Everything that went right in the first half of the season (no injuries, good plays, opponents bad games) came crashing to a halt in the second half, almost costing me a playoff spot. I said almost.
Week 8- I took on the Bully on the Block- Team Bullies, tied with me for the best record in the league at the time with a 5-2 record. The owner of this team is also the owner of the league, and unfortunately I allowed myself to dream about rocking the boat. Alas, it was not meant to be- and I mean really not meant to be. I got walloped 158-90.
What went right- McNabb (26), Turner (22), and the Colts D (20) had decent weeks for me. Oh, and 2 of his players didn't score in double figures.
What went wrong- Where to start? Well, this was a bad time for me to have bye weeks- 3 starters (Big Ben, Randy Moss, and Ochocinco) had them, meaning that I got to start Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB (0 points), and Torry Holt (1 point) and Mark Clayton (3 points) at WR. I did have 38 bench points- all of which came from my reserve defenses, and neither of which would have made the beating any less of a beating. The Bullies had 8 players in double digits (4 with 20+, 2 more with 19).
Bonehead move- Having a crappy bench, and not realizing that 30% of my best players were all chilling on the same week.
Week 9- Well, after I put some salve on the wounds of my ginormous beating, I was able to pick up the pieces of my shattered ego and get things back on track with a 134-133 win over Team Josh for Now (a controversial event in our league that led to some bad blood- not my win, the fact that there even was a Team Josh for Now).
What went right- Some divine intervention to start with- Big Ben threw 2 real TD passes in the 4th quarter (after I had went to bed), including one with under 2 minutes to go and the Steelers holding an 11 point lead, to give my my second Monday Night victory of the season. Of course, I also needed Turner's 30 and Randy Moss' 23, as well as a stinker from Joe Flacco of my opposition.
What went wrong- I lose the defensive position battle by 19, as my Colts D scores all of 9 points. I don't know how to explain it, other than that is a terrible performance in our league for a defense.
Bonehead move- For most of the season, the performances of my defenses have either been close enough to negate the idea of a wrong play, or else good enough to justify my play. For arguably the first time this season, I made a poor play (although it didn't seem to be so at the time) as I left 21 point scoring Denver's defense on the bench. I just didn't want to play a defense that was also playing against one of my starting QB's- it just didn't feel right. And as a result, I had to go to bed that Monday night feeling like I was going to lose my matchup.
Week 10- The week my Fantasy season stood still. I lost a heartbreaker to Fergy, 121-119. But that isn't why it shook me to the core.
What went right-McNabb and Moss were totally rufus for me- each racked up 30 points. Michael Turner had 12 points before halftime of his game! And none of my opponents players went over 20 points.
What went wrong- Ugh. Where to start. Oh, how about Mr. Turner? He had 12 points before halftime- and finished with 12. Because he got hurt in the first half, a high ankle sprain that, for all intents and purposes, ended his season. Oh, Ronnie Brown got hurt too. Another season-ending ankle injury. My opponent had 7 guys in double figures, and while McNabb had 30 big ones, Big Ben had 5 very little ones. Real-life turnovers killed my team as well (4 of them- that's 8 fantasy points). Folk, my kicker, had 0 points. My defense, the Denver Broncos, couldn't shut down one of the worst offenses in football (Redskins). And I left points on the bench.
Bonehead move- Keeping Betts on the bench and starting Maroney in the swing position. Betts had 18, and Maroney had 8. I'm not a math major, or even very good at post-middle school math, but 18 beats 8. And 10 beats 2.
Week 11- The much hyped (in my head) rematch with my dad ended up a stinker, with the Snow Flurries falling 128-108.
What went right- My QBs played out of their freaking minds. Big Ben and McNabb combined for 49 points (led by Big Ben's 30), and Maroney was able to step into the feature back role and pick up 17 points. I was also able to hold Adrian Peterson to 9 points. Well, not me per se. And really, not even my team. That's one of the great things about Fantasy Football- 0% defensive accountability!
