Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 3 Edition

It's Tuesday which means its time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 3 Edition. Another lackluster performance as as my teams went 1-2 this week in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 3 and the look ahead to Week 4...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces finally got their first win of the season as they defeated MidwestCoastOffense by the score of 123.23 to 115.63. As opposed to last week, the efforts of Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne on Sunday night led the charge as they staged a comeback typical of Manning and Wayne to help the team post their first win of the 09 and with hopefully momentum in the weeks to come. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Peyton Manning, DeSean Jackson, Reggie Wayne and San Diego DEF. After Week 3, I'm in 8th place overall (3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 1-2.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans lost their first game of the season to the Spurgeons by the score of 128.19 to 75.23. Several key factors led to the loss. One: The wait until the last minute for WR Dwayne Bowe to be inactive which led to 0 points plus the ineffectiveness of the Saints offense which led to 0 points for WR Robert Meachem and a subpar performance by QB Drew Brees. Two: Huge performance by their opposing QB (Peyton Manning). Overall, a disappointing performance turned in by the Titans. Leading scorers for the Titans were Minnesota DEF, Steve Slaton, and Kevin Smith. After Week 3, I'm in 6th place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 2-1.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers suffered their first second of the season in a heartbreaker as they lost to the Chi-chiwawa's by a score of 85.13to 82.93. The Tigers had the lead going into the Monday night game but could hold on despite having WR Steve Smith going for them. WR Wes Welker being out for another week which led to WR Ted Ginn Jr starting who unfortunately got 0 points was the main reason for the loss. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Jay Cutler, Brandon Jacobs, David Akers, and Philly DEF. After Week 3, I'm in 6th place (essentially tied for 5th) with a record of 1-2.

Outlook for Week 4:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (1-2) look to build off of their first win of the '09 campaign as they square off against the Memphis Explosion (1-2). This will be the first matchup of the season out of division and also the first one affected by the bye week. The bye week affects the Masterpieces in losing WR DeSean Jackson and RB Michael Turner. The Explosion will be without Philly DEF. Key matchup will be the RB position (Fred Jackson/LenDale White vs. Reggie Bush/Chester Taylor). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the slight favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (2-1) will look to rebound and get a win as they face off against the Panthers (2-1). The Titans will be without WR Steve Breaston as he's on the bye along with K Jason Elam. The Panthers will be without WR Larry Fitzgerald and K David Akers as they'll be on the bye. The health of WR Dwayne Bowe is still in question and there may be some roster moves pending to shore up the depleted WR core. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Chris Cooley vs. Greg Olsen). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Titans as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (1-2) will look to get back into the win column as they face off against The Sleepers (0-3). For the Tigers, they will be without WR Steve Smith, TE Tony Gonzalez, K David Akers, and Philly DEF for the bye. The Sleepers will be without RB Brian Westbrook. Again, WR Wes Welker's status is questionable and may have to go with Bernard Berrian or Ted Ginn Jr if need be. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Jay Cutler vs. Peyton Manning). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 2 Edition

Tuesday=Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 2 Edition. This week wasn't the best as my teams went 1-2 this week in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 2 and the look ahead to Week 3...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces lost a heartbreaker to No Name? by the score of 89.71 to 79.06. Despite the valiant effort of Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne on Monday night, the team couldn't make up the huge deficit encurred on Sunday. Poor performances by both starting running back LenDale White and San Diego's DEF are major factors in the loss. The loss leaves the Masterpieces with a lot of work ahead of them to get back in contention. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Peyton Manning, DeSean Jackson, and Michael Turner. After Week 2, I'm in 10th place overall (3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 0-2.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans have kept the winning ways going as they put together another solid win against rival LouisVillians by the score of 101.67 to 88.87. Another huge day for QB Drew Brees as he is definitely making a name for himself with the Titans. He helped to get the team to a huge lead and they held on through the Monday Night game for the second win of the season. Leading scorers for the Titans were Brees, Minnesota DEF, Dwayne Bowe and Chris Cooley. After Week 1, I'm in 2nd place overall (1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 2-0.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers suffered their first loss of the season as they lost to the MidwestCoastOffense by a score of 117.64 to 86.85. The Tigers were struck by the injury bug as WR Wes Welker was unable to play and was stuck as a starter before it could be changed. Coupled with a poor performance by the Philly DEF and RB Brandon Jacobs, the Tigers were unable to withstand the barrage of points the Offense put up. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Jay Cutler, Adrian Peterson, Tony Gonzalez, and Steve Smith. After week 2, I'm in 5th place with a record of 1-1.

