15:00
Fitz and Boldin managed zero catches in the third quarter. Thank God!
Michael Turner is averaging 2.3 yards per carry, but has four more fantasy points than Edge. Woe the cruelty of fantasy football.
12:44
Nothing doing for Arizona and they punt. Atlanta is penalized for holding so they are now in the negative 23 yard line.
The only scenario in which I see Atlanta winning is if Ryan manages to age three years in the next four seconds to gain the poise needed to lead the Falcons to a comeback win. I don’t see that happening.
If my nickname was Matty Ice, I’d Plax myself.
12:37
Ryan sacked for a safety. Arizona is penalized for being happy. A little too happy. A little homoerotic. I’m pretty sure all of the Arizona defensive linemen are gay. Especially the one who was trying to have anal sex with his teammate.
So, all of these Unrated/Unedited/Extended versions of movies that are always advertised are never as “racy” as the commercials and the name would suggest. I say this because I’m pretty sure there will be nothing new in the Babylon A.D. movie they just advertised. However, I’ll never know because I don’t plan on watching it. Life’s mysteries…
11:39
Edgerin. James. Sheesh.
9:16
I really hope the tendon LDT tore is not important to him being good. Although, anything attached to the pelvic bone seems important.
“Playoffs?!?!?!?!?!? Playoffs?!?!?! Don’t talk about – playoffs?!?!?!”
Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss – Coors commercials rule! Except for, of course, the Bud Light commercials where the dude can draw in thin air. That’s pretty awesome.
7:20
I think what we’ve learned to day is: Matt Ryan’s brother hates his him for not dying/getting seriously injured in a car accident.
6:30
Jerious Norwood becomes fantasy relevant with a 30 yard catch and run. Good for him………….
4:15
Matt Ryan throws a touchdown pass to Roddy White (damnit) to pull within 6, 30-24. Mike Ryan is not impressed.
4:10
Has ever heard of the “Four Minute Offense” before?
3:03
The Falcons secondary sucks.
2:17
Looks like the Falcons are going to get the ball back. I hope they win. I sure as hell hope this game doesn’t go to overtime.
2:09
Not happening. A huge first down by the Cardinals. The Falcons defense is terrible. I guess we know what they will be doing in the draft and free agency…
So, with that said, it’s Colts/Chargers time. A far more entertaining game for me since all five of my Saturday starters are in this game. I project I will gain 3 points. Damn LDT…
:00
K. Warner = 16
L. Fitzgerald = 22
A. Boldin = 16
M. Turner = 10
R. White = 14
J. Norwood = 3
J. Elam = 5
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Falcons/Cardinals: 3rd Quarter
Scoring update:
K. Warner = 12
A. Boldin = 16
L. Fitzgerald = 14
M. Turner = 10
R. White = 7
J. Elam = 5
J. Norwood = 0
Now would be an excellent time to mention that Matt Millen is as terrible of an analyst as he is a GM. Wow.
Oh, and I definitely heard Tony Dungy says he wants to get hands on with boys. Yep, defiantly heard him say that.
Two big plays are killing the Falcons. Let’s see if they can hold on…
15:00
Tiki Barber should be shot. I cannot stand that man. No reason. Just can’t stand him.
14:08
I think Michael Turner just threw a touchdown pass to Antrelle Rolle. Seriously, I think he just did. At any rate, they rule it a “fumble” and the Cardinals are up 21-17. I guess it didn’t take long for another big play…
I would be far more pumped for the new Underworld movie in Cate Beckinsale was in it. She’s not, therefore I could care less about this movie. The power of hot chicks.
14:03
LDT says he’s going to play. I project he caries the ball 4 time for 2 yards and then is done for the day. Son of a bitch…
13:03
Now would be a good time for one of those patented Mike Vick 95-yard touchdown runs.
12:47
Fantastic series of events: Falcons punt, Steve Breston attempts to catch the ball, but is absolutely destroyed by Random Falcon Special Teamer. Breston, after confirming there was a flag for catch interference, immediately stands up, stares down RFST and begins clapping in his face. This all after I was positive Breston had lost his life. Got to love playoff football.
12:34
This is the best I’ve seen Edge since he was wearing a Colts uniform, and that’s sad.
12:02
Fitzgerald can’t make an impossible one-handed grab. He sucks. I expected more.
11:59
Falcons get away with holding/pass interference leading to a missed field goal by Neil Rackers. 21-17 Cardinals.
Now would be a good time to mention that I’m incredibly annoyed by Verison commercials. Could someone other than Verison, GEICO, car manufacturers or Southwest Airlines please buy some advertising space please.
30 Rock = Fantastic show. You should watch it.
10:31
This is the longest five minutes of a quarter ever. Geez…
9:07
Did Chris Collinsworth really just argue that Pat Tillman should be in the Hall of Fame because he got killed overseas? Really? I mean, I agree what he did was a selfless thing and should be honored, but is the Hall of Fame really where he should be? Let’s say he didn’t get killed and he came back and played football. Would you be clamoring for his HOF induction then? The guy was a terrible player – at least I’m assuming he was since he played for the Cardinals – put him somewhere other than the HOF.
7:16
I’m pretty sure Kurt Warner has run for as many first downs as Michael Turner. Oh, and Edgerin James is doing well in his audition for the other 31 NFL teams he’d like to save him from Arizona. I hope he goes to Detroit.
2:48
Hightower steals a touchdown from Edge. It looks like Edge is going to have at least one more game in a Cardinal uniform. 28-17.
Let’s talk Kurt Warner for a second. This man has to be the most confusing, unpredictable player in the history of the NFL. Seriously, Arena Football League to Super Bowl MVP to bench fodder for the Giants to splitting starts with a Heisman Trophy winner to near MVP of the league this season. I could easily see this guy throwing five interceptions next week.
2:40
Rogers-Cromartie with the INT. This game is getting silly.
By the way, I believe I saw a graphic that said Rogers-Cromartie was tied with one Aquib Talib for the most interceptions by a rookie this season. So much for Talib being a bust. But I bet he gave up a touchdown once so he sucks…
:00
Longest. Quarter. Ever.
K. Warner = 12
A. Boldin = 16
L. Fitzgerald = 14
M. Turner = 10
R. White = 7
J. Elam = 5
J. Norwood = 0
Now would be an excellent time to mention that Matt Millen is as terrible of an analyst as he is a GM. Wow.
Oh, and I definitely heard Tony Dungy says he wants to get hands on with boys. Yep, defiantly heard him say that.
Two big plays are killing the Falcons. Let’s see if they can hold on…
15:00
Tiki Barber should be shot. I cannot stand that man. No reason. Just can’t stand him.
14:08
I think Michael Turner just threw a touchdown pass to Antrelle Rolle. Seriously, I think he just did. At any rate, they rule it a “fumble” and the Cardinals are up 21-17. I guess it didn’t take long for another big play…
I would be far more pumped for the new Underworld movie in Cate Beckinsale was in it. She’s not, therefore I could care less about this movie. The power of hot chicks.
14:03
LDT says he’s going to play. I project he caries the ball 4 time for 2 yards and then is done for the day. Son of a bitch…
13:03
Now would be a good time for one of those patented Mike Vick 95-yard touchdown runs.
12:47
Fantastic series of events: Falcons punt, Steve Breston attempts to catch the ball, but is absolutely destroyed by Random Falcon Special Teamer. Breston, after confirming there was a flag for catch interference, immediately stands up, stares down RFST and begins clapping in his face. This all after I was positive Breston had lost his life. Got to love playoff football.
12:34
This is the best I’ve seen Edge since he was wearing a Colts uniform, and that’s sad.
12:02
Fitzgerald can’t make an impossible one-handed grab. He sucks. I expected more.
11:59
Falcons get away with holding/pass interference leading to a missed field goal by Neil Rackers. 21-17 Cardinals.
Now would be a good time to mention that I’m incredibly annoyed by Verison commercials. Could someone other than Verison, GEICO, car manufacturers or Southwest Airlines please buy some advertising space please.
30 Rock = Fantastic show. You should watch it.
10:31
This is the longest five minutes of a quarter ever. Geez…
9:07
Did Chris Collinsworth really just argue that Pat Tillman should be in the Hall of Fame because he got killed overseas? Really? I mean, I agree what he did was a selfless thing and should be honored, but is the Hall of Fame really where he should be? Let’s say he didn’t get killed and he came back and played football. Would you be clamoring for his HOF induction then? The guy was a terrible player – at least I’m assuming he was since he played for the Cardinals – put him somewhere other than the HOF.
7:16
I’m pretty sure Kurt Warner has run for as many first downs as Michael Turner. Oh, and Edgerin James is doing well in his audition for the other 31 NFL teams he’d like to save him from Arizona. I hope he goes to Detroit.
2:48
Hightower steals a touchdown from Edge. It looks like Edge is going to have at least one more game in a Cardinal uniform. 28-17.
Let’s talk Kurt Warner for a second. This man has to be the most confusing, unpredictable player in the history of the NFL. Seriously, Arena Football League to Super Bowl MVP to bench fodder for the Giants to splitting starts with a Heisman Trophy winner to near MVP of the league this season. I could easily see this guy throwing five interceptions next week.
2:40
Rogers-Cromartie with the INT. This game is getting silly.
By the way, I believe I saw a graphic that said Rogers-Cromartie was tied with one Aquib Talib for the most interceptions by a rookie this season. So much for Talib being a bust. But I bet he gave up a touchdown once so he sucks…
:00
Longest. Quarter. Ever.
Falcons/Cardinals: 2nd Quarter
15:00
Turner doubles his rushing total with a 13-yard carry. Has an adjustment been made???
14:14
Jenkins makes a fist down catch for consecutive first downs for the Falcons. I’m now anticipating a Matt Ryan interception…
13:04
No interception yet. It’s going to happen…
12:29
No interception, but No Name Cardinals secondary player just killed someone. Huge hit.
11:49
How much of an uproar will there be if Ed Hochuli worked the Super Bowl? I really hope he’s doing tonight’s Chargers game…
10:03
You know those Coors commercials where they cut and splice former press conferences? When are they going to get the Mike Gundy meltdown in there? What about Jim Mora’s “playoffs?!?!”? Where are the classics is all I’m saying.
10:00
Jason Elam hits a field goal to make it 7-3. There goes the shutout for whoever played the Arizona DEF/ST.
Key Players Scoring Update:
M. Turner = 2
R. White = 2
K. Warner = 7
L. Fitzgerald = 13
A. Boldin = 0
9:43
Anquan Boldin finally made a catch. Andrew doesn’t care. Larry Fitzgerald, bitch.
8:58
71 yards. Anquan Boldin. Touchdown. Larry Anquan Boldin Fitzgerald, bitch. (And Kurt Warner, too!)
Kurt Warner – on a weak five-of-12 passing – now has 14 points. (Chris and Jason)
Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin each have 13 points. Andrew has both of them. (Chris has Boldin, Tony has Fitzgerald.)
Now that I think about it, I left out the 40- and 50-plus yard touchdown bonus.
So make that 14 points for Fitz and 16 points for Boldin.
Damnit.
7:46
Alright, so now that Roddy White is dropping wide open passes and the Falcons look to have the collective “Tennessee Face” going on for them, lets now move on to the next game. Whatever we can do to keep Andrew from getting more points.
7:29
Fantastic catch by Jenkins to keep the drive alive for the Falcons. The Falcons must score a touchdown here to keep this game within range.
6:45
The Falcons have waived the white flag by handing the ball off to Turner. He has NOWHERE to go.
