This was probably the most frustrating Fantasy Football season I have ever endured. I’m sure many owners can relate with all the big injuries this season. We had top backs like Jamaal Charles, Le’Veon Bell, Dion Lewis, Justin Forsett all go down with season ending injuries. Also we had many backs under perform, most notably, DeMarco Murray, Eddie Lacy and C.J. Anderson. Tony Romo and Big Ben missed most of the season at QB, while WR’s Julian Edelman, Steve Smith, and Keenan Allen suffered big injuries. Some of these injuries hit me very hard and unfortunately the combination of them was too much for some of my teams to endure.
With that said, I did miss out on some things. Some players I was wrong about were Matt Jones, Latavius Murray, Dorial Green-Beckham, Andre Johnson and Ameer Abdullah. Guys I drafted in multiple things that really did nothing all year. In FAAB it’s easier to fix holes on your team, but much tougher when you are at the mercy of the waiver wire. I think all leagues should use FAAB (Free Agent Blind Bidding) but that will never happen. I also could have been better with my handcuffs, which I somewhat neglected this year at the RB position. It was tough in some of these league with only 5 bench spots.
There was a point maybe weeks 8-11 where I found myself not really enjoying Fantasy all that much, I had some bad losing weeks and I admit it did effect my focus with pickups and passion to seek out trades. Being in 11 leagues is a lot of work, especially when you have a full time Job and have a baby at home. You just can’t put the attention to detail when it comes to scouting players and seeking out necessary trades. However, I think across my 11 leagues, I only executed two trades. I will admit I need to be much more active in the trade market next season. Sometimes trading is not necessary and it will just not happen and you don’t need 100 trades, but I think maybe each team could use a trade or two. But really my teams were mostly on point from the Get go. The drafts are usually where I excel the most, highlighted by a few key pickups during the season. I just took too many hits with key guys and missed out on having the proper replacements on my bench. I also missed out a on a few key pickups.
Last year I was in 10 leagues and I finished at 78-62. I made the playoffs in 6 out of 10 leagues and won 3 SuperBowls. This season so far I am at at 72-74. I made the playoffs in just 4 out of 11 leagues with two teams left in the Playoffs. I first started tracking my records last year and will continue to do so in the future. Next year I expect a full bounce back and I will be ready for all injuries, handcuffing like a maniac, while trying to be a bit more active in the trade department. Hopefully you can learn a thing or two from my mistakes and apply the knowledge to your teams next season.
Below our all my 11 teams rosters starting in Week 1, along with their overall season record and a quick analysis.
CBS Sportsline (6 Leagues)
Team 1- CBS Expert League (Auction 12 Team, Redraft, PPR) Overall Record- 6-7 (missed playoffs by 5 points in tiebreaker)
QB- Carson Palmer, RB’s-Jamaal Charles, Le’Veon Bell, Ameer Abdullah, Matt Jones, Josh Robinson, WR’s-Julian Edelman, Davante Adams, Stevie Johnson, Andre Johnson, TE-Jordan Reed, Eric Ebron,
Key Injuries* Jamaal Charles, Le’Veon Bell, Julian Edelman
I won this league last season. Going up against guys from ESPN, USA Today and other sites and blogs, give me a healthy Charles, Bell and Edelman and this team is in the Superbowl. Even if I keep one of these guys I am looking very good, playoffs are pretty much a lock. Two mistakes here are not handcuffing Bell with DeAngelo and not identifying Charcandrick West in time. I just wasn’t a believer in DeAngelo Williams so I thought it was a meaningless handcuff, I was wrong, he has been superb this season.
Team 2- CBS Expert League (12 Team Snake Draft, PPR) Overall record (7-6) Currently in Semifinals.
