Happy Monday Everyone! Hope you all had as good of a weekend as I did. I'm still recovering from my bachelor party, so bear with me in the delay in rankings. We are almost at our fourth and final part of the rankings. Now all that's left is a season to be played. Please see Part I of my rankings from last week, and Part II here.
For those of you who like to check out the rankings from more than one site, check out Fantasy Run Down. Fantasy Run Down provides one stop shopping for those who can't get enough rankings for fantasy football, as well as other sports.
Part III of IV after the jump...
| 51 | Dallas Clark, IND | TE3 | Clark is recovering from wrist surgery, but he'll be ready to go in 2011. Clark was utterly dominant in 2009-10 before his injury. |
| 52 | Mark Ingram, NO | RB23 | The 2009 Heisman Winner from Alabama should see the most carries in a New Orleans Offense that loves to spread the ball around. He needs to beat out incumbent starter Pierre Thomas and One-Year Wonder Chris Ivory. Look for Ingram and Thomas to split most of the carries. |
| 53 | Daniel Thomas, MIA | RB24 | The Kansas State Rookie appears to be locked in as the Dolphins' 2011 feature back. If the Fins pick up a running back to assist in the passing game, it only bodes well for Thomas' chances to remain the #1 RB. |
| 54 | Percy Harvin, MIN | WR19 | If only Harvin could stay healthy. He seems to always have a "Questionable" tag on game day. He's been one of the most frustrating WR's to own. Harvin claims he's over the migraines that have plagued him over his first two seasons. If that's true, Harvin could put up top-10 WR numbers in 2011, especially PPR Formats. |
| 55 | Austin Collie, IND | WR20 | One of Peyton Mannings' primary targets in the first half of 2011, Collie was knocked out of the season by concussions. He was on pace for nearly 1300 yards before succumbing to injury. Collie successfully replaced Pierre Garcon as the #2 WR in Indy. Keep a close eye on his head situation. |
| 56 | Kenny Britt, TEN | WR21 | Kenny Britt's talent merits him a top-20 ranking. His head knocks him down to this rank of 56, and with word out he is wanted in Nashville, he may be on his way down this list. Keep tabs on Britt as he may get suspended to start 2011. |
| 57 | Brandon Lloyd, DEN | WR22 | Lloyd, along with Stevie Johnson, was one of the biggest surprises in fantasy, maybe fantasy history. Lloyd is on his 4th team in 8 seasons and completely shattered all of his career-highs with 77 catches for 1,448 yards and 11 TD's!! The problem is former coach Josh McDaniels is in St. Louis, and Kyle Orton looks to be on his way out, paving way for the Tim Tebow Era. Temper expectations. |
| 58 | Anquan Boldin, BAL | WR23 | Boldin's first season in Baltimore did not go as well as both he and fantasy owners anticipated, but he is still the # 1 WR in an offense with an improving QB. The question remains has Boldin lost a step? He disappeared during a bunch of games last season. I wouldn't feel comfortable relying on AB as one of my top two receivers. |
| 59 | Vernon Davis, SF | TE4 | The genetic freak has scored 20 TD's over the last two seasons. New Coach Jim Harbaugh emphasizes the TE tremendously, and with Crabtree bickering with Alex Smith, expect Davis to lead the 49ers in receiving for the 3rd straight season. |
| 60 | Jason Witten, DAL | TE5 | Always among the TE Leaders in catches and yards, Witten scored a career-high of 9 TD's last season along with 94 catches for the 2nd straight season. One of Tony Romo's favorite targets, Witten was targeted just as often, if not more, from backup Jon Kitna last season. It's safe to say Witten will get his yards no matter who is throwing him the ball. |
| 61 | Wes Welker, NE | WR24 | Welker was visibly hindered by his ACL surgery recovery in 2010 finishing with 86 catches and 848 yards, his lowest totals since he joined New England. Welker should be the #1 WR in NE and will likely revert back to his old numbers as long as he's healthy. |
| 62 | Sidney Rice, MIN | WR25 | Rice and his surgically-repaired hip will be one of the top receivers in free agency. It remains to be seen if he'll be back in Minnesota or not. I'd expect Percy Harvin to take over #1 WR in 2011. Wherever Rice ends up, he should be productive. |
