Quarterbacks:

1. Peyton Manning
2. Phillip Rivers
3. Kyle Orton
4. Joe Flacco
5. Eli Manning
6. Aaron Rodgers
7. Matt Schaub
8. Brett Favre
9. Ben Roethlisberger
10. Michael Vick
11. Matt Ryan
12. Jay Cutler
13. Troy Smith
14. Matt Hasselbeck
15. Josh Freeman
16. Donovan McNabb
17. Ryan Fitzpatrick
18. David Garrard
19. Sam Bradford
20. Matt Cassel
21. Rusty Smith

Comments:

• Shootout in Indy this Sunday – both QBs could have monster stats.
• Balt may need a more creative offensive game plan this week to get around TB’s defense. TB is better than most are willing to admit at this point and they’ll come to play. Flacco will chuck it around a fair amount.
• Eli is due for a big game. Kevin Gilbride will likely open it up in part to help Eli gain a measure of redemption after costing the NYG a good chance at victory last week.
• Lots will question putting Favre this high. Two main reasons I did this. This will suddenly be a different Vikings team with a new coach the players respect but also, for Wash, it will be much harder to defend the pass without Landry at safety.
• Cutler will eventually win a game for Chicago and I have a feeling this will be the one.
• Troy Smith knows that his performance Monday night is critical for keeping his starting job – but also perhaps because he may yet be auditioning for future jobs. He’ll deliver…unlike last week.
• One guy who could surprise is Ryan Fitzpatrick. Really tough to gauge as he either scores a ton of fantasy points or hardly any. But my guess is Pitt won’t let Fred Jackson do much of anything on the ground and when forced to throw, Fitzpatrick has had some big days.

Running Backs

1. Peyton Hillis
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Ray Rice
4. Arian Foster
5. Chris Johnson
6. Darren McFadden
7. Frank Gore
8. Jamaal Charles
9. Mike Tolbert
10. Knowshon Moreno
11. Brandon Jacobs
12. Michael Turner
13. Steven Jackson
14. Matt Forte
15. Keiland Williams
16. Mike Goodson
17. Donald Brown
18. Marshawn Lynch
19. LeGarrette Blount
20. Ronnie Brown
21. LeSean McCoy
22. Ahmad Bradshaw
23. Fred Jackson
24. Beanie Wells
25. Brandon Jackson
26. Ricky Williams
27. Willis McGahee
28. Michael Bush
29. Javarris James
30. Darren Sproles

Comments:

• Can’t imagine what goes through the minds of players on a team like Carolina this week. Hillis will run right through them and it won’t matter which Cleve QB is giving him the ball.
• I really like the chances of AP and Minnesota giving Wash a hard time.
• Darren McFadden bounces back this week. He and his team will be angry and play like it. Only potential risk with him is Miami also being angry after being humiliated the other night. In the end, McFadden should get his.
• Having seen Mike Tolbert play now several times, I’m not sure the future of their RB position should be with Ryan Mathews – Tolbert is just plain good and defenders HATE having to tackle the guy.
• Mike Goodson may be Carolina’s only offense – he’s a good player (actually like all 4 of their RBs, including injured Tyrell Sutton).
• Wells may finally get into the act a bit this Monday night. Sooner or later, now that he’s healthier, AZ just has to go with him and commit. He could be good Monday.
• Balt and Oak should have enough success running the ball Sunday that their #1 and #2 backs should all get in on the action.

Wide Receivers

1. Andre Johnson
2. Brandon Lloyd
3. Reggie Wayne
4. Larry Fitzgerald
5. Anquan Boldin
6. DeSean Jackson
7. Roddy White
8. Greg Jennings
9. Hines Ward
10. Percy Harvin
11. Dwayne Bowe
12. Vincent Jackson
13. Mario Manningham
14. Steve Johnson
15. Jabar Gaffney
16. James Jones
17. Derrick Mason
18. Davone Bess
19. Michael Crabtree
20. Blair White
21. Mike Thomas
22. Mike Williams (TB)
23. Nate Washington
24. Mike Wallace
25. Santana Moss
26. Sidney Rice
27. Danny Amendola
28. Malcolm Floyd
29. Randy Moss
30. Derek Hagan

