Week 3 P0\/\/3R R4/\/k1/\/Gz

Week 2 saw an arithmetic move to the middle.  4 of the 6 week one winners picked up a second victory, leaving each division with pairs of teams at 2-0, 1-1, and 0-2 respectively.  Of the four 0-2 only one was a playoff team last year.  Of the four undefeated, three are 2nd round playoff teams from last year.  Neither end of the mega-trade played to a high level in Week 2, but with Rodgers conservative numbers, you'd have to give round 1 to the Brief and their sorely needed ground game from Frank the Tank.    Is it just me or do half the teams need a tight end this week?  That and the big three QBs from last year are all struggling - is the  QB-era over already?  Week 2's that wonderful kind of time, where the season starts to take shape but everybody's still in play.  It's a cool, early autumn week in New York, a good time for trades, unpacking sweaters, and reminiscing about last years OWS battle scars, even if they are from VD.  Set a course for Rankings -  engage.



1.) AEthernauts  (Last week - #1) -  2-0
The Aetherials have found the track they left off last season and soared to another big win in week 2 over Eleatic challengers Spinners. No one was spectacular this week, but everyone was on the board.  QB Vick put up 21, and Megatron has yet to break out with only 9 and the Jags checked the Andre down to a 2.  McCoy and Sproles both put up double digits, and  Turner sat the bench in favor of Ridley who rolled a 9. The Nauts were in the bottom third of the league in scoring this week, a downgrade will be all but inevitable if the air game doesn't break out.    

Next week - Cincinnati Dangles  -  The mercurial Cincinnati franchise is a danger to all around it.  If the AEthernauts descend below triple digits, they'll be ripe for an upset. 

2.) TakingTigerMountain (last week 3)  2-0-Massive days from Spiller (predicted) and the Packers D/ST, Clay Matthews (unpredicted) hid TTM's QB weakness in Week 2.  Matt Stafford struggled mightily against the best pass defense in the NFC, but did manage to hit Pettigrew for a garbage time double titration.  With Luck's first bench success under his belt, TTM's QB controversy is always only one loss away. QB issues aside, as long as TTM holds three bell-cow RBs you can pencil them for blue-chip - opponents should be vigorously rooting for F-Jax's rehab. 

Next week -  Pr1m0rdi4lLyfestylz®  - In an obvious "Yikes" match-up this Commish bowl features growing antagonism, public grudges, lawsuits and a desperate Primordial squad in an in-division shoot out.  We expect to see a range of bets on the current commish's expected misstep here.


3.) BldgDW3LL1NGTh1nk1ng   (last week 5)   2-0
-Heidegger's crew picked up a skin-of-their-teeth MNF victory with kicker Matt Bryant finishing off a new look Pelicans squad. BDT won despite drawing two zeros and a  7 from QB2 Schaub.  When they win the story will involve premium backs Rice and Foster who combined for 34.  But this week they got some love from their air attack with Nicks getting the main benefits of the Giants comeback and Lafell drawing 11 as a sleeper pick.  With Gates and Britt still question marks BDT needs a fuller bench stat, or we'll likely see a downgrade next week.

Next week -  GrossmanSachs  - they'll play the other half of the mega trade in week 3, but don't count on Rodgers going as quietly against Seattle this time.

4.) Tusken Raiders (last week 9) 1-1
-In triple digits for the 2nd week in a row, the Raiders picked up an upset over the Ferries in Week 2.  Massive games from Bowe and Bush, together 53, fueled the furnace.  Redman had 9 on their bench, and Bush will get increased looks if Forte misses time.  It could fit nicely with for Tusken FC, if Bradshaw misses a start with his neck injury.  Luck's emergence could make Wayne a viable flex option going forward. Matty Ice and Philip Rivers give the a solid two QB option.    They still need a few more breaks to "show" as long term, but things are starting to look up for the Sand People.

Next week - ThePelicanBrief  - The Tuskens face a tough test against the new look Brief, they'll need to be in triple digits for a third straight week to compete here.

5.)  SanFranciscoFerries (last week 4)   1-1
-The San Francisco Treats' luck ran out in Week 2 as they caught a hot Tuskens FC and took a deathblow from Matty Ice on MNF.  The good news is that carry-over stars Newton and Cruz got down to work in week 2, combining for 58 of their 109.  Jamaal Charles has to be the biggest question mark here, it's been a good while since he's been b34st.  Without him approaching 2010 levels, SFF will roll with a variety of RB2.  Their wildcard week-to-week may be kicking god Akers, who is perfect on the year and perfectly placed in a good-but-not-great offense. 

Next week -  Trichotillomaniacs  - The Ferries will look to rebound against an upwardly mobile Trichs team and pull their way above .500.

