Standard Redraft League
Championship Game Result: Loss
Score: 58 - 64
2nd Place Overall
Very exciting game, even though it didn't end the way I wanted it to. My team was finished playing Sunday and my opponent had 2 players in the Monday night game. Both playing for the 49ers, Kicker and Defense. They were playing the Falcons, who had been having a tough year, so I was a little worried. I was up by 13 points heading into the game.
The game started off great, he got a field goal and a couple of extra points but the Defense had only 1 sack. The Falcons actually started playing really well in the second half. heading into the very last minute of the game I was up by 3 points and the Falcons were down by a TD and inside the 49er 20 yard line. I figured, the Falcons would kill the clock trying to score and the game would end with me being up by 3. Of course, that didn't happen. 49er Defense got an interception (1 point) and ran it back for a TD (6 points) then of course they kicked the extra point (1 point). Game over. Living in the Seattle area, we have grown accustomed to hating the 49ers. This did nothing to change that for me.
Looking back, the position I was most concerned about ended up being my downfall. I had a hard time deciding on which QB to start. I had Luck, Smith and I had picked up Cutler last week. Cutler had the highest projected points (by 1 over Smith), but he had missed several games due to injury and had been knocked out of 2 or 3 games, getting hurt. I knew he had a good match up against the Eagles but I was worried he would not be able to play the entire game. I narrowed it down to Smith or Luck. I went with Smith. The Colts Defense had been playing just OK most of the year, some good game and some bad but the Chiefs Defense was better. I was thinking I could get a TD or 2 from Smith but probably less from Luck. Ended up with only 2 points from Smith. 7 from Luck and 9 from Cutler. Had I gone with Cutler I would have won. I can't blame it totally on the QB spot. I had a couple of other guys that had really good match ups but they didn't produce much. None of my WRs were able to get a TD. Both of my RBs had really good games, got 16 from Lacey and 12 from Charles. I know I won't be able to draft both of those guys again next year but it would be nice.
Overall, this was a really fun season. It came down to the wire, the very last minute of our season. I can't be too mad. I had a really good team this year. I'll have to take those lessons learned and apply them next season and hope for the best. I stand by how I managed my team. Getting into the play offs and into the championship game, I didn't want to change how I managed my team to get them to this point. I didn't play the match ups with my main guys. It had worked out almost all year. Some weeks it didn't but I don't think I would have made it this far had I been chasing points.
I spent a little more time doing my research before the draft and was able to walk away from that with a really good team to start with. I also spent more time managing my team, staying on top of injuries, and mining the waiver wire. Being able to pick up a couple of players before the other teams realized they should have, WR Jeffery and RB Bell were my two best ones. One thing that I will need to get better at is carrying dead weight. I ended this year with 2 guys on my bench that I drafted but after a few poor games from RBs Spiller and MJD, I didn't have any faith in them, not enough to start them even against a good match up. Looking back I probably could have dropped them and looked for better players at other positions, namely QB and TE. If I could have been a little more consistent at those 2 spots, that might have made a difference in this last game.
Vince Lombardi once said that winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. True. But losing this last game, the way it ended, I feel really good about next season. I can't wait to get to the next draft and start this all over again.
Thanks to everyone that followed along with these posts during the season. I hope you were able to learn a few things, either what to do or what not to do. I look forward to sharing my ups and downs again next year.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Fantasy Football Playoffs Week 2 Standard League
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Playoffs Week 2 Result: Win
Score: 131-41
Could not have asked for a better performance from my team and right when I needed it. I'll have to admit that I was more than just a little worried heading into this match up. My opponent ran over just about every team in the league this year and finished the season at 10-3 and in first place. His team is really strong. Heavy on the Broncos, who just happen to score a ton on the field and in fantasy leagues. He starts, QB Manning, WR Decker, RB Moreno and TE Thomas so he usually has high scoring games. That is, unless the Broncos have a bad game. They have only done that a couple of times this season. With WR Welker being out the last few weeks, I figured Decker, Moreno and Thomas would all receive more targets and put up more points then their average. The Broncos were playing the Chargers and they have been playing well lately. So I had my fingers crossed.
I figured my team would have just an OK week. A few tough match ups and a few good ones but nothing that stood out. I started all my normal players. The only change was QB Luck instead of QB Smith, these two have been about even all year. Luck has more total points but he is less consistent. Smith has not played great when he had a good match up so I left him on the bench. And of course the Chiefs had an amazing game against the Raiders. My RB Charles had one of the best fantasy days of any player ever. I think he made it into the top 5 ever. In this league he put up 40 points. Only 20 rushing yards and 1 rush TD but 195 and 4 TDs through the air. Which also meant that Smith would have shared in those TD for me. Smith had 31 points on my bench.
We both started player that put up a 0. The rest of his team just did not produce last week. His projected points per player were around 7 or 8 for most of his team and he ended up with 1s and 2s. My team was helped by games that featured great comebacks. The Packers and Cowboys game was great and featured one of the great comebacks ever. RB Lacey ate them up in the second half and put up a total of 14 pints for me. My kicker, K Bailey for Cowboys put up 20.
This win put my team in the Championship Game. I feel pretty good about my chances this week. The only real question I have is my QB position. Last week I picked up McCown from Chicago - then Cutler got healthy and came back so McCown was benched. So this week I dropped McCown and picked up Cutler. So now I have 3 QBs to choose from for this last and most important game. Right now I have Smith starting. Chiefs are playing the Colts and the game is in Kansas City. Home for Smith and away for Luck. The Bears are playing the Eagles in Philly so an away game for Cutler as well. Cutler has the best match up but the last good QB match up in Philly did not work out so well for me (Stafford in the now....). My opponent and I are evenly matched and the projected pints are almost even. 71 for me and 69 for him. I feel this will be a close game no matter what I do at the QB position. This game is for all the marbles!
Playoffs Week 2 Result: Win
Score: 131-41
Could not have asked for a better performance from my team and right when I needed it. I'll have to admit that I was more than just a little worried heading into this match up. My opponent ran over just about every team in the league this year and finished the season at 10-3 and in first place. His team is really strong. Heavy on the Broncos, who just happen to score a ton on the field and in fantasy leagues. He starts, QB Manning, WR Decker, RB Moreno and TE Thomas so he usually has high scoring games. That is, unless the Broncos have a bad game. They have only done that a couple of times this season. With WR Welker being out the last few weeks, I figured Decker, Moreno and Thomas would all receive more targets and put up more points then their average. The Broncos were playing the Chargers and they have been playing well lately. So I had my fingers crossed.
I figured my team would have just an OK week. A few tough match ups and a few good ones but nothing that stood out. I started all my normal players. The only change was QB Luck instead of QB Smith, these two have been about even all year. Luck has more total points but he is less consistent. Smith has not played great when he had a good match up so I left him on the bench. And of course the Chiefs had an amazing game against the Raiders. My RB Charles had one of the best fantasy days of any player ever. I think he made it into the top 5 ever. In this league he put up 40 points. Only 20 rushing yards and 1 rush TD but 195 and 4 TDs through the air. Which also meant that Smith would have shared in those TD for me. Smith had 31 points on my bench.
We both started player that put up a 0. The rest of his team just did not produce last week. His projected points per player were around 7 or 8 for most of his team and he ended up with 1s and 2s. My team was helped by games that featured great comebacks. The Packers and Cowboys game was great and featured one of the great comebacks ever. RB Lacey ate them up in the second half and put up a total of 14 pints for me. My kicker, K Bailey for Cowboys put up 20.
This win put my team in the Championship Game. I feel pretty good about my chances this week. The only real question I have is my QB position. Last week I picked up McCown from Chicago - then Cutler got healthy and came back so McCown was benched. So this week I dropped McCown and picked up Cutler. So now I have 3 QBs to choose from for this last and most important game. Right now I have Smith starting. Chiefs are playing the Colts and the game is in Kansas City. Home for Smith and away for Luck. The Bears are playing the Eagles in Philly so an away game for Cutler as well. Cutler has the best match up but the last good QB match up in Philly did not work out so well for me (Stafford in the now....). My opponent and I are evenly matched and the projected pints are almost even. 71 for me and 69 for him. I feel this will be a close game no matter what I do at the QB position. This game is for all the marbles!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Fantasy Football Playoffs Week 1 Review Redraft Standard, Keeper PPR
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Result: Win
Score: 85-53
I was none too happy about losing the last game of the season and missing out on the Bye Week, but I was very happy to have one of my best games of the season this week. I don't think I went all season with almost every one of my guys scoring a TD the same week. RB Charles led the charge with 19 points followed by WR Gordon with 14. In total I had 6 out of 9 players score in the double digits. I was helped by the other team, they started RB Bush, who was a last minute scratch from his game. He also got 0 from his Defense. Lots of tough games last week.
Prepping for this next week, I picked up a couple of players. TE Clay was available so I grabbed him, he will start for me with week. I let go TE Reed, since his concussion a few weeks ago, he has not been able to play. I also picked up QB McCown, he has been playing great (5 TDs last week). Then I just learned he will not play this week. Oh well. I still have QB Smith and Luck. Leaning towards Smith right now. But I know that Smith has not taken advantage of having easy match ups and Luck had a good match up too and he did play well against Houston earlier this season. Most of my line up will stay the same, except TE Clay starting now. You have to dance with the one that brought you!
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result: Loss
Score: 114.79-160.37
This was a horrible game. Plus, my opponent has a few players on his team that I have in the other league (Charles and Luck) and they had big games, over 70 points between the two. I thought I was in the money with my trade for Stafford, who was starting against the Eagles who have been giving up a ton of points to QBs. Then the snow hit. Stafford fumbled the first snap. I face palmed hard. He only put up 6 points.....
RB Murray had a good game buy Lynch did not, he usually plays really well against the 49ers but they did a good job against him this time. WR Brown had the most points for my team this week at 22. WR Garcon put up a 6. Just a flat week from my team at the worst possible time.
Being that this is a keeper league, I'm in a good position already for next season. I have to make some decisions but I will most likely keep a good chunk of my team in place. On the fence about keeping WR Patterson. He has finally been getting chances with the ball and playing really well. I'm loaded at the WR position right now. I'll have to see how things shake down for the other teams in the play offs. Waiver Wire is locked but trading can happen all year long. I know some guys that can and will make a lot of trades to "go all out" and try to win this year. I might be able to grab a few draft picks or young players for next year. I will have to decide what to do about my RBs also. Lynch, Murray, Ivory and Woodhead. I'll just hope that there are no catastrophic injuries for the rest of the season.
All in all, this was a good season in this league. I was the #2 team for most of the year and top scoring during that time also. I learned that keeping up on the news and doing research on guys that are on the wire really pays off. Woodhead and Jeffery were taken from there. Already looking forward to next season.
