Power Rankings: Week 8

Do people even read this first part?

1. Spider Pig (7-1) [2]

Luke gets the nod for the top spot this week on account of Aaron's team failing to show up.  I've said this before, but Luke's team has been the most consistently strong this season, in spite of his ragtag group of RBs.  I'm still convinced Sproles is good enough to get the job done.  Maybe not as an RB1, but definitely as an RB2.  However, with Hillis back in the lineup for the Chiefs, which will cut in to Jamaal Charles's carries, Luke might start hitting some bumps in the road down the stretch.  However, his team has proven that it can win without stellar RBs, so he'll still be the team to beat.

2. choubacca (5-3) [1]

Ok, so he didn't have Arian Foster this week.  And for some reason decided not to start Richardson, his only other good RB, and a sure RB1 on pretty much everyone else's team (Alex Green?  Really?).  But even if Richardson were in the lineup, Aaron's team would have still fell way flat this week.  I thought it would be a vulnerable week for him, but I didn't think it'd be this vulnerable, with him coming in dead last in points.  I don't think this is a foreshadowing for what the future holds, but I think it shows that his team is definitely beatable.

3. The Debbinator (6-2) [4]

Even with a banged-up team, David is getting the job done.  Granted, his Kicker was the #2 scorer on his team this week, but the rest of his team looks decent enough to pull together some quality wins - a solid QB with some under-the-radar RBs and some WRs with potential to play big.  There's definitely weakness, which isn't alleviated by the injuries, but it's better than what some of the rest of us have.  And with the new pending trade, if he gets Hakeem Nicks, his potential will go through the roof.

4. THE Pain Train (5-3) [6]

Gabs's team pulls a surprise this week, from some surprising sources.  Nice pickup in Vick Ballard.  Who knows how long Ballard will last in that role, but at least Gabs has some familiar faces back in the lineup for support next week - namely, half of the Buffalo Bills offense.  Gabs has the players, they just have to play.  He's back on the rise, after some pretty good managing.

5. RelientK (3-5) [5]

Laura is finally getting her much-deserved wins (I'm still keeping tabs - statistically speaking, she should be (6-2) right now).  While she didn't have a spectacular showing this week, it can easily be dismissed with her team not being at full force.  Ray Rice will be back next week, and hopefully MJD will return soon, which puts Laura's team in a position to make a big end-of-the-season run.  While her team has been slightly more consistent than Gabs or David's teams, she hasn't had as many break-out weeks as they have - she's had one, maybe two, great weeks.  The rest have just been good.  And #5 is a good spot for a good team right now.  There's tons of potential, though.

6. Rainbow Warriors (4-4) [3]

I guess Aaron Rodgers can't always be relied on, especially this season.  Not having Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings definitely hurt, and when they get back on the field, I think that will only help Rodgers (and Jeff).  But for now, Jeff will just have to try and make do with what he has.  Hey, 26 points from Gronkowski is pretty darn good.  And don't forget to keep praying each week that Frank Gore doesn't get old and break down.  Wait, he's already old, so just pray that he doesn't break down.

7. Terrific Tortoises (4-4) [7]

With a Chris Johnson that actually scores points, it's not hard to see why David's team is starting to do better.  Percy Harvin continues to dominate, and David is getting good support from his other WRs and from Jimmy Graham as well.  While he doesn't have a scary team quite yet (Eli's consistency is definitely of concern), it's way better than it was 7 weeks ago.


8. odoyle RULES (3-5) [9]

While my team is terrible, I think this past week has shown that it's not as terrible as Justina's.  Sorry, Justina.  Same applies to Eric's team, but to a lesser extent.  Sorry, Eric.  I write the power rankings, so I can do what I want with them, right?  No, but seriously, I think I objectively have a better team right now than both of them do.  I'm not going to go into specifics, because it would probably be boring and I would probably get sad.  It's like trying to talk about the Panthers, or even the Bobcats - who wants to hear about losers?


9. errrdayimRussell'in (1-7) [10]

Funny fact: Eric's bench scored more points than his starters.  AND he had BJGE on bye.  Eric probably doesn't find it funny, but I thought it was amusing, and I'm sure others will too.  I'm happy for him that LeSean had a big game, but it wasn't enough to pull off a victory against Laura.  And how disappointing has Megatron been this year?  Anyways, his team has potential, he just has to find a way to tap in to that.

10. Green Nicks and Cam (2-6) [8]

She'll have A.J. Green back in the lineup next week, but the big question will be, does she want to trust Cameron Newton any more?  My answer would be an emphatic no, but that will be something she'll have to decide on her own.  As for the rest of her team, I don't know what to say.  She has the right pieces, but they're just not gelling.  The trade might give her some immediate short-term relief, especially with an under-performing, recovering-from-injury, current-liability Hakeem Nicks, but her future isn't looking too hot right now.  I personally think the trade ends up putting Justina in more of a bind than before, but I can understand her frustration with Nicks and wanting to get rid of him for some fresher players.  I'll just leave it at that.  Maybe she'll get a better name out of it all, who knows.

Predictions: Week 8

(5-0) prediction record last week - woohoo!  At least I'm winning at something, right?

