When it comes to fumbles, nobody drops the ball more than quarterbacks, because they handle the ball more than anyone besides the center. Brett Favre has 157 of them, which leads active players (yes, we’re considering Favre active). But many times when a QB fumbles, he can pounce right back on the ball. Running backs are a different story. The ones who fumble a lot often wind up in their coach’s doghouse because most of the time it’s because of careless ball handling. As for fantasy football, you’ll want to be careful with these guys too because they take points off your scoreboard, both by negative points for fumbles, and for lost opportunities on offense. So here is the active Top 10 in fumbles by running backs…..

1. Edgerrin James (43)—James isn’t as bad as early in his career, like when he fumbled 8 times during his rookie year of 1999 with the Colts. But you tend to look the other way when the other numbers offset the fumbles—and James was an All Pro that year with 2139 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns.

2. Ricky Williams (41)—Ricky definitely comes down with fumble-it is pretty often, and that has to drive Bill Parcells crazy. I wonder if it would help if Ricky thought he was carrying a bag of..…oh forget it.

3. Jamal Lewis (39)—Lewis has improved drastically in this area, fumbling only twice last season. But he fumbled 8 times in back to back seasons in 2002 and 2003 while with Baltimore. Yikes.

4. Ahman Green (37)—He hasn’t fumbled since 2006, but that’s only because Green has carried the ball just 144 times since then.

5. Michael Pittman (31)—Pittman was one of like 15 running backs used by the Broncos last season.

6. Shaun Alexander (31)—For a few years there, Alexander was putting up such ridiculous numbers that Mike Holmgren was forced to accept some drops.

7. Warrick Dunn (26)—He’s never had more than 4 fumbles in a season, but he’s been playing for so long that he wound up on here. Dunn may be one of the most underrated RBs in the history of the NFL.

8. Fred Taylor (26)—Taylor has fumbled less in recent years, but he’s also carried the ball less. It should be interesting to see if his career is re-ignited in a Patriots’ uniform.

9. LaDainian Tomlinson (25)—He fumbled 8 times in his rookie year, and only 17 times since. With 2657 total carries, that’s not bad at all.

9 (tie). Clinton Portis (25)—Portis is a solid RB, but he does have two quirks—he’s injury prone and he drops the ball a few too many times.

Source: Pro Football Reference

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—Brees fell 15 yards short of Dan Marino’s single season passing yards record, finishing with 5069 yards, along with 34 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Is he going to match that? There’s no reason to believe he won’t.

2. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers—I had LT last year and one of the reasons his stats suffered was because this guy kept throwing the damn ball. Rivers threw for 4009 yards with 34 TDs and just 11 picks. This year, will they go back to more of a run-first offense? Probably not — not with LT a year older.

3. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals—Ah, the Fountain of Youth is a beautiful thing. Warner drank from it often, and of course when you have guys named Boldin and Fitzgerald to throw to, it can make you look good and feel ten years younger. Still, who expected 4582 yards and 30 touchdowns with 14 picks and a trip to the Super Bowl? Not me. This year, Warner may not have Boldin, who just keeps whining about his contract, but don’t think the QB’s numbers will suffer all that much.

4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers—Brett who? You certainly won’t hear anyone blaming the Packers’ 6-10 season on Rodgers. It was in fact their defense that failed them, because Rodgers passed for 4038 yards with 28 TDs and 13 interceptions. And just for kicks, Favre’s numbers with the Jets were 3472 yards, but 22 TDs and league leading 22 picks. Going into 2009, Rodgers’ stock has to be even higher.

5. Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos—On what planet does 4526 yards and 25 touchdown passes get you run out of town? In Denver, where new coach Josh McDaniel screwed up and tried to trade for Matt Cassel. Oops. Cutler is now in Chicago, so that means his fantasy stock automatically drops a few notches.

6. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—The Colts got off to a horrible start and in fact didn’t win the division for the first time in years. But Manning finished strong, with 4002 yards, 27 TDs and just 12 picks. Marvin Harrison is no longer catching his passes, but that doesn’t mean Manning doesn’t have weapons.

7. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles—It was a roller coaster season in 2008, but the Eagles came within about a quarter of reaching the Super Bowl. Somehow McNabb held it together (what, they have ties in the NFL?) and wound up having a great season, passing for 3916 yards with 23 TD passes and 11 picks. He only had 147 rushing yards and 2 rushing scores, but that’s what Philly has Brian Westbrook for. McNabb is getting long in the tooth, but he’s smarter and as accurate as ever.

8. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys—Okay, so there may be trouble in paradise and there is no T.O. anymore, but Romo is still a very good fantasy QB. His 3448 yards and 26 TDs were a bit off his 2007 pace (4211, 36 TDs), but part of that is because he missed a few games with a thumb injury.

9. Matt Cassel, New England Patriots—With zero pro experience and almost zero college experience, who would have thought Matt Cassel could come in for Tom Brady and have the season he did? Okay, so he is no Brady, but Brady is in a class of his own anyway. Cassel’s 3490 yards with 21 TD passes and just 10 interceptions were good enough to land him the starting job in Kansas City. How that will affect his fantasy stats remains to be seen, but don’t expect too much of a drop-off on an improved Chiefs’ team.

10. Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins—You know Chad is still gloating after being pushed out of New York by Brett Favre, and then leading his Dolphins to the division title. Pennington is always risky as a fantasy QB because of injuries and inconsistency, but 3653 yards and 19 TDs is not shabby, nor was his microscopic total of 7 picks. If he stays healthy, Chad should have another good season.

The other name you’ll have to consider in 2009 is Brady. He missed the final 15 ¾ of the season after getting knocked out of the opener against Kansas City, but early reports are that Brady is looking and feeling great and will be at full strength in 2009. Randy Moss is salivating, and so will fantasy owners, though they will do so skeptically.

Are you ready for some football? I know I am and feel great just talking about it!

(Next week: Wide Receivers)

1. Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys (141)—T.O. causes trouble everywhere he goes, but on the field he has a knack for finding the end zone, usually after he’s blown past a defender. And the best part for fantasy GMs is that you don’t have to actually interact with the guy like Jerry Jones does.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers (141)—The scary thing about LT is he’s only 29. The really scary thing, though, is that he’s gone from a league-record 28 rushing scores in 2006 to 15 in 2007 to 11 in 2008. He probably won’t be drafted first overall again in 2009, but LT is still a first rounder.

3. Randy Moss, New England Patriots (136)—Moss has had an up and down career, but the one number you can never ignore is 23—the NFL single-season receiving TD mark he set in 2007 when he and Tom Brady were lighting up scoreboards. And Brady should be back in ’09.

4. Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis Colts (128)—A knee injury ended Harrison’s 2007 season prematurey, and he was not as effective in 2008 usual, scoring only 5 times. Throw in some off the field issues, and while Marvin has put up huge career numbers catching passes from Peyton Manning, you have to believe the end of that career is in sight.

5. Shaun Alexander, free agent (112)—Has anyone seen a running back’s career decline so sharply? Dude broke the NFL record with 27 rushing TDs in 2005, but an injury limited Alexander to only 20 starts since then with two different teams. 112 might stay at 112.

6. Edgerrin James, Arizona Cardinals (91)—James reached double digits in touchdowns four times while playing in Indianapolis. And he’s reached double digits in Arizona too—16 scores, but over three seasons. He showed in the playoffs that he still has some juice left, but on a Cardinals’ team focused on the pass, don’t expect James to reach 100 before 2010.

6. Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers (91)—Fifteen years in the league will give you a chance to put up close to 100 touchdowns, but it’s not like Isaac Bruce doesn’t have skills, even at the ripe old football age of 36.

8. Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay Bucs (83)—Galloway is another guy who has sipped from the fountain of youth, but he missed most of the 2008 season.

9. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs (76)—Gonzalez caught 96 passes for 1058 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008, one of his best seasons yet, to earn first team All Pro at the age of 32. He may not be back in KC in 2009, but no matter where he lands, he’s always a good fantasy tight end.

10. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins (76)—With 76 career rushing and receiving touchdowns, Portis is a solid fantasy player, but no LT. Then again, LT is no LT anymore either.

Source: Pro Football Reference

1. Edgerrin James, Arizona Cardinals (11,970)—Most of these yards were in Indianapolis playing in one of the best offenses in NFL history. But Edge is still only 30…and no, that’s not a typo.

2. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers (11,096)—LT needs to get over his toe injury and have a few LT-like games to climb past James. If he doesn’t do it this season, he will in 2009.

3. Fred Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars (10,957)—Taylor and WR Joey Galloway are those older players who just won’t go away. Just when you think they have reached the peaks of their careers, they drink from the fountain of youth, as Taylor did last year with 1202 yards.

