Championship Sunday Round-Up: Let the Narratives Begin!

So, after taking a few days to wait for the dust cloud of Championship Sunday to clear, we now have our Super Bowl teams; the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. And of course it wouldn’t be a Patriots appearance without the inevitable “something-gate” taking place (this time, deflate-gate, which sounds like a sexual maneuver by Gronk), but I doubt this type of thing comes as a surprise. Even if it did, I doubt it was the reason the Colts lost by 98 points and couldn’t tackle. But don’t worry folks, we have two weeks for the media to fill in empty space, and while a Packers/Patriots match-up might have provided a bonanza of narratives, the Packers made sure to try as hard as they possibly could to make sure that it didn’t happen. So here we are. The Seahawks and Patriots is, at least on paper, an intriguing match-up. True, the same could be said of last year’s game, but here’s hoping for a Super Bowl that’s at least entertaining till half-time…

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Sunday Games, Week 17: A Penny for Your Watts

by: Jay

While last week marked the end of the fantasy seasonfor many of you, this week will mark the end of the real football season (and I guess also the end of some fantasy seasons for leagues that forgot to set their playoffs correctly). The great tournament is just about set (sans the seeding), with only the Panthers and Falcons deciding who gets to wear the dumpster fire crown (which, believe it or not, is also on fire) for the NFC South title, and just the Chargers, Ravens, Chiefs, and Texans vying for the last wild card position in the AFC. The Chargers path is the least treacherous, (win-and-you’re-in), which probably means you should prepare for their usual bed-sh*tting. That being said, the three other teams have their own mountains to climb. The Ravens need to win against the Browns combined with a Chargers loss. The Chiefs need a win against the Chargers combined with a Ravens loss at home and a Texans loss. And for the Texans to make the playoffs, well… let’s just say they need Conner Shaw, Chase Daniel, and Case Keenum to lead their respective teams to victory. So… yeah. Good luck with that Texans!

Week 17 Rankings have been updated for today’s games for all your roster needs. You can check them out here.

Don’t know who to start due to it being the last Sunday of the season? Here’s some Week 17 roster strategy for the AFC and NFC.

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Rankings, Week 17

December 27, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, 2014 Weekly Rankings | 10 Comments

by: Jay

2014 In-Season Accuracy: 58.10% (31st out of 125 Experts, 60.70% Highest, 50.60% Lowest).

Week 16 Results: 56.20% (70th out of 122 Experts, 65.60% Highest, 45.30% Lowest).

	Accuracy	Rank	Experts	Highest	Lowest	Score +/-	Rank +/-
Week 1	61.80%	22	134	66.10%	48.20%
Week 2	54.00%	35	135	61.30%	42.10%	-7.80%	-13
Week 3	57.40%	88	128	67.10%	44.30%	3.40%	-53
Week 4	56.50%	48	128	61.10%	42.80%	-0.90%	40
Week 5	56.50%	70	131	69.40%	47.00%	0.00%	-22
Week 6	56.30%	27	133	63.10%	41.50%	-0.20%	43
Week 7	59.70%	33	132	64.30%	46.50%	3.40%	-6
Week 8	56.30%	67	130	64.80%	45.20%	-3.40%	-34
Week 9	60.30%	23	131	66.00%	46.10%	4.00%	44
Week 10	57.80%	68	130	66.90%	48.40%	-2.50%	-45
Week 11	52.10%	64	131	67.60%	42.60%	-5.70%	4
Week 12	59.10%	29	129	66.20%	42.40%	7.00%	35
Week 13	58.40%	73	130	71.40%	48.40%	-0.70%	-44
Week 14	56.30%	59	131	63.70%	40.30%	-2.10%	14
Week 15	64.10%	24	128	68.20%	53.50%	7.80%	35
Week 16	56.20%	70	122	65.60%	45.30%	-7.90%	-46
Totals	58.10%	31	125	60.70%	50.60%

