Florida were among 13 of the 20 AP Poll teams to win this week, 7 others-including Texas and Georgia which played top-ranked teams--lost and 5 teams were idle. No. 3 Penn State, No. 13 Ohio State, No. 18 Ball State, No. 21 North Carolina and No. 25 Maryland were all idle.

The other ranked teams which won big and made a statement included:

No. 4 Oklahoma at home in a waltz over Nebraska 62-28 (the Sooners led 62-21 after 3 quarters), No. 7 Southern Cal on the road shut out Washington 56-0 (the Huskies are dead and waiting for fired head coach Tyrone Willingham to get on down the road), No. 9 Oklahoma State at home over Iowa State 59-17 (the Cowboys scored in every quarter), No. 11 Boise State at home shut out New Mexico State 49-0 (the Broncos scored in every quarter against what we think is a team in the southwest), No. 12 TCU on the road over UNLV 44-14, and No. 15 LSU at home over Tulane 35-10.

Four other ranked teams won but were hardly impressive. They included:

No. 10 Utah on the road over weak, unranked New Mexico 13-10 (the 9-0 unbeaten Utah Utes are overrated big-time and may find that out this week when they clash with 9-1 TCU), No. 14 Missouri on the road over unranked Baylor 31-28 (the now toothless Tigers take down a 3-win Baylor team), No. 17 BYU on the road over weak, unranked Colorado State 45-42 (the Cougars are hardly ferocious, they gave up 32 points to TCU, 35 to UNLV and now 42 to Colorado State after beating a winless 0-8 Washington team 28-27 earlier in the season), and No. 22 Michigan State at home over Wisconsin 25-24 (it's true that Wisconsin may well be the best 4-5 team in the country, but the Spartans should have won by two touchdowns).

Five other ranked teams committed the unpardonable sin of losing to an unranked team. They included:

No. 16 Florida State lost on the road to Georgia Tech 31-28, No. 19 and unbeaten Tulsa lost on the road to Arkansas 30-23 (Tulsa is the newest most overrated team in 1-A football, Illinois lost that title by promptly losing 4 games), No. 20 Minnesota lost at home to Northwestern 24-17, No. 23 Oregon lost on the road to California 26-16, and No. 24 South Florida lost on the road to Cincinnati 24-10.

Dropping out of the AP Top 25 Poll on Sunday (11-2-08) were Minnesota (the Golden Gophers are 7-2 and a real surprise in the Big Ten), South Florida (overrated all season), Oregon (overrated all season) and Tulsa (grossly overrated all season). Good luck to all on your way out the door.

Playing their way back into the AP Poll this week were the No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers (they beat Connecticut), the No. 21 California Bears (they beat Oregon), the No. 22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (they beat Florida State) and the No. 25 Pittsburgh Panthers (they beat Notre Dame 36-33 in the 4th overtime).

The only 6 unbeaten teams remaining include Alabama, Texas Tech, Penn State, Utah, Boise State and Ball State. In other games of note this week:

Oregon State barely beat Arizona State 27-25 in a really nasty, tough, sometimes dirty Pac 10 encounter. A 2-8 Idaho team put 24 points on the board and only lost by 6 points to a 6-3 San Jose State team. The Idaho Vandals are not the worst team in America, that title belongs to the 0-9 winless, hopeless Washington Huskies followed closely by the hapless, beyond hopeless 1-8 Washington State Cougars.

Also formerly winless North Texas posted its first win of the season on the road over 1-AA Western Kentucky 51-40. The Purdue Boilermakers did the entire Midwest a favor by whipping Michigan 48-42, ensuring that Michigan will have to suffer through its first losing season in 40 years and an end to its streak of 33 consecutive bowl game appearances.

From my perspective as a Michigan State graduate, any week that Michigan State wins and Michigan loses is a glorious week, thus far that glorious occurrence has happened 5 times this season and could happen twice more "Lord willing and the creek don't rise".

