We're three games deep, so its time to roll out some of the weekly numbers you've all come to know and love.
Quick refresher:
the All Play table is sorted by each team's win/loss record if the CKL were set up to play every other team each week. Top is good, bottom is bad.
The +/- table is a representation of scheduling "luck". The score is the difference between your team's actual wins and its average wins, based on the All Play table.The higher your +/- score, the "luckier" you are based on matchups.
Post Week 3 All Play
Notes:
There is no argument against Norris having the best team in the league through three weeks. Highest total points, highest maximum points, and the best minimum score; BP has the early season triple crown on lock down.
Poor Derrick. There is only one team he could've possibly defeated this season. It was last week, when he outscored Mark 71.2 to 63.8. He also has the lowest standard deviation (a proxy for explosiveness), meaning he's consistently underperforming. KAG doesn't need to regroup, they need to be blown up.
No surprise to see the Penguins and BEAR with the top two slots. I'll have to look back to see how many other showdowns we've had between All Play #1 and #2 teams. I know it's early, but this week's contest is big (despite the injury/matchup ugliness).
There is a pretty clear dividing line between the top six and the bottom eight. It'll be interesting to see if those top six continue on their path to the playoffs.
Plus/Minus
Notes:
Its still early, but Kirk and Alan have had really bad luck. A collective 2.7 games under their All Play average, you'd have to think they'll both land a win soon.
Joe has average luck so far. Karma would dictate they get on the plus side of the table for a few years.
Future Improvements
I'm kicking around some ideas to make these weekly numbers more interesting. You'll start seeing some new things shortly, but if you have anything in particular you'd like to see, let me know in the comments below.
Do I really need to do an intro for this thing now?
$97 spent today on 21 claims. 8 of those were $0 claims, so on the 13 money claims we saw a $7.46 average. Of course, that average was inflated greatly by yet another flailing overbid by yours truly...
Greg Olsen -- $21 to Kendall dropped: Coby Fleener (tuesday drop) / other bids: $10 to Paul, $7 to Ben, $5 to Norris, $2 to Joe
I'm embarrassed. Once was a mistake. Twice... is a disturbing trend. But listen, I went out and got my guy. Everybody knows Greg Olsen is a talent, and everyone who saw last Thursday's game knows he's a part of that Panther offense, when he's not needed to stay in and block. I'm beyond happy I got him, and I don't care that I overpaid. I think Olsen finishes the season as a top-10 tight end, and I view him as a flex starter for the Nightmare. I just love the guy. I think my team just got a lot better today, 21 bucks be damned.
Meanwhile, I thought I'd flush some FAAB money out with the Tuesday drop of Coby Fleener. Turns out, everyone else saw what I saw: Fleener blocking to help the putrid Colts' o-line while Luck picks defenses apart using his wide receivers. Only 34 receptions in 13 games with Luck at Stanford in 2011 should have been a major tip-off to Fleener's low ceiling as a rookie. 2.5 catches per game does not make for a star tight end. *sigh*
Daniel Thomas -- $16 to Rookie dropped: Kevin Smith / other bids: $13 to Patrick, $13 to Ben, $11 to Norris, $7 to Kirk, $6 to Joe, $2 to Mark, $1 to Nathan
I'll admit, this market surprised me quite a bit. With Reggie Bush set to not miss any much time and Lamar Miller coming on strong, I thought Thomas was really feeling the pinch in that Miami backfield. Buuuuuuuuuuut, the guy is young and I think he's pretty talented; he's built like a bellcow and the Dolphins want/need to run. Still, this is $27 Rookie has sunk into the Dolphins offense, when you consider last week's $11 Hartline purchase. Wise investments? I'm not sure. But gambling on youth and upside always works for me. I loved the guy coming out of K-State, and his fumbling problems and dumbassery on Hard Knocks can be overcome. Meanwhile, I love seeing Kevin Smith kicked to the curb. That guy sucks, and can eat a bunch of nerds out of my asshole. Joique Bell 4eva!
Tashard Choice -- $13 to Patrick dropped: Mohamed Sanu (redshirt burned!) / other bids: $13 to Norris, $4 to Derrick, $2 to Mark, $1 to Nathan, $0 to Kendall
I'm going to come right out and say it: Tashard Choice is a fucking bum. I get the whole concept of opportunity knocking, but there is zero chance of this guy taking over that Buffalo backfield and emerging as a star. He's an injury stopgap, and that's it. There's no upside. Derrick, Mark, and Nathan's bids were more appropriate. That said, the two guys bidding hard are the two guys with a stake in the Bills backfield -- Patrick with F-Jax and Norris with Spiller. So I get it. Gotta fill that hole. I understand. But to me, that's treading water as opposed to trying to swim upstream toward a championship.
Ramses Barden -- $12 to Russ dropped: Davone Bess / other bids: $9 to Norris, $8 to Ben, $7 to Joe, $5 to Kendall, $4 to Mark
Ignoring the fact that Russ played the homer role and has now sunk $31 into the Giants in a seven day span, THIS is the kind of egg you need to be investing in -- one that has a chance to hatch into a fighting cock. Consider Barden's 9-for-138 performance on Thursday night (as seen below), coupled with Hakeem Nicks' rickets-style frailty, coupled with Mario Manningham's history of fantasy goodness in the Giants' #3 role, coupled with the fact that his name is fucking "Ramses" (seriously, how badass is that?), coupled with the fact that the dude is 6-foot-fucking-6 and 224 pounds and in that year 3/4 wide receiver breakout zone... Well, this is a FAAB claim that I like very, very much. I would have been right there with Russ, throwing $12-15 at the guy, if I didn't want Olsen so much and didn't need Powell so much. RAMSES BARDEN SONIC BOOOOOOM!
Bilal Powell -- $7 to Kendall dropped: Mark Ingram / other bids: $6 to Joe, $6 to Mark, $5 to Derrick, $5 to Norris, $4 to Paul, $2 to Nathan, $1 to Kirk
Proof that I know how to play the FAAB game and don't have to overbid $10+ to get the guys I want, Powell represents a nice bit of vindication. Three weeks ago, I said this: "I like Powell, liked him a lot at Louisville. Remember Adrian Murrell? He's a bit of a clone. Still, the current Jets offense is going to doom all of its players, I'm afraid. I'd personally rather have Powell than Shonn Greene, and Joe McKnight is dead to me." I stand by those statements. Numbskull Rex Ryan continues to sink time, effort, and energy into the black hole that is Shonn Greene, when it's obvious to everyone that Powell is the better, more dynamic, more explosive, higher upside back. I needed Mark Ingram off of my roster because I was tired of looking at him and watching him suck (hate you, Alabama backs), so I needed a RB with which to replace Ingram. Powell seemed to be the best of the available litter, so $7 for the win.
Shaun Hill -- $6 to Joe dropped: Ryan Broyles (redshirt burned!) / other bids: none
One of the best backups in the league, Hill is Joe's handcuff to the hamstrung Matt Stafford. I have no problem with this bid or the claim -- Joe needed him and couldn't risk missing out.
