It's now Tuesday, and we're still playing the waiting game here with the People's Pigskin. As we wait for the snow-delayed game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles to kick off, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team sits on a 77-54 lead over the Fighting Amish. The Pigskin side is done for this first week of the two-week final, while the Amish will field Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin.
The National Football League can't be completely happy about the Tuesday night game, in part because the league had set this evening aside for the unveiling of this year's Pro Bowl rosters. Longtime readers of this blog will recall our various attempts to have voters use fantasy football (instead of commercials and autograph lines) to determine who should play in football's all-star game. Did it work? The results are out. Here's how the fans, players and coaches voted.
(Most of the fantasy points are from ESPN.com and reflect the first 15 weeks of the season.)
QUARTERBACKS
Who's in: AFC: Tom Brady (2nd among QBs with 256 fantasy points), Philip Rivers (3rd, 248), Peyton Manning (T-5th, 244), NFC: Michael Vick (1st, 280), Drew Brees (T-5th, 244), Matt Ryan (7th, 210).
Who got snubbed: Aaron Rodgers (4th, 245). At least he didn't lose out to this guy.
RUNNING BACKS
Who's in: AFC: Arian Foster (1st, 263), Maurice Jones-Drew (8th, 186), Jamaal Charles (9th, 185). NFC: Adrian Peterson (3rd, 213), Michael Turner (7th, 193), Steven Jackson (13th, 164).
Who got snubbed: How do Peyton Hillis (2nd, 214), Darren McFadden (4th, 201) and LeSean McCoy (5th, 198) get left out? Obviously, the folks in charge of assembling these rosters didn't play fantasy football this season.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Who's in: AFC: Brandon Lloyd (1st, 179), Dwayne Bowe (3rd, 173), Andre Johnson (6th, 164), Reggie Wayne (12th, 146). NFC: Calvin Johnson (2nd, 177), Roddy White (4th, 171), Greg Jennings (5th, 170), DeSean Jackson (9th, 149).
Who got snubbed: Mike Wallace (T-7th, 150) and Hakeem Nicks (T-7th, 150) lost popularity contests.
FULLBACKS
Who's in: AFC: Vonta Leach (T-104th among running backs, 6). NFC: Ovie Mughelli (T-84th, 14).
Who got snubbed: It's hard to say anyone was snubbed here. Leach opens holes for Foster, and Mughelli opens holes for Turner.
TIGHT ENDS
Who's in: AFC: Antonio Gates (1st, 134), Marcedes Lewis (3rd, 110). NFC: Jason Witten (2nd, 126), Tony Gonzalez (T-7th, 82).
Who got snubbed: Anyone who feels Gonzalez deserves a trip to Honolulu more than Vernon Davis (4th, 107) simply isn't paying attention to anything but the names on the back of the jerseys.
OFFENSIVE LINE
(Voters were asked to pick 3 tackles, 3 guards and 2 tackles for each conference.)
Who's in: The only teams with multiple picks on the offensive line are the New York Jets (D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold), the New York Giants (Chris Snee and Shaun O'Hara) and the New Orleans Saints (Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks).
Who got snubbed: If you listened to our friends at Trench Fantasy and consulted their handy matchup documents, you would have picked linemen from the Indianapolis Colts (1st in pass blocking fantasy points, with 74 per game), the New Orleans Saints (2nd in pass blocking, 71), the Dallas Cowboys (3rd in pass blocking, 66.2), the Jacksonville Jaguars (1st in run blocking, 43.2), the Kansas City Chiefs (2nd in run blocking, 33.4) and the Philadelphia Eagles (3rd in run blocking, 28.1).
DEFENSIVE ENDS
Who's in: AFC: Jason Babin (4th in individual defensive player leagues, 170), Robert Mathis (12th, 148), Dwight Freeney (T-20th, 114). NFC: Justin Tuck (1st, 213), Julius Peppers (2nd, 178), John Abraham (T-9th, 151).
Who got snubbed: Tamba Hali (6th, 167) was listed as a both linebacker and a defensive end on IDP fantasy leagues. Trent Cole (3rd, 175) simply got lost in the shuffle.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Who's in: AFC: Haloti Ngata (5th, 142), Vince Wilfork (19th, 95), Richard Seymour (8th, 124). NFC: Ndamukong Suh (2nd, 157), Jay Ratliff (T-26th, 84), Justin Smith (13th, 132).
Who got snubbed: This list is long and distinguished: Kyle Williams (1st, 161), Ahtyba Rubin (4th, 145), Israel Idonije (3rd, 146) and Barry Cofield (9th, 121).
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
Who's in: AFC: James Harrison (6th among LBs, 258), Cameron Wake (T-26th, 198), Terrell Suggs (30th, 190). NFC: Clay Matthews (28th, 196), DeMarcus Ware (31st, 188), Lance Briggs (T-32nd, 186).
Who got snubbed: They batted 1.000 in the AFC but .000 in the NFC, where James Anderson (9th, 253), Chad Greenway (12th, 240) and Jon Beason (19th, 212) were left out.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
Who's in: AFC: Jerod Mayo (1st among LBs, 288), Ray Lewis (5th, 259). NFC: Brian Urlacher (3rd, 265), Patrick Willis (10th, 249).
Who got snubbed: Stephen Tulloch (2nd, 267) and London Fletcher (8th, 256) need to consider appearing in Old Spice commercials.
CORNERBACKS
Who's in: AFC: Devin McCourty (4th, 206), Nnamdi Asomugha (131st, 42), Darrelle Revis (T-99th, 72). NFC: DeAngelo Hall (2nd, 220), Charles Woodson (3rd, 208), Asante Samuel (79th, 100).
Who got snubbed: Cortland Finnegan (6th, 197), Bryant McFadden (8th, 191) and Terrell Thomas (1st, 245) need to consider holding out of training camp to raise their profile.
STRONG SAFETIES
Who's in: AFC: Troy Polamalu (T-20th, 174). NFC: Adrian Wilson (17th, 183).
Who got snubbed: T.J. Ward (1st, 235) and Roman Harper (T-4th, 221).
FREE SAFETIES
Who's in: AFC: Ed Reed (T-54th, 104), Brandon Meriweather (40th, 132). NFC: Nick Collins (34th, 147), Antrel Rolle (27th, 160).
Who got snubbed: Michael Griffin (3rd, 222) and Kerry Rhodes (6th, 219).
KICKERS
Who's in: AFC: Billy Cundiff (15th, 104). NFC: David Akers (1st, 134).
Who got snubbed: Sebastian Janikowski (T-2nd, 118).
PUNTERS
Who's in: AFC: Shane Lechler (8th in NFL with 3,384 total yards). NFC: Mat McBriar (22nd, 2,758).
Who got snubbed: Dustin Colquitt (6th, 3,682) and Andy Lee (1st, 3,937).
KICK RETURNERS
Who's in: AFC: Marc Mariani (3rd in NFL with 1,411 return yards). NFC: Devin Hester (37th, 427).
Who got snubbed: At least LaRod Stephens-Howling (1st, 1,548) lost out to a record holder. Brad Smith (2nd, 1,432) lost out to the former roommate of Jeff Fisher's son.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS
Who's in: AFC: Montell Owens. NFC: Eric Weems.
Who got snubbed: No one. If you're hoping to make the Pro Bowl on the basis of your special teams play, you'd be better off trying to getting starting spot on your team's offense or defense.
We'll be back with a roundup of the past week's results.
Showing posts with label Minnesota Vikings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minnesota Vikings. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
A Pre-Monday Night Update
As we wait for the Monday night game between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons to kick off, it's time to let you know what's happening with the People's Pigskin. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team currently holds a 75-54 lead over the Fighting Amish. The Pigskin has Michael Turner in tonight's game, while the Amish have nobody.
Normally, this would be good news. Of course, normally the Monday night game would be the final game of the weekend. But very few things about the NFL have been normal this year. This week, Mother Nature, with an assist from the city of Philadelphia, decided to give us a Tuesday night game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. The Pigskin has no players in that game, but the Amish have three: Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. That means this contest is far from over.
Of course, even if this week were over, this contest would be far from over. That's because we're in a two-week final. Therefore, we need your help one more time in selecting a lineup. The polls are now open and will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with some thoughts about the Pro Bowl.
Normally, this would be good news. Of course, normally the Monday night game would be the final game of the weekend. But very few things about the NFL have been normal this year. This week, Mother Nature, with an assist from the city of Philadelphia, decided to give us a Tuesday night game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. The Pigskin has no players in that game, but the Amish have three: Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. That means this contest is far from over.
Of course, even if this week were over, this contest would be far from over. That's because we're in a two-week final. Therefore, we need your help one more time in selecting a lineup. The polls are now open and will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with some thoughts about the Pro Bowl.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
How to Deal with a Headache
The polls for the People's Pitstop lineup will close in a couple of hours, so please vote if you haven't done so already. While you consider your vote, it's time for a little talk about football.
One of the strengths of fantasy football, as opposed to the real thing, is that a fantasy team doesn't have to worry about chemistry or character. It's a meritocracy in the best sense of the word. All that matters is whether you get the job done on the field. A fantasy player doesn't care if the players are wacky or arrogant or even mean. Whether that player is a well-adjusted human being is someone else's problem.
In the National Football League, it doesn't work that way. Coaches do have to worry about whether a player is hurting the team. This week, Brad Childress decided that Randy Moss was hurting the Minnesota Vikings, and the coach made the extreme (and, apparently, unilateral) decision to let the malcontent go. Moss, of course, has landed on his feet with the Tennessee Titans, and he'll get a bye week to learn the offense, so his production shouldn't be an issue with his new team.
