Fantasy Football Week 1 Results

Redraft League Standard Scoring
Week 1 Results

Win
Score - 74-40
Power Rank - 3rd

     I felt very confident about this team coming out of the draft.  Landed some great starters and several rookies that will play bigger roles as the season wears on.  Changed my draft strategy a bit this year, I didn't want to load up on so many running backs right away.  Of course, I still went heavy on them as the draft went on, but I got my number 1 target with my first pick then went after some other positions that put up big numbers in our scoring system.  I think that is key to winning in any league, know how you can score points and when to acquire those players. 

     So, instead of grabbing RBs with all my first picks, I went RB, QB then TE and WR.  We have to start a TE every week so I made it a point to go after a good one.  Julius Thomas from Denver was available so I took him while everyone else was still on the RB kick.  My first over all pick was Eddie Lacey, I wanted a stud RB in a system that will lean on him a lot.  The Packers are becoming more balanced and Lacey is the main reason for that, he will be the main man in the back field.  Took Stafford for my QB, even when the Lions lose, he should put up good numbers.  My first 2 WRs, I went with Michael Floyd from Arizona and Keenan Allen from San Diego, both are in pass heavy offenses and should do well.

     On to this weeks games.  I played all my big names and of course, week 1, how could you now?  I had 2 huge games and it turns out that all I would have needed for this win.  25 from Stafford and 23 from Thomas.  My next highest score was from my kicker at 8.  I had some guys get dinged up during the game and their playing time was limited.  The big one was Lacey, he left the game with concussion like symptoms.  So far he has cleared the early stages for being able to play next week and I hope he does, he only managed 1 point this week.  My other main RB was Bell from the Lions.  I drafted him knowing he was a strong runner and will catch a ton of passes.  He ran strong and scored a TD this week.  I was a little nervous about taking a RB and QB from the same team but I figured with all the points they will score, I should end up doing well. 

     My WRs did just OK this week.  Out of the 3 I got a combined 7 points.   This can't happen every week but I know there were several games that the weaker teams just played stronger than expected.  I'll most likely keep the same guys in the lineup for next week.  Looking ahead to next weeks games, I'll probably keep my line up the same.  The only thing I will have to keep an eye on is Lacey.  I have a few other RBs that I can start in his place if he can't go, my back up RB from the Browns, Terrance West ran very well after their starter went out with an injury.  He managed 100 yards and put up 5 points on the bench.  I knew Tate wasn't going to hold up all year but didn't know he would go down this early.  I might have another starting RB on my hands sooner than I thought.  I didn't post a draft review so I'll list my current team here:

QB - Stafford - Lions
RB - Lacey - Packers
RB - Bell - Lions
RB - Hill - Bengals
RB - Hyde - 49ers
RB - West - Browns
RB - Freeman - Falcons
RB - Williams - Giants
RB - Brown - Bills
WR - Allen - Chargers
WR - Floyd - Cardinals
WR - Evans - Bucs
WR - Benjamin - Panthers
TE - Thomas - Broncos
K - Gould - Bears
DEF - Packers


Keeper League PPR Scoring
Week 1 Results

Win
Score 175 - 130

     Had a good draft in this one too.  Didn't get a few of the guys I was after but same as above, I grabbed a few guys that will get more playing time as the season wears on and the injuries add up.  I have a strong core of starters to build on so I didn't really NEED much, just wanted to get some quality back ups and (hopefully) future stars.  On to week 1.

     I was 50/50 about my chances this week.  My opponent has fielded a strong team every season and we are in the same division.  A win for me would be a great start.  All my starts showed up and put up some great numbers for my team.  Just a great game overall and I ended up with the highest point total in the league for this week.  The Cowboys and Seahawks running games are both in great shape, Lynch put up 25 and Murray had 20.  RBs have never really been my strong suit and that will probably hold true for much of this season as well as my WRs put up big numbers again this week.  Cobb was my lowest scoring WR at 15, others went for 23 - Patterson, 23 Brown and Cooks (my rookie WR) had 19.   Cooks is my new addition, I think he has great upside for the Saints this year.  I know he's a rookie and they usually don't have great first years, but injuries to a few starters and on a team that throws a ton and he got several targets and made the most of them.  I like this kid going forward. 

