Why Play a Fantasy Football Rotisserie League?

Most people who’ve played fantasy football are familiar with the idea of a head-to-head league:  your team of players goes head-to-head against another league team that week; your squad gets a win, loss, or a tie, and then you move on to the next week.  The best record at the [...]]]> Why Play a Fantasy Football Rotisserie League?

Most people who’ve played fantasy football are familiar with the idea of a head-to-head league:  your team of players goes head-to-head against another league team that week; your squad gets a win, loss, or a tie, and then you move on to the next week.  The best record at the end of the regular season in each division makes playoffs, and so on.  But you may not be aware that there’s another interesting option out there:  Rotisserie leagues.

Here’s how Rotisserie leagues work.  Each week your players accumulate stats in a variety of different statistical categories, and those stats are added to your category totals moving forward throughout the year.  Highest scorer in a 12-team league at the end of the year in each category, such as Rushing Yards, gets 12 points and the second-highest scorer gets 11 points, and so on.  Then, in Receiving Yards, the highest scorer gets 12 points, just like with Rushing Yards.  The categories (Rushing Yards, Receiving Yards, Passing Touchdowns, and many more) are determined by the League Commissioner at the beginning of the year, and the winner of the league is the team owner who’s accumulated the most final category points at the end of the year.

Rotisserie Leagues vs. Head-to-Head Leagues

Does this scoring system seem odd?  Rotisserie leagues are definitely a different way of thinking about fantasy football, but some analysis of the differences may give you a real interest in this alternative.  There are several points worth considering.

This situation is much less of a problem in a Rotisserie league. However, in a Rotisserie league, owners will sometimes be ahead enough in one category (say Rushing Yards), but down enough in another (say Catches) to want to trade their best players for good players in other categories. However, in a Rotisserie league, this simply isn’t a problem:  you’re playing for Rotisserie in various categories throughout the year, not head-to-head victories and there are no Divisions. You might have most of Peyton’s categories already locked up yourself by the time the season finale rolls around. Instead of head-to-head leagues where the post-season starts in week 15 or week 16, most Rotisserie leagues give all owners the opportunity to play all of the weeks of the season, and it can get tense trying to build up those final points categories in the late weeks.

Strategy

Rotisserie leagues are very different on a week-to-week basis.  You’re not playing against a certain opponent, and you’re not going to have as much reason for trash-talking.  But that doesn’t mean there isn’t quite a bit of strategy to observe.  Here are some key strategy points.

Get used to trading players more often.  You’ll find yourself down in certain categories and up in others, and you’ll need to play out these imbalances throughout the season by trading for the categories in which you’re weak. Balance, grasshopper.  Instead of grabbing several stud running backs and hoping the rest of your head-to-head team can manage, you’ll need more balance in a Rotisserie league.  It may not be as important to grab the second uber-back in an early draft round when you can balance your team out with a top-tier TE or WR.  Team balance is critical in Rotisserie leagues. Overloading and unloading.  Just as we get done talking about balance, if you drafted to dominate a category, and now you’re dominant in that category by week 4, you’ll get the chance to sell high and unload those studs and rebalance your squad.

These are just a few tips, but many more strategies and tips exist for Rotisserie league owners.  If your league agrees to head down the Rotisserie path, spend some serious time getting to know the categories and researching which players are going to dominate in each.  And then take advantage of the owners who haven’t picked up on the variety of strategies available in Rotisserie leagues.

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If you’re into fantasy basketball, then it’s important that you understand how to get the most out of your fantasy draft. Here are seven tips that will help you in your quest to win your league championship. Like so many endeavors, so much of these early steps [...]]]> NBA Fantasy Draft Tips that Will Make You a Winner

If you’re into fantasy basketball, then it’s important that you understand how to get the most out of your fantasy draft. Here are seven tips that will help you in your quest to win your league championship. Like so many endeavors, so much of these early steps are about preparation.

You must know how your league works. In other words, does it give more points to guards who dish off? Maybe it rewards rebounding heavily or has a focus on defense? Every league has its own way of rewarding players for their accomplishments. Is it a head-to-head, points or roto league? How many different scoring categories are there? Get to know your league’s settings because this will help you determine what types of players you should draft and what your mix should be.

Stats, stats, stats: it is all about stats. Crunch the numbers and do it honestly. Numbers are unemotional and they don’t play favorites. You should be the same way when preparing for and engaging in your draft.

Continue to check for any developing news up until you start the draft. There may be an injury to a key player that gets reported 15 minutes before you’re scheduled to make your picks.

Study the best choices at each position and determine where talent, skill and performance drop off at each spot. Premium point guards may be 10 deep, while topnotch centers may be done after six picks. This will help you decide for which position you should first draft.

Create a list of the top five players you’d like to pick in each round. Study your choices to determine if you’re making the most out of your picks in putting together a Dream Team that will win.

Look at details such as a player’s age, tendency towards injury and his commitment to conditioning. Talent and skill are important but it’s a long season and a player in good physical shape who does everything he can to maintain his health is valuable.

In your initial picks go with star caliber players who are just about guaranteed to produce throughout the season. Don’t make odd or long shot choices in the first four rounds.

Having a successful NBA fantasy team and going deep into the playoffs starts prior to your draft. Do your homework and use the information that you garner to your advantage.

