A Couple Quick Notes

First, I wasn’t able to get to the “weekly rankings,” so if you have a specific lineup question, feel free to ask in the comments below.

Secondly, and I should have mentioned this much earlier, but if any of you play in Yahoo! Fantasy football leagues, I have a weekly column you can access by first clicking “RESEARCH” and then clicking “SCOUTING REPORT” and then finally “TEAM REPORTS” (and then download a PDF file). It’s fairly buried, but it’s easily the longest article I write, breaking down every single game each week. Check it out if you have some time to spare. It usually goes up on Fridays.

Lastly, I participated in a midseason draft earlier this week, which is a pretty decent way to gauge how players’ values have changed from before the season started. Here are the results:


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28 responses to “A Couple Quick Notes”

  1. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Sometimes that last link just brings you to the front page. If so, just scroll down to the “NFL Midseason Draft” article.

  2. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    It’s sad it’s come to this, but I ask this in all sincerity: who do you like between Harrison @ Buff and Slaton @ Ari?

  3. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Slaton. I worry Lewis plays and gets half the touches. But I understand the question – Zona has quietly shut down the run all season.

  4. Poincare Avatar
    Poincare

    Here are some quick line-up questions for you DDD:

    1. Who would you start between Jason Avant and Patrick Crayton?

    2. Jason Witten or Vernon Davis?

    3. Lee Evans, Pierre Garcon, Mohamed Massaquoi, Sidney Rice, Nate Washington, Roddy White. I can only start three. Which three of these receivers would you start this Sunday?

    4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, Ahmad Bradshaw. Which one of these running back would you bench this Sunday? (OK, obviously I’m not going to bench MJD–so which one of the remaining three would you bench?)

    5. Kerry Collins, Trent Edwards, Matt Ryan. Which one of these quarterbacks would you bench this Sunday?

    My inclinations are:

    1. Crayton

    2. Witten

    3. Garcon, Rice, and White

    4. BENCH Bradshaw

    5. Collins

    Looking forward to you thoughts.

  5. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    I need some advice….

    Steelers D/ST or Ravens D/ST today?

  6. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    There is no way, in this world or any other, that you can sit Witten for Vernon Davis or Ryan for either of those scrubs. Crayton + no Roy Williams (for all it matters, he sucks and has always sucked) + KC D sounds like a slam-dunk. I’d sit Lynch of those backs, why take a double buy-in on a shitty team like Buffalo, esp. when you’re likely going to be rolling with Edwards somewhere? Limit your exposure to risk, don’t get wiped out by a 13-10 laugher. White also never sits, ever, reduced target rate or no (and it’ll pick up, they know what they have there and his importance to their team). Garcon and Rice as his mates sounds about right–I’m tempted to say Evans, but you already have far too many Bills active as it is; 3/4 of a pie may sound good, but when it’s a cowpie, not so much.

  7. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Poincare – 1. Crayton 2. Witten 3. R. White, Massaquoi and Garcon (but it’s close after R. White. Bunch of coin flips, really). 4. This is a tough one. I guess bench Bradshaw, but I really like his matchup today. But since you have both Bills’ backs and they have a solid matchup as well, I can see not wanting to guess which one will be better. 5. Bench Collins.

  8. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Ryan – Another close call. I’d actually go with Pitt D, even tho they are the ones on the road. I trust Palmer a lot more than Culpepper.

  9. Poincare Avatar
    Poincare

    Thank you for the feedback guys. I really appreciate it. The early games have just kicked-off. I decided to go:

    1. Crayton

    2. Witten

    3. White, Garcon, Massaquoi

    4. Lynch

    5. Collins

    The toughest decision was #4, but Dreamweapon’s argument was pretty persuasive and I like Bradshaw as a player more than Lynch anyway so I went with my gut there.

  10. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    Bradshaw is whipping ass early.

    Maclin is eating Jackson’s lunch with these deep balls. It’s early, I’m feeling a helluva lot better about Jennings’ 3-pt stinker right now following that Jackson-for-Jennings deal I made last week.

  11. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    Also, the NFL really needs a relegation system like the EPL, Primera, Serie A, etc. That way Oakland can just go away forever like the Leeds United-class team they are, and give some other town a chance at fielding a winner.

  12. Splevelbuge Avatar
    Splevelbuge

    Who would u rather have rest of the way if had to choose one for flex; mcgahee or Larry Johnson

  13. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    Well, I guess Harrison’s day in the sun is over. Mangini may well be a worse coach than McDaniels.

  14. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    So the Texans get down to the Arizona 1 with about a minute left, and Kubiak elects to run Chris fucking Brown on 2 of 3 plays. I’m livid as a Schaub/Slaton owner that I was robbed of the points, it’ll probably cost me dearly, but teams that run pussy plays with pussy players in crunch time are begging to lose.

  15. Steve Yay-Yo, Pro from Dover Avatar
    Steve Yay-Yo, Pro from Dover

    I am beginning to hate fantasy football.

    The randomness of H2H matchups is bad enough. Now, we’re seeing the death of the stud running back, which makes WRs the new top players. But wideouts are so boom-or-bust that I’m beginning to think that my liver may not survive this season.

    RIP, dominant fantasy football squads.

