My NFL Fantasy League fortunes come down to one player.
I would not have drafted this guy unless he fell all the way to the No. 10 pick in the first round — my first selection.
My fellow owners didn’t trust him and neither did I — until he was there for the taking.
Welcome to the D Team, Christian McCaffrey.
In 2025, the San Francisco 49ers running back led all players in snaps, routes, touches, targets, receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and — MOST IMPORTANTLY — fantasy points. But he turned the bewitching age of 30 in June, and he hasn’t practiced much in preseason.
He says that was part of the plan, and he will be good to go when the 49ers face newly unretired Aaron Donald and the L.A. Rams on Sept. 10 in Australia.
If he has a disastrous season, so will my team.
In Round 2, I got a great — but sometimes troubled — wide receiver.
Hopefully, A.J. Brown will bring ‘D for Determined’ to the D Team. After a tumultuous run in Philadelphia, Brown is now a New England Patriot.
If he soars there, so will I. If he acts crazy on his QB Drake Maye as he did on Jalen Hurts, my season will be suspect.
I have a dilemma at quarterback. Brock Purdy was my choice in the sixth round, but Kyler Murray was unexpectedly still there in the eighth. Purdy is steady, plus he and McCaffrey on my team could pay off big time.
But Murray and wide receiver Justin Jefferson in Minnesota could pair up to be a dynamic duo. Currently, Murray is predicted to score more fantasy points in Week 1 than Purdy.
This decision will come down to an hour before the 49ers game. I’m leaning toward Purdy, at least to start the season.
Here are the other D Team starters:
Travis Etienne (pronounced A-Chain), RB, New Orleans Saints; Alvin Kamara is injured so my guy will get plenty of carries.
Ladd McConkey, WR, L.A. Chargers; If his QB Justin Herbert is rolling, so is my receiver.
Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts; He’s returning from a knee injury, but he could be my steal of the draft.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Pittsburgh Steelers; He will be in the flex position. Put up or get benched, buddy.
Defense/Special Teams, New England Patriots; Hey, can we get All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez signed to a contract extension already? Jeez.
Jake Bates, Kicker, Detroit: The Lions will likely score a lot of points. This works in his favor.
After three straight playoff appearances, I didn’t qualify last year. I’m confident that it will change this year.
The Reid Roundup
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt had a bad week. Wetherholt is on the 10-day injured list with a wrist injury, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart is now favored to win NL Rookie of the Year honors, and CJ Abrams has agreed to play second base for the Washington Nationals. Abrams automatically becomes MLB’s best second baseman if he continues there, slowing Wetherholt’s rise to the top…A couple of young African American MLB players are making news. Tampa Bay continues playing outstanding baseball and leads the American League East with the help of Chandler Simpson. He’s hitting .309 with 30 RBIs and 37 stolen bases…In Minnesota, rookie Kaelen Culpepper has energized his team and Twins fans. In 19 games (67 at-bats), he has 21 hits, three home runs, and is hitting .313…A shout-out to former KU quarterback Jalon Daniels. The undrafted free agent has been named the Tampa Bay Bucs’ backup QB behind Baker Mayfield…In my opinion, drawing more Black youths to soccer is key to snapping the World Cup mediocrity run in which America is stuck. Musonda Kapatamoyo, a co-founder of 314 Soccer Club with Charles Renken and Cristina Sanchez, says the club is “intentionally designed to reflect the diversity of the St. Louis region and the global nature of soccer.” Kapatamoyo, a native of Zambia, professor and former chair of the Department of Mass Communications at SIU Edwardsville, says the club has already grown in stature and recognition. Keep it going…