1. Antonio Gates
2. Dallas Clark
3. Vernon Davis
4. Brent Celek
5. Jermichael Finley
6. Jason Witten
7. Tony Gonzalez
8. Owen Daniels
9. Zach Miller
10. Kellen Winslow
11. Visanthe Shiancoe
12. Greg Olsen
13. Dustin Keller
14. Chris Cooley
15. Kevin Boss
16. Jeremy Shockey
17. Heath Miller
18. John Carlson
19. Todd Heap
20. Benjamin Watson
21. Tony Scheffler
22. Bo Scaife
23. Fred Davis
24. Marcedes Lewis
25. Shawn Nelson
26. Brandon Pettigrew
27. Anthony Fasano
28. Jermaine Gresham
29. Jared Cook
30. Dennis Pitta

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1. Nate Kaeding
2. Ryan Longwell
3. Stephen Gostkowski
4. Mason Crosby
5. Garrett Hartley
6. Rob Bironas
7. David Akers
8. Matt Prater
9. Robbie Gould
10. Lawrence Tynes
11. Jay Feely
12. Shayne Graham
13. Dan Carpenter
14. Matt Bryant
15. Jeff Reed
16. Neil Rackers
17. Rian Lindell
18. Joe Nedney
19. Olindo Mare
20. Ryan Succop

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AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

1. Jets
2. Packers
3. Vikings
4. Steelers
5. Eagles
6. 49ers
7. Cowboys
8. Ravens
9. Saints
10. Giants
11. Bengals
12. Broncos
13. Chargers
14. Patriots
15. Colts
16. Texans
17. Bears
18. Dolphins
19. Bills
20. Falcons

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Well for the first time in 2 years we all thought it was in the bag that he would be returning for another season.  And at the first whiff of a rumor it is assumed that he will not be playing. Having heard Brett’s retirement speech already I will remain under the assumption that he will be playing until he is not on the field against the Saints for the season opener.  So if any of you are wondering why he is still on my rankings pretty high up there and Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin are also unaffected… that is why.  The most interesting part of the storyline here for fantasy football is not Tarvaris Jackson or the fall of Rice and Harvin; Instead, its that without Favre to call the audibles and boost the passing game, Adrian Peterson would likely become my number one overall RB. With Favre at QB, the Vikings dropped back to pass 7% more than in 2008 with Ferotte and Jackson at the helm (Thanks to the guys on the Fantasy Focus podcast for that stat).  Having done a couple of mock drafts since the “news” about Favre I think we all need to look at the Vikings players as having big upside.  Most people are letting Harvin drop into the 8th round, where he still has value with Jackson pulling the trigger… and if Favre comes back he would go in round 5 or so.

Fantasy Relevant Players

Adrian Peterson – He was our number one back last year and while people were disappointed that he did not have many HUGE games… he was a model on consistency and did nothing to lose his ranking.  The reason he DID lose the ranking was merely the absurd stats that Chris Johnson put up.

Sidney Rice – Whether he has Favre or not Rice will be a very relevant fantasy WR.  He will not be an elite receiver without his favorite gunslinger so his rank will need to fall if we do not hear some good news soon, but I’m not doing it yet.

D/ST – The Vikings defense comes in 3rd on my rankings despite the weakness in the secondary.  To me, the success of a defense is dependent on it’s ability to stop the run, for evidence you can look at the stats on my Buffalo Bills’ defense last year.

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What a perfect time to be doing my previews on this particular division! Favre and his inability to make a decision is finally not a nuisance… I am as shocked as you are.  This time yesterday this post was going to be about how the Packers were the only team that could upset the Vikings for the division title.  Now it is pretty much a coin flip as to whether they will be the front runners for the division.  Aaron Rodgers has matured to an elite Quarterback in this league and it should be fun to watch as he aims for super bowl rings.  As long as the defense can keep playing at a high level we should see the Packers make a serious playoff run (even with Favre still wearing purple on Sundays).  I love Packers players for fantasy this year because they are on a consistent offense that has all the tools it needs for success, there is very little risk.

