Summary: Much as it did in the June and July mock drafts, the first round held pretty true to form. I don’t endorse Peterson as the #1 overall pick, but I also can’t fault anyone for taking him just so they can have extra incentive to watch him run. And he will continue to get better as he learns to become a better blocker and pass receiver. As crazy as it sounds, I have Addai ranked as a borderline first-rounder. Granted, the likelihood he will “bust” is about nil, but I don’t see him putting up the weekly totals we were accustomed to last season. Think top 10 with him, but not top five. Gwave makes the hard decision to go with the most high-profile holdout of this season in Jackson, sparing me of having to make that call. It’s a worthy investment, although I may very well change my tone in a week or two if he is still holding out. I wrestled with Moss vs. Gore for the better part of a week and still had a tough call to make. Ultimately, I want as close to a “sure thing” with my #1 pick and I think that is what Moss is. Gore, however, may make me look bad when Niners OC Mike Martz follows through on his plan of having Gore imitate Marshall Faulk and put up 2,000 total yards. Barber should be a steady scoring force for Hellboy, but I’m not crazy about Lynch without LT Jason Peters in camp. Granted, left tackle is not the most important run-blocking position on the line, but a natural downgrade for a RB without a Pro Bowl lineman in camp should be considered for all fantasy owners. The round ends with a pair of solid selections in Portis and Owens.

Best Value: Clinton Portis. Jackson had reserved this spot in June and July, but because of his holdout, I can’t in good conscious call him the best value if he doesn’t make it into camp. Thus, by the slimmest of margins, I’ll go with Portis, who should at the very least be Mr. Consistent. New HC Jim Zorn kept the Redskins’ running game and philosophy intact while revamping the passing game, meaning Portis should only get better numbers with less attention being paid to him. I don’t expect Denver-like numbers from him, but I don’t know why he can’t have his best year as a Redskin with a healthy offensive line in front of him and a passing game that should minimize the number of defenders in the box.

Biggest Reach: Joseph Addai. I’m pretty much sticking to what I said in July here. Value is relative in the first round because, quite honestly, in a draftroom full of knowledgeable drafters, no one is going to make that big of a goof. With that in mind, however, I don't like Addai to maintain his consistent ways from 2007 with Dominic Rhodes back in the fold. Will he be up-and-down as he was in 2006? No. Will he repeat last season? I doubt it. Addai is a fascinating runner and receiver to watch, but Rhodes combined with Addai’s propensity to get dinged and to fade down the stretch in his first two seasons have me looking elsewhere after the top four RBs are off the board.

Summary: Wayne is a solid second-round pick this season, but with a healthy Marvin Harrison likely returning to the fold, I don't like him being a top-tier WR so much as a tier-two wideout. (In other words, I would prefer the top end of that second group - such as Andre Johnson or Braylon Edwards - over him.) Fitzgerald and Romo were back-to-back surprising picks for me, if only because I expected them to go more toward the end of the round. However, I can’t fault either pick too much. Colston is my personal favorite to join the exclusive Moss-Owens club in the near future, if not this season. It’s scary to think what he might do with less attention being paid to him now with Jeremy Shockey in the fold. Considering Ryan Grant and Larry Johnson were still on the board, I was not crazy about the pick of Jamal Lewis by Wildman. Take away Lewis’ four-TD game against Seattle last year and his numbers look rather average for a player running behind such a good line. He should be solid, but I think he came off the board a round too early. On the other hand, I think owners who let LJ slip into the mid-second round will be kicking themselves. Yes, I’m aware they still have Brodie Croyle at QB, but any hint of improvement from him will mean that teams will have to live with getting beat by Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez or on the ground. I like my total yardage “monsters” and I think LJ will give me plenty of yards along with about 9-10 TDs. However, it hurt me to pass on Manning and Grant, two of the next four picks, who had to make Gwave and Rookies happy, respectively. Manning is Mr. Consistency while Grant teams with Westbrook to give Rookies an enviable 1-2 punch in the backfield. I love Jones-Drew as much as anybody, but unless owners are speculating for the third straight year that Fred Taylor’s wheels are going to fall off, why is he going two rounds earlier than Reggie Bush, a player who has been just about as productive as MJD has been on a per-game basis in his two years? Wrapping up, I think Brees could very well overtake Manning and even Brady this season if things fall just right. As it is, Brees will help keep Team Marx competitive in every game. The one that shocked me the most, though, was Edwards. Little has changed for last year’s #3 overall WR, so it was shocking him slip to the end of the second. Surprisingly, in this draft, the expected run on WRs did not start until this pick.