Armon Binns -- $4 to Joe dropped: Rueben Randle (tuesday drop) / other bids: $0 to Kendall
Here's what you need to know: Binns is Cincy's #2 wide receiver. Not Baby Hawk, Andrew Hawkins. Hawk is the slot machine. Binns is in the process of beating out Brandon Tate and Mohamed Sanu at flanker, and he's a self-made battler of a wide receiver. A Marty Booker type. I'm beyond happy with the Bengals' passing game right now, and Binns' 3-63-1 line against the Redskins is just the start of a productive season for him. Best of all? He took Chad Johnson's #85, and then publicly declared that he'll be better than Ochocinco while wearing the number. Kid's got confidence. Nice claim for Joe. I predict he'll be very happy with Binns down the line.
Andre Roberts -- $4 to Ben dropped: Laurent Robinson / other bids: $0 to Joe
I have two problems with Roberts: 1) Kevin Kolb. 2) Michael Floyd. Otherwise, this is a nice young [productive!] receiver, fine for any CKL team's bench.
T.Y. Hilton -- $3 to Joe dropped: Jonathan Dwyer / other bids: $1 to Nathan, $0 to Kendall
With Fleener and Dwayne Allen in to block, Andrew Luck is free to explore options down the field... including rookie speedster T.Y. Hilton. Austin Collie is finally dead and Donnie Avery's glass bones will shatter soon enough, leaving Hilton to serve the #2 role beside Grandpa Reggie Wayne. Hell, it's not too hard to imagine Hilton emerging as the #1, go-to receiver in Indy, despite the fact that his routes are terrible. I love this claim for Joe.
Jacoby Jones -- $3 to Paul dropped: Blaine Gabbert / other bids: $1 to Joe, $0 to Kendall
Jones seems very involved in that new hurry-up downfield passing offense in Baltimore, doesn't he? I'm thinking Paul made this move as Torrey Smith insurance, but either way I think it's a nice claim.
Joique Bell -- $0 to Nathan dropped: Austin Collie / other bids: $0 to Joe, $0 to Kendall, $0 to Norris
This should probably be listed in the "Dumpster Diving" section, but I want this on record: Joique Bell ends up leading the Lions in rushing and rushing touchdowns this season, and enters 2013 as their franchise-type workhorse back. Just a hunch. But I love the way this guy runs. See for yourself:
Dumpster Diving...
DeAngelo Hall, $3 to Mark -- As passes are completed in front of his sorry ass, he'll rack up the tackles.
DeMarcus Ware, $3 to Rookie -- Sacks from your linebacker means a high ceiling... and a low floor.
Chris Clemons, $2 to Joe -- We all saw him dominating the Packers' o-line on Monday night.
The rest were low-end IDPs, kickers, and really nothing special. I'm giddy that the Bengals' bookend pass rushers (Carlos Dunlap and "The Giraffe" Michael Johnson) are both on CKL teams. I think Tynes and Graham should both be starting kickers in a 14-team fantasy football league, so good work there. Kurt Coleman is a safety I am very high on -- well done Rookie. And the sands topple down through the hourglass in surreal slow motion.
Meanwhile, more inaction from Alan, along with nothing from Chad. Is this intentional? Are you guys just that happy with your teams? I don't see anyone obvious to drop, so maybe you are.
Remaining Budgets:
Barclay Street Bruisers -- $96
Juris United -- $94
Jesus the Moose -- $92
Blackpool Penguins -- $91
Double-O Daddy -- $86
The Champeens -- $85
Achilles Heels -- $84
THUNDER BEAR -- $77
Glitterfist Lasersnakes -- $76
Kick Azz Giants -- $74
The Magic Stick -- $67
Nth Degree -- $61
Roo Tang Clan -- $55
Pink Nightmare -- $38
I think we need a new trophy for the first to run out of cash. Maybe "The Blown Load" or something like that.
Biggest Claims to Date:
#1 - Kevin Ogletree, $26 to Kendall on 9/12
#2 Greg Olsen, $21 to Kendall on 9/26
#3 - Andre Brown, $19 to Russ on 9/19
#4 Daniel Thomas, $16 to Rookie on 9/26
#5 - Jeremy Kerley, $13 to Derrick on 9/12
#5 - Daryl Richardson, $13 to Derrick on 9/19
#5 - Tashard Choice, $13 to Patrick on 9/26
#8 - Ramses Barden, $12 to Russ on 9/26
#9 - Dexter McCluster, $11 to Nathan on 9/12
#9 - Brian Hartline, $11 to Rookie on 9/19
#9 - Sidney Rice, $11 to Joe on 9/21 (Friday FAAB Rebound!)
That's it for this week. But as always, remember...
This gem is from Russ, who didn't have time to learn the ropes of posting via blogger before getting this out and being late for work. It's an awesome read, totally hilarious. Enjoy!
CKL Combatants, welcome to CKL’s inaugural 2012 POWER POLL. Sans clear metrics or useful insight, and with just slightly more than a cursory look at the teams in question, without further ado: read on!
Note: these rankings will overwhelmingly focus on this year’s performance, with a sprinkle of past history thrown in when convenient, though probably not correct. This edition’s theme: Latin American countries!
1. Pink Nightmare (3-0) PF: 288 PA:216 W3
USA…Pink’s got the talent, and the neurons. But can the two-headed RB monster really work ALL YEAR? And is he off the Eli suicide watch? And is he the first to ever successfully replace Megatron with Starscream?
Trending: On cruise control speeding on the western interstate
2. Jesus the Moose (3-0) PF: 322.6 PA:219.8 W3
Brazil…You’re a sexy, exotic, dangerous bitch right now, Ben. Everyone wants your roster, and your record. The pressure’s on, Moosay…are you gonna abdicate your responsibility, or realize your potential and crush your foes?
Trending: Getting high, like off that ya-yo. Is the crash coming?
Chile…BPP has both personality and the highest scoring team in the league. But the heavy hitters are dinged up, and Tommy Terrific looks off his game. He’s got hope and little spark, but hope doesn’t bring the glory by itself. Just ask Barack! <Oh no he didn’t!>
Trending: Stable now, EKG reading soon
4. THUNDER BEAR (3-0) PF: 327.5 PA: 266.6 W3
Colombia…Roaring load, roaring hard. Every calculated gamble has paid off, and everyone knows he’s a FF savant. He even warded off MVP A-Rodge on Monday nite, sending Krok to the depths of despair he so clearly deserves. What could go wrong? Uh, RG3 is a punching bag right now, and the Shanahans haven’t rolled the RB dice yet for the second quarter of the season. What about his batshit WR’s? Stevie’s mad, and Sapp’s crawled up into Marshall’s ass? What could go wrong? CKL, we might wanna play dead for awhile while stepping into BEAR’s lair.
Trending: Toward the fiscal cliff?
5. Barclay Street Bruisers (2-1) PF: 329.9 PA: 298.8 W1
Costa Rica…It was hard choosing between BSB and DOD here. I went with BSB because he’s got a lot of explodability in that lineup, especially if Andre J doesn’t do what we think he’s gonna do…hello, hammy tweak. Sorry Paulie. Not sending bad mojo. You’ve got a unit, especially if you make something of your youthful triumvirate at QB. People around you want what you’ve got, like our neighbors to the south in Central America. Is this the year?
