THUMBS DOWN!
Nah, this sounds like a great idea. Welcome aboard, Jules.
Has there been an adjustment to the timing of the cut-date and start of the draft that is stated in the OP?
I am fine with the cut and draft date. I can post my keep/cut list very soon.
I prefer to cut after most of the 3rd week preseason games. Cut deadline Saturday night and draft starts Sunday is the earliest I’d prefer.
Thanks everyone! I am very excited to be involved (I hope the majority of owners responding acceptance confirms it. But I’ve jumped guns before). I’ve read through every past year’s threads, and it’s clear that every owner in the league is fully invested. That’s very refreshing. I can guarantee I’ll be as active as anyone else. This is my only league, after all.
Not sure I can guarantee winning, though. I’ve inherited an, uh, interesting team. I’ll post a write up on the “State of the Franchise” soonish. I’m caught up with the league rules and how everything works. I’m going to be hitting the ground running, and I plan on making several moves up to, and through, the draft.
Yeah, you’re in. PM Varlos an email address for an invite.
Your team has a few premium assets with. It’s a bit surprising that furt had a few down years, acquired some high draft picks and valuable pieces, and then left when it was starting to come together.
In any case it’s a better position for you than inheriting a last place team. Looking forward to your write up.
Ok, sent an invite to **Jules **-- very happy to have him on board!
The rules are actually pretty simple. The only one you need to know right away is that you cut as few or as many players as you want and get enough draft picks to bring you back up to 25 (keep in mind you may have 26 or 27 at the moment because of Injured Reserve slots). You can see the draft order in the OP. Oh, and you can trade starting immediately; you’re able to trade future draft picks up to one year hence (so at the moment you can trade your 2016 and 2017 picks, but 2018 picks won’t go on the market until next July or so). And any trades involving future picks have to be numerically balanced (so if I trade you Giovanni Bernard for your 2017 1st, I’d send you a balancing pick in return, possibly just “Varlos’s last 2017 draft pick,” whichever round that winds up being).
We’ll cover the other stuff as it comes up I suppose.
As to the cut deadline, I think we’ll do Saturday, possibly a day later. But everybody should be getting ready: enter a provisional keeper list on Yahoo ASAP so you have something ready just in case. As always, once you’re pretty sure you know your cuts post them here in the thread as well.
Ok, let’s do this!
Bit late now but you probably could have guessed anyway - I am also good with Jules (though I would also have been good with JA). Welcome aboard! Also, I will crush you.
Thanks for pulling your head out of your docket long enough to grace us with your presence.
Eta: 
I’ve decided to keep Lamar Miller for now, unless I get an offer I can’t refuse. But I need to shed some weight from my roster. Ty Montgomery, Zach Miller and Ben Watson are all available for a low price - even just a draft pick swap. I’d probably consider moving some of the other guys lower on my roster for the right price.
Right now, my team looks like this (projected starters in bold). Top to bottom, I have to say I think my team is the strongest in the league overall, or at least close to it. None of my guys are aging out of their prime (except V-Jax, who already had) and the ones who had bad situations last year suddenly have tremendous ones this year. My only concerns are that I don’t have a QB who will win weeks by himself, and that I own too much of a Texans team that isn’t really that good. If they tank, I will likely tank too.
QBs: Andy Dalton
Matt Ryan
Brock Osweiler
I am pretty well set here. None of my guys is ever going to lead the league in passing, but Dalton has been a top five guy in the past and is uber-consistent, and Ryan is a virtual lock to be in the top half of the league (last year notwithstanding). That makes Osweiler expendable, since it would make more sense for me to have a younger “project” guy (especially when I have so many Texans shares elsewhere). If someone wants to trade me a top five guy, I’m listening. I could have sworn I owned Kirk Cousins last year but maybe it was another league.
WRs: DeAndre Hopkins
Brandin Cooks
Marvin Jones
Vincent Jackson
Breshard Perriman
Ty Montgomery
If I don’t have the best three-deep receiver lineup this year, it won’t be for lack of preseason hype. Jones or Cooks could turn out to be low-end WR3s in this format, but either could also put up top-12 numbers. Hopkins proved last year that he’s QB- and matchup-proof, so no worries there. V-Jax will probably quietly post another 1,000-yard, two-touchdown season, which is fine for a bye week replacement. Ideally, I could probably use another reserve WR, and I’ll probably draft one of the rookies who is likely to see the field early. Perriman and Montgomery are basically dice rolls at this point - one because of health, the other because there are so many options in GB. I would be willing to trade one for a lower-upside-but-higher-floor type.
