It's been quite a while since I last posted, but I'm here now to switch gears just in time for baseball season. Baseball is my favorite sport for fantasy because of its day-to-day nature thanks to a 162 game schedule that spans half the year. The length of the season means you can always make a comeback or find that diamond in the rough. Let's start the year out by taking a look at a couple of the bigger spring training storylines.

I guess tackling the biggest name of them all in Alex Rodriguez is as good a place as any to start. Chris Liss hypothesized on Rotowire.com yesterday that A-Rod and/or the Yankees played up the injury in order to get the slugger and the tornado of controversy that surrounds him out of camp and out of the team's hair. While I disagree with the conspiracy theory aspect of Chris' theory, I do agree that we will see A-Roid, ahem, A-Rod, back in the Bronx Bombers' lineup sooner rather than later. I don't think the beginning of May is a stretch at all. My advice to those of who have yet to draft is to scoop up Rodriguez if he's sitting there in the second round without thinking twice about it.

Watching Carlos Marmol set-up Kerry Wood last year, it looked to me that Marmol was in line to be a lights out closer. I really thought he had the stuff and the make-up to be a elite ninth inning guy. But the Cubs obviously like him in his set-up role after they named Kevin Gregg their closer over the weekend. Gregg has shown he can be a solid closer, but his strikeout rate took a dip last year, which has me a bit worried. Those of you in deep mixed leagues or most NL-only leagues will want to take Marmol late and hope that Gregg struggles. The Cubs made the move because they didn't want to rock the boat after winning the division last year, not because they don't think Marmol can't get the job done.

That's it for today, but I'll be back blogging more regularly again so if there's anything you want to read about let me know. You can catch me at RotoTravis@gmail.com or via the message boards. Enjoy the last week of spring training!

A lot of people are calling Sunday's Super Bowl one of the best ever, and I'm just going to have to say that I don't even think it's in the top-five. James Harrison's 100-yard return was spectacular and it was one hell of an exciting fourth quarter, but the first three quarters (minus the Pick Six) were not very entertaining or well played. That said, the ending definitely puts it in the top-10, but let's not get carried away here people. With the end of the season officially here, let's continue our look back at the 2008 fantasy season. Up now: Receivers that failed to live up to their draft status in '08.

Marques Colston: The Saints receiver was entering this season fresh off an 98 catch, 1,200 yard, and 11 touchdown campaign in '07, which made expectations sky-high. Coupled with the fact he's part of the high-powered Saints offense with Drew Brees at the helm, Colston looked prime to enter the ranks of the league's elite. He injured his thumb in Week 1, causing him to miss five games, and was never the same upon his return. His '09 draft stock is obviously going to take a hit because of it. But here's the thing: You should ABSOLUTELY target Colston next year. He's going to come at a discount, and I love his chances at repeating his '07 numbers. If he's sitting on the draft board in Round 3 (who knows, maybe he could fall to Round 4), I'm taking him without hesitation. I suggest you do the same. Oh, and don't worry about potential offseason knee surgery, it should be a non-issue.

Chris Chambers: Here's a guy that has truly fallen of the cliff of fantasy relevance in a hurry. Chambers hasn't played a full season since the '06 go-round, and hasn't topped 1,000 yards since 2005. While expectations were nowhere near Colston's, there were still some expectations. After returning from an ankle injury that forced him out of two games in Week 8, Chambers didn't have a single game with over six catches or 61 yards the rest of the season. He also failed to make a SINGLE RECEPTION twice. Twice! I know it pains us Badger faithful to admit it, but Chambers' days of fantasy relevance are numbered. I'm not touching him any time before Round 10, and I'd have to be strapped at wide out to consider him after that. Avoid him on draft day.

Reggie Wayne: Wayne undoubtedly had a very good season (82 catches, 1,145 yards, and six touchdowns), but just didn't quite produce as much as his owners had hoped when they selected him early in Round 2. While the overall numbers look strong at first glance, Wayne (and his owners) was plagued by maddening inconsistency. He failed to make just five catches six times in '08, and did not have a single multi-touchdown game. While neither of those stats are completely damning, we just expect more when we take a receiver in Round 2.  I think Wayne will have a more consistent campaign next season, as Peyton Manning's slow start coming off knee surgery could have played a part in Wayne's up-and-down season.

As you can see, wide receiver is a tricky fantasy position. There is a lot of fluctuation from year-to-year, and it's tough week-to-week setting your WR lineups. That's why the mantra of taking a running back in Rounds 1 and 2 is still the safest and soundest strategy in fantasy football. As always, drop me a line at RotoTravis@gmail.com or the message boards with any questions and comments. I'll check back in later with who I thought the biggest disappointments under center were in '08.

