This week, my miserable 0 win 3 loss streak came to a screeching halt. Not only did I win my match-up, but I had the second highest point total out of all the teams this week (this is a big deal for a team whose been terrible in the first 3 games). I came in 10 points behind the team that had Adrian Peterson and Demaryius Thomas, two guys who are unstoppable forces in the NFL this year. Needless to say, I feel pretty confident about the changes I've made so far this season.
This week I beat my buddy Mike. This detail wouldn't matter, except for the fact that Mike is notorious for being defeated by the cellar dweller's of the league. See, last season there was a guy named Bruce in our league. Bruce had a terrible draft and an even worse season. He won two games all year, however, both wins were against the same team... Mike's team. Mike ended up missing the playoffs last year by one game, meaning that if he had just beaten Bruce once, like the rest of us had done, he would've made the playoffs.
Instead of looking at this win as a shift in my bad luck, I should take it as an omen of what has the possibility to come. There's a chance that I could be the "Bruce" of this season.
Beating Mike has so far not been a difficult thing to do... if you're in last place. I think I need to continue to make moves in order to continue my climb out of the league's basement. For instance, I NEED a decent tight-end (I can't afford to climb out of the basement with a tight end only producing 2 points a game). I'm looking to pick up Delainie Walker, the starter in Tennessee. This week my QB Matt Ryan threw for over 400 yards and 2 TD's, my RB Arian Foster decided to show up and be a force to recon with for the 1st time so far this season. My WR Reggie Wayne also went for 100 yards and a touchdown. If my guys come together like this every week, I would be at the top of the league in no time. However, I know this is unlikely to happen again. With that being said, I would like to thank my good friend Mike for allowing yet another last place team to springboard their season off of his defeat.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Monumental Trade Day
Today is a monumental day in my fantasy football league!
For the first time in 3 years, a trade was executed. I was the monumental leader of this movement. Now, for most fantasy footballers, this probably doesn't seem like a big deal. For the people in my league, this is a reason to take note. See this is a feat that has not been accomplished in the prior three seasons. This is not because of any kind of difficulty, but because it is the slowest process in which you can add a player to your roster. First, you have to find some semi-decent player on your roster that you want to get rid of. Then, you need to present them in such a way that you can convince your buddy that they need to give you one of their players, that you find useful, in exchange. So really, being a good salesman is part of the act. Then you have to wait it out a couple of days to make sure that no one else in the league wants to oppose the trade. Usually nobody does, but what do I know; this is the first time in 3 years that this has occurred!
Now you see why this is a rare event.
It's so much easier to add and drop players, quickly bringing them onto your team, with no outside factors weighing in on the decision. By the way, this week I added Bilal Powell of the Jets. Before you pass a guy like that up, you have to consider his 226 rushing yards and 66 receiving yards in 3 weeks. Sometimes you need to look past the team they play for to expose a great "diamond in the rough" type player (unless it's the Jaguars... Stay far away from that offensive disaster).
Because the league hasn't seen a trade in 3 years, I'm looking forward to having this achievement follow me around. I can hear next year's draft already, "With the 5th overall pick in the 2014 fantasy football draft, Tyler, the only man to execute a trade in this league's storied 3 seasons, selects..." So for all of you who think this isn't a big deal, you're probably right. However, in this small group of friends, I have provided them with enough material to keep them amused for weeks to come. Sometimes it's not all about the move, but rather how your buddies can turn it into the biggest deal possible and have it be your legacy.
For the first time in 3 years, a trade was executed. I was the monumental leader of this movement. Now, for most fantasy footballers, this probably doesn't seem like a big deal. For the people in my league, this is a reason to take note. See this is a feat that has not been accomplished in the prior three seasons. This is not because of any kind of difficulty, but because it is the slowest process in which you can add a player to your roster. First, you have to find some semi-decent player on your roster that you want to get rid of. Then, you need to present them in such a way that you can convince your buddy that they need to give you one of their players, that you find useful, in exchange. So really, being a good salesman is part of the act. Then you have to wait it out a couple of days to make sure that no one else in the league wants to oppose the trade. Usually nobody does, but what do I know; this is the first time in 3 years that this has occurred!
Now you see why this is a rare event.
It's so much easier to add and drop players, quickly bringing them onto your team, with no outside factors weighing in on the decision. By the way, this week I added Bilal Powell of the Jets. Before you pass a guy like that up, you have to consider his 226 rushing yards and 66 receiving yards in 3 weeks. Sometimes you need to look past the team they play for to expose a great "diamond in the rough" type player (unless it's the Jaguars... Stay far away from that offensive disaster).
