2004 Player Rankings

Since our crack group of fantasy veterans compiled their last Consensus Rankings, we’ve been able to watch a few more preseason games, learn a bit more about depth charts and injuries, and answer several lingering questions about the season to come. With this new information, player values have changed, in some cases significantly. Players such as Chris Brown, Corey Dillon and Plaxico Burress are on the rise, while the values of Garrison Hearst and Josh McCown are headed south.

To compile these new rankings, each player was again assigned a rank by all seven experts; the lower this score compared with other players at the same position, the better. By combining these lists, we can see both individual preferences and the overall consensus among the rankers.

Average rank indicates the average of the scores assigned to a player by each person (for this calculation, players not appearing in an individual list were assigned a score of 26 for QBs, TEs, Ks and Ds, 41 for RBs, and 51 for WRs). Each ranker’s list can be seen in the seven columns at the right.

Please note that this is another tool for draft preparation; it will not be updated throughout the season. Enjoy, and good luck in your drafts!

QB RB WR TE K D

QUARTERBACKS	Avg Rank	P o o b	B u c k	t e r p	L u s h	D a z e	S h a t	K G
Daunte Culpepper – Min (4)*	1.43	2	1	1	1	3	1	1
Peyton Manning – Ind (6)	1.86	1	2	2	2	1	2	3
Donovan McNabb – Phi (5)	4.14	6	4	5	7	2	3	2
Michael Vick – Atl (9)	5.14	7	3	3	5	6	4	8
Matt Hasselbeck – Sea (4)	5.57	3	5	4	4	7	5	11
Steve McNair – Ten (9)	5.71	4	8	6	6	5	7	4
Chad Pennington – NYJ (3)	7.57	5	12	10	3	10	6	7
Trent Green – KC (5)	8.14	8	6	8	9	8	8	10
Brett Favre – GB (9)	9.00	12	10	9	10	4	12	6
Aaron Brooks – NO (8)	9.43	14	7	7	8	12	9	9
Marc Bulger – StL (8)	10.57	9	11	11	11	16	11	5
Jeff Garcia – Cle (8)	11.86	10	9	13	14	11	10	16
Tom Brady – NE (3)	12.43	11	14	12	13	9	14	14
Jake Plummer – Den (10)	16.14	18	16	14	12	22	16	15
Byron Leftwich – Jax (9)	17.29	13	20	16	16	21	13	22
Brad Johnson – TB (8)	17.43	22	13	17	15	24	18	13
David Carr – Hou (7)	19.00	16	24	23	20	15	17	18
Mark Brunell – Was (7)	19.14	26	18	15	17	17	15	26
Carson Palmer – Cin (5)	19.86	17	19	19	19	19	20	26
Jake Delhomme – Car (3)	20.00	21	17	21	18	23	21	19
Rich Gannon – Oak (10)	20.00	25	15	25	26	18	19	12
Drew Bledsoe – Buf (3)	21.00	19	25	20	25	13	24	21
Tommy Maddox – Pit (7)	21.14	15	24	22	24	14	23	26
Joey Harrington – Det (4)	21.29	20	22	18	21	20	22	26
Josh McCown – Ari (6)	22.86	23	21	24	23	26	26	17
Tim Rattay – SF (7)	24.57	26	26	26	22	26	26	20
Vinny Testeverde – Dal (4)	25.57	26	26	26	26	26	26	23
Eli Manning – NYG (6)	25.57	24	26	26	26	25	26	26
Kyle Boller – Bal (6)	25.71	26	26	26	26	26	26	24
Jay Fiedler – Mia (10)	25.86	26	26	26	26	26	26	25
Jon Kitna – Cin (5)	25.86	26	26	26	26	26	25	26

