We have all been there. We are at some type of social event, be it a bar or a party or whatever else qualifies as a social event. We see this striking gal by herself and start to wonder. First we check the finger. Nope, not married. Then we try to get in position for a full figure view. Nope, does have a giant pear ass. So, we start to put togehter our game plan. How do we approach this one? Do we do the walk by with the eye contact and just keep going by...to plant the seed? Do we engage her in a quick, pointless banter and then walk away as fast as we approached (the ninja)? Or, do we throw caution to the wind and simply walk up and actually have a conversation? Whichever you choose, you are wrong. Why? Because the bitch has crazy eyes. There is likely a reason anytime a hot girl is single and alone. If we would have just listened to the warning signs our (upper) brain was sending we be better off. Why does the lower brain always win. The upper brain is like the lowly defense attorney throwing out objections hoping to help his case while the lower brain is the douchey judge that is type cast in every single law show and movie ever created. "Overruled!"
Every year we fantasy drafters become smitten with the facade of some players. We listen to all the experts that tell us how this is finally the year, or that this rookie is different han every other rookie...yadda, yadda, yadda. That little sound in the back of your mind is telling you to wait, think about this a little more. Why do we like this guy? What happpens if he is the same guy he has always been and doesn't all of a sudden become a star? What happens if he really is old and worn down and his production falls off a cliff (looking at your Ladanian). I have prided myself on listeneing to the deep recesses of my rain and avoiding these guys. Sometimes I have been way wrong and these guys would have done wonders for my team (Darren McFadden) but a lot of times I sleep better at night watching guys like Michael Vick and Larry Johnson sink other people's teams.
2012 Brady Quinn list:
Ryan Mathews - This one was too easy. While initial rankings from experts was coming out I couldn't help but think what a perfect fit for my crazy eyes theory. This porcelain doll was born with the same affliction as the Samuel Jackson character in unbreakable. He was injured through college before finally having one breakout year. he gets nicked tying his shoelaces before practice, but, this year is going to be different. he's in the best shape of his life. he's going to be Tomlinson 2.0. Nope. Had him at 15 on my initial ranks. Maybe I'll be the foll but...wait, what's this I'm seeing on TV. mathews breaks his collar bone one carry into preseason? Surprise. This is the type of crazy eye's that only my buddyy Geoff could love.
Peyton Manning - If you think that he is going to light up the sky like it's 2007 you and I are on different pages. It's not just the fact that his neck is held together by a couple twist ties and gorilla glue. It's that plus the fact his offensive line is terrible. He doesn't have reggie Wayne or Harrison or Clark. Sure I like Decker but Thomas is not a good route runner and that is what Peyton looks for. This guy is going to get hit more than he's used to. Remember what Favre was like late in his career? Chuck it anywhere as the pressure was coming to just not get hit. Come week 8 or so, I can see that becoming a Peyton trait. Sure, you get a few big weeks, but even Fitzpatrick will give you those and he's going way later.
Dez Bryant - Oh how do I hate thee, let me count the ways. This guy is a piece of shit. I can't see him making it through an entire season. He'll either be injured or suspended. The Cowboys have a terrible offensive line and if healthy (IF!!!), Miles Austin is manning more of a slot role this year. Guess who Romom loves? Yep, Witten and Austin. Guess who he'll be looking for on short, Welker like, checkdowns as the pressure is coming? No, it's not Bryant running 15-20 yard patterns down field.
Trent Richardson - This one hurts me because I just love the Crimson Tide. In PPR format I could see him bringing decent value due to some late game checkdowns while the Browns play catch up. That's right, the Browns will be bad and they will be losing most games they play in this year as they position themselves for Matt Barkley. guess what teams dont usually do when they are losing at the end, or in the middle, of games? Run the ball. if we see Richardson on the field for mop up work early in the season, PPR drafters will be rewarded. But when they are down 10+ that first game, if Hardesty comes in to keep Richardson fresh, uh oh!
Tony Romo - This guy has the weapons to put up elite numbers. That line is terrible and his receiving corp is a mash unit. If he finds a way to make it all season, I just don't see him putting up top 10 numbers at his position. I'll let someone else roll the dice.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Arian Nation
After years away, I am here to once again make myself look foolish to my legion of reader...yes, singular. This Saturday marks the annual rite of passage that is my keeper league draft party. We have upgraded from an 8 gallon to 16 gallon keg this year and will institute a new rule that requires a shot of Jameson for every time a person picks someone already taken. What this means is that we will be twice as drunk as we all were last year. My lovely wife is once again going to be serving up her bevy of excellent appetizers to help keep our belly's full so we can consume even more. She is a saint, although she is draft partied out so after the apps are done, she will be leaving us for the day. This will be our first time policing our own drunken asses in the wee hours of the night. Smells like trouble, and trouble smells like Ty. I have greased my way up into the top 4 picks with a shrewd trade of Dwayne Bowe, who I wasn't planning on keeping anyway. I felt like this put me in the drivers seat from day 1 as I already have Arian Foster as a keeper so it would assure me of getting two of my top 5, which I think is clearly light years in front of 6 and beyond. Well, the fantasy Gods do not like when people try to hoard the good players so of course Chris Johnson is holding out and in danger of missing playing time. Does my top 4 now become a top 3? Can I afford to take CJ and wait for him since I am already sitting on Foster for the low price of a 5th rounder? When this trade went down, I was on easy street. I would sit and just wait to see if it was Rice of Charles that fell to me at 4. I was sitting dead read and now I am trying to adjust to a Verlander-esque hook. Hopefully someone jumps on CJ in front of me and eases my mind.
What is my drafting strategy this year? I almost always go WR in 1st round. It has been Moss and Andre multiple times over the past few years. I love me some Andre in this PPR format but someone needs to tell him he's allowed to score double digit TDs. Roddy?? He is a man-crush of mine, but #4 is just too soon. Someone always does crazy shit in round 1 so maybe AP will magically fall to me or someone in love with a WR or Rodgers will make a last ditch trade offer to get my spot. Fine by me...
I still have the second pick in the 2nd round as that is my draft slot pre-trade. I am hoping one of my top 4 WR is still there. Seems crazy to think they might all be gone, but in this ppr league, the last half of the first has seen some WR runs in the past. I know I have no shot at Andre in this league at that spot, but I am hoping to see any of Calvin, Roddy or Fitz fall to me there. Is Kolb great, probably not, but last year was clearly the floor for Fitz as he was catching passes from arena league backups, so anything Kolb does brings Fitz enormous upside into play. Am I worried his play will drop off after he just got paid? No, he got paid huge once before and only got better. I watch this guys summer passing camps on the news here in Minny and perhaps no player in the NFL wants it more. Fitz seems the best bet to make it to me, but he's one year removed from being the #5 pick, so my league obviously loves him.
The Brady Quinn squad:
Michael Vick - I had him last year and traded him for Drew Brees. Is he capable of going for monster points any week? Yep, just not on my team.
LeSean McCoy - Because I hate the Eagles. No idea where it comes from, but for fantasy purposes, I hate the Eagles.
Reggie Wayne - Questions about Manning and he's becoming TJ Houshmanzadeh
MJD - I was right on with my prediction of the LT demise. Guess who's next?
Daniel Thomas - Maybe it's the two first names.
Jay Cutler - Simply a doucheburger
Joe Flacco - He's a game manager in a running offense with an average receiving corp. Am I missing something?
Marques Colston - It's because his knees are so bad that we have to live with the, "Is this the year Meachem breaks out" every single year.
Just not feeling anything witty today so I am just going to quit. See you in 3 more years. FACE
Go Patriots.
What is my drafting strategy this year? I almost always go WR in 1st round. It has been Moss and Andre multiple times over the past few years. I love me some Andre in this PPR format but someone needs to tell him he's allowed to score double digit TDs. Roddy?? He is a man-crush of mine, but #4 is just too soon. Someone always does crazy shit in round 1 so maybe AP will magically fall to me or someone in love with a WR or Rodgers will make a last ditch trade offer to get my spot. Fine by me...
I still have the second pick in the 2nd round as that is my draft slot pre-trade. I am hoping one of my top 4 WR is still there. Seems crazy to think they might all be gone, but in this ppr league, the last half of the first has seen some WR runs in the past. I know I have no shot at Andre in this league at that spot, but I am hoping to see any of Calvin, Roddy or Fitz fall to me there. Is Kolb great, probably not, but last year was clearly the floor for Fitz as he was catching passes from arena league backups, so anything Kolb does brings Fitz enormous upside into play. Am I worried his play will drop off after he just got paid? No, he got paid huge once before and only got better. I watch this guys summer passing camps on the news here in Minny and perhaps no player in the NFL wants it more. Fitz seems the best bet to make it to me, but he's one year removed from being the #5 pick, so my league obviously loves him.
The Brady Quinn squad:
Michael Vick - I had him last year and traded him for Drew Brees. Is he capable of going for monster points any week? Yep, just not on my team.
LeSean McCoy - Because I hate the Eagles. No idea where it comes from, but for fantasy purposes, I hate the Eagles.
Reggie Wayne - Questions about Manning and he's becoming TJ Houshmanzadeh
MJD - I was right on with my prediction of the LT demise. Guess who's next?
Daniel Thomas - Maybe it's the two first names.
Jay Cutler - Simply a doucheburger
Joe Flacco - He's a game manager in a running offense with an average receiving corp. Am I missing something?
Marques Colston - It's because his knees are so bad that we have to live with the, "Is this the year Meachem breaks out" every single year.
Just not feeling anything witty today so I am just going to quit. See you in 3 more years. FACE
Go Patriots.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A 4' 6" guard/forward/center from Turlte Lake Elementary...
When I was a kid I had one of those plastic hoops that sits over the door and I was the most dominant bedroom baller I knew. I used to play the entire NCAA tournament bracket. I knew the names of starters, reserves and every stat that I could lay my hands on before the internet became a one stop shop. I would break my own heart with buzzer beaters as I still remember the day that Bobby Hurley hit a three from the other side of my bed to beat my beloved Runnin' Rebels. Perhaps I was foreshadowing what I still believe is the biggest upset to ever grace the tourney. You can have your Winthrops and Valpo's, that UNLV team was men playing boys and they had beaten the same Duke team by what seemed by 100 points the previous season.
My point to all this is when did I lose my way? Sure I still fill out my bracket for gambling purposes but no longer do I know what 6th man is best to bring in to cool off a hot shooter. Maybe it was the exuberance of youth but somewhere I lost any and all passion I have for basketball. I hate that ESPN force feeds 16 games a week. I actually went about 9 months w/out once turning on ESPN because I was so tired of the crap they feed us. But that is for another rant.
I think my disdain for basketball comes from the state I live in. Minnesota has always been a hockey state and it is my favorite sport to watch. But the basketball here has become unbearable. Sure the Gophers hired Tubby Smith to resurrect the program but the Timberewolves are still the worst, most over priced ticket in town. Until McHale is fired I will not turn on one more game. Twice last year I turned down free, fourth row tickets because driving and parking downtown wasn't worth it to me.
