It All Starts Soon - Don't Panic!

Here's some friendly advice before the season begins: Don't panic.

I need to remember this myself because I've made some transactions early in the season that I lived to regret. Don't stay up until the wee hours of Monday morning making wild roster changes because of Sunday performances - unless your player is out for the season, which you won't really know until Wednesday anyway. I had Vinnie Testaverde the year he tore his ACL in Week 1. I was looking for Quarterbacks Sunday afternoon (that's an exception).

And don't start dropping everyone based on the combined performances of Weeks 1 to 3. I've made this mistake myself. It takes weeks for some players to get into the groove. It's very easy to think "I have to dump this guy. He's nothing like last year, or what they projected." You need to trust your roster, and adjust when it makes sense.

It also takes weeks before you know which rookies or originally lower-ranked players start stepping up and taking over, and that you can trust to perform week to week.

Now, if someone else is panicking, and starts offering trade deals, and they're really to your advantage, consider them, but be cautious. The same rules apply here. A receiver pulling in 180 yards and 3 TDs in Week 2 may be all his points for the season - he may not be the new go-to guy you were counting on.

Remember there have been coaching changes, trades, drafts, cuts, and the introduction of new offensive/defensive strategies and plays. Quarterbacks and receivers are still finding their rhythm. And groups of players are still evolving into a team. It's just like a team/project change at your own workplace - even when it's just one or two new players in the unit, or the loss of a player, it takes a while to reform and click.

Good luck!

Rookie Mistakes

Here are a few helpful hints when heading to your Fantasy Football Draft.

• Bring the Depth Charts! NFL teams carry large rosters. Know who the starters are! I'll post a separate piece on each position.


• Don't get sucked into the hype about last year's Heisman Trophy winners. It doesn't guarantee a starting position this year!


• Know who's injured. A mild preseason injury isn't serious. A torn ACL is a season-ender. Don't count on your fellow owners to let you know before you say, "Final answer!" Many will, but it's also a competition and they're not obligated.


• Know who's suspended. You read about player notoriety in the headlines all the time. Now you need to pay attention. For example, this year Wide Receive Donte Stallworth has already been suspended for the year because of his March 14th DUI Manslaughter conviction.


• Know who's throwing to whom. A great wide receiver who moves to a new team, new offense and rookie quarterback may not be pulling down all the yards, receptions or touchdowns like he did in years past.


• Don't get carried away with your home team. When I first started, all I knew were the local heroes. Stockpiling all players from one team screams rookie, and rarely does anyone any good. However, refusing to draft certain players based on personal choice is fine. I'd select Marc Bulger's backup before picking Michael Vick. Just sayin'.


• Avoid the Committees! Just like at the office, committees can mean trouble in Fantasy. I mean Running Back by committee. You want the RB on a team where he gets the majority of carries on the field (for the yardage) and into the end zone (for the TDs). Nothing stings more than watching your guy carry the ball 59 yards and some other tank running it in for the big score.

And, yes, I'm speaking from experience on all of these. ;-)
~Mike