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Ray Rice had 1776 total yards (1220 rushing, 556 receiving) last year, which left nobody complaining about the top draft pick they spent on him last year. Those in PPR leagues could not have been happier about his 63 catches. They can, however, gripe about the six touchdowns (five rushing, one receiving). All in all he was still a solid number one fantasy back and first round pick, but he failed to reach his 2009 production.
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Two years ago Rice had 2041 total yards (1339 rushing, 702 receiving), 78 catches, and eight touchdowns (seven rushing, one receiving). Not that last year’s numbers were bad, but that is a 13 percent dip in yards and a 25 percent dip in touchdowns.
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Rice is just 24 years old and there are no signs of slowing down. What is keeping him out of the top five in non-PPR leagues, at least for me, is the lack of touchdowns. Can that change in 2011? The signs are pointing in that direction.
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For starters, Willis McGahee is gone. Not that he was a big time touchdown thief last year with five rushing touchdowns, but the threat was there. In 2009 McGahee sniped 12 rushing scores.
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If the exodus of his touchdown vulture wasn’t enough, the Ravens brought in fullback extraordinaire Vonta Leach, who helped pave the way for an Arian Foster rushing title. I’m certainly not going to take his breakout season away, but credit is due to Leach and the Texans’ offensive line.
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With Leach paving the way, along with Rice’s ability to catch the ball, double-digit touchdowns are within reach. The big four are pretty much set (Arian, Adrian, CJ, Foster), but Rice can be right up there in the mix. What’s your take?
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Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings

Image courtesy of Icon SMI
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Fantazzle Fantasy Sports and Ray Rice, their official sponsor for the 2010 fantasy football season, have come together to produce the FREE Ray Rice Fantasy Football Challenge game. The game is now up and running and available to the members of Fantazzle. Each week there will be cash prizes and in Week 16 there will be a Grand Prize Contest where winners will compete for a HUGE cash prize!
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The Free Ray Rice Fantasy Football Challenge game will be played in Fantazzle’s original Fantasy Football Challenge game format, but will offer prizes each week with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers receiving $50, $25, and $10 in cash prizes. On top of the weekly prizes, the top ten finishers at the end of each week’s games will be entered into the Week 16 Grand Prize contest that will reward the winners with even more cash prizes.
Fantazzle prides itself on giving its members the best rewards and prizes!
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This game is free, exciting, and the best part about playing fantasy football at Fantazzle: Injuries and BYE weeks have absolutely no effect on your fantasy teams!
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Fantazzle is now entering Week 10 of their FREE Ray Rice game, and would like to congratulate the winners from the first nine weeks of the free Ray Rice game. Congratulations goes out to all who have won and good luck to everyone in the future.
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In Week 8, Fantazzle awarded the top 10 winners from weeks 1-7 with a fantasy football game where they gave away $500. This site is legit and their members get some great bonuses as well as free prizes and games!

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

As fantasy drafts are starting to take off across the globe, there are still many questions to be answered. One of them is whether or not Joe Flacco is a legitimate starting fantasy QB. The addition of Anquan Boldin has to at least put him in the conversation, but is it enough.

It appears that Flacco is right on the fringe. Mock Draft Central has him pegged as the 13th QB (91st overall) going off draft boards. I have him one slot higher, and into starting fantasy QB territory at #12 (click to see my 2010 QB rankings). Boldin’s presence has a lot to do with it.

Flacco took major strides in his second season, increasing his numbers across the board. His completion percentage rose from 60.0 to 63.1. His yardage increased from 2971 to 3613. His TDs rose from 14 to 21 while his INTs remained at 12. His passer rating rose from 80.3 to 88.9. The only place where his numbers decreased was in the rushing department as he went from 180 yards and 2 TDs to 56 yards without a score.

He was fairly productive with an aging Derrick Mason as his primary option in the passing game. Ray Rice did his part with 78 catches for 702 yards and Todd Heap turned back the clock with a 53 catch season, but those aren’t numbers to write home about. Aside from Mason, Flacco got very little production from his WRs. Mark Clayton had 34 catches for 480 yards. Kelley Washington also had 34 catches for 431 yards. The rest aren’t worth mentioning, which is like 2008 when Mason (80-1037-5) and Clayton (41-695-3) were the only WRs to top 200 yards.

The Ravens made a big splash by landing Anquan Boldin, giving third-year QB Joe Flacco one more weapon. Suddenly the offense has as many stars as the defense.

