My Joseph Addai Blog

The Indianapolis Colts 2009 season started off with a close win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and a remarkable win on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins.

Having the football on offense for less the 15 minutes and still winning just shows you have talented on offense the Colts can be. Peyton Manning is completing nearly 70% of his pass attempts and will certainly make another run at the league MVP again this season.

The Colts are loaded on offense with WR Reggie Wayne, WR Pierre Garcon, WR Anthony Gonzalez, TE Dallas Clark, RB Joseph Addai, RB Donald Brown and of course QB Peyton Manning.

While Joseph Addai had a down year in 08', many expect him to regain his form from 07' and be a major contributor this season.

While Manning is one of the best QB's in the league, there still needs to be a balance between running and throwing the ball. Peyton Manning is averaging over 300 yards passing per game, if this continues expect the Colts to be playing deep in January.

While it goes without saying how good the Colts offense is, their defense will eventually decide the fate of their season. While the Colts defense has given up more yards then they would like, their opponents scoring is in the teens, which is very good.

Keeping NFL teams from scoring, on average, less then 20 points per game gives the Colts the opportunity to win every single game with Manning leading the way.

The Colts are a model of consistency and this 09' season has proven to be no different so far. The loss of Tony Dungy was a cause for a concern somewhat, but as of now it doesn't seem it matters who the head coach is as long as Peyton Manning is taking the snaps under center.

Visit the Indianapolis Colts forum and play fantasy football at RootZoo.

Will the young players make an impact? That is always one of the most important questions heading into a fantasy draft, because there are often sleepers, average players, and complete busts. Last year, the top potential offensive players were J.J. Arrington, Braylon Edwards, and Mike Williams. None of them ended up having the type of seasons that warrant a high-draft pick, which definitely has to stick in your mind this year.

Ratings System

*****: The ultimate player. They have the potential to be within the top five at their position in the entire NFL this year, as well as making the Pro Bowl, or being named the offensive rookie of the year.

****: Will definitely be a starter for their team, and will perform like between an average NFL player and the ultimate player.

***: Will be an average performer, because they don't play on the greatest team in the world, or will need some time to develop.

**: They may take over as the starter halfway through the season. Overall, they really won't make that much of an impact.

*: They will see limited playing time, or will not perform well enough to put up anything worthy of a fantasy point.

Quarterbacks

First off, let it be known that it is too difficult to project if a quarterback will even have the chance to do well for your team. More times than not, a rookie quarterback either has an average-at-best first year in learning the system, or they sit behind the starting quarterback for most of the year. One note of advice: do not take a rookie quarterback within the first ten rounds of the draft: it won't be worth it.

Important Statistic for QB's: 27 non-rookie quarterbacks threw for more yards last year than Kyle Orton, who led rookie QB's with 1,869 yards thrown.

Vince Young, Tennessee Titans ***

The Titans just released Steve McNair, narrowing the competition to Volek and Young. Young won't sit the entire season, but when he does get in, he'll have to learn that he can't run as freely as he did in college. He has the most potential this year of all the rookie quarterbacks.

Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals **

Kurt Warner will be the man for the Cardinals, and Leinart's playing time could end up like what Eli Manning saw two years ago under the Giants. He won't do you any good until late in the season.

Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos *

With Jake Plummer coming off a career year, Cutler won't even see the field. Do not even think about taking Cutler, because there is no sense in it whatsoever.

Running Backs

Important Statistic for RB's: 12 running backs finished ahead of Carnell Williams, the leading rusher among rookies last year.

Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints ***

Of all the players from the draft, Bush certainly has the potential to become a 5-star player. However, he's playing on a team that was not very good last year, and will be splitting time with another talented running back in Deuce McAllister.

Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots **

Corey Dillon will still be the go-to-guy for the Patriots, leaving Maroney as the backup. However, the Patriots always find a role for their players, and Maroney will see quite a bit of playing time still.

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers *

Theoretically, it seems like Williams could have a lot of potential playing time sue to DeShaun Foster's past injuries. However, it's not easy to pick up yards in the Panthers' system, and Williams will not see a great deal of playing time per game.

Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts ***

Addai is not the Colts' starter yet, but once the season rolls around, he'll have the job won. Addai could be the biggest offensive sleeper in the draft because he's not well known, however will be playing in a system that is very well developed.

