So I was going to post Eminem's new video for Survival, as the season is long and you must survive and advance. This applies to both the fantasy football season and the current MLB playoffs. The Tigers survived a elimination game on Tuesday and face another one Thursday night. The same goes for this part of the fantasy football season. You must survive week to week especially during these bye weeks, injuries and general poor play. If you can win, that's all that matters. Keep winning 2 of every 3 and you should make the playoffs.
So back to this weeks featured video. As i was watching the new Em vid, I say that Paris Hilton has a new single out. Like the world needs more Paris? What's worse is that Lil Wayne is featured on the song. Are you kidding me? Now I'm not the biggest Rap/Hip Hop fan, but even I know how ludicrous this is. Wayne is either crazy or got paid an insane amount of money to lower himself to a wannabe rich girl pop star status. It just makes no sense, but maybe you insiders know something I do not. And as we have all seen from her sex tape, she's a horrible fuck so it couldn't be that. Haha. Paris should get back to spending her daddy's money and Lil Wayne needs to doing more work with Eminem like "No Love."
Well anyway, back to the league. This week saw the undefeated Dan go down hard to me. I'm pretty sure his team took a collective shit top to bottom. He couldn't have beaten anyone this week and it's really too bad he didn't draw Danny this week, cuz even he would have won this week. As for the aforementioned Danny he is the only winless team now. Steve picked up his first win and that has to feel good.
I've updated the power rankings for week 5 and we have a new man on top. Bryan is on a hot streak and claims the top spot for the first time this season. He is the only team with 4 wins so far. 4 other teams with 3 wins: Ian, Dan, Earl and myself are all chasing him to be top dog. The bottom 2 remain the same and need to win out to probably make the playoffs. But they are not eliminated yet.
CHECK THE POWER RANKINGS here: Week 5 Power Rankings
The Commish
Remember a time when Thursday night football games were non-existent, reserved for college games, or the traditional Thanksgiving games in Dallas and Detroit. Well a few years ago the NFL decided that Thursday was the night to squeeze one more primetime game in. Now don't get me wrong, I love football and enjoy seeing on Thursday night especially now that I have the NFL network (where all games must be shown except special occasions). The problem with Thursday night football can be directly related to my fantasy team. I hate seeing I have a player in one of these games. It can be even more of a worry when that player has an injury and they as listed as questionable or probable.
It's one thing to just have a guy suiting up after 3 days rest but if that player tweaked an ankle or knee it can be a nightmare on whether to start or sit him. You can read the reports, check the rankings and listen to the talking heads but it comes down to research and gut instinct. Sometimes you have to take a chance and start him hoping he performs or risk sitting him and hope he doesn't play or go off.
I had one of these choices last night with CJ Spiller. Listed as questionable Spiller played yet was ineffective except for one 54 yard TD run. Although I elected to sit him for a healthier yet less explosive back, that TD hurt. You always hate leaving points on your bench but I made the choice and I have to live with it. Now I still correct with my pick because only one play made his fantasy day and it easily could not have happened. You also have to look at the players back-up and see if he is playing, worth starting, etc. It can be maddening at times.
Thursday night games in general are iffy because of the shortened rest and practice time. Some of the games are defensive battles and others are shootouts, like last night. They are a toss up every week because no one knows how the players will show up or if the coaches are prepared enough. Add in that injury and it's a crapshoot. Some my general rule is if the player is injured and I have better, healthier options available, I sit him. And unless the player is one of my studs, I elect to play the guy on Sunday or Monday. It's always a case by case basis but most Thursday night games are snoozefests. Plus if you forget or don't set your line-up in time than you are risking starting an injured or out player or leaving a bye week player on the bench who should be in your line-up. All in all Thursday night games are a fantasy football manager's worst nightmare.
Good luck setting your next Thursday night roster.
The Commish
Hard to believe but Week 5 is already here. Seems like we just drafted. The next 5 weeks will start to shake out who's a contender and who's the pretender in the league and respective divisions. Right now a win or loss can dramatically shift your position from the fist through 6th spots. On a side note, the first trade was made this week between Blink and myself. Let's see if anymore take place.
Now onto the topic of the week. Steve and Danny are a combined 0 for the season (0-8). Well something has to give this week as they meet for the first time. Hopefully we won't have another tie and one of these guys can see their first win. You never know what that fist win could do. In one of my leagues last year I started 0-3 and went on an 8 game win streak and made the playoffs. So anything can happen, but usually you need to win 8 games to get in the playoffs so they are definitely in a hole with 9 weeks to play.
I've updated the power rankings for week 4 and Dan remains on top for the second straight week. There was a lot of shakeup in the 2-6 positions but the bottom two remain the same and even a win by either won't do much to change their ranks unless they can start winning and winning consistently.