Fantasy Playoffs Schedule:   Favorable
The Ravens take on the Saints at home sandwiched in between road games against the Texans and the Browns. The Ravens offensive players and defense should be among the highest ranked in the fantasy football championship.

Five Star Fantasy Options
Ray Rice – Rice gets the job done on the ground and through the air making him one of the most versatile backs in the game.

Four Star Fantasy Options
Anquan Boldin – It will be interesting to see how he handles switching to a new team. He’s such a force when healthy.

Ravens Defense/Special Teams – Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are a year older, but this unit still gets after it.

Three Star Fantasy Options
Joe Flacco – Flacco threw for 3613 yards, 21 TDs, and 12 INTs. He completed 63.1 percent of his passes for a 88.9 passer rating. With a legitimate #1 WR, his numbers could take off.

Two Star Fantasy Options
Willis McGahee – McGahee excelled in his role last year with 629 total yards (585 rush, 85 receiving) and 14 TDs (12 rush, 2 receiving). He’ll likely be a vulture again, and could see his stock rise if Rice is injured.

Derrick Mason – Is this the year he loses a step? I wouldn’t bet on it.

Todd Heap – Heap can still get it done, as evidence by the 53-593-6 season he turned in last year. Injuries remain a concern. Rookies Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta will likely cut into his production.

One Star Fantasy Options
Le’Ron McClain – If McGehee were to go down, McClain would likely take over red zone duties.

Click here for additional 2010 NFL Team Previews.

All three backs are going around the 4th or 5th round in fantasy drafts.  Derrick Ward has an Average Draft Position of 47, while Reggie Bush’s is 49 and Ray Rice’s is 61.  The question, is which back will be the most reliable fantasy option?

Obviously if he can stay healthy, Reggie Bush has the ability to put up some huge numbers in that Saints offense.  1000 receiving yards is not out of the question, with an additional 500-600 on the ground.  He will score his TDs in a variety of ways, but they usually come in bunches.  He is steadier in the passing game than carrying the ball, which gives him a major advantage in PPR leagues.  He was much better at home (93.4 yards per game, 4 TDs) than on the road (75.4, 2 TDs) last year.  His career numbers on the road (86.1 ypg) are actually slightly better than his home numbers (76.6), but he does almost all of his scoring at home (15 TDs compared to 5 road TDs).  The talent is there.  It’s just a matter of staying on the field.  Aside from the injuries, the only thing that worries me is the plethora of weapons at Drew Brees’ disposal.  Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey are good bounceback options.  Lance Moore was steady and reliable last year.  Robert Meachem as big time potential.  Devery Henderson is still in the mix.  Pierre Thomas can catch the ball out of the backfield.  Bush isn’t a lock to catch 80 passes.  If he doesn’t do serious damage in the passing game, he won’t meet his expectations.

Ray Rice has won the starting RB job in Baltimore, but is unlikely he will get the ball at the stripe. Those duties will belong to Le’Ron McClain and/or Willis McGahee.  Rice was productive in a limited capacity last year with 454 yards on 107 carries (4.2 ypc) and 33 receptions for 273 yards.  He failed to score a TD though, which really hurts is fantasy value.  It’s great if you’re going to pile up the yards, but if you don’t get the occasional six point TD bump from Rice, he’s not going to give you the big games you occasionally need from your RBs to win a fantasy matchup.  Even though the Ravens are a run-first team, there just won’t be enough yards for Rice because if he’s healthy McGahee is going to get 8-10 touches per game.  McClain will probably get a couple as well.  He’s a borderline RB2 in PPR leagues, and if he wants to make the leap to RB2 in non-PPR leagues, he’ll have to prove he can cross the goal line. 

Derrick Ward will have to prove that his production was based on his ability, rather than the New York Giants system.  The Giants led the league with 5.0 yards per carry, while Tampa was tied for 18th at 4.1 ypc.  He hasn’t officially won the starting gig with the Bucs, but he should win out over Earnest Graham after signing as a Free Agent in the offseason.  That said, Earnest Graham will get plenty of carries making this a pretty even RBBC.  Graham will likely get the goal line looks while Ward will get the passes out of the backfield.  Clifton Smith and even Cadillac Williams could also work their way into the mix for the Bucs.  It’s hard to predict what Ward will do on a new team with a first-time Head Coach.
 
