Various objects of fantasy

How do I keep up with my fantasy leagues? Here are my teams and their stati (plural for statuses).

Zealots 17: Rookie draft is over. Free agency/auctions are active but I already have a maxed out roster at 60 guys. My team is set. I have to drop seven guys before the season starts.

Zealots 34: Rookie draft is over. Free agency/auctions are active. I have 59 players so I can pick up one more guy. Even if I pick up one more guy he has to survive the cut-down to 53 players. Every trade I’ve made in the offseason has netted me extra players, so it’s going to be hard to hold onto a new acquisition.

AUFL: My likely keepers are Jake Plummer, Edgerrin James, and Randy Moss. I traded my third-rounder for Moss. I need to draft really well.

AUBL (Yahoo baseball): There’s something worse than a sucky team. There’s a really mediocre team. I tend to forget to change my starting pitchers on time.

GDR (Buckhead Green Sox): This is the contract/auction dynasty league. My 7-1 start was tempered by league-wide malaise. There’s an option to fire-sale your team after a bad year. Nearly half the league voted for fire sales. There’s no penalty to do so, and you get to start from scratch with all contacts and players wiped out. I have 14 guys signed on for $93 million next year, so I’ll have to get lucky and fill my roster with scrubs.

Here are the events going on in my leagues at the same time. In reaction to the firesale hysteria, my friend the Commish decided to start a new league. It’s a 12-team league with the same rules. The Free Agent Blitz starts tomorrow. A week from Thursday the minor league draft starts in both leagues. I need long-term help at 2B, SP, and OF with the Green Sox. I can build my new team, the Second City Swatters, any way I choose.

I have started a football mock draft for Sports Outlaw. Yes, I’m on a new fantasy site's staff. I got the 11th overall pick, and with it I took Mr. Consistency, Peyton Manning. He was overpriced last year in the first half of the first round but I love him near the turn. I got Willis McGahee in round two. I don’t think that I’ll draft a crazy squad.

Even though I don’t know any of the players, a World Cup fantasy team might be fun. It might be fun if teams scored more than two goals a game. I’m considering adjusting my work schedule so I can at least see the U.S. games.

Love them Sox

The White Sox started the season 1-4 and have been 19-5 since. What's strange about their season is that they've lost three games to the Royals. Yep, the Sox are 4-3 against the Royals this year so far. What's impressive about the Sox so far is that they're winning despite terrible production from the leadoff and number nine holes. Scott Podsednik's average is up to .264, and he leads the team with eight stolen bases. I don't know if he'll be the LF to open 2007. Brian Anderson is batting .141 in center, and uber backup Rob Mackowiak is batting .192. I can see why the Pirates let Mackowiak go. He's versitale and can play multiple positions but his hitting is sub-par. Cliff Politte and Jon Garland have seen precipitous falls from their 2005 production. Garland has to be worried since last year was his career outlier and he turned down a long-term offer from the Sox. One of the five starting pitchers is gone at the end of the year (and perhaps before the trading deadline).

What's somewhat shocking is that the Tigers are .5 games out and are tied for the second best record in the major leagues. Maybe managing does make the difference. The Marlboro Man, otherwise known as Jim Leyland, has been excellent so far. Perhaps they're the 2005 version of the Baltimore Orioles, who led their division until July then sunk like a stone.

In the Titans' rookie minicamp, Vince Young looked somewhat shaky. Remember that he was playing with a group of guys who for the most part are going to be watching NFL football this fall. I'm intrigued with Johnathan Orr as a wideout. He's been compared to Justin McCareins (that would be the 2003 version). It's obvious that Tyrone Calico is all but cut, so maybe Orr is the deep threat the team needs.

With the 11th pick in the 2006 zealots 17 rookie draft, I took Brian Calhoun. Vince Young went one pick in front of me. With the 11th pick in the second round, I got Greg Jennings. The league I commish is going to try a live rookie draft next Sunday night. That should be a fun experience. I have the number four pick overall and I wonder if I should go with Addai or LenDale White. When I see Addai I think of Julius Jones, who I took number two overall in a rookie draft two years ago. I took opportunity over talent with that pick. I think White has the talent but Addai may have the opportunity. With a deeper team, you have to go with talent every time.

