Every season, players come out of nowhere to make a name of themselves in both league circles and fantasy circles. Fantasy waiver wires are scoured for hours upon hours every week as fantasy owners search from the next diamond in the rough.

The 2008 Wonders will be given out by The Hazean to the one player at each of the fantasy skill positions who found his way from the bottom of the wire to the top of fantasy rosters. This week’s award goes out to the wide receiver of the NFL who went undrafted in most fantasy leagues, only to become the hottest of commodities during the 2008 regular season.

The nominees

Eddie Royal, Broncos: Royal stepped into a starting role thanks in large part to the suspension levied on Brandon Marshall at the beginning of 2009. He put up huge numbers against a normally stout Raiders’ secondary in his very first game and never looked back, instantly becoming one of the top waiver wire adds after the first week of 2008. While he battled injury throughout parts of the season, Royal was a pleasant surprise — especially as a rookie — for fantasy owners at the wide receiver position.

Steve Breaston, Cardinals: Breaston’s stock shot through the roof after Anquan Boldin took a vicious hit that sidelined him for several weeks during the regular season. While he was a solid starter in spots, his numbers never stayed as consistent as most fantasy owners would have liked from the No. 2/3 wide receiver on the pass-happy Cardinals. If Boldin does not return to Arizona next season, expect Breaston’s pre-draft stock to shoot through the roof after a promising breakthrough year.

Kevin Walter, Texans: Walter played the complement to Andre Johnson very well through much of the season. But he faltered near the end of the season, which could stick with fantasy owners through the long offseason. Regardless, he has proven to be a decent WR3 in most fantasy leagues and should retain his role as the Texans’ No. 2 receiver next season barring any significant offseason changes.

Ted Ginn, Dolphins: Look, wide receiver may be the most inconsistent position in all of fantasy football. That is no secret at this point. And while Ginn perfectly fits the mold, he did show some streaks of rosterability in 2008. Ginn got hot during the middle of the season and at the very end, breathing some life into his once lifeless fantasy value. His name will be tossed around quite a bit this offseason by fantasy pundits, but he should retain some sleeperish late-round value for fantasy owners next August.

DeSean Jackson, Eagles: Jackson joins Royal as the other rookie wide receiver to have an immediate fantasy impact in his first season in the NFL. He did it in more ways than just receiving, however, which made him a hot commodity in leagues that count return yardage and/or return touchdowns. Jackson developed into the big-play threat in the passing game that the Eagles missed at the beginning of the season and stayed in that capacity even upon Kevin Curtis’ return to the lineup. Had it not been for one bone-headed rookie mistake early on against the Cowboys, Jackson could have added another touchdown to his 2008 resume.

Lance Moore, Saints: When Marques Colston went down after week 1, no one knew who would step up to fill his void in the Saints’ prolific passing attack. Reggie Bush, Devery Henderson, David Patten, Robert Meachem and Jeremy Shockey were considered the team’s top options. Little did anyone know that Moore would become Drew Brees’ go-to guy this season, which is exactly what happened. Nothing worse could happen to Moore’s offseason fantasy value than to leave New Orleans as a free agent this spring, which is why this Saints’ fan fantasy owner wants him to stay in the Big Easy.

Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers: Bryant quietly assumed the No. 1 wide receiver role in the Tampa Bay offense, which has been a pretty productive spot the last few seasons for former No. 1 Joey Galloway. His rise to fantasy prominence started as a whisper but grew into an all-out screaming match during the most crucial point on the season for fantasy owners — the fantasy playoffs. Bryant posted double-digit totals in each of the Bucs games between weeks 13 and 16, including a Heculean effort against Carolina with nine grabs for 200 yards and two scores.

Isaac Bruce, 49ers: This nomination came down between Bruce and Panthers’ receiver Muhsin Muhammad, with Bruce getting the nod due to his greater amount of double-digit fantasy performances. He threw down six of those in total over the course of the season, which is six more than anyone expected from the aged wideout. Unfortunately for Bruce, he likely will carry little to no value in standard fantasy drafts heading into next year because of the age factor. But he could end up surprising a few owners once again in 2009, if he can stay relevant.

