Just when you thought the Brett Favre saga was tougher to kill than Jack Bauer, we finally received a resolution late Wednesday night. The man who for the past 15 years has personified the Green Bay Packers is headed for the Big Apple.

Brett Favre is a New York Jet.

Jets fans are elated. Instead of going into the season with the unsightly duo of Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens, they now have a future Hall of Famer who is still one of the top QBs in the game – as evidenced by his second-place finish in the MVP balloting last year. Meanwhile, many Packer fans feel like Martin Riggs at the end of “Lethal Weapon 2” – bloodied, near death and wondering what the future holds.

As I wrote last week, I hope Ted Thompson knows what he’s doing. On the surface, his decision to kick Favre to the curb makes little sense given how his team has Super Bowl aspirations. The pressure on Aaron Rodgers was already immense but it’s skyrocketed now. What little margin for error he may have had before has vanished. If he struggles, it’s going to get ugly in Green Bay. If he struggles and Favre shines with the Jets, there may be nowhere for Thompson, Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy to hide.

From a fantasy perspective, this is a huge boost for the Jets’ key offensive players. I have bumped Thomas Jones up to 21st among RBs while also elevating Jerricho Cotchery, Laveranues Coles, Chris Baker and Dustin Keller as well. Of that group, the player whose value could be impacted the most is Cotchery.

I have been pimping Cotchery hard for months. He finished 19th in WR scoring in the National Fantasy Football Championship last year and that was with Pennington and Clemens attempting to complete passes in his direction. With Favre under center, Cotchery could see his production increase considerably.

Unfortunately, this likely means he will no longer be a quality value pick. According to the data on MockDraftCentral.com, Cotchery’s current Average Draft Position in NFFC drafts is 81. That means you can draft a potential Top 20 WR as your WR3 in the sixth round. That’s great value. But I don’t expect that to last. I expect Cotchery and Coles to both see their values increase now that Favre is in town. So if you want one or both of them, you may have to be aggressive in your pursuit.

Speaking of being aggressive, if you want to flex your muscle and compete in the industry’s first multi-city, high-stakes football event, there is still time to sign up but spots are running out. Registration for the 14-team National Fantasy Football Championship and the 12-team NBC Sports Fantasy Football Championship ends on Aug. 24. Spots remain in all four cities (Las Vegas, New York, Orlando and Chicago) and we also have a phone option available for those who want to participate but can’t make the trip to one of those cities. With league prizes of $5,000, overall prizes of $100,000 and a possible $1 million bonus, why wouldn’t you want to take part?

Be aggressive. Play to win. That’s what the Jets did when they traded for Favre and that’s what you can do if you sign up for one – or both – of our events today.

Tom Kessenich is the Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine and the Events Director of the National Fantasy Football Championship. Click here to find out more information about the NFFC or call 800-726-9966 ext. 13284 to get signed up today to reserve a spot before the events sell out.

Posted by Tom Kessenich at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Tom Kessenich

I took part in an Experts League draft last week which will be featured on a syndicated TV show called "Fantasy Huddle." The show is available in Time Warner Cable markets all across the country and this draft featured a number of heavy hitters in the industry, including FantasyGuru.com's John Hansen (the defending champ who also had the No. 1 pick), RotoWorld's Greg Rosenthal, RotoWire's Chris Liss, YahooSports' Brandon Funston, MockDraftCentral.com's Geoff Stein and GameDaySolutions.net's Brian Swaw, who is also a competitor in the National Fantasy Football Championship.

This will be a live league featuring PPR with a starting roster of QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, Flex, TE, K and Defense with a six-player bench. This was a good look at where players are being valued with camps now underway. For those already in the 12-team NBC Sports Fantasy Football Championship or thinking about signing up (and if you haven't signed up already, what are you waiting for - spots are running out so don't delay, sign up today), this is a good tool to use with your Draft Day preparations even though this draft awarded full point-per-reception for RBs, unlike the 0.5 points RBs get in our NBC event.

Here's a look at the draft with my analysis. My picks are in bold.

ROUND ONE
1,Tomlinson,LaDainian,RB,SD
2,Westbrook,Brian,RB,PHI
3,Jackson,Steven,RB,STL
4,Addai,Joseph,RB,IND
5,Peterson,Adrian,RB,MIN
6,Moss,Randy,WR,NE
7,Barber,Marion,RB,DAL
8,Gore,Frank,RB,SF
9,Portis,Clinton,RB,WAS
10,Wayne,Reggie,WR,IND
11,Johnson,Larry,RB,KC
12,Bush,Reggie,RB,NO

Analysis: Jackson's holdout is cause for some concern but I think it's pretty minor at this point and it wasn't worth passing on his immense potential in a PPR format to take someone I have ranked lower. Surprisingly, Tom Brady did not go in the first round and Reggie Bush went 12th. I love Bush in a PPR format but 12th is too early for him.

