The original plan was to be visiting family with remote internet access the week prior to preseason action. So of course, a wine and food fair event just HAD to bump that back a week. The best part? We didn't go to the wine and food fair. Too tired from all the traveling and didn't want to spend time with the annoying relatives. That's truth with a capital hashtag in front, peeps, and why never to book hotel rooms in advance. I know you don't care about any of this blather, really, but want you to know that I'm a bit behind on all the goings on over the last week. I heard DX died. Ok, he didn't die really but in our fantasy football world, being out for the remainder of the year is pretty similar. BTW, it's bad enough to tear it once but he's now torn his ACL 5 times. Screw Tommy John surgery, we need Danario Alexander surgery that replaces completely worthless ACLs. But enough about that, I'm gonna do my best to post what I know - very little -and what I gleaned - a bit more - from all this preseason football. I'm going to then gently apply it to this here 2013 Fantasy Football season for you all cuz that's what I do. I'm a giver. But before I give you that, I'm here to give you this. That 'this' is a link to the Razzball Commenter Leagues. We don't have many leagues. It's embarrassing. I call my mother and cry on the phone about it and the only person who can change that is you. Maybe not you on your own, but you and another 11 you's to join your quest for sweet Razzball swag. You can call them mini-you's if you prefer. But enough about your Dr. Evil impersonations, it's time to cover a bit of the magic that is preseason football for the 2013 fantasy football season...
Monthly Archives: August 2013
As we come to the conclusion of the Razzball IDP Sleepers and Busts series, we get to the toughest position to project. For that reason, it is imperative that you avoid picking a bust, especially early. There is just too much depth every year at DB to reach for a guy like Morgan Burnett or Harrison Smith. Please, blog, may I have some more?
We saw flashes of greatness from first year wide receivers last year in many players such as Josh Gordon, TY Hilton and Kendall Wright. Although there were only these flashes and these players lack consistency, patience is important with young receivers as development takes slightly longer for them than the running backs in our last post. In fantasy the wide receiver is often overlooked as a less important asset than positions like running back and quarterback and while that may be the case in re-draft it couldn't further from the truth in dynasty. As compared to the high running back turnover in the top 10, and short shelf-life of running backs, wide receivers hold the best potential for long-term value. For running backs the age of 30, I know so old, is usually the breaking point for most players where as receivers are known to play at a competitive level far past this alleged breaking point, as seen with Reggie Wayne. I mean even Terrel Owens is begging for another chance in the NFL at the ripe old age of 39, we all know that it's not going to happen but interesting to that a player at his age still believes he can compete, I don't see 39 year old running backs lining up to get another chance. Regardless of TO and his off-season antics the point is that if you land a great wide receiver in your rookie draft, you might not be immediately rewarded in the 2013 season but the payoff later on down the road could be huge an that receiver could out perform any running back in this year's current class. Lets take a look at my personal rankings and the short-term and long-term out look of some of these rookie standouts.
Vincent Brown, 2013 Fantasy Sleeper
August 7, 2013 | 2013 Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Sleeper | 65 Commentsby: Sky
In reality, I could write about three of these sleeper posts on wide receivers a week. The position just lends itself to it. Most leagues only start 3 with maybe a flex spot for a possible 4th but you really want an RB there. So, if there are 32 teams and each team has about 3 starting receivers per team, that's 96 wide receivers to account for. Now subtract 36 from that number and you've got what's left for either your bench or the FA pool in a 12 team league. It's like the anti-RB position where if you have a pulse and you're a back up to DMC, you're probably getting drafted. But none of that has to do with the topic at hand, of course, that was merely food for thought. Food?!? What kind of food?!? It was a turn of phrase, I.R. You shouldn't do that. People out there might be hungry. I'll try to keep that in mind next time. But enough about hot pockets and lean cuisines, I'm here to talk about a guy named Vincent Brown and how he's a fantasy football sleeper for 2013...I'm gonna keep cutting myself short until we have 500 league signups (or thereabouts). Before I direct your attention to Vincent, I'm going to redirect your attention to our Razzball Commenter Leagues Signup. Like what all the kids at school said about your mom, it's free and easy. Want details? Well that link I provided you should give you everything you ever (and maybe never) wanted to know about how to get the ball rolling. There'll be prizes as well if you need your fancy tickled. And with that over, we're now back to our regularly scheduled post...
