Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Year In Review

At 0:00 in the Minnesota/Philadelphia game last night, the first NFL game to be played on a Tuesday night in forever, the fantasy football season came to an end. Some owners rejoiced, others bemoaned their pre-kickoff decisions over who to start and some just didn't notice, having been out of contention for weeks. The end of the fantasy season brings with it many things - chief among those being hope for next year if you were unsuccessful in winning your league, or if you did win then simply determination to repeat the feat.

Either way, it has been a memorable fantasy football season for me because I just enjoy the hobby so much. Like real football, it is unpredictable and exciting. What follows are my thoughts on my three dynasty teams in 2010.

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 2-12

My hope was to follow up my 5-9 season in 2009 with a better season in 2010 in this league, but in truth the moves I made in the offseason pretty much guaranteed that wouldn't happen. I would say this is the league where I've made the most mistakes, but I've definitely learned from them. 2010 was a step backward in terms of record, but in terms of my overall team quality I think I've improved.

At QB, Matt Ryan is the unquestioned QB1 and has scored a solid 287 points for me this year. I spent a high enough draft pick on Ryan in the startup draft in summer 2009 and this looks like it will pay off. The backup situation is dicy, and perhaps I should address that in the offseason by trading a low round draft pick, but QB's become available during the season all the time and Ryan rarely gets hurt. My stash at QB is Matt Flynn, the promising Green Bay Packer with a ton of upside and someone who I feel will be a valuable asset to have for the future.

Running back is the Achilles heel of the roster without a doubt. With only Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, Brandon Jackson, Tyrell Sutton and Brian Westbrook, this is an area of my team that needs a lot of upgrading. Enter a top 6 draft pick in the first round next year along with a pair of 2nd rounders and four 3rd rounders and I should have a decent chance to grab a couple of promising backs. My draft last year in retrospect was actually quite solid. The trade I made to acquire the 1.09 pick resulted in Jermaine Gresham who has come on strong these past few weeks. I also took Demaryius Thomas with the 1.12 pick and Arrelious Benn in the 2nd. I am going to be aggressive in the 2011 rookie draft and go after the players I like in a "win now" sort of mode.

As far as my wideouts, I am feeling really good about the future. In fact, this may be one of the best WR corps I've assembled in any of my leagues in a while. Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Smith (NYG) are my top two options, but besides them I have a great core of youth. Demaryius Thomas, Arrelious Benn, Jacoby Ford, Emmanuel Sanders, Andre Caldwell and Seyi Ajirotutu. This is a great group of young WRs who I have a lot of hope for. Youth is on my side at this position. Oh, and did I mention I have speedster Donnie Avery stashed away on IR too?

At TE, I picked up John Carlson after someone lost patience with him and dropped him recently enough. I think Carlson can be a good TE much in the same vein as Brent Celek in the right situation. Perhaps the guy I'm most pleased about is Tennessee TE Jared Cook, a physical freak like Jermichael Finley who has gotten his opportunity to start the past few games of this season and had some great games. If Cook can get it all together, he can be a breakout star next year. My starter at the position going forward will be Jermaine Gresham, but I've got plenty of options here for the long haul. I'm cutting Todd Heap this week as I don't see him playing a role in my long term championship aspirations.

Since this is a league without the wonder of IDP, that's the end of my roster assessment for Schnockered Dynasty for 2010. It's been disappointing to lose 12 games, but this may be the catalyst I need to push on and get a great RB and hopefully go from there. I am enjoying the rebuilding project with this roster, and I think if you took a look at the roster a year ago and compared it to the current one, the difference would shock you.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 9-3 (won league championship)

The sweet smell of victory fills my nostrils this morning as I rejoice knowing that I have won my first ever fantasy football championship. In the three week all-play playoff format, I went 8-1 against my rivals and came out as the league champion. I scored over 300 points this week, and as I say "if you get over 300, you'll probably win". I couldn't be happier right now. Even my family is taking an interest in my championship. I have won $325 in cash and a trophy as well. I like getting the cash, but to be honest the trophy is the more exciting prize. I just hope I can get it shipped over here fast.

Instead of going through the team position by position in this league, I'm going to give out awards to some players who really stood out for me on this team. The players who really made that difference that secured me a league title. I'll go through my thoughts on the future of the roster in another blog entry. For now, let's start with the awards.

The Clutch Award for most points scored in Week 16 championship goes to...

RB Matt Forte for his 24.9 point effort.

Most Points Scored: QB Drew Brees (368 points)

Most Valuable Player: DE Justin Tuck (263 points)

Best Rookie: DT Tyson Alualu (140 points)

Best Free Agent Pickup: CB Alterraun Verner (229 points)

Best Future Pickup: LB Jamar Chaney

That's all the awards I have for now. I'm in a state of ecstacy right now about this victory. It's truly awesome. I want to thank everyone at FBG and everyone else who helped me throughout the year. All the time and effort I put into this league was worth it, and it feels good. Trust me, I'll be talking more about this during the offseason.

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 11-4 (#3 seed in playoffs)

Congratulations are in order for Motorboaters (Rob McAngus) for winning the league championship this weekend. Motorboaters were the team who beat me in the playoffs, so it feels better to say I lost to the eventual champion. My commisserations to Greg and Tristan who barely lost out in a tightly fought game.

Some good news about this league is that I'll be joined in it by my best friend John in due course, and to make things even spicier he'll be in my division. Interesting, eh? And John, if you're reading this, you're going down my friend.

I won't go into much detail on this team right now because this blog entry has been quite long already, but I will say that I feel I have a very solid team which can compete for a championship next season and beyond. I'll be looking to better my 11-4 record from 2010 in 2011.

Until next time, stay classy and stay on the defensive.

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 15

The end of the season is nigh both in real life and fantasy football. It's sad how quickly the season goes in, but boy do I enjoy every second of it. There's nothing like an NFL Sunday. Absolutely nothing. I look forward to Week 16 as I compete for my first ever fantasy championship in two leagues, one with the possibility of a lot of money coming my way and the other just for pride. The fact that I am in the championship hunt is a nice feeling.

I just want to send a quick shout out to my best friend John Nash who had to suffer his Giants falling to the Eagles after giving up 21 points in eight minutes including a DeSean Jackson punt return TD as time expired. That was one of the most unbelievable losses I've ever witnessed. Don't worry John, your boys will make the playoffs.

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 2-12

I'm not even going to say much here, other than I played in a consolation game and lost. Look, I'm optimistic for this team long term and I like the players I have. I'm just not quite there yet. Another draft will get me there, especially if I can add a great talent like Ingram or Green in the first round.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 9-3* (* = clinched playoff berth)

So in the all-play format of this league (which I particularly like) I'm now 5-1 after scoring enough points to beat all but one of my opponents in Weeks 14 and 15. I'm disappointed not to be 6-0, but True Grit just scored a lot of points this week. It's very exciting to know that I have a chance to secure my first fantasy football championship. We're discussing the possibility of a trophy in this league too, which would make the winning of the league all the more sweet considering I would also win 325 dollars in cash money. Oh yes, I'm reeeeeeeally looking forward to this week's games. If I better or match the record of True Grit this week, then I am the champion.

Here is how it stands as of now:

Wet Bandits 5-1
True Grit 4-2
Mudville 3-3

So it's basically between myself and TG. Bring it on!!!

Best Performer: TE Jason Witten (35 points)

I have to applaud myself for making a trade in preseason that may just result in winning a championship. I made the trade to get Witten and in the process gave up Jennings and a couple of other players. I got a good package in return, including a 2nd round pick. The funny thing is that I made that trade with True Grit, the only one who stands in my way. Witten's 35 points helped me secure a 2-1 record this week. He has been on fire recently. Great job Jason.