  16. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    It’s always been like that, though, man. The best example I have is my 2007 team in my home league, in which I had a complete galaxy of stars. In a 12 teamer, I had LT2, AD, Ryan Grant and Lynch (meaning one was benched each week), Boldin and Chad Johnson, Brady, Antonio friggin’ Gates. I utterly destroyed the league’s season point record, setting a mark which was never approached before or been challenged since. I frankly doubt it’ll ever be surpassed, only one other team in the past six years even came with 10% of the figure.

    I also went 7-6 and missed out on the (four team) playoffs to a frankly shitty 7-5-1 team that miraculously beat me in our regular season matchup on the last play of the week, a huge OT bomb from Favre to Jennings on MNF. He had both Favre and Jennings, and went from losing by about 25 to winning in the span of a few breaths. The insane randomness of FFL H2H has always been with us, I think we just tend to forget it during the interminable offseasons.

    Strangely, though, if anything, this season has seen more stratification and “dominance” in that league than ever before. We now have four 4-1 teams and four 1-4 teams, with another four wedged in the middle at 3-2 or 2-3. We’ve never had anything like that before.

  17. Steve Yay-Yo, Pro from Dover Avatar
    Steve Yay-Yo, Pro from Dover

    On any given Sunday, odd things have always happened in fantasy football. Agreed.

    But I think it’s happening even more with the passing of the franchise running back. Gone are the days when a team with two of the top tier backs — often one taken in the first half of the first round plus a second-round pick who stepped up — and a top QB or WR could feel good about its chances each week, knowing their backs would each put up 15 or so points almost every week.

    The week-to-week fantasy scoring fluctuations for teams built around wide receivers is driving me nuts. Taking a look at the top ten WRs by yardage (where Santana Moss is last with 337 yards), only Steve Smith and Jerricho Cotchery have managed 60 yards receiving in each game they have played. Reggie Wayne has just barely done it 4 out of 5 games (one game he had exactly 60), Hines Ward and Andre Johnson are 4 of 5, Vincent Jackson is 2 of 4, Randy Moss is 2 of 5, Burleson is 3 of 5, Ochocinco is 3 of 5, Manningham is 1 of 5 and Santana Moss is 2 of 5.

    I’m confident saying that history would show that it has always been thus for WRs due to factors like the occasional shutdown corner, QB injuries, being on the winning side of a blowout game, sloppy weather, etc. But it just didn’t affect the outcome of fantasy games as much back when WRs were a complement to fantasy success rather than the main driver.

    You feelin’ me after our matchup yesterday DDD?

  18. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Poincare – Glad to hear you went with Bradshaw!

  19. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Dreamweapon – Agree with you about Oakland. That is ugly. They might be 20-plus point underdogs at some point this season.

    I was worried about Harrison getting that kind of treatment. Shockingly, Lewis didn’t even look that bad. Another injury may just be right around the corner tho.

  20. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Splevelbuge – Ugh. I guess Larry Johnson. McGahee would have more upside if Rice got hurt, obviously, but he’s tough to start right now. Of course, not that LJ is easy to start. His floor is higher though.

  21. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Steve – I hate to play the “weirdest season ever” card, which someone says EVERY season, but you make a great point with RBs this season. Try to make a top-10 RB list right now. Hell, I dare you to make a top-5 RB list right now. Pickings are very slim. It’s not cool.

  22. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Steve – And yes, I’m feeling it after our matchup. Calvin Johnson and DeSean Jackson combined for 0.30 points!

  23. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Dreamweapon – Don’t get me started on Kubiak. Can’t wait to see them lose a third game this year because of Chris Brown. Comical, really.

  24. Keith Avatar
    Keith

    I had the Megatron/D.Jackson combo at WR in one league too. Ugh.

    The 49ers game this weekend made me pissed we stopped tailgating. Should have just kept the party going. At least the Falcons finally helped my fantasy teams!

  25. matt Avatar
    matt

    Hey DDD…I don’t really know what to say about Slaton’s start this season, but I somehow managed to come out 3-2 after Week 5.

    Because I already own John Carlson in my dynasty league, I’m looking to dish Tony G….is targeting Anthony Gonzalez a good idea? Steve Smith? I say Smith because his owner offered me Hester/M.Bradley for Carlson/M. Wallace, which I obviously declined. Gonzo is the guy I need to trade here. And Romo…

  26. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Slaton is on pace for 1,315 yards, 54 receptions and 6.5 touchdowns, and everyone seems to view him as some sort of colossal bust. Didn’t LT have a higher ADP? Sure, he’s been a disappointment so far, but haven’t almost all of the early RBs who were taken? Are Steven Jackson, Brian Westbrook, Frank Gore, DeAngelo Williams and Matt Forte owners pumped with their early picks? Slaton hasn’t been that bad at all, and he’s getting a really bad rap, and certainly not just by you Matt – I planned on ranting about this anyway.

    Def. target S. Smith and feel free to use Tony G. as bait. I expect Carlson to improve with Hasselbeck back.

  27. matt Avatar
    matt

    Which Steve Smith? His owner has the NYG Smith, which I forgot to mention.It’s a dynasty league but I’m probably buying too high. I totally forgot the other Steve Smith, which is actually a better short-term trade. I’m not disatisfied with Slaton because at the end of the day he usually has 100 total yards but the goaline stuff is tiresome. Why not implement (sp?) the wildcat?

  28. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Either Steve Smith, really. The Giants version may not have the upside of the Carolina one, but the former is much younger, which is helpful in that format. I really value them both rather equally right now.

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