Updates from January, 2010

  • Some Monday reading

    Matt 9:00 am on 6/30/2008 | 3 Permalink Reply
    Tags:

    Why you should avoid drafting players on bad teams. [Bleacher Report]

    Here’s one blogger who puts Addai, Jackson, LT, and Westbrook on about equal footing as his top-tier RBs. [Fake Teams]

    You think you’re hardcore into fantasy football? You’re not truly hardcore until you can say you’ve drafted a CFL fantasy football team. [News Talk 650]

    Is it possible to draft Tom Brady in the first round and still put together an otherwise-respectable fantasy squad? How about Randy Moss? [K5 Fantasy Football]

    Dave over at FF Goat has posted two more offensive line analyses for the AFC East and the AFC West.

    Thinking about trying out an auction league this season? Here’s how to get started. [Football Jabber]

     

  • 2008 Tight End Power Rankings

    Brandon 8:11 pm on 6/25/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , tight ends,

    Power rankings for other positions

    Here are your power rankings for the tight end position this season. If you don’t pull one of the top guys on the list, make sure you don’t rush into any rash decisions to fill the spot. I expect that we’ll see some pretty solid stats from some of the second and third tier guys on this list…guys you can get pretty late in the draft. (More …)

     

  • 2008 Wide Receiver Power Rankings

    Brandon 8:58 pm on 6/24/2008 | 18 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , ,

    Power rankings for other positions

    Here are your wide receiver power rankings for the 2008-09 fantasy football season…
    (More …)

     

  • 2008 Running Back Power Rankings

    Brandon 10:24 pm on 6/23/2008 | 15 Permalink Reply
    Tags: addai, , , , , , , westbrook

    Power rankings for other positions

    We all know the big question this season is LT or A-Pete, but while constructing this list I realized that after the top 5, the question is “Who the heck do I take?!” How can you justify taking someone like Frank Gore over Tom Brady or Randy Moss? Without falling back on the old “RB first” argument, you’re going to struggle to argue that Gore will have more of an impact on your fantasy team than either of those two. Same goes for Larry Johnson, who last preseason was a top three running back, but is now the Albert Pujols of the draft (i.e. someone you’re so scared to draft because of injury worries, but who could be a monster if he plays to his potential). While this list won’t answer all your questions, hopefully it at least gives you some direction when it comes to deciding what running back to draft!

    (More …)

     

  • Marshawn Lynch: Let's make a deal

    Matt 10:32 am on 6/21/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags:

    Lynch has agreed to plead guilty and is likely getting off the hook with nothing more than a violation in the same league as a speeding ticket. Amazing. As a Bills fan, now that my fear of losing our best player has subsided, I’m left with some disgust for a rich NFL star who would hit a woman with his car, leave her lying on the road, and hide from the consequences for over a week. I hope she sues him for everything he owns, and wins.

    Here’s a prediction: Buffalo isn’t the kind of town where this sort of thing will be forgotten quickly. It’s going to take years of seriously big-time contribution to the team and the city, both on and off the field, for Lynch to regain the fans’ trust. After the whole McGahee thing, I think it’s fair to say that we’re more than a little wary of being burned by a would-be hero again.

     

  • The RB-RB approach, dissected

    Matt 10:56 am on 6/20/2008 | 7 Permalink Reply
    Tags: draft approach, , , fantasy football draft strategy, rb-rb,

    If you found yourself in your league’s championship matchup last season, there’s a good chance you got there despite your running backs, rather than because of them. It was just one of those seasons where most owners found themselves banking on their receivers and quarterbacks rather than on their injury-prone or lackluster RBs. In short, it wasn’t a good season for the vaunted “take RBs in rounds 1 and 2, always” drafting mantra.

    Is it time to reevaluate the RB-RB approach? The subject has been broached by several bloggers and columnists this off-season. Here I’ll provide a summary of their opinions, as well as my own take. Will we reach a consensus of sorts? (More …)

     

  • Assorted webernet detritus

    Matt 4:46 pm on 6/19/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags:

    There might be a settlement coming in the Marshawn Lynch case. I’m trying to figure out if there’s anything else I can cross besides all my fingers and toes. Kidneys, perhaps? Time to fire up WebMD. [WKBW]

    Thinking about managing a fantasy team with a friend? Here’s a cautionary tale. Brandon and I are co-managing teams in at least two expert leagues this year… If this blog suddenly disappears after a flurry of bitter and obscene posts, now you’ll know why. [Wall Street Journal]

    Chances are, you won’t be drafting a 49er this season. [RealFootball365]

    Here’s FFGoat’s take on the AFC South offensive lines. [Fantasy Football Goat]

    RealTime Fantasy Sports’ draft guide is pretty damn comprehensive for a free offering. If they keep it updated throughout the preseason, they’re going to put a lot of the premium draft guide providers out of business.

