5 Players Who Will Be Fantasy Studs in 2009

It's Sunday morning and you are watching NFL Countdown on ESPN. You turn on your computer, and head to your fantasy football team. We all do this on Sundays, and it has become a tradition among NFL fans. As fans, we understand that the closest thing to actually playing in the NFL is to manage a fantasy football team. We wait all offseason for our fantasy drafts, and once the season starts, we pray that our team will not be a bust like Ryan Leaf. The most important part in a fantasy league is drafting the "studs" that will carry your team to the championship. So who will be the fantasy football studs of 2009? The NFL Corner has the answer.

5. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears, RB. The addition of QB Jay Cutler will have a huge impact on Forte. Last season, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and had 8 TD's, and this was only his rookie season. With more experiance going into 2009, Forte will easily rush for over 1,500 yards, and he should be a lock for double digit touchdowns.

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals, WR. If there was to be a WR drafted in the first round, he would be that guy. Fitzgerald finished the 2008 season on fire, and if he can continue to play with the same passion he did last season, Fitzgerald will easily surpass his incredible stats he had last season.

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots, QB. Yes, we know that he can play the game, but coming off of season ending surgery, he will need to show us that he is back in his previous playing condition. If Brady shows that he can play as effectively as before, watch out in 2009 for Brady to continue his legacy, and also expect WR Randy Moss to have a bounce back season with Brady at the helm.

2. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers, RB. He had his breakout season last year, and he should continue his dominance in 2009. The Panthers will be contenders in the NFC South, and when the Panthers need to make that push in their division, Williams will be the general leading the rush.

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, RB. A.P is the most complete player in the NFL, and fantasy owners pray to have the first pick to lock him up. If the Vikings can sway Brett Favre out of retirement ( which doesn't take much ), Peterson will see more running lanes and more space to work with, which will be wonderful for his fantasy owners.

Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson?

It seems that every year there is one team that has a battle for the starting quarterback position. This year, the Cleveland Browns have a heated battle between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. Last year, Derek Anderson started 9 games last season, passing for 1,615 yards and 9 touchdowns. Brady Quinn threw for 518 yards and 2 touchdowns in limited action. So who will be the Browns' opening day starter?

Why Derek Anderson should start?

Anderson has more experiance than Quinn does, and he had a successful 2007 season for the Browns. He will not make defenses cringe, but he has shown the ability to hit the open man and he does make smart decisions in the pocket.

Why Brady Quinn should start?

The Cleveland Browns are in a rebuilding stage, and Quinn presents the future for the organization. Brady Quinn can stretch the field and he also has more mobilty than Derek Anderson does.

Who will win the QB battle?

In my opinion, Brady Quinn will win the battle. The Browns' fans are hoping for Quinn to be the starter because of his youth and his passion for the game. Brady Quinn will not put up fantastic stats in 2009, due to the fact that Cleveland does not have great wideouts and the offensive line struggles at time, but Quinn will grow as a QB over time, and he will eventually be a legit starter in the NFL.

The Rising Stars In The NFL

Every NFL season brings the fans great excitement, and the biggest moments come when surprising players have breakout seasons. Last season, we saw the emergence of Michael Turner, who was stuck behind LaDanian Tomlinson in San Diego. The Falcons halfback made a huge step to stardom, capping off his season with a trip to Hawaii. So who will be this year's Michael Turner? The NFL Corner brings you, " The Top 5 Rising Stars in 2009".

5. Steve Smith, New York Giants, WR. Without Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, Smith will get many more touches, and should be able to put up great numbers in the Big Apple. Look for him to start off strong this season.

4. Orlando Scandrick, Dallas Cowboys, CB. In his second year, Scandrick has a great shot at starting in the secondary. He is great on man-to-man defense, and also excels on special teams, as he was tied for first on the team with 10 tackles on special teams.

3. Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams, WR. Avery had a decent rookie campaign last season for the Rams. This season should present Avery with more chances with Torry Holt now in Jacksonville, and also that he has the best set of hands on the team.

2. Jerome Harrison, Cleveland Browns, RB. The Browns will need to find someone who can make plays if they want to make the playoffs, and Harrison will be given the chance to show his skills. With Jamal Lewis aging, Harrison should see more carries than he has in all of his 3 seasons.

1. Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts, WR. This will be Gonzalez's breakout season because of Marvin Harrison's departure and that he has arguably the best quarterback in the game today, Peyton Manning.