What went wrong- I feel like a broken record. Betts gets hurt in the first quarter of his game and is lost for the season. It's probably going to be somewhat funny when I look back on this season with my therapist...the guy that I put in to replace my running back with a season ending injury gets hit with a season-ending injury. I left Pettigrew's 13 points on the bench, but it wouldn't have mattered. My dad left a crapton of points on his bench too, led by Terrell Owens 26. After the game, Terrell was insistent that it wasn't personal, that it was purely coincidence that his biggest game of the season came against the team that gave up on him. Okay, he didn't really say that. But this is fantasy football, right? One part football, one part fantasy.
Bonehead move- Not accepting a trade offer from team Bullies. Randy Moss for Calvin Johnson, Jamaal Charles, and Miles Austin. My pride really got in the way here, and as a result I missed being able to pick up a pretty good RB (at a time in my season when good RBs were dropping like flies). The sucky thing is that I ended up taking this basically same trade later on, except instead of Jamaal Charles, I got stuck with Greg Olsen. Thanks a lot, pride.
Week 12- My very dispirited team, once a front-runner for a first-round bye, is crushed by Team Josh for Now, 116-79. The playoffs, once a certainty, are starting to fade away from reality.
What went right- While Maroney still isn't considered the lead dog for his actual team, he shows enough on game days to make himself a certified #1 fill-in RB for my team and has his 2nd straight strong game. And that's pretty much it.
What went wrong- I left the Jet's defense on the bench- during a week when they racked up 41 fantasy points. And they were playing the Panthers, so it's not like I was thinking 'Crap, the Jets are playing an unstoppable juggernaut- I better bench them lest they hurt my chances of winning'. The real kicker about all of this is that my opponent got 4 whole points out of his starting WRs. You might have heard of them- Larry Fitzgerald and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. And I wasn't able to take advantage. Partly because of the aforementioned Jets D fiasco, but also because...
Bonehead move- I wasn't on top of the whole Big Ben concussion thing, and as a result, I messed with my roster much too late to sign his backup, Dennis Dixon. While Dixon's 17 points wouldn't have made a significant difference, it would have made the final score a little more respectable.
Week 13- While I wasn't able to stop the bleeding- or even slow it down a little (I lost to 151-142), I did back into the playoffs because my dad lost his game. I guess.
What went right- One of those frustrating weeks in fantasy sports. You know what I'm talking about- where you compare your score to every single other team in the league, and you realize that if you would have played anybody else but the person you did that you would have won. That was me this week. My QBs are solid, again. Newly-minted Miles Austin racks up 17 points. The Broncos D is almost the first Snow Flurry unit of the season to cross the 40 point mark in a single game (39).
What went wrong- Part of the reason Austin has 17 points is because his real-time QB (Romo) is scoring 34 for the War Machine. Aaron Rodgers had 27 points- 19 points-worth to Jermichael Finley...more on that in a minute.
Bonehead move- Starting Olsen at TE (0 points) and leaving Finley (19 points) on the bench. Game-changing decision.
Well, I ended up at 6-7 for the regular season. A streaky season, full of highs and lows. Injuries really killed me- I know it's kind of the same boat everyone is in, but I really feel like I got the short end of the stick as far as the injury department goes. But I'm proud of my guys. They competed, week in and week out (except that one game against team Josh for Now). Next time, I'll be detailing my scintillating playoff run- or is it? Only one way to find out...if you're not in my Fantasy league. Or in my immediate family. Or on Facebook.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Fantasy Frustration part 2
Thanks for reading part 1. You did read part 1, right? Anyways, this is weeks 1-7 of my fantasy football season.
Week 1- Lost to El Diablo 138-99
What went right- McNabb and Big Ben outscored my opponents QB's- by 4
What went wrong- His D (Steelers) put up 31 points, my RB's (Brown and Turner) combined for 11 points. McNabb got hurt in the 3rd quarter.Chris Cooley had 12 points on my bench, while Owen Daniels had 4 as a starter. Titans D outscored my starting Colts D by 10. Wouldn't have mattered though
Bonehead move- None- I played my roster pretty solidly.
Week 2- Much more competitive, but lost to Disco 142-131
What went right- I made almost no wrong moves, as 7 of my players put up double digits, led by Ronnie Browns 26.
