High Fives: A fantasy draft

ADP allowing, give us a dream scenario for the first five rounds of a 12-team fantasy draft

1. Jeremy Hill -  I'm opting into picking at the turn here - get low-mileage RB that led NFL in rush yards in 2nd half of '14

1. Jamaal Charles -  Really, I'd take any of the top-5 backs at the top. Charles has broken the plane 33 times over the last two years, and is generally ridiculous.

1. Le'Veon Bell - Two games doesn't worry me. I'd gladly take a talent like Bell at the five spot. 

2. Julio Jones -  If he stays healthy, has the setup (soft sched, solid QB, old, ailing WR opposite him, defense that should necessitate shootouts) to  finish as top 3 fantasy WR

2. Randall Cobb or A.J. Green - If you land a top-3 or 4 overall pick, you're basically guaranteed an elite back and an upper-tier WR, someone capable of a 100-1300-12 sort of season. Awesome spot.  (Editor's note: Sorry, Andy, both will be gone. It's Jeffery for you)

2. A.J. Green - The fact that he fell this far is madness. Back to full health and in a contract year, Green has top five potential. 

3. Brandin Cooks -  His ADP is 36.6 in Yahoo, so I'm saying I have a chance ... but not in any of the leagues I'll be drafting in. Jordan Matthews would be my fall back here

3. Latavius Murray - Murray's ceiling is tremendous. Just silly. Assuming good health in 2015, he can force his way into the first round of 2016 drafts.   

3. Frank Gore - He may be 32 years old, but he's still a beast. He'll see fewer defenders and get more targets out of the backfield in Indy. The Inconvenient Truth is far from done.

4.  Lamar Miller -  MIA is building steam on offense (11th in scoring in '14) - I've moved Miller into my RB top 10

4. Andre Johnson or Emmanuel Sanders - These guys are clearly in great situations, set up for huge seasons. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if A.J. established a new single-season TD high. 

4. Travis Kelce - Fully recovered from microfracture surgery, Kelce should be even more of a force this year than he was last. 

5. Matt Ryan   - Would love to nab Ryan here, but if he were gone, I'd be looking at Jonathan Stewart or maybe a Joseph Randle gamble

5. Davante Adams - Maybe he won't fall this far, given the recent buzz. But Adams is clearly in a ripe situation, he has the full confidence of a Hall of Fame QB, and he's looking at a zillion targets. And yes, I'd take both him and Cobb.

5. Amari Cooper - Picking from the middle is really working out here. Cooper will enter 2015 as the focal point of this offense. That may not be saying much, but his polished routes and playmaking ability will keep Carr feeding him the ball.

Top 5 guys you'd consider drafting that don't appear on the Yahoo draft analysis (ADP) page

1. Chris Polk - I think he's more talented than Alfred Blue, and if Arian Foster misses a sizeable chunk of games, I expect that Polk will bubble to the top

1. Ty Montgomery - He's running with the Packers' varsity offense, looking like the No. 3. We've clearly learned over the years that Aaron Rodgers can support three ownable receivers. 

1. Brandon Coleman - He's been a stand out in camp and has surpassed Nick Toon as the team's third receiver. He'd likely take over Colston's role were the vet to go down.

2. Richard Rodgers -  With Nelson out, reports that Rodgers has been heavily targeted in the red zone by A-Rod in training camp takes on extra meaning

2.Jeremy Langford - I'd be mildly surprised if Langford isn't the Bears starting RB in 2016. He looks the part.   

2. Kamar Aiken - The journeyman has a chance to surprise with rookie Breshad Perriman's knee injury lingering. The team desperately needs a WR to fill the vacancy left by Torrey Smith.

3. Leonard Hankerson -  Roddy White has not exactly been a picture of health this summer - Hankerson will be in line for a major role if/when White misses games

3. Ronnie Hillman - This guy is going to see regular season touches. He's too capable, and too close in talent to Anderson. Hillman can play.

3. Khiry Robinson - He stepped in nicely for Ingram last year, averaging 4.8 YPC. He's better than a backup and could see workhorse volume if Ingram were sidelined with an injury. 

4. Derek Carrier -  Washington was top 5 in TE catches last season, and Jordan Reed is a huge injury risk - Redskins targeted the uber-athletic Carrier on trade market for good reason

4. Ryan Fitzpatrick - He's not always the best watch, but Fitz will be throwing to an excellent receiving corps, led by Marshall and Decker. 

4. Matt Jones - He's an aggressive runner who has shined in the preseason. If Alfred Morris struggles transitioning from a zone to a power scheme, Jones could very well vulture carries. 

5. Matt Jones - Hard to find anyone that has been buzzier this preseason - likely to fill a Helu-plus role, eating into The Butler's touches at least a little bit

5. Maxx Williams - It's extremely rare for a rookie tight end to make noise in fantasy, so this is just a flier. But Williams is legit, and Baltimore's receiving corps is thin.

5. Derek Carrier - An athletic specimen, Carrier was buried in San Fran last season. He's now Washington's No. 2 TE behind the perpetually hobbled Jordan Reed. 

Top 5 socialist backfields (heaviest platoons)

1. New Orleans - No matter what happens, you can count on Sean Payton working three guys into the backfield mix

1. New Orleans - Assuming C.J. Spiller gets right (not a safe assumption), this backfield could easily produce a pair of RB2s.

