Early Rankings (April)

Ready for a preview of the 2004 fantasy season? Take a sneak peek at the top ten players at each position, courtesy of Joseph Myers (familiar to Forum visitors as nebbie2004)!

Quarterback

1. Daunte Culpepper, MIN – Number one fantasy QB. Period.
2. Peyton Manning, IND – Twenty-five TDs are a lock every year.
3. Steve McNair, TEN – Deserves to be top five; if running game comes back (both his and Eddie’s), he could be #1.
4. Donovan McNabb, PHI – Slow start skewed stats; he’ll be back.
5. Michael Vick, ATL – Hard to say; depends on WRs and health.
6. Matt Hasselbeck, SEA – Developing very nicely, and has two great receivers.
7. Trent Green, KC – No WRs, no problem!
8. Chad Pennington, NYJ – Could be top five the way he played after coming back from injury.
9. Tom Brady, NE – Only gets attention in the Super Bowl; gets superstar stats all season.
10. Aaron Brooks, NO – Somewhat disappointing game-by-game performances.

Running Back

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, SD – Plays on a horrible team, but his third season in the NFL will definitely surpass his sophomore year.
2. Priest Holmes, KC – Do you really need someone to tell you he’s good?
3. Clinton Portis, DEN – Only getting better; has explosive speed, and scores TDs in bunches.
4. Ahman Green, GB – A TD machine both on the ground and in the air.
5. Jamal Lewis, BAL – HUGE bust potential for 2004; could be swarmed by run defenses all season. Was 2003 a career year?
6. Deuce McAllister, NO – Consistent; 100-yard potential every game.
7. Ricky Williams, MIA – The fall in 2003 only hurt him.
8. Shaun Alexander, SEA – Inconsistent, but scores.
9. Edgerrin James, IND – TDs will come … hopefully.
10. Stephen Davis, CAR – Age might be an issue; is he really a workhorse?

Wide Receiver

1. Randy Moss, MIN – He’s a freak.
2. Torry Holt, STL – Old, but will no doubt be better this season.
3. Marvin Harrison, IND – Won’t and can’t match 143 receptions, but is a consistent playmaker.
4. Terrell Owens, Phi – Could upgrade to top three after leaving San Francisco.
5. Chad Johnson, CIN – He said he wanted 1800 in 2003; don’t be surprised if he does it in 2004.
6. Hines Ward, PIT – Most underrated WR in fantasy football.
7. Santana Moss, NYJ – Main pass-catching scoring option in NY; faded down the stretch, though.
8. Anquan Boldin, ARI – Someone has to catch passes in ARI; new coach and new rookie QB could both help or hurt.
9. Derrick Mason, TEN – Only worry is he doesn’t score enough.
10. Joe Horn, NO – Injuries hurt him in 2003; he’ll be back in full effect in 2004.

Tight End

1. Tony Gonzalez, KC – Owning Gonzo is practically like having an extra WR.
2. Todd Heap, BAL – Scores TDs and is team’s #1 receiver.
3. Jeremy Shockey, NYG – TE yardage king; TE TD peasant.
4. Randy McMichael, MIA – Getting better, but is still invisible at times.
5. Alge Crumpler, ATL – Stats were inflated from hot start, so watch out.
6. Bubba Franks, GB – Bubba’s bubble burst in 2003.
7. Jim Kleinsasser, MIN – Catches a lot of balls, and is an important player in Minnesota’s game plan.
8. Itula Mili, SEA – TD catcher.
9. Daniel Graham, NE – Is getting better in a passing-oriented offense.
10. Boo Williams, NO – May have dethroned Conwell as starter.

Kicker

1. Mike Vanderjagt, IND – Simply money!
2. Jeff Wilkins, STL – Can’t argue with 2003 numbers.
3. Jason Elam, DEN – One of the elite kickers in the NFL.
4. Matt Stover, BAL – Baltimore’s offense stalls in red zone frequently.
5. David Akers, PHI – Seems to be back.
6. Adam Vinatieri, NE – Sleeper pick; he has the power.
7. Ryan Longwell, GB – Often ignored, but also often on the scoring sheet.
8. Sebastian Janikowski, OAK – Used to be the victim of an offensive offense; let’s see what happens in 2004.
9. Josh Brown, SEA – Getting a lot better, but misses are an issue.
10. John Kasay, CAR – Ooh … went from top five to top ten in last six games.