There are few things I love more in life than fantasy football, particularly if I'm playing in a good, well-balanced, competitive league. Football isn't my favorite sport to play (basketball) or watch (hockey) – though it is second in both of those categories. However, fantasy football is hands down the best fantasy sport. Nothing else even compares.

Last year, I stuck to only one league (which I normally recommend, though sometimes you have different groups of friends or co-workers pulling you into more leagues). I won the league going away. It wasn't even close. I finished the regular season at 10-3, with one loss coming by five points and another coming by a single point (damn you, Tyler Thigpen ...). I cruised through the playoffs and won the championship game by 115 points. And yes, you read that correctly. Understandably, I'm back to defend my title this year.

My team last year featured a few core guys surrounded by my trademark wheeling-and-dealing, week-to-week philosophy. Here were my core players: Peyton Manning, Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, Jason Witten, Thomas Jones and Derrick Mason. That's it. Everyone else shifted almost week-to-week. My kicker, my defense, my other running backs. I even traded Kurt Warner early in the season when I was SURE he would get injured or revert back to mediocrity. My return package for Warner? Matt Hasselbeck and Roy Williams. Needless to say the other guy got the better of the deal. But, as it turns out, he was also the guy I destroyed in the title game, so I never regretted the deal for a second.

Here's my very simple philosophy for fantasy football: Snatch up a few key players, guys that you KNOW will produce every week. These are the Mannings, the Fitzgeralds, the Witten's that I had last year. Identify them. Then, fill in the holes around them on a weekly basis. If you're in one of those STUPID transaction limit leagues, this may prove more difficult, but still possible.

I will be playing in two leagues this year. Both of the drafts are slated for next week, so I'm still in the early stages of my scouting and ranking phases. But I figured I'd offer up some tips, sleepers and other thoughts on what will definitely be another solid year of fantasy football.

- If you have the No. 1 overall choice, you have to take Adrian Peterson. He's just too good.

- If you have the No. 2 overall choice ... well, now you've got some options. Among the choices: Matt Forte, Michael Turner, Maurice Jones-Drew and DeAngelo Williams. There is no clear-cut No. 2 here, so it's really a toss up. My opinion? I think I take Forte here, and here's my reasoning: He's the youngest, most complete back on this list. Turner scares me with all those carries he got last year. Williams is close for me here, but Forte gets more receiving action. I think Jones-Drew is way overrated and shouldn't be in the top five, let alone number two. If you're in a point-per-reception league, then Forte is the clear choice.

- My top quarterback is ... not Drew Brees. Really. My top quarterback, until further notice, is Peyton Manning. Manning is the safest, most sure-fire player you can grab in any year. He was my quarterback when I played fantasy football in my uncle's league almost 10 years ago. I won the champiosnhip that year. Manning's consistency has helped me to so many titles I can't even remember. Drew Brees is impressive and I wouldn't mind having him. But give me Manning every time.

- Some potential sleepers: LeSean McCoy - Eagles' rookie is already getting love in draft rankings, but it's well deserved. He's a talented kid in a great situation with an aging, injury-prone Brian Westbrook in front of him. Darren McFadden - If he stays healthy, he has 1,500-yard potential. Oakland runs the ball very well. I'm looking at McFadden in later rounds this year. He will be a steal. Eddie Royal - Is it just me, or is Royal a clone of Wes Welker? I'm looking for Welker-like numbers from Royal this year. Watch out. Nate Burleson - He missed almost all of last year with an injury, but he's poised for a dominant year this season. I'd look for 60-70 receptions, near 1,000 yards, eight touchdowns.

- Some potential busts: Eli Manning - I'm not on the Giants bandwagon this year. I just don't see it. They are in trouble with those receivers. Manning will suffer accordingly. Antonio Bryant - I will avoid him at all costs. Seriously, what a fluke season he had last year with Jeff Garcia throwing to him. Byron Leftwich will not duplicate that success. Jeremy Shockey - No questioning the talent, just the health. Not to mention Billy Miller had a pretty good year in his absence last season. Too much risk here.

- Kickers and defenses should always be taken late. Very late. Kickers are completely interchangeable and should be different every week. Play them based on matchups. The same goes for team defenses. Unless you get one of the usual suspects (Ravens, Steelers, Vikings, Titans), you should be playing week-to-week.

That's really about it. I'm pretty simple in my approach, but it has worked well the last decade or so. The other important thing to remember is to stay active. Always be thinking one or two steps ahead. Propose trades, pick up free agents. If someone dropped a top-notch player because he's injured for a month, pick him up and stash him on the IR. He could contribute down the road in the playoffs. Always be thinking ahead. Fantasy football, though played week-to-week, is a marathon. The most active ones generally finish first.