'I'm tired of these motherfucking blogs about this
motherfucking fantasy football!'
I am pretty certain this was the exact quote Samuel L.
Jackson used in the director's cut of 'Snakes on a Plane.' What an entertaining
flick that was, but that is what usually happens when one sits down to watch
one of the roughly 8,000 movies Jackson has appeared in over the last three
decades. He's not always the star, but he usually leaves a lasting impression
on the viewer with every minute of screen time he receives. There is, after
all, a reason he gets as many roles as he does year in and year out.
As for me, I'm far less entertaining as you will soon find
out (way to sell your post high there Jason). Every year I pick a famous
Hollywood personality and tie their movie career into some of the hot button
topics surrounding the upcoming fantasy football season. Last year I chose Tom
Hanks and with mixed results I tried to best guess how the 2014 fantasy
football season would unfold. Luckily for me I didn't follow my own advice
writing that DeMarco Murray and Arian Foster would be busts. They were my first
two draft picks in my 14 team league as I went 10-3 in the regular season and
2-0 in the playoffs to capture my 5th championship in the 17 year history of
the league. Now don't get me wrong I also followed my advice of waiting on a
quarterback. I took Jay Cutler late and he was just average enough to allow my
studs to win games.
My rule for leagues of 12 or more teams: drafting RBs early
can easily lose your league for you, but if those picks work out you will have
a distinct advantage over those who take a QB/TE/WR combination with their first
few picks. I won't always get lucky drafting the #1 and #5 overall running
backs with the 14th and 15th picks of a draft. Once again I find myself
drafting #14 overall and I might, just might be forced into picking backwards
if possible studs aren't around. I won't have my full draft strategy until pick
12 of my draft at the earliest. Keep that in mind, when you are drafting, you
must be ready to go to plan B or C immediately.
Before getting to the crux of my article, I provide for you
my top 5 movies with Samuel L. Jackson in it:
5. A Long Kiss Goodnight
4. Unbreakable
3. Die Hard: With a Vengeance
2. Pulp Fiction (I'm beginning to think I have an affinity
for Bruce Willis and Sam together)
1. Jurassic Park
I skipped out all the new age Marvel movies where Jackson
has bit roles for the most part and Goodfellas, because although I've watched
it a handful of times, cannot recall Jackson's role. I did want to include The
Incredibles though, because that is such a fun movie.
Onto my preview of the 2015 Fantasy Football season,
starring the one, the only Samuel L. Jackson:
Patriot Games
As has become my tradition, I tie in the first movie with
the defending Super Bowl champions. Patriot Games was the second of the Jack
Ryan movies (now at five) made, but the first of the Harrison Ford pair. It
isn't the best of the bunch (Clear and Present Danger, Hunt for Red October and
Sum of All Fears are better IMO) and Samuel L. Jackson isn't in it for very
long, but here we are. I'll always remember my father asking me while driving
back in 1994 when I was 16 'Do you want to see Patriot games?' I assumed we
were moving to the Boston area because I took it as a sports related question,
not knowing anything about the Tom Clancy books.
This past year the New England Patriots returned to glory after the Seattle Seahawks inexplicably passed the ball on the one yard
line late in the fourth quarter. As happy and joyous as winning the Super Bowl
has been for the Patriots, the off season has been the exact opposite. With
endless questions surrounding 'Deflategate', the Patriots saw their owner get
duped by the NFL Commissioner and then their future Hall of Fame quarterback,
Tom Brady receive a four game suspension for basically getting a new phone. I
said it from the beginning this was basically a suspension for everything the
Patriots franchise has been accused of (and found guilty of) since Brady has
been in the league.
What does this mean for all the skill position Patriots in
2015? Not too much really. Gronk is still the highest and most valuable fantasy
draft option for them. As long as he stays on the field he is good for nearly a
touchdown a game (73 games, including playoffs, 61 touchdowns). The wide
receiving corps of Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell will be
more than serviceable, especially with the absence of the 77 targets and 52
receptions that Shane Vereen took with him to the New York Giants. It really
doesn't matter for four games whether it is Tom Brady passing or Jimmy
Garoppolo, the Patriots are a well-oiled machine and the stars will get their
numbers. As for the running backs, well that is a horse of a different color.
