*All fantasy numbers and projections will be used from our Fantasyknuckleheads.com fantasy league*

The number one fantasy player all season long has been Arian Foster, who was the only player to score over 400 fantasy points. Foster on average went in the 5^th-6^th round of most 12 team leagues; to be honest with you though, most years, the best fantasy player at the end of the year did not get drafted very early. To round out the top 5 fantasy players of the year: Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick and Drew Brees with Phillip Rivers at a very close 6^th. The thing to remember with the list though is that Michael Vick did not play at the beginning of the year and also was injured in the middle of the season with the rib injury. The reason people like Vick and Rodgers were on the top of this list is because of rushing yards as well, that really boosted a lot of their statistics. Just like Arian Foster had over 1,600 yards rushing, but what boosted his performance (in PPR leagues) to #1 was his 66 receptions for 600 yards and two touchdowns.

When looking at the total list of fantasy players that succeeded this season, I look at anyone who scored more than 200 total points; but the funny thing about making this list, is taking a look at some of the guys [absolute studs] who fell just below this mark, because to be honest with you, it really shocked me to take a look:

• Frank Gore: 201.44- had to have on list based on going on IR later in the season and ruining fantasy owners playoff run
• DeSean Jackson: 198.04- problem here was 9 games in single digit fantasy points killed owners, but made it up with 4 20+ point games this season
• Wes Welker: 188.98- real tough end to the year with 10 total fantasy points in last 3 games
• Brandon Marshall: 179.91- real disappointing this season; 8 straight games of single digit fantasy points does not work for owners
• Anquan Boldin: 165.74- 9 games of single digit fantasy points this year, and only two games above 20 fantasy points
• Chad Ochocinco: 152.39- Just under 5 fantasy points in final three games combined; exploded in week one with 32 fantasy points then went next 6 of 7 games in single digit fantasy land
• Ronnie Brown: 148.53- honestly where can I even start with him… As a Ronnie Brown owner, one of the most frustrating situations ever- had 4 games of double-digit fantasy points, in 9 games this year he scored between 7 and 8 fantasy points
• Ryan Matthews: 138.17- average draft position of around 20, frustrated the hell out of fantasy owners all season long; 4 games with zero FP, 6 games with under 7 FP- so that is 11 games under 7 FP this season, was almost as bad as the next two guys on this list
• Brett Favre: 125.16- two games of double-digit fantasy points this year… two, end of story
• Shonn Greene: 111.59- in some leagues, this guy went in the late first round… wow that’s frustrating for fantasy owners; I admit I traded Donald Driver for him earlier in the year, and it really never ended up mattering anyway. Four double-digit fantasy weeks, the one week people were banking on him exploding to win your championship, he “rested” with LT and Joe McKnight went nuts and did what you expected out of Greene.

The bottom of this list is really ridden with people who ended up on IR or just got buried below younger more talented players, but just shows how much productivity can take a hit when you lose studs really early in the season either way.

• Tony Romo: 120.73- played 6.5 weeks; projected total would equal around 270 fantasy points, will be good to go next year under Jason Garrett
• Vince Young: 91.70- played 10 of the first 11 weeks, scored negative fantasy points in week two versus Pittsburgh and scored single digit fantasy points in four other games
• Pierre Thomas: 87.46- either injured or in Sean Payton’s dog house all season long; missed 9 straight games in the middle of the season, but tons of potential; scored 46 fantasy points in the first three weeks of the year
• Randy Moss: 84.19- three different teams, 5 weeks of zero fantasy points, 4 weeks of double-digit fantasy points [all 4 weeks before week 8]
• Dallas Clark: 78.12- great player, especially because of how weak TE were this season [will talk about later]; played first 6 weeks, could have scored 200 fantasy points this year
• DeAngelo Williams: 55.16- played first 7 weeks of the season, shared carries with Jonathan Stewart, then Stewart came out and looked real good in the weeks he was healthy in Carolina
• Matthew Stafford: 51.50- fantasy owners got two games of 25 fantasy points in weeks 8 and 9 and basically nothing else at all- injuries killed his status this year
• Jermichael Finley: 51.07- projected as one of the best TE ends in the league pre-season, Finley played 4 games this year

The tight end position this season has been one of the worst things in fantasy sports history. 6 TE scored over 150 points this year [Witten, Gates, Vernon, Mercedes, Tony and Cooley]. There was a span this year where Antonio Gates was leading the league in fantasy points for a TE for weeks while he was still injured, it took Jason Witten a few big games to even catch Gates this season. If you were lucky enough to grab players like Jacob Tamme, Tony Moeaki or Jimmy Graham at points in the year, the TE position did not treat you that horribly. What is interesting though, is that if you started the season with Dallas Clark and was lucky enough to pick up Jacob Tamme at that moment, your “TE” position would have scored 213 total fantasy points this season.