	Tim	Luke	Eric
Last week's record	(5-0)	(0-0)	(3-2)
Overall record	(22-13)	(5-5)	(19-16)
Percentage	0.63	0.50	0.54

odoyle RULES v. Terrific Tortoises
I hate to say this, but Chris Johnson will probably run all over the Colts and score big again this week.  While I'm hoping my team will put up some semblance of a fight, I think David's team is on the rise, and no puny #9 (in power rankings) seed can hope to take him down.
Winner: Terrific Tortoises

Green Nicks and Cam v. Spider Pig
Let me start off by saying I think the trade between these two teams was fairer than Aaron made it out to be.  While Sproles isn't an every-down back, he's been getting decent numbers because Brees like to throw the screen to him.  The downgrade from Lynch to Sproles might not be equal in worth compared to the upgrade from Dez to Miles Austin, but considering Dez's injury history and Austin's relative rise in the Dallas WR corps ranks, I can appreciate Justina's move.  I think part of it has to do with Aaron feeling threatened by the strengthening of Luke's team.  Just sayin'.  Anyways, back to predictions.  Luke avoided a scare last week, and has a somewhat stronger team this week to keep him safe from harm.  I don't have high hopes for Cam this week, or for the rest of Justina's team.  Her most consistent producer, A.J. Green, is on bye, too.  I know Justina hates losing to Luke, but I'm not seeing an upset here.
Winner: Spider Pig

errrdayimRussell'in v. RelientK
I'm just going to go ahead and say Seattle Defense may be Eric's top scorer this week.  Even with Laura's superstars on bye (Ray Rice, Owen Daniels, Andy Dalton), I think she has enough firepower (Roethlisberger in a shootout with RGIII, Brandon Marshall against a banged-up, Gamble-less Panthers secondary, Jordy Nelson on the rise, etc. etc.) to hold off Eric this week.  Philip Rivers might do ok, but the rest of Eric's team won't be impressive.
Winner: RelientK

Rainbow Warriors v. THE Pain Train
I think Rodgers will continue his scoring streak.  Gabs's team is slipping, and the untimely bye week for the Bills isn't making it easier on him.
Winner: Rainbow Warriors

The Debbinator v. choubacca
If there is such a thing as a favorable week to play Aaron's team, this is one of those weeks.  With Arian Foster on the bench because of the bye week, Aaron has to choose between Turner v. a tough Philly defense or Alex Green.  Lose-lose, in my book.  David, on the other hand, is essentially at full force.  With some pretty favorable matchups, especially at RB (Remember when Matt Forte had a field day against the Panthers D last year?  And the year before?  Yeah, well, I do.), I wouldn't be surprised if Aaron's team had to take a loss this week.  Besides, he tried to trade me Randall Cobb for Marques Colston, straight up.  SRSLY?  This is coming from the guy who says the trades in our league have been "the most lopsided."  Borderline insulting.  Hence, my objective pick for winner of this game.
Winner: The Debbinator

Pig Predictions - Week 8

Per Justina's request, the Pig will be making predictions this week in prose. Winners in bold

Pig vs Dr Seuss:
Epic trade in works
'Stina won't trade for Brady :(
Which means Pig will win. :)

O'Doyle vs. Tortuguas:
Turtles have new life
Tim might be in some trouble
Perhaps more trades, Tim?

NCSU vs. RelientK
Laura's bye week woes
But Eric's team really sucks
Refrigerator

King Joffrey vs The PAIN TRAIN
Two team vying to join the elite
Both teams look somewhat complete
The resurgence of Rodgers
To Gabs, is a bother
Jeff's team will turn up the heat

Debbinator vs choubacca
An epic battle for the league's second place
The nectar of victory, David shall taste
Aaron will go down
Thanks to bye week frowns (Foster)
But this is far from Aaron's checkmate

Week 8: (and I am now officially the worst team in the league)

I'm not going to mess around this week. Until my team starts winning, no analysis necessary.. you just gotta know my team is tuuuurrrrrrrrrible (insert Sir Charles Barkley voice)

errrdayimRussell'in vs RelientK

odoyle RULES vs Terrific Tortoises 

Green Nicks and Cam vs Spider Pig

Rainbow Warriors vs THE Pain Train

The Debbinator vs choubacca

**go team..........
    

Power Rankings: Week 7

Just another week in fantasy paradise.  For some, that is.

1. choubacca (5-2) [1]

Aaron clearly set his team apart this week with a dominant showing.  Even with an ailing Trent Richardson, he managed to dominate the up-and-coming Tortoises.  And in the weeks to come, even if Richardson has to sit, Michael Turner isn't a bad RB2 option.

2. Spider Pig (6-1) [2]

The Pig shows the first signs of his vulnerability this week.  He lucked out since he was playing an odoyle SUCKS team, but it's safe to say that if his receivers (including Vernon Davis) don't show up to play, he can get in deep doodoo.  Fast.  I didn't bump him down, though, because he's still shown the most consistency over the course of the season compared to all the other teams.  However, if he gives me another week of the same stuff, look out for a new #2 next week.

3. Rainbow Warriors (4-3) [6]

All I have to say is it looks like Aaron Rodgers is back.  And the sky's the limit for Jeff if he continues to play that way.

4. The Debbinator (5-2) [4]

An impressive performance resulting in a disappointing loss.  I think Brees will help David's team down the stretch this season, but he could use a little help at RB and WR.  They aren't bad, but they aren't great.

5. RelientK (2-5) [5]

Not a spectacular showing, but enough to get her second win.  She hasn't moved up in the rankings yet, but she's definitely on the rise.

6. THE Pain Train (4-3) [3]

Yes, a drop to 6 is pretty drastic, but I will say that the difference between #3 and #6 is incredibly tiny.  I'm talking hairline-fracture tiny.  Gabs's team still looks ok on paper.  He has good RBs, so-so WRs, but his QBs aren't looking so hot.  I would expect Gabs's team to be a little more consistent, but as of late, it has not been, and it's been hurting him.

7. Terrific Tortoises (3-4) [9]

I can't bash on CJ2K and then not praise his breakout performance this week.  It was impressive, even if it came 6 weeks too late.  I know David was happy about it, but sad that it wasn't enough for the win.  If CJ2K can produce consistently, then seriously watch out everyone, because David's team has something to prove.  Fun note: this was the first week that David's team should have actually statistically won (he scored the 4th most points in our league this week).  Congrats.


8. Green Nicks and Cam (2-5) [7]

It wasn't even all Cam's fault.  I don't know what to say, really.  Bad week for Justina, but 4 of the past 5 weeks have seen Justina either last or second to last in scoring for the week.  So sad.


