Note: My final Big Board will hit the site on Thursday.

If you have any questions regarding the color-coding below, please refer to my last Big Board. Otherwise, the key to the stats is below, in case they are not self-explanatory:

PYd – Passing Yards
PTD – Passing touchdowns
RuYd – Rushing Yards
RuTD - Passing touchdowns
ReYd – Receiving yards
ReTD - Receiving touchdowns
Rec - Receptions

AFC EAST

Thoughts: I’m still at a loss at whether I should place Jones or Marcus Easley into the WR2 role. If Jones recovers quickly from his “head” injury (that is what the team is calling it anyway), he should be the pick to replace Lee Evans opposite Johnson. Do keep in mind, however, that Buffalo probably would not have dealt Evans if it wasn’t happy with its depth at the position, so if Jones is slow to recover, Easley could very well run away with the WR2 job. Don’t sleep on this position battle as there figures to be at least two fantasy-worthy receivers in this offense.

Thoughts: One of the bigger fantasy stories this preseason is the use (or lack thereof) of Thomas. Despite being 6-0 and 230 pounds, Thomas is more of a glider than a pounder (think Matt Forte and Marion Barber, respectively), which was pretty obvious to just about anyone who watched the K-State rookie in college. Despite showing more power than I thought he had, it still isn’t enough for HC Tony Sparano, who expected Thomas to be more of a physical runner. The quicker Miami realizes the kind of back it has in Thomas (right now, an all-purpose back that needs a lot of work in pass protection), the better. Thomas should get that chance if/when Bush shows he cannot handle a full-time workload.

Thoughts: I expect Ridley to eat into Green-Ellis’ workload at some point, be it due to injury or production. I believe the “Law Firm” is still the back to own between the two (simply because the Pats should hold their share of fourth-quarter leads this season), but a repeat of 2010 is unlikely. Hernandez’s preseason has made me rethink his overall numbers, so his spike from my initial projections comes at the expense of Ochocinco and Branch.

Thoughts: The major change here is Keller, who will benefit from the increased attention his high-profile new teammates (Burress and Mason) should receive. It would come as little surprise to me if he ended up as Sanchez’s second-favorite target in 2011.

AFC NORTH

Thoughts: Getting out of Buffalo should help Evans immensely in the consistency department. It took him just a few days to show chemistry with Flacco during preseason action. Because his game is speed, he won’t ever be the most consistent fantasy force, but for owners looking for a potential WR3 at a WR4 price, he’s worth it. I have seen nothing yet from Smith this season that makes me think he will overtake Evans (or even deserve to play ahead of Doss).

Thoughts: After watching each of the Bengals’ first three preseason games, it appears they have a shot at being useful in plus fantasy matchups and should be avoided at all costs in the less-than-plus matchups. One observation I made with Dalton is that he was much more accurate on the run in the Panthers’ game – he has been very erratic in the pocket this preseason. While Green’s long-term future is bright, his short-term success figures to be capped significantly by Dalton if the preseason is any indication of the way his rookie year will go.

Thoughts: I believe I have made several major changes for the Browns. With Jackson likely out until at least the bye, Hillis gets a big bump in PPR leagues since he will add primary passing-down back responsibilities to the lead-back role he already had. Little is clearly fourth on the depth chart as we speak, so I have projected accordingly and will give him a slow first month. It’s hard for me to believe he’ll remain behind Robiskie all season long. Lastly, Norwood makes his first appearance. The former Eagles practice-squader is locked in as the slot receiver. And with HC Pat Shurmur already comparing him favorably to Danny Amendola, there’s enough reason for fantasy owners to keep a close eye on him.

Thoughts: Much like the Bills’ WR2 situation, it’s hard to get a read on the Steelers’ WR3 outlook. Sanders is the more accomplished route-runner, but Brown has enjoyed a great preseason and has remained healthy – something that Sanders cannot say. As much as I’d like to say I currently have the two players projected correctly, the fact of the matter is that it will probably boil down to whether or not Sanders can ever get his injured foot right. This has all the makings of a fast Brown start and slow finish while the opposite can be said for Sanders.

