Guest columnist gives fantasy football advice

By Pat Kaiser

It’s finally here.

After an offseason that toyed with our emotions and almost took away our sacred fall Sunday ritual, NFL Week 1 is staring us right in the face.

For many, the season crept up in a hurry with the shortened training camp, so I’m here to right that fantasy ship and redirect it to Reality Island, where there is plenty of plunder to go around!

In order to position yourself for a strong playoff finish, you need to make the right early-season moves.

Here are some big name players that should kickoff the season with a bang and fetch a pretty penny for your buck on the trade market.

Peyton Hillis should have a big week against the lowly Bengals. The new Madden cover boy thrived last year with nobody competing for his job, but 2010 second round pick Montario Hardesty is regaining form after an ACL injury and figures to steal carries as the season wears on.

DeSean Jackson will see increased targets for the Eagles to start the year as Jeremy Maclin may need more time to acclimate into the offense after his mysterious illness.

The Dolphins originally signed Reggie Bush to complement rookie Daniel Thomas, but Thomas fell flat in preseason and Bush has the chance to see 15-20 touches per game at the beginning of the year.

Editor’s note: A 2009 NIU graduate, Pat Kaiser is the No. 1 ranked fantasy sports player by RotoGrinders and founded DraftADaySports.com. For more information about Pat’s website or for tips concerning fantasy sports you can email him at [email protected].