Goldie Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 The Righteous Orators Legacy League had its third annual draft on Sunday. 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. -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: Alter Egos Goldie (Brady's Lovechild) - VE Sceptor (Alesmiths) - Umb Emperor Brutus (Communist Rangers) - TOP Gofastleft (Bradford's Boy) - NG Haf's Flingers Kowalski (Jets Schmets) - VE Janax (Jehovas Walrus) - R.I.P. Rondo (Dez'ignated Hitters) - VE DylanCarter (Washington Sentinels) - Umb Heroes of Time Niota (Lynch's Wild Ride) - Umb TBRaiders (Mushroom Warriors) - MK Magicninja (Magic's Ninjas) - GATO Astriy (Niota's Draft Picks) - Umb Krack Heads Shadow (Hell Will Freeze) - VE Callebaut (C Squad) - Tetris Mr_Vicarious (Aikman's Nth Concussion) - Fark Canik (Beer For Friends) - BFF In last year's title game, Callebaut knocked off the previously undefeated team of TBRaiders', and took home the Schattenmann Cup. Here is a breakdown of each team, and their potential strengths and weaknesses. [b]Gofastleft (Bradford's Boy)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Sam Bradford RB - Michael Turner RB - Darren Sproles WR - Julio Jones WR - Jeremy Maclin WR - Miles Austin Was a tough season last year for GFL, winning only four games and having losing streaks of four and five games. After trading out of the first round for an extra 2nd and 3rd, he picked up a potential breakout TE in Jacob Tamme, then set to work hitting IDP's hard, hoping his solid keepers can maintain their health and he can pick up some points defensively. He needs his team's namesake to put on a good year in order to rise to the top half of the Alter Egos division, but if he does, GFL's talented receiving core could give him the push he needs. [b]Goldie (Brady's Lovechild)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Michael Vick RB - Shonn Greene RB - Doug Martin WR - Steve Smith WR - Vincent Jackson WR - Andre Johnson After sneaking into the playoffs on the back of a three-game winning streak to close out the season (that included a win-or-go-home .25 point win over EB), only to get blown out of the water by top-seeded TBR, after having been the 9th seed the year before, it was time for a major change for this team. Everyone who wasn't nailed down (the Smith/Jackson/Johnson receiving core) was shipped out for high-risk high-reward players like Michael Vick and draft picks, with the hope that having tons of early round picks would give me depth to win but also quality RBs to keep in the future. Moving up to 2nd overall to draft Doug Martin was a key, and picking up Andrew Luck as Vick insurance/QB of the future was important too. Hopefully my early IDP splurge will be enough to put me into good playoff position, but if Vick goes down, and my RBs don't produce, I've taken a huge step back. [b]Sceptor (Alesmiths)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Joe Flacco RB - Marshawn Lynch RB - Ryan Mathews RB - Jamaal Charles RB - Donald Brown WR - Larry Fitzgerald Like death and taxes, you always know Sceptor is going to autopick his draft. His keepers were sound, though, and he added another potential top RB to his troika of Lynch/Mathews/Charles in Donald Brown, so he may have the strongest RB core of anyone in the league. His WRs, though, leave a lot ot be desired and while he autopicked a stud DL crew, his LB core is not as strong as it should be. [b]Emperor Brutus (Communist Rangers)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Philip Rivers RB - Ray Rice RB - Mark Ingram WR - Wes Welker TE - Tony Gonzalez TE - Greg Olsen Last season's division champ returns potentially the top RB in the league in Ray Rice, a QB primed to return to glory in Rivers, a WR who always puts up phenomenal numbers in Welker, and the most interesting TE core in the league. Problems loom, however, as he traded his 2nd, 4th, and 5th round picks over the past year, and as such he was unable to add the skill position depth that helped him out last year with guys like DeAngelo Williams, Burleson, and Pettigrew, replacing them with intriguing players like Jonathan Baldwin, but seriously lacking in the RB department after Ingram and Rice. [b]Kowalski (Jets Schmets)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Jay Cutler RB - Maurice Jones-Drew RB - Peyton Hillis RB - Cedric Benson WR - Pierre Garcon TE - Vernon Davis Kowalski is another notorious autopicker, but it looks like he talked some sense into his machine before it went live, and as a result it paid off bigtime. He got, with the 7th overall pick, perhaps the top-scorer of this year's draft pool in Cedric Benson, who could really run wild in Green Bay. Subsequent rounds saw him pick up the best LB in the draft in D'Qwell Jackson, as well as serious high-potential guys in Kendall Hunter (could take carries from Gore and be the starter by next season), Keshawn Martin (trying to become the 2nd option in the Houston passing attack), and Rod Streater (who could blow up in Oakland this year). Overall, his team looks very good, if Cutler and the Bears open up their passing game and MJD ends his holdout, Kowalski could be on pace for big things. [b]Janax (Jehovas Walrus)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Andy Dalton QB - Josh Freeman RB - Arian Foster RB - Adrian Peterson RB - Michael Bush WR - Roddy White WR - Reggie Wayne As has been the case, Janax always brings a stud RB core to the table. This season sees him add Kevin Smith to the stable, and if he can stay healthy, and Peterson regains his mojo, he could end up scoring 60-80 points a game just from his RBs fairly easily. WR is a little light beyond White and Wayne, but Kenny Britt has