Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: MightyGiants on July 31, 2023, 04:07:01 PMJoe, I think you hit on a big point.   The Giants offense challenges WRs mentally.  For Hyatt to do what he is doing shows smarts and commitment to learning the play book.

Rich - it's great how much time he spent learning the playbook as he can play more naturally rather than think about what he has to do.

Also fans are saying that at camp he is playing more X and Z WR spots and not slot.  That's music to my ears.  That's where we need him most.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 31, 2023, 05:16:53 PMTrue Blue, thought you might find this interesting:


https://twitter.com/jasrifootball/status/1686117962346876928

I had Calvin Ridley his rookie year.  I like him.  Still waiting for him to be a healthy WR1.

I really want Hyatt to win a starting WR spot on the team.  He is demonstrating a huge commitment to learning the playbook, is developing quickly, and is running routes at top speed and demonstrating excellent concentration and hands. 

Rich - BFW has all this speed and size.  Seems like folks are not seeing it.  Do you think he runs lazy or do you think his mind does not know what yet to do so that is holding him back or is it something else?

Quote from: Stringer Bell on July 26, 2023, 07:03:11 PMOverpaying someone when absolutely no one else in the league is doing the same is straight out of the Gettleman playbook.

Thank goodness we have a competent GM now. Signed his man at a team-friendly rate and keeps ultimate flexibility for future years. Kudos Schoen!

Exactly how much overpaying do you think a 1,300 yard rushing RB is getting?

Do you think other newly signed contracts are exactly market value?

Last year every move I made became gold which was ridiculously fortuitive.  When Lamar got hurt I started Justin Fields who went on a tear.  Picked up Pachecho just when he went on a tear.

I drafted Christian Watson and stored him then at end of season he lit it up as I played him.

I feel like the Ravens will be different.  Lamar will never be Brady but his legs sure help.  Same with Fields.

Funny you mentioned Waller.  I may be one of those homers who picks him only because he is the one certain guy I think DJ will lean on.  George Kittle was my TE last year and I may lean on him again.

I cant draft Ekeler again as he will be too damned expensive.  I had Miles Sanders and liked his productivity and think they may use him more in Carolina.

Tua may be one of my target QBs.  He is fragile but when he plays he is consistent and another year may afford a leap.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 24, 2023, 01:35:32 PMNo. My league does its draft usually the Monday or Tuesday the week of the first Thursday night game.

As it is, luck (with injuries) is already a huge component of fantasy football. Our aim as a league has always been to minimize luck as much as possible. For that reason we do our draft once the final preseason games have been played.

I don't see any logical reason to do it sooner. I guess the appeal is that you can take a view on a young player before the rest of the country sees him in preseason games, and if you're right it pays off more than if you drafted that player after the final preseason game and his draft value is higher, but I don't think that's a good enough reason to talk on significantly more freak-injury risk. Tons of guys get hurt in the preseason, very often season-ending injuries. Why underwrite that risk if you don't have to?

Thank you.  That was my thinking as well but wondered if I was missing something.  Ok so can plan away for next 5 weeks.

So let me ask any veteran of fantasy football.  Do you ever sign up for a league in which you pick players now as oppose to a week or two before the season starts?  I wonder if it ever makes sense given preseason injuries that can occur.  I was a bit bored and thought I'd enter an ESPN one now but am rethinking.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 22, 2023, 12:31:09 PMI would agree. I think he'll be a high end backup until he shows he can do the above.

Any very late round sleeper type QBs you're looking at?

My favorite later round QB (call it a fantasy QB probably out of top 15) is Jared Goff.  His 2022 season was a monster comeback following 2021 season where he threw 10 more TDs to 29 and nearly 1,200 more yards passing to over 4,400 yards.  Remember he did that with only one real WR in Amon St. Brown as Jameson Williams their star rookie WR was out until like week 12 still rehabbing from his ACL tear.  Williams is out for like first half due to gambling suspension but I think Amon St. Brown will be even better plus they got an absolute stud in Gibbs to run the ball (and catch it).  They also drafted Sam LaPorta at TE who was very productive in college and one of the really good pass catching TEs in college.  I can see him having a role early.  I would expect Goff to improve his stats even more.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 22, 2023, 07:18:03 AMDo you guys expect Daniel Jones to be an every week starter in your leagues who starts for a team in your league in week one?

