Time to recap week 8, getting down to crunch time in the Equalizer boys.
Keenan Allen - Guy destroys the Broncos for some reason. Another nice game here, grabbing nine balls for 73 and a touchdown. However, it is still only his second performance of 20 plus points this season. Seems to be trending upwards with his second straight double digit performance, but with the many mouths to feed in SD, I am still tapering expectations for a second half burst.
Emmanuel Sanders - Went beast mode on Thursday night, grabbing three touchdowns. This is not without precedent as Eric Decker showed last year. This offense just scores at will and it is really a crap shoot as to who grabs the TD's in any given game. Fortunately, there is usually enough to go around where everyone is happy.
Juwan Thompson - Keep an eye on this kid, with Hillman being a smaller back might be a sneaky grab to vulture some TD's for someone thin at the position.
Detroit vs. Atlanta - What a tale of two halves. Atlanta came out, protected Matt Ryan, and grabbed a 21-0 lead heading into the half. Then the wheels started to come off. That Detroit defensive front started to get pressure on the QB, bone-headed play to let Tate get deep on a 3rd and 25, and some questionable plays under two minutes in the game. Mike Smith might be on his way out of Atlanta.
Matthew Stafford - As I watch this kid more and more, I start to understand the tunnel vision criticisms often pegged to him. Threw the ball to Golden Tate 15 times on Sunday. We all know how often Megatron is targeted. He has been lucky to play with two of the best in the league to be able to make plays with that number of targets, but what if he had the receivers in New England or Seattle. Would he still put up numbers?
Seattle Seahawks - You can try and quash rumors of locker room unrest all you want, but they don't typically arise out of nowhere. Apart from Wilson, just have not looked very good as of late. I knew the team was human and just really hit its stride in the playoffs last year, but nothing can destroy a good team faster than bad chemistry. Hopefully they can right the ship in the coming weeks.
Baltimore vs. Cincy - The battle of the two QB's where I don't think anyone can decide if they are actually good or not. Both have looked like one of the best, both have been embarrassingly bad at times. You guys have any idea?
Denard Robinson - The Jags might have actually found something here. I was waiting to see if last week's game might have been a fluke (22 for 127 yards) but he comes back with 108 yards on the ground. With Bortles doing his best Matt Schaub impression, the lone bright spot for the Jags Sunday.
Knile Davis - This guy would probably start on 10 teams in the league right now, I wonder if he ever gets out of KC. Will always play second fiddle to Charles in a chiefs uniform, might be worthy of a stash in the future if trade rumors circulate.
Tom Brady - Gronk is back. Lafell doesn't suck. And Tom Brady is just money right now. This is why he's one of the greats.
Chicago Bears - What a disappointment this team is. Locker room troubles, no clear cut leaders on the team. This team is a train wreck right now. Jay Cutler does not strike me as a guy people rally around, this team might finish the year last in the NFC North.
Geno Smith - Open tryout for Jets starting QB position, anyone wanna head down?
Sammy Watkins - Here you go Dan, the future of the Dark Force franchise. Certainly flashed his rookie colors on Sunday when he forgot he wasn't at Clemson anymore and could outrun anybody on the field, but still put together a monster game. And this with Kyle Orton at QB. I really like this kid moving forward, and regret not taking the chance on him in the draft.
Cordarelle Patterson - Decent game here for Patterson, might he finally be figuring it out. As if the TD's need anymore weapons on the squad, destroying the league right now.
Zach Mettenberger - Actually not a terrible start against a good Texans defense and the best defensive player in the league. With Jake Locker just unable to stay on the football field, might Whisenhunt have a little more to think about now?
John Brown - Really fun kid to watch, quick quick quick. Problem is I can't trust the production yet. Can always be that home run hitter, but hasn't shown the consistency. Part of this is a result of coverages and what teams are allowing Arizona to do, with Fitz and Floyd being more reliable receivers, but I like this kid's future prospects.
Cleveland Browns - Plodded out another win, but I think people in Cleveland are licking their chops to see Manziel under center next year. I know I am.
Andrew Luck - 26 completion for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns just has to be a winning stat line right? In steps Big Ben, and what a performance he put on. Is this game equivalent to a perfect game in baseball? I think those bumblebee uniforms had something to do with it. The Outlaws have been riding Bell and Brown all year, might Evan just make it the triple threat and add Big Ben off waivers?
Aaron Rodgers - For some reason the Packers tried to get really cute in this game and try an onside kick, bring Peppers in on offense, and just let Mark Ingram do whatever he pleases. But it ends Rodgers streak of games with 3 touchdowns passes. The two interceptions were not his fault, and I know the Panties are holding their breath that the hamstring isn't an issue (as am I...).
Brandin Cooks - Showed in this game what all the preseason hype was about. A similar player to John Brown (slightly bigger), just an absolute burner. Tends to catch passes near the line of scrimmage and use his speed to make plays, but showed he can be a deep threat in this game.
Colt McCoy - Must be something about the state of Texas. Leads the lowly Redskins into Dallas and knocks off the NFC East leaders. Put together a decent game too, throwing for 299 yards with 1 pick and a rushing touchdown. I don't foresee any controversy when RGIII is cleared for play, but what a surprise last night was.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Week 7 Observations
Another interesting week in the NFL. Players on the move. Teams picking up their first W. Let's get into things of note from week 7 around the NFL.
Percy Harvin - Lord have mercy the Jets got Percy. Not only is this a god send for Jets fans, as they finally have a play maker on the outside to compliment Decker, but it's a boost for Percy Harvin fantasy owners as well. For whatever reason, he just was not being used as much as I think he should have been in Seattle. This is a guy with gamebreaking ability that you need to gameplan around (and for on the defensive side of the football). With the Jets having an offense that has been flat at times, I expect them to try and get the football into Harvin's hands wherever they can, whether that's on jet sweeps, bubble screens, or on pass plays downfield. I am expecting a bump in his productivity.
Shane Vereen - There was concern that Branden Bolden or James White might be filling the void left by Stevan Ridley, but Vereen saw the majority of the work, rushing for 43 yards on 11 attempts. He was also heavily involved in the pass game, catching 5 balls for 71 yards and two touchdowns (a career fantasy performance). While the NE RB situation is always a crapshoot, we didn't see much outside of Shane Vereen this past week against a strong Jets run defense.
Tom Brady - You think Brady was pissed about people saying he didn't have it a few weeks ago. Since the KC debacle on Monday Night Football, Brady's lowest fantasy output is 20 points. The Pats have always tended to play their best football later in the year, and I think it is safe to say Brady is returning to form.
Chris Ivory - Rex Ryan needs to designate Ivory as their guy. I don't like this by committee approach where no one is held accountable. There is no doubt Ivory has been the better runner and you can do worse than Chris Johnson in third down/passing situations. Name a starter and stick with him.
Atlanta Falcons - Perhaps top five in the league in terms of skill positions on offense, they can't block anyone. Lost another offensive lineman to an ACL tear this past week, they're signing anyone over 6'2" and 250 pounds in the city of Atlanta to block at this point. And that defense cannot stop anyone, the Falcons are in trouble.
Kyle Orton - If he does not have a mustache, did the game winning toss to Sammy Watkins with one second left really happen?
Jerrick McKinnon - Looks to have solidified himself as the guy in Minnesota going forward. Really high on this kid, I like his future in Minny considering it is looking more and more likely that AP may be on his way out.
Cordarelle Patterson - One of the largest wastes of talent in the NFL, how can this guy not figure out route running? Get open man.
Carolina Panthers defense - Anybody remember the GB Packers D a few years ago when they were second in the league on their way to a Super Bowl victory? Well that defense was worst in the league in some statistical categories the following season and just flat out terrible at times with much the same personnel. Same situation happening in Carolina right now, this team was absolutely shredded Sunday. Riverboat Ron's gotta right the ship down there in Carolina as the NFC South looks to be WIDEEEE open.
Cam Newton - Actually expected him to have a nice game here as the Packers have had trouble with running QB's in recent years (Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick). Rushed for a TD while throwing for only 200 yards after his huge performance last week, I want to see Cam return to form because he is fun to watch.
Cincinnati Bengals - If you know what to think about this Bengals team please let me know, because I just don't get it. Look like Super Bowl contenders one week and the Raiders the next.
Ahmad Bradshaw - Six receiving touchdowns through 7 games this year, is this a sustainable pace for the oft-injured back? I actually think so with the way the Colts offense is putting up points. They do not have any especially tough defenses to play for the rest of the season.
Jacksonville Jaguars - The JAGSSSSS!! Get off the snide knocking off Cleveland at home this past Sunday. Denard Robinson comes out of nowhere to post a 127 yard rush day.
Cleveland Browns - See Cincy Bengals above. Just when you think this team might be for real, they throw up this stinker. Bryan Hoyer 16 for 41. Yikes...
Russell Wilson - Just a monster right now. Love to see him running the football and love his prospects moving forward. Just all around a great ambassador for the game of football.
Quick shout out to John Fassel, Rams special teams coach, and Jeff Fisher for having the biggest stones in the NFL.
Pierre Garcon - Minus the big play, pretty ineffective once again. Could be a result of Cousins' poor play but just has not performed all year after being a target monster last season.
Larry Donnell - Up and down up and down. Grabbing some great catches making some good plays, drops the football. Recovers to make another nice play just to drop the football again. Coughlin is notorious for having a zero tolerance policy on fumbles, needs to hang onto the football.
Odell Beckham Jr. - Might we be seeing the emergence of one of the game's next big stars. Certainly has the physical attributes. I like his upside for the rest of the season with Cruz out and going forward.
Stepfan Taylor - TD's management cannot be happy with Taylor vulturing two touchdowns from Andre Ellington. If Taylor continues to get some goal line looks, may be worth a pickup and plug in coming bye weeks.
