Dave B’s 2010 Projected Fantasy Top 20
After all of the weekly games are finished be sure to check our cheatsheets, a who’s hot, and who’s not report plus more in our fantasy football guide.
The 2009 Fantasy season is over and it’s not too early to start thinking about next year. Fantasy strategy differs depending on the rules of your league, but one thing is constant – points!!!
In years past, drafts have been Running Back heavy in the 1st 2 rounds, but the numbers demonstrate that the best value is not always with the Rushers. Fantasy Football seems to be swinging more toward a passing friendly pass time and my ranking reflect this. It’s all about total point’s folks, and who generally gets the most Fantasy points??? Quarterbacks, followed by Wide Receivers and the Running Backs
Keep that in mind as you read Dave B’s 2010 Projected Fantasy Top 20.
1. Chris Johnson – Tennessee – Fantasy MVP of 2009, and there’s no reason at all to think that he won’t be in 2010 too. He’s young, fast and possesses amazing patience (unlike Adrian Paterson). After Week 16 of the 2009 season, he has 400+ more yards than the next rusher. He has 47 catches and nearly 500 yards receiving. He is a threat anytime that he touches the ball. He’s the #1 hand down.
2. Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville – Jones-Drew was a bit inconsistent in 2009, but after 26 weeks, led the league with 16 touchdowns. He gets 95% of the running back touches, and gets ALL of the goal line work. He also catches the ball (almost 5 X per game) for decent yardage. Jones-Drew will rarely let you down if ever.
3. Adrian Peterson – Minnesota – Takes a bit of a rankings slide after his 2009 Fantasy year. Peterson was not as integral to his Offense as Johnson and Jones-Drew were. Peterson also plays in an Offense with other potent weapons and a certain Chester Taylor that snakes a lot of 3rd down touches. You can’t go wrong with Peterson, but I’m just saying that there will be better options next year.
4. Drew Brees – New Orleans – I’m ranking my 1st Quarterback at #4 for one simple reason touchdowns. In a standard league, touchdowns count 6 point – huge!!! After 16 weeks of the 2009 season, Brees has 36 combined touchdowns (throwing and rushing) compared to Maurice Jones-Drew’s 16. Quarterbacks are Fantasy gold, and if you can grab an elite one early, it should pay dividends.
5. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay – On his way (after 16 weeks of the 2009 season) to being the Fantasy scoring leader. He throws a for a ton of yards, gets a lot of touchdowns, gets rushing yards (approx 25 per game) and gets his rushing scores too. From a point’s perspective, Rodgers is a solid #5 overall pick.
6. Andre Johnson – Houston – Might seem a little early to grab a Receiver, but having a consistent producer on your team is huge. Fantasy Football seems to be dominated more and more by passing games, and Johnson is as consistent and Studly as they come. In a Points Per Reception league, he’s Gold.
7. Michael Turner – Atlanta – Bonafide touchdown per game Running Back, Turner proved that 2008 wasn’t a fluke. Until his injury, Turner has 10 touchdowns and was on pace for 1500 or so yards. He is a difference maker and a scoring machine. In 2010, he’ll be fresh and ready to dominate.
8. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona – After 16 weeks in 2009, Fitz already had 12 touchdowns – more than 1 per game. He’s the best Wide Receiver in the league and is the type of guy that can win you a Fantasy Pool.
9. Frank Gore – San Francisco – Gore is a duel threat Back. He rushed for over 100 yards and was 3rd in Receiving amongst Running Backs. He scores on the ground and through the air. After 16 weeks of the 2009 season, he was 2nd in total TD’s. for a Running Back. Gore is a Stud, and might be ranked higher if he wasn’t an injury risk.
10. Ray Rice – Baltimore – Simply ate up the league in 2009. Rice, after 16 weeks was 4th in rushing even though he wasn’t the Official starter for the 1st few games (Willis McGahee was). Add in the fact that only 9 Wide Receivers had more catches than Rice and he’s a Fantasy God – especially in PPR leagues.
11. DeSean Jackson – Philadelphia – A bit high? The most dynamic player in the NFL has a habit of making HUGE plays. Another year older and wiser could skyrocket Jackson into the #1 Fantasy WR position quite easily. I’m willing to gamble.
12. Randy Moss – New England – Had 13 touchdowns after 16 weeks in 2009, but seems to be off the Fantasy Radar for some reason. Look folks, Moss is still young, fast and insanely talented. As long as he has Tom Brady throwing him the ball, he’s money in the bank.
13. Peyton Manning – Indianapolis – 4400 yards and 33 touchdowns after 16 weeks!! Manning was rarely under 300 yards passing in 2009 and there’s no reason to think that 2010 will be any different. From a scoring perspective, Manning is a no brainer in the 2nd round of your Fantasy Draft.
14. Steven Jackson – St. Louis – Jackson is a warrior and is a bonafide #1 RB. He slips a bit because of the questionable team that he plays for , the injury concerns, and the fact that he’s been so over-utilized the past few years. Jackson is going to get the ball 20-25 times per game – guaranteed. If your nots scared his past, Jackson is good value at 14.
15. DeAngelo Williams – Carolina – I know, I know, Jonathan Stewart might destroy Williams value, but look at what Williams did before his injury in 2009. Almost 1500 combined yards and 10 total touchdowns – all in 13 games. Williams accomplished that with Stewart in the lineup. So don’t be scared of Williams as your #1 Running Back – he’s a Stud.
16. Tom Brady – New England – I am not waffling from my theory that you need to have an elite QB if you want to win your Fantasy league. 30 touchdowns at least and 400 yards passing at a minimum – cha ching!!!!
17. Reggie Wayne – Indianapolis – Reggie is my boy!!! I love the Reggie. 100 catches, 1200-1300 yards guaranteed and at least 12 touchdowns is what you can expect – great value in the middle of the 2nd round.
18. Jamaal Charles – Kansas City – I’m going out on a limb here, but remember what Larry Johnson accomplished in Kansas City? Charles is a Chris Johnson clone that could turn out to be the steal of next year’s draft. He is a duel threat Stud that could easily surpass 200 combined yards and 15 TD’s. next year. Keep your Fantasy radar fixed on Charles.
19. Cedric Benson – Cincinnati – Any Running Back that is guaranteed 25-30 touches per game has to be picked in the 1st 2 rounds. Benson has been a beast and will be playing for a new contract next year. He’s realizing his potential, and should be a consistent producer for your Fantasy squad.
20.Steve Smith – Carolina – Smith had a pretty good 2009 campaign despite a despicable one by Joke Delhomme. This proves that he’s still an elite talent and will anchor anyone’s Fantasy roster. Somehow, Smith ended up with over 1100 yards receiving in 2009 and although he didn’t hit double digit touchdown, he didn’t have much of a chance with his pitiful Quarterback.
There it is folks – the Top 20 for 2010. Agree? If you do or don’t, leave me a comment and tell me who you think belongs.
Dave B has been a Fantasy Football Junkie and writer for CappersPicks.com for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy folks – and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.
