Fantasy Football Diary: Week 1

Last night marked the return of meaningful NFL football with a stellar, down-to-the-wire opener between the Packers and Saints.

Not only was this an excellent game, but it also displayed the fantasy excellence of Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Both quarterback threw for three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 300+ yards.

Disclaimer: I didn't stay up for the end, since I had to be in work early, but if that game didn't get you excited for football, I don't know what will.

Something I wanted to start this season was a league in which I played against you guys, the readers. It would give me, and you, a chance to test my skills. Most importantly, I wanted the players to contribute to my blog offering some advice and tips.

I don't think there is any such thing as a fantasy football "expert." Sure, that term gets thrown around a lot, but it usually refers to someone who knows a lot about the game, players' stats, etc. I just like to say that "I know what I'm talking about," but there is more than one right way to build a winning team.

Therefore, each week I am going to give my opponent a chance to offer his strategy, advice, whatever. This way, you get more than just one man's humble opinion about who to start and who to sit. First up is my Week 1 opponent, Feather Nutz. I hold a slim 4-0 lead over him after last night's action. Here is more on him and his strategy:

Team: Feather Nutz
Name: George S.
Age: 35
From: Coatesville
Occupation: Television
Marital Status: Not anymore and never again
Hobbies: Music, sports, movies, poker, beer
Goal: I hope to live long enough to see an Eagles Super Bowl parade!
 
Strategy/Experience: I've been playing fantasy football for twenty years. Two biggest wins were being 2nd overall in ESPN a few years back and I also won my WCOFF high stakes league two years ago. Strategy for Week 1 is to not overthink. I'll play my best players and see how it goes. Good luck!

While George does a good job of not revealing too much of his strategy, he does bring up a good point. It also happens to be a big philosophy of mine: Don't overthink. Nine times out of 10, you wind up regretting the decisions you made, especially when you spend all Sunday morning deciding whether to play one running back or the other.

I 'm already mad at my decision to play Ryan Grant and sit Ryan Matthews this week...

For those of you that missed out on the free FanDuel free tournament that locked before yesterday's game, there is still a chance for you to play, and win cash, this weekend. Sign up for our $200 Weekend Beat-the-Expert, which follows the same format as yesterday's game, except there is a $5 entry fee and obviously there aren't any players from last night's game available. Don't worry though, if you beat me, you get your $5 back. Picks lock at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

I'll be back later today with some Sit/Starts for Week 1, and tomorrow I will post my lineup for the weekend FanDuel competition.

Matt Mullin is a sports producer at philly.com. You can reach him by e-mail at mmullin@philly.com. Follow Matt on Twitter: @matt_mullin