How will his move to his third team of this season affect everyone else? First, we look at the Vikings.
Brett Favre: He's probably too busy applying ice packs to various parts to notice Moss' absence.
Adrian Peterson: He was and remains the featured back. No big change here.
Percy Harvin: As he demonstrates here, Rice doesn't need to run a go route to score, so he'll be fine.
Now, how about the Titans?
Vince Young: What quarterback wouldn't want a new toy like this one? At least until that toy starts acting funny.
Chris Johnson: The Titans offense runs through Johnson until further notice.
Kenny Britt: His injury may have been one reason the Titans were attracted to Moss in the first place. Once Britt gets healthy, he'll appreciate the attention Moss gets from defensive backs, but he might not appreciate the way Moss becomes the weapon of choice when it comes to deep throws.
Good thing the People's Pigskin isn't affected by this stuf...wait a minute. We have Britt and Young on our roster?
(Gulp.)
(Nah, Britt will be fine. Really.)
We'll be back with the NASCAR poll results.
One of the strengths of fantasy football, as opposed to the real thing, is that a fantasy team doesn't have to worry about chemistry or character. It's a meritocracy in the best sense of the word. All that matters is whether you get the job done on the field. A fantasy player doesn't care if the players are wacky or arrogant or even mean. Whether that player is a well-adjusted human being is someone else's problem.
In the National Football League, it doesn't work that way. Coaches do have to worry about whether a player is hurting the team. This week, Brad Childress decided that Randy Moss was hurting the Minnesota Vikings, and the coach made the extreme (and, apparently, unilateral) decision to let the malcontent go. Moss, of course, has landed on his feet with the Tennessee Titans, and he'll get a bye week to learn the offense, so his production shouldn't be an issue with his new team.
How will his move to his third team of this season affect everyone else? First, we look at the Vikings.
Brett Favre: He's probably too busy applying ice packs to various parts to notice Moss' absence.
Adrian Peterson: He was and remains the featured back. No big change here.
Percy Harvin: As he demonstrates here, Rice doesn't need to run a go route to score, so he'll be fine.
Now, how about the Titans?
Vince Young: What quarterback wouldn't want a new toy like this one? At least until that toy starts acting funny.
Chris Johnson: The Titans offense runs through Johnson until further notice.
Kenny Britt: His injury may have been one reason the Titans were attracted to Moss in the first place. Once Britt gets healthy, he'll appreciate the attention Moss gets from defensive backs, but he might not appreciate the way Moss becomes the weapon of choice when it comes to deep throws.
Good thing the People's Pigskin isn't affected by this stuf...wait a minute. We have Britt and Young on our roster?
(Gulp.)
(Nah, Britt will be fine. Really.)
We'll be back with the NASCAR poll results.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 7
You still have a couple of hours to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for this week, but in the meantime, it's time to offer you a much-delayed set of predictions for the People's League. Last week's fantasy football forecasts went a disappointing 2-3, leaving us with a season record of 16-14.
People's Pigskin vs. Team z. Yes, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has some questions this week, particularly with Peyton Manning having a bye week. But we also have plenty of options at other positions, including Knowshon Moreno facing an Oakland Raiders defense that gives up rushing yards in bunches. The Pigskin will keep rolling along with another win.
Feely Her Up ... vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. This game really could go either way. The edge goes to Adrian Peterson, who gets to face a Green Bay Packers defense that is redefining the term "banged up." He'll get the points, and the Hawks will squeak out a victory.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. Fighting Amish. Ray Rice just has to be salivating at the thought of bouncing back from last week's heart-breaker by humilating the winless Buffalo Bills. His points should prove to be the winning margin for the Amish.
nuckin' futs vs. Chicago VinSethBears. Drew Brees, say hello to the Cleveland Browns, who are missing two of their best weapons (thanks to James Harrison) and will probably be handing you the ball more often than they would like. Futs, say hello to a winning record.
cowboys romero vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. The Monday night game is crucial not only for the Dallas Cowboys, but also for these two fantasy squads. If Tony Romo wants to be known for something other than screwing up that playoff kick, he needs to kick it into high gear against the Giants. That should be enough for the Cuervonaters to pull out a victory.
Remember, you can still vote on the Pigskin lineup, but please hurry. The results from the "worst NFL team" poll appear below. We'll be back shortly with the lineup results.
[polldaddy poll=3938286]
People's Pigskin vs. Team z. Yes, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has some questions this week, particularly with Peyton Manning having a bye week. But we also have plenty of options at other positions, including Knowshon Moreno facing an Oakland Raiders defense that gives up rushing yards in bunches. The Pigskin will keep rolling along with another win.
Feely Her Up ... vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. This game really could go either way. The edge goes to Adrian Peterson, who gets to face a Green Bay Packers defense that is redefining the term "banged up." He'll get the points, and the Hawks will squeak out a victory.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. Fighting Amish. Ray Rice just has to be salivating at the thought of bouncing back from last week's heart-breaker by humilating the winless Buffalo Bills. His points should prove to be the winning margin for the Amish.
nuckin' futs vs. Chicago VinSethBears. Drew Brees, say hello to the Cleveland Browns, who are missing two of their best weapons (thanks to James Harrison) and will probably be handing you the ball more often than they would like. Futs, say hello to a winning record.
cowboys romero vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. The Monday night game is crucial not only for the Dallas Cowboys, but also for these two fantasy squads. If Tony Romo wants to be known for something other than screwing up that playoff kick, he needs to kick it into high gear against the Giants. That should be enough for the Cuervonaters to pull out a victory.
Remember, you can still vote on the Pigskin lineup, but please hurry. The results from the "worst NFL team" poll appear below. We'll be back shortly with the lineup results.
[polldaddy poll=3938286]
Thursday, October 7, 2010
An Angel Gets Its 6 Points
One of the best lessons that fantasy football can teach is how, as Clarence Oddbody, AS2, said in "It's a Wonderful Life," each man's life touches so many others, and if he isn't there, it leaves an awful hole.
Football players can leave that hole by finagling a mid-season trade, as Randy Moss did this week. In fantasy terms, the trade should be good news for Brett Favre, who now has a wide receiver without a bum hip, a history of migraines or a reality TV wife. It may be bad news for Tom Brady, who can't throw deep passes to the draft pick his team received in exchange for Moss. And it may be horrible news for Wes Welker, who was able to catch so many balls over the past few years in part because his teammate was the one drawing all the attention from "shutdown corners."
Another way a football player can leave a hole is by refusing to show up for games or practices, as Vincent Jackson has been doing for months. In this case, the only hole being generated so far is in Jackson's wallet. Antonio Gates certainly isn't missing Jackson. Neither is Philip Rivers. In fact, Legedu Naanee might want to send Jackson a basket of fruit.
Sometimes, you don't have control over when you leave a hole on your team. For example, you can be sacked 9 times in a half because your offensive coordinator has decided that the words "blocking" and "tight end" don't belong in the same paragraph. In fact, you can get concussed so badly that your team has to rule you out for the following week's game. Though it's not fair to call this Jay Cutler's "fault," it's true nevertheless that his absence will hurt every other offensive player wearing a Chicago Bears helmet.
And sometimes, you leave a hole on your team by performing as if your football had a hole in it. That's what Derek Anderson has done so far with the Arizona Cardinals. His loss (and Arizona's losses) may prove to be Max Hall's gain. It may even benefit Larry Fitzgerald (remember him?), but it will definitely be a blessing for Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower, at least in the short term. After all, if Ken Whisenhunt wants to keep Hall upright, he'll call plenty of handoffs and screens until the quarterback gets his feet wet.
Hear that bell ringing? No, it's not you getting your wings. It's a reminder to vote in our polls. The NASCAR polls will close tonight. We'll be back with the results.
Football players can leave that hole by finagling a mid-season trade, as Randy Moss did this week. In fantasy terms, the trade should be good news for Brett Favre, who now has a wide receiver without a bum hip, a history of migraines or a reality TV wife. It may be bad news for Tom Brady, who can't throw deep passes to the draft pick his team received in exchange for Moss. And it may be horrible news for Wes Welker, who was able to catch so many balls over the past few years in part because his teammate was the one drawing all the attention from "shutdown corners."
Another way a football player can leave a hole is by refusing to show up for games or practices, as Vincent Jackson has been doing for months. In this case, the only hole being generated so far is in Jackson's wallet. Antonio Gates certainly isn't missing Jackson. Neither is Philip Rivers. In fact, Legedu Naanee might want to send Jackson a basket of fruit.
Sometimes, you don't have control over when you leave a hole on your team. For example, you can be sacked 9 times in a half because your offensive coordinator has decided that the words "blocking" and "tight end" don't belong in the same paragraph. In fact, you can get concussed so badly that your team has to rule you out for the following week's game. Though it's not fair to call this Jay Cutler's "fault," it's true nevertheless that his absence will hurt every other offensive player wearing a Chicago Bears helmet.
And sometimes, you leave a hole on your team by performing as if your football had a hole in it. That's what Derek Anderson has done so far with the Arizona Cardinals. His loss (and Arizona's losses) may prove to be Max Hall's gain. It may even benefit Larry Fitzgerald (remember him?), but it will definitely be a blessing for Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower, at least in the short term. After all, if Ken Whisenhunt wants to keep Hall upright, he'll call plenty of handoffs and screens until the quarterback gets his feet wet.
