Fantasy World

Changing gears, I have never had great luck in fantasy sports league, be it baseball or football.

This season is the second straight year that a handful of us at Applebee's are participating in a football league, ran by friend, Buddy. Last season I finished 7-9, had no receiving corps, or rushing game last season... Julio Jones started off slow, Minnesota's D was good early on for me, as was Phillip Rivers was, but by season's end it was a gigantic slide.

My Gotham City Rogues entered 2017 looking for redemption.

This year, everything has been going strong for me (hopefully I am not jinxing myself with this post). My biggest problem seems to be deciding which quarterback to start between Kirk Cousins (WAS), Jameis Winston (TB) & my Week 3 signing of Carson Wentz (PHI).

My receiving corps is pretty solid with my top two receivers A.J. Green (CIN) & DeAndre Hopkins (HOU), while Rishard Matthews (TEN) will be in the third starting WR slot for Week 5 for Terrell Pryor (WAS) who finally woke up this week, but is on a 'bye' week & overall has been a disappointment for me.

Entering Week 5, Gotham ranked third.

My running back & top overall pick, Le'Veon Bell (PIT) just rushed for 144 yards & two TD's to help my team to a whopping 114.78 - 48.62 Week 4 victory. I actually forgot to start the Bears' Jordan Howard in the lopsided victory, his teammate Tarik Cohen got the nod for me, so that was 8 more points I could have had. My 4th running back, Isaiah Crowell (CLE) has been declining in performance the last couple weeks, and may be finding himself on the chopping block eventually, but then again, that depends what the cut is for... having Crowell as my 4th worst rushing option is a luxury that some other team (even contending competition) would love to add.

The record book after Week 4, it would get updated again in Week 5.

I even thought about going for the Houston Texans' rookie QB Deshaun Watson, just for that purpose, but having 4 QB's seems to be a bit ludicrous.

Actually after I just finished typing the above sentence, I made a waiver bid, and acquired him, which led to me offering him & Rishard Matthews to the Big Ballers fantasy team in exchange for WR-Antonio Brown & Kevin Williams. At first, I never thought he would bite, but the deal was approved and went through & the league voted it through as well.

So now I have a three-headed hydra in A.J. Green, Antonio Brown & DeAndre Hopkins at wide receiver.... that's just nuts!

My WR hydra's totals entering Week 6...

• A.J. Green (CIN) - 66.40 points, 32 rec, 504 yards & 3 TD.
• DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) - 66.30 points, 35 rec, 363 yards, 5 TD
• Antonio Brown (PIT) - 60.50 points, 40 rec, 545 yards, TD

We would go on and slaughter Downtown Brown's Team, 125.26 - 44.90, breaking the single-season margin mark that I just set the previous week at 80.36... So I outscored my last two opponents a combined 240.04 - 93.52 (146.52 margin) -- Did I mention the two teams that I whooped are a married couple?

I noticed the previous week, that the last couple weeks I was bleeding potential points in having the Ravens' defense & their kicker Justin Tucker, so I happened to get the Rams' kicker Greg Zuerlein, while falling short on getting Buffalo's defense. Baltimore is still my primary defense at the moment, I did pick of the Detroit Lions defense, they'll be backup this week, while they have a 'bye' next week.

It won't all be easy, although it has gone really well up to this point, I have to do some juggling with my lineups. Week 9, I will have my receiver Antonio Bryant, and all 3 of my mainstay running backs on 'bye's at the same time, while in Week 10, both of my tight ends have a 'bye' at the same time along with QB Carson Wentz.

By the way, after my Week 4 whooping on Sara's Team, this is what the fantasy football site wrote afterwards...

Really?!?! Really, Yahoo Sports? "Free Fallin' like Tom Petty" in regards to her team?
Too soon, we miss you very much Tom!