The first two picks went as expected, and noone is surprised that these rookies will be the most sought after on draft day, especially in keeper or dynasty leagues.  Derrick Rose went to his hometown of Chicago and will be a fantasy star in this league.  He may need a little more adjustment than most expect, but his size will give him an ability to score, rebound and make steals consistently.  The biggest question mark isn’t really around Rose, but if Chicago can put some scoring talent on their frontline to give Rose some options on offense.  Beasley will play right away for the Heat and will play significant minutes.  It will be harder for him to score at the NBA level, and will need to play alongside two guys who will want their own touches in Wade and Marion, but expect very good numbers out of Beasley, simply from his amount of PT alone.

After the first two, it got a little interesting.

OJ Mayo:  As he was drafted I did not expect big things from Mayo next season in terms of fantasy contribution.  In Minnesota he was going to be fighting with essentially two other combo guards in Foye and Brewer for playmaking time.  While talented, none of those players have a true position and that usually screams inconsistent play.  But then the trade went down sending Mayo to Memphis and Love to Minny.  These two players are much better suited on their new teams.  I think Memphis got the better player, but Love will also give Minnesota more than what Mayo was going too.  In Memphis Mayo can just be a shooting guard and play to his strengths of shooting and moving without the ball.  Memphis has more of a pure PG in Conley who will create for Mayo, and a proven slasher scorer in Rudy Gay who will demand most of the defensive attention.  Mayo is going to be able to play in this offense with much more confidence and that should directly result in better results for your fantasy team.  I can see Mayo scoring 12-14 a game, with 5 assists and a steal per game.  Very solid first year numbers.

Kevin Love:  See Mayo.  Love’s skill set will play alongside Al Jefferson much better than Darko in Memphis.  Don’t expect huge scoring numbers from Love, but a solid 10-12 points and 6 rebounds should be attainable this season.  If teh Wolves let the offense go through Love at all, you could be surprised by a bonus number of assists.

Jerryd Bayless:  Another player who’s draft team made his fantasy outlook look bleak (Indiana already had TJ Ford coming to play the point), but a trade opened up many opportunities for Bayless.  Bayless was quickly shipped to Portland where he has an excellent opportunity to walk in and take the reigns as a starting PG.  At worst he probably is starting by the 30 game mark, as they allow him to adjust behind Steve Blake.  The Blazers want a PG who can run with this team alongside Roy and Aldridge, but still create for Oden.  Bayless can do all of that while also creating for himself.  He is their PG of the future on a very good young team.  I expect a solid 10 points and 5-6 assists from Bayless once the season is over, but those numbers could be much better at the end of the year when he is playing more minutes.

Brook Lopez:  Still shaking my head at how the Bobcats, who have been searching for a big man to play alongside Meka, pass on Lopez for another young PG when Felton is running this team.   New Jersey gets the reward for teams passing on Lopez, and Brook fits in on New Jersey just as quickly.  Nenad has not recovered since tearing his ACL and he has been a soft center since entering the league.  New Jersey needs a banger inside, to match up against the other East and West teams.  Lopez gives them that inside presence.  This will allow newly acquired Yi Jianlian to play more to his strengths of playing face-up on the perimeter and shooting mid range jumpers.  Lopez could play very significant minutes and his strengths will be rebounding and blocks.  He will be a low option scoring behind Carter, Harris and Yi, but should play the offensive glass well enough for 8-10 points a game.  NJ had to be ecstatic this player fell to them to fill this team need. 

Russell Westbrook:  I thought this pick was a bit of a reach at #4, but I have a feeling Westbrook is going to excel in the Seattle offense.  He has an ability to finish at the rim and should compliment Durant very well as a PG who can slash and distribute.  He is not the pure PG I thought they would go after, but he could surprise many.  I think you will get the rewards of drafting or picking up Westbrook in the second half of the season though, when their young players start getting more time and he has adjusted to the speed of the Pro game.  Since he does not create extremely well, I don’t expect huge assist numbers from him right away, so if you pick Westbrook on draft night, it should be in keeper leagues where most of the benefits will come in later seasons.

