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Sporting News, The, August 19, 2005 by Chris Bahr

The dog days are here, and you're at a crossroads as your team is starting to slip further from contention. Do you turn your attention to fantasy football, or do you reload for one last push? Let me tell you why you should choose the Rocky Balboa approach ("I ain't going down no more!") and fight until the end:

In early August last year, I was fuming over my pathetic 11th-place performance in our TSN experts league, and I put the rest of my life on hold as I focused solely on finishing in the top three. Psychotic? Slightly. But it paid off. I finished in a second-place tie, took home a few bucks and patched up my pride.

So what can you do this late in the game?

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Identify your strengths and weaknesses. If you have an abundance of bats but need wins, deal a top hitter for a premier starter. Conversely, trade a starting pitcher if you're way over your innings limit. Punting a 5x5 category now is a viable strategy. For example, Brad Lidge could land you the homers you need in a trade, and you won't miss Lidge's saves if you're hopelessly near the bottom of the pack anyway.

Scour the waiver wire. Some owners will get lazy or even quit altogether, so your persistence will pay off. Plenty of talented hitting and pitching prospects are going to be called up in the coming weeks, and they can be just as valuable as players you had hoped to land in trades. Injuries still will strike, so also be ready to pluck utilitymen who become starters.

Row your competition. Look over your fellow owners' rosters with a three-part agenda: How can they help you? How can you convince them you can help them? How can you move and stay ahead of them? It is just as important to keep an eye on those behind you in the standings as it is to target those above you.

There's no better feeling than rising from last place and finishing in the money. I must note, however, that the bucks I won promptly were spent on a dinner to appease my neglected wife.

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Sporting News, The, August 19, 2005 by Chris Bahr

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