Fantasy Baseball How To:

Effectively improve your team via the waiver wire.

By this point in the season, you've probably come pretty close to recognizing what all your team is strong at, and what all categories they could use some help with.
If you aren't really sure, take a look at your accumulated stats (there should be a link for this somewhere on the league's homepage) and see what categories you need help with-I prefer writing down each category that I feel I need help with.

With this information at hand, you should start to focus on stats on the waiver wire instead of big names and/or numbers that you are already in good shape at.
For example, lets say that you are 2nd in your league in home runs but only ninth in stolen bases, but some one has just dropped Chris Davis whom you have had your eye on since before the draft. Obviously you would be tempted to pick him up, but instead try to find an unheralded speed guy. You can still make room to put Chris Davis on your team, but finding a speed guy needs to be your top priority.

Pitching, on the other hand, can be a little more complicated though, depending on your league's scoring settings.
If your league has a category for Innings Pitched along with all the other 'normal' stat categories, it may be wise to have an extra starter on your team in place of a reliever, but don't go overboard with this. Don't sacrifice your ERA, WHIP, Saves, and Walks just to try and gain an advantage in K's, Wins, and Innings. If you'll do the math here, you're hurting your team by doing so.
Slowly throughout the year, try and pick up starters who flying under the radar but performing very well and you may be able to pick up a clean sweep in pitching categories once in a while.

Closer watch

A handful of teams, whether the reason is injury or ineffectiveness, now have a different closer ending games for them. You should consider picking these players up and squeeze every save and strikeout you can out of them.

• Scott Downs-Replacing the injured BJ Ryan.
• Ryan Franklin-The main St. Louis closer, hasn't given up a run in 7 innings .
  
• Brad Zeigler-Teammate and would-be save stealer Joey Devine is out for the year.
• Todd Coffey-The interim closer til Hoffman gets back (which should be a week or so). still, could net you a save or two in the mean time.
• Rafael Soriano-Has been the Braves most effective closer thus far.
• Carlos Marmol-Sweet Lou likes him more in the 8th, but he will get a few spot saves every now and then and will help you greatly in Ks.
  
• Manny Corpas-Took over for Huston Street, hasn't been effective yet though.

Here are some other players who aren't closers yet, but who you should keep a serious eye on in case something happens.

• Chris Perez-Having some control issues, but he's the most talented reliever the Cardinals have.
  
• Dan Wheeler- Troy Percival isn't exactly the poster boy of durability. When he breaks down, Wheeler will be next in line for saves.
• Jason Grili- Newly appointed closer Manny Corpas has already struggled and Grili is posting a 1.29 ERA.
• Chris Ray-I know he's not doing well, but neither is George Sherril.
  
• Tommy Hunter-Could pull an Adam Wainwright and close for the Braves down the stretch (if they're in contention)
  

What to do with DL eligible players

Today, Pittsburgh catcher Ryan Doumit was placed on the DL, leading to thousands upon thousands of fantasy owners dropping him from their team in exchange for some garbage replacement like Ramon Hernandez when they easily could have (and should have) just placed him on an empty DL spot.

They would still have to pick up a well-below average replacement while he is out, but once he comes back in mid-June or July (with still a good 2 or 3 months of baseball left), they will have a top 10 catcher in their lap.

So my advice to all of you is if somebody in your league drops a player that is slightly above average, pick him up, stash him on your DL, and laugh at the owner after he gets healthy and helps you win a title.

Fantasy Baseball team updates

This week...definitely wasn't my finest week ever. Almost all of my teams lost ground in the standings. Here's the recap of Week 2.

Team 1:
I started out the week with high hopes. I was only 1/2 game out of first place and was playing a team that didn't win a single category the previous week. All of my hitters decided to pick this week to not do jack squat (which I guess isn't really too bad of a thing) and my pitchers only did average. I finished this week 3-7-3 but am still in 2nd place, now 3 1/2 games back of first.

