Upper Class Trash

I know it sounds dumb, but I'm wondering if he may be worth a shot. Not for a crappy team so much as a decent team who can afford this risk. Forsett is going to be facing an 8/9 men in the box type situation as Baltimore seriously has nobody healthy to throw the ball to. Givens does one thing as good as anyone, and that is run straight downfield and catch the ball. Flacco has a cannon arm. Givens can outrun Haden, quite easily in fact, if Haden is even covering him. While I don't expect Givens to play a lot of snaps, someone has to catch the ball this week for Baltimore. What do you do when people stack the box? You throw downfield. On my teams with a solid chance of winning anyway, I'm going to throw him in as my Flex, provided he plays. I may even do so on my iffy teams. Nobody in Cleveland can keep up with Givens speed. He had to slow down to catch the balls from Bradford. He won't have to do that with Flacco. Just something to think about.

Guys I am, and am not, going after: Forsett - I think you will see more receptions out of him this season. The line is about the same and their new Coordinator made Forte, and every rb prior to him, a top 5 fantasy RB. I think he's a steal for where he's going. Big Ben - You are seeing this team change.... They still don't have solid play in the Secondary and can be torched for points. He will throw more often than usual and I see him as a top ten fantasy QB in 2015, that's enough for me to wait on a QB (If I can't get to Luck early). Allen Robinson - I loved him coming out of college and can see him being a 1,000 yard WR this season. Obviously that's not great, but I view him as a much better option than what other people are drafting around his ADP. His ceiling is very high and his floor pretty low with Lee unable to stay on the field. Amari Cooper - I'm not high on rookies too often, but he's Pro-Ready. He could step in as a legit WR2 this season. For the record, I also drafted Beckham Jr. last season. Joseph Randle - He has talent. He had talent in college. It's his screwball attitude that slows him down. He's no burner, but he can run between the tackles very well and if they give him the ball, I see him being just as good as Murray, minus a few hundred yards. lol Still a nice choice though. Forte - I'm not taking him at his current ADP. That line sucks. The team fell apart last season and Forte isn't getting any younger. I still think he's in for a nice season, I just won't take him early. J. Bell (Detroit) - I'm a bigger fan of Abdullah than I am of Bell. Bell has zero big game potential. He's also hampered by injuries pretty frequently. I don't want to deal with an injury plagued RB in a time share. Adrian Peterson - If I can't have Bell at number one, I want Charles/Peterson at my number two. Likely Peterson. They have a defense that is highly underrated and in the second year of Norv's offense, when the players tend to take off more.... C.J. Spiller - I'm targeting this guy pretty often. I think his receptions could bring him to the RB2 category in PPR Leagues. Coach knows how to use players like him and I'm betting he's used more as a receiver out of the backfield than a RB. Nick Foles - Did I need to add him? I'm a Rams homer and our line is BAD. 3 rookies, one second year guy, and one guy who misses an average of 3/4 games per season. Welcome to St. Louis Foles. We'll see you carried out on a stretcher soon. Russel Wilson - I think he's actually underrated this season. Losing Unger is going to hurt the run game some. He was a top 3 Center. Adding Graham, who may only see 60 receptions, to go with more rushing yards for Wilson, should equal a pretty nice fantasy season. I'm a Jarvis Landry fan in PPR leagues as well. He does nothing but catch his 5 passes for 50/60 yards per game. Although not great, he's consistent. You need ten points, he'll get you ten to twelve. You need twenty points, he'll get you ten to twelve. Gronk - I'm officially targeting him in all my leagues. If Brady is suspended the first 4 games, he will be the main focus. Once Brady is back, he'll definitely be the main focus. Ryan Tannehill - I think he's pretty underrated right now. He could be another guy that surprises and finishes in the top ten. Granted, his success has come mostly against below average defenses, but I'll take a flier on him before most. Kevin White - I'm not touching him in redraft. I don't see him being a starter as a rookie, nor do I see him having the success as a rookie that some guys drafted below him may have. Gurley - The Rams drafted him for next year and beyond. They'll go slow with him and see how his knee fares. In redraft, I'll let someone else take him unless he falls wayyyyyyyy down the board. Our line combined with his knee issue = serious letdown. TJ Yeldon - I like Yeldon. He's going to have some great games in 2015, barring injury. His division sucks against the run, outside of Texas. Arian Foster - Depending on where he falls, I may take a shot on him now. Each time this guy comes back from an injury, he lights it up. The only problem is if the Texans are already out of it when he returns, they may not want to push him. Depending on where he's taken, it's a high risk, high reward, type of pick. I'd be more comfortable taking him than Todd Gurley in a redraft. Sneaky guys - Leonard Hankerson in Atlanta and the rookie in Baltimore at WR. Can't spell his name off the top of my head. Perriman? By mid-season, I expect him to be a part of that offense. Gore in Indy. Sure, he's old, but look what mediocre (at best) RB's have done playing with Luck...... A 50+ reception season with 1,200 yards rushing would put him in a damn good spot for where his current ADP is. Andre Johnson is another guy I really like. He could finally hit the TD marks he couldn't hit while playing with crappy QB's in Houston. He's being undervalued, in a big way in my mind, in 2015.

