Post Draft Look at "LeBron" Fantasy Football League: Year Four

Well for once it actually hasn't been awhile. Weird.

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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Post Draft Recap - "Dez Caught It" Fantasy Football League, Plus A Story About My Grandpa

Well, it really has been awhile. I'll get to my post draft recap but first there's something I need to talk about.

So much has changed from the last time I wrote on here. I recently returned home from my internship broadcasting baseball in Alaska with the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks. It was quite the experience to say the least! But as incredible as my time there was when I arrived home late last Friday night I learned that my Grandpa Bill unexpectedly passed away. I talked with friends and family while they all told their favorite stories. Most of them were funny while others were heartfelt. My favorite Grandpa Bill story is a little of both (kind of cheesy but hear me out).

I was just eight years old. It was my Grandpa Bill, my Grandma Sharon and myself. We went out fishing which was my Grandpa's favorite thing to do. I had fished once or twice at this point. I liked it but I didn't really think it was all that special. He took us out to this secluded pond about twenty-five minutes away from their Elmore home. We were on his fishing boat and this was the first time I had been fishing without being securely on land. At the time, I couldn't even swim. I loved being in the water but I had no clue how to swim yet. So he took us out there and had us all safe and sound with our life jackets on. Soon enough we were out on the water ready to fish. We went fishing for crappies that day, and boy, did we get plenty of them. It took a little while but eventually we settled in to a nice spot. Grandpa Bill always baited our hooks and took the fish off of both my grandma and I's hooks. At one point, my grandma and I were catching fish as soon as we dropped our line down. Grandma and I were catching so many fish my Grandpa Bill had to stop fishing himself just so we could keep catching all these fish. That's the kind of guy my Grandpa Bill was. He was always willing to help whoever needed it. That has to be my favorite memory with him. I wish I had known that the last time I saw him was going to be the last time.

I'll always love and miss you, Grandpa Bill. I miss you already.


Now on to the draft. My friend Mark asked me if I wanted to do a fantasy league. Originally, I only wanted to do two leagues this year. Eh, what harm can one more league do? So we got a couple other friends in to fill the league.

For reference, it's an ESPN Standard league with 8 teams. So keep in mind the teams are going to be a little more stacked than say a 10 or 12 team league. I don't know how to talk about the name of the league without saying; well, Dez did catch it. Anyway...

Let's start with Mark Hill, team name: Winning is My Forte

QB - Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
RB - Todd Gurley, LA
RB - Lamar Miller, HOU
WR - Dez Bryant, DAL
WR - Brandon Marshall, NYJ
TE - Julius Thomas, JAX
FLEX - Jarvis Landry, MIA, WR
D/ST - Bengals D/ST
K - Stephen Gostkowski, NE

BE - Jonathan Stewart, CAR, RB
BE - Tony Romo, DAL, QB
BE - Laquon Treadwell, MIN, WR
BE - Antonio Gates, SD, TE
BE - Matt Jones, WSH, RB
BE - Kevin White, CHI, WR
BE - Anquan Boldin, DET, WR

Well, first off, Mark, you gotta change your team name. You didn't get Matt Forte. Well it's truly hard to say picks are bad in an eight team league. I don't have many issues with his team. Big Ben is a top 5 QB. Gurley is by a lot of people valued as the number one running back and in some cases the top overall player. I think we should see some nice games out of Lamar Miller. I like him in the Bill O' Brien offense. Dez had kind of a fluky injury filled season last year. I don't think he's really an injury prone guy. I think he's biggest issue is what goes on between the ears. Brandon Marshall has been quietly good for the last few years, in my eyes. He's even more undervalued since he's playing for the Jets. Clearly, Julius Thomas hasn't been the guy he was in Denver. I think we see a pretty good year out of him. Jacksonville actually has the makings of a nice team. Not much to say about the Bengals D and Gostkowski pick. He picked Gostkowski a little too early. Kickers are kickers unless you're Taco.


