The Freaks Combined Cheat Sheets

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends | Kickers | Team Defenses

Pre-season is here, and for the next few weeks your whole mission in life is to find an edge for your fantasy football draft. We give a lot of knowledge across this site, but these cheat sheets are the distilled essence of it all.

Hey, the freaks know that you shouldn't take someone's cheat sheet as the word of god. We know it's just an opinion, and that's why we give you five opinions from experienced and diverse viewpoints.

We rank on a straight performance scoring system, so you TD-only and TD-distance leaguers might want to take this with a grain of salt. For the rest, read on. 

Last Updated:  August 24, 2006

CrunchTime's Individual Cheat Sheets

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends | Kickers | Team Defenses

Manning got off to a slow start but was still strong enough to finish 3rd among fantasy QB's. The loss of Edgerrin James won't be a big difference maker because although he'll have less of a diversion, he'll have to rely more on the pass as a result. Look for him to surpass his numbers from last year by a good margin.

After carrying the team on his back last season you'd expect the gaudy numbers he posted. As the number 2 fantasy quarterback in the league he had over 4,100 passing yards. A healthy Dillon should provide better balance but don't expect a big fall off. He's one of the stars of the league and will put up some healthy numbers.

Bledsoe was the number 5 fantasy QB without TO. I expect the upgrade from the poor man's TO (Keyshawn) to TO himself will add on about 250 yards and 3 touchdowns over the course of the season.

While I tend not to agree with Michael Irvin, Keyshawn is a number 2 receiver and will excel in that role. I expect the Carolina passing game to take a serious step up this season and Delhomme will be the primary benefactor.

Hasselbeck is one of the top available passers. His main issue is that Alexander gets so many of the scores on the ground. That said, his receiving corps should show some improvement and increase his production as a result. Look for a top-5 year.

The Bruce-Holt combo is no joke. A healthy Bulger with a more balanced rushing attack to keep defenses honest can do some serious damage. Last year in 8 games he had almost 2,300 yards. The injury factor keeps him out of the top-5.

If it weren't for the injury he would definitely be a candidate for the number 1 spot among passers. Last year he had over 3,800 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. His upside is right along these lines but there is a bit of a question.

With two of the best young pass catchers at his disposal and now a top notch runner to provide balance, Warner is poised to have a stellar season. I don't know that the offensive line is good enough for him to make a run at the likes of Manning, but he'll have a great year.

Young skill players with potential and a great offensive coordinator give Kitna some serious upside. He's a bit of a gamble because of the unknowns in Detroit, but could really be a steal.

Eli finished right behind his brother last year and was a surprising top-5 fantasy QB. This season he is likely to improve his consistency and will have more value as a result. I don't know that his overall numbers will be much higher, but he'll let you down a lot less.

Culpepper is unlikely to bounce right back into his 2004 form, but he has shown that he's a great fantasy quarterback and can produce without Moss. Additionally, he has better receivers in Miami than he did in a Moss-less Minnesota. Look for a very solid season that will see him back near the top 10 among fantasy hurlers.

McNabb can produce without TO mainly thanks to the style of offense they run. While I don't expect the type of mobility that made him a stud in 2002, he will leverage their various passing attacks to help carry his team.

Green's passing yards are usually impressive. For 3 straight years he's surpassed the 4000 yard mark and there seems no reason he won't do it again. We saw the impact of Roaf missing time last year, and now that he's retired the Green-Gonzalez connection is likely to suffer. He'll still put up solid numbers though.

With a serious upgrade of receivers, a solid back with pass catching ability, and the ability to go long to the game's best deep threat Brooks could have a revival this year. Moss will be looking to bounce back from last year and Porter really came on strong in the second half. Brooks is still a risk, but with big upside.

Favre may have been a top QB in the fantasy world at one point in time, but he is no longer. Favre may have been a huge bust last year with 29 interceptions to his 20 passing touchdowns, but that's unlikely to happen again either. He'll have more of a running game to balance things out and won't have to carry the full load, but should have solid improvement from last year, making him a decent backup.

Plummer showed better decision making last season but was still pretty unimpressive in terms of fantasy starters. The addition of Javon Walker should help him step it up a bit but I wouldn't expect an overwhelming surge of production.

After a solid season last year he should be considered as a decent backup option. Gibbs is likely to get the offense grooved this season. Look for Portis to provide some serious distraction for opposing defenses while Brunnell finds Moss and Cooley for fantasy production.

I, along with everyone else, keeps waiting for him to fulfill his potential. We're still waiting. He's a solid backup but his lack of consistency detracts from the extra value of his ground yardage. He still is without a great number 1 option at wide receiver, and no Alge doesn't count.

This may be the year that his pedigree starts to show. I have a lot of faith in Gruden's ability to select and groom quarterbacks and getting all of the preseason snaps won't hurt. Look for a good jump in both production and consistency. The lack of proven production keeps him from being ranked higher. He's on my list of sleepers I wouldn't mind grabbing in late rounds.

Going to a new offense, recovering from surgery, and losing the best tight end in the game is unlikely to improve his numbers. Bush provides an intriguing upside depending on how they use him in the passing game. Look for a solid season but a slight step back as he gets used to things in New Orleans.

Things are slowly starting to head in the right direction in Houston. The addition of Moulds and some O-line improvement will help things some. The question is, how much? I like Carr's talent but not his team's ability to provide him protection.

Baltimore has finally found the solid starter that they've so badly needed. The days of McNair's fantasy greatness are behind him but he's still got something left in tank.

He's way too much of an unknown to be considered a serious threat. I don't expect their offense to light it up this season but they are likely to be a good bit better than last year.