What was I thinking? Why would I tempt the fates with this gem from last week's column: "Here's hoping we look back on week 1 as an injury aberration." If I played any role in all this, I sincerely apologize.
If week 1 was Apollo Creed peppering your fantasy team with jabs and punches until your lineup was a bloody mess, week 2 was Clubber Lang throwing vicious haymakers and dropping your squad to the canvas. Maybe in the first quarter. I don't really need to name them, do I? Green, Griffin and Mathews isn't a law firm, but they might want to specialize in injury cases. Maybe they could compete with Moreno, Charles and Ingram. Starters, depth, Davis, Streater, it didn't matter. Many fantasy teams were affected, and that doesn't even count Adrian Peterson's deactivation. In any case, there's no time for any "woe is me" sentiment. This could be a disaster, or a great opportunity. Here are some important points to consider:
Most of these injuries should only keep players out a few weeks. Not saying it's no big deal, but most of these guys are good players who will take the field again. If you have room for them, keep them. Don't cut anybody out of frustration.
Remember what I said about being very careful with the waiver wire last week? Forget that. Well, don't forget it completely, but go ahead and consider picking up some starters. Because starters are available, and you might need them. Just don't ditch someone who might be better for your team long-term.
Take advantage of your fellow owners. A couple of injuries and an 0-2 record will rattle many opponents. Maybe you can get yourself a sweet deal if you find the right trading partner. If someone thinks they can't afford to wait for A.J. Green, don't talk them out of it. If they think the ship is sinking in Kansas City and regret drafting Jamaal Charles, help them out. Tell them you understand, and offer a deal to get them that works in your favor.
You don't even have to wait until they make their players available. Go ahead and send out offers. You never know how vulnerable someone is feeling after a rough start followed up with some bad news. But if that's you, be wary of what I just told others to do. They'll come after your best players and offer fill-ins as a result. If you need someone to play a role for a couple of weeks, exhaust the waiver wire before making a trade. With the waiver wire, you give up who you want. In a trade, you're giving up a player someone else wants, and it's not your worst player. Big difference.
Sure, there's some risk in trading away someone who will turn out to be great, but it's on your terms. At some point the risk is worth the reward. And if some owners have their confidence shattered after two tough weeks, there could be a great reward in it for you.
I won't make the same mistake I made last week. I won't even hope out loud that we're finished with big-name injuries. But I do think we can all be better-prepared for them, and take advantage of those who aren't. That's part of the fun, after all. Good luck this week.
Making or considering any moves after another tough injury week? Share your thoughts below.