Mark Clayton, Ravens: One gigantic week amongst a sprinkling of decent weeks and a dash of pretty bad ones made Clayton a pretty inconsistent fantasy option in 2008. Labeled as a break-out candidate just about every season, Clayton did enough this year to warrant that title once again next summer. Fantasy owners who took a gamble on him at the right times this season were generally happy with the results, but Clayton will have to become more consistent in the future to win over the vast majority of owners.

And the winner is …

Antonio Bryant.

Lance Moore looked to have this thing locked up through most of the season, but that was before Bryant absolutely exploded down the stretch. And that clutchness not only kept Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes alive — albeit briefly — it also thrusted fantasy owners deeper into their respective fantasy playoffs. Couple that with Moore faltering upon the return of Marques Colston to the lineup, and the table was set for Bryant to take home this award.

Bryant has wrestled away the WR1 job from Joey Galloway in Tampa barring any significant changes to the Bucs’ offensive gameplan this offseason. But with the quarterback position up in the air, his fantasy value may not be determined until training camps commence next July despite the great taste he left in owners’ mouths at the end of 2008.

Is there a worse crop of fantasy quarterbacks to choose from for playoff leagues than this weekend’s?

The year’s best fantasy QBs of the group — Kurt Warner and Philip Rivers — both play on the road in hostile environments against teams coming off first-round byes. Not liking that for either of those guys.

Pittsburgh’s Big Ben is banged up, but he gets a soft-ish San Diego secondary which, for the most part, has been playing well lately. Donovan McNabb is playing smart football, but has to go into division-rival New York. And speaking of the Giants, Eli Manning is coming off a bye but has to face the red hot Eagles’ defense, which has been owning quarterbacks of all types lately.

That leaves us with Jake Delhomme, Joe Flacco and Kerry Collins against the Cardinals, Titans and Ravens, respectively. Would it be a huge surprise to see any of these three end up being the best fantasy quarterback this weekend? I think not.

Here are today’s great reads:

• The list of impending free agents is long and full of some interesting fantasy talent. Where do you rank Derrick Ward and Darren Sproles if they get starting jobs somewhere? [NFL GridIron Gab]
• The Tom Brady and Matt Cassel scenario where both are in New England next year is picking up steam. [FanHouse]
• Vincent Jackson must have been drowning his sorrows after posting a good egg in last weekend’s game against the Colts. [Shutdown Corner]

For more great reads, check out my Google Reader Shared Items page.

Every season, players come out of nowhere to make a name of themselves in both league circles and fantasy circles. Fantasy waiver wires are scoured for hours upon hours every week as fantasy owners search from the next diamond in the rough.

The 2008 Wonders will be given out by The Hazean to the one player at each of the fantasy skill positions who found his way from the bottom of the wire to the top of fantasy rosters. This week’s award goes out to the running backs of the NFL who went undrafted in most fantasy leagues, only to become the hottest of commodities during the 2008 regular season.

The nominees

Pierre Thomas, Saints: Everyone’s favorite sleeper heading into the season took a while to develop. So long, in fact, the Thomas quickly found his way off fantasy rosters just a few short weeks into the season. But it did not take too long after that to watch the effect that shouldering the load took on teammate Reggie Bush as he began to suffer setbacks and ultimately a season-ending injury. Enter the fresh legs of Thomas, who powered his way back onto fantasy rosters after midseason with a flurry of studtastic stat lines, including during the fantasy playoffs.

Steve Slaton, Texans: Slaton went undrafted in a vast majority of fantasy leagues only to become one of the season’s biggest surprises. It took a short while for the Texans to realize that Ahman Green no longer can be trusted to stay healthy enough to carry the load, and when they went to Slaton he got the job done. Almost the best rookie running back in this class according to our Rookie Report, Slaton’s fantasy value heading into 2009 has skyrocketed the young ball carrier up into the 2nd round.

