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Thin at RB, I substituted A Morris for Royster this morning when Shanny made Morris his starter. I already feel like a big bass who just swallowed a lure, since the devious coach could play Morris for a series and sit him down. Howeer, I wasn't rubbing my hands over the Royster play anyway. Good luck to all with WASH RBs.

I have Royster and Morris. I drafted low in an 18-team league, so I skimped on RBs to build some WR strength. I honestly think Helu is the best of the three, but I'm not sure Shanny does, since Helu is a fumbler. Morris runs with power, but he's on the slow side (4.62) and lacks experience so I doubt that Shanny plans to ride him into the ground in an away game vs an explosive opponent. Royster didn't exactly seize the moment during the preseason. I honestly don't know what to do. Even if I knew the starter, I would worry that he'll tote it three times and sit down. I really don't think Shanny knows what he's going to do. He'll just shuttle them in and out, sticking with whoever's producing. I'm going to start Royster and just hope for the best. I don't regret picking riff-raff RBs--I really had no choice--but I now regret picking WASH riff-raff.

Can you get the league filled sooner by opening it up to the public at some point? The challenges were fun last year, but there was more suspense preceding the game than during it. I had to keep checking anxiously to see if it was going to run or if I should lay my 10-spot down elsewhere.

I made good money on the Elf contests last year. In fact, sadly, they were my primary source of income. I'm back for more.

I don't see Moss as the ideal WR for a QB who has struggled to gain confidence. All Moss wants to do is trot to the endzone, run a couple figure-eights, and then raise his hand. If Smith doesn't chuck it to him enough, Moss will start complaining that he isn't getting the ball. He'll be cut by Week 6. I keep reading about how amiable and compliant Randy has been as a Niner. He always starts out that way, but he soon snaps under the strain of being nice. Moss did an Al Jolson down-on-one-knee public plea to return to NE, but the Pats spurned him. They know something.

Hitch another Clydesdale to the plough. Benson is a GB back in the mold of Bennett, Grant, and Starks. He runs hard, but not very far. I think he may be a stopgap. Thompson got him for pocket change because of low interest around the league. Starks is hurt and likely gone. Seine is not an every-down back. Green has potential, but has yet to make even one eye-opening play. I can't get over the feeling that Thrifty Ted will make yet another move, putting Benson on the bench if not on the bus.

Since MJD doesn't start collecting a salary until opening day, it hasn't cost him much to hold out. He has racked up fines, but it's typical for teams to forgive them if the player will report. I believe he will cave once his strike gets expensive. I think there is a 0% chance he sits out the year. He is unlikely to be traded. Chris Johnson was a huge disappointment after his holdout last year. I'm worried about a similar performance from MJD, especialy since he is the only Jag offensive weapon and will be the focus of defenses. I'm avoiding him in drafts.

Weeden is as old as Rodgers and Cutler. Shoulder trouble forced him to give up professional baseball. He has limited mobility. He hasn't played much under center. He will be saddled with a corps of untalented receivers. I don't think Brandon's their answer. The Browns keep drafting QBs to replace the busts they drafted previously. They will soon be looking to replace Weeden. Holmgren is a great coach and a good guy, but he has never seemed to be an astute personnel man. Holmgren was stripped of some of his duties in SEA, and he is not redeeming himself in CLE.

This may actually be part of a MIA play for Manning. Rumor had it that Manning viewed Marshall as a negative because of his instability. The Dolphins may want to tell Peyton that they'll rebuild the WR corps in consultation with him. Right now, though, this looks like a steal for the Bears.

In Negotiation 101, you learn that eagerness to deal weakens your bargaining position. I think the Colts will act like they want Luck no matter what they plan to do. A team with their dismal 2011 record needs upgrades at multiple positions, so I believe they'll trade down for extra picks. I believe they hope to keep Manning. If there's uncertainty about Manning's health and he refuses to defer his bonus, the Colts will likely drop him, but I think they'll still deal the rights to Luck. They know from watching Couch, Leinart, and many other "can't miss" prospects that any rookie QB can miss.

I love offensive fireworks. I'm not one of these purists who relishes a taut defensive struggle. However, the pitch-and-catch spectacles we're seeing threaten to change the nature of the NFL's product, just as MLB changed when roid warriors started smacking 70+ homers a year. We'll soon be seeing "basketball" scores like 61-56. Fanball isn't as much fun now either. You can select a QB who throws for 300 yards and 3 TDs, only to find that his performance is subpar when somebody else throws for 450 and 6.

He's the new T.O.--and just when he were finally rid of the old one.

I don't follow basketball, but I entered FanDuel's NBA Freeroll tonight. Although I hadn't heard of any of the players in my lineup, and didn't even check to see if they were injured, I placed 873rd out of 1326 contestants. Obviously, I have my mojo workin', so you better believe I'm in this week's Axe Elf Invitational.

Five more sports and it's "Game on!"

The contest says "must meet minimum to run," but I don't see the minimum posted. What is it?

After three in-the-money finishes, I was starting to view this contest as a more important revenue source than my wife's part-time job, so last week's dismal showing hit me in the budget as well as the ego. I'm back in to recoup my losses.

I went on record before the contest as saying that a lower salary cap did not call for greater expertise. However, my diablo team's first-place finish inspired a chain of reflections that concluded in me reversing my position. I'm in again. Whilst amateurs are rummaging through the player pool like raccoons in a dumpster, I'll be applying expert analyses to choosing from among Jon Baldwin, Tedd Ginn Jr and Jordan Norwood.

Finley is also playing for a new contract, so we're hearing some sulky blaming of others for the fact that he isn't piling up the monster stats that demand a monster contract. He says he would be "okay with" the franchise tag, which would amount to 7 million dollars and change. Maybe he'll get it, maybe he won't.

I've never subscribed to the theory that lower caps and deeper leagues require more skill. I don't know that choosing between Donald Driver and Brandon LaFell is a matter of skill. However, the Axe Elf Organization has treated me well to date, so I'm in whatever the rules.

On the heels of my dramatic first-place finish last night, I feel it's only sporting to defend my title. I'm in.

I'm in a hard-fought salary cap league with some friends. I had set my lineup on Tuesday, but last night, 20 minutes before kickoff, I was struck by a stupid idea masquerading as an inspiration. I quickly deleted M Bush from my entry and inserted VJax. I then looked on in horror as Bush put up 30 pts while Jackson notched a deuce. To compound the tragedy, I confided my error to one of these "friends," who responded with ridicule instead of the needed and expected empathy. I've been brooding all day about my misguided maneuver.

I'm back in. I was disappointed to lose M Bush, but apparently other geniuses had him too. The lack of entries may have been because of a lack of clarity about when lineups would lock. There should hav ebeen some guidance displayed prominently on the site.

I'm plowing last weekend's 2nd-place winnings right back in.

I just became entrant #17, so only one slot remains. If you're tempted, don't wait and wind up with your nose pressed to the glass. Good luck to all.

Even though I'm a Packer fan, the play was so beautifully conceived and convincingly executed that I was disappointed to see it called back. I'm always baffled by penalties that spoil a trick play when the offender is nowhere near the action. Coaches must emphasize caution, since the play, once exposed, can't be repeated for a while.