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Welcome to one of our last strategy sessions of the preseason (I think it’s our last. Besides comparing our rankings with those of ESPN, Yahoo, and CBS… which isn’t really strategy as it is, “haha, look how funny they are at ranking things type of post”). This is probably the biggest draft week (and weekend) in Fantasy Football, and I’m sure there are plenty out there who either play in formats that either start two quarterbacks, or change their touchdown point value from four to six. And in that regard, I bring you a post that should kill two birds with one stone, because ef birds, but also look guys at my profound ability to both have amazing geometric awareness and mind-bending arm dexterity to actually kill a living animal that can fly by bouncing a stone off of both of them!

Want to take on Razzball writers and contributors in the great game of Fantasy Football? For Prizes? OH MY GOD YES. Where do you sign up? Great question! (Even though you didn’t technically ask. I mean, you might have, but I couldn’t hear you…) You can join here!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

romoinjury2016

Now that the weekend has ended and we’re that much closer to the start of the NFL season, one has to ask (especially Cowboys fans and Tony Romo fantasy owners): Can I get off this wild ride? No. No you may not is probably the answer. After Tony Romo took a hit from Seattle’s Cliff Avril during a benign slide this past Thursday, the chronological order of what then took place was as follows:

  • “Romo Back Throwing on the Sidelines.” [Source.]
  • “Romo talks about minor back injury, seems completely fine. No X-rays needed.” [Video.]
  • “Tony Romo had an MRI Friday and has a broken bone in his back.” [Source.]

Well, that certainly escalated quickly. Oh, and what’s that imaginary narrative voice used as a vehicle to add a nice flourish whilst moving to another but related point to what was just stated? There’s more…? Oh god…

  • “Romo to wear back brace. Garrett not ruling him out for week one.” [Source.]

LOL, Jason Garrett, never change my man. Anyhow, there are certainly some fantasy implications with such an injury, and to be completely frank, there are probably real life implications for your liver at the moment if you’ve ever found yourself residing in the Dallas area or if you’ve ever been afflicted at all by Romoliciousness (it’s a real thing, trust me). But let’s all be honest with ourselves at this present time… you’re used to it by now… right? I mean, you have to be.

So, the rankings have been updated already, but here’s how it all settled, at least until they install a robotic spine into Romo’s body and I have to change everything all over again…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

I’m proud to introduce this year’s iteration of Razzball’s very own draft tool: The War Room. First created by frequent community member and once-contributor: Nico, I’m happy to report that I’ve worked with him to bring this year’s version. You may know the Baseball version, and the Fantasy Football one follows the same general application. Here’s a brief rundown of what this tool can do for you…

  • The “User Input” feature enables customization of league sizes, roster settings, flex settings, and PPR settings.
  • The “War Room” tab summarizes the number of players taken by each team, and ranks each team by position.
  • The “Cheat Sheet” displays players in order of the 2016 Razzball Rankings, fully sortable, of course.
  • The “Projections” tab is a full display of the 2016 Razzball Projections, for those who like more in-depth information.

“Keep in mind, this spreadsheet is not locked, so if you’re an Ex(cel)pert, you can further customize this worksheet as needed. While the War Room is an excellent in-draft tool, I’ve found that a lot of value can come from it post-draft as well. Going back through the draft picks and assigning only the anticipated starters to each team can provide an even more accurate analysis of the league after draft day.” – Nico.

So after the jump, I’m happy to provide the 2016 Fantasy Football War Room!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

As I’ve been alluding to in the quite recent past, or peppering, if you will, and I might (because steak?), the projections, like winter, were coming. And since winter is most definitely here (in the Game of Thrones sense, not the literal sense), there is no more alluding anymore folks. DEATH TO ALL ALLUSIONS. Because someone once told me that time is a flat circle. Everything we’ve done or will do, we’re going to do over and over again. Alright-alright-alright. In this regard, I wouldn’t mind if this day kept repeating itself. Because of steak, the end of allusions, and the arrival of our 2016 Fantasy Football Projections. Could use more boobs though. I’ll look into that. (Life story bruh.)

Now, before we get to the good stuff, I just wanted to go over a few things. First, these projections (for over 350 players!) aren’t just some random numbers put into random places for random people to look at. They are based on career performance, last year’s performance, the player’s durability, etc., and so those all these things are mixed, stirred, shaken, whichever you prefer, and then the math happens. I then take what the math did and put my own touches on it (legal touches), altering the numbers a bit here and there. Granted, we aren’t the big boys like ESPN, Yahoo, and CBS, but I’ve been very happy with our system these past few years. (And I should note that we beat out all three in rankings accuracy the past two years we’ve been here, including many-many other major outlets.) Second, you probably won’t see an exact correlation with our projections and our rankings. There will be matches, for sure, but think of the projections as a range-estimation (is that a term?) for what we think the players will produce. While I went with a more conservative approach here, don’t be surprised if there’s a 5% (or close to) swing in either direction for some players who either end up over-performing or under-performing. Just the nature of the beast.

