Keeper League Confidential: The Dilemma of Being a Real Fan and a Fantasy Owner

This past weekend was rough for me as a fantasy owner and Atlanta Falcons football fan. The Zombies--with the league's second worst record--were playing the team with the worst record. However, this worst record team had a starting line up that included Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Roddy White (all Atlanta Falcons). So, I don't even probably need to tell you what happened...but I will anyway.

Julio Jones and Matt Ryan pointing out the weaknesses in the Duluth Zombies fantasy team.

The first touchdown of the game, Michael Turner ran in a touchdown. Not bad. But then, Matt Ryan connected with Julio Jones for his first regular season NFL TD ever. Then, Matt Ryan hit him again for his second regular season NFL TD ever. Luckily, Matt Ryan didn't throw his third TD to Jones, but the damage was already done, and the Zombies eventually fell.

Now I'm not saying my Zombies didn't deserve to lose this week; they did. However, this example perfectly illustrates what I detest about fantasy football: You can find yourself in a position of rooting for 50 of the 53 players on the team, instead of all 53. It's dumb; it's silly; it's fantasy football.

*****

Week 10 Tip: Remember Thursday!

The Thursday games start this week with San Diego and Oakland. This is important to remember when setting your starting line ups. Don't let it sneak up on you.

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 10

QB: Matt Moore, Mia. The Tarvaris suggestion didn't work out last week (unless you like negative points). I'm not 100% happy with suggesting Moore this week, and really, there aren't any bye weeks--so why are you even looking at QBs anyway?

RB: Chris Ivory, NO. If Ivory is available in your league, snatch him up now before someone else does. Also, keep an eye on Kendall Hunter, SF, in case Frank Gore's ankle prevents him from playing this weekend.

WR: Jacoby Ford, Oak. The Oakland WR flavor of the week seems to change every week, but Ford was hobbled earlier this year and seems to have a connection forming with Carson Palmer, who's usually good about targeting the same receivers each week (at least based on his history at Cincy). So maybe Ford is THE guy. Or not.

Is Jacoby Ford THE ONE? Only time will tell.

TE: Jake Ballard, NYG. Meet the Kevin Boss replacement. It's now official.

DL: Brett Keisel, Pit. Keisel went from zero to hero in the past 4 weeks of play.

LB: Donald Butler, SD. Butler is putting together a really great season for the Chargers.

DB: Jordan Babineaux, Ten. Starting in place of Chris Hope, he's been racking up great numbers.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Tweet

*****

Check out previous Keeper League Confidential posts:

• Beating My Own Team.
• The Kardashian Konnection.
• A Tale of Two QBs.

Keeper League Confidential: The Best Offense (Is a Good Defense)

One thing I notice about most novice fantasy football owners is that they focus almost exclusively on offensive players (QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs) and treat defense like an afterthought. In fact, some of them go as far as to worry about kickers more than defense (don't even get me started). Well, I put a lot of stock in defense, but they let me down this week, so the winning streak--all two games of it--is over.

Demarcus Ware sacked the Zombies almost single-handedly!

My team actually did all right overall, but my defense was outscored 67-34 by my brother's team. Since the Zombies lost by 12 points, I'd say the defense was the big difference maker. But really, my brother's defense was propelled by career games by Demarcus Ware (11 tackles and 4 sacks) and Reggie Nelson (5 tackles and a pick-6). Those two guys alone scored 38 points!

Anyway, those are the breaks when you play a fantasy version of a real game. In one week, my team fell from 2nd place in the division to last (or 5th) place. Ouch!

*****

Week 9 Tip: Keep Trying


Luckily, I'm not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet. If you are, however, keep trying. You probably won't feel the urge to invest money in trades or pick-ups--unless you're trying to build your team for next year (if you're in a keeper league)--but you can still try to play spoiler by making sure you start the best line-up you have to start. That means benching guys who are on byes and starting guys who aren't--and then putting the best players back after their byes. Just keep trying!

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 9

QB: Tarvaris Jackson, Sea. Quick admission: I've been a Tarvaris Jackson fan since his days at Minnesota. When I first heard of him heading to Seattle with Sidney Rice and the Minnesota offensive coordinator, I thought, "Jackpot!" But then Seattle's O-line got banged up severely and Sidney Rice too--and even Mike Williams. But now, Seattle's found Doug Baldwin and Ben Obomanu--with Rice returning. So maybe now it's time!

RB: Somebody from San Diego maybe? On Monday night, everybody started writing the name Curtis Brinkley on their cheat sheets, but then, he was tested for concussion symptoms after the game. Mike Tolbert and Ryan Matthews are banged up, which means there's the possibility that one of my long-time favorite sleepers, Jacob Hester, could be a surprise waiting to happen next weekend. Stay tuned.

WR: Kevin Walter, Hou. I mentioned the Seattle WRs above, but Walter is also getting a lot of love while Andre Johnson's been out. Another person to consider is Early Doucet in Arizona.

TE: Joel Dreesen, Hou. Speaking of Houston receivers, Dreesen has caught 3 TDs in the past 4 games (and one of those was a 100-yard effort).

Jarret Johnson, is there anyone on the Ravens defense not worth picking up?

DL: Jarret Johnson, Bal. It's always a good idea to grab a LB who also counts as a DL. Hello, Jarret Johnson, who's made 21 tackles, 2 sacks and a TD in the past 4 games. If he's available as a DL, snatch him up and start him.

LB: Leroy Hill, Sea. He started off slow, but during the past 5 games, he's recorded 41 tackles and a sack. Not too shabby.

DB: Brandon Flowers, KC. Flowers had a great game on Monday Night, but it could've been even better had he not dropped an interception that literally hit him in stride. With Tamba Hali putting on the pass rush, Flowers will continue to get interception opportunities.