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Fantasy Football player rankings are very useful when executing your fantasy football online drafts or establishing your pre-rankings for your offline drafts.  When evaluating the NFL players, we assumed a standard league scoring configuration.  The configuration assumes a starting roster of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, [...]]]> 2010 Fantasy Football Player Rankings

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Fantasy Football player rankings are very useful when executing your fantasy football online drafts or establishing your pre-rankings for your offline drafts.  When evaluating the NFL players, we assumed a standard league scoring configuration.  The configuration assumes a starting roster of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K and 1 D/ST.  Points are awarded for the following actions:

Passing: 1 point for every 25 yards, 4 points for each Touchdown, and negative 2 for each Interception

Rushing: 1 point for every 10 yards, 6 points for each Touchdown, and negative 2 for each fumble lost

Receiving: 1 point for every 10 yards, 6 points for each Touchdown

Kicking: 3 points for every Field Goal made and 1 point for each successful Extra Point

Defense: 2 points for every fumble covered, 2 points for every interception, 1 point for every sack, 2 points for each shutout and 2 points for each safety

There are many other statistics and scoring systems that can be used, so make sure to make adjustments to the rankings based on scoring differences found in your league.

Quarterback
D. Brees (NO)         
A. Rodgers (GB)     
P. Manning (IND)     
M. Schaub (HOU)     
P. Rivers (SD)         
T. Brady (NE)         
T. Romo (DAL)         
B. Favre (MIN)         
E. Manning (NYG)       
J. Cutler (CHI)         
J. Flacco (BAL)         
K. Kolb (PHI)         
M. Ryan (ATL)         
D. McNabb (WAS)     
B. Roethlisberger (PIT)
C. Palmer (CIN)     
K. Orton (DEN)         
C. Henne (MIA)         
D. Garrard (JAC)     
V. Young (TEN)         
M. Moore (CAR)         
A. Smith (SF)         
J. Freeman (TB)     
M. Hasselbeck (SEA)     
M. Stafford (DET)     

Running Back1
C. Johnson (TEN)
A. Peterson (MIN)
M. Jones-Drew (JAC)
R. Rice (BAL)
M. Turner (ATL)
S. Jackson (STL)
F. Gore (SF)
C. Benson (CIN)
R. Mendenhall (PIT)
R. Mathews (SD)
D. Williams (CAR)
S. Greene (NYJ)
R. Grant (GB)
J. Charles (KC)
P. Thomas (NO)
M. Forte (CHI)
J. Stewart (CAR)
K. Moreno (DEN)
J. Best (DET)
B. Wells (ARI)
J. Addai (IND)
L. McCoy (PHI)
F. Jones (DAL)
R. Brown (MIA)
R. Williams (MIA)

Running Back2
C. Spiller (BUF)    
M. Barber (DAL)    
J. Harrison (CLE)    
B. Jacobs (NYG)    
B. Tate (HOU)    
A. Bradshaw (NYG)    
F. Jackson (BUF)    
C. Williams (TB)    
R. Bush (NO)    
D. Brown (IND)    
M. Bush (OAK)    
D. McFadden (OAK)    
T. Jones (KC)    
C. Portis (WAS)    
M. Hardesty (CLE)    
J. Forsett (SEA)    
D. Sproles (SD)    
S. Slaton (HOU)    
T. Hightower (ARI)    
L. Tomlinson (NYJ)    
L. Maroney (NE)    
J. Jones (SEA)    
W. McGahee (BAL)    
T. Choice (DAL)    
A. Foster (HOU)    

Wide Receiver1
A. Johnson (HOU)
R. Moss (NE)
L. Fitzgerald (ARI)
D. Jackson (PHI)
R. Wayne (IND)
C. Johnson (DET)
R. White (ATL)
S. Rice (MIN)
A. Boldin (BAL)
B. Marshall (MIA)
S. Smith (CAR)
M. Austin (DAL)
M. Colston (NO)
S. Smith (NYG)
G. Jennings (GB)
V. Jackson (SD)
M. Crabtree (SF)
H. Nicks (NYG)
C. Ochocinco (CIN)
R. Meachem (NO)
H. Ward (PIT)
M. Sims-Walker (JAC)
P. Harvin (MIN)
T. Houshmandzadeh (SEA)
P. Garcon (IND)

Wide Receiver2
M. Wallace (PIT)
S. Moss (WAS)
J. Maclin (PHI)
D. Driver (GB)
L. Evans (BUF)
S. Holmes (NYJ)
D. Bryant (DAL)
D. Mason (BAL)
J. Cotchery (NYJ)
A. Collie (IND)
D. Hester (CHI)
D. Aromashodu (CHI)
D. Thomas (DEN)
A. Bryant (CIN)
B. Edwards (NYJ)
M. Manningham (NYG)
S. Breaston (ARI)
N. Burleson (DET)
J. Knox (CHI)
K. Britt (TEN)
B. Berrian (MIN)
D. Henderson (NO)
W. Welker (NE)
G. Tate (SEA)
C. Chambers (KC)

