Fantasy first-timer: Week 8: Epic Upsets and Molly-whopping

Published: Oct 30, 2013 at 08:00 PM

Our Digital Features Editor, Amar Shah, has never played fantasy football until this year. He'll chronicle his adventures here.

A Moveable Fantasy Feast

"There are events which are so great that if a writer has participated in them his obligation is to write truly rather than assume the presumption of altering them with invention."

- Ernest Hemingway

I'm sure Papa preferred writing about bullfighting and war and would likely punch me for mentioning fantasy football, but he'd agree that if you're 2-5 and just caused an improbable upset, your victory is commensurate with an old man reeling in a giant marlin. I'm sure of it.

An Upset For the Ages

This will go down as an epic tale, a fantasy fable generations will talk about for ages. Like Harry Truman, Broadway Joe, Daniel LaRusso and Peter LaFleur before me, my glorius defeat of What Would Fabiano Do will enter folklore, inspire hymns and Bollywood musicals. Or perhaps, maybe just Bollywood musicals.

Last week, I faced What Would Fabiano Do owned by senior photo editor Ben Liebenberg, a mighty foe who was 6-1 and stood on top of his division. But through a series of smoke and mirrors, cleverness and guile, and the fact that he forgot to replace DeMarco Murray in the slot, I was positioned for victory after Sunday. I could not contain my glee.

@amarshahism Its not over until its over! Lots of football left to play.
— Ben Liebenberg (@benliebenberg) October 27, 2013

By lots of football, he meant Daryl Richardson playing on Monday night. Well, in prior weeks my luck would mean Richardson rushes for 200 yards and gets two touchdowns. Luckily, that didn't happen.

(Check out my league here)

Commission the painters and sculptors to immortalize the moment. Well, at least afford me the pleasure of a screen capture. Geez.

Molly Whopped

Lessons Not Learned

So, eight weeks into my fantastic fantasy football voyage and I stand at 3-5. Have I learned a thing or two? I'll steal a few lyrics from Bob Dylan's song "My Back Pages."

"Ah, but I was so much older then/
I'm younger than that now."

The Twitterverse also chimed in about their lesssons.

Touché! Doug Martin is done. MJD plays like he's done. And the week I traded Chris Johson he goes for nearly 20 points. Then I released Lamar Miller. Forehead slap.

@amarshahism @NFLfantasy To never chase points. But actively trade through season...so many bargain pick ups!
— Paul Davis (@paulydavis27) October 30, 2013

Agreed. I've made four trades, including a risky deal that brought me Percy Harvin.

This actually allowed me to visit Team Alison Brie and catch up with them to see how the trade was going on their end. Warning: They like to sit in offices that don't belong to them.

Fleeced? Yeah, we'll see. Percy might start in Week 16 at this rate.

I feel this way every hour of every day about my team, but then I realize I'm a Jets fan. I'm used to it.

Um, I just traded for him.

Of course, Mike Wallace rebounds for nearly 15 points against the Cincinnati Bengals.

@amarshahism @NFLfantasy its 80% luck and 20% skill.
— Bored_Beard (@_GoatBeard) October 30, 2013

I'm beginning to agree.

Once a nerd, always a nerd

One of the few things I've observed since I started my fantasy journey is I watch football more closely than I ever did before. In fact, I enjoy the way it immerses me into games that I would never spend a second on (Chargers vs. Jaguars? Hello. A year ago, I'd rather watch Two and a Half Men), but now it has the relevance of a Super Bowl match-up.

I also asked my wife if I've changed since I started playing fantasy football. Her response. "No, you were a nerd before. Now, you're just a bigger one." That means she still loves me.

Next Week: Does the winning streak continue? Which Hall of Famer do I get tips from?

Amar Shah is the Digital Features Editor at NFL.com. He writes weekly about his first-time fantasy adventures throughout the season. You can reach him at @amarshahism. If you have trade or marital advice, let him know.

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