Back to our Trade Expert to go through three more recent trades. Here's Esco's thoughts:
Okay, after another flurry of trade activity its time to hand out some grades. Thankfully Zacherman isn’t involved in any of these trades so I don’t need to worry about any angry gchats about how every trade deserves an A+.
This first one is a little old since we’ve had a game since it happened but it’s quick and easy so here we go and again the “Projected Points” is what Yahoo! estimates for each player for the remainder of the season.
Kimmel (Players to Trade):
James Starks GB (RB) Projected Points: 75
Bennett (Players to Trade):
Mike Williams TB (WR) Projected Points: 63
Yahoo Winner: Bennett narrowly edges Kimmel here. Also important to note that both players still have their byes coming up so no one gets a boost there.
Best Player Involved: Ugh, this is really a wash. Both guys came into the year with lots of fantasy pundits touting their upside after promising regular seasons (Williams) and playoffs (Starks) last year. Neither has gotten anywhere near the levels of production expected so far. I’m going to give this to Mike Williams and Kimmel for one reason. Green Bay clearly wants Starks to take control of the starting job in Green Bay and he has had every opportunity imaginable already to do that, his upside is pretty much zero. At least with Williams you can hope Josh Freeman can get back to last year’s level of play and Williams all of a sudden becomes a solid WR2.
Potential Starters Received: You both basically traded a flex for a flex. This makes Bennett pretty weak at wide receiver since you will now have to start the corpse of Hines Ward or Steve Breaston for the rest of the year but it doesn’t affect the bottom line of either team that much.
Conclusions: No one got screwed here, and no one did any screwing. This was a low risk low reward move. Maybe Bennett was sick of having Williams for a year and a half now, maybe Kimmel thinks Starks is about to blow up. Either way I’m giving you both a B. Nothing outstanding, nothing truly creative, not surprising at all that Bennett was involved with this.
Okay on to the bigger trades of this week
Kimmel (Players to Trade):
Frank Gore SF (RB) Projected Points: 107
Ajay (Players to Trade)
Willis McGahee Den (RB) Projected Points: 113
Matt Stafford Det (QB) Projected Points: 175
Also Kimmel is dropping Marcedes Lewis but the man once traded for a chicken wing has really fallen off since he signed his new 35 million dollar deal at the beginning of the year so not a huge loss.
Yahoo Winner: I don’t know what idiot at Yahoo thinks McGahee is more valuable for the rest of the year than Gore but Kimmel wins in a landslide here 288-107. Gore does have his bye this week while McGahee is already past his but I don’t think that is enough to make Yahoo’s projections make sense.
Best Player Involved: This is an easy one for me. Gore showed against the Lions that he is still a top back and the 49ers are going to ride him until his legs fall off. Probably not a good player to go for next year in the draft but for now he is a must start back every week. All 3 players involved here carry some injury risk with their pasts so that evens out here. Stafford is good but he is not nearly on the same level fantasy wise as Gore just yet.
Potential Starters Received: Another obvious one. All 3 players involved here are instant starters for their new teams. Kimmel currently has zero QBs on his team and before that he had only Andy Dalton and Sexy Rexy so this is a huge upgrade for him. Both teams are very thin at running back so I see no point in the future where both running backs aren’t starting for their team.
Conclusions: Both of these teams are on the cusp of the playoffs but I would call neither a lock to make it with their current teams. Something needed to happen to mix it up and this certainly qualifies. Stafford was expendable for Ajay just like Rivers was for Zacherman last week and Big Ben was for Alan this week so he basically got an upgrade at RB for nothing. I’m worried McGahee may eventually lose his job to Moreno as he returns to health but Kimmel already has Knowshon so that shouldn’t be a concern for him. Ajay’s starting lineup becomes tremendously strong with this new addition and really your only concern now is injury because you have no depth but as long as that doesn’t happen I could see you being favored in most of your matchups here on out. Also just for thought, if I had to guess the over/unders on how many games each of very injury prone players would make it through this year:
McGahee: 14
Gore: 13
Stafford: 12
No one has missed a game yet so we will see how this plays out as the season progresses.
Rating:
Ajay: A- The only reason this isn’t an A is because now you have to scrounge on the waiver wire for a QB and the odds of Romo making it through the year intact are about the same as Stafford’s so that definitely should be a concern for you. Otherwise this trade really has no downside, your starting lineup is now definitely playoff worthy, I’m glad I already played you.
Kimmel: A If I were to grade your overall team it’s not nearly as strong or deep as Ajay’s but this trade does a lot more for you than it does for him. I think Ajay had better than 50% odds of making the playoffs before this; yours were maybe 15%. This takes your team from the bottom to a fighting chance. Usually 7-6 is the cutoff for the playoffs in our league so if you were to lose to Donny this week your fate may have been sealed and with the team you had before this I think you would have lost. Now you have a real chance to sneak in especially with all the teams currently hovering around 3-3 and 2-4.
Alan (Players to Trade):
Ben Roethlisberger Pit (QB) Projected Points: 163
Esco (Players to Trade):
Malcom Floyd SD (WR) Projected Points: 55
Pierre Thomas NO (RB) Projected Points: 63
Yahoo Winner: Big Ben outperforms Floyd and Thomas 163-118. Again I’m not really sure what the hell Yahoo is smoking here. Floyd is far far more valuable than Thomas is and I can’t understand how Yahoo doesn’t understand this.
Conclusions: I’m not going to go into full detail with a trade I am directly involved in but here are my thoughts. This makes Alan’s previous trade a definite A. He got value for his 2nd QB just like others did before. I think I overpaid slightly for Big Ben but I also have seen Vick get abused repeatedly every week and I can’t rely on Sam Bradford for anything so I really needed a quality backup. I’m not sure if I would start Floyd over Alan’s current WR2 Reggie Wayne but he certainly deserves constant consideration for your flex spot every week and in case the Saints have a mass of injuries Thomas gets a big boost in value.
Still a full month away from the trade deadline so plenty of time to make moves if you haven’t already, action is always better than inaction. Ask Chris Long if you don’t believe me.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Week 6 Rankings
As many of you have heard already, I will be moving to Austin, Texas in two weeks. This will affect the rankings in a few ways:
Pros: Because Tara is busy with law school, I’ll have more time to devote to these rankings outside of work, due to pure boredom among other things, and I hope to increase the functionality of the blog. Additionally, this opens up Austin as a more favorable draft location, and the New Orleans-Austin road trip becomes a definite for 2012. I also have 25 vacation days, which I’ll no longer be spending on my girlfriend, so I’ll be able to make all league meetings as long as I have enough notice.
Cons: The next two weeks will likely suffer because I have other shit to do to prepare for my move. After that, I have no idea what my work situation is going to be like, so the rankings may continue to suffer until I get my routine down.
If you don’t like those terms, I don’t care because it’s happening anyway.
