Kickers

1. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (Bye: 6)
2. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (7)
3. Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders (8)
4. Mason Crosby, Packers (8)
5. Matt Bryant, Falcons (8)
6. Neil Rackers, Texans (11)
7. Garrett Hartley, Saints (11)
8. Josh Brown, Rams (5)
9. Alex Henery, Eagles (7)
10. Adam Vinatieri, Colts (7)
11. Dan Carpenter, Dolphins (5)
12. Billy Cundiff, Ravens (5)
13. Rob Bironas, Titans (6)
14. Nick Folk, Jets (8)

DEFs

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (Bye: 11)
2. Green Bay Packers (8)
3. New York Jets (8)
4. Philadelphia Eagles (7)
5. New England Patriots (7)
6. Chicago Bears (8)
7. Baltimore Ravens (5)
8. New York Giants (7)
9. San Diego Chargers (6)
10. Detroit Lions (9)
11. New Orleans Saints (11)
12. Atlanta Falcons (8)

Fantasy Football Rankings

With the football season only a couple weeks away, fantasy football drafts will be getting underway pretty shortly. For anyone interested, I've added rankings on the sidebar for each position, and included PPR rankings for RBs, WRs, and TEs. I'll be updating them each Monday so feel free to check back and see if anything has changed (for instance, Peyton Manning may not start the season so obviously his value goes down, but so does Reggie Wayne's, Dallas Clark's, etc.). As always, feel free to comment and let me know what you think or if I should add anything else.

The NFL lockout is ancient history. Fantasy football is back!

Three months ago, I was sitting at my graduation when DeMaurice Smith, the Executive Director of the NFL Player's Association, stepped to the podium as the guest speaker (and three months later I'm still unemployed, so no, I'm not gloating). I vividly remember thinking about two things - neither of which had anything to do with my future - as Smith began his droning sermon on change and pride.

1. This is the guy working for the players? No wonder Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder are so smug. We may never watch another game again.

And more importantly...

2. What about fantasy football? How will I spend my Sundays? How will I waste an immeasurable amount of time reading up on all these players if there's no season?

Thankfully, greed was sufficed, and the season is back on track. For fantasy football nerds alike, this means one hectic week of free agency in which teams swapped players at a frenzied rate. Think Microsoft, Apple, Sony and McDonald's all declaring bankruptcy, and the stock exchange only opening for an hour of trading afterward. Maybe that's a bad analogy, but either way it's a lot of player movement to catch up on.

So, I will use two blatantly unimaginative sections to break it all down for you. First off, we'll have the cliche New Faces in New Places category, detailing the mainstream players who changed teams this offseason and, more importantly, how it affected their fantasy value. And secondly, we have our Sleepers and Busts category, fairly self-explanatory.

Now this is usually the paragraph where some pompous writer tries to tell you why his or her opinion is right (myself included). But instead of the unnecessary listing of qualifications, I'll leave you with this. From July 15 through August 15 every summer, I retreat into my Excel spreadsheets to create my own little fantasy football manifesto. I endlessly skim through articles and rankings, noting worthless stats for no apparent reason. I am a fantasy football nerd. My therapist and I have come to grips with that. If a movie were made about my obsession, Michael Cera would kick my ass in it. Yeah, I'm that dorky.

But enough of the ranting and useless self-promotion. Time for Part 1.

New Faces in New Places

1. Kevin Kolb (Philadelphia to Arizona) - Of all the quarterbacks to change cities, Kolb is the only one with any possible fantasy value. And that's even though he's probably still a worse quarterback than say a Donovan McNabb or Matt Hasselbeck. However, Kevin Kolb gets to throw to Larry Fitzgerald. Even Ben Affleck looks good when he teams up with Matt Damon.

That said, Kolb is still nowhere near a fantasy starter. Hell, I wouldn't even want him as my backup. With a West Coast background, Kolb will be great for yards, but suffer in the red zone. Not even the super-likable Fitzgerald can turn Kevin Kolb into the next Kurt Warner.

