Tag Archives: draft

A Girls Guide to Fantasy Football: Understanding the Obsession

3 Oct

In the past I have heard girls complain about their man’s obsession with Fantasy Football. I used to listen and say, “It is just his pathetic way of pretending that he could actually manage a real football team.” I can now say that I have drunk the coolaid. I am a Fantasy Football addict. If there were support groups for Fantasy Football I would join, probably because I would want another excuse to talk about Fantasy Football. I will talk to anyone who is willing to listen about my weekly line-up and the disappoint that is Chris Johnson.

I can’t leave the house on Sundays because I might miss a moment of the games. I watch games on my computer (I am two seconds away from caving and buying the stupid NFL Network pass), simultaneously on the television(flipping between games on different networks), and I check my stats for Fantasy on my phone. I say up late at night changing my line-up and looking for that undrafted rookie who is about to have the best week of his life. I comb through many websites looking for fantasy advice. And I admittedly almost bought Redskins underwear because my quarterback is Robert Griffin III.

But all of this hard work has paid off. In the first month of Fantasy, I haven’t lost yet. I am a little scarred of what will happen if I do lose. I have prearranged with friend to be picked-up from the bar in event of a loss. I envision I will be drunkenly alone ranting about if only I’d played Johnson. The bright side of my new addiction is that I can now explain to others what Fantasy Football is and how to play.

What is Fantasy Football?

Fantasy Football is a game that played on sites like ESPN or Yahoo. A group of people(usually friends/co-workers) create a league together. Each person creates their own team. Team names usually involve some sort of reference to sexual references + a player’s name. An example being Mile’s High Club after the player Dallas Cowboy player Miles Austin. To start the season off there is a draft. The draft is much like the real NFL Draft with all the teams vying for the top players. The big is that usually running backs go first (I’ll explain later why this is). Another difference is that the players you are drafting already play for NFL teams. Everyone fills their rooster with 16 players that usually breaks down the following way: 2 quarterbacks, 5 running backs, 5 wide receivers, 2 tight ends, 1 defensive strategy, and 1 kicker. Each week you will start 8 players and one defensive strategy. Starting a player means you will get points out of what they do.

How Do You Play?

Each week the computer will match your team up against another persons team in the league. It is your goal to get more points than your opponent. Points are calculated differently depending on league settings. But in general you get points for yards. The reason running backs are so important to fantasy is that they are usually rushing the ball down the field which means they get a lot of yards. The more yards they run, the more points for you. This is not to say that touchdowns don’t matter but they are not essential for you to win. I have gotten the most points out of RG3 when the Redskins lost to the Rams.

The biggest decision you will make each week is who to start. Choosing a start lining up is difficult because you don’t know what the real team is thinking. For instance I choose to start Chargers’ running back Ryan Mathews who is returning from an injury, the only problem is that the Chargers didn’t start Mathews. Therefore my points were limited because he only played in the 4th quarter. It is also difficult because you never know when someone is going to have a stellar week or a horrible week. This is where keeping up with the Fantasy trades helps. You need to know what the other teams defense is like and if they are giving up many yards to offenses.

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Weekend Football Rundown: The Old Man, The Rookie, and Everyone Else

10 Sep

There was a lot of football this weekend. And because I love writing about it/I am a very devoted fantasy team owner I have watched almost all of it. Here is what happened or at least the interesting parts.

Peyton Manning Proved He Still Has His Mojo

Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-19

Despite having been out of the game for 611 days(yes someone actually counted) Manning hit the field like he had never left. Manning made 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He made some lucky fantasy owner very happy today . . . damn it. Not only that but Manning made the 400th touchdown of his career joining the likes of Brett Favre (508) and Dan Marino (420). The game was back and forth until the fourth quarter where the Broncos broke away. Manning played so good I have to wonder how his former mistress the Indianapolis Colts are feeling about giving him up for baby Andrew Luck.

Mark Sanchez is Still Top Dog of the New York Jets

New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills, 48-28

Despite my the media’s obsession with Tim Tebow he is not the starting quarterback for the Jets. When Tebow did hit the field in the second quarter the crowd booed from the stands. Poor Tebow no love from his new home and from the looks of Manning’s performance nobody is missing him in Denver either. While Tebow didn’t get enough time on the field to compete a play, Sanchez was busy sealing the deal. Having a more productive game than usual Sanchez had 266 yards and three touchdowns. So maybe this whole Tebow making Sanchez play better experiment is working. But I wouldn’t count Tebow out so quickly . . . just wait Sanchez one slip up and you could be warming the bench.

