Risers and Fallers In The Rankings

 

In today's rankings, there are a few notable players creeping up the rankings and other players in free falls. It's key to use these updated rankings rather than a fantasy magazine for example, because we take into account every preseason performance, beat writer report, and announcement from players and coaches. Here are a key noteworthy movers and shakers on the list:

1. Chris Johnson (#5)
We lowered CJ2K two spots due to the holdout potential. Things looked rosier last week, but it seems the two sides have in fact made no progress. I still do not think he'll miss any regular season time, but the 15% chance that he does holdout makes me lean toward Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles over him. (Of course, if you're in a league that awards fantasy points for nasty gold teeth, then CJ should be number one!)



2. Mark Ingram (#49) and Pierre Thomas (#94)
We lowered Ingram just a bit because of a report that Pierre Thomas and Ingram have equal chances at grabbing the starting job. There is likely to be one "primary ball carrier" and our money is still on Ingram, but it's not a lock. We slightly prefer Daniel Thomas who has very little competition, even though the Dolphins are a worse offense. We still like Ingram because of his big TD potential.

3. Ryan Matthews (#61) and Mike Tolbert (#78)
Like the Saints backfield, we are afraid the youngin' is over-hyped here. It's looking more and more like a 50-50 split in San Diego. We have Tolbert ranked around Jon Stewart, even though we predict a higher percentage of the team's carries for Tolbert than Stewart, and the Chargers are a much better offense than the Panthers. I still cannot manage to downgrade JStew too far because of his immense talent.

4. Kenny Britt (#62)
We just lowered Britt slightly with the news that he will likely face NFL discipline. Recall that in the 10 games he played last year, Britt averaged nearly 14 points per game in non-PPR formats. He has the potential to easily be a top ten WR by year's end. He is a very high-risk / high-reward pick due to potential missed time and the likelihood that he'll show up on COPS some time soon.

5. Tim Hightower (#75)
This guy has been skyrocketing up draft boards as he went from an afterthought in the Cardinals backfield to the nominal starter in Washington. Keep an eye on his preseason performances but he looks likely to be one of the league's few feature backs, even if it's on a woeful team.

6. Greg Olsen (#124)
He has jumped up a few rounds because of a solid week 1 game and the rave reviews out of camp. Remember, the offensive coordinator is a former TE himself, and coached Antonio Gates.

7. Chris Cooley (#146)
Unfortunately for old reliable Cooley, he has slipped a few rounds due to his lingering knee injury. Buyer beware, because this thing might not go away.