ROUND TWO
13,Colston,Marques,WR,NO
14,Lynch,Marshawn,RB,BUF
15,Owens,Terrell,WR,DAL
16,Johnson,Andre,WR,HOU
17,McGahee,Willis,RB,BAL
18,Brady,Tom,QB,NE
19,Fitzgerald,Larry,WR,ARI
20,Edwards,Braylon,WR,CLE
21,Smith,Steve,WR,CAR
22,Johnson,Chad,WR,CIN
23,Jones-Drew,M,RB,JAC
24,Houshmandzadeh,T.J,WR,CIN

Analysis: I was VERY tempted to take Ryan Grant given how I view him as a Top 10 RB in all formats this year. But I really wanted to secure strength at WR given its importance in PPR leagues so I went with Chad Johnson. If Grant had fallen to the third, I would've grabbed him but I knew he wouldn't get past Hansen at 25. As you can see, the second round is when the WRs start flying off the board so if you want to get a top one this is likely the round you'll have to pounce.

ROUND THREE
25,Grant,Ryan,RB,GB
26,Holt,Torry,WR,STL
27,Boldin,Anquan,WR,ARI
28,Turner,Michael,RB,ATL
29,Maroney,Laurence,RB,NE
30,Lewis,Jamal,RB,CLE
31,Welker,Wes,WR,NE
32,Brees,Drew,QB,NO
33,Manning,Peyton,QB,IND
34,Romo,Tony,QB,DAL
35,Jones,Thomas,RB,NYJ
36,Brown,Ronnie,RB,MIA

Analysis: The WR talent is already starting to thin out but I love Boldin as a WR2 in PPR leagues so I happily took him. Manning at 33 is great value but I'm not big on Maroney this year at all. There is way too much competition in the NE backfield and as we saw last season, the Patriots do not feel compelled to lean on Maroney.

ROUND FOUR
37,Burress,Plaxico,WR,NYG
38,Williams,Roy,WR,DET
39,Jacobs,Brandon,RB,NYG
40,Stewart,Jonathan,RB,CAR
41,Jennings,Greg,WR,GB
42,Witten,Jason,TE,DAL
43,Winslow,Kellen,TE,CLE
44,McFadden,Darren,RB,OAK
45,Holmes,Santonio,WR,PIT
46,Graham,Earnest,RB,TB
47,Gates,Antonio,TE,SD
48,Palmer,Carson,QB,CIN

Analysis: I may be the only person in the industry who likes Graham but I do. If I'm wrong, I'm going down in flames but so be it. I think he proved last season that he can excel as the starter and I simply don't believe Warrick Dunn has the stuff to seriously take meaningful carries away from him. I continue to love Graham's value. I think McFadden is nice value here as well since I believe he'll be a Top 20 RB. Gates as the third TE drafted is interesting and clearly a reflection of his shaky injury status.

ROUND FIVE
49,Parker,Willie,RB,PIT
50,Johnson,Calvin,WR,DET
51,Roethlisberger,Ben,QB,PIT
52,White,Roddy,WR,ATL
53,Bowe,Dwayne,WR,KC
54,James,Edgerrin,RB,ARI
55,Harrison,Marvin,WR,IND
56,Smith,Kevin,RB,DET
57,Cotchery,Jerricho,WR,NYJ
58,Marshall,Brandon,WR,DEN
59,Johnson,Rudi,RB,CIN
60,White,LenDale,RB,TEN

Analysis: My goal this year as it has been the past few is to secure a strong starting QB. With so few to choose from this year, that becomes even more paramount. I think Roethlisberger is poised for a monster year and he was the top QB on my board so I happily took him. I'm not big on Willie Parker this year with Mendenhall poised to potentially take a big chunk of his touches so I would've waited another round or two on him. I like the value on Edge a lot as well as Roddy White in this round. If you want Marvin Harrison, I don't think you can wait past the fifth round and he will keep moving up if the reports continue to be positive about his health.

ROUND SIX
61,Hasselbeck,Matt,QB,SEA
62,Evans,Lee,WR,BUF
63,Taylor,Fred,RB,JAC
64,Coles,Laveranues,WR,NYJ
65,Gonzalez,Tony,TE,KC
66,Young,Selvin,RB,DEN
67,Anderson,Derek,QB,CLE
68,Ward,Hines,WR,PIT
69,Forte,Matt,RB,CHI
70,Driver,Donald,WR,GB
71,Mendenhall,Rashard,RB,PIT
72,Curtis,Kevin,WR,PHI

Analysis: With 26 WRs off the board, I'll happily take Driver as my WR3 in a PPR league. I was tempted by Curtis, though, but Driver is more proven and I have to believe he'll catch more than 2 TDs this season. I was hoping Mendenhall would fall to me in the seventh so I like the pick here.

