As I noted in my previous blog entry, each of my three dynasty league teams are vastly different in “demeanor”. If the team I’m about to discuss is anything, it’s the problem child. A bit of background: a few years ago, I was approached by a guy I speak with on the message boards a bunch. He was taking part in an upstart dynasty league’s veteran auction, and apparently one of the league members decided to bow out about 3/4 of the way through. Supposedly this guy was a “friend of a friend” or something like that, and obviously didn’t pan out. He hadn’t paid his league dues yet, and like I said, the auction was almost over. The league took recommendations from its members and sent out some feelers. I was lucky enough to take the spot. I had been in IDP leagues for several years, but nothing with this much “realness” to it. My first dynasty. I was a bit handcuffed; the previous owner of the team had spent a pretty penny on Daunte Culpepper (coming off a pretty solid season, but still), Brian Westbrook (a stud for sure) and Plaxico Burress (still underachieving in Pittsburgh). The rest of the team was average at best; at this point I can’t even tell you who they were, as they’re most likely not even in the NFL anymore. Yeah, ouch. Anyways, fast forward a couple of years, and my team manages to get some wins here and there. I made the mistake (or maybe not?) of drafting JaMarcus Russell with a high first rounder last year. Yeah, I drank the Kool-Aid. Unfortnately, Mr. Russell now LOOKS like the Kool-Aid guy. Undaunted, I tried my best last year, but expiring contracts and underperformance made my team one of the doormats. I landed the #2 pick in this off-season’s rookie draft, something I was pretty psyched about.

This is where I had to sit back, calm down, slow down and think a bit. Number 2 pick. That’s probably going to net me Jonathan Stewart. As much as I like Stewart as a back, I’m not exactly enamored with his situation. For one reason or another, the Panther coaching staff has not given DeAngelo Williams a shot. Maybe they give it to him, 100%, this year. If he falters, they have Stewart waiting in the wings. Or, perhaps, they run with a traditional 2-back RBBC. Either way, I don’t exactly like it. But hey, I absolutely need a franchise RB (I have Michael Turner and Selvin Young as my best two backs). So I go in feeling fine with taking Stewart, and make him the league’s #2 rookie pick. Let’s find out what happens:

1.02 – Jonathan Stewart (RB – CAR): As I indicated above, I decided to take Stewart. Just the best and right thing to do there. But then I was approached by the owner of the #6 pick. He offered me his first round pick in 2009 (his team will probably be pretty solid, so I’m thinking it’ll be in the lower third of the first round) and the #6 this year. In addition, I threw in Donald Driver (with his one-year deal) and he threw in Brandon Jones (who knows, he could pan out) and his 2nd rounder in 2009. I think I made out pretty well here. It’s all about building for the future, and I just added two very good picks next year, and I’m still picking in the top six this year. And as we all know, the RB talent runs pretty deep this year. So down to #6 I go.

Well, when I’m at #6, I’m at a bit of an impasse. RB Kevin Smith (someone I coveted and hoped would last to me at 6) went third, and WR James Hardy had jumped up to #5, leaving Matt Forte still available. I’m a fan of Forte, and a Bear fan… but something just didn’t sit right with me. Instead of taking him (or maybe Felix Jones), I offered up the pick to the Benson owner. Fortunately, he was willing to make the deal. He sat at 1.10, so I moved down four spots and moved up an entire round (from 3.13 to 2.10) for making the first round switch. Not bad; I take what’s left at #10 (still gonna be an eventual stud) and get increased value moving up a round into the 2nd.

So, with the 1.10:

1.10 – Chris Johnson (RB – TEN): Now, on first scratch, this situation is probably even less desirable than Stewart’s. But scratch a little bit harder and there appears to be more than meets the eye. Johnson is lightning in a bottle; perhaps a bit of a poor man’s Reggie Bush. Heck, some hinted that they may line the guy up at WR more than behind the QB. In any case, the Titan coaching staff plans on using Johnson a la Reggie Bush. I think this guy’s gonna be a solid RB in a PPR league. Heck, they already have Lendale White starting; someone who’s used to sharing time with a Bush-type of RB (duh). Chris Henry is rather Chris Johnson-esque, but there’s a reason the Titans used a high draft pick to get this guy. And it translates into me taking him at #10 and absolutely lovin’ it.

