Phew, we made it through the first wave, boys and girls. Thankfully for us fantasy GMs, week four looks to have been one of the worst byes this season, potentially only topped by week nine (Atlanta, Tennessee, Buffalo, and most of the NFC North will be off that week ... it gives me chills). Hence, while we aren't out of the woods just yet, the underbrush has cleared for the time being. Last week, we clobbered some home runs, but piddled in a few sad little sac-bunts too. Eli, Teddy, and Tannehill all ruined the curve for other quarterbacks; Gerhart, Asiata, and Walker found the end zone; and Keenan and Khiry piled on over 200 combined yards. Unfortunately, Steven Jackson was robbed at the goal line, Cecil Shorts' paper-mache hamstring sidelined once again, and Garrett Graham had the usage but also the dropsies. A respectable but cautious pat on the back to myself and Alex for our record last week. But this isn't about fantasy-prediction autofellatio, it's about helping you plug the holes in your team ship so it doesn't go Titanic on you. Hence, we soldier on through volume two of the Bye Week Blues.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
Week 4 Fantasy Report: Time Keeps On Slippin'
As I drove to the radio station I work for over the weekend, watching trees dot the skyline, it dawned to me that October has nearly arrived; the realization gave me pause. The seasons fly by every year, almost faster than the previous one, and this ride around is no different. Our long-form game of numbers and balls shaped like an egg has already hit its quarter-point, with four tireless weeks of injury checking, feed-watching, and losing sleep over minute roster changes behind us. We must relish the time we are given, as we enter what I consider the greatest time of year. And between this and other hobbies, work, school, and life's various toils, we should all set aside a bit of the day to just sit and watch the leaves fall.
Alright, now that I'm done gazing into my own navel, we can begin. First, to touch on some of last week's notes (make sure to read Alex's part 2/rebuttal piece to get the whole picture from last week)...
Alright, now that I'm done gazing into my own navel, we can begin. First, to touch on some of last week's notes (make sure to read Alex's part 2/rebuttal piece to get the whole picture from last week)...
Friday, September 26, 2014
Barclays Premier League Week 6 Predictions
This is the week I improve my record! Okay, probably not but there's always hope and you don't want to miss out on when I have a winning record for the week. Despite my 3-7 record, I actually didn't do too bad last time. For example, technically this was considered a loss, but I guessed a 3-2 Man City victory over Arsenal and it ended up being 2-2. Once again my favorite pick of the week will be in bold red letters.
MONDAY 8:00 PM EST UPDATE
My season record will be reseting due to a format change. The record will now be based on my betting picks instead of my game predictions.
MONDAY 8:00 PM EST UPDATE
My season record will be reseting due to a format change. The record will now be based on my betting picks instead of my game predictions.
Week 6 Record: 5-3-2 (With 2 Exact Score Predictions!)
Season Record: 5-3-2
Bet of the Week Record: 0-0-1
Liverpool vs. Everton
Prediction: 1-2
Analysis: I've got to go for the upset in the latest Merseyside Derby. Both teams are coming off bad losses to teams they should've beat so no one has the momentum coming into this game. Yes, Liverpool is at home. Yes, Liverpool has been somewhat better than Everton this season. But Everton usually shows up in games where they're expecting a tough matchup. Watch for much better goalkeeping by the toffees in this game. Tim Howard will come up big this week.
Pick: Everton +1/2; -104
Final Outcome: 1-1. WIN.
Season Record: 5-3-2
Bet of the Week Record: 0-0-1
Liverpool vs. Everton
Prediction: 1-2
Analysis: I've got to go for the upset in the latest Merseyside Derby. Both teams are coming off bad losses to teams they should've beat so no one has the momentum coming into this game. Yes, Liverpool is at home. Yes, Liverpool has been somewhat better than Everton this season. But Everton usually shows up in games where they're expecting a tough matchup. Watch for much better goalkeeping by the toffees in this game. Tim Howard will come up big this week.
Pick: Everton +1/2; -104
Final Outcome: 1-1. WIN.
Week 3 Fantasy Report: Round 2
You can find my take here on this week's Third and Long Fantasy Report.
Week 3 Fantasy Report: Round 1 Recap
A few players I have to address after they were included in the Week 3 Fantasy Report by Lucio:
Toby Gerhart: I disagree with Lucio on Toby Gerhart getting any better with BLAKE BORTLES BLAKE BORTLES BLAKE BORTLES as the QB. Not this season. Yes, Toby may have more room to run now, but he's still the same player that carried the dubious title of "most overhyped" coming into this season. Like Lucio said, Toby Gerhart is a Tonka Truck that's slower than I am. He's useless.
