Projected Top 10 Sandwich Fest WR Percy Harvin has elected to undergo surgery on his injured hip and will miss most if not all of the 2013 season.
Awww, this had so much potential
Harvin was going to star as the new player in a loaded Seahawks offense but that will have to wait until next year. The Seahawks offense should still be fine though, as they're bringing back pretty much all the same guys beyond Harvin.
Last season, he was a 4th-round pick and a key part of the Kick Return All-Stars, aka Balls Deep, until an ankle injury derailed his, and Scott's season. Percy played only 8 games last year, got hurt in Week 9 and never returned. He was on pace for 120 catches at the time of his injury. This year, at least he had the decency to get hurt prior to the draft.
Do I tell you guys about injuries or do I hope you don't notice and draft one of these guys? If I tell you guys and beat you anyway, that's even better isn't it? With that, here's news on two injuries from today, less than a week into training camp.
Jeremy Maclin, who was very draftable, tore his ACL today in a non-contact drill. Don't draft him. I guess this means DeSean Jackson is the #1, with Jason Avant and Riley Cooper moving up the depth chart. New coach Chip Kelly did sign one of this WRs from Oregon last year, Will Murphy. Sleeper possibly? Probably not.
Also likely out for the year is Dennis Pitta, who had to be carted off the field after dislocating his hip (that sounds painful). Pitta finished last year as the fifth ranked tight end in Sandwich Fest. He's now likely to have the same amount of fantasy points this year as my grandma and I wouldn't recommend drafting her. Ed Dickson is his backup but he stinks.
At the top I want to make sure the draft info is clear after the little mix up earlier this week:
Draft Date: Friday August 30, 2013
Time: 8:00pm
Location: League Headquarters - Seaford, NY
Here is the order in which we'll be drafting:
SOFTBALL TOSS
RESULTS
FINAL DRAFT ORDER
1. James
2. Mintz
3. Bry
4. Brown
5. Scott
6. Commish
7. Ferencz
8. Hill
9. Hemrick
10. Sean/Matt
1. Bry
2. Scott
3. Brown
4. Ferencz
5. Hill
6. Hemrick
7. Mintz
8. Sean/Matt
9. Commish
10. James
Some thoughts:
1. James probably had the most rational reasoning for choosing the 10th spot over the first, saying "who am I to pick the best player? I know I can pick two average players. I'll pick 10th." You cannot miss on pick #1 and hope to win so I like the move by James, who lets face it, will do no work pre-draft.
2. With the #1 overall pick (aka Adrian Peterson) still on the board, Mintz decided to buck conventional wisdom and settle in at "lucky number 7". Now it's time for the compliment sandwich:
--Something nice: Mike, you have pleasant demeanor and are valued member of our league.
--Area of opportunity: YOU COULD'VE HAD THE #1 OVERALL PICK!!!!!
--Something nice: Congratulations on buying that house. You really have an eye for real estate.
3. Brown decided to take the 3rd overall pick and bypass the 2nd. It's a move that would indicate some kind of deep thought by Mr. Brown. I'm curious to know what it is. Maybe he just thought the third pick was cheaper?
4. Scott had to be thrilled to get the 2nd overall pick with the 5th selection. Likewise for Ferencz at pick 4 despite sitting #7 after the softballs.
5. I could've had pick 4 but instead decided to take 9. Not sure if that was smart, but I'm pretty sure I'll win the league anyway.
6. Sean/Matt land the 8th overall pick without having to lift a finger, just the way they like it.
It's all set boys. Start the research. Watch those preseason games. Take notes. Read articles. Prepare for the season is almost upon us!
I told myself I'm moving on from these "Off Season Reviews" but this voice in the back of my head kept whispering "percy harvin..." "percy harvin..."
So here we go. Another half-assed job with multiple half thoughts, poor construction, equally rough grammar, and limited research. You're welcome.
Rather than go by team, I'll just hit on the most notable players.
