Evil Genius

I have added a significant Update and Poll to the site. Please take a look, all you Zealots !

I will provide comments on 420's Dynasty Rankings QB’s 1: Rodgers Absolutely 2: Brady From a dynasty perspective, you have to be wondering about age, don't you? He's turning 37. 3: Brees I think he's getting up there, age-wise too. However, I think 2013 will be huge for him. 4: Luck In a non-start-up, this is too high IMO. I would rank Stafford and Ryan above him for 2013. 5: Cam 7: Peyton Manning For 2013, I see it. For 2014, he's a bit too long in the tooth. 8: RG3 I have serious questions, with the injury. If he comes back strong, I like him for about three years. 9: Ryan 10: Stafford I should also add that Tony Romo could finish Top 8 for 2013, without much trouble. But everybody hates Romo, so leave him off the list. For dynasty, of course he's a little older and we always think he's done - everybody's always inches from done in Dallas - but really, Romo has three good Fantasy years left, assuming he actually plays. WR’s 1: Mega 2: AJ Green 3: Julio 4: Percy Harvin 5: Dez 6: D Thomas 7: Cobb 8: Marshall 9: Cruz 10: Nicks Perhaps flipping Marshall over Cobb, I would agree with 9/10ths of this entire list, including Dez's potential to be the Big Dog. I don't see both Nicks and Cruz making it into the top 10. One might, but one won't. My pick for 10th spot instead? Take your pick of Crabtree, VJax, or Hilton. Evidently, T.Y. stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. RB’s 1: Foster 2: Peterson 3: Rice I think Rice may drop from the Top 10 next year. I hate to say it...but they aren't using him enough 4: Martin 5: T-rich 6: McCoy 7: Spiller 8: Charles 9: Lynch 10: Morris I cannot say I am confident in Morris to repeat his success. There are so many question marks at RB. While I agree with the top 9 of these rankings (with some elasticity of course) about 4 guys could finish in the top 5 or 10 that aren't here. McFadden, for one, if the wheels ever turned all at once. Wilson, Murray, and dare I say it, Chris Johnson, all enigmas TE’s 1: Gronk 2: Graham 3: Hernandez 4: Witten 5: Olson 6: Rudolph 7: Daniels 8. Vernon Davis (still has a shot?) 9. Greshem 10: Finley (maybe blind hope as I own him all over the place) After Gronk and Graham, does anyone have any meaningful insight into TE rankings? I am throwing darts. However, yes, I think Davis comes back. If you look at the last couple Niners playoff games, I think I see a glimmer of hope.

Because of the new coach?

Guilty as charged. But my thoughts are a split between PPR and non-PPR.

Moving on to Tight Ends. Tier 1A - the edge Gronk Graham Tier 1B - solid Hernandez - is just waiting to have a better season than Gronk Witten - 100+ catches? Tier 2A - semi-solid Olsen - love the potential Tony G - if he persists Pitta - should be very solid in 2013 Daniels - PPR positivity Pettigrew - could swing into 1B if he rebounds 2B - the question marks Vernon Davis - severely underused Finley - where does he go? underused, headcase/handcase Rudolph - limited upside Gresham - arguably 2A, but I don't like him or Cincy Gates - aging fast

A glaring, moronic oversight on my part. Fixed.

Barry Sanders is the greatest running back of all time, based on talent, vision, elusiveness and quickness. If the goal is to advance the ball and elude tacklers, Barry. If it's a measure of effectiveness relative to the quality of assistance given by teammates, Barry. If Barry had somehow traded places with Emmitt and the offense in place in Dallas in the 90's, I would suggest that Barry would have set the record for all time rushing yards at 20,000 yards plus. Gayle Sayers is probably the greatest open field runner in the history of the game. Jim Brown the most powerful and dominating. All Day's achievement, while very impressive, is being exaggerated by virtue of it being very recent.