Week 3 Fantasy Report: Round 1 Recap
A few players I have to address after they were included in the Week 3 Fantasy Report by Lucio:
Toby Gerhart: I disagree with Lucio on Toby Gerhart getting any better with BLAKE BORTLES BLAKE BORTLES BLAKE BORTLES as the QB. Not this season. Yes, Toby may have more room to run now, but he's still the same player that carried the dubious title of "most overhyped" coming into this season. Like Lucio said, Toby Gerhart is a Tonka Truck that's slower than I am. He's useless.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Week 3 Fantasy Report: The Bye Weeks Are Coming, The Bye Weeks Are Coming
We're on the precipice, folks: the time of year that separates fantasy boys and girls from hulking muscly beasts of fake majesty. Bye weeks add a major layer of skill to roster construction and the waiver game, allowing the cream to separate from the chaff. I've penned a more extensive look at this week's bye replacements, which you can find below this article. For now, let's jump back into the usual routine and look at some notable fantasy trends from week three.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
The Bye Week Blues
Week four is upon us, the quarter-point of our ride through the season, and you're sitting pretty. Solid roster, winning record, able to navigate the injury carnage up to now without a scratch. However, the true test of fantasy skill is just beginning. The bye weeks approach, threatening all our painstakingly-crafted rosters and shiny division standings. I've decided to throw in a few of my opinions on what players can best hold the line for your team, based on matchups, circumstances, and a handful of pure, dumb luck. So, boys and girls, I hope you enjoy this first installment of the Bye Week Blues.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Week 2 Fantasy Report: Oh, The Humanity!
The second week of our favorite sport began on the heels of an absolutely dire period of days in the league. The Ray Rice saga had hit full-throttle, the NFLPA continued to give wishy-washy reports on the approaching drug policy rehaul, and we learned that our beloved bionic man Adrian Peterson beats the daylight out of his toddler like a goddamn neanderthal. Commish and the PR department would have loved for the games to take the edge off and cool some heads in the midst of such tumult, but karma would have none of that; an egregious number of players suffered debilitating injuries, forcing medical reports to more closely resemble those of week twelve or so. Fantasy footballers must adapt and ride this wave as we would any other, though, and soldier on minus some of the premier players in the game.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Barclays Premier League Week 4 Predictions
Now that the international break (which is useless in my opinion since we just had the World Cup) is over I can dive into making some predictions for week 4. I'm also adding my favorite pick of the week into my weekly predictions now (Pick is written in red and bold). The analysis portion of these predictions will end up being relatively short due to the international break making me forget my instant reactions to week 3 and the fact that I'm running out of time to make these predictions. Hopefully I can improve on my 4-6 record from last week.
FINAL SCORES UPDATE
Week 3 Record: 4-6
Week 4 Record: 3-7
Season Record: 7-13
Arsenal vs. Manchester City
Prediction: 2-3
Analysis: I don't think anyone could have guessed Man City losing at the Etihad to Stoke. I think Man City will bounce back after the disappointing loss despite going to play against Arsenal at Emirates. Arsenal is also coming off a match where they struggled against Leicester and my gut was right about that game being more interesting than I predicted. This is an important game for both teams early in the season and in Man City's case, if they don't bounce back, Chelsea will quickly start running away with the league.
FINAL SCORES UPDATE
Week 3 Record: 4-6
Week 4 Record: 3-7
Season Record: 7-13
Arsenal vs. Manchester City
Prediction: 2-3
Analysis: I don't think anyone could have guessed Man City losing at the Etihad to Stoke. I think Man City will bounce back after the disappointing loss despite going to play against Arsenal at Emirates. Arsenal is also coming off a match where they struggled against Leicester and my gut was right about that game being more interesting than I predicted. This is an important game for both teams early in the season and in Man City's case, if they don't bounce back, Chelsea will quickly start running away with the league.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Third and Long: Todd Bradley and Week 1 Reactions
A wild first week of gridiron is behind us, folks, and we have a bunch of crap to fling about it, between Tom Terrific being not-so-much, to the divisional turnover record the NFC East will inevitably break. Listen to the episode here, and be sure to follow the feed to stay up-to-date on all our podcasts and content!
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| Cry, Pagliacci, cry |
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Week 1 Fantasy Report: Cordarelle Patterson Hates Me
Wrapped in the gorgeous weather and sweltering temperatures that blanketed the northeast U.S., I spent the weekend in Boston visiting some college friends, many of whom I compete with in fantasy leagues. At 1 PM on Sunday, as our ragtag group huddled around the brunch table, a few of us let out a collective, contented sigh: our rosters had locked, and the fantasy season had truly begun. I'm still shaking a bit from the high the season opener wrapped me in. Week one brought us a number of interesting storylines, ranging from the hilarious and exciting, to the abhorrent and despicable. Here are some of my takes from the first week of fantasy football.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
Thursday, September 4, 2014
2014 NFL Season Preview: From AJ McCarron to Ziggy Hood
Third and Long is back, baby, and so is the NFL! Join us as we take on each division in the league with our predictions and opinions on the best and the worst. Plus, a quick preview of week one and what to expect going forward. Listen here!
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| Do you even lift, bro? Use this handy flowchart to find out (click to view full size; Dom Mazzetti get at me) |
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Final Preseason Sleepers and Busts: From Rip van Winkle to Ryan Leaf, Part 2
Only a few precious days stand between us and the most glorious time of year, folks. Until our rosters matter once again, and luck clutches our fates in its wiry talons. The time for vigilance is now; push those desperation trades, scour the wire for gems, and keep tweaking those rankings. In time for Thursday night's festivities, here's the other half of my last-minute sleepers and busts for the season.
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| Best game ever, by the way. Where's my HD remake, Nintendo? |