Why do people feel the need to debate in twos? Why do fantasy “experts” seem to think that the top overall draft slot belongs to either Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson? What about Maurice? You know: Mr. Jones-Drew?

As you’ll see in my following redraft running back rankings for 2010, complete with player capsule, I have no problem bucking the norm when it comes to my fantasy backfield …

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX. Seeing his workload increase from 197 carries to 312, and being the only focal point of a team lacking star power, Jones-Drew continues to produce consistently impressive numbers totally under the radar. Chris Johnson hasn’t proven he can maintain the sick pace he showed us last season. Adrian Peterson has a knack for dropping the pigskin, and rookie Toby Gerhart will take every opportunity he can get to show that he’s the reliable goal-line option when Peterson struggles with more dropsies.

2. Chris Johnson, TEN. The Titans did nothing major to bring in another back to spell Johnson. In fact, they got rid of LenDale White and brought in an even more questionable commodity in rookie LaGarrett Blount. I still worry about him replicating even a part of his amazing 2009 stats, but the upside makes it hard to pass at him at this slot.

3. Ray Rice, BAL. The key to Rice’s coming-out party in 2009 was his excessively impressive offseason work habits. This offseason? The Ravens are saying he’s done even more and is one of the best conditioned backs in the league. We high school football people know that good conditioning is the best way to avoid injury. Some question whether some of Rice’s receptions will be lost to newcomer Anquan Boldin, but even if he loses some catches, his incredible 9.0 yards per reception and respectable 5.3 yards per carry will keep Rice at the top of the rankings for the foreseeable future.

4. Adrian Peterson, MIN. Not sure why I feel so strongly that Peterson will see a drop in stats … but every time Peterson fumbled, especially in the playoffs, I kept having violent flashbacks to Steve Slaton fumbling away my 2009 fantasy hopes. Brett Favre’s presence keeps defenses more honest, and Peterson is still worthy of a top pick. I just worry that the fumbles and his bruising style of running will eventuall catch up to him. That’s why I suggested, in one post, to consider trading Adrian Peterson in dynasty leagues.

5. Frank Gore, SF. Age and injuries seem to have a better handle on how to slow Gore than opposing defenses. When he plays, he is a homerun threat. The Niners have a cupcake schedule, and Gore will be used plenty throughout the season.

6. Michael Turner, ATL. I am not a Turner aficionado from a fantasy standpoint, and this is not a PPR ranking, but it is hard to discount what Turner can do when focused and ready to prove his critics wrong. Reports state that Turner basically lived at the Falcons practice facility this offseason and is in excellent shape. This all combined with what I feel will be a very nice bounceback season for Matt Ryan and the Atlanta passing game, and Turner shouldn’t slip too far on your draft board.

7. Steven Jackson, STL. There is no reason to think that Jackson won’t continue to produce despite the mediocrity around him. Like Barry Sanders, Jackson makes the most out of his situation and shines. The Rams will be spoonfeeding Sam Bradford as much as possible, meaning a heavy reliance on the running game once again.

8. Rashard Mendenhall, PIT. Young back who could become elite this season, he also has a lot of red flags attached to his fantasy value in 2010. Loss of Big Ben to suspension means that the offense will be feeding the ball a lot to Mendenhall … but it also means that defenses will be keying on him. Mendenhall had some inconsistency issues from week to week last season, although his final stats were impressive considering he wasn’t starting for the first quarter of the regular season. Still, his potential tied with the Steelers return to run-first football is a combination worth taking a risk on.

9. DeAngelo Williams, CAR. When healthy, Williams is the primary ballcarrier for a team that knows how to grind out the rushing stats. Even if he somehow fell behind upstart Jonathan Stewart and became second fiddle, Williams would still produce over 1,000 yards and double-digit TDs. Stewart did just that in the RB2 role last year. Plus, I have a feeling the Panthers run Williams into the ground before losing him to free agency next year. Just a hunch.

10. Pierre Thomas, NO. No, I didn’t forget to take my medicine. Pierre is in the perfect situation to excel this season. Primary back in an massively effective offense. Loss of Mike Bell and lack of other veteran backs being brought in means that Thomas will receive plenty of carries and opportunities. His 5.4 yards per carry suggest so. The best thing in Pierre’s favor this season was the Saints refusal to sign him to a long-term lucrative contract. He has to play for his supper, so to speak, and has a plenty big chip on his shoulder and plenty to prove. I wouldn’t draft him this early, because he’ll likely fall into your early third round, but backs like Thomas make it much easier to draft receivers and other positions early on draft day.

11. Shonn Greene, NYJ. Showed us flashes of brilliance at the end of last season, and there is plenty to like in 2010. LaDanain Tomlinson will be used more than people think, but Greene should still get plenty of carries in a rush-happy offensive scheme.

12. Ryan Mathews, SD. I struggled putting a rookie running back this high, but the Chargers sacrificed a lot to get Mathews as their back of both the present and future. He has no real competition for carries … Darren Sproles is a different type of running back and won’t zap Mathews’ statistical potential too much. What I like best about Mathews is the excessively easy schedule the Chargers are facing in 2010, one full of defenses that will allow Mathews to mature quickly and efficiently at the pro level.

13. Beanie Wells, ARI. Sure Tim Hightower’s presence affects Beanie’s overall stats to a degree, but Wells showed as the season wore on last year that he has plenty of burst and potential. There is no reason to think that Wells won’t continue his emergence as a back on the rise, especially as the Cardinals transition to a more rush-based philosophy to make the transition easier for new QB Matt Leinart.

14. Jamaal Charles, KC. There is little doubt that Charles was en fuego to close out the 2009 season. Then, like a splash of ice water over a sunburn, the Chiefs shocked many by acquiring Thomas Jones, another back who can churn out yardage in big chunks. What does this mean? Much too early to tell, but considering Charles hasn’t been an elite back for the course of a full season. Also, looking more closely at Charles’ most elite performances in 2009, they all came against mediocre teams. His 100-plus yard games were against Oakland, Buffalo,Cleveland, Cincinnati and Denver. Still, the upside potential is there, just hard to know what to expect.

15. Ryan Grant, GB. Even as a Packers fan, I neglected to see how valuable Grant was last season from a fantasy standpoint … impressive especially considering the O-line was in shambles much of the season. His 1,253 yards and 13 touchdowns seemed to come out of thin air. The Packers offense continues to be a juggernaut, and a solid, consistent running back is key for keeping defenses in a tizzy. Grant should continue to quietly produce solid numbers.

16. Felix Jones, DAL. One of the best indicator of a back who has what it takes to produce big numbers is his yards per carry. Jones averaged nearly six yards per tote on 116 carries last season. He burst onto the scene in the postseason, too, and claimed the starting RB gig in the Big D. There are some injury concerns for Jones, but then again, reports are that he’s bulked up in a good way this offseason, and is actually a bigger back now that Marian Barber. His upside in that high-powered offense is immense. Like I said in a previous post, he is this year’s Ray Rice.

17. Jonathan Stewart, CAR. Even as technically the No. 2 back the last two seasopns, Stewart still managed 10 touchdowns each year and 1,133 yards last season. Not shabby. If he can get more carries in that offense (like if DeAngelo is injured, falls off a cliff, loses one of his legs, etc.), than Stewart could be a beast. Injury concerns seem to be a yearly stressor for fantasy owners.

