It used to be that sleep was easy on Sunday nights when the San Diego Chargers were slated for their yearly featured game on Monday Night Football. As the crisp fall afternoon went by, the cold, frosty drinks went down easy and the football was enjoyable no matter the game because your fantasy team, starring No. 1 overall draft pick LaDainian Tomlinson, would lock up a fantasy victory the following evening. Thanks to LT, at least 20 more points were in the bag.
We take a moment now to declare those days dead and buried.
Long live the era of the fantasy workhorse running back. But the torch hasn’t been passed. It’s been stolen by the uber-quarterback.
Raise a glass to the most productive fantasy players the last three seasons — a group that includes Tomlinson, Steven Jackson, Clinton Portis and Brian Westbrook — because the only thing consistent about them now is that their tires are nearly bald, and it’s often a minor miracle that they even play.
We dedicate this eulogy to the Tomlinson of old. He finally, and barely, hit 100 total yards from scrimmage for the first time this season on Monday against Denver. We remember also Jackson, who still doesn’t have a touchdown, and Portis, who without his 78-yard run against Kansas City, has averaged 3.5 yards per carry. And we won’t forget Westbrook, who hardly gets the ball, or Larry Johnson, who wouldn’t know the end zone if it hit him in the facemask. Even Frank Gore has only 39 carries and 3 TDs due to injury.
The next generation lives on, but Adrian Peterson (624 yards, 7 TDs) and Maurice Jones-Drew (463 yards, 8 TDs) are two of only five running backs that have at least six touchdowns. Ten different quarterbacks have at least nine touchdown passes.
While Peterson and Jones-Drew are may be as valuable over 17 weeks as Drew Brees, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, there’s no chance Matt Schaub (1,810 yards, 14 TDs) was taken in the first round of your league. Instead, you’re sitting on Matt Forte (294 yards, 1 TD) and the same record as the Redskins after six weeks: 2-4.
As long as that continues to be the case, you’re not waking up happy on Monday.
