Offseason News

There’s just a few months until baseball starts up again and the wagers start flowing in, so it’s downtime at the blog. Since I don’t have to do updates each week, I have some free time to do some upgrades on the blog. What would you like to see added to the site? What could use improvements? Are there any types of blogs posts you’d like to see? I’m looking for feedback on how to improve this website.

My personal goal would be to move this site to it’s own hosted service and not just rely on a bunch of free things. While they work, they don’t allow me to add any real customizations to the site. I hate to beg for donations so I’ll just gauge the interest to see if anyone would be willing to donate to help fund a web host. If people are interested, then I’ll push harder to get more support. With a web host I’d be able to add a wiki, better forums, a database for wager tracking, an actual domain name, etc.

Thanks to those that follow the blog and myself on Twitter. Your interaction helps me keep this site running.

Please take a moment and leave me some feedback.

2011 Football Board: Week 17 Preview

Week 17 is almost upon us and there’s still several bets left open and a few that I can close. Will the board finish in Matthew’s favor, as it has been for the most of the season, or will Nate weasel his was to board win?

Closed:

1. Who has more fantasy points: Mario Manningham or Jeremy Maclin?
   Maclin leads 99-71 and has essentially wrapped this up. I would close it but Manningham could have 29 point day…right.
   Winner: Jeremy Maclin (Matthew)
2. Will Matt Ryan outscore Joe Flacco by 25 pts?
   Ryan leads 248-186 and for those that have trouble with the mathematics, that’s a 62 point lead. Flacco will need to outscore Ryan by 37 points this week.
   Winner: Yes (Nate)
3. Over/Under 23.5 TDs for Redskins QBs
   The Redskins made it up to 17 passing TDs and haven’t had more than 2 in a game all season…They’ll need 7 TDs in this game to make the over.
   Winner: Under (Nate)
4. Who has more fantasy points: Chester Taylor or LaRod Stephens-Howling?
   LRSH leads 34-10 and Taylor having a 25 point day is something that only happens in alternate realities.
   Winner: LaRod Stephens-Howling (Matthew)
5. Will Jordy Nelson be a top 20 WR (using ppg)?
   Even if Nelson sits this game and doesn’t do anything, he’ll finish with 11.0 ppg. The current #20 WR is Steve Johnson at 8.3 ppg.
   Winner: Yes (Nate)
6. Who has more fantasy points from week 5 on: Laurent Robinson or Titus Young?
   Robinson leads a close bet, 112-63.
   Winner: Laurent Robinson (Nate)
7. Who averages more fantasy points per game from week 7 on: Josh Freeman or Sam Bradford?
   For Bradford to win, he’ll need to have a 34 point game and Freeman to sit or get negative points. Freeman leads 11.6 ppg to 7.2 ppg.
   Winner: Freeman (Nate)

Open:

1. Who has more fantasy points: DeAngelo Williams or LeGarrette Blount?
   DeAngelo had a lovely 2 TD week and just about wrapped up this bet. Williams leads 121-106.
   Projected: DeAngelo Williams (Nate)
2. Who has more fantasy points: Kevin Kolb or Sam Bradford?
   Will we see Kolb or Bradford on the field this week? Currently, it does look like either guy will play. Even if Bradford plays, he goes up against the 49ers and their tough defense.
   Projected: Kevin Kolb (Nate)
3. Who has more fantasy points: Cedric Benson or Shonn Greene?
   Greene leads 143-131. Both teams are fighting to get in to the playoffs so they should see decent action. A 12 point lead may be tough for Benson to overcome.
   Projected: Shonn Greene (Matthew)
4. Who has more fantasy points (in a PPR league): Stevie Johnson or Dez Bryant?
   Johnson holds a 7 point lead over Bryant (196-189) and this can easily go either way but Dallas is playing for a playoff spot so Dez could easily go off.
   Projected: Dez Bryant (Matthew)
5. Who has more fantasy points: Reggie Wayne or Santonio Holmes?
   One week and Wayne is right back in this as he now only trails by 2 points (108-106). Wayne draws Jacksonville and Holmes gets Miami.
   Projected: Reggie Wayne (Nate)
6. Will Dwayne Bowe be a top 20 WR?
   The #20 WRs are Pierre Garcon, Julio Jones and Torrey Smith, which are only 8 fantasy points behind Bowe (#17). It’ll be close but too many players will need to leapfrog him to bump him out.
   Projected: Yes (Nate)
7. Over/Under 12.5 touches per game for Ben Tate from week 11 on?
   Tate needs 34 touches in week 17 to get to the magical 12.5 touches per game. He’s currently at 6.8 touches per game.
   Projected: Under (Nate)
8. Who has more fantasy points from week 12 on (in a PPR league): Darren Sproles or Frank Gore?
   Sproles leads 78-52. Gore needs to have a huge game and Sproles to sit the majority of the game. There’s a slim chance this will happen, but it’s still a chance.
   Projected: Sproles (Nate)
9. Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Marques Colston or Antonio Brown?
   Colston leads 45-29 and has pretty much won this bet but a 16 point lead could be overcome in a week, but it’s not looking good for Brown.
   Projected: Colston (Nate)
10. Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Stevie Johnson or Antonio Brown?
    Brown leads 29-28. Johnson plays against New England and Brown against Cleveland. It definitely looks like Johnson will win the bet based upon the matchup.
    Projected: Johnson (Nate)
11. Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Dwayne Bowe or Antonio Brown?
    Brown leads 29-24 and may be just enough to hold off Bowe. Bowe goes up against Denver and most likely Champ Bailey. I think he’ll need to get in to the end zone if he wants to get past Brown.
    Projected: Brown (Matthew)
12. Who has more fantasy points from week 16 on: Michael Turner or Ryan Mathews?
    Both guys are tied at 6 but early indications are that Mathews will get a full slate of carries (with Tolbert nursing an injury) and Turner playing maybe a quarter (with the Falcons having nothing to play for). Turner does get Tampa Bay so he could rattle off 50 yards and a TD before sitting, but I still like the guy who’ll play a full game.
    Projected: Mathews (Matthew)
13. Will the Bengals make the playoffs?
    The Bengals are sitting in the driver’s seat, since if they can beat Baltimore, they’re in the playoffs. If they lose, then they’ll need Raiders and Jets to lose, if my playoff math is right. They definitely have the odd but it’ll be close.
    Projected: Yes (Nate)

