That didn’t stop our online gladiators from battling to another amazing week of competition. Brohamma‘s 123.82 points won the week and helped edge him closer to the competition in the overall fight. It was Brohamma’s second weekly crown.

Consigliere’s Crooks scored 91.01 points to the lead the Chinstrap Ninjas Yahoo Salary Cap League. It was the second 90-point performance in three weeks for the Crooks, powering them into second-place in the overall ranks.

Yahoo Salary Cap League

Crooks’ 91-point show edged 69ers (89.72 points), the team only team with more points in the overall race. 69ers lead all teams with 400.94 points. Both Crooks and 69ers (and our No. 3 team, Power Rangers) all started Victor Cruz this week. Cruz has earned $3.18 for Crooks and $4.92 for Power Rangers.

The Crooks have also earned a $4.22 profit off A.J. Green. They also started Christian Ponder, a sneaky starter who scored 14.71 points. Ponder has gained $2.58 since the Crooks added him to the roster.

69ers’ biggest gain has come from Greg Zuerlein, who has earned $4.74.

Finishing four this week, and fourth in our overall competition, Denver2424 started surprise scorer Blair Walsh, who kicked home 13 points. He earned a $2.14 profit since joining Denver2424.

Like Denver, Crack also finished this week in the same spot as his overall mark, No. 5. Crack got some big points from the surprising Panthers defense. The Panthers scored 17 points and have earned $2.26 since joining Crack. Justin Tucker, Crack’s kicker in Week 5, has earned $3.86 since he joined the roster.

To join our Salary Cap league group:

Visit http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/salcap

Our group name is Chinstrap Ninjas. Our Group ID# is 2919.

The group password is ninjaninja

Week 5 Top 5 Price Movers (from Yahoo)

1. Drew Brees, +$5.70
2. Alex Smith, +$5.11
3. Chicago D, +$4.90
4. Andrew Luck, +$4.64
5. Marques Colston, +$4.31

Week 5 Top 5 Bargains (from Yahoo)

1. Robert Griffin III
2. Greg Zuerlein
3. Justin Tucker
4. Martellus Bennett
5. Trent Richardson

NFL Perfect Challenge

Both Brohamma and nsummer0130, our top two teams this week each played the Bears, the best defense this week, and Brandon Marshall, the No. 5 receiver.

Brohamma also started this week’s No. 2 running back, Arian Foster, who posted 22.8 points. nsummer picked Peyton Manning to quarterback his team. Manning scored 24.7 points.

Foster was also a starting choice for lestergreen and rodneykster, who each scored more than 100 points. lestergreen also started the No. 2 kicker, Blair Walsh and Tom Brady, Trent Richardson and Demaryius Thomas, who all had excellent game.

Rodneykster paired Foster with Aaron Rodgers and Victor Cruz, who each finished fourth at their respective positions and scored a combined 48.4 points. Rodneykster’s 103.72-point performance helped them maintain their lead in the overall fight, keeping lestergreen (507.14) at bay.

To join our Perfect Lineup group:

Visit nfl.com’s perfect challenge page.

Search for our group Chinstrap Ninjas.

The password is ninjaninja.

Week 4 Perfect Lineup

• QB: Alex Smith, 29 points
• RB: Ahmad Bradshaw, 26.9 points
• RB: Arian Foster, 22.8 points
• WR: Marques Colston, 31.3 points
• WR: Reggie Wayne, 27.2 points
• TE: Tony Gonzalez, 18.3 points
• K: Adam Vinatieri, 12 points
• DEF: Bears, 28 points

Good luck this week in our contests and in all of your leagues.

All things are going as expected, too. Brian Hartline, the No. 1 receiver in Week 4, is on pace for 100 catches and 1,820 yards. The Saints are on pace for 0-16. The Cardinals will finish with a perfect 16-0 record.

Luckily, the one thing we all can predict is a competitive contest in the Chinstrap Ninjas 2012 Fantasy Football Contest.

We cranked out two more winners this week. 69ers claimed our Yahoo Salary Cap League crown this week with an 86.08 point performance. The excellent score was 69ers’ second-highest of the season, behind a 92-point second-place finish in Week 1.

Rodneykster, our Week 2 winner, rolled to another NFL Perfect Challenge win in Week 4. Five players, led by Robert Griffin III’s 23.9 points, scored 10 or more points for our championship lineup this week. The performance vaulted rodneykster to the top of the overall standings with 410.94 points. lestergreen, who posted our No. 2 lineup with 87.46 points this week, is in second with 400.22 points. lestergreen started this week’s No. 4 quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

Our top-5 in Week 4 was identical to our overall leaders, with nsummer0130, last week’s champ, in third with 84.86 points and 370.87 overall points. Brohamma was fourth with 79.06 and 269.84 points after getting sub-par performances from some excellent picks, including a sneaky-great decision to start BenJarvus Green-Ellis. I started him in a couple Fanduel games this week. He was a major disappointment.

Some interesting notes about this week’s perfect lineup: Three of the top players, Stevan Ridley, Brian Harline and Scott Chandler, were started by zero team owners. Two others, Michael Turner and Greg Zuerlein, were started by only 1 %.

To join our Perfect Lineup group:

Visit nfl.com’s perfect challenge page.

Search for our group Chinstrap Ninjas.

The password is ninjaninja.

Week 4 Perfect Lineup

• QB: Tom Brady, 32 points
• RB: Michael Turner, 23.1 points
• RB: Stevan Ridley, 22.6 points
• WR: Brian Hartline, 31.3 points
• WR: Roddy White, 28.1 points
• TE: Scott Chandler, 18.2 points
• K: Greg Zuerlein, 17 points
• DEF: 49ers, 27 points

Salary Cap League

Overcoming ridiculously low scores from some starters is easy when you get a combined 41 points combined out of your starting defense and kicker. 69ers’ Week 4 lineup is proof. Zuerlein has returned $4.56 above the price 69ers paid for him.

69ers’ performance in Week 4 was also enough to push him into the overall lead with 308 points.

Before we talk about the rest of Week 4′s top 5, let’s talk about the ridiculous battle for second place in the overall race. Just 12 points separate the the Nos. 2 to 6 players in the overall standings. That top six: 1. 69ers, 2. Arian’s Brotherhood, 3. Consigliere’s Crooks, 4. Power Rangers, 5. AZ Phantoms, 6. Cannon Fodder.

Our No. 2 team in Week 4, Denver2424, is not on that list, but it won’t take many more big games to get into the fight. Denver2424 finished with 72.81 points. Robert Griffin III, Marshawn Lynch and Eric Decker have all earned more than $1 above their starting price for our Week 2 runner up.