2. Chris Johnson (Tennessee to ...a holdout?) - Plenty of noteworthy running backs moved on this summer, but none with any real fantasy value. Reggie Bush, Willis McGahee, Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown and Marion Barber are not worth your time unless you're playing in at least a 14-team league.

And now to Chris Johnson, who didn't change teams, but also still hasn't reported to camp. There is no denying Johnson's talent and fantasy production. And Matt Hasselbeck should only help (Hasselbeck is definitely an upgrade over Kerry Collins and Vince Young). But holdouts never end well for fantasy stars. Holdouts create injuries, chemistry issues and an overall drop in production - just ask Michael Crabtree and Vincent Jackson. If Johnson reports in the next week or two, there won't be any problems. If not, draft him early at your own risk.

3. The WR Pentaverate (Plaxico Burress: jail to the Jets, Sidney Rice: Minnesota to Seattle, Roy Williams: Dallas to Chicago, Braylon Edwards: New York to San Francisco & Chad Ochocinco: Cincinnati to New England) - Talk about the usual suspects. Outside of Sidney Rice, every name listed above has a red flag attached with their file. However, when it comes to receivers, fantasy owners have to sort through the minefield to separate the bad eggs (see: Randy Moss in Tennessee) from the guys with something to prove (Tampa Bay's Mike Williams).

For the above group, the results will be mixed. Sidney Rice got what he needed - a ticket out of Minnesota and away from Tarvaris Jackson. But he landed with the Seahawks - and back with Tarvaris Jackson. Sorry Sidney, you're a fantasy benchwarmer this year.

The same goes for New York's favorite gun-wielding Super Bowl hero. Putting aside the questions about his health and remaining talent, competing with Santonio Holmes, Derrick Mason and Dustin Keller in a run-first offense leaves Plaxico undraftable.

Onto the three with some upside, starting with Braylon Edwards and Roy Williams. Edwards and Williams are the same receiver - they are big, slow, lead the league in dropped passes every other year and are nice targets in the red zone. Since the 49ers and Bears both needed big targets in their depleted receiving corps, Edwards and Williams have a chance to both pull off double-digit touchdown seasons. Or they could completely tank. Or Bob Saget could be a total creep? Who knows?

And finally, the most interesting case - Mr. Ochocinco. The jury is very much still out on Chad's potential impact in New England. With Tom Brady fulfilling every dream Carson Palmer never could, the Ocho might be able to finally get back to producing. Don't expect a Randy Moss-esque career resurrection from Chad, but take a chance on him as your third receiver or flex guy.

Time for the everyone's favorite past time...Sleepers & Busts.

Sleepers

1. Philip Rivers - It's difficult to consider a guy in the top 10 at his position a sleeper, but Rivers' production is still under the radar. After Aaron Rodgers at numbero uno for quarterbacks, there's a big logjam. Michael Vick's injury concerns and potential relapse leave him vulnerable, and Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have been posting similar numbers for the past couple of years. But what people don't realize...so has Rivers. Indulge my boring stats for just one second.

2010

Brees - 4,620 yards & 33 TDs

Brady - 3,900 yards & 36 TDs

Manning - 4,700 yards & 33 TDs

Rivers - 4,710 yards & 30 TDs

2009

Brees - 4,388 yards & 34 TDs

Brady - 4,398 yards & 28 TDs

Manning - 4,500 yards & 33 TDs

Rivers - 4,254 yards & 28 TDs

2008

Brees - 5,069 yards & 34 TDs

Brady - tore his ACL

Manning - 4,002 yards & 27 TDs

Rivers - 4,009 yards & 34 TDs

Not much of a difference, especially if your league counts passing touchdowns for less (which most do). Throw in a healthy Antonio Gates, a receiving duo of Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd and Ryan Mathews out of the backfield and Rivers very well could be the second best fantasy quarterback this year.