ROUND SEVEN
73,Chambers,Chris,WR,SD
74,Moss,Santana,WR,WAS
75,Jones,Felix,RB,DAL
76,Burleson,Nate,WR,SEA
77,McNabb,Donovan,QB,PHI
78,Jones,Julius,RB,SEA
79,Gonzalez,Anthony,WR,IND
80,Galloway,Joey,WR,TB
81,Shockey,Jeremy,TE,NYG
82,Taylor,Chester,RB,MIN
83,Bulger,Marc,QB,STL
84,Cooley,Chris,TE,WAS

Analysis: With my QBs, RBs and WRs set I was looking for some upside and Felix Jones has plenty of it. The Cowboys love him and plan to use him all over the place, making him a very nice pick in a PPR league. If McNabb can stay healthy, he's a great value pick in this round. But that's a big "if."

ROUND EIGHT
85,Berrian,Bernard,WR,MIN
86,Brown,Reggie,WR,PHI
87,Stallworth,Donte,WR,CLE
88,Engram,Bobby,WR,SEA
89,Walker,Javon,WR,OAK
90,Bradshaw,Ahmad,RB,NYG
91,Cutler,Jay,QB,DEN
92,Clark,Dallas,TE,IND
93,Crumpler,Alge,TE,TEN
94,Mason,Derrick,WR,BAL
95,Johnson,Chris,RB,TEN
96,Williams,DeAngelo,RB,CAR

Analysis: I was really hoping to get Engram in this round but it didn't happen. That said, I think Mason's a solid WR4. I don't expect him to top 100 receptions again but he's still the No. 1 WR for the Ravens and that should get him plenty of targets. I like Bradshaw in this round and I think Berrian is a fine value pick.

ROUND NINE
97,Daniels,Owen,TE,HOU
98,Garrard,David,QB,JAC
99,Morris,Maurice,RB,SEA
100,Schaub,Matt,QB,HOU
101,Manning,Eli,QB,NYG
102,Johnson,Bryant,WR,SF
103,Torain,Ryan,RB,DEN
104,Davis,Vernon,TE,SF
105,Fargas,Justin,RB,OAK
106,Rice,Ray,RB,BAL
107,Rivers,Philip,QB,SD
108,Delhomme,Jake,QB,CAR

Analysis: As I wrote in my blog the other day, I'm big on Maurice Morris this year as a value pick. I've snapped him up in a few leagues already and as a RB4 you can't go wrong if he ends up splitting time with Julius Jones. I like Owen Daniels quite a bit but I thought it was too soon for Schaub, Fargas and Rice.

ROUND TEN
109,McAllister,Deuce,RB,NO
110,Jackson,Vincent,WR,SD
111,Williams,Reggie,WR,JAC
112,Porter,Jerry,WR,JAC
113,Crayton,Patrick,WR,DAL
114,Watson,Kenny,RB,CIN
115,Gage,Justin,WR,TEN
116,Minnesota ,DEF,MIN
117,Young,Vince,QB,TEN
118,Heap,Todd,TE,BAL
119,San Diego, DEF,SD
120,Jackson,Darrell,WR,DEN

Analysis: I'm gambling that Heap will stay healthy. If he can, this is a major steal. If he gets hurt again, my TE position will likely stink all season long. I think Gage and Crayton are solid WRs, but I don't really like any of the others taken in this round.

ROUND ELEVEN
121,Green,Ahman,RB,HOU
122,Curry,Ronald,WR,OAK
123,Bruce,Isaac,WR,SF
124,Rice,Sidney,WR,MIN
125,Thomas,Pierre,RB,NO
126,Brown,Chris,RB,HOU
127,Hester,Devin,WR,CHI
128,Norwood,Jerious,RB,ATL
129,Williams,Ricky,RB,MIA
130,Betts,Ladell,RB,WAS
131,Hackett,D.J.,WR,CAR
132,Rhodes,Dominic,RB,IND

Analysis: I saw Isaac Bruce in line for the new X-Files film the other day and he got in for half price due to a senior citizen's discount. But he is the No. 1 WR in S.F. and we know Mike Martz trusts him so as a WR5 why not? I like the value on Ricky Williams and Pierre Thomas in this round a lot more than Ahman Green. I know Green's a starter, but how long will he stay healthy?

ROUND TWELVE
133,Ginn Jr.,Ted, WR,MIA
134,Jones,Kevin,RB,CHI
135,Rodgers,Aaron,QB,GB
136,Clayton,Mark,WR,BAL
137,Kitna,Jon,QB,DET
138,Hardy,James,WR,BUF
139,Jackson,Brandon,RB,GB
140,Booker,Lorenzo,RB,PHI
141,Meachem,Robert,WR,NO
142,Campbell,Jason,QB,WAS
143,Washington,Leon,RB,NYJ
144,Miller,Heath,TE,PIT

Analysis: I was starting to target Brett Favre for a late-round pick (more on that in a bit) but I wanted to secure a quality QB2 just in case I didn't get him. Campbell fits the bill. I think Ginn is a decent value pick in this round.