I have always been a sports fan, not just a hockey or football or baseball fan. I have watched curling and Rugby and Aussie football for hours at a time. I have watched numerous women's softball world series games. I have watched auto racing and figure skating and water polo. Point is, I love sports, all sports. Heck, I watched the Tour de France for a couple hours once. Why is it that I can no longer stomach watching basketball? Perhaps the two torn ACLs as a result of playing pick up games has also tainted me but I watch volleyball and baseball and my worst knee injuries have come as a result of those two sports.
I don't have a point to this post, just memories of days gone by when the soft Wilson basketball would swoosh and make half of the net fall off. Gone is Chucky Smith taking over in the 4th quarter. Gone are the days of the fab five running the floor and Jimmy King finishing off the break with a two handed jam. Gone are Mookie and Stacey King dominating inside and out. Steve Smith once scored 60 of his teams 75 points on 25 of 26 shooting. The only miss being at the buzzer in a lose to Missouri and 50 points from Doug Smith. Funny the things that stick out in my mind. I couldn't tell you pi or what a tangent or cotangent is but I remember those hard fought games in my bedroom. Oh the memories. Hopefully my son will experience a love for all sports and one day ask me for an above-the-door hoop so he can play his own NCAA tourney and maybe carry the Gophers to a national title.
My point to all this is when did I lose my way? Sure I still fill out my bracket for gambling purposes but no longer do I know what 6th man is best to bring in to cool off a hot shooter. Maybe it was the exuberance of youth but somewhere I lost any and all passion I have for basketball. I hate that ESPN force feeds 16 games a week. I actually went about 9 months w/out once turning on ESPN because I was so tired of the crap they feed us. But that is for another rant.
I think my disdain for basketball comes from the state I live in. Minnesota has always been a hockey state and it is my favorite sport to watch. But the basketball here has become unbearable. Sure the Gophers hired Tubby Smith to resurrect the program but the Timberewolves are still the worst, most over priced ticket in town. Until McHale is fired I will not turn on one more game. Twice last year I turned down free, fourth row tickets because driving and parking downtown wasn't worth it to me.
I have always been a sports fan, not just a hockey or football or baseball fan. I have watched curling and Rugby and Aussie football for hours at a time. I have watched numerous women's softball world series games. I have watched auto racing and figure skating and water polo. Point is, I love sports, all sports. Heck, I watched the Tour de France for a couple hours once. Why is it that I can no longer stomach watching basketball? Perhaps the two torn ACLs as a result of playing pick up games has also tainted me but I watch volleyball and baseball and my worst knee injuries have come as a result of those two sports.
I don't have a point to this post, just memories of days gone by when the soft Wilson basketball would swoosh and make half of the net fall off. Gone is Chucky Smith taking over in the 4th quarter. Gone are the days of the fab five running the floor and Jimmy King finishing off the break with a two handed jam. Gone are Mookie and Stacey King dominating inside and out. Steve Smith once scored 60 of his teams 75 points on 25 of 26 shooting. The only miss being at the buzzer in a lose to Missouri and 50 points from Doug Smith. Funny the things that stick out in my mind. I couldn't tell you pi or what a tangent or cotangent is but I remember those hard fought games in my bedroom. Oh the memories. Hopefully my son will experience a love for all sports and one day ask me for an above-the-door hoop so he can play his own NCAA tourney and maybe carry the Gophers to a national title.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
choppin' wood
Remember when the Jags had this as their slogan until the punter tried to chop himself up so he could go on the IR and avoid those rigorous practice routines? I do to. This now pertains to my venture back into fantasy baseball. To say the season for both my squads got off to a slow start would be an understatement. In my head-to-head I started out 0-4! In my roto I bounced around the bottom three for the first few weeks as well. I am now happy to say that the ship has righted. I am on my way to my 4th consecutive victory to even the record at .500. I always knew this wasn't an 0-4 squad and realized that having the most points scored against you each week can crush your fantasy baseball dreams just as fast as it does in football.
The roto squad is a different story. Due to time zone differences we changed from a live draft to an auto-draft. This sucks for me since I like to draft more than I like to play. It is especially hard since my rankings are generally way different than those of Yahoo! or ESPN or sportsline. I just didn't have the patience to go in and make any wholesale changes. The only three guys I wanted were Hamilton, Verlander and Hamels, but where to rank them? So, I just didn't bother.
I hated the look of my squad right out of the gate and started to relentlessly pursue trades and scower the waiver wire. Since opening day I lead the league in transactions....have to lead the league in something right, and I have only three players remaining from the squad I "drafted". Those three being Cano, Hamilton and John Maine. Well, I am happy to say I have climbed all the way back up to second place thanks in part to FA wonders Nate McClouth, Carlos Quentin and Edinson Volquez. My pitching stafff has really started to heat up and considering Johan Santana is statistically my worst pitcher, the future looks bright. I have a mountain to climb to catch the guy in first, but it's a long season and his ridiculously hot team will start to cool off at some point...right?
I'm sure none of this will matter because as fall rolls around my obsession with fantasy football will kick in and I will forget my baseball teams even exist. I guess we'll just enjoy the ride and see what happens. Next time I may even write an article about my views on players and who will turn it around and who will fade away through the long, hot summer. Until then, Mark Schlereth sucks!
The roto squad is a different story. Due to time zone differences we changed from a live draft to an auto-draft. This sucks for me since I like to draft more than I like to play. It is especially hard since my rankings are generally way different than those of Yahoo! or ESPN or sportsline. I just didn't have the patience to go in and make any wholesale changes. The only three guys I wanted were Hamilton, Verlander and Hamels, but where to rank them? So, I just didn't bother.
I hated the look of my squad right out of the gate and started to relentlessly pursue trades and scower the waiver wire. Since opening day I lead the league in transactions....have to lead the league in something right, and I have only three players remaining from the squad I "drafted". Those three being Cano, Hamilton and John Maine. Well, I am happy to say I have climbed all the way back up to second place thanks in part to FA wonders Nate McClouth, Carlos Quentin and Edinson Volquez. My pitching stafff has really started to heat up and considering Johan Santana is statistically my worst pitcher, the future looks bright. I have a mountain to climb to catch the guy in first, but it's a long season and his ridiculously hot team will start to cool off at some point...right?
I'm sure none of this will matter because as fall rolls around my obsession with fantasy football will kick in and I will forget my baseball teams even exist. I guess we'll just enjoy the ride and see what happens. Next time I may even write an article about my views on players and who will turn it around and who will fade away through the long, hot summer. Until then, Mark Schlereth sucks!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The mocking nevers stops - 3/4
ROUND 3:
21. Steve Smith - When he has a QB, he is right with Moss as the most unstoppable WRs in the league. With a backfield that can light it up on a weekly basis I can afford to go after Smith and live with the weeks he'll disappear. projection - 1200 yds, 11 TDs, 80 receptions
22. Laurence Maroney - what a difference a year makes. Maroney was a sexy first round pick in most drafts last year. Now I contemplate him or a WR in the third. Ultimately had to go with the guy who might see the most 6 man fronts in history. Projection 1200 yds, 10 TDs, 30 receptions.
23. TJ Houshmandzadeh - I thought about Greg Jennings and Plaxico Burress but TJ catches a ton of passes. 1300 yds, 9 TDs, 95 receptions.
24. Reggie Bush - I can hear everyone in the draft room laughing but I have LT and TO so I can afford to take the guy who plays WR and occasionally RB. He's like his own flex position. Projection - 1300 yds, 10 TDs, 65 receptions
25. Marques Colston - After a slow start last year he went on to produce some decent numbers. And this is that year three crap that fantasy experts continue to spew even if it has not been accurate for decades. projection - 1200 yds 9 TDs, 85 receptions.
26. Plaxico Burress - None of the RBs excited me as much as having Andre and Plax as my WR corp. He was hurt all year and still put up good numbers so i expect bigger things this year. Projection - 1300 yds, 12 TDs, 65 receptions.
27. Maurice Jones-Drew - I panicked! I looked at the rankings over and over until everyone at the draft started yelling at me, next thing you know I have Jones-Drew. Oh man, I hope he catches some passes. Projection. 1400 yds, 9 TDs, 50 receptions
28. Anquan Boldin - I wanted to vomit as I saw all the WRs get drafted since my last pick. I forgot everyone in this league thinks the same when it comes to drafting. I need a WR and there are a couple guys that would be good #1 guys if the #1 guy on their team was gone. Ultimately I went with the guy that wants a new contract and ran angry even before he was angry. Projection - 1300 yds, 9 TDs, 80 receptions.
29. Torry Holt - Any RB i take at this point has a chance to produce the same points as someone I take later so I'm going with big game to have a nice little year. He was top level for so long it's nice to get him this late under the radar. projection - 1300 yds, 12 TDs, 80 receptions.
30. Greg Jennings - So I get two straight picks before I hibernate on the PS3 until next round. Favre is gone and Rodgers is unknown but all Jennings does is catch TDs. projection - 1100 yds, 11 TDs, 60 receptions.
Round 4:
31. ernest graham - I hate this pick so I wrote it in all lowercase. Man the RB core is unsexy this year. He is the top guy in Tampa so here's to hoping he can come close to last year. Projection - 1200 yds, 9 TDs, 45 receptions.
32. Michael Turner - I guess it's time to grab a RB. would have been nice to see Turner end up somewhere else but he is the #1 guy and will have a chance to get both TDs this year. Projection - 1400 yds, 10 TDs, 40 receptions
33. Brandon Marshall - As long as he is healthy this pick is money. I know have a bigger version of Anquan and BMarsh has a lot to prove this year. With Cutler knowing what was ailing him these two could be even better together. Projection - 1300 yds, 10 TDs. 85 receptions.
34. Wes Welker - I almost crapped my pants when I thought Marshall was going to fall to me. I thought about taking him last round. I know having teammates is a no no but hopefully Welker continues to grab more balls than Jenna Jameson. projection - 1200 yds, 8 TDs, 100 receptions.
35. Tony Romo I usually wait for a QB but the next few picks will be QB and WR heavy so I think I can wait for my RB next round. Romo is awesome until December so I will ride that to the playoffs. Projection - 3900 yds, 31 TDs (2 rushing)
36. Roy Williams - I am not excited about this pick but I am hoping he has that once a year monster week early so I can unload him for someone I really want. He is trade bait and that could hamper him all season. still, he is a WR prototype so if he can stay healthy he has giant upside. It took Plax some time to get it figured out. 1100 yds, 9 TDs, 70 receptions.
37 Chad Johnson - Someone had to be that guy. Johnson was the 500 lb gorilla in the draft room. My last two picks are high risk, high reward but my first two picks give me that luxury.
Projection????- 1400 yds, 10 TDs, 85 receptions
38. Roddy White - Imagine the thought of this just one year ago. the largely undrafted Fa last year has worked his way up into rd four without the presence of an NFL QB on his team. projection - 1200 yds, 9 TDs, 70 receptions.
39. Santonio Holmes - I thought about someone in particular and if this draft was in August I may have gone a different route but Holmes benefits from the more open offense they now have in Pittsburgh and it looks like big Ben learned that he is supposed throw to the guys in gold and black. projection - 1200 yds, 9 TDs, 65 receptions.
