We’re about at the 25% mark of our regular season, and we already have some interesting stories in the league.
First, acquisitions. Paul has used 33% of his already. Most everyone else has 3 or 4 acquisitions used. Ventura used his first one this week.
Secondly, I have some responses to what’s going on.
Let’s look bottom-up:
Melton - @awmelman I’m just waiting for your team to get a victory. Are you set for 1st place? No. But we are still early enough for you to make a playoff run. You haven’t made any transactions this week. In fact, you’ve only added Brian Quick and Bernard Pierce since trading me kickers before the season’s start.
Commish advice: Aside from moving players from this week’s byes, you need to look into getting a RB to trust in. Some kind of workhorse to be cemented into your lineup. Rodgers has too much talent to give up on now and your backup with Alex Smith is solid, so QB searching is not high on your priority list.
Paul - @PaulDawg Ouch man. Injuries and timezone issues with late scratches mean that you are the true underdog story of the year. So “PaulDawg,” what are you gonna do about it? I like the Owen Daniels pickup and I think your team still has the talent to break the playoff threshhold. Arian might be out this week though, keep checking on him.
Commish advice: As much as I hate to say it, Foles works at QB. He just keep throwing and people (hopefully Maclin) just keep catching. You should look into another RB to replace Fred Jackson and then you can decide on Roddy White/James Jones/Fred Jackson combos for Flex and positions. Welker should be ready to go soon and he should be right at home in your WR core.
Alex - @Alex You’ve lost some close matches, but that means your team is consistently competitive. Marshall & Cobb are good WR to keep around and Gronk has a huge upside. I respect taking a chance with Kirk Cousins in this week’s pickup.
Commish advice: Fish around to see what you could get for Vereen or S. Jackson. There are a lot of teams in need of an RB and you might get someone to keep you afloat during this time when Jamaaaaaaal is sitting on his hands
Andrew - @ventura you FINALLY dropped the law firm. We’ve been waiting. With Bennett, Rivers/Brees, & McCoy, the victories were just waiting to happen. You’ve been wonderfully screwed over by Monday night football in weeks past, and finally you had a Monday night that gave you the edge. Bennett is key to your success.
Commish advice: I have no idea what your plan is when your RBs have bye weeks. I like McCoy and Johnson, but you need a third. Maybe try to buy low from an RB that’s not doing well? Maybe find Shonn Greene or equilvalent? Also you still have 3 kickers so… yeah.
Jon - @jonathan you won your first 2 games despite projections. Now that you’ve had the taste of defeat, I’m curious if that will have some kind of affect on your strategy. I think you have a pretty tough schedule ahead with Chasen and myself back-to-back weeks as well as facing Chasen, Mike, & Garrett twice this year. You need to get secure victories where you can.
Commish advice: Your team is extremely sound and I like it a lot. The debate is whether or not you do a re-arrangement of everything to give you those one or two players that are powerful. Stafford is supposed to be that and so is Lacy. What you do with Lacy in these weeks will likely determine your overall success this year.
Mike - @mikeastock I like Jared Cook, but I also was eyeballing the Dolphins D/ST. I hope that pickup works in your favor. You’ve made some smart choices on the waiver wire thus far, and I think that savvy will keep you in playoff contention all year long.
Commish advice: I don’t think you can screw up too bad with your schedule and the players you have. Robinson isn’t your flex guy though. Knile Davis should be your guy for right now and if Jamaal gets back to form, maybe Decker?
Ian A - @ianamunrud I respect the Lions D/ST pickup. Your competitive spirit makes you constantly aware of what’s going on. You also recognize risks and reward well, and to that effect I anticipate you in the playoffs every year barring ridiculous injuries.
Commish advice: your team doesn’t really have any weaknesses. I also think your week 7-11 is one of the easiest stretches of games for anyone. You end the season playing Paul-Chasen-Melton which at this point is great for you. Keep all of your pickups with the long-term in mind. You want guys who will work well during weeks 14-16.
Garrett - @gbhart It’s worked. It makes some kind of sense, but it’s not entirely obvious. Malcom Floyd and the Chargers D/ST were great pickups in my eyes. You have one of the harder schedules in my opinion, so your success will definitely be earned.
Commish advice: unfortunately, no one really needs receivers. I would look for a way to pair up Torrey Smith and Malcom Floyd to get someone who is going to blow it up down the stretch and fire you straight through the playoffs. That being said, there is a running back need. With Ellington & Murray pretty set, all of a sudden Bell, Miller and Bradshaw become important pieces to someone’s team. You may be able to get good deals for them. Or a team like Ventura could use an Isaiah Crowell which I anticipate you didn’t have too much plan for.
Chasen - @chasenrogers What do you tell the only undefeated person in the league? Well, if you want to beat them, you tell them to sit back, relax, and enjoy coasting through the season. But you know better than that. This league is competitive and you always need to be on your toes. Dropping D. Brown early may not have been the best call, but you’ve picked up guys that have upside, which you will need greatly. You have a very even schedule in my eyes, so you should be continuing to find success.
Commish advice: You need a better backup QB. Kap is too volatile. He’s fine as a starter for now, but Flacco will not carry you to the Jackman Championship game. You have WR to offer and potentially RBs in Ridley, Sproles, or Greene. RBs are hot commodities and you can use that to your advantage while you secure a position that garners the most fantasy points.
And with playing melton hopefully my back up receivers will be enough.