How to Dominate Your Fantasy Football League

This Was My Team in 2010.  Only Philip Rivers and Andre Johnson Were Drafted.

by Jacob Allen
Most people will tell you that the easiest most secure path to a fantasy football championship is preparing for, and executing the perfect draft. While there are many elements of truth to that theory, by no means is it the only way.

I personally don’t put all that much stock in the draft. I like to draft good players as much as the guy next to me and I’ve seen teams draft well…and win with the team they drafted, but each fantasy season is long. Things happen. If you play right…the championship is rarely won on draft day. It’s won with the little things in between.

Drafting players is only 1 of 3 ways to acquire talent. Free agency is the 2nd…and trading, my personal favorite is the 3rd. So before you go and label your season a boom or a bust when the last player of the last round gets picked…understand that that if you have a bad draft you can make up for it with relative ease two other ways.

The strategy for grabbing free agent is easy. Pay attention on Sunday. Throw out the notion that your waiver priority matters. It doesn’t. Usually in a rolling waiver format the reason why a certain team is #1 is because they have been paying the least amount attention. They won’t pay a lick of mind to next Sunday’s matchup until Saturday. That’s lucky for us because payday comes on Wednesday when players clear waivers in standard 2 day waiver rules.

Obviously your first 7 picks in the draft needs to fill out your starting roster (less the kicker).

QB RB RB WR WR WR/RB/T TE DEF

What's next is what separates the men from the boys.

 My strategy is this:

Get Free Agents early and get them often.

Bye weeks don’t start until week 7, usually, so outside of a silly injury you are not going to need anybody on your bench until then anyways. I cant stress this enough. Shuffle! Shuffle! Shuffle! Don’t worry about picking up guys based on positional needs or balanced depth. Just grab guys that have the big weeks. Big week 1 games tell a lot.

When a white boy you’ve never heard of playing for fantasy black hole Cleveland named Peyton Hillis carries the rock 20 times and scores…well, you grab him every single time. If nothing else, just make him yours and see what he’s got next week. If he doesn’t bring it the following week…give him 1 more. He fails week 3…pink slip. But now we are only in week 4. We still have 3 weeks until the byes. The risk you take is almost nonexistent, but the reward is the 3rd best back in the league.

Do this with every single bench spot. Once you’re done drafting your starters start drafting players who are either the #1 at that position on their team (like Fred Jackson) or fills another team’s void. Do not be tricked into thinking the bench players you drafted will ever see the field. They won’t. If you do what I’m telling you to do, they will be LONG gone by the time you need to plug them in for a spot start.

The truth is that the picks that come after these first 7 really don’t matter. According to me they are going to be shuffled up first week anyways. Handcuffing is fine. Honestly I can’t really provide too much evidence against handcuffing your running backs, but what I noticed when I handicapped my backs was that that:

a.) You just wasted a pick on a guy you know does not have a shot at playing time unless somebody gets hurt. That’s not good. Plus even if he does assume all the carries at some point, he was not good enough to get them when there was a player in his way at the start of the season.

b.) These handcuffs are almost always not drafted and available at any time during the early to middle part of the season.

c.) I found myself drafting them, only to immediately lose patience when I realized I had a bench spot that served no purpose (outside of protection) and I could not do a single thing with besides wait. Nobody is interested in your handcuff backs so don't draft them. Trust me.

Jamaal Charles owners… Thomas Jones is not getting drafted. Neither is Michael Bush sitting behind DMF or Jason Snelling behind Turner. Etc.

The beginning of the season is when the breakout players are going to float to the surface. Especially in a shallow league, but it is more important to pay attention to them in a deeper league like the one we are about to have, 14 teamer where the talent is few and far between.

Here is a list of some of the players that have been available on the wire in fantasy football 2009 and 2010

1. Jamaal Charles
2. Miles Austin
3. Mike Vick
4. Peyton Hillis
5. Jacob Tamme
6. Ahmad Bradshaw
7. Legarrette Blount
8. Benjarvis Green-Ellis
9. Mike Tolbert
10. Stevie Johnson
11. Brandon Lloyd
12. Josh Freeman

Look for those guys. Take multiple chances weekly in an effort to find those guys and when you find one. Keep him and don’t hesitate….if he is better than your starter at that position start him. Early emotional decisions will bury you. If he’s better than your first round pick….start him. Until you find guys that you can see being on your team start to finish and through the playoffs….your bench is no more than a stack of poker chips. Risk chips in order to build your stack.

This brings us to the second way you can make up for a bad draft. Trading. For some strange reason people don’t consider trading a legitimate way to shape a fantasy roster. Not me, I love trading. Other people love trading too. There is an art to it, but before you can even think about your negotiations you have to know what guys are going to be willing to trade with you. My strategy is to make at least 1 deal with every team in my league. Some favor me, some favor them…but it will always favor you in the long run. Either you came out on top in a deal, or somebody owes you. I stress….it is VERY important for you to make one sided moves that help the person you are trading with more than it helps you. It builds good relationships. A few years back I tried to make moves that would swindle people, but that just did not work. Sure, I was able to make a few…but people notice. Help other managers. They will help you back.

Always make sure you find a reason on your end and their end to make the trade. Trying to force somebody to make a trade is bad form, and plain old won’t work. A lot of times a manager doesn't know they have a weak spot and it’s OK for you to let them know they do….just don’t make it seem like they have to fix the leak and they have to fix it right now with you. It’s their team and they can do whatever they want.

Here’s how I have been successful. I spend more time studying other peoples rosters than I do studying mine.  I know my guys…and anyways they are going to do what they are going to do. At any given moment I know every player on every teams roster…and I probably have a good read on how they are playing, should be playing, and if they need to be upgraded or not. This enables you to make a snap move at any time. You've already done the research.

