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Houston, we have a QB.

Written by Charles Branch on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.

The Houston Texans last year found their quarterback of the future in Deshaun Watson. Many fantasy owners for about five weeks dominated their leagues because of his dominance in games. And it showed drastically with his chemistry with DeAndre Hopkins and his last four games with a Quarterback rating of at least 100 before suffering a torn ACL in practice. J.J. Watt was also lost for the season from a leg fracture in which Jadaveon Clowney had to step up to prove his first round caliber a few years ago.
Many outside fans and media have questioned how high this Texan’s ceiling and pedigree is under Coach Bill O’Brien who has many wondering if he is the reason they haven’t taken that next stop to become a championship level team. The Texan’s have the franchise quarterback, the playmaking receiver, and a defense that can take over games when they have to. All it needs it for it all to come together.
The AFC South has gotten stronger among the Jags, Colts, and Titans who have made drastic changes. Sacksonville has maybe taken over the top of the division with their elite defense, Andrew Luck is back and can maybe continue where he left off, the Titans made the playoffs and have made a coaching change with former player and coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel spent 2014-2017 on the Texan’s sideline coaching the linebackers and last season as the defensive coordinator. It doesn’t seem like the week division Houston fans have come to be familiar with.
The addition of J.J. Watt and Tyrann Mathieu , the development of Watson, and the continuing growing of the running game can take this team great lengths in the 2018 season.
Unfortunately the first two weeks of the season they got off to slow starts against the Patriots and Titans but made some strides late in the game to come back before falling 0-2. The running game has picked up steam thanks to Lamar Miller.
Houston must come alive early in games to avoid stagnant offensive drives. They have the fire power but there needs to be better game planning and execution from the players and coaches. The AFC isn’t strong like it’s been in past years. The NFC is almost eight deep now with the emergence from the Rams and Vikings. So unless something changes the AFC might have a 9-7 team to sneak into the sixth seed this year, but that’s three months away and there is a ton of football left.
Here’s to a great season, tailgates, cookouts, and yelling fans on Sundays. Get your lungs ready the first couple of weeks are over and the rust is wearing off. Now is the time to get ready for some football.

What have you done for me lately Jerry?

Written by Thomas L. Seltzer on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.

The Dallas Cowboys’ 59th NFL season is under way, their 30th under the ownership of Jerry Jones. No franchise has a richer history than the Cowboys, who have won five Super Bowls and are the most valuable sports team in the world. Forbes sets the value at $4.8 billion.
A few short months before Jones bought the Cowboys and fired Head Coach Tom Landry, I had the privilege of meeting Landry. The date was November 20, 1988, and the Cowboys had just lost 38-24 to Boomer Esiason’s Cincinnati Bengals. It was their eighth straight loss.
As a kid growing up, I watched Landry prowl the sidelines of Sundays. He was the man in the hat, the stoic leader of America’s team, impeccably dressed and sporting a fedora. In those days, I didn’t like the Cowboys since I lived in St. Louis, home of the Cardinals (before they moved west).
On that day in 1988, that same stoic man was standing in front of me, bigger than life. Always the gentleman, Landry was calmly answering questions in a press conference in the Cowboys locker room at Texas Stadium. I was the sports editor of the now defunct Shreveport Journal at the time.
At the press conference, Landry was trying to explain how America’s team had slipped to 2-10. The team had been in decline since the mid-1980s, but things had gone from bad to worse. The last time the Cowboys had lost eight games in a row was in their first season under Landry – 1960.
 The Cowboys had been an NFL powerhouse for more than two decades but were now the NFL whipping boy. Still, Landry had nothing but accolades for the 9-3 Bengals, and he had no disparaging words for his beleaguered team. Landry was a man who epitomized the word “classy.”
“We’re having a tough year,” I recall Landry stating in his normal deadpan voice. That was an understatement from the man who had become a lightning rod for all of the criticism directed at his team. Cowboy fans weren’t accustom to losing, and they weren’t handling it well.
I recall that I wrote a column the next day entitled “What have you done for us lately, Tom Landry?” Had all of these myopic boneheads forgotten Landry’s legacy? In spite of finishing with a 3-13 record in 1988, Landry’s record during his 29 seasons with the Cowboys was 418-250.
Landry and my favorite cartoonist, Charles Schulz, creator of Charlie Brown, died on the same day: February 12, 2000. Mike Thompson, the Detroit Free Press cartoonist, honored them with a cartoon showing the pair entering the pearly gates together. Landry had his arm around Schulz.
I was saddened by Landry’s passing, but I’ve always considered that his first death occurred three months after I met him that day at Texas Stadium. It was February 25, 1989, and Jones’ first act as the new owner of the team was to announce the firing of Landry.
Jones went on to announce that University of Miami coach Jimmy Johnson, who played with Jones at Arkansas, would replace Landry. Like Landry, Jones had a tough first year. The Cowboys were 1-15 in 1989, but they went on to win Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993.
On the 25th anniversary of Jones’ purchase of the Cowboys and firing of Landry, Jones admitted that he acted too quickly in firing Landry after 29 years as the team’s head coach. “If I had a chance to do it over again I would’ve waited a year and just got my feet on the ground,” Jones said.
No one can dispute Jones’ success as a businessman. He bought the Cowboys from H.R. “Bum” Bright for $140 million, and it’s worth 35 times that much today. Taking a “hands-on” approach, Jones is also the Cowboys’ general manager. It’s not uncommon to see him down on the field with his team.
The 71-year-old billionaire makes it work. In three decades with Jones at the helm, the team have won three Super Bowls. But the last of those titles was 22 years ago, and Cowboys fans have grown restless. “What have you done for us, lately, Jerry Jones?”

