James has a lot of wear and tear on his body, as he has averaged 317 carries over the course of his NFL career. Those carries (and the subsequent pounding administered by defenders) are starting to show in his yards-per-carry average. Prior to last season, James, saw his YPC average drop three consecutive years. In his nine-year career, James has averaged less than 4.1 YPC only three times, and two of those were the past two seasons.

James’ contribution to the passing game has been reduced considerably during his time with the Cardinals, as he has averaged only 31 receptions per year, compared to his 51 receptions he averaged with the Colts. Even though he has received the lion’s share of carries last season (324 of 365 RB carries), between himself, Marcel Shipp, and J.J. Arrington, he’s been the recipient of fewer than half of the RB receptions (24 of 57 RB receptions). Then again, with only 57 receptions between the three of them, the Cardinals clearly don’t depend use their running backs much in the passing game. If this trend continues, Edge’s upside will once again be limited. The lack of upgrades on the offensive line doesn’t bode well, either.

James’ fantasy success this season depends primarily on two things: the offensive line and the maturation of Leinart. Clearly the offensive line in Arizona is not on par with the line James had the benefit of running behind in Indianapolis. Will we ever see YPC averages like James saw in Indy? In his two seasons preceding his arrival to the desert, he averaged 4.4 YPC. If the O-line were to provide him the kind of protection that would allow him to even sniff anywhere near 4.4 YPC, James could be looking at 1,300-1,400 rushing yards based on his 33-carry average in Arizona. That, of course, is unlikely to happen. To be fair to the offensive line, James is not the same back he once was when he was with the Colts. For the 2008 season, consider Edge a medium-risk/medium-reward investment

It seems Westbrook is a “game-time decision” every week, and that can drive fantasy owners crazy. But the bottom line is he’s played in 15 games each of the past two seasons and his production has more than made up for any worry he’s caused. Last season, he led the league in yards from scrimmage (2,104 — 1,333 rushing, 771 receiving), and he scored 12 touchdowns. All those totals were career highs. Because of this, Westbrook is likely to be one of the first six players selected in virtually every draft, and you can make a legitimate case for him to go as high as second overall. Yes, injury concerns always make him a dicey pick, but he’s worth it.

Donavan MCNabb-

McNabb hasn’t been healthy for a full season since 2004, and his fantasy value has plummeted as result. Last season, his passing yards/game (237.4) dropped to its lowest total since ’03, and he failed to score a rushing touchdown for the first time since his rookie season. McNabb still has the occasional big game, but he’s becoming more immobile, which not only limits his production, it also leads to more injuries. Thus, he’s a borderline starter in fantasy leagues. If you draft him as a starter, make sure you grab a reliable backup one or two rounds later.

Kevin Curtis-

Finally free from second- (or third) banana status in St. Louis, Curtis made the most of his chance to be the No. 1 in Philly. Last season, he posted a career-high 1,110 yards and tied a career-high with six touchdowns (he actually scored two more on fumble recoveries, which count just the same in most fantasy leagues). That sounds good — until you remember 221 of those yards and three of those TDs came in Week 3 against the Lions. Yes, Curtis is a decent yardage-producer, but when it comes to touchdowns, he’s as inconsistent as they come. You can’t count on Curtis to be anything more than a WR3.