The theme song from Monday Night Football is still ringing in my wee brain. Da Da Da Daaaaaa! Football is officially back, yet summer has yet to relinquish its grasp on New England. It is cooler alright but just not 40 degree cold like it should be. I heard it is coming this weekend. So even fall is a little bit late this year. Still it was strange watching Thursday Night Football while running the air conditioning. And as is the new normal, it all begins on a Thursday Night. Thursday Night Football In grand style, the opening of the Football season is mirroring the last game of the previous season. There are performances by high profile musical acts and the previous Super Bowl winner -- the Green Bay Packers -- went up against the Saints of New Orleans, who won it all two years ago. Cast against the murky offseason which gave the impression that the regular season was in doubt, the resultant ratings were off the charts. But the game was highly entertaining for lacking in defense. Much was spoken about how Drew Brees ran a player-only camp and Green Bay did not. For some reason it did not matter as Green Bay came out hot. One of the only guarantees is that most likely the team that won it all last year will come out on top in this game. The team that won it all the previous year has won 11 times in a row up until this week. Make That 12 Green Bay was up 14-0 and 21-7 by the end of the first quarter. Then the rest of the way New Orleans tried to claw their way back and the game ended on the goal line with a defensive penalty by Green Bay that gave New Orleans the chance to run it in with no time left and maybe tie it up with a two-point conversion. But alas it did not happen as Mark Ingram was stopped on the goal line and the Saints lost 42-34. The top two stories of the game were the quarterback performances of Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. They combined for 731 yards and six touchdowns! That is high-flying NFL offense and a great way to start off the first week of football. Speaking of the week I bet you are wondering what is my outcome this week? Double-Header Means We Wait With four teams playing on Monday, the odds are doubtful that the outcome happens on Monday morning. So we have to wait until early Tuesday. And even though I lost Steven Jackson, his points were enough to get me over the top. The first week is always the toughest because the trends are so weird. I mean who would honestly think that Cam Newton would throw for more than 400 yards and Donovan McNabb would throw for less than 40. How does that happen? Combine that with 517 yards thrown by Tom Brady and you have a scenario where offseason workouts must be for the benefit of the defense. Well that is football. Never be surprised. Even predictions cannot go as far as you wish. So make your team better today with a better method to picking your team. I replay this part every year but it is important so heed these recommendations. Pick Your Team Wisely Using 7 Steps to a Better Team Can seven steps make your week? Only if you try them, my compadres de football de fantasy. Your fantasy football team wins if your starting team has more points at the end of the weekend than your opponent. As profound as that doesn't sound it becomes that simple. A great bench doesn't win it. But knowledge is power, and I am here to help. If you lost this week, let me assist you with a strategy that will at least give you a fair shot. All you want is a fair shot in this game. Anything else and you are the Postmaster General for the town named Clueless. Population: you! So here are seven steps to a better starting lineup. I made the seven steps stick out so you can keep them handy. 7 Steps To A Better Fantasy Football Starting Lineup (1) Register at http://www.fantasysharks.com It's free (always a shameless plug)! (2) Go to My Fantasy Home and enter your team in to the Edit My Players section. (3) After Thursday morning Go To My Fantasy Home and the Fantasy Sharks Lineup Coach. (4) Change all your players to that team ... now! (5) Here is the fine tune that helps out ... Check out Tony Holm's prognosticator for the best run/pass/receiving scenarios. (6) If any of your second string players (any position) are on a hot offense, you may want to consider switching. For example if Drew Brees is playing well and you have your choice between Robert Meachem and Davone Bess, you may want to consider Meachem. But stay vigilant and pay attention. (7) Do that until you are satisfied with your selections Now, just relax. You did your best. That is all you can hope for. If you are winning, great, but if you are like the other half this week, stuff like this may help. Now this is just a starter. Take advantage of the message boards and all other fine writers on this site. All of us are here to help you. But you must begin in the beginning. Speaking of which ... how did your first week go? Master D. Tim can now be reached at tdavoll@fantasysharks.com and welcomes your opinions on the Diary of a Fantasy Virgin Articles.