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Yoda
10-27-09, 01:04 AM
Well, we're more than halfway through the MoFo Fantasy Football 2009 season. Since we expanded the playoffs to rewarded the top seeds and accomodate the two additional teams, our regular season spans 13 weeks, so a literal halfway-mark recap, sadly, would have been possible. But this is pretty good, too, right? Right? Whatever. Let's take a glance at each team, and then check out some of the busts, sleepers, and studs.


Team DarcyTeam Darcy (5-2)
Mrs. Darcy (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=10246)

After starting out 5-0, Darcy's dropped her last two games...but is still tied for second, and could probably play at .500 the rest of the way and still secure a playoff spot.

The story of Team Darcy so far is mainly that of Reggie Wayne, who's 5th among WRs and has at least 18 points in five of his six games. She got some good numbers out of Matt Hasselbeck early and nabbed David Garrard to fill in after his injury. Throw in steady numbers from Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez, and it's not hard to see why she's 5-2.


The ReplicantsThe Replicants (5-2)
Sedai (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=3422)

He finished third last year, so is it really that surprising that he's in the thick of things again? Mike started 3-0 in dominating fashion putting up 130, 152, and 155 points in the first three weeks, before dropping two in a row to fall to 3-2. He's roared back with consecutive victories and looks likely to make the playoffs again.

Impressively, Mike's had to do withis with both D. McNabb and C. Johnson missing time. This is largely thanks to Fred Jackson, who put up three great games off the waiver wire before M. Lynch came back, R. Brown, who's 8th among RBs, and Owen Daniels, who's #1 among all TEs. Not bad for a 7th round pick. A lot of the second-tier TEs (Daniels, Olsen, Miller, Carlson, Keller) went in the 6-8 round range, and while all seemed like viable options at the time, Daniels is the one that's paid off, big time.


WolverinesWolverines (5-2)
LTIZZY (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=48249)

LT, like Sedai, jumped out to a 3-0 start, but has faced stiffer competition since, splitting her last 4 games. She now sits at 5-2 thanks to a close win over Slug.

LT's team is pretty solid scoring wise, but downright fantastic on paper. She nabbed Matt Forte with the #3 overall pick, and it's hurt her all year. Forte's failed to break 10 points in half his games, and has less than 12 points in 4 of the 6 so far. An outright bust in most normal leagues, PPR has made him at least servicable here. If he ever gets going, look out. Randy Moss, meanwhile, has been strong, if not entirely consistent; it's been boom-or-bust pretty often this year. His big games have been pretty big, however, and as a result he's #4 among WRs. If Forte picks up his game and Moss performs better week in and week out, she'll be very tough to take.


Slug's SweetiesSlug's Sweeties (4-3)
Slug (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=31663)

Slug's team doesn't jump out at you right away, but it's quite solid, and he was a decent Brian Westbrook performance away from being 5-2.

And you can thank Mr. Matt Schaub for that. A shrewd 6th-round pick with a lot of upside, Schaub's the #1 QB, which, given our scoring system, obviously makes him the #1 player in the league so far. Schaub's strong start has helped offset the so-so performances of Slug's two star RBs, C. Johnson and B. Westbrook. Johnson's 9th among RBs, but over half of his points came in week 2, and Westbrook has been his usual erratic self.

Hats off to Slug for taking J. Addai in round 4; Addai's still got something left, apparently, as he's 11th among RBs and has been very consistent, putting up at least 13 points in 5 of his 6 games, and at least 16 points in 4 of them. Time to start paying attention, MoFos; he might not talk much, but Slug is sneaky good.


Beantown ChampsBeantown Champs (4-3)
Piledriver (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=4520)

What to make of Pete's team? Started off 3-0, now 4-3. Twice this year he's put up 140+, and then less than 90 the following week. Very unpredictable.

Pete's probably had the worst of the injuries so far this season, with F. Gore basically missing 3 games, and L. Washington going down just this past week. Stud RB S. Jackson seems like a disappointment at first (not a single TD yet), but despite not getting into the end zone, he's been stunningly consistent, putting up double-digits every week since Week 1. He's 12th at his position, and has the potential to be an absolute force if the Rams even remotely get their act together.


TONGOTONGO (1-6)
TONGO (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=48031)

Tough start for team TONGO (where's that name come from, anyway? I've always wondered), dropping the first three, winning in Week 4, and dropping three more since. It's not for lack of effort, though. TONGO led the league in waiver wire mores last year, with 64, a mark he's already eclipsed so far this year, with 78 and counting, and 9 trades, by my count.