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 11-4 (#3 seed in playoffs)

The good news is that the guy who beat me in the playoffs is in the championship game, so if he wins I won't look so bad. :) Well, all I can say is that I'm happy I could add Jamar Chaney, middle linebacker for the Eagles, before his breakout game this week against NYG. He posted a 12-4 line which is studly and looked good doing it. I'll probably hang on to Chaney long term or sell him to the highest bidder, but LB is not a big strength of mine in this league.

That's all I have to say about this league. I just can't wait to compete next season and get to the title game this time.

Until next time! I hope I have good news to report next week!

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 14

Funny story. I actually wrote this blog entry a couple of days ago but because of some weird error with this site the entry got deleted. I was pretty devastated. I'm going to give you a quick summary of my week in fantasy football. The playoffs began for me in two of my leagues, one which ended well and another which didn't.

All part of the game though, right?

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 2-12

No news to update here as I was on a bye week after finishing with the worst record in the league. I'll be going into my rebuilding strategy throughout the offseason as I try to build this team into a contender.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 9-3* (* = clinched playoff berth)

In the first week of the unique all-play playoff format I went 3-0 with a 297 point effort from my team. This gives me the perfect start in this three week gauntlet of games. Let's hope I can finish the job now. The best points output came from Jason Witten, but credit also has to go to the always reliable Drew Brees and the surprising Brandon Jacobs.

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 11-4 (#3 seed in playoffs)

And most disappointing of all I ended up losing in this league to an 8-7 team in the playoffs as I failed to put up enough points to secure the win. His team was a very good one and Schaub/Rice got him over the top on MNF. I hope to come back strong in this league next season though, and I have a good team in place to make it happen.

Next week I'll be going into a lot more detail on the leagues and talking offseason strategy, including giving out awards for my players of the year among other things.

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 13

Celebrations are in order this week as I've made the playoffs in two of my main leagues - DG IDP Charter League and Black and Blue IDP Dynasty. I mean, both berths were essentially locked up last week but the end of the regular season in most fantasy football leagues just makes it all the more official.

In Panthers news, we lost again to Seattle last Sunday. After a strong 14-0 start, we gave up 31 straight points. The offense was really clicking in the first half, but it seemed that Clausen went into his shell and lost his mojo after the pick six that Lofa Tatupu managed to snag on a PA full back pass into the flat. Why we didn't run the ball on 3rd and 1 having run pretty well the entire game up to that point confuses me. Jeff Davidson simply has to go as the offensive coordinator. There's not enough ingenuity in the playbook. We need a QB coach to be offensive coordinator. The good news is that we're one loss closer to Andrew Luck. With games remaining against Atlanta twice, Pittsburgh and Arizona, we should have the No. 1 overall pick.

On to fantasy football!

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 2-12

The regular season is over (mercifully for me) in this particular league, and I ended up with only two wins. As you look closer, however, I was very competitive in a lot of my games. Here are some of the close margins I lost games by (and keep in mind that this is a team firmly in rebuilding mode): 3, 10, 13, 6. They're close games if I've ever seen them. What this means is that there is room for optimism for the future. I've done a lot to improve this squad over the past two seasons and hopefully I'll be able to finish strong in the Consolation playoffs. I'm the reigning champion, after all.

Best Performer: QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

When your best performer gets you only 16.8 points, you know things aren't going so well for you. I lost the game this week 126-87. I left Marshawn Lynch and his 28 point game on the bench. It wouldn't have made a difference in the end as my opponent had Tom Brady on MNF, but it would have been nice to put up a more respectable score. Kudos to Matt Ryan for being a very consistent player for me throughout the season. He is the one of the building blocks of the team.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 9-3* (* = clinched playoff berth)

Well, I had a bye this week, so there wasn't even a need to set my lineup. Now we enter the three week all-play playoffs which I am very excited about. It means that even if you have a bad week, you can come back the next week and post a better score hopefully. I hope it doesn't come down to that. I'm fired up and ready to go for next week, when it will be absolutely crucial to optimise the players in my lineup to get the best score possible.

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 11-4 (#3 seed in playoffs)

In the doubleheader final regular season week, I managed to go 2-0 to end the season on an impressive five game winning streak. It's the perfect situation to be in going into the playoffs. The playoff seedings are set now. I'll be the #3 seed, meaning I'll face the #6 seeded Bourne Rockers, who have also been on a very good run. It promises to be a tense affair as whoever loses is out, no questions asked. I would be massively disappointed if I didn't get past the first round.

Some bad news marred the victories and that was the news of Dez Bryant's broken ankle, meaning he will not be available to me for the remainder of the season. Luckily I have excellent depth at WR, but Santana Moss hasn't been lighting it up recently by any means.

Best Performer: LB Stephen Tulloch, Tennessee Titans

What a player this guy has been for me in two of my leagues! Tulloch has been the model of consistency. He hasn't failed to put up less than double digit points in any week and hasn't missed a game either. This week his 34 point effort (14 solo tackles, 3 assists) was a big factor in my two victories. With the Titans offense stumbling, I'm hoping for more of the same down the stretch from my LB1.

Unbelievable as well that one of the teams in the league is 0-15! I just can't believe he hasn't been able to get even one win. I feel bad for him but he still participates and makes moves to improve his team. He'll have the #1 pick to try to rebuild the team.

Here are the playoff matchups for next week:

Puntzilla's Barnstormers v Bourne Rockers
Evil Empire v Dalton Demons
Deranged Smackdown Clowns v Orange Crush
Omnipotent Raptors v Bloom and Doom

I can't wait for the playoffs to begin. Que sera sera. Let's hope I can bag a championship!

Until next time!

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 12

Oh boy. Sometimes it's hard to be a Panthers fan. This weekend was another example as the Panthers fell 24-23 to the Browns. We fought really hard and just came up short as the usually reliable and automatic John Kasay missed a 43 yard field goal as time expired.

Now on one hand, I'm happy because this brings us one step closer to Andrew Luck, who more and more scouts are calling elite and one of the best prospects ever at the QB position.

On the other, it's tough to be 1-10 and taking all these losses must be hard for the team. I actually think we have a chance to win next week at Seattle, who hasn't been very good recently. Jimmy Clausen came on a bit more this week. Jason Williams made a good first start at WLB. Unfortunately Peyton Hillis ran all over us in the 1st half, but Jake Delhomme delivered a pick six for us, so all is right in the world in a strange way.

So now it's time to move on to my dynasty teams after twelve weeks of fantasy football.

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 2-11

I keep coming back to this point week after week, but it bears repeating. I am the third lowest scoring team in the league. I may have the worst record, but I've been scoring a lot of points in recent weeks, and this is without one of my star players in the Giants' Steve Smith. The two teams who have scored fewer points than me have five and six wins respectively. It's not fair, but that's the way it goes. It shows a lot of progress in my team. Guys have been producing quite well, and I'm hoping to finish strong in these final weeks, including causing an upset in my division this coming week.

I suffered a tough 178-162 loss this week. My score was the second highest in the entire league, meaning that I would have beaten any team except the team I faced, Oldguru. Oldguru is the reigning champion of the league, so I don't feel too bad.

