Welcome to the family, Han

To be fair, he already had me.

As I've mentioned many times before, most recently in one of my favorite baseball columns I've ever written, I love the Star Wars trilogy. I was 7 years old when the original Star Wars was released and, as often is the case, what was important to you at age 7 becomes really important to you when you're older. Important and beloved.

Had all the Star Wars action figures, ate a cereal I couldn't stand for three months (a big sacrifice at age 7) just to collect enough box tops so I could get a Boba Fett action figure. I love many Star Wars quotes, of course, but Yoda's "Do, or do not. There is no try." has resonated with me for my entire life and has kept me motivated when things weren't going my way.

And so between playing with the Millennium Falcon, being scared of Darth Vader (only the greatest villain of all time!) and getting annoyed with C-3PO (even at 7 I knew he was kind of a pill), I discovered George Lucas was the man behind this amazing world.

Then, when I was 12, he did "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and, man, there was no one cooler than Indy. The sword fight/Indy shrug/gun-shot scene is among the best movie moments of all time. The snakes, the boulder, the saving Karen and then tying her back up ... the movie is nothing but amazingly fun moments and scenes.

All I know is, the wife is lucky we had twin daughters because, had they been boys, it was gonna be "Han" and "Indiana," and there wasn't going to be a discussion.

I've never met George Lucas, but I suspect if I ever did, I would simply say five words to him: "Thank you for my childhood."

As I grew older and learned how damn hard it is to make any kind of entertainment, let alone something that appeals to and touches as many people as Lucas' work did, I became even more appreciative of his accomplishment. And as a fan of both the man and his legacy, it was exciting to me when I learned he had sold his "LucasFilm" company to the Walt Disney company. Disney also owns ESPN, of course, and you know I am a company man, but this has nothing to do with either. Rather, I have an appreciation for the guts it took for George Lucas to do this.

Yes, he made billions of dollars, but I got news for you: George Lucas has made more money than he could ever possibly spend in his and many other lifetimes. This was not a money deal. He spoke about the sale here, but in essence, he did it so that future generations could enjoy Star Wars. He believes that Disney, with its theme parks and merchandising and the way it has been able to enhance without tarnishing other beloved brands such as Pixar and Marvel (and even The Muppets), is the perfect home for his galaxy far, far away to live on for generations that haven't even been born.

It is, in my opinion, an amazingly brave and selfless act. This is something that has defined his life. The amount of hard work, sacrifice and frankly, love, that Lucas has poured into this franchise is immeasurable. And now he is turning over his baby to someone else for a greater good.

It's a fairly scary proposition. He has taken great pains to make sure it's in the right hands going forward and he believes (and I agree with him) that if you're gonna choose a huge international corporation, Disney is the right bet. But still ... you never know. Someone else owns his baby now. If they want to put out an all-monkey version of the movie? They can do that.

I'd love to think that if I had created something as magical and beloved as the Star Wars franchise I'd be self-aware and selfless enough to be willing to give it up at some point. I'd like to think that but I've honestly no idea if I'd have the guts to do so.

I'm a pack rat, I'm fiercely loyal, I even get annoyed when Mrs. Roto eats food off my plate. Even in the smallest instances, I hang on tightly to things, ideas and people in my life, often well past the time I should. So that's why I am so impressed with Lucas.

And it is why, inspired by him, I will let go of a few players who were on my preseason love/hate list and have been hanging on to all this time. I give up. They're no longer my guys. I'm moving on, for a variety of reasons.

Quarterback: Philip Rivers. I thought he'd bounce back. I thought he could overcome the Norvness of it all. I thought he'd be more like the final five games of last season -- and every other year of his career -- and that he wouldn't miss Vincent Jackson that much since he'd had a huge year in 2010 without him for much of the season. I was wrong. Now droppable in 10-team leagues.

Running back: Doug Martin. "All-Preseason," I kept screaming from the mountain tops that the ESPN collective ranks were way too low on him and I personally loved him. And I still believe in his talent. But as we discussed on the podcast Wednesday morning, the Carl Nicks injury is a huge blow for Martin. Carl Nicks played every single snap at left guard for Tampa Bay this year. And as John Parolin from ESPN Stats & Information points out, Martin was much more effective when running behind him.

Left: 47 rushes, 210 yards, 12 first downs, 2 TD, 4.5 yards per rush.
Middle: 56 rushes, 249 yards, 10 first downs, 1 TD, 4.4 yards per rush.
Right: 26 rushes, 84 yards, 1 first down, 3.2 yards per rush.