I dropped Chad Qualls and Howie Kendrick for Fernando Rodney and Orlando Hudson, respectively. Also, I plan on taking offers for Russell Martin, Troy Tulowitzki, and Chris Davis within the next few weeks.

Team 2:
Same story as team 1. I was right in the thick of things, playing a team that got dominated in Week 1, but got hammered instead. I dropped 8 out of 10 categories to bury me in 7th place, 7 1/2 games behind 1st.

I was pretty busy on the free agent market, dropping Chris Young (OF), Kevin Slowey, Ryan Zimmerman, Scott Baker, Huston Street, and Randy Winn (who I also added this week) for: Randy Winn, Jeremy Guthrie, Kevin Millwood, Travis Snider, and Manny Corpas. I am currently shopping; James Loney, Howie Kendrick, Kelly Shoppach, Carlos Villanueva, and Jeremy Guthrie.

Team 3:
This team didn't entirely suck this week, but also wasn't lights out unstoppable. I finished the week against a pretty good team with a 9-11-2 record and am now sitting in 3rd place, only 3 games out of 1st place.

I dropped Joba Chamberlain and Max Scherzer for Fernando Rodney and Joel Hanrahan (I had no closers) and am shopping arond Chris Iannetta.

Team 4:
This was easily my best team this week, the only team I had that had a winning record. I finished the week 8-4-0 and am currently in sole possesion of 1st place-a single game ahead of the two players tied for 2nd.

I dropped Kevin Slowey, Jason Motte, Vernon Wells, and Jared Weaver for Kevin Millwood, Fernando Rodney, and Manny Corpas.

I'll be back with more updates on how my teams are doing next Monday. Feel free to ask any fantasy questions!

Fantasy Note

Both Kevin Milwood and Josh Johnson are starting tomorrow. If they are still available in your league(s) it would be a wise move to pick up either one or both of them. Johnson has 20 win potential this year with an ERA in the mid to high 2's and 200+ strikeouts while Milwood could get anywhere from 15 to 18 wins with an ERA between 3 and 4 and 180 or more strikeouts.

If you can pick them up, you should probably think about doing so...

Buy Low/Sell High Canidates

I know its early in the season, but its never too early to be thinking of your teams long term success. The best way to do this? Like many things in life-buy low and sell high-meaning trade away players who are performing way better than expected (if you don't think they can keep it up) and trying to get under performing stars whose owners may be getting nervous.

The SELL HIGH group. If you own one of these players, consider trading them soon while their values are still high but if you don't, don't let go of too much for them.

• Emilio Bonifacio (2B/3B-FLA)
  
• Nick Swisher (1B/OF-NYY)
• Jack Cust (U-OAK)
• Marco Scutaro (2B/3B/SS-TOR)
• Kyle Lohse (SP-STL)
• Kevin Milwood (SP-TEX)

The BUY LOW group. If you happen to own a player on this list, just wait it out. If you don't start sending trade proposals pronto while you can still get them for cheap(er).

• Ryan Braun (OF-MIL) He has injury concerns right now, but I don't think they're too serious which is great news. The "injury" drives his value down even more.
• Mark Teixeira (1B-NYY) Also has injury concerns. Keep an eye on his injury.
• Jimmy Rollins (SS-PHI)
• Prince Fielder (1B-MIL) Started off slow last year too but ended up alright.
• Chris Iannetta (C-COL) He'll be a top 5 or 6 catcher by the end of the year.
• Brandon Webb (SP-ARI) There's no better time to steal a player than when he lands on the DL
• Cliff Lee (SP-CLE)
• Roy Oswalt (SP-HOU) Look at his 2nd half last year
• Ricky Nolasco (SP-FLA) Peter Gammons likes him-and he knows more about baseball than all of us...combined
  

Attention!

If any of you are football fans, check out my blog on the goings-ons of the NFL world at http://nflep.blogspot.com/. Right now I am doing a team by team preview of the upcoming draft and will be posting plenty of other stuff on there.

Also, within the next week, I will be sharing a few pointers on the Art of the Unfair Fantasy Trade. It will show you a few of my tactics for trying to get as much as you possibly can in a trade (and then some).