the potential to put up superstar numbers in the games he plays. QB will be a major concern for Janax, Dalton showed last year that he could be a starting QB in this league, but the dreaded sophomore slump may await, and Freeman is coming off a horrendous followup to his awesome '10 campaign, will he bounce back? More importantly, will Janax start the right one off the bat, and how long will his QB battle (not a good thing to have in this league) last, leaving him with a decision every week on who to start that could be the difference between winning and losing the game? [b]Rondo (Dez'ignated Hitters)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Aaron Rodgers RB - Jonathan Stewart RB - Isaac Redman RB - Stevan Ridley TE - Brent Celek "In Rodgers We Trust" is Rondo's motto this year, because he is looking at an up and down season based primarily on how much his top QB can carry his team. Each of his RBs have potential to put up 20 points in a game, but each has major question marks. Stewart got hurt minutes before our draft started, will he lose time in the committee because of it? Same question to Redman, whose injury may re-open the door for Mendenhall to take the bulk of the carries. Ridley looks the part of the BJGE role in New England this year, but how much will they run, and will his fumbleitis put him back in the doghouse? All of those situations could work out positively and Rondo could have a good year, but if they don't, it will be a long season. [b]DylanCarter (Washington Sentinels)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Cam Newton RB - Chris Johnson RB - DeMarco Murray RB - C.J. Spiller WR - Eric Decker TE - Jermichael Finley DC took over last year midseason for an inactive team, and very quickly he decided to put his name on it. First, he traded for Calvin Johnson in the middle of his historic campain, then, to improve his keeper quality and depth, used Megatron to obtain Newton and Finley. Combine them with CJ2K looking for a major comeback, and the ever-promising (but super risky) Murray, and he might have the makings of a division contender this year. DC moved back from 2nd overall to 9th, picking up Spiller and a 2013 1st rounder in exchange for the pick that got me Doug Martin, so he could be setting himself up very well for the future. His receivers and LBs show a lot of high end depth, with Malcom Floyd poised for big things in San Diego, Decker quickly becoming Peyton's favorite target, and LaFell potentially giving DC a potent QB-WR connection on his team. [b]Niota (Lynch's Wild Ride)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Eli Manning RB - Matt Forte WR - Victor Cruz WR - Brandon Marshall WR - A.J. Green WR - Torrey Smith TE - Aaron Hernandez Niota lost 3 games all of last season. The two regular season losses came against the Heroes of Time division champion TBR, and the 3rd was the first round playoff loss to EB. Naturally, that result leaves a feeling of frustration and a desire to do what is necessary to put the team over that hump and compete for a championship this year, and that's what he has decided to do. Manning put together a sneaky-good season last year statistically, and Forte did Forte things. But it is Niota's WRs that set the pace for him, and probably for the entire league. Where dropoff is to be expected from Cruz this year, it will most likely be made up for by Marshall's leap forward as he reconnects with Cutler. Green should have another strong year now that a serious running game is here to take attention away from the pass. And while Niota traded away lots of picks to make that core happen, the two early picks he did have, he made the most of, nabbing Torrey Smith in the first and getting the potential future workhorse in Atlanta with Jacquizz Rodgers. His RB core outside of Rodgers and Forte is lean, however, and his defenders leave a lot to be desired, but it is clearly win or bust mode for Niota, and chances are it will work out decently well. [b]TBRaiders (Mushroom Warriors)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Matt Ryan RB - LeSean McCoy RB - Frank Gore RB - Ryan Williams WR - Calvin Johnson WR - Marques Colston For the second straight year, the league had a team go into the playoffs undefeated and lose. Two seasons ago, it was Janax getting knocked off in the first round, last year it was TBR losing in the championship game. The core of that team has been shaken up a bit, but TBR knows what he is doing and his skill positions reflect that. Matt Ryan is projected to have a good enough season that Cam Newton, one of the pillars of the undefeated run, became expendable and in return brought Megatron over. With McCoy in tow, TBR has potentially the best RB and best WR in the league, and used his early draft picks to fill in his skill positions with high upside guys like Darrius Heyward-Bey, Ryan Williams, and the HoF receiver formerly known as Randy Moss. Obviously, in this scenario, defensive players take a backseat, and those upside guys do carry risks attached to them, but there should be an easy cruise to the playoffs again for TBR. [b]Magicninja (Magic's Ninjas)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Ben Roethlisberger RB - Steven Jackson RB - Reggie Bush WR - Dwayne Bowe WR - Titus Young WR - Kendall Wright TE - Antonio Gates Magicninja was the 3rd autopick team, and he didn't benefit from the setup Kowalski had unfortunately. QB is a good spot for him, as Pittsburgh figures to throw a lot while their running game continues to be a mess. Definite risk involved with Reggie Bush being expected to duplicate his healthy and productive campaign of last year, But Jackson is always consistent. Bowe getting back to the