Each week you could have a different hero and goat. The 2014 Patriots had four
backs gain between 281-412 yards and those four combined for 12 rushing
touchdowns. What a mess. You can't even hope for one being a bye week fill-in
for your starter because even up until game time you just don't know who will
touch the ball.
As for Brady, sure you have to knock him back a round or two
because of the suspension, but don't let him fall too far because you can
always plug in Carson Palmer or Joe Flacco for the first quarter of the season
and survive. Don't let him slip too far.
Deep Blue Sea(ttle)
I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of myself for this play on
the title of a much underrated action/adventure movie. It has sharks, L.L. Cool
J talking to a bird, science you could probably poke a million holes in and
probably the third most memorable Samuel L. Jackson monologue scene ever behind
his Pulp Fiction and Snakes on a Plane speeches. I won't ruin the fun of the
scene if you haven't watched it before. As for the title of the movie, it is
just perfect for what had to be the mood for fans of Seattle after that goal
line interception. It was such a strange decision for a team that had the
second most rushing attempts and fewest passing attempts in the NFL.
They rely so much on their run game and defense. IT WAS ONE
FLIPPIN' YARD!!! You feel me don't you Seattle? No NFL play will be as scrutinized
as that one. That is a fact.
Have no fear Seattle, sunny days will return. Okay maybe not
in reality, but on the football field at least. Your defense is still top
notch. Your quarterback was recently overpaid, but he gets the job done (EXCEPT
ON THE GOAL LINE WITH THE SUPER BOWL ON THE LINE YOU IDIOT JASON). Marshawn
Lynch is another year older with another 380 or so touches under his belt. The
wide receivers are still forgettable, but the Seahawks did tinker with their
tight end position.
Jimmy Graham is now a Seattle Seahawk. A square peg into a
round hole? An overreaction to that Super Bowl play? Just what Russell Wilson
needed to become an elite fantasy quarterback? Therein lies the million dollar
question. Just how will these two mesh? Last season Doug Baldwin saw just over
21% of all the pass attempts by Wilson which was the most on the team. Could
Graham eclipse 30% in 2015 which would equate to 135 targets? He averaged
137.75 over his last four years in New Orleans so that is what it would take.
With the already built in running threat and the scramble ability of Wilson I
figure Jimmy Graham will be seeing a lot of man coverage with help over the
top. He will be a PPR monster and his usual goal line beast self. The thought
of him being in Seattle will cause his ADP to drop a bit (currently a late 3rd
round pick on ESPN) which will make somebody very happy.
As for Wilson, he'll have to nearly duplicate his rushing
stats 800+ yards and scores (6) to be fully trusted #1 QB. The system just
won't allow for him to reach upper echelon passing statistics. Jimmy Graham
will help, but I have to believe that 200-300 of Wilson's scramble yards will
turn into passing yards and that will lower his fantasy points. Wilson is a
middle of the pack at best #1 starter who will have games in that rugged NFC
West where it devolves into 'ground and pound' and the Seahawks focus squarely
on not making a big mistake.
The Great White Hype
A forgettable movie for me and I'm sure one that Samuel L.
Jackson would like back, but that's what happens sometimes in the movie making
business. Even with an above average cast with a strong background of work,
sometimes it just doesn't come together even if it looks great on paper. This
brings me to topic number three: rookies. For every Peyton Manning #1 overall
in 1998 you get a Ryan Leaf #2 overall in 1998. For every Ki-Jana Carter #1
overall in 1995 you get a Curtis Martin #74 overall in 1995. For every Rod
Gardner #15 overall in 2001 you get a Reggie Wayne #30 overall in 2001.
If the 2012 Draft was the year of the quarterback (Luck,
RGIII, Russell Wilson) and 2014 was the year of the Wide Receiver (ODB, Sammy
Watkins, Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin) could the 2015 class finally produce a
good crop of running backs?
Todd Gurley drafted by the St. Louis Rams who already have
Tre Mason who as a rookie last year came on strong down the stretch of the
season. Gurley who is recovering from a torn ACL may or may not be ready for
the start of the season. He may or may not be the #1 running back in St. Louis
when he is healthy. I'm not getting burned by those question marks.
