TMS Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings 2010

Alright, here is the full set of rankings for all positions. As with previous years, these rankings are for standard 5x5 scoring leagues.

Updated: 2/22/2010

CATCHER

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Joe Mauer, MIN	16.	John Baker, FLA
2.	Brian McCann, ATL	17.	Carlos Ruiz, PHI
3.	Victor Martinez, CLE	18.	Ramon Hernandez, CIN
4.	Matt Wieters, BAL	19.	Kelly Shoppach, TB
5.	Miguel Montero, ARI	20.	Miguel Olivo, COL
6.	Jorge Posada, NYY	21.	Rod Barajas, FA
7.	Russell Martin, LAD	22.	Buster Posey, SF
8.	Mike Napoli, ANA	23.	Jarrod Saltalamacchia, TEX
9.	Kurt Suzuki, OAK	24.	Jeff Clement, PIT
10.	Geovany Soto, CHC	25.	Ivan Rodriguez, WAS
11.	Bengie Molina, SF	26.	Dioner Navarro, TB
12.	Ryan Doumit, PIT	27.	Jesus Flores, WAS
13.	Yadier Molina, STL	28.	John Buck, TOR
14.	A.J. Pierzynski, CHW	29.	Gerald Laird, DET
15.	Chris Iannetta, COL	30.	Carlos Santana, CLE

On the edge of the radar: Nick Hundley SD, J.R. Towles HOU, Alex Avila DET, Taylor Teagarden TEX, Chris Snyder ARI, Gregg Zaun MIL, Yorvit Torrealba SD


FIRST BASE

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Albert Pujols, STL	16.	Adam Dunn, WAS
2.	Prince Fielder, MIL	17.	Carlos Pena, TB
3.	Miguel Cabrera, DET	18.	Billy Butler, KC
4.	Mark Teixeira, NYY	19.	Michael Cuddyer, MIN
5.	Ryan Howard, PHI	20.	Jose Lopez, SEA
6.	Adrian Gonzalez, SD	21.	James Loney, LAD
7.	Mark Reynolds, ARI	22.	Jorge Cantu, FLA
8.	Justin Morneau, MIN	23.	Chris Davis, TEX
9.	Kevin Youkilis, BOS	24.	Todd Helton, COL
10.	Joey Votto, CIN	25.	Adam LaRoche, ARI
11.	Pablo Sandoval, SF	26.	Paul Konerko, CHW
12.	Kendry Morales, ANA	27.	Garrett Jones, PIT
13.	Victor Martinez, CLE	28.	Nick Swisher, NYY
14.	Lance Berkman, HOU	29.	Nick Johnson, NYY
15.	Derrek Lee, CHC	30.	Martin Prado, ATL

On the edge of the radar: Aubrey Huff SF, Mark DeRosa SF, Russell Branyan CLE


SECOND BASE

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Chase Utley, PHI	16.	Martin Prado, ATL
2.	Ian Kinsler, TEX	17.	Clint Barmes, COL
3.	Dustin Pedroia, BOS	18.	Kelly Johnson, ARI
4.	Brian Roberts, BAL	19.	Orlando Hudson, MIN
5.	Robinson Cano, NYY	20.	Casey McGehee, MIL
6.	Aaron Hill, TOR	21.	Felipe Lopez, FA
7.	Brandon Phillips, CIN	22.	Mark Ellis, OAK
8.	Ben Zobrist, TB	23.	Akinori Iwamura, PIT
9.	Dan Uggla, FLA	24.	Scott Sizemore, DET
10.	Jose Lopez, SEA	25.	Luis Castillo, NYM
11.	Howie Kendrick, ANA	26.	Kazuo Matsui, HOU
12.	Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE	27.	Freddy Sanchez, SF
13.	Ian Stewart, COL	28.	Maicer Izturis, ANA
14.	Rickie Weeks, MIL	29.	Alberto Callaspo, KC
15.	Placido Polanco, PHI	30.	Skip Schumaker, STL

On the edge of the radar: Adam Kennedy OAK, Chris Getz CHW, Luis Valbuena CLE, Ronnie Belliard LAD, Eric Young COL


