By Brett Avery The mail carrier arrives between 1:50 and 2:05 p.m. each day, smiling broadly because The Fantasy Insider’s house is the next-to-last on her daily route. She lets the metal lid on the mailbox clang shut, TFI’s signal to scamper down from his second-floor office in time to get onto the porch and wave to the carrier as he scoops up his postal goodies. If only TFI’s digital mailbag were as satisfying. For TFI and his loyal readers, too. Since early 2005, TFI has experienced recurring problems with receiving and sending email. It got to the point about two months ago that TFI had to juggle between two web browsers and some proprietary software to read, write and delete from his email account. Here’s the layman’s explanation for the problem: Don’t ask. TFI was on the brink of switching to another email provider when, in one of those providential moments that make life worthwhile, a stranger with far more computer savvy than TFI walked him through a fix that makes the digital mailbag complete. Why does TFI bring this up now, a week before The Masters, when all anyone wants to think about is the color green? He wants to apologize. The week of the John Holmes/J.B. Holmes roster snafu, when he received dozens of emails only to see them disappear from his inbox for no known reason? Yeah, he hated not answering everyone. Those responses for Salary Cap Cup competitors about how to ideally split a lineup between players at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and Chrysler Classic of Tucson? TFI has no idea why they sat, undelivered, in his sent mail file for a week. But now all appears right with the world. TFI’s had no problems (knock on wood) since the fix late Thursday night. He plans on reinstituting his two mailbag sweeps each week, one of which comes during his Monday night research, writing and angst session. So, without further ado, let's go straight to This Week's Brilliant Question, shall we? “It’s Saturday and there still isn’t any update re [Chris] DiMarco withdrawing from THE PLAYERS Championship on Wednesday. After upsetting the No. 1 team in my [head-to-head] division last week, I really needed a win to stay within striking range. I found another website that posted information in time for me to do something [with the roster]. Also, there is a general lack of info as to what a player’s plans for any extended period are. Why isn’t there an injury report or something like it in the baseball leagues? If a player withdraws, is injured or is taking a few weeks off, why can’t they communicate it so it can get in the updates?” --Tony, Nurdrems There’s no frustration in League Championship Fantasy or Salary Cap Cup as great as that surrounding a player withdrawal. Taking a zero for the week is galling enough; having it happen during a rich week such as THE PLAYERS Championship is infuriating. TFI apparently cannot say this one enough: Make it a weekly habit to check pgatour.com before going to bed Wednesday to make sure everyone on your roster is in the field. Like remembering to take out the garbage, that last look ensures a WD isn’t a mortal wound. The full field and pairings are available on each event’s site, which can be reached by clicking on the “tournaments” tab. It takes two minutes to search for all six players on the pairings list. How quickly is a field change reflected on the website? As soon as word is received in the PGA TOUR field office -- that translates to “instantly.” In this case, the field was updated at 1:24 p.m. A writer from pgatour.com whipped together a quick story on DiMarco that went onto the site a few minutes later. And three stories posted that afternoon on Camilo Villegas, who took his place, noted the WD. That other website? Posted the info after 8 p.m. Its source: the TOUR. The idea of receiving player updates, especially when it comes to injuries or tournament schedules, sounds terrific -- especially after getting burned by a WD. Unlike baseball and other team sports, though, the 200-plus players on the PGA TOUR are independent contractors. That means no coaches or general managers to announce and discuss injuries, no league-wide format for publicizing roster moves when a player goes on the D.L., no transactions to read in the sports pages over the morning bowl of cereal. And email alerts on any move? Even TFI, fresh off his email hell, knows that would be a logistical nightmare. And there’s no guarantee that you would read a message sent on a WD before the roster deadline. No, the only solution for LCF and SCC entrants is this: Forewarned is forearmed. Track your players like you would a 6-year-old, especially come Wednesday night. Those two minutes spent checking on your roster could save you from a weekend of agony over a wretched zero in your lineup. Two players TFI might pick up/trade for to get onto his roster this week (and four other guys to check out): • Charles Warren. World rank: 141. Tied for 10th last year at the BellSouth Classic and last week’s tie for 16th made for his first back-to-back top 20s since February 2005. He missed 17 cuts last season, mostly in bunches, in his first PGA TOUR season since 1999. Now third in total driving (295.6-yard average distance) with greens in regulation stats (68.7 percent, 16th) that will make most team owners salivate. How is this guy only on 5 percent of rosters? Alas, the Expert League TFI’s in is one of them (a pox on you, Steve Alexander!). • John Rollins. World rank: 100. TFI picked him as an add the week of the FBR Open and since then his scoring average is 70.25, now 7-for-7 on cuts made this year with four top 15s. He’s fifth in all-around stat with