5:56
Ryan makes a clutch third down throw to Roddy White (who actually caught this one) to keep the drive alive again. This is followed by another first down. Matt Ryan has a much stronger arm than I remember him having in college.
4:24
I feel like I’m watching the Alabama/Utah game right now.
Additional thought: Now knowing that the Lions went 0-16 and had one of the worst secondary’s in NFL history, should that actually make Matt Ryan’s first pass for a touchdown less impressive? Or should we have seen the Lions’ woes much sooner?
2:55
Michael Turner overcomes his bust status with a touchdown. Chris and Erik celebrate. Bastards.
The Cardinals have just one timeout and 2:55 to get into scoring range from their own 20. Good thing they don’t have a passing game…
2:35
Anquan Boldin is a woman. He has “cramps”. Pussy. Run it off, bitch. God, I hate Andrew right now…
2:10
PICKED OFF!!! Jebus Jackson???? I swear I just heard the announcer guy say “Jebus” picked off the pass. Fantastic name. With all of that said, that was a terrible set of play calling by Arizona. They deserved to have the pass picked off.
2:00
It’s the two-minute warning and you know what that means: THE NINTETH RUNNING OF THAT REALLY ANNOYING GEICO COMMERCIAL!!!! Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Has there ever been a phone name that best described annoying teenage girls like “Rant”? I’m now ready for the “Shut the Fuck Up” phone to come out.
Norv Turner expects LDT to play. FUCK, I FORGOT NORV TURNER COACHED THE CHARGERS!!! I’m screwed.
1:18
Arizona is having issues with premature penetration… That’s what she said.
:27
Roddy White is getting destroyed in this game.
A play-action pass for a touchdown (17-14) gives Atlanta the lead and all of a sudden Matt Ryan has a lead going into the second half. Arizona has no business being in this position. I guess this is why they are Arizona…
:09
I really wish I drafted Darren Sproles.
I now need to go hide so I don’t poison my mind with Matt Millen “wisdom”.
Turner doubles his rushing total with a 13-yard carry. Has an adjustment been made???
14:14
Jenkins makes a fist down catch for consecutive first downs for the Falcons. I’m now anticipating a Matt Ryan interception…
13:04
No interception yet. It’s going to happen…
12:29
No interception, but No Name Cardinals secondary player just killed someone. Huge hit.
11:49
How much of an uproar will there be if Ed Hochuli worked the Super Bowl? I really hope he’s doing tonight’s Chargers game…
10:03
You know those Coors commercials where they cut and splice former press conferences? When are they going to get the Mike Gundy meltdown in there? What about Jim Mora’s “playoffs?!?!”? Where are the classics is all I’m saying.
10:00
Jason Elam hits a field goal to make it 7-3. There goes the shutout for whoever played the Arizona DEF/ST.
Key Players Scoring Update:
M. Turner = 2
R. White = 2
K. Warner = 7
L. Fitzgerald = 13
A. Boldin = 0
9:43
Anquan Boldin finally made a catch. Andrew doesn’t care. Larry Fitzgerald, bitch.
8:58
71 yards. Anquan Boldin. Touchdown. Larry Anquan Boldin Fitzgerald, bitch. (And Kurt Warner, too!)
Kurt Warner – on a weak five-of-12 passing – now has 14 points. (Chris and Jason)
Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin each have 13 points. Andrew has both of them. (Chris has Boldin, Tony has Fitzgerald.)
Now that I think about it, I left out the 40- and 50-plus yard touchdown bonus.
So make that 14 points for Fitz and 16 points for Boldin.
Damnit.
7:46
Alright, so now that Roddy White is dropping wide open passes and the Falcons look to have the collective “Tennessee Face” going on for them, lets now move on to the next game. Whatever we can do to keep Andrew from getting more points.
7:29
Fantastic catch by Jenkins to keep the drive alive for the Falcons. The Falcons must score a touchdown here to keep this game within range.
6:45
The Falcons have waived the white flag by handing the ball off to Turner. He has NOWHERE to go.
5:56
Ryan makes a clutch third down throw to Roddy White (who actually caught this one) to keep the drive alive again. This is followed by another first down. Matt Ryan has a much stronger arm than I remember him having in college.
4:24
I feel like I’m watching the Alabama/Utah game right now.
Additional thought: Now knowing that the Lions went 0-16 and had one of the worst secondary’s in NFL history, should that actually make Matt Ryan’s first pass for a touchdown less impressive? Or should we have seen the Lions’ woes much sooner?
2:55
Michael Turner overcomes his bust status with a touchdown. Chris and Erik celebrate. Bastards.
The Cardinals have just one timeout and 2:55 to get into scoring range from their own 20. Good thing they don’t have a passing game…
2:35
Anquan Boldin is a woman. He has “cramps”. Pussy. Run it off, bitch. God, I hate Andrew right now…
2:10
PICKED OFF!!! Jebus Jackson???? I swear I just heard the announcer guy say “Jebus” picked off the pass. Fantastic name. With all of that said, that was a terrible set of play calling by Arizona. They deserved to have the pass picked off.
2:00
It’s the two-minute warning and you know what that means: THE NINTETH RUNNING OF THAT REALLY ANNOYING GEICO COMMERCIAL!!!! Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Has there ever been a phone name that best described annoying teenage girls like “Rant”? I’m now ready for the “Shut the Fuck Up” phone to come out.
Norv Turner expects LDT to play. FUCK, I FORGOT NORV TURNER COACHED THE CHARGERS!!! I’m screwed.
1:18
Arizona is having issues with premature penetration… That’s what she said.
:27
Roddy White is getting destroyed in this game.
A play-action pass for a touchdown (17-14) gives Atlanta the lead and all of a sudden Matt Ryan has a lead going into the second half. Arizona has no business being in this position. I guess this is why they are Arizona…
:09
I really wish I drafted Darren Sproles.
I now need to go hide so I don’t poison my mind with Matt Millen “wisdom”.
Falcons/Cardinals: 1st Quarter
Pregame thoughts: What the hell is Matt Millen doing on NBC’s pregame coverage? Out of all of the dismissed general managers, he was the best one they could come up with? This explains a lot about NBC.
Thank God Chris Collinsworth is doing the first game of the playoff double-header. I was concerned is was going to be Rod Marinelli or something. Part of me wishes Collinsworth was doing the late game so I didn’t have to listen to John Madden during the game I cared about most. Oh well: Win some, lose some.
I’m waiting for Kurt Warner’s wife to randomly appear during the pregame…
Players of Note:
Michael Turner
Kurt Warner
Larry Fitzgerald
Roddy White
15:00
This is the part where I hope Michael Turner tears some tendon connected to his pelvic bone…
14:47
You know there is a small part of you that hopes Kurt Warner gets hurt and Matt Leinart has to find a way to lead his team to victory. The world needs a mediocre Matt Leinart starting NFL games.
13:50
After one play, Matt Ryan has more rushing yards than Michael Turner. Turner = Bust.
Michael Turner had 376 carries this season. You’d have to expect some kind of Larry Johnson syndrome next season, right?
12:32
Matt Ryan is picked off by a random Cardinal (I wasn’t paying attention to who it was). This is good news for the team who started the Arizona defense…
Ralph Brown made the pick. Chris Collinsworth tells me he’s been in the league for 9 years. Somehow, I don’t believe him since I don’t even remember the guy being on Madden.
11:42
Edgerin James is running the ball like he wants out of Arizona.
James + Motivation = Atlanta loss.
10:28
Warner + Flea Flicker + Sick Catch by Larry Fitzgerald = 7-0 Cardinals
Andrew and Tony each received 10 points on the play. Jason and Chris received 5. Seems cruel, doesn’t it?
What a catch by Fitzgerald though. And he was all kinds of double-fucked on the play. The Falcons didn’t bite on the flea flicker and the ball was slightly overthrown. What a catch…
10:25
I’m really glad I don’t have to watch NBC football for the next eight-plus months after today.
9:49
Does University of Pheonix Stadium have discounts specifically for University of Pheonix students for Cardinals games?
8:46
Roddy White makes his first catch. The Falcons get their first first down. Erik and Joel get their first points.
8:15
Arizona’s strategy is clear: Leave no one in pass coverage. They are baiting the Falcons rookie quarterback into throwing the ball. And when he doesn’t, there is literally nine guys in the backfield waiting for Michael Turner. Lot of pressure on Ryan.
Next play: Ryan is sacked.
7:52
Note to self: Do not buy TurboTax because of their creepy commercial.
7:07
NBC’s “raw” intro commentary from Tiki Barber isn’t working for me. Someone please shut that man up.
6:21
Larry Fitzgerald is Jesus.
5:46
And so is Edgerin James.
4:56
J.J. Arrington is not Jesus.
4:37
Anquan Boldin drops a pass and forces the Cardinals to punt. The punt is downed at the five yard-line. I suspect nothing good happens from this ensuing Falcons drive.
4:05
Hey! Turner gained a yard!!! (Three actually.)
3:30
Minus Rogers-Cromartie, I have no idea who any of these people are that are playing in the Cardinals secondary. Yet, as Ryan gets sacked again, they seem to be the most amazing defensive backs ever to play the game. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Arizona Cardinals are going to have more playoff wins this decade than the Kansas City Chiefs. Ugh.
3:20
I’m trying to come up with a scenario where I’d want the Chiefs to sign Kurt Warner to a one-year deal next season. I can’t come up with one.
(Note: Immediately after I wrote this he almost had a pass picked off and returned for a touchdown.)
2:31
Arizona punts, dude foolishly catches the punt inside the 10, dude gets murdered at the eight yard-line.
2:26
Turner, two yards.
Bust.
(But, apparently, so is LDT. Damnit.)
1:57
Roddy makes another catch. Yippee. Turner gains nothing on the ensuing play. What a terrible first half for the Falcons offense. They are going to need some kind of defensive touchdown or play that puts them close to the endzone if they are going to have any chance of scoring.
:00
The first quarter is over – that was fast. Larry Fitzgerald’s catch was still freaking amazing.
Oh, and have I mentioned that Sheron Collins is Basketball Jesus?
Thank God Chris Collinsworth is doing the first game of the playoff double-header. I was concerned is was going to be Rod Marinelli or something. Part of me wishes Collinsworth was doing the late game so I didn’t have to listen to John Madden during the game I cared about most. Oh well: Win some, lose some.
I’m waiting for Kurt Warner’s wife to randomly appear during the pregame…
Players of Note:
Michael Turner
Kurt Warner
Larry Fitzgerald
Roddy White
15:00
This is the part where I hope Michael Turner tears some tendon connected to his pelvic bone…
14:47
You know there is a small part of you that hopes Kurt Warner gets hurt and Matt Leinart has to find a way to lead his team to victory. The world needs a mediocre Matt Leinart starting NFL games.
13:50
After one play, Matt Ryan has more rushing yards than Michael Turner. Turner = Bust.
Michael Turner had 376 carries this season. You’d have to expect some kind of Larry Johnson syndrome next season, right?
12:32
Matt Ryan is picked off by a random Cardinal (I wasn’t paying attention to who it was). This is good news for the team who started the Arizona defense…
Ralph Brown made the pick. Chris Collinsworth tells me he’s been in the league for 9 years. Somehow, I don’t believe him since I don’t even remember the guy being on Madden.
11:42
Edgerin James is running the ball like he wants out of Arizona.
James + Motivation = Atlanta loss.
10:28
Warner + Flea Flicker + Sick Catch by Larry Fitzgerald = 7-0 Cardinals
Andrew and Tony each received 10 points on the play. Jason and Chris received 5. Seems cruel, doesn’t it?
