QB Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons

2006 Stats: 2474 passing yards, 1039 rushing yards, 22 total TDs, 13 INTs
Projected 2007 Stats: 2411 passing yards, 777 rushing yards, 18 total TDs, 11 INTs
Projected Fantasy Round: 9th Round
Quarterbacks to be Picked ahead of Michael Vick: Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Michael Vick: Last season, Michael Vick had 2474 passing yards, 1039 rushing yards, and a total of 22 touchdowns.  In other words, he is a dual threat, and with him shouldering so much of the load on offense for the Falcons, Vick is more than capable of racking up huge fantasy numbers. For example, one week in 2006, Vick scrambled for 166 rushing yards, and in another week, he passed for 237 yards and four touchdowns. It is worth noting, the Falcons have a new sheriff in town, and Bobby Petrino could end up being just the type of coach needed to get the most production possible out of Vick. Lastly, since Vick appears to be losing his popularity with fantasy owners, this season he can be acquired in the later rounds, which means he will be an excellent bargain.   

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Michael Vick: Vick has some off-the-field issues that are currently being reviewed by the league, such as his alleged involvement in dog fighting.  Therefore, it is possible that Vick could be hit with a suspension from the league. In 2006, Vick had four games where he threw multiple interceptions, one game where he had four fumbles, and a total of six contests where he failed to through a single touchdown pass.  Not to mention, the inconsistency of Vick from week-to-week can leave fantasy owners barking in disgust.      

Bottom Line: Vick will likely never lead the league in passing yards, nor throw for the most scores, but his all-purpose yards and touchdowns have him as a top reserve, teetering on being a No. 1 Quarterback in fantasy.

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers

2006 Stats: 1815 rushing yards, 508 receiving yards, 31 total TDs
Projected 2007 Stats: 1497 rushing yards, 477 receiving yards, 24 total TDs
Projected Fantasy Round: 1st Round
Running Backs to be Picked ahead of LaDainian Tomlinson: None

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft LaDainian Tomlinson: The reasons to draft LaDainian Tomlinson are obvious.  He racked up 2323 total yards and dented the scoreboard 31 times in 2006.  Not to mention, Tomlinson has amassed over 1200 rushing yards and double digit touchdowns in every season in his six year career.  Furthermore, L.T. rushed for over 100 yards in ten regular season games last season, nine of which came in consecutive games.

Why you may want to stay away from drafting LaDainian Tomlinson: Tomlinson will be the first player taken in most drafts, which means the majority of fantasy owners won’t even be given an opportunity to pass on him. It is a real stretch to try and come up with a reason not to select Tomlinson, so please humor the following conspiracy theory: Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, and Walter Payton all had huge numbers in their sixth seasons only to have their statistics dip in their seventh season. Smith went from 1773 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns down to 1204 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Sanders had 1883 rushing yards in his sixth season plummet to 1500 rushing yards in his seventh year.  Payton had 1460 rushing yards evaporate into 1222 rushing yards the following season.  If that trend happens to continue, then you could see a Tomlinson’s numbers take a hit in 2007.         

Bottom Line: All conspiracy theories aside, Tomlinson is the most productive and reliable running back in the NFL.  He should be viewed as the overall No. 1 Running back in fantasy.

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers

QB Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals

2006 Stats: 2547 passing yards, 13 total TDs, 12 INTs
Projected 2007 Stats: 3420 passing yards, 20 total TDs, 15 INTs
Projected Fantasy Round: 7th Round
Quarterbacks to be Picked ahead of Matt Leinart: Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Matt Leinart: Matt Leinart started looking more and more comfortable as his rookie season progressed. In Week 12, he torched the Vikings for 405 passing yards and two touchdowns. Leinart was able to throw for over 2500 passing yards despite being held out of four games. If Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald can avoid injury in 2007, then Leinart should rack up some healthy numbers in his first full season.   