And now, your Week 17 Rankings…

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DraftKings: Pop A Kap In Dat GPP

December 26, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, DraftKings | 8 Comments

by: Sky

I know, I need a bath now too. Here it is, week 17. The final slate of games and it’s actually a full one; no TNF or MNF or TNF on SN where the ‘S’ is for ‘Saturday’ which they can’t use because that’s for ‘Sunday Night Football’. Yup, 16 games ripe with intrigue and I lead off with talking Colin Kaepernick. I guess my new year’s resolution is to lose readers. WELP. I know it’s hard to get with the idea of this. Honestly, it’s hard to feel comfortable making the call for me too but here I am looking back on why I liked Russell Wilson last week and nothing has changed about the why. Both are QBs who can run and Arizona rarely leaves a spy on the backfield to stop that from happening and don’t look now but Kap has now rushed for over 40 yards in back to back games and rushed at least 7 times. Methinks the O-Co finally figured out that a Colin stuck in the pocket is a Colin wasted. Not like crunk wasted, more like ‘not used correctly’ wasted. It’s been a trying time for his seasonal owners. Trust me, I know, I suffered through him in one in a two QB league. Guess what? I picked up Kyle Orton and he never saw the light of day again for my team. But this is probably a Harbaugh swan song and I think he goes out and lets his guys do what they do and what Colin can do is run as showcased last week when he racked up 7/151/1 on the ground on his way to a 31.7 DK fantasy point night. What was the passing line you ask? Ehhhh…let’s not talk about that. The point is, his rushing game was worth 24.1 alone. I can’t say he’ll replicate but for a GPP go, I’m about to pop a Kap in dat and he has a cheap pairing partner that will also go under the radar…what, I ain’t tellin you now. This is the epic last DK post for fantasy football of the year, I’m gonna make you suffer. So strap in – or strap on, we won’t judge you – as we slide through this final go. So with no further ado, here it is: my final hot take on 2014 fantasy football DK slate…

New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well try out this 20 team league of Razzball writers and friends to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It lets us know that you care!

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Impressive Prime Time Win for Bengals. Wait, What?

December 23, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Daily Notes | 17 Comments

by: Jay

Thus marks the end of Monday Night Football for the 2014 NFL Season. I can’t say it was a great catalog of games, but when your prime time competition is Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football, I guess finishing in the middle ain’t that bad. And while the game immediately looked like a normal Bengals effort, Andy Dalton’s pick-six at the opening of the game seemed to have no ill-effects. Well, I mean, there was the Alex Smith game plan for a while there, but that only showed us that Jeremy Hill can do interesting things, especially against one of the best defenses in the AFC (not really saying much, but there it is.) In the end, Manning continues his descent into a smarter and more robotic Chad Henne, and depending on how the playoffs go, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him retire this offseason. Or he could play one more year and effectively throw ducks for 4,000 yards and 30+ touchdowns. That forehead could do it. Just as long as January has nothing to say about it…

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Streamers, Week 16: Last Call

December 18, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, Roster Strategy | 6 Comments

by: Nico

Good afternoon to my very few dedicated followers. I regret to inform you that this will be my last streamer post of the year… I hope that I have steered you in the right direction, more often than not, during the course of the season. This is not a time for sadness, but a time for rejoicing. For the closing of the fantasy football season summons the beginning of the fantasy baseball season, in which Grey will entertain us with his daily quips. It’s just around the corner, folks, and many sleepers have already been posted, so get yourself over to the baseball page immediately! Also, thanks to all the commenters for your input this season. It’s been fun. Don’t hesitate to connect with me on Twitter either. Anywho, we’re here for football, so luckily, that’s what I’m going to give you. Championship Week streamers here we come:

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IDP Rankings, Week 16: Keep It Simple