     My bench didn't do much, which is why they are there.  I went and nabbed a good back up QB this year, something that hurt me last season.  I took Cutler, as much as I don't like the Bears, he has really good potential to put up big numbers.  Between him and Stafford I should be OK.  In the draft I picked up Cooper from the Eagles.  I made a last minute change and took him out of this weeks lineup and put in Cooks.  Glad I did.  I didn't need the points to win but a few last minutes doing research helped out.  Looks like Cooks will be my guy for a while. 

     Here is my team heading into this season.  I made a pre draft trade, got rid of Alshon Jeffery and picked up Christine Michaels and a draft pick.  I was plenty deep at WR and I wanted some insurance for Lynch.  Michaels could very well be the Hawks star RB of the future, maybe not this season.  I could have done without this trade but at the time, Lynch was threatening a holdout.  I drafted Michaels last season then dropped him half way through when it was clear he wouldn't get any playing time.  I'll hang on to him this season. 

QB - Stafford - Lions
QB - Cutler - Bears
RB - Lynch - Seahawks
RB - Murray - Cowboys
RB - Brown - Bills
RB - Michaels - Seahawks
RB - Dunbar - Cowboys
RB - Murray - Raiders
RB - Williams - Giants
WR - Cobb - Packers
WR - Patterson - Vikings
WR - Brown - Steelers
WR - Cooks - Saints
WR - Cooper - Eagles
K - Hauschka - Seahawks
DEF - Packers

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. 

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. 

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

Fantasy Football 2012 Week 10 Review Standard/PPR

Fantasy Football Week 10 Review

Standard and PPR Leagues



Standard League Team

     Over the last few weeks I made a few changes.  As of right now I am winning my division, even though I will lose this week.  I am starting to plan on making the playoffs and how to put my best team forward to win those important games.  I was able to drop some dead weight and pick up a couple guys that are hurt right now but should slowly make their way back and be full time starters by the time we start wrapping things up and heading into the playoffs.  The biggest addition has been Maurice Jones Drew.  He was dropped last week, due to his injury, which scared off many of the other owners.  I've already got a few really good running backs but I could not pass MJD up.  He is a full time RB on a team with no other weapons, so he gets the ball a ton no matter what.  He can take a seat on my bench for now, right next to DeMarco Murray.  Once those two guys get back on the field and I can add them to my lineup on a weekly basis, right next to Ray Rice and Doug Martin, look out! 

     Getting over injuries can be tough.  This week was a bad one for me.  I'm going to lose this week but I will still be on top with a 6-4 record.  I got bit by some injuries and bye weeks at the same time.  I even had to start 2 guys that were out because everyone on my bench was on a bye or injured.  Didn't have a bad week for scoring, we put up 64 points, but just not enough.  Matt Ryan is still producing at a very high level.  Two other guys that usually put up good numbers, Percy Harvin and Aaron Hernandez, both out this week.  I saw this coming but being that every guy on my bench was not available and our waivers are only once a week on Wednesday, there was nothing I could do. 

     Heading into week 11 I can drop one of my Defences and a Running Back that went and got himself suspended for 4 games.  Not a big deal, he was only there to cover bye weeks anyway.  I don't have a plan for what to pick up this week.  It's a good spot to be in not to have to scramble every week.  2 of my last 3 games are against playoff teams, including the other division leader (at the moment).  Most likely I will go after something like another Wide Receiver and maybe a Running Back.  I only have 1 more bye week to cover for week 11.  Trying to think ahead and not get over confident. 

PPR League Team

     Lost the last 2 games.  I was thinking it would be 3 in a row since my main guys are on a bye week this week.  I was able to add Phillip Rivers to cover for Aaron Rodgers and he put up a good game.  Also had some really good games from my Running Backs, which is good because I really only have one good one with Lynch.  I picked up Marcel Reece once I heard the other Oakland Running Backs were out and he put up a nice game for me.  He won't be counted on once the 2 main guys get back but until then I'll start him.  I also added Isaac Redman for the time being, had a good game last week so we shall see how long he can get playing time.  I have Donald Brown on my bench.  Once he gets healthy and gets his normal playing time he should put up decent numbers. 

     Last year I made the playoffs for the first time in this league.  I don't think that will happen this year.  After this week I will be 5-5.  Not horrible, but there will be a tie for the lead in the division and also a tie for second place.  I will get my big guys back next week so that will help.  I will have to make a few moves to try and keep up.  I don't make many trades as many other owners want my top guys and aren't willing to give up much of anything good. 

