As Dynasty owners work to put the finishing touches on their Dynasty Rookie Draft Boards, it is important to constructively analyze perennial patterns of players and their respective franchises.  Despite a players talent and perceived fantasy upside, the immediate and long term success of these promising rookies is largely dependent on situation.  The discerning Dynasty owner must monitor talent and situation with the hope of finding that player to put their roster in a position for long term domination.  In our annual Needs Not Wants Draft Preview, we take a look at the current state of each NFL franchise and where the best opportunity exists to find the next great Dynasty talent. Also, check out our Needs Not Wants Draft Preview for AFC Teams.

New York Giants

Heading into 2009 it looked as though the Giants biggest offensive void was the WR position.  It turns out that Eli Manning posted career passing numbers utilizing the youthful talent of Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, while veteran Steve Smith emerged to form one of the top WR corps in the league.  The RB position suffered behind a battered offensive line.  A few small additions in this years draft can round out a solid fantasy offensive unit.  Kevin Boss remains a solid TE2 will few yards and plenty of TD's.  Travis Beckum will look to establish himself in 2010.  We like his upside.
Pass Catching Running Back and RB depth: At this point, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have obvious declining fantasy value.  Neither remain options as weekly starters.  Jacobs still has potential for another 900 yard 10 TD season, although once his body decides to call it quits, a permanent end to productivity will be fast and severe.  Bradshaw is a tough runner, but like Jacobs doesn't catch passes either.  Danny Ware has proven nothing and 2009 Draft Pick Andre Brown missed his entire rookie year due to a torn Achilles injury.  Players do not typically return to form from this type of injury.  The addition of offensive line players will help the running game which struggled in 2009.  Some of the running game issues in '09 can be attributed to Eli Manning's heel injury which caused him to play primarily from the shotgun, thereby making the running game very predictable to defenses.
 

Philadelphia Eagles

After 4 years of sitting behind McNabb, Kevin Kolb will take over the starting role in Philly in 2010.  Many compare this situation similar to Aaron Rodgers in GB.  Kolb has a monumental task ahead of him trying to please the impatient Philly fans, but his demeanor is perfect for the job.  Kolb doesn't have the arm strength or agility of McNabb, but for the first time in over a decade, the Eagles fans will get to experience accuracy at the QB position. Kolb has the upside of a solid QB1 and arguably the most youthful and talented combination of receiving weapons in the league. The values of DJax, Jeremy Maclin or Brent Celek remain unchanged with the change of signal caller. 
RB Depth: The jury is still out with LeSean McCoy.  He has shown signs of game, but Brian Westbrook he is not.  McCoy is not an inside rusher and the Eagles want to throw the ball anyway - which requires a very specific skill set for Eagles RB's.  The Eagles signed FA Mike Bell from the Saints, and Leonard Weaver are decent goal line backs, but if McCoy goes down to injury, there are no pass catching RB's on the roster.
 

Washington Redskins

The weapons surrounding Donovan McNabb in Washington should prove to be an overall decrease in the veterans value (for what it's worth, we have had Kolb ranked higher than McNabb in our Dynasty Rankings for months now).  Boost the value of emerging talents like WR's Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly and TE Fred Davis.  Jason Campbell is still looking for a job, although he looks to have perennial QB2 value (despite his QB1 skill set) for the duration of his career.  Should he find the ultimate situation (whatever that may be), he will enter any situation battle tested and worthy of a long term Dynasty stash. 
A legit RB: In typically Mike Shanahan fashion, the Redskins backfield is a complete disaster with quantity valued over quality.  Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker and Ryan Torain will compete for touches.  None of these players have value in Dynasty leagues.
 

Dallas Cowboys

Overall the Cowboys have an established offensive fantasy unit.  Tony Romo continues to improve each season.  The release of OT Flozell Adams has the potential to hurt the offensive unit as a whole.  We won't be entirely surprised to see Adams return to the Cowboys during the summer.  The three headed backfield consisting of Marion Barber III, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice will be worth monitoring.  Similar to Brandon Jacobs of the Giants, MBIII will have a very quick decline to mediocrity.  The Cowboys are rumored to be interested in letting Felix Jones handle early downs which is concerning as he has shown proneness to injury as well.  Tashard Choice is a good football player that could find himself in a great fantasy situation in 2010, but keep in mind the Cowboys are reluctant to use him unless there are no other options.
WR Depth: With the emergence of Miles Austin, the Cowboys should look to find a second big play WR to line up opposite him.  Roy Williams has proven to be garbage and Patrick Craytons upside is limited are merely a situational threat.  2nd year player Kevin Ogletree flashed potential, but he is still very much a developmental prospect. Rumors of Dez Bryant falling to the Cowboys are exciting. 
Folk(s), we need a Kicker: Okay, sorry for the pun, but it is true.  The Cowboys currently will be using kickoff specialist David Buehler to handle field goal duties in 2010.  Buehler has not yet attempted a field goal in an NFL game.  This will be our single Needs Not Wants item devoted to a kicker.
 