LenDale White, Tennessee Titans **

White could potentially be a red zone threat for the Titans, allowing him to accumulate some touchdowns much like Brandon Jacobs did last year for the Giants. He'll also see some action besides the red zone, though.

Wide Receivers

Important Statistic for WR's: This year's receiving class was considered "not very good". Last year, Braylon Edwards led rookie receivers with 512 yards, leaving tons of other receivers ahead of him.

Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers **

The Steelers leading receiver is typically Hines Ward, and next they look for the running threat. Holmes won't jump into the league with big numbers, but will be smooth as an average receiver in his first year.

Chad Jackson, New England Patriots **

Although the Patriots are starting to use Deion Branch a little more, they like to give their receivers equal playing time. The Patriots need another receiver to produce in the absence of David Givens.

Sinorice Moss, New York Giants *

The Giants already have several receiving threats, so Moss will not see a whole lot of snaps. He may find himself on the receiving end of the deep ball occasionally, though.

Tight Ends

Please note: A four-star rating for a tight end would be different than a four-star rating for a wide receiver. If a rookie tight end records 700 yards, that would be an outstanding season as a tight end, but mediocre for a receiver.

Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers ****

Davis will have an incredible rookie year as a tight end, coming close to some of the elite tight ends. Alex Smith needs a go-to-guy, and that will develop into Davis.

Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars *

Lewis will see some touches, but it won't nearly be enough to become a consistent threat for your team.

Conclusion

Overall, it should be known that rookies rarely make a worthy impact for your fantasy team. The players with the most potential this year are Reggie Bush, Vernon Davis, and possibly Vince Young if he's named the starter. The biggest sleeper without question will be Joseph Addai, but even he should not be taken higher than necessary.

http://www.pfcritics.com/

Chris Pokorny is the owner of Pro Football Critics, located at http://www.pfcritics.com/.

Entering the 2007 football season, Colts RB Joseph Addai's name has been a hot topic among fantasy drafters. As with any fantasy football draft, RB's dominate the first two rounds and Addai will be one of many chosen among that group. The question that concerns Addai is: How high do you draft him?? and is he a true number one back?

The answer to the latter question is easy so let's get that one out of the way. Yes Addai is a number 1 fantasy back who has the talent to put up good to great numbers in his second year in the league. The former question is where it gets tricky.

As far as yours truly is concerned, I believe that Joseph Addai is the fifth best back in fantasy football and should be drafted no lower than that spot. By now some of your think I have lost my lid since he has not proven himself over a full season and there are questions whether he can handle a full load of carries throughout the course of the year.

I say that he can handle them and I believe Addai will be a fantasy star. Coming out of LSU, Addai was known as a tough inside runner who also has the speed to get outside and gain extra yardage. Blessed with good hands, Addai is also a good receiver who will be even more beneficial to those in points/reception leagues. The Colts' offense is probably the most efficient unit in the league and Addai will do his fair share to keep it that way.

Look for around 1,300 yards on the ground with another 50 receptions. That sounds like numnber one back numbers to me and is the reason why you should draft him at number 5 over Shaun Alexander.

Stock: RISING

Cofounder of http://www.yourwinningpicks.com in our tenth year of supplying sports handicapping and fantasy sports information.

The NFC and AFC Championship Games are nearing, and that means more fantasy football to devour at RotoPlay. And to help you assemble the most potent roster possible, here is this week's forecast.

(Note: The scoring for this contest covers just this week, as opposed to the other fantasy football playoff contests on RotoPlay, which run through the Super Bowl)

Player 1

1) Drew Brees: Brees blistered the Cardinals for nearly 250 passing yards and three touchdowns last week as New Orleans took a wrecking ball to Arizona's hopes of getting back to the Super Bowl. And despite how dominant the Vikings seemed last week against Dallas, their pass defense was not intimidating during the regular season. Minnesota was 19th in pass defense for the year, and 23rd in passing scores given up. If the Saints' offensive line can keep Brees upright, he could have a monster day.

