Wednesday, September 4, 2013
#CatTeamBrotherhood
After seeing this post on reddit, I was inspired to do this.
Well worth the time it took to draft. We'll see how this team does in this random public 10-teamer.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
The revival of the college friends league
2 years ago, a buddy and I tried to kick off a would-be keeper league with some college friends of ours. Due to some murkiness of the rules and a few inattentive owners, the league didn't make it to year two.
Well, with a few fresh faces who will hopefully remain active, and a simplification of the ruleset, the league is back in the form of a ten-team, standard roster and scoring, snake draft, $20 league. To the draft!
My team (by round):
5 C.J. Spiller, Buf RB
16 Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac RB
25 Brandon Marshall, Chi WR
36 Peyton Manning, Den QB
45 Marques Colston, NO WR
56 Dwayne Bowe, KC WR
65 Ryan Mathews, SD RB
76 Pierre Garcon, Wsh WR
85 BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cin RB
96 Mike Williams, TB WR
105 Emmanuel Sanders, Pit WR
116 Jared Cook, StL TE
125 Patriots D/ST D/ST
136 Christine Michael, Sea RB
145 Greg Zuerlein, StL K
I have to say, I'm pretty happy with this team in general. I think it's well-balanced and has a good mix of steady producers and guys who could significantly outperform their draft position. I'm also pretty happy with how I managed this draft and where I took my guys.
My first round decision was between Rice, Spiller and Charles. Since he's my keeper in the family league, I figure I might as well go all-in on Spiller this year. While I think Rice still has plenty to give, his best years are most likely behind him at this point. That leaves Spiller and Charles, two guys in new systems with ridiculous quicks and insane yards per carry averages. In the end, I like Spiller better because, last year, he produced more fantasy points than Charles on fewer touches and was more consistent. And his new coordinator wants to feed him the ball as much as he can.
I like MJD as a high-end number 2 RB this year. I think he's healthy and still has the ability to just pile up stats as perhaps the only reliable weapon on his team. I was tempted by the likes of Dez Bryant, but I felt that there were enough top-tier wideouts left and a pretty big dropoff after MJD at RB. I lucked out and managed to still land Marshall after waiting 8 picks.
Next up, I was deciding between Peyton and Gronk. I felt that Peyton had fallen too far and wouldn't make it back to me at the next pick, but I at least had a shot at Gronk doing so. Unfortunately, I missed out on Gronk by 2 picks, so I took Colston, a top receiver on a powerful passing offense. I would be surprised if he made it inside the top 10. I would also be surprised if he fell outside the top 20, assuming he's mostly healthy throughout the year. While he can be boom and bust week-to-week, I think his overall production is as reliable as it comes.
Approaching the next turn, I had 3 WRs and 3 RBs left in their respective tiers, so I looked at the guys between my next two picks and noticed that many of them still needed tons of help at WR. So I grabbed Bowe first and managed to still land Mathews on the way back. It's strategic moves like this that make snake drafts at least somewhat interesting. Both of these guys are kind of "has-beens" but have shown great things in the preseason, and still have the ability AND opportunity to be top-10 guys at their respective positions. I'll take that out of my 3rd WR and RB in a shallow ten-teamer.
Regarding the rest of the draft, once again, I waited the shit out of TE having missed Gronk. I knew I was never going to get Graham, since that takes a second round pick this year. In terms of value, I think that's a bad move, as it would take a historic TE season to justify that draft position. However, I like Gronk around the 4th round, because he scores more points per game than Graham and I think he is well on his way to a mid-September return to full-speed. So rather than reaching on any other TE, I just took whoever was available when I felt it was time to grab a TE. I like Witten and Gonzalez and the potential of Vernon Davis, but those guys are going too high as well. After those guys, all the Greg Olsens, Owen Daniels, Kyle Rudolphs and Jared Cooks are all the same to me, so I'm fine getting Cook.
Normally, I would say that anyone who takes a defense before the second to last round is a total fantasy n00b. I broke my golden rule this year. Frankly, in a 10-team league, everyone's team is stacked with talent at all the offensive positions and there is always plenty to find on the waiver-wire, so I think that getting a better defense might help me out. I like that the Jets, Dophins and Bills all have terrible QB situations, meaning plenty of opportunities for the Pats D to capitalize and put up good scores.
Overall, there's only 2 or 3 teams I can look at and say that I would much rather have my team than theirs. Everyone else is pretty strong across the board. Such is life in a ten-team league. Looking at draft results is kind of boring. I was hoping to get to 12 strong, but it wasn't to be. We'll see how this one plays out. It should be fun, anyway.