I’m projecting the board to go to Nate by a margin of 23-16. For Matthew to win, he’ll need 4 bets to go the opposite of my projections.

Donald Faison on the podcast

As tweeted by Nate, here’s some video of Donald Faison on the Fantasy Focus podcast. Head over to the 3:18 mark to see him in studio with Nate and Matthew.

2011 Football Board: Week 15 Recap

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 5 weeks since I last did a recap. I could only keep up the weekly pace for so long…Since the NFL season is almost at an end, I’ll make sure to get recaps out for the next two weeks. I’ll already say that next week’s will be delayed due to holiday travel, but it’ll definitely be out before the week 17 games so that we can know what to watch for.

Closed:

1. Over/Under 1,500 Total Yards for Felix Jones
   Felix got his starting gig back but unfortunately it was a little too late. He his up to 697 total yards and only needs to average 400 total yards the next two weeks to reach 1,500.
   Winner: Under (Nate)
2. Will Johnny Knox outscore Nate Burleson by 20 pts?
   Knox’s unfortunate back injury closes this bet out in Matthew’s favor. Burleson actually took the lead this week 79-76 and probably would’ve won the be regardless.
   Winner: No (Matthew)

Open:

1. Who has more fantasy points: DeAngelo Williams or LeGarrette Blount?
   Blount leads 105-102. It’s really hard to predict who will end up winning this since neither guy is particularly reliable. I’ll go with my Oregon Duck homerism and say Blount will squeak out the win.
   Projected: LeGarrette Blount (Matthew)
2. Who has more fantasy points: Kevin Kolb or Sam Bradford?
   This ended up being a real bore with both guys going down with injuries in the latter part of the season. Kolb is currently ahead 94-84 and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it finish that way. The Rams really have no reason to rush Bradford back to action.
   Projected: Kevin Kolb (Nate)
3. Who has more fantasy points: Cedric Benson or Shonn Greene?
   Greene leads 136-130 and both backs have been similarly productive that last couple of weeks. I give the edge to Greene since he’s got the slightly better matchup (NYG & MIA vs. ARI & BAL).
   Projected: Shonn Greene (Matthew)
4. Who has more fantasy points: Mario Manningham or Jeremy Maclin?
   Another bet that real boring. Maclin leads 86-71 despite only accumulating 6 points in the last 6 games. Next week’s game will most likely seal the bet for either side. If Maclin can produce again then he should be able to hold off Manningham. If not, then Manningham’s got a real good shot at taking this bet.
   Projected: Jeremy Maclin (Matthew)
5. Will Matt Ryan outscore Joe Flacco by 25 pts?
   Matty Ice caught fire since the last update and now leads 230-172. Barring a complete implosion, Ryan has this bet won.
   Projected: Yes (Nate)
6. Over/Under 23.5 TDs for Redskins QBs
   The Redskins are up to 15 passing TDs and only need 9 TD passes in the final two weeks to win the bet for Matthew. It’s not out of the question, but they’d had to trade for Drew Brees to make this happen.
   Projected: Under (Nate)
7. Who has more fantasy points (in a PPR league): Stevie Johnson or Dez Bryant?
   Johnson’s injury will be the deciding factor in this bet. He currently leads 183-177. Bryant just doesn’t get the boost of being a PPR league but I still like him to outscore Johnson and pick up the win.
   Projected: Dez Bryant (Matthew)
8. Who has more fantasy points: Reggie Wayne or Santonio Holmes?
   Holmes’ value comes with the TD receptions, otherwise both these guys would be even closer. Holmes leads 103-90 and that should be enough to win it.
   Projected: Santonio Holmes (Matthew)
9. Who has more fantasy points: Chester Taylor or LaRod Stephens-Howling?
   LRSH leads 34-9 and should win barring a Beanie Wells injury.
   Projected: LaRod Stephens-Howling (Matthew)
10. Will Jordy Nelson be a top 20 WR (using ppg)?
    Nelson has been great this year and currently sits at #5 (10.9 ppg). I haven’t done the math but he’s probably locked up a top 20 spot.
    Projected: Yes (Nate)
11. Will Dwayne Bowe be a top 20 WR?
    Kyle Orton may be able to keep Bowe in the top 20. Tyler Palko’s time at QB really hampered Bowe’s ability to be a top 20 WR. Bowe has dropped all the way to #21 but I like him to get in to the end zone once again and finish either 19 or 20.
    Projected: Yes (Nate)
12. Who has more fantasy points from week 5 on: Laurent Robinson or Titus Young?
