Marion Barber a full fledged number 1
Barber's greatest asset is his versatility. He established himself as a third-down back who can catch passes out of the backfield, but he's also a hard-nosed runner between the tackles, which made him the go-to guy at the goal line. But he can also rip off the big play, as he's averaged 4.8 yards per carry each of the past two seasons. You can't pull off an average like that if you're only getting carries inside the 20.

In 2007, Barber carried the ball 160 of 204 times outside the opponent's 20-yard line. In those carries, he averaged a whopping 5.3 yards per carry. That includes a crazy 8.5 yards-per-carry on 44 attempts between the 40s. So obviously, he can be trusted upon to carry the ball anywhere on the field.

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Lot D Fantasy Football League
I still have spots left to play in my Lot D Fantasy Football league.  Email me if you're interested in playing!

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Ronnie Brown hurt, but should be okay
Brown, who suffered a sprained right thumb in Saturday's exhibition game, is "day to day," the Palm Beach Post reports. Brown, who was wearing a hard cast on his right hand/arm Monday, did not participate in practice, but he had his helmet on, and was seen doing speed and conditioning drills with a coach in the far end zone.

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As for drafting Chad Johnson....draft as planned
Johnson, who was at Paul Brown Stadium Monday to treat his sprained shoulder, believes that he'll be ready to play in the Bengals' Sept. 7 regular-season opener in Baltimore. Basically, Johnson's shoulder popped out and then back in Sunday, an injury that many players tough out, though some opt for surgery. For now, the Bengals plan to treat Johnson's wing conservatively and see how it responds.

Despite the anemic look to the Bengals offense in the first couple of preseason games, I don't think most fantasy owners have planned on selecting Ocho Cinco in the first few rounds anyway. If he's available in rounds 4 or 5...I'd still take him....as long as you have another solid number 1.

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Peyton Manning might not be ready for week 1....have a backup plan
Tony Dungy has acknowledged that Manning (knee) may not be ready to play in Indianapolis' season opener, SI.com reports. Sports Illustrated's Peter King lists the possibility of Manning not being ready for Week 1 at 30-35 percent. While it's still a safer bet to say that Manning will be able to play than to say that he won't, Manning's availability for Sept. 7 doesn't look to be quite as sure of a thing as it was originally thought to be.

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Roy Williams might be a good 3rd WR
Williams' counterpart, Calvin Johnson, stole the show with three grabs for 76 yards and a touchdown. Johnson's improved play can only help Williams' value, as it will mean fewer and fewer double teams that the veteran will face throughout the season. These two could put up some special numbers if they can remain healthy, and Detroit can have some semblance of balance on offense.

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This year's Derek Anderson?
CBS Sports
Chris Redman, Atlanta: Redman was another quality addition for Fantasy owners at the end of last season when he passed for 1,070 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in the final five games. This year, he's expected to be the No. 2 quarterback for the Falcons behind rookie Matt Ryan.Ryan is talented, but he might not last the whole season as the starter. That could open the door for Redman, who would be a decent Fantasy option if he can play like he did last year. With Roddy White he has a standout receiver, and Redman showed he has skills to help Fantasy owners down the stretch.

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Re-adjusting your RB approach
CBS Sports
This year, four Top 75 Fantasy Football players (and three in the Top 30) make the list of players who carry some excess baggage with them into the 2008 season. What must a Fantasy owner be prepared for if they are going to consider one of these guys? Are they still worth drafting? That's what you need to decide.

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Schedule Management
Two words that can make or break your fantasy season. Seemingly good choices might actually hurt your chances for success based on matchups and management. SI.com's Scott Engel wrote a great piece on how to successfully manage your fantasy schedule.

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The most overlooked stat in fantasy football
SI.com
I've harped on this before. But the No. 1 most overlooked stat in fantasy football is the number of Targets (both total and per-game), as in the amount of times a receiver, running back or tight end has the ball thrown his way. But those days are done -- as long as I have a say. SI.com presents a list of the top-10 receivers from 2007 with the best combination of Targets and Receiving Yards. Basically, we're talking about guys with minimums of 148 yearly targets (at least nine per game) and 1,100 receiving yards.

Randy Moss, Patriots (159 Targets, 1,493 yards)
Chad Johnson, Bengals (161 Targets, 1,440 yards)
Brandon Marshall, Broncos (170 Targets, 1,325 yards)
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (166 Targets, 1,409 yards)
Reggie Wayne, Colts (156 & 1,510)
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals (169 & 1,143)
Braylon Edwards, Browns (153 & 1,289)
Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (154 & 1,172)
Torry Holt, Rams (149 & 1,189)
Kellen Winslow, Browns (148 & 1,106)

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Monday's Sleeper Pick
Zach Miller, TE - Oakland
It was only one game, but it might be a telling one. In JaMarcus Russell's only start last season, the Raiders QB hit fellow rookie Miller for 84 yards on eight catches. With the Raiders expected to take advantage of Russell's arm this year, along with a deep and talented running game to balance it out, Miller figures to be the safe short-area target for the Raiders to lean on. He began to fulfill that role last year -- 24 of his 44 catches were for first downs. He should be just productive enough to be a low-end No. 1/top-end No. 2 Fantasy tight end.

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Larry Johnson over the hill?
ESPN
So where does this leave Johnson and his fantasy value? ESPN live draft results have him going 14th overall on average, good for 10th among running backs. He has slid roughly 10 spots since 2007, landing anywhere from the late first round to the middle of the second, still a significant investment for fantasy managers to consider. Questions from last summer linger. Can Johnson return to his dominant, ultra-productive ways? Or did the extreme reliance on his frame those two seasons burn him out for good, much like Okoye's tank quickly was emptied by an intense, albeit prolific, stretch? Most indicators seem to suggest the latter. Johnson's yards per carry have dipped markedly from year to year, from a brilliant 5.2 in '05 to 4.3 in '06 to a pedestrian 3.5 in '07. Even his yards per catch dropped significantly over this period, from 10.4 to 10 to just 6.2 in '07.

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