maurice jones drew

The Ravens are bracing for Jaguars star running back Maurice Jones-Drew

We've reached the quarter pole of the NFL season, and it's probably fair to say we still don't quite know what to make of this Ravens team.

The news that Peyton Manning will miss Week 1 with a neck injury -- and that his status going forward is unclear -- is good news for the Texans, Ravens, Patriots, Steelers and the other contenders in the AFC. It's bad news for fantasy football owners who were counting on Manning or other Colts to produce this year.

Chances are a running back will be the first player to come off the board in your fantasy league unless one of your fellow owners has a serious crush on Michael Vick or is the father/mother/sibling/spouse of a current NFL player. Running backs no longer the first dozen players off the board in fantasy football -- and honestly, that makes things much more interesting -- but an elite back is still the way to go if you're picking first overall.