NOTE: Our advice, as it does on our FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER weekly program (Wednesdays, 9:00-9:30 PM EST as part of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com), is based on avoiding the obvious and trying to be of actual help to you.
Hopefully, your league has concluded already with a shiny championship having been procured by you.However, many, like FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris, are unfortunate enough to have to play Week 17 to try to win their titles.For your Fantasy Championship Weekend, we bring you our list of our top marginal plays by position.If you don’t have “gimmes” at each spot in your lineup, and few are so lucky in reality, then you may require the services of a few of these players:
QB
1. Tyler Thigpen
2. Brett Favre
3. Kyle Orton
4. Jake Delhomme
5. Matt Schaub
RB
1. Larry Johnson
2. Carnell Williams
3. Cedric Benson
4. Ryan Grant
5. Ricky Williams
WR
1. Lance Moore
2. Steve Breaston
3. DeSean Jackson
4. Dwayne Bowe
5. Hines Ward
TE
1. Tony Scheffler
2. Anthony Fasano
3. Dustin Keller
4. Visanthe Shiancoe
5. John Carlson
New York Bureau 2009 Fantasy Football Top 20
By Steve Cirvello
Here is a tentative Top 20 list heading into fantasy football season next year.FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris will offer his thoughts on each of the players listed here.Next week, we will list his “Next 30” in alphabetical order: the players who missed this list but who will round out the early portion of next year’s drafts and auctions.
Adrian Peterson: He’s the early chalk pick.Aside from some fumbles, he did exactly what he was supposed to do as the consensus #2 RB behind LT.
Michael Turner: This was one of the huge RB breakthroughs of the year as he made the most of his initial chance to be a full-time starter.He doesn’t get many catches, but you have to prioritize and accept all that he does bring in this era of so many RB platoons.
Matt Forte: He announced his presence with authority early on in the season-opening Sunday night upset in Indy.He’s workmanlike as opposed to spectacular, but he also tallies a lot of catches (leading the team with 60 going into the season finale).
Clinton Portis: Despite his grumbling, he has a great season in the new Zorn offense.Age/wear & tear has to be a concern going forward, though.
Marion Barber: He’s still awesome near the goal line, but like Earl Campbell, his style is punishing to himself as well as his opponents.With the great options at RB behind him, he’s realistically a platoon back, albeit the top one going into ’09.
Steve Slaton: He’s explosive in space and garners lots of catches, but the team seemingly has never envisioned him as a lead back – he ended up as one by happenstance with the rash of RB injuries in Houston.He’ll justify this draft slot IF he can continue to rack up the opportunities.
Frank Gore: He was very good, but not great in the Martz offense, although he did predictably have many catches.How he’ll fare in a Singletary offense in ’09 is a mystery – could be even better since it should be RB-oriented, but it could be worse if he sees a lot of eight-in-the-box.
Chris Johnson: He’s a true revelation, combining explosiveness with more TDs than you’d expect for somebody weighed down by a TD vulture.He racks up many catches, also.
Brandon Jacobs: A nice yards-per-carry average accompanies the strong TD tally you’d expect.These attributes are important, because he is the lead in a three-headed platoon in New York.
Drew Brees: The top fantasy QB of the moment played without various weapons at different times this year.How dangerous: he should be even better next year!
Brian Westbrook: He had his usual season – great when healthy with lots of catches.Especially at this stage of his career, he would benefit greatly from a legit move-the-chains #2 RB to come off the bench and keep him fresher.
DeAngelo Williams: His spectacular long-awaited breakthrough down the stretch raises expectations going forward.The only note of caution is that RB Stewart fits the mold of the power back this offense was designed around, hence the use of a #1 pick for him in the draft in ’08.
Steven Jackson: He’s one of the biggest wild cards on this list.If healthy and motivated, he should go Top 5 because he can be an absolute horse, but what he will have around him will be key.
LaDainian Tomlinson: Due to nagging injuries, he had a disappointing year by his superlative standards.He’s at a danger point due to mileage, but he’ll be super-motivated after this year, so it will be vital to ascertain which of these two factors will prevail.
Tom Brady: ’07 was a once-in-a-lifetime season, but with these WRs and no single RB to rally around, he’s easily still a top-level fantasy QB assuming his surgeries don’t hobble him – and they shouldn’t.
Tony Romo: With great weapons around him, this swashbuckler with still-developing skills is turning out (at least in a fantasy sense) just like the man he’s often compared to, Brett Favre.Like Favre, you live with the mistakes in order to reap the benefits of the successes.
Kurt Warner: Unbelievably, he’s all the way back to where he was at the turn of the decade!Just like in St. Louis, when you give him weapons and a line that can protect him, look out.
Larry Fitzgerald: He put up excellent all-around numbers in a top offense and has better chemistry with QB Warner right now than he’s ever had with a pro passer.
Randy Moss: Thanks to WR Welker gravy-training his production, he had fewer catches and yards this year, but he’s poised for another breakout with the returning QB Brady.
