Commentary

Harris' fantasy football top 200

Updated: August 29, 2011, 2:35 PM ET
By Christopher Harris | ESPN.com

It's go time.

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I don't have the data to back this up, but my sense from all your Twitter and Facebook posts is that this coming weekend will see the most live fantasy football drafts of any time all year. After all, the following weekend is Labor Day and blessed regular-season football starts after that, so it's now or never. (In fact, my very own league, the legendary 16-team League of American Recreational Gridiron Enthusiasts -- or L.A.R.G.E. -- will be drafting from Las Vegas this Saturday afternoon.) So in the spirit of fulfilling many requests -- see, we at ESPN.com really do listen to your social media queries sometimes -- here are my rankings for standard-scoring leagues. Unfortunately, there aren't enough hours in the day for me to crank out point-per-reception or any other scoring format rankings, but fortunately in our Draft Kit, our group rankings have you covered in that regard. Just slide your mouse to the right to find the link.

So how did I arrive at these rankings? Art and science, my friends, art and science. Certainly, the fact that I'm the fellow who writes all the player capsules you see when you click on any player on our fantasy football site helps. I did a whole lot of film and statistical research starting way back in March, getting our game ready. I don't tend to rely particularly heavily on looking at NFL schedules before the season begins, nor do I typically let myself be swayed by preseason action. I'm looking at skills first and foremost, closely followed by opportunity. Surely you'll see some overlap between my rankings below and ESPN.com's group rankings, because I'm heavily involved in making the adjustments as news filters in all summer. But the differences, I believe, will be telling.

Remember, you also can find my 10 best value plays (aka 10 flag-planting players) for this season, and 10 super-deep sleepers. In addition, I've added to our Draft Kit my rankings for keeper league drafts, a list that began with the rankings you see below, then accounted for a three-year window for all players. Enjoy! (And to all my co-owners in L.A.R.G.E.: Stop reading this! Make your own draft list! You should be ashamed of yourselves!)