And before we get to the projections, I’d like to thank Rudy, for whom this would not be possible. I’m just going to assume dark wizardry was involved, and just keep my mouth shut. I shall sacrifice several Twix bars in your honor!

Note: These projections will be updated if there are any major injuries or other shifting events, like Eddie Lacy magically not sucking any more, and there will also be minor edits at least once a week, so be sure to check in here and there. Also, very soon, we’ll be adding 14-team auction values as a sortable category, and we’ll also be adding position specific projection pages so you can sort that way as well!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

blogtalkradio

If you haven’t already, you can listen to the podcast that was recorded during this draft here, which was hosted by former ESPN producer Pod Vader. Come to think of it, he not only hosted the league, he was a special host for the actual podcast. Two birds! One stone! You know how the saying goes… and if you don’t, no worries! Just blame Obama! Anyhow, with this expert draft in the books, it’s time to write about said draft in the self-deprecating manner that captivates all of my first dates (and not so coincidentally, last dates) to no end. So first, let’s introduce the players: ESPN’s former Producer Pod Vader, Fantasy Insiders‘ Joel Henard, SportsGalPal‘s Ramona Rice, Her Fantasy Football’s Brandon Marianne LeeMatt Chatham from Football by FootballWally Spurlin from Fantasy Football Sharks, D-Rex (yes, that’s his name, no, he’s not a dinosaur, unfortunately) from PyromaniacDaily Fantasy Sports Rankings‘ Doug Norrie, Pro Football Weekly‘s John Sahly, and Jay from Razzball (hey, that’s me!) And now? My team!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

GOTrazzRCLdraftComing

Actually, a few have already happened (and we’ll talk about them a bit after the jump), but, just like the title alludes to, the table is set, the forks and spoons are in their right place, and hopefully there’s food ready and on the way. In terms of the RCL universe (since I’m hungry and if there are any more food metaphors, I’ll eventually end up eating my monitor), the “league” has taken shape and drafts are about to begin. (But that doesn’t mean you still can’t create and join your choice of RCLs!) And, I want to touch on this: when I say “league”, I mean league, not leagues. Because ef pluralization… I mean, what has it ever done for me? Regardless, you have to remember, this is one complete universal league. The Milky Way of Fantasy Football if you will, including Antonio Brown, Saturn, and of course, Uranus. Don’t roll your eyes, you knew it was coming. Regardless, what I’m trying to say is, join any league you like, create as many as you want, and be part… of the universe. Mutha. Effing. Deep.

Now, as promised last paragraph (remember the good old days?), there actually have already been some drafts that have taken place (including a league hosted by yours truly, Lord Tehol, and our very own Stan Son!) and we’ll take a look at some of what happened in these three leagues to give everyone a general idea of what a terrible idea it is to draft early. I swear, half my team will be injured by the end of the preseason…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Now, if you’ve been a reader here at the football side of Razz, you know that I try to stay away from the title of “expert” whenever possible, except in reference to watching porn (the single life!), as I’m just a dude that likes writing about football… that’s it. But whenever this nomenclature comes up, you have that one guy (or girl… please?) explaining that we are not experts and blah-blah-yadda-yadda, ef the establishment! In which case, I kinda agree, but can’t we just accept that this is the title of the league and I’m not really going to take the time to say: 10-team league full of seasoned-writers that decided to get together to form a league so we can see who reigns supreme? That’s right, I’m just going to put it in the lede to take up space until we get to the Podcast link…

Anyhow, like the title denotes, this Podcast (on the Blogtalkradio Network) was recorded during our “EXPERT, MUTHAF*CKER” draft, and among the teams, you’ll find those “seasoned” fantasy vets such as ESPN’s former Producer Pod Vader, Fantasy InsidersJoel Henard, SportsGalPal‘s Ramona Rice, Her Fantasy Football’s Brandon Marianne LeeMatt Chatham from Football by FootballWally Spurlin from Fantasy Football Sharks, D-Rex (yes, that’s his name, no, he’s not a dinosaur, unfortunately) from PyromaniacDaily Fantasy Sports Rankings‘ Doug Norrie, Pro Football Weekly‘s John Sahly, and Jay from Razzball (hey, that’s me!)