1.15 – Limas Sweed (WR – PIT): So far, my draft is working out brilliantly. I gained this pick through some trade (don’t even remember what/when) sometime last year. I knew at #15 that there’d be WRs and LBs ripe for the pickin’. I have a decent LB corps (Sims, Witherspoon), and my WRs are absolutely pathetic (Ike Bruce leads the group, yuck). So I go with Sweed, who I coveted. Maybe a bit of homerism (I live in Austin, TX), but this guy fits exactly with what Ben Roethlisberger wants: a big, strong, physical WR that has solid route running and is fast. Heck, Hines Ward isn’t getting any younger and is showing signs of frequent injury. Add in the fact that Santonio Holmes doesn’t fit the mold as a true #1 WR, and Sweed’s upside looks better and better. I love this pick as much as I love the Johnson pick.

2.02 – Matt Ryan (QB – ATL): Well, this was a mighty fine surprise. Ryan had been going several picks before this in most dynasty leagues of this size. As I noted earlier, I had bought into the JaMarcus Russell hype last year, and on first blush, it looks like it may not pan out. I considered going WR again, but decided to take the best value here. And what a value it is. My starting QB going into the season is David Garrard. Nothing against Garrard, who could be a competent fantasy QB, but Ryan has all the tools to become a very solid NFL and fantasy QB. Hopefully Russell will pan out, too, and I’ll pawn him (or maybe even Ryan if I’m secure with Russell) off for future picks. Again, lovin’ this draft so far.

2.10 – Ryan Torian (RB – DEN): Ah man, I guess there’s still some Kool-Aid to go around. I bought into the Denver RB hype; something you really shouldn’t do. But hey, I rolled the dice with Selvin Young last year, and that panned out pretty well. Torian, however, fits the one-cut Denver scheme a bit better, though. While I don’t have Travis Henry, I couldn’t resist another piece of the Bronco pie here. It was by far the best value at a position that tends to thin out real fast in this league. Not the sexiest pick, but I still love my draft, mainly based on my first three selections.

2.16 – DeSean Jackson (WR – PHI): Another value-based pick here. With my experience in IDPs, I’m a little shocked that I haven’t taken a defender yet, but each time my pick comes up, I’m not too terribly excited about the values. With Jackson, I gain a playmaker that could be a solid #2 WR in a couple of years. I’m not expecting him to slide up from the DTS anytime soon, but my team is sucking wind and needs young playmakers. I like this pick, despite some pundits not exactly singing his praises.

3.02 – Derrick Harvey (DE – JAC): OK, finally, a defender. This time, I considered both offense and defense, and the value was now on the IDP side. I had Harvey ranked as the #2 rookie DE, behind Howie Long’s kid. Jacksonville knows defense, and paid a pretty penny to move up to get Harvey. Sold. Harvey is a game-changer that instantly bolsters my underachieving DL. I feel pretty good about this pick, and now I have my sights set on continuing to improve my defense.

5.02 – Justin Forsett (RB – SEA): Yikes, not picking at all in the fourth really hurt. There were some tremendous values. I tried to buy my way in to the mid-to-late third or anywhere in the fourth, and it wasn’t gonna happen. So to the fifth we go, where I nabbed the Seahawks’ Justin Forsett. They just added Julius Jones as their featured back, who has had problems in the past producing in that role. I’m not saying Forsett is the answer as the featured back, but I could certainly see him in a Reggie Bush -esque type of role, catching the ball out of the backfield and making big plays. He’s a guy that I’ll stash on my DTS and pray pans out down the road. If things go my way, I’m going to have quite the glut of solid RBs.