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Read my other detailed, knowledgeable, interesting articles on college football, including:

"College Football - Week 9 - Texas Handles Unbeaten Oklahoma State, and Penn State Whips Ohio State"

"College Football - Week 8 - Top 6 Teams Remain on Top, Led by Unbeaten Texas, Alabama & Penn State"

"College Football - Week 7 - Only 10 Undefeated Teams Remain - Oklahoma, Missouri and LSU All Lose"

"College Football - Week 6 - AP's Top 25 Welcomes North Carolina, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Ball State"

"College Football - Week 5 - 9 AP Top 25 Teams Lose, 6 to Unranked Teams, No. 1 USC, No. 3 Georgia & No. 4 Florida All Lose"

"College Football - Week 4 - 14 Teams Suffer Their First Defeat - Auburn, East Carolina, Oregon & Florida State All Lose"

"College Football - Week 3 - Let There Be No Doubt: USC Crushes Ohio State 35-3 and Is Clearly No. 1"

"College Football - Week 2 - East Carolina Smacks West Virginia, Upsets Its 3rd Straight Ranked Team"

"College Football - Week 1 - No. 24 Alabama Stuns No. 9 Clemson, East Carolina Upsets No. 17 Virginia Tech"

Find my Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html

One of the keys to winning a fantasy football league is the ability to draft Sleepers. "Sleepers" are NFL players who are drafted in much lower rounds than their ending statistics warrant. In shopping terms, this is getting a bargain price for a valuable product. The estimated draft position is taken from the Maximum Fantasy Sports Mock Draft found on their home page. The Mock Draft was formulated using the generally accepted "standard" league configuration.

2009 Fantasy Football Sleepers

QB: Kyle Orton (Denver) - Orton was brought to Denver in the off-season trade for Jay Cutler. He is leaving an offense in Chicago that limited his passing attempts and had few receiving threats. In Denver, Coach Josh McDaniels will want to give Orton the opportunity to prove his controversial trade of Cutler was a smart move. With Brandon Marshall (maybe), Eddie Royal, Tony Sheffler, and others as his receiving options, Orton will put up fantastic numbers for the 16th QB off the board at the projected last pick of the 11th round.

RB: Derrick Ward (Tampa Bay) - Ward skipped out of New York into a situation in Tampa where the QB position is up for grabs. This scenario almost always favors the running game. While Ward was second fiddle in New York to Brandon Jacobs, he still put up a quiet 1000 yards (5.6 ypc). There is talk of a platoon situation with Earnest Graham in Tampa, but that is what is driving his draft position down. Ward will be the feature back and will receive the majority of carries throughout the year. Picking up a 1A running back in a tandem as the 30th RB off the board in the projected mid-7th round is a steal.

WR: Josh Morgan (SF) - Morgan is the true definition of a Sleeper. Isaac Bruce receives the attention due to his surprising results from last year and Michael Crabtree gets the press due to his high-profile college career, draft position and current holdout. Crabtree will sign before the season starts as it is asinine to expect Top-5 rookie money as the 10th overall pick. However, his holdout, rookie status and lingering ankle injury will cost him playing time this year and Isaac Bruce will slow down as the Niners work some youth in at the WR position. This will be Morgan. He is projected to be available at the start of the 12th round - a very nice place for a receiver that you can start every week.

TE: Ben Celek (PHIL) - Tight End is a position that is very deep and turns out Sleepers year-in and year-out. With that in mind, you can let other managers spend high draft picks on Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten and Antonio Gates. Celek turned it on at the end of 2008, especially during the playoffs. The Eagles let long-time McNabb favorite, L.J. Smith, go since they have his replacement in Celek. With Philly's plethora of wispy receivers, McNabb needs someone to make the tough catches and hold onto the ball without leaving the field on a cart. Celek will fill that role nicely as a 16th round pick.

