Ian Allan answers your fantasy football questions. In this extra-large version: Shouts from the masses that Russell Wilson is ranked too high. Is Isaiah Crowell a dynasty-worthy sleeper? The oldest fantasy league. And complaints that Cody Parkey, Pierre Garcon, Cecil Shorts III and Dan Bailey are ranked too low.
Question 1
I can't find the super league sign-ups for subscribers. Are you having it this year??
Gary Goodrich (Youngstown, OH)
We were late getting it started and putting out the promos, but the Fantasy Index Super League is on. Just click on the link to get started. Once you’re on that page, don’t try to sign up with your 2013 team name. I tried that and it didn’t work. Just register from scratch.
Question 2
Hey Ian, could you explain the high ranking for Russell Wilson. I just don't see it unless you see him rushing for 10+ touchdowns. Thanks.
Chuck Penza (Hammonton, NJ)
Don’t see 10 rushing touchdowns, but I see him running for maybe 500 yards and 4-5 TDs, and that’s like a passer picking up an extra 1,000 yards and 6-8 TD passes. Seahawks scored 41 touchdowns last year, but I think that offense will be a lot better. The projection for Wilson is built off the team moving up to something more like 47 touchdowns, and after last night, I’m wondering if maybe that projection should even be a little higher.
Question 3
Isaiah Crowell beat out a good player in Dion Lewis in Cle! Is this a name us dynasty owners should be considering as a sleeper if Tate goes down?
MONTE MCDONALD (Las Vegas, NV)
For me, it gets my attention when a running back runs over a defender. Think Bo v. Boz in 1987. There were two of those runs in the preseason. Ryan Williams had one for Dallas in the fourth quarter against Baltimore. Ran full speed into a defensive back. Williams got low, knocked the defender down, then continued for about a 30-yard run. That got me thinking that maybe there’s still a future for him. And Crowell had one of the same kind of runs for the Browns. About 25 yards. On this one, he ran about 10 yards, met a defensive back, and just got low and was able to knock the guy on his back and continue on for another 15 yards. To me, he looks better right now than Terrance West, the intriguing third-round sleeper-type guy who ran for 2,500 yards at Towson last. I don’t care where the guys where drafted anymore. I’m just looking now at who can play. In my eyes, Crowell has either already beaten out West for the No. 2 job, or it’s something that could happen. Ben Tate has had a lot of injuries. So I will agree with the idea that Crowell is a guy we should be thinking about – especially in a dynasty league.
Question 4
Ok, let's focus on the important things - Kickers. Labor Day weekend, Philly cuts Henery making Parkey their Kicker and I scoop him up with my last pick. I expected to see him around 10 in your rankings this week but he's near the league bottom. I know you think Philly scores too many TDs and not enough FGs, but that's a bit of an extreme ranking given the offense and the potential for more stalled drives this year. I'm guessing you are also concerned he may not keep that job? (I apologize to everyone for wasting Ian's time on a Kicker!)
L DALE GANDER (Sun Prairie, WI)
I’m not a Parkey fan. He was under 80 percent the last three years at Auburn, so I’m not sure he’s quite good enough to stick around. But setting aside the longevity issue, I still don’t see him as a top-10 kicker anyway. Philadelphia has a great offense, but it tends to score touchdowns rather than field goals. As well as that team played last year, it ranked only 19th in kicking points.
Question 5
How many years is the oldest fantasy football league you're aware of? Our league is starting year 38 with five of the original eight still playing.
RICK WILKEN (Eagan, MN)
The game traces back to fall of 1962. That’s when it was born. So your 38-year-old league is definitely up there. There are a few leagues dating back to the ‘80s (I’m in a 1986 league myself) but it’s rare to hear from anything from the ‘70s. Readers? Anyone know of a league where the guys are drafting in a retirement home?
Question 6
I have reviewed cheat sheets from several of the big name contributors. I have to ask why such low value on Pierre Garcon (41st ranked receiver) and Cecil Shorts (66th)? I understand that DeSean is in Washington now but many cheat sheets have Garcon inside the top 15 WRs. 41st? Really? Shorts is a turd, but 66th? Most others have him in the 30's somewhere.