9. odoyle RULES (3-4) [8]

Speaking of sad teams.  For the amount of time I spend on my team versus Justina and her team, I think it's safe to say my team is sadder than Justina's.  Just sayin'.

10. errrdayimRussell'in (1-6) [10]

But the ultimate winner of sad teams is probably Eric's.  I'm willing to bet that he spends as much time, if not more, on fantasy (in general, not necessarily on this team) than I do.  And even if he doesn't, I make myself believe that he does in order to make myself feel a little better.  Maybe he should look to non-Wolfpack QBs to lead his team.

Three Elite Teams?

Nah, just two. LINOVO AND CHOUBACCA!!!

Everyone else?

...Not impressed.

Sorry, that's douchey, but I blew off work for 20 minutes working on this so... yeah

Predictions: Week 7

	Tim	Luke	Eric
Last week's record	(3-2)	(0-0)	(3-2)
Overall record	(17-13)	(5-5)	(16-14)
Percentage	0.57	0.50	0.53

odoyle RULES v. Spider Pig
I think this one might be closer than people would expect, with my team being a bottom dweller and Luke's team being "elite" and all.  Jamaal Charles on a bye may play to my advantage, except.. DeMarco Murray is hurt.  And I was banking on him running all over the Panthers, too.  Eric beat me to the waivers picking up Felix Jones, so all I can do is hope that Shonn Greene scores even half the points he did last week (yeah right).  Considering all the favorable matchups my team has this week, I really think not having DeMarco or Felix Jones will be the dealbreaker for my team not getting the victory.  Sigh.
Winner: Spider Pig

Green Nicks and Cam v. RelientK
Laura's team has finally tasted the sweet nectar of victory, and it's hungry for more.  I see her strategery in starting Dalton, whose success will determine A.J. Green's success for Justina, but I question whether Roethlisberger will be a wiser start.  It's Laura's team, though - so she has the right to make the final call.  Laura will win the RB and TE matchups, but I think she'll fall short at WR and DEF.  Which leaves, once again, to the QB spot.  Cameron Newton, will you show up this week?  Justina's team is banking on it.  And so am I.  But Laura's team is tired of losing.  Therefore...
Winner: RelientK

errrdayimRussell'in v. THE Pain Train
Both QBs will struggle against tough defenses.  Eric might have an edge at WR with VJax against the Saints. And knowing who to start at RB is going to be tough for Gabs, but I still think he has a strong enough lineup to hold off Eric's team this week.
Winner: THE Pain Train

Rainbow Warriors v. The Debbinator
Don't expect Aaron Rodgers to do what he did last week.  And even if he does, don't bank on the rest of Jeff's team showing up, either.  Outside of maybe Adrian Peterson and Alfred Morris.  But the same goes for David's team.  Even if Drew Brees blows up, his supporting cast is looking a little pitiful, outside of Forte and Welker / Hernandez (they'll eat away at each other's stats).  So who do I choose?  Eeny, meeny, miney...
Winner: Rainbow Warriors

Terrific Tortoises v. choubacca
Will Trent Richardson play?  And if so, will he be able to stay healthy?  Not like David has much to fight with, though.  So those questions are probably irrelevant.  While Percy Harvin has been impressive for David, there isn't much left on his team to put up a fight (Jimmy Graham's status is "not optimistic").  I think Aaron's team has more impressive players that could easily out-score David's team.  Funny thing to note, however, is that if David's team wins, choubacca and Terrific Tortoises will have the same record.  Go figure.
Winner: choubacca

Week 7 (and it's all gone down the drain...)
**winner in bold

errrdayimRussell'in vs THE Pain Train
i got robbed. plain and simple. i am now the bottom feeding, scum sucking worst team in the league.. redemption for me this week and the start of a 4 game win streak to get back to .500. Russell Wilson, lead the way, yes sir.
 
odoyle RULES vs Spider Pig
tim takes advantage of the Ridley trade and he goes off and wins the week for tim

Green Nicks and Cam vs RelientK
mrs jones got her first win (just like i predicted) although i did also say she would win the 2 weeks previous to last.. i say she wins again. she's on the rise

Rainbow Warriors vs The Debbinator
there's no stopping Aaron Rodgers now.. he said 'shhhhhhhh' to all the critics. plus david got a SUPER lucky win last week. he feels the pain of getting throttled this week even w/ Brees back. sorry

Terrific Tortoises vs choubacca
david li has once again changed his name.. although his team is still terrible (yes i said that, and i know i'm 1-5) so i would say TERRIBLE a better term than TERRIFIC. plus he tried to steal Jennings off the IR.. aaron wins easily

Power Rankings: Week 6

As we near the mid-way point of the season, the separation between the elite teams and the not-so-elite teams is starting to be more clear: Aaron, Luke, and Gabs have been at the top of my power rankings for the past 3-4 weeks, while Me, David Li, and Eric have filled in the bottom ranks.  The middle is kind of a jumble, with teams lacking consistency one way or the other.  But as it stands now, of the remaining teams, I think David Lin and Laura's teams are on the rise while Jeff and Justina's teams are on the decline.  But who knows, anything can happen the last half of the season.  If both Arian Foster and Trent Richardson get season-ending injuries, then that would radically change the rankings overnight.  I'm not hoping that it will happen (ok, maybe I kind of am), but I'm just saying it could happen.  Just sayin'.

1. choubacca (4-2) [1]

Yet another impressive week for Aaron's team as it continues to assert its dominance in the league.  All his players can put up numbers and get it done.  It's really that simple.  He still has room to improve at WR, but his team is pretty rock solid right now, as he is well aware of: "If only I weren't awesome... Jeff would've beaten me."  Pride comes before the fall, my friend.

