Kind of another disappointing week (in terms of the closeness of results) in the VUFSA. One contest was decided by 80.50 points, and only one closer than 10 (and even it was 9.50). Three long streaks continued (Champ and JR have each won four in a row, while Ed has lost seven straight). Welty got his first win of the season (congrats to him). At the halfway point, there is a four-way tie for first. Eight teams are within two games of first place (and also a playoff spot). There were a slew of injuries this past week (Stafford, Hightower, Moss, Mathews--his was minor I guess, Ryan, Graham, Jennings, McFadden), and they may very well decide who wins the championship.
Dexter McClusterfunk 102.50-Who is Ron Mexico 93.00
Cam Newton continues to prove the doubters wrong, while Stafford had problems with Atlanta's defense and then was injured to make things worse for Dave. Each team had RB problems, with Marshawn Lynch deciding before kickoff he was too hurt to play and McFadden leaving early with an injury. Tomke's tight ends combined for 27.50 points, and Plaxico Burress caught three touchdowns, while Eli got touchdowns from both Fred Davis and Dez Bryant. Did you know: Eli has three Heisman trophy winners on his team (Newton, Bradford, Ingram).
DMC (5-2): Newton had 315 total yards and two touchdowns. Only three non-QB touchdown from his team, but those who didn't find the end zone did put up a lot of yards. I'm sure this is the only week Eli ever wants to start both Reggie Bush and Lynch. MVP: Newton and his 26.50 points. He continues to be the lone bright spot for a very bad Carolina team, and his acquisition looks to be one of the better waiver wire moves this year. (Yes, I know I have said that already. I'll probably keep saying it). And Auburn was cleared in his who recruitment. So that's nice, if you're into that sort of thing. LVP: Lynch. If you're too injured to play it's one thing, but next time, man up and say so before the early games kick off so people can adjust their rosters accordingly.
WIRM (4-3): Stafford was only 15-33 for 183 yards and a touchdown (12.75). Tomke had seven non-QB touchdowns (including three from Burress and two from Jimmy Graham), but he only managed 6.50 from his two running backs. McFadden was injured very early in the game, and he contributed next to nothing. MVP: Burress. He only caught four passes for 25 yards, but three of those were touchdowns. LVP: Miles Austin. I hesitate to give this to anyone who gets injured during the game, so Austin's 1.00 total it is. Dez Bryant caught a bunch of passes, so why didn't Austin catch any?
Jamie Looks Hot 92.25-Bobby Engram 71.50
JR wins his fourth in a row, while Ed loses his seventh straight to start the season. Ed only had one guy put up double figures, and it was John Kasay. JR had five double-digit totals, with one of them coming from Neil Rackers. But the good news for Ed is that Kasay outscored Rackers 14.00-11.50, so at least he won the kicker battle. Matt Ryan had a solid game against the Lions, and the same could not be said for Philip Rivers against the Jets. In other news, Greg Jennings continued to be awesome (how did he get so wide open, Asher Allen?), while Chris Johnson continues to not be awesome. Did you know: Speaking of Johnson, he has had three games this season where he has rushed for fewer than 25 yards. At this rate (someone much smarter than I am figured this out), he is making approximately $20,000 per yard.
JLH (5-2): Four total touchdowns for JR, but it was enough. Jennings had one of those scores, to go along with seven catches for 147 yards (16.50). Matt Ryan had two scores (also two picks) for 15.50, and Jonathan Stewart had the other TD (12.00). Shonn Greene (IOWA!!!) went over 100 yards (11.50). MVP: Jennings. He had almost half of Aaron Rodgers's passing yards on the day. LVP: Santonio Holmes, who finished with two catches for 24 yards. This week, Mark Sanchez only had eyes for Plaxico.
BE (0-7): Ed's kicker was awesome. The rest of his team...not so much. Rivers (7.00) only threw for 179 yards and one touchdown. He also had two interceptions. MJD (8.50) went over 100 yards, but had a costly fumble at the goal line that was a nine-point swing (assuming he scores instead of fumbling). Chris Johnson rushed for 18 yards. Early Doucet caught a touchdown. MVP: John Kasay. He made two field goals and eight (!!!) extra points for a total of 14.00. LVP: Doug Baldwin. Lots to choose from here, but it goes to the guy who did not register a catch all game (0.00).
Fruit on the Bottom 93.00-Let My Monkeys Go 57.75
Welty gets his first win of the season (and in convincing fashion no less). Tim Tebow's fantastic last three minutes lead Welty's squad to victory. Mason Crosby made a bunch of long field goals, and Ryan Torain put up a goose egg. These two teams combined to have four players score at least 10 points. Earnest Graham and Ryan Mathews were both injured early on, so that didn't help Viano very much. Did you know: Tebowing, where you go out in random places, drop to one knee, and begin to pray, is the new planking. I didn't know this, but my Twitter feed tells me so, so it must be true. Try it for yourself and see how much fun it can be.
FOTB (1-6): At the start of the fourth quarter, Tebow had two passing yards. He finished with 161 and two scores, and he also rushed for 59 yards and a two-point conversion (25.50). Crosby made four field goals and added three extra points (16.00). Not much aside from that, although Antonio Brown did go over 100 receiving yards (8.50). MVP: Tebow. The Golden Child looked awful for three quarters, but he turned it on in the fourth and overtime. It will be interesting to see how he does against the Lions. Is he for real, or was this a result of playing the Dolphins? LVP: Ryan Torain. He rushed for -5 yards. That is all.
LMMG (3-4): The Texans scored 41 points, but Matt Schaub only threw two touchdowns. Still, he didn't throw any interceptions and accounted for 21.50 points, more than 1/3 of Viano's total for the week. Anquan Boldin (10.00) caught the only other touchdown for Viano's squad. Not much else to say. MVP: Schaub. Not a whole lot to choose from, but Schaub's day was good enough to end up here. Just under 300 yards and two scores. LVP: Greg Olsen. Cam Newton was throwing for a bunch of yards, but Olsen only managed one catch for four yards (1.00).
ChamPeons 155.00-Phil Powell Rules 118.75
This match-up turned about the time Drew Brees threw his first touchdown pass to Marques Colston. I went from being up 10 to down 10, and it was all downhill from there. Brees went off (five TDs). Also, DeMarco Murray and Matt Forte are pretty good as well. Champ only had five guys score in double figures (I also had five), but his were much, much better. Champ also won by 36.25 in spite of taking -3.00 from Tashard Choice. Did you know: Murray set a new Dallas record for most rushing yards by a rookie. Bonus: The Saints scored 62 points against the Colts, and the Rams have scored 56 points in six games this season.
C (5-2): Champ has won four straight after a 1-2 start. Murray had 253 yards rushing and a touchdown (31.00). Colston had 98 yards receiving and two scores (19.50). Forte had 183 total yards and a touchdown (22.00). Even Steve Smith had 143 receiving yards (10.50). MVP: Brees. Five touchdowns and 325 yards passing. Not quite Rodgers against the Broncos, but it was very, very close. LVP: Choice. It's more than a little frustrating to lose to a guy who had a -3.00 on his team, but I guess it was easier to swallow because I still got curb stomped.
PPR (5-2): Rodgers was awesome, again (30.00). Megatron found the end zone, again (13.50). Adrian Peterson had one of his better games of the year with 178 rushing yards and a touchdown (23.50). Michael Turner ran for 122 yards but no scores (12.00). The rest of my team was a whole lot of dreck. Nate Washington, Mike Thomas, and Dallas Clark were non-entities (1.00 combined). MVP: Rodgers. He threw for 335 yards and three touchdown passes. LVP: Dallas Clark. The Colts didn't do much right against the Saints, and Clark did not manage a single reception (0.00).
Waiting for Goodell 146.25-Pantry Cereals 65.75
Baron had six guys record double-digit point totals (including his kicker and a defender), while Drew's team (without Brady and Welker) managed not a single one. Jason Witten (9.50) came the closest, and then the next highest mark came from Charles Woodson (7.75). Arian Foster, Big Ben, and Darren Sproles all went off. Roethlisberger and Foster by themselves (68.00 combined) would have beaten Drew this week. Did you know: James Anderson went to Virginia Tech and was drafted 88th overall in the 2006 draft. (I had to look that one up, and by this time, I was out of interesting factoids to put here).
WFG (3-4): Baron finally had Big Ben in the lineup when he had a good game (31.50). Foster (36.50) had at least 100 yards receiving and 100 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Sproles had 107 total yards and two touchdowns (23.00). Mike Wallace and Kellen Winslow also caught touchdowns. MVP: Foster. He finished with 234 yards of total offense and finally looked healthy. LVP: Devery Henderson. With all of the TDs Brees was throwing, Henderson (0.50) only had one catch total for nine yards.