D: San Diego Chargers - The Chargers defense gave up 347 points last year but were missing Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips for most of last year. They are back and healthy this year. The Chargers also added Larry English in the middle of the defense. The schedule is very favorable (how can it not be when playing 6 games against AFC West teams?!) and the offense will be dominant once again, which is helpful in assisting the defense with additional sacks and interceptions. The Chargers are projected as the 18th defense off the board in our fantasy football Mock Draft, which will occur in the 16th round.

K: Garrett Hartley (NO) - After the Saints came to their senses and dropped Martin Gramatica and replaced him with Hartley, Hartley promptly went 13-13 on FGs and 28-28 on extra points. While kickers rarely get much attention in the fantasy football world, any kicker that is accurate, kicks in a dome over half the year (including a road game in Atlanta) and kicks for a team that puts a load of points on the board is worthy of drafting in the very last round of your draft as your only kicker.

Bill Parsons is the owner of Maximum Fantasy Sports and a rabid fantasy sports participant. He began creating his own football and baseball fantasy leagues at the ripe old age of seven; tracking stats and standings on paper. Bill decided to create a real-time fantasy football league website that includes all of the best features and some of which have never been attempted at any other website. Maximum Fantasy Sports offers Free pools and fairly priced Private Fantasy Football leagues as well as Public Leagues with cash payouts.

2008 represented a tremendous year for rookies in terms of fantasy football. I know because I rode 2 of them (Chris Johnson and Matt Forte) to a league championship. What will the draft class of 2009 have in store for fantasy owners come this fall? Personally, I don't believe that this years class is talented as last years but time will tell. The following represent my preliminary takes regarding the 2009 draft class:

--Matthew Stafford QB (DET)

What kind of pro QB will Stafford be? Will he be like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco or will his fate be more similar to Tim Couch or Joey Harrington? Fantasy owners likely won't have a chance to find out next season. Although Lions coach Jim Schwartz said he will keep an open mind in the battle for the top spot on the depth chart, more than likely Daunte Culpepper will be the starting QB for Detroit when they open the season against the Saints in the Superdome September, 13th. That scenario doesn't allow Stafford much of a chance to make an impact in fantasy circles. Moreover, it's hard to envision a scenario where he comes out and has any value as a rookie. Ryan and Flacco were both fifth-year seniors coming out of college and possessed much more maturity heading into the NFL than the underclassman Stafford does. Stafford's value will be limited to keeper and dynasty leagues on fantasy Draft Day.

--Knowshon Moreno RB (DEN)

Searching for 2009's top fantasy rookie? Well, look no further than Moreno. Moreno is by far the most talented running back in the 2009 class and I expect him to come right in and become the starter for the Broncos. Although, the Broncos did add several veteran RB's this past off season none of them have nearly the same talent as Moreno. I see Moreno as a No. 3 fantasy runner in 2009 with potential for more. However, because of the depth the Broncos have at the position, the former Bulldog is more likely to be seen as a viable flex starter in most drafts. Obviously, he's also a tremendous option in keeper and dynasty leagues.

--Chris "Beanie" Wells RB (AZ)

The Arizona Cardinals took the Ohio State power back with their first round selection, setting up an interesting depth chart battle this summer. Most pundits believe that Wells is the 2nd best RB prospect in the draft behind Moreno. Furthermore, Wells is a definite upgrade over Tim Hightower and I expect Wells to emerge atop the team's depth chart as a rookie leaving Hightower to serve as third-down back for the defending NFC champions. Whoever gets the goal line carries will obviously hold more fantasy value than the other but right now I see Wells as the better option in seasonal and keeper leagues. Both Wells and Moreno will have difficulty reaching the standards set by Johnson, Forte and Slaton from a year ago.