2. Jahvid Best - The Lions spent their first-round pick on running back Mikel Leshoure to serve in a timeshare with Best after he spent the backend of last season hurt. Naturally, Leshoure tore his Achilles' last week and is out for the season.

Best is still as fragile as those little glass figurines we can't help but touch (and break) as kids, but his upside is tremendous. With Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson keeping the safeties out of the box, Best should have plenty up space to maneuver. And his value goes way up in a points-per-reception (PPR) league. Think of it as Britney Spears the singer - average at best (the standard league), and then Britney Spears the singer wearing a skimpy school girl outfit and driving young boys crazy - pun intended and clearly, her sales get a lot better (the PPR league).

3. Mario Manningham - After the Giants saw half their receiving corps leave for new chances (Kevin Boss in Oakland and Steve Smith in Philadelphia), who else is left? Hakeem Nicks is still the main guy, but after his breakout season last year, plenty of double teams will be coming his way this season. The Giants should still be a run-first team, but Manningham could turn into a solid #2 or #3 receiver if he can put it together.

Busts

1. Matt Ryan - Unfortunately, being a great, young quarterback doesn't necessarily translate into being a great fantasy producer. It's hard not to like Ryan. His presence and poise are beyond his years, and he seems like a genuinely good guy. This leaves only one conclusion. Matt Ryan will be the Troy Aikman of this generation's fantasy quarterbacks - great quarterback, but his stats take a backseat to a solid running game and a focus on winning.

A lot of people believe Julio Jones will turn Ryan into a fantasy star this year. They are forgetting about Atlanta's other rookie - Jacquizz Rodgers. The former Oregon State running back, along with the steady combo of Michael Turner and Jason Snelling, will continue to dominate games by eating up the clock and controlling possession. Great formula for winning football games...not so great for winning fantasy games.

2. Any Redskin, Jaguar, Seahawk or Bronco - Let's give a team-by-team breakdown here...

Your Washington Redskins. At quarterback...(waiting)...(waiting)...(the PA guy frantically shuffles through papers)...who knows. It could be John Beck. It could be Rex Grossman. It really doesn't matter. Would you rather marry Sarah Jessica Parker or Hilary Swank?

As for the rest of the team, Ryan Torain and Tim Hightower will split time for a team that will struggle to score. No, thank you. Santana Moss and Chris Cooley are nice backup plans at this point. Sorry, Washington.

Moving on, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Another QB quandary. Keep with the steady, but not fantastic David Garrard or let rookie Blaine Gabbert start his development? Neither will do anything worthwhile. Maurice Jones-Drew is still a real nice back, but running backs and knee injuries don't mix. Let someone else take the risk. And like the Redskins, Mike Thomas and Marcedes Lewis are nothing more than bench players at the receiver and tight end spots.

Poor Pete Carroll. Not really. I could think of no worse penalty for all those years of under-the-table dealing at USC than having to put up with Tarvaris Jackson under center. And as awesome as Marshawn Lynch's beast mode performance was, he'll still be sharing the load with Justin Forsett this season. Like all the other offenses that struggle to score, receivers and tight ends become backup fantasy players. That means you, Sidney Rice and Zach Miller.

And now the Denver Broncos. A lot of offensive potential. Kyle Orton lit up fantasy scoreboards last year, connecting with Knowshon Moreno and Brandon Lloyd. The same thing very well could happen this year. But Tim Tebow is on the bench. In his second year, the pressure will be on the coaching staff to make Tebow the starter if the Broncos don't win early. If that happens, Moreno and Lloyd lose a lot of value.

Think Tiger Woods two years ago:

Tiger Woods now:

I don't want to take my shoes off. I just broke up with someone, Turtle, I'm exhausted.

The Big East Still Reigns Supreme

Coming into this season, many considered it to be a rebuilding year for the Big East. Instead, the Big East claimed a record ten spots in this week's bracket, including five of the top 12. More people were likely to pick yellow and orange as their favorite Starburst before they would've chosen Connecticut or Notre Dame to battle for a Big East title this season.

