Fantasy Football: It's never too soon to address your roster gaffes
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Stop staring at your post-draft board. It's not going to change.
Your fantasy football league draft is over. What's done is done. And like many owners — just like in the NFL — you think your team is pretty sound.
Extras
It might be. But it's more likely you'll start to see a hole in the coming weeks.
Start preparing now to fill that void. How? Depends on the rules of your league.
You need to know if you have a waiver-wire, auction, reverse-draft-order, worst-to-first or Wild-West wide-open system for acquiring players.
• Whether or not your roster is static for a week, study everyone's team — especially your own. Look at it like it was someone else's. Be brutally honest in your analysis.
Did you get running back depth? Wait too long for a defense? Pick a kicker named Nick Folk you found online before the 14th round?
Did you handcuff your best running back to his backup or get someone else's backup to set up a deal? Did you take the wrong Adrian Peterson?
Assess your strengths and weaknesses. Find teams that have the opposite. It's never too early to plant the seed for a possible trade.
That said, wait at least a couple weeks to see how your roster does before you panic and trade Tom Brady for help at third receiver.
• If you have access to free agents anytime, check if there are any "sleepers" out there like backups to star running backs or surprise starting No. 2 receivers. Of course, after a deep draft they'd have to be "comatose" to be available. Yet someone will emerge.
Game tonight: If you've read this far, you've probably updated your lineup for tonight's Saints-Colts game. If not, DO IT. In fact, start all Saints and Colts starters in all games until further notice.
Example roster for public scrutiny
1. RB Larry Johnson; 2. QB Tom Brady; 3. RB Thomas Jones; 4. WR Laveranues Coles; 5. WR Reggie Brown; 6. RB Fred Taylor; 7. WR Greg Jennings; 8. WR Wes Welker; 9. D/ST Green Bay; 10. QB J.P. Losman; 11. RB Brian Leonard; 12. WR Arnaz Battle; 13. RB Selvin Young; 14. K Nick Folk
Negative spin: Took back-to-back Jets and fragile Freddy Taylor (but as a backup). Receivers shaky unless Coles betters last year's numbers (1,098 yards, 6 TDs) and/or Reggie Brown flourishes as go-to guy. Packers defense/special teams (go, A.J. Hawk!) should be OK, but second defense would have been good. Folk's the first contestant in a season-long game show at kicker.
Positive spin: The scoring firm of Brady, Johnson and Jones could make up for deficiencies. One of either Welker, Jennings or Battle will be a rock-solid third WR (TEs not required). Young is my candidate for previously unknown player to rush for 1,000 yards (if Travis Henry's child support payments become too much.)