fold is something MN needed, and Titus Young, perhaps the best receiver available in the draft, fell into his lap at pick 9 of the 2nd round. No one stands to benefit more from Kenny Britt being hurt/suspended than Kendall Wright, but he could still become Jake Locker's favorite target and put up good points. The Gates/Davis TE combo is ferocious, and both could easily end up in the top five at their position. Past that, question marks abound, and with the Alter Egos division being as ruthless as it is, it might be a tough year for MN. [b]Astriy (Niota's Draft Picks)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Matthew Stafford RB - Ahmad Bradshaw RB - DeAngelo Williams WR - Mike Wallace WR - Hakeem Nicks WR - Dez Bryant TE - Jimmy Graham Perhaps no one was affected more by the news from the past week than Astriy. Both Stafford and Bradshaw suffered minor injuries that could potentially bother them, Bradshaw's being one to keep an eye on as the season goes by. Wallace finally reported to camp, enabling him to hopefully regain his spot as Roethlisberger's favorite target, and Jonathan Stewart got injured, giving Astriy's pick of Williams more value. Dez Bryant also was given an ultimatum and a set of mandates, hopefully for Astriy, he follows them. All things considered though, he probably has the deepest set of skill players. The first two picks of his draft were stellar, with Williams and Ben Tate coming aboard, and Daniel Thomas, Isaiah Pead, and Coby Fleener could all be impact players by season's end, giving him more ammo to trade for draft picks, probably from Niota. [b]Shadow (Hell Will Freeze)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Drew Brees RB - BenJarvus Green-Ellis RB - Darren McFadden WR - Jordy Nelson WR - Greg Jennings WR - Robert Meachem WR - Justin Blackmon Outside of Brees and McFadden, not much on this roster looks sexy. But sexy doesn't always win championships, consistency, balance, and luck have a lot to do with it, and Shadow has the first two qualities in spades. He has a monopoly on the Green Bay receiving core, it's safe to say that every time Aaron Rodgers puts up big numbers, Jennings/Nelson will get a good amount of points. The Law Firm will take over the Benson role in Cincy and continue to put together solid if unspectacular numbers, and Meachem is looking like he is Rivers' top target in SD. Defense from top to bottom looks solid, and there are players like Ronnie Brown and Joel Dressen who could have solid fantasy value by the end of the season, and Kyle Rudolph could become the top receiver for Chrisitan Ponder, as the TE in Minnesota. [b]Callebaut (C Squad)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Tom Brady RB - Fred Jackson RB - Willis McGahee WR - Lance Moore WR - Greg Little WR - Demaryius Thomas TE - Rob Gronkowski A stellar playoff run paid off with being the only person to win a game against TBRaiders, and it was the one that counted, the championship game for the Schattenmann Cup. The core that took him to the promised land, the Brady/Gronk connection, Fred Jackson, and McGahee all return, with a little help from productive WRs like Lance Moore, Greg Little, and Demaryius Thomas. Defense is strong and balanced, but the rest of his RB core beyond the top two have huge question marks and starting three TEs is not usually a recipe for success. Maybe trades are in order for his team to get a little more balanced at RB, where the most points generally come from. If so, he could be ready for another championship run. [b]Mr_Vicarious (Aikman's Nth Concussion)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Tony Romo RB - Roy Helu WR - Stevie Johnson WR - DeSean Jackson WR - Brandon Lloyd WR - Antonio Brown Another player who joined midseason last year, Mr_Vicarious arrived with a little less in his cupboard, but there is a brighter future for his team. Romo looks poised to repeat his numbers from last year, and perhaps improve if his receiving core stays healthy and DeMarco Murray keeps giving him breathing room. Brandon Lloyd would surprise few people if he ended up turning out the best season any receiver has this year, and Jackson/Johnson/Brown are all potentially the top targets in good passing offenses. RB is a major question mark, as there is not one bonafide starter in the group, but points should be able to be had from scraping together the committee backs he has, and relying on his stud receiver core and solid defense, and hoping for a great season from Romo. This team might be a year off, but if moves are made to acquire future keeper-worthy RBs, this team could be good down the road. [b]Canik (Beer For Friends)[/b] [u]Key Players[/u] QB - Peyton Manning QB - Matt Schaub RB - Beanie Wells RB - Trent Richardson RB - Rashad Jennings WR - Percy Harvin TE - Brandon Pettigrew The newest member of our league, Canik, had his work cut out for him. Taking over a team that didn't do much by way of improving itself last year, moves had to be made to make the team better. Luckily for him, the fact that the team wasn't good meant that he got the first overall draft pick in a year where there was an incredible option for that first pick, and he took Richardson, potentially the top RB in fantasy in a couple of years, with that pick. Trades were made to stockpile more picks and to improve the keeper situation, and as a result he has a pair of exciting young backs with a lot of potential for the season with Richardson and Jennings (if MJD misses even one game Jennings could make a foothold), and a good group of TEs in Pettigrew and Jermaine Gresham. He needs help at receiver, and deciding which QB to start will always be an issue, but the team is moving in the