FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT

Beck is reported to be the front runner for the starting job in Washington despite only throwing actual passes in games during 2007. Five years into the league and he has one touchdown and three interceptions to his credit. But Shanahan likes him and will offer him the chance to start for the Redskins along with Rex Grossman who will compete for the job. This spells hands off for now from a messy QB situation on a team with even worse receivers.

Bradford may not only be the last huge dollar rookie QB, he's also the last one that was worth the money. Offensive Rookie of the Year, the ex-Sooner was thoroughly impressive throwing for 3512 yards and 18 touchdowns against only 15 interceptions on a team that had constant and significant problems keeping healthy receivers on the field. He'll have to learn a new system with OC Josh McDaniels importing the DEN/NE scheme but he took a new scheme last year and did magic. Playing in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL doesn't hurt at all as well.

Brady had surgery on his right foot in January and has recovered completely in time for camp. Brady enters his 12th season and the Pats are retooled for a playoff run this year. Not only does Brady never have a "bad" year other than his knee injury in 2008, he should be poised for an ever better than normal season with plenty of running backs, Ocho Cinco on the team and one of the easier schedules he has seen in many years.

The worst you get over the last five seasons in New Orleans with Brees is 4418 yards and 26 touchdowns. He has turned in 33+ scores in each of the last three years and remains among the elite, can't miss players. A stronger rushing game this year may detract, but then again it didn't in 2009 when they ended with the Lombardi Trophy.

Jason Campbell returns for his second season with the Raiders but last year only saw him pass for 2387 yards and 13 scores in the thirteen games he played. Campbell was not needed to excel in many games thanks to the success of Darren McFadden rushing the ball. The problem here is that the Raiders did not upgrade their below average receivers and the schedule reverses from being one of the easier to one of the tougher in the league this year. The biggest success of the offense last year was against the NFC West opponents no longer on the schedule.

Cassel's second season in Kansas City saw an incremental gain when he ended with 3116 yards and 27 touchdowns and his interceptions actually fell from 16 to only seven. His challenge in 2011 will be a far tougher schedule than last year. But he has at least an improved set of receivers including Dwayne Bowe and newly added Steve Breaston along with the rookie Jonathan Baldwin who supplies the badly needed and completely absent ability to get down field far and fast. The schedule will be the biggest challenge but the tools are better and the offensive scheme remains the same.

Clausen got his shot as a rookie and the 2.16 pick quickly did his share to ensure that the Panthers would have the worst passing attack in the league last year. That got rewarded by the team drafting Cam Newton with the first overall draft pick (that Clausen helped them get). Writing is on the wall in very big letters but Clausen will help ease Newton into the full role.

Collins has to be a handcuff for any Manning owner and the good news is that no one else will try to steal him from you. Collins is an above average QB for his career and should help keep the Colts going against a lighter opening schedule if need be.

Cutler's 2010 campaign ended rather ignominiously with him on the sidelines in the NFC title game, capping a season in which those monster numbers in Mike Martz's offense never materialized. He loses safety net Greg Olsen and gains wideout Roy Williams, but the bigger issue might be how much protection Cutler gets behind an already-shaky offensive line that won't return center Olin Kreutz.

While Dalton is an ideal fit for Jay Gruden's new West Coast offense, he's still a rookie and will still need time to get on the same page with his young receivers. Dynasty leaguers will value Dalton more than redrafters, but with Carson Palmer staying retired and Bruce Gradkowski more mentor/insurance than challenger he should see the bulk of the snaps right from the start.

After six seasons that spanned gigs in St. Louis, Cincinnati and now Buffalo, Fitzgerald has finally found a home. He comes off a surprising 3000 pass yards and 23 touchdowns in the first season of Chan Gailey's new offense. With a similar schedule and a second season as starter, Fitzgerald should at least hold on to his yardage totals so long as he can keep Tyler Thigpen on the bench.

