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Goldie

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  1. The Righteous Orators Legacy League is preparing to play its seventh season as the top fantasy football league in CN history, and two days ago we held our annual draft. Each team kept seven players from the season before, and selected 23 new players for their teams. As before, the league is constructed as follows: -Sixteen teams, in four divisions. -QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, RB/WR/TE, RB/WR/TE, RB/WR/TE, K on offense. -DB, DB, DB, DL, DL, DL, LB, LB, LB, DB/DL/LB, DB/DL/LB on defense. -Seven bench spots to make a total of thirty players on each roster, plus four inactive injured players if necessary, so 480-544 players in the league total. -Each team can keep up to seven of its players at the end of each season to carry over into the next season, with the stipulation that one must be a defensive player. These are the four divisions, and the four teams in each division: Alter Egos Goldie (Brady's Lovechild) - VE Gofastleft (dieinafireKroenke) - NSO Jekalle (Rex's Lap Band) - The Bear Cavalry Sarm (Evolution) - Umb Haf's Flingers DylanCarter (Washington Sentinels) - Umb Sarkin (Cardiac Pack) - DT Verlion (Lion's Clubhouse) - VE Spartan1985 (Winston's Crab Shack) - Sparta Heroes of Time Mergerberger (Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls) - MI6 Magicninja (Elway's Horse Teeth) - GATO Astriy (Carolina Bathroom Police) - Umb Turetel (Fat and Broken Tony Romo) - FotW Krack Heads Niota (Geno's Boxing Gym) - Umb Canik (IKYWMBH) - FotW Sargun (Sander Jim's Clubhouse) - The Bear Cavalry AlmightyHero (345 Park Ave) - Umb Last season Sarkin came all the way from the 8th seed to knock off Goldie (grumble) in the championship game to win his first Schattenmann Cup. Here are previous year's previews for posterity: Here is a breakdown of each team's key players (generally top 100-120 guys), and my opinion of each of their strengths, weaknesses, and chances. Alter Egos Goldie (Brady's Lovechild) Key Players: QB - Andrew Luck RB - Le'Veon Bell RB - Carlos Hyde RB - Melvin Gordon WR - Amari Cooper WR - Golden Tate WR - Jordan Matthews TE - Rob Gronkowski TE - Martellus Bennett TE - Tyler Eifert Injuries to Luck, Hyde, Bell, and Gordon last year nearly ended the season, but depth and key mid-season additions carried me to the finals, where the team ran out of gas after its huge semifinal win over DC. This year, the core returns intact, with several key additions. Matthews, Tate, and Eifert add top options to the lethal RB core. Unlike past seasons, there isn't a whole lot of betting on key rookies to blow up, and a lot more powerful offensive veterans that make this the best offense in TROLL on paper. That offense will have to carry a defense that is good, but not necessarily great. Here's hoping that is enough to lead me to my first title. Sarm (Evolution) Key Players: QB - Drew Brees RB - Jonathan Stewart RB - Jeremy Langford RB - Giovany Bernard WR - A.J. Green WR - T.Y. Hilton WR - Jordy Nelson WR - Devin Funchess Sound first draft adds to a solid keeper core for Sarm's inaugural season. Brees is a points machine in this league, and if Funchess can take the next step forward, we may be looking at one of the best WR groups in the league. His RB position needs to stick together to push his season to where it needs to go, and the TE and defensive players need some in-season work, but this was a well set up team that was left for him, and the playoffs should be a possibility in year one. Gofastleft (dieinafireKroenke) Key Players: QB - Marcus Mariota RB - Lamar Miller RB - DeMarco Murray WR - Odell Beckham WR - Allen Robinson WR - Jeremy Maclin WR - Michael Floyd TE - Julius Thomas GFL was the only team on autopick this weekend. Fortunately for him, he had a very solid core of keepers, with potential top performers at RB (Miller and Murray) and WR (ODB, Robinson) to build off of. The autopick focused on filling out the skill positions and hitting IDP's early, leaving GFL with a very complete team, if one that needs a little work in tightening up the defense. A repeat playoff performance is definitely the goal for GFL's team, and if Mariota truly takes the next step forward, this team could take the division in honor of the late, great St. Louis Rams football team. Jekalle (Rex's Lap Band) Key Players: QB - Eli Manning RB - Rashad Jennings RB - Charles Sims RB - Duke Johnson WR - Michael Crabtree WR - Chris Hogan WR - Will Fuller TE - Antonio Gates TE - Jared Cook Nothing controversial about Jekalle's team, it's a deep crew and there is some talent on the roster. Problem is, is that the offense isn't as deep and isn't as talented as the other three teams in the division. Manning should have a strong season with the weapons and scheme he has now, and there is definite upside with some of the younger WRs. But the RBs are in committees at best, and at worst are the wrong side of the platoon. It would be very difficult for Jekalle to make the playoffs in his second season in the league. Haf's Flingers DylanCarter (Washington Sentinels) Key Players: QB - Philip Rivers RB - Latavius Murray RB - Thomas Rawls RB - Jeremy Hill WR - Mike Evans WR - Dez Bryant TE - Travis Kelce DC looks to follow up another great regular season with a more fulfilling playoff trip this time around. This team is constructed around its high-powered skill position players, with the hope that another star or some much needed depth comes from potential breakouts like Tajae Sharpe, Sammie Coates, and Tevin Coleman, to name a few. As usual, DC's IDP game is