RGIII Proved Why He is the Redskins Savior

Washington Redskins vs. New Orleans Saints, 40-32

In preseason we were all still liking Robert Griffin III but we weren’t sure he was worth all the hype. I think he has now proved us wrong. And I say this as someone who drafted him on my fantasy team and regrettably did not start him this week, which means I will not benefit from his awesomeness. The rookie quarterback, RGIII, did amazing completing 19 of 26 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. It’s been a long time since the Redskins have had a season opener as good as this one. In the history of football it’s been since 1950 that a rookie quarterback has led his team to score 40 points. Regardless it was an amazing game and I will definitely be starting RGIII next week when they take on the Rams.

Andrew Luck Wasn’t So Lucky

Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears, 41-21

I knew this day would come when the Colts would be wishing they had kept Peyton Manning, didn’t think it would be so soon. The Colts’ rookie quarterback Andrew Luck had not so stellar game. He threw for 309 yards, had three interceptions, was sacked three times and had one touchdown. Okay so he wasn’t a disaster but he was no RGIII. The games loss is not totally on luck the Colt’s receivers couldn’t seem to hang onto the ball. Regardless it was definitely a sign that this is rebuilding year for them and the road is going to be bumpy.

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A Little Less Chaos for the Redskins

28 Aug

The Washington Redskins have released popular tight-end Chris Cooley or Captain Chaos. Cooley has been with the Redskins since he was drafted back in 2004. He has a popular blog called “The Cooley Zone.” The two-time Pro Bowler will be remember for his big personality and wild hair. The Redskins released Cooley because of a serious knee injured that kept him sidelined for most of 2011. It has been reported that he doesn’t want to play for anybody else. But because of his personality he primed for television.

-M

 

My First Fantasy Football Draft

27 Aug

You may have noticed I was missing in action yesterday. My absence was in part because of recovering from a night of drunk debauchery but also because I was preparing for my first ever Fantasy Football Draft. Like any good student I had waited till the last-minute to study. A guy friend, who has mastered fantasy gave me this advice:

1. Draft Philadelphia Eagles’ running back LeSean McCoy first. I was pick number 4, McCoy went as number 2 in our draft. So  I failed at that one.

2. Make sure to get the San Francisco 49ers as your Defense Strategy. It took me about half-way through the draft to figure out how to pick at team for defense strategy so I failed at one and evened up with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

3. Whatever you do don’t draft Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo. Okay this one I definitely didn’t do. I instead went with Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Michael Vick.

My grade so far would definitely be an C.

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Preseason Death Match: Luck VS RGIII

25 Aug

If you missed all the insane hype the Washington Redskins took on the Indianapolis Colts today. It was the battle of the rookies quarterback between Colts’ Andrew Luck and Redskins’ Robert Griffin III(RGIII). There were t-shirts being sold ”QB Showdown.” It was basically the most exciting thing to happen in the preseason thus far. It ended with the Redskins winning, 30-17. So how did the boy wonder quarterbacks do? Both quarterbacks played into the third quarter. Luck completed 14 of 23 passes for 151 yards. He also threw a touchdown that was carried by rookie T.Y Hilton. Meanwhile Griffin completed 11 of 17 passes for 74 yards and had a touchdown. In terms of being sacked(tackled by a large man) Luck was sacked twice and Griffin managed to evade sacking entirely.

Both rookies performed well but since the Redskins won I guess that means Griffin wins this battle. Despite the fact that Luck had a better QB rating and more yards.  While everyone else was focusing on Luck and Griffin, another rookie was stealing the spotlight. Redskins’ running back Alfred Morris ran for 107 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown.

So it was a good game as good as you can expect from the preseason.

-M

 

 

 

 

The Season of the Rookies

21 Aug

The Miami Dolphins wisely choose rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill to be their starter over veteran Matt Moore. That’s makes the fourth rookie quarterback to be starting this season. Tannehill joins Indianapolis Colts’ Andrew Luck, Washington Redskins’ Robert Griffin III (aka. RGIII), and Cleveland Browns’ Brandon Weeden. Everybody expected stand out stars like Luck and Griffin  to win starting positions, Tannehill and Weeden had to prove they deserved it.