Quick update on my teams.

In my first league, I finished the week undefeated, posting a 9-0-4 record and am currently sitting in 2nd place only 1/2 game behind 1st. I've dropped Jason Motte, Erik Bedard (not smart), and Lastings Miledge for Frank Fransisco, Chad Qualls, and Nelson Cruz.

The second league, I'm currently in 4th place with a 6-3-1 record, but only 1/2 game behind teams 1A, 1B, and 1C. I signed Jonny Cueto to fill in for Scott Baker who is currently on the DL and have released Manny Corpas for Aaron Harang, Jason Motte for Carlos Villanueva, Jonny Cueto for Kyle Davies, and Chris Young (OF) for Randy Winn.

The third league, I am in 2nd place with a 14-6-2 record and am only (again) 1/2 game behind first place. I picked up Aaron Harang off waivers to replace BJ Upton while he is on the DL, and dropped Jonny Cueto in favor of Florida's Chris Volstad.

In the last league, I am once again in second place by, yep, you guessed it, 1/2 game. I had a pretty solid week, finishing 7-3-2. I have dropped Joey Devine, Kevin Slowey, Jason Motte, and Wandy Rodiriguez (who I had picked up in place of BJ Upton who is on the DL) for Edwin Jackson, Jeremy Guthrie, Kevin Milwood, and Fernando Rodney, respectively.

All in all, I'd say that I am off to a very solid start in all of my leagues and I can see myself being in contention until the end of the year (lets hope).

Fantasy Baseball early season tip 2...

If your league settings allow it and there are more counting categories (wins, Ks, IP, etc) than per-inning/per-game stats (WHIP, ERA, etc) and you have a strong offense who can win you about 2/3 of your offensive categories, then you should seriously consider streaming your pitchers (adding and dropping pitchers everyday concerning who is starting that day).

It may make a couple people angry, but there is no rule against it (unless your commissioner puts a max number of IPs) and therefore is fair game. Other owners may not believe in doing this, but bottom line is winning and if streaming helps you do so, it doesn't matter if it is "not right" or not.

You have to keep this in mind though, you will more than likely lose your WHIP, ERA, and BBs each week so make sure you will gain more than you lose by streaming before you do so.

Fantasy Baseball early season tip...

Many of you may be in this scenarion right now; the first week of the season is almost complete and the 'studs' you have drafted like Jose Reyes, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Tim Lincecum etc. are doing absolutely AWFUL. So what should you do when this happens-when your big name stars are struggling so terribly?

You see, baseball is unlike any other sport on earth. The best hitter in history could go 2 weeks without getting a single hit while on the other hand some no-name scrub could get a hit in 8 straight ABs. Does that mean you should drop greatest-hitter-ever for no-name-scrub? Definitely not. Instead, just roll with it and do nothing. They will right the ship eventually.

However, if your star player has gotten around 150 ABs or 60 IP and they still are destroying your team, it may be time to trade them (but never drop them, someone will almost always be willing to trade for a big-name guy)

One thing you can do to take advantage of your impatient fellow-fantasyers is to send out trades early for any struggling superstar and see if you can get lucky.

What should you do with...

Its a short list today, but here we go...

Freddy Sanchez-3B (PIT)
Stay Away. He was a very solid hitter 2 years ago, but his play has declined ever since. He's started off the season very hot, but it won't last.

Ryan Spilborghs-OF (COL)
Keep an eye on.
He's not guaranteed any playing time, but if he gets consistent ABs, consider picking him up.

Zach Miner-P (DET)
Pick him up. I made it a point to pick him up in three of my leagues because I had a feeling that he would break through. Threw one game, I'm looking like a slight genius.

Kosuke Fukudome-OF (CHN)
Pick him up. But release him or try to trade him as soon as the All-Star break comes. Last season he batted 62 points lower and had an OPS 151 points lower in the second half than he did the first.

