Fantasy Football Week 3 Flex Rankings
We are in the midst of a very weird time period for the game of football. I’m not going to sit here and try to paint a picture of rainbows and teddy bears. The NFL is in a publicity crisis. The league as an entirety cannot keep up with its own blundering players. It’s the same for all of us. Whether we are Ziggy Wulf, Adam Schefter or just your average fan you cannot sit down and watch a football game without a certain level of uneasiness. If you have kids that uneasiness is even greater.
I try to keep it lighthearted here. After all, what we talk about here is a game within a game. There is nothing we do in fantasy football that has any effect on what is going in society. Most of us use a language with our league mates that would make a 1940’s American Naval Officer blush. Even with all the vulgarity spilled out daily in relevance to fantasy football you have to sit here and say to yourself.. “This is real fun.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell on stage during the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
All we used to be we worried about was whether or not the high ankle sprain our running back suffered was all that serious. Now, as fantasy football team owners we have to consider morality clauses. That was something only NFL teams needed to consider.
I am sure many of you remember Randy Moss. In 1998 he was drafted by the Vikings in the first round at pick number 21. There were 20 teams who looked at him and said no. He was widely considered a top 10 talent with a two-cent head. Even Jerry Jones and the Cowboys looked the other way. The Vikings felt that they had the team environment to compensate Moss’ outlandish behavior. Eventually he wore out his welcome and the Vikings let him go after seven seasons.
If Randy Moss were drafted this year how different would it be? From a fantasy perspective I bet not much. He’d more than likely be considered a must own talent. Much like he was drafted in fantasy leagues in 1998. Except for one difference. We would have to consider his morality. Is he a player worth owning on my fantasy team when he might get himself suspended for something really stupid?
I planned on a much different opening than this for my week 3 flex rankings. You can probably tell since the cover photo was of Arian Foster. I had this whole thing about how much I am coming around on him this year. Staying healthy and performing consistently. Seriously, it was interesting. I don’t want to write about players like Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson.
I have to.
The players I write about have a fantasy relevance whether it be positive or negative. I don’t write about domestic violence or child abuse. I’m a sports writer. So when I have to sit down at my computer to write an article and all the research I am reading is about a player’s awful and distracting off the field problems it does depress me. I am a man. A caring man. This stuff is not fun.
This is fantasy football. It’s supposed to be our escape from real life. All we want as proprietors of the sport is to have fun with our friends and family. All I want is to bring more enjoyment to a game we love so dearly. What I read about in the NFL currently is not fun. I am here to remind you that no matter what, if you’re not having fun then stop. If the recent news or the current state of the NFL is a turn off to you then you should quit. Stop playing fantasy football now or finish this season and then quit.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) leaves the field after the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. The Vikings won 19-3. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
If you’re not the type to just quit when things look down then I say to you keep on trucking. If a million-dollar owner of a real financially responsible NFL team can release Ray Rice or suspend Adrian Peterson then as a fantasy football team owner I can do the same. I can run my team however I want to. I don’t answer to anybody.
I don’t want to get into allegations or what any particular player has done wrong to hurt his team or himself. It’s cut and dry in fantasy football. Can you help my team or not? Currently, Rice and Peterson cannot. So, we will make other plans.
Here are your flex rankings for week 3.. Please. Enjoy.
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