predicate.

As ever, there are two things to keep in mind when reading through this analysis:

1) It's just my opinion. I could be wrong. I probably am.

2) Nobody knows ANYTHING until Week 2.

Draft Position 1: Arcane Nitehawkez (ARNH)
Managed by Arcane_NH
QB: Excellent
RB: Very Good
WR/TE: Average
K: Average
DEF: Below Average
BENCH: Above Average
Summary: Grabbing LaDanian Tomlinson with the #1 pick would seem like a ticket to an "Excellent" rating on RBs, but it's actually the QB position that is most solid on this team, featuring three bona fide starters, two of whom ranked in the top 10 last season. Backing up Fantasy Jesus at halfback are an unproven rookie and two "supplemental" backs that are unlikely to see too many carries, but if LDT returns to his 2006 form this season, that is likely to be moot. The D/ST position is this squad's weakness, although drafting two of them should provide some trade value later in the season.

Draft Position 2: Beachtown Dummies (NOTU)
Managed by notyou
QB: Average
RB: Very Bad
WR/TE: Excellent
K: Very Bad
DEF: Above Average
BENCH: Bad
Summary: Notyou's inadvertant selection of the other Adrian Peterson (career backup in Chicago) with the #2 pick surely rivals Cy_Guy's grab of Drew Bledsoe with the #1 pick two years ago as worst draft blunder ever. As a result, his backfield is a disaster, featuring a grand total of zero starting RBs, one of whom has already been cut by his team. But this squad is a powerhouse at the WR and TE positions, scoring four in the top 15 including such household names as Chad Ocho Cinco (née Johnson) and Torry Holt. Since our league is more generous to the WR position than some, this may not be as bad a start as it seems, and if nothing else offers some good trade potential. But David Akers is past his prime as a kicker, and without another option on the bench notyou can't expect much from the position this season.

Draft Position 3: Fargo Arborists (GOOG)
Co-managed by resplendentoops and eaton
QB: Excellent
RB: Below Average
WR/TE: Craptacular
K: Average
DEF: Good
BENCH: Below Average
Summary: Rookie managers resplendentoops and eaton made a solid first pick with Peyton Manning at QB, and also scored two defenses with good reputations. There's not much help at the other skill positions, though, with one WR already cut from his team and a RB corps that looks to be of little value until and unless injuries thin the ranks at that position later in the season. Though the numbers rank him lower, Josh Scobee is a solid kicker who plays on an offense that gives him a lot of opportunities for long field goals, so he may be a better option than Adam Vinatieri, who seems to be in a decline and whose offense generates more 1-point than 3-point tries.

Draft Position 4: Army of Darkness (JERK)
Managed by dr_jerkface
QB: Very Good
RB: Excellent
WR/TE: Below Average
K: Very Good
DEF: Very Bad
BENCH: Good
Summary: The scariest all-around team so far, the Army of Darkness is loaded for bear at RB, being the beneficiary of notyou's draft blunder two picks ago and drafting THE Adrian Peterson from Minnesota. Two more starters and capable committee-member Justin Fargas from Oakland can only help. The bench is also a plus, with a steady backup QB that might even be the starter by the time Week 5 rolls around, plus a top-10 kicker. The WR slot suffered a little, but all four players are at least proven and suffer mainly from being on teams that don't use them very well. The D/ST position is the only obvious weak spot.

Draft Position 5: Oak Ridge Trinities (BOOM)
Managed by stankow
QB: Craptacular
RB: Very Good
WR/TE: Good
K: Excellent
DEF: Very Good
BENCH: Good
Summary: Aside from not selecting a starting QB, this was a fine draft for stankow, with at least one top-20 performer at every other position. Brian Westbrook is viewed by some as the stud of the season, and in a league like ours that rewards backs with good hands, he can carry this team a long way. His injury history is the only real concern, and backed up by an exciting rookie and two power runners, he can probably afford to miss a couple weeks without slowing the Trinities down. Two kickers and two D/STs, all of them top-10 prospects, load up the bench for a squad that's sure to go places if they can get somebody under center.