Tight End
D. Clark (IND)
A. Gates (SD)
V. Davis (SF)
T. Gonzalez (ATL)
J. Witten (DAL)
B. Celek (PHI)
J. Finley (GB)
Z. Miller (OAK)
K. Winslow (TB)
G. Olsen (CHI)
V. Shiancoe (MIN)
O. Daniels (HOU)
J. Carlson (SEA)
C. Cooley (WAS)
K. Boss (NYG)
B. Pettigrew (DET)
H. Miller (PIT)
D. Keller (NYJ)
J. Shockey (NO)
M. Lewis (JAC)
F. Davis (WAS)
B. Watson (CLE)
B. Scaife (TEN)
T. Scheffler (DET)
J. Gresham (CIN)

Kickers
N. Kaeding (SD)
G. Hartley (NO)
M. Crosby (GB)
S. Gostkowski (NE)
R. Longwell (MIN)
D. Akers (PHI)
R. Bironas (TEN)
L. Tynes (NYG)
M. Prater (DEN)
J. Reed (PIT)
J. Nedney (SF)
J. Kasay (CAR)
D. Carpenter (MIA)
S. Janikowski (OAK)
D. Buehler (DAL)
R. Gould (CHI)
R. Lindell (BUF)
C. Barth (TB)
R. Succop (KC)
M. Bryant (ATL)
O. Mare (SEA)
K. Brown (HOU)
J. Feely (ARI)
J. Hanson (DET)

Defense/Special Teams
New York Jets
Baltimore Ravens
Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay Packers
Denver Broncos
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
New Orleans Saints
Dallas Cowboys
San Francisco 49ers
Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills
Indianapolis Colts
New York Giants
Chicago Bears
San Diego Chargers
Miami Dolphins
Atlanta Falcons
New England Patriots
Houston Texans
Tennessee Titans
Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks
Carolina Panthers

After months of analysis and projections leading up to the April 25-26 NFL draft followed by days of draft recap and team grades, we focus on what really matters to us; how the draft affects our fantasy football leagues. While we may have thoughts on the absurdity of the contracts [...]]]> 2009 NFL Draft Impact On Fantasy Football

After months of analysis and projections leading up to the April 25-26 NFL draft followed by days of draft recap and team grades, we focus on what really matters to us; how the draft affects our fantasy football leagues. While we may have thoughts on the absurdity of the contracts signed by high draft picks, it has no effect on our fantasy football team’s payroll. Players may have been drafted higher or lower than projected, but that has no impact on where they will be drafted in our leagues. What matters most to us is if the player will play and if it will be this year or in upcoming years. Let’s take a quick spin through the league and look at each team’s new additions that could factor into our fantasy football drafts.

AFC

Baltimore – Baltimore’s best pick was on the offensive line with G Michael Oher. I cannot see this changing the draft position of any of the Ravens’ three-headed backfield. DE Paul Kruger was a nice addition to an aging defense.

Buffalo – Buffalo added players across the board, except for the offensive skill positions (Terrell Owens was added via free agency). DE Aaron Maybin will be a stud on defense, bumping the defense up a few positions. They did add TE Shawn Nelson who could have a sneaky year catching passes underneath. Hopefully, Owens won’t catch him conspiring with QB Trent Edwards on individual plays.

Cincinnati – The Bengals had a great overall draft, but their improvements on the offensive line OT Andre Smith and defense with LB Rey Maualuga and DE Michael Johnson does little to make their defense draftable or increase the draftability of any offensive players. I do love TE Chase Coffman and will take my chances on him with a late round pick.

Cleveland – Rookie wide receivers rarely do much in the NFL, but the Browns added two that I would recommend taking as a late round pick; Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi.

Denver – The Broncos addressed their biggest weakness; their defense. However, their defense should only be rostered when facing Kansas City and Oakland. RB Knowshon Moreno is worth drafting, but I would not draft him too high as Denver signed 4 free agent RBs so I don’t see Moreno as their primary back.

Houston – The Texans added a few starters on defense to help out Mario Williams. The jury is out on whether or not it makes the position draftable or not cuz they were the 27th-ranked fantasy defense in 2008.

Indianapolis – DT Fili Moala helps the defense immediately, but the player to focus on is RB Donald Brown. Brown quietly lead the NCAA in rushing yards in 2008 and will step in right away for the Colts. Joseph Addai is still the number 1 running back, but has proven to be injury-prone, so Brown will get reps right away to minimize Addai’s touches. He should be selected in middle rounds and a few rounds higher in Keeper Leagues.

Jacksonville – The Jags grabbed a pair of offensive tackles to help restore their running game. This should keep Maurice Jones-Drew as a second round pick. WR Mike Thomas is worth a late-round flier.

Kansas City – The Chiefs signed a few good players on defense in DT Alex Magee and LB Tyson Jackson, but they will not make their defense worth drafting.

Miami – You will read a lot about how well QB Patrick White will fit into the Fins’ Wildcat offense, but how many touches can you realistically expect? They grabbed 6′ 5″ WR Patrick Thomas outta USC to help their passing game, but if their offense does not make Ted Ginn Jr an every week starter, Thomas has no chance.

New England – Much like Dallas, New England worked multiple trades to fill multiple holes, but none of them will help us in the fantasy world. No offensive players to note and their D will not change draft perception with the new additions.

