The pre-season has come to a close, so it’s time to make my 2006 fantasy football predictions before the first regular season snap on Thursday night.

Quarterbacks

Big Surprise: Jon Kitna, DET
Kitna threw for 3,591 yards and 26 TDs the year before losing his starting job to Carson Palmer in Cincinnati. Detroit’s new offensive guru Mike Martz has a reputation for making stars out of unheralded quarterbacks, and this year will be no different. Kitna has a host of young, talented players surrounding him at the skill positions, so all the ingredients are there for him to finish as a top 10 fantasy football quarterback.

Big Bust: Eli Manning, NYG
Last year Eli Manning ranked 2nd in interceptions and had one of the lowest quarterback ratings out of all NFL starters. He still managed to put up good fantasy numbers because of his 557 pass attempts, third most in the league. The Giants go from a cupcake schedule in 2005 to arguably the toughest schedule in 2006. Manning will be a huge bust.

Running Backs

Big Surprise: Laurence Maroney, NE
Regardless of whether Corey Dillon stays healthy, it’s only a matter of time before Laurence Maroney gets his chance. Maroney is a receiving threat; Dillon is not. The Pats are extremely thin at wide receiver because of Deion Branch’s contract dispute, so Brady needs a back who can catch passes out of the backfield. Maroney earned high praises from fans, teammates and coaches for his performance during the pre-season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he outright stole the starting job away from a healthy Dillion. The rookie Maroney will finish the season as the Patriots #1 back and leading rusher.

Big Bust: Tiki Barber, NYG
Tiki is coming off the best season of his career, finishing just 21 yards shy of winning the rushing title. Nevertheless, the Giants face a much tougher schedule this year, as the NFC East is the most competitive division in the NFL. The big problem with Barber is that he’s only 5′9″ and 195 lbs, so he consistently gets yanked in goal line situations. I’m going out on a limb and predicting fellow teammate and goal line vulture Brandon Jacobs will score more rushing touchdowns than Barber in 2006.

Wide Receivers

Big Surprise: Terry Glenn, DAL
Last year Glenn had one of the best seasons of his career, finishing with 1,136 yards and 7 TDs. With the addition of Terrell Owens, the speedy Glenn will consistently face single coverage down the field and be a huge deep threat.

Big Bust: Randy Moss, OAK
Last year Moss’s lukewarm intensity and seemingly lackadaisical attitude on the field was painful to watch. At times he looked downright lazy, as if he would rather be bass fishing than playing an NFL game. He’s not hungry for anything. You can forget about him going over the middle because he’s afraid of contact.

Tight Ends

Big Surprise: Ben Watson, NE
With the Patriots hurting at wide receiver, expect Tom Brady to target Watson more frequently. Some reports indicate that Bill Belichick may even line up Watson as a wide receiver. At 265 lbs., Watson can run a 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. There’s no doubt he would be a standout star on another team.

Big Bust: Tony Gonzalez, KC
Gonzalez has only scored 4 touchdowns in his last 24 games. Kansas City’s offensive production will most certainly drop this season, as they replaced offensive guru Dick Vermeil with one of the most conservative coaches in the league. Gonzalez was asked to stay inside and block more last year while Willie Roaf was injured, curbing his offensive production. Roaf is no longer injured, but he’s retired.