The Fantasy Diaries: Volume 1

I thought that I could blog about my fantasy football seasons (and my four teams), so here it goes...

Team #1: Bel Air Fresh Princes, Maryland Maniacs, ESPN

First off, Maryland Maniacs is an eight-person league with 18 man rosters. The starting lineups consist of:

QB
RB
RB/WR
WR
WR
WR/TE
TE
D/ST
K

And here is my team. May I present to you, the Bel Air Fresh Princes:

Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles, QB: My third round pick. With my top five quarterbacks off of the board, I had to turn to McNabb, who I can trust to at least have a quick start and get some big points if he comes off of his injury ok.

Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals, QB: Late round pick. I will mostly resign Leinart to backup duty, except for McNabb's bye week or if McNabb cannot return from injury. Has some good weapons in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.

Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts, RB: First round pick. My main option at the running back position. Running behind a strong Colts offensive line should be beneficial. Last season he became the first running back to rush for over 1,000 yards without starting a game.

Travis Henry, Denver Broncos, RB: Second round pick. After having 1,000 yard rushing seasons for Buffalo and Tennessee, Henry looks to do it again in Denver. I mean, it's Denver. I know he hurt his knee, but Shanahan expects him to be ready for Week 1. I hope he is.

Ahman Green, Houston Texans, RB: Middle round pick. I was actually supposed to draft Chester Taylor here, but my computer messed up, so I ended up with Green. This actually might pay off. I know he as 30, which is not the best time to be a running back, but he is in a familiar blocking scheme in Houston. Should pay off during Addai or Henry's bye week.

Carnell Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, RB: Middle-late round pick. First off, this guy really screwed me over last year. No question about it. I see him more fit for a backup role. I see him barely getting back to his rookie season form. Like Green, Williams may come in handy during a bye week.

Michael Turner, San Diego Chargers, RB: Last pick. So basically, if LaDainian Tomlinson goes down, I win the league. Most likely not, but if LT does go down, I can either put him in the starting lineup or hold him for a king's ransom. Rumors about him being traded have also been swirling, something else to keep an eye on.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals, WR: Third round pick. Coming off of a very good season and I expect him to produce. The Arizona air attack just has me drooling, even though he and Boldin may see a drop off in numbers with Ken Wisenhut and Russ Grimm instituting a new offense that may be dedicated to the run.

Lavernaues Coles, New York Jets, WR: Middle round pick. Actually a very consistent fantasy option. Five 100-yard receiving games last season. Worth a spot in the starting lineup.

Reggie Brown, Philadelphia Eagles, WR: Middle round pick. His stats from last season look maddeningly inconsistent, so I will have to pick and choose the games he starts. Should become McNabb's favorite target this season and hopefully will put up the stats to prove it.

Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens, WR: Middle-late round pick. Currently out with a high ankle sprain and may be ready by the season opener. Taking the number one receiver spot on the Ravens over from Derrick Mason. I think he will be producing greatly by the end of the year.

Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers, WR: Middle-late round pick. Receiving stiff competition from rookie James Jones, but if Driver misses any significant time, I'm expecting Jennings to produce.

Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs, TE: Fourth or fifth round pick. Still a stud option at TE. I don't think his numbers will be as good as last years' because of the quarterback situation in KC, but he could provide a very reliable target for Croyle or Huard or whomever.

Daniel Graham, Denver Broncos, TE: Middle round pick. Regarded highly as a sleeper, I couldn't resist the pickup. Sure, he has to compete for time with Scheffler, but he can easily be seen as a good target. The man had seven TDs in 2004.

San Diego Chargers, D/ST: Ninth or tenth round pick. Shawne Merriman and sacks are the first words that come to mind when thinking about this defense. Shouldn't be too shabby.

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST: Late round pick. Above average defense. Should fill in nicely for the Chargers during their bye week.

Shayne Graham, Cincinnati Bengals, K: Middle round pick. Kicks for one of the highest scoring offenses in the league. Plenty of opportunities.

David Akers, Philadelphia Eagles, K: Late round pick. The Eagles actually have a pretty good offense so he will have opportunities. A good option if Graham and the Bengals have to play one of the tough AFC defenses.

So there you have it. I will have my other three teams up eventually and write some more about my matchups and whether or not I should have won.