Alright everybody, we’ve already got Week Two in the books. Just like Week One, scores overall were down. Last week, we only had one team break 120 points, and this week there were just two. It would appear that defenses have the early edge this 2017 season, and that’s been reflected in the league-wise scoring downturn. Still, we have one more data-point to help form our reactionary and ultimately baseless speculation. Onward we go.
Baby’s Big Blowout (97.2) defeats Twin City Tree Cats (94.4) This was a battle of my ninth and tenth-place teams from the post-draft review, and I’ve got to say, I’m still feeling pretty decent about those picks. For BBB, Lamar Miller (10.2) is technically the headliner of an underwhelming RB corps, along with McCaffrey (6.4), Powell (1.3), and the now-injured Rob Kelley (7.8). I foresee some difficult times ahead that can’t be assuaged by an also-underwhelming WR corps. It’s easy to look at last year’s totals and feel optimistic about Julio (13.3), Baldwin (7.4), and Fitzgerald (3.6), but so far 2016 production hasn’t translated into 2017 value. Amazingly, the perpetually-underrated Delanie Walker (14.2), Broncos DST (14.9), and Matt Bryant (14) may have to carry this team to their three wins this year. It won’t be fun to watch. For TC2, the RB situation is dire. There’s no other way to put it. Between Crowell (3.7), Ingram (9.6), and Blount (0.5), we’re looking at 4.6 points per RB. Consider the bench options of Adrian (2.6) and Prosise (3.7), and things aren’t much better. Also consider the fact that the bedrock of that lineup, Ingram, was in an offensive bonanza with zero defense and touchdowns/yards galore…and managed 9.6 points. This is nearly the best-case game for Ingram, given the opportunity. The big news of the week was the TC2-VV trade of OBJ + Sproles for DT + Ingram, respectively. I think this is a heavy win for VV, but I can’t pretend like TC2 didn’t need RB help desperately; I just think that OBJ could have commanded more than what he returned. Brees (20.2) is going to ball out, as usual, but he and Evans (18.8) are likely not going to drag this team to the playoffs alone. We need some waiver gold here, Dan! Find the Ajayi and Howard of 2017. Big City Hillbillies (87.9) defeats Northside Angels (78.9) Aaaaand here we have a real stinker of a game, much like our embarrassing BCH-TH game from last week. Once again, we have a team scoring in the eighties and still earning a win. Every dog has its day, I guess. For BCH, the biggest story is Jordan Howard’s (0.7) lethargic start. Howard was penciled in as the solid RB1 for BCH, but so far his situation has been a tad troubling. Seven yards on nine carries, being outscored by his backup two weeks in a row, having an injured right shoulder, and a banged up offensive line are things worth monitoring. Still, Fournette (13.1), Gillislee (12.9), and eventually Doug Martin are all reasons to be optimistic at the RB position. Brady was a revelation, shredding the Saints to the tune of 30.8 points. The problems return though with the WR and TE position. Pryor (4.1) looks terrible, Parker (10.5) didn’t really take advantage of Jason Verrett’s absence, and Martavis Bryant (17.3) is an undeniable game-breaker but also undeniably inconsistent. With Brown and Bell as his teammates, Bryant is going to have games where he’s not used heavily. Factor in Greg Olsen’s (1.5) broken foot, and this team is going to be resting heavily on Fournette’s shoulders. For NSA, we’ve pretty much reached the bottom. The worst-case scenario has almost assuredly manifested. Cooper (5.3) got seriously overshadowed by Crabtree’s three TDs, Reed (5.8) has a shoulder injury and toe injury, Kerwynn Williams (2.2) was beyond unimpressive in his new “DJ” role, and even Antonio Brown (8.7) wasn’t immune. Rodgers (18.5) was himself. The most optimistic news of the week is in the form of Buck Allen (18.6) and Chris Hogan (16.3). Those two give NSA a shred of hope of playoff contention, though the Ravens reported that Terrance West did suffer a minor muscle injury mid-game, leading to Allen’s increased carries. If Allen can keep the job despite West’s presumed-speedy return, NSA might have found himself a replacement RB2 already. Williams remains a point of trouble, though. The Mullynation (104.7) defeats 302 Cadets (99.5) It looked like 302 was ready to make TH the sole 2-0 team in the Red Zone, but they couldn’t survive a late onslaught by Ty Montgomery, and MN now joins TH at the top of the standings. Meanwhile, 302's team somehow is 0-2, tied for last place. Where is the justice? For MN, the first thing that jumps out is the strength of the RB corps. This group boasts Melvin Gordon (17.3), Ty Montgomery (26), Carlos Hyde (16.5), James White (13.6), and now Derrick Henry (15.2). Hyde’s performance is especially noteworthy, coming on the road @SEA. He’s a low-end RB1 right now, getting huge snap percentages and high volume. Despite the Niners not scoring a TD yet and facing two elite front-7s (Panthers and Seahawks), Hyde is scoring as well as almost any back. Jimmy Graham (0.6) is a concern, and Mariota (13) hasn’t exactly taken off yet, but both could be easily replaced if needed. Also, with the way TEs are disappointing, Graham’s terrible start still isn’t enough to throw in the towel on him. Green (9.2) and Diggs (4.1) turned in