John Axford, possibly still in the saves game (USAT Images)

For many of you, the act of cutting John Axford from your fantasy roster was probably the high point in your season. Very few events in fantasy are as satisfying as the vengeful drop. I get it. No argument.

Alas, if you're still chasing saves, it sounds like you're just going to have to pick up Axford again. His name remains in the ninth inning conversation for the Brewers, apparently.

This from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt:

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke was asked Wednesday what it would take to re-install John Axford as his closer.

"Probably not much," replied Roenicke.

[...]

"That's nothing against [Jim] Henderson. He's done a great job for us pitching there. But I think with Ax, because of his breaking ball, and when he's throwing it well, I think he has a chance to repeat that season he had two years ago."

So it sounds as if Henderson doesn't have much of a leash — odd, because he's off to a fantastic start. Henderson currently ranks as a top-12 fantasy pitcher, thanks to his excellent ratios (0.90 ERA, 0.80 WHIP), his stellar K-rate (14 in 10.0 IP), and his 5-for-5 performance in save opportunities. He's done nothing wrong.

Graham rocked the goal-post nine times last year. (USAT)

It may seem insane-ludi-ridiculously early for fantasy football ranks, but with the NFL draft beginning Thursday, it's time for a refresher. In the final part of a special four-part series, the Noise tangos with TEs, and gets you a leg up on scoring extra beer money this fall. Team Huevos, shout, shout, let it all out in the comments section below.

See also: TOB Running backs, Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers

Last year, NFL teams averaged 231.3 passing yards per team per game, the highest mark by a wide margin in the league’s 91-year history. Offensive coordinators, no longer satisfied saddling workhorse running backs, have put the onus on QB arms. Pitch counts are higher. Points are more plentiful. And a certain offensive position, once an almost exclusive function of the run, has evolved into a tried-and-true weapon of mass destruction.

Tight ends are wrecking havoc over the modern NFL game.

Just a few years ago when trailblazers Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates fell off the draft board, most owners essentially punted the position. How TEs were handled paralleled viewpoints on defense and kicker. Streaming based on matchup was a common strategy. Because of the week-to-week unreliability of hotheads like Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow it only made sense to follow such an approach.

However, due to the abundance of wide-bodied, uber-athletic, soft-handed, fast-moving tight ends available in today’s game, perceptions have definitely changed. Oversized targets are matchup nightmares, indispensable weapons in the pass game. Almost every franchise has one. Those that don’t desperately want one. Suffice it to say, they are similar to criminal attorneys during any given NFL offseason – in high-demand. Just ask Cleveland's Quentin Groves.

Unsurprisingly, because of the position's vast talent pool, it's Grand Canyon-deep entering 2013. Yes, Jimmy Graham stands in a class by himself, but concentrating on RB or WR in the early rounds is the money move. The questionable long-term health of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez only supports that notion. Think about it. Suitable producers like Brandon Myers, Fred Davis and Brandon Pettigrew are going well after pick No. 125 in initial drafts.V-A-L-U-E!

This year at TE, patience will profit.

Pumping the pigskin juices, here are my top-25 tight ends entering Thursday's NFL draft:

Chris Carter gets a post-homer handshake (Getty Images)

Everybody enjoys mammoth home runs, right?

Of course they do.

Take a look at this blast off the bat of Houston's Chris Carter, and tell me that wasn't one of the deepest, baddest, loudest homers in recent memory. Ridiculous. That thing was destroyed.

It's tough to identify the ball's impact area in the clip above, but the in-stadium eyewitness accounts had it hitting the top of one of those upper billboards in left, a zillion feet away from home plate. (Officially 440, but c'mon.) The homer was Carter's fifth of the year. He's cleared the fence 21 times over his last 295 big league at-bats, dating back to his call-up last June.

Poor Matt. Someone stole his boomstick. (USAT)

Fantasy is a speculative game. Predict the future, and you look like a genius. Don't, and you're painfully human. Gazing into the crystal ball, here's our view on 10 intriguing over/unders this week.

What fading ‘star’ will yield more fantasy value come year’s end: Josh Hamilton or Matt Kemp?

Dalton – KEMP. I liked him far more entering the year, and at least he has an excuse for a slow start since he's coming off shoulder surgery. Kemp is also three years younger and isn't the one who left an extreme hitter's park.

Brandon – KEMP. If I was drafting today, I'd still take Kemp ahead of Hamilton. The difference is the speed factor, which remains a a key differentiator as Kemp has run off three steals in his past four games (8-for-18 at the plate, as well)

Scott – I'm still on KEMP'S side on this one – he's three years younger and has a more diversified set of skills. But I'm glad to be watching from the sidelines in both cases, uninvested on both. That's not a victory lap really, it's a sigh of relief.

Dez is starting to emulate another famous blue-clad 88. (USAT)

It may seem insane-ludi-ridiculously early for fantasy football ranks, but with the NFL draft beginning Thursday, it's time for a refresher. In the third part of a special four-part series, the Noise takes on WRs, and gets you a leg up on scoring extra beer money this fall. Team Huevos, shout, shout, let it all out in the comments section below.