Bitching About Kicking
QB – Rodgers 23, Gabbert 9 – Experts 107, Random 67
Difference per game of 8
RB – Foster 17, DMC 6 – Experts 74, Random 40
Difference per game of 6.8
WR – Calvin 19, Santonio 12 – Experts 82, Random 46
Difference per game of 7.2
TE – Graham 12, Olsen 8 – Experts 26, Random 26
Difference per game of 0
Kicker – Rackers 11, Vinatieri (Carpenter was on a bye) 8 – Experts 41, Random 36
Difference per game of 1
D/ST – Lions 7, Jets 5 – Experts 44, Random 54
Difference per game of -2
Lineups this week:
Experts: Rodgers, AP, Calvin, Graham, Rackers, Packers
Random: Campbell, DMC, Santana, Watson, Crosby, Pats
Week 6 Rankings
1. Esco – CPP: 158.25 – Last Week: 1st
Looks like you’re going to be getting comfortable up here. After Donnie finally lost last week, you stand alone as the last undefeated team. If you were playing half the teams in the league you would have gone down as well, but as it turned out Weissbard’s team forgot to show up. Those are the breaks you catch when you’re in first. This week you get my team, which shouldn’t be the one to dethrone you, but you are a little thin at receiver. Crazier things have happened but I see you staying here next week. And thank God, because if you lose…
2. Barnard – CPP: 143.42 – Last Week: 3rd
Good god Barnard cannot see first place in the CPP. Granted, the last time it happened was two years ago, and he promptly lost 7 straight and collapsed as bad as the Red Sox, but I still can’t stomach seeing him in first. As it stands I’ll be seeing him enough in person that I can’t have his team be successful. Which reminds me, everyone in this league is welcome to visit Austin whenever they want, however there is a hierarchy for who gets to crash on the couch. It goes Alan, then everyone else, then Barnard. Schedule your visits accordingly.
3. Kumpf – CPP: 126.22 – Last Week: 8th
For the first time I can remember, I have something clearly more important to do than write up these rankings. Will that stop me? We’ll see. Also I hate having my entire team besides the immortal Ed Dickson playing at 1pm. Even if I’m up 50 it won’t be enough. I get the bonus of having Daniel Thomas crush my upset bid against the Jets on MNF as the Fins drop closer to 0-16. I’m so glad I put $5 on “Will there be an 0-16 team?” at 30:1 during the preseason. Andrew Luck and a hundred fifty bucks makes it almost worth it.
4. Joseph – CPP: 124.90 – Last Week: 5th
The good news is you have the 4th most points in the league. The bad news is that you’re 2-3. But the somewhat good news is that puts you in the playoffs, if they started today. Honestly, just beating Donnie last week was enough to put you at #1 in my personal power rankings, but the numbers don’t lie. You should easily find .500 this week against Bennett, even if your WRs combine to put up 2 points again.
5. AGD – CPP: 118.35 – Last Week: 12th
I can’t figure out why you’re 2-3. I look at everyone’s team, and I think I might like yours the best. Obviously your QBs are a joke in real life, but they’ve done pretty well for you so far. I don’t think you have a clear area of improvement that needs to be addressed. And yet, sub-.500. The 505 points against explains part of it, but you’ve only broke 90 once. I think our teams have a similar problem, in that we have solid rosters, but will never blow people out of the water.
6. Autodraft – CPP: 117.31 – Last Week: 2nd
One week. I missed your team’s implosion by one fucking week. Your RB’s put up two combined points. Of course they did! They’re Stevan Ridley and Joseph Addai! I have to admit, when Megatron caught that 70-yard bomb on MNF, I thought you were gonna pull off the 38-point comeback. That’s how shit has worked for you the last year in this league. This week you get a streaking Ajay team who gets Miles Austin back. Is this when the tide finally starts to turn?
7. Ajay – CPP: 111.87 – Last Week: 10th
It’s pretty amazing that only 5 of our 14 teams are over .500. I don’t know what that says about the league or about this season, but it certainly gives Esco, Donaldson, and myself a big advantage in terms of making the playoffs. Ajay rounds out that over-.500 group and rightfully so. Thanks to McGahee’s resurgence, Ingram’s steady rise, and solid play at QB and WR, this is a team no one wants to play right now.
8. Zacherman – CPP: 110.19 – Last Week: 11th
If you win the championship, I’m not sure which you would rather get: the money, or the chance to say “I told you so” to everyone that doubted your trades. Okay, obviously it’s the money. But I’ve never seen someone so dead set on proving people wrong than you are with these trades. They look good after one week, I’ll say that. Whether they hold up remains to be seen.
9. Kimmel – CPP: 104.84 – Last Week: 6th
It always sucks losing after leading going into MNF. We’ve all been there. But I think your team has bigger issues. Looking at the production from your players last week, that’s really your best case scenario. And it was only 74 points. That’s not good. I know you lost Peyton and Britt, which is nearly impossible to bounce back from in this league, but I might try to trade one of my productive RBs for a WR that can give you something.
10. Alan – CPP: 97.61 – Last Week: 9th
You lost the annual Battle of the Brown, on MNF as well, which stings. Your team has a definite ceiling of about 85 points, and after that it’s really tough to imagine you hanging with anyone. So when your opponent drops 77, you need to take advantage. If I were you I’d be most pissed that Curtis Painter seems to only be banging Garcon and not Wayne (or Clark, much to my chagrin). On second thought, I’d be pissed that you gave up Andre to get Rivers, and then when you start him, you lose because of it. Or that you decided that Eric Decker and Jacoby Jones were worth starting over DeAngelo Williams. One of those reasons would get me pissed.
11. Weissbard – CPP: 91.65 – Last Week: 4th
God dammit Weissbard. You have to capitalize when a first place team lays an egg. Your team played so terribly, that I’ll let you sum it up in your own words:
Dan: it was embarassing
i think the worst i've had in my fantasy career
which says a lot considering my week 1
as well as
Dan: besides the fact that my team is awful this week
jacobs and blount both might not play
which already are mediocre at best players
so the fact that i'm hurting by them not playing pretty much describes my team
12. Gutman – CPP: 87.93 – Last Week: 14th
91 points! That’s awesome! Keep up the good work!
Seriously though, if we had played, we would have tied. So there’s that. Unfortunately you ran into the Nard Dog’s three-headed monster of AP, Fred Jackson and D-Bowe. If I were you I would start Painter the rest of the season, just to see who can win a game with him first, you or the Colts. I’ll take Colts -110 on that one.
13. Billy – CPP: 80.29 – Last Week: 7th
When I said that Arian and Brees could carry you to the playoffs, I thought you understood that it was implied that they would need help. Last week they put up 38 points combined, which is solid. No one else on your team broke 4. 4! That needs to change. Also, I’m going to be in New Orleans on Halloween and the day after. Not sure if you’re around, but let me know.