Yovanni Gallardo-P (MIL)
Pick him up. I can't see him being available in many leagues, but I was able to sign him in two leagues so he's worth a talk. He has dominating stuff, plain and simple.

Top under the radar players (Hitters)

A list of the players that are truly undervalued in fantasy baseball that you should consider picking up.
There will be no Pablo Sandoval's or Justin Upton's on this list-players that everyone is calling underrated so therefore...they are no longer underrated and have become overrated in fact.

CATCHER:
Kelly Shoppach (CLE)- (Available in 58% of leagues)
Will get plenty of opportunities to catch and he hit 21 HRs last season.

Jared Saltalamacchia (TEX)- (Available in 63% of leagues)
Everyone is so high on Taylor Teagarden this year that Salty has been sort of pushed to the side. He's still very young and talented so he could break out at any time.

Jesus Flores (WAS)- (Available in 93% of leagues)
Not a ton of people are familiar with him but he has produced pretty well in his 170 career big league games. He won't win you any leagues single handidly, but if one of your catchers gets injured or is struggling, have him on your radar.

FIRST BASE:
Adam LaRoche (PIT)-(Available in 60% of leagues)
Sure, he always starts out slow, but after his month or so of being far below average, he can really contribute-as evidenced by the 25 home runs he hit last season.

Todd Helton (COL)- (Available in 82% of leagues)
Did you not see the Spring he had this year? I'll be the first to tell you that spring stats are meaningless...most of the time, but I think they can be a strong indicator of someone who had a down year due to injury will perform in the upcoming season. He could be a major upgrade as your backup 1B.

SECOND BASE:
Mark Teahan (KC)- (Available in 83% of leagues)
A 27 year old who has had a couple of off years after posting a very solid 2006 campaign is a player that I would normally keep an eye on anyway. Throw in the fact that he is now moving to 2B and also has eligibility at 1B, 3B, and OF...this player could really help you out.

Ronnie Belliard (WAS)- (Available in 97% of leagues)
In 297 ABs last year, he hit 11 homers and batted .287. He is the Nationals starting second baseman. He has additional eligibility at 1B and 3B. If you are in need of some position flexibility and potential for a solid season at a shallow position, Belliard is your man.

THIRD BASE:
Chase Headley (SD)- (Available in 88% of leagues)
In about half a season's worth of ABs, he hit 9 HRs and drove in 38 runs. Now those aren't exactly what you would call starter caliber numbers, but provided you have little depth at either 3B or OF, you should seriously consider picking up Headley.

Scott Rolen (TOR)- (Available in 94% of leagues)
Yes, he more than likely will go down with some sort of injury in a month or two, but if your current third-baseman is out, A-rod and Glaus owners, you could pick Rolen up for a very solid stretch of games before the inevitable injury comes his way.

SHORTSTOP:
Jason Bartlett (TB)- (Available in 94% of leagues)
There is no real reason to own Bartlett, unless your team is in absolute dire need of steals and the shelf is completely barren of shortstops-if thats the case, then feel free picking him up.

OUTFIELD:
Adam Lind (TOR)- (Available in 56% of leagues)
But that number is probably plummeting in a hurry, and rightfully so. This kid (he's only 25) has a good makeup at the plate and has real big league power on his 6-1 215 lb frame. Drop one of your backup outfielders for this kid, you'll be glad you did.

Luke Scott (BAL)- (Available in 94% of leagues)
If your team is very average-heavy and needs a slight boost in the HR category, pick up Scott. Don't be alarmed when your team BA goes down slightly, thats to be expected with a career .226 (and sliding) hitter, but he still has solid pop in that bat.

Randy Winn (SF)- (Available in 80% of leagues)
Of the free-agent OFs, he is as close to the anti-LukeScott as you can really get. The power has all but left the bat of this 34 year old, but he is very crafty on the base paths and a solid batting average guy. Expect a .300 average and 20 or so steals with a dozen HRs tops.

David DeJesus (KC)- (Available in 84% of leagues)
A .300 hitter that reached double digit steals and homeruns, moving back to a much more natural position. Sign me up.

