With thousands of fantasy football drafts taking place each day, we are starting to see a number of fantasy players whose stocks are rising as the season nears. Here’s a look at fantasy football risers you may want to draft before it is too late.
QB Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
At first, fantasy football owners were a bit skeptical about how well Jay Cutler would do on the Bears. Now, judging by where he’s being drafted, they are believers.
RB Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
Not long ago, Darren McFadden was a fifth round pick. Now, the Raiders RB is a third round pick in …read more

QB Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos
In the thrilling game against the San Diego Chargers, Jay Cutler authored arguably the best fantasy football quarterback performance of Week 2. He finished the game with four passing touchdowns and 350 yards passing.
RB Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
Early in Oakland’s game, starting running back Just Fargas went down with what appeared to be a groin injury. Darren McFadden stepped in and showed his vast potential on his way to 164 yards and a touchdown.
WR Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals
After a quiet Week 1 game, Anquan Boldin exploded in Week 2. Kurt Warner looked for …read more

If you are setting your fantasy football rosters, here are some players you should definitely avoid starting:
Quarterbacks – Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks
With so many injuries at wide receiver, it may be best to give Hasselbeck the week off until he adjusts to his new options.
Running Backs – Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
While Darren McFadden will likely have a very good season, he’s playing behind Justin Fargas for the moment.
Wide Receivers – Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts
Last season Anthony Gonzalez was very good at the end of the year. However, now with Marvin Harrison back in the fold, things may change.
Tight Ends – …read more

Darren McFadden, the first round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders, signed a $60 million contract with the club. The contract spans over six seasons.
This is a very important moment for McFadden because a lot of league experts openly wondered whether the Raiders would be able to sign McFadden. Last season, the Raiders couldn’t agree to a contract with JaMarcus Russell and Russell was forced to holdout into the season. That cost Russell basically his entire rookie year and slowed any development that would have occurred.
Now with McFadden in the fold for the entire training camp, he …read more

1. Atlanta Falcons
Is there any doubt that the Atlanta Falcons are currently the worst team in the NFL? The Falcons have yet to recover from the Michael Vick fiasco. Until a quarterback (such as rookie Matt Ryan) proves capable, the Falcons will circle the drain of the NFL.

Can Matt Ryan be the savior?
2. Miami Dolphins
Bill Parcels will eventually turn the Miami Dolphins around but it won’t be in 2008. On the offensive side of the field, the Dolphins don’t have many playmakers. On defense, the Dolphins’ best player, Jason Taylor, is unhappy. The Dolphins will …read more

While crystal balls used to be the object that held special magical powers to tell the future, the powers of crystal skulls is the new rage in the supernatural world. In fantasy football, many fantasy owners will resort to any type of supernatural powers to help them win any given week.
Using my metaphoric crystal skull, here are my spoilers and predictions concerning current events in the football world. If you don’t have a crystal skull to play along with, you can always use the old school crystal ball.

1. Marvin Harrison will have a bounce back season. Although …read more

With the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Darren McFadden. McFadden is a running back with superstar level skills and world class athleticism. While many league pundits criticized the Raiders for not taking a defensive player, it’s difficult to argue that McFadden wasn’t the most talented player in the entire draft.

With the Raiders in 2008, McFadden has a chance to be a good fantasy football player. The Raiders were successful running the football last year. If the offensive line can keep performing, McFadden should get plenty of yardage in 2008.
The …read more

Dominic Rhodes spent his first five years in the NFL with Indianapolis Colts. He left the Colts last season after their Super Bowl victory to join the Oakland Raiders. With Oakland, Rhodes barely saw the field – finishing with 302 yards and one touchdown.
After the Raiders drafted Darren McFadden in the 2008 NFL Draft, Oakland decided to waive Rhodes. Rhodes is now a free agent who is able to sign with any team of his choosing. At 29 years of age and relatively little wear and tear, Rhodes should generate some interest.

One destination that is possible …read more

Let’s take a look at the fantasy football prospects drafted in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft:
3) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan was obviously the best quarterback in the 2008 draft. However, don’t expect much out of him in the 2008 fantasy football season. Rookie quarterbacks are usually slow to figure things out and on top of that, the Falcons don’t have many offensive weapons.
4) Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
Expect Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas to split carries early in the 2008 season. As the season progresses, McFadden could show the coaching staff that he should …read more

The Houston Texans have quietly built a strong, young core. While they haven’t yet translated their talent into victories, the wins appear to be on the way.
In the 2008 NFL Draft, the Texans have the 18th pick in the first round. While their roster on the whole is strong, there is one major weakness – running back. Ahman Green was brought in last year but he didn’t solve the problem. Ron Dayne isn’t the long-term answer.
At running back, the best player in the 2008 draft is no doubt Darren McFadden, however he’ll long be off the board for the …read more