lesjroza

Kaep. Love his talent level but he is in the spotlight and to aquire him at this point is likely to cost a pretty penny. Of course, if you are right and he is a perrenial top 3 QB whatever price you pay was probably a good deal. I don't agree at this point and buying on a guy like him at this point in his career is not my style. To give you an indication of MY style I was trying, and successful, in aquiring his SB counterpart Joe Flacco in the majority of my leagues right before the trade deadline. He was a 27 yr old, awfully cheap QB2 that I felt has a risk/reward chance putting up QB1 stats and becoming accepted as a QB1 in the next few years with a whole bunch of career still ahead. That type of trade is not trying to aquire your QB1 for the moment but to me that is a better example trying to buy low on a risk/reward. A play like that if it pans out can net you something of value in the future without risking alot. Tannehill. Good call as a spec if the price is right. Pierce. I tried to buy him a couple of times but the owners seem to want too much relative to what you can really expect of his production for the next 3 years. He will be taking up a roster slot that could be used on another upside RB so you really can't pay too much. Of course you could hit Gold with an injury. Wilson. Love him but traded him away a couple of weeks ago in one league. Being valued right now as a mid to late 3rd round startup pick so you will have to pay to get him but probably moves to a late 1 early 2nd round value when he gets feature role. When will it happen is the question? Ballard. I think the idea that he is a value pick for next year is already out there, in the early 2013 CBS redraft mock he went in the 5th round which is late RB2 territory. Bottom line, he is not coming cheap from his owners unless something clearly changes in the offseason and you can't really invest alot because his talent level is not high enough that you can have the confidence at this point that he will have a 4 or 5 yr run. I own him in a few leagues cheaply and I think of him as being in no man's land to some extent, a depth starter for me that has enough value I wouldn't trade away without an equally useful piece. L. James. Same idea as Pierce above but right now you can't count on any production at all while you are holding and you have no idea how far away you are from him having a role. Price would have to be right and you have to have a luxury slot for him but the guy can skate. Tate- I am in Seahawks territory so I know a bit more about his off-field behavior and for my taste I would stay away. Intrigued? Do some Googling. Kerley - No opinion Edelman - picked him up and dedicated a roster slot as an offseason spec in several leagues while the WW was open. J. Bell - I like him as a player but it would be hard to give up much value in FF at this point

Ralphster- "Overall when evaluating players in this system I just prefer to concentrate on what I feel is the more known quality; spend your shells mostly on what is working now and save a few for whatever might pop up." That definitely worked for you in year #1, no question about that! I also think your core is young enough that your will not be falling off a cliff, but what I will be curious to watch is how you navigate replacing the production of S. Jackson, F. Jackson, D. Sproles, R. Wayne, and S. Smith and if you are able to remain competitive while doing so. Will you be able to continuously do that through draft pick trades for aging but productive players? Will you be able to trade those players before they decline for younger equal producers at some point? Will you be able to use the waiver wire to replace that production? I think there are lots of different ways to win and no right answer, but the key is to stick within one's area of competency. I will say that if we are allowed to do such a thing and you are willing I would risk trading my 2015 1st against your 2015 1st! Like you Ralphster, I also have no problem commenting on my tactics, strategy, and player values to a large extent though there are some areas I would choose not to go. I know there are others in our league reading our every word and afraid to comment themselves due to fear of forfeiting an information advantage but look at where we ended up finishing! The funny thing about putting something down on paper, or the internet equivalent, is that it forces you to synthesize your thoughts and clarifies your vision giving you a far better chance of acheiving it.

Does anybody remember watching an NFL telecast where they talked about Manning's retirement as though it was a given if the Boncos won the SB? Probably a few weeks ago and may have been a playoff game but possibly not the Broncos game. It was probably the weekend before this Denver Post article for which I doubt idea came out of nowhere. http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_22319209 The 3 year contract could be voided at any time and is not a true 3 yr comittment for either side as is the case with many NFL contracts. If you think there is no chance winning the Super Bowl again even if it is 1 yr from now doesn't factor into a 37 yr olds retirement decision I don't have a problem with that, I asked the question to find out what others factor into their ranking and I definitely assume that many do not. I'm not arguing that he would in fact retire, I don't know. I am just wondering if others consider it a risk factor for owning him in a dynasty league, I do. Anyway, I appreciate that you follow Manning closely, I do as well, and I think the NFL will be losing not just a great player, but a great guy whenever he does hang it up. Manning is one of the players who has always gone overboard taking the time to sign autographs from day one at the ProBowl, I think I have around 10 total. He did it from day 1 and every time I saw him either at an appearance or at the stadium. Day 1 for him was his rookie year, he wasn't there for the game but for a rookie "beach football" game that they used to have every year before that NE RB tore his knee up at the event and was never the same. Manning was late for his appearance at the NFL experience show to autograph and people waiting in line were getting kind of a bad feeling. When he arrived he stayed for like an hour after the line, which kept growing, completely subsided. I was hanging out watching him and eventually went through the line a 2nd time but there were people going through like 5 times. He stayed until eveyone just stopped coming pretty much. Years later I had the chance to be on the field at the walkthrough-practices and Manning went to the sidelines after he was done and signed for everybody within reach before signing for those of us down on the field. He really shows respect and appreciation for fans of the game and I wish all young NFL players would look to him as a role model.