2) Peyton Manning: In the regular season, the Jets gave up an average of 30 fewer passing yards per game than any other team in the league, and allowed six fewer touchdown passes than any other team. They've been good this postseason as well, picking off three passes and allowing only two touchdowns, but Manning is arguably the best quarterback ever, and he defies those statistics - well, at least to the point where we'll rank him second in this group.

3) Brett Favre: Favre enjoyed the first postseason four-touchdown game of his storied career last week, as the Vikings hammered the Cowboys in every which way. True, one of those was a semi-controversial toss in garbage time at the end of the fourth quarter, but it really only rankled some members of the Dallas Cowboys, and likely their fans (certainly, Favre's postseason fantasy football owners enjoyed it). Really, the only concern with Favre is that he reverts back to his old ways and starts slinging the ball around, especially because the Saints were third in the NFL in interceptions, and have a knack for creating key turnovers.

4) Mark Sanchez: For obvious reasons, Sanchez really shouldn't be considered as an option among the other stalwarts in this group.

Player 2

1) Adrian Peterson: Peterson ran for only 63 yards in Minnesota's blowout win over Dallas last week, continuing a trend that has seen him run for fewer than 100 yards in nine consecutive games. It should be noted, however, than he ran for at least 80 yards in four of those games, and has become an effective weapon as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, having caught at least three passes for at least 40 yards in four of his last five regular season games. The Saints are not particularly torrid in run defense, ranking 21st in the NFL in that statistic in the regular season, and allowed 6.7 yards per carry against the Cardinals last week. The optimist in you may just say he's due for a big game.

2) Pierre Thomas: Thomas overcame a rib injury and ran the ball 13 times for 52 yards against Arizona last week. He also caught four passes for 18 yards, and that's where his value comes into play, especially in this scoring format and against the formidable run defense of the Vikings, who were second in the NFL against the run this season and tied with the Packers for fewest rushing scores allowed.

3) Joseph Addai: Addai isn't a running back that will pile up huge numbers, but he does a little bit of everything. Unfortunately, he hasn't done enough for his postseason fantasy football owners, such as last week's 11-carry, 23-yard performance. Still, he found the end zone frequently this season (13 touchdowns), and he's also caught at least three passes in each of his last five games.

4) Thomas Jones: Though Jones remains the lead back for the Jets in theory, Shonn Greene has seemingly taken over that role in the postseason. Jones has run for only 75 yards on 29 carries with one score in the Jets' two playoff games, and he hasn't caught a single pass.

Player 3

1) Shonn Greene: As mentioned above, Greene has taken the lead for the Jets in the running game. He's had two fabulous outings, running for 135 yards and one touchdown against the Bengals, and 128 yards and one score against the Chargers. Indianapolis was just 24th in the league against the run during the regular season, and Greene had 95 yards against them in Week 16.

2) Reggie Bush: Bush had his best game of the season in terms of total yards last week against the Cardinals, running for 84 yards and one score on five carries, and catching four passes for 24 yards. Maybe it was because Kim Kardashian was in the building, but last week Bush also showed toughness while running the ball, something he hadn't shown much of previously. One of the things holding him back in this scoring format is that he doesn't get many carries, but he's still as explosive a player as a fantasy football owner could ask for.

3) Chester Taylor: Taylor had 23 yards rushing on four carries last week against the Cowboys, and 16 yards on two receptions. When he gets the opportunity, he can make plays, but he simply doesn't get the amount of overall opportunities that you're likely to see from the above options.

4) Donald Brown: Brown only ran the ball six times for 10 yards against the Ravens, though he did have two receptions for 15 yards. Still, the other options in this group are simply sounder than the rookie from UConn.

Player 4

1) Dallas Clark: Clark caught four passes for 57 yards against the Jets in Week 16 before being yanked from the game. In the Colts' win over the Ravens last week, he had seven receptions for 59 yards, marking the third time in four contests he caught exactly seven balls. With receptions so valuable in this scoring format, he's No. 1 in this group. And as good as the Jets are against the pass, Antonio Gates had eight catches for 93 yards in San Diego's loss to New York last week.

2) Sidney Rice: Rice was a monster in Minnesota's dismantling of the Cowboys, catching six passes, half of which went for touchdowns, and accumulating 142 receiving yards. It was his second straight game with six catches for over 100 yards with multiple touchdowns. He's clearly in sync with Brett Favre, and is an outstanding option for obvious reasons.

