Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Fantasy Football 2014 Pre-view - Running Backs I will avoid! - Redraft League
While everyone is arguing over who they think should be drafted in the top 10, I tend to look a little further down the list. We can generally agree on who the studs are so instead of marking up my list with guys I want, I'll start marking off guys I DO NOT want. A little research before hand will save you some headache and scrambling on draft day. The first few rounds of most drafts are usually the quickest, by the time you get done crossing a name off your list, 2 other picks have come in. Owners will have it set in their mind who they want first, even if it's a reach. I will go into draft day knowing who I will not be drafting. This post will focus on the Running Backs.
Running Backs (RB) are huge assets to fantasy teams. They score TDs, rack up lots of yardage and in some cases catch a lot of passes. They can also be a huge disappointment. Ever have one of your top picks leave a game early on because of injury? Only to hand you a loss by just a few points that he would have surly landed you? I usually won't hold a grudge but when this happens time and time again, I have to, at some point, tell my self, not only never again this season but never again in ANY season. It doesn't have to be an injury. It can be another running back on the same team that will steal carries and TDs. I'm looking at you Buffalo! I started this last season. I went through my list and crossed off names that I wanted to avoid in the head spinning confusion that is Draft Day. It helped me out a lot down the stretch, when talent starts getting scarce and you might reach for a name simply because you know who that guy is. This list is nothing personal, they might have a good or even great season but either I have been burned or saw other owners get burned by these guys. I am all including in this list guys that I just don't think will have a good year, based on team change or injury prone or just flat out not that good.
Zac Stacy - Rams. He came in and had a pretty good run at things for the Rams. But look at maybe why that was. One of their main offensive players, Sam Bradford, was lost for the season with a knee injury. They HAD to run the ball. So they did. Now, Bradford is back and healthy. I just don't see them needing to run as much as they did last year. He might have a decent year but I'm not willing to take a chance.
Doug Martin - Bucs. He had a monster rookie season. Then turned in a lot of bad games last year and he was getting injured. Looking back, his big games were against just 2 or 3 teams, he was not very consistent. The Bucs have upgraded their QB situation and have added more weapons on offense. Plus, the coach came out and said they want to go to a committee at RB (not always but usually a death nail for RBs). Having a better offence might open up running lanes for him, but what if they don't give him enough chances? Not a gamble for me.
C.J. Spiller - Bills. He always starts every season with a huge upside. Coaches say they want to give him the ball more, he's a huge play maker, he's all these things....but they also signed Fred Jackson to a new contract. I would consider drafting Spiller, but Jackson is a big reason why I won't. Sure, he's gets his share of chances and he does have good games but it's hard to argue when Jackson comes in and scores 2 TDs and has 100 yards when Spiller only gets a few runs and catches a couple passes. They seam to go back and forth a lot. I can't draft a guy knowing it's 50/50 each week.
Any RB from New England because of Belichick. I can't loose points for a full game just because of one mistake.
Any RB from New Orleans. When you have Drew Brees, running is an after thought. Any one of 3 guys could be their starter on any given week. I won't keep a roster spot open for a guy that might not even get a chance to run.
Ray Rice - Ravens. Not even counting his 2 game suspension to start this season, I just don't trust him anymore. The Ravens used to have a very good running game and Rice was one of the best and also caught a huge amount of passes. Last year, that all went away. Many blame the bad Offensive Line. I'm not sure they can go from almost worst to almost first in one off season. I'm just going to let him be a problem for someone else.
Any RB from the Panthers. They have several guys that will put up good numbers but it will most likely be a different guy each week. Not to mention a QB that will steal yards and TDs. nah, not for me.