I agree. I'd prefer to be at the latter part of the first round this year. You are guaranteed two of the top WR's, a top QB or a quality RB there. Unlike past years, where I've preferred the middle rounds, I would like the 1.10 through 1.12 this season. In leagues where you can trade back, I'd be happy trading out of the first round altogether if I could get a decent offer. It's amazing what some people will give up for another first round pick.

I am much higher on Yeldon than most. I watched his games at Alabama and have watched the older youtube games from when he was in High School. The problem isn't going to be Yeldon. His production will be heavily dependent on the growth of Bortles. If you believe Bortles can improve, and that the line has improved, he can be a RB2 this season. If you think their line is pretty much the same and that Bortles is nowhere near an NFL caliber starting QB, then Yeldon becomes a RB 4. He does face several unimposing run defenses this season and the offense is going to be built around him. He is quicker to the hole than his Alabama predecessors and he can catch the ball. I think his floor is pretty low for 2015, but his ceiling is pretty doggone high. There were scouts who had him ranked ahead of Melvin Gordon. Plural. More than one Scout listed him as the best RB in college outside of Gurley. He reminds most of Eddie Lacy, but doesn't have the weapons necessary around him just yet. So, for beyond this season, I'm pretty high on the kid. For 2015, I'll take him if he falls, but expect nothing more than average to decent RB2 numbers at best. With al that cap money they had, they could have improved the line more. Maybe they will still sign someone.....

I'm not a fan of Hyde this season and here's why - They've lost TWO top starters on their offensive line. The 49'ers went from a top run blocking line to mediocre in a matter of a month. Hyde isn't "quick", so he's not going to be on the field for 3rd down as often as you would like. They signed Bush for that role and you also have Hunter who has looked good every opportunity he's had. I do believe the 49'ers will try to stay in games by running the ball, but you just don't lose 40% of your offensive line and remain the same type of team, especially when the 40% you lost was your top two players. As much as I like Hyde, I traded him in my only two dynasty leagues for these reasons and got great value for him. At best, he's Frank Gore. His floor is seriously low though and I'll let someone else take the risk on him in 2015. McCoy - I think you're overlooking something with him. The bulk of the carries will go to McCoy. Even if the guy only averages 4.0 ypc, he's going to get over 300 carries and quite a few receptions in that offense. I do worry about him facing the stout fronts he will see this season, but also think he's more talented and a better fit for a team like the Bills than he was for the Eagles. I have him in the in the middle of the top 14 RB's currently. In a PPR League, I wouldn't have Alfred Morris in my top 12. He's always good for yards though, as you stated. The problem with him is we've already seen his ceiling. If I'm stuck with Alf as my top RB, I'm likely in trouble already. lol I'd pass on him and look for someone later with a higher upside. In PPR, why take Alf at his current ADP when you can take someone like CJ Spiller much later and with his reception totals, will likely get the same production for the year?

I don't see Ball as a threat to CJ. He dances in the backfield too much and defnitely isn't a one cut runner, which is what Kubiak prefers. I see CJ getting 80% of the carries on this squad and being a complete workhorse back. I was high on Ball last year, but he moves his feet so much without going anywhere..... Clady isn't a huge loss in my opinion. I know he's a stud in Madden, but did you all watch him play when he returned last season? He looked flat out bad. No better than an average LT at that point and he wasn't a factor in the run game. The only prediction I'll make on CJ for the year, at this time, is he will handle the carries. It's his team now. Peyton may be killed behind that line, but Kubiak has always done well implementing his scheme and his RB's have always been a one workhorse backfield. He isn't going to change his mentality in Denver. Manning has came out and publicly supported CJ as the starter and rotoworld had something on CJ just last week stating he was the only starter, going as far as saying Ball may not even with the backup role. He's just not in favor in Denver.

