I am lucky enough to get compensation to do something I love: talk fantasy sports (Oh yeah, and write about it as well). Being so involved in it hasn’t changed the amount I love the game one bit.
Why do I love the game (good question)? It isn’t for the money, the competition, the trash talk, or any of the other million things you will name. It’s for the togetherness, and the last bond holding a group together for over a decade.
Fabber’s Believe It or Not: the Meat and Potatoes!
As you may have heard or read I play in a lot of fantasy leagues: 10 baseball leagues, 10 basketball leagues, a golf league, a NASCAR league, a tennis league, five hockey leagues, five college football leagues, and 16 pro football leagues, but one means the WORLD to me. It is the league we formed many years ago to keep a group of friends together, at least during football season.
This weekend will be the draft weekend of the FPE League (Five Point Elite League), named after the village in which we lived. It’s a 12-team league; everyone in it has been in it for years. Guys are flying in from all over: from the state of Washington all the way to Louisiana and traveling to the great state of Delaware. I included their pictures in the article to see what a group of characters one league can hold.
Draft weekend is like Christmas in the summer to the guys in this league. When I say weekend, I mean it. We will have a poker game and the draft on Friday. Saturday will be packed with childish games and lots of fun. We don’t get to have much fun anymore because we are mostly all in our 30’s or older. We have a jacket to give to the winner of Putt-Putt Masters, we will play flag football, basketball, laser tag, ping pong, soccer shoot-out and the list goes on. You will probably see some videos on social media even though I do not encourage those acts.
The draft comes with a red carpet, a donut burger (you are missing out if you never had one), all kinds of beverages, and a spread of food for a king with enough trash talk to make a call girl look like a nun. I will bet any amount of money that I will be crying from laughing all weekend. It is what fantasy sports is all about: fun.
We have all kinds of traditions and added some parts to the league to make it ours. It is what makes it special to me and more important than the rest. As I said earlier, I am in over 15 leagues and most pay more but do not come close to this league.
I know I am not the only one that is in a league like this. I had a couple of you reach out on twitter to share what makes your league unique. So here are some of the responses I got.
J.P. Greenland said they have been doing the same league since 1990 and for years they used the newspapers on Monday and Tuesday to do the scoring. That is dedication!
Chico Ballers said they have a three-day draft in Tahoe and have an off the hook after party with 500+ people.
Ricky Lujan told me the winner gets a championship belt, so they can defend it the following year.
Jason Hughes has been in the same league for 25 years. That’s impressive.
I could go on for awhile and thank you for sharing all the stories with me; I enjoy hearing what you do to make it yours.
For all those getting into this fraternity of ours, remember to have fun and make it fun because that’s what this is all about: fun. There will be enough serious events in life that will make you shake your head in disgust, so don’t let fantasy be one of them.
Ok, so this is my weekly column. It should be out every Thursday in time to help with your line-up. I will not talk about the real obvious guys often. For example, if you own Peyton Manning and he is playing, you should play him. Also, every week is for that week, and the next week it could be different depending on match-up, weather, etc. By no means use this as gospel, but just what I believe from information I gathered. You should gather as much information as you can and make your own decision. This is your team in your league so the final verdict is one you have to live with. So make your choices, cheer like you could never be loud enough, and have FUN!
This week I will do a “believe it or not” for average draft positions and guys I “believe in” or I think will do better than the spot they will be drafted in and the guys that do worse will be the “not.” If they are a “not,” it doesn’t mean they will not have a good year, but just not good enough to be drafted where they are being drafted.
Good luc
k and let me know any way we can help you at LWOS. That is why we are here.
Believes
Brandon Marshall WR, CHI (Mid 2nd round): The last 40 games he is the most consistent wide receiver in the NFL. He is a superior athlete in a system that is perfect for him. The Bears also have enough weapons where he cannot be the main focus of the opponent’s defense. He might have his outbursts, but this man is a beast on the football field.
Antonio Brown WR, PIT (Late 2nd- Early 3rd): The last eight weeks of last season, who was the second best receiver in the NFL? You got it, Antonio Brown. Haley’s system is perfect for a speedster like Brown. He has a quarterback that loves him in Ben Roethlisberger. He trusts him to make the big play and he often does. This guy is a legit number one wide out that you can scoop up in the third round. Yes please.
Zac Stacy RB, STL (Mid 3rd): How many drafts have you been a part of where you can get a legit 1,000 yard rusher in the third round?! Not many if you play with people who know what they are doing. This player was 27 yards short and only played in 14 games. He didn’t start in four of those. Wow, count the possibilities all the way to your league’s playoffs. You are welcome.