4. Warrick Dunn, Tampa Bay Bucs (10,604)—Dunn only has 48 career touchdowns, but this guy has always had breakaway speed in the open field.

5. Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns (9508)—He tormented Cleveland for years with those “former Browns” known as the Baltimore Ravens. Now he’s one of the good guys.

6. Shaun Alexander, Washington Redskins (9437)—Was it as weird for you to see Alexander in a Redskins uniform last week as it was for me? Clinton Portis has rushed for the equivalent of a few country miles the last few weeks, so Alexander could see some action soon.

7. Ahman Green, Houston Texans (8929)—He can’t seem to stay on the field, but when he does, he still has skills. Could Green now be used as a touchdown vulture to Steve Slaton?

8. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins (8533)—I always want to avoid this guy in my fantasy drafts, but then he always comes back to haunt me when I play against him.

9. Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins (7363)—Williams, who likes to smoke reefer, missed the 2004 season, the 2006 season, and 15 games of the 2007 season. Yet, he’s still on this list. Well, those 1853 yards in 2002 have something to do with that.

10. Thomas Jones, New York Jets (6981)—Julius’ older brother has had a nice career, but you get the feeling he is on the downside of it, don’t you?

Source: Pro Football Reference

Click here to listen to the podcast.

(The opening and closing music is the criminally underrated Bob Marley song, “Lively Up Yourself,” which is missing from his famous Legend greatest hits compilation.)

I’ll use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire of at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

QUARTERBACKS

1. Matt Cassel (0.2)
Clearly, this is the pickup for Brady owners. They’re probably behind the eight ball and they might as well gamble with the guy taking Brady’s place. Can he play? Who knows, but he has a load of weapons around him.

2. Vince Young (46.8)
Yes, he’s hurt, but he doesn’t belong on the waiver wire in deep leagues.

3. Jeff Garcia (25.9)
Garcia is steady and a solid bye week fill in.

4. Trent Edwards (8.7)
Edwards is beginning to look like a starting NFL QB. I can see starting him against weaker defenses.

5. Matt Ryan (14.1)
Ryan played pretty well against a bad Lions secondary. He’ll have his ups and downs.

6. Chad Pennington (11.5)
Pennington shrugged off a shaky start to finish with pretty good numbers.

7. JaMarcus Russell (22.4)
Russell got off to a slow start, but finished with 180 yards and two TD. He’s going to have his ups and downs, but the Raiders will trail a lot this season, which means lots and lots of passes for Russell.

8. Tarvaris Jackson (7.9)
He’s got a bum knee, but he has a great running game and offensive line and a couple of solid receivers. He could surprise.

9. J.T. O’Sullivan (9.4)
The J.T. O’Sullivan era got off to a shaky start against a historically bad Arizona defense. But don’t write off Sully just yet.

10. Kerry Collins (5.0)
He’ll fill in for Young for a few weeks and will probably put up better numbers.

11. Damon Huard (0.7)
He’ll fill in for Croyle for a few weeks and will probably put up better numbers.

12. Joe Flacco (3.3)
The rookie played okay in his first game, but the main thing is that he’s starting.

13. Kyle Orton (2.8)
Orton isn’t going to win any fantasy championships, but if you’re desperate, he probably won’t throw multiple picks.

RUNNING BACKS

1. Steve Slaton (29.0)
The rookie finished with 16 touches for 49 yards. Not that impressive, but the Texans fell behind early and didn’t run the ball a whole lot. Ahman Green sprained his ankle and the team is bringing in free agent RBs this week, but barring a big signing, Slaton is probably the main guy going forward.

2. Sammy Morris (31.5)
Morris is Laurence Maroney-owners’ worst nightmare. He turned 15 touches (five more than Maroney) into 87 yards, and more importantly, he vultured a TD. With Tom Brady out, look for the Pats to run the ball more, which means that Morris will be a solid bye-week starter (and maybe a better fantasy player than Maroney).

3. Andre Hall (9.1)
Denver is clearly a RBBC, but Hall got the most carries (10) and yards (61). Don’t get too excited, because Michael Pittman appears to be the team’s goal line back. Ah, Skeletor, how do I loathe thee?

4. Pierre Thomas (13.4)
Thomas basically took over Deuce McAllister’s old role. He turned 12 touches into 63 yards and would see his value skyrocket if Reggie Bush were to get injured again.

