When you are drafting your fantasy football team, you’re picking running backs, receivers and quarterbacks first. Tight ends and kickers are usually taken in the mid-late rounds because their value isn’t as high, and, especially in the case of kickers, you can still get a decent one in the draft’s final round. Here is a look back at the 2008 leaders at the two positions and how we think those numbers will project to 2009:

TIGHT ENDS

1. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs—During a season in which he was kind of auditioning for other teams, Gonzalez had one of his best campaigns—96 catches for 1058 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those are, like, Torry Holt numbers. Gonzo is now with the Atlanta Falcons, where he should have the opportunity to put up similar numbers in 2009.

2. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers—Gates had a disappointing season overall, with zero 100 yard games. But he was hurt most of the year, so even when he played he was hobbling. Still, 704 yards and 8 scores is not too shabby. This season, Gates should top that by at least 50%.

3. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts—Clark was injured to start the 2008 season, but he really came on strong toward the end of it, just like his Colts team did. Clark owners were treated to a 12-catch, 142-yard, 1 TD game in week 15, and overall he finished with 77 catches for 848 yards and 6 touchdowns. There is no good reason to expect any less in ’09.

4. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings—Shiancoe made more headlines for inadvertently showing his bare ass on camera, but he finished the season with one huge game to pad his 2008 stats, too. That was in Week 16, known in the fantasy world as title week—so Shiancoe no doubt helped some of you win your league by catching 7 passes for 136 yards and 2 scores, giving him totals of 42-596-7 on the season. But dude is too streaky to consider drafting earlier than the 12th round or so.

5. Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins—Fasano was streaky but, like Shiancoe, he had a 2-TD game in Week 16, which boosted his season value. Fasano finished with 34 catches for 454 yards and 7 TDs, but I’d be surprised if he’s even drafted by 50% of you. I mean, Jason Witten didn’t even make this list due to being hurt most of ’08.

KICKERS

1. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots—The Patriots didn’t score as many TDs as they did in 2007 so Gostkowski only had 40 extra points as opposed to 74 the year before. That meant more field goal opps, and he converted 36 of 40 to lead all kickers with 148 points. He also had four field goals and five PATs in week 16 to help some win titles. With Tom Brady back, there is no reason to think Gostkowski’s numbers will dip much, but he may have more extra points in ’09.

2. David Akers, Philadelphia Eagles—He’s had a history of injuries, but when he’s in the lineup, Akers is one of the game’s most accurate kickers. Last season he had two 4-field goal games and three 3-field goal games. The Eagles are going to put points on the board, so Akers is draft material for sure.

3. John Carney, New York Giants—This was almost a fluke, as Carney had to fill in for the injured Lawrence Tynes. He did so well that he made the Pro Bowl, kicking 35 of 38 field goals and 38 of 38 on extra points. But with Tynes healthy, Carney is once again looking for work in ’09.

4. Matt Bryant, Tampa Bay Bucs—Bryant had to endure the death of his infant son a few games in, but he battled admirably. However, this is the Bucs we’re talking about, and they only allowed Bryant 36 PAT chances. Overall he had 32 of 38 field goals and 35 of the 36 extra points. But guys like Bryant are valuable because they play on teams that don’t score a lot of TDs, giving them more field goal chances. He should have similar numbers this season.

5. John Kasay, Carolina Panthers—Kasay had a 4-field goal game in week 1 and another in week 17, but only 20 field goals in the other 15 games. I’m just saying, I probably wouldn’t draft the guy.

Last week, the San Diego Chargers ended the LaDainian Tomlinson controversy by signing him to a new restructured three-year deal…or did they postpone an inevitable confrontation with their marquee star until next year.

Under the new terms of his contract, LT will receive $6.75 million as his base salary for next season, with a large roster-bonus payment being owed in March of 2010. At that time, the Chargers will have to decide if they want to pay him for another year of service.

Team President Dean Spanos played a large role in completing this contract agreement, as he couldn’t bear to see LT playing in another uniform this upcoming season. GM AJ Smith advised management that the team needed immediate salary cap relief in order to sign several key players (QB Philip Rivers, TE Antonio Gates, CB Antonio Cromartie) to future contracts, and felt they should zero in on Tomlinson’s contract.

Smith hoped to use his abrasive managerial style to negotiate a restructured deal with Tomlinson. In a newspaper article (click here to read), he mocked LT’s wishes to remain in San Diego. Spanos had to step in and remove Smith from the negotiating team in order to complete this deal. Tomlinson publicly thanked him for his role in smoothing out their relationship during the process and also for their personal friendship.

Tomlinson turns 30 this summer and is eager to prove his explosive running style has not left him just yet. Defensive coordinators from opposing teams would agree, as they still respect LT’s running ability enough to employ an eight-man front on first and second down last season. This allowed Rivers to blossom into an upper-echelon passer, as he exploited single coverage for over 4000 yards and 34 touchdowns last season. And Rivers did this without a legit # 1 receiver on the roster.

