2014 DobberHockey Fantasy Football League Tier I: Season 4

[Pengwin7]

Man... so basically to have any chance I need a QB to put up almost 40pts. Where the hell do I find one of those?
*Looks at bench* - Ah, yes, Fitzpatrick. Son of a....

I know... that stinks...
Whoda thunk Fitz would go off like that!

Never know... still an outside shot with Tannehill.
Can't believe the Fantasy Football Gods are gonna let Bomm sneak into the playoffs!

[newfcollins]

To get a first-round bye, I need Percy Harvin to get less than 8.5 fantasy points tonight.

[rataylor22]

Just saying. I think 162 points emphatically states I had some bad luck and should have been closer to the playoffs than relegation lol. Ah well. At least that performance firmly keeps me out of relegation.

[Pengwin7]

Just saying. I think 162 points emphatically states I had some bad luck and should have been closer to the playoffs than relegation lol. Ah well. At least that performance firmly keeps me out of relegation.

Yeah, that was an AWESOME week.
32pts from the STL-D!
34pts from Tre Mason!
Those 66pts are probably enough to beat last year's champ's score for this week (PPQB).
Shit... Julio Jones at 24.90pts was your fourth highest player!!!

Yeah... fantasy football is crazy (and... as we know... a LOT of LUCK)... you may actually finish with the 4th highest "Pts for"... and still be only 5-8.

[horrorfan]

Good luck to those making the playoffs. My team dug itself too big a hole to climb, but at least I've finished well. We'll see if this week's rest will help continue the winning run in the loser bracket.

[Pengwin7]

Final Regular Season Standings with short analysis for each team:

1st Place: You Had Me at Helu (Matt Price). Record 10-3. 1421.60pts (1st/14). 1114.04pts against (2nd least opponents scoring).
Incredibly... for the 2nd straight year... an auto-drafted team rises to the top. Matt did a great job managing his team, made some crafty trades, and some smooth free agent pick-ups. He'll have a first round playoff bye.

Best Trade: IN (Jimmy Graham), OUT (Brandon Oliver/Travis Kelce).
Best Pick-Up: Odell Beckham Jr. (Oct 1st)
Opening Team: Roeth(8)/J-Charles(1)/C.Johnson(6)/A.Brown(2)/Cobb(3)/E.Sanders(5)/Cameron(4)/R.Wayne(7)
Closing Team: Roeth(8)/J-Charles(1)/G.Bernard(trade)/A.Brown(2)/BeckhamJr(FA)/E.Sanders(5)/Graham(trade)/Crowell(FA)

Yahoo Predicted Finish: 7-6 [-3 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 7-6 [-3 diff]

2nd Place: Fighting Newfies (newfcollins). Record 9-4. 1371.06pts (2nd/14). 1163.32pts against (6th least opponents scoring).
The most impressive thing about the Newfs is that his top 9 rounds of draft picks were all still on his team at year end. His drafted players were so good that newf actually didn't have to go to the waiver wire, using the least moves of any team this year (5) and not even using his 2nd until November! The F.Newfs get the other first round bye.

Opening Team: Romo(4)/Lacy(1)/A.Foster(2)/L-Fitz(3)/Maclin(6)/Boldin(9)/A.Gates(8)/SEA-D(5)
Closing Team: Romo(4)/Lacy(1)/A.Foster(2)/L-Fitz(3)/Maclin(6)/Boldin(9)/A.Gates(8)/SEA-D(5)

Actual Finish Record: 9-4
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 6-7 [-3 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 6-7 [-3 diff]

3rd Place: Blitz Inc (Koholga). Record 9-4. 1148.28pts (3rd/14). 1148.28pts against (5th least opponents scoring).
Blitz Inc hobbled into 3rd place with a bit of inactivity at the end of season that cost him a bye week. Outside of a few missed active players in his roster he was the dominant force in the league for most of the year. B.I. really didn't soak any great performances from FA additions... a testament to the strength of his drafted roster and especially two emerging rookie WRs.

Opening Team: Luck(4)/Marshawn(1)/DeMarco(2)/Harvin(3)/Decker(6)/Watkins(7)/Olsen(5)/Evans(8)
Closing Team: Luck(4)/Marshawn(1)/DeMarco(2)/Harvin(3)/Evans(8)/Watkins(7)/Olsen(5)/Decker(6)

Actual Finish: 9-4
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 8-5 [-1 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 8-5 [-1 diff]

4th Place: Tremendous Kielbasas (Bomm Bastic). Record 8-5. 1104.90pts (13/14). 997.78pts against (#1 least opponents scoring).
If there is proof that the fantasy football gods exist, TK is it. He must have appeased them somehow. Scoring the 2nd lowest point total in the league ain't a problem if your opponents score under 1000pts. In fact, the 2nd lowest opponent scoring was over 1100+pts. Bomm even survived gifting away his 1st round pick (Jimmy Graham) for a shmuck he never started (B.Oliver) and Travis Kelce... no Bomm, we'll never forget this! LOL. Fortunately for Bomm, his attention to news landed him Josh Gordon for the stretch run - and it just may pay dividends with the FF gods on his side.

