theplaymaker

I;ll send you an invite.

Game of Throws Game of Thrones fan league PPR/Standard Yahoo league Name team after a kingdom, clan, character or anything GOT related. Yahoo League ID# 98945 Password: direwolf

The question is who would rather have, Matthews or Richardson. I'm not saying he's going to be the top RB, I'm saying I am leaning toward Richardson if giving the choice.

Mathews: -Played in a finesse college offense and now he plays in a finesse pro offense. -RB's from the WAC are all going to be laughable in the NFL because of their conference. It's a fact! Because that's a good barometer on which RB's will be good, isn't it? Chris Johnson=ECU, McCoy=Pitt, MJD=UCLA, Forte=Tulane, Michael Turner=NIU, that loser Ladanian Tomlinson was a Horned Frog before Horned Frogs were cool. You forgot Marshall Faulk SDSU when they were still in the WAC. I was comparing pedigrees of Matthews and Richardson, so given the choice between a second team all-american from the WAC or first team all-american, hesman finalist, and two time BCS champ from the SEC I would take the latter.

I don't think looking at team stats from the previous year can accurately forecast their performance. San Diego may have had 16 rushing TD's last season but Matthews has less than that his entire NFL career. In fact going back to his college career he only had double digit TD's twice and averages just 8.4 rush TD's. The Browns may have had a dismal rushing record last year but Richardson is a significant upgrade over Hillis. Let's compare both players.... Matthews scored 51 total TD's in college. He played in a "finesse" offense common to the WAC (which was blown up two years ago and now is laughable as a division 1 conference), He only really was able to take on a full workload in his senior year due to multiple nagging injuries. He was a second team All-American and taken 12th overall in the 2010 draft. Matthews is a powerful runner with good vision, excellent pass catcher and has a wicked stiff-arm. Richardson scored 51 total TD's in college while playing on one of the top teams in the SEC (hands down the toughest conference) and he only really had a full workload his senior year, that was because Mark Ingram was there setting the single season rushing record, which Richardson promptly broke the following year. He tied Sean Alexander's record with six consecutive 100yd rushing games in a row. Richardson was a first team All-American and finished third for the Heisman. He was take third overall in the last draft. He is powerful runner with good vision, excellent pass catcher and has a wicked stiff-arm AND he pushes 475lbs on the bench and can squat 600lbs. Since Richardson has yet to take a snap in the pros all we have is his pedigree and Matthews can't hold a candle to Richardson. With that said Richardson is unproven but personally I do like him better than Matthews.

Now there is a good debate! Matthews or TRich? Matthews gets the slight edge being TRich is a rookie but I've always had a weakness for RB's that run with power, good pad level, and has the inclination for initiating contact (yes Jerome Bettis was on my roster 5 years in row) I think I would go with TRich, but it would be a very close call, I can see myself going either way.

Only one factor really matters to me: CJ2K is proven and Matthews is not. We all know what CJ2K can do and a bounce back year means he will be money for his owners. Matthews on the other hand has yet to emerge as 1st round worthy pick. We don't know where the bar is for him, for all we know we've already his ceiling and he will never make it to the next level. Another thing that makes me wary is the fact that Norv Turner is talking him up, he's predicting big numbers for Mathews and that has a lot to do with his rise on the draft boards. If this was truly the case, if all signs are pointing to a monster season from the San Diego RB...then what is the purpose of Norv Turner going on the PR run? So every other team can have an early start in preparing game plans to stop Matthews ???? Or perhaps it's because he is on the hot seat and is trying to stir up some wind to blow into his sails before the season opener? A coach on the hot seat is liable to promise the world, after all he's got nothing to lose, if he is wrong it won't matter in the end anyway. In any case the bottom line: CJ2K is the safer pick, and the first round is the time to play it safe.

My favorite is from Outlaw Josie Wales. Bounty Hunter: "You're wanted Wales." Josie Wales: "Reckon I'm right popular. You a bounty hunter?" Bounty Hunter: "Man's got to do something for living these days." Josie Wales: "Dyin' aint much of living, boy."

It's ridiculous that they leave out Marshall Faulk who had is best year in 2000 when he set the single season TD record and finished with 1359/18 rush and 830/8 rec. 2001 wasn't too shabby either (1382/12 rush and 765/9 rec). He played until 2005, although he ran out of gas after 2002 just for those two seasons alone I would take Faulk (since 2000) over Corey Dillon, Jamal Lewis, Fred Taylor, and Clinton Portis none of them were ever super-studs like Faulk, Holmes, Alexander, and Tomlinson. Faulk was so dominant in 2000 that he carried many teams to the championships by himself, I should know that year I had him and won my title in the big money league I play in.