*Bye week given in parentheses

RUNNING BACKS	Avg Rank	Poob	Buck	terp	Lush	Daze	Shat	KG
Priest Holmes – KC (5)	1.43	2	1	2	1	2	1	1
LaDainian Tomlinson – SD (10)	1.71	1	2	1	2	1	2	3
Ahman Green – GB (9)	3.14	3	3	3	3	5	3	2
Clinton Portis – Was (7)	4.71	6	5	4	4	3	4	7
Deuce McAllister – NO (8)	4.86	4	4	5	5	4	6	6
Shaun Alexander – Sea (4)	5.57	5	6	6	6	7	5	4
Jamal Lewis – Bal (6)	7.14	9	8	7	8	6	7	5
Edgerrin James – Ind (6)	7.57	7	7	8	7	8	8	8
Fred Taylor – Jax (9)	9.43	8	10	9	9	11	9	10
Domanick Davis – Hou (7)	11.86	13	11	14	11	12	11	11
Travis Henry – Buf (3)	12.00	16	14	12	10	10	10	12
Rudi Johnson – Cin (5)	12.57	12	12	11	15	14	15	9
Kevan Barlow – SF (7)	14.29	11	9	10	25	18	14	13
Corey Dillon – NE (3)	14.43	10	16	13	16	13	13	20
Marshall Faulk – StL (8)	16.00	17	13	15	18	9	12	28
Brian Westbrook – Phi (5)	17.14	15	15	19	20	19	17	15
Tiki Barber – NYG (6)	17.29	18	19	16	14	16	21	17
Chris Brown – Ten (9)	19.00	14	17	21	19	26	20	16
Michael Bennett – Min (4)	19.43	22	21	18	21	15	18	21
Stephen Davis – Car (3)	19.57	25	20	17	17	17	16	25
Curtis Martin – NYJ (3)	20.14	19	23	20	13	21	27	18
Quentin Griffin – Den (10)	21.43	24	18	27	23	25	19	14
Duce Staley – Pit (7)	21.57	23	22	22	12	22	23	27
Charlie Garner – TB (8)	24.29	27	29	25	22	20	28	19
Kevin Jones – Det (4)	24.43	21	25	24	32	23	22	24
Thomas Jones – Chi (5)	26.00	20	26	23	29	30	25	29
Warrick Dunn – Atl (9)	27.57	29	24	33	24	27	30	26
Lee Suggs – Cle (8)	28.00	26	28	29	28	31	24	30
TJ Duckett – Atl (9)	29.14	33	32	26	27	28	26	32
Julius Jones – Dal (4)	30.00	40	30	32	33	24	29	22
Tyrone Wheatley – Oak (10)	31.14	30	27	31	39	36	32	23
Eddie George – Dal (4)	33.00	28	38	28	26	34	36	41
DeShaun Foster – Car (3)	33.43	34	33	30	30	38	33	36
Travis Minor – Mia (10)	35.57	31	31	34	34	37	41	41
Emmitt Smith – Ari (6)	36.29	32	37	41	41	35	37	31
William Green – Cle (8)	37.57	41	36	36	35	41	39	35
Steven Jackson – StL (8)	37.71	36	34	38	41	40	34	41
Tatum Bell – Den (10)	37.86	41	41	37	36	29	40	41
Moe Williams – Min (4)	38.57	41	39	40	41	33	35	41
Willis McGahee – Buf (3)	39.29	35	41	35	41	41	41	41
Onterrio Smith – Min (4)	39.43	41	40	41	41	32	41	40
Antowain Smith – Ten (9)	39.57	41	41	41	31	41	41	41
Anthony Thomas – Chi (5)	39.71	41	41	39	41	41	41	34
Josh Scobey – Ari (6)	39.86	41	41	41	41	41	41	33
Mike Alstott – TB (8)	39.86	41	41	41	37	41	41	37
Musa Smith – Bal (6)	39.86	39	35	41	41	41	41	41
Ron Dayne – NYG (6)	40.43	37	41	41	41	41	41	41
Artose Pinner – Det (4)	40.57	41	41	41	41	41	41	38
Amos Zereoue – Oak (10)	40.57	38	41	41	41	41	41	41
James Jackson – Cle (8)	40.57	41	41	41	41	41	38	41
Jerome Bettis – Pit (7)	40.57	41	41	41	38	41	41	41
Garrison Hearst – Den (10)	40.71	41	41	41	41	39	41	41
Zack Crockett – Oak (10)	40.71	41	41	41	41	41	41	39