Melvin Gordon drafted by the San Diego Chargers who also
were led by a rookie running back last season in Branden Oliver has a much
better chance to be a star right away. The starting job is probably his which
already makes him intriguing. People don't trust rookie RBs in the fantasy
world for good reason so if he drops just enough, he could be quite the steal
for an owner who goes non-RB with their first two picks.
T.J. Yeldon drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Good - he
could and should be the starter. Bad - he is on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Do
you remember how well Toby Gerhart did last year? Denard Robinson fared a bit
better in spots, but the team is a mess. Yeldon will be drafted too high for my
liking because of the possibilities. He may do well but I'm not risking a RB2
slot on him.
Ameer Abdullah, Tevin Coleman, Duke and David Johnson all
have the same problem: they are slotted to start as the backup behind an
average at best starting running back. All of them will get their chances to
shine in 2015 whether it be from injury, poor performance or just being their
turn to tote the rock. These are the top RB4s to stash on your bench for a
rainy day from this year’s draft class.
As for Wide Receivers there are another interesting crop
coming to play this season. Because of last year’s success they might get an
unfair bump in ADP which will lessen their value. Kevin White steps in for the
departed Brandon Marshall in Chicago (and then suddenly gets injured and will
miss at least the first six weeks of the season). Amari Cooper becomes another
in a long line of high draft picks for the Oakland Raiders. DeVante Parker gets
the role that Mike Wallace once had. Nelson Agholor jumps in feet first to the
run and fun style of Chip Kelly and takes the spot of Jeremy Maclin. For wide
receivers who will have ample opportunity to be a fantasy WR2 or better, but
best be drafted as you WR3 or later. It'll be a fine line come draft night as
to whether they show up on my roster.
At Quarterback this year you get another #1 and #2 overall
debate: Jameis or Marcus? I'll take neither thank you. If I had to guess who
will be the 'Peyton Manning' and who will be the 'Ryan Leaf' of the two I'd
give Mariota the Manning card.
Die Hard: With a Vengeance
I love this film. Academy Award caliber, no, but that isn't
what you hope for in a Die Hard movie. You want a sassy, tough as nails John
McClane up against an evil henchman who seems to have everything under control
up until it's too late to realize he was never in control. Yipee-kay-yay!! The
third installment showed a washed up Bruce Willis who everyone thought he was a
joke of a cop and a person prove he had another great effort in him. This
brings me to our next topic: veterans who might still surprise.
Reggie Bush - He is just 30 years old, but in the NFL he is
ancient. Last season was a disaster for him in Detroit, but now he finds
himself in San Francisco. Frank Gore is gone (more on that later) making way
for Carlos Hyde. Reggie Bush could settle in to the 3rd down back where he
could thrive as a pass catcher. There are worse players to take a flyer on with
a late round pick (especially in a PPR league).
Frank Gore - Speaking of Gore he once again proved me wrong
by piecing together another solid season. He leaves the boring 49ers offense
and gets to possibly excel in a wide open Colts attack. Defense won't be able
to crowd the line so even at the ripe old age of 32 he could easily surpass his
numbers from a year ago and be a upper echelon RB2 for you.
Vincent Jackson - Coming off a down year where he was
overshadowed by a rookie, the 32 year old Jackson is primed for a slight bounce
back. He won't be the focus of the secondary and he is bound to catch more than
two touchdown passes. He still shouldn't be anything more than a WR3 for you
with upside.
Carson Palmer - How many times have you heard 'If he can
just stay healthy?' This is all you need to know about Palmer. If he plays,
he'll do well. Do you realize Carson Palmer was 6-0 as a starter last year with
an on pace average of 4300 yards, and 29 touchdowns over a 16 game season? He
could be yours in the 10th round or later easy as well. How lucky do you feel?
Thor
This might be a stretch, but when I think about the Norse
mythology of the Thor I think of the Minnesota Vikings mascot. After all he is
based on Ragnar Lodbrok who 'was a legendary Norse ruler,
king, and hero from the Viking Age' according to Wikipedia. See, it all makes
sense now right?
As for the 2014 Minnesota Vikings, if you drafted any of
their key players for your fantasy football team, you more than likely didn't
win many games. Adrian Peterson played just one game last season after being a
consensus top 5 pick. His off the field issues have been resolved in the eyes
of the NFL, but he is still a jackass in my eyes. Then there was Cordarrelle
Patterson who flopped miserably as an up and coming wide receiver. He was
joined by Kyle Rudolph in the tight end slot who suffered through an injury
plagued season. Three players, three failed seasons all for different reasons.