very strong, as the continuous stockpiling of mid-round picks alongside consistent keeper play is a recipe to always be able to rely on tons of points from his defense. This is another championship caliber offense from DC, and his road to another division title is very clear. Sarkin (Cardiac Pack) Key Players: QB - Aaron Rodgers RB - Eddie Lacy WR - Julio Jones WR - Demaryius Thomas WR - Donte Moncrief WR - Corey Coleman TE - Greg Olsen TE - Coby Fleener Sarkin's championship defense may begin and end on the backs of his beloved Packers, Rodgers and Lacy. There is little in the cupboard at RB outside of Lacy other than some seriously injured backs and untested rookies. The WR's are among the league's best crew, and should present a very solid points floor that Sarkin can try to build from each week. The problem is, is that the rest of the division has gotten better, and DC's IDP's and RB's are just leagues ahead of him. If things break right and some good talent is found on the wire, this team could be right back where it was last year. Not the winning a championship part, but fighting for the 8th seed in the playoffs. Verlion (Lion's Clubhouse) Key Players: QB - Kirk Cousins RB - C.J. Anderson RB - Adrian Peterson RB - Arian Foster WR - Desean Jackson WR - Vincent Jackson WR - Sterling Shepard TE - Eric Ebron Verlion has taken a step forward from narrowly missing the playoffs last year. Just how much of a step forward will be dictated by the health of his aging RBs and WRs. If Foster can take the reins in Miami and run with them (no pun intended), and the Jacksons light up their respective offenses, then this team will win more games than it loses. It will be interesting to see what Shepard does with his presumptive opportunity in a high-powered offense. But Peterson is a rock, and you know Denver will run the hell out of the ball, so points will come. There isn't a whole lot outside of the starters, but there might be enough firepower there to flip spots with Sarkin in the standings and make the playoffs. Spartan1985 (Winston's Crab Shack) Key Players: QB - Derek Carr RB - Doug Martin RB - Chris Ivory WR - Jarvis Landry WR - Allen Hurns WR - John Brown TE - Austin Seferian-Jenkins Team Florida (40% of the team is Bucs/Jags) looks a lot nicer than it did last year as well. This team could finish as high as 2nd in the division, but just as easily as low as 4th. Where it lands on that spectrum will come down to if the WR quartet of Landry, Hurns, Brown, and Kamar Aiken can build off of their breakouts from last year. If they do, this is a solid, up and coming WR core who can keep Spartan in the mix for many seasons to come. If any of them take a step back, this team is very exposed depth-wise. Heroes of Time Magicninja (Elway's Horse Teeth) Key Players: QB - Cam Newton RB - Devonta Freeman RB - LeSean McCoy WR - Brandin Cooks WR - Emmanuel Sanders TE - Gary Barnridge TE - Dwayne Allen Last year I said that MN's "home run hitters are the key" and that "this might be the team to beat, if the RBs and WRs round into form." They were the key, and they did round into form, and MN ran away from a weaker division and took the #1 seed. The narrative could be exactly the same for this season, although MN will hope for a different end result, as when you live by the home run, you die by the home run, and he was upset in a big way in the first round of the playoffs last year. Repeat strong performances from McCoy, Newton, Cooks, Sanders, and especially Freeman will take MN's team as far as he can go, even as the division looks better than it did last year. Astriy (Carolina Bathroom Police) Key Players: QB - Ben Roethlisberger RB - Matt Jones RB - Jamaal Charles RB - Ameer Abdullah WR - Randall Cobb WR - Marvin Jones WR - Markus Wheaton WR - DeVante Parker With young breakout candidates like Parker, Abdullah, and Jones combined with injury returners like Jimmy Graham, Cobb, and Charles, Astriy may prove me prescient when I said last year that this team was better built to win 2016 than it was 2015. It seems to be the norm to be unimpressed by the IDP core on this team, but I also know that he will find some replacements on the waiver wire and make the ends meet. If things break right, the division is in sight. Mergerberger (Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls) Key Players: QB - Carson Palmer RB - Matt Forte RB - Christine Michael WR - Antonio Brown WR - Sammy Watkins WR - Tyler Lockett TE - Zach Ertz Feast or famine team, with a very fun WR group that just needs a Lockett/Tyler Boyd breakout to be in top 3-4 consideration. IDP's look solid too, so there is a good points floor every week. Problem is that the floor, however high, isn't going to win weeks on its own, especially with huge question marks at RB with Forte, Michael, and Yeldon. Hopefully for Merger, one or more of them will establish themselves as the starter, but the problems might not end there. With a QB as injury-prone (and old) as Palmer, I'd like to see a higher floor/upside in a replacement than Sam Bradford. Nice looking team, should compete for a playoff spot, but I don't see a lot more than that this year. Turetel (Fat and Broken Tony Romo) Key Players: QB - Andy Dalton RB - Frank Gore RB - Ezekiel Elliot WR - Tavon Austin WR - Travis Benjamin WR - Terrance Williams TE - Jordan Reed Turetel is one of the new owners in TROLL this year, and he absolutely has his work cut out for him as this season is already looking pretty bleak before it starts. A WR core that is full of 2nd/3rd/4th/5th options does not provide a solid points floor from which to build on. Additionally, when Jordan Reed is