It's good to be King (USAT)

If you've already drafted a 2013 Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey squad this month, or merely looked at the Yahoo! game rankings this week, you'll notice a few things out of place.

We know. Please excuse the mess right now. We're remodeling.

Our rankings are in the midst of a total overhaul (we hear you, Justin Schultz Sympathizers), to be reflected in the game ranks soon. Now that the lockout is out of the way, it's full speed ahead. In the meantime, we'll also introduce the fresh ice to you on the blog, in classic Shuffle Up form. Assignment one, the men in the crease.

All fantasy-relevant goaltenders are ranked below on their expected wins, saves, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts. And as I considered those things, I also took into account each player's job security and durability.

Consider this list to be sketched in pencil; it might be tweaked during the day. Your respectful disagreement is always welcome; win the debate, win the rank. But don't be surprised when you invariably disagree with some opinions and rankings - that is, after all, why we play fantasy sports in the first place. This isn't Tic-Tac-Toe. There's nuance to the game, different paths to get to the same goal.

Welcome back, puckheads. It's going to be a blast of a year after all.

Show us your Misty Mountain Hop, Ray (USAT)

For the last decade or so, Michael Salfino and Scott Pianowski have been putting together an email exchange centered around (but not limited to) the NFL. You might enjoy listening to them haggle. You might prefer a swift kick into the stomach. The Table isn't for everyone; we hope some of you enjoy it.

From: scott pianowski
Date: Wed, Jan 9, 2013 at 11:57 AM
Subject: divisional breakfast
To: Michael Salfino

There aren't many letdown weeks in the NFL season, but the Wild Card round would qualify. The first three games were boring and sloppy, and the fourth game became one big morality play. I have no intention of looking back. I have nothing new to add on these topics: Andy Dalton, Purgatory QB; Adrian Peterson, Faux MVP; Indianapolis Colts, narrative over numbers. As for Robert Griffin, all I can say is "heal quickly, kid." We miss you already.

If you've got a post-script to those topics, it's welcome. Otherwise, let's go full speed ahead to the second round.

The Broncos and Patriots are both heavy favorites over teams they manhandled in the regular season, but rematches can be a tricky thing in the playoffs (yes, I remember the events of 1/16/11). Who's got the better chance of an upset? Will you feel cheated if we don't get Manning-Brady in the AFC Championship?

The NFC gives us tastier matchups this weekend, on paper anyway. Seattle is everyone's darling and no one seems to trust Atlanta, but there are countless examples of teams that couldn't win a big game ... until it did. John Elway couldn't do it. Ken Stabler couldn't do it. Aaron Rodgers couldn't do it. Eventually they all kicked the door down, emphatically. Is the time right for the Falcons to graduate, or is Seattle simply a better football team right now?

The Packers and Niners might be the best matchup from a chalkboard standpoint, but I'm still waiting for Green Bay's peak offense to show up. Although the Pack rolled over Minnesota, something's missing here. Can Green Bay's defense bridge the gap? Do you worry about Colin Kaepernick playing his first playoff game? This is someone who couldn't beat the Rams. Does the first Green Bay-San Francisco meeting have any relevance, or is it a folly to look back four months?

Divisional Breakfast is served.

Sox and the City (USAT)

Growing up, I was always ready for fireworks and hijinks from the Chicago White Sox. Bill Veeck and the exploding scoreboard. Disco Demolition Night. Ballplayers in shorts. LaMarr Hoyt. Ozzie Guillen. A.J. Pierzynski. Wheeling, dealing Kenny Williams. There was always something going on with the ballclub on the South Side.

It's a different era now. Guillen left a year ago, AJP signed with Texas three weeks ago, and the Pale Hose haven't made any kind of a splash in the current offseason (meanwhile, names like Myers, Liriano and Youkilis headed out of town). No one sees a spike at the ticket office after signing Jeff Keppinger. Maybe new GM Rick Hahn is hesitant to shake things up; meanwhile, Williams has been kicked upstairs to a VP position. (My ears did perk up when I saw familiar names Ruben Sierra and John Shelby on the transaction log, but it's Ruben Sierra Jr. and John Shelby Jr. - a couple of non-prospects. So it goes. I'll spend the rest of the day counting deadhead stickers on Cadillacs.)

