Are You Ready for Some Fantasy Football?

If you think you know your fantasy football, how about a game in which you can choose any player you want for your team with no salary cap? Anyone can have the same players as there is no head to head competition, just total points. And again, no salary cap? How can this be, you ask? There has to be a catch, right?

The answer, of course is yes! According to the rules of the game, unless a player is involved in NBC's Sunday night game, you can only use a player once in the regular season, total. In other words, if you want LaDainian Tomlinson for your fantasy football team, better be careful because you can only use the modern version of LT once. The only exception is you get to choose one flex type player every week, with the stipulation that the player must be involved in that Sunday night's game.

This practically eliminates luck as a factor and puts a premium on knowing all the personnel around the NFL. No doofuses such as the one on the NFL fantasy football commercials who uses about 14 different pronounciations of TJ Houshmandzadeh would have a prayer. No lucking into the first pick in the draft by a blind draw or getting Peyton Manning in the 2nd or 3rd round because some players prefer drafting only running backs through the first 3-4 rounds.

The possibilities are endless in choosing 2 Quarterbacks, 2 Running backs, 3 Wide receivers, 1 Tight End, 1 Kicker, 1 Team Defense/Special Teams unit, and 1 Sunday night bonus player, knowing that you can't pick that player again in the regular season, barring an appearance on NBC with Al and John. That means that you almost must pick a JP Losman or Joey Harrington at some point of the season with 2 QB's on your roster and only 32 starters to choose from. Every dog has his day, as the old saying goes, and even the Losmans and Harringtons of the world have good games from time to time. It's your job to figure out which games that will be.

Speaking of dogs, man's best friend has become a factor in fantasy football this season unexpectedly with Michael Vick's suspension and impending incarceration. One can even order a Vick chew toy online, but that's another article. This concept definitely gives one something to chew on. You knew there had to be a catch with no entry fee competing for a $100,000 prize, didn't you?

I like the idea myself, having lost a few matchups to fantasy owners who didn't take players out of their lineup on their bye weeks, or still had an injured player starting a month after the player was put on injured reserve, ending that player's season. Those chumps can get lucky and still win if one or two players blow up and have outstanding games in spite of their own laziness or incompetence in most leagues. Not in this one, at least not for long. A fantasy football owner in this league better know their stuff if they want to have any chance to win the big prize.

Think you have what it takes to cash that kind of check? $100,000 to the overall winner after the playoffs? Only the top 5,000 will qualify for the playoffs in this fantasy football challenge. I have already registered my team and welcome top competition, not the "TJ Who's-your-mamas" boys" like in the commercial, which thankfully has been pulled in favor of a new edition. If you think you know your fantasy football, go to www.nbc.com, scroll down to the bottom of the home page and look for the $100,000 Fantasy FootballChallenge banner and click on it to register your team. I don't know if registration will continue after the start of the game between the Saints and Colts tomorrow night, but to have a legitimate chance of getting into the playoffs, getting in before the start of that game would be highly recommended. Good luck if you do, unless of course, you run up against my team in the playoffs, in which case you're going to need it!