Moving on to Quarterbacks, let someone else take Michael Vick, his numbers will regress this season just like his numbers regressed throughout last season. Of course people are taking Aaron Rodgers way too high due to his Super Bowl MVP. Wait till the fourth round to sixth rounds to get Tony Romo (healthy and ready to dominate), Matt Ryan or even Peyton Manning (who will most likely only miss one or two games).

Now while I love the idea of drafting Miles Austin in the fourth round remember the Dallas Cowboys have another stud wide receiver in Dez Bryant who will get the ball just as much and will most likely have very similar production and can be had in the fifth to sixth round therfore providing greater value.

While it’s always cool to draft a stud Tight End in Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis or Jason Witten in the fourth to fifth round remember your considered about value not just having a stud at every position.  This isn’t the Olympics where China makes everyone play a different sport to get the most amount of medals.  If there is a player who can get you more value take them instead and rememeber in the 10th round to 14th round you can draft Kellen Winslow (who is bound to have a BIG season one day if he can only behave himself a tad) or Zach Miller.

Looking over my 2011 Fantasy Football Draft I am quite pleased with myself while I would have prefered to have drafted Tony Romo or Peyton Manning I feel Matt Ryan will get me very similar value.  Other than that it’s true there will be some weeks when I only have two wide recievers but I will get more than enough value from Megatron and Hines Ward or the two Cowboys that missing one wide reciever won’t be that much of a loss.  Of course I wanted AP, Johnson or Ray Rice but they were all gone and as always with running backs they do wear down and who’s know for sure how good they would have been this season while Megatron will get the job.  After that I know people like Felix Jones but can he take a hit, get enough carries and most importantly will he score more than 5 touchdowns?  These are all solid questions.  I was quite pleased with my drafting Ronnie Brown in the fourteenth round due to his explosion about to be properly used in Philadelphia especially in goal line situations and being kept fresh with his no longer having to be the lead back.

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him  here

Most people are usually debating between CJ ,AP, MJD for the number one selection. For those of you that don’t know those initials, they stand for Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, and Maurice Jones-Drew. You can’t go wrong with any of those selections, however I would like to show some love for my main man from Rutgers in New Jersey, Ray Rice.

If you look at the overall numbers, Chris Johnson had the most rushing yards with a monstrous number of 2,006 yards. Throw in two more reception TDs and his total along with his rushing scores make it 16 for the year. If you look at all of the NFL backs who have run for 2,000 yards in one season, their next year did not even come close to those numbers. Here is a list of how the players did in their next season: OJ Simpson and his 1994 white ford bronco, 1125 yards in 1974, Eric Dickerson 1234 yards in 1985, Barry Sanders 1491 yards in 1998, Terrell Davis 211 in 1999, and Jamal Lewis 1006 yards in 2004. Unless Chris Johnson starts racing a cheetah, he will be the fastest player in the NFL, but not top on my fantasy team this year.

Let’s look at AP next; he scored the most touchdowns out of any back in this list, with a total of 18 of them. I am surprised to see that he didn’t have any receiving touch downs. He rushed for 1,383 yards with 436 receiving yards. We can’t forget the six fumbles he coughed up, even though that is a minor stat in fantasy. I think the Brett Favre saga has something negative about it towards the whole team and might change their moral some. I also believe that Toby Gerhart might get a few of the goaline carries and third down plays.

The third piece to this puzzle is Maurice Jones-Drew. He rushed for 1,391 yards with 16 trips to the end zone (1 td reception). He has the fewest receiving yards out of the bunch with 374. I believe that Jones-Drew might have a better season than the first two players on this list. However, the best option is in this next selection.

His name is Ray Rice, R-dub, and R-squared, however you call it; he will be a beast for your roster. I believe that Ray Rice is the best catching and yards per catch running back in the league. He had 702 receiving yards last year, and with his breakaway ability, he may be able to eclipse the 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards plateau. Who did it last you ask? 49er fans will remember Roger Craig doing it in 1985; however Marshall Faulk of the Rams did it in 1999. Don’t worry, Willis McGahee won’t be taking any carries away from Rice. Rice is the man and will dominate in every aspect for your team.

