Michael Fabiano gives Fantasy Football owners a look into next season with his 2006 Player Rankings, which will be updated throughout the offseason based on depth chart changes, personnel moves and injuries.

March Madness is here, major league baseball teams have started to prepare for a new season and the World Baseball Classic has made headline news.

But for those of us who live and die with the National Football League and Fantasy Football, all the attention is focused on the collective bargaining agreement. The free agent deadline has been extended to Thursday, but several teams have still made significant moves that have altered values and could change the landscape of drafts.

While owners in keeper leagues will see less of an impact since the Larry Johnsons and Larry Fitzgeralds of the world will remain with their respective teams, a number of recent (and potential future) releases have left some veterans on the outside and could mean an increase in potential sleeper candidates.

Here is a look at some of the recent moves and other news and notes that will impact '06 drafts.

The Seattle Seahawks re-sign Shaun Alexander. Alexander will remain one of the top three backs in the league and a top-three selection in all drafts, but the greater impact here surrounds Edgerrin James and Jamal Lewis. With Alexander and Ahman Green off the market and DeShaun Foster transitioned in Carolina, James and Lewis are now the best free-agent backs on the board.

Minnesota will have a lot of cash to spend regardless of the CBA issues and should have interest in both James and Lewis. However, there's also a chance that Indianapolis could retain James if the CBA extension is approved, because the veteran back as a whole has been devalued in recent seasons. What's more, the NFL Draft holds several backs ( Reggie Bush, LenDale White, DeAngelo Williams, Laurence Maroney) who can make an immediate impact and will be far less expensive to sign.

James and Lewis will retain most of their past value because each has the skills to remain a true featured back, a role that will be utilized far less with the number of backfield committees on the rise.

The San Diego Chargers decide not to retain Drew Brees. Brees' injured shoulder and the confidence Chargers general manager A.J. Smith has in Philip Rivers as a starter has turned the team's quarterback position upside down. Brees appears to be the top name on the wish list of the Dolphins, who will make a serious push to add the veteran once the CBA has been decided.

Brees will remain a top 10 Fantasy quarterback regardless of where he lands (Detroit, Green Bay, Miami) and Rivers now has some sleeper value in an offense that fields LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates.

The Green Bay Packers re-sign Ahman Green. Green, 29, signed a one-year deal that includes a base number of $1.75 million, which means a battle with Samkon Gado for the top spot on the depth chart is imminent. What owners should expect is another backfield committee, however, with both Green and Gado involved in the offense. That's not an attrative scenario for owners in seasonal or keeper leagues, but it's the one that stares them dead in the face.

The Denver Broncos release Mike Anderson. Anderson, 32, rushed for an impressive 12 touchdowns last season but wasn't in the team's future plans, which now seem to include former Heisman winner Ron Dayne. A downhill runner and perfect fit for head coach Mike Shanahan's offense, Dayne is expected to re-sign with the Broncos and have a chance to earn a featured role. Should he top the depth chart headed into August, the former Wisconsin standout could be worth anywhere from a second- and fourth-round selection.

As for Tatum Bell, he too would be in the mix for the featured role if he remains with the team. Reports out of Denver suggest he could be traded in the offseason, so his value is a bit clouded at this point.

The St. Louis Rams release Isaac Bruce. There's still a chance the Rams will re-sign Bruce later in the offseason, but at this point he's a free agent and available to look for new opportunities. The wideout who will benefit the most from Bruce's absence is Kevin Curtis, who now possesses enormous value as a potential sleeper in an offense that will be explosive under new head coach Scott Linehan. Should he remain the team's No. 2 receiver headed into the regular season, Curtis should record 1,000-plus yards and six to eight touchdowns.

The Minnesota Vikings retain Daunte Culpepper...for now. The question that all Vikes fans have on their minds surrounds whether or not the team will retain Culpepper. First he was on the trade block, then owner Zygi Wilf told the quarterback he had not spoken to other teams about a potential deal, and then a recent report suggests Culpepper might still be dealt.