I’ll have my own analysis of the draft in a few short days, but in the meantime, enjoy the show!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Well, if you hadn’t noticed, (which is most likely the case), we have our very own Fantasy Football Draft Kit! Yay us! (And you!) While calling it a “kit” makes it sound like some kind of Inspector Gadget wonder-tool, or, I don’t know, a Trans Am that has an artificial intelligence with an oh-so-soothing voice that blows sh*t up, because: 80’s television yo… well, it’s much more than that. It’s your one-stop destination for everything drafty (is that a word?) that originates from Razzball (that’s us!). You’ll find all of our Fantasy Football Rankings and auction values here in one place, and in the not too distant future, you’ll see our projections. On top of that (oh yes, there’s more, and it goes on top), it’ll be updated daily as we produce content. There will also be upcoming division previews and comparisons between our rankings and those of our peers (ESPN and Yahoo mainly). And while I can’t promise our Draft Kit will have Skynet like abilities in wiping out your competition AND the entire human race with robots that have an Austrian accent… we do promise to try to keep you entertained and informed. Because that’s what we do. (I hope!) Word.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Welcome back for another strategy session, where you and I sit down, group our intellect together, and prepare to discuss fantasy football ad nauseum… and then promptly get distracted by RedTube. So pretty much every other Wednesday. (Well, for me, at least.) We already have a Beginners Guide to Fantasy Football, for those of you who had no idea fantasy football existed… I’m sure there are dozens of you. DOZENS! But now that we have the “101” stuff out of the way, we arrive at the “Do’s and Don’ts” of a draft. As what should be pretty self explanatory, there are things that you should do and things that you should not do. Crazy stuff! I know. Granted, these are based on my own experiences within the fantasy football landscape, so take them for what you will. Which frankly, should be lots. Because it’s free. Free stuff is always good. Unless it’s crayfish in your pants. That’s something that’s free, mysterious, titillating, and scary all at the same time. Much like my lovemaking.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Soooo, yeah, I got bored. What can I say? Even with such an illustrious life of binge drinking and hanging out with your mom, there are empty spaces to fill. And I give you something that came out of one of those spaces. And while this is probably considered more a table than a chart (and a crude one at that!), I wouldn’t have been able to make a nautical joke in the title. I’m all about the nautical jokes, baby. The thought process here is, (and be careful, you’ll be entering my thoughts, so duck if you see heavy amounts of tacos, or, you know, do your best motorboat impersonation):

“Well, you know what I would really like? Besides a fudgesicle? Actually, that’s all I’d really like. Wait, then I can’t explain my chart. Well… okay, but this is the last favor I’m doing for you. (What, this is how my brain works… kinda makes you wonder why you are even here, right?) So… what I’d like right now, besides fudge in my mouth, is a sort of reference thingamajig and tells me where all my picks will land if I’m picking, let’s say, 5th in a 12-team draft. Where are the rest of my picks? WHERE I ASK YOU! Look at all this internal strife. FUUUUDGE.”

So, you see all that? I needed something to tell me where my picks are, because I react to math like I do canned asparagus. This is a bad thing for all you canned asparagus lovers out there. All three of you. So, here’s a nifty chart/table-thang (thing?) that won’t necessarily help you navigate international waters, but might come in handy during your drafts…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

We are approaching the beginning of the Fantasy Football season. SURPRISE! There are Fantasy Football Rankings everywhere, the Draft Strategy series has begun, and everything is falling into place except for one big thing (that’s what she said). That’s right, your potential team name remains the one true mystery that must be solved. Be the Sherlock of your league. Don’t be the Dr. Watson. I mean, do be a doctor if you can, that seems like an admirable profession that pays well. More like… don’t be the “Watson” part. Actually, being Watson isn’t that bad either, since you get to star in a plethora of Hobbit movies with a guy who wears spandex and ping-pong balls as a living. So, actually, you can be both those guys AND have an amazing team name. That’s what I’m trying to say. I think. Anyhow, allow me to introduce the Razzball Fantasy Football Team Name Generator.

Post some of your favorites below!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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What this picture presupposes is, maybe it should be?

Welcome to what could be called the “first installment” of our 2016 Draft Strategy. This journey will help prepare you for Draft day, and will likely also be filled with an assortment of snacks ranging from TWIX® candy bars and FUNYUNS®, basically what I like to call: breakfast. And don’t tell me why they’re written all in caps, that’s their official “name”, so I can only assume that we are meant to shout it out every time, which, now that I think of it, seems totally natural. Q: “What are you hungry for?” A: “TWIX MOTHER F*CKER!” See what I mean? Regardless, this opening salvo of strategic knowledge (everything sounds better when weaponized) is focused for those of you who have no idea what fantasy football is or what it does. And yes, to all the Razzball regulars, you’ve read this before, but I know there are some of you out there that are new to the site or new to the game. If so, this Beginners Guide to Fantasy Football is for you. And listen, don’t be afraid of being the “noob”, that’s not a derogatory title for me. It can be derogatory, but for those who do use it as a negative descriptor, just remember, they were noobs once too. We all have to start somewhere… Which is probably your mom’s basement. And if that’s the case, you’ve completed half the journey, some would say. (Me!)

So, you want to play Fantasy Football? Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!

Please, blog, may I have some more?