Lets now take a look at some of the great pick ups in drafts this season; who was the guy that won your league for you based on simply getting “lucky” with a waiver wire pick up? If you started the year with Kevin Kolb, Tony Romo, Ryan Matthews, Randy Moss and Jermichael Finley and ended up with Michael Vick, Arian Foster, Peyton Hillis, Dwayne Bowe and Jacob Tamme you most likely won your league and saved yourself from fantasy disaster.

• Arian Foster: 404.66- 51 fantasy points to start the year versus Colts, one game of single digit fantasy points this year, enough said
• Michael Vick: 331.32- did not play 4.5 games and still put up these numbers, expect him to go number one in 2011 fantasy football drafts, especially with the rushing yards helping owners out every week
• Peyton Hillis: 297.02- one of the biggest anomalies in the league this year, former Denver Bronco took advantage of a run-first offense in Cleveland and scored single digit fantasy points in three games [unfortunately it was the last 3 games of the year for fantasy owners]
• Darren McFadden: 271.51- started season with 4 straight 15+ fantasy point games, missed two games, then scored 68 points in two games. From week 12-16 he rattled off 101 fantasy points when it counted for fantasy owners
• Josh Freeman: 264.44- one game of single digit fantasy points [against Pittsburgh, isn’t it always though], he was an absolute beast this season and probably other than Brady, the most consistent QB all year long
• Brandon Lloyd: 253.75- led the NFL in receiving yards, 5 games of single digit fantasy points, 6 games of 20+ points- a very good season overall for a guy that probably was not even drafted in most leagues
• Matt Cassel: 248.14- only threw 7 interceptions this year, five 20+ fantasy points this season and led the Chiefs to the playoffs
• Kyle Orton: 245.88- 12 straight weeks of double digit fantasy points, then he played the Chiefs and Cardinals, then lost job to Tim Tebow… wow what a year
• David Garrard: 239.26- started the season kind of weak with 75 fantasy points through first 7 weeks, but finished with 163.34 fantasy points in the next 9 games [missed week 17 due to injury]
• Hakeem Nicks: 223.68- Nicks missed three games this season and still put up amazing numbers for a wide receiver this year. Scored double digit fantasy points every week but one for the first 11 weeks of the season [4 games of 20+]
• Ryan Fitzpatrick: 222.90- did not play first two week of the season, but literally stole the job away with only two single digit games before the debacle in New England in week 16 and not playing in week 17; scored over 20 twice and over 30 twice… very good year for the Harvard graduate
• Stevie Johnson: 219.55- after starting very slow [10 pts in two weeks], Stevie scored double digit fantasy points in 8 of the next 9 weeks, then scored double digit only once in final four games- so a little confusing, but shows how well Ryan Fitzpatrick played this year
• Sam Bradford: 208.78- only 4 games with single digit fantasy points, unfortunately one of them was week 17 against Seattle, but for a rookie season… wow
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis: 202.47- the “law firm” 10 weeks of double digit fantasy points, from week 8 on, Ellis scored single digit fantasy points only twice
• Mike Tolbert: 183.90- 5 games of 20+ fantasy points, some weeks he was a beast and some weeks he only saw a couple of goal line carries, the Chargers running back position could be a great fantasy option if it was down to 1 and not 3
• Davone Bess: 172.72- 9 weeks of double-digit fantasy points, he was the security blanket for Chad Henne all season long, a very good PPR possession receiver
• Jacoby Ford: 170.04- We saw his explosion in week nine, from week nine on Ford scored 143.69 fantasy points in 7 games, could be a very good option the entire year next season

To end my recap article, I just want to give you a list of back up quarterbacks who either made a start or played significant amount of time this year and give you a taste of some rankings and projections for fantasy football 2011.

