Anyway I've been back from Alaska for two weeks or so and a couple things have been made clear to me.
Number one, darkness is awesome. As great as the sun is and as nice as sunlight is; Alaska made me miss darkness a whole lot.
Number two, Alaska needs to get a chipotle. Speaking as the man who went with his dad from the Detroit-Wayne County Airport to get it as soon as I returned home; Alaska needs a chipotle or two. I know you still have Blockbusters up there but how's about taking one of them out and putting a chipotle in? Come on, I guarantee you'll enjoy it.
Number three, fantasy football is, well
Well said, Peter! Fantasy football is freakin' sweet! It truly has become the dominant game in the fantasy sports world. Well there's also the one day fantasy leagues but those are the Andre to the true fantasy football season which is more like Raffi. Anyone have a pocket dog? I'm getting myself off track.
(Video NSFW - In case anyone is actually watching at work somewhere)
Well it's about that time! My yearly recap of the "LeBron" Fantasy Football League. I still wish we could've pick a more relevant name but that's just wishful thinking at this point. If you recall, last year the league was expanded to twelve teams. One of those guys didn't draft, phoned it in, then quit a week or two in. The other guy was pretty much illiterate so we have since went backwards and are now a 10 team league once again. Got it tall guy? Alright, let's go!
Teams were forced to have at least one keeper and could keep up to three players. If you see this: * that means that player is a keeper from last year's team.
Let's look at Austin Nader's team, team name = Watch The Throne
QB - Carson Palmer, ARI
RB - Jamaal Charles, KC*
RB - LeSean McCoy, BUF
WR - DeAndre Hopkins, HOU*
WR - Allen Robinson, JAX
TE - Delanie Walker, TEN
FLEX - Eric Decker, NYJ, WR
D/ST - Chiefs D/ST
K - Steven Huschka, SEA
BE - Gio Bernard, CIN, RB
BE - Marvin Jones, DET, WR
BE - Travis Benjamin, SD, WR
BE - Matt Stafford, DET, QB
BE - Isaiah Crowell, CLE, RB
BE - Jaelen Strong, HOU, WR
BE - Steve Smith, BAL, WR
Well, as I said so often in Alaska, "here we go." For starters I think it's time for Austin to change the name of the team. He was the Phil Mickelson for the first two years of the league but wasn't in the top three last year. At some point you should be on the throne to tell someone to watch it. Austin always seems to have a solid draft. No issue with Carson Palmer assuming he can bounce back from that terrible NFC Title game. Jamaal Charles is a bit of a health concern coming off of his second ACL injury. I have him in another league so I think he should bounce back. McCoy was halting by injuries even before last season started. That was why I didn't retain him on my team. I think he has a good season though even if his best days are behind him. DeAndre Hopkins is gonna be a stud this year. I don't know if this guy is the franchise QB:
Even with that being the case I think Osweiler is still the best QB Hopkins has ever had. Allen Robinson was great last year but I don't know if he can do what he did last season. Delanie Walker is a quality tight end and really a good pick in the sixth round. Eric Decker is always a decent guy to have. He's really a consistent player.
Gio Bernard is a little better in PPR (point-per-reception) formats but is a good RB3. I have no clue what to expect from Marvin Jones and Travis Benjamin as they are both in new spots from last year. They are each expected to be the second receiving option but I guess we'll see. Matt Stafford is kind of underrated but we've never seen him without Cavlin to throw to (at least for an entire season) so I truly don't know how that will effect him. Isaiah Crowell is not a bad back up option although I think in Cleveland Duke Johnson will take over the running back duties at some point. We still haven't seen much out of Jaelen Strong so I don't know if he was worth taking even at that point in the draft. I've loved watching Steve Smith but can he recover from the terrible torn Achilles injury last year? The bench has more questions than answers by a long shot.