--Michael Crabtree WR (SF)

The Raiders loss is the 49ers gain. After the Raiders passed on Crabtree you know SF would eat him right up and they did. Crabtree was hailed as the top wideout in the draft, and he will undoubtedly have a chance to start as a rookie under coach Mike Singletary. The Niners are looking to be will a run-first team this year, however, so fantasy owners need to keep that in mind heading into 2009. Still, he'll still be worth a middle- to late-round pick in seasonal fantasy drafts and is quite capable of putting up some nice stats as a rookie.

--Percy Harvin WR/KR (MIN)

Percy Harvin still landed in the first round despite some "character" issues and will become a serious play maker for the Minnesota Vikings. Can you imagine the Vikings lining up Harvin and Peterson in the Wildcat? Harvin has immense speed and skills as a runner and receiver and I fully expect him to compete with Sidney Rice for the number 2 WR alongside Bernard Berrian. Due to his immense potential and explosiveness, Harvin will warrant a late-round flier in most fantasy drafts and surely will do some damage at some point for the Vikings. Moreover, Harvin instantly makes the Vikings DST even better than they were last year.

--Jeremy Maclin WR (PHI)

The Eagles finally gave Donovan McNabb some weapons. Maclin has immense speed and can stretch defenses in the vertical pass attack. Furthermore, he was an absolute steal where the Eagles got him. After watching an Eagle rookie WR make an impact last year there is nothing to say Maclin cannot do the same. Look for Maclin to be a late round pick this summer and I fully expect him to make some big plays for McNabb and the Eagles this fall.

--Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton OT (JAX)

Sure, offensive linemen aren't drafted in fantasy football, but that doesn't make them any less important to your team's success. Injuries absolutely decimated the Jaguars offensive line last season and was the predominant reason the team failed to make the playoffs after a very successful 2007 season. The Jags want to get back to Jag football so it was no surprise to see the team land both OT Eugene Monroe in Round 1 AND Eben Britton in round 2. The acquisition of both Monroe and Britton will only make Maurice Jones Drew more attractive in fantasy drafts. Look for MJD to be a top 5 pick this summer.

--Jason Smith OT (STL)

The addition Smith is a real positive for the value of RB Steven Jackson. Now it is up to Jackson to stay healthy and produce the numbers that fantasy owners have been yearning from him for years. With a new defensive minded head coach the Rams want to run the ball and feature Jackson in their backfield, and Smith's presence will be huge in making the ground attack effective. Furthermore, the Rams also added FB Mike Karney this off season. As I mentioned it is now all up to Jackson to achieve his potential. He will surely go in the first round again this year. Time will tell if he is worth it.

--Mark Sanchez QB (NYJ)

Mark Sanchez was the hottest name in the 2009 class in the days before the draft and after the Jets pursuit of Brett Favre last year it was no surprise that the Jets traded two draft picks and three players to move up and select him. Alth0ugh Sanchez has started a mere 16 games at the collegiate level, he could very well wind up starting for new coach Rex Ryan when the Jets open their season. In fact, Ryan has told the media that Sanchez will in fact compete for the top spot with Kellen Clemens. Personally, I don't see Sanchez making any noise this year as a rookie and would avoid him on draft day except in keeper and dynasty leagues.

--Kenny Britt WR (TN)

The Titans have been desperate for WR's in recent years and hope they have found their number 1 with Kenny Britt out of Rutgers. Coach Jeff Fisher told the media that he wants to get Britt onto the field as soon as possible, so don't be shocked to see him starting on opening day. The Titans also signed former Steeler Nate Washington this off season so it could be difficult for Britt to make a significant fantasy impact in what will remain a run-based offense with Chris Johnson and Lendale White. He is definitely a player to watch in the preseason, but more than likely won't have more than late-round value in seasonal formats.

--Darius Heyward-Bey WR (OAK)

Being a huge Raider fan I was upset but not at all shocked at this move. It is clear at this point that Al Davis values pure speed more than any other attribute. Was Jerry Rice fast? Is Larry Fitzgerald a burner? The answer to both of these questions is no but one was the best there ever was and one is the best presently. However, with no clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver on the Raiders roster, Heyward-Bey will warrant late-round consideration in seasonal fantasy drafts and will have ample balls thrown to him this fall. Time will tell how this all works out and Heyward-Bey and Crabtree will be forever linked.