Andruw Jones (TEX)- (Available in 97% of leagues)
If any Ranger outfielder or DH not named Josh Hamilton should struggle out of the gate, Jones-who is in much better shape than he's been in years-would be first in line to step in and take those ABs. If he can get to 400 at-bats, I could see him hitting about 20 HRs with a .250 to .270 BA.

What should you do with...

Aaron Harang-SP (CIN):
Pick him up. He was able to hold a potent Mets lineup to 1 run despite not having his best stuff. He could net you 15 wins and 200+ Ks.

Nelson Cruz-OF (TEX):
Pick him up. This kid is quickly shaking the "Quad-A" label that had been thrust upon him earlier in his career. He's been on a tear since entering Triple-A last season and I don't see him slowing down much this year barring injury. He could easily drive in 100+ runs hitting cleanup for the Rangers.

Hank Blalock-1B/3B/DH (TEX):
Wait and see. Yes, he did hit a fairly mammoth shot today, but I'm very wary of him because of his injury history. He could hit 25 HRs this year, but then again he may only play 50 games.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia-C (TEX):
Pick him up. (If there isn't a ton of depth at catcher in your league). He has the skill set to be a very productive catcher, but he will be splitting time with another young stud in Taylor Teagarden.

Kevin Milwood-SP (TEX)
Pick him up. His numbers were greatly inflated last year thanks in part to some awful luck. He should be significantly better this year.

Felipe Lopez-2B/SS/3B/OF (ARI)
Pick him up. This super-utility player will allow you to focus more on having just the best players as backups instead of worrying about getting each position covered, and he'll provided solid average, steals, and runs while doing so.

Tony Clark-1B (ARI)
Stay away. He's not promised playing time, and has a very difficult time making contact. No thanks.

Cesar Izturis-SS (BAL)
Stay away. Had a nice first game of the season, but there's a reason he was the last batter on a well below average Baltimore team.

Emilio Bonifacio-2B/3B (FLA)
Pick him up. Only if you want a lot cheap steals, an average average, and little help in the other categories. You could do worse with a backup 2B/3B.

Paul Maholm-SP (PIT)
Pick him up. This guy was a very solid pitcher last year, and is only 26. I think he puts together a season similar to last year.

Jason Motte-RP (STL)
Pick him up. So what, he had one bad outing. This kids stuff is electric. He may get dropped by a few trigger happy owners, so pick him up and relax with the 30+ saves you just picked up.

Adam Lind-OF/DH (TOR)
Pick him up!!!! Before the season, I thought he would be the best hitter in the Blue Jays lineup, and Monday's performance didn't calm those thoughts down any. Could hit 30+ HRs this year.

Travis Snider-OF (TOR)
Stay away. The glow of a shiny new prospect is always something to ogle after, but most of the time they leave you with a major feeling of disappointment. Don't get me wrong, this kid will be great-just not this year. If you're feeling lucky though, I wouldn't try to convince you not to take him.

Thats all for today. Stay tuned for tomorrow-I'll list my top young players and have another list similar to this.

What should I do about...

Now that baseball season is finally here, it kicked off last night with a 4-1 win by the Braves over the Phillies, I will be posting a daily (or almost daily) tab of:

• Under the radar players you should keep an eye on
• Low value players who had breakthrough game(s) and whether or not you should try to get them
• High value players who are struggling and if you should try to deal them or not.
• Anything else fantasy baseball related really.

That being said, lets get to it.

Jeff Francoeur (ATL):
Stay away. Sure he hit a home run yesterday, but it really wasn't all that impressive of a blast, and it was his only hit of the game. He has tweaked some things in his stance, but I'm not sold he's back to his old self again.

Jordan Schafer (ATL):
He did hit a home run in his first big league at bat and did finish the day 2-3 with a walk. That being said, I wouldn't take the bait on him. He was a Double A player last year, and if you project his stats out to a 550 AB season, they would be: 16 Homeruns, 80 RBIs, 72 Runs, 28 Doubles, and 130 or so strikeouts. His AA numbers weren't even worthy of fantasy starting material, so why would you want that on your team?