Larry Fitzgerald WR, ARI (Mid 4th): Remember when he was the number one receiver in the whole NFL?! I do! He plays in an air it out system with a quarterback, Carson Palmer, who loves to air it out. Michael Floyd has shown the league he can play and should open it up a little for Fitzgerald. Add that all up and you could have another amazing year from a real player. I love getting WR1s in the fourth round. How about you? Here is your chance.
Cordarrelle Patterson WR, MIN (Early 5th): The new offensive coordinator in Minnesota is Norv Turner, who made Josh Gordon look like the next Jerry Rice last year. Patterson found his place last year with a limited offense. He is a freak athlete who is capable of making game changing plays in an instant. I can see him being a top 10 receiver this year and only costing you a fifth round pick. Now I know what they meant by jump on it!
Michael Crabtree WR, SF (Early 5th): Does everyone remember who the main target was for Colin Kaepernick last year when he came back from an injury? Yes, it was Crabtree. Great hands, good speed, and he has the trust of his quarterback. I really cannot find a reason to not draft this guy and I expect him to compete for the top 10.
Michael Floyd WR, ARI & Percy Harvin WR, SEA (Mid 5th): Both players are eerily similar and that’s why I put them together. They have big play potential on any down. They are loved by their coaching staff and used often. They will have plays for them in the game prep and will be a part of the offensive scheme. The fifth round is a great place to grab up a for sure WR2 talent that has WR1 capabilities.
Lamar Miller RB, MIA (Mid 6th): I know he probably crushed your soul like he did mine last year, but this is a new year with a new offensive coordinator. He will be involved in the passing game and running game. I remember that player that averaged five yards per carry two years ago. He can be that guy again if used right and given the right opportunity. Taken in this round limits your risk, but Miller could surprise us all and live up to that RB2 position.
Stevan Ridley RB, NE (Early 7th): Yes, he was the guy that was most wanted to kill because of lack of numbers, but he still managed almost 800 yards on the ground. He is the same player that rushed for over 1,200 yards two years ago. He is capable of having another year like that or possibly a couple more like that. There is no risk in taking a flyer on this guy in the seventh round. Either he overperforms and finds a way into your rotation, or you can package him in a trade for better value. See what I did there? That’s the win-win.
Robert Griffin III QB, WSH (Mid 7th): RG3 didn’t have a great second year. That much is true. He did have an amazing rookie year and sent the fantasy world into a frenzy. This year is a completely different story. Washington brought in a new head coach who has a great offensive mind that will work with him to bring him to a new level. They surrounded him with great weapons and he took the knee brace off. All signs he could have a monster year this go around. If you invest in him please have a safety net in case that knee acts up, but if you don’t, grab Cousins off of waivers immediately.
Other Believe ins: Mike Wallace WR, MIA (Early 7th), Cam Newton QB, CAR (Early 8th), Bernard Pierce RB, BAL (Early 8th), Kendall Wright WR, TEN (Early 8th), Kyle Rudolph TE, MIN (Late 8th), Dennis Pitta TE, BAL (Late 8th), Devonta Freeman RB, ATL (Early 9th), Jeremy Hill RB, CIN (Early 10th), Khiry Robinson RB, NO (Late 10th), Anquan Boldin WR, SF (Late 10th), Justin Hunter WR, TEN (Early 11th), Ladarius Green TE, SD (Early 11th), Kenny Stills WR, NO (Mid 11th), Kenny Britt WR, STL (Late 11th), Jarrett Boykin WR, GB (Late 11th), Steve Smith WR, BAL (Mid 12th), Markus Wheaton WR, PIT (Mid 12th), Eric Ebron TE, DET (Late 12th), Greg Jennings WR, GB (Mid 13th), Jonathan Stewart RB, CAR (Late 13th), and Shonn Greene RB, TEN (Late 13th).
“NOTS”
Jimmy Graham TE, NO (Mid 1st): I get he is a monster of a tight end, but he isn’t worth this spot. The tight end position is closer than years ago. He isn’t the only one that is a catch-first tight end; you have so many other options that go much later. The value of the pick isn’t there anymore and it’s time you get out of the past and see the game for what it is now. Go ahead and draft him in the first and see Julius Thomas be the number one tight end this year. Bet that will feel good!