I live in Hawaii and I was paying about $8.50 a pack or $70.00 a carton. I just switched to ""E-Cigs" and now I pay the equivalent of $7.00 a carton or $6.00 a carton if I buy 5 at once. If you ever tried it and didn't like it I suggest you try it again, they have new models that are far better than the original ones that came out a couple years ago. Nicotine does not kill people, it's the other stuff that comes in cigarettes that does and E-cigs have none of that. Not only is it cheaper but I don't have to go outside for "cigarette breaks" anymore, there is no second hand smoke issues since all you exhale is water vapor and nicotine, I don't have to worry about lighters, my clothes don't stink anymore, and it's a lot less harmful then regular cigarettes. The only reason why I can imagine people have not switched yet is because they haven't given E-cigs a serous try.

Game of Throws Game of Thrones fan league PPR/Standard Yahoo league Name team after a kingdom, clan, character or anything GOT related. Yahoo League ID# 98945 Password: direwolf

Thanks I'll do that. Email me for link to league dit_8@yahoo.com

I'm talking about in recent terms. 10 years ago there were 32 football teams and 32 featured backs to be had. The only time you took a back-up running back is when you had the main guy and he went down or as a handcuff to a stud. Belechick started the recent trend about the time Antowain Smith left the team. An argument can be made that Shanahan started RBBC but Shanahan plays different back less as a game plan for a particular opponent and more as a reaction to performance or injury issues.

Belichik does use the most talented players, the question is which players will be used most for that week's game plan. It could be the starting RB, it could be the full back (ala Sammy Morris) it could be the change-of-pace/3rd down back (ala Kevin Faulk) it could be one of those veterans that Belichick picks up an the end of their career who come in for a few games and ride the bench the rest of the year (ala Lamaont Jordon and Fred Taylor) It could even be a H-back who primary use is in special teams and blocking who comes in for a couple huge games and then disappears again (ala Heath Evens and Patrick Pass) He often uses players who we never expected exactly for that reason, nobody expected it including the opposing defense that week who didn't expect it and didn't prepare for it. Corey Dillon was a workhorse in Belichick's first three seasons, after that he started to switch to the now familiar Patriots passing offense that uses short underneath passes in lieu of running plays. After Dillon, the NE backfield has been one of the least productive in the league. Curtis Martin played in the Tuna era so you can't really use him as an example of Belichick's tendencies.

The best tactic to take with the NE backfield is to stay away from them all. in the 12 years since Belichick became the head coach, the Patriots produced a 1,000 plus yard rusher only three times. Carey Dillon had the best season by far in 2005 with a 1,635yd/12td season. The other two times came in 2001 (Antowain Smith) and 2011 (Green-Ellis who barely made it with 1,008yds) On top of that in the 12 years Belichick has been the head coach only 4 times did any RB score more than 10 TD's and three of them were by Corey Dillon back before the RBBC era. Belichick was actually the first guy to abandon a featured back and go with RBBC for an entire season and owning any Patriot RB has been, to various degrees, a frustrating affair ever since. Belichick's unquestioned ability as a tactician when it comes to game preparation has a lot to do with the fustration. No team alters their offensive game plan more week to week than the Patriots. This means each week may see totally different plays and totally different players being used which leads to all NE players (exluding Brady of course) being more inconsistent than not and consistency is the key to fantasy football. Last season was different where two players (besides Brady) who were consistently productive enough to be solid every week starters (Welker and Gronk) but both of them were pass catchers so the RB's still can't be trusted yet. I am not saying there will be no RB from NE worth having this season but the chances of any of them having a huge season, are slim and even if they have a decent season, it is likely to be an inconsistent one. With that said, as of now if I had a choice between a NE RB or one from another team of similar value I rather take the other RB, even one playing for Shanahan.

1. After working with Steve Young at SF Shanahan went on to work with the following QB's who all had top 10 seasons while with him : Brian Griese (3 times), Jake Plummer (3 times) and don't forget Elway who was top 5 four times and won a couple of super bowls at the end. 2. Naked bootlegs are a staple play in Shanahan's offense and RGIII will be required to run them rather than asked so he should get some extra rushing TD opportunities but he is not Cam Newton and I don't think they had using him like a goal-line back in mind when they traded away all those picks just to move up a few spots to get him and then see him get injured right out of the gate. 3. He is a rookie. Cam Newton was an anomaly although I also like RGIII and his future outlook I would not count on him to finish in the top 10. Griese and Plummer were not in the top 10 during their first year with Shanahan. It will take some time before RGIII will be able to learn Shamahan's brand of the Zone Blocking offense, it takes some time in the classroom and on the field before players usually get comfortable with it and is a tad more than the simplistic offense they installed for Cam last year. 4. Shanahan's passing offense is predicated off the run game and the play-action. Helu showed promise but he has yet to emerge as a viable starter and Hightower blew out his knee, again. This is is his third serious injury since college. He was never very fast to begin with but it was obvious last season he lost his burst too, and that was before he blew out his knee. Torrain looks like an impostor. I am a little wary of the RB situation there. If they run the ball like they did last year RGIII will have a hard time shining in his first year there. 5. Bottom line, I would take RGIII only as a late round flyer. There are always some QB's who go undrated and finish among the top 10 every year, you can count on it. RGIII might be the next one but he probably will be over-valued in the next years drafts so I don't he makes a good player to target at this time.