Outlook for Week 2:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (0-2) look to get their first win of the '09 campaign against against MidwestCoastOffense (0-2). MidwestCoastOffense is managed by my good friend Steve (who incidently beat me in another league last week) and is sporting an 0-2 record in this league as well. The Masterpieces have shook up their lineup a little with going with RB Fred Jackson starting this week in an effort to jumpstart the offense and hopefully capture that first win of the year. Key matchup will be the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Tony Gonzalez). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (2-0) will square off against the Spurgeons (1-1). The Titans will be facing off against a team that has several players that I own in different leagues which makes for a tough time. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Steve Slaton/Kevin Smith vs. Steven Jackson/Larry Johnson). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Spurgeons as the slight favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (1-1) will look to get back into the win column as they face off against the Chi-chiwawa's (2-0). The Chi-chiwawa's are coming off two wins in a row. The Tigers will look to bounce back from their Week 2 loss. WR Wes Welker's status is questionable and may have to go with Bernard Berrian or Ted Ginn Jr if need be. Key matchup will be at the K position (David Akers vs. Nate Kaeding). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chi-chiwawa's as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Edition

Yes, it is time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Edition. This week had it's ups and downs as evidenced by the games involved. My teams went 2-1 this week in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 1 and the look ahead to Week 2...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces started their defense of their championship on a very sour note with a loss to the Headhunters by the score of 108.36 to 99.02. This is the second year in a row, the Masterpieces have lost to the Headhunters in Week 1. The upside this year was no season ending injuries in Week 1. Poor performances by both starting running backs are major factors in the loss. The bright side was the WR core who combined for over 55 points. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Reggie Wayne, DeSean Jackson, and Peyton Manning. After Week 1, I'm in 8th place overall (3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 0-1.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the season started off well for the Kansas City Titans as they put together a solid win against rival Souper Bowl Sundays by the score of 117.37 to 95.68. It was a gutsy performance from a team that had one starting WR inactive (Breaston) and another get hurt (Gonzalez) which combined for 0 points between the two. They were bailed out by a huge performance by Drew Brees and his 46.82 points. The leading scorers for the Titans were Brees, Minnesota DEF, Kevin Smith, and Chris Cooley. After Week 1, I'm in 4nd place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 1-0.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers put together a solid performance as they beat Fear This by a score of 132.08 to 101.00. The Tigers secured the victory before the Sunday night game on huge performances by Adrian Peterson and the Philly DEF. This lead to the team being the highest scoring team of the week and was the Toyota Biggest Fantasy Blowout for Week 1. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Peterson, Philly DEF, Jay Cutler, and Tony Gonzalez. After week 1, I'm in 1st place with a record of 1-0.

Outlook for Week 2:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (0-1) look to try to get back on track with a win against No Name? (1-0). No Name? is managed by my good friend Jon and comes in on a roll after winning their opening game. The Masterpieces hope that the RB duo of Michael Turner and LenDale White get back to their high scoring ways as well as continued solid performances from the rest of the starters. Key matchup will be the QB position (Peyton Manning vs. Kurt Warner). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting No Name? as the slight favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (1-0) will square off against the LouisVillians (1-0) in a matchup of undefeated teams. The Villians, managed by Jason, friend from my days in Martin, had a Week 1 victory that was decided by a mere 2 points. The Titans will be looking to the bench/waiver wire as WR Anthony Gonzalez will be out for several weeks and WR Steve Breaston's status is still up in the air. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Steve Slaton/Kevin Smith vs. Brian Westbrook/Reggie Bush). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Villians as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (1-0) will face off against the MidwestCoastOffense (1-0). The Offense, managed by my good friend Steve from my college days) are coming off a Week 1 victory as well. The Tigers will look to continue their winning ways and seek to keep the momentum gained from their impressive Week 1 performance. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Philly vs. NY Giants). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the slight favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Preview

It's time once again for Fantasy Football Tuesday. It will once again be a good time to review and preview the weekend that was and will be in fantasy football and as a way to kick off the season, here is the Week 1 preview...

Outlook for Week 1:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (0-0) take on the Headhunters (0-0). The Headhunters are managed by Scott, a friend from my days at Union and is a division rival in the new Shakespeare Division. On paper, this looks to be like an interesting matchup. Both teams have quality QBs (Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees) and have pretty good TEs (Antonio Gates vs. Jeremy Shockey). RBs are fairly even (Michael Turner/LenDale White vs Ronnie Brown/Larry Johnson). Key matchup will be at WR (Reggie Wayne/Hines Ward/DeSean Jackson vs. Terrell Owens/Eddie Royal/Steve Breaston). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Headhunters as the favorite.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans (0-0) square off against Souper Bowl Sundays. The Sundays are managed by Adam, a good friend from college and are a division rival in the Annie Armstrong Conference. The matchup appears to be an intriguging one. The QB matchup features two quality QBs (Drew Brees vs. Philip Rivers). Both teams have DEF from the NFC North (Minnesota vs. Green Bay) and have solid TE (Chris Cooley vs. Heath Miller). The key matchup will be at the RB position (Steve Slaton/Kevin Smith vs. DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Titans as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators League, the Krakow Tigers (0-0) will face off against Fear This. Fear This is managed by Jon, another good friend from college. This will also be another tough matchup. The QB matchup will be one to watch (Jay Cutler vs. Donovan McNabb) along with the K matcup (David Akers vs. Jason Elam). The key matchup will be DEF postion (Philadelphia vs. New York Jets). As of right now, Yahoo has the Tigers as the favorite.

Well that's the outlook for Week 1 of the Fantasy Football season. Good luck to all who are participating and look forward to a great season!

Monday, September 7, 2009

2009 Fantasy Football Preview Extravaganza

The NFL season only four days away, which means it's time again for fantasy football. As is tradition, I'm here to break down some of the leagues that I'm in and my teams. This year there will be again three leagues that are must watch/keep up with and to start off here's a draft recap.

*To start off, the first league is Speed Kills, this league is one that I've been participating in since 2001 (now in it's 9th season). I have finished in the top 3 five times and have won the championship three times with now being the two time defending champs the past two years. It is made up of some friends from college and some friends of friends. The team name again this year is the K.C. Masterpieces. In this year's draft, the Masterpieces had the 3rd overall pick and with it selected Michael Turner. The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Peyton Manning (2st round-22nd pick)
RBs - Michael Turner (1st round-3rd pick), LenDale White (5th round-51st pick)
WRs - Reggie Wayne (3nd round-27th pick), Hines Ward (6th round-70th pick), DeSean Jackson (7th round-75th pick)
TE - Antonio Gates (4th round-46th pick)
K - Rob Bironas (8th round-94rd pick)
DEF - San Diego (9th round-99th pick)

Key backups drafted:
QB Matt Hasselbeck (11th round-123rd pick), RB Fred Jackson (10th round-118th pick), WR Justin Gage (13th round-147th pick), TE Anthony Fasano (12th round-142nd pick)

Season Prediction: This will be again be a tough year. Several top teams have returned (including Jon and Stephen). No team in this league has won three in a row. The starting lineup appears to be better than last year. However, there is questions marks with the backups. If the team plays up to expectations, this team does have the potential to compete deep into the playoffs. I do think they will finish in the top 3 with a chance at a three-peat.