Harrison Ellman writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him here

Ed Jones writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him here

There are two players that I am scared of drafting this year, Anquan Boldin and Brandon Marshall.  They both might be elite wide receivers in this league.  But in terms of fantasy stats with their new teams with questionable quarterbacks and offenses I can’t honestly tell you if they are worth the risk of drafting for fear of their stats going down the drain due to these outside influences.  I would err on the side of caution and not draft either one if you can avoid it even though Boldin is one of my Fav5 wide receivers.  I really feel both will get drafted way to early.

Ed Jones writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him here

Here are the 80 players that are worth drafting.  This list was made after conducting various drafts and mock drafts.  Anyone not mentioned is either over rated to the point there is no way to draft them at a fair spot, about to get injured, never going to be good this season or ever (in terms of rookies or others getting significant playing time for the first time) or just not any good.

The Fantasy Football Rankings 2010

• 1. Adrian Peterson
• 2. Chris Johnson
• 3. Maurice Jones-Drew
• 4. Ray Rice
• 5. Miles Austin
• 6. Randy Moss
• 7. Larry Fitzgerald
• 8. Calvin Johnson
• 9. Andre Johnson
• 10. Frank Gore
• 11. DeAngelo Williams
• 12. Steven Jackson
• 13. Reggie Wayne
• 14. Peyton Manning
• 15. Tony Romo
• 16. Drew Brees
• 17. Aaron Rodgers
• 18. Ryan Grant
• 19. Jonathan Stewart
• 20. Vernon Davis
• 21. Antonio Gates
• 22. Tom Brady
• 23. Joseph Addai
• 24. Philip Rivers
• 25. Marques Colston
• 26. Roddy White (only as a 2nd wide receiver or later)
• 27. Felix Jones (only as a 2nd running back)(draft Marion Barber too just in case he gets more touches or TD’s)
• 28. Jason Witten
• 29. Dallas Clark
• 30. Pierre Thomas (only as a 2nd running back or later)
• 31. Ronnie Brown (only as a 2nd running back or later)
• 32. Brett Favre
• 33. Matt Schaub (only as a backup not a starter)
• 34. Chad Ochocinco
• 35. Mike Sims-Walker
• 36. Michael Crabtree
• 37. Hines Ward
• 38. Anquan Boldin (only as a 3rd wide receiver or later) (his new offense and quarterback are questionable)
• 39. Reggie Bush (only as a 4th running back or later)
• 40. Kevin Kolb (only as a backup quarterback not a starter)
• 41. Eli Manning (only as a backup quarterback not a starter)
• 42. Ricky Williams  (only as a 3rd running back or later)
• 43. Marion Barber (only as a 3rd running back or later)
• 44. Dez Bryant (only as a 2nd wide receiver or later)
• 45. Carnell Williams (only as a 3rd running back or later)
• 46. Terrell Owens
• 47. Carson Palmer
• 48. Matt Ryan (only as a backup quarterback not a starter)
• 49. Donovan McNabb
• 50. Kellen Winslow
• 51. Matthew Stafford (only as a backup quarterback not a starter)
• 52. Wes Welker (only as a 3rd wide receiver or later)
• 53. Willis McGahee (only as a 3rd running back or later)
• 54. Brandon Marshall (only as a 4th wide reciever or later) (his new offense and quarterback are questionable)
• 55. LaDainian Tomlinson (only as a 4th running back or later)(don’t think he will be force feed stats again)
• 56. Chester Taylor (only as a 4th running back or later)(he might move up the depth chart to the starter)
• 57. Lee Evans (only as a 2nd wide receiver or later)
• 58. Zach Miller (SLEEPER with finally a real quarterback)
• 59. Steve Slaton (only as a 2nd running back or later)
• 60. Steve Breaston (only as a 3rd wide receiver or later)(with Boldin gone he will catch more passes)
• 61. Roy Williams (only as a 3rd wide receiver or later)
• 62. New York Defense
• 63. Antonio Bryant (only as a 3rd wide receiver or later)
• 64. Vince Young (only as a backup quarterback)
• 65. Stephen Gostkowski
• 66. Todd Heap
• 67. Jeremy Shockey
• 68. Chris Chambers (only as a 4th wide receiver or later)
• 69. New York Defense
• 70. Dallas Defense
• 71. Miami Defense
• 72. Byron Leftwich (only as a backup quarterback)
• 73. Sebastian Janikowski
• 74. David Akers
• 75. Mike Bell (only as a 4th running back or later)
• 76. Heath Miller
• 77. Matt Hasselbeck
• 78. Jason Campbell (only as a backup quarterback)
• 79. Ted Ginn Jr. (only as a 5th wide receiver or later)
• 80. Torry Holt (only as a 5th wide receiver or later)