Peyton Manning - Congratulations on breaking Brett Favre's record, might be the best to ever do it under center.
Ronnie Hillman - Montee Ball welcome to dumpsville, it is looking more and more like this will be Hillman's job moving forward.
Everyone Steeler WR not named Antonio Brown - So disappointing. For a team that throws the football pretty effectively, anyone not named Antonio Brown on this team has been terrible this season. I don't know how this guy still gets open when you can essentially leave everyone else but LeVeon Bell uncovered. The long TD for Martavis Bryant was the lone nice play outside of Brown, who even had to throw for a TD in this game.
Arian Foster- I love what Murray is doing this season but don't overlook Foster this year. Came back from significant back surgery to put up some more than respectable numbers with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. Has assumed a large workload, taking some pretty significant hits, but has shown some durability (knocking on wood for you Condor). I love watching this guy run the football, so I hope he stays healthy the rest of the way.
That's week 7 for me broseidons, let me know what I missed. Also don't look now, but if Kaier keeps this run up he is a lock for manager of the year this season. Good work from the Dirtdogs!
Percy Harvin - Lord have mercy the Jets got Percy. Not only is this a god send for Jets fans, as they finally have a play maker on the outside to compliment Decker, but it's a boost for Percy Harvin fantasy owners as well. For whatever reason, he just was not being used as much as I think he should have been in Seattle. This is a guy with gamebreaking ability that you need to gameplan around (and for on the defensive side of the football). With the Jets having an offense that has been flat at times, I expect them to try and get the football into Harvin's hands wherever they can, whether that's on jet sweeps, bubble screens, or on pass plays downfield. I am expecting a bump in his productivity.
Shane Vereen - There was concern that Branden Bolden or James White might be filling the void left by Stevan Ridley, but Vereen saw the majority of the work, rushing for 43 yards on 11 attempts. He was also heavily involved in the pass game, catching 5 balls for 71 yards and two touchdowns (a career fantasy performance). While the NE RB situation is always a crapshoot, we didn't see much outside of Shane Vereen this past week against a strong Jets run defense.
Tom Brady - You think Brady was pissed about people saying he didn't have it a few weeks ago. Since the KC debacle on Monday Night Football, Brady's lowest fantasy output is 20 points. The Pats have always tended to play their best football later in the year, and I think it is safe to say Brady is returning to form.
Chris Ivory - Rex Ryan needs to designate Ivory as their guy. I don't like this by committee approach where no one is held accountable. There is no doubt Ivory has been the better runner and you can do worse than Chris Johnson in third down/passing situations. Name a starter and stick with him.
Atlanta Falcons - Perhaps top five in the league in terms of skill positions on offense, they can't block anyone. Lost another offensive lineman to an ACL tear this past week, they're signing anyone over 6'2" and 250 pounds in the city of Atlanta to block at this point. And that defense cannot stop anyone, the Falcons are in trouble.
Kyle Orton - If he does not have a mustache, did the game winning toss to Sammy Watkins with one second left really happen?
Jerrick McKinnon - Looks to have solidified himself as the guy in Minnesota going forward. Really high on this kid, I like his future in Minny considering it is looking more and more likely that AP may be on his way out.
Cordarelle Patterson - One of the largest wastes of talent in the NFL, how can this guy not figure out route running? Get open man.
Carolina Panthers defense - Anybody remember the GB Packers D a few years ago when they were second in the league on their way to a Super Bowl victory? Well that defense was worst in the league in some statistical categories the following season and just flat out terrible at times with much the same personnel. Same situation happening in Carolina right now, this team was absolutely shredded Sunday. Riverboat Ron's gotta right the ship down there in Carolina as the NFC South looks to be WIDEEEE open.
Cam Newton - Actually expected him to have a nice game here as the Packers have had trouble with running QB's in recent years (Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick). Rushed for a TD while throwing for only 200 yards after his huge performance last week, I want to see Cam return to form because he is fun to watch.
Cincinnati Bengals - If you know what to think about this Bengals team please let me know, because I just don't get it. Look like Super Bowl contenders one week and the Raiders the next.
Ahmad Bradshaw - Six receiving touchdowns through 7 games this year, is this a sustainable pace for the oft-injured back? I actually think so with the way the Colts offense is putting up points. They do not have any especially tough defenses to play for the rest of the season.
Jacksonville Jaguars - The JAGSSSSS!! Get off the snide knocking off Cleveland at home this past Sunday. Denard Robinson comes out of nowhere to post a 127 yard rush day.
Cleveland Browns - See Cincy Bengals above. Just when you think this team might be for real, they throw up this stinker. Bryan Hoyer 16 for 41. Yikes...
Russell Wilson - Just a monster right now. Love to see him running the football and love his prospects moving forward. Just all around a great ambassador for the game of football.
Quick shout out to John Fassel, Rams special teams coach, and Jeff Fisher for having the biggest stones in the NFL.
Pierre Garcon - Minus the big play, pretty ineffective once again. Could be a result of Cousins' poor play but just has not performed all year after being a target monster last season.
Larry Donnell - Up and down up and down. Grabbing some great catches making some good plays, drops the football. Recovers to make another nice play just to drop the football again. Coughlin is notorious for having a zero tolerance policy on fumbles, needs to hang onto the football.
Odell Beckham Jr. - Might we be seeing the emergence of one of the game's next big stars. Certainly has the physical attributes. I like his upside for the rest of the season with Cruz out and going forward.
Stepfan Taylor - TD's management cannot be happy with Taylor vulturing two touchdowns from Andre Ellington. If Taylor continues to get some goal line looks, may be worth a pickup and plug in coming bye weeks.
Peyton Manning - Congratulations on breaking Brett Favre's record, might be the best to ever do it under center.
Ronnie Hillman - Montee Ball welcome to dumpsville, it is looking more and more like this will be Hillman's job moving forward.
Everyone Steeler WR not named Antonio Brown - So disappointing. For a team that throws the football pretty effectively, anyone not named Antonio Brown on this team has been terrible this season. I don't know how this guy still gets open when you can essentially leave everyone else but LeVeon Bell uncovered. The long TD for Martavis Bryant was the lone nice play outside of Brown, who even had to throw for a TD in this game.
Arian Foster- I love what Murray is doing this season but don't overlook Foster this year. Came back from significant back surgery to put up some more than respectable numbers with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. Has assumed a large workload, taking some pretty significant hits, but has shown some durability (knocking on wood for you Condor). I love watching this guy run the football, so I hope he stays healthy the rest of the way.
That's week 7 for me broseidons, let me know what I missed. Also don't look now, but if Kaier keeps this run up he is a lock for manager of the year this season. Good work from the Dirtdogs!
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Notes From the Commissioner's Desk
Half-way through the season, The Equalizer looks to be in great shape. There’s lots of parity, and I legitimately believe any 6 teams could make the playoffs. We have more two-win teams than any other, and they’re only two games out of second place. The second half of the season is shaping up to be a classic Upstate barnburner.
If we just look at history, though, those teams below .500 have a severe uphill battle to the playoffs. Since 2009’s inaugural season, only three teams* were below .500 at the midway point and made the playoffs. Interestingly, the most common record for future playoff teams was 3-3, so our bevy of 2-4 teams could change everything.
Below I’ve outlined some thoughts on each team going forward. A State of the Franchise address, as seen through my own league-managing colored glasses. Let’s have a great second half out there, and stay true to yourselves.
(*- 2010 St. Hugo’s Battalion 2-4; 2011 Home Depot Cabinet Faces 2-3-1; 2014 Redwood Chipalopes 1-5 [admittedly, I forgot about the insane run LJ went on last year after his horrific start, but it’s still pretty crazy])
Ants in My Eyes Collins
First alphabetically and first in our hearts. The team from Milwaukee is all about the streak. 3-0 to start the season, and winless ever since. The only reason the Collins’ aren’t sitting at .500 is because of a Monday Night miracle from Russ Wilson’s legs, which earned a tie with the TD’s after stat corrections. The AJ Green injury has frustrated the coaching staff, as has the lack of a consistent running attack. The TE position has come together nicely, but figuring out which guy to start may prove tricky. The team sits decently at 5th in total points, and precariously at 2nd in points against with the top 2 teams in the league yet to face. Some early season splurging on the FAB may come back to haunt the Collins’ later this year.
Playoff bound if: Hillman solidifies himself as a weekly starter in Denver, Vereen picks up all of Stevan Ridley’s slack in New England, and AJ Green gets a bionic toe
BAMA bound if: The Denver, New England and New Orleans backfields all turn into messes, Green gets prolonged time on the bench, and either Dez or Edelman get hurt
Dark Force
The Force had a rough first four weeks to the season, going oh-fer while still scoring over 100 in three matchups. But as we all know, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. The last two weeks have seen the Force rebound in a huge way by taking the crown for most points scored both times. What’s more, those two weekly high scores are also the two highest scoring weeks of the entire Equalizer season (credit to Roc City- he’s tied for second with 159). The Thomas teammates in Denver have certainly helped, with Demaryius grabbing 42 and 28 points, and Julius with 24 and 21. With Mohammed Sanu filling in superbly for AJ Green, and Matt Forte leading the league in receptions, the Force is threatening big time for the upcoming second half. The remaining schedule is also favorable, with only one match against a team currently above .500.