The gang is all back together for another fun filled season.
Adrian Peterson will be yet another top 5 pick, but nobody know how the year
off will affect him. Hopefully there are no more skeletons in his closet as
well. Patterson will be the #2 or #3 WR behind Mike Wallace (who swapped places
with Greg Jennings) and possibly Chris Johnson who could be a sneaky pick if he
falls far enough. Kyle Rudolph gets another chance to be paired with coach Norv
Turner who is supposed to be the tight end guru.
The key to how this will all work will hinder on the right
arm of second year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater who might just be the league’s
best kept secret. While everything in Minnesota was falling apart around him,
Teddy held his own in his rookie year. With that out of the way, an expanded
playbook, a hall of fame caliber running back and God given natural talent,
Bridgewater is poised for a breakthrough season. Should you draft him as your
starting QB in your draft? Hell no. Don't get me wrong I'm not going all-in on
him just yet, but I would love to have him in my back pocket if I waited to
grab Eli Manning or Tony Romo as my starter.
The Hateful Eight
For the first time in my five year history of doing this
mash-up of movies and fantasy football I am including a movie that hasn't been
released. The Hateful Eight is the next Quentin Tarintino movie and I cannot
wait for it to come out. The plot is described as a bunch of all around mean and dangerous people stuck in a cabin during a blizzard where all types of mayhem breaks loose.
Giggity! Let me guess, long scenes of exquisite dialogue mixed with violent
bloodshed? I'm in. As for the title, I used this to give you eight players I am
staying away from this year. Let's call it the Frank Gore list because of all
the abuse I have given him over the last few years, but he just won't fade
away!
DeMarco Murray - Yes the overall #1 fantasy running
back from last year. I'm not touching him. He had the sixth most touches in NFL
history last season when everything went right. He was behind a dominant
offensive line, he had nobody vying for playing time behind him and he had a
predictable coach who leaned on Murray in a contract year when he pretty much
knew he wasn't coming back. Now Murray is in Philadelphia who doesn't run the
ball at the same rate as Dallas (42% to 50%). Murray saw 77% of the Cowboys
rushes last season. The top Eagles back from last season, LeSean McCoy saw just 65.8% of the rushes.
Philadelphia also has Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews in the backfield to eat
away at some playing time to keep Murray fresh in the up tempo scheme. All
signs point to some major regression and a hamstring problem.
Calvin Johnson - For three straight years all of the
important numbers for Megatron have decreased. Games played, targets,
receptions and yards receiving all down. That is not good for a receiver who is
about to turn 30. Fantasy owners don't see nor do they care about this. They see
the name and they want him. He is still going mid to late 2nd round in fantasy
drafts. There are far too many younger receivers with the same upside to pick
before Johnson.
Mark Ingram - This could be the one that comes back to haunt
me. It's not that I don't believe in what Ingram could be, I just don't trust
the Saints this year. More importantly I don't trust Sean Payton. The last time
the Saints had a 1000 yard rusher was Payton first year coaching in 2006. I
certainly think Ingram has the best chance anyone has had since then to eclipse
that mark, but I'm not risking a late 2nd round pick/early 3rd on that. Add
into the fact that C.J. Spiller was brought in to be the 3rd down back and then
some, I just am too weary. The Saints won't be a pass happy team, but my fear
of Payton keeps Ingram off my teams.
Andre Johnson - New city. Better quarterback. Andre Johnson
is back!!! Hmmmmm, no. His numbers have dropped just like Calvin Johnson over
the last three years and he has just turned 34. The Colts have brought in Frank
Gore to help balance out their offense. They already have T.Y. Hilton, Dwayne
Allen, Coby Fleener and Donte Moncrief. There is only one ball to go around.
Andre Johnson has not been a part of an offense like this. Temper your
expectations folks. Don't let the glow of Andrew Luck's star blind you into
wasting a fourth round pick.
Brandon Marshall - Pssst Brandon Marshall is now a New York
Jet. Yes the same Jets who just lost their starting quarterback to a broken jaw
in a locker room fight. Remember what happened to Eric Decker when he left
Peyton Manning? This isn't going to end well. He's also going in the sixth
round of most drafts. That's just silly talk. The Jets are awful and are
already on their backup quarterback for the first quarter of the season. Go
younger, take another running back or your QB here.