Nope.  I dont see it.  In FFL, I dont think anyone will chance a QB with so little overall offensive productivity.  As you know, to win in FFL, you need a consistent 20 + point QB week in/out who also gets you a big week with 30+ points.

Is DJ capable of getting there with this new group of playmakers?  Yes but until he consistently performs, nobody will make that gamble.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 20, 2023, 01:51:49 PMYup it's not a slam dunk, but I like the situation. Mike Williams is capable of big games but he's inconsistent and gets hurt a lot. Allen is getting older and can't separate like he once could (not saying he's not still good, which he clearly is). Ekeler is obviously very good but a different type of target. If Johnston is a dynamic athlete who is a decent sized target, I could see Herbert building a rapport with him quickly.

I like the Flowers call a lot too. I wouldn't say I'm much higher on Johnston than Flowers. I think both could be additive as fantasy starters this year, potentially.

I've had some great pick ups over the years with rookies.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 20, 2023, 11:32:13 AMI like that call. He's on my watch list too.

As of right now Quentin Johnston is still my number one pick for rookie WRs, simply because I like the situation he is in and could see him developing a quick rapport with Herbert (who is in a contract year). Flowers is not far behind for me though, mainly for the reasons you said. Part of me was kind of hoping we'd get him. I think he'll be really good.

I agree though I am less high on Quentin Johnston than others.  I dont think he dominated enough in college given his physicals.  He's in a damn good situation in San Diego with Herbert.  Wonder if he becomes the new go to guy or it reverts still through Ekeler and Allen.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 18, 2023, 03:15:26 PMFair enough, can't argue with any of that.

I think if I am going to take a gamble on a rookie WR, it is going to be Zay Flowers.  Rashad Bateman has been only average.  OBJ is on the old side.  Lamar Jackson will look for a new WR and I like Flowers aggressiveness.  Think he starts Day 1.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 17, 2023, 06:55:20 AMI used to try to be sure to get two RBs in the first three rounds, as I felt like RB thinned out quickly and by the third or fourth round you were left with only committee backs. I won my league one year with that strategy, but more often than not I was dealing with injured RBs and then having to decide a flex guy each week among middling, so-so receivers.

In recent years I have pivoted my strategy to focusing more on WRs early, and it has paid off for the most part. I just feel like in PPR, a team that is built around not just two top WRs but actually three (flex) is always going to be in the mix. I like to make sure my fourth WR is good too, as I don't like having some stiff in there on bye weeks or if someone gets banged up.

Obviously, if I do the above, it means I'm going to be thin at RB, but I feel like RBs can be juggled a bit and if you draft a couple handcuff types to oft-injured starters (like Mattison) you are often in a decent position later in the season.

What I have also done though is draft a RB in the first round, and then not worry about that position again until much later. If you have one top RB, it's much easier to field an aggregate "good" two starters than it is if you don't even have one.

Unless I'm picking in the top two or three this year, that may be what I do as I really like Chubb.

BTW, anyone who thinks Garrett Wilson is going to be available much past the mid second round or so (or the equivalent in auction formats) is going to be in for a surprise when they do their drafts. I actually did a couple of mock drafts the last couple of days just to see where guys are going, and Wilson was gone in the top 17 or so both times.

If I am picking late in the first round like 11th or 12th, I could see just starting with St Brown and Wilson and going from there. I think both will have electrifying seasons.

I hear you on all that.  Makes sense.  Frankly, it's like the NFL Draft.  You have to go where it flows.  If there's a run of WRs, then maybe you have to pick a RB or vice versa. 

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on July 16, 2023, 07:27:29 PMI am very careful in fantasy not to draft Giants just because I'm a fan. That's not to say I don't ever draft them, because I do, but I try to be objective about it.

I won't draft Barkley because I like getting receivers early, and if I take an early RB it will be Chubb.

I'm not drafting the Giants' D. Our pass rush is unproven and we have issues at ILB and the secondary.

Same with me though I draft both WRs and RBs.  A good RB consistently gets you 20 points nearly every week.