That's about it. Nothing against any of these players, personally, but our Championship game came down to the last minute. Points are hard to come by for anyone but especially those who aren't given a good enough chance. I'll let other owners roll the dice on these guys.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Bob Rivers in the morning! Thank you Bob
I heard there was going to be a major announcement on the Bob Rivers show this morning. I figured it was going to be them announcing a big concert or another humanitarian trip overseas. I missed the actual announcement on his show but the other show I listen to, The BJ Shea Morning Experience, were talking about it. BJ Shea and Bob Rivers go way back and it was great to hear him talk about Bob in such a way, you could tell they have been good friends for many years. Turns out the major announcement was Bob will be retiring in August of this year, the 8th to be exact, which will mark 25 years on the radio in Seattle.
I started listening to the radio off and on in the mid 90's. Bob was on with KISW at the time. I loved the way they talked about topics relating to Seattle, our sports teams and joked around with each other. Who could forget the twisted tunes? I listened to the show here and there and got to know Bob, Spike and Joe. After high school, I had a job in Tacoma with about a half hour commute, I would listen to Bob on the way in. I worked with my dad at this time so we would both listen to the show. It was something we both liked, it was a great way to bond. After a few years, his show was no longer on KISW, they had replaced him with the Howard Stern Show. I have nothing against Howard or his show, it was entertaining at times but overall just not what I wanted. He wasn't IN Seattle, he didn't care about our traffic, our baseball and football teams. I didn't listen very often.
I had heard of a show on another station called the Buzz, that show was the BJ Shea show. I only heard it a few times then next thing I know they are the new morning show on KISW. I really liked BJ and all the guys on the show right away, in part I'm sure, because they reminded me of Bob and the gang. As they progressed and I got to know them better, I really came to like the show. Around this time Bob got back on air in Seattle on KJR, the classic rock station. I knew of KJR, I will constantly change between KISW and KJR between commercials and bands I don't like. I would also flip between BJ and Bob just about every morning.
Now, I have a job that takes me all over the greater Seattle area and I get to listen to the radio as much as I like. I still flip between BJ and Bob. Both shows have made changes and added new people over the years. Both shows are great. When I heard BJ talking about Bob today, I knew they were friends but I didn't know to what extent. I was really surprised to hear BJ sing so many praises for Bob, how he stuck up for him, told him to stick with it and helped him get his foot in the door here in Seattle. Hearing BJ talk, I realized that, all this time I have been a radio listener, Bob was always there. There were times I would listen a lot and other times not so much, but he was always there and always had a good show. Now that won't be an option. I started remembering all the things they have done over the years that made me laugh and it put a big smile on my face.
There are a lot of radio personalities that I like in Seattle. Bob Rivers has had such a positive impact in this area and he will never be replaced. I hope the other people on his show will still be able to be on air somewhere in Seattle. Spike, Joe and Jody. I like their chemistry. Spike, I've heard him just as long as I have heard Bob, I can't imagine he won't have a job around here somewhere. I don't know what the future hold for them but I wish them well. I wish Bob an amazing retirement. He will be missed on air for sure. Bob set a high standard, not many other shows have even tried. Thank you, Bob, for everything. My radio dial won't be the same without you.
I started listening to the radio off and on in the mid 90's. Bob was on with KISW at the time. I loved the way they talked about topics relating to Seattle, our sports teams and joked around with each other. Who could forget the twisted tunes? I listened to the show here and there and got to know Bob, Spike and Joe. After high school, I had a job in Tacoma with about a half hour commute, I would listen to Bob on the way in. I worked with my dad at this time so we would both listen to the show. It was something we both liked, it was a great way to bond. After a few years, his show was no longer on KISW, they had replaced him with the Howard Stern Show. I have nothing against Howard or his show, it was entertaining at times but overall just not what I wanted. He wasn't IN Seattle, he didn't care about our traffic, our baseball and football teams. I didn't listen very often.
I had heard of a show on another station called the Buzz, that show was the BJ Shea show. I only heard it a few times then next thing I know they are the new morning show on KISW. I really liked BJ and all the guys on the show right away, in part I'm sure, because they reminded me of Bob and the gang. As they progressed and I got to know them better, I really came to like the show. Around this time Bob got back on air in Seattle on KJR, the classic rock station. I knew of KJR, I will constantly change between KISW and KJR between commercials and bands I don't like. I would also flip between BJ and Bob just about every morning.