ROUND THIRTEEN
145,Dallas ,DEF,DAL
146,Smith,Steve,WR,NYG
147,Jordan,LaMont,RB,NE
148,NY Giants, DEF, NYG
149,Gaffney,Jabar,WR,NE
150,Jacksonville Jag, DEF,JAC
151,Leinart,Matt,QB,ARI
152,New England Pats, DEF,NE
153,Pittman,Michael,RB,DEN
154,Watson,Ben,TE,NE
155,Chicago Bears, DEF,CHI
156,Dunn,Warrick,RB,TB

Analysis: LaMont Jordan has decent talent, can be effective as a third-down RB and carry the load as a starter if need be. He's also on a great team which clearly doesn't have a ton of belief in its current starter. In the 13th round, that's good value. Plenty of defenses are starting to come off the board so if you're determined to get one before the end of your draft (I'm not), you'll probably have to start looking for one here.

ROUND FOURTEEN
157,Scheffler,Tony,TE,DEN
158,Smith,L.J,TE,PHI
159,Pittsburgh,DEF,PIT
160,Smith,Alex,QB,SF
161,Battle,Arnaz,WR,SF
162,Folk,Nick,K,DAL
163,Perry,Chris,RB,CIN
164,Stokley,Brandon,WR,DEN
165,Gostkowski,Stephen,K,NE
166,Favre,Brett,QB,GB
167,Garcia,Jeff,QB,TB
168,Jackson,Fred,RB,BUF

Analysis: I was hoping Favre would still be on the board and he was. As it turned out Brandon Funston from Yahoo who had the pick after mine said he was going to take him if I didn't. Given the garbage on the board at the other positions, I figured Favre was worth the gamble.

ROUND FIFTEEN
169,Warner,Kurt,QB,ARI
170,Olsen,Greg,TE,CHI
171,GB Packers, DEF,GB
172,Ward,Derrick,RB,NYG
173,Branch,Deion,WR,SEA
174,Foster,DeShaun,RB,SF
175,Bennett,Drew,WR,STL
176,Crosby,Mason,K,GB
177,Sea Seahawks, DEF,SEA
178,Kaeding,Nate,K,SD
179,Graham,Shayne,K,CIN
180,Tampa Bay Bucs, DEF,TB

Analysis: I needed to start looking at defenses and kickers. The Packers have a quality defense so they were the pick. I'll continue to say that I think people are making a mistake drafting Deion Branch - even this late. I like the Foster pick a lot in Round 15.

ROUND SIXTEEN
181,Brown,Kris,K,HOU
182,Avery,Donnie,WR,STL
183,Muhammad,Muhsin,WR,CAR
184,Brown,Josh,K,STL
185,Walter,Kevin,WR,HOU
186,Buffalo Bills, DEF,BUF
187,Bironas,Rob,K,TEN
188,Vinatieri,Adam,K,IND
189,Russell,JaMarcus,QB,OAK
190,Scobee,Josh,K,JAC
191,Dawson,Phil,K,CLE
192,Nugent,Mike,K,NYJ

FINAL ROSTER
QB-Roethlisberger
QB-Campbell
QB-Favre

RB-Jackson
RB-Graham
RB-Felix Jones
RB-Morris
RB-Jordan

WR-Chad Johnson
WR-Boldin
WR-Driver
WR-Mason
WR-Bruce

TE-Heap
K-Scobee
D-Green Bay

I'm pretty happy with this team. I like my RB depth quite a bit and I think I am very strong at WR. To have five No. 1 WRs for their respective teams (or 1B in Boldin's case) is something I'm happy about in a PPR format.

And yes I took three QBs in a non-Draft Champions format. I was hoping to snare Favre in the 14th round and that's where I got him. I could've held off and not taken Campbell but he was the last decent QB I liked on the board so I wanted to make sure I had a solid backup in case somebody grabbed Favre before me. But in the 16th round I figured taking Favre was worth the gamble. If he stays retired, I doubt anybody taken after him is someone I will kick myself for not drafting. So I'll cut him and pick somebody up for depth purposes. If he returns, he'll likely be the starter somewhere, giving him strong value and giving my team quality QB depth which could be used in a trade.

Tom Kessenich is the Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine and the Events Director of the National Fantasy Football Championship. Click here to find out more information about the NFFC or call 800-726-9966 ext. 13284 to get signed up today to reserve a spot before the events sell out.

Posted by Tom Kessenich at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

By Tom Kessenich

I’ve talked before about the need to find good value picks on Draft Day. While there is still a little time left before we host the National Fantasy Football Championship and the NBC Sports Fantasy Football Championship, there are some values starting to emerge for those owners looking to get into our events before they sell out.

One of the biggest in my opinion resides in the Seattle backfield.