What I try to do is all season long trade for players who were ranked top 20 overall players pre-draft. Trade anything to get these guys. My strategy is simple. Give up anything to get these guys. Trade 1 for 1, or 2 for 1, or even 3 for 1 to get them. No matter what you think…it’s an upgrade. That’s why they are ranked there. Target the guys who are ranked real, real, high. Don’t be afraid to go after them either, because they are available no matter what anybody says. Just proposing trades in the fantasy league are the worst way to make a trade. You have a 1 in 20 chance of it getting accepted. When you spot a trade that you know works for both sides

here’s what you do:

Tune in to part 2 to find out more

Top 10 Fantasy RB's 2011: Run DMC Run

Darren McFadden ranked #11 in yahoo!?  Nigga PUH-lease.  Only a king could keep my albino rhino buried in Arkansas' depth chart.

Here's how I see the backs shaping out:

1. Arian Foster - Just the man with the 30 carries...every...single....game

2. Adrian Peterson - cant stop wont stop.  safe first pick.  least riskiest pick outside of Aaron Rodgers.

3. Jamaal Charles - A freak who averages the most yards per carry in the league. Thomas Jones?  I bareley even know who that is anymore.

4. Chris Johnson - Contract, No Contract, who cares.  Hes a 2000 yard single season rusher not to mention he is the fastest player in the NFL.  Get him and dont look back.

5. Mike Turner - Energizer bunny.  Keeps going and going and going.

6. Darren McFadden - See above

7. Ray Rice - Now sharing carries with Ricky = risky

8. LeSaun McCoy - Feature back on this Vick led offense?  Yes please.

9. Peyton Hillis - What more can be said.  Hes a god.

10. Frank Gore -You time is now Frank.  Seize it .



Say something.  Comment something.  I know I'm write and if you dont think so then you are wrong.

#myalbinorhino: Hillis Detractors About To Get Flexed

- Yahoo Sports

Over the past 12 months, Peyton Hillis'(notes) improbable ascension from sporadically used fullback to full-blown fantasy superstar to Madden '12 cover-athlete was nothing short of spectacular.

Last year, the Brown's rolling stone was indispensable in any sized leagues, particularly those that scored for receptions. He racked yards via ground and air (seven 100-total yard games) leaving a host of flattened defenders in his wake. Watch highlights of his breakout campaign, and his body count rivaled that of all four Rambo films combined. Though Hillis lost steam down the stretch — his yards per carry average dropped from 4.8 to 3.9 over the second half of the season — he along with fellow unexpected heroesArian Foster(notes), Michael Vick(notes) and Brandon Lloyd(notes), were the fantasy faces of 2010.

Entering peak drafting season, one would think the fantasy community would be head-over-heels for Hillis. After all, he's a brutish, violent runner in the midst of his prime who barrels through holes created by one of the stiffest offensive lines in the league. Spend an early draft pick on his services and you won't be disappointed.

However, the opposite appears to be true.

Because of Pat Shurmur's newly installed West Coast brand, a scheme that plans to feature two-back sets, and Hillis' downward slide during the fantasy playoffs, expectations have cooled. As a result, many assume the Clydesdale won't match his exhaustive workload (20.7 touches/game), and thus his fantasy output, from a season ago. Unsurprisingly, he's become a staple on a number of preseason "bust" lists.

Don't be swayed by the Hillis haters.

Here are four reasons why the most-dissed star (23.2 ADP, RB14) from '10 will retain his RB1 standing:

Versatility. The common belief is, if healthy, Monatrio Hardesty and third-down specialistBrandon Jackson(notes) will log a few touches per game, slicing Hillis' touch total from last year by a sizable margin. However, as the Beacon Journal reported over the weekend, the incumbent's role within the passing game is actually expected to increase. Yes, the others will be involved to some extent, possibly netting 8-12 touches combined per game, but Shurmur realizes Hillis is a force on swings and dump-offs. Music to PPR owner ears, another 55-plus catch campaign is a near lock. The odds he surpasses 1,400 total yards are also favorable

Red-zone power. While Hardesty was slowly recovering from reconstructive knee surgery during the lockout, Hillis pulled ATVs, pick-ups and even fire trucks near his Arkansas home to stay in shape. He's a monster of almost mythical proportions. Last year, he ranked ninth among RBs in break tackles according to Football Outsiders. Because of his Thing-like strength, he, without question, will resume his role as goal-line back. Since touchdowns separate the haves from the have nots in fantasy, it's asinine to think his value will suddenly fall off the continental shelf. Even if his touch total is reduced by 30-40, he will post low-end RB1 numbers. Much to Andy Behrens' chagrin, plenty of "gun shows" are on the docket in Cleveland this season.

Matchup proof. For those that buy into preseason strength of schedule, Hillis' slate is unmistakably daunting. With division foes Pittsburgh and Baltimore on the agenda twice, it's the fourth-toughest. But due to the violent nature of the game, turnover is constant in the NFL. No two years are the same. Even if the Steelers and Ravens' reputations as premier run stuffers are upheld, Hillis is still capable of quality numbers. Prior to Week 12, only the Steely McBeams limited him to a single-digit scoring output. And he faced the likes of Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati and the Jets, defenses that finished in the top-11 in fewest fantasy points allowed to RBs.

Fragile backups. Hardesty, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, has yet to step on the practice field,though he's confident he'll return soon. In his absence, Jackson has worked exclusively as the No. 2, getting invaluable reps in the new system. Even when the second-year back finally suits up, there are no guarantees he will A) Avoid the IR or B) Overtake Jackson. If either happens, Hillis won't lose enough touches to warrant a significant price reduction. Based on his uneventful performance as a temporary starter in Green Bay last year, Jackson poses little threat. Even if Hardesty plays an entire season unscathed, it's very unlikely he will force a 60-40 timeshare.

Bottom line: While skeptics continue to point to Hillis' presumed workload decrease, rough schedule and ridiculous 'curse' as reasons for avoidance, savvy fantasy consumers will continue to snatch him up at a discounted Round 2 price.

Hillis is about to make his doubters look silly.

Mikel Leshoure: What Can the Detroit Lions Expect from Rookie RB in 2011?

Along with all the selections the Lions made in the 2011 NFL Draft, the pick of Mikel Leshoure in the second round has captured the interest of the Lions faithful. Although the trade that allowed Detroit to pick him can be questioned, what he brings to the team is exactly what they need moving forward to complement Jahvid Best.