6.01 – Aqib Talib (CB – TBB): Before his off-field issues were discovered, Talib was regarded as one of the best defenders (both NFL and fantasy wise) in this draft. Well, HC Jon Gruden is a gritty red-ass who isn’t gonna take crap from anyone, and he still felt it was a wise decision to take Talib (even though the Bucs hinted at taking local product Mike Jenkins for the same role). Talib will eventually follow Ronde Barber in that extremely productive cover-2 corner spot. This was a no-brainer pick, as I landed Barber just before the draft kicked off. Really like this pick, especially this late.

6.02 – Marcus Monk (WR – CHI): OK, don’t ask me how I got all these picks, ‘cuz honestly, I don’t know. I may have reached a bit here, but Monk’s been all over the place in the drafts I was tracking, and I wanted him. As I noted above, I thought I got serious value with Talib at 6.01, so I felt reaching a bit at the very next pick wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Monk showed flashes of brilliance in his college career, and gives a very thin Bear WR corps a big, strong and pretty fast WR. He could figure into the red zone scores from day one. In the sixth, when my WR corps is sucking wind, this was a pretty nice pick.

6.09 – DaJuan Morgan (S – KCC): Awesome. Another big-time value in the later rounds. Morgan was part of the Chiefs’ incredible draft, and is already penciled in to spend plenty of time on the field for the Chiefs’ D. With Jared Allen now in Viking purple, the Chief pass rush will be a shell of its former self, leaving the defensive backfield to make more plays. The very young Jarrad Page is slated to man the FS spot, but if he falters, a very talented Morgan is waiting in the wings. My DBs are pretty solid, so I can afford to let Morgan stew on the DTS for as long as it takes.

7.02 – Chauncey Washington (RB – JAC): At this point, Washington was the only RB left that had any value whatsoever. I considered several other avenues here, but I had pimped Washington as a deep sleeper a few times, and wanted to put my money where my mouth is. Again, this is a situational-based pick. Freddie Taylor is no stranger to the IR, and Jones-Drew is not a featured back. Should Taylor hit the IR (or heck, retire), Washington could easily slide into that role. Hey, I’ll take it in the 7th.

7.09 – Martellus Bennett (TE – DAL): YES. Another good value, and another player who will serve as a handcuff to one of my (very few) studs. I’m lucky enough to have Jason Witten as my TE, and nabbed Bennett really late. The Cowboys are enamored with Bennett’s physical yet smooth play, and could run him with Witten in two-TE sets. If nothing else, Bennett comes as a cheap injury replacement handcuff.

8.02 – Mike Jenkins (CB – DAL): As I mentioned before, the Bucs had their eye on this guy to be the incumbent to Ronde Barber in their cover-2, but they opted for Talib. Well, the Cowboys jumped on the very athletic Jenkins and I did the same. He’s already slated to figure into the nickel situation and may have significance in the return game. I have a bunch of DBs that are underachievers, and fortunately their contracts will expire soon. Hopefully with the likes of Talib and Jenkins, I’ll have a solid set of guys to move up from DTS in a couple years.

8.09 – Erin Henderson (LB – MIN): Not sure why this guy fell so far in the NFL draft, and because of that fall, he’s been falling in (and even falling out of) fantasy rookie drafts. Many outlets had Henderson ranked in the top-10 (or even top-5) of linebackers in this class. He’s a stud, pure and simple. Will the Vikes be able to use him right away? Probably not, especially with his big brother (E.J. Henderson) manning the middle and Chad Greenway on the weak side. But this is a nice value this late in the draft. Who knows what will happen with the elder Henderson and Greenway, who’s coming off a major injury.

8.10 – Dennis Dixon (QB – PIT): OK, work with me here. First off, I had targeted Andre Woodson in this spot, but he went a few picks before me. Drats. Anyways, here’s the deal: Dixon, before getting injured, was on track to figure into the Heisman race. Does that mean he’ll be a stud in the NFL and a fantasy ace? Not at all, but the guy is talented and a gifted athlete, so why not?

