FANTASY FOOTBALL PRE-SEASON FEATURES

2006 Player Rankings: IDP
Updated: August 16, 2006

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Defensive Linemen

Rank	Player	Team	Bye	Comments
1	Jason Taylor	MIA	8	When healthy, the best in the game at DL. Last year he was healthy.
2	Osi Umenyiora	NYG	4	Osi has become an elite DL, and will surpass Strahan next season.
3	Michael Strahan	NYG	4	Strahan's weight loss may have extended his career.
4	Aaron Schobel	BUF	8	Few know how good Schobel is. He deserves this high ranking.
5	Terrell Suggs	BAL	7	Became a force as a pass rusher, and will only get better.
6	Julius Peppers	CAR	9	Unexpected down season for Peppers. He will rebound in 06.
7	Charles Grant	NOS	7	Grant also should bounce back, from a poor 2005 season.
8	Kyle Vanden Bosch	TEN	7	Surprise defensive player of the year. Expect another fine season.
9	John Abraham	ATL	5	Now in Atlanta with a force like Kerney on the other side. Look out.
10	Derrick Burgess	OAK	3	Burgess was good in Philly, but became great in Oakland.
11	Will Smith	NOS	7	Was talented enough for New Orleans to show Darren Howard the door.
12	Bert Berry	ARI	9	Dont forget about him just because he was injured last season.
13	Patrick Kerney	ATL	5	Will see fewer double teams with Abraham opposite him.
14	Adewale Ogunleye	CHI	7	Another player who benefits from playing next to other great DL.
15	Dwight Freeney	IND	6	Inconsistent, but talent warrants this spot.
16	Jared Allen	KCC	3	Feast or famine player, who racks up huge sack games all at once.
17	John Henderson	JAC	6	Top rated fantasy DT, and a tackling machine.
18	Simeon Rice	TBB	4	Rice is another feast or famine player, but last year was more famine.
19	Robert Mathis	IND	6	Now starting, should elevate Mathis tackle numbers.
20	Orpheus Roye	CLE	6	Moving from DT to DE usually means an increase in production.
21	Leonard Little	STL	7	Aging, and inconsistent, but still can get to the QB.
22	Aaron Kampman	GBP	6	Virtual unknown, who is good for 10 sacks again.
23	Kevin Williams	MIN	6	Another Tackling machine at the DT position.
24	Darren Howard	PHI	9	Move to Philly means more playing time for Howard.
25	Richard Seymour	NEP	6	Hurt early on, but was a stud late in the year.
26	Mario Williams	HOU	5	Talented Rookie who will one day be a star in this league. 2006?
27	Alex Brown	CHI	7	Continues to benefit from Ogunleye's presence on the other side.
28	Justin Smith	CIN	5	Smith is a poor man's Patrick Kerney.
29	Mike Rucker	CAR	9	Rucker was once one of the best DE in football. Not anymore.
30	James Hall	DET	8	Career year, unlikely to duplicate.
31	Rod Coleman	ATL	5	Coleman, Abraham and Kerney on the same DL. QB's better beware.
32	Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila	GBP	6	Needs to be more productive in the running game to move up this list.
33	Cornelius Griffin	WAS	8	Injuries hurt Griffin's overall stats, but he was solid early on.
34	Jevon Kearse	PHI	9	Doesn't fill the stat sheet. Bascially only good for sacks.
35	Erasmus James	MIN	6	James was starting to come into his own, at the end of last season.
36	Anthony Hargrove	STL	7	Few know Hargrove, but those that own him, know him very well.
37	Grant Wistrom	SEA	5	Non-stop motor, but injuries a concern.
38	Vonnie Holliday	MIA	8	Makes this list for now, but Matt Roth could bump him off.
39	Monte Reagor	IND	6	Another solid DL for the Colts, plenty of sacks to go around.
40	Chike Okeafor	ARI	9	Inconsistent, but talented enough to make the list.
41	Bryce Fisher	SEA	5	Very deep DL rotation, will allow Fisher to be fresh in the 4th qtr.
42	Shaun Rogers	DET	8	A run stuffer, and a inside force rushing the passer.
43	Luis Castillo	SDC	3	One of the best DT in the league last year, best is yet to come.
44	Andre Carter	WAS	8	Move to Washington could revitalize his career.
45	Raheem Brock	IND	6	Brock will see fewer minutes, but his sacks may increase
46	Robert Bernard	SEA	5	Excellent inside at pressuring the QB, and causing havoc.
47	Travis Laboy	TEN	7	Expected to start opposite Vanden Bosch.
48	Kenechi Udeze	MIN	6	Added Talent around him, should allow him fewer double teams.
49	Trevor Pryce	BAL	7	Pryce still has some gas in the tank, but not much.
50	Marques Douglas	SFO	7	Douglas has a chance to have a rebound season.

