Fantasy reality: better to take a loss today

It's the logical thing to do.

Our Pupule League has an unusual format: 21-player rosters, 17 starters required. (I forgot to expand rosters before the draft to 23 players, but that's another issue.)

Problem for me today is that my team has 6 players with byes. That leaves two pukas in my starting lineup. One of my players with bye weekends is Kurt Warner. Another is Donovan McNabb. That means I'm playing with only one QB (Drew Brees) instead of two.

It sucks. But the best alternative, aside from cutting Le'Ron McClain (not gonna do it) is to cut Donovan McNabb and pick up Derek Anderson, who got back on track last week against the Giants. After much thought, I just can't pull the trigger. Anderson has been erratic, even with the 310-yard, 2-TD game last week. (He did it without TE Kellen Winslow.)

Now, McNabb sits on my bench behind Brees and Warner, and he's got just eight TDs (and 3 picks) in his last four games. He's not the same without Brian Westbrook (injury), but effective enough. Why would I care about keeping him when he never starts for me? I like the insurance. The pickings on the free-agent list would get real slim after another team scoops up McNabb if I were to cut him.

I'll wait it out. If Anderson is still available down the road and any of my QBs get hurt, then it's a go.

For now, I'll move on with two holes in my lineup today. My brother's team, the Kimokazes, projects to score 51 more points than me today.

Kimo, you can thank me later.

2008 Draft: team by team

Draft Results
Team by team

kimokazes
1. (1) LaDainian Tomlinson
2. (12) Clinton Portis
3. (13) Marshawn Lynch
4. (24) Laurence Maroney
5. (25) Brandon Jacobs
6. (36) Willie Parker
7. (37) Torry Holt
8. (48) Ronnie Brown
9. (49) Antonio Gates
10. (60) Derek Anderson
11. (61) Marvin Harrison
12. (72) Matt Hasselbeck
13. (73) Laveranues Coles
14. (84) Santana Moss
15. (85) Javon Walker
16. (96) Vernon Davis
17. (97) San Diego
18. (108) Reggie Brown
19. (109) D.J. Hackett
20. (120) Shayne Graham
21. (121) Seattle
22. (132) Jake Delhomme
23. (133) Jerry Porter
24. (144) Warrick Dunn
25. (145) Jerious Norwood

Hilo's Sleeper Team
1. (2) Adrian Peterson
2. (11) Tom Brady
3. (14) Larry Johnson
4. (23) Carson Palmer
5. (26) Marques Colston
6. (35) Jason Witten
7. (38) Pittsburgh
8. (47) Santonio Holmes
9. (50) Thomas Jones
10. (59) Lee Evans
11. (62) Hines Ward
12. (71) Jeremy Shockey
13. (74) Julius Jones
14. (83) Felix Jones
15. (86) Patrick Crayton
16. (95) Brett Favre
17. (98) Chicago
18. (107) Justin Fargas
19. (110) Alge Crumpler
20. (119) Deuce McAllister
21. (122) Adam Vinatieri
22. (131) Jeff Reed
23. (134) Ronald Curry
24. (143) Donte' Stallworth
25. (146) Antwaan Randle El

Ala Wai Tilapias
1. (3) Brian Westbrook
2. (10) Reggie Wayne
3. (15) Ryan Grant
4. (22) Drew Brees
5. (27) Donovan McNabb
6. (34) Plaxico Burress
7. (39) Darren McFadden
8. (46) Anquan Boldin
9. (51) Tony Gonzalez
10. (58) Calvin Johnson
11. (63) Jerricho Cotchery
12. (70) Chris Cooley
13. (75) Chris Johnson
14. (82) DeAngelo Williams
15. (87) DeSean Jackson
16. (94) New York
17. (99) Selvin Young
18. (106) Derrick Mason
19. (111) Ricky Williams
20. (118) Tennessee
21. (123) Ray Rice
22. (130) Kurt Warner
23. (135) Steve Slaton
24. (142) Ted Ginn Jr.
25. (147) Rob Bironas

