Surviving Sunday: Packers News, Notes and Links for the Football Deprived

It’s already July, but football and the Packers first game still feels like it’s a long ways away. Good thing it’s never too early to talk some fantasy football.

Here are my way-too-early top five at each position, along with a darkhorse candidate and some random thoughts.

QB
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Tom Brady
3. Drew Brees
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Michael Vick

Darkhorse: Jay Cutler

Drafting a running back early in your fantasy draft is so 2006. I’ll take Rodgers, Brady or Brees over any running back. High-end, modern-day QBs put up ridiculously good fantasy numbers, and, most importantly, they’re consistent. Thanks to injuries, you can’t make the consistency argument for Stafford or Vick, but man, it’s going to be hard to pass those guys up for a running back if either remains on the board.

RB
1. Arian Foster
2. Ray Rice
3. Maurice Jones-Drew
4. Chris Johnson
5. Lesean McCoy

Darkhorse: Roy Helu

Running backs are a lot like closers in fantasy baseball. You can usually find good value at the end of the draft or on the waiver wire during the season. That said, it’s so hard to pass them up early in the draft. If you guess right, and pick a RB that remains healthy and gets plenty of carries near the goal line, you’re set. Picking a running back with your first selection used to be a no-brainer. Thanks the rise of the quarterback, running backs are no longer the safest bet.

WR
1. Calvin Johnson
2. Larry Fitzgerald
3. Andre Johnson
4. A.J. Green
5. Greg Jennings

Darkhorse: Demaryius Thomas

The deepest position group in fantasy football, and it’s not even close. There’s no reliable way to project touchdowns, but I tend to stick with bigger WRs who are capable of going up in traffic in the end zone and making the catch. My top five, maybe with the exception of Jennings, fits that mold.

TE
1. Jimmy Graham
2. Rob Gronkowski
3. Jason Witten
4. Jermichael Finley
5. Antonio Gates

Darkhorse: Brandon Pettigrew

Yes, I have Graham over Gronk. Graham was targeted about 25 percent more than Gronk last season. The Saints also have fewer weapons than the Patriots, which makes me think Graham will again be targeted more than Gronk in 2012. Also, Gronk has to regress a little bit, at least in the touchdown category, right?

Links

• This interview with Tramon Williams on Green and Gold Today is a must-listen. Williams reassures us about his shoulder and talks about his humble beginnings.
• D.J. Smith says he backs up Desmond Bishop, not A.J. Hawk. Judging by this video, Hawk has vastly improved his tackling skills and Smith may never see the field.
• Pro Football Focus takes a look at the productivity of edge rushers over the last three years in this excellent and informative post. Clay Matthews appears on the list. It’d be nice if another Packers edge rusher could join him (paging: Perry, Nick).
• I’m not sure why, but I didn’t discover the Packers blog Packerpedia until this week. It’s an excellent site and more than worthy of being added to your daily list of Packers-related reading (after you read ALLGBP.com, of course).
• PackApologist over at Acme Packing Company tackles the issue of draft need vs value, a topic our own Chad Toporski waxed eloquently on back in February.
• NFL.com played snippets from a Brett Favre interview throughout the week. It’s good to hear from Favre again, but it was really annoying how various media outlets turned each interview snippet into some kind of stand-alone story.
• Speaking of Favre, Michael Hunt of the Journal-Sentinel thinks he trying to get back on the good side with the Packers and the team’s fans.
• The Green Bay Press Gazette wonders if Johnny Jolly deserves another chance in this video.
• Zach Kruse looks at Green Bay’s 2013 free agents over at CheesheadTV.com.
• If you like MTV and oral histories, “I Want my MTV” is a must-read.
• I know there are a few Out of the Park Baseball fans that read this site. If you like text sims and the NBA, check out Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 3. It was released earlier this week and it’s great.

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Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .

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