3) Marques Colston: Colston led his team with six receptions and 83 receiving yards last week against the Cardinals, and he also found the end zone. It was the third time in his last four games (with Week 17 being the exception) that Colston caught at least five passes for at least 75 yards. He's New Orleans' No. 1 target at wide receiver, and thus, an option worth seriously considering.

4) Reggie Wayne: Yes, Vincent Jackson had over 100 receiving yards last week even though Darrelle Revis was covering him, but in a fantasy football format where you have other very good options, we'd simply stay away from the best cornerback in the land.

Player 5

1) Percy Harvin: Harvin wasn't involved much in Minnesota's win over the Cowboys last week, catching only one pass for a single yard and running the ball three times for 23 yards, but you have to believe that will change. That outing was the first time Harvin was in single digits in receiving yards all season, and in what promises to be a high-scoring affair this week, you have to believe the rookie from Florida will be in the mix offensively for the Vikings.

2) Robert Meachem: Like Harvin, Meachem did not figure into his team's offense last week, failing to catch even one pass for the first time since Week 7. Yet also like Harvin, expect him to be a bigger part of his team's offense this week, though he ranks behind the rookie because he hasn't been as consistent throughout the course of the season as Harvin has.

3) Pierre Garcon: Garcon, who did not play against the Jets in Week 16 when New York visited Indy, had five receptions for just 34 yards last week against the Ravens. The Jets are No. 1 against the pass, and even with Darrelle Revis likely covering Reggie Wayne most of the day, Garcon will still have his work cut out for him.

4) Braylon Edwards: Sometimes Edwards has it, sometimes he does not, and last week's two-reception, 41-yard effort against the Chargers did little to inspire confidence that he'd show up this week against the Colts' solid pass defense.

Player 6

1) Jerricho Cotchery: Cotchery has put up solid numbers in the playoffs thus far, with nine receptions for 92 yards in two games, and over the course of the season he's shown himself to be the team's top pass-catching threat. And let's face it - the Jets will have to throw the ball at some point, especially if the Colts get out to an early lead, putting Cotchery, who had four catches for 45 yards against Indy in Week 16, in a position to contribute.

2) Austin Collie: Collie had big numbers against the Jets in their Week 16 match-up, with six catches for 94 yards. That comes with a caveat, however, in that the Colts had pulled most of their players, and Collie was left in, making him the No. 1 option. Still, the rookie has played well down the stretch, including last week when he caught four passes, including one for a touchdown, for 52 yards.

3) Devery Henderson: Henderson showed some of that big-play ability last week that was missing from his game so often during the regular season. He caught a 44-yard touchdown pass as part of a four-reception, 80-yard day, and as one of the Saints' top-three wideouts, has a chance to pick up plenty of fantasy points each week. However, he isn't as consistently on the other end of Drew Brees' passes as you might hope, and receptions are too important in this scoring system to ignore.

4) Bernard Berrian: Berrian is on the outside looking in during most of the Vikings' offensive possessions, and as such he caught only three passes for 32 yards last week. He hasn't caught more than three passes in any of his last four games, and hasn't scored in seven contests. Still, he does have a chance to show up if this game turns into a shootout, so don't completely discount him.

Player 7

1) Visanthe Shiancoe: Shiancoe has proven to be a touchdown machine all season, and figured into the scoring again last week, even though it was his only reception of the game and came at the end of the fourth quarter (upsetting the Cowboys, and linebacker Keith Brooking in particular). But the fact is, he's scored in three consecutive games, so even if he doesn't catch a lot of passes, counting on him to find the end zone is something you can do with confidence.

2) Jeremy Shockey: Shockey caught his first touchdown since Week 6 in New Orleans' playoff win over Arizona last week, and for the game hauled in three passes for 36 yards. However, during the game, he seemed to be favoring the toe injury that had sidelined him at the end of the regular season, which may have hampered his production. If you're confident he's healthy, by all means consider using him because he does give you the ability to pick up points with receptions that Shiancoe may not.