WIDE RECEIVERS	Avg Rank	P o o b	B u c k	t e r p	L u s h	D a z e	S h a t	K G
Randy Moss – Min (4)	1.14	1	1	1	1	1	1	2
Marvin Harrison – Ind (6)	1.86	2	2	2	2	2	2	1
Torry Holt – StL (8)	3.29	3	3	3	3	5	3	3
Terrell Owens – Phi (5)	4.43	6	4	6	4	3	4	4
Hines Ward – Pit (7)	5.00	5	5	5	5	4	6	5
Chad Johnson – Cin (5)	5.57	4	6	4	6	6	5	8
Derrick Mason – Ten (9)	8.57	7	10	7	7	12	8	9
Joe Horn – NO (8)	8.86	13	7	11	8	7	10	6
Laveranues Coles – Was (7)	9.14	9	11	8	9	9	7	11
Steve Smith – Car (3)	9.86	10	8	9	10	8	12	12
Santana Moss – NYJ (3)	9.86	8	9	10	11	10	11	10
Darrell Jackson – Sea (4)	13.14	11	14	13	14	11	15	14
Andre Johnson – Hou (7)	14.00	12	12	14	13	14	13	20
Eric Moulds – Buf (3)	14.29	15	18	12	15	13	9	18
Amani Toomer – NYG (6)	17.43	21	22	20	17	16	19	7
Jimmy Smith – Jax (9)	17.57	16	15	19	12	31	17	13
Peerless Price – Atl (9)	18.29	14	13	25	16	18	23	19
Chris Chambers – Mia (10)	19.71	18	19	15	23	20	16	27
Koren Robinson – Sea (4)	20.14	19	27	18	18	15	14	30
Plaxico Burress – Pit (7)	21.00	27	23	23	21	19	18	16
Isaac Bruce – StL (8)	21.14	22	24	24	20	21	20	17
Charles Rogers – Det (4)	21.57	20	17	17	19	24	29	25
Javon Walker – GB (9)	24.71	23	21	16	22	17	28	46
Rod Smith – Den (10)	26.57	30	39	21	31	28	22	15
Marty Booker – Mia (10)	27.57	32	29	22	34	22	25	29
Keyshawn Johnson – Dal (4)	27.86	17	16	30	38	43	30	21
Justin McCareins – NYJ (3)	30.00	28	26	36	24	45	27	24
Reggie Wayne – Ind (6)	30.43	25	20	29	35	39	33	32
Jerry Porter – Oak (10)	30.71	24	28	26	30	32	24	51
Donte Stallworth – NO (8)	31.71	37	30	32	27	35	26	35
Larry Fitzgerald – Ari (6)	33.00	26	34	31	28	27	34	51
Peter Warrick – Cin (5)	33.86	35	42	33	29	29	31	38
Ashley Lelie – Den (10)	36.14	36	40	28	36	23	39	51
Donald Driver – GB (9)	36.43	39	31	42	43	34	40	26
Deion Branch – NE (3)	36.86	33	51	27	37	30	35	45
Joey Galloway – TB (8)	37.14	29	37	44	46	38	38	28
Roy Williams – Det (4)	37.43	42	46	43	32	26	37	36
Keenan McCardell – TB (8)	39.29	51	25	46	39	42	21	51
Brandon Lloyd – SF (7)	39.43	31	48	37	26	51	32	51
Quincy Morgan – Cle (8)	40.14	51	32	34	43	37	41	43
Jerry Rice – Oak (10)	40.86	46	35	48	51	40	43	23
Rod Gardner – Was (7)	42.29	51	33	40	41	44	36	51
*Anquan Boldin – Ari** (6)	44.86	51	45	51	40	25	51	51
*Out an estimated 8-12 weeks with knee injury
Andre Davis – Cle (8)	42.86	45	36	49	42	36	48	44
David Givens – NE (3)	43.00	34	50	35	45	46	51	40
Eddie Kennison – KC (5)	43.29	40	41	50	33	51	51	37
Kevin Johnson – Bal (6)	44.57	38	51	41	51	51	46	34
Ike Hilliard – NYG (6)	46.14	51	38	39	51	51	42	51
Lee Evans – Buf (3)	46.29	51	51	51	51	51	47	22
Drew Bennett – Ten (9)	46.43	51	44	51	44	33	51	51
Robert Ferguson – GB (9)	46.71	51	51	51	25	47	51	51
Muhsin Muhammad – Car (3)	47.00	51	51	51	51	41	51	33
Justin Gage – Chi (5)	47.57	51	51	51	47	51	51	31
Dennis Northcutt – Cle (8)	48.14	43	51	51	51	51	51	39
David Terrell – Chi (5)	48.57	48	51	38	51	51	50	51
Tyrone Calico – Ten (9)	48.86	41	49	51	48	51	51	51
Travis Taylor – Bal (6)	49.14	51	51	51	51	48	51	41
Reggie Williams – Jax (9)	49.14	44	51	51	51	51	45	51
Antonio Bryant – Dal (4)	49.43	51	51	51	51	51	44	47
Nate Burelson – Min (4)	49.57	47	47	51	51	51	49	51
Darius Watts – Den (10)	49.57	51	43	51	51	51	51	49
Terry Glenn – Dal (4)	49.71	51	51	51	51	51	51	42
Marcus Robinson – Min (4)	50.14	51	51	47	51	49	51	51
Tai Streets – Det (4)	50.57	51	51	51	51	51	51	48
Todd Pinkston – Phi (5)	50.71	49	51	51	51	51	51	51
Michael Jenkins – Atl (9)	50.86	51	51	51	51	51	51	50
Kevin Dyson – SD (10)	50.86	50	51	51	51	51	51	51
Troy Brown – NE (3)	50.86	51	51	51	51	50	51	51