2nd tier RBs for 2013: Tier 1A is AP, Foster, and Lynch You are going to get solid production out of these three if they stay healthy, and they are match-up proof. Lynch has off-season questions that I have little insight into at present. So the next tier (1B) is filled with these guys: #4 Rice - I put him here tentatively due to his strange role on the Ravens these days. He is their best offensive player but he doesn't get the check-downs like he used to that made him a PPR beast and match-up proof. This is mostly because someone has convinced Flacco he is a good quarterback, when the truth of his distinct average-ness is plain to all. Now, with the emergence of Pierce, Rice could fall significantly as the front end of a split. #5 Spiller - he is here due to potential. I see Spiller as having a tremendously high ceiling. In Dynasty play, make your move now, as the hype will only intensify #6 McCoy - he is here because he could not have been used more poorly in 2012 and had injuries. He will return to his ways as a PPR beast. #7 Charles - he will fulfill his destiny under Reid, and this means a sky-high potential. #8 Trent - he will once again be very solid, but yet, he remains in Cleveland. #9 Martin - just plain talented. This is where another tier begins in my mind, 2A. Each of the following guys could be a very solid low end #1 or high-end #2, but will not finish in the top three. Murray - needs to stay healthy Morris - I need another season to believe Shanny will stick with him through any issues or injury Forte - will remain a PPR prince MJD - will have a solid 2013, I believe. CJ - Me hate he. Ridley - Very startable, but the Pats are the Pats. Next tier 2B - the Mystery Men Mathews - could you draft him before the 4th round? I couldn't. DMC - to channel George Carlin: "Could be meat. Could be cake. Looks like meatcake". Meaning I cannot identify it at all. Law Firm - He's in this tier but not a mystery - instead, solid #2 RB production. Yawn. Gore - will he fall off the table, at long last? I think he's got one more. LeShoure - needs touchdowns to get his numbers Anyone in Pittsburgh 3A/B/C - the lottery tickets, weirdlings and old farts Moreno/Hillman - if the split weren't so confounding, could be higher. Wilson/Bradshaw - if Bradshaw fell off a cliff, an equal and opposite reaction would occur to Wilson Reggie Bush Sproles SJax John Stewart Anyone in Arizona Turner/Quizz Anyone in Indy Anyone in St Louis Tier 4 - the crapshoots, off-balls and odd-ducks Anyone in Green Bay the back-ups to everyone above And I have left the Jets entirely off the list, perhaps in an act of of protest, in the hopes you might too.

Here's my take... For one thing, Charles is a year farther from the knee thing. He might be used less conservatively for that reason alone. Two, I think Hillis is done in KC. That only helps, barring them getting yet ANOTHER guy to share the load. Three, I think Reid has Charles catch a few more balls...but maybe not any more carries, depending on what they do for QB. I think this is your primary issue. The system and the QB therein will determine how many Rush Attempts he gets. There are not many QBs on the imagination radar that could really undermine Charles' production, rookie, Free Agent or incumbent. All in all, I think the odds are very good that he puts up similar numbers or better than this year. I just hope he can spread the love over a few more games, insteading of being all Jeckle and Hyde, like he was in 2012. Considering that mock drafts are starting to see him in the 1st round (up from 2nd round this year past), I think others are thinking similarly.

Comments: 1: Gronk - clearly one of the top two 2: Graham - I see a much stronger year for him in 2013. Probably #1 3: Hernandez - a strong #3, agreed, especially in PPR Here's where it gets murky Witten: can he put up these kinds of numbers again? If so, he could break the top three. He needs a few more TDs. Olsen: He will be startable. I have absolutely no grasp of his floor or ceiling. Rudolph: I just think his top range is low because of Minny's offense and Ponder Daniels: I really like this guy. If I pass on the top TEs, I would target this guy as a solid, startable TE with upside in 2013. Vernon: One of two great mysteries in the top 10. Why, oh why, is this guy not used more in the San Fran offense? There has been much conjecture. I would have thought that Kap would have put this guy back on the map. For one week, he did. And then, POOF. He's a physical beast, with good hands. Why not use him? He could be Top 5 if the Worm turns in San Fran. If it doens't, he's a huge waste. Gresham: He will continue to be nice. Not thrilling, but nice. Finley: The other great enigma. This guy must be a head case. They consistantly tried to create mismatches for this dude and he just keeps dropping the ball. Yet, his talent is seemingly immense. If he is done in Green Bay, then where does he go? And if so, then what kind of play does he get in a new system with a different QB?