2. Spider Pig (5-1) [2]

His RBs (or lack thereof) are bound to bite him in the rear end one of these weeks.  He avoided the issue this week with great performances from his WRs, QB, K and DEF.  And while he's got strong enough non-RB players to continue running in to scoring problems, it makes his team susceptible (and beatable) on any given week.  I will say, though, that Luke's team has been the most consistently good (for lack of a better word) this whole season, which is impressive in a game that always throws you curve balls.

3. THE Pain Train (3-3) [4]

Looks like Gabs's team might be bouncing back from a 2-week setback.  James Jones continues to be a smart pickup for him, and the Buffalo running game looks to be returning to its early-season status.  Don't let his (3-3) record fool you, I think Gabs's team is back on the rise.

4. The Debbinator (5-1) [3]

Suffering from the bye-week woes, David lucked out with a win this week, with credit going to Eric's misfortune than to David's managing skills.  But a win is a win, and David is at Luke's heels for the top seed in our league.  With Brees back at QB, Forte back in the lineup, Hernandez looking healthy, and Mendenhall hopefully avoiding injury and producing what he ought to, David's poised to attack.  He's proved his team has the ability to dominate (Week 1, Week 5), but we'll see if he can do it on a regular basis.

5. RelientK (1-5) [6]

Laura finally gets a much-deserved win, and is no longer officially last.  Hooray!  What impressed me the most about her team's performance this week is that she had solid points from multiple sources, all of who will probably continue to provide stable numbers for her: Ray Rice (obviously), Ben Roethlisberger / Andy Dalton, Jordy Nelson (ok, not 30 points each week, but with Jennings out, he's one of GB's go-to WRs), and Ahmad Bradshaw (if he can stay healthy).  Not to mention Bowe, who has had some big weeks in the past.  She doesn't have big names on her roster, but they definitely have potential to put up big numbers.  While her team has a lot of ground to make up, I think it has the ability to put together an impressive mid-season run.

6. Rainbow Warriors (3-3) [5]

Wow, what the crap Aaron Rodgers?  He absolutely destroyed the Texans secondary, and gave Jeff more than half of his team's points this week.  Yet Jeff still doesn't get the win.  Hm.. interesting.  You know what else is interesting?  If any of the other losing teams had Aaron Rodgers on his or her team instead of whoever started at QB, they would have won this week.  I wonder what that says about the rest of Jeff's team?  While Rodger's performance brings  some positive news for Jeff's team, it also exposed some some vulnerable spots.  Even with a record-breaking performance from his QB, he only managed to score the 6th most points this week.  Adrian Peterson was the only other bright spot on his roster.  Besides Week 4, Jeff's team hasn't had an all-around great performance, and I'm starting to doubt whether it's built for the long-run this season.

7. Green Nicks and Cam (2-4) [7]

She'll have Cam back in the lineup next week, but I don't see that as a huge improvement right now.  Cam is just breaking my Panther heart.  AJ Green continues to be her sole consistent producer.  Maybe she should rename her team again... to just Green.  Or maybe it's law school.  I guess that's more important than fantasy football.  Ok yeah, it's probably more important.  At least she hasn't fallen into the bottom 3 yet.  Although that's more of a testament to how bad the bottom three teams are, rather than to her ability to maintain mediocrity.


8. odoyle RULES (3-3) [8]

This was one of the few weeks when I was actually ok with losing.  That doesn't justify my team's lousy performance, though.  But I'm willing to chalk it up as a one-week mishap where Matt Ryan was just off, and I blew off advice to start Shonn Greene, who I had read would have an outstanding week.  Whatever.  I may be a little concerned about my RB situation (post-McCoy blues), but I'm happy with my WRs now, and I think they are more than strong enough to make up for lost ground at RB.  I'm still trying to think positive.  That's what my fantasy shrink tells me to do.


9. Terrible Titans T_T (3-3) [9]

Hey, at least Chris Johnson is starting to score double digit points, right?  That's twice in three weeks now - impressive.  But in all seriousness, David's team actually might have some bite to it, with the rise of some nice WRs (Andre Johnson, Percy Harvin, Eric Decker), and some RBs that, although they still have something to prove, are fully capable of putting up points (Ryan Matthews, CJ2K).  I think he's primed to take advantage of some of the teams who may be slipping, and not finish in second to last place this year!  Even in my power rankings!

10. errrdayimRussell'in (1-5) [10]

Tough loss.  I was confident Eric had it going into MNF, and even after the first half of MNF.  But who knew a QB could turn the ball over so many times and get so many negative points in such a short period of time?  At least next week, Eric won't have to worry about who to start a QB.  He'll just have to worry about how his QB will do against a feisty defense at home.  His WRs were impressive this week, and may have to carry his team until it finds some stability at RB and QB.

Week 6 Predictions brought to you by ("COME ON MAN!!")

errrdayimRussell'in vs The Debbinator
so i made a trade with Tim last week (first trade of the season) i've gotten some pretty ridiculous trade proposals from others.. not gonna name names.. but i think this is the worst start i've had since we started fantasy.. this week, i bounce back with McCoy scoring at least 20+ points.. i can feel my 2nd win coming.. COME ON MAN!!
WINNER: errrdayimRussell'in

odoyle RULES vs RelientK
intriguing match up.. i predicted that Laura would win the past 2 weeks.. i was wrong.. can i be wrong again for the 3rd week in a row? i better not.. or i will give up on trying to predict her team's weekly outcome (maybe...) 3rd time is a charm. Laura pulls off the upset this week.. it's gotta happen.. COME ON MAN!!
WINNER: RelientK

Green Nicks and Cam vs THE Pain Train
chubs still hasn't changed her ridiculous team name.. even though only 1/3 of them are actually helping her instead of hurting her.. Nicks is nicked up still (i doubt he plays) and Cam is on 'bye' which he desperately needs cause the Panthers suck and are 1-4.. change your name chubs.. COME ON MAN!!
WINNER: THE Pain Train