Because the league hasn't seen a trade in 3 years, I'm looking forward to having this achievement follow me around. I can hear next year's draft already, "With the 5th overall pick in the 2014 fantasy football draft, Tyler, the only man to execute a trade in this league's storied 3 seasons, selects..." So for all of you who think this isn't a big deal, you're probably right. However, in this small group of friends, I have provided them with enough material to keep them amused for weeks to come. Sometimes it's not all about the move, but rather how your buddies can turn it into the biggest deal possible and have it be your legacy.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Out on a Wire
The waiver wire is one of the most frustrating aspects in fantasy football. Seeing that little "W" next to an available all-star puts even the most confident fantasy owners on edge. I'll explain it like this, every week team owners add and drop players in ways that they think are useful. When a player is dropped from a team, he is then up for grabs for any other team in the league, however, the team with the worst record (which is currently myself) gets preference. If you're in last place, congratulations on your newest team acquisition. If you're at the top of the leader board, good luck... Every other team gets a chance to scoop up that player before you do. So enjoy the bottom while you're there (I am!), because although you're losing, you're getting the first crack at all the available players.
Overall, a fantasy football league with the guys from my work is a great way to promote some competition in the otherwise mundane routine. But the waiver wire can create some animosity. The waiver wire can plunge an otherwise unstoppable team into mediocrity with no warning (leaving you completely vulnerable to any and all heckling). Last year I started the season off with 6 straight wins, and I walked around that office like I was a football guru who had all the answers. Fast forward to the following week, and my top player breaks his leg. With no other super-star RB's available that late in the season (being at the top meant I was ostracized from coming anywhere near picking up anybody who could save my season), I spiraled into a losing streak that barely even landed me in the playoffs. It's not like the guys at work would let something like that go, and every time I showed up for work I was presented with some comment about my money being a nice contribution to the winner's bank account.
So don't worry if your team starts off a little slower than the rest of the teams. Take this time to enjoy the fruits of the waiver wire and make the changes that can help pull your roster out of the gutter. A slow climb to the top gives you a lot more ammo for trash talking, than a downward spiral from the top of the league.
Overall, a fantasy football league with the guys from my work is a great way to promote some competition in the otherwise mundane routine. But the waiver wire can create some animosity. The waiver wire can plunge an otherwise unstoppable team into mediocrity with no warning (leaving you completely vulnerable to any and all heckling). Last year I started the season off with 6 straight wins, and I walked around that office like I was a football guru who had all the answers. Fast forward to the following week, and my top player breaks his leg. With no other super-star RB's available that late in the season (being at the top meant I was ostracized from coming anywhere near picking up anybody who could save my season), I spiraled into a losing streak that barely even landed me in the playoffs. It's not like the guys at work would let something like that go, and every time I showed up for work I was presented with some comment about my money being a nice contribution to the winner's bank account.
So don't worry if your team starts off a little slower than the rest of the teams. Take this time to enjoy the fruits of the waiver wire and make the changes that can help pull your roster out of the gutter. A slow climb to the top gives you a lot more ammo for trash talking, than a downward spiral from the top of the league.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Draft Day
Draft Day
I know it's a little late to talk about fantasy football drafts since we're already 2 weeks into the start of the NFL season. With that being said, I feel that the draft is such an important part of the fantasy season that no fantasy football blog would be complete without at least posting one article about it.
Over the course of my fantasy career I've experienced both the live drafts and online drafts. I'm here to tell you that the online draft cannot even hold a candle to its live counterpart. Live drafts are completely unpredictable (especially after a couple hours of free beer). There's something about picking your spot in the draft order based on your name getting pulled out of a hat, that makes the game more personal. Just a group of friends (or co-workers, or family members, or strangers, or maybe a combination of all of them) coming together to kick off the start of the season. The heckling is one of the best aspects of the live draft that you just don't get in the online version. One of the biggest signs of a good pick is having one of your best friends call you every derogatory name under the sun because you drafted their favorite QB before they got the chance.
Now let's get to the actual picks.
Every fantasy football manager has their own strategy for drafting players. Of course, the top RB's go first (Peterson, Foster, Spiller, etc.), followed by the top QB's (Peyton, Brady, Brees), but after that it's strategy. Personally, I like to draft solid veteran players. Guys who over the years have proven their fantasy worth time and time again. For instance, this year I scooped up Reggie Wayne earlier than most people would have (4th round). Everybody threw their two cents my way, saying he was old, washed up, and not going to produce good stats... good thing I didn't listen to any of it. Two weeks in and Mr. Wayne is the #1 receiver in Indianapolis, a team that threw the ball more than anybody else last season.
This year's live draft was utterly surprising. A ton of players who are sure fire fantasy studs didn't even get drafted. I can see that leading to owners making drastic changes to their original roster selections. I personally already snatched up Julian Edelman, the #1 receiver on the Patriots' depleted roster (you can't go wrong with Tom Brady throwing to your guys). In order to pick up this undrafted gem of a receiver, all you need to do is drop some excess from your roster ( I let go of an extra defense... why I drafted 2 defenses in the first place is a mystery to me).
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I couldn't miss an opportunity to post about this years draft. Check out some of my future posts to see some of the upcoming fantasy stars that can help your roster.
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