I'm Pretty Good at Fantasy Football

Sadly, the NFL season is nearing the end so that means that fantasy football it down to the wire as well. In this post, I just want to talk about my keeper league fantasy team and how I've rebuilt it into a championship contender. Last year was my first year joining a competitive fantasy football keeper league. Every year, each team would select 5 players from their squad and keep them for the next year. The champion of course, would be awarded an extra keeper! Rookies that are selected in the rookie draft would have 3 years of free keeper status. For example, if you guys chose a guy like AJ Green in a rookie draft this year, he'd be a free keeper for the next 3 fantasy seasons unless he's dropped anytime before that! After that, he'd be like every other player and count towards your original 5. That would mean Adrian Peterson, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Calvin Johnson, and all the other superstars will probably end up being kept. That means they will not be thrown into our Free Agent draft. Rookies are really crucial in leagues like this because it gives you a potential fantasy star keeper for upcoming years. The team I took over ended up stacking up QBs and finished last in the previous year. Fortunately, he did end up leaving me Ben Roethlisberger and drafted Josh Freeman. AND Luckily, I was able to get the 1st overall pick in the Rookie and Free Agent draft. The manager I took over decided to tank it all for some reason and left me with little to work with!
These guys were the keepers I ended up keeping:

• Ben Roethlisberger (PIT-QB)
• Matt Leinart(ARI-QB)
• Vince Young (TEN-QB)
• Matt Cassell (KC-QB)
• Donald Driver (GB-WR)

and my rookie that I was able to keep was Josh Freeman!

Not a good team right? I hated it too at first but those were the cards that were dealt to me. I quickly took this team and did a massive rebuilding process. In the rookie draft, it was a no-brainer to select RB, Ryan Mathews. His lightning speed and elusiveness was like a young LT. He was already rated a top 10 RB by many scouts before the season even started. After that, I made a couple of trades that gave me a little leeway. I traded Matt Cassell for Ryan Grant and a 2nd round rookie pick that ended up being Brandon LaFell. Then, I traded away Matt Leinart,5th round FA pick for Mike Sims-Walker and a 3rd round FA pick. MSW was coming off of a breakout year and I thought that he would've built on that. I was definitely wrong. A few more trades and free agent draft picks netted me some good players like Chad Ochocinco, Cedric Benson and Ahmad Bradshaw. My team was looking good on paper before the season started. Ben Roethlisberger, Josh Freeman, Vince Young, Bradshaw, Mathews, Benson Ocho, LaFell, Driver, Mike Sims Walker were my key guys that I thought would give me a solid team. I WAS SO WRONG. I started off on a bad note and lost my first few weeks. BUT, it was a blessing in disguise! I ended up having 1st waiver priorities and picked up Michael Vick. He turned out to be a fantasy phenomenon! Along the way, as my team kept losing, I just started to stack up on players with value. I picked up people like LaGarette Blount, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Earl Bennett. I also did a lot of major trades to give me a good team for next year:

• I traded Vince Young for Mohammed Massaquoi who still had rookie keeper rights. It was a great trade because VY ended up getting benched a few weeks later and Massaquoi still had potential for a breakout year.
• I also traded Ryan Fitzpatrick and Donald Driver for Sidney Rice and a future 3rd round pick.
• I also traded Big Ben and a future 3rd round pick to a team that was in contention for a title! He gave me a hefty price of Tony Romo and a 1st round pick. Remember, Romo was out for the season with a collarbone injury. He was in desperate need for a QB

AND then.... Sadly... my team finished with a miserable 4-9 record.

AND NOW.

 THIS YEAR!!!!!

My 5 keepers coming into this season were:

• Michael Vick (PHI-QB)
• Tony Romo (DAL-QB)
• Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG-RB)
• LeGarrette Blount (TB-RB)
• Sidney Rice (SEA-WR)

WITH my rookies : 3rd Year(Josh Freeman, Mohammed Massaquoi). 2nd Year(Ryan Mathews, Brandon Lafell)

Honestly, this team was looking good. And with the extra free agent picks, I was in line for a great season! I got back to work and traded Blount, 3rd round FA pick for Vincent Jackson! With that trade, I added an elite WR to my team. I had the second worst record in the league so I was awarded the 2nd overall pick in the rookie and free agent drafts.  In the rookie draft, I drafted AJ Green 2nd overall. I couldn't pass on a talented guy like him. I know I left people like Cam Newton and Julio Jones but AJ Green is someone I couldn't let go. In the second round, I found a gem. Can anyone guess who this was???? It was DEMARCO MURRAY! Yes, the Dallas phenom! I didn't expect him to blow up either but he was probably the steal of this draft.

