Fantasy Football Cut-N-Go: Brett Favre to Play for Vikings in 2010

On Wednesday, Brett Favre is expected to announce his decision to return for a 20th season. Sadly, Jim Gray will not be in attendance. Proceeds from the event -- approximately $16.5 million, with another $3.5 mil in incentives -- will go directly into Brett Favre's pocket.

Apparently, a trip to Hattiesburg, Mississippi from three of Favre's closest pals on the Vikings -- Steve Hutchinson, Ryan Longwell, and Jared Allen -- was all it took for Favre to say, "let's do it". Which begs the question -- why didn't the Vikings dispatch the trio to Favre's home months ago? They sure would've saved the Worldwide Leader TV networks a bunch of money. Following Favre via chopper -- three of them -- a la O.J. in the white Bronco must've cost a pretty penny.

All jokes aside, Favre's return to the Vikings, while not a surprise, does give fantasy owners a little more security at the draft table. You can now safely select Sidney Rice, Visanthe Shiancoe, and others without worrying about jumping into bed with Tarvaris Jackson (that's an awfully scary thought).

As Farve as Brett is concerned, don't expect the 2009 version to walk through that door. What he accomplished as a 40-year-old quarterback a year ago was simply magical (4,202 passing yards, 33 TD, 7 INT). The odds of him repeating that effort at 41, coming off ankle surgery -- Favre stated just last week that his ankle hadn't yet healed -- would be nothing short of miraculous. He's still a viable starter in 12-team leagues, but you can bet the house that his TD/INT ratio will take a significant hit. Personally, I'd slot him somewhere in Kevin Kolb/Jay Cutler territory.

I know, I know. You're sick of the Favre coverage. Me too. Let's move on.

More Fantasy Football Perspective From Around the NFL:

• 'Tis but a flesh wound. That's what the docs say about Eli Manning's bloodied head. According to ESPNNewYork, Manning's wound is only superficial; he has no concussion, no damage to his skull. He may not play in Saturday's preseason tilt against the Steelers, but that's only because he can't put a helmet on right now. For fantasy purposes, he remains one of the more undervalued QBs in the game (ADP: 99.7, 14th QB off the board in recent mock drafts). Proof? Carson Palmer is being taken before Eli in recent mock drafts. That's Balki Bartokomous ridiculous.

• Concerned about the Beanie Wells/Tim Hightower split in Arizona this season? ESPN's John Clayton isn't speculating here; he's etching it in stone:

Tim Hightower remains the starting running back for the Cardinals, but Beanie Wells will get 75 percent of the carries. Hightower might get at best 10 to 15 carries a game.

In short, don't worry about Hightower's "starter" label. All that means is that he'll start games.

• Green Bay running back Ryan Grant (concussion) returned to practice on Tuesday and has been officially cleared for contact. Draft him as you normally would. He may not have the upside as some other backs being taken in the second round, but as long as he's healthy, he has one of the lowest floors. He's averaged 1,385 total yards and eight TDs the past two seasons.

• Brian Westbrook is now the official handcuff for Frank Gore. If you're worried about Westbrook's potential negative impact on Gore's numbers, don't be. Well, unless you're in a PPR league. Head coach Mike Singletary is warming to the idea of using both of them in the same backfield.

• The San Jose Mercury News is reporting that the Raiders plan to "un-tether" Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha this season. In the past, opposing teams could simply put their top wideouts in motion or line them up opposite Asomugha to avoid him in coverage (Asomugha always played on the right side). As a result, Asomugha rarely saw balls thrown his way and had little opportunity to make big plays. Those days are now officially over. This season, the plan is for Asomugha to shadow opposing teams' top wideouts. What does this mean for our little game? It means any time your best wide receiver is facing the Raiders, you might want to consider benching him. Seriously, only the truly elite should remain in your lineup; he's that good (NOTE: Oakland faces Jacksonville, Denver, and Indy in Weeks 14-16). Two, Asmougha all of a sudden becomes a viable IDP play. After all, more passes thrown/forced in his direction should translate into more interceptions/tackles. Nnamdi's long had a reputation as the best corner in the game, now he gets to prove it. Darrelle Revis supporters, get ready for battle (assuming Revis actually plays).

The Cut-N-Go is back to keep you up-to-date on all the NFL news that affects the upcoming fantasy football season.