THIRD BASE

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Alex Rodriguez, NYY	16.	Chris Davis, TEX
2.	Evan Longoria, TB	17.	Mark DeRosa, SF
3.	David Wright, NYM	18.	Alex Gordon, KC
4.	Mark Reynolds, ARI	19.	Jhonny Peralta, CLE
5.	Ryan Zimmerman, WAS	20.	Casey Blake, LAD
6.	Kevin Youkilis, BOS	21.	Martin Prado, ATL
7.	Pablo Sandoval, SF	22.	Kevin Kouzmanoff, OAK
8.	Aramis Ramirez, CHC	23.	Chase Headley, SD
9.	Chone Figgins, SEA	24.	Casey McGehee, MIL
10.	Michael Young, TEX	25.	Edwin Encarnacion, TOR
11.	Gordon Beckham, CHW	26.	Mark Teahen, CHW
12.	Chipper Jones, ATL	27.	Scott Rolen, CIN
13.	Jorge Cantu, FLA	28.	Garrett Atkins, BAL
14.	Adrian Beltre, BOS	29.	Mike Lowell, BOS
15.	Ian Stewart, COL	30.	Brandon Wood, ANA

On the edge of the radar: Brandon Inge DET, Andy LaRoche PIT, Brett Wallace TOR, David Freese STL, Troy Glaus ATL, Mat Gamel MIL


SHORTSTOP

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Hanley Ramirez, FLA	16.	Jhonny Peralta, CLE
2.	Troy Tulowitzki, COL	17.	Marco Scutaro, BOS
3.	Jose Reyes, NYM	18.	Alcides Escobar, MIL
4.	Jimmy Rollins, PHI	19.	Everth Cabrera, SD
5.	Derek Jeter, NYY	20.	Erick Aybar, ANA
6.	Jason Bartlett, TB	21.	J.J. Hardy, MIN
7.	Alexei Ramirez, CHW	22.	Maicer Izturis, ANA
8.	Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE	23.	Cristian Guzman, WAS
9.	Yunel Escobar, ATL	24.	Ian Desmond, WAS
10.	Elvis Andrus, TEX	25.	Edgar Renteria, SF
11.	Stephen Drew, ARI	26.	Luis Valbuena, CLE
12.	Miguel Tejada, BAL	27.	Cliff Pennington, OAK
13.	Rafael Furcal, LAD	28.	Brendan Ryan, STL
14.	Ryan Theriot, CHC	29.	Juan Uribe, SF
15.	Orlando Cabrera, CIN	30.	Jack Wilson, SEA

On the edge of the radar: Mike Aviles KC, Emilio Bonifacio FLA, Yuniesky Betancourt KC, Willie Bloomquist KC, Julio Lugo STL, Alex Gonzalez TOR


OUTFIELD

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Ryan Braun, MIL	31.	Raul Ibanez, PHI
2.	Matt Kemp, LAD	32.	Alex Rios, CHW
3.	Carl Crawford, TB	33.	Alfonso Soriano, CHC
4.	Matt Holliday, STL	34.	Denard Span, MIN
5.	Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS	35.	Michael Bourn, HOU
6.	Justin Upton, ARI	36.	Carlos Beltran, NYM
7.	Grady Sizemore, CLE	37.	Jay Bruce, CIN
8.	Jayson Werth, PHI	38.	Nyjer Morgan, WAS
9.	Ichiro Suzuki, SEA	39.	Carlos Gonzalez, COL
10.	Curtis Granderson, NYY	40.	Jason Kubel, MIN
11.	Jason Bay, NYM	41.	Johnny Damon, DET
12.	Adam Lind, TOR	42.	Brad Hawpe, COL
13.	Nick Markakis, BAL	43.	Michael Cuddyer, MIN
14.	Andre Ethier, LAD	44.	Julio Borbon, TEX
15.	B.J. Upton, TB	45.	Ryan Ludwick, STL
16.	Carlos Lee, HOU	46.	Chris Coghlan, FLA
17.	Manny Ramirez, LAD	47.	Vladimir Guerrero, TEX
18.	Bobby Abreu, ANA	48.	Corey Hart, MIL
19.	Nelson Cruz, TEX	49.	Rajai Davis, OAK
20.	Josh Hamilton, TEX	50.	Vernon Wells, TOR
21.	Shane Victorino, PHI	51.	Franklin Gutierrez, SEA
22.	Shin-Soo Choo, CLE	52.	Nolan Reimold, BAL
23.	Ben Zobrist, TB	53.	Juan Pierre, CHW
24.	Torii Hunter, ANA	54.	Dexter Fowler, COL
25.	Hunter Pence, HOU	55.	Juan Rivera, ANA
26.	Adam Jones, BAL	56.	Cody Ross, FLA
27.	Adam Dunn, WAS	57.	Mark DeRosa, SF
28.	Andrew McCutchen, PIT	58.	Garrett Jones, PIT
29.	Carlos Quentin, CHW	59.	Drew Stubbs, CIN
30.	Nate McLouth, ATL	60.	Jermaine Dye, FA