Best Performer: RB Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills

34, 27 and 27. These are the point outputs for Fred Jackson over the past three weeks. He has singlehandedly helped this team score a lot of points. Fred Jackson is playing some great football right now. Despite his age, he is a player I want to hang on to because I am not a believer in C.J. Spiller's ability to run between the tackles, something Jackson is very adept at. Jackson's 27 points this week came against the Pittsburgh Steelers, making the feat even more impressive.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 9-3* (* = clinched playoff berth)

Celebrations are in order as I have officially clinched a playoff spot in this league! Woooooo! That feels good for me because I put a lot of work into it and the potential monetary gains is enticing to say the least. I'm the #2 seed in the playoffs, which are operated in a different way to normal. I have a bye next week, and then the top four teams will duke it out in an all-play format for three final weeks. This means that the highest scoring team for the three week span will win the league. It's a system that I've never seen used before, but it should make for an exciting finish. It takes chance out of it and rewards the best team.

Best Performer: WR Deion Branch, New England Patriots

In a narrow 267-263 victory, Deion Branch came out as the best points scorer for the team. It's somewhat of a surprise, but I'll take it. Branch scored 26 points as the Patriots routed the Lions on Thanksgiving. Let's hope he keeps it up down the stretch, because if there is one position I am weak at, it is wide receiver.

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 9-4* (clinched playoff berth)

That's right, not just one playoff spot clinched, but two! This one feels really good. This league is the one I focused on most closely and really wanted to succeed in. It's a league filled with very good owners. Being 9-4 is a nice feeling, I must say. I have to pat myself on the back for a job well done (so far).

Next week sees the double header games within the divisions as teams vye for those last few playoff spots. I'm playing two teams within my division with inferior records and there's no pressure on me to win because I have already won the division, so it's a nice position to be in. If I win both, I'll finish 11-4 and could put myself in a better position for playoff seeding.

Here are the division leaders right now:
Puntzilla's Barnstormers (9-4)
Evil Empire (10-3)
Orange Crush (9-4)
Bloom and Doom (11-2)

If I could get that #2 seed, I would be thrilled. That's my aim right now.

Best Performer: CB Devin McCourty, New England Patriots

In my 271-194 win, Devin McCourty scored a whopping 35 points on Thanksgiving to give me a great start in the game. McCourty is playing really well right now for New England and pretty much shut down Calvin Johnson in this one. McCourty had one really athletic interception where he jumped high and seized the ball from a waiting Johnson. McCourty has good broken field running ability too, and all those yards are precious in this league. Long may his picks continue!

I went 2-1 this week in my leagues, so I'm a happy camper now. I'm glad that my playoff destiny doesn't come down to the last couple of weeks. The pressure is off, so I can set my lineups carefree and just let my guys go and play.

As always, it's been a pleasure bringing you this update on my dynasty teams. I hope you enjoyed it. I leave you now with a view from my bedroom window as the snow continues to fall in Dublin city.

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 11

Panthers Tangent

So yet another loss for the Panthers this week as we fell to the Ravens at home, a game notable more for who we were willing to start at QB (Brian St. Pierre, for those of you at home keeping score) than the actual game itself. As always, there are both positives and negatives to come from the game.

Positives (+)

• Offensive Line: Our offensive line, a patchwork group if I've ever seen one, came out and fired off the ball with aggression, paving the way for a good day from Mike Goodson. I still think we need a mauler at RG going into 2011 as reserves Mack Bernadeau and Geoff Schwartz are not quite up to standard, but they remain valuable backups.
• Mike Goodson: This kid continues to impress me. I think his performances over the past couple of weeks make DeAngelo Williams expendable at the end of the season. The Panthers love Williams as a player and as a person and want to reward him, but you can't ever be too greedy. I would like to see us franchise him and trade him to the highest bidder because he has a lot of good football left in him. Goodson played well against the Ravens and looks like he can carry the load necessary.
• Pass Rush: Three sacks is more like the kind of weekly production I expect, and Charles Johnson has been playing lights out football recently. It was nice to see Everette Brown register a sack as well.

Negatives (-)

• Secondary: Giving up big pass plays seems to be our forte all of a sudden. The touchdown to Houshmandzadeh was a breakdown in coverage and shouldn't be given up on the second play of the game.
• QB play: Brian St. Pierre was the QB... need I say more? Andrew Luck can't get here soon enough.

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 2-10 (finally, a win!)

In an interesting twist on the schedule, we played two games this week in this league. I went 1-1, but that's pretty good considering how poor this team has been doing. Let's focus on the game I won. I won by a six point margin, but put up an impressive 150 points. I'm playing spoiler in this league, but I'm optimistic for the future. I have some nice pieces in place, including Arrelious Benn, Demaryius Thomas and the receiving tandem of Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Smith. I need more running back depth and youth, but I'll address that in the offseason. Some owners in this league are so unresponsive to trades. It's quite frustrating.

Best Performer: RB Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills

34 points last week and 27 points this week? Wow, great job by Freddy Jackson, who has really given this team a lift recently. Spiller is out for a while, so Jackson has assumed the sole ball carrying role for the Bills. I thought he was in for a rough day after the Bills went down early, but Jackson and this offense roared back. Keep it up, Freddy.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 8-3

What a huge win this week for me in this league. I won 287-251, but the margin of victory wasn't that important to me. It was all about getting back on track after a two game losing streak. I'm hoping I can still take the #1 seed and get that bye in the playoffs. It's crucial. If I win this league, I'll win 350 dollars. Not to be sniffed at, let me tell you.

Best Performer: QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Yes, Drew! A 39 point game! That's the kind of game I've been expecting from you. Coming off the bye, the Saints walloped Seattle and Brees went crazy. Breesus Christ wins the award this week and I hope he performs like this down the stretch, starting this week on Thanksgiving in Dallas.

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 8-4

My 300 point effort was the high score of the week in the league, so I would have beaten anybody. It's great to get another win closer to the playoffs in this league. I'm still two games ahead in my division and my last three games are all in-division games, so I have a chance to pull away. I just hope my boys can keep producing big games like this one.

Best Performer: WR Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers

Jennings' 7-152-3 line was tremendous and it gave me 40 points, probably one of the highest totals I'll see from a single player in a single week for a while. Jennings was simply on fire against the Vikings and Rodgers is finding him often now. I hope he keeps it up down the stretch. My WR trio of Fitz, Jennings and Bryant (and Santana Moss as a flex) is unbelievable. No headaches at WR, that's for sure.

And so we are down to the final few games of the fantasy football season, in the regular season at least. I went 3-0 this week, so I couldn't be happier. If only my Panthers were better... you can't have it every way. It's going to be an exciting finish to the year as I aim for the #1 seed in one league, a high seed in another league and a first overall pick in the last league.

Until next time!

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 10

So despite a 31-16 loss to the Bucs this week for my Panthers, I'm not hugely disappointed. The reason for that is twofold; we're looking more and more likely to have the 1st pick in the draft thanks to a Buffalo win and the fact that we were actually quite competitive throughout the game despite a sleuth of injuries. So before I get into my dynasty teams' fortunes this week, here are three positives and three negatives from the game.

Positives (+)

• Mike Goodson: He ran really hard and topped 100 rushing yards on 23 carries. I think the front office will have an easier time letting D-Will go if Goody keeps playing like he did Sunday. Tyrell Sutton is also a very good back who just hasn't had much of an opportunity yet.
• Jimmy Clausen: Believe it or not, Clausen looked like a real NFL quarterback out there. He was sharp with his reads, he didn't look overwhelmed like in previous games and he delivered some nice balls, including a beautiful downfield pass to Steve Smith. The learning curve for QBs is steeper than steep, but Clausen took a step forward.
• Steve Smith's passion: Smitty and Bucs CB Aqib Talib don't get on very well. When Talib smashed into the back of Clausen deliberately after a failed QB sneak, Smitty took exception to that and stood up for his QB. Sure, he got flagged, but it's nice to see that kind of fire from Smith.