5. Derrick Ward (47.3)
It’s Ward, not Ahmad Bradshaw, who’s the Giants’ RB2. Eleven touches for 60 yards is nothing to sneeze at, but Brandon Jacobs is historically injury-prone, so Ward seems to be the next in line if BJ were to go down.

6. Michael Pittman (2.3)
Pittman used to specialize in catching the ball out of the backfield. Now, apparently, he’s a goal line back. He toted the ball seven times for 13 yards and two TD against he Raiders, and would be a solid pickup in TD-heavy leagues.

7. Warrick Dunn (8.0)
Dunn did what Dunn does – 11 touches for 65 yards. He’s the RB2 behind Earnest Graham.

8. Darren Sproles (5.2)
Sproles would probably be the guy to tote the rock if LaDainian Tomlinson’s toe becomes a bigger issue.

9. Shaun Alexander (10.6)
Alexander claims he’s in the best shape of his life; will some lucky team bite?

10. Dominic Rhodes (6.5)
With Joseph Addai suffering a concussion, Rhodes becomes an interesting pickup in very deep leagues. If Addai were to miss any time (which doesn’t look to be the case), Rhodes would be RB2-quality.

11. Tim Hightower (15.0)
The rookie had 11 touches for 34 yards and a score. How many of Edgerrin James’ TDs will he vulture.

12. Brandon Jackson (7.8)
The Packers want to ease Ryan Grant back into action, and they split time with Jackson on Monday night. Grant is more explosive, but they will likely use Jackson to ease the burden.

WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Eddie Royal (13.7)
Wow. Royal lit up a strong Raiders secondary to the tune of nine catches for 146 yards and a TD. He became the second rookie in five years to go over the century mark in his first game. (Read further for the other guy.) Royal ran crisp routes and has great hands. It’s hard to judge a guy after one game, and Brandon Marshall will be the team’s #1 WR, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Royal finished the season with 75-80 catches for 1200+ yards.

2. DeSean Jackson (53.9)
Even though his percentage-owned is over the limit, I am including him for those of you that don’t know – DeSean Jackson is (probably) for real. He joins Eddie Royal as the only two rookie receivers to go over the 100-yard mark in their NFL debut since Anquan Boldin did it five years ago. Pick him up if you can.

3. Vincent Jackson (43.6)
Don’t get too excited about Jackson’s nice day (3-47-1), as he was still only an afterthought in the Chargers’ passing attack with four targets. Still, he deserves a roster spot in all leagues.

4. Ronald Curry (43.3)
Curry was targeted six times but only converted two passes for 18 yards. He did score a touchdown and it’s clear that he’s the best thing the Raiders have going at wideout, but JaMarcus Russell holds the keys.

5. Muhsin Muhammad (26.7)
Even when Steve Smith returns, Moose should put up decent numbers in PPR leagues.

6. Bobby Engram (25.8)
The Seahawks desperately need Engram back, and he’s supposed to return in Week 5 (maybe sooner). Assuming he heals correctly, he should be a nice pickup in PPR leagues.

7. Antwaan Randle El (25.8)
7-73 is a nice debut for Randle El in the West Coast Offense. He should be good for 5-50 most weeks.

8. Mark Clayton (4.4)
It’s hard to get excited about the Baltimore passing game, but Clayton turned five targets into 3-21, but also had a 42-yard TD on a reverse.

9. Deion Branch (2.9)
Seattle is hurting big time at WR and can’t wait to get Branch back. Worth rostering if you have a place to stash him.

10. Bryant Johnson (17.1)
Went 3-48 even though the 49ers had a bad day passing the ball. Mike Martz wants BJ to step it up, so he should have the opportunity to improve over the course of the season.

11. Kevin Walter (12.2)
Walter will benefit if teams double Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels. He went for 3-41-1 against the Steelers and is worth a look in deeper PPR leagues.

12. Ike Hilliard (2.1)
Hilliard made the most of his six targets (6-45-1). It looks like he’s WR3 in TB, but he’s worth rostering in deep PPR leagues.

13. Hank Baskett (1.7)
Don’t get too excited about Baskett. Yes, he started. Yes, he went over 100 yards and scored a TD. But he was only targeted three times, so expect more modest numbers next week.

14. Matt Jones (1.0)
Jones started to take advantage of all his physical skill by catching six passes for 80 yards. Is this his breakout year? Doubtful.