    If you were a Westbrook owner last season, the memory of him passing up a touchdown in order to run out the clock against Dallas is forever scarred into your soul. For what it’s worth, he’s sorry. [Bleeding Green Nation]

    The Bucs are a total mess, but Gruden doesn’t seem to mind. [ESPN]

    Aaron Rodgers has a laser, rocket arm. The fact that it’s impressing anyone at all in the former land of Favre is noteworthy. [ESPN]

    Javon Walker’s probably going to be fine. Still an idiot and probably a liar, but fine. [MSNBC]

     

  • Javon Walker found unconscious in Las Vegas

    Brandon 10:15 am on 6/17/2008 | 3 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , ,

    This particular news update caught my eye, considering I was just in Las Vegas this past weekend for my cousin’s bachelor party. It appears that the 55 million dollar (over six years) man, Oakland Raiders WR Javon Walker, was found unconscious in a street off the strip in Las Vegas after an apparent mugging. The Associated Press reports:

    Police spokesman Bill Cassell said in a statement that Walker was taken to a hospital with “significant injuries” after being found early Monday on a street off the Las Vegas Strip.

    Cassell said Walker remained in fair condition at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

    (More …)

     

  • Update: EA Sports Fantasy Football now live

    Matt 8:46 am on 6/17/2008 | 5 Permalink Reply

    EA released the 2008 edition of its fantasy football site today, which I previewed here. I signed up today to take a look, and am disappointed to have to say that this site looks far from ready for prime time. I’m not really sure why they opened it up to the public in this condition to be honest with you. Screen shots and discussion after the jump.

    (More …)

     

  • Why Joseph Addai, not Adrian Peterson, should be #2 on your cheat sheet

    Matt 11:08 am on 6/12/2008 | 31 Permalink Reply

    “He has the vision of a Marshall Faulk, the power of an Earl Campbell, and the speed of an Eric Dickerson. Let’s pray he has the endurance of an Emmitt Smith.” – Deion Sanders on Adrian Peterson, 10/14/2007, less than a month before Peterson tore his right LCL in a game against Green Bay.

    Adrian Peterson is an exciting fantasy player by any measure. Besting the NFL single-game rushing record in his rookie season was a feat for the ages. Many a fantasy football trophy was won last year thanks to his statistical brilliance. I certainly wouldn’t be incredibly surprised if he has an even better season in 2008. Even though I think he has a higher ceiling than any running back in the league, if I were drafting with the #2 pick tonight, I’d be taking Joseph Addai over Peterson (assuming, as I think we can, that LT goes #1 almost universally). Here’s why: (More …)

     

  • Cedric Benson waived by Chicago Bears

    Brandon 12:22 pm on 6/10/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , travis henry

    After his second alcohol related incident in a month, the Chicago Bears have parted ways with their “supposed to be a superstar” running back:

    “Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate,” general manager Jerry Angelo said in a statement. “As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions.”

    It probably didn’t help that the Bears were probably already looking for alternatives at the position as Benson has been a massive disappointment since entering the league in 2005, averaging under four yards a carry and fifty yards a game throughout his career at this point. Note to players: If you’re sucking, don’t go and start screwing up off the field, or you’re likely to be canned…

    (More …)

     

  • First impressions of Fox Sports Fantasy Football Commissioner

    Matt 12:20 pm on 6/10/2008 | 18 Permalink Reply
    Tags: fox sports, reviews

    At some point in ‘07 (when the season had already started and it was too late), I noticed that Fox Sports Fantasy Football Commissioner offered pretty much everything that a Yahoo Plus league did – except for free, rather than $125 per league (irked by the fee, we went with Yahoo’s free version last season, which has far fewer features and customization options). I tucked that little nugget of knowledge away until today, when I decided upon further review to go with Fox for the keeper league I commish. Here are a few of my initial impressions: (More …)

     

  • Marshawn Lynch probably won't go to jail

    Matt 9:53 am on 6/10/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags:

    The Buffalo News:

    The aborted meeting Monday afternoon between Marshawn Lynch’s attorney and Erie County prosecutors virtually doomed any hopes for a quick resolution of the Bills running back’s criminal case.

    But that doesn’t mean it increased the chances of Lynch going to jail.

    While every case is different, jail time for a first-time defendant charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident would be “quite unusual,” Erie County District Attorney Frank J. Clark said Monday.

    That doesn’t mean he won’t be heading to Goodell’s doghouse, of course. This situation is obviously still pretty fluid and could result in anything from zero effect on Lynch’s fantasy value to a multi-game suspension.

     

  • Update: Witnesses say Marshawn Lynch was driving

    Matt 10:11 am on 6/06/2008 | 4 Permalink Reply
    Tags: asshat, , , seriously what a douche

    Lynch is an asshatThere was previously some ambiguity as to whether Lynch was actually driving the Porsche SUV that hit a woman and sped away at 3am last Saturday, but even that glimmer of hope appears to be fading:

    WGRZ in Buffalo reports that a source with knowledge of the investigation says four witnesses say Lynch was at the wheel of the vehicle at the time it hit a woman and sped off.