 

Texas vs USC III

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in Football, TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.

Texas will get a chance to execute some much needed revenge against its 2006 National Title rival USC at DKR in Austin this weekend. Texas who was an underdog in last years contest at the Trojans came up just three points short in a double overtime thriller loosing 27-24 when freshman Chase McGrath hit a walk-off field goal to end the game.
Things are different this season as the music has changed song and to another venue for this renewed rivalry of recent years. Vince Young and Matt Leinart danced to their own tune with Texas’ 41-38 victory in that famous Rose Bowl match-up 13 years ago.
This year we get to witness the trilogy conclusion in this exciting match-up this weekend.
Sam Ehlinger’s turnovers last season as a freshman were key in the Trojans victory.
However, last year the game in Los Angeles was scoreless until 2:40 before halftime. The Longhorns tied the game shortly after when Darnold’s pass was tipped off receiver Jalen Greene’s hands and DeShon Elliott caught it for a 38-yard TD interception return.
The Trojans this year are coming off a loss as QB JT Daniels went 16-34 for 215 yards and threw two late 4th quarter interceptions against Stanford last week. It was far from his performance against UNLV in week 1 in the 2nd half.
While Texas’ defense has beefed up some despite loosing some big names like Elliot and Conner Williams, the horns escaped with a W at home last week hosting the Golden Hurricane. Unlike the Maryland game in week 1 the Longhorns took a 21-0 lead into half and coming out with a quick start at DKR against Tulsa. Both these teams sputtered offensively in the 2nd half of last weeks games. I think both teams will come out throwing the ball and being aggressive.
I’m not sure what the music will play out like this Saturday Night on the 40 acres, but If I had to guess, we are going to be tuned in for a good one. I expect this game to be a shootout with the edge slightly going to the Texas defense.
Horns enact some much needed revenge this week against the Trojans.
41-31 Texas wins.
Hook Em.

NFL passing record a Brees

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.

Texas Sports Monthly is predicting that it will be week 6 of the 2018 NFL Season before Austin Texas’ very own Westlake Chaparral Drew Brees will be the NFL’s All-Time Passing leader. Brees will pass Hall of Fame QB Brett Farve the week before in Week 5 likely. Brees was 37-of 45 in week one this season putting up 439 yards and 3 TD’s in the loss against Tampa Bay.
Given the age of the competition, it is unlikely that anyone in Drew’s generation will catch up to the future Hall of Fame QB in passing yards.
We believe that Drew will ultimately be on top for many years to come with NFL passing. Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers are currently at 8th and 9th on the list while Eli Manning is amazingly only 5 short from his older brother Peyton. While Manning may be on top for the next few weeks, Drew will reclaim the passing title this October. Yet Tom Brady, who is older than Brees, is closing in on #9’s numbers. The biggest challenge for the GOAT (if he is indeed the greatest of all time), is can Tom Brady continue to play and stay on the field longer than Drew Brees?
Only time will tell and it is likely that Brady will be 2nd to the one time Westlake Chap of west Austin Texas. TSM believes that while some believe Brady may be one of the greatest QB to every play the game on Sundays, # 9 will edge out the GOAT as the # 1 all time passing leader in NFL History.
Go Drew!