Playoff bound if: Eddie Lacy turns into the guy everyone thought he would be, and
Sammy Watkins busts open to justify trading away Ben Tate
BAMA bound if: Eddie Lacy stays right where he is, injuries take one of the Thomas’, and nobody on the bench steps up to be a reliable Flex play
Ethan’s Mom’s Panties
Many journalists are starting to refer to Washington’s NFL team without including the nickname. I would prefer to do the same here, but every part of the Panties name is offensive. I am at least consoled by the fact that this team sits dead last in points scored, wasting the opportunity to grab more wins by virtue of having the second best points against margin. The Panties did sustain a huge gut punch when AP was lost to suspension, and nobody else has stepped up to pick up the slack. Aaron Rodgers has been hit or miss, with only three games over 20 points, and stud TE Jordan Cameron has been hampered due to injury. Bright spots for the second half do abound, however. Jerick McKinnon is seemingly poised to get the majority of carries in Minnesota and Rueben Randle has all of a sudden become the Giants number one receiving option. James Jones and Andre Johnson have quietly and consistently been putting up solid numbers, and if the 49ers remember to keep giving the ball to Frank Gore, this fantasy team might make a run.
Playoff bound if: Michael Floyd gets rid of this injury and goes on to be the top 10
receiver we all thought he would be, the Minnesota backfield becomes a one man show and Rodgers asserts himself as worthy of the discount double check on a consistent basis
BAMA bound if: Johnson and Jones flounder from inconsistent QB play, Gore gets
hurt, Minnesota gets into a RBBC, and no other WR’s step up
The Fat Cats
Through our first four weeks, the Cats dominated the standings. Scores of 139, 141 and 159 made this team a scary foe, but apparently as Calvin Johnson and Jimmy Graham go, so does this team. Currently on a two game losing streak, the Cats are looking to right the ship in a hurry with its top dawgs on the injured list. Fortunately, the Cats have some wiggle room, especially after hitting free agent gold on Ahmad Bradshaw and Justin Forsett. Plus, Mark Ingram should be back soon, and Steve Smith sold his soul on his trip to Baltimore. Having Philip Rivers dominate the QB stats has helped greatly as well.
Playoff bound if: Johnson and Graham come back just fine, Odell Beckham gets hot
with Victor Cruz out for the year, and bevy of running backs stay productive
BAMA bound if: Injuries continue to wreak havoc, no RB asserts himself enough,
and the trio of Rivers, Nelson and Smith come back down to earth
Las Vegas Outlaws
The 3-3 Outlaws are chugging along as best they can. After 149 points in week one, this team is sitting at 8th place in points scored and points against, but has two wins while scoring less than 100 points. The hot story for the Outlaws at the moment is injuries, specifically to the running back position. Moreno, Ridley and Ball are all hurting, and Le’Veon Bell is the only player hanging on. The trade for Richardson should provide some stability, but he’s not going to be lighting up the scoreboard if his history tells us anything. Still, Antonio Brown has proven to be PPR gold, Bell has been solid, and new pickup Andre Holmes has huge TD potential in Oakland. The TE position is quite shallow after another injury to Dennis Pitta forced ownership to start the other Raven Owen Daniels.
Playoff bound if: Richardson or Jonathan Stewart actually turns out to be a solid RB2,
Vincent Jackson has a big rebound, Nick Foles has a redux from last year, and Owen
Daniels starts catching touchdowns each game
BAMA bound if: The injuries keep coming and nobody steps up to be a WR2 or Flex,
the TE position stays mediocre
The Old Guys Club
Last year’s champs have had a rough go of it so far. As Varney pointed out on the blog, the Old Guys have three losses of 5 points or less, which is as agonizing as it gets. The easy first target for the Club’s woes is stud preseason favorite Jamaal Charles, who has only one game with more than 10 points (although that one game was for 31). The $7 keeper Gio Bernard has salvaged half of the team’s backfield, but the RB heavy strategy of the Club has not worked out like last year. Chris Johnson is clearly behind Chris Ivory in Gotham, Toby Gerhart has proven why he was only a backup all these years (*sigh*), and Bishop Sankey is only starting to pass Shonn Greene on the depth chart because of injuries. What’s actually come together nicely is this team’s WR core. Larry Fitzgerald was drafted to be the number one, but the trio of Sanders, Hilton and Hopkins, and the flashes from Brandin Cooks, have to be pleasing to the Club’s front office. TE has been hit or miss with Ertz, but Jay Cutler is doing pretty well, and how about Catanzaro the kicker stacking up four games of nine or more points.
Playoff bound if: Charles turns it around to be the man we all expected, the right WR’s
get started each week, and Ertz gets a better rapport with Foles during the bye this
week
BAMA bound if: Charles keeps up the duds and Sankey can’t carry the load in
Tennessee, the wrong WR’s keep getting started, and Jay Cutler keeps throwing
too many interceptions
PB Pandemonium
Besides a dud in week on, the Pandemonium has consistently scored solid points and sits fourth in total points scored on the season, while catching a break with tenth in points against. If you point to one player that has led this team to prominence, it’s got to be DeMarco Murray. Having the league leader in rushing from a guy who wasn’t a top tier RB talent heading into the season always helps, especially pairing him with keeper Peyton Manning. But we can’t overlook Chris Ivory scoring double digit points the first four weeks to solidify Pandemonium’s backfield, and now Branden Oliver has risen in San Diego out of complete obscurity. Larry Donnell shored up the TE position, and with Jordan Reed now back it only gets better. Or what about Randall Cobb grabbing a touchdown in all but one game? Unfortunately, when Victor Cruz went down, so did the value of the Pandemonium bench depth. Malcolm Floyd is boom or bust, and Markus Wheaton and Michael Crabtree have not taken advantage of their opportunity. The best handcuff this team has was just arrested for shoplifting, so anymore injuries could seriously limit Pandemonium’s potential.
Playoff bound if: The status quo is maintained and both TE’s produce starter worthy
numbers
BAMA bound if: Murray goes down from the heavy workload, Reed gets another
concussion, Cobb stops grabbing touchdowns, and Andrew Luck keeps looking
more and more at Hilton instead of Reggie Wayne
Redwood Chipalopes
Looking at the box scores, the Chipalopes have had a rollercoaster season. They scored their highest point total of the year in week one and lost. Two wins have come by three points or less, and two other losses have been very poor points scoring performances. Matt Stafford has been wildly inconsistent, Lesean McCoy went silent for a while, and no RB2 has been able to last very long. Brandon Marshall and Percy Harvin are up and down, and all the while Josh Gordon lurks in the backroom of his car dealership waiting to suit up for Redwood. Greg Olsen has been this team’s rock alongside Stephen Gostowski, booting anything he can get a foot on in New England. With only three RB’s on the roster, management has to hope Rashad Jennings stays out for a while to give Andre Williams lots of touches. Anquan Boldin isn’t lacking for looks, and Eddie Royal continues to defy the odds to stay relevant. After a matchup with 4-2 Pandemonium this week, Redwood only faces one team currently at or above .500, so the schedule has the door open for these hungry Chipalopes.
Playoff bound if: McCoy gets back to being an ace, Marshall gets over the nagging
injuries, Percy Harvin’s new home in New York raises his value, and Josh Gordon
easily picks up where last year left off
BAMA bound if: A RB injury further depletes this crew, Stafford can’t get it going,
and the WR’s all flounder to varying degrees
Roc City Super Dudes
The best record in the league belongs to this team here, thanks in part to the best points against margin, and that with Dark Force hanging 184 on them in week 5. The Dudes have three wins using less than 120 points, including a very fortunate 80-63 win in week 2. But a win is a win is a win is a win. Scheduling can only play so much a part of this game, and the Dudes roster is as deep as any team in the league. Without injuries, the Dudes have five startable RB’s and four of the best PPR WR’s you could have. And this all without Jason Witten being his normal high volume catching self. The Bengals defense started out real hot, and the 49’ers have picked up the slack since week four. The only weakness is at the QB position, as Matt Ryan has been only mediocre since his huge week one performance. Tony Romo is certainly a viable option on the bench, but you never know when he’ll throw up four picks. The Dudes have been fortunate thus far, but the team should only score more points going forward, especially with Lamar Miller being the man in Miami and Pierre Garcon benefitting from a possible return from RGIII.
Playoff bound if: Julio and Alshon start grabbing 20 point games to carry the team,
Witten gets more involved, Joique Bell runs rampant with Reggie out, and everyone else just does their job
BAMA bound if: The middling points scored continues and the points against start
to pile up, especially if the struggles continue with Ryan, Witten, and Garcon
Saskatchewan Rough Riders
Our Canadian team via Arizona has been the unluckiest thus far. The Rough Riders have the highest points against total by more than 30 points, and have the second least points scored. Three games scoring less than 100 have hurt, but despite the wide point margin the Riders still have two wins, one of which was by a single point in week four. The big story for the Riders is underperformance. Alfred Morris, Keenan Allen, Torrey Smith, CJ Spiller. All names expected to do good things this year, but have totally busted thus far. Funnily enough, having Eli Manning at QB has worked out pretty well. We can sum up the Riders season just by looking at the current Flex starter- Miles Austin. But that doesn’t mean things can’t turn around. Delanie Walker has been the bright spot, and there’s no indication he’ll slow down. Allen and Morris can’t get any worse, and Marquise Lee is finally healthy on a Jags team throwing the ball a whole bunch. Marshawn Lynch could certainly beast mode the rest of this team into playing better.
Playoff bound if: The disappointments turn things around, the Giants offense slingsthe
rock, somebody emerges as a Flex, and the point differential gets much more
favorable
BAMA bound if: Nothing changes, nobody steps up, and injuries make things even
worse
SGF Dirtdogs
Two straight solid performances in a row have almost erased the sour taste of the opening four weeks of points scoring drudgery. Tom Brady finally started putting things together, Desean Jackson has been much more boom than bust, and Golden Tate has emerged as a great option in Detroit with Megatron out. Antonio Gates having a top two QB has helped, and Vernon Davis as a Flex is highly palatable. Fred Jackson continues to drink from the fountain of youth, and Isaiah Crowell seems to have earned a significant portion of the carries in Cleveland. What’s more, the Dirtdogs have already played four of the teams currently above .500. If injuries don’t hit this team, things could continue to rise. That’s a big if, though. Reggie Bush is already struggling to stay on the field, and Wes Welker is clearly the fourth option in Denver. Donald Brown was a nothing even when healthy, and Blount had one standout game to carry the season. The Dirtdogs are standing precariously on the edge of fantasy production, but you never know what could happen with this game.