Trending: 4G LTE Network usage after the iPhone5 release (I’m techy!)…
6. Double-O Daddy (2-1) PF: 291.6 PA: 271.7 L1
Uruguay…The most arrogant father in the CKL has assembled a hit squad. And he’s not afraid to move the chess pieces. Sometimes, he looks like he’s playing checkers, though. And that stable of RB’s would have me pounding Mylanta on a weekly basis. I predict this unit will have the biggest move up or down in the next set of rankings. But what the fuck do I know?
Trending: A particle in the Hadron Collider (I don’t know what that means, either)
7. Roo Tang Clan (1-2) PF: 245.4 PA: 291.8 L2
Paraguay…RTC’s team is similar to mine…which is why we seem to be in perennial trade talks so far this year, and our teams have performed as you’ve all seen. He gets the edge in QB and TE. But if his WRs were a dinosaur, they’d be a “lameosaurus.” HAHAHAHA. That said, when Joe is frustrated with his team, he makes changes. Sometimes they work, sometimes not. But no one above is comfortable knowing Kanga and her peeps are on the prowl.
Trending: Stalled, waiting for QE3 from the Fed (I'm a financial wonk!)
8. Magic Stick (1-2) PF: 266.9 PA: 288.7 L1
Belize…A forgettable team, and forgettable country. Can the least successful and regarded CKL franchise make a move that makes a ripple? Will Fitz drag the Cards QBs to the 2012 season? Will Joey from Wilmington become more than a whining drive time interview? Will TMS actually sniff the playoffs this year? People enjoy visiting Belize, when they actually decide to give a shit and visit. Time’s ticking on the TMS bomb, but it’s probably a dud anyways.
Trending: Swirling water in a clogged toilet.
9. Nth Degree (1-2) PF: 263.4 PA: 302.7 L1
Bolivia…Cam Panic Fever is in the building! Or is it “I-have-shitty-RB-itis?” Rook’s got probs and needs some antibiotics from his sweetiepie…and it’s high time. My expansion compatriot has overwhelmingly dominated me, on the field and in the record books. And he hosts an awesome draft. Our teams are pretty similar right now, but I rank him lower based on my incessant ass-whippings of him in half court bball from the summer of 2003. That’s how it happened, right?
Trending: Freezing slowly like polar bear poo in the tundra.
El Savador…So none of his position players are the bellcows in their respective situations, and the injury bug is ravaging his squad, and he doesn’t seem to be that good at fantasy football. But everything else is good, right? Maybe Sanu will qualify at QB next week for ya, he-yo!
Trending: Facebook stock, AFTER IPO.
11. Juris United (0-3) PF: 275.2 PA:351.7 L3
Mexico…You lost to TMS….hahahaha! Feels good to get that out. Seriously, though. Alan’s got some STUDS on that roster. Probably the clearest underachiever based on that talent set, like our neighbors to the south, Mexico. Can he make that roster a little more cohesive? Can he keep the drug cartels out of our country? Kevin Curtis is NOT walking through that door, Alan. [Remember Curtis' terrorist attack on Kendall? Mexico-USA? How’s THAT for rankings synergy!]
Trending: GM post bankruptcy.
12. Achilles Heel (0-3) PF: 274.5 PA: 309.4 L3
Venezuela…The heel has an arrow in his heart, after suffering through A-Rodge’s loss of mojo, and Purple Judas’ rehab. No one roots for this team, and like Venezuela, everyone would love for it to be on the receiving end of a bukkake of American bombs, hopefully taking out the leader. His team is not this bad, though. Rodgers shouldn’t duplicate that SEA abomination again, and Heel's got a CKL rarity – WR depth, and A-D will get stronger. In spite of his continued douchery, Krok’s cleaver CKR messige bored bantar maques it wurf kieping him arownd, 4 nau. Keep pumping that gas, Hugo Whitt!
Trending: Samsung after the Apple verdict.
13. The Champeens (1-2) PF: 252 PA:291.4 L1
Peru…What a cesspool the ‘peens have become. He can look to the past to remember the glory, but like the Inca civilization, that’s all gone. All of his best players have ceilings that will limit their weekly production, whether it’s Vick’s o-line, the depth of offensive talent in NE, or shitty talent (you, Tamme). He’ll be back, Champeens always come back. (Though the Vageens also lurk around the corner) Just not this year…
Trending: Melting like the Arctic IceCap
14. Kick Azz Giants (0-3) PF: 207.9 PA: 272 L3
Guatemala…KAG is just like Guatemala…it’s got nothing you want. Ever heard someone go, “hey let’s take a quick jaunt to Guatemala!” Doc’s roster is a little weak right now, to say the least. What’s he gonna do about it? The CKL’s “luckiest” coach historically is not going to get a lot of sympathy while mired in the doldrums. He’s gonna have to fix this one from the inside. K2 said it best: “It’s all about this U!”
Trending: Slowly getting pinched, like Bashar Assad.
Back by absolutely zero demand, iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's your Wednesday FAABnalysis!
Andre Brown -- $19 to Russ dropped: Daniel Thomas / other bids: $16 to Rookie, $15 to Derrick, $15 to Joe, $13 to Kirk, $13 to Ben, $8 to Paul, $8 to Nathan, $6 to Mark, $3 to Kendall
ESPN says: With Ahmad Bradshaw hurt and the Giants not trusting rookie David Wilson yet, Brown is a very enticing play against a Panthers defense allowing 146.5 rushing yards per game. He gained 90 yards on 15 touches, including the game-winning score, against Tampa Bay. Okay, I'll buy that. But is he a one-week rental, or something more? Is Bradshaw gonna be out for longer than a week? Is Brown putting on the big boy pants as the Giants' power back? At 227 pounds, he's the biggest one they've got, but Brandon Jacobs he ain't. Still, he has that bellcow look, and rumbled for 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns at NC State... good enough to be drafted in the 4th round by the G-Men in 2008. That said, he's had four years prior to this one to make a dent in the NFL, and he hasn't. Ruptured achilles, cut by the Giants, Denver's practice squad, claimed and cut by the Colts, claimed and cut by the Panthers, claimed and cut by the Redskins, then back to the Giants in 2011, where he won a championship and penned a semi-famous celebratory song, I gotta ring. Four years in pro football, and we still have no idea how good Andre Brown is. My hunch: he's "just a guy." Nice little opportunity if he can really push Wilson to the bench and serve a complementary role to Bradshaw. Not sure I see it, but I've been wrong about these things before. $19 for a crack at a productive starting running back? Good, strong bid for Russ. But make no mistake -- this is a lottery ticket, nothing more. I think the nine of us who lost this auction have a better chance to be happy about it than Russ does about winning it. He gotta ring, but I'm not sure he gots the goods.