RB: Lamar Miller
Mark Ingram
Ameer Abdullah
Matt Jones
Spencer Ware
Shane Vereen
Not sure how I’m going to get all of these guys on the field. Miller or Ingram could lead the position in overall scoring this year. Abdullah and Jones were dominant briefly last year and dumpster fires most of the year, but both are basically being handed #1 roles so one of them has to produce. If they don’t - well, Ware will probably score 6-10 touchdowns and is an instant starter if/when Jamal Charles gets hurt. Vereen was my great hope for the future but it turns out he really is just a third down back.
TE: Jordan Reed
Martellus Bennett
Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Zach Miller
Ben Watson
Reed is bound to miss some games this season, so that’s what Bennett is for. He’s a hell of a lot better than the JAGs that New England has had opposite Gronk lately, but I’m not sure if he will see enough throws to put up numbers. If ASJ keeps his head on straight he could easily be a top five guy, but I’m not holding my breath (and he also has an unfortunate habit of being injured). As noted above, Miller and Watson are surplus to requirements but I’ll probably keep one if I trade the other.
Kicker: Steven Haushka
He’s a kicker. He’s a top five kicker every year. What more do you want?
Defense: Texans
Rams
Both of my defenses were dominant at times last season and both were awful at times. Unfortunately, they weren’t awful when you’d expect them to be and dominant when you’d expect. Still, they’re pretty good as fantasy defenses go.
I owned Julian Edelman at the end of last season, but for some reason he’s not on my roster. I don’t recall trading him. Beef, what’s up with that?
You traded him for Dalton.
The Old Men Are On Parade!
My team is old. So, so old. Gray hair old. Nursing home old. Matlock old. But yet, I’m not very worried about this season. I’ve still got plenty of decent producers, and provided they don’t all fall off the cliff at the same time, I should be in contention for a spot in the playoffs (and maybe even a win).
QB
Drew Brees
Jameis Winston
Trading Dalton away was tough, but Brees is still a Top 5 QB, and I don’t think that’ll change this year. And if it does, I like what I’ve seen of Jameis so far. He could be a keeper.
WR
Alshon Jeffery
Julian Edelman
DeSean Jackson
Larry Fitzgerald
Brandon LaFell
Kenny Stills
Mike Wallace
Anquan Boldin
Eddie Royal
Rueben Randle
I am stacked at WR and picking up Edelman might be the last piece I need. Yahoo’s got him projected as a Top 25 receiver and Jeffery is sitting just outside the Top 10. As long as both stay healthy, I’m good. D-Jax and Fitzgerald also look good for the flex spots. The rest of my corps is good for a bye week plugin but I’d be willing to deal any of them.
RB
Devonta Freeman
Matt Forte
Frank Gore
Charles Sims
Theo Riddick
Tevin Coleman
Ahmad Bradshaw
Trade of the Year! Freeman was the #1 RB last year, and while Yahoo doesn’t have him projected that high this year, I still expect big things. Forte is a Jet now and Gore is older than dirt, but one of the two should be able to put up some numbers. And I’m still waiting for Doug Martin to give up the ghost and give Sims a shot. Maybe this year.
TE
Jason Witten
Charles Clay
Jason Witten is the most consistent TE in the whole league. He ain’t flashy, but he’s good every week.
K
Cairo Santos
Dan Carpenter
Meh. They’re kickers.
DEF
Minnesota
Cincinnati
Minnesota is probably just a shade outside the elite defense tier, but they can put some a good score every once in a while. The same for Cincy really.
Ah, thanks.
*Quakertown, PA: It is said that history is doomed to repeat itself. For the residents of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, this came all too true, as the Fightin’ Quakers took a page from the old Baltimore Colts and skipped town in the dead of night. Fans woke up to find the stadium complex utterly demolished; the smoldering rubble’s glow brightening the early morning hours like dying embers.
There are scattered reports that the team bus drove through Main Street at approximately 3:00 a.m. Players reportedly set their old jerseys on fire and tossed them into the streets, along with Molotov Cocktails and excrement. Old Jessup Gardener, who has lived in the ranch at the end of the road for nearly 60 years, filed a report that his lawn had been burned to ash.