Playoff bound if: Brady, Tate and Jackson keep it up to hold the team together,
Gates and Davis contribute TD’s when necessary, and Crowell keeps getting more
carries
BAMA bound if: Jackson and Crowell fade off, Tate loses catches when Calvin comes
back, Jackson stops getting the long bombs, and any injuries crop up
Touch My TD’s
Our highest scoring team is a combined three points from being 5-1. The TD’s haven’t scored less than 108 points all season, and that was week one. Two straight weeks of 144 and 143 show the big time potential for the TD’s going forward. Having the number one player in fantasy has certainly helped, but the points don’t stop with Andrew Luck. Arian Foster has been huge since coming over after the week two trade, Gronk Nation is doing his big thing, Jeremy Maclin paid off big early in the year, and Mike Wallace is enjoying a nice bounce back season. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the Eagles defense has 20 or more points the last three weeks. This all happening while Doug Martin, Roddy White and Cordarrelle Patterson have done almost nothing to contribute. As hot as this team has been, I only see it getting better in the second half. Even if anything goes wrong, Cam Newton leads the list of potential trade bait.
Playoff bound if: Andre Ellington gets even better, and one of the WR’s steps up to
be a consistent number two
BAMA bound if: Injuries take a heavy toll as a drone strike hits TD’s headquarters
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Week 6 Power Rankings
Halfway through the season, and we're seeing some parity in the league this year. No teams with less than 2 wins, and no undefeated squads. Hell, we've even had a tie! As injuries mount, unknowns continue to emerge, and stars underperform, let's see how things have shaken out thus far.
Power Rankings:
1. The Fat Cats (no change)
2. Roc City Super Dudes (no change)
3. Touch my TD's (up one spot)
4. Ants in my Eyes Collins (down one spot)
5. Dark Force (up 3 spots)
6. PB Pandemonium (down one spot)
7. The Old Guys Club (no change)
8. Las Vegas Outlaws (down one spot)
9. Redwood Chipalopes (up one spot)
10. Ethan's Mom's Panties (up one spot)
11. Saskatchewan Rough Riders (down two spots)
12. SGF Dirtdogs (no change)
The Fat Cats - I know, I know, two consecutive losses how can the Cats still reign supreme. But let's just take a look at this roster. The trade for Rivers was gold here, a large improvement at QB in my opinion unless Kap starts running the football. Justin Forsett has looked very good in Baltimore, and Mark Ingram is coming back from injury. Has taken a hit in the last couple weeks with injuries to fantasy stalwarts Calvin Johnson and Jimmy Graham. While Johnson may be out until week 10, he will be back and has a history of destroying after an injury. And Graham could be back in the next couple weeks, as he began some individual work this week. I love Beckham Jr.'s upside, and Steve Smith has revitalized his career in Baltimore. The Cats are still poised for a run.
Roc City Super Dudes - Texted Dan a couple weeks back saying I thought the move for Watkins was a good one, but so far the Dudes have been the benefactor from that swap. Ben Tate has been pounding the rock effectively in Cleveland on a team that wants to run the football (if he can stay healthy). Lamar Miller has been a god send, finally showing flashes of the ability people saw out of him coming into the league and Cecil Shorts is getting healthier, a WR who does not lack for targets. Jennings and Mathews should be back again this season to be fantasy relevant, and I think Garcon's season will turnaround as Cousins gets more comfortable in his starting role. Also helps that only one opponent has managed a triple digit score against the Dudes, leading to the least points against in the league by 30 points!
Touch my TD's - The hamstring injury gave me a little bit of a scare, but all signs point to Arian Foster returning to stud-dom. Andre Ellington is one of my favorite players to have a hugeeeeee second half of the season and Andrew Luck is doing the damn thing as the number one fantasy quarterback in the league. Cordarelle Patterson hasn't exactly panned out as expected, but Maclin has exceeded expectations to fill that void and Ryan Tannehill finally seems capable of getting the football to Mike Wallace. And if someone in Tampa smartens up, the TD's will have another effective starting RB. There is a reason I have been in love with this roster, and it's evidenced by their leading points for total in the league thus far.
Ants in my Eyes Collins - I hate to speculate on the Pats backfield situation, because honestly no one other than Belichick knows, but might see a bump in production here from Shane Vereen filling in for the injured Stevan Ridley. Has some PPR monsters on this team, as well as not one but two very explosive tight ends. I do have some concerns regarding AJ Green, as everything I am hearing suggests this is not an injury that will heal anytime this season, but more something he will have to deal with once he is back. Love the Ronnie Hillman pickup, as he may end up as the starter in Denver with Montee Ball being ineffective so far this year.
Dark Force - Said I liked the Force to turn it around two weeks ago and they haven't let me down. They would actually be higher on this list if they weren't Bronco dependent (again). But Julius Thomas is on pace for 29 TD's (!!!!!) and the Bronco offense show no signs of slowing down. I am getting concerned about Eddie Lacy potentially being this year's Richardson, but Matt Forte is rounding into form and has been targeted out of the backfield 12 times (!!!!) in the past two weeks. Kirk Cousins has a favorable schedule the rest of the way, playing only 2 defenses in the top ten in total defense in the league. I also like what the Force has done to plug that WR2 hole, with Williams, Watkins, and Sanu all capable of monster numbers.
PB Pandemonium - Loss of Victor Cruz is going to hit me deep. Crabtree has been anything but reliable. Hawkins doesn't get into the end zone. Wheaton has been a major disappointment. And Brandon Oliver's value upon Mathews' return remains to be seen. Shining light for the Pandemonium is Jordan Reed looked very good in his first game back, even after missing snaps due to fatigue. Larry Donnell putting up two consecutive goose eggs is concerning, only collecting three targets in the process. A lot of question marks on this team moving forward.
The Old Guys Club - The club of elder gentleman faces an uphill battle to repeat as Equalizer league champions. But honestly there has been some bad luck for this team so far this season. 3 losses by 5 points or less definitely hits home. I expect this squad to put up a much better second half though. Bernard and Charles have already had their byes, Emmanuel Sanders is being fed plenty in Denver, and the Bills defense is legitimate.
Las Vegas Outlaws - Montee Ball. Stevan Ridley. Knowshon Moreno (who even knew he was hurt?). Three injuries that are going to loom large over the Outlaws. V-Jax looks to be benefitting from the move to Glennon, but the major injuries to RB's on this team might be too much to overcome to win the Equalizer championship. I am just not sure there is the free agent talent out there.
Redwood Chipalopes - Still holding out hope for Josh Gordon to play this season. Percy Harvin has not been utilized enough in Seattle and Eddie Royal is one of the biggest fantasy hit or misses year in year out. McCoy finally looked good this past week and should be fine moving forward. I think there is potential for this team moving forward, but it's hard to pick out of these guys who is going to perform from one week to the next.
Ethan's Mom's Panties - So I think the Panties are one of the teams with the biggest chance to move up these rankings and this is why. Made a great trade to improve at the RB position by acquiring Sproles and McKinnon is poised to take over that lead spot in Minnesota and excel. Andre Johnson may be turning a corner and returning to the form we expect out of him. I love Michael Floyd, I like Brian Quick, James Jones is a number one on a bad team that doesn't run the football well. Jordan Cameron is healing up and Reuben Randle should figure to see even more red zone targets after the injury to Victor Cruz. I like the Panties to improve in the second half.
Saskatchewan Rough Riders - Just cannot get any production through the air. Keenan Allen has had one good game all year, and Torrey Smith has been the lesser of the Smiths in Baltimore. Delanie Walker is a monster TE, but after this the Riders are rolling the dice on Marqise Lee, Miles Austin, Dwayne Bowe, some others you just can't rely on on a weekly basis. And with CJ Spiller being more than disappointing thus far this season, the Riders are trending the wrong way.
SGF Dirtdogs - I said two weeks ago I don't like playing winless teams and it bit me in the ass. Kaier beats the Pandemonium for his first win of the year, and then rides that high into the next week for a two game winning streak!! Who Woulda thought!! I still think there is some holes on this team though. Desean Jackson has been fire the past two weeks but is very streaky, Golden Tate will return to the number 2 in a matter of week, and some injury prone players in Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates, and Reggie Bush. Definitely has made some moves after not drafting his own team to improve this roster, and I guess I can't say much negative since he whooped my ass two weeks ago.
That's how I am seeing the Equalizer after six weeks of the season. Let me know what you guys are seeing. Go Jets!
Power Rankings:
1. The Fat Cats (no change)
2. Roc City Super Dudes (no change)
3. Touch my TD's (up one spot)
4. Ants in my Eyes Collins (down one spot)
5. Dark Force (up 3 spots)
6. PB Pandemonium (down one spot)
7. The Old Guys Club (no change)
8. Las Vegas Outlaws (down one spot)
9. Redwood Chipalopes (up one spot)
10. Ethan's Mom's Panties (up one spot)
11. Saskatchewan Rough Riders (down two spots)
12. SGF Dirtdogs (no change)
The Fat Cats - I know, I know, two consecutive losses how can the Cats still reign supreme. But let's just take a look at this roster. The trade for Rivers was gold here, a large improvement at QB in my opinion unless Kap starts running the football. Justin Forsett has looked very good in Baltimore, and Mark Ingram is coming back from injury. Has taken a hit in the last couple weeks with injuries to fantasy stalwarts Calvin Johnson and Jimmy Graham. While Johnson may be out until week 10, he will be back and has a history of destroying after an injury. And Graham could be back in the next couple weeks, as he began some individual work this week. I love Beckham Jr.'s upside, and Steve Smith has revitalized his career in Baltimore. The Cats are still poised for a run.
