Below are my Top 10 Bold Predictions for the 2010 Fantasy Football Season. Each preseason we crank out a handful of breakout predictions – My top 10 are below. Enjoy.

Top 10 Bold Predictions: Fantasy Football 2010

While this isn’t the boldest prediction to ever post on Fantasy Football Xtreme, most everyone has Andre Johnson ranked as this year’s No. 1 fantasy football wide receiver.

AJ is quite deserving of that ranking, and honestly you can’t go wrong with AJ or Calvin Johnson this year.

But, I firmly believe this is the season Calvin takes a huge leap into the elite.

He missed games last year and he was inconsistent — All of that is about to change and Calvin is going to straight-up dominate opposing defenses.

Mathew Stafford is maturing nicely and I see no reason why, if healthy, Calvin can’t pull in 100 receptions for 1,400 yards and 12-14 scores.

9. Ray Rice will finish as the No. 1 fantasy RB in all formats in 2010.

No one can go wrong selecting one of Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson or Ray Rice No. 1 overall, but of the three runners, I predict that Rice has the most consistent 2010 campaign.

I’m not necessarily predicting injury with either AP or Johnson, but it’s certainly something to consider. Peterson is one of the most aggressive runners in the league and his style of play puts him at risk for injury… Johnson runs even more upright.

Both Peterson and Johnson are going to have fantastic seasons and both are absolute locks inside my top three overall… I just envision one of those 16-game monster seasons out of Rice.

Last year, Rice ran for 1,339 yards, pulled in 78 receptions for 702 yards and had eight total scores. I believe that Rice can rush for 1,400+ and pull in another 70-80 receptions for 700+ yards this year… but this year I see him scoring 12-15 times. Ray Rice is going to explode in 2010!

8. Kevin Kolb will be a top 5-6 fantasy QB at season’s end in 2010.

Kevin Kolb looked rusty in the Eagles third preseason game, but I still predict big things for the Eagles’ passer in 2010.

I don’t have him anywhere near the big three (Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning), and I still have Matt Schaub and Tom Brady ranked above him… but I see no reason why Kevin Kolb can’t compete with Schaub and Brady in that 5-6 range… I would draft Brady and Schaub ahead of Kolb 10 times out of 10, but if looking to invest late in a quarterback in hopes of getting Tony Romo like production, Kolb is your man! Don’t worry too much about Kolb’s mediocre preseason… he started two games for the Eagles in 2009 and he posted 300+ yards and 3TDs in each game.

That’s a small sample to pull from, but I see the talent in this passer. He is the real deal and his accuracy is unmatched. With DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek pulling in passes in Philly, they sky is the limit for Kolb.

While he likely won’t finish in the top four, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if he frequently has a cup of coffee with those top guys.

7. Frank Gore will finish outside the top 15RBs in 2010.

Here goes the injury speculation. Predicting injury is always tough, and usually it’s not an advised approach when heading into your fantasy drafts/season. The thing about Frank Gore is that his injury history is long and his knees are ticking time bombs.

The offensive line is revamped in San Francisco, which would make a Gore injury awful timing, but I just don’t envision Gore playing close to 16 games this season. It’s not just his knees, he always seems to be battling ankle injuries as well.

I have no doubt that Gore can produce top 5-7RB numbers per start in 2010 — His offensive line is that good. It’s just the missed games I’m worried about, along with all those game-time decisions.

If you’re a dynasty Gore owner, don’t freak out and sell-low… again, per start Gore is going to be a beast in 2010… just consider selling high during the season if the price is right, or handcuff him to Anthony Dixon at the very least.

6. Ryan Grant, Cedric Benson and Jamaal Charles will all disappoint in 2010.

Predicting bust campaigns for each of these runners individually would be somewhat bold, but I’m going the extra mile in grouping these three together.

These are the three running backs I just don’t trust heading into 2010. Ryan Grant had a great season last year, but he can’t seem to stay healthy and Brandon Jackson has looked surprisingly great this off-season.

Cedric Benson is considered very undervalued by many, but he commands 24-27 overall type value… something I’m just not willing to pay. I feel the same way about Jamaal Charles.