Draft Position 6: Chicago Rhyparographers (GEHR)
Managed by KingDead
QB: Average
RB: Average
WR/TE: Very Good
K: Very Good
DEF: Excellent
BENCH: Above Average
Summary: Another receiver-centered team, KingDead gathered some Moss in the draft (both Randy and Santana) along with two TEs who are probably better than their rating. Robbie Gould and the Chargers D/ST should also be point-producers down the stretch, as the Chargers are ball-hawkers and have a kick returner that can take it to the house; while Gould is an accurate kicker on a low-voltage offense, which generally translates into several long FG attempts per game.

Draft Position 7: Great Lakes Steamers (GRLK)
Managed by Josh P.
QB: Very Good
RB: Above Average
WR/TE: Very Good
K: Average
DEF: Average
BENCH: Average
Summary: Josh drafted himself a pretty balanced team from the #7 position, with the pass-catching crew evenly divided between the Patriots and the Pack, and Dallas Clark and Ronald Curry rounding them out. Drew Brees had a slow start at QB last year, but still has plenty of weapons around him to help him get back to Pro Bowl form. Marion Barber should be a stud at RB, but after that the position gets pretty thin, with Ahman Green's injury history lowering his value a bit, although he is projected as a starter. The other backs have only situational value at best.

Draft Position 8: The Hooligans (TOOL)
Managed by Irish
QB: Craptacular
RB: Good
WR/TE: Good
K: Excellent
DEF: Very Good
BENCH: Above Average
Summary: Another unfortunate manager who didn't manage to snag a starting QB, Irish did pretty well at the other skill positions, with Joseph Addai at RB probably being the workhorse down the line. A couple of highly-touted rookies, Kevin Smith in Detroit and Jonathan Stewart in Carolina, will also have the chance to shine at RB and could provide some good value. Ex-Seahawk Josh Brown made a move to St. Louis and will now be kicking under the dome for half the season, which often adds 5 yards to a kicker's range; Rob Bironas of the Titans has been a stud at PK for the past few seasons as well. With a quick trade to secure a QB, this will not be a team to sleep on.

Draft Position 9: Ghost Of Roger Staubach (SQRC)
Managed by squorch
QB: Below Average
RB: Average
WR/TE: Very Good
K: Above Average
DEF: Below Average
BENCH: Average
Summary: Squorch's triumphant return to Pigskin will be relying on a team that looks to be about average -- no surprise from a draft position about halfway down the line. Many fantasy analysts remain high on RB Steven Jackson, but your humble Commish is not one of them, as the Rams' still-shaky OL remains a huge drag on his performance and makes him an injury risk. (The same applies to the #2 RB, Edgerrin James, if you swap in "Cardinals" for "Rams.") The Ghost does boast a full stable of solid WRs and TEs, led by Marques Colston. At QB, a lot rests on how Jake Delhomme has recovered from Tommy John surgery -- untested waters for a star QB pretty much have to lower his value until he shows us something.

Draft Position 10: Edgewater Fustigators (ALTE)
Managed by wurd
QB: Excellent
RB: Bad
WR/TE: Good
K: Good
DEF: Craptacular
BENCH: Below Average
Summary: Showing the football savvy that's led him to the playoffs in his first two fantasy seasons, wurd wasted no time snapping up QB Tom Brady, who fell all the way to 10th and was not even the first QB drafted in our league. That's the good news. The bad news is that the only RB on his roster likely to get more than 8 carries a game is rookie Matt Forte, who looks to be a significant upgrade over Cedric Benson but is playing behind a Bears offensive line that has looked like crap against 1st-team defenses in preseason. And the awful Miami D/ST unit may even cost him points this year now that yardage allowed is being factored in. One bright spot: if the Fustigators can hang in there during the early part of the season, their WR corps should only get stronger as Steve Smith returns from a suspension and Bobby Engram recovers from a shoulder injury.