8.16 – Kevin Robinson (WR – KCC): Our draft’s Mr. Irrelevant may not be so irrelevant after all. The Chiefs’ WR corps is somewhat of a mess (after Dwayne Bowe, that is). Robinson and fellow wideout rookie Will Franklin only have to beat out the likes of Jeff Webb and Devard Darling for the #2 spot. Hey, as the last pick in the draft, when my WRs are simply horrible, this was a pretty solid pick.

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So that’s it, the problem child got himself a makeover and has a new lease on life. More than likely, though, he’ll struggle through the 2008 season, netting another high pick in ‘09. And with the deals made here to start this draft, I’ll have a few more high picks. With a nice young nucleus, I should be back in contention in a couple of years. Hey, no one said rebuilding was going to be easy. But to some (like me) it’s fun and challenging at the same time. Good times.

If you’re old enough to remember the old 60’s sit-com My Three Sons, you’ll remember that each of the “sons” was a different age and each had a different personality. Well, my three dynasty league teams are each at a very different stage of development, much like the “sons”, so I thought a run-down of each of my three rookie drafts would be quite interesting.

Let’s start out with the rookie draft for the newly-formed 16-team, IDP dynasty league which I had discussed in prior blog articles (for the vet draft). Now, entering this draft, I was certain that I’d have to address LB (because my veteran LB corps consists of Ray Lewis, Mike Peterson, Donnie Edwards and Mike Vrabel) and various other positions of note. Let’s take a look at my picks (I had the #4 pick):

1.04 – Matt Forte (RB – CHI): As you may recall, I traded Thomas Jones (who had slipped big-time) for Cedric Benson and the #14 rookie pick. I felt that at #14, I’d most definitely land a stud LB (my main position of concern) and the risk of taking on Benson was at a level I was comfortable with. Adding to this comfort was the fact I had the #4 pick. Many rookie draft mocks and rankings had Forte as the fourth pick or fourth-best rookie. He’s been getting rave reviews and is the obvious handcuff to Benson. Garrett Wolfe (undersized, change-of-pace back) and Adrian Peterson (consummate pro backup RB) will figure into the mix, but all signs point to Forte being the every-down back should anything happen to Benson. It was an obvious pick for me.

1.14 – Jordan Dizon (LB – DET): As I predicted, a stud LB was there for my taking at #14. Some have other rookie LBs ranked higher, but I like Dizon. I think he’ll gobble up tackles in the middle for the Lions. Yes, even with the man-beast Ernie Sims manning the weak side. Dizon was a tackling machine for the University of Colorado and a Butkus finalist. He could be the anchor of my LB corps in two years, easy.

2.04 – Ray Rice (RB – BAL): I did not plan on taking a RB here. In fact, I was targeting WR or possibly my second LB. I opted for Rice, who really fell (unexpectedly) in this draft. Rice is wildly talented and has a great chance at unseating Willis McGahee from the starting spot within a couple years. McGahee is a solid NFL back, but has injury concerns and Satan himself is McGahee’s agent. McGahee’s inked to a long-term deal, but who knows. At very least, Rice is nice trade bait. At worst, he stews on my DTS and could be a starter by year 3 or 4.

3.04 – Jamaal Charles (RB – KCC): If I was a little weary of going RB at 2.04, I was REALLY weary of going RB yet again. But at this spot, there really wasn’t much I wanted on the IDP side, the WRs I had targeted were long gone, and the QBs were not suiting my fancy. Consider this a semi-homer pick. I saw Charles run here in Austin and I was impressed. He has world-class speed and built himself into a productive running back. Not just a runner. Everyone kept saying the RBs were falling due to our unique starting roster requirements, but so what? We all know what is most important to the health of a fantasy football team: running backs. And now I have a bunch of good ones. Will I use them all? I’m guessing no, but down the road, these guys could come in very handy (injuries, trade bait, etc.).