Daryl Richardson -- $13 to Derrick dropped: Brandon Jacobs / other bids: $12 to Joe, $11 to Rookie, $6 to Paul, $5 to Mark, $3 to Nathan
Do you ever get the feeling that Steven Jackson is just sort of tired of lacing it up and running into a wall of defenders for the Rams? Yeah, I do too. That's why I was so hot to trot for Isaiah Pead in the draft. I didn't get him, which is just was well, since Pead is not in fact filling the role of Chris Johnson 2.0 for Jeff Fisher this season. Instead, here is this guy Daryl Richardson. He's from Abilene Christian, which is a D-2 school. (Granted, ACU is a D-2 POWERHOUSE, and has produced NFLers like Danieal Manning, Johnny Knox, and Bernard Scott. However, it's D-2 football, and thus I've never seen this rookie Richardson play, and thus I have no great platform from which to offer commentary.) He's small (5-10, 196) but fast (4.45), and ripped off a nice 83 rushing yards and 19 receiving yards after Jackson left the game on Sunday. So he's the Steven Jackson handcuff, most likely. But Jackson's groin injury isn't significant, and this is the Rams offense we're talking about. But who knows? If S-Jax really does crap out, this is Jeff Fisher's team, and he made Chris Johnson a star once upon a time. Maybe Chris Johnson 2.0 is Richardson, not Pead, and maybe Derrick just caught lightning in a bottle. More likely, this is just another lottery ticket running back, albeit younger, smaller, and faster than the one Russ bought for $6 more. Personally, I have a hard time seeing Richardson amount to much more than a few good lines in mop-up duty this season, assuming Jackson stays healthy and Pead stays on the bench.
Brian Hartline -- $11 to Rookie dropped: Sidney Rice / other bids: $6 to Ben, $5 to Mark, $5 to Kendall, $4 to Paul
Right up front, I'll say this: 12 targets is 12 targets. If Tannehill is going to pump the ball between Hartline's numbers like that, the receiver will have some value in fantasy football. But I've been burned by this "best receiver on a bad team" thing before (hello, Chainsaw Massaquoi), and Hartline smacks of best of a bad lot. However, his pedigree is good. 4th rounder in 2009, 506 yards as a rookie, 615 yards in 2010, and 549 yards last year. This was while playing in Brandon Marshall's shadow and catching passes from some terrible quarterbacks. Not saying Tannehill is any better than, say, Chad Henne, but now Hartline has his chance to be the #1, go-to guy. I kinda like the player and I like Rookie's bid. I don't like the Dolphins offense, but you just never know. Hartline looks like a WR4 with WR2 upside in the CKL, which is definitely worth 11 bucks in a FAAB auction.
Shaun Draughn -- $7 to Kirk dropped: Jason Babin / other bids: $7 to Joe
"Jamaal Charles re-injured his surgically-repaired left knee..." That statement alone creates incentive to go out and add KC's #3 RB, especially if that guy put up a good-looking total of 120 yards and a touchdown in garbage time in the first two games. Draughn - a former UNC Tarhole - is a player I am quite familiar with. He started out as a safety, moved to tailback, then worked his way into starter status and eventually into a star at North Carolina. He was undrafted in 2011, but hung around the NFL on the Chiefs' practice squad. Draughn has some speed, but not a whole lot of wiggle. He's not a particularly dynamic or explosive back. But he's a workhorse type who actually offers up a fairly favorable comparison to late-career Thomas Jones. Like with Brown and Richardson, I'm not sure how productive Draughn will end up being this season, and Peyton Hillis certainly offers more resistance to an increased role than either of David Wilson or Isaiah Pead. For $7, I like the claim, as Draughn has produced with the limited opportunity he's already been given. Meanwhile, I'm happy to let these ho-hum running backs flush out the FAAB money, with little chance of offering much in the way of real impact or return on investment (sez the guy who plunked down $26 for Kevin Ogletree.) It's a deep league, gotta kick over some rocks, I guess.
Greg Little -- $7 to Joe dropped: Donald Jones / other bids: $2 to Mark, $2 to Paul
Between Massaquoi, Little, and now Josh Gordon, the Browns have the bare bones of a decent receiving corps. I'm not sold on Brandon Weeden, and I'm not sold on anything this Cleveland offense might produce. $7 was the right bid for a guy like Little, who just needs the light to flicker on in order to emerge as a legit 1000-yard receiving threat for a team that will be behind and passing a lot. He went for 61-709-2 in 2011, and he should have no trouble topping that in 2012. Good claim for Joe, who was able to ignore the sickly stink of Cleveland and the ever-present chance for a staph infection and make a solid bid for a talented young player.
Heath Miller -- $6 to Rookie dropped: Greg Olsen / other bids: none
To me, this was the weird move of the week. Dropping Olsen was a questionable decision, and Heath Miller is the very definition of "replacement level" tight end. Our UVA fanship aside, did Rook overpay for two early-season touchdowns? Maybe I'm wrong, and Miller suddenly has an increased role as a receiver for the Steelers, but it sure looks to me like the protection issues that force him to stay in and block still exist. Sorry to say, $6 was pretty big money for Big Money.
William Moore -- $6 to Norris dropped: John Skelton (redshirt burned!) / other bids: $2 to Ben
Who is this guy? And why has he scored back-to-back double-digit totals from his DB spot? 4th year safety out of Missouri, former 2nd round pick by the Falcons, that's who. 15 tackles, a sack, and two interceptions, that's how. As the Dirty Bird defense emerges as legit, Moore looks like one of the better safeties in the NFL. He's certainly producing at an elite level, and that earns him a big FAAB claim. My dream is IDP claims that creep up into the double-digits, and this is a bold step in that direction. Meanwhile... adios, John Skelton. Another redshirt is burned.
Julian Edelman -- $3 to Kendall dropped: Evan Royster / other bids: none
This morning, I heard the rumor that the Patriots were shopping Wes Welker, whose long-term contract impasse poses a problem. Edelman is already starting over Welker in the two-TE set New England prefers, so I figured this was a fine speculative pick-up for the potential of landing the next Wes Welker. I guess we'll see...
Clay Matthews -- $2 to Mark dropped: Karlos Dansby / other bids: none
HELL-BEAST SIGHTING! A cool six sacks in two games should earn you more than one $2 bid in this league. Sorry BEAST, I let you down. But kudos to Mark for landing one of the most awesome players in the NFL.
Henry Melton -- $2 to Ben dropped: Elvis Dumervil / other bids: none
Interior pass rusher for the Bears. Three sacks in two games. I might have just preferred to hold onto Dumervil, though he hasn't really been producing. But hey, this motherfucker Melton wears #69. I can get down with that.
Matt Cassel -- $2 to Nathan dropped: Josh Gordon (redshirt burned!) / other bids: $1 to Joe
Nathan didn't have a QB2, and now there is only Blaine Gabbert left available, of ALL the starting QBs in the NFL. I'm a little bit surprised Nate dumped his redshirt, but I totally understand not wanting to lose the game of musical chairs at QB, with the byes approaching quickly.
Skip to the 1:00 mark. Or just watch the whole damn thing. It's well worth it.
Dumpster Diving...
Justin Tucker, $2 to Kendall -- I like what I've seen from the kid, I think this Ratbirds offense is legit, and yeah, I made a $2 claim on a kicker.
Lestar Jean, $0 to Paul -- I've had an itchy trigger finger on this claim, myself. I think he'll start to get some looks as the season wears along. For Paul? Andre Johnson insurance?
The rest were IDPs and kickers, nothing to write home about. Kirk rewarded Tim Jennings' three INTs through two games. Rookie fell in love with Jerrell Freeman's 13 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble from week 2. Ben added the ageless Ed Reed. Rookie found a sweet spot for Saints' kicker Garrett Hartley. Nathan reeled in Cowboys' kicker Dan Bailey in a nice end-of-the-list find. Life drags along through the usual fits and starts.
