{FUN} 10 Fantasy Commandments

{DRAFT} THE PRE-DRAFT FANTASY FOOTBALL GUIDE: PART TWO

Okay, we covered the basics in Part 1:

• Avoid Kickers and Defenses in early rounds - save until at least the 10th round 
• Look for the hidden value players aka Sleepers
• Do not draft every player from your favorite team - I really stress this one!  If you must have someone from your home team then draft ONE player then leave your feelings out of the draft! 

Now on to Part 2:

• Having success once the draft starts - Once your fantasy football rankings are set, keep these few principles in mind so you stay on track with your fantasy football draft strategy no matter what surprises come your way. DO NOT DEVIATE from your plan!!! This will be hard! 

• Don't share your strategy with your league friends – Once your fantasy football rankings are set and you're positioned to dominate your draft, be careful to keep your strategy concealed! If you reveal any of your fantasy football guide to your league friends, your competitors can swoop in to pick your players before you get the chance. This is so true - do not trust anyone, I have seen little Grandma's who look soooo innocent steal picks right in front of their grandchildren.  Trust no one! 

• Prepare your fantasy football draft station – Make sure your internet connection is reliable, your rankings are printed off, you have plenty of backup pens and highlighters, and anything else crucial to your unique fantasy football draft strategy. By having your drafting station streamlined, you'll avoid making any "panic picks" from shuffling through too many sheets of stats, rankings and advice.

• Be ready to adjust based on your opponents pick – There's always a few surprise picks no matter how many fantasy football mock drafts you've participated in. If you've been playing in the same league for several seasons, it's a great idea to take notes on how your competitors pick so you can best project how the first few rounds are likely to shake out. That said, make sure you have backup options for all the players you're targeting in the different rounds.

What do you do to prep for your draft? Any tips you are looking for or want to share?  Let me know!

-Christi, FFC

{FOOTBALL} 11 Sundays Until Regular Season!!!

{DRAFT} Draft Party - Ladies Style!

I came across this great post from BA Haggerty at foodmarriage.com and thought it was a great way to show how to host a draft party, have a league filled with first time members and have fun!  Enjoy!

Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party!

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 BY BA HAGGERTY · 1 COMMENT

Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t know much about football.  I was the cheerleader in grade school and high school that loved to cheer on the team, but didn’t know the difference between defense and offense (seriously, not joking).  Over the years and after marrying a sports-loving husband I have gradually picked up on things.  Now I can watch an Eagles game and understand what is going on!

Personalized Fantasy Football Wine Glass Charms

Since every guy I know plays Fantasy Football…that means all of my friends’ husbands, fiancés, and boyfriends play Fantasy Football.  And what does that mean for all of us girls?  The TV is monopolized every Sunday during football season.  And not just for one game – for the WHOLE day!  So a bunch of us girls decided to start our own Girls Fantasy Football League!!  Our #1 reason was to be able to join in the fun and have a reason to watch the other games on TV!  It will give us something to get excited about and give us a reason to root for different players!!  And since all of us are on an even playing fields in terms of understanding/not understanding Fantasy Football, I think it will be a fun time!

The Money Jar!

Our new league is rightfully named “Virgin Fantasy Girls” as it is mostly everyone’s first time playing Fantasy Football.  There are 12 of us in the league (and I’m excited to say we even have someone on the wait list for next year if anyone drops out!!)  With girly team names like “Tough Cookies” (me) and others like “Victorious Secret,” “Show Me Your TDs,” “When in Romo” and “My Husband’s Team Sucks,” we got into the spirit right away!!

Girls Fantasy Football Cake Pops

I held our draft party at my house and loved decorating for it!  I made custom Fantasy Football Wine Glass Charms by tying ribbons around wine glasses, adding a football cut out of card-stock, and personalizing them with each person’s name.  I made a Fantasy Football Money Jar by cutting out a football and tying it around a mason jar.  I also made two fun drinks: a sweet summertime sangria and cucumber water (recipe to follow later this week).  And of course, the draft party would not be complete without Pink Glitter Football Cake Pops!  (Recipe also coming later this week)

Draft Order Picking

To pick our draft order, I got little wooden footballs from the craft store and wrote the numbers 1 – 12 on them.  I then put them inside a football that has a top that opens up.  You actually push a button on the front of the football, it plays music, and then the lid opens up!  It made for a very dramatic and fun way to pick the draft order!!  Each girl got to push the button, close their eyes, let the music play, and pick their tiny football out!

Penalty Flags aka Napkins!

To get excited for the upcoming competition between us all, we did food potluck style where everyone brought their favorite game day appetizers and foods.  From homemade guacamole, salsa, pigs in a blanket, and buffalo chicken dip to pizza, meatballs, and smoked ribs…we definitely ate like queens!  Everything was severed on football shaped plates.  And I couldn’t resist putting out yellow “Penalty Flags” for napkins!!