Now, I have a job that takes me all over the greater Seattle area and I get to listen to the radio as much as I like. I still flip between BJ and Bob. Both shows have made changes and added new people over the years. Both shows are great. When I heard BJ talking about Bob today, I knew they were friends but I didn't know to what extent. I was really surprised to hear BJ sing so many praises for Bob, how he stuck up for him, told him to stick with it and helped him get his foot in the door here in Seattle. Hearing BJ talk, I realized that, all this time I have been a radio listener, Bob was always there. There were times I would listen a lot and other times not so much, but he was always there and always had a good show. Now that won't be an option. I started remembering all the things they have done over the years that made me laugh and it put a big smile on my face.
There are a lot of radio personalities that I like in Seattle. Bob Rivers has had such a positive impact in this area and he will never be replaced. I hope the other people on his show will still be able to be on air somewhere in Seattle. Spike, Joe and Jody. I like their chemistry. Spike, I've heard him just as long as I have heard Bob, I can't imagine he won't have a job around here somewhere. I don't know what the future hold for them but I wish them well. I wish Bob an amazing retirement. He will be missed on air for sure. Bob set a high standard, not many other shows have even tried. Thank you, Bob, for everything. My radio dial won't be the same without you.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
NFL Fantasy Football Keeper League Offseason Player Moves
To keep or not to keep, that is the question.
I will have to narrow my team down to 7 before our draft. Right before the season ends, there is a mad scramble to pick up players that might end up starting or signed to a better team with more fantasy implications. I have a couple of those players on my roster right now. The problem is, I also have several well established vets that I would love to hold on to. Here is a list of who I currently have on roster:
Matthew Stafford - QB Lions
Ben Roethlisberger - QB Steelers
DeMarco Murray - RB Cowboys
Marshawn Lynch - RB Seahawks
Robert Turbin - RB Seahawks
Danny Woodhead - RB Chargers
Donald Brown - RB Chargers
Chris Ivory - RB Jets
Antonio Brown - WR Steelers
Alshon Jeffery - WR Bears
Corderrelle Patterson - WR Vikings
Pierre Garcon - WR Redskins
Randall Cobb - WR Packers
Vernon Davis - TE 49ers
Steven Hauschka - K Seahawks
Browns - DEF
Steelers - DEF
I traded away Rodgers for Stafford as I was making a run into the playoffs. I loved having Rodgers, he was very consistent. The Lions throw the ball a ton and Stafford is a young player that has huge amount of potential. Unless something major happens this off season, I'll be keeping Stafford.
I love my stable of WRs. I drafted Patterson late and I never started him (based on my other WRs having such great seasons). He really started to play well in the last half of the season as the Vikings gave him the ball more and more. I really want to hold on to him and give him a chance. I made a trade for Cobb. When he's healthy, he can be great. Brown and Jeffery blew up and posted great numbers for me. Out of these players, I think Garcon is the one I might have to let go or trade.
I have 3 RBs that I would like to keep, but it will probably end up just being 2. Most likely I'll stick with Lynch and Murray. If I had room I would probably keep Woodhead also, although now that Brown has signed with the Chargers, someone will score less. Turbin was a late season pick up to back up Lynch. Ivory was barely a starter for me and now with Chris Johnson in the mix, he won't be on my roster come draft day.
Not sure how other keep leagues work, but our first draft pick is based on how many players we keep. If I keep my limit of 7, my first pick will be in round 8. Of course, I can "go all in" if I wanted to and try to get a few high draft picks, but I have yet to try that. Kickers and Defense will get dropped first, along with Davis. Some easy choices at RB and some tough ones at WR. Looks like my team will be based out of the NFC North.