Result: Win
Score: 85-53
I was none too happy about losing the last game of the season and missing out on the Bye Week, but I was very happy to have one of my best games of the season this week. I don't think I went all season with almost every one of my guys scoring a TD the same week. RB Charles led the charge with 19 points followed by WR Gordon with 14. In total I had 6 out of 9 players score in the double digits. I was helped by the other team, they started RB Bush, who was a last minute scratch from his game. He also got 0 from his Defense. Lots of tough games last week.
Prepping for this next week, I picked up a couple of players. TE Clay was available so I grabbed him, he will start for me with week. I let go TE Reed, since his concussion a few weeks ago, he has not been able to play. I also picked up QB McCown, he has been playing great (5 TDs last week). Then I just learned he will not play this week. Oh well. I still have QB Smith and Luck. Leaning towards Smith right now. But I know that Smith has not taken advantage of having easy match ups and Luck had a good match up too and he did play well against Houston earlier this season. Most of my line up will stay the same, except TE Clay starting now. You have to dance with the one that brought you!
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result: Loss
Score: 114.79-160.37
This was a horrible game. Plus, my opponent has a few players on his team that I have in the other league (Charles and Luck) and they had big games, over 70 points between the two. I thought I was in the money with my trade for Stafford, who was starting against the Eagles who have been giving up a ton of points to QBs. Then the snow hit. Stafford fumbled the first snap. I face palmed hard. He only put up 6 points.....
RB Murray had a good game buy Lynch did not, he usually plays really well against the 49ers but they did a good job against him this time. WR Brown had the most points for my team this week at 22. WR Garcon put up a 6. Just a flat week from my team at the worst possible time.
Being that this is a keeper league, I'm in a good position already for next season. I have to make some decisions but I will most likely keep a good chunk of my team in place. On the fence about keeping WR Patterson. He has finally been getting chances with the ball and playing really well. I'm loaded at the WR position right now. I'll have to see how things shake down for the other teams in the play offs. Waiver Wire is locked but trading can happen all year long. I know some guys that can and will make a lot of trades to "go all out" and try to win this year. I might be able to grab a few draft picks or young players for next year. I will have to decide what to do about my RBs also. Lynch, Murray, Ivory and Woodhead. I'll just hope that there are no catastrophic injuries for the rest of the season.
All in all, this was a good season in this league. I was the #2 team for most of the year and top scoring during that time also. I learned that keeping up on the news and doing research on guys that are on the wire really pays off. Woodhead and Jeffery were taken from there. Already looking forward to next season.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Fantasy Football Regular Season Wrap Up and Play Offs
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Final Record: 7-5-1
Final Power Rank: 5th
Went into this last game with a lot on the line. I was second over all in this league and a win would give me a first round bye in the playoffs. I had already secured a play off spot but I was going after that bye. I decided to bench QB Luck this week and he will likely stay there unless QB Smith gets hurt. Luck has dragged my team down the last few weeks. Smith had a good game. In fact, most of my team had good games.
Had great games from WRs Brown and Jeffery, both had career numbers. Brown had 25 and Jeffery had 24. I put Garcon on the bench this week and that worked out, he only put up 3. I have been having issues with my TEs the last several weeks and it continued this week. I benched TE Miller and started TE Reed - who did not start because he got a head ache right before the game.
My Kicker, Folk, only got one Field Goal. I figured the Jets would need to kick a lot of Field Goals to stay in the game but they have not been good enough even for that. I left RB Bell on the bench in favor of Lacey. Lacey got 1 point and Bell got 12. Spiller got 13 and MJD got 9. I can't really trust either of those guys but it sucks that they had good games sitting on the bench.
Looking ahead to the play offs for this week. I only made one move this week, I dropped Folk and picked up Bailey for my kicker spot. The Cowboys score way more than the Jets and even if it's just extra points, I needed a better kicker. My line up for this game is about the same as last week. I am starting TE Miller. Reed is not a lock to play this week and I don't want a situation like last week again. Starting QB Smith again too. The Chiefs are playing the Redskins and he should have a good game. I know Smith is not known for throwing a ton of TDs and yardage but he has been more consistent than Luck. I don't usually like starting multiple players from the same team but I feel like it's the best option for right now. I have QB Smith and RB Charles from the Chiefs and WR Brown and TE Miller from the Steelers. Anything is better than a 0!
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Final Record: 8-5
Final Power Rank: 3rd
Went into this last game, again, knowing that I already had a playoff spot locked up but I wanted to finish on a high note. I was playing one of the bottom ranked teams but you never know. He made a trade for Payton Manning and he had a great game, scoring 43. I was not so lucky with my QB. I went with Flynn and got 1.
I had great games from RB Murray and WR Jeffery. Murray put up 30 and Jeffery 42. The rest of my team did just OK. I started RB Brown. Earlier in the week they named him the starter. I gave him a shot. He had a bad game until the last drive when he came up with a TD and gave me 13 points. Woodhead, Brown and Lynch all had quiet games.
I made some moves to get my team ready for the playoffs. I dropped Flynn and picked up Roethlisberger. He doesn't put up the best numbers but way better than I had been getting over the last few weeks. I also picked up the Steeler DEF. They have some good match ups over the next few games so I'll play them or the Browns, depending on who they are up against. Browns are playing the Patriots so I won't start them. All my other players have good match ups coming up so I shouldn't have to make any big changes to the line up unless someone gets hurt.
I made a big trade also. With QB Rodgers still out and not knowing for sure when he will be playing again I would have to start a back up QB. I was going to go with Roethlisberger and I also picked up Fitzpatrick. I was not excited about starting either one but had Roethlisberger in my line up. I got a trade offer, Rodgers for Lions QB Stafford. There were also some draft picks that would be traded. I had to think about this one for a while. Being that this is a keeper league, whoever I had as my QB, Rodgers or Stafford, would more than likely be my QB next year as well. I had to look at match ups for Stafford for the next 3 games and looks good. He has not scored less than 25 points over the last 7 games and that will help me now. He's a young player, only 25 and plays with a team that passes a ton, how can you not with Calvin Johnson as the #1 WR. So, I decided to make the trade. I looked at age, Rodgers is 30, Stafford is 25 as well as team upside. Rodgers has a legit running game now. He won't have to throw all the time to win games. Stafford has a good run game also but he throws to those RBs a lot too. The Packers are a great team and Rodgers is their best player but I think Stafford is probably ranked just below him. I don't want to waste all the hard work this year just to keep Rodgers. My plan is Stafford will help me win in the play offs and he will provide a solid starting QB for my team for the next several seasons. Fingers crossed.
Final Record: 7-5-1
Final Power Rank: 5th
Went into this last game with a lot on the line. I was second over all in this league and a win would give me a first round bye in the playoffs. I had already secured a play off spot but I was going after that bye. I decided to bench QB Luck this week and he will likely stay there unless QB Smith gets hurt. Luck has dragged my team down the last few weeks. Smith had a good game. In fact, most of my team had good games.
Had great games from WRs Brown and Jeffery, both had career numbers. Brown had 25 and Jeffery had 24. I put Garcon on the bench this week and that worked out, he only put up 3. I have been having issues with my TEs the last several weeks and it continued this week. I benched TE Miller and started TE Reed - who did not start because he got a head ache right before the game.
My Kicker, Folk, only got one Field Goal. I figured the Jets would need to kick a lot of Field Goals to stay in the game but they have not been good enough even for that. I left RB Bell on the bench in favor of Lacey. Lacey got 1 point and Bell got 12. Spiller got 13 and MJD got 9. I can't really trust either of those guys but it sucks that they had good games sitting on the bench.
Looking ahead to the play offs for this week. I only made one move this week, I dropped Folk and picked up Bailey for my kicker spot. The Cowboys score way more than the Jets and even if it's just extra points, I needed a better kicker. My line up for this game is about the same as last week. I am starting TE Miller. Reed is not a lock to play this week and I don't want a situation like last week again. Starting QB Smith again too. The Chiefs are playing the Redskins and he should have a good game. I know Smith is not known for throwing a ton of TDs and yardage but he has been more consistent than Luck. I don't usually like starting multiple players from the same team but I feel like it's the best option for right now. I have QB Smith and RB Charles from the Chiefs and WR Brown and TE Miller from the Steelers. Anything is better than a 0!
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Final Record: 8-5
Final Power Rank: 3rd
Went into this last game, again, knowing that I already had a playoff spot locked up but I wanted to finish on a high note. I was playing one of the bottom ranked teams but you never know. He made a trade for Payton Manning and he had a great game, scoring 43. I was not so lucky with my QB. I went with Flynn and got 1.
I had great games from RB Murray and WR Jeffery. Murray put up 30 and Jeffery 42. The rest of my team did just OK. I started RB Brown. Earlier in the week they named him the starter. I gave him a shot. He had a bad game until the last drive when he came up with a TD and gave me 13 points. Woodhead, Brown and Lynch all had quiet games.
I made some moves to get my team ready for the playoffs. I dropped Flynn and picked up Roethlisberger. He doesn't put up the best numbers but way better than I had been getting over the last few weeks. I also picked up the Steeler DEF. They have some good match ups over the next few games so I'll play them or the Browns, depending on who they are up against. Browns are playing the Patriots so I won't start them. All my other players have good match ups coming up so I shouldn't have to make any big changes to the line up unless someone gets hurt.
I made a big trade also. With QB Rodgers still out and not knowing for sure when he will be playing again I would have to start a back up QB. I was going to go with Roethlisberger and I also picked up Fitzpatrick. I was not excited about starting either one but had Roethlisberger in my line up. I got a trade offer, Rodgers for Lions QB Stafford. There were also some draft picks that would be traded. I had to think about this one for a while. Being that this is a keeper league, whoever I had as my QB, Rodgers or Stafford, would more than likely be my QB next year as well. I had to look at match ups for Stafford for the next 3 games and looks good. He has not scored less than 25 points over the last 7 games and that will help me now. He's a young player, only 25 and plays with a team that passes a ton, how can you not with Calvin Johnson as the #1 WR. So, I decided to make the trade. I looked at age, Rodgers is 30, Stafford is 25 as well as team upside. Rodgers has a legit running game now. He won't have to throw all the time to win games. Stafford has a good run game also but he throws to those RBs a lot too. The Packers are a great team and Rodgers is their best player but I think Stafford is probably ranked just below him. I don't want to waste all the hard work this year just to keep Rodgers. My plan is Stafford will help me win in the play offs and he will provide a solid starting QB for my team for the next several seasons. Fingers crossed.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 8,9,10 Review
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Results from the last 3 weeks: 3-0
Power Ranking: 2nd
Had a great few weeks. Have won my last 4 games and moved up to 2nd over all. My main running backs have been having really good games. With Aaron Rodgers being out for a while, RB Lacey has been getting the ball a ton and racking up the yards. I get RB Charles back from bye week this week. Have not had any big injuries either. Will probably keep RB Spiller and MJD on the bench for now. My other players are just playing better and being more consistent.