The New Man In Philly

The season hasn't even started yet, and the Eagles are faced with another injury to star halfback, Brian Westbrook. The Villanova alum has been one of the biggest threats in the league while with the Eagles. But Westbrook has struggled to stay healthy, and he will now be getting surgery on his right ankle during the offseason. The Birds hope that Westbrook will be healthy by training camp, and ready to make an impact on the Eagles' upcoming season.

Westbrook's Injury Problem

2002 - Missed 5 games (Ankle)
2003 - Missed 6 games (Knee/Ankle)

2004 - Missed 5 games (Rib)

2005 - Missed 3 games (Foot)
2006 - Missed 14 games (Knee)

2007 - Missed 11 games (Knee)

2008 - Missed 13 games (Ankle/Knee)

Who is LeSean McCoy?

The 2nd round draft pick out of Pittsburgh appears to be the successor of Brian Westbrook. With Westbrook possibly missing their upcoming training camp, McCoy will get his shot to shine with the first team and prove that he can play on Sundays. In college, McCoy showed a mixture of power and speed that kept opposing defenses on their heels all throughout his career. Before last season, Andy Reid was never known for starting rookies, especially offensively, but after DeSean Jackson's successful rookie campaign, LeSean McCoy may get to play ( or start ) early on in the season.

The Dolphins New Look Offense

Yes, we all have witnessed the Wildcat formation atleast once this season, and the 2009 season will be no different. The Dolphins offense caused havoc among NFL defense's last season, but don't expect it to continue this season...or will it?

During the offseason, the Dolphins clearly showed that they were looking to expand upon the Wildcat formation. With the surprise pick of Pat White in the NFL Draft, the Dolphins now have another member of the Wildcat formation. With White's explosive speed, and his ability to make defenders miss, the Dolphins will look for White to take around 10-15 snaps a game out of the Wildcat formation.

Also, the Dolphins made another surprise pick in this year's draft, picking USC wideout Patrick Turner. The Dolphins made a huge risk picking Turner, especially since he did not perform well for the Trojans in 2008. So where does Turner fit in with the Wildcat formation? Look for Turner to be a receiving threat out of the Wildcat formation. With his 6-5 frame, Turner will have the size advantage over opposing cornerbacks, and he should be able to find openings in the secondary while Pat White scrambles around and buys time for the receivers.

The Wildcat will be at an all time high this season. Many teams around the league have incorporated the formation into their playbook, but the Miami Dolphins are still the king of the Wildcat. The Dolphins' speed and athleticism should overwhelm defenses in 2009, and with their key additions this offseason, the Wildcat should be as lethal as it was last season.

A Giant Problem For New York

The Super Bowl XLIII champions will need to find new offensive weapons if they want to make a run to play in Miami for the Lombardi Trophy. The Giants will be out without their star wideout, Plaxico Burress, along with long time Giant, Amani Toomer, and their big play halfback, Derrick Ward. The Giants had the number one rush offense last year, running for 157.4 yards per game, along with the 18th ranked passing game. The Giants will need to fill a giant gap at the receiver core, with both Burress and Toomer gone, and they will look for another big play halfback to take the pressure off of Brandon Jacobs. Here's how the Giants have attempted to reconstruct their offense so far in the offseason:

Offensive Additions

The Giants selected WR Hakeem Nicks with their first round pick. The 6-1 wideout started all 36 games he played in and had 21 career touchdowns at North Carolina. Nicks has the ability to be a big time threat with the Giants, but will not be able to fill the shoes of Plaxico Buress.

The New York Giants may have found the gem in the draft with WR Ramses Barden. The Cal Poly standout is a physical prescence on the field, and has the body frame of former Giant receiver, Plaxico Burress. Barden should make an impact in the red zone with his height, especially when he has a jump ball situation in the corner of the endzone.

The Giants also drafted TE Travis Beckum from Wisconsin. In 2008, Beckum struggled to stay healthy and suffered a season ending injury when he suffered a left fibula fracture. Look for Beckum to begin with the special teams unit, just as he did in his freshman year at Wisconsin.

What will the Giants Offense be like in 2009?

Expect the Giants to continue their dominance on the ground with the physicality of Brandon Jacobs and the speedy Ahmad Bradshaw to switch things up for the opposing defenses. The passing game will struggle in the beginning, but keep an eye out for former 2nd round pick, Steve Smith, to have a breakout season. Smith will need to have help from his fellow receivers, specifically Dominik Hixon and Mario Manningham. The rookie Hakeem Nicks should be able to provide the Giants with a reliable set of hands, and he will be a key receiver on third down conversions.