Top 25 Quarterbacks for 2008
On Tuesdays FSG Fantasy Football Webcast we listed our early bird top 25 quarterbacks. We all had the same guys in our top 4, just not the same order. Here are my early QB rankings.
1. Tom Brady - Brady will see a significant drop off from last years numbers, but still is tops.
2. Tony Romo - Romo is still improving.
3. Peyton Manning - Marvin Harrison’s future is in question, but Manning still a top 3 quarterback.
4. Drew Brees - Despite a terrible start in 2007, he still finished amongst the best.
5. Ben Roethlisberger - Roethlisberger continues to improve each year, so do his weapons.
6. Carson Palmer - Ocho Cinco wont sit out long, Palmer is still one of the premier fantasy QB’s.
7. Marc Bulger - The QB’s 7-10 I think are all about the same group.
8. Matt Hassleback - His WR’s and the rest of the offense is my concern.
9. Derek Anderson - He could easily be in my 7 slot.
10. Donovan McNabb - McNabb always seems to battle injuries.
11. Eli Manning - Eli has a ring, but I expect more of the same old Eli, up and down.
12. Jon Kitna - No more Martz, no more over inflated numbers, but still has Roy and Calvin.
13. David Garrard - Has new receivers to work with, should be a consistent option.
14. Jake Delhomme - Is poised for a bounce back year, top 10-15 QB.
15. Philip Rivers - Rivers is coming back from knee injury, but rounds off my top 15.
16. Aaron Rodgers - Rodgers has all the weapons he needs to succeed.
17. Jason Campbell - Jason Campbell ahs some new big targets to compliment Santana Moss.
18. Trent Edwards - Edwards could be this years break out QB, James Hardy is just what Lee Evans needs.
19. Matt Schaub - Andre Johnson is one of the leagues best receivers, so if Schaub is healthy he’s good.
20. Matt Leinart - Leinart could easily be ranked higher, it’s just that Warner played so good last year.
21. Jay Cutler - The diabetes scare me less than the lack of depth at receiver. Marshall, Stokley & Royal?
22. Kellen Clemons - The Jets have capable receivers, they just need someone to get them the ball.
23. Jeff Garcia - Garcia’s experience will land him in the top 25 QB’s again t his year.
24. Alex Smith - Smith could be in for a fantasy break out just because of the Martz offense.
25. Vince Young - I thought the Titans were going to draft some weapons for Vince this year!
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With leagues getting up and running, and fantasy drafts starting to heat up 
The Bengals signing of Terrell Owens is exactly why the Bengals are the bumbling Bengals. As on teams past, it won't take Owens long before he proclaims to the world that the Bengals are below his talent level. Owens won't improve the Bengals offense. He'll shred it up with his ego and stomp on it with his tantrums. What were the Bengals thinking?
Antonio Bryant, the Bengals big-time free agent acquisition is obviously still troubled by his surgically repaired knee. Why else would you go out and sign a "big name" receiver other than to make your fans forget about their $28 million blunder?
Even without Bryant, the Bengals would have been better off without signing "cry-baby" Owens. Owens is a contagious cancer in any locker room. He's not a team player. He's a 'me' player but I guess his stints in Dallas, Philadelphia and Buffalo are long forgotten by Bengals brass. If anything, Owens retards the development of the Bengals promising young receivers, Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson and rookies Jordan Shipley and tight end Jermaine Gresham. What makes the Owens signing more mind boggling is that all of these young pass catchers earned rave reviews during off season practices. Hmmm, did they suddenly all play like crap in OTAs?????
I wonder what Chad Ochocinco really thinks about this signing? Can one team really support two egotistical prima donnas hungry for public attention? Pairing Ochocinco and Owens will lead to one of two things. The two clowns will either engage each other in sideline brawls and disparaging hissy fits or they'll become partners in crime and together embarrass the Bengals and the NFL with their immature antics. Either way, their distractions will derail the Bengals hope to be competitive in 2010.