While plenty of attention has focused on Julius Jones, the Seattle RB I like this year is Maurice Morris. And currently, he’s the better value play in NFFC drafts.

According to data on MockDraftCentral.com, Jones’ current NFFC Average Draft Position is 45, meaning he’s typically being drafted early in the fourth round. Morris, meanwhile, has an ADP of 138, meaning he’s going in the 10th round in most NFFC drafts.

Head coach Mike Holmgren has said Jones and Morris could share time this season. After watching Jones flop last season on a standout Dallas team, it’s difficult to feel very confident he’ll shine in Seattle. Morris, on the other hand, knows the offense and performed well in place of the injured Shaun Alexander last season. He’s not a special talent by any means but he’s good enough to earn his share of touches for the Seahawks, and if Jones falters again he’s talented enough to earn the bulk of the touches.

When you consider you can get Morris 6-7 rounds later in drafts that makes him a strong value pick. I’ve been targeting him in my Expert League drafts for the past few months and snared him in a few. If Morris’ ADP remains low, he could become a solid RB3 you won’t have to use a high draft pick to acquire.

That’s value.

Speaking of value, we contacted several of our top NFFC players and asked them to join us in our first NFFC Expert League rankings site. In addition to my own rankings, we have rankings from 11 of our top players, including our 2004 NFFC champion (Mark Srebro) and the 2007 champ (Ryan Welch).

The rankings will be updated daily with real-time changes made when necessary. These are rankings for fantasy players by fantasy players and we believe it’s going to be a valuable, and fascinating, tool that many owners will want to utilize on Draft Day. To check out the rankings go to:

http://nffc.nbcsports.com/football/rankings.asp

Looking at the rankings, a few things jumped out at me:

Ryan Grant's value is all over the place. As high as 9th overall; as low as 47th.

Most of us are sold on Frank Gore but one of our NFFC experts has him as low as 17th overall.

Randy Moss is viewed as a first-round pick by all of the experts. Three of us have four WRs ranked among the first 14 picks. Every other team but one has at least three WRs ranked as first-round worthy.

Jason Witten has clearly separated himself as the No. 1-ranked TE by our experts. Will that change if Gates starts practicing fully? We'll have to wait and see.

Tom Kessenich is the Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine and the Events Director of the National Fantasy Football Championship. Click here to find out more information about the NFFC or call 800-726-9966 ext. 13284 to get signed up today to reserve a spot before the events sell out.

Posted by Tom Kessenich at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Tom Kessenich

I haven’t written about the Brett Favre Saga because it’s been my hope that, like Jessica Simpson’s country music career, this would just fade away and we could all move on and forget this ugliness ever happened. But with the news today that Favre is going to report to training camp with the Packers it’s become clear the future Hall of Famer will play this season.

Just don’t expect him to play for Green Bay.

I believe this latest development is a procedural step toward making a Favre trade a reality. And it could occur very soon. The Packers have been talking to teams around the league gauging their interest and at least one (Tampa Bay) has reportedly been spending a lot of time in recent days pondering whether it should trade for Favre.

My take on this simple: I hope Green Bay GM Ted Thompson knows what he’s doing here because his job could depend on it.

I don’t believe Favre has handled this well. He came across badly in his interview last week with Greta Van Susteren with many of his comments coming across like a spoiled child who didn’t get his way and isn’t happy with mom and dad because of it. Public sentiment in Packerland is growing more and more strongly on the team’s side because of it so if Thompson does trade Favre (or perhaps I should say when he trades Favre) it’s unlikely there will be a heavy outpouring of emotion against the decision.

But like I said, I hope Thompson knows what he’s doing. It’s one thing to trade Favre and say the job belongs to Aaron Rodgers. It’s another to trade one of the game’s top quarterbacks (which Favre still is) to a playoff team (which Tampa Bay is, for example) and arguably give that playoff team the primary thing it needs most to make a run at the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, back in Green Bay, the Packers’ success would ride on the shoulders of an unproven starter with durability issues and a pair of rookies backing him up.

So explain to me again why trading Favre is such a slam-dunk move for the Packers?

I don’t think anyone in the galaxy outside of the Rodgers family honestly believes Aaron Rodgers is a better quarterback right now than Brett Favre. And when you consider how difficult it is to get to the Super Bowl, that is ultimately the most important element of this equation.

Who gives the Packers their best chance to win this season as the starting quarterback? There isn’t a meaningful measurable available which would support Rodgers as the answer to that question. But that very well may be the decision Thompson makes. If he does, he had better hope Rodgers is the next Steve Young and Favre looks like Johnny Unitas with the Chargers.

The alternative isn’t a pretty one for Thompson – or Packer fans – to ponder.

From a fantasy perspective, Favre's pending return means the woefully weak quarterback position now has another legitimate starting option added to the mix. He ranked ninth in NFFC scoring last year, averaging 22.4 points per game, so in a year with so many question marks at the position Favre would provide a safe, productive answer.