What went wrong- I said almost. Moss (2), Folk (8), and Cooley (8) would have looked much better as Ochocinco (15), Vinateri (11), and Daniels (13). It also didn't help that Disco's Chris Johnson racked up 46 points.
Bonehead move- None, really. True, hindsight could have scored me some more points, but no reason to bench Moss. EVER. Daniels put up his 13 points against the Titans defense, which at the time was considered a great defense.
First win in Week 3, 104-94 over Dennis.
What went right- In a pretty low scoring affair (in our league), it was more about who I left out than who I put in. My decision to not start Owens or Ginn paid dividends as each WR had 0 points. Collins only had 8 points at QB, but it was enough. Just what you'd expect from vet backup QB's in real life- just don't lost games. My opponent left Willie Parker (18 points) on the bench- outscoring his starting backs by 7.
What went wrong- Not much, although Steve Smith, in his first game as a Snow Flurry, had 12 on my bench, while Ochocinco had 3 in the starting lineup.
Bonehead move- Note really any- mostly because at this point, my bench really isn't offering much to make me regret much.
Week 4-My team flexes it's muscles with a 161-128 win over Jenn
What went right- Everything. 9 of my 10 players scored double digits, 4 had 20+ points (led by Steve Smith and Big Ben with 26 each). Jenn could have played her highest point totals for the week at every position and I still would have won by 6 (yes, I took the time to figure that out).
What went wrong- Nothing...well...I could have had 8 more points if I would have played Cooley instead of Daniels. You know, looking back over these game summaries, I am surprised that Daniels was the #1 tight end when he got hurt. I know he had some big games though.
Bonehead move- Nothing. When you're hot, you're hot!
Week 5- This is definitely the most intense game of the season. It's against dad, with first place in the division on the line...goes down to the last play of the Monday night game, and I win! A squeaker, 154-152. The Snow Flurries are starting to assert themselves as a legitimate force in the Center league.
What went right- My backfield kicks ass and takes names. McNabb (31), Big Ben (27), Turner (27), and Ronnie Brown (20) carry my team. Brown cements himself in my personal FFHOF by scoring 2 game winning touchdowns against the Jets- one for his actual team, and one for my actual team. Also, he doesn't score too many points, enabling my buddy Marty to win his fantasy matchup. Also, my dad played Mewelde Moore (2 points) instead of Tim Hightower (10 points) and Marshawn Lynch (11 points).
What went wrong- It's a good thing my backfield put up some heavy numbers- because my receivers did jack squat! Daniels had a decent game (9 points), but Ochocinco, Moss, and Smith combined for 17 points. You know it's bad when you're looking at the boxscore and thinking 'Man, I should have played Ted Ginn Jr.'
Bonehead move- Looking at the boxscore and thinking 'Man, I should have played Ted Ginn Jr.'. 20/20 hindsight and all, but seriously, that type of thinking should never EVER happen.
Week 6- 4 wins in a row as I dispatch Fergy 144-129. I'm starting to take Fantasy football more seriously at this point...which will come back to bite me right on the bottom.
What went right- Randy Moss makes up for his 3 point Week 5 with a 31 point explosion, and Owen Daniels starts to look like a #1 TE with a 19 point outing. But really, what went right for me was what went wrong for my opponent- Jason Campbell (QB), Braylon Edwards (WR) and Steve Smith (RB/WR) combine for 5 points- and Fergy leaves 24 points on the bench from Donald Driver and Cadillac Williams.
What went wrong- Again with the hindsight, but I left Maroney (20 points) on the bench, and due to the Colts bye week, I had to start the Titans defense- on the week when they gave up 59 real points to the Patriots.
Bonehead move- Allowing 2nd guessing to start to creep it's way into my psyche.
Week 7- My first rematch, and my team is on fire as I beat down El Diablo 146-112.
What went right- The Colts play the Rams, so my defense racks up 31 points. Daniels has his 2nd consecutive 19 point outing, and I now remember why I was so devastated when he went out with an injury. Tight End is one of those positions that can elevate good teams to greatness. When Daniels and Cooley went down, it left a gaping hole in my team that I still haven't been able to fill. Also, for the 2nd straight week, my opponent has a QB rack up 1 point.