Well, with a few fresh faces who will hopefully remain active, and a simplification of the ruleset, the league is back in the form of a ten-team, standard roster and scoring, snake draft, $20 league. To the draft!
My team (by round):
5 C.J. Spiller, Buf RB
16 Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac RB
25 Brandon Marshall, Chi WR
36 Peyton Manning, Den QB
45 Marques Colston, NO WR
56 Dwayne Bowe, KC WR
65 Ryan Mathews, SD RB
76 Pierre Garcon, Wsh WR
85 BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cin RB
96 Mike Williams, TB WR
105 Emmanuel Sanders, Pit WR
116 Jared Cook, StL TE
125 Patriots D/ST D/ST
136 Christine Michael, Sea RB
145 Greg Zuerlein, StL K
I have to say, I'm pretty happy with this team in general. I think it's well-balanced and has a good mix of steady producers and guys who could significantly outperform their draft position. I'm also pretty happy with how I managed this draft and where I took my guys.
My first round decision was between Rice, Spiller and Charles. Since he's my keeper in the family league, I figure I might as well go all-in on Spiller this year. While I think Rice still has plenty to give, his best years are most likely behind him at this point. That leaves Spiller and Charles, two guys in new systems with ridiculous quicks and insane yards per carry averages. In the end, I like Spiller better because, last year, he produced more fantasy points than Charles on fewer touches and was more consistent. And his new coordinator wants to feed him the ball as much as he can.
I like MJD as a high-end number 2 RB this year. I think he's healthy and still has the ability to just pile up stats as perhaps the only reliable weapon on his team. I was tempted by the likes of Dez Bryant, but I felt that there were enough top-tier wideouts left and a pretty big dropoff after MJD at RB. I lucked out and managed to still land Marshall after waiting 8 picks.
Next up, I was deciding between Peyton and Gronk. I felt that Peyton had fallen too far and wouldn't make it back to me at the next pick, but I at least had a shot at Gronk doing so. Unfortunately, I missed out on Gronk by 2 picks, so I took Colston, a top receiver on a powerful passing offense. I would be surprised if he made it inside the top 10. I would also be surprised if he fell outside the top 20, assuming he's mostly healthy throughout the year. While he can be boom and bust week-to-week, I think his overall production is as reliable as it comes.
Approaching the next turn, I had 3 WRs and 3 RBs left in their respective tiers, so I looked at the guys between my next two picks and noticed that many of them still needed tons of help at WR. So I grabbed Bowe first and managed to still land Mathews on the way back. It's strategic moves like this that make snake drafts at least somewhat interesting. Both of these guys are kind of "has-beens" but have shown great things in the preseason, and still have the ability AND opportunity to be top-10 guys at their respective positions. I'll take that out of my 3rd WR and RB in a shallow ten-teamer.
Regarding the rest of the draft, once again, I waited the shit out of TE having missed Gronk. I knew I was never going to get Graham, since that takes a second round pick this year. In terms of value, I think that's a bad move, as it would take a historic TE season to justify that draft position. However, I like Gronk around the 4th round, because he scores more points per game than Graham and I think he is well on his way to a mid-September return to full-speed. So rather than reaching on any other TE, I just took whoever was available when I felt it was time to grab a TE. I like Witten and Gonzalez and the potential of Vernon Davis, but those guys are going too high as well. After those guys, all the Greg Olsens, Owen Daniels, Kyle Rudolphs and Jared Cooks are all the same to me, so I'm fine getting Cook.
Normally, I would say that anyone who takes a defense before the second to last round is a total fantasy n00b. I broke my golden rule this year. Frankly, in a 10-team league, everyone's team is stacked with talent at all the offensive positions and there is always plenty to find on the waiver-wire, so I think that getting a better defense might help me out. I like that the Jets, Dophins and Bills all have terrible QB situations, meaning plenty of opportunities for the Pats D to capitalize and put up good scores.
Overall, there's only 2 or 3 teams I can look at and say that I would much rather have my team than theirs. Everyone else is pretty strong across the board. Such is life in a ten-team league. Looking at draft results is kind of boring. I was hoping to get to 12 strong, but it wasn't to be. We'll see how this one plays out. It should be fun, anyway.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Bockmed's Family League
It's time to pwn the family again. It's a 12 team, standard scoring, 1QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1TE, 1Flex, 1K, 1DST, 6BN, snake draft league with 1 keeper kept at one round higher than where you took them last year. I got to keep C.J. Spiller in the 6th round and the 3rd overall pick. It's on like Donkey Kong.
