Fantasy Football Top Fives

The NFL pre-season is in progress and fantasy drafts have begun. To some weird people, fantasy leagues are more important than the real one. With that in mind, here are my top fives for the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions.

Quarterback

1. Drew Brees- Last year's top fantasy quarterback should be back for another strong year. Since joining the Saints in 2006, Brees has averaged 613 passing attempts, 4,637 yards, and 29 TD's per year. That is a lot. Essentially returning the same receiving corps, including a healthy Colston, Brees should be headed for more of the same. Even given the return of Tom Brady, I see no reason why Brees should not be the first QB taken.
2. Tom Brady- Brady is back after missing nearly all of last year. Some early rust should be expected, but he still has great receivers, including Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Toward the ending of his record-setting season, defenses were starting to adjust to the Pats' pass-happy scheme. I wouldn't expect many 5 or 6 TD games.
3. Aaron Rodgers- Rodgers was the second-best fantasy QB last year, throwing 28 touchdowns, plus 4 on the ground. Same team, same numbers. I'd even give a little room for second-year improvement.
4. Peyton Manning- The machine will keep chugging. Don't expect the loss of Marvin Harrison to negatively effect his play. Expect the same: around 30 TD's and 4,000 yards.
5. Philip Rivers- I don't much like the guy, but he threw 34 touchdowns last year, and that was with Antonio Gates having an "off" year. If LT really starts hitting the age wall, they may throw even more than they did last year.

Running Back

1. Adrian Peterson- Peterson ran for 1,760 yards last year, but had a disappointing 10 touchdowns. I'd expect a few more touchdowns this year. After two years to prove himself, Peterson has shown himself to be the most consistently dominant RB in the NFL, and he should be the first choice in most drafts. If he becomes more of a receiving option like his rookie year, you can expect some spectacular numbers.
2. Michael Turner- After Peterson, the backs are not sure things. The Burner ran for 1,700 yards and 17 TD's last year, but the coaches would be crazy to give him the 376 carries he got last year. Expect Matt Ryan to throw more in his sophomore season, and for Turner's carries to go down. However, if he starts to to catch the ball at all, he could finish as the top RB.
3. Matt Forte- After a surprisingly spectacular rookie season, Forte will look to continue his role as the featured back for the Bears. A lesser known aspect of Forte's rookie season was that he lead all RB's in receptions last year, making up for his lack of huge touchdown numbers. Expect Jay Cutler to hand off to Forte a lot, and expect similar numbers.
4. DeAngelo Williams- Last year's top fantasy RB surprised everyone in the league. Don't expect the huge numbers from last year, especially if sophomore Jonathan Stewart receives an expanded role.
5. Steve Slaton- This may be somewhat surprising, but Slaton was the seventh best RB last year. And the two guys directly ahead of him were old men: Thomas Jones and LT. He should surpass those two this year. And I can't see Maurice Jones-Drew taking this spot, either.

Wide Receiver

1. Larry Fitzgerald- Larry, or God, has caught for 1,400 yards and 10+ TD's in each of the last two years. And last year's amazing Super Bowl run propelled him into #1 status and God status for the different writers, announcers, and analysts. His numbers should be about the same. But I'd be surprised if Kurt Warner has another MVP-caliber season, so don't be surprised if there is a drop-off.
2. Calvin Johnson- It should be obvious by now that he doesn't need a solid quarterback to dominate opposing DB's. Amidst a horrendous year by the Lions and plenty of quarterback controversy, Johnson still put up 1,300 yards and 12 TD's in his second year. A rookie QB shouldn't affect his play.
3. Greg Jennings- Aaron Rodgers' number one receiver has improved by about 3oo yards in each of his first 3 years, ending up with almost 1,300 last year. I expect him to possibly improve even more, especially in returning to double digits in TD's.
4. Randy Moss- Matt Cassell had an outstanding year, but often settled for dumping off to Wes Welker instead of throwing bombs to Moss. With Brady back throwing the long ball, Moss will see more opportunities. Don't expect 23 touchdowns again, but 15 is a good possibility.
5. Andre Johnson- Johnson might be the most talented receiver in the league, but has been plagued by injuries, to him and to his QB's. I can't reasonably expect Matt Shaub to be healthy the whole year. And if he goes out, Johnson's numbers will suffer. These problems still aren't enough for him to drop out of the top 5.

Tight End

1. Jason Witten- Witten just missed out on two straight 1,000 yard seasons, which is ridiculous for tight ends. Although last year wasn't as prolific as the one before, Tony Romo will be looking for Witten even more with T.O. gone.
2. Tony Gonzalez- Age has yet to find the best tight end in the history of the NFL. After two seasons of 1,000+ yards and 15 total touchdowns, Gonzalez will move to the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan will love having Tony around when Roddy White isn't open for the long passes. He should be a great addition to an ever-improving offense.
3. Antonio Gates- Gates had a down year, dealing with nagging injuries. Fortunately, his "down" year still included 8 touchdowns. I think Gates will be back to his old self: close to 1,000 yards and 10 TD's.
4. Dallas Clark- Clark had a monster yardage year, although he went down in touchdowns. With Marvin Harrison gone, Clark should still see plenty of looks, especially if the running game continues to struggle.
5. Chris Cooley- The internet sensation finished 9th among tight ends last year, but I think he will make a big jump into the top 5 this year. Last season, Cooley ended up with only 1 touchdown. In the previous two seasons, he had combined for 14. I expect his TD numbers to jump up this season. 900 yards and 7 touchdowns seems reasonable.

Scott