The Experience

In my fantasy league, we start two RBs and two WRs, but you have the option to replace a second RB with a 3rd WR. People have done it occasionally, but nobody has really done it for a year. In 2006 I was about to change all that.

Due to trades and bizarre circumstances, my first four picks were Clinton Portis, Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, and Steve Smith. It looked like I was going to be going with a pretty strong 1 RB, 3 WR lineup.

Then injuries happened. In week one, Clinton Portis and Steve Smith were replaced with Tatum Bell and Thomas Jones.

And now, in week two, it looks again like neither Portis nor Smith will be in the lineup.

But in week 2, I'll be bringing the experiment back, with a lineup featuring...ugh...Tatum Bell at RB, with Moss, Harrison, and (rube cred!) Troy Williamson at WR.

Now, why do I bore you with talk of my fantasy team? Because there's another interesting point of seeing Portis and Smith out weeks one and two. You see, I love the Vikings. I hate starting fantasy players against the Vikings because I'm clearly rooting for the players to get shut out...yet there's some part of me inside that has a little happiness if they do well. I don't like that; it just sort of makes me sick.

Well, in week one the Vikes played the Redskins...with Portis going about half the game. The Vikes won; could they have won against a Redskin team featuring Portis full time at full strength? I don't know. But my fantasy team struggles were clearly overwhelmed by Viking joy.

Now, in week two the Vikes play the Panthers...probably without Steve Smith. If Steve Smith were playing, the Panthers would probably be favored in this game (well, technically they are favored). But the Panthers are not only without the only man on their offense that scares anybody and the man who utterly destroyed the Vikes last year, they'll be without their starting MLB, LT, and probably C. The Vikes can and should win this game (it is in the Dome). So once again, my beloved Vikings get to face a significantly weakened team playing without one of my fantasy team's featured stars.

And you know what I say to this?

GREAT!

Not only do I get to skip any anxiety associated with a fantasy player going against the Vikings (benching the player doesn't really help--it just makes you feel like a tool if that player does well), but the Purple get to face a second team without their dynamic offensive star. I'll sacrifice The Experience to the Vikings, oh, pretty much every moment of my life.

(BTW, have you ever Google Image Searched "Fantasy Football"? The first several pages feature a lot of skimpily clad women for some reason. There are also a few cats. The whole exercise turned me off of including a pic with this post).

Anyway, enjoy week two people. Except for Packer and Bear fans.