AZ Phantoms was just a few yards away from taking the No. 2 spot, posting 72.06 fantasy points. Phantoms has some negative contributors in the lineup, but Peyton Manning has returned $5.16. The Arizona Cardinals have returned a $3.46 profit as well.

Superfriends got sneaky, starting Jacquizz Rodgers and Leonard Hankerson as value plays in Week 4. They did not break out as many thought they might, but they contributed to a fourth-place finish in our league.

Power Rangers rounds out our Top 5 thanks to sneaky-good Miami Dolphins starts. Ryan Tannehill scored 10.62 points, Dan Carpenter scored 7 and the Dolphins defense scored 12.00. Victor Cruz and Torrey Smith combined for more than 22 points.

jzak came in third this week, but like myself he is ineligible for our imaginary championship prize pack. He scored 84.92 points thanks in large part to a combined 37 points from the Texans D and Alex Henery.

To join our Salary Cap league group:

Visit http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/salcap

Our group name is Chinstrap Ninjas. Our Group ID# is 2919.

The group password is ninjaninja

Week 4 Top 5 Price Movers (from Yahoo)

1. San Francisco D, +$3.61
2. Brian Hartline, +$3.01
3. Cam Newton, +$2.69
4. Roddy White, +$2.66
5. San Diego D, +$2.62

Week 4 Top 5 Bargains (from Yahoo)

1. Robert Griffin III
2. Kevin Ogletree
3. Martellus Bennett
4. Greg Zuerlein
5. Justin Tucker

Good luck this week in our contests and in all of your leagues.

Our most perfect Week 3 participant in NFL.com’s NFL Perfect Challenge was nsummer0130. Our Yahoo Salary Cap expert was AZ Phantoms.

Phantoms nearly became our first 100-point scorer, tallying 99.85 points to pace the field. Peyton Manning, Darren McFadden, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson all scored good points — and every one of them have turned a profit since joining his team. But the real kicker was the $11.48 he paid to have Arizona on his roster. The Cardinals posted a 24-point week.

With the big win, Phantoms moved up to seventh overall.

Arian’s Brotherhood retains our championship belt this week. He finished third in Week 3 with 88.17 points and leads players with 242.46 fantasy points. Robert Griffin III and A.J. Green were the big point-earners for the Brotherhood.

We’ve only had five performances of 90 points or more so far this season so it should come as no surprise that Consiglier’s Crooks jumped up to third in the overall rankings wit their 94.21-point performance. Those sneaky Crooks started Mikel Leshoure, a $5.59 bargain who scored 12.70 points.

Crack, our No. 1 challenger to Arian’s title, scored 78.57 points to move his total to 226.43. Crack has seen Robert Griffin III and Justin Tucker each turn more than $3 in profit since he rostered them. Also, starting Mike Wallace against the Raiders in Week 3 paid off.

Rounding out our Week 3 top five is 69ers, who scored 72.36 points and finishes the week in fourth place in the overall race. 69ers started Giants TE Martellus Bennett at $5.66. Bennett outperformed Julio Jones, Percy Harvin and Andre Johnson.

To join our Salary Cap league group:

Visit http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/salcap

Our group name is Chinstrap Ninjas. Our Group ID# is 2919.

The group password is ninjaninja

Week 3 Top 5 Price Movers (from Yahoo)

1. Matt Schaub, +$3.28
2. Ben Roethlisberger, +$3.22
3. Jamaal Charles, +$3.06
4. Golden Tate, +$2.75
5. Ryan Succop, +$2.74

Week 3 Top 5 Bargains (from Yahoo)

1. Robert Griffin III
2. Kevin Ogletree
3. Martellus Bennett
4. Justin Tucker
5. Andrew Luck

NFL Perfect Challenge

Calvin Johnson, Ray Rice and Matt Ryan posted a combined 64.8 fantasy points to help nsummer0130 to the Week 3 title. Eleven-point performances out of Vernon Davis, C.J. Spiller and the Jets defense didn’t hurt either.

The performance moved nsummer0130 up to third overall because lestergreen (103.50) and rodneykster (96.44) both posted excellent lineups of their own to maintain the top two spots.

lestergreen’s decision to start Maurice Jones-Drew paid off. MJD was the No. 2 running back in Week 3 wth 25.3 fantasy points. Pairing MJD with Drew Brees (19.6) and Calvin Johnson (22.4) made for a strong lineup.

Five players scored at least 11.1 points for rodneykster. That crew included Trent Richardson, a sneaky pick in a league where players can start both Ray Rice and Arian Foster if they want.

Brohamma, who won the Week 1 title by seven points, missed the deadline to post a lineup for this week. Hope to see you back next week. Herschelswalker failed to post a lineup for the second consecutive week.

To join our Perfect Lineup group:

Visit nfl.com’s perfect challenge page.

Search for our group Chinstrap Ninjas.

The password is ninjaninja.

Week 3 Perfect Lineup

• QB: Ben Roethlisberger, 32.2 points
• RB: Jamaal Charles, 34.8 points
• RB: Maurice Jones-Drew, 25.3 points
• WR: A.J. Green, 25.4 points
• WR: Torrey Smith, 24.7 points
• TE: Heath Miller, 18 points
• K: Ryan Succop, 19 points
• DEF: Cardinals, 24 points

Good luck this week in our contests and in all of your leagues.

We crowned new champions in both leagues this week, with massive shakeups atop the Yahoo Salary Cap league — with Arian’s Brotherhood clawing to the top of the heap. But before we get too deep into Arian’s conquest, let’s talk about the Perfect Lineup crew over at NFL.com.

The perfect crew also crowned a new king, rodneykster, our No. 2 finisher in Week 1. But it didn’t come easy. Rodneykster finished with 94.04 points, thanks in large part to C.J. Spiller’s RB runner-up finish, but it almost wasn’t enough. Lestergreen scored 93.90 points, meaning just 16 rushing/receiving yards was the difference between a trophy or a pat on the back. Rodneykster got a good week out of Arian Foster (20 points) and Tom Brady (14 points). But, like so many of our Perfect crew, the wide receivers were a massive letdown. He got a combined 3.6 points out of Julio Jones and Andre Johnson.

Lestergreen had to know things were going good when Drew Brees found Jimmy Graham for that early touchdown. He paired that duo up with Foster to score 52.8 points. In a perfect lineup league, where every player is available at no cost, starting a WR crew of Steve Smith and Percy Harvin seems a little off. That duo, however produced 22.1 points, far outpacing the most-played WRs of the week. Good call, Lestergreen

Last week’s champ, brohamma, suffered a similar letdown, but also played Darren McFadden, who didn’t help. For me, McFadden was the No. 1 play last week, especially in salary cap formats where his value “was still so low,” I told myself. Brohamma, like so many other players this week I’m sure, got just six points out of the back and in all saw five of his eight starters score six points or less.