I will have to narrow my team down to 7 before our draft. Right before the season ends, there is a mad scramble to pick up players that might end up starting or signed to a better team with more fantasy implications. I have a couple of those players on my roster right now. The problem is, I also have several well established vets that I would love to hold on to. Here is a list of who I currently have on roster:
Matthew Stafford - QB Lions
Ben Roethlisberger - QB Steelers
DeMarco Murray - RB Cowboys
Marshawn Lynch - RB Seahawks
Robert Turbin - RB Seahawks
Danny Woodhead - RB Chargers
Donald Brown - RB Chargers
Chris Ivory - RB Jets
Antonio Brown - WR Steelers
Alshon Jeffery - WR Bears
Corderrelle Patterson - WR Vikings
Pierre Garcon - WR Redskins
Randall Cobb - WR Packers
Vernon Davis - TE 49ers
Steven Hauschka - K Seahawks
Browns - DEF
Steelers - DEF
I traded away Rodgers for Stafford as I was making a run into the playoffs. I loved having Rodgers, he was very consistent. The Lions throw the ball a ton and Stafford is a young player that has huge amount of potential. Unless something major happens this off season, I'll be keeping Stafford.
I love my stable of WRs. I drafted Patterson late and I never started him (based on my other WRs having such great seasons). He really started to play well in the last half of the season as the Vikings gave him the ball more and more. I really want to hold on to him and give him a chance. I made a trade for Cobb. When he's healthy, he can be great. Brown and Jeffery blew up and posted great numbers for me. Out of these players, I think Garcon is the one I might have to let go or trade.
I have 3 RBs that I would like to keep, but it will probably end up just being 2. Most likely I'll stick with Lynch and Murray. If I had room I would probably keep Woodhead also, although now that Brown has signed with the Chargers, someone will score less. Turbin was a late season pick up to back up Lynch. Ivory was barely a starter for me and now with Chris Johnson in the mix, he won't be on my roster come draft day.
Not sure how other keep leagues work, but our first draft pick is based on how many players we keep. If I keep my limit of 7, my first pick will be in round 8. Of course, I can "go all in" if I wanted to and try to get a few high draft picks, but I have yet to try that. Kickers and Defense will get dropped first, along with Davis. Some easy choices at RB and some tough ones at WR. Looks like my team will be based out of the NFC North.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Green Bay Packers vs Seattle Seahawks - My Personal Super Bowl
Day of the big game. Super Bowl time. My home town team, the Seahawks are going to be playing. It feels great. This town has been bouncing off the walls for weeks now. This team is good. Really good. Seattle has never been mentioned as a great sports town. Our only championship came in the late 70's from a basketball team that is no longer here. That team was pretty much stolen from us. Us football fans also feel like in our last Super Bowl, the game was stolen from us. It's fair to say this city has a huge chip on it's collective shoulder. To have a team this good (#1 defense in the NFL), we feel this is our time now.
The Green Bay Packers were good this year. They won their division and got into the playoffs. They have been really good for quite a while now. Since I have been following football I have been lucky enough to watch them play in 3 Super Bowls and win 2. It is truly an amazing feeling to have your team, the team you have been rooting on for years, play in the biggest game and take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Being a Packer fan was almost a birthright. Part of our family came from the Wisconsin area. I have seen pictures of myself as a little kid wearing Packer outfits. For as long as I can remember, well before I started watching football myself, our family cheered for the Pack. There was also another team on my radar. The Hawks. Being so close to Seattle for most of my life, you hear about them a lot. As I got older I realized that having an NFL team so close was something special. My first (and so far only) NFL game was in the old Kingdome. I got to see the Packers come to town and play. Nosebleed seats. Lots of drunk fans. Tons of Packer fans.