18. LeSean McCoy, PHI. The next Brian Westbrook? Time will tell. McCoy is quick, provides a nice weapon in the passing game and could produce big things in an Eagles offense that always seems to move the ball well. Uncertainty at the moment in how the team will adjust in the transition from Donovan McNabb to Kevin Kolb, from Brian Westbrook to McCoy full-time and how the young runner will handle a full slate of games all factor into his ranking being lower than other young RBs on this list.

19. Joseph Addai, IND. Another quiet fantasy performer in the vein of Ryan Grant, Addai notched 10 TDs and more than 800 yards last season despite rookie Donald Brown nipping at his heels. While people continue to expect Brown to blow past Addai on the depth chart at some point, but Addai has done enough to keep the starting gig short of an injury or major production breakdown.

20. Jahvid Best, DET. A rookie back with upside, I wonder how he fares on a team that is struggling to find its identity. The Lions, while much improved lately, will still likely be passing more than running in games where they fall behind early. Playing a tough schedule, the Lions will be playing catchup more than one would like. Best is still penciled in as a starter, but there are also rumors circulating that he could be used in more of a Reggie-Bush-like role. Time will tell how valuable Mr. Best can be.

21. Knowshon Moreno, DEN. Whoa. Moreno 21st? You saw that right. I’m a huge advocate of yards per carry stats and how they indicate a back’s potential in the league. Moreno’s 3.6 yards per carry last year in mostly a starter role worries me to no end. Can’t find any successful RB who started with such a low average. Add to that Denver’s loss of Brandon Marshall, and that defenses can key more on the run in 2010, and I’m not touching Moreno in redraft leagues this summer.

22. Cedric Benson, CIN. True story: I had worked my way down to spot No. 29 on this list before I realized that I forgot to add Benson. As you can tell, I’m not his biggest fantasy fan. He could still get a suspension from off-field troubles this past offseason … issues that arrose while he was in the middle of contract negotiations. Not a smart move. Prior to 2009, Benson was the king of underachieving, and yours truly feels he’ll revert back to his old ways. Bernard Scott, meanwhile, is a talented back and will likely take carries from Benson, even if Cedric magically stays on the field for a full slate of games.

23. Ronnie Brown, MIA. What can Brown do for you? How about stay healthy for a season? Brown was producing well once again for the Dolphins before a Lisfranc fracture derailed his 2010 campaign. Ricky Williams slid into the starting role and didn’t look back with an impressive showing. Brown will return to the starting role this season, but is facing an uncertain future. If he plays well, his pricetag will likely become too steep for the Dolphins next year. If he flops, the Dolphins won’t be quick to bring him back yet again over Ricky Williams. It is an important season for Ronnie, and typically those situations bring out the best in a player, but the uncertainty keeps him from climbing higher on this list.

24. Fred Jackson, BUF. The three-headed Bills RB monster can be hard to decipher. However, CJ Spiller looks to be a hybrid-like player in the offense and not a primary ball carrier. Marshawn Lynch has been on the outs with the Bills for quite some time now. His yards per carry were noticeably lower than Jackson’s last season, and Jackson finished the 2009 campaign with an impressive 33-for-212 showing against the Indianapolis Colts backups in Week 17. Methinks he’ll remain the main option in Buffalo.

25. Montario Hardesty, CLE. A very odd situation in Brownsland considering how impressive Jerome Harrison was at the end of 2009, but Hardesty was drafted as the next great thing, and Harrison has been losing offseason steam ever since. Jamal Lewis could tell you that the Browns are able to make a back fantasy-worthy, and whoever becomes the main option could be a great value pick in your respective redraft leagues. It seems that all the “experts” expect that player to be Hardesty, but watch training camp closely for signs that things could flop the other way.

26. Michael Bush, OAK. The Oakland Raiders mysteriously have been making some smart decisions this offseason so far. They’ve drafted better, admitted it was time to eat some humble pie in terms of moving past the Jamarcus Russell experiment and soon they could be doing a similar maneuver with that Darren McFadden guy. Michael Bush has proven to be the better option in various facets and should land the early downs back gig in Raidersland. He can produce sneaky-good fantasy numbers when given enough opportunities, and I’m predicting that will happen this season. Watch this situation closely during the preseason.

27. Brandon Jacobs, NYG. Last year was a train wreck for the Giants running game, and especially for Brandon Jacobs. After averaging 4.8 yards per carry the previous three years, Jacobs managed just 3.7 last year amidst injuries and downright bad play. Considering his career average yards per carry are much better than last year’s debacle, it would logically seem that he should see at least some sort of rebound if he can stay healthy. Ahmad Bradshaw will be taking away some carries, but Jacobs is still the top option for the Giants.

28. Matt Forte/Chester Taylor, CHI. Cheating here, I know. However, I’m not a fan of Forte at all after last season’s statistical implosion. Early nuggets of news from Chicago suggest that Forte will see a significant decrease in carries this season. Chester Taylor was brought in by this regime and will be given every chance to succeed. If Taylor can rumble over Forte in the pecking order much like a Hummer flattens a roadkill raccoon, he could be a very nice value pick in fantasy circles. Not saying that Forte doesn’t have a chance of rebounding somewhat in that offense … just that his window of opportunity closing faster than the mouth of a piranha in a chum stream.

29. Carnell Williams, TB. Bumped up a little in this rankings in late June when it was announced that Cadillac will be the bonafide lead horse in the Buccanneers backfield. Derrick Ward has proven he is, at best, a backup option. While Carnell hasn’t been a major home run threat lately, he is able to grind out stats and is one of a dwindling number of backs who aren’t stuck in a RBBC nightmare.

30. Justin Forsett, SEA. Forsett was easily the best Seattle running back last season, and outside of a short LenDale White sighting, Forsett continues to be the best upside guy in the backfield. According to one LA Times report, Forsett is an “instant Pete Carroll favorite.” The problem with Carroll is that he’s histotically been a guy who’s used a committee backfield approach, and considering the Seahawks may be playing catch-up a decent amount this season, the running game may be too erratic to trust in.

Other RBs of note:

If not for the logjam in the Houston backfield, one of Arian Foster, Steve Slaton or Ben Tate would be a juicy addition to my RB rankings. However, Tate will allegedly be spoonfed during his rookie campaign, and while Arian Foster was effective at the end of 2009, it is hard to believe that the Texans aren’t going to include Steve Slaton into the mix where they can, too. At this point, the situation is just too muddied to get uber-excited over.

Reggie Bush continues to be an interesting name in fantasy circles … especially in PPR formats. Of course, his name value will likely lead to him being drafted too early for my taste in most leagues, Bush could see some more action this year as Mike Bell left for Philly and Pierre’s workload needs spelled somewhat. Lynell Hamilton could be a super, super sleeper depending on if there are any injuries … and Pierre does have some dings on his record.

Ricky Williams should be rostered in most standard 12-team (or higher) leagues. Sure, he’s technically the second option in Miami, but Ronnie Brown has proven as durable as a wet sheet of toilet paper at times.

Felix Jones does have some injury concerns and Marion Barber seems closer to receiving AARP junk mail than an increased workload, so keep an eye on Tashard Choice, who could be a sneaky addition late in drafts.

Speaking of aging players, the Redskins seem to be filled to the gills with them. At running back, Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker all will be looking for carries. Some rumors suggest Brian Westbrook will be added to the mix, too. Portis and Johnson should be the frontrunners for carries, but relying on either isn’t advisable. One player to watch is Ryan Torain, who is just 23 years old and showed some promise in Denver before injuries relegated him to the bottom of the heap. This is more a dynasty league suggestion than anything redraft owners need to worry about, however.

