Week 3 Preview

New format this week

Game of the week:

The Octagon (-21) vs. Cellar Dwellars

Yahoo continues to disrespect Stem's squad, as this is the second straight week they project a 20 point loss for his team...This is the only matchup of two unbeatens, and is just the second such match (excluding week 1) of the season...the only other potential matchups featuring two unbeaten teams are next week (if JR and Ed win this week) or again in week 8, if Stem and Ed can hold on that long...Radcliffe holds a 2-0 lifetime record against Stem...

News and Notes, OCT

It's easy to knock on this team for their lack of production, only outscoring two other teams (both expansion) through two weeks...A large reason for the low scores is the disappointing play of first rounder Trent Green, who's real life running game is keeping the ball out of his (and OCT teammate Tony Gonzalez's) hands...Made a big splash this week, getting a rock solid running back to team with Tiki Barber; acquired Brian Westbrook and Antwaan Randle El for Carson Palmer and Travis Henry...Westbrook is a double digit scorer every week, and Randle El is in the midst of breaking out this season; although El's value is lowered on a fantasy team that already has Hines Ward...May someday regret trading Carson Palmer as a future stud, but will never look back if Westbrook leads this team into the playoffs, and rightfully so...JJ Arrington's near future is cloudy, this makes Westbrook so much more valuable to this team right now...Key Players on Bye week: Andre Johnson (Lee Evans and Randle El (wr, flex resp.)) will fill his spot

News and Notes, CD

Last season's doormat can equal his win total from 2004 with a victory this week...Will need Shaun Alexander to continue putting up huge numbers; an off week from him would be hard to overcome...Marshall Faulk makes his debut in CD's lineup, stepping in for Kevin Jones...While Jones has struggled, this is a clear downgrade...As a result, extra pressure will be put on LaMont Jordan to produce...Rookie WR Matt Jones makes his season debut for CD as well, unfortunately, representing a significant downgrade in this lineup...It suprises no one that these losses come on a week where Stem is slated to play JR...KPOBW: Kevin Jones, Roy Williams

Prediction: The Octagon wins, but don't plan on him covering the spread

The two spot:

Champeons vs. Fred Lane's Wife (-8)

In some ways, this game is more intriguing than the previous, as it features to teams, both 1-1, who can basically reserve a spot in the playoff race with a win...This game is more important to Champeons than it is to FLW, as Viano's team is more likely to climb out of a sub-.500 hole...Both teams had big week 1s, only to get taken down a peg in week2...Viano and Champ are 1-1 against each other lifetime, with Champ winning by just one point the last time the two met...

News and Notes, CHM

Big news out of Champ's camp this week, as Coach Whitlock has benched starting QB Kerry Collins for the resurgent Drew Bledsoe...Derrick Mason is on a bye, but frankly that doesn't hurt this team as much as you would think, as Randy Moss, Rod Smith and Isaac Bruce make up the WR spots, with Keyshawn Johnson at the Flex...It would be helpful, however, if Mason could play this week at running back, as he would certainly be a better option than Frank Gore...Gore, along with fellow starter Chris Brown makes for an unsettling RB situation, despite John Clayton's big hunk of man, Julius Jones...To no one's suprise, Champion made a trade this week, dealing with Madd Skillz; CHM acquired Mike Williams, Lance Briggs, Keary Colbert and Gore at the expense of Jeremy Shockey, Duce Staley and DeAngelo Hall...If Chris Baker can produce out of the tight end spot, Shockey will not be missed, and if Waiver Wire Willie keeps running the way he does, Staley is no big loss either...The payoff in this deal will come when Mike Williams blossoms as a stud WR, and a big-time keeper candidate, with bonus bonuses if Colbert gets on track and if Gore gets a job later in the season...KPOBW: Clinton Portis, Derrick Mason