Week 17 starters with * next to name: Not all QBs named

Rex Grossman, Colt McCoy, Shaun Hill, Drew Stanton, Joe Webb, Tavaris Jackson, Kyle Boller,, Bruce Gradkowski, John Skelton, Richard Bartel *, Max Hall, Brian Brohm *, Brian St. Pierre, Tim Tebow, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee, Matt Leinart, Matt Flynn, Trent Edwards *, Brodie Croyle, Chad Pennington, Tyler Thigpen, Kevin Kolb, Mark Brunell *, Troy Smith, Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch, Dennis Dixon, Charlie Whitehurst, Kerry Collins and Rusty Smith

2011 fantasy football tid bit:

Players that will now enter into the top few rounds of fantasy drafts next season are Michael Vick, Arian Foster, Peyton Hillis, Brandon Lloyd, Josh Freeman, Mike Williams [TB] and Hakeem Nicks just to name a few. What I think will be the interesting question going into next year, will be if Vick stays with the Eagles and if that will effect his draft status in fantasy owners minds. Here are a few questions to look for going into the grind of the 2011 fantasy football season:

Will the return of Montario Hardesty hurt any production from Peyton Hillis?

When DeAngelo Williams returns to the field for Carolina [they have first pick in April’s draft as well], will he or Jonathan Stewart be able to share workload and will either become good fantasy option?

Where will Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens end up next season? And how will that effect Carson Palmer?

Tim Tebow or Kyle Orton? Can they exist on same team? Where will Orton end up?

Does the Cowboys RB situation get any clearer next year?

Does return of Ben Tate and Derrick Ward effect status of Arian Foster being top 5 pick next season?

The Return of injured players from this year: Dallas Clark, Ryan Grant,

How will the Vikings treat their QB situation next year without Brett Favre?

With emergence of Chris Ivory, how will Saints RB situation work with fantasy?

Watch for Miami QB situation for status of Marshall, looked like he had no connection with Henne this year

Eli Manning turned over the ball over 40 times this year, that does not translate well into fantasy football success

LaDanian Tomlinson versus Shonn Greene should be very interesting to watch going into next year

Is Darren McFadden a top 10 RB?

How will Ryan Matthews, Mike Tolbert and Darren Sproles work in SD next year?

Will Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams turn into fantasy studs again?

Who will be the quarterback in front of the most dangerous RB in football in Tennessee?

What will happen to the Redskins QB position and where will Donovan McNabb end up?

See you next season and thank you for reading my column

With Week 5 upon us, and the second Bye week, trends are staring to come to light and it is time to reevaluate where certain teams and players stand. Here is where we will start to see guys either succumb to the pressure of the season or bounce back and make a true run at the playoffs and even the Super Bowl. This week I have picked all guys who are vital to making their teams, and their fantasy owners, season a success. Don’t let me down boys. Don’t end up dead to me like DeSean Jackson and Kellen Winslow. Please, I beg you, I need another good week.

Here are my Stud and Dud picks for week 5 of the NFL fantasy season…

Quarterback

Stud: Aaron Rodgers

For all of Aaron Rodgers successes this season so far, there has been a correlating failure. Through three quarters of a game he will look like a top-5 QB, but then he seems to lose focus, force the ball downfield, and just look outright sloppy. Despite the fact that he has 8 TD passes so far, which is good, he also has 5 interceptions, which is not so good. Rodgers and the Packers are lucky to be 3-1 after barely squeaking out a win against the Lions in Week 4 where Rodgers threw 2 interceptions that kept Detroit in the game. What I am trying to get at is this: he is poised for a big week this week. With all of that behind him he has some great things to look forward to in Week 5. First off, he gets to face off against a Redskins secondary that cannot seem to stop anyone, having allowed at least 200+ yards passing and an aerial touchdown in each of their first four games. Also, it important to know that he likes to bounce back big; the last five games immediately following a multiple interception game, he has thrown a combined 9 touchdowns and only 1 interception. Expect big things come Sunday.

Honorable Mention: Shaun Hill – In what is possibly his last start of the season I see him going out with a bang against the Rams.

Dud: David Garrard

To be honest Garrard has been surprisingly productive all things considered. He has a shallow receiving corps, his stud running back has yet to really live up to expectations, and yet he has thrown 6 touchdown passes and his squad just knocked off the defending AFC champion Colts on an epic 59-yd field goal. While his team may have been on top of the world last week at home in front of their hometown crowd, this week will be a different story on the road. David Garrard is a notoriously bad road quarterback. In his past 6 road games, going back to last season obviously, Garrard has thrown 9 interceptions, 4 of those coming in Week 2 of this season against the Chargers. I am aware that the Bills are not the Chargers, or the Colts, but Garrard on the road is always a crapshoot and is certainly not worth the risk when he has yet to break 175 passing yards in a game so far. As a side note, Buffalo is not a team I want to play right now. They are extremely dangerous because people will overlook them and right now they see this as a very winnable game in their house and they will come out fired up and ready to go.