AFC South

Thoughts: Foster’s re-aggravation of his hamstring injury caused me to lower his yardage output a bit early on, but I’m still comfortable with him No. 1 overall in this prolific offense. Based on preseason action, it’s easy to get excited about Tate’s prospects, but his rise to RB2 on this team is still speculation at best. (Sometimes, what seems obvious to fantasy football owners isn’t always what happens on the playing field.) About the only other item I’ll mention here is Dickerson, who has no business being on 99% of fantasy rosters at the moment. His projected production could easily fall into the lap of TE/FB James Casey, who the team has wanted an excuse to play for some time now.

Thoughts: Very little has changed here since my initial projections. We still have little idea on Manning’s’ early-season effectiveness or availability, although Monday’s return to limited practice was an encouraging sign. Obviously, just about every player on this team and their fantasy stock depends on the successful return of Manning. While Kerry Collins’ addition likely helps this situation from being a total loss should Manning miss a game or two, just about every player above should be considered one step lower (Wayne goes from a WR1 to WR2, for example) than they would be with Manning under center.

Thoughts: While Gabbert has impressed casual observers on the practice field with his strong arm, the preseason has exposed enough flaws that Garrard could make it through the season without losing his job. Still, I have a hard time seeing Garrard remaining the team’s QB following the bye, even though the rookie would not be ready to take over. The fantasy chaos will likely carry over to the RB and WR positions, where it has been confirmed by the Jags’ coaching staff that Jennings has “earned” more work, meaning MJD is probably coming off the board a bit too high right now. At WR, I expect Shorts to overtake Hill in the starting lineup at some point. Whether he is worth a pick-up in your league at that point will be based on the size of your league.

Thoughts: Britt will not be suspended by the league, so he’s as safe as he’ll ever be to draft. The problem with him will never be talent, but his ability to stay out of trouble. I’m holding tight to a late preseason return by Johnson, but I have adjusted his early-season numbers because a slow start at this point should be expected – if he even shows up. Harper could – and probably should – steal some red-zone looks from either Johnson or Ringer, but Johnson’s new contract will probably suggest otherwise. It’s quite possible I have him undervalued here.

AFC West

Thoughts: Perhaps no team has undergone more change since my initial projections than Denver. McGahee has been confirmed as the goal-line RB and, as a result, is a good bet to top Moreno in that category. The ex-Bill and Raven should be a solid flex play in PPR and non-PPR. Lloyd has received a significant boost now that Tim Tebow is either fighting for the QB2 job or the fourth-best QB on the roster (depending on what source you choose to believe). And finally, keep the rookie Thomas in mind with your last pick in deep leagues. Thomas is the latest college basketball-to-pro-tight end transition player and appears to be following in the footsteps of Jimmy Graham in that regard. (Let’s spare the kid the pressure of living up to Antonio Gates right now.) He’s earned the name “Mr. Red Zone” from his teammates during training camp, so keep his name in mind late in drafts.

Thoughts: While Denver has received upgrades just about everywhere for their work this preseason, it’s hard to like anything the Chiefs have done. Let’s go ahead and write off Jonathan Baldwin for now since it is highly questionable when he will return from his broken thumb, but the fact of the matter is that his attitude may be what needs to addressed the most. It’s very likely his rookie season will be a wash. Charles has fallen in my eyes since my initial projections simply because it is doubtful HC Todd Haley will ever ask him to eclipse 300 touches. While his sterling career yards/touch help him make the most of his workload, it’s a lot to ask Charles to produce this season – especially in Weeks 11-15 - like he did against a much softer schedule in 2010.

Thoughts: Like Kansas City, Oakland understands it is a running team. Unlike the Chiefs, HC Hue Jackson has decided to hitch his wagon to one runner – McFadden. Yes, Bush will get his and be a great play if/when McFadden suffers his annual hamstring injury, but this is McFadden’s show. And since Jackson has even adjusted the Raiders’ previous zone-blocking scheme to a power-blocking one that suits McFadden’s running style, I believe he will match and maybe even exceed last year’s numbers, even if he sits out the three games I have him projected to miss. If he puts together 16 games for the first time in his career, McFadden has a great shot at being the top fantasy back in 2011…that’s a big if, however.

Thoughts: I keep going back and forth on Mathews and Tolbert, but have settled on Mathews for now being the slightly more valuable fantasy property. (That could change at any time, however, so my best advice is to either make sure you grab both or draft Tolbert and use him as a flex until Mathews gets hurt). I’ve also increased Jackson’s numbers as he will be playing for a contract (or so he hopes) and will be able to start his season when everyone else does this season.

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