The Patriots backfield is just too inconsistent to depend on for weekly fantasy production. Reports suggest that Bill Belichick has lost faith in Laurence Maroney in crucial situations due to fumbling concerns. Fred Taylor may find himself fighting for a roster spot. Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk and Benjarvis Green-Ellis have all been given chances to emerge as the team’s top option, but none have taken advantages of those opportunities.

Don’t miss my 2010 redraft rankings/player capsules at quarterback, wide receiver and tight end. Curious about dynasty leagues and running backs? Check out my very early composite dynasty RB rankings.

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Let’s discuss the NFC East’s Cowboys, Giants, Eagles and Redskins:

Dallas Cowboys

• The right Choice How much we see of Tashard Choice could spell doom for Marion Barber and his followers. Felix Jones appears to have played himself into more first- and second-down carries, so it figures the third down rep is up for grabs, even if Dallas decides to use Barber in the “closer” role. I’m thinking Choice’s, once an early season Heisman candidate at Georgia Tech, big play ability just may give him an edge. 
• Roy or ROY? It’s as simple as it appears. We certainly don’t expect ESPN to promote this as breaking news. Roy Williams has one last shot to showcase himself as a starting wide receiver. Dez Bryant, a potential Rookie of the Year, has one clear shot to encourage Jerry Jones to swallow his money tied into “noodle arms.” All it takes is one good training camp by Bryant. I’m sure Detroit would love to have Roy Boy back.
• Drawing a line in the sand As convincing a defensive rush could’ve been, the Vikings proved in the playoffs how impotent the Cowboys offensive line can be. As a result, the front line will be a major point of emphasis this preseason. Keep an eye on how the line — first-, second- and third-string — handle preseason pressure. If the Cowboys can’t block in training camp, what are they going to do when the lights go on?

New York Giants

• On bended knee The running game went in the tank with Brandon Jacobs’s bum knee. Don’t figure to see much of him this preseason; however the battle behind him will be worth watching. Ahmad Bradshaw also has injury issues, which could hamper his ascension up the depth chart. In fact, most of the running corps spent time in the mash unit. Simply a healthy training camp may signal victory for this once dominating running team.
• Fountain of youth Steve Smith did his part, now it’s up to the rest of the group to cut their baby teeth and play big boy football. Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks appear to be on the verge, but only one can fit into that No. 2 slot. Whoever comes out the more consistent will be the guy to target come draft day.
• Who’s the Boss? With Manningham’s hands, Jacobs’s knee, Bradshaw’s feet and Smith’s size; the Giants sure could use a reliable red zone target. Kevin Boss, you’d like to apply? We’ll see how the interview goes in the next couple of weeks.

Philadelphia Eagles

• The apprentice Everyone is anticipating seeing if Kevin Kolb can transition into the starting position without any problems. I doubt we’ll see as much as we would like of this green quarterback, but even the slightest sense of confusion or lack of trust among receivers will raise flags. We may start to see Philly do what it should’ve done years ago, run the ball a little more.
• Weaving a bigger basket When Leonard Weaver played at Carson-Newman he … na, I’m not going to pretend. I doubt very few folks paid much attention to Weaver until he started busting off 10-yard bursts late last season in relief of LeSean McCoy’s tired legs. I have a feeling Weaver made an impression on Andy Reid, who has had time now to devise some passing plays for this athletic fullback. We may see an eclipse of one or two potential widgets this preseason that just may make Weaver an interesting red zone specialist?
• Intro to Chemistry One thing I always admired about Donovan McNabb was how well he threw the deep ball. I’m sure DeSean Jackson would agree. Now, will Kolb admire it as much to pay homage to the skill? If not, Jackson could end up being a bust this season. Keep in mind throwing deep is much more than having a gun for an arm. It’s arc, timing and anticipation. Let’s revisit this discussion after Kolb’s first few deep tosses this preseason.

Washington Redskins

• Balancing the budget Among the biggest debates in Washington always centers on budget issues, which can extend to the football field this season. On paper, the Redskins have a lot of revenue coming in with talent throughout the receiving corps. How that translates from passing drills to a new offense to a new quarterback to live action against an opposing defense will determine if Washington overestimated its spending.
• Cooley hand Luke As popular as Chris Cooley is on the Internet and within the media, it all depends on how cool Donovan McNabb finds him to be. While the receivers fight for attention, McNabb could easily find comfort in the TE, as he did in Philly. Only problem, Cooley not only has injury issues to battle but a talented understudy in Fred Davis to boot.
• BP oil spill Mike Shanahan’s first move may be to cap the leaking oil in his backfield. If this was 2005, the Redskins would be in awesome shape with Larry Johnson, Clinton Portis and Willie Parker. Unfortunately, those odometers aren’t rolling back. How the reps are handled will be key in trying to guess how this rotation will at least play out early in the season.

Jay-Mo’s other preseason previews:

AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West

NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

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Take, for example, the Jets acquiring ultra-talented cornerback Antonio Cromartie for a third-round draft pick (it changes to a second-rounder depending on his playing time). Sure Cromartie has a host of off-field issues, but imagine if he can get his act together. Cromartie and Revis in the same defensive backfield?

News from last night also included word that the Bears are on the verge of signing free agent Julius Peppers. This after reports that Peppers would likely go to the Redskins.

Early reports already suggest that receiver Nate Burleson will be signing with the Lions as the No. 2 wideout. Allegedly, Chester Taylor looks close to signing with the Bears.

Free agency this year is marked by what will be an uncapped offseason. The ramifications of this are hard to gauge … opinions seem split on whether or not that will lead to wild spending by certain teams or if most squads will become more financially timid on the signing front.

Regardless, there are a slew of potentially major moves on the horizon. Here is a partial look at some of the main pieces that could be on the move starting today:

First, let me state that this post was oodles harder to write than my 2010 predictions post, where I included my opinions on where some big-named players may be traded this offseason.

Free agent signings, however, are so much more a crapshoot. There are tons of scenarios that could play out for each player … for each team.

To form the following predictions, I checked out several well-known websites, got a general feel of where guys may be signed and then factored in my gut. For those who missed it, ep pointed out recently that gut reactions actually hold some merit.

Running backs

Darren Sproles. The Chargers at first released Sproles, then tendered him for a first and third-round pick. However, many feel that Sproles will still be dealt for the right price. Allegedly, Sproles had trips lined up to visit with the Chiefs, Redskins, Eagles and Rams before the Chargers tendered him. Someone will be willing to spend the money, and we all know how Daniel Snyder likes to throw cash at players. It isn’t as though Clinton Portis has a whole lot left in his tank.

Thomas Jones. Many overlook how effective Jones was recently with the Jets. Recent news states that Jones could wind up back with the Jets, but I highly doubt they pay him the money he’s looking for. The Eagles, Lions, Chargers, Texans and slew of other squads are expected to make a mad dash for Jones’ services. The Eagles, Lions and Chargers are all front runners in my book. Flip a coin between them, although I’ll guess (note the word guess) that Jones lands in San Diego.

