Fantasy Source Expert: Vinnie Iyer

A fantastic fantasy football four

Greetings, true believers! Welcome to the most amazing, incredible, uncanny and fantastic fantasy football column on the web. Read on and make your team excelsior for 2005. . . .

If only I could start every one of my columns with Stan Lee hyperbole, then they all might be adapted into summer blockbusters playing at a theater near you. Instead, I'm left to marvel at the awesome abilities of superheroes and NFL players alike in "the most exciting realm of all, the realm of fantasy."

That's why this July is a great month -- the long-awaited Fantastic Four movie releases and NFL training camps open. While I don't know if the FF flick will be as great as Spider-Man 2, I do know one thing: Jessica Alba looks a whole lot better in spandex than Andy Reid.

Football's version of a fantastic fantasy four is quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. Although you can't draft Sue Storm for your team, here's The Thing to know: Get solid values for all those positions, and you'll have the right balance of teamwork to take down your personal Dr. Doom.

Game on: Once you know what to look for in the key elements of your roster, it's clobberin' time -- for your competition.

Quarterbacks: Sure, you could reach for a Mr. Fantastic such as Peyton Manning or Daunte Culpepper in the first round, but you can get a solid weekly leader later, such as Jake Delhomme. Delhomme is the kind of QB I like to have: consistent and playing for a well-coached offensive team.

Last season, Delhomme failed to throw a TD pass in only two games. He had two or more scoring strikes in 10 games and posted seven games of 250 yards or more. Drafting Delhomme in the middle rounds also will help you build a strong team elsewhere.

Tom Brady is in a similar vein. He won't have many huge games, but considering where you would draft him, he's comfortable to have in your lineup against anyone -- because he's the only QB who doesn't need to face Bill Belichick's defense. If you're stuck with an up-and-down platoon of Kerry Collins and Jake Plummer, good luck knowing whom to start every week. Sorry Reed, but give me Mr. Consistency instead.

Running backs: It's impossible to get one with the unwavering strength of Ben Grimm, but durability and power are what you need here. You need someone that will hold up for four quarters, bruise defenders as he goes and pack a punch in the red zone.

Everyone would like to pick first to get LaDainian Tomlinson, but it still would be nice to have either Corey Dillon or Rudi Johnson as a No. 1 back. Deuce McAllister, after a strong finish in '05, is ready for a rebound. LaMont Jordan and Willis McGahee lead the new powerful breed.

Fred Taylor and Chris Brown? No thank you. I don't want to sweat over a game-time decision, making roster space for every one of their backups. I want my most important player at my most important position to be as physically reliable as possible -- call it my fantasy "muscle."

Wide receivers: There are only a few Human Torches to choose from here. You want somebody who will burn past coverage, anywhere, and light up the stat sheet for those occasional 3-TD, 150-yard outbursts.

If you're not in a draft position to get Randy Moss, why not grab the superb downfield skills of his teammate, Jerry Porter, later? Remember, he was the guy who torched Champ Bailey for a monster game in the snow last November.

Chad Johnson wears orange and black for a reason -- he can go ablaze at will for the Bengals. Reggie Wayne will continue to flash by the single coverage he gets opposite Marvin Harrison and Brandon Stokley.

Peerless Price and Santana Moss? I don't want someone who will struggle to get separation -- he's a big disappointment, not a big playmaker.

Tight ends: To borrow from the FF's brethren in the Marvel universe, these are the X-Men of fantasy football. They have become much more vital to your team's success than kickers and defenses. Just ask those owners who cheered on Antonio Gates last season -- and those who booed Boo Williams.

Jason Witten puts several No. 2 fantasy wideouts to shame. Alge Crumpler still is Michael Vick's best receiver. I want an athlete first and a blocker second, not the other way around.

Sure, everyone's excited about promising rookie Heath Miller. But the Steelers' tight ends were Invisible Men as the team has been a force pounding it on the ground. One can't truly be an X-factor if the X's and O's are not in his favor.

What does the future hold for our favorite fantastic fantasy football fanatic? You'll have to wait for the next issue!

Vinnie Iyer is the NFL projects editor for Sporting News. Email him at viyer@sportingnews.com

Fantasy Source Expert: Vinnie Iyer