WR Hilton will probably be a starter for me every week now. Injuries to other Colts WR have pushed him more into the spotlight. He was being way underused this season before the last couple of games. Having QB Luck starting also helps me here as I can double dip on the TDs. I picked up TE Reed from the Redskins a few weeks ago. I was a little leery of starting 2 pass catchers from the same team every week but WR Garcon and Reed have been doing great. The Redskins fall behind in games a lot so they have to pass a bunch to stay in it.
I made 2 changes that I think will help me going forward towards the play offs. I picked up the Carolina DEF. They are a good team there. I dropped my kicker and picked up the Jets kicker. The Jets are actually doing OK right now. Since they are now coming off their bye week, as long as he does good, I'll keep him as my guy.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Results from the last 3 weeks: 2-1
Power Ranking: 3rd
Ouch. Had my first loosing streak of the season. Lost 3 in a row until last week. My number 1 guy, QB Rodgers got injured on the first drive of the Chicago game. I was only able to get 3 points out of him that game and he has been out since. Not sure when he will make it back, really hoping he comes back soon and gets back up to game speed before the play offs start. I picked up QB Keenum the Texans. He has had some really good games the last few weeks. He helped me win last week. The final score was 147.36-144.77. Pretty close.
RB Lynch has been in full on Beast Mode the last few weeks. He is the second highest scoring player on my roster. I will have Murray on bye this week. I'm starting RB Ivory in his place. Not super confident, he seems to have good games when he's on the bench and when I start him I'd be lucky to scrape together a few points. He has been playing better so hopefully he can help me make a play off run. I also picked up RB Donald Brown. Looks like sooner or later the Colts will give him more playing time as Richardson has been terrible. Brown has been scoring so I'll keep him on the bench for depth and hope he gets more touches as the season winds down.
My WRs have still been doing good. I even made a trade last week. I traded away Gordon to get Cobb. I have several good WRs so I could afford to trade away one. I know Cobb is on IR right now and due to some of our League Rules that cannot be changed until next year I won't be able to start him at all this season, even if he plays. This trade was more looking to the future. Cobb is a young player and on his way up. I had WR Nelson last year and it works out to have a good WR from the Packers as long as I have Rodgers as my QB. I wanted to grab Cobb in the draft but it didn't work out. We also swapped draft picks, I moved up from round 10 to round 8, from a team that right now only has 2 wins, so I should make out good in this deal.
Results from the last 3 weeks: 3-0
Power Ranking: 2nd
Had a great few weeks. Have won my last 4 games and moved up to 2nd over all. My main running backs have been having really good games. With Aaron Rodgers being out for a while, RB Lacey has been getting the ball a ton and racking up the yards. I get RB Charles back from bye week this week. Have not had any big injuries either. Will probably keep RB Spiller and MJD on the bench for now. My other players are just playing better and being more consistent.
WR Hilton will probably be a starter for me every week now. Injuries to other Colts WR have pushed him more into the spotlight. He was being way underused this season before the last couple of games. Having QB Luck starting also helps me here as I can double dip on the TDs. I picked up TE Reed from the Redskins a few weeks ago. I was a little leery of starting 2 pass catchers from the same team every week but WR Garcon and Reed have been doing great. The Redskins fall behind in games a lot so they have to pass a bunch to stay in it.
I made 2 changes that I think will help me going forward towards the play offs. I picked up the Carolina DEF. They are a good team there. I dropped my kicker and picked up the Jets kicker. The Jets are actually doing OK right now. Since they are now coming off their bye week, as long as he does good, I'll keep him as my guy.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Results from the last 3 weeks: 2-1
Power Ranking: 3rd
Ouch. Had my first loosing streak of the season. Lost 3 in a row until last week. My number 1 guy, QB Rodgers got injured on the first drive of the Chicago game. I was only able to get 3 points out of him that game and he has been out since. Not sure when he will make it back, really hoping he comes back soon and gets back up to game speed before the play offs start. I picked up QB Keenum the Texans. He has had some really good games the last few weeks. He helped me win last week. The final score was 147.36-144.77. Pretty close.
RB Lynch has been in full on Beast Mode the last few weeks. He is the second highest scoring player on my roster. I will have Murray on bye this week. I'm starting RB Ivory in his place. Not super confident, he seems to have good games when he's on the bench and when I start him I'd be lucky to scrape together a few points. He has been playing better so hopefully he can help me make a play off run. I also picked up RB Donald Brown. Looks like sooner or later the Colts will give him more playing time as Richardson has been terrible. Brown has been scoring so I'll keep him on the bench for depth and hope he gets more touches as the season winds down.
My WRs have still been doing good. I even made a trade last week. I traded away Gordon to get Cobb. I have several good WRs so I could afford to trade away one. I know Cobb is on IR right now and due to some of our League Rules that cannot be changed until next year I won't be able to start him at all this season, even if he plays. This trade was more looking to the future. Cobb is a young player and on his way up. I had WR Nelson last year and it works out to have a good WR from the Packers as long as I have Rodgers as my QB. I wanted to grab Cobb in the draft but it didn't work out. We also swapped draft picks, I moved up from round 10 to round 8, from a team that right now only has 2 wins, so I should make out good in this deal.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 7 Review
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Result - Win
Score 67-63
Power Rank - 5th
Had a pretty good week this time around. Most of my team showed up and put up some good numbers. I knew I would have to have good games this week since my opponent has a really good team. Stafford at QB with McCoy and Martin at RB. My QB, Luck, put up his best game of the year so far. Scored 26 points for me. I also started WR Hilton, I figured Luck and Hilton would pair up and I could double dip on the TDs this week. That has yet to happen this season for me. Colts WR Wayne is now lost for the season so maybe Hilton will get more chances going forward. Luck will be my every week starter at QB regardless.
I did get hit with a bad injury this week. My TE Finley was carted off the field on a stretcher. They are saying he has a bruised spinal cord. He is likely done for the season. With Finley done and my other TE on bye this week, I will try to pick up a guy to cover the rest of the season. I am targeting TE Reed from the Redskins.
I am the underdog again this week. The other team is pretty good. Luck is on a bye this week so I am starting Alex Smith. Not a great back up QB but he does play good and there is a chance that having RB Charles also can lead to some double TD points as Charles does catch a lot of passes.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Loss
Score 110.09 - 139.20
Power Rank - 2nd
This guy has beaten me twice. Even worse, he is in my division. I hope this does not come back to bite me as we head into the playoffs. My team was just OK this week. My WRs didn't have the types of games that they have been recently. That does not help when the other team puts up huge numbers from a few guys. He started the Panthers D (which I dropped only to cover a bye week and wanted to pick them up again, oh well, you snooze you lose), which put up 24. RB Forte and WR Johnson combined for over 60 points.
Had a great game from QB Rodgers. Might have been the best game of the season from him so far, he put up 32. I also had good games from both of the RBs that I started. Lynch and Woodhead. Each scored 15. I'm hoping Murray will be able to make it back on the field soon. I escaped this week with no other injuries.
I have a couple of guys on bye week this week. Only Woodhead would be starting out of that group. So that leaves me starting either Mendenhall or Ivory. Ivory had a good game last week, getting 34 touches and running for over 100 yards. I know Mendenhall scored a TD last week but he had less than 20 yards rushing. I think Ivory will have a better week. Even if Murray does play this week I think I'll sit him.
Result - Win
Score 67-63
Power Rank - 5th
Had a pretty good week this time around. Most of my team showed up and put up some good numbers. I knew I would have to have good games this week since my opponent has a really good team. Stafford at QB with McCoy and Martin at RB. My QB, Luck, put up his best game of the year so far. Scored 26 points for me. I also started WR Hilton, I figured Luck and Hilton would pair up and I could double dip on the TDs this week. That has yet to happen this season for me. Colts WR Wayne is now lost for the season so maybe Hilton will get more chances going forward. Luck will be my every week starter at QB regardless.
I did get hit with a bad injury this week. My TE Finley was carted off the field on a stretcher. They are saying he has a bruised spinal cord. He is likely done for the season. With Finley done and my other TE on bye this week, I will try to pick up a guy to cover the rest of the season. I am targeting TE Reed from the Redskins.
I am the underdog again this week. The other team is pretty good. Luck is on a bye this week so I am starting Alex Smith. Not a great back up QB but he does play good and there is a chance that having RB Charles also can lead to some double TD points as Charles does catch a lot of passes.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Loss
Score 110.09 - 139.20
Power Rank - 2nd
This guy has beaten me twice. Even worse, he is in my division. I hope this does not come back to bite me as we head into the playoffs. My team was just OK this week. My WRs didn't have the types of games that they have been recently. That does not help when the other team puts up huge numbers from a few guys. He started the Panthers D (which I dropped only to cover a bye week and wanted to pick them up again, oh well, you snooze you lose), which put up 24. RB Forte and WR Johnson combined for over 60 points.
Had a great game from QB Rodgers. Might have been the best game of the season from him so far, he put up 32. I also had good games from both of the RBs that I started. Lynch and Woodhead. Each scored 15. I'm hoping Murray will be able to make it back on the field soon. I escaped this week with no other injuries.
I have a couple of guys on bye week this week. Only Woodhead would be starting out of that group. So that leaves me starting either Mendenhall or Ivory. Ivory had a good game last week, getting 34 touches and running for over 100 yards. I know Mendenhall scored a TD last week but he had less than 20 yards rushing. I think Ivory will have a better week. Even if Murray does play this week I think I'll sit him.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 6 Review Dynasty PPR and Standard Redraft Leagues
Standard Scoring - Redraft League
Result - Tie
Score 42-42
Record 2-3-1
Power Rank - 7th
What is this? Soccer? I guess I'd rather have a tie than a loss. This was a really close game. It all came down to the Monday night game. I had QB Luck and he had RB Mathews. I was up by 4 heading into the game, I figured I'd pick up a couple of TDs and sail to an easy win. Well, the San Diego D stepped up and shut down the Colts. I got 1 stinkin' point for Luck. Mathews went on to run up 100 rushing yards which is good for 5 points in this league.
Had a couple of guys not produce very much. I started WR Jeffery and he came away with 1 point. Garcon and Finley each put up 3. I started RB Bell this week and he only put up 2. I was hoping for a TD. No big injuries this week. Sounds like RB Charles is on pace for a huge work load this season. I hope his legs can handle it.
I did leave a few points on the bench this week. Looking back at the match ups that I had, I would have started the same guys though. RB MJD decided to play and score some points this week, putting up 9. RB Lacey is starting to be more consistent, he put up 6, all based on yardage. I'll keep an eye on his match ups for sure.