14. Bennett – CPP: 78.64 – Last Week: 13th
Everyone here knows I love the Home Alone movie franchise. And while Home Alone 2 is the superior movie, the first one laid the ground work. It also contained a quote that I think of every time I hear your name or look at your team. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTJ7t-pWc_0. Although it does use my name, I think it specifically applies to you, including your lame reaction of “Shut up.”
Pros: Because Tara is busy with law school, I’ll have more time to devote to these rankings outside of work, due to pure boredom among other things, and I hope to increase the functionality of the blog. Additionally, this opens up Austin as a more favorable draft location, and the New Orleans-Austin road trip becomes a definite for 2012. I also have 25 vacation days, which I’ll no longer be spending on my girlfriend, so I’ll be able to make all league meetings as long as I have enough notice.
Cons: The next two weeks will likely suffer because I have other shit to do to prepare for my move. After that, I have no idea what my work situation is going to be like, so the rankings may continue to suffer until I get my routine down.
If you don’t like those terms, I don’t care because it’s happening anyway.
Bitching About Kicking
QB – Rodgers 23, Gabbert 9 – Experts 107, Random 67
Difference per game of 8
RB – Foster 17, DMC 6 – Experts 74, Random 40
Difference per game of 6.8
WR – Calvin 19, Santonio 12 – Experts 82, Random 46
Difference per game of 7.2
TE – Graham 12, Olsen 8 – Experts 26, Random 26
Difference per game of 0
Kicker – Rackers 11, Vinatieri (Carpenter was on a bye) 8 – Experts 41, Random 36
Difference per game of 1
D/ST – Lions 7, Jets 5 – Experts 44, Random 54
Difference per game of -2
Lineups this week:
Experts: Rodgers, AP, Calvin, Graham, Rackers, Packers
Random: Campbell, DMC, Santana, Watson, Crosby, Pats
Week 6 Rankings
1. Esco – CPP: 158.25 – Last Week: 1st
Looks like you’re going to be getting comfortable up here. After Donnie finally lost last week, you stand alone as the last undefeated team. If you were playing half the teams in the league you would have gone down as well, but as it turned out Weissbard’s team forgot to show up. Those are the breaks you catch when you’re in first. This week you get my team, which shouldn’t be the one to dethrone you, but you are a little thin at receiver. Crazier things have happened but I see you staying here next week. And thank God, because if you lose…
2. Barnard – CPP: 143.42 – Last Week: 3rd
Good god Barnard cannot see first place in the CPP. Granted, the last time it happened was two years ago, and he promptly lost 7 straight and collapsed as bad as the Red Sox, but I still can’t stomach seeing him in first. As it stands I’ll be seeing him enough in person that I can’t have his team be successful. Which reminds me, everyone in this league is welcome to visit Austin whenever they want, however there is a hierarchy for who gets to crash on the couch. It goes Alan, then everyone else, then Barnard. Schedule your visits accordingly.
3. Kumpf – CPP: 126.22 – Last Week: 8th
For the first time I can remember, I have something clearly more important to do than write up these rankings. Will that stop me? We’ll see. Also I hate having my entire team besides the immortal Ed Dickson playing at 1pm. Even if I’m up 50 it won’t be enough. I get the bonus of having Daniel Thomas crush my upset bid against the Jets on MNF as the Fins drop closer to 0-16. I’m so glad I put $5 on “Will there be an 0-16 team?” at 30:1 during the preseason. Andrew Luck and a hundred fifty bucks makes it almost worth it.
4. Joseph – CPP: 124.90 – Last Week: 5th
The good news is you have the 4th most points in the league. The bad news is that you’re 2-3. But the somewhat good news is that puts you in the playoffs, if they started today. Honestly, just beating Donnie last week was enough to put you at #1 in my personal power rankings, but the numbers don’t lie. You should easily find .500 this week against Bennett, even if your WRs combine to put up 2 points again.
5. AGD – CPP: 118.35 – Last Week: 12th
I can’t figure out why you’re 2-3. I look at everyone’s team, and I think I might like yours the best. Obviously your QBs are a joke in real life, but they’ve done pretty well for you so far. I don’t think you have a clear area of improvement that needs to be addressed. And yet, sub-.500. The 505 points against explains part of it, but you’ve only broke 90 once. I think our teams have a similar problem, in that we have solid rosters, but will never blow people out of the water.
6. Autodraft – CPP: 117.31 – Last Week: 2nd
One week. I missed your team’s implosion by one fucking week. Your RB’s put up two combined points. Of course they did! They’re Stevan Ridley and Joseph Addai! I have to admit, when Megatron caught that 70-yard bomb on MNF, I thought you were gonna pull off the 38-point comeback. That’s how shit has worked for you the last year in this league. This week you get a streaking Ajay team who gets Miles Austin back. Is this when the tide finally starts to turn?
7. Ajay – CPP: 111.87 – Last Week: 10th
It’s pretty amazing that only 5 of our 14 teams are over .500. I don’t know what that says about the league or about this season, but it certainly gives Esco, Donaldson, and myself a big advantage in terms of making the playoffs. Ajay rounds out that over-.500 group and rightfully so. Thanks to McGahee’s resurgence, Ingram’s steady rise, and solid play at QB and WR, this is a team no one wants to play right now.
8. Zacherman – CPP: 110.19 – Last Week: 11th
If you win the championship, I’m not sure which you would rather get: the money, or the chance to say “I told you so” to everyone that doubted your trades. Okay, obviously it’s the money. But I’ve never seen someone so dead set on proving people wrong than you are with these trades. They look good after one week, I’ll say that. Whether they hold up remains to be seen.
9. Kimmel – CPP: 104.84 – Last Week: 6th
It always sucks losing after leading going into MNF. We’ve all been there. But I think your team has bigger issues. Looking at the production from your players last week, that’s really your best case scenario. And it was only 74 points. That’s not good. I know you lost Peyton and Britt, which is nearly impossible to bounce back from in this league, but I might try to trade one of my productive RBs for a WR that can give you something.
10. Alan – CPP: 97.61 – Last Week: 9th
You lost the annual Battle of the Brown, on MNF as well, which stings. Your team has a definite ceiling of about 85 points, and after that it’s really tough to imagine you hanging with anyone. So when your opponent drops 77, you need to take advantage. If I were you I’d be most pissed that Curtis Painter seems to only be banging Garcon and not Wayne (or Clark, much to my chagrin). On second thought, I’d be pissed that you gave up Andre to get Rivers, and then when you start him, you lose because of it. Or that you decided that Eric Decker and Jacoby Jones were worth starting over DeAngelo Williams. One of those reasons would get me pissed.