Running Back

Stud: Steven Jackson

Steven Jackson has yet to hit his stride in 2010, but all of that should turn around this weekend against Detroit

I am fully aware SJ39 is coming off of an injury and will be wearing a harness this weekend, but he was supposed to be injured and out of the lineup last week before he decided to play and accounted for 124 total yards in the Rams second straight win. Jackson says he is feeling much better this week and I can only see his form improving. The biggest influence on his game coming into the weekend is the play of rookie Sam Bradford. Usually with a rookie QB teams will stack up at the line and try to make their opposition one-dimensional and force the youngster to throw the ball, but that has yet to be successful this season as Bradford has exceeded expectations and become a fantasy stud all on his own. The Lions will have to respect the pass against Bradford, which is only going to open more lanes for Jackson to run through. If he gets the touches I assume he will, he will be able to punish the 20^th ranked rush defense of the Lions up the middle as well as a swingman out of the backfield. Also, the last two games where the Lions have had to face elite running backs, LeSean McCoy and Adrian Peterson, they have gone off for 120 yards/3 TDs and 160 yds/2 TDs, respectively.

Dud: Joseph Addai

We all know that the Colts can throw the ball, but this season they have been trying to establish the fact that they can run the ball. Their backfield is talented with Addai as the starter and second year man Donald Brown backing him up, but they have yet to really stick with the run for an entire game. Every single time it starts working for them they go back to the pass and never seem to look back for no apparent reason. Granted this usually works for them, but still, in order for them to win another title they are going to need a ground game of some description. I believe they will rely on it more and more as the season progresses, but unfortunately for Joseph Addai owners, this will not be the weekend things change. When he gets 16+ touches he has been a solid contributor averaging around 4+ yds/carry, but I just do not think they will risk it against this Chiefs defense that ranks fifth against the rush only surrendering 75 yards per game and has only allowed one a single touchdown on the ground so far. In order for the Colts to bounce back after that deflating loss to the Jaguars the ball will be put in Peyton Manning‘s hands, not Addai’s.

Wide Receiver

Stud: Roddy White

Roddy White and Matt Ryan have become one of the best QB/WR tandems in the NFL. They love each other. Adorable.

Yes, he has been hot all year, but I have yet to mention him, so please relax. Roddy White has been a godsend for fantasy owners because he produces every week one way or another. He either goes for 100+ yards or he doesn’t, but makes up for any lost points by scoring a touchdown. It is an undeniable fact that White is easily Matt Ryan‘s favorite target and their connection has been on all year so far. Ryan has targeted White a whopping 50 times and completed 32 of those passes for 362 yds and 2 TDs. I do not expect this to slow down in Week 5 as Hotlanta rolls into Cleveland. The Browns haven’t really faced an experienced WR/QB pair like this in 2010. They have seen Flacco/Boldin (4 games together), Palmer/TO (4 games together), Cassel/Bowe (running team), and Freeman/whoever happens to be playing that week (uhhhh, Tampa Bay?), but none of those combinations have been working together for as long as Ryan and White have. That experience is invaluable, and considering the Browns just gave up 222 yards to TO alone, I can’t imagine the damage Roddy White will inflict this weekend.

Dud: Brandon Lloyd

I am going way out on a limb on this one. I am also pretty sure Lloyd as been picked up off waivers in every fantasy league within the last two weeks. Lloyd and the Denver passing attack have been putting on a show in 2010, there is no doubt about that. Who would have thought that Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd would be one of the biggest deep threat combos in this early season so far? It scares me. It really does. My worry is that the two of them have been up on cloud 9 for far too long already and this week they will come crashing back to reality. Lloyd’s numbers are undeniable, 25 catches for 454 yards and 3 100+ yard games, but retrospectively you also have to look at who he has played. After Week 4 the teams he has played have the 15^th, 16^th, 29^th, and 30^th ranked passing defenses. This makes me wonder if these are performances that any mid to top receiver could do, or if this is truly something special. We will definitely find out when Lloyd lines up against a top 3 defense in Baltimore that holds their opponents to an average of 119 yds passing per game and has not allowed a 100 yard receiver since Week 11 of last season.