My kicker scored one more point than kickers who were on their bye. Makes me wonder why I even bother picking up kickers for the bye week.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Tweet

*****

Check out previous Keeper League Confidential posts:

• Beating My Own Team.
• The Kardashian Konnection.
• A Tale of Two QBs.

Keeper League Confidential: Winning Streak!

How quickly and easily fantasy football fortunes can change!

Fresh off his bye week, I hope Fred Jackson is ready to score some more TDs!

Just 2 weeks ago, the Zombies were 1-4 and alone in last place in our division. Now, we're riding a 2-game winning streak into 2nd place (with our consistent high scores breaking a 4-way tie).

Just 2 weeks ago, I offered Fred Jackson for Jamaal Charles in an attempt to build for next year (after a day to think it over, I pulled the offer off the table while the other owner was considering it). Now, I wouldn't part with Fred Jackson for about anything, because the focus is on winning now.

Of course, in another 2 weeks, I could be back to where I was. Such is life in fantasy football land.

This week, I have a re-match against my brother, who will be trying to sweep the Zombies for our regular season series against each other. I've never had much luck against him, but maybe I can keep this streak going now that it's started.

*****

Week 8 Tip: Make a Hail Mary Trade

If your team is not doing great but you're still mathematically in the playoff hunt, now may be the time to make a hail mary trade. Throw everything of value you can at one special difference maker. Then, fill the gaps with waiver wire additions and hope that difference maker pays off. Or if you're mathematically out of it (and in a keeper league), start unloading older players who are producing well for young players who are injured (like the Fred Jackson for Jamaal Charles trade I mentioned above). Just remember that to get something, the other owner is going to expect something too.

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 8

QB: Alex Smith, SF. As you'll probably remember, I was really excited about Tim Tebow last week (and for good reason: he helped the Zombies win). I'm not as excited about Smith, who is a sort of 50/50 QB. Half the time, he produces very well; the other half, not so much. As a result, owners have to gamble on when is an appropriate time to start him (and I've had the same problem this year with Ben Roethlisberger). But beggars can't be choosers.

RB: Alfonso Smith, Ari. Beanie Wells appears to be down, and Smith seems to be his most likely replacement. Of course, he's facing Baltimore this week, which isn't the best match up at all. If Marshawn Lynch's back continues to be a problem, Leon Washington may be an option in Seattle.

WR: Antonio Brown, Pit. Brown is flying under the radar because he's without a TD this season. However, he's put together 4 games with at least 4 receptions and 67 yards. The TDs will come.

The TDs will come for Antonio Brown.

TE: Delanie Walker, SF or Jake Ballard, NYG. Both are coming off a bye week, which means they're good to go for the rest of the season. If you have a choice, I'd say that Ballard has a little more upside than Walker.

DL: Michael Johnson, Cin. This guy is a physical beast, and he just continues to improve. Another good option that probably nobody owns is his teammate, Jonathan Fanene.

LB: Donald Butler, SD. If I didn't already have 4 LBs on my roster, I'd pick this guy up myself (and maybe I will yet). He has 40 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and now a TD.

DB: Kyle Arrington, NE. This guy is coming off a bye week, which means he'll be ready to roll for the rest of the season too.

And I'm so glad that Dan Bailey is working out for me at kicker. As you've probably noticed, I'm not a big fan of the position.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Tweet

*****

Check out previous Keeper League Confidential posts:

• Beating My Own Team.
• The Kardashian Konnection.
• A Tale of Two QBs.

Keeper League Confidential: Break Out Your Brooms!

The Zombies have only two wins on the season, but they've both come against the same team. As a result, the Zombies have completed a two-game sweep of my former team in this keeper league (the same team that is currently first in our division and the returning Super Bowl champ from last year). So while I'd rather be 4-2 than 2-4 after the first six weeks, it's at least comforting to know that I've completed a sweep of my former team.

It's sweeping time!

Plus, the Zombies are only one game out of second place and the playoffs. It hasn't been pretty so far this season, but there are few who would expect Zombies to play pretty in the first place.

*****

Week 7 Tip: Keep Fighting

Unless your team is 0-6 on the season, there's a good chance your team is still mathematically in the hunt for the playoffs. And in fantasy football, it's not over 'til it's over. For instance, a few years back, my brother and I shared a fantasy football team in a league with a 13-game regular season. At one point, we were 2-6-1 and on the verge of being eliminated, but we kept pushing and just snuck into the playoffs with a 6-6-1 record. Then, we went on to win the league championship! So keep fighting!

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 7

QB: Tim Tebow, Den. It's hard to argue statistics, and Tebow has a pretty amazing stat: In every regular season game in which he's attempted at least one pass (yes, just one), he's scored at least 2 TDs (yes, two): last Sunday, the final three games of the 2010 season, and in week 10 of the 2010 season when he attempted one pass (for a TD) and ran in a TD. Say what you want about his mechanics and skill set, but Tebow scores TDs.

Who cares about mechanics? My team needs TDs.

RB: Maurice Morris/Keiland Williams, Det. Jahvid Best suffered a concussion last week, which means he's likely going to miss this week's contest (though you never know). Up until last week, Williams seemed to have the back up RB slot filled. However, Morris is the one who received the carries when Best went down. If you can guess the correct RB, he could end up giving you a ton of points in a shoot out with Atlanta this week.

WR: Doug Baldwin, Sea. Baldwin was highlighted last week, but I'm reminding you of him again this week since he was on a bye last week. Of course, many owners might flock to Devin Hester after his 2-TD performance last week, but he's only scored one TD as a receiver this year. Plus, he has a long history of burning his owners.

TE: Delanie Walker, SF. He plays second fiddle to Vernon Davis, but more and more teams are using 2-TE packages. Bad news though: He's on a bye (as is Jake Ballard, NYG, who's also performing well).