PC (4-3): Two total touchdowns for Drew. One came from Matt Hasselbeck, which was offset by two interceptions, and the other came from Witten. Woodson had two interceptions. In week one, Brady and Welker combined for 63 points. Just saying. MVP: Witten. It's probably not your week when your best player has five catches for 35 yards and a score. LVP: Ray Rice. He finished with just 63 yards and a fumble. He wasn't a big focus of the offense, and that clearly bothered Terrell Suggs, so it has to count for something.
Next week: Ed looks for his first win against Viano, Welty looks to start a winning streak against Champ, JR puts his four-game winning streak on the line against Drew, Eli goes up against Baron (who is hoping the Good Big Ben shows up again), and the two Lions' fans square off, with Tomke hoping Stafford throws eight TD passes to receivers not named Calvin Johnson.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Around VUFSA: Week Six
This was kind of a stinker of a week. Not a single match-up was decided by fewer than 20 points. Bye weeks, injuries, and general suckitude of certain players led to these less than exciting results. While the scores weren't interesting, what the league looks like after Week Six certainly is. There is a five-way tie for second place, and eighth-place team is only two games out of a playoff spot. Next week will mark the halfway point of the regular season, and all we really know is the Ed and Welty are likely fighting it out for the top pick in the 2012 draft.
Jamie Looks Hot 117.50-Let My Monkeys Go 96.50
What happened: This was a tie game going into Monday night. JR had three Jets going for his team, while Viano was all done. In spite of Mark Sanchez's continued ineptitude, JR's trio combined for 21.00 to get the win. With the Chargers on bye, Viano was forced to turn to Montario Hardesty and Hines Ward to try and get the job done. Matt Ryan finally had a decent game, Jordy Nelson caught a 93-yard touchdown pass, and Ahmad Bradshaw had a career day. Viano had five guys who scored at least 10.00 points, and then had no one else score more than 6.25.
JLH (4-2): If life wasn't fair when his team was 3-2, I can only imagine what JR thinks about his team being 4-2. Ryan (18.50) accounted for two scores and no touchdowns. Nelson (12.00), Brandon Pettigrew (12.00), and Santonio Holmes (10.50) all caught touchdown passes. But the story of JR's team was Bradshaw. Non only did he have three one-yard touchdown runs (which is a career high for him), but he finished with 130 total yards of offense (30.00). MVP: Bradshaw. He had 56.50 points in the first five weeks (two touchdowns), so he increased his output by almost 50 percent in one game. LVP: Reggie Wayne. He wasn't the lowest scoring offensive player (that would be Dustin Keller), but with Curtis Painter showing competence, this it's disappointing to get low totals (4.50 this week) from Wayne.
LMMG (3-3): When you have to start Montario Hardesty, it generally is a sign that you're in for a tough go of it. To his credit, Viano tallied almost 100 points, which is commendable in any case but especially with Ryan Mathews and Vincent Jackson on bye. How Viano got there, is quite interesting. For the second week in a row, Viano gets a big week from his kicker. Billy Cundiff (17.00) made five field goals, and was actually Viano's highest scoring player of the week. Earnest Graham (12.00) was a great play with LaGarrette Blount out. Matt Schaub (15.25) was stifled a little bit by Baltimore's defense (only one touchdown). A.J. Green (10.50) and Anquan Boldin (10.00) were the only other guys who had double-figure scoring. MVP: Cundiff (PFL Pride!!). Having your kicker as your top scorer (when the kicker is really good and not because the offense is putrid) will get him in this slot every time. LVP: Felix Jones. Jones finished with 33 total yards (2.00). Not good numbers from a featured back.
Pantry Cereals 122.75-Who is Ron Mexico 100.25
What happened: Drew's AFC North corps of running backs all reached double-figures, and Dave's wide receivers only combined for 12.50 points, which is 1.25 more than Wes Welker had by himself (and he had an average day). Drew scored the most points this week in spite of getting a -1.00 from Davone Bess. Miles Austin returned to action, but Tony Romo's touchdown pass went to Jason Witten.
PC (4-2): Tom Brady continues to have problems with interceptions (two more this week), and he and Welker only combined for 30.00. They will probably have to combine for more than that in the coming weeks for Drew. I will admit to never having heard of Preston Parker (32 yards receiving and a touchdown), but maybe I'm in the minority on that. Rashard Mendenhall (20.00) had 146 yards and a score, while Ray Rice (15.50) had 161 yards of offense. Cedric Benson (11.50) and Witten (10.00) each had touchdowns as well. MVP: Mendenhall. Not much else to say. His numbers were very good, and have been good this whole year. LVP: Bess. He finished with 21 yards receiving and a fumble. You will find yourself in this space when your owner would have been better off leaving your roster spot empty.
WIRM (4-2): Tomke only got 10+ from two players (Matthew Stafford and Darren McFadden). Jahvid Best had 110 total yards (but apparently is suffering from concussion-like symptoms). Miles Austin and Jimmy Graham each had seven catches, while Roddy White, DeSean Jackson, and Plaxico Burress combined for six catches. That's where this match-up was lost. MVP: Stafford. Stafford (24.00) threw for 293 yards and two scores. I guess he doesn't lose any points for having a safety charged against him. It could have just as easily been McFadden (16.00), who continues to be awesome, and will probably only be better with the addition of Carson Palmer. LVP: Burress. One catch for 16 yards and 0.50 points.
ChamPeons 102.00-Dexter McClusterfunk 78.75
What happened: Each team had a running back score 0.00 (for Champ it was Blount, for Eli it was Tim Hightower). Fred Jackson continued to be awesome, while Cam Newton came back to earth. Robbie Gould outscored Drew Brees, and Eli only had double-figure scoring from Jackson and Newton. LeSean McCoy and Matt Forte continued their stellar play (31.00 combined). Sadly, Terrell Owens did not make an appearance in this match-up.
CP (4-2): Brees (13.25) had three picks and only offset those with one touchdown. McCoy (19.00) had 139 total yards and a touchdown. Forte (12.00) had 123 total yards (but they let Marion Barber score the touchdown (or maybe it was Laurence Maroney--I can never remember who is who between those two). Brees was kind enough to throw his touchdown pass to Marques Colston (15.00), who finished with 118 yards receiving. So that was nice of him. MVP: Gould. The Chicago kicker (14.00) made three field goals, including one from 50+. LVP: Blount (although it could go to Champ himself for not putting another back in his place).
DMC (4-2): Newton had a really rough day (three interceptions and just one touchdown). Jackson was the top scorer on the team with 22.50. There's not a whole lot else worthy of mention. Mark Ingram (9.00) had a touchdown. That was it. Three touchdowns from Eli's entire team. MVP: Jackson. I am developing a man-crush on this guy. He just continues to get it done. This week, he had 168 total yards and a touchdown. Where would Eli's team (and the Bills) be without him? LVP: Hightower. He didn't play against the Eagles but was listed as active, which really sucks for his owners. That Washington backfield is a mess. Why does Mike Shanahan hate fantasy football so much?
Waiting for Goodell 104.00-Bobby Engram 78.75
What happened: Thanks to bye weeks, trades, and injuries, Ed's starting lineup included Delone Carter, Kevin Walter, Jerome Simpson, and Bernard Scott. That's not exactly Murderer's Row. Joe Flacco led Ed's team (not necessarily surprising), but he only did so with 11.50. Ouch. Baron only got double-digits from four guys, but that's okay because Frank Gore decimated the Lions' defense. Baron's love-hate relationship with Ben Roethlisberger continued, as Big Ben only managed 13.00 this week. Baron did get at least 4.50 from every one of his offensive starters, and Ed had four players who managed less than that.
WFG (2-4): Gore led the way (21.00) with 146 total yards and a touchdown. Stevie Johnson and Mike Wallace (10.00 each) both had touchdown catches. Baron's team only had four touchdowns, but it was enough this time around. Big Ben only threw for 200 yards and one score, and Baron will have to continue to debate between him and Josh Freeman (23.75 this week). MVP: Gore. After almost being benched a few weeks ago, Gore has come out and put up great numbers the last two weeks. LVP: Mario Manningham. Manningham's 4.50 points was the fewest of each of Baron's offensive starters.
BE (0-6): After Maurice Jones-Drew's 91 percent started, the next highest on Ed's roster for the week was Jermaine Gresham at 37 percent. It has just been one of those years for Ed. (Not that there is a lot of sympathy around the league for the two-time defending champ). Flacco (305 yards and a rushing touchdown but two turnovers) was the top scorer at 11.50. MJD (10.00) had 104 total yards. Nate Burleson (9.00) managed Ed's other touchdown. Yes, you read that correctly. Ed's team had two touchdowns. MVP: LaMarr Woodley. Woodley had eight tackles and two sacks (9.00) to tie for the third-best total on Ed's squad. LVP: Bye weeks. I like Scott Chandler (0.50) too much to but him hear, so let me say that Ed had four guys who would be starters all on byes this week.
