Ducal Crown 2012: A Year in Review

First of all, I want to congratulate Neil on winning the Ducal Crown Fantasy Football league in 2012!! Hm? Oh, Austin won? Then why is Neil orgasmically celebrating Austin’s victory on Twitter? Running nude through the streets with “Austin Perry 2012!” painted on his chest? Making paper mache footballs with and eating glue?

Who knows, he’s spent a lot of time on an alpaca farm.

In seriousness, a hearty congratulation goes to Austin Perry for winning the league this year. He defeated what can only be described as the fiercest and most adept of competitors (me) in a rigorous battle of will. By “will” I refer to my pleading sobs to Aaron Rodgers to ‘Stop it!’ as he threw touchdown after touchdown to Jordy Nelson Sunday night.

Alas, it seemed destiny for Austin to take the league this year. After losing star RB Darren McFadden to injury for the last half of the season and suffering early season injuries to Aaron Hernandez, Hakeem Nicks, and Marques Colston, it never seemed Perry’s team would be fully healthy. Nothing inspires confidence in a team like starting Shonn Green, LeGarrette Blount or Beanie Wells at RB. Then again, Aaron Rodgers covers a multitude of line-up sins.

And so it was that the “Pledge Prez Perry’s” took the title out of my feeble grasp, and so the trophy passes on to a worthy opponent.

Don’t worry though. I’ll get it back next year.

Shall we do end of year superlatives then?

1.  Austin Perry – The Champ

No need for anything clever here. Trust me; it never gets old forcing people to refer to you as “The Champ.” So enjoy it, Champ.

We often say winning in Fantasy Football is somewhere along the lines of 80% skill and 20% luck. Perhaps it’s 50/50. Austin winning, however, shows us some very interesting things about Fantasy Football.

1)      You don’t need to make a million trades or waiver wire transfers (that won’t stop me though). Austin made only a few small trades, nothing major, and largely stuck with the lineup he drafted, despite it having Marques Colston and Shonn Green in it….again.

2)      You don’t need stud RBs if you want to win a title, you just need a rock solid QB. The starting RBs in the championship game were: (for Austin) Shonn Green and LeGarrette Blount, who combined for something like 10 points; (for me) Darren Sproles and Willis McGahee (who combined for somewhere around 22 points. How did I lose this again?!

3)      What really helps is having elite QB’s favorite targets as your WRs. Perry started Hakeem Nicks, Marques Colston and Jordy Nelson (Eli’s, Brees’, Rodgers’ favorite targets). I started Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas, and Antonio Brown (oh yea, that’s how I lost this week). I lost Greg Jennings to injury, Big Ben didn’t play and thus couldn’t throw to Brown, and Demaryius Thomas….crap.

So maybe that’s the strategy to follow. Or maybe that’s just that worked this year. We’ll have all offseason to speculate and mock draft and try to discover sleepers, but until this time next year…let the Champ reign.

2. AJ McGraw – Most Likely to Have a Lot Less To Say Next Year

Ya know, cause I got stomped in the finals. At the end of the year my bench looked like this: Matt Ryan (backup QB), Kevin Smith (a good start, but hurt most the year), Donald Driver (picked up because Jennings was out), Greg Jennings (out for regular season), DeMarco Murry (IR), Jamaal Charles (IR, keeper potential).

That’s three players on my bench who were out for the remainder of the regular season or beyond. One backup quarterback (just in case), an injured RB and a 36 year old WR.

Things get desperate at the end of the year, hence Demaryius Thomas starting for me in the title bout. No matter though. My twitter handle may be a bit shorter these days, but the fighting spirit lives on. I now have the meaningless honor of saying I’ve been to back-to-back title games. But we’ll talk more about meaningless honors later.

3. Eric Creasman – Best In Show

Kudos to a guy for playing FF the way it should be: losing to me in the playoffs. TAKE A NOTE AUSTIN!!

He went from worst-to-first this year (regular season), and rode good draft picks (Brees, Welker) and good trades (acquiring Mendy, Ray Rice, and Marshawn Lynch) to a 10-4 record, and a spot a top the league, before suffering the unrelenting torture of Matt Stafford throwing to Calvin Johnson.

In case anyone needed a reminder, in our playoff matchup Stafford and CJ combined for 80 points.

