2008 Fantasy Football Recap

My vote for NFL MVP.. .and my fantasy team MVP...

I participated in two fantasy football leagues this year (one $$$, one $0.00) as well as a "pick 'em" league where I'm going to finish out of the money, but in the top 10. In the non-$-league, I've half-assed my way into third place. Joseph Addai was the biggest bust and Matt Forte was the biggest surprise. It would have been huge to have secured Forte in my pay-league... But that was not the case. In retrospect, I could have gotten him... Anyway, I wanted to embellish on what was a rollercoaster of a ride that left the gate back in early September and has since ended with the League Championship! Points-race TBD... (I'm 40 points back from first place and 10 points from second.)

SThe draft is instrumental, but certainly not the end-all-be-all (Note - I drafted 10 of 10). It's your chance to secure the crux of your team but as well all know, injuries (ala Tom Brady), busts (ala Joseph Addai) and surprises (ala DeAngelo Williams) can durastically alter the complexion of your squad from the get-go. As previously stated in September (my post-draft preseason preview and draft results), I felt very good about my QB, WR, and TE slots but my RB situation was left with much more to be desired. In hindsight, it would have behooved me to have selected a Matt Forte, LenDale White, Chris Johnson or DeAngelo Williams instead of Maroney, Taylor or S. Young. For those of you keeping score, here are the RBs that participated in e-roc's 2008 game of  running back roulette. The top four are currently on the roster:

1. Steve Slaton (Hou)
2. Pierre Thomas (NO)
3. Jonathon Stewart (Car)
4. Leon Washington (NYJ)
5. Peyton Hillis (Den) - IR
6. Ryan Torain (Den) - IR
7. Selvin Young (Den) - original draft pick
   
8. Cadillac Williams (TB)
9. Cedric Benson (Cin)
10. BJGE aka "Law Firm" (NE)
11. Laurence Maroney (NE) - original draft pick
12. Ray Rice (Bal)
13. LeRon McClain (Bal)
14. Kevin Smith (Det) - should have kept
15. Ricky Williams (Mia)
16. Dominic Rhodes (Ind) - should have kept
17. Melwelde Moore (Pit)
18. Ahman Green (Hou)
19. Julius Jones (Sea)
20. Fred Taylor (Jax) - original draft pick
21. Maurice Morris (Sea) - original draft pick
22. Deuce McAllister (NO)

Your eyes do not deceive you. I was swapping players on a weekly, if not bi-weekly, basis hoping for a player to blow-up. It should be noted that Pierre Thomas was riding the pine during his explosion against the Bears and Falcons. Needless to say, the lesson to be learned is that free agency can save your season and win you a championship. 

For those that care, here was the final roster (starters denoted with *)... Yes, Reggie Wayne was supposed to be starting, but I f'd up something earlier in the week... 

• Quarterbacks - Peyton Manning*, Tyler Thigpen, Jeff Garcia
• Runningbacks - Slaton*, Thomas*, Stewart, Washington
• Wide Receivers - Antonio Bryant*, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall*, Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt* (should have kept Hixon)
• TEs - Antonio Gates* and Owen Daniels (Unchanged!! But I will admit owning Donte Rosario for one week)
• Kickers - Jason Elam*, John Kasay (I won't mention how many different K's I owned..)
• Defense - Eagles*, Falcons

This roster will change again heading into week 17 as Manning and Wayne will probably be benchwarmers at best against the Tennessee Titans (who will also be resting starters)... Good thing I have Thigpen and Bryant!

Awards:

• League Champ - You Want Rice Noodle (193 to 125)
• Points Champ - TBD after Week 17
• MVP - Peyton Manning. He started slow and even struggled against teams like Cleveland, but during the fantasy football playoffs, he was stellar, most notably recently in Weeks 15 & 16. In retrospect, Drew Brees would have been the better pick (more consistent, most points) but I won't argue with his performance as of late.
• MVFA (Most Valuable Free Agent) - I'm going to call this a tie between Steve Slaton and Antonio Bryant. Slaton may get the edge considering all the troubles I was having at RB but Bryant stepped in this week for an ailing Boldin and registered the highest non-QB point total. I also had him benched during his 200-yard breakout performance against the Panthers, but at least no one else had him...
• Thank You for Attending - Antonio Gates. After a big fat ZERO in week 15, he came through with 40 yds and two TDs.  Arguably, I could have started Owen Daniels who had a monster game against Oakland.
• Wish You Were Here - Issac Bruce. I dropped him way too early in the season, prior to Shaun Hill's ascension to starter and fantasy football starter-dom. He would have come in handy through the Bye Weeks disaster that tries to ruin all of our seasons.
• Sorry I Missed You - Matt Forte. I really should have drafted Forte instead of Maroney as my #1 running back pick. I might be in the points lead with a top-5 RB...