Draft Strategy: The Wide Receiver Edition
August 6, 2013 | 2013 Fantasy Football, Draft Strategy, Fantasy Football Strategy | 54 Commentsby: Sky
So at first I thought I could fill up an entire post on just one strategy for wide receivers. Then I thought to myself 'really, how much can you say about just one approach about wide receivers? You're no Charles Dickens, broseph'. I have these casual chats with myself sometimes. It eases the pain of feeling forever alone...but nonetheless, there's more then one way to approach those 3 wideouts in your draft. Most times, just like anything, it will depend who's available to you and when. If I have Calvin Johnson as my WR1, that's going to make me reconsider who my WR2 should/could be vs if it's, say, Randall Cobb. Different strokes for different folks there, Willis, and we're gonna try to account for them all as best we can. So without further fluff, let's take a look at draft strategy for wide receivers for the 2013 Fantasy Football season...oops, looks like I forgot something...what was it? Oh yeah, if you're not signed up or commishing a Razzball Commenter League by now, you're dead to me son! So go find out how to get involved and maybe along the way you win the grand prize. What prize is that, you ask? Well ya gotta go click the link to find out, brochacho! And now I'm done pandering/threatening so let's get back on course...
Hakeem Is Rueben Giants Brass The Wrong Way
August 5, 2013 | 2013 Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Daily Notes | 43 Commentsby: Sky
You ever have that one friend who you try and get out to do stuff but when you call he's always got a cold or not feeling well or just not up to it? You know the one. You spend all this time with them in a bunch of different settings but they're always 'sick' or 'hurt' when you try to get them out. 'Are they a hypochondriac?', you ask yourself. 'Do they need more vitamin C in their diet?', you muse. 'Are they just feeling embarrassed after a BBC porn marathon?', you giggle to yourself. You just don't know but you don't trust it's really a health issue. So you start asking them to go do things less and less and eventually...well it's not that you hate the guy/girl but you're not really friends with them anymore either. So you start hanging out with other people in those social settings and slowly move away from spending time with them. I bring this awkward analogy to the table to talk with you about Hakeem Nicks. Per my private sources (i.e. the search function on twitter), the wideout coach Kevin Gilbride - and honestly most of the staff/ownership - are getting a bit fed up with the always nicked up Nicks. Per this twitter guy, Gilbride's quoted as saying 'I think he needs to... practice. He knows it. He and I talk about it all the time and he knows it'. Now Nicks is no Allen Iverson, but with another DTD next to his name as he recovers from a groin injury, I'm feeling more and more confident in my Hakeem Nicks Overrated post earlier this summer. Practice is there for continuity, it's there to make for a solid understanding of how to approach the season as a team. Anyone who doesn't think in some part not having Nicks ready to go on time last year didn't throw things off is lying to themselves. But as I hate to be a downer for everyone, I'm gonna find the silver lining and guide you in that direction...in the next player blurb! But before I do that, I want to remind you to kiss your mother, tell her that you love her and to join/create an RCL. Don't know how? Well here's a guide to all that is our Razzball Commenter Leagues that you've always wanted to know but were afraid to ask. But enough shameless promotion, on with the show. Let's continue on with our training camp notes for 2013 Fantasy Football...
2013 Lions Fantasy Football Preview
August 2, 2013 | 2013 Fantasy Football, 2013 Fantasy Football Team Previews | 17 Commentsby: JB Gilpin
For a fourth straight season, Razzball will be interviewing local NFL beat writers for some actual in-depth football knowledge to shed some additional light on our fantasy football knowledge. Keep your eye out for an interview for every NFL team through the summer. This installment comes courteous of Sean Yuille from leading Detroit Lions blog Pride Of Detroit:
It's that time of year, rookie drafts are starting and the all important question, who do I draft? Who will be the next Doug Martin and who will be the next Mark Ingram, yuck... To be honest it really is impossible to tell who will be the next great rookie running back to break out will be and as seen by Redskins rookie Alfred Morris last year it really is as much about opportunity than as it is about talent, skill and potential. If you followed my rookie running back preview and pre-draft rankings you probably saw that I was a little higher than I should have been on my my Jonathan Franklin, what can I say, I'm no NFL scout, I'm just a guy that loves football and tried to call them like I see them. With recent news the Eddie Lacy isn't looking great in training camp, although im not buying into it yet, it may open up the door for Franklin who I think is a perfect fit in Green Bay. Well enough about my Franklin obsession let's take a look at my Top 20 dynasty running backs.
