1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
He missed all but one quarter of one game last season with a severe knee injury. But when he’s healthy, he’s the best.

2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
When it comes to a safe quarterback in fantasy football for the 2009 season, Brees might be number one.

3. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
Although his stats suffered at times last season, expect a bounce back years for Manning this year.

4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
There is a reason why the Packers let Brett Favre go — and his name is Aaron Rodgers.

5. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Last year as a rookie, Matt Ryan showed unbelievable promise. Can he keep it up in his second year?

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Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons - Fantasy Football 2009 (Image: Newscom)

Will Gonzalez be better off with the Falcons? Considering that he had 96 catches for 1,058 yards and ten touchdowns, it’s difficult to imagine him doing much more. But with the Falcons, Gonzalez very well might be able to top those numbers.

The best thing going for Gonzalez is Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan. Coming off of a fantastic rookie season, Ryan should continue to blossom in his second season. With running back Michael Turner helping to move the chains, Gonzalez could often find himself in position to pick up a touchdown.

On the other side of the coin, three things may hold Gonzalez back during 2009 fantasy football. First of all, he’s 33 years old and he could start slowing down. If he loses too much speed, he’ll be much easier to scheme against.

The second and third things that could hold down Gonzalez’s numbers are Roddy White and Michael Jenkins. With the Kansas City Chiefs, Gonzalez didn’t have a wide receiving duo that demanded targets. In Atlanta, he has White who is coming off of an 88-catch campaign and 50 additional catches by Jenkins. With all the weapons on offense, each part may suffer a little bit statistically.

All that said, Gonzalez remains a very good fantasy football prospect at the tight end position in 2009. If he’s the first tight end off the board in your 2009 fantasy draft, don’t be surprised.

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1) Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
Manning is on a role and should slice up the Chargers.

2) Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Rivers should be good for a couple touchdowns.

3) Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
Warner has been cold but thrives on big stage.

4) Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles
Should throw plenty of passes this weekend.

5) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Rookie keeps on surprising.

6) Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Not a great start but could do well.

7) Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins
Going against a tough defense.

8) Tarvaris Jackson, Minnesota Vikings
Not very good.

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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 be lucky to win five games in 2008.

3. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions offense underperformed last season and now they look to be even less talented on that side of the field. Defensively, the Lions won’t be better than an average unit. In 2007, it looked like the Lions could surprise. Now it looks like the Lions are headed back to the bottom.

4. Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders actually have a bright future, but 2008 promises to be a struggle. JaMarcus Russell will the be quarterback and he’ll undoubtedly struggle early in his NFL career. However, once Russell figures it out and rookie Darren McFadden comes into his own, the Raiders should be able to turn it around — in 2009.

5. San Francisco 49ers
A few NFL experts are picking the San Francisco 49ers as a sleeper pick for the 2008 season. I remain skeptical. Alex Smith at quarterback hasn’t shown much. His wide receivers aren’t too impressive. Frank Gore is good but the 2007 season proved the Niners need more than Gore to win games.

Photo: Newscom

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While many rookie quarterbacks get a year or two to learn the ropes, Ryan likely will have to play sooner rather than later. Currently, the Falcons only have Chris Redman and Joey Harrington at quarterback. It won’t take much for Ryan to get his chance.

And though Ryan should get snaps in 2008, you shouldn’t draft him in a re-draft fantasy football league. The Falcons don’t have many playmakers on offense and Ryan will undoubtedly struggle early on in his career. He might be a late season waiver wire claim if he can string together some decent outings, but even that scenario is a longshot.

In dynasty leagues, Ryan could be a worthwhile pick. The Falcons will have a lot invested in him and Ryan has a history of working hard and proving doubters wrong. He’s a cerebral player with a good enough arm and good enough athleticism to become a solid pro at the NFL level.

Photo: Newscom

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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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How will the Ravens move on with McNair now out of the picture? In the fantasy world, McNair retiring doesn’t have a huge impact. McNair wasn’t really a fantasy option at quarterback any longer – especially in the offensively challenged Ravens lineup. Truthfully, McNair was always a better real life quarterback than he was a fantasy quarterback.

For the Ravens, the job now falls to either Kyle Boller or Troy Smith. Boller has had plenty of chances to win the job and he’ll get another chance this season. Boller has decent enough skills but just hasn’t been able to string together enough quality games to keep the job on a long-term basis. Smith was a rookie last year who was coming off of a star-studded career at Ohio State. While Smith doesn’t have great size for an NFL quarterback, he has enough skill and enough toughness to be a candidate for the starting role.

Another option for the Ravens is to draft a quarterback in the 2008 NFL Draft – most namely Matt Ryan. While Ryan might not be available at number eight in the first round where the Ravens will pick, his selection by Baltimore now makes much more sense.

However, no matter who the quarterback is next year for the Ravens, whether it be Boller, Smith or a rookie like Ryan, stay away from this mess. Until the Ravens prove they can move the ball well offensively, it is best to take a wait and see approach.

Watch this video of Steve McNair Super Bowl highlights:

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Right now, that is a difficult question to answer. There’s a chance that the Miami Dolphins will select him with the first overall pick. The Dolphins need franchise quarterback and Ryan has a chance to be just that. Sound like the perfect fit, however Bill Parcells of the Dolphins values defense and is expected to take a defensive player with the first pick.

The next real possibility for Ryan is Atlanta at three. Since Michael Vick’s imprisonment, the Falcons have been desperate for a quarterback. Ryan, if he lives up to his billing, could make Falcons fans forget about the Vick disaster.

If Ryan is still on the board, the Kansas City Chiefs at five will take a long look at him. Brodie Croyle has been a disappointment at quarterback and the Chiefs would look at Ryan as the possible long-term fix at the position.

Last but not least, the Baltimore Ravens at eight would almost certainly pick Ryan if he were still on the board. The Ravens need a quarterback for the future and at eight, Ryan would be a steal of a pick.

To recap, expect Ryan to either go first to the Dolphins, third to the Falcons, fifth to the Chiefs or eighth to the Ravens. Right now, the most likely option appears to be the Falcons at three.

Image details: Champs Sports Bowl – Boston College v Michigan State served by picapp.com

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In the 2008 NFL Draft, the Ravens should get some help. With the eight pick in the draft, there should be a solid player still on the board when it comes their turn to pick.

The good news for the Ravens is they aren’t that far away from being a playoff team yet again. Defensively, they have a lot of star players and have great coaches. Offensively, the team has some decent enough pieces and has built a good amount of chemistry over the years.

With the eighth pick, the Ravens could decide to go in any number of directions. Although, there is a slight problem for the Ravens – their biggest weaknesses on their team are also the biggest weaknesses at their spot in the first round. The Ravens need a quarterback of the future but only one quarterback (Matt Ryan) is expected to go in the top ten, and Ryan will likely be off the board when it becomes the Ravens turn to pick. Wide receiver is another weakness of the Ravens but there aren’t any wide receivers in this draft worthy of a top ten pick.

If Ryan were to drop to the Ravens, the Ravens should definitely snatch him up. At the eighth pick, that is great value. If Ryan isn’t available, the Ravens should look at adding a cornerback. The team suffered a lot of injuries at cornerback last season and bringing in a young gun at that position will help. Names such as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Aqib Talib and Leodis McKelvin would make sense at eight for the Ravens.

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