Grade= C+
Let's look at Dan Janning's team, team name = BlueSea Unpackers
QB - Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
RB - Adrian Peterson, MIN*
RB - Eddie Lacy, GB*
WR - Antonio Brown, PIT*
WR - Sammy Watkins, BUF
TE - Travis Kelce, KC
FLEX - Jarvis Landry, MIA, WR
D/ST - Texans D/ST
K - Mason Crosby, GB
BE - Danny Woodhead, SD, RB
BE - Michael Crabtree, OAK, WR
BE - Laquon Treadwell, MIN, WR
BE - Bilal Powell, NYJ, RB
BE - Devin Funchess, CAR, WR
BE - Michael Thomas, NO, WR
BE - Dorial Green-Beckham, PHI, WR
Okay now I know I went on this rant last year, but this team name is soooo stupid. In fact, Danny's sense of humor is about as good as Josh Gordon and Le'Veon Bell's common sense. Plus if you're going to make fun of the Packers don't have any of them on your team. Idiot.
Now he does have the second best keepers by a large margin. Big Ben is probably a top six or seven quarterback. Adrian Peterson is still the best running back until he proves he's not. Eddie Lacy has finally decided he is going to give this football thing the old 'college try' by losing all that weight that was very visibly making him a worse running back. Antonio Brown is the best player in fantasy. The talent of Sammy Watkins is not the issue with him. With Watkins it's about if he can stay on the field and if the Bills throw the ball enough. They ran the ball more times than any other team a season ago. Kelce is a good tight end and getting him in the eighth is decent value. With Adam Gase at the helm in Miami look for all of their offense to take a big step forward. Jarvis Landry should be the main guy to benefit from that. I think he has a big year.
Now this is where you lose me a bit. Danny Woodhead is basically useless in a standard league unless he somehow gets into the end zone (had 3 TDs last season). I like the Crabtree and Treadwell picks. Bilal Powell is just not gonna get enough touches unless Matt Forte gets hurt. Apparently there's a lot of hype around Devin Funchess but I won't believe any of that until I actually see him produce in the NFL. I like the dart throw with Michael Thomas. I personally would cut Dorial Green-Beckham. Talent has never been an issue with him. Just look at his time at Missouri. His issue since he got into the NFL has been grasping the playbook and all the different things about playing receiver in the NFL. He was just recently traded from the Titans to the Eagles. Now he has to re-learn a bunch of new things in Philly. If he's fantasy relevant it'll be the second half of the season at the earliest. I like his starters but his bench is kind of spotty.
Grade= B-
Let's look at Andre Sobert's team, team name = Lamarizard Curnjulio
QB - Andrew Luck, IND
RB - Lamar Miller, HOU*
RB - Carlos Hyde, SF
WR - Julio Jones, ATL*
WR - AJ Green, CIN*
TE - Antonio Gates, SD
FLEX - Keenan Allen, SD, WR
D/ST - Jets D/ST
K - Chandler Cantanzaro, ARI
BE - Matt Jones, WSH, RB
BE - DeAngelo Williams, PIT, RB
BE - Michael Floyd, ARI, WR
BE - Sterling Shepard, NYG, WR
BE - Josh Gordon, CLE, WR
BE - CJ Prosise, SEA, RB
BE - Tyrod Taylor, BUF, QB
Well at least this guy has an original name. Even if it is kind of convoluted. Andrew Luck is poised to have a good bounce back year. The injuries last year were a tad bit fluky. Look for him to return to being a top 5 QB. I have to think Lamar Miller has a good season in Houston. I think he's a boarder line RB1 this year. I've always been a fan of Carlos Hyde's talent since I watched him develop at Ohio State. He started last season with a bang but couldn't stay healthy after that. Julio and AJ are about as good a receiver combo you can have. Julio is a top 3 guy while AJ should be top 10. Antonio Gates has got to be finished being relevant soon, right? Keenan Allen will be back to form after suffering a truly unlucky injury last season. Andre has a quality bench though. Kind of one like this:
Matt Jones was a hot waiver add during last season when he supplanted Alfred Morris as the lead back. Most of his value last year actually came off big plays in the passing game rather than the run game. Look for that to change this season. DeAngelo Williams will be fantasy relevant at least for the first month of the season if Bell's suspension doesn't get lifted (It went from 4 games to 3). Michael Floyd is a good wide out in a talented receiving corp. I don't know what to think about Sterling Shepard. He's in a nice situation since it looks like he'll be the guy playing second fiddle to ODB. I don't know if we see too much out of him though. Josh Gordon is a nice lottery ticket considering his other pass catchers. I think CJ Prosise will be a better real life player than fantasy player. He has a bit more value in PPR leagues. I don't hate the pick of grabbing Tyrod Taylor as a back up for Luck with the injuries he suffered last year. All in all nice draft for Andre.