Phil Powell Rules 95.75-Fruit on the Bottom 61.50
What happened: Neither of Welty's running backs played (Knowshon Moreno was on a bye and Joseph Addai did not suit up), and my team only had two players reach double figures (but Michael Turner and Aaron Rodgers were kind enough to go well past the 10-point mark). Jared Allen had Welty's second-best score of the week. The 49ers held Calvin Johnson without a touchdown, and Chicago's large lead limited Adrian Peterson's effectiveness.
PPR (5-1): A pretty blah week from the team at the top of the league. They only managed six touchdowns, and five of those came from Rodgers and Michael Turner. Rodgers (26.25) did throw for three scores (including a 93-yarder to Jordy Nelson). Turner (25.50) rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns. It was by far his best game of the year. Other than those two, AP had the team's sixth touchdown and Megatron went over 100 yards receiving. MVP: Turner. His best game of the year came at a time when AP didn't do much and Peyton Hillis was hurt, so it was definitely needed. LVP: Hillis. The Madden Curse continues as Hillis has never been able to get on track this season. He managed only 1.00 point before leaving with a hamstring injury and could be out for a few weeks.
FOTB (0-6): Michael Vick (16.50) limited his turnovers (1), but he only had one touchdown. Jared Allen (10.50) had a sack, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble. Vick's touchdown was Welty's only one this week. Neither of his running backs played. It was definitely a struggle this week, but since his Cardinals are in the World Series, I'm not sure he cares much. MVP: Allen. Double digits from a defensive player is great. Welty just needs the rest of his roster to do something. I'm half surprised he didn't bench him since the Vikings were playing the Bears. LVP: Welty. I don't want to be mean here, but he had other running backs who could have played and didn't. It doesn't look good when both your starting running backs don't play. I'm guessing he just forgot to make changes, or maybe he really does want to secure the top pick in the 2012 draft. By the way, circle week 9 on your calendars. That's when Welty takes on Ed, which could be a battle of two winless teams if things don't turn around in the next two weeks.
Jamie Looks Hot 117.50-Let My Monkeys Go 96.50
What happened: This was a tie game going into Monday night. JR had three Jets going for his team, while Viano was all done. In spite of Mark Sanchez's continued ineptitude, JR's trio combined for 21.00 to get the win. With the Chargers on bye, Viano was forced to turn to Montario Hardesty and Hines Ward to try and get the job done. Matt Ryan finally had a decent game, Jordy Nelson caught a 93-yard touchdown pass, and Ahmad Bradshaw had a career day. Viano had five guys who scored at least 10.00 points, and then had no one else score more than 6.25.
JLH (4-2): If life wasn't fair when his team was 3-2, I can only imagine what JR thinks about his team being 4-2. Ryan (18.50) accounted for two scores and no touchdowns. Nelson (12.00), Brandon Pettigrew (12.00), and Santonio Holmes (10.50) all caught touchdown passes. But the story of JR's team was Bradshaw. Non only did he have three one-yard touchdown runs (which is a career high for him), but he finished with 130 total yards of offense (30.00). MVP: Bradshaw. He had 56.50 points in the first five weeks (two touchdowns), so he increased his output by almost 50 percent in one game. LVP: Reggie Wayne. He wasn't the lowest scoring offensive player (that would be Dustin Keller), but with Curtis Painter showing competence, this it's disappointing to get low totals (4.50 this week) from Wayne.
LMMG (3-3): When you have to start Montario Hardesty, it generally is a sign that you're in for a tough go of it. To his credit, Viano tallied almost 100 points, which is commendable in any case but especially with Ryan Mathews and Vincent Jackson on bye. How Viano got there, is quite interesting. For the second week in a row, Viano gets a big week from his kicker. Billy Cundiff (17.00) made five field goals, and was actually Viano's highest scoring player of the week. Earnest Graham (12.00) was a great play with LaGarrette Blount out. Matt Schaub (15.25) was stifled a little bit by Baltimore's defense (only one touchdown). A.J. Green (10.50) and Anquan Boldin (10.00) were the only other guys who had double-figure scoring. MVP: Cundiff (PFL Pride!!). Having your kicker as your top scorer (when the kicker is really good and not because the offense is putrid) will get him in this slot every time. LVP: Felix Jones. Jones finished with 33 total yards (2.00). Not good numbers from a featured back.
Pantry Cereals 122.75-Who is Ron Mexico 100.25
What happened: Drew's AFC North corps of running backs all reached double-figures, and Dave's wide receivers only combined for 12.50 points, which is 1.25 more than Wes Welker had by himself (and he had an average day). Drew scored the most points this week in spite of getting a -1.00 from Davone Bess. Miles Austin returned to action, but Tony Romo's touchdown pass went to Jason Witten.
PC (4-2): Tom Brady continues to have problems with interceptions (two more this week), and he and Welker only combined for 30.00. They will probably have to combine for more than that in the coming weeks for Drew. I will admit to never having heard of Preston Parker (32 yards receiving and a touchdown), but maybe I'm in the minority on that. Rashard Mendenhall (20.00) had 146 yards and a score, while Ray Rice (15.50) had 161 yards of offense. Cedric Benson (11.50) and Witten (10.00) each had touchdowns as well. MVP: Mendenhall. Not much else to say. His numbers were very good, and have been good this whole year. LVP: Bess. He finished with 21 yards receiving and a fumble. You will find yourself in this space when your owner would have been better off leaving your roster spot empty.
WIRM (4-2): Tomke only got 10+ from two players (Matthew Stafford and Darren McFadden). Jahvid Best had 110 total yards (but apparently is suffering from concussion-like symptoms). Miles Austin and Jimmy Graham each had seven catches, while Roddy White, DeSean Jackson, and Plaxico Burress combined for six catches. That's where this match-up was lost. MVP: Stafford. Stafford (24.00) threw for 293 yards and two scores. I guess he doesn't lose any points for having a safety charged against him. It could have just as easily been McFadden (16.00), who continues to be awesome, and will probably only be better with the addition of Carson Palmer. LVP: Burress. One catch for 16 yards and 0.50 points.
ChamPeons 102.00-Dexter McClusterfunk 78.75
What happened: Each team had a running back score 0.00 (for Champ it was Blount, for Eli it was Tim Hightower). Fred Jackson continued to be awesome, while Cam Newton came back to earth. Robbie Gould outscored Drew Brees, and Eli only had double-figure scoring from Jackson and Newton. LeSean McCoy and Matt Forte continued their stellar play (31.00 combined). Sadly, Terrell Owens did not make an appearance in this match-up.
CP (4-2): Brees (13.25) had three picks and only offset those with one touchdown. McCoy (19.00) had 139 total yards and a touchdown. Forte (12.00) had 123 total yards (but they let Marion Barber score the touchdown (or maybe it was Laurence Maroney--I can never remember who is who between those two). Brees was kind enough to throw his touchdown pass to Marques Colston (15.00), who finished with 118 yards receiving. So that was nice of him. MVP: Gould. The Chicago kicker (14.00) made three field goals, including one from 50+. LVP: Blount (although it could go to Champ himself for not putting another back in his place).
DMC (4-2): Newton had a really rough day (three interceptions and just one touchdown). Jackson was the top scorer on the team with 22.50. There's not a whole lot else worthy of mention. Mark Ingram (9.00) had a touchdown. That was it. Three touchdowns from Eli's entire team. MVP: Jackson. I am developing a man-crush on this guy. He just continues to get it done. This week, he had 168 total yards and a touchdown. Where would Eli's team (and the Bills) be without him? LVP: Hightower. He didn't play against the Eagles but was listed as active, which really sucks for his owners. That Washington backfield is a mess. Why does Mike Shanahan hate fantasy football so much?
Waiting for Goodell 104.00-Bobby Engram 78.75
What happened: Thanks to bye weeks, trades, and injuries, Ed's starting lineup included Delone Carter, Kevin Walter, Jerome Simpson, and Bernard Scott. That's not exactly Murderer's Row. Joe Flacco led Ed's team (not necessarily surprising), but he only did so with 11.50. Ouch. Baron only got double-digits from four guys, but that's okay because Frank Gore decimated the Lions' defense. Baron's love-hate relationship with Ben Roethlisberger continued, as Big Ben only managed 13.00 this week. Baron did get at least 4.50 from every one of his offensive starters, and Ed had four players who managed less than that.
WFG (2-4): Gore led the way (21.00) with 146 total yards and a touchdown. Stevie Johnson and Mike Wallace (10.00 each) both had touchdown catches. Baron's team only had four touchdowns, but it was enough this time around. Big Ben only threw for 200 yards and one score, and Baron will have to continue to debate between him and Josh Freeman (23.75 this week). MVP: Gore. After almost being benched a few weeks ago, Gore has come out and put up great numbers the last two weeks. LVP: Mario Manningham. Manningham's 4.50 points was the fewest of each of Baron's offensive starters.