QB-Russell Wilson, RB’s- Carlos Hyde, Matt Jones, Charles Sims, Ronnie Hillman, CJ Spiller, WR’s- Larry Fitzgerald, Dez Byrant, A.J. Green, Stevie Johnson, Corey Brown, Breshad Perriman, TE’s- Jimmy Graham (*Notable Adds- Dion Lewis Week 2, Gary Barnridge week 5)
Key Injuries- Dion Lewis
Again guys from CBS, Espn, etc. Losing Lewis was a killer and Dez for multiple weeks. Then Dez fully flopped out with Romo going down for the year. Losing Graham wasn’t a huge loss since he wasn’t producing all that great for the most part. And I supplemented him with Barnridge who has been very solid. Russell Wilson has been on fire of late which has carried my team to the Semi’s. Mistake here was missing out on solid RB’s in draft.
Team 3- CBS Friends League (14 Team Snake Draft, PPR) Overall Record 6-7 (missed playoffs by 1 game)
QB- Phillip Rivers, RB’s- DeMarco Murray, T.J. Yeldon, Dion Lewis, Charles Sims, Josh Robinson, WR’s- Nelson Agholor, Martavis Bryant, Randall Cobb, Stevie Johnson, Dorial Green Beckham, TE- Greg Olsen. (Notable Trade. DeMarco Murray and Randall Cobb for Jamaal Charles) Notable Adds* Antonio Gates Week 3
Key Injuries- Jamaal Charles, Dion Lewis
Made a lopsided trade in giving up Murray and Cobb for Charles. But it turned out to be pretty good with Murray going bust and Cobb having a down year. Too bad Charles went down for the year along with Lewis. Give me one guy and I am in the playoffs. Bryant, Gates, Olsen and Rivers carried my team for a few weeks, but we just came up short in the playoffs. Mistakes here were drafting Rashad Jenning (my cousins fault!!) and DeMarco Murray, my bad there, although I wasn’t really feeling Murray coming into the year, he was the best RB available at that point. I will trust my gut even more next year. Agolhor was also a terrible pick.
Team 4- CBS Friends League (12 Team Keeper Auction, Standard, no PPR) Overall Record 6-7 (missed playoffs by points tiebreaker)
QB- Tony Romo, HB’s- Eddie Lacy, Carlos Hyde, Dion Lewis, Jeremy Hill, Ameer Abullah, Shane Vereen, WR’s, Charles Johnson, Stevie Johnson, Keenan Allen, Breshad Perriman,Brandon Coleman, Phillip Dorsett, Cordrelle Patterson, TE’s Richard Rodgers, Vernon Davis.
Notable Pickups * Gary Barnridge Week 4
Key Injuries- Tony Romo, Dion Lewis, Keenan Allen
Lacy went full bust this year, killing this team. Also Carlos Hyde looked unstoppable Week 1, but got hurt after that game and played with a stress fracture for several weeks. A healthy Carlos Hyde is a very good player, look for a bounceback next year. Jeremy Hill was also a disappointment. This team looked great on paper to start. Losing Romo, Dion Lewis once again and Keenan Allen shorted this team from the playoffs though, especially Romo going down midgame and ultimately costing my team a win that week that would have earned me the playoffs.
Team 5- CBS Friends League (12 Team Keeper Auction, PPR) Overall Record 9-3 (12 week season) Currently in the Superbowl.
QB- Russell Wilson, RB’s- Jamaal Charles, Todd Gurley, Ameer Abdulllah, Andre Ellington, Devonta Freeman, Knile Davis, Jonas Gray, WR’s- Calvin Johnson, Randall Cobb, O’Dell Beckham, Davante Parker, TE’s- Coby Fleener, Eric Ebron.
Notable Adds* Dion Lewis Week 2, Gary Barnridge Week 3
Key Injuries: Jamaal Charles, Dion Lewis
Champion last year and again his team is in the Superbowl, but imagine I had Jamaal Charles and Dion Lewis? It’s almost a shoe in victory. Still, I am in prime position despite. This is a league I have been doing for around 10 years. The last few years I have been hitting on players adding Beckham, Randall Cobb, and this year with Devonta Freeman and Todd Gurley. Hopefully I can seal the deal this week. Next year we will go in with Todd Gurley, Devonta Freeman, Beckham Cobb and Russell Wilson.
