Prognosticating here safer than meeting Guido

Guess who's back?

OK, so my picture was probably the first clue.

Yep, your favorite prognosticator (big word ... I know, it impresses the chicks) returns for another season, though I almost didn't.

After going 82-27 last year, I was offered my own 900 betting line. Almost jumped on that.

Until I realized that giving bad advice might lead to being hit in the kneecaps with my skateboard by some guy named Guido.

I'm going the safer route for my senior year and sticking with picks here and hoping not to get slapped by every girl I ask out.

Week 1 is usually the toughest, so cut me some slack as I give you Fielder's Four to Score, my top four picks of the week.

For the rest of my picks, come visit me at nevadapreps.com, and bring pizza.

• Palo Verde at Spring Valley -- The defending Sunset Region champion Panthers lost all but one member of their amazing starting offensive backfield.

Get this: Palo Verde might be better, even without the likes of Torin Harris and Chaz Thomas.

Tyrone Blake is back, and the Panthers called up senior Ernest Hall from their farm team at Del Sol and gave up a player to be named to get Centennial running back Brandon Wright.

Spring Valley will be happy if officials show up to its opener -- they didn't a year ago. The Grizzlies also would be thrilled to find someone to replace graduated running back Jacques Adams.

Anton Stallworth, your time to shine at quarterback is now. Or next week against Clark. Palo Verde by 9.

• Sunrise Mountain at Clark -- Great. Another new school I can't find. As though it wasn't bad enough learning how to get to Desert Oasis.

The Miners welcome back, well, no one and have no seniors. They're an independent this year, and the only 4A varsity team they'll play is Clark.

And what does that mean for Clark? A 1-0 start. Quick, when's the last time Clark started 1-0?

What? You don't know, either?

Andre Clay is back after a 1,000-yard rushing season last year, and this is a good chance for him to start on 1,000 more. Clark, yes, Clark, by 8.

• Desert Pines at Cheyenne -- If you're looking for a sleeper team in the Northeast, and really, who isn't, it could be Desert Pines.

Coach Paul Bennett has 17 returning starters, including quarterback Dalton Leilua, who will be more consistent than he was last season. He needs to be. Two of the three offensive starters the Jaguars lost were running backs.

Cheyenne graduated more than half of its team, including speedster Marcus Sullivan and beasts Damien Proby and Jeremiah Tofaeono.

Running back Jordan Butler and quarterback Chris Spencer are back, and Cheyenne picked up a free agent from Palo Verde (wow, players leave there?) in Jahari Selmon.

Two teams trying to prove themselves early. That normally means go with the home team. I'm not normal. Desert Pines by 3.

• Eldorado at Arbor View -- Arbor View might have the most offensive weapons of any team in the Northwest that didn't make offseason deals.

Back for the Aggies are quarterback Austin Anderson and running backs Demarlo Virgil and Taylor Wooten.

Eldorado returns no starters on defense. Not exactly a restaurant-quality first-week matchup. Arbor View by 16.

Fielder's Choices is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Write to him at fielder@nevadapreps.com.