As I got older and more and more into football I was rooting for both teams. These are my teams. My family team and my home team. Things were simple back then. Hawks were AFC and Pack were NFC. They would play but not with any regularity. My hope was always to have them meet in a Super Bowl. Then the NFL moved a few teams around and the Hawks came over to the NFC. I would still root for both. It is a weird feeling, though, when they started playing each other almost every year. I always told myself, "Just hope for a good game and who ever wins, wins." The game were always close and really competitive. At the time, Favre was playing really well and the Pack were in the playoffs just about every year. The Hawks were just about average, struggling to sell out home games, there might have been a play off game or two but nothing major. Still, it was fun to have a team close by.
The Pack had a couple of really good runs into the post season, winning a bunch and losing a few too. Great players and a lot of fun to watch. Then Seattle started to turn the corner a bit. They started winning more games, got a new stadium and more and more fans started turning out for the games. They started to play better and it seemed like the players were having more fun playing, and they started winning bigger games. Watching them make their playoff run and get into that first Super Bowl was great. They should have won that game. It was a real treat to have them make it that far, to have the fans here feel that excitement. After the loss, the fans still stood by the team. I really feel the fans of both the Packers and Seahawks will always have that in common. We love these teams and, win or lose, we will embrace them with open arms.
Brings me to this season. Sometimes you can just feel a team. You can get a sense of who they are and their confidence. Seattle was good last year. So were the Pack. The Packers will always have a really good chance to make it to the Super Bowl and now I feel that same way about the Hawks. They both compete and play hard every game. My hope for this season was to have both of my teams playing in the NFC Title Game. A last minute drive from the 49ers squashed that dream. The Packers played hard but came up short. I thanked them for a good season, thanked them for the fun of watching them play and not giving up. The Pack had a feel this season. I really thought they could do it. They didn't feel like a complete team, not as good as when they won the Super Bowl a few years back, but still really good. I know they will bounce back next season. They always do.
These was also a feel about these Hawks. From the very beginning of the season, we (Seattle) felt like this was our time. The players are just so fun to watch and they are good. They have had to work hard for everything. They don't get much coverage in the national media and not much recognition for the good things they have done. Underdogs. Like always. After all Seattle is not a Championship town. No expectations. We totally feel like this game will change that. It is time for this Hawks team to change that.
Many people know this feeling but a lot will not understand. To love 2 teams. It's weird to cheer for the Hawks and have people look at you and say, "Aren't you a Packer fan?". Then also root for the Packers and have other people say, "Aren't you a Hawks fan?". I will always answer both, yes. They never used to ask those questions when, of the two, only won was winning. Now they are both winning teams. Why should I change how I feel about these teams now? Yes, they are both winning and they will likely meet each other in the playoffs - often. Who do I cheer for then that happens? Both. I can't help you understand that. I feel really lucky. As a fan of the NFL I know it's hard to a team just to make it to the post season. To play in the Super Bowl is special. I have two teams that will have a great chance to play in the game every season. Packers win, great, I'm happy. Hawks win, great, I'm happy. Both teams work hard, develop talent and don't take short cuts. They earn it. To still be emotionally invested in a team in the very last game of the season, that's an amazing feeling.
It feels different this time. When the Packers won their Super Bowls, I was cheering them on. But I also felt like I was in the minority. Sure, others in the room wanted them to win but not as much as I did. It's totally different to have everyone in the room, in the state, cheering for the team that I want to win. This is the Hawk's time now. Bring it home. Change this city. Why can't I love two teams? I do. Which one of your children do you love more? Can't decide? Don't want to? Interesting.....
The Green Bay Packers were good this year. They won their division and got into the playoffs. They have been really good for quite a while now. Since I have been following football I have been lucky enough to watch them play in 3 Super Bowls and win 2. It is truly an amazing feeling to have your team, the team you have been rooting on for years, play in the biggest game and take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Being a Packer fan was almost a birthright. Part of our family came from the Wisconsin area. I have seen pictures of myself as a little kid wearing Packer outfits. For as long as I can remember, well before I started watching football myself, our family cheered for the Pack. There was also another team on my radar. The Hawks. Being so close to Seattle for most of my life, you hear about them a lot. As I got older I realized that having an NFL team so close was something special. My first (and so far only) NFL game was in the old Kingdome. I got to see the Packers come to town and play. Nosebleed seats. Lots of drunk fans. Tons of Packer fans.