What went wrong- Nothing- the only significant point getter on my bench was the Jet's defense (25 points)- but they were outscored by my starting defense. So no harm, no foul.
Bonehead move- 5 wins in a row has allowed my excitement in fantasy football to a fever pitch. It's all about to come crashing down.
Well, this is the first half of the season. I'm sitting comfortably at 5-2. I have the #1 TE in the league, 2 very good QB's and 2 very good RB's. My season is about to fall apart. Or is it? (Note: I have pretty much already told you that it does. This is a poor use of suspense by me. If you are, in fact, still in suspense about the fate of my Fantasy Football season, then that's on you bro. That's on you)
Week 1- Lost to El Diablo 138-99
What went right- McNabb and Big Ben outscored my opponents QB's- by 4
What went wrong- His D (Steelers) put up 31 points, my RB's (Brown and Turner) combined for 11 points. McNabb got hurt in the 3rd quarter.Chris Cooley had 12 points on my bench, while Owen Daniels had 4 as a starter. Titans D outscored my starting Colts D by 10. Wouldn't have mattered though
Bonehead move- None- I played my roster pretty solidly.
Week 2- Much more competitive, but lost to Disco 142-131
What went right- I made almost no wrong moves, as 7 of my players put up double digits, led by Ronnie Browns 26.
What went wrong- I said almost. Moss (2), Folk (8), and Cooley (8) would have looked much better as Ochocinco (15), Vinateri (11), and Daniels (13). It also didn't help that Disco's Chris Johnson racked up 46 points.
Bonehead move- None, really. True, hindsight could have scored me some more points, but no reason to bench Moss. EVER. Daniels put up his 13 points against the Titans defense, which at the time was considered a great defense.
First win in Week 3, 104-94 over Dennis.
What went right- In a pretty low scoring affair (in our league), it was more about who I left out than who I put in. My decision to not start Owens or Ginn paid dividends as each WR had 0 points. Collins only had 8 points at QB, but it was enough. Just what you'd expect from vet backup QB's in real life- just don't lost games. My opponent left Willie Parker (18 points) on the bench- outscoring his starting backs by 7.
What went wrong- Not much, although Steve Smith, in his first game as a Snow Flurry, had 12 on my bench, while Ochocinco had 3 in the starting lineup.
Bonehead move- Note really any- mostly because at this point, my bench really isn't offering much to make me regret much.
Week 4-My team flexes it's muscles with a 161-128 win over Jenn
What went right- Everything. 9 of my 10 players scored double digits, 4 had 20+ points (led by Steve Smith and Big Ben with 26 each). Jenn could have played her highest point totals for the week at every position and I still would have won by 6 (yes, I took the time to figure that out).
What went wrong- Nothing...well...I could have had 8 more points if I would have played Cooley instead of Daniels. You know, looking back over these game summaries, I am surprised that Daniels was the #1 tight end when he got hurt. I know he had some big games though.
Bonehead move- Nothing. When you're hot, you're hot!
Week 5- This is definitely the most intense game of the season. It's against dad, with first place in the division on the line...goes down to the last play of the Monday night game, and I win! A squeaker, 154-152. The Snow Flurries are starting to assert themselves as a legitimate force in the Center league.
What went right- My backfield kicks ass and takes names. McNabb (31), Big Ben (27), Turner (27), and Ronnie Brown (20) carry my team. Brown cements himself in my personal FFHOF by scoring 2 game winning touchdowns against the Jets- one for his actual team, and one for my actual team. Also, he doesn't score too many points, enabling my buddy Marty to win his fantasy matchup. Also, my dad played Mewelde Moore (2 points) instead of Tim Hightower (10 points) and Marshawn Lynch (11 points).
What went wrong- It's a good thing my backfield put up some heavy numbers- because my receivers did jack squat! Daniels had a decent game (9 points), but Ochocinco, Moss, and Smith combined for 17 points. You know it's bad when you're looking at the boxscore and thinking 'Man, I should have played Ted Ginn Jr.'