ANQUAN BOLDIN - 49ers
He was a good number three fantasy wide receiver during the regular season, but in the playoffs he elevated his game and played elite football. Twenty-two catches in 4 games, a 17 ypc average and 4 TDs. And some spectacular TDs. He used his size to shield defenders. On 50/50 balls he out-muscled defenders. But doesn't the regular season hold more weight?
In the regular season had 65 catches for 921 yards and only 4 TDs.
In the playoffs, he was on pace over 16 games for 88 catches for 1522 yards and 16 TDs.
He's now in a run heavy offense San Francisco. Then again, on paper Boldin is the #1 WR. And in the playoffs, he was Megatron-level. Can he do it all year?
PERCY HARVIN - SEAHAWKS
If he returns kicks he's a #1 WR in our scoring format. He's a big play waiting to happen and excelled with a piece of shit QB and no player that could threaten the outside of the field in Minnesota. Quick, name the next two WRs after Harvin in Minnesota. I can't remember them, but they suck (side note: don't draft any Vikings receivers this year).
Now Harvin goes to a potentially elite offense. Russell Wilson, Beast Mode, Sydney Rice, Golden Taint. Plus a defense that will force plenty of punts.
Harvin is dynamic and if healthy a stud. (Here's the part where I was gonna use "if healthy" as a nice segway to reference how many games Harvin's missed due to injury therefore hurting his fantasy value that should be much higher than it usually is. Turns out, he's only missed 3 games the last three years. I was wayyyyyyyyy off.)
Can't see much changing fantasy wise with Welker despite changing teams. Brady and Manning essentially play the same game now. Short slants, jerk routes, and crossing routes, with the occasional shots over the top. Brady used Welker to execute that game plan to great success. Expect Manning to do the same.
As far as personnel goes, Welker is far superior to the Broncos other underneath options, Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen. The Broncos, surprisingly to me, had the 6th most rushing attempts in the entire NFL, so they do use the run. But they also threw it the 10th most, so Welker should still catch plenty.
I don't expect much will change draft wise with Welker either. He'll go earlier then I think he will, I won't get him, and I'll hate not having him.
DANNY AMENDOLA - PATS
I call him the White Wes Welker. And with WWW, I can finally use all those Percy Harvin thoughts that didn't fit higher up (UPDATE 7/26/13 6:42AM: they kinda fit now). This guy can't stay healthy, which is a shame because in this offense he can catch 100 by Week 10. Unfortunately, last year Amendola dressed for only 11 games, and came out early in 2 of those. But when he does play he produces. He had games with 15 catches and 11 catches last year.
He should be a suitable replacement for Welker in a Patriots offense that since drafting Gronk and The Killer, have done most of their work between the hash marks. This year should be more of the same, and with the Killer going to jail for killing, it leaves even more targets for Amendola. Even better for Amendola, there's almost literally no one else to throw to. Gronk had 4 surgeries this summer. Brandon Lloyd is gone. And look at this roster. It's very New York Jets of them:
Watch out for TJ Moe (is it good if he doesn't have a number?) If White Wes Welker stays healthy.....
MIKE WALLACE - MIAMI
Here's what I've learned in two years of owning Mike Wallace: he kinda stinks. He's fast as fuck so he can get deep and make a big play or two, but he drops a ton of passes. He only caught about half the passes thrown to him, which with no research at all, I'm going to assume is a low percentage. But when he catches that 82-yarder, you'll be fucking pumped. High risk, high reward here. Also, Ryan Tannehill. Meh.
For Part 1 of the off season review, I helped you all out by giving you the interesting quarterback situations for you all to keep your eyes on. Now, in the interest of making this league interesting, and helping those of you who don't know Heath Miller from Zack Miller, I'll do the same with the running backs.