Kilroy, So that's one for the "do not think is true" scenario

For those who have Peyton Manning as a top 10 dynasty QB: I do not think it was widely reported but I definitely remembering hearing on an NFL telecast that it was widely believed in NFL league circles that if the Broncos had won the SB this year Peyton would have retired for good. When you rank him in the top ten is that something you have not considered, do not think is true, or does not matter to your ranking either way. I'm not trying to convince people he shouldn't be there but it seems like there are alot of risks, he could be one and done from here if he reinjures his neck, plays poorly, or plays so well he wins it all. Just sayin'......

"Ranked as I have them for a catch and release 3 year dynasty" Ralphster, I am curious about how values should be adjusted, in your opinion, for the 3 year catch and release dynamic in comparison to a regular dynasty league. I'm not asking about how you would change specific player ranks but what goes into your assesment process generally. No is a perfectly acceptable answer if you rather not divulge for competitive reasons.

You are definitely capable of making the push and I believe your "window" is also right now FWIW.

Click on "Power Rank Matt". Some things are useful there and some are of the debatable nature. I do not believe in efficiency or bench points as usable measures at all in a dynasty format because the ideal roster makeup is a mixture of players who have production right and some with none right now but big potential in the future. Others might have a different opinion.

Voice of Truth team year in review. Regular season record 10-3 (tied with Matt’s Eagles for best record) Won division and seed #1 ($$$ accompany that so yeah!!!!) Lost in championship game to Ralphster, doh! ($$$ accompany 2nd place overall so yeah!!) Congrats Ralpster! I am gunning for you next year and beyond. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown!! V.O.T. finished with the top all-play record (which removes the schedule factor) so I guess it accomplished everything I would want to in the regular season. Additionally, the team appears to be well positioned going forward which was one of the true focuses of my startup draft for this dynasty league. Roster strategy: I actually still don’t want to “give away” too much of MY vision of what a solid squad from year-year looks like but I CHANGED my planned draft tactics around rd 7 because it appeared to me young talent without opportunity was being badly undervalued by the ultra-competitive focus on winning NOW of the overall league including me up until that point. In the 7th round I traded a 2013 1st and 2nd pick and took A. Luck, then in successive picks took D. Wilson, R. Hillman, R. Cobb, and K. Wright. It hurt a lot at the time because everybody else was taking starters and solid bye week/depth guys at that point. I think I can say that whether you appreciate the results or not, anyone with a startup draft should go back and look at eveyones post draft comments. You should also consider whether the route I ended up taking could be a solid tactic for you depending on how trends emerge during the first part of your draft. It’s possible that I was “lucky” with the choice of players and situations just panned out earlier than expected, but I would definitely consider using the same tactic in another startup if the opportunity presented itself. Trades: I made too many this year to comment on individually in this post, probably the most in the league. I don’t think they were a significant contribution to my standing this year however, except the pre draft trades. The trades I made all seemed even to me at the time except draft slot trades where I was definitely getting the short end on slot value. These might be the only trades I really "won" on in retrospect so I am happy I bit the bullet and made those deals to get “my guy” in those instances. I think it contributed to the good performance this year and it also helps my confidence level on this squad going forward. The roster was rightly and roundly criticized post draft for a lack of depth and no clear TE in a TE premium league but it didn’t turn out to be an issue. There is always a random factor involved in injuries, but the overall age of the roster and injury history of the individuals, made the small missed games total a reasonable outcome and I don‘t consider it a lucky outcome. I did not go into the draft intending to take H. Miller as my TE 1 but I was not surprised at all by his performance and was targeting him in the area I took him as a flex-worthy back-up in this format or tradeable depth. FA aquisitions: I made a couple of decent ones in Hartline and Ballard. Both provided nice depth for the year and I think in the future as well. No home runs here but I didn't fall far behind others either. Lineup choices: Started out the year a bit shaky but by the end it was awfully easy and closed by winning 9 straight so who could complain. Going into next year I feel good about this squad. The current core is Andrew Luck, Foster, AP, Dez, and Cobb, all of whom were taken in the first 2 rounds of a recent startup mock I saw and D. Murray who also went at 3.01. After trading away my first and second this year to aquire Luck during the draft, after the season, I aquired pick 1.02 in this years draft and I also have 3 #1s and 2 #2s in 2014. With my current RBs this team’s window is right now but the medium-term future appears bright as well.