Bonehead move- Looking at the boxscore and thinking 'Man, I should have played Ted Ginn Jr.'. 20/20 hindsight and all, but seriously, that type of thinking should never EVER happen.
Week 6- 4 wins in a row as I dispatch Fergy 144-129. I'm starting to take Fantasy football more seriously at this point...which will come back to bite me right on the bottom.
What went right- Randy Moss makes up for his 3 point Week 5 with a 31 point explosion, and Owen Daniels starts to look like a #1 TE with a 19 point outing. But really, what went right for me was what went wrong for my opponent- Jason Campbell (QB), Braylon Edwards (WR) and Steve Smith (RB/WR) combine for 5 points- and Fergy leaves 24 points on the bench from Donald Driver and Cadillac Williams.
What went wrong- Again with the hindsight, but I left Maroney (20 points) on the bench, and due to the Colts bye week, I had to start the Titans defense- on the week when they gave up 59 real points to the Patriots.
Bonehead move- Allowing 2nd guessing to start to creep it's way into my psyche.
Week 7- My first rematch, and my team is on fire as I beat down El Diablo 146-112.
What went right- The Colts play the Rams, so my defense racks up 31 points. Daniels has his 2nd consecutive 19 point outing, and I now remember why I was so devastated when he went out with an injury. Tight End is one of those positions that can elevate good teams to greatness. When Daniels and Cooley went down, it left a gaping hole in my team that I still haven't been able to fill. Also, for the 2nd straight week, my opponent has a QB rack up 1 point.
What went wrong- Nothing- the only significant point getter on my bench was the Jet's defense (25 points)- but they were outscored by my starting defense. So no harm, no foul.
Bonehead move- 5 wins in a row has allowed my excitement in fantasy football to a fever pitch. It's all about to come crashing down.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Fantasy Frustration part 1
Why do we play fantasy football? It is maddening. You can't watch football the same again. Ever. You don't see a 50 yard touchdown run, you see 11 points. You don't see field goals, you look at how far the kick was and add a point for every 10 yards. You don't get mad because your defense gives up a touchdown- you get mad because now you don't get the bonus points.
And don't even get me started on the hindsight. You look at the box score and see your future Hall of Fame QB score 14 points, while the ragtag journeyman has 15, and you think to yourself 'if only I had started that bum'. I mean, really? Do you think real football coaches think those types of things?
Well, this is a chronicle of my season. It's been fun at times, it's been depressing at times. I've projected on to my team, which has never said die throughout the ups and downs. I don't know what will happen from here- I'm watching the Eagles play the Giants, with my last two players of the week needing to score over 20 points (and hoping that the Cardinals defense gets lit up) to advance to round 2. I've been injury-riddled beyond belief. But I managed to sneak into the postseason, and I'd like to stick around for a while.
I am in a league that my dad is in with a bunch of guys he used to work with. I inherited a team from a guy who played last year. It's a keeper league, and my 2 keepers were Michael Turner, RB and Donovan McNabb, QB. You could definitely do worse heading into a season.
This is my draft, and some comments about my picks.
1- Randy Moss, WR- A superstar who was very strong for my team. Even when I had to trade him for depth, I was able to get some other big point producers. A
2- Laurence Maroney, RB- Probably a reach, although due to injuries for his real team and my team, he was able to step in late season and pick up some points for me. Overall, he didn't really live up to his draft position though. C-
3- Ryan Grant, RB- Didn't see much from Grant, traded him for some guys that didn't do much for me. D
4- Ted Ginn Jr., WR- Nothing. Definitely reached for this one. F
5- Ben Roethlisberger, QB- Other than that week when he had a concussion, a staple in my line-up. Had an excellent season, and I'm definitely thinking about him as a keeper. A
6- Terrell Owens, WR- I joked at the beginning of the season that my WR corps was the best in the league- in 2005. Well, for Owens, that was definitely true. I dropped him maybe a little later than I could have, as he really didn't do anything for me. D-
7- Chad Ochocinco, WR- Solid. He had some spectacular outings, but mostly he was just consistent for me. Which is really all you can ask for out of a 2nd WR. B
8- Ronnie Brown, RB- I probably reflect better on Brown than he actually did because of that huge week 5 touchdown he scored for me (more on that later). Nonetheless, he did very solid for me before going down with a season ending injury. B+
9- Colts D- Probably a reach. Didn't do too much for me, other than not suck. C
10- Titans D- Wow, this unit definitely didn't live up to their press. I dropped them as soon as I could after New England lit them up for 59 points. D-
11- Owen Daniels, TE- Another player that I reflect on more fondly than he probably deserves, due to some clutch performances during my win streak. Nonetheless, he was very good at times, and his season ending injury spelled the downfall of my production at the TE position. B
12- Kerry Collins, QB- Surprisingly he was able to be productive in the couple games I put him in while McNabb was out. Fortunately, I didn't have to play him when he put up -4 points against New England. D+
13- Chris Cooley, TE- Another casualty of being on my roster. He had some nice numbers, and I'll remember him mostly for being on the bench and outscoring Daniels early in the season. C
14- Michael Crabtree, WR- Never set foot on the field for the Snow Flurries. F.