Atlanta Falcons

Look for Matt Ryan to make strides in 2010 after what many deemed a disappointing season in 2009. We were not as down on him as most considering he increased his TD totals (from 16 to 20) in only 13 games started.  Roddy White still is a stud and the receiving corps will welcome back Harry Douglas from a torn ACL although his growth will be a question mark.
WR Depth:  While we are not calling Roddy White old, from a Dynasty perspective, he is in fact aging.  The Falcons would be wise to draft a solid developmental prospect in the same skill set as White.  The durable White will play at 30 in 2011.  Dez Bryant anybody?
TE Depth:Tony Gonzalez is the grandfather...I mean, godfather of the TE position. The Falcons must plan accordingly.  He is still obviously a Beast, but his time as a stat machine is limited.
RB Depth: Michael Turner still has a beastly season left in him.  Considering he posted career high yard per carry numbers in 2009, owners can be excited by Turner in 2010 despite his declining long term Dynasty value.  Jerious Norwood is not a reliable handcuff option as he has a hard time staying healthy.  Jason Snelling proved to be a solid fill-in, but has limited long term upside. The Falcons should draft a power runner to groom over the next season or two.
 

New Orleans Saints

Our Superbowl Champion New Orleans Saints have a pretty solid fantasy outlook...again.  Drew Brees is super consistent and will provide fantasy value across the board.  While there are always big time fantasy points coming out of NO, there can be some frustration associated within adding too many Saints on your Dynasty Roster. Brees spreads the ball around plenty, and HC Sean Petyon loves an offensive gameplan which includes every offensive skill player to touch the ball weekly.  Marques Colston remains a solid high end WR2, Robert Meachem showed an emergence with solid TD numbers, and Devery Henderson also got enough love that he could be started as a decent weekly flex option.  Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are finally being utilized in a proper manner but the frustration mounts as Thomas loses TD carries to average big body RB-FB types and Bush can be injury prone at times.
Powerful Goal Line Back: Look for the Saints to add a powerful runner that has enough versatility to run inside, but also catch passes in a complicated offensive scheme.  A player like Toby Gerhart would prove to be an immediate fantasy asset should he land in NO.
 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

At this point, it is time to start surrounding future fantasy stud Josh Freeman with some serious weapons.  It should be another year or so before the fantasy production begins to shine through, but seriously, give the guy some help or else the TD to INT ratio will remain ridiculously poor.  Freeman is a Dynasty player you should be making all attempts to buy while his value is as cheap as it is ever going to be.
Legitimate WR Depth and Fast!  Maurice Stovall, Reggie Brown and Michael Clayton are not getting it done.  Draft one of the top WR's in this group just to get the ball rolling here.  Sammie Stroughter shows some promise, and is worth rostering in very deep leagues.
Old and in the Way: Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams are no longer Dynasty relevant.  A solid RB would really help take some pressure off Freeman.
 

Carolina Panthers

Jake Delhomme out, Matt Moore in.  Matt Moore looked decent last season stepping in for a terrible Delhomme.  Those that picked him up have a nice player worth rolling the dice on this upcoming season as a depth player at QB.  He needs legit competition to keep his development moving in the correct direction.  You will know a lot about how the Panthers view Moore by the way they handle the QB position in this years Draft.  The Panthers remain one of the few teams that still run to set up the pass and therefore have one of the deepest backfields in the NFL with DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Tyrell Sutton and Mike Goodson.  This team will likely struggle in 2010 and being that it is HC John Fox's final season on Carolina, don't expect a major youth movement until next season.
WR Depth:  Steve Smith is a stud but aging.  He has been pleading they bring in a legit weapon this offseason.  Dwayne Jarrett has proved to be a bust.  The WR situation is so bad in Carolina that there are rumors of RB Mike Goodson lining up as an WR in 2010.  Draft a weapon that will roll coverage away from Smith some and he gets a slight bump in value for what is likely his last legit season to post big numbers.
Stud TE: The Panthers run the football and therefore the TE's are required to do lots of blocking.  A deep threat TE would really help this squad in the passing game and a player like Jermaine Gresham or even a late flier on Jimmy Graham would be beneficial.
 