Players to watch for from late draft picks:

Anthony Randolph:  Randolph will not get minutes worthy of drafting in this first season.  Brandon Wright will steal his minutes if the bench even gets time.  He fits the style of Golden State, but he is way to thin without any true game to play significant minutes in year 1.

Alexis Ajinka: Another player to avoid.  He is rail thin and averaged 5 points and 5 rebounds in the french league.  He is not ready.

JR Giddens and Bill Walker:  While I don’t think either player will get enough minutes for fantasy impact, I would watch both players closely.  Giddens could cause locker room problems and be out, or Walker may not recover from his knee injury and be gone, but both were very recently projected as top 15 players only to slide down the charts for various reasons.  Both could be a steal where they were drafted/ acquired and on a team where the bench gets significant minutes during the regular season, earn their time quickly.  Both are explosive players who will get to teh rim, shoot and rebound.

Donte Green - In Memphis Green was going to be forever stuck behind Rudy Gay and Mayo.  In Houston he may be one of the first players off the bench when he gets his game together.  Green is an explosive scorer the Rockets need from their bench.  When T-Mac or Ming leave the floor, the offense sputters, and Green will be one of the main options for that second unit.

Kosta Koufos- He seems like he was groomed to be picked by Utah as a Jerry Sloan player.  Why I think his value could be much higher than a typical 23rd pick?  Boozer is said to be leaving as soon as he is eligible through his contract, which would open the door wide for Koufos to play a big role.  He will earn more and more time this season, but he was drafted for 2 years from now to be their starter.

1 - Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina: Deangelo Williams has had two seasons to try and become the featured back in Carolina and hasn’t been able to make it happen.  He appears more suited to be the change-up back, who comes into spell the starter, and with Stewart being chosen in the first round, expect Carolina to be looking at Stewart as their expected starter.  In the very least he will compete heavily from the beginning and eventually win that starter role.  As the season progresses, Stewart will play a larger role in the offense but get most of the goalline carries from the open weeks forward.  He sounds like a bruiser, but in fact he is a lightning quick back who has big play capability.  Stewart has the best opportunity of any back drafted to get the most carries.

2 - Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland:  McFadden was drafted higher than Stewart, and has been the big name in most RB circles, but McFadden enters a crowded backfield in Raider Nation.  Justin Fargas is coming off an excellent season where he proved he could be a #1 back, and Michael Bush, an extremely talented 2nd year RB, still sits in the background waiting for his chance (and he is hungry).  McFadden will need to come out with impact in those early games if he is to win a dominant role in the offense right away.  He is the “sexy” name, so if he is producing he will easily keep his job, but if he plays merely average it could be a platoon role for most of the year.  He is still a great option for bye weeks, or injury fill-ins for any roster.

3 - Kevin Smith, RB, Detroit:  Exit Kevin Jones, enter Kevin Smith.  It is still a question mark about how much Kevin Smith will produce, or if he is the right back for this Detroit offense, but at the time of writing this there is VERY little competition for carries on the Lions roster.  Tatum Bell, who was shunned out of run happy Denver and then didn’t get carries in Detroit when no other back was available is Smith’s only obstacle at the moment.  Kitna will continue to throw a ton, especially with a rookie in the backfield, but if Smith is getting a majority of the snaps, he will prove to be fantasy valuable by default and eventually could work himself into a solid starter.

4 - James Hardy, WR, Buffalo:It is very rare that a wide receiver has a big impact in his rookie year, so even though I have Hardy listed 4th, take that with caution.  Hardy is an excellent red-zone threat, decent speed, excellent hands and runs routes well.  If he has a decent preseason, he could easily start the year across from Lee Evans, as he would play the steady receiver to Evans big play capability.  But as we saw last year with Calvin Jones, starting across from a legitimate number 1 WR doesn’t guarantee big numbers every game.  Hardy will have a solid if unspectacular rookie season, and watch for some of his best games coming later in the year as you approach fantasy playoffs.