Take a look!
                   Round 1

1. King Brodeur (via Deckie) - Daniel Thomas
2. Jabatchi - AJ Green
3. Alphabits - Mark Ingram
4. Falcons - Ryan Williams
5. Axsalinger - Julio Jones
6. Raiders - Cam Newton
7. Habspatrol - Roy Helu
8. Elicit - Jake Locker
9. Axsalinger (via Evil Empire) - Blaine Gabbert
10. Deckie (via King Brodeur) - Andy Dalton
11. Broncos - Jonathan Baldwin
12. EE (via Axsalinger via Cheetos) - Mikel LeShoure

Round 2

1. Elicit (via Deckie) - Greg Little
2. Jabatchi - DeMarco Murray
3. Falcons - Christian Ponder
4. Alphabits - Colin Kaepernick
5. Axsalinger - Titus Young
6. Cheetos (via Raiders) - Leonard Hankerson
7. Habspatrol - Denarius Moore
8. Habspatrol - (via King Brodeur via Elicit) - Kendall Hunter
9. Deckie (via King Brodeur (via Evil Empire) - Delone Carter
10. EE (Deckie via King Brodeur) - Alex Henery
11. Broncos - Torrey Smith
12. Cheetos - Lance Kendricks 

In the FA Draft, I ended up selecting Brandon Lloyd, Marshawn Lynch, Jimmy Graham, and others.

My team looked solid!!!

This is what it looked like before the season started:

QB:
Tony Romo (DAL)
Michael Vick (PHI)
Josh Freeman (TB)*
RB:
Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG)
Marshawn Lynch (SEA)
Ryan Mathews (SD)**
DeMarco Murray (DAL)***
WR:
Vincent Jackson (SD)
Brandon Lloyd (DEN)
Sidney Rice (SEA)
Bernard Berrian (MIN)
AJ Green (CIN) ***
Brandon LaFell (CAR) **
Mohammed Massoquoi (CLE)*
TE:
Jimmy Graham (NO)
K:
Stephen Gostkowski (NE)
DEF:
Green Bay
IDPS:
Tyvon Branch (OAK)
Trent Cole (PHI)
Derrick Johnson(KC)



And of course, Lloyd got traded to STL. I dropped Berrian, Massaquoi and they turned into Brad Smith and Thomas Jones. My IDP's changed too. I have Jason Babin, DQwell Jackson instead of Cole and Johnson. I also seemed to pick up Philadelphia's DEF after everyone gave up on them!

To many of the managers in the league, they looked at it as a team pushing for a playoff spot. They were soooo wrong! Even though Vick is having an awful year, he still manages to give me 20 points because of his legs. Despite all the hatred for Tony Romo, he's still one of the best QB's in the league. He's been doing really well but no one ever acknowledges that because of his 4th quarter meltdowns. Josh Freeman was a little disappointing but he was a good injury filler. Murray, Mathews, Lynch, and Bradshaw all have helped me! They all had breakout years! DeMarco Murray came out of no where and landed a 253 yard rushing performance one week against the Rams. After that, he took off! Sadly, his season ended last week with an ankle injury. Bradshaw was having an outstanding year before he got hurt but now he's getting back to form in time for my championship! As for Mathews, he's become one of the most complete backs in the game! AND, Marshawn Lynch has scored a touchdown in 9 straight games! He's definitely the hottest RB right now. And my WRs are amazing. AJ Green was a pleasant surprise. I didn't think he would do really well this year because of a young Bengal offense but that certainly turned some heads. VJ has been up and down but he's still an explosive guy. He could be giving off only 9 points in one game but have a 30 point explosion in the next! And the mid-season acquisition of Brandon Lloyd for the Rams really upped his fantasy value. He was going nowhere in Denver but the trade made him a viable option for weeks! He had pretty good weeks for me. But my MVP might have to be Jimmy Graham. He has played well every week! I swear he averages at least 20 points a week. If he's not scoring, he's getting 7,8 receptions with 100 yards receiving.  The man is a beast; a total superstar! He has to be the best tight end in the NFL right now. No one can stop him! Overall, my team ended up being the first seed in the league! We went on to finish with a record of 11-2 in the regular season! I also had an eight game winning streak to end the year! This is a great rebuild on my part and probably the best season of fantasy football i've ever managed!