Draft thoughts

I’m fine with the Titans taking Vince Young at number three. I’m not fine with them dumping his ‘father figure’ in Steve McNair. It makes no sense to start the year with Billy Volek or Matt Mauck (double yikes) at quarterback. That’s the one piece of the puzzle that probably means Fisher and/or Reese are gone at the end of the year. Why put your team back together without a seasoned quarterback? Don’t start me on the Kerry Collins rumors.

I think Vince Young will be able to figure out the difficult center-to-quarterback exchange. His throwing motion won’t be an issue, since all quarterbacks get balls knocked down. The issue of him having less-than-stellar arm strength should be moot with the Titans dink-and-dunk offense. There’s no reason to rush him, other than fans are losing interest with nine wins in the past two years and the coaching staff might completely change in 2007 if they don’t contend for a playoff spot. No quarterback deserves that kind of pressure.

I love the selection of LenDale White in the second round. Hey, look, the Titans picked a guy who actually played in Norm Chow’s offensive system! When the Titans have a third and two this year, I won’t automatically head to the restroom because of the inevitable punt. Chris Brown and Travis Henry (remember when he started over Willis McGahee?) have taken notice. Jarrett Payton and Damien Nash might want to look into finishing their college degrees. I did like that the Titans traded down and still got a good player.

Fourth-round pick Calvin Lowry looks like a special-teams pick. He returned punts in college and was a part-time starter at SS. The Titans did need another safety. Stephen Tulloch and Terna Nande were outside linebackers in college. They are special-teams fodder. Fifth-round selection Jesse Mahelona is a developmental project.

I’m not sure why, after drafting three guys last year and picking David Givens up in the offseason, the Titans felt like they needed another wideout. Jonathan Orr must have been a great value at his draft slot. I guess it’s a good thing that most second-day picks look like special-teams guys. Cortland Finnegan of Samford is a fast free safety who might return kicks. Spencer Toone has a shot because he’s projected as a middle linebacker, and the Titans don’t really have an ideal fit at that position. The selection of Quinton Ganther means that Troy Fleming shouldn’t buy any real estate in Nashville. It’s a good idea to open up the fullback spot for competition because Fleming isn’t a blocker and his pass-catching ability is moderate at best.

I thought the Titans could use some OL and CB depth, but unlike every other draft columnist I won’t pretend to know how these guys will do.



I just heard a radio interview with Falcons second-round selection Jimmy Williams, and I have to say he must be really talented. He comes off as another no-fault spoiled college athlete. I didn’t know that he bumped into an official before the Gator Bowl. From his account, it must have been the wind or the trash-talking of the Louisville players that knocked him into the ref. Is there a new Constitutional Amendment against admitting fault ever?

In terms of pure talent, getting a 6’3 corner into the Falcons lineup is huge. That was a good trade-up. He also likes that Atlanta “has a lot of black people”. Yes, that’s a quote.

I have two rookie drafts coming up, and I need to start cramming for the big exam. My picks are like this:

Z17: 1.11, 2.11, 3.11, 4.12, 5.11, 6.11

As you can see, I did well in that league. I’m in need of WR and QB help, so I might actually get a decent guy at 1.11. I doubt Leinart or Young drops to 1.11, so maybe I should trade up. I’m not excited about Holmes or Jackson at WR, since both Pittsburgh and New England are run-first teams.

Z34: 1.04, 2.05, 2.07, 3.03, 3.04, 4.04, 6.04

At 1.04 I either get the top QB or the 4th running back. If I have to choose between Leinart/Young/LenDale/Addai I might tilt. If D Williams or L Morency drop to 1.04, that’s my pick. I have tons of quarterbacks, so I don’t need Leinart or Young. The potential stud factor is a lot. If I could get value in a trade (two first rounders), then I might do that. I need LB and DE depth and that’s where I’m probably going with my 3rd round picks.

Isn’t it interesting that the Texans had a day to screen a jersey with Mario Williams’ new jersey number, and they didn’t? The fact that Vince Young was the only player in the first round with his actual jersey number ready is interesting.