Christopher Harris 2011 Fantasy Football Top 200

  Rank by: Top 300 | QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DST | IDP | PPR | TD-only
  More: The TMR Top 250 | The Christopher Harris Top 200 | Christopher Harris' Keeper Ranks
Rank Player Positional Rank Bye
1 Adrian Peterson, MIN RB1 9
2 Arian Foster, HOU RB2 11
3 Jamaal Charles, KC RB3 6
4 Ray Rice, BAL RB4 5
5 Chris Johnson, TEN RB5 6
6 Aaron Rodgers, GB QB1 8
7 LeSean McCoy, PHI RB6 7
8 Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC RB7 9
9 Frank Gore, SF RB8 7
10 Rashard Mendenhall, PIT RB9 11
11 Andre Johnson, HOU WR1 11
12 Calvin Johnson, DET WR2 9
13 Darren McFadden, OAK RB10 8
14 Larry Fitzgerald, ARI WR3 6
15 Michael Turner, ATL RB11 8
16 Greg Jennings, GB WR4 8
17 Drew Brees, NO QB2 11
18 Hakeem Nicks, NYG WR5 7
19 Roddy White, ATL WR6 8
20 Matt Forte, CHI RB12 8
21 Tom Brady, NE QB3 7
22 Mike Wallace, PIT WR7 11
23 Philip Rivers, SD QB4 6
24 Vincent Jackson, SD WR8 6
25 DeSean Jackson, PHI WR9 7
26 Michael Vick, PHI QB5 7
27 Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG RB13 7
28 Steven Jackson, STL RB14 5
29 DeAngelo Williams, CAR RB15 9
30 Jahvid Best, DET RB16 9
31 Dez Bryant, DAL WR10 5
32 Peyton Hillis, CLE RB17 5
33 Miles Austin, DAL WR11 5
34 Peyton Manning, IND QB6 11
35 Reggie Wayne, IND WR12 11
36 Dwayne Bowe, KC WR13 6
37 Felix Jones, DAL RB18 5
38 Mike Williams, TB WR14 8
39 LeGarrette Blount, TB RB19 8
40 Shonn Greene, NYJ RB20 8
41 Tony Romo, DAL QB7 5
42 Knowshon Moreno, DEN RB21 6
43 Matt Schaub, HOU QB8 11
44 Antonio Gates, SD TE1 6
45 Santonio Holmes, NYJ WR15 8
46 Jonathan Stewart, CAR RB22 9
47 Dallas Clark, IND TE2 11
48 Jeremy Maclin, PHI WR16 7
49 Marques Colston, NO WR17 11
50 BenJarvus Green-Ellis, NE RB23 7
51 Kenny Britt, TEN WR18 6
52 Brandon Marshall, MIA WR19 5
53 Wes Welker, NE WR20 7
54 Austin Collie, IND WR21 11
55 Beanie Wells, ARI RB24 6
56 Jermichael Finley, GB TE3 8
57 Mario Manningham, NYG WR22 7
58 Anquan Boldin, BAL WR23 5
59 Brandon Lloyd, DEN WR24 6
60 Ryan Grant, GB RB25 8
61 Percy Harvin, MIN WR25 9
62 Steve Johnson, BUF WR26 7
63 Vernon Davis, SF TE4 7
64 Ben Roethlisberger, PIT QB9 11
65 Jason Witten, DAL TE5 5
66 Sidney Rice, SEA WR27 6
67 Steve Smith, CAR WR28 9
68 Cedric Benson, CIN RB26 7
69 Owen Daniels, HOU TE6 11
70 Josh Freeman, TB QB10 8
71 Ryan Mathews, SD RB27 6
72 Mark Ingram, NO RB28 11
73 Marshawn Lynch, SEA RB29 6
74 Santana Moss, WAS WR29 5
75 Pierre Garcon, IND WR30 11
76 Matt Ryan, ATL QB11 8
77 Fred Jackson, BUF RB30 7
78 Mike Tolbert, SD RB31 6
79 James Starks, GB RB32 8
80 Pierre Thomas, NO RB33 11
81 Joseph Addai, IND RB34 11
82 C.J. Spiller, BUF RB35 7
83 Chad Ochocinco, NE WR31 7
84 Robert Meachem, NO WR32 11
85 Eli Manning, NYG QB12 7
86 Daniel Thomas, MIA RB36 5
87 Brandon Jacobs, NYG RB37 7
88 Michael Bush, OAK RB38 8
89 Lance Moore, NO WR33 11
90 Tim Hightower, WAS RB39 5
91 Mike Thomas, JAC WR34 9
92 Joe Flacco, BAL QB13 5
93 Marcedes Lewis, JAC TE7 9
94 Willis McGahee, DEN RB40 6
95 Green Bay Packers, GB DEF1 8
96 Malcom Floyd, SD WR35 6
97 Reggie Bush, MIA RB41 5
98 Pittsburgh Steelers, PIT DEF2 11
99 LaDainian Tomlinson, NYJ RB42 8
100 Matthew Stafford, DET QB14 9
101 Ryan Torain, WAS RB43 5
102 Braylon Edwards, SF WR36 7
103 Jordy Nelson, GB WR37 8
104 James Jones, GB WR38 8
105 Plaxico Burress, NYJ WR39 8
106 New York Jets, NYJ DEF3 8
107 Philadelphia Eagles, PHI DEF4 7