DL: Michael Bennett, TB. Bennett had one big 2-sack game this season, but his real value is in a steady stream of tackles, which is hard to count on from DLs.

LB: Aldon Smith, SF. This rookie LB has snuck up on everyone, including me, and has recorded 11 tackles and 5.5 sacks over the past 3 games. And that's as a situational player at the moment. Look for his workload and numbers to increase over the course of this season.

DB: Thomas DeCoud, Atl. I prefer safeties over corners when grabbing DBs, because they often provide a more consistent stream of tackles. DeCoud has been making tackles but also making plays with 3 interceptions on the season.

As far as kickers, I dropped Matt Bryant last week and replaced him with Dan Bailey, since his bye week has already passed. Good move, since Bryant kicked for 7 points and Bailey connected for 10 points.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Tweet

*****

Check out previous Keeper League Confidential posts:

• Beating My Own Team.
• The Kardashian Konnection.
• A Tale of Two QBs.

Keeper League Confidential: A Word on Kickers

If you've been reading my previous posts, then you know I'm not too enthusiastic about picking kickers. This is actually the hardest position for me to wrap my head around, mainly because kickers are probably the most unpedictable position there is. The reason for this? A kicker's value is tied to the actions of everyone else on the team.

You'd like to say that a kicker with a good offense will kick butt, but if an offense is too good, you end up with 5 extra points while another kicker ends up with 9 points because his team had to settle for 3 field goals. It's super frustrating. But it's wrong to say that kickers don't matter.

For instance, the Zombies lost this week by 10 points, and my kicker was outkicked by 11 points. There are plenty of other places in which I could point the finger, including Eli Manning's 2 late interceptions instead of 1 touchdown that swung my score 12 points in the wrong direction. Or the Bengals giving a 2-yard TD run to Bernard Scott instead of Cedric Benson. But the kicker matchup is right there and it's obvious that I lost because my opponent's kicker scored 13 points, while mine only connected for 2 points.

Don't blame Bryant for his lack of production.

A loss is a loss, and now the Zombies are 1-4 and tied for the worst record in the league. Such is life when games can be decided by kickers.

*****

Week 6 Tip: Use Bye Weeks to Your Advantage

A lot of owners fret over bye weeks, because their star players have to sit on certain weeks. For instance, I had Ray Lewis and Daniel Thomas sitting in week 5. However, this is the perfect time to see if another owner has a need you can fill with a smart trade--or if you have a bad kicker (not speaking from experience) who has a bye in week 8, you could kick him to the curb now and pick up a kicker who was sitting last week (and doesn't have anymore threat of a bye in the future). Just saying.

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 6

QB: Alex Smith, SF. Nobody, including myself, wanted to get fooled by Alex Smith again, but he's now thrown 2 or more touchdowns in 3 of his past 4 contests. Since his coach is a QBs guru, maybe we're seeing the beginning of a new Alex Smith.

RB: Jackie Battle, KC. Battle is the big surprise who may have earned the majority of KC carries for the rest of the season. Only one problem: He's on bye this week. If you need someone this week, you could roll the dice with Jonathan Dwyer of Pittsburgh.

Could Jackie Battle be the new thing in KC? We'll have to wait at least one more week to find out.

WR: Doug Baldwin, Sea. Baldwin has been on my radar since preseason, and now that he's scored 2 touchdowns and produced 3 games of 80+ yards receiving, I feel confident in throwing his name out there for those in need.

TE: Jake Ballard, NYG. With defenses focusing on Nicks, Manningham and Cruz, Ballard has snuck in two straight games of 30+ yards receiving and a touchdown. That's not poverty, especially with the bye weeks looming.

DL: Greg Hardy, Car. Through 5 games, this unheralded defensive lineman has produced 21 tackles and 3 sacks.

LB: Jacquian Williams, NYG. Another position, another New York Giant. In his past 4 games, Williams has made 31 tackles.

DB: Sean Jones, TB. Outside of a dud in week 4, Jones has done well every week.

Kickers. Bah, humbug.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Tweet

*****

Check out previous Keeper League Confidential posts:

• Beating My Own Team.
• The Kardashian Konnection.
• A Tale of Two QBs.

Keeper League Confidential: The Importance of Defense

This past week, the Zombies lost a very important game, because it was against my brother David. Fantasy football is at its most important when you're playing against family, and the Zombies came up short--mostly as a result of one thing: Insufficient defense.

Even Sean Weatherspoon underperformed for my team this week.

Heading into this game, defense was a strength of my team. Through the first three games, the Zombies were averaging 43 points per game on that side of the fantasy football. But when it mattered, against my own brother, the Zombies flaked out and only scored 27 points on defense.

If my defense had just kept up its average score of 43, the Zombies would've won 108-106.5. Yay! But we didn't, so we lost 106.5-92. Ouch.

Luckily, I get to play my brother again later this year and hopefully make up for this unfortunate event. Otherwise, he'll have a year of bragging rights over me (talk about unfortunate).

Bottom line: Don't let anyone tell you that defense is not important. A good defense can win (and lose) games for a team.

*****

Week 5 Tip: Improve Your Defense


Most keeper leagues operate with individual defensive players (or IDPs), and I've seen several owners draft a few defensive players and then leave that side of the ball alone. At the same time, they'll tinker endlessly over the offense. Don't neglect your defense. In my league, 7 of your 15 starters are defense, and that leaves a lot of opportunity for producing big-time points and/or a zero. Speaking of improving your defense...

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 5

QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Ten. I've been talking about Hass for a few weeks now, and he's still owned by barely 25% of the ESPN fantasy leagues. Heck, I even picked him up myself last week, and he threw three TDs. He's a Top 10 QB--even without Kenny Britt.

Matt Hasselbeck predicting another TD.

