Week 2 picks and stuff

     I made my week 2 picks and just need to post them. I will do that before the end of the week. I need to set up my 3 interviews I am going to do this year for the blog. I am hoping to squeeze in some time for Halo ODST this week if my boys decide to share my game and my XBOX 360 with their dad.

    As far as football goes, I am going say this and stick by it. Last week is the first real step in the decline of the New England Patriots. A couple more losses like that and it will be hard to ignore the facts with smoke and mirrors. The Patriots are not as good as they used to be.

    I could wax poetic about the Saints, but I think I will start getting excited when we exceed our win total from last year. 2-0 is something I can not complain about so that is all I am going to say about them this week.

    Peyton Manning is something else. I can not say anything else because what I saw Monday defied an explanation. I saw a football clinic being put on for the Miami fans. He is simply that good.

    Thanks for stopping by, BWL

The best deal is the one you do not make - Jason Campbell

     My finger was hovering over the submit button on my Yahoo Fantasy Football site. I was getting ready to lock in Jason Campbell for my starting QB for Buckwheat Luvin. The numbers looked good and I liked the matchups. A pathetic Rams team against an Washington team that needed to show that they knew where the endzone was located for the Redskins faithful. I had visions of touchdowns from Redskins receivers and interceptions from a fired up defense at home. I had started the Washington defense as well.

     I had a nagging feeling though. Kind of like the one I get when I want to make sure all the buckwheat pancakes in my stack are properly buttered. Something was not right. Would I really sit Drew Brees in favor of Campbell? Would I really doubt my NFL team, the New Orleans Saints, to start someone from the Redskins? You see I was worried about the 4 interceptions the Eagles defense had against the Panthers last week and was a little nervous about the Saints being on the road.

     I said the fantasy footballer's prayer looked at my numbers and put Brees back in as my starter. I had to do some stuff with my family so I was not near anything for the first hour of games yesterday, but when I got back I was estatic. Brees was hitting anything that moved and for some reason the Washington team as a whole let me and alot of other teams down.

     This happens often in life and fantasy football. Usually there is nothing more than bragging rights at stake in fantasy football; however the same holds true in both areas. Sometimes not making the commitment is the best choice you can make. Hopefully I can continue to have some luck and instinct during the year.

    
   

NFL 2009 Fantasy Football Game of the Week - JC Jacquels vs Black Mamba

This is my pick for the fantasy game of the week. Black Mamba is counting on Tom Brady to seal the deal this time. I like JC Jacquel starting Clinton Porits going up against St Louis this week. It is going to be a good one, but I have to pick Black Mamba. See Matchup Below, BWL

Week Two Starting Lineup for Buckwheat Luv'in - Drew Brees or Jason Campbell

I picked up Jason Campbell (QB Washington Redskins) this week and I was thinking. The St. Louis Rams are going to be bad this year. Those sheep need to be sheared and put out to pasture to grow in some new wool or something because they reek.

The Redskins are playing the Rams at home this week. Seattle put up 446 net yards of offense on the Rams(279 net yards passing, 146 net yards rushing). Matt Hasselbeck threw 3 TDs and 2 INTs against the Rams.

This has me thinking......... What could Jason Campbell do against the Ram at home? I have Drew Brees. He is playing at Philadelphia and had a great week last week, I am not sure that he is going to throw 6 TDs for week 2 against a team that picked off Jake Delhomme from Carolina 4 times last week.

This is a common problem when you play Fantasy Football. How should you value your talent based on the conditions for the week? Should I look at past numbers? If so how far back should I go? It is too early in the season to really tell what I have so it is difficult to properly structure my analysis.

I am really on the fence and if I do not make the right choice I am 1-1 instead of 2-0. Also I run the risk of losing the points battle of one of these QBs have a bad day. Gotta run, BWL

Guest Writer - Sacramento Knights - Week 1 Crap

Sacramento Knights, Commissioner for the NFL2009 Fantasy League, wrote this piece and asked if I would post it. I have posted this piece without any edits. I think he speaks for a lot of NFL fans so read this piece and let me know if you agree. Thanks commish for offering this up for review.