40. Kellen Winslow - I didn't intend on being the guy that drafted the first TE but at this point he is a better option than any of the WRs remaining. I hate this guy so I fully intend on tryin to trade him later. projection - 1100 yds, 8 TDs, 70 receptions.
As I look back, this draft is pretty terrible. Not because I made a lot of bad picks but because the lack of talent at the RB position is at it's lowest in a long time. Gone are the days of Alexander and Rudi putting up big numbers. Willie Parker's 15 minutes appear to be up and Fred Taylor is a mystery that appartly I was shying away from up to this point. The main issue is that these aging RBs have yet to be replaced by premiere players. Arrington? Watson? Who will step forward with Peterson and Addai as the next generation of stud fantasy RBs. Maybe round 5 has the answer.
21. Steve Smith - When he has a QB, he is right with Moss as the most unstoppable WRs in the league. With a backfield that can light it up on a weekly basis I can afford to go after Smith and live with the weeks he'll disappear. projection - 1200 yds, 11 TDs, 80 receptions
22. Laurence Maroney - what a difference a year makes. Maroney was a sexy first round pick in most drafts last year. Now I contemplate him or a WR in the third. Ultimately had to go with the guy who might see the most 6 man fronts in history. Projection 1200 yds, 10 TDs, 30 receptions.
23. TJ Houshmandzadeh - I thought about Greg Jennings and Plaxico Burress but TJ catches a ton of passes. 1300 yds, 9 TDs, 95 receptions.
24. Reggie Bush - I can hear everyone in the draft room laughing but I have LT and TO so I can afford to take the guy who plays WR and occasionally RB. He's like his own flex position. Projection - 1300 yds, 10 TDs, 65 receptions
25. Marques Colston - After a slow start last year he went on to produce some decent numbers. And this is that year three crap that fantasy experts continue to spew even if it has not been accurate for decades. projection - 1200 yds 9 TDs, 85 receptions.
26. Plaxico Burress - None of the RBs excited me as much as having Andre and Plax as my WR corp. He was hurt all year and still put up good numbers so i expect bigger things this year. Projection - 1300 yds, 12 TDs, 65 receptions.
27. Maurice Jones-Drew - I panicked! I looked at the rankings over and over until everyone at the draft started yelling at me, next thing you know I have Jones-Drew. Oh man, I hope he catches some passes. Projection. 1400 yds, 9 TDs, 50 receptions
28. Anquan Boldin - I wanted to vomit as I saw all the WRs get drafted since my last pick. I forgot everyone in this league thinks the same when it comes to drafting. I need a WR and there are a couple guys that would be good #1 guys if the #1 guy on their team was gone. Ultimately I went with the guy that wants a new contract and ran angry even before he was angry. Projection - 1300 yds, 9 TDs, 80 receptions.
29. Torry Holt - Any RB i take at this point has a chance to produce the same points as someone I take later so I'm going with big game to have a nice little year. He was top level for so long it's nice to get him this late under the radar. projection - 1300 yds, 12 TDs, 80 receptions.
30. Greg Jennings - So I get two straight picks before I hibernate on the PS3 until next round. Favre is gone and Rodgers is unknown but all Jennings does is catch TDs. projection - 1100 yds, 11 TDs, 60 receptions.
Round 4:
31. ernest graham - I hate this pick so I wrote it in all lowercase. Man the RB core is unsexy this year. He is the top guy in Tampa so here's to hoping he can come close to last year. Projection - 1200 yds, 9 TDs, 45 receptions.
32. Michael Turner - I guess it's time to grab a RB. would have been nice to see Turner end up somewhere else but he is the #1 guy and will have a chance to get both TDs this year. Projection - 1400 yds, 10 TDs, 40 receptions
33. Brandon Marshall - As long as he is healthy this pick is money. I know have a bigger version of Anquan and BMarsh has a lot to prove this year. With Cutler knowing what was ailing him these two could be even better together. Projection - 1300 yds, 10 TDs. 85 receptions.
34. Wes Welker - I almost crapped my pants when I thought Marshall was going to fall to me. I thought about taking him last round. I know having teammates is a no no but hopefully Welker continues to grab more balls than Jenna Jameson. projection - 1200 yds, 8 TDs, 100 receptions.
35. Tony Romo I usually wait for a QB but the next few picks will be QB and WR heavy so I think I can wait for my RB next round. Romo is awesome until December so I will ride that to the playoffs. Projection - 3900 yds, 31 TDs (2 rushing)
36. Roy Williams - I am not excited about this pick but I am hoping he has that once a year monster week early so I can unload him for someone I really want. He is trade bait and that could hamper him all season. still, he is a WR prototype so if he can stay healthy he has giant upside. It took Plax some time to get it figured out. 1100 yds, 9 TDs, 70 receptions.
37 Chad Johnson - Someone had to be that guy. Johnson was the 500 lb gorilla in the draft room. My last two picks are high risk, high reward but my first two picks give me that luxury.
Projection????- 1400 yds, 10 TDs, 85 receptions
38. Roddy White - Imagine the thought of this just one year ago. the largely undrafted Fa last year has worked his way up into rd four without the presence of an NFL QB on his team. projection - 1200 yds, 9 TDs, 70 receptions.
39. Santonio Holmes - I thought about someone in particular and if this draft was in August I may have gone a different route but Holmes benefits from the more open offense they now have in Pittsburgh and it looks like big Ben learned that he is supposed throw to the guys in gold and black. projection - 1200 yds, 9 TDs, 65 receptions.
40. Kellen Winslow - I didn't intend on being the guy that drafted the first TE but at this point he is a better option than any of the WRs remaining. I hate this guy so I fully intend on tryin to trade him later. projection - 1100 yds, 8 TDs, 70 receptions.
As I look back, this draft is pretty terrible. Not because I made a lot of bad picks but because the lack of talent at the RB position is at it's lowest in a long time. Gone are the days of Alexander and Rudi putting up big numbers. Willie Parker's 15 minutes appear to be up and Fred Taylor is a mystery that appartly I was shying away from up to this point. The main issue is that these aging RBs have yet to be replaced by premiere players. Arrington? Watson? Who will step forward with Peterson and Addai as the next generation of stud fantasy RBs. Maybe round 5 has the answer.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Remember yesterday
Woke up to the sound of pouring rain
The wind would whisper and I'd think of you
And all the tears you cried, that called my name
And when you needed me I came through.
Skid Row
When I look back at the first round of last years fantasy draft I cringe. Many of the picks definitely did not come through and that stirs up the debate about if it's really necessary to get RB in the first two rounds. I for one have never been a believer in that strategy but I know most fantasy purists swear by it. Let s look back at the top RBs that presumably went in the first round and think about their production.
In my main league last year RBs went in this order:
1- LT
2- SJax
3- Westbrook
4 - LJ
6 - Rudi
7 -Gore
8 - Bush
9 - Parker
10- Maroney
Only one pick in the first round was not a RB and only one RB (Westbrook) exceeded or lived up to preseason expectations. Yes LT still had a good year and Parker was good in yardage only leagues, if people still play in those, but no other back produced at a first round level. Most of you are still going to go out and draft RB in the first two rounds because it is what you are supposed to do. Sort of like wiping your ass after you shit. You don't have to wipe your ass, but you do because you are supposed to. On a side note, please wipe your ass. The guy behind me on the bus yesterday smelled like manure. No exaggeration. Every time he adjusted I would get a dose of noxious gas wafting in my general vicinity. I know the girl next to me thought I smelled like shit and I could not let this slide so I made a point to turn sigh and cover my nose. Yep, that should do it. now everyone knows that I smell like flowers and its the guy behind me that rolled around in a shit blanket. Where was I? Oh yeah, do not feel obligated to follow the social norms of fantasy drafting. Every year countless "experts" write articles about changing your draft strategy and every year people really want to but it's easier to fall back on old habits.
Before you start thinking I am going to draft WR, QB, WR, D, K in the first five rounds, understand that the WR was good but the top level didn't necessary live up to the hype either. The first two WRs that went in my main league were Steve Smith and Marvin Harrison. now we all know that Harrison was all but invisible last year but if you had Smith, you had to hope your league was 3 weeks long and that the playoffs waited until week 16 to get started. In between he was the picture of mediocrity getting outscored by the likes Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram. But what you will see is more consistency because the top WRs drafted tend to have more years of proving it on their record. Andre Johnson is an absolute stud. Huge body, lightning fast and the #1 target on his team. Yet he slipped to rounds 5 and 6 in most drafts. If he was a RB he may go in rd 1 or 2 because everyone would fall in live with his huge upside. But as a WR he fell because he hadn't really proven it yet in the pros. Why do we let ourselves get infatuated with RB upside? Look at me. Peterson only has one year under his belt but I have him going 2nd in a mock draft. Why? Because I live in MN and I saw him live last year and I realized with my own two eyes that this guy is a once in a lifetime type of RB. Much the way Randy Moss was a once in a lifetime WR when the Vikings took him and he burst on the scene as a rookie. Incidentally, Moss and Peterson are two of 3 quality first round picks the Vikings have made since 1998. No, I don't count McKinnie and Culpepper and if you had to watch Vikings games, you wouldn't either.
My point to this endless drivel is to create your own strategy. If you only have 5 1st round quality RBs in your rankings, don't reach for one because you are supposed to. I have never been scared to buck tradition in my drafts and this year especially, seems to be thin with 1st round talent. If you can build your team around Moss or Brady or Manning and search for this years Ernest Graham or Ryan Grant or Justin Fargas, do it. The RB position has more people emerge from nowhere than any other position on a yearly basis but how many times does a WR come off the waiver wire to lead you to a championship? I thought so.
Go Patriots
The wind would whisper and I'd think of you
And all the tears you cried, that called my name
And when you needed me I came through.
Skid Row
When I look back at the first round of last years fantasy draft I cringe. Many of the picks definitely did not come through and that stirs up the debate about if it's really necessary to get RB in the first two rounds. I for one have never been a believer in that strategy but I know most fantasy purists swear by it. Let s look back at the top RBs that presumably went in the first round and think about their production.
In my main league last year RBs went in this order:
1- LT
2- SJax
3- Westbrook
4 - LJ
6 - Rudi
7 -Gore
8 - Bush
9 - Parker
10- Maroney
Only one pick in the first round was not a RB and only one RB (Westbrook) exceeded or lived up to preseason expectations. Yes LT still had a good year and Parker was good in yardage only leagues, if people still play in those, but no other back produced at a first round level. Most of you are still going to go out and draft RB in the first two rounds because it is what you are supposed to do. Sort of like wiping your ass after you shit. You don't have to wipe your ass, but you do because you are supposed to. On a side note, please wipe your ass. The guy behind me on the bus yesterday smelled like manure. No exaggeration. Every time he adjusted I would get a dose of noxious gas wafting in my general vicinity. I know the girl next to me thought I smelled like shit and I could not let this slide so I made a point to turn sigh and cover my nose. Yep, that should do it. now everyone knows that I smell like flowers and its the guy behind me that rolled around in a shit blanket. Where was I? Oh yeah, do not feel obligated to follow the social norms of fantasy drafting. Every year countless "experts" write articles about changing your draft strategy and every year people really want to but it's easier to fall back on old habits.
