Can you believe it? One of the first pieces I ever penned for this
website concerned how to fix a bad draft and still be competitive
in your league. Titled as above, you can find it in the article
archives.
Well, as both of you who read my articles may remember, I started
a "series" of articles this
year on my own experience drafting "blind" from the FFToday
cheatsheet. I was in that unfortunate predicament due to many factors,
but the long and short of it was that I intended to try to manage
that team into a winner despite an unpromising outlook.
I ran the first follow up article after week one, where I lost purely
because I couldn't activate the right lineup if it had slid up my
leg and bit me on the badoingas. Although I intended otherwise, that
was the most recent installment in that series until now. Why? Well,
in week 2 I lost 101-44 and I decided that my team sucked. Therefore,
I was only going to update every few games or so. As it turns out,
I was out of the country for quite awhile and keeping my team managed
from afar was all I could do.
Enough of the sob story, let me tell you what happened (astute readers
may guess at the result from the title of this piece) and how.
After starting 0-2, I squeaked out a much-needed win 57-41, without
making any changes to the team. After 3 NFL weeks, Tony Gonzalez still
hadn't produced, nor had Clinton Portis. The draft was looking like
a bust, and my receivers basically were horrible.
My receiver situation never really changed, but I began to add/drop
receivers based upon matchups for the rest of the way. Basically,
I considered my team's receivers as the three on my roster at any
one time and the rest of the chaff on the waiver wire. Before the
season was over, I had acquired/jettisoned/used & abused all of
the following: Chambers (never dropped), Tim Brown, Muhammad, Driver,
Hatchette, Kevin Johnson, Morton, Troy Brown, Branch, Shaw, Kennison,
Wayne, and Travis Taylor. None of these would make any fantasy league
pro-bowl team. Heck, only Chambers (and maybe Kennison or Wayne) had
a decent year. They all were highly inconsistent. The key was using
these receivers when they produced in a given week and ditching them
when they wouldn't. Not all of the moves worked, but enough did to
get me by while McNair, Gonzalez and Portis carried the team through
the bulk of the year.
Week 4 gave me another squeaky close win, 70-69 (thank you Jeff Wilkins),
but beginning week 5 the three studs of Portis, Gonzalez and McNair
began to hit their stride. Before I knew it, I had a five game winning
streak and began to seriously think playoffs.
In a clear example of instant karma, I lost two straight. Then won
one, lost one. At this point of the season I was 6-5 and on the bubble.
As the big three went, so went my team. In a bad trend, McNair began
to score like he did in the past--not bad by any means, but not studly.
Instead of 25-33 points, he scored 16-22. I added Jake Delhomme as
a backup QB and in the best in-season move I made, I added Kevan Barlow,
who was dropped (I guess) due to his inconsistent scoring as a result
of the hated RB-platoon and from the niners' inconsistent play, generally.
He didn't start until the playoffs, but when he did, it made a big
difference. At this point, the team just exploded.
I won the last two games easily, and in the last game, week 13, I
won 119-91: Chambers scored 27, Wilkins 13, Portis 31, Gonzalez 14,
even Curtis Martin came back from the dead to notch 12. So, I finished
the season 8-5 and was the number 3 seed, but did not have a bye.
That meant I had to win three straight to win the league title.
In the first week of the playoffs, I elected to start Chambers and
Reggie Wayne at WR. The result: 4 total points. However, the rest
of the team just nailed it, and I won 133-39. McNair-- 31 points,
Portis--54, Barlow--23, Wilkins--14. (As an aside, I believe I speak
for all fantasy geeks when I implore the 49ers to PLEASE play Barlow
and release Hearst. It was a nice run, Garrison, but, seriously, you're
driving us crazy).
In week 2 of the playoffs, I won a tough game 116-96. I managed to
hit Reggie Wayne's occasional good week, and Jake Delhomme's serviceable
week saved the day when McNair was scratched. Delhomme-- 15 points,
Portis--25, Barlow--26, Wayne--11, Chambers--8, Gonzalez--21, Wilkins--10.
In the Superbowl I faced the number one seed in our league. McNair
looked like he wouldn't play, or least not play well. Portis was out.
Things looked bleak. My opponent started Bulger, Ricky Williams, Rudi
Johnson, Chad Johnson, Justin McCareins, Todd Heap and the Ravens
Defense/ST. I countered with Delhomme, Martin, Barlow, Chambers, Kennison,
Gonzalez, Wilkins and the Buccaneers. Two immediate thoughts come
to mind when reviewing these lineups. First, and most importantly,
shouldn't it be against the rules to win a championship if you start
Eddie Kennison for any reason? Secondly, how did either of these teams
make it to the finals?
As to the first, although my feelings on the matter should be clear,
there is no such rule. As to the second, you didn't pay attention
to earlier articles. It is a 14 player league and everyone has some
weaknesses. I banked on Kennison and Gonzalez having nice days because
they faced the Vikes. Wrong. Gonzalez scored 6 and Kennison 8. Not
terrible, but not good. Chambers chipped in with 8, luckily, because
his ONLY catch was a 23 yard touchdown. Delhomme had a good day with
23, as did Martin with 10 (Imaginary dialog: "Curtis Martin?
is that you? I haven't seen you in a long time!". Martin: "Well,
I don't believe it! End zone! What have you been up to?"). Jeff
Wilkins came through again, with 10 points. But the hero of the Bowl
was Barlow, who nailed 30 big points, and ensured the win, 95-70.
St. Louis shut down Rudi Johnson and Chad had no TDs. Ricky Williams
and Bulger played OK, but not great. And there you have it, another
Superbowl title. Why did I win? First, serious credit has to be
given to FFToday. Their cheatsheet
was largely "on"; I followed it pretty much down the line,
and the only bad, bad pick was Donald Driver in the fourth round.
Bust.
Second, the trade I made on draft day (Trent Green, whom I had picked
in early third round, and an exchange of fourth round picks, for the
other owner's third pick) made the team good for most of the season.
I used the third pick to get Tony Gonzalez, who was super-studly this
year. Needing a QB, McNair was still there in the fifth round (!)
and performed exceptionally well. Those two were difference makers,
especially when teamed with Portis.
Third, astute free agent pickups in Delhomme, Barlow and the host
of receivers required at various times sealed the deal. You simply
cannot sit pat week-to-week and win in most good leagues.
Finally, good luck always plays a role. I didn't hire Shane Stant
and Shawn Ekhardt to injure Garrison Hearst, and I hope he fully recovers,
but let's just say I was glad he got some rest. What I did not do
was make a blockbuster trade, like I usually do. Heck, I didn't make
any trades at all. Part of this was because I was out of commission
for a awhile; part of this is that other owners don't always trust
me. C'est la vie.
The object lesson of all of this is to play like you have a chance,
regardless of how your draft goes or how prepared you are when the
season begins. Because, in the warped world of fantasy football, you
do have a chance-- even if you start Eddie Kennison in the Superbowl.