For the second week in a row, a stacked lineup let down nsummer0130. While his decision to start Peyton Manning and Eric Decker seems odd on the surface, two paragraphs ago we were explaining Smith and Harvin outplaying their supposedly more awesome peers. And, if you’re expecting a shootout against the Falcons, Manning and Decker are pretty good options. However, Manning threw picks on his first three possessions for the first time in his career.

Herschelswalker missed the deadline to post a lineup this week, however, we’ll crown a Week 3 champion next week, and if this week proves anything, it’s that Perfect Lineup is a fickle thing that none of us will master any time soon.

To sign up for our Perfect Lineup league:

Visit nfl.com’s perfect challenge page.

Search for our group Chinstrap Ninjas.

The password is ninjaninja.

Week 2 perfect lineup

• QB: Robert Griffin III, 30.4 points
• RB: Reggie Bush, 31.07 points
• RB: C.J. Spiller, 29.0 points
• WR: Hakeem Nicks, 25.9 points
• WR: Victor Cruz, 23.9 points
• TE: Dante Rosario, 22.8 points
• K: Stephen Gostkowski, 16.0 points
• DEF: Packers, 19.0 points

Top 3 overall (full standings available at the league home)

1. rodneykster, 212.18 points
2. lestergreen, 209.26 points
3. brohamma, 190.78 points

Yahoo Salary Cap league

The low-scoring week continued in our Salary Cap League. Last week two teams scored more than 90 points. This week Arian’s Brotherhood led all players with 77.87 points. He took the top spot despite having negative performance from the duo of Jay Cutler and Adrian Peterson. Arian’s made up for it with their kicker and defense picks, which scored a combined 20.5 points and have earned a combined $4.57 above what he paid for them. The Brotherhood also started C.J. Spiller, which more than made up for a disappointing performance from Julio Jones and Randall Cobb.

Our runner up in Week 2 was Power Rangers. The Rangers mixed a good amount of studs, like LeSean McCoy, Maurice Jones-Drew and Victor Cruz, with some excellent sleepers, like Ryan Tannehill and Demaryius Thomas.

Rangers owner Sam Davis issued his challenge in the comments of last week’s update yesterday, saying “Power Rangers have shaken things up (didnt understand the format at first). Prepare to be ravaged.” He brings up a good point. Mixing in the right sleepers early in the season is crucial because they could provide a huge profit until you have to sell them on their bye weeks.

Denver 2424, our champ from Week 1, tried to snag a couple sleeper values with his Week 2 lineup, even leaving $17.02 in the bank. Some sleepers stay asleep, and Denver2424 might have been unlucky enough to pick every one of them this week. Seven of nine starters will be worth less in Week 3 than what he originally paid for them.

69ers, who finished No. 2 last week, has seen Arian Foster and Greg Zuerlein far outplay their costs. But negative performances from Peyton Manning and Darren McFadden offset the performances.

Cannon Fodder‘s third-place finish last week and fourth place finish last week was the right combination to give him the top spot in our early overall rankings with 154.66 points. Cannon has earned a combined $6.08 from Robert Griffin III, Jimmy Graham and the Baltimore defense. I don’t think there’s any matchup that makes it worth selling those three at their starting prices until the bye weeks start up.

Finishing third last week and fourth this week, Crack rounds out our overall top-5 with 147.86 points. Crack fell victim to The McFadden like so many of us, but he also snuck Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker into his lineup. Tucker made three field goals for the second consecutive week and his value continues to climb.  In Week 3, he’ll cost $3.46 more than what Crack paid for him in Week 1.

The lineup posted by Consigliere’s Crooks is a good example of how much we don’t know about fantasy football every season. There are five first or second round picks AND C.J. Spiller AND a great sleeper TE in Jacob Tamme. On paper it’s probably pretty close to a perfect salary cap team and closely resembles a couple of my Fanduel lineups. But it was only good for 56 fantasy points this week.

Julio Jones is worth $1.44 less than what Super Friends paid for him following the dismal 0.75 points this week. Super certainly is not alone. Luckily they had the foresight to start C.J. Spiller and Garrett Hartley, who have outearned their costs by a combined $3.38.

AZ Phantoms kept every player from their Week 1 lineup and the players responded to the loyalty with poor performances across the board. Garrett Hartley and the Arizona defense continued to perform well. They’ve earned a combined $2.38 since opening week.

Like AZ Phantoms, jzak‘s lineup responded to loyalty with mostly poor performances. Luckily, Michael Vick and the Texans defense each scored well and added to their value.

To sign up for our Salary Cap league:

Visit http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/salcap

Our group name is Chinstrap Ninjas. Our Group ID# is 2919.

The group password is ninjaninja

Week 2 Top 5 Price Movers

1. Dante Rosario, +$4.48
2. Trent Richardson, +$3.04
3. Reggie Bush, +$2.83
4. Brandon Weeden, +$2.76
5. Sam Bradford, +$2.63

Week 2 Bargain Bin (from Yahoo)

1. Kevin Ogletree
2. Robert Griffin III
3. Justin Tucker
4. Martellus Bennett
5. C.J. Spiller

We have 11 teams in the Yahoo league so we’re going to start there this week, where Denver2426 spent all but .36 of his $100 cap to ace the field. Denver’s lineup scored 94.86 points to edge 69ers (92.06) in a neck-and-neck battle in Week 1.

Denver2426 went with value at QB, Jay Cutler, and No. 2 RB, Doug Martin, to roster Ray Rice, Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones and Aaron Hernandez in this week’s best lineup. He also didn’t skimp in the kicker/defense department, which is usually one of my tricks. He picked Garrett Hartley and the Texans. Every one of his players is more valuable this week than they were before the opening week. Cutler, Rice and Jones gained a combined $6.96 in value. The Texans D (+$1.94)outplayed their opening salary by almost almost $2 as well.

69ers was the only other team to crack 90 points. Every one of his players also outplayed their opening prices. His biggest gainers were Arian Foster and Julio Jones, who each posted $2.44 in profit. 69ers also started Pierre Garcon, who gained $1.33. 69ers started a value kicker in Greg Zuerlein and earned a $1.62 profit. He also started Kyle Rudolph at a value and made a slight profit of four cents.

Two other teams finished with 80 or more points, Crack and Cannon Fodder.