Perhaps the goal is for the current White Sox to fully adopt the personality of their field manager, Robin Ventura. Keep your head down, show no emotions. Stay the course. Vanilla all the way. Be that as it may, the White Sox still get a Pressing Questions, like the other 29 clubs. Let's toss around some Q and A.

What's the spin on Chris Sale's second-half slump?

Anyone who snagged Sale in advance of 2012 had a glorious run through the first half of the year (10 wins, 2.19 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 98 strikeouts). Sale's numbers didn't exactly collapse in the second half (4.03 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 94 strikeouts, seven wins), but we have to at least examine the ratio drops and try to explain them.

Devil's in the Details (USAT)Finally, hockey hell is just about over. Let the madness of NHL 2013 begin.

The four-month lockout is expected to become a footnote later this week when the owners and players officially ratify the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. A microwaved season, expected to be 48 games, will start at some point in the next two weeks (early favorite: Jan. 19). It's going to be a mad scramble for players, coaches, ownership . . . and fantasy owners.

Today's goal is to tackle some general Q and A themes as we get ready for the first puck drop, whenever that is. Shuffle Up rankings by position will follow in the days to come. There's no time to lose, so let's jump right into the rush.

So Yahoo! has a fantasy hockey game for 2013, right?

We'll start with a shot into an unguarded cage. Yes, we're back with hockey. Yes, we're ready for you. Yes, you're allowed to play Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey no matter how much you loathe Gary Bettman. Lace em' up, hop the boards with us.

All of those overseas KHL stars are coming back to the NHL, yes?

It's just about a certainty, yes. The KHL has an agreement with the NHL that it will not employ players who are under NHL contracts. This wasn't an issue when the NHL was in lockout mode, but when the 2013 season is finally confirmed in ink, the talent starts heading back. Alex Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk are already back in North America; Ovechkin practiced with some Capitals teammates Tuesday.

[Related: How badly will the lockout really hurt the NHL?]

There have been rumors buzzing that New Jersey's Ilya Kovalchuk might want to stay in Russia even after the lockout thaws, but it's hard to imagine him keeping that stance. We're talking about someone who signed a $100 million contract with New Jersey back in September of 2010. Kovalchuk apparently doesn't want to make a move until the CBA is put to bed, but I'd be flabbergasted if he decided to make a bigger issue of this. Look for him back in Jersey.

Cup, you got this shot (USAT)

For the last decade or so, Michael Salfino and Scott Pianowski have been putting together an email exchange centered around (but not limited to) the NFL. You might enjoy listening to them haggle. You might prefer a swift kick into the stomach. The Table isn't for everyone; we hope some of you enjoy it.

From: scott pianowski
Date: Wed, Jan 2, 2013 at 3:52 AM
Subject: something wild breakfast
To: Michael Salfino

So here we are, the playoffs. I'm excited for the tournament as a whole, but the Wild Card slate doesn't seem that interesting to me.

You'll really have to sell me on the AFC matchups, given that I can't imagine anyone other than Denver or New England representing the conference. Heck, if the Broncos and Patriots don't meet in two weeks, I'll feel a bit cheated. Who can crash that party? What in-action AFC team from this week intrigues you the most?

The NFC games are better this week, I guess. I have a hard time picking the Seattle-Washington game for a variety of reasons, and I was mildly surprised to see the Seahawks favored on the road. The winner there would have a good chance against the Falcons next week yes?

I put the Seattle-Washington winner automatically into Atlanta because I can't imagine Minnesota winning at Green Bay. I know, the Vikings just beat the Packers (in one of the better games of 2012). Yes, Adrian Peterson is a physical freak not of this earth. But the list of star running backs who don't go deep into the playoffs is ridiculous (Campbell, Dickerson, Sanders, Tomlinson and OJ never got to a Super Bowl). Great quarterbacks who never played on the big stage? You've got Dan Fouts, Warren Moon . . . and really that's about it. (Was Bernie Kosar great? I know, he got that ring on Dallas's bench. Randall Cunningham?).

And I dare Christian Ponder (the ignored part of last week's upset) to play that well two weeks in a row, especially now that it's a road game.

