Champions are born in May - Fantasy Football

I'm close to putting Steven Jackson on the do not draft list.

I'm getting sweet on Trent Richardson.

I'm liking Chris Johnson with a Shonn Green as a handcuff.

Still liking Giovanni Bernard

I think we are all liking Daryl Richardson

I'm wondering if Jimmy Graham is worth the early second round pick instead of a Drew Brees, Aaron Rogers, Brandon Marshall or Dez Bryant.  The early second round pick is big. Does Jimmy Graham provide the most strategic benefit?

Im so huge on Trent Richardson that I am looking to grab him at the #3 spot in my poker pals league. I think Norv Turner will benefit TR. He has been an excellent coordinator in his career. TR also had 11 TDs on a relatively bad team which should get better. I also think he will improve on that terrible 3.6 ypc average a year ago.

I do share your thoughts regarding Steve Jackson. He is on my caution list and ranked 20 overall. He is not worth the value where is at. Lets say were in the middle of the 3rd and he's still around, then I'd say go for it, but I'm not counting on him to be my #2 RB unless the price is right.

I would say that Jimmy Graham is worth it. Why? Because he gives you #1 WR potential at the Tight End spot. A spot that after Gronkowski, starts to decline. Witten and Gonzalez are still very good players in this league, but if you are going to target a stud WR, why not just get Jimmy Graham and create a matchup nightmare for your opposition. Early to mid second round I think you can still get some value with RBs. My goal would be to get Jimmy with either a late second or early 3rd pick. Just like I did in the yahoo league.

I cannot fcuckin wait for week 1!!!

To clarify, I don't mean Bowe as a #1 WR in terms of fantasy production, but #1 on his respective team. And to have a guy who may have a career year with a real head coach and real QB throwing the ball, I think its a plus for that team

Kaepernick, Richardson, glaring void at RB #2 Bell or Lacy, Demaryous Thomas, Randall Cobb, Dwayne Bowe, Jimmy Graham! That is one sick starting unit. If I can get the #2 RB situation solidified, the sky is the limit.

I think I'm going to pass, its already gotten burdensome playing in various sized leagues. Got an 8 team 2 flex PPR, a couple 10 teams, and a 12 team no flex.

Also the wifey is getting pissed for me having to go draft on what are usually our date nights.

More preseason games on the horizon. At this point in time is when practice reports and performance start to become important. But the single most important variable is a depth chart. Once we get past week 3 of the preseason and into the final game, it starts to become more clear. 

I just droped Rod Streater for Denard Robinson. Simply based on speculation. Because honestly, I'm not sure of either guys prospects, but I like Shoelace more because I think that team will surprise some people and he, based on talent, should see an opportunity. He can put up stats from the QB, RB and WR positions. He can become like a Dexter McCluster on steroids. Or just another tweener.

Hopefully by the end of the weekend there will be a clearer picture as to who the real sleepers are right now.

Christine Michael is someone I have an eye on. Also Mike Gillislie.

Didn't get much form the preseason slate last night. Caught an article on Ryan Mathews that suggests that people shouldn't throw the towel in just yet. He had a 5.0 avg and made the pro bowl (I don't find much validity in the pro bowl, but whatever). Lets just say, I'm not taking this guy ahead or where he currently is ranked. He would have to drop 1 or more rounds for me to bite.

What I have re-shifted my focus to is studying scoring results over the last 3 seasons. What I am trying to do is differentiate more from clusters of players. 

Take WR for example. Basically there is Megatron, and there is everyone else. What I am seeking to do is discover a formula for differentiating among Dez, AJ Green, Julio, Marshall, etc., What I started to look at was the Points per Game average of each player (based on the scoring in that league) then the range. Maybe one player scored 2 points in one week and 40 in another. I want to know that he had a range of 38 points where as maybe another guy had a range of 16. That would tell me something. To take it further I take the average against how many games  they exceeded or did not even meet. Its all a work in progress. I have seen some good formulas on this featured before in ESPN, I think its Chris Harris who does it, I'm just trying to find my own formula.

Notes from last night;

Dan Herron RB - Cincy - put forth a real nice performance. But he's still garbage. Don't expect much from this guy.

Some of last season's top WR picks still don't seem to have adapted to NFL level. Im talking to you Stephen Hill and Michael Floyd. The black Beavis aka Justin Blackmon did look smooth. The only thing really holding him back is himself. He is somewhere in the middle of being Dez Bryant or Kenny Britt.

Isiah Peed - 11 carries/19 yards. Richardson did not carry the ball but had a catch for 24 yards.  In that same game. Eddie Lacy put up some nice numbers. I saw a couple of his runs. He is talented.

Golden Tate is someone who is rising up my sleeper board.

There may not be a better long ball WR out there than Torrey Smith (aside from Megatron of course). If you are in a league that has bonus points for big 40+ yard plays, he is bumped up a notch. He does have to improve his catch rate. Last season 110 targets only 49 catches.

Thanks for all the contributions. Will keep this going for as long as people are interested. Got drafts on the 24th, 31st, 2nd and 3rd. That would give me a total of 5 and that's about all I want to do. I'd rather play in 3 big money leagues but all these are legacy leagues with long time friends, some dating back to high school. Also my girl is in a league and she hired me as Director of Player Personnel. So that makes an unhealthy 6. Which can get extremely boring and complicated. How many times do you find yourself against the very same players who are on your own roster.

bigpappa. Ill get the rankings to you later tonight.

