Fantasy Take: The Return of Favre

It's official: Favre Watch 2010 is over. The forty year-old announced this week that he will return for a twentieth NFL season, hoping to extend his record for most consecutive starts (285 regular season, 309 including playoffs). What does this mean for fantasy owners? Those who already drafted Vikings can breathe a sigh of relief, but just how much?

The biggest benefactor from the return is undoubtedly wideout Sidney Rice. The former Gamecock exploded onto the fantasy scene in his third season, catching 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns with Favre at the helm. Draft him with confidence as your #1 fantasy receiver because he will certainly produce. In order to do so, you will likely be forced to spend a high pick; he is typically the sixth or seventh receiver off the board, a price you should be willing to pay. As with all Vikings, his success is tied to the health of Favre, but keep in mind that the graybeard hasn't sat out a game since 1992.

Adrian Peterson should be the first pick in every league this year, PPR or not, for reasons outlined here. He is the only player in the league, with the exception of Drew Brees, that brings zero questions to the table. He has the talent, the opportunity, and the supporting cast to put up solid numbers week in and week out. Landing him at #2 overall is a steal. A bold statement, but true. The return of Favre is simply icing on the cake.

Percy Harvin continues to struggle with migraine issues, reportedly collapsing on the sideline during training camp. Should he be able to play this season, and those who owned him last year remember the headaches his headaches caused, he should improve on the 790 receiving yards from his rookie year. He also adds some yards on the ground and returns kicks, which helps his draft stock. Drafting Harvin comes with big risk, one the guru is not willing to take at the current ADP (#60 overall, #24 WR).

You have certainly heard the story with tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. He doesn't rack up a ton of yards, but he makes up for it in the TD column. The fact of the matter is that this leads to wild inconsistency, one of the most frustrating traits of a fantasy player. If you can handle ups and downs, pull the trigger on Shiancoe because Favre targets him in the redzone. Owners looking for reliability should look elsewhere.

As for Bernard Berrian, scratch him off your draft list. He is listed as #2 on the Vikings depth chart, but he doesn't get enough looks from Favre to warrant consideration as a fantasy receiver. With a late pick in your draft, take a shot on someone with potential instead of burning one on a guy with the ceiling of Berrian.

Favre himself becomes solid starter at QB. Assuming improvement from the Minnesota defense and an unwillingness to expose the old man, the Vikes will look to run more this year. His recent ascendancy into the top 3 fantasy quarterbacks will be short lived. Look for him after guys like Matt Schaub and Philip Rivers are off the board.

So there you have it. After months of uncertainty, we can now be sure that Brett Favre will play in 2010. For now, anyway.

Image of the Week

reuters.com

Surprisingly garnering little attention from the media, Usain Bolt was beaten in a track event earlier this month, his first defeat in two years. The Jamaican, owner of world records in both the 100 and 200 meter sprints and reigning Olympic Gold Medalist in both events, turned in the second slowest final time (9.97 seconds) of his career, finishing .13 seconds behind American Tyson Gay. The upset occurred during a Samsung Diamond League event in Stockholm, the same venue where Bolt suffered his previous defeat in 2008. While both runners acknowledged that the Jamaican was not at 100%, it is certainly notable when a world record holder is defeated. More interesting than the NFL preseason? Without a doubt.

Image of the Week

golf.com

Once again, we head back to the golf course for the week's most notable image. This time around we are here to recognize Stuart Appleby's greatness in posting a score of 59 to claim victory at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic. Appleby, fist pumping above, became just the fifth man in PGA Tour history to break 60 shots in a single round. His card included nine birdies (Nine!) and an eagle, while being completely devoid of ugly squares.

Appleby was an unlikely source for such greatness. His last PGA Tour victory came in 2006. Since then, he had fallen to 159th in the official World Golf Rankings. The fabulous final round at the Greenbrier propelled him to 94th in the world entering this weekend's Bridgestone Invitational.

Fantasy Take: Ben Roethlisberger Suspension

You are most certainly aware of Ben Roethlisberger's alleged sexual assault cases. More than likely you know that he faces a minimum four game suspension. What you don't know is how this will affect the fantasy world. Self-proclaimed experts will fill your head with garbage about how this is Rashard Mendenhall's big break. They're wrong. They haven't been to Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. The guru has. He has been at St. Vincent College numerous times since the team reported to Latrobe. Trust the guru.

