Week 4 Rankings

FANTASY DAP RANKINGS WEEK 4

QUARTERBACK

1. A. Rodgers

2. M. Ryan

3. R. Griffin III

4. T. Brady

5. D. Brees

6. P. Manning

7. E. Manning

8. J. Flacco

9. C. Ponder

10. M. Stafford

11. C. Palmer

12. J. Freeman

13. P. Rivers

14. C. Newton

15. R. Fitzpatrick

16. M. Vick
17. J. Cutler
18. T. Romo
19. M. Shaub
20. R. Tannehill

RUNNING BACK

1. A. Foster

2. D. McFadden

3. R. Rice

4. M. Jones-Drew

5. L. McCoy

6. M. Lynch

7. R. Matthews

8. B. Green-Ellis

9. A. Peterson

10. J. Charles

11. F. Gore

12. D. Sproles

13. D. Murray

14. S. Ridley

15. B. Tate

16. A. Morris

17. M. Turner

18. M. Leshoure

19. D. Martin

20. C. Benson

21. W. McGahee

22. T. Richardson

23. R. Williams

24. F. Jackson

25. C.J. Spiller

26. S. Jackson

27. A. Brown

28. A Bradshaw

29. R. Bush

30. D Richardson

31. J. Rodgers

32. S. Draughn

33. J. Bell
34. M. Ingram
35. P. Thomas
36. J. Stewart
37. D. Williams
38. L. Miller
39. J. Battle
40. D. Woodhead

WIDE RECEIVER
1. J. Jones
2. C. Johnson
3. A.J. Green
4. V. Cruz
5. A. Johnson
6. J. Nelson
7. W. Welker
8. S. Johnson
9. B. Lloyd
10. P. Harvin
11. D. Thomas
12. R. White
13. E. Decker
14. V. Jackson
15. S. Smith
16. D. Moore
17. T. Smith
18. M. Floyd
19. P. Garcon
20. L. Hankerson
21. L. Fitzgerald
22. G. Jennings
23. M. Austin
24. D. Bowe
25. N. Washington
26. B. Marshall
27. J. Maclin
28. D. Jackson
29. M. Floyd
30. L. Moore
31. M. Colston
32. D. Amendola
33. A. Hawkins
34. J. Simpson
35. M. Williams
36. R. Barden
37. M. Crabtree
38. S. Holmes
39. A. Jeffery
40. A. Boldin

TIGHT END

1. J. Graham
2. R. Gronkowski
3. V. Davis
4. T. Gonzalez
5. A. Gates
6. F. Davis
7. D. Pitta
8. M. Bennett
9. B. Pettigrew
10. J. Finley
11. K. Rudolph
12. O. Daniels
13. S. Chandler
14. J. Tamme
15. J. Witten

Got any thoughts about my rankings?  Who would you have number one for the week?  Any flex start/sit questions?  COMMENT BELOW!

Dap,
John

Week 3 Review

What. A. Weekend.

I don't remember a weekend with more drama.  It was ridiculous.  Word on the street is the NFL owners and refs are going to sit down and hammer out a deal.  I guess it took an incident like we saw on Monday Night Football to really get these two sides together.  I don't think we'll see a deal done in time for the game on Thursday (and therefore not at all for week 4), but I would be very surprised if we didn't see the real refs back on the field for week 5.

A lot of players put up some big fantasy stats this weekend...and a lot of those big numbers came from downright shocking guys.  That being said, it was not a great weekend for me in the predictions arena.  Let's check out the notable QB numbers.  Remember: Standard scoring with 6 points for a touchdown pass.

QB

Big Ben comes in at number one with a monster 39 fantasy points, throwing for 384 yards and 4 touchdowns.  I was way off target here, having Roethlisberger at number 8 in my rankings.  I don't think we can understate how terrible their running game looks without a healthy Rashard Mendenhall, so it shouldn't be a surprise if they put up big passing numbers going forward.  He definitely has the weapons for a nice year.

