SiriusXM Experts Football League – 2012
August 17th, 2012 | by Ray Flowers |
In 2010 I was the SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio Experts Football League Champion (you can listen to the channel at Sirius 210 or XM 87. You can also hear my daily show, from 7-10 PM EDT, Monday through Friday). I failed to win last season, but I’m back to reclaim my throne in 2012. In what follows I’ll run through the participants and the rules, before breaking down the team that I put together for the coming campaign.
Here are the participants.
1. Ted Schuster
2. George Kurtz
3. Drew Dinkmeyer
4. Bob Harris
5. Mike Dempsey
6. Matt Camp – phone
7. Mike Blewitt – phone
8. Rick Wolf / Glenn Colton
9. Adam Caplan
10. Gary Hamill
11. Ray Flowers
12. Emil Kadlec
13. Kyle Elfrink
14. Kevin Payne
League Rules
14 teams, 15 rounds, #11 draft selection
PPR
Starting lineup: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, Flex (only RR/WR), K, DEF
4 points passing TD, 6 for all others.
QB: Carson Palmer (11th round), Ryan Fitzpatrick (12)
RB: DeMarco Murray (1), Beanie Wells (4), Shonn Greene (5), David Wilson (7), LeGarrette Blount (9)
WR: Larry Fitzgerald (2), Hakeem Nicks (3), Titus Young (8), Kendall Wright (10), Alshon Jeffrey (13)
TE: Jermichael Finley (6)
K: Stephen Gostkowski (14)
DEF: Atlanta Falcons (15)
Quarterback: The first think you will notice is that my QBs are not elite. Not even close. Still, this is a 14 team league, and like I always say, you can win a fantasy league even when your QB isn’t a superstar. It might surprise a few folks to learn that Palmer averaged 275.3 yards a game last season, more than Big Ben (271.8), Tony Romo (261.5) or Matt Ryan (261.1). It might also surprise many to learn that Fitzpatrick threw for more yards than Joe Flacco or Michael Vick, and he also tossed more scores than Big Ben and Cam Newton to name just a few. This duo should be solid enough for me to compete.
Running Back: Murray needs to stay healthy. If he does he could be a huge performer in what figures to be an explosive offense in Big D. Murray runs with power, can catch passes, an averaged 5.5 yards a carry last season. Wells is always injured, and it remains to be seen where he is at physically after another knee surgery, but he did run for 1,047 yards and 10 scores last year. Greene is plodding, but the Jets say that are re-committed to the run this season. That means he could improve slightly on his 1,054 yard, six score season from last year. Wilson is an electric rookie who could post huge numbers if/when Ahmad Bradshaw were to come up lame again. And Blount… I’ve got a good feeling about him. Everyone is falling all over themselves to draft Doug Martin, but I’m on record as saying that I think Blount will be a better value add in 2012.
Wide Receiver: Fitzgerald and Nicks give me the best duo out wide in the league (remember, it’s a 14 team league). Beyond that, I took three shots at talented but unproven players leaving the depth of this unit suspect. Young has looked great in camp, an if he emerges as the #2 wideout for the Lions he could totally support my selection of him as a WR3 in this league. Wright is polished and should find a solid role with all of Kenny Britt’s woes in Tennessee. Jeffrey? Supremely talented. I’m hoping his role grows as the season progresses.
Tight End: Finley was supposed to be Jimmy Graham last season. He fell well short of those expectations, but he still caught 55 balls for 767 yards and eight scores in a pretty darn solid season. A slight improvement and Finley still becomes an elite option.
It’s a 14 team league so everyone has holes. Overall I like the club I was able to put together, an in the end the it’s as much about how I work the waiver-wire and whether or not my team stays healthy as it is about the names that I rostered on draft day.
For the results of the entire 14 team experts draft click on the link to SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio – Host FF Draft # 1.
CONTEST – SHOT AT $15,000
DailyJoust.com has got a fantasy football league that you need to know about called the NFL Gladiator Tournament. You can learn all the details in the link I just posted, but here are the highlights of the tournament.
It’s basically an eliminator tournament. Each week every team makes it to the next week except the lowest scorer for that week. The field continues to be whittled down until there is just one team standing (even the teams that lose an are eliminated early get a chance to join the 2nd Chance Gauntlet to play for prizes).
Sounds like a winning scenario to me. Does it to you? So get over to the link to read just how you can get involved in the survivor tournament, and when you are ready to sign up go ahead and click on the BaseballGuys/DailyJoust page to sign up.
Prove your worth by winning the 15 week battle.