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Matt Leinart: With the loss of Leonard Davis to their offensive line, coupled with the lack of a potent running game in Arizona, Leinart will likely face constant pressure from opposing defenses. Leinart averaged one interception per game in 2006, and he only passed for more than 253 yards in one game.  He also had eight fumbles in just 12 games.   

Bottom Line: Leinart appears to be poised beyond his years, and he has the potential to be a star in the NFL.  That being said, he is just in his second season, and he will likely need more time to develop.  Since the Cardinals appear to lack the ability to move the chains running the ball, thus allowing defenses to use an extra defender to pressure Leinart, he should be viewed as a lower tier No. 1 Quarterback, flirting with being a fantasy reserve.   

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals

RB Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts

2006 Stats: 1081 rushing yards, 325 receiving yards, 8 total TDs
Projected 2007 Stats: 1322 rushing yards, 511 receiving yards, 13 total TDs
Projected Fantasy Round: 2nd Round
Running Backs to be Picked ahead of Joseph Addai: LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Steven Jackson, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Joseph Addai: Joseph Addai had a very productive rookie campaign in 2006 despite having to split carries with Dominic Rhodes. Addai finished the season averaging an eye-popping 4.8 yards per carry and racked up 1406 total yards. In Week 12, Addai lit up the Eagles to the tune of 171 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Now with Rhodes leaving town, Addai figures to shoulder the load for Indianapolis in 2007.   

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Joseph Addai: In 2006, Addai was held under 70 rushing yards on nine different occasions and failed to score a rushing touchdown in 12 games. Furthermore, he was only able to rush for over 100 yards in two regular season games.  The Colts were able to limit Addai’s carries to 226 in 2006, but he will likely be asked to run the ball more than 300 times in 2007, which it remains to be seen if his body can hold up with an inevitable increase in work load.   

Bottom Line: Addai will see a substantial increase in his touches in 2007, which should translate to a significant increase in his production. Consequently, Addai should be viewed as a No. 1 Running back in fantasy, and he will likely be taken in the first couple rounds in most fantasy drafts.

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts

QB Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

2006 Stats: 2903 passing yards, 19 total TDs, 13 INTs
Projected 2007 Stats: 3677 passing yards, 27 total TDs, 16 INTs
Projected Fantasy Round: 8th Round
Quarterbacks to be Picked ahead of Tony Romo: Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why should you draft Tony Romo: In 2006, Tony Romo had five multiple touchdowns games in just ten starts and another one in relief, and he also had three games in that span where he surpassed 300 passing yards. Romo had an eye-popping 65.3 completion percentage in his first season being allowed to throw a pass. The potential Romo possesses became evident in his Thanksgiving performance where he roasted the Buccaneers for 306 passing yards, five touchdown passes, and no interceptions.    

Why you may want to stay away from drafting Tony Romo:  After Romo got off to a blazing 5-1 record as a starter, he quickly cooled off, going 1-4 the rest of the way.  Romo had four games where he threw multiple interceptions, and he had eight fumbles in his final four games in 2006, including the botched field goal attempt in the playoff loss. The aforementioned playoff fumble ended the season for the Cowboys and ended the Bill Parcells era in Dallas.  That one play could end up being damaging Romo’s career, and if he is unable to regain his confidence, he just might see his starting job slip through his fingers.

Bottom Line: There is little doubt that Romo lost his confidence at the end of last season when opposing teams finally had game films to study on him.  Now it will be up to Romo to make the proper adjustments to regain his confidence.  Romo is a classic example of a high risk, with potential of high reward, player in fantasy.  He should be viewed as a lower tier No. 1 Quarterback, with a legitimate chance to join the upper tier, or just as easily be relegated to a fantasy reserve. Romo will likely be drafted in the middle rounds, but if he falls into the later rounds, he would be more than worth the gamble at that point.

Technorati Tags: NFL, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Player Profile, Fantasy Football Player Outlook, Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys