NFL Fantasy Outlook-Prospects-Round Two-Part Two of Four

So much of a prospect's fantasy fortunes can depend upon the team that drafted him. Good players can become great ones in the right system. On the flip side, great players can sometimes fight a losing battle in the wrong ones.

Here's a look at where the prospects were selected in the 2nd round of the '08 Draft and their current situations from a Fantasy Perspective:

James Hardy-WR-Selected 41st Overall by the Buffalo Bills- A former basketball player, Hardy (and his 6'6 height) will be put to good use by the Bills on red zone fade routes. He also owns soft hands and has shown the ability to make the tough sideline catches. He's not the fastest horse on the track, but he is elusive and ought to make a respectable contribution for Buffalo this season while he learns the offense.

Eddie Royal-WR-Selected 42nd Overall by the Denver Broncos- Royal projects primarily as a Kick Returner, so he's going to most valuable to those owners whose leagues allow them to garner points in that area of the game. However, in leagues that don't award points for returns, he still brings something to the table. His receiving abilities should allow him to be a slot receiver for Denver, a position he could see extensive looks in, considering the injury history of Brandon Marshall and the free agent loss of Javon Walker.

Matt Forte-RB-Selected 44th Overall by the Chicago Bears- Forte is a player that Dynasty League owners ought to consider holding long term. A powerful runner, he has exhibited great football sense and it has been widely speculated that he will overtake Cedric Benson sometime this season as the starter for the Bears. A strong RB who can carry the load during Chicago's frigid latter-season home schedule should be worth his weight in Fantasy gold.

Jerome Simpson-WR-Selected 46th Overall by the Cincinnati Bengals- Simpson steps into a situation in flux, considering the Bengals have a potential holdout in Chad Johnson and released troubled Chris Henry in the off-season. However, he has a tremendous opportunity to start and produce immediately. His leaping ability and precise route running could partner very well with QB Carson Palmer's skill at putting the ball in the correct space and Simpson could be a surprise contributor for Fantasy owners this year and beyond.

NFL Fantasy Outlook-Prospects-Round Two-Part One of Four

So much of a prospect's fantasy fortunes can depend upon the team that drafted him. Good players can become great ones in the right system. On the flip side, great players can sometimes fight a losing battle in the wrong ones.

Here's a look at where the prospects were selected in the 2nd round of the '08 Draft and their current situations from a Fantasy Perspective:

Donnie Avery-WR-Selected 33rd Overall by the St. Louis Rams- It was a complete surprise that the first round ended without a WR being taken and an even bigger surprise that Avery was chosen for the honor in the second. He is quick, however and could play a part in "The Greatest Show on Turf, Part 2". With the current group of WR's on the Rams' roster, Avery could see meaningful snaps this season.

Devin Thomas-WR-Selected 34th Overall by the Washington Redskins- An excellent package of speed and strength, Thomas steps into a very good situation in Washington. With only Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El as reliable receivers, he could conceivably leapfrog also-rans like Billy McMullen and James Thrash with a good camp. Don't be surprised if Thomas ends up as the Slot WR on this team before October rolls around.

Jordy Nelson-WR-Selected 36th Overall by the Green Bay Packers- Nelson enters a packed Green Bay Receiving Corps with the larger issue of Brett Favre's retirement throwing the entire offense into a state of flux. However crowded the group might be, though, there are certain indisputable facts: 1. Donald Driver is 33 and will likely not maintain a high level of play much longer, 2. Greg Jennings is a fine talent but has recurring injury issues and 3. Neither Ruvell Martin nor James Jones have distinguished themselves as of yet. Nelson, a possession receiver in the mold of Joe Jurevicius, could carve out a place for himself (although probably not in his first year).

John Carlson-TE-Selected 38th Overall by the Seattle Seahawks- Carlson, despite the fact that he is not terribly dynamic and doesn't perform any aspect of his job with an exceptional degree of skill, has the chance to step into the starting role of Seahawk TE as a rookie. However, this accolade is due more to the fact that the rest of the Seattle TE's (Will Heller and Jeb Putzier) have shown an inability to seize their own opportunities in the role. It would appear that the Seahawks intend to go with more of a running scheme going forward as Carlson's potential is greater in the area of Blocking, not Pass Catching.