Peyton Manning: While other names are trendier right now, he proved that he’s still a top-level fantasy QB by putting up numbers even through the chaos of ’08 (shuffling on the OL, RB chaos, a transition in place at #2 fantasy WR).
The FDH New York Bureau Report
By Steve Cirvello
NYB's Sneaky Starts Week #17 * Check for each team's inactives that have already locked up playoff spots, and players on other teams who are injured and have been 'shut down' for the season.
QB: Jeff Garcia (TAM vs. OAK)
RB: Cedric Benson (CIN at KC)
WR: Jabbar Gaffney (NWE at BUF)
TE: Owen Daniels (HOU vs CHI)
K: Jason Hanson (DET at GRB)
DEF: WSH (at SF)
RED ALERT: Player coming off injury who could have fantasy impact:
FRANK GORE - RB: Gore is listed as probable and if he plays, needs only 22 yards for another 1,000 yard season. Coming off an ankle injury he suffered earlier in the month against the Jets, he will most likely be a game-time decision against Washington.
The Ricky-O Trio (three questions for FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris):
1 - In a disappointing year for Jacksonville, what should owners expect to get out of Maurice Jones-Drew this week at Baltimore? Will he be motivated?
I think he'll be motivated to finish strong, but motivation only counts for so much against a run defense the caliber of Baltimore's -- with motivation of their own in the form of a playoff berth at stake! With Fred Taylor likely on the way out, the Jags may be more inclined to give him opportunities near the goal line today as a means of determining what his workload could be like next year, but I don't look for more than 70 yards from him at the most.
2 - With the AFC West title on the line, who will have the better fantasy day - Philip Rivers or Jay Cutler?
In a big game, I'd be more inclined to believe in the more sure-handed QB and few right now are more efficient than Rivers. Cutler chucks it more, largely because of the revolving door at RB, but that also makes him more predictable in this situation. At home, with all of the momentum in this game on his side, I'd take Rivers.
3 - In another winner-take-all game, who will have the better Fantasy day - Brett Favre or Chad Pennington?
I believe that the Dolphins very well could win this game, but fantasy-wise, I'll go with the QB with the better weapons and that surely is Favre.
NOTE: Our advice, as it does on our FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER weekly program (Wednesdays, 9:00-9:30 PM EST as part of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com), is based on avoiding the obvious and trying to be of actual help to you.
For your Fantasy Championship Weekend, we bring you our list of our top marginal plays by position.If you don’t have “gimmes” at each spot in your lineup, and few are so lucky in reality, then you may require the services of a few of these players:
QB
1. Jay Cutler
2. Shaun Hill
3. Matt Schaub
4. Chad Pennington
5. Marc Bulger
RB
1. Pierre Thomas
2. Sammy Morris
3. Carnell Williams
4. Ricky Williams
5. Jamal Lewis
WR
1. Calvin Johnson
2. Lance Moore
3. Kevin Walter
4. Amani Toomer
5. DeSean Jackson
TE
1. Tony Scheffler
2. Kevin Boss
3. Greg Olsen
4. Dustin Keller
5. VernonDavis
College football bowl pool guide
It’s bowl season once again!Now, we always urge you to join fantasy-oriented games – in this instance, drafting teams to be part of your “stable” as you tally points through the bowl games – but regardless of the format of your bowl pool, here’s our guide as to how we’d slot the teams in each game.These games are all rated “against the number.”
WakeForest -3 over Navy
FresnoState -3 over ColoradoState
Memphis +11 ½ over South Florida
BYU +3 ½ over Arizona
Troy -4 ½ over Southern Mississippi
BoiseState +2 ½ over TCU
Hawaii +1 ½ over Notre Dame
Central Michigan -6 over FloridaAtlantic
North Carolina +1 ½ over West Virginia
Wisconsin +5 ½ over FloridaState
Miami +8 over California
Northern Illinois -1 over Louisiana Tech
Rutgers -7 over North CarolinaState
Missouri -12 ½ over Northwestern
Nevada -2 over Maryland
Western Michigan +2 ½ over Rice
OklahomaState -3 over Oregon
Houston -3 ½ over Air Force
OregonState -2 ½ over Pittsburgh
Vanderbilt +3 ½ over BostonCollege
Minnesota +9 ½ over Kansas
Georgia Tech -4 over LSU
Iowa -3 ½ over South Carolina
Nebraska +2 ½ over Clemson
Georgia -7 ½ over MichiganState
USC -9 over PennState
Cincinnati -2 ½ over Virginia Tech
Texas Tech -4 ½ over MississippiState
East Carolina -3 over Kentucky
Utah +10 over Alabama
Buffalo +4 ½ over UConn
Texas -8 ½ over OhioState
Tulsa +2 ½ over BallState
Florida -3 over Oklahoma
FDH New York Bureau Report
By Steve Cirvello
NYB's Sneaky Starts Week #16
QB: Tyler Thigpen (KC vs. MIA)
RB: Maurice Morris (SEA vs. NYJ)
WR: Nate Washington (PIT at TEN)
TE: LJ Smith (PHI at WSH)
K: Kris Brown (HOU at OAK)
DEF: CLE (vs CIN)
RED ALERT (player coming off injury who could have fantasy impact):
BRANDON JACOBS - RB:The 'Earth' of the famed Earth, Wind and Fire triad of the Giants' backfield is currently listed as questionable, but just as Marion Barber last week, with everything riding on this game in their own building, I can't imagine Jacobs not seeing some significant action. There is a possibility the G-Men may use Derrick Ward aka 'Wind' between the 20's and use Jacobs to pound it down Carolina's throats inside the red zone if they feel he's only good for 10-15 touches in the game.