I am the underdog again this week. My opponent has a strong team. I'm hoping for a shoot out between the Broncos and Colts, I need some TDs from Luck and I'm going to start WR Hilton this week too. I'm also starting RB Lacey. I think with the Packers losing a couple more WRs, TE Finley will see more catches and I hope they will run like they did last week.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Win
Score 129.70-94.50
Record 5-1
Power Rank - 1st
Down Goes Murray! Probably the biggest news for my team this week. RB Murray has a sprained knee and could miss a few games. I'd rather him not play for a few weeks and get healthy than try and play each week, because if he plays, I'll have to start him and being hurt like that..... I didn't grab any handcuff for Murray. Most of the other guys are a little banged up also. I knew this would pop up sooner or later but if not for Murray, I'm not sold on the other Cowboys RBs.
SO, I did win this week. 5th in a row. Longest winning streak I've had in this league. I put up 129 and I left quite a few points on my bench too. I really only had 2 players not have good games. WR Jeffery and my D - the Browns. I have the Titans D but I went with the Browns since the Titans were playing in Seattle. Browns scored 3.5 Titans put up 16. Biggest surprise was Vernon Davis. He put up 34 in this league. Not a big deal since I won but knowing that he has had great games when he's healthy give me more wiggle room in the future. WR Jeffery will probably get benched this week for me. He put up 4.7 this week and when I got guys on my bench putting up double digits almost every week, I can't afford to keep him in there. Of course, I'll hang on to him, I won't release him after 1 bad game. We get so many points from any position that can catch, you can never have to many good receivers on your team.
Just an OK game from QB Rodgers. The last few weeks he has been winning but not having really good fantasy games like he usually does. I'm hoping he turns it around soon. Had a great game from RB Lynch. He put up 29.50. He's been doing good all season but it was really nice to see him have a game like this. WR Blackmon didn't have a TD in his game but with so many targets, he made a lot of catches and put up lots of yards for 26 points. I've been watching players that get the most "looks" or "targets" every week. Jeffery has been getting a ton the last few weeks, Blackmon leads his team and Garcon and Gordon are pretty close. Aside from Jeffery, all these guys are WR1s. And I still have WR Brown, he was on the bench this week and put up 14.
I feel good about this win but I don't want to celebrate too much. I know things happen fast and I could easily lose several games and miss out on the play offs. My goal, as is every one's goal, is to win it all. I have a real shot at, not only my division but making some real noise in the play offs. I can't get ahead of my self. Where can I get better? I have to look at RBs. I have 3 guys that I can start just about every week. I'm not panicking, I will start RB Woodhead in place of RB Murray this week. I'll just have to dig around and see if I can find a guy hiding on the waiver wire, waiting to get picked and have a chance at fantasy football greatness.
Result - Tie
Score 42-42
Record 2-3-1
Power Rank - 7th
What is this? Soccer? I guess I'd rather have a tie than a loss. This was a really close game. It all came down to the Monday night game. I had QB Luck and he had RB Mathews. I was up by 4 heading into the game, I figured I'd pick up a couple of TDs and sail to an easy win. Well, the San Diego D stepped up and shut down the Colts. I got 1 stinkin' point for Luck. Mathews went on to run up 100 rushing yards which is good for 5 points in this league.
Had a couple of guys not produce very much. I started WR Jeffery and he came away with 1 point. Garcon and Finley each put up 3. I started RB Bell this week and he only put up 2. I was hoping for a TD. No big injuries this week. Sounds like RB Charles is on pace for a huge work load this season. I hope his legs can handle it.
I did leave a few points on the bench this week. Looking back at the match ups that I had, I would have started the same guys though. RB MJD decided to play and score some points this week, putting up 9. RB Lacey is starting to be more consistent, he put up 6, all based on yardage. I'll keep an eye on his match ups for sure.
I am the underdog again this week. My opponent has a strong team. I'm hoping for a shoot out between the Broncos and Colts, I need some TDs from Luck and I'm going to start WR Hilton this week too. I'm also starting RB Lacey. I think with the Packers losing a couple more WRs, TE Finley will see more catches and I hope they will run like they did last week.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Win
Score 129.70-94.50
Record 5-1
Power Rank - 1st
Down Goes Murray! Probably the biggest news for my team this week. RB Murray has a sprained knee and could miss a few games. I'd rather him not play for a few weeks and get healthy than try and play each week, because if he plays, I'll have to start him and being hurt like that..... I didn't grab any handcuff for Murray. Most of the other guys are a little banged up also. I knew this would pop up sooner or later but if not for Murray, I'm not sold on the other Cowboys RBs.
SO, I did win this week. 5th in a row. Longest winning streak I've had in this league. I put up 129 and I left quite a few points on my bench too. I really only had 2 players not have good games. WR Jeffery and my D - the Browns. I have the Titans D but I went with the Browns since the Titans were playing in Seattle. Browns scored 3.5 Titans put up 16. Biggest surprise was Vernon Davis. He put up 34 in this league. Not a big deal since I won but knowing that he has had great games when he's healthy give me more wiggle room in the future. WR Jeffery will probably get benched this week for me. He put up 4.7 this week and when I got guys on my bench putting up double digits almost every week, I can't afford to keep him in there. Of course, I'll hang on to him, I won't release him after 1 bad game. We get so many points from any position that can catch, you can never have to many good receivers on your team.
Just an OK game from QB Rodgers. The last few weeks he has been winning but not having really good fantasy games like he usually does. I'm hoping he turns it around soon. Had a great game from RB Lynch. He put up 29.50. He's been doing good all season but it was really nice to see him have a game like this. WR Blackmon didn't have a TD in his game but with so many targets, he made a lot of catches and put up lots of yards for 26 points. I've been watching players that get the most "looks" or "targets" every week. Jeffery has been getting a ton the last few weeks, Blackmon leads his team and Garcon and Gordon are pretty close. Aside from Jeffery, all these guys are WR1s. And I still have WR Brown, he was on the bench this week and put up 14.
I feel good about this win but I don't want to celebrate too much. I know things happen fast and I could easily lose several games and miss out on the play offs. My goal, as is every one's goal, is to win it all. I have a real shot at, not only my division but making some real noise in the play offs. I can't get ahead of my self. Where can I get better? I have to look at RBs. I have 3 guys that I can start just about every week. I'm not panicking, I will start RB Woodhead in place of RB Murray this week. I'll just have to dig around and see if I can find a guy hiding on the waiver wire, waiting to get picked and have a chance at fantasy football greatness.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 5 Review Keeper and Redraft Leagues
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Result - Loss
Score 94-88
Record - 2-3
Power Ranking - 5th
It's was a tough loss. I had the second highest point total in the league this week. My opponent has 4 Broncos on his roster. QB, RB, WR and TE - I figured 2 of those guys might have good games but not all 4. 78 points from those 4 guys. Ouch. Putting up 88 points, my guys did have some good games. Luck had a really good game against the Seahawks - I almost benched him just based on the match up. That same match up was the reason I left Hilton on the bench, he doesn't score a very much and going against the Hawks, I figured I had better options this week. Wow, big mistake, Hilton goes off for 19.
My pick up from last week, Alshon Jeffery, came through just like I thought he would. He also set a record for the Bears in receiving yards. He put up 16 in this league. He will probably stay in the line up this week also as the Bears play the Giants. Huge amount of targets the last few weeks and it's starting to pay off. I was hoping MJD would have a good game against the Rams but that didn't happen. He has been horrible for me. I hate to say it but if I don't need him to cover a bye week, I'll have to sit him until he starts putting up something, anything more than what he has been. He can have a seat right next to Spiller. I have Bell back from bye week so he will get the start this week.
I have to make some decisions on WR each week. Between who I drafted and my recent waivers, I'm deep at WR. I can't start everyone each week, wish I could. I get Garcon and Brown off bye this week to go along with Gordon and Jeffery. Going to be tough to decide who to start - we have 2 WR spots and 1 Flex. I'm going to try and get a TE off the waivers this week. Finley, he's OK, but has been putting up small numbers each week. I have to do something about that. Pretty thin out there.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Win
Score 167.87 - 82.56
Record 4-1
Power Ranking - 1st
Had a pretty amazing game here. I felt this game was going to be a lot closer. My opponent was hampered by a few in game injuries and some tough match ups that limited some heavy hitters on his roster (he did have Tony Romo on his bench but that wouldn't have helped). He only got 12 points from Vick before he got hurt and Reggie Bush put in 8 in a tough game against the Packers. Of course I had Rodgers in the game also. Rodgers had a good game, not great. I think he ranked 15th this week in QBs. He did put up almost 20 though. I had a couple of good games from my 2 RBs, Lynch and Murray, each putting in 11. Not great but good. I've been really happy with my pick up of Danny Woodhead, he put up 17 this week. He should see more chances to score points now that Ryan Mathews is going to miss some time.
Started 3 WRs this week and they all put up really good numbers. Blackmon 22, Gordon 16 and Alshon Jeffery with 32. I had Garcon and Brown on bye this week and those have been my main WRs so far this season. Now I have 5 WRs capable of putting up huge numbers every week, 4 are No.1 WRs on their teams. Going to be tough. I'll probably have to really watch the match ups. But that has bitten me before.
Had some really good scoring from my kicker and defense this week. I started the Browns against Buffalo and they scored me 19. I also have the Titans D on my roster so I'll rotate those 2 around match ups. Hauschka had a great game, adding 17. He doesn't score a ton but he has been doing really good since I picked him up a few weeks ago. I probably won't look to make any moves this week but I'll still look to see who's available. I have a couple of guys on my roster that are just taking up space right now but I need them for depth.
Result - Loss
Score 94-88
Record - 2-3
Power Ranking - 5th
It's was a tough loss. I had the second highest point total in the league this week. My opponent has 4 Broncos on his roster. QB, RB, WR and TE - I figured 2 of those guys might have good games but not all 4. 78 points from those 4 guys. Ouch. Putting up 88 points, my guys did have some good games. Luck had a really good game against the Seahawks - I almost benched him just based on the match up. That same match up was the reason I left Hilton on the bench, he doesn't score a very much and going against the Hawks, I figured I had better options this week. Wow, big mistake, Hilton goes off for 19.
My pick up from last week, Alshon Jeffery, came through just like I thought he would. He also set a record for the Bears in receiving yards. He put up 16 in this league. He will probably stay in the line up this week also as the Bears play the Giants. Huge amount of targets the last few weeks and it's starting to pay off. I was hoping MJD would have a good game against the Rams but that didn't happen. He has been horrible for me. I hate to say it but if I don't need him to cover a bye week, I'll have to sit him until he starts putting up something, anything more than what he has been. He can have a seat right next to Spiller. I have Bell back from bye week so he will get the start this week.