Drew Brees - Did I mention that I'm down on the Saints this
year. Call it fear of the unknown. Just how will they look without Jimmy
Graham? Graham was such an important cog in that offense I am struggling trying
to figure out what we will see this season from Brees and company. Payton has
threatened to run more and why not? On one side you have an aging Marques
Colston and on the other side you have a young, unknown in Brandin Cooks who missed
six games to injury during his rookie year. Like Calvin Johnson, fantasy owners
will still see the name 'Drew Brees' and think of the good old days and reach a
bit too early for him. This will be a down year for him and for you as well if
you draft him as your starting quarterback.
Devonta Freeman - Devonta Freeman or Tevin Coleman? Is there
a correct answer in Atlanta this season? Early drafts on ESPN seem to favor
Tevin Coleman, but as I look at other websites, it is still rather muddled.
This is how I feel the Atlanta backfield right now. I'll definitely keep an eye
on these two during the preseason, but right now I'm steering clear.
Bishop Sankey - Okay this one is just personal. Fool me once
shame on you, fool me twice I hate you forever. I don't want to hear the
excuses about the Titans sucking last year and dragging Sankey down with them.
They won't be that much better even with Marcus Mariota but even if they are I
won't reap the rewards of a refreshed Sankey, because I'm not touching him.
Kiss of Death
How did I miss this film? Shame on me. Maybe it
is good, maybe is sucks, but I completely let it pass me by. This brings me to
my next topic: Sleepers. If you aren't paying attention you just might miss a
gem. Of course if you do go out to see that unknown movie that everyone says is
going to be so great you just might come back disappointed and a few bucks
poorer. I think back to the movie 'To Die For' with Nicole Kidman. What a heap
of crap that turned out to be, but all I heard was how it couldn't miss. You
hear that Bishop Sankey?? I'm so bitter.
Of course I've rarely picked a good sleeper which also bring
the title of this topic home. As soon as I put these names down, they are
destined to fail. This will be their 'kiss of death.'
David Johnson (RB) Arizona Cardinals - As a bitter owner of
Andre Ellington I know that it is just a matter of time until the rookie out of
Northern Iowa gets his chance. You could probably snag him somewhere between
the 9th and 12th rounds depending on your league size and wind up with a
starting RB for 4-6 weeks while Ellington is nursing yet another lower body
injury.
Sam Bradford (QB) Philadelphia Eagles - As a fantasy owner
I'm stuck between knowing he'll get injured and knowing he'll be in the Pro
Bowl. I've seen how Chip Kelly's scheme turns the average quarterback into
something special. Sam Bradford can be very special as long as he stays
upright. You could do a whole lot worse with the 22nd quarterback drafted as he
is currently going on ESPN.
Donte Moncrief (WR) Indianapolis Colts - We saw the flashes
of greatness last season. Then he disappeared. Then the Colts brought in Andre
Johnson. So much for that. Well that's where the definition of 'sleeper' comes
in to play. My lack of faith in Andre Johnson and the ability of the Colts to
score at will makes me confident enough to snag Moncrief as my WR4 and reap the
rewards mid-season.
Unbreakable
I feel like this is the most underrated of the
really good M. Night Shyamalan movies. Don't laugh. Obviously there is The
Sixth Sense, but I enjoyed Signs and to a lesser extent, but nonetheless The
Village. Unfortunately he has turned into what Tiger Woods has become. We all
know the talent is there, but as time goes on and the failures pile up you just
don't believe he'll ever be good again. Of course this is why we keep buying
tickets to watch both of them, just in case they hit lightning in a bottle. The
ceiling is so high which make hitting rock bottom so painful to see.
For this topic I will cover the tantalizing option who
happens to suffer from the injury bug. You can name this the 'Fragile' Fred
Taylor category.
I start in Washington, home of the walking wounded. Lead
member, and the perfect poster boy for this category is:
Jordan Reed (TE) - Week in and week out I watch the Redskins
hoping for a return to glory. I am always disappointed. Every time Jordan Reed
steps onto the field I watch for the hope that he makes it through the game
injury free. I am always disappointed. I'll keep my eye on him and stash him on
my bench...just in case.