Crack earned a return on all of his players, also starting Julio Jones. He also got a big return from Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker, who earned $2.21 over his starting price. Crack also finished third despite leaving $28 of his original $100 in the bank.

Cannon Fodder’s fourth-place finish was earned with a really interesting lineup. Tony Romo was his big gun, posting a +$3.53 change. He also started Jimmy Graham who scored big. But his other choices were a little out of the ordinary.

Most notably, he started Justin Blackmon, Reggie Wayne and Dez Bryant, an unusual grouping. Most players will go out of their way to get one Megatron, Fitz or, at least this week, Julio. He also started the expensive Baltimore Ravens defense. But it was totally worth it because they gained $2.27.

Arian’s Brotherhood posted a stacked lineup, but as I suspect happened to many fantasy owners. The Jets weren’t as putrid as believed, making the bills a negative play this week. And, like so many of my fantasy teams, Antonio Gates also posted a negative performance.

Consigliere’s Crooks posted profits across the board, but Chris Johnson (+.08) and Matthew Stafford (+0.83) didn’t produce like any of us expected. I like the Jacob Tamme play as a value under $6. Tamme scored a TD and posted 43 yards.

A.J. Green, Brandon Lloyd, Jamaal Charles and Reggie Bush all outperformed their opening values for Power Rangers, but didn’t outperform them by much. They combined for a 0.73 profit. Despite a terrible game, Michael Vick slipped in that late touchdown and earned a $1.42 profit.

One of the biggest profits of the week was posted by Peyton Manning. Manning scored +$2.72 as the starting QB for AZ Phantoms. Phantoms posted an excellent lineup despite leaving $2.62 in reserve. Unfortunately, the Chris Johnson bug struck here as well.

Super Friends went with a couple value plays in Jay Cutler and Kyle Rudolph so he could roster LeSean McCoy, Darren McFadden and Larry Fitzgerald, three of the most expensive skill players on the board during week one. That trio combined for a $1.45 profit, less than Brandon Marshall, the Houston defense and Cutler.

Fred Davis scored worse than his opening price, making him a costly mid-tier value play this week for jzak. He was also sadled with subpar performances from expected studs McFadden, Chris Johnson and Brandon Lloyd.

To sign up for our Salary Cap league:

Visit http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/salcap

Our group name is Chinstrap Ninjas. Our Group ID# is 2919.

The group password is ninjaninja

Perfect Lineup

Brohamma posted the most perfect lineup this week, scoring 125.2 fantasy points to pace the field. His lineup: Tom Brady, Arian Foster, Ray Rice, Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Rob Gronkowski, Dan Bailey and the Texans Defense. Julio Jones was the second-highest scoring WR this week.

Every one of Brohamma’s players except for Dan Bailey scored at least 11.1 points.

Rodneykster was Brohamma’s closest foe this week. Not surprisingly our leaders shared quite a few players, with Rodneykster mixing in a little Matt Forte, Dez Bryant and predicting this week’s top tight end, Jimmy Graham. He also  earned a combined 29 points from David Akers and the Texans defense.

Lestergreen snagged Jones, the runner up at reciever, and Graham who paced all tight ends.

Cam Newton, LeSean McCoy and Antonio Gates all underproduced the Week 1 hype for nsummer0130′s lineup. They did, however start Rice, Jones and Brandon Marshall, the Nos. 3, 2 and 5 players at their respective positions.

Herschelswalker went whole hog after the Lions vs. Rams matchup — that looked so good to me on paper — starting both Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, who both finished outside the top 20 at their respective positions. They did get top-5 performances from Rice, Andre Johnson and Jimmy Graham.

To sign up for our Perfect Lineup league:

Visit nfl.com’s perfect challenge page.

Search for our group Chinstrap Ninjas.

The password to join is ninjaninja.

The top performers from Week 1

Quarterbacks: 1. Matt Ryan with 32.5 fantasy points. Runner up: Robert Griffin III with 25.0 fantas points.

Running backs: 1. C.J. Spiller scored 23.4 fantasy points. Runner up: Alfred Morris finished with 21.6 points.

Wide receivers: Kevin Ogletree paced all WRs with 23.4 fantasy points. Runner up: Julio Jones, 22.8 points.

Tight ends: 1. Jimmy Graham, 14.5 fantasy points. Runner up: Dennis Pitta with 13.5 fantasy points.

Which player was the biggest surprise from Week 1: Kevin Ogletree, C.J. Spiller, Alfred Morris, Robert Griffin III or Dennis Pitta? Did you consider starting any of them? Let us know in the comments.

Don’t forget to set your lineups. The first game this week is Bears-Packers on Thursday night.

I’m going to make an effort to write as much as possible and part of that includes recaps of our FREE Weekly Fantasy Football Contest. However, I need to offload some of the dirty work to save time and keep me from making mistakes. You also won’t have to wait for me to make a post to set your lineup for the week.

My solution is a salary cap league at Yahoo Sports. Sorry for those of you who don’t like Yahoo or who don’t want to play salary cap. Yahoo will track our weekly and season performances, which is the main reason I chose it.

For those of you unfamiliar with salary cap, it is a fun take on fantasy sports.

Here are the basics:

You start with $100 in salary. You must set a full lineup each week while staying under the salary cap.

Player salaries fluctuate throughout the season.

Finding values — and selling high after a big week — is half the fun.

In many ways, I could see this being even more fun — with more varied lineups from all participants.

Please sign up as soon as possible. We’ll do recaps and commentary like we always do.

1. Search: yahoo salary cap football
2. The top result should be for the salary cap front page
3. The group name is Chinstrap Ninjas
4. The group Id# is 2919
5. The group password is ninjaninja

You can also request an invoice by emailing me at ep(at)chinstrapninjas.com.

UPDATE–Weekly lineup challenge at NFL.com

I’m not sure how many of you have logins at NFL.com, but they have a weekly contest there as well.

The perfect weekly challenge lineup is actually very similar to our contest, except it uses a full lineup.

I created a group there as well. Please sign up if you like.

Visit: http://challengegames.nfl.com/perfectchallenge

The group is Chinstrap Ninjas

The password is ninjaninja

Thanks and good luck, have fun this season.

He got to the Doug Martin prediction before I did, but for the most part, a lot of my predictions are different from his. I even have one that is a counterattack to one of his.

Before I begin, I have to say that I haven’t had much time to read articles or do much research. But I have had the opportunity to listen to a lot of podcasts walking to and from work and while doing menial chores at work and at home. They have provided me with a unique breadth of knowledge this year, providing many ideas that made me believe and many that made me turn up my nose.

