Week Two Top Performers & Projections

Pittsburgh Steelers over the Seattle Seahawks

Top Performer: Ben Roethlisberger responds with a big game after an embarrassing 5 turnover game vs. the Ravens in week 1.

Buffalo Bills over the Oakland Raiders

Top Performer: Don’t expect Ryan Fitzpatrick to help the team put up 41 points again. But he’ll still pick apart the Raiders for a few scores and the win.

Arizona Cardinals over the Washington Redskins

Top Performer: In a high scoring affair, Beanie Wells punches in another score late in the game to take MVP honors in this game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Minnesota Vikings

Top Performer: LeGarrette Blount is finally let loose prompting even more apologies by Raheem Morris in his post game press conference.

New York Jets over the Jacksonville Jaguars

Top Performer: The Jets got lucky last week which is exactly why Mark Sanchez asserts himself early and often against the Jags in week 2.

New Orleans Saints over the Chicago Bears

Top Performer: The Saints pick themselves up after a close loss to the Packers and Drew Brees displays his potent passing attack backed by the four-headed rushing monster.

Green Bay Packers over the Carolina Panthers

Top Performer: While Cam Newton did have one hell of a debut, Aaron Rogers and the Packers Def put the new kid back in his place as they go on to easily defeat the Panthers.

Baltimore Ravens over the Tennessee Titans

Top Performer: The Ravens ride the momentum from last week’s huge win over the Steelers as Joe Flacco connects with every guy on the field for a huge day.

Detroit Lions over the Kansas City Chiefs

Top Performer: Matthew Stafford looked strong against the Bucs last week and doesn’t slow down as he puts up big numbers vs. the Chiefs.

Cleveland Browns over the Indianapolis Colts

Top Performer: I expect big things from Colt McCoy this year; especially this week when he faces the hopeless Colts.

Dallas Cowboys over the San Francisco 49ers

Top Performer: If Tony Romo can hold onto the ball, I expect Dez Bryant to make a few Megatron-esque catches for a big day over San Fran.

Denver Broncos over the Cincinnati Bengals

Top Performer: I am praying that Kyle Orton has a big game this week to shut up the now newly crowned ‘Most Annoying Fans in Sports’. I’ve got faith in you Orton. Do whatever you can to keep Baby Jesus from tarnishing the football history in Denver.

New England Patriots over San Diego Chargers

Top Performer: Don’t expect an enormous day from Wes Welker again but you can always expect Tom Brady to go out and be the top offensive guy on the field day in and day out.

Houston Texans over the Miami Dolphins

Top Performer: If Foster is forced to sit yet again, Ben Tate will show why they were stupid for even thinking about playing Derrick Ward ahead of him on the depth chart.

Atlanta Falcons over the Philidelphia Eagles

Top Performer: Relax, the Eagles don’t get shut down here but I don’t see Matty Ice laying on his back for two beat downs in a row. Expect a shootout down the stretch in the Georgia Dome proving Vick was right when he said it’s Matt Ryan’s house now.

New York Giants over the St. Louis Rams

Top Performer: Eli Manning may be a turnover machine but with injury question marks surrounding Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson there will be nearly no chance for St. Louis to post any offense. I expect the running tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs to run through the Rams on Monday night.

Week 1. A Look Back.

Chicago Bears defeat the Atlanta Falcons 30-12

MVP: Matt Forte

I was wrong about Matt Ryan scorching the Windy City. While he did throw for over 300 yards, he failed to find the endzone. Matt Forte had over 150 yards from the line of scrimmage and Cutler’s 312 yards & two TDs were enough to overpower the Falcons.

Houston Texans defeat the Indianapolis Colts 34-7

MVP: Ben Tate

We all knew the Colts would struggle without Peyton but I don’t think anyone expected a total shutdown like we saw yesterday. As I predicted, Ben Tate picked up right where Foster left off as he rushed for 116 yards and a score on 24 carries. Looks like with or without Foster the Texans will have no problem continuing to move the ball downfield.

Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs 41-7

MVP: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Kudos to whoever expected an upset like this but I didn’t see this one coming at all. Kansas City was shut down on all fronts except rushing the ball. They averaged about 6 yards per carry but didn’t have time to run the ball effectively as they trailed all game long. Ryan Fitzpatrick was the big performer on the day eclipsing 200 yards through the air and connecting in the endzone 4 times.

Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Cleveland Browns 27-17

MVP: Colt McCoy

The 2011 opening day Toilet Bowl match actually had some great displays of talent yesterday. While Benson may have rushed for over 120 yards and a score, Colt McCoy was my star of the game. Entering his sophomore campaign, I was impressed by Colt’s accuracy and presence in the pocket. He broke the 200 yard mark and found the endzone twice. That is, as long as we disregard that attempt where the ball magically floated out of his hands. Oh, and that self-pass off number 91 for a 5 yard-loss. Not so impressive there.

Baltimore Ravens defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-7

MVP: Ray Rice

Ben Roethlisberger has looked like Superman up against the Ravens Defense for quite a while now. That all ended yesterday. Big Ben was responsible for 5 turnovers yesterday (3 interceptions and two fumbles) and was sacked 4 times (3 by Terrell Suggs). While Flacco did toss for over 200 yards and 3 TDs, my game’s MVP goes to the man I was mocked for selecting number one overall a few weeks ago, Ray Rice. The little guy notched over 150 yards from the line and found the endzone twice.

Philadelphia Eagles defeat the St. Louis Rams 31-13

MVP: Michael Vick

What is there to say about Michael Vick that hasn’t already been said? “That boy can play some football. He can play left, he can play right, don't make no difference. He can block, tackle, score the touch down, snap the ball, and kick the extra point. Hell, the boy will fill up the Gatorade cooler, walk the dog, and paint your back porch. I'm telling ya, the boy can plain outplay football. Ohhh, AND he can PASS!” Oh wait, that’s Booby Miles. Anyway, it may not have been his best passing day (yardage wise) but he did throw for two touchdowns and didn’t give up an interception. He also used his legs extremely effectively, scampering for 97 yards on 11 attempts.

Detroit Lions defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20

MVP: Calvin Johnson

I was close in my prediction about the play of Josh Freeman. He is only in his 3^rd year and already considered the kind of QB who can lead his team down the field AND win the game in the dying seconds of the 4^th quarter. Unfortunately for my squad here, they fell short to the Lions yet again. And while Stafford did carve up the secondary for 300+ yards and three scores, my MVP is Megatron. While racking up 88 yards on the day, Calvin snagged two touchdowns and displayed unreal athleticism. His ability to outleap defenders and attack the ball when thrown his way is absolutely uncanny.

Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Tennessee Titans 16-14

MVP: Kenny Britt

CJ2K really made me look like a fool yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, I passed on him in every draft I had this year because I always fear the post-contract flop that we have all seen so many times, but I did predict him to be the only talent worth watching in this game. And, while you might not read my blog, I think that little tidbit is exactly what motivated Kenny Britt to scorch the Jags for nearly 140 yards and two TDs on only 5 receptions. It may have been in a losing effort but fantasy owners know, that’s one hell of a day.

San Diego Chargers defeat the Minnesota Vikings 24-17

MVP: Philip Rivers

Rivers made it pretty clear from the very first drive that the game was going to go as I predicted. With McNabb struggling (7 completions and less than 40 yards) there was little the Vikings could do to keep themselves in it. While Harvin did manage to take a return 103 yards to the house, Philip Rivers’ passing attack was far too potent for the Vikings to stop. Throwing for 335 yards and two touchdowns, Rivers showed exactly why he’s put in the conversation with Brees, Manning, and Brady as elite gunslingers year in and year out (Now if only he could get that ring everyone is talking about).

