There's No I in Team

Hey Mr. T,

I have three fantasy football teams. I have Brandon Jacobs on one team, but my opponents this week in my other leagues both have him as well. So what am I supposed to root for this week? As a Giants fan, I want Jacobs to be successful, but at what cost?

- Charles C., New York, NY

Charles, I feel your pain. As the owner of six fantasy football teams (yes, I know you've heard that plenty of times already), I encounter this problem a lot. There were certain players I focused on drafting for all my teams. Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Matt Forte, Kevin Smith, Thomas Jones, and Donald Driver are among the players who appear on multiple franchises of The A-Team. Everyone knows I love Thomas Jones more than Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg love Magnolia cupcakes, but I can't have him on every team. Every week it seems as if some of my players are owned by opponents in other leagues, which creates an odd rooting interest. It must be how Kansas City Chiefs fans feel right now as they cheer the success of Tyler Thigpen, while hoping he doesn't cost them Michael Oher or Andre Smith in next year's draft.

So what do you do? You have to root for Jacobs to be a success. If he's on any of your teams, you want him to be productive. You have to hope your other players can carry the load. It's not like everyone else on the opponent's team are on your team as well. I like to think about it this way: when you draft your team, you're drafting the best players available with possible position requirements. If you've collected the best talent on your squad, they will be successful week to week regardless of who the opponents have. Since there are so many players involved in creating your total, it's highly doubtful that one player will have such an impact on the bottom line. Sure we've seen legendary performances this season like Favre's 6 TD game, Cassel's 400 passing and 60 rushing yards explosion, and Ronnie Brown's 5 TD extravaganza. Honestly, how are you gonna prevent that on a fantasy level? Unless you’re throwing on the pads and going out there every Sunday, there's only so much you can do. However, if you are feeling frisky, I hear the Rams are currently looking for any caliber of defensive player. If you've dominated your co-ed flag football league, I'd give them a call.

While there is an I in championship and victory, there's no I in Fantasy Football. Let Brandon go wild this weekend. It's not a “don't ask, don't tell” kind of situation you and your wife might've agreed upon before your bachelor party in Vegas. We don't want Brandon having as much fun as you did with Cindy at Spearmint Rhino that Friday night. (Don't worry, I promised Ramon that I wouldn't tell a soul). But as long as he keeps it within the realm of 100 yards and a TD, everybody wins. Bet the pass line and keep rolling those hard fours.