Obviously, this makes it hard to analyze TONGO's roster. Starting the season with the likes of Tom Brady, Roddy White, Steve Smith and Jonathan Stewart, all four are gone now, as are some of the players they were traded for. The first two started slow and were shipped out, while the other two has been brought down by a cripplingly bad Carolina team, and have no doubt hurt many an owner.

Credit definitely goes to team TONGO for their unwavering faith in a scrappy up-and-coming QB named Brett Favre, however, who for all our collective ridicule has been a servicable fantasy option, and well worth the 11th round pick used to nab him.


PW's Odd SquadPW's Odd Squad (3-4)
Powdered Water (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=23809)

If you had to pick a Biblical story to charactertize PW's 2009 fantasy football season (and really, why wouldn't you?), it'd have to be that of -- you guessed it -- Lazarus. After an 0-3 start, the Odd Squad must've taken a cue from their baseball counterparts (The 'Roid' Ragers) and injected themselves with some elicit substance, because they not only won their next 3 games, but they did so convincingly. They put up a modest 106 points in Week 4, but followed that up with totals of 175 and 216 (a league record; against yours truly, naturally. Come to think of it, the old league record from last year was against me, too. Weak). Margins of victory: 21, 74, 67. Ouchpain.

PW made a gutsy move early in the year, unloading K. Warner and S. Slaton for T. Brady and C. Buckhalter, a move that looked pretty even at the time, and amazingly still does several weeks later. His big steal came when he unloaded T. Owens for T. Jones and D. Henderson. At the time, Jones had put up a couple of disappointing performances and looked to be stuck in a crippling timeshare. Immediately after being traded, he put up totals of 11, 16, 31 and 19 points, and with L. Washington's injury on Sunday figures to get the bulk of the carries going forward.

Of course, no summary would be complete without mentioning PW's wideouts; a one Larry Fitzgerald, and a little monkey of a man known as Wes Welker, who, if he plays, is basically guaranteed 12-15 points, and, in an absolutely terrifying development, is suddenly catching TD passes again. Not good, people. Bad, even.


Hired GoonsHired Goons (3-4)
WBadger (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=56555)

Now, if you had to pick a Biblical story to charactertize WBadger's 2009 fantasy football season, it'd probably be the story of Job. Roundly mocked for taking Aaron Rodgers #1 overall, he emerged from the draft with what appeared to be a surprisingly strong, well-rounded team. But as he noted earlier, he seems to have had a knack for picking underachievers this year. G. Jennings, R. Williams, and E. Royal are all examples of promising WRs who have performed well below expectations, and though Williams was a risky play, Jennings and Royal looked like very solid bets. I sure thought so; I was targeting both heading into the draft (Royal, in particular). Toss in the aforementioned Owens trade (which was a decent risk/reward move at the time), and it's been a tough road.

However, Rodgers has been killer pretty much all year, and Badger got some huge early-season production out of W. McGahee. Despite all the tribulations mentioned above, Badger's still 3-4 and in the race.


Gadsden FlagGadsden Flag (4-3)
upStomp (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=56425)

Jay was the beneficiary of WBadger's decision to take Aaron Rodgers #1 overall, nabbing Adrian Peterson so fast it's entirely possible he broke a lamp or something in the process. Peterson's been the top non-QB scorer (and therefore, #1 among RBs) thus far, and has put up decent numbers even against stout run defenses. And it's a good thing, too, because Marion Barber's had 3 good games, and 3 absolute clunkers, with little to indicate ahead of time which week will be which, save for some cryptic injury reports.

Jay's also had to offset the early injury of A. Bryant, which he's done with some slick waiver-wire work taking advantage of the Giants' early-season passing success. M. Manningham and H. Nicks have helped fill the gap at WR, and his combination of J. Flacco and C. Palmer gives him a nice tandem from which to play matchups each week.

Jay and I have, amusingly enough, swapped RBs on the waiver wire; he giving up on P. Thomas a shade too quick, and me dumping J. Stewart because of bye week needs, only to see him finally turn it around right after. D'oh. We'll just pretend it was a trade and we can both feel better, yeah?


11 Angry Men11 Angry Men (6-1)
Yoda (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=1)

1st in the standings and 1st in overall points at the moment, and technically I probably only need to go 2-4 or 3-3 the rest of the way to earn a playoff berth. There's lot of little reasons so far, but the biggest explanation is that I hitched my wagon to the New Orleans Saints, and they're averaging, like, 40 points a game. That, uh, helps a lot.