Hear that bell ringing? No, it's not you getting your wings. It's a reminder to vote in our polls. The NASCAR polls will close tonight. We'll be back with the results.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Throwing the Switch
Those of you interested in the People's Pitstop have a couple of hours left to vote on which NASCAR drivers should start for us during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Kansas Motor Speedway. But now, it's time to discuss one of the many facets of fantasy football that can make you do this.
The best time to be a fantasy football player may be the last few days before the season kicks off. Your team is undefeated, all your players lead the league in points and the NFL is still unpredictable enough to make you think this will be the year. The year you win that coveted trophy, and the the year your team gets to play the big game in the House That Texas Taxpayers Built.
Then the games kick off, and sooner or later, you have to make a choice. Do you maintain faith in the lineup that caught your eye in August, or do you adjust to new realities?
First, let's address the easiest question. You cut your kicker at the first sign of trouble. You don't wait until his team brings in a 46-year-old to try out for the job.
Injuries are also easy -- sometimes. Actually, they range from "injured reserve" easy to "game-time decision" hard. Teams also can make your decision easy by benching your player or giving him his walking papers.
The hard part comes when the player performs poorly but doesn't get sent to the bench. Do you hope that this is the week a player like Brett Favre to play his way out of a slump? Do you assume Rashard Mendenhall will bounce back once his quarterback comes back from his suspension for being stupid? Do you ignore the high draft pick you spent on Larry Fitzgerald and turn to a waiver wire star like Lance Moore?
The truth is that there is no one answer to any of these questions. If there were, there would be far fewer people with opinions touting themselves as "experts," and fantasy football would be far less fun if it were predictable. All you can do is make the decision that you feel is best for you and your team. If your decision turns out to be wrong, at least you can say you followed your heart/gut/instincts. This may make you less likely to want to do this.
The only team that doesn't have this option: the People's Pigskin. We have to do what you, the Internet, tell us to do. So tell us what to do.
We'll be back with the results of the NASCAR polls.
The best time to be a fantasy football player may be the last few days before the season kicks off. Your team is undefeated, all your players lead the league in points and the NFL is still unpredictable enough to make you think this will be the year. The year you win that coveted trophy, and the the year your team gets to play the big game in the House That Texas Taxpayers Built.
Then the games kick off, and sooner or later, you have to make a choice. Do you maintain faith in the lineup that caught your eye in August, or do you adjust to new realities?
First, let's address the easiest question. You cut your kicker at the first sign of trouble. You don't wait until his team brings in a 46-year-old to try out for the job.
Injuries are also easy -- sometimes. Actually, they range from "injured reserve" easy to "game-time decision" hard. Teams also can make your decision easy by benching your player or giving him his walking papers.
The hard part comes when the player performs poorly but doesn't get sent to the bench. Do you hope that this is the week a player like Brett Favre to play his way out of a slump? Do you assume Rashard Mendenhall will bounce back once his quarterback comes back from his suspension for being stupid? Do you ignore the high draft pick you spent on Larry Fitzgerald and turn to a waiver wire star like Lance Moore?
The truth is that there is no one answer to any of these questions. If there were, there would be far fewer people with opinions touting themselves as "experts," and fantasy football would be far less fun if it were predictable. All you can do is make the decision that you feel is best for you and your team. If your decision turns out to be wrong, at least you can say you followed your heart/gut/instincts. This may make you less likely to want to do this.
The only team that doesn't have this option: the People's Pigskin. We have to do what you, the Internet, tell us to do. So tell us what to do.
We'll be back with the results of the NASCAR polls.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Quick Defense Poll and Week 3 Results
First things first: Bye week season is upon us, and for the People's Pigskin, that means finding a defense/special teams unit to fill in for the Minnesota Vikings. A new poll is up, and this one needs to close TONIGHT, because ESPN will process waiver requests on Wednesday morning. Here is a look at the candidates:
Seattle Seahawks: 2nd among D/STs with 42 fantasy points, including 26 last week. They visit the St. Louis Rams this week.
Tennessee Titans: 4th among D/STs with 32 fantasy points, including 14 last week. They host the Denver Broncos this week.
Chicago Bears: 5th among D/STs with 28 fantasy points, including 13 Monday night. They visit the New York Giants this week.
Indianapolis Colts: Tied for 7th among D/STs with 26 fantasy points, including 9 last week. They visit the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
If our request is rejected (because someone who's actully lost a game made a request for the same defense), we'll offer another poll. In the meantime, please vote now. We'll wait.
(Whistling the "Jeopardy" theme)
OK, back to the football. Thanks to the frequently intelligent votes of you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin beat the Chicago VinSethBears by a score of 115-91. That means the World Wide Web's favorite fantasy football team is the only team in the People's League with a record of THREE-AND-OH, BABY!
Here's a breakdown of the results.
Peyton Manning, QB: 27 for 43 passing, 325 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 rushes for minus-1 yard and 25 fantasy points. We're going to have to speak to Manning about that trying-to-run thing.
Michael Turner, RB: 30 rushes for 114 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 11 yards and 18 fantasy points. Looks like that groin injury isn't a problem at all. The only thing hurt in Sunday's overtime game was Garrett Hartley's employment status.
Darren McFadden, RB: 25 rushes for 105 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 17 yards and 17 fantasy points. Another running back who had a strong day while watching a kicker suffer.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 2 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown and 12 fantasy points. Never underestimate the value of trickery.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 6 receptions, 56 yards, 1 rush for 2 yards and 5 fantasy points. Like the rest of Detroit Lions, Johnson can't wait for Matthew Stafford to heal.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 34 yards and 3 fantasy points. Mr. Eight-Five doesn't have a backup quarterback to use as an excuse. Looks like he's going the "Tweet about my injuries" route instead.
Antonio Gates, TE: 7 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown and 16 fantasy points. Rotowire.com says it best: "Gates continues to be Philip Rivers' most trusted pass catcher and seems like the person who is benefiting the most from Vincent Jackson's absence."
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered, 1 sack, 10 points allowed and 11 fantasy points. Don't cry about losing them to a bye week. Despite the strong outing against the Lions, this defense ranks 17th with only 20 fantasy points.
Jeff Reed, K: 1 for 1 on field goals, 5 for 5 on extra points and 8 fantasy points. Ironically, the butt-whipping that the Pittsburgh Steelers delivered to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Reed's point total down.
Bench: Chad Henne put up 20 points, while Justin Forsett scored 9. Kenny Britt and Vince Young scored 8 apiece.
Next up for the People's Pigskin is a date with the 2-1 t-bay cuervonatersXXL. It's time for you, the Internet, to help us find the way to 4-0. The defense poll will close tonight, but the other football polls (located below the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday morning. Please vote.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
Seattle Seahawks: 2nd among D/STs with 42 fantasy points, including 26 last week. They visit the St. Louis Rams this week.
Tennessee Titans: 4th among D/STs with 32 fantasy points, including 14 last week. They host the Denver Broncos this week.
Chicago Bears: 5th among D/STs with 28 fantasy points, including 13 Monday night. They visit the New York Giants this week.
Indianapolis Colts: Tied for 7th among D/STs with 26 fantasy points, including 9 last week. They visit the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
If our request is rejected (because someone who's actully lost a game made a request for the same defense), we'll offer another poll. In the meantime, please vote now. We'll wait.
(Whistling the "Jeopardy" theme)
OK, back to the football. Thanks to the frequently intelligent votes of you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin beat the Chicago VinSethBears by a score of 115-91. That means the World Wide Web's favorite fantasy football team is the only team in the People's League with a record of THREE-AND-OH, BABY!
Here's a breakdown of the results.
Peyton Manning, QB: 27 for 43 passing, 325 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 rushes for minus-1 yard and 25 fantasy points. We're going to have to speak to Manning about that trying-to-run thing.
Michael Turner, RB: 30 rushes for 114 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 11 yards and 18 fantasy points. Looks like that groin injury isn't a problem at all. The only thing hurt in Sunday's overtime game was Garrett Hartley's employment status.
Darren McFadden, RB: 25 rushes for 105 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 17 yards and 17 fantasy points. Another running back who had a strong day while watching a kicker suffer.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 2 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown and 12 fantasy points. Never underestimate the value of trickery.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 6 receptions, 56 yards, 1 rush for 2 yards and 5 fantasy points. Like the rest of Detroit Lions, Johnson can't wait for Matthew Stafford to heal.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 34 yards and 3 fantasy points. Mr. Eight-Five doesn't have a backup quarterback to use as an excuse. Looks like he's going the "Tweet about my injuries" route instead.
Antonio Gates, TE: 7 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown and 16 fantasy points. Rotowire.com says it best: "Gates continues to be Philip Rivers' most trusted pass catcher and seems like the person who is benefiting the most from Vincent Jackson's absence."
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered, 1 sack, 10 points allowed and 11 fantasy points. Don't cry about losing them to a bye week. Despite the strong outing against the Lions, this defense ranks 17th with only 20 fantasy points.
Jeff Reed, K: 1 for 1 on field goals, 5 for 5 on extra points and 8 fantasy points. Ironically, the butt-whipping that the Pittsburgh Steelers delivered to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Reed's point total down.
Bench: Chad Henne put up 20 points, while Justin Forsett scored 9. Kenny Britt and Vince Young scored 8 apiece.
Next up for the People's Pigskin is a date with the 2-1 t-bay cuervonatersXXL. It's time for you, the Internet, to help us find the way to 4-0. The defense poll will close tonight, but the other football polls (located below the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday morning. Please vote.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The People's Choice - Week 3
For football fans, the acronym should be TGIS: Thank goodness it's Sunday!
Another round of NFL games are on the slate, and the People's Pigskin is ready for its People's League matchup against the Chicago VinSethBears. Thanks to everyone for voting on our lineup. Here are the results.