When reached for comment, the Public Relations manager of the team, Peter Ness, said only, “fuck that town.”
A staffer within the organization, who has requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, provided some additional clarification. “Well, frankly, the move comes down to two things. First, the town sucks. Let’s face it. They only have the one Taco Bell, and it’s a shitty one. Second, the fans are ugly, and it was crushing team morale to have access to such a disheartening assortment of hookups.”
The team now moves on, rebranding itself as the Hungry Hungry Haruspex, which God only knows what that even means. For the residents of Quakertown, their cherished memories have been tarnished. Says one resident and long-time fan, “they done shat up my porch!”*
I’d be more interested in taking over a last place team than a first place one. Rebuilding is the fun, not skating on someone else’s choices. I always picked the worst team to start my Madden franchises with, back in the day.
This team is interesting. Is it a contender? (It finished second last year!) Is it a basement dweller? (It finished last the two years before that!) I have some really nice pieces to work with at the top of my roster, but I am woefully thin everywhere else. I may have trouble setting a full lineup from time to time. Without help, I’ll likely never be able to set a full lineup during the byes.
Looking at this roster, this seems more of the basement dweller than the contender. Assuming everyone kept everyone, as it stands I’d finish in the bottom half-to-third of the league. And, I don’t have high picks this year to make up for the difference. Luckily, I have two of the top dynasty players in the league to help get me through the rebuilding process. So, thanks furt! Go Philly, etc.
The only problem is, I think this team is too good to rebuild (they won’t be in competition for a top pick), and not good enough to make the playoffs consistently. So, this will be a very fun project, figuring out which direction I want this team to go over the next couple seasons before I have to force open my window.
QBs -
Russell Wilson
Jimmy Garoppolo
AJ McCarron
Case Keenum
Colin Kaepernick
• Russ is in the top 2 or 3 best dynasty QBs to own, so I’ve got a serious advantage there. He was already good before last season, but he may have taken a jump into true elite status after posting the best month a QB has ever had. After him, this group would look a lot better if Kaep was still his 2014 self. As it is, Janeane Garofalo showed some promise so far this preseason, and McCarron put up really good number last season as a backup. Unfortunately, neither has a path to starting in the next 2 years, so they are lottery tickets. I doubt I can keep both, so if you’re interested in a stash, let me know.
RBs -
Todd Gurley
Chris Ivory
T.J. Yeldon
Jerick McKinnon
Bishop Sankey
• Same song. If Gurley isn’t the best dynasty player to own, he’s top 2 or 3 overall. So I have a cornerpiece for a sustained run of excellence. Unfortunately, I don’t really have anything after that, at least not yet. Between Ivory and Yeldon, I have a full starter who should put up numbers. Yeldon is young, too, but Jacksonville picking up Ivory is a concerning window into how that team views T.J. The problem is I don’t have any depth here I can spot start. McKinnon is a physical freak who is already showing signs of maturing as a runner, but is locked into a backup role. AP won’t last much longer, and McKinnon will be a major asset, then. And then, there’s Sankey. Thanks, furt!
WRs -
T.Y. Hilton
Tyler Lockett
Stefon Diggs
Willie Snead
Dorial Green-Beckham
Jamison Crowder
Marqise Lee
Rashad Greene
Paul Richardson
• At first, I was a little dismayed by this group. But that’s admittedly because I didn’t pay much attention last season, outside of Philly. I don’t have that superstar to carry the group, but Hilton is close. He had a down year after Luck went down, but was productive enough that he’s a fine WR1. Lockett is interesting. In fantasy, he might outperform his actual skill level, but he’s evolving and the beat around the team is that he’s going to take a step up with more receiving duty. It’ll kickstart my weekly matchups having the Wilson-Lockett combo, and Lockett is more matchup-proof than normal with his kick return work. This is a pretty fine, very young, top 2.
Outside of that, I think I have a good mix of young depth with some scattered potential. A lot of those guys are destined for flex ceilings who won’t be more than the third option on their team. Fine for depth and spot-starting, but I’d like to have more chances at a potential #1 down the road. Only Beckham-Green has the potential and opportunity to be a true WR1 in the future, but he has to quit being a fuckup. Furt did a good job building this part of the team, so he has my thanks for that.
There’s a lot of redundancy here, so if you’d like to take your chances on Marqise Lee, Rashad Greene, etc., they can be had for a later pick.
