Sentimentality makes many a fantasy owner stupid. Nobody wants to be a cold, callous general manager, but if your goal is to win your league championship you need to separate heart from head and make the best decisions regardless of personal history. So yes, Brett Favre posters may have adorned your walls as a kid and Marvin Harrison's autographed jersey was all you wanted for Christmas in 1999, but if you owned them last season you most likely came to regret it. Below are five guys that you might love as a fan but should avoid as a fantasy manager.
Hines Ward -- If you are a Steelers die-hard, you should love Hines Ward like I love Zack Morris -- with never-ending devotion and admiration. Ward has been a consummate leader on and off the field and has played a pivotal part in two Super Bowl championships. I am not even a Pittsburgh fan, but for some reason it pains me to write that Ward is not a top-20 receiver. He can be a nice No. 3 on your fantasy team, but after an injury-plagued end of 2008 and the emergence of Santonio Holmes don't count on him to be an every-week fantasy starter.
Reggie Bush -- I am perhaps the worst culprit of the cult of Reggie. No matter how poorly he plays or how lacking his dedication appears to be, I can't seem to shake the potential that he displayed at USC. In his three years in the NFL, Bush has yet to put his game fully together. He will remain a solid option in point-per-reception leagues, but in standard leagues he still has to prove he can make consistent contributions rushing.
Clinton Portis -- At 27, Portis' career is not exactly over, but the new character he may be playing is that of a veteran past his prime (far less entertaining to watch than Dolemite Jenkins or Choo Choo). While last year was Portis' most successful season since 2005, the 342 carries are a major concern. For his career, he is now over 2,000 attempts, a mark that proved to be a career-killer for Eddie George, Edgerrin James, Marshall Faulk, Warrick Dunn and Corey Dillon.
Jeremy Shockey -- Stop replaying his touchdown catch over Brian Dawkins. Stop daydreaming about his blonde mane and patriotic eagle tattoo rumbling toward frightened defenders. The Jeremy Shockey of 2003 is gone. The oft-injured party animal failed to catch a single TD in 2008. With Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Billy Miller, Drew Brees has plenty of other talented targets. What Shockey is now is a decent No. 2 fantasy tight end and nothing more.
Adam Vinatieri -- If you were to ask a casual sports fan who the best kicker in the NFL is they would probably say Vinatieri. Despite being the most recognizable place-kicker in the game, the former Patriot hero is pretty average these days. For 2009, he will be nowhere near as productive as current New England kicker, Stephen Gostkowski or Titans' starter Rob Bironas, and you can even make the case that he is not worthy of being drafted in a standard 12-team league.