Dude. Martin goes from a low-end No. 1 running back to a low-end No. 2. Crushing blow for Nicks, for Martin owners and for the Buccaneers.

Wide Receiver: Torrey Smith. Make no mistake, I still believe in Smith's talent. Think he's a stud. I just have no faith whatsoever that the Ravens, specifically quarterback Joe Flacco, can get him the ball consistently. He will have a few huge weeks between now and the end of the season, but three straight weeks of fewer than 50 yards receiving is a disturbing trend. He had 13 targets against Houston, but then just four targets in each of the two games before that. No one loved Smith more than me in the preseason but I have to let it go. Can't trust him as a starter in a standard 10-team league.

Tight end: Jacob Tamme. I bought in to the whole "he's familiar with Peyton Manning" thing, but so far the only thing he has become familiar with is the back of Joel Dreesen's jersey as he watches Dreesen run into the end zone. Tamme is not only not a top-12 tight end, like I thought he'd be at the start of the year, he's not even the best tight end on his team.

We are halfway through the season. This is the stretch run. The fantasy trade deadline is coming up soon. You've gotta decide now who you're gonna roll with, and who you're gonna let go.

And while you think on that, we get to this week's version of players that I like more than others (the "loves") and the players I like less than others (the "hates"). As always, please don't use this as a pure start/sit. If you're wondering whom to start or sit, check my weekly rankings, updated daily throughout the week.

Quarterbacks I love in Week 9

Michael Vick, Eagles: There are some things Andy Reid and I just don't see eye-to-eye on. He doesn't like a clean-shaven look. I do. He doesn't like the Washington Redskins. I do. He doesn't believe in Michael Vick. I do. At least this week against the Saints. Giving up an average of over 21 fantasy points a game, every quarterback not named Matt Cassell has at least 18 points against them. They've even given up the sixth-most rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks. They are the first team in NFL history to give up over 400 yards in seven straight games. It's an obvious matchup, of course, but you might be gun-shy given all the "losing his job" talk. I'm the highest on him. He'll be a top five play this week.

Andrew Luck, Colts: Every week I talk about him, and every week, I'm pretty much right. They throw a ton, he's money at home (never fewer than 18 fantasy points) and check out this Next Level intel; The Dolphins send extra pass-rushers on 41.4 percent of opponents' dropbacks. That's the fifth-highest rate in the league. And what happens when teams send five or more rushers against Andrew Luck? He has a 74.2 total QBR, fifth-best among qualified quarterbacks.

Carson Palmer, Raiders: Averaging 38 pass attempts a game, Palmer has quietly had a very nice fantasy year. With at least 297 yards passing and/or two total touchdowns in every game this season but one, he's got more fantasy points than Tony Romo and Matt Schaub and just four points fewer than Cam Newton, among others. Tampa Bay is already without Aqib Talib and might be without Eric Wright as well. And those are the best corners on a team that is 31st against the pass. Palmer available in almost 40 percent of leagues, incidentally.

If you're desperate: Russell Wilson has actually been usable recently, with at least 15 points in two of the past three (the third game was against the 49ers) and the Vikings are reeling, tied for the fifth-most fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks … Brandon Weeden is tied for second in the NFL in touchdowns off play-action (6) (Editor's note: This was corrected Sunday morning) and the Ravens have allowed a 68.4 completion percentage on play-action passes, seventh-worst in the league. Prior to last week's wind bowl, Weeden had two touchdowns in three straight games and Baltimore's defense ain't what it used to be, ya dig?

Quarterbacks I hate in Week 9

Philip Rivers, Chargers: Do I even have to give a reason? Rivers' average pass has traveled 7.3 yards downfield this season, tied for fourth lowest in the NFL. He's dinking and dunking his way to mediocrity, as he now has single-digit fantasy games in back-to-back games and three of his past five. That's way too many clunkers for someone who is still rostered in so many leagues. As the SWAN, Zach Jones, points out, Rivers is completing less than 25 percent of his passes when hit or under duress, which is second-worst in the NFL and the worst rate of his career. Don't see that line improving any. I don't care if he somehow has a decent game Thursday night and you're reading this on a Friday. Not only is he still droppable in 10-team leagues, if he's out there in your league, and you have a spare roster spot, pick him up just so you can have the joy of dropping him as well. You'd be surprised at how good it feels.

Andy Dalton, Bengals: An interception in seven straight games now, Dalton faces an underrated Broncos defense that has held Tom Brady to 223 yards and Drew Brees to 213 yards, both of those results accounting for their season lows so far.

Running backs I love in Week 9