So my 2 min. diagnosis from above for Mullmaniacs was correct? Maybe a second income stream for me? Computer geek imposter! Tell the truth now, was the logo some type of trojan horse 420? I remember you pushing it during the draft to whoever drafted Cruz if he didn't make it to you. In any case, I assume the price of Cruz comes down a bit now that the team logo has changed? I'll send out a "logo not included" offer in the next couple of days just in case.

I am a proponent of quality over quantity when it comes to speaking opinions! I do see you have alot of quantity, White Wonder! just playing, the truth is "I'd rather keep my mouth shut and let others think that I'm a fool, than open my mouth, and remove all doubts”. I do tend to be fairly involved in my leagues and all one need do is look at the transaction list to prove it.

disclosure: I am in the Zealots league as the owner of team Voice of Truth. The format is very interesting but is very time intensive and complicated for a commish IMHO. If someone was going to step up and volunteer to run a similar league I suggest they have a conversation with Evil Genius before doing so. I think it's also a difficult format to have a good handle on the best tactics to utilize without seeing it play out for at least a full season or maybe two. I enjoy a good intellectual exercise, am interested generally in game theory, spend a fair amount of time just thinking, realize the importance of "knowing the rules" in outcomes and I have felt overmatched. Not overmatched by the other owners, though they are excellent, but by the potential outcomes depending on choice of tactics. I think it's a fantastic format to "step up to" but not a great format to have as your initial foray into dynasty. Just my opinion anyway.

I have room for one more league. I am interested in an auction dynasty startup but I would need to see a solid commish, finances handled through league-safe, and a group of guys who have a history of involvement on this or another board.

Ralphster I am a Bears fan also. I have been waiting to see others comment in this thread but they haven't so I wonder if some are like me. I am a bit unnerved by the Trestman hiring in the sense that I just don't know enough about the direction he will take the team to have much to talk about at this point. I mean I know his general backround and that he was a QB coach at many of his NFL stops but what will he be bringing to the Bears in the way of a style of offensive attack? Maybe I missed it, but I haven't seen much other than he is an "offensive guru" really. Did he run a certain style of offense that he knows inside and out in his head coaching opportunities? I didn't watch his college or Canadian football teams so I don't know if he even ran the same style consistently. Without knowing what he is going to try to do it's hard to evaluate whether we have some or none of the talent we need. Sure we need better Oline play, but do we need quick agile lineman or big bruisers? Do we need blocking specialist TEs or multiple joker types? Are we looking for the pinball little slot WR or the tall mismatch down the seam? Don't take these questions to be combative I really want to know if anyone has a strong sense of what we can expect the Bears offense to look like under Trestman and then go from there so I can talk intelligently about where I feel the team currently stands and where it needs to go. For the moment I am in "wait and see" mode.

I agree with the previous opinion that 14 or maybe even 16 would be a really great number of teams. 10 is just too small IMO. If I was starting a new league with guys who are mostly new to dynasty I would probably consider starting with a roster size of like 18-20 for each team and then maybe expand the roster by a couple of slots each year for a few years after guys get a feel. The 2 hardest parts of starting up a league are finding a commissioner who will do a good job, and finding a group of owners who will be dedicated for the long term regardless of the their teams performance over the short term. These two are often related. In had found that most leagues fail within a few years when I was researching and in your situation a couple of years ago. I decided to start in a public league run by a company called Master's. The primary downside is the company taking a portion of the total pot which would of course be nice to avoid, but I thought it was worth (and still do) the professional administration of league business including all of the things done by a commissioner being done by an uninvolved 3rd party police man - administrator to begin my experience. There are a number of companies that do this and I would consider entering a low stakes league to get your feet wet if I were you. You will eventually find a group or groups of guys that you will want to go on your own with but you will know exactly what you are getting yourself into and what you are looking for by then. You can get into a startup draft with others recruited for a new league run by one of these companies or you can take over an existing team "orphaned" by someone who didn't want to continue. I will be going on my 3rd year with the Master's league I'm in and it's a great group of guys spread out around the US and Canada. We have developed a nice rapor. We lost 1 team after the first year, someone else bought in and have not had any other turnover. I lost in the championship game this year and the money I won paid for my original deposit and all league fees to date with a little left over so I am actually ahead of the game. I'm sure there are other experiences which are not as positive but I doubt they would match the level of problems that could come from a private league breaking down. Good luck!

