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