Of the three, Ward looks to be in the biggest time share.  Reggie will get fewer carries, but he’ll also catch more passes.  All three should catch 40+ passes this year.  If Rice can get in the end zone, he could be the top scorer of the three.  To me Reggie has the most potential while Rice is the safest play.  Plus, if you can sneak an extra round in and still get him, your fantasy squad will be that much tighter.

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Now that we went through the majority of the #1 & #2 Running Backs, it’s time to look at RB3s.  These Backs are ones you would use in a flex position (if you have one in your league format), as bye week replacements, or spot starters based on matchups.  If you load up elsewhere early, they could serve as RB2.

Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay -  Ward ran for 1025 yards and 2 TDs on 182 carries for an amazing 5.6 yards per carry.  He added 41 receptions for 384 yards.  Not bad for a RB that didn’t even start for his team.  He left the incredible Offensive Line that the Giants provide him, but he should get more touches.  Don’t expect him to get too many carries though as Earnest Graham and Cadillac Williams will likely be in the mix as well.  I can see Graham handing the red zone chances.  Ward’s best matchups appear to be against New Orleans in Weeks 11 & 16.  The rest of his schedule is pretty tough.  I expect Ward to produce 1200 total yards and 5 TDs.

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens – Rice had decent production last year despite a limited role.  He had 454 yards on 107 carries (4.2 ypc) and added 273 yards on 33 receptions.  With Le’Ron McClain sliding over to Fullback, and McGahee moving to the backup role, Rice should get a much heavier workload in 2009.  Though McClain will get the ball at the strip and McGahee will get his touches, Rice should be a solid RB3, and even a nice RB2 in PPR leagues.  The Ravens have a some great matchups against Kansas City in Week 1, Cleveland in Weeks 3 & 10, Cincinnati in Weeks 5 & 9, Denver in Week 8.  Unfortunately they play the Raiders in Week 17.  Their fantasy playoff schedule starts off sweet with a game against Detroit.  Then they face the Bears and the Steelers.  If McGahee stays healthy, he’ll cut into Rice’s production, but I think he should be good for 1100 total yards, 4 TDs, and 55 receptions.

Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs – Larry Johnson reported to training camp lighter, hoping improved conditioning will lead to a more successful 2009 season.  Even more than his weight, though, has been his attitude.  He has stayed out of the headlines.  He’s not going to return to his old form, but he should be able to build upon the 847 yards on an impressive 4.5 ypc last year.  He only scored 5 TDs, but with Tony Gonzalez gone, that number could easily doubt next year.  Jamaal Charles will push him for time, especially on third downs, but that could help to keep LJ fresh.  LJ is a back who could put up first round numbers, which is sweet considering you can get him in the third or fourth round.  He loses a cushy matchup with Denver in Week 17, but still faces Oakland in Weeks 2 & 10 and Denver in Week 13.  He does have some tough matchups early against Baltimore in Week 1, Philly in Week 3, NYG in Week 4, Washington in Week 6, and Pittsburgh in Week 11.  He’s a good Buy Low candidate if he gets off to a slow start because his fantasy playoff matchups against Buffalo, Cleveland, and Cincinnati are sweet.  There is a huge variance in the numbers LJ could produce.  I think he has 1100 total yards and 8 TDs.

LenDale White – Tennessee Titans – LenDale retired the LenWhale moniker (at least temporarily) by putting down the tequila.  Even though he’s in better shape, I don’t see LenDale having anything close to the year he had last year.  Let’s face it, 15 TD seasons don’t come along very often.  With Albert Haynesworth residing in Washington, will Tennessee’s Defense be good enough to suffocate teams and allow LenDale to slowly wear them down in the fourth quarter?  That could be a big reason why LenDale gets much fewer than the 2000 carries he had last year.  The Titans don’t really have any cakewalks on their schedule until Week 14 against the Rams.  It’s hard to use a guy in the fantasy playoffs when you’re not sure how many touches he’s going to get in the game.  LenDale is nice to own, but he’ll be tough to use unless Chris Johnson goes down.  I’m guessing LenDale has about 600 total yards with 10 TDs.

Darren McFadden – Oakland Raiders -  Run DMC had a pretty forgettable Rookie season thanks to a toe injury.  He had one monster week (164 yards. 1 TD vs. KC in Week 2) and one great week (10 carries for 38 yards, 2 TDs vs. Denver in Week 12).  He actually had more 50+ yard receiving games (3) than rushing (1).  Still, I believe he has too much talent to not have a much better Sophomore season.  He’ll be even more of an asset in PPR leagues, and I could see him throwing a couple passes this year to keep Defenses on their toes.  He has some good matchups this year against Kansas City in Weeks 2 & 10, Denver in Week 3 & 15, and Cincinnati in Week 11.  If you can get by the opening round of the fantasy playoffs against Washington, you’ll get the benefit of facing Denver and Cleveland in Weeks 15 & 16.  I’m predicting 1200 total yards and 8 TDs for McFadden.