Arizona Falcons defeat the Carolina Panthers 28-21

MVP: Cam Newton

If I had told you before the game that Kolb’s 300+ yards and two touchdowns or Steve Smith’s 178 yard, two score day would be overshadowed by the stellar performance of a rookie in a losing effort you probably would have laughed. If I had said it would be Cam Newton, you probably would have stopped reading my blog and gone back to coloring.  It’s not every day a rookie QB starts off his career with a 24-37 422 yard game with two passing touchdowns, a 110+ QB rating, 18 yards on the ground and a score there as well. The kid looked like JaMarcus Russell 2.0 during the preseason but with the way he man-handled the Cards’ secondary all of those concerns have been forgotten. And I think it’s safe to say after the disaster of the career we saw Russell have, most of the nation is rooting for his success.

Washington Redskins defeat the New York Football Giants 28-14

MVP: Rex Grossman

I, like I imagine most of America, was shocked when Grossman started talking about Washington winning the division. I may or may not have uttered the words ‘joke’ or ‘chump’ or what have you. I may or may not have written a blog bashing Rex entitled a “Gross Exaggeration” (clever, huh?). Now calm down because it’s only week one and no one makes it to the playoffs because of the way they played week 1, but I humbly have to give Sexy Rexy this game’s MVP. His 305 yards and two touchdowns are a fairly average performance when compared to the other QBs from around the league but they are more than stats this week. Rex started throwing around the idea that they’re the underdog and they’re a great team a month or two ago and I’ll be damned if he didn’t back it up yesterday. Congrats Rex, but you’re still batshit crazy if you think this rag-tag group can beat out the preseason Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.

San Francisco 49ers defeat the Seattle Seahawks 33-17

MVP: Ted Ginn

For those that left this game early, they really missed quite a show. With about 4 minutes left in the game and down 19-10, Seattle WR Doug Baldwin took a toss from Tavaris Jackson 55 yards to the endzone. Well, on the ensuing kickoff, Ted Ginn, Jr. did what he does best and took that kick all the way to the house. Following a quick 3 & Out by the Seahawks on their next possession, Ginn was back to receive the punt and decided to have lightning strike twice as he danced his way into the endzone. Only 60 seconds had ticked off the play clock in the time it took Teddy to score again. See the returns here: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2011091110/2011/REG1/seahawks@49ers#menu=highlights&tab=recap

New York Jets defeat the Dallas Cowboys 27-24

MVP: Joe McKnight

There was a lot that went on in this game and while the bare numbers for Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo make them look like MVP candidates (335 yards 2TDs, 342 yards 2 TDs respectively) their play was far from stellar. Costly fumble after costly fumble plagued each team last night. My MVP goes to the man who made what most would consider the play of the game. With about 5 minutes left and down 24-17, Jets’ RB, Joe McKnight, broke through the line on punt defense and got a hand on the ball before it McBriar could get it off. Trufant then picked up the ball and escorted it into the endzone to ultimately tie the game. From there the Jets would go on to put Folk in range for a 50 yard field goal with only about 20 seconds left on the clock. With all the excitement surrounding this game I have nominated it for game of the week!

New England Patriots defeat the Miami Dolphins 38-24

MVP: Tom Brady

A few weeks ago I picked Tom Brady as the best QB of all time. He’s an absolute master on the field. Brady picked the Dolphins’ secondary on his way 500+ yard day and 4 TDs. The way he abuses defenses is probably illegal in some countries and there was no holding back against the Dolphins. The only problem I had here was he completely dwarfed an otherwise very good and very unexpected game from Chad Henne. Henne threw for over 350 yards and a score while rushing for nearly 40 yards. I honestly didn’t expect any offense from Miami and I think it’s fair to say no one was expecting a 500 yard day from Brady. Closing thoughts: Wow.