Best Pick-Up: Josh Gordon (Sept 4)
Opening Roster: M.Ryan(6)/Bernard(2)/Mathews(3)/A.Johnson(4)/Hunter(7)/Wheaton(8)/Graham(1)/L.Miller(5)
Closing Roster: M.Ryan(6)/L.Miller(5)/Mathews(3)/Cobb(trade)/TY Hilton(trade)/J.Gordon(FA)/Kelce(trade)/A.Johnson(4)

Actual Finish: 8-5
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 4-9 [-4 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 8-5 [exact... *though this prediction was as fortunate as Bomm's schedule]

5th Place: Orange Julius (Pengwin7). Record 7-6. 1201.24pts (5th/14). 1127.30pts against (#3 least opponents scoring).
OJ struggled to find an identity all season, starting with not drafting a QB and having to patch in Josh McCown to Megatron on the DL to Cordarelle Patterson straight stinking. OJ cycled through RBs and WRs and finally landed a QB and seems to be peaking at the right time of season.

Best Trade: IN (Philip Rivers), OUT (Brandon Cooks).
Best Pick-Up: CJ Anderson (Nov 12th w#1 waiver claim)
Opening Roster: -(waivers)/Joique Bell(4)/B.Tate(5)/Megatron(1)/J.Nelson(2)/Cordarelle(4)/JuliusT(3)/B.Cooks(7)
Closing Roster: Rivers(trade)/Joique Bell(4)/CJ Anderson(FA)/Megatron(1)/J.Nelson(2)/R.Woods(FA)/JuliusT(3)/HOU-D(FA)

Actual Finish: 7-6
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 4-9 [+3 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 4-9 [+3 diff]

6th Place: The Frisky Hobbit (The Comish). Record 7-6. 1175.36pts (6th/14). 1222.48pts against (5th highest opponents scoring).
The Comish played the full gamut of games this year, stinkers where he won, gems where he lost, blowouts & tight games, 3 game losing streak to open the season, followed by 4 straight wins, followed by back and forth wins & loses... weathering injuries to Doug Martin. He comes into the playoffs on a loss but has huge potential in his team.

Best Pick-up: Brandon LaFell (Oct 15th)
Opening Roster: Brady(5)/Forte(1)/D.Martin(3)/A.Jeffery(2)/G.Tate(6)/R.Cooper(7)/V.Davis(4)/Dalton(8)
Closing Roster: Brady(5)/Forte(1)/D.Martin(3)/A.Jeffery(2)/G.Tate(6)/B.LaFell(FA)/V.Davis(4)/Dalton(8)

Actual Finish: 7-6
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 8-5 [-1 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 7-6 [exact]

7th Place: Bettman Fumbles (In For a Penny). Record 7-6. 1136.30pts (8th/14). 1187.50pts against (T-6th highest opponents scoring).
In the previous 3 years of this league, no team has as much success as BF. A top 3 finish each of the previous 3 years. The AJ Green injury hurt his early season chances. Ultimately, Bettman Fumbles was done in by his 3rd/4th & 5th/6th round picks going Sankey/Bush & Edelman/Kaep. There simply wasn't much value in any of those picks and he didn't have the timing to unearth the FA gem at RB that other teams did. All juggernauts must fall, and alas, this was the year.

Best Pick-Up: Larry Donnell (Sept 10)
Opening Roster: P.Manning(1)/Sankey(3)/R.Bush(4)/AJ Green(2)/Edelman(5)/Shorts(8)/Kaep(6)/SF-D(7)
Closing Roster: P.Manning(1)/Sankey(3)/R.Bush(4)/AJ Green(2)/Edelman(5)/Stills(FA)/Donnell(FA)/SF-D(7)

Actual Finish: 7-6
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 3-10 [-4 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 6-7 [-1 diff]

8th Place: Carnival of Sproles (horrorfan). Record 6-7. 1136.30pts (8th/14). 1187.50pts against (T-6th highest opponents scoring).
The King of the Autodraft got off to a slow start this year at 2-8, but ended with a 3-game win streak... there were simply not enough weeks to get back into contention. Sproles got burned from a very poor season from 4th round pick Wes Welker, but did very well with most other picks keeping most of his drafted roster in tact all year.