Meanwhile, Alan, Patrick, and Chad watched from the sidelines. Nobody worth claiming? Nobody to drop? Javon Ringer, James Starks, Mohamed Sanu, and Chris Givens say hello. Remaining Budgets:
Juris United -- $99
Barclay Street Bruisers -- $99
Jesus the Moose -- $97
Blackpool Penguins -- $91
The Champeens -- $91
Glitterfist Lasersnakes -- $89
Double-O Daddy -- $86
Achilles Heels -- $84 The Magic Stick -- $81
Roo Tang Clan -- $81
Nth Degree -- $80
THUNDER BEAR -- $78
Kick Azz Giants -- $74
Pink Nightmare -- $66
Biggest Claims to Date:
#1 - Kevin Ogletree, $26 to Kendall on 9/12
#2 - Andre Brown, $19 to Russ on 9/19
#3 - Jeremy Kerley, $13 to Derrick on 9/12
#3 - Daryl Richardson, $13 to Derrick on 9/19
#5 - Dexter McCluster, $11 to Nathan on 9/12
#5 - Brian Hartline, $11 to Rookie on 9/19
That's it for this week. But as always, remember...
Big, beefy, exciting day of claims. I don't want to waste time with the foreplay. Let's fuck!
Kevin Ogletree -- $26 to Kendall dropped: Dwayne Harris / other bids: $13 to Derrick, $12 to Joe, $11 to Ben, $6 to Mark, $6 to Norris, $5 to Patrick, $4 to Nathan
HELLO OVERBID! Not sure if I can properly track my logic to this way-over-the-top $26 bid, other than to say I changed it from $16 to $21 yesterday, to $23 late last night, and to $26 at 11:58 AM this morning. Not understanding he was locked 'til today, a bunch of people put in failed bids since 'Tree had his breakout game last Wednesday -- $12 to Joe, $6 to Paul, and $3 to Patrick on 9/7, $5 to Patrick on 9/8, and $4 to Patrick on 9/9. It was that $12 bid that made me nervous. I thought the price would hang in there at around $15 (I was correct), but then psyched myself out with almost a week to stew on it. Anyway, I vastly overpaid, bad on me, but I got my guy. Laurent Robinson translated this role into 858 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games played and eight games as "the guy" in the slot for the Cowboys in 2011. I'm an unabashed UVA homer, and I think 'Tree has more talent that Robinson. I'm embarrassed to have bid double the next-highest bid, but I'm happy I got him, as I really needed another player on my roster, and I think Ogletree can be that guy.
Jeremy Kerley -- $13 to Derrick dropped: David Nelson / other bids: none
Another early season overbid, this time for the Jets' slot specialist, Kerley. I think it's weird that nobody else tried to pick him up, as he definitely showed he's add-worthy with that 4-45-1 performance on Sunday. Maybe the reason people stayed away is that they're nervous that the Jets' explosive passing game against the Bills was more fluke than fact. Fool's gold, if you will. That's the reason I didn't make a move on Kerley. All the same, Derrick bid the same $13 he put on Ogletree, so he has to be happy to land one of the two guys he really wanted. There's something to be said for that.
Dexter McCluster -- $11 to Nathan dropped: Matt Shaughnessy / other bids: $6 to Kendall, $3 to Ben, $2 to Joe
I have a lot to say about this one, divided into three main topics:
1) Three big claims this week, all three slot receivers. As the NFL moves into more wide-open, no-huddle, hurry-up spread-style passing offenses, we are going to see more and more of this kind of thing, with more and more receivers carrying fantasy value but the player pool growing and cheapening that production, fewer and fewer running backs being worth a damn, and more and more quarterbacks putting up elite production. In other words, the NFL is about to look like college football did five years ago, and only deep fantasy football leagues (like the CKL) will be fun. Value tiers will be expansively wide at QB and WR, and so narrow at RB that they feel like TEs felt in the mid-2000s. That's my prediction.
2) Nathan is doing something very interesting, and I predict very successful: punting IDPs during the week in order to churn his roster with offensive position players. But it points to one sad fact -- the CKL still hasn't "fixed" IDPs. Back to the drawing board, but my thought is that the solution is simple -- we just need three defensive flex spots.
3) I love Dexter McCluster. He's an explosive little guy, and a really, really fun player to watch. The Chiefs are smart to finally start featuring him more in their offense. I'm kicking myself that I didn't put more juice behind my bid, but $26 for Ogletree plus the $12+ it would have taken to land McCluster would have decimated my FAAB.
Aldrick Robinson -- $7 to Chad dropped: Kevin Walter and/or Brian Quick / other bids: $6 to Ben
Robinson came into the game after Garçon (alt-135 for the cedilla) left with his foot injury, and tallied a nice 4-52-1. Robinson was the Skins' 6th round pick, and is a product of June Jones' SMU program. In other words, he knows the college-style spread, and should groove well with RG3, who ran a similar system under Art Briles at Baylor. Garçon is the Redskins' #1 receiver, but if he misses time, Robinson could be the guy. With Garçon in the lineup, Robinson is in a battle with Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson for the #2 job. (Santana Moss has the slot on lock.) I like this claim, and I think Robinson should probably be owned in the CKL. Bold claim for Chad, and I think Robinson has a pretty good chance to be productive in fantasy. Lots of people are buying that Redskins passing game right now, as they should!
Andrew Hawkins -- $6 to Chad dropped: Kevin Walter and/or Brian Quick / other bids: $1 to Kendall, $1 to Paul
Damn you, Chad. "Baby Hawk" (as Bengals fans call him) is the little brother of formal Bengal piece of toast cornerback Artrell Hawkins, and is - you guessed it - a slot specialist. He inherited the role left behind by Jordan Shipley, and Hawk is a more explosive player than Ship ever was. He's the secret weapon of the Bengals' middling passing game, and could emerge ahead of Jermaine Gresham as the #2 receiving option in that offense. I was banking on getting Baby Hawk for a buck, but Chad (and Paul) called me out on that bullshit. Nice work, Chadley.
Dennis Pitta -- $5 to Nathan dropped: Rashad Jennings / other bids: $3 to Kendall, $2 to Norris
He sure looked legit on Monday night, didn't he? But buyer beware on this one: the Bungles make every tight end look like 2005 Tony Gonzalez. That being said, I think this was a great claim by Nathan. Pitta is clearly involved in the newly wide-open passing offense of the Ravens, and should easily be a top-15 tight end this season if he can stay healthy and if Ed (sucks) Dickson doesn't eat into the production too much. Nice work, Nate. To make the claim, Nathan dropped Rashad Jennings. That darkhorse really fell by the rail in short order, didn't he? Glue factory!
Mark Sanchez -- $4 to Joe dropped: Braylon Edwards / other bids: none
No doubt, Sanchize looked good on Sunday, and even drew some praise from Peter King in his MMQB column. But it's Mark Sanchez. Yikes. Who knows? Maybe I'm wrong and he's good... but I'd take that bet if you were offering.
Andre Roberts -- $3 to Nathan dropped: Greg Little / other bids: none
Roberts has won the battle to be the #2 target in the Cards' passing game. Not sure what that gets you, but maybe there's upside there.
Dumpster Diving...