Before you start thinking I am going to draft WR, QB, WR, D, K in the first five rounds, understand that the WR was good but the top level didn't necessary live up to the hype either. The first two WRs that went in my main league were Steve Smith and Marvin Harrison. now we all know that Harrison was all but invisible last year but if you had Smith, you had to hope your league was 3 weeks long and that the playoffs waited until week 16 to get started. In between he was the picture of mediocrity getting outscored by the likes Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram. But what you will see is more consistency because the top WRs drafted tend to have more years of proving it on their record. Andre Johnson is an absolute stud. Huge body, lightning fast and the #1 target on his team. Yet he slipped to rounds 5 and 6 in most drafts. If he was a RB he may go in rd 1 or 2 because everyone would fall in live with his huge upside. But as a WR he fell because he hadn't really proven it yet in the pros. Why do we let ourselves get infatuated with RB upside? Look at me. Peterson only has one year under his belt but I have him going 2nd in a mock draft. Why? Because I live in MN and I saw him live last year and I realized with my own two eyes that this guy is a once in a lifetime type of RB. Much the way Randy Moss was a once in a lifetime WR when the Vikings took him and he burst on the scene as a rookie. Incidentally, Moss and Peterson are two of 3 quality first round picks the Vikings have made since 1998. No, I don't count McKinnie and Culpepper and if you had to watch Vikings games, you wouldn't either.
My point to this endless drivel is to create your own strategy. If you only have 5 1st round quality RBs in your rankings, don't reach for one because you are supposed to. I have never been scared to buck tradition in my drafts and this year especially, seems to be thin with 1st round talent. If you can build your team around Moss or Brady or Manning and search for this years Ernest Graham or Ryan Grant or Justin Fargas, do it. The RB position has more people emerge from nowhere than any other position on a yearly basis but how many times does a WR come off the waiver wire to lead you to a championship? I thought so.
Go Patriots
Friday, May 9, 2008
Stop mocking me - Round 1/2
Now that the NFL draft is complete a person like myself wages a full out attack on fantasy rankings. I have scaled back my number of leagues the past couple years and I now focus specifically on my PPR leagues so any rankings you see moving forward are specific to that scoring format.
The draft brought us many things this year. We got another RB that was drafted too early by an NFL team and will subsequently be over drafted in fantasy leagues and not live up to the hype. On a side not I was one of 3 people in the world that said the Texans should not and would not draft Reggie Bush but we'll save that pat on the back for another day. Today we are going to explore the first two rounds of the fantasy world and do a mock draft. Mock drafts are posh and yours truly wants to jump on the bandwagon before it gets too full. What I won't do is become some pompous ass like Kiper and McShay become when they parade around on ESPN like they have any clue as to what is going to happen. Do you think one year they will just realize that a shit load of trades will occur and realize that their mock drafts are total crap? No, instead I will look at each slot like that is my slot and my team that I am building. As a disclaimer, even though no one is actually reading this, I am higher on drafting WR than most others because they are harder to find than RBs. Anyone that drafted TO, Boldin, Andre Johnson or Randy Moss and then picked up Ryan Grant or Ernest Graham can attest to that point. So here we go.
ROUND ONE:
1) Steven Jackson - WHAT??? I have to be kidding right. Nope. LT is one more boo boo away from dancing like Shaun Alexander. I love LT but I think this year he relinquishes the title of best RB in fantasy football. Linehan is in serious trouble so if you were in his shoes wouldn't you ride your horse? prediction(guess) - 2100 total yards, 18 TDs, 61 receptions
2) Adrian Peterson - Now I must be crazy. Where the fu(k is LT? Control yourself, he's coming. All day is ready for the big stage. As a timeshare last year he went absolutely bananas. Only 10 guys attacking the line of scrimmage at the end of the year could slow him down. I don't see the Vikings aerial assault breaking any records but it should be improved enough to loosen up defenses. Besides, the Vikings have built a pretty good looking defense on paper and teams like that love to control the clock and the ball. prediction 1900 total yards, 20 TDs, 25 receptions
3) Brian Westbrook - Now you think I am just trying to be ridiculous. Maybe, but I had Westy in my PPR league last year and guess who led all scorers in avg PPG? Not Brady, not Moss, but Westy. I used to have him on my do not draft list and lost my mind when he went third overall last year. But when I decided it was time to sell high on Ronnie Brown, Westy became my target and the apple of my eye. He is a PPR machine and I think he slows down a bit but he still will produce more points that LT. Prediction 1900 yards, 14 TDs, 70 receptions
4) LT - If you had the fourth pick in your draft and LT fell to you I would guess you would have to tuck your semi under your belt. LT is still a huge force in fantasy but we have all seen what happens when an elite RB gets his first taste of injury and starts to become soft. The way he was sulking on the bench in the playoffs sent off so many alarms I would consider trading out of this spot if I could. IF Tomlinson is still the same he will help carry your team to many victories. If he is only half of himself you'll wish you drafted the next guy. Prediction - 1700 yards, 15TDs, 40 receptions
5) LJ - I'm serious. Pull the trigger. If you think Jamaal Charles is an issue you're probably a UT grad. Herm Edwards was brought in to win. Unfortunately half the O-lone retired and he ended up with no QB. Much like Linehan, Edwards will turn to the one weapon he has. With the emergence of Bowe on the outside, teams will have to at least consider the threat of pass. The Chiefs had a good draft and I don't think Albert will pay off as quickly as Thomas did for Cleveland, but he will definitely help. LJ was worn down two years ago, he is fresh after last year. I see big numbers from him once again...even though I would hate to have to draft him because I think he is a d-bag. Prediction - 1800 yds, 16 TDs, 60 receptions (yes, that is more points than LT)
6) Joseph Addai - Remember when Peyton Manning had the TD record? So does he. His gigantic ego is the only thing keeping Joey from a monster year. Manning will throw red zone TD after red zone TD because he is worried people think Brady is better than him. Since most of those red zone TDs will not be thrown to Addai, his TD numbers will suffer like Edge's did last time Peyton never called a running play. And as the video from his sideline meltdown proves, Peyton doesn't know how to call running plays. Prediction - 1800 yds, 14 TDs, 38 receptions.
7) Randy Moss - He will not duplicate last year but the Patriots are angry and they will still air it out quite a bit to exact their revenge. Teams can focus on Moss all they want, the Patriots will show a little more balance this year and as Pats fan I think the other side of the field is better off with Gaffney and a healthy Chad Jackson. Stallworth just disappeared too many times and with Randy getting double and triple coverage, someone besides Welker has to get open. Randy wants to show people that he's still got it and that he's not ready to watch trucks race on a permanent basis yet. prediction - 1600 yds, 17 TDS, 90 receptions
8) Peyton Manning - There are no RBs or WRs I like in this spot so I am going to take the guy out to prove he is still the best. yeah, Harrison is a shadow of himself but what better way for Manning to prove superior to Brady than to have a huge year without his boy Marvin doing a majority of the damage. I don't see 50TDs, but 40 is a definite possibility. Prediction - 4400 yds, 41 TDs (one rushing)
9) Tom Brady - 50 TDs??? Not gonna happen. I see him in the high 30s this time around. The guy still has Moss and Welker, but it's a copy cat league and with the atrocious play of the o-line in the Superbowl, teams will bring the pressure. This is where the health of Maroney becomes key as the Pats will need more balance this year. Regardless, this guy tells Chuck Norris what to do. Prediction 4000 yds, 38 TDs, 1 knocked up super-model, 3 keys to the city, 4 magazine covers, 4th SB ring.
10) Frank Gore - Before you laugh...or cry, depending on if you drafted Gore early last year, remember that in PPR format, he was pretty darn good in the second half of the season. I should know, I drafted him last year and he was a borderline start most of the time. But if last year taught me anything, it's that PPR is a different animal and points in fantasy are different than being an all-pro. Prediction 1300 yds, 11 TDs, 50 receptions
ROUND TWO:
11) Reggie Wayne - It is going to be a long time before I get to pick again and the WR core remaining when it snakes back to me will not hold any elite WRs. I like to build my team on being strong at every position and with Peyton throwing more TDs this year, Wayne will assume the role that Harrison played so nicely for many years. Prediction - 1500 yds, 17 TDs, 95 receptions.
12) Braylon Edwards - Still not a big fan of the RBs so in this slot I will try a do the opposite approach. The run of WRs should happen before it gets back to me so I take the guy with the biggest chance to duplicate and exceed last years numbers. Prediction - 1300 yds, 16TDs, 90 receptions.
13) Marshawn Lynch - I hate myself for this pick but I wanted a RB and all the others just make me feel gross. Will I look back at the end of the year and regret this pick? Maybe, but I can't take Portis or Barber here because they will both split carries or get hurt. It's Lynch's job period. prediction - 1450 yds, 13TDs, 35 receptions.
14) Ryan Grant - It pains me to have a Packer on my team but I had to get a RB because they are about to drop off significantly soon. He probably won't repeat last year but I can expect good numbers and he fits nicely next to Randy. prediction - 1500 yds, 13 TDs, 30 receptions.
15) Andre Johnson - I'm glad Wayne was already taken because I didn't wants to go with teammates with my first two picks. When he's healthy, Johnson is one of the best there is. I think this year he plays all 16 games and goes huge. I am stoked that he is my #1 guy and I want to rub it in the face of the people laughing that I didn't take the ancient Owens. prediction - 1300 yds, 15 TDs, 95 receptions
16) Willis McGahee - I had intended on taking a WR but when McGahee was still on the board I decided to cross my fingers that I get one of my targets on the way back. When a RB has a job all to himself that makes a huge difference. prediction - 1600 yds, 12 TDs, 25 receptions.
17) Terrell Owens - When LT fell to #4 I was floored. That 4 WRs went before TO shocked me too. Yeah, I may be tempting the Gods with this pick but if you told me my team was anchored by LT and TO I would be pretty damn happy. Incidentally, the guy that got 2nd last year had these two. prediction - 1300 yds, 14 TDs, 80 receptions
18) Clinton Portis - I don't think Portis will get back to me in the third but i think I will still get one of my WRs so that made this pick pretty simple. yes he has injury issues so I may need to reach for Betts later. 1400 yds, 12 TDs, 25 receptions
19) Larry Fitzgerald - It was Fitz or Smith and I ultimately went with the red zone guy. I know that the QB situation in AZ in tricky but Fitz has excelled no matter who is under center. if Leinart wins the job, he tends to target Fitz more than Boldin. Prediction 1100 yds, 16 TDs, 80 receptions.
20) Marion Barber - Having Jackson and two straight picks gives me flexibility. i thought about two WRs here but Marion is solid and in a contract year. Felix Jones may steal some carries but when they reach the 20s, no one has been better than Marion the past few years. Prediction - 1100 yds, 16TDs, 25 receptions.
