WEEK 10!!! (back to my winning ways.. for now) AND SINCE I WON, I'M FEELING A LITTLE BETTER SO THIS WEEK'S ANALYSIS WILL BE A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH :D


MUSCLE Hamster vs Terrific Tortoises
need i say anymore? my new team name says it all. yes, i agree w/ Tim that the possibility of D-Mart scoring 50 points again probably won't happen but if he can score a consistent 20-25 for me, i'll take it. starting Freeman & V-Jax also helped/will continue to help me out. however, i would like to point out that the Seahawks are giving Russell more freedom in the passing game now. (he also scored MORE points than Freeman last week) if Russell keeps performing like he did, i just might change my name back.. we'll have to see but for this week, i feel like i can only build on my momentum and squeak out another win. David's team is under performing but he still does have a few bright spots. it'll be close but i'm gonna give myself another win

odoyle RULES vs Kardashian Esk. Bros
like i said before, Chubs made some major trades over the past week and i think it ultimately hurts her team.. i guess she doesn't care that much (esp since she's getting a free meal out of it) but the worst part about her trade? she had to change her team name YET AGAIN, to something else which i have absolutely NO idea what she is referring to, maybe she watches too much reality tv and i don't keep up w/ that stuff. (if you could enlighten me and others who may not know what your name means, i would appreciate it) anyways...... she currently has an open WR slot as i'm writing this and yes, Brady is an upgrade from Cam for the moment but the Pats are playing the Bills, which will probably mean blow out and Brady will shut it down sooner rather than later, while on the flip side, Matty Ice is going to be in a shoot out against the Saints and D-Brees. it also bodes well for Tim that 2 of his 3 WR's are Roddy and Colston (in that shoot out game) Timmy Chang picks up another win this week and pushes Chub's sorry team (yes it's worse than mine) further down in the standings.. if that's at all possible
 
Rainbow Warriors vs Spider Pig
Jeff's team is hurtin, mainly because Rodgers is on 'bye' this week and he scores half of his team's weekly output (maybe i'm exaggerating a tad, but it sure seems that way) a bright spot is All-Day AP.. my goodness, did this guy really tear his ACL less than a year ago? he's out there cutting and running around like he's 21 again. super scary.. Jeff's WR's are super weak imo and they will come back to haunt him this week with Rodgers out. Luke's team was 2nd highest scoring team last week and would've demolished anyone else last week, i guess he got unlucky by playing me but i don't care. :D a big part of his scoring each week has been that ridiculous Bears D.. you can almost bank on a defensive TD each week. Manning has been great and I guess he got rid of Brady for a major upgrade in the Skittles monster. his WR's are hit and miss each week which is risky but he's still atop the standings so it doesn't matter for now. i'll give Luke the win this week, mainly because i really enjoyed his last post w/ the .gifs i LOL'd
 
The Debbinator vs RelientK
i have a feeling this is gonna be the closest match up in the week or the biggest blow out. both teams have favorable match ups. the 2 that stand out to me are obviously D-Brees for David's team as they play Matty Ice and the Falcons and Ray Rice for Laura. Rice is facing the Raiders D (NEED I REMIND YOU THAT JUST GOT GASHED FOR 250 RUSHING YDS BY MY MUSCLE HAMSTER) so what makes you think they can stop Rice? the deciding factor may be Marshall this week. it doesn't matter if it's 1 person covering him, or if he has an army of oompa loompas covering him, Cutler will throw it to him. and he's been KILLING it as a WR. I have him in my other league and you get PPR points there, man, i love it. I give the slight edge to Laura this week as she continues her winning ways and gets a 5 game win streak going and gets back to .500 after starting out the season 0-5. (this gives me hope also!!)
 
THE Pain Train vs choubacca 
RGIII on 'bye' and Aaron is forced to play Palmer, not a terrible pick up/fill in this week but def not one to have high hopes on. he picked up Amendola back up off IR and inserts him but i think they'll limit his snap count and Cruz and the Giants offense has been non existent it seems like the past 2 weeks.. Foster is still a stud in that zone blocking scheme but they face a stingy Bears D which has just been playing at an absurd level. limit your expectations for him this week Aaron. Turner prob won't carry the rock more than 10-12 times w/ the shoot out on hand Sunday night. Gabs is in trouble as run DMC has an ankle sprain so he's forced to employ both Bills RB's once more, which will hurt him. but he has Julio Jones and Stafford is starting to play better lately (i just hope he throws more TD's to Megatron) i would be a happy camper. sorry Aaron, Gabs stamps another W in his record this week.

Power Rankings: Week 9

I was going to do an election day special, but my creativity juices are not flowing today.  But in case this website is the only one you ever visit in the whole internet, today is voting day, so go vote after you read this entry, if you haven't already.