Mark also has a nice team on the bench. Jonathan Stewart has been ranked pretty high among running backs for this season. While I do think Tony Romo is injury prone he does try to play through small aches and pains and probably won't have as bad luck as he did last year. Laquon Treadwell is unproven but showed he has all the tools based on what we saw out of him at Ole Miss. This has to be the last go around for Antonio Gates. Matt Jones is a good backup. He has the potential to break out if Washington's offense does well behind Kirk Cousins. Kevin White is a guy that I don't know what to think off after seeing him miss all of 2015. He was a high pick for a reason so let's see if he can get healthy and be productive in 2016. Anquan Boldin is really the only pick that I don't like. He hasn't been fantasy relevant in years. He is a better NFL wide out than fantasy wide out.

I like all of his guys except Boldin. Grade: A-

Next we have Daniel Bowling, team name: team bowling (how original)

QB - Phillip Rivers, SD
RB - David Johnson, ARI
RB - Chris Johnson, ARI
WR - Odell Beckham Jr, NYG
WR - Randall Cobb, GB
TE - Travis Kelce, KC
FLEX - Larry Fitzgerald, ARI, WR
D/ST - Packers D/ST
K - Adam Vinatieri, IND

BE - Pierre Garcon, WSH, WR
BE - Braxton Miller, HOU, WR
BE - Alex Smith, KC, QB
BE - Stefon Diggs, MIN, WR
BE - Matt Bryant, ATL, K
BE - Danny Amendola, NE, WR
BE - Zach Ertz, PHI, TE

Remember way back when I said it's hard to say picks are bad? Well I kind of lied. Phillip Rivers is not a bad pick, but it was one pick before Andrew Luck went off the board. I like the David Johnson pick. Having a wide receiver set of Beckham, Cobb and Fitzgerald is not bad by any stretch. There's one glaring hole above the other holes. His second running back is Chris Johnson. In 2009, that might've been the luckiest part of your draft if you had him as your second back. In the year 2016 that's not so much the case. Not only that but the only running backs on his team are both members of the Cardinals backfield. That's not very good to say the least. Travis Kelce is a fine tight end, but unless it's Gronk you shouldn't overthink that position. The Packers D/ST and Vinatieri are both fine. The bench though. The bench is baaaaaaaad. Pierre Garcon hasn't been relevant in forever. I'm a fan of Braxton Miller but I don't think he will have a big fantasy impact, at least for this season. Alex Smith should be on waivers. Stefon Diggs had some nice moments last year. I don't know if he can be consistent over a full season. There's no need to have Matt Bryant and Zach Ertz on your bench. And there's no need to have Danny Amendola on your roster.
Also, this guy has no clue how the wavier wire works. Let's hope he figures it out.



Grade: D+

Now we have Skyler Cherry, team name: The Brady Bunch

QB - Eli Manning, NYG
RB - Doug Martin, TB
RB - Eddie Lacy, GB
WR - Antonio Brown, PIT
WR - Allen Robinson, JAC
TE - Coby Fleener, NO
FLEX - Keenan Allen, SD, WR
D/ST - Raiders D/ST
K - Dan Bailey, DAL

BE - Dion Lewis, NE, RB
BE - Jeremy Maclin, KC, WR
BE - Jimmy Graham, SEA, TE
BE - John Brown, ARI, WR
BE - Marvin Jones, DET, WR
BE - Matthew Stafford, DET QB

Well Skyler, first thing you have to do is change your name. Aside from the Brady Bunch being the vanilla to flavors like cookies and cream and chocolate chip cookie dough of ice cream you don't have Tom Brady. So that should change. Otherwise not too bad of a team. Let's start with the backs. No issues with Martin or Lacy. Martin is poised for another good year and Lacy won't be looking like this at any point this season:


With the receivers, Brown is the clear top guy and by a lot of people the top player overall. Allen Robinson had a quietly good season last year and is now on a lot of people's radar. He's fairly touchdown dependent though. I like Keenan Allen in the flex. He will be the top skill guy on the Chargers as long as he doesn't injury his kidney again. Here's my first issue with his team. He drafted Coby Fleener in the fourth round! Pick #32 overall! He's average draft position (ADP) is 76. Needless to say Skyler should have waited if he really wanted Fleener. Also Eli Manning is his starting quarterback. That's no bueno. And the Raiders D is cool since since they have this guy:


