Fantasy Football - Best Rookies

For the most part, fantasy football is all about yards and touchdowns. Yards and touchdowns. Get a lot of them every week and you could someday be a champion. There is one major problem with this approach, however, there are only a handful of fantasy footballers who perennially producer both big yards and big touchdowns. Accordingly, after about the first eight or ten picks of any fantasy football draft, the selection process increasingly requires guessing, hoping, prognosticating and maybe even a little praying.

It's even harder when it comes to drafting rookies. There is no data to go on. Rookies are mysteries. And It is the rare player that can come into the NFL and immediately put up numbers that make him worthy of an early round pick. Dan Marino did it. So have some of the great running backs. Not many more after that, though.

So, drafting a rookie is especially risky, even moreso if your league doesn't allow keepers. If you aren't in a keeper league, then you should probably only pay attmntion to the first three players in this article. Anyway, here are five first year players who have the best chance of making a fantasy impact in their rookie seasons.

1. Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions)

Johnson is going to win the Rookie of the Year. He just is. The guy is the prototype receiver. He's the T1000 of wideouts. He's tall. He's faster than the wind. He has great hands and keeps his poise under presure. Furthemrore. with opposing teams defensive backs having to keep three eyes an All-Pro wideout Roy Williams, Johnson is going to find many favorable one-on-one matchups. He will beat the one-on-one coverage almost every time. The only question is whether Lions QB John Kitna can get him the ball. He will. Johnson could put up 800 receiving yards and 6-8 TDs this season.

2. Adrian Petersen (Minnesota Vikings)

Although many wondered if Petersen's collarbone would require surgery, it has been confirmed that he does not need an operation and that he is in camp, playing football. So, he's healthy. He is also NFL-ready. A helathy Petersen who is the feature back for the Vikes could flirt with 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns.

But there is just one problem: Chester Taylor averaged 20 carries a game and picked up over 1,200 yards and found paydirt seven (7) times. He is going to expect the ball -- a lot. He may wind up very disappointed. The Vikings used used a number 7 overall pick on Petersen and shelled out $40 million to sign him. They want him to be the feature back. So draft Petersen as your number 3 back and wait for him to supplant Taylor as the top runner in Minnesota. Then, you can either start him if one of your top two RBs are underperforming, or you could use him as trade bait.

3. Greg Olsen (Chicago Bears)

This kid is one helluva football player. He was a standout tight end at Miami for three years. He's big (6'4", 252 pounds), he's very fast (ran a 4.5 second 40), he's got great hands, and by all accounts he is a good, hardworking kid. The Bears already have Desmond Clark, a nicely talented tight end who will stay all season, most likely, but as the season goes on, Olsen could see more and more game time in Weeks 11-16.

He's good late round pick, especially if you can get him as a keeper. Then you will be in business by 2008.

In Keeper Leagues Only

4. JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders

5. Brady Quinn, Clevelnad Browns

Do not take a chance on either of these players for their 2007 stats. It's not going to happen. Russell still hasn't signed and the longer he waits, the less chance he will take a snap in a real NFL game this seasosn. Best case scenario has him playing by Week 8. Same with Brady Quinn. Although he will surely see time sooner than will Russell, it's gonna be hard time --Alcatraz time -- learning the suytem in that highly challenged offense. However, by nex teay, bot the these college QB legends will be ready, and Quinn will surely have the receiving tools around him that will make his rise to stardom less painful than it could have been.

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