Even if the unforeseen happens and he remains with Green Bay as a backup, it would likely be a matter of time before he supplanted Rodgers as the starter. So Favre's return from (brief) retirement would be good news for a fantasy season that appeared to be largely devoid of quality starting QB options.

Tom Kessenich is the Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine and the Events Director of the National Fantasy Football Championship. Click here to find out more information about the NFFC or call 800-726-9966 ext. 13284 to get signed up today to reserve a spot before the events sell out.

Posted by Tom Kessenich at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

By Tom Kessenich

The Dark Knight is taking no prisoners. Mulder and Scully will soon be reunited. Brett Favre is still retired (for now). August is just around the corner and that light you see in the distance is growing stronger. It’s the glow of another NFL season about to commence.

Even though training camps have yet to open for all of the teams, there are still a few items of interest fantasy owners need to be aware of as they begin making their Draft Day preparations. Here is a look at some of them:

Saint Shockey
The worst-kept secret in the NFL finally became official when the Giants traded TE Jeremy Shockey to the Saints on Monday for a pair of draft picks. It’s been obvious since the end of last season that Shockey and the Giants had reached the point of no return and with the Saints in desperate need for an impact TE, this deal had been rumored for months.

So how does it impact fantasy owners? It certainly won’t hurt Shockey or Drew Brees. Shockey’s production in 2007 left plenty to be desired as he ranked ninth in scoring among TEs in the National Fantasy Football Championship, averaging 9.8 points per game. He’s yet to prove he can make a sustained impact over the course of a full season but moving to the Saints, who plan to utilize him heavily in the passing game, will be a plus. It also won’t hurt that Brees loves throwing to his TE (witness Eric Johnson’s 48 receptions last season). Shockey gives the Saints a third quality receiving option in the passing game along with Marques Colston and Reggie Bush, and his presence could also help Bush in the running game if LBs start paying more attention to Shockey and stop crowding the line looking to derail Bush.

Meanwhile, in New York Kevin Boss takes over as Shockey’s replacement. He looked good late last season filling in when Shockey was hurt and he has the talent to ultimately become a Top 10 fantasy TE. He averaged 5.4 points per game in NFFC scoring last season but should become a quality backup TE in NFFC leagues in 2008. I've bumped him up to 16th on my TE rankings, just behind Ben Watson and right ahead of Greg Olsen.

Gimpy Gates
While Shockey’s status is looking better, another top TE – Antonio Gates – isn’t looking quite so good at the present time. Gates slipped to second in NFFC scoring among TEs last season, averaging 15.3 points per game, and his status for the start of this season remains murky as he continues his recovery from offseason toe surgery.

San Diego head coach Norv Turner said Monday he’s “optimistic” Gates will be ready for the start of the season. Optimistic? That’s it? Shouldn’t he at least be “confident?” The fact there is any question at all that Gates might not be ready for Week 1 is a red flag. There’s definitely plenty of time for Gates to get well but if he doesn’t enter camp at full strength, it could lead to owners needing to lower their projections for him this season.

Jason Witten has already inched past Gates as the first TE off the board in many drafts this year although Gates remains No. 1 among TEs in NFFC drafts based on Average Draft Position information on MockDraftCentral.com. But Gates is no longer the sure-fire No. 1 TE in fantasy this year and this news isn’t making his standing any more secure. I currently have Gates ranked second among TEs although I haven’t altered my projections based on this latest development.

But I am watching Gates. Closely.

Porter’s Plummet
Jerry Porter has been one of the hot sleeper picks among WRs in preseason drafts thus far. I’ve never been totally on board with that given how many times Porter has failed to deliver for fantasy owners in the past. Last season, for example, he ranked 52nd in NFFC scoring among WRs at 9.4 points per game.

His sleeper status took a major hit last week, however, when it was announced he had undergone surgery on a torn hamstring that could sideline him for the start of the season. Porter has never been the toughest WR around and when you consider hamstring injuries have a tendency to linger and even when healthy he’ll be in a run-heavy offense, I don't see Porter having a big season. I’ve dropped him on my rankings and no longer consider him even a modest sleeper option.

And finally, although we still have over a month to go before our NFFC and NBC Sports Fantasy Football Championship events, it’s never too late to sign up and reserve a spot. We have openings available for both the 14-team NFFC event and the 12-team NBC Sports event, both of which will be held on Saturday, Aug. 30 in Las Vegas, New York, Chicago and Orlando.

If you’re interested in signing up, you can do so by registering online today. Just go to http://nfc.nbcsports.com and you’ll find all the info you need to get you set up for one or both of our events. In addition to the right to win $100,000 as the overall champ in our events, we also have a $1 million bonus in place for the owner who wins both. That’s right, if you finish first overall in both the NFFC and NBC Sports events, you’ll win a cool $1 million.