LOOKEY HERE (teams with favorable fantasy schedule the last two weeks): Of the possible playoff-bound teams, the New England Patriots clearly have the best chance to run the table with games at home against a Cardinals team that has nothing really to play for, and a Bills team that simply cannot compete with the Pats, and may just dog it for their final two games after the horrendous loss to the Jets last week.
THE RICKY-O TRIO (Three questions for FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris):
1 - The Eagles need to run the table to even have a chance to make the playoffs. Do any of their wideouts have a 100-yd game in them these last two weeks?
I’m very cautious given their tendency to spread the ball around and the fact that many other teams have more reliable options.DeSean Jackson has 25 more receptions than the next WR on the team and he has the explosiveness to merit consideration, but don’t go any further down the food chain.
2 - The still-winless Lions host the Saints this week, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention. Which team do you think comes into this game with the bigger chip on their shoulder? Is this an "all-in" type fantasy matchup?
Nah, nothing with the Lions can be all-in as they’re presently constituted.The mere fact that I recommend Calvin Johnson shows you my insane level of appreciation for this ability to rise above the guano around him, because there is no delivery system for him at all right now.Kevin Smith is a decent bet at RB given that the Saints didn’t make the defensive progression I thought they would this year with Vilma & Ellis (I picked them to win the NFC!).The Saints have to be all-in yet again, with both RB options a strong possibility although Thomas is a far stronger play than Bush.
3 - If you had to predict Larry Johnson's stat line for this week's game against Miami, what would it be?
Probably something good, but not great.Let’s say 18 carries, 81 yards, one touchdown, and two receptions for 13 yards.Realistically, there’s nothing less scientific than forecasting specific stat lines regardless of what some “fortune tellers” in this industry will tell you, but it can be fun.Let’s see how close this comes.
The 41st edition of The Great American Radio Show on Internet television is the second episode since we’ve moved to Wednesdays (7-10 PM EST on SportsTalkNetwork.com) and the first one where we don’t break format!Last week, we brought you the splendor (or was that Splenda?) of the fantasy supergroup draft, a three-hour extravaganza in which The Dignitaries of The FDH Lounge each attempted to compile the ultimate rock band.Tonight, FDH Entertainment Editor Samantha Jones takes her victory lap.
But first, The Dignitaries make their Opening Statements and then we are joined by a returning friend of the show, Fran Stuchbury of the great AFL site ArenaFan.com.He’ll help us navigate the drama of the AFL’s expected shutdown for the 2009 season and what the future holds.Also, Fran pointed us to this excellent Darren Rovell piece on a new football league that is just starting: the United Football League.In this economic climate?Are they nuts?We’ll get Fran’s take from what he’s seen up-close in covering non-NFL professional football.
Then, in the second half of Hour One, we welcome in Scout.com’s Jets Confidential writer Dan Leberfeld for a look at one of the NFL’s most enigmatic teams.Can the Jets rally to make the playoffs?Will the world’s most indecisive retiree come back to play QB next year?We’ll ask Dan.
Before the end of the hour, we welcome in Samantha for a quick recap of last week’s music draft before she and hubby Jason, our Senior Editor and de facto assistant entertainment editor, deliver a breakdown about the music and movie gifts you should be purchasing for loved ones during this holiday season.Then, back by popular demand, we bring you Part II of our music mashups series!Jason and Samm will rate the best of this batch.Which ones are the greatest?Is it “Billie Jean’s Thong?”How about “Every Car You Chase?”Could it be “Sweet Home Grammar?”We’ll all bask in the samples together.
Then, in Hour Three, we bring you two former stand-alone FDH programs that are now under The FDH Lounge banner.THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER (9:00-9:30 PM EST) focuses on NFL Week 16 fantasy matchups and how to ensure a championship in your league this weekend.
With last week’s Wednesday debut breaking format, as we reserve the right to do from time to time in The FDH Lounge, where nothing is off-topic, this debut of the permanent Wednesday format – with the “classic Lounge” for the first two hours and the “shows within a show” in the final hour – is going to be very exciting.Tune in for yet another chapter in the history of the most unique broadcast ever created, only on STN.
^ Fantasy non-sport drafting: recap of our rock band supergroup draft
^ FDH New York Bureau Report
NFL Week 15
NOTE: Our advice, as it does on our FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER weekly program (Wednesdays, 9:00-9:30 PM EST as part of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com), is based on helping you determine which of your marginal starters are worth a play this week. Hopefully, your initial draft/auction efforts were successful, because frankly, “playing the matchups” is far from an exact science regardless of what you will be told by other advisory services claiming to possess a crystal ball. But our weekly game notes are designed to try to help you maximize the potential of your situation. We will post this preface to the notes every week to remind you of the context of our advice. Also, each of our game previews links to the page for that game on CBSSports.com, with statistical information and a video preview of each game.