Chester Taylor. Few expect Taylor to return to the Vikings, making him a nice pickup for many despite his elevated age. Remember that his tires have plenty of tread after playing second fiddle to Adrian Peterson for quite some time. Taylor could be a starter on a number of teams. My gut reaction was that he would land with the Lions, start over Maurice Morris and ultimately plays thunder to Kevin Smith’s lightning when, and if, Smith returns to the field. However, late-breaking updates on ESPN radio have Taylor close to signing with the Bears, which will directly affect Matt Forte, among others.

Brian Westbrook. One of several older backs with declining skill sets, Westbrook was effective in spot duty with an impressive 4.5 yards-per-carry when he was in the backfield last year. Plenty of teams will be open to taking a chance on Westbrook. Several are saying that he’ll wind up in Minnesota. Recent reports say that he has no interest in playing on turf, leaving grass-field alternatives of Chicago, Pittsburgh and San Francisco who are actively looking.

LaDanian Tomlinson. There is little to get giddy over with Tomlinson’s rapidly declining skill set. In a normal offseason, Tomlinson could be facing few options, but that could be different during this uncapped year. It will take some time for Tomlinson to find an employer as he learns that his asking price will need to be adjusted and re-adjusted. The Eagles, Saints, Lions, Redskins, Texans and a few other teams have batted around the idea of snagging Tomlinson. Philly could be an intriguing option, if it wasn’t for my nagging suspicions that the Eagles make a move via trade for Marshawn Lynch.

Marshawn Lynch. He’s not a free agent, but he is unofficially on the trading block after teammate Fred Jackson outplayed him repeatedly in 2009. Lynch is young (just 23) and a big, bruising back who would compliment a smaller, shifty back like the Eagles’ LeSean McCoy quite nicely. Philly has a slew of quarterbacks while the Bills are in need of one. I still get this weird gut feeling that a trade will be developed here. Time will tell.

There are a few other backs of note who are currently restricted free agents, such as Ronnie Brown and Pierre Thomas. Considering their respective situations, I don’t expect either to move to a new team this offseason.

Wide Receivers

Terrell Owens. It’s hard to get excited about Terrell anymore. He was an also-ran in Buffalo, although shoddy QB play did factor in somewhat there. There are several teams that need some receiver help, such as the Ravens, Bengals and Dolphins. Too bad these teams and others are so actively saying they want no part of Owens.

Antonio Bryant. There is so much baggage surrounding Bryant during his career, but his age suggests that he could still produce somewhere if put in the proper situation. Other sites waffle greatly on where Bryant could/will wind up, although a couple mentioned the Redskins. Time will tell.

There are a few other unrestricted free agent receivers, but none that could provide instant fantasy upside in a new venue. These players include Kevin Walter, Derrick Mason, Chris Chambers, Torry Holt and Nate Burleson (although Burleson is allegedly signing with the Lions).

Restricted free agent receivers include a few more savory options. Vincent Jackson and Miles Austin are the biggest of these names, but as with the running back restricted free agent options, neither of these guys will likely be suiting up for a new team in the fall.

Several notable receivers will likely be moved this offseason. Anquan Boldin and Brandon Marshall highlight the list. Boldin could be had for a third-round pick, according to recent reports. Marshall was tendered for a first and third-round selection. I predicted a little while ago where these guys would wind up. Teams such as the Ravens, Dolphins, Bengals and Bears are all in the discussion (although the Bears don’t have a first-round pick, so they’d be limited to Boldin on this short list).

Quarterbacks

There are few big-named quarterbacks that will be moved this offseason. Those who do will likely be moved via trade. Players such as Donovan McNabb have come up in these discussions, and I cover my predictions on McNabb, specifically, here.

Restricted free agent QBs include Jason Campbell, Kyle Orton and Matt Moore, among others. All three will likely remain on their current teams. Of the three, Moore is looking like a very sneaky upside player for dynasty leagues, especially with word Thursday that Jake Delhomme was officially axed.

Chad Pennington heads the list of unresticted free agents, and several websites suggested he could wind up in Arizona backing up inconsistent Matt Leinart in the wake of Kurt Warner’s retirement. No such luck, though, as reports out of Miami have Pennington likely to resign with teh Dolphins.

Other unrestricted free agent QBs include David Carr, Chris Redman, Jeff Garcia, Rex Grossman, Daunte Culpepper, J.P. Losman and Kyle Boller. I don’t expect any to have fantasy value in 2010, shot of some horrific injuries.

What are your opinions of the current free agents? Where will they wind up? Did we forget to mention someone of interest to you? Let us know in the comments below.

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This year there may be several teams looking to draft a back. Here is my list of possible contenders for a new running back:

Houston Texans: Owner Bob McNair and Coach Gary Kubiak both reiterated to the press that running back will be a “priority” in this year’s draft. Steve Slaton is still recovering from his neck injury and apparently the team does not feel Arian Foster is a long-term answer even though he played well in his “cup of coffee” last year. I actually look for them to pluck a running back in the first round. I think they are looking for more of a bruising back than the smaller guys. Jonathan Dwyer and Ryan Mathews are possibilities here.

San Diego Chargers: With the departure of LT2 and the possibility that Darren Sproles will not be retained, that leaves a huge void for the Chargers at the running back position. I think they will fill it with a back than can catch the ball out of the backfield. Look for Jahvid Best in round 1. If he goes before the Chargers select, look for them to go Dexter McCluster in rounds 2 or 3.

Kansas City Chiefs: They do have Jamaal Charles in tow, but it is this author’s opinion that he will not be able to handle a full-time 16-game workload. I foresee Toby Gerhart in their future.

Washington Redskins: Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts are getting long in the tooth. It will be time to look for a replacement. Look for Shanahan to pick some diamond in the rough in the late rounds of the draft.

Green Bay Packers: Rumors have been swirling that they could be looking for a receiving back in the draft as well. Dexter McCluster has been rumored. Joe McKnight could also be another fit here.

Detroit Lions: Kevin Smith’s injuries have opened this position up for the 2010 season and possibly beyond. I personally think LaDainian Tomlinson would be a good fit here as a stop gap until Smith gets healthy. If they can’t convince him to come, then they may go for someone in the draft. Dwyer or Mathews, whichever one Houston does not take in round 1, they could take in round 2.

Seattle Seahawks: New Coach Pete Carroll likes the home run hitting type of backs like Reggie Bush and McKnight. Look for him to get his NFL home run hitter in CJ Spiller in round 1.

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That’s because I’m already tired of Favrewatch 2010. I’m tired of hearing who the Vikings might trade for if Favre does not come back.

If he’s wearing purple boxers, does that mean he’s considering a comeback? If he’s caught eating minestrone, is that some apocalyptic sign that he’ll return to Minnesota?

When did reporting rumors and guesstimates take place of reporting actual news? There’s this thing called a Super Bowl coming up. Why not talk about that?

Listening to the endless drone of what-ifs is enough to drive even the most disciplined chinstrap ninja insane. So, to help navigate through the minefield of NFL offseason, here is how some of the biggest storylines will play out between now and Week 1. Without the drama.

Brett Favre. The ultimate sports radio fodder-feeder, Favre listened to me last year and joined the Vikings in what turned out to be his most productive season ever. While some may argue, Favre cemented his position as best QB ever, despite falling a coin toss short of a Super Bowl appearance. In the loss to New Orleans, Favre was beaten, battered and bruised and it is no surprise that he would question whether a return in 2010 is a wise decision. Many football gurus, such as Len Pascarelli, have stated on sports radio that they feel Favre will hang up his cleats. I doubt it. Favre is arguably the most competitive QB to ever strap on a helmet. Do you think he can walk away from the game after coming so excrutiatingly close to a Super Bowl? I don’t. The offseason Favre saga may be long and twisted, but I am here to tell you that once the dust has settled, No. 4 will be in Minnesota for another Purple Reign in 2010.