Your advice is spot on. I've been playing in these since they started them. One thing to keep in mind though is that some people have 300+ teams right now. You can see the top team owners on the MFL homepage. By the time the season begins, you will have a small handful of owners who have 500+ teams. These guys have their strategy down pat. If you want some advice from me, look at how they draft. They win a LOT (some over 50% of their leagues) and they use the same strategy draft after draft. Many of them I'm friends with. The top player in the MFL's is Aaron. His strategy is the same today as it was 2 years ago. In the first 8 picks, he typically takes 4 RB's and 4 WR's. This is the way I draft as well. You can get two legit starting QB's in the 9th - 12th rounds and since they take only the highest score of the 2, you aren't wasting a 1st or 2nd rounder on just one guy. You have to watch the TE's. You don't want to get stuck with crap at the position, but if you pay attention, you can get a pair of them in the middle rounds that will work. ALWAYS check out the ADP of the actual drafts (NOT the mocks) before drafting. You'll get a good idea of where guys are going. Overdrafting will kill you in these leagues. I also highly suggest using something like the draft buddy. You can alter the rankings based on your own, but you don't want to get caught in the 16th round and not know who you want. More info - Stick with two defenses. Taking three is a bit much unless one of them is a last round flier. Keep in mind, your defenses can make up for not having a top notch QB. I've traditionally not taken the top ranked defense, but I always get two in my top ten. I don't draft my kickers until the final two rounds. Make sure you don't draft guys with the same bye week. lol Sounds simple, but I see it every year. My biggest piece of advice - Draft HEALTHY players only. If you take a chance on an injury prone player, you are setting yourself up for failure. I see owners who will jump all over an injury prone player because he dropped a round or two and they think they are getting a tremendous value. Buyer beware. The player fell in the draft for a reason. Lastly - Don't follow trends. If you played these last season, you know D. Freeman (Atlanta) was all the way up to the 9th round in his ADP during August. Avoid the hype train. Let someone else take the gamble. There are guys out there this year being hyped like crazy and I have no intentions of drafting them. Also - Just an aside - If you like these drafts, wait until the preseason. The guy with over 300+ teams right now may lose a key starter and be screwed in all of them. There are injuries every year and the depth chart changes in the preseason too much to not wait. Identify guys you want to keep an eye on and then adjust your rankings accordingly. It only takes one big player loss in these leagues to really screw you, especially if it is your QB. One more - In the past, I've found the $50 leagues easier to win than the $10 leagues. You have more newbies trying to win the $50 leagues and most have never read the league scoring rules, so they make major mistakes. READ THE RULES before drafting. Seriously, they can make or break your season. My personal way, which has worked for me is this - I try to get my starting RB's early, but will not overdraft them. This season, there are so many rbbc's going on that I think you can find GREAT value after drafting some elite WR's. Again though, DO NOT by the hype of unproven players. Save those risks for the last 5 or 6 rounds of your draft.

This made me laugh. I had to go back and re-read to make sure I wasn't missing something. lol Nope, just the lovable weepaws. Considering the relative weakness at RB this season, and the fact the Bengals are going to pound the ball to keep it out of Dalton's hands, he's a safe bet to put up at least RB2 numbers. If you are weepaws, you trade Hill for Calvin, Bell and Charles, straight up (all three). He's good like that.