Oakland Raiders defeat the Denver Broncos 23-20

MVP: Sebastian Janikowski

One of the only Monday Night Football games in history I didn’t want to watch, the game last night was a pretty ugly excuse for a game. It was obvious from the start that these two teams probably have the lowest lack of talent that can be displayed on the field at one time. That is why ‘Seabass’ gets this week’s MVP honors. The man is a legend. His leg looks like someone surgically attached Secretariat thigh right on. Plus he tied the record for the longest field goal ever by knocking it in from 63 yards out. Plus the man was a Seminole and reminds me of the guy on the Replacements. Badass.

My record on the week is 7-8. Not exactly stellar but its only week one and, as we all know, the NFL never pans out the way they should.

Like what you read? Think someone else deserved game of the week or MVP honors? Write me a comment and let me know or email me at FRATasySports@Gmail.com!

-X

Week 1 Top Perfomers and Predictions

With Green Bay beating the Saints last night I have selected who I think will win the rest of the week. Take a look at see how I think your team matches up against this week’s competition.

Atlanta Falcons over the Chicago Bears

Star Performer: Matt Ryan’s air attack is too much for the Bear’s secondary to control.

Houston Texans over the Indianapolis Colts

Star Performer: If Foster is out, I pick Ben Tate to run all over Indy.

Kansas City Chiefs over the Buffalo Bills

Star Performer: Jamaal Charles’ is too quick to be slowed by a weak Bills’ defense.

Cleveland Browns over the Cincinnati Bengals

Star Performer: Peyton Hillis attacks both rushing and snagging balls out of the backfield.

Pittsburgh Steelers over the Baltimore Ravens

Star Performer: The Pittsburgh Defense wins out in a defensive struggle.

Philidelphia Eagles over the St. Louis Rams

Star Performer: Michael Vick is far too good of an athlete for the Rams to compete with.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Detroit Lions

Star Performer: Josh Freeman leads a young offense to victory in a close game.

Tennessee Titans over the Jacksonville Jaguars

Star Performer: Chris Johnson proves he is worth the big bucks and is honestly the only ball player worth watching in the pitiful game.

San Diego Chargers over the Minnesota Vikings

Star Performer: Phillip Rivers carves up the Vikings with ease.

Arizona Cardinals over the Carolina Panthers

Star Performer: Larry Fitzgerald looks like he did in the Kurt Warner era.

New York Giants over the Washington Redskins

Star Performer: Hakeem Nicks shows he is still Eli’s favorite target.

San Francisco 49ers over the Seattle Seahawks

Star Performer: Frank Gore bulldozes the entire Seattle defense.

New York Jets over the Dallas Cowboys

Star Performer: Santonio Holmes is pretty quiet until he breaks a big one to the end zone.

New England Patriots over the Miami Dolphins

Star Performer: Tom Brady shows everyone the Dolphins have no place on Monday Night Football.

Denver Broncos over the Oakland Raiders

Star Performer: Kyle Orton shows why he earned the starting job.

Top Scorers by Position:

QB - Michael Vick

RB - Frank Gore   

WR - Larry Fitzgerald

TE - Jason Witten

K - Nate Kaeding

DEF - Houston Texans





- X

How Not To Draft - The JP Ross Story

Those of you who are fans of FRATasy Sports may be familiar with our 3^rd most talented writer (we have 3 writers) and self-proclaimed funny guy (he isn’t funny), FantsySportsNow aka JP Ross. Yes, he is a fantasy sports writer who can’t even spell F-A-N-T-A-S-Y correctly. Well we had a draft last night with some other guys and, no surprise, the shit talking has already begun.  

I took Ray Rice with the 1^st overall pick which has left some guys shaking their heads. I have this personal thing against Foster since I told a guy about him last year and he snaked him from me in the draft. We’re also in a PPR league so I like the chances of Rice catching a shit ton of balls as opposed to AP. Oh, and for those of you who aren’t aware, McGahee is gone and Sticky Ricky doesn’t scare me. So I got to pick whoever I wanted and I did. Doubt it? Explain to me why in December. 

Anyway, let’s take a look at this kid so you know who I’m talking about. 

