NFL players getting hooked on fantasy football

NEW YORK — Fantasy and reality collided at the 1-yard line for Maurice Jones-Drew.

The Jacksonville Jaguars running back passed up a sure touchdown and took a knee before the goal line, helping seal a win against the New York Jets last Sunday. It also made thousands of frustrated fantasy football owners pound their heads against their laptops.

Jones-Drew knows how they felt. He cost himself a win in his own fantasy league.

"I was actually apologizing to myself," he said. "I have myself. It was all in fun. I know a lot of people were affected by it from what I hear."

Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould was one of them. He "owns" Jones-Drew in the NFL Players Association league, which includes seven NFL players and a fan. Gould's Team Automatic lost to Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams' Memphis MudSlingers, thanks in part to Jones-Drew's kneel-down.

"I'm just glad he apologized," a joking Gould said. "I probably would have won, so MJD's got to score an extra one for me this week."

Fantasy football leagues aren't just for fans anymore. An increasing number of NFL players are hopping on their computers and agonizing over their lineups — should I start Tom Brady or Brett Favre?

"I got addicted," Minnesota backup running back Albert Young said.

Think your fantasy drafts are intense? Imagine what happens when a group of NFL players gets together.

"Matt Forte picked me before I had a chance to pick myself," Gould said of his Chicago teammate. "He has half the Bears team."

Adam Caplan, an NFL reporter for Scout.com, is in his sixth year co-hosting a fantasy football show on Sirius NFL Radio. He estimated that about a quarter of the 60-70 players he has interviewed over the last few years participate in fantasy leagues.

"But almost all of them know what it is," Caplan said, "because at the very least, their friends and family play."

That's something Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez can attest to, because he hears all about it every Monday.

"They've all got me," he said. "It's like, 'Did you score?' They try to sit me down like they're my coach: 'If you're not going to perform, I'm going to have to cut you. I'm going to have to sit you down this week.'"

Having inside information doesn't always help, either. Earlier this season, Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck benched himself in favor of Favre, thinking the Minnesota quarterback would have a huge day against St. Louis. Well, Favre threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, while Hasselbeck had a season-high four touchdown passes against Jacksonville.

That's just bad GM work there, Matt.