Fantasy Football Ride or Die Week 4
There is one thing in fantasy football all of us need to do in order to have any shot at success. Know your rules. I can’t be any clearer on that. It’s you, the team owner who has to know if you are in a PPR format, how the scoring works with the defense and if your league uses bonuses at certain yardage. There is one thing however that is vital to the success and fun of yours and anyone else’s fantasy league. The Commissioner.
Nothing else can affect a league’s integrity more than it’s commissioner. They also have way more responsibility then your average fantasy owner. They have to set up the league each year. Depending on the site you use that can be a little time-consuming. Then, the commissioner has to make sure everyone signs up before the draft date. Then there’s making sure everyone can make the draft. Is it online? Are we going to someone’s house for a live draft? Then the commish needs to follow everyone around asking for the league fees. If the commissioner doesn’t take care of these things the league will be, for the lack of a better word crappy.
As commissioner you’re always under scrutiny..By everyone.
Nothing is more frustrating in a league then a terrible commissioner. One time, when I was just starting in fantasy football my league’s commissioner never set his lineup. If your commish doesn’t care about the league why should anyone else?
I’m a commissioner in two leagues. One of them is a ten team standard league on Yahoo! You may have read me before calling it my “Super Big Time League.” We started in 2008. Our first prize for the champion was a bottle of rum. Now we have a trophy, cash prizes for the top three finishers and thanks to a certain T.V. show about a fantasy football league we now have a prize for the worst owner each year.
I’ve been doing this for so long now that it is becoming another job. I’ve had to deal with a lot of complaints. I’ve come up with a few things in order to make my life easier and to keep the league moving in the right direction.
1) Know The Rules- I tell my league it isn’t my job to tell them what the rules are. I set it up each year, I change anything that we as a league have voted to change (more on that later) and I even share the link with my league where they can find all the rules. I also wrote up a League Constitution so there are no arguments about anything. It’s all written down. If something new comes up we vote on it after the season and then add it to the constitution.
2) A Trade is a Trade- Sometimes, other owners in the league will send copious amounts of texts and phone calls to the commissioner because they feel one guy is making a one-sided trade. The thing is, unless there’s collusion the trade is fair because both owners agreed on it. You can’t be mad because a guy was able to make a better trade than you, or because you wanted to trade with the guy who doesn’t know as much about football. So what another team traded Doug Martin for Eddie Lacy. Let owners make their own mistakes. You’ll be better for it. I promise.
3) Collect all of the Money Early- My league, like many others use a league fee to use as the prizes for the top finishers. I’ve read some really creative ways to disperse the money. Some use it towards the top three (us) and some reward regular season success. Now, what do you do if an owner or owners haven’t paid their dues? You can lock their team, but that can backfire. What you do is set up a date either before the season or an early part of it to have the money due. If someone doesn’t pay they can work out a deal with the commissioner to pay in installments. Or the commissioner can auction the team off to another owner. My league has a waiting list. We aren’t short on interested parties. No pay, no play
4) Don’t Set Other Players Lineups for Them- Or at least don’t get caught. It’s true that an absentee owner can hurt a league’s integrity. One year, in another league I am in we had only nine owners. The commissioner decided to set up a ‘Bye-Week’ team. In fact that was the team name. It was auto-drafted and the commissioner would set the lineup based on the website suggestions. Most of us beat that team outside of a few. If you have an owner not setting his or her lineup you’re going to have to either make a ton of phone calls each week or just deal with it. You can kick him out before next year. The exception to the rule is when another owner is stuck away from their laptop, tablet or phone and he/she cannot access their lineup. This is a little rare these days considering the times we are now a living in.
5) The League that Votes Together, Stays Together- When a decision about the league needs to be made the commissioner is in a precarious position. They could be accused of cheating or collusion. What ever ruling he or she makes someone in the league could have a problem with it. I guarantee that. The best thing to do is to have a voting system. Before the season, or right this second set up a group on Facebook or use the leagues message boards or a group text so you can track the votes. A 2/3 vote is needed for anything to pass. Use the voting system on trades as well. In a trade or dispute you must remove the parties involved and then have the vote. Anything not reaching a 2/3 acceptance is voided.
It will probably take a few seasons but the commissioner has the power to keep your league on the up and up. As long as you’re not a crappy commissioner you won’t have a crappy league.
And now to the Ride or Die………..
Quarterbacks to Ride With:
“…legal or not…”
Nick Foles- Here’s the game you’re going to see a lot in this column. I apologize to their fans and owners but I am not a believer in the 49ers defense. Thus far in this young season the 49ers have allowed the sixth most points to opposing QB’s. This most likely has to do with their spotty defense. The Eagles do have a tough task of keeping Mr. Foles standing up on his own two feet. If they fail he has a consistent habit of getting right back up. Legal or not Foles got up from every one of them. A great article and good read about Foles was in a Washington Post article posted by the Associated Press. In it Eagles coach Chip Kelley was quoted; ” I saw him do it in college. We hit the heck out of him when we were at Oregon and he played at Arizona and he just kept getting up and throwing and standing in there.”