far and away your 2nd best player you lose even more stability. Dalton is good enough to be a starter, and good enough to win games with, but there isn't much else to write home about. Thankfully for Turetel, the team he was left with was bad enough to secure the #1 overall pick, and in the history of the league there hasn't been a more highly valued prospect entering the draft, and Turetel can try to build for next year and beyond knowing that Elliot is going to be a serious building block. However, unless a lot of things go right for him, this team will probably be in the running for next year's #1 overall pick. Krack Heads Canik (IKYWMBH) Key Players: QB - Tom Brady RB - Mark Ingram RB - Spencer Ware WR - Eric Decker WR - Alshon Jeffery WR - Kevin White TE - Delanie Walker TE - Zach Miller I try to be unbiased in these rankings, and looking at Canik's roster you can see a lot to like. I just straight up don't like how this team is constructed. I love me some Brady, but you have to do better than Ryan Fitzpatrick as the four-week replacement, and try to address that before the 13th round, especially when Matt Ryan, Tannehill, Flacco, and Cutler are on the board. To build off of that, if you're going to have the top two WRs in Chicago (Jeffery and White), why would you pass on their QB? If you don't trust Cutler more than Fitzpatrick, then why would a team bank its whole offense on Cutler's ability to deliver the ball prodigiously? I haven't even gotten to the point where a 5th rounder and Emmanuel Sanders were traded for Forsett... who wasn't even kept (not to mention the additional 5th rounder that was wasted on Paul Perkins, who was cut right after). The sad thing is that even with all of those issues, and a neglected defense, this team could very well fight for a playoff spot and win the division, because Krack Heads is definitely in a down period. But Canik could have iced this division and set himself up for a title run, and it just didn't play out like that. AlmightyHero (345 Park Ave) Key Players: QB - Russell Wilson RB - LeGarrette Blount RB - David Johnson WR - Brandon Marshall WR - Torrey Smith WR - DeAndre Hopkins WR - Phillip Dorsett Hero fell off the face of the earth last season, and just when we had written him off coming in to the year, boom, here he comes ready to build his team back up. The young core of his team might be as strong as anyone's in the league, as few people can trot out the kind of QB/RB/WR combo that Hero can with Wilson, Johnson, and Hopkins. RB outside of Johnson is pretty thin, unless Blount really continues to lock down the Pats first and second down role. Dorsett and Agholor represent high-upside plays as they both seem in line to get plenty of targets in year two, and the defense does have a lot of talent. The team might not set the world on fire, but should be in the playoff and division mix. Niota (Geno's Boxing Gym) Key Players: QB - Jameis Winston RB - Todd Gurley RB - Derrick Henry WR - Julian Edelman WR - Keenan Allen WR - Kelvin Benjamin WR - Stefon Diggs Niota had one of those Murphy's Law seasons last year. Once Kelvin Benjamin got knocked out for the season, everything else that could go wrong started to go wrong, and he bottomed out in the standings. His reward was the ability to retool his roster with future seasons in mind, and he has rebuilt extremely fast, and looks to contend for the division crown this season, with a continued eye toward his next Schattenmann Cup team. If Henry overtakes DeMarco Murray, the best 1-2 young RB punch in the league could be on this team. The defense might be the real gem of this team, as studs like Luke Kuechly and Lavonte David anchor a very strong unit. The team isn't as deep as a contender should be, and TE is a huge question mark, but there is a playoff team on this roster for sure. Sargun (Sander Jim's Clubhouse) Key Players: QB - Blake Bortles RB - Ryan Mathews RB - Blake Bortles RB - Terrance West WR - Larry Fitzgerald WR - Doug Baldwin WR - Josh Gordon TE - Charles Clay Sargun is the newest owner in the league, and he had a bit of a rocky start, "accidentally" drafting Willie Snead with the #2 overall pick. He made up for it a bit later on, and his defense is actually pretty solid for a new owner. The best way to describe his team is very deep on fringe 1st stringers and promising 2nd stringers, and that can be a good thing and a bad thing. The good would be if the roles of guys like Crowell, West, Kenny Stills, Snead, and Baldwin solidify and this team makes a surprise playoff push. The bad would be if injuries, age, or poor roles caught up with a few of them and this team loses not just this season, but on future keeper value. Josh Gordon is the wildcard, as if he returns to his form from a couple of years ago, he could reclaim his spot as a top five WR in the league. As always, here are my Totally Out of Nowhere Predictions (TOONP) to either prove me as either clarivoyant or loony at the end of the season: Alter Egos Division Champ: Despite serious challenges by Sarm and GFL, Goldie takes his 5th straight division crown on the backs of his studs. Haf's Flingers Division Champ: DC rides his top defense and young stars to an easy division championship in a down year for Haf's Flingers. Heroes of Time Division Champ: Despite Astriy and Merger stealing games and making it interesting, Magicninja holds them off with a week to spare. Krack Heads Division Champ: In a race that isn't decided until their week 13 matchup, Hero barely edges out Niota, who has to settle for a wild card berth. Schattenmann Cup Winner: Goldie calls it lucky number 7 and knocks off DC in the final.