     I try to take advantage of starters getting hurt.  It works but only for a short time.  I have had to mine the waivers each week.  Not in full on panic mode, but there is not much there.  I have a few guys that I am hoping will turn into full time starting Running Backs for next year so I will try to do what I can while hanging on to those guys for next year.  Just going to try and finish strong and at least above .500.  Not too confident about my chances but you never know.  Can't give up. 

Fantasy Football Week 5 Review - Week 6 Preview

Fantasy Football

Week 5 Review & Week 6 Preview

Redraft League - Well, started the season 2-0.  Since then, dropped 3 in a row. 

My team has been scoring good points each week.  But we have been getting beat, quite soundly, the last 3 weeks.  A lot of other mid range names have been having great games, while some of the bigger names have yet to fully realize their potential.  Matt Ryan is still doing great.  Had a few stinker games from my running backs.  We get yardage points but only 20yds for 1 point so while a running back with a 100 yard game sounds great, its only 5 points without a TD.  So, while Ray Rice is just about a lock for 100 yards each week, unless he can score, that's only 5 points. 

I haven't had to scrounge the waiver wire too much to cover injuries.  The thing that sneaks up on me every year is the bye weeks.  Injury + bye week = no kicker.  This usually happens for 1 game every year in this league.  Only having the waiver wire open once a week and having the first picks go to the teams with the worst records kinda sucks.  You can't just research a name and go grab him right away.  You have to put in a claim and wait and see if he falls to you.  If he doesn't, you're out of luck.  If you were counting on that player to cover an injury or bye week, ouch. 

Had a few weeks of really low scoring from my wide receivers and running backs.  I'm hoping they can get back on track here soon.  On paper, my team should be killing it right now.  I'm not one to play the match ups, if I have a good player I'll start that player regardless if he plays against a tough defense.  I have to count on my main guys to pull through, once they get rolling again I should bounce back.  A couple of my receivers had injuries a couple of weeks back, nothing major but its the little injuries that can linger.  You always hope your guys don't get hurt.  When you have a guy get a small injury but he is still able to play, that can kill your score.  A guy can start but not be 100%, so he doesn't play the whole game, and when he does play, he's not effective.  Puts you in a tough spot sometimes.  I was lucky enough, the players that went down with season ending injuries the last few weeks weren't any of mine. 

I can shake a few of these little injury bugs and get past a few bye weeks and get my team back on track.  I'm still confident about a post season birth. 

Keeper League - Turned this one around, a little.  Now at 2-3.

Through week 3, my highest scoring players were my back up QB and my Defense.  Tough spot.  Rodgers should be able to turn things around.  Facing the toughest defenses in the league in the first few weeks of the season hurts.  I don't even want to get into the Hawks vs pack Monday Night game. 

Lynch is still doing good, he needs to score a bit more but his yardage totals are still getting points.  I really felt, after the draft, that by this point I would have a few good running backs.  Not the case.  I kind of knew Kevin Smith would loose his starting job eventually, but it came on really fast.  One week he was the starter, the next, not even one carry.  I expected to see his role get smaller first and I would have time to find another decent back.  I went with having to start Bush every week.  Having to re lie on a #2 running back, just sucks.  I dropped Smith, Pead, Turbin.  Some starting backs went down with season ending injuries so I tried to act quickly and grab some back ups.  La Rod Stephens Howling - I had him a few seasons ago as a back up and all of a sudden his going to be a starter, or atleast have a big role.  I was a little proactive and took a chance on Jahvid Best, he should get cleared to play and see some good playing time. 

Jennings is still battling with his groin injury.  I have it covered but to have a guy like that out hurts.  Welker was able to get some more playing time and get some good numbers.  I never thought he would have as good a season as last year, but he started this year horribly.  Britt.  I still have him.  I have yet to start him.  I'm sure he will get some better games as the season get going but its hard to trust him now. 

My 2 wins were really nice.  one game I won by less than a point.  I think that's how things will go for me the rest of this season.  Kind of wierd but when I play a winning team, thier guys usually have bad games or less than average for them.  In this league the waiver wire is open 24/7 and its first come first serve.  I've been watching that a lot closer now.  It's helped me get a few guys that should help.  Time will tell.  If I can get just a couple of these moves to pan out I should be able to pull out a couple more games. 

