It's Fantasy Football Draft Season!!!

Very few things get the three exclamation points from me. At most, I usually give a sarcastic single exclamation point for things that aren't really exciting. But let me tell you--fantasy football draft season deserves three exclamation points!!!

I like to compile my own rankings with statistics from various internet sources. So far I've had trouble actually doing the kicker and defense rankings. I figure it's in kickers and defense that FFB mags make their money. Most of us can figure out which skill position players to draft, even the obscure late-rounders. But good fantasy kickers and defenses are often not those that you'd think. But I am ready to tackle my rankings.

I'm also ready to make outrageous claims about who I'll be drafting (my poor finish last season netted me the #2 pick this season--so far, I've claimed I'll be drafting a Viking QB with that pick. I've got a little over two months to space out the rest of my ridiculous claims).

Once my rankings are done, all that's left is to try to glean information from the other acquaintances in the fantasy league (they're actually my friends, but you don't want to be too close during this subterfuge period) beforehand, and try to fake people out with crazy claims that sound half-way reasonable so that people might actually think they're true ("I'm really high on David Givens. I like the potential of what he could do in Norm Chow's offense"). I also try to mix in some real claims with the ridiculous ones so that people will think that the real claims are mixed in with the ridiculous ("I like Aaron Brooks, Peyton Manning, and Charlie Frye at QB this year"), then you have to confuse people further, wondering if you were trying to give truths as lies mixed in lies ("At least one Jets' WR has to step up." "I can't wait to find out who is starting at RB for the Colts, because he'll put up the same numbers as Edge." "What do you think of Byron Leftwich as a starting QB option?")

I'm glad the months preceding the Fantasy Football Draft include little else to focus on--it's a sports season in and of itself that requires full dedication and concentration. That's what my mind is on now. It's the best time of the year.

(By the way, I figure this is the year that T.J. Duckett really steps up into a dominant goal-line back. I'm also excited about what Donte Stallworth can do with Drew Brees throwing to him. I'm not sure Larry Johnson can live up to expectations--there's a new offensive system, Richardson is gone, and that line is getting old.)

In the past, I've been suckered into drafting Viking players too high (or paying too much when we do the auction). During Randy Moss's golden years, that didn't hurt me. Last year, it crashed bigtime. I leave it to the rubes to wonder whether I'll stick with the Vikes in FFB or avoid them until the later rounds.

(Though it will be hard to avoid Travis Taylor--I think he's the WR who will benefit from Childress's offense the most).