1. Spider Pig (7-2) [1]

With the addition of Marshawn Lynch - barring any major injuries or problems with his players (who, by the way, are injury-prone: Peyton Manning, Jamaal Charles, and problem-prone: Marshawn Lynch, duh) - Luke is the favorite to win the rest of the season and in to the playoffs.  Sure, he took a loss this week, but that's because Eric's team emerged from the swamps of Hiroshima and Godzilla-ed everything in sight.

2. choubacca (6-3) [2]

It's two weeks now that Aaron's team has failed to impress.  This week, he had less of an excuse.  We'll see how his team trends from here on out.  He's got what it takes on paper to win games, but he's proven these past two weeks that you have to walk the walk as well.  He luckily pulls off a win thanks to my mishaps, but I'm not sure how much longer he'll be able to maintain the #2 spot in the rankings with performances like this week's.  What once used to be a scary team is now becoming less so.

3. The Debbinator (7-2) [3]

Not a spectacular win, but a respectable one.  With Nicks on board now, David's got lots of potential for growth.

4. RelientK (4-5) [5]

All I can say is that her team is heating up right now, and at a good time, too.  We'll see how long her team can sustain this win streak - she's got a tough schedule to finish out the season.

5. Rainbow Warriors (4-5) [6]

Lives and dies by Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson.  I guess he still technically died this week, in spite stellar performances from both players.  Which means.. he's only really this high in the rankings by default.  His team is beatable, but the teams below him are much more so.

6. THE Pain Train (5-4) [4]

Just last week his team put up the most points in the league.  Now they turn around and drop a stink bomb.  His WRs are definitely scary good, but his RBs are continuing to look questionable.  With McFadden hurt now and Matthew Stafford seriously underperforming, the future is dim for Terry Tate and gang.

7. Terrific Tortoises (5-4) [7]

Yes, David's team has definitely been heating up.  While it could be argued that his team deserves to be ahead of Gabs's, here's why he hasn't moved up further in the rankings: Eli Manning scored 3 points this week, continuing his string of streaky performances, Percy Harvin is hurt, and San Diego won't always put up 20+ points.  I could add that I'm still not sold on Chris Johnson being able to carry his team, but I'm starting to buy in to CJ2K.  With that being said, David's team used to be, in my mind, an ideal opponent for an easy win.  Not so anymore.


8. errrdayimRussell'in (2-7) [9]

Eric will take what he can get.  While the chances of Doug Martin scoring 50 points in another game are about as good as my team winning the NFL Super Bowl (odoyle or Panthers, take your pick), Eric's got a lot to look forward to.  Eric has two very solid RB options now, and if Megatron and VJax can play up to their potential, and if Eric can find a reliable every-week QB, there's still a chance he can make his way in to the playoffs this season.  He doesn't get a huge bump up yet, because there's a lot of "ifs" to be determined, but I'm optimistic about the possibilities.


9. odoyle RULES (3-6) [8]

I needed that win badly to stay relevant in the playoff picture.  That's all I was hoping for - a spot in the dance.  Thank goodness college basketball season is starting.  It's been a rough football season for the odoyles.

10. Kardashian Esk. Bros (2-7) [10]

I was too lazy to change her photo, sorry.  Anyways, we'll see how her massive team makeover will play out.  My gut reaction is that it won't be so great for Justina from a fantasy standpoint.  But at least she got a meal out of it.  Ok, so let's think about it for a minute - what was the buy-in price to play in this league?  And what do you get if you win the league?  Hm.. so essentially Justina gave away her imaginary players for a real meal at Cookout?  (And maybe some pride, but what's really more important, food or pride?)  So, who is the true winner in this situation?  Mind blown, case closed.  Law school has done her good.  Oh, and feel free to order an extra milkshake on Luke's tab for me, Justina - my favorite flavor is Watermelon in July or August, otherwise Triple Berry Cobbler (combine Triple Berry with Blueberry Cobbler - mind double blown) - I will enjoy it vicariously through you, fellow bottom-dweller.

Week 10 Update

Two part post.

