As we enter 2012, many of us are making promises we know we can’t keep in the form of New Year’s resolutions.  Whether it’s vowing to workout more often, be nicer to the in-laws, or stop being engrossed in Tebow-mania, we frequently have a hard time living up to these overly ambitious pacts with ourselves.  As Fantasy Football enthusiasts, let’s make some New Year’s resolutions that we can actually stick with.  Allow me to share a few that I feel participants in the Fantasy Football realm should be making (and keeping). 
 
1. I will not draft a quarterback earlier than necessary.
Passing in football is at an all-time high, especially in the NFL.  Tebow et al are introducing the zone read to the league.  The shotgun formation is now commonplace.  In the history of the NFL, there have only been five quarterbacks with 5,000-yard seasons, and THREE of them happened in the 2011 season.  So yeah, you could say quarterbacks are kind of important in football, and thereby in fantasy.  But don’t let yourself get carried away.  Yes, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are justifiable first-round picks next year.  Last time I checked, though, standard Fantasy Leagues allow you to start only one quarterback, while two running backs must be in your starting roster, with the possibility for a third in the flex position.  Once next season’s Fantasy Draft is over, if you find yourself without a top-tier running back, you are in a seriously worse position than if you miss out on a top-tier quarterback.  Presuming good health, Rodgers, Ryan Mathews, and Delone Carter are a much less desirable trio than Tony Romo, Adrian Peterson, and Ahmad Bradshaw.  Argue with me if you like, but you can’t refute the notion that drafting a quarterback too early puts you in a drastic disadvantage at your skill positions.
 
2. I will maintain depth at running back, starting on Draft Day.
This may seem like an easy resolution to stick with, but you’ve all seen the owners who don’t make the effort to continue drafting running backs after they have a couple.  Instead, they feel it necessary to fill out the rest of their roster, taking the fourth-ranked tight end when they could have taken him three rounds later.  And of course, handcuff, handcuff, handcuff.  There were plenty of instances where backup running backs had serious value, such as Michael Bush, C.J. Spiller and Jackie Battle to name a few.  Don’t forget this resolution during the season either.  In the process of trying to move up in waiver priority or save their limited number of acquisitions, many folks decide to ignore the hot running back names that inevitably start popping up around Week 3 or 4.  Do this and you’ll find yourself with two hurt running backs, the No. 1 waiver pick, and no one of any quality to spend it on.
 
3. I will not veto a trade.
The one exception to this rule is if a clear case of collusion is taking place.  Otherwise, please don’t be the guy that vetos a trade because of some perceived degree of lopsidedness.  If a team has a serious need for a running back, and their only option is to trade away a stud player, then let it happen.  Consider the trade of Andre Johnson for Reggie Bush.  For the first few weeks of the season, the original Bush owner would probably get lots of cheating accusations.  Now, with 20/20 hindsight, any Fantasy Football player worth their salt would have taken that deal in a heartbeat.  You just never know how a trade will work out.  So, fight the urge to be jealous of the owner who “fleeced” the other one, because that’s what 95% of the owners who veto trades are really mad about.  They don’t care if the deal will seriously hurt the league, but rather they just wish they were the owner who had made the trade!  Don’t get mad - get creative.  Find the owner with a positional need and get him to pull the trigger, and stop whining when someone else does it first.
 
4. I will never, EVER, leave a starting position open, no matter the reason.
Obviously, this is mostly directed at all the owners who forget to set their lineup, or perhaps simply don’t care (remember that this also includes starting a bye week or injured player).  If you’re going to be the guy that stops caring when you find yourself at a1-8 record, then you shouldn’t be playing Fantasy Football.  Your commissioner should boot you from the league, and you need to re-evaluate your life.  Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh, but when I see a starting roster spot left blank, I become incensed.  It’s simply not acceptable to mess up something that takes literally five minutes, once a week.  Is someone hurt?  Then replace them.  Is someone on a bye?  Then get ‘em out of your lineup! 

There’s a deeper and more sinister infraction of this resolution­­— something I like to call the “Kicker Swap Avoidance Maneuver”, or the K-SwAM.  Catchy acronym, right?  Right?!?  Fine, so it needs a little work.  At any rate, the K-SwAM is when an owner has a bye week kicker that he doesn’t want to part ways with, thinking the kicker is irreplaceable.  Upon searching the remainder of his bench, the owner can’t bear to part ways with anyone.  So, what solution does he come to?  Start no one in the kicker slot.  Ladies and gentlemen, we’re talking about a kicker here.  They’re ALL replaceable.  If you’re bench is full of handcuffs and solid backups for your skill positions, then drop your kicker and pick up a new one!  Or if you absolutely have to, carry two kickers on your roster for a week (*shudder* I feel dirty typing that).  Just don’t, for the love of all things sacred and holy, leave a roster spot empty.  It’s completely against the spirit of the game and simply has no place in it.  Start a full roster of players each and every week.  Period.
 
5. I will remember that Fantasy Football is just a game and not take it too seriously.
I guess we may as well have one resolution we probably won’t live up to.
 
Happy New Year!!

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