Negatives (-)

• Rush defense: Blount force trauma absolutely killed us on the ground... we have to stiffen up that part of our defense big time.
• Not capitalising on red zone chances: Too many field goals... we could have won this game had we scored TDs in the red zone.

Now onto my dynasty leagues!

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 1-9 (finally, a win!)

It's been a long time coming, folks, but finally I've managed to register my first win in Schnockered Dynasty of the season, beating a 6-3 team as well. I won with my highest points total of the season, 163-130. Take that! It felt good, I'm not gonna lie. So I've got a win, and that's great, but I just realised the rather unfair system that operates in this league when it comes to rookie draft picks. It's kind of a lottery system for the first six picks amongst the worst six teams, but the team with the worst record has the best chance of getting the first pick. I guess it's in place to prevent teams from tanking i.e. losing on purpose.

I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing. It's so important to maintain the competitiveness.

Best Performer: RB Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills

Jackson scored a massive 34 points for me against the Detroit Lions. He had touchdowns rushing and receiving and amassed 133 rushing yards. C.J. Spiller is also going to be out a while with an injury, so this is Jackson's gig now. Let's hope he can lead me to more wins in the last few games. Take a bow, son. Take a bow.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 7-3 (and on a losing streak, unfortunately)

I started really hot in this league but have tailed off in the last few weeks, yet I still find myself leading my division and tied for the best record in the league. I guess what I'm saying is that I thought I would be more dominant. I lost this week to the highest scoring team in the league, 356-206. That 206 points irks me a little bit. Sure, I didn't have my strongest outing and Brees was on bye, but it concerns me. This league operates a sort of all-play format in the last couple of weeks to determine the champion, so I'll need to maximise the points in my lineup to win it all.

Best Performer: DE Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings

A 19 point outing from Jared Allen was the highlight for my team this week. When 19 points is the best you can do, that's not very good. I thought Allen would register more than just a single sack against the porous Bears offensive line, but he played well enough not to warrant any concern.


DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 7-4

I'm really happy about my 251-195 win this week, because my division rivals are starting to creep up on me a little bit. This win gives me a two game cushion in the division, with all of my division rivals still on my schedule. I'm especially looking forward to Week 13, a week in which every team in the league plays two games, meaning you have to put up a big score to get those two priceless wins that could be the difference in playoff seeding. Even with four games to go, I'm pretty confident that I'll be the winner of my division. I really love this league and it would mean a lot personally if I did well in such a competitive setting.

Best Performer: DE Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings

Yes, that's right! Jared Allen was my high scorer in this league too with 22 points. I hitched my wagon to him in both of the startup drafts in these leagues, and I feel like it's a good investment to make. Allen's 23 point effort is more like what I envisaged at the start of the season. I just hope he can keep it up because sacks are so valuable in this league. One sack = 8 points! That's good stuff.

So that's it for my leagues update after Week 10! Let's hope I can keep it up and make the playoffs in two of the leagues.

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 9

First off, I'm officially putting a bag over my head for the 2010 Carolina Panthers. This is a drastic move, but it has to be done. Matt Moore is now on injured reserve, and with him goes our only chance at having even a semblance of a passing game. Injuries piled up on Sunday against New Orleans like there was no tomorrow. It's bitterly disappointing, but I'm ready to wash my hands of John Fox and this coaching staff and move on. I'm officially on the Andrew Luck bandwagon and I really hope we have a chance to draft him.

Back to fantasy football, where things are going slightly better. Here are the updates following Week 9:

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 0-9 (and still on a collision course for the #1 pick!)

A 134-105 loss isn't terrible for this team, let's be honest. I'm actually not even the lowest scorer in the league. In fact, the lowest scoring team has three wins! How uncool is that, huh? Okay, so I've done a lot of soul searching with this team, and I'm making some moves now to solidify the future of the franchise. Veterans are being shipped off rapidly for draft picks and young talent. What I need most is young talent at RB, hence my love for Mark Ingram as the #1 pick in my rookie draft.

I'll detail my offseason plan in more detail at a later time. Now to this week's best performer award.

Best Performer: RB Brandon Jackson, Green Bay Packers

This is one I didn't see coming at all. Jackson got me a nice 22 points against the hapless Dallas Cowboys. I'm actively trying to trade Jackson now for a 2nd round rookie pick as I don't believe he has a lot of long term value. Kudos to him for his good game.

So, no change in Schnockered Dynasty...

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 7-2 (and still the #1 seed)

Yep, this league is proving to be a lot of fun this year. It's very competitive. Not as competitive as I would like, but it still offers a great challenge. This week I lost only my second game of the season, and it was mainly due to the sheer number of points my opponent put up. I'm the #1 seed currently, but only by a game. It's getting very tight all of a sudden, so I need to go on a winning streak now and secure that first round bye.

Best Performer: CB Richard Marshall, Carolina Panthers

Richard Marshall came up with a really solid 29 point effort. 7 tackles, an assist and a big interception return resulted in the big score, but unfortunately the Panthers couldn't pull out a win. I'd trade a loss in this league and all my leagues for a Panthers winning season. I really would. Marshall has been a consistent CB1 for my team this season, and I hope that continues into the postseason (if I get there!).


DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 6-4

Damn, I hate losing in this league. The good news is that I'm still top of my division and I only lost narrowly this week. It's coming to that time when all your roster moves count, and you have to be really dead on with who you start each week. Eight teams in this league make the playoffs, but boy would I like to be one of those teams with a bye or a high seed.

I'm confident that I'll be in the postseason, but I can't afford any more slip ups with such good competition.

Best Performer: DE Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings

You know that moment in the Lion King when Rafiki (that crazy monkey) says of Simba: "He's aliiiiive! Oh hoh hoh!" and so on? Well, that's kinda how I feel right about now regarding one Jared Allen. He finally got a sack to his name after a long drought. In fact, he got 2.5 sacks. Sacks are worth a lot of points in this league. I need this guy to keep putting up good performances if I'm going to get high scores. His 31 points this week topped my team. Credit has to go as well to Dez Bryant, who despite the Cowboys smelliness still put up 23 points.

And so the season goes on. Week 10 (really?) is approaching fast, and with the TNF game I'll have to make sure I've got my lineups set early. Until next time, I hope you enjoyed reading about my dynasties.

Man Crush Of The Week: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Come to Carolina!!!

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 8

So we're back again with another update on my dynasty leagues. I really love the ebb and flow of fantasy football. Last night I had a 100+ point lead in one of my leagues going into MNF but my opponent had six players. I only won by 14 points in the end or something like that, so I was sweating it. Anyway, here are the updates on my teams.

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 0-8 (and headed for the #1 pick!)

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it went ahead and did anyway. Look, I'm not shocked that I've lost this week. It's a bye week, my lineup isn't as strong as normal and so on. I'm just shocked I've lost eight in a row. Let that sink in for a moment, people.

Eight games, no wins.

I've come to the point where I'm looking forward to 2011 and 2012. Yep, I'm officially blowing up the team. This move may come back to bite me in the ass, but I firmly believe that I have to sell all of my veteran players who don't figure into my long term plans ASAP. I hope to cash in to get some draft picks and young prospects. The bottom line is that this team won't be competing for a championship for at least two years.

