Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2001

Damage control

It’s time to make wholesale changes if you’re winless

By Andy Hanacek, Associate editor

If you’re in a keeper league, you might tread lightly. You wouldn’t want to overreact to your team’s losses and trade away the future for what will be a wild-card berth likely in your league. If you’re in a keeper league and you don’t have youngsters that you would like to hold onto, however, you might be able to improve your future with the few veterans on your roster.

If my team were 0-5 at this point, I’d be looking to make some changes, a wholesale overhaul if at all possible. But I understand that many fantasy owners, like real owners, have a hard time giving up on their strategy and buying into a new one. I myself often have a hard time doing the same thing. In fact, with my team languishing at 1-3 last week in a strong division, I decided that I’d had enough of RB Eddie George’s woes thus far and benched him for the first time in five years (I’ve protected him since Day One). Well, of course, George scored, and it didn’t hurt my team. But I’ll certainly start George, since it looks as though maybe, just maybe, he’s returning to form.

If you’re in a smaller league, you might be able to comb the wires for a quality free agent to improve your roster. Recently, in a different league I’m in (10 teams), I was able to pick Buccaneers RB Warrick Dunn off waivers. My team was in sad shape in that league, and Dunn should help me down the stretch, at least by being a tradable commodity if I can’t start him.

However, if you’re in a big league that doesn’t allow keepers, you have no reason not to try to swing a blockbuster deal. Obviously, the guys you thought would be your ticket to the Super Bowl this year aren’t panning out. You have to look at the long term here and make a decision. Will they or won’t they break out for you? Those who you decide can be of service, such as (in my opinion) the Eddie Georges, Randy Mosses and Charlie Garners of the league, should be kept and started if possible. But it may be time to part ways with the Eric Mouldses, Stephen Davises and Emmitt Smiths of the league. If you can find takers, see what you can get for those players.

Even if you have to sell yourself a bit short on these players, for someone such as Shaun Alexander or Jim Miller, do so. I say that’s selling yourself short because Alexander is expected to return to a secondary role once Ricky Watters is healthy. Miller, while currently isn’t a blockbuster point producer, I believe will become one soon. Plus, I figure that even in a secondary role, Alexander will likely be more consistent than someone in a pathetic offense.

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