Rounds 3-4 will be coming soon.
The draft brought us many things this year. We got another RB that was drafted too early by an NFL team and will subsequently be over drafted in fantasy leagues and not live up to the hype. On a side not I was one of 3 people in the world that said the Texans should not and would not draft Reggie Bush but we'll save that pat on the back for another day. Today we are going to explore the first two rounds of the fantasy world and do a mock draft. Mock drafts are posh and yours truly wants to jump on the bandwagon before it gets too full. What I won't do is become some pompous ass like Kiper and McShay become when they parade around on ESPN like they have any clue as to what is going to happen. Do you think one year they will just realize that a shit load of trades will occur and realize that their mock drafts are total crap? No, instead I will look at each slot like that is my slot and my team that I am building. As a disclaimer, even though no one is actually reading this, I am higher on drafting WR than most others because they are harder to find than RBs. Anyone that drafted TO, Boldin, Andre Johnson or Randy Moss and then picked up Ryan Grant or Ernest Graham can attest to that point. So here we go.
ROUND ONE:
1) Steven Jackson - WHAT??? I have to be kidding right. Nope. LT is one more boo boo away from dancing like Shaun Alexander. I love LT but I think this year he relinquishes the title of best RB in fantasy football. Linehan is in serious trouble so if you were in his shoes wouldn't you ride your horse? prediction(guess) - 2100 total yards, 18 TDs, 61 receptions
2) Adrian Peterson - Now I must be crazy. Where the fu(k is LT? Control yourself, he's coming. All day is ready for the big stage. As a timeshare last year he went absolutely bananas. Only 10 guys attacking the line of scrimmage at the end of the year could slow him down. I don't see the Vikings aerial assault breaking any records but it should be improved enough to loosen up defenses. Besides, the Vikings have built a pretty good looking defense on paper and teams like that love to control the clock and the ball. prediction 1900 total yards, 20 TDs, 25 receptions
3) Brian Westbrook - Now you think I am just trying to be ridiculous. Maybe, but I had Westy in my PPR league last year and guess who led all scorers in avg PPG? Not Brady, not Moss, but Westy. I used to have him on my do not draft list and lost my mind when he went third overall last year. But when I decided it was time to sell high on Ronnie Brown, Westy became my target and the apple of my eye. He is a PPR machine and I think he slows down a bit but he still will produce more points that LT. Prediction 1900 yards, 14 TDs, 70 receptions
4) LT - If you had the fourth pick in your draft and LT fell to you I would guess you would have to tuck your semi under your belt. LT is still a huge force in fantasy but we have all seen what happens when an elite RB gets his first taste of injury and starts to become soft. The way he was sulking on the bench in the playoffs sent off so many alarms I would consider trading out of this spot if I could. IF Tomlinson is still the same he will help carry your team to many victories. If he is only half of himself you'll wish you drafted the next guy. Prediction - 1700 yards, 15TDs, 40 receptions
5) LJ - I'm serious. Pull the trigger. If you think Jamaal Charles is an issue you're probably a UT grad. Herm Edwards was brought in to win. Unfortunately half the O-lone retired and he ended up with no QB. Much like Linehan, Edwards will turn to the one weapon he has. With the emergence of Bowe on the outside, teams will have to at least consider the threat of pass. The Chiefs had a good draft and I don't think Albert will pay off as quickly as Thomas did for Cleveland, but he will definitely help. LJ was worn down two years ago, he is fresh after last year. I see big numbers from him once again...even though I would hate to have to draft him because I think he is a d-bag. Prediction - 1800 yds, 16 TDs, 60 receptions (yes, that is more points than LT)
6) Joseph Addai - Remember when Peyton Manning had the TD record? So does he. His gigantic ego is the only thing keeping Joey from a monster year. Manning will throw red zone TD after red zone TD because he is worried people think Brady is better than him. Since most of those red zone TDs will not be thrown to Addai, his TD numbers will suffer like Edge's did last time Peyton never called a running play. And as the video from his sideline meltdown proves, Peyton doesn't know how to call running plays. Prediction - 1800 yds, 14 TDs, 38 receptions.
7) Randy Moss - He will not duplicate last year but the Patriots are angry and they will still air it out quite a bit to exact their revenge. Teams can focus on Moss all they want, the Patriots will show a little more balance this year and as Pats fan I think the other side of the field is better off with Gaffney and a healthy Chad Jackson. Stallworth just disappeared too many times and with Randy getting double and triple coverage, someone besides Welker has to get open. Randy wants to show people that he's still got it and that he's not ready to watch trucks race on a permanent basis yet. prediction - 1600 yds, 17 TDS, 90 receptions
8) Peyton Manning - There are no RBs or WRs I like in this spot so I am going to take the guy out to prove he is still the best. yeah, Harrison is a shadow of himself but what better way for Manning to prove superior to Brady than to have a huge year without his boy Marvin doing a majority of the damage. I don't see 50TDs, but 40 is a definite possibility. Prediction - 4400 yds, 41 TDs (one rushing)
9) Tom Brady - 50 TDs??? Not gonna happen. I see him in the high 30s this time around. The guy still has Moss and Welker, but it's a copy cat league and with the atrocious play of the o-line in the Superbowl, teams will bring the pressure. This is where the health of Maroney becomes key as the Pats will need more balance this year. Regardless, this guy tells Chuck Norris what to do. Prediction 4000 yds, 38 TDs, 1 knocked up super-model, 3 keys to the city, 4 magazine covers, 4th SB ring.
10) Frank Gore - Before you laugh...or cry, depending on if you drafted Gore early last year, remember that in PPR format, he was pretty darn good in the second half of the season. I should know, I drafted him last year and he was a borderline start most of the time. But if last year taught me anything, it's that PPR is a different animal and points in fantasy are different than being an all-pro. Prediction 1300 yds, 11 TDs, 50 receptions
ROUND TWO:
11) Reggie Wayne - It is going to be a long time before I get to pick again and the WR core remaining when it snakes back to me will not hold any elite WRs. I like to build my team on being strong at every position and with Peyton throwing more TDs this year, Wayne will assume the role that Harrison played so nicely for many years. Prediction - 1500 yds, 17 TDs, 95 receptions.
12) Braylon Edwards - Still not a big fan of the RBs so in this slot I will try a do the opposite approach. The run of WRs should happen before it gets back to me so I take the guy with the biggest chance to duplicate and exceed last years numbers. Prediction - 1300 yds, 16TDs, 90 receptions.
13) Marshawn Lynch - I hate myself for this pick but I wanted a RB and all the others just make me feel gross. Will I look back at the end of the year and regret this pick? Maybe, but I can't take Portis or Barber here because they will both split carries or get hurt. It's Lynch's job period. prediction - 1450 yds, 13TDs, 35 receptions.
14) Ryan Grant - It pains me to have a Packer on my team but I had to get a RB because they are about to drop off significantly soon. He probably won't repeat last year but I can expect good numbers and he fits nicely next to Randy. prediction - 1500 yds, 13 TDs, 30 receptions.
15) Andre Johnson - I'm glad Wayne was already taken because I didn't wants to go with teammates with my first two picks. When he's healthy, Johnson is one of the best there is. I think this year he plays all 16 games and goes huge. I am stoked that he is my #1 guy and I want to rub it in the face of the people laughing that I didn't take the ancient Owens. prediction - 1300 yds, 15 TDs, 95 receptions
16) Willis McGahee - I had intended on taking a WR but when McGahee was still on the board I decided to cross my fingers that I get one of my targets on the way back. When a RB has a job all to himself that makes a huge difference. prediction - 1600 yds, 12 TDs, 25 receptions.
17) Terrell Owens - When LT fell to #4 I was floored. That 4 WRs went before TO shocked me too. Yeah, I may be tempting the Gods with this pick but if you told me my team was anchored by LT and TO I would be pretty damn happy. Incidentally, the guy that got 2nd last year had these two. prediction - 1300 yds, 14 TDs, 80 receptions
18) Clinton Portis - I don't think Portis will get back to me in the third but i think I will still get one of my WRs so that made this pick pretty simple. yes he has injury issues so I may need to reach for Betts later. 1400 yds, 12 TDs, 25 receptions
19) Larry Fitzgerald - It was Fitz or Smith and I ultimately went with the red zone guy. I know that the QB situation in AZ in tricky but Fitz has excelled no matter who is under center. if Leinart wins the job, he tends to target Fitz more than Boldin. Prediction 1100 yds, 16 TDs, 80 receptions.
20) Marion Barber - Having Jackson and two straight picks gives me flexibility. i thought about two WRs here but Marion is solid and in a contract year. Felix Jones may steal some carries but when they reach the 20s, no one has been better than Marion the past few years. Prediction - 1100 yds, 16TDs, 25 receptions.
Rounds 3-4 will be coming soon.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Where have I been
Well it has been quite some time since the last time I was here. Good thing no one reads this or I may have some explaining to do. My world has changed. Not only did I have another kid but this year I have decided to expand my fantasy repertoire and get in to fantasy NASCAR and get back in to baseball. Fantasy and real life. Lets start from the beginning though.
I was in three football leagues last year as I am trying to cut back and the 8 I was in the previous year were just too much. I end up rooting for and against the same players. I won two of the three leagues I was in, which included my high stakes and my own league. The third league was a strange. i set out to build a team of players I thought would be busts, just to see what happened. Unfortunately I ran into one guy who seemed to unintentionally be employing the same strategy so i couldn't finalize the roster. At the mid point of the season I decided to make a run at the playoffs and with a big push, I made the final four, yes only 4 playoff teams, only to play a team that had most of the players I needed to do well in another league. Needless to say I happily accepted defeat. Next year promises to be a good year. I love keeper leagues that don't deplete the first round talent. I was loving having Michael Turner as a 10th rd pick until h signed with the Falcons. Nice to get a #1 guy in round ten but that team is a train wreck. The other keeper will involve many sleepless nights but my gut is telling me that Andre Johnson will be long gone by round 5 so that seems like the smart choice.
So on to new adventures. When I lost a buddy last year I also lost my insight into NASCAR. This year I decided that I will prove that his ramblings over a cigarette will be enough to lead me to a fantasy championship in my rookie year. As long as i can get past my man crush on Carl Edwards I think I have a good shot. The team has started 5-2 and I'm just starting to find my groove. I committed the ultimate fantasy sin in one of my two losses when I forgot to get my drivers in before the deadline. FOR SHAME...FOR SHAME!
The baseball season is just beginning and like all fans, I think this is my year. It is the first time I have played in 5 years. When the scoring started to get complicated, I jumped ship for the safe havens of football. Now I am back and I have two teams. Both teams got my guys. I wanted to get either Cabrera or Reyes on my teams and I got one for each squad. I like Verlander as the Cy Young winner and I was able to land him on both squads. Both teams also landed Josh Hamilton. Thank God my drafts occurred just before the ultra hype of his monstrous spring. Regardless, players will under perform and others will boggle the mind. Here's hoping my guys put together a long, healthy summer so I can rightfully spew tons of shit at my competitors. Oh, by the way, it's opening day here in Minnesota and we are getting dumped on. Supposed to get 5-7 inches of snow. Great!