Best Performer: Larry Fitzgerald

Good ol' Fitz spared me the embarassment of having an even worse day. As it was, I only put up 79 points or something horrible like that. In the offseason I'll be updating you via the blog as to how the rebuilding effort for the team is going. For now, you'll have to deal with my whining every week.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 7-1 (and currently the #1 seed)

Can I just start by saying "woo hoo"? Yeah, I'm pretty happy with how things are going in this league. First of all, it's IDP, so it's instantly better than Schnockered Dynasty. Secondly, I'm 7-1 and looking good while doing it. The bye weeks have slowed down the points juggernaut that I was in the first few weeks of the season, but I'm over the worst of the byes now.

I got a close win this week, but they all count. Being the #1 seed with only a few more weeks to play is a nice position to be in. I'm still only a game ahead in the division though, so I have to keep winning to pull away from the pack. If you asked me now to predict my end of season record, I would say (with four more weeks remaining) that I'll finish 10-2. Go Bandits!

Best Performer: Jason Witten

He's done it again! He's the MVP of the team for the second week running. I'm happy I made a trade for him. The Romo injury actually works in my favour, because Witten will get a lot more looks from Kitna. Tight ends get a premium 1.5 PPR in this league too, so keep on catching balls Jase!

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 6-3

A win this week over one of the best players in the league, Orange Crush, came somewhat as a surprise to me. He was missing a lot of his key players entering the game, and so the low points output wasn't a surprise. I'm happy to get this win to make me two games clear in my division with about 5 weeks left in the season, including a Week 13 doubleheader. I'm excited about this league because it has so many good players in it, including expert Sigmund Bloom.

Best Performer: Devin McCourty

Great job to Devin this week for being my highest scorer. He was a guy I just threw in this week to replace Charles Tillman, but he could be worth holding onto now. His 4 solo tackles, 1 assist and big interception (and return) were the difference for him. Keep it up, Devin, and you may find yourself in my good graces again.

That will do it for this week's update. I'm going to finish off with a guy that, barring any setbacks, will be my #1 pick in the Schnockered Dynasty rookie draft.

Mark Ingram, I'm coming for you!

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 7

Here we go again, people. It's my fantasy football teams update after seven weeks of the regular season are in the books. Seven weeks already... wow.

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 0-7 (Lost 122-135)

Ugh... it's not looking good and we're not sofa king awesome right now by any means. This team has been through a lot and we're firmly in the process of rebuilding. Come on, even the Colts needed the #1 pick to take Peyton Manning at one time, and look what that did for their franchise! It was disappointing to lose this week by such a small margin to the highest scoring team in the league. With the team I have to field, scoring 122 is actually pretty darn good.

Best Performer: Matt Ryan

Ryan's 29 point effort was not enough to get me over the top in this particular game, but the important thing is that he is my franchise QB for the long term and at least I have that sorted. He is an incredible 18-1 at home all time, so you have to start him in the dome. On the road... not so much.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 6-1 (Lost 309-257)

I knew a loss was coming eventually, so I can't say I'm too displeased with this. Still, the allure of a perfect season in fantasy football was a big goal of mine. Sadly, that isn't going to happen. The good news is that I am currently the #2 seed and if the playoffs began today, I would have a first round bye and would go through to the championship round. I'm very confident that I can continue my good form in this league. I have a lot of good players on both sides of the ball.

Best Performer: Jason Witten

That is an image you won't be seeing for a while. Tony Romo's injury has really thrown a spanner in the works for the Cowboys already ailing season. Witten can still be productive as an outlet for Jon Kitna, however. His 28 point effort was a good showing on MNF. Unfortunately my opponent had Dez Bryant, who was quite simply, incredible. Witten is a guy I made a trade for in this league in preseason to get me over the top at the TE position, and I am still a believer in his ability to be consistent for the rest of the year.

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstomers
Team Record: 5-3 (Won 256-240)

It was a tighter win than I would have liked, but I got the job done. I'm also leading my division and I'm fourth in the league in points scored. Not too shabby. Injuries have taken their toll somewhat, but I am confident I can get through them.

This coming week I'm playing my good friends Tristan and Greg Akiyama, the only father-son fantasy football co-owners that I know. They're two stand up guys and know their stuff. I still don't buy that it's their first IDP league. They're too savvy for that :) It's a titanic matchup, as his team, Orange Crush, stands at 7-1. I'll need to score a lot of points to beat these guys.

Best Performer: Charles Tillman

A 27 point effort from Charles Tillman was a nice return for a matchup against the Redskins. Tillman is such a consistent performer this year. Unfortunately he's on bye this coming week, so I won't be able to benefit from his big point totals. Urgh...

That's going to do it for this week. So in summary:

I'm rebuilding in Schnockered and fully expect to have the number one pick.

In B&B, I'm optimistic of a playoff appearance.

In DG, I'm leading the division and there are 8 spots in the playoffs, but anything is possible. I just have to finish strong.

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 6

The bye weeks gauntlet continues with a fury over the next few weeks, with six teams on bye in Week 8. The depth of rosters are tested during this time, and my rosters will have to be ready to weather the storm as we approach crunch time in fantasy football.

Week 6 is in the books, and what a week of games it turned out to be. There were a lot of close, tightly fought contests that I really enjoyed watching, especially BAL/NE and MIA/GB. My Panthers were on a bye, so they didn't rack up another loss this week (yippee!).

Here are the updates on my dynasty teams after Week 6:

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 0-6
Week 5 result: Lost 125-115 to Bruiser

Even though I faced an 0-5 team this week, I couldn't quite get the job done. On Sunday evening, I'm sitting by my laptop watching Deion Branch gaining points on my bench and I am crying inside. I just can't buy a win in this league. Footballguys.com expert Matt Waldman informs me that he'll be posting an article this week on how to cope with being winless and rebuilding at this point in the season. I look forward to that perking me up somewhat.

I mean, I can't be too disappointed. I came into 2010 knowing that this team wouldn't amount to much or be a playoff contender, but I've been unlucky with some of my losses. To put that into perspective, the lowest scoring team in the league is 2-4.

This week I'm hoping to acquire waiver wire darling Danario Alexander since I'm blessed with having the first priority on waivers, the only silver lining to being 0-6. Alexander's NFL debut last week caught a lot of people's attention, and with Bradford losing Clayton for the year, we could see D-Al (my new nickname for him) take on a big role.

My outlook for the rest of the season is grim, but I'll keep fighting and I'll pick up a few wins along the way. I just need to get a few breaks here and there.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 6-0
Week 5 result: Won 254-250 over Titletown Favres

When you win games that by all rights you shouldn't have won, you know things are going well for you. That happened for me this week in Black and Blue. I was nothing short of overjoyed when I opened my emails today to find the final scores of the games and there I was, a four point winner and still perfect on the season.

A big effort from Titans' defenders Stephen Tulloch and Alterraun Verner - a rookie CB who has been playing lights out - saved the day for me. I love it when a game comes down to MNF. Thankfully, both players were able to get the job done. Honourable mention must also go to DT Tyson Alualu of the Jags, who has been a great start in the DT slot for me this season.

I think this is the best start I've ever made to a season in fantasy football before, and I couldn't be happier right now. I think my team has a lot of talent and I would be disappointed if I didn't make the playoffs at this point. I'm shooting for the number one seed, of course. :)

May the wins keep rolling during these bye weeks!

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 4-3
Week 5 result: Lost 310-230... big margin, in other words

I wrote an article for the league page this week which basically said that the winner of this game would get to go on a date with the lovely Evangeline Lilly

Of course it was a joke, but it added intrigue to the matchup. Rick Keller was a guy I would have been proud to beat because he put together a really good team top to bottom in the draft and leading up to the season. I had some disappointing days from guys I could usually count on, and as a result I wasn't able to reach the quota I needed - around 300 points - to get the W. Congratulations to Rick on the win. I expect to see him in contention all year.