I have to make some decisions on WR each week. Between who I drafted and my recent waivers, I'm deep at WR. I can't start everyone each week, wish I could. I get Garcon and Brown off bye this week to go along with Gordon and Jeffery. Going to be tough to decide who to start - we have 2 WR spots and 1 Flex. I'm going to try and get a TE off the waivers this week. Finley, he's OK, but has been putting up small numbers each week. I have to do something about that. Pretty thin out there.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Win
Score 167.87 - 82.56
Record 4-1
Power Ranking - 1st
Had a pretty amazing game here. I felt this game was going to be a lot closer. My opponent was hampered by a few in game injuries and some tough match ups that limited some heavy hitters on his roster (he did have Tony Romo on his bench but that wouldn't have helped). He only got 12 points from Vick before he got hurt and Reggie Bush put in 8 in a tough game against the Packers. Of course I had Rodgers in the game also. Rodgers had a good game, not great. I think he ranked 15th this week in QBs. He did put up almost 20 though. I had a couple of good games from my 2 RBs, Lynch and Murray, each putting in 11. Not great but good. I've been really happy with my pick up of Danny Woodhead, he put up 17 this week. He should see more chances to score points now that Ryan Mathews is going to miss some time.
Started 3 WRs this week and they all put up really good numbers. Blackmon 22, Gordon 16 and Alshon Jeffery with 32. I had Garcon and Brown on bye this week and those have been my main WRs so far this season. Now I have 5 WRs capable of putting up huge numbers every week, 4 are No.1 WRs on their teams. Going to be tough. I'll probably have to really watch the match ups. But that has bitten me before.
Had some really good scoring from my kicker and defense this week. I started the Browns against Buffalo and they scored me 19. I also have the Titans D on my roster so I'll rotate those 2 around match ups. Hauschka had a great game, adding 17. He doesn't score a ton but he has been doing really good since I picked him up a few weeks ago. I probably won't look to make any moves this week but I'll still look to see who's available. I have a couple of guys on my roster that are just taking up space right now but I need them for depth.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 4 Review
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Week 4 Result - Loss
Score 49-55
Record 2-2
Power Ranking 6th
Losing sucks but losing by only 6 points sucks even more. Bye weeks are here and I always do the same thing, I wait until the last minute to try and get them covered. This week my TE was on bye - Finley. I picked up a TE that didn't look too bad - Fauria from the Lions. I did no research on this guy, I just saw he was available and on a team that throw a lot so I grabbed him and started him. I could have just started Finley this week, they scored the same.....
Not really sure what is going on with my running backs now. I think I'll have to keep MJD on the bench - he scored me a 1. I left Spiller on the bench this week but that wouldn't have mattered as he only put up 3 points. I would hate to start benching these guys on a regular basis but until they start playing better I won't have a choice. I have to start Spiller this week, as of right now he's a game time decision and he plays Thursday night. I feel good about my other running backs. I have Eddie Lacey off a bye week and he will start this week. Le'Veon Bell will be another starter for me this week. I did not know how the Steelers would use him last week, being his first NFL game ever. I left 15 points on the bench. I knew he would be their bell cow I just didn't know it would start in his first game.
Luck had a good game. He's playing against the Seahawks in Seattle this week, I won't expect much. I have to start Hilton this week to cover a bye. He hasn't done much yet and against Seattle, I'll expect even less. Most of my better players are all of a sudden playing defenses that are getting better. I'm not throwing in the towel this week, but with all my matchups and my opponent being the 1st ranked team in the league and undefeated.....I don't like my chances but stranger things have happened.
Keeper League
Week 4 Result - Win
Score 147.67 - 112.70
Record 3-1
Power Ranking 2nd
Had a really good game. I was a little worried about having Stafford cover Rodger's bye week. Stafford had been playing good but he had a bad game, only putting up 12 points. My opponent started Russell Wilson who had a down game also just getting 12 points. My lowest score of the day came with Josh Gordon with 9. My idea of trading around a few players to get a few with higher score projections paid off. I grabbed the Titans D, which put up 27. Started Woodhead who had a great game with 23.
Had good games from my RBs this week. I was helped with the other team starting McFadden who only scored 2 before getting hurt. Lynch put up 19. He should have a good game this week at home against the Colts.
Looking ahead to next week. I get Rodgers back, I loose Garcon and Brown to bye weeks. My opponent looses Adrian Peterson to a bye week. He has 3 starters on bye this week so I'm hoping to take advantage. The guy I'm playing against is ranked 3rd and is also 3-1 and on a 3 game winning streak. Rodgers playing at home against the Lions, I'm hoping for a shoot out. I'm also looking for some good points out of my new waiver wire pick up, Alshon Jeffery from the Bears. He's been getting a ton of targets the last few weeks and the Bears playing against the Saints - I'm hoping the Bears fall behind early and have to throw a ton. Nice upside with him. Starting Justin Blackmon also. Not too excited but he is a big weapon for them and is fresh after serving a 4 game suspension. Probably not going to have a first game like Gordon had a few weeks ago.....I'll settle for half of those points. Starting the Titans D against the Chiefs. Has the makings of a defensive battle, low scoring and not a lot of yards given up on either side. Smells like points for me.
Week 4 Result - Loss
Score 49-55
Record 2-2
Power Ranking 6th
Losing sucks but losing by only 6 points sucks even more. Bye weeks are here and I always do the same thing, I wait until the last minute to try and get them covered. This week my TE was on bye - Finley. I picked up a TE that didn't look too bad - Fauria from the Lions. I did no research on this guy, I just saw he was available and on a team that throw a lot so I grabbed him and started him. I could have just started Finley this week, they scored the same.....
Not really sure what is going on with my running backs now. I think I'll have to keep MJD on the bench - he scored me a 1. I left Spiller on the bench this week but that wouldn't have mattered as he only put up 3 points. I would hate to start benching these guys on a regular basis but until they start playing better I won't have a choice. I have to start Spiller this week, as of right now he's a game time decision and he plays Thursday night. I feel good about my other running backs. I have Eddie Lacey off a bye week and he will start this week. Le'Veon Bell will be another starter for me this week. I did not know how the Steelers would use him last week, being his first NFL game ever. I left 15 points on the bench. I knew he would be their bell cow I just didn't know it would start in his first game.
Luck had a good game. He's playing against the Seahawks in Seattle this week, I won't expect much. I have to start Hilton this week to cover a bye. He hasn't done much yet and against Seattle, I'll expect even less. Most of my better players are all of a sudden playing defenses that are getting better. I'm not throwing in the towel this week, but with all my matchups and my opponent being the 1st ranked team in the league and undefeated.....I don't like my chances but stranger things have happened.
Keeper League
Week 4 Result - Win
Score 147.67 - 112.70
Record 3-1
Power Ranking 2nd
Had a really good game. I was a little worried about having Stafford cover Rodger's bye week. Stafford had been playing good but he had a bad game, only putting up 12 points. My opponent started Russell Wilson who had a down game also just getting 12 points. My lowest score of the day came with Josh Gordon with 9. My idea of trading around a few players to get a few with higher score projections paid off. I grabbed the Titans D, which put up 27. Started Woodhead who had a great game with 23.
Had good games from my RBs this week. I was helped with the other team starting McFadden who only scored 2 before getting hurt. Lynch put up 19. He should have a good game this week at home against the Colts.
Looking ahead to next week. I get Rodgers back, I loose Garcon and Brown to bye weeks. My opponent looses Adrian Peterson to a bye week. He has 3 starters on bye this week so I'm hoping to take advantage. The guy I'm playing against is ranked 3rd and is also 3-1 and on a 3 game winning streak. Rodgers playing at home against the Lions, I'm hoping for a shoot out. I'm also looking for some good points out of my new waiver wire pick up, Alshon Jeffery from the Bears. He's been getting a ton of targets the last few weeks and the Bears playing against the Saints - I'm hoping the Bears fall behind early and have to throw a ton. Nice upside with him. Starting Justin Blackmon also. Not too excited but he is a big weapon for them and is fresh after serving a 4 game suspension. Probably not going to have a first game like Gordon had a few weeks ago.....I'll settle for half of those points. Starting the Titans D against the Chiefs. Has the makings of a defensive battle, low scoring and not a lot of yards given up on either side. Smells like points for me.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
MetallicA: Through The Never IMAX 3D - Movie Review
MetallicA: Through The Never
IMAX 3D
I've never seen a concert movie in a theatre before but I'm so glad I went out and saw this one. The whole production was top notch, everything looked and more importantly, sounded great. The sound was good enough to make you feel like you are at a MetallicA show, I was pleasantly surprised when the opening song started and I immediately felt like, "Yes, this is what I remember!" The whole IMAX 3D thing was well done. I don't usually pay the extra for the IMAX or even the 3D for most movies but I did for this one. I would see it again in IMAX but probably not pay the extra for the 3D again. I think the sound and scale of the IMAX screen help make this movie going experience better.
This is not just a straight forward concert film. The main draw will be MetallicA and the music, as it should be, but there is a story line running through this film that uses the music as sort of a back drop. Everyone probably knows the story by now so I'll make it short. A roadie, or gofer, named Trip arrives at the arena the night of the show. As he makes his was inside sees the members of the band arriving or getting ready. The band members have just brief cameos here in the beginning, everything else we see of them is on stage. Hetfield arrives in an old school hot rod that shoots flames out the exhaust as he glares at our "hero" from behind dark sunglasses. Hammett is talking with a crew member and holding a broken guitar that appears to be bleeding. Further backstage, Trujillo is seen rocking out on his bass with a room full of speakers that is shaking the room and the hallway. He continues further into the arena and passes Lars, who is walking by and talking with other crew members. Lars slows down and looks at Trip as if he knows him or is trying to recognize him. Trip continues walking until he is standing in an isle of the arena. Quick shots of the band as they make their way together back stage. The arena is full now and the lights go down. The band members take the stage and start playing. Trip stands there and takes in the show just like the rest of the audience. Standing, cheering and singing along with the crowd.
As the first song ends, another crew member grabs Trip and has a task for him. Here is the start of Trips journey. He is given an crucial task: A truck carrying an important item that the band needs has run out of gas somewhere in the city. Trip needs to find the truck, retrieve the item and return it to the band. The story scenes are all very well done. They are woven into the concert at key moments of songs, not just started and stopped between them. This helps in keeping the movie moving along at a quick pace as we don't see much banter between James and the crowd or setting up for the next song.
Trip hits the city looking for the truck and finds the streets are eerily deserted. He is passed on the road by a crowd of people being chased by cops. Things only get weirder for Trip. He soon finds himself literally in the middle of a street fight between rioters and cops in full battle gear. The scenes are cut together with the concert footage, like the riot cops beating their batons on their shields to the opening beats of Wherever I May Roam. Here, Trip first encounters the mysterious horseman. This masked man is riding around on horseback, throwing a noose around rioters and hanging them from street lights. He soon sets his sights on Trip.
