QB Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

2005 Stats: 875 passing yards, 1 total TD, 11 INTs
Projected 2006 Stats: 2513 passing yards, 17 total TDs, 20 INTs
Projected Fantasy Round: Undrafted
Quarterbacks to be Picked ahead of Alex Smith: Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Matt Hasselbeck, Tom Brady, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Alex Smith: With the additions of Antonio Bryant and Vernon Davis, Smith will have excellent targets to help stretch the chains. Both Bryant and Davis figure to be huge threats in the red zone, which should help Smith pad his touchdown stats.

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Alex Smith: I don’t think too many fantasy owners will be in a rush to draft a guy that threw 11 interceptions versus only one touchdown in nine games. To add insult to injury, Smith was also sacked 29 times and had 11 fumbles in 2005.   

Bottom Line: The numbers for Smith will improve significantly due to Bryant and Davis, but Smith still does not warrant much fantasy consideration at this time.

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

WR Keyshawn Johnson, Carolina Panthers

2005 Stats: 71 receptions, 839 receiving yards, 6 TDs
Projected 2006 Stats: 63 receptions, 785 receiving yards, 5 TDs
Projected Fantasy Round: 9th round
Wide Receivers to be Picked ahead of Keyshawn Johnson: Steve Smith, Marvin Harrison, Terrell Owens, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Keyshawn Johnson: Over the last two seasons, Keyshawn has not missed a game and has averaged 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Keyshawn Johnson: Keyshawn will be 34 years old this season, and his touches will likely drop as he will defer to Steve Smith. Johnson had 11 games last season where he was held to under 60 receiving yards.   

Bottom Line: Keyshawn should be viewed as a reliable No.3 or No.4 Wide receiver in fantasy.

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Keyshawn Johnson, Carolina Panthers

QB Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks

2005 Stats: 3459 passing yards, 25 total TDs, 9 INTs
Projected 2006 Stats: 3550 passing yards, 27 total TDs, 11 INTs
Projected Fantasy Round: 4th round
Quarterbacks to be Picked ahead of Matt Hasselbeck: Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Matt Hasselbeck: Hasselbeck figures to be a smart play as an ideal fantasy quarterback. He will likely still be available in the third round, which allows you to draft a running back in each of the first two rounds and still have the chance to draft Hasselbeck. He has only missed two games in the last four seasons and both of them were in 2004. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged 3560 passing yards, 25 total TDs, and 13 INTs. The addition of Nate Burleson will give Hasselbeck another target at his disposal. The table is set for Hasselbeck to have an outstanding season, he has the rushing champion in Shaun Alexander, arguably the best left tackle in football in Walter Jones to protect his blind side, and has two wideouts that can stretch the field in Burleson and Darrell Jackson.   

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Matt Hasselbeck: Even though Hasselbeck has been durable to this point in his career, he is still a risk to be injured. I realize it is a contact sport and every player is at risk, but Hasselbeck over the last three years has averaged 33 carries and has been sacked an average of 32 times. Last season, he had three games where he had multiple turnovers, including in Week 1 where he had threw two interceptions and coughed the ball up twice in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hasselbeck also plays in a soft division, which could mean that if the Seahawks have a huge lead in the standings, Seattle might elect to give him some rest down the stretch.

Bottom Line: Since Carson Palmer is coming off a major injury, Hasselbeck may be the leading candidate to be the second quarterback to be taken after Peyton Manning. He certainly has the talent to be drafted in that spot, and if he is still available in the third round or beyond, he is well worth the pick as one of the top No.1 Quarterbacks in fantasy.

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks

WR Roy Williams, Detroit Lions

2005 Stats: 45 receptions, 687 receiving yards, 8 TDs
Projected 2006 Stats: 73 receptions, 1101 receiving yards, 11 TDs
Projected Fantasy Round: 3rd round
Wide Receivers to be Picked ahead of Roy Williams: Steve Smith, Marvin Harrison, Terrell Owens, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Roy Williams: Williams had eight touchdowns in just 13 games in 2005, and he had six games with at least four receptions. He has shown that he can be a nice weapon in fantasy football as he has caught 16 touchdowns in just 27 career games.

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Roy Williams: Williams has yet to play all 16 games in his short career.  Last season, Williams was held under 60 receiving yards in nine games. 

Bottom Line: All signs are pointing to Williams having a big year as this is his third year, and he will get to play in the pass-happy Mike Martz offense. Williams should be viewed as a lower tier, No.1 or a solid No.2 Wide receiver in fantasy, but he is capable of putting up numbers good enough to be amongst the upper echelon of wideouts.

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Roy Williams, Detroit Lions

RB Julius Jones, Dallas Cowboys

2005 Stats: 993 rushing yards, 218 receiving yards, 5 total TDs
Projected 2006 Stats: 1265 rushing yards, 347 receiving yards, 13 total TDs
Projected Fantasy Round: 2nd round
Running Backs to be Picked ahead of Julius Jones: Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Tiki Barber, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Julius Jones: In Week 16 last season, Jones showed his obvious potential when he lit up the Carolina Panthers for 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In Week 13, he showed his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield when he had nine receptions for 88 yards against the New York Giants.

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Julius Jones: Jones has already missed 11 games in his two year career. Last season, he rushed for over 100 yards in only one game and was held to under 60 yards rushing in four games.   

Bottom Line: This is the do or die season for Jones to hold onto the starting running back spot in Dallas. Fortunately for Jones, the Cowboys added Terrell Owens in the offseason, which will open running lanes that have been relatively nonexistent for Jones the past two seasons. Based of last season, and his lack of durability, Jones should slide into the second round, if he does, snatch him up!

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Julius Jones, Dallas Cowboys