In addition, every week right here we will provide you a link to your ultimate Sunday morning last-minute news source: Google News.Although any updates from responsible news providers are very useful, pay particular attention to those who come from team beat reporters, because they are closest to the action.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons 1:00 p.m. Atlanta’s usuals of RB Turner and WR White are joined by QB Ryan as worthwhile plays.For Tampa, it’s worth taking advantage of the fact that the Atlanta D is more vulnerable through the air, so QB Garcia and WR Bryant stand out as good options.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens 4:15 p.m. Especially with the RB platoon, there really are no good Baltimore offensive options this week.RB Parker is not a great option for Pittsburgh in terms of the matchup, but you can’t bench him barring an injury relapse.WR Ward is a pretty good option in light of the possession passing game the Steelers will need to utilize to win this game.
Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers 4:15 p.m. On a short week for the Panthers, it’s not worth curtailing the Denver all-in recommendation (with Bell at RB).For Carolina, definitely stay with both RBs and the QB/WR1 combo.
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans 1:00 p.m. For Tennessee, only the usual suspects (RB/RB/TE) are worth your while (if RB White goes) and the Texans have some options that you have to play but may not like much with the matchup (RB/WR1/WR2).
Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 p.m. In the Dashed Hopes and Dreams Bowl, both Jax RBs should gash the Pack, but there isn’t anything else to get you excited with WR Jones doing his eight-ball suspension.For the Pack, you have to like the odds for QB Rodgers, RB Grant and both WRs.
San Francisco 49ers at Miami Dolphins 1:00 p.m. Two improving defenses, two fairly blah fantasy offenses – not much to like here.RB Brown is a gimme, RB Gore probably won’t go, both QBs are decent as well.
Buffalo Bills at N.Y. Jets 1:00 p.m. Stay all-in with your Jets in what has now become a desperation game after the meltdowns of the past two weeks.QB Edwards is a marginal play at best for the Bills despite a matchup he may be able to exploit; stay with the gimmes at RB and WR1.
Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams 1:00 p.m. Here it is – the game that proves matchups aren’t the end-all, be all!We’re not putting any stock in QB Wallace just yet, so go all-out with your Hawks and only in with gimmes RB Jackson and WR Holt here.QB Bulger and WR Avery could suffice if you’re desperate enough.
Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals 4:05 p.m. The Arizona default of “all-in except TE” remains in effect here, with only the gimme of RB Peterson and WR Berrian worth joining them for Minnesota.
New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders 4:15 p.m. Go all-in except TE for the Patriots (yes, we’re actually recommending a RB for once, Morris in this case) and only RB McFadden and the situational start of TE Miller for Oaktown.
Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles 8:30 p.m. There are no Browns right now worth anything fantasy-wise outside of WR Edwards and even that isn’t a very high-percentage pick without any consistency on his part or any kind of delivery system.The Eagles’ usual suspects at QB/RB/WR1 should be poised for very good games here.
Fantasy non-sport drafting: recap of our rock band supergroup draft
Courtesy of The FDH Lounge Multimedia Magazine, here’s a recap of the event we previewed in last week’s newsletter: our fantasy-style draft devoted to forming rock supergroups (written by FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris):
To mark the first edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on Wednesday nights on SportsTalkNetwork.com (7-10 PM EST, following a run of 39 shows previously on Sunday nights), The Dignitaries of The FDH Lounge convened to hold our "fantasy supergroup" draft this past Wednesday, December 10 (archives of FDH programming available here). Having previously dabbled in the application of fantasy sports competition outside the realm of sports (i.e. competing to draft the most attractive team of female celebrities and also drafting presidential candidates in our 2008 political league), we celebrated the occasion by competing to see who could compile the strongest rock band by utilizing a standard serpentine draft.
The ground rules were simple: all eight of the participants had to draft a guitarist, a drummer, a bass player and a front man -- with two additional "wild cards" that could fill any role. The only proviso would be that nobody could draft two musicians who had ever been in the same band together, since reuniting existing bands would be against the point and would basically constitute cheating -- since the challenge was to put together a cohesive band with talented strangers. Also, we limited this to rockers who are still alive.
We were fortunate to have some excellent judges for our event. For the first two rounds, we heard some commentary on our picks from Boston drummer Jeff Neal -- who also works in education and sports extensively and thus has other frames of reference in terms of the cohesiveness necessary for forming a unit such as this one. He had some great insights and we thank him for his contribution to the program.
We were also really lucky to have with us for the entire draft our official scoring judge and one heck of a fine musician and humanitarian, Pat Gesualdo. An outstanding drummer who has worked with a host of diverse musicians (how's this for a wide range: rockers from Deep Purple, Kiss and Quiet Riot and also the Metropolitan Opera!), he is also the force behind Drums and Disabilities -- a groundbreaking dedicated to helping young people fight learning disabilities through musical therapy. Pat's talent and dedication revealed him as the perfect person to score our event and slot our participants one through eight.