Brett Myers (PHI):
He did give up 3 HRs yesterday and didn't have his best command, but I don't think there is any reason to freak out on him. Give him a few starts and he should be back to the Brett Myers of last year (post all star break).

Check back tonight and I'll have some more updates on today's players.

March TE Rankings

Tier one
1. Jason Witten (DAL)
Already was Romo's top target last year. He'll only see more passes go his way now that TO is gone.

2. Antonio Gates (SD)
Wasn't 100 percent last season, yet still put up very good numbers (60 rec. 785 yds and 8 TDs). He should be healthy again this year and his stats will reflect that.

3. Tony Gonzalez (KC)
The best TE in football last year and it really wasn't all that close. I think his numbers will drop off a small amount though because Cassel doesn't go to his TE's that much, prefering the outside, and Gonzalez is getting up there in age.

Tier two
4. Dallas Clark (IND)
Manning threw to him a ton the last 3 regular season games and in their playoff game 94 games total)-33 receptions for 339 yards and 2 TDs-which would project to 132 receptions, 1356 yards, and 8 tds over a 16 game season. Obviously he wont get those sorts of numbers but don't be shocked if he hits 80 or 90 catches and double digit TDs.

5. Owen Daniels (HOU)
He's increased his yards and receptions each year. Now if only we could do something about those touchdowns...

6. Kellen Winslow Jr (TB)
I'm a little unsure if this is too high for him or not, but I'm going to go with the gut feeling and say he has a year almost reminiscent of 2007.

7. Chris Cooley (WAS)
He had the best year of his career, if you only count catches and yards. Dude only scored 1 touchdown all of last year after getting 6,7,6, and 8 in his first four years in the league.

Tier three
8. Dustin Keller (NYJ)
Was an explosive threat at TE in the second half of last year, and often times young QBs look for their TEs more. Sounds like a winning combination to me.

9. Greg Olsen (CHI)
The Bears should throw a lot more with Jay Cutler in the mix now, and Olsen is the number 1 or 2 pass catcher on this team.

10. Zach Miller (OAK)
Only player on the Raiders to surpass 50 catches, and 40, and amazingly 30. Russell obviously loves throwing to this kid and no one else on this team so until they find another reliable threat, Miller will be ranked pretty high.

11. Tony Scheffler (DEN)
He's a great recieving tight end, but he has a very hard time staying healthy.

12. Jeremy Shockey (NO)
Same as above, except his injury list is a bit longer.

13. John Carlson (SEA)
He reminds me of Owen Daniels and Chris Cooley, not amazing athletes, but they get open and catch the football. That being said, the addition of TJ Houshmanzadeh hurts his value some.

14. Anthony Fasano (MIA)
He and Greg Camarillo were Chad Pennington's favorite targets most of last year, and now Camarillo is coming off ACL surgery.

15. Heath Miller (PIT)
It wouldn't surprise me if he lost his job this year. He looked so incredibly slow in the playoffs it wasn't even funny.

Tier four
16. Todd Heap (BAL)
He's gotten hurt so much the last few years that he is merely a shell of his former self. They brought in LJ Smith as a backup...not that he's any better or less injury prone.

17. Bo Scaife (TEN)
Surprised everyone last year with his play, but then again he's done that since his rookie year.

18. Visanthe Shinacoe (MIN)
Had a solid year last season, and the Vikings didn't really add anybody who would cut into his reception totals.

19. Brent Celek (PHI)
Considering he wasn't even a full time starter, he faired pretty well last year. LJ Smith signed with another team this offseason so Celek's numbers should rise.

20. Randy McMichael (STL)
Was quietly having a good season until he broke his tibia and tore a ligament in his leg.

21. Kevin Boss (NYG)
His greatest contributions last year were on the goaline (6 TDs). Will have to step up his play with the recent release of Plaxico.

22. Benjamin Watson (NE)
Injuries have sapped the potential of the former 1st round pick, but if he can stay healthy he could see a 40 reception season this year.

