QB Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills
In two straight outing, Trent Edwards has produced at a very even level. Given his strong wide receivers and quality running backs, there’s no reason why Edwards won’t keep producing.

WR Mario Manningham and Steve Smith, New York Giants
Both of these Giants wide receivers are worthy of being on your fantasy football team. Mario Manningham is a big play receiver, while Smith is a quality possession WR. Pick them up ASAP.

RB Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Not only did Felix Jones play very well in Week 2 (96 yards on only 7 carries), it appeared as if Marion Barber got hurt. If Jones is the starter, he could put up exciting fantasy football numbers.

TE Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers
After a very quiet Week 1 performance, Jermichael Finley was a bit louder in Week 2. However, he should be available on your waiver wire and if you need a sleeper tight end, roll the dice with him.

Jermichael Finley - Green Bay Packers (Image: Zuma Press)

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The fact that the Cowboys and Barber were able to agree on a contract is good news for both parties. Barber got the money and the recognition he wanted. The Cowboys locked up a major part of their offense.

In the last two season, Barber has been very good for Dallas. In 2006, he had 654 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. In 2007, Barber had 975 rushing yards and ten touchdowns.

In 2008, you can expect Barber’s rushing attempts to rise. Former starter Julius Jones signed with the Seattle Seahawks. The Cowboys replaced him with rookie Felix Jones, who the Cowboys acquired in the 2008 NFL Draft. Jones will likely be second in the depth charts and he’ll be used as a change of pace back.

In 2008 fantasy football drafts, Barber is now either a late first round pick or an early second round pick. He has a lot of touchdowns over the last two years and his role will be increased. Additionally, he’ll be in a high powered offense that should give him plenty of touchdown opportunities. There is a lot to like about Barber in 2008.

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1. New England Patriots
The Patriots almost went undefeated last season. In 2008, New England will still be the most talented team and the best coached team. That makes them the overwhelming favorite.

2. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are extremely talented and could have the best offense in the league in 2008. By drafting Felix Jones in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Cowboys successfully made up for the loss of Julius Jones.

3. Indianapolis Colts
The 2006 Super Bowl champions will go into the 2008 season still riding high. The bad news is that Marvin Harrison is in potentially serious legal trouble. The return of Dominic Rhodes could be key.

4. San Diego Chargers
The Chargers have a lot of athleticism, toughness and talent on their roster. Although the loss of Michael Turner could hurt, the team is deep and now has the experience to be a true contender.

5. New York Giants
While the Giants are the defending Super Bowl champions, they won’t go into the 2008 NFL season as favorites. They lost a few key defensive players to free agency and they need to prove that 2007 wasn’t a fluke.

Can Eli Manning win another Super Bowl?

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Barber is an up-and-coming running back who has great strength, toughness and a nose for the end zone. Jones, on the other hand, brings different qualities to the table. First of all, he has world class speed and quickness. Even though he’s a bit small, he has shown an ability to break tackles.

In fantasy football drafts in 2008, it’ll be difficult to gauge Jones’ value. On one hand, he’ll be playing in a high-powered offense and he has big play ability. On the other hand, he’ll be a backup who likely won’t get many goal line carries. Overall, you have to primarily think of Barber and Jones as a package deal. If you want to take Jones without Barber, you should start thinking about Jones in about the ninth or tenth round.

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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 get the bigger load. Overall, this was a good place for McFadden to land in terms of his fantasy football projections. He should be drafted within the first three rounds in fantasy football.

13) Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers
With DeShaun Foster out of the picture, the Panthers drafted Jonathan Stewart to fill that role. In 2008, expect Stewart and DeAngelo Williams to split carries. While that’s good news for the Panthers, it will hurt the fantasy football projections of both players. This appears to be a running back by committee that should be avoided.

18) Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Like Ryan, Joe Flacco is a very good prospect. However, also like Ryan, don’t expect Flacco to do much of anything in his rookie season. The Ravens don’t have many offensive weapons and they will likely let Kyle Boller play quarterback for much of the season. Flacco is a long-term pick.

22) Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Exit Julius Jones. Enter Felix Jones. Felix Jones will team with Marion Barber to form a dynamic one-two punch. Jones is a speedster who will look to make big plays for the Cowboys. Since Barber will be the goal line back, Jones’ fantasy football projections won’t be too fantastic.

23) Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
With Willie Parker on the mend, the Steelers decided to bring in Rashard Mendenhall for insurance. It’ll be interesting to see how Parker and Mendenhall split carries in 2008. Parker should get more carries but Mendenhall could become the goal line back. If that’s the case, neither will be especially valuable in the 2008 fantasy football season.

24) Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
Chris Johnson will likely team with LenDale White to form a thunder and lightning type backfield. White is the thunder who can gain the tough yards, while Johnson’s world class speed make him a big play candidate each time he touches the ball. Johnson, at least for his rookie season, should be viewed as White’s handcuff.