5 - Matt Forte, RB, Chicago:  Forte wasn’t really on my top 5 radar until Cedric Benson further got himself into trouble in his recent boating incident.  With the way Benson closed out last season, and his ability to constantly get himself in trouble, the writing appears to be on the wall that he is not going to work out in Bear-land.  Benson has been in trouble with teammates or coaches since he arrived, and with the drafting of Forte, who GM Jerry Angelo called a “3-Down-Back”, it doesn’t look like Benson is going to be handed another open opportunity.  If Benson is still around by preseason, they will battle for the #1 position, but it looks like Forte is going to be given every chance to compete which screams sleeper.  The Bears have always had a solid run offense, so if Forte fits in, he could be valuable right away.  Of course, if his name is being mentioned as a sleeper this early in the spring, I doubt anyone will forget him by draft time.

• TJ Ford:  It has been quite the season for TJ.  He started the year putting up career numbers, then took a horrendous fall, again hurting his fragile spine, to return and go out with a number of other ailments.  Well TJ is back on the floor again, and though the emergence of Jose Calderon is going to limit his overall value, when TJ is on the floor he gets his stats.  He may play with the Raptors second unit more now and become more of the first scorer for that group.  Watch his play over the next week, if he is seeing 24+ minutes, he is worth a look.
• Hakim Warrick: If Warrick somehow has not been picked up in your league, you have too many owners asleep at the wheel.  Warrick has been on absolute fire since the Gasol trade, averaging 35 minutes a game, 20+ points, 8+ rebounds and has been a decent source of free throws.  If he is still available on your waiver wire, grab him immediately, because the Grizzlies rotations are not going to change from here on out, especially for a player doing as well as Warrick.
   
• Joakim Noah/ Tyrus Thomas: The Ben Wallace experiment is finally over, and with the Bulls a long shot to make the playoffs, it is time to develop the young horses that have come in recent drafts.  Enter Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas.  The only issue in Chi-Town is that with Wallace leaving, Drew Gooden is entering, to make the front court even more crowded.  I expect Gooden, the most experienced player in this group to get his minutes once he is comfortable with the system, so either Noah or Thomas will take on the majority of the remainder minutes.  Watch the next few games closely to see if either player takes command of that role right away.
• Delonte West:  Another product of a recent trade.  With Gibson on the shelf for six weeks, Delonte enters for the Cavs at the perfect time.  West is not much of a playmaker, but he is a hard nosed defender who can shoot the three.  Given Lebron controls the ball much of the time, a traditional PG is not needed on this team.  West will be able to step in and play the role the exact same way Gibson was, as a scorer off the ball for LeBron.
• Travis Outlaw:  If you are in a deep league, there is a very good chance that Outlaw is not available, but if you are in a 10-12 team league then he might be one of those players who has just been on the fence of staying with a fantasy team all season but keeps getting dropped.  Outlaw’s averages are decent, but they come from inconsistent play of one big game then a nothing game.  Very frustrating for many owners.  If Outlaw is on your waiver wire it might be a good time to grab him again.  Brandon Roy has been suffering through ankle pain for a few weeks and left his last game early and will be getting an MRI.  If anything keeps Roy out of the lineup for an extended period of time, Outlaw will take a big jump in minutes and take on a leading scoring role for the Trail Blazers.

Corey Brewer- The versatile rookie is finally showing signs of life.  He got a chance to start when injuries hit McCants and Toine, but has stayed in the starting lineup even with those players back on the floor.  Ryan Gomes has been moved to the bench and Brewer is now getting most of his minutes.  Over the past 5 games, Brewer has played 30+ minutes in four of those contests.  His shooting percentages have been horrible so far, which has also resulted in few points scored, but he contributes across the board with excellent rebounds and decent assist and steals.   He is getting 10-15 field goal attempts so his scoring average will go up as he plays more.  Minny knows they need to go with their youth, that was the goal of the offseason trades, so Brewer should continue to go a big part of the rotation moving forward.