Comments:

• Larry Fitzgerald is due for a big game. Despite making uncharacteristically ill-advised, public comments about the pathetic AZ QB situation, I think Anderson will still throw him the ball and he’ll do some damage.
• Boldin will redeem himself this week. Last week he was shockingly quiet.
• This has the feel of a Hines Ward type game.
• Harvin and Rice could both do serious damage Sunday.
• Took a chance here putting Vincent Jackson so high up but he’s apparently pretty much in game shape already and absolutely anyone could be inserted into this lineup and be good with Rivers throwing the ball.
• Manningham and the NYG offense will be busy on Sunday.
• Aaron Rodgers has grown more and more comfortable throwing to James Jones – and he’s good. With the attention Jennings is certain to get, Jones could be a good play.
• I like Bess this week if Henne is back – they have a good connection and he’s too good (good enough to get a new contract a few weeks ago) to be so absent from the game plan. (Especially with Marshall out.)
• Santana Moss would be ranked higher if Antoine Winfield weren’t likely to cover him. That’s a good match-up for MN of quickness on quickness.

Tight Ends:

1. Todd Heap
2. Benjamin Watson
3. Jacob Tamme
4. Joel Dreessen
5. Greg Olsen
6. Chris Cooley
7. Visanthe Shiancoe
8. Zach Miller (Oak)
9. Tony Gonzalez
10. Heath Miller

Comments:

• Todd Heap is a good player and someone Flacco clearly trusts. The offensive approach to this game will be varied. There will be a decent run/pass mix but I expect lots of different kinds of pass calls – deep balls, screens to Rice, seam routes for Heap.
• Tamme will be active.
• Dreessen could be busy this week. Not sure why Houston hasn’t done more to get back to their offense of a couple years ago that very much included the TE. They’re still good offensively, but have more versatility when incorporating the TE.
• Throwing Olsen up this high is risky – it’s more of a gut play than anything.
• Just like the Pitt game has a Hines Ward feel to it – it has a Heath Miller feel to it too. Could be a grind-it-out game for the Pitt offense – a better game than many think it will be.

Defense/Special Teams:

1. NYG
2. Ravens
3. Browns
4. Bears
5. Eagles
6. Steelers
7. Raiders
8. Vikings
9. Broncos
10. Packers

Comments:

• Just like the Giants chances this week to cause turnovers – lots of them.
• Can’t see TB doing much offensively, though they could get some garbage time yards that hurt the overall numbers for the Ravens.
• Browns have a great match-up. They may give up some running yards, but overall they should do well this week.
• The Bears/Eagles game could end up being a defensive battle. Now that the Giants created a footprint for how to generally slow down Vick (though he still did well last week), the Bears may take it to another level – their defense is playing really well right now.
• The Broncos might do a far better job than they have been doing lately against a mediocre Rams offense. They will focus on shutting down Jackson and just might succeed.
• Seems after recent performances that the Packers should be higher, but Atlanta can get it going on the ground or the through the air at any moment. Great game.

Kickers:

1. Phil Dawson
2. Sebastian Janikowski
3. Robbie Gould
4. Dan Carpenter
5. Lawrence Tynes
6. Matt Bryant
7. Nate Kaeding
8. Billy Cundiff
9. David Akers
10. Olindo Mare

Comments:

• In some other rankings, Dawson doesn’t even register. Cleveland should spend most of Sunday afternoon scoring points against Carolina’s non-existent defense and Dawson should at least have extra points but probably several FGs to boot (pun intended).
• Carpenter will get points because he always does (except last week).
• Gould and Akers could be locked in a FG battle in Chicago.
• Cundiff was good last week and will probably be good again this week.
• Mare is a guy who could have a bunch of FGs this week. More of a hunch play – but my guess is that Seattle may have some drives stall out near the KC red zone, opening the door for FG opportunities.