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.