Best Value: Braylon Edwards. Much as I just detailed above, little has changed for Edwards outside of the schedule. Yes, he’ll be trading in the NFC West for the NFC East, but I don’t see him falling below the 1,200-yard, 10-12 TD mark. For a WR fresh off a 16-TD season and with no major injuries, I have a hard time seeing why a player just as productive as Terrell Owens fell a full round behind him.

Biggest Reaches: Maurice Jones-Drew and Reggie Wayne. One of these years, MJD will either steal the starting job from Taylor or will take advantage of an injury to his mentor. That said, I think the #20 overall pick is a bit too high to be taking a chance on a player who may or may not see any more action than he did last season. As I said in the summary, this pick looks great if Taylor slips or is injured, but no-so-good if Taylor squeezes one more Pro-Bowl-worthy year out of himself. Wayne, on the other hand, is a very steady wideout and well worth the top pick in the second round if he is the main guy for Manning. But Wayne isn’t a good bet to repeat his 100-catch, 1,500-yard season if he is 1a or 1b to Harrison. In all honesty, I would have no problem seeing Wayne and Edwards switch positions in this round.

Summary: And here come the WRs…Houshmandzadeh gives 9-Route his third player capable of 10-plus TDs and a fantastic 1-2 punch at the position with Edwards. I probably would have opted for Andre Johnson over Chad Johnson if I were Team Marx, but it’s hard not to fall for a wideout who had 1,440 yards receiving last year who hasn’t missed a game since 2001. Andre Johnson is probably the next most capable WR of ascending into the Moss-Owens club, along with Colston and maybe Edwards, so I salute that pick, but his schedule does him no favors. In a bit of a surprise move, Husky Jerks did not let the two-game suspension of Marshall affect his stock. That said, about the only other WR that would have made sense in this spot was his fellow bad boy, Steve Smith. I think Holt has been putting up 1,200 yards and eight TDs his whole life, so Consackie Virus lands a solid wideout, although I think I would have preferred Smith here as well. So why then did I go with Thomas Jones? Well, believe it or not, I have Jones ranked as a second-round value (#20 overall). Perhaps if Smith were not suspended two games, I may have taken my chances on Jones falling to me in the fourth, but I didn’t want to take that risk with so many other WRs I liked still available. Suffice it to say, I liked Jones at this spot even before Favre and I like him even more with No. 4 on the roster. Holmes seems to be everyone’s breakout candidate except mine. With his Steelers going against the NFC East in 2008, I have a hard time seeing him vastly improving on last year’s numbers. Smith finally goes in the next spot, giving Hellboy possibly my two favorite WRs, along with Colston. Jacobs produces like a top 10 RB when healthy, but how often will that be? Additionally, how many carries will Ahmad Bradshaw steal? That said, he should be a solid complement to Lynch in Dynasty’s backfield. The round ends with two picks I did not care for as I feel Graham – who I think took advantage of a weak schedule last season - will lose more touches than expected to Warrick Dunn while the supremely talented Turner is stuck behind a below-average line in Atlanta. Worse yet, the Falcons’ brass sounds determined this year to get Jerious Norwood more work…we’ll see. Nevertheless, Turner may be good enough to produce low-end #1 numbers if Atlanta is committed to making him their workhorse EVERY game.

Best Values: Andre Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Steve Smith. While I think this may be Thomas Jones by the end of the year, landing a talent like Johnson as a #1 WR in the third round and Smith as a #2 WR later in the round are steals, despite the latter player’s two-game suspension to open the season. Many owners don’t like to deal with knowing their player will miss games, but the fact is I would prefer 14 games from Marshall and Smith than 16 games from a lot of other receivers. (Note to all owners: this is why every owner should make sure to grab a solid #4 WR. Nobody likes to start the season 0-2, but if everyone knew they would start 1-1 or 2-0 because they built a solid team with good bench depth, wouldn’t everybody draft Smith and Marshall as #1 WRs?)

Biggest Reach: Laurence Maroney. I thought this pick was the biggest reach of perhaps the entire draft. Yes, I’m aware of the run that Maroney made to end last season, but with New England collecting other team’s trash at RB like they are going out of style, I could see a limited role for Maroney, much as he had during the first half of last season. Basically, it comes down to first-half Maroney vs. second-half Maroney. The latter belongs in the third round while the former belongs in the sixth.