Best Pick-Up: Coby Fleener (Oct 26)
Opening Roster: Cutler(6)/[COLOR="Red"]McCoy(1)/Morris(2)/K.Allen(3)/Welker(4)/D.Jax(5)/Rudoplh(7)/KC-D(8)
Closing Roster: Cutler(6)/[COLOR="Red"]McCoy(1)/Morris(2)/K.Allen(3)/Britt(FA)/D.Jax(5)/Fleener(FA)/KC-D(8)

Actual Finish: 6-7
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 5-8 [+1 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 7-6 [-1 diff]

9th Place: PPQB (Loch). Record 6-7. 1132.26pts (9th/14). 1232.54pts against (5th highest opponents scoring).
Similar to his brother, Bettman Fumbles, Loch was the only other team in league history to never missed the playoffs. A streak ended. Loch had a very promising team right through the mid-season until Nick Foles was injured. Andre Ellington was out for a bit and early season struggles pushed him to cut Odell Beckham Jr. And there was no gem pick-up this year for Loch. No team has won back-to-back championships in this league, a streak that will continue.

Opening Roster: Foles(6)/Ellington(2)/Gore(4)/D.Thomas(1)/V.Jax(3)/LaFell(8)/Witten(5)/CAR-D(7)
Closing Roster: Tannehill(11)/Ellington(2)/Gore(4)/D.Thomas(1)/V.Jax(3)/Baldwin(12)/Witten(5)/CAR-D(7)

Actual Finish: 6-7
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 9-4 [-3 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 8-5 [-2 diff]

10th Place: TD's N Beer (Axeman33). Record 6-7. 1121.22pts (12th/14). 1144.62pts against (4th least opponents scoring).
No team played in closer games this season than Axeman. His match-ups were constantly exciting... while his team was not. TDs actually patchworked together a team good enough to get out to a 4-3 record and traded for one of this year's best undrafted players, Justin Forsett. In the end, there was simply not enough from those 2/3/4 picks to compete.

Best Trade: IN (Justin Forsett), OUT (TY Hilton).
Best Pick-Up: Alex Smith (Oct 10)
Opening Roster: Newton(4)/Stacy(2)/Spiller(3)/Dez(1)/TY Hilton(5)/Wright(6)/Pitta(8)/P.Thomas(7)
Closing Roster: Newton(4)/Forsett(trade)/P.Thomas(7)/Dez(1)/D.Hopkins(FA)/Wright(6)H.Miller(FA)/P.Thomas(7)

Actual Finish: 6-7
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 5-8 [+1 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 7-6 [-1 diff]

[Pengwin7]

11th Place: BadonkaGronk (rataylor22). Record 5-8. 1211.94pts (4th/14). 1200.84pts against (6th highest opponents scoring).
Every year there is a lucky team... and an unlucky team. This year's unlucky team was Ba-G... though, perhaps he is unaware that the fantasy gods will penalize any team named after a non-rostered player. The gods picked off his 3rd-7th round picks one-by-one, sending them to the shit bin. Regardless, BaG did an excellent job soaking great performances on match-up play, he just never got an easy match-up with every opponent scoring about 80-120pts on him.

Best Pick-Up: Tre Mason (Oct 15)
Opening Roster: Rodgers(2)/Vereen(5)/Rice(6)/J.Jones(1)/Crabtree(3)/T.Smith(4)/-(waivers)/Pierce(7)
Closing Roster: Rodgers(2)/Ingram(8)/T.Mason(FA)/J.Jones(1)/Mathews(FA)/T.Smith(4)/Walker(FA)/J.Brown(FA)

Actual Finish: 5-8
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 2-11 [+3 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 3-10 [+2 diff]

12th Place: Zorro's LongSnappers (Zorro). Record 4-9. 1149.26pts (7th/14). 1287.12pts against (2nd highest opponents scoring).
Zorro actually had one of the slickest late draft picks this year, grabbing Benjamin in the 8th, Bennett in the 9th, Steve Smith in the 12th, and Knile Davis in the 13th... but his WRs kept effing with him and if Zorro moved a WR to his bench, he'd have a big game, put him in... he'll have a dud. A frustrating season for a guy that said there was no chance he'd have a losing record... oh, to tempt the fantasy football gods is ill will.