23. Marcedes Lewis (JAX)
This former 1st round pick quietly had a solid season (41-489-2). Could repeat, but something tells me he will fall a little short of those numbers.

24. Vernon Davis (SF)
A member of the 49ers All-Bust Team, this physical freak will be lucky to keep his job this year.

25. Donald Lee (GB)
2nd year man Jermichael Finley may steal some playing time.

Tier five
26. Ben Patrick (ARI)
27. Dante Rosario (CAR)
28. Robert Royal (BUF)
29. Steve Heiden (CLE)
30. Ben Utecht (CIN)
31. Martellus Bennett (DAL)
32. Ben Hartstock (ATL)

Tier six
33. Billy Miller (NO)
34. Alge Crumpler (TEN)
35. David Martin (MIA)
36. Leonard Pope (ARI)
37. Desmond Clark (CHI)
38. Daniel Graham (DEN)
39. David Thomas (NE)
40. Jermichael Finley (GB)
41. Alex Smith (TB)
42. Jeff King (CAR)

March WR rankings

Tier one
1. Larry Fitzgerald (ARI)
If you watched the playoffs, there is no explanation needed.

2. Andre Johnson (HOU)
Almost a lick for 100 receptions a year (hint: try to get him in ppr leagues)

Tier two
3. Steve Smith (CAR)
Not very far behind the first two, only problem is how much the Panthers run

4. Brandon Marshall (DEN)
Subject to change after Cutler is traded and he is suspended

5. Randy Moss (NE)
Brady is back at QB, remember what they did in 2007?

6. Calvin Johnson (DET)
Possibly the most physically gifted athlete in the league, good. Third year in the league, good. Earns his paychecks in Detroit....dang. Two outta three ain't bad.

7. Roddy White (ATL)
Was Matt Ryan's primary target last year and the Falcons will pass more this year. Only downside is with Ryan's extra experience he will probably start distributing the more more evenly now.

8. Reggie Wayne (IND)
The number 1 option in a very pass-happy offense with a prolific QB. Sounds good to me.

Tier three
9. Anquan Boldin (ARI)
Top 5 WR on pure talent, but injuries and having Larry Fitzgerald lined up opposite him downgrades him some.

10. Wes Welker (NE)
111 and 112 receptions, respectively, last two years. Could be ranked a few spots higher in ppr league.

11. Marques Colston (NO)
Number 1 option on the most pass happy team in the NFL, but Brees is a fan of spreading the wealth.

12. TJ Houshmandzadeh (SEA)
Great possession type receiver. Should do well in the Seahawks West Coast offense.

Tier four
13. Dwayne Bowe (KC)
Passing game should be better this year with Cassel manning the helm, but the addition of Bobby Engram will cut into his catches slightly.

14. Greg Jennings (GB)
Started off on fire last year but cooled off considerably down the stretch. Expect a bit more consistency this year, but not much.

15. Braylon Edwards (CLE)
Who is the real Braylon, 2007 or 2008? My guess is pretty much right in between.

16. Vincent Jackson (SD)
Emerged as a true deep threat last year, averaging 18.6 yards per reception on 59 catches. Expect 15 to 20 more catches and a few more TDs. (Might need to move him up on the board...)

17. Santana Moss (WAS)
To be honest, I hate him as a fantasy player. Overshadows 150 yard, 3 TD games with too many 1 reception performances. I wouldn't draft him unless he falls way deep in the draft, but then i would immediately try to trade him.

18. Eddie Royal (Den)
A very explosive receiver, should only get better with experience. If Cutler gets moved though he may fall considerably.

19. Hines Ward (PIT)
Returned to the 1,000 yard mark last season, but I think that'll be the last time that happens.

20. Terrell Owens (BUF)
The Bills pass much less than the Cowboys, their QB is no where near Romo's caliber, and he is now 35. Bust warning.

Tier five
21. Antonio Bryant (TB)
Always had the talent, but never got his head straight. I'm not sold his production will continue.