30) Dustin Keller, New York Jets
The Jets like to look at their tight ends near the endzone, so if Dustin Keller can win a starting job he could have a big season. He’s a bit of a raw prospect but he could be a good tight end for a long time. He’s definitely a receiving tight end who will look to use his speed to get open.

Get more information about the 2008 NFL Draft from Squib Kick and Every Morning Quarterback.

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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 Texans. Rashard Mendenhall is the next best running back and there’s not a very good chance he’ll be there at 18. If he is, he’d be a no-brainer pick for the Texans.

Two players that will likely be on the board and should tempt the Texans are running backs Jonathan Stewart and Felix Jones. Stewart is a bit bigger and a tougher runner, while Jones has better speed and is more explosive. Either player would see plenty of action in 2008 for Houston.

If the Texans don’t like the available running backs, look for them to go with a cornerback (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Leodis McKelvin?) or an offensive tackle (Gosder Cherilus, Jeff Otah?).

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One of those questions was answered recently when owner Jerry Jones said he wouldn’t be trading up into the top five picks in the draft. There had been some speculation that the Cowboys could look to trade up to get the first overall pick but that speculation has died off. Instead, it looks like the Cowboys are content to keep their two picks.

Trading down is an option but it looks like the Cowboys would be smart to stay right where they are and get two players than can help them right away. With Terrell Owens only having one or two years left at a superstar level, the time to win is now in Dallas. Picking pieces that can fill holes immediately is what makes the most sense.

At 22, the Cowboys should look to add DeSean Jackson out of California. Jackson is a wide receiver, but even more importantly he has the potential to be a game changing return specialist. Jackson could step in right away and give the Cowboys a special teams weapon that could help the team win a few extra games. Jackson would also prove to be a deep threat for the Cowboys in their vertical passing game.

Felix Jones at 28 makes a lot of sense. Jones, who was Darren McFadden’s backup at Arkansas, would be a perfect complement to Marion Barber III. With Barber and Jones in the backfield, the Cowboys would have their own version of thunder and lightening.

If either of these two players aren’t available, going for a cornerback such as Mike Jenkins, Aqib Talib or Brandon Flowers makes a lot of sense.

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Rashard Mendenhall – 2008 NFL Draft
After a successful college career, Rashard Mendenhall will likely be drafted in the middle of the first round.

Jonathan Stewart – 2008 NFL Draft
Jonathan Stewart is currently the third running back on most NFL teams’ boards and should go in the first round.

Felix Jones – 2008 NFL Draft
Darren McFadden’s backup at Arkansas, Felix Jones will be a late first rounder or an early second rounder.

Chris Johnson – 2008 NFL Draft
After a nice career at East Carolina, Chris Johnson is the highest rated senior running back in this class.

Ray Rice – 2008 NFL Draft
Although he’s small, Ray Rice has shown enough heart for an NFL team to take a chance on him.

Jamaal Charles – 2008 NFL Draft
Jamaal Charles is still a raw prospect but this Texas product has all the tools to be successful in the NFL.

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Felix Jones Analysis
In the 2008 NFL Draft, there might not be a faster running back. Felix Jones has world class speed and knows how to use it on the football field. If he gets a step on a defender, he’s gone for a touchdown. The downside for Jones is his strength and his durability. With McFadden around to be the workhorse, Jones was able to avoid too much pounding on the college level. Will he survive the pounding on the NFL level?

Felix Jones Fantasy Projections
As a rookie, chances are Felix Jones won’t be a player who you target in fantasy football. Early on in his career, Jones will likely be used as a change of pace back who also doubles as a return man. It’s highly unlikely that a team drafts him with the idea of making him an every down back. That said, down the road Jones could possibly prove himself to be capable of being the lead running back for an NFL team.

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1) Darren McFadden, Arkansas
McFadden is a multi-talented running back weapon who should be a top pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Look for him to be a top five pick and start rather quickly into his rookie season. After an explosive season by Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, McFadden’s stock should be extremely high in fantasy football going into next year.

2) Jonathan Stewart, Oregon
The drop from McFadden to Stewart is a pretty far drop, however Stewart is a solid back. He’s strong and should be a goal line threat beginning in his rookie season. Expect him to be drafted somewhere between 15 and 25.

Jonathan Stewart/Oregon Duck Football 2007

3) Felix Jones, Arkansas
The other Arkansas back in the draft, Jones is no slouch himself. He might also be drafted in the first round and depending on where he lands, he may see a lot of action in his rookie year.

4) Steve Slaton, West Virginia
Slaton entered the season as a possible top ten draft pick. He didn’t have a hugely successful senior season but it was successful enough that he should be drafted at some point in the first day. With good workouts, he could jump back into the end of the first round.

5) Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
Mendenhall isn’t a well known player but he’s a player whose stock has risen rather fast this season. Some scouts have him as a top three running back in the draft. Keep an eye on him as he might shoot up draft boards as the draft nears.

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