Rod Streater, $1 to Mark -- Lined up as a starter on MNF. Went 4-27-1. Not too shabby for a penny claim.
Heath Miller, $1 to Joe -- 4-50-1 in Sunday night's game, and clearly more involved in the Stealer passing game than he used to be. If you need a tight end, fine. Limited upside here, but he's a plug and play option.
Bryce Brown, $1 to Norris -- Nori Roll dropped his 2011 redshirt (Dion Lewis) to pick up the realShady handcuff. Have you heard the Bryce Brown story? If not, click HERE.
The rest of the claims were IDPs and kickers, and nothing earth-shattering. Mark rewarded Tracy Porter's SNF pick six by adding him to the Peens roster. Kirk rekindled love affairs with Nate Kaeding and Daryl Washington. I added my most hated kicker ever: Shayne Graham. And the world keeps grinding around and around on her axis.
Meanwhile, Alan and Russ decided to sit this one out. Odd decision, considering this was the first meaningful FAAB session of the new season.
And there we have it. The first FAABnalysis of the 2012 regular season. We'll have more lists and statistics and whatnot once we have more Wednesday FAAB sessions in the books. For now, Derrick and I are co-leaders for the Mr. Moneybags award (biggest overbid), while Russ and Ben co-lead for the Golden Sarcophagus (most money remaining).
In fact, here's the full list of money remaining in each team's budget:
The Magic Stick -- $100
Jesus the Moose -- $100
Juris United -- $99
Barclay Street Bruisers -- $99
Nth Degree -- $98
Blackpool Penguins -- $97
The Champeens -- $93
Achilles Heels -- $92
Glitterfist Lasersnakes -- $90
Roo Tang Clan -- $89
Kick Azz Giants -- $87
Double-O Daddy -- $86
THUNDER BEAR -- $80
Pink Nightmare -- $71
This is brought to you by Kirk and Ben, neither of whom are smart enough to post to the blog. But don't let that information taint your confidence in their opinions. Enjoy!
Hola amigos. The CKL season is upon us! Let us rejoice! Hallejuah! Hallelujah! Amen. It is so exciting that I almost went to church...almost.
Anyway, I am honored that Kirk recruited me to help write the previews this year. Sure, I don't have Kendall's wit, Nathan's analysis, Chad's football knowledge, Derrick's eye for hidden gems, Patrick's links to funny photos, or Norris's lovely locks, but I do have lots of flexible time at work to type out long, opinionated previews of CKL matchups. So, thanks Kirk. Hope you all enjoy my second-class contributions to Kirk's first-class writing (and first grade typos).
Hold you sphincters tight. Here goes.
HATE BOWL - Pink Nightmare vs. Nth Degree
Ah, the Hate Bowl: Kendall and Rookie’s yearly pretend insult fest that has developed into the league’s greatest rivalry. This year we get this joyous occasion as a season opener. The Nightmare is going for four in a row and the Nthers hope that their second testicle finally drops before the national anthem on Wednesday.
This matchup is intriguing not only because the banter has yet to begin, but also because the line has a scant 4-point cushion for the Nightmare. Just based on principal, I want to pick for Pink, but on closer inspection, the Rook has some legit firepower. Add that to tendencies to root for an underdog, and…well I’ll probably make the wrong prediction.
At QB, the 9-foot-tall-change-the-game-light-up-the-stats-record-breaker-I-told-you-he’d-be-a-beast that is Cam Newton sure looks sweeter than Eli Manning. Not to say I don’t like Manning, but he just looks scared or confused all the time. I hope for Kendall’s sake he looks more confident when the helmet goes on.
On the flipside, there is Arian Foster (boner) vs. Michael Turner (flaccid) at RB. Gotta give the Nightmare the edge here. Going up against Foster is like being wing man for Joe Sellers. You will always look boring next to him, but if you’re willing to take the UBF, the night can still be fun.
The WRs seem pretty even, but I’m giving Rookie the edge through yesterday’s trade for Antonio Brown. It is impressive that Kendall will apparently start two players from said trade. Here’s to hoping Kendall Wright puts up Britt-like numbers without the injuries or police run-ins. I’ll still give Rookie the W at flex as well, but TE goes to K-man for having a bad-ass player much further away from the cliff.
Tough to call, but let’s start these predictions off with an upset call. Nth - 99, Pink - 97
Thunder Bear vs. Glitterfist Lasersnakes
TBear and The Fisted Bunch start off the season with their matchup dependant on a treasure trove of stars from yesteryear with a sprinkling of promising rookie talent. Will Peyton Manning perform for the other horse-based NFL team and will the RBs Jackson run on all 8 cylinders? Are Doug Martin and RG III worth the first round picks? My guess is 2 out of 5: RGIII scores big in a shoot out and Fred Jackson goes big because I hate the Bills.
The QBs here couldn’t be more different – young v. old, pocket v. mobile, East v. West, Caucasian v. African, horse-face v. predator-dread, quimby v. monkey boy. I really hope Manning does well in Denver, but I don’t see it happening in this game against the Steelers. He’ll do okay, but won’t excel. Griffin, on the other hand, has an opportunity to try to keep up with New Orleans. Did you see what he did against TCU in the opener last year? That was fun to watch and what this reminds me of.
I think these two running backs started playing with leather helmets or at least it seems like they are that old (yes I know they are younger than me). They are similar and will likely be a wash for points, but I like Fred Jackson to score a bit more. The Rams will have to throw more than SJax owners want to see.
No, that can’t be right?
The WR and TE battle goes to the Bear. Roddy may score the most of any receiver in this game, but Nathan’s depth will give him a real edge. At flex, I want to believe in the Muscle Hamster, but can’t seem to wrap my brain around his success. Perhaps it is the heart shapes that appear in my eyes anytime I see potential points for Brees, but Darren Sproles seems like a much more reliable bet.
Still, the Bear starts off with a win, in what should be lowest scoring affair of the day. 88-81.
Alan vs. Chad - Juris United vs. Double-O Daddy - Red on Red ESPN Game Line: Double-O Daddy 94.8, Juris United 67.5
I know that I am not the best Fantasy Football owner in the CKL. I am reluctant to even say coach. I know that I covet players I should trade, and trade players I should covet. I know these things because when I look at Alan’s or Chad’s teams I think to myself, “why are they doing that?” Of all of the teams in the CKL, Alan and Chad elect to use a method that is beyond me. If the Heels are the the USA, then both Alan and Chad are some alien Chinese team that I don’t understand.
You see I know that Matt Ryan and Tony Romo are good QBs, I just would never draft them. I know McFadden and Gore have value, just not on my team. I like the idea of Percy Harvin just not enough to indulge it. Am I wrong,….probably. So when I write this prediction of a red on red battle, I do it as if I am judging the floor exercises at the Olympics. I kinda of know what they are going for only in the broadest sense.
Chad, Percy Harvin will do better than 12.7 for you this week. With AP limping they will need to rely on Harvin more than I would like. That being said DeAngelo Williams will see time in the red zone when they come out of the tunnel and that’s about it. Alan, Frank Gore is better than I think but worse than you need him to be. Crabtree and Young may get better later, but suck now.