Jose Calderon - As TJ Ford hit the court in a scary fall against Atlanta on Tuesday night, it opened up the door for Calderon to get even more minutes at point guard.  TJ was back with the team the next day, but they must be cautious with his injury given his history of neck and spine injuries, so expect him to be out the better part of a week at least and watch reports for more time.  Calderon recently started in place of TJ Ford for nearly two weeks and was scoring in the range of 15 points with 7-8 assists a game, so he will be an excellent fill in player if you need guard stats.  Even when TJ returns, Calderon gets a good portion of the minutes, so his production will not immediately drop off.

Luke Ridnour- This one could be a risk-reward type pickup.  Over the next couple weeks Ridnour’s minutes may be much lower than you would want to see for anyone on your fantasy roster.  He is back and playing, but is returning from a quad injury, so the team will take it slow getting his minutes back near 30 a game.  The good news though, is the team was very unhappy with the PG play in his absence, so he should move back into a starting role once he returns to form.  He is the best option at the position on this very young team.  Watch his play over teh next two weeks, but if the minutes trend in a positive direction he will be a good waiver acquisition.

Troy Murphy- Murphy has been quite disappointing as a Pacer so far.  Normally a solid contributor in points, rebounds and threes, Murphy has only been inconsistent in Indy.  Jeff Foster is currently out with a back injury, and the team seems awfully quiet about when he should return.  While he is out, Murphy will start, and Murphy does seem to play much better when on the floor with Jermaine O’Neal, a combination that has happened very little since he arrived.  If Foster is out for any length of time, Murphy will get minutes by default and may play himself back into the starting role.  As long as he is getting 30+ minutes, he will be worthy of a roster spot.

Glen Davis - “Big Baby” is on the radar.  Kendrick Perkins hurt his toe, as somehow his bed fall on his foot, which has pushed Davis into the starting role.  Even before this promotion due to injury Davis started to get serious minutes in recent games.  With the Celtics wining many games by a decent margin, Davis was getting garbage minutes, but his hustle play has been noticed, and he now appears to be the first big man off the bench.  While not as big, he is more active on the floor than Perkins and seems to flow in the offense better.  While Perkins is out, he should remain the starter and could play himself into a bigger role.  With 25+ minutes, Davis has the ability to give you 10 points, 10 rebounds with a knack to get to the line for free throws, and great steals for a big man.  He is worth watching right now as the Celtics want to ensure they have enough depth on the bench that is game ready.

1. John Salmons- Easy one.  Salmons absolutely exploded averaging over 20+ a game when he was inserted in the starting lineup early in the season in place of Artest.  Kevin Martin, the teams leading scorer and shot taker went down with a groin strain and will be out 4-6 weeks.  Salmons is again inserted in the starting lineup and will be an even bigger part of the offense now with Martin out.  Expect his early season numbers to return.
2. Carlos Delfino- The Raptor 6th man is absolutely on fire over the past two weeks.  Chances are, even though Delfino does not start someone took notice and grabbed him.  If not, and your team needs threes, points and steals look him up, because though he may only average 27-30 minutes a game he is putting up starter like numbers while Bosh and Andreas are on the sidelines.
3. Travis Outlaw- Just when it appeared Martell Webster had found his game and secured the starting small forward position for the TrailBlazers, Webster has gone cold while Outlaw is just heating up.  Webster is still starting, but for the last four games most of the minutes have been going to Outlaw and he has been producing points, rebounds and blocks with three games going for at least 17 and 7 rebounds.  He is extremely athletic so he can provide stats in almost any category.  Watch for Outlaw to push Webster out of the lineup in coming weeks.
4. David Lee- Lee got a chance to start a couple games with Eddy Curry out and it may have woke up the rebounder.  Curry is back, but Lee has played well in three straight games even when coming off the bench, and when he gets minutes he will always provide points and rebounds.  You may want to watch him a couple more games, to make sure he doesn’t go back to sleep (a common trend in NY these days), but anyone that helps NY win games will get serious minutes in the rotation right now, and Lee is on the verge of that.  If Curry goes out again, or is limited due to nagging injuries, Lee is an automatic pickup.
5. Bonzi Wells- Wells teased us earlier in the season with a 3-4 game stretch where he appeared to have secured 30 minutes in the roatation, before disappearing to the bench.  If Adelman was not the coach for this Rockets team I would say to assume Bonzi will only ever be good for 1 or 2 games here and there, but Adelman knows how Bonzi can produce in his offense from their days (just two years ago) in Sacramento.  Bonzi was a triple double waiting to happen while he was a King, so given that Bonzi has averaged over 26 minutes in four straight games and exploded for 24 and 7 rebounds on 11-14 shooting in one of those games, he may finally be ready to get consistent minutes.  It won’t be the same as Sacramento as the Rockets will still go through T-Mac and Ming, but Bonzi could easily become a 12-7 player with good steals and FG% if he averages 30 minutes a game.  He is worth a very close watch right now.