Go Patriots, Go Twinkies, Go 99!
I was in three football leagues last year as I am trying to cut back and the 8 I was in the previous year were just too much. I end up rooting for and against the same players. I won two of the three leagues I was in, which included my high stakes and my own league. The third league was a strange. i set out to build a team of players I thought would be busts, just to see what happened. Unfortunately I ran into one guy who seemed to unintentionally be employing the same strategy so i couldn't finalize the roster. At the mid point of the season I decided to make a run at the playoffs and with a big push, I made the final four, yes only 4 playoff teams, only to play a team that had most of the players I needed to do well in another league. Needless to say I happily accepted defeat. Next year promises to be a good year. I love keeper leagues that don't deplete the first round talent. I was loving having Michael Turner as a 10th rd pick until h signed with the Falcons. Nice to get a #1 guy in round ten but that team is a train wreck. The other keeper will involve many sleepless nights but my gut is telling me that Andre Johnson will be long gone by round 5 so that seems like the smart choice.
So on to new adventures. When I lost a buddy last year I also lost my insight into NASCAR. This year I decided that I will prove that his ramblings over a cigarette will be enough to lead me to a fantasy championship in my rookie year. As long as i can get past my man crush on Carl Edwards I think I have a good shot. The team has started 5-2 and I'm just starting to find my groove. I committed the ultimate fantasy sin in one of my two losses when I forgot to get my drivers in before the deadline. FOR SHAME...FOR SHAME!
The baseball season is just beginning and like all fans, I think this is my year. It is the first time I have played in 5 years. When the scoring started to get complicated, I jumped ship for the safe havens of football. Now I am back and I have two teams. Both teams got my guys. I wanted to get either Cabrera or Reyes on my teams and I got one for each squad. I like Verlander as the Cy Young winner and I was able to land him on both squads. Both teams also landed Josh Hamilton. Thank God my drafts occurred just before the ultra hype of his monstrous spring. Regardless, players will under perform and others will boggle the mind. Here's hoping my guys put together a long, healthy summer so I can rightfully spew tons of shit at my competitors. Oh, by the way, it's opening day here in Minnesota and we are getting dumped on. Supposed to get 5-7 inches of snow. Great!
Go Patriots, Go Twinkies, Go 99!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Where have you been
So the fantasy season is nearing its midway point and I have been MIA. Let me get you up to speed. I am in three leagues only this year and the 8 I was in last year was just too much. This year was also my first foray into the PPR format. Where have you been all my life. A scoring system that values WRs as much as RBs? Is this bizarro world? Love it.
So how is your first round pick doing? SJax has an injured vag, Larry Johnson forgot how to run until Priest Holmes got healthy, Shaun Alexander is making my Frank Gore selection look dynamite. And those of you who took Maroney or Jones Drew at the end of round one, sorry bud. Even Willie Parker has forgotten to cross the stripe and LT was mortal the first 4 games. Oh but you drafted Addai, yeah he's been a stud. But he is also as fragile as a Faberge egg. He will kill someone in their fantasy playoffs. So what RB has exceeded expectations? Well I was fortunate enough to get Ronnie Brown in the 3rd round. After Cam Cameron gave Mike Mularkey his playbook back Brown was a monster. Far and a way the best back in the league. he was even killing the Pats before Miss Cleo threw a bad pick and ended Ronnie's season in the aftermath. I guess i van be thankful that the fantasy gods convinced me to trade Brown for Westbrook that week. And for those of you paying attention, I know I said Westbrook is on my do not draft list, bit this is my first PPR league and I guess Westbrook made my will trade for list.
I digress. I love my Patriots but even I am starting to feel bad in the second half as I watch them destroy and humiliate grown men. If you had Brady as your top rated QB stand and take a bow. Lets think back, "Of the top three QB's, I think Brady is the best. So why do I have him at #3? Well because the Patriots have too good of defense." I made this statement way before the season but also before the spy scandal. If I would have known then that Belichek had every intention of slaughtering teams it wouldn't have mattered about how few points the defense held them to.
Anyways, I don't want to talk about 20 different things in one blog since I have been away so long so i will just end it here and make more frequent posts while bored to tears at work.
GO PATRIOTS!!!
So how is your first round pick doing? SJax has an injured vag, Larry Johnson forgot how to run until Priest Holmes got healthy, Shaun Alexander is making my Frank Gore selection look dynamite. And those of you who took Maroney or Jones Drew at the end of round one, sorry bud. Even Willie Parker has forgotten to cross the stripe and LT was mortal the first 4 games. Oh but you drafted Addai, yeah he's been a stud. But he is also as fragile as a Faberge egg. He will kill someone in their fantasy playoffs. So what RB has exceeded expectations? Well I was fortunate enough to get Ronnie Brown in the 3rd round. After Cam Cameron gave Mike Mularkey his playbook back Brown was a monster. Far and a way the best back in the league. he was even killing the Pats before Miss Cleo threw a bad pick and ended Ronnie's season in the aftermath. I guess i van be thankful that the fantasy gods convinced me to trade Brown for Westbrook that week. And for those of you paying attention, I know I said Westbrook is on my do not draft list, bit this is my first PPR league and I guess Westbrook made my will trade for list.
I digress. I love my Patriots but even I am starting to feel bad in the second half as I watch them destroy and humiliate grown men. If you had Brady as your top rated QB stand and take a bow. Lets think back, "Of the top three QB's, I think Brady is the best. So why do I have him at #3? Well because the Patriots have too good of defense." I made this statement way before the season but also before the spy scandal. If I would have known then that Belichek had every intention of slaughtering teams it wouldn't have mattered about how few points the defense held them to.
Anyways, I don't want to talk about 20 different things in one blog since I have been away so long so i will just end it here and make more frequent posts while bored to tears at work.
GO PATRIOTS!!!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
I love to say I told you so
As the fantasy draft season approached I was preaching that I was targeting a spot at the end of round 1. I was not enamoured with the big three and I had my wagon hitched to the backs that would be available at the end of the round but more importantly, I wanted a stud WR. In fact, I moved up in the third round to ensure I could get 2 WR in my top ten. As the season has started we are reminded that defensive backs in the NFL are terrible. WR are going bonkers exploiting the likes of the Saints, Bengals, Lions, Giants, Cowboys (except when Grossman is your QB) and whomever is playing the Patriots. I play in a PPR league so my infatuation with WRs has been well founded. When I was able to get Steve Smith and Chad Johnson I almost crapped my pants. We all know Smith is prone to the occasional disappearance but nobody has more big games (except a happy Randy Moss) that the speedy little elf. As far as Johnson, we all new that Marvin Lewis is yet to find a defense that can stop anyone, so we all new that the Bengals would be in shootouts all year. With R. Kelly...I mean Chris Henry out for at least the first 8 games there wasn't going to be anyone around to vulture the TDs from Johnson and Housh. So far my plan has worked swimmingly. Now I too have been slightly bit by the underachieving RB. Getting Frank Gore at #7 was like seeing your office crush bend over to reveal a sassy little thong. Although he has delivered the TDs that he was unable to get last year, the yards, and especially the receptions, have disappeared. Now I know Alex Smith is going to be a bust the likes of Cade McNown and Akili Smith, but he was terrible last year and Gore still gauged run defenses. Now it's a little too early in the year to crown yourself champion or start building for next year, but if you are 0-3, don't be afraid to shake up your squad. I know you convinced yourself after the draft that you had built the greatest team on paper, but face it, your teams not that good. Bite the bullet and make some deals. I was an abysmal 0-2 last year so I traded my only untradeable player and my best WR to start fresh. I rolled of 7 straight victories after the first deal, so I speak from experience. On the flip side, if you're 3-0, don't get too comfy. You are one injury a way from going into the tank, use the next few weeks to fleece the have-nots and build some superior depth on your squad. my goal is to have one more good player than I need at every position. When Portis got hurt last year it was nice to have Marion Barber waiting on my bench. So get to it men and good luck with the rest of your season. Go Patriots!
Friday, August 17, 2007
My Brady Quinn list
For all those that watched the draft you can surmise what the Brady Quinn theory is. A guy with perceived talent plummets down the draft board because almost all teams have an uneasy feeling about him and can't bring themselves to pull the trigger.
This year will be my first venture into a points per reception format. I am still a little uneasy about the prospects. I was able to pull myself away from the riveting Dolphins/Chiefs preseason game long enough to crunch some numbers. What I found was both shocking and disturbing. I know every year is a different but looking over the 2006 totals in a PPR format I was surprised to see that Brian Westbrook was the #4 RB in total scoring. Are you kidding? I get that some people are enamored with his all around game but he is one of those guys on my list. You know what I'm talking about. Every fantasy rube has a small list of players that for whatever reason they just refuse to draft. Forever now to be know as my Brady Quinn list. For some it's players from a rival team and for others it's just a gut feeling. I bear no ill will towards the Eagles but for some reason or another the top two people on my "will not draft" list are Westbrook and McNabb. I cannot explain this phenomenon other than to say if you are in my league and are hoping that one of those two will fall to you I assure you I will not be sniping you and dashing your hopes and dreams. So I really started thinking and discovered that I have a few more players that although have huge fantasy potential, I could never have them on my team. I did a mock draft and found that even at pick #7 I would pass on Gore and Westbrook. I know it sounds crazy and all the people that have Gore kool-aid packets think I'm an idiot but this guy is one cut away from ACL tear #3! It would be like me wasting a high first round pick on Terry Allen or Robert Edwards (remember him?...damn pro bowl). And then their is that Cowboys receiver who doesn't deserve to be named. I understand he led the league in TD receptions last year but I wouldn't take him unless he was sitting on the board in round 6. This is my personal opinion but I would much rather have guys I want to cheer for as I am watching the ticket on Sundays. Which brings me to Donald Driver. I just cannot cheer for the Packers to do anything so it's very counterproductive for me to be rooting against my own player.
This may be the most pointless posting yet but hey, I've got the time. But think about it, you know in your heart of hearts that you have a small list of players that regardless of the round, you just can't bring yourself to pull the trigger. Such is my fate as I play the guy with Driver and he goes for 100 and 3 scores against the Vikings. Oh well, at least now I have an excuse for losing. Go Patriots! RIP Scott.