In Dynasty play, you may be able to grab a couple guys as throw in's, or in Free Agency or the Rookie Draft - depending on your league and its depth and/or rules. The depth of your league is key - in 20-man rosters, you might not care about any of these guys. In 30-man rosters, you probably will. In terms of those borderline prospects or guys on the edge that emerge from time to time, or injured guys that may fly under the radar. DuJuan Harris in Green Bay. May just steal the job from Green, Benson and Starks. If he does, he might be relevant in PPR in 2013. Bernard Pierce in Baltimore. He is likely owned, sure. But if not by the Rice owner, then he might be worth targeting. I don't know - I keep reading stuff about this guy - it started in Sports Illustrated where 'NFL insiders' kept saying "this guy has a future in the league". As such, I have this strange feeling about him that somehow he gets a gig in the next couple. Vincent Brown in San Diego. Might have been a really good year for him if he hadn't gotten hurt. Now will contend with Alexander. Morgan and Toon in New Orleans. Either could emerge as a threat with Brees in 2013. Fred Davis in Washington. If he does come back strong (hard to say), he could be a man not forgotten in the Skins offense.

Front page news.

Pretty much the best effort from the Chiefs this year and they cannot beat Leftwich. Dear lord, is there any room to fall...? Is Crennel the worst coach in the history of persons attempting to instruct and lead other persons in the Americas....? Is Charles the most under-fed and under-utilized major talent in the league? How much worse could it be? How much worse could Cassel get if he tried? Let us ponder this: The Chiefs suck so bad, they would give the 80's Lions a run for their money.

I agree with you...with one caveat. You let it go, but explain to both of them that these types of trades are not great for the League. It opens the door to shadier shite down the line, when it appears one team (admittedly the stronger team) helps another team - with little or no sense of gain. So you tell them as much and explain that a similar trade in the future will very likely get vetoed (by the Commish/you). Now, a lot depends on the social ramifications: if this is a collective of friends, then you have to care a little about the fallout, if people are going to get pi$$ed off. If so, explain to others privately that the Brothers were spoken to - and that further trades between them will be scrutinized. For the moment, it was a trade that made two teams just as, if not more, competitive than they were previously. Fair enough.

Due to some non-football related commitments (yeah, I know)...I have not been able to see the Saints games lately. Not that I am a fan in particular, but it's more they play a very exciting brand of ball that I try to catch. What's more, there is always a lot of intertwined fantasy action. With Sproles out, it appears to the casual post-facto observer that the Saints have actually been running the ball on occasion, and with some effectiveness. Yet, there seems to be a split between Ivory and Ingram that I don't quite fathom, as yet. Certainly this is an intriguing situation going forward in both seasonal and dynasty formats, if the Saints create a more balanced attack and either 'Back becomes the lead dog inside it. Thoughts on the value of Sproles, Ingram or Ivory, going forward...? Care to speculate on 2013? Be my guest.

I don't like you either. You smell.

Yes there is. For one thing, I do approve trades. This is for the exclusive purpose of making sure teams are not trying to stack up one, or fire sale. Allowing Owners to vote is to ask for trouble. For the purpose of eliminating stacking and fire sales, it allows for pettiness and vindictiveness. It also limits the type of bold swings that adventurous, risk-taking Owners love. In addition to governing trades, my Commissioner duties include: - policing for tanking and standings manipulation, esp. as the playoffs approach - correcting for illegal line-ups and making last minute changes when guys cannot make it to their computers - establishing, maintaining and updating the Constitution - polling Owners for important decisions in the run up to the season - organizing the Draft, finding a location for it, contacting Owners, occassionally drafting for no-shows - building an in-season Draft Board to track traded picks and posting photographs of it (I really should do this as an online .doc) - finding a Sticker Girl to call the tune at the DRAFT, and arranging to get her a bottle of wine as compensation - leading a discussion/voting at the Draft in regards to potential rule changes - every year I host a mid-season party for all guys in my three hometown pools and my touch football team. In the past I have cooked steak, lobster, crab and other treats. This party is a massive coordinated effort that includes prizes, poker, a touch football game and a massive screen using a DPM. - chasing guys to pay their league fees for the delinquents who didn't pay at the Draft (usually about half to a third of the guys) - doing the post-season math and making payments - hosting an NFL playoff Fire-and-Forget Fantasy Pool DRAFT on the Friday before the playoffs begin and loading these line-ups into one of the online Pools Of these jobs, chasing guys for money is the worst.