In previous years, all of my teams looked virtually the same. I believe — we won’t know until the final scores are posted in January — that I consumed too much knowledge and then picked only players which I also had spent a lot of time researching. This year, I have many different players throughout my non-keeper leagues. I got done with a draft on Saturday and wondered who drafted my team. Same thing happened Thursday when I hopped on a public ESPN draft.

I’m thinking so differently that I’m not terribly confident about these predictions, but they are some things I think I think for fantasy football 2012:

1. Doug Martin will be the offensive rookie of the year. Yeah, I know jzak already handled this, but I’m going to say my own piece. Martin’s not going to lose goal-line carries to LeGarrette Blount. He has good hands and will play all three downs. Tampa Bay’s offense, while not as great as the promise it showed in 2010, will be better than it was in 2011.

2. Greg Olsen will lead the Carolina Panthers in receptions. Steve Smith will lead in yards and touchdowns, but Olsen will be a PPR machine.

3. There are only two running back handcuffs worth owning in 2012: Rashad Jennings and Ben Tate. Otherwise, I picked somebody else’s backup because I’d rather own the backup than the starter.

4. Speaking of picking other people’s backups: Jacquizz Rodgers leads Atlanta running backs in fantasy points in 2012, especially in PPR leagues.

5. Maurice Jones-Drew announced his return. Dude’s one of the best in the game. He’s not coming in out of shape like cocky Chris Johnson did last year. MJD will be ready to play for the Jaguars and his fantasy owners. He’s instantly the No. 3 fantasy running back now in my opinion. Almost a decade ago, Emmitt Smith held out and even missed two games. The Cowboys went 0-2. When he returned Smith led the league in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage AND led the Cowboys to a championship. Jacksonville isn’t going to sniff a championship, but plenty of fantasy owners who took a chance on MJD as an RB2 as his draft stock slipped will be hoisting trophies.

6. This year I tried to spend early and mid-draft picks on players I think have the talent and opportunity to finish top-5 at their respective positions. That led to me drafting the following players when I thought they had fallen too far because of injury and/or age concerns: Ben Roethlisberger, Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, Miles Austin, Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, Fred Jackson. Don’t be shocked if two of them finish as top-5 players at their positions in 2012.

7. Even though everything I read and heard told me that Roy Helu and Vick Ballard were the best runners in Washington and Indianapolis respectively, I avoided both of those backfields as though they were Cleveland Browns locker room staph infections.

8. Speaking of infamous Cleveland staph infections, what about Braylon Edwards as a sleeper? He’s never had a real quarterback, right? He’s only 29. Sure he’s not as exciting as he was after that 1,300-yard, 16-TD season in 2007. However, he did have a 1,300-yard, 16-TD season. How many other WRs in the NFL can say that? How many can say they did it with Derek Anderson as their quarterback? His only real receiving competition in Seattle is Sidney Rice, who might as well have a medical record tattooed to his forehead at this point.

9. I didn’t draft him in any league, but I have a feeling Cedric Benson is going to be the best running back in Green Bay this year.

10. Jimmy Graham leads all tight ends in receptions. Rob Gronkowski leads in touchdowns. Aaron Hernandez leads TEs in yards and total fantasy points.

11. I didn’t want to buy into the post-Cam Newton rookie quarterback hype, but, ninjas, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are going to be stars in the NFL. Both could be superstars.

12. For the record, I drafted Brock Osweiler on a couple deep dynasty teams. Osweiler is raw, but with John Elway and Peyton Manning mentoring him he’s worth the risk. At least Elway thinks he’s worth rostering for a while. That’s enough for me.

13. Face-Palm Pick of the Year: Cam Newton. I love Newton, but his passing numbers in the second half of 2012 weren’t spectacular and I just don’t see him repeating any of the numbers he posted last season. When he gets more weapons he’ll be the top fantasy QB in the NFL and it might not be close.

14. Face-Palm Pick of the Year, Part II: Marshawn Lynch. Yes, Lynch finished 2011 on a tear and is a runner worthy of the beast mode nickname. He also was investigated for a DUI in July and his Legal Issues subhead on wikipedia is longer than any season recap of his career. Back spasms last year. Back spasms this preseason. I can only imagine the self-medication that’s going on. I didn’t consider picking Lynch in any draft.

15. I wouldn’t start David Wilson on Wednesday, but after the Giants play the Cowboys I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes at least a flex option for the rest of the season. He finishes as the best fantasy RB in New York who isn’t masquerading as a quarterback.

16. Middle linebacker is deep, but Stephen Tulloch and Sean Lee are significantly better than their preseason rankings. One of the two or both will finish top five at the position.

17. Kickers are boring. The top player only outscores the worst starter by less than a point per game each year. Whatever. I’m going to throw one out here anyway. Shayne Graham is kicking for the nuclear-powered Houston Texans offense. Graham has an 85.7% career field goal percentage and set a Bengals record with a 91.7 % rate in 2007. If those 2009 playoff ghosts are history, Graham could lead kickers in fantasy points. And he’s probably still available on your waiver wire.

18. I’m more worried about Adrian Peterson than Ryan Mathews this year. I would draft Mathews first and think he’ll finish with more fantasy points. And I don’t like Mathews.

19. I would still start Adrian Peterson at 50% before I started Toby Gerhart at any percent.

20. Are you on Team Ryan Williams or Team Beanie Wells? Either way you’ll get 670 yards rushing and 5 TDs when they close the book on 2012. God help you if you have both.

21. I really like Kevin Smith. I’ve liked him since his rookie season. He’s the best running back in Detroit. But there’s something churning in my gut that says Mikel Leshoure will be the Detroit running back everyone will want to own in 2013.

22. If Brandon Marshall doesn’t lead the NFL in receptions the Bears did it wrong.

23. Other than Ray Rice, Torrey Smith is the only fantasy commodity I care about in Baltimore. But I didn’t come close to drafting him. I’m not ready to pay top-20 WR dollars for a second-year receiver in Rice’s offense with Joe Flacco as his quarterback. Replace one of those factors and I won’t be so ready to compare him to Steve Smith (NYG, et. al.), Mike Williams (TB) or Nate Burleson (MIN).

24. Jerome Simpson has to serve a 3-game suspension to start the season. He’ll probably end up in trouble again at some point this season. In between troubles, Simpson will lead the Vikings in fantasy points at WR and win some games for fantasy owners. If he avoids that second bout of trouble, he finishes the season as the best WR draft value.

25. Brent Celek and Jared Cook are the tight ends mostly likely to Gronk (get drafted in the 13th round and return top-5 TE numbers) in 2012. But I want to start the Coby Fleener for 2013 campaign right now.

