Just like I mentioned in my midseason manifesto, this league is one of my favorites. It’s a 10-man PPR league with one QB, two WR, two RB, one TE, two Flex (W/R/T), one Defense, and one Kicker, plus five bench spots and one IR. This has been the league where injuries have really taken a toll on me. I had a rough start in Week 1 with underperforming players, and then the injuries began piling up in Week 2.

First, AJ Brown surprised me with a late-reported hamstring injury on Friday afternoon, and then Joe Mixon hurt his ankle from a drop tackle during Sunday’s game. Tank Dell got injured as well. I had to rely on backups and flex players, but they couldn’t deliver at a winning level, leading me to a career-low 0-6 start. Frankly, this has been my most disappointing season ever.

Of all the games, Week 6 hurt the most. I finally had all my starters and first-round picks healthy and in the lineup, but I still took a big loss to my fantasy nemesis, Frank, aka “No Excuses.” I thought this was going to be the start of a win streak, but the fantasy gods had other plans. However, I now see this as an opportunity to show how you can maneuver trades and use the waiver wire to make a playoff push, even against the worst odds. If going 0-6 is possible, then going 6-0 is possible too. I proved this by getting my first win in Week 7 against Pedro, aka “El Churre.” Follow along to see if I can pull off this fantasy football miracle!

Team Drafted:

QB: Jalen Hurts

WR: AJ Brown

WR: Deebo Samuel

RB: Joe Mixon

RB: DeAndre Swift

TE: Mark Andrews

Flex: Marvin Harrison Jr.

Flex: Xavier Worthy

Defense: Browns

Kicker: Romeo Doubs

Bench:

Rome Odunze

Chase Brown

Mike Williams

TJ Hockenson

Blake Corum

Note: I didn’t draft a kicker. I dropped Mike Williams and picked up Jake Bates.

Current Record & Standings:

6-1, #9 of 10

Standout Performer:

My standout performer has to be James Conner, not only for his consistency but for his availability, a trait he’s not usually known for.

Biggest Disappointment:

My biggest disappointment is Marvin Harrison Jr., though it was somewhat expected. Watching what Malik Neighbors and Brian Thomas Jr. have been able to do leaves me wanting more from Harrison.

Biggest Fantasy Disappointment:

My biggest surprise disappointment was the Chicago Bears’ offense, which led me to prematurely release DeAndre Swift.

Trades:

I made two trades with the same manager, Danny:

After Week 2, I traded away Mark Andrews and Rome Odunze for James Conner and Tank Dell.

In Week 4, I traded Tank Dell for Jordan Love and Kareem Hunt.

Second Half Strategy:

I'm looking to make a trade in Week 8 to fortify my starting roster, but mostly, I plan to stay patient. I believe my roster, as constructed, has the strength and luck to make a promising playoff run. It’s going to be rough, and the reason I say I’ll need some luck is that I face the highest-ranked manager in Week 8: Alex, aka “El Tiburon (The Shark),” who has a solid 6-1 record. Let’s see if I can pull off a trade that will favor me. I leave it to the fantasy gods.

Let me know what do you think by leaving a comment below. See you in the next one.