BE (0-6): After Maurice Jones-Drew's 91 percent started, the next highest on Ed's roster for the week was Jermaine Gresham at 37 percent. It has just been one of those years for Ed. (Not that there is a lot of sympathy around the league for the two-time defending champ). Flacco (305 yards and a rushing touchdown but two turnovers) was the top scorer at 11.50. MJD (10.00) had 104 total yards. Nate Burleson (9.00) managed Ed's other touchdown. Yes, you read that correctly. Ed's team had two touchdowns. MVP: LaMarr Woodley. Woodley had eight tackles and two sacks (9.00) to tie for the third-best total on Ed's squad. LVP: Bye weeks. I like Scott Chandler (0.50) too much to but him hear, so let me say that Ed had four guys who would be starters all on byes this week.
Phil Powell Rules 95.75-Fruit on the Bottom 61.50
What happened: Neither of Welty's running backs played (Knowshon Moreno was on a bye and Joseph Addai did not suit up), and my team only had two players reach double figures (but Michael Turner and Aaron Rodgers were kind enough to go well past the 10-point mark). Jared Allen had Welty's second-best score of the week. The 49ers held Calvin Johnson without a touchdown, and Chicago's large lead limited Adrian Peterson's effectiveness.
PPR (5-1): A pretty blah week from the team at the top of the league. They only managed six touchdowns, and five of those came from Rodgers and Michael Turner. Rodgers (26.25) did throw for three scores (including a 93-yarder to Jordy Nelson). Turner (25.50) rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns. It was by far his best game of the year. Other than those two, AP had the team's sixth touchdown and Megatron went over 100 yards receiving. MVP: Turner. His best game of the year came at a time when AP didn't do much and Peyton Hillis was hurt, so it was definitely needed. LVP: Hillis. The Madden Curse continues as Hillis has never been able to get on track this season. He managed only 1.00 point before leaving with a hamstring injury and could be out for a few weeks.
FOTB (0-6): Michael Vick (16.50) limited his turnovers (1), but he only had one touchdown. Jared Allen (10.50) had a sack, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble. Vick's touchdown was Welty's only one this week. Neither of his running backs played. It was definitely a struggle this week, but since his Cardinals are in the World Series, I'm not sure he cares much. MVP: Allen. Double digits from a defensive player is great. Welty just needs the rest of his roster to do something. I'm half surprised he didn't bench him since the Vikings were playing the Bears. LVP: Welty. I don't want to be mean here, but he had other running backs who could have played and didn't. It doesn't look good when both your starting running backs don't play. I'm guessing he just forgot to make changes, or maybe he really does want to secure the top pick in the 2012 draft. By the way, circle week 9 on your calendars. That's when Welty takes on Ed, which could be a battle of two winless teams if things don't turn around in the next two weeks.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Around the VUFSA: Week Five
In this week's installment of Around the VUFSA, the last remaining unbeaten team lost (damn you, Eli), Tomke's five Lions brought some serious Thunder against Ed, Drew lost his second straight match-up, and JR won the closest contest of the season to improve to 3-2. All in all, seven teams are within one game of first, while the bottom three teams (Ed, Welty, Baron) have one combined win.
Jamie Looks Hot 80.50-Fruit on the Bottom 79.25
What Happened: JR won by 1.25 points mostly because Welty didn't bother to swap out two defenders who were on byes. Perhaps, much like the Miami Dolphins, Welty is attempting to position himself to select Andrew Luck with the top pick in next year's draft (although I doubt it since he has Michael Vick), or maybe he was so distracted by the NLCS that he simply forgot to check. Brandon Pettigrew out-thundered Johnny Knox 9.00-1.00 to lead JR to the win. Matt Ryan underperformed, and Mason Crosby was Welty's second best scorer.
JLH (3-2): Mr. Radcliffe pulled off the victory despite only getting four touchdowns from his entire roster. One of those came from Pettigrew (9.00) on Monday night. Shonn Greene had 83 yards rushing and a score (15.00). Greg Jennings had JR's second best total with 12.00 (four catches, 82 yards, and a score). Ahmad Bradshaw recorded double-digits thanks to a two-point conversion (10.00). Players who scored more points than Matt Ryan (7.50): Greene, Jennings, Bradshaw, Pettigrew, and Neil Rackers (9.00). JR selected the wrong Carolina running back, going with Jonathan Stewart (2.50), while DeAngelo Williams (17.50) was on the bench. MVP: Greene with 92 total yards and a score against New England. LVP: Matt Ryan. Atlanta's quarterback has been a disappointment all season (almost Rivers-esque). Ryan's numbers of 167 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions just won't get it done.
FOTB (0-5): Vick (21.50) threw for 315 yards and two scores and rushed for 90 yards, but he was done in by four interceptions. Denarius Moore and Mike Williams combined for 0.50 points. Welty's squad also managed just four touchdowns, with Jeremy Maclin (11.00) and Knowshon Moreno (6.50--no rushing yards, all receiving). Mason Crosby (14.00) scored the second-most points for Welty. It's usually not a good sign when your kicker is the second-best player on your team. Jared Allen (10.75) was the fourth-best, so without his only defender and kicker, Welty's team managed fewer than 50 points. Yikes. MVP: Mason Crosby. Crosby made four field goals (including one from 56 yards) and an extra point. LVP: Non-Maclin wide receivers. The four other wide outs combined for 4.50 points.
Who is Ron Mexico 122.25-Bobby Engram 118.25
What Happened: Tomke trailed by 40 points going into the Monday night game, and his five Lions (specifically Jahvid Best and Matthew Stafford) combined for 46.75 points to keep Edwin winless. Ed had his best day of the year with six guys scoring at least 12.50 points. Unfortunately for him, Tomke got huge days from Best and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The tide of this game turned when Best ripped off an 88-yard touchdown run. Another factor was that Stafford threw a bunch to Calvin Johnson and not much to Nate Burleson.
WIRM (4-1): Darren McFadden (6.00) and Stafford (17.75) were average, but Best (24.00 and Green-Ellis (25.50) picked up the slack. Best rushed for 163 yards, and Green-Ellis had 149 total yards and two touchdowns. DeSean Jackson (12.50) and Roddy White (11.00) each caught a touchdown, while Jimmy Graham had eight grabs for 129 yards (10.00). MVP: Green-Ellis. New England's new found running game is a boost to Tomke's roster. BJE is the least likely of the Tomke's three backs to go off, and it means good things if he can keep it up. LVP: Eric Decker. Two catches for -4 yards (1.00) is less than ideal.
BE (0-5): Philip Rivers had 250 yards and two TDs, but he also committed two turnovers (16.50). Vernon Davis caught two touchdowns (14.50), while Kevin Walter, MJD, Chris Johnson, Jermaine Gresham, and Beanie Wells each had a touchdown. This was by far Ed's best week of the year, and it still wasn't enough. I'm sure he would have loved to have played another wide receiver other than Burleson, but his other two (Britt, Andre Johnson) are both injured. MVP: Davis. It is rare to get two scores from a tight end, and with the loss of Josh Morgan, Davis is probably San Francisco's best receiver. The problem is, Ed traded him to me for a third round pick. LVP: Burleson (1.00). Stafford does such a good job of spreading around the ball, and it really hurt that he only found Burleson once.
Dexter McClusterfunk 130.25-Phil Powell Rules 112.00
What Happened: Eli had six guys put up double-figure totals, while I only managed four. Calvin Johnson was unable to overcome a 32-point deficit by himself on Monday night. Fred Jackson and Cam Newton continued to be really awesome, and Stephen Gostkowski reached double figures as well (I think he even registered a tackle or something like that). On the other side, Adrian Peterson took out his frustration on Cardinals. Aaron Rodgers and Calvin Johnson put up solid days as well, but there wasn't a whole lot other than that.
DMC (4-1): Jackson had 196 total yards and touchdown (24.50). I know that the first pick of the second round is probably to early for the STEAL OF THE DRAFT, but Jackson has been stellar all year for Eli. I think Cam Newton (25.00--three touchdowns) qualifies as the best waiver wire pick-up of the year. Lynch (15.50) and Mark Ingram (10.00) both added touchdowns. Gostkowski (12.25) made three field goals and three extra points). MVP: Jackson (again). He just continues to be awesome. As long as the Bills keep playing well, Jackson will continue to put up at least 15 points every week. LVP: Jacoby Jones. Getting the start in place of the injured Andre Johnson should have meant more than one catch for Jones (1.00).
PPR (4-1): Adrian Peterson rushed for 122 yards and three scores (30.00). Johnson continued to be awesome with five grabs for 130 yards and a score (14.50). Rodgers (25.50) had almost 400 yards and two scores. Michael Turner found the end zone (and then the Falcons stopped running the ball). The rest of the lineup was a whole lot of meh. And against the numbers Eli's team put up, meh is not going to get it done. MVP: Peterson. He gashed the Cardinals and was undoubtedly much happier with the play calling in that contest. LVP: Brandon Lloyd (1.50) had one catch for 20 yards, and that was on Denver's final drive of the game.
