Tom Kessenich is the event director of the National Fantasy Football Championship and the NBC Sports Fantasy Football Championship. Kessenich has been the Managing Editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine since 1999 and prior to that he was an NFL beat writer for a decade. Go to NFC.NBCSports.com to find out more details about the two national events or call 800-726-9966 ext. 13284 to sign up today and reserve a spot before the events sell out.
Take the big star out of the drama and the drama loses steam. It's not a new phenomenon by any means. We've seen it happen countless times before.
Think about when Duchovny left "The X-Files." Or when Morrow left "Northern Exposure." When Clooney left "E.R." And when Doherty left "Beverly Hills 90210."
OK, I might have reached a bit on the last one.
My point still stands. When a show's star performer departs, it's difficult for the show to deliver the same level of excellence it previously reached before.
The same holds true in the NFL and we're seeing some clear signs of that already in Titletown. After treating Brett Favre worse than the ugly stepsisters treated Cinderella, the Green Bay Packers are finding that out in convincing fashion so far in the preseason.
Meanwhile, the New York Jets have welcomed Favre to the ball and the clock isn't close to striking midnight.
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While Aaron Rodgers looked inept in last Saturday's preseason game at San Francisco, Favre was looking like . well . Brett Favre . in his preseason debut with the Jets. He was sharp with his passes, crisp in his reads and when he left the field, his team had the lead after he connected on a short TD pass to rookie tight end Dustin Keller.
To say Favre was impressive would be an understatement. Not surprisingly, his arrival has created a buzz in National Fantasy Football Championship drafts. With Favre in town, the Jets' offensive players have started to look much more appealing.
Here's a look at where Favre, Thomas Jones, Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles have been selected in three recent NFFC 14-team drafts:
Brett Favre
6th round/75h overall
7th round/88th overall
9th round/123rd overall
Thomas Jones
4th round/42nd overall
4th round/44th overall
3rd round/37th overall
Jerricho Cotchery
5th round/62nd overall
4th round/54th overall
5th round/60th overall
Laveranues Coles
5th round/66th overall
6th round/71st overall
5th round/62nd overall
While Favre slipped to the ninth round in one draft, in the other two he was locked into the 6th-7th round territory. NFFC owners have begun targeting him as a QB1, selecting him among the Top 10 players at his position. It's clear these owners believe Favre will not show many signs of Joe Theismann's projected slippage with the Jets considering Favre was ninth among QBs in average points per game last season in the NFFC (22.4 per game).
Jones has seen his value spike as well. He is being drafted in the third round of some drafts but is certain to be gone by the end of the fourth in most drafts. So if you're targeting Jones as a RB2 that's where you'll need to draft him or you'll be looking at another option.
I have been writing about Cotchery quite a bit but even though his stock is rising I think he continues to be a fine value pick given his Top 15 potential in NFFC leagues. You likely won't get him after the fifth round but if you are looking for a WR3 in the fifth round he will more than fill the bill for you.
Coles, meanwhile, hasn't seen as much of an improvement in his value as Cotchery. That's likely due to the fact he's been battling a leg injury. But he's another WR who will likely be gone by the end of the fifth round in most drafts. He's best suited to be a WR3 but will deliver quality production in that role if he can remain healthy.
So it's clear that Favre's arrival with the Jets has generated plenty of increased value not only for himself but his key skill-position teammates. While Ted Thompson was quick to kick Favre to the curb, it appears our NFFC owners are believers in Favre and what he could deliver for the Jets this season.
Speaking of New York, time is running out if you want to sign up for the NFFC's two events this year in four cities including the Big Apple. The registration period ends on Sunday so if you're looking to sign up for the 14-team format or the 12-team option in Las Vegas, New York, Orlando or Chicago, today's the day to do so. Sign up today by registering online at NFC.NBCSports.com or if you prefer the human touch you can call me directly at 800-726-9966 ext. 13653 and I will sign you up personally.
What are you waiting for? Both events promise to be exciting fantasy competitions throughout the year with a chance to win $5,000 in your league and the $100,000 grand prize. This is an offer that won't last very much longer so don't delay, sign up today.