As a side note, there was a little controversy surrounding his fourth TD toss due to the fact that the receiver, Antonio Brown, fumbled the ball just before reaching the end zone but recovered it out of the ensuing dog pile.  I think the controversy here is completely justified.  The main reason?  Roethlisberger didn't throw a touchdown, so how can he get credit for one?

The biggest shocker of the week for me was Matt Shaub's 33 points putting him at number two for the week.  This was by far my worst call of the week.  I didn't even rank Shaub in my top 20 QB's, and for good reason (or so I thought).  The Texans are known for their persistent and dependable running game, and Shaub showed nothing of note for the first two weeks of the season.  I know, I know...we've seen Shaub use his arm to win games in the past, but I didn't see that happening with Houston going to Denver and facing a pesky Broncos pass defense.

Two quarterbacks, Newton and Rodgers, who were in my top five didn't even crack the top ten this week.  I'm definitely not worried about Aaron Rodgers long-term fantasy value, but Cam Newton is someone to keep an eye on.  After a strong rookie campaign, he hasn't looked as confident or accurate after the first three games in 2012.  I don't see him falling out of the top 15, but he has a lot of work to do in order to live up to be the top 5 QB that most analysts predicted.

RB

I had C.J. Spiller at number one for the week, but an injury took him out of this game early.  It's too bad since he looked well on his way to a monster fantasy day.  I was way off on Jamaal Charles, who had a breakout game with a booming 233 yards rushing and a TD, racking up 34 fantasy points.  He outscored the number two RB by 10 points, and he certainly looks to be over any lingering effects of the knee injury that knocked him out of action last year.

The other running back who seriously exceed my expectations was Andre Brown, getting 24 fantasy points and leading anyone who started him this week to (almost) certain victory.  This was a guy who went undrafted in most leagues, but was snatched up off the waiver wire after Ahmad Bradshaw went out last week.  With Bradshaw getting up there in age, I wouldn't be surprised if they keep him out a few more weeks and give Brown a little more time to grow as "the guy" in New York.

Mikel Leshoure was a guy who I didn't believe in at all.  He'd never played a snap in the NFL, and was coming off a preseason where he didn't show much talent.  I ranked him 26th this week, and boy, was I wrong.  He ends up this week as the number 5 RB, with 19 fantasy points.  I don't like overreacting to such a limited sample size, but he looks like the real deal.  A lot of that has to do with who surrounds him in Detroit.  Other RB options in the Motor City include Kevin Smith (brittle), Javid Best (might not return this year), and Joique Bell (doesn't look like a three-down back).  Detroit is a pass-first offense, but when defenses have to triple-team Calvin Johnson, there will be plenty of opportunity for Leshoure to shine if they let him.

Dap,
John

Replacement Refs Debacle

The NFL is in serious danger of losing fans.

In case you missed it, tonight’s game ended with the the most contraversial play in recent memory.

Courtesy of philly.com and the Lingerie Football League

I think most of us were hopeful at first.  We were hopeful that we wouldn’t even notice the absence of the regular refs.  We were hopeful that the game we love, America’s new national pastime, would not be drastically effected by the use of referees that jumped from officiating in the Lingerie Football League to officiating in the National Football League.  The first two weeks of the 2012 season were…bearable.  I think we, as fans, were just happy it was football season again, so we’ve been a little more accepting of the terrible calls than we probably should have been.  Well, that happy and accepting attitude vanished after tonight’s Monday Night football game.

Those who were tolerant of the replacement referees thus far have had one major reason to feel so.  the referees have now literally decided a game.  The was a worst-case scenario come true, and the NFL and Roger Goodell are now in a position where they MUST reach some kind of agreement with the real referees.

Dap,
John

Week 3 Fantasy News!