Looking forward to next year!

Monday Musings

(Photo by N. Arnold)

It's Monday... and I'll look like this cat in an hour or so.

• Comedians Tom Papa & Pete Lee are hilarious. It was an unexpected, but pleasant surprise to see Pete Lee a second time (first time in Vegas; live taping of Last Comic Standing). It makes a big difference to give these guys 20 minutes to complete their jokes instead of three minutes.
• Ohio State's basketball team beat a solid Notre Dame basketball team on a neutral court (in Indianapolis). Evan Turner is going to have a break-out year on offense and defense. Diebler looks more comfortable finally draining some 3's and making the extra pass... I think we're going to keep surprising people especially in the Big Ten. Michigan apparently wants some love too after beating the Dukies!
• My fantasy football team had a decent weekend, but I'm falling behind in the points race. Thanks to the Bye-week, I'm looking ahead to Week 15... P.Manning & Wayne v. Detroit is the only cupcake match-up I can see on the schedule. This might not turn out well...
  
• Florida beat the spread. Those guys in Vegas know what they're doing... I'm really sick of Tim Te-blow. As Peyton Manning is quoted as saying, I hope Te-blow "...enjoys playing fullback in the NFL...".
  
• BCS: Oklahoma v. Florida - WRONG! Texas should be in this game. Florida is going to win by double-digits. Penn State v. USC in the Rose Bowl - when is this game not going to be played in USC's back-yard? Should be a good one. Utah v. Alabama in the Sugar - should be a one-sided affair to prove that Utah didn't belong (just like Hawaii last year v. Georgia). Ohio State v. Texas in the Fiesta Bowl - I think OSU can give Texas fits on both sides of the ball considering the number of points Texas has given up this season. Hopefully Pryor will give Mack Brown nightmares of VY... Cincinnati vs. Virginia Techzzzzzzzz... Huh? Sorry, I started nodding off there...

The economy & market still sucks.

My Fantasy Football Team Sucks

Quick note: Our league plays two games per week.

After going on a strong 7-game win streak, my team has decided to put its head between its knees for the past two weeks failing to post 100 points. In our scoring system, a 140-spot is good and a 160+ is strong. Therefore, my team has been performing like the Detroit Pussycats or the Cincinnati BunGals (or Notre Dame). It's not even worth mentioning that I've been blasted by the top scoring team in the league in consecutive weeks.

At the moment, I'm not holding out hope that my team will turn things around heading into the playoffs (starting Thursday evening). Fortunately it looks like I've secured a bye-week so my group of Numb Nuts can continue its "we look good on paper" trend.

These fuckers must all be airbrushed or something. Names & nicknames below.

• Peyton "washed out" Manning - performance vs. the Brownies was laughable
• Brandon "shut out" Marshall - no TDs since week 10 vs. aforementioned Brownies
• Reggie "the Whiner" Wayne - no TDs since week 10 vs. Steelers
• Anquan Boldin - this guy broke his jaw and came back three weeks later, he's the MAN. Second worst outing of the season.
  
• Antonio "Rivers Hates Me" Gates - 2008 has been a very mediocre one
• Running Backs By Committee - yet again, I start the wrong RB. L. Washington over Hillis. Oops. Slaton tonight v. Jax.
  

Draft redo - 13 weeks into the season, it's clear that I should have drafted Drew Brees & Larry Fitzgerald instead of Peyton Manning & Reggie Wayne. Additionally, drafting a Matt Forte instead of Brandon Marshall would have partially solidified my game of roulette RB. With Sleepers like Roddy White & Eddie Royal, the 4th round WR pick was a bit hasty.

That being said, unless someone can convince me otherwise (or increase my salary by > 25%), it looks like I will be refraining from next year's Season and saving my money for my upcoming trip to Vegas (time/date TBD).