Week 1 Crap

Sacramento Knights

I watched 4 games on this the opening weekend for the NFL. I watched Minnesota @ Cleveland, Denver @ Cincinnati, Buffalo @ New England, and San Diego @ Oakland. All these games have one thing in common...crap. The first two games the NFl cannot do anything about. It is what it is. The Minnesota game was the first regular season start for Brett Favre as the Vikings QB. Like nobody knew that. Kind of like Jerome Bettis is from Detroit during Pittsburgh steal of that Super Bowl against Seattle played in Detroit and was Jerome final games of his career(for all you Jim Rome fans). Yet all I heard from the broadcast team was how good Brett is and how well he managed the game and how Minnesota should be in the Super Bowl because now their team is complete now that Favre is there. What a bunch of crap! He managed not to throw an interception, he managed to not fumble the ball when he was sacked on several occasions. He managed the game well because he did not know the playbook and his team was winning most (not all) of the game.



The second game I watched was Denver @ Cincinnati. I can tell you that Denver is a crap team and played like it. The Bengals actually seem to play fairly decent. Back to Denver. Kyle Orton played like crap, Denver ran the ball like crap, McDaniels even seemed to coach like crap, but that was not the crappiest thing of all. Yes, I am speaking of the Stokley play at the end of the game to seal the win for Denver. That was crap! Denver still has some luck on their side after all. Stokley completely quits on the play and yet he still manages to be in the right place at the right time. So he makes his mad dash to the end zone for the win and the Bengals bad luck continues.i picked Denver to win that game but that should be a Bengal victory. denver and Stokley are completely undeserving of that win. I hate Denver anyways and I hope their luck runs out completely very soon. I miss the days when they were fighting with KC an S.D. for last place.



Buffalo @ New England. I absolutely hate the Patriots(and their fans). Now that is out of the way, When will the NFL finally kick this team back to the curb again. Ever since 9/11/01, the "Patriots" have been Americas team. What a coincidence. Wink, Wink. Why is it that the hoody and the Pretty boy get EVERYTHING their way. Their team is never penalized when the game is on the line, but there opponents are. How about that? Tuck rule, let not even go there. Yes, Raider fan is still bitter about that and rightfully so. The Patriots had a TD count and the Raiders in their game had one taken away. WHY? It was the same exact play! It just shows that it is OK for the Patriots but not for anyone else. That is crap! Anyone can have an incredible career and be consider that best QB when the refs and the league hand it to you on a silver platter(Lombardi Trophy). I am beyond fed up with this team and the preferential treatment they get. It will be a glorious day when they go back to last place and winning 3 games a year with nobody caring. That game, that win belongs to Buffalo. The Patriots were even given a first down without them getting the necessary yardage. They were a minimum of a yard short and the refs just gave them a first down. At the end of their drive was, of course, a touchdown. Buffalo got robbed and the refs helped. What crap.



Finally, I come to San Diego @ Oakland. I picked S.D. to wipe the floor with Oakland. It did not happen. It just shows that Norv Turner can run one of the most talented teams into the ground. The Raiders played very well, surprisingly. The game was ripped from the Raiders and given to the Chargers. The TD at the end of the first half that was taken away, is crap. The Patriots, as I stated above, had the same exact play count for a touchdown. Not the Raiders, heaven forbid. Murphy catches the ball with possession and not only does he have both feet land in the middle of the end zone, he even has his knees and hip hit the ground and still have possession. His arm that is holding the ball hits that ground and he still has possession. But, because he does not hang on to it as he is trying to stop and get up the pass is ruled incomplete. That is the biggest bunch of crap since the tuck rule game against the Patriots. How two teams can stay at opposite ends of the spectrum fro so long is unbelievable to me. Everything has to go against the Raiders and everything has to go right for the Patriots. Now, you can call me an extremely bitter Raiders fan and you would be right, but the facts are there and there are to many to list. You know I am right. It is a bunch of crap!