But heading into the start of conference play, here's the new bracket as well as some things to look for the rest of the season.

2011 Bracketology (Jan. 10, 2011)

Predicted conference winners will be noted with ALL CAPS and an asterik (*).

SOUTHEAST (New Orleans)	WEST (Anaheim)
Washington D.C.	Cleveland
(1) SYRACUSE*	(1) OHIO ST.*
(16) WAGNER* vs. BELMONT*	(16) FLORIDA ATLANTIC*
(8) North Carolina	(8) Louisville
(9) ST. MARY’S*	(9) Georgia
Denver	Tampa Bay
(5) Florida	(5) Texas A&M
(12) OAKLAND*	(12) Washington St.
(4) Missouri	(4) Georgetown
(13) VERMONT*	(13) Miami (FL) vs. UTAH ST.*
Chicago	Tulsa
(6) Kansas St.	(6) TEMPLE*
(11) Boston College	(11) Cincinnati
(3) Villanova	(3) Texas
(14) SAM HOUSTON ST.*	(14) AUSTIN PEAY*
Tucson	Chicago
(7) West Virginia	(7) Wisconsin
(10) Old Dominion	(10) Oklahoma St.
(2) SAN DIEGO ST.*	(2) Notre Dame
(15) HAMPTON*	(15) COASTAL CAROLINA*
SOUTHWEST (San Antonio)	EAST (Newark)
Tulsa	Charlotte
(1) KANSAS*	(1) DUKE*
(16) FAIRFIELD* vs. JACKSON ST.*	(16) NORTHERN COLORADO*
(8) St. John’s	(8) Minnesota
(9) Arizona	(9) Gonzaga
Tucson	Tampa Bay
(5) CENTRAL FLORIDA*	(5) Purdue
(12) Richmond	(12) USC vs. Memphis
(4) Illinois	(4) Tennessee
(13) CHARLESTON*	(13) HOFSTRA*
Charlotte	Denver
(6) UNLV	(6) WASHINGTON*
(11) Baylor	(11) BUTLER*
(3) KENTUCKY*	(3) BYU
(14) LONG BEACH ST.*	(14) AKRON*
Cleveland	Washington D.C.
(7) Michigan St.	(7) Vanderbilt
(10) MISSOURI ST.*	(10) Virginia Tech
(2) Pittsburgh	(2) Connecticut
(15) HARVARD*	(15) AMERICAN*

LAST FOUR IN: USC, Richmond, Memphis, Miami (FL)

FIRST FOUR OUT: Florida St., Marquette, Wichita St., Dayton

NEXT FOUR OUT: UCLA, VCU, Michigan, Xavier

Teams Ahead of Schedule for the NCAA Tournament

Over the past couple of years, the Mountain West Conference has deservedly seen multiple teams dance come tournament time. This year, the MWC may have two teams finish in the Top 10. San Diego St. and BYU combined have lost one game so far this season. Both teams also earned three impressive non-conference victories. San Diego St. took down Gonzaga on the road, as well as St. Mary's and Wichita St. The BYU Cougars notched wins over Arizona, St. Mary's and Utah St (and they already won at UNLV). Unless Jimmer Fredette tries to get a discounted tattoo or the entire San Diego St. team sells their jerseys, it's probably a safe bet both will finish the regular season in the Top 10.

St. John's and Cincinnati are two more teams from the Big East off to unexpected starts. While the Bearcats finally suffered their first loss of the season (on the road to Villanova), wins over Dayton and Xavier will give Cincinnati some extra breathing room if those two schools can get things turned around. Meanwhile, Steve Lavin and his extra greasy hair appear to be just what the doctor ordered in New York. Lavin's team won their first three Big East games, including upsets over Georgetown and West Virginia (in Morgantown). Even though Lavin's hair looks as oily as a Jersey Shore smush session (new season started on Thursday and Sammi's already annoying. I'm shocked.), St. John's has turned Madison Square Garden into a real college basketball stadium in January and February.