  2. We are about to start our 7th season as a 16 team keeper league made up of the best fantasy football minds that CN has to offer. The league is constructed as follows: -Sixteen teams, in four divisions. -QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, RB/WR/TE, RB/WR/TE, RB/WR/TE, K on offense. -DB, DB, DB, DL, DL, DL, LB, LB, LB, DB/DL/LB, DB/DL/LB on defense. -Seven bench spots to make a total of thirty players on each roster, plus four inactive injured players if necessary, so 480-544 players in the league total. -Each team can keep up to seven of its players at the end of the season to carry over into next season, one of which must be a defensive player. The open team has some keeper talent as well as plenty of high picks with which to restock its farm. Season 6 Preview Season 5 Preview Season 4 Preview Season 3 Preview Season 2 Preview Season 1 Preview The league is on Fleaflicker, so if you are interested, send me your email info and we can get you signed up.
  3. You should still play, its a good way to learn :P 2 spots left for anyone who is interested!
  4. The preeminent Cybernations fantasy sports league is expanding to basketball. While the season is underway, it is still early enough, and frankly, some of us are hungry enough, to give it a go. For those of you who haven't heard of us, here is how our football and baseball leagues work: [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/127326-the-righteous-orators-legacy-league-season-6]TROLL Football - Season 6[/url] 16 teams, 30 players per team. Teams select a roster of offensive and defensive players, and keep 7 of them from year to year. "The best football league ever made" - countless players. [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/126108-the-righteous-orators-legacy-league-preeminent-cn-fantasy-football-league-expanding-to-baseball]TROLL Baseball - Season 1[/url] 12 teams, 30 players per team. Teams select position players and pitchers, and keep 6 of them from year to year. Teams also control "Farm Teams" of prospects who aren't ready for the big leagues, but are guaranteed for their team when they make it to the Show. Now, we expand to basketball. Basketball obviously has far less players than the other sports, so the rosters will be smaller, but the competition will be no less fierce! 12 teams, 15 players per team (basically a regular basketball team's roster). Start 10 guys per night. Keep 5 players from season to season, basically lock up your "Starting 5". Priority is on balanced and competitiveness, to facilitate a constant need to be upgrading your team. If you are interested, please shoot me a message with your email, and I will send you an invite. I assure you, if you are a fan of fantasy sports and/or basketball, you will really love this league. Let me know if you have any questions.
  5. Last time, we gave 80% of our NS to defend our ally, in fact we were roughly the size of your alliance when the war ended. But instead of folding up shop as a meaningful alliance, we came back bigger and better than before. Again, ask people we've fought what they think of us. They usually end up wanting to treaty us afterward.
  6. Taking breathers isn't really our thing. I encourage you to ask people we've fought what they think of that. Seeing as the only war that applies to your comment is Dave, it seems like you're a little more butthurt than you rightfully should be.
  7. I put about as much thought into them as you put into looking up our war history.
  8. Or as we in VE like to call it, 2.34 AMAS, Average Mogar Alliance Seniorities. RIA is throwing the curve though.
  9. Seems to be Rawls' job in Seattle if Lynch isn't going, not Jackson's.
  10. Definitely have, you're one good WR away from being a really well-rounded team. That division will be tough, not a lot separating all of you guys.