3) Dustin Keller: After scoring just twice in the regular season, Keller scored his second touchdown of the postseason last week against the Chargers. Though he picked up just 19 yards in the contest, he did so on three receptions, which is a solid total in this scoring system. But considering his struggles to find the end zone during the regular season, you have to wonder if he has it in him to score for the third straight game.

4) David Thomas: Thomas had a big role in the Saints' offense when the aforementioned Shockey went down, but with Shockey back in the saddle, Thomas' production waned. He didn't have a catch last week, and is probably not someone you want in your fantasy football lineup this week.

Kicker

1) Ryan Longwell: Longwell made both of his field goal tries last week, and in fact missed only two field goal attempts all season. Despite playing on the road, he'll still be inside a dome, which is a welcome location for all kickers.

2) Garrett Hartley: Hartley is one of those players that falls in the high risk/high reward category. He nailed his only field goal try last week and plays for a robust offense, but on the other hand, he missed most of the season with an injury and does not have much postseason experience, so there's no telling how he'll react.

3) Jay Feely: The Colts allowed more field goals from 40-49 yards than any other NFL team, and that means solid points in this scoring system. Also, the Jets do not carry a potent offense with them into this contest, so field goals could be the order of the day.

4) Matt Stover: During the regular season, the Jets allowed the fifth-fewest field goals in the league, and the fewest extra points. Furthermore, kickers have missed all five field goals attempted against them so far this postseason. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but Stover gets the bottom ranking anyway.

Defense

(Note: We won't rank the defenses, because which team you believe will win will have a lot to do with the defense you select).

- Indianapolis Colts: The Colts' defense isn't superb, but they are facing a Jets team that scored the fewest points among winning teams in each of the two playoff rounds, and have a decided advantage in that they play at home.

- New York Jets: The Jets are tempting, but the Colts have an outstanding offense, and will be difficult to beat at home. Still, if you think they'll upset the Colts, they belong in the top spot.

- New Orleans Saints: The Saints allowed just 14 points to the previously potent Arizona offense in New Orleans' 45-14 beat down last weekend. New Orleans wasn't an imposing defense throughout the season, but they got plenty of turnovers, a formula that worked last week and will likely need to take shape again this week.

- Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota devoured the Dallas offense in every way last week en route to destroying the Cowboys 34-3. The Vikings have a better defense than the Saints statistically, especially against the run, but the Saints are a legitimately great offense, and the home crowd will be thunderous, considering this will be the first time in their history that they'll host an NFC Championship game.

The year 2008 was kind of a down year for the Indianapolis Colts. For the 6th time in his career Peyton Manning was one and done in the playoffs losing 23-17 to the San Diego Chargers in the Wildcard round. Moreover, last year was somewhat of an off year for Manning statistically despite winning his 3rd league MVP award and I witnessed firsthand what it is like to have a QB that is trying to shake the rust off after having off season knee injury. Manning heated up later in the year but unfortunately many owners did not have the supporting cast that I had to hold the fort down and thus missed out on the post season party.

In fact my Manning experience of last year has soured me on Tom Brady this year. You just cannot afford to play without a QB for the first 4 or 5 games of the season and that is what I endured last year. Furthermore, Brady's injury is said to be far more serious than Manning's was a year ago. The Colts will once again be good but will they make the playoffs? I am not so sure as Tennessee is already solid and both Jacksonville and Houston are primed to be far better this upcoming season. But again this is fantasy so I will focus my energy on the Colts position players and what they offer up in terms of fantasy potential in 2009.

As mentioned Manning did not have one of his best statistical outings of his career but he did enough to secure his 3rd league MVP award. I lived and died with Manning for the first 6-7 weeks before he finally started to heat up down the stretch. The Colts are heading into a major transformation this year as Head Coach Tony Dungy has retired and has been replaced by Jim Caldwell and 2 other prominent members of their staff as offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd are expected to retire due to changes in the NFL's pension policies. Moore would be a huge loss for Manning as he represents the only offensive coordinator that he has worked with in the NFL. Nonetheless, despite all of the turmoil in the coaching staff and the departure of Marvin Harrison look for Manning to continue his assault on the NFL's passing records.