Chris Johnson, Titans: Another surprising year from a rookie running back. Johnson first turned heads last spring when he ran a 4.24 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, then again during the Titans’ preseason games as he ripped off long run after long run. Splitting time with LenDale White hurt his touchdown totals early in the season, but Johnson became the feature back of the Tennessee offense as the season progressed which helped him find paydirt a little more often.

Le’Ron McClain, Ravens: It was not clear what McClain’s role would be at the beginning of the season. Built like a fullback, most fantasy owners figured he would plow the way for Willis McGahee and rookie Ray Rice. But when the Ravens put Lorenzo Neal at fullback and kept McClain on the roster, it became a little more clear that they intended to use him in short-yardage situations. He was so effective at short-yardage plays, in fact, that he began to steal more and more time away from the other two ball carriers. By the end of the season, McClain had become the most consistent fantasy starter of the bunch.

Mewelde Moore, Steelers: Moore stepped in for not one but two injured Pittsburgh running backs during the first half of the season and put down some fantastic stat lines. But Moore’s production waned as the season wore on, due in large part to the return of Willie Parker to the lineup. With Parker and Rashard Mendenhall back in Pittsburgh next year, Moore’s time to shine may have come and gone. Unless, of course, those two backs in front of him on the depth chart succomb to injury once again.

Cedric Benson, Bengals: Who would have thought that Benson would gain fantasy relevance in Cincinnati? It took several weeks after signing on with the team, but Benson began to look like the first-round pick he became a few years ago for Chicago. His down-the-stretch production likely landed him a nice new deal with the Bengals this offseason to come back as the starter next year. Otherwise, he could jump ship to land an opportunity elsewhere.

Dominic Rhodes, Colts: Joseph Addai owners especially can vouch for the worthiness of Rhodes on this list after an injury-riddled season to the former first-round fantasy pick. Addai’s value took a big hit this year, which became a gain for Rhodes. He played well as both the starter and the complement to Addai, and that should make him a must-draft handcuff for Addai owners in 2009.

Derrick Ward, Giants: Wind, of the now famous Earth (Brandon Jacobs), Wind (Ward) and Fire (Ahmad Bradshaw) Giants’ trio, threw down solid, consistent fantasy stats for owners most of the season. Now he gets to cash in during an offseason in which he will become a free agent, which also should make him a hot commodity on fantasy markets next season — that is if he gets a starting gig. Ward was the perfect complement to Jacobs: A light-moving, swift back with decent speed, good hands and elusivity in the open field. Ward’s value next season will depend entirely on his landing spot, but he could be a little over-valued in fantasy drafts since he likely will not be running behind that Giants’ offensive line in 2009.

Felix Jones/Tashard Choice, Cowboys: One guy played most of the first half of the season while the other play most of the second half, which is why both of the Cowboys’ rookie running backs count as one nominee. Had Jones stayed healthy, Choice likely would never have seen the field. But he created an opportunity for the Georgia Tech rookie and when Marion Barber went down, Dallas was down to one back. Both of these guys performed well, but I give the edge to Choice as the better back because he did his damage late in the season against some of the best run defenses in the league.

Tim Hightower, Cardinals: Hightower gets a mention on this list because of his nice touchdown totals for 2008. But the yardage was not there for the rookie runner, despite getting the reigns to the starting job around midseason. Perhaps another offseason of preparation and training will help Hightower improve the yardage output in 2009, but he will carry decent fantasy value into 2009 as long as he continues to be the goal line back in Arizona.

Peyton Hillis, Broncos: Had it not been for a season-ending injury, Hillis could have seriously contended for this award. A full back by trade, Hillis got the opportunity to start at runningback for the Broncos after the other 800 starting running backs they tried this season fell to injury. His upside for next season is limited, especially with Mike Shanahan out the door, as he likely will fall back into the full back role. But the Broncos know they can trust him with the football, which could make him a rosterable full back at some point next season.

And the winner is …

Steve Slaton.

No running back came more out of left field than Slaton in 2008. Chris Johnson got serious consideration for this award with a dominant fantasy season of his own, but he was drafted far more often in every type of league compared to Slaton.