On the edge of the radar: Nick Swisher NYY, J.D. Drew BOS, Brett Gardner NYY, Lastings Milledge PIT, Delmon Young MIN, Kyle Blanks SD, Magglio Ordonez DET, Colby Rasmus STL, Chris Young ARI, Travis Snider TOR, David DeJesus KC, Cameron Maybin FLA, Josh Willingham WAS


STARTING PITCHER

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Tim Lincecum, SF	41.	Carlos Zambrano, CHC
2.	Roy Halladay, PHI	42.	Scott Kazmir, ANA
3.	Zack Greinke, KC	43.	Ted Lilly, CHC
4.	Felix Hernandez, SEA	44.	Edwin Jackson, ARI
5.	CC Sabathia, NYY	45.	Clay Buchholz, BOS
6.	Dan Haren, ARI	46.	David Price, TB
7.	Justin Verlander, DET	47.	Tim Hudson, ATL
8.	Adam Wainwright, STL	48.	Mark Buehrle, CHW
9.	Johan Santana, NYM	49.	Randy Wolf, MIL
10.	Jon Lester, BOS	50.	Jorge De La Rosa, COL
11.	Chris Carpenter, STL	51.	Kevin Slowey, MIN
12.	Cliff Lee, SEA	52.	Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS
13.	Josh Johnson, FLA	53.	Rick Porcello, DET
14.	Josh Beckett, BOS	54.	Aaron Harang, CIN
15.	Javier Vazquez, NYY	55.	Hiroki Kuroda, LAD
16.	Cole Hamels, PHI	56.	Johnny Cueto, CIN
17.	Yovani Gallardo, MIL	57.	Ben Sheets, OAK
18.	Matt Cain, SF	58.	Jeff Niemann, TB
19.	Tommy Hanson, ATL	59.	Jonathan Sanchez, SF
20.	Ubaldo Jimenez, COL	60.	Derek Lowe, ATL
21.	Wandy Rodriguez, HOU	61.	Joe Blanton, PHI
22.	Jake Peavy, CHW	62.	Wade Davis, TB
23.	Clayton Kershaw, LAD	63.	J.A. Happ, PHI
24.	Ricky Nolasco, FLA	64.	Joba Chamberlain, NYY
25.	Chad Billingsley, LAD	65.	Ervin Santana, ANA
26.	John Lackey, BOS	66.	Joel Pineiro, ANA
27.	Jered Weaver, ANA	67.	Andy Pettitte, NYY
28.	Matt Garza, TB	68.	Bronson Arroyo, CIN
29.	Jair Jurrjens, ATL	69.	Francisco Liriano, MIN
30.	James Shields, TB	70.	Scott Feldman, TEX
31.	Scott Baker, MIN	71.	Chris Young, SD
32.	Brandon Webb, ARI	72.	Joe Saunders, ANA
33.	A.J. Burnett, NYY	73.	John Maine, NYM
34.	Roy Oswalt, HOU	74.	Erik Bedard, SEA
35.	Ryan Dempster, CHC	75.	Randy Wells, CHC
36.	John Danks, CHW	76.	Stephen Strasburg, WAS
37.	Brett Anderson, OAK	77.	Phil Hughes, NYY
38.	Max Scherzer, DET	78.	Mat Latos, SD
39.	Gavin Floyd, CHW	79.	Gil Meche, KC
40.	Rich Harden, TEX	80.	Brian Matusz, BAL