| 63 | Steve Johnson, BUF | WR26 | The most unlikeliest of breakout players in 2010, Johnson overcame Lee Evans to become Ryan Fitzpatrick's favorite target. Stevie finished with 10 TD's and 1073 receiving yards and will be playing for a new contract in 2011. I expect a repeat performance as long as Lee Evans is around to take some attention away. |
| 64 | Mario Manningham, NYG | WR27 | Manningham broke out in a big way in 2010 after replacing Steve Smith as starter. MM had 9 TD's and 944 yards as a fill-in. Manningham may be the #2 WR again if Smith is not back. |
| 65 | Felix Jones, DAL | RB25 | Jones looked exceptionally slower last season after bulking up in the 2009-2010 off-season. Coach Jason Garrett plans to rotate Jones, Tashard Choice and DeMarco Murray all season, so I wouldn't break on a huge breakout from Jones. He is the biggest threat on passing downs, so his value is higher in PPR Leagues. |
| 66 | Cedric Benson, CIN | RB26 | Benson should be back in Cincy again, and with a rookie likely starting at QB, expect the Bengals to lean heavily on the running game. He only averaged 3.46 YPC in 2010, so the Bengals may give Bernard Scott some carries. Buyer beware. |
| 67 | Matt Ryan, Atl | QB9 | With Michael Turner accumulating so much mileage, look for the Falcons to pass more in 2011, especially with Julio Jones in tow. Ryan set career highs in every category in 2010. Ryan to White should be a force again in 2011. |
| 68 | Steve Smith, CAR / Steve Smith, NYG | WR28 | I originally forgot to rank Steve Smith North, so both Smiths get to share this ranking together. This ranking of Steve Smith South is pending a trade out of Carolina. Smith North is recovering from microfracture surgery and should be back in NY. Look for bounce-back seasons from both players. |
| 69 | Fred Jackson, BUF | RB27 | The criminally underrated back should lead the offense in touches again in 2010 despite the presence of CJ Spiller. PPR Leagues he's golden. |
| 70 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis, NE | RB28 | Quick - which RB was tied for 2nd in the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2010? YUP! The Law Firm! DING DING DING. Green-Ellis barely eclipsed 1000 yards rushing, but hit pay dirt 13 times. The Free Agent should be back in NE, but he will likely get over-drafted based on his 2010 numbers. |
| 71 | Joe Flacco, Bal | QB10 | Flacco put up career-highs in passing yards (3622) and TD passes (25). Expect him to improve again in his 4th season. |
| 72 | Joseph Addai, IND | RB29 | Addai is a nice fit in the Colts' offense and should be back in Indy. If he doesn't return, knock him way down the rankings. He had a short year in 2010 and underpeformed. |
| 73 | Jay Cutler, Chi | QB11 | I expect Cutler to break out in his 2nd year of the Mike Martz-led offense now that he's had one season of grooming. Hopefully the OL does a better job of keeping him on his feet. |
| 74 | Josh Freeman, TB | QB12 | I don't think even Mrs. Freeman expected Josh to have that kind of season he had in 2010. 25 TD passes to only 6 interceptions? Are you kidding me? The sky is the limit for the talented QB that ran for 364 yards last season, 2nd to Mike Vick for all quarterbacks. |
| 75 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pit | QB13 | Big Ben had an efficient 2010, falling just short of the Super Bowl, but I can see the Steelers running the ball more in 2011. |
| 76 | Michael Crabtree, SF | WR 29 | The uber-talented Crabtree was expected to break out in 2010. He is pointing fingers at QB Alex Smith for not looking in his direction in key times. These two need to get on the same page. Monitor the situation closely. |
| 77 | Jordy Nelson, GB | WR30 | One of my favorite sleepers, Nelson should take over the # 2 WR in Green Bay, replacing Donald Driver. However he is likely to be the third target behind Jermichel Finley and Greg Jennings. Luckily for Nelson, he has Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers throwing to him in a pass-heavy attack. |
| 78 | Ryan Grant, GB | RB30 | Had ankle surgery in November, and should be ready to go for Week 1. Because he's had two consecutive 1,200 yard seasons prior to his injury, Grant should start for Green Bay. Beware of his limits in the passing game though. Starks could take some time away in that respect. |
| 79 | A.J. Green, CIN | WR31 | # 4 overall pick will likely start right away. With the lockout, he should have extra time to review the playbook. One of the front runners for Offensive ROY, Green was a monster at Georgia. |