Detroit Lions

We really like the direction the Lions are headed from a fantasy perspective.  They still have a way to go, but within the Dynasty realm, there is a good deal to get excited about.  Matt Stafford is going to be a beastly QB in this league.  He took a solid beating in his rookie year (he required offseason shoulder surgery), but also showed some serious poise.  Calvin Johnson remains one of the top talents in the league.  He has shown that he is somewhat injury prone, but because of his tremendous talent, he gets another season before passing judgment.  The Lions added Bryant Johnson in the offseason which will pull some of the triple teams off Megatron.  As TE Brandon Pettigrew recovers from ACL surgery, the addition of TE Tony Scheffler will make for a solid depth chart at the position for 2010. 
RB Depth: Kevin Smith showed great promise, however his brutal ACL injury will likely limit his productiveness for most of 2010.  It appears his heavy collegiate workload may have caught up to him.  Unfortunate situation here for a solid (although not great player).  The Lions will need to add a playmaking RB in the draft as backups Maurice Morris, Aaron Brown and Cedric Peerman cannot be counted on.  We do like Peerman as someone to keep an eye on as a prospect entering his 2nd season.
WR Depth: As we said, we like the addition of Nate Burleson to boost Megatron's value although the Lions definitely need to add another youthful playmaker to the offensive weaponry.  It is time to start adding weapons (and offensive lineman) to allow Stafford to be properly utilized.
 

Chicago Bears

The Bears brought in offensive guru Mike Martz to run the offense in the 2010 season.  As we all know, Martz does wonders for the fantasy values of players he coaches.  Deep routes all day for WR's and inflated QB stats are a fantasy owners dream.  The downside here for Dynasty owners is that his QB's also tend to get beat down pretty badly (See Kurt Warner, Mark Bulger, John Kitna) under his regime.  Cutler's numbers will improve, but he will still likely throw plenty of INT's keeping him out of our Top-5 Dynasty Rankings for QB's.  If he can mentally handle (ie not be a baby) the beating he is about to endure, fantasy owners will be pleased with high end QB1 numbers.  This is a situation to monitor however.  Matt Forte and newly acquired Chester Taylor should be a nice backfield duo in 2010.  Greg Olsen is good, but TE's underwhelm in a Martz system.  It's tough to say if he'll find a solid role and is rumored to be on the trade block.
A legit WR:  Okay, we are probably getting a little greedy here, but the Bears do lack a serious WR threat.  As long as the WR's can run, they will be okay, and Culter will launch up deep balls all day - this is a decent scenario for the existing WR's on the roster. Johnny Knox is a Martz guy and looks to have the highest upside of all the Bears WR's. Earl Bennett is intriguing and Devin Hester has proven to be more of a straight line WR that a versatile route runner.  Devin Aromashodu will earn some sleeper value heading into 2010, but he still has a lot to prove in our eyes. 
 

Minnesota Vikings

Brett Favre proved once again he is both a Beast and annoying in the Fantasy Football world.  Those owners that have dropped him each season to the waiver wire continually kick themselves as he throws for 5-TD games.  Favre's leadership is doing wonders for the Dynasty values of every offensive player on the Vikes squad, most notably the emergence of Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin.  Favre's return is still a question mark, however considering his final pass of the 2009 season was an interception in the NFC Championship game -ending the Vikings Superbowl run -, it is likely he will play again in 2010.  One must at least consider that even the iron man will break down eventually.  His Dynasty value is obviously low, but he is worth the stash.
RB Depth: Adrian Peterson showed he can in fact catch the football in 2009 with 43 receptions.  Peterson is not a 3 down back, and therefore the Vikes must add a compliment to replace the very effective Chester Taylor who was lost in Free Agency to the Bears.  At this point there is no reasonable backup/compliment on the roster. A RB of legit talent will have to be addressed this offseason, and should have immediate fantasy value in this high powered offense.  If they don't add decent talent at the RB position, give Harvin's value a bump as he can line up in the backfield effectively.

 