December 18, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, IDP Report | 16 Comments

by: Kevin Kumpf

2014 In-Season Accuracy: 57.0% (3rd out of 20 Experts, 58.4% Highest, 48.1% Lowest).

If you’re still reading these posts, you either made your Championship game, play in an ill-advised 17-week league, or spend far too much time thinking about the intricacies of IDP fantasy football. Regardless of your motivations, I congratulate you for making it this far. In a season that has been marked by untimely injuries to highly drafted stars as well as surprising breakouts from previous no-names, it’s been easy to ignore the absolute domination of J.J. Watt. From an IDP perspective, he was the first man off the board in most drafts, so me talking about him every week would be like Jay telling you to start Peyton Manning or Jamaal Charles. But let’s not ignore the fact that Watt has now reeled off a ridiculous three straight seasons as the #1 DL, and he’s put up top 10 overall IDP numbers in that time. Most DLs will have a breakout season, followed by opposing offenses adjusting, performances regressing, etc. If anything, Watt has gotten better.

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Rankings, Week 16

December 18, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, 2014 Weekly Rankings | 81 Comments

by: Jay

2014 In-Season Accuracy: 58.30% (26th out of 127 Experts, 60.70% Highest, 50.40% Lowest).

Week 15 Results: 64.10% (24th out of 128 Experts, 68.20% Highest, 53.50% Lowest).

	Accuracy	Rank	Experts	Highest	Lowest	Score +/-	Rank +/-
Week 1	61.80%	22	134	66.10%	48.20%
Week 2	54.00%	35	135	61.30%	42.10%	-7.80%	-13
Week 3	57.40%	88	128	67.10%	44.30%	3.40%	-53
Week 4	56.50%	48	128	61.10%	42.80%	-0.90%	40
Week 5	56.50%	70	131	69.40%	47.00%	0.00%	-22
Week 6	56.30%	27	133	63.10%	41.50%	-0.20%	43
Week 7	59.70%	33	132	64.30%	46.50%	3.40%	-6
Week 8	56.30%	67	130	64.80%	45.20%	-3.40%	-34
Week 9	60.30%	23	131	66.00%	46.10%	4.00%	44
Week 10	57.80%	68	130	66.90%	48.40%	-2.50%	-45
Week 11	52.10%	64	131	67.60%	42.60%	-5.70%	4
Week 12	59.10%	29	129	66.20%	42.40%	7.00%	35
Week 13	58.40%	73	130	71.40%	48.40%	-0.70%	-44
Week 14	56.30%	59	131	63.70%	40.30%	-2.10%	14
Week 15	64.10%	24	128	68.20%	53.50%	7.80%	35
Totals	58.30%	26	127	60.70%	50.40%

And now, your Week 16 Rankings…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: Randle’s So Cheap, It’s Almost Like Shoplifting

December 17, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, DraftKings | 53 Comments

by: Sky

It seems like so long ago at this point but you remember when Joseph Randle made headlines? No, no silly, not for how he played on the field. It was his shopping for a five finger discount that rose an eyebrow or two. It’s one thing to steal when you’re poor or at least an intriguing item but…underwear and cologne? Do they correlate? Are you trying to tell us something, Randle? Did someone have an accident while at the mall and couldn’t think of a better way to cover it up other than a change and a spray? Did you even wipe? Oh well, bygones. Let’s look at why we’re actually here to talk about Randle. DeMarco Murray’s hand done broked and the likelihood of him starting this week is slim to NOOOOOOOPE. Sorry, had a Lana Kane moment. Again, it may be that by Thursday, we know Randle isn’t even starting but as of right now, I want all the Randle I can handle and at $3,000, I can handle a lot. Heading into Monday Night’s game, only the Saints have given up more fantasy points to opposing RBs over the last four weeks. Yes, that does still look back on the Pats game where Jonas Gray scored 4 but the opponents since haven’t exactly been rushing juggernauts. With how good the Dallas offensive line has been all year, it’s hard to imagine them deviating from what has gotten them to 10-4 just because their lead back is out. If Randle is starting, I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s a must play but 20+ touch opportunity at a minimum price doesn’t come along very often. Probably locked into most lineups both for cash and tourney, you are either playing with the crowd to exploit other prices or you fight against the current. I won’t hate you either way. Well, at least not about this topic. But enough talk, have at you. Here’s my red hot takes for the week 16 DK slate…

New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well try out this 10 team league of Razzball writers and friends to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It lets us know that you care!