Again, be sure to read jzak’s bold predictions post and make your own bold predictions in the comments there.

In the comments here, post who you think will be the top fantasy scorer in 2012 and who you think will win the Super Bowl. Good luck, have fun.

The rankings are done, many of our respective fantasy teams are drafted and we can continue an annual tradition here at Chinstrap Ninjas. It’s time to make a few bold predictions for the 2012 season. It’s time to boldly go where no predictor has gone before.

But first things first, making bold predictions is easy. Being accurate with them is something else entirely.

Last year, I hit on five of my ten bold predictions. I was 32 points away from getting six correct (I suggested Brandon Lloyd would be the top receiver fantasy-wise in the AFC West. He wound up coming in 32 points behind Dwayne Bowe). While a 50 percent won’t help you pass Algebra class, it is a very good percentage when you are making big proclamations that many people are quick to discount.

So what are the bold predictions for 2012?

1. As I stated in my team defense draft strategy post, Buffalo will be a top-5 fantasy team defense. For more on why I feel that way, check out the column.

2. Echoing my fantasy tight end rankings, Jared Cook, the tight end from Tennessee, will be a top-5 fantasy tight end. For more on that, read my rankings.

3. Also referencing my tight end rankings, Vernon Davis will not be a top-5 fantasy tight end this year.

4. As mentioned in my receiver rankings, Brandon Lloyd will outscore Wes Welker in fantasy points this year.

5. While I couldn’t bring myself to be bold enough when compiling my quarterback rankings for 2012, I will take the stand here. Matt Ryan will finish the season as a top-5 fantasy quarterback.

6. Nick Foles will put up fantasy-starter-worthy pointage at some point this season. This prediction recipe is created from one part Foles’ under-rated talent and two-parts Michael Vick’s tendency to get injured.

7. The Buffalo Bills will make the playoffs.

8. The New Orleans Saints will not.

9. I know that Maurice Jones-Drew recently ended his holdout, but I still believe Rashad Jennings scores more fantasy points than MJD this year. Star running backs coming off lengthy holdouts have a history of underperforming, and in this case, the Jags went to a totally new system under a new coach while MJD was sipping martinis on the beach waiting for a paycheck that never came.

10. Vick Ballard outscores Donald Brown in fantasy points this season.

11. Ryan Mathews will not be the starting a football game for the Chargers after Week 13. Yes, I know he’s dinged up right now and expected back in a week or two. Just don’t think he’ll magically come back and play healthy the rest of the way.

12. Doug Martin will be the fantasy football rookie of the year. Yes, that means Trent Richardson will not. And as good as Andrew Luck and RGIII look to be, I still see Doug Martin being the most valuable rookie fantasy piece out of all of them …

13. … in fact, let’s get a little more bold. I expect Russell Wilson to lead all rookie quarterbacks in fantasy points this season.

14. Jonathan Dwyer finishes the season as the best fantasy back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

15. The Houston Texans beat the Atlanta Falcons in the next Super Bowl.

16. Brandon Marshall leapfrogs Larry Fitzgerald as the second-best fantasy receiver this year outside of that Calvin Johnson guy.

17. Alex Henery finishes the season as the NFL’s top fantasy kicker.

18. The Detroit Lions starting running back for their Week 17 game is not currently on their roster. It isn’t that I don’t like the upside for guys like Kevin Smith, Mikel LeShoure, Jahvid Best, etc. What I don’t like is their collective ability to wind up in the trainers room.

19. The Miami Dolphins win fewer games than Penn State this season.

20. I will have a higher percentage of bold predictions that come true than ESPN’s Matthew Berry. You can find his here.

What are your bold predictions for the 2012 season? Share them below and we’ll have some fun looking back at them next year.

Click … and rip.

Start by clicking here to watch a short, but very valuable, video clip. It is one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies of all time. It will only take several minutes. I’ll still be here when you get back and we’ll discuss step No. 2.

OK? Did you soak in all that Robin Williams had to say? Good. Now pull out your favorite fantasy football magazine, turn to the fantasy kicker and team defense ranking pages and rip them out.

That’s right. Tear those pages completely out, crumple them up and throw them away. We’re not laying pipe, we’re talking fantasy football. Go ahead and rip it all out, I want it all gone – nothing left of it. Your fantasy football hearts and souls (and office bragging rights) are at stake.

Drafting your fantasy football team defense and kicker does not require lengthy analysis, hours of studying lists and charts and rankings. In fact, taking too much time to soak in the rankings that guys like Matthew Berry and other fantasy gurus crank out may actually lead to a fatal mistake or two on draft day.

As Robin Williams’ character suggests in that clip from Dead Poets Society, it is time to think for ourselves. Fantasy football owners shouldn’t methodically choose a kicker or defense from a pre-planned list – especially since having a kicker or defense ranking in front of us on draft day could easily tempt us to draft a kicker or defense earlier than we should when someone else in the league starts the inevitable run on either position.

Where should you draft your starting kicker and defense? In the last two rounds, unless you are in some unique ultra-deep benched league. In most standard scenarios, you should draft running back and receiver depth in the later rounds, your team defense in the next-to-last round and kicker in the final pick.

Why?

Because kickers are a dime a dozen. Every year, there are kickers emerging from fantasy football free agent pools that go on to lead the field by season’s end. Last year’s best kicker, David Akers, was a free agent option in many leagues after his exodus from Philly and uncertainty in what he could accomplish with a new team. The Niners had one of those unprecedented years that elevate kickers in which no one can predict.

The next eight kickers in terms of overall fantasy points finished the season within 14 points of each other – basically a difference of just one point per week maximum. Of them, half weren’t readily drafted in 2011 leagues and readily available for anyone who had the foresight to snatch them up.

So there is no need to reach on a kicker. Yes, that means you’ll have to watch kickers like Stephen Gostkowski, Mason Crosby and David Akers go to other teams. That’s OK … you’ll have a stronger bench and the necessary depth to go all the way.

Instead, simply block off your last round for the kicker slot and draft whatever guy you like at that slot. Gut-reaction picks are OK. You can easily swap out your guy for a hotter commodity off the waiver wire if you so choose.

I personally like guys on offenses that are good enough to get into the red zone consistently, but not such dynamic powerhouses that they punch it in for TDs every time. Field goals score you three or more points … the PAT typically is worth just one tally.