If you look over my rankings carefully you will see if you can’t get one of the top 4 running backs in Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew or Ray Rice you would be better off drafting two wide receivers with your first two picks.  Then again you might want to consider a wide receiver and than a quarterback.  This is due to not only to those top 4 guys being that good but also due to there being so many good running backs to choose from later on and the fact that there aren’t enough elite wide receivers after your first 2 to 3 picks. 

You could draft an elite tight end in the 3rd through 5th round or wait till the 10th round or even later and pick up some steals in Kellen Winslow, Zach Miller, Todd Heap, Jeremy Shockey and Heath Miller.  Lastly, I would include one of my favorite tight ends of all time, Tony Gonzalez, but his big name will make him get drafted way too high.  I am basing this on last year and in the future the Atlanta Falcons aren’t looking to throw the ball to their tight ends, they are looking for their tight ends to mostly block so there is no need for you to draft Gonzalez early.

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him  here

One of the most underated parts of Fantasy Football are defenses.  You need a defense that can score some points on occasion.

1 Steelers:  This is a no brainer.  They are always one of the top D’s year in and year out.  I just can’t pick a defense that early to grab them.

2 Vikings:   This is my sleepy team this year.  I hope it pans out, I have been able to get them in every draft.  They have a great D line, very good young linebackers and their DBs are one of the best.  Most people seem to be taking NYG, Dallas, Titans pretty early when the Steelers go.  Wait a little bit and grab the Vikings.  You will be very happy.

3 Ravens:  Always a good unit on the field.  There is some concern with the defensive coordinator going to the Jets, but they still have some really good talent that always produces.

4 Giants:  The DBs scare me, but they always do.  Their D line is one of the best in the NFL.  I am worried about them losing their defensive coordinator.

5 Chargers:  They are looking good so far through the preseason and should be considered a top 10 defense.

6 Bears:  They are quick on the ball and will be a good unit again.  I notice them slipping in drafts as well and can be picked up cheap.

7 Eagles:  Yes, I’m a little worried about them losing the D coordinator, but its still a very good unit.

8 Patriots:  This unit is getting older, but they are still pretty good.  At this point they might be the best of the rest.

9 Jets:  The new coach is defense minded and brought a lot of talent to the team.  This will be a very improved unit this year.  Grab them as a sleeper pick.

10 Dallas:  Doing pretty good in preseason, they could be a good defense this year.  The offense will be pretty good and that should make for a good defense.

Dr. Scott Riley writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him here.

I recently discovered something was missing from my Fantasy Football life.  What was it?  I needed a new way of showing off  dominance in my field.  I needed a fantasy football league trophy.  But who could get me one?  Fantasysportstrophies.com specializes in this very thing.  But there is alot more that I and my fellow fantasy sports players are missing.  I called up the President of Fantasysportstrophies.com, Thomas Harkins, for some answers. 

When did you first start playing Fantasy Football?

I have been playing predating the internet back in 1990.  I used local newspapers to generate player, using Philly Daily New adding points on Monday and would know news of how well we all did on Tuesday.  This was done with a bunch of guys from work.

Why should people get trophies for their Fantasy Leagues and why from you?