As I got older and more and more into football I was rooting for both teams. These are my teams. My family team and my home team. Things were simple back then. Hawks were AFC and Pack were NFC. They would play but not with any regularity. My hope was always to have them meet in a Super Bowl. Then the NFL moved a few teams around and the Hawks came over to the NFC. I would still root for both. It is a weird feeling, though, when they started playing each other almost every year. I always told myself, "Just hope for a good game and who ever wins, wins." The game were always close and really competitive. At the time, Favre was playing really well and the Pack were in the playoffs just about every year. The Hawks were just about average, struggling to sell out home games, there might have been a play off game or two but nothing major. Still, it was fun to have a team close by.
The Pack had a couple of really good runs into the post season, winning a bunch and losing a few too. Great players and a lot of fun to watch. Then Seattle started to turn the corner a bit. They started winning more games, got a new stadium and more and more fans started turning out for the games. They started to play better and it seemed like the players were having more fun playing, and they started winning bigger games. Watching them make their playoff run and get into that first Super Bowl was great. They should have won that game. It was a real treat to have them make it that far, to have the fans here feel that excitement. After the loss, the fans still stood by the team. I really feel the fans of both the Packers and Seahawks will always have that in common. We love these teams and, win or lose, we will embrace them with open arms.
Brings me to this season. Sometimes you can just feel a team. You can get a sense of who they are and their confidence. Seattle was good last year. So were the Pack. The Packers will always have a really good chance to make it to the Super Bowl and now I feel that same way about the Hawks. They both compete and play hard every game. My hope for this season was to have both of my teams playing in the NFC Title Game. A last minute drive from the 49ers squashed that dream. The Packers played hard but came up short. I thanked them for a good season, thanked them for the fun of watching them play and not giving up. The Pack had a feel this season. I really thought they could do it. They didn't feel like a complete team, not as good as when they won the Super Bowl a few years back, but still really good. I know they will bounce back next season. They always do.
These was also a feel about these Hawks. From the very beginning of the season, we (Seattle) felt like this was our time. The players are just so fun to watch and they are good. They have had to work hard for everything. They don't get much coverage in the national media and not much recognition for the good things they have done. Underdogs. Like always. After all Seattle is not a Championship town. No expectations. We totally feel like this game will change that. It is time for this Hawks team to change that.
Many people know this feeling but a lot will not understand. To love 2 teams. It's weird to cheer for the Hawks and have people look at you and say, "Aren't you a Packer fan?". Then also root for the Packers and have other people say, "Aren't you a Hawks fan?". I will always answer both, yes. They never used to ask those questions when, of the two, only won was winning. Now they are both winning teams. Why should I change how I feel about these teams now? Yes, they are both winning and they will likely meet each other in the playoffs - often. Who do I cheer for then that happens? Both. I can't help you understand that. I feel really lucky. As a fan of the NFL I know it's hard to a team just to make it to the post season. To play in the Super Bowl is special. I have two teams that will have a great chance to play in the game every season. Packers win, great, I'm happy. Hawks win, great, I'm happy. Both teams work hard, develop talent and don't take short cuts. They earn it. To still be emotionally invested in a team in the very last game of the season, that's an amazing feeling.
It feels different this time. When the Packers won their Super Bowls, I was cheering them on. But I also felt like I was in the minority. Sure, others in the room wanted them to win but not as much as I did. It's totally different to have everyone in the room, in the state, cheering for the team that I want to win. This is the Hawk's time now. Bring it home. Change this city. Why can't I love two teams? I do. Which one of your children do you love more? Can't decide? Don't want to? Interesting.....
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Fantasy Football Championship Game Review Standard League
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.
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.
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.
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