Sunday, August 28, 2011

Fantasy Football

Well, it seems like a good time to start talking about fantasy football.

Week 3 of the preseason is almost complete and it seems like many fantasy leagues are in full swing, if not, they will be drafting soon.  With that said, this year I decided to keep it simple.  For once, since the very first fantasy league I have participated in 6 years ago, I have decided to pull back the reins and only join one league this year.  I am tired of the stress, anxiety, and inner-turmoil of having multiple leagues.  My blood pressure needs a break - a reprieve - if you will.

As a Cowboy fan, how can I root against my own team?  How can I continue to frantically saunter around the television channels to find out how various players faired against thier respective opponent?  It's just TOO much when you are managing 12 teams!  What sane man can deal with that?  Thats the kind of thing that soaks the sanity right outta you.

Much like most red-blooded Americans, I, too, am simply unable to NOT subject myself to both the torment and excitement of our favorite fall/winter pasttime: FANTASY FOOTBALL.

Since I am only in one league - a keeper league - I have no choice but to continue to bear the strife and dilemmas that face all Franchise managers.  This will be my third year with these guys.  A seasoned and experienced group of Fantasy participants who seem to really put thier all into thier lineup.  Week in and week out.  If I am to win this year I feel it is my duty as a team manager to truly make a move that will shake things up.  Its early.  We have only merely completed our 3rd week of preseason and there is no time like the present to play the part of fantasy "suicide bomber" and make a move unlike any other.  Really blow the rest of the teams out of the water, nay, this is the time to blow them 'Outta the Tank'.

This is MY tank, dammit!

I chose to go outside of the box and offer up my "keeper" elite running back from 2010 on the trading block, Arian Foster. 

Naturally, and as expected, I immediately received a few offers; none of which caught my eye.  I wanted - check that - I NEEDED a top wideout to inject into my lineup that I TRUST will post big numbers for me.  A guy who can catch a 100 balls in a PPR league.  A guy who can kick, fight, scrape, scratch, claw, and dash in to the endzone on a consistent weekly basis.  That player is the much bally-hooed Dez Bryant.  He's nothing if not controversial, but, dammit, this guy has some UNBELIEVALBE potential.  But we all know potential is just that, Potential.  Aint nobody won a 12 team fantasy league based on potential.  Potential is a light switch in the "off" position.  Until you "hit" that light switch its pretty damn tough to read in the dark. Trust me.

...alas, I received an offer for Dez, but it wasnt quite the complete package I was looking for.  I then couteroffered and the trade deal was up for league vote:  Dez Bryant and Freddie Jackson for Arian Foster and my other sleeper hopeful, Brandan Tate.

Now it may seem strange.  Call it a hunch, but I dont think Foster will have the year he pulled out in 2010.  This is his third year, and as an undrafted free agent in 2009, it is rare to have a breakout year in your second full season only to back it up with yet another COLOSSAL year. 

Its a gamble.  Hell, it may even be flatout, over-the-top, insane.  He is injury prone (that is just my own justifacation, but certainly not a tought that is shared by most).  He was on the sideline in week 1 of the preseason only to come out in week 2 to run for 2 TD's.  Not to mention, his rookie season was hampered with hammy issues.

...And, NOW, in the middle of the 3rd preseason game he walked off the field with a strained hammy. 

Lets face it: ITS FANTASY FOOTBALL.  Last I knew this was America.  We won the War.  I can do whatever the hell I want and if I want to win this year I need to make some proverbial waves.  I gotta get my guy, Dez.  Buy LOW, sell HIGH. 

Dez is bound for a breakout year and Arian is bound to break something...maybe a limb, perhaps a ligament, an achilles, maybe even the all-time rushing record? 

But, its "FANTASY" football.  That means its NOT real. 

Its a fantasy, for crying out Pete's sake.  Its solely unicorns and centaurs.

At the end of the day its only $50 and 17 weeks of my life.

Unfortunately, I dont have $100 billion to buy the Dallas Cowboys.  Truth be told, I dont even have $100 to buy the Cincinatti Bengals.  Fantasy is supposed to be fun.  Thats why it's fantasy.

I'm just a guy who is bored and flat out soaked in "Irene."  Irene is a fickle bitch and so is weekly football.  A man who ran for 250yds in week 1 isnt immune from blowing out a knee in week 2 and wearing a knee brace for the remainder of the 2011/2012 football season.

With that thought in mind, I have gone "all in."  I have put my chips to the middle of the table and said to my fellow league managers, "go ahead, just TRY to beat my 'cards.'"

I will either be the biggest idiot in the history of fantasy football, or the biggest genius that nobody believed in.  Can you say, Christopher Columbus?

I guess thats why they play the game.  Monday Morning QB's are NEVER wrong.  Its not Monday yet and the regular season has yet to arrive.  We/I dont know how this will play out, but it will sure be fun to find out.

Afterall, its FANTASY football, it's supposed to be fun, and with risk comes reward. 

...C'MON, Reward!!!!!!!!!  I'm waitin' for ya......