Draft Position 11: Los Tastiks (TAST)
Managed by Acefantastik
QB: Excellent
RB: Very Bad
WR/TE: Bad
K: Excellent
DEF: Excellent
BENCH: Very Good
Summary: One only needs to look at the ratings to see how Ace arranged his draft picks this season: QBs, D/STs, and Ks in the first six rounds. Tony Romo and the Patriots D/ST are a good place to start, and Los Tastiks probably boast the best bench in the league with legitimate starters in reserve at those three positions. But with no starting RBs and Houston's Kevin Walter as their stud WR, it's tough to see how this team makes the playoffs without trading away some of that depth down the line.

Draft Position 12: Grim And Frostbitten (GRIM)
Managed by Brandon B.
QB: Average
RB: Good
WR/TE: Average
K: Good
DEF: Average
BENCH: Bad
Summary: Brandon did well enough for his draft position, at least in the early rounds. Earnest Graham at RB was a pleasant surprise for the Bucs last season and should be a decent producer again. QB Jay Cutler is another player that your Commish is not sold on, but the numbers put him in the top third at his position and he's also mobile enough to take advantage of our league's generous premium for rushing QBs. The WR position should be rated better than "Average" considering the presence of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but bad luck secured G&F one wideout that got cut from the Pats this weekend and another that wound up on IR after an injury sustained in the final preseason game. Todd Heap and Shaun McDonald will help to steady it, but some depth at this position is almost always essential to a successful season.

Draft Position 13: The Headbangers (BANG)
Managed by Ajax
QB: Below Average
RB: Very Good
WR/TE: Bad
K: Bad
DEF: Good
BENCH: Very Bad
Summary: The defending champs may have jumped six places in the draft order from last year, but this sure didn't translate into a jump in quality. Other than the RB position which features four top-30 players led by Frank Gore, and the Colts D/ST which is capable of lights-out play when SS Bob Sanders is healthy, The Headbangers are a troubled squad from Day 1. QB Aaron Rodgers has looked pretty fair in preseason but is a big question mark as the heir to Brett Favre; Ajax also drafted a WR that got cut and James Jones, who will be out with an injury for several weeks to start the season and is only the #3 in Green Bay anyway. Three useless backup TEs, demoted QB Rex Grossman (who shares Rodgers' bye week even if he were to regain the starting job), and the anemic New Orleans D/ST round out a draft that looks to represent karmic punishment of some kind.

Draft Position 14: The Pantywaists (DUDE)
Managed by mule
QB: Below Average
RB: Bad
WR/TE: Very Good
K: Average
DEF: Average
BENCH: Very Bad
Summary: The strength of this team is in its WR corps, led by Larry Fitzgerald and Roy Williams. Jason Witten is a stud TE that should also contribute plenty of points. But the backfield is a mess, as mule selected "free agent" RB Shaun Alexander and a Houston RB that was just placed on IR to back up Clinton Portis. Portis has had some good seasons, but just can't make up for that much empty space on the starting roster. Mark Bulger is also capable of better than "Below Average" play, but the Rams have not been able to protect him lately and he's a pure pocket passer in the classic mold. Mule's best bet is to trade away QB Chad Pennington or some of his WR depth to acquire some RB help -- waiting for Alexander to get signed is probably a mug's game at this point.

Draft Position 15: Pacific Coast Pirates (PCP)
Managed by cdseiler
QB: Above Average
RB: Above Average
WR/TE: Good
K: Bad
DEF: Craptacular
BENCH: Above Average
Summary: Colin has another squad with a lot of upside this season, featuring proven producers at QB, RB and WR. Donovan McNabb's injury history is worrisome and Philly's WR corps even more so, but Marshawn Lynch at RB and a group of wide-outs that have more talent than name recognition should alleviate some of those concerns. Despite no backup D/ST or K, the presence of two starting QBs and some RBs that are likely to get some carries this season on the bench gives the Pirates plenty of trade ammo and reason to be pleased with their draft.