That’s a signing bonus worth reporting for, isn’t it? So sign up today and reserve a spot in the industry’s first multi-city, high-stakes event.

We also have plenty of openings available for our online leagues. With entry fees starting as low as $125 and prizes ranging from Top 3 league payouts to free entries in either the 2009 NFFC or NBC Sports events there is a league for everyone. Go to http://nfc.nbcsports.com to find out more about our online leagues.

Tom Kessenich is the Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine and the Events Director of the National Fantasy Football Championship. Click here to find out more information about the NFFC.

Posted by Tom Kessenich at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Tom Kessenich

It’s only the start of July but I’ve already got football fever. I can’t lie. I can hear it calling out to me even though we’re still in the middle of the baseball season. I’m like Zach Braff in “The Last Kiss.” I have Jacinda Barrett’s baseball safely at home all warm and cozy but Rachel Bilson’s exciting and titillating football keeps calling out for me.

So what do I do? I've caved.

C'mon, have you seen Rachel Bilson?

Anyway, I'm currently finishing up our second Fantasy Sports Magazine football issue of the year. That means we’ve had a plethora of drafts to feature in the issue. One of them was our second KP Experts League draft. This is a 12-team draft featuring PPR scoring and six points for touchdown passes. We invited 11 industry leaders and the 2007 National Fantasy Football Championship champion, Ryan Welch, to take part.

Here’s a look at the first six rounds to whet your football appetites. My picks are in bold:

ROUND 1
1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Brian Westbrook
3. Steven Jackson
4. Adrian Peterson
5. Joseph Addai
6. Tom Brady
7. Frank Gore
8. Peyton Manning
9. Clinton Portis
10. Marion Barber
11. Larry Johnson
12. Randy Moss

ANALYSIS: No surprises in the first seven picks, but Manning at 8 was a stunner. Portis is inching his way into first-round territory and Larry Johnson is looking like a prime value pick at the end of the first round. In a PPR league, taking Westbrook at two was a no-brainer, although I was mildly tempted by Steven Jackson.

ROUND 2
13. Marshawn Lynch
14. Ryan Grant
15. Reggie Wayne
16. Willis McGahee
17. Terrell Owens
18. Larry Fitzgerald
19. Jamal Lewis
20. Braylon Edwards
21. Andre Johnson
22. Marques Colston
23. Reggie Bush
24. Laurence Maroney

ANALYSIS: I was thrilled to get Bush here in a PPR league. As I wrote in a recent RotoWorld column, I think Bush as a RB2 in a PPR league is outstanding value. He’s money in the bank for at least 75-80 receptions with the possibility for much more. I love the values on Lynch and Grant in the second round and WRs were hot targets here as six were taken in this round.

ROUND 3
25. Plaxico Burress
26. Chad Johnson
27. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
28. Steve Smith
29. Maurice Jones-Drew
30. Wes Welker
31. Torry Holt
32. Darren McFadden
33. Willie Parker
34. Earnest Graham
35. Brandon Marshall
36. Tony Romo

ANALYSIS: Having secured two strong RBs, I was looking for my WR1 in this round and was happy to see Chad Johnson still on the board. With no threat of a holdout in sight, Johnson should remain a strong WR1 option. I like the values on Jones-Drew, McFadden and Graham in this round. Marshall’s value was still solid despite the threat of a possible suspension.

ROUND 4
37. Jason Witten
38. Kellen Winslow
39. Drew Brees
40. Anquan Boldin
41. Roy Williams
42. Brandon Jacobs
43. Antonio Gates
44. Carson Palmer
45. Ronnie Brown
46. Tony Gonzalez
47. Dwayne Bowe
48. Santonio Holmes

ANALYSIS: I’m a big Bowe fan. If the Chiefs had even a mediocre QB I think he’d be a Top 10 WR. I’ll take him as my WR2 since I believe he’ll be targeted plenty this season. The Top 5 QBs on my rankings are all gone by Round 4 with Palmer taken 44th. Winslow went a little sooner than I expected. Boldin with the 40th pick is nice value in a PPR league.

ROUND 5
49. Derek Anderson
50. Ben Roethlisberger
51. Julius Jones
52. Jonathan Stewart
53. Hines Ward
54. Felix Jones
55. Michael Turner
56. Thomas Jones
57. Edgerrin James
58. Greg Jennings
59. Kevin Smith
60. Matt Forte

ANALYSIS: I was debating between Anderson and Roethlisberger here but my decision was made for me when Anderson went 49th. I think Big Ben is primed for a banner season so I’ll take him happily in the fifth round. I like Felix Jones a lot but 54th overall is way too soon in my opinion - especially when guys like Michael Turner, Thomas Jones and Edge were still on the board. Edge, by the way, continues to be a terrific value pick.

