The People's Choice - Week 12

We'd like to thank those of you who were able to tear yourselves away from the joy of shopping long enough to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for this week. Here are the players who will take the field for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team against the VinSethVaughn Bears.
Quarterback: With Tony Romo voted down on Thursday, you went unanimously with Eli Manning, who will take the field Monday night against the New Orleans Saints.
Running back: After starting Ray Rice on Thanksgiving night, we had only one running back spot left to bestow. Fortunately, you wanted only one running back out there: Michael Bush (hosting the Chicago Bears in the late afternoon).
Wide receiver: The two leading vote-getters this week are the ones who have been getting votes (and points) all season long. Larry Fitzgerald has an early matchup against the St. Louis Rams, and Wes Welker has a late afternoon game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Flex: The third-place finisher in the wide receiver poll handily beat the second-place finisher in the running back poll. Therefore, Plaxico Burress starts for us this afternoon against the Buffalo Bills.
The voters turned back to our usual starters at defense/special teams (the Pittsburgh Steelers, facing the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night) and kicker (John Kasay, hosting the New York Giants on Monday night). And longtime readers of the blog will recall that Jason Witten started for us Thursday at tight end.
Thanks for voting. We'll be back later with the People's League picks.

Thankful for Another Win

As you dig in to your turkey tomorrow, the People's Pigskin will be celebrating its third straight win and starting work on a fourth.
The Internet's favorite fantasy football team defeated Glen Gardner's Finest by a score of 92-62. Our season record has improved to 5-6, and we now sit two games behind the division leader in the People's League.
Here is a quick scoring breakdown.
Eli Manning, QB: 18 of 35 passing for 264 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 1 fumble lost and 10 fantasy points. Unfortunately, Manning is making a habit of giving up late turnovers that cost his NFL team even more than they cost his fantasy teams.
Ray Rice, RB: 20 rushes for 104 yards, 5 receptions for 43 yards, 2 touchdowns and 26 fantasy points. The Baltimore Ravens have figured out that they are more likely to win when they find ways to get Rice the ball.
Michael Bush, RB: 30 rushes for 109 yards, 2 receptions for 20 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble lost and 16 fantasy points. The only thing that might slow Bush down at this point is a recovery by Darren McFadden.
Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 3 receptions, 41 yards, 1 touchdown and 10 fantasy points. It's a good thing Fitzgerald found the end zone. Otherwise, these numbers would be ugly.
Plaxico Burress, WR: 4 receptions, 64 yards and 6 fantasy points. Thursday night was a bad night to be a New York Jet.
Wes Welker, Flex: 2 receptions, 22 yards and 2 fantasy points. Both of Welker's catches came late in the fourth quarter of a game that was decided the moment the Kansas City Chiefs allowed Rob Gronkowski to run free.
Jason Witten, TE: 3 receptions, 85 yards, 1 touchdown and 14 fantasy points. Witten's yardage was his highest in a month and a half.
Buffalo Bills, D/ST: 1 sack, 1 safety, 35 points allowed and 2 fantasy points. It's safe to say this waiver wire pickup didn't pan out.
Mike Nugent, K: 1 for 1 on field goals, 3 for 3 on extra points and 6 fantasy points. Nugent scored 6 fantasy points for the third straight week.
Bench: Tony Romo racked up 23 points on our sidelines. Percy Harvin added 15, and DeAngelo Williams (remember him?) scored 10.
Now, let's talk about Thursday. The National Football League is gracing us with three games, all of which have fantasy relevance. (Even NPR has noticed.) And we need your help setting our lineup. We have four players taking the field on Thanksgiving: Rice, Romo, Witten and Brandon Pettigrew. Our polls are still open and will stay open through Wednesday night. If you'd like to help out, get your votes in now, and encourage your friends/relatives/random holiday visitors to do the same.
We'll be back with the results.

A Pregame Update (and New Polls)

The real "Must See TV" starts tonight as NFL Network brings back Thursday Night Football. Our first Thursday matchup inspired the first Thursday night poll of the season for the People's Pigskin. We asked you, the Internet, whether we should start Michael Bush this week. And you voted unanimously to put him into the starting lineup tonight against the San Diego Chargers.

