Over the last couple of weeks, like tens of thousands of fantasy players, I have been consumed with various flavors of football drafts in preparation for the NFL season. This is a welcome relief for many whose baseball teams did not meet their expectations in 2008.
In the associated live chat with one such online football draft late last week, colleagues Buster H., Esq. and J.P. Kastner shared their excitement over being in contention in their NFBC leagues, and in Buster’s case, having a shot at the big money at 14th overall.
I had to remain painfully quiet as my toothless offense has doomed me to the bottom third of the standings.
It all began with my pick at number six in the March draft, reigning National League Most Valuable Player Jimmy Rollins. (With Victor Martinez as my second-round pick, you can see why I am where I am, but that is a story for another day.)
Recently, Rollins made baseball headlines for the wrong reason, as his reaction to being booed in Philly (What a surprise! Even Santa Claus is booed there!) was to strike out at local fans, labeling them “front-runners”.
The irony of the statement is the inspiration for this column. I wanted to test the theory that any use of “Rollins” and “front-runners” together, at least for fantasy teams, is totally incompatible here in 2008.
As I have written in this space previously, a first-round pick can either single-handedly destroy a fantasy season (Albert Pujols in 2007) or make one (LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006).
Such is the case for Rollins owners in the 2008 NFBC, as well. With an average draft position of six, which is where I took him, and ranging from being selected as high as second and as low as ninth in other leagues, Rollins was to be the anchor for 26 squads in the Main Event this season.
It didn’t work out that way, but at least I have company.
Looking at the overall NFBC standings as of this morning, Tuesday, September 2, take a guess how many teams with Rollins on them are among the leaders.
Yep, the answer is none. In fact, 83 of the top 84 of the 390 Main Event teams do not have Rollins rostered. Think that is coincidence?
As a side point, I noticed that three of the top four teams fighting it out for the $100,000 grand prize all have Jose Reyes as their starting shortstop. Reyes’ ADP was four, but I digress.
The one team that was seemingly able to overcome the selection of Rollins is the “SCOTTISH RAIDERS”, leading Las Vegas League 7 and sitting in 19th overall. Owner Sean Brinlee built a strong pitching core around three members of the Angels’ staff, and had Rollins come through, Brinlee could easily be right among the overall leaders. Of course, the other 25 of us Rollins owners aren’t doing nearly as well.
So, it can be done, doing well in spite of a bad first-round pick, but it is clearly the exception, not the rule. In almost every one of the NFBC Main Event leagues, those of us who drafted Jimmy Rollins are sitting on the outside looking in.
And Jimmy still can’t figure out why he is being booed? If I was in Philly, I would surely join in!
Brian Walton’s work can also be found daily at stlcardinals.scout.com.