So how does the Owens signing affect the fantasy values of the Bengals top players? Well, we can pretty much stick a fork in Antonio Bryant because he is officially toast. The fantasy values of Ochocinco and Owens will likely cancel each other out as low second to third tier receivers. Honestly, the Bengals now have one of the oldest starting receiver tandems in the league (32 and 37 respectively) and to expect anything other than inconsistency would be foolish. I really don't see much change in Carson Palmer's value. In the last couple of years the Bengals have resorted to a run-heavy offense because of Palmer's injury woes and ineffectiveness. The only player in this group to stand an increase in value is running back Cedric Benson...if he can avoid suspension. The Bengals were already preparing to make Benson the focal point of their offense. With the addition of Owens, opposing defenses will think that they will need to direct more attention on the Bengals' receivers allowing Benson more room to run. As far as the young receivers waiting in the wings? Unless the two geriatrics suffer an injury they are better off left undrafted in redraft leagues.
While IDP is such a volatile and sometimes fickle aspect of fantasy football, it's quite possibly one of the most enjoyable to see being played out.
The same can be said of projecting which rookies will hit it big and fit in with their new teams.
Playing in so many dynasty leagues, most of which are IDP, it's become essential to rank the rookie class in preparation for an all-rookie draft. You can read the offensive version here: 
1. Buffalo- Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas
Buffalo has no QB, one of the worst OLines (if not the worst) in the league, and a defense in transition. They’re as bad as a team can get. They need to start from the ground up. I was torn between Locker and Mallet, but in the end I have a feeling Mallet’s stock is going to soar. That combined with his arm being better suited for the tough New York climate gave him the nod.
2. St. Louis- AJ Green, WR, Georgia
Sam Bradford needs some weapons to have a chance. Green is the best deep threat to come out in a while.
3. Cleveland- Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina
I’m not sure if Quinn is the best fit for the 34 defense, but some people do. And there’s no guarantee that the Browns will stick with that defense if they cut ties with Eric Mangini and company.
4. Jacksonville- Jake Locker, QB, Washington
David Garrard is mediocre at best. Locker offers a new dynamic to that offense, and brings a face to a struggling franchise.
5. Denver- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
Josh McDaniels has no problem cutting ties with veterans. That’s why many are predicting Champ Bailey to move on to a new team sooner or later. Alphonso Smith is not the answer at the #1 corner position, in fact he projects as a nickel back, and not much more. Peterson is the best pure corner to come out in years.
6. Kansas City- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
If the Chiefs are picking this high again, then it’ll be official: The Matt Cassell experiment was a flop. If Luck comes out, he could compete with the other top QB’s to be the first overall pick, so Luck is good value here.
7. Chicago- Jonathon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
The Bears need help in a lot of areas, but making sure Jay Cutler succeeds is priority #1. Baldwin is an underrated talent, and could be the #1 or #2 wide out in this class thanks to Julio Jones’ inconsistencies and Michael Floyd’s nagging injuries.
8. Detroit- Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
It’s finally time to give the Lions a blind side protector. There’s no clear cut #1 OT this draft, but if one is going to emerge, I’d bet on Castonzo.
9. Seattle- Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Mark Ingram is a complete, workhorse type of back. If Charlie Whitehurst is going to be successful then the Seahawks need to get a running game going. Ingram would be a good step in that direction
10. Arizona- Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
Across from DRC, the Cards have nothing at corner. In an ever growing pass first league, corner depth is a must. Amukamara is a top 10 talent in some minds, so this is a perfect fit for need and value.
11. Tampa Bay- Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh
Defensive line is a major place of concern for the Bucs. They double dipped at DT last year in rounds 1 and 2. Now its time to go DE.
12. Philadelphia- Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
Almost everyone though the Eagles were going to go secondary in round 1 this past year. They didn’t. Their weak secondary could be their Achilles heel this year, so I can’t see them passing on a corner again.
13. New York Giants- Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
A talented man in the middle could do wonders for this Giants defense. Hightower is hard to place at this point, but with a good season and his expected good workouts, he could end up being the #1 LB in 2011.
14. Washington- Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly have disappointed so far, so it’s time to bring in reinforcements at wideout. Jones is talented, athletic, and is a big time name from a big time program. Right up the Redskins ally.
15. Tennessee- Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
The Titans have needs in the secondary, but the value isn’t quite there, so I went with the best LB available in Travis Lewis. He would instantly bolster a fairly weak Titans linebacking corps.