Meanwhile the band is going full throttle on stage. The stage is massive. The entire floor is covered in video screens which show lighting effects, video clips and cool effects like blood slowly covering the stage. Stage props are brought in to pay homage to classic album covers and songs. They built an electric chair and 4 Tesla Coils to create a lightning storm during Ride The Lightning, a huge statue of Doris (Lady Justice) that is assembled then demolished at the climax of the ...And Justice For All. Several eliminated crosses arose from the stage during Master Of Puppets, along with some smoke produced some of the cooler images of the band playing. There is almost a stage prop from every major tour making an appearance. Coffin shaped lighting rigs are brought down during a few songs, used during the Death Magnetic tour, huge hydraulic arms with lights are used like from the Load tour.
The concert continues as Trip finally reaches the truck. He opens the back and finds a bag. He opens the bag and what he sees shocks him. I would say he is speechless but Trip does not have any lines in this movie. Aside from yelling "HEY" to the guy that almost killed him in the car crash, Trip does not speak. He doesn't really need to. The actor, Dane DeHaan, conveys every emotion with just his eyes and his actions. Just as he grabs the bag he spots a man standing in the street, waving at him. A moment later a crowd of rioters and the horseman arrive. Trip makes a run for it. They chase him through the streets and back alleys until he is trapped by a fence. Here he dons his bandanna and hood as seen in the movie posters and fights back. Let's just say there are flames involved. Back at the arena, the band utilizes one of the great stage gags of their career, destroying part of the stage (as on the Load tour) during Enter Sandman, complete with "Guy Running While On Fire", while Trip has a final showdown with the horseman on a rooftop.
Trip finally makes his way back to the arena to find the concert finished. The arena is all but empty, except for the band members onstage. Trip takes a seat as the band starts playing one last song - Orion. The song ends and Trip leaves the bag on stage. The final scene is a slow camera zoom up to the bag. The End.
As a whole, this movie was great. The story parts were cool but the concert was the best part. They really took advantage of the IMAX screen and sound system, it was loud but a good loud. It sounded like being at a concert. The band really sounded strong. Lars' drumming came through loud and clear. James' voice was strong and clear. MetallicA is known for putting on a killer live performance and this was just that, but kicked up a few notches. The 3D was cool but not necessary to enjoy the movie. I will admit, it was pretty awesome to see some of the close ups of the guys playing in 3D, especially the guitar parts. I felt the song selection was good for what they were trying to show us. There are a couple of songs that I really missed but I know the band wanted to make this movie more interesting and entertaining so the idea of a two and a half hour movie of just songs wasn't on their agenda. I wonder if there will be a longer cut of the movie released when the DVD comes out. Either way, I would be happy to own this one.
And by the way, the band made this movie on their own. They paid for it all themselves. I heard rumors of a budget of around 18$ Million. MetallicA is not known for doing things half assed and this is no exception. As a fan, I can really appreciate how they go about things, putting in hard work to put out a good product for us. I hope this movie does good business for them. If it doesn't, oh well, but I would like them to succeed.
Any thoughts as to what was in the bag? I have a few.....
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 3 Review
Fantasy Football Week 3 Review
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Result - Win
Score 61-29
Record - 2-1
Power Ranking - 3rd
Had a good week. This team had a few tough match ups but it just worked out that the other team had even worse games. I put up 0's from 3 different players. It's hard to imagine winning watching that unfold. A couple of my bigger names got hurt or didn't play well. Spiller had 0, Finley put up 0 but he got knocked out of the game on his first target of the game. Hilton also had 0 in a tough game against the 49ers. The Colts ran the ball a lot so I didn't get much out of Luck either, but at least he ran in a TD.
I had great games from Charles and Brown. Charles has been a great RB for me so far this year. Brown, I drafted him with some high expectations and it is now starting to pay off. 14 from Charles and 21 from Brown.
Bye weeks start now. I only have 1 guy on a bye and it's Finley. He probably wouldn't play anyways but had to mine the waiver wire for a TE. We'll see how that ends up. Other than the injury to Finley, I think I still look good heading into the next few weeks. Lacey did not play this week but should be fine after the bye. I benched MJD this week as he was playing against the Seahawks and of course he has a good game and scores a TD. He is hurt and was playing one of the best Defenses in the NFL so I stand by that benching. Sounds like the Steelers will be able to play Bell soon. That will give me more depth at RB and if he starts doing well I can add him to my normal starting rotation.
Plus, I have Josh Gordon that I can start now also. I drafted Gordon knowing he would be good once he came back from suspension but I thought it might take a few games. He put up 14 points this week. I cannot expect that kind of production every week, especially from the Browns but if he can stay consistent that will help me out as the season progresses.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Win
Score 118.69 - 110.23
Record 2-1
Power Ranking - 2nd
Talk about a nail biting come from behind game! I went into the Sunday night game down by about 28 points. Other team was done for the week and sitting with a pretty comfortable lead. My last player, Brown has been good but not great so I was expecting a loss. Brown went off and scored my 36.26 points. Enough to come from behind and win. I needed those points after some bad games earlier in the day. Rodgers played well, but only scored 17. Lynch had a good game but it was almost like a preseason game for the Seahawks as they started pulling out their starters in the 3rd quarter. Not much from Mendenhall, 4.6. I started Marlon Brown in place of Vernon David this week and he only got 1.6. Davis did not play. I probably won't start Marlin again and might even look to drop him soon. Also had a huge day from Murray 27.8 points. (side note - DeShawn Jackson put up 7.7, I hope this trade keeps working out for me)
So, I won but didn't have the best game and not nearly as good as I could have had. You have to make moves to stay ahead of the curve but I made a few that I would have liked to have back. I should have blown this other team out of the water. Biggest regret was dropping the Carolina defense for the Bills. My main reason for that was Panthers were playing the Giants and even though the Giants are not very good they have been throwing for a ton of yards and in this league, that can kill a defense in scoring. I figured the Bills playing the Jets, I'd be good. The Giants picked a heck of a time to suck the most. Panthers D put up 32 points while I got 2.5 from the Bills.
I've always liked the Seahawks kicker and I was able to pick him up this week. I did have the 49ers kicker so dropping him was good as he only kicked 1 extra point this week. I'll probably hang on to Hauschka for a while, at least until his bye week. I did pick up Danny Woodhead. I like that he catches a lot of passes. He put up 10 points last week. Mendenhall is not a sure fire every week start and having Woodhead give me a little wiggle room to play matchups a bit. I'll start him this week.
I'm starting Sam Bradford this week in place of Rodgers (bye week). I know he doesn't have a great match up against the 49ers but he has been out scoring his projections every week. Plus, the 49er defense is not what it used to be. Might be a sneaky start. I drafted Josh Gordon in this league also. He put up 27.8 in this league. He starts this week too.
Chris Ivory is hurt again. His back up went out and ran for over 150 yards. I'll hang on to him but I don't have too much confidence he will be a starter for me. I'm still hanging on to Patterson also. He is playing well and I think he will only get more and more playing time. He is getting some good points since he also returns kicks, which we get points for return yardage. As soon as he starts scoring on a more consistent basis I'll plug him in. My hope is that I'll end up with more starting WRs that I can handle and I can make a few more trades.
I'm still the scoring leader in this league, not by much, but still. My win this week was against a division opponent so that will factor in down the line. Right now my team is ranked 2nd over all. Feels good but at the same time, almost undeserved. But, maybe every owner goes through this, even with a team winning, still having doubts about who to start, drops and adds and all of it. I'm playing the lowest ranked team in our league this week. If I can beat him I'll brag a little but you never know. Sometimes it's the ones you least expect......
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Result - Win
Score 61-29
Record - 2-1
Power Ranking - 3rd
Had a good week. This team had a few tough match ups but it just worked out that the other team had even worse games. I put up 0's from 3 different players. It's hard to imagine winning watching that unfold. A couple of my bigger names got hurt or didn't play well. Spiller had 0, Finley put up 0 but he got knocked out of the game on his first target of the game. Hilton also had 0 in a tough game against the 49ers. The Colts ran the ball a lot so I didn't get much out of Luck either, but at least he ran in a TD.
I had great games from Charles and Brown. Charles has been a great RB for me so far this year. Brown, I drafted him with some high expectations and it is now starting to pay off. 14 from Charles and 21 from Brown.
Bye weeks start now. I only have 1 guy on a bye and it's Finley. He probably wouldn't play anyways but had to mine the waiver wire for a TE. We'll see how that ends up. Other than the injury to Finley, I think I still look good heading into the next few weeks. Lacey did not play this week but should be fine after the bye. I benched MJD this week as he was playing against the Seahawks and of course he has a good game and scores a TD. He is hurt and was playing one of the best Defenses in the NFL so I stand by that benching. Sounds like the Steelers will be able to play Bell soon. That will give me more depth at RB and if he starts doing well I can add him to my normal starting rotation.
Plus, I have Josh Gordon that I can start now also. I drafted Gordon knowing he would be good once he came back from suspension but I thought it might take a few games. He put up 14 points this week. I cannot expect that kind of production every week, especially from the Browns but if he can stay consistent that will help me out as the season progresses.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Win
Score 118.69 - 110.23
Record 2-1
Power Ranking - 2nd
Talk about a nail biting come from behind game! I went into the Sunday night game down by about 28 points. Other team was done for the week and sitting with a pretty comfortable lead. My last player, Brown has been good but not great so I was expecting a loss. Brown went off and scored my 36.26 points. Enough to come from behind and win. I needed those points after some bad games earlier in the day. Rodgers played well, but only scored 17. Lynch had a good game but it was almost like a preseason game for the Seahawks as they started pulling out their starters in the 3rd quarter. Not much from Mendenhall, 4.6. I started Marlon Brown in place of Vernon David this week and he only got 1.6. Davis did not play. I probably won't start Marlin again and might even look to drop him soon. Also had a huge day from Murray 27.8 points. (side note - DeShawn Jackson put up 7.7, I hope this trade keeps working out for me)
So, I won but didn't have the best game and not nearly as good as I could have had. You have to make moves to stay ahead of the curve but I made a few that I would have liked to have back. I should have blown this other team out of the water. Biggest regret was dropping the Carolina defense for the Bills. My main reason for that was Panthers were playing the Giants and even though the Giants are not very good they have been throwing for a ton of yards and in this league, that can kill a defense in scoring. I figured the Bills playing the Jets, I'd be good. The Giants picked a heck of a time to suck the most. Panthers D put up 32 points while I got 2.5 from the Bills.
