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.