I've been keeping up with some of the early dynasty drafts (existing teams) and the early redrafts. I'm interested to see how you rank the rookies from a dynasty perspective, then for a redraft. I had figured most owners would have Cooper, White, Gurley and Gordon as their first four picks in nearly every Dynasty. That isn't what I'm seeing though. I have seen Yeldon go off the board before Gurley and White in about half the drafts and have seen him go ahead of both Gordon and Gurley in a few. Abdullah has also come off before Gurley in a number of them. Coleman has been coming off the board earlier than I would have anticipated as well. He only has to beat out a highly overrated Freeman and a 30 year old coming off another injury plagued season.... Still, I'm not certain how his future looks. He has the speed, but he also goes down pretty quickly when hit. I can think of a number of WR's I'd take over him. In redraft, for some crazy reason, I'm watching Gurley go along with RB2's. I don't see that this season for reasons I listed in another post. Maybe he puts up solid numbers over the final half of the season, but at his current draft position in live drafts (not the BS mock drafts), he is positively going to be a failure. You can't score if you aren't playing..... Parker has gone before White in numerous dynasty drafts too, but I'm solidly against that line of thinking. Parker never faced press coverage in the spread offense and I think he will struggle with that for a while. Besides, doesn't Miami have a version of Parker already??? I think so..... How many possession receivers does one team need? I guess when your QB can't throw deep, several?

I guess I'm the loser of the group. I'll be in the driveway with firecrackers, beer in a can and will probably be wearing cut off jean shorts and an old Motley Crue t-shirt. Go have fun on your fancy trips. I really can't go anywhere that weekend anyway. I have to shampoo & condition my mullet. It's a long process.

In watching DGB at Mizzou, I'll tell you this; The guy can fight for the football like nobody I've ever seen. He will flat out rip it out of a defenders hands and turn an interception into a big play for the offense. Not many guys can do that. His only real issue is route running. Maybe he has improved since he was let go from Mizzou, but while there, they didn't have a route tree for him. They had a route branch. lol It was "DGB, get open going over the middle" or run a straight line down the field. Most of his best catches were balls thrown high as he slanted over the middle. If someone teaches that boy to run a route, he'll be a star. As for Yeldon - There are scouts who had him ranked ahead of Gordon. If you read the scouting reports prior to the combine, he was a favorite of many, which is why Jacksonville had to select him so early in Round Two. I would take Gordon over him, but I have seen Yeldon go much higher than I would have thought. After the top 4, I have several more guys I'd rank over him in PPR Leagues, but some people are infatuated with the guy. I'm trying to trade up for the 1.01 right now in a PPR Dynasty League. I want either Cooper or White, but I'm honestly not sure which right now. I'm leaning towards Cooper, but to be honest, it's just because his first name sounds like a high-end sports car.

You said it here perfectly. Those of us in St. Louis believe they will be extra careful with Gurley this season. He will be the face of the franchise when they move back to Los Angeles. They'll need someone to sell tickets and jerseys. I would be shocked if he didn't begin the season on the PUP list. No way in the most remote of all Hells does he get the 250 touches someone above mentioned. They positively need him for 2016. No one else on offense is selling jerseys!!!

As a St. Louis Rams Homer, I can tell you this is very true. Havenstein is a mauler in the run game. The issue that hasn't been stated yet is this: Nobody on the line can pass block. Robinson is a flat out joke in the passing game, Saffold (when healthy) is below average in pass protection and if Barksdale comes back, he's about the same in pass protection as Saffold. Why does this matter? Well, when you face the defenses the Rams do, and will in 2015, you are going to have to pass at some point. When teams know full well you can't pass, they stack the box. The Rams are going to face a TON of 2nd and Long, or 3rd and Long situations this season. Gurely is not getting the ball in those situations. And.... When you are down by 10 points, how much running will we do? Sure, we have a great defense, but people were able to score on us. When your offense only has the running game to lean on, it's MUCH harder to score. For the guy who said Barret Jones is a "swiss army knife"..... You obviously do not watch Rams football. He has been in the doghouse since being drafted and is considered a reach to even make the squad in 2015. Jones didn't play a snap his rookie season and last year he was on IR from training camp on. You call him a "swiss army knife" simply because he played backup at each postion along the line in College? We drafted him to be our Center of the future, but he literally cannot keep the practice squad guys off the QB in practice, therefore, he's had to sit on the bench. The guy had back surgery last Fall as well. In no way, shape or form is he starting at any position for the Rams. He will be lucky to make the practice squad. I fully understand Fisher's strategy... The Power Run game. The problem with that is he doesn't have good enough run blockers to pull it off. Havenstein is a lot like Robinson. He was an excellent run blocker in college. That doesn't always translate to the Pro level. There is a reason he fell to the 2nd and that's because he can only do one thing well. What do you do in pass rush situations?