108 Johnny Knox, CHI WR40 8
109 A.J. Green, CIN WR41 7
110 Sam Bradford, STL QB15 5
111 Kellen Winslow, TB TE8 8
112 Greg Olsen, CAR TE9 9
113 Julio Jones, ATL WR42 8
114 Jerome Harrison, DET RB44 9
115 Thomas Jones, KC RB45 6
116 Jimmy Graham, NO TE10 11
117 Lee Evans, BAL WR43 5
118 Rashad Jennings, JAC RB46 9
119 Kevin Kolb, ARI QB16 6
120 Jacoby Ford, OAK WR44 8
121 Danny Woodhead, NE RB47 7
122 Michael Crabtree, SF WR45 7
123 Roy Helu, WAS RB48 5
124 Baltimore Ravens, BAL DEF5 5
125 Jay Cutler, CHI QB17 8
126 Darren Sproles, NO RB49 11
127 Ben Tate, HOU RB50 11
128 Ronnie Brown, PHI RB51 7
129 Mike Williams, SEA WR46 6
130 Chicago Bears, CHI DEF6 8
131 Montario Hardesty, CLE RB52 5
132 Brandon Pettigrew, DET TE11 9
133 Jason Snelling, ATL RB53 8
134 Mark Sanchez, NYJ QB18 8
135 Zach Miller, SEA TE12 6
136 Deion Branch, NE WR47 7
137 Hines Ward, PIT WR48 11
138 Roy Williams, CHI WR49 8
139 Ricky Williams, BAL RB54 5
140 Davone Bess, MIA WR50 5
141 Mike Sims-Walker, STL WR51 5
142 Chris Cooley, WAS TE13 5
143 New Orleans Saints, NO DEF7 11
144 Atlanta Falcons, ATL DEF8 8
145 Donald Driver, GB WR52 8
146 Danny Amendola, STL WR53 5
147 Greg Little, CLE WR54 5
148 New England Patriots, NE DEF9 7
149 San Diego Chargers, SD DEF10 6
150 Emmanuel Sanders, PIT WR55 11
151 Nate Kaeding, SD K1 6
152 Neil Rackers, HOU K2 11
153 Josh Brown, STL K3 5
154 Rob Bironas, TEN K4 6
155 Stephen Gostkowski, NE K5 7
156 Garrett Hartley, NO K6 11
157 Billy Cundiff, BAL K7 5
158 Mason Crosby, GB K8 8
159 Alex Henery, PHI K9 7
160 Nick Folk, NYJ K10 8
161 Nate Burleson, DET WR56 9
162 Aaron Hernandez, NE TE14 7
163 Rob Gronkowski, NE TE15 7
164 Derrick Mason, NYJ WR57 8
165 Bernard Scott, CIN RB55 7
166 DeMarco Murray, DAL RB56 5
167 Anthony Dixon, SF RB57 7
168 Matt Cassel, KC QB19 6
169 Tony Gonzalez, ATL TE16 8
170 Jerome Simpson, CIN WR58 7
171 Mike Goodson, CAR RB58 9
172 Jacoby Jones, HOU WR59 11
173 Toby Gerhart, MIN RB59 9
174 Marion Barber, CHI RB60 8
175 Justin Forsett, SEA RB61 6
176 Kansas City Chiefs, KC DEF11 6
177 Dustin Keller, NYJ TE17 8
178 Steve Breaston, KC WR60 6
179 Cadillac Williams, STL RB62 5
180 Delone Carter, IND RB63 11
181 Bernard Berrian, MIN WR61 9
182 Andre Roberts, ARI WR62 6
183 Tony Moeaki, KC TE18 6
184 Derrick Ward, HOU RB64 11
185 Javon Ringer, TEN RB65 6
186 Stevan Ridley, NE RB66 7
187 Kendall Hunter, SF RB67 7
188 Isaac Redman, PIT RB68 11
189 Detroit Lions, DET DEF12 9
190 Jared Cook, TEN TE19 6
191 Ben Watson, CLE TE20 5
192 Brandon Gibson, STL WR63 5
193 Jabar Gaffney, WAS WR64 5
194 Earl Bennett, CHI WR65 8
195 LaRod Stephens-Howling, ARI RB69 6
196 Anthony Armstrong, WAS WR66 5
197 Kyle Orton, DEN QB20 6
198 Denarius Moore, OAK WR67 8
199 Adam Vinatieri, IND K11 11
200 Sebastian Janikowski, OAK K12 8
Rankings based on 10-team ESPN standard league with 16-player rosters, starting one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one running back/wide receiver, a tight end, a team defense and a kicker.

Christopher Harris is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association award winner. You can ask him questions at www.facebook.com/writerboy.

Christopher Harris | email

Fantasy
  • Senior writer for ESPN.com
  • Six-time Fantasy Sports Writing Association award winner
  • Author of "The Big Clear," a noir thriller

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