Otherwise there's not too much there. Now to the bench. Now he's appearntly already cut Ladarius Green. But he drafted him in the eighth round. The eighth round?! Just a complete waste of a draft pick. For reference, the other picks in that round were: Tony Romo, DeSean Jackson, Adam Vinateri (WHAT), Jeremy Langford, the Broncos D/ST (AGAIN WHAT?), Tyler Lockett, and Carlos Hyde.
Okay maybe there's a couple people that don't know how to draft but the point is still there were plenty of other guys that could've been taken by Cherry.
I like Dion Lewis. He was awesome for most of last season. Maclin is underrated even though there's a limited ceiling with the Chiefs. Jimmy Graham hasn't looked like Jimmy Graham in a few seasons. John Brown has plenty of talent (Go Gorillas!). Marvin Jones should be pretty productive in a Lions offense without Calvin Johnson, and Matthew Stafford should have a nice year as well.

Grade: C

We now have Eddie Hardin's team, team name: League Of G's

QB - Cam "Killa Cam' Newton, CAR
RB - Devonta Freeman, ATL
RB - LeSean McCoy, BUF
WR - Alshon Jeffery, CHI
WR - Emmanuel Sanders, DEN
TE - Greg Olsen, CAR
FLEX - Golden Tate, DET, WR
D/ST - Broncos D/ST
K - Steven Hauschka, SEA

BE - Matt Ryan, ATL, QB
BE - Cardinals D/ST
BE - Michael Floyd, ARI, WR
BE - JJ Nelson, ARI, WR
BE - Derrick Henry, TEN, RB
BE - Ameer Abdullah, DET, RB
BE - Blair Walsh, MIN, K

Okay. Well, to be fair, it's Eddie's first time playing fantasy. So I'm going to try and be more helpful to him than I will be to Dan Janning. Danny's Twitter picture is so old it was right after Steve Nash joined the Lakers. Anyway you can't go wrong with the reigning MVP as your QB. Freeman came out of no where and I mean no where to have the season he did last year. As long as you aren't expecting to see that kind of year you won't be disappointed. Sexy Rexy loves to pound the ball so we should see another good season from LeSean McCoy. Alshon is looking for a nice year as long as he can stay on the field. Emmanuel Sanders is tough to judge since we don't know who the Broncos QB will be. Greg Olsen is great and stacking those two guys is not a bad idea. Golden Tate will have a good diet of targets out of the slot. Gotta like the Broncos D especially with everyone coming back, but he reached and took them in the eighth round.

To be kind to the noob, the bench is pretty blah. Matt Ryan is a fringe starter for me so if you aren't starting him he should be on waivers. You don't need a back up defense or a kicker. Again, those spots are always open in free agency. Michael Floyd isn't back as a back up, but the same can't be said for JJ Nelson. He's at best the fifth offensive option. Cut him. Henry is a nice back up. I don't see him getting too many carries with Murray in front of him. Ameer Abdullah is a good guy to have on the bench though.

Grade: C-

Now we have the pleasure at looking at Taylor Brown's team, team name: Team Brown (F for originality)

QB - Drew Brees, NO
RB - Le'Veon Bell, PIT
RB - DeMarco Murray, TEN
WR - Jordy Nelson, GB
WR - Michael Crabtree
TE - Tyler Eifert, CIN
FLEX - Mark Ingram, RB, NO
D/ST - Texans D/ST
K - Josh Brown, K

BE - DeAndre Hopkins, HOU, WR
BE - CJ Anderson, DEN, RB
BE - Donte Moncrief, IND, WR
BE - Carlos Hyde, SF, RB
BE - Carson Palmer, ARI, QB
BE - DeVante Parker, MIA, WR
BE - Chiefs D/ST