I give it to Chairman Chad, and hope his revolution fails. Chad 92 - Alan 62
Mark vs. Norris - The Champeens vs. Blackpool Penguins - Insert Vick Training Fighting Penguises Joke Here ESPN Game Line: The Champeens 80.6, Blackpool Penguins 96.9
For what I don’t understand in Chad and Alan’s teams, I get what Mark and Norris are doing. Norris I felt had a great draft and has better than a fighter’s chance in getting to the playoffs. Mark always does better than I think he will, but right now I foresee a long season of wishing Vick, Wayne, and Wallace would all click on the same week.
Norris I have concerns about Reggie Bush, but damn it I was going to draft him so I get what you are doing there. I think Helu is going to fail as a fantasy player, but then again I was burned by drafting Ryan Torain in a self induced hangover haze.
I think this game will be closer than predicted but Norris will come out on top by let’s say 5.
Ben vs. Doc - Jesus the Moose vs. Kick Azz Giants - Moose Rising ESPN Game Line: Kick Azz Giants 92 vs. Jesus the Moose 101
Moose pride is high today as Ben fields a team worth writing about. Brees, DeSean, Megatron, Pettigrew....thinks are good. Of course there are concerns in Lynch this week, and Charles overall but Ben has to feel good. That is until Voodoo Doc comes to town.
Doc...father, oh how I see the wisdom in Jennings and Welker, but low the dice rolled on Rivers, Bradshaw, Johnson. Do I doubt your ability...never. For you see the future of these things and know that my vision is cloudy. You know Johnson is back, better than ever. You know Rivers is still a champion with an improved receiving corp. And you know that dropping Bradshaw was the mistake that will cost me a playoff spot this year.
Do I reject the father and go with my most beloved non-Heel team....yes, yes I do. Ben has question marks, but less than Doc for me. Ben by 12, but not overall score is 30 points lower.
Kendall vs. Rooke - Pink Nightmare vs. Nth Degree - HATE BOWL ESPN Game Line: Pink Nightmare 100 vs. Nth Degree 96
My favorite part of the HATE BOWL is someone has to lose. I know we all love Kendall, but damn it I fucking hate the Pink Nightmare. Too long has 4 rings been marching a maelstrom over the teams of the CKL. It’s like we’re fucking hick ass retards on the Gulf Coast surprised that a hurricane just came to blow our house down* So when I see a team like Rookie’s playing against wonder boy I get a little aroused.
Kendall’s team is amazing and will only get better as the season rolls on, but Rookie’s team just feels right...now. Manning over Newton, Foster way over Turners, Cruz - Green...I like Cruz right now. I think Brown way over Garcon (fuck you frenchy). Graham way over Gates. Smith over Wirght...maybe.
See this is how he gets you. I am fucking talking my way into to pulling for Kendall. Rookie defeat the monster before his smooth ways kiss us gently and whisper “it’s okay” as his slips the knife deep.
* Not everyone on the Gulf Coast is mentally impaired, just the ones that fail to prepare for the near certainty of a hurricane making landfall near their house. Having a fucking plan!
Mogen David 20/20 – Achilles Heels vs. Barclay Street Bruisers
Up next we have Kirk and Paul fighting for the Mogen David 20/20 Award. Me? I love Mad Dog and would probably fight any of you for that delicious elixir. But that is neither here nor there, you want to know how Kirk will defeat Paul this week.
First and foremost, Kirk has Aaron Rodgers. He is a stud among studs. Andrew Luck may be a similar stud in a few years, but for now, Rodgers will rape and pillage, while Luck struggles to get 15 points.
Second, Kirk has Adrian Peter…what? He has been pulled from the shelves like tasty MD flavor Orange Jubilee? But Orange Jubilee was so good, and cheap, and warmed my belly. Oh well, maybe it will come back in special edition. Guess Kirk will go with the Mango Lime of the Viking’s roster. It is still damn good and will keep the Heels close enough to the running back score put up by all-fantasy RB Ray Rice.
WR is Paul’s best chance to make a dent in the “Rodgers Gap.” If Andre Johnson can reestablish himself as an elite player, even for one game before his legs snap in two, it might propel the Bruisers to a competitive showing. He’ll need all he can get as Gresham versus the Ravens and Hillis’ role as a backup don’t inspire a ton of confidence. I imagine all these positions being pretty close, but collectively the Heels still quench your thirst like dirt-cheap Kool-aid flavored alcohol in a convenient hand-held glass container.
The Heels stay strong without AP, winning 93-82.
The Silky Johnson – Roo Tang Clan vs. The Magic Stick
Joe and Russ get the award for the first post-draft, blockbuster trade of the season. The gunpowder filled balls on these guys for pulling this off are impressive. A quick analysis leaves me with a “jury is out” feel. Gronk and Shady are both amazing and the highlights, but if Murray performs like he did in his brief stint last year, Joe surely wins this trade by a mile. That is a risk I’d take too, but can’t blame Russ for buying in big on McCoy and a few other young talents.
Conveniently, these two are matched up this week, which always makes for an ulcerrific, regret-filled Tuesday for someone. I like both of these drastically changed lineups, but I’m really aching to lick some marsupial taint. McCoy, Fitzgerald, Blackmon and TRich have some upside, but Stafford, Forte, Gronk and Murray? Are you kidding? If these guys are anywhere close to what they were at their peak last year, Joe just got real scary.
Oh wait, it’s Mr. Unlucky, so we can all plan on four season-ending injuries by November. Crisis averted. Whew!
But for this game, all bets are on the RTC. They have gone from handsome, but mild-mannered Prince Adam into He-Man overnight. If the injuries happen, I’ll compare him to Orko, whose magic always ends in blunder. 105-88 RTC in week one.
We've had eight free agent auctions since The 2012 CKL Draft, and now that we're in a game week, it's time to rocket through some preseason FAABnalysis.
I'm not going to hit any kicker claims or $0 IDP claims unless I find them particularly commentary-worthy. The claims are listed below in no particular order other than what I wanted to talk about first, second, third, etc. I guess you could say these are ranked in order of how much they caught my attention.
Here we go. Get your spelunking gear on, it's going to be a dark crawl...
Kellen Winslow -- $5 to Patrick on 8/22 dropped: Bernard Scott / other bids: none
I have to assume this was a hedge against Jason Witten's lacerated spleen -- Pattycakes didn't have a TE2 on his roster at the time. That said, I have to say this was an ass-horrible investment, as $5 was way to much to spend on a player like this, especially just after the draft while everyone else was busy knuckledusting over their drafted rosters. Winslow is having a hard time playing football with that giant fork sticking out of his back; Soldja's a bum with bad knees. What's worse, the Seahawks cut him quicker than the Glitterfist Lasersnakes have been able to. Meanwhile, fully functional spleen-having replacements like Lance Kendricks, Kellen Moore, and Jordan Cameron sit on the waiver wire, unclaimed... But Patrick clearly don't give a hell.
Alfred Morris -- $1 to Nathan on 8/26 dropped: Bilal Powell / other bids: $0 to Kendall
The Jets offense is leprosy this season -- all of its players are slowly rotting. So it makes sense to get off of Powell and onto someone else. This Alfred Morris claim was savvy and shrewd. Being awesome at fantasy football, he was of course on my radar as well, but I didn't pony up the cash monies to secure the player and Nathan boxed me out for just a buck. In Morris, Nathan is holding a parlay card for the annual Shanahan backfield derby. With Tim Hightower on the outs, Nate will enjoy 3-1 odds that Morris will be useful on 33.333 (repeating, of course)% of the weeks. But I can't say too much, as I just traded Evan Royster onto my own roster to purchase my own lift ticket to insanityland. Time to take a bounty out on Roy Helu.