RB: Stevan Ridley, NE. If he's available, Ridley is a great guy to pick up. He's built to score TDs, but as he's shown in the past two weeks he can also produce yards. Many owners and commentators were higher on Vereen after the draft, but Ridley's the one proving it on the field.

WR: Victor Cruz, NYG. I didn't want to drink the Kool-Aid after one game and three receptions last week while Mario Manningham was banged up, but now Cruz has produced a second straight good performance (6 catches for 98 yards)--even with Manningham in the line up. If you're hurting at WR, this could be your guy with a ton of upside.

TE: Ed Dickson, Bal. Dickson has only found the end zone once so far this year, but he's been very quietly consistent outside of scoring TDs. He's produced three games with 4 or more receptions and 45 or more yards. That's the kind of low-end production that could produce a big fantasy day on a bye week.

DL: Antonio Smith, Car. 4 games, 4 sacks. One sack in each game. Talk about consistency, and he's apparently owned in 0.0% of the ESPN fantasy leagues.

LB: Kavell Conner, Ind. Since teams are usually running the ball on the horribly inept at tackling Colts, their LBs get a lot of opportunities to rack up tackles.

DB: Jason McCourtey, Ten. McCourtey has had four opportunities to produce big games on defense, and he's come through every single week so far. Look for him to continue producing.

Week 5 is your first bye week, so make sure your kicker isn't on vacation this week.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Tweet

*****

Check out previous Keeper League Confidential posts:

• Beating My Own Team.
• The Kardashian Konnection.
• A Tale of Two QBs.

Keeper League Confidential: Beating My Own Team

The third game is a charm. After two humbling losses, the Zombies have put together their first win! And it's over the team I left a couple years ago--that also happened to win this league's Super Bowl last year. It was a pretty cool way to get my first win of the season.

Finally! The Zombies get a win!

This win was completed mostly by my own (new) players. Here's how the scoring broke down for my team:

• 5 starters that returned from last season: 23.5 points (4.7 pts/player)
• 10 starters added since last season: 92 points (9.2 pts/player)

Plus, factor in that 13 of those 23.5 points came from the QB position, which frankly is a low QB score, and it shows just how much I've been able to improve the team through trades, drafting, and the waiver wire. This illustrates why it's so important to have an amazing scouting team for your fantasy football club, especially when that scouting team is me, myself, and I.

Anyway, the Zombies are excited about their first win, but we've still got a losing record, and I'm playing my brother David this week. My brother David is the only owner in this keeper league's history to make the playoffs every single season, so he will not be easy to beat. Not by a long shot.

*****

Week 4 Tip: Try Making a Trade

Pulling off a trade is usually difficult at any point, but after the first three weeks of the season, you may be able to make a deal or two. Look for owners who have a need that you can fill and/or have surplus at a specific position and could use an upgrade at another.

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 4

QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Ten. Anyone who acted on my Hasselbeck suggestion last week was rewarded with 300 yards and 2 tds. He's still available in most leagues.

RB: Alfonso Smith, Ari. I've never been big on Arizona's running game, but Beanie Wells couldn't play this past week (and he has a history of being unable to play). While he was out, it was Smith--and not Chester Taylor--who got the bulk of the work. Of course, Chester Taylor isn't a bad gamble either if you're really hurting at RB.

WR: Nate Washington, Ten. Washington is still available in most leagues--despite me talking him up--and he's only continued to produce. Plus, Kenny Britt is now out for the season, which makes Washington the top receiver in Tennessee.

I told you to pick up Nate Washington last week.

WR: Torrey Smith, Bal. Wow! What an amazing way to debut in the NFL. My only concern here is that Smith may have been given some extra space while the defense focused on Anquan Boldin and that they'll play him honest from here on out.

TE: Ed Dickson, Bal. I promise: I have not just turned into a Baltimore fanboy...but Dickson is quietly putting together a good number of touches for a TE with two 5-catch, 50-yard games out of three so far. He's not a Top 10 TE, but all of those are probably gone in your league.

DL: Greg Hardy, Car. Playing opposite of Charles Johnson has its advantages. For instance, less double teams from the O-line. Plus, run plays may swing more in his direction, which can add to his tackle totals. He's doing fine through the first three weeks.

LB: Pat Angerer, Ind. Still not owned in most leagues, he's registered 42 tackles in 3 games. What else does he need to do?

DB: Justin King, StL. I don't usually recommend CBs, but King has put together a very solid first 3 weeks--with 19 tackles, a sack, and an interception.

As usual, you're on your own with the kickers.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.


Tweet

*****

Check out previous Keeper League Confidential posts:

• The Kardashian Konnection.
• A Tale of Two QBs.
• The Worst Fantasy Football Team Ever.

Keeper League Confidential: The Kardashian Konnection

Last week, the Zombies took a moral victory out of defeat; this week, we just took defeat. And the real difference makers in this week's game were unexpectedly ex-boyfriends of Kim Kardashian. Unfortunately, I had the ex-boyfriend who can't score points, and my opponent had the one who could.

My ex-Kardashian, Reggie Bush, was the starting RB of the Miami Dolphins going into the game. However, when the dust settled, Bush had gained only 18 yards on 6 carries and 3 yards on 1 catch--for a whopping total of 0 fantasy football points. Meanwhile, his understudy, rookie Daniel Thomas, ran for 107 yards on 18 carries in his first ever NFL game. Plus, he added a reception for 10 yards (and a fumble).

Reggie Bush hasn't been the same since he quit doing Kardashian push ups.

Luckily, I used my first overall pick in this year's draft to handcuff Bush with Thomas. So long term, I'm golden. In this particular game, not so much.