Philip Rivers- He hasn’t reach the 300 yard in a game this season but he has had multiple touchdown passes in two of the three they’ve played thus far. He even tossed three against the Seattle defense in week two. Jacksonville has allowed the most points to quarterbacks this season. Rivers is a great bye week fill in and a pretty good starter the rest of the year.
Drew Brees- Or honestly, Tony Romo. The Saints/ Cowboys match up is my shoot-out call of the week. I know that didn’t work out so well for me last week with the Lions and Packers game. Still, the two defenses this week are way worse than the two teams from the NFC North. Especially in the secondary. I have a feeling Rob Ryan might be looking for work this off-season. Perhaps sooner.
Blake Bortles- If you’re desperate and absolutely need a guy I like him better than Teddy Bridgewater. If you’re talking dynasty then and only then would I take the Vikings QB. Bortles, in his first start will be given a loser leash in a simpler offense.
Quarterbacks to Die With:
Joe Flacco- This doesn’t mean I am down on Steve Smith Sr. More on that later. I am really down on Flacco. This has more to do with the injury to Dennis Pitta and his general lack of ability to get Torrey Smith involved than it has to do with the Carolina defense. If he’s a bye week fill in then bless your heart. I’d rather take a chance on a guy with a lot to prove and who has to throw a lot rather than a guy who’s pretty comfortable being average.
Another oops from Geno and the Jets.
Geno Smith- I really wanted to like him. I really did. I wanted him to be a poor man’s Russell Wilson. Right now he’s barely a poor man’s Geno Smith. There is a chance to bounce back in a game that he’s going to have to throw a lot. Did you see the Packers last week? Yea, that was Aaron Rodgers. The Jets O-line will have a tough time giving Geno the proper protection versus that front four of Detroit. This one could get very ugly.
Tom Brady- Let it be known. I am out. I drafted Brady in two leagues this year. I am benching him in both for Kirk Cousins. I don’t care who is opponent is. He couldn’t do it at home against Oakland. It’s going to be a long season for Brady owners. The few out there that will remain stubborn.
Running Backs to Ride With:
DeMarco Murray- I’ve come a long way on him. I was looking back at articles I had written in years past and I was really low on him. Mostly due to his injury concerns. The concerns are still there for me but I figure it’s got to be now or never with him. If he doesn’t perform how we know he can this year then it’s pretty much over I’d say. You know I love the Ol’ Eye Test and by my calculations he looks like the best part of that entire team. In the first three games this season he has gone for over 100 yards and a score. Much of the same I assume this week against the Saints.
Le’Veon Bell- How was this guy drafted in the third round in most leagues this year. He’s been nothing but stupendous. I know he had a not that great game against Baltimore in week 2 but they’re always tough to run on. He’s a focal point of their offense. LeGarrette Blount can still his own damage as well without hurting Bell’s usage. You won’t have to worry about him until week nine. That’s when Baltimore comes to Pittsburgh. I bet does a little better in that game.
Lamar Miller- With a full week of practice and full game to start in Miller showed last week he’s capable of being ‘the guy’ in Miami’s backfield. Last week against a KC defense who’s hurt but still OK against the run he rushed 15 times for 108 yards. No matter how you feel about the Chiefs defense, Oakland isn’t. They’re worse.
Ahmad Bradshaw- Keep up the good work. Keep playing him.
Running Backs to Die With:
If I knew Taliaferro was a better back before I would have released Ray Rice sooner.
Lorenzo Taliaferro- This one could come back to haunt me. I am not sold on him yet. I saw his good performance coming off the bench If he doesn’t have that scoring play I don’t think we’re talking as much about him as we currently are. Bernard Pierce is still the starter and until that officially changes he’s no more than a sign and stash.
Reggie Bush- The Jets are giving up the fewest amount of points to running backs this season. Even though I feel that changes it isn’t this week. The Lions do not seem concerned with giving him the ball too many times this season.
Toby Gerhart- If I own a Jaguar it’s Bortles. Anyone else is a crap shoot. I read much of the summer how he was the 10th or 11th ranked RB coming into this season. I also watched draft after draft where he fell well below that value. Fantasy football team owners are no fools. We know a bad situation when we see one.
Wide Receivers to Ride With:
Nope. It didn’t count.
DeAndre Hopkins- It stinks that the best catch this guy had in his life didn’t count. The ridiculous play against the Giants where he almost had his own David Tyree, was called back on an offensive line penalty. What’s pretty sweet is that he has a chance to do it again against a Buffalo secondary that currently ranks 22nd in the league.