Week One Pick Results

I missed 6 games and Sac Knight missed 5. I don't think Oakland counts because of the clear touchdown that was taken away. Here is what I missed.

1. NY Jets over Houston. - Houston did not look ready and it showed.
2. Philadelphia over Carolina - Big win, I did not think Jake Delhomme would throw 4 picks on the first game of the season. Saints will have to play Philly tough next weekend.
3. Denver over Cincy - Cmon are you kidding me, you will never see something like that again in your lifetime. Brandon Stokley got that game ball for sure.
4. Giants over Washington - Totally missed that one, don't know what to say.
5. 49ers over Arizona - Love it, bet Michael Crabtree is feeling real good now.
6. San Diego over Oakland - I don't think this counts. Raiders got robbed of a touchdown. If I were Tom Cable I would be filing a complaint right now.

Could have been better, but I should improve over the course of the season. BWL

Buckwheat Luv'in vs Black Mamba

Almost a real scare, Black Mamba started Tom Brady and for the first half I thought I had nothing to worry about. Then in the last 5 minutes of the game, Brady can't miss a pass and throws 2 TDs!.Black Mamba scores 56 points with Tom Brady!

 All the sudden my lead shrinks to a point where I know I am going to lose with Black Mamba starting San Diego's defense. I lost Anthony Gonzalez at WR so I am remembering the fantasy footballer's prayer as the game starts with Oakland.

Long story short, I won my first week by 2 points (143 - 141). I need to do the following things for next week.

• Drop Anthony Gonzalez, WR - Hurt for Indianapolis
• Drop Reggie Bush, RB - Ineffective
• Drop Matt Schaub, QB - Ineffective
• Drop Leon Washington, RB - I think I can upgrade
• Drop New England's Defense - Should be able to pick up better defenses.

I would like to pick up another WR and 2 RBs for next weekend. Week 2 is the Sacaremento Knight who is ranked 3rd after week 1. I got to get to work. BWL

NFL picks for the week: Sacramento Knights and BuckWheat Luv'in

Week 1: NFL Picks - Can you do better?

     Last night The Sacaremento Knights and BuckWheat Luv'in started off the season with the fantays footballer's prayer and weekly picks. It is our tradition to go through the NFL2009 Fantasy League and pick who is going to win or the put up the most points. Then we move to the NFL and pick the winners for each week followed by our Game(s) of the Week.

     As for NFL2009 Fantasy League both Sac Knight and I believe that there is too much parity in our league to pick a high scorer or winner for this week. Here are our NFL picks for Week 1. Comment with your picks before game time (1:00 PM EST) and if you beat us or pick better the 75% at the end of the year, I will do an interview with you, and post it here on the blog.

Week 1

Game Our Pick

Steeler - Titans Game Recap

     I am sure Rob Bironas feels real good right about now. His two missed field goals that cost the Titans the game. I drafted him for one of my leagues but started Nick Folk from Dallas instead for week 1.

     This was a defensive game with both sides slugging it out until the third quarter when the passing game opened up. Kerry Collins still has it and I thought the rookie WR for the Ttians, Kenny Brit had a good night. He ran good routes and used his hands to catch the ball.

    While Big Ben did not throw alot of touchdowns tonight, he threw for alot of yards. He was 33 out of 43 for 363 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. Depending on how your fantasy league is setup, Ben could have made you some hay tonight. Whatever is going on for him personally, he did not bring it to the field.

     This game should not have gone into OT, but everytime you think Kickers are not really important to the team you find out otherwise. Overall, this was not a bad way to start the season. BWL.

    

Keurig K-Kop vs Quincy Patriots Week One - Who do you think will win?

This my work league. I am going up against the guy who got the first pick of the draft. Who do you think will win this week?

If you can't see the image on facebook go to http://footballfixx.blogspot.com/ and cast your vote. You can click on the image to make it bigger. Thanks

BuckWheat Luv'in vs Black Mamba - Who do you think will win.

This is the week one match up for BuckWheat Luv'in (Me) versus Black Mamba from the NFL 09 League. Who do you think will win?

If you can't see the image on FaceBook go to http://footballfixx.blogspot.com/ to cast your vote!