SAINTS
1. (4) Steven Jackson
2. (9) Frank Gore
3. (16) Andre Johnson
4. (21) Braylon Edwards
5. (28) Willis McGahee
6. (33) T.J. Houshmandzadeh
7. (40) Brandon Marshall
8. (45) Earnest Graham
9. (52) Roy Williams
10. (57) Greg Jennings
11. (64) LenDale White
12. (69) Fred Taylor
13. (76) Marc Bulger
14. (81) Joey Galloway
15. (88) David Garrard
16. (93) Anthony Gonzalez
17. (100) Todd Heap
18. (105) Benjamin Watson
19. (112) Jacksonville
20. (117) Baltimore
21. (124) Nate Kaeding
22. (129) Ahman Green
23. (136) Matt Schaub
24. (141) Isaac Bruce
25. (148) Donald Lee

cutchee_cheese
1. (5) Marion Barber
2. (8) Terrell Owens
3. (17) Tony Romo
4. (20) Larry Fitzgerald
5. (29) Michael Turner
6. (32) Ben Roethlisberger
7. (41) Kellen Winslow
8. (44) Wes Welker
9. (53) Kevin Smith
10. (56) Chris Chambers
11. (65) Dwayne Bowe
12. (68) Dallas Clark
13. (77) Nate Burleson
14. (80) Owen Daniels
15. (89) Minnesota
16. (92) Nick Folk
17. (101) Rashard Mendenhall
18. (104) Dallas
19. (113) Vincent Jackson
20. (116) Kenny Watson
21. (125) Bryant Johnson
22. (128) Philip Rivers
23. (137) Zach Miller
24. (140) Reggie Williams
25. (149) Colt Brennan

robots
1. (6) Joseph Addai
2. (7) Randy Moss
3. (18) Peyton Manning
4. (19) Maurice Jones-Drew
5. (30) Steve Smith
6. (31) Jamal Lewis
7. (42) Chad Ocho Cinco
8. (43) Reggie Bush
9. (54) Jonathan Stewart
10. (55) Edgerrin James
11. (66) Matt Forte
12. (67) Roddy White
13. (78) Kevin Curtis
14. (79) Donald Driver
15. (90) Jay Cutler
16. (91) Bernard Berrian
17. (102) New England
18. (103) Heath Miller
19. (114) Tony Scheffler
20. (115) Green Bay
21. (126) Stephen Gostkowski
22. (127) Chester Taylor
23. (138) Eli Manning
24. (139) Ahmad Bradshaw
25. (150) Drew Bennett

