Overly Optimistic: Everything Is Alright, Except My Fantasy Football Season

For the past 10 weeks, I have done nothing but smile at my fantasy football lineup. Monday through Sunday.

Tom Brady. Rashard Mendenhall. Darren McFadden. Dez Bryant. Rob Gronkowski.

Cartwheels. The winning recipe. At least I thought.

But fist pumps no longer. I’m nothing but sad faces now.

I am over this team. In fact, I already blew it up. Trades galore.

This is the first year in awhile I have cashed in on my squad and completely given up. Fifty dollars burned with a match. That’s what it feels like.

I’ve never seen a team bite the dust. A team perform one week, and drop eggs the next.

Who saw Brady throwing 10 interceptions through nine weeks? Not me.

This was Brady. The best. Coming off an MVP year when he threw four. The entire year. When I got him in the third round of my 12-team league, I thought it was the steal of the century.

At this point, an undrafted Cam Newton has outperformed him. I guess that’s the joy of fantasy. One year a stud. The next year a dud.

Not that Brady has been “that” bad of a dud, but many others have. Chris Johnson. Reggie Wayne. Mike Williams. Peyton Hillis. And many more.

My expectations were Empire State building-high going into the year. And maybe that's the problem. That I saw myself celebrating with my boys before season's end.

I was the one who surprised the league by drafting McFadden No. 8 overall. Everyone laughed at me. But I was laughing after a 15-point week one, a 24-point week two and a 29-point week three.
 
Ha.

Then the wheels fell off.

All 18 wheels of my Mack truck. Team “Dirty Thirty,” representing LaRon Landry’s nickname hit a wall. Crash and burn. Might as well been “Terrible Thirty.”

I put too much emphasis on McFadden. It was the wrong approach. He’s constantly riddled with injuries. I should have drafted Matt Forte with that spot had I known. And that’s what’s fun, looking back.

See, I was the storyline of “The Real Deal” league. I was the one guy of 12 working the wire and processing trades each week. Mendenhall, Bryant and Gronkowski were all acquired via trade. Those are three elite names. Gronkowski is the best player I have remaining and I might as well kiss him goodbye.

I know you’re wondering about my record. Started 2-1. Now 4-6. Way out of playoff contention.

I might as well call myself an overly optimistic general manager. But I had good reason to believe in this team. It was fun while it lasted. Buffalo Bills 2011 season like. 

See you next year.

Follow me on Twitter: @audio_adam