Summary: Warbirds follows up a pick with a RB in a questionable situation with a RB I have seen go typically in round 6 in White. Behind the Titans’ offensive line and, with his knee now healthy, he should be a solid bet to really break out. However, rookie Chris Johnson looms and brings everything to the table White does not. I think the most we can expect out of White is what he did last season. I have Calvin Johnson tied with Chad Johnson in terms of total fantasy points for this season, so kudos go to Compiler Guy for going with “Megatron”. Dallas Dynasty lands his second straight Giant (oh, the irony) in Burress. I’m not crazy about him as a #1 WR, but it hard to dislike what Plax does when he is healthy, which isn’t often. Rarely does it happen that a team that had a rusher that led the league in rushing late in a season draft another RB, but such is the case for Parker. I think Parker ends up just surpassing the 1,000-yard mark while Rashard Mendenhall beats him in the TD department. I love the pick of Harrison here by Wildman as I don’t think (if healthy all season) that he finishes all that far behind Wayne in terms of production. Disheartened by Wildman’s pick, I was happy to discover Boldin still available. Boldin started just 10 games last year and still finished in the top 20 among WRs – the funny thing is that shortly after making the pick, I discovered I had skipped over Carson Palmer while queuing my players (more on that later), a player I would have opted for instead. Roy Williams is a solid get at this point, but I wouldn’t be thrilled with him as a #1 WR as he will be for Gwave. Virus lands the most highly-rated TE in the draft, but I question him going with Witten when he still had just one RB and both Bush and McFadden were still on the board. Bowe becomes Husky Jerks’ second man-child WR while I thought Rookies went a little bit off the board to grab McNabb. There’s no denying his talent, but he hasn’t played a full season since 2003 whereas Palmer is in a better offense and hasn’t missed a game since 2004. The round concludes, coincidentally, with two RBs who are being tied to each other even though they aren’t really the same back – Bush and McFadden. People want to knock Bush for being a “bust” in reality, but in fantasy, a 10-12 point-producer as a #2 RB is a nice thing to have. While I don’t want to count on any rookie runner being a #2 RB, I like McFadden’s prospects the more I see him. I have him going for 1,500 total yards and eight scores, totals he may actually eclipse if he stays healthy.

Best Values: Marvin Harrison and Reggie Bush. I think I’ve sang the praises of both of these players all summer long and I haven’t seen any reason to stop believing. Bush was a top 20 pick in each of his first two seasons in the league (unrightfully so, I may add), but a perceived bust in reality does not necessarily translate to fantasy. With many people calling him a bust, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bush put together his best season yet, with only an injury keeping him from doing so. I’m not expecting a vintage season from Harrison, but this is a WR who has been a first- or second-round pick in fantasy for about 10 years. I would not be a bit surprised to see him come close to matching Wayne’s production, once again, barring injury.

Biggest Reach: LenDale White. For many of the reasons I documented above, I’m not sure I see the ground-and-pound nature of White surpassing what he did last year. Speed can be intoxicating, especially for coaches, and a few more looks at rookie speedster that was drafted to complement White may eventually relegate him to a more limited role. That said, there is a lot to be said about running behind a solid offensive line and playing in a system that would be happy running the ball 40-50 times a game.

Summary: It’s hard to go wrong with the No. 1 overall pick in this kind of draft if a drafter knows what he/she is doing and this draft isn’t any different. After pairing last year’s Rookie of the Year with a likely candidate for that same honor this year and putting together two 10-TD+ WRs, 9-Route selects a top talent at TE. The case could have been made for a QB here, but there is value to be had later at the position for the drafter who wants to opt for all the other “skilled” positions first. Driver was a bit high, but there is no way he repeats last year’s two-TD effort either. (He is a great example of why, in most cases, owners should pursue high-volume reception WRs as opposed to players who may project to score a lot of TDs. Selvin Young receives a big boost with the news that Ryan Torain was lost for 2-3 months and is a worthy pick in this spot, at least until HC Mike Shanahan gets the notion that Andre Hall, Anthony Alridge or Michael Pittman gives the Broncos a better chance to win. If Welker repeats his numbers from 2007, this pick is a steal for Husky Jerks. Of all the rookie RBs, Forte’s may be the most well-defined at the current time. I like what I see of him so far, but Chicago’s supporting cast may keep his star from shining for at least another year. In a way, I’m glad Gwave took Gates right before me, because I would have been tempted to take him even though I have Palmer as a top-five QB. That said, even if Gates is slow out of the starting blocks, he gives his owner #2 WR-like production from a spot most owners find themselves scrabbling at. I’ll detail Palmer more down below, so I’ll move onto Big Ben, who I like as a top option so long as he can continue to withstand the punishment he will receive from the Steelers’ line, which is getting worse by the year. His WRs and RBs, though, are as good as any teams’ cast. Stewart’s prolonged recovery from his toe surgery may keep him from helping owners out right away, but he still projects to emerge as the favorite in Carolina before the season ends. Clark is a natural target for Manning and someone who works out of the slot a lot, but we’ll see if he gets to do that again with Ben Utecht now in Cincinnati. I think while Jennings is legit, his 2007 numbers defied logic. I look for Driver to steal half of his 12 scores and for his yardage to stay roughly the same. Regardless of whether or not Gates returns for Week 1, I really like Chambers’ ability to come close to matching his career-best 2005 season mostly because he is working with the same QB and the same offensive system in consecutive years for, I believe, only the second time in his career.

