Football looks to be coming back

With the NFL owners and players apparently nearing a final deal and the season likely to begin on time, fantasy football players are likely back in the fantasy football mood.

It's been a tough offseason not knowing what was going to happen next and even if the NFL would kick off on time. But now there's a lot of questions to be answered for those who enjoy getting a jump start on their draft preparation.

There's always questions about who's going to be "the man" with this team or who's going to be the No. 2 guy with that team. There's always the who's hurt, who's old, who's been fading, but this season is offering a lot of questions that have a lot of domino effects.

NFL teams have had NO opportunity to trade players or sign free agents. For fantasy football enthusiasts, this has given them NO opportunity to see whose draft stock has risen or whose has fallen.

Here are a few names whose free agency (or trade) fate will have a lot of names jumping around draft boards:

Kevin Kolb, QB
He's still under contract with the Eagles, but with Michael Vick's comeback fully complete, there's little reason to think Andy Reid will keep Kolb on the roster in Philly. The Eagles were a good team last year, and with every team in a mad dash to sign free agents the Eagles may opt to trade Kolb for some immediate help. Arizona would be a great fit for Kolb, whose presence would boost that of him and Larry Fitzgerald, whose output suffered with a list of washed ups and no-names last season.

Carson Palmer, QB
Palmer has said he would rather retire than play in Cincinnati, and the Bengals are in no position to just let him walk away from the sport. Palmer is another intriguing name who could wind up on a team with a rookie QB in need of a veteran to fill the gap. Minnesota would be a good fit for Palmer, who would benefit from having Adrian Peterson to hand off to, and it would immediately boost the Vikes' receivers who have to otherwise wonder if Christian Ponder is going to be any good right away.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB
Here's another late-in-his-career signal caller who could provide a veteran presence for a team like Oakland, Carolina, Arizona or Minnesota. He'd be a step up for many teams under center and could provide a boost to a receiver on his next stop.

DeAngelo Williams, RB
Williams is under 30, multi-dimensional and could provide a boost for teams hunting for a running back such as Arizona, Denver and Miami. The Panthers have Jonathan Stewart blossoming into his prime, and a move for Williams to either city (or state, I guess) would immediately drop the likes of Beanie Wells or Knowshon Moreno down boards, and a feature-back role could lift Williams into the first or second round of your draft.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB
Bradshaw also had to deal with RB-by-committee issues in New York, where he and Brandon Jacobs split duties. Bradshaw was still a very productive back and a solid No. 2 or 3 back last season. He could greatly help his cause with a move to a location in need of a feature back, or he could be mired in another sharing role in the backfield.

Sidney Rice, WR
Rice would love to play with a QB who can get him the ball (see Brett Favre 2009) and not one who's going to struggle (see Favre 2010). His injury comeback went well, and the Vikings would be wise to keep him in tow to help bring along Christian Ponder or offer whomever they decide to bring in a chance to throw to a quality receiver. A move out of Minnesota could boost Rice's value were he to be paired with a top-notch QB, giving him a few ticks up your board.

Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress, WRs
I can almost guarantee one of this trio will be a pretty good No. 2 receiver on your team. The problem? I have no idea which one it'll be. They all have had brilliant seasons in the past and have the physical skills to post something along the lines of 900 yards and 6 or 7 scores. The problem is it's a three-way crapshoot.

James Jones, WR
Some team is going to pay Jones No. 2 receiver money, and the Packers will let the drop-prone receiver go because they won't pay him the money. This will obviously benefit Jones' status and give him more touches, thus giving him a big jump up your draft board. The one name his departure from Green Bay benefits is Jordy Nelson. With Donald Driver aging and Nelson posting a stellar Super Bowl performance, Nelson will be the team's No. 2 receiver by midseason, even if Driver is still the "starter."

Zach Miller, TE
Take Miller out of Oakland and the Raiders' No. 1 receiving threat becomes ... uh ... anyway. Oakland would be more than wise to re-sign Miller, but he's young and can catch and block. A lot of teams would love a hybrid of his caliber, and the open market may lead Miller elsewhere.