ChamPeons 115.50-Pantry Cereals 84.75
What Happened: Tom Brady and Wes Welker were merely average (23.50 combined), and Drew's two running backs combined for 3.50 points. Champ's three running backs combined for 36.50, and Drew Brees continued to do what he does (put up good numbers). Sebastian Janikowski (16.00) outscored everyone on Drew's roster except Dwayne Bowe, which is good for Sebastian but bad for Drew. Victor Cruz had another big day, and Michael Jenkins's 0.00 wasn't the lowest total in this contest, as Ryan Grant put up -1.50 for Drew.
CP (3-2): Brees (24.00) tossed for 359 yards and two scores. Cruz (15.50) had 8 catches for 161 yards and a score. LeSean McCoy had 107 total yards and a score (17.00), and Matt Forte had 151 total yards (14.00). Steve Smith had 79 receiving yards a touchdown (10.50). MVP: Cruz. The Giants' rookie had another big week, and he has quickly become Eli Manning's favorite target. LVP: Jenkins. He did have 32 receiving yards, but he lost it all thanks to a fumble.
PC (3-2): Brady only threw for one touchdown this week (partially offset by an interception), he had the nerve to throw it to someone other than Welker. Bowe (21.50) had two touchdowns and 128 yards receiving in KC's first win of the year. Janikowski made four field goals (including three from 50+). Other than that, there isn't a whole lot worth mentioning. Drew can hate the schedule makers for having Ray Rice and Rashard Mendenhall both be on byes at the same time. MVP: Bowe. He had struggled mightily through most of the season (not his fault), and this was a good game to get him going for the rest of the year. LVP: Grant. 24 total yards were negated by a fumble. It's a pretty strong statement saying that Drew would have been better off playing one of his guys who were on a bye.
Let My Monkeys Go 126.75-Waiting for Goodell 78.50
What Happened: Viano had three guys who scored more points (including kicker Nick Novak) than Baron's best guy. Baron decided to sit Big Ben, and that turned out to be a tremendous mistake. Pierre Garcon continues to be Curtis Painter's favorite wide receiver (two more touchdowns), and Willis McGahee actually outperformed Ryan Mathews. Frank Gore, Arian Foster, and Mike Wallace were good for Baron, and no one else was.
LMMG (3-2): Matt Schaub (20.00) passed for 400+ yards and two touchdowns but also had two interceptions. Garcon (20.50) had five catches for 125 yards and two scores. AJ Green and Greg Olson each had touchdowns, while Mathews had 132 total yards and McGahee had 125 total yards. Novak (18.00) made five field goals to be the highest scoring kicker of the week. MVP: Novak. Garcon could go here, but we should reward the kicker for making five field goals. LVP: Vincent Jackson. Jackson caught three passes for 34 yards (2.50), and was Viano's lowest scorer on offense.
WFG (0-5): The good news for Baron (if you want to look at it that way) is that even if he had started Big Ben, he still would have lost. Six of Baron's starters on offense (including Josh Freeman) scored fewer than 10 points. Gore had 143 total yards and a score (16.50), and Wallace had 82 receiving yards and a touchdown (13.50). Foster pitched in with 184 total yards (13.50). MVP: Gore. He has had two solid weeks after being not very good to start the year. LVP: Freeman. There are (sadly) a lot of options here, but Freeman was the worst with only 187 yards and two picks (1.50).
Jamie Looks Hot 80.50-Fruit on the Bottom 79.25
What Happened: JR won by 1.25 points mostly because Welty didn't bother to swap out two defenders who were on byes. Perhaps, much like the Miami Dolphins, Welty is attempting to position himself to select Andrew Luck with the top pick in next year's draft (although I doubt it since he has Michael Vick), or maybe he was so distracted by the NLCS that he simply forgot to check. Brandon Pettigrew out-thundered Johnny Knox 9.00-1.00 to lead JR to the win. Matt Ryan underperformed, and Mason Crosby was Welty's second best scorer.
JLH (3-2): Mr. Radcliffe pulled off the victory despite only getting four touchdowns from his entire roster. One of those came from Pettigrew (9.00) on Monday night. Shonn Greene had 83 yards rushing and a score (15.00). Greg Jennings had JR's second best total with 12.00 (four catches, 82 yards, and a score). Ahmad Bradshaw recorded double-digits thanks to a two-point conversion (10.00). Players who scored more points than Matt Ryan (7.50): Greene, Jennings, Bradshaw, Pettigrew, and Neil Rackers (9.00). JR selected the wrong Carolina running back, going with Jonathan Stewart (2.50), while DeAngelo Williams (17.50) was on the bench. MVP: Greene with 92 total yards and a score against New England. LVP: Matt Ryan. Atlanta's quarterback has been a disappointment all season (almost Rivers-esque). Ryan's numbers of 167 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions just won't get it done.
FOTB (0-5): Vick (21.50) threw for 315 yards and two scores and rushed for 90 yards, but he was done in by four interceptions. Denarius Moore and Mike Williams combined for 0.50 points. Welty's squad also managed just four touchdowns, with Jeremy Maclin (11.00) and Knowshon Moreno (6.50--no rushing yards, all receiving). Mason Crosby (14.00) scored the second-most points for Welty. It's usually not a good sign when your kicker is the second-best player on your team. Jared Allen (10.75) was the fourth-best, so without his only defender and kicker, Welty's team managed fewer than 50 points. Yikes. MVP: Mason Crosby. Crosby made four field goals (including one from 56 yards) and an extra point. LVP: Non-Maclin wide receivers. The four other wide outs combined for 4.50 points.
Who is Ron Mexico 122.25-Bobby Engram 118.25
What Happened: Tomke trailed by 40 points going into the Monday night game, and his five Lions (specifically Jahvid Best and Matthew Stafford) combined for 46.75 points to keep Edwin winless. Ed had his best day of the year with six guys scoring at least 12.50 points. Unfortunately for him, Tomke got huge days from Best and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The tide of this game turned when Best ripped off an 88-yard touchdown run. Another factor was that Stafford threw a bunch to Calvin Johnson and not much to Nate Burleson.
WIRM (4-1): Darren McFadden (6.00) and Stafford (17.75) were average, but Best (24.00 and Green-Ellis (25.50) picked up the slack. Best rushed for 163 yards, and Green-Ellis had 149 total yards and two touchdowns. DeSean Jackson (12.50) and Roddy White (11.00) each caught a touchdown, while Jimmy Graham had eight grabs for 129 yards (10.00). MVP: Green-Ellis. New England's new found running game is a boost to Tomke's roster. BJE is the least likely of the Tomke's three backs to go off, and it means good things if he can keep it up. LVP: Eric Decker. Two catches for -4 yards (1.00) is less than ideal.
BE (0-5): Philip Rivers had 250 yards and two TDs, but he also committed two turnovers (16.50). Vernon Davis caught two touchdowns (14.50), while Kevin Walter, MJD, Chris Johnson, Jermaine Gresham, and Beanie Wells each had a touchdown. This was by far Ed's best week of the year, and it still wasn't enough. I'm sure he would have loved to have played another wide receiver other than Burleson, but his other two (Britt, Andre Johnson) are both injured. MVP: Davis. It is rare to get two scores from a tight end, and with the loss of Josh Morgan, Davis is probably San Francisco's best receiver. The problem is, Ed traded him to me for a third round pick. LVP: Burleson (1.00). Stafford does such a good job of spreading around the ball, and it really hurt that he only found Burleson once.
Dexter McClusterfunk 130.25-Phil Powell Rules 112.00
What Happened: Eli had six guys put up double-figure totals, while I only managed four. Calvin Johnson was unable to overcome a 32-point deficit by himself on Monday night. Fred Jackson and Cam Newton continued to be really awesome, and Stephen Gostkowski reached double figures as well (I think he even registered a tackle or something like that). On the other side, Adrian Peterson took out his frustration on Cardinals. Aaron Rodgers and Calvin Johnson put up solid days as well, but there wasn't a whole lot other than that.
DMC (4-1): Jackson had 196 total yards and touchdown (24.50). I know that the first pick of the second round is probably to early for the STEAL OF THE DRAFT, but Jackson has been stellar all year for Eli. I think Cam Newton (25.00--three touchdowns) qualifies as the best waiver wire pick-up of the year. Lynch (15.50) and Mark Ingram (10.00) both added touchdowns. Gostkowski (12.25) made three field goals and three extra points). MVP: Jackson (again). He just continues to be awesome. As long as the Bills keep playing well, Jackson will continue to put up at least 15 points every week. LVP: Jacoby Jones. Getting the start in place of the injured Andre Johnson should have meant more than one catch for Jones (1.00).