Quarterback. Peyton Manning? Really? You want to start the player who leads quarterbacks in ESPN fantasy points? Well, OK, if you insist. He gets the Denver Broncos.
Running back. Knowshon Moreno threw a wrench in the works by injuring his hamstring. But that's OK. You, the Internet, rose to the occasion and voted to start Michael Turner (who faces the New Orleans Saints) and Darren McFadden (who plays against the Arizona Cardinals).
Wide receiver. Calvin Johnson may not have won a game yet (though that may change today against the Minnesota Vikings), but he won this week's poll. He and runner-up Chad Ochocinco (who plays the Carolina Panthers) get the wide receiver spots.
Dwayne Bowe finished third, but since he isn't injured, he gets the flex spot for his game against the San Francisco 49ers, which hasn't changed quarterbacks but has changed softball-throwing reporters.
No changes at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Seattle Seahawks), defense (the Minnesota Vikings) or kicker (Jeff Reed, who gets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Thanks again for voting. The results appear below. Feel free to vote in our quick gameday poll. We'll be back with results.
[polldaddy poll=3795679] [polldaddy poll=3795690] [polldaddy poll=3795694] [polldaddy poll=3795702] [polldaddy poll=3795705] [polldaddy poll=3795716]
Another round of NFL games are on the slate, and the People's Pigskin is ready for its People's League matchup against the Chicago VinSethBears. Thanks to everyone for voting on our lineup. Here are the results.
Quarterback. Peyton Manning? Really? You want to start the player who leads quarterbacks in ESPN fantasy points? Well, OK, if you insist. He gets the Denver Broncos.
Running back. Knowshon Moreno threw a wrench in the works by injuring his hamstring. But that's OK. You, the Internet, rose to the occasion and voted to start Michael Turner (who faces the New Orleans Saints) and Darren McFadden (who plays against the Arizona Cardinals).
Wide receiver. Calvin Johnson may not have won a game yet (though that may change today against the Minnesota Vikings), but he won this week's poll. He and runner-up Chad Ochocinco (who plays the Carolina Panthers) get the wide receiver spots.
Dwayne Bowe finished third, but since he isn't injured, he gets the flex spot for his game against the San Francisco 49ers, which hasn't changed quarterbacks but has changed softball-throwing reporters.
No changes at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Seattle Seahawks), defense (the Minnesota Vikings) or kicker (Jeff Reed, who gets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Thanks again for voting. The results appear below. Feel free to vote in our quick gameday poll. We'll be back with results.
[polldaddy poll=3795679] [polldaddy poll=3795690] [polldaddy poll=3795694] [polldaddy poll=3795702] [polldaddy poll=3795705] [polldaddy poll=3795716]
Monday, September 20, 2010
What We Have in Common with the Bucs
In fantasy football, they never ask "How?" They always ask "How many?"
For the People's Pigskin, the answer to that question was "Enough." The Internet's favorite fantasy football team managed to beat the Hudson Valley Hawks by a score of 101-82. Therefore, like the unlikely Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Pigskin boasts a record of 2-0.
Here's how we got there.
Peyton Manning, QB: 20 of 26 passing, 255 yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 rushes for negative-3 yards and 22 fantasy points. The oh-so-hyped Manning Bowl looked more like a scrimmage thanks to Peyton and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts.
Michael Turner, RB: 9 rushes for 75 yards and 7 fantasy points. Turner left the game early with a groin injury, though the Atlanta Falcons are saying it's not serious.
Darren McFadden, RB: 30 rushes for 145 yards, 2 receptions for 8 yards and 14 fantasy points. All McFadden couldn't do is score a touchdown for the Oakland Raiders, who needed the help of Bruce Gradkowski to beat the St. Louis Rams.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions, 50 yards, 1 touchdown, a 2-point conversion and 13 fantasy points. All Johnson couldn't do was win the game for the Detroit Lions.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 44 yards and 4 fantasy points. He had Johnson's day, except for the touchdown and the loss.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 4 receptions, 45 yards and 4 fantasy points. Ditto.
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 57 yards, 2 touchdowns and 17 fantasy points. Neither Gates nor the rest of the San Diego Chargers seemed to miss Vincent Jackson much Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 14 points allowed, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks and 7 fantasy points. Normally, a team with defensive numbers like that plays well enough to win. Unfortunately, no team with Brett Favre under center is normal.
Jeff Reed, K: 4 for 4 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 13 fantasy points. If you're on a team that wins a game 19-11 and is down to its fourth quarterback, the only way you can score fantasy points is by kicking.
Bench. Our winning margin could have been even larger. Knowshon Moreno scored 17 points, and Kenny Britt scored 6. Of course, the margin also could have been smaller. Chad Henne scored only 8 points. And if we had played Vince Young, whose point total was negative-3, there might not have been a victory at all.
Regardless, it's time to put that game in the archives, enjoy the Monday night game and set our sights on week 3 against the Chicago VinSethBears. The lineup polls are now open (beneath the NASCAR ones) and will stay open until Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track. Here are the results from the snack poll.
[polldaddy poll=3786434]
For the People's Pigskin, the answer to that question was "Enough." The Internet's favorite fantasy football team managed to beat the Hudson Valley Hawks by a score of 101-82. Therefore, like the unlikely Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Pigskin boasts a record of 2-0.
Here's how we got there.
Peyton Manning, QB: 20 of 26 passing, 255 yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 rushes for negative-3 yards and 22 fantasy points. The oh-so-hyped Manning Bowl looked more like a scrimmage thanks to Peyton and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts.
Michael Turner, RB: 9 rushes for 75 yards and 7 fantasy points. Turner left the game early with a groin injury, though the Atlanta Falcons are saying it's not serious.
Darren McFadden, RB: 30 rushes for 145 yards, 2 receptions for 8 yards and 14 fantasy points. All McFadden couldn't do is score a touchdown for the Oakland Raiders, who needed the help of Bruce Gradkowski to beat the St. Louis Rams.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions, 50 yards, 1 touchdown, a 2-point conversion and 13 fantasy points. All Johnson couldn't do was win the game for the Detroit Lions.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 44 yards and 4 fantasy points. He had Johnson's day, except for the touchdown and the loss.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 4 receptions, 45 yards and 4 fantasy points. Ditto.
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 57 yards, 2 touchdowns and 17 fantasy points. Neither Gates nor the rest of the San Diego Chargers seemed to miss Vincent Jackson much Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 14 points allowed, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks and 7 fantasy points. Normally, a team with defensive numbers like that plays well enough to win. Unfortunately, no team with Brett Favre under center is normal.
Jeff Reed, K: 4 for 4 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 13 fantasy points. If you're on a team that wins a game 19-11 and is down to its fourth quarterback, the only way you can score fantasy points is by kicking.
Bench. Our winning margin could have been even larger. Knowshon Moreno scored 17 points, and Kenny Britt scored 6. Of course, the margin also could have been smaller. Chad Henne scored only 8 points. And if we had played Vince Young, whose point total was negative-3, there might not have been a victory at all.
Regardless, it's time to put that game in the archives, enjoy the Monday night game and set our sights on week 3 against the Chicago VinSethBears. The lineup polls are now open (beneath the NASCAR ones) and will stay open until Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track. Here are the results from the snack poll.
[polldaddy poll=3786434]
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The People's Choice - Week 2
Everybody ready for kickoff? Good, because another football Sunday is upon us, and thanks to you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin is ready for its People's League matchup against the Hudson Valley Hawks. Here is the starting lineup you helped choose for the Web's favorite fantasy football team.
Quarterback. In one of the least suspenseful polls of all time, Peyton Manning took all the votes. He gets his brother and the New York Giants tonight.
Running back. Half the votes went to Michael Turner, who faces the Arizona Cardinals. For the other spot, Darren McFadden edged out Knowshon Moreno. McFadden has his home opener against the St. Louis Rams.
Wide receiver. Calvin Johnson, who faces the Philadelphia Eagles and hopefully will hang on to the ball this time, and Chad Ochocinco, who gets to play the Baltimore Ravens, beat out Dwayne Bowe for the two receiver spots.
As far as the flex is concerned, Moreno and Bowe drew an equal number of votes. They are also projected to score the same number of points. Since we have no other way to break this tie, we flipped a coin. (No, you weren't invited to watch.) Bowe won the toss and elected to start as our flex. He travels to Cleveland to face the Browns.
No major surprises at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Jacksonville Jaguars), defense (the Minnesota Vikings, who get the Miami Dolphins) or kicker (Jeff Reed, who plays against the Tennessee Titans). However, those of you who voted "get a free agent" have inspired a rule change: If you choose that option, you will be asked to leave a comment offering a suggestion for which free agent to target.
Thanks again for voting. The results appear below. A quick football poll is now open. Good luck, everyone.
[polldaddy poll=3757054] [polldaddy poll=3757072] [polldaddy poll=3757083] [polldaddy poll=3757093] [polldaddy poll=3757097] [polldaddy poll=3757099]
Quarterback. In one of the least suspenseful polls of all time, Peyton Manning took all the votes. He gets his brother and the New York Giants tonight.
Running back. Half the votes went to Michael Turner, who faces the Arizona Cardinals. For the other spot, Darren McFadden edged out Knowshon Moreno. McFadden has his home opener against the St. Louis Rams.
Wide receiver. Calvin Johnson, who faces the Philadelphia Eagles and hopefully will hang on to the ball this time, and Chad Ochocinco, who gets to play the Baltimore Ravens, beat out Dwayne Bowe for the two receiver spots.