Rainbow Warriors vs choubacca
as much as i dislike Arian Foster and his stupid Texans.. i think he'll have another huge week, which will bode well for Aaron.. Richardson has been a pleasant surprise. i still don't know what other defensive coordinators are doing.. Richardson is their offense.. they should stack 11 people in the box! COME ON MAN!! (but they're too stupid so Aaron wins again this week)
WINNER: choubacca

Spider Pig vs Terrible Titans T_T
jaccuzi rodgers?! COME ON MAN!! (btw, if your last name is Rodgers and your first name isn't Aaron, you don't need to be on a fantasy roster) this is how desperate flaming Luke is this week.. he will lose. 
WINNER: Terrible Titans T_T

 

Predictions: Week 6

	Tim	Luke	Eric
Last week's record	(2-3)	(0-0)	(3-2)
Overall record	(14-11)	(5-5)	(13-12)
Percentage	0.56	0.50	0.52

odoyle RULES v. RelientK
My team found a little boost last week from some unexpected sources, and Laura's fell kind of flat.  I want to say that the matchups are looking in her favor this week, but her RBs (which is one of her strong suits) are facing some tough defenses.  But mine are too, so I'll give Laura the edge there.  I think my QB and WRs are somewhat better, but my team can be pretty unpredictable.  If Roddy White plays big, I like my chances.  But Laura's team is due for a win.  Such a hard decision.. but sorry, Laura, you'll have to wait one more week for a win.  I like my team's momentum too much right now.  I'll probably regret this pick come Sunday.
Winner: odoyle RULES

Green Nicks and Cam v. THE Pain Train
I think McFadden will have a good week for Gabs, as will Julio Jones, Reggie Wayne, and even James Jones (Packers will be clawing from behind for most of the game).  Justina's team, on the other hand, has too many question marks to make me feel comfortable about picking them.  Will Nicks return to normal?  Will Marshawn Lynch (who is not 100%) and Reggie Bush do well against tough defenses?  Will Ryan Fitzpatrick recover from last weeks debacle?  I think THE Pain Train bounces back from the past two weeks with a much-needed win.
Winner: THE Pain Train

errrdayimRussell'in v. The Debbinator
With Calvin Johnson back, Eric's team is looking a lot better.  His QB looks more impressive than David's, his RBs look more impressive than David's, his WRs.. are about equal with David's, but David has a slight advantage at TE/K/DEF.  I think with Brees out, though, David's team looks very beatable this week.  Look for Eric's team to capitalize on that.  And make good use of his McCoy pickup.
Winner: errrdayimRussell'in

Rainbow Warriors v. choubacca
Even with RGIII's status uncertain, Aaron's team looks strong against Jeff's.  Consider this possible scenario: RGIII has to sit, so Aaron starts Vick.  Vick gets 10 points.  Rodgers gets 40 points because he's so mad about how much his team sucks.  Cruz gets shut down by the SF defense.  Frank Gore runs all over Giants defense.  Foster and Richardson... yeah, it's no use, even if all of those things happened, I think Aaron would still pull out a win.  All you have to say is Foster and Richardson.. and then sigh.
Winner: choubacca

Spider Pig v. Terrible Titans T_T
Luke smartly starts Peyton v. SD over Brady v. Seattle.  However, he not-so-smartly is screwed at RB2.  Jacuzzi?!  I guess he had slim pickings to choose from.  And at WR, Percy Harvin might just go crazy again against a vulnerable Redskins secondary for David.  I'm not a fan of the start-two-RBs-from-SD-and-see-how-it-goes mindset that David has, but what other choice does he have?  Jackie Battle >> Chris Johnson.  I think this one might be closer than you'd expect, but Luke's team definitely has the ability to pull out the win against David, even without a real RB2.  Ouch.
Winner: Spider Pig

Power Rankings: Week 5

Our league saw its first trade this week, with some big names being tossed around and some rosters being changed.  Time will tell how the trade pans out for each team, but I think at least one of the teams (me) is happy about it.  I am, however, disturbed by how it was a trade among the bottom-dwellers of the league.  Instead of the poor trading with the poor, shouldn't it be the rich giving to the poor?  C'mon people, where's your sense of justice and fairness in this fantasy world?

1. choubacca (3-2) [2]

This was a tough decision for me.  But I think Aaron's win this past week was convincing enough to have his team beat out Luke's in the power rankings.  Looking back, Luke's team has been more dominant and consistent in scoring points.  However, looking forward, I think Aaron has the potentially scarier team.  The status of RGIII is unclear right now, but it appears he'll be back in action soon, but we'll see if it affects his play.  Aaron's RBs are undoubtedly the best in our league - he's got Turner riding the bench, who sadly enough, could be an RB1 on some teams in our league.  And while his WRs are not that great, they've been getting the job done the past few weeks, AND he has decent options on the bench.  He's been pretty active in managing his team, and it appears to be paying off (along with his nice rookie draft picks).

2. Spider Pig (4-1) [1]

Taking his first loss of the season, Luke's team shows a bit of weakness, but I'm confident he'll bounce back.  He still is strong at QB, WR, TE, and DEF.  Jamaal Charles has continued to produce, but Luke will be scrambling for an RB2, especially next week, as the Saints and Panthers will be on bye and Andre Brown will be out for a while.  I'm sure we'll be hearing complaints about how our waiver system is flawed again this week.  Those privileged rich teams.  Maybe the top two teams should make a trade, instead of trying to steal from poor teams like mine - just a suggestion.

3. The Debbinator (4-1) [7]

David's team is up here by default.  I honestly couldn't justify placing another team this high.  While his team has been wildly inconsistent, I think he has the pieces in place to make a strong run for regular season champion.  Drew Brees looks to be un-phased by his team's woes and sorry record - I think it may be providing more motivation, obviously to throw more since they're always trailing in games.  His WRs are all over the place, but I think if he continues to start the right ones each week, it could pay off big time.  His RB1 and RB2 are surprisingly solid, with Forte and Mendenhall returning.  Just hope they don't fall victim to injuries again, because he won't have much backup to rely on.