However, the question still remains as to whether he will produce big in his first season. Last year the Lions running backs struggled to run between the tackles because of the generally poor run blocking of the interior of the offensive line.This could bode badly for Leshoure, who will primarily be asked to pound the rock up the middle when he gets the ball. If the run blocking is bad and there are defenders in the backfield, it could be a disappointing and possibly injury-plagued rookie season for the Illinois alumni.

On the positive side, Leshoure has the frame to make plays without help from his blockers unlike the smaller and faster Best. He is 6'0" and 230 lbs, and carries his weight very well. He has powerful legs and a broad chest, and when he runs he has good bend which will go a long way to stopping serious injury concerns by forcing defenders to tackle his thick thighs or powerful shoulders.His running style and bulk should also help his smash through arm tackles and make plenty of yards after contact.

Leshoure also has surprising speed and quick feet that allow him to make the most of cut-back lanes and find the hole in the offensive line. This is likely to be very important given the struggles of the line last year. While not supremely agile, he can make defenders miss in space, or at least force arm tackles.

He was also a good receiver in college who has safe hands and can make decent yards after the catch on checkdown passes and especially screen plays. He does not rival Best in this regard, but is still solid. He also never fumbled the football for Illinois and will be a very safe running back to give the ball to when it is time to run down the clock.

Despite all the positives about his game, I think he will not produce great stats in his rookie season. Because most of his carries will be up the gut, the blocking is key, and if it does not improve he will have to break tackles just to get back to the line of scrimmage.For this reason, I think that our newest running back will run for 700 yards at an average of about 3.5 yards per carry. However, he will actually play very well, breaking tackles and making plenty of yards after first contact. Also, because he will be given the lion's share of goal line carries, he should also record about six rushing touchdowns.

In the receiving game, I expect him to perform better statistically. He looks able to record 25 receptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns with ease, and his ability to do this will make him a true every down running back. In fact, I would not be surprised if he became the featured running back in Detroit by week 10 of 2011, pushing Best to play a role similar to Reggie Bush as an x-factor running back, receiver and return man.

Although his rookie season may be a disappointment after the bar has been set so high for this young man, he should play very well, and be set for a 1,000-plus-yard explosion in his sophomore year when the Lions make significant strides in the running game. The future looks bright for Mikel Leshoure.

How To Dominate Your Fantasy Football League

This Was My Team in 2010.  Only Philip Rivers and Andre Johnson Were Drafted.

by Jacob Allen
Most people will tell you that the easiest most secure path to a fantasy football championship is preparing for, and executing the perfect draft. While there are many elements of truth to that theory, by no means is it the only way.

I personally don’t put all that much stock in the draft. I like to draft good players as much as the guy next to me and I’ve seen teams draft well…and win with the team they drafted, but each fantasy season is long. Things happen. If you play right…the championship is rarely won on draft day. It’s won with the little things in between.

Drafting players is only 1 of 3 ways to acquire talent. Free agency is the 2nd…and trading, my personal favorite is the 3rd. So before you go and label your season a boom or a bust when the last player of the last round gets picked…understand that that if you have a bad draft you can make up for it with relative ease two other ways.

The strategy for grabbing free agent is easy. Pay attention on Sunday. Throw out the notion that your waiver priority matters. It doesn’t. Usually in a rolling waiver format the reason why a certain team is #1 is because they have been paying the least amount attention. They won’t pay a lick of mind to next Sunday’s matchup until Saturday. That’s lucky for us because payday comes on Wednesday when players clear waivers in standard 2 day waiver rules.

Obviously your first 7 picks in the draft needs to fill out your starting roster (less the kicker).

QB RB RB WR WR WR/RB/T TE DEF

What's next is what separates the men from the boys.

 My strategy is this:

Get Free Agents early and get them often.

Bye weeks don’t start until week 7, usually, so outside of a silly injury you are not going to need anybody on your bench until then anyways. I cant stress this enough. Shuffle! Shuffle! Shuffle! Don’t worry about picking up guys based on positional needs or balanced depth. Just grab guys that have the big weeks. Big week 1 games tell a lot.

When a white boy you’ve never heard of playing for fantasy black hole Cleveland named Peyton Hillis carries the rock 20 times and scores…well, you grab him every single time. If nothing else, just make him yours and see what he’s got next week. If he doesn’t bring it the following week…give him 1 more. He fails week 3…pink slip. But now we are only in week 4. We still have 3 weeks until the byes. The risk you take is almost nonexistent, but the reward is the 3rd best back in the league.

Do this with every single bench spot. Once you’re done drafting your starters start drafting players who are either the #1 at that position on their team (like Fred Jackson) or fills another team’s void. Do not be tricked into thinking the bench players you drafted will ever see the field. They won’t. If you do what I’m telling you to do, they will be LONG gone by the time you need to plug them in for a spot start.

The truth is that the picks that come after these first 7 really don’t matter. According to me they are going to be shuffled up first week anyways. Handcuffing is fine. Honestly I can’t really provide too much evidence against handcuffing your running backs, but what I noticed when I handicapped my backs was that that:

a.) You just wasted a pick on a guy you know does not have a shot at playing time unless somebody gets hurt. That’s not good. Plus even if he does assume all the carries at some point, he was not good enough to get them when there was a player in his way at the start of the season.

b.) These handcuffs are almost always not drafted and available at any time during the early to middle part of the season.

c.) I found myself drafting them, only to immediately lose patience when I realized I had a bench spot that served no purpose (outside of protection) and I could not do a single thing with besides wait. Nobody is interested in your handcuff backs so don't draft them. Trust me.

Jamaal Charles owners… Thomas Jones is not getting drafted. Neither is Michael Bush sitting behind DMF or Jason Snelling behind Turner. Etc.

The beginning of the season is when the breakout players are going to float to the surface. Especially in a shallow league, but it is more important to pay attention to them in a deeper league like the one we are about to have, 14 teamer where the talent is few and far between.