As far as the flex is concerned, Moreno and Bowe drew an equal number of votes. They are also projected to score the same number of points. Since we have no other way to break this tie, we flipped a coin. (No, you weren't invited to watch.) Bowe won the toss and elected to start as our flex. He travels to Cleveland to face the Browns.
No major surprises at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Jacksonville Jaguars), defense (the Minnesota Vikings, who get the Miami Dolphins) or kicker (Jeff Reed, who plays against the Tennessee Titans). However, those of you who voted "get a free agent" have inspired a rule change: If you choose that option, you will be asked to leave a comment offering a suggestion for which free agent to target.
Thanks again for voting. The results appear below. A quick football poll is now open. Good luck, everyone.
[polldaddy poll=3757054] [polldaddy poll=3757072] [polldaddy poll=3757083] [polldaddy poll=3757093] [polldaddy poll=3757097] [polldaddy poll=3757099]
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The People's Victory!
It's now official: The People's Pigskin won its initial matchup against the former Beanie's Weenies by a score of 103-54. Here's how we did it.
Peyton Manning, QB: 40 for 57 passing for 433 yards, 3 touchdowns and 29 fantasy points. He and his Indianapolis Colts can't be happy about their performance against the Houston Texans, but even what Manning would consider an off day is a pretty good day for fantasy football.
Michael Turner, RB: 19 rushes for 42 yards, 1 reception for 7 yards and 4 fantasy points. Chalk one up for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. They stuffed the run and forced Matt Ryan to try to win the game with his arm. Turner will have better days.
Darren McFadden, RB: 18 rushes for 95 yards, 6 receptions for 55 yards, 1 touchdown and 20 fantasy points. That's more like it. It's too bad the Oakland Raiders faced a more talented team (and runner) on Sunday.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions for 45 yards and 4 points. Those numbers would be much stronger if it weren't for a certain ruling. Fantasy players will have to hope Calvin wraps his arms around the ball next time. Oh, and they better hope his new quarterback is as good as his old one.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 1 reception, 13 yards and 1 fantasy point. Fortunately, this week's contest was settled before Bowe had a chance to affect it.
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 12 receptions, 159 yards, 1 touchdown and 21 fantasy points. Another excellent fantasy performance for someone whose team as a whole did not have a good day.
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 76 yards, 1 touchdown and 13 fantasy points. Again, his points were gravy, but his numbers, even on a night when the San Diego Chargers weren't clicking, offer hope to fantasy players that maybe Vincent Jackson's absence won't kill him, after all.
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 1 sack, 14 points allowed and 2 fantasy points. It's old news by now, but the Vikings' outing against the New Orleans Saints could have been a whole lot worse.
Jeff Reed, K: 3 for 5 on field goals and 9 fantasy points. You can take the glass-half-full view that Reed put up the type of points you would want from your fantasy kicker, or you can take the glass-half-empty view that Reed missed two kicks, including one that would have prevented Rashard Mendenhall's overtime run from ever happening.
Anyway, next up for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team is a matchup against the Hudson Valley Hawks. The lineup polls are now open (under the NASCAR polls) and will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with some information about this week's NASCAR track.
Peyton Manning, QB: 40 for 57 passing for 433 yards, 3 touchdowns and 29 fantasy points. He and his Indianapolis Colts can't be happy about their performance against the Houston Texans, but even what Manning would consider an off day is a pretty good day for fantasy football.
Michael Turner, RB: 19 rushes for 42 yards, 1 reception for 7 yards and 4 fantasy points. Chalk one up for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. They stuffed the run and forced Matt Ryan to try to win the game with his arm. Turner will have better days.
Darren McFadden, RB: 18 rushes for 95 yards, 6 receptions for 55 yards, 1 touchdown and 20 fantasy points. That's more like it. It's too bad the Oakland Raiders faced a more talented team (and runner) on Sunday.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions for 45 yards and 4 points. Those numbers would be much stronger if it weren't for a certain ruling. Fantasy players will have to hope Calvin wraps his arms around the ball next time. Oh, and they better hope his new quarterback is as good as his old one.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 1 reception, 13 yards and 1 fantasy point. Fortunately, this week's contest was settled before Bowe had a chance to affect it.
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 12 receptions, 159 yards, 1 touchdown and 21 fantasy points. Another excellent fantasy performance for someone whose team as a whole did not have a good day.
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 76 yards, 1 touchdown and 13 fantasy points. Again, his points were gravy, but his numbers, even on a night when the San Diego Chargers weren't clicking, offer hope to fantasy players that maybe Vincent Jackson's absence won't kill him, after all.
Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: 1 sack, 14 points allowed and 2 fantasy points. It's old news by now, but the Vikings' outing against the New Orleans Saints could have been a whole lot worse.
Jeff Reed, K: 3 for 5 on field goals and 9 fantasy points. You can take the glass-half-full view that Reed put up the type of points you would want from your fantasy kicker, or you can take the glass-half-empty view that Reed missed two kicks, including one that would have prevented Rashard Mendenhall's overtime run from ever happening.
Anyway, next up for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team is a matchup against the Hudson Valley Hawks. The lineup polls are now open (under the NASCAR polls) and will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with some information about this week's NASCAR track.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Kickoff Time, Baby!
"Professional football in America is a special game. A unique game. Played nowhere else on earth, it is a rare game." -- John Facenda, NFL Films.
And now the time has come for that game to get underway, along with that other special game called fantasy football.
The National Football League opens its season tonight with an NFC Championship rematch between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, the People's Pigskin, that grand fantasy football democracy experiment, begins its quest for a 2010 title with a matchup against Beanie's Weenies. Mmmmmm, beanie weenies....
Oh, where was I?
Speaking of the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, the first lineup poll of the season for that team is done. You, the Internet, decided to play the Vikings defense/special teams in lieu of finding a free agent. The results appear below. The other polls are still open. The NASCAR polls will close tonight, while the football polls will close Sunday morning. Thanks for voting, and enjoy the game.
[polldaddy poll=3722973]
And now the time has come for that game to get underway, along with that other special game called fantasy football.
The National Football League opens its season tonight with an NFC Championship rematch between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, the People's Pigskin, that grand fantasy football democracy experiment, begins its quest for a 2010 title with a matchup against Beanie's Weenies. Mmmmmm, beanie weenies....
Oh, where was I?
Speaking of the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, the first lineup poll of the season for that team is done. You, the Internet, decided to play the Vikings defense/special teams in lieu of finding a free agent. The results appear below. The other polls are still open. The NASCAR polls will close tonight, while the football polls will close Sunday morning. Thanks for voting, and enjoy the game.
[polldaddy poll=3722973]
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Draft Results Are In
It's not quite as momentous or historic an event as, say, the invention of the Big Mac, but it's a moment of pride nonetheless.
The People's Pigskin has completed its second annual draft, and as a result, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has a fairly strong lineup to test the theory that the masses can do just as well as the "experts" in running a fantasy team. Here are the round-by-round results.
Round 1. The People's Pigskin drew the ninth spot out of 10 teams, and all six of the players selected in the who should top our draft board polls were taken in the first seven picks. We responded by taking the best player left, Michael Turner. No truly shocking picks, except Tony Romo's pick at No. 10 overall.
Round 2. One of the side effects of picking 9th in a 10-team draft is picking again three picks later. Drew Brees didn't make it to this round, so we took the second-rated quarterback on our board, Peyton Manning. And a few weeks ago, you would have won a few bets if you guessed that someone would pick Arian Foster in the second round of a fantasy draft.
Round 3. Time to get a receiver, but none of our top four receivers made it this far. (Brandon Marshall almost did.) We took Calvin Johnson.
Round 4. Again, a quick turnaround. We took Knowshon Moreno, the winner of this year's T.J. Houshmandzadeh award for "player whose name the people who run this blog will be able to spell in their sleep by Halloween."
Round 5. Dallas Clark continued his habit of coming off the draft board ridiculously early (in the fourth round, along with Vernon Davis), but we got the tight end who was ranked second on our board, Antonio Gates.
Round 6. Time to get a second receiver. We went with Chad Ochocinco, who, despite his ongoing love affair with himself, manages to put up solid numbers season after season.
Round 7. This round saw a run of tight ends, but we were able to avoid it by taking Dwayne Bowe.
Round 8. Time to get Turner and Moreno a backup. We went with Justin Forsett, since his numbers won't go south if Matt Hasselbeck still have a gimpy back. (By the way, this was the round where the first defense/special teams, the New York Jets, was selected.)
Round 9. Since the Jets escaped our grasp, we went with the next-best option, according to our draft board, the Minnesota Vikings. They went eight picks after NFL2K10 RedZone took the first kicker, Nate Kaeding. And you probably already know what I would say here, so let's just move on.
Round 10. Time for another receiver. We went with Robert Meachem.
Round 11. We missed out on our chance to get Donovan McNabb as our backup QB, so we picked Chad Henne instead.
Round 12. Three more kickers found homes in this round, but we selected Kenny Britt as a backup receiver.
Round 13. Santonio Holmes did not make it down to us in this round, so we grabbed a third QB in Vince Young.
Round 14. We rounded out our running game with Darren McFadden, while two other players drafted kickers, including NFL2K10 RedZone, who made David Akers his backup kicker. Or something.
Round 15. The boneheaded move of the night goes to the People's Pigskin, which forgot about Montario Hardesty's injury and drafted him. Just goes to show that you don't need to have any intelligence to write about fantasy football. (Don't worry; we already have a waiver claim on Kevin Smith to take his spot.)
Round 16. Four teams waited until this round to draft a kicker, including the People's Pigskin, which selected Jeff Reed.
