I wonder how many NFL players pick up the latest fantasy magazine or search for themselves online? Probably more than you think.

“Lets see, last year ESPN had me ranked in the mid-teens, now I’m in the 40′s?”, “This website just called me a Bust, and this other one used the word douchebag”. I imagine the NFL ego can handle the criticism of these comments, while lying around in their monster homes with an abundant pool of money, but I digress.

The sting of a bad fantasy season can torpedo a players’ value overnight. It’s rare someone goes out on a limb and says it was just an off-year, more likely the guy becomes the weird kid in high school that no one wants to sit next to at lunch. 

The phrase “what have you done for me lately” is something I can’t help but throw around whenever these names are used. So while you’re all ready to quickly throw these five players under the bus, I’m going to try to see the good in such terrible 2009 fantasy seasons.

5) QB Matt Hasselbeck

It seems Matt Hasselbeck peaked in 2008. The Seattle QB threw for 28 TD’s and a hair shy of 4000 yards that season, but hasn’t been the same since. Injuries have slowed this Chunky Soup spokesperson to a bowl of mush, and fantasy owners hate him for it.

The Seahawks new coaching staff have already found Hasselbeck’s eventual replacement, even if this year’s training camp proves that at 35 he can still lead the team. Gridiron Experts has Hasselbeck ranked 28th on the list of QB’s, one step up from Tebow, who’s not even starting. Regardless of age and surrounding talent, Hasselbeck is a confident quarterback who can sling the rock. He goes through his progressions like a pro, and can make big plays for big yardage.

When I put in my two cents for the rankings, I had him above the “Matt Moore’s” and “David Garrard’s” of the league, and can honestly say I’d draft him as my go-to bye week replacement. Late round QB’s tend to be dead weight on fantasy teams without injuries, but my prediction for Hasselbeck is a surprising bounce back year in the Pete Carrol offense.

4) RB Brandon Jacobs

Going from playing 13 games in 2008 (in which the 6’4″ RB ran for 100o+ yards and 15 TD’s) to playing more games and getting only a 3rd of the scores…what happened? Jacobs also had back to back seasons with 5.o yard per carry averages before 2009, when he dropped to only 3.7 yards per play.

Stats, stats, blah, blah; Brandon Jacobs (and the G-Men) played like crap last year. You know it, I know it, and the New York Giants know it. So why can’t he bounce back from an awful season?

His name is Ahmad Bradshaw.

Bradshaw will have every opportunity to steal carries this season, which is lowering Jacobs stock on everyone’s fantasy board. But at 5’9″  and under 200 lbs. Bradshaw will not hear his number called on first and goal. I see less carries for Jacobs in 2010, but actually view that as a good thing. If the “Giant” RB can stay healthy and not get over-used each week, Jacobs could be a decent  fantasy sleeper this season. Gridiron Experts has Jacobs ranked as the 25th overall fantasy RB; if he can regain his TD magic from 2 seasons ago, he will be a mid-round gem.

3) WR Roy Williams

Do you even remember his days in Detroit? I do.

Roy Williams has not been a good fit in Dallas, and it seems no one wants to rank him high on any fantasy boards, despite the opportunity of being a Cowboy. I saw Williams as low as the 57th wide receiver on one fantasy board; Gridiron Experts has ranked him at 55, not much better.

So can Roy Williams break free from this embarrassing reputation? Or is he on the path to become the next Braylon Edwards?

Actually I’m not even sure that is a fair comparison, as Edwards did have a 16 TD season and Roy Williams has never cracked more than 8 scores. The storyline seems to be familiar though: a talented wide receiver gets traded to a high-profile team, only to look ridiculous under the high-caliber pressure. Williams’ 2009 numbers made him very unreliable as a fantasy option, even though he found the end zone 7 times. Now Dallas has a new motivational tool to throw in the lap of this 6’3″ receiver, his name is Dez Byrant. Unless you’ve been watching arena football and missed it, Bryant has been the talk of the early stages of training camp.

One of two things is going to happen: either Williams will do enough in camp to allow him to keep his job opposite Miles Austin, or the rookie will show him up and steal his job, making his 57 to 55 fantasy ranking seem almost too high.

I for one hope Roy Williams remains in the doghouse, purely so I can grab him late in my fantasy draft. It took two solid years in Detroit before really catching on for the Lions, and considering rookies are so over hyped in fantasy leagues (especially when playing for Dallas) I think Williams could have a solid season.

2) RB Steve Slaton

The Texans thought they had struck gold with Slaton in 2008. The former West Virginia 3rd round pick ran for 1282 yards and punched in 9 TD’s, but was only able to produce a fraction of that last season. Slaton, who has also made 94 receptions in his 2 year pro career, has been plagued by drops and dubbed a fumbler. Slaton had many long conversations with the bench throughout his sophomore season, and now finds himself ranked third in Houston in the eyes of fantasy owners.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate are potentially great players, but Slaton is the only one with real success so far. While briefly holding high round fantasy status last season, Slaton was projected to continue with his multiple 100 yard games and great receiving skills for the Texans. Now it looks to be a rotation in the backfield.

Based on his current low value status and the fact that may pro-athletes have struggled with the sophomore jinx, there’s no reason why anyone should close the casket on this Battle Red RB. If Slaton can prove in training camp that he has a handle on that ball, his job might not be up for grabs…just divided. Everyone always wants the new shiny toy, but once the novelty wears off you always go back to the old reliable. Slaton needs to prove he is just that.

1) RB Matt Forte

Kia Forte commercials became very irritating after this sophomore jinx Chicago Bear left fantasy owners high and dry. Almost everyone who drafted or kept this fantasy lemon struggled last season, and his current stock is bruised. Granted, the recent addition of Chester Taylor is also a factor in this former first round fantasy player’s fall to the middle of the third round.

Forte was a sleeper gem in 2008, rushing for 1239 yards on the ground and combining for a dozen TD’s. With the addition of Jay Cutler, fantasy owners had marked the RB as a safe bet last season, but were sadly disappointed. This year, Forte has a new on-the-field roommate, and the expectations are very low.

The history of 30-year-old free agent running backs in new jersey colors is not very reassuring. Taylor is actually turning 31 in September, and even with the low mileage of having only one season with more than 160 carries, he’s no spring chicken.

This former Tulane RB may not be able to compete with his rookie numbers now that he is sharing carries. But as the younger, larger RB of the two, Forte should still have good fantasy value.