The diminutive Houston running back became a household name pretty earlly in the season. After the Texans’ second game was postponed due to Hurricane Ike, Slaton posted one of his best games of the season against one of the league’s best defenses. With 18 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans, Slaton became the most popular add in fantasy leagues in the season’s early weeks.

Slaton went on to score double-digit fantasy points in all by four weeks on the season, finishing as the seventh-best fantasy running back in standard leagues. His small stature may hinder his fantasy stock a little next year, but Slaton more than proved in 2008 that he can be a first-round fantasy talent.

So with that in mind, Marc and I took some time last week to throw out a first-round mock draft for redraft leagues next summer. And a couple of interesting trends came out of it that I thought I should mention.

First, if we learned anything from 2008 it was that running backs are, and always will be, king. Before this season began, trendy fantasy football owners were jumping ship from running backs to quarterbacks and wide receivers in the first and second rounds of fantasy drafts. But next season already appears to be a resurgence for the running back position in the first round, as you guys will see below.

Another thing we learned is that the top fantasy quarterback continues to change. From Peyton Manning to Tom Brady to now a new front-runner, the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mantra rules when it comes to QBs.

And as far as those uber-popular wide receivers go, I think fantasy owners will avoid them for the most part in the first round of drafts next summer. Getting burned by Braylon Edwards and T.J. Houshmandzadeh all season, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss and Reggie Wayne for stretches of the season and a few others will not sit well with owners next August. But if any wide receivers do creep into the first round, my money would be on Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and/or Calvin Johnson.

1.01 Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings: No debate between Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson this time around. ADP is the clear-cut favorite to be a consensus No. 1 pick next summer. He has shed the injury-prone label and should continue to improve as a pro running back in his third NFL season.

1.02 Michael Turner, RB, Falcons: Turner put up big numbers in his first season as a starting running back. With an even more experienced Matt Ryan next year, Turner might try and take a crack at the top fantasy running back.

1.03 Steven Jackson, RB, Rams: You just know that one of these years SJax is going to crack the injury-prone label. His upside is too great to pass on him despite missing multiple games the last two years.

1.04 Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles: Westbrook means everything to both the Eagles running and passing game. If he could ever stay healthy for the entire season, he would probably be mentioned as the best fantasy running back in the league.

1.05 LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers: A toe injury hindered Tomlinson’s fantasy output in 2008. If the Chargers go out and get him a lead blocker again, things should look up for LT2’s numbers next year. He will slide down a few spots, but I think there still is enough left in the tank for another run at Peterson.

1.06 Frank Gore, RB, 49ers: Gore started the season off real hot, but cooled off later in the season. Quarterback Shaun Hill should open some running lanes for Gore by continuing to improve the 49ers’ passing game.

1.07 Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins: Portis was the best fantasy runningback through midseason, but injuries hampered his success down the stretch. He did play through the injuries, which is encouraging news for fantasy owners worried about getting bitten by the injury bug next year.

1.08 Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants: I think Jacobs is going to be one of the best running backs in the NFL next year and is a steal at the 8th pick in this mock. He is a load to bring down and will get all of the goal line carries in this offense.

1.09 Drew Brees, QB, Saints: Finally, a non running back. Brees topped at fantasy quarterbacks in 2008 and there always is at least one guy in every league willing to jump on a QB in the first round. Brees finally gets to stake his claim as the game’s best fantasy quarterback.

1.10 Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys: The Cowboys were a mess all season. I think it was because they got away from the power running game. Felix Jones will steal carries from Barber next season, but that will only make Barber better later in the season.

1.11 Matt Forte, RB, Bears: Forte is the workhorse back in Chicago, which he proved during his rookie campaign. He played well despite battling some injuries down the stretch, so there is no question this guy is tough and can handle a 16-game season as the team’s sole ball carrier.

1.12 Chris Johnson, RB, Titans: Johnson was the third best rookie running back points wise this season, and I think he has the most upside. His electric moves and blazing speed will help keep LenDale White in a back-up role.

