I've walked away from some fantasy drafts thinking the lottery had been won and left others convinced that I had cornered the market on stupid.
I might have put a Mary-Poppins spin on my football draft print review, but deep down I felt I had fumbled ... repeatedly ... and that my winning a second straight championship was about as likely as the Giants ponying up the cash to keep Carlos Beltran, then finding enough spare change between the couch cushions to add Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes during the mother of all offseason shopping sprees.
When assorted league members asked how I felt about my team shortly after our draft was in the books, I equated my disdain for this year's model to my feelings toward Duke basketball, the Dodgers and the small army of crazed Chihuahuas living next door who never miss an opportunity to serenade me with their dulcet tones whenever I so much as think about opening a door to the outside world.
Having Saints quarterback Drew Brees fall into my lap at the end of the first round was (and continues to be) viewed as a gift from above, but that was the only pick that I felt anything but remorse over that morning.
My next five selections — Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall (everything but his hands are soft), Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (always hurt), Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (What is a Raiders fan doing with a Charger anyway?), Saints rookie back Mark Ingram (panic move No. 1 ... and made knowing full well that he's but one of 297 backs in New Orleans) and Giants wideout Mario Manningham (zzzzzzzzz) — inspired little confidence and left me wondering who this strange person staring back at me in the mirror was.
After my next five picks — Panthers receiver Steve Smith (we have a history, but his best days appeared to be well behind him), Packers rusher Ryan Grant (panic move No. 2), Bengals rookie wideout A.J. Green (a flyer with big-time potential), Raiders QB Jason Campbell (a mistake because my fingers were not working in conjunction with my brain when I accidentally clicked the "draft" button instead of "que") and 49ers WR Michael Crabtree (diva injury magnet) — I liked my team even less.
I, along with the rest of my league, figured I'd be lucky to steal even one win before Thanksgiving, which makes my current 5-0 record all the more satisfying.
Brees has been everything I had hoped for and more, and trading Gates (and his bad wheel) to little brother for Jason Witten was a most prudent decision, but they aren't the biggest reasons for my reversal of fortune.
The catalysts for my revival have been:
Fred Jackson — A fellow owner was kind enough to drop Jackson (480 yards, 5 TDs rushing; 19 rec., 232 yards) after one week, and I was lucky (and quick) enough to get this year's version of Michael Vick, which has helped turn a glaring weakness — running back — into a major strength, not to mention an excuse to keep Mendenhall seated.
One can make a strong case for Jackson being the league's MVP one-third of the way through the season.
Steve Smith — Having found a new BFF in rookie quarterback Cam Newton, Smith (27 receptions for 609 yards, 3 touchdowns) has re-emerged as Carolina's go-to man and a fantasy force. Sometimes it pays to be loyal to your guys.
A.J. Green — I didn't know what to expect from Green (24 rec., 402 yards, 3 TDs), but I knew what the former Georgia star was capable of, that he was option No. 1 in Cincinnati and that he was well worth a Round 9 look-see. Going with my gut on Green has paid off handsomely, and the best might be yet to come.
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