Drew Brees   #9 QB

New Orleans Saints | Official Team SiteHeight: 6-0   Weight: 209   Age: 39

Born: 1/15/1979 Austin , TX

College: Purdue

Experience: 18th season

High School: Westlake HS [Austin, TX]



                
                
            

        
        
        
        
        
    




                




    
    
    
    

        
            

            
                            
                    

    
        
    
        
        
Texas escapes Tulsa

                            

                Written by Charles Branch on .                Posted in UT FOOTBALL.                            

                
        
        
                    


                
                                    
Texas pulled out an ugly win against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes 28-21 Saturday to even their record to 1-1. The Golden Hurricanes missed three field goals and had two turnovers.  Lil Jordan Humphrey took over the offense with seven receptions, one hundred and seven yards, including a touchdown. Sam Ehlinger used his legs to clinch the game in their last drive to convert the much needed first down to win their first game of the season.


The game got underway as Freshman Safety Caleb Sterns intercepted Tulsa’s quarterback Luke Skipper on the first play of the game. Ehlinger took advantaged completing a thirty six yarder to Humphrey at Tulsa’s one yard line then ran it into the endzone on the next play.


After a missed field goal and a few change of possessions Texas offense began to click. Four plays for fifty four yards is all it took to extend the lead. Keontay Ingram broke a tackle scoring from twenty nine yards out to make it 14-0, it seemed like it was going to be a blow out early.


And it sure looked that way as Safety Brandon Foster took the ball away from Skipper. Unfortunately Texas punted on their next two drives failing to keep their explosiveness going. It seemed the Golden Hurricanes were going to put some points on the board after a block punt in Texas territory, but they missed their second consecutive field goal.


Texas had a chance to score before halftime so they handed the start of the drive to the running back tandem Ingram and Watson. Texas was able to rush five times for thirty five yards. This opened up the pass for Humphrey for a tremendous forty yard touchdown to end the halftime 21-0.


Tulsa made some adjustments in the second half putting a scare on the Longhorns. They stopped the offense with two punts and a fumble before they put fourteen on the scoreboard cutting the lead to seven.




The Horns responded with their longest drive in the game going thirteen plays after Watson ran in for a touchdown giving them some breathing room 28-14. Of course it had to get interesting it’s college football. Tulsa came after that possession to cut it again to seven putting the horns into a crucial drive.


It all came down to third and one at their own forty yard line. The game was on the line. The game turned to Ehlinger as he rushed for three yards to keep the game going and the clock moving. Daniel Young entered the game for the Longhorns rushing for 9, 30, 2 clinching the win. An ugly loss but wins are just that wins

                
                
            

        
        
        
        
        
    




                




    
    
    
    

        
            

            
                            
                    

    
        
    
        
        
Tarps take down Horns. Again!

                            

                Written by Charles Branch on .                Posted in Football, UT FOOTBALL.                            

                
        
        
                    


                
                                    
Texas allowed one to slip away Saturday to open up the season against Maryland losing 34-29 at FedEx Field home of the Redskins. Maryland freshman Jeshaun Jones showed out with his own hat trick catching, throwing, and running for a touchdown. The game began with a moment of silence for the Maryland’s fallen teammate Jordan McNair who died of a heat stroke in the spring. Once it all started the revenge game from last year’s upset loss slowly went out of reach. Where did it all go wrong?


On their first possession, Maryland exploded with a few big plays that put Texas on their heels with a Taivon Jacobs twenty-three yard pass then Jeshaun Jones capped off the drive with a twenty-eight yard run into the endzone. The defense was unable to figure out what was going on early on.