News and Notes, FLW

Setting records every week...After registering the season high point output in week 1, FLW slumped to post the lowest score in VUFSA history (62.25) the following week...For those wondering, the Highest Score in league history was a 172.75 by the Gun in week 9 of last year, and the previous low was 66.25, by Lincoln in the same week...Like most teams, FLW can blame their struggles on the QB Spot; where Peyton Manning has put up just 24.50 points through 2 weeks, a number he would average per start last season...The ineffectiveness of Corey Dillon (99 yards rushing) is cause for concern as well...Willie Parker will probably go down as the pickup of the year for this season, even if he never plays another down...Kevin Curtis steps to the plate this week in "Who can make the loss of Javon Walker hurt less?"...Have we seen the best that Jimmy Smith will give this year (week 1)? Probably...Watch out for Darrell Jackson to make a run at the top 5 by the end of the year...KPOBW: None

Prediction: The strength of FLW's runners (Dillon, Deuce McAllister, Parker, Ronnie Brown) will be to much for CHM to get back in other categories.

Game #3

Madd Skillz (-3) vs. Blaine Browns

Projected to be the closest, and highest scoring match of the week...only Sex Panther's projected score is higher than either of these sqauds...A rematch of last year's semifinals, where Schillinger was victorious 130-82...Only game of the week featuring an undefeated and and unbeaten...Wolfman is 2-1 lifetime against Schillinger...

News and Notes, SKL

Changing gears at the QB spot, giving Matt Hasselbeck the nod this week over Tom Brady...Riding the TDs, but not the overall excellence of LaDanian Tomlinson right now; if he gets the touches he should, watch out...has a tough matchup for two key players, as the Johnsons Bengal (Rudi and Chad) take on the best young defense in the NFL, the Bears...Has been getting great production from WR corps, as Steve Smith and Laverneus Coles have found their rythym of two years ago...Dealt with Champ this week to acquire a starting TE for this week, and got a good one in Jeremy Shockey; Li'l Eli Manning loves the big moron, so Shockey may overtake incumbent Todd Heap in the lineup if the matchup dictates...Add-on Duce Staley will not do much for the near future, but when healthy, could give this team 6 solid options at RB, something no other team can match right now...Adds Santana Moss off of waivers to make up for departed WRs, while increasing his number of players who burned him in 2004 that sit on his 2005 roster to 4...Larry Johnson gets his second straight start instead of Domanick Davis, but this one not by choice...KPOBW: Domanick Davis, Todd Heap

News and Notes, BB

To overdramify things, The Browns of Blaine could be facing elimination from the playoff race with a loss this week...Not that three losses will eliminate them, but with Sex Panther and FLW on deck the next two weeks, a split in those two weeks should make owner Drew Wolf happy; therefore, a loss here theoretically puts them at 1-4...ouch...Has benched one of the Drews (Bennett) this week, and with another subpar performance, the other (Brees) could cede his spot to newly acquired Ben Roethlisberger...This team will go as Curtis Martin goes, and he has gone nowhere, that sucks...does anyone else get the feeling that Edgerrin James is going to score 275s point this season? I do...Ruben Droughns at the Flex spot is an interesting call, as a healthy Lee Suggs could take away carries this week...an X-Factor in the coming weeks will be Ron Dayne, if he is named Denver's starting running back...Alge Crumpler will get in the end zone soon, this is likely the week...KPOBW: None

Prediction: Upset special; Wolfman stays in the race for another week with a big win over the top team in the standings. Expect big games from James, Crumpler and Terrell Owens, while Curtis Martin bounces back. On the other side, SKL will make it close, but struggles of the Bengals and uncertainty of the QB and flex spot will cause this team to fall just short.

Batting Cleanup:

Father Abraham (-18) vs. Ken's Anal Adventure

Two one win teams (one expected, one shocking) face off, with different meanings for both teams...FA simply wants to stay in the race early, and a win gives them a nice cushion, but a loss doesn't knock them out...KAA on the other hand, off the biggest upset in VUFSA history (just beating out the time Stem beat the Gun late last year) seems thrilled with their spoiler role, but not content with it; this regime has contention on their minds...This is the first meeting of these two franchises...

