Fantasy Football 2011: 10 Strategies That Killed Our Season

At this point in the NFL and fantasy football season, you already know if you are in your league's playoffs or not. 

Unfortunately, for many people it is the latter, and they will continue to hate the mistakes they made that ultimately ruined their fantasy football season.

This season was plagued by injuries to star playes, and mostly a lack of performance from those that are usually reliable fantasy options.

There is nothing more that can be done now, but we can learn from our mistakes. Although the regular season of fantasy football is over, there is always next year to make up on lost ground.

These 10 fantasy football strategies unfortunately hurt many teams in their hunt for the playoffs.

You Drafted Peyton Hillis

Wow, were things looking good for the Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis coming into the season.

Hillis was the Madden cover boy, and he was also coming off of a huge season. In 2010, Hillis ran for 1,177 yards and had 11 rushing touchdowns. He also had 477 receiving yards with two touchdowns.

Many were expecting Hillis to be a huge force this season, but unfortunately that didn't hold true. Hillis experienced health problems and also leg injuries, and both unfortunately set the fourth year back behind what many had expected.

Hillis thus far has played in only eight games. He has 445 yards on the ground to go along with three rushing touchdowns. Nothing close to what anyone had expected.

Unfortunately, none of Hillis' backups were any good either.

You Traded Tim Tebow for a Flex Option

Some people drafted the Denver Broncos' Tim Tebow just to have him on their team.

Once it seemed evident that he wasn't going to hit the field because he was designated as the third-string quarterback behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn, many figured what was the point.

People either traded him for nearly nothing, or simply dropped the Broncos quarterback. Well, were they fools.

Tebow ended up being a fantasy machine once he hit the field. He has 17 total touchdowns on the season, and has thrown for over 1,400 yards while also compiling over 600 yards on the ground.

With Tebow, teams were able to add a dual threat quarterback that could add running back or quarterback like points to their team.

It was also really entertaining to watch if you were relying on Tebow for a win that week.

You Kept Peyton Manning

This is for those of you who are in a keeper league, and at season's end you decided to hold on to the Indianapolis Colts' signal-caller Peyton Manning.

While anyone would have likely done so, those owners were left hurting considering they were without their top quarterback for the entire season.

You could have likely used your keeper pick on a player who would have actually produced, but instead that move was done on a player who has remained inactive all season.

Luckily, many quarterbacks went down this season, so there were options galore each week.

You Weren't Worried About Anything Because You Had Matt Schaub

Up until Week 10, your quarterback situation was going perfectly fine because you had the Houston Texans' quarterback Matt Schaub leading the way.

Unfortunately, that all came to an end following a broken foot in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars on the schedule ahead, it looked as if Schaub was going to be a great start to finish out the year.

After Schaub got hurt, many ran out to pick up his backup, former USC quarterback Matt Leinart. Unfortunately for those people, Leinart got knocked out for the season early on in his first game as the new starter.

Basically, it was not a good year to own a Texans quarterback.

You Thought Larry Fitzgerald Was Going to Go off with Kevin Kolb in Town

The Arizona Cardinals have not looked the same since Kurt Warner left the team back in 2009. In result, wideout Larry Fitzgerald went from fantasy stud, to fantasy dud.

The Cardinals went with a quarterback-by-comittee approach last season, and that just didn't fare well for the team. They made a huge move this offseason though, bringing in the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb.

With Kolb, many had hoped that the Cardinals finally got a new passer who could make things happen with Fitz. Well, things didn't exactly work out.

Kolb has missed essentially six games following a foot injury, and he recently sustained another concussion for his career against the San Francisco 49ers last week. He sustained one before back in 2010 in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.

With Kolb's absence, things haven't been all that great for Fitz. On the season, Fitzgerald has only eight receiving touchdowns, while also only eclipsing 100 yards four times.

