The Diary of a Fantasy Virgin - Let the Season Begin Sep 9, 2009 | More

Come one and come all to the greatest experiment known to Fantasy Football.   What is the true definition of a Fantasy Virgin?   Welcome to my world and you will see. The draft is over and the Fantasy Football season is upon us.   Oh, by the way, the NFL season begins with a Thursday battle featuring The Titans of Tennessee at The Champion Steelers of Pittsburgh!    This means that you have to get your lineups in early this week.   No fretting about picking out your team at noon on a Sunday.   And this is the first week of the NFL season Fantasy Virgins.   Let me talk about the week that was.   That would be the Draft.

Picking Sixth Of One Half Dozen Of The Other!

So I have the sixth pick in the draft.   Being in the same league for eight years now really puts everything into perspective.   For the most part it’s the same group and everyone comes together the Monday before the Thursday game to select a team.   This is all very random but very exciting at the same time.   After being drafted number one for all those years, LaDainian Tomlinson falls to #10 in the draft.   Oh how the mighty have fallen.   Picking sixth meant coming up #6 the first time and then every 13^th time afterwards.   You get some good players (DeAngelo Williams).   You get some bad players (Matthew Stafford).   But in the end you get a team that appears to be right down the middle.   This is appropriate for picking 6^th out of a 12 team league.

Big Redemptions?

Our draft is a snake draft.   This means that even though you pick 1-12…it only comes back 12-1.   So do you get what I am saying?   I had the 6th pick of the draft this year! That means I go 6th and then watch 13 picks go by and then get the 19^th pick followed by the 32^nd only to watch another 13 go by.   6^th is the most middle of the line draft choice I have ever been in.   I have for some reason many players looking for redemption.   My redemption team consists of Tom Brady, Lee Evans, Roy Williams, Tony Gonzalez, Marques Colston, and the Packers DST.   Tom Brady is coming back from a year away. Lee Evans is looking for touches now that T.O. is there.   Roy Williams wants the ball now that T.O. is not.   Tony Gonzalez gets a playoff chance in Atlanta.   Marques Colston wants to stay healthy for a whole season.   And the Packers DST is looking to help preserve a win for that high powered offense.   So many redemptions and will they all be met?   That is the next answer that happens whether you like it or not.   I am worried though.   I was ambivalent about my team last year and they went 13-3.   I like my team and that means I will probably go 3-13.   Because on paper does not a team make, young Jedi.   Well, now that you and I have a team.   What to next?   Get it in the site tools is what you have to do next my friend.

My Toolbox Is Shiny

The team is picked so now please register on the fantasysharks.com website and enter your team in to the Edit My Players section of this site.   Its over on the right under Fantasy Tools > Starting lineup > Lineup Coach.    Enter your players and now go to see who you should start at the Fantasy Sharks Lineup Coach .   This is fantasy 101.   Take this information and apply it to this week and you are ahead of everyone else (unless they are fantasysharks.com members).   Don’t worry; your secret is safe with me.   Just take the recommended starters and you’ll be on your way.   Next week we get advanced.   But until then we have a season to speak of.

Waiting For The New Season To Begin

It is that time of year again and I cannot mention it enough.   A Canadian High in New England presages the winter yet to come.   You think it never will happen but it has happened every year since I have been keeping track.   That would be at least 1982 my friends.   You see, the days get short and the sky becomes this color of azure blue unlike all summer.   You have to be an inhabitant of New England to appreciate this nonsense but it happens nonetheless.  

The August in New England has been very hot.   Unlike last year, we experienced the hottest days of the year in August which is appropriate.   But this was the first year in New England where there were no 90 degree days in May, June or July.   Let me repeat that my friends.   It did not reach 90 degrees in May, June or July.   Recently, that Canadian high came in and the temperatures are wonderful again.   Even now, this last weekend has seen 50 degree evenings with low-ish humidity.   The result is a postcard right out of Fall Occasions in a picture by Norman Rockwell.  

That is why we live in New England my fellow United States and the rest of the world.   That is why we endure our 6 month winters and our 2 months of 95 degree days from Bermuda highs.   It’s these “in-between” days.  And until the third week of October or so, they will only improve from now on.   Maybe we live for these “in-between” days that fall between Spring and Summer and subsequently Summer and Fall.   Come what may be it Hurricane or rain, we will always have our foliage, Apple Pies and Pumpkin Pies.   You will not be able to get a rental car in a month because the “leafers” are coming.   That is why we love this area … and it is to begin yet again.

May this be your most successful fantasy football year.  

Let the games begin --- Season 2009-2010.

Master D.

Tim can now be reached at tdavoll@fantasysharks.com and welcomes your opinions on the Diary of a Fantasy Virgin Articles.