  11. The Righteous Orators Legacy League is preparing to play its sixth season as the top fantasy football league in CN, and as a result we held our yearly draft yesterday. Each team kept six players from the season before, and selected 24 new players for their teams. As before, the league is constructed as follows: -Sixteen teams, in four divisions. -QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, RB/WR/TE, RB/WR/TE, RB/WR/TE, K on offense. -DB, DB, DB, DL, DL, DL, LB, LB, LB, DB/DL/LB, DB/DL/LB on defense. -Seven bench spots to make a total of thirty players on each roster, plus four inactive injured players if necessary, so 480-544 players in the league total. -Each team can keep up to six of its players at the end of the season to carry over into next season. Starting in season 7, teams will also keep one IDP player every season. These are the four divisions, and the four teams in each division: Alter Egos Goldie (Brady's Lovechild) - VE Gofastleft (Fisher's Stache) - NSO Jekalle (Rex's Lap Band) - NATO Redarmy (Flying Dutchmen) - SRA Haf's Flingers DylanCarter (Washington Sentinels) - Umb Sarkin (Cardiac Pack) - AB Verlion (Lion's Clubhouse) - VE Spartan1985 (Winston's Crab Shack) - VE Heroes of Time Mergerberger (The Wild Thornberries) - MI6 Magicninja (Elway's Horse Teeth) - GATO Astriy (Adrian's Switch Hitters) - Umb Hornguard (Restricted Free Agents) - VE Krack Heads Niota (Yo Soy Fiesta) - Umb Canik (Abdullah Akbar!) - FEAR Scipio (Easy Breesy) - MI6 AlmightyHero (JPP's Fireworks Emporium) - Umb Last season Niota became our first two-time champion, defeating the defending champion, DylanCarter, in the title game for his second Schattenmann Cup. [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/123810-the-righteous-orators-legacy-league-season-5]Season 5 Preview 8/27/14[/url] [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/118333-the-righteous-orators-legacy-league-season-4]Season 4 Preview 9/3/13[/url] [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/112917-the-righteous-orators-legacy-league-season-3]Season 3 Preview 8/29/12[/url] [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/104859-the-righteous-orators-legacy-league-season-2]Season 2 Preview 8/31/11[/url] [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/91532-introduction-to-the-righteous-orators-legacy-league]Season 1 Preview 8/31/10[/url] Here is a breakdown of each team's key players (generally top 100-120 guys), and my opinion of each of their strengths, weaknesses, and chances. Goldie (Brady's Lovechild) Key Players QB - Andrew Luck RB - Le'Veon Bell RB - Carlos Hyde RB - Melvin Gordon WR - Amari Cooper WR - Martavis Bryant WR - Cody Latimer WR - Nelson Agholor TE - Rob Gronkowski A third straight Alter Egos division championship, and a second straight semifinals defeat, leaves the team wanting more. Sporting top keepers at QB (Luck), RB (Bell), and TE (Gronk), but with question marks at WR, I went all in to get to the top of the draft this year and address that, with the hope of getting over the hump. With 4 picks in the top 24 of the draft, including #1 and #3, I drafted hopefully foundational players like Cooper and Gordon, and supplemented Cooper and my WR core of Martavis and John Brown with guys like Kenny Stills, Cody Latimer, and Nelson Agholor. Lot of WR2 talent and potential, with hopefully one or two (or three?) breaking into the upper tier. With the rest of my draft picks, I was able to put together a solid IDP crew, although there are question marks with the LB depth that may need to be addressed. A fourth straight division title would only be considered a success if its accompanied by a trip to the finals. Gofastleft (Fisher's Stache) Key Players RB - DeMarco Murray RB - Lamar Miller RB - Tevin Coleman WR - Odell Beckham WR - Jeremy Maclin WR - Golden Tate WR - Allen Robinson GFL made a major leap forward last season, challenging for the division crown but falling short, but ultimately getting the best of the division champ in the third place game. Breakout stars like OBJ and a monster season from Murray paved the way. The RB's and WR's are very good, and among the deepest in the league with some home run potential if guys like Miller and Coleman pay off, but questions abound with Jay Cutler as the QB with his depleted and/or injured WR's. If Chicago's offense doesn't round into form, is a rookie QB like Mariota going to be able to do what is needed to get this team over Brady's Lovechild in the division? The playoffs should be a lock, but to do damage he will need a lot to break right, like it did last season. Jekalle (Rex's Lap Band) Key Players QB - Eli Manning RB - Joique Bell RB - Rashad Jennings RB - LeGarrette Blount RB - Charles Sims RB - Duke Johnson Jekalle is one of several new owners in TROLL this year, and he took over a team that was bady mismanaged. EB autopicked a team based off of his 2013 pre-draft rankings, leaving him with very little in contemporary value. Jekalle made the right move in taking some home run swings on some RB's who could really pay off, but beyond that there is a lot of marginal talent and that doesn't bode well for his chances in 2015 with teams like Goldie's and GFL's dueling for the division title. He is counting too much on guys like Dwayne Bowe and Michael Crabtree to rewind the clock, or for guys like Eric Ebron, Charles Sims, or Duke Johnson to use injuries to other guys or new