I too would easily take Graham at that spot. As a fantasy champion, you surely are aware the importance of RBs. With that being said you must decipher the relative values of Murray or Ridley and their spots. Since its keeper and most mothafcukas are hording their RBs I would surely keep atleast one of them. And with Ridley coming off a great year and looking good in preseason, I would surely select Ridley. That leaves you with one very tough decision. I like all those options, but at the end of the day and for the value it brings, I may just go with Murray for the 10th rounder. Good luck brotha.

ddjf, how many WRs do you start in this league?

Looks like you started out pretty well with Shady and AJ Green (#3 WR PPR). Stafford will prove to be a valuable asset as he should post some good numbers with an improved arsenal of weapons. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but after that, you're team is full of question marks. Now, if you get lucky and guys like Miller, Bernard, and Cook blossom, then all of a sudden you have a contender. 12 team league drafts can be tough and maybe what you put out there each week performs better than what is seen on paper before the season. I think with the right amount of luck you have a team that could do well, but again, you will have to get very lucky with guys developing quickly (your RBs), health (Nicks needs to be healthy, Bears D needs to sustain its elite level), and your depth provide you with good performances. Hopkins and Golden Tate provide some upside. Ben Tate is an injury away from being a star.

Hey this Yahoo league is neat. They came out with draft grades. Pretty cool feature. Here's what I got (and please pardon my team name, its what was on my mind at the time and I couldn't come up with anything more clever)

Led by a Stellar WR Corps, JIHAD Threatens as a Legitimate Title Contender

Although they selected eighth overall, JIHAD came through with a solid draft performance. They're projected to finish with a record of 10-4-0 (1,457 points), placing them second in Yahoo Public 522429 League. With five WRs on the roster, JIHAD has both quality and quantity at that spot; their WRs are projected to average 137 points this season, more than the league average of 128. They landed one of the best quartets of WRs in the league, as they picked up Demaryius Thomas, Randall Cobb, Mike Williams, and Kenny Britt for their fantasy stable

The Season Ahead

Week 9 looks to be a tough one for JIHAD, as it is the week when the most players (4) and most projected fantasy points are on bye. From a projected points standpoint, they have one of the softest slates in the league. In addition to having the second-easiest overall schedule, JIHAD has the second-easiest first four games of the season. Starting in Week 3, JIHAD will have to navigate a tricky part of the schedule, squaring off against projected top-tier teams in the league three times in a five-game span.

Draft Notes

• Strongest Position: While JIHAD is projected to have four better-than-average positions, TE is clearly their best unit (59.1% above the league average).
• Team of Champions: JIHAD has a lineup sprinkled with proven fantasy winners. Across all Yahoo! leagues last season, three of their players finished among the top 20 in percentage of times on a championship roster. They include Jimmy Graham, Demaryius Thomas, and Randall Cobb.
• It's How You Finish: JIHAD had a strong finish, accumulating the most projected points in the league over the second half of the draft.
• Consistency Is My Middle Name: With seven consistent players among their 15 picks, JIHAD is looking for reliable help.
• Digging Deep: Rod Streater is owned in less than 10% of all Yahoo! leagues (1%). Perhaps he will reward JIHAD for their faith.
• D-Fence: The best offense is a good defense? JIHAD chose to go with two DEFs instead of loading up at other spots.

Toyota Top Picks

T. Richardson

1st Round (8th Pick)

He Can Catch, Too: Trent Richardson is a dual threat, racking up points on the ground and through the air. He ranks fifth among RBs in projected receiving yards with 451.

Jimmy Graham

2nd Round (13th Pick)

Jimmy Graham was the best value pick of the round, projected to score 59.1% more points than the average player at that position.

D. Thomas

3rd Round (28th Pick)

Value Found: Demaryius Thomas is expected to score 42.4% more points than the average player at that position, making him the best value pick of the round.

Randall Cobb

4th Round (33rd Pick)

Returning to Greatness: If special teams contributions count in Yahoo Public 522429 League, JIHAD may have found a gem in Randall Cobb. Including his 1,216 projected return yards, he ranks first in the league with 2,305 all-purpose yards.

Le'Veon Bell

5th Round (48th Pick)

Le'Veon Bell was the worst value pick of the round, projected to score 4.4% fewer points than the average player at that position.

Been studying Steven Jackson, particularly, in PPR formats. Do I really value him over a stud WR here and how much better is he than his contemporaries Matt Forte, MJD, and Steven Ridley.

Here is what I have.

In 2006 Steven Jackson saw 110 targets his way, caught 90 balls!

2300+ yards from scrimmage. 16 TDS!!!!

Last year Quizz Rodgers caught 53 balls on 59 targets. He is listed as 5'6". Mike Turner, 30 targets, 19 catches.

Its 2013. 2006 was an eternity ago. I'm not exactly sure but that team had some historic remains of the old Greatest Show on Turf Rams. The futility that followed kind of shadowed what has been a brilliant career. Mr. Consistent every season staying near his career 4.2 average.

(290 carries x 4.2) = 1200 yards + 500 yards  (60 reps x 8.2)

So that's 1700 all purpose + 9 TDS, roughly 230 fantasy points. 13.5 ppg

Arggh missed on point. In PPR formats 290 points. Good for 10th last season on final outcome.

Now what are his drawbacks. Because Im blinded at the moment and am bullish all of a sudden.

Daryl Richardson is the Rams starting tailback

Looks pretty good to me Sliks. You have some serious depth at QB. Honestly, if I came away with a team like that I would be pretty damn proud of myself. I recall you have been on Bernard's nuts over the summer and now you get to deploy him.

In this league, are you starting 2 WRs? You will need to add some depth. At this point I would sacrifice Carson Palmer and add a sleeper.

At full strength and healthy you are very difficult to beat! You can weather the storm for so long though. Keep your eye open on the waiver wire and also the trade market. Trades can be tricky though. BOL