Here is a list of some of the players that have been available on the wire in fantasy football 2009 and 2010

1. Jamaal Charles
2. Miles Austin
3. Mike Vick
4. Peyton Hillis
5. Jacob Tamme
6. Ahmad Bradshaw
7. Legarrette Blount
8. Benjarvis Green-Ellis
9. Mike Tolbert
10. Stevie Johnson
11. Brandon Lloyd
12. Josh Freeman

Look for those guys. Take multiple chances weekly in an effort to find those guys and when you find one. Keep him and don’t hesitate….if he is better than your starter at that position start him. Early emotional decisions will bury you. If he’s better than your first round pick….start him. Until you find guys that you can see being on your team start to finish and through the playoffs….your bench is no more than a stack of poker chips. Risk chips in order to build your stack.

This brings us to the second way you can make up for a bad draft. Trading. For some strange reason people don’t consider trading a legitimate way to shape a fantasy roster. Not me, I love trading. Other people love trading too. There is an art to it, but before you can even think about your negotiations you have to know what guys are going to be willing to trade with you. My strategy is to make at least 1 deal with every team in my league. Some favor me, some favor them…but it will always favor you in the long run. Either you came out on top in a deal, or somebody owes you. I stress….it is VERY important for you to make one sided moves that help the person you are trading with more than it helps you. It builds good relationships. A few years back I tried to make moves that would swindle people, but that just did not work. Sure, I was able to make a few…but people notice. Help other managers. They will help you back.

Always make sure you find a reason on your end and their end to make the trade. Trying to force somebody to make a trade is bad form, and plain old won’t work. A lot of times a manager doesn't know they have a weak spot and it’s OK for you to let them know they do….just don’t make it seem like they have to fix the leak and they have to fix it right now with you. It’s their team and they can do whatever they want.

Here’s how I have been successful. I spend more time studying other peoples rosters than I do studying mine.  I know my guys…and anyways they are going to do what they are going to do. At any given moment I know every player on every teams roster…and I probably have a good read on how they are playing, should be playing, and if they need to be upgraded or not. This enables you to make a snap move at any time. You've already done the research.

What I try to do is all season long trade for players who were ranked top 20 overall players pre-draft. Trade anything to get these guys. My strategy is simple. Give up anything to get these guys. Trade 1 for 1, or 2 for 1, or even 3 for 1 to get them. No matter what you think…it’s an upgrade. That’s why they are ranked there. Target the guys who are ranked real, real, high. Don’t be afraid to go after them either, because they are available no matter what anybody says. Just proposing trades in the fantasy league are the worst way to make a trade. You have a 1 in 20 chance of it getting accepted. When you spot a trade that you know works for both sides

here’s what you do:

Tune in to part 2 to find out more

Yahoo! Opens Fantasy Football 2011: Part 2

by Jacob Allen
This is part 2 of my original Post "Yahoo! Opens Fantasy Football 2011: Merry Christmas" and you can read about D Town Bro Co's fantasy league at "Yes, The Bros Are Fantasy Football Guys"

So I am actually doing a Yahoo! live mock draft right now.  In June.  Is this straight feeding my addiction way too early?  Yes.  Does that faze me?  No.

I promised in my previous fantasy football related post that I would go over pre-draft rankings, how it relates to me, and how it relates to you….and I will…but let’s blog, draft, and dream for now.

7:33 – I am in the 7th position.  The draft starts in: 52 seconds.  Wow I have not put any thought into this.  I’m just winging this puppy.

7:35 – Top 6 picks went in order.  All the horse RB’s I don’t even need to name.  Ray Rice was available to me, as I had the 7th pick and Yahoo! Had him ranked #7 overall.  I played it safe this pick and took Aaron Rodgers.  In a real draft you will never see me take a QB round 1, but I froze.  In my defense Rodgers is as close to sure things as you could ever get this year, and I can vividly remember all the disappointed owners that took Rice top three last year.

7:37 – I am thinking I need to go RB with the next pick, but let’s wait and see what value I can get.  This draft is basically just going in order so far and having 4 out of 12 people auto-picking is not helping the cause.

7:38 – Surprise.  I took Peyton Hillis #18 overall.  There were a lot of good receivers floating around my draft slot…and I thought about taking Jennings, Fitzgerald, or Bowe, but in the end I had to go with the RB.  Plus Hillis is the “Baddest Man on the Planet”.

7:42 – Lots of options on the board at my third pick.  I feel I reached a little bit and snagged Ahmad Bradshaw with pick #31….perhaps a few slots before he should have gone, but there’s no doubt he’s a top notch talent (despite his documented rumbling fumbling problems).  I now look strong with elite fantasy ballers at my QB, RB 1, and RB 2 spots.

7:43 – At this point I was, and had to be, emotionally committed to a Wide Out, “and with the #42 overall selection King of the Hillis select Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins”.  This pick could have and maybe should have gone in Dez Bryant, Santonio Holmes, or Brandon Lloyd’s direction. Marshall was probably not the best choice.

Brandon Marshall is too good to be held down

7:47 – I made Sidney Rice my WR 2 with pick #55.  Atta boy.  Nice pick.  I need thinking about a TE now, but it looks like all the nasty tight ends are gone.  Let’s hope for the best.

7:49 – I freaked out again at #67 and took Ryan Grant.  There’s no doubt that was risky, but look at it this way…I have the QB/RB combo package of the Super Bowl winning point machine Packers.

7:51 – Wrapped up the starting TE spot by taking Pettigrew #79.  I thought hard about Gronkowski from the Pats.  I drafted him last year…thus violating my rookie rule, but something just told me to grab B. Pettigrew.   I vaguely remember him giving me the business last season at some point.

7:54 – OOPS.  I did not even look at the roster slots before I started this draft and just realized there are 3 starting WR slots and only 2 starting RB slots with no WR/RB/T.  My Ryan Grant pick is now fully confirmed as not good, but I scrambled and still managed to get Robert Meacham in round 9 with the #90 overall.  Of the starting spots it looks like I just have the Defense and a Kicker spots left.   “King of the Hillis” is nearly filled out.