Best Values: Wes Welker and Carson Palmer. Pure and simple, Welker is the perfect complement to Moss. He’s small, shifty, unafraid of going over the middle and lightning-quick, meaning he’s perfect for the slot, which he was used a lot out of last year. But let’s not overlook his abilities as a regular receiver, either. And lastly, let’s not discount the fact he tied for the league lead in catches. All told, if the Patriots downshift their passing game a couple gears from early last season, Welker probably will be the one who suffers the most but, with that said, there are a handful of offenses in the NFL that can make two or more WRs fantasy relevant and New England is definitely one of them. For Palmer, I’ve glossed over him all summer, but suffice it to say that I think the addition of Utecht and return of RB Chris Perry will go a long way in allowing Palmer to challenge the top four QBs selected in this draft for the title of fantasy’s best at the position. Since becoming the full-time starter in Cincy, Palmer has done no worse than throw for 3,836 yards or 26 TDs. Even without Chris Henry, he may have his best supporting cast to date.

Biggest Reach: Greg Jennings. This was a well-picked round, so I’m not going to lament the pick of Jennings here all that much. However, I think he is the one that suffers the most from Favre’s departure. Yes, Aaron Rodgers has a good enough arm, but in his first year, I don’t think he will be all that apt to airing it out to Jennings on a whim like Favre was prone to do. Much to Compiler Guy’s credit, though, Jennings will be his #3 WR, meaning he can probably live with the down weeks I feel Jennings will produce from time to time.

Summary: While I can’t exactly endorse the strategy of going with a TE before picking a third RB, there has to be a rusher there worth taking in the mind of the drafter. Moreover, a sixth-round TE is an every-week starter whereas a #3 RB is not. And if a drafter is going to pass over RB depth for a TE, it better be someone as consistent as Gonzalez. So as we enter Round 6, Warbirds’ skilled positions are all filled outside of QB and let’s face it, not many drafters have a fool-proof strategy with the #12 overall pick, so suffice it to say that Warbirds is making the best of a bad situation. Compiler Guy, who hoarded rushers in the first two mock drafts, takes just his third RB in this round in Smith. With the Central Florida alum falling into the same system he ran in college and having two amazing threats at WR taking the attention off him, Smith may very well be able to have a superb rookie season. For the reasons I’ve documented before (and below), I’m not a fan of Roddy White’s chances at repeating his 2007 numbers. However, I like the next three picks. Anderson is probably at the top of tier-three #1 QBs and with Edwards and Winslow to throw to regularly, why not? I actually have Curtis rated as a fifth-round value, so I think Wildman strikes again at WR. Despite what appears to be a sinking ship right now, the Bengals want to get back to power running. Rudi Johnson has added the 15 pounds he lost over the past two years and is the only RB on that roster who can be the bowling-ball-type rusher. I do see a healthy Chris Perry eating into his workload somewhat, but I’d be surprised if over a 16-game season if he doesn’t come close to 300 carries again. Evans is a player I wouldn’t mind as a #3 WR, but it just seems like he has four standout games, four average games and about eight duds every season (outside of 2006). I am, however, a bigger fan of Cotchery. He was the AFC’s answer to Driver last season (high catches and yards, two scores). I like Laveranues Coles a bit more with Favre’s big arm, but Cotchery should be a consistent fantasy point producer nonetheless. The round closes in fine fashion as James is solid #3 RB value – especially this late while Burleson jumps up two rounds with Bobby Engram out early in the season. Early indications are that Moss is ready to recapture his form from his standout 2005 season while Mendenhall is another Willie Parker injury away from seeing his value jump up four rounds or more. As it is, he should have solid value as a #3 RB this late.

Best Value: Rudi Johnson. I suppose people are most scared off by the notion that his workload from 2004-06 has caught up with him. However, I see a 28-year-old RB who came back too early from a hamstring injury last season and should actually be fresher than he has been in years. Johnson goes against my normal wishes for a RB who can contribute heavily in the running and passing games, but he is a grinder who finds the end zone.

