Albert Einstein once said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” It seems like a fitting quote for fantasy football and my particular so called “specialized knowledge” of the game. I’m in a funk. I don’t know if it was brought on by 5 or 6 years of the greatest trash talking in fantasy football history, or not. My trash talking was legendary though, and still is at times, but, I think it jinxed me. It’s either that or Pete Rozelle, the man who wanted the NFL to be the definition of parity, is wreaking havoc from his perch up in Heaven. That’s gotta be it right? I mean who can predict the Jets beating the Colts? Unless you’re a Jet’s fan and only know four letters of the alphabet(J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS), you are not predicting that Andrew Luck loses to Ryan Fitzpatrick; you just aren’t going to do it. What is this 2015 NFL season teaching us? It’s teaching us that we have to think outside the box. It’s teaching us fantasy schleps that you don’t just plug in your guys and sit back and wait on collecting gold. You gotta put in the work. And you have to take chances. You gotta hit the waiver wire.
Let’s also think about what we should have done on draft day. We should have put a ton more stock into Big Ben(I wanted him but picked two RB’s at the end of the 1st round and start of the 2nd round but should have pulled the trigger if I wanted him on my team that badly because I knew what he was going to do!). We should have thought outside the box on guys like Donte Moncrief, Matt Jones, Amari Cooper(some did), picking JJ Watt by the 4thround. We(as in “I”, but, by saying “we” I am able to lesson some of the blame on myself and allow for you to take some of the onus) should have known from the track history of the New Orleans Saints that they would still be awful. We should have known that the rhetoric behind Lamar Miller and CJ Anderson was just that—rhetoric. We should have bought in on the Arizona Cardinals long ball chucking from Day 1. If Carson Palmer stays upright he is going to use that beautiful arm and release it to the high heavens in hopes in drops into his teammate’s hands some 50 yards downfield. We shouldn’t have listened to all of the hype surrounding the Eagles. I was bummed I didn’t get Bradford and Mathews(see previous columns) but probably it was a good thing that I didn’t’ take the leap of faith in their case. We should have learned to never, and I mean NEVER, doubt Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. At this point you know if you go poke a bear, or stir up a hornet’s nest what the outcome is going to be-or at least we should. Knowing the aforementioned now, do what you can to trade for the guys you want. Give up bigger names than you normally would and get your guys!
But, on the other hand, we can’t just totally panic as it is only week 3! There are some teams and players that will figure it out, though it has taken awhile. Seattle will explode this week. Hence, I’d go heavy on Russell Wilson, Beast Mode, and Jimmy Graham. Believe it, or not, I expect the Houston Texans to do well this week. I like DeAndre Hopkins and even Alfred Blue. With all that said, here are my MUST STARTS this week:
QB-Big Ben(every week), Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers, Carson Palmer, Ryan Tannehill(they will notice what the Pats did to that defense), Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck(it’s time), Derek Carr(yup), Cam Newton(double yup), Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyrod Taylor, and wait for it…..Ryan Mallett! If you can’t win with any of those 12 you’re in trouble.
As for RB’s it’s like fishing in the Atlantic Ocean if there were only 1 fish. It’s so hard to predict but I’m gonna try. Dion Lewis, LeGarrette Blunt, Le’Veon Bell, Isaiah Crowell, David Johnson, Jonathan Stewart, CJ Anderson(break out week folks), Jeremy Hill(something to prove in a divisional game), AP(of course), and Chris Ivory. After that I am not too enthused about any other running backs. It’s the year of the wide receiver-and so, without further adieu….
At WR I’d pick any Cardinal that runs a route. Last week they had a guy score with the last name Brown and I was happy because I have John Brown in a league. Unfortunately, it was a different Brown. Point served. Start all ‘Cards. Ted Ginn and Devin Funchess could go crazy vs. the Saints. It’s time for Demaryius Thomas to go nuts, and he will. It’s going to be a fun week for Patriots fans again. Edelman, Gronk, Amendola, the water boy, and the guy inflating the balls will all score on passing routes this week(sorry Pats fans I had to do it). On a side note, why doesn’t Rex Ryan just shut his mouth? If you’re the underdog you do not run your mouth until after you win. Anyway, I digress, I like Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Brandon Marshall(Decker is out), Keenan Allen, Stevie Johnson, AJ Green, Tyler Eifert, Kendall Wright, and last but not least, I like Travis Benjamin. If you haven’t picked up Travis it’s time to make a move.
That’s it folks. Have a great week and let’s pray for some semblance of normalcy from the guys who were supposed to be good! Good luck, go get ‘em.