This here's a true story. Two weeks ago, in one of my leagues, a guy was going for a chance at the Super Bowl and was playing the best team (points-wise) in the league. This team was also the defending champion. So, in a make or break game, he went against all conventional wisdom and benched Tom Brady.

And it worked!!!

That week (Week 14), Brady had his first really bad game of the year, only scoring one fantasy point. For some inexplicable reason, this owner had the foresight and the cajones to bench Brady and start Kurt Warner against the Saints.

Warner went off with 233 yards passing and three TD passes, good enough for 18 points in that scoring system. His team upset the defending champ, 113-91. Had Brady started, this team would have lost.

Unfortunately for the Brady benchers, his luck ran out in the Super Bowl this past week. He was destroyed, 142-51, He did start Brady again, who preformed well, but the rest of his team blew chowder.

Hope Santa got you everything you wanted this Christmas. All I want for Christmas is a Browns playoff berth (and maybe a win or two when they get there). Come on, Colts!! Help me get my wish granted!!!

If you read my column today, you know I'll be running the roll call of champions once again. Please feel free to e-mail your league's champion (name of owner, name of team, name of league) to my work address (dgilles@morningjournal.com) or post to this blog by Wednesday at 4 p.m., and I will do my best to post them all in the paper.

Thanks for reading, and best of luck in your Super Bowls this week.

Well, Wednesday I celebrated my 34th year of existence. I celebrated it with a week-long series of events in person -- the Browns-Bills game, the Cavs-Bucks game and the OSU-CSU game on back-to-back-to-back days. All went well in those games (except my Vikings gets the wood taken to them by OSU) and I had a good birthday the day after. However, in my one fantasy football playoff game, I lost, despite scoring over 100 points.

It's frustrating when there's only two teams in the entire league that break 100 points, and you're playing the other one. So, that officially ends my last gasp at a payday this season. Throw in a loss in my free Yahoo league as well (one that I decided to bet dinner on with the other team), and it was a not a good fantasy week for this guy.

All I can do now is start focusing on the upcoming baseball season and hope to earn back some money that way, and then prepare for football. Incidentally, it's never too early to prepare for next season. I look forward to the next fantasy season the day after the real Super Bowl is over.

Since I now can put my entire focus on everything else, feel free to shoot me any questions you have as you prepare for your key fantasy matchups. Hopefully, you can have a Merry Christmas with some Super Bowl victories.

Well, it took an amazing 5-game winning streak, but I got one of my teams into the playoffs after all. And, the good news, it's not only in my "big-money" league, but also a league that awards the top prize to the Super Bowl winner.

One roadblock in that league is a team that has both Tom Brady and LaDainian Tomlinson. No surprise that that team (incidentally, owned by a woman ... who says this is a man's game?) not only has a comfortable points lead but also only lost one game, which was two weeks ago. Winning the Super Bowl means I'll have to get through her. My saving grace is if LT or Brady get rested in Week 17, but I doubt it. Hopefully, my squad continues its red-hot play and wins three more games in a row so I can salvage what has largely been my most forgettable fantasy football season.

One tip for you as you prepare for your playoff battles, even your potential championship games in Week 16. The Colts will probably be the only team in either league with nothing to play for in the next two weeks. They've clinched the division, a win this week will clinch a home game and they can't catch New England. Expect Jim Sorgi, Kenton Keith, Aaron Moorehead and others to get lots of playing time, possibly beginning in Week 16. If you have Manning and you are in the Super Bowl, my advice is to pick up Sorgi. If you don't, my advice is to pick up Sorgi. Trust me ... that guy helped me win a Super Bowl a few years ago, and he'll probably do the same for you.

Oh yeah, if you were holding out hope that Marvin Harrison would be back, give it up. Indy will rest him as much as they can and not risk a further injury with its fate already sewn up. Let the dream die.

Since I have nothing left to play for (except pride) in two of my leagues, I've already started to look ahead for next year. So, for your viewing enjoyment and to give you a jump start on your preparations, here is a preliminary look at the top 12 players for next year's draft:

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota -- Surprised? Peterson should be the top guy, mostly because of his age and the fact that he's been so dynamic this season. He's a big play threat each time he touches the ball and is a reliable receiver as well. Plus, he's got a great offensive line in front of him. If Minnesota gets a decent QB behind him, look out! Caution flags are raised because he is injury prone and he may be a victim of the "sophomore slump."