Biggest Reach: Roddy White. As I said all summer, I have no problem with White as a receiver. Heck, maybe he even plays Marvin Harrison’s role to Matt Ryan’s Peyton Manning when he was a rookie. But even that great combo in 1998 resulted in 776 yards and seven TDs in 12 games. And considering I don’t think White is Harrison or that Ryan is Manning, I am optimistic that White probably won’t fare all that well in OC Mike Mularkey’s conservative offense (and Mularkey is no Tom Moore, Indy’s play caller since Manning entered the NFL).

Summary: As pleased as I had been with 9-Route’s drafting up to this point, I think he missed a golden opportunity to lock up the Vikings’ backfield with this pick. Gonzalez will have his moments, but picking him here means he doesn’t expect Harrison to last the season or that he is hoping that Gonalez pulls a Brandon Stokley from 2004. I don’t think either will happen. Team Marx, however, keeps landing players I was hoping to select with Shockey, who probably is in the best situation of his career. I don’t expect any kind of falloff from Cooley as, despite the change in offense, he has already established a rapport with Jason Campbell. Husky Jerks lands another favorite WR of mine in Ward, who has started missing games more often lately, but is as solid as they come, especially this late. Even if there is an even split of the carries in Seattle, Jones is solid value here. And as much as I dislike RBs coming off of ACL surgeries, so is Brown. I was pleased to land Coles as my #3 WR. Injuries and the Jets' offensive ineptitude derailed Coles last season, but he is just a year removed from a career-high 91-catch season and that was with the supposedly weak-armed Chad Pennington at QB. Imagine what someone faster and more experienced than Greg Jennings can do with Favre airing it out. Wildman hits on another player I really like in Williams, who seems to be running with a purpose in the preseason. Perhaps he has shown enough to earn a 50-50 timeshare with Stewart? Jackson is a solid breakout pick, especially with Gates’ status yet to be determined. Berrian is about as interesting as a projection piece as there is in fantasy this season. If the QB play in Minnesota actually improves, he could have a huge year. I felt Young was a slight reach year, but only from other mocks I’ve done. If he can recapture his level of play from his rookie like many think he can, he’s well worth a pick at this spot. Lastly, Warbirds makes the pick I thought 9-Route should have with Chester Taylor, who should be huge for at least two games if Peterson extends his string of getting injured to four straight seasons (including college, of course).

Best Value: Jeremy Shockey. In a close call over Brown and Coles, I think Shockey is in line for his best season yet. He’ll be working with the best supporting cast and QB in his career thus far not to mention a coach that knows how to use him. His only vise, as always, is staying healthy long enough. A 16-game season from Shockey this season probably will not only guarantee him a Pro Bowl berth, but maybe the title of fantasy’s best TE. Yes, all it takes is a trade from a run-heavy offense to a pass-happy one to make a player go from biggest reach in the seventh round (as he was in July) to the best value.

Biggest Reach: Anthony Gonzalez. No. 3 WRs typically can’t be counted on for fantasy consistency, so I didn’t like the pick of Gonzalez here with 70-80 catch WRs like Ward and Coles still on the board. And that still goes even if Harrison can’t complete the season. In time, Gonzalez will be a valuable fantasy commodity, but I don’t see this season being the one.

Summary: I’m not sold on Schaub as a #1 fantasy QB (especially with Hassselbeck still available) but I can’t say the pick is much of a reach when I consider the receiving talent he has on his team. He just needs to stay healthy. I was definitely hoping Ricky Williams would fall to my pick in this round (when have I ever said that?). Williams looks very quick and could easily emerge as Miami’s best rusher this season. Fred Taylor has got to be the Rodney Dangerfield of fantasy football. Even after a Pro Bowl campaign, he falls further than I have seen him go in years and continues to get little respect. Sure, he’s getting up in years, but I’m not sure he’s given us any hint of a decline yet. Felix Jones and Chris Johnson, early on, appear to be what Julius Jones and Chris Henry could not be for their teams. Their use and workloads will be interesting to watch, as it is with most rookie rushers. I’m torn on Heap. If I get the 16-game Heap, I got a steal. If I get the injury-prone one, my TE slot will be an adventure to fill each week. In a round full over underrated players, Galloway strikes me as a cheaper version of Lee Evans. He’ll give his owners a few standout performances, but not enough to count on consistently. That said, he’s solid value here. With good reason, Crayton seems to be high on a lot of owners’ wish list. Considering he already locked up Witten earlier, Consackie Virus should get the majority of passing numbers not compiled by TO. Not only is Rice a solid handcuff for Husky Jerks, who got McGahee earlier, but he is also a talented runner that the Ravens love. If McGahee’s knee cleanout takes longer to recover from than expected, this will have been a pick well worth making. In theory, the selection of Bryant Johnson was a good one. However, he has seen very little camp time, Isaac Bruce is probably locked in at as one starter and rookie Josh Morgan is looking so good that Johnson may not be any more than a #3 WR on this team either. Team Marx plays the role of villain in this round, stealing Fargas one pick before 9-Route could handcuff him to McFadden. As long as Fargas stays healthy, he’ll produce in this offense. But will that be for four games or 10? Undaunted from the Fargas pick, 9-Route locks up another underappreciated player in Hasselbeck, who is certainly a #1 QB in 12-team leagues. Sure, Deion Branch may not be 100% all season and Bobby Engram may miss the first month, but I’m still not sure that is should be enough to knock Hasselbeck down this far.

