Fantasy Football Spot Up For Grabs
Once again, the blogosphere’s trashtalkingest and most reprehensible fantasy football league, the IKNFL, is increasing its roster. We’re expanding to two leagues of 14 teams each this year, and there is an extra spot up for grabs. Past champions include D. Keith Robinson (2004), Jeff Croft (2005), and Wilson Miner (2006).
Personal transformations have been known to occur in winners, as can be witnessed by Keith’s opening of the highly successful Blue Flavor design and development studio, Jeff’s relocation from a rural chicken farm in Kansas to the city of Seattle, and Wilson’s remarkable metamorphosis from early Swiffer mop prototype to ladykilling heartthrob (see below).
Before IKNFL Championship:
After IKNFL Championship:
The IKNFL is $80 to join but the payouts are equally rich. We include individual defensive players and use a normalized scoring system that ensures every position on the field can score big. There’s a lot of trash talk so make sure you can take the heat before applying.
SO… if you’d like to join, all you have to do is leave a comment below requesting membership. As a simple test of your football knowledge, name who should be the #2 pick of the draft and why.
Best. Blog post. Evar!
I’ll take it
Second Pick should be Stephen Jackson
why:
Because Tomlinson will be gone and LJ can’t be trusted this year.
Oh and the 15 TD’s and 1400 – 1600 yds he’ll be putting up this year
… also I hate the 49ers so don’t even go there
Laughing my ass off.
-The lady-killing heartthrob’s wife
Screw Bill H, let me in. Peyton Manning should be #2 because LT will be gone and who doesn’t like 6′5″ 230 lb quarterbacks with a laser-rocket arm?
Ahem. Your results may vary.
Wilson: Not really. When I won the IKNFL, I also ended up kissing Laura under a beautiful sunset.
I think the better question is who should be the #3 pick. #1 and #2 are pretty much set in stone(unless you take the sucker pick of peyton manning in one of those spots).
2 goes to Stephen Jackson, 3 goes to Westbrook
Oh if I only knew about football I would so be in. Darn my geekiness. Jeff Croft should be #2 draft pick because he is more famous to me than football.
Ben –
Good reference. I still want to see what Peyton will look like with a rookie protecting his blindside.
Fantasy football? Consider this my application ;-)
Of course your question is a trick question. This cannot be answered without proper knowledge of the scoring system and roster compositions.
With an unknown “normalized scoring system” and individual defensive players, there can be just as much of a chance that an Antonio Gates or a Julius Peppers (or an even scarier thought, a kicker) posts an MVP performance than your second ranked running back or Peyton.
If running backs still dominate, especially if points are awarded for catches, then Steven Jackson seems pretty safe, with Frank Gore a decent option if you want to be “different”. I’d stay far away from Larry Johnson. If Herman Edwards can ruin Curtis Martin, then no back is safe. Thank the sports gods that Edwards no longer coaches the Jets…
I’d love to join if you still have a spot!
#2 : Reggie Bush
Reason : LT will most likely go first and while Reggie may not have had the greatest year as a rookie, he was just that…a rookie. The Saints are stacked on offense which many could argue to be a downfall of picking Bush so high but I think his versatility will more than make up for the Brees’ spreading the ball around.
Can’t wait to see what happens to me when I win it this year. #2: Peyton Manning.
Bill, I’m glad you got my sarcasm AND my reference. I considered posting a “I’m only showing off my trash talking skills” comment but alas, it wasn’t necessary.
I’ll agree with Adam in the fact that there are a lot of other variables that play into making this pick. One includes the date of the draft.
LT could end up blowing out a knee, Jackson could get his hair caught in a revolving door, Willie Parker could hitch a ride with his quarterback and so on…
Another factor would be who the first pick is… Now hold on a second. I’ll admit LT is probably the consensus choice but take a look at history. In the last 5 years and very rarely ever, has the same running back gone back to back as the points champ. Couple that with the schedule SD is playing and you might have a case. That said if anyone is dumb enough to not pick LT, I’ll snap him up faster than Michael Vick can run out of a PETA convention.
But if the draft was today, LT has gone #1 and I have 10 seconds left…
*Commissioner steps to the podium*
“The second pick of the IKNFL draft is…”
You’ll have to wait and see – I reveal my picks to no man.
I would take Steven Jackson right now at #2. I think the Rams will need him catching passes out of the backfield enough to make him more valuable than the other available running backs.
LJ could sneak back in after the holdout if he looks ready to roll.
My application should be taken very seriously …
1) I know football
2) I ‘m a Lawrence, Kansas-based web designer (as were the 2 previous winners)
3) I’m taking Champ Bailey with the second pick because he plays the Chiefs twice this year – which should be enough to solidify his HOF status and MVP consideration. I’ll enjoy the two weeks of him single-handedly dominating my opponent.
Pick Me. Pick Me
#2 would be Alexander of course!
I thought I’d list a bunch of retired players and cater to your “Hey this guy’s a sucker” side but instead I’ll just go with the idea you’re a huge Seahawks fan.
Last year I drafted the Edge, Cadillac and Moss so this year I hope to find equally soul-sucking losers.
BRING IT!
I’d love to be a part of the league. I’ve been playing for years and truly love the game of football, especially when combined with the friendly competitiveness of fantasy sports.
I agree that the league variables can have an impact on the draft selection. With a few extreme variations to fantasy football scoring and lineup, running backs are still the core of any successful team.
I have the top three currently ranked:
Normally, I’d have LJ at #2, but with his current hold out there’s enough concern to bump him down a little (not much though – he should be ready to rumble on opening day).
Here’s why I pick SJax (no specific order).
There’s more, but I can’t give away all my analysis if we’re going to be competing against each other! If I don’t make the league, I thank you for the opportunity. Good luck this year.
Scott
You would be in for a RUDE awakening in this league.
@ Chris
Haha. Point taken. I’ll be sure to wear my mouth guard and cup on draft day.
Shoot, I lost to Wilson in the championship and all I got was this lousy job at Blue Flavor.
Well I lost to Keith in the first year and didn’t get anything! I guess BF wasn’t around back then. Unlucky.
I’ll take the spot.
It all depends on the scoring in the particular league, but over here with our scoring this year number 2 should be DREW BREES!!
Of course we have a keeper draft and I already have him on my team.
Playing fantasy sports with design/dev geeks would be awesome. I don’t have many friends who can hold back to back conversations on kerning and the spread offense. I imagine the conversation something like this, “those linemen have adjusted their tracking while the tackle and guard correct their kerning issues.”
I’d hate to draft second. I think the drop off from Tomlinson (I’m old enough to still think Lawrence Taylor is LT) and the rest of the running backs is deep. I’d rather draft later in the round and possibly try to trade down and catch the picks when they come around. I’d rather have 8 and 20 then 2 and 26.
But picking #2, I’d have to go running back because my next pick wouldn’t be until #26 and it would be asinine to pick a QB 2nd. I’d probably go with Steven Jackson cuz he’s the safest pick. He’s the only back in St. Louis and versatile.
Congrats to Scott! You’re in! Great explanation of Stephen Jackson’s value at #2.
Mike, I don’t know what goes wrong, but in Google Reader every day for the last 3 your feed shows the last 15 as unread. Are you experimenting? Other feeds don’t have this…
PanMan: Yep, I switched to WordPress this weekend! Sorry about that.
100% Stephen Jackson (SJax) – young, fast, strong, smart …. What else needed for #2 :-)
who’s winning?
Josh: So far, Dirk Knemeyer and Abel Rios are leading their respective divisions.