Jamario Moon:  I will be the first to admit the night Moon started for the first time in Raptorland I was like, what is Mitchell up to now?  Does he not know he just signed Kapono and Delfino and Graham is rotting away on the bench?  Well, one game later and I was a Moon believer.  This former Globe Trotter is simply a natural athlete who does all the hustle stats that save a fantasy team.  He rebounds and blocks like a center, gets steals like a guard and drops some threes.  He can put up a solid line every night.  He is the current East version of AK47.

Marko Jaric- Wow, Jaric has returned to provide fantasy relevance.  We will have to see how long this can last (especially with Foye only a couple weeks away from returning) but if you need a short term pickup he is getting the job done.  His last two games produced 20 points 6 assist numbers and he is always a decent threat for steals.  Teammate Mark Madsen says his new lady friend, Adriana Lima, is the reason for this inspired play, and Give Me the Rock shows us why - Jaric/ Lima 

Antoine Walker:  Walker?  Did Beantown trade for this guy too?  Nope, like Jaric, Walker is still in Minnesota, but he is suddenly figuring out a role on this team as a veteran player and playing pretty well at the same time.  Always a threat to produce stats in multiple fantasy categories (points, threes, steals, rebounds), Toine and Jaric are showing the youth on the team how to win games.  Minny had blown consecutive big leads (showing they had the talent to compete) but recently held on to beat New Orleans easily.  Walker played a huge role in that game.  Eventually the coaching staff will stick to developing the younger players, but for now Walker could continue to play the veteran role and get close to 30 mins a game.

Juan Carlos Navarro:  The rookie is on quite a tear at the moment and may have been grabbed quickly by any team looking for threes.  Milicic is out and Gasol has moved over to center opening up a spot in the starting five, and Navarro has filled in nicely.  In the last 7 games he has scored 28, 14, 8, 2, 16, 28, 16 with 19 threes.  The two point game was the one he did not start, so some owners who had grabbed him after his first 28 point outburst, may have dropped him again just as fast.  When Milicic returns he may head back to the bench, but right now he is playing to keep that starting role and Memphis has played much better as a team with him as a starter.  He is also not your typical rookie, coming over from Europe, so he is providing veteran leadership to this team along with being a close friend of Gasol’s.

Shawne Williams:  For a team which had a frontline of Jermaine, Troy Murphy, David Harrison and Foster to start the year, noone thought that Shawne Williams would bet much burn.  But Jermaine is hurting already, and though he is about to return you should keep you eye on Shawne.  Williams started his first game of the season with Jermaine out and produced 21 points, 11 rebounds and 2 threes.  He has been playing very well off the bench, just not getting enough time to contribute fantasy wise.  If Jermaine is out for an extended period, or traded, look for Williams to step in.

Since Gilbert controls so much of the Wizards offense and takes so many shots, this immediately opens the door for a number of players.  He is not a pass first PG, so it is not like when Nash leaves the Suns and their offense falls apart, the Wizards can have another guard step in and make that part of the offense work, so in the end it simply means more shots and playing time to go around for specific players.  A good thing for owners of those players, while the Gilbert owners whimper and cry while they rush to the free agent wire.