4. THE Pain Train (2-3) [3]

Speaking of injuries and mishaps.. poor Gabs.  To his credit, he's made some nice adjustments and pickups (James Jones, Donald Brown), but he's just been plagued with bad fantasy vibes the past two weeks.  I think his WRs are looking stronger now, especially with Reggie Wayne playing like it's 2004 and Julio Jones hogging all the Matt Ryan love.  I'm hesitant to condemn Stafford, but he hasn't been as impressive as Gabs has hoped for, I'm sure.  And now with his RB situation all mixed up, it's hard to know how well Gabs can recover from the previous two weeks.

5. Rainbow Warriors (3-2) [5]

Aaron Rodgers, finally showing up to play.  Packers still stink, but I don't think Jeff cares.  As long as Frank Gore can stay intact, I think Jeff has a pretty good squad.  He'll need some help at WR, but at least his team is looking better with Rodgers back in it.

6. RelientK (0-5) [4]

I don't know what to do with Laura's team.  Whenever she decides to bench someone, they break out with ridiculous game-changing numbers (Week 1: Lance Moore, Week 2: Mike Williams, Week 3: Roethlisberger, Week 4: Jordy Nelson, Week 5: Ahmad Bradshaw).  Not that she made a bad decision in starting who she did each week (except arguably Romo in Week 3), but I think she's just getting no love from the game of fantasy.  And no matter how I make my predictions, I'm always messing her team up.  If I predict her to lose, I'm giving her team bad luck, if I predict her to win, I'm jinxing it.  Can't win.  Literally.

7. Green Nicks and Cam (2-3) [6]

Here we go again, with the wild mood swings.  To be fair, her team was affected by bye weeks and injuries.  But Cam Newton?  Makes me so mad.  So mad.  I don't even want to talk about it.  I think her team has some upside, but I'm still waiting for it to be more consistent.  If Nicks can return back to normal, it'll help her team tremendously.  But that's TBD.  As is her team's arguably higher ranking.  Looks ok on paper, but hasn't been getting the job done.


8. odoyle RULES (3-2) [10]

I finally get a glimmer of hope after my trade with Eric.  While I still would have won this week even if I didn't make the trade, I'm liking my team a lot more now than I did a week ago.  Sure, it helped that Colston got a ridiculous amount of points this week.  But I'm not complaining.  My WRs are a lot more impressive now, which I'm happy about.  With my RBs, I'm hoping I can make do and scrap by until one of them proves to be more consistent.  I'm still banking on Leshoure being a stellar pickup.. I may be waiting for a while.  My team isn't scary enough to break out of the bottom half yet, but I think it has potential to put up a fight against some of the best.  At least in my mind.


9. Terrible Titans T_T (3-2) [9]

I think David's team is also looking more hopeful after this week.  Yes, his team scored a low amount of points, and he has yet to have a week where he scored in the top half of the league, but at least his players are starting to put up promising numbers.  His WRs are starting to shine, with Andre Johnson, Percy Harvin, and Eric Decker carrying their loads when needed.  Ryan Matthews is beginning to play like people thought he would, and Eli isn't disappointing as much as he has in the past, either.  In spite of a weak RB2 and a possibly hurt Jimmy Graham, I think David has more than fantasy basketball to look forward to in the coming months.

10. errrdayimRussell'in (1-4) [8]

Eric was hit big-time with byes this week, so he wasn't able to do much better than he did.  While he got an upgrade at RB, picking up McCoy from me, he's a little weaker at WR now.  Only time will tell whether it was a good trade for him, but for now, I think it's safe to leave his team down here.  If Doug Martin comes back roaring, and if (big if) Greg Jennings does the same, then watch out, everyone.  Eric's coming out for you.

Spider Pig's Quarter Season Thoughts

Fellow fantasy players, a quarter of the regular season has come and gone. We've seen some surprises (The Cardinals??) and some not-so-surprises (Houston). With 1/4 of the season in tow, the Pig has decided to share some of his Nu Thang insights. Since he's job searching and working simultaneously, there will be no fancy algorithms and analytics. Instead, these insights are courtesy of the following:

(Get it? Gut feeling? Cause hot dogs are made from pig guts)

1. The strong teams on paper have been exceptionally susceptible to weekly performance variations (see RelientK). Will these teams even out over the course of the season, or will some of these big name players continue with medicore performances?
2. Some of us gambled on draft day. Some of us won. Others did not. This is not comprehensive, but let's take a look at the list!
   
   Hots
   
   • RGIII [choubacca] - biggest delight of the early season. Can he replicate Cam's rookie season, or will he start to show some wear and tear as the season progresses?
   • Matt Ryan [odoyle RULES] - perhaps the only shining gem on his team... This guy is the real deal. Interestingly enough, Ryan's stats through his first several seasons mirror that of Peyton Manning's. 
   • Jamaal Charles [Spider Pig] - Just so everyone knows. Aaron and I have a side bet on who scores more fantasy points this year between Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis. 
   • Trent Richardson [choubacca] - it takes guts drafting a guy on the Browns. Nice.
   • CJ Spiller [THE PAIN TRAIN] - OK. He's only sort of hot right now. More Gretel than Hansel.
   • Peyton Manning [Spider Pig] - Will somebody trade me for either Peyton or Tom?? It's a shame watching him ride the bench. Am willing to cut deals here.

