Jump to content

The Righteous Orators Legacy League - Season 2


Goldie

Recommended Posts

The Righteous Orators Legacy League had its second annual draft tonight. Each team kept six players from last season, and selected 24 new players today.

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 (Took 1 TE away, added a RB/WR/TE spot).
-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, 480 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.

These are the four divisions, and the four teams in each division:

[b]Alter Egos[/b]
Goldie (Brady's Lovechild) - VE
Sceptor (Alesmiths) - Umb
Emperor Brutus (Communist Rangers) - TOP
Gofastleft (Bradford's Boy) - NG

[b]Haf's Flingers[/b]
Kowalski (Jets Schmets) - Umb
Janax (Jehovas Walrus) - Argent
Rondo (Burress' Big Bang) - VE
JayhawkColin (King of the Cassel) - VE

[b]Heroes of Time[/b]
Niota (Ron Mexico and the Brotherly Lovers) - Umb
TBRaiders (Mushroom Warriors) - MK
Magicninja (Magic's Ninjas) - GATO
Astriy (Smokin' Blounts & drinkin' Fortes 'till Addai) - Umb

[b]Penk's Lollers[/b]
Shadow (shadow's spartans) - VE
Callebaut (The Relieved Post-Lockout Fans) - Misfits
Kuse (Winchester Madmen) - VE
KageTheSecond (Off Constantly) - OMFG



Rather than break down our crappy keeper re-draft round by round, I'll break down each team, their keepers, and their draft moves.


[b]Gofastleft (Bradford's Boy)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Sam Bradford
RB - Michael Turner
RB - Joseph Addai
WR - Lance Moore
WR - Miles Austin
WR - Jeremy Maclin

GFL looks to build off of his Alter Egos-winning team last season, in where he lost in the first round by less than a point to the eventual league champions. In the first round, he swung for the fences, drafting Atlanta's rookie WR Julio Jones. If Jones pans out, he could give GFL perhaps the deepest receiver core in the league. He didn't address his RB core as much as I thought he would, choosing to cast his lot with Sproles, who might see a very limited role in NO and does not benefit from our not being a PPR league, and Javon Ringer, who may prove to be a good pick if Chris Johnson continues his holdout or falters in any way. Lot of big names in his IDP roster, but will they produce for his fantasy team the same way they produce for their NFL teams?


[b]Goldie (Brady's Lovechild)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Matt Schaub
RB - Ahmad Bradshaw
RB - Beanie Wells
WR - Andre Johnson
WR - Calvin Johnson
WR - Dez Bryant

After trading my first round pick as part of the mid-season trade last season that brought Calvin Johnson on board, I had to watch as some coveted rookies and supplemental players got taken. As a result my team is top heavy, especially at WR where I have perhaps the two best in the game, but lighter elsewhere. Beanie Wells has to produce with the opportunity he has this year. I think Thomas Jones and Eddie Royal are very un-sexy but potentially solid performers that could give much-needed depth. Knowing I would be shut out of top offensive talent, I went hard after IDPs. If that gambit pays off, I could find myself on top of the division. If it doesn't, I could be looking at a very high pick next season.


[b]Sceptor (Alesmiths)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Joe Flacco
RB - Jamaal Charles
RB - Ryan Matthews
WR - Larry Fitzgerald
TE - Dallas Clark
TE - Dustin Keller

Sceptor sadly was only able to make the first couple of rounds of the draft. He used his first three picks to give himself a very deep receiver class, adding Danny Amendola, Antonio Brown, and Malcolm Floyd to his superstar in Fitzgerald. However he was not set up for RB success, and short of the stud he has in Charles, he is very light at the spot. Hopefully for him Matthews proves to be the real deal, and the overall depth the autopick gave him at defense evens things out.


[b]Emperor Brutus (Communist Rangers)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Philip Rivers
RB - Ray Rice
WR - Anquan Boldin
WR - Wes Welker
WR - Mike Sims-Walker
TE - Greg Olsen

EB was another who couldn't make the draft tonight, and his team may be a bit shaky as a result. He was lucky, entering the league as a new owner, to inherit a team that had two of the tops at their position on the roster, in Rivers and Rice. However, he had already decided to not prioritize the draft, turning his #1 overall pick before the draft into a trade-down for an extra 3rd rounder, and Anquan Boldin. Having to wait until pick 32 to make his first selection was painful though, and autopick struck back, giving him more WRs in the form of Nate Burleson and Davone Bess, when it was RB depth that was sorely needed.