    Wasn’t Robinson supposed to do this with the Rams a couple of years ago? The guy is a touchdown machine and is dominating this bet 112-60. Young is technically still in it but he’d have to go all Megatron in the last two games.
    Projected: Laurent Robinson (Nate)
13. Who averages more fantasy points per game from week 7 on: Josh Freeman or Sam Bradford?
    Freeman proudly leads this bet 11.0 ppg to 7.2 ppg. Freeman would have to average negative points over the last two games for Bradford to take this bet, assuming Bradford doesn’t play.
    Projected: Freeman (Nate)
14. Over/Under 12.5 touches per game for Ben Tate from week 11 on?
    Tate needs 40 touches in the next two games to get to 12.5 touches per game. I think this is really only possible if the Texans sit Foster the last 6 quarters of the season, which I find highly unlikely.
    Projected: Under (Nate)
15. Who has more fantasy points from week 12 on (in a PPR league): Darren Sproles or Frank Gore?
    Sproles leads 62-36 and should walk away with this bet. The receptions are what wins it for Sproles as both guys are relatively similar without the receptions.
    Projected: Sproles (Nate)
16. Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Marques Colston or Antonio Brown?
    Colston leads 31-26 and this will come down to the wire. As a former Colston owner, I can’t put any faith in to him running away this bet. This will be decided in the final game, but a 5 point lead is fairly decent at this point.
    Projected: Colston (Nate)
17. Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Stevie Johnson or Antonio Brown?
    Brown leads 26-19 and I felt pretty safe with this lead until I saw who Johnson’s week 17 opponent is…New England. Brown on the other hand has St. Louis and Cleveland, so he could very likely be too far ahead for Johnson to catch.
    Projected: Brown (Matthew)
18. Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Dwayne Bowe or Antonio Brown?
    Brown leads 26-10. Another bet that Tyler Palko killed for Bowe. Even with pedestrian games, Brown should win this bet.
    Projected: Brown (Matthew)
19. Who has more fantasy points from week 16 on: Michael Turner or Ryan Mathews?
    Turner has New Orleans and Tampa Bay as his final matchups and Mathews has Detroit and Oakland. I’ll side with the hot back in Mathews as he has nearly double the amount of rushing yards of Turner over the last 4 weeks.
    Projected: Mathews (Matthew)
20. Will the Bengals make the playoffs?
    The Bengals finish the season against Arizona and Baltimore. They’re currently the #7 seed, just out of the playoffs, with the New York Jets at #6. Both teams hold the same record, 8-6, but the Jets hold the tie-breaker. The Jets play the Giants and the Dolphins. I think the Bengals will go 1-1, which means the Jets will need to choke and go 0-2, which I can see happening but they’ll probably recover from last week’s beat down and beat the Giants.
    Projected: No (Matthew)

After 15 weeks, I’m projecting Matthew to win 20-19. It’ll be a fun board to watch during the final week since there’s really a lot of bets that could easily go in the other direction.

Will the Bengals make the playoffs?

Will the Bengals make the playoffs? Nate: Yes Matthew: No Check out the 12-19-2011 podcast between 18:47-19:22 for this bet.

Who has more fantasy points from week 16 on: M. Turner or R. Mathews?

Who has more fantasy points from week 16 on: Michael Turner or Ryan Mathews? Nate: Turner Matthew: Mathews Check out the 12-16-2011 podcast between 5:31-9:10 for this bet.

Who has more fantasy points in week 14: Patriots D/ST or Bengals D/ST?

Who has more fantasy points in week 14: New England Patriots D/ST or Cincinnati Bengals D/ST? Nate: Patriots D/ST Matthew: Bengals D/ST Check out the 12-8-2011 podcast between 20:20-22:51 for this bet.

Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: D. Bowe or A. Brown?

Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Dwayne Bowe or Antonio Brown? Nate: Bowe Matthew: Brown Check out the 12-5-2011 podcast between 24:44-24:53 for this bet.

Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: S. Johnson or A. Brown?

Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Stevie Johnson or Antonio Brown? Nate: Johnson Matthew: Brown Check out the 12-5-2011 podcast between 24:40-24:44 for this bet.

Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: M. Colston or A. Brown?

Who has more fantasy points from week 14 on: Marques Colston or Antonio Brown? Nate: Colston Matthew: Brown Check out the 12-5-2011 podcast between 20:39-24:40 for this bet.