On the edge of the radar: Brett Myers HOU, Barry Zito SF, Kevin Correia SD, Colby Lewis TEX, Ricky Romero TOR, Homer Bailey CIN, Justin Masterson CLE, Chris Tillman BAL, Gio Gonzalez OAK, Trevor Cahill OAK, Neftali Feliz TEX, Jason Marquis WAS, Jon Garland SD, Brad Penny STL, Derek Holland TEX, Kevin Millwood BAL, Paul Maholm PIT, Jeremy Bonderman DET, Pedro Martinez FA, Aaron Cook COL, Nick Blackburn MIN, Ryan Rowland-Smith SEA, Brad Bergesen BAL, John Lannan WAS, Zach Duke PIT, Madison Bumgarner SF, Brandon Morrow TOR, Jeremy Guthrie BAL, Jarrod Washburn DET, Carl Pavano MIN, Ross Ohlendorf PIT


RELIEF PITCHER

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Jonathan Broxton, LAD	21.	Frank Francisco, TEX
2.	Joe Nathan, MIN	22.	Chad Qualls, ARI
3.	Mariano Rivera, NYY	23.	Kerry Wood, CLE
4.	Jonathan Papelbon, BOS	24.	Mike Gonzalez, BAL
5.	Francisco Rodriguez, NYM	25.	Brad Lidge, PHI
6.	Heath Bell, SD	26.	Leo Nunez, FLA
7.	Joakim Soria, KC	27.	Matt Capps, WAS
8.	Andrew Bailey, OAK	28.	Octavio Dotel, PIT
9.	Brian Wilson, SF	29.	Brandon Lyon, HOU
10.	Huston Street, COL	30.	Matt Thornton, CHW
11.	Francisco Cordero, CIN	31.	Jason Frasor, TOR
12.	Jose Valverde, DET	32.	Phil Hughes, NYY
13.	Carlos Marmol, CHC	33.	Neftali Feliz, TEX
14.	Trevor Hoffman, MIL	34.	J.P. Howell, TB
15.	David Aardsma, SEA	35.	Matt Lindstrom, HOU
16.	Brian Fuentes, ANA	36.	Kevin Gregg, TOR
17.	Rafael Soriano, TB	37.	Ryan Madson, PHI
18.	Billy Wagner, ATL	38.	Scott Downs, TOR
19.	Bobby Jenks, CHW	39.	Jim Johnson, BAL
20.	Ryan Franklin, STL	40.	Michael Wuertz, OAK

On the edge of the radar: Luke Gregerson SD, C.J. Wilson TEX, Fernando Rodney ANA, Chris Perez CLE, Mike MacDougal FLA, Joel Hanrahan PIT, Juan Gutierrez ARI, Todd Coffey MIL, Daniel Bard BOS, Mike Adams SD

TMS Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings 2010

I'm just starting to get my positional rankings together for the new season. Here are the first drafts for Catcher, First Base and Second Base. I will have the other positions up in the coming days.

CATCHER

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Joe Mauer, MIN	16.	John Baker, FLA
2.	Victor Martinez, CLE	17.	Kelly Shoppach, TB
3.	Brian McCann, ATL	18.	Miguel Olivo, COL
4.	Matt Wieters, BAL	19.	Carlos Ruiz, PHI
5.	Russell Martin, LAD	20.	Jarrod Saltalamacchia, TEX
6.	Jorge Posada, NYY	21.	Ramon Hernandez, CIN
7.	Kurt Suzuki, KC	22.	Rod Barajas, FA
8.	Miguel Montero, ARI	23.	Jesus Flores, WAS
9.	Mike Napoli, ANA	24.	Jeff Clement, SEA
10.	Ryan Doumit, PIT	25.	John Buck, TOR
11.	Geovany Soto, CHC	26.	Ivan Rodriguez, WAS
12.	Bengie Molina, SF	27.	Buster Posey, SF
13.	Yadier Molina, STL	28.	Gerald Laird, DET
14.	A.J. Pierzynski, CHW	29.	Lou Marson, CLE
15.	Chris Iannetta, COL	30.	Taylor Teagarden, TEX