Linebackers

Rank	Player	Team	Bye	Comments
1	Keith Bullock	TEN	7	Best fantasy linebacker in the game.
2	Zach Thomas	MIA	8	Thomas missed 2 games a year ago, and still finished #2 in overall production.
3	Ray Lewis	BAL	7	When healthy, is second to none. Hasn't been healthy lately.
4	Mike Peterson	JAX	6	Peterson could very well have been #1, but this is a more logical spot.
5	Jonathon Vilma	NYJ	9	The Jets move to the 3-4, could drop Vilma even further down this list.
6	Brian Urlacher	CHI	7	Urlacher, like Lewis is a force when healthy, he just gets dinged too easily.
7	Donnie Edwards	SDC	3	Chargers had him on the trading block during the draft, could still be dealt.
8	London Fletcher	BUF	8	Fletcher is another ageless LB who simply produces.
9	Lofa Tatupu	SEA	5	Amazing rookie season. Can he duplicate those stats?
10	Will Witherspoon	STL	7	Changed teams from Carolina to St. Louis and positions, WLB to MLB.
11	Antonio Pierce	NYG	4	Injuries cut his season short last year, should have a bounce back season.
12	Keith Brooking	ATL	5	Rock Solid year in, year out. Moves back to his natural position on the weak side.
13	Andra Davis	CLE	6	Impressive season, after ending 2004 on Injured Reserve. Best is yet to come.
14	Jeremiah Trotter	PHI	9	Rookie DT, will help keep Trotter clean, and his stats could improve.
15	Derrick Brooks	TBB	4	Brooks is aging, but has shown no signs of slowing down.
16	Dan Morgan	CAR	9	Highly talented, and special when he is healthy, he is just rarely healthy.
17	Nick Barnett	GBP	6	Addition of AJ Hawk could cut into his production, but still a top 20 LB.
18	Lance Briggs	CHI	7	Briggs reached another level last year, and proved he can thrive with Urlacher.
19	Gary Brackett	IND	6	Heart of the Indy defense, who put up incredible stats his first year as a starter.
20	James Farrior	PIT	4	Farrior isn't spectacular, but he will put up nice tackle stats each week.
21	AJ Hawk	GBP	6	Early favorite for defensive rookie of the year. Starter from day 1.
22	Cato June	IND	6	June is a beast in this defensive scheme. Expect another stellar season.
23	Kirk Morrison	OAK	3	Super Soph, is now the main man in Oaktown.
24	Karlos Dansby	ARZ	3	Consider the stats Dansby put up at SLB, now imagine if he is moved to MLB. Scary.
25	Kawika Mitchell	KCC	3	Under rated LB going into last year, became a fixture for years to come in KC.
26	Shelton Quarels	TB	4	Another aging LB, on the wrong side of 30, with a youngster eyeing his position.
27	DeMeco Ryan	HOU	5	Rookie LB, who could put up nice tackle numbers from day 1
28	Ernie Simms	DET	8	Think of a younger Derrick Brooks, in the same defensive scheme.
29	Odell Thurman	CIN	5	Out the first 4 games of the season, or would be in the top 4.
30	Derek Smith	SF	7	Blue collar player, who worked his way to the top.
31	Danny Clark	OAK	3	The addition of a highly tooted rookie LB, could end Clark's days at inside LB.
32	Al Wilson	DEN	4	Gold takes away opportunities, but Wilson underachieved last yr. Will he in 2006?
33	Derrick Johnson	KCC	3	Started with a bang, but the long season caught up to him as a rookie.
34	Takeo Spikes	BUF	8	Injury threatened his career. Will he be the same in 06?
35	Bradie James	DAL	3	Bradie becomes the main man in Big D. Is he up to the challenge?
36	Ian Gold	DEN	4	Gold proved to be a stud again, after returning to Denver.
37	Ed Hartwell	ATL	5	Bust signing before he got injured. Will be be motivated this season?
38	Julian Peterson	SEA	5	Peterson changes zip codes this off season, and now will be stalking the 49ers.
39	Marcus Washington	WAS	8	Mwash is smooth, and one of the few LB's who produce on the strong side.
40	Channing Crowder	MIA	8	Great second half to his rookie season, and looks to turn the corner this season.
41	Tedy Bruschi	NEP	6	Broken Wrist, or would be ranked higher. Could miss some games.
42	Lemar Marshall	WAS	8	Surprise rookie season, but is Washington looking to replace him already?
43	Thomas Davis	CAR	9	Fizzled as a rookie at SS, but the move to the SLB doesnt help production.
44	LaVar Arrington	NYG	4	LaVar wont be on the bench in New York, so his stock will rise.
45	Eric Barton	NYJ	9	Another player who cant stay healthy, but is productive when he plays.
46	Daryl Smith	JAX	6	Smith is an underachieving talent, who should put up better stats, but doesn't.
47	Leroy Hill	SEA	5	As a weak side LB, Hill is money, but chances are he moves to the strong side.
48	Akin Ayodele	DAL	3	Moving inside the Cowboys 3-4 defense should warrant higher consideration.
49	Jeff Ulbrich	SF	7	Opportunity to put up huge stats, but chances are slim he is healthy for 16 games.
50	Mike Vrabel	NEP	6	Spectacular stats in the absence of Bruschi, average after his return.