Part 1: Each team's season to date summarized in a few words

Spider Pig I don't care what happens this season as long as Aaron doesn't win The Debbinator So this is how good my team could be without any Eagles players choubacca Every single one of my players is a top 2 RB, even my kicker. Trade me? THE Pain Train Whee I'm not last place anymore! Terrific Tortoises I'm happy as long as I make the playoffs Rainbow Warriors Jeff. Do not self-sabotage yourself. This won't be like dating all over again RelientK Eric dare hates on MY team? Late season surge… backs again the wall. #NYgiants odoyle RULES I guess things could be worse. I could be losing and be a Browns fan errrdayimRussell'in Weird, my team gets better when I don't play any NCSU players Kardashian Esk. Bros I should've drafted Clinton Portis Part 2: Week 10 Awards! Storm's Coming Award - RelientK  Fantasy Facepalm Award - (tie) odoyle RULES, Kardashian Esk. Bros My Team is Fabulous Award - Rainbow Warriors Is there any way I could resist posting this and not attribute it to Jeff somehow? Surprise Playoff Contender Award - THE PAIN TRAIN Finally Not Last Place Award - errrdayimRussell'in Until next time...  -Pig.

Meet the MUSCLE HAMSTER!

Week 9! (the only thing i can look forward to is potentially beating Tim in predicting wins and losses. cause i'm sunk in the league this year)

errrdayimRussell'in vs Spider Pig
i finally go against my gut and heart and sit both of my fellow Wolfpack alums this week. i can just hope that Freeman continues his hot streak. My trio of Buccaneers blows up again this week.. only diff is i actually played them. i've said this the past 6 weeks but this is where i start my attempt at a comeback to make the playoffs and win it all! lezzzzggoooo!!!

odoyle RULES vs choubacca
poor Tim. he picked up Dexter McCluster and is starting him his week.. that's how much his team is hurting.. yet he's still beating me in the standings.. sorry buddy, another loss this week

Green Nicks and Cam vs Terrific Tortoises
chub's team is pretty terrible also. i don't know what kinda trades she's got going on with luke. when i briefly looked through it, i saw there was food involved.. so we all know luke was smart and going for justina's weakness.. FOOD. therefore, i think she's losing out on this trade of giving away the BEAST. w/o Skittles, her team is sunk

Rainbow Warriors vs RelientK
i've made fun of Laura's team earlier in the season and how bad it is.. she's proven me wrong the past couple of weeks by winning some major match ups.. sure they weren't by many points but a win is a win.. she is now 3-5 and hoping to get closer to .500 it happens this week as her match ups are very favorable as long as Bradshaw plays (iffy w/ foot). but she's on a roll so i'll give her the benefit of the doubt

The Debbinator vs THE Pain Train 
i have McGahee and McFadden in another league i'm in. Run DMC has been underachieving and McGahee has been a monster. I guess having Peyton as your signal caller makes all the difference. I'll chalk up david's win this week to McGahee having another major week while McFadden stinks it up again.
 

Predictions: Week 9

Anyone else think I should go pro with this stuff?  I had as many wins in my predictions this week than my team PLUS the Panthers have had the whole season.  Chew on that.

	Tim	Luke	Eric
Last week's record	(4-1)	(3-2)	(3-2)
Overall record	(26-14)	(8-7)	(22-18)
Percentage	0.65	0.53	0.55

odoyle RULES v. choubacca
I believe I don't need to elaborate on this game very much.  Aaron clearly has a better team, and on top of that, my RBs are pretty much pushing daisies this week.
Winner: choubacca

Green Nicks and Cam v. Terrific Tortoises
Let's just say I don't think Justina's team will be better off this week if her trades go through.  And I'm not entirely convinced her team is better off in general, but that's another discussion.  At least she got a Cookout milkshake out of it.  Mmm.. milkshake.  Anyways, trade or no trade, the outcome of this game would still be the same, in my opinion.  David makes an interesting move in benching Chris Johnson, who is on the rise, even if it's against a tough Chicago defense.  It probably won't cost him this game, but I think he'll score fewer points because of it.
Winner: Terrific Tortoises

errrdayimRussell'in v. Spider Pig
Eric finally has enough sense to not start a Wolfpack-alum QB, but he's up against a tough Spider Pig team, who will be even tougher if Luke gets Marshawn Lynch before Sunday.  I'm interested to see how LeSean McCoy does against the Saints (I think it'll be a good game for him), but I'm not sure it'll be enough to pull off the upset.  At the very least, I think Eric's starters will score more points than his bench this week.  Unfortunately, there's more to winning games than that.
Winner: Spider Pig

Rainbow Warriors v. RelientK
Laura's team is on a roll, and don't expect Aaron Rodgers to do much better against Arizona this week.  Alfred Morris v. the Panthers could be a game-changer for Jeff, though.  It'll be close, but I know Laura will be happy having Ray Rice back in the mix.
Winner: RelientK

THE Pain Train v. The Debbinator
David is taking a risk with Hakeem Nicks, and I don't think it'll pay off this week.  But it'll be irrelevant, since he still has very favorable matchups at pretty much all other positions.  Gabs, on the other hand, does not.
Winner: The Debbinator

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.