Since he can only be signed for a certain amount as an UDFA, I'd bet the smart teams are telling him "if" he plays well, they will extend him after two seasons and pay him "x" amount. You know the teams are doing whatever they can to get him signed. I'm looking at him in several spots for fantasy purposes. The Bills need help at both Guard and Tackle. He only wants to play Tackle.... The Rams need help at Tackle in a big way. Either spot makes McCoy or Gurley/Mason a better fantasy back. Same can be said for the Raiders or Arizona, or the Giants and Browns. Damn near every team, even the ones that used a 1st rounder on a Tackle, could use him. Wherever he lands, the running back gets a slight bump on my list. He doesn't have to be an All Pro out of the gate, he only needs to be better than what the team had last season. In the case of Buffalo, the Raiders or Rams, that isn't going to be hard to accomplish. Hell, just showing up and standing still puts him on par with the Right Tackles on those squads last year.

Explain who should have been taken ahead of him and why. I'm curious why you feel this way. I had him as my 3rd ranked RB, ahead of Coleman, Abdullah and Johnson. He would not have been there for Jacksonville in the 3rd, and of all the remaining RB's, he fits their offense and division better than the rest. Abdullah and Coleman both have issues breaking tackles, which is going to be necessary in his division and behind his line. Johnson may not be an every down back and Jacksonville didn't need another part time guy, they have a great part timer now in Robinson. I'm honestly curious what you don't like about him and why he's not a good fit for Jacksonville in your mind. I'm guessing your leaguemates read this site and this is a ploy to get them to pass on him. I personally love this fit as paired with Robinson, they have the thunder & lightning type of backfield. Coleman was a perfect fit in Atlanta and Abdullah works great in Detroit. For once, I think the RB's drafted went to pretty solid situations where they can contribute early. I'm not a fan of Duke in Cleveland, but that's not because of him, it's because it's Cleveland and they don't have a clue what the heck they are doing. I'll throw this out there - If I have the 1.01, and need a RB, I'm NOT taking Gurley in a dynasty. Not only is he coming back from an injury, but the Rams are notorious for not taking care of their players while injured. Bradford complained, Long has complained and even Saffold has suggested they try to hard to rush their players back into action. I expect Gurley to begin the season on the PUP list, and pray he does as a St. Louis homer, but I'm still not a fan of where he landed. Fisher will run him into the ground as soon as he's able. I think you can get Yeldon 5 or 6 picks later, pick up more picks or a player in a trade down, and still wind up with similar production.

I think the only "secret" I have is common knowledge. Everything else is highly debatable. In my years of playing, I've learned you don't win with "depth" or with a roster full of "above average" players. That was a mistake I made when I first began playing. You win with studs. Sure, they can have a down week at any time, but your true studs are not going to have down weeks that are as bad as a normal player. Last year, I won leagues with studs. My teams seriously lacked depth at every position, but I had Beckham Jr. down the stretch (like many other league winners) and made some trades at the deadline. In the trades, I'm happy to give up a couple "good" players for a "great" one. Some people are content with making the playoffs. I'm not. I want to win. You win with studs.

I guess I'm in total disagreement with most everyone. I watched him play in college. No other top WR had such lackluster QB play. Most of his charged "drops" were from him having to change direction while running full speed to adjust for a horribly thrown ball. Look at his game tape. He wasn't just a deep threat. This guy is fluid in his hips, makes great adjustments on the fly and has speed to burn. He will fight for the ball and can usually outrun double coverage without an issue. Now, he did have some drops. There is no denying that or getting around it. The vast majority though were not his fault. He was charged with a "drop" simply because the ball was in his vicinity. He was also charged with at least one drop when he was triple coveraged on a hail mary type play. How is that his fault? lol This is just my opinion, but I have him as the 3rd best WR in this draft class, with every single bit of potential that White has. Torrey Smith was a one trick pony, which is why he wasn't a first round pick. He never wanted to get hit and if he didn't outrun the coverage, he wasn't getting the ball. This kid is a Wide Receiver first and blazing fast second. He fared well against press coverage, runs good routes (not just the go route) and his separation skills are second to none. Smith struggled to get off the line sometimes, and I highly suspect some other WR's drafted in this class will have the same issue (Parker for one). So.... My opinion is this; He is an improved version of T. Smith. Let's call him TS 2.0. He's an upgrade. He's bigger, faster, can run more routes and doesn't struggle getting off the line. That's not just an improved version, it's a vastly improved version. The only real question I have with him is how Baltimore will use him. They did try early in the season last year to get TS involved, but he can only do one thing well. That isn't the case here. For the record, I'm not a college football fan, but scout players for my rookie drafts. I wanted the Rams to draft him and would have taken him over any other WR's than Cooper or White. I think he's in their class. He didn't once make excuses for those "drops", even though every scouting report I've read on the kid blames the QB for over half of them. I highly respect Cossell's rankings and he has Perriman on a level playing field with Cooper & White. That's saying a lot. He's going to be a target of mine in every dynasty league I'm in.