6.)  GrossmanSachs  (last week 7) 2-0
-Aaron Rodgers' Sachs' debut failed to impress, but a series of other low-balls sent the Sachs profits careening wildly in Week 2.  They needed miracle-producing visor-aficionado Willis McGahee in the closing minutes of MNF to pull it out.  Fitzgerald got shut down by the Pats.  Fred Davis has yet to find a groove with RGIII, and evidently suffered a concussion.  Oakland's D/ST took the ever-painful negative number. Miles Austin and D-Jax (bench) both picked up double digits in the receiving corps.   Hillis may show increasing signs of life if Charles continues to run like a dead fish for the Chiefs. 

Next week - BldgDW3LL1NGTh1nk1ng - the Sachs will look to knock BDT out of the top tier with a first powerful A-Rodg game of the season.     

7.) HomeSpunNeckBloodz (last week 2)   1-1
-The Spinners missed out on a big "show-me" opportunity in Week 2 against the Nauts.  But there's plenty of reason to think that they're a legit playoff threat this year. Peyton's neck held up in another shoot out, even if his numbers bottomed out.  V-Jax's big day gave the Bloodz their Tampa mojo, and if the Buc's offense proves seaworthy this year he's probably going to be a big part of it.  CJ?K's struggles will stay front page news until the Titans find a blocking scheme or he gets a little more creative.  Forte's ankle injury will likely keep the Bloodz out of blue chip for the short term.  But Hernandez's knee injury will force them to go to the wire.

Next week - Phat Girlz  - if the Bloodz can't sift out some help from their bench/wire they'll be an underdog against a ready-to-surge Girlz club.




8.)  Cincinnati Dangles (last week 10)   1-1
-The Dangles picked up a key win over the Primordial ones, despite Brees' continued mediocrity.  Trent Richardson showed up in a big way, dropping 25.  The Green-Ellis law firm picked up another handy double digit, as did AJ Green.  It was enough to cover for a major fantasy mistake, leaving premium receiver Jennings in the lineup though he was out for the Thursday night game.    Though the Dangles didn't have a lot of options to sub, you've got to watch out for those pre-Sunday match-ups.  They still beat 100 this week, but left the door open to a possible Primordial MNF comeback.


Next week -AEthernauts - the Dangles will take a shot at the top with a tough AEthernauts matchup.  If Brees can find his rhthym against KC, the Dangles should be in the mix.

T.9.) Pr1m0rdi4lLyfestylz®  (last week 7)  0-2
- the Primordial Ones remained mired in an early season funk in Week 2, dropping one to the Dangles.  Brady hit Gronk again, but failed to provide solid QB1 numbers.   Meanwhile Ben Tate picked up big numbers vs. Jacksonville on the bench.  A predicted 2 WR in a shootout on MNF never materialized to pull them out of a 35 point hole. 

Next week -TakingTigerMountain  - the Commish-bowl will be a tough fought battle this week. Brady/Gronk will revisit last year's AFC championship vs. Baltimore on SNF.  A ray of hope could be Leshoure's reinstatement for the Lions, if he returns to a starting role as predicted.  

T.9.) ThePelicanBrief  (last week 5)  0-2
- BDT spoiled RGIII's debut in Week 2, but there are plenty of reasons to expect big things from the Legal Thrillers.  Frank Gore looked sharp in his trade debut.  Bennett picked up a TD in Eli's rally.  Welker and Smith were both good parts of the air game.  Run DMc low-balled as the Raiders got blown out in Miami, but he's still healthy.  There's the makings of a full team here, we'll see how soon the pieces come together.

Next week - Tusken Raiders- PB will have to get their briefs in order sooner rather than later if they want to avoid going 0-3.  The Raiders should present a good challenge for the new look squad.

11.) Phat Girlz (last week 11)  0-2
-The Girlz plowed ahead with the tough start to their schedule, but ran into the Mountainside this week.  It was a marked improvement from week 1, with Eli throwing for over 500 yards.  Lynch, Wallace and Graham all put up double digits. Benson even put up 11 on the bench.  The good news is that Matthews is reportedly back for Week 3.  If true, it could be balm to the Girlz chafed thighs.

Next week -HomeSpunNeckBloodz- with the Bloodz reeling from injury, the Girlz could be in for an even fight if they can get all hands on deck.

12.) Trichotillomaniacs (last week 12) 0-2
-this year's heartbreak kids got a kick in the teeth on MNF with their favorite team scoring late TDs to steal away a fantasy win, and still the Broncs came up short of RL victory.  We're assuming the Maniacs are bald after last night.  Still, despite the new wound, there's hope for the Trichs.  R-burger is looking particularly efficient.  Vernon Davis is a premium TE.  And Alfred Morris is in sole possession of the Shanahan backfield bonanza (at least temporarily).  And Miller now looks like a solid handcuff to Reggie Bush. 