First, off the top of my head without having to look anything up:
THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS
David Wilson takes over for Ahmad Bradshaw, and as a Giants fan, this makes me happy. The Giants are one of the few teams left in fantasy that will commit to at least try to establish some kind of running game. While returning kicks, you could see Wilson has the ability to break big plays and as the primary back we may see that. He has top-5 fantasy potential at the position. There's just one little problem: he fumbles. Tom Coughlin HATES fumbles.
"I HATE FUMBLES!!!!!!!!!"
See. That's the look of a man that would do something crazy. Like bench David Wilson. Therefore keep Andre Brown in mind.
DENVER
Slick Willy McGahee is gone and who the starter is anyone's guess. Knowshon? Lance Ball? Ronnie Hillman? Whoever it is would be an RB2 at best since they figure to throw it most of the time. Except if there's one thing Peyton Manning loves, it's that draw play on 1st and Goal.
ATLANTA
Pretty much since he joined the league, Steven Jackson has been a top 10 back..........when he plays. Ok the top 10 thing might be debatable, but that's when he was on St. Louis. On Atlanta? He'll be the guy tasked with taking this offense to the next level. I believe, like the Giants, the Falcons wanna establish some kind of running game. And Jackson is guaranteed to be the goal line back. Again, injury caveat applies, but the risk-to-reward ratio just swung toward reward.
GREEN BAY
Ryan Grant had one good year five years ago, and since then Green Bay has been looking for a decent running back. Grant got hurt. James Starks didn't pan out. Alex Green got some games last year. Remember Ced Benson? This year they got the top RB in the draft, Eddy Lacy out of Alabama. If there's one rookie who could help and become a viable starter, it's Lacy. He'll have plenty of holes to run through and a clear path to #1 spot. Defenses will not be worried about stopping the run when Aaron Rodgers is on the field. Lacy has a chance.
INDIANAPOLIS
Ahmad Bradshaw's new team had no real running game last year and Luck took a ton of hits.
like this
...and this....
even the Jets got him
Evidence dictates that they should start running the ball. Bradshaw should get the most carries considering his competition is Donald Brown and Vic Ballard. Keep in mind, Bradshaw is an elite pass blocker and has good hands. So he figures to be on the field the most and to get some check down points.
DETROIT
I still believe Reggie Bush has some good football left. Watch this for a minute or so:
Nothin wrong with that. In this offense, there's potential for a lot of carries, and even better, A LOT of catches. Titus Young is a crazy bastard and was released (seriously a crazy bastard: http://deadspin.com/titus-young-arrested-again-503570801) and Black Wes Welker is more like Black Julian Edleman. Besides Bush and Johnson. Always a winning duo.
JETS
It looked like they did well when they got Mike Goodson. Then Mike Goodson did this: http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9286124/mike-goodson-new-york-jets-arrested-drug-weapons-charges. So new Jets GM Dan Something, traded for Chris Ivory at the draft. Ivory got into some games two years ago for New Orleans and did very well. He looked good last year in limited action. Now he gets his chance. The Jets QB situation is a disaster. This could lead to 30 carries per game, OR, they could be so bad the offense is never on the field. But Ivory has talent.
ARIZONA
The Adam Bergen All Stars have retooled their offense and brought in Mendenhall to go with Carson Palmer. Ryan Williams may get yet a 3rd chance to prove himself, but usually he just winds up getting hurt. Mendy will be a full year removed from ACL surgery, so maybe he gets a step back.
As a public service to the best fantasy league/managers in the world, I figure I'd recap, position by position, some of the moves that will effect the fantasy football landscape for this upcoming season. I'll go position by position. QB seems like the logical place to start.
Pay attention kids and maybe you too could join the ranks of Ryan Hemrick or Chris Hill or Bryan Cox as a Sandwich Fest Champion.
KANSAS CITY
They got rid of Matt Cassell and traded a 2nd round pick for Alex Smith.
KC has talent offensively. Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe are two of the best at their positions. They added Anthony Fasano at TE. Jonathan Baldwin is a former first round pick in his 2nd year. And of course everyone's favorite Chief, Clusty.