Took some risks during the draft, from going with a QB (Brees) in the 1st round, to focusing on receiving options (A. Johnson and M. Colston) thereafter, and going with a "running back lottery" strategy in the middle and late rounds, loading my bench with sleepers and hoping one or two of them panned out. The most fun being the 8th round selection of Cedric Benson. I made the pick assuming he'd be bad, but get a ton of carries and therefore put up decent numbers. Turns out he did get a ton of carries, but was actually, uh, good, on top of that. I flipped him for Steve Slaton straight up, and both backs have performed well in the four weeks since. This is reason #464,302 that the NFL is crazy.

All that said, I've played a fair number of the struggling teams early on; the second half of the season doesn't look to be as forgiving. I like my chances, but securing a top-two seed (and with it a first-round bye) could be challenging.


Flash Flash (2-5)
7thson (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=3225)

Starting 0-3 and putting up very few points, Flash has put a couple of wins on the board and scored at least 95 points in 4 of his last 5 games. He reached in the 1st round on Peyton Manning...or so we thought. Manning currently sits at #3 among QBs and hasn't had a single bad game yet, his lowest being a 15-point effort in Week 1.

The rest of the team has struggled, but through some trading and some solid waiver wire moves, Flash has managed to replace some early-season gaps with the likes of M. Wallace, P. Garcon, and L. Moore. He's still relying on Manning and Dallas Clark, for the most part, but is dangerous when his less predictable players show up.


The TateratersThe Tateraters (1-6)
spudracer (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=341)

Starting 0-5, Spud lost by less than 1 point to yours truly and only 6 points the following week, before pulling out a healthy 30-point win in Week 6. He put up a season-high 120 points this week, too, but ran into a strong 137-point effort from Jay's team, meaning he's 10th in points, and should probably have at least one more win (if not two) than he does.

Spud, just like WBadger, made a surprising 1st round choice (C. Ochocinco) that somehow worked out anyway. Ocho's put up double-digit points in every single game, and is 3rd (!) among WRs. He went early on Big Ben, but that's worked out, too, with Roethlisberger 5th among QBs. A recent trade for R. Grant gives him a nice well-roundedness. K. Warner sits on the bench at the moment, but provides some nice depth now that Roethlisberger's on a bye.


Da BearsDa Bears (4-3)
mikeython1 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=52257)

A solid team, mikey's Bears have put up at least 100 points every week but one (Week 3) so far. The biggest problem so far has been C. Portis, as the likes of P. Rivers, D. Williams and D. Jackson have had strong years so far. Mikey gave up a solid RB tandem in C. Williams and R. Grant (who's been incredibly reliable) to buy low on Roddy White, a calculated risk which has paid considerable dividends, with White putting up 41, 15, and 17 points the last 3 weeks. He's sixth in total points, which puts him right in line to fight for one of the playoff spots, if everything evens out.


I-Love-Megan-FoxI-Love-Megan-Fox (2-5)
BobbyB (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=11174)

Though he hasn't been around on gameday much, Bobby's managed to set his lineup every week but one, and though he's 2-5, has another one of those "great on paper" teams that could be difficult to play if his players live up to their potential. T. Romo and S. Holmes have been inconsistent, and Bobby's gotten killed on the first-half struggles of L. Tomlinson and B. Jacobs. With either performing up to expectations, this is a 4-3 team, easy, but getting so little out of your top two picks is tough to weather. Toss in D. Bowe, and he's lucky to even be 2-5.

The talent here is explosive, though. He can trot out Romo, D. Bowe, S. Holmes, B. Jacobs, L. Tomlinson, and S. Smith (NYG), which is an absurdly skilled group of players. If this roster starts to play the way we thought it would in the preseason, a late-season run is by no means out of the question.

Yoda
10-27-09, 01:40 AM
More random musings...indulge me a bit longer. ;)


Unluckiest Team
Definitely PW's Odd Squad, who's second in points (second!), yet 3-4. Granted, a big chunk of this can be attributed to some very high totals in blowout wins, but still. He lost one game by just 5 points, and lost just today by just 7.


Luckiest Team
Nobody stands out as particularly lucky, actually, but I suppose it'd probably be Hired Goons, who are 3-4 but just one point from the lowest total score. Mind you, this isn't a reflection of Badger's actual performance (he's been very unlucky with some of his players); just an analysis of points-to-wins ratio.


Playoff Scenarios
Okay, it's early for any actual scenarios, but looking at the standings, it's interesting trying to project what kind of records might lead to playoff berths.

Obviously, 10-3 or better is a shoe-in, and barring some fairly improbable concurrent hot streaks that should be enough to earn one of the top two byes, too. Stands to reason that 9-4 will definitely be enough, and if most of the 5-2 teams struggle a little late that, too, could be bye-worthy.

