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

Gates could have taken a few games off last season and still been the most productive tight end in the league. The fact that he puts up solid wide receiver numbers from the tight end spot makes him a valuable commodity. The switch to Rivers at QB should not worry you since if anything, he may rely on his tight end even more than an experienced signal caller.

Shockey was another force at the tight end position. His upgrade in the touchdown department last year significantly upgraded his fantasy value and puts him officially in the top tier of tight ends. Another year of chemistry in the Giants' offense should only improve his chances of delivering.

McMichael has been a great receiving tight end without the presence of a decent quarterback. Adding Culpepper to the mix makes him a valuable option and promotes him up the ranks from last year's 8th place finish among fantasy TE's.

Witten's output decreased since the prior year and he still finished #6 among tight ends. That suggests he's a very safe pick that doesn't require a real reach. While TO is likely to get more of Bledsoe's looks, the fact that he'll often have more of the defense's attention suggests that Bledsoe will often be checking down to his tight end. Look for an upgrade in production from last year.

Look for Heap to have a year similar to last year's set of career highs (in receptions, yards, and touchdowns). While McNair shouldn't be expected to rely on the TE position as much as Boller, you can be certain he'll look to leverage his number 1 "receiver."

While his off-season shoulder surgery has some worried, his durability over the past few years reduces my concern somewhat. Vick is still without a standout receiving option other than Crumpler, and even if Alge's numbers don't continue their upward trend, a year like 2005 will put him in the top-10 easily.

Cooley was a solid tight end last year but his finish (top-5) is misleading due to the outburst from one game, which accounted for over 21% of his season total. He is a consistent part of the Gibbs offense and will continue to be. The fact that their offense is likely to kick it up a notch is offset by the introduction of more options with the likes of Randle El. Look for him to finish in the 6 - 10 range.

His solid first season should suggest good things for his second year. Big Ben will have increased comfort leveraging him and the lack of "The Bus" may translate into more goal line looks. He has an outside shot at improving from 6 touchdowns to 10 (which would make him an enormous value).

Gonzalez got off to a slow start, primarily as a result of Roaf's injury. Increased blocking duties never translate to increased receiving production. Once the line was back in order Tony went back to solid fantasy production, compiling 763 yards and 2 touchdowns over the last 10 games. Projected over a full season that's over 1200 yards.

The lack of a standout receiver helps bolster Smith's value. A top-10 tight end last year, Smith was able to get near the 700 yard mark but was limited to only 3 touchdowns. He'll be a solid option to produce week after week, and I expect that his touchdown total may double in 2006.