After posting 173 points the following week, Creasy should be cutting his (or my) wrists, had he got past me no team would have stopped him in the finals. Instead, in the spirit of good competition, he bought me a funny t-shirt, made his gripes on Twitter, and got over it fairly quickly (doubtful, I think he’s still griping, but who wouldn’t?).

4. Matt Noordhoff – Most Likely to Think Everyone Hates His Team, Him Personally, and His Family

Kudos for a stellar run from everyone’s least favorite team on paper to a rock solid playoff team. I’ve given him credit before on the moves he made to get himself into playoff contention, so let’s turn our focus to the created hate Noord brings on himself.

First, I deserve a fair amount of blame. I lived with Noord for two years, ate about 1,300 meals with him during college, and know how he works. So, for example, let’s say I’m at work and need a distraction but know that no one is on Twitter. I’ll send out a tweet like, “How pissed is @mattnoordhoff gonna be when he loses this week?”

All you have to do is wait a few minutes and then….. “clearly you haven’t looked at my matchups this week #boy. You aren’t even close to me in points either. #enjoy4thplace”

In his defense, I think he meant “I’ll be enjoying 4^th place while you go on to the championship game….again, sir.”

Point being, we know the man’s buttons, and deep down we all love when someone is the villain. We poked and prodded Neil when his team was dominating, then we fought with Ricky when he was on top of the league. Once those two Fantasy Failures dropped out of the playoff race we were happy to have Noord available to deliver the trash talk.

It’s why we play Fantasy Football in the first place, isn’t it?

5. Neil Morrissette – Most Likely to Resume the Role of the League’s Little Brother, aka #PhillyNeil, aka League Villain

Oh #PhillyNeil, how we’ll miss you. Last year we watched Ricky trade his way out of the championship game, and this year we saw Neil give away stud players for guys who joined his team and immediately injured themselves (Ryan Matthews, Matt Forte, Cedric Benson, Desean Jackson….I consider him as having a permanent mental injury).  To note, he gave away Lesean McCoy, Mike Vick, Rob Gronkowski, Matt Stafford and Darren Sproles. Ouch. Let’s change subjects.

I suppose his unquenchable thirst for praising Austin comes from a deep Fantasy kinship they share. You see, Neil beat me early in the season on the back of his Kicker and Defense combining  for 40 points. In the title matchup, Austin’s kicker posted 16 points and his defense posted 17.  In my defense, Dallas kicker Dan Bailey netted me an impressive 1 point.

I hate Dallas.

I look forward to next year’s draft when Neil’s insatiable desire to talk up his team irrationally comes back. Secretly I’m hoping he keeps Tebow. Why shouldn’t the most polarizing player in our league have one of the most polarizing players in the NFL?

It’d make me hate on Neil less. Probably.

No. It wouldn’t.

6. Ricky May – Most Likely to Disappear after the Trade Deadline Passes

That silence you heard after November 18^th was all of our cell phones going quiet. We stopped receiving 15 text messages a day from Ricky proposing every possible trade conjurable.

In fact, the only tweets Ricky had to offer during the playoffs had to do with the championship game… that he was playing in…in his work league.

To be honest, our league wouldn’t be the same without a guy like Ricky. Sure the constant trade offers get annoying, but he also feeds all of our desires to make trades and keeps the league interesting. And, let’s be honest, who among us didn’t get a little feeling of satisfaction when on the trade deadline Ricky made moves to acquire Fred Jackson, Mike Vick and Adrian Peterson? All of whom missed all, or most, of the games the rest of the season. It was like karma.

7. Jimmy Hostetler – Most Likely to have the most Bi-curious Bi-Polar Team

Either everyone on his team scores, or no one on his team scores. On paper your matchup against him looks good. Starting RBs? Jon Stewart, Mike Tolbert, James Starks, or some combination of the like. Big Ben at QB, and his only real threat is Gronkowski at TE. If you don’t pay close attention you’ll miss his guys scoring TDs and piling up yardage in meaningless NFL games. Next thing you know you’re down 15 with no players left.

Or, his team lays a massive turd of an egg and you roll on him without losing a second of sleep.

What we do know, is trading Cedric Benson and some change for Rob Gronkowski was the move of the year (once again, at Neil’s hand).