Okay, Taylor. You've got a decent team. First thing you need to do is to move Ingram in for Bell (as long as Bell's suspension stays upheld) and I want you to move DeAndre Hopkins into your flex spot. Hopkins (barring injury) will be a top-five wide out this year. You put that guy in your lineup. Otherwise, the backs are good. Bell should be awesome whenever he can get back on the field. I like the new situation for Murray. Jordy Nelson should comeback and do great in Green Bay. Tyler Eifert was a gem last year. Let's see if he can follow up that season just as good. Mark Ingram is a really underrated guy.
CJ Anderson can't possibly be as bad as he was at the start of last season. Moncrief is a good back up wide out. I've always been a fan of Carlos Hyde. I like having Palmer but it's going to be a challenge to pick which guy between him and Brees to play any given week.That could cause quite the headache. DeVante Parker ended last season with a bang. I'd like to see that carry over to 2016. You don't need a back up defense.

Grade: B-

Now we have Dan Janning's team, team name: Beats By Ray (couple years late, bro)

QB - Aaron Rodgers, GB
RB - Adrian Peterson, MIN
RB - Latavius Murray, OAK
WR - AJ Green, CIN
WR - Mike Evans, TB
TE - Delanie Walker, TEN
FLEX - Demaryius Thomas, DEN, WR
D/ST - Jets D/ST
K - Justin Tucker, BAL

BE - TY Hilton, IND, WR
BE - Eric Decker, NYJ, WR
BE - DeSean Jackson, WSH, WR
BE - Melvin Gordon, SD, RB
BE - Gio Bernad, CIN, RB
BE - Allen Hurns, JAX, WR
BE - Kirk Cousins, WSH, QB

Contrary to this tweet not every team in this league sucks. This team name would've made me chuckle two years ago. Now it's just kind of sad. Otherwise, Rodgers is a great QB and Danny got him at a good time in the draft. AP is one of the best players until he proves he's not. I'm still unsure what to think of Latavius Murray. I feel there's a reason he's mostly been a backup. AJ Green and Mike Evans are great wide outs. Walker was a good value at tight end. Demaryius is a toss up. I don't know if he's gonna bounce back without a strong QB. Nothing bad to say about the Jets D/ST and Justin Tucker. He has a pretty good bench. (I know I'm surprised too) TY and Decker are good backups. Jackson has always been a boom or bust guy. Melvin Gordon was amazing at Wisconsin but hasn't shown any of that in the NFL yet. Gio is a great back up. Dido for Hurns. There's no need to have Kirk Cousins on your roster especially with Rodgers.

Grade: B+

Now we get Gabriel Hardin's squad, team name: Golden Taint

QB - Russell Wilson, SEA
RB - Thomas Rawls, SEA
RB - Matt Forte, NYJ
WR - Amari Cooper, OAK
WR - Kelvin Benjamin, OAK
TE - Rob Gronkowski, NE
FLEX - Doug Baldwin, SEA, WR
D/ST - Seahawks D/ST
K - Mason Crosby, GB

BE - Tom Brady, NE, QB
BE - Tyler Lockett, SEA, WR
BE - Arian Foster, MIA, RB
BE - Martellus Bennett, NE, TE
BE - Rashad Jennings, NYG, RB
BE - TJ Yeldon, JAX, RB
BE - Kenyan Drake, MIA, RB

First, change your team name. 1. Golden Taint is one of the most overused team names. 2. Golden Tate isn't on your team. Now that that's out of the way do you guys know who his favorite NFL team is?

(Waits 5 seconds for people to look at the roster)

Yes, you're right! He has been a Seahawks fan for 3 years!
Do you guys know his favorite college football team?