Why? For starters, Manning is just that good and he still has most of his weapons at his disposal including Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, and Dallas Clark. Furthermore, another major variable in Manning's favor this year is that center Jeff Saturday will be healthy. Ahhh I know what you are saying. "What could a center possibly have to with fantasy performance"? TONS!!!!! I watched most of the Colts games last year and it was painfully obvious that the whole offensive line was completely out of sink without Saturday's presence and this lead to a lack of continuity and rhythm from the whole offense. The Colts will not have it easy this year.

The AFC South is markedly improved than in previous years. You know Tennessee is solid but Jags and the Texans both look to be much improved this year and the Texans in particular are specifically addressing their defense year in and year out in an all out effort to stop Manning and the Colts. Expect Manning this year to post his usual numbers in 2009 of about 4000-4500 yards passing and about 30-35 TD's. Look for Manning to be either the 2nd or 3rd QB taken this summer behind Drew Brees somewhere in the middle of round 2.

Joseph Addai is a complete joke. I have thought Addai has been overrated since his inception into the NFL in 2006 and now I pretty much think he just plain sucks. The Colts were obviously hoping that Addai would be the next Edgerrin James but has not even come close to living up to that standard. For starters, he is injury prone and it seems like he truly doesn't want to play with pain. Furthermore, Addai also vanishes from far too many games for my liking leaving Dominic Rhodes (who has since departed to Buffalo) to do the dirty work. If you remember that is exactly what went down in the Super Bowl against the Bears a few years ago. Rhodes was clearly the main back n that game and I think it is funny because this year someone inevitably will draft Addai high simply because he is a RB. WHY?????? Again, read my article "Draft RB's Early? Buyer Beware" to gain some insight as to why that is NOT a good idea.

Apparently, I am not the only one not sold on Joseph as the Colts used their first round selection on the stud RB Donald Brown out of Connecticut. Brown will immediately step in and at least split carries with Addai if not more and to be quite frank I look for him to be the much more polished back by the end of the year. Personally, I think Addai is no more than a number 3 back or a Flex option for 2009 but you can mark my words he will be gone in most drafts no later than the early 3rd round. I could be wrong but I doubt it. As for Brown, keep an eye on him in the middle rounds and don't be scared to take a chance on him this year. Why??? Well, let me just say Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, and Steve Slaton. Nuff said.

Obviously, all the Colts receivers are solid fantasy options. Wayne, is a surefire number 1 WR and is a model of consistency much in the same manner Harrison was for so many years. Although, Wayne is solid I would caution not to select him ahead of the following receivers: Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, or Randy Moss. That is the crème of the crop in terms of NFL receivers these days but if you go a different route on draft day and get some RB's early you may be looking at the likes of Wayne, Steve Smith, Greg Jennings, or Marques Colston as your number 1 WR. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that but don't expect Wayne to be a Fitz or Megatron in terms of his big play ability.

Watch out for Gonzalez this year. The former Ohio State product is heading into his 3rd NFL season which is historically when many receivers break out. Add to the equation that Harrison is gone and you realize that '09 could be Gonzo's year. I look for Gonzalez to break the 1000 yard plateau this year for the first time and to pop it in the end zone 8-10 times. Those numbers would make him a nice number 2 fantasy wide out though on draft day don't give him that much respect. Not yet. A year from now may be completely different as we may be talking about Gonzalez in the stud capacity. For now, treat Gonzo as a number 3 WR with plenty of upside and expect him to go around the mid-way point of most drafts this summer probably around the 7th-8th round. The Colts also drafted WR Austin Collie out of BYU in the 4th round of this year's draft. Keep an eye on Collie as he essentially fills the role Gonzalez did a couple years ago when he first broke into the league.

Dallas Clark presently remains one of the elite TE's in the NFL along with Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, and Tony Gonzalez. Not much to say here about Clark. A surefire number 1 fantasy option that will continue to catch all kinds of passes from Manning and well worth the 5th-6th round pick it will take to secure his services this fall.

Adam Vinatieri is a number 1 fantasy kicker based on his reputation, he plays in a dome, and the Colts score a lot of points. That is pretty much my equation for kickers and the ALWAYS represent my final pick in drafts. The Colts DST is intriguing because of Bob Sanders, and Dwight Freeney and can be used in a pinch depending upon the match up. However, in terms of nabbing a week in and week out DST there are far better options at this point than the Colts. Next up: The Houston Texans

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider and fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Sign up for my free newsletter at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]

Fantasy Football Leagues require that you start 2 RBs, and in those leagues with a flex position, you may even find yourself needing a third RB starter. Since we are usually talking 12 man leagues, that means 24 to 36 RBs will be starting every week, and you will need backups, since the injury bug and underperformers always bite you. How do you avoid the pain of over-spending on RBs, and where are those el-cheapo value picks? We are off and running with RB sleepers for 2009.

There are basically 3 levels of RB Fantasy production for you to consider. The top tier is 250 to 300 Fantasy points in a standard scoring format, with about 4 or 5 RB candidates. The second tier is 200 to 250 points, with around 10 or 11 RBs. Then you have maybe 15 guys who will give you 150 to 200 points. This only accounts for 29 or 30 really productive runners. You can see how important it is to get a couple of sleepers, and get them at a discount.

Sleeper #1

Derrick Ward has so many things going right for him in Tampa Bay it is almost silly. Earnest Graham will be sharing carries with him, but after an ankle sprain for Graham last year, and a huge contract signed by Ward in the off-season, it is obvious where TB will be handing the ball most of the time. Ward averaged 5.3 yards a carry at New York the last two years, and is a threat to catch the ball as well. Look for 48 catches, 1500 total yards from scrimmage and 8 TDs. These kinds of numbers will put him at the bottom of the second tier of backs, and you can expect to pick him up in the 6th or 7th round, not bad for 3rd or 4th round numbers.

Sleeper #2

Donald Brown is a speedy UConn Rookie tailback that impressed Indy bigwigs with his hands as much as his feet. If you recall how Joseph Addai did three seasons ago in a running back by committee effort, and factor in Addai's less than impressive 2008, I think you can look for 150 fantasy points from Brown. Addai has not played a full season for 2 years now, and Brown will probably go around round 12 - 14. Getting 6th round production in round 12 is what the draft is all about, and I do not think you can go wrong here.

Anyone can pick Matt Forte with the 5th overall pick, but knowing who to pick in the mid to late rounds, without paying too much, is where Fantasy Titles are won. Look for things like backups, people splitting carries with injury-plagued guys, and team-jumpers going into favorable situations. If you keep these things in mind, you will be sure to get good value from the RB position, and nab a sleeper or two.

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

As the season winds down for the remaining NFL's regular season i have noticed that the rookie of the year award candidates are very much up for debate, I personally think the leading candidate is Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints. He continues to be productive week after week he's currently the leader in receiving yards for rookies at 869 yards, that's over 300 yards more than the runner up in this category. Marques Colston is also the leader in receiving touchdowns for all rookies with 7, and he's also second in receptions for all rookies trailing his teammate and preseason favorite for the rookie of the year honors Reggie Bush.

Let's talk about some of the other very talented rookies, such as Vince Young of the Tennessee Titans he is beginning to emerge as a playmaker now that his playing time has increased. Vince is currently second among all rookies with touchdown passes at 8, he's currently third in passer ratings among all rookies at 63.9%. Vince also remains in third in passing yards among all rookies with 1323 yards. Let's not forget about Matt Leinart the Left Handed gunslinger from the Arizona Cardinals, Matt became the fulltime starter a couple of weeks into the season. Matt seems to be catching on quick to the NFL's aggressive style of play; Matt currently is the leader among all rookies in passing yards with 1753, second in passer ratings at 69.6 and third in passing touchdowns with 7. Lets take a look at Reggie Bush and his impact he has had on his team, Reggie currently leads all rookies in receptions with 64. Reggie also has over 431 yards receiving which is fourth among all rookies, and he is currently second among all rookies in punt return average with 9.2 .

Take your pick and cast your vote I've made mine.

Other Players to Watch:

Bruce Gradkowski, Joseph Addai, Maurice Jones-Drew, Santonio Holmes, & Laurence Maroney

I am the Co-Founder/Designer of Tombstone Graphics 2k http://www.tombstonegraphics2k.com we specialize in Unique Gifts, Custom Apparel, and Custom Graphics. We are a Marketing & Promotions company with so much to offer visit us today for details.

Do you need T-Shirts for an upcoming event or promotion?