The #1 running back in fantasy football last year has had an up-and-down off-season, at least as far as his fantasy value is concerned.

The combination of his strong pre-season performance and Jonathan Stewart’s injury status has resulted in a slow dip and sharp rise in Williams’ ADP.  In 12-team leagues, he is being drafted at 1.07, right behind Larry Fitzgerald.

There are a lot of questions about whether or not he can repeat his league-leading 18 touchdowns last year.  His great year-end stats hide the fact that he only had 2 TDs in the first 7 games. Is he for real, or did he just take advantage of a few bad defenses at the end of the year?

Fun Trivia

One other thing going for DeAngelo Williams is the fact that since 2000, a stud running back has been the #1 fantasy running back two years in a row.

This article from Fantasy Football Cafe shows that it was Marshall Faulk in 00/01, Priest Holmes in 02/03, Shaun Alexander in 04/05, and LT in 06/07.

Since D-Will was #1 in 2008, does that make him a lock as #1 in 2009?

Not only is Randy Moss snagging touchdowns in preseason, but he also just caught Andre Johnson in the ADP rankings.

Below is a graph of his ADP in 12-team leagues.  He’s slowly but surely been catching up to the Houston star since April.

Although Brady had a small injury scare, his shoulder looks to be okay.  Matt Schaub may be more of an injury risk than Brady at this point, and that could be keeping A.J.’s value from going higher than it is now.

The single-season TD reception holder may still be a steal as the #2 WR off the board.  He’s unlikely to reach 22 touchdowns, but it’s exciting to know that his ceiling is so high.