Slight Bump in Value:

Antawn Jamieson and Caron Butler - Both will have to take on a bigger role in the offense if the Wizards are to win any games.  That means more shots, more points and possibly a lower FG%.   The thing most people don’t realize is the defenses will actually have more opportunity to stop Butler and Jamieson without Arenas on the floor, hence hurting the available shots they do get.  Most opposing teams have double teams setup to take the ball out of Gilbert’s hands, which often creates open shots for his teammates.  No Arenas allows those defenses to now focus in on Butler and Jamieson.  Each should go up a little in scoring given more touches each game, but it won’t be dramatic.

More Playing Time:

Antonio Daniels - Daniels is going to see the biggest lift from this injury as he moves from backup PG and 6th man to a starting role.  Daniels has also always been more of a scoring guard than traditional point guard so expect numbers like 12-14 points and 5 assists while he is starting.  The good side of Daniels is for a guard he has also always contributed decent rebounds, threes and steals which should go up with more court time.  Though his scoring will probably be erratic, his overall fantasy line should be solid for the next 3 months if he can remain healthy.

Nick Young - Expect the rookie to now get into rotation now as he takes over the role formerly played by Daniels.  I doubt the rook will have much fantasy impact on a consistent basis, but if you are in a league which requires an active rookie, Young would be worth a look right now, and may be able to play himself into consistent minutes by the time Arenas returns.

1. Kevin Durant- No surprise.  The super talent has been very close to the advertised version of the “Next Great Thing”.  He has the green light in the Sonics offense and that has resulted in 19 ppg, 4 rpg and over a steal and three per game.  His only weak point has been FG% which is currently less than 38%.
2. Al Horford- Another player coming in as advertised as a tough inside player who will rebound and block shots.  Horford should give you center status and is producing 9 points, 10 rebounds and almost 2 blocks per game.   The blocks put him over the top as the best rookie after Durant.  His FG% is at 50%, so category by category he will help your team more than Durant if you need blocks and boards.
3. Jeff Green- Started the season slowly with a gimpy ankle but has come on strong lately and earned his first start in Seattle’s last game. He also has some freedom on this young Sonics squad and has room to make mistakes and keep playing. With more minutes recently he has brought his stats up to 10 ppg and 5 rpg, but expect those to improve if he can keep starting and playing 30+ minutes each game.
4. Yi Jianlian- If Yi proved more consistent he would probably be number 2 on this list, but while he goes for 20 points and 10 rebounds one night, he will disappear the next. Overall though he has been contributing well in points, rebounds and blocks as expected.  Yi has already proven he can play in the NBA, he just needs to get his legs and be in synch for every matchup.
5. Jamario Moon - Who?  Moon what?  Moon, the 27 year old former globe trotter rookie has come out of nowhere to be a legitimate fantasy force in recent games.  While he is not a scorer, he is a hustle player who will provide very good steals and blocks.  If he continues to get 30+ minutes as in recent games, you can expect around 10 points with a three or two to go with those hustle stats. 
6. Sean Williams- Was not even considered early in the year playing behind Kristic, Magloire and Collins, but with Kristic still trying to regain his form and Magloire and Collins relatively ineffective, Williams has stepped in and shown some life in the New Jersey frontcourt for a change.  Williams has started the last two games and had a breakout 22 point, 8 rebound 2 block game, and followed it up with 10 points, 4 boards and 3 blocks.  In the last 5 games once he started to get minutes, he has 16 blocks alone.  Jersey needs a hustle impact defensive player like this so expect Williams to continue to get time. 
7. Acie Law - Would be higher but Law is currently out with a sprained ankle.  Expect 5-10 points per game and 5 assists a game when he is playing, but make sure his ankle is healthy before giving him a look.  Should be back within the next three games and return to his starting role.
8. Juan Carlos Navarro - With player hurting in Memphis, Gasol’s buddy Navarro is suddenly getting minutes and showing he can produce.  He will mostly contribute points and threes for your lineup, as shown in his first start where he dropped eight threes to go with 28 points, but playing the point he is good for around 4 assists per game as well.  The back court is crowded in Memphis, but Navarro should continue to get about 24 minutes a game and that should give you 10 points, 4 assists and 2 threes.
9. Corey Brewer- The combination of McCants and Jaric has been playing so well for the Wolves, it hasn’t left many minutes for Brewer to show off his many skills.  He has been getting 20+ minutes per game in the recent stretch and has managed around 5 points and 3 boards with that time.  Hardly fantasy worthy unless your league requires a rookie, but he is worth watching as he is certainly in the Wolves long term plans. 
10. Al Thornton- The preseason top rookie has had a tough go to begin the season.  While he couldn’t miss in preseason, he hasn’t found that same range in the “real” games.  Now with Maggette out for 2-3 weeks and an opportunity to earn minutes again, Thornton also went down with a sprained ankle.  Thorton was only getting 16 minutes before the injury so expect it to take awhile before he earns back any serious playing time.