Before we get to the official participants in the event, we must first mention the fact that STN President Paul Belfi was disqualified on a technicality (which was gleefully unearthed by a close friend of his -- more on that later). Pat proclaimed that Paul's team actually would have won the event had he not been DQ'd, because he was super-enthused about the rhythm section of Joe Satriani on guitar and Billy Sheehan on bass. However, Paul's drummer, Carmine Appice and one of his wild cards, Jon Lord, played in the Ashton & Lord group back in 1974 (ah, the wonders of Google!). Paul was unaware of this, but the information was sprung on us after Paul had left for the evening (having left his final-round pick behind before he did so) and we were unable to reach him to get a replacement pick for either spot. Knowing Paul Belfi, he's already proclaiming his team the "uncrowned champion," and in fairness, that's pretty much what our scoring judge said.
8th PLACE, PAUL BELFI (picking 5th in the 1st round) : Joe Satriani (guitar), Billy Sheehan (bass), Ronnie James Dio (front man), Carmine Appice (drums), John Lord (wild card), Sammy Hagar (wild card)
On a personal level, I felt horrible for our lowest non-disqualified finisher. Matt Petrone, co-host of The On Tour Music Show on STN (Sundays, 6-8 PM EST) with his brother Anthony and also with Tony Mazur, wanted so badly to do well. He spent countless hours jotting down a vast multitude of band combinations (I know this because my jaw dropped when he showed me his stack of papers) and arguably prepped harder than anyone except Anthony. Matt is easily one of the nicest guys at the station and seeing his disappointment at the outcome was tough for me. But events of this nature are subjective indeed and he ended up on the wrong side of our judge with the combo he put together.
7th PLACE: MATT PETRONE (picking 3rd in the 1st round): Michael Anthony (bass), Brian May (guitar), Joe Perry (wild card), Michael Cartellone (drums), Dennis DeYoung (wild card), Joe Elliott (front man)
Our sixth-place finisher suffered for picking a team in the wrong genre for this judge! During the program, we learned that Pat was not very high on a lot of the transformational rock music of the early '90s, and the fact that I nicknamed On Tour co-host Tony Mazur's band "Team Flannel" should tell you all you need to know about his odds of success! That was a tough break as I personally liked the band and thought it would be one of the more cohesive ones since most if not all participants would be on the same stylistic page.
6th PLACE, TONY MAZUR (picking 8th in the 1st round): Chris Cornell (front man), Jerry Cantrell (guitar), Taylor Hawkins (drums), Robert DeLeo (bass), Kevin Martin (wild card), Joey Santiago (wild card)
We announced the results on the program just as we're doing here, from last to first. When we got to this spot and learned who was in fifth place, I observed that Pat must have had everyone pretty jammed up on his scorecard at this point, because we knew from previous comments how much respect Pat had for this band as it was coming together. The co-host of Pro Wrestling Insider on STN, Buck Woodward, put together a group with several highly respected individual pieces. Also, Buck was the one to drop a dime on Paul (his PWI co-host) for the rules violation. That was priceless!
5th PLACE, BUCK WOODWARD (picking 1st in the 1st round): Les Claypool (bass), Kirk Hammett (guitar), Dave Grohl (wild card), Chad Smith (drums), Trent Rezner (wild card), Rob Halford (front man)
The fourth-place finisher, FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones, took a lot of ribbing throughout the draft for taking Bootsy Collins on bass. Many of us wondered how he was supposed to fit together with the rest of his rock band (including shredding guitar player Herman Lee, guitar ace Zakk Wylde and earnest front man Chester Bennington). My favorite question that anyone posed to him was how Lee was going to do on a speed-metal cover of "Groove is in the Heart." Nevertheless, Jason earned a lot of respect from our judge for the talent level of the band, even if questions about cohesion might have kept it from coming in higher.
4th PLACE, JASON JONES (picking 7th in the 1st round): Zakk Wylde (wild card), Bootsy Collins (bass), Herman Lee (guitar), Chester Bennington (front man), Joey Jordison (drums), Scruffy Wallace (wild card)
The only member of the On Tour triad yet to be mentioned, Anthony Petrone, finished third. It's worth noting that the initial idea for the draft belonged to Anthony and he was instrumental in booking the judges and helping to publicize the show, so we thank him for that. He might have had the most versatile band, but at the end of the day it had a strong classic rock vibe to it and that might have limited him a bit on the judge's scorecard.