15- Adam Vinateri, K- Had some decent games before getting hurt. He's a kicker, so I don't really know what to say. C
16- Michael Jenkins, WR- I'm not sure I ever put him. F
17- Justin Fargas, RB- Definitely never put him in. F
Now, obviously no one ever goes through a whole fantasy football season with just their draft roster- you have trades, waiver pickups, and free agents. Fortunately for you, I went through and figured out all of my transactions- for your viewing pleasure! Also, I added some comments. Because you should know what I'm thinking. I guess that's why you're reading this blog, right?
Sept 16- Added Nick Folk, K- Decent, until he started missing field goals like they were going out of style.
Sept 22- Dropped Crabtree and Fargas- Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Sept 23- Added Steve Smith, WR- Definitely my top pickup of the season, and I really really wish Eli Manning wouldn't have gotten hurt early in the season- Smith could have been even more of a point producer for me.
Oct 13- Dad loaned me Nate Kaeding, K- Kaeding helped me win a game the week I had him, and I picked him up for the playoffs because I couldn't trust Nick Folk.
Oct 20- Dropped Owens and Titans D- Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Oct 20- Traded Grant for Jets D, Santana Moss, WR- Actually wish I wouldn't have made this trade, for a couple reasons. First of all, RBs started to drop like flies for me, and I could have used a decent starting RB to fill in the gap. Second of all, Grant scored 21 points during the playoff game. Right now I'm trailing by about 20 points. Finally, the Jets D and Santana Moss really didn't do much for me in terms of production.
Oct 21- Added Broncos D- A couple big weeks. Glad I added these guys.
Oct 21- Added Torry Holt, WR- Again, if there was any way I could go back in time and take my WR corps, I would be the king of the league. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pick up the 2005 Torry Holt. I picked up the 2009 Torry Holt. More on that later.
Oct 21- Dropped Collins- I got what I needed out of him before the Titans yanked him.
Oct 28- Added Tony Scheffler, TE and Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB- Why?
Oct 28- Dropped Ginn- Finally.
Oct 28- Added Mark Clayton, WR- At this point, I must have been just reaching. Maybe Vince Papale wasn't available?
Oct 28- Dropped Jenkins- Added precisely nothing to my team.
Nov 3- Dropped Vinateri- Out for the season at this point.
Nov 3- Dropped Fitzpatrick, Clayton- Thanks for playing guys. NOT.
Nov 4- Added Trent Edwards, QB, Jermichael Finley, TE, and John Carlson, TE- Yes, at this point I was hurting for a 3rd QB and any TE.
Nov 10- Dropped Daniels- With a tear...so devastating to my team.
Nov 11- Dropped Scheffler- Another 'why did I add this guy?' guy.
Nov 11- Added Brandon Pettigrew, TE- The search for the perfect replacement TE continues. You know it's bad when you're looking to the Detroit Lions for salvation.
Nov 11- Added Ladell Betts, RB- Could have been a great pick up, if he hadn't gotten hurt. With a season ending injury. I'm sensing a pattern here.
Nov 11- Dropped Holt- I think I played him once...and vowed to never do so ever again.