See also: TOB Running backs, Quarterbacks

Depth, balance, sustainability – these are the characteristics that typically define the wide receiver position. In this era of downfield proclivity, it's lusher than ever before. Once top-heavy just a few short years ago inflating draft day price-tags of pacesetters like Marvin Harrison, Terrell Owens and Torry Holt, WR today is essentially one giant Vince Young yard sale, a position sporting bargains galore.

Coaches’ willingness to throw and the immense QB talent pool has blown receiver production into uncharted waters. At least, that’s what most owners commonly perceive. One can always cherry-pick the stats to prove a point. For example, at the beginning of the century only 13 wideouts netted at least 10 fantasy points per game. A season ago 20 targets reached that feat. However, the yearly difference in receiver production is, in general, negligible.

Compared to QB, RB and TE, the position hasn’t undergone a complete makeover in standard formats. Last year’s tier-to-tier drop-off (WR1-WR36 = 6.7 fan points/game) was in line with recent seasons and also with those during run-friendlier times. PPR enthusiasts, too, haven’t experienced measurable change. In total, 22 receivers hauled in at least 70 receptions a season ago, two fewer than in 2005, a year that ranks No. 24 in passing yards per game per team all-time (2012 is No. 1).

In an age where vertical records are shattered virtually every year, it would only seem plausible WRs would also universally increase in value. But because most NFL teams often feature three, four or in the case of the Saints, five-wide sets, that trend hasn’t materialized. Passers are spreading the wealth, which explains why WR scoring has evened out.

Expect more of the same in 2013.

Obviously, Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryant, Brandon Marshall and A.J. Green will attract early round selections, deservedly so, but bypassing them for commodities in the next or third-best class is a savvy strategy.

Sorting through the madness, here are my top-60 wide receivers entering Thursday’s NFL Draft:

Sveum was hired for his finger point (USAT)The Marlins grabbed a win on Tuesday, part of a doubleheader split in Minnesota. The Astros won, too. Kevin Gregg locked down a save. Jose Valverde was promoted and appointed.

Some nights, you simply can't predict ball.

We'll start in the Cubs bullpen, destined to be one of the Waterloos of the season. Chicago trimmed the Reds on Tuesday, 4-2, despite mediocre work from the two relievers who followed a terrific Carlos Villanueva (8.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K). Carlos Marmol pitched like his hair was on fire in the ninth, as usual, allowing a sharp single and two walks before the inning was complete. Another blown save for the ledger. But the Cubs scored two runs in the top of the tenth, setting up Marmol to be the winning pitcher.

Enter a new pitcher and good lord, that's Gregg's music. The well-traveled and begoggled righty cobbled together three outs in between a couple of sharp singles. Okay, Gregg did have two strikeouts and he ended the game with a whiff of Joey Votto (the wonders never cease). But let's not forget the horror show Gregg showed us over the last two seasons in Baltimore (4.95/1.69 last year, 4.37/1.64 in 2011, 13 homers over 103.1 innings). This is destined to end badly.

Save chasing is one of the most variable pursuits in our fantasy game; it's significantly different from league to league. In some deeper pools you need to chase every handshake you can, acting proactively; in smaller or more casual groups, you can sit back and let a story develop before you act. If it's a blood-for-saves league, maybe you have to hold your nose and make a Gregg pick. Valverde looks a little safer to me (if that word can ever be tied to him), trimmed down and tied to a better team. Andy Behrens offered a few words on Valverde here.

Yup, Jose Valverde is back in our lives, returning to our rosters (USAT Images)

Remember when Jim Leyland was gonna go bullpen-by-committee, mixing and matching based on match-ups?

Yeah, that was hysterical. Good one, Tigers.

Jose Valverde has returned to Detroit, and Leyland has handed him the keys to the ninth. Here's the news, straight from the team's Twitter feed:

Valverde will be with the club in Detroit tomorrow and manager Jim Leyland says he will be the team's closer.

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 23, 2013

So there you go. Valverde has pitched 3.0 scoreless frames for Single-A Lakeland this year (1 H, 2 BB, 4 Ks), and apparently the Tigers liked what they saw. The Joaquin Benoit Era has ended. It lasted nearly as long as the Phil Coke Era.

Kid at play (USAT)

Now that we're three weeks and change into the new season, it's only natural to look back at March rankings with some pangs of regret. That's what I'm doing with Milwaukee shortstop Jean Segura.

I wasn't too keen on Segura's fantasy prospects for one simple reason: I expected the Brewers to bury the kid in the order, and that figured to wipe out the running opportunities. There's a logical disincentive to the running game in the bottom National League positions, given how the pitchers will bunt in most situations under two outs.

Segura did start the year batting eighth in the lineup but it didn't last long: he was promoted to the No. 2 slot in the second series of the year. And he's proven to be a tidy option batting first or second for the Brew Crew, on a 16-for-47 bender with a homer, four walks and five steals. Welcome to fantasy relevance, Jean Genie.

Milwaukee skipper Ron Roenicke is giving Segura plenty of chances to run; Segura has a swipe in four consecutive games (Friday night's running mishap didn't stem the tide at all). Batting eye hasn't been an issue (five walks, two in the past two games), the contact rate is solid (84 percent), and obviously you're going to score plenty of runs if you get on base in front of Ryan Braun and company. What's not to like here?