After back to back punts Texas gained great field position as Brandon Jones returned it to the Maryland’s thirty-nine yard line. The Longhorns on their very first play, Sam Ehlinger connected with Devin Duvernay for thirty-nine yards to tie the game 7-7. It seemed the game was evenly matched with each team creating big plays against the defense early.


Jeshaun Jones would keep it going catching a Kasim Hill sixty five yard touchdown by the eight minute mark of the first quarter. Maryland ran away with the game in the second quarter once Jeshaun Jones threw a touchdown to Jaivon Jacobs to take a 24-7 lead.


The ejection of linebacker Gary Johnson and the first half suspension of Anthony Wheeler contributed to a decimated defense.


Texas responded with a Keontay Ingram touchdown, a Terp’s safety, and a beautiful throw to a leaping Colin Johnson to trim the lead 24-22 that changed the momentum of the game at halftime.


The third quarter went underway as both defenses held firm to force punts. Texas was able to stop the Terps on a fourth down when Hill attempted to run for the first down. Sam Ehlinger came out and completed another completion to Colin Johnson at the two yard line. Kyle Porter stepped into the endzone to give the Horns their very first lead of the game 29-24 towards the end of the quarter.


The elements came at the beginning of the fourth to cause an almost ninety minute weather delay. After mother nature left the Terp’s went on an eleven play drive to take back the lead. Tayon Fleet-Davis scored on a seventeen yard run that took a ton of time off the game clock.


Impatiently Texas tried to come back forcing an interception and a fumble with less than five minutes left in the game.


Maryland was able to squeeze a field goal to go up by five and made the decision to run out the clock that Texas was able to stop with three minutes left to play to give the Horns one more drive for a comeback win.


Ehlinger completed a seventeen yard completion to Lil’ Jordan Humphrey to midfield and a fourth down thirteen yard conversion to Duvernay. It looked like a Ehlinger game winning drive, but on their final play he rushed out to the right side of the field launched it over his intended receiver’s head and was caught by a Maryland secondary player; A gut blowing loss to start the season.

                
                
            

        
        
        
        
        
    




                




    
    
    
    

        
            

            
                            
                    

    
        
    
        
        
Coach Dodge of Westlake

                            

                Written by Steven Ryan on .                Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.                            

                
        
        
                    


                
                                    

Q: You’re on the most respected coaches in the state. You could probably coach any school in any city but you choose to coach here at Westlake in Austin. What do you love most about coaching at Westlake and living in Austin?


A: My favorite part about coaching at Westlake is just the great tradition that this place has. I love being at places that have tremendous tradition. There have been a lot of great players and a lot of great coaches that have come before us. Just like we did when we were at our run at Southlake Carroll, we wanted to make sure that we honor what came before us by continuing to raise the bar and making sure that we’re keeping this program in the very top five to ten teams in the state of Texas year-in, year-out. It’s not just a team very year. It’s a program that people have built around here and we want to continue to do that.


Q: One of my favorite parts about covering you last year was seeing the extra respect you paid to your opponents after games. After the Niceville (Fla.) game, you brought all the Niceville kids together and thanked them for coming to Texas. After the Lake Travis game, you went up to (Lake Travis quarterback) Matthew Baldwin and gave him a few extra words of encouragement. Why do you go out of your way to do that and how do you feel about the state of sportsmanship today>


A: One of the things is we want our players always to absolutely respect our opponents. We’re going to prepare extremely hard over the course of the week. We’re going to study them. We’re going to know everything that we can about them. One thing that I think is the biggest form of flattery is that you respect your opponent, and you prepare as hard as you possibly can. The one thing that we want to always make sure that never happens is we don’t get beat because we disrespected someone. As far as the stuff after the games, I take a lot of pride in being in the brotherhood of high school football in the state of Texas. This is something very special. Just because you’re not on the same team doesn’t mean your not in the same brotherhood, and so when the game is over with I want our players, I want our coaches to show respect to the people that we played against. I’ve always got something to say. We’ve been watching them all week long and want to encourage those guys for the rest of the year and let them know what we think about them, that they did a good job, and that’s just something that hopefully will permeate through our entire team.