Kurt Warner. It was a difficult season for Warner, who struggled during stretches in 2009. He has told certain members of the media that the game is no longer fun for him. He has little left to prove. Sources at rotoworld.com predict that Warner will officially retire at a press conference Friday. I agree. The Cardinals will be a much different team in 2010, as Ken Whisenhunt starts building around a Beanie Wells ground game to replace the void of a Kurt Warner-less passing attack.

Anquan Boldin. Rumors have announced that Boldin was leaving Arizona many times in the past, but Anquan continues to suit up in red. Arizona brass have grown tired of Boldin’s rollercoaster presence on the team, including his growing trend of spending time on the injured list more than on the field. The Cardinals don’t need Boldin with the emergence of Steve Breaston and Early Doucet, and the squad is likely to become more run-oriented moving forward. The Cardinals are willing to lower their trade expectations. There are plenty of teams that could use a big-time receiving threat, including the Ravens, Dolphins, Jets, Bears and Buccaneers. I personally believe that the Jets and Bears will try to make do with their current receivers. Baltimore will land Boldin for a second-round pick.

Brandon Marshall. Is there any doubt that Marshall won’t return to the Broncos considering how the 2009 season ended in Denver? The bigger question here is where Marshall will wind up. Bill Parcells seems drawn to racy situations and Marshall could be a big boost for a young but very talented offense. Here’s projecting Marshall in Miami this year.

Michael Vick. Officially back in the NFL, and not happy with a bit role with the Eagles, Vick will be playing elsewhere this season. The Eagles have just announced that they will not be picking up Vick’s option in 2010. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Rams are a team in need of a QB upgrade with Marc Bulger basically a nonfactor. The Rams have a ton of other needs, and securing Vick at a cheap rate (perhaps a mid- to late-round pick) would allow them to focus on other weaknesses during the draft. Vick has a relationship with Rams GM Billy Devaney from their days together in Atlanta. Michael will land in St. Louis this offseason.

Donovan McNabb. Another every-season drama fest fueled by Philly fans who have historically undervalued their potential Hall of Fame QB, McNabb has been rumored to be trade fodder to teams like Minnesota (if Favre retires, which he won’t). In a Philly-based survey, fans allegedly voted they’d rather have Kevin Kolb or Michael Vick as their 2010 starting QB. Nonsense. Sorry to burst the bubble, but McNabb will again be starting under center in Philadelphia this season.

LaDanian Tomlinson. Even before LT2 bad-mouthed Norv Turner and his role on the 2009 Chargers’ offense earlier this week, the writing was on the wall that Tomlinson had played his last season in San Diego. Many who cover the Chargers feel that Tomlinson won’t have much value on the trade market, but I can definitely see a team taking a chance on Tomlinson. Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has a history of getting involved in such futile causes, but he has a quickly declining older back already on the roster in Clinton Portis. There are plenty of teams that could use a boost at running back, but my gut says Tomlinson winds up in Houston with a committee-type role with Steve Slaton and Arian Foster. Another team that could take a leap of faith on him would be Detroit, which has plenty of its own RB questions at the moment. I’m still leaning towards the Texans, though.

Marion Barber. Definitely showing signs of physical breakdown this season, and after a major breakout by Felix Jones during the playoffs, there have been major rumors surrounding the Cowboys that Barber has been put on the trade block by Dallas. However, owner Jerry Jones has stated emphatically that money will not be an issue with Barber coming back in 2010, even though he is owed an additional $4 million bonus in 2010 on top of his $3.8 million salary. I personally expect Marion to be a Cowboy yet this season, albeit in a reduced role as the ‘Boys try to keep Barber fresh for the stretch run.

Jason Campbell. The current Redskins quarterback has been the bane of Daniel Snyder for some time now, and was close to being upstaged during the last rookie draft by Mark Sanchez if the Redskins could have worked out a trade to land them an opportunity to draft the highly touted Mark Sanchez. Of course, the Jets beat them to the punch. It is pretty obvious that Campbell will be run out of town this season by some rookie QB, and will be looking for work. Meanwhile, as I mentioned earlier, Kurt Warner will retire, leaving just Matt Leinart as the heir apparent in Arizona. However, Leinart has done nothing to help his team feel confident that he can lead a championship-caliber team. I see the Cardinals adding a veteran QB to “compete” with Leinart for the starting gig. Since I already pointed out that McNabb will stay in Philly, I would expect Jason Campbell to suit up for the Cardinals in 2010 … regardless of comments out of Washington that the Skins will keep Campbell on even though he isn’t a “long-term option.”

What do you think will happen with some of the big names in the NFL this offseason? Is there someone not already on this list that you’d like to discuss? Let us know in the comments below.

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Week 4 is a quarter of the way through the fantasy season (including playoffs, which end Week 16 for most leagues) and a good time to assess your team’s situation.

Now is a crucial time to assess your team. If you’re 4-0 at this point only a disaster of a cataclysmic scale will drown your playoff hopes. Folks who are 0-4 have a monumental climb in front of them if they want to see the postseason. That being said, neither is set in stone. … Yet, because 0-5 and 5-0 seem a lot scarier and better respectively.

Depending on the number of teams in your league, the number of teams in the playoffs and the divisional setup you’ll probably need anywhere from 7 to 10 wins to make the playoffs, which makes week 4 an important mid-point in that quest.

What can you do to either keep rolling, or swim up from the depths of the winless? It’s the perfect time to take a good hard look at your team.

Where are you weak? Do you have any areas of abundance?

Obviously, to improve your team you’ll want to swap some abundance to improve your weaknesses.

Let’s start kick start this thought process with a discussion about the golden child of all fantasy circles, the running back.

Running backs

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, it’s a rare handcuff that is worth owning in this NFL economy. There are so many RBBC options that only certain handcuffs are worth owning.

Take, for instance, the new Eagles running back situation. Based on comments from coach Andy Reid it sounds like there’s going be a committee in Philly with Brian Westbrook’s return. Smart Westbrook owners who have other depth at the position to go along with rookie LeSean McCoy have some significant trade commodities to work with.

Trading Westbrook and his injury risk is the obvious option, but a better risk-reward choice is trading McCoy. McCoy’s value is much higher because he is perceived as younger, less brittle and, at least to some, better than Westbrook.

Unless you’re in a keeper or dynasty league, you trade McCoy. Trading the rookie will net you more value, and you still get to keep Westbrook, one of the most explosive fantasy players on the planet. As injury-prone as Westbrook seems, he’s played in 15 of his team’s 16 games in four of the last six seasons. In the other two seasons he missed three games and four games.

It’s also safe to assume Westbrook will stay healthier working out of a committee.

There are plenty of other players with some perceived value you might think about trading – Clinton Portis, Steve Slaton and Michael Turner come to mind.

Wide receivers

If your abundance rests at wide receiver, the rules change slightly.

It’s a little trickier because owners are reluctant to give up a good running back even for the best of receivers unless they’re completely desperate.

If desperate owners are scarce in your league, it might be best to keep the upside receivers, like DeSean Jackson, Mike Sims-Walker and Braylon Edwards and deal the studs. Package your established or overachieving receivers – like Santonio Holmes, Steve Smith (CAR) or Chad Ochocinco – along with a borderline starting-type running back to an owner for a more concrete starter.