Team 6 -CBS Friends League (14 Team Snake Keeper, PPR) Overall Record 7-6 (missed playoffs by 1 game)
QB- Phillip Rivers, HB- Le’Veon Bell, C.J. Spiller, Matt Jones, DeAngelo Williams, Fred Jackson, WR’s- O’Dell Beckham, Sammy Watkins, Emmanuel Sanders, Dorial Green-Beckham, Corey Brown, Charles Johnson, TE- Jordan Reed
Notable Trades* Lance Dunbar for Dion Lewis in Week 3
Notable Adds* Delanie Walker Week 6
Key Injuries* Dion Lewis, Le’Veon Bell
Acquiring Dion Lewis for Lance Dunbar was a steal, many of the league members thought we were colluding, but we weren’t ha. But in the end we lost Lewis and Bell, although we had DeAngelo who has been the best handcuff this season. Still we missed the playoffs by 1 spot and our team went off this week. Jordan Reed and Phillip Rivers let us down in a do or die game in Week 13. Last year league’s Champion, it sucks we couldn’t repeat. But we will go into next year with Beckham and Bell, you can only keep 2. Watkins and Lewis will go wasted, that’s why more keeper spots should be awarded, good owners should benefit.
Yahoo (4 Leagues)
Team 1- Expert League- (12 team Snake, PPR) Overall Record 5-8
QB- Tony Romo, HB-Jamaal Charles, DeMarco Murray, Ronnie Hillman, Josh Robinson, Charles Sims, Matt Jones, WR’s- Andre Johnson, Jeremy Maclin, Stevie Johnson, Davante Parker, Breshard Perriman, Markus Wheaton, TE- Jimmy Graham
Notable Adds* Travis Benjamin Week 3
Key Injuries* Tony Romo, Jamaal Charles
This was a poorly drafted team overall with Murray, Matt Jones, Andre Johnson, Jeremy Maclin having mostly inconsistent and dissapointing years. Losing Charles was the killer, but I don’t think this team was going to make too much noise regardless. Murray, Andre Johnson and taking Jimmy Graham too high set this team back.
Team 2- Friends League (16 Team Snake Draft, .5 PPR) Overall Record 3-10
QB- Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB- Jamaal Charles, Matt Jones, C.J. Spiller, Carlos Hyde, Ameer Abdullah, Josh Robinson, WR’s Brandin Cooks, Terrance Williams, Markus Wheaton, Phillip Dorsett, Charles Johnson, TE’s Coby Fleener
Key Injuries- Jamaal Charles
16 team league so the pickings are thin, but this was by far the worst draft I had. So many misses with Matt Jones, Spiller, Abdullah, Wheaton. Cooks has been good of late, but he started horrible. Lost Charles again, but this team did not have a shot from the get go. Ashamed of myself with this team, need to have a much better showing next year.
Team 3- Friends League (12 Team Snake Draft, Dynasty, PPR) Overall Record 3-10
QB- Big Ben, HB’s, Dion Lewis, Jamaal Charles, Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, Duke Johnson Jr., Fred Jackson, Carlos Hyde, LeGarrette Blount, Charles Sims,Christine Michael, Josh Robinson, Khiry Robinson, WR’s- Andre Johnson, Jeremy Maclin, Demaryius Thomas, Markus Wheaton, Justin Hunter TE’s- Antonio Gates, Eric Ebron.
Key Injuries Jamaal Charles, Dion Lewis.
This team had a lot of promise, I actually tried to make a ton of trades to get a QB here, since rosters go 25 deep there wasn’t much available. But Freeman, Charles, Lewis, Thomas, Big Ben, Murray, sounded good on paper it just didn’t work’ out. Big Ben was in and out all year, Thomas was a disappointment and Charles and Lewis were huge injuries.
Team 4- Friends League (12 Team Snake Draft, Standard No PPR) Overall record 6-7 ( Lost in 1st round of Playoffs)
QB- Tom Brady, HB’s, Devonta Freeman, Dion Lewis, Latavius Murray, Ameer Abdullah, Matt Jones, Charles Sims, Carlos Hyde, C.J. Spiller, WR’s- O’Dell Beckham, Julio Jones, Charles Johnson, Stevie Johnson, Dorial Green Beckham, Brandon Coleman, TE’s- Eric Ebron.