Intimidating!

The actual drafting of the players?  A little more stressful than we thought it would be!!  We only had two minutes to pick each player online and as you get down to the wire, your computer starts beeping at you to make your pick NOW!  But once we got the hang of it, it went pretty smoothly. (And thank goodness for cheat sheets!)

Great Draft Party!

Overall, it was a successful draft party and we had a great time!  There’s some good money at stake as we each put in $50.  But really, we are most excited to have fun each week playing against each other and rooting on our players.  Can’t wait for the season to start!!!

I would also like to give my husband a special THANK YOU for his late night Fantasy Football tutoring sessions…love you!

Isn't this a great party and a great group of ladies who had fun playing fantasy?  Do you have an all girls league or are you like me and play with the boys?  Before I played, we would always host the draft so I loved planning the menu, the decor, the drinks, etc!  Who do you play with, let me know!

-Christi, FFC

http://foodmarriage.com/2013/09/girls-fantasy-football-draft-party.html#comment-85432

{DRAFT} THE PRE-DRAFT FANTASY FOOTBALL GUIDE: PART ONE

Draft season is soon approaching so, let's begin the prepping!

·      Avoid kickers and defenses in early and middle rounds – Kickers are for the late rounds (or the final round) in leagues because of their notoriously low overall point totals. The same principles apply to defenses because the total point difference between the number 1 scoring defense and the number 10 defense will never be as significant as other more-important positions like running back, wide receiver or quarterback.

·      Avoid making decisions based on outdated print sources ­– Fantasy football news happens too fast to make critical decisions based off of information in magazines that can sometimes be months old by draft day. A couple of training camp injuries can make even the most-trusted print source's rankings obsolete. Base your decisions on up-to-the-minute fantasy football news websites, like this blog!!!

·      A sleeper is a sleeper for a reason! – Every preseason, there are a few fantasy football sleepers that every expert is gushing over. And chances are if everyone in the media is saying he's going to be a sleeper, someone is going to jump the gun when drafting him. Part of a successful fantasy football draft strategy comes from knowing not to choose your "high-risk, high-reward" players until the later rounds. Here are some sleepers to keep in mind! 

·      Avoid putting a premium on your hometown players – Everyone is biased toward their favorite team's players (whether you're aware of it or not.) If you're not careful, you'll end up ranking your favorite team's players too high and end up with several key positions all with the same bye week!

What do you do to prep for your draft? Any tips you are looking for or want to share?  Let me know!

-Christi, FFC

{NEWS} From Around the Web...

Good Morning!  Here is a look at what's trending around the web this morning!  

A decision on Tom Brady's appeal is not expected until mid- or late-July.

Article 46 of the CBA requires a decision to be issued "as soon as practicable." As we've seen before in cases like this, it's going to take a while. The post-hearing briefs in the appeal aren't even due until late next week, and then Roger Goodell will digest them. If Brady's camp isn't happy with the ruling, he'll then challenge the NFL in court. PFT suggests that path could lead to Brady being under center in Week 1 against the Steelers as the case gets tied up in the courts.

Source: Fox Sports 

Jun 25 - 8:15 AM

Report: NFL officials not impressed by Brady

A league source tells Profootballtalk.com that Tom Brady "simply reiterated his denial" regarding involvement in or knowledge of deflating footballs during Tuesday's appeal with commissioner Roger Goodell, and "the answers were regarded by some in the room as not entirely credible."

Reports following Brady's meeting with Goodell indicated Tom Terrific gave an "A+ performance," but it seems league officials disagree. Brady reportedly attacked the Wells Report and stated he "didn't do anything wrong." PFT's Mike Florio -- a former attorney -- believes it is "unlikely" that Goodell will "fully exonerate" Brady, and may opt to uphold his four-game suspension.

Source: Profootballtalk on NBC Sports 

Jun 24 - 1:34 PM

Texans/Broncos had 'preliminary' Peyton talks

A source told Sports Radio 610 in Houston that the Texans and Broncos had "very preliminary" discussions regarding a trade that would have sent Peyton Manning to the Texans early this offseason.

The source said the "very preliminary" talks took place before Manning took a $4 million pay cut to stay in Denver, which occurred in early March. Manning has a no-trade clause and would have had to sign off on the trade, so the idea of the Texans and Broncos engaging in legitimate trade talks still seems highly unlikely. Manning obviously isn't going anywhere in 2015.

Source: Sports Radio 610 

Jun 24 - 1:25 PM

Bilal Powell penciled in as Jets No. 2 back

ESPN New York's Rich Cimini projects Bilal Powell as the Jets' No. 2 running back to begin training camp.

Chris Ivory is the starter, and Stevan Ridley's (ACL) health status is unknown. Cimini lists Ivory, Powell, and Zac Stacy as the Jets' top-three backs. Powell is a mediocre talent, but the Jets worked aggressively to retain him after hiring OC Chan Gailey, and Powell is the best passing-down back on the team. Powell has a chance to carve out deeper-league PPR value this year.