And now, my team is in the finals. Unfortunately, the other team has a scary team. He has a Ray Rice and LeSean Mccoy RB duo goin' on. AHHHH, I'm so ready to win this league. I hope i'll be Tebowing by the end of next week! In just 2 years of managing this roster, I must say, i'm pretty good at fantasy football.

The Chris Paul Relay

As we all know by now, the lockout has ended and the transactions started to roll! Almost every team made under the radar acquisitions but a handful of teams made a big splash! One of the biggest moves that happened was of course, the Chris Paul trade. It finally happened! After weeks of speculation and some offers that were negated by David Stern, the NBA has agreed to let Paul move. LA was the team that one the Paul sweepstakes. For all you Laker fans out there,  he'll be wearing purple and yellow!We're on the road to another championship! Just kidding.

 He actually joined forces with Blake Griffin and the rest of the Clipper gang. The Knicks, Nets, and Lakers were the other top runners in this marathon but they came up short. To be honest, I felt like the Clippers gave up WAY too much. I felt the same way when the Knicks got Carmelo Anthony last year. There was so much solid talent that were going Denver's way. This trade is the same. Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and Minnesota's UNPROTECTED 2012 first round draft pick were sent to New Orleans in exchange for Paul and a couple of second rounders in 2015. Yeah, I know Chris Paul is one of the best players in the NBA today but it does take more than one guy to win. Especially in a season like this, extra bodies are needed to fill the void a LOT this year.

Lets take a look at the Hornets side:

Eric Gordon is one of the upcoming young guards in this league! Did anyone even notice he averaged 22.3 points per game last year? I don't think so. Everyone was so focused on Blake Griffin's stellar "rookie" year but Eric Gordon quietly had one of the better seasons for any guard. He has been exceeding everyone's expectations and slowly progressing into the upper echelon of players. I thought the Clippers would have had a better team if they didn't give him up. He'll definitely be the key to the Hornets offense this upcoming season. As for Al-Farouq Aminu, the Hornets netted themselves another young, athletic player. He was drafted 8th overall in last year's draft. He didn't have a stellar rookie campaign but he showed flashes of what he could develop into. He's long, can stretch the floor, and play defense. Chris Kaman was the other guy in this trade. Even though he had an injury plagued year, I know he still has a LOT to offer. He's tough, can play amongst the best of 'em and has a soft touch around the rim. He's one of the best offensive big men in the NBA. Look's like they have a perfect replacement for Aaron Gray!Go Raptors! :D

AND. AND. AND. The Hornets also get the T-Wolves unprotected first round draft pick! WOW. With the Wolves roster right now, I don't see them making it far this season. This pick will give the Hornets a high end lottery pick for this upcoming draft! The can potentially snag someone like Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, or some other top prospects. Crazy trade for New Orleans.

Trade Grade: A. We all knew Chris Paul was leaving. It was just all the matter of where and what the Hornets will get in return. This trade will make them better now and in the future.

And for the Clippers:

Chris Paul was the most prized guy in all the available guys other than Dwight Howard. The Clippers will be a better team but I just think they gave up too much of a price. But then again, Chris Paul is a superstar and opportunities to get a player of his caliber are rare. Chris Paul will make everybody on this squad better. His play-making and ball-handling skills are impeccable. It'll be "lob city" for the Clippers. The only thing that the Clippers need to do now is get overall depth. They have 4 point guards that are all worthy of being starters! Chris Paul is obviously the man there but everyone else is in a bubble. Newly signed Chauncey Billups will probably see time at the 2 but I don't see him doing all that well there. Mo Williams should be the next person moved on this Clippers team. They should trade him for depth. They need a legit SG and a backup big man. Ryan Gomes, Brian Cook, and Randy Foye won't fill the best needs at their respective positions. Mo will definitely bring in someone with value. And Eric Bledsoe is the 4th point guard here. He'll be a good backup and reliever for this team. His young legs will give a good spark off of the bench.

Trade Grade: A. Chris Paul is someone that could change a franchise in a blink of an eye. The price was steep but it is a definite upgrade. They need to work on getting rid of the logjam at the PG position for other positions. Other than that, this team will be exciting to watch this year.