The good news is, Flacco's development as an NFL quarterback continues as he notched career bests in both yardage and TDs last year. The bad news is, the Ravens have talked all season about rededicating themselves to the running game--plus, he lost safety net Todd Heap. Flacco's situation prevents him from making the jump to fantasy stud, but he's still a solid contributor.

Freeman has come a long way in just two years, playing on a below average offense and yet producing 3451 pass yards and 25 touchdowns against only six interceptions last year. The downside to him is that he almost never has more than two scores in any game or more than around 220 yards. The upside is that he scored in all but one game last year and he throws in around 20 or 30 rush yards per game. Not great but never bad. A reliable fantasy backup.

Gabbert is huge at 6-4, 233 pounds and has both mobility and the ability to thrown any pass on the field. He has a big arm and is going to be quickly groomed to take the starting reins. Chances are he'll start the season just watching, pick up some work along the way and likely end the year already starting.

08-20-11 Update: He has not done anything great yet but he has not been bad and David Garrard has been nursing a tender back. Chances are better he will see some playing time earlier than later.

Gradkowski is reunited with Jay Gruden from their days in Tampa, where Bruce posted career highs of 1,661 yards and nine touchdowns. Is that enough to keep Andy Dalton on the bench for a year? Possibly, though there's little if any fantasy upside to Gradkowski. At best he's a one-week fill- in, though by the time you need him he'll most likely be holding a clipboard for Dalton.

Grossman is expected to re-sign with the Redskins and compete with John Beck to be the starter. Amazingly, early reports have Beck as the favorite to win the job but there will not be many fantasy points from the position this year and no certainty that either will play all year. Hands off this situation.

The 36-year old Hasselbeck enters his 13th season playing for Titans this to wind down his career and offer some veteran guidance to the first round pick Jake Locker. These final three seasons, Hasselbeck has devolved into just an average quarterback which has been a problem since the ground game in Seattle has disappeared. The Titans won't ask him to do too much other than manage the offense and make sure Chris Johnson gets the ball. Marginal fantasy value here at best.

Henne enters training camp as the prohibitive starter and the hard ball that the Broncos are playing with Ken Orton so far have not born fruit. So Henne will compete with only Matt Moore which is to say Henne gets to start and reprise his average season of 2010. Chad played for 15 games and passed for 3301 yards and 15 scores against 19 interceptions. That was just good enough to prevent the Fins from reaching for a new starter. Short of a later trade involving Orton, Henne will take the start again this year. Henne did have four games with two scores and passed for at least one score in 11 different games. He's been consistently decent.

Jackson lands in Seattle and reunites with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell that should see him take the starting job. The Seahawks have not had time to install the new offense yet and yet Jackson already knows it. Charlie Whitehurst is in the running to start as well but has never played in a West Coast offense. The addition of Jackson signals this to be a rebuilding year as he has never passed for more than 1911 yards or 9 TDs in any of his five seasons.

The 6'5" rookie out of Nevada comes to the Niners with a cannon arm and the ability to run as well. HC Jim Harbaugh says it is an open competition for starter but Alex Smith will likely take that by virtue of the lockout and the lack of time the rookie has spent with the team and playbook. But make no mistake, he will replace Smith sooner than later. Enough so that he's the one to want in a dynasty league and he ruins any potential value of Smith this year.

No analysis available.

(+Upside) Kolb finally gets his chance to the the starting QB and there is no decent backup for him this time to steal the job. The Cards were horrible last season passing for only 3247 yards and 10 touchdowns total. That's a far cry from the 4000+ yards every season that Kurt Warner was around. The still lingering problem though is an offensive line that needs help and a rushing game that has never reached the heights of average. The schedule is good though and fantasy playoff weeks have him going against SF, CLE and @CIN. Kolb makes an interesting backup but is too risky for being a fantasy starter.

The Titans have high hopes for their #8 overall pick in the draft but signed Matt Hasselbeck to give the rookie time to develop. Locker can learn from the veteran without being thrown to the wolves before he is ready. The Titans offense will never be pass-heavy with Chris Johnson there so even long-term, Locker likely won't become a top ten fantasy QB.