My opponent's ex-Kardashian, Miles Austin, did next to nothing for the first 28 minutes of his game. Then, right before halftime, he scored his first touchdown. By the end of the game, he'd gained 143 yards on 9 catches--3 of those for touchdowns. His total fantasy football score: 24 points.

Miles Austin apparently wasn't into doing girlfriend push ups.

Needless to say, in this battle of ex-Kardashians, my team came up short. I started the wrong ex. Oh well, all is fair in love and fantasy football (sorry, I couldn't help myself).

*****

Week 3 Tip: Freak out!

Last week, I advised you not to freak out if your team lost its first game. However, if you're now sitting at 0-2, it's officially time to go crazy. Okay, not really. But you can start considering more significant adjustments to your starting line up. For instance, after two straight weeks of big-time production from Steve Smith, I'm promoting him to the starting line up over Mario Manningham (who suffered a concussion on Monday night). I'm also slotting in Mike Tolbert over both the Miami RBs until I know for sure who is actually going to be the lead back over there. Plus, injuries have hit my team, and I'm making adjustments to account for that.

Speaking of which...

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 3

QB: Jason Campbell, Oak. I mentioned Campbell heading into the season, and he's now put together 2 solid weeks of fantasy football. He's not flashy, but he's got a big arm and fast WRs (Oakland always drafts for speed). He may be the best option out there at the moment.

QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Ten. Speaking of not flashy, Hasselbeck is about as un-flashy as you can get, but he has Kenny Britt and Nate Washington to hit, and you know, the lightning bulb is going to come on sooner than later for Chris Johnson. Hass has already put together two solid games, and he has the potential to do even more damage once the running game takes off.

RB: John Kuhn, GB. Kuhn is quietly turning into a TD vulture, scoring once in both week 1 and week 2. He's an option for leagues that don't have any starters available.

John Kuhn is making a habit of diving into the end zone this season.

RB: Ben Tate, Hou. If Tate is available, snatch him. However, he's probably not available in most leagues.

RB: Any Chiefs RB who isn't Jamaal Charles. Charles is out for the season, and the obvious fill-in is Thomas Jones. But Jones is over 30 and not super productive (averaging barely 3 yards per carry). Dexter McCluster is fast and explosive--like Charles--but he's inexperienced and super undersized. The sneaky sleeper may be Le'Ron McClain (formerly of the Baltimore Ravens). He's big, experienced and young. Of course, Kansas City currently looks like a train wreck, so it might not even matter.

WR: Devery Henderson, NO. If he's available, what are you waiting for? A third game of 100+ yards and a TD? If he's available this week, I don't think he will be next week.

WR: Eric Decker, Den. Who's my number 1 pick up going to be? The guy who could not only be lined up for a huge breakout season but also a long and successful career. This guy. In week 1, he returned a punt 90 yards for a TD. He followed it up in week 2 with a 5-catch-100-yard-and-a-TD game.

Say hello to the newest member of the Zombies!

WR: Nate Washington, Ten. He's currently on pace to have 104 receptions and 1,328 yards for the season with two solid games in the shadow of Kenny Britt. If he starts grabbing a TD or two, he'll be winning games for his smart owners. If nothing else, he's a super bye week play.

TE: Fred Davis, Was. If you need a TE, here's your guy. Through the first two games of the season, he has 11 receptions for 191 yards and a TD. Those are WR-caliber stats. Of course, the only possible downside is that Chris Cooley is currently recovering from injury and may start to eat into those stats.

DL: Michael Johnson, Cin. No one's talking about him. No one owns him. But he's put together two very good games in a row and has been a sleeper on Cincy's D-line for a few years now.

DL: Jason Hatcher, Dal. He was promoted to started D-line for Big D in week 2, and he responded with 4 tackles and 2 sacks. If he can keep this up in Rob Ryan's blitz-happy defensive scheme, then he could become a star (get it? awww... nevermind).

LB: Wesley Woodyard, Den. Replacing the injured D.J. Williams, Woodyard has registered 19 tackles so far and will continue to do so...at least until Williams returns.

You don't want to anger Angerer.

LB: Pat Angerer, Ind. Speaking of tackles, Angerer now has 21 on the season.

DB: Lardarius Webb, Bal. There are plenty of defensive stats to go around with the Baltimore defense. For instance, Webb has 21 tackles and half a sack. And you've probably never heard of him, right?

DB: Morgan Bennett, GB. Bennett is putting up similar numbers to Webb for the Pack Attack.

Not sure that I can be bothered to recommend kickers again. After all, they are kickers.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Tweet

*****

Check out previous Keeper League Confidential posts:

• A Tale of Two QBs.
• Let the Season Begin.
• The Worst Fantasy Football Team Ever.

Keeper League Confidential: A Tale of Two QBs

I'll cut straight to the chase: The Zombies lost their first fantasy football game of the season. This was not unexpected, but my team beat the other one at every position...except one, the most important one: Quarterback.

You see, my team's starter was Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In case you're unaware, he completed 22 of 41 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown. Oh yeah, and this is the killer, he threw 3 interceptions and fumbled the ball twice. That's negative 11 points in my league.

Dude! Quit turning the ball over!

It's hard to win when you turn the ball over in real football, but it's also hard in fantasy football.

As the title of this post suggests, the story is not over with Big Ben. No, this story and my first fantasy football game ended when Tom Brady took the field. He completed 32 of his 48 passes for a team-record 517 yards and 4 touchdowns. He did toss a pick, but no one noticed.

Dude! Quit throwing touchdowns!

So here's how the game went this weekend:

Zombies (without QB): 92 points
Opponent (without QB): 79.5 points

Roethlisberger: 6 points
Brady: 37 points

Zombies: 98 points
Opponent: 116.5 points

They say football is a team game, but tell that to owners of teams that played against Tom Brady this weekend. Ouch!

