Being married hurts, but she's still great.

The Next Best

The dropoff between the elite and the next class isn’t as severe as some people like to tell you, but it’s still significant. You can get by with these guys as your RBs, or you can roll the dice on an elite QB or Calvin Johnson.

Chris Johnson – I know people who are avoiding CJ like the plague, and I don’t necessarily blame them. But I also think the guy is more than capable of having that bounce back year that some experts think he’s going to have. Compared to a lot of the alternatives (even a few of those below this) he’s worth a chance.

Darren McFadden – My gut LOVES McFadden this season and Totino’s Pizza Rolls. Two problems: he’s always injured and the Raiders look like doodie poops right now. But I think that has a lot to do with McFadden’s preservation for the regular season. If my instinct is correct, he could jump to elite status with a full season and no Michael Bush.

DeMarco Murray – People are really, really high on Murray and I get why, but I’m not in a hurry to take him in the first round. Second round, sure, and I know the difference seems negligible, but if I’m looking at him or Calvin Johnson, then my choice is pretty easy.

Matt Forte – I don’t know what to think of Forte this season. He’s happy that he got paid, and that Bears offense should be incredible now that Jay Cutler finally has some receivers, but the offensive line is always a question mark and now Michael Bush is there as part of this idea that Mike Tice has that he can create a system that cultivates two 1,000-yard rushers. I’d really just like to see Forte do his thing and be a poor man’s Marshall Faulk.

Marshawn Lynch – Lynch carried me to one championship last year and almost to another, as I nabbed him in late rounds and benefited from his hot streak. That said, he’s going early this year and I understand why, but – and I say this with so much appreciation for his performances last year – I’m not ready to trust him again. But his upside is better than most, I guess.

Adrian Peterson – I took Peterson with my 2/3 swing pick, which of course made my ulcer bubble a little, but the reward… oh man, the reward. I see it like this – he’s just an absolute freak, and he’s still only 26, so there’s no way he can be on a decline yet, despite that whole, you know, knee thing. Right? Please say right. Also, this video is shockingly accurate.