Smith will have to prove he's more than just a Mormon with small hands that has multiple wives but can't excel in an offense where they don't run the ball 40 times per game. Chase Daniel was brought in to back him up. He is more than a nothing backup and spent the last 4 years learning under Drew Brees. For his career he's 7 of 9 for 55 yards. Obviously you can see the potential.
OAKLAND
In Oakland, Matt Flynn will finally get his shot. How will it turn out? No idea. This is Oakland, a perpetual disaster for the last decade. Ok so I guess I have some idea.
Will he have any help out there? Can DMC stay healthy? Who's the starting TE with Meyers on the Giants? More importantly, the wideout depth chart shapes out like so:
Denarius Moore
Rod Streater
Josh Cribbs
Jacoby Ford
Godspeed Matt Flynn.
ARIZONA
Arizona acquired Carson Palmer from the Raiders. Carson Palmer is not great but he has one quality you cannot dispute: He is not Kevin Kolb, Ryan Lindley or John Skelton.
The story of this move is really Larry Fitzgerald. Carson Palmer can throw a football. He gets hit too much,. He throws it to the wrong team too much. But he's not completely incompetent and that's all Larry Fitzgerald needs. Clearly I don't think Carson Palmer has much left but I'd bet he is viable enough to make Larry Fitzgerald a top 5 WR again.
Palmer could prove to be a nice matchup play in the 2nd QB spot, especially at home where he'll have ideal conditions. A supporting cast of Andre Roberts, Rashard Mendenhall, Rob Housler and rookie Ryan Swope will help as well. It's not totally crazy to think Palmer could be in a lineup at some point this year.
BUFFALO
Ryan Fitzpatrick is no longer in Buffalo. So no more 25 for 60 for 225 yards, 1 TD and 3 INT. Instead you'll probably see EJ Manuel start. He's a rookie that wasn't that good in college and now they're expecting him to be a franchise QB in Buffalo. He's like Christian Ponder, only blacker. Kevin Kolb is also there but if they're determined to play a shitty QB, they might as well play the rookie.
NEW YORK JETS
Ok, so you're Rex Ryan. You just finished licking your wife's feet and now need to pick a starting QB.
Do you pick this guy:
Or this guy:
There is no a chance that in a new offense, Sanchez could do alright. But let's face it, the only chance a Jets QB has to be drafted in our league is if it's Geno Smith. Ok, you can go back to the feet now.
PHILADELPHIA
The Iggs have a new coach and three QBs to choose from. Chip Kelly drafted Matt Barkley in the 4th round, to join Nick Foles and Mick Vick in a competition for the starting job. I have to think it's gonna be Vick still. He's almost a sure bet to get hurt, but he's the best one on the roster. Barkley has potential, but he's still a fourth round pick. It would take a lot for him to get the nod. And something named Nick Foles just doesn't sound like a starting NFL QB to me.
"Hey did you see Nick Foles threw for five TDs last night?" See what I mean?
QUICK NOTES
A couple of backups who might be viable if the starter is out and the match up is good. Matt Hasselbeck is backing up Andy Luck in Indy, and Jason Campbell is in Cleveland. Hold on, Jason Campbell stinks. Forget that one. Matt Cassell is in Minnesota now and as previously mentioned, Christian Ponder is the white EJ Manuel. Cassell could see some time before this year is out.
Last season was a tough one for Mr. Sanchez. He regressed in almost every facet of the game. Perhaps having Jesus as a backup caused some undue pressure. How else can one explain a QB rating of 66.1? Or a completion percentage close to 50/50? Or having 5 more INTs than TDs?
All that pressure did lead to one spectacular moment. One that has become synonymous (i just spelled synonymous right w/out spell check. Suck it bitches) with the Jets. Now this moment has been immortalized in silent movie form.
I present to you "An Unfortunate End" starring Mark Sanchez:
Yes, The Buttfumble lives on. Mark Sanchez? His legacy is now second only to Broadway Joe in Jets lore.
