Sophomore Outlook

In the college game coaches always say the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores. In many cases the same thing is true in the NFL. The 2008 NFL campaign seemed to be full of rookies making an impact. And that made a big difference in every fantasy football league in the nation. So which players will break out during their sophomore seasons and which will be in for the dreaded sophomore slump?

QB Joe Flacco, BAL (QB - #15)

Joe Flacco did do a fine job in 2008, leading what would have otherwise been an anemic offense to an 11-5 record. But Baltimore is winning games with their defense. The offense is there to not make mistakes and take time off the clock. You do not do that by throwing the ball all over the place. Flacco only threw 14 touchdown passes and he was intercepted 12 times. Those are not great numbers by any means. The Ravens did pick up offensive tackle Michael Oher in the first round of the NFL Draft, but Oher is known for his run blocking and the only reason the Ravens could get him with the 23^rd pick in the draft is because of his poor pass blocking abilities. Meanwhile receiver Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap are just a year older and it will be Willis McGahee who carries this team, not Joe Flacco.

QB Matt Ryan, ATL (QB - #9)

Many are not convinced that the Falcons' surprising 2008 campaign was not a fluke. Matt Ryan certainly deserves a ton of credit for turning the team around, but can he really do it again? The obvious answer is why not? The Falcons addressed their defensive needs in the NFL Draft and added tight end Tony Gonzalez. Roddy White and Michael Jenkins turned out to be quality receivers and now Ryan even has an outlet guy to pass to in Gonzalez. On paper, at least compared to last year, the Falcons and Ryan should be a playoff team in 2009. However, nobody is going to take Ryan or the team lightly this time around.

RB Matt Forte, CHI (RB - #20)

Matt Forte went from a practically unknown player at Tulane to a second round draft pick to a fantasy stud in less than a year. During his rookie campaign he carried the ball 316 times for 1,238 yards and eight touchdowns. Not only was he the Bears' top rusher, but he also led the team with 63 receptions, four of which resulted in trips to the end zone. Yet the Bears might not need Forte to rush over 300 times this season. That is because Chicago now has quarterback Jay Cutler. If the Bears' passing game gets moving, which is far more likely with Cutler than it was with Kyle Orton, Forte will not get as many carries. Still, Forte should be a top ten fantasy back and he has proven that he can get involved in the passing game too. Many rookies struggle playing a 16 game schedule, but that is not an issue for Forte and he should be just as involved and productive as he was last year.

RB Chris Johnson, TEN (RB - #1)

There are rumors around that Tennessee is about to take a giant leap backwards following their 13-3 season. The locker room morale appears to be low (thanks to quarterback Vince Young) and the there are some shake-ups on the field as well. The speedy Johnson certainly had a great rookie year, but LenDale White is still on the team and will take away a lot of the carries. The Titans also might look to the air a little more often with quarterback Kerry Collins since they actually used a first round pick to select wide receiver Kenny Britt. Johnson is certainly raising his standards saying he wants to lead the league in rushing and win the MVP, but that is easier said than done.

RB Darren McFadden, OAK (RB - #21)

Darren McFadden is not even listed as the top running back on Oakland's depth chart. That job still belongs to Justin Fargas. McFadden is definitely the rusher of the future, but when is that future going to come? The Raiders have been so bad lately that they are often behind in games and are forced to pass to try and catch up. That just might work now that JaMarcus Russell has Darrius Heyward-Bey to throw the ball to. However, the Raiders would like to have a nice balanced offense and that is very feasible with McFadden carrying the load. He is a risky fantasy selection, but one of these days McFadden will get more carries than Fargas and the Raiders will not be behind every game.