Finished 7 of 12 teams for this, wanted to post them before I went to bed (tried to do more but was too tired), will do the other 5 tomorrow and try to avoid letting results really change my mind to the best of my ability.
It's time for the ROOOOOOOOOSTER REEEEEEEEEEEECAP!
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Team Name: The Fox Says It's Tuel Time
Owner: Wetbandit
Record: 4-3-0
Roster Grade: A
Roster:
QB:
Russell Wilson
RB:
Adrian Peterson
Fred Jackson
Joique Bell
Donald Brown
WR:
Dez Bryant
Wes Welker
T.Y. Hilton
Harry Douglas
Andre Roberts
Kendall Wright
TE:
Jimmy Graham
Brandon Pettigrew
D/ST:
Dolphins D/ST
K:
David Akers
Overview:
Wetbandit probably has my favorite roster out of the league, due to having both an impressive top and properly utilizing his bench largely, something I feel a lot of rosters are not doing.
QB is solid with Russell Wilson who started poorly, but has been picking up and, perhaps just as importantly, has a large amount of plus matchups through the year. Adrian Peterson has slowed down for sure, but he is still AP, and if Christian Ponder regains the job he could gain a value boost, while Fred Jackson has been an absurd top 10 pick to give him a potent 1-2 punch, Joique Bell provides some nice wealth because he can be a flex play even when Bush is around and is good when he is injured and Donald Brown is a nice potential play.
Wideout is similiarly great, as Bryant + Welker provide another potent 1-2 punch, and his bench/flex is filled with some nice high end plays like Hilton and Douglas, while Kendall Wright is a very consistant flex option who provides great depth against injures. At TE, Jimmy Graham is the best play, and while carrying 2 TEs is usually not the best idea, Pettigrew being around during Graham's injury is fine. D/ST and Kicker could be improved, however.
In terms of starters, this roster has very few weaknesses for now, but needs to continue strengthening itself and avoid being complacent, and should recognize D/ST and K as a weakness. He should also pay attention to his RB depth: Fred Jackson, while top 10, consistantly has the threat of health and C.J. Spiller looming, and AP has slowed down.
I'm trying to give every roster some recommendations, here are mine:
Drop Andre Roberts, as he is a low upside play who does not provide adequate depth. Add any kind of higher upside play, even if low, or perhaps even just a speculative add or a handcuff, which all have more value then he does at this time.
I would try to trade for another RB, due to F-Jax's iffy nature and AP's slowing down, you definitely want a RB2 if F-Jax goes down and none of yours qualify, though Donald Brown could.
If you can get another RB, I would shop Joique Bell around, Scooter presumably wanting him most due to having Reggie Bush. Any position will do, but you could probably get a high end Flex play or perhaps some kind of improvement at other positions. For example, if you had another RB, Joique Bell for Amendola when healthy, one of the QBs or somesuch, though that is merely with Scooter.
And finally, obviously drop Pettigrew when Graham is recovered.
As a whole, though, impressive depth and top-end power makes Wetbandit dangerous going forwards.
Team Name: The Pony Express
Owner: Kuro
Record: 4-3-0
Roster Grade: B+
Roster:
QB:
Andy Dalton
Andrew Luck
RB:
Marshawn Lynch
Frank Gore
Zac Stacy
Kendall Hunter
Mike James
WR:
Justin Blackmon
Eric Decker
Brian Hartline
Julian Edelman
Kris Durham
TE:
Zach Miller
Antonio Gates
D/ST:
Seahawks D/ST
K:
Garrett Hartley
Overview:
While Kuro's draft day team was already pretty good, now that Ridley appears to be more to form, consistant trading and proper utilization of the bench has improved upon it and given him a nice, strong team: It should be noted 3 of his 4 wins come against other teams with winning records. The primary reason for this has been the 1-2 punch of Marshawn Lynch and Frank Gore, which has given him a powerful ground game, added by the option of throwing out Zac Stacy. If Mike James proves to be a viable RB position, Kuro will be quite set heading into Gore and Lynch's bye weeks, while Kendall Hunter provides stability given Gore's injury history.
Wideout is a more risky preposition, but trading for Eric Decker has given him an every week WR1/2 and Justin Blackmon offers huge upside value, as he still hauled in 6 of 9 targets even when banged up and used to open up others, while Brian Hartline is a sneaky good option for flexing and the bench, as he has a floor of around 6 points, good upside and a lot of targets. Edelman started off hotter and more consistant, but could be losing targets when Amendola returns with a healthy Gronk, while Durham is the opposite and trending up, providing a possible #2 next to Megatron, though he will have to pay attention to Burleson.
TE has the revived Antonio Gates, who has been a pleasant surprise, while Zach Miller is a simple bye week fill-in. The Seahawks D/ST has been a great value draft pick and helps anchor the position, while Hartley is a fine kicker. Andrew Luck, recently replacing the eternal Tom Brady, projects as an above average QB the rest of the year.