Grade=B+
Let's look at Jon Oh's team, team name = Jumpman Jumpman
QB - Kirk Cousins, WSH
RB - Le'Veon Bell, PIT*
RB - DeMarco Murray, TEN
WR - Jordy Nelson, GB*
WR - Randall Cobb, GB
TE - Gary Barnidge, CLE
FLEX - Kelvin Benjamin, CAR, WR
D/ST - Cardinals D/ST
K - Stephen Gostkowski, NE
BE - Cam Newton, CAR, QB*
BE - Arian Foster, MIA, RB
BE - Jordan Matthews, PHI, WR
BE - Tavon Austin, LA, WR
BE - Darren Sproles, PHI, RB
BE - Rishard Matthews, TEN, WR
BE - Martellus Bennett, NE, TE
Well first off, the name is lame. Aside from the fact that I just rhymed I'm not a fan of the name. I really don't get the feeling them boys are up to something. Now onto the team, why is Cam Newton not your starter? If you're going to invest in him he should be the starter unless he's on a bye. I gotta like Le'Veon Bell as a keeper. Even though he is suspended for the first three games of the year he appears to be recovering nicely from the MCL and PCL injuries he suffered last year. DeMarrco Murray just flat out has to be better in Tennessee than he was in Philly last year, doesn't he? Unless he starts whining when they give Derrick Henry a few too many carries. I don't like having both of the Packers wide outs. Yes, the Packers usually have one of the best offenses in the league but what about if they get shut out a time or two? I know with Rodgers that seems unlikely but why invest so heavily in one team? Barnidge's numbers from last year are going to go down. He's going to regress a bit but last year was a bit of an anomaly. I'd like to see Kelvin Benjamin get back and healthy in Carolina. Imagine if Cam didn't have to throw to Ted 'f*cking' Ginn. As said by the goat himself.
I actually don't mind having Kirk Cousins but I don't think you need him when you've got a guy like Cam on your team. As much as I've loved Arian Foster he's not the same player anymore. Jordan Matthews is the only skill guy on the Eagles I'm touching with a 15 foot pole. Tavon Austin is the definition of a boom or bust guy. Darren Sproles hasn't been fantasy relevant in years. Rishard Matthews has some upside but I don't really see it happening. Martellus Bennett is more talented than Gary Barnidge but I don't know if he gets the ball enough to be an every week starter in fantasy.
Grade= D+
Let's look at Ben Thomas's team, team name = Kobe Salad Tossers
QB - Russell Wilson, SEA*
RB - Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
RB - Laravius Murray, OAK
WR - Alshon Jeffery, CHI*
WR - Brandon Marshall, NYJ
TE - Coby Fleener, NO
FLEX - Ryan Matthews, PHI, RB
D/ST - Broncos D/ST
K - Dan Bailey, DAL
BE - Donte Moncrief, IND, WR
BE - Frank Gore, IND, RB
BE - Tyler Lockett, SEA, WR
BE - Torrey Smith, SF, WR
BE - Andy Dalton, CIN, QB
BE - Corey Coleman, CLE, WR
BE - Phillip Dorsett, IND, WR
Well the name is just as lame as last year. Granted it's the same name but still. Russell Wilson started off slow last year but came around in the second half of the season and lit it up. I'm not gonna say anything about Zeke that hasn't been said since the moment the Cowboys drafted him. Clearly he was a boss at Ohio State. I had the pleasure of watching him tear it up. He torched basically every team he played. In their National Championship, run he demolished Wisconsin (Big Ten Title Game), Alabama (Semi-Final Game), and Oregon (National Title Game). Each of those teams had a good amount of talent on the defensive side of the ball and he ran through and around all of them. He will also get to run behind the Cowboys offensive line which is the best in all of the NFL. If he gets a steady diet of carries each week he will have over 1,000 yards. Heck Darren 'I'm as surprised as you I'm not injured this week' McFadden had over 1,000 yards last season. If that's the case he will also be rookie of the year. I think it was a joke that Jameis Winston got offensive rookie of the year over Todd Gurley. Winston was good but Gurley was better. Plain and simple. I don't think Latavius Murray is that good. I just don't. Alshon Jeffery has plenty of talent but was hurt all season last year. I don't think he plays all sixteen games this year, again. Brandon Marshall is really the steady Eddie of fantasy wide outs. He's been consistent year after year. I think Coby Fleener has a nice year. He's a tad over valued and that has caused him to be drafted a little higher than I think he should be. Ryan Matthews has been a guy that has been on my team a few times. He rarely deliverers when you need him to.