   Nots
   • Jacuzzi Something [Green Nicks and Cam] - Falcons remind me of Indy a few years ago. They don't really need or use their RB's. Sorry brah
   • CJ2 [Terrible Titans T_T] - T_T indeed.
   • Green Bay Offense [Multiple teams] - Most notably Jennings and Rodgers. Things are looking up for Rodgers though. Not so much for Jennings
   • Eagles Offense [Multiple teams] - Even LeSean McCoy is underperforming a little bit. But somehow the Eagles are winning? Something doesn't quite add up...
   • Ryan Matthews [Terrible Titans T_T] - Yahoo has his projected O-Rank at 22. Actual is 245. Lady luck does not look favorably on the Terrible Titans :\
   • Antonio Gates [choubacca] - Aaron's romance with Gates may be coming to an end as he's underperforming yet again this season (projected O-Rank 49, Actual is 214
     
3. This waiver wire sucks. Here's why. The free agents with the biggest impact almost always happen at the beginning of the season (Amendola, A. Morris, etc). If you happen to lose your first game or two (choubacca) despite having a good team, then the waiver wire primes you to stack your team with decent starters. Furthermore, the spread between teams in the first few weeks is very thin (1-2 game difference), so it's not really apt to "rank" them at such an early point. Motion to return back to the old waiver wire next year?
4. To support my claim about it becoming a QB-centric league... I'm sure if someone did an empirical analysis on % of total points scored by the RB positions versus QB+WR positions over the course of the last 5 years, we would definitely see the trend away from RB's. Just a gut feeling.
5. Power Rankings! 

Tier 1

1 - choubacca [5] - Aaron cashed out with Trent Richardson and RGIII big time. What's better is that TR didn't start performing until week 2-3 and he benched RGIII at the beginning... opening the season with 2 losses. With that, he was able to utilize his waiver priority to pick up gems like Amendola and create a well-rounded team. Is it worth mentioning that Aaron is the front runner to five-peat as winner of "team with most waiver moves?"

2- Spider Pig [4] - Jamaal Charles has been grood, but the anchor here has really been Matt Bryant + Chicago DEF. Can they keep pushing the Pig to the top? Logic says to discount these two positions, but they've been pretty clutch. PBJ's are also incredibly clutch. 

3- Green Nicks and Cam [6] - "Go big or go home" is the motto of this team. I have faith that Reggie Bush will stay productive and Nicks will get healthy. If both happen, you better watch out cause Justina is coming to town. 

Tier 2

4 - Rainbow Warriors [2] - Aaron Rodgers will be like Lord Tywin Lanister for King Joffrey and bail him out once Rodgers rounds back into form. Getting Hartline is a good move, and it remains to be seen how consistent Lloyd, Gore, and Antonio Brown can be. 

5 - THE PAIN TRAIN [1] - The Bills RB situation in addition to Stafford's mediocrity really hurts Gabs. This is where some active team management can go a long way... *hint hint*

6 - The Debbinator [3] - Decent record, but his WR3 and RB2 look a bit spotty. He's got crazy depth at RB though, so if Arian Foster goes down or if Mendenhall comes back with a bang, then the Debbinator will rise like the Dark Knight.

7 - RelientK [8] - Great team on paper, but can't seem to get a win! I wish I could provide some comforting words for you, Laura, but all I can give you is this teacup pig:

Tier 3

8 - odoyle RULES [7] - Matt Ryan has been stellar, but Tim needs to make some moves to get back in the game. His is the tier 3 team with the most opportunity to jump in the rankings. Fosho

9 - Terrible Titans T_T [9] - At least he's consistently at 9?  He's had some crappy luck coming out of the draft (CJ2, Ryan Matthews, etc). Hopefully there should be some FA gems in the next few weeks that he can capitalize on to bolster his team strength. The fact that David has the SF DEF bumps him to #9 on my power rankings because I love the 49ers (and am no longer ashamed to admit it). Nobody said rankings had to be objective.

10 - errrdayimRussell'in [10] - Eric doesn't even have WR3 this week (poor bye week planning). Phillip Rivers was a good pickup, but he needs some more reliable long-term solutions. His WRs still look strong, but if I were him, I'd start using them as chips to upgrade other positions. 

Predictions: Week 5

	Tim	Luke	Eric
Last week's record	(2-3)	(0-0)	(1-4)
Overall record	(12-8)	(5-5)	(10-10)
Percentage	0.60	0.50	0.50

odoyle RULES v. THE Pain Train
The only way my team will beat Gabs's is if his team does what it did last week and flops like crazy.  I mean, I've got freaking Shonn Greene starting.  I might as well start Tshimanga Biakabutuka.  At least I'd feel less gross inside.
Winner: THE Pain Train

Green Nicks and Cam v. The Debbinator
Looks like much of Justina's team is either injured or on bye.  Marshawn Lynch is going to totally destroy the Panthers run D, but I doubt it'll be enough to patch up the holes left by her missing players.
Winner: The Debbinator

errrdayimRussell'in v. Rainbow Warriors
Eric will have to fill in his WR3, but it may not even be worth bothering.  Jeff's team has shown it can get the job done, and his RBs have super favorable matchups this week.
Winner: Rainbow Warriors

RelientK v. Terrible Titans T_T
I already called it in my power rankings, so there's no need to go on, is there?  Laura is so hungry for a win.  And trust me, no one is stopping her this week.
Winner: RelientK

Spider Pig v. choubacca
This will be an interesting matchup.  Luke's been on a roll, and I don't think Aaron will have enough to stop him this week.  I think Luke's RBs (which are still his weak spot) will play just well enough to keep his undefeated record intact.
Winner: Spider Pig

WEEK 5!! (and i'm stuck in the bottom of the league)

*these Thursday games are killing me. it only gives me 2 days from after the MNF game to write my predictions before the next game starts... i can only imagine how much pressure Tim is under to do Power Rankings AND write his predictions
 (short analysis this week again.. I should really put more thought into them because I believe I went 1-4 last week w/o thoroughly accessing the teams) we'll see...... onwards!