While Kuro still has plenty to work on, for example more wideouts and probably some more RB depth, properly using his bench for value and being active has created a potent roster that looks playoff bound.
He should definitely drop Miller and Dalton after the game, barring something large from either, but that mostly gives him slots for upside plays, and he needs to continue to look for chances for an RB3/Flex play alongside Stacy and bolster his wideout corps, which right now are vulnearable to injury.
Team Name: Team Scooter
Owner: Scooter
Record: 6-1-0
Roster Grade: B-
Roster:
QB:
Cam Newton
Philip Rivers
Geno Smith
RB:
Reggie Bush
Knowshon Moreno
Doug Martin
Ronnie Hillman
WR:
Andre Johnson
Danny Amendola
Jerome Simpson
Vincent Brown
TE:
Jordan Reed
Jared Cook
D/ST:
Raiders D/ST
Bills D/ST
K:
Dan Bailey
Breakdown:
I initially had Scooter up higher, but digging deeper into the roster made me downgrade it to a B-. The biggest reason for this is at wideout, where only Andre Johnson appears to be consistant, as Amendola keeps getting injured, though he is a solid WR2 otherwise...Jerome Simpson and Vincent Brown are both nice upside choices, Brown less so, but the Vikings are working through QB issues and his depth is not adequate to support them, due to the fact that all of his flex options are wideouts. It especially hurts him on, say, Andre's bye week or Amendola's in Week 10. In addition, Scooter has filled his bench poorly: Due to forgetting to set Cam Newton as his QB, he has been forced to add Geno Smith, while still bizarrely keeping Jared Cooking and running 2 D/ST: because of this, his depth at RB and WR is poor.
On the plus side, Philip Rivers and Cam Newton are both excellent, Andre Johnson is a good option that could trend up if he ever catches a TD, and Moreno/Bush is an excellent 1-2 punch...though he should be wary of Bush's health issues and Moreno can be a touch TD dependant. Martin has been a heavy disappointment this year, but losing him still hurts simply due to volume. While his 6-1 record means he is highly likely to make the playoffs, Scooter will need to improve his roster to go deep into it.
My recommendations are:
Jared Cook, Geno Smith (after this week) and both D/ST should be dropped, preferrably for an every-week D/ST: The Colts look like a good option. All others should be dropped for depth or upside options to try and solve the flex issue: Personally, I think Brandon Gibson is a perfect fit here, as the solid possibility of 7 points every week, even with limited upside, would provide sorely needed depth.
One of Cam Newton or Philip Rivers should be traded ASAP for a RB or WR. There's plenty of people who could use a QB, so don't let one rot on the bench or be used as a flimsy matchup tinker.
It's a good idea to start being more active in the trade market, you could use either some high upside guys or trading of guys you find who prove value for better pieces. Your depth is sorely lacking, so try to add to it.
Team Name: Stamford Cyberams
Owner: David Corperial
Record: 5-2-0
Roster Grade: D
Roster:
QB:
Peyton Manning
Joe Flacco
RB:
Jamaal Charles
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
David Wilson
Daryl Richardson
Shane Vereen
WR:
Josh Gordon
Hakeem Nicks
Kenbrell Thompkins
Mike Williams
Nate Washington
TE:
Jordan Cameron
D/ST:
Packers D/ST
Cardinals D/ST
K:
Phil Dawson
Breakdown:
Don't let David's shiny 5-2-0 record fool you: He's only beaten one opponent over .500 and is 1-2 vs. teams with a winning record, while his points have trended poorly the last 2 weeks...his roster doesn't offer much hope, either: Despite having Peyton Manning and Jamaal Charles, both #1 at their position, an absolutely brutal WR position and his total lack of an RB2 is killing him and forcing him to rely on Charles, manning and Cameron every week in a stars-and-scrubs roster.
Green-Ellis makes a good RB3, with some value and the ability to plug in bye weeks or on flex, but is far too iffy to be an every week RB2, while Shane Vereen is out until at least week 11 and Wilson was unimpressive even when starting, with Daryl Richardon okay to keep around in case Zac Stacy gets injured...still, his RB position is brutal.
His WR position is better, but still poor: Not selling high on Thompkins turned out poorly, as Gronk and soon Amendola's return, combined with Julian Edelman, and the gravy train to turning him into someone solid has been lost. While Thompkins should still be owned by someone in almost every format, relying on him as practically a flex every week is a recipe for disaster...Josh Gordon has been great and has WR1 upside, but the loss of Hoyer digs into his value, though Campbell over Weeden boosts it. Nicks is simply a mess in a mess of an offense, though against guys like the Eagles is a good play, and Nate Washington isn't /bad/...but he is very much boom or bust, so he is also someone you don't want to trot out every week, while Mike Williams stock has plummeted.