What do you think of our lineup? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the football lineup polls are open. Most of them will stay open until Sunday morning. The one about the Vikings defense/special teams will close Thursday, since the Vikings play the New Orleans Saints in the season opener. Feel free to vote now.
The People's Pigskin has completed its second annual draft, and as a result, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has a fairly strong lineup to test the theory that the masses can do just as well as the "experts" in running a fantasy team. Here are the round-by-round results.
Round 1. The People's Pigskin drew the ninth spot out of 10 teams, and all six of the players selected in the who should top our draft board polls were taken in the first seven picks. We responded by taking the best player left, Michael Turner. No truly shocking picks, except Tony Romo's pick at No. 10 overall.
Round 2. One of the side effects of picking 9th in a 10-team draft is picking again three picks later. Drew Brees didn't make it to this round, so we took the second-rated quarterback on our board, Peyton Manning. And a few weeks ago, you would have won a few bets if you guessed that someone would pick Arian Foster in the second round of a fantasy draft.
Round 3. Time to get a receiver, but none of our top four receivers made it this far. (Brandon Marshall almost did.) We took Calvin Johnson.
Round 4. Again, a quick turnaround. We took Knowshon Moreno, the winner of this year's T.J. Houshmandzadeh award for "player whose name the people who run this blog will be able to spell in their sleep by Halloween."
Round 5. Dallas Clark continued his habit of coming off the draft board ridiculously early (in the fourth round, along with Vernon Davis), but we got the tight end who was ranked second on our board, Antonio Gates.
Round 6. Time to get a second receiver. We went with Chad Ochocinco, who, despite his ongoing love affair with himself, manages to put up solid numbers season after season.
Round 7. This round saw a run of tight ends, but we were able to avoid it by taking Dwayne Bowe.
Round 8. Time to get Turner and Moreno a backup. We went with Justin Forsett, since his numbers won't go south if Matt Hasselbeck still have a gimpy back. (By the way, this was the round where the first defense/special teams, the New York Jets, was selected.)
Round 9. Since the Jets escaped our grasp, we went with the next-best option, according to our draft board, the Minnesota Vikings. They went eight picks after NFL2K10 RedZone took the first kicker, Nate Kaeding. And you probably already know what I would say here, so let's just move on.
Round 10. Time for another receiver. We went with Robert Meachem.
Round 11. We missed out on our chance to get Donovan McNabb as our backup QB, so we picked Chad Henne instead.
Round 12. Three more kickers found homes in this round, but we selected Kenny Britt as a backup receiver.
Round 13. Santonio Holmes did not make it down to us in this round, so we grabbed a third QB in Vince Young.
Round 14. We rounded out our running game with Darren McFadden, while two other players drafted kickers, including NFL2K10 RedZone, who made David Akers his backup kicker. Or something.
Round 15. The boneheaded move of the night goes to the People's Pigskin, which forgot about Montario Hardesty's injury and drafted him. Just goes to show that you don't need to have any intelligence to write about fantasy football. (Don't worry; we already have a waiver claim on Kevin Smith to take his spot.)
Round 16. Four teams waited until this round to draft a kicker, including the People's Pigskin, which selected Jeff Reed.
What do you think of our lineup? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the football lineup polls are open. Most of them will stay open until Sunday morning. The one about the Vikings defense/special teams will close Thursday, since the Vikings play the New Orleans Saints in the season opener. Feel free to vote now.
One Last Pre-Draft Set of Poll Results
Before the People's Pigskin drafts its lineup for the 2010-11 NFL season, it's time to post the results of one last set of draft board polls.
First of all, you, the Internet, decided that Drew Brees should be sixth overall on our draft board (after Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice and Frank Gore). You also said that Tom Brady should be the No. 4 quarterback (after Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers) and that Randy Moss should be our No. 4 wide receiver (after Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall).
You said that we should have Antonio Gates as our No. 2 tight end (after Dallas Clark). When asked who should be our No. 2 defense/special teams (after the New York Jets), you split between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. We just had Roger Goodell flip a coin for us, and we'll have the Vikings No. 2 and the Steelers No. 3.
Meanwhile, even though the NASCAR Sprint Cup race is taking place right now, we have a new set of driver polls up. They will stay up until Thursday evening. Feel free to vote now. We'll be back with the draft results.
[polldaddy poll=3715058] [polldaddy poll=3715069] [polldaddy poll=3715074] [polldaddy poll=3715081] [polldaddy poll=3715085]
First of all, you, the Internet, decided that Drew Brees should be sixth overall on our draft board (after Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice and Frank Gore). You also said that Tom Brady should be the No. 4 quarterback (after Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers) and that Randy Moss should be our No. 4 wide receiver (after Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall).
You said that we should have Antonio Gates as our No. 2 tight end (after Dallas Clark). When asked who should be our No. 2 defense/special teams (after the New York Jets), you split between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. We just had Roger Goodell flip a coin for us, and we'll have the Vikings No. 2 and the Steelers No. 3.
Meanwhile, even though the NASCAR Sprint Cup race is taking place right now, we have a new set of driver polls up. They will stay up until Thursday evening. Feel free to vote now. We'll be back with the draft results.
[polldaddy poll=3715058] [polldaddy poll=3715069] [polldaddy poll=3715074] [polldaddy poll=3715081] [polldaddy poll=3715085]
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
How to Treat Cuts
For most fantasy football players, one of the hardest parts of the last week in August, other than watching the last preseason games, is making sure their draft picks actually can take the field when the season gets started.
National Football League teams had until Tuesday to get their rosters down to 75 players. This round of cuts was not the deepest (next week, that 75-player roster has to get down to 53), but it was extensive, and it can affect your roster if you're not careful.
With that in mind, here's a survival strategy for the season of The Turk.
1. Draft as late as possible. If your draft was in early August, you might know someone who took a late-round flyer on Antonio Bryant or Derrick Ward. That's why the People's League plans to hold its draft the night before Labor Day. (By the way, we still need six teams to join, so feel free to join now.)
2. Know who was cut. This is not as easy as it seems. A lot of the "usual suspect" Web sites don't seem to have a list of all the people released by 32 NFL teams. This seems to be the closest thing ESPN has to such a list. At least it does let you know that the Broncos running attack won't include Huggy Bear's kid.
3. Know your terms. The NFL seems to have more lists than the folks who put together the Top Ten of Everything books. The injured reserve list (home of Jim Sorgi and Sinorice Moss) is for players whose seasons are over. The physically unable to perform list (where Sidney Rice resides) is for players who are injured but could still contribute to their teams during the season. Then there's the "waived failed physical" list, which means the player is off a roster but free to sign elsewhere. And if the player was put on the list by the Bengals, the player's agent is free to crucify the team for it.
By the way, the Bengals may not actually have these folks on its medical staff, but they may want to consider getting some second opinions.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
National Football League teams had until Tuesday to get their rosters down to 75 players. This round of cuts was not the deepest (next week, that 75-player roster has to get down to 53), but it was extensive, and it can affect your roster if you're not careful.
With that in mind, here's a survival strategy for the season of The Turk.
1. Draft as late as possible. If your draft was in early August, you might know someone who took a late-round flyer on Antonio Bryant or Derrick Ward. That's why the People's League plans to hold its draft the night before Labor Day. (By the way, we still need six teams to join, so feel free to join now.)
2. Know who was cut. This is not as easy as it seems. A lot of the "usual suspect" Web sites don't seem to have a list of all the people released by 32 NFL teams. This seems to be the closest thing ESPN has to such a list. At least it does let you know that the Broncos running attack won't include Huggy Bear's kid.
3. Know your terms. The NFL seems to have more lists than the folks who put together the Top Ten of Everything books. The injured reserve list (home of Jim Sorgi and Sinorice Moss) is for players whose seasons are over. The physically unable to perform list (where Sidney Rice resides) is for players who are injured but could still contribute to their teams during the season. Then there's the "waived failed physical" list, which means the player is off a roster but free to sign elsewhere. And if the player was put on the list by the Bengals, the player's agent is free to crucify the team for it.
By the way, the Bengals may not actually have these folks on its medical staff, but they may want to consider getting some second opinions.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Coming Soon (or Not) to a Camp Near You
There are some things that always happen at this time of year. Someone will try to get America to care about golf's fourth major, and NFL players are going through training camp.
Most of them, that is.
While you're getting ready for your draft (regardless of how it is set up), some teams are dealing with players who, for one reason or another, have decided to stretch out their summer vacation. Here are a few examples, and whether fantasy players need to be worried about them.
Darrelle Revis, New York Jets. If you caught the first episode of this year's "Hard Knocks," you saw a lot of people, but Revis was not one of them. He wants to get Nnamdi Asomugha money. And Woody Johnson, the owner of the Jets, has raised the possibility that Revis will miss the season as a result of this holdout. Should fantasy players be concerned? Yes. Revis is one of the primary reasons the Jets defense will be one of the first off your draft board.
Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers. He's one of several Chargers involved in contract disputes. One of the others, Shawne Merriman, is reportedly ready to sign his deal, but Jackson has been away from the team long enough that he's "not a part of the plan" anymore. If you're a fantasy player, you probably cooled off on Jackson a long time ago. The reason: He faced a three-game DUI suspension the moment he signs, anyway.
Logan Mankins, New England Patriots. Yes, we're going to discuss a guard's holdout. He's trying to get something the Patriots are loath to give out: a lucrative deal. You probably aren't going to draft him (unless you're using the services of our friends at Trench Fantasy), but you probably have an eye on the man he guards. Should fantasy players be concerned? Not yet. Keep an eye on Dan Connolly during the preseason games. He wouldn't be the first Patriot to come out of nowhere and become an All-Pro player.