Fantasy Football Redraft League

Fantasy Football Redraft League Summery

     The Redraft League is always exciting.  You can start fresh every year.  The moment you get the draft order you spend the rest of the time preparing for your perfect picks.  You get everything lined up, your research on each player you want, injury and hold out reports, stat projections and opinions from fantasy footballers from around the country.  Then the draft starts and you throw all that hard work out the window....  Oh yeah, and 5 minutes before the first pick we decided to add a flex position for the first time ever.

     My name got pulled out of the hat for the 8th overall pick.  We do a snake draft, so my first 2 picks would be the 8th and 13th overall.  Important because between my next pick, there would be more than a dozen players drafted.  Our league is pretty basic as far as scoring.  You have to decide what position you want to load up on.  If you try to spread the picks around you can end up one good player and a bunch of duds around each position.  Not every star player will put up home run numbers every week.  I try to draft players that will be consistent and get me points every week and give me a chance to win games.  Which positions are thin or have the steepest drop off?  All this comes into play once the draft starts and owners start making their picks.  You can never predict what will happen in our league.  In most leagues, running backs will come off the board before other positions.  Out of our first 5 picks, 3 of them were quarter backs.  By the time my first pick came around, the second highest rated running back was still available.  Totally catching me off guard and throwing my draft strategy in the toilet...again.  So, of course, when my second pick came around, another high ranked running back was still available. 

     Knowing that there are a lot of really good quarterbacks right now, I could wait and pick up a really good one and not have to spent a first or second round pick on one.  I took a QB with my 3rd pick.  Didn't get the top guy on my list, but I'm happy with what I got.  I took a rookie running back with my next pick.  Rookies don't usually play a big role in our league, but this guy already won the starting role on his team and starting running backs can be great when they get most of the work load. 

     Out of the first 4 picks I got 3 starting running backs and a top rated QB.  Time to grab some pass catchers.  This means wide receivers and tight ends.  I try to target guys on pass heavy teams and guys that get thrown to a ton.  Guys listed as a #1 or #2 on a team are at a premium.  My next 4 picks were all pass catchers.  3 #1 wide receivers and a #2 tight end.  Not too shabby. 

     After having the basic building blocks for my team I wanted to load up on players that will have potential for the coming year.  I decided to grab, what I figured, was the best available at the wide receiver and running back positions for the next few picks.  That paid off with a few more rookies and #1 wide receivers.  I'm not one to draft many back up positions for my team.  I think a back up QB is the only one I target.  Anything else I will pick up scraps off the waiver wire if I need to.  I picked up a back up QB who just won the starting gig on his team.  He can pass and run, but I will only use him for a bye week. 

     During the late rounds of any draft, you get to a point when you have your starters and just want to take a few chances.  Here you can also take players you don't want or need, but you know other teams need them.  Sure, you might have 5 wide receivers already.  But you look at the draft board and see the guys drafting around you still need them.  I am not above snaking a good position player and sitting him on my bench.  This league, you can trade, but I cannot remember if there has ever been a trade.  If my starters can score a bunch of points for me and I leave a bunch of points on the bench, that's less points for my opponents to have.  There are only so many yards and touch downs and if I can keep a few away from other teams every week, I sure as heck will!

     I'll do a quick run down of my team for this league, I will list them in the order drafted and provide a short reason for the pick.  Let me know what you think.  Any mistakes?  Keep in mind, the first 3 players off the board were the top 3 quarter backs.  Our starting line ups need to have 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE 1 FLEX, 1 K and 1 DEF.  Don't mind my spelling of first names.

#1 - RB Ray Rice.  I was very surprised to have him at this pick.  The Ravens do pass but not a ton and Rice does catch a bunch of those passes.  He will get a lot of yards and TDs.  He is a star player and not only a #1 RB but probably the best offensive player on his team.

#2 - RB Demarco Murray.  Again, having the chance to grab another top RB, this was a no brainer for me.  Murray might have a slight injury risk but I think the positives will out weigh the negatives with this pick.  He will run to a bunch of yards and TDs.  The Cowboys will score a bunch and Murray will be a big part of that.

#3 - QB Matt Ryan.  I think the Falcons are going to be a really good team this year.  Their receivers getting better and better, Ryan will be throwing passes all day long.  It won't matter to me who catches them.  Ryan will be a top rates QB this year. 