Notable Adds* Gary Barnridge Week 4
Key Injuries Dion Lewis
This team led the league in points but only made the playoffs by one game. It fell in the playoffs this week as Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman came up short. This was a pretty good team though and like most of my other teams I built great RB depth, problem was the backs I built depth with just did not hit.
Espn (1 League)
Expert League (10 Teams, PPR) Overall Record 9-4 (Lost in Semis)
QB- Tony Romo, HB- Devonta Freeman, Danny Woodhead, C.J. Spiller, Ronnie Hillman Latavius Murray, WR’s- T.Y. Hilton, Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin, Calvin Johnson, Davante Parker, Terrance Williams, TE – Jordan Cameron
Notable Adds* Delanie Walker, Jordan Reed
Key Injuries- Tony Romo
Losing a QB in a 10 team league isn’t really a big deal, you can play matchups, as I did with Bortles, Cutler, Dalton, etc. However I lost Dalton in my first round playoff game, although it would not have mattered anyway. Bryant was affected by the loss of Romo and Hilton by the loss of luck. This team was good just didn’t have enough firepower in the end to fully complete. Missed on some RB’s once again.
Conclusion
Overall I lost the Combo of Charles and Bell in 1 league, Bell and Lewis in one league and Charles and Lewis in 3 leagues. And then I lost Lewis in another 3 leagues and Charles in two. Pretty devastating. I guess you can say I put all my eggs in one basket, but these were extremely talented players and I could have went another direction and picked a bad talent. And when it hits, then everything hits, injuries of this magnitude are highly uncommon, especially when they go down for the season.
But while I suffered some tough injuries, I did not hit on a quite a few guys like I mentioned. Abdullah, Murray, Matt Jones, etc, were guys I drafted in multiple leagues that just did not come through. Carlos Hyde was another, but like I stated he was gold in Week 1, then suffered a stress fracture which he tried to played through, but you could tell he wasn’t the same. Also playing with Colin Kaepernick, did not help.
In the end, I didn’t fully handcuff correctly, wasn’t as active as I should have been in the trade market and missed out some of my sleepers. But there is no doubt that had my top guys stayed healthy, this would have been a very successful season overall resulting in multiple titles once again. But that is Football, there are injuries and while this year may be an outlier for us overall, we always need to be prepared as we can.
Identifying talent yourself is so important. Watching film on all the rookies, all the guys competing for jobs, etc. You only need to hit on a few of these guys and it will do wonders for your teams. This year it was Devonta Freeman, Dion Lewis, Tyler Eifert, Thomas Rawls, and a few others. Guys that you can get late and that will put your teams over the top. Think outside the box, don’t fall into the trap of grabbing a player just because all the writers are on top of them. Some go bust, like Sam Bradford, Davante Adams. Do the research yourself. Watch tape. Follow this site next year! Our tape review is coming back. The tape doesn’t lie. Build depth, stay crazy active on the waiver wire and look a few weeks ahead on the wire. Send a few trade offers ever couple weeks and it’s best to call or text your league members. Offers over the net rarely go through. You need dialogue. Don’t overdraft QB’s. Also make sure to read Evan Silva’s Matchups breakdown at Rotoworld.com, that is the best resource in my opinion, there is so much quality information and it’s great to help with certain pickups and setting your lineups right. But have fun, and limit your leagues to under five if you can. I am in too many and hopefully I can cut it to under 8, because I really think being in too many effects your teams in a negative way.
This year at FantasySavvvy.com we missed out on our player rankings, daily league suggestions and radio show for a few weeks, due to life getting in the way. But we will finish the year with our Radioshow which can be followed at Blogtalkradio.com/FantasySavvy. Also give me a follow on FantasySavvy.com, Thank you.
Next year we will be bringing back our film review which will be the main article every week and which will truly identify talent, so that we can add the best talent and stay away from the bums.
Thanks to all the readers, listeners and followers, we hope you guys finish strong this year and take down some titles. Be sure to check our RadioShow, our daily league suggestions and NFL picks throughout the NFL playoffs.
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