11. Weissbard – CPP: 91.65 – Last Week: 4th
God dammit Weissbard. You have to capitalize when a first place team lays an egg. Your team played so terribly, that I’ll let you sum it up in your own words:
Dan: it was embarassing
i think the worst i've had in my fantasy career
which says a lot considering my week 1
as well as
Dan: besides the fact that my team is awful this week
jacobs and blount both might not play
which already are mediocre at best players
so the fact that i'm hurting by them not playing pretty much describes my team
12. Gutman – CPP: 87.93 – Last Week: 14th
91 points! That’s awesome! Keep up the good work!
Seriously though, if we had played, we would have tied. So there’s that. Unfortunately you ran into the Nard Dog’s three-headed monster of AP, Fred Jackson and D-Bowe. If I were you I would start Painter the rest of the season, just to see who can win a game with him first, you or the Colts. I’ll take Colts -110 on that one.
13. Billy – CPP: 80.29 – Last Week: 7th
When I said that Arian and Brees could carry you to the playoffs, I thought you understood that it was implied that they would need help. Last week they put up 38 points combined, which is solid. No one else on your team broke 4. 4! That needs to change. Also, I’m going to be in New Orleans on Halloween and the day after. Not sure if you’re around, but let me know.
14. Bennett – CPP: 78.64 – Last Week: 13th
Everyone here knows I love the Home Alone movie franchise. And while Home Alone 2 is the superior movie, the first one laid the ground work. It also contained a quote that I think of every time I hear your name or look at your team. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTJ7t-pWc_0. Although it does use my name, I think it specifically applies to you, including your lame reaction of “Shut up.”
Friday, October 7, 2011
Week 5 Rankings
Can’t really come up with an opening that wouldn’t lead to me going into a baseball rant, so I’m going right into it.
Bitching About Kicking
In past years in this space, I have argued that kickers should get negative points for misses, which would treat them like any other player. The argument against that is, from what I can tell, either A) Kickers don’t have control over blocked kicks, and B) I don’t care if we change their scoring or not. Well it’s been over two years and no change has come, so my crusade against kickers must continue.
This year I’m trying to prove that, in a game where we pride ourselves on skill, kickers take all skill out of the equation. In Nick’s critique of my analysis he was correct about some things and incorrect on a few as well. First, taking Kaeding out of the equation Week 1 is not fair, he was #1 going into the week and his getting hurt was unpredictable ahead of time. Anyone that started him received 0 points, so that’s how it should be for this study. In terms of outliers, it’s going to be a growing sample as the year progresses so the sample size will increase. And I do not follow Yahoo’s projected points, I think they’re as worthless as everyone else does. I follow ESPN’s “experts” rankings. While this is admittedly not perfect, those men are paid to provide fantasy advice, so they’re as much of a reliable source as you can find. And I’ll be using them all year, so at least it’s consistent.
The one area where Nick was absolutely correct is that I can’t just do this for kickers, I need to do it for every position! So I have done just that.
Pretty interesting results so far, though a couple of “outlier” performances were chosen at random (Gates being shut out by the Pats, Ravens D this past week). Here are the results by position so far:
QB – Experts 84 (Rivers, Rodgers, Brady, Brady) – Random 58 (Cassel, Rivers, Newton, Ryan)
Difference per Game of 6.5 points.
RB – Experts 57 (Peterson, Peterson, Peterson, Peterson) – Random 34 (Hillis, Gore, Lynch, D. Williams)
Difference per Game of 5.75 points.
WR – Experts 63 (Andre, Andre, Andre, Calvin) – Random 34 (Harvin, Sims-Walker, Denarius Moore, Wallace)
Difference per Game of 7.25 points.
TE – Experts 14 (Gates, Gates, Witten, Gronkowski) – Random 18 (Shiancoe, Finley, Chandler, Shiancoe)
Difference per Game of -1 point.
K – Experts 30 (Kaeding, Gostkowski, Rackers, Rackers) – Random 28 (Nugent, Hauschka, Suisham, Longwell)
Difference per Game of 0.5 points.
DEF – Experts 37 (Steelers, Steelers, Steelers, Packers) – Random 49 (Chiefs, Eagles, Bucs, Ravens)
Difference per Game of -3 points.
Even if we don’t change our kicker situation, I’m interested to see these results. This week the experts’ team is Rodgers, Foster, Calvin, Jimmy Graham, Rackers and the Lions. And the random team is Gabbert, McFadden, Holmes, Olsen, Carpenter, and the Jets.
Week 5 Rankings
1. Esco – CPP: 181.52 – Last Week: 1st
Calling the rest of the league irrelevant last week was probably warranted. That was impressive. But no one likes an undefeated team, just ask David Tyree. And while Yahoo/Donaldson might be target #1, you are not far behind. But seriously, if Mike Wallace putting up 7 is your worst performer, there’s not a chance you drop a game this season. This week you may have your first hiccup. Byes to future MVP Ray Rice, Ravens D and Daniel Thomas force his French cousin Pierre and Michael Bush into your lineup, and you get a rolling Weissbard team with Brady clean cut and ready for revenge. I’m not predicting a loss, but without your studs you’ll be as ripe for an upset as ever.
2. Autodraft – CPP: 141.50 – Last Week: 2nd
I said everything I had to in the lyrics to your Fantasy D-Name (now with no cocks!). I really wanted to perform the name, but I was on the road without my webcam-enabled computer. Also, my Dangerfield ©days are behind me, so my voice is not as good at hitting Cee Lo’s notes. Having said that, Yahoo deservedly beat me last week. Going forward, this is more of a Donaldson team. I like the moves you’ve made, going from a backfield of dog shit to Addai/Ridley is no small feat in our league. This week you face-off against Joseph, who continually ranks you at the top spot of the fake power rankings. I don’t know if his esteem for you works in your favor or not, but I do know that Calvin and Welker won’t combine for 42 every week (they do have byes) so your luck is bound to turn at some point.
3. Barnard – CPP: 134.61 – Last Week: 5th
I think you’re one of the only teams in this league that actually has the proper record. I look at your roster and see a solid but not spectacular QB, as good of an RB trio as you can get in our league, and shit for WRs. That spells a .500 record to me. I don’t think it spells playoffs for you, but on a given week when AP is roided up, you can matchup with anyone in this league. Luckily for you, you have Gutman this week, who anyone’s bench can matchup with every week.
4. Weissbard – CPP: 128.72 – Last Week: 9th
Why you have someone named Alfonso Smith on your team is beyond me. I keep forgetting to mention that in this space, then I see it when I check each team’s roster every morning and I laugh. If that is your ultimate motivation, then it’s succeeding. Your team is clearly built around Brady’s dominance (and no longer his hair), Nicks/VJax and their big play ability, and the hope that one or two of your (Mc)cluster-fuck of RBs finds the endzone. It’s not a bad strategy, particularly when Blount appears to be hitting his stride, but it might not be strong enough to get you to the promise land. I’m coming out with my annual Mock Trade column next week, and I already have yours figured out. I’m sure you’re on the edge of the phone book you put on your seat.