Best Value: Ricky Williams and Matt Hasselbeck. As I stated earlier, Williams is looking about as good as I have seen him. Whether all his troubles are in the past is another question, but we all know that Miami will be a ball-control team and will make good use of having two RBs that can carry the load. Shockingly, I have Williams averaging about a point per game less than Ronnie Brown, so I expect similar totals to say the least. While Deion Branch may not be 100% all season and Bobby Engram will miss the first few weeks of the season, I can’t really understand how a player as consistent as Hasselbeck slips this far. He may be a slow starter for fantasy purposes this season for the aforementioned reasons, but he won’t exactly go in the tank either. I’d be very comfortable with him as a #1 fantasy QB if all my other positions were locked down with solid players.

Biggest Reach: Matt Schaub. I expect an angry e-mail from Warbirds, but I tend to think Schaub would have been available with his next pick. That said, it hurts me to put Schaub here because he has everything needed to justify this draft spot and more. But he and Andre Johnson both were unable to stay healthy last year and this year’s schedule stinks for Houston. Obviously, Schaub can’t produce if he’s not on the field and his effectiveness will be severely hampered if AJ can’t play. This is one pick that I actually hope I’m wrong about because if both players stay healthy all year, the league will get to see the birth of a great new, young QB-WR combo.

Summary: Although Thomas hasn’t been assured much of a role, he is the player that figures to benefit most from an injury to either Bush or Deuce McAllister, so it is appropriate that 9-Route – the Bush owner – takes him here. Porter is a great unkown as he will have had little to no time to mesh with Garrard, so his best contributions may not come until midseason. With reports that his arm is more sound than ever, Delhomme is a very nice pick here, especially when one considers McNabb’s injury history. I keep waiting for Daniels to become more than a security blanket in the Houston offense. I think he is capable of every-week fantasy starter status, but I need to see more production from him before I go there with him. With Brandon Jacobs’ propensity for injury, I like the selection of Bradshaw here. Obviously, we all saw that he is a very explosive runner and, with the Giants’ line, he’s one injury away from stardom. Norwood is perhaps the most exciting runner to not get much opportunity to show what he can do. With Turner and his new contract in town, I don’t foresee much change in his status as a change-of-pace runner. His offensive line doesn’t make things any better. With Branch probably not all that likely to contribute, I’ll wait until after the Seahawks’ Week 4 bye to get production from a player who snagged 94 passes last season. Since I shouldn’t need him until Week 5, I thought it was a pick worth making. Davis’ stock is about as volatile as any players’ in this league, heck, I’ve been all over the board with him. His athleticism suggests he will explode sooner than later, but I would really like to know who his QB will be and what Mike Martz has in mind for him, two things I don’t believe any of us have readily available. I think Courtney Taylor was a reach, but an acceptable one given that someone will have to fill Engram’s role. Where he goes after Engram returns, however, is another story. For someone who is certainly heavily involved in the RB competition in Seattle, it’s hard to understand why Morris is going two rounds lower than Julius Jones. I think Seattle’s ground game will be much-improved, so if I’m going to take one, I want to make sure I can get the other as well. Compiler Guy lands Bruce as a #4 WR, which is about the kind of production owners should expect from him given his QB situation and, less importantly, his age. I much prefer Derrick Mason, who somehow caught 100 passes in what was a dreadful offense last season. Baltimore’s QB picture is about as cloudy as San Fran’s, but the only thing keeping Mason from repeating his numbers from a season ago will be how much Heap will be used and how long he can stay healthy.

Best Values: Jake Delhomme, Maurice Morris and Derrick Mason. There’s really nothing that should keep Delhomme from having the kind of success he started to have last year. The first couple of games will be against tough defenses, but after that, things lighten up for the Panthers. I could foresee Rookies starting him over McNabb some weeks. I detailed Morris above and since I expect the OL to be a bit stronger in the run game this season, his numbers should improve as well. While this is not a PPR league, Mason and Heap are the only proven targets in Baltimore. Whether either or both have poor yards-per-catch numbers or not won’t make much of a difference in this league if they both catch 70 passes or more, at least for where they are being drafted.