Roc City Super Dudes - Texted Dan a couple weeks back saying I thought the move for Watkins was a good one, but so far the Dudes have been the benefactor from that swap. Ben Tate has been pounding the rock effectively in Cleveland on a team that wants to run the football (if he can stay healthy). Lamar Miller has been a god send, finally showing flashes of the ability people saw out of him coming into the league and Cecil Shorts is getting healthier, a WR who does not lack for targets. Jennings and Mathews should be back again this season to be fantasy relevant, and I think Garcon's season will turnaround as Cousins gets more comfortable in his starting role. Also helps that only one opponent has managed a triple digit score against the Dudes, leading to the least points against in the league by 30 points!
Touch my TD's - The hamstring injury gave me a little bit of a scare, but all signs point to Arian Foster returning to stud-dom. Andre Ellington is one of my favorite players to have a hugeeeeee second half of the season and Andrew Luck is doing the damn thing as the number one fantasy quarterback in the league. Cordarelle Patterson hasn't exactly panned out as expected, but Maclin has exceeded expectations to fill that void and Ryan Tannehill finally seems capable of getting the football to Mike Wallace. And if someone in Tampa smartens up, the TD's will have another effective starting RB. There is a reason I have been in love with this roster, and it's evidenced by their leading points for total in the league thus far.
Ants in my Eyes Collins - I hate to speculate on the Pats backfield situation, because honestly no one other than Belichick knows, but might see a bump in production here from Shane Vereen filling in for the injured Stevan Ridley. Has some PPR monsters on this team, as well as not one but two very explosive tight ends. I do have some concerns regarding AJ Green, as everything I am hearing suggests this is not an injury that will heal anytime this season, but more something he will have to deal with once he is back. Love the Ronnie Hillman pickup, as he may end up as the starter in Denver with Montee Ball being ineffective so far this year.
Dark Force - Said I liked the Force to turn it around two weeks ago and they haven't let me down. They would actually be higher on this list if they weren't Bronco dependent (again). But Julius Thomas is on pace for 29 TD's (!!!!!) and the Bronco offense show no signs of slowing down. I am getting concerned about Eddie Lacy potentially being this year's Richardson, but Matt Forte is rounding into form and has been targeted out of the backfield 12 times (!!!!) in the past two weeks. Kirk Cousins has a favorable schedule the rest of the way, playing only 2 defenses in the top ten in total defense in the league. I also like what the Force has done to plug that WR2 hole, with Williams, Watkins, and Sanu all capable of monster numbers.
PB Pandemonium - Loss of Victor Cruz is going to hit me deep. Crabtree has been anything but reliable. Hawkins doesn't get into the end zone. Wheaton has been a major disappointment. And Brandon Oliver's value upon Mathews' return remains to be seen. Shining light for the Pandemonium is Jordan Reed looked very good in his first game back, even after missing snaps due to fatigue. Larry Donnell putting up two consecutive goose eggs is concerning, only collecting three targets in the process. A lot of question marks on this team moving forward.
The Old Guys Club - The club of elder gentleman faces an uphill battle to repeat as Equalizer league champions. But honestly there has been some bad luck for this team so far this season. 3 losses by 5 points or less definitely hits home. I expect this squad to put up a much better second half though. Bernard and Charles have already had their byes, Emmanuel Sanders is being fed plenty in Denver, and the Bills defense is legitimate.
Las Vegas Outlaws - Montee Ball. Stevan Ridley. Knowshon Moreno (who even knew he was hurt?). Three injuries that are going to loom large over the Outlaws. V-Jax looks to be benefitting from the move to Glennon, but the major injuries to RB's on this team might be too much to overcome to win the Equalizer championship. I am just not sure there is the free agent talent out there.
Redwood Chipalopes - Still holding out hope for Josh Gordon to play this season. Percy Harvin has not been utilized enough in Seattle and Eddie Royal is one of the biggest fantasy hit or misses year in year out. McCoy finally looked good this past week and should be fine moving forward. I think there is potential for this team moving forward, but it's hard to pick out of these guys who is going to perform from one week to the next.
Ethan's Mom's Panties - So I think the Panties are one of the teams with the biggest chance to move up these rankings and this is why. Made a great trade to improve at the RB position by acquiring Sproles and McKinnon is poised to take over that lead spot in Minnesota and excel. Andre Johnson may be turning a corner and returning to the form we expect out of him. I love Michael Floyd, I like Brian Quick, James Jones is a number one on a bad team that doesn't run the football well. Jordan Cameron is healing up and Reuben Randle should figure to see even more red zone targets after the injury to Victor Cruz. I like the Panties to improve in the second half.
Saskatchewan Rough Riders - Just cannot get any production through the air. Keenan Allen has had one good game all year, and Torrey Smith has been the lesser of the Smiths in Baltimore. Delanie Walker is a monster TE, but after this the Riders are rolling the dice on Marqise Lee, Miles Austin, Dwayne Bowe, some others you just can't rely on on a weekly basis. And with CJ Spiller being more than disappointing thus far this season, the Riders are trending the wrong way.
SGF Dirtdogs - I said two weeks ago I don't like playing winless teams and it bit me in the ass. Kaier beats the Pandemonium for his first win of the year, and then rides that high into the next week for a two game winning streak!! Who Woulda thought!! I still think there is some holes on this team though. Desean Jackson has been fire the past two weeks but is very streaky, Golden Tate will return to the number 2 in a matter of week, and some injury prone players in Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates, and Reggie Bush. Definitely has made some moves after not drafting his own team to improve this roster, and I guess I can't say much negative since he whooped my ass two weeks ago.
That's how I am seeing the Equalizer after six weeks of the season. Let me know what you guys are seeing. Go Jets!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Week 6 Observations
Week 6 boys, half way through the Equalizer Regular season already. A lot of parity in the league this year in my eyes, with both Dark Force and SGF Dirtdogs riding high on two game winning streaks. Should shape up to be a very interesting second half of the season. Let's get down to the NFL action this week.
TY Hilton - One of the ultimate boom or bust fantasy players year in and year out, came out with a boom this past Thursday night to the tune of 9 receptions, 223 yards, and 1 touchdown. Perhaps his most impressive statistic of the day however was this was done on 9 targets, or a 100% reception rate. One of the knocks on Hilton last season was not the targets he was receiving, but his ability to haul in a high percentage of them. Been much more consistent this season, I just hope some of those big plays will start going Reggie Wayne's way...
Andre Johnson - 7 receptions for 99 yards and an unbelievable touchdown catch this week, nice to see him get back on track a little bit. Still think he wants out of Houston, but I think this team can challenge the Colts for AFC South supremacy once Clowney is back (likely this week) and Ryan Fitzpatrick can continue to play mistake free football.
Tom Brady - You think Brady enjoyed the talk about him being done? Comes out in back to back weeks against formidable defenses and shreds them to the tune of 653 and two touchdowns, quickly vaulting himself back into QB1 conversation. I think the loss of Stevan Ridley may be a significant one, who has given the Pats a consistent run game so far this year, but Brady, and more importantly that hodge podge offensive line, are turning a corner.
CJ Spiller - I am not sure if it is Spiller or his skill set doesn't fit this offensive scheme, but being outplayed by a 33 year old Fred Jackson so far this year. Welcome to Dumpsville.
Cam Newton - Looks to finally be healthy, as evidenced by his 17 (yes, that's 17) carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. His value lied in his ability to carry the football, and should be making Touch my TD's ownership happy for the rest of the season. His reemergence as a rusher also eliminates what little value there was left in Carolina's backfield situation, as Newton figures to get a significant portion of goal line carries.
Mike Nugent - Fun Fact: Drafted by the jets with the 47th overall pick. Seems to have taken a piece of the Jets organization with him to Cincy.
Cleveland Browns - Can't believe I am saying this, but the Browns are legitimate. Have not lost a game by more than 3 points this season, and minus a last second field goal, are 4-1 on the year. Brian Hoyer has put up respectable numbers minus Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron for some weeks. They are running the football effectively, rushing for 146.4 yards per game, good enough for third in the league. Believe it or not, I think the NFC North division is a three team race, and the Steelers are not in that conversation.
Aaron Rodgers - Rodgers goes to Miami and does what?! A fake spike to set up the game winning touchdown?! That final drive is why he is the best in the business right now, and without the luxury of a good offensive line.
Lamar Miller - Starting to show flashes of what everyone expected from him coming into this league. 93 total yards from scrimmage with a touchdown, has posted more than 14 fantasy points this year in 4 out of 5 games played.
As I am writing this Benny Cunningham just plunged in a one yard score in the Monday night game, one of the 36 RB's Eth has stashed on his roster...
Detroit Lions - Offense has come to a grinding halt with the loss of Megatron (possibly out until week 10) but that defense is stout. I expected Teddy Bridgewater to actually have a good game here, but was sacked 8 times and intercepted another three times. One of the best front sevens in the league, they better get their money's worth from Suh because he is gone after this season.
Jerrick McKinnon - I think we are going to see the emergence of a new star in the league in this kid. This is a football team accustomed to running the football with AP and I am not sure if we will see him back with the Vikings even if his legal issues play out in his favor. As Matthew Berry would say, I like the cut of this kid's gib and expect some good numbers from him going forward.
Ronnie Hillman - With the injury to Montee Ball, it was expected Hillman would slide into the starting role, but there were questions to how effective he may be. He answered the bell on Sunday, rushing for 100 yards against one of the league's best rushing defense. With Ball being ineffective while he was in the lineup, this may be Hillman's job to lose.
Geno Smith - I actually think Geno unfairly receives the brunt of the criticism in New York. First and foremost, the secondary in New York is non-existent. Second, the offensive line is suspect at best. I also do not like that there is no clear starting RB in NY even though Ivory has clearly been the better back. Lots of work needs to be done to right the ship in Jets land.