Percy Harvin (WR) - If there is one franchise that makes me
happy to be a Redskins fan it has to be the Buffalo Bills. They made a big
splash by bringing in Rex Ryan and then LeSean McCoy. Well Percy Harvin finds
himself in the land of the bad sports teams with probably his last chance to
stay in the NFL. He's been injured on the field, he's been a malcontent off the
field. But we all remember him in the Super Bowl. We know the talent is there.
We will keep drafting him in the hopes of the glory days of just two years ago.
Jonathan Stewart (RB) - Just as one 'Daily Show' is ending,
another one gets his big shot to finally be the one and the only lead back in
Carolina. When he returned from his 82nd* career injury (*approximation) last
season I added him to my roster because why not? I knew he could perform and
when he actually did it was a welcome surprise. If you knew that Stewart would
play all 16 games in 2015 how high would you draft him? Think about that when
you see him still available in Round 3 or 4.
Hey look another spot where I could've talked about Sam
Bradford. Maybe he should be the poster boy for 'Injuries 'R Us'.
For QB outside of Bradford please consider Carson Palmer
(plagued, but has talent) or RGIII (plagued, but has issues) for you backup
quarterback.
The Other Guys
I saw this in theaters. I laughed. I barely
remember anything about it. I swear it had its moments, but what they were I
have no clue. I couldn't tell you if Samuel L. Jackson was a primary character,
a secondary character or a voice-over. This is pretty rare for me. It has to be
the early signs of getting old.
I've covered a good sampling of players who could be
difference makers either for the good or for the bad for your fantasy team this
season, but I missed quite a few. Let me briefly touch on some of..wait for
it...the other guys.
Shame on me for ignoring the machine that is the Green
Bay Packers. I think the rule should be: you can't draft too many Packers.
Aaron Rodgers? Money in the bank. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb? So Good. Eddie
Lacy? Dominant. You really can't go wrong.
The Miami Dolphins seem to be on everyone's list of
breakout potential. Starting with QB Ryan Tannehill who has seen his numbers
get drastically better year over year. As he gets better, he'll make Jarvis
Landry better and in turn open up the running game led by a very inconsistent
Lamar Miller. I can easily see these three being big time swing players for
fantasy teams. Either the hype will bubble and you'll lose all value or they
will stay under the radar and pay off. Before you draft check to see how these
three have moved over the last 7-14 days and act accordingly. You do want to
get at least one of them on your team.
The Oakland Raiders...are still a NFL team somehow.
Although they suffered through a very disappointing season
record wise the New York Giants rediscovered a potent offense. Eli Manning
threw for the 2nd most yards and touchdowns of his career. This was obviously
due in large part to the team utilizing rookie Odell Beckham Jr. as soon as
Victor Cruz went down who responding with seven games of 100+ yards receiving
(out of 12) with a touchdown per game average. In the backfield Andre Williams
and Rashad Jennings combined for 1360 yards and 11 touchdowns which would be
fine for any individual player, but neither proved to be good enough to haul
the entire load. This could be why the Giants brought in Shane Vereen. No not
to run the ball, but to continue to be the best 3rd down back in the NFL.
Jennings and Williams can now focus their plodding efforts on 1st and 2nd down
and Vereen can continue to catch 50 passes a year and be a worthy PPR league
pick. The big question is can the passing game repeat the magic and will a
running back emerge? Also can Victor Cruz return to any level of stardom? Eli
Manning will be fine and will surely finish higher than 12th best QB which is
where he is going in standard ESPN leagues. ODB will probably regress a bit
with a better cast around him and the focus squarely on him this season, but
still be a viable WR1 in all formats.
The Cincinnati Bengals are the definition of 'The Other
Guys.' I mean, they can be good or mediocre and they get the same national
coverage because nobody takes the seriously. This is in due large part to the 'Red
Rifle' Andy Dalton. Just when you thought he was ready to make the stride to
trusted fantasy option he regressed to worse numbers than his rookie year.
Let's compare:
2011 3398 yards, 20 TD, 13 INTS
2014 3398 yards, 19 TD, 17 INTS
'12/'13 average: 3981 yards, 30 TD, 18 INTS
The key stats for me were passing attempts and completion %:
Dalton attempted 35 FEWER passes than he had in his four year career, but set a
high for completion % at 64.2. This tells me that the Bengals were worried
about his INTs so they reined him in by throwing safer passes and fewer deeper
passes. His yards/completion were the lowest of his career which solidifies my
thought process.
