FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT

Peterson will once again be the centerpiece of the Minnesota offense, and the new coaching staff won't be afraid to push him towards the 363 carries he had in 2008. He's still a work in progress in the passing game, but AP is a lock for double-digit touchdowns and should challenge for the league's total yardage crown.

Rice had one of the better fantasy offseasons: goal line vulture and touch stealer Willis McGahee is gone, and disgruntled fullback Le'Ron McClain was replaced by premier lead blocker Vonta Leach. Oh, and the Ravens plan to rededicate themselves to the running game. 400 touches, 2,000 yards from scrimmage, and double-digit touchdowns--all benchmarks of a stud fantasy back--are on the radar.

(-Risk) Foster revealed that he played most of 2010 with a torn meniscus in his knee. Not bad for leading the entire league with 1616 rushing yards. Foster also is only being paid the third year minimum of $480,000 so he has tremendous motivation to have a big season and stop being the most underpaid player in the NFL. Foster has lost his lead blocker Vonte Leach but Foster already led the league in broken tackles anyway. Throw in that he's a great receiver and there is no cause for concern. Ben Tate has been impressive but he'll remain just the primary backup.

09-01-11 Update: Foster's knee has been a celebrity in its own right for a day but Foster claims it is an non-issue and he will play in week one. Still... makes you wonder.

Johnson is holding out and wants to be paid like the super- star back that he is. Problem is that he won't report to camp without a new contract and the Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt won't negotiate until he is in camp. Johnson really needs no training camp to hit the ground running for the season so unless this extends into game one, the assumption is that the Titans get the franchise back into camp and happy. In his first three seasons, he has never had less than 1488 total yards and ten scores.

08-25-11 Update: The scariest holdout ever continues with every draft watching Johnson start to slide until someone has to take the plunge. Problem is that it looks like this could extend into the season and even when he reports, he will be eased back into a fulltime role.

09-01-11 Update: The holdout ended quickly and Johnson will be ready for week one. Expect him to not start out with the full load and need a couple of weeks to get back into playing shape.

(+Upside) This could be a monster year for Charles who is slated to get more workload. Last year he only had 230 carries but gained 1467 yards and added 45 receptions for 468 yards. He lacks in TDs (8) compared to others but any increase in workload is going to be magic for his numbers. Charles will face one of the toughest rushing schedules in the league this year but he's a dual threat and can prop up every game stats with receptions as well. Bottom line - Charles never had a bad game in 2010. Not one.

Mendenhall closed last year with a six-game scoring streak including all three playoff tilts, establishing himself as a top-tier fantasy back. There's no one to threaten his 300- plus carries in Pittsburgh, so he's a bankable commodity heading into 2011. Just don't sign up for his Twitter feed.

The Eagles did not run that much last year - only 285 RB attempts as a team and just 207 for McCoy who still had the lion's share of work. More important was his role as a receiver with 78 catches for 592 yards and with no new players to challenge that role, McCoy remains a safe bet for moderate production and a hot property in reception point leagues.

McFadden had a breakout season in 2010. After two years of marginal play, he exploded for six games over 100 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The challenge this year is that his biggest games were against STL, ARI, SEA, JAC and DEN twice. Only Denver remains on the schedule and McFadden still had a toe injury later in the year. In fairness, McFadden balanced his rushing with 47 catches for 507 yards and three scores and often showed up better as a receiver in games when his rushing was held in check. McFadden is in great shape this year but he'll have to work harder to equal the totals of last season since he's become the only real weapon on the team. And he only had 32 catches in the 13 games that Campbell was the QB.

(-Risk) Jones-Drew returns from offseason meniscus surgery on his right knee and has participated in padded practices which is a plus. But the concern is that the heavy workload is too much for his body to handle and there is a plan to use Rashad Jennings more to spell him and keep him fresher and healthier. That often goes to the wayside in the heat of games when MJD is tearing up an opponent but at the least he's now recovering from a knee surgery and has to be considered a health risk. His bad knee did not prevent him from gaining 1324 rushing yards last year but his touchdown totals have fallen to only five rushing scores last year.

08-20-11 Update: Jones-Drew is back to practice though they are taking it easy with him and his knee. He shows speed and cutting ability again. He may be the feast or famine RB in this draft. A steal or an albatross around your neck.

Forte is playing for a payday this season, as the Bears have yet to extend his rookie contract. He's carving out a niche as a poor man's Marshall Faulk in the Mike Martz offense, but he may have to share more touches with Marion Barber than he did Chester Taylor. Questions about Chicago's offensive line also make Forte a risk, but his value as a pass-catcher keeps at least some of that risk at bay.