The standings after the first weekend of The Hazean’s Fantasy Playoff Challenge are up, and here are the results:

Look at me up there at No. 3. You guys have some work to do to earn that Best Buy gift card. Congrats to EZ-Hambone for grabbing the early lead with this lineup: Donovan McNabb, Tim Hightower, Michael Turner, Anquan Boldin, Reggie Wayne, Antonio Gates, David Akers and the Ravens DST.

Here are today’s great reads:

• Both of yesterday’s big names from the MMR — LaDainian Tomlinson and Anquan Boldin — could miss the playoff action this weekend. [ProFootballTalk]
• Speaking of injuries, Ben Roethlisberger returned to practice yesterday for the first team since the end of the regular season. [ProFootballTalk]
• A look back at the top fantasy performers from the first weekend of playoff fantasy football. [Lester's Legends]
• Players that fall just outside the top-50 keeper candidates for the 2009 season. [Pancake Blocks]
• Another blogger is giving away some fantasy hardware, with my boy Drew Brees taking home a nice prize. [Bruno Boys]

For more great reads, check out my Google Reader Shared Items page.

Every season, players come out of nowhere to make a name of themselves in both league circles and fantasy circles. Fantasy waiver wires are scoured for hours upon hours every week as fantasy owners search from the next diamond in the rough.

The 2008 Wonders will be given out by The Hazean to the one player at each of the fantasy skill positions who found his way from the bottom of the wire to the top of fantasy rosters. This week’s award goes out to the quarterbacks of the NFL who went undrafted in most fantasy leagues, only to become the hottest of commodities during the 2008 regular season.

The nominees

Tyler Thigpen, Chiefs: No quarterback came more out of left field in 2008 than Kansas City’s Thigpen. Buried on the depth chart behind Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard at the start of the season, it took a minor miracle — two season-ending injuries — for Thigpen to get his chance. When he finally got the opportunity, Thigpen improved his game as the week’s passed in turning a once lifeless offense into a legitimate scoring machine.

Matt Cassel, Patriots: It is highly doubtful that Cassel expected to get his first starts since high school the year after Tom Brady set the record for most touchdowns in a season. But his chance came very, very early in the regular season as Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury during the Patriots’ very first game against the Chiefs. Cassel’s mediocre start drew the ire of fantasy owners hoping to find a diamond in the rough, which is exactly what Cassel became from week 10 onward minus one debacle at Pittsburgh.

Kyle Orton, Bears: Orton does not hold a candle to the above two guys, but he deserves a mention because he did throw down some solid fantasy outings early in the season. Orton was a popular add in most leagues during a five-week stretch from weeks 3 to 7 that included three 20+ fantasy point performances in standard scoring leagues. But a midseason ankle injury sidelined him for one game and derailed his effectiveness as a starting quarterback. His fantasy stock plummeted upon return when he failed to post more than 13 fantasy points in all but two of the Bears remaining seven games.

Matt Ryan, Falcons: Ryan, also in the running for Fantasy Rookie of the Year, probably went undrafted in 100 percent of standard redraft leagues. When your first career touchdown pass is a long bomb for a touchdown, fantasy owners start to notice. And they did, gradually adding Ryan to rosters over the course of the first few weeks of the season. While not an every-week QB1, Ryan played well in spots for owners in need of a bye week quarterback or replacement for an injured one, like Tom Brady.

Kurt Warner, Cardinals: Warner was handed the reigns to the explosive Arizona offense just a few weeks before the start of the 2008 season. He went undrafted in most leagues because fantasy owners expected Matt Leinart to be the starting quarterback in the desert this year. But the old man took the job away during preseason football and never looked back, and in the process had one of his greatest seasons to date. Fantasy owners who scooped him off the waiver wire before the start of the season were pleasantly surprised by his Fantasy MVP-like numbers.

Chad Pennington, Dolphins: You know what to expect from Pennington. Accurate arm, short passes, low but consistent yardage totals and a few touchdowns sprinkled in here and there. No one expected the Miami passing game to be as good as it has been — not to say that it has been great — and Pennington was a big part of the resurgence in Miami. If the Dolphins add a few more weapons to the passing game this offseason, Pennington could become more of a blip on fantasy radars next summer.

