by Riley Bauling
Daily Lobo
I'm convinced fantasy football was not only started by a genius, but is the best thing to hit this country since sliced bread.
The thought of having millions of dollars to use as you please is reason enough to hop on the fantasy football bandwagon. Choosing players for your team is more than an act of expression, it's an art form.
When it came to selecting my minions - you can use terms like that when you are the general manager of a team - I began with running backs. Although Priest Holmes, as his name indicates, is Jesus reincarnate, his price tag is bit too steep for my frugal managerial style. I opted for a productive workhorse in Shaun Alexander of the Seahawks. Alexander is the epitome of consistency. No one other than the godly Holmes has averaged more touchdowns over the last three seasons.
When it came to choosing my second back, I was a bit skeptical. Running backs are the key to success in the SportingNews league my soon-to-be-demoralized editor Phil and I will be competing in, because of the points for yardage and loss of points for fumbles.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Last year, Tiki Barber burned me with his astounding capacity to fumble everything he touched and the scars are still far from healed.
So, after avoiding Barber like a bout of herpes, I went for Kevan Barlow of the rebuilding-is-an-understatement San Francisco 49ers as my second back. He was a 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown rusher last year. However, this year's offense, without Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens will be, quite frankly, nonexistent. I'm a bit worried for them, if you could tell.
David Carr and Byron Leftwich head my quarterback corps. Leftwich can make things happen, and that's enough reason for me to think if Fred Taylor makes opposing teams play some run defense, Leftwich has the potential to do more damage than the dinosaur he replaced in Mark Brunell.
Carr was about as harmless as a bar of soap last year. However, for some reason - call it a vision or a matured Andre Johnson at receiver - I think Carr can produce better than his 19-touchdown and 28-interception 2003 season.
I picked Peerless Price up at receiver because of the obvious facts that Michael Vick is throwing passes to him, and his name is Peerless. The aforementioned Andre Johnson of the Texans is my second receiver because of his natural gifts of height and speed - and the fact that I had been deliberating over which receiver to take for a shade under a decade. To say the least, it was time to wrap it up.
With precious few dollars left on my payroll - that's right, my payroll - I reluctantly chose the Washington Redskins defense. They have Lavarr Arrington and I'd go on except there's nothing to go on about.
That's the team, folks. The applause can wait till after the season.
by Phil Parker
Daily Lobo
As champion of my fantasy league last year, I know how satisfying it can be to take down a fleet of your buddies in what has become an obsession for many fans.
My beloved Browns fell well short of the Super Bowl, yet the last season of NFL football was maybe the most exciting of my life. I eagerly checked every Monday to make sure my lead was maintained, and games I normally wouldn't give a spit about were suddenly much more exciting.
I wanted my guys - some on teams I hate - to have career stats every game, and I desperately wanted the players on my friends' teams to suffer horrible injuries that would end their seasons.
Well, football is finally back, and it's time to pick another winning lineup. I'm no flash-in-the-pan champion like the Ravens or the Buccaneers. I'm thinking dynasty here, and I'll be taking down Riley and whoever else wants a piece.
Here's the plan:
On the SportingNews site we've set up for this column, running backs are the key - rushing yards are twice as good as passing, and interceptions are costly. In a draft league I would put LaDanian Tomlinson at the top. The guy had 100 catches last year as a running back. That's insane, and so would be putting anybody else at No. 1 on the list.
Ahman Green would be my No. 2, even though he fumbles like he's carrying a greased watermelon, and Priest Holmes would be three.
But budget is the thing in these cap leagues, and considering the prices of SportingNews players, I gotta go with Shaun Alexander, a steal at just under $8 million - compared with $11 million for LT. Also considering prices, Corey Dillon looks like a bargain as well at $5.5 million.
At quarterback I'm going to have to pass on my favorite fantasy guy, Dante Culpepper. My team rode him like a Clydesdale last season, but he's just too expensive. Jeff Garcia was MVP of my first Madden 2005 franchise season, so he's the pick. Number two on my team is the super-sleeper pick of the year, Byron Leftwich. Great in college, he's about to become a much better pro.
Receiver is where you've got the best chance of nabbing a sleeper - remember Anquan Boldin?ˇI'm going with Ashley Lelie of Denver with high hopes Rod Smith starts regressing, and Josh Reed, a solid No. 2 on Buffalo who's also super cheap.
On defense, I take the Browns, the fifth-worst rated choice in the league. Hopefully all those number one draft picks finally start causing more headaches for opposing teams than they do for us sad and lonely Cleveland fans.
And hopefully I'll be mopping the floor with Riley and anyone else who dares take me on. Balling Till He's Falling will soon be bawlin' till he's fallin'. See you in fantasy land.
