What sort of value will Maurice Jones-Drew have next season? Should I keep him ahead of Alfred Morris? - @DanOnofrio (via Twitter)
Michael Fabiano: Jones-Drew joined the list of holdout runners to suffer a long-term ailment, missing a total of 10 contests with a bum foot. Barring any setbacks from a surgical procedure to repair the damage, I don't see any reason he can't re-emerge into a top-12 fantasy runner in 2013. However, it's going to be pretty important to keep tabs on his rehab and time line. In a 10- or 12-team league, I would expect to see Jones-Drew come off the board somewhere in the second round.
Who should be the No. 1 overall selection in 2013 fantasy drafts - Adrian Peterson or Arian Foster? - A. Haigh (via Facebook)
M.F.: A lot of people will disagree, but I still like Foster ahead of Peterson. Sure, A.D. recorded his best fantasy season ever and will now have a full year under his belt after a reconstructive knee operation. But is he going to rush for another 2,097 yards again? It's not likely. What's more, Foster did nothing for me to take him out of the top overall spot. The veteran runner put up better than 1,600 scrimmage yards, found the end zone 17 times and finished in the top four in fantasy points among backs in three straight years.
M.F.: Ryan is coming off his best fantasy season, throwing for career bests in yards and touchdowns. With that said, Romo has a longer track record for statistical success than the Falcons quarterback. And despite the fact that Ryan had an enormous 2012 campaign, he still threw for fewer yards and had just four more total touchdowns than Romo. Forget the fact that he's earned a reputation for not being a clutch signal-caller for Dallas, because Romo has been one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy football since 2007.
Which tight end would you start in the NFL Playoff Challenge? - @Awesome_Saul (via Twitter)
M.F.: I think the Denver Broncos will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, but I'm still going with Rob Gronkowski in my lineup for the Playoff Challenge. He is the best fantasy tight end in the league, and no one can argue that the New England Patriots are also a favorite to reach the big game. I also think two games of production from Gronkowski is better than three or four of most tight ends.
If the Jacksonville Jaguars end up with Tim Tebow next season, where would you take him in a seasonal fantasy draft? - C. Rudolph (via Facebook)
M.F.: If this scenario does come to fruition, I would have Tebow on my draft radar in the later rounds as a No. 2 fantasy option and matchup-based starter. Sure, the Florida product would be one of (if not the) least accurate starting quarterbacks in the NFL. But if you have leaned anything from me in the last two years, it's that I love signal-callers who can run with the football. That's why I liked Tebow so much last season, and it's one of the main reasons I jumped on the Colin Kaepernick bandwagon in 2012. It's also the reason I liked Terrelle Pryor as a sleeper in Week 17.
What are your thoughts on Matthew Stafford? I think he rebounds and ends up being a draft bargain in 2013. - E. Davidson (via Google+)
M.F.: I would agree with you there. Stafford suffered from the "magical season" syndrome in 2012, as he failed to finish in the top five in fantasy points among all quarterbacks in back-to-back seasons. Still, he did record close to 5,000 yards and was in the top 12 based on points. Stafford was also able to remain free of injuries for the second straight year, which is a real positive based on all the time he spent in the trainer's room in his first two pro campaigns. He also has the best wide receiver in the league in Calvin Johnson at his disposal, so Stafford should continue to put up attractive numbers. He'll come off the board between the third and fifth rounds in 2013.
I'm not sure if I should retain Aaron Rodgers or Robert Griffin III. Help! - @marcasg (via Twitter)
M.F.: Griffin III is one of the best keeper options at the quarterback position because of his age, skills and upside. With that being said, I still think Rodgers is a better option. The veteran has now ranked no worse than second in points among quarterbacks in each of the last four seasons, so there hasn't been a more consistent signal-caller from a fantasy perspective. At 29, Rodgers is also still in the prime of his professional career.
I saw that you had a bunch of Broncos in your Playoff Challenge lineup. You realize that team has a bye, right? - D. Greenberg (via Facebook)
M.F.: As I mentioned earlier, I like the Broncos to reach the Super Bowl. Since you can start players from teams on a bye (it is part of the strategy of the Playoff Challenge), I went with a slew of Denver's top options including Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. So while I won't get any fantasy points from those players in the Wild Card round, I will receive double points from them in the Divisional round because I had them in my lineup from the start of the postseason. That's a huge part of finding success in this game - picking players from the two teams you think have the best shot to end up in New Orleans.
Do you think Trent Richardson will be worth a first-round fantasy pick in 2013? - J. Pereria (via Google+)
M.F.: I can see him coming off the board in the late first round, without question. Despite the fact that he failed to rush for 1,000 yards as a rookie, Richardson still posted over 1,300 scrimmage yards and found the end zone a total of 12 times. That was good enough for him to finish among the top 10 running backs based on fantasy points. With one season of NFL experience under his belt, I have no doubt that the Alabama product is going to emerge as an elite fantasy runner sooner than later.
Which quarterback is the best keeper: Kaepernick or Russell Wilson? - @Patrkirwin (via Twitter)
M.F.: These players are so close in value in seasonal and keeper leagues, so this is a tough call. Right now I would go with Kaepernick, because I think he has a higher statistical ceiling than Wilson for the future. Call it a gut reaction to what I have seen from the Niners quarterback this season. Wilson was a top-10 fantasy signal-caller as a rookie, and I see Kaepernick reaching that level in 2013.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
