How much do you think Brian Westbrook will hurt the value of Frank Gore? Personally, I have Gore ranked ahead of Ray Rice. I can now see him being taken after Rice and Michael Turner, but do you think he'll drop much further than that? If you had the No. 6 overall pick and Gore, Andre Johnson and Aaron Rodgers were available, who would you take? - A. Richard, Canada
Michael Fabiano: I don't think the addition of Westbrook will hurt Gore's value at all. I believe he'll be used in a limited role in the offense and is no threat to Gore's early-down or goal-line carries. Westbrook, who'll be 31 in September, has missed 10 games over the last two seasons due to injuries and is no longer the elite player that warranted a first-round pick in fantasy drafts. Instead, he'll be more of a role player and spell Gore throughout the season. I still have Gore ranked fifth on my Top 200, behind Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Rice.
Will Malcom Floyd be the No. 1 wide receiver in San Diego while Vincent Jackson is suspended? When do you think Jackson will return, and when he does, how much value will Floyd lose? I took him in our draft. - N. Boudreau, N.H.
M.F.: Floyd is without question the top wideout in the Chargers offense while Jackson is out, with Legedu Naanee and Craig "Buster" Davis filling in the second and third spots on the depth chart. A viable sleeper, Floyd averaged 56 yards in nine starts last season while Jackson was on the field. Without him, there's no reason to believe his level of statistical success won't increase. When Jackson does return, of course, Floyd will lose quite a bit of his preseason luster. But there are no guarantees that he will be back with the team this season. In fact, some reports out of San Diego suggest Jackson might not play a single snap for the Chargers because of his current contract situation. This is a situation that fantasy leaguers need to monitor, as Floyd's value will just continue to rise with every negative report surrounding Jackson's status with the team.
I've been offered Jonathan Stewart and Anquan Boldin for Rashard Mendenhall and Dwayne Bowe. As much as I like the Panthers and Ravens, I don't think Boldin has enough upside to make up for losing Mendenhall. I only have one top running back (Beanie Wells), but I have Andre Johnson, Marques Colston and Devin Hester at wide receiver. The owner who has made me the offer also has Randy Moss. Thoughts? - E. Kratt, Raleigh, N.C.
M.F.: I would pass on this deal. You have much better depth at wide receiver than running back, so I wouldn't downgrade at that position. I see Mendenhall and Wells as a much more attractive one-two fantasy punch than Stewart and Wells. With Johnson, Colston and Bowe, you have a nice trio of wideouts to start on a regular basis.
I'm in a league where quarterbacks are rewarded one point per 20 passing yards, four points for passing touchdowns and bonuses for plays of over 50 yards. Bonuses are also rewarded for 300-yard passing performances. Last season, nine of the top 10 overall players in our league were quarterbacks. The only other player to break the top 10 was Chris Johnson. In your opinion, should I focus on quarterbacks early in a league where you have an option to start two each week? - C. Wilkins, Fort Wayne, Ind.
M.F.: In a league where the scoring system favors quarterbacks heavily -- and you have the option to start two of them -- I think you have to go after a field general sooner than later. Of course, much depends on your draft position. If you have a late pick in the first round and C.J. is still on the board, you might want to draft him and take a quarterback at the start of Round 2. You also have to watch the flow of the draft. In the event that quarterbacks are flying off the board -- which I would expect -- you should jump on the run. Just don't reach for a player that doesn't deserve to be a first-round pick. If signal-caller is the prominently-drafted position in the first round, keep him mind that there will be a far greater number of solid running backs and wide receivers still on the board between the second and fourth rounds.
I've seen reports that Derrick Ward might not even make the Buccaneers final roster because Kareem Huggins has played so well. Does this increase the value of Cadillac Williams? - L. Karr, Champaign, Ill.
M.F.: The *St. Petersburg Times* does in fact suggest that Ward's spot on the depth chart could be in danger, as Huggins has been impressive during training camp. Regardless, I do think that Williams is being a bit undervalued in fantasy drafts. While there are some concerns about his proneness to injuries, remember that the Cadillac did motor into the top 25 among running backs based on fantasy points last season. Still, he's not coming off the board until Round 11 (102.31 ADP) in NFL.com drafts. Considering the fact that he saw close to 64 percent of the team's running back carries last season, that's pretty good value. Keep in mind that Williams also has one of the most favorable schedules among running backs this season, especially during the fantasy playoffs.
I've noticed that quite a few quarterbacks racked up more points (standard scoring) than the top-tier running backs last season. In the top 15 players in our league, 13 were quarterbacks. Based on this information, is it out of the question to go against the status quo and draft a signal-caller in the top five? Drew Brees scored close to 100 points more than the best running back. What is it that makes running backs go ahead of quarterbacks in Round 1? - C. Shrum, Colorado Springs, Colo.