TEs -
Travis Kelce
Richard Rodgers
Jace Amaro
• This is a young group with some upside, I just don’t like what I have here outside of Kelce. I think Kelce has hit his ceiling, but he’s a dependable starter in a good situation.
Ks -
Blair Walsh
• I only have one kicker, which has its pros and cons. But he’s a decent enough one. Middle of the pack.
DEFs -
Seattle
Indianapolis
Chicago
Tennessee
• Seattle! All right! They weren’t the Gronk of the defense position last year as they have been before, but they are a no-brainer start, pretty much regardless of matchups. With that type of rock, I don’t see the need to carry four defenses.
Alright, the arrival of a new player does seem like a good time to take stock. Just so you’re aware, Jules, the Northeast division is technically and officially mine – if you want to try to come in 2nd and grab the wildcard I’ll allow it, but don’t get uppity.
Overall, as reigning champ, I still have a good roster. But the loss of Calvin Johnson after 7 years of faithful service, and the fact that all those Panthers on my roster can’t be expected to repeat last year’s heroics, leave me a little too poised to regress.
QBs
Cam Newton
Tony Romo
[del]Brian Hoyer[/del]
Newton was last year’s top QB, and Romo has to be considered one of the best backups barring an age/injury-related decline. I need young guy (a prospect) to round out the group, but overall this is one of the best QB situations in the league.
RBs
Doug Martin
Jonathan Stewart
Giovanni Bernard
Danny Woodhead
DeAngelo Williams
Duke Johnson Jr.
[del]Mike Davis
Bryce Brown[/del]
Somehow I had 5 RBs finish in the top 20 last year, including 3 of the top 7, but everyone on this list has a big fat question mark next to their name. Martin: consistency, Stewart: health, Bernard: usage, Woodhead: age/usage, Williams: how many games does LeVeon Bell miss this year? So, I don’t know, this could be one of the best units in the league or one of the worst, or anywhere in between.
WRs
Sammy Watkins
Randall Cobb
Emmanuel Sanders
Michael Crabtree
Davante Adams
[del]Cole Beasely
Brian Hartline
Seth Roberts[/del]
This unit has taken a big tumble. Since drafting Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson as my first two players all the way back in 2009, I’ve usually had the best WR corps in the league. It’s still quite decent at the top, but Watkins needs to have that breakout season, Cobb needs to rebound from last year, and Sanders has to find a way to get his yards with Denver’s crapsack QB situation. And boy am I thin. This group makes me nervous. Hopefully at least 3 of my RBs pan out, because if I have to start 4 WRs every week it’s gonna be long season.
TEs
Greg Olsen
Zach Ertz
[del]Will Tye[/del]
Good job, me! Olsen was 5th among TEs last year; Ertz was 9th despite only catching 2 TDs, and is still young enough to have some upside. One of the best groups.
Kicker
Stephen Gostkowski
I got the best Kicker!
DEF
Carolina
Baltimore
[del]Atlanta[/del]?
I got one good Defense!
I’m going to float what may be a silly idea. We’ve all proven we’re invested in this league and it’s important to us for the long term… I was thinking we should have a league trophy. Like an actual physical trophy. We could do one every year, ordering from some online site, or, possibly more fun, we could just have one trophy that each year’s winner would keep for a year and then have to mail to the next year’s champion. It would give extra incentive to the league champ to win again as to be able to retain his trophy. And people could take selfies with the trophy during the year as a taunt sort of thing. Wouldn’t have to be elaborate or expensive, just something for fun.
I’m in. Probably easier to do a new one each year instead of paying person-to-person shipping costs, though.
I get a trophy made/shipped every year for the 12+ year keeper league I run and it’s under $15 engraved and shipped each year. I also play in a league where we pass around a trophy and there are often months delays in shipping the next winner the trophy so it is usually not as satisfying. Just my experiences, whatever we decide is fine with me, I don’t mind chipping in a couple bucks every year for a trophy.
I expect to cut:
QB Brian Hoyer
WR Seth Roberts
WR Brian Hartline
WR Cole Beasley
RB Bryce Brown
TE Will Tye
DEF Atlanta
… which would give me 6 draft picks. RB Mike Davis might also go, depending on what happens in the 49ers game tonight.
ETA: I’m up for a trophy if folks are down with the idea.