Of course, I still could've won this game if I'd started Mike Tolbert or Steve Smith--so shame on me. At least we're proving to be competitive. As my opponent told me this morning: "Well, Rob - you ended up making this matchup a lot closer than what I thought it could end up being. I was really sweating it out leading up to the New England game yesterday evening."

Zombies are mindless beings, but even we can take a moral victory during the first week of the season. On to Week 2!

*****

Week 2 Tip: Don't freak out!


If all of your fantasy players had horrible weeks, don't overreact. Make small adjustments, but try to stick to your gameplan for at least one more week. For instance, I plan to continue starting Ben Roethlisberger in Week 2--and despite Steve Smith's monster first game, I plan to continue starting Steve Johnson and Mario Manningham over him. Owners can frustrate themselves to death by always chasing last week's points. Don't do it!

*****

Waiver Wire Watch: Week 2

QB: Chad Henne, Mia. He threw and ran the ball well against New England. He could finally be showing that's he ready to take the next step. Or he had a lucky week.

QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buf. I put his name out there last week, and all he did was throw 4 touchdown passes. Gosh, I wish I'd followed my own advice.

RB: Cadillac Williams, StL. Steven Jackson went down early on Sunday, and Cadillac filled in great. Jackson is already ruled out for this week--and could be out longer. If you need a RB, grab Caddy.

He's not pink, but he is a Cadillac.

RB: Darren Sproles, NO. Sproles won't carry the ball as much as Ingram, but he will get plenty of receptions and can produce the occasional return touchdown.

WR: Devery Henderson, NO. Henderson led the team in yards, touchdowns and targets against Green Bay. Plus, Colston is out for a few weeks and Lance Moore may be as well.

WR: Jerome Simpson, Cin. While all the attention has been directed to A.J. Green, Simpson was targeted more than twice as many times on Sunday.

TE: Fred Davis, Was. Davis emerged from Chris Cooley's shadow on Sunday by catching 5 passes for 105 yards. Pretty impressive for a tight end. (Note: Cooley is a backup on my team, so I'm hoping this is just a mirage.)

DL: Henry Melton, Chi. A lot of people have been patting Brian Urlacher on the back for an impressive defensive performance against the Atlanta Falcons, but I actually want to put the spotlight on Melton, who had 4 solo tackles, 2 sacks, and--proving the sacks weren't a fluke--7 QB hits! Talk about big time pressure. Will he do that every week? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

LB: Pat Angerer, Ind. Angerer had 13 tackles (9 solo), and I expect this trend to continue for one reason: Peyton Manning is out. That means opposing offenses will get leads that Indy won't be able to match, which also means those opposing offenses will run the ball a lot to kill the clock. Hence, lots of tackles this season for Angerer.

LB: Sean Lee, Dal. He had an interception and nearly returned it for a touchdown. That alone is a highlight play to go watch, but he also managed 12 total tackles (10 solo)--and a pass defensed. It might've just been one big game, but I think he'll continue to produce as Dallas' top ILB.

When he's on the field, Ed Reed usually touches the football.

DB: Ed Reed, Bal. It's easy to forget about Reed, because he's old and nearly always injured. However, when he's healthy--like he is right now--he's a fantasy force to be reckoned with (2 interceptions and 6 solo tackles). This is what Reed does (when he's healthy).

DB: Reggie Nelson, Cin. 9 tackles (7 solo), 1 sack, and 2 passes deflected.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

*****

As long as you're playing fantasy football, why not actually get outside with a real football and play catch. Trust me, it's even more fun than watching other people do it.

Keeper League Confidential: Let the Season Begin!

Duh-duh-duh-duh, duh-duh, duh-duh, duh-duh-duh-duh-duh, duh-duh, duh-duh, etc. I am ready for some football!

I'm ready for the NFL to kick off on Thursday, though I may be ready for the season to end before Monday night.

Well, kinda. As I mentioned last week, I'm in the early stages of turning around last season's worst fantasy football team, and--as luck would have it--I'm facing off against my pick for league champion this year in the first week. Yay, Zombies!

Right now, I just have to hope that he doesn't notice that his kicker, Garrett Hartley, is expected to be out 6-10 weeks. But even without a kicker, I'm pretty sure his team can still whoop up on my team. He's got Tom Brady, Greg Jennings, Larry Fitzgerald, Darren McFadden, and so many more. In the predictions for this week, I predicted his team to win.

So no one would blame a Zombie of being overly confident. But who knows? Maybe we'll overwhelm The (Tom) Brady Bunch (as they're called) with our numbers and mindless ambition. Maybe.

*****

My team made a couple pick-ups this week. First, we acquired LB-Casey Matthews, Phi and dropped DB-Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Phi. I've already got Kurt Coleman as a Philly D-Back, who I expect to have higher tackle totals throughout the season. Plus, I decided to take a shot on a young MLB in Matthews who may (or may not) end up being a young piece of my defense moving into the future (because Ray Lewis and D.J. Williams surely aren't spring chickens).

Is Casey Matthews Zombies material? He's got long hair and a vacant stare.

The other pick-up was more of a knee jerk reaction which may or may not pay off. I dropped WR-Terrell Owens, FA and replaced him with RB-Keiland Williams, Det (newly acquired by the Lions, in fact).

When I first saw that Williams was acquired by Detroit, I thought he would make a better complement to Jhavid Best than Jerome Harrison or Maurice Morris. Then, I saw their coach make the same comment. As a result, I decided to take a chance on him since Owens isn't a part of my long-term plans, especially since I learned that Demaryius Thomas of Denver is back and practicing two months early. (Brian Robiskie, Cle and Steve Smith, Car are both on the bubble too, because I'm feeling pretty good about my WRs now.)

*****

Last week, I promised some super sleepers, so here are mine. These are players that are probably not on a roster at the moment and really don't belong on a roster, but they are great players to follow through the early part of the season.

QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buf. He's in a tough division, but I think he's got a better than expected defense that will help keep games honest. Plus, he has a good running game with underrated Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller. Most owners are overlooking him because of Buffalo trading away Lee Evans, but Fitz still completed nearly 62% of his passes during the preseason.

QB: Jason Campbell, Oak. This is a QB I've always liked, but he's always been put in tough situations (with a new offensive coordinator every season since like high school). However, I think he's got a real shot at making hay with his WRs this season. Plus, he's got a killer 1-2 combination at RB between Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.

RB: Justin Forsett, Sea. Last season was the first time Marshawn Lynch played an entire season, but he did it between two teams. So for him to play an entire season, Lynch needs to be traded. Either way, it benefits the second RB in Seattle: Justin Forsett, who reminds me a lot of Jamaal Charles. Everyone's always dissing his size, but he still always seems to produce.

RB: Isaac Redman, Pit. Pittsburgh plays Baltimore twice every year, including in Week 1. There are always broken bones in these games (or at least, it seems that way), so grabbing Mendenhall's back up is not the worst move an owner could make, especially when you consider that Redman averaged more than 5 yards per carry during the preseason.

RB: Derrick Ward, Hou. I don't care what people say about Foster playing in Week 1; there's still a Q next to his name. Plus, if they push Foster back into action too soon, Houston may end up losing his services for the rest of the season. Either way, Ward is a smart investment, whether you already have Foster or not.

Arian Foster's infamous MRI tweet could end up helping or hurting owners who take a risk on him this season.

At WR, keep an eye on these guys (though don't pick any up this week unless you're really depleted at the position): Jerome Simpson, Cin; Emmanuel Sanders, Pit; Anthony Armstrong, Was; Jacoby Ford, Oak; Nate Washington, Ten; Deion Branch, NE; Earl Bennett, Chi; Harry Douglas, Atl. At least one or two of these guys is going to have a good season if things break the right way.

TE: Jeremy Shockey, Car. I actually dropped Shockey from my roster, so this might come as a bit of a "shock" (get it? His last name? It's sort of "shocking?" Oh, forget it.), but I won't be surprised if Carolina uses a lot of double TE sets to help Cam Newton succeed early on. Many owners have already jumped on Greg Olsen, but I think Shockey's numbers might get a jolt (again, kinda playing off his last...nevermind) too.

I'd give you the names of some great kickers, but the team I'm playing this week is in need of one, and I don't want to be the reason he kicks (okay, enough of the puns) my Zombie brains in.

If you have any suggestions (any position or team), share them below. I sure could use the help myself. Good luck, everyone!

*****

Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer. By Sunday evening's games, I should be tweeting all manner of agonizing and self-loathing comments about my team's diminishing chances to win even one game this season. Should be fun stuff (if you aren't me, that is).

*****

Need a jersey to watch the game? Here are the Top 10 most sought after jerseys (according to NFLshop.com):

• Peyton Manning jersey, Indy
• Tom Brady jersey, NE
• Michael Vick jersey, Phi
• Drew Brees jersey, NO
• Clay Matthews jersey, GB
• Aaron Rodgers jersey, GB
• Eli Manning jersey, NYG
• Mark Sanchez jersey, NYJ
• Philip Rivers jersey, SD
• Troy Polamalu jersey, Pit

Keeper League Confidential: The Worst Fantasy Football Team Ever

On January 7, 2011, I did something incredibly dumb: I re-joined a fantasy football keeper league that I'd quit just a year earlier. The team I left behind went on to win the league's Super Bowl. The team I agreed to take over ended up in the league's super toilet bowl--it had the worst record.

In fact, I (and many of the other owners) went as far as to claim it was the worst fantasy football team ever. My first order of business once I joined the league was to change the team name to the Duluth Zombies, because we would need to rise from the dead to conquer the world.

Here come the Zombies!

(NOTE: If you aren't into football, then I advise you skip this post, because it's over-loaded with football-related stuff.)

Here was the roster (in a 10-team league):

QB: Eli Manning, NYG; Ben Roethlisberger, Pit

RB: Steve Slaton, Hou; Cedric Benson, Cin; Reggie Bush, NO; C.J. Spiller, Buf

WR: Steve Smith, Car; Larry Fitzgerald, Ari; Jabar Gaffney, Den; Darius Heyward-Bey, Oak; Brian Robiskie, Cle; Patrick Crayton, SD; Devin Aromashadu, Chi; Demaryius Thomas, Den

TE: Jeremy Shockey, Car

DL: Justin Smith, SF; Will Smith, NO; Larry English, SD; Ndamukong Suh, Det; John Abraham, Atl; Sedrick Ellis, NO

LB: Bradie James, Dal; Ernie Sims, Phi; D.J. Williams, Den; Brian Orakpo, Was; Kirk Morrison, Jax; DeAndre Levy, Det

DB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Ari; Kelvin Hayden, Ind; Nmandi Asomugha, Oak; Ike Taylor, Pit; Brian Dawkins, Den; LaRon Landry, Was

K: Josh Scobee, Jax; Stephen Gostkowski, NE

*****

Now the first place I judge any fantasy football team is by the strength of its RBs. That's not because RBs score the most, but they are the hardest position to stock with quality. Obviously, this team only had one starting RB, and he just happened to be one of my least favorite players in the whole NFL: Cedric Benson, Cin. Beyond Cedric, the RB corps consisted of a bust rookie (C.J. Spiller), a bust veteran (Reggie Bush), and a forgotten sleeper (Steve Slaton). RB grade: F

Cedric Benson is already planning to serve 20 days in jail during the month of October. Yay!

