Bob Sanders

Sanders was the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, but has more recently turned into a major injury risk. He missed most of last season with knee surgery and a ruptured biceps tendon. If he's healthy for the upcoming season he will start at safety and be a high impact player for both fantasy and the Indianapolis defense. However, after playing in just nine regular season games the last two years, it's hard to realistically expect him to stay on the field.

Sanders appeared in just six games for the Colts last season, racking up 39 tackles and an interception. The 2008 Defensive Player of the Year is an impact player when healthy with high tackle totals and an ability to force turnovers and add a few sacks. However, he's played less than seven games in three of the last five seasons and is working his way back from offseason ankle surgery.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year will probably be overvalued in drafts this season. He is coming of successful shoulder surgery, but is expected to be at full health to start the year. Sanders is by no doubt the heart-and-soul of the Colts defense, but he doesn't put up the necessary stats to rank as highly in fantasy. Nevertheless, Sander's 3.5 sacks, 2 INTs and 96 tackles are all good numbers from a safety.

Last year was a lost regular season for Sanders. He may have been the MVP in Indy's Super Bowl run, but he was a bust for fantasy purposes. He played two games then missed five to knee surgery. After returning for a strong game against New England, he missed three more games, played another and then sat out the rest of the season. He was effective in the games he played, including 11 tackles and an interception against New England. Still, this was the worst kind of year for fantasy owners. Not only was he out, but he was a game-time decision a lot of weeks, and it was never clear when he'd play. At least some have the courtesy to go out and stay out so fantasy owners know they need a replacement. At 5-8, 206, Sanders is built like the wrecking ball he is on the field. That bulk at his size might translate to durability, but in three years Sanders has played just 24 games, topping out at 14 in 2005. That one nearly full season did show what his aggressiveness and speed can do. That year’s healthy 91 total tackles were about the only thing you can call healthy about Sanders. He's never made a sack in his career, but has had one pick in each of the last two. The Colts offseason losses at cornerback might give him even more chances in coverage. His value is mainly in prolific tackling, however, but therein lies the dilemma. To keep that up, he'll have to keep putting himself in harm’s way, smashing into holes in run support and throwing himself at unsuspecting wide receivers as he flies across the field.

Sanders plays like a human bowling ball, which may be both his gift and his curse. At 5-8, 206, he’s not tall but at least solidly built enough to deliver the sort of intimidating bone-crunching hits that got him elected a Pro Bowl starter. Sanders showed great promise in his rookie 2004 campaign after missing the first six contests with a stress fracture in his right foot. His 2005 was fine, but a bit derailed by various nagging injuries. He played through them (the two games he missed were after the team clinched home field for the playoffs) but dropped in some uncharacteristically empty games because of them. With some health, he’ll vault easily into the defensive back top 20, but there’s the rub. He’s not so big and prone to these sorts of injury issues given his style of play. His height also will make interceptions difficult – he has just one in 20 NFL games. At free safety now, he’s more likely to have chances at balls in play. Let’s just hope it doesn’t also drop his tackle base too low for fantasy purposes.

Sanders will start at strong safety and could be set for a breakout year. He missed the first six games of his rookie season with a stress fracture of his right foot and then five more games with a sprained knee. In the two regular season and two playoff games he started, he had 23 tackles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

The Colts' 2004 second-round pick could compete for the starting free safety job, but is recovering from a broken foot.