Moncrief is a decent back up wide out. Frank Gore should still be the starter in Indy unless he finally falls off that cliff that people have been waiting the last four years or so for. Tyler Lockett is talented but the Seahawks just don't throw the ball enough. Did anyone else forget Torrey Smith was in the NFL or was it just me? I don't think you need to roster Andy Dalton in a 10 team league. He'll be out on the waiver wire whenever you need a bye week fill in. Corey Coleman could have a quick fantasy impact given the lack of depth of receivers in Cleveland but he still is adjusting from the Baylor offense to what Hue Jackson is running in Cleveland. I don't think Dorsett should be rostered in a 10 team league unless multiple guys in Indianapolis get hurt. I really only like a couple guys on his bench.
Grade= C
Let's look at Joe Zamfino's team, team name = Doodles The Pig
QB - Drew Brees, NO*
RB - David Johnson, ARI*
RB - LeGarrette Blount, NE
WR - Julian Edelman, NE
WR - Doug Baldwin, SEA
TE - Jimmy Graham, SEA
FLEX - Golden Tate, DET, WR
D/ST - Panthers D/ST*
K - Blair Walsh, MIN
BE - Melvin Gordon, SB, RB
BE - Derrick Henry, TEN, RB
BE - Tevin Coleman, ATL, RB
BE - Tony Romo, DAL, QB
BE - Pierre Garcon, WSH, WR
BE - Terrance West, BAL, RB
BE - Mike Wallace, BAL, WR
I actually like the name. Anyway this is actually your defending champion. How that happened I'm not sure. Well getting David Johnson late in the season didn't hurt. I'll start with the first thing that jumped out at me. Why in the world did you keep a defense? I know the Panthers D was good last year (fourth best defense in fantasy) With all due respect to the well vaunted 85 Bears defense even that defense shouldn't be kept in the format we play where you can keep between 1-3 players. Keeping Brandin Cooks or Allen Robinson would've been a much better move. Drew Brees is going to have another Drew Brees type season. David Johnson is looking to keep the momentum going he built up at the end of last season. I personally would never draft LeGarrette Blount because I think he's this:
Julian Edelman is a great wide out but is a better number one in PPR. He's a lower end number two in standard. Doug Baldwin caught everything in sight last year. Well at least when he was near the end zone. I don't think we ever see Jimmy Graham play how we saw him play in New Orleans a few seasons ago. Golden Tate should have a good season but he might be more keyed on without Calvin there.
Melvin Gordon tore it up at Wisconsin a few seasons ago. He struggled as a rookie to put it kindly. Look for him to bounce back. Derrick Henry was awesome at Alabama last season but he might be stuck behind DeMarrco Murray. I like Tevin Coleman. I've seen what he can do in person. He's stuck behind Freeman though until further notice. I don't know why anyone would roster Pierre Garcon, Terrance West or Mike Wallace (all three owned in less than 30 of ESPN leagues) None of those three will be fantasy relevant this year. Maybe one has a double digit game but that would be very lucky and there's no way to know when that game is coming. I just don't like this team that much.