opportunities to take a huge leap forward. He will definitely improve on last year's record, but the playoffs will be a difficult task unless a lot goes right for him, and having Sims, Johnson, or Bell take their jobs and run with them will set him up nicely for 2016. Redarmy (Flying Dutchmen) Key Players QB - Ryan Tannehill RB - Chris Johnson RB - Ryan Mathews RB - Isaiah Crowell WR - Larry Fitzgerald Redarmy took over Daikos' team, which was the worst in TROLL last year, with a totally barren slate of keepers. Moves were made to improve his stock, but this is a team that is just looking to improve and to get set up well for 2016, when he will have 2 first round picks and the hopeful return of Josh Gordon from suspension. Tannehill is a high risk/high reward QB pick, and he could definitely become a solid rock for Redarmy to build on. But the aging WR core of Steve Smith and Larry Fitzgerald will have diminishing value moving forward. The strength of this team is in its IDP players, with Justin Houston, Chandler Jones, and Harrison Smith definitely carrying strong value for 2016 when IDP players take a new keeper slot. DylanCarter (Washington Sentinels) Key Players RB - Jeremy Hill RB - Latavius Murray RB - T.J. Yeldon WR - Dez Bryant WR - Mike Evans WR - Calvin Johnson TE - Travis Kelce DC again finds himself around the top of the league, and there is a clear path to competiting for a second championship in three years. His WR's are world class, although surprisingly the depth of previous years is absent past his top 3 and relics like Anquan Boldin. Hill could very well be the top back in fantasy this year, and Murray, if he stays healthy, should combine with him and the rookie out of Jacksonville (Yeldon) to take his team into the future and give him a savage skill position punch. DC's IDP's are classically his strength, and his cache of midround picks allowed him to stockpile top LB's such as Ogletree, Mosley, Poz, and Stephone Anthony. QB, however, is a major question mark. Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater lead one to the classic saying, if you have 2 QBs, you don't have any. Who knows which will have the better week in a given week, and if he will be the one playing, as both have the potential for some bad weeks. Short of that, though, DC looks to be fielding the top starting 22 in the league. Sarkin (Cardiac Pack) Key Players QB - Aaron Rodgers RB - Eddie Lacy WR - Julio Jones WR - Vincent Jackson WR - Charles Johnson WR - Dante Moncrief TE - Greg Olsen Sarkin remade his team in Ted Thompson's image this offseason, trading for Aaron Rodgers to complement Eddie Lacy, his handcuff James Starks, and a Jordy-less flyer in picking up Ty Montgomery. Julio Jones is a monster, and Charles Johnson, Moncrief, and VJax could easily be the top options in good-to-great offenses. The only thing separating Sarkin from DC in this division is the IDP's, and Sarkin's just don't compare. But this team will make the playoffs, and has the firepower to make some noise once there. Verlion (Lion's Clubhouse) Key Players RB - Adrian Peterson RB - Danny Woodhead RB - C.J. Anderson RB - Andre Williams RB - Darren McFadden RB - Arian Foster WR - DeSean Jackson WR - Roddy White TE - Martellus Bennett Verlion is another new team owner, and he inherited a team with top keepers on it, with Anderson, Foster (when he returns), and AP headlining a serious RB core that has a lot of high-upside players that could yield a fourth keeper-worthy back from it. The receivers would have been great 4 years ago, but White has injury concerns, Marques Colston has roster spot concerns, and Jackson has everyone hating him concerns. But his mid to late round autopicking took good care of his IDP's for him, and he will be able to compete for a playoff spot in year one with some good moves during the year. Spartan1985 (Winston's Crab Shack) Key Players RB - Chris Ivory RB - Andre Ellington RB - David Cobb WR - Jordan Matthews WR - Michael Floyd WR - Jarvis Landry WR - Eric Decker DL - J.J. Watt Spartan, like Redarmy, took over a barren team. He aggressively set about making it his own, and there are the makings of a threat to DC down the road for division dominance here. For the first time ever, a DL will be listed as a key fantasy player, because J.J. Watt might be the only TE to have DL eligibility with how he's used on that team, and is just otherworldly. I'd guess that two of Ivory, Cobb, or Ellington will have keeper-worthy seasons, and Landry could be a top 10 WR by the end of the season. All of the pieces aren't there yet, but there has been enough done that, as we move into IDP keepers going forward with the best one locked in to this team, 2016 could be a big year for Spartan. Mergerberger (The Wild Thornberries) Key Players QB - Matt Ryan RB - Matt Forte RB - C.J. Spiller WR - Antonio Brown WR - Demayrius Thomas WR - Sammy Watkins Unlike many other new owners, Merger was able to take over a team that was well set up from the previous owner. Monty didn't have time to keep with the team, and he left a full cupboard of stud young WR's and a top RB in Forte, as well as one of the rarities in the game these days, a reliable QB in Matt Ryan. In a very even division, its guys like Antonio Brown that can separate you, and while I don't think he is a championship contender with the state of his IDP's, he has the base to contend for the playoffs for years to