What a catch by Fitzgerald though. And he was all kinds of double-fucked on the play. The Falcons didn’t bite on the flea flicker and the ball was slightly overthrown. What a catch…
10:25
I’m really glad I don’t have to watch NBC football for the next eight-plus months after today.
9:49
Does University of Pheonix Stadium have discounts specifically for University of Pheonix students for Cardinals games?
8:46
Roddy White makes his first catch. The Falcons get their first first down. Erik and Joel get their first points.
8:15
Arizona’s strategy is clear: Leave no one in pass coverage. They are baiting the Falcons rookie quarterback into throwing the ball. And when he doesn’t, there is literally nine guys in the backfield waiting for Michael Turner. Lot of pressure on Ryan.
Next play: Ryan is sacked.
7:52
Note to self: Do not buy TurboTax because of their creepy commercial.
7:07
NBC’s “raw” intro commentary from Tiki Barber isn’t working for me. Someone please shut that man up.
6:21
Larry Fitzgerald is Jesus.
5:46
And so is Edgerin James.
4:56
J.J. Arrington is not Jesus.
4:37
Anquan Boldin drops a pass and forces the Cardinals to punt. The punt is downed at the five yard-line. I suspect nothing good happens from this ensuing Falcons drive.
4:05
Hey! Turner gained a yard!!! (Three actually.)
3:30
Minus Rogers-Cromartie, I have no idea who any of these people are that are playing in the Cardinals secondary. Yet, as Ryan gets sacked again, they seem to be the most amazing defensive backs ever to play the game. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Arizona Cardinals are going to have more playoff wins this decade than the Kansas City Chiefs. Ugh.
3:20
I’m trying to come up with a scenario where I’d want the Chiefs to sign Kurt Warner to a one-year deal next season. I can’t come up with one.
(Note: Immediately after I wrote this he almost had a pass picked off and returned for a touchdown.)
2:31
Arizona punts, dude foolishly catches the punt inside the 10, dude gets murdered at the eight yard-line.
2:26
Turner, two yards.
Bust.
(But, apparently, so is LDT. Damnit.)
1:57
Roddy makes another catch. Yippee. Turner gains nothing on the ensuing play. What a terrible first half for the Falcons offense. They are going to need some kind of defensive touchdown or play that puts them close to the endzone if they are going to have any chance of scoring.
:00
The first quarter is over – that was fast. Larry Fitzgerald’s catch was still freaking amazing.
Oh, and have I mentioned that Sheron Collins is Basketball Jesus?
Championship: Week One Projections
Erik's Roster
Peyton Manning - 265
Adrian Peterson - 289
Willie Parker - 124
Le'Ron McClain - 165
Reggie Wayne - 168
Roddy White - 213
Michael Turner - 318
Steve Smith - 218
Brandon Jacobs - 210
Eli Manning - 194
Santonio Holmes - 105
Kevin Boss - 69
Justin Gage - 108
PHI DEF/ST - 182
IND DEF/ST - 133
Adam Vinatieri - 88
Total = 2849
Wild Card Week Lineup (projected team result)
QB – Peyton Manning = 17 (W)
RB – Adrian Peterson = 22 (L)
RB – Michael Turner = 14 (L)
Flex – Le’Ron McClain = 6 (W)
WR – Reggie Wayne = 21 (W)
WR – Roddy White = 15 (L)
TE – N/A
DEF/ST – Eagles = 7 (W)
K – Adam Vinatieri = 9 (W)
Projected Total = 111
Thoughts: The playoffs are Erik’s to lose. A scenario Erik does want to avoid is if Indy, Minnesota and Atlanta all lose this week. This would put the rest of the playoffs in the hands Willie Parker and Brandon Jacobs, who are both coming off of injuries. It would also leave Eli Manning as his quarterback, which is very uninspiring fantasy wise. Still, this is Erik’s championship to lose.
Jason's Roster
DeAngelo Williams - 321
Brian Westbrook - 225
Vincent Jackson - 167
David Akers - 118
Giants DEF/ST - 132
Kurt Warner - 295
Chris Johnson - 218
Hines Ward - 159
Bernard Berrian - 169
Visanthe Shiancoe - 100
Derrick Mason - 138
Mewelde Moore - 121
Ben Roethlisberger - 183
MIN DEF/ST - 133
Bo Scaife - 64
John Carney - 113
Total = 2656
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Kurt Warner = 23 (W)
RB – Brian Westbrook = 14 (W)
RB – N/A
Flex – Derrick Mason = 6 (W)
WR – Vincent Jackson = 6 (L)
WR – Bernard Berrian = 4 (L)
TE – Visanthe Shiancoe = 3 (L)
DEF/ST – Vikings = 6 (L)
K – David Akers = 8 (W)
Projected Total = 70
Thoughts: Jason is clearly banking on DeAngelo Williams, Brian Westbrook and Kurt Warner advancing in the playoffs and dominating. Two of those three guys need to be alive in the NFC championship game (which is not a long shot for Philly and Carolina) in order to have any shot at beating Erik. Jason really has nothing on his roster if both Westbrook and Warner lose this week. Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a concussion, Chris Johnson doesn’t get goal line carries and Jason has nothing in terms of wide receivers. Still, DeAngelo Williams and Brian Westbrook are scary propositions, and two weeks of Kurt Warner could be enough to put him over the top a win a championship.
Ben's Roster
Phillip Rivers - 294
Dallas Clark - 122
Rod Bironas - 112
Joe Flacco - 170
Derrick Ward - 156
Chad Pennington - 219
LaDanian Tomlinson - 223
Ronnie Brown - 182
BAL DEF/ST - 197
LenDale White - 170
Antonio Gates - 109
Jake Delhomme - 166
Mark Clayton - 116
TEN DEF/ST - 181
Chris Chambers - 74
Nate Kaeding - 101
Total = 2592
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Phillip Rivers = 19 (L)
RB – LaDanian Tomlinson = 15 (L)
RB – Ronnie Brown = 4 (L)
Flex – N/A
WR – Chris Chambers = 4 (L)
WR – Mark Clayton = 3 (W)
TE – Dallas Clark = 13 (W)
DEF/ST – Ravens = 7 (W)
K –Nate Kaeding = 6 (L)
Projected Total = 71
Thoughts: Ben went with a diversity approach to compensate for his weak keeper prospects. He has four quarterbacks, four running backs on separate teams, will have a defense and kicker in the first and second round at least. With this said, Ben really needs San Diego to beat the Colts. All of his top end talent is on the Chargers and two weeks of that is going to be necessary if he wants any shot at winning the championship.
Andrew's Roster
Jonathan Stewart - 147
Larry Fitzgerald - 251
Anthony Fasano - 80
PIT DEF/ST - 181
Jason Elam - 111
Donovan McNabb - 246
Anquan Boldin - 181
DeSean Jackson - 120
Willis McGahee - 127
Joseph Addai - 115
Mushin Muhammad - 119
Anthony Gonzalez - 87
Heath Miller - 62
Armani Toomer - 76
Kerry Collins - 138
Correll Buckhalter – 84
Total = 2125
Projected Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Donovan McNabb = 12 (W)
RB – Willis McGahee = 3 (W)
RB – Joseph Addai = 5 (W)
Flex – Anthony Gonzalez = 4 (W)
WR – Larry Fitzgerald = 15 (W)
WR – Anquan Boldin = 15 (W)
TE – Anthony Fasano = 2 (L)
DEF/ST – N/A
K – Jason Elam = 7 (L)
Projected Total = 63
Thoughts: Andrew had a terrible backend draft in terms of guys who were effective in the regular season. With this said, these are the guys needed to have any shot at padding your point total late in the playoffs. He really needs the Cardinals and Eagles to win this week in order to keep the three most valuable players on his roster. Things don’t look good for Andrew, but crazier things have happened.
The Race for #1…
Chris' Roster
Kurt Warner - 295
Michael Turner - 318
Ronnie Brown - 182
Antonio Gates - 109
Colts DEF/ST - 133
Anquan Boldin - 181
DeAngelo Williams - 321
Adrian Peterson - 289
Ben Roethlisberger - 183
Vincent Jackson - 167
Santonio Holmes - 105
Giants DEF/ST - 132
Vicente Shiancoe - 100
Jeff Reed - 97
Mark Clayton - 116
Jake Delhomme – 166
Total = 2894
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Kurt Warner = 23 (W)
RB - Adrian Peterson = 22 (L)
RB - Michael Turner = 14 (L)
RB/WR - Ronnie Brown = 4 (L)
WR - Anquan Boldin = 15 (W)
WR - Vincent Jackson = 6 (L)
TE - Vicente Shiancoe = 3 (L)
DEF/ST - Colts = 6 (W)
K – N/A
Projected Total = 93
Thoughts: The number one overall pick, in my opinion, will come down to Chris and Jeff. If Adrian Peterson gets to the second round, the number one pick is almost certainly his. If the Vikings lose, everything is fair game.
Jeff's Roster
LaDainian Tomlinson - 223
Steve Smith - 218
Titans D/ST - 181
Chris Johnson - 218
Joseph Addai - 115
Dominic Rhodes - 130
Peyton Manning - 265
Chad Pennington - 219
Le'Ron McClain - 165
Reggie Wayne - 168
Domenik Hixon - 76
Todd Heap - 49
Bernard Berrian - 169
Anthony Fasano - 80
Eagles DEF/ST - 182
David Akers - 118
John Carney - 113
Total = 2689
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB - Peyton Manning = 17 (W)
RB - Joseph Addai = 5 (W)
RB - LaDainian Tomlinson = 15 (L)
RB/WR - Le'Ron McClain = 6 (W)
WR - Reggie Wayne = 21 (W)
WR – Bernard Berrian = 4 (L)
TE - Anthony Fasano = 2 (L)
D/ST - Eagles = 7 (W)
K - David Akers = 8 (W)
Projected Total = 85
Thoughts: The Colts is to Jeff what the Vikings are to Chris. The Colts need to take care of business to keep Jeff in the hunt.
Tony's Roster
Brandon Jacobs - 210
Hines Ward - 159
Eli Manning - 194
Willis McGahee - 127
John Kasay - 113
Kevin Boss - 69
Larry Fitzgerald - 251
Steelers DEF/ST - 181
Dallas Clark - 122
Joe Flacco - 170
Rickey Williams - 110
Steve Breston - 127
Darren Sproles - 103
Chester Taylor - 102
Bo Scaife - 64
Ryan Longwell - 117
Total = 2219
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Joe Flacco = 10 (W)
RB – Willis McGahee = 3 (W)
RB – Ricky Williams = 2 (L)
RB/WR – Larry Fitzgerald = 15 (W)
WR – N/A
WR – Steve Breaston = 5 (W)
TE – Dallas Clark = 13 (W)
DEF – N/A
K – Ryan Longwell = 8 (L)
Projected Total = 56
Thoughts: Tony is going to have to rely on playing more games than anyone else to win the number one pick. Brandon Jacobs and Larry Fitzgerald are the closest things he has to a home run hitter on his team, but neither are of the quality of DeAngelo Williams or Adrian Peterson. Tony's got a long road to the number one pick.