News and Notes, FA

Welcome Back, Mr. McNabb, although it's not as if the rest of the league was mad you were gone...Maybe Jamal Lewis will find what Donovan did during his bye week...KAA has predicted upset this week, and I can't say they're crazy, as FA's lineup has some holes...Ronald Curry is out for the year, and won't really merit a roster spot now; Suprise Stud Stephen Davis is listed as Questionable, while Lewis is on a bye...Luckily, FA can now confidently play Muhsin Muhammed in place of Ronald Curry (and really, always could), though RBs run very thin...If Davis can't go, FA doesn't have enough backs on its roster to fill up that spot...You really have to like what this team has going on at WR, with Muhammed complimented by Joe Horn and Anquan Boldin...Jason Witten is better than this, right?...Priest Holmes isn't his usual self (though he's playing better than the man he was traded for last year) but is still a stud despite splitting carries...KPOBW: Jamal Lewis

News and Notes, KAA

Michael Vick is questionable with an injury, and his backup Joey Harrington is on a bye and is also bad at football; it's trouble unless a free agent alternative is picked up...Made (as always) a couple of big deals this week, acquring Braylon Edwards as a nod to the future, as well as Ahman Green and Michael Clayton (two other likely keepers) this week...Lost Antonio Gates and last week's hero Thomas Jones in the Green/Clayton deal, but still probably came out ahead because of the futures of the players received...Jerramy Stevens will be called upon to be the next Gates, for this team and the NFL, apparently...Could get a huge lift if DeShaun Foster takes away all of Stephen Davis' carries this week...Brandon Stokely goes as the Colts go, though he could be the last of the Colt's trio of WR to get heavily involved; look for this to be Reggie Wayne's week...Marcell Shipp is another gamble paying off nicely...all things considered, this team could have 4 RBs in the lineup that see serious time...KPOBW: Marcus Pollard?

Prediction: So many unknowns (health of Vick, Davis) make this the hardest game to call. Can I be ballsy and pick two upsets this week? Sure- KAA wins it unless FA can find some runners. Michael Clayton will have a big part in the win.

The 5 Hole:

Sex Panther (-38!) vs. Big Fat Guys

Only matchup of two winless teams (one expected, one shocking)...is this the start of a massive winning streak for SP? I think so...Will I stop asking myself questions? Probably not...There really isn't anything that interesting about this matchup...This is the first meeting between these two franchises...

News and Notes, SP

Dare I say it again? This is a must win for the Gun, simply because there will be no excuses for losing...the spread is 38, so unless Daunte Culpepper puts up -40, there will be no complaining...Retooled their starting linuep this week, dealing with KAA; their linuep is just stacked...Antonio Gates adds the whole "best player at a weak position" thing, while Thomas Jones is an enviable Flex player, especially if he can hold off Cedric Benson in real life...Cadillac Willams is simply amazing, he does not look like he's going to stop; he's everything Willis MaGahee was supposed to be this year...Speaking of Willis, he's still going to be a monster this season...Do you realize that both expansion teams passed on Steven Jackson twice each? More on the expansion team's beginner's follies later...Deion Branch's emergence will soften the blow of losing Clayton...KPOBW: None.

News and Notes, BFG

Before we rip, we show some love...Baron is a very smart man, and will make a great owner...he's already done some very nice things...Baron's activity has attributed to the league's uptick in trades, with 7 completed this year, compared with just 2 at this time last year...That being said, let's take a look at how the expansion teams used the picks that should have been their building blocks: Baron, hell bent on taking RBs and making them the core of his team, takes Tatum Bell (hmmm...) and Brian Westbrook (that's more like it). However, in taking Bell (who if he really wanted, could have had with the #1 in the overall draft) he passed on Steven Jackson, who will never be available for nothing again. Then, with the #1 in the overall, took Nate Burleson. Not bad, hasn't worked out. Then, trades Westbrook, his only solid runner, for Carson Palmer, who backs up the only spot where BFG was solidified...Curious. As far as KAA, they nabbed Antonio Gates and Reggie Wayne in the expansion draft, and shortly after traded them both to the Gun. They did get a nice return on both trades, however. Then, with the #2 pick in the overall, they selected Brett Farve, who was recently waived. Both teams are in decent shape, which is amazing seeing how catastrophic each team's first three players have turned out. (by the way, next time one of the expansions complains about RBs, remind them that either of them could have had Steven Jackson, Brian Westbrook and LaMont Jordan as their starters.)....Anyway, Baron needs a lot of help this week...KPOBW: None.

Prediction: SP in a walk. I can't honestly say that Baron covers. Sorry, B.