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

Tomlinson has shown crazy consistency over the past 5 seasons. This means a lot since I would normally be nervous about the loss of a starting quarterback. But the fact that he produced in Brees' worst years means that he can do it regardless.

Larry and Priest combined for over 2700 yards and 27 touchdowns last year. Considering that he'll be getting almost all the touches this year, any significant portion of that production makes him a phenomenal pick.

He was last year's big gun and showed his dominance piling up yardage (over 1900) and touchdowns (28). This year he's guaranteed to finish in the top-5, the only argument is about how high he will end up in the final rankings.

While he won't pile up the 2300+ combined yards he did last year, I do expect him to have another great season. The fact that Manning, Plaxico, and Shockey are likely to have collectively improved suggests there will be even more running room due to the increased balance.

The departure of Martz and Faulk (for this season) both translate into more carries. The return of Bulger means more respect for the passing game. Add those two things together with his first, fully healthy off-season and he should do much better than last year.

He's part of a great offense, played through a knee injury, and still finished in the top ten. While he tends to get almost all of his yardage on the ground, he should have another year like 2005 and be worth a first round pick.

Working in the Colts' offense last year Edge had another great season. This year will be a bit different but should still be worthwhile. The presence of a veteran quarterback and two star receivers should help balance out the lack of a stellar line.

What could be better for Brown's numbers than the departure of Williams and the arrival of Culpepper? This year should see significant improvement from last year's solid rookie campaign.

Last year's injuries were definitely a problem. He has apparently logged loads of hours getting over his issues from last year and is ready to go. The presence of a much-hyped rookie back adds additional questions. That said, he should see the ball quite a bit and is likely to have some stellar numbers if he can stay healthy.

Normally the lack of great wide outs would give me a lot of concern for a running back because opponents can just concentrate on him. The Eagles' approach mitigates that by getting him touches in numerous ways. Apparently he will be getting more rushing touches and even some time split wide as a receiver this season. More touches are always good and Philly is going to need him. Potential injuries drop my expectations a bit but Ryan Moats is a good insurance plan for that.

Portis took a little while to get going last season but ended up with decent enough numbers to finish 6th among fantasy backs. He should be more comfortable in the offense this season and they're trying to surround him with more options. I think Gibbs' offense starts to click a little better, mainly because of Portis.

Jordan had a pretty solid first year in Oakland considering the play of their line and the inability of Moss to go full speed. Healing time should square Moss away and the new coaching staff should have an immediate impact on the line's play. Look for an even better year of fantasy production.

In a season limited by injury, Williams still shined as a rookie. A year smarter and healthier, he should improve on last season's output and be a big time fantasy factor this year.

Jones is a good player, but has not really wowed like some thought he might. The presence of TO and Marion Barber both could eat into his numbers this season. However, given Parcells' approach to managing Jones, I expect a hot start that could really get your fantasy team going. After that, you should definitely have Barber just in case.

While blame can be placed elsewhere, McGahee was a serious disappointment last year. I think he has the talent to do more this season but is really limited by what's been put around him. I expect better things but continued trouble finding the end zone.

Yardage, yardage, yardage. This guy may not get a ton of touchdowns, but he does tend to get it done in the yardage department.

Bell is going to offer considerable value whether or not he's the starter, or is a change of pace from Ron Dayne. His ability to put up serious numbers with limited touches makes him a danger for a great game every week. It does not make him a consistent player though, unless he does win the job. He has a big upside and isn't much of a risk as long as he's not your main man.

Even though he finished 13th among fantasy backs, he is often easy to overlook due to the lack of touchdowns. He'll likely get fewer touches this season but should make more of them due to the line improvements made in the off season.

The Texans may have passed on a future star in Bush, but they already have a really solid back. Last year he only played in 11 games but was still able to put up almost 1000 yards, but was pretty light in the TD department. Look for him to run with much deserved confidence this season and step it up notch.

Being the starting back in Minnesota doesn't seem to mean as much as it does elsewhere. That said, I fully expect him to best the top runner there last year (Mewelde Moore).

He wasn't very impressive last year and now has a legitimate #1 as his backup. This does not make me very comfortable with him considering his talent. That said, we're not so far removed from him being a 1st round pick. I do like the presence of a veteran quarterback and his apparent ramp up of conditioning in the off-season.