New York Jets – The Jets were the most daring team during the draft and landed two draftable players out of their three picks in QB Mark Sanchez and RB Shonn Green. Many people questioned the Green pick, but I love this kid. He is as tough and powerful as they get. Thomas Jones is in his early 30s and threatening to hold out if he doesn’t get more cash and Leon Washington may become too expensive, so Green is not a bench warmer. Sanchez had a short starting career at USC, but excelled in a pro style offense and seems polished and ready to tackle the New York media. I would recommend Sanchez as a mid-round pick and can see taking Green as a double digit round pick. Bump Sanchez up considerably in Keeper leagues and bump Green up a few rounds in Keeper leagues as well.

Oakland – Oakland would receive much more ridicule for its draft choices if Detroit wasn’t in the league. However, in fantasy football, who cares if Oakland drafted a guy a round too early and bypassed a much better receiver to do it. WR Darius Heyward-Bey is a burner and can put up some serious numbers if JaMarcus Russell can get him the ball. A good mid-round pick.

Pittsburgh – The Steelers didn’t really do much to change fantasy football except add another solid DT to its defense in Evander Hood. They should still be the first or second defense drafted.

San Diego – The Chargers added DE Larry English, but will probably move him to LB, especially if Merriman is slowed from his knee surgery and Shaun Phillips can’t stay out of trouble. No impact on fantasy in the least.

Tennessee – WR Kenny Britt was their best pick, but he will be a third option in a run first, second and third offense. They replaced Albert Haynesworth with DT Sen’Derrick Marks (no misspelling on the name). He is a slight step back, but won’t change the location in the draft for the Tennessee D.

NFC

Arizona – The Cards happily grabbed RB Chris “Beanie” Wells with the first pick in the second round. He will play immediately as Edgerrin James was released and Tim Hightower appears to be best suited as a goal-line back. Beanie should be drafted in one-season in rounds 4-5 in standard 12-team leagues and rounds 3-4 in Keeper leagues.

Atlanta – Eight picks, all on defense. So, obviously, the Falcons D is the only position that improved. They have some solid additions to support their corners as well as help John Abraham, especially DT Peria Jerry, S William Moore and DE Lawrence Sidbury. This will propel them into the top half of draftable defenses.

Carolina – DE Everette Brown and S Sherrod Martin will help the defense a bit, though not near as much as keeping Julius Peppers will. Their defense should remain in the same draft position.

Chicago – The Bears did pretty well considering they only drafted on Day 2. WR Juaquin Iglesias is a nice addition to a weak receiving core and could be a productive late round pick on draft day. DT Jarron Gilbert will help the Bears D out a bit, though not altering their draft position.

Dallas – The Cowboys traded their way into a lot of worthless picks. Even though the Cowboys had no draftable backup QB last year, I do not believe that QB Stephen McGee is in that category this year. If you draft QB Tony Romo, your backup should be a starting QB on another team.

Detroit – QB Matthew Stafford is giddy knowing that he will be given the reigns to a winless team, so the bar for success in worm-high. It also brings a rare smile to his face when he envisions WR Calvin Johnson in his huddle. However, he is still a rookie QB on a winless team, so don’t pick him as your number 1 QB. He should be drafted higher in Keeper leagues. TE Brandon Pettigrew is a must-draft TE in later rounds.

Green Bay – Green Bay’s D was productive in the TD category last season, but was a bit of a sieve. Adding DT B.J. Raji and LB Clay Matthews enhances this position a few rounds.

Minnesota – The Vikings grabbed WR Percy Harvin to add a new dimension to their offense. The kid can flat-out play, if he adjusts to life in the Twin Cities. I would definitely recommend picking him up in early double-digit rounds.

New Orleans – The Saints’ D was startable at certain times last season coming off the waiver wire. That will change a bit this year with the additions of CB Malcolm Jenkins and S Chip Vaughn. I feel good recommending drafting them in the last round.

New York Giants – The G-Men addressed their biggest need right away by drafting WR Hakeem Nicks. He should be drafted in early double digit rounds. I would recommend a late round handcuff of RB Andre Brown if you draft Brandon Jacobs. RB Derrick Ward is now on Tampa so Brown will be taking over for him.

Philadelphia – Philly will have the most rookies drafted this year. They landed WR Jeremy Maclin, TE Cornelius Ingram and RB LeSean McCoy. Maclin may be a DeSean Jackson clone in playmaking ability, which is good if he waits until he crosses the goal line to celebrate his scores. Ingram will be a favorite target of McNabb when he needs a tough catch across the middle and McCoy is a must-draft handcuff to Westbrook.

Seattle – LB Aaron Curry will definitely help Seattle on defense, but makes no difference in fantasyland. WR Deon Butler was drafted to replace Bobby Engram, but I see no reason to draft him unless you are in a really deep league.

San Francisco – The Niners get a gift in picking up WR Michael Crabtree with the 10th pick. He is the class of the receiving group and will be a flat-out receiving stud in the NFL. I don’t think you’ll get him if you wait until the middle rounds of your draft. You especially want to grab him early in your Keeper Leagues. In addition to Crabtree, the Niners picked up RB Glen Coffey who should be your handcuff to Frank Gore.

St. Louis – The Rams picked up T Jason Smith to replace Orlando Pace and will show immediate dividends in the passing and running game as Pace is vastly overrated and almost stationary nowadays. That being said, Marc Bulger is a late draft pick and Steven Jackson is still a first round pick. As much as I love LB James Laurinaitis, he doesn’t make the Rams D draftable in any format.

Tampa Bay – Good luck with QB Josh Freeman. If he only played as well as he talks. He has the size for an NFL QB (6′ 6″), but I don’t even recommend drafting him in a Keeper League.

Washington – The Skins further enhanced their defensive front by drafting DE Brian Orakpo. In addition to line help, they also grabbed two LBs and CB Kevin Barnes. This greatly enhances the attraction of the Washington D and moves them into the top 8-10 defenses to draft.

To win in competitive fantasy football leagues, you’ve got to pay attention to the NFL players with the highest potential for sleeper value during the season. One of the reasons fantasy football is so popular is because of the excitement involved in predicting when various sleepers will break out and [...]]]> Fantasy Football Projections: Quarterback Sleepers for 2009

To win in competitive fantasy football leagues, you’ve got to pay attention to the NFL players with the highest potential for sleeper value during the season. One of the reasons fantasy football is so popular is because of the excitement involved in predicting when various sleepers will break out and start producing.  If you draft these players in the right round, you will reap all the benefits of drafting a player who produces above his draft position. Only fantasy owners with excellent instincts and solid experience generally see it coming so pay attention to the experts and their yearly projections.

QB Sleepers Worth Considering in the 2009 Season

First and foremost, potential QB sleepers are important to consider.  Here are some of the players that have the attention of fantasy football experts this preseason.

Trent Edwards-Buffalo Bills

Edwards showed much improvement since his rookie season in 2007.  Last year, he accrued over 2500+ yards and 11 touchdowns.  The addition of Terrell Owens to the Bills roster bodes well for Edwards since he will now have multiple receiving options on the field. According to the 2009 Bruno Boys Quarterback “Snooze Alarm” Rankings, “The addition of Terrell Owens at wide receiver is going to change the offense dramatically. Teams will no longer be able to double team Evans and third receiver Josh Reed will now work against lower-caliber defensive backs….but perhaps the biggest bonus the Bills will receive from the addition of Owens is that he’s so good in the red zone, where Evans and Reed struggled to catch passes.” The Bruno Boys give him a ranking of 6 alarms this season.

Chad Pennington-Miami Dolphins

QB Chad Pennington has a very accurate arm, which we all got a glimpse of in 2008.  He won NFL Comeback Player of the Year and racked up 3,653 yards.  Also working in his favor, the Dolphins have improved their running game so Pennington should have more options this season than ever before. Third year WR Ted Ginn Jr. also has great sleeper value as well. If he can stay healthy for an entire season Pennington could produce far superior numbers this year. I believe Pennington is undervalued in most fantasy football drafts.

Josh Freeman-Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay already has Bryan Leftwich and Luke McCown on their roster, who will most likely get more playing time than Freeman in the beginning of the season.  However, the fact that they chose Freeman as one of their early picks in this year’s draft tells me that he’s someone they’re banking on should Leftwich and/or McCown struggle.  Rookie quarterbacks typically have poor first seasons, but there’s always a chance that he’ll do well, just look at Matt Ryan last year. FFtoolbox.com writer George Bissell states in his article 2009 Team Outlook: Tampa Bay, “Fantasy owners should keep an eye on Josh Freeman in 2009 and pick him up if he inherits the starting job.”

Matt Hasselbeck-Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck had some major physical issues in 2008 that kept him off the field so who knows what he will bring to the table in 2009?  According to an article by Patrick Brian ONeill on FantasySharks.com titled Fantasy Football Sleepers – Quarterback Rankings Fantasy Football 2009, “Hasselbeck enters the 2009 season with Seattle as a huge question mark. Were the back and knee injuries a one-time deal, or are they going to be nagging him this year also?” Despite these issues the presence of T.J. Houshmandzadeh and a healthy Deion Branch will up Hasselbeck’s game. It will not surprise me if he has a break out season if his body can hold up without any problems. “I see no reason why Hasselbeck can’t post 3,500 yards and 22 TDs,” continues ONeill. Keep your eye on this QB.

These are just a few of the NFL QBs that could surprise everyone in the 2009 football season. The preseason games will offer even more insight into the value of potential sleepers. Good luck with your fantasy football drafts and may your teams dominate in all your fantasy leagues!

It’s the time of year again, and Fantasy Sports Girl Lina So has the Philadelphia Eagles camp preview. Vote for your favorite Fantasy Sports Girl at www.fantasysportsgirl.com/ContestPage/tabid/236/Default.aspx
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I thought of a fun little game I hope the fantasy crowd will like that I call the Fantasy Apprentice. Since I always dreamed of being Donald Trump and love fantasy football so much, I figured why not combine the two?

You may not have ever watched Donald Trump’s show “The [...]]]> New Fantasy Game The Fantasy Football Apprentice!!!

I thought of a fun little game I hope the fantasy crowd will like that I call the Fantasy Apprentice. Since I always dreamed of being Donald Trump and love fantasy football so much, I figured why not combine the two?

You may not have ever watched Donald Trump’s show “The Apprentice” but you have probably heard him say his famous phrase “You’re Fired”. Basically what happens is he forms two teams that compete at various tasks and he ends up firing somebody each week off of the losing team.

Thus, I have assembled two fantasy football teams of 8 skilled position players for a total of 16 players altogether. I may add a player or two off the waiver wire or make some trades throughout the year as necessary to ensure the teams are fairly matched and…fire somebody off the losing team each week. The point system will be standard scoring (6 pts for all TD’s, .1 per yard for RB/WR, 1 pt. for every 25 yards throwing).

The cool thing about the apprentice game is that it is unpredictable. The person who deserves to get fired doesn’t always get fired. Somebody may slip through the cracks and as long as they perform well on weeks that their team loses, they may end up lasting much longer than expected. Also, it’s not only the stats that go into the equation…if a receiver puts up big numbers but drops a for sure touchdown late in the fourth quarter in a close game, guess who’s getting fired? I even threw in a bonus college fantasy football apprentice for all you college buffs.

Thanks for reading, I will appreciate everybody’s feedback and suggestions along the way as we count down to the end of the year and the first Fantasy Football Apprentice! Please reference my blog for updates and to see who I fire each week http://bit.ly/14aUOS.

NFL

Team #1

QB Drew Brees
RB Michael Turner
RB Matt Forte
WR Larry Fitzgerald
WR Randy Moss
WR Marques Colston
TE Antonio Gates
RB/WR Steven Jackson

Team #2

QB Tom Brady
RB Adrian Petersen
RB Maurice Jones-Drew
WR Andre Johnson
WR Calvin Johnson
WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh
TE Jason Witten
RB/WR LaDainian Tomlinson

Bonus: College Fantasy Football Apprentice

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida
RB Joe McKnight USC
RB Kendall Hunter Ok St.
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame
WR/RB Chris Brown Oklahoma

Team #2

QB Colt McCoy Texas
RB Jahvid Best Cal
RB C. J. Spiller Clemson
WR Dez Bryant OK St.
WR Jordan Shipley Texas
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State

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One of the keys to winning a fantasy football league is the ability to recognize overvalued players and to ignore them. “Slumpers” are NFL players who tend to be drafted in the top 3 at their position and produce like players drafted in double-digit rounds. These players are also known as [...]]]> Top 2010 Fantasy Football Overvalued Players

One of the keys to winning a fantasy football league is the ability to recognize overvalued players and to ignore them. “Slumpers” are NFL players who tend to be drafted in the top 3 at their position and produce like players drafted in double-digit rounds. These players are also known as “Draft Killers”, especially if they are first or second round players. The key to winning your fantasy football league is to find players that will produce on a consistent basis. You may be able to offset one Slumper with a Sleeper, but it is better to just avoid the dead weight, if you can see any signs of a potential downfall. There are times that the signs are not present though. A perfect example of this from 2009 was Matt Forte. No one expected a drop of 300 yards and 8 total TDs from his rookie season of 2008. The 2009 Michael Turner drop-off was not a surprise since he logged 376 carries in 2008. Below is the top overvalued player by position.

2010 Fantasy Football Slumpers

QB: Matt Schaub (Houston) – As tempting as it is to put Brett Favre in this position, he has not signed on with the Vikings for 2010, even though it is as inevitable as the sun rising. So, he must be omitted. Our choice for QB is Matt Schaub. He has been going as high as the third round in many of our drafts. There are too many quality RBs and WRs available at this point in the draft. Schaub is too fragile to spend a pick on him here. Somehow, he lasted the whole season in 2009, but it is foolhardy to expect that again in 2010. Plus, his success is largely tied to WR Andre Johnson. Johnson enters the 2010 season a bit miffed that the Texans have not torn up his current contract and rewarded him with a huge bonus and top WR cash. This situation tends to distract a player so Schaub will suffer if Johnson’s head is in fully in the game.

RB: Steven Jackson (St. Louis) – There is no player in the NFL that I admire than SJax. He is on the worst team in the league and he is the only player that makes the Rams come close to resembling a professional football team. Yet, he does not complain about his contract or the lack of talent that surrounds him. He simply takes the ball and punishes defenders. However, continually running into 8-man fronts takes its toll. It will remain that way this year since the Rams are breaking in a rookie QB. While Jackson did put up over 1400 yards last year, he did carry the ball 326 times, plus caught 51 passes. That is a lot of action and he only found the end zone on 4 carries. The last time he approached this much activity was 2006. In 2007, his yardage dropped by 33%, his TDs by 62% and his receptions by 42%. You could see the toll it took in 2009 as his final three games yielded a total of 184 yards, 7 receptions and zero TDs. Jackson is still being drafted in the first round. You cannot risk your top pick running out of steam in your playoffs and not being able to sniff the end zone.

WR: Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona) – Fitz may be the most talented wide receiver in the NFL. However, he will be catching passes from one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league; Matt Leinart. Leinart was the full-time starter in 2006 and it was the worst season of Fitzgerald’s career (69/946/6). Last year, when Leinart started versus Tennessee, Fitz was targeted 5 times and caught a measly 4 passes for 34 yards and no TDs. With the dual running threat in Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower, I expect similar numbers to 2006 for Fitzgerald, which is definitely not worthy of your first or second draft pick.