| 80 | Braylon Edwards, NYJ | WR32 | Jets likely to re-sign Santonio Holmes over Edwards. The WR with the case of the drops may latch on as a #1 WR somewhere, whether it's NY or not. |
| 81 | Ryan Williams, ARI | RB31 | Rookie from Virginia Tech has plus hands and vision, but crowded backfield limits him from becoming a fantasy stud. Will likely take over # 2 back from Tim Hightower due to their similar styles of play. |
| 82 | Randy Moss, TEN | WR33 | Many rumors persist on where the future Hall of Famer will land this off-season, but at this stage of his career, is he simply a decoy like we saw in Tennessee? |
| 83 | Matthew Stafford, Det | QB14 | Injuries are the only thing keeping Stafford from becoming a superstar. However, injuries are a skill too. Showed glimpses of chemistry with Megatron when healthy by connecting with CJ for 3 TD's in Week 8 against Washington. Hope his shoulder heals stronger than ever. |
| 84 | Malcom Floyd, SD | WR34 | When healthy, filled in admirably for Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates. If he stays in San Diego, likely to be the third or even fourth option in the offense. |
| 85 | Eli Manning, NYG | QB15 | Threw a ridiculous 25 interceptions last season, easily a career high, and needs to be more careful with the ball. Threw for over 4,000 yards for a second season. |
| 86 | Ryan Torain, WAS | RB32 | Perfect for Mike Shanahan's zone-blicking scheme, but he is constantly battling injuries. I expect Helu to take over at some point. |
| 87 | Terrell Owens, CIN | WR35 | The enigmatic T.O. still has a lot left in the tank, as evidenced by his comeback 2010 season. Only question is where will the free agent end up? |
| 88 | Zach Miller, OAK | TE6 | Was on his way to career-year until injuries slowed him down. The 25-year old Free Agent should be back in Oakland and back in top 10 TE's. |
| 89 | Roy Helu, WAS | RB33 | Rookie speedster from Nebraska finished in top 5 in most cats in school history. Will battle the brittle Ryan Torain for the starting job. I'd bet on Helu. |
| 90 | Mikel Leshoure, DET | RB34 | The rookie bruiser from Illinois will be the short-yardage and goal-line back for the Lions. This is a good thing for all parties involved. |
| 91 | Chad Ochocinco, CIN | WR36 | Slowly gave way to T.O. as Cincy's # 1 WR. Don't expect 85 to be back in a Bengals Uniform. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green starting don't bode well for his prospects either. |
| 92 | Johnny Knox, CHI | WR37 | The streaky WR didn't have a big game until Week 16 against the Jets, which was too late for most owners. Doesn't feel like a true WR 1 - needs to line up with another talented WR to show he's a true burner. |
| 93 | Michael Bush, OAK | RB35 | Should be back in Oakland, prime insurance for Darren McFadden. Expect to see Bush in a similar role to 2010. |
| 94 | Mike Thomas, JAC | WR38 | Went for 66-820 in Jacksonville in 2010. Likely to be the # 1 WR in 2011 leading the Jaguars in targets. |
| 95 | James Starks, GB | RB36 | Value takes a hit with Ryan Grant back in Green Bay. May not over-take Grant as the #1 rusher, but look for the two to be in a time-share for most of the season. |
| 96 | C.J. Spiller, BUF | RB37 | Spiller was overrated in 2010, disappointing all of his owners. It's too bad he ended up in Buffalo. Fred Jackson is most likely going to be reprising his role as lead rusher again. |
| 97 | Sam Bradford, StL | QB16 | Bradford looked anything but a rookie last season. He was incredibly poised going for 18-15. With Josh McDaniels calling the shots in the Rams' offense, look for improvements all across the board in the St. Louis offense. |
| 98 | Chris Cooley, WAS | TE7 | Despite 2009 injury slowing him down, tied career-best in yards last season. Likely to match those numbers despite what happens in Washington. |
| 99 | Marshawn Lynch, SEA | RB38 | Might get over-drafted as Lynch dominated the Saints in the divisional playoff round. However, his 3.6 YPC leaves a lot to be desired. He is alone in the backfield though. |
| 100 | Pierre Thomas, NO | RB39 | Everyone's favorite 2010 bust needs to shed the "injured" label. He's walking after ankle surgery, but the Saints didn't draft Mark Ingram in the first round for nothing. |