16. New England (from Oakland)- Cameron Heyward, DE, OSU
I think Oakland is in for a decent year, so the Pat’s pick may be lower than expected. Fortunately for them in this draft, they get a top 10 talent in Cameron Heyward. Needs didn’t meet for the teams ahead of New England to take the top 34 DE in the class, but the Pats would run to the podium to scoop him up.
17. Cincinnati- Marcel Dareus, DE, Alabama
The Bengals don’t have too many needs, so I went with the best player available inMarcel Dareus here. He could play all over the DLine, and he offers big time athleticism that Cincy loves.
18. Pittsburgh- Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
The Steelers need someone to step up beside Mike Wallace if their passing game will be as effective as it was during the Santonio Holmes era. Floyd is a better prospect then Holmes was, and he doesn’t come with the personal headaches.
19. Houston- Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
Amobi Okoye has been a disappointment so far in his career, so if he has another bad season, it may be time to bring in a new DT. Crick is a prototypical UT, and would fit in nice on the Texans DLine.
20. Carolina- Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
A ballhawking free safety beside Charles Godfrey could make this Panthers secondary a lot better. Moore fits the bill. He’s my clear cut #1 safety this year.
21. San Francisco- Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
Dowling is an underrated prospect. If he works out well and runs faster than expected, you’ll likely see his stock soar. The secondary is the weakest part of the 49ers roster right now.
22. Miami- Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech
Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams may both be sent packing after the year so new blood at RB is a must. Ryan Williams is a talented young back who projects as an every down type of player.
23. Atlanta- Mike Pouncey, C/OG, Florida
The interior line of the Falcons isn’t that good, and they’re old to begin with. Pouncey isn’t quite as good a prospect as his brother was yet, but he’s close. He’d instantly bolster the Falcons line.
24. Indianapolis- Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
It was a major shocker the Colts ignored the OLine for the most part this past draft. With Peyton Manning getting older, they won’t be able to ignore that for much longer.
25. New York Jets- Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
If the Jets have one area of weakness, it’s on the DLine, and specifically at DE. Clayborn is a top 10 talent in some minds, but falls due to team needs and some character issues. He’s well worth the risk at this point.
26. New Orleans- Jack Crawford, DE, PSU
Crawford would play OLB in a 34 scheme, but undersized DE’s for 43 teams are in right now (Aaron Maybin, Jerry Hughes for example). Crawford could start as a situational passrusher behind Alex Brown and eventually develop into a starter. For a team loaded with talent like the Saints, they can afford to play around a bit with their pick like this.
27. New England- Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU
Sebastian Vollmer has one tackle spot of the future reserved, but the other is still up for grabs. Barksdale is big tackle who probably projects better to the right side. This could allow the Pats to finally ditch Nick Kaczur.
28. Dallas- Allen Bailey, DE, Miami (FL)
Marcus Spears is mediocre and may not be around much longer. Allen Bailey is a physical freak who actually has production to back it up. Unfortunately for him, this looks to be a pretty loaded 34 DE class, so he falls, but at this point in the draft he’s a very good investment.
29. Minnesota- Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
Passing on Jimmy Clausen was a beyond stupid move by the Vikings, but lucky for them in this scenario, they get a similar QB prospect in Christian Ponder. Ponder’s underrated by most and could go higher then this depending on what QB’s come out and how good of a season he has.
30. San Diego- Jerrell Powe, NT, Ole Miss
Is Cam Thomas the answer? Maybe.. but he fell multiple rounds in the draft for a reason. If Jerrell Powe is available and Cam Thomas didn’t show much during the season, the Chargers may have to pull the trigger.
31. Baltimore- Brandon Harris, CB, Miami (FL)
Harris is a borderline first round talent, but he fills the teams biggest need by far. WR depth is another concern, but the value doesn’t line up, so Harris makes sense here.
32. Green Bay- Von Miller, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
Brad Jones is the starter opposite Clay Matthews currently, and while he’s a decent player, the Packers defense could really be taken up a notch with another talented passrusher like Von Miller who fits the system perfectly.
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[...] what’s a guy to do — I guess it is time to point you to Cliff’s list and to JC’s list and then give you mine (with a solid reminder that what you are reading here is not likely to be [...]
1. Tony romo
2.Tom Brady
3.David Garrard
4.Peyton Manning
5.Derek Anderson
6.Drew Brees
7.Kyle Orton
8.Carson Palmer
9.Aaron Rodgers
10.Jon Kitna