2. LaDanian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego -- Tomlinson will probably be more of a sure bet than Peterson. This will raise a healthy debate as to who you would pick with your top selection, and it will be a debate that will be held for years between LT and AP. Tomlinson won't score 28 TDs again, but he's going to produce big fantasy numbers both on the ground and through the air, and he'll throw a TD pass or two.

3. Tom Brady, QB, New England -- You can certainly make a case for Brady to be the top pick in your draft, especially after his light's out season this year. He'll more than likely break Peyton Manning's record for most TD passes in a season this year. If he gets Randy Moss back, he should put up great numbers again. If you have a league that awards six points for TD passes, Brady should pass both LT and AP to the top of your list. Plus, the guy is super reliable -- never missing a start due to injury since he took over for Drew Bledsoe back in 2001.

4. Joseph Addai, RB, Indianapolis -- Addai is young, a dual threat with the ball and in a powerful offense. Remember how great Edgerrin James was when he was with Indy? Expect Addai to do the same. Before he was injured, Addai was among the leaders in fantasy points for running backs and overall. He's earned his spot as a top five selection next year.

5. Randy Moss, WR, New England -- This is contingent on if New England gives Moss a long-term contract after this season. Maybe a long-term deal will bring back the old malcontent Moss, but I think as long as he's winning and being a focal part of the offense, he'll be fine and continue to produce. If New England gets rid of him, Moss falls all the way out of the top 12. I honestly believe the only way Moss produces is if he stays with the Patriots.

6. Willie Parker, RB, Pittsburgh -- Parker isn't a glamourous selection. He's not a Larry Johnson or a Reggie Bush, someone who commands attention. But Parker does something those two guys haven't done consistantly -- produce. Parker will always have a great line in front of him and he's playing for a team that is committed to establishing the run. Plus, he's fast and is a reliable receiver.

7. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis -- If we put Brady in the first round, Manning deserves to be mentioned as well. Manning is the modern-day Brett Favre -- he'll deliver the stats, he's a winner and he'll never miss a start. Plus, he's part of a great offense with reliable receivers and a good offensive line. Even if he's missing Marvin Harrison next year, Manning will still produce.

8. Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas -- Like Moss, Owens has behaved himself this year, thanks to being a focal part of a top-notch offense that is winning ballgames. T.O. may finish with the best numbers of his career this season, which is saying something. He loves his quarterback, his coaches and his owner. A happy T.O. will make you a happy owner on draft day and during the season.

9. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas -- I think it's safe to say that Romo is for real. It will be interesting to see what happens if Jason Garrett takes a head coaching job during the offseason, but if he doesn't, Romo should explode again. Owens, Witten and a RB duo of Marion Barber and Julius Jones would make any quarterback happy and perform well. He's earned his first-round spot.

10. Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland -- A Brown mentioned in the first round? Seriously? Yep. Edwards is having the season everyone expected of him when he was selected third overall two years ago, and he should only improve as his career goes on. Plus, the Browns finally have a powerful offense, and that should be whether or not Derek Anderson comes back or not.

11. Reggie Bush, RB, New Orleans -- I think everyone who reads me knows that I'm not a big fan of Reggie Bush. I think he's not an every-down NFL back, and he's proving it with Deuce McAllister out of the season. However, in a point-per-catch league, Bush is money in the bank because the Saints use him very wisely as a receiver, and he can still make things happen once he gets out in the open. Maybe it will be his third year where things finally come together for Bush. He stays in the top 12 mostly for his potential.

12. Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis -- Jackson is redeeming himself with his performance since he finally returned from his injuries. He's showing the owners who drafted him or protected him why he was projected to be the No. 2 player in fantasy prior to this season. If he finishes strong like he did last season, Jackson has earned his spot among the elite fantasy running backs once again. What knocks him down is the unknown status of St. Louis' offense -- who will be QB, will Pace come back, who will be the coach, etc.?

As you can see, the running back myth is about dead. Quarterbacks are proving to be more reliable commodities, and receivers are finally getting respected among fantasy circles again like they were when Jerry Rice was in his heyday. In my opinion, the days of doing running back-running back with your first two picks to guarantee success is just about dead, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool.