1. BuildingDwellingThinking - The German Philosophers spent early for two premiums in hometown hero Dez Bryant and former employee Ray Rice - comprising more than half their budget. Their loans are hedged against those two blue chips. Frank the Tank is dependable as they come but chucking down $48 is a gamble and handcuffed BDT down the draft line. Finley is nice at $6, but Leshoure and Amendola are far from sure things. Super Bowl MVP Flacco will man the helm for the fair price of $1, offering potential double titration with TD passes to Rice.
2. Grossman Sachs - all in with somewhere to be, the Sachs went heavy and picked up two of the first three picks taken. None other than AP and Arian. Two better bets at RB you will not find this preseason. The price tag for those two $135. The only other player to break double digits for them was a spend down on Patrick Willis with their last pick. PUP Harvin cost only $3, but they'll need to survive until he's back. They'll do it with a brace of mid-range names - Romo, Greene, Ingram. Witten will be a key. Double doses from Romo will start to pay down the Bankers playoff debt.
3. Trichs - The Hair-Pullers went early for MJD, coming off the tricky Linsfranc injury and paid list price at 48, Ridley and Run DMC round out a potentially lethal 3 back attack, if they can stay on the field. Big if. The Trichs paid a serious premium for The Keeper-nick and their season will rise and fall on his ability to hang with big passers. Ivory is the mystery man, could provide serious value for $6 if has enough of a role in NY. Boldin would be a nice double titration in San Fran, but the aerials are otherwise underwhelming. The Trichs are going to let their legs carry them to the playoffs this time around.
4. SanFranciscoFerries - the Proxy gave a true San Francisco treat this season with a pretty well-rounded showing. They'll take off with a young QB (Wilson). A RB1 in Morris, an RB2 in Bush and a couple young backs with a chance at a starting jobs in Lacy and Ballard. With Gronk on the shelf and no pass game to speak of, the Ferries may have to trade for some aerial production, but they have plenty of bait to dangle.
5. Pelican Brief - the Legal Eagles are the league's deal makers and this season they'll be Flipping Maine. They got started early selling RGIII ($13) and Woodhead ($1) for CJ?K ($55). CJ will fill a major hole as the Pelicans left the ground bare to try and corner the QB market. Presumably Brady or Manning will helm the Pelicans throwing to Welker/Cobb/Nicks. Two premier defenses are also in the Brief's back pocket, so the deals ain't done yet.
6. PrimordialLifestyles - the Stylez strategy was for keeper youth taking the Muscle Hamster and T-Rich, two of the youngest top 10 RBs. Demarius cost $40 with their first pick and needs to repeat last year and be a true top 5 wide-out to float PL here. Everyone else is priced to move. Tate provides superlative upside for $2. Schaub for a buck ain't bad. The handcuff strategy we've seen the Stylez employ in former years is in full swing here. A hit on Hunter or Redman could be a game-changer with a bare 14 team
wire.
7. TakingTigerMountain - the Tigers ripped a few pages out of old playbooks for a 2013 mash up. Back are Breesus and Jimmer who manhandled the 2011 season for the Mountain. When those two connected the Tigers never lost and they're clearly banking on a similar connection this year. It is Spiller who fill the Tiger's tank this year though. An afterthought who took them to the playoffs last year, this year expectations are RB1 and beyond. Wallace and Brown man a wing-and-a-prayer wideout game. And Austin and Bradshaw will jockey for flex.
8. Aethernauts - the Nauts float into the season looking for another hot start. The name of the game is ground attack rather than air power this year. The explorers took Lynch M0b and (yet to play a full season) Murray. Newton mans the helm with the potential of double titration with Steve Smith. Could a true top 10 year for Colston raise the Aethernauts to heights unseen?
9. Phat Girlz - Monique's franchise was patient to say the least in the draft, waiting until pick 33 to plunk down 36 for Lamar Miller. Predictably the Phat Ones threw their weight around after that taking David Wilson and Darren Sproles within two picks of each other to fill out the stable. Next highest paid is Stafford at QB, not precisely a bargain at $22, but the Girlz could pay to play. Whether they trust him is another matter as they grabbed two cheap back-ups in Palmer and Freeman. Underwhelming WR2s in Garcon and Bowe need to step up a tier to provide adequate aerial coverage. Two quality defenses in Denver and Houston will be hard to hold onto once the season gets going. Tate is still the league's best handcuff and $3 was a good get, if Foster's durability is a headline this year the Girlz will climb the rankings quickly.
10. Homespun Neckbloodz - The Spinners nabbed Forte ($55) and Stephen Jackson ($42) as their workhorses with middling upside. Andre Johnson and Vincent Jackson could provide elite air attack if they can keep healthy. The Bloodz hope Mendy has enough in the tank to make a run at flex, but the real question here is QB. Homespun got Cutler and Dalton out of the give-a-penny-take-a-penny cup, so expect production from the gun to be a soft spot here. They picked up some recognizable names but there's plenty of wear and tear on those bones - the Spinners need a payoff from handcuffs Bell or Michael to provide fresh blood for the Cyclotron.
11. TuskenRaiders - the Sand People went out and nabbed three big names early on. And they account for more than 75% of the budget. If the Tuskens are to return to the playoffs it'll be largely thanks to WR1 Julio Jones, RB1 Jamaal Charles and CJ?k. Bargain bins like QB Bradford and WR D-Jacks will man the other spots. The Raiders have some big scorers, but they'll need some unexpected production to compete at the highest level. (Update, the Tusken FC took RGIII and Woodhead for CJ and will gamble on a new knee in the Nation's Capital.)
12. Polk High Panthers - Polk High must be in Atlanta because the Panthers elected to take the largest number of players from a single team, taking five position Falcons including Ryan and Gonzales. Good days for the Peach State will bring rain for the Panthers. The aerial work will get done with two WR1 Megatron and Green, arguably the two best WR in the game. The cost for that is an anemic run game with the Law Firm of BJGE and Turner Underdrive.
13. Goslings - Lesean McCoy was #2 on a lot of draft boards, and the Pretty Boys managed to pay market value for him ($59 with the tenth pick). They'll hope for a repeat of last year and that rumors of a Philly resurgence are substantial. $35 for Roddy White is a little harder to stomach for the second choice in a powerful offense. They'll look to double up with the Luck-Wayne connection. Bell will eat up a roster spot on the bench while he heals, and Ball needs to step up and take the RB1 in Denver or risk a timeshare. Nelson is dinged up already, so health concerns will keep cap confidence in the expansion Baby Birds for now.
14. Dijonaise All Stars - Col. Mustard and company will start growing their seedling into an championship tree with A-Rodg under center and three high end wide-outs with Marshall, Cruz and Fitzy. They'll start small on the ground with preseason buzz man Bernard and a pair of handcuffs. They'll need another MVP season from Rodgers to see the playoffs without trade or wire gold.