Then, I tend to look at QB, because there are only 32 starting QBs each week. Luckily, this team at least had two second tier QBs in Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. Both have won Super Bowls and pass to young, talented receivers. QB grade: B

I put WRs third on my priority list. They are important, but I've never had trouble finding serviceable receivers at drafts or on the waiver wire. This team had a super talent in Fitzgerald, though he only finished as the 16th highest scoring receiver as a result of his poor QBs. Every other WR on the roster, not great, though a few have upside. WR grade: D

Usually, I focus on the D-line next. The difference between a top flight DL and a second tier DL can average out to 2-3 points per game, and that's the kind of margin that can win and lose them. While this roster had a lot of clutter at DL, it actually had three top 10 DLs (Suh, Abraham, and Justin Smith). DL grade: A

Then, TE, which equals Jeremy Shockey (Shockey = old and injured) on this team. TE grade: F

At LB, D.J. Williams was the only player I saw worth keeping. LB grade: D

At first glance, my DBs looked pretty unremarkable. The top scorer only ranked 26th at his position. But upon closer analysis, that DB (Landry) only played in 9 games and another (Dawkins) only played in 11 games. Neither was a Top 10 DB, but they had the potential IF they could stay healthy. DB grade: C+

Kickers are ALWAYS last. Gostkowski had upside as the K for New England; Scobee, not so much. K grade: B-

Overall grade: D- (the DL and QB situation are the only positions that show that a living person was managing this team)

*****

While this team looked horrible, there's always a bright side to any situation. In this case, I knew that I had the worst team, so I knew I had--if nothing else--the first pick in the draft. My team was also significantly under the league's salary cap, which is determined by how well individual players perform and which also meant I had the ability to wheel and deal with teams that were well over the cap.

Within a week of joining the league--even with the NFL holdout looming over everything--I had made two trades.

Trade 1:
Owner A gave me: LB-Ray Lewis, Bal; WR-Lance Moore, NO; TE-Kellen Winslow, TB; 1st round pick #9 overall
For DL-Will Smith, NO; LB-Bradie James, Dal; K-Stephen Gostkowski, NE; 3rd round pick #21 overall and 5th round pick #41 overall

Trade 2:
Owner B gave me: RB-Mike Tolbert, SD
For 4th round pick #31

Could Mike Tolbert be a move in the right direction?

In the middle of April, probably jumpstarted by the NFL draft, I completed two more trades.

Trade 3:
Owner C gave me: WR-Terrell Owens, FA
For 6th round pick #51

Trade 4:
Owner A gave me back my 5th round pick #41 overall
For LB-DeAndre Levy, Det

Then, just last week, I made my final pre-draft trade.

Trade 5:
Owner D gave me: 1st round pick #8; 2nd round pick #18; 5th round pick #48
For WR-Larry Fitzgerald, Ari

Trades are an important way to build a team. Another important way is through the draft.

*****

But before the draft, I had to cut players off my roster to give me more draft picks. Players cut from the Zombies:

RB-Slaton, Hou
WR-Gaffney, Den; Heyward-Bey, Oak; Crayton, SD; Aromashadu, Chi
TE-Shockey, NO
DL-English, SD; Ellis, NO
LB-Orakpo, Was; Sims, Phi; Morrison, Jax
DB-Hayden, Ind; Asomugha, Oak; Taylor, Pit
K-Scobee, Jax

*****

Mario Manningham was part of the Larry Fitzgerald trade; so were two RBs that are already on IR. This team is truly looking ahead to 2012.

The 2011 Draft:

#1 overall pick: RB-Daniel Thomas, Mia
#8: WR-Mario Manningham, NYG
#9: RB-Fred Jackson, Buf
#11: WR-Steve Johnson, Buf
#18: RB-Mikel Leshoure, Det
#41: RB-Kendall Hunter, SF
#48: RB-Ryan Williams, Ari
#61: WR-Nate Burleson, Det
#71: TE-Chris Cooley, Was
#81: K-Matt Bryant, Atl
#86: WR-Antonio Brown, Pit
#91: LB-Kevin Burnett, Mia
#96: LB-Thomas Davis, Car
#100: DB-Kurt Coleman, Phi
#103: DL-Corey Liuget, SD

*****

Anyway, nearly eight months after taking over the worst team, I feel that I've at least got a competitive team for this year that has a strong core for next year and beyond. And that's without the third way to build a team (through using the waiver wire during the season).

Duluth Zombies post-draft roster:

QB: E. Manning, NYG; B. Roethlisberger, Pit

RB: C. Benson, Cin; M. Tolbert, SD; R. Bush, Mia; D. Thomas, Mia; F. Jackson, Buf; C. Spiller, Buf; K. Hunter, SF; M. Leshoure, Det; R. Williams, Ari

WR: M. Manningham, NYG; S. Johnson, Buf; L. Moore, NO; S. Smith, Car; T. Owens, FA; N. Burleson, Det; B. Robiskie, Cle; A. Brown, Pit; D. Thomas, Den

TE: K. Winslow, TB; C. Cooley, Was

DL: N. Suh, Det; J. Abraham, Atl; J. Smith, SF; C. Liuget, SD

LB: R. Lewis, Bal; D. Williams, Den; K. Burnett, Mia; T. Davis, Car

DB: L. Landry, Was; B. Dawkins, Den; D. Rodgers-Cromartie, Phi; K. Coleman, Phi

K: M. Bryant, Atl

My first goal is to make my team at the very least competitive. So mission accomplished there.

Next week, I'll share my super sleepers headed into the regular season.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

*****

Still need some last minute draft advice? Here are a few fantasy football links:

• 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings. This site includes updates on movers and shakers, player ratings and more.
• ESPN's Top 300 player rankings. ESPN usually has pretty sound rankings.
• 2012 NFL Mock Draft. WalterFootball.com is one of my favorite mock draft sites, and it's never too early to keep an eye on next year's draft.