The talent is there, but so is the risk… thus I refuse to invest that top 24-27 overall type value. I say let someone else take the risk in 2010. If you own any of these players in dynasty leagues, consider trading into a LeSean McCoy or Arian Foster while their values are low.

Let me first start off by saying I love the future fantasy value of Dez Bryant.

He is going to be a beast.

My predictions and lofty expectations for Mike Williams aren’t a knock on Bryant, or his fantasy value… they are merely a reflection of how much I like Williams’ future.

Both can be studs….

Both probably will be studs.

If you own Williams in any dynasty leagues, sit back and get ready to cash in come 2011.

It’s Williams’ dynasty value I’m most excited about, but I even think that this kid could quite possibly produce top 20WR numbers even as a rookie.

Don’t hesitate to draft Williams as a WR3/4 entering 2010.

And now it starts getting interesting! Some will call this prediction flat-out crazy, but Mike Wallace is a star in the making.

He will have to deal with some inconsistency at the quarterback position until Ben Roethlisberger returns from his four-to-six game suspension, but Wallace seems to already have a good rapport with both Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich.

He will be fine until Big Ben gets back in that line-up.

Wallace shouldn’t be drafted as anyone’s fantasy WR1, or even fantasy WR2… you don’t need to draft him or acquire him at that kind of value…

Grab Wallace, or trade for him, at WR3-type value… then sit back and get ready for breakout production.

I project 70-80 receptions for 1,000-1,100 yards and 7-9 scores.

I’ve been predicting this kind of breakout campaign for LeSean McCoy all off-season — Nothing has changed.

McCoy didn’t have the best rookie season in 2009, and I was a bit surprised that the Eagles didn’t use the rookie more often… but he showed flashes of brilliance at times last season and he did pull in 40 receptions. The upside and talent is there… I see it.

The ONLY risk at all sits with the Eagles coaching staff and how they decide to use this rising star’s talents. Investing in McCoy in 2010 will require a leap of faith, as he won’t be a steal.

He will cost third-round type value, which some will argue is somewhat risky… and it is… but given that he has top 5-10RB upside, McCoy’s upside far outweighs any risk involved.

I predict that the very skilled runner will rush for close to 1,100 yards, pull in 50 receptions for over 450 yards in 2010. I also expect him to score 10 total touchdowns. Any questions?

2. Jermichael Finley will post 1,000+ and 10TDs and will be the No. 1TE in 2010

One of my biggest breakout candidates is starting to climb almost everyone’s rankings. Jermichael Finley has been sitting atop both our dynasty and redraft rankings all off-season long.

Many called us crazy during the early off-season, but oh how quickly things change. Finley pulled in four passes for 48 yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks during the team’s Week 2 preseason outing, and during the Packers’ Week 3 preseason contest against the Colts, Finley pulled in six receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown.

With Aaron Rodgers ready to throw for 35-40TDs this year, and with Finley looking like his favorite red zone target this upcoming season, what’s not to like?

Finley could very well pull in 80+ receptions for 1,100 yards and 10-12 scores in 2010. Doubt him if you like, but don’t say we didn’t warn you about his rise to the elite.

The Jermichael Finley show is ready to begin!

Like Jermichael Finley, Arian Foster has long been pegged as one of our biggest 2010 breakout candidates. He is the clear-cut starter in Houston right now and Steve Slaton is only going to steal some third-down work.

Foster has no competition. He finished the 2009 season in solid fashion. He didn’t get his shot until Weeks 16, where he ran for 97 yards and a score off 19 carries. In Week 17, Foster ran for 119 yards and 2TDs against the Patriots.

So he has done nothing but impress since getting into that Texans’ line-up. During the Texans’ third preseason outing, Foster rumbled for 110 yards and 1TD on 18 carries. He would have scored a second time in this outing if it had not been due to a penalty on the play. This guy delivers whenever his number is called. Foster is a beast at 6-1, 215 pounds, and if healthy, he should get right around 18 carries per game in 2010.

With his upside and talent, that’s enough carries to produce 1,300+ yards and 10-12 scores. He could also pull in 30+ receptions for close to 300 yards. He is a very capable receiver and he is going to even turn heads in PPR formats.

Call those projections a stretch if you want, but every once in a while a special player comes along — That player is Arian Foster. We predicted the rise of Ray Rice last year. Say hello to the next rising star.

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