Quarterbacks and tight ends

If you have a plethora of quarterbacks or tight ends, the situation devolves even more. Unless your league requires owners to keep multiple TEs and QBs, there are probably a handful of decent options on the waiver wire. And unless your depth is really, really strong, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a taker in a straight up deal, but this could actually work in your favor.

I come from the school of having at least one backup QB, if not two. I’ve had Donovan McNabb on my roster for too many years to know that even your McNabb fill-in gets hurt every now and again.

If you trade a stud QB riding your bench in a package deal for help elsewhere, try to get a QB back. Maybe you can get an underachieving veteran (Matt Hasselbeck) or a backup who’s getting his first chance in a starting role (Josh Johnson). Another option is to leave yourself roster space to pick up that free agent QB that is inexplicably available on the wire. You’ll thank me for having multiple QBs in a couple weeks when they tell us that Drew Brees’ sub-par games have been the result of a nagging injury. Not predicting, just saying, it could happen to anyone.

Do the opposite with tight ends. If you have both Dallas Clark and Brent Celek on your team, trade one in a package to upgrade at another position and don’t worry about getting one back. I play injury roulette with tight ends, pick one and keep playing.

I shouldn’t have to tell you that trading Clark and keeping Celek is the more risk-rewardy of the two and will net you the biggest fish in a deal.

Remember it’s RISK-reward

All of these moves should have a risk-reward clause stapled to it. You stand a chance of giving up Steve Smith (CAR) before he goes on a 6-game, 50-catch, 1,200-yard, 10 TD tear, but you also stand a chance of dealing him for good talent before he loses any more of his perceived value.

You will burn and be burned on deals, this is one of the unwritten rules of the trade. But the team with the the best lineup from top to bottom – not the one with the most bloat at one position – is the one that wins.

Me? I’m 2-2, as freaking usual, in just about every league I’m in. The only leagues where I have good depth are the two where I’m 3-1 and don’t seem to need any help at this point. Figures, right?

What’s your record? What changes are you trying to make as we speak? Let us know in the comments.

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Had several really cool posts planned for this week, and got to none of them. I want to apologize to the ninja nation for this up front.

My main article idea was to highlight several players who are in an odd do-or-die situation for Week Four. Little weird being in fantasy do-or-dies just a quarter of the way into the season, but these guys need to show us something this weekend, or face the scorn of fantasy football owners everywhere:

1. Matt Forte. Very pedestrian this season and chants of “sophomore slump” are starting to ricochet in fantasyland. This week’s matchup with Detroit is huge for Forte and his owners. Bounce back in a big way and soothe anxious fantasy owners, or flop against one of the most porous run defenses and see Forte’s value drop like a sack of red potatoes.

2. Steve Slaton. Another sophomore slump candidate, Slaton at least showed a little life last week. Time time, he is facing perhaps the easiest defense he’s seen this year. The Texans will feed the ball to Slaton … if he struggles to provide stats, it could be a long season for Slaton owners.

3. Rashard Mendenhall. Willie Parker is out with an injury. Mendenhall was in Mike Tomlin’s doghouse last week and has been and overall fantasy flop. This is his one opportunity to show everyone that he’s not the Steelers’ version of Curtis Enis. Those who have Mendy in dynasty leagues will find out quick if they made a wise investment, or if Mendenhall will reek of bust.

4. Clinton Portis. Perhaps past his “do-or-die” opportunity, Portis is struggling with some injures and is questionable for today’s game. The Giants shredded the Buccaneers on the ground, and if Portis plays, he needs to show everyone that he has the ability to bounce back stat-wise.

5. Brett Favre. The spotlight will be solely on him, and if he’s smart, he’ll do everything possible to turn that spotlight onto Adrian Peterson for this game. Sure Favre will be super motivated to do well, but he also struggles when he feels the need to throw everyone on his back and start chucking the ball everywhere. A poor performance here, and Favre will be dreaming of days back on his ranch mowing grass and wearing Wrangler jeans.

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Lot’s of talking points, so less introduction, more box scores reviews:

Redskins 14, Lions 19

Jason Campbell threw for 340 yards, 2 TDs and an INT in the loss. It was a great matchup and he delivered. Clinton Portis did not deliver, in fact it might have been better if had stayed at home.

Rookie QB Matthew Stafford got his first win as a Lion. So did second-year RB Kevin Smith. Still not much news on the shoulder injury I discussed yesterday.

I mentioned Bryant Johnson towards the end of the preseason because Calvin Johnson’s going to draw attention and the Lions are going to have to throw. He had a TD and I’d consider Johnson rosterable in deep leagues.

Packers 36, Rams 17

Anybody watching or monitoring this game online were introduced to John Kuhn and Daniel Fells. Who? Exactly. Each scored two TDs.

Kuhn is Green Bay’s fullback, he caught one and ran for one. Fells is a Rams tight end, he caught 2 TDs. Neither did anything else notable, but if either gets targeted again in the red zone, they might be a flex-filler if your faced with a really painful bye situation.

Greg Jennings only had three targets, but made one catch for 50 yards and another for 53. Donald Driver led the Packers in targets (7) and made the most of it, catching 4 for 95 and a TD.

Steven Jackson went 27-117, but also led the team with five catches and eight targets. He is the only Rams player worth owning at this point, especially now that Laurent Robinson is done for the year.

49ers 24, Vikings 27

So many things from this game. I already talked about how Brett Favre thought it was 1995 again yesterday, but I need to talk about Percy Harvin right now. He’s an impressive athlete who, so far, has avoided the injury reputation he had coming out of college.

Harvin is fast and has been a great addition to the Vikings special teams, but take away his two TD catches – which were hardly long game-breakers – and he’s been mediocre. Maybe he’s the second coming of Cris Carter and all he does is catch touchdowns. Maybe he’s the second coming of Deion Branch. Maybe we shouldn’t jump to conclusions and call him anything yet.

Adrian Peterson got “shut down” last week by the Lions and again this week by the 49ers. OK, he’s still helping teams win, but for anyone who spent 1.01 on him, you have to be a little disappointed.

Fantasy owners who stuck with Vernon Davis – count me out of that group – were rewarded yesterday when the much discussed TE pulled off a 7-96-2 line. While monitoring Twitter yesterday, one came across that said “Vernon Davis is taking over.” Who else is going to take over for them. Isaac Bruce? Josh Morgan. I’d pick up Davis, especially if you have a crud backup TE on your roster. And by crud, I mean Anthony Fasano.

Frank Gore tweaked his ankle. He’s a brittle running back who can be phenomenal when healthy. Smart Gore owners drafted Glen Coffee, who despite a mediocre showing against a great run defense still got 25 carries. Check your waiver wire today or tomorrow and get you some if he’s available, Gores’ gonna miss a couple weeks.

Falcons 10, Patriots 26

Michael Jenkins, Fred Taylor, Chris Baker, Randy Moss – which one of these doesn’t belong? Moss, right? Nobody expected Jenkins, Taylor and Baker to be the big difference makers Sunday, but they were.

Roddy White continues his horrible start to the season, 4 catches for only 24 yards, giving him 15-119-1 through three games.

Michael Turner has been equally unimpressive. Take away his TD on Sunday and he only earned you 5.6 fantasy points. If you get penalized for lost fumbles, make that 4.6. That’s hardly first-round RB material.