A certain quarterback, Minnesota Vikings. He's not the first veteran to decide he doesn't like training camp. He's just inspiring more stories than most. Unless he files retirement papers with the National Football League office (something he didn't do after either of his previous two stops), you should expect to see him show up as late as he can get away with.
Incidentally, would we all feel differently about him if all these stories about his situation used the word "holdout"? He is under contract, after all.
Anyway, the lineup polls for the People's Pitstop will close later tonight. Please vote now. We'll be back with the results.
Most of them, that is.
While you're getting ready for your draft (regardless of how it is set up), some teams are dealing with players who, for one reason or another, have decided to stretch out their summer vacation. Here are a few examples, and whether fantasy players need to be worried about them.
Darrelle Revis, New York Jets. If you caught the first episode of this year's "Hard Knocks," you saw a lot of people, but Revis was not one of them. He wants to get Nnamdi Asomugha money. And Woody Johnson, the owner of the Jets, has raised the possibility that Revis will miss the season as a result of this holdout. Should fantasy players be concerned? Yes. Revis is one of the primary reasons the Jets defense will be one of the first off your draft board.
Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers. He's one of several Chargers involved in contract disputes. One of the others, Shawne Merriman, is reportedly ready to sign his deal, but Jackson has been away from the team long enough that he's "not a part of the plan" anymore. If you're a fantasy player, you probably cooled off on Jackson a long time ago. The reason: He faced a three-game DUI suspension the moment he signs, anyway.
Logan Mankins, New England Patriots. Yes, we're going to discuss a guard's holdout. He's trying to get something the Patriots are loath to give out: a lucrative deal. You probably aren't going to draft him (unless you're using the services of our friends at Trench Fantasy), but you probably have an eye on the man he guards. Should fantasy players be concerned? Not yet. Keep an eye on Dan Connolly during the preseason games. He wouldn't be the first Patriot to come out of nowhere and become an All-Pro player.
A certain quarterback, Minnesota Vikings. He's not the first veteran to decide he doesn't like training camp. He's just inspiring more stories than most. Unless he files retirement papers with the National Football League office (something he didn't do after either of his previous two stops), you should expect to see him show up as late as he can get away with.
Incidentally, would we all feel differently about him if all these stories about his situation used the word "holdout"? He is under contract, after all.
Anyway, the lineup polls for the People's Pitstop will close later tonight. Please vote now. We'll be back with the results.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The NFL's Not-So-Sudden Death Wish
We'll take a look at things like Martinsville and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s NSFW tirade tomorrow. But first, the National Football League borrowed a metaphor from another sport and threw everyone a curveball.
A day earlier than a vote was even expected on the matter, the NFL owners voted 28-4 to alter the overtime rules for playoff games. Rich McKay called the new rules "modified sudden death," but that's like saying "mostly dead," and I'm hoping that phrase is completely dead soon.
(Why are these new playoff rules relevant at a Web site that deals with fantasy football? Because the owners will vote in May on applying the same rules to the regular season.)
Lots of people have criticized the old way the NFL decided tied games. The main complaint was crystallized in January in the NFC championship game, when the New Orleans Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre never touched the ball in overtime. People were hoping that the new rules would fix that problem.
Wrong. There will be plenty of scenarios in which that can happen again. Here are some of them. (And since the Saints-Vikings game is so fresh in everyone's thoughts, we'll use it for our examples.)
Scenario 1: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. The Saints return man makes a single Vikings special teamer stumble, runs past him and takes the ball to the end zone. The Saints win the game, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Scenario 2: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. Sean Payton, playing by the new rules, decides that he doesn't want to settle for a 45-yard field goal, since he figures a defense that just gave up 30 or so yards isn't going to suddenly turn into the Steel Curtain now. The Saints finish their scoring drive with a touchdown, the game is over, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Scenario 3: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. However, this time, instead of driving forward, they stumble backward, so much so that the Vikings sack Drew Brees in the end zone, scoring a safety. The Vikings win the game, and Brett Favre never touches the ball. (In this case, he's probably cool with that.)
Scenario 4: The Vikings win the toss this time and elect to receive. Only Sean Payton elects to not give them the ball. The Saints execute an onside kick to perfection (where have we seen that before?), take the ball down the field, and kick a field goal.
So would the Vikings then get a chance to tie? No. Mark Maske of the Washington Post explains why:
"Also, the team kicking off could recover an onside kick in overtime and drive to a field goal, and the game would be over because its opponent had the opportunity to possess the ball. The NFL released a lengthy list of odd overtime scenarios, all boiling down to the fact the rule is based on the opportunity to possess the ball, as with the onside kick scenario."
In other words, the game is over when the Saints kick the field goal, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Think these scenarios are far-fetched? Once upon a time, you probably thought the idea of an onside kick in the Super Bowl -- let alone the Saints' presence in one -- was far-fetched, too.
Disagree with that assessment? Feel free to leave a comment and tell me why.
A day earlier than a vote was even expected on the matter, the NFL owners voted 28-4 to alter the overtime rules for playoff games. Rich McKay called the new rules "modified sudden death," but that's like saying "mostly dead," and I'm hoping that phrase is completely dead soon.
(Why are these new playoff rules relevant at a Web site that deals with fantasy football? Because the owners will vote in May on applying the same rules to the regular season.)
Lots of people have criticized the old way the NFL decided tied games. The main complaint was crystallized in January in the NFC championship game, when the New Orleans Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre never touched the ball in overtime. People were hoping that the new rules would fix that problem.
Wrong. There will be plenty of scenarios in which that can happen again. Here are some of them. (And since the Saints-Vikings game is so fresh in everyone's thoughts, we'll use it for our examples.)
Scenario 1: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. The Saints return man makes a single Vikings special teamer stumble, runs past him and takes the ball to the end zone. The Saints win the game, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Scenario 2: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. Sean Payton, playing by the new rules, decides that he doesn't want to settle for a 45-yard field goal, since he figures a defense that just gave up 30 or so yards isn't going to suddenly turn into the Steel Curtain now. The Saints finish their scoring drive with a touchdown, the game is over, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Scenario 3: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. However, this time, instead of driving forward, they stumble backward, so much so that the Vikings sack Drew Brees in the end zone, scoring a safety. The Vikings win the game, and Brett Favre never touches the ball. (In this case, he's probably cool with that.)
Scenario 4: The Vikings win the toss this time and elect to receive. Only Sean Payton elects to not give them the ball. The Saints execute an onside kick to perfection (where have we seen that before?), take the ball down the field, and kick a field goal.
So would the Vikings then get a chance to tie? No. Mark Maske of the Washington Post explains why:
"Also, the team kicking off could recover an onside kick in overtime and drive to a field goal, and the game would be over because its opponent had the opportunity to possess the ball. The NFL released a lengthy list of odd overtime scenarios, all boiling down to the fact the rule is based on the opportunity to possess the ball, as with the onside kick scenario."
In other words, the game is over when the Saints kick the field goal, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Think these scenarios are far-fetched? Once upon a time, you probably thought the idea of an onside kick in the Super Bowl -- let alone the Saints' presence in one -- was far-fetched, too.
Disagree with that assessment? Feel free to leave a comment and tell me why.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Conference Championship Predictions
Sorry this post didn't get up sooner, but I'm still waiting to hear about the Raiders job.
There's still time to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for the conference championship round of the NFL Fantasy Playoff Challenge. One reminder: Drew Brees would get double the points if he makes the lineup, and the New York Jets defense/special teams would get triple the points.
Now it's time to do something that thousands of people across the country are doing right now, online and off: make predictions for the National Football League conference championships. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, leaving us with a postseason record of 4-4. It's time to break out of mediocrity.
AFC Championship: Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets. The last time these two franchises met (which wasn't Super Bowl III, no matter what the NFL Network might want you to believe), Peyton Manning and company left the game in the third quarter, ending the Colts' chances for an undefeated season and easing the Jets path to the playoffs.
And how much influence will that have on Sunday's championship game? The same amount of influence that the result of Super Bowl III will have: Jack Squat.
Clearly, Mark Sanchez has defied expectations this postseason. (It always helps to have a solid defense and a running game that doesn't humiliate itself.) Nevertheless, it's still Peyton Manning's world, and the rest of us are just watching it. The one thing this season has shown us is that Peyton could direct touchdown drives even if Robin Williams' character from "The Best of Times" lined up at receiver. This game could come down to somebody leading a 90-second scoring drive at the end. If that's the case, which quarterback do you want? The Colts take this one.
NFC Championship: New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings. One team lead the NFL in scoring this season and has the quarterback who threw for the most touchdowns this season. The other team is being led by a quarterback last seen performing "Pants on the Ground." No, I'm not linking to Brett Favre's version or the original. Both songs have gotten far more attention than they deserve.
So has Favre.
Yes, he proved that he can still throw a football down the field. Yes, his interceptions and fumbles dropped considerably this season. However, Drew Brees beat Favre this season in yardage, completion percentage, touchdowns and quarterback rating. If you look at statistics for this postseason, Brees is still beating Favre in percentage and yardage. And given the way Favre handled everything from his signing with the Vikings to his relationship with Brad Childress, Brees has to be leading in one other crucial category: karma. All that adds up to the first Super Bowl appearance in the Saints' history.
Remember to vote in our polls, and do whatever you can to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. We'll be back Sunday with poll results and an announcement.
