Fantasy Football: Six Things to Remember

Here are some reminders:

• Any given Sunday - there are two teams in every game and the winner is never predetermined.

• Regardless of the skills or notoriety of the athlete, he is a human being and may or may not perform as expected when you start him, bench him, or oppose him. In fact, oftentimes the better-rated players psych themselves out or get caught up in their own hype and end up choking. So don't fret over your lineups. We all have stories about how many points are scored on our benches.

• It's all guesswork. Whether picking a game or setting your lineup, it's all a crap shoot. Make your choices and move on.

• Gender, former athletic trophies and bravado may add color to your Fantasy Football match up, but they have nothing to do with the ultimate outcome. Don't let the meatheads intimidate you. Geeks rule!

• You will never watch football the same way again. You will obsess over your game picks, roster choices, every yard/reception/score/mistake your players make each week. And you will attempt to perfect this telekinetic voodoo mindmeld thing you'll try through the TV whenever you see an opponent's players, hoping they fail, and fail miserably.

• It ain't rocket science. Oh you can use rocket science, thermal dynamics, velocity coefficients... There are plenty of complex algorithms available to help you determine scores, player performance, etc., and I've spent more than my share of time in analysis paralysis, but I also do just as well making quick picks. Just enjoy yourself!