After a little bit of a hiatus, I'm back to do some recap. The 2008 fantasy season has concluded, I think it's time to take a look back at who impressed, and who...didn't. I'll go over the running backs that failed to live up to their draft position in this post before going over the other positions on the field.

LaDanian Tomlinson: The consensus No. 1 fantasy pick for the last handful of seasons hit the skids this year. After rushing for over 1800 yards in '06, Tomlinson barely cracked the 1100 mark this season, though he did find the end zone a respectable 11 times. That's a nice season for most backs, but not for Tomlinson – or his owners. The real danger here is the injury concern, as LT2 has battled a toe injury all season, and now there's talk that he could have torn tendon in his groin (umm, ouch?). With the emergence of Darren Sproles (though at 5'7” the Chargers may view him as more worthy of a timeshare than as a feature back), and the fact that Tomlinson will be 30 before next season, I know that I'm going to avoid this future Hall of Famer in next season's draft.

Bounce Back Quotient: 1980 Muhammad Ali – legend on his last leg?

Ryan Grant: The Packer didn't have an awful season by any stretch of the imagination, but his paltry 3.9 YPC and only 4 rushing touchdowns make him a disappointment with his mid-second round draft status of last season. Grant appeared in all 16 of Green Bay's contests, but did battle a variety of injuries, which could have contributed to his low output. I'm not overly concerned about Grant, but Brandon Jackson looked strong at times and will be lying in the weeds should Grant struggle early in '09.

Bounce Back Quotient: Post-Wayne's World Rob Lowe – shows promise.

Joseph Addai: I'm willing to chalk Addai's subpar 2008 performance up as an aberration caused by injuries both to himself and his offensive line. It's disconcerting to see his YPC sitting at 3.5, but at only 25 years old, I find it very hard to believe he's on the backslide of his career. And let's not forget that defenses will still have to account and game plan for MVP Peyton Manning, leaving holes in the front seven. Addai was a top-5 pick in most drafts last season, but could slide into the second round this year. If that's the case I'm going to snap him right up, and probably will even do so in the late-first. I still think he's going to be a top-10 producer next season.

Bounce Back Quotient: Happy Gilmore Winning the Gold Jacket -- inevitable.

That's it for the backs, but I'll check back in to hit both quarterbacks and receivers in the next few days before circling back around to talk about who impressed this season. Questions? Comments? Go over to the message boards or e-mail me at RotoTravis@gmail.com.

Earlier this week I went over some general strategies for the fantasy owners lucky enough to be in their league championship this weekend. But what about owners whose teams' seasons ended too early? Well, there's still work to be done.

Watching as many games as you can the next two weekends (and to a lesser extent, the playoffs) can give you a little insight into some '09 sleeper picks. When making selections in the later rounds of your draft, a lot of the decision comes down to feeling. You're taking a risk on a lot of players once the pool becomes thin, but these are the guys you often end up riding to a championship. Getting a feel for some guys in game situations is going to be a lot more beneficial to your roster than getting sketchy training camp reports or preseason performances.

A game that I am going to keep an eye on is Houston @ Oakland. Not exactly the most intriguing match-up, I know, but there's some '09 fantasy implications for the game. I'm interested in seeing how Matt Schaub looks because I think he could be very undervalued in a lot of drafts next season. Anyone throwing to Andre Johnson deserves some serious consideration. I'm also not quite sold on Steve Slaton in the long-term. He's been fantastic this season, but I don't if he's the kind of guy I want to take in the first or second round of next year's draft. I'm also very anxious to see Darren McFadden. Who would have guessed that his production would have been less than so many other rookie backs this season? He's a guy that could be underrated next season, but he still has some name recognition, so he still may not come cheap. Plus, he plays on a team owned by Al Davis, which has to hurt his value, right?

This isn't the only game this weekend that's worth keeping an eye on. Kevin Smith of the Lions has been quietly putting up solid fantasy numbers, and who doesn't want to watch Detroit try to get that first win? I'm curious how the LenDale White/Chris Johnson tandem is going to shake out. The list goes on and on.

The moral of the story is this: Don't quit on the 2008 NFL season just because your fantasy team (and for all the Packer fans, your 'real' team) has nothing to play for. Just begin the 2009 season a few weeks early.

I'll check back in next week to advise the readers out there whose leagues are foolish/naive/weird enough to use Week 17 as their championship week. Until then, enjoy the slate of games this weekend!