5. Joseph – CPP: 122.57 – Last Week: 11th
It might be panic time for you. Rodgers is playing out of his mind, he’s continuing to throw to Nelson, Aaron Hernandez is still out, and the Titans are winning, yet you’re 1-3. Granted, CJ has been about as productive as Eddie George this year, but considering everything else, your team has been in a pretty good spot so far. Pretty soon A-Her will be back, Rodgers will spread it even more, Ridley will surpass the Law Firm, and Marion Barber and/or Roy Williams will get cut. Your window for wins is closing fast, so I really hope you beat Donnie this week, for your sake and the league’s.
6. Kimmel – CPP: 117.68 – Last Week: 13th
You definitely win the award for “Team That Looks Terrible But Actually Has Some Talent From A Fantasy Perspective.” Not to mention that you lost Peyton and Britt, and your best remaining players from a name recognition perspective (Gore, Colston) haven’t even given you any production. While I think your outlook for the playoffs is bleak, I was not too excited about playing you this week. And on top of your sneaky-good roster, I have the karma of shitting on you for your lack of fantasy success waiting to bite me in the ass. I see a low-scoring close game on the horizon for us, and I think it will come down to whoever wins the Tolbert/Mathews battle for carries.
7. Billy – CPP: 115.82 – Last Week: 6th
I’m gonna start by apologizing. Last week I told you that Ryan Torain (among others) had no place on your bench due to having no carries all year. Oops. While I hope I am not your only source for fantasy advice like I am for Alan, I still feel bad about that one. Moving on, the fact that Reggie and Steve Slaton have a bye, and that actually hurts your team, is a bad sign. At least Arian showed up in full force, and I still believe that him and Brees can carry you to the playoffs, but you won’t get far deciding between LT and Reggie for your RB2 spot.
8. Kumpf – CPP: 107.83 – Last Week: 3rd
Looking at my roster, that is not a 4-0 team, so I can’t complain about where I’m at. It is, I think, a playoff team. The main issue I have with my team is that it will never put up those 130+ point weeks. I’ll linger around 90-100 every week, win two out of three games, grab the 4 seed and lose in the first round of the playoffs. And after my performance the last two years, I’m fine with that. Random note, what were the odds going into the year that I would look at Kimmel’s roster the week I’m playing him and say “Thank God Rex Grossman is on a bye.”
9. Alan – CPP: 107.18 – Last Week: 10th
I find it funny that you “lost” the trade with Gutman (though it was close), then Andre got hurt, and a week after that your team is in a much better place than it was before this whole process started. I’m sure you must cry yourself to sleep more than usual at night thinking about what might have been if Charles stayed healthy. Nevertheless, I like your team. It might not be a playoff team, but it’s respectable. And if you can possibly flip Rivers or Ben, then who knows where you might end up. What I’m trying to say is good job.
10. Ajay – CPP: 106.83 – Last Week: 4th
You really need to get rid of Stafford or Romo. I hate having to choose between Schaub and Fitzpatrick every week, but at least they have similar production. The highs are higher and the lows are lower for you. At least you don’t have to make the call this week, but I would look to make trade for an RB as soon as you can, because now you have Alan in the same position. And I think I speak for the rest of the league in saying that when I have two Indian men offering me a “great deal,” I assume I’m getting ripped off on lotto tickets.
11. Zacherman – CPP: 101.51 – Last Week: 12th
That’s what a good team does, plan for the future. You gave away a sure fire #1 QB in Rivers, stashed away Andre Johnson at 70 cents on the dollar, and went all-in on the Carolina Panthers. I only have a few problems with that. One, it’s been four weeks, Rivers will turn it around. Two, you’re 1-3 so sacrificing at least three weeks without Andre, and then having his bye, is a tough proposition. And three, it’s only a matter of time before teams figure out Cam, he stops throwing to Smith in triple coverage, Smith gets mad and breaks Cam’s arm in a locker room fight. And on that day I will be the one who said I told you so.
12. AGD – CPP: 89.53 – Last Week: 8th
Yikes the byes hit you hard this week. Not having Marshall or Hillis this week will be tough to work with, especially when you’re replacing them with Crabtree and David Nelson, who has as generic a name as our very own jersey-selling entrepreneur/scam artist in Albany. Luckily you face an equally fucked Billy this week, so your chances aren’t completely shot. I can easily see this team snatching a 6 seed in the last week of the season, then running train through the playoffs and losing in the finals a la 2009.
13. Bennett – CPP: 88.74 – Last Week: 14th
Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re serious. I’m not talking about the lineup you put out each week, your team name, or even your profession. But trying to sell us knock-off jerseys? And refusing to back down no matter how many people shit on you? I would love to know what goes on in your head. Also, I think you’re the only person in the world who started Forte last week and lost.
14. Gutman – CPP: 82.63 – Last Week: 7th
26 points from Pierre Garcon! That’s awesome!
I’ve decided that I will be starting your section with any positive I can find each week, and I’m sure there won’t be many of them. While Garcon’s TDs were relatively fluky, Painter sure was looking his way a lot. So much so that you decided he was worth a roster spot apparently. Don’t feel too bad, I was there last year, talking myself into Dan Orlovsky, but also don’t kid yourself that you have a chance in hell of making the playoffs. Those dreams are as dead as Steve Jobs (too soon?).
Bitching About Kicking
In past years in this space, I have argued that kickers should get negative points for misses, which would treat them like any other player. The argument against that is, from what I can tell, either A) Kickers don’t have control over blocked kicks, and B) I don’t care if we change their scoring or not. Well it’s been over two years and no change has come, so my crusade against kickers must continue.
This year I’m trying to prove that, in a game where we pride ourselves on skill, kickers take all skill out of the equation. In Nick’s critique of my analysis he was correct about some things and incorrect on a few as well. First, taking Kaeding out of the equation Week 1 is not fair, he was #1 going into the week and his getting hurt was unpredictable ahead of time. Anyone that started him received 0 points, so that’s how it should be for this study. In terms of outliers, it’s going to be a growing sample as the year progresses so the sample size will increase. And I do not follow Yahoo’s projected points, I think they’re as worthless as everyone else does. I follow ESPN’s “experts” rankings. While this is admittedly not perfect, those men are paid to provide fantasy advice, so they’re as much of a reliable source as you can find. And I’ll be using them all year, so at least it’s consistent.
The one area where Nick was absolutely correct is that I can’t just do this for kickers, I need to do it for every position! So I have done just that.
Pretty interesting results so far, though a couple of “outlier” performances were chosen at random (Gates being shut out by the Pats, Ravens D this past week). Here are the results by position so far:
QB – Experts 84 (Rivers, Rodgers, Brady, Brady) – Random 58 (Cassel, Rivers, Newton, Ryan)
Difference per Game of 6.5 points.