Stephen Gostkowski was helpful for fantasy owners yesterday: 4-for-4 FGs, 2-for-2 XPs.

Titans 17, Jets 24

Take away Mark Sanchez’s rushing TD and his performance Sunday wasn’t that impressive from a fantasy perspective. But his team’s 3-0, he’s only going to get better and he’s already on pace for a solid rookie campaign. Dynasty leaguers might be smart to overpay a little for him now before he has a 300-yard, 3 TD game and becomes overpriced.

On Sunday, Jerricho Cotchery had 12 targets, twice as many as any of his teammates. He made 8 catches for 108 yards and a score. Chanzi Stuckey, who was second with six targets only caught two for 11. The biggest thing holding Sanchez back right now is this receiving corps.

Chris Johnson was good, but only good this week against one of the best run defenses in the league. LenDale White ran in a TD. They finished with 10.5 and 8.5 fantasy points respectively.

Nate Washington caught a TD pass, but only had two total catches for 25 yards. Kenny Britt is still the only receiver I want from this team because he’s the only one with upside.

Chiefs 14, Eagles 34

I gushed over DeSean Jackson in the Monday update, but Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy need some love too.

Celek had his second consecutive 8-catch, 104-yard performance. This week he added a TD. He was a Chinstrap Ninjas sleeper since very early in the preseason based on his postseason performance in 2008. He’s definitely living up to expectations.

Much preseason hype was heaped on McCoy, and Brian Westbrook owners probably had to reach a little for him if they wanted insurance. Anybody who took out that policy reaped the rewards Sunday. McCoy seems to be the real deal. Now there’s talk of an RBBC with McCoy and Westbrook, when he comes back. While that sounds bad, both of these guys only need a couple touches to break big plays. And if it keeps Westbrook healthy, I’m all for it.

Matt Cassel threw 2 TDs and completed 14 of 18 passes but had only 90 yards. The Chiefs are a bad, bad team.

Giants 24, Buccaneers 0

Byron Leftwich was so pathetic against the Giants, coach Raheem Morris decided to demote him to third string and promote Josh Johnson to starter.

How bad was he? 7-for-16, 22 yards and an interception. Except for maybe Cadillac Williams you don’t want to start any Buccaneers players until we see what Johnson can do.

Meanwhile, the Giants offense was all sorts of awesome. Ahmad Bradshaw had more than 100 yards rushing, Brandon Jacobs had 92 and a TD and Steve Smith caught all seven of his targets for 63 yards and a TD.

Mario Manningham, who some people had started calling Super Mario after Week 2’s performance against Dallas, only had 4 catches for 55 yards. But, he was targeted seven times, just like Smith.

Browns 3, Ravens 34

Joe Flacco and Derrick Mason were the biggest surprises out of this bunch.

Based on the matchups, I never would have expected Flacco to throw for 342 yards. He hit Mason 5 times for 118 yards and a score.

Mason had eight targets, Ray Rice had seven and Mark Clayton and Kelley Washington had six each.

The Browns struggled running the ball against the Ravens without Jamal Lewis, and starting QB Brady Quinn was benched for Derek Anderson, who promptly came in and threw three interceptions.

Jaguars 31, Texans 24

It shouldn’t have been a surprise to see Maurice Jones-Drew and Matt Schaub have excellent games, that was expected based on their matchups.

However, there were a handful of surprises. I like Mike Sims-Walker to be at least a decent flex play for the rest of the season. He had 6 catches for 81 yards.

Kevin Walter came back from his injury and proved why he shouldn’t have been ranked so low all those months ago. His line 7-96-1 on seven targets.

And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Walter returned the same week Steve Slaton put up his first respectable numbers of the season.

Bears 25, Seahawks 19

First off, those Seahawks uniforms could be seen from space. Whether they’re awful or not I leave up to you, but they were bright.

As I said yesterday, Julius Jones seems to like them. Nate Burleson 9-109-0 with 12 targets, does too. TJ Houshmandzadeh? Not so much.

For the Monsters of the Midway, the continued struggles of Matt Forte is notable, as is the 3-TD game by Jay Cutler. Devin Hester, Greg Olsen and Johnny Knox all caught TDs. Hester and Earl Bennett had good yardage totals as well.

I’m sure you all heard enough about Olindo Mare’s struggles. At least he did make four FGs for fantasy owners.

Saints 27, Bills 7

Hey, where’s TO? After the game, Terrell Owens tweeted from the locker room that he was just trying to figure out what he could do to help this team. Let’s hope it’s sincere. The Bills were mediocre across the board, even Fred Jackson never really got on track.

Meanwhile, as mentioned yesterday, Drew Brees was rather pedestrian against Buffalo. They sacked him twice, hit him three other times and knocked down four passes.

Despite all that, Pierre Thomas announced his presence with authority (14-126-2), scoring a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to put the game away.

Steelers 20, Bengals 23

Maybe it’s best if Willie Parker doesn’t have good games. The world champion Steelers lost to the Bengals.

It’s really not as bad as it sounds though. The Bengals defense continued its good play, Johnathan Joseph had a pick-6. They sacked Ben Roethlisberger once, hit him four other times and knocked down three passes.

The QB still finished with fairly respectable numbers, hit Hines Ward with four passes for 82 yards and turned Mike Wallace into a likely waiver wire candidate after he had a 7-102 line with eight targets.

Speaking of targets, it’s worth noting that Chad Ochocinco had 11, Andre Caldwell had 9 and Laveraneus Coles had 7. Meanwhile, Chris Henry, of mercurial preseason fame, had three targets. I’m thisclose to cutting Henry on a couple teams.

Broncos 23, Raiders 3

As if Darren McFadden hasn’t been bad enough, he also had three fumbles and lost one on Sunday. I wonder what the ratio of cause to sucktitude is. I figure the four key components are: McFadden’s talent, the playcalling, offensive line play and general Raiderness.

JaMarcus Russell watch!: 12/21, 61 yards, 2 INTs, 22.6 QB rating.

Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter combined for 35 carries and 198 yards. Buckhalter was the more impressive of the two, but this thing is a full blown committee until one of them gets hurt.

Brandon Marshall went 5-67-1 and led the team with seven targets.

Dolphins 13, Chargers 23

The big news here was Chad Pennington’s injury. I read a report today that he could be out for the rest of the season. If that’s the case, Miami’s best bet is to just run Ronnie Brown wildcat all game.

Chad Henne was awful in relief of Pennington and I don’t think it’s going to get any better.

Ricky Williams had 84 total yards and a TD and Brown finished with 115 total yards. Davone Bess continued to rack up the catches, hauling in seven for 54yards.

The Week 3 Darren Sproles is the one I expect to see most games. Forty yards rushing and a couple catches. Philip Rivers (303 yards passing, rushing TD) and Vincent Jackson (5-120-0) had good games.

Colts 31, Cardinals 10

That smell is Icy/Hot on Kurt Warner’s shoulder. He threw 52 times and finished with 332 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. And that wasn’t even the most painful part.

The Colts defense had four sacks, 10 QB hits and batted down six passes.

At least Warner did the best he could getting his throws to the right places: 13 targets in Larry Fitzgerald’s direction, 11 to Anquan Boldin and 10 to Steve Breaston. They all had good days, but Boldin’s TD made him the one to own this week.

