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Five Questions, Ten Answers You Need To Know For Your Fantasy Football Draft

By George Kurtz and Terry Neofitos, The Fantasy Sports Forum.com

1. Who will be the more productive fantasy performer, Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers?

George: Knee-jerk reaction might lead you to say Favre, but you really have to look deeper here.  Both will have tremendous pressure placed on them this season.  Favre has to prove he still is a Hall of Fame QB at age 38, and Rodgers has to show that the faith the Packers organization has in him is justified.  Green Bay has the better team, which helps Rodgers' cause.  Green Bay can go 3-4 wide receivers with very little downgrade in talent.  The Jets have a top two, but not much depth after that.  Green Bay has the better defense which should lead to more offensive chances for Rodgers.  One advantage for Favre is the home stadium, when the weather turns, it’s no fun throwing in Green Bay. While throwing in Giants Stadium is no picnic either, it’s still easier than throwing at Lambeau Field.  The deciding factor for me will be the schedule.  The only top defense the Jets will play is San Diego, while the Packers have to play Minnesota and Chicago twice, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville.  One last note, Favre never misses a game, while Rodgers has a history of getting hurt.  Go with Favre.
Terry: I think the home stadium will be a wash for both quarterbacks.  What it really comes down to is which one will be able to better utilize the weapons within the respective offense.  I think that Rodgers' three year apprenticeship will pay dividends and you'll see him have chemistry with Driver, Jennings, Jones and Lee from the start.  It may take Favre a while to develop that with Coles, Cottchery and Keller.  The other factor is draft value.  You'll be able to get Rodgers in the mid to late stage for QBs, where Favre will likely be a top 12 QB.  Rodgers throws 25 TDs, Favre 22.    

 2. Is Marvin Harrison going to be the steal of the draft or is he finished?

George:This question all depends on where he is drafted.  If you can grab him after the second round than you’re looking good.  Anyone who takes him earlier than that is certainly taking a gamble.  Harrison has looked good in practice, and Indy is loaded with offensive talent.  Assuming Harrison is healthy, look for him to have a big season.  With Reggie Wayne on the opposite side, Anthony Gonzalez improving in the slot and Dallas Clark at tight end it is extremely difficult to take Marvin out of the game.  Teams may be reluctant to double Harrison until he can prove that he’s 100% and this could lead to some big games early.  I like Harrison and although I would still grab Wayne first, I think Harrison will put up good numbers for a WR2.
Terry:  I think that it's a given that Harrison will not be drafted in the first two rounds.  While he has practiced without incident, he is coming off of a serious knee injury and he is 36 years old.  Unless he hangs around until the mid to late rounds, I think it would be too risky to pick him as your WR2. With Wayne clearly the #1 in Indy now, there are many options for Peyton to spread the ball to.  While it may be tempting to take a fantasy legend like Harrison in the third round, I would suggest to wait.

3. Will Michael Turner be a star or a flop in his first season as a starting running back?

George: Unless he’s been traded recently, he’s going to be a bust this year with Atlanta. Jim Brown couldn’t have a successful season on that team.  They will truly be terrible.  It may be a few seasons before we see just how good a back Turner is, this is not an indictment against him, but it is one against the team he plays for.
Terry: I don't expect him to be an instant star, but he will be a productive back, mostly because he'll be the focal point of a run-oriented offense.  From the small snippets of what we saw in San Diego, he has shown tha ablility to break plays from nothing.  So you may see a lot of 3 yard runs into the line, but you may also get a few 30-40 yard explosions as well.  Don't make him your first RB, but he will provide solid stats for a RB2.

4. Which of these mid to late round Tight Ends will provide the most production: Owen Daniels, Zach Miller, or Vernon Davis?

George: The big name here is Vernon Davis.  He is the best athlete of the bunch, but has yet to be able to transform that athleticism onto the football field.  Last season he showed signs of what he can do, but a sprained MCL slowed him down mid-season.  The 49ers also have quarterback issues which would lead me to stay away from Davis.  Miller had 44 receptions for 444 yards and three touchdowns last season.  Solid numbers from a TE who also had to endure some quarterback issues.  Those issues will in all likelihood remain this season, as it will be the first full season for JaMarcus Russell.  Daniels is the TE I like the most here.  He has compiled 97 receptions for over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns for 2006 and 2007. 
Terry: There is some uncertainty with both Miller and Davis, primarily due to the inconsistent QB play with both of those teams.  Daniels was a prime target in Houston last season, catching 63 balls for 768 yards.  While his 3 TDs from 2007 may prompt some fantasy owners to pass him by, don't make that same mistake.  He could easily be a top 8 TE this season. 

5. Which of these two breakout RBs from 2007 will disappoint fantasy owners more this season: Ryan Grant or Earnest Graham?

George: Has to be Graham for me.  He has solid competition in Warrick Dunn, and if Cadillac Williams returns, he could see his carries diminish even further.  Dunn is the faster back which means he will almost certainly play on third downs.  Grant is the man in Green Bay, having just signed a contract extension.  You know the Packers are going run the ball to try and ease QB Aaron Rodgers into the starting role.  Grant is a borderline first round draft pick and certainly a second rounder; can you say the same thing about Graham?
Terry: Their stats were similar: in the 7 games Grant started, he averaged 5.1 yardss per carry, rushed for 8 TDs and had 5 100-yard rushing games. For Graham, in the 10 games he started he averaged 4 yards per carry, rushed for 10 TDs and had 3 100-yard rushing games.  I don't think that Grant will be the only option in the backfield, with Brandon Jackson in the rotation as well.  But Graham's value may plummet if Cadillac Williams returns and gets going.  I think fantasy owners should pull back expectations on both of these guys, but Graham will be the bigger disappointment.