Fantasy Football Fever; Catch It

Ryan Rigdon, staff writer

Ok, the time is finally here.  After waiting for what seems like an eternity, football fans can finally get back to their favorite recliners and their beverage of choice while watching and waiting to see whether the players they started will outperform their opponents. 

Yes, that is right, the players they started.  Fantasy football has exploded onto the scene as a football fan’s wildest dreams come true.  With the ability to have complete control from draft day to the playoffs, fantasy football offers it all. 

If you have yet to experience the thrill of coaching your own football team, there are a few quick things you need to know.  Most importantly for college students, it doesn’t have to cost you a penny.  ESPN.com, YAHOO.com, and NFL.com all offer free fantasy leagues.  Don’t worry that the season has started and left you behind.  There will be both live and automated drafts going on until mid-October.  Also, you can either create your own league and let friends in on the action, or just join a public league and compete against complete strangers. 

So now the only question is… Who do I draft?  That’s the question I have been trying to solve for years, and each year there have been new problems to deal with around each corner.  The first priority is to make sure you don’t end up with a complete bust on any one pick.  Make sure you know who is hurt, and make sure that you don’t draft a dead guy.  (Seriously, it has happened.)  As long as you keep relatively up to date on news in the sporting world, this should not be a problem that you will have to stress about. 

Most people agree that the most important positions are quarterback or running back, but in what order?  And what are the consequences of trying to hold off and get a quality pick later on in the draft?  It is always a good idea to load up on quality running backs, but you don’t necessarily have to use your top picks to get them.  LaDanian Tomlinson and Priest Holmes are obvious first-round draft choices, but if you can’t draft one of them, don’t worry. 

Look for sleeper picks such as Willie Parker (Pittsburgh), Reuben Droughns (Cleveland), J.J. Arrington (Arizona), and Fred Taylor (Jacksonville).  Taylor has been drafted as late as the fourth round in most leagues.  Are people crazy?  Taylor has only rushed for more than 4,000 yards in the past three seasons and has been mostly healthy.  Look for him to make a big impact in your fantasy line-up.

Clinton Portis (Washington Redskins) and Julius Jones (Dallas Cowboys) should be strong running backs in the run-oriented offenses engineered by Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells, respectively.  Both coaches love to run and then play-action pass, and both have a tendency to allow their backs to become part of the passing game as well.  This could mean big points for these guys if they can stay healthy. 

It does take a little luck, but if you plan ahead, your team can come out as an early favorite and also give you room to make trades and dish out heavily pursued players.  You will only get a shot at a few top players in most leagues, but keep these names in mind: Holmes, Tomlinson, Peyton Manning, Daunte Culpepper, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss.  These guys are fantastic talents and will not disappoint.  For my final bit of advice, you should look for Kerry Collins (QB, Oakland) to be the fantasy comeback player of the year.  He is surrounded by weapons such as Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, and Lamont Jordan.  Expect big games from this guy. 

Who knows what the future will hold for the players you end up with.  For now, all I can wish you is the best of luck on your teams, and happy hunting in draft rooms everywhere.