Fantasy Baseball Weekly Update: Showing the father-in-law the ropes

I tend to agree with the theory that dumping a player in fantasy a few games into a 162-game season is lunacy. I'm in two leagues this year, and I did not pay attention to baseball nor play fantasy baseball last year, so I really have no idea who's good or bad.

In the league I set up, we have six teams. That makes the waiver wire so full of talent that there is no reason to reach or project on a player. You should have a stud at every position.

Here's an example: In last Sunday's eight-team draft, I had to leave and the draft had passed the 15th round. I needed a 3B but it was obvious that everyone else in the league had drafted one. I waited and got Aramis Ramirez in the 16th round. He'll be fine for me.

The first league has my heart, or at least about 1% of it, while league number two is just because my friend Don asked me to join. In week one of this league, which is like a week and a half, I had three guys go on the DL and one lose his appendix but not go on the DL. I consider that high so early in the season. I created a no-bench league but smartly planned on five DL slots. I may fill all those slots eventually.

I didn't realize that Chase Utley had a half-season injury. I had to scramble and pick up Gordon Beckham, who's been really good. I knew that Brad Lidge would be out for a while so I picked up Joe Nathan as a replacement. So far, so good. My final move was to pick up Edwin Jackson when Ubaldo Jimenez injured a cuticle. It sounds like the kind of injury you get when you get a pedicure. NFL guys do not miss games due to cuticles.

After saying that beating my first-week opponent would be like beating an infant at chess, the gauntlet was thrown. I'm up 8-2, but things change quickly in the wild world of fantasy baseball.

League two drafted last Sunday. We don't officially start until Monday, which is the beginning of "week two". Sorry Phil Hughes, but I heard twice on Twitter that your velocity is down. I trust Twitter. I dropped Madison Bumgarner pretty much sight unseen to pick up Jordan Walden, who I hear should close for the Angels. I have no idea. I figured with ten pitcher slots that I could get an edge on my opponents by trying to get four closers.

The funniest part of league two was my father-in-law. I tried to get him into league one, but it took him so long to sign up that by the time he set up a Yahoo account, it was too late. I got him in the second league and it took half a dozen Facebook messages to tell him how to log into the league. It's a pretty easy setup for the first-timer to fantasy since the computer drafted for him and there's no bench so he doesn't have to fiddle with the lineup. Honestly, all he would need to do is put guys on the DL. I would assume at least four messages to get him through that process. Perhaps with some people, it is too late to teach them the basics of an online fantasy league. I'll be entertained if nothing else.