Prepare Yourself For the Wildest Fantasy Football Draft Season In Recent Memory

It is nearing July which means people are gearing up for their football seasons. Their fantasy football seasons. Publications are cranking out their Fantasy Football guides and websites are slotting players. Draft day is one of the best days in all of fantasy sports.

But the 2009 season will be of the toughest to figure out in recent memory. So much is changing and so much is unknown.

Let's start with Tom Brady. Last year, many people went against the norm and drafted Brady very, very early in their drafts. Then he plays just one half of one game and your pick was shot. He'll be back but how effective will he be? You can't expect him to just waltz right back into being Tom Terrific again, can you?

Speaking of quarterbacks, how will Peyton Manning fare under new coaches and no Marvin Harrison? Can you count on Drew Brees having another historic season? Tony Romo doesn't have T.O. anymore; Kurt Warner is 107 years old; Jay Cutler is in Chicago; and teams are loving this Wildcat Offense. Not to mention that nearly half the league really isn't sold on the guy they may be starting in Week 1. Buyers beware.

Oh, and let's not forget that Brett Favre and Michael Vick could end up back in the league at some point this season.

Of course running backs are the cream of the draft crop but for the first time in a while there really isn't the depth of sure things. Adrian Peterson is many people's clear cut No. 1, but will his stats go down if Favre arrives in Minnesota? If not Peterson, than it is Michael Turner. But can Turner hold up under another huge workload?

Speaking of workloads, can Maurice Jones-Drew handle being the featured back all season long? How about Brandon Jacobs workload? Does anyone believe that DeAngelo Williams can have another brilliant fantasy season? Will Marion Barber get enough touches with Felix Jones returning from injury and the acension of Tashard Choice?

Then there are those "old guys". Brian Westbrook and LaDainian Tomlinson ... two fantasy icons over the past four years ... are dropping like flies on the draft board. Both seem to have injury issues and both are hitting the dreaded age of 30. Thomas Jones turns 31 and (probably) has a rookie QB. Clinton Portis is as tough as they come, but he seems to always have something aching.

Add into the mix all these young guys: Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton, Kevin Smith, Pierre Thomas, Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Beanie Wells and Knowshon Moreno. Will any or all turn into top level running backs? Odds are that a couple of them will.

Finally comes the wackiest position of them all: wide receivers. When one of the top players at this position (Calvin Johnson) plays on a team that was 0-16 last year and will sport a rookie quarterback this year ... well that says something about this position.

Terrell Owens is now in Buffalo of all places. Who knows where Plaxico Burress will play, if at all. Same goes for Brandon Marshall. No more Marvin Harrison or Donte Stallworth. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is now in Seattle; Chad Johnson is now Chad Ochocinco; Dwayne Bowe is a freakin' Chief!

Roy Williams gets all the heat in Dallas now. Lee Evans loses some of his heat. Benard Berrian's stock will rise and fall with the daily Farve watch. Plus there were a ton of receivers picked early in the NFL Draft.

There is some good. Randy Moss and Wes Welker get Tom Brady back. Larry Fitzgerald keeps Anquan Boldin on the other side of him. Marques Colston still has Drew Brees throwing it to him.

The thing is that this year's fantasy drafts will have more busts than the Hall of Fame in Canton. There also may be more reaches than I can ever remember.

Good luck out there!