Last Place Wisdom: Week Seven - 2 posts in one week? Maybe I'm not as busy as I think I am.
As good as my previous troll was, I really do have lots of fantasy football related items to write about. As frustrating as fantasy can be at times, it really does provide a level of highs and lows that is tough to compare in a lot of other competitive pursuits that one takes part in. I was thinking last year to was bad for flip-flopping emotions; a couple of bad losses in the middle of the season had me incredibly close to wanting to blow my team up, only to turn things around and make my second fantasy championship game in a row. Despite how up and down last year felt, this year has worked on my emotions even more. High expectations to start the season; worry as my injuries pile up, hope as I pull out some close wins, despair as I lose horribly; overall I haven’t been able to make sense of how I should feel about this season.
This wide range of feelings would normally be expressed as my muse, dictating what I write in Last Place Wisdom. However, when I’m not writing regularly, these ideas tend to pile up in my brain. In order to get them out, this week is going to be more of a rapid fire approach to the blog.
• The lowest point in my season, and perhaps entire fantasy football life, came in Week 6, when I put up 67 points on a week when the Monday Night Football game led to some incredible comebacks and outcomes. To piggyback on the popular meme, I felt like my team was basically a Fantasy NPC; I had no real options on which players to play, and was destined to play out the season as basically a spectator, not really having any impact on the ultimate outcome of the league. It was only busyness and laziness that kept it from becoming a fantasy “bit” for the year.
• It was probably a good thing that I didn’t run with it, as it was overly self-pitying and I no longer feel that way about my team. Despite my horrendous record, a few things have broken my way since then and I still think I have a shot at competing. A lot of that probably has to do with the potential of LeVeon Bell to impact the end of my season.
• My loss to Andrew was pretty crushing, in a different way than losing by .2 points or losing with the 2nd highest score of the week, but crushing all the same. My Slack avatar might have been changed to reflect covering up tears, but honestly it didn’t bum me out nearly as much as it could have. Probably because a few weeks earlier I could see nothing to look forward to until next season, but now I feel like things are looking up.
• On that note, the team I really feel sorry for is Stan. Injuries have hit him really hard, and I think he has the makings of a good team. He’s made perhaps the best waiver wire pickups of the year with Boyd and Lindsay. When I traded him the Freeman brothers, I thought maybe it would give him enough current help to get him into the playoff race, but further injuries have blown that up spectacularly. Things have really broken poorly for him, and honestly I feel bad.
• Ingram for Chubb was an obvious trade as soon as Ingram returned from suspension and Chubb got the starting job in Cleveland to himself, so I’m glad it happened. Dawson’s need was to find some good keeper value at RB this year, and then combine that with early round picks next year to get back to contention. Chubb is a good start, Mack looks like he has potential, and if Ronald Jones can get things going Dawson could be primed to be next year’s Aaron.
• Speaking of trades, I’ve been surprised and a little disappointed in the seeming lack of trades this season compared to last. John and Travis explain it that too many teams are competitive and believe they can win with the team that they have, which makes a certain amount of sense. In my opinion, with how tight things are and how many good teams there are, it’s primed for a team to make a move and distinguish themselves. I mean, I was ready to firesale my team at my lowest point, and was surprised by the lack of interest in some of my players, but perhaps it was too early in the season. Maybe John’s Ingram trade opens things up, and if I don’t get too busy, next week’s Last Place Wisdom will look the potential trades I think should be made.
• Mr. Manager of the Week Award – This is being given to Mike this installment, as he deserves to be recognized for maintaining his perfect record this long. There is certainly a measure of Fantasy Warlockry to his success so far, as potentially dark forces have helped him win close games, but he has built a remarkable consistent team that has not had any truly bad weeks so far.
• It’s hard to pick the Mr. Manager of the week based on transactions this year; there have only been 2 really great waiver pickups in my mind, and those are Lindsay and Boyd both by Stan. With such big rosters there are few truly impactful players who have been available to add, which is something that could impact how the league drafts and bids going forward.
• Speaking of the draft, QB’s help absolutely no value on draft night, but that has changed immensely in the 7 weeks in between now and then. People are hoarding quarterbacks on their rosters and paying large FAAB prices for them, in a complete turnaround from coming out of the draft. Maybe now that bye weeks are starting to be over people won’t feel the need to roster quite as many of the position.
• So I was reminded of this while watching figure skating on the weekend, but one of the things I thought about in the off-season was changing my team name back to Sexy Sacks Men, just so the musical interludes on the blog could be looking at some of the best uses of saxophone in modern popular music. A smooth sax solo is truly something to experience, and improves every piece of music you put it into. Maybe I’ll get around to that at a later date, but for now, let your ears be massaged by the velvet touch of Careless Whisper.
• Quick thoughts on my PowerPowell rankings since the last time I wrote. Brett and Mike have gone up, Travis has gone down, other than that things have mostly become muddier.
1. Clarke
2. Mike
3. Shayne
4. Brett
5. John
6. Aaron
7. Travis
8. Steve
9. Andrew
10. Keith
11. Dawson
12. Stan
• Despite what might have been claimed on the podcast, the top 6 are probably in the playoffs, there are 2 spots up for grabs that any of the bottom 6 could grab with a hot streak, and any of the top 5 teams can probably be considered true contenders at this point. Does a fringe playoff team make a push for that last spot? Do Aaron or Travis make a move to try and join the contenders? Does one of the top 5 make a move to separate themselves from the rest? Lots of interesting storylines these next couple of weeks.