No, that’s not a recent picture. But he only looks about 3 days older and a bit more retarded. 

So with my 1^st pick being the “controversial” one, let’s take a look at how his draft went down round by round.

1. Michael Vick – Obviously the schmuck didn’t read the article I wrote a few weeks ago. The now 100 million dollar man is one hell of an athlete but also one hell of an injury risk to spend a 1^st round pick on. But hell, I thought he was going to take a kicker here so at least there’s that.

2. Frank Gore – He follows up one newly negotiated injury risk with another. Frank Gore can be a great back but he’s got to have his pads on to post numbers.

3. Reggie Wayne – I’m really down on Wayne this year. When it comes to PPR leagues I barely get him inside my top 20 WRs. Oh, and for those of you who don’t remember Peyton will probably not be throwing to him week 1 and even when he’s back he’s going to take a while to warm up.

4. DeSean Jackson – This is when I really started to doubt he remembered this was PPR. The guy is all about the long ball but doesn’t exactly rack up the receptions (He had 47 last year). And with Maclin, and newly acquired Steve Smith, that number will probably be about the same in 2011. 

5.  Dallas Clark – Considered by most to be one of the best TEs in the league. He looked great last year before leaving after game 6 with an injury. I don’t really have anything bad on Dallas so I’m just going to cross my fingers he gets injured again. No offense Clark. 

6. Ryan Grant – Holy Hospital Batman! He follows up the Gore pick to back him up with a guy who had 8 carries in 2010 before limping out of the picture. There were rumors in the offseason he wouldn’t even be on Green Bay’s roster come 2011 and is currently battling Starks for the starting gig.

7. BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Some douche bags find referring to his name as some kind of law firm as funny. For that I vote this pick a complete fail. 

8. A.J. Green – The kid was a stud at Georgia but don’t expect this rookie to be putting up numbers like Tampa Bay’s rookie Mike Williams did last year. Rookie WRs rarely make a fantasy impact, especially when rookie QBs are slinging them the rock.

9. Eli Manning - I expect a better year from Eli despite being a turnover machine last year. He’s thrown a lot of picks this preseason relative to the time he’s spent in games. On this pick he passes. Psych! JP sucks and so does his team.

10. Daniel Thomas – Ah, finally this hopeless Miami fan picks a hometown favorite. Well, from the looks of it, Reggie Bush may be making a much bigger impact this year. I was high on Thomas early in the year but now I am really doubting his ability to make an impact, barring injury.

11. Pierre Thomas – Taking guys that run the ball on a team that uses four backs isn’t usually the best idea. Especially considering he took a guy who will probably the 3^rd most valuable back on his team. Rookie Mark Ingram and, former Charger, Darren Sproles will most likely be Brees’ new favorite target out of the backfield.

12. Jordy Nelson – Nelson is considered by some to be the ‘Welker of Lambeau’.  In Nelson’s career he has 100 receptions and 6 touchdowns over three years. Those numbers sound more like one year for Welker and since the season doesn’t last three years I’ll pass on Nelson.

13. New Orleans Defense – Picking a defense forced to face Green Bay, Indianapolis, Detroit, the Giants, and Houston is questionable at best. Oh, and they have to face the Bucs and Falcons TWICE. That sounds bad, especially with San Diego still on the board.

14. Matt Bryant – Yes, he took a kicker in round 14 out of 16. Anyone who has graduated 4^th grade or played fantasy football more than once knows not to take a kicker so early. And for the love of God, if you’re going to take a kicker this early you can do better than Matt Bryant.

15. Rob Gronkowski – He took Rob here at 15 and passed on Aaron Hernandez who is Brady’s favored target at TE (and who I picked 1 round later). He must be rooting for guys on my team to get injured too. Nice pick dumbass.

16. Emmanuel Sanders – He might be listed as the 3^rd WR for Pittsburgh but for those of you who have seen what Antonio Brown can do for you (shout out to UPS) know that he probably won’t be making headlines in the Steel City.