My Team:
My Team:
QB: Matthew Stafford
RB: Arian Foster
RB: C.J. Spiller
WR: Reggie Wayne
WR: Roddy White
TE: Jordan Cameron
Flex: Frank Gore
K: Josh Brown
DST: Tampa Bay
BN: Hakeem Nicks
BN: Cecil Shorts
BN: Fred Jackson
BN: Sidney Rice
BN: Pierre Thomas
BN: Malcom Floyd
What I love about this team:
-My runningbacks! There are certainly concerns with all of them. But really, find me a single runningback not named Adrian Peterson who you know is going to be healthy all year and isn't going to have anyone cutting into their workload. And AD has been hurt before, too. Arian has some definite injury concerns, but considering what was left, I had to take him. The potential to be the number one guy in fantasy is definitely there and Kubiak says he's going to be fine, so my fingers are crossed. C.J. Spiller is going to "run until he pukes" according to his OC. I think they'll be smart with him and he stays healthy and has a monster year. Gore is the centerpiece of his offense, and admittedly on the decline. But in the third round, I am not about to pass on a productive starting runningback. Fred Jackson and Pierre Thomas will both have a role this year and could be fairly useful if someone ahead of them loses their jobs, providing me with all the depth I need at the position.
-My receiving corps should be nice and steady. Both starters get a high volume of catches. I think Roddy is good for 1300 yds 8 TDs and Reggie will regress to something like 1150 and 5, which is still pretty solid. Hakeem is fragile, but an explosive playmaker who could turn into tradebait if he returns to his former glory. Cecil could be awesome if his QB shows some improvement. Sidney and Malcom are just guys really. They'll probably be the first to get dropped when something shiny pops up on the waiver wire. But who knows, they've both shown flashes before.
Dislikes: I missed out on a reliable TE, so I waited and waited and grabbed someone who people are raving about. Honestly, there isn't too much I don't like about this team, so that's what I came up with.
I just kept finding value in this draft, and so I have awesome depth at WR and RB, a QB who could approach 5000 yds and ought to throw for more TDs this year, and a frankly, considering how same all the TEs are after the first 2, who really cares who I have in there?
There are a handful of teams that could pop and dominate if their players turn out, but I don't think any have the caliber of flex player that I do or the overall depth. I'm pretty excited for the prospects in this league this year.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Cheap League
Earlier today (August 24th) I had the draft for my cheapest league. It is a 12 team, $20 buy-in, 0.5 point PPR, snake draft, 1QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1TE, 1Flex, 1K, 1DST, 6BN. This league is a "keeper league" in the sense that each manager keeps only one player from the year before at one draft round better than the previous season. Two years ago, I drafted Demarco Murray on a whim in the 11th round. With Felix Jones getting hurt that season, I kept him last year in the 10th round and this year in the 9th. This might seem like an epic bargain, but the reality is that each team in this league has one player of similar value at a ridiculous round. (This is often the case with taking a stab at rookie players.) My team:
QB: Cam Newton
RB: David Wilson
RB: Demarco Murray
WR: Calvin Johnson
WR: Andre Johnson
TE: Jared Cook
Flex: Eric Decker
K: Matt Prater
DST: St. Louis
BN: Josh Freeman
BN: Chris Ivory
BN: Andre Brown
BN: Mike Williams
BN: Justin Blackmon
BN: Zach Sudfeld
What I love about this draft:
-My receiving corps is unbelievable. Calvin has the potential to go 10/140/2 each week. Granted, he won't do that all season, but you have to love the best receiver in a pass-heavy system.
-I scored Cam Newton in the 5th round. I'm a firm believer that - this year especially - one should not reach on a quarterback. The disparity between the best QB and the 12th-best QB isn't nearly as great as the best at other positions and the last starter at other said positions. Nonetheless, I watched as round-by-round all of the "big name" quarterbacks went off the board but Cam stayed put. He was actually my #1 QB on my board in PPR format. If he rushes a ton this year, he could be an absolute steal.
-Justin Blackmon. Sure, he's suspended for a few games. But when he comes back? If Henne replaces Gabbert, defenses will have to plan around MJD (on a contract year) and Cecil Shorts coming off of a breakout 2012 campaign. This could open up the field for Blackmon and he could be an elite receiver.