TE: Greg Olsen (Chicago) – Olsen enjoyed his best season as a pro last year; increasing his receptions, yards and TDs (jumping to 8). He has two issues working against him this year. First off, the Bears hired Mike Martz. Martz is known to forget that tight end is an actual offensive position. Many of his plays require quick reads and throws. While Olsen is one of the most athletic tight ends in the league, even he needs time to get open. The other issue is that Chicago found out that they actually have receivers on their roster. Devin Hester and Johnny Knox turned in remarkable numbers last year compared to their expectations and will thrive in Martz’s offense this year. Even better, just when the league thought it had the Bears’ passing scheme defended well (see Cutler’s interceptions), along came Devin Aromashodu. In Aromashodu’s (how fun is it to say “Aromashodu”?!) last 4 games, he caught 22 passes for 282 yards and 4 TDs. These three receivers remind Martz of the trio he had in St. Louis. Can anyone name a Rams tight end during the early 2000s?

D: Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steel Curtain was a bit tarnished in 2009. They gave up 306 points and only generated 22 turnovers. You could contend that a lot of that was attributed to the defense missing Troy Polamalu. But, the fact remains that they are getting older and even a bit crotchety. LB LaMarr Woodley has repeatedly voiced his displeasure over his contract. During the 2009 season, they lacked their normal killer instinct; losing games at the end to Chicago, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Oakland that they normally wouldn’t have in the past. Super Bowl hangover? Possibly, but I no longer see this defense as a top-5 defense.

K: Pick one (All) – Any kicker drafted before the last 2 rounds. In reality, the best way to evaluate a kicker is by his Bye week. Take one kicker and one kicker only and then pick one that is available with the latest Bye week so you can forget about that position for as long as possible.

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One of the keys to winning a fantasy football league is the ability to draft Sleepers. “Sleepers” are NFL players who are drafted in much lower rounds than their ending statistics warrant. In shopping terms, this is like getting a case of Dark Lord beer for Miller prices. Talk about a buzz! [...]]]> 2010 Fantasy Football Sleepers

One of the keys to winning a fantasy football league is the ability to draft Sleepers. “Sleepers” are NFL players who are drafted in much lower rounds than their ending statistics warrant. In shopping terms, this is like getting a case of Dark Lord beer for Miller prices. Talk about a buzz! In the fantasy football world, this is the path to the league championship. A perfect example of this from 2009 was Miles Austin. He came out of nowhere to haul in 81 passes for 1320 yards and 11 TDs. No one expected that. When you can grab a player at the end of your draft that becomes your number 1 producer at a certain position, you, my friends, have a true Sleeper. Below are the top fantasy football sleepers by position for the 2010 season.

2010 Fantasy Football Sleepers

QB: Kevin Kolb (Philadelphia) – The Eagles think highly enough of Kevin Kolb that they let Donovan McNabb go. Kolb did put up solid numbers in the few games he played last year. He is stepping into a great situation as a QB. He has a wealth of talented receivers in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant and Brent Celek at tight end. Also, he plays for a coach that loves to throw the ball. He will be around the 12th QB off the board, which won’t happen until around the 10th round.

RB: Justin Forsett (Seattle) – Forsett put up decent numbers in a part-time role last year. On the surface, 2010 looks like more of the same as the Seahawks still have Julius Jones and then acquired Leon Washington and Lendale White. White looked like a potential Sleeper until he ended up getting kicked off the team. With Pete Carroll running the team now, I expect to see a different offensive philosophy and Forsett is the best running back on the team. Very few teams run a one-back offense, so getting a primary ball carrier out of a multi-back offense in the 9th or 10th round is a steal. Forsett runs circles around Jones and Washington is coming off of a knee injury. With 619 yards and 4 TDs running the ball and 41 catches for 350 yards and a TD in 2009, he is ready to assume a much larger role in 2010.

WR: Devin Aromashodu (Chicago) – With Mike Martz running the team, the Bears will throw even more than they did in 2009. Aside from having the most enjoyable name to announce, Aromashodu has the highest upside of any team’s number 3 receiver. He played 4 games at the end of 2009 and caught 22 passes for 282 yards and 4 TDs. Martz is looking at Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Aromashodu as the re-incarnation of his “Great Show on Turf” receivers with Aromashodu playing the role of Torry Holt. If you can get a 2001 version of Torry Holt in the 11th or 12th round of your draft, you can put some champagne on ice.

TE:  Heath Miller (Pittsburgh) – Tight End is a position that is very deep and turns out Sleepers year-in and year-out. Not every Sleeper has to be a young kid. It can be a solid veteran that is overlooked in a deep position. That defines Miller. He is solid year-in and year-out but gets no press. With 789 yards and 6 TDs last year, you would think he would be a top-10 tight end, but nooooooo. With 8 tight ends putting up over 800 yards and 9 tight ends catching 6 or more TDs, he gets lost in the shuffle. He should see more action this year with Big Ben out for the first part of the season and the receiver corps down a notch due to the departure of Santonio Holmes and injury to Limas Sweed. You should be able to get Miller in rounds 13-14, which is incredible considering he will put up excellent numbers this year.

D: Chicago Bears – After a disappointing 2009 in which this defense gave up 375 points, we expect a big bounce-back this year. The Bears had issues with injuries and being on the field much too long due to many extra possessions given to the opposing offense due to Jay Cutler’s mistakes. Cutler will have a better year, the Bears will put up more points and the defense will have better production. As long as Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman stay healthy, the addition of Julius Pepper will help everyone on defense. He is a monster to block, which will help the weak-side rush and give the linebackers and defensive backs less time to have to have to cover their men. If you get credit for special teams returns, having Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Danieal Manning returning kicks is a nice bonus.