(Waits another 5 seconds)

Yes, you're correct again! He likes the Alabama Crimson Tide. As football fans we all have our alligences and such to college and pro teams, but you can't let that get in the way when drafting your team. Sometimes it's not bad to take a bunch of guys from one team (see the 2013 Broncos) but other times it is (see last years Philadelphia Eagles) While Wilson is a top QB and Rawls is a top 12 running back or so they can only do so much in a given week. Not to mention he also is starting Baldwin. Sure it may be sweet if Baldwin has a two touchdown game with 100+ yards, but what if Seattle gets smoked one week? Then your fantasy team is in as much trouble as your real life one. I do like the talent of Amari Cooper. I want to see if Benjamin can come back healthy this year. Imagine if the 15-1 Panthers had him healthy a year ago. Gronk is incredible. Now this is where it gets tricky. With a QB like Russell Wilson you don't need a backup. Not to mention Brady is not going to play the first 4 games. Waste of a pick. Lockett is a good player but the Seahawks just don't throw that much to begin with. I've always loved having Arian Foster on my teams but I think he's about done. Rashad Jennings is kind of eh to me. Yeldon is a decent back up. I don't see many touches for Kenyan Drake. Now here's the thing. Usually you don't need a back up tight end to begin with. You have Gronk. Don't draft another tight end. But if you do draft a tight end, don't take one from the same team. Bennett should be great in New England but considering you already have Gronk he will NEVER play for you. Another waste of a pick.

Grade: C-

Finally, my team, team name: Just A Bit Of Luck


QB - Andrew Luck, IND
RB - Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
RB - Jamaal Charles, KC
WR - Julio Jones, ATL
WR - Sammy Watkins, BUF
TE - Jordan Reed, WSH
FLEX - Brandin Cooks, NO
D/ST - Panthers D/ST
K - Graham Gano, CAR

BE - Julian Edelman, NE, WR
BE - Jeremy Langford, CHI, RB
BE - Jeremy Hill, CIN, RB
BE - DeAngelo Williams, PIT, RB
BE - Josh Gordon, CLE, WR
BE - Frank Gore, IND, RB
BE - Michael Thomas, NO, WR

Ah, finally to my team. Clearly everyone loves their fantasy team so I'll try not to go on and on about them. Usually I wait on QB but when Luck was there in the 7th I had to snatch him up. If the Cowboys feed Zeke the ball he will have the monster season that a lot of people are predicting. I know Charles is coming off ACL surgery but he's proven that he can come back from it before so let's see if he can do it again. Julio is a top 5 wide out without question. Watkins has the talent of a top 5 wide out but hasn't been healthy enough/ gotten the ball enough to prove it. Reed is inury prone but has shown a lot of talent. So i had to grab him in the 8th. Tom Brady's go-to target was an easy pick. Langford should get most of the carries in Chicago. Ditto for Hill in Cincy. DeAngelo will be the starter for 4 weeks unless they nix the Le'Veon Bell suspension. Josh Gordon can't


but otherwise has been a stud wide out before. Frank Gore just keeps trucking so why not pick him up? And Michael Thomas could become the second option in New Orleans and he is a decent handcuff to Cooks.

Well there it is! There's your recap!

As always thanks for reading!

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2016 NBA Finals Preview

Hey all! It seems like I say this every time I post something new but man its been awhile!

I've had a lot on my plate (in both literal and figurative senses). I did graduate from Bowling Green State University earlier this month! I had to move out of my house in BG and pack my stuff up and move back to Northwood. I'll be on the move again soon but I'll get to that in a bit.

I gotta say I've been pretty intrigued by this years NBA playoffs. I am very aware of some of the bad quality of games. That being said I don't think basketball is the worst its ever been. Sorry, Charles.


Do I think teams on the whole shoot too many threes? Well yeah. Just like there was a wildcat trend in the NFL the trend in the NBA has gone away from the basket and and gone to the three point line. It has happened because of a perfect storm of a lack of quality low post scores and the league becoming a league with ball dominating point guards. When the first team All-NBA center is DeAndre Jordan it's time to reevaluate how the balloting is done. Jordan can't score on offense unless it's a dunk/layup, and don't even get me started on his free throw numbers. Boogie is awesome but he missed a nice chunk of games, fought constantly with his coach, and what do you know they have another head coach. I wouldn't reward that either. Andre Drummond is really a worse version of DeAndre. Bottom line, I think the NBA needs to change the balloting to be on par with how they made the All Star Game balloting. There's no center on that ballot so why should there be one on the All-NBA ballot?  Until there's more centers that can command a double team and can score in the low post consistently the league will continue with the trend of not needing a center.

