This past Monday, September 25th, was Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is a Jewish High Holiday – the holiest of holidays. The website JewFAQ explains it pretty well: “The name ‘Yom Kippur’ means ‘Day of Atonement,’ and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to ‘afflict the soul,’ to atone for the sins of the past year… On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends.” As ideas go, I like this one a lot. One day — one day every year — where you apologize for everything you’ve done wrong the past year. An attempt to make amends for everything, to start the process of righting your wrongs. So, just as I have done for many years, I am once again bringing the concept to fantasy football and everyday life. Now, I want to be clear here. This is NOT an attempt to minimize the significance or importance of the Yom Kippur holiday. As JewFAQ notes, “Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and G-d, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur.” As a Jewish man myself, I have no interest in doing anything other than honoring the traditions of the Yom Kippur holiday, just as I do every year. It’s also why I am specifically writing this after Yom Kippur and obviously this is between me and you, not between myself and G-d. But I DO like the idea. So, I’m using it as inspiration. As motivation. As a reason to once again write about my annual Fantasy (and Life) Day of Atonement. Let’s start with me. I am officially atoning for my preseason fade of Mike Evans. Honestly, it serves me right. I said the following in my preseason Love/Hate about Mike: Mike Evans is one of my favorite players in the NFL, especially as someone who grew up in College Station, Texas and roots for Texas A&M to this day. Gig’Em Aggies. So why is Evans on this list? … Last season, he had a catch rate below 60% in nine games. And he only finished inside the Top 15 in WR PPG last season because of one monster game in Week 17. He was WR30 in PPG entering Week 17. Now, Evans changes from Tom Brady, under whom Tampa averaged 702 pass attempts per season, to Baker Mayfield who is: a) decidedly not Tom Brady; and b) has one career season with 500-plus attempts. WELL. That was stupid for me to fade one of my favorite players in the NFL and, you know, someone who always produces. I forgot my own stupid rule: Figure out what’s most likely to happen and then, you know, do that. Because Mike Evans is money in the bank, duh. Over 1,000 yards every single year of his career, spanning nine seasons. Inside the Top 20 fantasy wide receivers for seven straight years and a Top 10 WR in five of the past seven. I was worried about the declining production and the downgrade from Tom Brady to, well, anyone, but didn’t take into account that Mike Evans has been QB proof his whole career. He put up numbers with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick for crying out loud, you’re telling me he couldn’t with Baker Mayfield? Anyways, I have no shares of Mike Evans this year and anyone that followed my Love/Hate or preseason ranks doesn’t either. And that’s on me. Dumb, dumb me. Mike Evans had an ADP of WR 30 on Yahoo and through three weeks he’s WR 5 in fantasy football. So not only is he producing, he was a great draft day bargain. And I blew it. Completely and totally. And I own that. And I apologize as your humble servant. To Mike Evans, the Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield and every fantasy manager that avoided him due to me… I would like to atone. You have my sincere apologies. But, I am not alone. Oh no. There are others out there that need to atone. I asked my followers on Twitter, er, X.com for some suggestions and here are some of the ones that came back at me, along with my own thoughts about who else needs to atone for this year. While I appreciate all the votes for, like, LeSean McCoy for ruining the ending to Avengers Endgame, this is just about this year. Whoever is responsible for the return of wide-legged jeans. Look I am by no means a fashion expert. I am a 30-something (-or-so-ish) father. Skinny jeans, straight-legged jeans, jorts … whatever you want to wear, you do you. No judgment. However, I have lived long enough to know what happens next when wide-legged jeans come into fashion. One day you wake up, look around … and people are wearing JNCOs. (Just google it). Arthur Smith for not giving more targets to Kyle Pitts. Look, the Falcons are 2-1, so okay, I guess, they are doing better than expected, but when Jonnu Smith has as many receptions on the year as a generational talent at tight end you should be sued for malpractice. Leagues that allow vetoes. Come on, what are we doing here folks? Sean Payton and Vance Joseph for whatever the hell that was last Sunday against the Dolphins. The people putting fewer chips in my chip bags. You call it “shrinkflation” due to rising costs and global supply chain issues, I call it “I’M HUNGRY GIVE ME MY REGULAR AMOUNT OF CHIPS NOW.” I mean, I already feel bad enough about eating this, now you’re making me feel worse because I have to eat six bags to get my fix. Jerks, you make me hangry! The Chicago Bears for giving Justin Fields only five, count ‘em, five designed runs in the first two games. Good lord. Anytime a talent deficient team can purposely take away the best skill set of their top player you gotta do it, amirite? The store clerk who told me I could find that size and color online. I’m in the store currently. Your store. Why are you telling me to go online? I’m already online too much as is. If I should go online, why does the store even exist then? Why do you exist? Do I even exist? Is this a simulation? I’m just going to let A.I. dress me from now on. The ref that called Amari Cooper out of bounds on the long pass last week. We are all human and mistakes will happen but NOT THAT BAD. He wasn’t even near the sideline! Like, not within a foot! Even if you think you saw it, let it continue and he can score a TD and then you can review it and mark him out if he stepped out of bounds earlier. WHICH HE DIDN’T DAMMIT! Steve. Friggin Steve. I’m so sick of Steve, right? Steve is the worst. He knows what he’s done. Every single media personality that talked about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce before talking about the Dolphins putting up 70 (70!) points without Jaylen Waddle. Come on. You know I am officially a Swiftie myself and I certainly had fun with the story on #Fantasy Football Happy Hour (Live at noon ET on Peacock and SiriusXM Ch. 85 and then on demand on Peacock, wherever you get podcasts and the NFL on NBC YouTube channel). BUT COME ON! An NFL team put up 70 points in a modern day game and could have put up more. That’s insane! Magical. Brilliance. That has to be the lead. Then have fun with the famous singer and famous tight end. I don’t want to overreact here, but when 70 points in a game can’t get the lead, we’ve lost our way as a society and are two weeks away from complete destruction of modern civilization as we know it. Anyone that has not bought a subscription to RotoPass.com, the premium fantasy football, DFS, best ball and dynasty bundle I’ve put together that includes all the best premium sites in fantasy for one low price. It includes access to Peacock, which gets you the two exclusive NFL games (including the playoff game), my TV shows and much more and it’s a 12 month subscription.
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