A Playmaker can be defined in many ways.  For the purpose of this article, we chose to look at some players that do the most with limited touches.  In Fantasy Football you are looking for players with an abundance of touches, targets and passes.  Sometimes however there is an exception to the rule.  Playmakers as we have defined them can be frustrating to own as they occasionally produce a dud.  The opportunity for a Beastly stat line that puts your team over the top on any given weekend, makes the Fantasy Playmaker a weekly must start.  .

WR Mike Wallace:
It must be the stylish Mohawk that allows Mike Wallace burst by defenders the way he does.  While Wallace's Mohawk is impressive, it pales in comparison to his playmaking ability. As a rookie, Dynasty owners got a glimpse of a playmaker in the making in Mike Wallace. Wallace became a quick favorite of Big Ben after making big plays in the first few weeks of the 2009 season. With 7 games with over a 40+ yard catch and 6 TD’s, it was clear that Wallace was in line for another effective season. At roughly  6 ft and 200 lbs Wallace has an advantage over most corners in the league; his blazing speed with that size is a rare commodity. Looking at his 2010 numbers it is clear that he has effectively surpassed the declining Hines Ward as the Steelers #1 WR hauling in 60 reception, 1,257 YDS and 10 TD’s.  That works out to a ridiculous average yards per catch of 21 yards. He also led the NFL with 7 100+ receiving games this past season, 20+ yard plays (23) and 40+ yard plays (10). Showing Mike Wallace is emerging as a huge dynasty threat for years to come, with his size compared to other speedy receivers he may be more durable throughout the years since he can take a good lick from any defender.

RB Jamaal Charles
He is one of the most electrifying players in the league and at only 24 years old, Jamaal Charles has made the most of every opportunity. The 2008 3rd round pick was a track star at the University of Texas, and blazed to a 4.38 40 time at the NFL combine - clearly the Chiefs saw a skill set in Charles that others missed. Following a 3-year college tenure where he managed to tote the rock at 6.2 YPC, Charles has not skipped a beat during his first three seasons in the NFL. Dynasty owners are excited that the 5’11-200 lb playmaker is covering so much yardage per touch with only 13 carries a game. To put Charles in a class of former playmakers, take a look at his 5.8 YPC average over his first three seasons - it is higher than any other player over a 3 year span, and greater than the likes LaDanian Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk, and Eric Dickerson in any single season. With such impressive yardage totals, the only thing keeping Charles outside of the Top 3 in Fantasy RB status is his inability to find the end zone more often. He only found the end zone 5 times in 2010 to go with his 1,497 rushing yards. With the production we have seen out of Charles, Dynasty owners should be cheering in the streets for the Chiefs perfect utilization of the playmaker where his carries are properly limited.  We expect Charles will see double digit TD's in the very near future.

WR DeSean Jackson
If there were anyone in the NFL who had a shot at beating a cheetah in a footrace DJAX would have the best shot. In his first collegiate game at Cal, he scored an offensive TD and a special teams TD. After his Beastly college career, he dropped a 4.35 40 time at the Combine in 2008 and instantly became one of the leagues most explosive deep threats. There is a reason that Mike Wallace's ridiculous 21 yards per catch did not lead the league in 2010 - DJax maintained a 22.5 YPC. His last two seasons he has recorded over 1,000 yards receiving with reception totals in the 60's.  Add over 20 total TD’s during that time and we're talking about possibly the league's best playmaker.  He rushed for a TD this past season; returned punts for TD’s, and has recorded 20 40+ yard catches through his first three seasons.  DJAX size at 5’10 and 175 lbs. makes him a health risk. Those injuries are noteworthy because he had some off games in 2010, but the big fantasy games he has outweighs the infrequent bad game anytime. The moment DJAX steps on the field, he immediately has a chance to breakout at any moment, which makes him the most explosive player in the NFL.

WR Hakeem Nicks
As a true freshman at North Carolina in 2006, Hakeem Nicks showed his game breaking ability on national television against Notre Dame. Nicks caught 6 passes for 171 yards and 2 TD’s, breaking the single game record for a freshman at UNC.  Nicks only played in 13 games this past season and still totaled 79 receptions, 1,052 yards and 11 TD’s.  In his rookie campaign, in only 14 games started he managed to amass 790 yards and 6 TD’s. Imagine what a full season for Hakeem Nicks would be like? Hicks plays bigger and stronger than his 6’1 and 215 lbs. He is also one of the games best route running receivers and at 23 years old it makes him a commodity for Eli Manning and also dynasty owners. Through two seasons and 27 career starts, Nicks has totaled 17 receiving TD’s, surely an impressive number and an indication of his ability to consistently get into the end zone. Should be a double-digit TD threat for years to come.

RB Chris Johnson
It would not be a complete game breaker article if Chris Johnson were not involved. We all saw what he did in the 2009 season with over 2,000 rushing yards and 14 TDs.  He had 11 games that year in which he had a run of 30+ yards or more, not to mention 2 catches of 60 yard or more that resulted in TD’s.  CJ did not have a year every owner expected, but his stat line shows an incredible year again. 316 carries for 1,364 yards at 4.3 YPC and 12 total TD’s - not bad considering the state of the Titans Franchise in 2010.  However, he did average 40 yards a game less than 2009 at 85.2 YPG. In 2009 he averaged 125.4 YPG, and that is tough to match no matter how good you are.  At 25 years old, and at 5’11 191bs, Johnson has upside, speed and versatility. His 40-yard das time at the 2008 NFL Combine was a stunning 4.24. As Jamaal Charles does, CJ also has a high average yard per carry with 5 throughout his first three years.  With speed and durability, CJ has solidified himself as one the best in the league and one of the best game breakers. He averages 1,532 yards a season, and that will keep at the top of fantasy prowess for the next few years.

Noteables:

Darren McFadden will never be a reliable every down back in the NFL.  RunDMC can take it to the house however and his versatile skill set puts him in the Playmaker elite.  Led the league in 2010 with carries over 20+ yards (14).

Michael Vick is as versatile as they come.  A QB that adds RB2 numbers in every start.  The frustrating thing for Dynasty owners when it comes to watching Vick dive headfirst into the face of charging linebackers is the fact he is charging headfirst into the face of charging linebackers.  A Playmaker elite, none-the-less.

LeSean McCoy is another big time playmaker that is deserving of this list.  Helped by the fact that opposing defenses don't know which Eagle Playmaker to try and cover, Shady managed to lead the league in 2010 with rushes over 40+ yards with 5.