For that reason, I find myself liking Alex Henery with the Eagles (look at his track record after he settled down in the kicker role for Philly last year), Rob Bironas (the Titans can move the ball, but aren’t going to punch it in as heavily as teams such as the Packers, Saints or Patriots), Jason Hanson (one of last year’s top scorers who is falling in drafts again this year, the lack of a solid running game in Lions-land means some of Stafford’s drives will end in field goals) and Robbie Gould (the Bears are improved on offense, but will find themselves in enough dog fights to value their field goals).

One of those guys will be available in the next to last round of most every draft. If not, there are other options. Mike Nugent, who was a solid scorer last year for a revitalized Bengals squad, is in the perfect spot to score fantasy points as a kicker – his offense is good enough to move the ball, but not so good that it will punch in a ton of TDs.

On the defensive side of things, it’s a similar story. The Niners dominated on defense. They and the Bears were the cream of the crop. San Francisco could have been had late in drafts last year. The disparity between the No. 1 defense and No. 12 defense can be a little more noticeable than at kicker, and is why I target my defense a round earlier than my kicker.

For most run-of-the-mill defenses, strength of schedule can completely dictate the end-of-year scoring output. In fact, every season, there are squads that are available off the waiver wire that can be snatched up and played based just on their matchup that week. I’ve won my share of championships just by rotating in the flavor of the week, using just week-to-week matchups and waiver wire pickups to produce solid overall team stats.

Factoring that in along with some offseason moves that will help certain squads rise to the top of the heap, the teams I personally am targeting in the next-to-last round of fantasy drafts are:

Buffalo. The Bills defense went under the radar last year despite posting some solid totals. They added Mario Williams in the offseason and they have, in my opinion, the easiest schedule. Outside of two games against the Patriots and one versus the Texans, Buffalo doesn’t play any true powerhouse offense. They draw a self-imploding Jets offense twice, and under-impressive Dolphins squad twice, and also play the Browns, Cardinals, Colts, Jaguars, Rams and Seahawks. Perhaps the sweetest part is that during the typical fantasy football playoff weeks (15 and 16) they draw Seattle and Miami. Matthew Berry ranks Buffalo as his 11^th defense. My bold prediction is that the squad finish the season as a top-5 fantasy team defense.

Houston. Not as likely to make it to the next-to-last round, the Texans emerged last year as a top team defense. The loss of Mario Williams hurts, but the squad still has enough playmakers to be a solid option most weeks, especially when the matchup is right. Houston opens the season with two cupcake matchups (Miami and Jacksonville) and have a slew of other easier games during the season, especially in the final two weeks when you need them most (playing Indy and Minnesota during the typical fantasy playoff weekends).

Cincinnati. Few squads were quietly as good as the Bengals were in terms of fantasy team defense production. While this year’s slate does pose some big challenges, I am personally loving the five game stretch starting in Week Two when the Bengals draw the Browns twice, Redskins and Dolphins (who will both be using rookie QBs) and the Jaguars. If you were playing musical team defense (which does work if done correctly), the Bengals are a team I’d be fine using the first half of the season and then dropping for a team with an easy second half.

Detroit. Drawing two games each against the Packers and Bears does pose its issues, but the Lions do have a series of other juicy matchups that could help bolster a sneaky-good 2012 season from a points standpoint. The team opens against the Rams, Niners, Titans and Vikings. They could do some damage there. The squad also draws Seattle, Jacksonville, Colts, Cardinals and a second game vs. the Vikings.

Be sure to check out my QB, RB, WR and TE rankings, too.

Add ranking the 2012 crop of fantasy football receivers to that list. The field is just so stinkin’ deep. After Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, I could easily make a case for any of the next 10 receivers to occupy slot No. 3. That depth is a good thing on draft day, allowing you to pull from a much shallower position like running back early. However, it can be downright torture to rank the receivers.

However, like changing little Timmy’s over-ripe diaper, it must be done. So here are my top 35 fantasy receivers for 2012. Be sure to check out my QB, RB and TE rankings, too.

1. Calvin Johnson, DET. No question on this one.

2. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI. No elite QB, no problem for Fitz, who gets solid stats regardless.

3. A.J. Green, CIN. Andy Dalton has tunnel vision for Green, who proved last year as a rookie that he can handle extra defensive attention – so very Calvin Johnson-esque of him!

4. Brandon Marshall, CHI. Was a statistical beast when he last played with Jay Cutler. The Bears lack other stud WRs to compete for receptions.

5. Julio Jones, ATL. Hard to agree with sites that rank Roddy White higher than Julio when even Roddy is admitting numerous times that his role will be reduced in favor of Jones’. It’s time to pass the mantle.

6. Victor Cruz, NYG. Many fantasy pundits expect Cruz to fall back to earth after an unexpected breakout last year. However, Hakeem Nicks’ foot surgery puts Cruz first in line for Eli Manning’s offerings for the time being.

7. Jordy Nelson, GB. I know I’m crazy for putting Jordy above Greg Jennings and I was ready to shout from the rooftops that Nelson’s breakout last year would be followed with him coming back to earth this year. However, I just can’t ignore all the great lines of commentary coming out of Packers camp this offseason on Nelson, who is causing rave reviews. Meanwhile, Jennings is suffering from lingering effects of a concussion suffered earlier this month. I still think Jennings has more yardage than Nelson by year’s end, but Jordy’s TDs will help keep him ahead of Jennings in overall fantasy scoring.

8. Greg Jennings, GB. Refer to Nelson’s commentary.

9. Percy Harvin, MIN. People fail to realize just how potent Harvin was as last season played out. One way to quantify it, as per Matthew Berry’s legwork in his most recent top 10s column: starting in Week 7 after Christian Ponder took over the offense, Harvin led ALL receivers in offensive touches with 100. Wes Welker was second from that point forward, with just 74.

10. Andre Johnson, HOU. Many are thinking about the Andre of old, who could churn out 1,500 yards without breaking a sweat. However, it isn’t 2009 any more. Andre hasn’t completed a season healthy in three years. His offense has morphed into an uber-running scheme and even in his “prime,” he never eclipsed double-digit touchdowns. He’ll still be the primary option in that offense and he still has the skillset to have some big games, just don’t think he’s worth a second round pick anymore.

11. Steve Smith, CAR. Last year with rookie Cam Newton under center, Smith had one of his most productive seasons ever. Now, just imagine what he can do after he and Newton have a full offseason to work on their game.

12. Roddy White, ATL. Roddy has helped me do very well in fantasy leagues in the past. It is hard to ignore his PPR prowess and in PPR leagues, he deserves bumping up this list. However, it is apparent that he will be turning over the top receiver crown in Atlanta to Julio this year. I think Matt Ryan has a big enough year to make both WRs relevant, just not enough for me to rank Roddy higher.