Not much going on in the land of fantasy today, save the obvious NFL news.  Unless you've ben living under a rock, you definitely heard the good news regarding the return of the real NFL referees.  This should bring a lot more legitimacy to the actual game itself and, in doing that, bring a little more peace of mind to fantasy owners.  We no longer have to worry about illegitimate touchdowns or bogus penalty yards effecting the outcome of the thing we focus on all week...our fantasy matchups.  Life is good.

Dap,
John

Week 3 Rankings

FANTASY DAP RANKINGS WEEK 3

QUARTERBACK

1. D. Brees

2. C. Newton

3. M. Ryan

4. A. Rodgers

5. R. Griffin III

6. M. Stafford

7. T. Romo

8. B. Roethlisberger

9. P. Rivers

10. A. Luck

11. M. Vick

12. T. Brady

13. E. Manning

14. J. Flacco

15. R. Fitzpatrick

16. J. Cutler

17. A. Dalton

18. A. Smith

19. M. Cassel

20. P. Manning

RUNNING BACK

1. C.J. Spiller

2. R. Rice

3. A. Foster

4. M. Bush

5. L. McCoy

6. M. Lynch

7. D. Murray

8. M. Jones-Drew

9. F. Gore

10. B. Green-Ellis

11. R. Bush

12. D. Martin

13. T. Richardson

14. R. Matthews

15. A. Brown

16. D. McFadden

17. A. Morris

18. D. Sproles

19. S. Ridley

20. K. Smith

21. A. Peterson

22. D. Brown

23. J. Charles

24. C. Johnson

25. D. Williams

26. M. Leshoure

27. S. Jackson

28. C. Benson

29. W. McGahee

30. P. Thomas

31. S. Greene

32. M. Ingram

33. M. Turner

34. B. Tate

35. I . Redman

36. V. Ballard

37. P. Hillis

38. J . Dwyer

39. B. Wells

40. S. Draughn

WIDE RECEIVER

1. C. Johnson

2. V. Cruz

3. J. Jones

4. A.J. Green

5. J. Nelson

6. S. Johnson

7. R. White

8. M. Austin

9. D. Bowe

10. S. Smith

11. B. Marshall

12. R. Wayne

13. A. Brown

14. M. Wallace

15. A. Johnson

16. P. Harvin

17. D. Thomas

18. B. LaFell

19. M. Colston

20. M. Floyd

21. D. Jackson

22. D. Bryant

23. W. Welker

24. G. Jennings

25. B. Lloyd

26. D. Amendola

27. L. Moore

28. T. Smith

29. L. Fitzgerald

30. D. Moore

31. M. Crabtree

32. G. Little

33. E. Decker

34. V. Jackson

35. D. Avery

36. K. Britt

37. D. Heyward-Bey

38. A. Hawkins

39. S. Hill

40. A. Boldin

TIGHT END

1. J. Graham

2. R. Gronkowski

3. V. Davis

4. M. Bennett

5. B. Celek

6. T. Gonzalez

7. A. Gates

8. B. Pettigrew

9. J. Finley

10. D. Pitta

11. S. Chandler

12. J. Witten

13. B. Myers

14. H. Miller

15. J. Gresham

Please feel free to discuss these rankings or give your own opinion in the comments section.  I want to hear from you!

Dap,
John

What are Fantasy Sports?

Courtesy of prosportschick.com

Some readers who happen across my blog might be asking themselves, "Fantasy whooza-whatza?  What in the world is this guy talking about?"  If you're not a big sports fan or familiar with fantasy sports, then that is a totally understandable question.  Let me answer it for you.

To explain fantasy sports, I'll give the example of fantasy football.  All fantasy sports are pretty similar in concept, so you will ideally be able to apply the basics of what I explain below to different sports in order to understand how other fantasy games work.  I'll try to break it down as easily as I can for you here and hopefully turn anyone who reads this blog into a big fantasy fan and most expert fantasy player out there.

