Spotlight

 RB Reggie Bush 04-21

Reggie Bush is going to have some seriously solid draft value entering '08 August drafts. If you're already counting Bush out as an elite talent, you're rushing to judgment far too quickly. Bush had an outstanding 16-game rookie campaign back in 2006, rushing for 565 yards, pulling in 88 receptions for 742 yards and posting eight total scores. Even though Bush had similar numbers on the ground in 2007 (157 carries, 581 yards, he only scored 6 times total and only had 417 receiving yards on similar receptions (73). At first glance, all of this looks bad, right? Wrong. Bush only played 12 games last year and due to a Deuce McAllister injury, he was forced into a between-the-tackles role, something that takes away from Bush's talents. With Pierre Thomas capable of the inside duties in 2007, Bush could rush for 500-600, catch 80 balls for 800+ yards and score 10-12 total touchdowns. Bush has steal written all over him this upcoming season, as he is going in the third-round in early mocks!

 WR Greg Jennings 04-20

Jennings went off last season, catching 53 passes for 920 yards and 12TDs. Can you imagine what Jennings would do in 2008, his third-year breakout season, if Brett Favre were still playing football? That's the problem here, Favre isn't playing football, and new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers just isn't going to get it done. He may play decent in 2008, but he won't come close to the success that Brett Favre had last year. Favre was playing some of the best football that he has ever played back in '07, and he was force-feeding Jennings like no other quarterback is capable of doing. Farve is the kind of QB that can turn decent talent good, and good talent great. Rodgers will have a tough enough time playing 16 games in '08, so consider trading Jennings now if you can get a Santonio Holmes type. We just don't see another 900-yard/double-digit touchdown year for Jennings in '08.

 RB Ronnie Brown 04-18

Before going down in Week 7 with a torn ACL, Ronnie Ronnie was arguably the best running back in fantasy football. Brown was averaging 141 total yards per game and was on pace for 11+ scores. He was a monster last year, but what should fantasy owners expect from him entering this year? Well, probably the biggest thing going against Brown this year is that Cam Cameron is no longer in Miami. Cameron is now in Baltimore, which is great for Willis McGahee owners, but awful for Brown owners, as Cameron was heavily responsible for Brown's 2007 success. Even if Brown didn't tear his ACL last year, and was heading into the 2008 season healthy, he would still suffer a HUGE hit in fantasy production due to the departure of Cameron. In addition to that, it really takes two full years to return to form after an ACL tear, so Brown is in for a rough year. Expect about 1,000 on the ground with maybe eight scores, but if you're expecting anything more than that, think again.

 WR Chad Johnson 04-17

Will the Bengals eventually trade Chad Johnson? That is the question that everyone is asking, but NFL teams usually do not have a habit of meeting the trade demands of their players. However, in this situation, the Bengals may eventually have no other choice but to deal their unhappy wide receiver. Johnson is a premiere talent and the Bengals definitely need his services after the recent release of WR Chris Henry, but some NFL teams, like Dallas, might be willing to make an offer that the Bengals can't refuse. On top of that, the Bengals have had enough off-the-field troubles as of late, the last thing they need is a cancer in the locker room. It's clear as day that it's going to take a serious offer to steal CJ away from Cincy, but we honestly think that there is a 50/50 chance of a deal going down on, or before, draft day. If Johnson is sent to Dallas, Tony Romo would be a top 6-10 overall talent in almost all 2008 leagues and formats. Just thought we'd mention that.

 RB Rashard Mendenhall 04-16

If Mendenhall lands in a solid situation, like with the New York Jets, he is going to be an absolute stud at the NFL level. Since the 2001 NFL Draft, no college running back has ever truly reminded us of LaDainian Tomlinson - That is until now. Mendenhall is the real deal. He knifes through a defense like LT and he has tremendous power between the tackles just like the Chargers rusher. Mendenhall is the kind of running back that could easily catch 60 balls out of the backfield in any given season. While McFadden is currently #1 on our 2008 draft board, Mendenhall is closing the gap in record speed. Both soon-to-be rookie runners have top 5-10 overall dynasty upside, so if you have a top 2 overall rookie pick in your 2008 keeper/dynasty league(s), you're sitting on gold!

 WR Steve Smith 04-15

Jake Delhomme (Tommy John surgery) got off to a hot start in 2007, throwing six touchdown passes in weeks one and two alone. Delhomme didn't finish his Week 3 contest against the Falcons... in fact, he never played again in 2007, but before leaving in the third quarter in Week 3, the Panthers QB threw two more touchdown passes. That's 8TD passes in less than three games. Delhomme (elbow) still has some recovering to do, but all signs point to Delhomme being ready to rumble in '08. I know... what about Steve Smith? Well, in those first two weeks last season, when Delhomme was healthy, Smith had 15 receptions for 271 receiving yards and 4TDs! Does anyone else remember this? If Delhomme is healthy and laser locked on Smith in '08, the WR is easily capable of putting up top 3WR numbers.

 RB Willie Parker 04-14

Fast Willie Parker (broken fibula), who scored just two total TDs last year, is a tough guy to rank right now. Rumors are floating around news wires right now suggesting that the Steelers want to invest a high 2008 draft pick on a power back. In fact, there is some recent speculation that suggests that the Steelers may take a running back as early as the first-round, like a Jonathan Stewart (toe). So, how does one rank Parker heading into this upcoming fantasy season? Well, we suggest that you redraft leaguers out there pass on Parker in that second-round in '08. Let someone else take the gamble and grab yourself a Maurice Jones-Drew or a Michael Turner. For those that own FWP in dynasty leagues, test the trade waters now before the 2008 NFL Draft makes your situation even worse. Don't sell too low, but certainly get creative and construct a two-for-one type of package that may look more attractive to the buyer. Get on our FFX Forums for some ideas!

 RB LaDainian Tomlinson 04-14

LaDainian Tomlinson has one of the easiest rushing schedules in 2008. Of course, the NFL Schedule still has not been released, but the 2008 NFL Opponents Schedule has, which is on the homepage for your viewing pleasure. Now, of course defenses change from year to year, but using last year's stats, Tomlinson's 2008 opponents average roughly 22nd against the run. To put this into perspective, the NFL team with the worst rushing schedule in '08 is the New York Giants. Brandon Jacobs' 2008 opponents average roughly 10th against the run based on last year's stats. If you plan to trade Tomlinson this year in keeper formats, we suggest that you wait until he explodes in a few early contests. As for the NFL Schedule, a source has told us that the full NFL schedule could be released this Tuesday (April 15th).