Fantasy Football Primer

Dry your tears, fans of fantasy. It's time to dust off those spiral notebooks (complete with cheesy, generic football images) and prepare for yet another year of mock-football mastery.

Gone are the steals and rotten deals of last season, as we spend the wee hours of every morning scouring stat projection comparisons between No. 3 receivers and sleeper rookie running backs, all for the sake of finding this year's best values.

So raise a glass to all those who risked a mid-rounder on Adrian Peterson or took a late-round flyer on Brandon Marshall ... and vow to put them in their place this season. Here are some basics to get you prepared to own your competition on draft day.

TOP 10 PICKS

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers - Has yet to give anyone a reason to dethrone him from the top spot.

2. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles - The focal point of his offense, his plentiful touches outweigh his minor injury risk.

3. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings - Incredible as a rookie, but beware the sophomore slump.

4. Joseph Addai, RB, Colts - Gets all the carries and plenty of catches; 15 total TDs last year despite missing all or part of six games.

5. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams - Holdout looms large, but when he hits the field, he'll rack up the points in both the running and passing game.

6. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins - Underrated last year, stayed healthy and is capable of posting multi-score games on a weekly basis.

7. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots - Don't expect a repeat performance, but 40 TDs and 4,000 yards are still worth grabbing in the latter half of the first round.

8. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots - If he even comes close to last year's numbers, he's head and shoulders above the rest of the WR field.

9. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers - Gore gets all the touches, albeit for an anemic offense. Could flourish under new offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

10. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys - His first year carrying the full load, though he will still lose carries to rookie Felix Jones. Will he score as often while getting 25-30 touches per game?

HOT: ROOKIE RBs

Ready To Start

These greenhorns are expected to get the bulk of the carries in their respective backfields, so look for them to be gone long before the rounds hit double-digits.

1. Matt Forte, Bears - Already running with the first-team offense, Forte shouldn't have a problem holding off injury-happy Kevin Jones.

2. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers - Effects of offseason toe surgery are a concern, but he'll have every opportunity to start over DeAngelo Williams.

3. Darren McFadden, Raiders - The game-breaking ability is there, as will be the touches. His offensive line is the only concern.

4. Kevin Smith, Lions - Has been running with the first team, and is the favorite to start over Tatum Bell.

Ready And Waiting

Despite not being shoo-ins to start, these rookie runners will get significant action and could prove to be good values.

1. Felix Jones, Cowboys - Marion Barber is the main man in Dallas, but Jones' explosive ability could provide some big plays against tired defenses.

2. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers - Should at least steal goal-line carries from Willie Parker, and would be a dangerous fantasy threat should Parker get injured.

3. Ray Rice, Ravens - Is having an impressive camp and should get a decent amount of touches. With Willis McGahee's knee problems continuing, look for Rice to carry the load.

NOT: ROOKIE WRs

While the RB spot is full of solid first-year fantasy possibilities, things are rather bleak when it comes to rookie receivers. However, there are a few who could be solid sleepers late in the draft.

1. James Hardy, Bills - His size makes him a viable threat in the red zone and he could benefit from opponent's constant focus on Lee Evans.

2. Donnie Avery, Rams - The first WR taken in April's NFL draft, Avery has blazing speed and could get a decent amount of looks for a rookie.

3. Devin Thomas/Malcolm Kelly, Redskins - Both will have an opportunity to contribute, but which one will rise above the other?

4. DeSean Jackson, Eagles - Lack of size is a concern, but his speed and ability to make things happen after the catch won't go unused by Donovan McNabb.

5. Limas Sweed, Steelers - Has the size to be a dangerous target in the red zone, and could be relied on regularly to move the chains.

SLEEPERS

1. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans - LenDale White played well last year, but the Titans didn't spend a first-rounder on this speedster to keep him on the bench. When White is done wearing down defenses, look for some big plays from Johnson.

2. Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints - Reportedly will see extensive action in arguably the league's best offense.

3. Andre Hall, RB, Broncos - With early sleeper favorite Ryan Torain's injury, Hall becomes the favorite to usurp Selvin Young as the starter in Denver's backfield.

BUYER BEWARE

These guys are projected to command early picks, but each has his own reason why selecting them early could start your season off on the wrong foot.

1. Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs - Already with injury concerns, not likely to stay healthy behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league.

2. Jamal Lewis, RB, Browns - Defied the myth of the plus-30-year-old RB last season. Don't count on a repeat performance.

3. Laurence Maroney, RB, Patriots - Burned owners last year with his lack of involvement in the offense. Be prepared for more of the same this year.

4. Willie Parker, RB, Steelers - Racked up yards, but only managed two scores on the ground. With first-round pick Mendenhall in the picture, look for Parker's numbers to take a serious hit.

5. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants - RB-by-committee is the word out of Giants country. Jacobs' knee problems from last season don't help matters, either.