While "The Bus" may be gone, they will still use several backs in Pittsburgh. That didn't stop Parker from putting up surprising numbers last year. I think he will see a bit of a drop off but he's still a good home run threat.

Deshaun is the man in Carolina and will be a great early season value. As for late season, it's unknown since he has a bad habit of ending up on the injured reserve. Ride his production early and make sure you have his backup,

Green is currently listed at the number 1 spot, and appears to be recovering successfully from quadriceps surgery, but is no longer the safe starter. Gado surprised last year with some very solid outings and has put things in question. Green still has the ability to produce when healthy.

With injuries keeping him out of the action last year many may have forgotten what a solid back Deuce is. His value is reduced somewhat by the injury and addition of Bush (assuming he plays) but he is still a great back to have play after play.

Jones' value is in serious question since it's unclear what his role will be. While he did finish in the top-10 of fantasy backs last year, Benson looms large on the horizon.

With Fred there's always a concern about his health. Additionally Greg Jones has shown that he can maintain the level of play when he's forced to carry the load. When Taylor's healthy he still has amazing ability. I think he'll have a better year this season, but won't have enough touches to really impress.

After putting up stiff competition for bust-of-the-year last year, Jones returns with new potential upside. With Martz back in the role that suits him best there is some serious upside in Detroit on the offensive side of the ball. It's all potential at this point though.

While he is the starter in Tennessee, the fact that he's requesting a trade and that Travis Henry and LenDale White are also there to share carries makes him a very low ranking number one NFL back. This is balanced a bit by Fisher's intent to run the ball more this season, but doesn't offset the fact that he hasn't proven to be very sturdy.

While many peg him as a great replacement for James, it would be foolish to expect Edge-like numbers so soon. His lack of experience and shared touches with Rhodes severely compromise his value. He does have serious upside though. Running off a Manning play-action can do wonders for your stats. Look for a second half surge.

It's unclear what his role is going to be but he is probably worth taking just on the off chance that he is anything like what people think he may be.

Jones' stock rose last year and he'll get touches, even while he's waiting for the potential injury to Taylor. He's a solid backup if you have Fred and has serious upside beyond that.

Barber showed last year that he can fill in quite effectively. I really like backups that can quickly turn into productive starters and provide fantasy lineup consistency.

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Is this Shannahan messing with other teams? Is he messing with his other backs? Or has he found another back to plug right into his 1000-yard rushing machine. He's definitely worth a look, but not a top pick just yet.

His large contract suggests he'll get a fair shot. Jones also helped open the door with some of his antics in the off-season. I don't think he'll be the man in town just yet, but he'll start to get some looks and is quite valuable as a backup to Jones.

There is a lot of hype around this guy. The fact that Dillon has started to experience some injury issues and is in his early 30's suggests he may get some chances. Definitely a requirement to back up Dillon.

Coming off of arthroscopic surgery on his knee there are some serious questions about how much he's got left in the tank. The Jets have started to inject new life into their O-line but it's probably too early to see the return on those moves. Last year he barely finished in the top-30 and is probably looking at a similar situation this year. The latest rumors don't sound good and drops Martin even further as a result.

While he's technically the backup, it's not looking promising on the Martin front. This elevates the value of both Blaylock and Washington.

While Travis Henry is also in the mix, I like White as a more valuable backup more because of his potential to get goal line carries even when he's not the starter. His upside is also something to be taken into account.

Dayne still has an outside shot at the starting role. He'll get some touches either way but only has significant value if he wins the job. I don't expect him to make a splash with only a handful of touches per game but is a good backup for Bell since it's unclear whether or not he's durable enough to carry the load.

The fact that he's still not officially cleared to play concerns me. He has loads of talent but will definitely be the backup. If he does get healthy enough to play, his value is more as a backup to the top pick. If not, you definitely should grab Dee Brown.

With IR-happy Foster in front of him he could be a late season surprise and is a must have backup.

Improves with the loss of Faulk due to knee surgery. Is now Jackson's backup.

He's the backup, but is one of three backs. Committee situations are never good, especially when you're not the starter or the recent first round pick.