15. Amani Toomer (31.8)
Toomer had a quiet game and should fare better in upcoming weeks.

16. David Patten (5.7)
He only caught one pass, but made it count for a touchdown.

17. Jerry Porter (9.0)
Missed the game due to injury, but the Jags could really use him out there.

18. Devery Henderson (0.9)
Henderson isn’t going to play much, but when he’s out there, he’s running the go route.

TIGHT ENDS

1. L.J. Smith (23.0)
He doesn’t get much love, except from his QB. 5-39-1 will make him a hot prospect this week. I put him ahead of the next two guys because he’s a proven player. (They are high-risk, high-reward players.)

2. Anthony Fasano (4.1)
8-84-1 is a great way to start the season. Pennington focused on his TEs, so Fasano is a good prospect as a TE2 with starter potential.

3. Dante Rosario (0.2)
He may not get as many looks when Steve Smith returns from his suspension, but it’s hard to argue with 7-96-1 from this hybrid TE.

4. Zach Miller (13.8)
Miller ended up with 4-34 on Monday night, but he has a pretty good shot of being the Raiders’ top receiver this year.

5. Randy McMichael (9.6)
McMichael was about the only thing the Rams had going on Sunday.

6. John Carlson (2.1)
Carlson caught four passes for 52 yards. He’s a decent backup in larger PPR leagues, especially since the Seahawks are so desperate at receiver.

7. Greg Olsen (34.6)
Bears passing game will likely be anemic all season, but Olsen has the best hands on the team.

8. Robert Royal (0.5)
Royal isn’t a big name, but with 6-52-1, it’s clear that he’s become a bigger part of the Bills’ game plan in 2008.

9. Dustin Keller (12.1)
Brett Favre loves his tight ends.

10. Desmond Clark (3.8)
Clark is probably the Bears’ second best receiving threat, after Olsen.

11. Kevin Boss (47.7)
A horrible first week has really quieted the preseason hype.

12. Ben Utecht (27.1)
If Cincy’s passing game rebounds, so will Utecht.

13. David Martin (0.2)
After Fasano (and maybe Ted Ginn), Martin is the next best receiving threat in Miami

For the past eight seasons, Shaun Alexander has carried the Seattle Seahawks’ running game. But after years of being the Hawks’ rock in the backfield, Alexander succumbed to injuries in 2006 and 2007, which ultimately led to his release in April of this year. Free agents Julius Jones (Cowboys) and T.J. Duckett (Lions) were signed this offseason to compete with Maurice Morris to be Alexander’s replacement.

In four seasons with Dallas, Jones rushed for 3,484 yards on 885 carries (65.7 yards per game) and 18 touchdowns. Over the last two seasons, he split carries with Marion Barber, who often stole Jones’ touchdown opportunities when the Cowboys reached the goal line.

Duckett spent the last two years in Washington and Detroit after sharing a backfield with Warrick Dunn in Atlanta from 2002 to 2005. He was hobbled by nagging injuries most of last year, but he did rush for 102 yards on 15 carries in the Lions’ Week 16 victory over the Chiefs, flashing the kind of speed and power that made him a first round draft pick in 2002.

While splitting time with Alexander last year, Morris finished with 628 yards on 140 carries and four touchdowns in 2007. Until Jones and Duckett were signed, Morris was the favorite to start for Seattle, and still might be.

A potential sleeper candidate that could emerge is 2008 sixth round pick Justin Forsett, who rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ second preseason game against the Bears. Forsett showed decent power running between the tackles and excellent quickness when he saw daylight. He was also effective on kick returns as well, and while one preseason game doesn’t make or break a player, Duckett might be on the outs if Forsett continues to flash this kind of potential.

Can Jones, Morris or Duckett/Forsett carry the Seahawks’ running game this year? All indications out of Seattle this summer have been that the Seahawks will go with a running back-by-committee in 2008. All three of these backs can be effective in doses, but none has shown the capabilities to carry a rushing load on their own. (Although in fairness to Jones, he did rush for 1,084 yards on 267 carries in 2006, which was good for a 4.1 YPC average.)

Seattle was so effective when Alexander was carrying the ball 300-plus times a year, so it’ll be interesting to see how head coach Mike Holmgren uses his backfield this season. There’s no question that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has mastered Holmgren’s West Coast Offense, but will the running back-by-committee work or will one back have to emerge for the Seahawks to make a Super Bowl run this year? The results have been mixed so far in preseason and although the NFC West once again appears to be Seattle’s for the taking, one has to wonder if their backfield situation will cost the Seahawks a chance to make a deep run in 2008.