If I wasn’t clear enough above, his team sucks. If there was a trophy for running your mouth in the preseason he’d be the champion hands down. But I don’t remember anyone winning the Super Bowl in August. Let’s just consider FantsySportsNow the Dallas Cowboys of fantasy teams.

Oh, and for the record, he did the same thing for fantasy baseball and he’s going to finish the year in last place and 0-3 against my team. Fantasy football won’t be any different.

PS. Only a few hours after this was written, Arian Foster is now likely to be out for the first few weeks of the season with a hamstring injury. Note: Injuries to the ol' hammy don't exactly go away during the season. 

-X

Top Fantasy Football Team Names

The Jersey LeShoure

Burrested Development

Edward Forte Hands

Drinking Fortes

Smoking DrewBrees and a Blount

Devin Hesterhoff

Baby Back Cribbs

Beef O’Brady

Mr. Rogers Neighborhood

Dez Nuts

Calvin & The Chipmunks

Charles In Charge

Rice, Rice, Baby

Easy, Breesy, Beautiful, Cover Girl

WWJD – What Would Jones-Drew

Beanie Babies

Arian Race

I’m a Man! I’m Forte!

Over the Hillis

Over the Rivers and through the Woodhead

Schuaby Seconds

Crosby’s Puddin’ Pops

The Dirty Sanchez

The King & His Cassel

Its (Heath) Miller Time

Marion Barber Shop

She Gives Woodhead

Special thanks to @FantsySportsNow for the help in creating the list!

-X

Fantasy Football Draft Day Rules

1.  “Protection from who? Zee Germans?”

Handcuffing your star players is considered a necessity by most guys. It’s an insurance policy that for most can come at a high price. Guys drafting someone with an injury history like Maurice ‘The Hyphen’ Jones-Drew should probably go ahead and snatch Rashard Jennings so they’re prepared when disaster strikes. But the guy who spends a pick on Adrian ‘All-Day’ Peterson’s backup, Toby Gerhart, would probably have found it just as useful to forfeit his pick for priority on waivers in week 3. Everyone becomes a victim to the game and by week 3 all those back-up RBs have been dumped for slot receivers or an additional Tight End. So when it comes to picking a handcuff, take a pass this time. In the end, handcuffs seem to do just what their name entails when it comes to team impact. 

2. “Mamma always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”

It is nearly impossible to predict how your board is going to play out. The key to winning your draft is to be prepared for however it is going to fall. Everyone has favorites and as I will explain later why I don’t believe in ‘reaching’ but knowing how the draft is going to play out can give you a great idea as to where certain guys are going in drafts so you know when to pounce.  Knowing you can wait an extra round or two on a guy you’re in love with can help you pick up extra value. Same thing goes when a guy you have marked up is typically going earlier than expected. Then you’ll know to pull the trigger a little faster and have your team grow the way you wanted.

3. “Don’t knock masturbation. It’s sex with someone I love.”

Like I mentioned before, I don’t believe in reaching for players. If you think a guy like Ray Rice is going to out-perform Adrian Peterson or Larry Fitz is going to make more big plays than Megatron, then there is no shame in plucking them off of the board first. I’m not saying to go grab the Lion’s defense in the 3^rd round because you’re a die-hard Detroit fan (which someone did in one of my leagues today). Just feel comfortable in taking a player you are confident in and leave the doubters scratching their heads come playoff time. 

4. “Those who are tardy do not get a fruit cup.”

In every draft during the middle few rounds there will be a few runs at certain positions. Guys will periodically be picking running backs and receivers throughout the draft but the other positions will get their share of positions runs. The key to these runs is to make sure you’re at the start of it. When somebody takes Antonio Gates you can expect a run on Tight Ends for the next few picks. Then, following the Steelers, the next few guys are going to grab defenses in a panic. Unless you start the run (or are the 2^nd/3^rd guy in the run) LEAVE IT ALONE. Fantasy football works on a tier system. Guys like Gates, Clark, Witten, and Finley are the top tier of TEs so if you don’t get on the them then there is no reason to snatch up a middle guy when you can find value at other positions. So let the other guys burn themselves with wasted picks they could match rounds later simply because a few guys decided to jump at one position. 