Everybody probably knows – and if you read Chinstrap Ninjas yesterday, you do – that Peyton Manning shredded the Cardinals’ defense. Reggie Wayne had a great game. Dallas Clark had a 7-62-1 line and Pierre Garcon went 3-64-1.

The RBBC situation was much discussed in fantasy circles last week, so here’s how it all played out: Donald Brown had 11.2 points in standard scoring. Joseph Addai had 13.1. A relative push. If Brown wouldn’t have had a 71-yard catch, his numbers would have been less impressive. Then again, if Addai wouldn’t have had a short TD catch, his wouldn’t either.

Panthers 7, Cowboys 21

Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme are not friends right now. I didn’t see much of the game while at work, but I overheard one broadcaster say Delhomme’s INTs weren’t his fault.

Smith made four catches, but had an unSmith-like 9.5 yards per catch.

Dante Rosario scored the Panthers only TD. Another guy for your fantasy TEBC if you will.

If the Panthers wouldn’t be so awful, DeAngelo Williams might get a chance to rack up some yards. He had 64 on 5.8 per in the game.

The Cowboys defense clinched the win on Terrence Newman’s pick-6, but Tashard Choice and Felix Jones were impressive in Marion Barber’s absence.

Choice got the bulk of the carries (18-82-1) had four catches for 36 yards and scored a two-point conversion. Jones finished with more rushing yards on half as many carries (8-94-0) and made one 20-yard catch.

Cowboys TE Jason Witten led all receivers with a 9-77-0 line and Roy Williams had four catches for 75 yards.

Another long wall of text. Probably going to skip the box score reviews next week. There’s got to be a more digestable format. Maybe a post per game? Maybe just a player update post? What do the ninjas think?

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While many saner fantasy “experts” would urge patience and caution before jumping into the trading market, I’m recommending that all owners to channel their ninja senses and go for the trade-button jugular.

This is mainly because of what is lining up to be a major value wave among the ranks of fantasy elite after the first two weeks of action.

Below are players who should figure heavily into trade discussions sooner rather than later.

1. Matt Forte. A horrific start for the Bears second-year player has many whispering about a sophomore slump. What many may overlook is that Forte started the season against two very solid run defenses and has weathered a period of transition in the passing game as Jay Cutler and company work to define their roles. Forte will burst back into the fantasy scene this week against a Seattle defense that has been shredded on the ground (most recently by Frank Gore). If you’ve been slow to trading in the past, this is the one opportunity you don’t want to drag your feet on. Many may be slow to deal him so early in the season, but then again, people who drafted Forte are likely facing an 0-3 start to the season — plenty of reason to panic.

2. Steve Slaton. The Texans have been on an offensive roller coaster ride so far this season, but Slaton has been the one constant — constantly stale. Two weeks, two excessively poor performances. Slaton is a harder case to judge (than Forte), in my opinion. He faced one of the most under-rated defenses in football in the Jets in week one, and ran against a stingy Titans defense last week … one that was much more susceptible to the pass than the run. His three fumbles are worrisome, as are comments from coach Kubiak that the Texans should have considered Cedric Benson this offseason. Regardless, Slaton is too talented not to turn it around at least somewhat, and has a slate of games now schedule-wise that he should be able to exploit (Jaguars, Raiders, Cardinals, Bengals). He’s too bargain-basement not to throw some offers out for at this point, I just worry that he sees more struggles this season that Matt Forte will.

3. Clinton Portis. I said before that these are players who should be involved in trade discussions, and Portis is an interesting case. Everyone considers the name Portis to be synonymous with consistency from a fantasy standpoint, and for years that was the case. He did tank it as the season progressed last year and has been mediocre at best in 2009. His stats against the Rams last week was disheartening, but he still should rebound mightily against the Lions this week. After that, however, I would recommend floating his name around your league to see what interest is out there. If Portis does light things up in Week three, he could be a solid bartering piece for you to land a younger, long-term option for the rest of the long haul.

4. Aaron Rodgers. It pains me to say this in public, but I have severe concerns for Rodgers after watching my beloved Packers after two weeks of action. The O-line and the overall pass blocking is atrocious. He spent more time in the grass last week than my push mower does in a month. If this keeps up, the biggest question about Rodgers won’t be how many TDs he chucks or yards he passes for, but how long until he is hampered by a major injury. This week, the Packers, and Rodgers in particular, should fare pretty well against the Rams. However, after that, the team hits a tough part of the scheduling starting with a Week four Monday night game against the Vikings. I would strongly consider dealing Rodgers after this week for a under-rated fantasy QB such as Matt Ryan.

5. Michael Turner. Drafted in the top three of most fantasy leagues, Turner has put up pedestrian numbers the first two weeks of the season. Considering his campaign last year and the slow start to 2009, he should be a buy-low candidate, right? Not so fast. First, he’s basically a non-factor in the Falcons passing game, limiting his value in PPR leagues. Secondly, his big saving grace last year were the 17 rushing touchdowns. This year, the addition of Tony Gonzalez along with a more prolific passing attack in general will logically eat away at Turner’s scoring opportunities. Will he still have big games? Sure! Will be he one of the top three scoring running backs in fantasyland? I’m not so sure.

6. Pierre Thomas. Pierre was primed for big numbers until bitten in the preseason by the injury bug. He sat on the sidelines and watched Mike Bell garner all the stats and attention that Thomas was due. In a weird twist of fate, Bell is now the one injured and Thomas is on the verge of headlining the rushing game. A good time to buy Pierre and hope that he starts fast out of the gates to keep Bell at bay.

7. Anthony Gonzalez. As most anyone who watches football knows by this point, Gonzalez’s promising 2009 season was sidetracked by a sprained PCL. He’ll be out another month or so. However, when he does come back, Gonzalez has the makings of a solid sleeper receiver in an offense geared towards the pass. If you are in a dynasty league, you should definitely be making some offers for AGonzo. However, even in redraft leagues for the right price, the young Colts receiver would be a good player to stash away for a rainy day when your team is making a push for a playoff spot.

8. Joe Flacco. After two weeks of play, which QB has 500 yards passing and five touchdowns? No one would have guessed that Flacco would be in this category. There is a reason for that — the Ravens have always been a run-first, pass-second offense. Flacco adds a new dimension to the offense, but the Ravens have several able-bodied running backs in Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain and a lackluster group of receivers. Flacco’s numbers will slip in the near future, and now may be a good time to deal him for a Matt Ryan or even a Matt Schaub, if you can.

9. Tim Hightower. The Cardinals running back has been a statistical fireworks display in PPR leagues thanks to a ton of receiving yards and opportunities in the offense. However, Arizona will be a different team when Anquan Boldin is on the field and fully healthy, limiting Hightower’s numbers in the passing game. Also, the Cardinals will continue to inject more and more of rookie Beanie Wells into the offensive scheme. Depending on which players you can get for Hightower, he may be a guy worth dangling in trade talks.

10. Knowshon Moreno. It was bound to happen sooner rather than later for the most talented running back on the Broncos roster. Moreno, a rookie, was given 17 carries and capitalized for 75 yards along with two catches for 22 additional yards through the air. This may have gone unnoticed in mostly redraft leagues due to lack of touchdowns … something that will change as Moreno has more and more opportunities to flash his talent on the field.

Want more sound fantasy advice? Check out ninja ep’s Week 2 recap, a box-by-box review of each Week 2 game with individualized fantasy analysis, charts and analysis on points allowed by position after Week 2 and a detailed discussion on the NFL’s most targeted players after two weeks of play.

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