On the edge of the radar: Jason Kendall KC, Nick Hundley SD, Dioner Navarro TB


FIRST BASE

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Albert Pujols, STL	16.	Adam Dunn, WAS
2.	Prince Fielder, MIL	17.	Carlos Pena, TB
3.	Miguel Cabrera, DET	18.	Billy Butler, KC
4.	Ryan Howard, PHI	19.	Michael Cuddyer, MIN
5.	Mark Teixeira, NYY	20.	Jose Lopez, SEA
6.	Mark Reynolds, ARI	21.	James Loney, LAD
7.	Adrian Gonzalez, SD	22.	Jorge Cantu, FLA
8.	Kevin Youkilis, BOS	23.	Garrett Jones, PIT
9.	Pablo Sandoval, SF	24.	Adam LaRoche, ARI
10.	Kendry Morales, ANA	25.	Todd Helton, COL
11.	Justin Morneau, MIN	26.	Paul Konerko, CHW
12.	Joey Votto, CIN	27.	Chris Davis, TEX
13.	Victor Martinez, CLE	28.	Nick Swisher, NYY
14.	Derrek Lee, CHC	29.	Nick Johnson, NYY
15.	Lance Berkman, HOU	30.	Carlos Delgado, FA

On the edge of the radar: Martin Prado ATL, Aubrey Huff SF, Casey Kotchman SEA, Russell Branyan FA


SECOND BASE

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Chase Utley, PHI	16.	Kelly Johnson, ARI
2.	Ian Kinsler, TEX	17.	Clint Barmes, COL
3.	Dustin Pedroia, BOS	18.	Martin Prado, ATL
4.	Robinson Cano, NYY	19.	Scott Sizemore, DET
5.	Aaron Hill, TOR	20.	Orlando Hudson, FA
6.	Brian Roberts, BAL	21.	Felipe Lopez, FA
7.	Brandon Phillips, CIN	22.	Alberto Callaspo, KC
8.	Ben Zobrist, TB	23.	Luis Castillo, NYM
9.	Dan Uggla, FLA	24.	Casey McGehee, MIL
10.	Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE	25.	Maicer Izturis, ANA
11.	Howie Kendrick, ANA	26.	Mark Ellis, OAK
12.	Jose Lopez, SEA	27.	Kazuo Matsui, HOU
13.	Ian Stewart, COL	28.	Akinori Iwamura, PIT
14.	Rickie Weeks, MIL	29.	Freddy Sanchez, SF
15.	Placido Polanco, PHI	30.	Skip Schumaker, STL

On the edge of the radar: Adam Kennedy OAK, Luis Valbuena CLE, Ronnie Belliard LAD, Chris Getz CHW, Jeff Baker CHC, Eugenio Velez SF

The Fantasy Hangover: Week 2

Welcome to the week 2 of the Fantasy Hangover. We'll go over all the ups and downs this past weekend in fantasy football.

The Golden Chalice Full of Hennessy
Player of the Week

Chris Johnson (RB - TEN): 197 yards rushing, 87 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns is more than enough to give Johnson his first Golden Chalice of the season. All 3 touchdowns were over 50 yards. Johnson owners likely won their week 2 game on his points alone.

Give these guys a Bloody Mary and a firm slap on the ass.
Top fantasy performers of the week.

Matt Schaub (QB - HOU): After a dismal week 1 against the Jets, Schaub bounces back nicely with 357 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. Rex Grossman becomes despondent.

Frank Gore (RB - SF): It takes a mountain of patience and a gallon of Maalox to be a Frank Gore owner. After averaging a meager 1.4 yards per carry last week at Arizona, Gore busts out for 207 yards on 16 carries this week with 2 touchdowns.

Ronnie Brown (RB - MIA): Just as frustrating to own is Ronnie Brown who 30% of Yahoo managers opted to bench this week. Mistake. Brown ran for 136 yards with 2 TDs. We'll see how many folks choose to bench him this week against San Diego.

Andre Johnson (WR - HOU): Someone had to catch those passes from Schaub and that someone was Andre Johnson. Johnson coming off a career best 1575 receiving yards in 2008 showed that we can expect more of the same in 2009. 149 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns made him the top fantasy receiver of the week.

Dallas Clark (TE - IND): With Anthony Gonzalez out for while, Clark has become Peyton's #2 target behind Reggie Wayne. The former Hawkeye racked up an impressive 183 yards receiving plus a touchdown. Marv Cook would be proud.

Denver Broncos (DEF - DEN): Much like spot starting a pitcher facing the Pirates, picking up the Denver defense for their game against the Browns was an easy source for points. The Broncos D held Cleveland to just 6 points and Elvis Dumervil terrorized Brady Quinn, sacking him 4 times.

Give these guys a couple of Tylenol and a puke bucket.
The fantasy duds of the week.