There's also a lot of puzzling roster descisions going on: For example, Joe Flacco is useless with Peyton Manning on the roster...and there are better QBs on FA most of the time, like Andy Dalton and Ryan Tannehill...who, when you factor in bye weeks, has scored more per week than Flacco. Not counting guys like Geno Smith. He is also carrying 2 D/ST, despite there being not much need: Either you're playing the Packers for all their easy offenses coming up, though I would definitely not trust them and they'll be horrible come playoffs, or you're using the Cardinals...either way, the other one is a bit extranous at the moment. He's also kept Phil Dawson despite the fact there are many better kickers on the wire: If he had Nick Folk on the roster, for example, he'd have gotten a cool 3 points more per game without any loss by dropping Dawson for him. While minor, it adds up.
My recommendations are as follows:
Drop Joe Flacco, one of your defenses and Phil Dawson: Grab another kicker over Dawson and some guys to try and help fill in your other positions with Flacco and the D.
You may want to consider trading down Jamaal Charles, Peyton Manning or Jordan Cameron for 2 players of good quality, for example Charles for 2 quality RBs or 1 RB + 1 WR of quality, to both improve depth and make yourself less vulnearable to injury (A Charles or Manning injury basically ends your season ATM), just be careful not to lose too much points in the exchange
Alternately, try to package pieces together to others for even minor trades and then fill up your roster spots with some upside plays: Maybe see if someone wants to buy low on Nicks and package him with someone for a better WR or something, or see if you can buy low on a risky WR/RB like Roddy White.
Pay very close attention to the wire, you need to jump on guys who seem good given your depleted ranks.
RB:
LeSean McCoy
Stevan Ridley
Bryce Brown
Andre Brown
Robert Turbin
WR:
Jordy Nelson
Calvin Johnson
Jeremy Kerley
Alshon Jeffery
LaVon Brazill
TE:
Kyle Rudolph
Coby Fleener
D/ST:
Browns D/ST
K:
Kai Forbath
Overview:
Snagging Megatron was quite a deal for Pindicator, giving him a deadly 1-2 WR combo of Jordy Nelson and Calvin Johnson to go with LeSean McCoy and Stevan Ridley. RGIII's recent excellence has also, amusingly, pushed up Pindicator from being too good for his 3-0 record to start the year to probably being a bit better than his 4-3 record.
Kai Forbath? Bit of an odd choice, though it is working out so far...probably some better kickers out there. RB-wise, Pindicator mostly wants to buy someone as insurance to Ridley and as a flex option, but given McCoy's large workload and Ridley's inconsistant usage this year, it's pretty high priority. Turbin is fine as someone to hope for an injury, but there are probably better plays out there, but Bryce is a nice handcuff for McCoy who could put up great numbers if he goes down and Andre Brown was ultimately a nice, sneaky add for Week 10 and on.
WR-wise, Jordy Nelson and Calvin Johnson are an excellent top end pair, with Megatron remaining the best wideout to own in the biz and Nelson looking to see a lot of targets with Packers injuries. Kerley, Jeffery and Brazill are all great examples of showing how to work a bench and provide depth: Kerley, with Holmes out, is a nice play on matchups and Jeffery, even with a backup, looks to continue to provide high upside value, while Brazill is a good speculative add to throw on a depth filled bench for a week or two and see if he sticks. TE is more problematic: While Kyle Rudolph looks nice this week, neither tight end looks like a starting option going forward. The Browns D/ST has been nice and consistant. Keep an eye on their decline, but with matchups against Baltimore and Jacksonville coming up, they look solid going forward.
Kurecommendations!
I'd drop Terelle Pryor, Coby Fleener, Kai Forbath and Robert Turbin: I'd add in one of the higher end Ks on the wire, though if they got gone beforehand I'd keep Forbath, and I think keeping Brandon Bolden in case Ridley falls is more important than Turbin until Week 10. Fleene should probably be replaced with one of the new TEs coming onto the field or some TE with upside.
Look to trade for a TE, possibly: You could use someone like Kerley or the like to get a solid starter, even if you're not going Gonzo with it. It's your weakest position right now, taking up 2 slots for basically nothin'.
You might want RB depth as a just in case, or to package up Jeffery + Kerley for a higher end WR, because you have the WR depth to trade up and the lower end RB depth to want a little more.
Team Name: Gaspar Werewolves
Owner: Gaspar
Record: 1-6-0
Roster Grade: F
Roster:
QB:
Michael Vick
Eli Manning
RB:
Chris Ivory
Peyton Hillis
Chris Johnson
C.J. Spiller
Danny Woodhead
Not trying to sound mean here, but the sad truth for Gaspar is hist roster...well, it just plain kinda sucks. Spiller has proven ineffective all year and with Fred Jackson's continued surging could be put into the role behind him, not to mention still battling ankle injuries, while CJ2K has been living very dangerousl, seeing his carries go down while his YPC gets low...both are quite iffy plays going forward, while Danny Woodhead is the hopeful guy who will have to carry the RB squad. Chris Ivory and Peyton Hillis are non-factors, Hillis essentially being a bye week TD-or-bust fill-in while Ivory at his best is hardly impressive.