Joel's Roster
Ravens DEF/ST - 197
Donovan McNabb - 246
Jerious Norwood - 108
LenDale White - 170
Philip Rivers - 294
Brian Westbrook - 225
Mewelde Moore - 121
Roddy White - 213
Derrick Mason - 138
Heath Miller - 62
David Martin - 60
Correll Buckhalter - 84
Dolphins DEF/ST - 124
Matt Stover - 94
Adam Vinatieri - 88
Anthony Gonzalez - 87
Total = 2311
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB -Philip Rivers = 19 (W)
RB – Brian Westbrook = 14 (W)
RB – Correll Buckhalter = 1 (W)
RB/WR - Jarious Norwood = 2 (L)
WR - Roddy White = 15 (L)
WR – Derrick Mason = 6 (W)
TE - David Martin = 2 (L)
DEF/ST - Ravens = 7 (W)
K – Adam Vinatieri = 9 (W)
Projected Total = 75
Thoughts: Joel is like Tony except for that Brian Westbrook is probabaly a better home run hitter that Brandon Jacobs. Overall, I give him a better shot to win the number one pick that Tony, but I think its going to be tough for him to overcome Chris and Jeff.
Peyton Manning - 265
Adrian Peterson - 289
Willie Parker - 124
Le'Ron McClain - 165
Reggie Wayne - 168
Roddy White - 213
Michael Turner - 318
Steve Smith - 218
Brandon Jacobs - 210
Eli Manning - 194
Santonio Holmes - 105
Kevin Boss - 69
Justin Gage - 108
PHI DEF/ST - 182
IND DEF/ST - 133
Adam Vinatieri - 88
Total = 2849
Wild Card Week Lineup (projected team result)
QB – Peyton Manning = 17 (W)
RB – Adrian Peterson = 22 (L)
RB – Michael Turner = 14 (L)
Flex – Le’Ron McClain = 6 (W)
WR – Reggie Wayne = 21 (W)
WR – Roddy White = 15 (L)
TE – N/A
DEF/ST – Eagles = 7 (W)
K – Adam Vinatieri = 9 (W)
Projected Total = 111
Thoughts: The playoffs are Erik’s to lose. A scenario Erik does want to avoid is if Indy, Minnesota and Atlanta all lose this week. This would put the rest of the playoffs in the hands Willie Parker and Brandon Jacobs, who are both coming off of injuries. It would also leave Eli Manning as his quarterback, which is very uninspiring fantasy wise. Still, this is Erik’s championship to lose.
Jason's Roster
DeAngelo Williams - 321
Brian Westbrook - 225
Vincent Jackson - 167
David Akers - 118
Giants DEF/ST - 132
Kurt Warner - 295
Chris Johnson - 218
Hines Ward - 159
Bernard Berrian - 169
Visanthe Shiancoe - 100
Derrick Mason - 138
Mewelde Moore - 121
Ben Roethlisberger - 183
MIN DEF/ST - 133
Bo Scaife - 64
John Carney - 113
Total = 2656
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Kurt Warner = 23 (W)
RB – Brian Westbrook = 14 (W)
RB – N/A
Flex – Derrick Mason = 6 (W)
WR – Vincent Jackson = 6 (L)
WR – Bernard Berrian = 4 (L)
TE – Visanthe Shiancoe = 3 (L)
DEF/ST – Vikings = 6 (L)
K – David Akers = 8 (W)
Projected Total = 70
Thoughts: Jason is clearly banking on DeAngelo Williams, Brian Westbrook and Kurt Warner advancing in the playoffs and dominating. Two of those three guys need to be alive in the NFC championship game (which is not a long shot for Philly and Carolina) in order to have any shot at beating Erik. Jason really has nothing on his roster if both Westbrook and Warner lose this week. Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a concussion, Chris Johnson doesn’t get goal line carries and Jason has nothing in terms of wide receivers. Still, DeAngelo Williams and Brian Westbrook are scary propositions, and two weeks of Kurt Warner could be enough to put him over the top a win a championship.
Ben's Roster
Phillip Rivers - 294
Dallas Clark - 122
Rod Bironas - 112
Joe Flacco - 170
Derrick Ward - 156
Chad Pennington - 219
LaDanian Tomlinson - 223
Ronnie Brown - 182
BAL DEF/ST - 197
LenDale White - 170
Antonio Gates - 109
Jake Delhomme - 166
Mark Clayton - 116
TEN DEF/ST - 181
Chris Chambers - 74
Nate Kaeding - 101
Total = 2592
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Phillip Rivers = 19 (L)
RB – LaDanian Tomlinson = 15 (L)
RB – Ronnie Brown = 4 (L)
Flex – N/A
WR – Chris Chambers = 4 (L)
WR – Mark Clayton = 3 (W)
TE – Dallas Clark = 13 (W)
DEF/ST – Ravens = 7 (W)
K –Nate Kaeding = 6 (L)
Projected Total = 71
Thoughts: Ben went with a diversity approach to compensate for his weak keeper prospects. He has four quarterbacks, four running backs on separate teams, will have a defense and kicker in the first and second round at least. With this said, Ben really needs San Diego to beat the Colts. All of his top end talent is on the Chargers and two weeks of that is going to be necessary if he wants any shot at winning the championship.
Andrew's Roster
Jonathan Stewart - 147
Larry Fitzgerald - 251
Anthony Fasano - 80
PIT DEF/ST - 181
Jason Elam - 111
Donovan McNabb - 246
Anquan Boldin - 181
DeSean Jackson - 120
Willis McGahee - 127
Joseph Addai - 115
Mushin Muhammad - 119
Anthony Gonzalez - 87
Heath Miller - 62
Armani Toomer - 76
Kerry Collins - 138
Correll Buckhalter – 84
Total = 2125
Projected Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Donovan McNabb = 12 (W)
RB – Willis McGahee = 3 (W)
RB – Joseph Addai = 5 (W)
Flex – Anthony Gonzalez = 4 (W)
WR – Larry Fitzgerald = 15 (W)
WR – Anquan Boldin = 15 (W)
TE – Anthony Fasano = 2 (L)
DEF/ST – N/A
K – Jason Elam = 7 (L)
Projected Total = 63
Thoughts: Andrew had a terrible backend draft in terms of guys who were effective in the regular season. With this said, these are the guys needed to have any shot at padding your point total late in the playoffs. He really needs the Cardinals and Eagles to win this week in order to keep the three most valuable players on his roster. Things don’t look good for Andrew, but crazier things have happened.
The Race for #1…
Chris' Roster
Kurt Warner - 295
Michael Turner - 318
Ronnie Brown - 182
Antonio Gates - 109
Colts DEF/ST - 133
Anquan Boldin - 181
DeAngelo Williams - 321
Adrian Peterson - 289
Ben Roethlisberger - 183
Vincent Jackson - 167
Santonio Holmes - 105
Giants DEF/ST - 132
Vicente Shiancoe - 100
Jeff Reed - 97
Mark Clayton - 116
Jake Delhomme – 166
Total = 2894
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Kurt Warner = 23 (W)
RB - Adrian Peterson = 22 (L)
RB - Michael Turner = 14 (L)
RB/WR - Ronnie Brown = 4 (L)
WR - Anquan Boldin = 15 (W)
WR - Vincent Jackson = 6 (L)
TE - Vicente Shiancoe = 3 (L)
DEF/ST - Colts = 6 (W)
K – N/A
Projected Total = 93
Thoughts: The number one overall pick, in my opinion, will come down to Chris and Jeff. If Adrian Peterson gets to the second round, the number one pick is almost certainly his. If the Vikings lose, everything is fair game.
Jeff's Roster
LaDainian Tomlinson - 223
Steve Smith - 218
Titans D/ST - 181
Chris Johnson - 218
Joseph Addai - 115
Dominic Rhodes - 130
Peyton Manning - 265
Chad Pennington - 219
Le'Ron McClain - 165
Reggie Wayne - 168
Domenik Hixon - 76
Todd Heap - 49
Bernard Berrian - 169
Anthony Fasano - 80
Eagles DEF/ST - 182
David Akers - 118
John Carney - 113
Total = 2689
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB - Peyton Manning = 17 (W)
RB - Joseph Addai = 5 (W)
RB - LaDainian Tomlinson = 15 (L)
RB/WR - Le'Ron McClain = 6 (W)
WR - Reggie Wayne = 21 (W)
WR – Bernard Berrian = 4 (L)
TE - Anthony Fasano = 2 (L)
D/ST - Eagles = 7 (W)
K - David Akers = 8 (W)
Projected Total = 85
Thoughts: The Colts is to Jeff what the Vikings are to Chris. The Colts need to take care of business to keep Jeff in the hunt.
Tony's Roster
Brandon Jacobs - 210
Hines Ward - 159
Eli Manning - 194
Willis McGahee - 127
John Kasay - 113
Kevin Boss - 69
Larry Fitzgerald - 251
Steelers DEF/ST - 181
Dallas Clark - 122
Joe Flacco - 170
Rickey Williams - 110
Steve Breston - 127
Darren Sproles - 103
Chester Taylor - 102
Bo Scaife - 64
Ryan Longwell - 117
Total = 2219
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB – Joe Flacco = 10 (W)
RB – Willis McGahee = 3 (W)
RB – Ricky Williams = 2 (L)
RB/WR – Larry Fitzgerald = 15 (W)
WR – N/A
WR – Steve Breaston = 5 (W)
TE – Dallas Clark = 13 (W)
DEF – N/A
K – Ryan Longwell = 8 (L)
Projected Total = 56
Thoughts: Tony is going to have to rely on playing more games than anyone else to win the number one pick. Brandon Jacobs and Larry Fitzgerald are the closest things he has to a home run hitter on his team, but neither are of the quality of DeAngelo Williams or Adrian Peterson. Tony's got a long road to the number one pick.
Joel's Roster
Ravens DEF/ST - 197
Donovan McNabb - 246
Jerious Norwood - 108
LenDale White - 170
Philip Rivers - 294
Brian Westbrook - 225
Mewelde Moore - 121
Roddy White - 213
Derrick Mason - 138
Heath Miller - 62
David Martin - 60
Correll Buckhalter - 84
Dolphins DEF/ST - 124
Matt Stover - 94
Adam Vinatieri - 88
Anthony Gonzalez - 87
Total = 2311
Wild Card Week Lineup
QB -Philip Rivers = 19 (W)
RB – Brian Westbrook = 14 (W)
RB – Correll Buckhalter = 1 (W)
RB/WR - Jarious Norwood = 2 (L)
WR - Roddy White = 15 (L)
WR – Derrick Mason = 6 (W)
TE - David Martin = 2 (L)
DEF/ST - Ravens = 7 (W)
K – Adam Vinatieri = 9 (W)
Projected Total = 75
Thoughts: Joel is like Tony except for that Brian Westbrook is probabaly a better home run hitter that Brandon Jacobs. Overall, I give him a better shot to win the number one pick that Tony, but I think its going to be tough for him to overcome Chris and Jeff.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Season Review Part I: The Draft
Note: This post looks Posnanski-like, but it is actually fairly short. Most of it is everyone’s draft and lists that take six seconds to read, so don’t freak out.
With the fantasy season over, I thought it would be interesting to breakdown each individual team’s draft and then rank them. While doing this, I was surprised to see who had successful drafts and how that related to each individual team’s season.
What I did was add up the total points scored by each team as if transactions were not allowed and we were all stuck with what we drafted. It should be noted that I did not adjust the scoring for bye weeks or for matchups so that the management equation would be eliminated.
So let’s start with the worst statistical draft and work our way up.
Glossery:
Total Roster Points (TRP) = Starters + Bench points
Total Roster Points Minus Keepers (TRPK) = Total roster points minus keeper points
Total Starter Points (TSP) = Total points of best starting lineup
Total Bench Points (TBP) = Total points of players who were not included in the starting lineup
Total Keeper Points (TKP) = Total points from selected keepers
Actual Fantasy Points (AFP) = Fantasy points scored in the real regular season
Difference = Point differential between draft starting lineup and actual fantasy points scored during the regular season (Note: It should be remembered that trades and free agent pickups are included in the actual points.)
