Mission Impossible 4 and what it means to Fantasy Football

Okay, I just saw Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol at the theaters. I spent $8 (it was a matinee) and left disappointed. Overall I thought it was worthy of a Netflix rental or pay per view pop at $3 but not $8 or the eye gouging $10 that movies charge these days for a night time visit. But I digress.

What did I not like? Plot was old with nuclear bombs and Russians (very cold war-ish), the action especially the final scene was ...boring. Tom Cruise fighting an older villain and both looking like they had arthritis at the end limping around, and the theme of "disavowed" as if it is new. I thought the MI team was allows "disavowed" if they messed up...so why the big deal about this time?

Don't get me wrong I appreciate the work that went into MI 4. It just was not as good as some of the other MI films.

To be fair I liked the cat fight scene between the good girl and the bad girl (but it was too short) and the funny Brit computer guy and the high altitude scenes on the Dubai hotel were interesting,  But to be honest I think the MI series has run its course. I also saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and it was much much better IMHO. I left the theatre really excited about the outcome and the way it played out on the big screen. It was great!!! PS Previews for Red Tails look great as well.

What does this have to do with Fantasy Football you ask?
All too often we get carried away in the hype of something FF wise. Whether it be Cam Newton (deservedly) or Terrell Owens (not so much), the bottom line is we need to evaluate things on our own and not believe all the hype or pundits. Take the time to ask yourself "is this a real trend or just a story? Do I like this or am I just carried away by the media". Just like a movie with a ton of build up (MI 4) you should evaluate things on your own. Sometimes the best things come in small packages (Ray Rice anyone).


Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

FFGuidebook.com finishes 7th of 46 in the FFLibrarian/FSTA 2011 QB rankings accuracy contest

46 sites participated in the rankings accuracy challenge that is run in conjunction with the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (F.S.T.A.). The results of the contest were revealed a week ago at the F.S.T.A. Winter Conference. Refer to the New York Times blog article below for even more information:


http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/fantasy-football-accuracy-rankings-for-2011

Web sites that were interested in participating in the contest were asked to submit their preseason rankings for the top 25 quarterbacks, 50 running backs, 50 wide receivers and 20 tight ends based on the standard scoring system below:

Passing Yards (25 yards per point)

Passing Touchdowns (4)
Rushing Yards (10 yards per point)
Reception Yards (10 yards per point)
Rushing & Receiving Touchdowns (6)

Interceptions & Fumbles Lost (-2)

Using Fantasy point totals for QBs, RBs, WRs and TEs based on the above scoring system, the Fantasy Football Librarian (aka Sara Holladay ) created an end-of-season ranking for each position by using FFToday.com‘s statistics page. She took the difference between each site’s preseason positional ranking and the end-of-season positional ranking and squared that difference in order to penalize large errors in rankings. Then she summed those squared differences and averaged them for each position, which determined which site’s positional ranking was most accurate.

Finally, to determine which site was the most accurate across all four positions, she summed each site’s average squared difference for the four positions and divided by four for the four positions analyzed to see which site had the lowest average. The site with the lowest average was the most accurate site.

That is a whole lot of math my friends. And the outcome?

The FFLibrarian/FSTA 2011 fantasy football QB rankings accuracy results are as follows:

Most Accurate Quarterback Rankings:

1. Fantasy Football Maniaxs

2. FOX Sports

3. Football Outsiders

4. Fantasy Football Geek Blog

5. 4for4.com

6. Pyromaniac.com

7. FF Guide ( I think this is me FFGuidebook.com)

8. KFFL

9. Junkyard Jake

10. Ask the Commish

FFGuidebook.com (aka Sam Hendricks) finishes 7th of 46 in the FFLibrarian/FSTA 2011 fantasy football QB rankings accuracy contest and 6th of 51 in the 411Football.com Experts Rankings contest. 





Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Fantasy Hockey: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Hockey Players ($14.95) www.amazon.com/dp/1936635100

Ask the Expert: Through two weeks of playoff games, which player in your eyes has HELPED or HURT himself the most for the 2012 fantasy season?

Through two weeks of playoff games, which player in your eyes has HELPED or HURT himself the most for the 2012 fantasy season?


Two WRs: Hakeem Nicks and Marques Colston. Both finished in the top 15 in PPR leagues for the regular season, but they missed a few games. Their playoff performances so far (13-280-4 for Nicks; 16-256-1 for Colston) will boost them into the top 10 for 2012.

ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly at http://www.fantasyindex.com/
 with answers to a new question posted Thursday morning.

Sam Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips, Fantasy Football Basics and Fantasy Football Almanac 2011, all available at his website, http://www.ffguidebook.com/, at all major bookstores, and at http://www.amazon.com/. He is a 20-year fantasy football veteran who regularly participates in the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF), National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall (out of 228 top players) in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC).




Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669


Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634


Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650


Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693


Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

ESPN Radio: Fantasy Focus Football-Great Podcast!

It is has ended for the year, but I have been meaning to award kudos to ESPN's Fantasy Focus Football podcast. Hosted by ESPN Fantasy experts Matthew Berry and Nate Ravitz, they provide daily fantasy football player previews, game overviews, injury reports and strategy. It reminds me of getting together with a few close FF friends and just talking over the days events or the upcoming week.
Make no mistake this is entertainment and you are not going to find non stop FF strategy. But you will get so good advice and it is great way of talking (ok listening) through some discussion points.
I especially love when Stephania Bell (the injury lady) comes on the show too.