On the Real next Last Place Wisdom
This wide range of feelings would normally be expressed as my muse, dictating what I write in Last Place Wisdom. However, when I’m not writing regularly, these ideas tend to pile up in my brain. In order to get them out, this week is going to be more of a rapid fire approach to the blog.
• The lowest point in my season, and perhaps entire fantasy football life, came in Week 6, when I put up 67 points on a week when the Monday Night Football game led to some incredible comebacks and outcomes. To piggyback on the popular meme, I felt like my team was basically a Fantasy NPC; I had no real options on which players to play, and was destined to play out the season as basically a spectator, not really having any impact on the ultimate outcome of the league. It was only busyness and laziness that kept it from becoming a fantasy “bit” for the year.
• It was probably a good thing that I didn’t run with it, as it was overly self-pitying and I no longer feel that way about my team. Despite my horrendous record, a few things have broken my way since then and I still think I have a shot at competing. A lot of that probably has to do with the potential of LeVeon Bell to impact the end of my season.
• My loss to Andrew was pretty crushing, in a different way than losing by .2 points or losing with the 2nd highest score of the week, but crushing all the same. My Slack avatar might have been changed to reflect covering up tears, but honestly it didn’t bum me out nearly as much as it could have. Probably because a few weeks earlier I could see nothing to look forward to until next season, but now I feel like things are looking up.
• On that note, the team I really feel sorry for is Stan. Injuries have hit him really hard, and I think he has the makings of a good team. He’s made perhaps the best waiver wire pickups of the year with Boyd and Lindsay. When I traded him the Freeman brothers, I thought maybe it would give him enough current help to get him into the playoff race, but further injuries have blown that up spectacularly. Things have really broken poorly for him, and honestly I feel bad.
• Ingram for Chubb was an obvious trade as soon as Ingram returned from suspension and Chubb got the starting job in Cleveland to himself, so I’m glad it happened. Dawson’s need was to find some good keeper value at RB this year, and then combine that with early round picks next year to get back to contention. Chubb is a good start, Mack looks like he has potential, and if Ronald Jones can get things going Dawson could be primed to be next year’s Aaron.
• Speaking of trades, I’ve been surprised and a little disappointed in the seeming lack of trades this season compared to last. John and Travis explain it that too many teams are competitive and believe they can win with the team that they have, which makes a certain amount of sense. In my opinion, with how tight things are and how many good teams there are, it’s primed for a team to make a move and distinguish themselves. I mean, I was ready to firesale my team at my lowest point, and was surprised by the lack of interest in some of my players, but perhaps it was too early in the season. Maybe John’s Ingram trade opens things up, and if I don’t get too busy, next week’s Last Place Wisdom will look the potential trades I think should be made.
• Mr. Manager of the Week Award – This is being given to Mike this installment, as he deserves to be recognized for maintaining his perfect record this long. There is certainly a measure of Fantasy Warlockry to his success so far, as potentially dark forces have helped him win close games, but he has built a remarkable consistent team that has not had any truly bad weeks so far.
• It’s hard to pick the Mr. Manager of the week based on transactions this year; there have only been 2 really great waiver pickups in my mind, and those are Lindsay and Boyd both by Stan. With such big rosters there are few truly impactful players who have been available to add, which is something that could impact how the league drafts and bids going forward.
• Speaking of the draft, QB’s help absolutely no value on draft night, but that has changed immensely in the 7 weeks in between now and then. People are hoarding quarterbacks on their rosters and paying large FAAB prices for them, in a complete turnaround from coming out of the draft. Maybe now that bye weeks are starting to be over people won’t feel the need to roster quite as many of the position.
• So I was reminded of this while watching figure skating on the weekend, but one of the things I thought about in the off-season was changing my team name back to Sexy Sacks Men, just so the musical interludes on the blog could be looking at some of the best uses of saxophone in modern popular music. A smooth sax solo is truly something to experience, and improves every piece of music you put it into. Maybe I’ll get around to that at a later date, but for now, let your ears be massaged by the velvet touch of Careless Whisper.
• Quick thoughts on my PowerPowell rankings since the last time I wrote. Brett and Mike have gone up, Travis has gone down, other than that things have mostly become muddier.
1. Clarke
2. Mike
3. Shayne
4. Brett
5. John
6. Aaron
7. Travis
8. Steve
9. Andrew
10. Keith
11. Dawson
12. Stan
• Despite what might have been claimed on the podcast, the top 6 are probably in the playoffs, there are 2 spots up for grabs that any of the bottom 6 could grab with a hot streak, and any of the top 5 teams can probably be considered true contenders at this point. Does a fringe playoff team make a push for that last spot? Do Aaron or Travis make a move to try and join the contenders? Does one of the top 5 make a move to separate themselves from the rest? Lots of interesting storylines these next couple of weeks.
On the Real next Last Place Wisdom
- Everyone decides to make trades early, leaving me nothing to talk about in my trade advice column (of course I’d probably be too busy to write it anyway)
- I lose a close game to John, and the optimism I have at finally playing better begins to be replaced by frustration at close losses.
- The Sexy Sacks Men make their comeback in a vain attempt at changing my fortune.
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