RB – Experts 57 (Peterson, Peterson, Peterson, Peterson) – Random 34 (Hillis, Gore, Lynch, D. Williams)
Difference per Game of 5.75 points.
WR – Experts 63 (Andre, Andre, Andre, Calvin) – Random 34 (Harvin, Sims-Walker, Denarius Moore, Wallace)
Difference per Game of 7.25 points.
TE – Experts 14 (Gates, Gates, Witten, Gronkowski) – Random 18 (Shiancoe, Finley, Chandler, Shiancoe)
Difference per Game of -1 point.
K – Experts 30 (Kaeding, Gostkowski, Rackers, Rackers) – Random 28 (Nugent, Hauschka, Suisham, Longwell)
Difference per Game of 0.5 points.
DEF – Experts 37 (Steelers, Steelers, Steelers, Packers) – Random 49 (Chiefs, Eagles, Bucs, Ravens)
Difference per Game of -3 points.
Even if we don’t change our kicker situation, I’m interested to see these results. This week the experts’ team is Rodgers, Foster, Calvin, Jimmy Graham, Rackers and the Lions. And the random team is Gabbert, McFadden, Holmes, Olsen, Carpenter, and the Jets.
Week 5 Rankings
1. Esco – CPP: 181.52 – Last Week: 1st
Calling the rest of the league irrelevant last week was probably warranted. That was impressive. But no one likes an undefeated team, just ask David Tyree. And while Yahoo/Donaldson might be target #1, you are not far behind. But seriously, if Mike Wallace putting up 7 is your worst performer, there’s not a chance you drop a game this season. This week you may have your first hiccup. Byes to future MVP Ray Rice, Ravens D and Daniel Thomas force his French cousin Pierre and Michael Bush into your lineup, and you get a rolling Weissbard team with Brady clean cut and ready for revenge. I’m not predicting a loss, but without your studs you’ll be as ripe for an upset as ever.
2. Autodraft – CPP: 141.50 – Last Week: 2nd
I said everything I had to in the lyrics to your Fantasy D-Name (now with no cocks!). I really wanted to perform the name, but I was on the road without my webcam-enabled computer. Also, my Dangerfield ©days are behind me, so my voice is not as good at hitting Cee Lo’s notes. Having said that, Yahoo deservedly beat me last week. Going forward, this is more of a Donaldson team. I like the moves you’ve made, going from a backfield of dog shit to Addai/Ridley is no small feat in our league. This week you face-off against Joseph, who continually ranks you at the top spot of the fake power rankings. I don’t know if his esteem for you works in your favor or not, but I do know that Calvin and Welker won’t combine for 42 every week (they do have byes) so your luck is bound to turn at some point.
3. Barnard – CPP: 134.61 – Last Week: 5th
I think you’re one of the only teams in this league that actually has the proper record. I look at your roster and see a solid but not spectacular QB, as good of an RB trio as you can get in our league, and shit for WRs. That spells a .500 record to me. I don’t think it spells playoffs for you, but on a given week when AP is roided up, you can matchup with anyone in this league. Luckily for you, you have Gutman this week, who anyone’s bench can matchup with every week.
4. Weissbard – CPP: 128.72 – Last Week: 9th
Why you have someone named Alfonso Smith on your team is beyond me. I keep forgetting to mention that in this space, then I see it when I check each team’s roster every morning and I laugh. If that is your ultimate motivation, then it’s succeeding. Your team is clearly built around Brady’s dominance (and no longer his hair), Nicks/VJax and their big play ability, and the hope that one or two of your (Mc)cluster-fuck of RBs finds the endzone. It’s not a bad strategy, particularly when Blount appears to be hitting his stride, but it might not be strong enough to get you to the promise land. I’m coming out with my annual Mock Trade column next week, and I already have yours figured out. I’m sure you’re on the edge of the phone book you put on your seat.
5. Joseph – CPP: 122.57 – Last Week: 11th
It might be panic time for you. Rodgers is playing out of his mind, he’s continuing to throw to Nelson, Aaron Hernandez is still out, and the Titans are winning, yet you’re 1-3. Granted, CJ has been about as productive as Eddie George this year, but considering everything else, your team has been in a pretty good spot so far. Pretty soon A-Her will be back, Rodgers will spread it even more, Ridley will surpass the Law Firm, and Marion Barber and/or Roy Williams will get cut. Your window for wins is closing fast, so I really hope you beat Donnie this week, for your sake and the league’s.
6. Kimmel – CPP: 117.68 – Last Week: 13th
You definitely win the award for “Team That Looks Terrible But Actually Has Some Talent From A Fantasy Perspective.” Not to mention that you lost Peyton and Britt, and your best remaining players from a name recognition perspective (Gore, Colston) haven’t even given you any production. While I think your outlook for the playoffs is bleak, I was not too excited about playing you this week. And on top of your sneaky-good roster, I have the karma of shitting on you for your lack of fantasy success waiting to bite me in the ass. I see a low-scoring close game on the horizon for us, and I think it will come down to whoever wins the Tolbert/Mathews battle for carries.
7. Billy – CPP: 115.82 – Last Week: 6th
I’m gonna start by apologizing. Last week I told you that Ryan Torain (among others) had no place on your bench due to having no carries all year. Oops. While I hope I am not your only source for fantasy advice like I am for Alan, I still feel bad about that one. Moving on, the fact that Reggie and Steve Slaton have a bye, and that actually hurts your team, is a bad sign. At least Arian showed up in full force, and I still believe that him and Brees can carry you to the playoffs, but you won’t get far deciding between LT and Reggie for your RB2 spot.
8. Kumpf – CPP: 107.83 – Last Week: 3rd
Looking at my roster, that is not a 4-0 team, so I can’t complain about where I’m at. It is, I think, a playoff team. The main issue I have with my team is that it will never put up those 130+ point weeks. I’ll linger around 90-100 every week, win two out of three games, grab the 4 seed and lose in the first round of the playoffs. And after my performance the last two years, I’m fine with that. Random note, what were the odds going into the year that I would look at Kimmel’s roster the week I’m playing him and say “Thank God Rex Grossman is on a bye.”
9. Alan – CPP: 107.18 – Last Week: 10th
I find it funny that you “lost” the trade with Gutman (though it was close), then Andre got hurt, and a week after that your team is in a much better place than it was before this whole process started. I’m sure you must cry yourself to sleep more than usual at night thinking about what might have been if Charles stayed healthy. Nevertheless, I like your team. It might not be a playoff team, but it’s respectable. And if you can possibly flip Rivers or Ben, then who knows where you might end up. What I’m trying to say is good job.
10. Ajay – CPP: 106.83 – Last Week: 4th
You really need to get rid of Stafford or Romo. I hate having to choose between Schaub and Fitzpatrick every week, but at least they have similar production. The highs are higher and the lows are lower for you. At least you don’t have to make the call this week, but I would look to make trade for an RB as soon as you can, because now you have Alan in the same position. And I think I speak for the rest of the league in saying that when I have two Indian men offering me a “great deal,” I assume I’m getting ripped off on lotto tickets.