Best Pick-Up: Cody Parkey (Aug 31)
Opening Roster: Brees(2)/Jennings(4)/T.Rich(6)/B.Marshall(1)/R.White(3)/T.Williams(5)/Bennett(9)/MJD(7)
Closing Roster: Brees(2)/Jennings(4)/Herron(FA)/B.Marshall(1)/R.White(3)/S.Smith(12)/Bennett(9)/Benjamin(8)

Actual Finish: 4-9
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 9-4 [-5 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 6-7 [-2 diff]

13th Place: Tiggles (Matt's Friend, Ben). Record 4-9. 955.88pts (14/14). 1285.44pts against (3rd highest opponents scoring).
While Ben's friend Matt had a successful auto-draft, not so for Ben. The fantasy football gods were ever so cruel in stripping his 1st rounder Adrian Peterson early in the year. A while later, it was Victor Cruz... and then RGIII. Ben basically had to re-tool his entire team. Cruel, cruel fantasy football gods. They were not kind. Unfortunately, 13th place results in a demotion to Tier II... where hopefully the fantasy football gods are not so mean.

Best Pick-Up: Jake Locker (Aug 28)
Opening Roster: RGIII(6)/AP(1)/Le'Veon Bell(2)/V.Cruz(3)/Garcon(4)/Floyd(5)/J.Reed(7)/STL-D(8)
Closing Roster: E.Manning/J.Thompson(FA)/Le'Veon Bell(2)/V.Cruz(3)/Bowe(X)/Floyd(5)/J.Reed(7)

Actual Finish: 4-9
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 10-3 [-6 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 7-6 [-3 diff]

14th Place: The Full Montee (cannon). Record 3-10. 1112.18pts (12/14). 1301.80pts against (Highest opponents scoring).
Perhaps cannon was doomed from the day I forecasted him to finish 1st. In reality, when your namesake player goes bust... it doesn't bode well for your team. Montee Ball was wonky and gronky was ungronky for most of the start of the year. FM followed an opening day win with six straight losses, the first of four to 100+pt scoring teams. It was just a tough year. A valuable member since inception, I can only think that the fantasy football gods were unhappy the Megatron changed his name... even if he wasn't supposed to keep it. Who knows. We hope you still play in Tier II next year and are back in two seasons from now.

Best Pick-Up: Denard Robinson (Oct 19. *As a note on this... it was perhaps the best FA add of the Year! cannon added him 18min before game time and over the next four weeks, Denard went: 18.70, 11.80, 16.40, 17.00. Wow!)
Opening Roster: Stafford(4)/M.Ball(1)/Gerhart(3)/Colston(5)/M.Wallace(6)/R.Randle(7)/Gronkowski(2)/Rivers(8)
Closing Roster: Stafford(4)/F.Jax(trade)/Denard(FA)/Sanu(FA)/M.Wallace(6)/R.Randle(7)/Gronkowski(2)/Ivory(FA)

Actual Finish: 3-8
Yahoo Predicted Finish: 9-4 [-6 diff]
Pengwin Predicted Finish: 9-4 [-6 diff]


Final Comment on Pengwin vs. Yahoo!:
Yahoo! Predictions sucks.
On the Yahoo! Predictions where I differed, I was closer or same on all.
My record vs. Yahoo!: 7-0-2 (ties opposite side). 5 predictions I picked the same.
Not one time was Yahoo!s team prediction closer than mine.
Suck it Yahoo!


Good luck to all teams in the playoffs!

[rataylor22]

Finished the season outscoring all but 3 teams. Finished in 11th place, but I'll take that as a successful season. Good luck fellows.

[Matt Price]

I only autodrafted the first 3 rounds fyi. I commented several times throughout the draft that I would have taken Julius Thomas with my 3rd pick and not Randall Cobb.

[Matt Price]

gl P7. This one is going to be bloody. Hopefully Graham can outperform Kelce this week for the first time in 3 weeks

[Pengwin7]

Good luck to you too.
The 124+pts projected you have is pretty stealthy.

[newfcollins]

I have a feeling my matchup against Blitz is going to come down to the RBs. Murray and Lynch for Blitz (31.19 points projected) versus Foster and Lacey for me (31.29).

The worst is I also have Murray in my money keeper league, so I'll be cheering for him to have a monster night.

[Bomm Bastic]

Good luck to you too.
The 124+pts projected you have is pretty stealthy.

Nice game, P7, the better team won. Was it irony that I benched Kelce and he wound up with 100+ yards?

Always a good time in this league, thanks!

[Pengwin7]

Nice game, P7, the better team won. Was it irony that I benched Kelce and he wound up with 100+ yards?

Always a good time in this league, thanks!

Who knows?
I got lucky, that's all.
So much luck in FF... it may have even been my biggest total of the year.

[rataylor22]

I have a feeling my matchup against Blitz is going to come down to the RBs. Murray and Lynch for Blitz (31.19 points projected) versus Foster and Lacey for me (31.29).

The worst is I also have Murray in my money keeper league, so I'll be cheering for him to have a monster night.

Hope you have Starks.....