Next week - SanFranciscoFerries- With Stewart on a short week, he might be unavailable, a minor wave in an ocean of woe.  Still  the Ferries are not unbeatable.   If the NFL suspends Turner Overdrive then Rodgers could be in for a spot starting role.

Week 2 P0\/\/3R R4/\/k1/\/gZ

Another fantasy year dawns - Now we've spent the last few nice weeks of summer fussing over our teams, arranging our strategies. I can't help think of the constant refrain of HBO's titties & dragons series Game of Thrones.  To paraphrase, these are the running backs of summer, and Winter is Coming.  Such unquestionable sequential logic, foreboding and of course calendrer-wise acumen.  Winter is always coming in the Fantasy world.  Between now and the championship nothing is certain other than a huge degree of attrition.  So brood over your squad's preparedness and lets get out there and rape and pillage (in the infowar)!   Thanks everybody for an exciting opening week that saw a full round of in-division grudge matches. The range of victory margins ran from razor thin (.2) to country-mile (53.4).  Four out of six of the winners were playoff teams last year with  the Sachs and Spinners crashing the party.  Week 1 even prompted a mega-trade, which by now, you've heard about.  I'm not going to reassess the rankings, but I'll leave it to your imaginations this week and analyze the fallout pattern next time. 


1.) AEthernauts  (Last week - #1) -  1-0
The Balloonists had clear skies for a week 1 victory over Phat Girls, despite never fully inflating their potential.  Mike Vick's body armor produced a win, after four picks.  And Turner Overdrive was decidedly pedestrian in the Falcons aerial assault.  Good work from the Johnson&Johsnon receiver corps was plenty to beat the Girlz.  But with only Dalton backing up Vick we wouldn't be surprised to see the Explorers in the market for a new backup to Vick.

Next week - HomeSpunNeckBloodz   -  The Explorers stay in the Eleatic for a match against fellow victors Bloodz.  They may need a little more air to leap their competition here and stay atop the rankings. 


2.) HomeSpunNeckBloodz (last week 7)   1-0
-their stay near the top may be short-lived, but the Bloodz shocked the world with a resounding victory over the Primordial Ones in Week 1.  They did it by having several players beat expectations - none more so than Peyton Manning.  If Chris Johnson can avoid a repeat of last year's slow start, the Bloodz will be formidable from week to week.    There's a lack of depth here, but quality near the top.  The Spinners need to toss some free agents in the cyclotron, see who spins out a quality week-to-week presence.

Next week - AEthernauts - The Bloodz can prove they're no fluke by besting a playoff team from last year.  If they over perform like week 1, there's no reason they can't get there.

3.) TakingTigerMountain (last week 4)  1-0
-Moving up spot is hard to do when you make the kind of managerial miscues the Mountain performed this week.  Their two top picks, both active but un-popular with the fantasy talking heads, were left on the bench to waste their  week 1 numbers. TTM's five bench players totaled 78 points. Part of the reason for that number (and the main reason for the upgrade) is a handcuff payoff in CJ Spiller.  If Fred Jackson misses serious time he could be the elusive 3rd back for the system.  Eclipsing 100 with what they did use makes them the all around fantasy franchise this week.  If they can straighten out who to start, they should be headed to the top half of the Eleatic.

Next week -  Phat Girlz  - The Mountain shouldn't sleep on Monique's club.  They got lucky this week, but another week of Stafford miscues could expose how heavily invested in Detroit they are.  With a match against a brutal SF defense, is an upset brewing?

4.)  SanFranciscoFerries (last week 2)   1-0
-Better to be lucky than good?  The Ferries narrowly avoided the PSAS "fate worse than death" - a tie.  The Boatmen drew a painful zero from Deangelo, while leaving Greene's points on the bench.  They needed Monday night nailbiting to skim by the Pelicans.  Anytime your kicker is leading your points tally, you might be in trouble.  But when your kicker banks in a 63 yarder off the crossbar, the g0dz have you in their pocket that week.  We'll attribute early-season rust to Cam's frustrations and Cruz droppings, but more than half the league would have taken advantage here.

Next week -  Tusken Raiders - when the tougher-than expected Tuskens come to town the Ferries better have the kinks worked out or else. 

5.) BldgDW3LL1NGTh1nk1ng   (last week 3)   1-0
-The BDT faced a bye of sorts against a re-stocking Trichs club, so the victory is 2nd to some important titration.  Fred Jackson's injury is a serious downgrade for a team with a lack of bench depth.  Foster and Rice put in staring roles as expected.  Schaub was passable, but the wideouts looked 2nd tier.  Help could come from Lafell on the bench, but it's hard to rely on him.  The German Philosophers should be active on the wire looking for flex help this week.

Next week -  ThePelicanBrief  - Don't expect the Legal Thrillers to be as tame as last week.  This one won't be a walk in the park. RG3's prospective debut, will make this must see TV.

