1. Drew Brees : Even with Sean Peyton out last year and the merry go round at the helm, Brees still finished atop the points for QB’s in 2012. I think a repeat is in the making for this year.
2. Aaron Rodgers : Numbers wise Rodgers had a down year but with that being said he finished third in points last year and added a strong RB in the draft.
3. Peyton Manning : Bringing in Welker for the slot will amplify their offense even more than it was last year. Plus the addition of Montee Ball to the back field reminds me of when Fox had the bash brothers in Carolina.
4. Tom Brady : This is kind of high for me, but on shear talent Brady deserves to be here. Losing Welker to Denver, and the uncertainty of Gronk. I think Brady could have an off year. But I will reassess the situation closer to my next rankings.
5. Cam Newton : Third year in the league and I think it’s his time to shine. The rushing yards might dwindle a little bit if Carolina decides to run the RBs more, but inside 5 yards is Cam’s specialty. He gets you rushing TDs which other players aren’t, and I think his passing game will thrive this season.
6. Matt Ryan : With arguably the best WR duo, in Jones and White. Also added Jackson in the backfield, I’m a little cautious to see if it’s a big change from Turner.
7. Robert Griffin III : His second year in the same system, we will see how he comes back from his knee injury last year.
8. Matthew Stafford : Brought in Reggie Bush to assist their backs, should be a nice receiver out of the back. Still has Megatron, which would boost any QB.
9. Andrew Luck : Led the Colts to the playoffs last year, finished in the top 10 in fantasy. Don’t see much improvement from this year. Solid top ten QB.
   

   Jan 6, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) during the AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M

10. Eli Manning : If they keep Cruz, Eli could move up. If Cruz leaves that would only leave Nicks as the proven WR. He will move further down the totem pole if there is no Cruz.
11. Tony Romo : As a professional QB, he has his moments that make you shake your head. But in the fantasy world last year he finished right above Luck. He can have a huge game, just no consistency, and had multiple games with multiple interceptions.
12. Joe Flacco : Winning the Super Bowl last year was a high, coming into this season he lost a big target in Boldin. Still has the down field threat, so I predict a couple big games this year.
13. Colin Kaepernick : San Francisco drafted WR, TE and RB in draft. But the biggest impact players were brought in through free agency with Boldin and Manningham.
14. Russell Wilson : One of the biggest moves in free agency this year was Seattle’s addition of Percy Harvin. Still have the beast in the backfield so the passing game can only get better for Wilson.
15. Andy Dalton : Got a TE in the draft, still has Green to throw to which saves Dalton as far as fantasy goes.
16. Sam Bradford : With the loss of Jackson, I think they will have a tougher time throwing the ball this year. But they did get two WRs in this draft that has played together for a while.
17. Josh Freeman : Still has some weapons to throw to, defense was helped a lot in this year’s draft, plus the addition of Revis. So I think Freeman will get more opportunities this year, I am just not sure what he is going to do with them.
18. Matt Schaub : Added Hopkins in the draft which I think will complement Johnson in the passing game, still a strong RB coming out of the backfield.
19. Michael Vick : Brought in a good TE in the draft. They have a new head coach, could have a great year this year. Might move up in later rankings.
20. Jay Cutler : Not the most consistent QB in the bunch, but he does have a plethora of talent around him. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally.

Tune in next week as I look over the top 20 RBs. I don’t think anyone in Carolina will make that cut… Thanks for reading.

Jan 12, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers receiver Randy Moss (84) attempts to elude Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson (21) during the first quarter of the NFC divisional round playoff game at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If we think back long enough I am sure we can all remember our first feeling of buyers remorse. That feeling you had when you suddenly realized that “thing” you had been clamoring for wasn’t as needed as you once thought. The feeling that left you wishing you would have just held onto your money a little longer.

In the case of the Carolina Panthers we are talking about something a little more serious than just remorseful purchases on motorcycles, cars or even that really nice RV you bought that’s sitting on Craig’s List. We are talking about multi-million dollar transactions that can shape this teams future for the good or for the bad.

Since Panther fans first heard of the marginal cap space that was made available there have been many names mentioned. Some of these suggestions could certainly assist the Panthers in the upcoming season. Brandon Lloyd, Charles Woodson, would be welcomed veteran leadership on this squad.

The problem is that we have some key players on our own squad that will be needing attention very soon. I am not saying that Dave Gettleman should make hasty decisions out of fear, however, he must consider them just the same. I am a huge fan of Greg Hardy. If you take a look at his numbers he has been steadily climbing each year. Last season was certainly his most impressive yet. If Gettleman isn’t careful he could end up with Charles “BIG MONEY” 2.0. I think the smarter thing to do in this situation is give Frank Alexander more playing time this season as I feel if given the chance he could make the decision to pay Hardy the “BIG BUCKS” or not, very easy.

Dave would be wise to exercise that same caution when thinking of Cam’s future contract. I think Cam’s play this season will certainly provide a great deal of insight as to what extent the Panthers will go to keep him. I would like to see the Panthers simply place this money in the piggy bank and let the current players prove their value over the course of next season.

I think Dave Gettleman having to dig the Panthers out of their current financial pit, will prove to be valuable in the future. I do not see him making the same mistakes as Hurney during his tenure with the franchise. What’s your thoughts Panther’s fans? Do we go all in for the here and now and acquire a player like Woodson to give our secondary a boost? Do we grab Lloyd in hopes that he’ll produce 900+ receiving yards for us, as he did for the Patriots? Please give us your thoughts.

Over the years fantasy football has become rapidly more popular for football fans young and old. It brings you closer not only to your favorite team but also the entire league. Depending on how serious you take it, fantasy football could be a full time job, or just a hobby that you do sporadically. Either way you look at it, fantasy football gives fans a different perspective on the game, and has brought a lot of fans closer to the game which has allowed it to grow into what it is today. I have played for only 5-10 years so far, but have learned plenty from my experience with it. From being in a league that no one really cares about to being the commissioner no one can stand. At the end of the day you have to remember it’s just a game, unless there is money involved then it is a little more than that.

Over the next couple weeks I am going to post my pre-training camp rankings for each position as it pertains to a typical fantasy football line up. Each and every league is different, and depending on which league you are in the rankings might not make much sense. For example in a point per reception league, I would rank Wes Welker higher than I would rank Victor Cruz. Cruz will get more yards probably, but with a slot receiver like Welker his yardage might be similar to Cruz’s but Welker will have more receptions to get to that point. So even though my rankings might not reflect how your league is setup, I am just doing a general ranking according to a standard league. It also depends on the size of your league, the bigger the league the tougher it will be to get quality players. So it really depends on the amount of effort you decide to put into Fantasy Football. But I would love comments and questions about the players, trades, etc. throughout the year. Depending on the interest, who knows, maybe Cat Crave will start a fantasy football league for all of us to compete against one another. Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for my first rankings – QB’s 1-20. Is Cam Newton in the top 5? Check in next week to find out.