Get your lineup(s) in by tomorrow

If you own a fantasy football team and you have not done so already, get your lineup in before kickoff tomorrow. I know people say that will not forget, but do not leave it to chance. Put a line up tonight and tweak it tomorrow when you get home from work. Good Luck, BWL

Teaching my wife to do some fantasy football.

     Look, now that almost all workplaces ban fantasy football sites, or anything related to fantasy football, times can get kind of crazy. What is a guys supposed to do when a practice injury hits one of his players and he needs to make a move quick.

     Work was the perfect place to manage your team. If your boss came by and asked what you were doing, you could simply say, something about performance trends and valuation metrics. That was usually met with a smile and a pat on the back for being a smart worker. Those were happier times indeed.

     This calls for a solution I never thought I would take seriously. Getting my wife to do some work for me while she was at home. To me it would mean that she could get a glimpse into how hard I have to work to manage a team and we could grow closer together. RIGHT????

    So check back for LESSON 1: Logging into Yahoo Fantasy Football. I am sure it will be blast.

I am going to post my playoff and Super Bowl pick tomorrow.
    

Fantasy Draft - Not my best day

I was going to write something smooth and witty about my awesome draft and how found sleepers and smoked the competition. Yes, I was thinking about it this morning.

It would have been great too. Except for one small thing: I did not bring my draft folder and I did not email myself the draft sheets I made. I totally dropped the ball. I winged it the entire draft because I can't access home email and yahoo fantasy at work.

I am so mad at myself that all I can say right now is good night.

My NFC South Rankings

Here is my view on how the NFC South (Bucs, Falcons, Panthers, and Saints) will turn out.

Tampa Bay Buccaners

I don't care who you are. You can't fire your offensive coordinator less than two weeks before the season starts and expect to have great success. I feel like the Bucs should go back to their old uniforms because it seems like we have rolled back the clock to the bad days. I don't know what is going on with this team and I am not too confident of their prospects in an improved division from last year.

Carolina Panthers

After watching Jake Delhomme's miserable performance in last year's playoff game against the Cardinals, I thought there would have major cleaning of the kitty litter box for the Panthers. Instead it seems they have taken a calm approach while realizing the window of oppurtunity may close this year. The Panthers have always played the Saints tough so while I think the Saints are better on paper, I consider the Panthers to be an early dark horse to go to the NFC Championship Game this year.

Atlanta Falcons

This team was a complete surprise last year. Hats off to Matt Ryan for being a Ist round pick that lived up to the hype and expectations. He handled himself real well and there is no indication right now that he can not do the same this year. Tony Gonzalez will give the Falcons and experienced Tight End who is not expected to carry the whole team. I like how Michael Turner runs the ball. I love it. If they can repeat last year's success then this is a dangerous team.

New Orleans Saints

As a Saints fan I can tell you that I was not happy with the way the season went last year. I felt we were trending toward the Jim Haslett years where we started out good and got consistently worse. All I can say is for the first time in a long time it appeared that the Saints were serious about fixing problems in the off season. Gregg Williams has been allowed to re work the defense and I have to think Saints Fans will see results this year as our defense was painful to watch last year.

We had no major injuries to our starters this year and we have a full receiving corps starting for our opening game at home versus the Lions. If you are a fantasy team owner and have Drew Brees, this is a must start situation.

My expectations are playoff this year for my team. If the Saints do not make the playoffs then I will not be happy. It is not an unrealistic expectation given the talent we have.

Final Rankings: Low to High

4. Tampa Bay

3. Caronlina

2. Falcons

1. Saints

Draft Question - 7th pick, Ist Round

I am in another league and I get the 7th pick in the first round. I am at a loss to see who I should pick first. For some reason, I am thinking QB. I think all the high profile running backs will be gone. Any suggestions?