--Donald Brown RB (IND)

Donald Brown will immediately be thrown into the mix with the Colts and that spells good news for fantasy owners who draft him this summer. I have never really been sold on Joseph Addai and I don't think the Colts are either. Although, new Head Coach Jim Caldwell told the media that Addai will remain the team's No. 1 back, owners should definitely expect a committee situation to evolve in Indy. Addai should receive more carries, but any kind of platoon hurts his value in both seasonal and keeper leagues. Addai is no more than a No. 2 back in fantasy circles. As for Brown, he'll be worth a middle- to late-round selection and is a must for anyone drafting Addai.

In summary, it will be interesting to see what kind of impact these and the entire 2009 rookie class will have on the 2009 NFL season. They have large shoes to fill on account of last year.

Cheers and Beers

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of Gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider/fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Visit today at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]

Ahhhh my Oakland Raiders. I have been a lifelong Raider fan and it just pains me to witness what my beloved team has become. The Raiders finished 5-11 in 2008 leaving the Raider Nation with yet another year of heartache. I have written (and will continue to write) several articles about the Raiders prospects as a team heading into 2009. For the sake of this article however, I will be examining the Raiders solely from a fantasy prospective. With that in mind let's look at the fantasy potential of the Silver and Black for 2009.

It is no secret that I am not sold on JaMarcus Russell as an NFL QB and I am even less fond of him as a fantasy QB. To be blunt, Russell has shown me and fellow Raider Nation members very little in his 3 years in the league. Obviously, he has the cannon arm but it takes much more than that to be a successful NFL QB just ask Jeff George. Furthermore, Russell has not shown much of a work ethic since the Raiders invested pretty much their entire franchise with him 3 years ago. Truthfully, I wanted and still wished the Raiders had drafted Brady Quinn rather than Russell as I think Quinn has all the tools to be a fine QB in this league for a long time to come if the Browns ever give him the chance. I just don't see that out of Russell and apparently the Raiders are getting concerned as well or they would not have signed free agent QB Jeff Garcia to "backup" Russell. I have news for you folks. If Russell starts off slowly which is a real possibility seeing as though the Raiders have an absolutley brutal schedule this year Garcia will be in there. Until Russell shows some fire underneathth his ass don't go anywhere near him on draft day this August even as a number 2 QB.

As down as I am on Russell I am that high on the Raiders running game and in my estimation if the Raiders pound the ball all year long utilizing the 3 headed monster they currently have on the roster I truly believe that this team can go 8-8. First, Darren McFadden WILL breakout this year to the tune of 1100-1300 yards and 12 total TD's. Count on it. Why am I so sure of that? A couple different reasons. First, Dmac is just too damn good. His rookie campaign was derailed largely in part to a stubborn turf toe injury that hampered him for virtually the entire year. Make no mistake about it. In terms of pure talent McFadden is better than Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, and Steve Slaton. Moreover, Dmac has been proactive regarding the aforementioned toe injury by having the Raiders trainer place a steel plate in his shoe to help prevent such an injury from happening again. Finally, battering ram specialist Lorenzo Neal has been brought in by the Raiders specifically to block for McFadden and to help launch his career. McFadden is the real deal. Draft him between the 3rd to 5th rounds as a number 2 RB and watch him explode.