Chris Schuster (Fairfield, OH)
I understand that a lot of folks are high on those guys. Garcon led the NFL with 113 receptions last year, and Shorts was really good in the second half of the 2012 season. But I think those guys are wrong. To me, Washington looks like a trainwreck, and one with a lot of different weapons – Jackson, Reed, Roberts. Robert Griffin III seems to have completely lost his confidence. Last year they were running that Shanahan offense where they were forcing the ball into Garcon’s hands. That’s gone. So rather than trying to chase after last year’s stats, but I’m just slotting him on how I think he’ll do this year, and I don’t think he’ll be very good. As for Shorts, he’s a personal favorite, as his big second half in 2012 fueled one of my fantasy teams that year. But watching him in the preseason, I’m not sure he’s even one of the two best receivers on his own team. I’m slotting him behind both of those rookies. Another case where I’m giving less weight to what guys have done in the past and more to what I think they’re going to do going forward.
Question 7
I just went through your week 1 sheets, and it seems the rankings sometimes clash with the matchup writeups. You said that Shonne Greene could get 80 yards and maybe a TD, and was worth a start. You wrote that Mark Ingram is "worth a roll of the dice". Then you said to stay away from Gerhart for now, and bench him if at all possible. But in the rankings, you list them Gerhart, Ingram, then Greene. I know the lists and writeups are totally different things, but these seem to really be disjointed.
DENNIS WALSH (Papillion, NE)
OK. That’s a fair criticism. Valid points, and worthy of addressing. I work the newsletter game by game, spending about 45-60 minutes on each team. As I’m researching, I’m looking at the offense versus the opposing defense and how they might match up. I’m trying to figure whether it’s an average matchup (in which case you’d probably have the player about where he ranks on a regular Cheat Sheet for drafting) or whether it’s an easy or hard matchup, meaning he should be higher or lower. But I’m locked in on just that game, and I’m ignoring the other 31 teams. So in the case of Jacksonville (which was one of the first games I looked at) I was noting that circumstances were stacking up against Gerhart. The team didn’t run the ball very well in the preseason. Philadelphia was a lot better last year against the run (10th) than the pass (last). And there’s the dynamic of the Eagles maybe just running away with that game. So I projected Gerhart to finish worse than usual in that game and went away with the impression he wouldn’t be a guy I’d want to use. Ultimately, though, I have to put down stat projections for each guy, and while it’s not a great matchup for him, he’s still one of the few backs in the league with a good chance to account for 70-plus percent of his team’s rushing production. So an “off” Gerhart still came in ahead of Ingram and Greene, even though I kind of like their situations better. My gut tells me that the best gamble would be on Ingram; he ran awfully well in the preseason. But he’s just one of three backs there and is a liability in the passing game. Bottom line, though. I give you the scouting reports, but ultimately I have as carefully as I can projected each stat for each player (pass-run-rec yards and pass-run-rec-ret TDs). And the stats I project determine where the guy winds up in the rankings, even if it doesn’t seem to quite match the verbal report. (And you, of course, are ultimately the GM of your team. If the stat projections for two players are similar, there’s nothing wrong with going with the guy that simply appeals to you.)
Question 8
What do you advise Welker owners to do? I drafted on 23 August, right before Welker took his 3rd concussion inside of a year. So I drafted Welker with pick 4.03. We don't allow free agency on week 1 (suspect many leagues have this rule). Emmanuel Sanders is already drafted. I have Brandin Cooks in my 2nd WR slot (Markus Wheaton is the other option). Randall Cobb is my WR1. Should we just gut it out for 5 weeks and hope Welker comes back in week 6 strong? Should I try and dump Welker now (before he takes another concussion) and try to engineer a quick week 1 trade to get a guy like Kelvin Benjamin, or somebody who might finish inside the top 20-25? I hate to sell a guy like Welker at such a low point, but if he gets just one more concussion his very career could come to a sudden end. Or should we hold for 5 weeks and try to trade him after he puts up one or two decent games?
Andrew Napoli (Springfield, VA)
You’ve got him now. The teams are playing this weekend, and you can re-evaluate your situation prior to the initial waivers. One option will be to simply hope your two Oregon State guys can hold down the fort. Those guys have some ability. Another will be to take a looksee on Sunday night at Andre Caldwell. I think he could be a viable fill-in for the first month. There’s risk with a concussion for Welker, but he’s also a capable receiver in an outstanding offense, so there should be no rush to give him away.
