The plague, lima beans, law enforcement, dustups with Chuck Norris … everyday we all purposely try to dodge the perils of life.

Fantasyland's good citizens are no different.

In a violent sport where injury and ineptitude lurk around every corner, gamers constantly strive to reduce risk in the hope it will propel them to the winner's circle.

Entrust Peyton Manning as your QB1, and your odds of racing past a checkered flag could be minimized.

Once the king of consistency, Manning, for the first time ever in his Hall of Fame career, is smothered in doubt. Multiple neck surgeries, unfamiliar surroundings, throwing limitations and a different system have many people, including the Noise, second guessing whether or not No. 18 can regain his pre-injury form.

To be fair, preseason reviews on elder Manning have been largely positive. In the short-field, he's delivered passes with vintage crispness and precision. Outside three interceptions, the four-time MVP has shown glimpses of his old self. Through two games, he's 20-for-30 for 221 yards averaging a solid 7.4 yards per attempt.





However, his deep touch remains suspect. Earlier this month, observers noted his throws beyond 20 yards floated and fluttered, often wildly missing intended targets. His shortcomings weren't on display versus Chicago in Denver's first preseason game. Peyton played it close to the vest, working the field within a 10-15 yard box. But in his latest exhibition effort, Saturday against Seattle, he was a bit more liberal, taking shots downfield for the first time in game action.

The results were not pretty.

Again, Manning was quite effective on high-percentage attempts, but he repeatedly airmailed receivers beyond the sticks. On a 40-yard streak to tight end Joel Dreessen, he overthrew the 6-foot-4 sequoia by a good 3-4 yards, dropping the ball onto strong safety Jeron Johnson's lap (Watch the play here). Uncharacteristic.

Fluttering deep balls aren't Peyton's only ills. Though he popped back up after getting knocked down against the 'Hawks, durability is still a concern. His response could be much different when he takes a blindside hit.

More worrisome is his track-record in outdoor games. His rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt and touchdowns per game are all lower compared to his performance in a climate controlled venue. With a Week 2 matchup in the Georgia Dome his only indoor clash, it's certainly possible the elements could hinder his overall production.

At this point in his career, he could transform into a Kurt Warner-type, a signal caller who nickel and dimes opponents. Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, Jacob Tamme and, once healthy, Ronnie Hillman, makeup a respectable arsenal. Still going just outside the top-50 in Yahoo! leagues (50.5 ADP, QB8), he's not worth the fifth-round pick in 12-team drafts. Robert Griffin III, Jay Cutler, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, and his Indy replacement, Andrew Luck are better values in terms of draft position.

This season, Peyton's comeback trail will be littered with potholes.

Fearless Forecast (16 games): 252.3 yards per game, 28 passing touchdowns, 19 interceptions, 45 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, QB11

Here are seven additional headaches to circumvent in drafts this season. In other words, your cheat-sheet:

Philip Rivers, SD, QB

ADP: 69.5, QB10

The pro-Bolt crowd feels Rivers is destined for a rebound. After a tumultuous season in which the Chargers again failed to deliver on their playoff promise and the QB recorded a career-worst 25 turnovers, those outside of San Diego are more pessimistic. With Ryan Mathews potentially sidelined for the first couple weeks of the regular season, the former Pro Bowler could rage early. But Norv Turner is expected to lean heavily on the run once Mathews is healthy, possibly leaving Rivers' gun-in-holster. Additionally, there are many question marks in the receiving corps outside Antonio Gates. Robert Meachem, though a decent downfield weapon, isn't as talented as the departed Vincent Jackson. And the loss of emerging stud Vincent Brown to a broken foot is bigger blow than most think. To be fair, he finished 2011 No. 8 in per game average mong passers despite his woes. Sadly, though, his stock could dip further this time around.

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