Unless Andy Dalton can regain the trust of his coaching
staff, he'll be relegated to a backup role in the fantasy world.
A.J. Green missed three games, but even when he played his
numbers were slightly down over his career as you would expect with the 'safer'
play calling. His numbers were close to his rookie year in per game averages
which also happened to be Dalton's rookie year as well. They are literally two
peas in a pod. For Green to live up to his billing of a top 10 fantasy receiver
the Bengals had better learn to live with the ups and downs of letting Dalton
air it out.
The backfield is nearly equally as jumbled. Yes Jeremy Hill
splashed onto the scene around Week 8 in his rookie season. Through the seventh
week his average stat line was: 7 carries for 27 yards and he had scored just 2
touchdowns. In the final 9 games his average was: 19 carries for 103 yards with
7 touchdowns. Quite a leap. All the hype. Will he top 1300 yards and 12+
touchdowns as is expected with his late first round/early second price tag? I
just can't see that happening as long as Gio Bernard continues to get 10 rushes
a game and plays on 3rd down. I see Hill matching his rookie year at best this
season.
Rules of Engagement/The Negotiator/Changing Lanes/Pulp
Fiction
A foursome of movies for my final topic.
Rules of Engagement was a run of the mill military movie
where the topic of discussion was whether shooting upon people trying to get
into a U.S. embassy was illegal or not.
When it comes to your fantasy football draft, there are no
rules...put your shirt back on, okay there's just one rule. (Love that
commercial). Old school with heavy RB drafting? I'm cool with that. Zero RB
strategy which is the new age? Sure why not? All I can ever tell you is to know
the rules of your league and adjust your cheat sheet accordingly. Just because
ESPN/CBS/Yahoo! have a cheat sheet for a 10 team league with a flex and 0.5
PPR, doesn't mean that will help me in my 14 team, 3rd round reverse, no flex,
no PPR league. Picks will be similar, but when every pick is extremely
important, you cannot afford to make too many mistakes.
The Negotiator is, in my opinion, a much underappreciated
movie. Maybe I'm just a sucker for Kevin Spacey in it. It's one of those movies
that I have to watch if I come across it on television.
Changing Lanes is one of those movies, on the other
hand, which I watched once and never gave a second thought to. It was fine, but
it involved people from two different walks of lives figuring out they needed
to work together to help make each out a better person. Meh.
These translate to fantasy football in a very easy way. Please
trade. Please negotiate. Please be active. Don't waste your leagues time by
checking out after a 0-2 or 2-5 start. Give it your all for 13 or 14 weeks.
Your roster should be nearly fluid save for 2-3 roster spots. Sometimes you'll
trade away a play who is about to break out, but sometimes you'll trade him
just before he breaks down.
Pulp Fiction was a game changer for me. I think I could
easily list the three movies that stand out as the most profound for me being
the movie addict that I am:
1991: Terminator 2: Judgement Day
My first R rated movie in the theaters, but what registered
with me was grand scale of the action. My dad took his then 13 year old son and
I was blown away. I had never seen a movie with effects like that. It opened a
world of watching blockbusters in theaters. I love to see the explosions and
the world ending on the big screen.
1992: Rear Window
I was in an 8th grade Theater Arts class and our teacher
exposed us to the world of Alfred Hitchcock. I was mesmerized by the style, the
characters and subtle suspense. The summer after 8th grade I went through
Hitchcock's entire filmography in what one could describe as pre-Netflix age
binge watching. Now all suspense movies aim to be dubbed 'Hitchcockian' but for
my money nothing tops the original.
1994: Pulp Fiction
New age film noir? Quentin Tarantino as I described with The
Hateful Eight above meshed together lengthy scenes of dialogue with over the
top brutal violence while presenting very detailed and imaginative characters.
This along with Kevin Smith's 'Clerks' opened me up to the world of R rated
movies. Violence, language and hopefully a great story.
I didn't really have anything more to say about fantasy
football, but I had to get Pulp Fiction into this somehow.
Best of luck to everyone this year and may your office
productivity not suffer too much on Monday's as you discuss your fantasy stats
with your office mates.