8) Chris Wessley (7th Overall Pick)
TRP – 1815
TRPK – 1589
TSP – 1472
TBP – 343
TKP - 226
AFP – 1670
Difference – (+198)
Preseason Prediction: Misses the playoffs and will win the consolation bracket.
What I Said in September: “Chris showed up to the draft, but he really didn’t need to until round three as he kept LDT and Tom Brady. But after looking at his draft, it appears that he really wasn’t all there until round 10 when he took Jeremy Shockey. He then took another two rounds off before taking DeShawn Jackson and then promptly left the draft…Michael Turner has no business going in the third round and I think will prove to be a bust and was the biggest reach of the draft. Chad Ocho Cinco is going to have a down season this year, which I think will prove to be his last in Cincinnati…I’m also not sold on Tom Brady as a dominate fantasy player this year…”
Thoughts: I was surprised Chris came away with the worst draft. Granted, I knew he would get hard by the Brady injury, but it didn’t really occur to me how bad his draft was. Seven of his draftees scored less than 85 fantasy points. He had far too many “busts” than “booms”, but, as will be discussed in Part II of the season review, I think this proves more positive things for Chris than negative.
I still think the Turner pick was a bad one. Granted, I was wrong about his production (VERY wrong), but I think Turner could have been had later in the draft by at least two rounds. Turner would be a far greater keeper prospect in the 5th or 6th round than in the third. With that said, Chris did land a great player in Turner – a player I completely whiffed on – and will serve a solid keeper prospect for him next season.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Ladanian Tomlinson (1) – 223*
2nd – Tom Brady (1) – 3
3rd – Michael Turner – 318*
4th – Chad Johnson – 71
5th – Antonio Gates – 109*
6th – Anquan Boldin – 181*
7th – Fred Taylor – 63
8th – Dwayne Bowe – 146*
9th – Seattle D/ST – 84*
10th – Selvin Young – 29
Jeremy Shockey – 39
11th – Ronnie Brown – 182*
12th – Marc Bulger – 122*
13th – DeShawn Jackson – 120
14th – Donte Stallworth – 18
15th – Mason Crosby – 107*
16th – Pick Traded
7) Joel Schilb (1st overall pick)
TRP – 1997
TRPK – 1666
TSP – 1424
TBP – 573
TKP – 331
AFP – 1395
Difference – (-29)
Preseason Prediction: 4th Seed in Championship Playoffs
What I Said in September: “Joel was kind enough to not show up to the draft. How gay of him. And being the bastard he is, he used the “Brian Winckler Method” of not showing up to the draft while having the number one overall pick and coming away with a solid team. I. Hate. You. Really, I do.”
Thoughts: A healthy Tom Brady sends Joel to the worst draft in the league. But Brady wasn’t healthy and Joel ranks comfortably ahead of Chris. Rounds seven through fourteen literally produced nothing for Joel. Welker suffered from lack of redzone targets, otherwise he would have been a top half keeper, the Baltimore pick was a good one in round sixteen, but otherwise Joel pretty much skipped out of the draft after the Thomas Jones pick. Serves him right for not showing up to the draft.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Joseph Addai – 115
2nd – Maurice Jones-Drew – 219*
3rd – Marques Colston – 120*
4th – Thomas Jones – 253*
5th – Brett Favre – 180
6th – Jerricho Cotchery – 120*
7th – Chris Cooley – 84*
8th – Andre Hall – 10
9th – Justin Fargas – 90
10th – Traded Pick
11th – Ben Roethlisberger (1) – 183*
12th – Jerious Norwood – 108
13th – Benjamin Watson – 27
14th – Ahmad Bradshaw – 43
15th – Wes Welker (1) – 148*
16th – Neil Rackers – 100*
Baltimore D/ST – 197*
6) Jason Willey (2nd overall pick)
TRP – 2000
TRPK - 1540
TSP – 1542
TBP – 458
TKP – 460
AFP – 1660
Difference – (+118)
Preseason Prediction: Will finish second in the consolation playoffs.
What I Said in September: “While Terrell Owens is the more likely wide receiver between Randy Moss and himself to repeat last seasons success, and Brian Westbrook will be the best running back in fantasy this season (mark my words Chris, because I know you already are), Jason simply lacks any depth. Clinton Portis is a liability in the backfield and Derek Anderson is setup for a sophomore slump (so that he can be released and signed by the Chiefs this offseason). Torry Holt is nine billion years old (I think) and Jason has almost no one of value to bring off the bench.”
Thoughts: Jason had two good picks, DeAngelo Williams in the 12th round and Tony Gonzalez in the 6th, and had two excellent keepers. Aside from four guys, Jason had nothing. Aside from Owens 200-yard game, he was bust as a first round pick. Rounds four through 16 produced three starters (Gonzalez, Williams and Santana Moss). Over 57-percent of his season’s fantasy points came from his three backs and tight end. While I have not calculated it yet, I assume Jason is going to rank very high in the Luck Factor. With that said, kudos to him for getting Williams in the 12th round.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Terrell Owens – 180*
2nd – Brian Westbrook (1) – 225*
3rd – Clinton Portis (1) – 235*
4th – Derek Anderson – 88*
5th – Torry Holt – 92
6th – Tony Gonzalez – 173*
7th – San Diego D/ST – 97*
8th – Santana Moss – 160*
9th – Shayne Graham – 63*
10th – Jon Kitna – 37
11th – Kenny Watson – 3
12th – DeAngelo Williams – 321*
13th – Ted Ginn Jr. – 107
14th – Ricky Williams – 110
15th – Sidney Rice – 33
16th – Amani Toomer – 76
5) Tony Allen (3rd overall pick)
TRP – 2195
TRPK – 1977
TSP – 1474
TBP – 721
TKP – 218
AFP – 1614
Difference – (+140)
Preseason Prediction: Will lose in first round of the consolation playoffs.
What I Said in September: “Brandon Jacobs in the fourth round? Steven Jackson as the third overall? Kevin Boss? Outside of Reggie Wayne, you have no one to play the other WR spot… The good news is I think Matt Hasselbeck and Hines Ward will each have excellent seasons. I also have wet dreams about the Minnesota defense (I need better wet dreams). Additionally, Aaron Rogers could potentially be a huge keeper steal (sixteenth round) when looking back at the draft at the end of the season.”
Thoughts: Tony lacked a top end player in the top half of his draft. None of his top eight draft picks scored over 250 points and only one cracked 200. His shrewd pickup of Aaron Rogers in the 16th round saved his season in terms of keeping him in the playoff hunt until the last week of the season. His 7-9-1 record is a perfect reflection of his draft.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Steven Jackson – 198*
2nd – Larry Johnson – 135*
3rd – Reggie Wayne (1) – 168*
4th – Brandon Jacobs – 210*
5th – Matt Hasselbeck (1) – 50
6th – Eli Manning – 194
7th – Hines Ward – 159*
8th – Lavernaues Coles – 126
9th – Minnesota D/ST – 133*
10th – Kevin Boss – 69
11th – Nick Folk – 96*
12th – Chris Chambers – 74
13th – Cowboys D/ST – 104
14th – Tony Scheffler – 77*
15th – Earnest Graham – 104
16th – Aaron Rogers – 298*
4) Ben Nielsen (6th Overall Pick)
TRP – 2157
TRPK – 1835
TSP – 1636
TBP – 521
TKP – 322
AFP – 1652
Difference – (+16)
Preseason Prediction: (I didn’t write one for me, but I’m assuming that it would have said I was going to win it all.)
What I Said in September: “I feel pretty good about my team (as if you couldn’t tell). I am confident my receivers are going to dominate this season. The combination of Houshmandzadeh and Braylon Edwards, with Greg Jennings at the flex, should serve me well. On the bench I have a potential breakout guy in Calvin Johnson and a this year’s Wes Welker in Anthony Gonzalez…While I don’t think Carson Palmer is going to be spectacular or win me any matchups this year, I do feel that he will not lose me any matchups and will be a consistent performer. Philip Rivers is a good option as a back-up…My biggest question is going to be who steps up fill in the second running back roll. Marion Barber will be a touchdown machine, and I’m not concerned about him. I also have his backup, Felix Jones, should something happen to Barber. As of now, Darren McFadden is my number two guy – but as a rookie, I really don’t know what I’m going to get in him. My other running back options include Jones, Steve Slaton and Rashard Mendenhall – all of whom are rookies. I figure one of either McFadden, Jones, Slaton or Mendenhall will be good.”
Thoughts: My draft finished higher than I thought it was. Barber missing the last month of the season, Carson Palmers season-ending injury, T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s non-existence, Darren McFadden’s injuries and the stupidity of drafting a tight end in the fifth round utterly destroyed my top five picks. I may arguably have the worst top five picks of any team in the draft in that I was the only team to not have a single top five pick score over 200 points. So, clearly, my rounds six through 16 picks need to be very solid – and they were. I had four picks 200-plus point players from round six to 16. Only Jeff can claim the same thing. More impressive is that only one of those players was a keeper (same as Jeff). I will forever wonder what could have been for the 2008 season if Barber, Palmer and McFadden had stayed healthy in addition to Edwards living up to his expectations. Had three of those four cracked the 200 point mark (as was expected and was not a stretch by any imagination), this would have been the best draft it the league. But it wasn’t.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Marion Barber – 192*
2nd – Carson Palmer – 34
3rd – T.J. Houshmandzadeh – 117
4th – Darren McFadden – 96
5th – Dallas Clark – 122*
6th – Calvin Johnson – 228*
7th – Anthony Gonzalez – 87
8th – Braylon Edwards (1) – 117*
9th – Felix Jones – 52
10th – JaMarcus Russell – 129
11th – Philip Rivers – 294*
12th – Greg Jennings (1) – 205*
13th – Steve Slaton – 239*
14th – Rashard Mendenhall – 6
15th – Green Bay D/ST – 119*
16th – Stephen Gostkowski – 120*
3) Erik Johnson (4th overall pick)
TRP – 2256
TRPK – 1702
TSP – 1523
TBP – 733
TKP – 554
AFP – 1745
Difference – (+222)
Preseason Prediction: Erik wins division and earns the two seed.
What I Said in September: “Erik’s draft is littered with guys who are either coming off of surgery, a serious injury or have an extensive injury history… Guys like Steve Smith, Kellen Winslow, Donovan McNabb, Adrian Peterson and Vernon Davis. There is also this: Peyton Manning, Willie Parker, Laurence Maroney and Marvin Harrison are all coming off a season ending injury or surgery; Reggie Bush, Steve Smith and Plaxico Burress all battled injuries last season that either caused them to miss games or negatively impact their performance in multiple games. This means 12 of Erik’s 16 draft picks have some kind of serious injury red flag…Of course, the good news for Erik is that his team probably has more upside from proven players than any other team – and Erik is the king of upside. The health of Willie Parker and Adrian Peterson will dictate how well this season goes for Erik.”
Thoughts: Erik split on the health aspect of his draft. Peyton Manning had a slow start, as did McNabb. Parker, Bush, Winslow and Davis all got hurt. Plaxico Burress shot himself. But Erik hit it big on three drafted guys: Steve Smith, Donovan McNabb and Roddy White. Those guys, the added solid players of Kevin Smith and LenDale White, in addition of having the best keeper combination (by far) in the league pushed him ahead of Tony and Ben in the rankings.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Peyton Manning (1) – 265*
2nd – Willie Parker – 124
3rd – Reggie Bush – 133
4th – Steve Smith – 218*
5th – Plaxico Burress – 70
6th – Kellen Winslow – 60*
7th – Laurence Maroney – 8
8th – Donovan McNabb – 246
9th – Adrian Peterson (1) – 289*
10th – Chicago D/ST – 137*
11th – Marvin Harrison – 89
12th – Kevin Smith – 171*
13th – Roddy White – 213*
14th – LenDale White – 170*
15th – Vernon Davis – 39
16th – Brady Quinn – 24
^Did not draft a kicker.