By Ray Flowers
Tags: Alshon Jeffrey, Beanie Wells, Carson Palmer, David Wilson, DeMarco Murray, Hakeem Nicks, Jemichael Finley, Kendall Wright, Larry Fitzgerald, LeGarrette Blount, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Shonn Greene, Sirius XM Radio, SiriusXM, Stephen Gostkowski, Titus Young
By Hal on Aug 17, 2012
Ray- better keeper in the 13th round: Kevin Smith or Antonio Brown? 12 team non ppr and we start 2 rb 2 wr and a rb/wr. Thanks for the help as always
By Ray Flowers on Aug 17, 2012
Hal – With the news about Bush, and the continued issues with Leshoure, keep Smith, especially since you only start 2 WR’s in your league.
By Edgar on Aug 17, 2012
I really like your team. Why so high on wells and green? I would of taken a qb.
Im in a league almost the same. Im thinking of drafting Doug Martin. What do you think of him?
By Kirk on Aug 17, 2012
Raymundo-plouffe Rasmus and Greinke for cliff And rios? 12 teamer what side you got?
By Ray Flowers on Aug 17, 2012
Edgar – As I wrote in the review, I think people are a bit too high on Martin. Tons of talent, but I don’t see Blount going away.
Not high on Wells/Greene as much as I took them given that they were the best options available when I drafted.
By Ray Flowers on Aug 17, 2012
Kirk – Lee and Rios.
Plouffe like 16 gms w/o a homer.
Rasmus totally hot/cold, up/down.
Greinke slumping since ASB.
By greg on Aug 17, 2012
Hi Ray – you rather L. Cain (heating back up (?), little pop, little speed) or Jon Jay (been stroking, but 0 for his last 9). 10-team AVG/OPS lg. Who do you think does more of their little pop, little speed act in the short term?
By jon on Aug 17, 2012
Evening Mr. F – can you tell me if I’ve got them in the right order you’d add them in a 10-team OPS/AVG league (position doesn’t matter, non-keeper): Frazier, Rutledge, L. Cain, J. Jay. Frazier’s a no-brainer (at least until Votto, who I also own, comes back) but Rutledge seems to be healthy again and Cain could be heating up again after tonight. I just need solid production across the counting hitting cats (R, RBI, HR, SB) with averages mattering less and I can add 2 of the 4 guys. Thanks for the thoughts!
By Ray Flowers on Aug 18, 2012
Greg -Dont worry so much about a week of games. I know it’s tempting, especially at this point of the season, but it’s still just a handful of at-bats and nothing meaningful can be discerned from that. Jay is a better hitter, .300 for his young career. Cain has a better speed/power combo though without a doubt. Look at the standings in your league and decide. Will say this though, very hard to make up more than a couple of points, tops, in batting avg at this point of year.
By Ray Flowers on Aug 18, 2012
Jon – I think Frazier has to keep playing whenever votto returns, he’s just been too consistently good. I’d say this after that.
If position doesn’t matter, I’d drop Rutledge. .268 with .302 OBP last 2 weeks. I dont think he’s a .300 hitter, and I know he isn’t a 30 homer bat. His advantage is position driven.
Frazier, Cain, Jay, Rutledge sounds good to me.
Mr. F — never heard that before. I like.
By Donna on Aug 19, 2012
Ray- Is Jamie Garcia or Mike Minor worth a pickup in a 10 tm h2h? I have Wainwright, Scherzer, T. Hanson, Peavy, Morrow, AJ Burnett,and Lincecum. I could drop a position player- I have Danny Espinosa, Todd Frazer, Justin Upton on my bench. Thanks, Ray.
By Ray Flowers on Aug 19, 2012
Donna – Minor should have been picked up a long while ago: 2.39 ERA, 0.98 WHIP over six starts. Would much prefer him over Garcia who is coming off injury and didnt look great even when healthy. I’d drop Morrow. As great as he looked early, in a 10 tm lg it makes no sense to keep a guy when he is out for months if he is on a roster spot and not in a DL slot. I know he is close to return, but what will he offer? No one knows for sure.
By JJ on Aug 30, 2012
Thank you for your draft preview. I ended up with this in a 14 team keeper
qb: Flacco, locker
Rb: Arian foster, Doug Martin, David Wilson, Blount
Wr: Calvin, Austin, Maclin, Denarius Moore, Jon Baldwin, V brown
TE: cook(Gresham is on the wire)
d: Seattle
What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance
By Ray Flowers on Aug 30, 2012
JJ – So so at QB, but glad you got two.
RBs are solid. Foster Martin strong, Wilson nice RB3.
WRs are impressive.
I’d hold Cook.
Solid group in 14 tm.
By JJ on Aug 30, 2012
I was looking to Try and package Maclin and Wilson for an upgrade in RB or QB. Would you suggest that?
By Ray Flowers on Aug 31, 2012
JJ – If you deal Maclin, who I think can be a WR1, and Wilson who I think can be a RB2, you had better get a big time upgrade at RB/QB. I’d hesitate to do the deal since it would leave you with three RBs. Dont like that at all.
By Jack on Aug 31, 2012
Okay great! So I’ll stay put and roll the dice with what I have!