Source: ESPN New York 

Jun 23 - 10:37 PM

Tevin Coleman to enter camp behind Freeman

Tevin Coleman will enter training camp behind Devonta Freeman on the depth chart.

Freeman held serve during OTAs and minicamp, getting the first rep with the starters as the incumbent. It doesn't mean he'll hold the job through training camp. The Falcons continue to talk up Freeman's pass-game skill set, but have left the early-down work open to competition. Coleman's ceiling as an explosive, home-run hitter is far higher -- and he was hand-picked by run-game guru Kyle Shanahan. Ultimately, a committee to open the season appears likely.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

Jun 23 - 9:15 AM

Doug Martin had 'best offseason in 3 years'

The Tampa Tribune says Doug Martin had his "best offseason in three years."

Martin has come roaring off the mat, quickly going from the trade block to the heavy favorite to start Week 1. Charles Sims, who averaged 2.8 YPC last year, is likely to be used in his natural pass-catching role and Bobby Rainey projects as a backup in both spots. Although Martin has been one of the worst running backs in the league over the last two seasons, he's a lead runner in a contract year with an eighth-round ADP. As a rookie in 2012, he erupted for a 319-1,454-11 line.

Source: Tampa Tribune 

Jun 23 - 8:03 AM

Matt Cassel 'easily' the worst QB at minicamp

Per the Buffalo News' Vic Carucci, Matt Cassel was "easily the worst-looking quarterback" at Bills offseason practices.

"Cassel doesn’t move well, he doesn’t always throw the prettiest ball, and has easily had the worst-looking practice performances of all of the quarterbacks," wrote Carucci, who isn't the first Bills writer to dog on the 11-year veteran this spring. With spring practices in the books, it sounded like E.J. Manuel was the best of the bad among Bills quarterbacks. Still, odds are Cassel will get the nod to start come Week 1 unless he completely faceplants in the preseason.

Source: Buffalo News 

Jun 22 - 9:29 PM

Free agent RB Ahmad Bradshaw gets 1-game ban

NFL suspended free agent RB Ahmad Bradshaw one game for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

Bradshaw was busted for marijuana possession back in February. Like LeGarrette Blount, Bradshaw is banned for the season opener. Bradshaw has drawn zero known interest as a free agent. He's 29 and coming off yet another injury -- a fractured fibula suffered in Week 11. Bradshaw had success in Indianapolis, but the Colts' offense is extremely running back-friendly due to soft defensive fronts. The Colts have shown no desire to re-sign Bradshaw.

Source: Howard Balzer on Twitter 

Jun 22 - 7:02 PM

Ryan Williams won't make Cowboys roster?

ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer projects Ryan Williams to be left off the Cowboys' 53-man roster.

Williams experienced recurring knee swelling at OTAs and minicamp, and will enter training camp squarely on the bubble. Owner Jerry Jones has hinted the Cowboys will only keep three tailbacks on their final roster. Archer projects those three backs to be Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, and Lance Dunbar.

Source: ESPN Dallas 

Jun 22 - 4:56 PM

Browns claim WR Terrelle Pryor off waivers

Browns claimed WR Terrelle Pryor off waivers from the Bengals.

Pryor is a worthy flyer for Cleveland, which currently can lay claim to the poorest wide receiver depth chart in football. Pryor, 26, dabbled at wideout at Ohio State and has embraced a full-on position switch in an effort to extend his career. Pryor is huge (6'5/232) with low-4.4 timed speed coming out of college. With Vince Mayle, Brian Hartline, Andrew Hawkins, and Taylor Gabriel as his primary competition behind Dwayne Bowe, we wouldn't totally rule out the possibility Pryor earns meaningful wide receiver snaps for the Browns this year.

Jun 22 - 4:19 PM

Stevan Ridley could open season on PUP list

The Newark Star-Ledger's Dom Cosentino believes there is a reasonable chance Stevan Ridley (ACL) begins the season on the PUP list.

Ridley said earlier this week he is not sure if he will be ready for training camp, and Cosentino "got the sense" the Jets do not know either. With too many limited, early-down backs on the roster already, New York could choose to stash Ridley on PUP to buy enough time to properly assess his health. Ridley will be 10 months removed from ACL surgery when the Jets open their season against the Browns September 13.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger 

New Giants RB Vereen 'not just 3rd-down back'

According to NJ.com's Jordan Raanan, Shane Vereen "is not just going to be a third-down back" in his first year with the Giants.

Raanan says Vereen caught "pass after pass" at spring work, seeming to find his way "onto the field constantly." Said OC Ben McAdoo of Vereen, "He can be a quarterback's best friend in a way in the passing game." The spring buzz on Vereen has begun to show up in his ADP. Vereen is now going in the middle of round seven, just a round and a half behind Giants