So as I try to imagine what it would be like to get a night alone with Evangeline, I'm also looking forward with optimism in this league. I'm 4-3! All hope is not lost. I'm still tied for top of my division and have a two game lead over my nearest rivals. I just need to get back to racking up the points like I have been in previous weeks. More often than not, that'll lead to a victory.

I'll have to put Nick Barnett on IR now, which brings up some concerns at LB, but I should have sufficient depth to cover his absence. Mathias Kiwanuka, get that neck checked out so we have a clearer picture of your situation too!

And that'll be it for my dynasty leagues update post-Week 5. I hope you enjoyed reading and can relate to some of my thoughts/stories.

Fantasy Football: My Dynasties Through Week 5

Well, well, well... it's been a while on this blog since I've actually addressed my dynasty fantasy football teams, hasn't it? It's something I'm very passionate about, and after five weeks of the season it's time to dust them off and give you all the update.

Dynasty fantasy football is the best way to play fantasy football, hands down. The strategy of trading future draft picks, building with one eye on the future, going all in to win now and scouting the rookie prospects as early as January are just some of the many enticing aspects of this type of fantasy football. I love it, and what follows is my summary of how I have been faring in my three leagues so far this season.

SCHNOCKERED DYNASTY
Team Name: The Sofa King Awesomes
Team Record: 0-5

I didn't expect much from this league from the beginning of this season, but to be 0-5 is just cruel. My team may need work, but it isn't that bad. The problem starts with scoring - at just 487 points through five weeks of play, I am the lowest scoring team in the league. Not good enough.

This team is firmly in rebuilding mode, and that presents a number of challenges. I've done my research and gotten good advice from owners who have successfully rebuilt a team before from scratch, and I'm in the process of making some moves to acquire future draft picks.

Last week I made a trade to acquire a 2011 2nd round pick and a 2012 2nd round pick. My new policy is to not accept anything lower than a 2nd in future. Otherwise it's just pot luck in terms of who you might draft. So that leaves me with flexibility in the upcoming drafts.

And while we're talking about the upcoming drafts, the whole labour situation in the NFL right now will really impact fantasy football. I fully expect there to be a lockout and that some games will not happen early in 2011, so fantasy football owners have to take account of it. Perhaps the biggest problem will be for the rookie class of 2011. Imagine you're eligible to apply for the NFL Draft in your junior year. You figure that you may not even get to play in your first year in the league because of the labor situation. Would you leave for the NFL or stay in your familiar setting i.e. your college campus where you are guaranteed to play one more year?

Yeah, I like option two.

That will affect rookie drafts too, with a lot more talent on offer in 2012. Everyone knows that dynasty is all about acquiring talent for your team, hence why I'm making offers to get 2012 draft picks too. A shark move if I do say so myself.

What's wrong with this team?

Well, it all starts with my running back situation. It's ugly. Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch are my anchors, and that isn't saying much. The Lynch to Seattle trade has helped somewhat, but I would be willing to deal him if the right offer came along. My WR corps is well balanced, but young in spots. I have both Demaryius Thomas (who I took with the 11th overall pick last year in our rookie draft) and Arrelious Benn, who I managed to swing a trade for. I also have the very talented rookie Emmanuel Sanders, who I am sitting on until he gets his chance in Pittsburgh.

Needless to say, the main problem is at RB, and if I end up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 rookie draft, I'm probably going with a RB.

Better times are ahead if I continue to make solid roster moves and continue to rebuild, but patience is the key here.

BLACK AND BLUE IDP DYNASTY
Team Name: The Wet Bandits
Team Record: 5-0

If Schnockered Dynasty is bad, B+B is amazing in comparison. I am simply on fire in this league. IDP dynasty is by far the best way to play fantasy football. I'm a fan of the defensive side of the ball anyway, so it's a pleasure to participate. I'm the top scorer in the league with 1441.97 points through five weeks, so I'm flying high.

MVP: Jahvid Best/Matt Forte

Both players have been great for me so far. I had doubts about taking Matt Forte, but he continued to drop in the draft amidst speculation that Chester Taylor would eat into his carries. As the inimitable Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend". Great to have them both on this team.

What more can I say? I'm spoiled for choice at the LB position and I have the dynamic duo at DE of Tuck and Allen.

My prediction now: if this team doesn't make the playoffs, then something is seriously wrong with the world. Incidentally, it would be my first playoff appearance in fantasy football.

DYNASTYGUYS IDP CHARTER LEAGUE
Team Name: Puntzilla's Barnstormers
Team Record: 4-2

This league is by far my favourite league. The cast of characters in the league is great, and I get on well with them all. I'm especially glad that the great Sigmund Bloom is a part of the league.

As for my team, I'm pleased with how I've started, but the challenge continues in this league. There are a lot of very astute owners who make good waiver wire pickups. My WR corps has been the highlight of this team. I have Fitzgerald, Jennings, Dez Bryant and Santana Moss as my starting four, with Derrick Mason as my primary backup. Not too bad, eh?

LB has become a concern with the loss of Nick Barnett long term. I also lost CB Cedric Griffin to another ACL tear this week (grrr).

Despite the setbacks, I'm feeling confident that I can stay very competitive in this league and hopefully win my division. A new owner has just come in to replace an old one who was in my division, so with that the level of competition increases. It's going to be exciting.

It's the league I want to succeed in most, so I'm going to put everything into it.

That's it for the league update. I may come back next week and give you a summary of my games, but it's more likely to be in a couple of weeks when the playoff picture begins to form in each league.

Thanks for reading!

NFL Week 4 Predictions

We're approaching the quarter pole of the marathon that is the 2010 NFL season. It's hard to believe we're already at Week 4, but there are plenty of interesting (and juicy) matchups to sink our collective teeth into. Let's get right to it, shall we?

New York Jets (2-1) @ Buffalo Bills (0-3)
Boy, has Mark Sanchez turned the Jets offensive ship around in the past two weeks. Sanchez has been firing passes everywhere with confidence and has developed a special rapport - perhaps even on the Manning/Clark level - with TE Dustin Keller. The Jets sneaky pickup of 3-4 DE Trevor Pryce from the Ravens could prove to be important in the long term for this team. The Bills have struggled in the first few games, but showed some signs of life in New England last week. If the Bills can continue to effectively use C.J. Spiller in creative ways, they have a chance. The Jets are too strong for this rebuilding Bills team in my opinion and should come out with a victory. Jets 31, Bills 13

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) @ Cleveland Browns (0-3)
Carson Palmer, are you in there buddy? Trust me, I'm a Panthers fan who watched our team squander about five opportunities at interceptions last week against the Bengals and I can tell you that Palmer doesn't look like himself. I can't put my finger on it. The Browns need to come up with a win here to salvage their teetering season. In my upset special this week, I'll take the Browns to pull off an unlikely win with a big help from Hillis and Cribbs. Browns 20, Bengals 13

Baltimore Ravens (2-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0)
This game ought to be a spicy meatball of a game. In other words, watchable and entertaining for all. Although I'll be watching my Panthers attempt to save our season against the Saints, the Ravens/Steelers rivalry is one that fans cannot ignore. I'm a huge fan of great defense, so I can't wait to see how these teams match up.
Steelers 20, Ravens 17

Denver Broncos (1-2) @ Tennessee Titans (2-1)
Pass, pass, pass and pass again. That is the new offensive philosophy of the Broncos and thanks to a competent Kyle Orton, it is working a charm for the men from Mile High. The Titans come off a somewhat fortuitous win agains the Giants on the road, but will be too strong for the Titans in Nashville. Titans 31, Broncos 23

