This is the first in a series of analytical fantasy columns, which will move into high gear next Monday, July 13, with daily articles leading up to your fantasy league's draft day. Also, check out the new print edition (July 2009) of Pro Football Weekly, which features a 12-page fantasy football insert, with an exclusive draft board, player reports and The Fantasy Buzz. You can buy a copy at a retail outlet near you or online at PFWstore.com.

Because of the quiet, steady way he goes about his business — both on and off the field — Greg Jennings has had a tendency to drift under the fantasy radar.

Truth be told, though, there are only a couple of pass catchers on the planet who can come close to matching the fourth-year Packers wideout when it comes to racking up big-play bonus points.

Picking up with Aaron Rodgers where he left off with Brett Favre, Jennings’ non-stop explosiveness has been hard to ignore the past two seasons. Actually, the Packers quickly recognized Jennings’ special skills three seasons ago, when the second-round pick out of Western Michigan became the franchise’s first rookie to start at wide receiver since Sterling Sharpe.

But it wasn’t until his sophomore season — which he didn’t even begin until Week Three due to injuries — when Jennings became a high-powered TD machine, scoring a 57-yard TD in a 31-24 victory over the Chargers in his first game back.

Jennings made his fantasy owners perpetually giddy in ’07, emerging as Favre’s favorite target in what turned out to be a storybook season for the future Hall of Famer. Jennings caught 12 TD passes in 10 of his 13 games played, half of which were longer than 40 yards.

Last year with Rodgers at the helm, Jennings’ high-volume productivity was a bit more sporadic, but his fantasy numbers were still first-rate, as he caught a team-high 80 catches for a career-high 1,292 yards, ranking him sixth among NFL receivers.

He also caught a team-high nine TDs, registered a team-best average of 16.2 yards per catch and led the league with eight receptions of 40 yards or more en route to becoming a Pro Bowl alternate.

When the Packers have needed a big play, Jennings hasn’t hesitated to deliver, catching a pass of at least 24 yards in 20 of his 29 games the past two seasons.

Whether he has been on the receiving end of a crisp slant pattern or the primary target on a downfield bomb, his approach has seldom wavered, as he has consistently deceived opposing defensive backs by always running his routes at the same speed.

Wasted motion from Jennings has been about as likely as a winter without snow in Green Bay.

Which is why the Packers didn’t waste much time this offseason giving Jennings a three-year contract extension through 2012. The deal averaged almost $9 million a year with $16.25 million in guaranteed money, including an $11.25 million signing bonus, which he received immediately.

Jennings went out of his way to avoid a distraction — unlike RB Ryan Grant last offseason and Pro Bowl FS Nick Collins this offseason — intentionally waiting until after the end of the ’08 season to begin seriously seeking a new deal.

Now, in addition to very deservedly becoming the second highest-paid player on the Packers behind Rodgers, his motivation to succeed figures to remain stronger than ever, considering that he will be line for another hefty new contract at the still-tender age of 29 should he continue to produce at the same clip.

With some of the strongest hands in the league, a great ability to make lightning-quick adjustments and a nonstop willingness to go over the middle, the Greg Jennings Fantasy Machine figures to remain in high gear.

Catch it if you can.

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy copies of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, as well as the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football Guide 2009, both of which are, now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copies online at PFWStore.com.