Green Bay Packers

The Packers are one of the most potent offensive squads in the NFL.  Aaron Rodgers is an absolute Beast, and showed immense toughness last season getting sacked brutally throughout the year.  His longevity will not allow for another beating in 2010 like the one he took in 2009, but he easily remains our favorite Dynasty QB.  The Pack should draft some offensive line protection in the early rounds.  Despite the fact seasoned veteran Donald Driver is aging, a youthful WR group led by Greg Jennings and emerging prospects Jordy Nelson and TE Jeremichael Finley will keep the offensive unit's stats consistently inflated.
RB Depth: Ryan Grant is good.  He is consistent, durable and doesn't catch the football.  The Packers like Brandon Jackson as a third down option, specifically on blitz pickup, but with all the weapons, Rodgers will not be throwing to Brandon Jackson.  The Pack should add another pass catching weapon at the RB position to mix it up in the backfield.  They are too predictable when Grant is on the field - this obviously limits Grant's value some. 
 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are emerging as one of the top offensive groups in the league.  Frank Gore remains a focal point of the offense and a top fantasy back.  His longevity is short although we expect another monster season (likely in 2010) before all is said and done.  Michael Crabtree is emerging as a Beast, and it looks as though the recent signing of Ted Ginn Jr, will allow a more talented Josh Morgan to line up opposite Crabs as the starting flanker.  Vernon Davis is going to be a perennial Top-5 Tight End under Mike Singletary's watchful eye.
QB Competition: Alex Smith is the current starter, however his inability to play from under center limits the team to mostly spread offensive sets.  Smith has fantasy value, since he will throw often from the shotgun and his WR corps is developing into one of the leagues best.  Alex Smith can be beat out if legitimate talent comes to SF, but it will be interesting to see what he can do in 2010.
RB Depth: Glen Coffee rushed for a meager 3.0 ypc average in the three games he started in 2009 in place of an injured Frank Gore.  This is not enough to convince the 49ers he is more than just a backup compared to a compliment back.  The 49ers need a playmaking RB to spell Gore.  If they go in this direction, this player should have immediate impact on a versatile offense.  Think a CJ Spiller, Jahvid Best or Joe McKnight type of RB.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams are in a tough spot and have plenty of holes to fill in this years Draft.  They are in desperate need of fantasy weapons and it should be another year or two before this offensive unit begins to gel.  No franchise is experiencing more pressure in this years Draft than the Rams.  They have only 6 starters on the roster from those selected by the team in the last 5 years.  They have been picking in the Top-5 regularly and currently have no Pro Bowlers starting each week.
Franchise QB: The Rams will likey select Sam Bradford with the #1 overall pick.  They passed on Matt Ryan and Matt Stafford the last two Drafts, so passing on Bradford - considering they released Marc Bulger - could prove costly.  Unfortunately for Bradford the Rams have a poor offensive line and desperately need an Offensive Tackle.  The question remains whether his development could be slowed due to being rushed onto the field. Keith Null looked decent starting in a few games last season.
3rd Down RB: Steven Jackson is still a monster, but he carried the rock way too many times in 2009.  The Rams need 1 or even 2 RB's to start grooming in this draft.  One of these players should have immediate value as a compliment and/or injury prone Jackson.
WR Depth:  Laurent Robinson has some upside, but is injury prone and should not be on your fantasy radar coming off a broken leg in 2009.  Donnie Avery is a good player, but he is not a #1 WR and without a supporting cast will continue to struggle.  Brandon Gibson showed some talent, but like the rest of this squad still has a ways to go. 
TE: Yes, they need a TE that can serve as a legitimate downfield threat as well. A young QB tends to lean heavily on a TE, so this could be a spot for two young players to help each other blossom.

Seattle Seahawks

A new Head Coach (Pete Carroll) and General Manager will result in a major shakedown for the Seahawks organization heading into the 2010 NFL Draft.  Pete Carroll will implement an "everyone is equal" mentality to force players to compete for playing time.  Unfortunately for fantasy owners, there just aren't any legitimate offensive weapons on this roster.  They made a move to acquire unknown commodity QB Charlie Whitehurst to compete with an aging Matt Hasselbeck.  It won't be until training camp until we see how that situation will shake out. 
Youthful WR's: Seattle's current starting split ends (TJ Housh and Deon Branch) are both 30+.  They still have "some" game left, but would be best served to mentor 2nd year player Deon Butler and also a much needed playmaking WR acquired through draft pick.  We like Butler's upside heading into his sophomore campaign. 
Powerful Inside Rusher: Julius Jones is what he is, and despite that Justin Forsett showed some flashes, they cannot count on him to perform week to week at the RB position.  

Arizona Cardinals

Matt Leinart and backup Derek Anderson at the helm is a big question mark in Arizona.  Anquan Boldin has left town for Baltimore, however the trio of Larry Fitzgerald and emerging talents Steve Breaston and Early Doucet are intriguing.  The Cards are still a passing team, however Ken Whisenhunt claims the team will be a more balanced attack leaning more on the run with Beast Chris Wells and Tim Hightower.  This duo rounds out a solid backfield. 
Stud TE: There are a nice group of pass catching TE's in this year's rookie class.  An abundance of pass blocking TE's already exist on the roster, so it would be wise for the Cards to add another weapon at the TE position, specifically a vertical threat.

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