If you haven't read the full story you kind of have to take the time to do it, it might be the sports story of the year really. Too much to go into everything, but phone calls where he would fall asleep talking to her and wake up with his phone showing an 8hr call."Her relatives told him that at her lowest points, as she fought to emerge from a coma, her breathing rate would increase at the sound of his voice," Remember this is a nonexistent person. A con-man of the highest order it appears. I'm really glad I don't know this guy. What if he had won the Heisman? http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-and-inspirational-story-of-the-college-football-season-is-a-hoax?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deads

If it turns out to be the case Teo is going to free fall in the draft from a top ten prospect. His stock was already ripe for the potential IMHO.

Collins not so hot on the 2nd day struggling with press coverage apparently. Keenan Davis said to be looking solid again though.

Don't know what happened here but I'm betting he get some actual missed paychecks (and games) out of this... http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130113/SPORTS01/130113019/Titans-Britt-sought-questioning-New-Jersey?nclick_check=1

I saw Collins getting some love already today and people will be a bit more inclined to take a second look with the success of Garcon and Shorts. I saw some good stuff about Keenan Davis, and I also saw where Fauria may have gone down with an injury already which would be unfortunate, hopefully it's minor.

The latest in the saga, almost unbelievable.....really but it's Mike Florio PFT During the lockout, the father of Titans receiver Kenny Britt said that Kenny would be in less trouble with the law if he would be not in Bayonne, New Jersey. Perhaps not coincidentally, Britt is back in Bayonne. And back in trouble with the law. Despite a statement from Britt’s anonymous spokesman (seriously) that he’s cooperating with police after Britt dropped off a friend at the hospital who had been stabbed, police now say Britt’s isn’t. Per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, a police captain in Bayonne said Monday of Britt, “At this point he is still not cooperating with police. So whatever statement he puts out is false.” (Hey, that’s one of the risks of using anonymous spokespersons. There’s just no accountability.) The authorities have made a general plea for assistance in finding Britt. “We are asking anyone who has info of his whereabouts to contact us & that includes the owner of the Titans,” the police captain said. And so it appears that Britt’s cooperation for now consists of Titans owner Bud Adams’ favorite expression in sign language. With one finger. Both hands. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/14/police-say-kenny-britt-isnt-cooperating/

Nice list MFM, and I'll definitely look forward to your comments!

1.) I am not a computer expert 2.) I have no experience with this issue What I did. Copy and paste the message you wrote into the google search line. It brought up a number of google chrome help boards at the top of the search lines. I clicked on 2 of the lines and both took me to questions similar to yours and a number of answers from computer geeks. My diagnosis based on the comments I read (very quickly, less than 2 minutes worth because I am working right now) Somebody has downloaded a pic for their team logo from a site that google chrome has identified as a site where bad things are done causing some type of automatic alarm to sound the message My impression is that there is 0% chance of you having any problems transferred to your computer from this but please see #1 and #2 again

Kopy, Thanks for the rundown on your backround and the lense through which you look at the prospects. I will look forward to hearing any nuggets you care to share in the coming days. Speaking of which, tomorrow begins the practices for the East-West Shrine Game. A huge part of the evaluation on these kids is taking place over the next week and we will only get tidbits on TV during the actual game. Do you have any sources you like to follow on Twitter or elsewhere who attend the practices and share notes? A very big week indeed ahead for guys like one of your favs Zack Stacey!

Kopy, with apologies for not knowing, can I ask how long you have been playing dynasty and evaluating prospects in terms of NFL potential? The reason for asking is I am curious to know how you would characterize this year's 5 relative to the "average" crop. I have been playing FF since the 1980s but only dynasty for 2 years and at this point in the season I had none of my focus on the incoming class. Even by April, the only interest I had was focused on the prospects the Bears might draft, with the point being, the only class I can judge this one relative to is last year's. The early word I have seen is that this draft class is exceptionally weak relative to the average and I'm curious to hear other's that might have a different point of view. I always like to hear from the people who have a variant point of view because that is where the opportunity lies should they be correct. I know from my study last year that class was outstanding in terms of elite talent. Early study of mine shows this class does not compare, but how would you say it compares to other recent classes in terms of RB talent? I'd love to hear your take on this also MFM.