[b]Janax (Jehovas Walrus)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
RB - Adrian Peterson
RB - Felix Jones
RB - Arian Foster
WR - Roddy White
WR - Santonio Holmes
WR - Hakeem Nicks

After running the table last year during the regular season (but comically being knocked out in the first round), Janax already had the core of a great team in his keepers. Returning were the two best RBs in football in Arian and Adrian, as well as White and Nicks, two of the top 5 receivers in the game. He needed a QB, and found a steal in Kevin Kolb in the 2nd round, after patiently waiting and picking up Daniel Thomas to take a chance on a rookie RB in the first. Even if Kolb doesn't pan out, his backs and receivers should carry him most weeks, but it was a major gamble for a team as good as his to trust it to an untested starter. Furthermore, while he is deep at his skill positions, his IDPs look weak, and even if he gets repeat great seasons from his players, that could prove to be his achilles heel. But Janax has to be considered one of, if not the favorite to take the regular season crown again with his impressive lineup of skill players.


[b]Rondo (Burress' Big Bang) - VE[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Aaron Rodgers
RB - LaDanian Tomlinson
RB - Jonathan Stewart
RB - Mike Tolbert
WR - Deion Branch
WR - Brandon Marshall

Rondo started as the 6th seed, knocked off GFL in round one, and ran all the way to the title. He will try to defend that title with a team that may not be star-studded, but has depth. Lee Evans and Johnny Knox were spectacular picks where they were taken, in the 3rd and 5th rounds, respectively, and Plaxico Burress, if he plays like he has in preseason, could help to give Rondo an incredibly deep WR core. He has a lot of RBs who are working in committees in Tolbert, Tomlinson, Stewart, and Justin Forsett, and that can sting a bit, but he has a solid defensive crew that should supplement. I don't know if he can repeat last year's magic, but he should make a run for a playoff spot.


[b]Kowalski (Jets Schmets)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Matt Cassel
RB - Maurice Jones-Drew
RB - Peyton Hillis
TE - Vernon Davis
DB - Greg Toler
DL - Ndamukong Suh

Kowalski deserved to lose Greg Toler for the season, after inexplicably naming him as one of his keepers. Luckily for him, his two first round picks netted him some WR talent with potential, in Seattle's Mike Williams, as well as Pierre Garcon. Some major LB talent should help keep his team afloat, but he definitely would be screwed if MJD isn't healthy and Hillis regresses.


[b]JayhawkColin (King of the Cassel)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Josh Freeman
RB - Chris Johnson
RB - Tim Hightower
WR - Steve Smith
WR - Vincent Jackson
TE - Owen Daniels

Jayhawk takes over a team that had decent keepers, and he seems to have supplemented them well in the draft. Kenny Britt could be poised for an excellent season, even though selecting him with the 2nd overall pick left some potential good contributers at RB still on the board. Eric Berry and Quintin Mikell give Jayhawk a studly DB duo, and if James Harrison gets healthy he could be a bigtime contributor as well.


[b]Magicninja (Magic's Ninjas)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Ben Roethlisberger
RB - Steven Jackson
RB - Cedric Benson
WR - Dwayne Bowe
TE - Antonio Gates
LB - Jerod Mayo

Ended up giving up a lot for the #1 overall pick he had, and by trading Boldin and his 3rd round pick for the first overall pick, Magicninja made a huge gamble. Was trading Boldin and Jacoby Ford (the best WR on the board at the time of the 3rd round pick) the equivalent of the potential from Santana Moss? I don't know, I think Moss could have a very good season, perhaps better than Boldin's, but also have a very bad season with no one potentially there to throw it to him. I'm sure he is hitting himself over making this trade but then not showing up for the draft. But Mayo is a superstar in our points system, and Jackson, Benson, Pierre Thomas, and Reggie Bush (his 2nd first rounder) should form a solid RB tandem.


[b]TBRaiders (Mushroom Warriors)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Matt Ryan
RB - Frank Gore
RB - LeSean McCoy
RB - Jahvid Best
WR - Marques Colston
WR - Mike Williams (TB)

TBR returns a fierce set of keepers, and went for broke in filling out his skill positions. Brandon Jacobs is poised for a major year, and in addition to Gore, McCoy, and Best, gives him a unit that can nearly rival Janax'. Mike Thomas and Jacoby Ford are two excellent pickups at WR that give him serious WR depth. But outside of Rey Maualuga and Desmond Bishop, he is taking some major chances with his IDP roster, and if he hopes to overtake Magicninja as the champ of the Heroes of Time division, he will need them to overperform.


[b]Niota (Ron Mexico and the Brotherly Lovers)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
RB - Marshawn Lynch
RB - Matt Forte
RB - Rashard Mendenhall
RB - LeGarrette Blount
WR - Chad Ochocinco
WR - Reggie Wayne

Niota was playing with fire not having his QB situation set before this draft, because a team with studs like he has all along his RB core deserves a top-flight QB. He may have found one in Matt Stafford, who proved to be a very able fantasy QB when healthy. But the risks are very high, as Stafford did not have a healthy season last year, and there were plenty of solid QBs with low risk, like Eli Manning and Jay Cutler, available when he picked, as well as another upside guy in Kevin Kolb. Devin Hester looks like a legit WR this preseason, and with his RBs and WRs looking the way they do, he might not need Stafford to stay healthy, after all, he may have an even better option sitting on the bench in Kyle Orton. I think his IDPs are too dicey to call him a league favorite, but he can definitely put himself in the discussion.