I've always liked the Seahawks kicker and I was able to pick him up this week. I did have the 49ers kicker so dropping him was good as he only kicked 1 extra point this week. I'll probably hang on to Hauschka for a while, at least until his bye week. I did pick up Danny Woodhead. I like that he catches a lot of passes. He put up 10 points last week. Mendenhall is not a sure fire every week start and having Woodhead give me a little wiggle room to play matchups a bit. I'll start him this week.
I'm starting Sam Bradford this week in place of Rodgers (bye week). I know he doesn't have a great match up against the 49ers but he has been out scoring his projections every week. Plus, the 49er defense is not what it used to be. Might be a sneaky start. I drafted Josh Gordon in this league also. He put up 27.8 in this league. He starts this week too.
Chris Ivory is hurt again. His back up went out and ran for over 150 yards. I'll hang on to him but I don't have too much confidence he will be a starter for me. I'm still hanging on to Patterson also. He is playing well and I think he will only get more and more playing time. He is getting some good points since he also returns kicks, which we get points for return yardage. As soon as he starts scoring on a more consistent basis I'll plug him in. My hope is that I'll end up with more starting WRs that I can handle and I can make a few more trades.
I'm still the scoring leader in this league, not by much, but still. My win this week was against a division opponent so that will factor in down the line. Right now my team is ranked 2nd over all. Feels good but at the same time, almost undeserved. But, maybe every owner goes through this, even with a team winning, still having doubts about who to start, drops and adds and all of it. I'm playing the lowest ranked team in our league this week. If I can beat him I'll brag a little but you never know. Sometimes it's the ones you least expect......
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 2 Update
Fantasy Football Week 2 Updates
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Result - Win
Record 1-1
Currently ranked 5th overall
Won 65-59. Not a blow out but enough for my first win of the year. Only scored 3 TDs so I got most of my points from yardage. Good enough for this week but do not want to win like this every week. My RBs are starting to wake up a little bit. Except for MJD - now he is dealing with an injury and he is facing the Seattle Seahawks this week, in Seattle. Yeah, he's taking a seat on the bench this week.
Had some good games from my WRs and Kicker. Kicking points don't seem like a game changer but they were for me this week with 12 pints. Garcon started his game slow but once the Packers built a huge lead and started to relax on defense a little, he was able to grab a bunch of garbage time yards and even a TD. He gets a start every week and he will only get better as Griffin starts to get his leg back in shape and he starts playing better.
My Draft of Josh Gordon will, I hope, start paying off now that he is all done with the 2 game suspension. Now that Trent Richardson has been traded away, that will leave Gordon as one of the only big play makers on the team. I'm hoping he will get the ball a lot. Eddie Lacey left the game with a head injury, doesn't seem as bad as it looked. I have yet to start him but his games are getting better and if MJD doesn't start playing better I will have to make a swap. Going to start T.Y. Hilton this week. Coaches in Indy are making plays for him and already having Luck as my starting QB, I'm hoping for quite a few double dip TD games.
I have a tough match up this week. Opponent has Brady, Cruz and Lynch as his heavy hitters. My guys will have their work cut out for them this week. I have some good match ups this week, only Luck against SF Defense is sketchy.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Win
Record 1-1
Currently ranked 4th overall
I've been waiting for a game like this one. Had the highest point total in the league by far. Won 171.68 - 140.55. Had some really great games for my big guys. Rodgers put up 46.50. Even my RBs, which by this league's standards are second tier at best, had some good games. My main RB, Lynch had a great game in a tough match up, putting up 33 points.
My lowest point totals came from my 49er guys, Davis and my kicker, Dawson. I was OK with that as they were playing the Hawks and I still got my win. Had another great game from Jackson, he put up 29.80. My WRs are pretty strong and I have a few good ones. Still not all that happy with my RBs, I even dropped Mark Ingram. I grabbed Woodhead off the waiver wire. He won't be a starter on my team now but I'm hoping his role in the Chargers offense will grow as he puts up better numbers for them.
I received a trade offer this week. I was offered Demarco Murray for DeShawn Jackson. My first reaction was, NO! Did you see that game this week? BUT.....my WRs are my strongest group and RBs are my weakest. We went back and forth a few times but I decided to make this trade, we also swapped a few draft picks for next season. I need another RB that can put up some points, ANY points. While Murray isn't a big game changer and he does have injury risk, he does play on a team that can and does score points and he can catch, a big plus. Giving up DeShawn wasn't an easy choice. Knowing that I have several WRs on my team that can have good games and DeShawn comes with his own injury risks as well. I watched some of the Eagles game this week and both Jackson and Vick took big shots that knocked them out for a few plays. Eagles are playing very fast paced and I'm not too confident Jackson OR Vick will last. I figured I better take a chance now and get a RB that can help me in the long run. We will have to wait and see how this trade works out but Murray is in my starting line up this week.
Facing one of the top teams in the league this week. I think if I have some good games I can pull this one off. My guys have some really good match ups and I can see a few shoot out type games happening. Lynch at home against Jacksonville should be money. I decided to drop my defense and kicker this week and pick up a couple that have some better matchups. Not sure if I will do this every week or not, but if it works out this week I will at least entertain the idea.
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Result - Win
Record 1-1
Currently ranked 5th overall
Won 65-59. Not a blow out but enough for my first win of the year. Only scored 3 TDs so I got most of my points from yardage. Good enough for this week but do not want to win like this every week. My RBs are starting to wake up a little bit. Except for MJD - now he is dealing with an injury and he is facing the Seattle Seahawks this week, in Seattle. Yeah, he's taking a seat on the bench this week.
Had some good games from my WRs and Kicker. Kicking points don't seem like a game changer but they were for me this week with 12 pints. Garcon started his game slow but once the Packers built a huge lead and started to relax on defense a little, he was able to grab a bunch of garbage time yards and even a TD. He gets a start every week and he will only get better as Griffin starts to get his leg back in shape and he starts playing better.
My Draft of Josh Gordon will, I hope, start paying off now that he is all done with the 2 game suspension. Now that Trent Richardson has been traded away, that will leave Gordon as one of the only big play makers on the team. I'm hoping he will get the ball a lot. Eddie Lacey left the game with a head injury, doesn't seem as bad as it looked. I have yet to start him but his games are getting better and if MJD doesn't start playing better I will have to make a swap. Going to start T.Y. Hilton this week. Coaches in Indy are making plays for him and already having Luck as my starting QB, I'm hoping for quite a few double dip TD games.
I have a tough match up this week. Opponent has Brady, Cruz and Lynch as his heavy hitters. My guys will have their work cut out for them this week. I have some good match ups this week, only Luck against SF Defense is sketchy.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
Result - Win
Record 1-1
Currently ranked 4th overall
I've been waiting for a game like this one. Had the highest point total in the league by far. Won 171.68 - 140.55. Had some really great games for my big guys. Rodgers put up 46.50. Even my RBs, which by this league's standards are second tier at best, had some good games. My main RB, Lynch had a great game in a tough match up, putting up 33 points.
My lowest point totals came from my 49er guys, Davis and my kicker, Dawson. I was OK with that as they were playing the Hawks and I still got my win. Had another great game from Jackson, he put up 29.80. My WRs are pretty strong and I have a few good ones. Still not all that happy with my RBs, I even dropped Mark Ingram. I grabbed Woodhead off the waiver wire. He won't be a starter on my team now but I'm hoping his role in the Chargers offense will grow as he puts up better numbers for them.
I received a trade offer this week. I was offered Demarco Murray for DeShawn Jackson. My first reaction was, NO! Did you see that game this week? BUT.....my WRs are my strongest group and RBs are my weakest. We went back and forth a few times but I decided to make this trade, we also swapped a few draft picks for next season. I need another RB that can put up some points, ANY points. While Murray isn't a big game changer and he does have injury risk, he does play on a team that can and does score points and he can catch, a big plus. Giving up DeShawn wasn't an easy choice. Knowing that I have several WRs on my team that can have good games and DeShawn comes with his own injury risks as well. I watched some of the Eagles game this week and both Jackson and Vick took big shots that knocked them out for a few plays. Eagles are playing very fast paced and I'm not too confident Jackson OR Vick will last. I figured I better take a chance now and get a RB that can help me in the long run. We will have to wait and see how this trade works out but Murray is in my starting line up this week.
Facing one of the top teams in the league this week. I think if I have some good games I can pull this one off. My guys have some really good match ups and I can see a few shoot out type games happening. Lynch at home against Jacksonville should be money. I decided to drop my defense and kicker this week and pick up a couple that have some better matchups. Not sure if I will do this every week or not, but if it works out this week I will at least entertain the idea.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
NFL Fantasy Football Week1 Review
Dedraft League: Week 1
Loss 64-94
0-1
Stunk up the league this week. Got very little production out of some big names. Granted, there were a lot of really good games against tough defenses in week 1 so I'm not too concerned about future games. Between Spiller and MJD I only got 4 points. Ouch. I can't feel too bad though. I put up the best team I could. The only exception was Eddie Lacey from Green Bay. He actually had a good day. But that would not have helped. I was out scored big time. Adding in Lacey's 9 point game would not have made a dent. Not much else to say about this team at the moment. No one got hurt and everyone has better match ups this week. Hoping for some bounce back performances from most of my running backs.
Keeper League: Week 1
Loss 124.08 - 133.30
0-1
Fared a little better but still not enough to pull off the win. Going into Monday night, I needed good games from both Garcon and DeShawn. Got the good game from DeShawn. I figured that if I could get 100 yards and a TD from each guy I could win. I was getting mad at the Redskins as they fell behind and kept rushing the ball. I got some horrible games from my running backs. Lynch faced a tough game and only got me 6 points. Ingram only got 1. That hurt. I think I'll start Mendenhall this week. He didn't have a great game last week, but he's still the main guy in that backfield and I feel better with him over Ivory and Ingram. I wasn't expecting much from my rookies and didn't get much. Michaels got nothing and Patterson was only used on a few passing plays and he ran back a few kicks so he was able to get a few points. I'm hoping Patterson gets more playing time soon. I don't feel too excited to be starting Davis but he did have a good game against Green Bay and should do well as teams are now aware of how they will be using Boldin.
My opponent had a great game from Cruz this week. If he had even half his points I would have won. It's not every week he will score 3 touchdowns. My teams don't score a ton of points so it's a matter of trying to have good match ups and have the other team hit a snag somewhere. My philosophy has been start who I have and hope the other team just sucks this week. Hooray!
Loss 64-94
0-1
Stunk up the league this week. Got very little production out of some big names. Granted, there were a lot of really good games against tough defenses in week 1 so I'm not too concerned about future games. Between Spiller and MJD I only got 4 points. Ouch. I can't feel too bad though. I put up the best team I could. The only exception was Eddie Lacey from Green Bay. He actually had a good day. But that would not have helped. I was out scored big time. Adding in Lacey's 9 point game would not have made a dent. Not much else to say about this team at the moment. No one got hurt and everyone has better match ups this week. Hoping for some bounce back performances from most of my running backs.