6.)  GrossmanSachs  (last week 8) 1-0
- Polish MNF heroics turned out to be icing after the Ravens IDP racked up plenty of hits on Cincy, but there's a lot to like about the Wall Streeters all around.  Romo looked surgical in his season debut, and the double titration with Austin is a force to be reckoned with.   Fitzgerald and White will see better days.  Frank the Tank is still  a draft horse. And their bench depth could pay off in a variety of ways, since they're an obvious trade candidate with WR and RB pieces to spare.  (Update: Rodgers...wow, hope you bought these guys low).

Next week - Trichs - the Bankers will try and knock off the Hair Pullers and move into the top tier of the rankings. 

7.) Pr1m0rdi4lLyfestylz®  (last week 6)  0-1
- the Primordial Ones had a narrow miss against a surprising Bloodz club in week 1, but it still showcased how strong their game plan can be.  The Brady-Gronk connection worked. Julio Jones looked elite. Demarco Murray looked ready to rumble.  Decker looked well in sync with Manning.  There's a variety of handcuffs in their roster, they may need to decide one way or the other on.  But good IDP production can float a few extra points, the Primordial Ones are definitely a force to be reckoned with this year.

Next week -  Cincinnati Dangles - this one could go either way.  With both teams 0-1, it's going to be serious business out there.

8.) ThePelicanBrief  (last week 5)  0-1
- the Grisham-ites saw a couple low-balls from their returning players and couldn't quite make MNF magic happen. We've seen Welker go hot-and-cold before, so it's no worry. And it's hard to call 20 points from Rodgers under-titrating, but with a busting-out RGIII on the bench, conflict has to be brewing in the WOPR's algorithms. (Something caused it to pick the Bills D/ST)   McFadden will need to carry a heavy load here, unless PB can get a deal done for another elite producer. (Obviously PB dig get a big deal done.  They say week 1 is the best time for value in a trade time line, so....).


Next week - BldgDW3LL1NGTh1nk1ng -  the Pelicans will have an uphill battle to avoid going 0-2. If Welker can find a few endzone looks, they'll be right in the thick of it.  No doubt we'll see RG3 and Frank the Tank attempting to render legal aid.  We couldn't be more intrigued.

9.) Tusken Raiders (last week 11) 0-1
-Ever unpredictable the Raiders put up big numbers and nearly upset a heavily favored Sachs team this week.  Matt Ryan's stellar day was the primary mover on their scoring uptick, but both RBs looked good.  And Philadelphia's D/ST may be playable week to week.   There's lots of potential on the bench here too with touchdown vulture Bush, and Peyton's TE Tamme (trade bait?).

Next week - SanFranciscoFerries- they would have bopped the boatmen this week, but the Star Wars franchise will need to look for more over-titrations if they continue with their famously lax IDP policies.

10.)  Cincinnati Dangles (last week 10)   0-1
-The Dangles came up short in a winnable game against all-too-human TTM this week.  Drew Brees' underwhelming performance is a big part of that, but that shouldn't be a problem week to week.  Randall Cobb looks like a diamond in the rough, although perhaps better as trade-bait so he doesn't crowd Jennings in the Dangles lineup.  A little more IDP titration and this lineup should match up with the elite week-to-week.

Next week -  Pr1m0rdi4lLyfestylz® - With both teams desperate for a win, this should be a bloody week 2 brawl.

11.) Phat Girlz (last week 9)  0-1
-The Girlz drew a tough match against the Nauts in week one and weren't up to the task.  The team is a bit hobbled until Ryan Matthews can start, but they can still do better than this.  Lynch should be in there over an aging Benson.  Colston and Wallace are totally capable of producing big numbers.  Graham will be elite again this year. Eli looked reliably underperforming, but Alex Smith is a mirage on the bench.  The Girlz have the makings of a good team, they just need a  few more pieces to fall into place.

Next week - TakingTigerMountain  - The Girlz need to find a way to eek out a win before Matthews returns.  They'll be big underdogs in this one, but with some tough match-ups the Commish might just cough one up here.


12.) Trichotillomaniacs (last week 12) 0-1
-a fascinating strategy left the Trichs uncompetitive in week 1, but may pay dividends for the rest of their season.  Opting not to play IDP, they held onto lots of 2nd tier backs and handcuffs instead.  They may have hit the temporary jackpot on the Shanahan wheel with Morris, but Dwyer emergence deserves a look too, especially if Big Ben ascends to the starting QB role.  The Trichs still need to hit a homer on the wire, and there are a few tempting options this week - we'll see how deep they go, how early.

Next week - GrossmanSachs - The Trichs need to continue to practice their Eastern arts of asymmetric warfare if they want to compete this year.   It might not be a bad idea to start game planning for bye weeks now.