Biggest Reach: Courtney Taylor. I understood the pick (as stated above) and think Taylor has starter-level talent in the NFL, but I don’t see where he’ll have a consistent role in this offense after Engram returns. I think Hellboy could have waited another 2-3 rounds on this selection.

Summary: Summary: I’m going to do the opposite of the media and not devote an hour-long special to Favre. Good for Favre that he got what he wanted and landed in a good situation. Outside of a much different offense (a huge difference, I might add), Favre actually has similar talent to work with in New York, although the Jets are not near as deep as the Packers, especially at WR. I expect Favre to start slow and pick up as he gains more confidence in the offense throughout the season. I think Cutler is a #1 fantasy QB as well, making his selection this late a steal. This will be the best crew of WRs Denver has had in a few years, so I expect his totals to reflect that. I never understood how Gage didn’t stick in Chicago…among the Titans’ WRs, he is Vince Young’s most trusted option. I really don’t think Perry is a threat to take Rudi Johnson’s job, but we may now finally get a glimpse of why the Bengals took him over Steven Jackson. Wildman nabs one of his potential breakout WRs in Williams, but I’m not so sure. I think Williams’ TD total from last season was more fluky than Greg Jennings’ and I thought his was way out there. Disheartened from the Perry pick, I took the next best thing, which was McAllister and his bulky knees. Granted, if I need to count on him, my season probably isn’t going anywhere, but I’m hoping he can defy modern medicine. Brown and Walker may both very well be capable of putting together a big game here or there, but I’m not sure either one is going to get that much of a chance. Husky Jerks has more guts than I do to make Rodgers his #1 QB, but given the tools he has on offense, it all falls back on Rodgers to live up to his end of the bargain. And with his supporting cast, Green Bay’s opponents will have little choice but to play him straight up, so he’ll have things about as easy as he can get them. Not sure what to expect out of Stallworth (outside of a hamstring pull), but there’s absolutely no reason he can’t be enough of a threat to score 6-7 TDs with Derek Anderson’s arm and single coverage if he stays healthy long enough. To wrap up, the top two defenses come off the board, which means it is getting late. Of the two, I expect the Chargers to remain about what they were last year, minus a few INTs. I wonder a bit more about the Vikings’ DST, who still will probably get picked apart by the most elite of passing attacks.

Best Value: Jay Cutler. I think this could be the year he announces his arrival as a bonafide #1 fantasy QB. He’s performed at that level here and there, but Denver has made enough upgrades (Brandon Stokley placed permanently in the slot, Selvin Young getting more reps, the addition of LT Ryan Clady and Eddie Royal) that Cutler can make a Big Ben-type leap into mid-round consideration for next season.

Biggest Reach: Reggie Williams. Maybe I should like him more than I do, but I don’t like my 10-TD WRs to have a total of 38 catches. Something’s wrong with the numbers here and I don’t think he will receive more opportunities with Jerry Porter in the mix and Marcedes Lewis ready to take on a bigger role.

Summary: To save my readers’ eye and my fingers, I just briefly touch on the players that catch my eye for the remainder of the draft…

I think Hightower assumes the role of short-yardage and goal-line back that Marcel Shipp was unable to do consistently. Jackson and Rhodes are both necessary handcuff selections and the next two defenses come off the board before we get to an interesting run of four straight QBs. I have all four QBs rated no lower than eighth-round values, which means each could legitimately have a semi-regular place in owners’ starting lineups. I also think each have more of a chance to impress than disappoint. I also really like the Jordan pick as I think he takes on more of Sammy Morris’ role because he wasn’t brought in to play special teams. In the 12th, I really like Crumpler and Meachem – two players I was considering with my next pick. Tennessee will keep their passing game short, for the most part, and Crump figures to be a big part of that. On the other hand, if Meachem can assume the role of deep threat Devery Henderson was supposed to assume, there is no telling how good the Saints’ offense could be. In the 13th, Hagan and Green stick out to me. Hagan – along with Ricky Williams – has been the talk of training camp. At least one Miami WR should be productive enough to be a #4 WR and I’ll put my money on Hagan this year. Yes, Green is about as brittle as they come nowadays, but picking up a starting RB in round 13 is ridiculous. We all look for value and upside late, but sometimes we can get lost in that. When healthy, he should be a 15-18 touch RB for me, more than acceptable for a pick this late. An interesting sidenote: Hellboy locked up another possible Branch replacement in Ben Obomanu. Between him and Courtney Taylor, one player should emerge as a regular. Assuming he keeps both for any length of time, he should get a chance to see which one wideout takes the bull by the horns.