We'd like to thank all of those who voted in that poll. And we have plenty more opportunities to make your voice heard. In addition to the fantasy NASCAR polls, which will close Friday night, we now have a full complement of fantasy football polls. After all, Bush can't carry the Internet's favorite fantasy football team by himself. The football polls will close on Saturday night. Please note that we now need you to vote for only two running backs, since Bush has already claimed a starting spot.

The People's Pigskin halted its losing streak last week. Now we need to build our winning streak into multiple games. And we need your help. So please vote now.

We'll be back with some more relevant thoughts.

An Early Taste of Victory

The streak is over for the People's Pigskin.

The Internet's favorite fantasy football team beat the Arcadia Roses by a score of 105-66. Our season record has been raised to 3-6, and even if we did ruin our chances to draft Andrew Luck, we'll take it.

Here is the most pleasant scoring breakdown we've run in six weeks.

Eli Manning, QB: 20 of 39 passing for 250 yards, 3 rushes for 11 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception and 17 fantasy points. No, he doesn't get extra fantasy points for leading a last-minute comeback victory, but those last-minute points count just the same.

Ray Rice, RB: 18 rushes for 43 yards, 5 receptions for 43 yards, 1 touchdown and 14 fantasy points. Considering that he got those statistics against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, you have to call them impressive. And they'd be even more impressive had it not been for a certain holding call.

Michael Bush, RB: 19 rushes for 96 yards, 2 receptions for 33 yards, 1 touchdown and 18 fantasy points. Bush has been the big beneficiary of both Darren McFadden's injury and Carson Palmer's misadventures.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 4 receptions, 43 yards, 1 touchdown and 10 fantasy points. Who would have guessed the way to get Fitzgerald his first touchdown in a month was to get John Skelton under center?

Plaxico Burress, WR: 5 receptions, 79 yards and 7 fantasy points. There had been questions about Burress' back, but there are no questions about his hands.

Wes Welker, Flex: 1 rush for 13 yards, 9 receptions for 136 yards and 14 fantasy points. All that was missing was a touchdown.

Jason Witten, TE: 4 receptions, 71 yards, 1 touchdown and 13 fantasy points. Weeks like this are the reason Witten keeps showing up on "under-appreciated weapons" lists.

Pittsburgh Steelers, D/ST: 1 fumble recovery, 3 sacks, 23 points allowed and 4 fantasy points. Those last two figures were more impressive until Joe Flacco put that last drive together.

John Kasay, K: 2 for 3 on field goals, 3 for 3 on extra points and 8 fantasy points. Kasay is not the top fantasy kicker anymore, but he remains serviceable.

Bench: We would have been all right with Tony Romo, after all. He scored 20 fantasy points. Damian Williams scored 9, and Danny Woodhead scored 5.

Now, we have to deal with a new fantasy football wrinkle: Thursday Night Football on NFL Network (the same network that told us the greatest touchdown celebration of all time was by Barry Sanders). We have one player involved in this Thursday's match between the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers. That would be Michael Bush. And the decision on whether to play him won't wait until Saturday. So we have a special poll set up for him now. That poll will close Thursday evening before kickoff. Please vote now.

We'll be back shortly with the fantasy racing results.

The People's Choice - Week 9

Daylight Savings Time is in our rear view mirror, and Thursday night football is just around the corner. (We'll discuss that further on Monday.) In between those two events, you, the Internet, have selected a lineup for the People's Pigskin. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team may be 2-6, but we're putting on a brave face and, with your help, fielding this lineup against the Arcadia Roses.

Quarterback: It's unanimous. You, the Internet, want to see Eli Manning take on the New England Patriots for the first time since this game. Well, you've got it. Eli takes the field late Sunday afternoon.

Running back: There were two clear winners in this poll to select two starters. They are Ray Rice (facing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night) and Michael Bush (hosting the Denver Broncos in a late afternoon game).

Wide receiver/Flex: Three wide receivers dominated the voting, so all three are going to get starts over the third-place running back (Danny Woodhead). Your winning receivers are Larry Fitzgerald (in a late afternoon game against the St. Louis Rams), Plaxico Burress (visiting the Buffalo Bills) and Wes Welker (in a late afternoon game against the New York Giants.