Brady Quinn (QB - CLE): God and baby Jesus help you if Brady Quinn was your starter this past week. If you actually scored positive points with him they weren't very many. Quinn passed for 161 yards with no touchdowns, 1 interception and 1 lost fumble.

Beanie Wells (RB - ARI): Wells touched the ball only 7 times and ran for a respectable 44 yards, but a lost fumble all but wiped out what little gain he gave owners.

Donnie Avery (WR - STL): The Rams "#1" receiver caught 1 pass for 4 yards and lost a fumble. I can't see any reason to have a St. Louis player not named Steven Jackson on your roster at this point.

Santana Moss (WR - WAS): Almost as depressing as the Rams is the Redskins offense. Moss caught just 3 passes for 35 yards and lost a fumble. Despite their best efforts, Washington still beat the Rams.

Michael Crabtree (WR - SF): Idiot. I hope the Niners win the divison without you.

Tennessee Titans (DEF - TEN): The Titans D had a 94% start rate in Yahoo for week 2. I'd say they cost more than a few owners a win. 34 points allowed, no sacks, no interceptions, nothing.

The Skeet Sheet
Hot players you may find on the free agent wire.

QB
Byron Leftwich (TB): With the Buccaneer ground game floundering, Leftwich is airing it out, throwing 3 TDs against Buffalo. He's not going to be a stud by any means, but Leftwich is a serviceable option as a QB2 on your roster. At the very least he's a better choice than Brady Quinn.

Kevin Kolb (PHI): While he did throw 3 picks versus New Orleans, his 391 yards through the air is nothing to laugh at. With Philadelphia facing the Chiefs this week, Kolb is worth the start if you're truly desperate for a QB.

RB
Tim Hightower (ARI): He more than likely is already taken, but with Beanie Wells not exactly lighting the world on fire, it looks like Hightower is playing himself into more time on the field.

WR
Mario Manningham & Steve Smith (NYG): The Giants receiving depth chart is starting to become more clear. Manningham and Smith were Eli's favorite targets on Sunday night against the Cowboys. Both receivers caught 10 passes each. Snatch these guys up if you still can as they'll more than likely be spoken for before the Week 3 games even begin.

Mike Sims-Walker (JAC): With Troy Williamson out for the season, Sims-Walker has emerged as the #2 receiver in Jacksonville. With 6 catches for 106 yards against Arizona, he looks to be worth a roster spot if you're looking weak at WR.

Johnny Knox (CHI): Knox seemed buried on the Chicago depth chart amongst other no-name receivers trying to make a name for themselves. After two weeks he appears to be a favorite target of Cutler's and leads the team in receiving yards. Take a flyer on Knox and see if Cutler continues to look his way.

Laurent Robinson (STL): I know what I said earlier about the Rams. Look, if you're absolutely desperate for help at WR, Robinson right now appears to be St. Louis' top guy. Just don't expect a whole lot out of him. Greatest Show on Turf this ain't.

TE
Brent Celek (PHI): 8 catches for 104 yards last week and with Kolb given another start in Week 3 you can expect he'll have plenty of ball thrown his way again.

Feel free to leave any fantasy comments or questions.

Probable / Questionable / Out

Last night the NFL season kicked off in Heinz Field and other games will follow this weekend. There’s already a significant injury on the books after Crumpler rolled over Polamalu’s left leg and sprained his MCL during a FG attempt. He looked alright walking and even climbing stairs on the way to have it examined in the team locker room but all reports have him sitting out 3-6 weeks (Madden curse! Look out Fitz).

As an avid fantasy football owner, injuries drive me absolutely crazy. Last year I took Brady with my first overall pick in one league which turned out to be a spectacular move. As frustrating as circumstances like that are, even more so are the players that are listed as probable and then show up in street clothes or, on the flip side, are reported to be out for the week and then put up monster numbers. And teams don’t seem to release their status until halfway through the first series of the game, leaving people like me guessing.

Here’s my list of the usual suspects. The guys that cannot go undrafted and yet you kick yourself when you queue them up because you know that you’ll have to grab their backup too. It just so happens that they’re all running backs. Feel free to add “and Carson Palmer” at the end quietly to yourself.