#4 - RB Doug Martin.  This rookie has already won the starting role for the Bucks.  They do have a good QB, but I believe they will be a run first team.  Martin can run and catch.  He will most likely be used at least 50/50, if not more.  Ton of upside with this pick.  Might have another Ray Rice here. 

#5 - WR Percy Harvin.  The Vikings will be a little better than they were last year, but not much.  Harvin has potential to be the #1 player on this team.  He will catch a lot of passes and he plays a big role in the running game.  With Peterson recovering from a major injury, I believe they will lean on Harvin early and often. 

#6 - TE Aaron Hernandez.  He might be the #2 tight end on his team but that is more than enough for a #1 on any other team.  He will play a big role and get his catches.  We have to start a tight end and I hate having one that only catches 1 or 2 passes a week.  Good pick here.

#7 - WR Antonio Brown.  The Steelers can and will throw the ball, especially with their #1 RB on the shelf for atleast the first half of the season.  Mike Wallace is a drama queen.  Brown will catch a lot of passes in this offence.  Even if he stays as the #2 on this team, he will get a lot of chances to score.  Good upside.

#8 - WR Jeremy Maclin.  He had a bad illness to start last season and battled a leg injury late in the year.  Even with that, he had better stats then (another drama queen) Jackson.  He should be the #1 receiver on the Eagles this year.  Vick should be throwing more to try and stay healthy (HA) and that will help Maclin's upside a ton.

#9 - RB Kevin Smith.  Someone has to start a RB for the Lions and Smith will be that guy, at least for a while.  The lions are turning into a pass first team, but they also run the ball a lot.  Smith has potential if he can stay healthy.  I really only picked him up because he will be a starter on a good team.  With my other top picks, I might not start him.  But you never know.  My first big upside and big injury risk pick.  A starting running back on my bench is one less I'll have to worry about other owners starting.

#10 - WR Pierre Garcon.  I took a chance here.  Garcon should be the go to WR for the Redskins.  I repeat, for the Redskins.  Not known as a top offence.  BUT, with their new rookie QB that will take a lot of heat from defences, that could open up the field for the wide outs.  His upside will depend totally on what Griffin can bring to the table.  Griffin can throw and when he does, hopefully Garcon will be the guy.

#11 - RB David Wilson.  Took a rookie RB here.  He will be the Giants #2, but if history has taught us anything is that the Giants use 2 running backs to great effect.  He has huge potential here.  By a show of hands, who here thinks Bradshaw will stay healthy and start every game this year?  Didn't think so.  Not if, but when Bradshaw misses time, Wilson will step up and be the #1.  Big upside. 

#12 - WR Justin Blackmon.  I took another WR on a team that typically does not have a very good offence.  But this rookie has plenty of upside.  Jags second year QB should improve a lot and they run the ball first.  Blackmon is a play maker that should end up as the #1 on this team.  He might not see much of the field for my team but I'm taking a chance here.  With picks in the late rounds, you are not getting too many #1's anyways.  I feel just OK about this pick. 

#13 - K Sebastian Janikowski.  I only draft 1 kicker so I try to take a good one.  The Raiders have potential but they always do almost nothing with it.  Old QB, fragile starting RB.  I see a lot of unfinished drives ending with lots of field goals.  He is accurate and can kick far.  It adds up for me.  Other owners started grabbing kickers at this point.  I didn't want to end up with a guy that only gets PATs. 

#14 - DEF Green Bay.  Everyone knows that the Packers offence is the star of the show and the defence was bad last year.  But in this league we don't get a penalty for giving up points or yards.  The Packers get lots of take aways and should be a lot better at getting sacks this year.  With Cobb returning kicks they have a lot of potential for scoring.  With the average DEF scoring around 5 or 6 points a week, I like the upside here.

#15 - WR Randall Cobb.  I know that the Packers are a pass first team, but the main reason I took Cobb here was for his special teams upside that will also count towards the DEF scoring.  He won't get a huge amount of passes thrown his way so he might not see much of the field for my team.  But who knows?  The potential is there.  He will be a bench warmer for now. 

#16 - QB Jake Locker.  The QB position is usually the only one I will draft a back up for.  The Titans named Locker their starter already.  He can run and throw so he can rack up points for fantasy teams.  He won't come close to Matt Ryan type scoring, but I don't need him to.  He will average a few points less every week, but for a bye week fill in, what more can you ask for?  I don't see Ryan getting hurt but if he does, I feel I have a very nice back up plan.