Question 9
I'm just curious about two running backs whose draft positions changed quite a bit from the Monday rankings to the Thursday rankings, without a game being played in between: Stacy (9th to 16th) and Greene (28th to 19th). Is there something in particular that you disliked with Stacy or that you liked with Greene? Also, you previously had Greene listed as a RBBC, but now you don't. Did something change in the TEN backfield? I drafted Tate (26th in Monday’s rankings, now 28th) as my 4th RB (8 team league, must draft exactly 4 RBs), but Greene is still available. According to the new rankings, it now seems like a no-brainer to drop Tate for Greene - agreed?
TOM HOFFMAN (Blaine, MN)
In the case of Stacy, that’s just me giving a little more respect to the possibility that his preseason struggles might continue, potentially giving Benny Cunningham a chance to make a play for that job. Cunningham actually started their third preseason game. So far both of those backs have struggled throughout the preseason but at least Cunningham has had a couple of 20ish yard runs, making his overall body of work better. On one of those, he simply ran through a big hole, but whatever. Stacy needs to pick up his game. With Greene, as you noticed, I changed the way I was ranking him and Bishop Sankey. Before I was projecting that as a committee situation. But Greene keeps getting all the work with the first-unit offense and keeps playing a lot better, so I changed that one and simply made him more of a starter-type guy. I see Tate and Greene as similar type guys. Tate is more entrenched as a starter. There’s nothing behind him – as long as he’s healthy, he’s their starter. Tate is a poor pass catcher, but they don’t have anyone else in that backfield who can play on passing downs. Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West and Glenn Winston are just youngsters who aren’t anywhere close to being able to handle pass protections right now.
Question 10
Ian, Would it be worthwhile to designate WRs as X, Y & Z from a fantasy perspective? I wonder if there's anything to be gained in terms of judging consistency (PPR?) and/or big play potential (leagues that reward long TDs) by doing so. I'd like to hear your thoughts and those of the other subscribers. Thank you.
Kee Won Song (Pittsburgh, PA)
If somebody’s got something smart to say here, I’m all ears. To me, it seems like there would be too many guys who are lining up as both X receivers and Z receivers during games. Teams use so many formations and personnel packages, that I think it’s hard to stick labels on players. I mean, every a lot of tight ends are now lining up as slot receivers and as wide receivers – remember the Jimmy Graham debate in the offseason?
Question 11
need help with week one wr's ...can start 4, but i am lost....i love Keenan Allen, think as much as they pass Golden Tate is a good start, was thinking maybe Matthew Jordan or Boykin and think Harvin will out shine Hunter....can use some help...i am not sold on any...and i hate NFL Networks fantasy page, they project everyone of these wr's to not get into double digits....Can you guys give me some insight on these guys
CAL HOSKISON (Carpinteria, CA)
I don’t want to get into “Who Should I Start” letters in the mailbag. Otherwise I’d get way too many people writing in. (There are way too many letters anyway this week, but I don’t like to ignore people who take the time to send in a question.)
Question 12
Where do you now rank Tim Wright?
Paul Cornett (Boynton Beach, FL)
It depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a tight end who’s playing, he’s not your guy. In that kind of reasoning, you’re better off with Jermaine Gresham or Brandon Pettigrew. But if you’re looking for a hit-or-miss deal on somebody who might develop into something, then it make sense to stash him away on your bench. Arguably a top-25 tight end if you’re looking for one of those guys.
Question 13
Please help! Need an expert's advice. I'm commish of a 12-team league where trade policy has always been up to me to veto trades. I've never blocked one unless evidence of collusion. In recent draft one owner was locked out of email on Yahoo and caused him to Auto-pick his team. His QB currently is Matt Ryan. This is a .5 PPR and 6 point TD QB pass league. He offered me Ryan Mathews and Brandon Marshall for Nick Foles and Woodhead. I accepted. Owners complained and I admitted it may have been lopsided and took Mathews out. So it stands Marshall for Woodhead and Foles. Half the league was OK, half said to veto, since I can't be impartial do you think that this trade has to be vetoed? Absolutely zero collusion. Thanks in advance!
