From today’s b the paper…

Rejoice, fantasy footballers! The NFL season starts tomorrow night, but you don’t need me to tell you that. By now, your drafts are finished, your teams are set and the trash talk is already starting up. Here are three quick — but crucial — tips to remember throughout the season to help your teams get to the playoffs:

•••• Championships are won on Sunday afternoons. Stay within 15 feet of a TV and a computer on game days to grab waiver wire gems — such as Ryan Grant in ’07.
•••• Always play your best players, no matter who they’re playing (the only exception to this rule is your starting “D,” but that’s only if it’s up against a top-5 offense).
•••• Big-time injuries can kill your season, but when they happen to an opponent, use them to help you win the title. They’ll need added depth, so you can dangle two good players to snare a bona fide fantasy stud (more on this at a later date).

He’s heating up: Drew Brees is having a huge preseason — four TDs and no INTs — which isn’t a shock, but a big preseason by Jon Kitna — 18-for-21 with two TDs — is a bit more surprising. It shouldn’t be, though. Now that Mike Martz is gone, the Lions will run the ball more and use more play action, making Kitna a better fantasy QB. Consider picking him up as a backup with the potential to become some pretty tasty trade bait.

He’s on fire: Two young receivers — Robert Meachem and DeSean Jackson — have impressed me this preseason, and both could find themselves as opening day starters in upper-echelon offenses. Scoop them up if they’re still out there on the waiver wire.

Fantasy doghouse: I already anointed Vince Young as my fantasy bust at the QB position, and his play in the preseason is giving me no regrets. Young struggled against Green Bay on Thursday night, going 13-for-27 for 134 yards. He completed just 45.3 percent of his passes in the preseason, with zero TDs and one INT. It’s easy to be seduced by Young’s ability to run the rock, but stay away. Stay far, far way.

Trainer’s table: Philly WR Kevin Curtis (hernia) says he’s ahead of schedule, but he’ll be out at least a month. … Shawne Merriman (knee) plans to play with two torn knee ligaments, but I’m not sure how effective the hobbled LB will be. … The injuries to a trio of prominent Seattle wideouts are bad for Matt Hasselbeck, but good for Nate Burleson.

This week’s reader question: It is more of a proclamation than a question, but Jeremy writes on bthesite.com: “Everyone expecting a 2,000-yard, 20-TD season from [Adrian Peterson] is going to be disappointed. … Bernard Berrian is a threat at WR, but [the Vikings] still have Tarvaris Jackson throwing the ball. Until Jackson proves that he can make a defense pay for doing it, opponents are going to stack the box and make Peterson’s life difficult. Plus, Peterson’s last full season was 2004, his frosh year at Oklahoma. If I had the No. 2 pick, I’d take [Brian] Westbrook.”

My response: You’re right; A.P. won’t come close to racking up those numbers, but he’s still a top-two pick. I think Jackson is better than you give him credit for, and the addition of Berrian and the continued development of fellow wideout Sidney Rice will force opponents to think twice about focusing solely on stopping the run. No one should pick A.P. above L.T., though. As for Westbrook, it seems you’ve forgotten he’s only started more than 12 games twice in his six-year career. He has durability issues, too.

Extra point: If you own Derek Anderson, it’s worthwhile to pick up Brady Quinn. I usually don’t recommend handcuffing your starting QB to his backup, but Quinn could put up big numbers with the Browns should the recently concussed Anderson falter.

Matt Vensel is a content creator for b. His fantasy football column appears Wednesdays. E-mail your questions to matt@bthesite.com.

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