A “fantasy” offense

At one time it was “the greatest show in turf” in St. Louis. Since then the Colts have taken the crown, with such star talent as Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne.

But who is 2007’s best fantasy offense? Which offense drops jaws with its talent while tallying the scoreboard and boxscore with big numbers?

The contenders:

• With Manning under center, Harrison and Wayne at wide receiver, and Addai at running back, there’s no reason the Colts won’t contend for the best in 2007.
• Marc Bulger posts great numbers year in and out while Steven Jackson is poised to contend with LT2 as the league’s fantasy back of the year. And don’t forget about Torry Holt and the elder statesman, Isaac Bruce, at wide receiver
• Matt Leinart might be young the talent surrounding him is among the best in the NFL. Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald might be the best receiving duo in the league and Edgerrin James is ready to make an impact in year two.
• There’s talent galore with this group. Carson Palmer can contend with anyone for top fantasy quarterback, and with receivers like Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh, that’s not surprising. Don’t forget about Rudi Johnson, either.
• The Saints took the league by storm last season with veterans like Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister, not to mention the newcomers Reggie Bush and Marques Colston. With all four returning in 2007, there’s little reason to suspect a major drop off in production.
• The dark horse in 2007 is Denver. With veteran talent — Javon Walker, Rod Smith, Brandon Stokley, Daniel Graham, and Travis Henry — surrounding a young, laser-armed quarterback, the Broncos are poised for a major run. Plus, they’re coached by one of the greatest offensive minds in NFL history. And with a great defense you can expect the Broncos to be working with good field field position.

The verdict? No doubt, it’s difficult to choose between those six teams. All are loaded with talented individuals. The obvious pick, I imagine, is still Indianapolis. With the best quarterback and two of the best receivers in the NFL, they’re a solid choice.

Of course, St. Louis stands out as well. With Bulger, Jackson, and Holt a case could be made for a resurgence as “the greatest show on turf.”

To avoid making the wrong choice, I think the best thing to do is rank the teams based on the three major positions: quarterback, running backs, and wide receivers. Note that the following is a ranking from a fantasy football perspective. It might not take into account “intangibles.”

Quarterback

1. Indianapolis Colts — Manning reigns supreme as the NFL’s smartest man under center.
2. Cincinnati Bengals — Carson Palmer has enough weapons and the right offense to explode in 2007.
3. St. Louis Rams – Marc Bulger is consistently among the best in the business.
4. New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees showed last season that he can throw a football as well as anyone else. And in the high powered Saints offense, it bodes well for fantasy owners.
5. Denver Broncos — The talent around Cutler makes up for his lack of experience.
6. Arizona Cardinals — Leinart isn’t the best of this group and his offensive line is mostly to blame for that.

Running Backs

1. St. Louis Rams — Jackson can be the NFL’s best running back in 2007 if everything falls into place.
2. Indianapolis Colts — Joseph Addai has plenty of talent and the environment in Indianapolis is great for his potential.
3. New Orleans Saints — Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush might be the best 1-2 punch in the league.
4. Denver Broncos – The Broncos consistently churn out great runners and working with Travis Henry should produce favorable results.
5. Cincinnati Bengals — Rudi Johnson is a great runner, but he played with some inconsistency last season.
6. Arizona Cardinals – Again, the Cardinals’ offensive line is porous, as evidenced by James’ 3.4 yard per carry average last season.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

1. Indianapolis Colts — It’s a little more complicated when selecting the Colts over some others, but it’s hard to argue against Harrison, Wayne, and Dallas Clark.
2. St. Louis Rams — Newcomers Randy McMichael and Drew Bennett will need to pull it together to justify the number two spot.
3. Cincinnati Bengals — They were hurt by the loss of the talented Chris Henry. Luckily, “Ocho Cinco” and “Who’s your momma” are still great wide receivers.
4. Denver Broncos – Daniel Graham is the team’s best tight end since Shannon Sharpe left for CBS. Javon Walker is a great producer while Rod Smith consistently posts decent numbers.
5. Arizona Cardinals — Yes, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are great producers, but the lack of a solid tight end or third wide receiver combined with Fitgerald’s absences last season raises questions.
6. New Orleans Saints — Marques Colston and Devery Henderson will need to pick up some slack left by the departed Joe Horn.

The results…

1. (4)
2. (6)
3. (10)
4. (11)
5. (14)
6. (17)

Conclusion: The Colts reign supreme, followed closely by St. Louis.

What do you think? Did I leave someone off (San Diego, perhaps)? Did I gaff when ranking the units? Let me know your opinions!