5. “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”

Some people will pass on a stud running back or star receiver simply because they have the position filled. In your fantasy football drafts you can make a killing drafting that guy instead of passing him over for someone just to fill a roster spot. The move to take the better known ‘Best Available’ as opposed to the filler works best when you take the tier system approach I referred to earlier.  Taking a top tier WR over one of the middle tier RBs will always be beneficial in the long run. There is no such thing as too much of a good thing and this is no exception. If VJax or DBowe are starring you in the face, don’t pass on them simply because you need a LeGarrette Blount or Cedric Benson to fill your lineup. 

6. “They just hate me ‘cause they ain’t me.”

Shit talking is part of the draft. No matter what you do or who you take people are going to try to bring you down or make you doubt your picks. More often than not (unless you’re the a**hole in my league that took Detroit in round 3) the guy bashing your pick was praying that guy was coming back around to him. Have confidence in your picks and hold to your guns. If you made the pick you wanted to in that situation then throw the rest of the room the finger and remind him of the pick some December. 

7. “Time is a precious thing. Never waste it.”

Bye weeks are easily one of those things no one pays attention to come draft day. There are a few ways to attack the bye week problem. Some people like to load up players on a certain week and essentially sacrifice that week for the sake of running full-steam the rest of the year. Others like to make sure they’re only missing a guy or two each week. Both strategies are effective if used properly but can be tricky to try to execute. The really important thing is to make sure that those guys riding pine won’t be doing so during your star player’s bye week. I’ve seen it happen to plenty of guys who use a high pick to take a quality backup QB only to realize they have the same bye and now they’re playing Alex Smith in week 8. 

8. “In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women. ”

There seems to be a history of guys who succeed when their next contract is right around the corner. There is also a history of guys who just signed a big number deal flopping the next year. Motivation can be a huge factor for the success of an NFL player. Prime example: Albert Haynesworth, former star of the Tennessee Titans, who signed a 7-year, $100 million contract and then dropped off the face of the earth. Jamarcus Russell, former 1^st round pick of the Oakland Raiders signed a $61 million contract and never had a successful play in the NFL. Chris Johnson on the other hand signed a 5 year contract worth nearly $7 million and is now in a hold out because he’s earned the paycheck on the field. SPOILER ALERT: By the time CJ2K re-laces his pads he’ll probably be the highest paid running back in the league. 

9. “Kid can’t even read. T-T-T-TODAY Junior!”

For those of you who will not be drafting in one of those online chat rooms and may be forced to actually interact with other individuals, you’re going to want to ensure you know the names of the guys you are drafting. In order to avoid the T.J. Who’sYourMomma fiasco of 2008, do a little homework and come to the draft prepared. No one wants to be ‘That Guy’ come draft day. Now saying it wrong won’t mean you lose your pick but you may just lose your dignity. When it doubt, just write it up on the board and let some other a**hole stutter through the name. Then you can chime in with the rest of the group and ruin that guy’s draft day.

10. “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?”

Know the scoring of your league. If it is PPR (Point Per Reception) then those guys who are going to grab nearly 100 balls a year should shoot up on your scouting reports. Receivers and scat backs become a far bigger asset on your team. If passing touchdowns count for as much as rushing and receiving touchdowns then a top tier QB is a must-own. Knowing what is going to count in your league is vital to a successful season. Take a good look at the scoring settings before entering your draft. When it comes down to two guys when it’s your turn to draft, you’ll probably have a much easier time deciding if you know what the scoring settings on your league are. 

Got other Fantasy Football Draft Day Rules? Comment below and tell us what you think is a must for the draft!

-X