So now that we know what we don't know (still with me?), let's talk about what is fact. Culpepper continues to recover from damage to three ligaments (ACL, MCL, PCL) in his right knee, and there's a chance he won't even be available for the start of the regular season. We also know that new head coach Brad Childress has been mute when it comes to Culpepper, and that Brad Johnson wants a chance to start (he led the team 7-2 record last season).

Culpepper's health will be a concern wherever he lands, so he will have far less draft value than he did prior to last season. That will add to what will be a quarterback position that should field more questions than answers.

The New York Jets retain Chad Pennington. Pennington continues to recover from two shoulder surgeries, but at least we now know he will remain in New York. The two sides agreed to a restructured deal that will keep the brittle quarterback around to compete for the top spot on the depth chart. His competition is uncertain at this point, though reports indicate the two quarterbacks the Jets will pursue are Jon Kitna or Patrick Ramsey.

With questions under center and veteran Curtis Martin not even guaranteed to start under new head coach Eric Mangini, this offense will field no prominent options for owners to consider in drafts.

The Oakland Raiders retain Kerry Collins...for now. There were reports that Collins had been released this past weekend, but the CBA issues have allowed the silver and black a bit more time to make a decision. The team is in terrible shape in terms of its cap number, so Collins would need to restructure his deal in order to remain. Otherwise, the Raiders might be forced to enter the regular season with either Marques Tuiasosopo or Andrew Walter under center, which would hurt the value of the entire offense (LaMont Jordan, Randy Moss, Jerry Porter).

Top-Five Fantasy Football Rookies

1. Reggie Bush, RB, USC: Bush should land with the Houston Texans with the first overall selection in April's Draft and could be a first- or second-round choice in seasonal Fantasy drafts, but that depends on what the team does with incumbent starter Domanick Davis.

2. LenDale White, RB, USC: White will be the second of two USC backs off the board. The Arizona Cardinals aren't expected to spend on a free-agent back, so look for White to be their target with the 10th selection and warrant third-round consideration in drafts.

3. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Memphis: A statistical machine at the collegiate level, Williams has the skills to be a starter as a rookie. Unless Baltimore decides to re-sign either Lewis or Chester Taylor, Williams would be a great fit for head coach Brian Billick.

4. Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota: Maroney is considered a first-round lock and could land in Carolina with the 27th overall selection. Should Minnesota decide not to sign a veteran back, however, Maroney could end up with the Vikes as a local favorite and see a spike in value.

5. Brian Calhoun, RB, Wisconsin: Calhoun and UCLA's Maurice Drew have late first-round talent and could land in Indianapolis if the team decides not to re-sign James. Should Maroney fall to the Colts with the 30th selection, Calhoun and Drew could fall in value.

Mailbag

Nicholas Mahaney, New Hartford, Conn.: I will retain Anquan Boldin and Edgerrin James but need to choose two more from Mike Anderson, Tom Brady, Warrick Dunn and Ricky Williams. Suggestions?

M.F.: It's hard not to retain Brady in this scenario, and Dunn is the most attractive fourth option due to the questions that surround Williams and his possible suspension in '06.

Mike Ward: What will happen to Domanick Davis if Houston drafts Reggie Bush?

M.F.: There have been rumors that Davis would be traded (one had him headed to Minnesota for Troy Williamson), but at this point it appears he'll either be released or compete with Bush if he is in fact with the Texans. A trade or release would be a best-case scenario for owners who have Davis in keeper leagues, because his long-term prospects on a Houston team with Bush aren't positive.

David Sukoff: Will the Colts use Dominic Rhodes as a starter if Edgerrin James doesn't return?

M.F.: Rhodes could end up the starter next season, but chances are that a backfield committee would be utilized. Without James in the mix, look for the Colts to target a rookie back in the first round to compete with Rhodes in camp.

Robert Ruiz: Should I retain Terrell Owens ahead of Larry Fitzgerald?

M.F.: Fitzgerald, 22, is a much better choice than Owens, 32, in keeper leagues and should be retained.

You can e-mail your questions to us at dmfantasyfootball@cbs.com Be sure to put Attn: In the Trenches in the subject field. Please be aware that due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.

Michael Fabiano is the champion of the 2005 Gridiron Guru League II.