RotoExperts’ Senior Writer Scott Engel takes you on a spin around the fantasy football world.

First and foremost, I'm glad to see Steven Jackson back in camp. The longer he held out, the more I started to become concerned about his conditioning and ability to get into top form for the beginning of the season. Time is shorter now, but the preseason isn't over, and Jackson remains an elite fantasy running back. I wouldn't hesitate to draft him third after LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson.

There are now some doubts about whether Peyton Manning will be ready for the season opener. That may frustrate you for one week, but you may be glad the Colts are doing the right thing with him in the longer term. They obviously don't want to rush him back and you will likely be thankful they did so when he is driving you deep into the fantasy playoffs later this year. Just start thinking of Week One as a possible early bye and adjust accordingly.

No reason to have any major worries about Tom Brady's foot right now, but if you haven't drafted yet, I would still grab a solid backup just for further peace of mind.
 
Justin Fargas remains atop the depth chart in Oakland for now. That's not going to last. Darren McFadden already looks like a star. He has great vision, changes gears in the blink of an eye and makes defenders grab air. I'm convinced he is going to have some outstanding performances this season and he definitely has a lot of upside as a RB2. Michael Bush isn't going to steal enough short-yardage touches overall to be a major worry, I believe.

DeSean Jackson has enjoyed a good preseason and appears to be in line to start while Kevin Curtis is out. While he has looked good, Jackson does concern me. Can he sustain the high level of play when the intensity gets turned up for real? I wouldn't start him in the first week or two and would rather wait and see if he can sustain the momentum. Plus, he is built like he could be snapped in half at any time, not that I would ever wish for him to get injured.

Chris Henry will contribute right away if he returns to Cincinnati as a third receiver after his four game suspension. He has shown the ability to play well in the past after a layoff. What concerns me more is if he has to start at any point. Henry is the ultimate third option, but has seemed to struggle more when pressed into a larger role at times in the past. I like Henry much better for fantasy purposes not if he starts, but if he is benefitting from all the attention that Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh attract.

Steve Slaton is getting opportunities to run with the first-team offense in Houston, and the Texans recently added Marcel Shipp, too. The RB situation continues to reek of desperation. Slaton certainly isn't built for full-time duty and Shipp is an obvious retread. If Slaton gets the chance to start at any point, I wouldn't boost him too high in my ratings, although he makes for a nice flex option.

I was recently backing Ben Obomanu as a sleeper and possible No. 2 WR for Seattle, but I have changed my mind there. Not because Mike Holmgren has openly endorsed Courtney Taylor. I just really like how Jordan Kent looks so far. He's a tall, smooth, athletic receiver who will fight for the ball and wants it thrown his way in scoring situations. Kent has good speed and leaping ability, and while he may lack ideal bulk, he really could emerge as a quality contributor this season. He bears watching as a very deep sleeper, and I'm not hot on Deion Branch if he returns too early.

There seems to be some speculation that it will be a crowded RB situation in New England. Sorry, not buying it. I think New England simply wants to build good depth at the position and make sure Laurence Maroney doesn’t get overworked. Because he has improved as an inside runner, there's less of a need to use Sammy Morris often, and LaMont Jordan is just fighting for a roster spot. Kevin Faulk doesn't get enough reps to truly threaten Maroney. Now that Maroney has become a complete runner, he is going to be on the field a lot and I still like him to have a real breakthrough season.

Boy, Madden 09 is realistic. Last night, I played against the Lions online, blitzed Jon Kitna and he fumbled. Touchdown!

There's a lot of talk about how the Lions plan to open things up this year with Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson. Yet Kitna is still the quarterback, and if they both have good seasons, it's because the Lions will be behind and throwing a lot. That also means more turnovers for Kitna again this year. Look, I respect how Kitna basically came out of nowhere to become an NFL QB, and I think he knows the game very well and has a bright future as a coach. But he doesn't have the skills and tools needed to regularly take advantage of what he sees developing on the field. Think Jake Plummer during the Arizona days with less pure talent.

The Cardinals seem intent on not honoring Anquan Boldin's trade requests. Yet Boldin seems genuinely upset and instead of playing "ticked off," he could conceivably sulk and brood to the point where it affects his play. This is just a thought that may make me pass on Boldin when I'm making a tough decision between him and another Top 10 wide receiver.

The Dolphins don't seem to want Joe Horn. Now, will he get the message that he isn’t nearly as good as he thinks he is anymore? Horn's body has obviously not kept up with his ego. No matter where he lands, I wouldn't expect any significant statistical contributions from him.
 
How bad is the San Francisco wide receiver situation? I have actually heard some people talking Josh Morgan up. He is having a good camp and is actually making a push to start, but once play begins for real, Morgan won't do much if he is a featured target on a team with a very shaky passing game. Morgan has been exploiting less established defensive backs in exhibition play and would likely struggle against better cover men. I like him as a dynasty player, but not in yearly leagues.

J.T. O' Sullivan did look good against Chicago on Thursday, and it's not a major shock that he appears to have the best shot at winning the starting job, because he understands the Mike Martz system. Yet once defenses start seeing O’Sullivan regularly and start preparing for him with film to study, he could begin to struggle. I am still skeptical about O’Sullivan, even as a fantasy reserve.

Kyle Orton threw a pair of TD passes on Thursday against San Francisco. That doesn't mean I'm going to draft him, but I do believe he can be an adequate game manager. He does a good job of taking what defenses will give him and will prevent defenses from keying on Matt Forte, which should give Forte chances to finish off some scoring drives. We should wait and see who emerges as Orton's favorite receiving target, as that guy could emerge as a viable fantasy addition, at least for depth.

Scott Engel was the first-ever full-time Fantasy Writer and Editor for CBS SportsLine. He was part of an award-winning Fantasy Editorial team at ESPN.com and won the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Fantasy Football Writer of the Year Award in 2006. He was a finalist in three FSWA categories. E-mail Scott at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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