Grade= D+
Let's look at Kevin Zamfino's team, team name = DeSean Da Paul
QB - Aaron Rodgers, GB*
RB - Todd Gurley, LA*
RB - CJ Anderson, DEN
WR - TY Hilton, IND
WR - DeSean Jackson, WSH
TE - Rob Gronkowski, NE*
FLEX - John Brown, ARI, WR
D/ST - Bengals D/ST
K - Josh Brown
BE - Justin Forsett, BAL, RB
BE - Rashad Jennings, NYG, RB
BE - Jason Witten, DAL, TE
BE - Willie Snead, NO, WR
BE - Charles Sims, TB, RB
BE - Samie Coates, PIT, WR
BE - Terrance Williams, DAL, WR
The name might be creative but it would've been funnier in 2006. I think Kevin's keepers just barley get the edge over Danny's keepers (AP, Antonio Brown and Eddie Lacy). Aaron Rodgers will be one of the top QBs without a doubt. Gurley is looking to follow up a strong rookie campaign and avoid the dreaded 'sophomore slump'. I think Gurley's too good for a bad year. CJ Anderson was miserable to watch for most of last year. I don't think he has that much better of a season without Peyton Manning there. And yes, I know Peyton wasn't very good last year. TY Hilton will have a much better season if Luck stays on the field. DeSean Jackson just isn't that good. He will have a couple weeks where he does awesome and he will have other weeks where he will have three catches for seventeen yards. Gronk is a monster (duh). But I wonder how he looks without Brady for the first four games. John Brown is quick out of the slot but does he get kind of lost in the shuffle of the Cardinals offense? Possibly.
Now his bench is full of guys that either have been good fantasy players or guys that want to be good fantasy players (I'm guessing). Justin Forsett was great in 2014 but broke his arm near the end of last year and that put him on the shelf for the rest of the year. Now the Ravens have Kenneth Dixon who's chomping at the bit for those carries. Rashad Jennings should be the Giants starter at running back but I just have this feeling he won't be all that great this year. Jason Witten is no longer fantasy relevant. Willie Snead could be the number two guy in New Orleans so he's a nice stash. Sims is good but you don't have Doug Martin to handcuff him and that where Sims's value is. I've heard good things about Sammie Coates so he's a fine stash too. I just don't think you should have a Cowboy wide out that's not Dez Bryant in a 10 team league. Sorry, Terrance Williams. Bench is kind of hit or miss but his core of Rodgers, Gurley, and Gronk gives him a chance to win every single week.
Grade= B-
Let's look at Ben Lowry's team, team name = F*ck Keepers
QB - Eli Manning, NYG
RB - Doug Martin, TB*
RB - Matt Forte, NYJ*
WR - Demaryius Thomas, DEN
WR - Jeremy Maclin, KC
TE - Jordan Reed, WSH
FLEX - Mark Ingram, NO, RB
D/ST - Packers D/ST
K - Adam Vinatieri, IND
BE - Dion Lewis, NE, RB
BE - Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
BE - Duke Johnson, CLE, RB
BE - Blake Bortles, JAX, QB
BE - Vincent Jackson, TB, WR
BE - Theo Riddick, DET, RB
BE - Zach Ertz, PHI, TE
Okay Ben, first off, chill. You kept two top running backs. Just chill with your name.
Well your first issue is that Eli Manning is your starting QB. I wouldn't want him to be my starter at least week one. Doug Martin should have a nice season again in Tampa. Forte is playing in a Jets uniform this season. I don't think he will quite have the season he did in Chicago the last few years but I think he's gonna be fine. While I like the talents that Demaryius Thomas and Jeremy Maclin are. I don't know who will be starting for the Denver Broncos but either way it won't be someone very good. Alex Smith is an alright QB but doesn't ever throw the ball down the field. Like ever. Jordan Reed will have a nice year in DC but he has to stay on the field. Mark Ingram will be good in New Orleans.
The bench though is kind of ehhh. Dion Lewis is good but is coming off an ACL injury and it doesn't look like he will be ready for week one. I don't think now is the time to invest in the Broncos wide receiving corp. If I was him I would look to try and move Emmanuel Sanders. Duke Johnson will be the starting running back for the Browns at some point if i were to guess. I would probably put Blake Bortles in over Eli Manning at QB. Vincent Jackson used to be a good fantasy option but it really isn't any more. Theo Riddick is not someone who should be rostered in a standard league. I don't think you need to have Zach Ertz on the bench. He'd be available on waivers. I get that your salty, Ben, but at least try.