There's still time to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for the conference championship round of the NFL Fantasy Playoff Challenge. One reminder: Drew Brees would get double the points if he makes the lineup, and the New York Jets defense/special teams would get triple the points.
Now it's time to do something that thousands of people across the country are doing right now, online and off: make predictions for the National Football League conference championships. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, leaving us with a postseason record of 4-4. It's time to break out of mediocrity.
AFC Championship: Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets. The last time these two franchises met (which wasn't Super Bowl III, no matter what the NFL Network might want you to believe), Peyton Manning and company left the game in the third quarter, ending the Colts' chances for an undefeated season and easing the Jets path to the playoffs.
And how much influence will that have on Sunday's championship game? The same amount of influence that the result of Super Bowl III will have: Jack Squat.
Clearly, Mark Sanchez has defied expectations this postseason. (It always helps to have a solid defense and a running game that doesn't humiliate itself.) Nevertheless, it's still Peyton Manning's world, and the rest of us are just watching it. The one thing this season has shown us is that Peyton could direct touchdown drives even if Robin Williams' character from "The Best of Times" lined up at receiver. This game could come down to somebody leading a 90-second scoring drive at the end. If that's the case, which quarterback do you want? The Colts take this one.
NFC Championship: New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings. One team lead the NFL in scoring this season and has the quarterback who threw for the most touchdowns this season. The other team is being led by a quarterback last seen performing "Pants on the Ground." No, I'm not linking to Brett Favre's version or the original. Both songs have gotten far more attention than they deserve.
So has Favre.
Yes, he proved that he can still throw a football down the field. Yes, his interceptions and fumbles dropped considerably this season. However, Drew Brees beat Favre this season in yardage, completion percentage, touchdowns and quarterback rating. If you look at statistics for this postseason, Brees is still beating Favre in percentage and yardage. And given the way Favre handled everything from his signing with the Vikings to his relationship with Brad Childress, Brees has to be leading in one other crucial category: karma. All that adds up to the first Super Bowl appearance in the Saints' history.
Remember to vote in our polls, and do whatever you can to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. We'll be back Sunday with poll results and an announcement.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4767366
Friday, November 13, 2009
Fearless Predictions - Week 10
It's time once again for the often ridiculed, rarely imitated Landshark Maniacs predictions. Last week's version went an impressive 4-1, missing only the game involving the People's Pigskin. (What's that saying about an infinite number of monkeys?) The season record is now 22-23, and it's time for the forecasts, along with our fantasy football team, to break the .500 barrier.
Peoples Pigskin vs. Big Lough O. The headlines from Thursday night focused on Jay Cutler, but Matt Forte quietly had a solid night, producing 16 fantasy points for you, the Internet. That strong start will fuel a victory for the Pigskin.
Northeast Dragons vs. D.C. Destroyers. The Destroyers are also off to a solid start, getting 7 fantasy points from Greg Olsen. This one will be very close, but the Minnesota Vikings defense will make the difference and secure a win for the Dragons.
Houston Wreckin' Crew vs. Tinks Revenge. Thursday night was disappointing for both of these teams. Vernon Davis, who had the bright idea of running his mouth before the game, produced only 1 fantasy point for the Revenge. Cutler had an even worse night, giving the crew only 2 points. It will be easier for the Revenge to get over Davis' shortfall, so the call here is for a Revenge win.
T-bay jacks 151rum stumblrs vs. Southern Rebels. The Rebels got a windfall from Frank Gore, who scored the only touchdown in Thursday's night game and produced 18 fantasy points. That lead will prove insurmountable, and the Rebels will get another win.
Hawaiian Surfriders vs. Ravens Fan T Sizzle. The Surfriders are starting three Vikings against the Detroit Lions, who are currently 31st in scoring defense. This strategy is the ticket to a victory for the Surfriders.
We'll be back tomorrow with some more recommended reading. In the meantime, be sure to vote in the polls on the right side of the page.
Peoples Pigskin vs. Big Lough O. The headlines from Thursday night focused on Jay Cutler, but Matt Forte quietly had a solid night, producing 16 fantasy points for you, the Internet. That strong start will fuel a victory for the Pigskin.
Northeast Dragons vs. D.C. Destroyers. The Destroyers are also off to a solid start, getting 7 fantasy points from Greg Olsen. This one will be very close, but the Minnesota Vikings defense will make the difference and secure a win for the Dragons.
Houston Wreckin' Crew vs. Tinks Revenge. Thursday night was disappointing for both of these teams. Vernon Davis, who had the bright idea of running his mouth before the game, produced only 1 fantasy point for the Revenge. Cutler had an even worse night, giving the crew only 2 points. It will be easier for the Revenge to get over Davis' shortfall, so the call here is for a Revenge win.
T-bay jacks 151rum stumblrs vs. Southern Rebels. The Rebels got a windfall from Frank Gore, who scored the only touchdown in Thursday's night game and produced 18 fantasy points. That lead will prove insurmountable, and the Rebels will get another win.
Hawaiian Surfriders vs. Ravens Fan T Sizzle. The Surfriders are starting three Vikings against the Detroit Lions, who are currently 31st in scoring defense. This strategy is the ticket to a victory for the Surfriders.
We'll be back tomorrow with some more recommended reading. In the meantime, be sure to vote in the polls on the right side of the page.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday Evening Reading
I'd better get these links up before the trick-or-treaters get here in earnest. Remember, the polls are still open. And if you need a refresher on our lineup, you can click here.
Are you ready for some civil discontent? It seems as if some Cleveland Browns have had enough of Mangini & Company. A season ticket holder who goes by the name "Dawg Pound Mike" is organizing a fan protest for the Monday night game Nov. 16 against the Baltimore Ravens. Basically, he wants fans to stay away from their seats (and, presumably, the TV cameras) for the opening kickoff.
Thank goodness the protest is taking that form. We all know that signs can be dangerous (at least, when they're made by fans and not the team PR department).
It ain't over til...well, it may not be over even then. The folks who run the Landshark Maniacs fantasy football league tell us that the scores aren't official until the Saturday after the games. This week we got a reminder why. Several days after Ben Roethlisberger apparently ran for minus-1 yard in a rush against the Minnesota Vikings, Elias Sports Bureau reversed itself by saying the play was a sack for the Vikings, not a run.
I have to think that somewhere out there in fantasy football, somebody's loss turned into a win (or vice versa) because of the extra points this would mean for the Vikings defense. Not so for the Landshark Maniacs. Tinks Revenge, who started the Vikings, still lost by a score of 93-88 to Big Lough O. If you know of someone who was saved/robbed by this, leave a comment and let us know.
Remember, this is supposed to be fun. A fellow blogger named Redsoxmaniac offers a list of Top Five Annoying-Sad-Great Things from Week 7 in fantasy football. The list proves that fantasy football is not for the faint of heart. After discussing Matt Cassell's stats from last week, he says "If I had him starting and seen this, I would Ryu dragon punch the next stranger on the street. I would be mad enough that I would have fire coming out of my fist!"
If you wan't something longer than a blog post... How about a book about blogging itself? Scott Rosenberg, a cofounder of Salon.com, has written a book called "Say Everything" about the history and development of blogging. It's a nice read for anyone who's interested in blogging. (And if you've read this far, I'm guessing you are.) Besides, if pitching the book keeps just one person away from lolcat picture collections, my job will be done.
Happy Halloween to all of you, except if you're the type of person who smashes up church pumpkin fundraisers. If you're that type of person, I hope you break your leg, Leon Washington-style.
We'll be back tomorrow with an update on the lineup.
Are you ready for some civil discontent? It seems as if some Cleveland Browns have had enough of Mangini & Company. A season ticket holder who goes by the name "Dawg Pound Mike" is organizing a fan protest for the Monday night game Nov. 16 against the Baltimore Ravens. Basically, he wants fans to stay away from their seats (and, presumably, the TV cameras) for the opening kickoff.
Thank goodness the protest is taking that form. We all know that signs can be dangerous (at least, when they're made by fans and not the team PR department).
It ain't over til...well, it may not be over even then. The folks who run the Landshark Maniacs fantasy football league tell us that the scores aren't official until the Saturday after the games. This week we got a reminder why. Several days after Ben Roethlisberger apparently ran for minus-1 yard in a rush against the Minnesota Vikings, Elias Sports Bureau reversed itself by saying the play was a sack for the Vikings, not a run.
I have to think that somewhere out there in fantasy football, somebody's loss turned into a win (or vice versa) because of the extra points this would mean for the Vikings defense. Not so for the Landshark Maniacs. Tinks Revenge, who started the Vikings, still lost by a score of 93-88 to Big Lough O. If you know of someone who was saved/robbed by this, leave a comment and let us know.
Remember, this is supposed to be fun. A fellow blogger named Redsoxmaniac offers a list of Top Five Annoying-Sad-Great Things from Week 7 in fantasy football. The list proves that fantasy football is not for the faint of heart. After discussing Matt Cassell's stats from last week, he says "If I had him starting and seen this, I would Ryu dragon punch the next stranger on the street. I would be mad enough that I would have fire coming out of my fist!"
If you wan't something longer than a blog post... How about a book about blogging itself? Scott Rosenberg, a cofounder of Salon.com, has written a book called "Say Everything" about the history and development of blogging. It's a nice read for anyone who's interested in blogging. (And if you've read this far, I'm guessing you are.) Besides, if pitching the book keeps just one person away from lolcat picture collections, my job will be done.
Happy Halloween to all of you, except if you're the type of person who smashes up church pumpkin fundraisers. If you're that type of person, I hope you break your leg, Leon Washington-style.
We'll be back tomorrow with an update on the lineup.
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