Fantasy Football Playoffs Are Here!!!

I have had a slight writers block lately and couldn't find a topic interesting enough to write about. The Mitchell report came out yesterday but I can't bring myself to write about it because it is a joke. Anyone who didn't think that there were multiple star baseball players taking steroids or HGH is either on crack or doesn't have a brain. So, with that said, I want to talk about Fantasy Football.

Fantasy Football has taken off in the past 10 years. I myself started playing about 6 years ago. I love football and I enjoy watching not only the Eagles but any NFL game which is on. Fantasy football has made watching games so much more enjoyable. Sundays in the fall and winter have now become a ritual for me. I now wake up around 9, go get some breakfast and begin watching pregame material around 10:30. I have my setup down, the laptop is on the coffee table with cbssportsline up and running so I can follow the games that aren't on TV where my players are playing. I don't move off the couch (unless to get another beer) from 11 am till 11 pm.

This year I am involved in two completely different leagues. Both playoffs start this weekend. In my one league I am the number 3 seed out of 4 teams. In my other league I failed to make it to the playoffs for the third consecutive year, although I am the #1 seed in the consolation playoffs. The reason I am bringing this up is because although I haven't made the playoffs in three years in my one league, it is the most exciting fantasy football league I have ever played in.

Most leagues, including one of the two I am in, are normal scoring leagues where you get 6 points for a touchdown and points for yardage for each position and you start 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, and a defense/special teams. Usually if you can score 100 points you are pretty much guaranteed a victory. Our league is so much different. If your players scores a TD you can get anywhere from 3 points to 30 points depending on the length of the TD. Points are also given for receptions and the more yardage you gain the more bonus points you can receive. The major difference, though, is in the starting lineup. You have to start 1 QB, 4 position players, a defense and a special teams. The four position players can consist of any combination of running backs, wide receivers, or tight ends with the only stipulation being you can't start more than 3 running backs.

The greatest part of the league is as long as you still have players playing you are never dead. Any player can go for 70 -100 points at any given time. If your teams scores a hundred points, chances are you are not going to win. A good week is over 175 points. This year hasn't been good to me, I have been very unlucky. I ended the regular season 4th in points in a 12 person league and failed to make the playoffs because it seemed as though every week the team I was playing would go off for a ton of points. I had the worst points against average in the league. But I enjoyed every minute of every week.

If you have never played fantasy football I urge you to give it a try next year. It makes Sundays so much more enjoyable.

Just my humble opinion...Philly Sports Dude.