Keep your chin up Fantasy Nation, all is not lost.
The preseason rankings this year meant just about as much as a fake phone number with six digits from the hottest chick at the bar: they wanted to make you feel good, but putting all your hope in that basket was just about the only thing you could have done to doom your dreams. Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush, Greg Jennings, Brandon Jacobs, Steve Smith, Larry Johnson, Terrell Owens, Roy Williams, Antonio Bryant, Willie Parker, Darren McFadden, Anthony Gonzalez, and LaDainian Tomlinson have crushed many a soul and dashed dreams to Timbuktu.
One might think that by investing in one of the fantasy criminals, the path to a championship would be lost. Not so!
If you search the waiver wires for a particular player and he is either not available or someone else gets him before you, do not give up!
Trades are the backbones of success in the fantasy world. However, most people fail to recognize the genius behind the chemistry of a trade. One must propose a trade in such a way that it not only benefits both teams, but also doesn't cost either team anything they can't stand to lose. The trade must be interesting, yet stable; it must fix a hole in both teams involved as well as eliminate any chance of buyers remorse.
If you can eliminate this kind of doubt in your tradee's mind, then your dreams might just transform to reality. Realize that every person has their eyes on the top prize, and no one will take an extravagant risk just to change some names. Think of yourself as a movie agent trying to sell a producer an idea for a fantastic movie: it's all in the presentation, and at the end of the day, if you aren't both getting a good deal, or if the risks outweigh the reward, not even your mother would stick her neck out for you!
So don't give up! This is your league, and everyone else is just playing in it!
Don't mention it,
Robb Jacobson
The Fantasy Sage
