Breakouts by Division

December 30, 2008 9:03am CST

The 2008 NFL season concluded on Sunday with a scintillating day of action that set the stage for what should be a solid slate of playoff contests. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, the playoffs have come and gone, and we must bide our time waiting for the eight-month intermission to cease.

And that’s all it is, really – an intermission. Fantasy football is ubiquitous, with discerning owners paying attention to coaching changes, free agency, the draft, mini-camps and training camp in an effort to glean that one piece of information that can take their team to the Promised Land, the Land of Milk and Honey, Xanadu, the Playboy mansion – or wherever it is teams go when they win a championship. Well, we’re going to try to give you an early heads up by scouting each division for a couple of potential breakout players for 2009. Alright, so it probably won’t get you into the Playboy mansion, but it may help you win a few bucks so you can take one of those bus tours that drive past it.


NFC East

Brent Celek, TE, Philadelphia Eagles: Celek was an inconsistent performer this season, and that was never more obvious than his stat lines from Weeks 9 and 10. In Week 9, Celek caught six balls for 131 yards. The following week, he caught none. The difference? L.J. Smith did not play in Week 9, but he did the next week. Smith missed three games this season, and in those games, Celek accumulated a total of 12 catches for 182 yards and one score. Smith is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, and should Philly not retain him, the 23-year-old Celek becomes the No. 1 tight end.

Jason Campbell, QB, Washington Redskins: No, this season was not a break out for him. Campbell threw 13 touchdowns this year, which was just one more than he threw in 2007, despite playing in three more games. The former first-round pick will finally get consecutive years to become entrenched in the system of an offensive coordinator, and if the young talent around him emerges, he could easily get past the 20-touchdown plateau.

AFC East

Dustin Keller, TE, New York Jets: Keller had a brilliant four-game stretch from Weeks 10-13 that saw him accumulate 27 receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown. Take those numbers over a 16-game season, and you have 108 catches for 1,252 yards and four touchdowns. Now, those kinds of numbers are unreasonable, but considering he caught 48 passes this season, it’s easy to see how he could get 60-70 next year.

Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Miami Dolphins: Had the second-year man from Ohio State not caught a touchdown pass in Week 17, he would have finished the season with just a single touchdown reception. As it is, the deuce he put up in that department in 2008 was uninspiring, at best. Though the third-year receiver legend is more myth than reality, it is nice that Ginn will be working with Chad Pennington for the second year in a row, and maybe that’s just what he needs to top 1,000 yards and, say, five touchdowns in 2009.

NFC North

Brandon Jackson, RB, Green Bay Packers: The former second-round pick saw a decent number of carries in a few games this year, and made the most of them, piling up 30 catches for 185 yards while running the ball 45 times for 248 yards, a robust 5.5 average. He got into the end zone just once, but that should change next year, especially if the Packers continue to utilize him as a receiver out of the back field, as he had at least one catch in every game this year. Jackson succumbed to injury and did not play in Weeks 16 or 17, and if he can stay healthy, he has a lot to offer. Ryan Grant did not even average 4.0 yards per carry this season, and scored just four times, so there should be opportunity for Jackson to become a bigger part of the offense in 2009.

Sidney Rice, WR, Minnesota Vikings: There wasn’t a whole lot to like about Rice’s second go-round through the league, as he caught just 15 passes all season, often battling injury. But there is one number that stands out that should make fantasy owners take notice – four touchdowns. His four TD grabs were behind only Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe (who each caught seven) for the Vikings while catching 33 fewer passes than Berrian, and 28 fewer than Shiancoe. His 6-foot-4 frame makes him a nice end zone target, and one that whoever the quarterback is for Minnesota next season can take advantage of.

AFC North

Jerome Harrison, RB, Cleveland Browns: Harrison has too much speed for the Browns' next coach to ignore. It’s fairly obvious that a guy is a home run hitter when he averages 7.2 yards per carry, as Harrison did this season. He had trouble staying healthy at the end of the year, or his numbers would have been better. Harrison may not be the type of back that will go out and get 1,000 yards, but he could do things similar to what Leon Washington did in New York this season.

Andre Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals best receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and the rumblings are that the Bengals will let him walk. That opens up a spot at wideout, and it’s one Caldwell could take advantage of. He was a third-round pick this season, and even though he did not play in nine of the team’s first 10 games, he came on and played the rest of the year, catching at least one pass in all but one of the team’s last six games. Caldwell caught five passes in Week 17, and also ran the ball for 49 yards. There is a lot to like about him going forward.

NFC South

Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints: We hope by now that Saints coach Sean Payton realizes what he has in Thomas. Simply put, he’s a far, far better running back than Reggie Bush, who is miscast in that role anyway (the guy is a slot receiver – period). It would not be surprising if Deuce McAllister is not with the Saints next year, and only the team’s stubbornness to realize - or admit - that Thomas should move past Bush to be the team’s feature back will hamper him.

Cadillac Williams, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Yes, we’re fully aware that Williams tore the patellar tendon in his left knee. He did the same thing last year to his right knee, which kept him out until the middle of this season. But early reports are that this tear is not nearly as devastating, and it is not something that will once again sideline him for an inordinate amount of time. Williams doesn’t necessarily fit with the other potential break-outs on this list, but considering the injury he came back from, he definitely belongs. And frankly, we’re rooting for the guy, as nobody should have luck as bad as he’s had.

AFC South

Matt Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: As long as Jones keeps his nose clean (sorry, couldn’t resist), he should continue the progression he made this season. Jones had a solid campaign, with 65 catches for 761 yards and two scores before a three-game suspension ended his year. Jones is easily the best receiving option for a Jaguars receiving corps that is littered with busts.

Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Indianapolis Colts: Gonzalez has had two relatively productive seasons, catching 37 passes for three touchdowns in his rookie season before catching 57 with four touchdowns this year. Marvin Harrison has struggled with injures lately, and he’ll be 37 before next season starts, so he very well could be a salary-cap casualty, leaving Gonzalez in the No. 2 receiver role besides Reggie Wayne.

NFC West

Donnie Avery, WR, St. Louis Rams: Avery was the first wideout chosen in the draft, and the Rams drew a lot of criticism for it. But the speedster from Houston turned in a solid showing, catching 53 passes for 674 yards and three touchdowns. With rumblings that Torry Holt has played his last game in a Rams uniform, Avery could be the No. 1 option for St. Louis in 2009.

John Carlson, TE, Seattle Seahawks: Considering he caught 55 passes for 627 yards and five touchdowns, 2008 could be counted as Carlson’s break-out year. But those numbers don’t put him in the elite category at his position, which is entirely possible in 2009. Carlson was Seattle’s best receiver this season, and their most consistent. If Matt Hasselbeck returns under center, that will only benefit the former Notre Dame star, and he could very easily come up with 70 catches and eight scores.

AFC West

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: Larry Johnson has let it be known that he wants out of Kansas City, and it might be best for him and the organization to make a clean break now. Should that come to pass, the beneficiary could be Charles. Even if KC does bring in another back, Charles should see his fair share of carries. The former Texas back has the speed to break long runs, and he is also a more than capable receiver out of the back field, hauling in 27 passes this year.

JaMarcus Russell, QB, Oakland Raiders: The former No. 1 overall pick showed steady improvement towards the end of the season, and it’s possible he’s putting it all together in time for his third season. Russell threw for six touchdowns and just two interceptions in the team’s last three games, two of which were wins. He has enough of a running game that opposing defenses should be more keyed in on stopping that than on defending the pass, which should work to Russell’s advantage. Russell may not be a No. 1 fantasy QB next season, but he very well could make for a solid No. 2.