The reports of LT’s demise are a bit premature, as he has only missed one regular season game in his career. Unfortunately, Tomlinson’s last two post-seasons have been cut short due to injuries. The uncertainty of his health raised the question if he would continue his career as a Charger. But the alternative is unthinkable for Charger fans…in their minds, he belongs in San Diego forever.

The Indianapolis Colts have a lot going for them these days. They’ve won nine straight, will play the San Diego Chargers Saturday in the opening round of the NFL playoffs, and their starting quarterback just won his third career MVP award.

About the only thing working against the Colts, is the amount of injuries they’ve amassed over the past couple weeks, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The most notably injury is to strong safety Bob Sanders, whose knee continues to bother him. Tony Dungy says he expects Sanders to play Sunday, although it’s unclear at this point whether or not he’ll be slowed by the injury.

One player who won’t suit up is linebacker Gary Brackett, who missed the entire week of practice due to a fibula injury, and has missed the past four games. Defensive tackle Eric Foster, wideout Pierre Garcon, guards Jamey Richard and Mike Pollack, and defensive back Keiwan Ratliff are all listed as questionable.

Philip Rivers has been outstanding all season despite his top receiving weapon Antonio Gates missing time due to injury, as well as LaDainian Tomlinson having a rare down year. Point being, for as well as Manning has played over the second half of the season, the Chargers are more than equipped offensively to get into a shootout with the Colts.

Having a healthy Sanders in the defensive backfield is the key for Indy. He’s a game changer and he can erase mistakes in the blink of an eye. But if he can’t play, or is slowed by his knee injury, it’s no secret opponents have been able to run the ball effectively against the Colts’ defense. And if the Chargers can get LT and Darren Sproles rolling like they did against the Broncos in their division-clinching win in Week 17, there’s no reason to think that San Diego can’t pull away in the second half and force Manning and the Colts’ offense to be one-dimensional.

Before their 23-20 win over the Chargers on November 23 of this year, the Colts had lost their previous three games against San Diego, including a 28-24 playoff loss in Indianapolis last season. Every team struggles with certain opponents, and the Chargers could be the Colts’ thorn.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Colts’ injuries will affect their play on Saturday. One named not previously mentioned was Indy linebacker Freddy Keiaho, who is expected to play. If they can get a healthy Sanders in the mix, the Colts will be more than ready to take the Chargers best shot. But if Sanders and company can’t go, there’s a chance not even a three-time MVP will save them.

Jets 29 @ Chargers 48
LT2 was *supposed* to split touches with Darren Sproles, but when the lights were on, Tomlinson got 29 touches to Sproles’ seven. LT2 gained 87 total yards and scored twice…Sproles looked good gaining 77 yards on his seven touches…Phillip Rivers looked great once again, throwing for 250 yards, a TD and a pick. He’s really starting to look like an every week fantasy starter…Rivers spread the ball around to Vincent Jacskson (3-74), Craig Davis (3-43), Chris Chambers (1-27-1) and Antonio Gates (2-25-1). None of those guys had an outstanding game, which is what happens when the QB spreads it around…Brett Favre finished with good fantasy numbers (271 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT), but is still having regular miscommunication with his receivers. Still, Jerricho Cotchery (10-76), Laveranues Coles (6-75-1), Chansi Stuckey (6-42-1) and Dustin Keller (4-41-1) all had solid games. One thing’s for sure with Favre – if his team is behind early, he’s probably going to finish with a lot of yards and a few TD (along with a few picks)…Since the Jets trailed the entire game, Thomas Jones (12 touches, 54 yards) never really got it going.

Kansas vs. South Florida
Seeking a repeat of their 2007 season, Coach Mark Mangino leads the 13th-ranked Jayhawks into Miami’s Raymond James Stadium on Friday night, when they face-off against #19 South Florida. This will be the second meeting between the two schools, the other was in 2006, a 13-7 Jayhawk victory in Lawrence. (click here for Anthony Stalter’s game preview)

Ohio State vs. USC
This game is being billed as “The Collision at the Coliseum,” but the Jaws of Life might be needed to save the Buckeyes if they do not bring their “A” game to Los Angeles. The key to this matchup is for OSU’s offensive line to get physical with Southern Cal’s defensive front. If they do not win the battle at the line of scrimmage, it will not matter who is running the football for Ohio State (RB Chris “Beanie” Wells, ankle, is a game-time decision). Road wins against the Trojans are a scarce commodity in the Pete Carroll era, as they hold a 39-3 mark at the Coliseum. This contest will played on Saturday night in front of a nationally-televised audience on ABC at 8:00 PM EST.