My Quickie (CFB, NFL)

My version of the Quickie:

1. Ohio State's offense - Still mildly offensive (behind the offensive O-line), but managed to churn out 45 points. How 1/3 of Pryor's completions went for TD's is mildly ridiculous... Give me Block-O! Also, it was good to see the play-calling involve actual passing plays & our WR's show up...
   
2. Ohio State's defense - FortunatelyKafka's Tebow impression didn't last the entire game. I'm convinced that Marcus Freeman is injured (or just ridiculously over-rated).
   
3. OSU-NU referees - Awful. Disgusting. Horrendous. Vomitous. The missed holding calls, the garbage late hit penalties, and the ball-spots were just a few of their transgressions. Was it too cold to throw that holding flag? I suspect the umpire wanted to keep his hands warm (in his pockets).
   
4. Heisman - In my head, Beanie is a Heisman contender, but he probably finishes no better than 3rd this year the way Harrell, McCoy, and Tebow (found his mojo) have been playing. I suppose Michael Crabtree gets a few votes too since he's playing on an undefeated team. Wouldn't it be dramatic if Crabtree steals votes from Harrell and McCoy/Tebow wins??
5. Penn State - I am still bitter from last Saturday night (because I was there), so deep down I was rooting for the Iowa Hawkeye upset. #1 in black made the kick, #1 in black got some serious tail on Saturday night, and Penn State's hopes to be #1 were erased for the season. I wonder if Daryll Clark is being blamed for the loss...
   
6. BCS/Playoff - People need to understand that the BCS, NCAA & Div-1A (FBS) college football is ALL ABOUT MONEY. Until this changes, there will never be a playoff system that works for all 106 interested parties. Hey Pete Carroll, win your games and you're in. You have no room to speak after losing to OREGON STATE. OREGON F-ING STATE!@!!!!

My way too early predictions:

• Texas Tech beats Florida (BCS Championship Game)
• USC beats Penn State
• Boise State beats Missouri
  
• North Carolina beats Pittsburgh (would anyone watch this?)
• Alabama beats Utah

Now, onto a League that utilizes a playoff format...

1. Baltimore's running back by committee (McGaayyhee, McPlain, Rice Noodle) is a fantasy nightmare. It's worse than Denver's situation.
2. Tennessee Titans - who saw this coming? I need to check the Football Prospectus...
3. Big Ben should have waited another week before attempting to return. Arguably, the same result transpires behind Leftwich v. Colts... Bob Sanders makes the Colts D completely different. Jekyll & Hyde effect...
   
4. Is this finally the season for the 'Zona Cards??? Playoffs???
5. Fantasy Player OY = Drew Brees. And I picked Peyton 11th overall...
6. Fantasy Flubs OY = All players on IR
   

For the OSU fan in me, The Jekyll & Hyde just made me think of next year's RB class: Jamall Berry & Carlos Hyde.. J&H t-shirts anyone?

Fantasy Football '08 $$ League (Gambling)

"With the 10th pick in the 2008, Fantasy Football League draft, Rice Noodle selects..."

And so it went. 3 hours of a Tuesday night. 14 pitchers of beer. Two large pep & sausage pizzas. 180 players (and/or Defensive teams). $20 a head for the food and beverages... and 10 of the pitchers were Labatt Blue, not Bud Light.

Anyway... This is pre-season, post-draft analysis of my 2008 squad. I have not yet pillaged the waiver wire or offered up terrible trade proposals.

Background: each privately organized fantasy football league has it's own set of rules and scoring parameters. So before I'm castrated for picking Peyton Manning in the 10-slot, I'll paint the landscape.

• QBs - 1 pt per 20 yds passing. 6 pts per TD. Bonuses for eclipsing the 250 yard passing mark (and other hurdles) and for 'big plays' (i.e. pass play over 20, 30 and 50 yards).
• RBs - 1 pt per 10 yds rushing. 6 pts per TD. Bonuses for eclipsing the 75 yard mark (and other hurdles) and for 'big plays'. 1 pt per 10 yds receiving.
  