2) Andrew Wessley (8th overall pick)
TRP – 2371
TRPK – 2085
TSP – 1573
TBP – 753
TKP – 286
AFP – 1682
Difference – (+109)
Preseason Prediction: Will miss the playoffs and will finish last in the consolation bracket.
What I Said in September: “Let’s start with the positives: Drew Brees will have a solid season, as should Brandon Marshall; Jason Witten provides good value as a 12th rounder; Jonathan Stewart is a nice potential keeper. That’s about it…Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch are terrible first and second round picks...Other running backs include: Edgerrin James (hehehe…), Jonathan Stweart (good choice if this was 2010 – and it’s not), Rudi Johnson (the freaking Bengals cut him), DeShaun Foster (dead man walking)… Who is going to throw the ball to Larry Fitzgerald? If you answered Matt Leinart, you’re fucked. If you said Kurt Warner, you’re fucked. If you own Larry Fitzgerald, you’re double-fucked. I’m not saying Fitzgerald sucks, I’m only saying that you’re fucked. Other Receivers include: Santonio Holmes (I’d like him if the Steelers weren’t a run first offense), Roy Williams (Calvin Johnson is going to steal all his thunder), Lee Evans (when exactly has he had a good season?) and Brandon Marshall (a second tier receiver)…The massive hole at running back in addition to the lack of a top wide receiver is going to kill Andrew this season… I think.”
Thoughts: Looking back at Andrew’s draft, I disagree with his ranking at number two. But that is what the numbers say so I’m going to have to deal with it. I suppose there are two things that earned him this ranking. One would be that he did not bust on any on the players he was counting on going into the season. Larry Fitzgerald was better than I anticipated and Brandon Marshall was worse than Andrew anticipated, but the balance of the two was enough to get him through the season at wide receiver. Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch were not the top end running backs their draft positions would suggest they should have been, but they stayed relatively healthy and did not totally bomb in their production. The other thing would be that he got ridiculous production from the two quarterbacks he drafted. I know Andrew felt Drew Brees would be good this season, but I doubt he felt Brees was going to be as good as he was (he threw a touchdown in every game this season but one – the Chiefs game… I don’t get that either). Additionally, Jay Cutler had a ridiculous season and will be his best keeper prospect. But beyond the Cutler pick, Andrew did nothing in rounds five through 16, but he didn’t bomb on guys he was counting on. Ultimately, Andrew nailed his first four picks, got enough from the back end of his draft and had the right people stay healthy to steal the second spot in the draft rankings.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Frank Gore – 189*
2nd – Marshawn Lynch – 188*
3rd – Drew Brees – 355*
4th – Larry Fitzgerald – 251*
5th – Edgerrin James – 78
6th – Santonio Holmes – 105
7th – Roy Williams – 49
8th – Jonathan Stewart – 147*
9th – Lee Evans – 139
10th – Jay Cutler – 307
11th – Rudi Johnson – 36
12th – Jason Witten (1) – 124*
13th – Brandon Marshall (1) – 162*
14th – DeShaun Foster – 39
15th – Jacksonville D/ST – 71*
16th – Phil Dawson – 86*
1) Jeff Weseloh (5th overall pick)
TRP – 2388
TRPK – 1919
TSP – 1498
TBP – 890
TKP – 469
AFP – 1643
Difference – (+145)
Preseason Prediction: Will make the playoffs as a three seed.
What I Said in September: “Jeff has a solid receiving core in Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, Donald Driver and Patrick Crayton…Weseloh’s big guy will be Tony Romo, who I think will be the “2007 Tom Brady” of 2008. Not to say he’s going to break Brady’s record or anything, but I think Romo will have more than 40 touchdown passes this season.”
Thoughts: You get no love from me since I drafted your team. Nice keeper selections though.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Randy Moss – 181*
2nd – Ryan Grant – 167*
3rd – Willis McGahee – 127
4th – Jamal Lewis – 126
5th – Andre Johnson (1) – 243*
6th – Donald Driver – 138*
7th – Jake Delhomme – 166
8th – Matt Forte – 244*
9th – Joey Galloway – 11
10th – Tony Romo (1) – 226*
11th – Patrick Crayton – 77
12th – David Garrard – 216
13th – Julius Jones – 86
14th – JT O'Sullivan – 81
15th – Tennessee D/ST – 181*
16th – David Akers – 118*
^ Did not draft a tight end.
Tier Draft Rankings
1st Tier - Score
Jeff – 12
Andrew – 13
Erik – 16
2nd Tier – Score
Ben – 21
Tony – 24
3rd Tier – Score
Jason – 28
Joel – 29
4th Tier – Score
Chris – 37
Total Roster Points (Draft)
1) Jeff – 2388
2) Andrew – 2371
3) Erik – 2256
4) Tony – 2195
5) Ben – 2157
6) Joel – 1997
7) Jason – 2000
8) Chris – 1815
Total Roster Points Minus Keepers
1 Andrew – 2085
2 Tony – 1977
3 Jeff – 1919
4 Ben – 1835
5 Erik – 1702
6 Joel – 1666
7 Chris – 1589
8 Jason – 1540
Total Starter Points (Drafted Starters)
1) Ben – 1636
2) Andrew – 1573
3) Jason – 1542
4) Erik – 1523
5) Jeff – 1498
6) Tony – 1474
7) Chris – 1472
8) Joel – 1424
Total Bench Points (Drafted Depth)
1) Jeff – 890
2) Andrew – 753
3) Erik – 733
4) Tony – 721
5) Joel – 573
6) Ben – 521
7) Jason – 458
8) Chris – 343
Actual Fantasy Points (Regular Season)
1) Erik – 1745
2) Andrew – 1682
3) Chris – 1670
4) Jason – 1660
5) Ben – 1652
6) Jeff – 1643
7) Tony – 1614
8) Joel – 1395
Difference (Between Draft and Regular Season)
1) Erik – 222
2) Chris – 198
3) Jeff – 145
4) Tony – 140
5) Jason – 118
6) Andrew – 109
7) Ben – 16
8) Joel – (-29)
Ranking First Round Picks
1) Peyton Manning (265 – Erik – 4th Pick)
2) LDT (223 – Chris – 7th Pick)
3) Steven Jackson (198 – Tony – 3rd Pick)
4) Marion Barber (192 – Ben – 6th Pick)
5) Frank Gore (189 – Andrew – 8th Pick)
6) Randy Moss (181 – Jeff – 5th Pick)
7) Terrell Owens (180 – Jason – 2nd Pick)
8) Joseph Addai (115 – Joel – 1st Pick)
Best Draft Pick By Round
First Round – Peyton Manning (Erik)
Second Round – Brian Westbrook (Jason – Keeper)
Third Round – Drew Brees (Andrew)
Fourth Round – Thomas Jones (Joel)
Fifth Round – Andre Johnson (Jeff – Keeper)
Sixth Round – Calvin Johnson (Ben)
Seventh Round – Jake Delhomme (Jeff)
Eighth Round – Donovan McNabb (Erik)
Ninth Round – Adrian Peterson (Erik)
Tenth Round – Jay Cutler (Andrew)
Eleventh Round – Philip Rivers (Ben)
Twelfth Round – DeAngelo Williams (Jason)
Thirteenth Round – Steve Slaton (Ben)
Fourteenth Round – LenDale White (Erik)
Fifteenth Round – Tennessee Def/ST (Jeff)
Sixteenth Round – Aaron Rogers (Tony)
Top 10 Picks (minus Keepers)
1) DeAngelo Williams (321 – Jason – Round 12)
2) Aaron Rogers (298 – Tony – Round 16)
3) Jay Cutler (307 – Andrew – Round 10)
4) Steve Slaton (239 – Ben – Round 13)
5) Philip Rivers (294 – Ben – Round 11)
6) Matt Forte (244 – Jeff – Round 8)
7) Calvin Johnson (228 – Ben – Round 6)
8) Roddy White (213 – Erik – Round 13)
9) Drew Brees (355 – Andrew – Round 3)
10) Donovan McNabb (246 – Erik – Round 8)
Ranking the 2008 Keeper Selections by Total Fantasy Points
1) Adrian Peterson – 289 (9th Round – Erik)
2) Peyton Manning – 265 (1st Round – Erik)
3) Andre Johnson – 243 (5th Round – Jeff)
4) Clinton Portis – 235 (3rd Round – Jason)
5) Tony Romo – 226 (10th Round – Jeff)
6) Brian Westbrook – 225 (2nd Round – Jason)
7) LaDanian Tomlinson – 223 (1st Round – Chris)
8) Greg Jennings – 205 (12th Round – Ben)
9) Ben Roethlisberger – 183 (11th Round – Joel)
10) Reggie Wayne – 168 (3rd Round – Tony)
11) Brandon Marshall – 162 (13th Round – Andrew)
12) Wes Welker – 148 (15th Round – Joel)
13) Jason Witten – 124 (12th Round – Andrew)
14) Braylon Edwards – 117 (8th Round – Ben)
15) Matt Hasselbeck – 50 (5th Round – Tony)
16) Tom Brady – 3 (2nd Round – Chris)
Keeper Rankings
1) Erik (554)
2) Jeff (469)
3) Jason (460)
4) Joel (331)
5) Ben (322)
6) Andrew (286)
7) Chris (226)
8) Tony (218)
With the fantasy season over, I thought it would be interesting to breakdown each individual team’s draft and then rank them. While doing this, I was surprised to see who had successful drafts and how that related to each individual team’s season.
What I did was add up the total points scored by each team as if transactions were not allowed and we were all stuck with what we drafted. It should be noted that I did not adjust the scoring for bye weeks or for matchups so that the management equation would be eliminated.
So let’s start with the worst statistical draft and work our way up.
Glossery:
Total Roster Points (TRP) = Starters + Bench points
Total Roster Points Minus Keepers (TRPK) = Total roster points minus keeper points
Total Starter Points (TSP) = Total points of best starting lineup
Total Bench Points (TBP) = Total points of players who were not included in the starting lineup
Total Keeper Points (TKP) = Total points from selected keepers
Actual Fantasy Points (AFP) = Fantasy points scored in the real regular season
Difference = Point differential between draft starting lineup and actual fantasy points scored during the regular season (Note: It should be remembered that trades and free agent pickups are included in the actual points.)
8) Chris Wessley (7th Overall Pick)
TRP – 1815
TRPK – 1589
TSP – 1472
TBP – 343
TKP - 226
AFP – 1670
Difference – (+198)
Preseason Prediction: Misses the playoffs and will win the consolation bracket.
What I Said in September: “Chris showed up to the draft, but he really didn’t need to until round three as he kept LDT and Tom Brady. But after looking at his draft, it appears that he really wasn’t all there until round 10 when he took Jeremy Shockey. He then took another two rounds off before taking DeShawn Jackson and then promptly left the draft…Michael Turner has no business going in the third round and I think will prove to be a bust and was the biggest reach of the draft. Chad Ocho Cinco is going to have a down season this year, which I think will prove to be his last in Cincinnati…I’m also not sold on Tom Brady as a dominate fantasy player this year…”
Thoughts: I was surprised Chris came away with the worst draft. Granted, I knew he would get hard by the Brady injury, but it didn’t really occur to me how bad his draft was. Seven of his draftees scored less than 85 fantasy points. He had far too many “busts” than “booms”, but, as will be discussed in Part II of the season review, I think this proves more positive things for Chris than negative.