8. TJB – Most Likely to Win the League Next Year

You know, if you don’t believe in karma. Owner of one of the top five teams in the league, he missed the playoffs then lost two consolation games to secure (as of now) a top three pick. He has two of the best keeper options (Lesean McCoy in the 2^nd, and Jimmy Graham in the 14^th) and a top 3 pick, meaning Aaron Rodgers, Ray Rice, and someone like Matt Forte will likely end up on his roster.

Assuming those guys stay healthy that’s a fearsome core to build around. Then again, TJB spent most of this year in the 20% Luck category. 100% of it being bad. Seriously, how does a team with Brady, McCoy, Turner, Miles/Laurant Robinson, Holmes, Graham, etc etc miss the playoffs and then lose both games in the consolation round?!

Either he’s had really bad luck, or sneakily good luck. He’s in great position heading into next year’s draft.

9. Sam Persons – Most Likely Read this Four Days After I Post It

It’s not that Sam isn’t around much, it’s that we don’t really know where Sam ever. Perhaps the other 9 of us are too consumed with FF. I dunno though, I don’t see anything wrong with spending an entire day looking at your Ducal Crown Twitter Feed waiting for someone to talk Fantasy with you. It’s one of my few joys in life.

Ultimately, Sam was the beneficiary of an incredibly tight league. Heading into the last few weeks he was still in playoff contention if the games went his way. They didn’t, and he ended up with the second pick in the draft next year.

So you’re telling me I can be in the playoff hunt up until the end of the season, then if I miss the playoffs I have just as good a chance at getting a top 3 pick?

I love this league.

10. Bryan Gunst – Most Likely to Have More Pushups than Fantasy Points Counted this Year

It’s just the facts people, I don’t make the rules.

Gunst has a few good things going for him next year: the rights to Andrew Luck Aaron Rodgers, AJ Green in the 8^th and Arian Foster in the 3^rd. Quite a nice starting lineup with his second round pick available to fill a spot. Not a bad start to your season if you ask me.

We’ll see if our favorite RD can turn his luck around and go from worst-to-first like our resident grandfather, Creasman. If he can do it, anyone can.

Just goes to show, there’s always something to look forward to next year.

A blog by my wife, about her new job.

**This was written by Michele about her new job. Which, I'm hoping, you got from the title of this post. If you didn't, please rewind and start again.**

It’s crazy how early educators, parents, and family members start asking us what we want to be “when you grow up.” In first grade, I wanted to be a Disney Princess. I mean, when you’re 6 years old that seems like a realistic option, right? Maybe for you it was fireman, policeman or superhero. For most of us, it changed weekly, and when our parents asked us what we wanted to be and we shouted “SPIDERMAN!” they got a good laugh. Of course, as we start to get a little older we begin to think more realistically.

At age 10, I was advised that I needed to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and be baptized. So, I did. I didn’t really know what they meant, but thought that if I didn’t pray and read my Bible everyday I’d probably get struck down by a bolt of lightening. Eventually, I began to figure out who Jesus was on my own. I attended a youth conference in 7^th grade, and I re-dedicated my heart to Christ.

Shortly after that, when people started asking me what I wanted to be when I grow up I’d say, “I don’t know. I just want to help people.”

As I got into high school and college, when people asked me that dreaded question, I’d give them various answers that I thought sounded the most professional. I got my bachelor’s degree in English and my minor in Journalism, but still felt that heart tug as I thought of the Middle School version of myself.

Post college I worked a handful of awful and not so awful jobs. In my recent position, I knew that I wasn’t where God wanted me. I needed to figure out what he had called me to do.After several weeks of praying about what I was supposed to be doing with my life (Disney Princess crossed my mind once or twice), Pastor Eddy came to me and asked me if I’d be interested in working with him for Oneighty. I think I said, “Yes!” before he finished asking the question. In a way only God can, I was blown away with an amazing and direct answer to prayer!

In the few short days I’ve worked for the church, I’ve felt an incredible sense of fulfillment that tells me this is the place God has called me to be. That his purpose for my life was to bring me to this place, to serve and work alongside the high-schoolers in Oneighty. And I feel so incredibly blessed to be here.

Turns out the Middle School version of me knew where I was supposed to be the whole time.

Week 12 Rankings, Playoff Predictions, and more!

There’s too much going on to waste time on a long, overdone intro. This league is tighter than Noord in a schmedium t-shirt and with two weeks to play in the regular season eight teams have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.