TIGHT ENDS	Avg Rank	P o o b	B u c k	t e r p	L u s h	D a z e	S h a t	K G
Tony Gonzalez – KC (5)	1.14	2	1	1	1	1	1	1
Todd Heap – Bal (6)	2.00	1	2	2	2	2	2	3
Jeremy Shockey – NYG (6)	3.14	4	3	3	3	3	4	2
Alge Crumpler – Atl (9)	5.00	5	7	4	4	4	5	6
Kellen Winslow – Cle (8)	5.57	3	4	7	7	5	3	10
Boo Williams – NO (8)	6.00	9	5	5	5	7	7	4
Randy McMichael – Mia (10)	6.43	6	6	6	8	6	6	7
Antonio Gates – SD (10)	8.00	7	8	9	9	10	8	5
Bubba Franks – GB (9)	9.71	10	14	11	6	8	10	9
Dallas Clark – Ind (6)	10.86	13	12	10	11	9	13	8
Freddie Jones – Ari (6)	11.71	11	11	8	15	11	12	14
Daniel Graham – NE (3)	12.43	14	9	14	12	14	11	13
Marcus Pollard – Ind (6)	16.00	21	18	13	17	17	9	17
Billy Miller – Hou (7)	16.14	26	13	21	16	12	14	11
Jim Kleinsasser – Min (4)	16.71	25	10	12	19	13	19	19
Jason Witten – Dal (4)	17.00	8	19	15	13	26	15	23
Itula Mili – Sea (4)	18.43	16	16	16	23	16	26	16
Desmond Clark – Chi (5)	18.71	17	25	17	18	23	16	15
Anthony Becht – NYJ (3)	19.71	19	17	18	10	26	22	26
LJ Smith – Phi (5)	19.86	12	23	19	22	21	18	24
Erron Kinney – Ten (9)	21.00	18	20	20	20	26	25	18
Eric Johnson – SF (7)	22.86	15	26	23	24	20	26	26
Jed Weaver – Den (10)	23.00	26	15	26	21	26	21	26
Doug Jolley – Oak (10)	23.43	26	22	26	26	18	20	26
Byron Chamberlain – Den (10)	23.86	26	26	25	26	26	26	12
Mark Campbell – Buf (3)	24.29	20	21	26	25	26	26	26
Christian Fauria – NE (3)	24.43	26	26	26	26	15	26	26
Ben Troupe – Ten (9)	24.71	26	24	26	26	22	23	26
Chad Lewis – Phi (5)	24.71	26	26	26	26	19	24	26
Jerramy Stevens	24.71	26	26	26	26	26	17	26
Mikhael Ricks – NYJ (3)	25.00	26	26	24	26	26	26	21
Casey Fitzsimmons – Det (4)	25.14	26	26	26	26	26	26	20
Brandon Manumaleuna – StL (8)	25.43	26	26	26	26	26	26	22
Jay Riemersma – Pit (7)	25.43	22	26	26	26	26	26	26
Teyo Johnson – Oak (10)	25.43	26	26	22	26	26	26	26
Stephen Alexander – Det (4)	25.43	23	26	26	26	25	26	26
Cam Cleeland – StL (8)	25.71	26	26	26	26	24	26	26
Matt Schobel – Cin (5)	25.71	24	26	26	26	26	26	26
George Wrighster – Jax (9)	25.86	26	26	26	26	26	26	25