I still think the Turner pick was a bad one. Granted, I was wrong about his production (VERY wrong), but I think Turner could have been had later in the draft by at least two rounds. Turner would be a far greater keeper prospect in the 5th or 6th round than in the third. With that said, Chris did land a great player in Turner – a player I completely whiffed on – and will serve a solid keeper prospect for him next season.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Ladanian Tomlinson (1) – 223*
2nd – Tom Brady (1) – 3
3rd – Michael Turner – 318*
4th – Chad Johnson – 71
5th – Antonio Gates – 109*
6th – Anquan Boldin – 181*
7th – Fred Taylor – 63
8th – Dwayne Bowe – 146*
9th – Seattle D/ST – 84*
10th – Selvin Young – 29
Jeremy Shockey – 39
11th – Ronnie Brown – 182*
12th – Marc Bulger – 122*
13th – DeShawn Jackson – 120
14th – Donte Stallworth – 18
15th – Mason Crosby – 107*
16th – Pick Traded
7) Joel Schilb (1st overall pick)
TRP – 1997
TRPK – 1666
TSP – 1424
TBP – 573
TKP – 331
AFP – 1395
Difference – (-29)
Preseason Prediction: 4th Seed in Championship Playoffs
What I Said in September: “Joel was kind enough to not show up to the draft. How gay of him. And being the bastard he is, he used the “Brian Winckler Method” of not showing up to the draft while having the number one overall pick and coming away with a solid team. I. Hate. You. Really, I do.”
Thoughts: A healthy Tom Brady sends Joel to the worst draft in the league. But Brady wasn’t healthy and Joel ranks comfortably ahead of Chris. Rounds seven through fourteen literally produced nothing for Joel. Welker suffered from lack of redzone targets, otherwise he would have been a top half keeper, the Baltimore pick was a good one in round sixteen, but otherwise Joel pretty much skipped out of the draft after the Thomas Jones pick. Serves him right for not showing up to the draft.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Joseph Addai – 115
2nd – Maurice Jones-Drew – 219*
3rd – Marques Colston – 120*
4th – Thomas Jones – 253*
5th – Brett Favre – 180
6th – Jerricho Cotchery – 120*
7th – Chris Cooley – 84*
8th – Andre Hall – 10
9th – Justin Fargas – 90
10th – Traded Pick
11th – Ben Roethlisberger (1) – 183*
12th – Jerious Norwood – 108
13th – Benjamin Watson – 27
14th – Ahmad Bradshaw – 43
15th – Wes Welker (1) – 148*
16th – Neil Rackers – 100*
Baltimore D/ST – 197*
6) Jason Willey (2nd overall pick)
TRP – 2000
TRPK - 1540
TSP – 1542
TBP – 458
TKP – 460
AFP – 1660
Difference – (+118)
Preseason Prediction: Will finish second in the consolation playoffs.
What I Said in September: “While Terrell Owens is the more likely wide receiver between Randy Moss and himself to repeat last seasons success, and Brian Westbrook will be the best running back in fantasy this season (mark my words Chris, because I know you already are), Jason simply lacks any depth. Clinton Portis is a liability in the backfield and Derek Anderson is setup for a sophomore slump (so that he can be released and signed by the Chiefs this offseason). Torry Holt is nine billion years old (I think) and Jason has almost no one of value to bring off the bench.”
Thoughts: Jason had two good picks, DeAngelo Williams in the 12th round and Tony Gonzalez in the 6th, and had two excellent keepers. Aside from four guys, Jason had nothing. Aside from Owens 200-yard game, he was bust as a first round pick. Rounds four through 16 produced three starters (Gonzalez, Williams and Santana Moss). Over 57-percent of his season’s fantasy points came from his three backs and tight end. While I have not calculated it yet, I assume Jason is going to rank very high in the Luck Factor. With that said, kudos to him for getting Williams in the 12th round.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Terrell Owens – 180*
2nd – Brian Westbrook (1) – 225*
3rd – Clinton Portis (1) – 235*
4th – Derek Anderson – 88*
5th – Torry Holt – 92
6th – Tony Gonzalez – 173*
7th – San Diego D/ST – 97*
8th – Santana Moss – 160*
9th – Shayne Graham – 63*
10th – Jon Kitna – 37
11th – Kenny Watson – 3
12th – DeAngelo Williams – 321*
13th – Ted Ginn Jr. – 107
14th – Ricky Williams – 110
15th – Sidney Rice – 33
16th – Amani Toomer – 76
5) Tony Allen (3rd overall pick)
TRP – 2195
TRPK – 1977
TSP – 1474
TBP – 721
TKP – 218
AFP – 1614
Difference – (+140)
Preseason Prediction: Will lose in first round of the consolation playoffs.
What I Said in September: “Brandon Jacobs in the fourth round? Steven Jackson as the third overall? Kevin Boss? Outside of Reggie Wayne, you have no one to play the other WR spot… The good news is I think Matt Hasselbeck and Hines Ward will each have excellent seasons. I also have wet dreams about the Minnesota defense (I need better wet dreams). Additionally, Aaron Rogers could potentially be a huge keeper steal (sixteenth round) when looking back at the draft at the end of the season.”
Thoughts: Tony lacked a top end player in the top half of his draft. None of his top eight draft picks scored over 250 points and only one cracked 200. His shrewd pickup of Aaron Rogers in the 16th round saved his season in terms of keeping him in the playoff hunt until the last week of the season. His 7-9-1 record is a perfect reflection of his draft.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Steven Jackson – 198*
2nd – Larry Johnson – 135*
3rd – Reggie Wayne (1) – 168*
4th – Brandon Jacobs – 210*
5th – Matt Hasselbeck (1) – 50
6th – Eli Manning – 194
7th – Hines Ward – 159*
8th – Lavernaues Coles – 126
9th – Minnesota D/ST – 133*
10th – Kevin Boss – 69
11th – Nick Folk – 96*
12th – Chris Chambers – 74
13th – Cowboys D/ST – 104
14th – Tony Scheffler – 77*
15th – Earnest Graham – 104
16th – Aaron Rogers – 298*
4) Ben Nielsen (6th Overall Pick)
TRP – 2157
TRPK – 1835
TSP – 1636
TBP – 521
TKP – 322
AFP – 1652
Difference – (+16)
Preseason Prediction: (I didn’t write one for me, but I’m assuming that it would have said I was going to win it all.)
What I Said in September: “I feel pretty good about my team (as if you couldn’t tell). I am confident my receivers are going to dominate this season. The combination of Houshmandzadeh and Braylon Edwards, with Greg Jennings at the flex, should serve me well. On the bench I have a potential breakout guy in Calvin Johnson and a this year’s Wes Welker in Anthony Gonzalez…While I don’t think Carson Palmer is going to be spectacular or win me any matchups this year, I do feel that he will not lose me any matchups and will be a consistent performer. Philip Rivers is a good option as a back-up…My biggest question is going to be who steps up fill in the second running back roll. Marion Barber will be a touchdown machine, and I’m not concerned about him. I also have his backup, Felix Jones, should something happen to Barber. As of now, Darren McFadden is my number two guy – but as a rookie, I really don’t know what I’m going to get in him. My other running back options include Jones, Steve Slaton and Rashard Mendenhall – all of whom are rookies. I figure one of either McFadden, Jones, Slaton or Mendenhall will be good.”
Thoughts: My draft finished higher than I thought it was. Barber missing the last month of the season, Carson Palmers season-ending injury, T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s non-existence, Darren McFadden’s injuries and the stupidity of drafting a tight end in the fifth round utterly destroyed my top five picks. I may arguably have the worst top five picks of any team in the draft in that I was the only team to not have a single top five pick score over 200 points. So, clearly, my rounds six through 16 picks need to be very solid – and they were. I had four picks 200-plus point players from round six to 16. Only Jeff can claim the same thing. More impressive is that only one of those players was a keeper (same as Jeff). I will forever wonder what could have been for the 2008 season if Barber, Palmer and McFadden had stayed healthy in addition to Edwards living up to his expectations. Had three of those four cracked the 200 point mark (as was expected and was not a stretch by any imagination), this would have been the best draft it the league. But it wasn’t.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Marion Barber – 192*
2nd – Carson Palmer – 34
3rd – T.J. Houshmandzadeh – 117
4th – Darren McFadden – 96
5th – Dallas Clark – 122*
6th – Calvin Johnson – 228*
7th – Anthony Gonzalez – 87
8th – Braylon Edwards (1) – 117*
9th – Felix Jones – 52
10th – JaMarcus Russell – 129
11th – Philip Rivers – 294*
12th – Greg Jennings (1) – 205*
13th – Steve Slaton – 239*
14th – Rashard Mendenhall – 6
15th – Green Bay D/ST – 119*
16th – Stephen Gostkowski – 120*
3) Erik Johnson (4th overall pick)
TRP – 2256
TRPK – 1702
TSP – 1523
TBP – 733
TKP – 554
AFP – 1745
Difference – (+222)
Preseason Prediction: Erik wins division and earns the two seed.
What I Said in September: “Erik’s draft is littered with guys who are either coming off of surgery, a serious injury or have an extensive injury history… Guys like Steve Smith, Kellen Winslow, Donovan McNabb, Adrian Peterson and Vernon Davis. There is also this: Peyton Manning, Willie Parker, Laurence Maroney and Marvin Harrison are all coming off a season ending injury or surgery; Reggie Bush, Steve Smith and Plaxico Burress all battled injuries last season that either caused them to miss games or negatively impact their performance in multiple games. This means 12 of Erik’s 16 draft picks have some kind of serious injury red flag…Of course, the good news for Erik is that his team probably has more upside from proven players than any other team – and Erik is the king of upside. The health of Willie Parker and Adrian Peterson will dictate how well this season goes for Erik.”
Thoughts: Erik split on the health aspect of his draft. Peyton Manning had a slow start, as did McNabb. Parker, Bush, Winslow and Davis all got hurt. Plaxico Burress shot himself. But Erik hit it big on three drafted guys: Steve Smith, Donovan McNabb and Roddy White. Those guys, the added solid players of Kevin Smith and LenDale White, in addition of having the best keeper combination (by far) in the league pushed him ahead of Tony and Ben in the rankings.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Peyton Manning (1) – 265*
2nd – Willie Parker – 124
3rd – Reggie Bush – 133
4th – Steve Smith – 218*
5th – Plaxico Burress – 70
6th – Kellen Winslow – 60*
7th – Laurence Maroney – 8
8th – Donovan McNabb – 246
9th – Adrian Peterson (1) – 289*
10th – Chicago D/ST – 137*
11th – Marvin Harrison – 89
12th – Kevin Smith – 171*
13th – Roddy White – 213*
14th – LenDale White – 170*
15th – Vernon Davis – 39
16th – Brady Quinn – 24
^Did not draft a kicker.
2) Andrew Wessley (8th overall pick)
TRP – 2371
TRPK – 2085
TSP – 1573
TBP – 753
TKP – 286
AFP – 1682
Difference – (+109)
Preseason Prediction: Will miss the playoffs and will finish last in the consolation bracket.
