Fantasy Football Love

Want to take a guess on what my first thought is the day after the Super Bowl? “How long before my Fantasy Football draft?” Seriously.

Once the NFL closes shop for 6-7 months, fantasy football players nationwide go into withdrawal of sorts until late August when the whole process begins anew with new players. Some latch onto fantasy baseball to ease the pain of not having football. I still can’t figure that out. Even though baseball is

America’s pastime, more people play fantasy football. Maybe it’s because a fantasy baseball team requires attention every day of the week, while football is just once a week. In head-to-head baseball, you have a week against your opponent. In head-to-head football, it’s Sunday and Monday. That’s it. You have 10 players who you plug in hoping they score more than your opponent.

There is a sacred feeling about football. Many people will follow their fantasy football teams much closely than their baseball teams. I’ve seen people yelling at the television when Peyton Manning throws an interception, costing them points. I’ve witnessed people getting irritated at kickers for missing kicks of 50-plus yards. And God forbid a running back loses two yards or fumble the football.

So, as the summer continues, my friends and I will undoubtedly continue to talk about our upcoming fantasy football endeavor. I, as commissioner of my own league where I do the points myself (seriously), have a great responsibility on my hands. Each year, nine of my friends and I gather, and we do our draft. Once the first pick is selected, the football season officially begins for us. I build up the Web site, and on we go. It’s fun and friendly competition, except for the every-once-in-a-while occurrence where one threatens to quit because of something “unfair” that happens.

A few bits of advice:

One thing I will not do this year (and I advise you to not do as well) – Draft Cedric Benson. Or Travis Henry. By season’s end, both of these guys were riding my bench like it was in-style.

Don’t place too much faith into one quarterback…unless it’s Peyton Manning. But even then, I would have a quality backup whether or not you’re in a start two QB league, which I am. Last year, I put a lot of stock into Drew Brees and I paid the price for that decision two or three times. My friend Joe had Manning and Matt Hasselbeck last season, and he won it all. But if he had Manning with a J.P. Losman or a Rex Grossman, that likely wouldn’t have been the case.

Running backs are more important and score more than quarterbacks. Last year, LaDainian Tomlinson had 1,474 rushing yards, 475 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns. Tom Brady had 4,806 passing yards and 50 touchdowns (with eight interceptions). I’d be willing to bet LT scored more fantasy points.

Don’t put a strong trust into rookies. Now certainly if you drafted Adrian Peterson, you’d have a tendency to disagree with me. But for every AP, there’s a JaMarcus Russell. Or a Ted Ginn, Jr. Or a Brady Quinn. Or a Robert Meachem. To me, Matt Ryan and Darren McFadden both look a little shaky.

After all this, my thoughts are the same on May 28 as they were on February 4: “When’s the fantasy football draft?