It happens the same time every year. As soon as the NBA finals finish up, I start to realize baseball is the only thing going on in the sports world. No offense to you soccer and NASCAR fans, but come on, give me a break.

So when it dawns on me the only option I have is to watch the Philadelphia Phillies embarrass themselves for a few more months, I turn off the TV and head out on my summer excursions.

After getting a break to head to the Delaware and Jersey shores, I return just in time for the start of NFL training camps. This time of year gets my blood pumping because I know it won’t be long before I am immersed in big hits, jaw dropping runs and more Hail Marys I can shake a stick at.

It's football baby and I can’t get enough of the action.

I, being an admitted fantasy football aficionado, have my opinions like everyone else. So from now until the season starts I'll be here to throw out my views as the preseason rolls on. Take a gander below for my top 10 selections….

1. Larry Johnson: I rode him to the title last year and he should continue to explode. Don't let the coaching change and the unlikely return of Priest Holmes scare you away from this potentially 2,000 yard runner.

2. Ladanian Tomlinson: The safest choice in the draft. He's a lock for at least 1,400 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also catches a ton of passes. He did tail off a bit at the end of last season, but for those with the second pick in the draft, don't be worried about not getting LJ. LT is the proven real deal.

3. Shaun Alexander: Hard to argue with the numbers, 1,800 plus yards and 27 touchdowns speak for themselves. Probably will come back to Earth a bit, especially with Steve Hutchinson skating off to Minnesota. However, the Seattle Seahawks have no other option around the goal line. His lack of receiving numbers drops him a spot behind LT.

4. Peyton Manning: Having the fourth pick is probably the most nerve racking this year. You miss out on the three musketeers of running backs and have to make the tough choice. Do I grab the flat out best fantasy quarterback out there, or do I play it safe and grab at least one true number one running back. Well, considering there is almost no difference between any of the next five running backs on the board, you'd be a fool to pass up a guaranteed 30-plus touchdown passes and 3,500 passing yards. No other passer comes close to Manning's numbers and with no stud at running back this season, you can bet Peyton will be heaving it deep early and often.

5. Edgerrin James: I predicted early in the off-season the Cardinals would be the team to snag Edge. They had the cash and the need. It was a perfect match. Denny Green loves offense and now with the best wide out tandem in the league, a veteran former Super Bowl MVP in Kurt Warner and now Mr. James, he’s got the horses. The O-line isn't the best, but they’ll do for now. James can catch, run and help open up the passing game even more. Who knows, Edgerrin James might help Fitzgerald and Boldin catch more than 250 combined passes.

6. Tiki Barber: Tiki is kind of running his career backwards. Usually as a player ages they tend to drop down the fantasy draft rankings. Barber has done the complete opposite. If you have saved any of your fantasy draft guides from the past seven years, I guarantee Barber's ranking have gotten better in at least four of the past seven years. He’s just motoring along getting better with age. He even got better as the season progressed last year. He was averaging over five yards a carry down the stretch. Eli is one year better and Burress has a solid youngster in Sinorice Moss to line up with him. That’ll give Barber the supports he needs to continue to defy the laws of Physics. Pencil him in for 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns.

7. Clinton Portis: If Portis was a true threat to catch 50: 60 passes, I'd rate him two spots higher. Portis is younger than Barber and James, has a better O-Line in front of him and now has Al Saunders running his offense this year. If you don't know Saunders, he had been offensive coordinator for the Chiefs. You know, the team that has had Priest Holmes and now Larry Johnson exploding all over NFL defenses. Enough said.

8. Rudi Johnson: He gets the nod over Jordan because not only has he been the king of consistency the past few years, but also he’s got a quarterback with a great arm and a heart pumping in his chest. Carson Palmer is coming along and he will keep the pressure off Rudi. Easily the safest choice of the next few backs on the board.

9. Lamont Jordan: I had Jordan on one of my teams last season and loved his debut as a true starter. However, with a huge question mark like Aaron Brooks under center, Jordan's number may take a small tumble. He can catch, which is a plus, but he's on a bad team with a bunch of holes. If Brooks and Moss can click he may be a steal at the bottom of the first round, but for now I’ll wait and see.

10. Steve Smith: This is the point in the draft where you can make a splash or just dog paddle to the shallow end and take whatever is left at running back to be your number one guy. Big mistake. After Lamont Jordan, the security at the running back position start to slide. You can take Stephen Jackson, Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown or Brian Westbrook and find a reason to be happy or scared to death that you have to call one of these men the best player on your team. At this point in the draft, you will have another pick right around the corner and any one of these guys will be available. So why not grab the best wide out in football and call him the best player on your team and snag one of those running backs on the way back? Smith, unlike T.O and Chad Johnson, has no question marks linked to his name. T.O is well, you know. Chad Johnson may not have Palmer for the first couple games. Smith lit the league up and will still shine in 2006.

So there you have it. My look at how to achieve fantasy football glory in 2006. And don't worry non-fantasy NFL fans, I’ll actually make some predictions on what the real teams in the league will do this year.