The final nod goes to mid-major constant Old Dominion. The Monarchs picked up wins against Clemson and what seems like the entire Atlantic-10 (really it was just Xavier, Richmond and Dayton). ODU was also a three-pointer away from knocking off Georgetown. While they dropped their conference opener at Delaware, Old Dominion should be in good shape to lock up an at-large bid (if need be) with a decent showing in the Colonial.

Teams Failing to Live Up to High Expectations (The Kwame Brown Category)

You could write a book about the terrible play of the ACC so far, but I'll try to limit it to a paragraph. There really are not enough adjectives to describe just how bad it has been (although my favorites are deplorable and hopeless). And the worst part is now that conference play started, everyone's just going to beat each other up and finish 9-7 or 8-8 - except for Wake Forest and Georgia Tech - while Duke strolls to an undefeated regular season. One can only imagine who Seth Greenberg blames this year if Virginia Tech doesn't make the tournament. My money's on Barack Obama or the BCS. Neither make any sense, but if Gwyneth Paltrow can sing a Cee-Lo Green song and Vince Vaughn can keep playing the same character in his movies over and over again, clearly there is nothing holding Greenberg back.

Michigan St. was the popular pick to challenge Duke coming into this season. While Sparty & Co. put up a valiant effort at Cameron Indoor, they fell short (and never quite got back up). Tom Izzo's group has already lost five games this year, most recently against Penn St. Yes, Penn St. still does in fact have a basketball team. The Big Ten schedule will offer plenty of opportunities for redemption, but the Spartans better not wait too long or they'll end up with an uphill road come the Big Dance.

One of the best things about the NCAA Tournament is all the upsets. No one can ever predict who the Cinderella is going to be (I really would've appreciated a heads-up from Ohio before last year's tournament). Unfortunately, this is looking like an off-year for the mid-majors. The Mountain West's top three teams are off to a great start, but they may not get a fourth bid if New Mexico doesn't get hot quickly. Both the Missouri Valley and the Colonial have been multi-bid leagues in the past, but there's a chance only the conference tournament winners make it this year. Even Memphis is rebuilding with only one notable non-conference win to speak of - and it was against Miami (FL). Hopefully some teams start making some moves, or else the mid-majors are going to be lonelier than Jake Gyllenhaal when Selection Sunday arrives (and I'm sorry but I'm still laughing about that picture so it was a must).

Three Random Predictions for March

1. Central Florida will be the second-highest seeded Florida team in the tournament.

I know it's not exactly a Keanu Reeves-esque leap, but it's still unexpected. The Knights already beat Florida and Miami (FL) in the non-conference, and Marcus Jordan is better than most people expected (and can do more than just dunk). Don't expect the Knights to hold on to a five seed as seen above, and the loss at Houston won't help their chances. But if they can manage a split with Memphis and a decent conference run, UCF should be a lock for the tournament.

2. Washington will finish the regular season in the Top 10.

I'm a big fan of the Huskies. Isaiah Thomas and Abdul Gaddy are getting things going with a 4-0 conference start. Washington already got wins on the road against both L.A. schools (USC and UCLA). If the Huskies can sweep their last three games - a homestand against Washington St., UCLA and USC, they will carry plenty of momentum with them into the NCAAs. The only risk: I have about as much faith in Lorenzo Romar as I do in David Akers these days.

3. Kentucky and John Calipari get knocked out of the tournament early.

With Kanter being permanently ruled ineligible, all of a sudden Kentucky looks real vulnerable inside. While they may not get too tested against SEC teams that rely on perimeter scoring, the wrong matchup (say a Wisconsin or UNLV) could give Calipari a reason to sweat in Lexington. I'm sure Tubby Smith will be feeling nothing but sympathy up in Minnesota. But watching Calipari get booed by his own fans would be more rewarding than getting to watch Paul Walker get repeatedly punched in the face.

I like people I work with, generally. With four exceptions.