come. Magicninja (Elway's Horse Teeth) Key Players QB - Matt Stafford RB - Justin Forsett RB - LeSean McCoy RB - Jonas Gray RB - Devonta Freeman RB - Montee Ball WR - Keenan Allen WR - Brandin Cooks TE - Julius Thomas Magicninja's home run hitters are the key to his upcoming season. McCoy has a job as a workhorse, and Forsett has his job until he decides to be Justin Forsett again, but the rest are pure speculation, and that's how you get a leg up in a viciously competitive division. Neither Jonas Gray, Devonta Freeman, or Montee Ball start the season with an actual job, but they each start in some form of a committee and if just one emerges as the clear cut starter, due to performance or injury issues with others, then the sky is the limit for the points these guys can put up for MN. Brandin Cooks will get a heavy workload in NO, and Keenan Allen will look to bounce back from his dismal 2014. And if his hand heals, Julius Thomas could be the crutch Jacksonville needs for its offense to take the next step, and combined with above average IDP's, this might be the team to beat, if the RBs and WRs round into form. Astriy (Adrian's Switch Hitters) Key Players QB - Ben Roethlisberger RB - Jamaal Charles RB - Alfred Morris WR - Randall Cobb WR - Alshon Jeffery TE - Jimmy Graham This is the real boom or bust team in this division. After a disappointing 6-7 finish last year (albeit with a playoff berth), Astriy's team is set up with some of the best keepers in TROLL, but major lottery tickets surrounding them. Cobb and Jeffery are the man in each of their passing offenses, now they just need to stay healthy. Similarly for Jamaal Charles, if he's healthy, Astriy is almost assured a playoff spot. If he isn't, he's going to wish he had Knile Davis, or really any depth behind Morris. The WR's are where his team can get exciting, with rookies in good situations like Jaelen Strong in Houston, Tyler Lockett in Seattle, and DeVante Parker in Miami all with the talent to be the best receivers on their team, if they get the chance to establish themselves in that role. This might be a team best set up to compete in 2016 than it is now, but if Astriy can flip some talent into IDP's, the rookies break out, and people stay healthy, he could compete for the championship. If a couple of those thinggs don't happen, he might well miss the playoffs. Hornguard (Restricted Free Agents) Key Players QB - Tony Romo RB - Marshawn Lynch RB - Doug Martin RB - Frank Gore RB - Shane Vereen RB - Alfred Blue WR - Davante Adams WR - Victor Cruz TE - Jason Witten Hornguard autopicked himself to a pretty decent skill position starting lineup. Alfred Blue fails the eye test, but in this league, opportunity is sometimes enough, and he has the opportunity to take the Houston job and run with it. Adams could be in play for a huge role with Rodgers chucking him the ball, similarly to how guys like Nelson and Cobb got opportunities before him from guys leaving or getting hurt. The IDP's arent great, but with Gore and Lynch potentially in their last years of keeper-league relevance, this team is in full win-now mode, and has the firepower to take the division. Niota (Yo Soy Fiesta) Key Players QB - Cam Newton RB - Joseph Randle RB - Tre Mason RB - Todd Gurley WR - Julian Edelman WR - Andre Johnson WR - Kelvin Benjamin Niota starts his championship defense in a hole, with last year's #1 overall pick, Benjamin, out for the season, leaving him down a keeper. He thought he had nabbed his replacement when he traded up to the #2 overall pick to get Amari Cooper, but I sniffed it out and jumped him to #1 overall. He was left with a great consolation prize in Todd Gurley, and made the unsexy, but smart pick to handcuff them together in drafting Tre Mason 4 picks after grabbing Gurley. One way or another, barring a catastrophe (or Benny Cunningham), the St. Louis running attack is his, and it is a very productive one, with superduperstar upside with Gurley. Niota chose to focus on lottery picks at the skill positions, and locking down IDP's, getting top guys like Lavonte David and DeAndre Levy to complement his keeper, Luke Kuechly. Brandon Coleman looks to have the fast track to a productive job, but guys like Randle, Corey Brown, and Ladarius Green need to show us a lot more than they have before in their expanded jobs for Niota to be able to repeat. Canik (Abdullah Akbar) Key Players QB - Peyton Manning QB - Tom Brady RB - Mark Ingram RB - Giovany Bernard RB - Ameer Abdullah WR - Emmanuel Sanders WR - Mike Wallace Canik made the classic mistake of trading for a 2nd QB shortly before the draft, and as a result, he had to keep two older QB's, with limited dynasty value, instead of a young RB/WR, and that could cost him the shot to overtake Niota this year. His RBs are all guys who could have big years, but who also could simply not have jobs by midseason, with both Jackson, Abdullah, and Gio on the wrong side of committees, although Abdullah looks like the real deal. Devin Funchess is a great pickup, especially when it comes at the expense of one of Niota's best players, and at the very least, Canik can trade a QB for improvements elsewhere, although he probably won't get the value of the keeper spot he used in return. Still, this is a playoff team if a little breaks right for him. AlmightyHero (JPP's Fireworks Emporium) Key Players QB - Russell Wilson RB - David Johnson WR - Torrey Smith WR - Brandon