Mutler

7:56 –I just used #103 to draft the Detroit Lions Defense.  I promised myself and others I would not do that.  Good thing this draft is not real.  Maybe this is insight into a much larger issue in my life I need to address.  I’ll watch out for that.  They were ranked #11, but I had to take a D and didn’t have many other options.  My starting lineup is complete.

7:58 – I’m drafting my bench now.  I just took Brandon Jacobs in the 11th.  Not a bad pick.  I handcuffed Ahmad Bradshaw which is good…and Jacobs actually started playing at some point last season.  Still…I have 2 Running Backs on my bench and 2 starting with only 2 total spots available.  I need a receiver next round.  I got my eye on Steve Smith of the Giants and am crossing my fingers.

8:00 – Got him.  That was solid.  Great value in round 12.  Last year he would have gone 5th – 7th.  Take “Super Rookie” Hakim Nicks out of the equation and Steve Smith would be the #1 guy over there in Gotham City.  Eli Manning likes him.  Tom Coughlin likes him.  People on his Facebook page like him….and now I am going to like him.

8:03 – Who I WANTED to take, was Titus Young.  Who I DID take, was Terrell Owens.  Sure…we do not know where he's playing…but he won people weeks last year with top level point production, and I’ll take him this late in the draft any time.  Plus, I do not draft rookies and already have way too many Lions on my team.

Side note:  Randy Moss was also available.  I did not even come close.

8:07 – Dan Carpenter.  Kicker from Miami?  No clue who this guy is.  I do not care who this guy is.  He better kick it straight and narrow or I’m going to drive down there and go Ray Finkle on his ass.

8:10 – I just went with the highest ranked player available.  Pierre Thomas.  It seems odd that these big name backs from only a year ago are still hanging around on lonely island this late.

8:12 – Mark Sanchez.  Draft is over.  I kind of thought about taking Cam Newton, but I am about to blog about my fantasy football strategies my main ones is “do not draft rookies”.  For the sake of that post and my street cred I did not take Cam.  I really did want to though.

Done.  Let’s look over and rate my picks.

The Yahoo! Sports Fantasy team 

1. Aaron Rodgers (GB - QB)   10/10

2. Peyton Hillis (Cle - RB)   8/10

3. Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG - RB)   8.5/10

4. Brandon Marshall (Mia - WR)   7/10

5. Sidney Rice (Min - WR)   9/10

6. Ryan Grant (GB - RB)   5/10

7. Brandon Pettigrew (Det - TE)   7/10

8. Robert Meachem (NO - WR)   7/10

9. Detroit (Det - DEF)   6/10

10. Brandon Jacobs (NYG - RB)   7/10

11. Steve Smith (NYG - WR)   8/10

12. Terrell Owens (Cin - WR)   8.5/10

13. Dan Carpenter (Mia - K)   N/A

14. Pierre Thomas (NO - RB)   6/10

15. Mark Sanchez (NYJ - QB) 6/10


That comes to an average ranking of about 7.3/10 on my draft. Not bad. Not good. I will definitely get better…it’s not as if I don’t have 95 days left to do this.

The post ends here...but if anybody is interested in seeing how this entire draft went here are the results.

Round by Round results
* your team in bold

---

Round 1
(1) Team 1 - Arian Foster (Hou - RB)
(2) Team 2 - Adrian Peterson (Min - RB)
(3) RollTide88 - Jamaal Charles (KC - RB)
(4) Dennis - Michael Turner (Atl - RB)
(5) James M - Chris Johnson (Ten - RB)
(6) Wadsworth - Maurice Jones-Drew (Jac - RB)
(7) Snake - AaronRodgers (GB - QB)
(8) dougbroderick2002 - Ray Rice (Bal - RB)
(9) DonnyV - Andre Johnson (Hou - WR)
(10) Team 10 - Rashard Mendenhall (Pit - RB)
(11) Team 11 - LeSean McCoy (Phi - RB)
(12) andybuckr - Calvin Johnson (Det - WR)


Round 2
(1) andybuckr - Darren McFadden (Oak - RB)
(2) Team 11 - Michael Vick (Phi - QB)
(3) Team 10 - Roddy White (Atl - WR)
(4) DonnyV - Frank Gore (SF - RB)
(5) dougbroderick2002 - Hakeem Nicks (NYG - WR)
(6) Snake - PeytonHillis (Cle - RB)
(7) Wadsworth - Larry Fitzgerald (Ari - WR)
(8) James M - Drew Brees (NO - QB)
(9) Dennis - Greg Jennings (GB - WR)
(10) RollTide88 - Dwayne Bowe (KC - WR)
(11) Team 2 - Peyton Manning (Ind - QB)
(12) Team 1 - Steven Jackson (StL - RB)


Round 3
(1) Team 1 - Philip Rivers (SD - QB)
(2) Team 2 - Matt Forte (Chi - RB)
(3) RollTide88 - Mike Wallace (Pit - WR)
(4) Dennis - Jeremy Maclin (Phi - WR)
(5) James M - Shonn Greene (NYJ - RB)
(6) Wadsworth - Miles Austin (Dal - WR)
(7) Snake - AhmadBradshaw (NYG - RB)
(8) dougbroderick2002 - Tom Brady (NE - QB)
(9) DonnyV - DeSean Jackson (Phi - WR)
(10) Team 10 - Tony Romo (Dal - QB)
(11) Team 11 - LeGarrette Blount (TB - RB)
(12) andybuckr - Antonio Gates (SD - TE)


Round 4
(1) andybuckr - Reggie Wayne (Ind - WR)
(2) Team 11 - Mike Williams (TB - WR)
(3) Team 10 - Vincent Jackson (SD - WR)
(4) DonnyV - Ryan Mathews (SD - RB)
(5) dougbroderick2002 - DeAngelo Williams (Car - RB)
(6) Snake - BrandonMarshall (Mia - WR)
(7) Wadsworth - Jermichael Finley (GB - TE)
(8) James M - Dez Bryant (Dal - WR)
(9) Dennis - Brandon Lloyd (Den - WR)
(10) RollTide88 - Dallas Clark (Ind - TE)
(11) Team 2 - Jason Witten (Dal - TE)
(12) Team 1 - Vernon Davis (SF - TE)