[b]Astriy (Smokin' Blounts & drinkin' Fortes 'till Addai)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
RB - Ryan Grant
RB - DeAngelo Williams
RB - Shonn Greene
WR - Mike Wallace
WR - Austin Collie
TE - Jimmy Graham

Astriy might have the all-sink or swim team of this season. If Grant can re-establish himself after missing last season with his ACL tear, if Collie can shake off the concussions and become Manning's favorite target in Indy again, if Williams can navigate the time-share properly, and if Shonn Greene can establish himself finally as the man in New York, Astriy could really have something. If not, he could be in for trouble. Eli Manning is a great pick, considering he got him after other QBs were taken in the first. Michael Bush and Mark Ingram could also be primed to take over big roles in their offenses should the right cards play out. His IDPs look deep and strong, and that supplemented with some good fortune for his skill players could help him compete for a playoff spot.


[b]Kuse (Winchester Madmen)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Tony Romo
WR - Brandon Lloyd
WR - DeSean Jackson
WR - Steve Johnson
TE - Jason Witten
TE - Jermichael Finley

Kuse was the runner-up in the league last year, but sadly he looks to fall off. He missed the draft, and did not have any RB depth to begin with, and has absolutely none now. The good news is Romo looks to have a bounce-back year, and Jackson and Lloyd are going to be two of the best WRs in football. Autopick also treated Kuse well to a good selection of IDPs, who can hopefully keep him in games this season.


[b]Shadow (shadow's spartans)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Drew Brees
RB - Darren McFadden
RB - BenJarvus Green-Ellis
RB - Knowshon Moreno
WR - Greg Jennings
WR - Mario Manningham

Don't look now, but Shadow has set himself up with a very deep team that could be poised to take the Penk's Lollers division by storm. C.J. Spiller adds a lot of potential to an already solid backfield, and Hines Ward hopefully has another good season or two left in the tank. TE is a position of strength as well, with Tony Gonzalez and Brent Celek ready to share the load. Strong depth at the IDP level means he could be the team to beat in his division.


[b]Callebaut (The Relieved Post-Lockout Fans)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Tom Brady
RB - Fred Jackson
WR - Sidney Rice
TE - Mercedes Lewis
TE - Rob Gronkowski
LB - Patrick Willis

The good news is that he has Tom Brady, and some stud defensemen like Willis and Stephen Tulloch. The bad news is that he has question marks everywhere else. Can Jackson and McGahee provide enough carries to shoulder the entire RB load for Callebaut? With Sidney Rice moving to No-Man's-Land (Seattle), are Derrick Mason and Braylon Edwards enough to supplement? I'm not sure, and hopefully for him, it works out.


[b]KageTheSecond (Off Constantly)[/b]

[u]Keepers:[/u]
QB - Peyton Manning
QB - Michael Vick
WR - Percy Harvin
DB - Troy Polamalu
LB - Ray Lewis
LB - Brian Urlacher

Kage is keeping defenders like it's 2005! And you know what? I dig it! Lewis, Urlacher, and Polamalu should all be good performers. There is no RB depth to speak of, however, and that could be a major problem. Two Miami cast-offs, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams make up the only backfield he has, and while he has a bit of a receiving core with Michael Crabtree alongside Harvin, it is thin past that. His saving grace is that he can probably trade Manning for a good RB or WR, or trade Vick for his choice of the board. It will be interesting to see what he does, if anything, to fix up his sketchy offense and make it as deep as his defense is.








There you have it, our season preview. Looking forward to the season to begin, and hopefully regaling you all with more tales from The Righteous Orators Legacy League, Season II: Electric Boogaloo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel pretty comfortable ignoring IDPs, since the absolute best IDP (with 2 or 3 playoff game boosted stats) would have only been around the 31st best player overall.

The top DLineman barely busted 100 pts. Foster scored 342. Except for the very very top end guys, you get about the same production out of IDP. I'd rather have Woodhead on my bench ready to step in (he outscored the top DL) and take 8 pts from my CBs, than have some 3rd string scrub from Arizona as one of my backup rbs, and get 12 from Clay Matthews.

We'll see how it works out. Same strategy that got me to 14-0 last year, and had Orton not dookied the bed (1.5pts) and AP done anything (2.8 pts), I likely would have ran the table, as I only lost that game by 4 points.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel pretty confident about my team. It was pretty risky going into the draft with no QB (then again, I started derek anderson, colt mccoy and jimmy clausen at QB last year, amongst others), but I feel like I nabbed the highest upside QB on the board with Stafford and I feel like Orton is more than serviceable if Stafford goes down. With my IDP players I tried to go for younger, higher ceiling players like Devin Mccourty, Von Miller, Earl Thomas and Ryan Kerrigan along with some higher profile names like Demarcus Ware, Mario Williams and Terrell Suggs. I feel like I'm solid at every position and in much better shape to contend this year than I was last year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...