RIP Michael Jackson. Check out the MJ impersonation contest on Santonio’s blog.
Santonio Holmes is Awesome
June 29th, 2009 — Football
Trade Dispute: Marshall & Lynch for Avery & Lewis
June 22nd, 2009 — Resolved Disputes
Q: The following trade was accepted in a modified Yahoo PPR league(.5 per reception). This trade has been disputed. Could you please read the following arguments and make a neutral ruling on our behalf? Thank you very much.
Trade in question: Donnie Avery, Jamal Lewis, Isaac Bruce FOR Brandon Marshall, Marshawn Lynch
Argument FOR allowing the trade to be processed:
“Projections for Avery and Marshall are pretty much identical (Avery = 137.67 and Marshal = 137.27) as well as the projections for Lynch and Lewis (Lynch = 172.73 and Lewis = 173.54). While B. Marshall and M. Lynch are undoubtedly higher ranked for a reason, their final point totals should be similar because of Lynch’s suspension and the possible scenario of Brandon Marshall being granted his request for a trade/learning a new offensive system. To compensate for any disparity between the quality of players, Isaac Bruce was added to the trade. While he may be aging, he is still the WR2 on his team. His 2009 fantasy point total could be 60 points lower than his production from last year and he would still be a 100 point receiver. He will be a serviceable WR3 in a 14 team league that requires a roster including three WRs plus a W/R flex position.
It is also felt that Avery is being under-projected. In 2008 under current scoring rules Avery scored 130 fantasy points. With the absence of Holt, the improvement of the O-line (Jason Brown, Jason Smith, etc…) and the promotion to undisputed WR1 it is widely accepted that Avery will collect many more fantasy points than he did a year ago and not just the additional seven fantasy points that are accounted for in Yahoo’s projections (which would be a single reception for 6.5 yards). Taking these arguments into consideration it is believed that Avery/Lewis/Bruce for Marshall/Lynch is sufficient and equal value.
The team that would gain possession of Lynch & Marshall understands the disadvantage that he will have while a possible suspension is carried out and the uncertainty surrounding the destination of Marshall but feels it is worth the price to have a more dominant team during the majority of the season and especially the play-offs. The object in FFL is to win the last game not every game.”
There are two arguments AGAINST the trade:
Argument #1: Marshall and Lynch are too valuable and compensation is not high enough.
“I feel it is an unfair trade even though Donnie Avery is a number one he is nowhere near the same caliber and the other WR does not make up for it either. The Lynch side wins hands down. Not much of a debate.”
Argument #2: Marshall and Lynch are not valuable enough because one or both of them will not be in starting line-ups at the beginning of the year.
“I too, challenge this trade. Lynch and Marshall are out for at least 4 games; maybe more in Marshall’s case. To have both on one team, like I said to you, is a death sentence. Bad deal.”
To my knowledge, Lynch’s suspension is only 3 games and is under appeal. I do not know of any situation hanging over Marshall that would force him to miss time. Could you please verify and take these findings into consideration? Thank you for the assistance in presiding over this dispute. If it is possible could you please send your decision to all the addresses that are in the CC line of the email?
A: Ok, thank you for your patience. When reviewing potential trades, we try to keep this mantra front of mind: It is not feasible to expect every trade to be even. Most trades will appear to favor one team or the other. Only time will tell and it is important to allow this human element (and the element of chance) to exist in your league. Our goal is to reject only trades that are completely lopsided and/or involve collusion. It is important to allow owners some flexibility in managing their roster and proposing and accepting trades.
That said, we recommend that you allow this trade to pass. Here is our explanation. While pre-season rankings should never be taken as gospel, they do offer a good estimate of player potential. We’ve checked player rankings for all five players involved in this trade on seven different sources: ESPN, Sportsline, Yahoo, NFL.com, Fantasy Football Today, Fantasy Football Toolbox and KFFL.com. Then we took the average player ranking, by position, for each:
Let’s first look at the WR position. Marshall is the clear leader based off the rankings and we agree completely. Avery is a promising young player. But it will take more than his 674 yard, 3 TD rookie performance (or his smallish build) to convince us that he is a true #1. At an average ranking of 50.57, the 36 year old Bruce offers little value. However, in a 14-team league, the 51st ranked receiver falls somewhere in between a WR3 and a WR4, so in many cases, a starter.
Regarding the RB position, Lynch is a better choice than Lewis, but based off the average rankings above, and in our opinion, the gap here is much less pronounced than the gap between Marshall and Avery. Lynch is younger, a better receiver and averages more yards per carry. Lewis, however, had comparable stats in 2008, plays for a run-oriented coach and is not facing a potential 3 game suspension. Lewis is definitely approaching the end of his career, but Lynch has comparatively more competition in the backfield.
