Are....You....Ready!?

With baseball's regular season nearing its halfway point, a fantastic Stanley Cup Game 7 and an NBA Finals that could be done by time I'm finished typing this, it seems only fair that we take this time to talk about......fantasy football. Oh, come on, people, after tonight you'll have the next two months to hear about Zach Grienke's ERA or Manny's return from suspension, but with fantasy football leagues opening up this past week, your good friends here at BoomRoastedSports decided to get the ball rolling early. You can thank us later.

This week, I've concocted a segment I like to call Overrated/Underrated. The concept is so simple, even Sarah Palin could grasp it. Basically, I chose players from each position, one overrated(as in a guy I think won't live up to his high draft spot) and one underrated(as in a guy flying under the radar that represents more value than his draft spot would suggest). If this is too hard for you to understand, don't worry, MySpace is just a click away and you can spend the 45 minutes it would take to read this staring at 14 year olds in their Hannah Montana underwear. Without further ado, here we go:

Quarterback

Overrated: Tony Romo(Dallas Cowboys)- Simple mathmatics here. His aging offensive line is now a year older with no signs of youth waiting in the wings. They cut ties with their # 1 reciever(a guy named Terrell Owens, maybe you've heard of him) and now centered their passing attack around the underachieving Roy Williams. A couple other things to keep in mind is that Romo has the tendency to, how do I say this diplomaticly, have his head up in the bushes...er, clouds. His lack of focus and spotty accuracy combined with the fact that he plays in a tough defensive division makes it hard to not only consider Romo among the Top 5 of fantasy quarterbacks but even in the Top 10. Another hardly discussed theory if the Terrell Owens After Effect. In years past, quarterbacks who were accustomed to slinging it to #81 tend to struggle a bit adjusting to life without T.O. It happened to Jeff Garcia in San Francisco. It happened to Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. And it will happen to Tony Romo in Dallas. You want a QB with an All-Pro tight end and an overrated top reciever, wait a couple rounds for Phillip Rivers.

Underrated: Kyle Orton(Denver Broncos): Last year, Player A finished with 3,200 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Player B finished with just under 3,000 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 picks. Player A was Eli Manning. Player B, incase you're slow, is Kyle Orton. A couple things to think about with this comparison: 1. Orton played one less game than Eli. 2. Manning's had a bevy of top notch recievers including a half season of Plaxico Burress while Orton was throwing to reformed cornerback Devin Hester and rookie RB Matt Forte. Adding to Orton's stock is the fact that he goes from playing behind a swiss-cheese offensive line(Orton was sacked 27 times last year) with a subpar supporting cast to throwing to a Pro Bowl WR in Brandon Marshall and one of last year's top rookies Eddie Royal while under the tutelege of former Pats offensive guru Josh McDaniels. With an improved O-line, a more pass-friendly scheme, a weak division and solid weapons around him, it's not unthinkable to believe Orton could go for 30 TDs and around 3,200 yards. Not too bad for a guy who probably won't get serious consideration until at least the top 10 or 12 QBs are gone.

Running Back

Overrated: Michael Turner(Atlanta Falcons): People who followed Turner during his brief appearences in San Diego weren't too surprised by last season's output of 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first season as a full-time starter last year and they shouldn't expect much less this year. My issue with Turner isn't whether he'll produce, it's whether he'll produce the numbers you expect from where he's being projected to be taken. Most fantasy mags and websites have Turner as the # 2 pick behing Adrian Peterson this season and at least one magazine has Turner ahead of A.P. as the # 1 overall pick. That's a bit much. Here's some things to consider: 1. Turner's touches in his first full season: 376. The year before that? 71. There's just no telling how his body(while big and thick) will hold up after such a drastic increase in carries. 2. The Falcons aren't sneaking up on anybody this year. With teams no longer doubting 2nd year QB Matt Ryan, defenses are more focused on what the Falcons are going to do(see the Falcons loss to the Cardinals in their Wild Card game). Look, would I take Turner in the first round? Absolutely, definitely Top 6.....but Top 2? No, thanks.

Underrated: Ray Rice(Baltimore Ravens): OK, maybe I'm being a Rutgers homer here, but let's think about this for a second. Rice sits # 2 on Baltimore's depth chart behind the perenially overrated and oft-injured Willis McGahee. Last season, Rice proved he could be effective when given the ball and he proved in college that he can take an enormous amount of carries despite being what many would call "undersized". Rice's thick lower body and and quick feet along with his soft hands make him a poor man's Tiki Barber(or a poor man's Maurice Jones-Drew since, unlike Tiki, I never wanted to punch MoJo in the face). Remember, he plays in a cold weather city on a team that loves to run the ball and is going to get plenty of touches sitting behind McGahee's fragile corpse. My prediction for Ray-Ray? 1,300 yards, 10 TDs and he's starting by Week 5. Yeah, I said it. Lock it up.