Best Values: Marc Bulger, David Garrard, Jason Campbell, Eli Manning and LaMont Jordan. Yes, I understand five makes for a pretty big value package, but quite frankly, the four QBs could be ranked any order and I could reason why it should be that way. I think all four of those picks are solid options and considering all four are #2 fantasy QBs for their respective teams, I think they all qualify as the best picks. Jordan was signed in New England for a reason, and as I stated above, I don’t think it was to play special teams, something Sammy Morris did while in Miami. Maybe Jordan and Morris split reps, but I see this thing evolving into a three-headed backfield with something like a 45-30-25 split taking place. In that scenario, Jordan’s 30% figures to include some goal-line carries, making me think Jordan isn’t going to end up all that far behind Maroney when all is said and done.

Biggest Reach: Steve Slaton. Can I really knock a guy for taking a chance in the 12th round? Well, yes and no. Ahman Green and Chris Brown don’t figure to make it through the season, but I think Chris Taylor would be the next in line, not the West Virginia rookie. Slaton is definitely explosive, but projects more as a third-down back right now, meaning a rash of injuries would need to occur for him to see much value at any point this season. Then again, as of this writing, Slaton is getting some first-team reps in camp, but the team just signed Marcel Shipp too, so who knows?

Summary: Hackett should definitely have short-term value while Steve Smith out. Whether he does or not after that depends on whether Muhsin Muhammad is nearly the same receiver he was when he left Carolina. One thing is for sure though: Hackett will be more productive than Keary Colbert ever was. Hall is an intriguing pick from the standpoint that I believe Broncos RBs make great picks late. Hall should be first in line to benefit from Ryan Torain’s absence, although I think the rookie has a chance of coming on strong when he returns. I can’t believe Rivers and Leinart fell so far. I have a similar grade on Rivers as I do Hasselbeck, so suffice it to say I’m shocked. Sure, Leinart doesn’t have the job locked up in Arizona, but Derek Anderson somehow finished behind Charlie Frye in the race to be Cleveland’s Opening Day starter and we know how that turned out. Leinart will start sooner than later – if not right away – and with the weapons in the Cardinals’ arsenal, he figures to be just the kind of high-upside QB Husky Jerks needed. Two picks that intrigued me in the 15th round were Utecht and Randle El. I can’t see the Bengals treating Utecht just like Dallas Clark, but I wouldn’t be all that surprised if he eclipsed my 450-yard, five-TD projection either. Randle El has reportedly been the talk of Redskins’ camp. He’s a player with enough natural skills to serve as an effective complement to Santana Moss, but it strikes me odd he still hasn’t put it all together yet. In the 16th round, I like Morris – although less now with LaMont Jordan in the fold – and McMichael, who will get more use if the Rams’ o-line can stay healthy. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Morgan, who I like not only to emerge as the 49ers’ #1 WR, but also as a top-notch #3 fantasy WR. It would not surprise me to see him become the next standout rookie WR. Yes, his consistency, work ethic and other mental aptitude abilities have been questioned, but with my last pick, I can live with the downside of this pick as opposed to the upside, which I think may be Brandon Marshall-high.

Best Value: Philip Rivers and Matt Leinart. Other than the knee injury, I can’t really explain how a QB on one of the best offenses in the league made it to the 14th round. Perhaps the same reason that he may never be an elite fantasy QB is also the reason he won’t bust: LT. Either way, this was one of the best value picks in the entire draft. Leinart is in a similar boat. Maybe his role isn’t clear. The fact is, however, that he is – at the very most – one play away from throwing 20 passes a game to one of the best sets of starting WRs in the league.

Biggest Reach: Trent Edwards. Telling someone they reached with the 168th pick of a fantasy draft should mean next to nothing, in all honesty. Most owners don’t bother ranking beyond their top 100, so I think this selection is more of a “I wouldn’t have done that” as opposed to “that was a silly pick”. Edwards will very soon be a QB that belongs on a roster in every 12-team league, I’m just not getting the vibe that this will be the year. I really don’t like Lee Evans yet as a true #1 WR and no one else in the Bills’ WR corps strikes me as all that much of a threat. That said, I have noticed Buffalo making more of an effort of involving Evans in the short and intermediate passing game in the preseason. If that becomes a trend, I think Evans may be in for a very fine year and Edwards could be well on his way to proving me wrong.