-Sudfeld. See my prior post.
Dislikes:
-My running back corps. Demarco is sure to get a lot of receptions, but will he stay healthy all year? Who knows. David Wilson has so much potential (he had a heck of a game tonight) but what happens when the Giants get to the goal line? How many goal line TDs will be sniped by Andre Brown? Sure I also drafted Brown (mostly as insurance) but I'm not going to do a committee in my backfield. Ivory is a nice piece because he is a starter and will get plenty of touches, but it's the Jets offense and he is unproven as a the sole guy. I like that he gives me flexibility in the event that Demarco gets hurt and/or the Giants go committee, but still, no one wants Ivory to have to start week-in and week-out.
-Andre Johnson. He's getting old. Can he still be productive? He had a great season last year in terms of receptions and yardage, but he rarely found the end zone. Can he turn that around? Who knows. I'm fortunate to have a ton of depth at WR, so if AJ gets hurt I can integrate Decker/Williams/Blackmon more consistently. Still, I took him high in the draft. At that spot, you want your players to turn out.
Looking at the starting lineups of other managers in this league, I really like how my team turned out. If I avoid the injury bug, this could be a solid unit that will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.
Empire League
Well, it's that time of year again.
FANTASY FOOTBALL.
Last night (Friday, August 23rd) I had my first draft of the year. It was for my "Empire League." This league is a $100 buy-in. There are 12 teams, standard scoring, auction draft, 1QB 2RB 2WR 1Flex 1TE 1K 1DST 6BN.
Unlike other leagues, at the end of the season, only half the pot is paid out. 1st: $350 2nd: $150 3rd: $100. The other half of the buy-in goes to the "empire pot." In order to win the "empire pot" a manager must win in back-to-back seasons. Hence, the minimum the "empire pot" can be is $1,200 assuming that the same manager wins the championship in both year 1 and year 2. (For example, if no one wins back-to-back until year 9 and year 10, the "empire pot" is worth $6,000!)
Part of the strategy of this league is drafting a winning roster. The other part is drafting young players that are skilled and can lead your team in the future.
My team shook out as follows: (the age of the player is included in parentheses)
QB: Matt Schaub (32)
RB: CJ Spiller (26)
RB: Eddie Lacy (22)
WR: Larry Fitzgerald (29)
WR: Randall Cobb (22)
TE: Jimmy Graham (26)
F: Torrey Smith (24)
K: Dan Bailey (who cares)
DST: New England (irrelevant)
BN: Josh Freeman (25)
BN: Chris Ivory (25)
BN: Jonathan Franklin (23)
BN: Kenny Britt (24)
BN: Rueben Randle (22)
BN: Zach Sudfeld (24)
Will this team win this year? Probably not. Do I have a young core to contend consistently for the next 3 to 5 years? Absolutely.
Notes about the draft:
Originally, I wanted to target Trent Richardson as my franchise player. He is just 22, an elite running back, and presumably has many years ahead of him as the starter in Cleveland. CJ Spiller was nominated about 6th overall, and I had him going for about $57 on my board. As the bidding slowed down, I kept bidding on him because he was being undervalued. Suddenly the bidding stopped altogether and I got him for $49. It was at that point that I had to readjust my drafting strategy (and budget) entirely. I suddenly shifted from being able to afford a crappy tight end to having enough money to draft the best tight end possible.
I had no interest in drafting Larry Fitzgerald, but he was another instance in which the bidding suddenly stopped and I was stuck with a player going for strong value. Am I high on Fitz? No. Do I think he will do better with Palmer as QB? Yes. Was he worth the $23 I paid for him? No doubt about it.
What I love about this draft:
-I love that I have great bench depth. Ivory is a viable bye-week filler, and if Lacy (or Franklin) don't pan out, at least I have a majority-of-the-touches running back to fill in. Britt was an absolute steal at $4, and he could easily compete with Torrey to be my starter at flex. If Britt is finally healthy and lives up to his potential, I could have a very dynamic receiving corps.
-Zach Sudfeld. I'm so high on this guy. If Gronk is injured for the foreseeable future, Sudfeld will get all of the reps at TE and could put up huge numbers. Even if Gronk is healthy, Sudfeld has been so impressive in pre-season that there are rumors that the Patriots may be going to two-tight end sets to include him in the passing game. Sudfeld could absolutely be a key player for my team.
Dislikes:
-Rueben Randle. Will he emerge as a viable threat? Who knows. I'm basically banking on Nicks being hurt as some point in the season.