The money people play for is spent or given to the wife.  So the money doesn’t last very long but the trophy lasts forever.  That supersedes the money.  I know guys who have never won who talk about bringing the trophy home.  It makes it much more like professional sports.  People don’t kiss the money they kiss the trophy.

I feel we provide the best value for the dollar.  We run a low cost operation.  And I try to give value.

Fantasy Football Trophies page:

http://www.fantasysportstrophies.com/FantasyFootballTrophyRoom.html

Why should people get decisions from a Fantasy Sports Judge and why from you?

A Fantasy Sports Judge is all about credibility.  Whether you work together or are friends, it is very hard to get a fair and impartial decision between friends.  People will think you are favoring one person over another.  The whole idea is to have someone who has no stake in your league can listen to the argument and come to a fair and equitable decision based on the merits of the case.  Especially in a work related where people tend to favor the boss of the company.  I do 50-100 decisions a year and I am always amazed by the anger and upheaval.  This way for $10 bucks you get a decision.  And I think that is worth a friendship.

Why should people use your Draft Boards?

The reason my draft boards are better is that you can customize them.    You can move the players around yourself.  I have a league of graphic artists who put up their own logos.  You can not only put logos but you can put your leagues names.

Where is the best place to play Fantasy Football?

CBS Sports is the best since we have been with them for years even though CBS is the most expensive, it costs $140 a season.   I like that they have live scoring.  They also keep a history of scoring for players from year to year and a records page which is automatically updated.  It’s fun to look back at league records and my two league championships.  I like doing just one fantasy team.  I find there is a lot more enjoyment.

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him here.

1 Stephen Gostkowski, NE:  This is a no brainer.  He has been #1 on my list for years now.

2 Ryan Longwell, Min:  I’m a little nervous with this one, but he should be fine.  He has finally come back it looks like.  The Vikings should put up points and help him be one of the top kickers.

3 Rob Bironas, TEN:  He will have another solid year.  The Titans have one of the best running games in the NFL, which will help Rob put up points. 

4 David Akers, PHI:  Akers bounced back last year and I don’t see him slipping this year.  Philly has a strong offense this year and will put up points.

5  Nate Kaeding, SD:  Nate might not be the top kicker, but he will be a top 5.

6 Robbie Gold, CHI:  A better offense means better numbers for this kicker.  I just wish he could hit a FG past 50 yards.

7 Mason Crosby, GB:  The Packers give him lots of chances at FGs…..I just wish he was more accurate.

8 Lawrence Tynes, NYG:  A powerful running game and strong defense could give this guy a lot of points.

9 Jeff Reed, PIT:  This guy has become pretty accurate over the years and some would argue that he needs to be higher on the list.  You might be right, but the Steelers have switched over to grass and that could play havoc in the winter.

10 Jason Elam, ATL:  This guy is like the energizer bunny.  He just keeps going and he seems to get better and better.  The strength might not be there for 50+ FGs but the accuracy is there.

Dr. Scott Riley writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him here.

Tight Ends used to just block back in the day.  But now they catch, and boy do they ever catch.

1 Dallas Clark, Ind:  This guy is like a WR rather than a TE.  Manning loves him and uses him often.  With Manning back on track and looking good, I don’t see why he wouldnt be a top 3 TE.

2. Jason Witten, DAL:  This guy is a stud and Romo really likes him.  Not only that but Owens is gone and won’t hog the ball.  Romo has to lean on someone and it most likely will be Witten.  He could be a number one TE, but I just don’t know about that Dallas offense.

3.  Tony Gonzalez, ATL:  I don’t like that the Falcons only threw 30 passes to their TEs last year, but Gonzo has got talent and they have to give him the ball.  He is a great player and ESPN thinks has another 1,000 yard season in him.  Who am I to argue?

4.  Antonio Gates, SD:  I like Gates, but I dont like the injuries that have been haunting him the last couple of years.  He is a stud though and will find his TDs and yardage.  He is a top 5 candidate. 

5. Greg Olsen, CHI:  I know most mags have Daniels, Cooley and Winslow up there but I feel there is a new generation popping up that will turn some heads.  The Bears have moved up Olsen on the depth chart to #1 and even Clark said the kid looks great and deserves the spot.  Cutler loves TEs, just look at Scheffler, and has already built a strong chemistry with Olsen.