I try to listen to every episode and often download it and listen while i am at the gym working out. Killing two birds with one stone. Look for it in 2012 when it starts again before the FF season.



Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

What happened this weekend? None of my teams won....

Had Houston as a long shot to win AFC.
Had NO as long shot to win Super Bowl.
Had GB as favorite to win SB.
Hoped the good guy Tim Tebow would continue his fantastic journey.

O for 4. Now I get NYG@SF and BAL@NE.
Now I am rooting for another Harbaugh brothers Super Bowl.....or am I just trying to jinx them and get a rematch of NE vs NYG. You make the call.

Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Congratulations to the Footballguys Players Championship (FPC) National Champion

Ronald Eltanal stands alone on top of 2,963 other teams as the 2011 Footballguys Players Championship National Champion. Ronald won $125,000 and a custom-made TitleCraft trophy. Not bad for a $350 entry.

Ronald's team finished the regular season 7-4, with 1651.70 points. He was the #2 seed and had the most points scored in his league. Ronald ended up winning both of his league playoff games and took down his league title.


Ronald's three week playoff round scoring total was as follows:


Week 14: 178.55
Week 15: 244.90
Week 16: 162.50


That is a 3 week average of 195.31 points.


Ronald's draft is below where he had the 11 pick:


1.11 Calvin Johnson
2.2 Roddy White
3.11 Micheal Turner
4.2 Mark Ingram
5.11 Tom Brady
6.02 Marshawn Lynch
7.11 Aaron Hernandez
8.02 Rob Gronkowski
9.11 Michael Bush
10.02 Sidney Rice
11.11 Jermaine Gresham
12.02 Eagles D/ST
13.11 Donald Driver
14.2 Jerome Harrison
15.11 Montario Hardesty
16.2 Jason Hill
17.11 Stephen Gostkowski
18.02 Donovan McNabb
19.11 Terrell Owens
20.02 Eric Decker


Ronald has some excellent value picks in Brady, Lynch, Gronkowski, Michael Bush and Eric Decker.
Ronald ran a 3 RB, 2 WR, 2 TE lineup for the playoff run. Here was his typical starting lineup in the playoffs:


QB - Tom Brady
RB - Michael Turner
RB - Marshawn Lynch
WR - Calvin Johnson
WR - Roddy White
TE - Rob Gronkowski
Flex 1 - Michael Bush
Flex 2 - Aaron Herndandez
K - Stephen Gostkowski
D - Seattle

The FPC pays out $1,000 or more through 60th place in 2011.

Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011

Congratulations to the winners of the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC) in 2011

From a FFPC (www.theFFPC.com) email blast:



"The FFPC has crowned a new World Champion! Tim Daneau and Tim Beaulieu, aka T-N-T, have won the 2011 FFPC Main Event. In a close battle, T-N-T held off Glenn Lowy and his team Glenneration X to win it all. T-N-T and Glenn were vitually tied heading into the Monday night game. T-N-T had Colston and Glenn had kicker Matt Bryant. Bryant started with an early field goal, but there would be no denying Drew Brees, and Colston was his favorite target. T-N-T finished with 701.42 points, while Glenneration X ended with 692.55. Glenn takes 2nd place and cashes for $20,000.

On top of the $200,000, Daneau and Beaulieu also have won a beautiful, custom FFPC TitleCraft trophy.

Daneau and Bealieu drafted online and were in league #52, "We Let 'Em Off The Hook". Let's check out their draft round-by-round which was from the 8 hole:

1.8 - Arian Foster
2.5 - Hakeem Nicks
3.8 - Miles Austin
4.5 - Ryan Mathews
5.8 - LaGarette Blount
6.5 - Steve Johnson
7.8 - Matt Stafford
8.5 - Devery Henderson
9.8 - Marques Colston
10.5 - Rob Gronkowski
11.8 - Delone Carter
12.5 - Greg Little
13.8 - Brandon Gibson
14.5 - Heath Miller
15.8 - Shane Vareen
16.5 - Dexter McCluster
17.8 - Eric Decker
18.5 - Marion Barber
19.8 - Josh Brown
20.5 - Shaun Hill

Colston at the 9.8 and Gronk at the 10.5 were the obvious keys to their team success. What insane values. Similarly to the 2011 Footballguys Champion, Ronald Eltanal, T-N-T did not make any high impact free agent pickups. Here is their typical starting lineup for the playoffs:

QB - Stafford
RB - Foster
RB - Mathews
WR - Colston
WR - Austin
WR - Steve Johnson
WR - Nicks
TE - Gronkowski
K - Nugent
D - Eagles"







Fantasy Football Guidebook (2nd Edition): Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football ($19.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428650

Fantasy Football Tips: 201 Ways to Win through Player Rankings, Cheat Sheets and Better Drafting ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428669

Fantasy Football Basics: The Ultimate "How to" Guide for Beginners available ($10.95) at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982428634

Fantasy Baseball for Beginners: The Ultimate "How-to" Guide ($10.95) www.amazon.com/dp/0982428693

Fantasy Football (Soccer to Yanks): The Ultimate "How-to" Guide for Fantasy Football/Fantasy Soccer ($14.95) http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936635011