            Unless you are unlucky enough to be in a league that counts Week 17 games, we've arrived at championship weekend! If you are one of those unlucky souls, don't fret, I'll go over some Week 17 strategies sometime next week. But for now, let's assume that you're either playing for the whole kit and caboodle on Sunday, or you're be watching one of your buddies take home the big prize. For those of you haven't advanced, I'll come to that in a post later this week, but let's tackle the immediate concern right now: taking home first in your league.

Rarely do you make it to your league's championship round by shear luck alone; you nailed your draft, responded to your team's strengths and weakness, weathered some ups and downs, and, maybe, just maybe, got a little luck along the way. So now what?

            Now it's about knowing your team, and knowing your players' team situations. Are the 2-12 Rams going to ride Steven Jackson given his injury concerns of the past few weeks? Are the Lions going to try to get their first win by keeping Drew Brees and the Saints' high octane offense off the field by riding Kevin Smith, and ignoring their air attack (read: Calvin Johnson)? Are the Cowboys going to give MARION BARBER the full load or lean on Tashard Choice after last week's game with the Giants?

            In order to win your league, you're going to need to weigh these situations against the players that got you to where you're at and your options on the bench. I'm not saying be afraid of starting Michael Turner against the Vikings defense this week (especially now with Pat Williams on the shelf), but Roddy White owners should know know the Vikes are 4^th in the NFL in passing TDs against -- not to mention White hasn't found the end zone since Week 10.

            So, how can you make your best educated guess as to a team's game plan? The first thing is monitor the injury report. If a guy misses a few days of practice, it's usually not because he has a hang nail. Dig deeper into the injury report by reading what local scribes write about how goes on at practice. Read quotes, from both players and coaches. It's all about doing your homework.

            One thing you should never do is play the match-ups against your opponent. Choosing your lineup is hard enough, you don't want to incorporate the fact that your opponent has Reggie Bush facing the Lions into the equation; your decisions will become too convoluted, conflicted, and confusing. Think of it like golf, you're playing against yourself and the course. Put your best lineup given the situation in play, and enjoy one helluva fun week.

            I know I only touched on some general strategies, so if you want some specific help with your championship team, drop me a line at RotoTravis@gmail.com or head over to the message boards. Just a reminder, later in the week I'll get a post up about what to do for everyone out there that missed out on your league's playoffs. Don't worry, your season isn't over yet.

Welcome back to another edition of the Fantasy Football Update. Second edition of this week, I gotta stop working myself so hard. Let’s take a look at a two backs with a ton of upside, and a QB that’s sure to shred the D this weekend.

Chester Taylor:  Taylor is in a fantastic position this week, even as a backup to Purple Jesus, against the Lions. Let’s state the obvious: Detroit sucks. Like, they are really bad. Historically bad. Had you heard they may not win a game this season? Back to Taylor.  Detoilet is giving up 179 yards (179 yards!) per contest on the ground. They allowed two backs to go for over 100 on Thanksgiving, and gave up four rushing TDs. And it gets, worse, they will likely be starting two rookies this week along the defensive line. On top of all that, Purple Jesus looked a little hobbled at the end of Sunday night’s win over the Bears, so the Vikes aren’t going to run him into the ground this weekend, even if he’s approaching 300 yards. Taylor is a great flex option this week, and a no-brainer in deeper leagues. And if you’re a Peterson owner without the Taylor handcuff, you need to have your head examined.

Peyton Hillis: I talked about Hillis this week over on the message boards, and I want to sing his praises here too. It’s AMAZING that he’s only owned 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues. This is a guy who rushed for 129 yards and a score last weekend, and faces the Chiefs on Sunday. The Chiefs rival the Lions in awfulness. They are very bad, second-to-last in the NFL against the run bad. Plus, for those of you in PPR leagues, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is going to line Hillis up as a ‘hybrid’ tight end in some situations, just to get the ball in his hands. And his hands are very good; he had seven catches for over 100 yards and a TD in Week 9 against the Fins. If you own him, start him. If you’re in the 40 percent of leagues where he’s still available, get him, then start him.

Matt Cassel: A lot of owner may be jumping off the Cassel bandwagon this week after his poor showing against the Steelers after two straight weeks of 400+ yards. Oh, ye of little faith! He was playing the Steelers, and Wes Welker was knocked out of the game in the third quarter. Give him a break. This week, he faces Seattle, who is dead last in the NFL against the aerial attack. I can’t think of another quarterback I would start this week over Cassel. Getting over 400 yards in three out of four games wouldn’t be bad, would it?

I’ll be available at RotoTravis@gmail.com or over at the message boards with any questions or comments you have this week. Good luck in Week 14, and, most importantly, remember to keep the safety on when you roll into the club this weekend. Accidents happen.