WR is even worse: Randall Cobb is out until Week 15, which is useless enough to be droppable even, while the only consistantly good wideout is Cecil Shorts, though even Shorts is someone who is more of a WR2...Sanders has very little value, save as a low end bench for if the Steelers offense gets on track, DeAndre Hopkins can get you 12 points or he can get you 2, who can say...and Dwayne Bowe has been thoroughly sad this year, though he is still playable against poorer defenses.
This team does have some bright spots, but one of them is still kinda dim: Michael Vick could post top end QB numbers every week...but he can also post a lot lower ones and is liable to be injured every week. Julius Thomas is the best high on this team, a great TE who can score every week, but Mason Crosby is nice and the Titans D/ST looks to be a neat find to play every week: Having 2 D/ST to keep them on your team isn't a bad idea for one week.
If you wanna shape this roster up, here's some thoughts of mine:
Drop Hillis, the Bucs(After this week, ofc), Randall Cobb and Eli Manning: Stockpile guys with upside or guys like Brandon Gibson who can give you 7 every week to try and improve the roster quality. You might be tempted to keep Cobb, but don't be: Week 15 is playoffs and at 1-6, you can't hold on to a guy just for hopes of a playoffs. Shop him quickly to people like Scooter who might find it worth it and if they offer nothing, drop him.
You absolutely need to trade to improve your roster. Consider selling low on guys ike Spiller and Bowe for guys or packages, see if people are willing to bet on CJ2K enough to get a return and you might even find value in trading Shorts for anything. Vick to someone in need of Qbs and then playing the wire might be a good idea too, hell, you could even try trading the Titans D/ST to someone with bad defenses. You need to offer lots of things to try and transform this.
Don't give up hope, even with a 1-6-0 record and a bad team. Always try your hardest!
Team Name: Beijing Lewd Lobbers
Owner: Lewwyn
Record: 2-5-0
Roster Grade: D
Roster:
QB:
Tony Romo
Alex Smith
RB:
Eddie Lacy
Trent Richardson
Le'Veon Bell
WR:
Marques Colston
DeSean Jackson
Rueben Randle
Brandon Marshall
TE:
Tony Gonzalez
Charles Clay
Garrett Graham
D/ST:
Panthers D/ST
Bears D/ST
K:
Alex Henery
Blair Walsh
Breakdown:
Lewwyn's roster is better than Gaspar's, but in some ways it is even harder to look at, probably because it has possibly the worst bench use in the entire league, steadfastly refusing to address key concerns in even a bad option in return for stockpiling 3 TEs, and not trading any of them, 2 D/ST, when the one on bye is the worse one, two kickers, for no real reason, and two Qbs, despite owning the #5 QB and someone you're basically never going to bench for the other one. Lewwyn has 7 bench slots and is basically using 2 of them.
WR is Lewwyn's best position, as DeSean, Marshall, Colston and Randle form a very solid nucleus, solid enough that given your RB woes, you should really trade one of them for a RB...still, they are a nice quadruple, even if Colston has been quite disappointing so far. RB is a different tale: While Eddie Lacy is solidly Top 10, only not in it due to missing 2 weeks, Trent Richardon has been a disaster and Le'Veon Bell mostly gets by on volume. Even if you're just buying handcuffs in case of injury to other teams players, you need more RBs than these 3 when they are your only 3.
TE is looking good, very good in fact! So good that you seriously need to trade Gonzo or Clay: There's a lot of teams that could use TEs and you could really use RBs, though even a WR would be nice compoared to the extra TE, and it shouldn't be hard to find someone to buy. Graham could also be traded, but is likely to get a lower return. Alex Smith also is likely someone who you can easily trade to some QB starved team, but is otherwise useless here.
I've got some recommendations for this team, as well:
Drop one of the kickers, preferrably Walsh, the Bears D/ST and, if you cannot find suitors, Graham and Smith, though Smith is more tradable and could be kept. Buy RBs, even handcuffs like Rashad Jennings, and probably a WR. You need lotto tickets right now, not scrubs.
Trade one of the TEs ASAP: Keeping them on the bench is a horrible descision, especially since they don't make great flexes, and you have at least one gaping hole to mend, and even trading them for a WR (Especially if you trade a WR for an RB) would be more useful. On that note, I'd also trade a WR (Preferrably Randle or Colsotn) for an RB.
Sell low on Richardson ASAP, be it for another RB or a wideout. Let a team with better bench presence hold him.