Mike Smith ()
Set aside the two teams that were involved in the trade. Of the other 10, was it a 5-5 split? Or was it a 6-4 vote to overturn. If it’s 6-4 against, that’s hard to work against. I understand why the guys are upset. This owner already ruined his team once by missing the draft. Now he wants to spread that infection into other teams by making dumb trades. I mean, what’s the thinking? Maybe he likes Foles more than Ryan, but they’re in the same ballpark, and he’s giving away a clear top-10 receiver. Makes no sense.
Question 14
Why are you so low on Dallas kicker Dan Bailey? Good offense and 28 for 30 last year.
Dennis Thomas (Royal Oaks, CA)
Kicking points and the overall quality of the team tend to go hand in hand. If you look at teams that have gone 11-5 in this century, those teams have averaged 118 kicking points. If you look at teams that have gone 5-11, they’ve averaged only 96 points. To me, the Cowboys look like a team that might go about 5-11.
Question 15
The last 2 years you hit gold with your breakout player predictions with Al Morris and Julius Thomas respectively. Who is your breakout player this year?(I didnt see it in you pre season report)
Jack Greenberg (Owings Mills, MD)
I think my key defining guys this year are Julian Edelman, Shonn Greene, Carson Palmer, Kyle Rudolph, Roddy White and the idea that you should be taking wide receivers (rather than running backs) in the second and third rounds.
Question 16
Do you adjust your auction totals up prorata by eliminating keepers or do you just keep everyone's total values the same. Also i kept a tight end ( j Thomas for 3) so I don't project to draft another one. Should I reallocate the monies I calculated for the top tight ends to rbs or wr's since I can spend more on them?
ERIC FEINGOLD (Garden City, NY)
Those dollar figures you generate on the site (using our projections) are “values”. Think of them as “Fair Market Price”. They’re not the amount you should spend. If you were to build a team of guys at those prices (err, “values”) then your team would be only average. The key on your end, in implementing those figures is to collect as many guys as you can below those figures. And with that kind mind, I think in your league I’d just run the prices as if everyone was walking in with an empty roster. Then spend 20 minutes looking at where the keepers are going and at what price. This will allow you to see which teams have gotten off to a nice start. You’ve got Julius Thomas for $3. Maybe he’s worth $14, and it’s like your team has an extra $11 of value there. If the keeper prices are all a lot lower than the values, then that will be a sign that you made need to pay fair market value for some players – maye even a little more if there’s simply too much money missing through the keeper allocation process.
Question 17
The Index is a very useful publication, but lately the "news" ain't news, but just recycled stuff from previous postings. That's fine, but you should make it clear that the updates aren't that frequently updated. I notice that the 8/28 update, for example, has comments from 8/25. Are the cheat sheets really updated?
ROBERT WAGERS (Santa Rosa, CA)
It’s a weekly publication. All of the write-ups are put together on the Fri-Sat-Sun, then sent out to you on Monday morning. Then on Mon-Tues-Wed, I’m still working on stuff and watching and re-watching games. I spend a few hours on Wednesday going back through the rankings and changing a lot of the numbers. With a lot of drafts on Friday and Saturday, we re-send the product on Thursday. The notes are the same as what was there on Monday morning, but a lot of the rankings have changed. On the weekend, all stat projection changes are of a read-and-react nature. Wes Welker gets suspended, so I go in and change the projections for him and Andre Caldwell and Emmanuel Sanders and Peyton Manning. On the Wednesday audit and re-slotting, I’m not reacting to news developments, I’m just going through and looking at each team and making adjustments and then ordering the guys 1-100 and going down the list and moving guys up and down when their position doesn’t look quite right. You have a good name for a fantasy leaguer.
Question 18
Not really a question Ian. I just wanted to let you know I've used your strategy again regarding WR's in a 12 team PPR league with the 12th overall pick. It's harder to use this strategy when you're picking 5-8, but worked out well, for me picking 12th. In order: AJ Green, Marshall, Edelman, R. White, Rice, R. Wilson, P. Thomas, Rudolph, Ingram, Moreno, Hauschka, STL D, A. Hurns and R. Rodgers. I've done very well in the past loading up on 100 catch WR's and feel this should be a pretty good team. Thanks for all you do!