1. Cleveland - Rookie Duke Johnson should lead the Browns' backfield, but the explosive Crowell and plodding West are still in the mix. 

2. Philadelphia - As a McCoy owner from last year who spent plenty of time cursing Sproles and Polk, I have no doubt that Mathews and Sproles will muddy these waters

2. San Francisco - I feel like we're going to see a lot more of Reggie Bush than anyone expects/wants. 

2. Houston - Until Arian Foster returns the Texans' backfield will remain a four-headed hydra. 

3. New England - Blount, Gray, White, Bolden, Cadet ... good luck trying to figure this mess out from week to week

3. St. Louis - This might not be a committee by season's end, if Gurley is back to full strength. But for now, Tre Mason is going to be involved; he was terrific last year, in difficult matchups.

3. Philidelphia - Chip Kelly has been adamant about installing a committee. Murray should see the bulk of the action, but Mathews (when healthy) is one of the league's best north-south runners and Sproles can do real damage in the passing game. 

4. Dallas - I have a hard time believing Run-DMC is a viable platoon candidate in DAL, but it's not like Randle has done anything to establish himself as the backfield alpha yet

4. Detroit - Abdullah is terrific, but he's not alone. Bell expects to be ready when the regular season is underway.

4. San Francisco - Hyde knows how to rack up yards after contact, but I'm not sure the 49er's game script will consistently go his way. I envision a lot of Reggie Bush and maybe some Kendall Hunter too. 

5. Detroit - I love Abdullah, but I'm not deluding myself into thinking Joique Bell, and even Theo Riddick, won't have a role - luckily, the offense should be potent enough to provide for multiple RBs (like '13)

5. New England - Blount is pretty clearly the best bet for fantasy value (and loads of touchdowns), but he's not exactly a passing down specialist. Hopefully we'll see some James White. 

5. New York Giants - Jennings is 30 years old and has yet to play a full 16 game season. It's likely OC Ben McAddo will spread the wealth in an attempt to keep this backfield fresh. 

Top 5 projected leaders among quarterbacks in TD passes minus Interceptions

1. Aaron Rodgers - Has posted a ridiculous 139:25 TD-to-INT ratio over past four seasons.

1. Aaron Rodgers - He just doesn't make mistakes, ever. Rodgers is the one guy on this list who could reasonably reach 40.

1. Ben Roethlisberger - Bryant's absence is a knock, but opportunities will be plentiful with the Steelers' weak defense serving up yardage. Big Ben is slated for a career high number of TDs.

2. Russell Wilson - He's been a custodian of the pigskin since Year 1, and addition of TE Graham should pump his TD pass numbers back up

2. Ben Roethlisberger - Ben went 32-9 last season, and I won't be surprised if he makes a leap to, say, 40-8 in the year ahead. His situation isn't so different from Luck's.

2. Aaron Rodgers - He hasn't thrown a pick at Lambeau in an eterinity. Don't worry about Jordy's absence. Another wide TD:INT disparity is likely. 

3. Andrew Luck - With the infusion of quality new talent around him, he's not going to have to force things much

3. Andrew Luck - He'll toss a few picks, sure, but the touchdown floor is crazy-high. 

3. Tony Romo - So underrated. So consistent.  

4. Tom Brady - Obviously, he's a better candidate here if his suspension is shortened, but his track record for limiting mistakes is rock solid

4. Drew Brees - Again, we know he'll throw double-digit picks, but he's also a terrific bet for 36-40 TDs 

4. Carson Palmer - Last year he was on pace for 4K yards and 29 TDs. Maybe he gets hurt again, but his current value is too good to pass up. 

5. Tony Romo - Doesn't have a caretaker rep, but he's been 10 INTs or less in 5 of past 6 seasons

5. Peyton Manning -  In a mildly disappointing season, Peyton still went 39-15. 

5. Andrew Luck - You don't get to 40 (or 50) TDs without throwing a few picks. 

Top 5 NFL announcers/analysts (past or present)

1. Howard Cosell - Cosell was Monday Night Football - his halftime highlights in the pre-internet era was can't-miss TV

1. John Madden - BOOM. 

1. John Madden - Is this debatable? 

2. Chris Collinsworth - From an X's and O's stand point, he's awesome, and he's an easy listen, to boot

2. Charlie Jones - Terrific voice. Jones and Todd Christensen were a great pairing, back in the day.

2. Dan Fouts - Underrated on the field… and in the booth. 

3. John Madden - I'm not the biggest Madden fan, but I certainly appreciate his impact on the game

3. Pat Summerall - Really enjoyable, independent of Madden. You heard his voice, you knew the game was big.

3. Chris Collinsworth - Maybe I have daddy issues. 

4. Brent Musberger - He was everywhere in my younger years, and his voice washes over me with thick waves of nostalgia

4. Mike Tirico - Very quick thinker in the booth, clearly as prepared as anyone in the business. Also gets the absolute best out of his partners, an underrated skill. 

4. Al Michaels - MIRACLE, baby! 

5. Dick Enberg - Same as Musberger, his voice just brings back fond Sunday morning memories

5. Howard Cosell - He'd make this list on the strength of the Earl Campbell game alone. So many good clips. Listen up.  

5. Tom Waddle - He had me at smelling salts