Joe Flacco - Game kicks off at 1:05. By 1:30, Flacco has four touchdown passes. I guess Lovie Smith's defense down in Tampa is still a work in progress. At least I hope...
Jacksonville Jaguars - They were so closeee...in other news, Tennessee is not good. Nonexistent run game, Jake Locker can't stay on the field, and even old reliable Kendall Wright has been inconsistent all season.
Kirk Cousins - This guy can play football. He looks the part when he is out there, and has put up the numbers to prove it. Just needs to cut down on the mistakes big time. It almost looks like he doesn't see defenders at times, because some of the interceptions he has thrown look like they're right to guys. I like this offense, especially from a fantasy perspective, but Cousins needs to get this turned around or he might be surrendering the reins back to a not-so-good RGIII (probably will anyways, that's how Snyder runs his shop).
Matt Forte - Finally rounding into form, getting it done on the ground and through the air. Worth all 99 bucks, right Dan?
Antone Smith - The human TD, I don't know if I want him to get more touches or just score every time he does.
Matt Ryan - Matty Ice coming back home, playing in Atlanta with a full compliment of weapons has gotta be money in the bank right. Wrong. The offensive line woes on this team might be too much to overcome even with the talent they have on this ball club. Run game just has not been there, and only so much Ryan can do with limited time in the pocket.
Seattle Seahawks defense - First things first, I picked the boys in this game this week. My best pick of the year so far. Back to the Seahawks defense though, you saw a perfect example of how they can be exposed here. The key is a great offensive line. If they cannot get pressure rushing four, they suddenly become human on the defensive side of the football. Broncos could not block in the Super Bowl and you saw what happened. More concerning for the Hawks is that offense. Minus a costly muffed punt, they potentially put up a goose egg.
Dallas Cowboys defense - 11 guys that just hustle to the football. No big names, less egos than you would expect on a Dallas team, these guys have really proved the naysayers wrong so far this year. It may not be sexy, but they're getting it done. I like the Cowboys to win the NFC East this year.
Larry Donnell - Wtf dude?
New York Giants - And just as Giants fans were getting excited about this year, last night happens. Not only did they get steam rolled on national TV, they lost one of their best players and leaders in Victor Cruz (well wishes to Cruz by the way looked like he was in some serious pain and from what I have heard today, it's no guarantee he's back for the start of next season from this injury). Giants were just outplayed in the trenches, with Philly looking significantly faster and more athletic. Just really gave the impression to me that Philly saw something on tape they could exploit and executed that game plan perfectly.
Vernon Davis - Brutalllll game from Davis here. Dropped a couple balls, just overall looked very rusty. I am wondering if that is a result of health, and him maybe not being 100%.
That's all I got for week six, let me know what you guys think.
TY Hilton - One of the ultimate boom or bust fantasy players year in and year out, came out with a boom this past Thursday night to the tune of 9 receptions, 223 yards, and 1 touchdown. Perhaps his most impressive statistic of the day however was this was done on 9 targets, or a 100% reception rate. One of the knocks on Hilton last season was not the targets he was receiving, but his ability to haul in a high percentage of them. Been much more consistent this season, I just hope some of those big plays will start going Reggie Wayne's way...
Andre Johnson - 7 receptions for 99 yards and an unbelievable touchdown catch this week, nice to see him get back on track a little bit. Still think he wants out of Houston, but I think this team can challenge the Colts for AFC South supremacy once Clowney is back (likely this week) and Ryan Fitzpatrick can continue to play mistake free football.
Tom Brady - You think Brady enjoyed the talk about him being done? Comes out in back to back weeks against formidable defenses and shreds them to the tune of 653 and two touchdowns, quickly vaulting himself back into QB1 conversation. I think the loss of Stevan Ridley may be a significant one, who has given the Pats a consistent run game so far this year, but Brady, and more importantly that hodge podge offensive line, are turning a corner.
CJ Spiller - I am not sure if it is Spiller or his skill set doesn't fit this offensive scheme, but being outplayed by a 33 year old Fred Jackson so far this year. Welcome to Dumpsville.
Cam Newton - Looks to finally be healthy, as evidenced by his 17 (yes, that's 17) carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. His value lied in his ability to carry the football, and should be making Touch my TD's ownership happy for the rest of the season. His reemergence as a rusher also eliminates what little value there was left in Carolina's backfield situation, as Newton figures to get a significant portion of goal line carries.
Mike Nugent - Fun Fact: Drafted by the jets with the 47th overall pick. Seems to have taken a piece of the Jets organization with him to Cincy.
Cleveland Browns - Can't believe I am saying this, but the Browns are legitimate. Have not lost a game by more than 3 points this season, and minus a last second field goal, are 4-1 on the year. Brian Hoyer has put up respectable numbers minus Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron for some weeks. They are running the football effectively, rushing for 146.4 yards per game, good enough for third in the league. Believe it or not, I think the NFC North division is a three team race, and the Steelers are not in that conversation.
Aaron Rodgers - Rodgers goes to Miami and does what?! A fake spike to set up the game winning touchdown?! That final drive is why he is the best in the business right now, and without the luxury of a good offensive line.
Lamar Miller - Starting to show flashes of what everyone expected from him coming into this league. 93 total yards from scrimmage with a touchdown, has posted more than 14 fantasy points this year in 4 out of 5 games played.
As I am writing this Benny Cunningham just plunged in a one yard score in the Monday night game, one of the 36 RB's Eth has stashed on his roster...
Detroit Lions - Offense has come to a grinding halt with the loss of Megatron (possibly out until week 10) but that defense is stout. I expected Teddy Bridgewater to actually have a good game here, but was sacked 8 times and intercepted another three times. One of the best front sevens in the league, they better get their money's worth from Suh because he is gone after this season.
Jerrick McKinnon - I think we are going to see the emergence of a new star in the league in this kid. This is a football team accustomed to running the football with AP and I am not sure if we will see him back with the Vikings even if his legal issues play out in his favor. As Matthew Berry would say, I like the cut of this kid's gib and expect some good numbers from him going forward.
Ronnie Hillman - With the injury to Montee Ball, it was expected Hillman would slide into the starting role, but there were questions to how effective he may be. He answered the bell on Sunday, rushing for 100 yards against one of the league's best rushing defense. With Ball being ineffective while he was in the lineup, this may be Hillman's job to lose.
Geno Smith - I actually think Geno unfairly receives the brunt of the criticism in New York. First and foremost, the secondary in New York is non-existent. Second, the offensive line is suspect at best. I also do not like that there is no clear starting RB in NY even though Ivory has clearly been the better back. Lots of work needs to be done to right the ship in Jets land.
Joe Flacco - Game kicks off at 1:05. By 1:30, Flacco has four touchdown passes. I guess Lovie Smith's defense down in Tampa is still a work in progress. At least I hope...
Jacksonville Jaguars - They were so closeee...in other news, Tennessee is not good. Nonexistent run game, Jake Locker can't stay on the field, and even old reliable Kendall Wright has been inconsistent all season.
Kirk Cousins - This guy can play football. He looks the part when he is out there, and has put up the numbers to prove it. Just needs to cut down on the mistakes big time. It almost looks like he doesn't see defenders at times, because some of the interceptions he has thrown look like they're right to guys. I like this offense, especially from a fantasy perspective, but Cousins needs to get this turned around or he might be surrendering the reins back to a not-so-good RGIII (probably will anyways, that's how Snyder runs his shop).
Matt Forte - Finally rounding into form, getting it done on the ground and through the air. Worth all 99 bucks, right Dan?
Antone Smith - The human TD, I don't know if I want him to get more touches or just score every time he does.
Matt Ryan - Matty Ice coming back home, playing in Atlanta with a full compliment of weapons has gotta be money in the bank right. Wrong. The offensive line woes on this team might be too much to overcome even with the talent they have on this ball club. Run game just has not been there, and only so much Ryan can do with limited time in the pocket.
Seattle Seahawks defense - First things first, I picked the boys in this game this week. My best pick of the year so far. Back to the Seahawks defense though, you saw a perfect example of how they can be exposed here. The key is a great offensive line. If they cannot get pressure rushing four, they suddenly become human on the defensive side of the football. Broncos could not block in the Super Bowl and you saw what happened. More concerning for the Hawks is that offense. Minus a costly muffed punt, they potentially put up a goose egg.
Dallas Cowboys defense - 11 guys that just hustle to the football. No big names, less egos than you would expect on a Dallas team, these guys have really proved the naysayers wrong so far this year. It may not be sexy, but they're getting it done. I like the Cowboys to win the NFC East this year.
Larry Donnell - Wtf dude?
New York Giants - And just as Giants fans were getting excited about this year, last night happens. Not only did they get steam rolled on national TV, they lost one of their best players and leaders in Victor Cruz (well wishes to Cruz by the way looked like he was in some serious pain and from what I have heard today, it's no guarantee he's back for the start of next season from this injury). Giants were just outplayed in the trenches, with Philly looking significantly faster and more athletic. Just really gave the impression to me that Philly saw something on tape they could exploit and executed that game plan perfectly.
Vernon Davis - Brutalllll game from Davis here. Dropped a couple balls, just overall looked very rusty. I am wondering if that is a result of health, and him maybe not being 100%.
That's all I got for week six, let me know what you guys think.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Week 5 Observations
That time of the week again, let's get down to it.
Russell Wilson - This guy is an elite quarterback plain and simple. If Pete Carroll were ever to open the playbook up for Wilson, his already impressive passing numbers would stack him up with the likes of the Andrew Lucks and Aaron Rodgers of the league. Add his uncanny ability to run the football in key spots and you can easily see the fantasy value presented by this guy. And is it just me, or does everytime he runs the football come at an opportune time where he is virtually untouched after defenses bite on a fake?