Brian Westbrook: No one embodies my feelings more than this guy. The guy does everything on the football field but in his seven seasons as an Eagle, he has NEVER played in all 16 games. In fact, if you Google his name right now the story that appears at the very top lists him as “limited, but slated to play”. Last year he was listed as questionable when they played the Falcons. What did he do? 209 total yards and 2 touchdowns. Fuck you Brian Westbrook. This year he missed the entire preseason after having surgery to clean out scar tissue and bone fragments in his ankle. I’m sure he’ll be fine.

Willie Parker: This guy takes a beating because, contrary to last nights game, the Steelers are first and foremost a running team. However, last year it was always his shoulder bothering him, except of course when it was his knee. But even when he was healthy to start the year he put up these consecutive yard totals: 47, 37, 221, 25, 138. This year he missed part of the preseason with hamstring and back issues. Last night he was held to just 19 yards against a tough Titans defense. Odds are he’ll be splitting time with a handful of guys from now on.

Joseph Addai: This guy was a huge boost for the Colts in ’07 but last year had some knee problems and from week to week nobody knew if he, Dominic Rhodes, or Kenton Keith was going to start. The thing about the Colts offense is that you don’t have to be an overpowering back to be of value. All you have to do is block for a second, run five yards, turn around and wait for Peyton to pitch you the ball. Before you know it, you’ll have 75+ receiving yards and bowling over safeties is a lot less damaging than having to squeeze between linemen and linebackers. He could very well return to form this year but I’m still keeping my distance.

Larry Johnson: I’ll cut Larry a little bit of slack because he’s on Kansas City and doesn’t have much in the way of a “team” surrounding him. But that doesn’t excuse getting benched for three games for “violating team rules”, asking to be traded, and facing repeated charges for assault. Sure, he’s the premiere back on the team but his track record doesn’t instill most people with a great deal of confidence.

Steven Jackson: Here’s a situation similar to that of Larry Johnson. No one to throw or catch the ball, so everything comes down on your shoulders. Regardless of how much talent you possess, that’s a tall order. Last year it resulted in a thigh problem that never seemed to go away. Every week in November seemed to be a game-time decision.


Reggie Bush: Ah Reggie Bush. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all watch you play at USC forever? It’s not like you weren’t already getting paid. He’s had a nagging calf injury and add to that the microfracture surgery he had during the offseason on his knee and you can definitely consider him an injury risk. He missed 10 games over the last two years and is already splitting time with Pierre Thomas. His biggest games are never the result of consistent rushes, but rather due to one or two big plays. Thanks but no thanks.

Frank Gore: Somehow Frank Gore always appears as the recommended fourth overall pick. Can someone please tell me why? Next year is always supposed to be his breakout year. Last year he had 608 rushing yards and a whopping THREE touchdowns. In fact, he was held under 50 yards rushing nine times last year. I take it back, this guy isn’t an injury risk, he’s just awful.

Clinton Portis: Portis usually comes through when he’s on the field. Last year looked to be no different when he went five weeks in a row rushing for over 120 yards, was leading the league by a wide margin, and was a good candidate for MVP. But things started to taper off in November after a nagging sore hip and then you had no idea what you were going to get. The problem was, Portis was never completely out so he would cannibalize his replacements’ stats as well. Supposedly he’s back to form.

Add your own fantasy nightmares in the comments. No, not those fantasy nightmares.

TMS 2009 Fantasy Football Player Rankings: IDP Edition

For some of you, just having team defense doesn't satisfy you. For those that prefer to play with individual defensive players (IDP) here are some cheat sheets for your needs.

You can check out my rankings for QB, RB, WR, TE, K, and DEF/ST here.

DEFENSIVE LINE

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Jared Allen, MIN	16.	Darryl Tapp, SEA
2.	Julius Peppers, CAR	17.	Dwight Freeney, IND
3.	Mario Williams, HOU	18.	Gaines Adams, TB
4.	Justin Tuck, NYG	19.	Alex Brown, CHI
5.	Trent Cole, PHI	20.	Dewayne White, DET
6.	Robert Mathis, IND	21.	Chris Long, STL
7.	John Abraham, ATL	22.	Albert Haynesworth, WAS
8.	Terrell Suggs, BAL	23.	Darnell Dockett, ARI
9.	Adewale Ogunleye, CHI	24.	Ray Edwards, MIN
10.	Aaron Schobel, BUF	25.	Aaron Kampman, GB
11.	Justin Smith, SF	26.	Tamba Hali, KC
12.	Kyle Vanden Bosch, TEN	27.	Mathias Kiwanuka, NYG
13.	Patrick Kerney, SEA	28.	Will Smith, NO
14.	Osi Umenyiora, NYG	29.	Kevin Williams, MIN
15.	Shaun Rogers, CLE	30.	Andre Carter, WAS