weaker performances, both tied to rough QB play. Green will bounce back like he always does, and every Vikings fan is hoping Bradford returns next week. With Bradford, Diggs is a low-end WR1. That starting lineup is fierce, and with guys like White, Henry, and Garcon on the bench, the depth is there too. For 302, I think the future is pretty bright. After last week’s putrid 72.6 point outing with only three starters in double-digits, Week Two saw seven double-digit Cadets. Six players (Newton, Bell, Lynch, Thomas, Hopkins, and Ertz) all scored between 10.8 and 12.2 points. Unfortunately, those totals for Newton and Bell are a bit underwhelming, but the overall team effort was impressive. Alshon (18.7) showed up in a big way, flashing that elite talent he’s always had. As long as he’s playing, he can score as a WR1 any given week. I’m still on board with this team as a playoff team. My only hang-up was on Lynch’s role as 302’s RB2, but it’s looking like he’ll be able to hold that position down adequately. With the surrounding talent of Bell, that WR trio, and Ertz, this team could really go far. Bell needs to get back to his RB#1 ways, though. Troll Hunters (130.4) defeats River Gypsies (104.9) Amazingly, this was the only game in which both teams broke 100 points. With the current scoring standard, it’s almost a shame RG had to lose… Almost. For TH, the MVP of the team has to be CJ Anderson (28.9) thus far. CJ has the second-most rushing yards in the NFL this year (Hunt #1, Cook #3, and Hyde #4, like we all guessed, right?), and CJ is running as well as anyone. It would appear the fears of Charles taking over were laughably unfounded. Gurley (23.1) also turned in a great performance, as did Gronk (20.6). The emergence of a groin injury (though reportedly minor) for Gronk is troubling though. He has such a problem with lingering issues that this groin injury is worth monitoring. Spending big money on the pairing of Cooks (5.3) and Hilton (6.9) is beginning to look a little bit concerning, but it’s worth giving the situation another week or so. Cooks just has so much competition for targets in NE, and Hilton is absolutely doomed without Luck. We’ll wait and see. For RG, this week was carried by Ryan (14.9), Freeman (23), Adams (19.9), and the Tampa Bay DST (21.6). Unfortunately for the Adams optimism, Adams’ production was likely due to the injury to Jordy Nelson (0), which ultimately hurts RG. Still, Nelson probably won’t be sidelined for long. Elliot (4.2), Hill (6.9), and Rudolph (6.5) couldn’t match last week’s production, and the total is especially notable for Elliot. This was Elliot’s worst game of his career, and it will be interesting to see how he rebounds next week after showing his mortality. Otherwise, RG’s bench put up an impressive week, with double-digit points from Landry, Rodgers, Gore, and Coleman. After cause for raucous optimism last week, this week tempered the expectations for RG a bit, but only a little bit. Indian Outlaws (149.1) defeats Vicious Veg-Heads (94.7) In the first 50-point beatdown of the season, we saw VV unable to take advantage of the recent VV-TC2 trade. That day may be coming, but it wasn’t here yet. For IO, this was a consistent team-wide effort. With the exception of Giorgio Tavecchio, every single starter scored in double-digits, and Tavecchio himself still scored nine points. Kareem Hunt (24.4) has seemingly established himself as a mid-tier RB1 already in just two games. Sanders (21.2) and Kelce (20.3) also broke 20 points, and with the recent TE news, Kelce is likely the TE#1 currently. Between Dez (15.4), Allen (14.5), and Ajayi (13.6), basically everyone showed up this week. Winston only managed 12.5 points, but that’s likely due to the fact that the Buccaneers instantly blew the doors off the Bears and just tried to control the clock. West, Maclin, and Cohen turned in solid bench performances, but Corey Coleman’s broken hand is a big disappointment. Overall, this week showed the high-highs of the IO starting lineup, while still showing the depth of the bench. For VV, this week probably introduced the tiniest seed of doubt. The bedrock of the Veggies is the combination of Murray (4) and McCoy (7.3), and both disappointed significantly. VV is definitely missing Derrick Henry right about now. The combination of Crabtree (29) and Carr (21.2) set VV up for a potential win, but basically every other starter came up short. Worse still, the bench is looking pretty thin right now. Even though a trio of Murray-McCoy-OBJ may have looked potentially championship-worthy just a short while ago, all the sudden the “Murray-McCoy” aspect of that trio is cause for some concern. Power Rankings
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By: Hayden HansonMr. Hayden Hanson (Editor in Chief) is an Accountant-extraordinaire, as well as an aspiring writer. He has written several moderately-successful self-help books, the most famous of which is "What Do You Mean You Can Smell My BO?" Gustav Travers of the New York Times praised the book as "A vulnerable, courageous look into the mind of a man who has literally no sense that other people exist. And also no sense of smell. Nope, he definitely doesn't have that either. Just musk, like a hog that's gotten into the cabbage." Archives
September 2019
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