After that it gets tricky. I'm pretty certain that at least one 8-5 team will make the playoffs, and probably two or three. There could be several teams with that record, and tiebreakers could easily come into it. In case anyone is wondering, the first tiebreaker for a playoff berth is points scored, so every lineup decision matters.

Anyway, it's interesting to speculate, because if you assume that all playoff teams will probably need 8 wins (though if enough top teams struggle, I suppose a 7-6 team could sneak in), then you get a good idea of what each team needs to do the rest of the way. The 5-2 teams need to go .500 the rest of the way (3-3), the 4-3 teams probably need to go 4-2, and the 3-4 teams need to get hot and win 5 of their last 6, most likely.

Could go either way on whether or not 8 is enough, or the minimum, but that's clearly around where the line figures to be.

upStomp
10-27-09, 09:05 AM
Another great writeup, Chris. Win or lose, I'm having a blast playing in this league - due in no small part to the level of participation of everyone involved. Not to mention the extra entertainment value provided here in posts like these.

Thanks to everyone for giving this rookie a reason to become a FFB addict.

7thson
10-27-09, 09:34 AM
Nice Job, was a fun read. If 8-5 is enough to get me in then I am there because I do not plan on losing anymore (yeah right). And my point total ------- lookout there.:(

Seriously though, I have had a great time thus far and definitely found a new passion for some extra activities during football season. I think PW has the best team with Yods a very very close 2nd, not as far as records or points go, that certainly has to go to the ANgry ones. But as I look at everyone's line up, if I had to pick a team it would be Chris' of the "H" variety. The Tongo trade fest has been a blast to watch, nothing personal dude, I love the passion and excitement you bring in. Thanks for having me this year, and hopefully I can bring more game next season.

spudracer
10-27-09, 09:36 AM
Oh Yoda, you're so wise. You're like a minature Buddha.

But alas, reading about the plight of my team makes me cry. Not really, that would be pathetic. No offense to anyone that does cry about their team.

TONGO
10-27-09, 09:49 AM
None taken.

I kept reading trying to find the playoff possibility for my team. I read and read....nothin! Team Tongo just might serve as a spoiler team for the rest of you. Yeah at 1-6 thats not a good contender for Spoiler, but Week 10 and on maybe the Ape will run through this jungle finally.

9 trades?! Wooph...thats alot. Seriously I lost count. I dont advise anybody to try and break that record. As this leagues crash test dummy for fantasy strategy take it from me...its just bad business.

Oh, and great post Yoda! Our group makes this the best fantasy football league any of us has heard of.

Sedai
10-27-09, 10:44 AM
A fun read! On to next week, and the second half of the 2009 MoFo Fantasy Football Season!

Yoda
10-27-09, 12:32 PM
Another great writeup, Chris. Win or lose, I'm having a blast playing in this league - due in no small part to the level of participation of everyone involved. Not to mention the extra entertainment value provided here in posts like these.

Thanks to everyone for giving this rookie a reason to become a FFB addict.
It's been an absolute pleasure already, Jay (I originally mistakenly wrote "it's been absolute pleasure," which sounds totally different). PW and Mike and TONGO and I all dig having another guy who's willing to provide absurd running commentary during the games. :laugh: For a Patriots fan you're a pretty cool guy. ;) Yes, that was a backhanded compliment. I'm still a Steeler first and foremost; you understand, I'm sure.

And yeah, it's funny how involved it gets when pretty much everyone cares. If I'd only played in leagues where half the guys barely bothered to set their lineups, I'd probably have a totally different view of what fantasy football is like.

Seriously though, I have had a great time thus far and definitely found a new passion for some extra activities during football season. I think PW has the best team with Yods a very very close 2nd, not as far as records or points go, that certainly has to go to the ANgry ones. But as I look at everyone's line up, if I had to pick a team it would be Chris' of the "H" variety.
I think I probably agree with you. I know I've got some vulnerabilities, Mike's had some injury problems, and Chris' team is a lot better now than the Patriots are putting up so many points. It's hard to overstate just how huge Welker catching TDs is, because he's almost guaranteed 15 points anyway in a PPR league, even without the scores. Not to mention Ray Rice finally emerging as The Guy in Baltimore (presumably), and picking up Thomas Jones right as he started to go off. Yikes.

Of course, when I played his team they scored like a billion points, so it's natural that I'd be overly afraid of them.

Sedai
10-27-09, 03:01 PM
Looks like two things are happening next week:

- I am playing LT in Fantasy Football.

- On Tuesday morning, I officially start living on Jay's couch.

Yoda
10-27-09, 03:06 PM
You beat Jay in Week 2, so you might want a backup plan.