For Tannehill, who became a stand-out star in part because of his hot wife, this is a big step-up. Tannehill only started 19 games while playing at Texas A&M. Now he is expected to carry a whole team. If the Dolphins don’t fix their offense than Tannehill is going to have an even tougher time. It is debatable who has more work to do the Dolphins or the Browns. The Browns haven’t been in a playoff since 1999. Weeden is dealing with a really young team and has a lot of rebuilding to do.

The one rookie who seems to be living up to expectations is Luck. The Colts didn’t manage to win their preseason game against the Steelers but Luck managed to help them lose honorably, 26-24. Luck pulled the  Colts from a losing by 14 to winning by 3. Having played only two preseason games Lucks stats are look good having 25-for-49 passes for 363 yards.

So far Griffin hasn’t proven to be as amazing as Luck. Griffin was the number 2 draft pick and a media favorite. So far in the preseason he played one quarter in the first game making 4 of 6 passes for 70 yards which included the games only touchdown. Than against the Chicago Bears, Griffin played the entire first half. In that half he completed 5 of 8 passes for 49 yards.

The media will get a chance to compare Griffin and Luck directly when the Redskins take on the Colts, Saturday August 25th.

-M

 

 

 

Ryan Tannehill or Matt Moore: Who Sucks Less?

20 Aug

If you caught any of the pre-season match-up between the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers you know that the Dolphins were struggling. The Dolphins lost the game 23-17. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, 8th overall draft pick, started the game off. Tannehill was 11 of 23 passes for 100 yards. He was also sacked(tackled before he could throw a pass) three times and had four passes deflected(the ball was caught by the other team). Compared to Panther’s quarterback Cam Newton who made 8 of 11 passes for 119 yards and had a touchdown, Tannehill didn’t look good.

But at least Tannehill looked better than veteran QB Matt Moore. Moore played against reserve players and completed only 5 of 15 passes for 57 yards. For the Dolphins it is really a question of who sucked less and the answer is Tannehill. The team is expected to announce within the week which QB will be their starter. The regular football season starts in three short weeks. And the Dolphins have a lot of work to do. They had no blocking from the offensive line which is really their primary job. The Dolphins had no running game which is probably because their offensive line is not blocking. So needless to say Tannehill is going to have a heavy burden if he is named QB.

-M

Luck is Looking Good

13 Aug

While Peyton Manning was getting so-so reviews after his first game with the Denver Broncos, his replacement at the Indianapolis Colts’, Andrew Luck, was shining in the spotlight. The number 1 draft pick proved he was worth every penny($22 million to be exact) with his first pass (63 yards) ending in a touchdown. Overall Luck had 10 of 16 passes complete for 188 yards(if you remember Manning had 44 yards on his debut with the Broncos). He ended the night with a passing rating of 142.6( a perfect passer rating is 158.3).  So not to shabby for his first NFL game. The Colts beat the St. Louis Rams 38-3. Not that beating the Rams who have almost no defense is anything to brag about.

So welcome to the big league Luck, now you’ll be expected to do even better.

-M

 

It’s a Four-Way With Dwight Howard

9 Aug

Just as I was giving up hope that the Los Angeles Lakers would land Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard trade talks have resumed. Of course it is a complicated four-way trade involving: the Lakers, Magic, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers. In this proposed deal the Lakers would get Howard and Nuggets’ forward Al Harrington. Than the 76ers would give up Andre Iguodala to the Nuggets. Then Andrew Bynum would go to the Magic 76ers. The Magic would get Laker Pau Gasol and Nugget Arron Affalo.

Now of course it seems weird that the Magic would take Gasol rather than Bynum. But Bynum would only stay with the Magic for one season so they would rather take Gasol as an asset for future trades. I would be  sad to see Gasol go but my happiness of dumping Bynum might heal the pain. Bynum has regularly said that he doesn’t care where he plays and his lack of loyalty to the Lakers makes it hard to like him.

-M

They Call it a Nike Brow

16 Jul

Number 1 draft pick Anthony Davis is now endorsing Nike. What convenient timing Nike has. . . it’s not like Davis just took Blake Griffin’s place on Team USA. Davis has been known in the past to sport exclusive Nike shoes. I bet he is happy he is getting them for free now. This boy is business smart because he already trademarked his unibrow. Yes you can no longer say “Fear the Brow,” without ponying up some cash.

Not to mention he is already selling “Nike Swoosh Unibrow” prints. With all the money from his brow he is never going to shave it. Sorry ladies. Put down your tweezers.

-M

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