Marshall WR - DeAndre Hopkins TE - Jordan Cameron The lack of a draft pick this season in the first round really hurt Hero's chances to turn his team around this season, as Pierre Garcon has drifted into fantasy irrelevance, but Ameer Abdullah or T.J. Yeldon, guys available where Hero would have picked had he not flipped the pick (and others) for him, would have been high value/high upside players to have moving forward. His RB's are a mess, and outside of Hopkins, there isn't any youth there either. This will be a tough season for Hero, and it might be time to start building with 2016 and beyond in mind. Scipio (Easy Breesy) Key Players QB - Drew Brees RB - Jonathan Stewart RB - Bishop Sankey WR - T.Y. Hilton WR - A.J. Green WR - Jordy Nelson TE - Coby Fleener Scipio thought he was building the best WR core in TROLL when he traded the #2 overall for A.J. Green (and other keeper players), but sadly Jordy went down and took that idea with him. Sankey and Stewart, if they can prove they can hold onto their jobs (and stay healthy) could have strong years, and Brees is always a lock to put up good numbers. An unsexy but effective IDP core could help him rise to the middle of the pack, but he is a move or two away from playoff contention, but that's a big step up from where the team was before he took over. When Nelson gets back, this will be a strong team for 2016, and should make noise then. By popular demand, here are my Totally Out of Nowhere Predictions (TOONP): Alter Egos Division Champ: GoFastLeft makes a good run at it, but Goldie locks up his 4th consecutive division title before they play their Week 13 season finale. Haf's Flingers Division Champ: DylanCarter again is too much for the rest of the division and takes the crown for the third year in a row. Heroes of Time Division Champ: Hornguard's RB's drive him to the division title, even though he finishes with the same record as Mergerberger and only a game or two ahead of Astriy and Magicninja. Krack Heads Division Champ: Canik takes advantage of Niota's flaws and knocks the champ out of the top spot in the division. Schattenmann Cup Winner: DylanCarter breaks Goldie's heart again in the final, and makes it two wins in three years.
  12. I've seen a lot of crazy things happen, but the fact that this has actually happened might be up there with the craziest of them.
  13. Been a long and crazy road that led you here, glad to have you guys.
  14. This has been several months in the making, it was important to let Baltus get experience in this past war, and learn on the job before officially taking it.
  15. It was one of the great pleasures of my life being Lord of such a great alliance. I can't wait to see the exciting direction you bring us in Baltus.
  16. For the past 5 years, TROLL has been a CN-based fantasy football league, that allows teams to keep some players from year to year, and requires a depth of knowledge, luck, and activity that satiate the desires of serious fans of the sport to test their wits against other players. For an example of how our football league works, see our [url=http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/123810-the-righteous-orators-legacy-league-season-5]Season 5 writeup[/url] from earlier in the year. The basics of the league are similar to TROLL football: Make the league the most comprehensive, balanced, and entertaining representation of fantasy sports as humanly possible. We look to make it so it is a league not just based on who is performing excellently in the present time, but also have team owners look to the future as well and manage prospects. This league will try to balance the in-the-now of day to day fantasy baseball, while allowing owners to maintain a separate farm system to plan for the future. There will be 30 players per team, with 22 of them in the starting lineup at any given time. Points will be accumulated by hitters and pitchers for various tasks. Each week teams will be matched up against another team, and the team who accumulates more points gets a win for the week. Five players per team per season may be kept from season to season. In addition to that, teams will have farm systems where they can stash prospects who are not yet in the majors, and the players will be added to their team when they are promoted to the show, and then become regular players in the league after that. It's a way you can place 'dibs' on prospects without having to scour the waiver wire or necessarily be quicker to the draw than the other people in the league. There will be a player draft to kick off the season, all prospects will be drafted after that, and we will participate in events for the amateur draft as well, in order to enhance the customization and turnover of players in the league. This league will be fun and exciting as hell, and cater to the best CN has to offer for fantasy sports. 12 teams with 3 divisions or 16 teams with 4 divisions are the possibilities based on interest. Hope to see you guys there! PM me with your email address if you would like to be invited. Serious and active owners only. Draft is Sunday March 15 at 12 PM EST.
  17. My resource was switched from Potassium to Magnesium just now when I went to change the location of my Mars Mine. Can you please revert this change as it was not what was supposed to happen? Thank you.
  18. A well deserved peace for you guys.
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