I agree. No doubt Cam exceeded all expectations and his rushing ability hedges his chances to digress (or slump) next year BUT he will only be a second year QB and he has to show that he can produce year over year before he can be considered elite. Next season all the teams will have a years worth of tape on him and I predict he will have a lesser season in 2012. The biggest reason why he won't be among the elites is his team. Steve Johnson is getting old yes but look at the best QB's, Rodgers, Brees, Brady all going to the playoffs with with a high seeded team. The elite QB's play for elite teams, winning does make a difference in fantasy, most of all for QB's. Look at the best QB's every year the best and most productive year in and year out are on winning teams. Cam is a second tier QB until he proves more, is he really worth a second round pick when you can get Romo, Big Ben Eli or other QB's in later rounds. All of them have roughly the same value without the risk of an early round pick unless it's for an elite QB.

If Andy Reid doesn't stay with Philly (and it sounds like he might not) then McCoy drops below Foster.

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I think Palmer has been playing fairly well considering all the injuries to the Oakland WR's lately. Heyward Bey, Moore, and Ford have all missed time over these past few weeks. Palmer also has been playing without McFadden the whole time, even though Bush has been getting some good stats he is not the same threat as McFadden and I can't believe Campbell would have been nearly as good if he was still starting at this point. The players who Palmer have been throwing to have been dropping a lot of passes which have hurt Palmer, like last week when the FB dropped a sure TD in the end zone. I'm in the playoffs and even though I just lost the #1 seed due to Palmer giving me a negative 6 points this week I'm sticking with him through the playoffs. It sounds like McFadeden and Moore will be back against the Lions with a chance Ford will be back too. It's either Palmer or Grossma or worse.

Remember, the playoffs are a whole different ball game than the regular season and so are playoff leagues. The best way, in my opinion, is to just do a draft of one line-up. We draft a roster of: 2QB/3RB/4WR/2TE. And then that's it. Whoever has the most points after the Super Bowl is the champ, winner take all. There ain't no free agent adds, trades, line-up decisions or kickers/DEF to make things screwy. It's go big or go home, just like the playoffs. The beauty about it is you can do it with any amount of people, just as long as every one can draft a starting lineup. It all comes down to the draft, which is a lot harder than you might think. Are you going to take Foster who is looking at "1 and done" or James Starks who will play every game in the playoffs? We also split out a portion of the pot (around 25%) to whoever has the Super Bowl MVP on their roster. If no one gets it we roll it back into the champions take.

I drafted Jacobs and it looked like it was a going to pay off when McFadden went down but Jacobs has been a disappointment. The Giants O-line has been dealing with some injuries and is responsible for a lot of the trouble they have rushing the ball but even before Bradshaw got hurt they were near the bottom in rushing offense. Unfortunately I think Jacobs has more problems than a bad o-line and has very little upside the rest of the way, here is why: Jacobs reported to camp in noticeably the best shape he has been in since his rookie year. He played well in the preseason, ripping off some 20+ yard runs showing he still had some burst. Although he still has one more year left on his contract, the writing is on the wall and he wants to be traded to another team where he can be a starter or get more carries so he was very motivated coming into this season. He also has been running with determination, like he did early in his career so lack of effort or laziness is not the problem. The biggest concern I had before I drafted Jacobs was his age, at 29 he is old in RB years. Although he has relatively low mileage for his age, his power run game combined with an upright running style has led to him taking a lot of big hits in his career but after the way he looked in camp and preseason I thought he might have one more good year left in him. The other concern is the knee injury he suffered earlier this year, he was mocked by some retired players for not sucking it up but his teammates were saying it was swollen to about the size of a grapefruit, that cannot be good and is probably still lingering somewhat and affecting him. With that said though I have to hang on to him, Jacobs will still be a threat to score a TD every week and that's better than whats available in the free agent pool right now. I need to play it safe as I am in the playoffs this year.

I read a report on one of the Raider's fans sites that he was spotted at the team facility over the weekend without the walking boot. Yay! I also looked up the usual prognosis for a mid-foot sprain for non-football related people and although it varies, typically is 8-12 weeks for full recovery. Boo!