JOHN RUPPE (Fort Myers, FL)
I’ve had this argument with readers many times in recent years. Some guys just aren’t comfortable not taking a running back in the first two rounds. They think it’s suicide. But look at this team. It’s overloaded at talent with the other positions, then it’s simply trying to hold serve at running back with Ray Rice, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Knowshon Moreno. I think you’ll win a lot of games.
Question 19
I drafted Jordan reed but pitta is available. I feel like reed has more upside but pitta is more risk free, should I grab pitta or roll the dice with reed and his concussion issues?
Drew Bankston (Tyler, TX)
I don’t like Washington at all. The whole team looks dysfunctional. I would definitely take Pitta.
Question 20
Wow, Shonn Greene has skyrocketed up the rankings, at least for TD-only! I've been a believer in him as a late round RB flyer, and have him in all 4 of my MFL10s, but your most recent cheat sheet update has him at RB #12 for TD-only leagues. In my 14-team home-town league, we carry a very small roster (only 3 RBs, start 2). This would put Greene as a RB1 !!... While I like him as a sleeper, I gotta ask, are we really buying Shonn Greene as a starting fantasy RB? And if so, are you advocating Greene as a legit fantasy starter for the entire year, or are you anticipating Sankey taking over at some point? I'm stacked at WR, but a little weak at RB with Gerhart, Rice and Ingram (another guy I'm high on this year), but according to your rankings I should be picking up Greene (who went undrafted in our league) and cutting one of these guys.
Matt Tinker (Orleans, VT)
For over the first half of the preseason, I had Greene and Sankey in a committee situation. I just had them both projected for 15 games, and Greene finishing with more of the production. But after watching Greene outplay him every week and watching Sankey work with the backups in all the preseason games (and not looking all that hot) I revised that projection. I made Greene the “starter” increasing his projection, and moved Sankey down into a two-tier projection. Right now I have Greene starting 13 games (maybe he gets hurt or Sankey comes on) and being a back you can start thinking about in the low teens. I had him at 14 games last week; now I’ve rolled that down to 13 games, causing the drop. I have Sankey as a nominal contributer for 13 games as a reserve (maybe 5-10 touches per game off the bench) tied together with 3 projected starts, where his production would be pretty similar to Greene’s – not quite as good runner but better as a pass catcher. I see Greene as one of the more underrated guys in drafts this year. Time will tell, but I see Sankey as an overrated commodity who can’t be counted on for much.
Question 21
With so few 'stud' QBs on the top of the board... true legits to post 300+ and 3 TDs per game... could it be a potential strategy to try select two of them in the first early rounds? Thinking I will use whichever I don't like the most for trade bait to get WR and RB help...
Tim Rowland (Blue Bell, PA)
If you select Manning and Brees and they’re both on pace to throw more than 40 touchdowns, I imagine you won’t have any trouble finding a trading partner. If they’re more like 35-touchdown guys, however, it will get sticky.
Question 22
Hello, Ian. I had the tenth (and eleventh) pick in my 10-team fantasy draft. My league gives 4 pts for passing TD, is PPR, and we start 1 QB, 2RB, 3WR, 2 FLEX (WR/RB/TE). Picks 1-9 were Peterson, Manning, McCoy, Lacy, Rodgers, Charles, Brees, Forte, and Lynch. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I really had no choice but to go C. Johnson and Graham, right? Also, I really don't get why all three top QB's went the first round based on the scoring I listed above. Any insight?
James Graefe (TAMPA, FL)
If I were in your position, I would have taken two wide receivers. Calvin Johnson will work. I won’t quibble with that. But in a PPR format, I have four other guys higher – Demaryius Thomas, A.J. Green, Antonio Brown and Dez Bryant. I would have followed with another wide receiver in the second round. You went with Graham, but it doesn’t look like there’s a tight end position. If you’re lumping Graham in with the wide receivers, he loses that special appeal of being way better than all of the other tight end. I think there are 10 wide receivers that will be better than Graham in a PPR format. Opinions will vary, but I think Graham should have gone late in the second round in your league.
Question 23
In a highly competitive 12-team money league, I drafted Foles in RD7 (and backed him up with Dalton in RD12). This allowed me build a strong stable of WRs (Nelson, Jeffery, Sanders) and RBS (Forte, Gerhart, Bell). Do you think Foles will prove to be good value?
Richard Weber (Fort Myers, FL)
You got him in the right spot, and you did good work slotting in Dalton behind him. Nice start to the season.