Round 5
(1) Team 1 - Stevie Johnson (Buf - WR)
(2) Team 2 - Marques Colston (NO - WR)
(3) RollTide88 - Kenny Britt (Ten - WR)
(4) Dennis - BenJarvus Green-Ellis (NE - RB)
(5) James M - Wes Welker (NE - WR)
(6) Wadsworth - Jonathan Stewart (Car - RB)
(7) Snake - Sidney Rice(Min - WR)
(8) dougbroderick2002 - Steve Smith (Car - WR)
(9) DonnyV - Ben Roethlisberger (Pit - QB)
(10) Team 10 - Daniel Thomas (Mia - RB)
(11) Team 11 - Anquan Boldin (Bal - WR)
(12) andybuckr - Santonio Holmes (NYJ - WR)


Round 6
(1) andybuckr - Cedric Benson (Cin - RB)
(2) Team 11 - Owen Daniels (Hou - TE)
(3) Team 10 - Jimmy Graham (NO - TE)
(4) DonnyV - Percy Harvin (Min - WR)
(5) dougbroderick2002 - Austin Collie (Ind - WR)
(6) Snake - Ryan Grant(GB - RB)
(7) Wadsworth - Matt Schaub (Hou - QB)
(8) James M - Michael Crabtree (SF - WR)
(9) Dennis - Eli Manning (NYG - QB)
(10) RollTide88 - Pittsburgh (Pit - DEF)
(11) Team 2 - A.J. Green (Cin - WR)
(12) Team 1 - Mike Williams (Sea - WR)


Round 7
(1) Team 1 - Pierre Garcon (Ind - WR)
(2) Team 2 - Santana Moss (Was - WR)
(3) RollTide88 - Matt Ryan (Atl - QB)
(4) Dennis - Mike Tolbert (SD - RB)
(5) James M - Tony Gonzalez (Atl - TE)
(6) Wadsworth - Johnny Knox (Chi - WR)
(7) Snake - BrandonPettigrew (Det - TE)
(8) dougbroderick2002 - Zach Miller (Oak - TE)
(9) DonnyV - Rob Gronkowski (NE - TE)
(10) Team 10 - Mario Manningham (NYG - WR)
(11) Team 11 - Jerome Simpson (Cin - WR)
(12) andybuckr - Felix Jones (Dal - RB)


Round 8
(1) andybuckr - Josh Freeman (TB - QB)
(2) Team 11 - New York (NYJ - DEF)
(3) Team 10 - Green Bay (GB - DEF)
(4) DonnyV - Chicago (Chi - DEF)
(5) dougbroderick2002 - New England (NE - DEF)
(6) Snake - RobertMeachem (NO - WR)
(7) Wadsworth - New York (NYG - DEF)
(8) James M - San Diego (SD - DEF)
(9) Dennis - Philadelphia (Phi - DEF)
(10) RollTide88 - Julio Jones (Atl - WR)
(11) Team 2 - Baltimore (Bal - DEF)
(12) Team 1 - Matt Bryant (Atl - K)


Round 9
(1) Team 1 - Dallas (Dal - DEF)
(2) Team 2 - Stephen Gostkowski (NE - K)
(3) RollTide88 - Marshawn Lynch (Sea - RB)
(4) Dennis - Marcedes Lewis (Jac - TE)
(5) James M - Sebastian Janikowski (Oak - K)
(6) Wadsworth - Mason Crosby (GB - K)
(7) Snake - Detroit (Det- DEF)
(8) dougbroderick2002 - Neil Rackers (Hou - K)
(9) DonnyV - Nate Kaeding (SD - K)
(10) Team 10 - Garrett Hartley (NO - K)
(11) Team 11 - Josh Brown (StL - K)
(12) andybuckr - David Akers (Phi - K)


Round 10
(1) andybuckr - New Orleans (NO - DEF)
(2) Team 11 - Mark Ingram (NO - RB)
(3) Team 10 - Mikel LeShoure (Det - RB)
(4) DonnyV - Fred Jackson (Buf - RB)
(5) dougbroderick2002 - Matthew Stafford (Det - QB)
(6) Snake - BrandonJacobs (NYG - RB)
(7) Wadsworth - Joseph Addai (Ind - RB)
(8) James M - Jahvid Best (Det - RB)
(9) Dennis - Mike Sims-Walker (Jac - WR)
(10) RollTide88 - Braylon Edwards (NYJ - WR)
(11) Team 2 - Knowshon Moreno (Den - RB)
(12) Team 1 - Ryan Williams (Ari - RB)


Round 11
(1) Team 1 - Jay Cutler (Chi - QB)
(2) Team 2 - Joe Flacco (Bal - QB)
(3) RollTide88 - Ryan Torain (Was - RB)
(4) Dennis - Malcom Floyd (SD - WR)
(5) James M - Sam Bradford (StL - QB)
(6) Wadsworth - Kyle Orton (Den - QB)
(7) Snake - Steve Smith(NYG - WR)
(8) dougbroderick2002 - Roy Helu (Was - RB)
(9) DonnyV - Matt Cassel (KC - QB)
(10) Team 10 - Kevin Kolb (Phi - QB)
(11) Team 11 - Kellen Winslow (TB - TE)
(12) andybuckr - Deion Branch (NE - WR)


Round 12
(1) andybuckr - Jacoby Ford (Oak - WR)
(2) Team 11 - Mike Thomas (Jac - WR)
(3) Team 10 - Hines Ward (Pit - WR)
(4) DonnyV - Chad Ochocinco (Cin - WR)
(5) dougbroderick2002 - Aaron Hernandez (NE - TE)
(6) Snake - TerrellOwens (Cin - WR)
(7) Wadsworth - Davone Bess (Mia - WR)
(8) James M - Jordy Nelson (GB - WR)
(9) Dennis - David Buehler (Dal - K)
(10) RollTide88 - Michael Bush (Oak - RB)
(11) Team 2 - James Jones (GB - WR)
(12) Team 1 - Lance Moore (NO - WR)