Willie Parker – Pittsburgh Steelers – Willie Parker will be pushed by Rashard Mendenhall this year, but I think he’ll hold him off for the most part, assuming he stays healthy.  I just wouldn’t count on him for anything more than a bye week alternative or spot matchup Back.  Those matchups are Weeks 3 & 10 against Cincinnati, Weeks 6 & 14 vs. Cleveland, Week 5 against Detroit, Week 9 against Denver, Week 11 against KC, and Week 13 against Oakland.  I’m guessing Fast Willie has 1000 total yards and 6 TDs.

Jamal Lewis – Cleveland  Browns – Jamal Lewis turns 30 this month and though he managed another 1000 yard season, he appears to be on the decline.  He is going to be challenged for carries by Jerome Harrison and possibly Rookie James Davis.  They both can provide a burst that Jamal just can’t muster.  Mangini will try to limit the workload early as Jamal recovers from ankle surgery, which would be unfortunate because they have three games against soft run D’s in the first four weeks.  Minnesota (assuming Pat & Kevin Williams are suspended) in Week 1, Denver in Week 2, and Cincinnati in Week 4.  Later they face Detroit and Cincy in Weeks 11 & 12.  The Bengals actually have a pretty sweet fantasy playoff schedule with tilts against KC and Oakland in Weeks 15 & 16, though the Browns could be playing for the future by then.  I expect 700 yards and 6 TDs from Jamal in 2009.

Cedric Benson – Cincinnati Bengals – Cedric Benson was a fantasy hero last year with two 150+ total yard games in Weeks 15 & 16.  He managed just 3.5 ypc for the year though and his plodding style may not work as well considering they face Baltimore and Pittsburgh twice.  They do have some pretty nice matchups though against Denver in Week 1, Cleveland in Weeks 4 & 12, Oakland in Week 11, and Detroit in Week 13.  His fantasy playoffs heroics will be hard to repeat against Minnesota and San Diego, but he could have a big finish in Week 16 against KC.  I’m predicting 900 total yards and 6 TDs for Benson.

The Baltimore Ravens brought in John Harbaugh to be their new Head Coach this offseason.  They are still known for their Defense and Harbaugh will have to play up to that strength because he’s limited offensively.

At QB Kyle Boller’s shoulder has eliminated him from the QB competition.  Troy Smith looked to have the starting gig locked down until he was derailed with tonsillitis.  That opens the door for Delaware Rookie Joe Flacco.  I figured Flacco would get the starting job at some point this year, but didn’t anticipate it coming in Week 1, as it appears to be the case.  Whoever mans the offense has a few options at their disposal.  For the ageless Derrick Mason, who caught an amazing 103 catches last year.  He also has the underachieving Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams.  If Todd Heap can stay healthy he would add a little more firepower.  At Running Back Willis McGahee’s knee has kept him out of action.  He will be limited early on.  Fortunately for the Ravens Rookie Ray Rice has looked excellent in the Preseason, and could have a major role early on.  Life will be a little tougher though without Jonathan Ogden. 

Defensively this team is still led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.  They are complimented nicely by Kelly Gregg, Dawan Landry, Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs, Chris McAllister, and Samari Rolle.  They aren’t the dominating Defense they once were, but they still one of the better units in the league.  Age could come into play for the Ravens, as many of the key starters are on the wrong side of 30. 

The Ravens aren’t going to offer any false hope of making the playoffs next year.  If they can get to 6 Wins they should consider it a successful season.  They are just lacking too many weapons on Offense and are too vulnerable on Defense because of their age.  This team could very well win 3 games next season.

Fantasy-wise the Ravens offer very little.  Willis McGahee is worth having, but I don’t have an easy felling about him.  Based on where in the draft you get them, I would rather have Ray Rice on my team.  Derrick Mason is worth having as a third through fifth wideout.  No matter who is quarterbacking this team, Mason makes a nice security blanket.  Todd Heap is worth the risk as a low-end starting TE or high-end backup.  He needs to prove he can stay on the field.  The Defense is still worthy of being one of the top Defenses selected, but don’t be foolish and take them too early.