Yes, the people who run this blog have noticed the "Q"s next to Burress and Welker. All indications are that both players should play today. However, if they can't, we have backups available to plug in, and we'll let you know if we're forced to use them.

There were no changes at tight end (Jason Witten, taking on the Seattle Seahawks), defense/special teams (the Pittsburgh Steelers, who play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night) or kicker (John Kasay, looking to bounce back against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

Thanks again for your contributions. We'll be back with the People's League predictions.

An Ugly End to a Painful Weekend

Some weekends, you can do no wrong as a fantasy player. And then there are weekends like the one the People's Pigskin had. The only thing that didn't malfunction for us was the bullpen phone.

The Internet's favorite fantasy football team extended its losing streak to four games with a 74-65 loss to Palm Bay, Fl. BearDown85. Our season record of 2-5 puts us in the bottom of our division in the People's League.

Here are the (mostly) unpleasant details.

Tony Romo, QB: 14 of 24 passing for 166 yards, 2 touchdowns and 14 fantasy points. If you're a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, it's hard to find a downside to having a rookie running back set the team record for rushing yards in a game. If you're a fantasy football player starting the Cowboys quarterback, finding a flaw in that strategy is much easier.

Ray Rice, RB: 8 rushes for 28 yards, 5 receptions for 35 yards, 1 fumble lost and 3 fantasy points. Rice was on the losing side of one of the ugliest Monday night games in recent history. He was in a position to fuel a comeback for the Pigskin, if only he could find a hole (and hold on to the ball).

Michael Bush, RB: 17 rushes for 99 yards, 2 receptions for 12 yards and 10 fantasy points. The good news is that Bush got most of the carries once Darren McFadden left with a foot injury. The bad news is that, despite the multiple interceptions thrown by both their quarterbacks, the Oakland Raiders eventually had to abandon the run to try to get back into Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 4 receptions, 78 yards and 7 fantasy points. Every wide receiver is dependent on his quarterback. And Fitzgerald's quarterback simply isn't getting the job done right now.

Damian Williams, WR: 1 reception, 5 yards and 0 fantasy points. As a show of gratitude for getting picked up by the People's Pigskin (and many other teams across the fantasy landscape), Williams missed the second half of his game with headaches.

Percy Harvin, Flex: 2 rushes for 8 yards, 2 receptions for 15 yards and 1 fantasy point. At least Harvin got on the fantasy scoreboard before missing the second half of his game with a rib injury.

Jason Witten, TE: 5 receptions, 35 yards, 1 touchdown and 9 fantasy points. Finally, a positive trend -- Witten's touchdown was his third in as many games.

Pittsburgh Steelers, D/ST: 1 interception, 2 sacks, 1 safety, 20 points allowed and 6 fantasy points. Kevin Kolb isn't giving the Pigskin many points through Fitzgerald, but he did provide us some defensive points with his grounding in the end zone.

John Kasay, K: 2 for 2 on field goals, 8 for 8 on extra points and 15 fantasy points. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Pigskin's top-scoring starter was its kicker, who was a beneficiary of a New Orleans dismantling of the Indianapolis Colts.

Bench: Despite all those lousy statistics, the Pigskin could have still walked away with a victory if it had started Plaxico Burress. His three touchdowns on four catches left him with 20 fantasy points -- more than he compiled in his previous five games combined.

Of course, Burress will now take his talents to the bye week, along with Bush. And the Pigskin must dust itself off and get ready for this week's matchup against the LA Lockouts. Obviously, we need your help. The football polls are now open (on the right side of this page, right below the NASCAR polls) and will stay open through Saturday night. Please vote. We need all the help we can get. Thanks.