Nov 13- Added Roy Williams, WR- You know it's bad when you're looking to former Detroit Lions for salvation.
Dec 1- Dropped Pettigrew, Betts, and Cooley- All 3- season ending injuries. Maybe I should rename my team to the North Michigan Season-ending Injuries.
Dec 1- Traded Moss for Miles Austin, WR, Calvin Johnson, WR, Greg Olsen, TE, and Justin Forsett, RB- I had to take this trade after all my RBs died. I was offered this trade a couple weeks prior, except insert Jamaal Charles for Justin Forsett. In my pride, I turned it down- and I wish I wouldn't have. Charles has had a pretty good stretch as the man in KC, while Forsett is locked in a time-share with a running back that he is clearly better than. Regardless, I still wish I could have kept Moss.
Dec 8- Added Nate Kaeding, K- Hopefully some of that Kaeding magic will rub off on my playoff run.
Well, you've managed to make it through the transactions- this is how my team got to where it is now. Next time, I'll walk through the first half of my season.
And don't even get me started on the hindsight. You look at the box score and see your future Hall of Fame QB score 14 points, while the ragtag journeyman has 15, and you think to yourself 'if only I had started that bum'. I mean, really? Do you think real football coaches think those types of things?
Well, this is a chronicle of my season. It's been fun at times, it's been depressing at times. I've projected on to my team, which has never said die throughout the ups and downs. I don't know what will happen from here- I'm watching the Eagles play the Giants, with my last two players of the week needing to score over 20 points (and hoping that the Cardinals defense gets lit up) to advance to round 2. I've been injury-riddled beyond belief. But I managed to sneak into the postseason, and I'd like to stick around for a while.
I am in a league that my dad is in with a bunch of guys he used to work with. I inherited a team from a guy who played last year. It's a keeper league, and my 2 keepers were Michael Turner, RB and Donovan McNabb, QB. You could definitely do worse heading into a season.
This is my draft, and some comments about my picks.
1- Randy Moss, WR- A superstar who was very strong for my team. Even when I had to trade him for depth, I was able to get some other big point producers. A
2- Laurence Maroney, RB- Probably a reach, although due to injuries for his real team and my team, he was able to step in late season and pick up some points for me. Overall, he didn't really live up to his draft position though. C-
3- Ryan Grant, RB- Didn't see much from Grant, traded him for some guys that didn't do much for me. D
4- Ted Ginn Jr., WR- Nothing. Definitely reached for this one. F
5- Ben Roethlisberger, QB- Other than that week when he had a concussion, a staple in my line-up. Had an excellent season, and I'm definitely thinking about him as a keeper. A
6- Terrell Owens, WR- I joked at the beginning of the season that my WR corps was the best in the league- in 2005. Well, for Owens, that was definitely true. I dropped him maybe a little later than I could have, as he really didn't do anything for me. D-
7- Chad Ochocinco, WR- Solid. He had some spectacular outings, but mostly he was just consistent for me. Which is really all you can ask for out of a 2nd WR. B
8- Ronnie Brown, RB- I probably reflect better on Brown than he actually did because of that huge week 5 touchdown he scored for me (more on that later). Nonetheless, he did very solid for me before going down with a season ending injury. B+
9- Colts D- Probably a reach. Didn't do too much for me, other than not suck. C
10- Titans D- Wow, this unit definitely didn't live up to their press. I dropped them as soon as I could after New England lit them up for 59 points. D-
11- Owen Daniels, TE- Another player that I reflect on more fondly than he probably deserves, due to some clutch performances during my win streak. Nonetheless, he was very good at times, and his season ending injury spelled the downfall of my production at the TE position. B
12- Kerry Collins, QB- Surprisingly he was able to be productive in the couple games I put him in while McNabb was out. Fortunately, I didn't have to play him when he put up -4 points against New England. D+
13- Chris Cooley, TE- Another casualty of being on my roster. He had some nice numbers, and I'll remember him mostly for being on the bench and outscoring Daniels early in the season. C
14- Michael Crabtree, WR- Never set foot on the field for the Snow Flurries. F.