PPR (4-1): Adrian Peterson rushed for 122 yards and three scores (30.00). Johnson continued to be awesome with five grabs for 130 yards and a score (14.50). Rodgers (25.50) had almost 400 yards and two scores. Michael Turner found the end zone (and then the Falcons stopped running the ball). The rest of the lineup was a whole lot of meh. And against the numbers Eli's team put up, meh is not going to get it done. MVP: Peterson. He gashed the Cardinals and was undoubtedly much happier with the play calling in that contest. LVP: Brandon Lloyd (1.50) had one catch for 20 yards, and that was on Denver's final drive of the game.
ChamPeons 115.50-Pantry Cereals 84.75
What Happened: Tom Brady and Wes Welker were merely average (23.50 combined), and Drew's two running backs combined for 3.50 points. Champ's three running backs combined for 36.50, and Drew Brees continued to do what he does (put up good numbers). Sebastian Janikowski (16.00) outscored everyone on Drew's roster except Dwayne Bowe, which is good for Sebastian but bad for Drew. Victor Cruz had another big day, and Michael Jenkins's 0.00 wasn't the lowest total in this contest, as Ryan Grant put up -1.50 for Drew.
CP (3-2): Brees (24.00) tossed for 359 yards and two scores. Cruz (15.50) had 8 catches for 161 yards and a score. LeSean McCoy had 107 total yards and a score (17.00), and Matt Forte had 151 total yards (14.00). Steve Smith had 79 receiving yards a touchdown (10.50). MVP: Cruz. The Giants' rookie had another big week, and he has quickly become Eli Manning's favorite target. LVP: Jenkins. He did have 32 receiving yards, but he lost it all thanks to a fumble.
PC (3-2): Brady only threw for one touchdown this week (partially offset by an interception), he had the nerve to throw it to someone other than Welker. Bowe (21.50) had two touchdowns and 128 yards receiving in KC's first win of the year. Janikowski made four field goals (including three from 50+). Other than that, there isn't a whole lot worth mentioning. Drew can hate the schedule makers for having Ray Rice and Rashard Mendenhall both be on byes at the same time. MVP: Bowe. He had struggled mightily through most of the season (not his fault), and this was a good game to get him going for the rest of the year. LVP: Grant. 24 total yards were negated by a fumble. It's a pretty strong statement saying that Drew would have been better off playing one of his guys who were on a bye.
Let My Monkeys Go 126.75-Waiting for Goodell 78.50
What Happened: Viano had three guys who scored more points (including kicker Nick Novak) than Baron's best guy. Baron decided to sit Big Ben, and that turned out to be a tremendous mistake. Pierre Garcon continues to be Curtis Painter's favorite wide receiver (two more touchdowns), and Willis McGahee actually outperformed Ryan Mathews. Frank Gore, Arian Foster, and Mike Wallace were good for Baron, and no one else was.
LMMG (3-2): Matt Schaub (20.00) passed for 400+ yards and two touchdowns but also had two interceptions. Garcon (20.50) had five catches for 125 yards and two scores. AJ Green and Greg Olson each had touchdowns, while Mathews had 132 total yards and McGahee had 125 total yards. Novak (18.00) made five field goals to be the highest scoring kicker of the week. MVP: Novak. Garcon could go here, but we should reward the kicker for making five field goals. LVP: Vincent Jackson. Jackson caught three passes for 34 yards (2.50), and was Viano's lowest scorer on offense.
WFG (0-5): The good news for Baron (if you want to look at it that way) is that even if he had started Big Ben, he still would have lost. Six of Baron's starters on offense (including Josh Freeman) scored fewer than 10 points. Gore had 143 total yards and a score (16.50), and Wallace had 82 receiving yards and a touchdown (13.50). Foster pitched in with 184 total yards (13.50). MVP: Gore. He has had two solid weeks after being not very good to start the year. LVP: Freeman. There are (sadly) a lot of options here, but Freeman was the worst with only 187 yards and two picks (1.50).
Monday, October 03, 2011
Week Four in Review
Another week is in the books here in the VUFSA. Two contests were decided by fewer than four points. Ed and Welty remain winless, while a record-setting performance by Aaron Rodgers decided a battle of unbeatens, and Viano didn't have a player score more than 13.50 points, but it was enough to knock Tomke from the ranks of the unbeaten. And Baron will probably be sending Rotoworld some very mean and spiteful e-mails. On with the show.
Let My Monkeys Go 114.25-Who is Ron Mexico 112.50
What Happened: Viano didn't have a player score more than 13.50 points, but he had eight(!) guys record double-digit point totals (including his kicker and a defender). Did you know Viano has been involved in the two closest games this season (week one loss to Eli by 1.50)? I bet you didn't. Anyone other than Viano who says they knew that is a liar. While I'm sure Tomke rejoiced in the Lions' comeback win, he was hurt by the fact that two of Detroit's scores were from defenders (neither of whom he played). Viano's San Diego threesome (Jackson, Tolbert, and Mathews) outscored Best, McFadden, and Tate (38-19.50).
LMMG (2-2): Viano didn't have one guy with an exceptionally stellar day, but he had eight guys with really solid days. Ryan Mathews (13.50) led the way without registering a touchdown. Vincent Jackson (12.50) had 108 yards and a score. Greg Olsen (10.50) had a touchdown against his former team. Sidney Rice (10.50) had a touchdown. (Wait, does that mean Tavaris Jackson threw a touchdown pass? That can't be right, can it?) Desmond Bishop (10.75) had a sack and forced a fumble. You know you've had a good day when you get double-figures from your kicker and a defender. MVP: Mike Tolbert. With the way Mathews has performed the last few weeks, I would have thought Tolbert's value would have decreased. Norv Turner is making good use of both backs, and Tolbert (12.00) chipped in with a touchdown. LVP: Anquan Boldin. Thanks to Joe Flacco's ineptitude (which was only surpassed by Mark Sanchez), Boldin had one catch for 28 yards and 1.50 points.
WIRM (3-1): If Tomke had started Romo over Stafford (in spite of all the interceptions), he would have won. The Patriots finally decided to run, and if he had started Ridley or Green-Ellis instead of Tate, he would have won. As for the guys Tomke did start, Jimmy Graham (17.00) was awesome and Eric Decker has become Kyle Orton's favorite red zone target (two touchdowns). The Patriots kept Darren McFadden out of the end zone, and DeSean Jackson had 171 yards but no scores. MVP: Jimmy Graham. The former Miami Hurricane power forward had 10 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. With his trade for Antonio Gates, Tomke has three of the top tight ends in the NFL (Gates, Graham, Hernandez). So he's got that going for him, which is nice. LVP: Ben Tate. Tate only managed 20 yards on the ground, and he may be looking at a diminished role, with Arian Foster looking healthy again.
Jamie Looks Hot 84.50-Waiting for Goodell 81.00
What Happened: Arian Foster finally looked like a top-three fantasy running back. That was about all that went right for Baron. He sat Frank Gore because Rotoworld told him to, and Big Ben went down with an injury. JR only had two guys score at least 10 points (Ryan and Jennings), but his team was slightly less bad than Baron's team was. This match-up had a mini "Thundering," as Reggie Wayne's four points allowed JR to overcome a 0.50-point deficit.
JLH (2-2): Matt Ryan and Greg Jennings were the only two players in JR's lineup to reach double-figures. Ryan was solid (20.00) against the Seahawks, and Greg Jennings had 1/4 of Aaron Rodgers's passing yards (14.50) and a touchdown. There's not a whole lot to say other than that. Ahmad Bradshaw had JR's only other non-quarterback touchdown. That's right, JR's team had three total touchdowns (half as many as Rodgers had) and he won. MVP: Greg Jennings. The pride of Kalamazoo Central High School (screw you, Jeter) had seven catches for 103 yards and a score. LVP: JR's three Jets. Dustin Keller, Shonn Greene, and Santonio Holmes combined for 5.50 points. If I have to pick one, I'll go with Greene. Two points from a running back isn't (usually) good enough.
WFG (1-3): I could probably sum this up with the phrase, "Baron hates Rotoworld." The nice thing about these close games is that I can play the "If he had started..." game. If Baron had started any of Gore (19.00), Julio Jones (11.50), or Josh Freeman (25.25), he would have won. On the bright side, Arian Foster (22.50) finally looked like he has shaken off his hamstring injury and is ready to start destroying defenses again. Fun Fact: Baron's team had two total touchdowns. So, Aaron Rodgers scored more touchdowns that JR and Baron's teams combined. MVP: Foster. His totals of 155 yards and a touchdown are more like what Baron had been expecting from Foster all along. LVP: Can I give this to Baron for sitting the aforementioned players? I get sitting Gore because Hunter got the start, but I think Julio Jones should be an every week starter. As it is, this goes to Rob Gronkowski. He took advantage of Aaron Hernandez's absence last week, but this week...no so much. He managed just one catch for 15 yards (0.50). Also, special notice to Ben Roethlisberger, who managed 6.00 points against the Texans and got hurt in the process.