The People's Choice - Week 7

Bye weeks might have limited the choices, but they did not stop you, the Internet, from coming out to help us halt the People's Pigskin losing streak. Here are the players you chose for our fantasy football showdown against Palm Bay, Fl. BearDown85.
Quarterback: With Eli Manning off the proverbial table, you decided that Tony Romo should take the field again this week. He faces the St. Louis Rams in a late afternoon game. Let's hope he fares better against St. Louis than the Texas Rangers pitchers did Saturday night against Albert Pujols.
Running back: This poll had two winners to fill the two available slots. They are Ray Rice (who gets the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night) and Michael Bush (who will help his new starting quarterback -- whoever he is -- deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in a late afternoon game).
Wide receiver: This poll resulted in a three-way tie. Since we have only two starting spots available at this position, we look at projections to break the deadlock. The two victorious receivers are Larry Fitzgerald (playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the late afternoon) and the newly acquired Damian Williams (who plays the Houston Texans and, curiously, is the only Pigskin starter with an early afternoon game).
Flex: In our weekly meeting of third-place finishers we find Percy Harvin facing off against DeAngelo Williams. No need for projections this week. Harvin got more votes and thus will start for his late afternoon affair with the Green Bay Packers.
Tight end: Brandon Pettigrew served us fairly well the last two weeks, but you decided to hand the ball back to Jason Witten. He'll play the Rams in the late afternoon.
No changes at defense/special teams (the Pittsburgh Steelers, facing the Arizona Cardinals in the late afternoon) or kicker (the ageless John Kasay, who hosts the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night).
Thanks again for voting. We'll be back shortly with predictions for the People's League.

Time to Get Some Help

Once again, the People's Pigskin fell short, though we're getting closer to victory.

The Internet's favorite fantasy football team lost to Team Brotherton this week by a score of 84-76. We are now sitting on a three-game losing streak and a 2-4 record.

Before we get to the step we're about to take to turn things around, here's a look at how we got here.

Tony Romo, QB: 27 of 41 passing for 317 yards, 1 rush for 17 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception and 15 fantasy points. Those stats would probably be higher if Jason Garrett hadn't decided the best way to beat New England was to kill the clock (and force his opponent to use timeouts) by running the ball late.

Ray Rice, RB: 23 rushes for 101 yards, 5 receptions for 60 yards and 16 fantasy points. All that was missing this week was the touchdown, which was taken by the vulture Ricky Williams. (Remember him?)

DeAngelo Williams, RB: 12 rushes for 44 yards, 1 reception for 2 yards and 4 fantasy points. One has to wonder if the Carolina Panthers would win a little more if they relied a little less on Cam Newton to carry the offensive workload.

Wes Welker, WR: 6 receptions, 45 yards, 1 touchdown and 10 fantasy points. If this is what happens when the defense focuses all its efforts on taking the best receiver in football out of the game, imagine what happens when the defense has to worry about something else.

Plaxico Burress, WR: 1 reception, 16 yards and 1 fantasy point. Burress looked more than just a little off against a winless Miami Dolphins team on Monday night. Who knew a prison sentence could do that to you?

Michael Bush, Flex: 10 rushes for 28 yards, 1 reception for 9 yards and 2 fantasy points. The good news: Those 10 carries were a season high for Bush. The bad news: None of them took him to the end zone. Whether the new quarterback is good or bad news remains to be seen.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE: 8 receptions, 42 yards, 1 touchdown and 10 fantasy points. Pettigrew was actually targeted several times in the end zone. His relationship with Matthew Stafford is obviously much warmer than Jim Schwartz's relationship with Jim Harbaugh.

Pittsburgh Steelers, D/ST: 5 sacks, 13 points allowed and 10 fantasy points. Now that's more like it.

John Kasay, K: 2 for 2 on field goals, 2 for 2 on extra points and 8 fantasy points. Fantasy football players, please note that Kasay, currently tied for fourth among kickers in fantasy scoring this year, was taken in the last round of our draft.

Bench: Eli Manning led the bench with 11 fantasy points, followed by Jason Witten (10), Percy Harvin (7) and Danny Woodhead (2).

Now, let's talk about our receivers. The People's Pigskin welcomes Larry Fitzgerald back from its bye week, but we'll have to say goodbye to Mike Sims-Walker, whom the St. Louis Rams released Monday to make room for the newly acquired Brandon Lloyd. We'll have to waive Sims-Walker and pick up a wide receiver to take his spot. (Before you ask, Lloyd is taken.) That's why we have a new poll today. According to ESPN, the top four wide receivers available to pick up in the People's League are Steve Breaston, Damian Williams, Jacoby Ford and Doug Baldwin. They are featured in our newest poll, which will close Wednesday night. Please vote now. And if you think we should get someone else instead, please fire off a comment.

We'll be back with some more thoughts on what happened Sunday.