Sedai
10-27-09, 03:16 PM
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ovJS1Em-6dg/R0bRQeUQ_hI/AAAAAAAARWo/qggqOdi9p0Q/s400/treeSleep.jpg

upStomp
10-27-09, 03:24 PM
Looks like two things are happening next week:

- I am playing LT in Fantasy Football.

- On Tuesday morning, I officially start living on Jay's couch.

:D Anytime, Brother.

Just cough up the Jackson Twins and you can stay as long as you'd like.

Sedai
10-27-09, 04:02 PM
Fred is all yours, but Vinnie looks good in Bot's red...

Powdered Water
10-27-09, 08:27 PM
Sigh... that was a tough loss last night. I really needed that game too as the Wonder Twins are on bye this week. Oh, well. Time to start another winning streak and this time it's a gonna stick!

TONGO
10-28-09, 12:17 AM
So Mikeython1/DaBears says he guarrantees victory over my Team Tongo. :)

I got tougher matchups no doubt, but besides Rivers at Oakland he has tough games in key spots. Deangelo vs the Cards rush D - good luck! New Orleans is gonna make gumbo out of Roddy White. Yahoo scored him waaay to high at 17.83. Hester should rock in Cleveland, but I got Knox, and I bet he'll rock more than Hester. Why?! Cause Knox was scoring higher for awhile and hes due. :yup: Im not gonna say anything bad about Lendale White being your other RB cause hed then score 25 points. The Giants are gonna stick Desean. Theyre ornery.

I think at the least the game will be close. With Orton and Buckhalter factored in he has a 14 point advantage still. I think thats an error. We'll see.

TONGO
10-28-09, 09:05 AM
Very surprised Powdered Water or Sedai didnt pick up Alex Smith. McNabbs played very very meh the past 2 weeks, and Hasselbeck can try a fantasy owners patience when healthy. I know because I had Hasselbeck last year, went 1-4, then dropped him for Orton/Schaub, and went on a 6 game win streak.

Yoda
10-28-09, 11:32 AM
Well, he might make a decent backup or bye-week fill-in, but obviously Seds is running McNabb out there basically every week no matter what. Even the biggest difference in matchups wouldn't change his mind, I wouldn't think. And of course Smith just got the job, has played one good half, etc.

Meanwhile, the waiver wire feasting continues! Didn't get any of the guys I targeted, but the big pickups were even more obvious and universally agreed upon than usual (Greene and Wells being the standouts), so I can't say I'm surprised. Gotta take a miss for a few weeks to get a decent priority, anyway.

LTIZZY
10-28-09, 11:49 AM
This shall be an interesting fantasy week for the man and I !!! I still do not feel solid about my team as I feel that players should really be preforming at their best. I guess it is week 8 and they are human beings that need to start helping me win DAMNIT LOL!

Well two words for you all Couples Therapy.....joking this will be a fun week and I could not have a better person to beat this week.....oh I mean a better person to play with....sorry my mords and getting wixted up !!! LOL

Sedai
10-28-09, 01:48 PM
I am VERY surprised I was able to snag Wells... I thought for sure he would go earlier than Waiver 7... I didn't even try for Green...

Tongo - I thought about Going for Smith, but I didn't want to waste my waiver priority on him, with Wells or Green being the better pick-ups in comparison...

Sexy Celebrity
10-28-09, 09:32 PM
It's not halftime without a wardrobe malfunction.

http://earsucker.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/janet_jackson_superbowl.jpg

Oh, and let's take a look at how much Alexis Arquette now looks likes his/her sister Patricia...

http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/pv/Alexis%20Arquette-9.jpghttp://ponderingsfrompluto.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/medium-patricia-arquette-288x375.jpg

Kay, thanks, back to the game.

WBadger
10-28-09, 09:49 PM
Yeah, great job writing this, Yoda.

I pretty much agree with how you anazlyzed my team, not to mention I usually select the wrong player whenever I am between two players at the same position.

3-4 and I have a huge game this week against the equal PW's Odd Squad. The winner of this game will take a big step towards a possible playoff appearance, so yeah. I haven't been able to get ANY of my top waiver priorities, so pretty disappointing. Especially since I'm screwed at the running back position, my own error for trading T.Jones.

Oh well, hopefully, my wide receivers can score some more points for me and I can win more games.

I'm glad I was able to join when I did, because it's been a lot of fun so far.

LTIZZY
10-28-09, 11:17 PM
DAMN these LAME-O Bye weeks!!!! Im gonna need to pull off some major miracles and oh did I ever mention what a SORE LOZAH I AM ? Already in bad mood about this weeks game.....Hating everything BOO!