Dexter McClusterfunk 114.75-Fruit on the Bottom 103.75
What Happened: Cam Newton (31.75) and Michael Vick (31.50) basically canceled each other out, and wide receivers accounted for the difference in this match-up. Hakeem Nicks, Dez Bryant, and Larry Fitzgerald combined for 43.00, while Mike Williams, Denarius Moore, Jeremy Maclin, and Antonio Brown combined for 23.00 for Welty. Fred Jackson continues to be awesome for the Gun, while Welty needs to find another running back, as Knowshon Moreno continues to disappoint (0.50).
DM (3-1): Newton continued to look like he was worth the top pick in the NFL Draft. This week, he threw for 374 yards and a touchdown, and he also had two rushing touchdowns and finished with the second-highest quarterback total for the week. Nicks (19.00) had 10 grabs for 162 yards and a score, while Fitzgerald (9.50) didn't get in the end zone but did have 102 receiving yards. Bryant (14.50) only had three catches, but two went for touchdowns (that was when Tony Romo was still throwing passes to his team). Jackson (15.50) had 98 total yards and a score, and that basically accounts for all of Eli's scoring. MVP: Newton. It's not that surprising that he put up the numbers he did (for he has done it three of the first four weeks), but it's that he did it against the Bears. Newton scored 18 more points than Yahoo projected him to have scored. LVP: Tim Hightower. After a breakout performance two weeks ago, Hightower (3.00) saw most of his carries go to Ryan Torain this week. Not only will this make fantasy owners hate Mike Shanahan, but it could be a problem for Eli going forward.
FOTB (0-4): Vick was essentially all of Philly's offense (416 yards passing, 75 yards rushing, two touchdowns). Steven Jackson (12.00) had 64 total yards and a touchdown, while Tony Gonzalez (11.50) and Moore (7.50) each had touchdown catches. Jared Allen (7.00) was Welty's fifth-best scorer, which probably tells you all you need to know about the state of his team this week. MVP: Vick. Just as he was all of Philly's offense, he accounted for 30 percent of Welty's total score this week. LVP: Knowshon Moreno. Maybe part of this can be accounted for by Denver's deficit and having to get away from the running game, but Moreno managed just 11 total yards (0.50). This would have been a good week to start Torain in his place (although hindsight is always 20/20).
ChamPeons 131.50-Bobby Engram 113.50
What Happened: LeGarrette Blount (18.50) brought a tiny bit of Thunder, as Champ rallied from a 0.50-point deficit going into the week's final game. Ed was burned badly by his three wide receivers, who combined for 4.00 points. Adding injury to insult, Andre Johnson left with a hamstring injury and could be out for a couple of weeks. Beanie Wells (31.00) and Matt Forte (29.00) were each side's high-point totals, and I honestly don't think anyone expected that. Ed's two tight ends accounted for 21.00 (17 more than this wide receivers), and we finally had a Chris Johnson sighting.
C: Forte's awesome day (228 total yards and a touchdown) led the way, but Champ had good balance with seven guys recording double-figure totals. Blount's 141 total yards and a score on Monday night were good enough to be Champ's second-best effort for the week. Drew Brees (16.25) threw more interceptions (two) than touchdowns (one). Owen Daniels and LeSean McCoy each had touchdowns, while Steve Smith didn't have a score but did have eight catches for 181 yards. MVP: Forte. Not only did he lead Champ's beloved Bears (BEARS!!) to victory, but Forte also led Champ himself to the win this week. It's weeks like this that will make it very hard to not give him the big contract he's asking for. LVP: Chad Ochocinco. With Tom Brady only having eyes for Wes Welker and the emergence of a running game, there weren't enough passes to go around for 85.
BE: Philip Rivers (18.25) didn't have a turnover this week. Good for him. Chris Johnson (11.00) finally decided he sort of wanted to earn his money and could be in the top echelon of running backs soon. Jermaine Gresham and Vernon Davis combined for eight catches and two scores (21.00), which is two more catches and two more touchdowns than Johnson, Nate Burleson, and Devery Henderson had combined. The big news is Johnson, who may miss a few weeks depending on the results of his MRI. At some point, Ed will catch a break this season. I promise. MVP: Beanie Wells, who attended the most god-forsaken school this side of ORU. Three touchdowns and 138 yards is a fantastic day, and it came from an unlikely source. If you asked which of Ed's three running backs was least likely to go off like this, I think Wells would be the runaway winner in that poll. LVP: All three of his wide receivers, who, as previously, mentioned combined for six catches and 52 yards. It's a testament to the rest of his roster that he scored 113.50 with only 4 from his three starting wide receivers.
Phil Powell Rules 146.75-Pantry Cereals 125.75
What Happened: Aaron Rodgers out Brady-ied Tom Brady. That basically accounts for the difference between these two teams, as Rodgers posted a record-setting (I believe anyway) day with 51.25 points, while Brady only managed 20.00. Calvin Johnson set an NFL record by catching two touchdowns in his fourth straight game to start the season. Wes Welker continued to be stellar, and Ray Rice was the only semblance of offense in what was otherwise a dreadful Sunday night game. These two squads seem pretty even, and when they meet again in week 13, quarterback play will almost certainly decide it again.
PPR (4-0): Rodgers recorded what I believe is the highest single-game total (51.25) in VUFSA history. (Again, someone will have to check on that for me). Johnson (20.00) had one catch in the first half for three yards and had seven catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Michael Turner (20.00) had two touchdowns. Brandon Lloyd had eight catches for 136 yards (10.00). Kickers don't usually get much love here, but Matt Bryant (13.00) had three field goals of 40 yards or more. MVP: Rodgers. He's the first player in NFL history with 400+ yards passing, four passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns in the same game. If only he hadn't thrown that interception. LVP: Scott Chandler. The Buffalo tight end only managed two catches for eight yards (2.00). Not so good after a touchdown catch in each of his first three games.
PC (3-1): Drew was done in by the fact that New England finally found a running game. Brady only accounted for two of New England's four touchdowns, and that was a big difference in the result this week. Welker (17.50) went over 150 yards and a score, and Dwayne Bowe (13.50) surpassed 100 yards with a score. Jason Witten (14.50) was Romo's favorite non-Lion target (eight catches, 94 yards, one touchdown). Ray Rice (16.00) had a 120 total yards and a touchdown. MVP: Welker. Witten or Rice could also go here, but Welker continues be a solid 15+ score every week. It's hard to go against that. LVP: Davone Bess. All of Drew's other wide receivers had either 100+ yards or a touchdown or both. Bess (2.50) had three catches for 21 yards.
Let My Monkeys Go 114.25-Who is Ron Mexico 112.50
What Happened: Viano didn't have a player score more than 13.50 points, but he had eight(!) guys record double-digit point totals (including his kicker and a defender). Did you know Viano has been involved in the two closest games this season (week one loss to Eli by 1.50)? I bet you didn't. Anyone other than Viano who says they knew that is a liar. While I'm sure Tomke rejoiced in the Lions' comeback win, he was hurt by the fact that two of Detroit's scores were from defenders (neither of whom he played). Viano's San Diego threesome (Jackson, Tolbert, and Mathews) outscored Best, McFadden, and Tate (38-19.50).
LMMG (2-2): Viano didn't have one guy with an exceptionally stellar day, but he had eight guys with really solid days. Ryan Mathews (13.50) led the way without registering a touchdown. Vincent Jackson (12.50) had 108 yards and a score. Greg Olsen (10.50) had a touchdown against his former team. Sidney Rice (10.50) had a touchdown. (Wait, does that mean Tavaris Jackson threw a touchdown pass? That can't be right, can it?) Desmond Bishop (10.75) had a sack and forced a fumble. You know you've had a good day when you get double-figures from your kicker and a defender. MVP: Mike Tolbert. With the way Mathews has performed the last few weeks, I would have thought Tolbert's value would have decreased. Norv Turner is making good use of both backs, and Tolbert (12.00) chipped in with a touchdown. LVP: Anquan Boldin. Thanks to Joe Flacco's ineptitude (which was only surpassed by Mark Sanchez), Boldin had one catch for 28 yards and 1.50 points.
WIRM (3-1): If Tomke had started Romo over Stafford (in spite of all the interceptions), he would have won. The Patriots finally decided to run, and if he had started Ridley or Green-Ellis instead of Tate, he would have won. As for the guys Tomke did start, Jimmy Graham (17.00) was awesome and Eric Decker has become Kyle Orton's favorite red zone target (two touchdowns). The Patriots kept Darren McFadden out of the end zone, and DeSean Jackson had 171 yards but no scores. MVP: Jimmy Graham. The former Miami Hurricane power forward had 10 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. With his trade for Antonio Gates, Tomke has three of the top tight ends in the NFL (Gates, Graham, Hernandez). So he's got that going for him, which is nice. LVP: Ben Tate. Tate only managed 20 yards on the ground, and he may be looking at a diminished role, with Arian Foster looking healthy again.