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Streamers, Week 15: McCown and Out

December 11, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, Roster Strategy | 32 Comments

by: Nico

Happy Thursday everyone! Don’t you worry your little hearts, your highly anticipated streamer article is here. Since the Streamer Department is newer staple here at Razzball, I want to try something a little different this week. 90% of the players I write about on here I’ve written about before. You can check those stats! In order to stop boring you or going too in-depth with the obvious about how great a player’s matchup is, I want to keep my player descriptions short. I also understand that all of these players are not available in every league, so I want to encourage you readers to ask more personally tailored questions in the comment section. Josh McCown isn’t available in your league, but Teddy Bridgewater and Geno Smith are? Gross! But you’re probably playing Bridgewater and saying your prayers. You don’t know what color to paint your living room? Seafoam green! This is why I’m here, and this is when your roster decisions matter most. So ask me, ask Jay, ask Smokey or ask your Grandma! The more input, the better chance we have of helping you win!

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IDP Rankings, Week 15: The Replacements

December 11, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, IDP Report | 12 Comments

by: Kevin Kumpf

2014 In-Season Accuracy: 56.4% (4th out of 21 Experts, 59.3% Highest, 45.9% Lowest).

This season has felt like a warzone on the IDP front, with more highly-drafted players going down to serious injuries than any year in recent memory. I’ve been dwelling on this fact since we all lost Derrick Johnson in Week 1, but as bittersweet as it can be, injuries can often create the kind of opportunities that allow sharp owners to capitalize and ultimately win championships. The playoffs have just begun, but the ripple effect of injuries has already been felt all over the IDP landscape. Of the top 10 IDP scorers in Week 14, only 1 of them was the top player at their position on their own team heading into the season. And only one other player was likely even drafted. Let’s take a closer look at these guys and see if we can learn anything:

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Rankings, Week 15

December 11, 2014 | 2014 Fantasy Football, 2014 Weekly Rankings | 89 Comments

by: Jay

2014 In-Season Accuracy: 57.80% (29th out of 127 Experts, 60.60% Highest, 49.70% Lowest).

Week 14 Results: 56.30% (59th out of 131 Experts, 63.70% Highest, 40.30% Lowest).

	Accuracy	Rank	Experts	Highest	Lowest	Score +/-	Rank +/-
Week 1	61.80%	22	134	66.10%	48.20%
Week 2	54.00%	35	135	61.30%	42.10%	-7.80%	-13
Week 3	57.40%	88	128	67.10%	44.30%	3.40%	-53
Week 4	56.50%	48	128	61.10%	42.80%	-0.90%	40
Week 5	56.50%	70	131	69.40%	47.00%	0.00%	-22
Week 6	56.30%	27	133	63.10%	41.50%	-0.20%	43
Week 7	59.70%	33	132	64.30%	46.50%	3.40%	-6
Week 8	56.30%	67	130	64.80%	45.20%	-3.40%	-34
Week 9	60.30%	23	131	66.00%	46.10%	4.00%	44
Week 10	57.80%	68	130	66.90%	48.40%	-2.50%	-45
Week 11	52.10%	64	131	67.60%	42.60%	-5.70%	4
Week 12	59.10%	29	129	66.20%	42.40%	7.00%	35
Week 13	58.40%	73	130	71.40%	48.40%	-0.70%	-44
Week 14	56.30%	59	131	63.70%	40.30%	-2.10%	14
Totals	57.80%	29	127	60.60%	49.70%

And now, your Week 15 Rankings…

Please, blog, may I have some more?