    If you’re wondering, in New York a hit-and-run that causes personal injury (but not death) is treated as a class A misdemeanor due to a tougher law passed in ‘05:

    This legislation also elevates the crime of leaving the scene of an incident involving personal injury, which under current law is a class B misdemeanor (maximum sentence of up to 90 days in jail), to a class A misdemeanor, with a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail, with a second or subsequent violation could be charged as a class E felony.

    Refusing to talk to the cops isn’t the kind of thing that will make a judge go easy on you (though it might be his best option at this point). Looks like Lynch could be looking at some jail time. Meanwhile, every keeper league owner on the planet whose setup allowed them to keep Lynch this season is frothing at the mouth right now. I’m not in that group thankfully, but as a Bills fan, I still feel your pain.

    Time to take a long, hard look at Fred Jackson and figure out where it might make sense to draft him. Xavier Omon’s worth keeping an eye on as well.

     

  • Marshawn Lynch still not talking to cops

    Matt 4:42 pm on 6/04/2008 | 3 Permalink Reply
    Tags:

    That pit in the stomach of every Bills fan on the planet right now? You can blame it 100% on Marshawn Lynch:

    Police investigators are growing impatient with running back Marshawn Lynch and his failure to meet with them more than three days after his vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run accident.

    Buffalo, N.Y., Police Department spokesman Mike DeGeorge suggested Tuesday that Lynch could face an obstruction-of-justice charge if he doesn’t cooperate. He said Lynch’s lawyer finally contacted investigators on Monday but said a meeting has not been set.

    I just threw up in my mouth a little, and then a whole lot more all over my desk, keyboard, and hey-what-a-coincidence my Marshawn Lynch jersey. Refusing to speak to the cops can be translated roughly from Asshat to English as: “Yep, I did it.”

    I was expecting big things from Lynch this season. The kid has scary talent and is the biggest weapon on an offense that’s ready to take the next step.

    Now he’s an unknown. And it ain’t looking good.

    (An unrelated aside: If you’re looking to rob a professional athlete’s house, do not under any circumstances choose Noah Herron’s house. Try robbing a kicker, perhaps.)

     

  • Yet another ridiculous Jamal Lewis pick in a mock draft

    Matt 11:32 am on 6/02/2008 | 6 Permalink Reply
    Tags: ,

    Is the Jamal-Lewis-in-the-first-round thing going to be a pattern in fantasy drafts this year? A month ago, I noticed with some horror that he’d gone tenth overall in Yahoo’s “expert” mock draft. Now here he is going SIXTH in The Hazean’s May mock draft. Haze’s advice to anyone considering a similarly outrageous pick:

    Finding a site that lists Average Draft Positions can be useful. Even if you are the biggest Lewis believer and think he might put up top 5 RB numbers, if the ADP suggests him being drafted in the 3rd or 4th round, take a risk that Lewis will be there in the 2nd or 3rd round and draft Westbrook here and Lewis a round or two later. I actually like Ryan Grant better than Lewis.

    Good point. If you want to make the argument that Lewis is going to put up first-round numbers, that’s fine – but that doesn’t mean you have to waste a first-round pick on him. He’ll almost definitely be there for you in the second. If he isn’t, well, that’s one fewer 29-year-old RB on your roster.

     

  • Keeper league resources

    Matt 8:20 am on 6/02/2008 | 11 Permalink Reply
    Tags: fantasy football keeper league, , keeper league rules,

    Getting a fantasy football keeper league started is no trivial matter. For the most part, you’re going to have to live with the decisions you make before the first season for as long as the league lasts – which, if you do things right, could be an epically long time. The last thing you want is to be hearing the same old gripes from your league’s peanut gallery twenty years from now. Here’s a collection of resources from around the Web to help you get started the right way.

    • KFFL: What is a keeper league and why play? – Very detailed overview, covers the difference between keeper and dynasty leagues.
    • Here’s a nice collection of keeper league rules used by various leagues.
    • Our suggested ruleset for a standard keeper league. This is the setup that Brandon and I use in the league I commish. It’s a conservative, fair setup which rewards smart keeper decisions while still preventing any one team from achieving permanent crushing dominance. We allow each owner to keep up to three players from the previous season, as long as they were drafted after round 3.
    • Great Lakes Fantasy Football’s Guru Dynasty League – At the opposite end of the spectrum from the conservative keeper setup we prefer are dynasty leagues like this one, where you can keep your entire roster if you so choose.
    • Another dynasty option is going with an auction-based format like this one.
    • Looking for a fantasy football website that has built-in support for keeper leagues and will carry your data over from year to year? This is a good option if you’re willing to give up some flexibility in exchange for low maintenance. Sites that offer keeper support: CBS Sportsline, FleaFlicker, FanBall, FanStar, FantasyBowl, Homegrown Sports. I’ve tried the first two; the rest look OK to me. There are a lot more out there, but some of them look a little sketchy so I didn’t include them.
    • The Fantasy Football Times has a detailed article on starting a keeper league.
    • And then there’s Football Jabber’s obscenely detailed, twenty-step process for creating a dynasty league. And here I thought we were the geeks.
     

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