K: Shayne Graham (Baltimore) – Considering kickers should not be taken before the last two rounds, I have a hard time filling in a kicker as a Sleeper. However, I will recommend Graham. He is in the lower tier of kickers being selected, plays for a team that can move the ball but kicks a lot of field goals and has been very accurate over his career (85%, including 50% from 50+). His Bye week is week 8 so that gives you a reason to only draft him and then to find his replacement after the mid-point in your fantasy season.

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Do you watch the NFL? More importantly, do you play fantasy football? Well, why not make things a bit more challenging this year? Get yourself involved in a Survivor Pool. Use your knowledge of the NFL to see if you can hang around the longest and become the last player standing [...]]]> Surviving in Fantasy Survivor Pools

Do you watch the NFL? More importantly, do you play fantasy football? Well, why not make things a bit more challenging this year? Get yourself involved in a Survivor Pool. Use your knowledge of the NFL to see if you can hang around the longest and become the last player standing to be declared Champion!

The Survivor Pool concept is a pretty simple one; survive in the pool the longest in order to win. This is achieved, in most pools, by correctly picking the winner of a game every week. There is a variation that is the complete opposite; picking a losing team each week.

Survivor Pools are most commonly used with the NFL since there are fewer teams than in the NCAA and the teams are followed more widely. However, a Survivor Pool can easily be modified to work in union with other occasions, such as college bowl seasons. In the case of NFL Survivor Pools, you are asked to pick one team per week who you think will win the game. If that team does win, you move onto next week. If that team loses, so do you and you are out. The game continues until one player is left in the pool. That person is then pronounced the winner and will merrily collect their prize.

You basically have two choices to play in a Survivor Pool; you can either start your own pool, such as at your office, and get co-workers to join or you could choose to join a pool that is already in existence. If you set up your own pool, you decide the rules. If you join an existing pool, then you have to follow the rules set out by the person who set up that particular pool. All rules should be clearly defined and documented in advance of the first game. These rules are also known as the pool configuration. What settings are commonly available for configuration of a Survivor Pool?

There are many sites that will host your Survivor Pools, though few that will host your pools for free. Common settings of all sites include; the maximum players allowed in the pool, the tiebreaker rules to be followed in event the season end with more than one player still active, if Rebirths are allowed and, if so, how many Rebirths are allowed per team and if there is a Cutoff week. Rebirths allow a team who is out to buy their way back into the pool. Other settings include allowing autopicks and the total number of weeks autopicks are allowed, whether the players need to pick winning teams or losing teams and what the charges are for the league (Entrance fee, Rebirth fee).

Survivor Pools are also called Last Man Standing Pools, Eliminator Pools, Knockout Pools and Suicide Pools. These aren’t the only fantasy football pools involving NFL teams. You can also participate in Point Spread or Pick ‘em Pools, Confidence Pools and Super Bowl Squares Pools. Descriptions of these pools can be found in different articles.

Depending on the amount of people taking part in the pool that you are in and the entrance fee, you could win hundreds of dollars! It is not all about the money, though that is clearly the best prize. It is also about getting involved and enjoying being more than just a spectator in the NFL, so get yourself signed up!

All Daily Fantasy Baseball league owners know a young stud pitcher can make or break your day. Keep and eye on these guy listed below, as they could have a huge impact on your Daily Fantasy baseball league.

PITCHERS:

Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington. Called the best pitching prospect of the generation, [...]]]> Daily Fantasy baseball League Young Pitchers to Watch

All Daily Fantasy Baseball league owners know a young stud pitcher can make or break your day. Keep and eye on these guy listed below, as they could have a huge impact on your Daily Fantasy baseball league.

PITCHERS:

Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington. Called the best pitching prospect of the generation, Strasburg has absolutely, positively frightening stuff. First pick of the 2009 MLB draft nearly made the jump directly from college to the pros, but the Nationals decided to send him to the farm system, where he has terrorized opposing batters to the tune of a 1.30 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 11 games. He’s so well-known that he won’t come cheaply, but he could easily put up top-10 pitching numbers. If you can get him as a number 2 or 3 pitcher, you’ll see major production out of him. His fastball is lightning quick and his curve is essentially unhittable. The only concern will be pitch counts, as the Nationals will surely try to keep his multi-million-dollar arm protected as much as possible. Watch for Stasburg to make his debut this week.

Aroldis Chapman, SP, Cincinnati. Chapman has been blocked by some surprisingly successful starters in the big leagues, but he is making progress at Triple-A Louisville. The Cuban sensation is making too much money to stay in Louisville much longer, having signed a lucrative deal to come to America from the Cuban professional league. He won’t perform at the level of Strasburg (at least immediately) but he has a high ceiling and could be worth a pickup when he arrives.

Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Tampa Bay. Hellickson is in a similar situation to Chapman, with a loaded starting rotation blocking him from the big leagues. Still, Hellickson leads the AAA International league with 71 strikeouts to go along with his 8-2 record with Durham. He’s not going to be coming up any time soon, but when he does, he’ll join one of the best teams in baseball late in the season; a formula that has worked for pitching prospects many times in recent years. Keep an eye on Tampa’s next great pitcher.

Use these players when you play your daily fantasy baseball league at www.fantasyfactor.com the top Daily Fantasy league site on the web.