What I Said in September: “Let’s start with the positives: Drew Brees will have a solid season, as should Brandon Marshall; Jason Witten provides good value as a 12th rounder; Jonathan Stewart is a nice potential keeper. That’s about it…Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch are terrible first and second round picks...Other running backs include: Edgerrin James (hehehe…), Jonathan Stweart (good choice if this was 2010 – and it’s not), Rudi Johnson (the freaking Bengals cut him), DeShaun Foster (dead man walking)… Who is going to throw the ball to Larry Fitzgerald? If you answered Matt Leinart, you’re fucked. If you said Kurt Warner, you’re fucked. If you own Larry Fitzgerald, you’re double-fucked. I’m not saying Fitzgerald sucks, I’m only saying that you’re fucked. Other Receivers include: Santonio Holmes (I’d like him if the Steelers weren’t a run first offense), Roy Williams (Calvin Johnson is going to steal all his thunder), Lee Evans (when exactly has he had a good season?) and Brandon Marshall (a second tier receiver)…The massive hole at running back in addition to the lack of a top wide receiver is going to kill Andrew this season… I think.”
Thoughts: Looking back at Andrew’s draft, I disagree with his ranking at number two. But that is what the numbers say so I’m going to have to deal with it. I suppose there are two things that earned him this ranking. One would be that he did not bust on any on the players he was counting on going into the season. Larry Fitzgerald was better than I anticipated and Brandon Marshall was worse than Andrew anticipated, but the balance of the two was enough to get him through the season at wide receiver. Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch were not the top end running backs their draft positions would suggest they should have been, but they stayed relatively healthy and did not totally bomb in their production. The other thing would be that he got ridiculous production from the two quarterbacks he drafted. I know Andrew felt Drew Brees would be good this season, but I doubt he felt Brees was going to be as good as he was (he threw a touchdown in every game this season but one – the Chiefs game… I don’t get that either). Additionally, Jay Cutler had a ridiculous season and will be his best keeper prospect. But beyond the Cutler pick, Andrew did nothing in rounds five through 16, but he didn’t bomb on guys he was counting on. Ultimately, Andrew nailed his first four picks, got enough from the back end of his draft and had the right people stay healthy to steal the second spot in the draft rankings.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Frank Gore – 189*
2nd – Marshawn Lynch – 188*
3rd – Drew Brees – 355*
4th – Larry Fitzgerald – 251*
5th – Edgerrin James – 78
6th – Santonio Holmes – 105
7th – Roy Williams – 49
8th – Jonathan Stewart – 147*
9th – Lee Evans – 139
10th – Jay Cutler – 307
11th – Rudi Johnson – 36
12th – Jason Witten (1) – 124*
13th – Brandon Marshall (1) – 162*
14th – DeShaun Foster – 39
15th – Jacksonville D/ST – 71*
16th – Phil Dawson – 86*
1) Jeff Weseloh (5th overall pick)
TRP – 2388
TRPK – 1919
TSP – 1498
TBP – 890
TKP – 469
AFP – 1643
Difference – (+145)
Preseason Prediction: Will make the playoffs as a three seed.
What I Said in September: “Jeff has a solid receiving core in Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, Donald Driver and Patrick Crayton…Weseloh’s big guy will be Tony Romo, who I think will be the “2007 Tom Brady” of 2008. Not to say he’s going to break Brady’s record or anything, but I think Romo will have more than 40 touchdown passes this season.”
Thoughts: You get no love from me since I drafted your team. Nice keeper selections though.
Bold = Keeper
(#) = Consecutive times player has been kept
Round – Player – Points Scored
1st – Randy Moss – 181*
2nd – Ryan Grant – 167*
3rd – Willis McGahee – 127
4th – Jamal Lewis – 126
5th – Andre Johnson (1) – 243*
6th – Donald Driver – 138*
7th – Jake Delhomme – 166
8th – Matt Forte – 244*
9th – Joey Galloway – 11
10th – Tony Romo (1) – 226*
11th – Patrick Crayton – 77
12th – David Garrard – 216
13th – Julius Jones – 86
14th – JT O'Sullivan – 81
15th – Tennessee D/ST – 181*
16th – David Akers – 118*
^ Did not draft a tight end.
Tier Draft Rankings
1st Tier - Score
Jeff – 12
Andrew – 13
Erik – 16
2nd Tier – Score
Ben – 21
Tony – 24
3rd Tier – Score
Jason – 28
Joel – 29
4th Tier – Score
Chris – 37
Total Roster Points (Draft)
1) Jeff – 2388
2) Andrew – 2371
3) Erik – 2256
4) Tony – 2195
5) Ben – 2157
6) Joel – 1997
7) Jason – 2000
8) Chris – 1815
Total Roster Points Minus Keepers
1 Andrew – 2085
2 Tony – 1977
3 Jeff – 1919
4 Ben – 1835
5 Erik – 1702
6 Joel – 1666
7 Chris – 1589
8 Jason – 1540
Total Starter Points (Drafted Starters)
1) Ben – 1636
2) Andrew – 1573
3) Jason – 1542
4) Erik – 1523
5) Jeff – 1498
6) Tony – 1474
7) Chris – 1472
8) Joel – 1424
Total Bench Points (Drafted Depth)
1) Jeff – 890
2) Andrew – 753
3) Erik – 733
4) Tony – 721
5) Joel – 573
6) Ben – 521
7) Jason – 458
8) Chris – 343
Actual Fantasy Points (Regular Season)
1) Erik – 1745
2) Andrew – 1682
3) Chris – 1670
4) Jason – 1660
5) Ben – 1652
6) Jeff – 1643
7) Tony – 1614
8) Joel – 1395
Difference (Between Draft and Regular Season)
1) Erik – 222
2) Chris – 198
3) Jeff – 145
4) Tony – 140
5) Jason – 118
6) Andrew – 109
7) Ben – 16
8) Joel – (-29)
Ranking First Round Picks
1) Peyton Manning (265 – Erik – 4th Pick)
2) LDT (223 – Chris – 7th Pick)
3) Steven Jackson (198 – Tony – 3rd Pick)
4) Marion Barber (192 – Ben – 6th Pick)
5) Frank Gore (189 – Andrew – 8th Pick)
6) Randy Moss (181 – Jeff – 5th Pick)
7) Terrell Owens (180 – Jason – 2nd Pick)
8) Joseph Addai (115 – Joel – 1st Pick)
Best Draft Pick By Round
First Round – Peyton Manning (Erik)
Second Round – Brian Westbrook (Jason – Keeper)
Third Round – Drew Brees (Andrew)
Fourth Round – Thomas Jones (Joel)
Fifth Round – Andre Johnson (Jeff – Keeper)
Sixth Round – Calvin Johnson (Ben)
Seventh Round – Jake Delhomme (Jeff)
Eighth Round – Donovan McNabb (Erik)
Ninth Round – Adrian Peterson (Erik)
Tenth Round – Jay Cutler (Andrew)
Eleventh Round – Philip Rivers (Ben)
Twelfth Round – DeAngelo Williams (Jason)
Thirteenth Round – Steve Slaton (Ben)
Fourteenth Round – LenDale White (Erik)
Fifteenth Round – Tennessee Def/ST (Jeff)
Sixteenth Round – Aaron Rogers (Tony)
Top 10 Picks (minus Keepers)
1) DeAngelo Williams (321 – Jason – Round 12)
2) Aaron Rogers (298 – Tony – Round 16)
3) Jay Cutler (307 – Andrew – Round 10)
4) Steve Slaton (239 – Ben – Round 13)
5) Philip Rivers (294 – Ben – Round 11)
6) Matt Forte (244 – Jeff – Round 8)
7) Calvin Johnson (228 – Ben – Round 6)
8) Roddy White (213 – Erik – Round 13)
9) Drew Brees (355 – Andrew – Round 3)
10) Donovan McNabb (246 – Erik – Round 8)
Ranking the 2008 Keeper Selections by Total Fantasy Points
1) Adrian Peterson – 289 (9th Round – Erik)
2) Peyton Manning – 265 (1st Round – Erik)
3) Andre Johnson – 243 (5th Round – Jeff)
4) Clinton Portis – 235 (3rd Round – Jason)
5) Tony Romo – 226 (10th Round – Jeff)
6) Brian Westbrook – 225 (2nd Round – Jason)
7) LaDanian Tomlinson – 223 (1st Round – Chris)
8) Greg Jennings – 205 (12th Round – Ben)
9) Ben Roethlisberger – 183 (11th Round – Joel)
10) Reggie Wayne – 168 (3rd Round – Tony)
11) Brandon Marshall – 162 (13th Round – Andrew)
12) Wes Welker – 148 (15th Round – Joel)
13) Jason Witten – 124 (12th Round – Andrew)
14) Braylon Edwards – 117 (8th Round – Ben)
15) Matt Hasselbeck – 50 (5th Round – Tony)
16) Tom Brady – 3 (2nd Round – Chris)
Keeper Rankings
1) Erik (554)
2) Jeff (469)
3) Jason (460)
4) Joel (331)
5) Ben (322)
6) Andrew (286)
7) Chris (226)
8) Tony (218)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Consolation Bracket Rosters
Chris' Roster
Kurt Warner
Michael Turner
Ronnie Brown
Antonio Gates
Colts DEF/ST
Anquan Boldin
DeAngelo Williams
Adrian Peterson
Ben Roethlisberger
Vincent Jackson
Santonio Holmes
Giants DEF/ST
Vicente Shiancoe
Jeff Reed
Mark Clayton
Jake Delhomme
Jeff's Roster
LaDainian Tomlinson
Steve Smith
Titans D/ST
Chris Johnson
Joseph Addai
Dominic Rhodes
Peyton Manning
Chad Pennington
Le'Ron McClain
Reggie Wayne
Domenik Hixon
Todd Heap
Titans DEF/ST
Anthony Fasano
Eagles DEF/ST
David Akers
John Carney
Tony's Roster
Brandon Jacobs
Hines Ward
Eli Manning
Willis McGahee
John Kasay
Kevin Boss
Larry Fitzgerald
Steelers DEF/ST
Dallas Clark
Joe Flacco
Rickey Williams
Steve Breston
Darren Sproles
Chester Taylor
Bo Scaife
Ryan Longwell
Joel's Roster
Ravens DEF/ST
Donovan McNabb
Jerious Norwood
LenDale White
Philip Rivers
Brian Westbrook
Mewelde Moore
Roddy White
Derrick Mason
Heath Miller
David Martin
Correll Buckhalter
Dolphins DEF/ST
Matt Stover
Adam Vinatieri
Anthony Gonzalez
Kurt Warner
Michael Turner
Ronnie Brown
Antonio Gates
Colts DEF/ST
Anquan Boldin
DeAngelo Williams
Adrian Peterson
Ben Roethlisberger
Vincent Jackson
Santonio Holmes
Giants DEF/ST
Vicente Shiancoe
Jeff Reed
Mark Clayton
Jake Delhomme
Jeff's Roster
LaDainian Tomlinson
Steve Smith
Titans D/ST
Chris Johnson
Joseph Addai
Dominic Rhodes
Peyton Manning
Chad Pennington
Le'Ron McClain
Reggie Wayne
Domenik Hixon
Todd Heap
Titans DEF/ST
Anthony Fasano
Eagles DEF/ST
David Akers
John Carney
Tony's Roster
Brandon Jacobs
Hines Ward
Eli Manning
Willis McGahee
John Kasay
Kevin Boss
Larry Fitzgerald
Steelers DEF/ST
Dallas Clark
Joe Flacco
Rickey Williams
Steve Breston
Darren Sproles
Chester Taylor
Bo Scaife
Ryan Longwell
Joel's Roster
Ravens DEF/ST
Donovan McNabb
Jerious Norwood
LenDale White
Philip Rivers
Brian Westbrook
Mewelde Moore
Roddy White
Derrick Mason
Heath Miller
David Martin
Correll Buckhalter
Dolphins DEF/ST
Matt Stover
Adam Vinatieri
Anthony Gonzalez
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