errrdayimRussell'in vs Rainbow Warriors
half of my team is on 'bye' this week.. Megatron included.. (who gets me half of my sorry team's points...) this def does NOT look good for me this week against Jeff who has favorable match ups in almost every position.. please don't embarrass me too badly this week Jeff.. you could probably take out half your line up and still win.. but I'm feeling good about my team after this week.. i might be 1-4 by that time.. but my winning streak is about to come.. put it in the bank baby! 
WINNER: Rainbow Warriors
 
odoyle RULES vs THE Pain Train
Gabs has taken a hit w/ injuries to his RB's.. looks like he's starting both Spiller and F-Jax this week.. boom or bust.. meanwhile, Tim has benched DeMarco Murray.. which I believe was his 2nd or 3rd round pick.. Cowboys are lookin ugly w/ Romo back there.. so he has to ride Shonn Greene and the oh so awful Jets offense.. lol sorry Tim. not a good week.
WINNER: THE Pain Train
  
Green Nicks and Cam vs The Debbinator
Chubs has been hit by the 'bye' week bug like me. As of this moment, she has no other WR on her roster (because Nicks probably won't play this week) and no TE.. she does still have Cam, AJ, and the Skittles monster along with Bush (Michael) in at the moment.. i would suggest putting in the other Bush (Reggie) because David has Forte in his line up and i have a gut feeling Forte will be the one w/ the big week this time around.. Chubs has too many holes in her line up this week.
WINNER: The Debbinator
 
RelientK vs Terrible Titans T_T
i have absolutely NO idea what happened last week. i had such a good feeling that Ms. Jones was going to pick up her first win and then Flaming Luke's team explodes... feel so bad for her but no worries because THIS IS THE WEEK SHE GETS HER FIRST WIN! (i hope.) for her sanity's sake.. :) plus David Li is sorta in the same boat as Gabs' as in he's playing both RB's in the Chargers backfield with Mathews and Battle.. Battle has performed well but will playing both backs benefit him? No. 
WINNER: RelientK 

Spider Pig vs choubacca
Flaming Luke is 4-0. skill? meh. luck? could be. but it'll run out this week. he was suppose to lose to Laura last week but got lucky with a couple positions.. more than a couple.. but Charles is going up against Ravens D. Aaron's team is looking more and more scary. Richardson was a great draft choice and RGIII has continued to impress me. It'll be close but my gut says Aaron will come out victorious this week
WINNER: choubacca

Power Rankings: Week 4

Due to a trip to LA to soak up the heat and visit a fellow manager, the Power Rankings are late this week, and somewhat abbreviated.  Apologies.

1. Spider Pig (4-0) [2]

Yes, we deservingly (probably not a word) have a new #1.  For the second week in a row, Luke's team put up the most points in our league.  I wrote the first week off as a fluke, but it's hard to write two weeks in a row off.  Jamaal Charles continues to perform well, and Darren Sproles isn't looking too shabby either.  With his RB problems improving, Luke has become the team to beat in our league.

2. choubacca (2-2) [3]

With the highest scoring RB, the second-highest scoring QB, and a Trent Richardson on the rise, Aaron's team is looking pretty nice.  His WRs are mediocre-to-weak, but his team has been getting it done the past few weeks.

3. THE Pain Train (2-2) [1]

My, how the mighty have fallen.  Hard.  The loss of CJ Spiller seems to have somehow affected his whole team's morale.  Not even McFadden could make up for it.  I'm willing to write it off as just an unlucky week, which is why I haven't dropped his team further in the rankings.  But I'm cautious to assert his once-obvious dominance in our league now that his weaknesses have become evident.

4. RelientK (0-4) [4]

I'm convinced that Laura's team should be (3-1).  If you look back at how many points her team scored in the past 4 weeks, you'd agree with me.  Unfortunately, her record is not (3-1), and she is technically last in our league.  But at least that's not the case in my power rankings, which should matter somewhat, right?  She still has one of the best RB duos in the league, her WRs are putting up respectable numbers, and hopefully she will have enough smarts to stay the heck away from Tony Romo.  It may not be a bad idea to drop him, if there's a better waiver pick-up at another position.  But this is coming from a manager who managed to manage his team to the ground (see below).  Her team will start winning.  This week.  I'm calling it now, before I even make the predictions.

5. Rainbow Warriors (2-2) [7]

For the first week this season, Jeff's team ran on all cylinders and played to its potential.  I'm still reluctant to claim that they can do it on a consistent basis, which is why I'm keeping him in the middle for now.

6. Green Nicks and Cam (2-2) [5]

At least Cam looked better this week, minus his stupid fumble at the end of the game that essentially cost the Panthers the win.  But I doubt Justina cares about that as much as she does not getting the win against Jeff.

7. The Debbinator (3-1) [6]

David is (3-1) and his team DROPS in the rankings?  It's because he's been bullying all the crappy teams for cheap wins (except week 1).  If he can pull off a quality win this week, then I'll think about moving him up in the ranks.  Maybe part of the reason why I dropped him in the rankings has to do with him picking up Cedric Benson (who I dropped) to subsequently beat my team.  So?


8. errrdayimRussell'in (1-3) [9]

Eric's team is looking a bit more hopeful, but with a so-so QB and a confusing RB lineup, I'm not sure his team is going anywhere soon.


9.  Terrible Titans T_T (2-2) [10]

David gets a "quality" win this week, but only superficially.  Not only did he beat the lowest-scoring team (which happened to be one of the better teams in our league), but he scored in the bottom half of the league as well.  So yes, he beat Gabs, but not convincingly.  Anyone could have beat Gabs this week.  Even my team, which as you will soon find out, is caboosing (probably not a word, either) this week's rankings.  We'll just leave it at: his performance this week was enough to give him a bump up in the rankings, even if his highest scorer was his defense.

10. odoyle RULES (2-2) [8]

There isn't really much to say here.  I arguably ought to be (0-4).  As far as my managerial skills, I think it's safe to say they haven't been so hot.  But the season isn't over yet, so odoyle may still rule in the end.