Draft Position 16: Amherst The Show (jbou)
Managed by jbou
QB: Craptacular
RB: Average
WR/TE: Good
K: Below Average
DEF: Below Average
BENCH: Bad
Summary: Another manager victimized by the uncontrollable, jbou's RB ranks took a major hit when Cincinnati parted ways with Rudi Johnson in a surprise move. He also managed to draft 3 QBs, not one of which is a starter. But on the bright side, RB Larry Johnson and TE Tony Gonzalez ensure that any TDs scored by the Chiefs this year will likely score points for the pride of Amherst. The WR ranks are also flush, with Braylon Edwards and the tempermental Antonio Bryant as the standouts, plus two Denver Broncos with good pedigrees from other squads. But the big Show still needs to make a trade to get somebody under center unless something happens to Derek Anderson or Matt Ryan, and soon.

Draft Position 17: The Iron Yuppies (PFOX)
Managed by patientfox
QB: Good
RB: Average
WR/TE: Good
K: Bad
DEF: Bad
BENCH: Average
Summary: Our resident Seattle homer managed to grab QB Matt Hasselbeck again this season, but had to settle for 3rd-string Seahawk T.J. Duckett at RB. So-so RB LenDale White and a couple of time-sharers leave patientfox with nothing special on the ground, but speedy WRs Terrell Owens, Anquan Boldin and Joey Galloway should make some waves through the air. The lack of a backup D/ST or K on the bench are made up for by two other starters at QB, which create the opportunity to pry loose an upgrade at either position through a trade with someone less fortunate. A good draft overall for the team that knocked The Smashinators out of the playoffs last season.

Draft Position 18: The Defenestrators (DFEN)
Managed by letsgomiah
QB: Below Average
RB: Good
WR/TE: Below Average
K: Very Bad
DEF: Bad
BENCH: Very Bad
Summary: Miah and his Defenestrators haven't even smelled the playoffs in several years, and drafts like this one are most of the reason. The one kicker on his roster has not yet been named the starter, and QB Matt Schaub still has to dodge tacklers behind the Texans' porous (but improving) offensive line. The RB position is fairly solid with Jamal Lewis and the surprising Ryan Grant, but rookie Felix Jones is unlikely to see much action unless Marion Barber falls to injury. Kellen Winslow looked like a stud TE last season, but the Defenestrators own two Baltimore WRs, aging possession receiver Isaac Bruce, and Greg Jennings, who played well last season but whose value ultimately depends on how Aaron Rodgers holds up. No backup kicker or D/ST, nor any QBs expected to get much playing time makes the bench awfully thin to boot.

Draft Position 19: Beefalo Balls (BEEF)
Managed by Cy_Guy
QB: Above Average
RB: Good
WR/TE: Below Average
K: Average
DEF: Bad
BENCH: Bad
Summary: The Buffalo homers had a surprisingly decent draft from the 19th position. They secured WRs Lee Evans and James Hardy, a rookie who had a fine preseason; throw in the Bills D/ST, second-string RB Fred Jackson and both Buffalo QBs, and you have a team that, typically for Cy_Guy, will be dead meat when the Bills have their bye week 6. However, this year he did lay in some insurance, grabbing QB Eli Manning, WR Devin Hester (whose kick return duties add significant value) and RBs Willie Parker and Maurice Jones-Drew. If the Bills have the year that fans are hoping for, this team might even be a playoff contender -- and at very least should finish better than last year's cellar-dwellers.

Draft Position 20: Baystate Wicked Cheatahs (CHEA)
Managed by bitterpants
QB: Bad
RB: Above Average
WR/TE: Very Good
K: Bad
DEF: Good
BENCH: Good
Summary: Rounding us out are bitterpants and his Baystate Wicked Cheatahs, who made the most of the #20 position by laying in some solid producers at the skill positions, especially WR. Reggie Wayne has become Peyton Manning's favorite target, and Chris Chambers should make some noise in San Diego as well now that he's had a year to adjust to the new system. Brandon Marshall should also be a good producer when he finishes his 1-game suspension. Two respectable D/ST units and some good bets at RB will help make up for the inconsistent Tarvaris Jackson at QB -- and the Baystaters also have the option of switching to J.T. O'Sullivan or Brodie Croyle to exploit a tempting matchup if necessary, or trading for a better kicker.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. At least until Week 2. Thanks for reading this far! ;)

--- Ajax.