driving numbers that backstop lineups in either format. Although not in The Masters, May beckons: it was his consistently best month as he made big strides last season. When TFI finally decided to jettison Arjun Atwal from his head-to-head team (see below) he picked up this guy. • Stephen Ames, Thongchai Jaidee, Arron Oberholser and Rory Sabbatini. If you’re still scraping for a full lineup at The Masters then check out the final field announced Monday. The last four players to make it into the field are Ames (THE PLAYERS Championship winner), Jaidee (special invitation) and Oberholser and Sabbatini (top 50 in Official World Ranking, top 50 in PGA TOUR earnings through Monday). The last two are playing this week at the BellSouth Classic (where Oberholser tied for sixth last year). Three players TFI might waive/drop/trade away to get off his roster this week: • Ryan Moore. World rank: 154. The former U.S. Amateur winner’s agent sent out a press release last week announcing his impending hand surgery, the culmination of taking off several to deal with pain in his left hand. Recuperation is expected to take six to eight weeks. Bummer, especially with a Masters exemption for his tie for 13th last year. Hope he’s back in time for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot GC, where he won that Amateur title. • Bob Estes. World rank: 113. Three straight top 25s beginning the season gave way to not making a cut since the Chrysler Classic of Tucson. That takes him out of the top 100 in the Official World Ranking. Remarkably he still shows up as statistically one of the better putters this season. He’s sitting out this week and isn’t in the Masters. In fact, his past performance chart is pretty crummy until the FedEx St. Jude Classic in late May. Make a reminder to check on him then. • Arjun Atwal. World rank: 136. One of the best putters on the PGA TOUR last season, this guy was an early acquisition for TFI’s H2H team. Since contending at the Buick Invitational in late January he’s missed five of six cuts and ranks 111th in putting average. No way he stays on a roster until he gets his game straight. Rotisserie results for Expert League at THE PLAYERS Championship: 30.5 points (sixth). One-putts 122 (seventh), birdies 53 (seventh), bounce backs 8 (eighth), 300+ drives 11 (tied second), greens 165 (eighth), money $532,000 (third), scoring 72.9 (fifth), scrambles 69 (sixth), eagles 2 (tied fourth). Overall: 56.5 (third). In the words of TFI’s ninth-grade English teacher, the esteemed Edward F. Smith III: Ye gods! The only way TFI could have more thoroughly screwed last week up? Have all six guys miss the cut instead of four. Rotisserie lineup for BellSouth Classic: Daniel Chopra, Brandt Jobe, Troy Matteson, Bo Van Pelt, Michael Campbell (not playing), Sergio Garcia (not playing). Not competing: Joe Ogilvie, Geoff Ogilvy, Ryan Palmer, Camilo Villegas. A lot of lineups in this league with far fewer than six active players as everyone’s protecting idle players for next week. H2H results for Pacific Tour League at THE PLAYERS Championship: Greenside Shockers 196, TFI 156. Drivers, Chad Campbell 18, David Howell 37. Short game, K.J. Choi 40, Angel Cabrera 15. Putters, Jesper Parnevik 28, Daniel Chopra 18. With Pat Perez (46 points) on the bench and a loss all but assured, TFI spent the weekend contemplating pulling the covers over his head until September. H2H lineup for BellSouth Classic: rawson brothers (1-9) at TFI (5-5). Drivers, David Howell and John Rollins. Short game: Angel Cabrera and K.J. Choi (neither of whom is playing!). Putting: Daniel Chopra and Chris DiMarco. Competing but not in lineup: None. Not competing: Cabrera, Chad Campbell, Choi, Justin Leonard, Pat Perez, Jesper Parnevik. OK, so a week after answering the Brilliant Question by saying it’s not wise to start only four players, TFI fields that number with confidence. Why? His opponent, on a nine-week losing streak, has only two active players in the field (Olin Browne and Jonathan Kaye). Roster move: Drop Arjun Atwal, add John Rollins. Salary Cap Cup results for THE PLAYERS Championship: The main lineup of Tiger Woods ($76,800, tied 22nd), Adam Scott ($18,613, tied 53rd), Scott Verplank ($0, missed cut), Stephen Ames ($1,640,000, won!; includes $200,000 bonus as leader) and Justin Rose ($0, missed cut) totaled $1,735,413 and placed 585th. Through Week 12 it totals $5,172,759 and ranks 71st (out of more than 32,500 participants). How about that! Four weeks into the segment (which last through May) and TFI is a contender. Keep the fingers crossed. The “Hey, buddy” lineup of Darren Clarke ($100,000, tied 20th), Geoff Ogilvy ($0, missed cut), Padraig Harrington ($0, missed cut), Greg Owen ($76,800, tied 22nd) and Carlos Franco ($22,020, tied 45th) totaled $198,820 and placed 19,417th. Through Week 12 it totals $2,209,558 and ranks 13,418th. Just goes to show how difficult it is to select two viable lineups each week. Doesn’t it? Salary Cap Cup lineup for BellSouth Classic: Main lineup, Jose Maria Olazabal $267,500, Arron Oberholser $248,000, John Rollins $196,000, Charles Warren $140,750, Briny Baird $105,000. Total: $957,250. “Hey, buddy” lineup, Retief Goosen $300,000, Henrik Stenson $283,750, Joey Sindelar $147,250, Rich Beem $98,500, Paul Stankowski $75,000. Total: $904,500. Week 12 winner: Kingsford Knights $3,092,820. Segment Two leader: Logo Balls $7,170,442. Have a question or comment for TFI? Send it to him at brettavery@aol.com. Please remember to include your team and league names and whether you’re playing a rotisserie or H2H league. |
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