Exactly. How can you state he needs prayer, then say you would take revenge and "heed your faith" thereafter?! Thanks for the Bible lesson WeePaws. I have a difficult time believing your God accepts your answer. Take revenge, then it's all good because you and your God are cool? Yeah, that makes tons of sense.

I just read on Rotoworld that some Scouts believe he will no longer be drafted. If they had the evidence he did it, he would have been arrested by now. I can't imagine this kid paid someone else to do it as it seems obvious the finger would be pointed directly at him. As a GM, what do you do? This kid may be 100% innocent. This could simply be bad timing. We don't know what the mother was into, in terms of drugs, alcohol, who she hangs out with..... Then again, he could have paid someone. As a GM, do you risk drafting someone who could be involved in something like this? If so, what round? As a Rams homer, and the team with the worst offensive line in the NFL, I'd gladly take this guy in the 3rd round. Hell, over 80% of our first and second rounders have been total busts in the last 12 years, so why not take a guy who at least has some talent.

I'll let you pray for him then. I'm praying he gets the death penalty. Had it been your kid he ran down with his car, I highly doubt you would feel much like praying for him. If we would take thugs like this, and behead them in public, I have to think some attitudes would change. It isn't like he made one bad choice. He's made a series of them. In fact, he's made making bad choices his hobby. You can't fix stupid. You can, however, put an end to it.

One of the teams would have to move to the NFC. That said, I hope this stadium does get built and both agree to move there. Being a St. Louisian, this is the only real hope we have of keeping an NFL franchise. Our city is going to run into major problems getting a new stadium approved prior to the new ones in LA being put up. In reality, the Chargers and Raiders are two of the more downtrodden (financially) teams in the NFL. The idea to share a stadium us perfect for both.

This was to go along with him running down a group of teenagers playing basketball. He decided hitting them with his car was easier. http://www.complex.com/sports/2013/03/the-athletes-with-the-longest-rap-sheets-in-sports-history/lawrence-phillips While he was in St. Louis, he was known to be an antagonist, always trying to start a fight with someone. Us letting Jerome Bettis go because Phillips was "the man" may have been a mistake. lol Of all the players Vermeil coached, this is the only one I can recall him saying anything bad about. Coach gave him chance after chance, but Phillips wouldn't make the meetings on time and was even late to games. He simply didn't care. Weepaws - The time to pray was BEFORE he murdered his cellmate. He's a thug.

I drafted him at the 1.09 in my main dynasty league last season (rookie draft). I had previously traded up for the 1.04, thinking someone would draft him ahead of me if I didn't move up. Nobody did, so I ended up with him and some rookie picks this year when I moved back. That being said, I have a stacked roster and the people that keep saying he won't be as good this year happen to be the same people trying to get him from me. Do I think he's the next Calvin (3 year #1 WR type of guy?), no. Do I think in that offense he can be a 100 reception, 1,400 + yard guy with 10 TD's? Absolutely. I don't know that I would rank him #2, but out of all the WR's, only a handful of them will be in the same offense with the same Coordinator as last season. That plays a major role in their stats. Thomas, Jones, Johnson, Green.... Each of them "could" see a drop in their numbers. I don't think any will be "better" than last season. Julio has a shot if he can stay healthy, but he's risky. Outside of about 5 guys, I don't see how you could possibly rank Beckham lower. Just my thoughts.

The 1.1 this season, in my opinion, is less valuable than in previous seasons. You have Cooper, White, Gurley and Gordon as the locks to be the top 4 picks. Outside of those 4, you also have another 4 to 5 guys who could be commodoties right away.