College Football Recap: Virginia Tech and LSU

     Usually, I don't go bonkers during the first week of college football. I feel this way because in my experience is it some no name team getting the stuffing beaten out of them by a high caliber team (USC, Penn State, LSU, Norte Dame, etc.) This week was no exception with some teams ringing up a half a hundred or more on their opponents. YAWN. I liked the following games

1. OSU vs Georgia - I thought the Bulldogs were going to romp. I was mistaken, and it proved to be good game with the Cowboys playing some inspired football.
2. Virginia Tech  vs Alabama. Again, I thought the Tide was going to roll big over Virginia Tech . In the first half both teams were playing hard, and Vanderbilt took the oppurtunities Alabama gave them in the first half. As a former Nick Sabban disciple, I can tell you that adjustments were made at half time and Alabama decided to play football. As an LSU fan, I don't think I have ever rooted that hard for Virginia Tech .

     I have not watched the LSU game yet (I DVRed it) so the only thing I can say right now is I thought the score was going to be alot higher. It is all good to me because with Georgia losing LSU should stay at 11 or move into the top 10. We will see when the rankings come out.

     I tend to start paying attention to NCAA when week 3 hits and the puffballs are out of the way. Until then, it is hard for me to get excited. Norte Dame over Neveda? Huh? Just can't do it.

Fantasy Football Prep and First Interview

     My wife is making me apple cinnamon pancakes. I don't have any buckwheat pancake mix. While she is making some Luv'in goodness I wanted to go over my checklist for my upcoming fantasy season. I also am getting ready to do my first interview from another team owner from another league.

BuckWheat Luvin's Fantasy Football Checklist

1. Enable Live Scoring for my three leagues
2. For this week, I am looking at the match ups for the NFL games to determine my starting lineups.
3. Check injury reports. If there is a last minute scratch have sub ready.
4. Check waiver wire on Monday and see if there is anyone I would like to grab for extra points.
5. Make sure I have the gentleman's wager with Black Mamba in writing.
6. Have notebook, pens, markers, and highlighters ready for post game analysis.
7. For the blog, try to determine the best matchup for week one to do a write-up.
8. On 09/13/09, it will be on like Donkey Kong. I have to do the easiest thing and make sure all my lineups are in and submitted! It would not be good if I forgot this most important step. Commish will remind us, but he should not have to at this point.
9. Last but not least, I need to order some buckwheat pancake mix.

I will be on everyday until kickoff going over NCAA, NFL, CFL and league stuff. Later BWL

NFL2009 Fantasy Football League - Teams

The football season opens on 09/13/09. Which means Wednesday night and Thursday millions of men will at their computers tweaking their lineup and going over the waiver wire. Without further ado, here are the teams that make up the NFL2009 Fantasy Football League.

1. Defensor Fortis
2. brewdog
3. kram nation
4. SACRAMENTO KNIGHTS
5. CB's Rebels
6. Black Mamba
7. JC Jacquels
8. BuckWheat Luvin 09 - Me

One of the best things about the internet and fantasy football is geographic boundaries are no longer and issue. For instance, brewdog is from the west coast, JC Jacquels is from far up north while Black Mamba hails from New England. It does not matter where we live, we all love football. I will do profiles on each team during the season so keep reading.

Retirement: Bruschi and Favre

Retirement: Bruschi and Favre

     I am not a Patriots fan, but I cannot help but contrast how Tedy Bruschi and Brett Favre did the whole retirement program thing for the NFL. By the way, even though I am not a Patriots fan there was several times I wished he was in a Saints uniform. I was impressed that he was still playing at 37, but wondered how effective he would be when Chris Cooley burned right by him for a 70+ yard gain in pre-season. I did not have to wonder. Tedy is retired and he made it clear that he was done with football. Tedy assessed the situation and decided to hang up his football cleats. He went out on top and for that he has my respect.

     I watched the Houston/Vikings preseason game and my opinion is this. I just don't see Favre being effective for 16 games. I am not buying it. Even though the ESPN Monday Night crew were singing his praises, I did not see him as an upgrade over Sage Rosenfels who the Vikings spent money and draft picks to acquire.



     I wish Tedy the best and if you are a Vikings fan you need to look no further than last year to get an idea of where you team will be in December. I could be wrong, but I do not think so this time.