13. Brandon Lloyd, NE. I know … Wes Welker is the uber-great fantasy receiver we typically associate with Tom Brady. But thanks to gut feeling – or was that the Taco Bell I had for supper – I expect Lloyd to outscore Welker in fantasy leagues this season. Even with Welker’s PPR dominance. I just can’t overlook the Josh McDaniels factor, and that Welker will likely not be a Patriot this time next year.

14. Mike Wallace, PIT. It is hard not to rank Antonio Brown higher than Wallace considering how momentum swung last year and Brown became a favorite target for Big Ben. Maybe it is because Wallace is much more talented than ABrown. Maybe it is because Antonio got his big contract and won’t have as much to play for. Or maybe it is because Wallace didn’t get his big payday and will be playing with a chip on his shoulder.

15. Hakeem Nicks, NYG. The talent is unquestionable and Eli Manning proved last year that he can feed more than one receiver. I just get this weird feeling we haven’t heard the last of Nicks’ foot issues.

16. Dwayne Bowe, KC. Somewhere over the Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs fans are singing in high-pitched Munchkin-like voices: “Ding, dong he finally signed … our under-rated receiver has signed!”

17. Wes Welker, NE. Re-read my rant on Lloyd. It isn’t that I don’t think Welker will still get gobs of receptions, but more that I start to worry that even the seemingly endless vat of peanut butter in Tom Brady’s throwing arm can only cover so many PB&Js. And, I get the feeling the Pats just won’t feel as urgent to feed the ball as much to Welker since they’ll likely lose him during the offseason anyway.

18. Marques Colston, NO. As much as Drew Brees can spread the ball around and as much as Jimmy Graham emerged last year, Colston is still a favorite target for his quarterback. The Saints have a ton to prove this year, and as long as Colston can stay healthy, he’ll get numbers.

19. Jeremy Maclin, PHI. Rotoworld lists Maclin as the Eagles’ No. 1 receiver, and if you look at his numbers for stretches last season, it is hard to overlook just how potent he was. So I don’t know why I just can’t get as excited for Maclin as many others are.

20. Eric Decker, DEN. The “experts” go back and forth on which receiver will benefit the most from Peyton Manning’s presence in Denver. My money is on Decker, who is more durable than Thomas and a more consistent option for Manning. Reports from Denver also suggest that the chemistry is already clicking between the two.

21. Miles Austin, DAL. When healthy, Austin is definitely able to put up some nice stats. The problem is that it can be hard to predict when those moments will come. He’s already dealing with hammy concerns this preseason.

22. Torrey Smith, BAL. Also a little dinged up at the moment, Torrey Smith seems like a different type of commodity to me. His arrow is on the upswing, he can turn one play into a huge game. Rumor has it that the Ravens are trying to turn Torrey into more than a one-trick, DeSean Jackson-like pony. We’ll know more when we get to see Torrey play.

23. Dez Bryant, DAL. Like those notes that Inspector Gadget used to get, prospective Dez Bryant owners should get a warning that their investment will soon self-destruct. He’s uber-talented, but he’s also an injury concern and showing some red flags off the field, too. Word has it that even the higher-ups in Dallas are tiring of his shenanigans.

24. Antonio Brown, PIT. See commentary on Mike Wallace.

25. Demaryius Thomas, DEN. While I like Decker to be the main beneficiary of Peyton Manning’s presence in Denver, I still think Thomas will get more than enough opportunities to blow things open using his speed and abilities – just as long as he doesn’t blow an MCL or hammy or other necessary muscle or ligament in the process.

26. Vincent Jackson, TB. A player that I find intriguing, Jackson has stud potential but continues to find himself falling due to concerns about Josh Freeman’s ability to get it to him regularly. However, Freeman did make a fantasy star out of Mike Williams two seasons ago and with Williams keeping defenses somewhat honest, maybe VJax is starting to become a value option in fantasy drafts.

27. Steve Johnson, BUF. Steve or Stevie or whatever you want to call him can produce solid numbers and I expect QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to have a solid season this fall. However, I can’t find myself jumping on this bandwagon just yet. Maybe if Johnson was a little more durable.

28. Reggie Wayne, IND. Falling much too far in drafts, Wayne may be old, but he isn’t dead. The Colts should be passing enough for Wayne to produce much better than his current ADP suggests. If Peyton Manning felt comfortable relying on Wayne, I have a feeling Luck will find the ability to do the same as he attempts to mature in his first season at the NFL level.

29. DeSean Jackson, PHI. Speed can be exciting. It can turn a simple dump pass into an 80-yard home run down the sideline. However, as the say goes, speed can also kill. In this case, it leaves DeSean a total feast or famine option. I personally like some consistency in my QBs.

30. Robert Meachem, SD. Before the preseason, it seemed inevitable that Meachem was going to fall into the No. 1 receiver role for the Chargers. However, that water is a little more muddy as some suggest Malcolm Floyd and Vincent Brown are showing some signs of life in the passing game. I still expect Meachem to emerge as the best weapon for Philip Rivers outside of tight end Antonio Gates.

31. Denarius Moore, OAK. I totally love Moore’s potential in an offense where Carson Palmer has a full offseason to get comfortable. Moore showed flashes of brilliance. The problem is that he can be an injury magnet – currently nursing a hamstring injury.

32. Pierre Garcon, WAS. I’m warming to Garcon later in drafts after increasing reports suggest that Garcon is a favorite option for rookie Robert Griffin III.

33. Santonio Holmes, NYJ. Starting to get into the nosebleed section of my receiver rankings. Holmes has potential but always seems to whine his way into the doghouse. Currently dinged up, he is still the best receiving option for the Jets. Someone has to catch passes in this offense, regardless of which QB is throwing them.

34. Kendall Wright, TEN. I’d love to put Kenny Britt in this slot, but I just can’t do it. He’s facing a suspension. He’ll likely do other immature, dumb stuff off the field. He’s nursing a knee injury. Meanwhile, Wright is taking advantage of the extra reps with the first-team offense. Nate Washington may see like the safer choice here, but I think Wright’s sheer talent will lift him into the prime role.

35. Steve Smith, STL. Going with a flyer here, but reports from St. Louis suggest that Smith is having a renaissance in camp and is projected at the moment as the team’s top receiver moving forward. There are so many moving pieces there, and rookies Brian Quick and Chris Givens are the future of the team’s receiving corps, but for this season, I’ll buy the hype that Smith could have a one-season rebirth.

Don’t miss my rankings at QB, RB and TE.

Have any comments you’d like to share about my WR rankings? I’d love to hear them in the space below.