Wide Reciever

Overrated: Antonio Bryant(Tampa Bay Bucs): I would have went with Roy Williams, but I didn't want to pile on the Cowboys. At first glance, it's easy to look at last year's numbers(83 catches, 1,300 yards, 7 touchdowns) and expect more of the same given that, like last year, Bryant will be driven by the fact that he's once again in a contract year. On the other hand, you're rolling the dice on a guy who is borderline bat-shit crazy and who will be catching passes from the three-headed monster of Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown and Josh Freeman. Also, the friendly confines of Jon Gruden's offensive mastery are gone and, while new OC Jeff Jagodzonski is no slouch when mustering up offense(He had success as Green Bay's OC a few years back before going to BC and transforming Matt Ryan from bleacher bum to Rookie of the Year), it might be a stretch to expect instant success. Also, factor in the fact that Bryant is wildly inconsistant(with the exception of always being a loose cannon) and he no longer has Joey Galloway lined up on the opposite side and I think it would be safe to say last season might be more abberation than a start of something special.

Underrated: Torry Holt(Jacksonville Jaguars): He's currently listed 32nd on ESPN's WR rankings. 32nd! Behind guys like Kevin Walter and DeSean Jackson. While Holt's getting up there in years, we seem to forget that this is a man whose been to a few Pro Bowls and lost the last 3 seasons of his career playing on a Rams squad that had its offense muffled by bad line play and a carousel at QB. While it remains to be seen whether Big Game's troublesome knee is no longer, well, troublesome, there's no questioning that he's motivated. As the new # 1 WR on a team dying to establish a passing game, he could experience an epiphany catching passes from a very desperate-to-keep-his-job David Garrard. Do I think Holt has # 1 fantasy reciever numbers left in him? No. Will he kill you as your # 2 or, at worst, #3? Definitely not. If Issac Bruce, who is older than the Stonehenge, can go for 800 and 7 scores catching passes from Shane Falco's alter ego Shaun Hill, than Holt could stand to at least match that.

Tight End

Overrated: Antonio Gates(San Diego Chargers): While you could split this honor permanently between Kellen Winslow and Jeremy Shockey, it might be time for some new blood amongst the washed-up ranks. While Gates has never scored less than 8 touchdowns throughout his career(even in last year's banged-up campaign), you have to think the beating his body has taken over the years is bound to take its toll. Last year, Gates nursed injuries to his hip, ankle and foot and as a guy whose game is predicated on his fantastic athletic ability and thirst for contact, you have to think he's bound to throw in the white flag. As the focal point of the Chargers' passing attack, Gates will produce but he's also a legitimate injury risk and might no longer be the Top 3 TE he used to be. So draft with caution, and if Gates slips, snatch him up. But if you're taking Gates in the first few rounds like in years past, you might find your season finishing up early.....much like Gates will.

Underrated: Brandon Pettigrew(Detroit Lions): I could have went a number of ways here but chances are you already know about Tony Scheffler, Zach Miller and Visanthe Shiancoe. Rookie tight ends have a history of being productive because they don't garner the attention of their wide receiver counterparts yet they always get looks around the goalline(which is all you care about anyway). That was the case for rooks John Carlson(Seattle) and Dustin Keller(Jets) and it will certianly be the case for Pettigrew. While not as blazing fast as Keller or most new-school tight ends, Pettigrew is big and athletic and will surely take advantage of teams focusing on All-World WR Calvin Johnson as well as supplemental targets like RB Kevin Smith or free agent signing Bryant Johnson. Pettigrew's value will rise further if and when the Lions opt to start top overall pick Matt Stafford, who will certianly lean on his fellow rook as a safety valve.

Defense

Overrated: Washington Redskins-The addition of top free agent DT Albert Haynesworth is sure to get some people overexcited. Don't be that person. While Haynesworth certianly is a boost in the middle for Washington, keep in mind this team still doesn't have much of a pass rush behind Andre Carter and unproven rookie Brian Orakpo(whom the Redskins might play out of position at linebacker, perhaps dwarfing his talents). The linebacking crew, led by the ageless London Fletcher, is nothing to write home about and the secondary now has a spot commandeered by the always overpaid DeAngelo Hall who, to quote Mack 10, is "so wack that he ain't worth dissin'". They also have the misfortune in playing in very tough division and, while they always prove to be the best team in June, July and August, you should really consider the 'Skins long history of underachieving during the Snyder Era before making them your starting defense. Oh, and if your league groups special teams with team D, it should be noted that Antwaan Randle-El makes Redskins fans beg for Brian Mitchell to unretire.

Underrated: Seattle Seahawks-I don't like jumping on bandwagons, particularly months before the start of the regular season, but I am sipping the Kool-Aid pouring out of Qwest Field(In fact, barring any drastic changes between now and Sept., I fully plan on picking Seattle to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in my annual NFL predictions blog.....Yes, the same blog that picked the Rams to win the NFC West last year...shut up). Incoherent overreacting aside, it can't be ignored what the 'Hawks did to improve their D in the offseason. They beefed up in the middle by acquiring underrated interior pass rusher Cory Redding from Detroit and then signed the equally underrated(and significantly beefy) Colin Cole from Green Bay to clog the middle. They replaced Julian Peterson(who was sent to Detroit in the Redding trade) with 4th overall pick Aaron Curry, widely considered the best defensive player in the draft if not THE best overall player in the draft. They brought back cornerback and Steve Smith punching bag Ken Lucas to bolster the secondary and they also re-signed franchise LB LeRoy Hill to a long-term deal. The best part, however, is they get 4 games against turnover happy San Francisco and St. Louis, which makes them, at worst, a solid spot start on bye weeks.

So that's it. That's the list. Now, I will leave you so you can spend the next two months swearing by the gospel of Matthew Berry.

---Dave