This year will be my first venture into a points per reception format. I am still a little uneasy about the prospects. I was able to pull myself away from the riveting Dolphins/Chiefs preseason game long enough to crunch some numbers. What I found was both shocking and disturbing. I know every year is a different but looking over the 2006 totals in a PPR format I was surprised to see that Brian Westbrook was the #4 RB in total scoring. Are you kidding? I get that some people are enamored with his all around game but he is one of those guys on my list. You know what I'm talking about. Every fantasy rube has a small list of players that for whatever reason they just refuse to draft. Forever now to be know as my Brady Quinn list. For some it's players from a rival team and for others it's just a gut feeling. I bear no ill will towards the Eagles but for some reason or another the top two people on my "will not draft" list are Westbrook and McNabb. I cannot explain this phenomenon other than to say if you are in my league and are hoping that one of those two will fall to you I assure you I will not be sniping you and dashing your hopes and dreams. So I really started thinking and discovered that I have a few more players that although have huge fantasy potential, I could never have them on my team. I did a mock draft and found that even at pick #7 I would pass on Gore and Westbrook. I know it sounds crazy and all the people that have Gore kool-aid packets think I'm an idiot but this guy is one cut away from ACL tear #3! It would be like me wasting a high first round pick on Terry Allen or Robert Edwards (remember him?...damn pro bowl). And then their is that Cowboys receiver who doesn't deserve to be named. I understand he led the league in TD receptions last year but I wouldn't take him unless he was sitting on the board in round 6. This is my personal opinion but I would much rather have guys I want to cheer for as I am watching the ticket on Sundays. Which brings me to Donald Driver. I just cannot cheer for the Packers to do anything so it's very counterproductive for me to be rooting against my own player.
This may be the most pointless posting yet but hey, I've got the time. But think about it, you know in your heart of hearts that you have a small list of players that regardless of the round, you just can't bring yourself to pull the trigger. Such is my fate as I play the guy with Driver and he goes for 100 and 3 scores against the Vikings. Oh well, at least now I have an excuse for losing. Go Patriots! RIP Scott.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Fairwell to a friend
I lost a good friend in the tragic bridge collapse here in Minneapolis. Not only was he a good friend but he was a good person. As is painfully obvious by the fact that I write a blog to myself, I may get a bit carried away with fantasy football. Scott was fully aware of my insanity because immediately after the Superbowl I would bring up prospects for next years fantasy season. He too was a fantasy rube but he spread out his love between Nascar, golf and football. Despite the fact that I feel I know everything I would often seek out his opinion on all things fantasy and life. He was always good about sharing his opinion and more often than not, you agreed with him. It's hard to explain to those people that weren't close to him how good of a guy he really was. It is still weird showing up for work each day and not seeing his car parked in the exact same spot every single day. It's weird not being able to get away from my desk when I'm stressed and have someone willing to put up with my inane ramblings. I have unfortunately lost a few friends too soon in this life and I hope this will be the last. Believe me it doesn't get easier with experience. Scott's place in my fantasy league will be preserved forever. He had the pick right before me and I know he had a bead on my rankings so maybe I can get a better team since a shrewd fantasy mind will no longer be with us. To anyone who actually reads this, pray for his family that they recover his body soon so we can all get some closure. Go Patriots, Go Scott!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Mock drafts
So this year more than ever I have participated in some mock drafts on a few of the different sites that offer them. My opinion after doing about a dozen is that they are garbage. Each mock draft has a few major flaws that cannot be avoided. You are always set into a fake league that assigns draft spots or lets you pick whatever is still available. The ones where you are randomly assigned are the worst. You always get a handful of the those of kids you hated growing up. You know the ones, they take their ball and go home if things don't go their way. So these guys jump into the draft and see that they are at the back of the first round and leave so the computer drafts for them. Well I wish my league was me drafting against a computer because a computer picks the worst teams ever. Lets throw ESPN under the bus. I went into a mock and put myself on auto pick for 2 drafts. The results were scary. In the first one the computer selected a QB in 3 of the first 5 rounds. WTF!!! My first RB was selected in round 6. Talk about do the opposite. I dismissed this as a fluke and went in again. In the second computer controlled draft my team selected a TE 3 rounds in a row. And not rounds 10-12 but rounds 4, 5 and 6. Are you kidding me? I would rather take Daniel Graham in the last round than take one TE before round 5. So how are these labeled mocks? Unless you draft in a league with the cast of The Ringer you aren't going to get a top ten WR in the 5Th round because other teams are drafting 3 QBs and TEs. So if you are basing you predictions off of these mockdrafts I would like to form a league and you are invited to join. That's enough ranting for today, back to work. Go Patriots!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Draft season
I am returning from hiatus to explore some the excitement of draft season. As we each approach or upcoming season we feel the hope and promise of championships past. But what is the right strategy to ensure success? I don't know if anyone has the right formula because after all it's fantasy and only the really players can control the stats the earn for our make believe lineups. For the first time ever I think I am hoping to earn a spot at the back of the first round of my ten man league. Besides the top two RBs I don't know who I see as having the blowup year. I guessed right with Willie Parker last year but no one is really grabbing me right now. Of course LJ could be huge but I just have so many questions about the people around him. And people love Frank Gore but he's on borrowed time and due to blow out a knee at any minute. Plus, I can't draft a guy that early that may or may not even reach double digit scores. Sure Tiki was great as a yardage monster but the only time I ever drafted him was when he fell to me in one of my leagues at the 11th pick. So the money from most people right now is on Joseph Addai. Can I see 1500 and 15 TDs from him? Absolutely! Can I see 1200 an 9 TDs because Peyton Throws for 40 scores? You bet! So if I end up at #3 I would dance with the girl who brung me here. I have gone roll tide for 5 straight years and only once did I leave feeling unsatisfied. So Shaun Alexander is my horse after LT and Jackson. I don't see anything less than 1300 and 16 TDs. That's an off year for Alexander and I'll take that all day.
But if I get my wish and get pick #8 I think I'll get huge quality at my #1 RB and my #1 or #2 WR which this year is critical because I don't see nearly as much depth at the #1 WR spot. In a perfect work Alexander gets overlooked and falls to me but that is not likely so if I get Parker or the playoff friendly schedule of Rudi Johnson at 8 and then pull Smith or Holt on the way back I'll be happier than a sailor in a Thai whore house.
I'll be finding ou my draft slot soon so I'll be back to piss and moan about how I got screwed and ask for guidance from the 2 people that read this blog and think it sucks. Go Patriots!
But if I get my wish and get pick #8 I think I'll get huge quality at my #1 RB and my #1 or #2 WR which this year is critical because I don't see nearly as much depth at the #1 WR spot. In a perfect work Alexander gets overlooked and falls to me but that is not likely so if I get Parker or the playoff friendly schedule of Rudi Johnson at 8 and then pull Smith or Holt on the way back I'll be happier than a sailor in a Thai whore house.
I'll be finding ou my draft slot soon so I'll be back to piss and moan about how I got screwed and ask for guidance from the 2 people that read this blog and think it sucks. Go Patriots!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Top QB's
I have decided to start my breakdown of my personal rankings at the different positions. Since I don't give two shits about defensive players you won't be seeing a list of them. Lets start with the pretty boys. Of all the porcelain dolls that sport a red jersey whom would I most want to captain my fictitious sports dynamo? You have to take many things into account when judging a QB. The two things I focus on most are offense and defense. Let me elaborate. You need to have some good skill around you on the offensive side. Manning is good but could he st records throwing to Bobby Wade or Billy McMullen? Probably not, so good luck if you draft a Vikings QB. The first thing I do is analyze the two things that I think make a successful offensive team: o-line and running game. Wait, what about WR? Doesn't matter if you can't keep the defense honest. Last year we saw the potential emergence of two future stars at the RB position in Maroney and Addai. If you have either of them in a keeper league I commend your foresight. But what they will help most is their QB. Who knew Brady and Manning needed more help? But, you need a line to pave the way for the RB and give the QB time to scan the field so forget about Russell or McNown or Walter or even Ronald Curry if he switches back to his natural position. As far as defense goes it pays to have as little skill on that side as possible. This creates shootouts and lots of points.
So lets take a look at what I have so far.
1. Peyton Manning
Wow! I really went out on a limb on that pick. But wait, there's more. For the first time ever I have two QB's I could justify in the first round, but I digress. Manning has it all. Two pro bowl caliber receivers with a brand new toy in the slot. A stud young RB who is ready to take over the gaping whole left when Edge chased the money to go to RB purgatory. I digress again. Manning also has a line who make it a life's mission to make sure his uniform stays white and ugly. So if you miss out on the big four RB's, that's right, I have a fourth but that is for another day, don't sleep on Manning at #5 if you want a chance at huge points. Oh, he also has a defense that may make it a need for a shootout at any moment.
2. Parson Calmer (sp?)
I know how to spell his name but it has become tradition to mix it up. What does Palmer have going for him this year that makes him worthy of first round consideration? How about a line with two very good tackles, the third best #2 WR in the league and a RB that puts up the most boring 1,300 and 12TDs you have ever seen. I am still not convinced that Marvin Lewis has done enough to put his imprint his style on this defense to avoid the occasional shootout. Remeber San Diego last year?
3. Tom Brady
I have to point out that I am a very biased Patriots fan before you read this. The Patriot have been playing with a list of AFL cast-offs at WR the passed few years and Brady has been better than solid. Rumor has it the Patriots made some moves in the offseason to try and shore up that weakness but I don't need to gloat. Of the top three QB's, I think Brady is the best. So why do I have him at #3? Well because the Patriots have too good of defense. Yeah they may need me to suit up in the secondary at some point this season as their DBs seem to go down more than Kim Kardashian, but Asante Samuel be damned they always find a way. Plus I think that a healthy Maroney will score tons of points so if Maroney goes down I bump Brady up a spot. With a strong running game and a new, flashy WR core, Brady will be able to overcome the lack of shootouts with the smooth consistency of a man that can knock up a smokin' hot babe and move straight to another smokin' hot babe. If that's what you are into.
4. Drew Brees
Every year one of the top rated QB's has a down year. Brees is my choice to be that guy. But if he does have another strong year at least I can act like I expected it. Here are my big concerns with Brees. First, his WR core scares me. Is Colston for real or the reincarnation of Michael Clayton? Will Devery Henderson learn to catch? Can Lendale...I mean Robert Meachem stop eating long enough to get back in shape to play football? So what does Brees have going for him? Well he has two good RB's that will help take the pressure off and a defense, that unless I missed something this offseason, blows worse than Paris Hilton. I mean come on, can she try a little harder when she's on camera? So Brees will produce but he'll have more duds that the three above him.
5. Marc Bulger
I had a tough time deciding between Bulger and Tony Romo. I went with Bulger because he has proven himself in more than just one half season and I trust his stud WR mutch more than I trust Romo's. Plus, I heard Bulger has a decent RB that also helps a lot in the running game. And as John Lopuch from Fanball reminded me, he gets Orlando Pace and Andy Mccollom back this year. Did I mention that they have a disgraceful defense and an offensive minded head coach. Those are the makings of a highly productive fantasy QB.
Honorable Mention:
Tony Romo - I love MBIII, Matt Hasselbeck - healthy, Donovan McNabb - I'd never take him in a million years.
Breakthrough year - Matt Leinart (noodle arm but great WR's and a much better O-line)
Bust - Eli Manning (obvious)
Super Sleeper - Matt Schaub (would love to draft him as my #2 only because of Johnson)
Well there you have it. You may agree or disagree but what do I care, at least I made an effort. What have you done? Look for my RB rankings next week. Be sure to take my rankings with a grain of salt because guys in my league may read this (no one is reading this) so I may throw some curveballs at you to try and cath them. Go Patriots!
p.s. closed circuit to all the idiots out there: if you weren't retarded you would realize that this ranking wasn't the only post in the blog. If you think it is please just go back to your job at the gas station and there is no need to come back.
