RotoWire 150

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Published on June 29, 2009

Rank	Player	Pos	Team	Comment
1	Adrian Peterson	RB	MIN	Best runner in the league held up well last year under full load
2	Maurice Jones-Drew	RB	JAC	Fred Taylor's gone; MJD can do it all
3	Matt Forte	RB	CHI	Rare back who gets carries, goal-line carries and catches
4	Larry Fitzgerald	WR	ARZ	Safest player on the board; playoffs showed upside
5	Steve Slaton	RB	HOU	Does it all, plays in a good offense
6	Chris Johnson	RB	TEN	Electrifying runner behind top-tier offensive line; spelled at goal line
7	Calvin Johnson	WR	DET	No. 3 WR last year in terrible condtions; sky's the limit
8	Michael Turner	RB	ATL	Powerful workhorse carries a heavy load; doesn't catch passes
9	Brian Westbrook	RB	PHI	Tremendous when healthy, but never plays 16 games
10	Randy Moss	WR	NE	Gets Tom Brady back; more than three-years younger than T.O.
11	Steven Jackson	RB	STL	Do-it-all back gets improved line; needs to stay healthy
12	DeAngelo Williams	RB	CAR	2008 Fantasy MVP shares carries with Jonathan Stewart
13	Brandon Jacobs	RB	NYG	Battering ram runs behind top line; durability a concern
14	Andre Johnson	WR	HOU	Heavily targeted top talent; needs more in-close and downfield looks
15	Steve Smith	WR	CAR	Top per-play receiver in the league
16	Frank Gore	RB	SF	Does it all, but needs to avoid nagging injuries
17	Kevin Smith	RB	DET	Conditions should improve for all-purpose back
18	LaDainian Tomlinson	RB	SD	Should have another good season, health permitting
19	Drew Brees	QB	NO	Averaged 645 passing attempts last two years
20	Ronnie Brown	RB	MIA	One more year removed from ACL injury; should see bigger workload
21	Marion Barber	RB	DAL	Back to timeshare, but should still be a bruiser at the goal line
22	Pierre Thomas	RB	NO	Should see most of the work between tackles and at goal line
23	Greg Jennings	WR	GB	Explosive playmaker is big-armed QB's top target
24	Reggie Wayne	WR	IND	Peyton Manning's No. 1
25	Roddy White	WR	ATL	Finally playing with quality QB
26	Anquan Boldin	WR	ARZ	Unhappy with contract; money in the bank when healthy
27	Tom Brady	QB	NE	Looking healthy; still has Randy Moss
28	Marques Colston	WR	NO	Top target in league's most prolific offense
29	Dwayne Bowe	WR	KC	Should see lots of red-zone work
30	Peyton Manning	QB	IND	League MVP still at the top of his game
31	Ryan Grant	RB	GB	Workhorse between the tackles on quality offense
32	Clinton Portis	RB	WAS	Has already accrued 2052 career carries
33	Brandon Marshall	WR	DEN	Physical phenom will still produce without Cutler
34	Braylon Edwards	WR	CLE	Expect a bounce back - too much talent not to
35	Terrell Owens	WR	BUF	Conditions will be worse in Buffalo; turns 36 in December
36	Chris Wells	RB	ARZ	Bruising back should beat out Hightower for job
37	Knowshon Moreno	RB	DEN	No. 12 overall pick should play out of the gate
38	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GB	Solid first season as starter; huge arm
39	Antonio Gates	TE	SD	Should be healthier in 2009
40	Reggie Bush	RB	NO	Huge in PPR; will be a big part of top offense
41	Derrick Ward	RB	TB	Versatile power back runs behind underrated line
42	Jonathan Stewart	RB	CAR	Could be top five overall if DeAngelo Williams gets hurt
43	Joseph Addai	RB	IND	Will lose some carries to Donald Brown
44	Kurt Warner	QB	ARZ	Shredded NFL's top defense in SB; durability only issue
45	Darren McFadden	RB	OAK	Dynamic back should see a big increase in workload
46	Larry Johnson	RB	KC	Status unclear, but should be starting back in improved attack
47	Roy Williams	WR	DAL	First-rate tools; must keep focus and stay healthy as Dallas' new No. 1
48	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	WR	SEA	New location, same role - top flight possession threat