Now let's get to the Finals Preview. For reference, last year in picked Golden State in five.

Let's do this by the primary match ups that we are going to see.

Steph vs Kyrie

Steph has won back-to-back, MVPs. Kyrie is a really good point guard that can score with the best of them. I think there's a game or two where Kyrie will really shine but Steph will out-play him. Also it'll be tougher for Kyrie because we will more likely than not see Klay on him more than Steph.

Advantage: Warriors

Klay vs JR

Klay absolutely went off the last few games against the Thunder. JR has had some nice moments this postseason and is averaging 12 PPG. JR will have a game where he will make six or seven threes but he will also have a game or two where he will go two for thirteen and frustrate every Cav fan I know.

Advantage: Warriors

Barnes vs LeBron

Just like last year I will not waste my time.

Big Advantage: Cavs

K-Love vs Draymond

Another intriguing match up. We didn't get to see this last year because of the injury Love suffered at the hands of this loser:


Draymond made 2nd team All-NBA and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Kawhi Leonard, again. Love started to find his groove at different times throughout the year. He just hasn't been the guy he was in Minnesota. Part of that is being option #3 instead of #1 and some of that is just not being able to put his mark on the game because he's stuck in the corner. I think Love can have a big impact but he will have trouble staying on the floor when Golden State goes to the 'death' lineup.

Advantage: Warriors

Bogut vs Thompson

Now I'll keep this section down just because I'm not so sure we see this match up too often. Bogut hasn't quite been himself this playoffs. His D is down a tad and his offense remains limited. Thompson also has limited offense but his rebounding on both ends of the floor helps make up for that deficit.

Advantage: Cavs

Benches

Warriors: Iggy, Livingston, Mo Buckets, Ezeli, Barbosa, and Varejao

Cavs: Frye, Jefferson, Delly, Mozgov, and Shumpert

For the Warriors I'm sure Iggy will make an impact on defense. Livingston has been great in the playoffs whenever he has been on the floor. Speights will have some home games where he comes on and gets six or seven points. Ezeli has to make an impact when he's out there especially on the defensive end. He can't make free throws and teams have implemented the hack-a strategy at times on him. I think it's kind of funny the Cavs got rid of Varejao and he ends up on the Warriors. Expect to see him on the floor just enough times to make Cav fans upset.

As a Magic fan I knew Frye would look better on a team as good as the Cavs are and he has been good enough to force Love on the bench in important stretches in big games. Jefferson seems to always be on the floor long enough to have a couple buckets. If you know me you know my thoughts on Delly. He won't be able to have a game like he did in last years finals if for no other reason than he won't get enough minutes. Mozgov has been buried on the bench for a lot of the playoffs and Shump hasn't had the impact he did last year.

Advantage: Warriors

Kerr vs Lue

Not only is this a big plus for the Warriors I would also say the second best coach is on the Warriors side as well in Luke Walton. Lue hasn't been bad most of the year but he had some big mistakes in the Toronto series. For his sake he should hope he got those slip ups out of his system. I just wonder at what point Kerr will have to make line up changes of his own.

Advantage: Warriors

Well the only advantages in my eyes the Cavs have are LeBron and Thompson over Barnes and Bogut, respectfully. LeBron isn't going to let his team lose four straight but unless they shoot like they did against the Hawks the night they made 20+ threes it'll be a tough series for them to win.

Like last season I am going with the Warriors in five. Sorry, Cleveland.

In addition to what I write on here I will be broadcasting baseball this summer. I will be making the trek out to Alaska to broadcast for the prestigious Alaska Baseball League. I head out on June 5th and will arrive back in the Continental 48 sometime in early August. I will be with the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks. You can listen/watch every game from out YouTube/Google account here. Those games will also be available in its entirety on YouTube about 15 minutes after the game is over. It will be myself and my good friend Phil Holtz bringing you every game all summer long. You can follow the Chinooks on Twitter: @CERChinooks.

As always thanks for reading!

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I can be found on all of those places @TheLanceMorris