In addition to McFadden the Raiders also sport 2 other fine backs in Justin Fargas and Michael Bush. If I am a betting man I am thinking that Fargas will be the odd man out this year. If McFadden gets hot early on which I believe he will Fargas will not be seeing the field much. Bush however, will have a role regardless. The nation saw exactly what Bush is capable of as a runner in the week 17 finale against the Buccaneers when he rushed for 177 yards and 2 TD's in a game that Tampa needed to win to make the playoffs and that ultimately cost Tampa Head Coach and former Raider Coach Jon Gruden his job. Had it not been for the broken leg he sustained at Louisville Bush would have certainly been a top ten pick and the Raiders absolutely stole him in the 4th round a few years back. Bush will surely continue to see work this year as a short yardage/goal line back and don't be afraid to take a shot on him with a pick in rounds 12 and after. As for Fargas, I personally wouldn't waste a pick on him because unless McFadden gets hurt this year I don't see him putting any kind of worthwhile numbers statistically.

Unlike the Raiders running attack the team's receiving corps is clouded with controversy and question marks. Al Davis shocked me and the rest of the world when he selected WR Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin. It is obvious to me and everyone else that really the only variable that matters to Mr. Davis when evaluating players is the 40 yard dash time. I will not get into Davis here as it is not the proper format as this is an article pertaining to the Raiders from a fantasy prospective only. Does Heyward-Bey have any fantasy potential for 2009? Yes. Would I daft him? Yes, but no earlier than the 13-14th round and if someone like Maclin or Percy Harvin is still on the board I would take either ahead of Heyward-Bey. However, from a fantasy point of view Heyward-Bey has some things working for him. First, he is already the number 1 receiver on the team and Mr. Davis has made his intentions perfectly clear that he intends to try to get the ball deep to the speedster right from the get go. If you are in a league like mine who rewards you with bonus points for long TD runs and receptions than it is worth a shot taking a late round flier on Heyward-Bey because the law of averages says that he will catch at least a few bombs from Russell this year. Another receiver that could see an increase in his production if Russell develops the way the franchise needs him to is Johnny Lee Higgings. Higgins represents a nice talent both at the WR position and as a punt/kick returner. Similarly to Heyward-Bey take a shot on Higgins late and if Russell can finally get his head out of his ass you may see some dividends from him as the year progresses. Chad Shillings and rookie Louis Murphy from Florida are 2 other Raider receivers to keep an eye on this fall.

TE Zach Miller could be the biggest beneficiary if Russell makes strides. Miller started to really make a name for himself last year by catching 56 passes for 778 yds and 1 TD. Both the receptions and yardage led the Raiders receivers by a mile and although the 1 TD is disappointing Miller is sure to improve on that in 2009. Miller along with Greg Olson from Chicago are my 2 dark horse TE candidates for the upcoming season. Olson has the better QB but Russell and Miller appeared to form a nice chemistry last year and if that continues Miller has the talent to be an elite NFL TE.

The Raiders DST is to be avoided at all costs until the unit proves otherwise. Last year the team ranked 31st against the run and were pounded on the ground all year long. The DL was a complete disaster and LB Tommy Kelley who normally anchors down the unit had an off year. The secondary is led by one of if not the best cover corners in the game with Nnamdi Asomugha who was just signed to a contract extension this off season. Asomugha is the modern day Lester Hayes and is truly one of the best at the CB position in the NFL. The bottom line however, is that it goes without saying that there are far better options at the DST position than the Raiders and they should not be considered in any circumstance under any format. In leagues where kickers are rewarded with bonus points for FG's over 50 yards kicker Sebastian Janikowski can be of some value as he still has the same leg he had coming out of FSU.

To conclude my examination of the Raiders I strongly suggest taking a long hard look at McFadden as a number 2 RB for 2009. I am telling you right now he is going to have a great year and I also like the TE Miller. As for the other Raiders there is nothing really to get excited about from a fantasy prospective. Next up: The Kansas City Chiefs.

Chris Limburg is the fantatical purveyor of OaklandRaidersCentral.com: A Oakland Raiders/Fantasy Football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL. Sign up for my free newsletter at [http://www.oaklandraiderscentral.com] and receive my fantasy football e-course that will prepare you for your draft and enable you to dominate your league in 2009.