KICKERS	Avg Rank	P o o b	B u c k	t e r p	L u s h	D a z e	S h a t	K G
Mike Vanderjagt – Ind (6)	1.14	1	1	1	1	2	1	1
Jeff Wilkins – StL (8)	2.57	2	2	2	2	4	2	4
David Akers – Phi (5)	3.57	5	5	4	5	1	3	2
Jason Elam – Den (10)	4.57	4	6	3	3	3	5	8
Ryan Longwell – GB (9)	6.43	8	4	6	9	9	6	3
Adam Vinatieri – NE (3)	7.14	6	12	7	4	5	7	9
Josh Brown – Sea (4)	7.57	3	9	8	8	10	10	5
Matt Stover – Bal (6)	8.00	15	3	5	6	17	4	6
Jay Feely – Atl (9)	9.86	12	13	9	7	6	8	14
John Carney – NO (8)	11.86	11	10	18	11	7	11	15
Sebastian Janikowski – Oak (10)	12.29	14	7	13	14	8	14	16
Joe Nedney – Ten (9)	12.57	9	17	15	13	14	13	7
John Hall – Was (7)	15.00	23	19	10	15	12	15	11
Martin Gramatica – TB (8)	15.14	21	15	12	16	11	9	22
John Kasay – Car (3)	16.14	16	11	26	12	26	12	10
Olindo Mare – Mia (10)	16.86	13	14	14	17	13	23	24
Paul Edinger – Chi (5)	17.43	18	20	16	22	15	18	13
Jeff Reed – Pit (7)	19.00	7	18	23	21	20	21	23
Morten Andersen – KC (5)	19.14	26	8	11	26	26	20	17
Shayne Graham – Cin (5)	19.43	10	21	22	19	26	26	12
Brett Conway – Min (4)	20.43	19	16	17	25	26	19	21
Jason Hanson – Det (4)	21.57	17	24	19	20	19	26	26
Billy Cundiff – Dal (4)	22.14	24	22	20	23	22	26	18
Doug Brien – NYJ (3)	22.43	26	26	25	18	26	17	19
Phil Dawson – Cle (8)	23.71	26	25	24	24	16	25	26
Lawrence Tynes	23.71	26	26	26	10	26	26	26
Kris Brown – Hou (7)	23.86	25	26	21	26	18	26	25
Rian Lindell – Buf (3)	24.29	22	23	26	26	21	26	26
Neil Rackers – Ari (6)	25.00	20	26	26	26	25	26	26
Josh Scobee – Jax (9)	25.14	26	26	26	26	26	26	20
Todd Peterson – SF (7)	25.43	26	26	26	26	26	22	26
Jeff Chandler – Jax (9)	25.57	26	26	26	26	23	26	26
Nate Kaeding – SD (10)	25.71	26	26	26	26	26	24	26
Gary Anderson – Ten (9)	25.71	26	26	26	26	24	26	26