Question 24
I'm in a twelve team 2 point per reception league. I took Ray Rice in the 4th round as my second back behind McCoy. There wasn't much quality left at running back so I thought I would take a gamble on Rice. My question is if Rice weren't suspended for the first two games how much higher would he be ranked. He is currently #20 of the running backs in your ppr rankings
Scott Morrow (N Huntingdon, PA)
He’d be right behind the No. 12 running back, Andre Ellington.
Question 25
Which would you rather have on your standard scoring league team depth chart: LeGarrette Blount or Markus Wheaton? Neither would start on your fantasy team, but may be needed on later in the season either by injury or bye week. For scoring, I believe the two are fairly even. My starters and first back ups at both positions are solid, and we don't use a flex player. So which one offers more "bang for your bench?"I’ll take Wheaton. He might simply be a starter-caliber guy. With Blount, you need to wait for a LeVeon Bell injury.
JEFF POWERS (Ridgecrest, CA)
I’ll take Wheaton. He might simply be a starter-caliber guy. With Blount, you need to wait for a LeVeon Bell injury.
Question 26
I have clicked on the News Blast feature of the website several times this preseason and, still, the most recent post is from Feb. 2. Is that being phased out? Perhaps that type of information is being disseminated in some other format. I see I can sign up for a free daily News Blast newsletter sent to my e-mail. I also see a "Stay in the Loop" feature for Twitter and Facebook. I have no interest in opening an account for either of those options. If the News Blast feature is going to resume at some point, a post there letting readers know when would be great.
PHIL KEIL (Pottsville, PA)
Good observation. Newsblast is down, and to be honest, I’d completely forgotten about it. I’ve been too busy with all the other stuff we do. We need to figure out where that fits in and what exactly it should be. I’ve never been exciting about being in the “news repeating” business. That is, sitting back and trying to post a link or blurb to keep track of all the stories being reported by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and all the local papers in all the cities. That’s not really adding to the discussion, that’s just repeating what other guys are saying. We’ve been focusing our efforts elsewhere, but I agree that if there’s a “Newsblast” link, there should be some news there or some mention of what’s going to happen in the future.
Question 27
I have 3 keepers, D. Martin, Ant Brown & Jeffery. I have been offered Gio for either of the receivers. Thoughts?
BARRY ST PETER (Pittsfield, MA)
Cincinnati’s running game was a little iffy in the preseason. That’s probably what’s fueling the trade. Either that or the guy noticed the big game Jeremy Hill had last week. But I think the Bengals will get that running game turned around, and Bernard is the run-catch guy who’ll be leading the way. I have him a little higher than Jeffery on my board.
Question 28
In a 12 team league in which we can protect up to 2 players, at different positions, but give up a first and second round pick if we do. Protected players are Peterson, McCoy, Charles, Forte, Lynch, Lacy, Ball at RB, and D Thomas, Megatron, AJ Green, and Marshall at WR, Graham at TE and Manning at QB (we only get 3 pts for passing TD, and it is NOT a PPR league). I have the first pick of the draft and did not protect anyone, and as it turns out, I will also have the 4th, and the 13th picks. I am trying to decide whether to go with Brees on first pick, then trying to get Dez or Jordy with the 4th and then maybe Jefferies or Foster or Ellington with 13. Or maybe go with Dez with first, then if Brees isn't around for 4th maybe can get Rogers. If neither is around maybe go with Martin or Bernard there and pick up a QB later. Any thoughts?
CHARLES LAUER (Huron, OH)
I haven’t run the custom scoring for 3-point touchdown passes. You can do that on the website. I will guess that the smartest route will be to look for Dez and Jordy with those first two picks.
Question 29
Ian, I had my first draft on Saturday, and I would say that I drafted the "All Ian Allan" team (starters shown--standard scoring,12 team league): QB -- Russell Wilson RB -- Eddy Lacy RB -- Ryan Mathews WR -- Jordy Nelson WR -- Roddy White WR -- Julian Edelman TE -- Kyle Rudolph K -- Steven Hauschka D -- Saints I'm guessing that Wilson, White, Edelman, and Rudolph are ending up on a lot of your subscribers' teams. Are there other guys that you seem to be picking up on your teams? I have four more drafts to go! Keep up the great work. Sean Salamander Owner, Coach and GM for the Greenville Geckos
Sean Salamander (Martinsville, IN)
Hard to believe you can get all that talent on one franchise in a 12-team league. You should win a lot of games. Good luck to you. Other guys I’ve drafted onto a lot of teams include Randall Cobb, Markus Wheaton and Lamar Miller (though I’ve now flip-flopped on Miller and dropped him behind teammates Knowshon Moreno).
