SUPERBOWL WEEK: Students play fantasy football with pros

By Sean Gellen,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

Students brag about how they have a really hard fantasy football league, and that it’s so hard to win. Well, sophomore Greg  Silver and his younger brother Robbie can brag all they want, because they are in a league with football experts who know everything there is to know football. They compete against reporters and analysts like Ian Rapoport and Andrew Siliciliano.

While it may be fun to be a part of a league with just a few of your closest friends, when you’re in a league with professional football analysts you have to pay closer attention.

“It’s frickin’ intense; you gotta get on those wavier claims, draft well and stay on top of NFL news,” Greg said.

In this league, Greg and Robbie share one team and combine their football knowledge so they can go head to head against some of the best fantasy players around. Robbie makes the executive decisions, because this is his main league.

“I have a couple other leagues, whereas this is his only one, so he gets first priority for every decision,” Greg said.

Robbie loves to compete against some of his father’s colleagues and then brag about it to his father. Robbie’s father is NFL television analyst Michael Silver.

“It’s pretty cool; I just completed a trade with Andrew Siliciliano, a guy I watch every Sunday on [NFL] RedZone Channel! I also beat my dad’s colleague Ian Rapoport,” Robbie said.

Robbie says that the coolest part about the league is playing against people he watches on TV.

“The competition is hard core and that makes it fun,” Robbie said.

Greg spends a lot of time figuring out which players he should put in when, and how he will face up against the next week’s challenge.

“These aren’t just normal people. They’re gods. You have to stay on top of the league like it’s your hardest class! Experience is needed if you want to be a competitor,” Greg said.

Greg thinks that because he and Robby made it to the playoffs this year, they will get a ticket into next year’s league too.

Greg says that his biggest regret was when he drafted Adrian Peterson in the third round because he is now not allowed to play due to legal issues.

He notes that his best draft pick was Jamaal Charles, and Sammy Watkins for a sleeper.

“Right now my main focus is making it into next year’s league; we will just have to see how it goes from there,” Greg said.

Greg and Robbie ended their dream fantasy football season in a respectable fifth place out of 12 teams.