Fantasy Outlook-Prospects-Round One (Part 2 of 2)

So much of a prospect's fantasy fortunes can depend upon the team that drafted him. Good players can become great ones in the right system. On the flip side, great players can sometimes fight a losing battle in the wrong ones.

Here's a look at where the prospects were selected in the 1st round of the '08 Draft and their current situations from a Fantasy Perspective:

Felix Jones-RB-Selected 22nd Overall by the Dallas Cowboys- Jones steps into a very familiar situation here. He played foil to Darren McFadden at Arkansas and he'll play the change of pace RB to Marion Barber with the Cowboys. With Dallas' strong offensive line, his transition to the Pro game will be less pressure-filled and he'll likely be one of the best rookie RB's next season from a fantasy perspective.

Rashard Mendenhall-RB-Selected 23rd Overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers- Willie Parker owners can cry in their beer all they want, but picking up Mendenhall was a very smart choice by Pittsburgh. The Steelers now have two backs who can share the load between the 20's and a goal line back (Najeh Davenport, provided he can remain healthy) to pound the ball in. Mendenhall's fantasy numbers will not be over-the-top great, but he could be heir apparent to a coveted role in Pittsburgh for years to come.

Chris Johnson-RB-Selected 24th Overall by the Tennesee Titans- Johnson joins a crew that already has last year's draft choice Chris Henry and 2006 pick Lendale White vying for supremacy. Johnson is fleet of foot (he ran the fastest 40 yard dash at the combine), but he projects as no more than a 3rd down back right now. Of course, neither White or Henry have shown the ability to remain injury-free, so he could end up seeing more touches than expected.

Dustin Keller-TE-Selected 30th Overall by the New York Jets- As stated before in this blog, Keller was a curious choice by New York (given the fact that they already have a decent TE in Chris Baker and all the WR's from the draft were still available). He will likely play an H-back role similar to the one Chris Cooley occupies in Washington. Keller's fantasy numbers will largely depend on how the Jets choose to utilize him near the end zone.

Fantasy Outlook- Prospects- Round One (Part 1 of 2)

Two years ago, Reggie Bush was the top rated RB and was taken by the New Orleans Saints in the Rookie Draft. Bush was considered to be the most talented offensive player at the time and most figured that he would be able to immediately translate his collegiate success into NFL glory. However, the Saints struggled mightily as a team last season and Bush was unable to avoid his own troubles as well. Meanwhile, an RB named Joseph Addai was taken much later in the first round of that Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He stepped into a situation where the Colts were a team primed to make a victorious Super Bowl run and benefited tremendously.

So much of a prospect's fantasy fortunes can depend upon the team that drafted him. Good players can become great ones in the right system. On the flip side, great players can sometimes fight a losing battle in the wrong ones.

Here's a look at where the prospects were selected in the 1st round of the '08 Draft and their current situations from a Fantasy Perspective:

Matt Ryan-QB-Selected 3rd Overall by the Atlanta Falcons- Ryan has his work cut out for him. He was drafted to be the new face of the franchise after the Michael Vick fiasco, but he does not have either the offensive line nor the complementary receivers to succeed right now. His Pro path could be a rough one.

Darren McFadden-RB-Selected 4th Overall by the Oakland Raiders- McFadden must have been gnashing his teeth when his name was called. Not only does he step into a dysfunctional team dynamic, he'll also have to likely share carries with possibly Lamont Jordan, Justin Fargas and Michael Bush. He wanted to be with a team where he was the clear #1 RB, not one of the herd.

Jonathan Stewart-RB-Selected 13th Overall by the Carolina Panthers- Stewart has a fine situation in Carolina. He'll share touches with DeAngelo Williams, who has not shown he has the ability to commandeer the starting job. The Panthers also bolstered their Offensive Line by taking T Jeff Otah and could be on their way to establishing a very strong Running game.

Joe Flacco-QB-Selected 18th Overall by the Baltimore Ravens- Flacco has a similar situation to Matt Ryan. He is going to be expected to quarterback a team in transition without an intimidating array of receiving options. His mettle will be tested early and often and fans hope he's not the second coming of Kyle Boller, another strong armed QB who hasn't made the transition to the Pro game successfully.