Question 30
Last year you whiffed on Brady as a top 5 QB. I think its time now to see your mistake with Russell Wilson. It's obvious Seattle is a juggernaut team but they will rely on a great D and Beast Mode. I like Wilson but to put him in top 5 is so wrong. How do you do that without putting much of Seattle's pass catcher's in the upper echelon? I am a long time subscriber but this stuck out to me as a major faux pas. I would much rather have Rivers, Palmer, or Cutler. Seattle players will raise the Lombardi come January but not your fantasy team to greater heights!! Except maybe Buffalo cast off Lynch and Super Harvin!!! I know it is only week one but if Rodgers can't create a shootout against the Hawks who will?
David Kennedy (Steamburg, NY)
Advantage Wilson has over those guys is that he runs. He’ll run for 500 yards and 4-5 TDs, and that’s like a headstart of 1,000 passing yards and 6-8 TDs against those guys. What I saw last night was an offense that’s better this year. Other teams will have more success slowing down Lynch, and you’ll see Wilson pick up more of the offensive load in those games.
Question 31
In a 16 team PPR dynasty league with 18 team rosters plus a 4 man taxi squad that can have rookies for up to 2 years. Who has the most long term upside, I can only keep 1: Latavius Murry (1 yr left), Tom Savage (2 yrs left), Stepfan Taylor (1 yr left).
RON KNOTT (Renton, WA)
Honestly, I don’t see any of those guys doing anything. Savage played reasonably well in the preseason, but even if he’s starting late this year or next year, what will you have? Ditto for the others guys. I would probably prefer to axe all of them and start from scratch. If I’m keeping one, it’s Murray, thinking Jones-Drew or McFadden will get hurt.
Question 32
16 team/TD only/6 points for all TD's Need to decide on what player(s) to keep for this year. QB's are difference makers in this league. I have the 3rd pick. I can either keep Rodgers in round 1 Or keep Antonio Brown in the 4th/Heath Miller in the 7th/Big Ben in the 8th BTW: if Brown returns a punt for a TD = 12 points Also: if a QB or WR rush for a TD = 12 points Peyton will most likely be kept & that leaves the other top 2 QB's (Brees/Rodgers) most likely to be picked before me if I don't keep Rodgers BTW: not a PIT fan Thoughts, THX -TOM
THOMAS RODRIGUEZ (Torrance, CA)
I would be looking at keeping Brown or Roethlisberger. Rodgers is the No. 3 player overall, I think (behind Brees and Manning), but where’s the value in protecting him? You might end up drafting him anyway. All it would take would be for one of the guys ahead of you to select a running back. And if you don’t select Rodgers, it’s a small penalty having to settle for LeSean McCoy or Marshawn Lynch, leaving you the flexibility to select a quarterback later. I think Brown is the 31st best player on the board, so it would be a much better value getting to protect him with your 62nd pick. And I believe Roethlisberger should be drafted in the third round in your league. Getting him at the cost of an eighth-round pick would be awfully sweet. If you compare the points of Rodgers plus a running back in round 8 against LeSean McCoy plus Roethlisberger, it’s no comparison. You don’t like the Steelers, but that’s just something you’ll have to deal with.
Question 33
I got the the 5th pick in a 10 team non ppr league. 1 pt every 10 yds and td's 6. 9 or 12 points based on distance. I am thinking either Lynch , Forte or Lacy will fall to me. I am leaning Forte if he is there or Lacy.. Lynch scares me a little as a decline year. Coming back around I was thinking one of the stud wides should fall to me like either Jones, Marshall or Jeffrey. My concern is if I get Forte and only Julio Jones is gone do I take either Marshall or Jeffrey and have my 1st and 2nd round pick on same team?
Patrick Hood (Hatboro, PA)
Sounds good to me. Bears should be very good this year. They’ll definitely be good on Sunday against Buffalo.