Manning may go down as the most consistently productive QB of all time thanks to five straight seasons with more than 4000 passing yards. He has thrown for 31+ scores in five of the last six years. But Mr. Automatic is now nursing a neck injury and starts training camp on the PUP list with no stated timetable for when he can practice. The expectation and assumption is that he will play in week one and the Colts did just hand over a cool $90 million contract for the next five years so the situation does not bother them. I will assume all is well but it bears watching. There isn't even a decent insurance pick to cover Manning.

08-24-11 Update: Manning's neck is becoming more of a concern and the signing of Kerry Collins is a red flag that the Colts are concerned about the start of the year as well. He drops in the ranks from the risk factor.

Manning enters his ninth season and comes off his second straight 4000 yard season. Manning also threw for a career best 31 touchdowns last season. His need to throw will likely be just as great in 2011 with the same aging backfield but this time he is missing Steve Smith. He's also behind a worsening offensive line that allowed a career worst 25 interceptions last year and that is amid being rebuilt. Manning has always been a decent QB but has crept up into being a low-end fantasy starter for the last two seasons.

No analysis available.

McCoy was adequate in eight games as a rookie starter; the hope this season is that Pat Shurmur can do for him what he did for Sam Bradford a year ago. The Browns added a little offensive firepower in rookie WR Greg Little and pass- catching RB Brandon Jackson; that, combined with the new coaching staff and a year of maturity have things at least pointing in the right direction for Colt.

The Vikings are wagering a couple of sixth-round picks that McNabb has enough left in the tank so they can let Christian Ponder learn by watching in his first NFL season. McNabb is used to working with a cast of nondescript wideouts and he does have Adrian Peterson to hand off to, but his days as a fantasy starter were likely left behind in Philly.

The Fins settled for Matt Moore when the Kyle Orton sweepstakes was too expensive and there will be an open competition for starter in training camp. Of course Henne should win that hands down even though there is a new scheme being installed by OC Brian Daboll. Short of an unexpected training camp, Moore gets $2.5 million to watch Henne play for the next two seasons.

Newton is a winner and a rare talent that has a cannon arm and yet is a devastating runner as well. The Heisman Trophy winner and National champion from Auburn, he'll be playing this year but likely with help from Jimmy Clausen. In a redraft league - leave Newton alone. In a dynasty league, he's a worthy gamble to see if the Panthers can eventually build an offense around him.

Orton has played the game trying to get a better contract out of the Dolphins and failed. Until something happens - and it may not - Orton remains a Bronco backup QB. He could be first in line if another team needs a QB, so he's a decent deep stash in any case.

08-03-11 Update: Orton appears to be staying in Denver for now and being the starting QB. That's an upgrade to the passing stats all around.

The Vikings drafted Ponder with the intention of letting him compete for the starting job, but after acquiring Donovan McNabb during the offseason the plan changed; now, in a best-case scenario Ponder will spend the year on clipboard duty while acclimating himself to the NFL. If the Vikings are out of the playoff hunt by their Week 9 bye they could accelerate the future and give Ponder some on-the-job training. Either way, his greatest (only) fantasy value comes in dynasty leagues.

Rivers has thrown for over 4000 yards in each of the last three seasons and returns a healthy crew once again. Always a lock for a decent game, Rivers only had only four games with more than two scores last year and three of those were against opponents he will not face in 2011. The schedule is tougher this year and the running game is no longer as dominant which will show up more this season. He's still a lock to be one of the top passers.

There's not much mystery here: the Green Bay offense still flows through the quarterback position, where Rodgers will put up something in the neighborhood of 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, with a dozen multiple-touchdown games and a half- dozen 300-yard efforts. The only caution may be Rodgers backing off on the rushing a bit so as not to risk another concussion and his schedule strength has gone from average to one of the worst.

