David Garrard is the general manager of one of four teams sitting at 3-3 and tied for third place in our NFL PLAYERS Fantasy Football Players League. Garrard, who has scored the third-most points in the eight-person league, reveals who has been the key to his team and has a message for his Week 7 opponent, Detroit's Roy Williams, as he looks to claim the coveted trophy at season's end.
I had a 16-point win over Tatum Bell in Week 6, which isn't much in fantasy, but I was nervous it would go the other way. You know, it's been kind of iffy all year long. I've got some key guys on there, but it just seems like we just never know who's going to show up and who's going to play like they're supposed to. Any win you can squeeze out, whether it be one point or 30 points, it's a win. It gives you bragging rights whenever you get on there and log on. Whether it's 16 or four, I'm happy.
I plan to break ahead of the pack and move up the standings by continuing to rely on my guys. I think they're going to step up a little bit for me here going into the middle part of the season. So, I just need to make sure I have the right guys playing during each week because you have to really go in and be that team owner and figure out who's going to have a better week and if we're facing good defenses and really plan. It's tough. Fantasy football, man, it's a lot of hard work. You've just got to make sure you've got the right guys in the right week. I try to keep my eye on the guys that are showing promise, making sure that they're active, and taking guys out that are maybe nicked up and injured. Plus I really want to stay on top of my free agents and make sure that I've got the right guys going into the middle part of the season at the right time. I don't know how guys in real life do it.
My "ringer" so far has been the one guy that everybody was kind of laughing at me about when we had our draft day. They were saying, "What are you thinking drafting Randy Moss in the third round?" And I said, "You just watch and see, he's going to be one of my top guys. He's got Tom Brady throwing him the ball, it can't be nothing but sky's the limit for him," and he has been ballin'; all year long. So, it's definitely been Randy Moss bringing in the points for me. He has been my key draft pick.
I play him in fantasy this week, so I've got a message for Roy Williams: Roy, get ready because "The Difference" is going to be stomping all over the Odessa KittyHorns.
Since we play the Colts on Monday night, I was going to take Peyton Manning out, but my other quarterback is Steve McNair, and he's not playing. I might have to go into free agency to replace McNair because I don't even want to be looking at him thinking I need Peyton to give me some stats. The only way to get stats is to score touchdowns, and I don't want him to score against us at all. I don't even want him on the field. I'm going to have to go in and do some revamping with my backup quarterback.
Maurice Jones-Drew has come on lately for us. Between reality and fantasy, I am more glad that he is producing in reality for me, because fantasy doesn't get you paid, but reality does. So, the more he plays well and the more our team plays well, we will win and the more that helps out everybody. Actually, I've got to give MJD more touches so he can continue to get me more points. I've got to get him running and he can get some more receiving yards too. I've got to get him the ball because he is just electrifying. He does great things when he gets the ball in his hands, for reality and fantasy, so it's all good when I get the ball to him.
The Jacksonville defense is playing lights out and I just put them on the active roster for this week because they always play well against the Colts. I want to make sure that are fired up all week long, so I'm going to be talking to them, making sure that they are ready to sack Peyton all day, intercept him and do everything, for reality and fantasy.
I knew we had it in us to start out 4-1 and we probably could be 5-0, but the Titans did just enough to beat us in our home opener. But, we have a lot of games ahead of us and we can continue to add on to our wins. People not taking notice is kind of how it's always been really, and that's alright because we'll just keep doing our thing and keep collecting wins, and one day they'll realize we're here.
-As told to NFLPLAYERS.COM's Khalil Garriott