3.10 – Brandon Flowers (CB – KCC): It was well-documented following the NFL draft that Kansas City had a tremendously successful draft. Flowers is a game-changing cornerback that can help out with run support as much as he can befuddle quarterbacks and wide receivers alike. Flowers is already penciled in to start opposite the veteran Patrick Surtain at corner for the Chiefs. I’ve stated several times that rookie corners are oftentimes sleepers in IDP redraft leagues. Even better is that he’s an outstanding tackler that will make an immediate impact on his team and on fantasy squads. With the starting requirements in this league, a stud CB was a huge add. Glad I made the move to acquire this pick.

3.14 – Tyrell Johnson (S – MIN): Not the sexiest pick, especially after I addressed DB with my pick of Flowers, but Johnson is a stud-in-waiting, and could figure into the Viking rotation very soon. He’ll hang out on my DTS for a year or two, as I feel pretty good at DB. If nothing else, he gives me insurance for my picking of Madieu Williams in the vet draft. Plus, at this point in the draft, taking the “best available” is usually an advisable strategy.

4.04 – Mike Hart (RB – IND): Gut pick, pure and simple. I think this guy is going to get playing time. He’s not going to take Joseph Addai’s spot in the starting lineup, but he could easily get important snaps. Definitely a “Tony Dungy type of guy”, Hart has heart, football savvy, and can flat-out play football. Seems overly simple, right? Again, RB is becoming a very deep position for me, but if all or some of these guys pan out, I could be holding a pretty unbeatable hand.

5.04 – Geno Hayes (LB – TBB): The plan is starting to come together nicely. I started the veteran draft knowing I was going to target older, yet still very productive LBs which were sure to fall in the draft (which worked to a tee). And then part two of this strategy was to nail down one stud rookie LB who wouldn’t spend any time on the DTS (check) and then supplement the DTS with rookie LBs with big time upside. Hayes fits that description. Some say he’s a spitting image of Derrick Brooks on the field, and could be his primary backup in Tampa’s cover-2. And since Brooks is on the cusp of collecting Social Security, Hayes could slide into one of the most productive IDP spots in a year or two. Very happy with this pick, and in fact, had a bunch of trade offers trying to pry him away from me after the pick was made. Sa-weet!

5.07 – Jonathan Goff (LB – NYG): Goff wasn’t who I initially wanted to be the 2nd LB on my DTS, but he’ll do. Goff’s third on the depth chart in the middle for the Giants, behind only Chase Blackburn. Blackburn, at best, is a capable backup/situational player, but doesn’t have the upside of Goff. He’s big, strong and physical. The more I read on him, the more I like him.

5.16 – Martin Rucker (TE – CLE): Cleveland’s taking of Rucker got me thinking. Winslow, Jr. is not exactly the most responsible cat on the planet and has shown a penchant for getting hurt on and off the field. Plus there are some “character issues” that linger with him. All in all, it looked like the Browns were pulling a CYA (cover your …) here, so I had expected the Winslow owner to do the same, maybe a round earlier. With a decent lot of TEs on the active roster, it wasn’t entirely necessary to grab a TE here, but I thought the value was solid. Especially with the Browns already saying they’re going to run 2-TE sets with Winslow and Rucker.

6.04 – Harry Douglas (WR – ATL): At this point, only a few rookie WRs worth anything were left on the board, so I grabbed the best available. Douglas has been getting absolutely no love after being drafted by the Falcons. Why? Have you seen his college stats? Perhaps people think they’re inflated due to where he played (and who he played against), but the fact remains: he’s a crisp route runner with terrific hands… reminding some of a certain Marvin Harrison. Hey, in the 6th round of a rookie draft, I’ll take it.

6.09 – Quentin Demps (S – PHI): Having already traded for this pick, I had to just go with the “best available”. Nothing on the offensive side of the ball was looking all too appetizing, so I opted for the best IDP on my board. Demps has the pedigree, and is in line for a productive (at least fantasy-wise) spot for the Eagles. He’s backing up the ancient Brian Dawkins at FS. At very worst, I’ll stash Demps on my DTS. In a few years, I could have a real productive set of DBs.