Radar Rookies:

Mike Conley Jr - Out with an injury for 3-4 weeks.
Daequan Cook - Has had some good games, but Wade is back.
Marco Bellinelli - Not currently in the rotation, and even further back with Stephen Jackson’s return
Jason Smith - Watch closely if Dalembert ever goes out for an extended period of time
Glen Davis - Should get more minutes as the season goes on for the Celtics

Quarterback:

Vince Young - Was not projected as one of the top five, but after a successful rookie campaign was suppose improve to top 10 status and contribute in passing and rushing categories with lots of touchdowns.  We got very little of anything most weeks and he put in a season which resembled Michael Vick more than anything which was mired in low passing yards and inconsistency. 

Honorable Mention:

Bulger - If it were not for a couple solid weeks in 9 and 10, Bulger would be the clear cut favorite as he is performed nowhere near a top 5 fantasy QB as projected.  We give him the benefit of his rib injury causing most of the issues, and an offensive line decimated by injuries.

Matt Leinhart - Was on his way to all bust status, but a season ending injury early on has kept him from his under-performing ways.  A lot was expected of Leinhart given his receiver crew, and he showed no positive signs before getting injured.

 Running Back

Shaun Alexander - There are many to pick from on this list in 2007 as it has been the year of the injured RB’s, but until week 10 Alexander had been playing and he had been doing so VERY poorly.  He may have had some health issues, but this was suppose to be his rebound year and instead he just looked older and passed his prime.

Honorable Mention:

Rudi Johnson - Has been hurt the majority of the season, finally returning in week 10 and is now platooning with Kenny Watson.

Frank Gore - Many minor injuries, and has played no where near his status as top 5.

LJ - Only looked like LJ two weeks of the season, and now may be hurt and miss the remainder.

Laurence Maroney - Hasn’t scored a rushing TD on the leagues most potent offensive team.  N’uff said.

Wide Receiver

Steve Smith - Even though Smith had two huge weeks to start the season, he is making the all bust list because he has disappeared since that point of the season.  Yes, I don’t blame Smith barely at all, because his disappearance coincides directly with Delhomme getting hurt, but the fact is the number one or two receiver taken off the board in the first 3 rounds of most drafts, has to produce more than 3-4 catches for 20-40 yards per week to not be a bust.

Honorable Mention:

Santana Moss - I guess the trend continues.  Moss has been producing one great, one horrible year in that pattern for five years now.  2007 was his turn for horrible - sorry if you drafted or kept him.

Marvin Harrison - Marvelous Marvin looked just fine until hurting his knee in week 2.  He has been out all season.  This is a bust due to injury.

Chad Johnson - Has put up some decent yard games, but no touchdowns for CJ.  

Darrell Jackson - So much for being the #1 wideout in an improved 49′ers offense. 

Tight End 

Vernon Davis - Almost got himself off this list with decent performances in week 8 and 9, but then disappeared in week 10 again (completely).  Davis is another casualty of an ineffective 49 ‘ers offense, that has left Vernon, Gore, Alex Smith and Jackson owners shaking their heads.

Honorable Mention

Alge Crumpler - Crumpler would have been number one, but most expected this fall before drafts took place, given the Vick issues and lack of a decent QB.

Todd Heap - Another season, more injuries keeping Heap out of games. 