On the edge of the radar: Cliff Avril DET, Shaun Ellis NYJ, Charles Grant NO, Derrick Harvey JAC, Cullen Jenkins GB, Brian Orakpo WAS


LINEBACKER

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Patrick Willis, SF	26.	Nick Barnett, GB
2.	Jon Beason, CAR	27.	Ernie Sims, DET
3.	James Harrison, PIT	28.	James Laurinaitis, STL
4.	Lance Briggs, CHI	29.	Thomas Davis, CAR
5.	Kirk Morrison, OAK	30.	Bradie James, DAL
6.	Barrett Ruud, TB	31.	A.J. Hawk, GB
7.	Jonathan Vilma, NO	32.	Channing Crowder, MIA
8.	Karlos Dansby, ARI	33.	Lawrence Timmons, PIT
9.	DeMarcus Ware, DAL	34.	Bart Scott, NYJ
10.	D.J. Williams, DEN	35.	David Harris, NYJ
11.	DeMeco Ryans, HOU	36.	Shawne Merriman, SD
12.	D'Qwell Jackson, CLE	37.	Adalius Thomas, NE
13.	E.J. Henderson, MIN	38.	Justin Durant, JAC
14.	London Fletcher, WAS	39.	Julian Peterson, DET
15.	Jerod Mayo, NE	40.	Thomas Howard, OAK
16.	Ray Lewis, BAL	41.	Will Witherspoon, STL
17.	Gary Brackett, IND	42.	Keith Rivers, CIN
18.	Brian Urlacher, CHI	43.	LaMarr Woodley, PIT
19.	Chad Greenway, MIN	44.	Antonio Pierce, NYG
20.	Curtis Lofton, ATL	45.	Keith Bulluck, TEN
21.	Paul Posluszny, BUF	46.	Aaron Curry, SEA
22.	James Farrior, PIT	47.	Gerald Hayes, ARI
23.	Lofa Tatupu, SEA	48.	Leroy Hill, SEA
24.	Stephen Cooper, SD	49.	Clint Session, IND
25.	Derrick Johnson, KC	50.	Stewart Bradley, PHI

On the edge of the radar: Dhani Jones CIN, Brian Cushing HOU, Zach Diles HOU, Calvin Pace NYJ, Rey Maualuga CIN, Michael Boley NYG, Takeo Spikes SF, Pisa Tinoisamoa CHI, Freddie Keiaho IND, Boss Bailey DEN


DEFENSIVE BACK

RK	PLAYER, TEAM	RK	PLAYER, TEAM
1.	Eric Weddle, SD	16.	Chris Gamble, CAR
2.	Oshiomogho Atogwe, STL	17.	Champ Bailey, DEN
3.	Gibril Wilson, MIA	18.	Kevin Payne, CHI
4.	Antoine Winfield, MIN	19.	Quintin Mikell, PHI
5.	Adrian Wilson, ARI	20.	Erik Coleman, ATL
6.	Bernard Pollard, KC	21.	Nick Collins, GB
7.	Charles Tillman, CHI	22.	Chris Horton, WAS
8.	Yeremiah Bell, MIA	23.	Cortland Finnegan, TEN
9.	Cedric Griffin, MIN	24.	Antrel Rolle, ARI
10.	Michael Lewis, SF	25.	Atari Bigby, GB
11.	Richard Marshall, CAR	26.	Kenny Phillips, NYG
12.	Brandon Meriweather, NE	27.	Ed Reed, BAL
13.	Troy Polamalu, PIT	28.	Chris Hope, TEN
14.	Kerry Rhodes, NYJ	29.	DeAngelo Hall, WAS
15.	Roman Harper, NO	30.	Michael Griffin, TEN

On the edge of the radar: Brian Dawkins DEN, Charles Woodson GB, Jarrad Page KC, Bob Sanders IND, Leon Hall CIN, Nick Harper TEN, Terrence McGee BUF