Grade= D
Let's look at Brian Daley's team, team name = Doctor J
QB - Phillip Rivers, SD
RB - Devonta Freeman, ATL*
RB - Johnathan Stewart, CAR
WR - Odell Beckham, NYG*
WR - Amari Cooper, OAK*
TE - Greg Olsen, CAR
FLEX - Jeremy Langford, CHI, RB
D/ST - Seahawks D/ST
K - Justin Tucker, BAL
BE - Larry Fitzgerald, ARI, WR
BE - Allen Hurns, JAX, WR
BE - Stefon Diggs, MIN, WR
BE - Ameer Abdullah, DET, RB
BE - Markus Wheaton, PIT, WR
BE - Josh Doctson, WSH, WR
BE - Julius Thomas, JAX, TE
So who on this team is Doctor J? Josh Doctson? Seeing as his team picture is Doctson getting drafted that is my guess. Well that's a joke.
Now I know Rivers has been a top 12 fantasy QB the last eight years. Even with that being a fact I just don't want Rivers as my quarterback in 2016. I just don't. If I did end up with Rivers I would definitely have taken a back up QB. I still can't believe that Devonta Freeman had the year he did last season. If you're expecting that to happen again you should re-evaluate. He's not gonna do it again. I think Jonathan Stewart has a nice season. Odell Beckham will be a top five player this season. Dude's a stud. Amari Cooper kind of had a quietly effective rookie season. I think he's a high end WR2. Greg Olsen will be a top three tight end. Now the jury is still out on Jeremy Langford. Some think he will pick up right where Matt Forte left off while other people think he's not very good at all. I think he will be somewhere in the middle. I know, scorching hot take. Larry Fitzgerald is a good wide out to have on the bench. He could see time in the flex sooner rather than later. Allen Hurns is in the same boat as Fitzgerald. Stefon Diggs had a couple weeks here he was great but who knows if he has a strong season this year. I've heard way too often about Markus Wheaton being a strong fantasy option. I'm officially done hearing that crap. He's not that good. Doctson will show flashes as a rookie but nothing more than that. Julius Thomas hasn't been the guy he was in Denver, clearly. I don't think he needs to be rostered though. He's a bye week/ injury fill in. He's deep at wide out but not deep anywhere else.
Grade= C
Let's look at my squad, team name = Rawls Royce
QB - Tom Brady, NE
RB - Thomas Rawls, SEA
RB - Jeremy Hill, CIN
WR - Dez Bryant, DAL*
WR - Mike Evans, TB*
TE - Tyler Eifert, CIN
FLEX - Brandin Cooks, NO, WR
D/ST - Vikings D/ST
K - Graham Gano, CAR
BE - DeVante Parker, MIA, WR
BE - Derek Carr, OAK, QB
BE - Chris Ivory, JAX, RB
BE - TJ Yeldon, JAX, RB
BE - Kevin White, CHI, WR
BE - Jay Ajayi, MIA, RB
BE - Jordan Howard, CHI, RB
Well finally to my team. Hopefully I can regain the championship form that led me to the league title back in 2013. I did well in a league last year with Tom Brady as my quarterback so I snagged him in round seven. I like the running backs I have with Thomas Rawls and Jeremy Hill. They are both ground and pound guys and that should help me out with it being a standard league. Dez Bryant and Mike Evans were my keepers so I like my wide outs. I took Brandin Cooks as well. He was a guy that was hyped up each of the last two years and he followed through on the hype last season. I did well with Tyler Eifert last year in a league as well. He's going to regress because he had a couple fortunate TDs last year. I honestly wasn't looking to take him but he was sitting there in round 12 so I took him.
I am high on the Dolphins offense this year with Adam Gase coming in so that's why I took DeVante Parker and Jay Ajayi. Parker will be the number two wide out with the Dolphins. Eric Decker and Emmanuel Sanders each had really good seasons as the number two wide out in the Adam Gase offense so I like what Parker brings to the table. I took Derek Carr in the 13th round since I will need him for at least the first month of the year with Brady being suspended. I like where I got Carr as well. I kind of honed in on the Jags backfield. Ivory was awesome last year with the Jets. There's talk that him and TJ Yeldon will split carries but if Ivory starts running well right out of the gate then Yeldon's role could be reduced. There's a lot of mystery and intrigue with Kevin White. He missed all of last year with an injury in what would've been his rookie year. So if he can come back from injury like most are expecting I think he can have a big impact. I think Jordan Howard might end up taking Langford's job so that was my thought with that pick. I might need to drop him to pick up another tight end if Eifert isn't ready for week one.
There you have it! That's all I got.
As always, thanks for reading!
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