CHECK THE POWER RANKINGS here: Week 4 Power Rankings
The Commish
This weeks games (with the exception of one) were all very close. This league is really balanced and that's why we had a tie between Ian and Dan this week. A tie is a hard pill to swallow, either guy could of and should have been victorious. A move here or there and the results could have been different. While a tie is better than a loss, it's no where near as good as a win. Wins are the bread and butter of the league. They are what get you in the playoffs. A tie can almost be considered a loss. Some years there are none, others have several. We will see if anymore happen, but its just a chance of luck that both guys faced the other that particular week. Both guys would have beat all but one team this week and maybe thats what hurts more.
Two guys are now (0-3) on the season, and that might be more rare than the tie in a 8 team league. History says neither of these guys are that bad and should make a fight of it the rest of the season. As long of either of your don't give up. One will have to win when they play each other in week 5..unless we have another tie!
I've updated the power rankings for week 3 and there is shakeup at the top as Dan takes over via his tie and my loss to Blink. Brian had a monster week which moved him up the rankings. For Ian the tie cost him dearly as many of the other teams passed him this week. The season is still young and in flux, but it's time to get on track so the hole is not too deep to dig out from.
CHECK THE POWER RANKINGS here: Week 3 Power Rankings
The Commish
So I have the NFL network and when my girlfriend allows me I like to watch football. Shocking I know, but last night I was able to catch some of the Kansas City @ Philadelphia game. A game that everyone, including myself, thought would be a shootout in Andy Reid's return to Philly ended up being a muddled, rough, scrappy contest. KC is now undefeated (3-0) and they look like a legitimate early contender to Denver in the AFC West and have Wildcard potential. The Eagle's defense is porous at best, something Chip Kelly will need to figure out fast if they want to contend in a down NFC East. Philly's offense while explosive at times, needs Michael Vick to cut down on the turnovers because they're not playing Washington every week.
While KC keeps on winning, it looks like it only has one viable fantasy stud in Jamal Charles. After a slow start Charles got his game going in the second half, which included 8 catches out of the backfield. He looks like Alex Smith go to guy on third downs and that can only benefit him as Smith doesn't throw down the field often enough. The KC defense has looked very solid in it's first 3 games and I value them a top 10 defense the remainder of the year. Dwayne Bowe was a no show last night (1 catch, 4 yards), although you can blame Smith for that. His value going forth will be a flex play as KC will focus on the run in Reid's offense. The other receivers are hit and miss each week and can't be depended on unless you are in a deeper league (12 teams or more).
LeSean McCoy has another great game including a late 41 yard TD. After leaving with a leg injury at the end of the first half, he came back and was Philly's only offensive threat. He is having a monster season so far under the new look Chip Kelly offense. He is a must start in every league. Michael Vick remains a match-up start unless you have no one better on your bench. He has turned the ball over too much to be a top ten guy in most leagues. DeSean Jackson got blanketed by the KC defense and wasn't the down field threat he usually can be. He remains a WR2 the rest of the season as he is Philly's top receiving threat.
So the question needs to be asked...can a bad team be better for fantasy than a good one? Well honestly it depends on the team and the talent on it. Philadelphia will put up good numbers all year, because they have a terrible defense and will either be in a shootout or playing from behind. KC on the other hand will be a ball control, defensive minded team and that leaves them as a less desirable choice for fantasy starters. While I wouldn't call them the Baltimore of last year, they play like them, low scoring, defensive games that rely on clock management and field goals to get the win. This may be great for the franchise but its terrible for fantasy owners. Teams like Washington, Detroit, the Giants, and Indianapolis who will be average to below average all have more fantasy potential than teams like San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and Seattle who have playoff aspirations.
Obviously good teams can be fantasy gold like Denver, Green Bay and New Orleans, and New England and conversely bad teams can be total crap like Jacksonville, Oakland, Cleveland and the New York Jets. But obviously an elite QB can increase the fantasy production of even average players. Just look to the aforementioned top scoring teams and who's slinging the ball: Manning, Rodgers, Brees and Brady. Follow the QB; find the points. Enough said.
The Commish
Trent Richardson has been a solid but underperforming fantasy player in his short 17 game career. His skimpy 62.1 yards per game average is hardly anything noteworthy. He does catch passes out of the backfield (3.421 per game) and has collect 11 TD's in his short career. While touchdowns are unpredictable, his 86.7 yards from scrimmage makes him a flex option at best.
We won't know how is game would have progressed under new Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner. But with starting QB Brandon Weeden out with a thumb injury, new coach Rob Chudzinski has elected to bypass journeyman Jason Campbell for former Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Even with Richardson in the lineup, defenses would surely focus on him, with no threat from the QB position. Without Richardson and with Hoyer, all Cleveland offensive players should be downgraded until otherwise proven.