*The second league is one called the League of Evangelical Baptists. This is the first year of the league and features several friends from college (Adam, Joseph), one from my grad school days (Jason), a friend from seminary now (Kyle) and several of their friends. The team name in this league is the Kansas City Titans. In this year's draft, the Titans had the 10th overall pick and with it selected Steve Slaton. The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Drew Brees (2nd round-15th pick)
RBs - Steve Slaton (1st round-10th pick), Kevin Smith (4th round-39th pick)
WRs - Dwayne Bowe (3rd round-34nd pick), Anthony Gonzalez (5th round-58th pick), Steve Breaston (8th round-87th pick)
TE - Chris Cooley (6th round-63rd pick)
K - Jason Elam (9th round-106th pick)
DEF - Minnesota (7th round-82nd pick)

Key backups drafted: QB Brett Favre (10th round-111th pick), RB Jerious Norwood (11th round-130th pick), WR Nate Washington (12th round-135th pick), TE Anthony Fasano (13th round-154th pick)

Season Prediction: This team, the first of the three for me to live draft, is probably the wild card team. There is a lot of potential for success. However, there is a lot of potential for bust action to happen. This will also be a very competitive league. It will be hard to win the championship in this 12 team league but I think this team can be a very dangerous team and one that will be a tough matchup each week.

*The third league I'm in is another league with friends and friends of friends. It is called the Pigskin Prognosticators league. This league has my friends Jon and Stephen so it should be a good time. The team name in this league is the Krakow Tigers (named in honor of the American Football team in the city in Poland where I worked this past summer). In this year's draft, the Tigers had the 1st overall pick (third year in a row I've had a team with the first overall pick) and with it selected Adrian Peterson. The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Jay Cutler (7th round-49th pick)
RBs - Adrian Peterson (1st round-1st pick), Brandon Jacobs (2nd round-16th pick)
WRs - Steve Smith (3nd round-17th pick), Wes Welker (4th round-32th pick), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6th round-48th pick)
TE - Tony Gonzalez (5th round-33rd pick)
K- David Akers (9th round-65th pick)
DEF- Philadelphia (8th round-64th pick)

Key backups drafted: QB Ben Roethlisberger (12th round-96th pick), RB LenDale White (10th round-80th pick), WR Bernard Berrian (11th round-811st pick), TE John Carlson (13th round-97th pick)

Season Prediction: Talent wise, this is the best team. Given this was only an 8 team league, that's understandable. The strength of this team is depth at definitely the starting RBs along with good depth at TE along with QB. The question marks will be at WR and whether they will continue to put up numbers that they have done in previous years. If there is any of the three highlight teams to pick for the championship, I would say this is the one.

This has been the great Fantasy Football Preview Extravaganza. In a day or two (probably by Wednesday) will be the Week 1 preview matchups from each league. Until then, later days...

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Predictions for the 2009 NFL Season

Given the amount of chatter (both on my blog here and on the subsequent copy of the post on Facebook) about my college picks, it should be interesting to see how my NFL picks turn out. So without further adieu, here's my picks:

NFC East:
Dallas
Philadelphia
NY Giants
Washington

NFC North:
Minnesota
Chicago
Green Bay
Detroit

NFC South:
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans
Tampa Bay

NFC West:
Arizona
Seattle
San Francisco
St. Louis

Wild Cards: Chicago, Seattle

AFC East:
New England
Miami
Buffalo
NY Jets

AFC North:
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Cleveland
Cincinnati

AFC South:
Tennessee
Indianapolis
Houston
Jacksonville

AFC West:
San Diego
Kansas City
Denver
Oakland

Wild Cards: Indianapolis, Miami

SUPER BOWL - Tennessee over Atlanta