Wisconsin vs. Fresno State
The Badgers will travel to Central Valley, California to play in the most important game in Bulldog football history. Fresno State dominated Rutgers in their season opener, but they will need a victory Saturday night to keep their hopes of a BCS bowl berth alive. Wisconsin just needs a win to stay in the national title hunt. Tune in Saturday night at 10:30 PM EST on ESPN2 for this pivotal non-conference game.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Brewers are trying to avoid another late-season collapse after coughing up an 8 ½ game lead in the NL Central last season. The Phillies will try to use this series as a springboard in getting back to the post-season. This is a key four-game series for both teams, with the Brewers three games ahead of the Phillies in the NL Wild Card race after losing the series opener last night 6-3 in Philadelphia.

San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
Too many injuries for the Chargers to overcome this week, with Shawne Merriman on the mend until 2009 and now LaDainan Tomlinson and Antonio Gates each nursing injured big toes. (But both are expected to play on Sunday.) The Broncos offense appeared to be in mid-season form in their opener on Monday night.. Were they that good or were the Raiders that dreadful? That question will not be answered for at least another month, but a victory in this game could go a long way in establishing the Broncos as an AFC contender. Check your local CBS affiliate to see if they are televising this game at 4:00 PM ET.

- According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates and Antonio Cromartie all missed practice Wednesday. All three are expected to play Sunday.

- The Colts cut DT Ed Johnson following a marijuana arrest. Johnson made the team last year as an undrafted free agent and played in all 16 games.

- Browns’ receiver Donte Stallworth didn’t practice Wednesday and might miss his second straight game due to a quadriceps injury.

- The Jets extended the contract of tight end Chris Baker. He received a three-year extension, which includes $12.2 million in “new money.”

- Texans’ running back Ahman Green is in a walking boot, which means rookie Steve Slaton will likely start this week against Baltimore.

- More bad news for the Patriots as receiver Randy Moss is dealing with a back injury and Tom Brady’s ACL surgery has been delayed 4-6 weeks.

- The Bucs will start Brian Griese at quarterback Sunday against the Falcons. Jeff Garcia is out with an ankle injury.

This is an addendum to the Fantasy Football Preview published on Bullz-Eye.com.

The tough thing about publishing fantasy football rankings in early August is that the game is fluid and things are continually changing as injuries occur, depth charts are modified and camp battles won. In an effort to keep our readers on top of things, here are several players that are rising or falling as the training camps progress.

RISING

Chris Johnson, RB, Titans
Johnson says that he wants to be rookie of the year, so the kid has high aspirations. He’s slated right now to the “lightning” to LenDale White’s “thunder,” but White has never been one of Jeff Fisher’s favorites, so the team might just give Johnson as big of a role as he can handle. I doubt he takes over the job, but it sure looks like a RBBC is forming in Nashville.

Chris Perry, RB, Bengals
Perry has been having a strong preseason and, given Rudi Johnson’s lingering injury problems, he has been tentatively given the starting job. This could be a motivational tactic aimed towards Rudi, and Perry has had injury issues of his own throughout his career, but right now he looks like a nice gamble in the late-middle rounds.

Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs
LJ has looked good thus far and seems to be back on track. The big question is if Brodie Croyle is capable of keeping opposing secondaries honest. With his foot looking like it’s completely healed, Johnson has become a solid pick in the early second round.

Phillip Rivers, QB, Chargers
Rivers reportedly looks terrific in camp and has improved his strength and reaction time. Now that Antonio Gates is back in action, Rivers has all of his weapons in place.

Ray Rice, RB, Ravens
Willis McGahee has a sore knee and his (lack of a) work ethic has him on the outs with the team. Rice has been a nice surprise in camp and could work his way into the starting role if the team decided to part ways with McGahee (or if he can’t go because of the knee). At the very least, he’s a must-handcuff for McGahee owners.

Wes Welker, WR, Patriots
That mysterious ailment that kept Welker out of practice turned out to be a groin injury. He says he’s 100%, so there’s no reason to think that he won’t be able to finish in the top 15 in PPR leagues. He’s a nice pick in the fourth round.

Ted Ginn, WR, Dolphins
Chad Pennington gives the team a bona fide NFL QB (though the team hasn’t given him the job yet), so look for Ginn and WR2 Derek Hagan to do a little better than we might have expected before the trade. Ginn is a second-year WR with a lot of talent, so he’s a breakout candidate and is an interesting pick once the rounds hit double digits.

Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins
Williams has looked so good thus far that there were actually rumors that the team was thinking about moving the oft-injured Ronnie Brown before the season. The coaching staff has squashed that rumor, but it does look like Williams has earned a bigger than average role for a backup RB, and should be one of the first backups selected on draft day. He might even begin the season as a starter.