The return of Josh Gordan should help out the inexperienced Hoyer, but unless you are desperate I'd use any Brown only in deeper leagues. Cameron Jordan should be solid but his upside should be curbed as defenses don't have to guard against the run much. Whoever fills at RB probably won't make any fantasy difference, even if they are getting starters touches. My guess is that 2 or 3 different guys will be rotated in based on who has the hot hand. Too much of a gamble in my opinion.
Now back to the man of the hour, Richardson goes to a Indianapolis team that has lacked RB prowess since Andrew Luck took over. Once Richardson gets antiquated with Indy's scheme, he should find room to run between the tackles. With Luck slinging the ball all over the field and his ability to scramble, defenses will have their hands full. Richardson should bring the safeties down into the box allowing for the likes of Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton to run free. Hilton should benefit the most from Richardson's acquisition, as he has the speed to be the deep threat he was last year. Look for Luck to target him more 20 yards down the field.
Richardson should catch more balls out of the backfield as well. He will provide a nice checkdown for Luck with his steady hands. I expect Richardson to be an 80 yards rushing, 35 yards receiving per game guy. Add in about 10-12 TD's per season, especially in the redzone, which Richardson should be a huge focus in Indy's offense, and Trent should be a solid RB2 in standard leagues with some upside in PPR leagues.
The Commish
Ok I have to just start off with this stupid video that is sweeping the web. The fox...watch the video if you haven't its ridiculous. Its got more than 35 million views. Its the next Gangnam Style.
Week two has past and the teams may be taking shape. It's still too early to tell but as you start to evaluate your roster certain guys are standing out and others are looking like early duds. Another factor contributing to this can be injuries. As the games continue more injuries are sure to happen, it's how you manage this injuries that can make or break your year. It comes down to drafting capable replacements or scouting the right back ups from the waiver wire. I'm a huge fan of and scourer of the wire, but it can be dangerous walking that wire each week to field your team. You can be burned easily if you pick up a guy who only had a good week, believing in potential instead of the steady performer on your bench. So be careful on who you pick up and who you drop.
Remember certain injured players can be moved to your IR spot, which will allow you to pick up a replacement while they are out. But as soon as you want them back on your active roster, someone has to go. It's a useful tool with a short term injury.
All new this week are the Power Rankings! I have posted the initial power rankings for the year on my blog. Check them out and see if you agree where you and your opponents rank. Power rankings are based on wins, points scored, momentum, etc. All though they are only my opinion, I will keep them as objective as possible.
CHECK THE POWER RANKINGS Week 2 Power Rankings
The Commish
P.S.
For those who haven't paid its time to get your league fees in. Please check your email for my Paypal link. If you do not pay your league fees you will not be eligible for season ending prizes. No deducting your fees from your winnings. It is not fair to those who paid. No exceptions.
Week one is in the books but it started off with a bang Thursday night with Peyton Manning and the Broncos. An impressive 7 TDs and everyone who had a Bronco's offensive player started the week off great. Blink was lucky to have Peyton because otherwise it would have been a game. He faced Steve, who's team dropped a shit to start the season.
There were lots of surprises this week on guys who came out of nowhere and the regulars who fell short. The TE's are ones to watch this year. Can they put a full season of production together or will it be hit and miss each week?
None of the games were really close and all were decided by the end of Sunday. Dan stormed out of the gate with 7 of his 9 starters scoring double digits. It was exciting first week to start the season which included a Detroit Lions victory and a game that put up a lot of fantasy stats.
Well it's only week one so nothing to get too high or too low about yet. Time to start tweaking your rosters with waivers and free agents. Don't forget we can trade too!
The Commish
It's finally that time again....football season is here and it couldn't have come any sooner. Let the games begin! Because the season starts tonight I hope you have made the necessary adjustments to your roster. Good luck this season. This may be the only time I say this because after tonight it's on.
If you haven't noticed I have created several trophies for this year. After all league fees are paid (so if you haven't paid yet, what are you waiting for?), whatever is left over from Paypal fees and pay out of First ($125.00) and Second ($50.00), roughly $15.00 will go to the player who has the most amount of trophy stars after the entire season is over. I thought this was better than giving it to third place. So sorry if you finish third this year and congrats if you get the bonus. I think it makes it a little more fun because you could have a good year and not make the playoffs or have a poor showing and still have a chance to make a little scratch.
In the following weeks this message will just have some thoughts on some games, weekly results and general ramblings. Read it, don't read it, I don't care, just be prepared to suffer at my beatings each week.
The Commish
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