Bishop Sankey - I made the mistake of falling onto the "Bishop Sankey Coming Out Party" this past week. Shonn Greene has just been god awful. The Titans enjoyed a 25 point lead at one point in the game. If not then, then when? With no real answers right now in Tennessee after a string of embarrassing losses, what does Whisenhunt have to lose?
Eddie Lacy - About damn time. I am still skeptical if this will be sustained, but some of those carries on Thursday night were man's carries. I am praying Lacy is not this year's Trent Richardson. The offensive line is still suspect, but Rodgers is playing some great ball right now and should open up the run game for Lacy.
Cam Newton - Decent passing game this weekend, but still not running the football like we have come to expect. Is this a result of the injury, or some desire by the Panthers organization to preserve their franchise QB?
Demarco Murray and Arian Foster - Two franchise RB's with injury histories. Two franchise RB's with huge workloads thus far this season. Do they remain healthy for the rest of the year? I actually think neither misses much time at all.
Sammy Watkins, Julio Jones, Fabian Guerra (youtube the name) - Ridiculous one handed catches this weekend, my god. If only one of us could translate that to the High noon gridiron?
Matthew Stafford - Still cannot shake the career knock of being Calvin Johnson dependent. While Golden Tate put up some numbers (which I unfortunately know all too well), the vaunted Detroit offense managed a mere 14 points.
Pittsburgh Steelers - After being pretty high on the talent in Pittsburgh this year, they manage 17 points against an awful Jacksonville defense? Antonio Brown, Big Ben, Leveon Bell, Markus Wheaton, Heath Miller do not equate to 17 points. And it's not like they didn't move the football.
Andre Williams - I think the rookie will fill in very well for the injured Rashad Jennings (similar injury to Ryan Matthews, may miss some time). He has scored in two straight games and runs the football with authority. On a team that loves to pound the rock in the red, I expect good production. Does have questionable hands though, will not present the PPR upside that Jennings has shown.
Doug Martin - Will we ever see the day when the right people (I'm looking at you Lovie Smith) realize Doug Martin just isn't good?
Larry Donnell - The big goose egg this week after a historic performance last week. Double covered for most of the game, just saw one target all game. If you want to be considered alongside Graham and Gronk in this league, you still need to produce under all sorts of coverage. In other news, Odell Beckham Jr. looks really good. Speed to spread the field and the mitts to catch balls thrown in his general direction, I think we'll see some nice numbers out of the rookie going forward.
Antone Smith - A TD machine, I am curious to see if he has earned himself more touches going forward yet. Steven Jackson just lacks explosiveness and is not the same back he was 3-4 years ago. Devonta Freeman has shown flashes in his limited touches as well. So far the Falcons have seemed content with the plodding running of Jackson so far, but could add an additional element to a very good offense. May not be a bad idea considering the state of that offensive line right now.
Philadelphia Eagles - Got the run game established against the Rams, but still only two offensive touchdowns for this vaunted offense. This is the second straight week of poor production from this offense, with their defense and special teams keeping them in football games. I would expect a bounceback this week against the G-men with both teams putting up points.
Austin Davis - Made some mistakes, but this kid has come out of nowhere to post some significant numbers so far this year. In two starts he has posted two games over 20 fantasy points on a team with limited weapons on the outside. Would make a decent bye week start for any team.
Montee Ball - Goes down with what looked like a very painful groin injury. Begs the question, who is up next for the Broncos? Conventional wisdom would indicate it is Ronnie Hillman, but I don't think this is the between the tackles answer they are looking for. Rumors from Denver are that Peyton Manning is a fan of rookie Juwan Thompson and let's be honest, what Manning says goes in Denver.
Tom Brady - And just when people started to write the Pats off, Brady shows us why he is one of the best to ever do it. I am not sure why I was surprised though. Time and again through his career, Brady and Belichick have rebounded from a tough loss with a statement to the rest of the league. Brady was effective through the air against a very good defense, and Ridley was effective on the ground. We may be seeing a rekindling of the two TE action we saw in NE before Aaron Hernandez started a body count with Tim Wright having a nice game here. On the other side of the coin, Cincy once again struggles in a prime time game. Dalton missed Bernard for a walk in touchdown at one point, and they were just plain beat from the opening whistle.
In Equalizer League news, we no longer have any winless teams. Congratulations to the SGF Dirtdogs and Dark Force for joining the fray with their first victories of the season this week (the Force doing so in convincing fashion). I said in this week's rankings I wasn't looking forward to playing a winless team, looks like I built some bad fantasy karma. We also no longer have any undefeated teams, with the early championship favorite Fat Cats falling to the Las Vegas Outlaws in what was a pretty ugly matchup and the Roc City Super Dudes getting steamrolled by the aforementioned Force (interesting side note - first time an opponent has scored over 100 points against the Dudes all season). Might we be seeing a little parity in the league playing out this year? Remains to be seen. Until next week boys, Pandemonium out.
Russell Wilson - This guy is an elite quarterback plain and simple. If Pete Carroll were ever to open the playbook up for Wilson, his already impressive passing numbers would stack him up with the likes of the Andrew Lucks and Aaron Rodgers of the league. Add his uncanny ability to run the football in key spots and you can easily see the fantasy value presented by this guy. And is it just me, or does everytime he runs the football come at an opportune time where he is virtually untouched after defenses bite on a fake?
Bishop Sankey - I made the mistake of falling onto the "Bishop Sankey Coming Out Party" this past week. Shonn Greene has just been god awful. The Titans enjoyed a 25 point lead at one point in the game. If not then, then when? With no real answers right now in Tennessee after a string of embarrassing losses, what does Whisenhunt have to lose?
Eddie Lacy - About damn time. I am still skeptical if this will be sustained, but some of those carries on Thursday night were man's carries. I am praying Lacy is not this year's Trent Richardson. The offensive line is still suspect, but Rodgers is playing some great ball right now and should open up the run game for Lacy.
Cam Newton - Decent passing game this weekend, but still not running the football like we have come to expect. Is this a result of the injury, or some desire by the Panthers organization to preserve their franchise QB?
Demarco Murray and Arian Foster - Two franchise RB's with injury histories. Two franchise RB's with huge workloads thus far this season. Do they remain healthy for the rest of the year? I actually think neither misses much time at all.
Sammy Watkins, Julio Jones, Fabian Guerra (youtube the name) - Ridiculous one handed catches this weekend, my god. If only one of us could translate that to the High noon gridiron?
Matthew Stafford - Still cannot shake the career knock of being Calvin Johnson dependent. While Golden Tate put up some numbers (which I unfortunately know all too well), the vaunted Detroit offense managed a mere 14 points.
Pittsburgh Steelers - After being pretty high on the talent in Pittsburgh this year, they manage 17 points against an awful Jacksonville defense? Antonio Brown, Big Ben, Leveon Bell, Markus Wheaton, Heath Miller do not equate to 17 points. And it's not like they didn't move the football.
Andre Williams - I think the rookie will fill in very well for the injured Rashad Jennings (similar injury to Ryan Matthews, may miss some time). He has scored in two straight games and runs the football with authority. On a team that loves to pound the rock in the red, I expect good production. Does have questionable hands though, will not present the PPR upside that Jennings has shown.
Doug Martin - Will we ever see the day when the right people (I'm looking at you Lovie Smith) realize Doug Martin just isn't good?
Larry Donnell - The big goose egg this week after a historic performance last week. Double covered for most of the game, just saw one target all game. If you want to be considered alongside Graham and Gronk in this league, you still need to produce under all sorts of coverage. In other news, Odell Beckham Jr. looks really good. Speed to spread the field and the mitts to catch balls thrown in his general direction, I think we'll see some nice numbers out of the rookie going forward.
Antone Smith - A TD machine, I am curious to see if he has earned himself more touches going forward yet. Steven Jackson just lacks explosiveness and is not the same back he was 3-4 years ago. Devonta Freeman has shown flashes in his limited touches as well. So far the Falcons have seemed content with the plodding running of Jackson so far, but could add an additional element to a very good offense. May not be a bad idea considering the state of that offensive line right now.
Philadelphia Eagles - Got the run game established against the Rams, but still only two offensive touchdowns for this vaunted offense. This is the second straight week of poor production from this offense, with their defense and special teams keeping them in football games. I would expect a bounceback this week against the G-men with both teams putting up points.
Austin Davis - Made some mistakes, but this kid has come out of nowhere to post some significant numbers so far this year. In two starts he has posted two games over 20 fantasy points on a team with limited weapons on the outside. Would make a decent bye week start for any team.
Montee Ball - Goes down with what looked like a very painful groin injury. Begs the question, who is up next for the Broncos? Conventional wisdom would indicate it is Ronnie Hillman, but I don't think this is the between the tackles answer they are looking for. Rumors from Denver are that Peyton Manning is a fan of rookie Juwan Thompson and let's be honest, what Manning says goes in Denver.
Tom Brady - And just when people started to write the Pats off, Brady shows us why he is one of the best to ever do it. I am not sure why I was surprised though. Time and again through his career, Brady and Belichick have rebounded from a tough loss with a statement to the rest of the league. Brady was effective through the air against a very good defense, and Ridley was effective on the ground. We may be seeing a rekindling of the two TE action we saw in NE before Aaron Hernandez started a body count with Tim Wright having a nice game here. On the other side of the coin, Cincy once again struggles in a prime time game. Dalton missed Bernard for a walk in touchdown at one point, and they were just plain beat from the opening whistle.
