NFL fantasy player rater

By Ray Flowers, Fanball.com, Special to SI.com

With 34 touchdown passes in 2008, the Saints' Drew Brees led more than a few fantasy teams deep into the playoffs. Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

The debate rages on about who is the best weapon in football. Is it the flashy quarterback who lofts deep touchdown passes or is it the dynamic backfield option that always seems to have the ball in his hands? For that matter, what about that receiver that always seems to be doing some type of end zone dance? In what follows we will attempt to answer the question of who is the most valuable fantasy player at each position in our weekly column dealing with the Player Rater Tool.

What is Player Rater tool you ask? It is an emotionless, statistically driven model that takes into account your leagues rules and tells you which players are performing at the highest level. For the sake of the analysis that follows, here are the "rules" that we will be using.

Four points: Touchdown pass
Four points: Rushing or receiving touchdown
One point: Per 25 yards passing
One point: Per 10 yards rushing or receiving
Three points: Per field goal
One point: Per extra point

Quarterback

Drew Brees -- 338.7 points

He finished with 5,069 yards, 15 short of the league record, as he threw for twice as many scores (34) as interceptions (17).

Aaron Rodgers -- 310.2 points

Rodgers tossed the ball for 4,038 yards and 28 scores as he completed at least 20 passes in 10 of his last 12 games in a fantastic first season at the helm.

Jay Cutler -- 309.0 points

Only Brees threw more passes (635 to 616) as Cutler threw for 4,526 yards (third overall) and 25 touchdowns.

Philip Rivers -- 304.8 points

Tied Brees for the NFL lead with 34 scores while throwing six fewer interceptions (11) as he led the league with a 105.5 QB Rating.

Kurt Warner -- 303.1 points

Warner used a career-high 598 attempts for a career-best 401 completions as he tossed the rock for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns for the Cards.

Peyton Manning -- 274.2 points

Mind-numbingly consistent, Peyton had his 11th-straight year of at least 3,700 yards (4,002) and 26 scores (27).

Donovan McNabb -- 271.3 points

McNabb tossed a four-year high 23 scores while just missing out on his first 4,000-yard season (3,916).

Matt Cassel -- 266.7 points

Cassel started slow with seven scores in eight games but he finished on a high note with 14 scores against only four interceptions over his last eight games. Cha-ching (that's the sound of a cash register by the way).

Tony Romo -- 246.0 points

Romo tossed 26 scores against 14 interceptions, and his average of 265.2 yards per contest was the best of his young career.

David Garrard -- 244.4 points

Garrard threw for 3,620 yards but he tossed only 15 scores and 13 interceptions after a 2007 season of 15 and 3.

Running back

DeAngelo Williams -- 243.6 points

Over the past eight games of the season, Williams was unconscious averaging 124.1 yards per game while scoring 15 touchdowns.

Michael Turner -- 242.0 points

Turner led the league with 376 carries as he finished second in rushing yards (1,699) and rushing scores (17).

Adrian Peterson -- 228.5 points

AP led the league in rushing yards (1,760) and ran for at least 80 yards in 10 of his last 11 games (the only time he missed he rushed for 76 yards).

Matt Forte -- 219.5 points

The Bears rookie led the position with 63 receptions and scored 12 touchdowns overall (eight rushing, four receiving).

Thomas Jones -- 211.9 points

Jones scored 15 times (13 rush, two receiving) in '08, or just two fewer than he scored the previous three seasons combined.

Clinton Portis -- 206.5 points

Portis averaged just 68 yards a game the second half of the year, but he still recorded his fourth season of at least 1,450 yards (1,487).

Steve Slaton -- 205.9 points

What a rookie season for the West Virginia grad, who was one of only three backs to catch at least 50-passes while recording 1,000-yards on the ground (1,282).

LaDainian Tomlinson -- 201.6 points

LT saved his season by scoring five times in the final four weeks, though he still rushed for "just" 1,1110 yards, a career-low.

Maurice Jones-Drew -- 194.9 points

Drew caught 62 passes and scored 14 times despite sharing touches with Fred Taylor yet again.

Brian Westbrook -- 189.8 points

Though he scored 14 times this year, he finished with a three-year low in rushing yards (936) and a five-year low in receptions (54).

Wide receiver

Larry Fitzgerald -- 191.1 points

Fitzgerald had 96 receptions for 1,431 yards and 12 scores, his second straight season with at least 95-1,400-10.

Andre Johnson -- 189.5 points

The NFL leader in receptions (115) and yards (1,575), Johnson had eight 100-yard outings on the season.