This is the week we find out how much depth you drafted. Injuries are starting to really pile up and the bye weeks are in full effect. One starts doing crazy lineup moves; starting 3 players from one team at the same time. Players you had never heard of 5 weeks ago suddenly become must starts. This is when seperation begins to happen between those who drafted well and those who got good and Miller Genuine Drafted on selection night.
Just like everyone else, I'm looking at a poor lineup, but not all entirely my fault. Jay Cutler still has headaches after last week and fantasy-bust turned fantasy-stud Darren McFadden is once again injured. My plan was to start Marshaw Lynch, who had a very favorable match up against the less-than-rad Jacksonville defense. BUT...Trade city baby. Now he's resting peacefully in Queen Anne, waiting to make his debut with the Seahawks next week. This move will pay off in the long run and makes me glad I didn't trade the former Cal product for nothing. But crap, it hurts this week. So I'm rolling with 3 Super Chargers against the Raiders. Now Gates is a must start. He single handedly won me my game last week (oh yeah, I won again to move my record in my primary league to 4-0. Additionally, I've moved to 11-1 across all my leagues. I don't know what happened to me. Did I get smarter this year? I guess. I have, however, drafted a stellar virtual defense, one of the most important aspects of fantasy sports) and looks unstoppable. I'm also starting Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert. Could be genius, could be the dumbest move YTD. Good thing the Raider run defense sucks and they can't stop the TE position. One good thing for me is that my foe this week, the ridiculously awesome Colon Meals, has been just ravaged by injury. He's got Peyton Manning, but I think I have a chance.
It's time to really start rolling with match ups. I'm not saying sit a stud like Adrian Peterson just because he's going against the Jets, but start looking at bye week replacement match ups. Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill look like pretty good starts this week; one would not have said that 4 weeks ago. Peyton Hillis? Start him baby. Mike Bell? Chris Ivory? BenJarvus Green-Ellis? (not this week, bye). Even LeGarrette Blount? All players you are happy you took a flier on during your draft or picked up off waivers. It's all about depth right now. About week 10 or 11 is the time to start trading off your depth for studs, but right now you need to ride guys like Mark Sanchez, Nate Washington, and even old Roy Williams.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Starting to Look Like a Liar
Success and fantasy football have never, and I mean NEVER, been words that have been used consecutively to describe my fantasy career. I draft bad. I trade bad. I make bad free agent pickups. I've been the punchline of so many jokes within my league it can't be tracked. To chronicle my misadventures through this season I started this column. It was going to be a way for me to vent my frustrations, anger, depression, anxiety, and general upset-ness with this stupid exercise in failure I gladly participate in every single year. I drafted Michael Turner and Ryan Matthews, so naturally their legs should have been broken by now (actually, Ryan Matthews almost came through for me with the "high ankle sprain" that seems to not be a "high ankle sprain"). But….
My teams are actually good. Go figure. I play in 3 leagues and my combined record is 8-1. I'm 3-0 in my primary league, and I don't know how to handle all this success. I'm looking to make trades just for the sake of making a trade. I know I should just sit tight and ride the wave, but I'm not used to that. I'm not used to any of this. But I like it. I'll take it. I'm sure this week will bring me a loss. I'm certain Jay Cutler will start throwing to the other team, that my kicker will put up a big fat 0, that both my WR's will get 2 catches for 14 yards total. It will happen, it's not a matter of if, just a matter of when. In the meantime, I'm just going to role with the success. Enjoy it and talk smack.
But to be honest, I think my good fortune this year, it's more a function of luck. Now, I believe that there is (generally) no such thing as luck. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. If you prepare, and then get a chance, good things will happen. BUT, when fantasy football is concerned, luck, pure unadulterated luck, is the factor for success. Sure, you have to draft a good team and make the right lineup decisions from week to week, but everything else out of your control. Injuries, crazy coaches (uh, Todd Haley, if you know what is good for you, give Jamaal Charles ALL of the carries) and fluky plays can make or break your Sunday. Check that, your whole week. And I won't even get in to the schedule, or Virtual Defense (VD), one needs to "draft" to have a winning week (see prior entry). Lucky is the name of the game in fantasy football.
Role with your big names this week regardless of match-ups. I know Calvin Johnson has a bad look. You have to keep him active. Ray Rice has a bad matchup plus a banged up knee; you drafted him high for a reason. He's freaking good. If he's healthy and starting, how can you bench him? MJD has been garbage. Tell me your benching him. I'll trade you Darren McFadden for him straight up. I'd rather lose with my studs than go down with a bunch of bench scrubs.
Best of luck to everyone this week, except CHAAAAD.
My teams are actually good. Go figure. I play in 3 leagues and my combined record is 8-1. I'm 3-0 in my primary league, and I don't know how to handle all this success. I'm looking to make trades just for the sake of making a trade. I know I should just sit tight and ride the wave, but I'm not used to that. I'm not used to any of this. But I like it. I'll take it. I'm sure this week will bring me a loss. I'm certain Jay Cutler will start throwing to the other team, that my kicker will put up a big fat 0, that both my WR's will get 2 catches for 14 yards total. It will happen, it's not a matter of if, just a matter of when. In the meantime, I'm just going to role with the success. Enjoy it and talk smack.
But to be honest, I think my good fortune this year, it's more a function of luck. Now, I believe that there is (generally) no such thing as luck. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. If you prepare, and then get a chance, good things will happen. BUT, when fantasy football is concerned, luck, pure unadulterated luck, is the factor for success. Sure, you have to draft a good team and make the right lineup decisions from week to week, but everything else out of your control. Injuries, crazy coaches (uh, Todd Haley, if you know what is good for you, give Jamaal Charles ALL of the carries) and fluky plays can make or break your Sunday. Check that, your whole week. And I won't even get in to the schedule, or Virtual Defense (VD), one needs to "draft" to have a winning week (see prior entry). Lucky is the name of the game in fantasy football.
Role with your big names this week regardless of match-ups. I know Calvin Johnson has a bad look. You have to keep him active. Ray Rice has a bad matchup plus a banged up knee; you drafted him high for a reason. He's freaking good. If he's healthy and starting, how can you bench him? MJD has been garbage. Tell me your benching him. I'll trade you Darren McFadden for him straight up. I'd rather lose with my studs than go down with a bunch of bench scrubs.
Best of luck to everyone this week, except CHAAAAD.
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