Keeper League: Week 1
Loss 124.08 - 133.30
0-1
Fared a little better but still not enough to pull off the win. Going into Monday night, I needed good games from both Garcon and DeShawn. Got the good game from DeShawn. I figured that if I could get 100 yards and a TD from each guy I could win. I was getting mad at the Redskins as they fell behind and kept rushing the ball. I got some horrible games from my running backs. Lynch faced a tough game and only got me 6 points. Ingram only got 1. That hurt. I think I'll start Mendenhall this week. He didn't have a great game last week, but he's still the main guy in that backfield and I feel better with him over Ivory and Ingram. I wasn't expecting much from my rookies and didn't get much. Michaels got nothing and Patterson was only used on a few passing plays and he ran back a few kicks so he was able to get a few points. I'm hoping Patterson gets more playing time soon. I don't feel too excited to be starting Davis but he did have a good game against Green Bay and should do well as teams are now aware of how they will be using Boldin.
My opponent had a great game from Cruz this week. If he had even half his points I would have won. It's not every week he will score 3 touchdowns. My teams don't score a ton of points so it's a matter of trying to have good match ups and have the other team hit a snag somewhere. My philosophy has been start who I have and hope the other team just sucks this week. Hooray!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Fantasy Football 2013 Redraft and Keeper League Draft Results
I thought I was pretty prepared this year, for both drafts. One thing I have learned is to research the players that I expect to be available in the late rounds. Spent a lot of time looking at Wide Receivers, a position that, in many leagues, is very deep and you can mine some good sleepers from. Helps that in most leagues you have to start 3 so a lot of big names go fast. Good rookie class of Running Backs this year also. Of course, drafting in mid August, you never know how preseason is going to end up or when the dreaded injury bug pops up. Let's start with the Redraft League
Redraft League - Standard Scoring
Ended up with the 3rd over all pick. I was pretty happy with that. I always like to load up on RBs in this league. Last year we added a Flex position. So, having the option to start 3 RBs that could possibly score a lot of points, I had to get off to a good start. My first pick, I went with Jamaal Charles - I figured he had such a great season last year after his injury that a full year removed from it and with a better coaching staff in place, he could really put up some good numbers. Plus, I really like RBs that catch. Watching the other teams draft, it became clear that I would be choosing a couple more top tier RBs with my next 2 picks. Second pick, I went with C.J. Spiller. Slight injury concern but I could not pass up on the upside. 3rd pick, Maurice Jones Drew. Again, slight injury concern but he gets the ball a ton and in this offense he will be given every chance to score, plus he will be playing this year for a new contract.
I decided to wait on drafting my first Wide Receiver. My first WR, I went with Pierre Garcon. With a healthy RG3, Garcon was a stud last year and he played most of the season hurt. RG3 should not be running the ball as much as last year so that means more down field passes to Garcon. Felt pretty good about that pick. We start a Tight End in this league so I tried to get a good one. Jermichael Finley should have a good year. It sounds like Aaron Rodgers has more trust in him than in previous seasons and with Greg Jennings gone and Jordy Nelson on the mend from knee surgery, Finley should see a fair amount of targets.
With so many good Quarter Backs this year I held off as long as I could. I knew I could still land a good QB in later rounds and I did with Andrew Luck. He looked great as a rookie last season. More experience, some good receivers and a not so great running game and I see a great season in Luck. I also drafted T.Y. Hilton in the 9th round. He also looked good last year, doubling up on Colts, I never would have done that a few years ago, but these guys should score a lot this year. My second WR was Antonio Brown. I figured in the Steeler offense, Brown has a good shot at being the number 1 target down field. I feel even better about this pick now as news comes in about the injury to rookie RB Bell. Back field mess, with good QB and good receivers, should put up some nice numbers.
Pick in the 9th round went to Hilton. My next 2 picks I went with WRs also. Josh Gordon, he should have a good year. Browns offense is not the greatest BUT their QB is improving and they have a really good RB. Should help give him room to shine. I feel good about this next pick, Cordarralle Patterson. He's a rookie but he has a similar skill set to Percy Harvin, who was traded away. I don't have a lot of confidence in the Vikings QB, but Harvin still had great seasons with him. Took a chance with Patterson. I also took a shot with Eddie Lacey in the 8th round. If he ends up with the starting job he could do well with the Packers offense.
Grabbed a good back up QB in Dalton. He should have a good year and if my first pick pans out, I won't have to start Dalton except to cover the bye week. But if Luck happens to have a down year or get hurt, I have confidence in Dalton to be able to start for my team every week. In the 13th round, I took one of my "sleepers". Danny Woodhead. He is listed as a 3rd RB with the Chargers but if we all look back on the Chargers last year, their "star RB" Ryan Mathews, he gets hurt a lot and he had a lot of bad games last year. Recent reports have the coaches talking about using Woodhead in a "Sproles" type of roll, which I was hoping for here. Change of pace RB that will catch a lot of balls also. I don't expect a lot out of the Chargers with year but Woodhead could shine.
I believe I left this draft in really good shape. I have a strong group of starters and some really good back ups. Even if I lose one or two guys to injuries, I can still field a good team every week and that's with not taking any guys off the waiver wire yet. I have a few names in mind for that also, but that will have to wait until the season starts to see how my team pans out.
Keeper League - PPR Scoring
I kept way to many scrubs last year and I had a bad season because of it. I did some thinking and decided to only keep 2 players this time around. Aaron Rodgers and Marshawn Lynch. Knowing that I would be drafting 3rd I liked my chances of landing a rookie RB to help build around. But of course, the 2 teams ahead of me decided to go "all in" and not keep anyone, thus giving them the first 6 picks. So basically in the first 2 minutes of the draft I was looking at picking up a guy that I really didn't want or start drafting the guys I put back into the pool this year. It can be easy to get frustrated on draft day in this league because every team know so much about the game and they do so much research it can be hard to "pull a fast one" and sneak a guy that no one else really knows about. But, my team needs RBs.
I was able to land some good guys. Not on the best teams in the world but, they should all be starters and get a good work load every week. My first few picks I grabbed, Chris Ivory, Mark Ingram and Rashard Mendenhall. Not my ideal team but upon closer inspection, they should all be starters on opening day. Not super concerned with injuries out of these guys either. Mendenhall was pretty bad last season but was not 100% healthy either. He should have a much better year in Arizona. Ivory's switch to the Jets, I'm not too stoked about because, c'mon, it's the Jets, but they will have to run the ball a lot since their QB situation is a mess. Ingram should put up good numbers with the Saints. The Saints are well known for passing but they also have a strong running game and Ingram should get the bulk of the carries.
Since this league is PPR scoring, having some good WRs is a must. I had Garcon last year and was able to pick him up again this time. I also landed Brown from the Steelers (see above). I really wanted DeSean Jackson and I was able to get him. I don't really like the Eagles but that new coach seems to have a fast game plan in mind and losing Maclin for the year will only mean more targets for Jackson. Plus we gets points for return yardage and Jackson makes a lot of noise on Special Teams. I took a look at the best available pass catchers and I decided to go with Vernon Davis. He should have a great season with most of the other receivers in San Fran either hurt, over the hill or just not that good. Also picked up Josh Gordon and Cordarralle Patterson again. Young guys that should be able to step up and put together a good year.
In this league, it pays to take a chance on some rookies and hope they pan out. I grabbed 2 and so far I'm really happy with one of them. Christine Michael RB in Seattle. I've seen him run in the preseason games and he looks just like Lynch if not a little quicker. I drafted Turbin last year as my handcuff for Lynch but something just stands out about this kid. My other reach was for Latavius Murray RB with Oakland. I know I know. I had some good games with Reese last year when he started for the often injured McFadden. I really felt good after the draft about this pick but now reports are saying he might not even make the team. Oh well. If he doesn't it's not like a wasted a high draft pick on him. I might just hang on to these 2 guys for a while and see what happens.
I did make a HUGE mistake this year. I still kick myself for it. I had back to back picks in the late rounds. Percy Harvin was just sitting there and went undrafted and being that he won't even see the field until late in the season, most teams just passed him up. I totally forgot about this league and the IR spot. You can have one guy on it, if a player is officially placed on Injured Reserve by his team. So my plan was to draft Harvin late, but forgetting about our IR spot I thought I would have to forget about grabbing some of my late round "sleepers". so I went ahead and drafted those other guys and right after I did I regretted it. The very next pick, someone drafted Harvin and placed him on his team IR spot. Total facepalm move on my part. Maybe Harvin won't pan out in Seattle, maybe he will always get hurt and not score much. Yeah.
Draft Review for both leagues
I really feel I have a good team in the Redraft League. I might have to mine the waiver wire sooner than later but I think I'm off to a really good start. We also decided that our draft order for next year will be based on record from this year and not random. We have always done it that way before so this will be something new and will give some teams that tanked a chance at some better picks next season. I plan on having the 10th pick next year. I noticed this year that I tend to get excited when other teams start drafting QBs and WRs early and I have my choice of top 10 RBs. I ended up with 3 of them this year. Last year I had too many starters and not enough roster spots, it became a game of who to start when they can all have big games. Let's hope I don't end up like that again this year.
Aside from my Harvin facepalm moment I think I did OK. Not at all what I was expecting my team to look like after the draft but not too horrible. My only concern is that if my team starts out slow and I have to start dropping guys and combing over the waiver wire everyday I might be in trouble. I have to be patient. Too many times have I drafted a guy, dropped him to early, only to have him scooped up by another team and all of a sudden he's a starting running back on a team that run a lot.
Be patient. If you really want a guy, pick him when you want. Don't wait. If you feel like that player will help you win, do it. Unless your choice is drafting a Defense in the 4th round. Don't do that. Yes, that did happen in the redraft league. I facepalmed for him.
I already have some new plans for drafting next year. I want to try and keep track of the draft as it happens and keep an updated draft board. Not just crossing names off my book. That helps for knowing who is gone but does nothing with trying to predict what a team needs as the draft progresses.
My Rosters for both teams
Redraft League (drafted in this order)
RB Charles
RB CJ Spiller
RB MJD
WR Garcon
TE Finley
QB Luck
WR Brown
RB Lacey
WR Hilton
WR Gordon
WR Patterson
QB Dalton
RB Woodhead
DEF Browns
K Barth
RB Murray
Keeper League (not drafted in this order)
QB Rodgers
QB Dalton
RB Lynch
RB Ivory
RB Mendenhall
RB Ingram
RB Michael
RB Murray
WR Garcon
WR Brown
WR Jackson
WR Gordon
WR Patterson
TE Davis
K Dawson
DEF Browns
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