Detroit Lions (0-3) @ Green Bay Packers (2-1)
Poor Lions... I wonder how their season would have turned out had that Calvin Johnson catch been ruled a TD in Week 1. Think of it. The Bears wouldn't be perfect, the Lions may have carried that momentum onwards and even beaten Philly. Without Stafford at QB, this will be a tall task, so I'll be safe and take a pissed Packers team to rebound. Packers 27, Lions 13

San Francisco 49ers (0-3) @ Atlanta Falcons (2-1)
Applause for Atlanta! I have to give them credit for pulling off the upset in New Orleans. It was a big step forward for this franchise. The 49ers are going the opposite direction unfortunately. I like Singletary as a head coach, but he'll need a big performance from his guys to win this. Atlanta are notoriously tough at home, so I'll take the birds. Falcons 30, 49ers 20

Carolina Panthers (0-3) @ New Orleans Saints (2-1)
In my new article at Bleacher Report (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/479557-wild-thing-how-the-panthers-could-beat-the-saints) I detail how the Panthers use of the Wildcat could prove effective in beating the Saints. In reality, I don't think this coaching staff will be able to come up with enough with a rookie QB at the helm to get the win. Saints 38, Panthers 13

And now time for some quick fire predictions

Seattle Seahawks (2-1) @ St. Louis Rams (1-2)
Rams win in an upset special. Bradford is special. Rams 28, Seahawks 21

Indianapolis Colts (2-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)
Sorry Jack, you may have to hit the road soon. Colts 30, Jags 10

Houston Texans (2-1) @ Oakland Raiders (1-2)
Foster gets his and the Texans get a big road win. Texans 20, Raiders 13

Washington Redskins (1-2) @ Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
Massive game for both teams, but Vick is scary. Take the Eagles. Eagles 23, Redskins 20

Arizona Cardinals (1-2) @ San Diego Chargers (1-2)
Ryan Mathews, meet the Cardinals. Chargers 30, Cardinals 14

Chicago Bears (3-0) @ New York Giants (1-2)
With news that Kiwanuka is out with a neck injury, the Giants D line is struggling, but I have to take them to rebound. Giants 24, Bears 20

New England Patriots (2-1) @ Miami Dolphins (2-1)
God I love Monday Night Football. That Hank Williams theme gets me so fired up. Tough one to call, but I like the Fins. Dolphins 28, Patriots 24

Panthers @ Ravens Preseason Game Preview

Welcome back to the blog, one and all!

This blog is what you might call maddeningly inconsistent, which is of course a reflection of me and my updating skills. I just forget about the blog sometimes. From now on though, I plan to be much more committed. I plan to update it every few days. That could mean every three to five days.

With the football season approaching fast, the theme of the blog will be mainly sports, specifically about my Carolina Panthers. With that in mind, this entry is all about the Panthers' opening preseason encounter against the Baltimore Ravens.

What To Watch - Panthers Offense:

To say that the Carolina offense has changed in the offseason would be a huge understatement. Gone are familiar faces like Muhsin Muhammad, Brad Hoover and perhaps the most familiar face of all - for all the wrong reasons in 2009, I might add - Jake Delhomme. Yes, the Cajun has left the building. All of these players contributions to the team were valuable over the years, but I think it is safe to say that to expect any further contribution of any significant quality from them would be naive.

With change comes opportunity for new players to make their mark in the National Football League. The player that the media is firmly focusing their attention on is (no big surprise here!) Matt Moore, the fourth year quarterback out of Oregon State. In every analysis of the Panthers 2010 hopes from every writer/expert, all I hear are the same questions.

"Can Moore do it?"

"Has he got the experience?"

"It's an open competition between Moore and Clausen. Clausen will win the job!"

So let me answer those three in turn.

Yes, yes and no competition exists.

Trust me on that last one. Matt Moore is the unquestioned starter for this team. He has approached training camp in Spartanburg with the kind of confidence and veteran calm that you would expect from a player who has seen many more camps than him. I'm fully behind Moore this season.

Tomorrow night on ESPN, be sure to watch Moore play. He'll be facing a very tough defense that will challenge his pre-snap reads, his mentality and his toughness. If he comes through the game having scored a TD or at least led a good drive or two, I'll be pleased. One step at a time.

What else should we be watching out for on offense?

• The tailback situation - Stewart is on the PUP temporarily, so D-Will and Sutton will get most of the carries with the first team. I'm interested in how Sutton performs.
• The WR situation - LaFell, Moore and Jarrett battle. Who will perform when it's live?
• Gary Barnidge at TE - show me you deserve to be the starter
• RG - who wants it?

What To Watch - Panthers Defense:

Defensively, the loss of WLB Thomas Davis will hurt this team. Of that I have no doubt. Moving Beason to the WLB position is not ideal. Dan Connor has taken the MLB position, and although I'm sure he'll do a decent job, he will not be Jon Beason. Darin Gantt of the Rock Hill Herald doesn't trust Connor in coverage, which the Mike in the Cover 2 has to do a lot. The jury's out on Connor in the middle. This game will show us a lot.

The unrest at DT is pretty obvious with no starters set. I'm looking to see a couple of guys distance themselves. My bet right now is on Louis Leonard and Tank Tyler, but after spending a 3rd round pick on Corvey Irvin, I'd like to see some life out of him.

Everette Brown - can he hold up against the run?

After forcing as many turnovers as they did towards the end of last season, can this defense continue that pace? Can Meeks turn this unit into an opportunistic, fast to the ball, playmaking defense?

One thing is certain - we'll have more answers after tomorrow night's game. I'll be reviewing and watching every minute of the game on Friday, at which point I'll post a blog update with my thoughts.

Finally, go Panthers!

Super Bowl XLIV Review

Welcome back to the blog! Well, it's been a few days since my last entry, and with good cause! Over the weekend we had our good friend Jeroen over for the Super Bowl. I'll get to the game later. For now, I just want to say that we had a great time with Jeroen. The guy is the coolest guy you could meet and sound as a pound, as they say. The trip for him included a visit to the Leisureplex for bowling and pool, going to see the Book of Kells and seeing Avatar last night. His words at the end of the movie were "Amazing!" in summing up James Cameron's multi-million dollar piece of cinematic genius.

Jeroen is heading home now, so I hope he has a safe trip! :)

Now onto the Super Bowl! The New Orleans Saints captured the Vince Lombardi trophy after a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. There were plenty of great storylines coming into the game. The Colts were 4 point favourites entering the game. They got off to a great start and seemed to have the Saints' number in the first half. In the first quarter, the Colts led 10-0 after a Pierre Garcon TD catch. The Saints, to their credit, battled back and really keyed on getting the ball down the seam to Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey among others. Brees tried to go deep on many occasions, but the Colts always had it covered. The Cover 2 defense they run is more of a Tampa 2 from the days on Tony Dungy - fast, aggressive players are needed to execute the scheme. When the Colts stopped a run on 4th and goal from the 1 yard line, the momentum swung their way, but the Saints managed to put up six points before the half to make it 10-6.

At halftime, the discussion in our sitting room at home was rather low key when it came to the game. It was a strange game in that way. It had so many great players and great moments, but these teams are businesslike in their approach. They stayed out of the spotlight during the weeks leading up to the game. At Media Day, neither set of players spoke out except to say the cliched expressions like "We're ready for a tough game" and so on.