• WRs/TEs - 1 pt per 10 yds receiving. 1 pt per reception (does NOT apply to RBs). Bonuses mirror those of rushing.
• Ks - standard scoring. 3 pts per FG. Bonuses for distance. 1 pt per extra point.
• Team Defense/ST - 6 pts per TD. 2 pts per INT or fumble. 1 pt per sack. Bonus for points allowed. Special teams scoring is included. (makes Chicago more valuable via Devin Hester)

Other notable notes: no negative points; partial points allowed; must start 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 DEF. No flex position here... and no minuses for Brett Favre's 12 INTs... Payouts to the #1 and #2 in total points and the playoffs. Potential winnings: $800.

The Roster:

• Quarterbacks - Peyton Manning; Matt Schaub; Tarvaris Jackson
• Runningbacks - Laurence Maroney; Selvin Young; Maurice Morris; Fred Taylor
• Wide Receivers - Reggie Wayne; Anquan Boldin; Brandon Marshall; Nate Burleson; Isaac Bruce
• Tight Ends - Antonio Gates; Owen Daniels
• Kickers - Rob Bironas; some other guy
• Defense - SD Chargers; Philadelphia Eagles

The Pros: I'm very content with a positive outlook on my QB, WR, and TE situation. I'm not sure if there will be much drop-off by the Colts scoring machine, but Reggie Wayne is still a gamebreaker, Boldin has the huge upside after the catch, and Brandon Marshall is a 3rd-year WR (which in fantasy-world, means BREAKOUT season). I have to wait until Week 2 to reap the rewards from Mr. Marshall... Nate Burleson is one of the only healthy, experienced WRs in Seattle and therefore should see plenty of passes. Many forget that he was a stud in Minnesota... Isaac Bruce was a 14th round pick out of need, but he's the current #1a in San Fran. He knows the Mad Martz pass-happy system from his days as a Ram (LA AND STL). Antonio Gates was the fourth overall TE taken in the draft behind KWII, Witten, and Tony Gonzo. It was a value pick during the run on TEs and should have another great season. He was rated higher than my 25th ranked WR, so essentially I have four top-25 receivers in the league. Note: Burleson and Bruce are both starters at the top of their respective depth charts. I was the first to steal the Chargers off the board, hoping to couple them with the Patriots DEF, but to no avail. Needless to say, the Eagles should be a good bye-week fill-in and if Brian Westbrook takes a punt to the house, I get 6 points!

The Cons: I didn't draft a RB until round 6 and consequently got stuck with Maroney. All four of my RBs are question marks with big exclamation points behind them. It's just a matter of which one of the four blows up this year. If Brady goes down or sits, Maroney should get his fair share of touches. Young is playing in a system that allows for 1,500 yard rushers. Maurice Morris is playing behind a strong O-Line in Seattle (and Owen Schnittker - the monster from WVA) and held his own when Shaun was out. Then there's Fred "Fragile" Taylor. I had to take him based on historical production and a moderate projection. He was the best available RB after the gentleman in the 9th slot drafted LenDale White leaving me defenseless... and dejected. I think most of these guys should be able to rack up 75 yards and a TD here and there. My sleepers are Young and Morris... but would have preferred to be sleeping on Jonathan Stewart (CAR) or Matt Forte (CHI) instead.

Assessment: I graded out 4th or 5th overall according to our fantasy league guru (who didn't finish in the money last year). I was very pleased with my aerial attack options picking up Gates and Burleson much later than I anticipated. I was also pleased to not be handcuffed with drafting an "old" WR (i.e. Holt, Ocho Cinco, Harrison) or one of those little slot WRs that were popular in 2005 (Santana Moss, Steve Smith, Lee Evans). I admit, I do have an "old" WR in Isaac Bruce, but he's a system WR... Remember Rod Smith? Wayne Chrebet? Plus, who else is JT O'Sullivan going to throw to? Picking up Peyton Manning,Gates and the SD defense will help me sleep at night (and consequently set my rosters on Sunday mornings).

Final Grade: B+. I'm missing a true 2nd tier RB. I really wanted Thomas Jones, but he was snatched up three picks before I would have made the pick in the round that I wanted my 2nd RB. I settled for Selvin Young. I would have also liked to have grabbed the Patriots DEF as well... (perhaps a trade will be offered here..). Toss in Thomas Jones, LenDale White or Brandon Jacobs to complement Maroney, and I bump my grade up to an A-.

I didn't pick a kicker until Round 17 and 18... and didn't lose any sleep last night.