right direction. Totally out of nowhere predictions: Alter Egos Division Champ: Goldie finally makes the leap and wins the division. Haf's Flingers Division Champ: Janax rides Dalton and his horses to a strong finish. Heroes of Time Division Champ: Niota finally exorcises his demons and takes it home. Krack Heads Division Champ: Callebaut holds off Shadow and moves to defend his title. Schattenmann Cup Winner: Niota over Janax as Hernandez scores 3 TDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gofastleft Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Thanks for reminding me how dismal my fantasy experience was last year. Injuries killed me in every league last year. In one league this year I drafted Tom Brady, My son, knowing how bad I hate the Patriots and anything relating to them, commented on this. I told him if Brady stays healthy I could win that league, but if my injury curse continues I still win since the Pats will struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canik Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Awesome overview of the league, Goldie. That MJD situation is looking good for me. The relationship has been poisoned, I'd really be surprised if he was still with the Jags next year. Also, hopefully Rashard Mendenhall gets healthy and becomes his old self again. Unlikely, I know.. but in a league this big you have to take big risks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Brutus Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Onwards to victory! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Vicarious Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 I will have my day in the sun. I cannot be denied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeroofTime55 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 >has a division named after him Thank you for the late night ego boost ~♥ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schattenmann Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 [quote name='goldielax25' timestamp='1346264258' post='3026411'] In last year's title game, Callebaut knocked off the previously undefeated team of TBRaiders', and took home the Schattenmann Cup. [/quote] Hahahaha, I laughed for real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wadsworth Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) I have been thoroughly jinxed in this thread, lovely. Here's hoping I do better than going undefeated against non-TBRaiders controlled teams. Edited September 7, 2012 by Wadsworth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff Webster Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 Do IDP's have much an effect on scores? Are they consistent or do they just generate bonus points every once in a while? I used to be really big into fantasy football but after trying out rotisserie baseball, it just isn't the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callebaut Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 Personally, I think IDP is the only way to play. After several years of exclusive IDP league participation, my knowledge/appreciation for defensive schemes and players has grown incredibly. As for their fantasy relevance, I would say they matter, but are only occasional game changers. A team owner who ignores/makes poor decisions on defense will suffer, while a good team owner can milk an extra 5-10% edge over his opponents (average over the season). Sometimes, though, with takeaways or defensive TDs, they can make a huge difference. Also, it was an honor to win last year. My team was not the highest scoring, but I had fairly high consistency and a good coaching efficiency. Edging out TBRaiders was mere luck, though. Here's to this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wadsworth Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 [quote name='Biff Webster' timestamp='1347346624' post='3029162'] Do IDP's have much an effect on scores? Are they consistent or do they just generate bonus points every once in a while? I used to be really big into fantasy football but after trying out rotisserie baseball, it just isn't the same. [/quote] I had three IDP players score double digit points for me last week (AJ Hawk, Cortland Finnegan, Antonio Cromartie). They absolutely do provide value, but picking IDP players you think will perform well is difficult because it is not quite as intuitive as it is for offensive players. A great defensive player in real life may not necessarily be a good IDP player to draft, with shutdown corners and pass rush specialists being probably the two most prominent examples of this. I had DeMarcus Ware last year, who was the NFL leader in sacks, but in terms of fantasy value he ended up only being a middling scorer at linebacker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicninja Posted September 20, 2012 Report Share Posted September 20, 2012 I thonk those trades may have helped me. Also yeah you want middle linebaclets who get 100+ tackles a game and safties who get a lot of tackles as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knighted Seagul Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 I am a huge packers Fan. I played Fantasy Football one time a few years back....it shames me to say but i got stuck with the bears defense......i didn't like the person i had become..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted October 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2012 Next year I think passes defensed would be a good stat to add, to give corners a boost to even up with safeties. Maybe hurries as well for DL's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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