Anthony Maggio spent two years as an associate editor at Fanball, one of the earlier fantasy sports sites on the Internet. He has moved on from there but he’s still a freelance writer, covering both real and fantasy sports, the latter for FFChamps.com. You can read the rest of his writing at the blog puntingbaxter.wordpress.com, where he also provides additional fantasy sports analysis – including some kick ass team defense rankings.

There’s a strong possibility – talks are underway – that Maggio may team up with the proprietors of Zoneblitz to share some fantasy football thoughts via various technological means during the upcoming season. For now he has agreed to answer some questions. His answers are below.

Zoneblitz: With Tomlinson’s tough season last year, how do you rank the top of the draft? Is it Adrian Peterson without question or are there others you could consider with the top pick?

Maggio:  I think that Peterson is the only back that belongs in the discussion for the top pick regardless of scoring system. That said, a strong PPR league could have guys like Matt Forte and Maurice Jones-Drew in the conversation. A touchdown-heavy league gets Michael Turner in the mix. Keeper and dynasty league, depending again on scoring system, could thrust Larry Fitzgerald in the conversation as well. As for Tomlinson, the drop in carries, touchdowns and yards per game each of the last two seasons is worrisome and he’s definitely not in the conversation for a top three pick, but I think he’s got one more season as a No. 1 fantasy back left in him.


Zoneblitz: Speaking of Tomlinson, where do you think he should go?

Maggio:  Well, PPR formats certainly help his value, but the guys in front of him on normal cheat sheets are mostly solid pass-catchers as well so he doesn’t get a bump in terms of where he’s selected. In mock drafts I’ve been in he has gone mostly early in the second round, but I would probably wait until round three or so for a dynasty league draft.

Zoneblitz: What other players at QB, RB, WR/TE do you see as potential under-the-radar guys who could really bust out with big fantasy seasons?

Maggio:  Starting at QB, my under-the-radar guys are Matt Hasselbeck and Carson Palmer. Hasselbeck is by all accounts healthy, now has T.J. Houshmandzadeh to throw to, plus a corps of receivers who should be back to full health. Palmer lost Housh this offseason, but Laveranues Coles, Chris Henry and Jerome Simpson give him plenty of options for his now healthy elbow. I also like Matt Schaub to outperform his general cheat sheet position.

Running backs I like include Marion Barber and Ronnie Brown. Barber is getting knocked a bit because of a timeshare situation, but he was at his best sharing the load with Julius Jones, so should be fresher with Felix Jones helping him out. Brown, meanwhile, should get even more carries this season as the Dolphins phase out the aging Ricky Williams.

The wide receiver position doesn’t have a ton of big sleepers in my book this season, but a couple undervalued guys include Coles and Donnie Avery and Patrick Crayton.

I am not very original at the tight end spot when I say Greg Olsen, who will be catching passes from Jay Cutler in Chicago this season. If you’re looking for someone way down the list, Anthony Fasano is intriguing because of his red zone presence and the fact that he’s in a contract year as his quarterback Chad Pennington.

Zoneblitz: Who do you see at those same positions being potential busts this season?

Maggio:  I think Aaron Rodgers is good, but is getting a little too much preseason hype. Staying in the division, I think Jay Cutler is going to have a tough time adjusting to such a downgrade in targets.

The biggest name I’m worried about at running back is DeAngelo Williams. He’ll still put up respectable numbers, but I think the timeshare with Jonathan Stewart will keep him from repeating anything resembling his second half from a year ago. I also worry about Thomas Jones with the emergence of Leon Washington and the addition of Shonn Greene, not to mention that defenses will force the Jets to pass more due to the quarterback situation.

At wide receiver, I worry about Terrell Owens getting the touches he wants and the production that will result from it. I also think DeSean Jackson will have trouble taking the expected next step forward if Jeremy Maclin can adjust to the NFL speed right away.

My tight end bust is Visanthe Shiancoe, who I think will suffer from Percy Harvin’s addition in the running and passing game.

Zoneblitz: Last year Paul Charchian explained to Zoneblitz readers his “Do the Opposite” strategy. Do you buy into that or are you more of a traditional running back-running back drafter in early rounds, and why?

Maggio:  It honestly depends on the year. The thought process behind the strategy is solid, but it all depends on how many teams are in the league and how I set up my tiers. I won’t think twice about going receiver/receiver or receiver/quarterback in the first two rounds if I feel like the crop of running backs who will be available later will be useful, but if I believe in a running back a little lower on the totem pole who I don’t think will get back to me and the scoring system doesn’t dictate me going with another position, I don’t consider it a bad move to take that runner.

Zoneblitz: In most reasonably standard scoring formats when would be an appropriate time to look at drafting a wideout like Larry Fitzgerald?

Maggio:  In a PPR dynasty league, you can make a strong case for him being the first overall pick. In standard formats, he is a steal at the end of the first round of 12-team leagues and should probably be considered starting around pick No. 6

Zoneblitz: Are there any rookies you think can have an immediate fantasy impact?

Maggio:  I think a few of the rookie running backs, namely Chris Wells, Knowshon Moreno and LeSean McCoy will make some noise. I’m not as high on Michael Crabtree as some, but still think he’ll be useful this season. In deeper leagues, guys like Maclin, Percy Harvin and Brian Robiskie should also chip in.

Zoneblitz: Last year guys like DeAngelo Williams and LenDale White shined despite running-back-by-committee situations: Do you see Williams and White continuing to be strong plays or will second-year guys like Chris Johnson and Jonathan Stewart steal their thunder?

Maggio:  I expect Johnson to be the better fantasy producer between him and White. LenDale will still get the call at the stripe, but I’d always lean toward the playmaker who will get more touches. I still think that Williams outperforms Stewart this year, but Stewart should be healthier and earn more carries.

Zoneblitz: Perennial top wideouts like Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt and Terrell Owens have either moved on or moved out. Are any of them still valuable this year? And if not, Who replaces them as top WRs in fantasy drafts?

Maggio:  Harrison could be draftable depending on if/where he signs, and Holt should find his way onto rosters as a No. 3 or 4 WR. Owens I think is valuable as a No. 2, but I’d be slightly concerned with him as a No. 1. The top tier of wideouts includes Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson and Randy Moss. I like Moss the most in touchdown heavy leagues, but everywhere else I think its Fitzgerald, Andre, Moss and Calvin, in that order.

Zoneblitz: Do you have a pre-season Super Bowl pick?

Maggio:  If I were putting money down on it in Vegas, I’d probably bet the minimum on San Diego vs. New York Giants. Other teams I like include the Patriots, Ravens and Steelers in the AFC and the Falcons, Cardinals and Eagles in the NFC.