In summary there are two positions involved in the trade. At WR the team receiving Marshall is clearly gaining an advantage, although Avery has potential. A small portion of this advantage is offset with Bruce added into the fold. At RB, we’d still give the edge to the team gaining Lynch, but only by a small margin.
We would rather be on the Marshall/Lynch side of the trade. But factor in the pending Lynch suspension and the uncertainty surrounding Marshall and it pushes this trade just over the line of veto worthy. As we stated earlier, trade vetos should only take place in extreme situations and the Marshall/Lynch side of the trade is assuming a considerable amount of risk this early in the offseason.
One last point, the two ‘arguments against’ that you provided actually contradict each other. In a trade that necessitates a veto we would expect that all objecting league members agree that one team or the other is gaining too much value in the transaction. Based off the arguments you provide, some of your league members believe Team A is gaining the most value and some league members feel that Team B is getting the better deal.
Hope this helps.
The All-Busted Gridiron Pen Team
June 20th, 2009 — Football
Awesome article from Sparty and Friends on the best football team comprised only of former or current felons.
Stallworth Suspended by NFL
June 19th, 2009 — Fantasy Football
Donte Stallworth, who recently pleaded guilty to DUI Manslaughter, has been officially, and indefinitely, suspended by the NFL as a result of the tragic March 14 incident in which the Brown’s wide receiver struck and killed 59 year old Mario Reyes.
Stallworth has made a career out of underperformance, so from a fantasy perspective, the impact is negligible. A small opportunity has been created behind Browns starters Braylon Edwards and Joshua Cribbs for either veteran WR David Patten or the emergence of one of the two rookie WRs drafted by Cleveland this offseason: Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi.
Kyle Orton’s Fantasy Football Potential
June 18th, 2009 — Fantasy Football
Now that Kyle Orton has been named the starting quarterback in Denver (over fellow offseason acquisition Chris Simms), fantasy football owners must pay close attention. Here is an interesting article on the Kyle Orton’s fantasy potential in 2009 posted over at Screaming Sports.
Keep in mind that the article does hint at Brandon Marshall’s propensity to stay in Denver. That decision will obviously have a significant effect on Orton’s outlook this season. Rumors continue to fly on Marshall’s fate, but concerns are legitimate that “The Beast” has played his last day as a Denver Bronco according to the Brandon Marshall blog.
That said, the consensus is that though Orton lacks the big play potential of Cutler, he will fit well into a good system with a solid supporting cast.
Bill Williamson over at ESPN had similar thoughts on Orton’s chance this season.
Burress Court Date Pushed Back to September
June 15th, 2009 — Fantasy Football
Plaxico Burress’ court case was postponed this morning to reconvene on September 23rd. The extension improves the chances of Burress playing ball in this upcoming season and is welcomed news to Burress fantasy football owners.
The possibility still exists that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will take disciplinary action against Burress. The list of teams who have expressed interest in Plaxico’s services this season include the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears.
More info on the Burress Court Case.
Brandon Marshall Misses Mandatory Minicamp
June 13th, 2009 — Fantasy Football
Just months after the Broncos dumped star quarterback Jay Cutler, rumors abound that wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be the next offseason purge in Denver.
The Denver Post reported that Marshall missed the mandatory minicamp on Friday due to concerns about his contract. Marshall also has concerns about the quality of the Broncos’ medical care while rehabbing from a hip injury, but these concerns are secondary to his contract which paid him a modest $2.198MM in 2009, with incentives.
Key 2009 Offseason NFL Player Moves – Wide Receiver
June 2nd, 2009 — Fantasy Football
Here’s a quick list of the most notable moves this offseason at the WR position:
Terrel Owens (WR) to Buffalo
Torry Holt (WR) to Jacksonville
Lavernaues Coles (WR) to Cincinnati
T.J. Houshmanzadeh (WR) to Seattle
Tony Gonzalez (TE) to Atlanta
ESPN NFL Power Rankings
May 26th, 2009 — Fantasy Football
ESPN has updated their NFL power rankings for May. Nothing profound, but each team synopsis includes a link to in-depth draft coverage by player which should come in handy as you begin to construct your 2009 fantasy football draft board.
Also, thanks to Rotoworld for uncovering this update on Marques Colston’s knee injury, which may continue to effect his productive as a viable fantasy option into the 2009-2010 season.
Key 2009 Offseason NFL Player Moves – Running Backs
May 25th, 2009 — Fantasy Football
Here’s a quick list of the most notable moves this offseason at the RB position:
- Fred Taylor (RB) to New England
- Derrick Ward (RB) to Tampa Bay
- Knowshon Moreno (RB) to Denver (draft)
- Correll Buckhalter (RB) to Denver
- Dominic Rhodes (RB) to Buffalo
Stay tuned for posts on wide receivers and tight ends