Zzzzzzzzz: Another fantasy update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

It's been the story of two different teams that have headed in two different directions since the last update.

I have now won two contests in a row and share the Tumblr league's best record at 5-2 with two other teams (both of whom I have beaten, for the record), although I'm technically in third based on points. Three more teams sit only one game back (one of which will be my opponent this weekend) and two more teams are only two games back. So it's still very much a tight race there when you consider that all eight playoff teams in the league are separated by a mere two games. I play the No. 6 team and then the No. 4 team over the course of the next two weeks—before the next update, I would assume—so I have the opportunity to either create some distance or fall into a further clusterfuck. I'm trying to be optimistic, but keeping in mind this is fantasy sports, I know that basically it will all come down to luck.

That, of course, hasn't prevented me from doing my usual drastic overhaul of my roster each week, as I've entered the past two Thursday waiver deadlines with no less than something like 25 possible moves each time. This latest week's shopping spree saw me investing heavily in the otherwise banged-up Indianapolis Colts and getting a kicker and tight end to make up for my regulars there being on bye this weekend. Actually, I haven't had anything resembling a regular tight end in either league at all this season, and actually dropped Visanthe Shiancoe, which I most certainly would not have guessed I'd be doing at any point this year. Bo Scaife was also released again and will almost certainly be re-added in another week or two—only to be presumably dumped once more.

In Week Six (left), the late Vince Young addition did not end up being the gangbusters steal I thought it would be, since the Titans QB left that Monday night contest early with an injury. Fortunately, he did throw a touchdown pass to Kenny Britt (also on my team that night) before getting hurt, and then Bo Scaife added a score later on as well to secure a win for me. I had trailed at the end of the day on Sunday, but only my a small margin and was able to secure victory early into Tennessee's thrashing of Jacksonville that Monday.

Week Seven (right) was quite a bit more nerve-racking as I was playing against the then (and still) top-ranked team. I can't pretend I had actually thought about playing Kenny Britt that week, but after he put up the second-most points in the league while on my bench, I was certainly sweating not having played him as I entered Monday night's game with a slim lead. Fortunately, while my opponent got two touchdowns from Hakeem Nicks, I got one from Steve Smith as the Cowboys got pounded by the Giants, and once again I emerged as a winner.

My luck over the last fortnight was not so stellar in the Yahoo league, where I've dropped to 3-4 and have lost my last two and have now dropped into seventh place on teh year. The leader in that league is still undefeated—and narrowly beat the bro-in-law in Week Six, thanks to a late score on that Monday night from the otherwise disappointing Chris Johnson. Half the league is under .500 at the moment, but it's going to take some doing on my part to crack that top four if I want to compete in the Championship bracket rather than the Consolation one.

I am in the lead, however, when it comes to transactions made. I believe that Chris Ivory might be to my roster in the Yahoo league what Bo Scaife is to my roster in the Tumblr one, although the Saints running back has been picked up by somebody else now in the midst of my most recent changes. This week, as in the Tumblr league, I've invested in many of the same players, including Indianapolis' Blair White, Carolina's David Gettis, and Tampa Bay's LaGarette Blount. Also, I've added James Jones again with another chance for him on my team too—but this Yahoo roster still has yet to be finalized. It's going to be an interesting decision this coming weekend when I finalize whomever I decide to play, but my biggest sore spot continues to be with poor Larry Fitzgerald, who can't be dropped and presumably can't be traded either. Come to think of it, I'm going to put him on the trading block right now, which will be good for some laughs from my opponents, I'm sure. At least Jason Witten—who also can't be dropped—has been showing some signs of life ever since that concussion of his.

So, I blame my Week Six loss (left) on a combination of having an inactive kicker, a do-nothing tight end, and my opponent getting what I can only assume will be a season-best performance from Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb. When my defense is my second-highest scorer for the week, you know I'm in trouble.

My Week Seven (right) opponent was actually smart enough to play Kenny Britt during his positively apeshit performance, and thus ended up drubbing me pretty good. Getting 40 points out of your wide receiver tends to make up for only getting 10 percent of that much from both of your running backs, I guess.

Also of note over the past two weeks was the official beginning to our Tumblr fantasy baseketball season, and here's what my roster looks like for that endeavor:

I was unable to attend the live draft (again), so just like last year's attempt at basketball, I found myself with a team comprised mostly of guards. Thus, I feel I was forced to make my very first move before the season even tipped off:

The first week's contest is still in progress, and all I'll say for now is that I won't be surprised if this league ends up being a lot like the other non-football fantasy leagues I've participated in and my success is thanks in large part to just simply remembering to adjust my roster.

But let's not speak too confidently too soon. After all, there's still a long way to go.