In Equalizer League news, we no longer have any winless teams. Congratulations to the SGF Dirtdogs and Dark Force for joining the fray with their first victories of the season this week (the Force doing so in convincing fashion). I said in this week's rankings I wasn't looking forward to playing a winless team, looks like I built some bad fantasy karma. We also no longer have any undefeated teams, with the early championship favorite Fat Cats falling to the Las Vegas Outlaws in what was a pretty ugly matchup and the Roc City Super Dudes getting steamrolled by the aforementioned Force (interesting side note - first time an opponent has scored over 100 points against the Dudes all season). Might we be seeing a little parity in the league playing out this year? Remains to be seen. Until next week boys, Pandemonium out.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Week 4 Power Rankings
We are now one third of the way through our fantasy regular season boys, and it's time to see how the waiver wire prowling and trading block has changed the competitive landscape of the Equalizer. Who is a contender in 2014, and who are the pretenders?
Week 4 Power Rankings:
1. The Fat Cats
2. Roc City Super Dudes
3. Ants in my Eyes Collins
4. Touch my TD's
5. PB Pandemonium
6. Tie - Las Vegas Outlaws and The Old Man's Club
8. Dark Force
9. Saskatchewan Rough Riders
10. Redwood Chipalopes
11. Ethan's Mom's Panties
12. SGF Dirtdogs
The Fat Cats - The 2014 of the Cats is all business. We know what Graham, Jordy, and Calvin Johnson bring to the field (how exactly did we let him snag all three), but the reemergence of Steve Smith Sr. this season has been a godsend for the Cats. Can't argue with 547 points through four weeks.
Roc City Super Dudes - While I think there might potentially be a more talented roster ranked below the Dudes, there is no denying a 4-0 start to the season. Rashad Jennings has exceeded I think most people's expectations of his performance this season, and concerns of Andre Williams eating into his touches seem to be subsided (a lot of garbage work in the Skins game but that was a result of game flow and the short week). Look out for the Dudes once Legault sees some more consistent production out of Pierre Garcon.
Ants in my Eyes Collins - Boasting what I believe the best passing attack in the league, the Ants are in need of some production from the running back position. Travaris Cadet ate into some of Pierre Thomas's touches this past week, and Shane Vereen just can't seem to get it going. If he can get the production from those two spots, this is a pretty complete team.
Touch my TD's - So the Arian Foster trade has not quite panned out yet, but I still love this roster and minus two losses by a combined 9 points, I'd have the TD's ranked even higher. Andrew Luck is playing out of his mind right now, and Jeremy Maclin has been better than I ever expected coming into the season (that catch on Sunday). Andre Ellington figures to see more work as his foot heals and I expect Cordarelle Patterson to get the ball in his hands more as he familiarizes with Teddy Bridgewater (who I really like).
PB Pandemonium - Riding the Demarco Murray train as far as it will take me, this is a man possessed right now. Only problem, he has 18 more carries than anyone else in the league and for a man with an injury history that is concerning. Larry Donnell has been a more than pleasant surprise off the waiver wire, and I think Chris Ivory is finally solidifying his position as the best back on the Jets.
Las Vegas Outlaws - I know, I know, this was a total cop-out, but in 15 minutes I could not decide which roster I liked better out of the outlaws and the champ Old Guy's Club. The Black and Gold tandem of Antonio Brown and Leveon Bell is money right now, number 1 and 2 at their positions respectively. I expect better results from V-Jax now that the move to Glennon has been made and Kelvin Benjamin is my favorite rookie wide receiver this season next to Brandin Cooks.
The Old Guy's Club - Could Jamaal Charles have looked any better in his return from a sprained ankle? Certainly exhibited why he was the fantasy MVP from a year ago. Gio Bernard is a PPR monster and I love Deandre Hopkins (who will be the number one receiver in Houston easily this year). Emmanuel Sanders is getting plenty of love in Denver and I think this Sunday is Bishop Sankey's coming out party.
Dark Force - So this one I might catch some flack on, but bear with me here. Ben Roethlisberger is playing some good QB. I expect Eddie Lacy to get on the right track in week 5 and Forte has still yet to find the end zone in 2014, that'll be changing. Has picked up a couple flyers for WR2 in Terrance Williams and John Brown, but I expect both to have very good seasons. I like Brown's play making ability, and Dez Bryant controls coverage opening up opportunities for Williams. Broncos reliant for production again this year, but as long as they keep rolling I think the Force will at least be in the discussion in the coming weeks.
Saskatchewan Rough Riders - True to their name, the Riders are rough on the ground with two of the most bruising backs in the league. But I am concerned about the finesse game through the air on this team. Keenan Allen has only had one game of relevance this year and Torrey Smith would have zero minus a touchdown in a blowout. The best receiver on this team right now is Delanie Walker on a struggling Titan team.
Redwood Chipalopes - McCoy continues to struggle as the heart and soul of the Chipalopes. Matthew Stafford has really shown to be hit or miss over his career, and Percy Harvin is a walking injury. If the Chipalopes can stick around long enough for Josh Gordon to get on the field, I expect a late push.
Ethan's Mom's Panties - I like what I believe we will see out of Jerrick McKinnon. But other than the QB play, there just isn't the excitement outside of Michael Floyd. But losing Adrian Peterson will do that to a team, and you can't lay that at the Panties front office.
SGF Dirtdogs - It pains me a little because Kaier wasn't able to draft his own squad, but then I remembered he got to go to Alaska so not all is bad in Seattle for the Kai guy. One thing I do believe is you don't want to be playing a winless team because one week they'll get their due. I am just hoping it isn't this week.
Week 4 Power Rankings:
1. The Fat Cats
2. Roc City Super Dudes
3. Ants in my Eyes Collins
4. Touch my TD's
5. PB Pandemonium
6. Tie - Las Vegas Outlaws and The Old Man's Club
8. Dark Force
9. Saskatchewan Rough Riders
10. Redwood Chipalopes
11. Ethan's Mom's Panties
12. SGF Dirtdogs
The Fat Cats - The 2014 of the Cats is all business. We know what Graham, Jordy, and Calvin Johnson bring to the field (how exactly did we let him snag all three), but the reemergence of Steve Smith Sr. this season has been a godsend for the Cats. Can't argue with 547 points through four weeks.
Roc City Super Dudes - While I think there might potentially be a more talented roster ranked below the Dudes, there is no denying a 4-0 start to the season. Rashad Jennings has exceeded I think most people's expectations of his performance this season, and concerns of Andre Williams eating into his touches seem to be subsided (a lot of garbage work in the Skins game but that was a result of game flow and the short week). Look out for the Dudes once Legault sees some more consistent production out of Pierre Garcon.
Ants in my Eyes Collins - Boasting what I believe the best passing attack in the league, the Ants are in need of some production from the running back position. Travaris Cadet ate into some of Pierre Thomas's touches this past week, and Shane Vereen just can't seem to get it going. If he can get the production from those two spots, this is a pretty complete team.
Touch my TD's - So the Arian Foster trade has not quite panned out yet, but I still love this roster and minus two losses by a combined 9 points, I'd have the TD's ranked even higher. Andrew Luck is playing out of his mind right now, and Jeremy Maclin has been better than I ever expected coming into the season (that catch on Sunday). Andre Ellington figures to see more work as his foot heals and I expect Cordarelle Patterson to get the ball in his hands more as he familiarizes with Teddy Bridgewater (who I really like).
PB Pandemonium - Riding the Demarco Murray train as far as it will take me, this is a man possessed right now. Only problem, he has 18 more carries than anyone else in the league and for a man with an injury history that is concerning. Larry Donnell has been a more than pleasant surprise off the waiver wire, and I think Chris Ivory is finally solidifying his position as the best back on the Jets.
Las Vegas Outlaws - I know, I know, this was a total cop-out, but in 15 minutes I could not decide which roster I liked better out of the outlaws and the champ Old Guy's Club. The Black and Gold tandem of Antonio Brown and Leveon Bell is money right now, number 1 and 2 at their positions respectively. I expect better results from V-Jax now that the move to Glennon has been made and Kelvin Benjamin is my favorite rookie wide receiver this season next to Brandin Cooks.
The Old Guy's Club - Could Jamaal Charles have looked any better in his return from a sprained ankle? Certainly exhibited why he was the fantasy MVP from a year ago. Gio Bernard is a PPR monster and I love Deandre Hopkins (who will be the number one receiver in Houston easily this year). Emmanuel Sanders is getting plenty of love in Denver and I think this Sunday is Bishop Sankey's coming out party.
Dark Force - So this one I might catch some flack on, but bear with me here. Ben Roethlisberger is playing some good QB. I expect Eddie Lacy to get on the right track in week 5 and Forte has still yet to find the end zone in 2014, that'll be changing. Has picked up a couple flyers for WR2 in Terrance Williams and John Brown, but I expect both to have very good seasons. I like Brown's play making ability, and Dez Bryant controls coverage opening up opportunities for Williams. Broncos reliant for production again this year, but as long as they keep rolling I think the Force will at least be in the discussion in the coming weeks.
Saskatchewan Rough Riders - True to their name, the Riders are rough on the ground with two of the most bruising backs in the league. But I am concerned about the finesse game through the air on this team. Keenan Allen has only had one game of relevance this year and Torrey Smith would have zero minus a touchdown in a blowout. The best receiver on this team right now is Delanie Walker on a struggling Titan team.
Redwood Chipalopes - McCoy continues to struggle as the heart and soul of the Chipalopes. Matthew Stafford has really shown to be hit or miss over his career, and Percy Harvin is a walking injury. If the Chipalopes can stick around long enough for Josh Gordon to get on the field, I expect a late push.
Ethan's Mom's Panties - I like what I believe we will see out of Jerrick McKinnon. But other than the QB play, there just isn't the excitement outside of Michael Floyd. But losing Adrian Peterson will do that to a team, and you can't lay that at the Panties front office.
SGF Dirtdogs - It pains me a little because Kaier wasn't able to draft his own squad, but then I remembered he got to go to Alaska so not all is bad in Seattle for the Kai guy. One thing I do believe is you don't want to be playing a winless team because one week they'll get their due. I am just hoping it isn't this week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)