You Drafted Anyone on the Rams

The St. Louis Rams have just been a terrible farm for fantasy players this season. Quarterback Sam Bradford only has six touchdowns on the year, and he has also missed much time due to injury.

Bradford has been inconsistent, considering what was a pretty good year in 2010. The Rams brought in wide receiver Brandon Lloyd from the Denver Broncos, but that didn't seem to make things any better.

The Rams also didn't see much production from their star running back Steven Jackson. On the season, Jackson has nine games with only 70 yards on the ground or less. He also has only scored six times on the ground, making him no longer an elite option.

The Rams have just been a mess this season, going in the complete opposite direction from where they were going just a season ago. Next year, it would be wise to pass on any one from the Rams.

You Took Michael Vick in the First Round and Called Yourself the Dream Team

Following an incredible comeback season in 2010, Michael Vick didn't show up quite as well this season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Many had targeted Vick as an early-round pick, but unfortunately those owners passed on many players who produced at a much higher level.

On the season, Vick has only started 11 games due to injuries. The most prominent one was broken ribs that he sustained against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.

Vick's numbers have not been all that great this season, and certainly nowhere near what anyone had expected. 

He has thrown for only 2,675 yards while throwing for an equal number of touchdowns and interceptions—13. Vick also has nine fumbles this season, and clearly turnovers have been the issue.

Vick is a great athlete, and he should be able to bounce back next season, as he proved when he came back into the league after his prison time.

Nonetheless, he will certainly fall a few rounds after this season.

You Traded Rob Gronkowski After Week 8

Over the first three weeks of the NFL season, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski got off to a hot start with five receiving touchdowns and 281 total yards.

His next four performances were not all that great, and many thought that it was a fluke. In those next four games, Gronk failed to score and only once had nearly 100 yards. With his numbers falling, teams were looking to sell before his stock dropped any lower.

Well, things picked right back up in Week 9. From that week on, Gronk scored 10 times in his next six games. In three games, he was able to accumulate at least 100 yards in each outing. Suddenly, he appeared to be once again in the form of his old self.

For those who got Gronk, they got lucky. For those who traded him away, well that wasn't the best decision now, was it?

Chris Johnson Always Has to Be Drafted in Round One

The first round is coming to a close, and you are about to make your first selection. There are still so many options on the board, but sitting right there is the man himself, Chris Johnson, otherwise known as CJ2K. 

It is impossible for anyone to let the Tennessee Titans running back slip out of the first round, but that pick still haunts those that made that decision till this day.

Back in 2009, Johnson ran for 2,006 yards and had 14 touchdowns. People are still expecting him to put up those numbers, but it just isn't happening.

Last season, Johnson did put up a respectable 1,346 yards with 11 touchdowns, but it still didn't exceed set expectations. People were sure that this next season would be the return to CJ2K.

Well, it wasn't. Johnson has so far only ran for 930 yards with four touchdowns. Not to mention, he hasn't missed a game. Basically, Johnson just hasn't been effective.

While the Titans themselves haven't been effective at all, many were pretty sure that Johnson would come out on top as he has time and time again.

Maybe next year? Who are we kidding; you know you will take him if he is sitting there.

You Laughed in the Face of Anyone Who Even Asked You for Darren McFadden

People have been waiting to see what the Oakland Raiders' top running back Darren McFadden could do over an entire season.

Well, that won't be happening now that the back is officially out for the remainder of the season after leaving the game early against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.

In 2010, McFadden finally broke onto the scene after two seasons of mediocrity. He ran for 1,157 yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 13 games. He also had 507 receiving yards with three touchdown receptions.

Many believed that McFadden would be an elite back in 2011, and early on he proved to be that player. In his first six games, McFadden ran for 610 yards while having four rushing touchdowns.

With the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Houston Texans already out of the way, many saw McFadden poised to make an even bigger statement on the season.

A mid-foot sprain has held him out for the last seven games, and he pretty much set-back any team that saw McFadden as their primary back for the 2011 season.