Fantasy Football and NFL News, Rumors and Injury Updates

Strategy: Welcome Aboard!

September 7, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Kenneth Humphrey
Edited by Cory J. Bonini

Welcome back, fantasy owners. We've survived the depths of another offseason, speculated ad nauseam about our favorite teams, their upgrades and hung onto each tidbit of information that comes through KFFL's Hot off the Wire.

Now, there's nothing else to do but lace 'em up and get playing.

This article is targeted for you newer owners who may be in your freshmen or sophomore year. Hopefully you learned a few tricks and habits from last season, but if not, below are some simple primer tips to help you succeed against your competition. Some may be more serious than others.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Hopefully you have just had your draft or have one coming up within the next couple of days. Leagues that hold drafts early in training camp often leave owners scrambling after cutdowns are made. It is important to stay abreast of team activities and breaking news as your draft approaches. Take Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Koren Robinson. He was slated to be the No. 1 receiver in Vikingland. Yet an off-field incident led to his eventual release. Owners who followed this story knew to stay away as news coming out of Minnesota predicted he would not be wearing the purple in 2006.

MERELY A FLESH WOUND

Injuries are part of the game, and truly are what defines a skilled owner from the rest. You cannot predict when or what kind of injuries will arise. Houston Texans running back Domanick Davis (knee) was put on Injured Reserve over the Labor Day weekend, ending his 2006 season before it even started. Yet, for anyone who paid attention, this should not have come as startling news. The reports from the Texans' training camp had centered around the health of his knee and an increased workload for backup running backs. Savvy owners may have gambled and picked Davis, but they covered their bets by also picking up rookie running back Wali Lundy in the late rounds. Other owners may have just gambled. Which brings us to...

SMILE AND WAIVE

The waiver wire. Get used to it; make friends. If you never used it last year and still had success in your league, run out right now and purchase a lottery ticket, because you have some serious mojo going. For other mere mortal owners, the waiver wire represents opportunity. Do not view it simply as a fallback to replace the Dominick Davis' of the world. Use it as a tool to shore up your team and tweak your lineup. For instance, some owners will jockey around the non-skill players on their team (i.e. defenses and kickers) in order to take advantage of good matchups. There may only be a few points gained by doing so, but then again, there will be games you win and lose by just a few points this season. Think about it.

HEY, HEY GOOD-BYE

This trips up novice owners every year. Too many players sitting in the same week, especially since the NFL has gone to the compressed BYE scheduling format. Ideally you checked players against their respective byes during your league draft, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. There might have been a player who slipped several spots and you just couldn't pass him up. Here again is where the waiver wire comes in handy. Find someone who can fill in for a week and preserve some of your point potential. What about the stud players, you say? What if you managed to snag both Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Cadillac Williams and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker? Wouldn't it be insane to drop one just because they are both on BYE during Week 4? In a word: Absolutely. That brings us to one of more enjoyable aspects to fantasy gaming...

LET'S TALK TRADE

OK, so maybe the previous scenario was a little hokey, but it served a purpose and that purpose was to segue into trade talk. Novices can get taken to the bank when it comes to trading with more experienced owners, so don't be one of those guys. If you really need to move a player, propose a trade. Make sure you do your homework. Check things like point averages, upcoming schedule, team situation and other factors that could impact your targeted player. A word of caution though: As the trade proposer, you are automatically at a disadvantage in terms of bargaining power. After all, you are the one in need of a player. You may have to throw in another player in a two-for-one swap. There are too many variables in multi-player trades to give concrete examples, but the above advice still rings true. When it's all said and done, you should receive similar production for the player you acquired; that player should benefit your team.

TALK IS CHEAP

But, man, is it ever fun. We're talking now about message boards for online leagues. Smack it up, owner boy! Trash on your Week 1 opponent. Make fun of the guy who drafted (then) Denver Broncos running back Ron Dayne. Spell Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshman...Howshminzah...Houshyourdaddy, over and over just to show you can. However, be prepared to take as ye give. Unless you run the table during the season, there will be some chances for others to potshot you. Stand strong and remember 'tis better to give than receive!

There you have it. Short, sweet and to the point. None of the above tips are earth-shattering secrets of the trade, but it's surprising how often owners stray from the fundamentals, even long time players. No matter how good you get in fantasy gaming, these basic principles should be remembered. Some might even say sticking with these tenets made them a successful owner. In any event, welcome to the 2006 NFL season and may it be a good one for you.