Peterson's narrative is going to sweep the MVP award, something I don't agree with. Let's have a look at your mythical ballot, should you be so inclined, and please dive into the playoff previews, macro and micro. Wild Card Breakfast is served.

Thanks for the numbers, Mo (USAT)Back in October, Mo Williams was one of my building blocks in the Yahoo! Friends and Family League, my sixth-round pick, the 71st player off the board. We had some good times. The team is off to a solid start. We had an enjoyable 9 1/2 weeks.

But this is No Country for Injured Men, not in a league without IR slots. When the news came down Williams would miss at least six weeks due to his busted thumb, I knew it was time to move forward.

Thanks for the memories, baller.

One of my fundamental concepts in any fantasy league is to stay grounded and realistic when it comes to players dealing with long-term injuries (see the Andre Johnson/Marques Colston swap from 2011). Don't trip yourself up expecting miracle comebacks and accelerated timetables (and for the love of all that's good, never listen to a player's self-declared timetable). It's important to accept that a dead roster space comes with an opportunity cost; you pay a price if you're willing to play the waiting game. Embrace the randomness; play for today.

Robbie G and some other cat

From a very early age I've always been a list-driven person. I probably checked out Phil Pepe's "The Sports Book of Lists" from my local library 8-10 times as a kid. And I loved the Top 5-driven theme of High Fidelity, a theme I'm going to shamelessly borrow in this exercise.

Keep in mind there's no preferred order with these Top 5 lists unless specifically noted, and also accept that this is one of the most subjective of undertakings. So you like different football players or music or movies than I do? It's all good. There's no problem. That's the fun of it, the disagreements.

Have a happy and safe New Year and we'll catch you on the flip side.

Five Reasons Peyton Manning Is My 2012 MVP
- Quarterbacks drive outcomes in the modern NFL, far more than any other position.
- Manning is essentially the Broncos offensive coordinator and associate head coach.
- Denver's point differential spiked by 273 points from last year to this year, with Manning the only major addition to the offense.
- Manning had just two games under a 90 passer rating, and only one game under an 83 rating (none since September).
- The growth of Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker is significantly tied to Manning's tutelage.

Five Mythical Award Votes From NFL 2012
- Peyton Manning: MVP
- Adrian Peterson: Offensive Player of the Year (rare case where a split vote between MVP and OPOTY makes sense)
- Robert Griffin: Rookie of the Year (Russell Wilson second)
- J.J. Watt, Defensive Player of the Year (in a landslide)
- Mike Shanahan, Coach of the Year (with a hat tip to his son, Kyle)

Five Playoff Coaches I'd Most Want On My Side (in order)
- Bill Belichick
- Jim Harbaugh
- Mike Shanahan
- Mike McCarthy
- Chuck Pagano

Five Underrated NFL Units
- Bengals Defense (though public is catching on)
- Vikings Offensive Line
- Rams Defense
- 49ers Running Game
- Browns Secondary

DeAngelo Williams, admiring his own work (USAT)

There's a good chance DeAngelo Williams has played his final snap for the Carolina Panthers. The club finally seems to realize that it's overloaded at the running back position, especially on the balance sheet, and Williams will likely be cut after the year.

If that's the case, the 29-year-old veteran put together a snappy audition tape at New Orleans on Sunday.

Williams rolled up 210 rushing yards and two touchdowns to spark Carolina's 44-38 victory at the Superdome; load up on film, there's highlights aplenty. His 54-yard jaunt in the third period jump-started a Panthers comeback, and his 12-yard score in the fourth quarter help to salt the game away (enjoy the nifty jump over the end-zone cameraman). Earlier Williams had a 65-yard scamper that narrowly missed being a touchdown; he was ruled out at the 1-yard line.

Williams didn't have impressive numbers entering the day (the 3.5 YPC number is most concerning), but the gridlock and scheme in Carolina had a lot to do with that. It's difficult for any running back to get into a groove when he's used inconsistently, and Carolina's fascination with the zone option earlier in the year probably didn't help Williams. A lot of running backs don't feel comfortable in that type of offense, in part because they don't know when they're going to get the ball and when they're not. The Williams fumble in Week 6 was really on Cam Newton; a late and ill-fated pitch put Williams in a tough position with the Seattle defenders closing in, and he didn't have a chance to adequately secure the ball.