Quite frankly I think that's the position of the Eagles as well. If Vick can just win on Monday night, he has the entire world at his feet, Fantasy-wise, going forward. His schedule opens up like the Red Sea, if he can just keep the damn job. 10 11/11 DAL 11 11/18 @WAS 12 11/26 CAR 13 12/2 @DAL 14 12/9 @TB 15 12/13 CIN 16 12/23 WAS I can see him getting massive numbers in each and every one of these games.

Yer Kiddin, right? That game was a snore fest. Furthermore, Alex Smith wouldn't start on 26 other NFL teams. He's a glorified puppet for Harbaugh, a robot. Perhaps it's just me, but I prefer a modicum of excitement. San Fran's brand is dull to the point of inducing a coma. Testament: a regular In-game commentary posted by Mike often warrants three pages for the thread. The game in question is long over and we haven't exhausted one page. And this is with two posts from me and one from you. There was nothing to say. The entire NFC West could fall off the edge of a cliff and no one would even blink.

The NFC West plays the dullest, most mind-numbing football in the world.

This was the only game I got to watch this weekend. Perhaps the dullest game of ball I have seen in recent memory. Both teams should be ashamed.

Admittedly, I own Charles in a couple leagues...but my goodness, how could Crennel go back to Hillis when Charles is healthy, and could break one long and strong on any play? Wait - Crennel is an idiot. Furthermore, Charles is nice in the dink and dunk world and lord knows Quinn will need all the help he can get... I would see Hillis as a goal-line option only. But only if the Chiefs ever get to the goal-line. Don't waste your time.

This is just a feeling, but I think the wurm is going to turn on Mr. Vick. Coming out of the bye, Maclin healthy, schedule easing after Atlanta considerably: Carolina, Washington x2, Saints, Dallas x 2. I see Mr. Vick putting up very solid numbers in these match-ups. If no one will take him, simply keep him and soak up the dividends. Reed needs to make the playoffs. Foles provides a much lesser chance to win ball games - Reed will thus ride Vick, regardless of any media posturing or noise to the contrary. Vick: I would trade for him, not trade him away.

I very much hope for your sake that you have not previously allowed any post-game changes for this Owner. Furthermore, I hope you are not making any special exemptions for this Owner because she's a girl. You MUST deny the request. Either you respect the game, or you don't. If you respect the game, you make no changes at 9pm, because it's 9pm. Now, admittedly, you will likely endure a little flack for this because i) she's a chick (don't ask me why this should change anything, but it does), ii) her computer issues are known to you, iii) she's playing you, so the denial will seem in part self-serving and iv) I suspect the 2nd Owner is her boyfriend. Nonetheless, you must adhere to the decision that upholds the integrity of the game. And that is: No line-up changes post deadline that are not time-stamped as decisions previous to the deadline. Stick to this. Unless of course you've made exceptions already, in which case, yur screwed.

Certainly we've all been in a league or two with Owners of varying skill levels. My newest Dynasty has a bunch of dudes from FFtoday - appropriately named FFToday Zealots on MFL. Pure competition. But this older Dynasty league is a local league of friends and acquaintances. In part the league is competitive. But in part it is held together by a history of beer, socializing and debauchery. And me - watching NFL ball with these guys a few times each, every year. So, in part, I accept the circus-like elements due to the context. Hell, I think I may be the ringmaster. In 2010 Week 3, I traded Derek Anderson to Al (yes, the same Al as above) for his 2011 and 2012 1st round picks. This trade is infamous in our Leagues as the worst case of futures management ever witnessed. Derek. Anderson. But back to the point - yes, when it's a circle of friends, sometimes it has marginally less integrity than a group of strangers. In a group of strangers, all you have is the Commish, the Rules and the chat boards. With buddies, hell, you have controversy, bull$hit, emotions, weirdness and frankly, side-show-esque entertainment. Thinking of the trades negotiated over beers while watching a game alone is enough to give me a smile. The game is on, every day.