With no league-mandated vacation on the horizon, Big Ben has the weapons and the schedule to match last season's fast start (12 of his 17 TDs came in his first six games). If he's able to finish--and again, the schedule should help him out-- he'll give you borderline elite QB production for a fraction of the draft-day cost. Check out who he plays during fantasy playoffs - CLE, @SF and STL. Reason enough to take him.

Tony Romo was on a hot pace of 321 pass yards per game last year but then suffered a broken collar bone that forced him out for the final 11 games. Romo has been good for no less than 27 TDs and 4300 pass yards when healthy the entire year and has as good of weapons as any QB. He's stepped up in the offseason and taken a bigger role as a leader. His schedule is slightly softer than last year.

Ryan enters his fourth year and is already a borderline fantasy starter on the verge of becoming an elite player. He passed for 3705 yards and 28 touchdowns last year and that was with little more than Roddy White and an aging Tony Gonzalez. Now the Falcons drafted the hot rookie Julio Jones and Ryan will have more targets than he has ever had. This could be a monster year for Ryan going against an easier schedule than last season.

The rush heavy attack of the Jets means that Sanchez rarely has to throw much and the defense always keeps game scores low and close anyway. After two seasons, Sanchez has been little more than an average QB in fantasy terms and with a lesser receiver corps and an even better defense, there is no reason to expect anything more from him this year.

Schaub comes off his second straight 4300+ yards season though his numbers dropped slightly from 2009 thanks to the newly found rushing game with Arian Foster. The schedule is roughly the same strength and all the same players are on the roster and familiar with the system. Schaub should do no worse than last year... and maybe better.

(-Risk) The good news is that Smith gets the starter reins again this year. The bad news is that he has a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator and scheme, his best wideout is injured and his running back is holding out. Oh yes, and the Niners used their 2.04 pick to grab his successor. Smith will start the year but there is no guarantee he finishes it or at least gives way to the rookie Colin Kaepernick in patches. Smith is a risk even as your backup.

Before you go overboard as to what Stafford might do if he could only stay healthy for 16 games, consider that in 13 career starts he's topped 300 yards just once and boasts nine games with zero or one touchdown. Okay, dampers off: Megatron, Jahvid Best and Brandon Pettigrew provide Stafford with a splendid core of pass-catchers, and if he could only stay healthy...

The future is now what Tebow who will be given the starting job whether Kyle Orton is still on the team or not. With only three games to judge by, Tebow's effectiveness is hard to guage but he did rush in a score in all three games and pass for at least one touchdown. Denver has a brutal passing schedule this year and the intention is to pass less and run more. But Tebow is going to add rushing yards and scores to his tally and could end up surprisingly effective in fantasy terms.

08-03-11 Update: It now appears most likely that Tebow will not start since Kyle Orton has not been traded. Tebow will still show up and perhaps in every game for a few plays.

Thigpen changes teams and reunites with Chan Gailey who coached him in 2008 when he was a starter. Thigpen starts out as the backup for Fitzpatrick and he already knows the offense. He's a must have handcuff if you have to rely on Fitzpatrick.

Vick was a huge surprise when he took over in 2010 and easily turned in his career best season despite missing four games with a rib injury. The three years away from being a starter apparently were spent well - he rushed for 676 yards and nine scores and threw for 21 touchdowns and 3018 yards. With Kevin Kolb gone there is even less reason to worry about Vick not remaining the franchise player here. Entering his second season in the offense, Vick even has a decent schedule this year.

The departure of Matt Hasselbeck would have opened the door for Whitehurst to start this year but no such luck. New OC Darrell Bevell comes over from Minnesota and brings along Tarvaris Jackson who already knows the offense. The competition will get lip service in camp but Jackson is expected to win the job.

Young goes to the Eagles to back-up Michael Vick and that's not a terrible place to reinvent himself. Vick has lasted all 16 games only once in his career (2006) and Young will almost certainly be called on at some point. A decent backup for Vick owners in deeper leagues.