6.14 – Stanford Keglar (LB – TEN): Added this pick to my draft mix as well, as I felt there were tremendous values to be had at this point in the draft. As for Keglar, he’s another guy with terrific measurable stats who is in line to take over at a position that has been traditionally extremely productive in terms of fantasy football. Some are projecting him to serve as a backup to Keith Bulluck, who has been a fantasy stud for many years.

7.04 – Thomas DeCoud (S – ATL): I’m already real deep at DB, but I couldn’t ignore a guy with position flexibility (can play either safety spot) who’s already penciled in to get significant playing time on a defense that’s sure to yield plenty of yards, thereby making their IDPs very attractive to fantasy owners. As I’ve stated earlier, if nothing else, I can stash him on DTS in hopes that he turns into a starter, both on the NFL and fantasy sides. More trade bait, perhaps.

8.04 – Josh Morgan (WR – SF): With my final pick, I grabbed my second rookie WR. Morgan will most likely have trouble making the team, but he hails from Virginia Tech, which consistently has one of college football’s best special teams units. Morgan could make waves on the Niners’ special teams and work his way up in the WR rotation, especially since the Niner WRs are nothing to write home about.

So that’s it, my first rookie draft of the off-season. When it was all said and done, I felt pretty good. I backed up Benson with a young stud RB, got some great RB values, and completed my strategy with my LBs. I got great depth at DB and got a few other values. One glaring omission from my rookie draft (and vet draft too) is a backup QB. I’m hoping to land something in free agency (unlikely) or by trade (I have the pieces to move). Not that I will ever use any other QB (I have Brady) except for the bye week, but still. Check back later in the week or early next week for a look at my second “son”.

Last week, I talked about some of my monumental failures and successes concerning my dynasty team. This week I would like to talk about a player that doesn’t get enough pub, and that is Cincinnati Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh. This guy is fantasy gold.

I inherited Housh in my dynasty mini-draft 2 seasons ago. The decision to draft him was one of the better moves I have made. It’s gold Jerry, GOLD!

I like to draft players that are consistent. And when you look up consistent in the football dictionary there is a picture of T.J. Houshmandzadeh. (Well actually there is a picture of Tomlinson, but Housh would be in the WR version)

Here is a look at his weekly PPR point totals from last season, rounded down to nearest whole number:

20, 26, 32, 26, 34, 15, 21, 14, 10, 22, 13, 9, 14, 11, 10

Granted, those playoff weeks were a bit of a bummer, but he definitely helped me get there. And if you included stats from the years ‘05 and ‘06, Housh had only 4 games under 13 points in those seasons (though he did miss two games in each).

So in total over the last 3 seasons, during the 16 week fantasy schedule, Housh has scored under 13 points only 8 times. 42 games. If my math is correct, Housh will give you good to great games more than 4 of every 5. And his bad games are 10 points so even when he is bad, he is not disasterous.

I want a team full of players like that.

But Housh and his kind eventually start getting expensive in fantasy terms. It takes the fantasy community awhile to come around on some guys. Brian Westbrook was like that. I drafted him in the 9th round before his breakout year. 3rd or 4th round after. And then still managed to snag him on several teams late in the first round as late as last season. This year Westbrook finally is and will be drafted where he belongs, in the top 5. Westbrook for the first season in many, probably will not be a big bargain.

And the same might hold true for Housh. He has been pushed into the 2nd round of most drafts. So the days of getting a WR 1 value with a WR2 pick are over with this guy.

But it was fun while it lasted.

In any case, I would have no problem rolling with T.J. as my number 1. Though his price will be higher this season, it unlikely you will get anyone outside of Moss or Wayne that will give you those steady numbers week to week.

Houshmandzadeh is well worthy of his new and improved lofty fantasy draft status, and worthy of asking for more money. He might not get it, but if any Bengals player deserves it, he does. Rock on Housh!!