Tight End

Stud: Zach Miller

Zach Miller has quickly become Bruce Gradkowski's favorite target and has been reaping massive dividends thus far

Ever since Jason Campbell rapidly plummeted from grace and lost the starting job to Bruce Gradkowski, Zach Miller has been unstoppable. Gradkowski and Miller have had great chemistry and with the effectiveness of Darren McFadden on the ground the aerial game has opened up nicely. In the two games that Bruce Gradkowski has started, he has hit Zach Miller for a combined 15 catches, 186 yards, and 2 touchdowns. In Week 4 alone he had 11 catches for 122 yards and a score. His confidence is certainly riding high and in Week 5 he matches up against a San Diego team that has struggled against elite tight ends in the past. Since Darren McFadden is a bit nicked up this could turn into an aerial battle, which could spell great things for Zach Miller fantasy owners.

Dud: Tony Moeaki

Tony Moeaki and the Chiefs have been one of the biggest surprises in this early NFL season. Who would have thought that the Chiefs would be 3-0 with emphatic wins over both San Diego and San Francisco. Now they come off of their early BYE and run smack dab into Indianapolis. Even with two weeks to prepare, this is still going to be a challenge. We all know that Indy can not stop the run, and the Chiefs love to pound the ball up front, which is all we are going to see. Matt Cassel will be kept on a short leash, which means that Moeaki and co. are not going to see much action down the field in the passing game as their aerial attack will mostly consist of screens and short slants. With all of that in mind you still have to acknowledge this scary fact for Moeaki owners: the Colts have only allowed 47 receiving yards to tight ends this season.

In week 5 we have some big names missing from the second BYE week of the season, such as the Patriots rookie duo of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, as well as the Steelers Heath Miller and the John Carlson.  With that in mind there could be little room for error if you are in a matchup league but, as we all know the tight end position is a mercurial one and you never know what you are going to get.

This week I have decided to focus on the hot targets with good to at least decent matchups.  Tight ends tend to be a streaky breed of player, and when they’re hot they’re hot (uh hum… Antonio Gates), but when they’re not they can cause you nightmares.  I see three/four guys continuing their hot streaks in Week 5, and one lone star finally hitting his stride.

And here is who to sit in Week 5:

Here is who to start this week:

And here is who to sit in Week 4:

According to an AP source, the trade has been completed, but it is not yet

Campbell has shown progression in each of his past three seasons with the mediocre Washington Redskins

known what Oakland, who has already traded away Kirk Morrison, has given up for the former Washington Redskin.

UPDATE: According to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson, it’s a 2012 fourth round pick.

Campbell, 28, has been the starting quarterback for the Redskins for three seasons now, until the team just recently acquired former Philadelphia star Donovan McNabb.

In 2009 Campbell had his best season yet, compiling a 64.5 Completion %, 3,618 yards, 20 Touchdowns, 15 Interceptions, and an average of 226 passing yards per game; all career highs. Behind a mediocre offensive line, Campbell was also sacked 43 times.

Flipped to Oakland in one of many trades swung on the third day of this NFL Draft, Campbell will presumably become Oakland’s starter, with Bruce Gradkowski injured and JaMarcus Russell being a terribly ineffective player in his short time with Oakland.

Campbell will have more weapons than he had at his disposal in Washington, including Tight End Zach Miller and a speedy group of Wide Receivers such as Louis Murphy, Johnnie Lee Higgins, and Darrius Heyward-Bey. However, even with new and athletic offensive tackles Bruce Campbell and Jared Veldheer, Campbell will probably still take a pounding in 2010 behind an offensive line every bit as weak as Washington’s.

Here ya go Kyle, good luck... snicker, snicker...

Oakland Raider’s owner Al Davis reached for another Bay Area college arm today, signing former Baltimore Ravens quarterback, Kyle Boller. Boller spent last season with the St. Louis Rams.

If you’re one of those cut-to-the-chase type of readers, here’s the short version of the fantasy impact: there is none. Or at least very little.

Boller goes to a team that is in perhaps worse shape than the Rams were, and certainly worse than the Ravens were. Yet Boller couldn’t help them either. So it seems almost implausible that he’ll have much better luck in Oaktown.

He does offer a better arm than JaMarcus Russell or Bruce Gradkowski, but that’s not saying much. If he does start the season under center for the Raiders, their wide receivers have a little more hope for fantasy production. But again, that’s not saying much.

The only question here is how this might impact the Raiders on draft day. My thought was they would ruin Jimmy Clausen’s life by selecting him, or more up Al Davis’s alley, that he’d reach high for Tim Tebow. Perhaps now he’s willing to wait on Tebow and fill another need in the top of the first round.

For what it’s worth, Boller did play for Raiders offensive coordinator Hue Jackson for one year in Baltimore when Jackson was the Ravens’ quarterbacks coach.

So Kyle Boller is now a Raider…who cares?