11. Zacherman – CPP: 101.51 – Last Week: 12th
That’s what a good team does, plan for the future. You gave away a sure fire #1 QB in Rivers, stashed away Andre Johnson at 70 cents on the dollar, and went all-in on the Carolina Panthers. I only have a few problems with that. One, it’s been four weeks, Rivers will turn it around. Two, you’re 1-3 so sacrificing at least three weeks without Andre, and then having his bye, is a tough proposition. And three, it’s only a matter of time before teams figure out Cam, he stops throwing to Smith in triple coverage, Smith gets mad and breaks Cam’s arm in a locker room fight. And on that day I will be the one who said I told you so.
12. AGD – CPP: 89.53 – Last Week: 8th
Yikes the byes hit you hard this week. Not having Marshall or Hillis this week will be tough to work with, especially when you’re replacing them with Crabtree and David Nelson, who has as generic a name as our very own jersey-selling entrepreneur/scam artist in Albany. Luckily you face an equally fucked Billy this week, so your chances aren’t completely shot. I can easily see this team snatching a 6 seed in the last week of the season, then running train through the playoffs and losing in the finals a la 2009.
13. Bennett – CPP: 88.74 – Last Week: 14th
Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re serious. I’m not talking about the lineup you put out each week, your team name, or even your profession. But trying to sell us knock-off jerseys? And refusing to back down no matter how many people shit on you? I would love to know what goes on in your head. Also, I think you’re the only person in the world who started Forte last week and lost.
14. Gutman – CPP: 82.63 – Last Week: 7th
26 points from Pierre Garcon! That’s awesome!
I’ve decided that I will be starting your section with any positive I can find each week, and I’m sure there won’t be many of them. While Garcon’s TDs were relatively fluky, Painter sure was looking his way a lot. So much so that you decided he was worth a roster spot apparently. Don’t feel too bad, I was there last year, talking myself into Dan Orlovsky, but also don’t kid yourself that you have a chance in hell of making the playoffs. Those dreams are as dead as Steve Jobs (too soon?).
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Trade Analysis
Welcome to the FALAFEL Blog's first guest post, by our resident Trade Analyzer, Mr. Adam Escalante. Nick, see what happens when you send something legible? It gets printed! Here's Esco's takes on what went down this week:
I apologize for not analyzing the trades of last week; I was too upset at Alan for giving Donny a legitimate running back that I couldn’t focus.
Okay let’s do this. First up, a 6 player deal including Zacherman and trade master Alan Masand.
The “Projected Fantasy Points” Column is what Yahoo estimates the player will score for the rest of the year. While Yahoo! is pretty awful at predictions, it’s at least a start.
Zacherman - Players to trade:
Reggie Wayne - Projected Points: 89
Philip Rivers - Projected Points: 222
DeAngelo Williams - Projected Points: 80
Alan - Players to trade:
Andre Johnson - Projected Points: 101
Delone Carter - Projected Points: 49
Victor Cruz - Projected Points: 65
Yahoo Winner: Alan in a landslide (391-215). This isn’t even close, not a good start for Zacherman.
Best Player Involved: Some would point to Rivers and his high point total and the fact he isn’t currently injured but I still greatly prefer Andre Johnson over the long haul. Yes he won’t be playing until week 8, and he still has his bye coming up in week 11 but he is a player who can singlehandedly win you weeks. Also I don’t like rivers at all this year. They finally have a couple of decent running backs again and even when they are throwing he really hasn’t shown the knack for racking up big weeks like he did last year. Also you have to worry about Antonio Gates health for the rest of the year.
Potential Starters Received:
Alan gets upgrades at WR and RB (maybe) and now has a full blown QB controversy on his hands. DeAngelo is certainly better than the filth you currently have starting (Issac Redman or Earnest Graham) but he really shouldn’t be getting you very excited. He’s averaging 4 points a week and best case scenario he’s splitting carries 50/50 because Stewart will be getting most of the catches out of the backfield. Reggie Wayne is certainly a much bigger name than Eric Decker or Jacoby Jones but he hasn’t been his regular self without Manning tossing the pigskin to him. Also you will still have to start 2 out of the 3 of them every week unless you are planning the 2 TE route, Donaldson style. And I don’t know what you plan on doing with Big Ben know unless you are going to start guessing matchups or plan on flipping him to someone else when he gets healthy. I’ll give you Ryan Grant for him, he could actually start for your team.
Zacherman gets a top 5 WR and doesn’t lose too much with Rivers considering he has Rookie of the Year Cam Newton firmly entrenched at QB1. However, you are giving up a starting RB and Carter just doesn’t quite match up. I like getting Victor Cruz as a stopgap until Andre gets back but the quality of the players you are giving up, even if you do get the best player in the deal, makes me nervous.
Conclusions: The big problem I have with Zacherman on this deal is that he is selling very low on DeAngelo and Wayne. They may continue to suck but honestly at this point you are trading 30 cents on the dollar. I know you are in win now mode but unless one of them blows out their knee I can’t see their value getting much worse than it is now. If one of them were to explode this week I think you could have gotten more for them. I really don’t like any of the players Alan gets in this deal, but at least you get 3 players who can start and now you have a QB you can flip for another piece when someone’s starter gets hurt.
Rating:
Alan: B (I will turn this into an A- if you flip Big Ben or Rivers for a starting WR or RB before the trade deadline)
Zacherman: C- This looked a lot better before Andre was confirmed out for 3 weeks and one of those weeks isn’t even his bye week. You need to hope Addai goes down and the giants keep throwing the ball to Cruz. When you are in win now mode it’s not the best idea to trade for an injured guy.
Trade 2
Zacherman isn’t done yet! This “trade your whole team in one week” thing worked terribly for Gutman but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad strategy, at 1-3 your team is on the ropes, a shake-up can’t hurt.
Zacherman - Players to trade:
Stevan Ridley - Projected Points: 114
Santonio Holmes - Projected Points: 89
Donaldson - Players to trade:
Steve Smith - Projected Points: 100
Owen Daniels - Projected Points: 90
Yahoo Winner: Donaldson by a nose (203-190), I’ll call that even.
Best Player Received: Steve Smith has been reborn. Maybe he stole the talent of the other Steve Smith Space Jam style and combined it with his own but this guy is back to being a no question WR1.
Potential Starters Received: Gates isn’t supposed to return until week 7 so Zacherman gets an immediate upgrade there from the waiver wire and I like Smith better than Ridley or Holmes but he can’t take the place of both of them so you lose some depth there.