Round 13
(1) Team 1 - Derrick Mason (Bal - WR)
(2) Team 2 - Chris Cooley (Was - TE)
(3) RollTide88 - Rob Bironas (Ten - K)
(4) Dennis - Brent Celek (Phi - TE)
(5) James M - Danario Alexander (StL - WR)
(6) Wadsworth - Donald Driver (GB - WR)
(7) Snake - DanCarpenter (Mia - K)
(8) dougbroderick2002 - Nate Burleson (Det - WR)
(9) DonnyV - Lee Evans (Buf - WR)
(10) Team 10 - Randy Moss (Ten - WR)
(11) Team 11 - Tim Tebow (Den - QB)
(12) andybuckr - Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buf - QB)


Round 14
(1) andybuckr - Jermaine Gresham (Cin - TE)
(2) Team 11 - Mark Clayton (StL - WR)
(3) Team 10 - Dustin Keller (NYJ - TE)
(4) DonnyV - Benjamin Watson (Cle - TE)
(5) dougbroderick2002 - Jon Baldwin (KC - WR)
(6) Snake - PierreThomas (NO - RB)
(7) Wadsworth - Tony Moeaki (KC - TE)
(8) James M - Greg Olsen (Chi - TE)
(9) Dennis - Carson Palmer (Cin - QB)
(10) RollTide88 - Danny Amendola (StL - WR)
(11) Team 2 - Arrelious Benn (TB - WR)
(12) Team 1 - Visanthe Shiancoe (Min - TE)


Round 15
(1) Team 1 - Kansas City (KC - DEF)
(2) Team 2 - Tampa Bay (TB - DEF)
(3) RollTide88 - Donovan McNabb (Was - QB)
(4) Dennis - Arizona (Ari - DEF)
(5) James M - San Francisco (SF - DEF)
(6) Wadsworth - Robbie Gould (Chi - K)
(7) Snake - Mark Sanchez(NYJ - QB)
(8) dougbroderick2002 - Atlanta (Atl - DEF)
(9) DonnyV - Oakland (Oak - DEF)
(10) Team 10 - Minnesota (Min - DEF)
(11) Team 11 - Cincinnati (Cin - DEF)
(12) andybuckr - Nick Folk (NYJ - K) 

Heres To The Baddest Man On The Planet

by Jacob Allen

Chapter 1. – Road to the Cover

Think Printing Press, Nirvana, Michael Jordan, the Wright Brothers airplane, the Internet, Elvis, Google, Eastbound and Down, the Model-T, Cell Phones, etc. Once in a while something or someone comes along and without notice and without question from that day forward changes the scope of how things are normally done. The man I am going to write about is one of these people. Ill get back to this.First off, congratulations to Peyton Hillis for being selected to be the Madden 2012 Cover boy. This year EA let the fans vote for the rights to grace the cover by setting up a tournament almost identical to march madness that was hosted on ESPN Sports Nation. Seeding and everything. They picked the best players the NFL had to offer and matched them up head to head. Peyton won. Many say the win was fluky. They say he didn't deserve it and that EA missed the ball on this one. I say they didn't. Scratch that. They didn't. I'm saying they didn't because they ACTUALLY didn't.

Chapter 2. – The Brady Factor

All joking aside, Peyton Hillis undoubtedly the next big thing. The NFL now has a hybrid running back that is unlike any before him. Its funny what some people do with the hand that they are dealt. Sure...most people don't carry the rock and run with it like a gazelle, or score 6 like its going out of style. I personally don't posses the athletic ability to go go gadget leap over an NFL safety that's been electronically programmed to kill me. Also I'm also pretty sure you were not blessed with the same Burmese pythons he calls arms, but unlike most of the other elite athletes he's had to grind it out and figure it out just like you and me. At every level he had a fight on his hands. Not a single thing ever, EVER, came easy. It's not as if he wouldn't score 7 TDs and maybe throw for one too against your high school team once every year playing for your rivals. He would. He's naturally gifted to the point that he could dominate your shit game in and game out at the high school level without ever trying, but he's no Adrian Peterson. He does not have breakaway speed like Chris Johnson or Jahvid Best. He's no burner like Michael Turner. Truth is its hard to say what exactly makes him as good right now as he is. One conclusion that cannot be argued is that every accomplishment he owns has been paid for and earned with blood and sweat. Peyton Hillis is the guy that was faced with a 3 way fork in the road at some point in his career. He went right, but right didn't work. So he walked miles back to the fork and then went left. Shockingly enough left didn't work either. Peyton packed his lunch and went back to the fork in the road again. This time he walked to the center road in the fork. He's still walking on this road. It seems to be working. Most people in his spot would have quit. What did Peyton do? Same thing he has always done and will always do.


Just dropped his helmet and smoked those who doubted in the chin. He's still doing it. He just did it to win the cover of Madden 2012. He is not yet a popular household player, but I assure you he will be. Fighting back is what he wants to do and its what comes natural to him. That's what's special. Never give up. Never look back. Never go down. Never stop moving the pile. He faces adversity like he faces a tackle. Its just not going to happen.

Physically speaking Hillis is a god, but somehow at the University of Arkansas he was rarely given the ball and never given a chance. Subsequently Hillis found himself behind Darren McFadden and Felix Jones on the depth chart. The coaching staff saw he was too big and too white to be a running back yet too small to be a fullback. What they didn't know is that Peyton Hillis is special. He possess that funny little "it" factor that turns water into wine. I would bet that 9/10 student athletes would transfer if they had to play behind not 1 but 2 first round draft picks their entire college career. Again i reiterate that Hillis is special. He just kept running. Instead of whining he lifted. Instead of sulking he turned himself into a pass catching machine. He stayed the course.
Fast forward to t draft day 2008. Easily the biggest day of this young mans life. Its the day that pays the bills or crushes the dreams. Hillis proudly watched his teammates get selected #4 (McFadden) and #22 (Jones) thus guaranteeing themselves zillions of dollars and security for the rest of their lives. True to form nobody thought much of him and he watched 226 people get drafted ahead of him. His rookie contract paid a whopping 400k/year.

