It's getting close to July and that means NFL training camps will be starting soon. For fantasy footballers, it's time to create some preliminary player rankings that are sure to change every time we hear something new about Carson Palmer's rehab, Big Ben Roethlisberger's jaw or Chad Johnson's guarantees.

So here are my early projections for the position of running back or RB as it's known to true fantasy ballers. In most fantasy leagues, RB's occupy the first and second rounds, and all the starting RB's should be off the board by round 3, or at the very latest round 4, depending on the size of the league.

I have my top 10 RB's, with some reasons why they're where they are in this ranking. I also threw in a couple sleepers and rookies to look out for, too. Ok here goes…

1. Larry Johnson, KC
Look back a few years ago and you would have seen Priest Holmes' name atop this list, and now we see Larry Johnson here for many of the same reasons. The veteran offensive line of the Kansas City Chiefs gives them so many options in their play calling scheme, which often calls for Johnson to have the ball in his hands, and that translates to mucho fantasy point opportunities. He gets the job done on the ground, and if your league scores points for receptions, this guy is your Marshall Faulk of 2006.

2. Shaun Alexander, SEA
I chose Shaun Alexander over LaDanian Tomlinson here because I think the loss of Drew Brees at QB will affect the San Diego Chargers more than everyone thinks. Not too much though, as you can see by No. 3 on the list. Last year's MVP is the best pick at the No. 2 slot this year. The presence of Matt Hasselback, Darrell Jackson, and newly acquired Nate Burleson allow the Seahawks to spread the field and open up the middle for Alexander to run wild. He'll also gets a pass out in the flats every once and a while, and his TD totals are near 20 every year.

3. LaDanian Tomlinson, SD
The loss of Brees will hurt the super Chargers, but not too much when you have LT in the backfield and Antonio Gates mismatched in coverage against linebackers. LaDanian Tomlinson has been a threat on the ground and through the air ever since his rookie season and does not show any signs of slowing down. I think there will be some adjustment time when Philip Rivers tries to assume control of the offense, but not too much. Tomlinson is a safe bet at No. 3.

4. Tiki Barber, NYG
He's getting old, but the New York Giants offense is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with and this guy is a big reason for their rise to greatness. He is arguably the best receiving RB in the league, so that means added points for receptions and receiving yards. He will see some tough defensive looks in Washington and Dallas, but no matter what you pile up on Tiki Barber, he seems to come out on top every time. His TD numbers were not that high last year, but I think that will change this season and he will see many more looks inside the 20.

5. Clinton Portis, WAS
Joe Gibbs likes to run the ball, and so does Clinton Portis. He does not get that many receptions, which is why Tiki is ahead of him, but Clinton Portis gets a lot of TD's and is the backbone of Washington's offense. He should get 25-30 carries a game if the Skins are to be successful. Santana Moss has become a top receiver and they have added Randle El and Lloyd to the mix, so the field should be spread for Portis now more than ever.

6. Edgerrin James, ARI
The new team with a new coach and no Peyton Manning, ah so what! Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts knew how to use Edgerrin James in the offense and he was a top fantasy back all through his career as a result. So the question here is whether or not Denny Green will be able to utilize James the same way, and I do not think there's any question he will deliver another strong fantasy season. For the first time, Arizona has a premier RB and a chance to turn some heads. Expect the type of season we have seen from James in the past, 1,200 - 1,500yds, a load of receptions, and 15-20 TD's to boot.

7. Lamont Jordan, OAK
He's ahead of Rudi Johnson because of the reception factor -- last year he had 70 and missed a few games. This year should be just as productive for Curtis Martin's former backup who proved last year that he could handle the task of being a feature back. Aside from some flashes from Randy Moss, Lamont Jordan is the watering hole for Oakland's thirsty offense; which should give him lots of carries and tosses to him out of the backfield often.

8. Rudi Johnson, CIN
Palmer's recovery is on track and that's good news for Rudi Johnson and the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals. He's the workhorse of the Bengals offense and gets tough yards when they need him most. Chris Perry is a couple years from being a starter and does not appear to be stealing many TD's from Johnson inside the 20. The Bengals' offense was one of the best in the league last year and this year should be no different, as long as Palmer is healthy... knock on wood.

9. Steven Jackson, STL
The new Marshall Faulk in the St. Louis Rams offense gets better every year. He's big enough so that no one steals TD's from him on the goal line, and he's quick and elusive enough to beat people in the open field. I think his TD total will increase this season, along with his receptions. The Rams had some issues last year with a missing Mark Bulger on the field and a sick Mike Martz on the sidelines, so this year Jackson, along with the rest of the Rams, are set to bounce back.

10. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, TAM
I hear media stirs from John Gruden that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to run more, which means more touches for Rookie of the Year, Carnell Williams. Cadillac showed us last year that he has what it takes to be a premier RB in the NFL, but injuries set him back a few games and hampered his overall production. I think we saw all we needed to see in the first 5 weeks of last season to give Cadillac the props he deserves to project him this high in the RB rankings.

Honorable Mentions: Ronnie Brown, MIA, Kevin Jones, DET, Warrick Dunn, ATL

Sleepers: Cedric Benson, CHI, Dominic Rhodes, IND, Chester Taylor, MIN, Deuce McAllister, NOR

It's hard to pick RB sleepers since there are so few solid RB's in the league and they typically go in the early rounds, but these guys might be over looked in your draft due to some guys who jump on rookies early, the fact that they are not currently starters and the threat of RB by committee.

If Cedric Benson can unseat Thomas Jones, he will produce good numbers in Chicago. I see everyone jumping on Joseph Addai before Rhodes, but the Colts run a pretty intricate offense and Rhodes has experience over Addai, and Rhodes has put up good numbers in years when James struggled with injuries.

Chester Taylor might put an end to the RB by committee situation that has plagued Minnesota ever since Robert Smith retired. Wow, is that two Robert Smith references in the same article? And I'm not even from Minnesota!

And why is Deuce McAllister on the sleeper list? Because with all the Reggie Bush buzz, there hasn't been much talk about Deuce. Therefore, people will think Bush before Deuce, and I've seen him drop as far as the 4th and 5th rounds this year. The fact is that he's had a successful recovery in the off season and the New Orleans offense has talked about using Bush and McAllister as USC used Bush and LenDale White. White was in the backfield and saw 20 carries a game and Bush played just about every other position on the field and put up great numbers in his college career.

Those are my top 10. Let me know what you think at antserafin@yahoo.com.