-The Schaub/Freeman carousel. I knew going in that quarterbacks would be way over valued. (Rodgers went for $69(!!!!) and Brees, Brady, and Manning all for $40+. Just incredible.) For this reason, I chose to wait it out, get good core players later, and take a lower-level QB. Both Schaub and Freeman are viable starters, but they won't put up game-changing numbers.
I don't view this as a championship-contending team in 2013. But could it win back-to-back seasons sometime within the 2014 - 2017 time frame? Barring injuries, I think it is plausible. Here's to hoping.
FANTASY FOOTBALL.
Last night (Friday, August 23rd) I had my first draft of the year. It was for my "Empire League." This league is a $100 buy-in. There are 12 teams, standard scoring, auction draft, 1QB 2RB 2WR 1Flex 1TE 1K 1DST 6BN.
Unlike other leagues, at the end of the season, only half the pot is paid out. 1st: $350 2nd: $150 3rd: $100. The other half of the buy-in goes to the "empire pot." In order to win the "empire pot" a manager must win in back-to-back seasons. Hence, the minimum the "empire pot" can be is $1,200 assuming that the same manager wins the championship in both year 1 and year 2. (For example, if no one wins back-to-back until year 9 and year 10, the "empire pot" is worth $6,000!)
Part of the strategy of this league is drafting a winning roster. The other part is drafting young players that are skilled and can lead your team in the future.
My team shook out as follows: (the age of the player is included in parentheses)
QB: Matt Schaub (32)
RB: CJ Spiller (26)
RB: Eddie Lacy (22)
WR: Larry Fitzgerald (29)
WR: Randall Cobb (22)
TE: Jimmy Graham (26)
F: Torrey Smith (24)
K: Dan Bailey (who cares)
DST: New England (irrelevant)
BN: Josh Freeman (25)
BN: Chris Ivory (25)
BN: Jonathan Franklin (23)
BN: Kenny Britt (24)
BN: Rueben Randle (22)
BN: Zach Sudfeld (24)
Will this team win this year? Probably not. Do I have a young core to contend consistently for the next 3 to 5 years? Absolutely.
Notes about the draft:
Originally, I wanted to target Trent Richardson as my franchise player. He is just 22, an elite running back, and presumably has many years ahead of him as the starter in Cleveland. CJ Spiller was nominated about 6th overall, and I had him going for about $57 on my board. As the bidding slowed down, I kept bidding on him because he was being undervalued. Suddenly the bidding stopped altogether and I got him for $49. It was at that point that I had to readjust my drafting strategy (and budget) entirely. I suddenly shifted from being able to afford a crappy tight end to having enough money to draft the best tight end possible.
I had no interest in drafting Larry Fitzgerald, but he was another instance in which the bidding suddenly stopped and I was stuck with a player going for strong value. Am I high on Fitz? No. Do I think he will do better with Palmer as QB? Yes. Was he worth the $23 I paid for him? No doubt about it.
What I love about this draft:
-I love that I have great bench depth. Ivory is a viable bye-week filler, and if Lacy (or Franklin) don't pan out, at least I have a majority-of-the-touches running back to fill in. Britt was an absolute steal at $4, and he could easily compete with Torrey to be my starter at flex. If Britt is finally healthy and lives up to his potential, I could have a very dynamic receiving corps.
-Zach Sudfeld. I'm so high on this guy. If Gronk is injured for the foreseeable future, Sudfeld will get all of the reps at TE and could put up huge numbers. Even if Gronk is healthy, Sudfeld has been so impressive in pre-season that there are rumors that the Patriots may be going to two-tight end sets to include him in the passing game. Sudfeld could absolutely be a key player for my team.
Dislikes:
-Rueben Randle. Will he emerge as a viable threat? Who knows. I'm basically banking on Nicks being hurt as some point in the season.
-The Schaub/Freeman carousel. I knew going in that quarterbacks would be way over valued. (Rodgers went for $69(!!!!) and Brees, Brady, and Manning all for $40+. Just incredible.) For this reason, I chose to wait it out, get good core players later, and take a lower-level QB. Both Schaub and Freeman are viable starters, but they won't put up game-changing numbers.
I don't view this as a championship-contending team in 2013. But could it win back-to-back seasons sometime within the 2014 - 2017 time frame? Barring injuries, I think it is plausible. Here's to hoping.
Friday, August 9, 2013
I didn't know I was looking,
but I found the best cat videos on the interwebs. Really good production value on these bitches.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
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