The White Rhino flares his tusk

I get that Brady got selected in the late (6th) rounds too and i know he's a world champ but the reality of the matter is that Tom Brady has a laser rocket arm and could charm the pants off of...well anything. Tom Brady can get anyBODY to do anyTHING just but smiling and batting his lashes. Straight up. Any human being that's reading this (male or female) knows exactly what I'm saying and fully agrees with this fact. You are thinking, "Your right. No doubt. I would let Brady violate me, probably even right this second"...and you would. No shame. I don't want to like him either. Just cant not.
My point is that Tom Brady may have been drafted in the 6th round but if that day were played over and over again you would see the odds play out and you would see Brady drafted 2nd or 3rd round. He's perfect and perfect people have always been perfect. In Toms case people just flat out didn't know it yet. I'm shocked he didn't lock it up in the combine with some sort of "Jediesque" eye contact mind trick. That's what get football players like Tom Brady ahead. He went to what is supposed to be an elite program. He plays the most important position in football. He's gorgeous. He can cry on command....and generally has everything going for him in life that nobody else has.

Ok...I'm wandering, but Peyton Hillis is not Tom Brady. 3rd string white running backs that get picked 227 in the draft that have the charm of a wild beast do not make it in the NFL. Yet here we are.

Chapter 3. – It's Quinning Time: The Josh McDaniels Saga



This post is supposed to be about Peyton Hillis and I have faith that it will be, but for the time being lets talk about Josh McDaniels. Congratulations on your success with the Pats, Josh. Well done. I can imagine how difficult life must have been as a 28 year old offensive coordinator for the best offense the NFL may have ever seen . Don’t take the credit…there's no credit due to you here. Despite the cheating, and the pouting you were given the chance to replace a legend In Denver. You certainly appeared to be a “sure thing” and a cant miss hire.

I should just stop this rant right now because after a full 30 minutes of compiling creative ways to bash Josh McDaniels all I have to show is 1 paragraph and am not even relatively close to my point. I should recommend to you the readers and to myself that I should move more briskly through my thoughts and I should focus on the things I originally planned to say. So often in life it seems easy to get caught up in the moment. Right now I am caught up in the moment and I would like to thin that somehow this is going to tie back into Hillis, but for now it won't. I feel like riding McDaniels for a little bit longer. Its been one of those scenarios that with more research comes more interest and more awe in his overall demise. Maybe its easier to just review some highlights (or low lights). Why don't we give that a try.


The Rise

• 1999 – Daddy gets him a job with his buddy Nick Saban as a graduate assistant at Michigan State. (Stock: Up)
• 2001 – Joins New England Patriots as a personal assistant and the team upsets the heavily favored Rams to win Super Bowl XXXVI (Stock: Up)
• 2004 – Promoted to Quarterbacks coach
  and team wins Super Bowl XXXIX making that the 3rd championship in 4 years. (Stock: Up)
• 2005-2006 – Unofficially (05) then then officially (06) gets promotion to offensive coordinator following the departure of Charlie Weiss to ND. (Stock: Up)
• 2007 – Patriots have perfect regular season and shatter NFL offensive records under McDaniels. (Stock: Up)

Keep in mind that the Spygate controversy occurred in 2006 the year before the 2007 perfect season, and McDaniels was not ever officially blamed or fined. That said…even I am having a hard time right now identifying a single blemish on his resume from 1999-2007. It seems almost perfect and parlayed with the fact he was hired by the Pats at age 23 and was offensive coordinator by age 28 it would be hard to say that this wasn’t one of the all time great “young”coaches in history. Then a funny little thing happened. The first quarter of the first regular season game in 2008 Josh McDaniels had to swallow his first dose of cold reality. Tom Brady went down with a leg injury that would sideline him for the entire year. I can not say with confidence that McDaniels will never amount to anything again in this league, but if he doesn’t…he probably has that day to blame. In one play, on blink of an eye, his professional career flashed before his eyes. No I am not talking about Brady…he's was going to be fine. Worst case scenario is that Tom still had 3 Super Bowls, a league MVP, 1 gazillion bucks, and Gisele Bundchen to fall back on. I am talking about the offensive coach. Lets take a look at what Josh has done since the injury.

The Fall

• 2007 – Member of coaching staff accused of cheating by filming opponents play calling from stands. (Stock: Down)
• 2009 – Immediately after being hired by Broncos begins feuding with Denver’s Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler. Feud would eventually lead to Cutler’s departure from team. It was widely believed that McDaniels was targeting former player Matt Cassel, but when Cassel was traded to Kansas City McDaniels was only able to salvage career journeyman Kyle Orton in return. (Stock: Down)
• 2009 - Responds to fans insistence that Peyton Hillis needs to see more playing time and more carries by giving Mr. Madden NFL 2012 a total of 13 carries the entire season. Denver openly searches for a "every down" running back. These numbers are way down from the 2008 rookie totals Peyton amassed that included 5 touchdowns on an average of 5.0 yards per carry. (Stock: Down)
• 2009 - The Broncos finish the 2009 season with an 8-8 record, joining the 1978 Redskins and the 2003 Vikings as the only teams to miss the playoffs after a 6-0 start. (Stock: Down)
• 2010 - Despite McDaniels stating that he planned to expand Peyton Hillis’ role in the offense the popular
  
  running back with M1 Abrams for biceps was traded to Cleveland for Brady Quinn. Given that Hillis was unlikely to see an increase in opportunities in 2010 because Josh McDaniels Sucks. Trade is referred to as one of the most lopsided trades in professional sporting history. (Stock: Down)

• 2010 - Accused of his second video taping scandal. This time as a head coach. The NFL fines him big time. (Stock: Down)
• 2011 - Fired by the Denver Broncos front office after rumors of incompetency and turmoil with owners and players. (Stock: Down)
• 
  

To Be Continued.....