Four teams are tied with records of 7-5, three teams tied at 6-6. Creasman sits alone, on top, at 8-4 with a rock solid lead on points scored. So that’s where we’ll start…

1. Creasman (8-4)

Points Scored: 1,502.26

With a huge (and apparently really easy) win over Neil last night, Creasman jumps to the top of the league and holds an enormous one game lead over the four of us in second place. Riding Drew Brees’ 5 TD performance last night, Eric also gets the giant benefit of having an +80 point differential over the second highest league scorer (Ricky: 1,424.98).

What does that mean? Creas is a lock for the playoffs. In this league, 9-5 gets you a playoff spot and 8-6 gets you into the tie-breaker (total points scored). With an 80 point lead and two games left to play, Creasman will walk into the playoffs even if he loses his next two (at Noord, and home to Sam).

In a surprising move, Eric went counter-culture and decided not to throw his season intentionally like his hometown favorite Colts. Who are, and I repeat, throwing their season intentionally by trotting out Painter, Orvlosky, and company. Intentionally. Throwing. Their. Season. Scoundrels! All of them!

Also worth noting, this continues the streak of “Only Writing Blogs when Creasman is at the Top of the League”. I’m inconsistent…like Vincent Jackson. And Desean Jackson…and Mike Vick…and Anquan Boldin….and Fred Davis.

Speaking of all of those guys:

2. Ricky (7-5)

Points Scored: 1,424.98

After losing two (read, TWO!) starting RBs, Fred Jackson and Adrian Peterson, last week to injury we figured Ricky was dead in the water. But, in the ultimate show of Brotherly Love, our dedicated Regional Director for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Inc. offered Ricky the opportunity to go ahead and win this week despite starting Toby Gerhart and CJ Spiller at RB. Thanks Bryan! You're a pal! 

Added in was an injury to Mike Vick, that kept him out for the second straight week, and the only logical starting QB for Ricky was Vince Young. Let me remind you that he won this week. AND SCORED MORE POINTS THAN MY TEAM! With Vince Young! Absolutely, un-real.

Never count Ricky out. He always hangs around. Like a parasite. A parasite with a really cute son.

3. Perry (7-5)

Points Scored: 1,417.36

Has his karma finally run out? After squeaking out win after win after win, Perry has dropped two huge games in a row. With tough matchups against TJB and Ricky in the next two weeks its possible he finishes 7-7. It’s also very possible Aaron Rodgers takes him to 9-5. Rodgers...so dreamy.

More pressing, however, was Perry losing Darren McFadden and not handcuffing him to Michael Bush. That was a crucial mistake this season and may well cost him the playoffs. Instead of Perry continuing to dominate the league, we've been forced to watch Noord climb the rankings riding the incredible production of Mike Bush in DMC’s absence. I’m proposing that if Noord wins the league 15% of his winnings should go to Perry for this egregious lapse in judgment.

4. Noord (7-5)

Points Scored: 1,396.30

He had no help from his WRs this week (Dez and Mike Wallace combined for 7.7 points), but he’s been riding a wave of RB production that makes Ricky salivate. With MJD producing like MJD in 2009, and Mike Bush producing like…well…Darren McFadden, and CJ2K’s random appearances as a competent running back, Noord’s team is capable of scoring in bunches.

What happens when DMC returns and CJ2k goes back to CJ0k?  I assume Dez and Wallace combine for 40 that week. It’s a dangerous team, folks. Watch out.

Even though his rapid ascension was slowed momentarily by that scrappy Sam Persons team, he’s still a favorite to make the playoffs in my book.

Keep an eye out for the huge matchup between Noord and Creasman this week. It can take them both to 8-5, or allow Creasman to clinch a playoff spot at 9-4 with one game to play (vs. Sam).

How exciting is this league?!?! And we’re only at the 4^th ranked team?!

5. AJ (7-5)

Points Scored: 1,381.50

I’ve been squeaking out wins over teams during their bad weeks. I have two must-win games coming up (let’s be honest though, what game isn’t must-win at this point?) against Ricky and Neil. I have to win those two if I want to get into the playoffs because trying to win a tiebreaker at 8-6 won’t work. I’m currently 7^th in the league in Points Scored. 7^th….out of 10.