22. Roy Williams (DET)
Jerry Jones shelled out a LOT for this guy. The pressure will be on him to produce.

23. Laveranues Coles (CIN)
With his new team, he should post similar, maybe marginally better numbers than he did the last 2 years.

24. DeSean Jackson (PHI)
Super talented player, but will he do one too many stupid things to not see the field as much?

25. Lee Evans (BUF)
The addition of Owens helps him out tremendously, but it also takes away the number of balls he'll see.

26. Santonio Holmes (PIT)
Talented player, yes, but he will be over hyped by everyone because of his Superbowl performance. Remember how well everyone was rewarded from Deion Branch's Superbowl heroics?

27. Chad Ocho Cinco (CIN)
The thing that made him a star (his passion, fire, and work ethic) seems to be slowly fading away, as will his (on the field) star status.

28. Derrick Mason (BAL)
Baltimore's number 1 passing target. But, that's not exciting for fantasy players or Ravens fans.

29. Bernard Berrian (MIN)
A great deep threat, but thats really it. Won't get a consistent number of catches because of that.

Tier six
30. Bobby Engram (KC)
Should help bolster the passing attack of the Chiefs, age and injuries are a huge concern though.

31. Kevin Walter (HOU)
Was a solid #2 for the Texans last year, expect similar numbers.

32. Steve Breaston (ARI)
Yes, he did surpass the 1,000 yard mark last year, but if Boldin and Fitzgerald stay healthy and the Cards try to run a bit more like I think they will, he could slide back to between 700 and 800 yards.

33. Lance Moore (NO)
Leading receiver for the best passing team last year, but Colston is back for the whole year and Shockey now has a full year of this offense under his belt. His numbers will drop some.

34. Donald Driver (GB)
Numbers have dropped each of the last three years, and at 34 with a very promising receiver opposite him, expect that trend to continue.

35. Dwayne Jarrett (CAR)
I think he really steps it up this year and overtakes Mushin Muhhammad for the #2 WR spot.

36. Domenik Hixon (NYG)
They won't pass a ton, and when they do they will spread it around, but somebody has to be the lead guy.

37. Donnie Avery (STL)
Only had 2, maybe 3 good games last year, but with Torry Holt gone he is now the go-to WR on this team.

38. Anthony Gonzalez (IND)
Will be the third or forth option on most plays (behind Wayne, Clark, and occasionally the backs) but on this team, that'll still lead to several catches.

39. Jerricho Cotchery (NYG)
Will be the number 1 option now, but how often will his QB(s) be able to get him the ball?

40. Devin Hester (CHI)
Will he be able to transform his amazing natural ability into solid WR skills? I say it'll take one more year.

Tier seven
41. Michael Jenkins (ATL)
42. Torry Holt (FA)
43. Malcolm Floyd (SD)
44. Mushin Muhhammad (CAR)
45. Tedd Ginn Jr. (MIA)
SEE: Devin Hester

46. Marvin Harrison (FA)
47. Kevin Curtis (PHI)
48. Devin Thomas (WAS)
Still a year away

49. Johnnie Lee Higgins (OAK)
50. Jason Hill (SF)
51. Miles Austin (DAL)
52. Greg Camarillo (MIA)
53. Steve Smith (NYG)
54. Reggie Brown (PHI)
55. Mark Clayton (BAL)
56. Davone Bess (MIA)
57. Patrick Crayton (DAL)

Tier eight
58. Sidney Rice (MIN)
59. Harry Douglas (ATL)
60. Joshua Cribbs (CLE)
61. Robert Meachem (NO)
62. Plaxico Burress (NYG)
There is no guarantee he'll play this year, but pay attention to whats going on with him.

63. Jordy Nelson (GB)
64. Matt Jones (FA)
Someone will sign him more than likely, and he could be a solid contributor to whoever does.

65. Nate Washington (TEN)
66. Chris Henry (CIN)
67. Reggie Williams (JAX)
68. Deion Branch (SEA)
69. Isaac Bruce (SF)
70. Michael Clayton