The Redskins' best RB? Maybe.
Dwayne Harris -- $1 to Kendall on 8/31
dropped: Bernard Scott / other bids: none
Watching the Cowboys' 3rd preseason game, this is what I jotted down about Dwayne Harris: "Victor Cruz skills in Laurent Robinson's role." Knowing Bernard Scott wasn't going to be right for week 1, I decided to go ahead and claim Harris. Threw the dollar at him in case someone else saw that same Rams/Cowboys game where Harris went for 118 and 2 playing with the Dallas starters. In hindsight, I should have bid $3.
Victor Cruz skills in Laurent Robinson's role... I hope.
Tim Hightower -- $2 to Joe on 8/29 dropped: Ronnie Brown / other bids: none
Hightower was hurt and went undrafted, but at the time of this claim, Shanahan had mentioned him as the starter in Washington. Some of us are just like moths to a flame when it comes to these Shanahan running backs. But it makes sense, as Shanny has been a bit of a historic RB kingmaker with his one-cut-and-go system, turning stiffs like Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Tatum Bell, Reuben Droughns, Mike Bell, and Selvin Young into fantasy-relevant players. Hightower is injury-prone, but he's no stiff. He's a decent power runner with some nice receiving chops. However, he can't stay healthy and the Redskins have since cut him. I assume the Roo Tang Clan is about to cut him, as well.
I still remember Hightower's days as a Spider.
Donnie Avery -- $0 to Derrick on 9/1 dropped: D.J. Ware / other bids: none
Will Reggie Wayne not show his age and will Austin Collie stay healthy? This move was Derrick answering NO to either or both of those questions. Being the hot-for-rookies guy that I am, I might have preferred T.Y. Hilton or LaVon Brazill, but I agree with Doc that Avery is more likely to play and be productive this season. I thought this was a really good pick-up for the Kick Azz Giants. The Colts will be behind and throwing with a super-talented golden-armed QB, and Donnie Avery - when healthy - can stretch the field deep.
Avery has a chance to make some big plays for the Colts.
LIGHTNING ROUND...
Emmanuel Sanders -- $0 to Mark on 8/22
Nice Mike Wallace insurance. Coming into last season, I thought Sanders > Antonio Brown, but injuries sapped his opportunity to make an impact.
Doug Baldwin -- $1 to Kendall on 8/24
I've since dropped him, but I just love this kid. Ordinary talent who loves football and gets it done with grit and great hands. Seattle's slot receiver is just not worth owning right now.
Nate Burleson -- $2 to Patrick o 8/22
Burl might still have some fight left, but I found this to be a weird claim. $2 was about $2 too much to bid on this guy, but it's small money so no biggie.
Bernard Scott -- $0 to Kendall on 8/26
For the record, I am not a believer in Scott. He's a fragile speed back who needs to find his role as the 3rd down guy, but doesn't have the receiving chops. I'm just a Bengals homer, is all.
Keiland Williams -- $0 to Mark on 8/22
There was some slight smoke around Williams possibly carving out a role, but the guy is mostly just a below-average talent. The interesting thing here is that Mark dropped his redshirted player - Christian Ponder - to make this claim.
Bilal Powell -- $2 to Mark on 8/29
I like Powell, liked him a lot at Louisville. Remember Adrian Murrell? He's a bit of a clone. Still, the current Jets offense is going to doom all of its players, I'm afraid. I'd personally rather have Powell than Shonn Greene, and Joe McKnight is dead to me.
Murrell
James Jones -- $1 to Kendall on 8/31
I picked him up amid rumors he'd be traded to Miami to be their #1 WR. Didn't happen.
Antoine Bethea -- $2 to Rookie on 8/22
Good DB, $2 is probably right, but it might also be a slight overbid due to it being the first FAAB session post-draft. Rookie got a little bit jumpy.
Chris Clemons -- $1 to Alan on 8/29
This was a fine claim for Alan, but he dropped one of his two drafted linebackers - Curtis Lofton - to bring Clemons aboard. Moral of the story: It's hard to justify using a bench spot on an IDP. This is something the IDP task force aims to correct, via the sandlot league.
That's it for now. FAABnalysis will be returning to its regularly-scheduled time --- every Wednesday afternoon!
Good luck to everyone in today's last preseason auction, and bon voyage as the regular season begins!
One the eve of the season, figured it's a good time to get this out. Enjoy!
NFC East
Giants 10-6 -- Defending champs get benefit of the doubt.
Cowboys 9-7 -- O-line issues short-circuit talented roster.
Eagles 9-7 -- Vick gets hurt... again... and team struggles.
Redskins 8-8 -- Markedly improved, but not above .500 yet.
NFC North
Packers 12-4 -- Class of the NFC; on cruise control at the end of the season.
Lions 10-6 -- Expect some regression, but this team has talent.
Bears 9-7 -- Legit wildcard contender behind improving offense.
Vikings 5-11 -- I think Christian Ponder is the guy, but baby steps.
NFC South
Falcons 11-5 -- The quickstrike offense suits this team well.
Saints 9-7 -- Distractions take a bit of a toll, but they are still highly dangerous.
Panthers 7-9 -- Almost ready for a playoff push. Almost.
Buccaneers 6-10 -- Improvement, but this team still has fatal flaws.
NFC West
49ers 11-5 -- Regression as Alex Smith is exposed as a below-average QB in 2012.
Seahawks 9-7 -- Russell Wilson is a revelation.
Cardinals 5-11 -- It all starts to completely fall apart. Adios, Whisenhunt.
Rams 4-12 -- It's official: Sam Bradford is a BUST.
AFC East
Patriots 12-4 -- D is improving, O stays elite, they lose a few via general apathy.
Bills 9-7 -- I see a nice big jump up for the Bills. I believe.
Jets 7-9 -- I have no idea how they plan to win games this season.
Dolphins 2-14 -- QB + weapons = wins. Raw rookie + no weapons = losses. AFC North
Ravens 10-6 -- They'll grind to another winning record. Flacco takes a step forward.
Bengals 8-8 -- The schedule gets much tougher, and youth will make mistakes.
Steelers 7-9 -- Defensive and o-line erosion begins to cost them.
Browns 3-13 -- Worst team in the league will still win a couple of shockers.
AFC South
Texans 13-3 -- Best record in football, best team in football.
Titans 9-7 -- Locker's accuracy issues will cost them, but they still make a playoff push.
Colts 7-9 -- Greatly improved with Luck at the helm.
Jaguars 4-12 -- The defense is decent, but they won't be able to score.
AFC West
Chiefs 9-7 -- Jammy C + Juggernaut powers them to the playoffs.
Broncos 9-7 -- Huge Peyton Manning fan here, but the schedule ain't easy.
Chargers 7-9 -- The talent erosion continues...
Raiders 6-10 -- Carson Palmer's glass vagina shatters in Oakland and he re-retires.