49	Marshawn Lynch	RB	BUF	Three-game suspension drops him 15-20 spots
50	Anthony Gonzalez	WR	IND	Peyton Manning's clear No. 2; faster than Wayne
51	Tony Gonzalez	TE	ATL	New location, better QB/offense
52	Cedric Benson	RB	CIN	Undisputed starter; offense should improve with Palmer back
53	Antonio Bryant	WR	TB	Breakout season, but QB situation in flux
54	Santana Moss	WR	WAS	Still explosive when healthy
55	Lee Evans	WR	BUF	Serious deep threat will co-exist with T.O.
56	Chad Johnson	WR	CIN	Still likely to be Carson Palmer's downfield look
57	Jason Witten	TE	DAL	Less room to roam with T.O. gone
58	Donald Brown	RB	IND	Will compete with injury-prone Addai for carries
59	Thomas Jones	RB	NYJ	Shonn Greene will push Jones for carries
60	Dallas Clark	TE	IND	Career-high 848 yards in 2008; 11 TDs in '07
61	Vincent Jackson	WR	SD	Big play wideout with excellent size; still second fiddle to Gates in RZ
62	DeSean Jackson	WR	PHI	Explosive downfield threat should be McNabb's top target
63	Kellen Winslow	TE	TB	Elite tight end when healthy; TB offense could struggle
64	Rashard Mendenhall	RB	PIT	Now healthy, former first-round pick should expand role
65	Donnie Avery	WR	STL	Team's unquestioned No. 1 wideout - has deep speed
66	Shonn Greene	RB	NYJ	Will battle Thomas Jones for touches behind solid line
67	Jerricho Cotchery	WR	NYJ	With Coles gone, not much competition for targets
68	Laveranues Coles	WR	CIN	Will play T.J. Houshmandzadeh's role, but lacks red-zone size
69	Santonio Holmes	WR	PIT	Super Bowl MVP gets down the field, but needs more targets
70	Wes Welker	WR	NE	Great in PPR formats; lack of size and deep speed limits upside
71	Donovan McNabb	QB	PHI	Pass-heavy offense, multiple downfield weapons, rushing yards
72	Hines Ward	WR	PIT	Tough, physical target still going strong
73	Bernard Berrian	WR	MIN	Elite deep threat, but Vikings will always be run-first
74	Eddie Royal	WR	DEN	Loses Cutler, but speed and shiftiness should ensure targets
75	Torry Holt	WR	JAC	Arrives in Jacksonville as clear No. 1 target; will be 33
76	Philip Rivers	QB	SD	Top real-life QB in run-first offense; first-rate red-zone targets
77	Felix Jones	RB	DAL	Home run threat should see far more work this year
78	Greg Olsen	TE	CHI	Cutler's arrival gives talented pass catcher massive upside
79	Matt Schaub	QB	HOU	Posted 8.0 YPA; needs to stay healthy for a full season
80	Tony Romo	QB	DAL	First time playing without top-five all-time receiver
81	Michael Crabtree	WR	SF	Polished prospect with everything but deep speed
82	Darren Sproles	RB	SD	Dynamic multipurpose threat will spell Tomlinson
83	Ray Rice	RB	BAL	Will battle Willis McGahee for lion's share of Ravens carries
84	Kevin Walter	WR	HOU	Texans' red-zone and downfield specialist
85	Lance Moore	WR	NO	Saints top target last year; role should shrink with Colston healthy
86	Chris Cooley	TE	WAS	Heavily targeted tight end; should catch a few more TDs
87	Matt Ryan	QB	ATL	Posted unheard of 7.9 YPA as a rookie
88	Carson Palmer	QB	CIN	Once elite fantasy QB is healthy again
89	Owen Daniels	TE	HOU	Solid source of yardage; needs more red-zone looks
90	Ahmad Bradshaw	RB	NYG	Will compete with Andre Brown for departed Derrick Ward's role
91	Steve Breaston	WR	ARZ	Bump up 30 spots if Boldin gets traded
92	Devin Hester	WR	CHI	Speedster could be Jay Cutler's top wideout
93	Donald Driver	WR	GB	Still effective possession receiver in prolific offense
94	Willie Parker	RB	PIT	Injuries, lack of catches and goal-line work limit upside
95	Jamal Lewis	RB	CLE	Old warhorse likely on his last legs
96	Julius Jones	RB	SEA	Seattle's starting back; will yield to Duckett at goal line
97	Laurence Maroney	RB	NE	Someone has to carry the rock in New England this year
98	Jay Cutler	QB	CHI	Conditions will be worse in Chicago, but has Hall-of-Fame arm
99	LenDale White	RB	TEN	Goal-line specialist should cede more carries to Chris Johnson