So lets take a look at what I have so far.
1. Peyton Manning
Wow! I really went out on a limb on that pick. But wait, there's more. For the first time ever I have two QB's I could justify in the first round, but I digress. Manning has it all. Two pro bowl caliber receivers with a brand new toy in the slot. A stud young RB who is ready to take over the gaping whole left when Edge chased the money to go to RB purgatory. I digress again. Manning also has a line who make it a life's mission to make sure his uniform stays white and ugly. So if you miss out on the big four RB's, that's right, I have a fourth but that is for another day, don't sleep on Manning at #5 if you want a chance at huge points. Oh, he also has a defense that may make it a need for a shootout at any moment.
2. Parson Calmer (sp?)
I know how to spell his name but it has become tradition to mix it up. What does Palmer have going for him this year that makes him worthy of first round consideration? How about a line with two very good tackles, the third best #2 WR in the league and a RB that puts up the most boring 1,300 and 12TDs you have ever seen. I am still not convinced that Marvin Lewis has done enough to put his imprint his style on this defense to avoid the occasional shootout. Remeber San Diego last year?
3. Tom Brady
I have to point out that I am a very biased Patriots fan before you read this. The Patriot have been playing with a list of AFL cast-offs at WR the passed few years and Brady has been better than solid. Rumor has it the Patriots made some moves in the offseason to try and shore up that weakness but I don't need to gloat. Of the top three QB's, I think Brady is the best. So why do I have him at #3? Well because the Patriots have too good of defense. Yeah they may need me to suit up in the secondary at some point this season as their DBs seem to go down more than Kim Kardashian, but Asante Samuel be damned they always find a way. Plus I think that a healthy Maroney will score tons of points so if Maroney goes down I bump Brady up a spot. With a strong running game and a new, flashy WR core, Brady will be able to overcome the lack of shootouts with the smooth consistency of a man that can knock up a smokin' hot babe and move straight to another smokin' hot babe. If that's what you are into.
4. Drew Brees
Every year one of the top rated QB's has a down year. Brees is my choice to be that guy. But if he does have another strong year at least I can act like I expected it. Here are my big concerns with Brees. First, his WR core scares me. Is Colston for real or the reincarnation of Michael Clayton? Will Devery Henderson learn to catch? Can Lendale...I mean Robert Meachem stop eating long enough to get back in shape to play football? So what does Brees have going for him? Well he has two good RB's that will help take the pressure off and a defense, that unless I missed something this offseason, blows worse than Paris Hilton. I mean come on, can she try a little harder when she's on camera? So Brees will produce but he'll have more duds that the three above him.
5. Marc Bulger
I had a tough time deciding between Bulger and Tony Romo. I went with Bulger because he has proven himself in more than just one half season and I trust his stud WR mutch more than I trust Romo's. Plus, I heard Bulger has a decent RB that also helps a lot in the running game. And as John Lopuch from Fanball reminded me, he gets Orlando Pace and Andy Mccollom back this year. Did I mention that they have a disgraceful defense and an offensive minded head coach. Those are the makings of a highly productive fantasy QB.
Honorable Mention:
Tony Romo - I love MBIII, Matt Hasselbeck - healthy, Donovan McNabb - I'd never take him in a million years.
Breakthrough year - Matt Leinart (noodle arm but great WR's and a much better O-line)
Bust - Eli Manning (obvious)
Super Sleeper - Matt Schaub (would love to draft him as my #2 only because of Johnson)
Well there you have it. You may agree or disagree but what do I care, at least I made an effort. What have you done? Look for my RB rankings next week. Be sure to take my rankings with a grain of salt because guys in my league may read this (no one is reading this) so I may throw some curveballs at you to try and cath them. Go Patriots!
p.s. closed circuit to all the idiots out there: if you weren't retarded you would realize that this ranking wasn't the only post in the blog. If you think it is please just go back to your job at the gas station and there is no need to come back.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Let "sleeper" dogs lie
Admit it, every year as the fantasy football season approaches we all have our guys that are going to be the sleeper picks of the century. I drank the Wali Lundy kool-aid last year, I admit it. But how many of the sleepers really pan out. I would tell anyone that would listen that I was hearing info that Travis Henry, the perceived #3, was actually going to be the starter in Tennessee. But even my brother-in-law dismissed me and put his fortunes in the hands of Chris Brown. OUCH! My uber-sleeper last year was Cedric Cobbs (who??). He was a machine at Arkansas and single-handedly beat Texas one year. He was 3rd on the depth chart in Denver due to an ankle injury. That injury was what opened the door for Mike Bell. Being that Shanny would consider putting me in for a game to prove just how great of a running game he has, I started to see the potential. A couple years ago I laughed at the idiot that drafted Rueben Droughns and 4 weeks into the season I was throwing trade offers at him. So last year Cobbs was my sleeper darling. My last two picks in my draft were Travis Henry and Cedric Cobbs but since I didn't have a defense for week one and I had Alexander and Corey Dillon or Thomas Jones for the beginning of the season I decided that Henry was the expendable one because Cobbs was starting to get reps with the first team, and we all love Denver's running game, so there is no way I am going to get into a bidding war for a guy I just drafted and released. As we are all now aware, the results didn't turn out to well but I did undress the last place guy that picked up Henry by later trading him Randy Moss after his only good game.
My point here is that a sleeper is never going to be your #1 guy. I have had some undrafted players become starters (Rudi Johnson and Dominick Davis 2003), but never the guys I drafted late (actually you'll learn of a stud later). Some of these "sleepers" are memorable: you have heard about the RBs last year but did I mention I thought Billy Volek would blow up, before he was traded to become San Diego's clipboard carrier. How about Tatum Bell every year he's been in the league? Could this guy at least tell you what week he's going to actually play well? The only beacon of hope comes from a few years back when I was able to snag McGahee with the last pick in the draft and watched him, Manning and Tomlinson lead me on a second have run to the championship.
The receivers are a whole other level of futility. Last year Michael Clayton was going to burst back on the scene in a big way. And remember Troy Williamson? Yes he still plays in the NFL. He was going to flourish as the #1 guy in Minnesota. What was your favorite Williamson as the #1 moment? Sorry Barreiro, I stole that but you'll never read this anyway. Receivers are tricky because even high picks may tank it on you. But there is hope because powerhouse team I had a few years ago with Manning, Tomlinson and McGahee also had my first ever draft pick from those hated Packers...Javon Walker. That sleeper WR was a great pick because he was big piece of my acquisition of Tomlinson. I finished that season with three rookies out wide: Roy Williams, Lee Evans and Michael Clayton. Those three suited me just fine, but I digress.
The point to all this is that it isn't as cool to say that I drafted Travis Henry as it would have been to say I properly defended my championship. I worried more about wowing people with my keen eye for the late round gem than I did with picking the guys that will carry the bags. So don't be a dumb ass. Put together a list of guys that you know will deliver and never overrate a guy that no one else even knows is in the league because he'll still be there when the drafting's done.
Since my league isn't insane enough to have our draft this early I am not in a position to share my 2007 sleepers just yet. But have no fear because after the draft I will make my predictions known so if you were unfortunate enough to have drafted one of my gems you will still have time to drop them. Go Patriots!
My point here is that a sleeper is never going to be your #1 guy. I have had some undrafted players become starters (Rudi Johnson and Dominick Davis 2003), but never the guys I drafted late (actually you'll learn of a stud later). Some of these "sleepers" are memorable: you have heard about the RBs last year but did I mention I thought Billy Volek would blow up, before he was traded to become San Diego's clipboard carrier. How about Tatum Bell every year he's been in the league? Could this guy at least tell you what week he's going to actually play well? The only beacon of hope comes from a few years back when I was able to snag McGahee with the last pick in the draft and watched him, Manning and Tomlinson lead me on a second have run to the championship.
The receivers are a whole other level of futility. Last year Michael Clayton was going to burst back on the scene in a big way. And remember Troy Williamson? Yes he still plays in the NFL. He was going to flourish as the #1 guy in Minnesota. What was your favorite Williamson as the #1 moment? Sorry Barreiro, I stole that but you'll never read this anyway. Receivers are tricky because even high picks may tank it on you. But there is hope because powerhouse team I had a few years ago with Manning, Tomlinson and McGahee also had my first ever draft pick from those hated Packers...Javon Walker. That sleeper WR was a great pick because he was big piece of my acquisition of Tomlinson. I finished that season with three rookies out wide: Roy Williams, Lee Evans and Michael Clayton. Those three suited me just fine, but I digress.
The point to all this is that it isn't as cool to say that I drafted Travis Henry as it would have been to say I properly defended my championship. I worried more about wowing people with my keen eye for the late round gem than I did with picking the guys that will carry the bags. So don't be a dumb ass. Put together a list of guys that you know will deliver and never overrate a guy that no one else even knows is in the league because he'll still be there when the drafting's done.
Since my league isn't insane enough to have our draft this early I am not in a position to share my 2007 sleepers just yet. But have no fear because after the draft I will make my predictions known so if you were unfortunate enough to have drafted one of my gems you will still have time to drop them. Go Patriots!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Can you smell fantasy football season?
Over the past few years I have read an insane amount or articles in regards to fantasy football by the so called experts. You catch yourself wondering how such a douche bag could get such a sweet job when he clearly own s a team that finishes last in his league every year. Well I decided it's time for me to offer my sage advice and have it documented so I too can be looked at as one of those idiots that seems to know absolutely nothing. Did I mention that two years ago I took Edge with the third pick instead of Shaun Alexander. edge had a great year but Alexander the great broke the TD record that year. I suppose I should also mention that I drafted Stephen Jackson and Brian Westbrook in the next two rounds and subsequently traded them for Shaun Alexander. So I guess things worked out fine in that regard.
This is just an introductory posting so you aren't going to get much in the way of advice because after all, the season is 4 months away. But feel free to check back, or don't, over the next few months to see what I have to say about rookies, sleepers, busts and break through performers. Last year I picked Stephen Jackson and the year before I tagged Reggie Wayne. So far so good. But just so you understand that I realize I am far from perfect in the ways of fantasy karma, I thought Wali Lundy was going to be a stud last year. You can't win 'em all. Hopefully I can at least offer one piece of good advice to help you earn your entry fee back. Even if no one has an interest in reading this at least it gives me something to do when bored at work or when my wife wants me to help clean up around the house. Go Patriots!
This is just an introductory posting so you aren't going to get much in the way of advice because after all, the season is 4 months away. But feel free to check back, or don't, over the next few months to see what I have to say about rookies, sleepers, busts and break through performers. Last year I picked Stephen Jackson and the year before I tagged Reggie Wayne. So far so good. But just so you understand that I realize I am far from perfect in the ways of fantasy karma, I thought Wali Lundy was going to be a stud last year. You can't win 'em all. Hopefully I can at least offer one piece of good advice to help you earn your entry fee back. Even if no one has an interest in reading this at least it gives me something to do when bored at work or when my wife wants me to help clean up around the house. Go Patriots!
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