ROUND 6
61. Roddy White
62. Calvin Johnson
63. Selvin Young
64. Jerricho Cotchery
65. Rudi Johnson
66. Matt Hasselbeck
67. LenDale White
68. Chris Cooley
69. Marvin Harrison
70. Fred Taylor
71. Donald Driver
72. Rashard Mendenhall

ANALYSIS: I was hoping Cotchery would fall but I have no complaints with Driver as my WR3. His value is down with Favre gone but I think he'll score more than 2 TDs this year and he makes for a quality WR3 in a PPR league. LenDale White has been a pretty nice value pick. Nobody seems to believe in him despite his solid production last season. Marvin Harrison continues to go way too high in my opinion.

This is just a taste of the draft. The full results will be in our second issue of Fantasy Sports Magazine, which will be on newsstands at the end of the month featuring Tom Brady on the cover. You can also see more discussion on this draft on the NFFC Message Boards. I wanted to provide a look at how the early rounds were shaping up as we head into July. Much will change between now and the start of the season but this will help you start getting a feel for what to expect on Draft Day.

Tom Kessenich is the Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine and the Events Director of the National Fantasy Football Championship. Click here to find out more information about the NFFC.

Posted by Tom Kessenich at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Tom Kessenich

June is the slowest month of the football season. Sure, there is a minicamp here and there but rarely does much happen of significance. The thrill of the draft has worn off and it still feels a little too early to get pumped up about the start of training camp.

But this June has provided a few more newsworthy developments than most and at least two of them have helped crystallize fantasy drafts for this year with regard to two key players. Let’s take a look:

Marshawn Lynch
Lynch is expected to plead guilty to a traffic violation Friday for the hit-and-run accident involving his vehicle on May 31. This is great news for the Bills (and Lynch owners) since the plea is not a criminal charge, meaning Lynch will likely avoid a suspension.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, fantasy owners did not appear overly concerned about the incident given Lynch’s Average Draft Position. According to MockDraftCentral.com, Lynch’s ADP in National Fantasy Football Championship drafts has been 16 so far this year. That places him just outside the first round of NFFC drafts and he typically has been drafted among the Top 12 RBs.

We hosted an NFFC Draft Champions League draft last night and Lynch was the 24th player taken overall and the 14th RB selected. I consider that outstanding value for a player I believe will be a Top 10 RB this season.

With the threat of a suspension likely gone, I would expect Lynch’s ADP to rise a bit between now and the start of the season. However, if he remains a second-round pick, he will continue to represent strong value in NFFC drafts.

Chad Johnson
Remember all the bluster Johnson had when he insisted he wouldn’t play for the Bengals this season? Remember how he sniped at QB Carson Palmer and even his close friend, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, suggested the Bengals would be better off trading him?

Quicker than a Lindsay Lohan stint in rehab, Johnson reversed field. He now plans on reporting to training camp, playing for the Bengals this season and being best buds with Palmer. So much for the bluster.

The good news is those owners who have had drafts already and gambled on Johnson as a WR1 have seen their gamble pay off. And those who may have been hesitant to pursue Johnson in subsequent drafts now have the green light to take him without fear of a holdout.

Even though his production was a bit of a disappointment last season, Johnson still ranked eighth in the NFFC in WR scoring, averaging 18 points per game. He has topped 85 receptions in each of the past six seasons and he’s been a Top 10 WR in standard scoring leagues in each of those years. So even though his endless babbling and self promotion have grown tiresome, he is a proven No. 1 WR who brings strong production to any fantasy roster.

There’s always a chance Johnson’s grandstanding results in diminished production but I believe the threat of anything significant happening is minor. I’ve upgraded him to a Top 10 WR in our rankings and wouldn’t hesitate to grab him as my WR1 in any draft this year.

Javon Walker
While the news is good for Lynch and Johnson, the offseason just keeps getting worse and worse for Walker. First, he reported to minicamps out of shape and then he was robbed and assaulted during a recent visit to Las Vegas.

Fortunately for Walker, he did not apparently suffer any major injuries and the Raiders believe he’ll be ready for the start of training camp. But these incidents simply provide more ammunition when it comes to my disinterest in him this season.

He’s had two major knee injuries in the past three seasons. He’s only had two standout seasons in his entire career. And he’s going to a suspect offense with a first-time QB in JaMarcus Russell. All of that was reason enough to avoid Walker this year in my opinion. Even if he hadn’t shown up for minicamp work in questionable condition and even if he didn’t have a troubled trip to Vegas, I’d still plan on avoiding Walker in drafts this year if at all possible.

But when you combine his turbulent offseason with all of the other major red flags surrounding this guy, it simply gives me little reason to believe he’ll be a viable fantasy starter this year. If you’re targeting him, you’re a braver soul than I.

Tom Kessenich is the Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine and the Events Director of the National Fantasy Football Championship. Click here to find out more information about the NFFC.

Posted by Tom Kessenich at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)