With the 2008 NFL Fantasy Football Season officially over, it's time to get on with our lives.  That's right - - time to begin your prep for the  2009 Fantasy Season.  The first in a series of artcles, here's a very early look at our top 10 Fantasy Rankings by Position for 2009, starting with the Quarterbacks.

1. Jay Cutler / Denver Broncos

The Broncos offense is loaded with young stars everywhere but at Running Back.  But you have to figure Denver will use a high pick to shore up RB position, which would make Cutler and his merry band of receiving stars even that much more dangerous. The Bronco defense will be better, but not enough to keep Cutler from having to score 20-30 points per game to win--much of it throwing downfield late in games.  While he’s still showing some immaturity, Jay Cutler’s arm strength and accuracy are simply fantastic.  And new Denver Head Coach Josh McDaniel’s offensive system will have Jay producing TD’s in droves.  Elevator going up!!

2. Drew Brees / New Orleans Saints

Brees is probably going to be the consensus #1 QB on most draft boards heading into the 2009 season and he’s certainly a safe pick.  But I can’t imagine Saints head coach Sean Payton not wanting to do a better job of balancing their offensive attack next year.  Sure, Brees was a monster in 2008 but finishing 8-8 and more importantly, last in the NFC South, just won’t cut it.  I

expect New Orleans to look to improve the running game and build up their defense--neither of which will improve Brees’ fantasy numbers.


3. Peyton Manning / Indianapolis Colts

While Peyton’s not a surprising pick here, he’s still the most reliable Quarterback you can have on your fantasy football squad.  He is a master at running an offense, has terrific receiving weapons and most importantly, has a very quick release which limits the beating he takes each season.  While it looks like Marvin Harrison will finally be moving on, his 2008 production is certainly replaceable.  And the changeover at Head Coach shouldn’t have much impact, given Jim Caldwell’s long-standing tenure as Colts Offensive Coordinator.  There will most definitely be QB’s ranked further down this list who will deliver better fantasy stats in 2009, but there’s no question Peyton Manning will finish in the top 5.


4. Tony Romo / Dallas Cowboys

We have Romo where he belongs here.  But there are some reservations.  Dallas just feels like another disaster waiting to happen.  They have the TO thing to work out, their Head Coach is a softy whose history of letting the animals run the zoo tends to really kick in around year three and then there’s always the Jerra factor.  Sure, PacMan is gone…but he’ll find another PacMan to bring in and stir up the pot, cuz that’s what Jerry Jones does best.  So what does all this have to do with Tony Romo? Well, if this Dallas team performs as we expect (i.e., starts out looking amazing, loses to a few teams as a result of their own hubris and packs it in knowing the coaching staff is toast), what you’ll have in Romo is a great early-season producer who isn’t really there for you when you need him come playoff time.


5. Tom Brady / New England Patriots

Let’s be clear--Tom Brady will not finish as the 5th ranked Fantasy QB when all is said and done.  He’ll either be at the top of this list or outside the top 20.  If he’s healthy, and we may not really know until after the first month of the regular season, he’s a no-doubt top performer and the kind of guy who will just about ensure you make the Fantasy Playoffs.  But Brady is coming off the kind of injury which seems to get inside a guy’s head--especially one who often won’t know where the hit is coming from.  Personally, unless Tom Brady is showing his mad skills in at least one preseason game, I’m probably staying away.  But you can’t let the potential #1 overall fantasy player slide too far down your list.


6. Kurt Warner / Arizona Cardinals

In case you’ve haven’t noticed, there are two Kurt Warners.  “Good Kurt” is the guy who gets great line protection, has an amazing core of receivers and produces fantasy stats like a mutha.  Evil Kurt” can’t handle the pass rush, fumbles the ball religiously (no pun intended) and looks like he’s about 48 years old.  The key for Warner is his ability to fire off the ball quickly and

avoid getting hit (get ready to see “Evil Kurt” in Super Bowl 43).  The Cardinals are better than we all quite realize and Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in the NFL.  The only caveats are the fact WR Anquan Boldin may want out and QB Matt Leinart wants to get his career back on track.  But as it stands right now, if you have Kurt Warner on your squad, expect to be yelling, "Thank you, Jesus!” a lot on Sundays.


7. Philip Rivers / San Diego Chargers

While we were tempted to sneak in one of the rising stars here, the Chargers do appear to be shifting toward more of a passing attack to not only counter a declining LaDainian Tomlinson but also take advantage of one of the league’s top screen options in Darren Sproles.  San Diego has a solid core of young receivers to free up Tight End Antonio Gates over the middle and Rivers likes to go to the well often.  Vince Jackson is a terrific deep threat.  I don’t expect Philip Rivers to match his 2008 season numbers, but he’s a very safe choice to produce inside the top 10.


8. Matt Schaub / Houston Texans

Our first major roll of the dice here, Schaub is poised to have a very solid 2009 Season.  Not only has Andre Johnson emerged as one of the top Wide Receivers in the NFL, Steve Slayton is exactly the type of backfield threat that pumps up a Quarterback’s numbers with a bunch of short passes going for big after-the-catch yardage.  If the Texans can add a little thunder (maybe Running Backs Beanie Wells out of Ohio Stater or Knowshon Moreno from Georgia) to Slayton’s lightning, this offense could be poised to explode.  And Matt Schaub would be the key beneficiary.


9. Matt Ryan / Atlanta Falcons

Considering what he did in his rookie year, it’s crazy to think what Ryan could become with another year of preseason prep work under his belt.  Yeah, we know all about the typical sophomore slump. But this kid broke the rookie mold better than any Quarterback since Peyton Manning--he’s anything but typical.   Running Backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood keep opposing secondaries honest, leaving Wide Receiver Roddy White to frolic downfield.  If the Birds add another legit receiving threat to the mix, look out.


10. Donovan McNabb / Philadelphia Eagles

When Donnie Mac and Running Back Brian Westbrook are both healthy, they are an explosive combination.  The problem is they generally only make that happen for about 10 games every season.  With Westy by his side, McNabb is a beast capable of generating fantasy wins almost single-handedly.  But without him, he’s just above average.  He also gets hurt quite a bit himself.  He’s in our list of top 10 NFL Fantasy Quarterbacks simply because he’ll likely finish in this neighborhood statistically.  But if you enlist Donovan McNabb to guide your fantasy team, be sure to add a backup QB early and pray his production comes at the end of the season when you need him most.


The One Notable Exception: Carson Palmer / Cincinnati Bengals

Somebody in your fantasy league will snag Palmer with dreams of grandeur dating back to when Ocho Cinco was still Chad Johnson.  Don’t be that guy.  The Bengals will always be the Bengals, Ocho Cinco will likely be gone, and Carson Palmer has really never been the same since one of the cast members of Valkyrie rolled over on his knee two years ago. Carson’s not a bad late round sleeper, but only if you already have a legit starting Quarterback in place.