Steve Smith Sr.- I don’t care about match-ups or who’s in the secondary opposite him. I love redemption games. Like Wes Welker in Miami or DeSean Jackson in his return to Philly last week. Smith facing his old club.. Sign me up. Plus, he’s been pretty good so far this year. He’s pretty much the only Raven you can play with any sort of confidence.
Cordarrelle Patterson- I actually feel the Matt Cassell injury helps him. Still without A.P. the Vikings are going to need to generate offense for their new and inexperienced QB. I think we see a return to his week one performance.
Jeremy Maclin- More from San Francisco. Foles is going to throw it to somebody. Probably his number one guy. I like Jordan Matthews if you’re desperate for a guy in a week where there are six teams on a bye.
Brandon Marshall & Alshon Jeffrey- I would really love having them both on my team. Marshall will be healthier and Alshon will be great.
Wide Receivers to Die With:
Jordy Nelson- I am not sure yet if the Chicago defense is a defense I want to start each week. I do know that even without Charles Tillman the Bears secondary rivals some of the best in the league. I am not so sure Jordy has a comeback week this week. This is a trap game for fantasy owners. It looks good but on Monday it won’t.
Marques Colston- If I wasn’t watching the game I wouldn’t believe he was still on the team. In a league I am light at receiver so I am playing Kenny Stills over him. The upside at this point is higher.
Roddy White- He’s not a 100%. He’s fast approaching his 2013 decoy status. It’s a wait and see on him for now.
Vicnent Jackson- Believe it or not the QB change might help him. But it probably won’t. Another tough one for V-Jax owners.
Tight Ends to Ride With:
Antonio Gates- I was obviously wrong on him this off-season. I felt he was done. He is not. I felt he was used up. He was not. I felt LaDarius Green would over take. He did not. Not yet anyway. Jacksonville is bad against tight ends. That’s it, analysis over.
So I’m having this party after the game. You can come over if you’re not doing anything.
Niles Paul- I told you two weeks ago about Paul and Larry Donnell. I like them both on Thursday Night but especially Paul. He’s been very impressive with Jordan Reed (hamstring) on the shelf. The Washington football club will probably not rush Reed back either.
Zach Ertz- He was targeted only three times last week after receiving five and six targets in weeks one and two. Could have had a better game. One long play resulted in a pass interference call. The other one sailed over his head. I love this kid. I am not a fan of the team he plays for but you have to love talent when you see it.
Greg Olsen- Ladies and gentlemen, meet your most consistent Carolina Panther.
Tight Ends to Die With:
Vernon Davis- Hurt. He’s not healthy. I think the 49ers are foolish to rush him back. It’s an ankle and it’s limiting him in practice all week. He could end up missing more time because of it.
Martellus Bennett- I realize there are six team on a bye this week. You’re probably using him this week. It doesn’t mean I need to like the match up. The Green Bay defense is currently allowing the fewest amount of points to opposing tight ends. The Jets help skew that stat a little but Bennett historically doesn’t do his best work versus the Packers.
Defense/ Special Teams to Ride With:
Actually no. Tom has never invited me over to dinner at his house.
New England- Are you getting sick of reading about them? Because I am not tired of writing about them. Depending on your league’s scoring they are at or near the top of the list in fantasy points this season. In the firs three games they have seven sacks, six interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Alex Smith is averaging an INT a game and Knile Davis as fumbled twice. It’s my belief that this week you to are convinced about the Pats ‘D’. Mark my words..The New England defense will rank in the top three in your leagues fantasy scoring..Depending on how your league scores, of course.
Pittsburgh- They are owned in about 40% of leagues and with a match-up versus the Buccaneers this is a great bye week fill in for you Seattle, Arizona and Denver owners out there.
San Diego- I love this city and I love this match up. Rookie QB? Very first start? How many interceptions may I sign you up for?
Detroit- This is where we begin to follow the Jets season. Only to find good defensive match-ups.
Defense/ Special Teams to Die With:
New Orleans- Or Dallas. Seriously. Don’t use them.
San Francisco- They’ve benefited from facing the Cowboys in week one. In week two they score 3 fantasy points. Then in week three it was only 2 points. I don’t know if you’ve heard but the Philly defense is pretty decent.
Chicago- I am almost sold on them. They are an opportunity driven defense. They are good at creating turnovers. I like that in my fantasy defense. However, they are not so awesome at stopping the run. I want to trust them, I really do. It’s still a ‘I need to see it first’ scenario for me.
Well there you have it. Week four is in the books. Well, not for you but for me. I hope this helps and if does, let me know. I’d love to read about it below in the comments. If it didn’t, stay away. Stay far, far away.