Marshawn Lynch RB, SEA (Late 1st): We all know he has been the “Beast Mode” of fantasy football for some years now, but this is one year I say get as far as way as possible. He had over 400 touches last year alone, and that will normally spell the end to a running back in this business. Seattle wouldn’t offer him the money, which tells me they are ready to move on. He reported in “okay” shape, and nobody wants to hear that about their first pick. He has over 1,000 touches in three years. I don’t want those tires on my car.
Julio Jones WR, ATL (Mid 2nd): I love Jones. He is someone I was targeting a month ago, when he was a 3rd or 4th rounder. Now the trend has forced him up to the 2nd round and that’s a lot of faith in a man coming back from knee surgery less than a year ago. He could be a top 5 wide receiver, but he could be a step slower and mentally unsure of what his knee can handle. Only Adrian Peterson has made us believe you can come back months later like nothing happened; it’s not the norm. It normally takes two years to come back fully from that kind of injury, so if you want to risk your 2nd round pick on that, go ahead, but I will pass.
Alshon Jeffery WR, CHI (Late 2nd): This is another player I like to have on my team, but I don’t want to pay the cost. I don’t want to anchor my receiving core with the WR2 on his professional team. Jeffery’s best games were mostly with McCown not Cutler, who will be the quarterback this year. I like him, but I have to protect my line-up from these kinds of problems. The first three picks are critical for your success. You cannot miss on any of them and compete in leagues with serious players most of the time.
Doug Martin RB, TB (Early 3rd): Let’s look at this from eyes that do not lie. He is coming back from an injury. He was a bust before the injury. He averaged 3.6 yards per carry. His coach said they have too much talent at running back to give 20 carries to one of them. Let’s do the math here for a second. He gets 20 carries a game and let’s say he moves his average up to four yards per carry, which is a big jump. He would still only get 80 yards per game. Eight points from a RB1 or RB2 is not going to win you many games.
Rob Gronkowski TE, NE (Mid 3rd): He has played 18 games in two years. Maybe if it was just a knee, or back, or arm, but all three together tells me something is wrong with his body. It isn’t able to handle an NFL beating anymore. I do not want to take a tight end with the third round pick that could break down in a week or five. I am looking for a guy that will put up numbers in 16 games, not eight. Sure, he has that beast potential, but too many red flags to grab in the third. Maybe pick him up in the fifth.
Reggie Bush RB, DET (Late 3rd): I cannot draft a player I do not trust and doesn’t fit the new offense in place in Detroit. The team has too many running backs to give enough carries to one of them, and we already know he isn’t a goal line back. So fewer touchdowns and less touches makes him a player I don’t want until round seven maybe. Tell me anything you want about the past, but I am talking about now.
C.J. Spiller RB, BUF (Late 3rd): I believe this guy has a world of talent. I mean, you don’t average over five yards per carry and forget how to run the next year. The downfall is the system he is in doesn’t showcase his skills. They added another running back and gave Fred Jackson an extension. This tells me they aren’t sure about Spiller, which makes me unsure of Spiller and I don’t want to depend on him for anything. If it was a couple round later, I would be in love.
Rashad Jennings RB, NYG (Late 3rd): Have you seen this offense yet in preseason? If you have, please let the rest of us know because they have been nowhere to be found during game time. Really, the players that will be cut soon enough have looked better on the field than the starters. I am getting to the point where I don’t want any of these players for the fact that they will learn the offense after I have been eliminated from playoff contention. Jennings hasn’t been the best back on his own team. So why would we take him in the third or fourth round? It doesn’t make sense and I will not stand for it.
Toby Gerhart RB, JAC (Early 4th): I get the infatuation with this guy. Really, I do. I am just not sold he can really be the guy there or anywhere. He never had the workload for a season. He never had to carry a team on his back. We can do the he never game over and over, but it’s the truth. We don’t know if his body can take it, and he is already on the injury list and missing some practice. If you don’t get a red flag yet about this guy, we obviously think differently and should play against each other. I love winning.
Other “Nots”: Ryan Mathews RB, SD (Mid 4th), Bishop Sankey RB, TEN (Late 4th), Ray Rice RB, BAL (Early 5th), Tom Brady QB, NE (Early 6th), Jason Witten TE, DAL (Late 6th), Maurice Jones-Drew RB, OAK (Mid 5th), Jay Cutler QB, CHI (Mid 8th), Kelvin Benjamin WR, CAR (Late 8th), and DeAndre Hopkins WR, HOU (Mid 10th).
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Main Photo by David Banks/Getty Images