Kicker

Who cares?  Pickup the next best on your free agent wire.

Defense

Chicago Bears - Might be one of the most surprising turn-arounds in fantasy football this season.  They have had moments, but for the majority of the season the Bears have been ranking in the bottom third (with much of the same players as 2006) of all teams across defensive categories. 

1. Antoine Wright, Nets - When the Nets didn’t extend Wright’s contract it seemed to turn a light on in his game.  That, or by year three he is finally catching up to the pro game.  Whatever the reason he is averaging over 12 points and 3 boards and getting solid minutes in the Nets rotation.  He can contribute threes and steals as well.
2. John Salmons, Kings- Chances are Salmons is long gone from your waiver wire.  If not grab him right away.  In the depleted Kings lineup, Salmons is getting 35+ minutes a game and averaging 20+ points and has really heated up over the last three games.  He has been a long time free agent journeyman, so there is a chance your league hasn’t caught on yet.
3. Ronnie Brewer, Jazz - Brewer is the starting SG the Jazz have been searching for.  He doesn’t need shots to be effective, and his biggest asset so far has been defense.  He is racking up steals at a crazy pace, so far averaging more than 3 a game.  Given he is getting 16 points to go with those steals he is a hot commodity right now.
4. Francisco Garcia, Kings- Another Kings player benefiting from injuries to the regular starters.  The Kings couldn’t seem to find a PG replacement for Bibby so they have turned to Garcia and he hasn’t been spectacular but steady running the offense.  Since being inserted at PG he is averaging 35+ minutes,  with 15+ points, and 2+ steals.  His assists have been inconsistent but he should be good for 4 a game.  A great pickup right now until Bibby returns.
5. Tim Thomas, Clippers - When Brand went down to injury, everyone assumed the team would move forward with Maggette and rookie Thornton in the frontcourt.  Instead Thomas has maintained his starter minutes with Thornton being the odd player out.  He has played well as a starter averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds and is always a good source of threes.  He is solid in the rotation right now averaging over 30 mins/ game.
6. Ryan Gomes, Wolves- The youth movement in Minnesota is in full affect and Gomes is one of the players benefiting.   Gomes is one of those do everything type players, where he could fill up a different stat category each night.  The biggest surprise this season has been the number of three points shots he is putting up (he has shot 18 over the last 5 games, 7 in the last game) and making.  13 points, 5 rebounds and a couple threes a night is worth a look.
7. Kyle Lowery, Grizzlies- Lowery is not a solid pickup yet, but he seems to be stealing the starting PG spot away from Damon Stoudamire.  Right now both players have been splitting time which isn’t great for anyone, but in the last game Lowery played 30 minutes and was the much better player.  He is was on the verge of starting last season when he got hurt (season ending), so he may be on that exact same path this season.  As a starter, the PG for this team has lots of options, so if Kyle is consistently getting those 30 minutes he is a guard you should grab ASAP.
8. Troy Murphy, Pacers- Murphy is back from injury and in the rotation in Indianapolis.  He has been a disappointment the last couple seasons (based on his potential), but he is always a solid contributor of rebounds and threes when he gets minutes.   He is worth picking up and evaluating how he fits into the Pacers plans before another team steals him and benefits when he is getting starter minutes in 2 to 3 weeks.  If he his minutes consistently stay around 20-22, then he will not prove valuable enough to keep. 
9. Eddie House, Celtics- Who will be another scorer for the Celtics has been a big question since all the trades occurred this summer.  Eddie House looks ready to step into that 6th man, microwave, point producer role.  Always ready to shoot the ball, House hasn’t been shy playing with the big three.  Similar to when he was in Phoenix, when teams double the star players he simply sits on the perimeter and shoots wide open shots.  If you need threes he will get them in bunches, but while he plays the point he will also produce some assists and steals for your team.
10. Robert Swift, Sonics- Swift isn’t worth a pickup right now, but he is finally back from knee tendinitis and in the starting lineup.  He probably will only produce about 10 points a game at his best this season, but he could be an excellent source of rebounds and blocks if he can earn the minutes away from Nick Collison.