Defensive Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Bye	Comments
1	Adrian Wilson	ARI	9	Wilson takes over for Rodney Harrison as the top scoring DB.
2	Gibril Wilson	NYG	4	Gibril is on the brink of greatness, and just a notch below Adrian.
3	Troy Polamalu	PIT	4	Troy is a big hitter, but isn't involved in enough tackles.
4	Michael Lewis	PHI	9	Behind Trotter, Lewis is the best tackler on the Eagles.
5	Roy Williams	DAL	3	Another big hitter, but is a liability in pass coverage.
6	Rodney Harrison	NEP	6	Harrison was still the best before his injury. He will be back.
7	Ronde Barber	TBB	4	The top scoring Cover 2 cornerback, yet again.
8	Ed Reed	BAL	7	The loss of Ray Lewis hurt Reed as much as anyone.
9	Brian Dawkins	PHI	9	Dawkins continues to improve, and is learning how to stay healthy.
10	Mike Brown	CHI	7	When he is healthy, he lights up the score sheet, but he is fragile.
11	Bob Sanders	IND	6	Sanders is a thumper, and excellent in run support.
12	Charles Tillman	CHI	7	Possible move to safety, but wasn't too shabby at cornerback.
13	Antoine Winfield	MIN	6	Great in coverage, even better stepping up in run support.
14	Erik Coleman	NYJ	9	Coleman should probably be higher on this list.
15	Michael Bouleware	SEA	5	Bouleware's run stuffing opportunities limited by his teams offense.
16	Nate Clements	BUF	8	Clements lights up the score sheets so many ways.
17	Adam Archuleta	WAS	8	Change of scenery could be exactly what Archuleta needs.
18	Madieu Williams	CIN	5	Williams looks like a one year wonder to this point in his career.
19	Sean Taylor	WAS	8	Taylor avoided jail time, hopefully he take advantage of 2nd chance.
20	Sammy Knight	KCC	3	Knight's days of dominance are almost over, but has one year left.
21	Marquand Manuel	GBP	6	Manuel played himself into a new contract in Green Bay
22	Kennoy Kennedy	DET	8	Kennedy made a nice transition for Denver to Detroit.
23	Tony Parrish	SFO	7	Parrish will get plenty of opportunities in the Niner's secondary.
24	Ken Hamlin	SEA	5	Returns from off the field Injury, and still a headhunter.
25	Donte Whitner	BUF	8	Whitner has a chance to start at Strong Safety from day 1.
26	Dunta Robinson	HOU	5	Dunta turned it on at the end of last year. Expect a better year in 2006
27	Michael Huff	OAK	3	Huff will play early, but may not play at the coveted SS position early.
28	Kerry Rhodes	NYJ	9	Rhodes will have competition for his job, in New York's secondary.
29	Ike Taylor	PIT	4	Taylor became a force at the cornerback position in 2005.
30	Ken Lucas	SEA	9	Lucas had a sub par year, but he should rebound next season.
31	Chris Hope	TEN	7	Hope is moving from Pittsburgh, and will get more chances in Tennessee.
32	Greg Wesley	KCC	3	Wesley is starting to show signs of age. Could this be the end?
33	Cory Chavous	STL	7	Chavous has one more solid season, this time in St. Louis.
34	Champ Bailey	DEN	4	As great as Bailey is, Qbs throw at him because of the chances he takes.
35	Chris Gamble	CAR	9	The better Gamble gets as a player, the lower his fantasy production.
36	Shawntee Spencer	SFO	7	Young and dominate, will be a force for years to come.
37	Marlon McCree	SDC	3	McCree is changing teams and positions going from SS to FS.
38	DeAngelo Hall	ATL	9	Rookie Jimmy Williams will see more balls, Hall will see fewer.
39	Josh Bullocks	NOS	7	Bullocks is the starter of the future, but is that future now or later.
40	Terrence McGee	BUF	8	Playmaker, who needs more tackles to help owners.
41	Nick Collins	GBP	6	Addition of Manuel should put him in coverage more often this year.
42	Darren Sharper	MIN	6	Sharper is declining every year, and this may be his last year on this list.
43	Will Demps	NYG	4	Demps will be missed in Baltimore and loved in New York.
44	Terrance Kiel	SDC	3	Kiel just disappears in games. His consistency is why he falls this far.
45	Antrel Rolle	ARI	9	Rolle was also injured much of last season, but he is talented.
46	Brodney Pool	CLE	6	Pool gets a chance early on to show what he can do, will it be enough?
47	Rashean Mathis	JAC	6	Mathis is a playmaking corner, who enjoys helping out against the run.
48	Jerametrius Butler	STL	7	Butler in 2004, was one of the top scoring CB's in the league.
49	CC Brown	HOU	5	Brown will be on a short leash in Houston, but should get it done.
50	Anthony Henry	DAL	3	Injured much of last season, but put up nice tackles when he played.

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