Fantasy Relevant Players

Aaron Rodgers – This is my number one QB this year.  He will have similar passing stats to Brees but toss in a few rushing TD’s and a small handful of yardage to put Rodgers over the top.  I think you can wait on QBs till round 8 or so this year, but if he falls past the first couple of picks in the second round you’ve got to scoop him up!

Ryan Grant – I have seen him falling to early in the third round in some mock drafts.  This is a ridiculous bargain for a guy that should be top 10 in points at the end of the year.

Greg Jennings – Despite his streaky production last year, he is a value pick.  He is one of the best of the tier 2 wide outs this season and he really shouldn’t fall past the third round.

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The Lions are a franchise crawling out of the depths of the worst season in NFL history 2 years ago.  They drafted what appears to be one hell of a Quarterback with their number one pick 2 years ago, Matthew Stafford if your coming late to the party. They had Calvin Johnson during the dark days with Millen and they drafted a running back to suit their new style of offense when they got Jahvid Best.  Word from the motor city is all good about this young prospect and all signs point  to him being the starter straight out of the gates.  I do have concerns still about whether there has been enough improvement to make anyone but Calvin Johnson a fantasy stud, but there is plenty of upside to Jahvid Best and he ends up being in the 20 range in the rankings. Defensively the Lions have more issues and any time the offense struggles the defense will be worn down and exploited.  Despite all the positive steps made towards improving the franchise as a whole, the fantasy options are not quite worth the risk unless they fall on draft day.  Excluding Megatron… of course.

Fantasy Relevant Players

Calvin Johnson – Megatron is a rare talent that often gets overlooked because of where he plays.  As the franchise turns around so will public opinion on this guy.  I am just glad they started to rebound before he was too old to produce.  He is one of my seven top 5 WRs on draft day.

Jahvid Best – To be honest I didn’t know much about this guy in college so on draft day with my money on the line I couldn’t pull the trigger and draft him to be my number 2 RB.  If he fell to where I was looking to take my 3rd I would do it in a heart beat.  I really like Kevin Smith too so I could envision an issue with carries being vultured in the red zone rather than risk it with the rookie.

Matthew Stafford – He is one of the better backup QB options available and obviously a great number 2 if you play in that format.  Keep your expectations low, but he is capable of averaging 15 or so points a week.

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The Bears had a pretty bad off season in my opinion, considering they addressed none of their offensive line issues.  It is hard to blame them for this too much as they were without any draft selections in the first two rounds as well as had some pressing needs on the defensive side of the ball.  They did make some big name moves getting Chester Taylor and Julius Peppers, but without an offensive line none of it matters.  They should still see some decent production from their playmakers and I expect a rebound year for just about all of the fantasy relevant Bears.  The popular choice for which receiver will have a breakout year is Aromashodu who has tremendous upside given the chemistry him and Cutler had at the end of last season.  While I do rank him slightly higher than Johnny Knox it is mostly due to Devin’s tremendous potential.  I think Knox is the safer pick and should remain the Bears best and most consistent deep threat.

Top Fantasy Players

Matt Forte – Last year’s biggest bust is bound to fall pretty far in drafts this coming year.  I think he will do ok and could even finish inside the top 20 by the end of the season in the Bears new Mike Martz offense, but without the offensive line issues resolved it won’t be easy.

Jay Cutler – If he is able to curtail the number of interceptions this season his fantasy points will be in the top 10.  It would take effort to throw as many interceptions as he did last year, so should definitely improve on his numbers.  Also, a Mike Martz offense will utilize the strengths of Cutler’s game better so expect to see more touchdowns and yardage too.

Devin Aromashodu – There are no polished pass catchers on this offense and this young guy is the closest thing they’ve got.  He was drafted as a raw physical talent with impressive physical attributes, so the only question was were they able to tame this beast and turn him into the receiver the offense desperately needs.  Personally I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Johnny Knox had the most fantasy points out of Chicago receivers.

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Both last season and this upcoming one should end with similar standings.  The Vikings will be bringing Favre back and the Packers are the only team with a chance at upsetting them for the division title.  I expect the competition to be tight between the two powerhouses in this division, but I most look forward to how the Lions do this year!  I think they have made some huge steps in improving their franchise and fantasy owners should get used to the name Matthew Stafford right now.

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

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