I’m telling you, I’ve been sneezing my way through these wins. I haven’t had a dominate win for a couple of weeks. I need my guys to get back on track! With Stafford’s finger in a splint, Calvin hasn’t been producing (which means Stafford’s been mediocre too). Jennings is coming off injury, Finley is lost in the assortment of passing options Rodgers has, Sproles’ production has dropped off and I’m fighting week by week on whether to start Antonio Brown or Willis McGahee in my flex spot. DeMarco Murray has been a bright spot for me though. So there’s one. Out of seven.

6. TJB (6-6)

Points Scored: 1,420.56

So the guy with a .500 record who is in 6^th place is 3^rd in the league in points scored and only 4 points behind the guy in second (Ricky). He’s been steadily climbing since he started 1-5 and couldn’t buy a win (I’m sure it’s because he wasn’t allowed keepers), and I honestly think he’s going to make the playoffs. If he can beat Perry (who’s been sliding) and Jimmy (who's up and down) he’ll win the Points Scored tiebreaker and get in at 8-6.

Then again, he’s been unlucky all season so it’d be fitting if he crushed Perry and then got decimated by Jimmy. He’s the New York Giants of the Fantasy League: always seemingly a contender at the end, but a mess during the beginning, middle, and the first part of the end.

7. Sam (6-6)

Points Scored: 1,388.20

For some reason we’ve all doubted Sam this entire season. All attention has been given to TJB for having an unlucky season but look at these point totals from Sam:

108, 118, 98, 110, 128, 105, 121, 133, 119, 73, 129, 140

That only got him six wins?!

He’s only had two weeks below 100 points, and seven above 118. I’ve given credit to his sneakily good backwards trades, but he’s built a solid all-around team and stuck with it. Victor Cruz has been a tremendous surprise for him after losing Andre for most of the season. Baltimore’s Defense has come through for him in a big way multiple times, Brandon Lloyd wasn’t a one-year wonder like we all thought, Cam is the real deal (in Fantasy value, not NFL Wins-value), Gore has exceeded expectations and Cedric Benson has even added value in recent weeks.

Am I bitter that my team is better on paper, has more wins, yet fewer total points, and a worse shot to make the playoffs than Sam’s team? Only a little bit. With wins over Jimmy and Creasman, he could slide into the playoffs at 8-6 on his point total (again, which is higher than mine).

8. Jimmy (6-6)

Points Scored: 1,283.90

Our final playoff contender. Jimmy’s lackluster point total will likely keep him out of the playoffs, but he’s got a team that can surprise you any week. Just like this one when he trumped Austin 120-103. You really never know what you’re getting with Jimmy’s team, which makes him dangerous. With games against Sam and TJB he’s more likely to keep someone out of the playoffs than he is to make it himself. But anything, literally ANYTHING, is possible in this league.

9. Neil (5-7)

Points Scored: 1,375.78

That was satisfying to write. A ninth place fall from grace from Philly Neil? It’s incredible really, but almost entirely self-inflicted. Giving up Vick and McCoy for Forte, Ryan Matthews, and Desean Jackson just doesn’t seem right in retrospect. But things happen in Fantasy Football. His QB production has been mediocre all year, his WR production has been severely limited, and his RBs just haven’t been consistent.

At some point he’s had all these players start for him: Mike Vick, Tim Tebow, Roddy White, Larry Fitzgerald, Steven Jackson, Matt Forte, Lesean McCoy, Ryan Matthews, Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, Desean Jackson, and Sebastian Janikowski.

That team should be putting up 160 points a week, right?

All that's left is trying to convince Gunst to pass up on Aaron Rodgers next year.

10. Gunst (1-11)

Points Scored (not that it matters): 1,233.76

Aaron Rodgers! Arian Foster! AJ Green! Not bad to start your season with those guys drafted in rounds 1, 3, and 8 respectively.  Or you could go Peterson/Foster. Or Rice/Foster.  Megatron/Foster (don’t take Calvin from me!) The possibilities are limitless!

I guess what I’m saying is…it’s never too early to start developing your draft strategy for next year.

I give credit to the guy for never giving up, playing for pride and making a good trade right before the deadline to fill out his starters. And hey, if Creasy can go worst-to-first, so can you. Next year.

Modified Playoff Predictions:

1. Creasman

2. Noord

3. Austin

4. TJB