Shaun Hill, 49ers: It took a while for the 49ers to give Hill back the job he thought he had won at the end of last season, but when they did he ran away with it. And now, with the potential backing of Mike Singletary, it looks like Hill will start the 2009 season opener for San Francisco. Fantasy owners found a gem when Hill resumed his role at the helm of the 49ers’ offense, as he scored 19 or more fantasy points in five of San Francisco’s final nine games. Even better for fantasy owners: Hill scored at least double-digits in every game he started.

Joe Flacco, Ravens: Flacco and fellow rookie Matt Ryan both exceeded expectations in their first seasons at the professional level. The Baltimore signal caller even joined Ryan in gracing fantasy lineups after a midseason run from weeks 7 to 13 that included five games with 19 or more fantasy points in standard scoring leagues. But he floundered during the fantasy postseason despite helping to guide the Ravens to the NFL playoffs.

And the winner is …

Matt Cassel.

It came down to Thigpen, Warner and Cassel, but it was hard to ignore how dominant Cassel was down the stretch of the fantasy season — despite the one clunker against Pittsburgh. Cassel posted one 20+ and two 30+ point performances during the fantasy playoffs, saving his best for championship weekend with a 345-yard, three touchdown outing against the Cardinals.

Cassel owners, many of whom were Tom Brady owners at the beginning of the season, likely rode him down the stretch of the season all the way to a fantasy title. And that makes his 2008 season much like Brady’s 50-touchdown campaign in 2007, in that he single-handedly won several fantasy games for his owners at crucial points in the fantasy season.

Despite only eight teams playing this weekend, you had to know that someone major was going to blow up a fantasy playoff team by leaving early with an injury. And it happened twice on Saturday.

First, Anquan Boldin owners watched as Q blew past the Falcons’ secondary on his way to a 71-yard touchdown reception, only to pull up lame after reaching paydirt. Then, in the late game, LaDainian Tomlinson suited up despite not practicing all week and started things off with a 13-yard run on the Chargers’ first play. Other than a goal line touchdown, which saved his fantasy value, LT’s performance was overshadowed by teammate Darren Sproles, who replaced Tomlinson at running back late in the second quarter.

Lucky for fantasy owners that both guys scored a touchdown before exiting the games. But both Boldin and Tomlinson could have had much better fantasy stat lines had they been able to stick around.

Willie Parker [RB, Steelers]

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Willie Parker said he doesn’t think he will need surgery to repair the labrum that was torn Nov. 3 in Washington — an injury that occurred when his shoulder popped out of joint and caused the two-time Pro Bowl running back to miss one game.

Good news on the FWP front, but this does not really help his fantasy value heading into 2009 all that much.

Parker will battle Mewelde Moore and Rashard Mendenhall for playing time during training camp and the preseason next summer, and his newfound propensity for late-season injury could be an indication that his body is breaking down from all the mileage.

LaDainian Tomlinson [RB, Chargers]

From RotoWorld:

The Chargers claim that LaDainian Tomlinson’s groin strain did not worsen in Saturday’s playoff win, but aren’t sure he’ll face the Steelers next week.

Playoff fantasy owners should prepare for life without Tomlinson, which means it is time to bump Darren Sproles way up in the rankings.

This now is the third straight season that Tomlinson has battled injury late in the season. And it comes at the worst possible time for the Chargers for the second consecutive season in the playoffs.

Is it a fluke or is Tomlinson’s body starting to break down? Last season’s injury did not hamper LT at the beginning of this year, but he did injure a toe that lingered on throughout the season. It does appear that Tomlinson’s body is not as spry as in the past and he may be on the downhill side of his career. Still, he is projected to go anywhere from mid-first to mid-second in fantasy drafts next year, which means he will have the potential to be one of the great steals of 2009.

Anquan Boldin [WR, Cardinals]

From ProFootballTalk:

At the tail end of a 71-yard catch-and-run, which gave the Cardinals a 14-3 lead over the Falcons in their wild-card playoff game, Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin put his hand on the back of his leg — the classic indication of a hamstring injury.

