Week 1 "Bargains" Ed Leduke, Fantasy Football Staff Writer Sep 12, 2003 | More

It may be too late for you.  You may have already grabbed the lure, swallowed it and swam away.  Guess what?  You will be lying in the bottom of the boat soon.  If not, heed my warning; steer clear of the “superstars” of week 1.

I know exactly what happened.  Monday morning there were several people from each league looking to see if Anquan Boldin was available.  Is Joey Harrington still out there?  I’ve seen it happen on many occasions.  Also heard around the locker room…”Maybe Emmitt does still have some in the tank,” and “Jeff Blake looked really good”.  And one of my personal favorites, “Ricky looked like crap.  I should have drafted (fill in the blank here) instead.”

Listen.  There are some reasons why these things happened.  Logical, real reasons.  Do not panic.  Do not pass go, and do not collect 200 free agents.  One week does not make a trend.  It also doesn’t necessarily invalidate all of the research and prognostication done over the last 6 months.  It was just one game per player.  Detroit played against Arizona for Pete’s sake.  And Arizona played against Detroit.  Just because 2 rookie receivers had great games doesn’t mean they are going to be the next Terrell Owens.  Sure, Boldin and Charles Rogers looked great.  Sure, they could have great careers.  If I had room on my team in a keeper league I would take a chance on one.  But these guys will break your heart if you count on them to lead you to the championship this year.  I think Emmitt still has some gas, and I want for him to have a great year.  I also know that if he stays healthy, that Ricky will be fine.  Same with the Patriots defense for that matter.  Wow, they looked terrible, but it was just one game.

I am in a league with a bunch of owners who panic.  Owners who by Tuesday morning had picked up Aveion Cason.  Ones who fought over the who would get Boldin, meanwhile giving up players that they had drafted in the 5^th round with the entire league saying “good pick”.  I used to be one of those owners.  I learned the hard way.  Dropping a mid-level player who consistently scored for a player who looked great one week, only to have him crash back to reality the following week.  You have to factor in the competition, the defensive system of their opponent, the coaching changes and the first week excitement of the season.  I love to see the other owners in my leagues jumping and making changes all the time.  Makes it easier for me.  All that time spent preparing for the draft…it will pay off in the long run.

Guys like Boldin can be good, and if you have a player that you were not excited about, go ahead and make the switch.  But be forewarned about these “bargains”.  You usually get what you pay for.