Yes you could go with just you could go with your gut feeling or what you hear from trusted sources. Or you could go with a detailed explanation of ones opinion. Ultimately there is only way to really become good at fantasy football, make your own decisions. You will learn from your mistakes and you will enjoy your victories much more because those wins truly belong to you. I gave you the things that I would consider if I was in your shoes, and if you notice I did not really tell you what I think you should do. I just said what I would do. One thing is for sure when it comes to fantasy football, the more information you have the more chances of success you will have. I agonize over every roster move I make. I will scour all my sources for all the information I can get. That way you will find out what works and what is bullshit. Now going with "what everyone is talking about" and "this kid and he is unreal" might very well lead you to a great pick. Or it may lead you to a total bust. Either way you end up lost and clueless on your next big trade offer. Unless someone tells you what everyone is saying again. On the other hand if you look at everything you can find on this guy. Where did he go to school? Was he highly recruited? How was his combine? Where was he drafted? Was he drafted? How did the Cowboys get him? Where is he at in his contract? How did he do in training camp? How did he do in preseason? What are the beat reporters saying about him? What are the other players saying about him? what are the coaches saying about him? What are his strengths? What are his weaknesses? Did the Cowboys promote any RB's from the practice squad? Are the Cowboys working out any other backs? How much do the Cowboys depend on their rush offense? What about the Patriots? What does each team tend to do in the red zone, throw or run? And who gets those targets or touches? Who gets more third down touches or looks? Who gives up snaps to a third down or change of pace back? Are they good pass blockers or do they get pulled on passing downs? Do they have a fullback blocking for them? If they do, how good is that full back? How good is the line? How long have they been together? Are there any injuries on the o-line? How many rookies are on the line? Who plays on the offense that will give your RB more scoring opportunities? What are the chances that either team will abandon the run due to being behind or not being able to stop them on defense? I could go on and on but the bottom line is if you get as much information as you can you will be able to make the good decisions most of the time. All these analysts and gurus have to pump out calls on every player every week. They do not have the time to scout one player as much as you can. The information is all out there, it just depends on how much you want it. I'm not saying you need to answer all these questions in order to make a decision but the more you information you collect the better you will become, believe me. You will slowly build your knowledge, not only about the one player but about the players you did not take. And the way teams tend to use and handle their players. You will also learn who to listen to and who to disregard. Sources that tend to be correct will make calls on quality information, others will mostly go with what everyone is saying. I am not pretending to have a lot to say just for the sake of saying it. I am saying these things because I have found things that have worked for me. If you look at any of my posts I always look at pros and cons of any decision because making roster moves is all about maximizing opportunity and minimizing risk. And I always encourage people to make their own decisions. I don't know everything about fantasy football, but I know a hell of a lot on they guys on my own team and I like to help people by giving them any information and opinion I have. I wish you luck, and I hope to hear the outcome of whatever happens. No matter what, if I am right or if I am wrong there is something that I can learn to help me next week....

That is a toughie. Green-Ellis has been productive considering NE changes their game plan so drastically from week to week that owning a NE RB also meant every week your chances of getting 100yds and a TD were just as good as getting a doughnut. The fact they brought Faulk back is a little concerning. Faulk is one of Belichik's all time favorite players besides Breuschi. He is not really a threat to take away any significant touches or TD's but the fact they brought him back so late in the season tells you their RB's are struggling with their ultra complicated offensive scheme. Their run game has always been an afterthought in NE, they always willing (and sometimes prefer) to use their short, underneath passing game in lieu of using the rush to keep defenses honest the same way a 3 yard hand-off would. Many times the best production from NE RB's came when they had a safe lead late in the game and were simply running out the clock. The problem is the defense is so bad this year it doesn't seem like any lead that will be safe. With that said Murray may have more upside and seems like the more attractive option but he also comes with considerable risk too. As a rule of thumb you never want to depend on a rookie at any position (Cam Newton being an anomaly) without having some kind of back-up plan. Basically hope for the best but plan for the worst. Murray certainly has more potential than most rookies but it much too early to get a read on a player after only a few games that also has not even solidified his standing in the depth chart. Murray does have explosiveness and runs with determination and decisiveness. He lacks the pedigree that would justify making him an every week starter after him only played three pro games his entire career. Both NE and DAL were favorites to win their divisions and both teams are on the wrong end of shift in power in their respective divisions right now. Going down the stretch, having players on winning teams can make all the difference in the world. In that respect they are about equal, playing in good offenses but under performing teams as a whole. I would ask myself these questions: What do you need from that RB slot on your roster? Are you leading your league and want steady production to keep on pace for the playoffs? or do you need to close the gap and need a big game or two to get back into the playoff picture? Do you play in 10, 12, 14 team league? Who is available to pick up should your RB sink like the titanic? Who owns Felix? He might make an attractive handcuff right now, is there possible 2 for 1 trade there for an even better RB? With all things being equal, I would go with Green-Ellis. But I have the luxury of being in first right now and just need to play it safe.