TEAM DEFENSE	Avg Rank	P o o b	B u c k	t e r p	L u s h	D a z e	S h a t	K G
New England (3)	1.57	1	2	1	3	1	1	2
Baltimore (6)	1.57	2	1	2	1	2	2	1
Carolina (3)	4.14	3	3	3	2	6	4	8
Philadelphia (5)	6.43	7	8	8	9	3	5	5
Dallas (4)	6.00	4	6	6	4	5	7	10
Tampa Bay (8)	6.14	9	5	5	6	8	6	4
Miami (10)	6.86	8	4	4	7	4	3	18
Tennessee (9)	8.29	11	7	7	11	7	8	7
Jacksonville (9)	10.29	6	10	10	5	20	10	11
Green Bay (9)	13.00	18	11	11	13	13	12	13
Seattle (4)	13.14	12	16	15	17	15	11	6
Denver (10)	13.29	15	9	9	14	9	15	22
Kansas City (5)	14.00	16	15	19	21	11	13	3
Pittsburgh (7)	14.29	5	14	14	8	10	23	26
St.Louis (8)	15.00	17	18	16	12	12	9	21
Minnesota (4)	14.57	10	12	12	15	26	18	9
Indianapolis (6)	15.14	20	13	13	16	16	16	12
Washington (7)	17.71	19	17	18	19	17	20	14
Chicago (5)	18.43	14	21	21	22	14	21	16
Buffalo (3)	18.71	13	19	17	10	21	26	25
Oakland (10)	21.57	25	24	24	20	18	25	15
Atlanta (9)	22.00	21	22	22	23	25	17	24
New Orleans (8)	22.14	22	23	23	18	22	24	23
NY Jets (3)	22.43	26	20	20	26	26	19	20
Cincinnati (5)	23.57	24	26	26	25	19	26	19
NY Giants (6)	23.57	26	25	25	26	24	22	17
San Francisco (7)	24.00	26	26	26	24	26	14	26
Houston (7)	25.14	23	26	26	26	23	26	26

Legend
Poob = Poobah
Buck = Buckychudd
terp = terpfan
Lush = Lushcrush
Daze = Dazedncnfz
Shat = Shatner8
KG = KingGhidra

Assumed League Settings:

Single-season (no keepers), head-to-head with playoffs in weeks 16 and 17, 16-man rosters with the following starters:

1 QB
2 RB
3 WR
1 TE
1 K
1 Team Defense

along with a seven-man bench (any positions).

Scoring assumed is as follows:

Offense:
1 point per 25 passing yards
1 point per 10 rushing or receiving yards
6 points per passing, rushing, receiving or return touchdown
-2 points per interception or fumble

Kicking:
3 points per field goal up to 39 yards
4 points per field goal between 40 and 49 yards
5 points per field goal over 50 yards
1 point per extra point

Defense:
2 point per sack
1 point per blocked kick or punt
4 points per interception or fumble recovery
6 points per defensive touchdown
1 points per safety
1 point per return touchdown
10 points for a shutout
7 points for allowing up to 6 points
4 points for allowing up to 13 points
1 points for allowing up to 20 points
0 points for allowing up to 27 points
-1 points for allowing up to 34 points
-3 points for allowing over 35 points

Thanks yet again to the experts who generously shared their cheat sheets with us!

2004 Player Rankings

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