As I start to shake off the dust from another “off-season” and prepare for a new fantasy football marathon, (It is only May, and I proclaim the “off-season” over…how sick is that?) I begin my yearly quest with a look back at the past. I read over some of my blogs from last year, and I notice that some of them were really good, and some were not so good. And the same goes with my fantasy football decisions last season.

For instance, before last season in my dynasty league I decided that I needed an upgrade at tight end. And I needed more muscle on my team overall. I got lucky. Last summer, not long after Mike Vick was accused of his wrong-doings, I worked a deal to trade Alge Crumpler, Mark Clayton, and Tarvaris Jackson for Antonio Gates. Stud grand theft.

It looks worse now than it did then, because at that moment in time the trade did not appear quite as lopsided as it does now. Crumpler had been steady. Clayton was coming off a breakout season of sorts and appeared on the rise. And Jackson was a starting quarterback. And in a league that hordes quarterbacks like there is no tomorrow, even a bad starting quarterback is worth a roster spot.

I just didn’t feel good about any of them. I was right.

But on the other side of the coin we have the Ryan Grant fiasco. Yes, I had the inclination to pick him up off waivers in week 2. And I held him. Right up until after week 6. He had done nothing so far though, and I had some sort of pressing bye week need need that I can’t recall right now, and the Packers were on a bye in week 7. Surely I could put him out on waivers and get him right back after his bye week.

I could sneak him through. I was wrong.

I let the most valuable player off the waiver wire last season slip right through my fingers. For the Packers decided at the precise moment I put him on the waiver wire, that he was the savior at running back.

Patience my son. Patience.

I will be paying for that one for just about as long as I will be reaping rewards from the Gates deal. Those two critical moves were a zero sum game.

And you do not have the luxury of floundering about like that in a league where your division is won yearly by a team with a starting lineup that consists of Carson Palmer, Tomlinson, S. Jax, A. Peterson, Steve Smith, Andre Johnson, Roy Williams, and Kellen Winslow. That is a murderers row my friends. I challenge you to submit a better lineup from any of your leagues. Absolutely the best I have ever seen.

But that all star team still hasn’t won a championship.

That’s right. That team has lost in the championship game 3 years in a row. He blows the league away in points scored every season, but he just can’t win the big one.

There are no guarantees. There is no sure thing. There is instinct. There is patience. There is luck. The right combination of those can win you a championship.

My instincts are pretty sharp. My patience is a little too thin. And my luck is…well, I’d really rather not talk about that.

Just thought I would let you in on my pre-season self analysis…er self loathing that is.

But a new season is creeping up on us. We must shed ourselves of the sins of the past. For there will be other Ryan Grants. There is a Ryan Grant almost every season. Ahh, per chance to dream…

In dynasty leagues in particular, right now is a great time to put your instincts to work. Take a look at your league rosters. There are guys on rosters that have underperformed. In some cases the owners have held onto these players for years with no appreciable return. Maybe they are ready to bail. Maybe you think their guys is about to bust out. Why not try and get him?

Every year there are players that rise from the muck and finally live up to their potential. Plucking one of those, and his owner in the process gives you a special feeling.

Almost as special as having some dumbass drop you Ryan Grant on waivers, just before he bursts on the scene as a legitimate fantasy option. Almost as special…

Our next “Diamond in the Rough” Is the Broncos’ Josh Barrett. Barrett hails from Arizona St., where he had a bit of a down senior season after a very good junior campaign. Barrett’s size and measurable stats are definite pluses. Scouts feared that he could be just a “workout warrior” with some desire issues, though. But if you can grab Barrett late in your rookie drafts, he could pan out as a sleeper in a few years. John Lynch is ancient, and the only other safeties of note on the Bronco roster are average at best.

With some help from the very capable Bronco defensive coaches, Barrett could refine his footwork and become a solid safety in the league.

Some more info on Barrett