100	Ted Ginn	WR	MIA	Explosive deep threat should see more targets
101	Fred Jackson	RB	BUF	Starter for three games; will play significant role after that
102	Mark Clayton	WR	BAL	Downfield playmaker stuck on run-first team
103	Kevin Curtis	WR	PHI	Veteran will still see targets in Philly's prolific pass offense
104	Steven Smith	WR	NYG	Reliable possession receiver could be Eli's top target
105	Derrick Mason	WR	BAL	Flacco's favorite target should be healthy in training camp
106	Justin Gage	WR	TEN	Solid second half, but Titans will always run first
107	Chris Chambers	WR	SD	Playmaker has fallen behind Vincent Jackson on depth chart
108	Muhsin Muhammad	WR	CAR	Carolina's first red-zone look in passing game; has lost a step
109	Michael Jenkins	WR	ATL	Productive receiver with good size in quality offense
110	Miles Austin	WR	DAL	Big and fast, could be Tony Romo's deep threat
111	John Carlson	TE	SEA	Caught five TDs as a rookie; gets Hasselbeck back
112	Dustin Keller	TE	NYJ	Skilled pass-catcher should be security blanket for young QB
113	Jerious Norwood	RB	ATL	Home run threat will back up heavily worked Michael Turner
114	Zach Miller	TE	OAK	Averaged 13.9 per catch, amassed nearly 800 yards last year
115	Jamaal Charles	RB	KC	Third-down back next in line after Larry Johnson
116	LeSean McCoy	RB	PHI	Should see significant work spelling Brian Westbrook
117	Plaxico Burress	WR	FA	Legal and league status up in the air; top-10 talent at position
118	Michael Bush	RB	OAK	Monster Week 17 should have him in the Oakland RB mix
119	Tony Scheffler	TE	DEN	Loses Cutler, but Olsen produced with Orton, and so could Scheffler
120	Mark Bradley	WR	KC	Has all the tools; needs to stay healthy and focused
121	Domenik Hixon	WR	NYG	Incumbent No. 1 receiver showed flashes last year
122	Patrick Crayton	WR	DAL	Will battle Miles Austin for starting job
123	Jeremy Maclin	WR	PHI	Playmaker should see immediate targets in Philly offense
124	Darrius Heyward-Bey	WR	OAK	Speedster could start right off the bat
125	Earl Bennett	WR	CHI	Vanderbilt teammate of Jay Cutler could earn starting role
126	Hakeem Nicks	WR	NYG	First-rounder could evolve into team's No. 1 wideout
127	Chester Taylor	RB	MIN	Mandatory Adrian Peterson insurance
128	Willis McGahee	RB	BAL	Will compete with Ray Rice and Le'Ron McClain for touches
129	Ben Roethlisberger	QB	PIT	One of the best in the league at keeping plays alive
130	New York Giants	D	NYG	Elite pass rush and improving young secondary
131	Earnest Graham	RB	TB	Derrick Ward's backup should be in the mix
132	Le'Ron McClain	RB	BAL	Should play fullback, but did well when pressed into tailback duty
133	Philadelphia Eagles	D	PHI	Aggressive blitzing defense with solid personnel
134	Trent Edwards	QB	BUF	Young quarterback has one of league's top WR tandems
135	Tim Hightower	RB	ARZ	Backup to Chris Wells could see goal-line work
136	James Davis	RB	CLE	Could be next in line if Jamal Lewis runs out of gas
137	Andre Brown	RB	NYG	Derrick Ward clone will battle Ahmad Bradshaw for touches
138	Eli Manning	QB	NYG	Needs to find a reliable No. 1 wideout
139	Brandon Jackson	RB	GB	Versatile back will back up Ryan Grant
140	Glen Coffee	RB	SF	Frank Gore insurance
141	Leon Washington	RB	NYJ	Dynamic playmaker needs more touches; unhappy with contract
142	Matt Hasselbeck	QB	SEA	One of the league's solid pros; Mora's run-first scheme limits him
143	Pittsburgh Steelers	D	PIT	Always a good bet as a fantasy defense
144	Matt Cassel	QB	KC	No Randy Moss, but Dwayne Bowe's not a bad consolation prize
145	New York Jets	D	NYJ	Rex Ryan will make this an attacking defense
146	Chris Henry	WR	CIN	Team's best red-zone threat with Houshmandzadeh gone
147	Javon Walker	WR	OAK	Claims finally to be pain-free
148	David Garrard	QB	JAC	Rushing yards give Garrard upside; offensive line has improved
149	Devery Henderson	WR	NO	Saints deep threat
150	Austin Collie	WR	IND	Colts' No. 3 wideout could be involved from the start