M.F.: I wouldn't argue with anyone who takes Rodgers in the first five picks. Honestly, I think he could be the MVP of fantasy football this season. Not only has he scored more fantasy points than any other player since 2008, but Rodgers has some talented players around him in the Packers offense and a schedule that's one of the most favorable among quarterbacks. The reason running backs come off the board prominently in the first round is simply because there are so few featured players at the position. More and more teams are utilizing backfield committees, where two or more runners share the carries. That makes featured players like Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew even more valuable in fantasy leagues. If you're fine with having, for example, Cedric Benson and LeSean McCoy as your No. 1 and 2 running backs, then targeting an elite quarterback like Rodgers in Round 1 makes sense.
I'm in a 12-team PPR league that rewards one point per reception to wide receivers and two points per reception to tight ends. We just had our draft, and I was able to land Brees and Donovan McNabb at quarterback, Mendenhall, Ryan Grant, Matt Forte and Clinton Portis at running back, Calvin Johnson, Colston, Bowe, Kenny Britt and Santonio Holmes at wide receiver and Dallas Clark, Jermichael Finley and Anthony Fasano at tight end. I'm a little concerned about my running backs. Should I make a trade to improve that position? If so, who should I look to deal? - M. Eckland, Quincy, Mass.
M.F.: Honestly, I don't see a problem with your running backs. The duo of Mendenhall and Grant is solid, and Forte is a nice No. 3 option in a PPR league. Despite his lack of success last season, I still think the Bears runner can put up good numbers this season. Based on the fact that tight ends are rewarded two points for catches, the players with the most potential trade value on your roster are Clark and Finley. If you have a flex position and can start them both week in and week out, that's a very nice option. There's no reason to have both of them on your roster id one has to sit on the bench, however, so one of them could be very valuable trade bait during the season.
I'm in a 12-team standard league with two keepers. I have the No. 1 overall pick in the re-draft, and I plan to retain Matt Schaub and Turner. I was thinking of going after a wide receiver in Round 1, but do you think taking a running back makes more sense? The best running backs available are Ryan Mathews, Mendenhall and Steven Jackson. The best receivers are Miles Austin, Roddy White and Brandon Marshall. Thoughts? - D. Geiger, Canada
M.F.: I need to ask you a question on this one -- do you have a wide receiver that you could legitimately retain ahead of Schaub? Here's the reason I ask: I would take Mathews with that first overall pick, but you could end up with a fairly unattractive group of wideouts having to wait 22 picks before you're up again in Round 2. If you have a receiver worth keeping, you could grab Mathews in Round 1 and then take a quarterback (maybe Schaub?) and a wide receiver in the second and third rounds. In the event that Schaub is clearly your best keeper behind Turner, I would likely still take Mathews in a forward-looking move. I simply couldn't take Austin or White with the first pick of a re-draft when a player with Mathews' potential is on the board. He could turn into your top keeper for the next several seasons.
Is Julian Edelman in line to start if Wes Welker isn't ready in time for Week 1? Edelman looked great in the Patriots first preseason game. - V. Ramon, Huntsville, Texas
M.F.: Barring setbacks, it appears that Welker will be back in time for the start of the regular season. Reports have been positive on his return from reconstructive knee surgery, even if his status for the Patriots' preseason schedule is up in the air. The team has also been very impressed with Brandon Tate, so Edelman could open as far down as fourth on the depth chart. At this point, Edelman is barely draftable in leagues with 10-12 teams. He could be a sort of "handcuff" option for owners who take Welker and want to play it safe, but Edelman doesn't look destined for a prominent role on fantasy teams. He's currently ranked at No. 62 among wide receivers on NFL.com.
After doing several mocks, I've noticed a trend that a few former elite running backs are going in the late rounds. Among those players who have had great numbers in the past are Clinton Portis, Brandon Jacobs, Marion Barber, LaDainian Tomlinson and Thomas Jones. Which of those back would you have the most faith in this season? - E. Davis, Waterford, Mich.
M.F.: I don't trust any of the players you've mentioned to re-emerge into "elite" fantasy options, though I do think Barber is being underrated in drafts due to all the hype around Felix Jones. On average, he's not coming off the board until Round 10 (93.68 ADP) on NFL.com. Jacobs has value as a low-end No. 2 fantasy back, but Ahmad Bradshaw is going to see more than his share of carries in the Giants backfield. As for Portis, L.T., and Jones, well, I wouldn't draft any of them until the low middle rounds. Especially in the case of Portis and Tomlinson, their best fantasy seasons are in the past.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com. Have a burning question for Michael on anything fantasy football related? Leave it in our comments section or send it to **AskFabiano@nfl.com**!