6. Owen Daniels, HOU:  His lack of TDs was frustrating last year, but I still think the guy is pretty darn good.  If and I mean IF Schaub can stay healthy Daniels might be a good TE.  There are a lot of question marks from here on out, but Daniels has fewer than the rest.

7. Brent Celek, Eagles:  He looked real good late last year and is looking good in camp.  McNabb likes his TEs.  Rookie TE Ingram just sprained his ACL again, which makes Celek the primary TE in Philly.   This guy could be a top 5 tight end.

8. Zach Miller, OAK:  This guy is great after the catch, but I just don’t have confidence in the QB throwing the ball.  Either way this guy has talent and should get you plenty of yards with a few scores.

9.  Chris  Cooley, WAS:  Can this guy bounce back?  ESPN seems to think so.  I just dont know.  Does Campbell have any confidence left?  Will the skins use him more as a blocker like last year?  Will he only get you 1 TD like last year?  Too many question marks for this guy.

10. John Carlson, SEA:  Looked great as a rookie last year and Hasselbeck seems to like him as a target.  He will be a top 10 guy this year.

other

I’m not risking it but did anyone notice how much better Vernon Davis looked for the Niners the other night?

Kellon Winslow should be looked at as well.  I just don’t know who will throw the ball to him.

Dr. Scott Riley writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him here.

2.  Calvin Johnson, DET:  Megatron is a stud and will be for a long time to come, bar any injuries of course.  They can triple team this guy and he will still come down with the ball.  Linehan likes to pass and he likes to use his key players. 

3.  Larry Fitzgerald, ARI:  I would love to make him #1, but I can’t.  It’s not that he doesn’t have the talent because he does, but it is the QB who really likes Boldin.  If Boldin left Arizona that would make Fitz #1, but he didn’t.

4.  Andre Johnson, HOU:  Everybody likes this guy.  He has talent, but the injuries just haunt me.  I have stayed away from him since day one and so far I have only been wrong once.  If you can get him late, great, but chances are he will go to early in drafts.  Put your money on less risky stuff.

5.  Reggie Wayne, IND:  With Harrison gone this guy should be money.  He will shift over to Harrisons spot and will get the most looks.  I think his numbers will come up a little this year now that Manning will be ready to go at the beginning of the season.

6.  Greg Jennings, GB:  Jennings has proved he can handle the NFL.  He might not be the biggest, but he is one of the best.  Rodgers has shown he can handle the deep ball and that’s where Jennings excels. 

7.  Steve Smith, CAR:  I really like this guy and I’ll admit I was one of the guys who got excited about him last year.  He gave us yards but lacked in TDs.  As long as Jake stays healthy he should bounce back up there with the TDs this year.

8.  Roddy White, ATL:  How glad is this guy that Vick is gone.  He went from being a wasted draft pick to a top 10 WR.  Defenses will have to target on Turner and they will focus on Gonzo which will give White a lot of one man coverage.  I think White will have another solid year.

9.  Anquan Boldin, ARI:  Here is another guy I really like if it wasnt for injury.  Yes, he still puts up good numbers, but I can’t rely on a guy who disappears on you for a few weeks per season.

10.  Wes Welker, NE:  Everybody forgets about this guy, but you can’t deny the numbers he puts up.  His TDs will go up now that Brady is back in the saddle.

Other WRs I like

Anthony Gonzolaz, IND:  He might be the 3rd guy on the team, but he will out produce a lot of #1s on other teams.

Dwayne Bowe, KC:  If Cassel is the real deal, Bowe could be huge this year.

Terrell Owens, BUF:  He will demand the ball and he will get the ball.

Chad Ochocinco, CIN:  I think enough people are sour on this guy that he might slip far enough to become a decent sleeper.

Eddie Royal, DEN:  This guy looks like another Welker in McDaniels offense.

Dr. Scott Riley writes exclusively for CloudFantasy.  Email him here.