Michael Turner, RB, Falcons
“The Burner” has looked great in the preseason and some folks are thinking that maybe the Falcons’ running game won’t be that bad. The fact that Atlanta is likely to be playing from behind a majority of the time is still a concern, but Turner looks like he’s ready for prime time. I’d be happy to take him in the fourth round.

Nate Burleson, WR, Seahawks
Somebody has to catch passes in Seattle, and right now Burleson is the best the Seahawks have. He’s been a fantasy tease for a few years now, but he’s an interesting pick in the late-middle rounds.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers
Stewart appears to be healthy and will get an opportunity to run with the first team in the Panthers’ next preseason game. The team is clearly down on DeAngelo Williams, so if Stewart can get his power game going, he may be the main back early in the season.

Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers
Gates has finally been cleared to return to practice, so he should be good to go for week 1. This news solidifies his standing in that top tier of TEs along with Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow.

Steve Slaton, RB, Texans
The feature back job in Houston is up for grabs, and Slaton has been the most impressive thus far in camp. Ahman Green is hurt and Chris Brown will probably assume the #1 role until he gets injured. Slaton is probably too small for full time duty in the NFL, but he could turn into a decent spot starter, which isn’t bad for a guy available late in fantasy drafts.

FALLING

Bobby Engram, WR, Seahawks
Engram has a shoulder injury that is going to keep him out until at least week 5. He has gone from a savvy pick in the 8th round, to a savvy pick in the 11th or 12th. Remember, he’s 35, so there’s no guarantee that he is going to heal quickly.

Peyton Manning, QB, Colts
Manning still is sidelined with a knee injury and the team is saying that they hope to have him back for the season opener. I wouldn’t get too worried about Peyton, but I wouldn’t take him in the second round either. Tony Romo and Drew Brees are safer bets right now at QB.

Rudi Johnson, RB, Bengals
Johnson has been battling a sore hamstring. As a result, he has lost his starting job and has gone from an interesting mid-round pick to a late round flier.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks
He lost Bobby Engram to injury and now he has a sore back. Hass is still worth a pick in the 8th or 9th, but I’d much rather have Jay Cutler or Donovan McNabb.

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins
Brown is recovering from knee surgery and now has an injured thumb. To make matters worse, Ricky Williams is looking good, so it seems like Brown could open the season as a backup. That makes his fourth-round ADP look ridiculous.

Willis McGahee, RB, Ravens
Head coach John Harbaugh says that McGahee is the starter when he’s ready to go, but the rumblings from Baltimore paint a bleaker picture. They say that McGahee’s poor work ethic has him in the doghouse and Ray Rice keeps vying for the starting job. I’d still grab McGahee in the fourth, but only after guys like Brandon Jacobs, Earnest Graham and Thomas Jones are off the board.

Chad Johnson, WR, Bengals
It’s all about the dislocated shoulder. The team says he’ll be fine, but they also indicated that the injury was a big part of the decision to re-sign Chris Henry. Johnson should be okay, but I don’t think I’d draft him before Plaxico Burress, Wes Welker or Anquan Boldin until we know he’s good to go.

Kevin Curtis, WR, Eagles
Curtis is going to miss about half the season with a sports hernia injury. Obviously, his stock should take a huge hit, and he isn’t worth anything but a late-round flier with the thinking that he might be back to help during the late-season push.

Ahman Green, RB, Texans
I thought this was a horrible contract when the Texans first signed Green and now it looks even worse. Green is hurt again and he might just get cut if he can’t get it together. Stay away, stay far away.

All-Pro tight end and fantasy stud Antonio Gates is coming off toe surgery, and he’s not recovering as quickly as he’d like.

Before the rest of the team practiced in the afternoon, Gates ran routes in the morning – taking off and stopping and catching passes and appearing to be close to his All-Pro form.

“It looks better than it feels,” Gates said later. “ . . . It’s not as comfortable as it looks. I got through it. The pain is tolerable.”

Gates is still feeling a high level of discomfort in his left big toe. And even though he’s been told by the medical staff that setbacks and stalling is normal, he is extremely frustrated with his level of improvement.

“It’s about the same as it was last week,” he said. “My whole thing is I want to see progress, and I want to see it fast.”

He went as far as to say if the Chargers had a game that counted this week, he “would dress and try to play.” He still believes he will play in the Sept. 7 season opener.

But he reiterated his earlier vow not to return before he is entirely ready.

Gates is still a top 4 TE (Witten, Winslow and Gonzo are the other three) but right now, he has the most question marks surrounding him. Will he be ready for the opener? Will his toe heal completely at some point in the season? Is this something that is going to bother or limit his production?

I love Gates and I’m an advocate of having a weapon at the TE spot, but if I’m drafting right now, I’d rather have Chris Cooley in the 7th (or Todd Heap/Vernon Davis in the 8th/9th) than Gates in the 4th/5th.