3rd PLACE, ANTHONY PETRONE (picking 2nd in the 1st round): Tom Scholz (wild card), Jack Blades (bass), Peter Frampton (guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), Joe Walsh (wild card), Steve Perry (front man)
Whenever we do a fantasy draft outside the realm of sports, it's always interesting to see how the FDH management duo of Jason Jones and myself will fare. We have the skill set and organizational wherewithal that we bring from our fantasy sports background, but not the level of knowledge about the individual field necessarily. I'm pleased that Jason finished respectably and that I came in second ahead of so many people so deeply immersed in music. My strategy was the exact opposite of Matt's: where he certainly risked overthinking with his insane preparation, I entered with a rough list of "players" at each position and figured I'd compose the team on the fly as we went along by trying to match up musicians based on the evolving "feel" of the band. I aimed for the "pro's pro" type of musician above the merely famous and that strategy worked very well. This is also the kind of band I could "mark out for," inasmuch as one of my musical heroes (Geddy Lee, bassist from my favorite band Rush) is in it, as is a member of one of my co-second favorite band (Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots). If I'd managed to get anyone from LinkinPark, my whole top three would have been represented! I likened my Weiland pick to Plex Burress in fantasy football: high risk, high reward. My final round wild card pick of Donald Fagen was prefaced by a note that he might not be used on every song with this band, but that he'd be able to come in and really add to some tunes or maybe even be the centerpiece of some instrumentals. Because I'm really intrigued by thought processes, I questioned Pat after he announced his picks about several key selections that those of us made; I asked if this one in particular helped or hurt me. Pat said that it helped me, so I ended up rallying to finish as high as I did in what was clearly a close field at the top.
2nd PLACE, RICK MORRIS (picking 4th in the 1st round): Geddy Lee (bass), Steve Smith (drums), Steve Vai (guitar), Eric Johnson (wild card), Scott Weiland (front man), Donald Fagen (wild card)
Going into the draft, I proclaimed FDH Entertainment Editor Samantha Jones the favorite (Anthony saw my constant refrain that Samm was the person to beat as "working the ref" and planting in Pat's head that she was the best. If it worked out that way, it worked out that way, although it was just my honest opinion and one that was proven true by how she scored. From a personal ego standpoint, I'd have rather have won. To be perfectly honest, from my FDH Managing Partner "bidness" standpoint, I'm glad for the credibility boost of our Entertainment Editor winning!). Anyone who knows her or has heard her on The Lounge is aware of her deep knowledge of, and deep affection for, good rock music. It was a source of humor for all of us that husband Jason generally has the upper hand on her in fantasy sports drafts -- because he is the super-obsessed and super-prepared one -- but that we were clearly battling on HER turf this time. Her final margin of victory over me came in the last round, with a move I clearly anticipated -- pulling something obscure and impressive out of her tucchus, in this case violin ace Lucia Micarelli. Some participants, such as Anthony, questioned the cohesiveness of her band, especially with a front man with a cut-and-dried identity such as Steven Tyler. But in the end, she impressed the judge with her team and she took advantage of Paul's faux pas to emerge as our first champion.
1st PLACE, SAMANTHA JONES (picking 6th in the 1st round): Flea (bass), Neil Peart (drums), Tom Morello (guitar), Mike Shinoda (wild card), Steven Tyler (front man), Lucia Micarelli (wild card)
We're planning, tentatively for April, an alternate version of this draft -- devoted entirely to musicians who have passed on to that great mosh pit in the sky. The off-air buzz on Wednesday night centered around Randy Rhodes as the first overall pick. We shall see. But what is known for sure after this event is that the wonderful idea that Anthony Petrone hatched worked even better than we thought it would. Keep looking for more creative ideas of this sort from your content producers at The FDH Lounge.
FDH New York Bureau Report
By Steve Cirvello
NYB's Sneaky Starts Week #15
QB: Shawn Hill (SF at MIA)
RB: Sammy Morris (NWE at OAK)
WR: Malcolm Floyd (SD at KC)
TE: John Carlson (SEA at STL)
K: Rian Lindell (BUF at NYJ)
DEF: ATL (vs. TAM)
RED ALERT (player coming off injury who could have fantasy impact):
MARION BARBER - RB: Barber is currently listed as a game-time decision for the Cowboys' home game against the Giants on Sunday Night. The thought here is with a playoff berth hanging in the balance, Barber would have to be in a significant amount of pain not to play. Dallas was a decimated and embarrassed team when they left the Meadowlands in Week 9, and with the T.O.-Romo-Witten saga in the media this week, they'll want to prove to the Giants and everyone else that they belong in the postseason, and they'll need Barber at least at 85-90% full strength to do that.
LOOKEY HERE (team with favorable fantasy schedule the next three weeks):
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Week #15: at STL
Week #16: vs NYJ
Week #17: at ARZ
At 2-11, one might think that the only thing the Seahawks have left to play for is their position in April's Draft. But they've got one other thing to play for - coach Mike Holmgren will be stepping down at the end of the season to make way for Jim Mora Jr., and they'll want to send him out on a high note. Even with Senaca Wallace at QB, their three remaining games are very winnable. Their game against the Jets will be Holmgren's last home game as coach, and New York is 0-3 on the west coast this year. The season finale at Arizona may see the Cards rest some key starters with the NFC West already locked up, giving Seattle a rare chance to run the score up on someone else for a change.
The Ricky-O Trio (three questions for FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris):
1 - For the Redskins to make the playoffs, which key offensive player is going to have to carry the load for them on the fantasy statsheet?