2008 Draft: round by round

Draft Results
by round

Round 1
1. LaDainian Tomlinson kimokazes
2. Adrian Peterson Hilo's Sleep...
3. Brian Westbrook Ala Wai Tila...
4. Steven Jackson SAINTS
5. Marion Barber cutchee_cheese
6. Joseph Addai robots
Round 2
1. Randy Moss robots
2. Terrell Owens cutchee_cheese
3. Frank Gore SAINTS
4. Reggie Wayne Ala Wai Tila...
5. Tom Brady Hilo's Sleep...
6. Clinton Portis kimokazes
Round 3
1. Marshawn Lynch kimokazes
2. Larry Johnson Hilo's Sleep...
3. Ryan Grant Ala Wai Tila...
4. Andre Johnson SAINTS
5. Tony Romo cutchee_cheese
6. Peyton Manning robots
Round 4
1. Maurice Jones-Drew robots
2. Larry Fitzgerald cutchee_cheese
3. Braylon Edwards SAINTS
4. Drew Brees Ala Wai Tila...
5. Carson Palmer Hilo's Sleep...
6. Laurence Maroney kimokazes
Round 5
1. Brandon Jacobs kimokazes
2. Marques Colston Hilo's Sleep...
3. Donovan McNabb Ala Wai Tila...
4. Willis McGahee SAINTS
5. Michael Turner cutchee_cheese
6. Steve Smith robots
Round 6
1. Jamal Lewis robots
2. Ben Roethlisberger cutchee_cheese
3. T.J. Houshmandzadeh SAINTS
4. Plaxico Burress Ala Wai Tila...
5. Jason Witten Hilo's Sleep...
6. Willie Parker kimokazes
Round 7
1. Torry Holt kimokazes
2. Pittsburgh Hilo's Sleep...
3. Darren McFadden Ala Wai Tila...
4. Brandon Marshall SAINTS
5. Kellen Winslow cutchee_cheese
6. Chad Ocho Cinco robots
Round 8
1. Reggie Bush robots
2. Wes Welker cutchee_cheese
3. Earnest Graham SAINTS
4. Anquan Boldin Ala Wai Tila...
5. Santonio Holmes Hilo's Sleep...
6. Ronnie Brown kimokazes
Round 9
1. Antonio Gates kimokazes
2. Thomas Jones Hilo's Sleep...
3. Tony Gonzalez Ala Wai Tila...
4. Roy Williams SAINTS
5. Kevin Smith cutchee_cheese
6. Jonathan Stewart robots
Round 10
1. Edgerrin James robots
2. Chris Chambers cutchee_cheese
3. Greg Jennings SAINTS
4. Calvin Johnson Ala Wai Tila...
5. Lee Evans Hilo's Sleep...
6. Derek Anderson kimokazes
Round 11
1. Marvin Harrison kimokazes
2. Hines Ward Hilo's Sleep...
3. Jerricho Cotchery Ala Wai Tila...
4. LenDale White SAINTS
5. Dwayne Bowe cutchee_cheese
6. Matt Forte robots
Round 12
1. Roddy White robots
2. Dallas Clark cutchee_cheese
3. Fred Taylor SAINTS
4. Chris Cooley Ala Wai Tila...
5. Jeremy Shockey Hilo's Sleep...
6. Matt Hasselbeck kimokazes
Round 13
1. Laveranues Coles kimokazes
2. Julius Jones Hilo's Sleep...
3. Chris Johnson Ala Wai Tila...
4. Marc Bulger SAINTS
5. Nate Burleson cutchee_cheese
6. Kevin Curtis robots
Round 14
1. Donald Driver robots
2. Owen Daniels cutchee_cheese
3. Joey Galloway SAINTS
4. DeAngelo Williams Ala Wai Tila...
5. Felix Jones Hilo's Sleep...
6. Santana Moss kimokazes
Round 15
1. Javon Walker kimokazes
2. Patrick Crayton Hilo's Sleep...
3. DeSean Jackson Ala Wai Tila...
4. David Garrard SAINTS
5. Minnesota cutchee_cheese
6. Jay Cutler robots
Round 16
1. Bernard Berrian robots
2. Nick Folk cutchee_cheese
3. Anthony Gonzalez SAINTS
4. New York Ala Wai Tila...
5. Brett Favre Hilo's Sleep...
6. Vernon Davis kimokazes
Round 17
1. San Diego kimokazes
2. Chicago Hilo's Sleep...
3. Selvin Young Ala Wai Tila...
4. Todd Heap SAINTS
5. Rashard Mendenhall cutchee_cheese
6. New England robots
Round 18
1. Heath Miller robots
2. Dallas cutchee_cheese
3. Benjamin Watson SAINTS
4. Derrick Mason Ala Wai Tila...
5. Justin Fargas Hilo's Sleep...
6. Reggie Brown kimokazes
Round 19
1. D.J. Hackett kimokazes
2. Alge Crumpler Hilo's Sleep...
3. Ricky Williams Ala Wai Tila...
4. Jacksonville SAINTS
5. Vincent Jackson cutchee_cheese
6. Tony Scheffler robots
Round 20
1. Green Bay robots
2. Kenny Watson cutchee_cheese
3. Baltimore SAINTS
4. Tennessee Ala Wai Tila...
5. Deuce McAllister Hilo's Sleep...
6. Shayne Graham kimokazes
Round 21
1. Seattle kimokazes
2. Adam Vinatieri Hilo's Sleep...
3. Ray Rice Ala Wai Tila...
4. Nate Kaeding SAINTS
5. Bryant Johnson cutchee_cheese
6. Stephen Gostkowski robots
Round 22
1. Chester Taylor robots
2. Philip Rivers cutchee_cheese
3. Ahman Green SAINTS
4. Kurt Warner Ala Wai Tila...
5. Jeff Reed Hilo's Sleep...
6. Jake Delhomme kimokazes
Round 23
1. Jerry Porter kimokazes
2. Ronald Curry Hilo's Sleep...
3. Steve Slaton Ala Wai Tila...
4. Matt Schaub SAINTS
5. Zach Miller cutchee_cheese
6. Eli Manning robots
Round 24
1. Ahmad Bradshaw robots
2. Reggie Williams cutchee_cheese
3. Isaac Bruce SAINTS
4. Ted Ginn Jr. Ala Wai Tila...
5. Donte' Stallworth Hilo's Sleep...
6. Warrick Dunn kimokazes
Round 25
1. Jerious Norwood kimokazes
2. Antwaan Randle El Hilo's Sleep...
3. Rob Bironas Ala Wai Tila...
4. Donald Lee SAINTS
5. Colt Brennan cutchee_cheese
6. Drew Bennett robots

Welcome

Yep, this is as unique a league as I've ever started.

• 6 teams
• 25 (max) players per roster
• 20 starters

I would've preferred 10 teams, but the way things worked out for everyone's schedules, the draft was best held Sunday (yesterday), and I adjusted the settings best I could. Now we have an intriguing, maybe slightly insane scoring format that will be fun.

Fun. Good concept. The league:

Ala Wai Tilapias
cutchee_cheese
Hilo's Sleeper Team
kimokazes
robots
SAINTS