Boldin did not return to the game after injuring his hamstring and the Cardinals have not indicated his status for this weekend just yet.

He likely will miss practice early in the week. If he can suit up and give it a full go by Thursday or Friday he would be safe to use in fantasy playoff leagues. But the safer bet to perform for fantasy purposes is Larry Fitzgerald, who is as consistent as they come at wide receiver.

The MMR will continue to run every Monday morning as scheduled during the offseason. If you have an injury update or want an update on a certain player, please leave a note in the comments.

NFL.com has not updated the standings for The Hazean’s Fantasy Playoff Challenge yet, but I wanted to thank the 26 readers who signed up for the league.

I told you guys I would give away a free movie to the winner of the league if it reached 30 members. That did not happen, so instead I will give away a gift card of some amount close to or up to $20 to Best Buy. How does that sound?

Here are today’s great reads:

• Seven lessons learned from the 2008 fantasy football season. [Sports Jabber]
• The key to winning fantasy leagues in 2009 is to start preparing right now. [CBS Sports]
• An early fantasy mock draft for a redraft league with no LaDainian Tomlinson in the first round. LT already is looking like a steal in 2009. [Fantasy Football Xtreme]
• Darren Sproles’ performance against the Colts this weekend put money in his pocked this offseason. [Pancake Blocks]
• The Colts could dump Marvin Harrison this offseason to save some cash, which would mark the end of a remarkably era for Harrison. [ProFootballTalk]
• Speaking of the Colts, was Peyton Manning to blame for Saturday night’s thrilling loss to the Chargers? [Deadspin]
• Seriously, Kansas City needs to give the ball to Tyler Thigpen at the start of next season. [NFL GridIron Gab]

For more great reads, check out my Google Reader Shared Items page.

If your looking for something to keep you into the NFL then play fantasy playoff football. You can even compete against The Hazean for a chance to win a free DVD.

With only four game this weekend there are less players going this weekend, obviously, so choose your guys wisely. Here are a few sleepers that could help your team:

Jerious Norwood, RB, Falcons - The Falcons will try and pound the rock with Michael Turner and bring Norwood in for the home runs. That strategy has worked for them all season and will work against a weak and worn down Cardinals’ defense.

J.J. Arrington, RB, Cardinals - Arrington is the pass option coming out of the Cardinals backfield. Tim Hightower, the other running back, has been ineffective as of late. Arizona could be playing from behind which will lead to more touches for Arrington.

Derek Mason, WR, Ravens - Mason is the top receiver on the Ravens’ team even with a nagging shoulder injury. The Dolphins will try and make quarterback Joe Flacco beat them, and Mason is the guy who Flacco should rely on the most for help.

Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Colts - When teams try and stop the Colts passing attack, they usually focus on containing receivers Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison. This could free up Gonzalez for a big day against the Chargers lackluster defense.

The move would prevent Cassel from leaving the Patriots via free agency. Instead, the Patriots would keep him for around $12 million against the cap next year. it is believed the Patriots would then trade Cassel for the right price so long as Tom Brady recovers from knee surgery in time for next season.

It makes a lot of sense on New England’s end. Brady’s recovery from a torn ACL has been under the microscope all season with conflicting reports regarding the progress of his rehab. So if Brady does not report positive progress closer to training camp, at least the Patriots know they have a capable quarterback on the roster in Cassel should they indeed slap the franchise tag on him.

This news is a little disheartening for some fantasy owners, particularly dynasty leaguers who hoped Cassel would jump ship in 2009 to land an undisputed starting gig of his own. Detroit and Minnesota seemed like the most likely of suitors, but I doubt either would pony up the draft picks it would take to acquire Cassel from the Pats in a trade.

UPDATE: Cassel’s cap number actually would be $14.835 million in 2009. How can the Patriots afford to keep Cassel and Brady on the roster without losing value elsewhere?

This report of New England franchising Cassel could be some jockeying on their part to see who would be interested in trading for his services. If no suitors come forward, I think the Pats will part ways with Cassel.