If you had to narrow it to one player, you’d have to focus on WR Santana Moss, the quintessential fantasy tease.As a fairly diminutive player, perhaps he’s not capable of more consistent game-in, game-out production, but he ends every year with numbers unworthy of his raw explosive potential.At 876 yards and five touchdowns heading into Week 15, he’s putting up disappointing numbers again.His fantasy owners – and the Redskins – need much more.
2 - With Peyton Hillis lost for the season, would you still give any Denver RB a start given their history in putting up strong fantasy numbers at the position?
Absolutely.RB Young is still banged up, but RB Bell knows the patented Bronco run-blocking schemes inside and out and I suspect that you or I could run for 1,000 yards behind that line.Bell is not a top-shelf option right now, but you could certainly do worse.
3 - Which undervalued WR's do you see breaking out during the fantasy playoffs this year?
Torry Holt has had the worst year of his career, but two of his remaining three games are against pathetic division opponents, so yay opportunity!In Plex Burress’ absence, Steve Smith might already be the steadiest option in the Giant passing game.Dom Hixon is the explosive X-factor in their offense, a potential Burress-without-the-drama.The Titans won’t make the Super Bowl without a better passing game (especially once they work at establishing a running game against Pittsburgh), so Justin Gage and his 18.1 yards-per-catch average are going to get more looks down the stretch.Perversely, Braylon Edwards only seems to play well when expectations for him are low – and they are non-existent at the moment, so the fact that he’s also the most talented scrap heap option at the moment makes him intriguing at the least.
NOTE: Our advice, as it does on our FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER weekly program (Wednesdays, 9:00-9:30 PM EST as part of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com), is based on helping you determine which of your marginal starters are worth a play this week. Hopefully, your initial draft/auction efforts were successful, because frankly, “playing the matchups” is far from an exact science regardless of what you will be told by other advisory services claiming to possess a crystal ball. But our weekly game notes are designed to try to help you maximize the potential of your situation. We will post this preface to the notes every week to remind you of the context of our advice. Also, each of our game previews links to the page for that game on CBSSports.com, with statistical information and a video preview of each game.
In addition, every week right here we will provide you a link to your ultimate Sunday morning last-minute news source: Google News.Although any updates from responsible news providers are very useful, pay particular attention to those who come from team beat reporters, because they are closest to the action.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7
Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears 1:00 p.m. Both starting RBs are gimmes, but anything beyond that is problematic in this game with two good but occasionally underachieving defenses.QB Orton is the smallest stretch out of the rest of the players.
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions 1:00 p.m. QB Johnson is so great that he manages to be at least marginally worth starting on even this horrific team.For the Vikes, RB Peterson should never exit your lineup when healthy, WR Berrian is a play as he is most weeks and QB Frerotte is a much better start than usual.
Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers 1:00 p.m. Green Bay looks the same as most weeks: all-in except TE.On a short week, Houston’s just got the usual suspects: gimmes WR Johnson and TE Daniels, WR Walter and RB Slaton.
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts 1:00 p.m. Indy’s all-in is one of the easiest calls this year.The Bengals, much like the Browns, were a fantasy juggernaut not too long ago, but likewise have been reduced to a WR1 play in TJ Housh.
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. The Saints must remain all-in until further notice.For the Falcons, on the road against an improving defense, anything beyond the gimmes of RB Turner and WR White is fraught with risk.
Philadelphia Eagles at N.Y. Giants 1:00 p.m. This is another of those games that gives you the correct impression the first time you look at it: all-in as usual for the Giants and the usual QB/RB/WR1 troika for Philly.Worried about starting WR Dixon for Burress?Nah, ain’t no thang but a chicken wang!
Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans 1:00 p.m. How the (fantasy) mighty have fallen since the beginning of the season: with injuries at QB and TE and a horrible matchup for RB Lewis, WR Edwards is the only play for C-Town and even there, you’re just hoping for a fluke play in the red zone because QB Dorsey can’t stretch the field with his arm.For Tennessee, both RBs should run rampant, but the Browns’ tendency to play bend-but-don’t-break doesn’t leave any other great possibilities beyond TE Scaife.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (TORONTO) 4:05 p.m. QB Edwards is a good bet if healthy, Losman not so much if he’s not.The RB/WR1 daily double should be in there nonetheless, with only QB Pennington and RB Brown looking ah’ight in Canada.
St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 p.m. You should have the usual Cards (i.e. all except TE) in your lineup, with Breaston as a not-horrible extra option.The Rams actually mirror them, with QB/RB/WR1/WR2 looking good for a team that could well be playing from behind early.
Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15 p.m. As RB Parker gets closer to being full-time effective, neither he nor Moore is a great option – but both could at least be decent this week.This might be the toughest fantasy game of the week to evaluate.No Cowboys can really sit this week notwithstanding a tough matchup – unless Barber can’t go.For that matter, the improving Steeler O should have QB/WR1/WR2/TE in the lineup also.
Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens 8:15 p.m. For a team that’s won two-thirds of its games, the Ravens have shockingly few fantasy weapons.The RB committee is effective for the real team but poison for fantasy teams, so stay away.WR Mason a decent but not great play.For the Skins, start the starter at RB (probably Betts, but you’ll have to check that Sunday morning), WR Moss, TE Cooley and (if you really need a warm body) QB Campbell.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers 8:30 p.m. Carolina’s good everywhere but TE this week (with only hot RB Williams meriting a look at that position, ideally), while QB Garcia and WR Bryant look good for the Bucs.
Fantasy non-sport drafting???
At FantasyDrafthelp.com, we have long advocated non-traditional applications of fantasy sports.Since our FDH Lounge division came along at the beginning of 2007, we’ve expanded that competitive focus into non-sports areas as well.Now, at the dawn of 2009, we take it to an area never before navigated.Reprinted with permission from The FDH Lounge Multimedia Magazine, here’s information about a huge programming event next Wednesday night:
The FDH Lounge began, of course, as a spinoff division of FantasyDrafthelp.com, which is a service that distinguishes itself by the methods it employs to help people win their leagues as well as the variety of different sports that are covered. The Lounge, an all-topics website and webcast, frequently delves into the realm of fantasy competition, although rarely for sports purposes -- with two examples being our lightheared drafts of attractive female celebrities and our 2008 presidential race fantasy draft.
So it's only fitting that we celebrate the move of THE FDH LOUNGE program on SportsTalkNetwork.com to Wednesday nights in similar fashion. THE LOUNGE goes to Wednesdays from 7-10 PM EST on December 10, with existing FDH Wednesday shows joining as "show within a show" segments during the last hour (THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER will be from 9-9:30 PM EST and THE GOON SQUAD brings you the best hockey coverage anywhere from 9:30-10 PM EST). To mark the occasion, which is also the 40th episode of the program, we are holding our first "fantasy supergroup" draft (big ups to our man STN executive producer Anthony Petrone for thinking of the idea).
What is that exactly? It's a standard serpentine fantasy draft that will see your favorite FDH and STN personalities each trying to assemble their ultimate "supergroup" of rock musicians! We'll each be picking one front man, one guitar, one bass, one drummer and two extra "wild card" musicians (this can be anything: an extra singer, a guitarist, a horn player, tamborine, cowbell, you name it) to put our groups together. Picks will be graded by a special celebrity judge who will crown our champion at the end of the night.
As much as we love standard fantasy sports at FDH, we've long been a proponent of spreading the competitive concept among friends to non-traditional areas like drag racing and the Triple Crown. Over the last two years with The Lounge, we've broadened the concept beyond sports altogether. Now, next week, December 10, when The FDH Lounge moves to Wednesdays, we'll show you and your friends how to hold a fantasy supergroup draft, we'll have a great time doing it, and so will you if you join us either that night or via our archives. Don't miss it!
FDH New York Bureau Report
By Steve Cirvello
NYB Sneaky Starts Week #14
QB: Joe Flacco (BAL vs WSH)
RB: Pierre Thomas (NOW vs ATL)
WR: Domenik Hixon (NYG vs PHI)
TE: Greg Olsen (CHI vs JAX)
K: Jeff Reed (PIT vs DAL)
DEF: DEN (vs KC)
RED ALERT (player coming off injury who could have fantasy impact):
MATT SCHAUB – QB: Schaub returns to the lineup for the Texans after missing a month with a torn knee ligament. Houston travels to a frigid Green Bay this week, so they may opt to grind it out on the ground and work the clock, but the offense always kicks it up a notch with a healthy Schaub in there. The Texans have a chance to be a real spoiler down the stretch and that means some nice fantasy points for Schaub owners.
LOOKEY HERE (team with favorable fantasy schedule the next three weeks):
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Week#14 - at SEA
Week#15 - at OAK
Week #16 – vs ARZ
The Pats are one game behind the Jets in the AFC East, and there is a good chance they could run the table and finish 11-5 (their last game is at Buffalo, a matchup they own). December figures to bring outthe best in a team that has taken some lumps without Tom Brady in there, but Matt Cassel and Randy Moss should be able to lead New England to yet another Playoff appearance. Expect a lot of offensive output from the Pats to close out the season.
The Ricky-O Trio (three questions for FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris):
1 -- The NFC South has been a real dogfight this year. Which of the four teams do you expect the strongest fantasy output from over the final month?
Oh, it’s got to be the Saints, no question about it with the historic year they’re having.Beyond that, Carolina gets to face both the withered Bronco defense and the Giants in a game in which they may be playing from behind and having to chuck it, so they’re not bad either.
2-- Although they are 11-1, are any of the Titans receivers worth starting in your lineup at this point?
Well, I actually have Justin Gage in a league where I have to start three WRs – and I’m not usually using him – so based on the fact that I practice what I preach, I think you’d have to be unfortunately and unusually bereft of much better options to even consider it.
3 – Which Defensive unit would you highlight as a real sleeper for the Fantasy Playoffs?
If Houston can get out of Green Bay relatively unscathed, you’ve really got to like their matchups the next two weeks in Tennessee and Oakland – two teams at opposite ends of the success spectrum, but both unlikely to light it up big-time.