The beginning of the 3rd quarter was a massive turning point for me. The Saints' kicker Thomas Morstead lined up to the kick off, but executed a sneaky onside kick on instruction from ballsy coach Sean Payton - and it worked to perfection! There was a scramble for the pigskin, but the Saints came away with it. They had already garnered momentum from the 2nd quarter, despite only putting up 6 points. The Saints took the initiative after the onside kick and took the lead. I have to give credit to Payton. He is a brilliant offensive mind who sometimes takes risks, but if you live by the sword, you die by the sword and sometimes that sword is the very thing that could lead you to victory. This time it did.

I would like to point out that I predicted only moments before the game-clincing pick six that it would happen. I believe my exact words were "There is going to be a defensive TD or some big defensive play coming up!". New Orleans CB Tracy Porter picked off a slant pass intended for Reggie Wayne and ran it back. I'm a defense kind of guy, so I love to see defensive TDs in high profile games. In any games, really. What a thrilling way to essentially kill off the game. There's just something about a defensive play that steals momentum, and the Saints did that with that interception. Manning and the Colts were down 31-17 and couldn't recover.

Unfortunately this also means the end of the football season, always a sad time for me. I've got exams to focus on, however, and then the summer of work/play, so it comes around faster than you think. I'll be keeping you all up to date with my thoughts on the Panthers movements during the offseason and indeed general NFL activity. I'll also bore you with my dynasty league updates.

That's all for today. I've got three lectures now, so I have to get my concentration hat on.

Libraryzilla

Life proceeds at such a fast pace in college. One second you're in the lab doing your research project wondering when you'll finally get that lunch break you've been so craving since 10am, the next you're sitting through lectures in the surprisingly warm Chemistry Building Science Lecture Theatre (CHSCLT). It's crazy, really. Such is the nature of life. If you don't jump on the wagon, you'll get left behind.

I'm starting to get more pro-active now as far my study goes. With the end of the football season officially on Sunday with Super Bowl XLIV (to check out my thoughts on the big game, please go to nfldoublecoverage.mypodcast.com) the time to hit the books has arrived in earnest. I'll be honest with you. It's tough to get back into it after such a long time away. During my research project from September-December, I only focused on my project work and didn't have any lectures, so the disconnection from what most would consider normal college work was established. I, like most of my classmates, am struggling to remember concepts from 3rd year and perhaps further back. I liken it to being on a holiday for six months and returning having not studied chemistry.

Well, it's been a busy week for me and it's about to get a lot busier. I've got dinner plans tonight at Eddie Rocket's which I'm looking forward to, of course. Then comes Super Bowl weekend. My good friend Jeroen will be over to enjoy the festivities. We'll probably play some football and go bowling on Saturday, then take it easy on Sunday as we build up to gametime. By the way, I've got the Saints. It's more of a gut feeling than anything else. To get a full breakdown of my analysis, check out my podcast (see above!).

Plan for today, you ask? Two lectures, done at 12, get a bite to eat and then spend the next few hours studying as I wait for dinner at 6pm. That's about it!

Oh, and I'm working on a trade in my dynasty league. I've decided to take a different approach than before. I'm not simply making a speculative offer out of nowhere. I'm sending the owner a private message first basically detailing what I'm interested in and what I'm willing to trade. His answer was encouraging, and he's very strong at RB (which conversely, I am weakest at) so I hope we can get a deal done.

That's it for today! If you've got nothing to do on Sunday, check out the Super Bowl! It's going to be a heck of a game.

Future, fantasy and fun...

Good morning world!

It's a wet, dreary day here in Dublin, but that won't get my mood down. Over here we're used to relentlessly bad and moreover unpredictable weather. So yesterday I talked a little bit about Julius Peppers' future with the Panthers. A quick update on that one: Panthers GM Marty Hurney released a statement yesterday saying something along the lines of "nothing is final yet" as regards Peppers. No need to push panic buttons yet.

So today I wanted to briefly share with you my thoughts on the transition that people my age here in Ireland will be going through very soon. What I refer to is taking the next step in our life journey - college to the working world. It's the in vogue topic in our year right now. Every day chatter about the future dominates lecture theatres and the famous coffee place on campus, Java City. My feelings on the whole issue are clear enough; do what you like to do. Being in chemistry, an outsider might expect that every single one of us would logically go into an area like drug design or something like that. Not the case at all. As much as 50% of our year from what I have heard are considering a year out and going straight into the working world.

My point in all of this is not to be afraid of this inevitable transition, but at the same time be prepared yourself to make it. I'm currently researching a few companies now that I would like to work for. Unfortunately most of the larger companies had an unusually early application deadline (we're talking October 2009!) and hence I can't apply for them. A question I have for them is why have your deadline at a point when most people have no clue what their future holds?

And I guess that's it right there. Uncertainty. The feeling of not knowing what comes next is universally something humans dread. It's exciting too, however, and you need to embrace it. We as college students are so used to the day to day grind of lectures and study. Having a greater degree of freedom can be a good thing. And trust me, we will all find our niche in life. There is a place for all of us. You just need to work for it. I'll end this thought by sharing a phrase with you that I have always believed in to be true:

"Nothing in this life that's worth having comes easy."

***

Those three stars mean a change of topic. This day may turn out to be the busiest one I have in quite a while. Okay, first of all I've got a lecture at 9am. Then I intend to not go to the 10am because I am attending a careers talk at 11am which will require a lot of walking to get to. I don't have faith that Mike Lyons will finish his lecture at 10:40 to allow me the right amount of time to get there. Then comes a few hours off, which will most likely be filled with study. I've got plans to go out to Pizza Hut for a traditional meal with my good friends John, Roisin and Martina. What a great group. We've been going to Pizza Hut for years now as a quartet. Cookie dough dessert? Yes puh-lease!

After the meal, I'm off home for a movie. It's the Book of Eli. I've heard mixed reviews, so I reckon I'll give it a shot.

***

Okay, time for some quick fantasy football thoughts. In my dynasty league I was seriously lacking at RB in 2009, so since the end of my disappointing 5-9 season in which I had 6 players on IR I've been trying to strengthen. I've made a few trade offers, most of which have fallen on deaf ears or have been rejected (or I received a ridiculous counter offer which you would have to be high to accept!). At any rate, it's hard to get deals done in the offseason when people don't log on.

I offered a trade to a guy yesterday:

I give RB Ronnie Brown, WR Pierre Garcon and a 2nd round 2010 rookie draft pick

He gives RB Darren McFadden, WR Brian Robiskie and a 1st round 2010 rookie draft pick

Notice I've bolded his draft pick. The reason is that he holds a top 5 pick. I also hold a top five pick due to my finish last year. I've got some good pieces on my team and I'm not far away from being a contender, especially when you consider a division was won last year with a 7-7 record! So I'm sticking my neck out and offloading Brown, who I don't trust to stay healthy after two knee surgeries; and Garcon, who has been tremendous for the Colts in their Super Bowl run, to try to get into the top five picks to acquire two of the best rookies in the class. Preferably that would be the top two rookie running backs:

C.J Spiller (shown on the left) is a speed demon in the mold of the NFL's offensive MVP in 2009 Chris Johnson. He doesn't have the best inside running mentality, but his big play potential is off the charts.

Jonathan Dwyer (shown on the right) has been compared to Tim Hightower.

Scouts have differing opinions of him as he came out of the option offense at

Georgia Tech. He is one of the guys I am looking at, but I am likely to take the best player available at any rate.

So that's the trade! I hope the guy accepts it. I'll keep you posted.

That's it for today! It was a bumper edition, but hey, you deserve it. Please leave comments.

Later!