Jamie Looks Hot 84.50-Waiting for Goodell 81.00
What Happened: Arian Foster finally looked like a top-three fantasy running back. That was about all that went right for Baron. He sat Frank Gore because Rotoworld told him to, and Big Ben went down with an injury. JR only had two guys score at least 10 points (Ryan and Jennings), but his team was slightly less bad than Baron's team was. This match-up had a mini "Thundering," as Reggie Wayne's four points allowed JR to overcome a 0.50-point deficit.
JLH (2-2): Matt Ryan and Greg Jennings were the only two players in JR's lineup to reach double-figures. Ryan was solid (20.00) against the Seahawks, and Greg Jennings had 1/4 of Aaron Rodgers's passing yards (14.50) and a touchdown. There's not a whole lot to say other than that. Ahmad Bradshaw had JR's only other non-quarterback touchdown. That's right, JR's team had three total touchdowns (half as many as Rodgers had) and he won. MVP: Greg Jennings. The pride of Kalamazoo Central High School (screw you, Jeter) had seven catches for 103 yards and a score. LVP: JR's three Jets. Dustin Keller, Shonn Greene, and Santonio Holmes combined for 5.50 points. If I have to pick one, I'll go with Greene. Two points from a running back isn't (usually) good enough.
WFG (1-3): I could probably sum this up with the phrase, "Baron hates Rotoworld." The nice thing about these close games is that I can play the "If he had started..." game. If Baron had started any of Gore (19.00), Julio Jones (11.50), or Josh Freeman (25.25), he would have won. On the bright side, Arian Foster (22.50) finally looked like he has shaken off his hamstring injury and is ready to start destroying defenses again. Fun Fact: Baron's team had two total touchdowns. So, Aaron Rodgers scored more touchdowns that JR and Baron's teams combined. MVP: Foster. His totals of 155 yards and a touchdown are more like what Baron had been expecting from Foster all along. LVP: Can I give this to Baron for sitting the aforementioned players? I get sitting Gore because Hunter got the start, but I think Julio Jones should be an every week starter. As it is, this goes to Rob Gronkowski. He took advantage of Aaron Hernandez's absence last week, but this week...no so much. He managed just one catch for 15 yards (0.50). Also, special notice to Ben Roethlisberger, who managed 6.00 points against the Texans and got hurt in the process.
Dexter McClusterfunk 114.75-Fruit on the Bottom 103.75
What Happened: Cam Newton (31.75) and Michael Vick (31.50) basically canceled each other out, and wide receivers accounted for the difference in this match-up. Hakeem Nicks, Dez Bryant, and Larry Fitzgerald combined for 43.00, while Mike Williams, Denarius Moore, Jeremy Maclin, and Antonio Brown combined for 23.00 for Welty. Fred Jackson continues to be awesome for the Gun, while Welty needs to find another running back, as Knowshon Moreno continues to disappoint (0.50).
DM (3-1): Newton continued to look like he was worth the top pick in the NFL Draft. This week, he threw for 374 yards and a touchdown, and he also had two rushing touchdowns and finished with the second-highest quarterback total for the week. Nicks (19.00) had 10 grabs for 162 yards and a score, while Fitzgerald (9.50) didn't get in the end zone but did have 102 receiving yards. Bryant (14.50) only had three catches, but two went for touchdowns (that was when Tony Romo was still throwing passes to his team). Jackson (15.50) had 98 total yards and a score, and that basically accounts for all of Eli's scoring. MVP: Newton. It's not that surprising that he put up the numbers he did (for he has done it three of the first four weeks), but it's that he did it against the Bears. Newton scored 18 more points than Yahoo projected him to have scored. LVP: Tim Hightower. After a breakout performance two weeks ago, Hightower (3.00) saw most of his carries go to Ryan Torain this week. Not only will this make fantasy owners hate Mike Shanahan, but it could be a problem for Eli going forward.
FOTB (0-4): Vick was essentially all of Philly's offense (416 yards passing, 75 yards rushing, two touchdowns). Steven Jackson (12.00) had 64 total yards and a touchdown, while Tony Gonzalez (11.50) and Moore (7.50) each had touchdown catches. Jared Allen (7.00) was Welty's fifth-best scorer, which probably tells you all you need to know about the state of his team this week. MVP: Vick. Just as he was all of Philly's offense, he accounted for 30 percent of Welty's total score this week. LVP: Knowshon Moreno. Maybe part of this can be accounted for by Denver's deficit and having to get away from the running game, but Moreno managed just 11 total yards (0.50). This would have been a good week to start Torain in his place (although hindsight is always 20/20).
ChamPeons 131.50-Bobby Engram 113.50
What Happened: LeGarrette Blount (18.50) brought a tiny bit of Thunder, as Champ rallied from a 0.50-point deficit going into the week's final game. Ed was burned badly by his three wide receivers, who combined for 4.00 points. Adding injury to insult, Andre Johnson left with a hamstring injury and could be out for a couple of weeks. Beanie Wells (31.00) and Matt Forte (29.00) were each side's high-point totals, and I honestly don't think anyone expected that. Ed's two tight ends accounted for 21.00 (17 more than this wide receivers), and we finally had a Chris Johnson sighting.
C: Forte's awesome day (228 total yards and a touchdown) led the way, but Champ had good balance with seven guys recording double-figure totals. Blount's 141 total yards and a score on Monday night were good enough to be Champ's second-best effort for the week. Drew Brees (16.25) threw more interceptions (two) than touchdowns (one). Owen Daniels and LeSean McCoy each had touchdowns, while Steve Smith didn't have a score but did have eight catches for 181 yards. MVP: Forte. Not only did he lead Champ's beloved Bears (BEARS!!) to victory, but Forte also led Champ himself to the win this week. It's weeks like this that will make it very hard to not give him the big contract he's asking for. LVP: Chad Ochocinco. With Tom Brady only having eyes for Wes Welker and the emergence of a running game, there weren't enough passes to go around for 85.
BE: Philip Rivers (18.25) didn't have a turnover this week. Good for him. Chris Johnson (11.00) finally decided he sort of wanted to earn his money and could be in the top echelon of running backs soon. Jermaine Gresham and Vernon Davis combined for eight catches and two scores (21.00), which is two more catches and two more touchdowns than Johnson, Nate Burleson, and Devery Henderson had combined. The big news is Johnson, who may miss a few weeks depending on the results of his MRI. At some point, Ed will catch a break this season. I promise. MVP: Beanie Wells, who attended the most god-forsaken school this side of ORU. Three touchdowns and 138 yards is a fantastic day, and it came from an unlikely source. If you asked which of Ed's three running backs was least likely to go off like this, I think Wells would be the runaway winner in that poll. LVP: All three of his wide receivers, who, as previously, mentioned combined for six catches and 52 yards. It's a testament to the rest of his roster that he scored 113.50 with only 4 from his three starting wide receivers.
Phil Powell Rules 146.75-Pantry Cereals 125.75
What Happened: Aaron Rodgers out Brady-ied Tom Brady. That basically accounts for the difference between these two teams, as Rodgers posted a record-setting (I believe anyway) day with 51.25 points, while Brady only managed 20.00. Calvin Johnson set an NFL record by catching two touchdowns in his fourth straight game to start the season. Wes Welker continued to be stellar, and Ray Rice was the only semblance of offense in what was otherwise a dreadful Sunday night game. These two squads seem pretty even, and when they meet again in week 13, quarterback play will almost certainly decide it again.
PPR (4-0): Rodgers recorded what I believe is the highest single-game total (51.25) in VUFSA history. (Again, someone will have to check on that for me). Johnson (20.00) had one catch in the first half for three yards and had seven catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Michael Turner (20.00) had two touchdowns. Brandon Lloyd had eight catches for 136 yards (10.00). Kickers don't usually get much love here, but Matt Bryant (13.00) had three field goals of 40 yards or more. MVP: Rodgers. He's the first player in NFL history with 400+ yards passing, four passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns in the same game. If only he hadn't thrown that interception. LVP: Scott Chandler. The Buffalo tight end only managed two catches for eight yards (2.00). Not so good after a touchdown catch in each of his first three games.
PC (3-1): Drew was done in by the fact that New England finally found a running game. Brady only accounted for two of New England's four touchdowns, and that was a big difference in the result this week. Welker (17.50) went over 150 yards and a score, and Dwayne Bowe (13.50) surpassed 100 yards with a score. Jason Witten (14.50) was Romo's favorite non-Lion target (eight catches, 94 yards, one touchdown). Ray Rice (16.00) had a 120 total yards and a touchdown. MVP: Welker. Witten or Rice could also go here, but Welker continues be a solid 15+ score every week. It's hard to go against that. LVP: Davone Bess. All of Drew's other wide receivers had either 100+ yards or a touchdown or both. Bess (2.50) had three catches for 21 yards.
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