15- Adam Vinateri, K- Had some decent games before getting hurt. He's a kicker, so I don't really know what to say. C
16- Michael Jenkins, WR- I'm not sure I ever put him. F
17- Justin Fargas, RB- Definitely never put him in. F
Now, obviously no one ever goes through a whole fantasy football season with just their draft roster- you have trades, waiver pickups, and free agents. Fortunately for you, I went through and figured out all of my transactions- for your viewing pleasure! Also, I added some comments. Because you should know what I'm thinking. I guess that's why you're reading this blog, right?
Sept 16- Added Nick Folk, K- Decent, until he started missing field goals like they were going out of style.
Sept 22- Dropped Crabtree and Fargas- Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Sept 23- Added Steve Smith, WR- Definitely my top pickup of the season, and I really really wish Eli Manning wouldn't have gotten hurt early in the season- Smith could have been even more of a point producer for me.
Oct 13- Dad loaned me Nate Kaeding, K- Kaeding helped me win a game the week I had him, and I picked him up for the playoffs because I couldn't trust Nick Folk.
Oct 20- Dropped Owens and Titans D- Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Oct 20- Traded Grant for Jets D, Santana Moss, WR- Actually wish I wouldn't have made this trade, for a couple reasons. First of all, RBs started to drop like flies for me, and I could have used a decent starting RB to fill in the gap. Second of all, Grant scored 21 points during the playoff game. Right now I'm trailing by about 20 points. Finally, the Jets D and Santana Moss really didn't do much for me in terms of production.
Oct 21- Added Broncos D- A couple big weeks. Glad I added these guys.
Oct 21- Added Torry Holt, WR- Again, if there was any way I could go back in time and take my WR corps, I would be the king of the league. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pick up the 2005 Torry Holt. I picked up the 2009 Torry Holt. More on that later.
Oct 21- Dropped Collins- I got what I needed out of him before the Titans yanked him.
Oct 28- Added Tony Scheffler, TE and Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB- Why?
Oct 28- Dropped Ginn- Finally.
Oct 28- Added Mark Clayton, WR- At this point, I must have been just reaching. Maybe Vince Papale wasn't available?
Oct 28- Dropped Jenkins- Added precisely nothing to my team.
Nov 3- Dropped Vinateri- Out for the season at this point.
Nov 3- Dropped Fitzpatrick, Clayton- Thanks for playing guys. NOT.
Nov 4- Added Trent Edwards, QB, Jermichael Finley, TE, and John Carlson, TE- Yes, at this point I was hurting for a 3rd QB and any TE.
Nov 10- Dropped Daniels- With a tear...so devastating to my team.
Nov 11- Dropped Scheffler- Another 'why did I add this guy?' guy.
Nov 11- Added Brandon Pettigrew, TE- The search for the perfect replacement TE continues. You know it's bad when you're looking to the Detroit Lions for salvation.
Nov 11- Added Ladell Betts, RB- Could have been a great pick up, if he hadn't gotten hurt. With a season ending injury. I'm sensing a pattern here.
Nov 11- Dropped Holt- I think I played him once...and vowed to never do so ever again.
Nov 13- Added Roy Williams, WR- You know it's bad when you're looking to former Detroit Lions for salvation.
Dec 1- Dropped Pettigrew, Betts, and Cooley- All 3- season ending injuries. Maybe I should rename my team to the North Michigan Season-ending Injuries.
Dec 1- Traded Moss for Miles Austin, WR, Calvin Johnson, WR, Greg Olsen, TE, and Justin Forsett, RB- I had to take this trade after all my RBs died. I was offered this trade a couple weeks prior, except insert Jamaal Charles for Justin Forsett. In my pride, I turned it down- and I wish I wouldn't have. Charles has had a pretty good stretch as the man in KC, while Forsett is locked in a time-share with a running back that he is clearly better than. Regardless, I still wish I could have kept Moss.
Dec 8- Added Nate Kaeding, K- Hopefully some of that Kaeding magic will rub off on my playoff run.
Well, you've managed to make it through the transactions- this is how my team got to where it is now. Next time, I'll walk through the first half of my season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)