Touchdown Tuesday: Let me count the ways

So this week I want to take a look at wide receivers as we start getting into peoples fantasy drafts.  That first round can be make or break and I want to take a look back into our recent past to see how those top projected players actually fared ... did they live up to the hype or or let frustration and angst reign supreme!

Stop The Presses!

Before we get to that I sit here watching Monday Night Preseason football and what happens but Odell Beckham needs some attention ... and boy oh boy did Gruden and his crew grab on to it.  I think Beckham is an over grown child and the refs should have thrown a flag when he threw the football across the field but he can catch the oblong ball.  Best art of all is when he realized the camera was behind him and decided to lay down.  My ten year old does that when he "hurts" himself and wants attention.  Just sayin ... also here come the chants for "Get rid of the preseason!"

Whose on First?

The 2016 top ten Average Draft positions at ESPN are as follows ... 1. Antonio Brown  2. Odell Beckham  3. Julio Jones  4. DeAndre Hopkins  5. AJ Green  6. Allen Robinson  7. Dez Bryant    8. Jordy Nelson  9.Brandon Marshall and 10. Alshon Jeffrey.    

The top ten finishing wrs were ... 1. Jordy Nelson  2. Mike Evans  3. Antonio Brown  4. OBJ  5. TY Hilton  6. Julio Jones  7. Davante Adams  8. Michael Thomas  9. Doug Baldwin  10. Brandin Cooks.  (Top 10 in both are highlighted in blue)

Only 4 out of the top ten wrs selected finished in the top ten.  If I was a betting man , and I am, those are not cards I'm playing!  Brown, Beckham, and Jones are no surprise  Robinson, Hopkins, and Marshall had terrible team/QB situations and really should have been spotted before the year.  Green and Jeffrey really surprised me.  There is a time when a payer just falls off.  Green is one of my all time favorite fantasy players (Matt Forte is my all time favorite!) and I sure hope he has a slow and steady decline the way he should, since there's not much hope for a Peyton Manning triumphal exit.

What Have We Learned?

Ultimately there is a soft science to this.  Outside of injury there is a decent chance if you look at the entire team.  It is a team sport and that has to be remembered in these first round evaluations.  

I mentioned two of my all time favorite fantasy players.  I love how they play and their consistency and their determination.  I love having those guys on my team and that is a HUGE part of this point.  This is about fun so get players you like having.  I dabbled in a trade for Odell Beckham last year and regretted it the minute I made it.  I think he played on my team for about 2 weeks until I traded him away again.

Anyways, more news and fantasy to come and let me know what you want to hear about!

Touchdown Tuesday ... Same old story

Week 2 and this is the same old story already ... gonna talk about Elliott and Kaepernick because even after the first week of preseason there is nothing else to talk about!  Perhaps we jumped into this a few weeks early for great fun information!

To Play or Not To Play

Elliott has been suspended for 6 games, which is exactly what the policy says.  He is most likely going to appeal and that will be a very interesting timeline that is going to play out.  Tune in next week for more Ezekiel!

It will make fantasy drafts interesting though.  Where does a top 5 RB go if you know he is gonna miss 6 games.  You get the last 6 games which would include the fantasy playoffs so that would be great ... BUT ... What if he appeals and it's denied and he serves his 6 games later in the year.  This is a tough one in early and even any draft.

Cut the Kaepernick

I will say that unless there is legitimate news I promise to steer clear as much as possible but I really don't understand why people are not talking about the real issue here.  Colin Kaepernick is not good enough to start in the NFL and he brings too much drama.  Exhibit A was Brandon Marshall.  Exhibit B Michael Bennett.  Both players have made or are making the same type of stand but both are actually good!

I have not heard anyone mention this.  How is this being bypassed.  I'm just not following the lack of logic and I am completely willing to listen, but it doesn't seem that anyone else is at this point.

Preseason Playtime

I am really hoping the preseason reveals something interesting or these rambling thoughts are going to fall to an empty reader less nothing!  So here's to the next couple weeks and more things like Sammy Watkins and Jordan Matthews because those would be fun to talk about!

Next week we are gonna look a bit more into fantasy last year and where some of those top tens ended up.  You may be surprised where the winners really are!

Touchdown Tuesday ... The Return!

Many years have gone by since Touchdown Tuesday felt the need for a post.  There are countless other Football blogs and podcasts and pretty much anything you could want to get the rambling thoughts that will be plastered on this wall ... but it's time for the return, time for the ramblings, time for this plaster to hit the fan!

First Things First

Let me re-clear the air ... I am a Panthers fan so there may be some bias and lean towards my team.  I also don't believe in fair and take that across the board.  And lastly, I may not be consistent!  Just a warning ... I love writing this and talking about football but I love other things more that may take priority.

Now that all of that mess is out of the way let's talk some football!

Suffer the Colinsequences

Feel free to use that as your Fantasy Football name by the way!  The overarching news in the slow season of sports has been Colin Kaepernick.  I have no problem with his protest or how he went about it (I wouldn't have done it that way but it worked).  I have all kinds of problems with his pig socks, Castro shirt, and general disdain for police as a whole.  He is doing to cops what he says shouldn't be done to people ... judging them all by their group!

And media has taken their side ... That its just the kneeling that is causing no team to want him.  I'd disagree and I have proof!  The highest paid non-QB in the league is Broncos Linebacker Brandon Marshall.  Guess what ... he knelt during the anthem.  He is not wearing pig socks or arguing with reporters and people love him (me included!)

Plus, people have forgotten that he was a back up when all this got started, about to be cut in fact!  I was of the belief then that it was all a stunt because after that how could the 49ers cut him without huge outrage!  Now its turned into he deserves a spot ... no-one deserves anything and the weight of the problems he brings is higher than the reward of paying him.

By the way, remember that he was NOT a starter when all the kneeling started.  I said then it was a publicity stunt because rumor was the 49ers were about to cut him and how could they do that with him making this stand!?!  Just sayin ...

Phone Home

Elliott ... ELLIOTT (read that in your best ET voice!)  So many kids go crazy their first year of college, away from home with some freedom and a ton of people.  I believe that's what's happening

with Ezekiel Elliott.  Guy just went from being top dog and doing whatever he wanted with little to no consequences in college to being top dog and doing whatever he wants with little to no consequences AND having millions of dollars to support that!  He's gotta get it under control and pretty quick though, you're an adult man.  Call home and see what your mom says about your actions!

Side Note

I'm way confused how the NFL is handling this situation. There was a 6 game policy established when the Ray Rice outrage happened but it isn't consistent at all.  It would make more sense to have a case by case basis policy.  Now they are talking about 1 or 2 games for this domestic abuse issue, unless they are looking at something else ... which is entirely possible and in fact Jerry Jones alluded to that last night in the Hall of Fame game.  Ultimately who knows!?!?

Finally Fantasy

 I just finished finalizing the details with my co-commissioner for our league this year and I am super
pumped!  Also I may be starting a league with my wife which would also be super fun!  I get super excited about this stuff and there are a ton of great fantasy players that I'm excited about this year ... much more to come on that!



Let me know what you want to hear or any thoughts on Touchdown Tuesday moving forward!