Sitting Here in Limbo: Fantasy Studs or Duds in 2010?

Today, we look at ten players who, at one time or another, represented fantasy football juggernauts, but after the 2009 season, their fates hang in the proverbial balance. All of these folks could mark draft-day steals as much as they could represent colossal wasters. For now, let's focus primarily on highlighting the players and what they did to get themselves here. We'll give a preliminary indication on which way we lean regarding their prospective values, but reserve the final judgment until next preseason.

In the words of Jimmy Cliff, as sung by Jerry Bear ...

I don't know where life will take me, But I know where I have been.
I don't know what life will show me, But I know what I have seen.
Tried my hand at love and friendship, That is past and gone.
And now it's time to move along.

Carson Palmer - Coming in to 2009, Palmer topped countless sleeper lists and looked poised for a return to grace. While he got off to a decent enough start, down the stretch the Bengals all but abandoned the passing game. Over the course of the final nine games, Palmer averaged a lowly 26 attempts per game. That type of offense spells R-U-N -- in more ways than one -- for fantasy owners.

Calvin Johnson - When healthy, Johnson again proved he can be elite, but too much turmoil on the Lions' offense including a perpetually awful offensive line, subsequent perpetually hurt quarterbacks, and double- or triple-coverage make him an extremely risky repeat for a first-round fantasy selection. Watch closely how the Lions handle their offseason as a better line and some decent complementary offensive weapons would mean everything for Johnson. Also, he must stay healthy, which at this point looks like something he is unable to consistently do.

Darren McFadden - About the only thing McFadden has going for him is a very expensive four years remaining on his contract (originally $60 million for six years, $26 million guaranteed). McFadden sucked in 2009, gaining all of 357 yards and one touchdown. While he never really got healthy, he certainly played enough to make a decent impact, but he couldn't make a strong case that he should be the starter -- or even second-string for that matter. This guy looks like a waste of money to the tune of Andre Ware.

Brian Westbrook - Westbrook has represented a gamble in each of his past three seasons with consistent nagging injuries, but this season he finally broke. Ironically, it wasn't those ankles and knees that kept him "Questionable" for so many games that did him in, but rather a pair of dangerous concussions. While most folks will be quick to label him "busted," Westbrook consistently defies the odds, and could pull off a season or two akin to Curtis Martin's breakout late-career years for the Jets. Don't be shy about picking him up late. This is the kind of call that can win a championship (think Tiki Barber) if it works.

Marshawn Lynch - Here's a guy with no friends in the fantasy world. He looked like a sneaky play due to his three-game suspension to start the season, but anyone willing to patiently wait for Week 4 found themselves patiently waiting for Week 5, Week 6, all the way to Week 16. Lynch never surpassed Fred Jackson for any extended period of time and looks to be on the complete decline. This is one guy I am afraid to draft ever again. You can keep your 3.8 per carry, buddy. Also, in case you missed it, he was accused of stealing $20 from a woman at a TGI Fridays last month. That's not a very good sign.

Braylon Edwards - New home, new hands? It looked promising for about a week, but the fact remains: Braylon Edwards cannot catch. For a star in the NFL, he should not be allowed to drop the passes he drops. In a few short seasons in Cleveland, he went from community Good Samaritan and hard-working rookie, to a prima donna pain in the ass with stone hands. There are enough good receivers in the league that you don't really need to suffer through any more Braylon. He only cracked 100 yards once in 2009 and his best receiving effort totaled just six catches. Fantasy garbage. By the way, this comes from a die-hard Michigan fan.

Roy E. Williams - Williams missed his chance to become the No. 1 in Dallas. The Cowboys set him up with a recliner, a tray of hot wings, and a cooler of cold ones; all he had to do was turn it on and the game was his. Instead, Miles Austin stepped up and left Williams rifling through paperwork, trying to scrounge up a B-list. Williams did step it up in the points department in the second half of the season with five touchdowns in eight games, but his targets stayed lower than a fantasy starter merits. However, we still feel there remains at least some glimmer of hope for E.

Matt Hasselbeck - Aside from the shipwreck 11 turnovers in his final four games, if Hasselbeck returns at QB as expected, he comes in with a better situation to succeed. The Seahawks have Pete Carroll coming on board, which implies a weapons upgrade for Hasselbeck. When healthy, Hasselbeck played some very strong games in 2009, notching three touchdowns on two occasions and breaking 300 yards on two others, suggesting that both his arm and his game remain strong.

Clinton Portis - Similar to Westbrook in more ways than one, this aging runner missed significant time due to concussion, which capped off a long run of nagging injuries. It's not hard to forecast a situation similar to that of Willis McGahee in Baltimore where a young Ray Rice comes in and completely steals the workload, save for some minor situational work. Again, these aging superstars can make great late-round pickups for the possible steal, but at this point we see no reason for Portis to remain anywhere near your first five rounds of the draft.

Terrell Owens - Have we seen the last of Terrell Owens? That's hard to say. Owens quietly managed to lead the Bills in receiving with 829 yards, 55 catches, and five TDs, which looks like at least a low double-digit-round fantasy draft pick, but T.O. seems more interested in tweeting than he does catching passes and now that he eclipsed the 1,000-catch milestone, likely earning a spot in the Hall, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see Owens move on from the game. Keep in mind, he only had a one-year deal with Buffalo. Then again, can anything surprise if T.O.'s involved?