THE CONCEPT

Fantasy football is a game of prognostication.  The goal is to pick which players you think will have the best football seasons.  Players have good season by running, receiving, or passing for yards and/or touchdowns.

THE DRAFT

Fantasy teams are generally chosen through a draft.  There is a pre-determined draft order set and, one-by-one, each fantasy team owner picks a football player and gradually fills their roster.

THE TEAM

The makeup of fantasy rosters has changed over the years.  Today, most leagues consist of 16-man rosters.  This includes nine starting players and seven bench spots.

1 Quarterback
2 Running Backs
2 Wide Receivers
1 RB/WR flexible
1 Tight End
1 Kicker
1 Defense
7 Bench

SCORING

Most fantasy football leagues using a scoring system similar to the following:

Passing Yards - 1 pt. per 25 passing yards
Passing Touchdowns - 6 pts. per passing touchdown
Rushing Yards - 1 pt. per 10 rushing yards
Rushing Touchdowns - 6 pts. per rushing touchdown
Receiving Yards - 1 pt. per 10 receiving yards
Receiving Touchdowns - 6 pts. per receiving touchdown

Any player can get points in any category.  For example, a quarterback will obviously pass for yards and touchdowns, but he can also run for yards and touchdowns as well.

Points are awarded to defenses for making special plays or holding an opposing team to a low score.  Points are awarded to kickers for making field goals and extra points.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

After the draft, fantasy owners are then responsible for managing their teams on a week-to-week basis throughout the year.  This includes watching out for potentially valuable fantasy players who weren't drafted and choosing who to put in their starting lineups.  In order to choose their starters, most fantasy owners will look at their player's recent performance and which defense that player is facing that week.

As a fantasy owner, your team will face a different fantasy owner each week.  The object of that matchup is to start the players on your team that will earn you the most points, and in turn, garner more points than your opponent.

WINNING IT ALL

If you've done a good enough job throughout the fantasy season, you might be rewarded with admission to your league's playoffs.  The playoffs are a tournament that takes place near the end of the NFL football season.  If you continue to win throughout the playoffs, you will ultimately be crowned your league's fantasy football champion!

I hope I've done a good job explaining the basics of fantasy football and fantasy sports in general.  I've listed some popular websites below where you can go and register to join a league and create your very own team.  Enjoy!

ESPN FANTASY SPORTS
YAHOO! FANTASY SPORTS
NFL.COM FANTASY FOOTBALL

Dap,
John

The Fantasy Dap Blog

I'm starting a fantasy sports blog.

Who am I?  My name is John V. Holder III.  I'm 28 and originally from Atlanta, Georgia, but currently living in Greensboro, NC.  I've been playing various fantasy sports since 2005, and I have been a sports fan ever since the Braves made their worst-to-first run in 1991.  I enjoy fantasy football, basketball, and baseball, and have won championships in all three.

In a dream scenario, I would do this sort of thing for a living.  Most of my time not spent working, husbanding, or studying (studying sometimes takes a backseat) is spent watching sports or trying to improve one of my fantasy teams.  It's just fun, and it makes watching sports more interesting.  If you're one of the many fantasy players out there, you know what I'm talking about.

Me.

One of the things that's always bugged me about all of the professional fantasy analysts out there is the lack of accountability.  You see these guys prognosticating on TV or online giving their weekly rankings and start 'em/sit 'em opinions, but they rarely come out the next week and discuss the things they were wrong about.  That's where I come in.

I plan on releasing my rankings every Thursday, discussing injuries/news and such (if needed) on Saturday, and then discussing waiver wire pickups and analyzing the accuracy of my rankings on Tuesday.  There will be additional content mixed in, but I anticipate those three blog posts to be the heart of The Fantasy Dap Blog.

The other purpose of this blog is to have a place for anyone out there to ask me advice on a week-to-week basis.  Ask about your flex position.  Ask me to evaluate your team or a potential trade.  Ask me anything at all.  I am here to help you, and I can't wait to get started.

Dap,
John