Donny you fiend! Just as Ben Tate appears to be becoming irrelevant you swipe another RB out of the shadows. I’m not sure how excited you can be about a New England Patriots running back but I know he will get you more excited than Ricky Williams or Jason Snelling. You also have ridiculous WR depth so losing Smith isn’t crushing since I really love A.J. Green and Holmes is great as a WR4. And we all know full well about your tight end depth already so I don’t need to talk about the loss of Daniels.
Conclusions: I like this trade for Zacherman a lot more than the first one. You are giving up long term value (Ridley) for short term value (Daniels) which is never something I’m a fan of but in your position it has to happen. Also you get a top shelf WR on top of it. If Daniels becomes a consistent starter for you and you can flip Gates somewhere around week 10 for an RB I think you may be someone to watch in the playoffs. Donny, you son of a bitch, I can only assume Ridley will rack up at least 1200 yards rushing in the final 12 weeks of the year based on your track record. Even if he doesn’t you gave up nothing for something so bravo.
Ratings:
Donaldson: A you gave up 2 players you didn’t necessarily need to start and got at least one starter in return. Nothing wrong with that.
Zacherman: B+ I like you getting rid of two players with unsure futures for two more consistent performers. If you can flip Daniels or Gates later on for something of value this trade gets even better for you, but in the short term the loss of 2 RBs in the two trades for only 1 in return will hurt.
I apologize for not analyzing the trades of last week; I was too upset at Alan for giving Donny a legitimate running back that I couldn’t focus.
Okay let’s do this. First up, a 6 player deal including Zacherman and trade master Alan Masand.
The “Projected Fantasy Points” Column is what Yahoo estimates the player will score for the rest of the year. While Yahoo! is pretty awful at predictions, it’s at least a start.
Zacherman - Players to trade:
Reggie Wayne - Projected Points: 89
Philip Rivers - Projected Points: 222
DeAngelo Williams - Projected Points: 80
Alan - Players to trade:
Andre Johnson - Projected Points: 101
Delone Carter - Projected Points: 49
Victor Cruz - Projected Points: 65
Yahoo Winner: Alan in a landslide (391-215). This isn’t even close, not a good start for Zacherman.
Best Player Involved: Some would point to Rivers and his high point total and the fact he isn’t currently injured but I still greatly prefer Andre Johnson over the long haul. Yes he won’t be playing until week 8, and he still has his bye coming up in week 11 but he is a player who can singlehandedly win you weeks. Also I don’t like rivers at all this year. They finally have a couple of decent running backs again and even when they are throwing he really hasn’t shown the knack for racking up big weeks like he did last year. Also you have to worry about Antonio Gates health for the rest of the year.
Potential Starters Received:
Alan gets upgrades at WR and RB (maybe) and now has a full blown QB controversy on his hands. DeAngelo is certainly better than the filth you currently have starting (Issac Redman or Earnest Graham) but he really shouldn’t be getting you very excited. He’s averaging 4 points a week and best case scenario he’s splitting carries 50/50 because Stewart will be getting most of the catches out of the backfield. Reggie Wayne is certainly a much bigger name than Eric Decker or Jacoby Jones but he hasn’t been his regular self without Manning tossing the pigskin to him. Also you will still have to start 2 out of the 3 of them every week unless you are planning the 2 TE route, Donaldson style. And I don’t know what you plan on doing with Big Ben know unless you are going to start guessing matchups or plan on flipping him to someone else when he gets healthy. I’ll give you Ryan Grant for him, he could actually start for your team.
Zacherman gets a top 5 WR and doesn’t lose too much with Rivers considering he has Rookie of the Year Cam Newton firmly entrenched at QB1. However, you are giving up a starting RB and Carter just doesn’t quite match up. I like getting Victor Cruz as a stopgap until Andre gets back but the quality of the players you are giving up, even if you do get the best player in the deal, makes me nervous.
Conclusions: The big problem I have with Zacherman on this deal is that he is selling very low on DeAngelo and Wayne. They may continue to suck but honestly at this point you are trading 30 cents on the dollar. I know you are in win now mode but unless one of them blows out their knee I can’t see their value getting much worse than it is now. If one of them were to explode this week I think you could have gotten more for them. I really don’t like any of the players Alan gets in this deal, but at least you get 3 players who can start and now you have a QB you can flip for another piece when someone’s starter gets hurt.
Rating:
Alan: B (I will turn this into an A- if you flip Big Ben or Rivers for a starting WR or RB before the trade deadline)
Zacherman: C- This looked a lot better before Andre was confirmed out for 3 weeks and one of those weeks isn’t even his bye week. You need to hope Addai goes down and the giants keep throwing the ball to Cruz. When you are in win now mode it’s not the best idea to trade for an injured guy.
Trade 2
Zacherman isn’t done yet! This “trade your whole team in one week” thing worked terribly for Gutman but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad strategy, at 1-3 your team is on the ropes, a shake-up can’t hurt.
Zacherman - Players to trade:
Stevan Ridley - Projected Points: 114
Santonio Holmes - Projected Points: 89
Donaldson - Players to trade:
Steve Smith - Projected Points: 100
Owen Daniels - Projected Points: 90
Yahoo Winner: Donaldson by a nose (203-190), I’ll call that even.
Best Player Received: Steve Smith has been reborn. Maybe he stole the talent of the other Steve Smith Space Jam style and combined it with his own but this guy is back to being a no question WR1.
Potential Starters Received: Gates isn’t supposed to return until week 7 so Zacherman gets an immediate upgrade there from the waiver wire and I like Smith better than Ridley or Holmes but he can’t take the place of both of them so you lose some depth there.
Donny you fiend! Just as Ben Tate appears to be becoming irrelevant you swipe another RB out of the shadows. I’m not sure how excited you can be about a New England Patriots running back but I know he will get you more excited than Ricky Williams or Jason Snelling. You also have ridiculous WR depth so losing Smith isn’t crushing since I really love A.J. Green and Holmes is great as a WR4. And we all know full well about your tight end depth already so I don’t need to talk about the loss of Daniels.
Conclusions: I like this trade for Zacherman a lot more than the first one. You are giving up long term value (Ridley) for short term value (Daniels) which is never something I’m a fan of but in your position it has to happen. Also you get a top shelf WR on top of it. If Daniels becomes a consistent starter for you and you can flip Gates somewhere around week 10 for an RB I think you may be someone to watch in the playoffs. Donny, you son of a bitch, I can only assume Ridley will rack up at least 1200 yards rushing in the final 12 weeks of the year based on your track record. Even if he doesn’t you gave up nothing for something so bravo.
Ratings:
Donaldson: A you gave up 2 players you didn’t necessarily need to start and got at least one starter in return. Nothing wrong with that.
Zacherman: B+ I like you getting rid of two players with unsure futures for two more consistent performers. If you can flip Daniels or Gates later on for something of value this trade gets even better for you, but in the short term the loss of 2 RBs in the two trades for only 1 in return will hurt.
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