Do not, under any circumstances, draft Roethlisberger in the top 15 quarterbacks. Most rankings around the web have him between 12 and 15. Don't be the moron that wastes a pick on him. He will miss the first four games of the season, enjoy the Steelers' bye in Week 5, and possibly miss more games after that. This means he won't be available to fantasy owners until Week 6 at the earliest. Can you go five games without him and deploy the former stud down the stretch? Only if he returns without any rust and earns the respect of his teammates, two big if's. Still tempted to take a shot? Realize that he will face the Bengals, Jets, and Panthers in Weeks 14-16, three teams that ranked in the top six against the pass in 2009. In the three games leading up to the fantasy playoffs, the Steelers take on the Raiders (7th), Bills (2nd), and Ravens (8th). Why mess with these matchups? Let someone else take the headache while you grab up-and-coming QBs like Chad Henne and Matthew Stafford.

Pundits will tell you that Mendenhall will be a beast in the opening games because he will get plenty of carries with Byron Leftwich under center. Then they say his domination will continue when Big Ben returns because he won't see stacked defensive fronts. They will spin the argument whichever way it satisfies their stance, regardless of whether or not they switch back and forth. The Steelers had a shaky offensive line to begin with and now RT Willie Colon is out for the year with a torn Achilles tendon. (This won't help Roethlisberger either. The Steelers surrendered 50 sacks in 2009.) Avoid Mendenhall in the first round.

Everyone is high on second-year receiver Mike Wallace. As a rookie, Wallace produced 756 yards and 6 touchdowns, quite an impressive feat for a first year player. Looking further into the data, as the guru always does, will reveal that Wallace is primed for a disappointing season. He is known best for his deep-ball catches, reeling in passes of 51, 47, 40, 60, 45, and 54 yards in 2009. These six catches accounted for nearly 40% of his yardage total. How much time will Steelers' QBs have in the pocket to hit Wallace downfield? Not much, meaning that Heath Miller and Hines Ward are the Steelers you want to own.

Will Big Ben return in Week 6? And will he have the respect of his teammates? Does Rashard Mendenhall warrant a first-round selection? Will speedster Mike Wallace prove me wrong? Will Antwaan Randle El be a source of passing yards in 2010? Make yourself heard in the comments.

Image of the Week

PittsburghPenguins.com

It's always time to talk about hockey. Even a story totally irrelevant in the fantasy world, such as the christening of a new arena, demands attention. So when an all-time great like Mario Lemieux joins a superstar like Sidney Crosby as the first to skate at a $300+ million facility like Consol Energy Center (Click that link. It's a great article on a terrific website.), the event will be frozen in time and enshrined as an Image of the Week.

Most people may not appreciate the magnitude of this day, quickly forgetting the near certainty of the franchise's departure from Pittsburgh. Seeing the most influential man Pittsburgh sports history, a man so revered by all, stepping onto fresh ice alongside the Penguins' future should evoke euphoria in anyone who calls his or herself a Pens fan. As chronicled on the team's official site, this is the day for which Lemieux and the entire organization has yearned for. Do yourself a favor and take a moment to reflect on the significance of this skate.

Fantasy Take: Terrell Owens Signing

Fantasy owners are buzzing over the Cincinnati Bengals' signing of wide receiver Terrell Owens. While it is never surprising to see the Bengals look beyond a player's perceived off-field issues, this decision is particularly befuddling. Owens will be paired with Chad Ochocinco, possibly the only player in the league with a stronger desire for attention. In 2009, the pair combined for 1,876 yards, 13 touchdowns, and two reality TV shows. This has the ingredients for disaster.

The receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson clashes with Owens two seasons ago.

eurweb.com

From a fantasy perspective, the move isn't exactly major. The Bengals will remain a run-first team. They intend to give RB Cedric Benson around 20 touches per game, while mixing in the elusive Bernard Scott. Owens will step into the role originally filled by Antonio Bryant, who is recovering from knee surgery. TO's presence will force opposing defenses to decide which aging, overrated wideout they want to focus their attention on. Ochocinco will benefit from having Owens drawing coverage to the other side of the field and will likely remain QB Carson Palmer's first look in the redzone. Neither receiver should be relied upon as more than a low-end #2 receiver on your fantasy squad this year. The move is also a strong indicator that Cincinnati has little faith in Bryant's recovery. It's typically best to avoid #3 receivers coming off of knee surgery on teams that are inclined to run. Palmer gets a slight boost in the quarterback rankings, but he remains nothing more than a fantasy backup.

Do you have faith in either receiver? Does Carson Palmer have enough left in the tank to capitalize on the receiving corps upgrade? More importantly, how foes Mrs. Palmer feel about the signing? Let your voice be heard in the comment section.