But according to the latest report, Brady is progressing as expected. Although he faces a long recovery after the substantial knee injury he suffered in Week 1 of the 2008 fantasy football season, the time table has always had Brady being ready to go by the beginning of the 2009 fantasy season.

If Brady is healthy and can show fantasy football owners that he can return to his old form with a few good preseason games, there’s no reason why fantasy owners won’t jump all over him in 2009 fantasy football drafts.

At his best, Brady is the premiere fantasy quarterback in the NFL. With Randy Moss, Wes Welker and a team that likes to pass the ball, a healthy Brady is almost guaranteed to have 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2009.

However, if Brady is less than healthy, he’ll be a risky pick considering that his average draft position will still likely have him going in the second round. Keep a close eye on his progress during the offseason. But so far, so good for Brady.

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Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Word out of New England is that Tom Brady has suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season. If true, this is obviously devastating news to both the Patriots and fantasy owners.

Vince Young, Tennessee Titans
A few reports are saying that Vince Young has torn his MCL in his knee. If true, the knee injury will sideline Young for around a month.

Brodie Croyle, Kansas City Chiefs
After suffering a shoulder injury, Brodie Croyle left the game for the Chiefs. Early indications point to him missing at least a few weeks.

Fantasy Running Backs

Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
Joseph Addai missed fourth quarter action after suffering a head injury. Early reports indicate it might be a concussion.

Marion Barber III, Dallas Cowboys
In the fourth quarter, Marion Barber didn’t play much due to bruised ribs. Head coach Wade Phillips indicated that the injury may be a concern heading into Week 2.

Maurice Morris, Seattle Seahawks
Maurice Morris left the Seahawks game in the third quarter due to an unspecified knee injury. Check back later in the week for more details.

LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
After the game, LaDainian Tomlinson said that he hurt a toe on the final drive of the game. Initial reports indicate that the injury is minor.

Fantasy Wide Receivers

Drew Bennett, St. Louis Rams
After making a diving catch in the first quarter, Drew Bennett was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. He was eventually carted to the locker room.

Nate Burleson, Seattle Seahawks
Nate Burleson left the Seahawks game in the third quarter after injuring his knee. While the injury looked serious, Burleson said he’ll play next week.

Donte Stallworth, Cleveland Browns
During warmups, Donte Stallworth hurt his groin. The injury forced Stallworth to miss the entire game against the Cowboys.

Fantasy Tight Ends

Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts
In the first quarter in the game against the Chicago Bears, Dallas Clark suffered a knee injury. Clark was not able to return to the game.

Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens
Early in the game, Todd Heap landed hard on his back. Although he initially left the game, he was eventually able to return.

With Brady out, Randy Moss will have to catch passes from someone else.

Photo: Newscom

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On Monday, Brady had his first full practice in preparation for the Super Bowl. Those who saw him said he had a slight limp but otherwise looked ready to go. If you have him on your playoff fantasy football team, you can start him with confidence. An ankle injury isn’t going to stop Brady from performing on the biggest stage.

“This won’t keep me out of this game,” said Brady. “That ankle didn’t keep me out of the last game. It would have to take a hell of a lot more than an ankle.”

For fantasy purposes, Tom Brady on one leg is a better option than a perfectly healthy Eli Manning.

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Absolutely not. Brady is going to play – no doubt about that. At this point in the season, Brady could be missing practice for a multitude of reasons. He could be resting a minor injury. He could just be mentally resting to gear up for the Super Bowl. He could actually be practicing but then leaving before the media is let in. With the New England Patriots, you’re never quite sure what to make of the team’s injury situation.

Expect to hear about Brady practicing a lot on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. That’s when the true preparations will be made. As of now, the coaches are likely still fine tuning their game plans before they install everything. With a player like Brady, who has proven to be as clutch as anyone this side of Joe Montana, you don’t have to worry about him at all.

Eli’s Coming …

Start Brady with confidence in the Super Bowl.

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QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Forget about the walking boot. Brady is going to be ready to dominate in the Super Bowl. While he faces a tough defense, Brady is good enough to overcome just about anything at this point. With a chance to cement this Patriots team as perhaps the best team of all-time, expect Brady to bring his A game.

RB Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots
Maroney was a fantasy bust for much of the regular season. However, he has come on strong as of late and is playing like a beast right now. Maroney is a tough, physical back who enjoys contact. This Super Bowl could be his coming out party as he cements his spot as the starting running back going forward for the Patriots.

WR Plaxico Burress, New York Giants
If you watched Burress dominate the Green Bay Packers, it’d be hard to bet against him in the Super Bowl. Burress willed his team to victory, even though he was playing with a bum ankle on the frozen tundra. The Patriots will have their hands full trying to contain Burress on this big stage.

TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants
Boss is a big, sturdy target for Eli Manning in the red zone. He won’t rack up a lot of catches but he has a decent shot at grabbing a touchdown pass. Boss is also playing for a shot at a starting gig – either in New York or elsewhere.

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If you can’t get enough of Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, check out these two other Brady and Gisele videos:

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In pictures snapped of Brady while he visited Gisele Bundchen, his girlfriend, Brady is seen with a walking cast. Recently, though, more and more players have used walking casts for minor injuries. All a walking cast does is immobilize and/or protect an injury. While it can be used to protect a broken bone, it can also be used to protect something as simple as a slightly sprained ankle.

With the Super Bowl two weeks away, there’s little doubt that Brady will be 100%. Even if he’s not, he doesn’t need much mobility to be effective for the Patriots. If you have Tom Brady on your playoff fantasy football team, start him in the Super Bowl with the utmost confidence.

However, if something unforeseen happens during practice in the upcoming weeks, just know that Matt Cassel is the backup quarterback on New England.

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