Q: How you do feel senior quarterback Taylor Anderson has grown since he was first thrust into the starting role as a young sophomore?


A: Taylor is a veteran now. Taylor has started 22 games for us. Probably no one ever expected him to start seven games as a sophomore but we were 6-1 in the starts that he had as a sophomore. Obviously, last year, led us to a 14-1 season. It’s not even close. He is truly an outstanding leader because of his toughness and the one thing about Taylor, Taylor is a guy willing to do whatever it takes for his football team. I think the epitome of mental toughness was in last year’s Lake Travis game. He had a really bad first half as far as production. He threw three interceptions in the first half, and a lot of guys could’ve gone in the tank right there. He comes in at halftime and tells his teammates, ‘hey guys, y’all keep playing. I’m going to be alright. I’m going to get my stuff together.’ He rushed for about 125 yards, a couple touchdowns in the second half, led us to a victory. So that’s who he is. There are a lot of dual-threat quarterbacks in the state of Texas right now. He’s one of them. He’s a guy who rushed for 1,100 and threw for 3,000 (yards) last year and he accounted for about almost 50 touchdowns.







Westlake at Pflugerville 2017


Q: What do you think makes Tony Salazar such a special defensive coordinator?


A: He comes from a great lineage of defensive coaches. He learned under Pete Fredenburg and the guys at Mary Hardin-Baylor that play tremendous defense. He’s very intelligent, very passionate. He’s a guy that’s a tremendous teacher of the game. A lot of times people don’t equate coaches as teachers. We’re all teachers. It’s just our classroom when we’re coaching football is a little bit different. It’s out here in the open. It’s here between the white lines. But Tony is (somebody) I wouldn’t trade for anybody in the world.


Q: Name one player that lot of guys might not know but you think has had a great preseason camp and could potentially turn some heads this season?


A: A guy that a lot of people probably haven’t heard of yet or is not a household name is Drew Webster. Drew played a bunch of football for us last year but he wasn’t a starter at safety. He played enough to almost be a starter. So on the defensive side of the ball, it’s him. On the offensive side of the ball, I think that Tripp Graham – our running back – is going to surprise a lot of people in the replacing of Nakia Watson.

                
                
            

        
        
        
        
        
    




                




    
    
    
    

        
            

            
                            
                    

    
        
    
        
        
Hermans Sophmore Year

                            

                Written by Hunter Cooke on .                Posted in Football, TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.                            

                
        
        
                    


                
                                    
2017’s 7-6 season was good for Tom Herman’s first season with the Texas Longhorns, but that’s certainly not the expectation moving forward.


Fortunately for Herman and Longhorn fans all over, should their quarterback play solidify, this could be an excellent season for a variety of factors.


On the defensive side of the ball, Texas lost a metric ton of stellar players to the NFL. They also return two of the most important pieces in a Big 12 defense: both defensive ends. Breckyn Hager and Charles Omenihu can get after the quarterback, which in the pass-happy Big 12 can pay massive dividends. That fearsome defensive front will have to carry a lot of water early in the season, as the defensive backfield is likely to be full of younger players who will need to get used to the speed of college football. Todd Orlando will earn every cent of his 1.7 million dollar salary getting his youthful secondary up to snuff.


Of course, while the defense might take a slight step back due to attrition, the offense has a chance to make a leap forward. Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger both return, as do a slew of talented skill position players. The offensive line is harder to predict, but with an influx of talent in graduate transfer Calvin Anderson and a new offensive line coach in Herb Hand, there’s a chance at improvement. All in all, just a little bit of progress might be all the Longhorns need to take a solid season.


The real reason for optimism comes from the rest of the conference: it’s likely to be a down year in the rest of the Big 12. Gone are names like Baker Mayfield, Mason Rudolph, and James Washington, who have terrorized the Longhorns in the past. Essentially, most teams in the Big 12 are rebuilding, and that leaves a bigger space for Texas to strike. If Herman and his boys can strike while the iron is hot, the Longhorns could be looking at a successful season by default due to the relative weakness of their conference slate.

                
                
            

        
        
        
        
        
    




                




    
    
    
    

        
            

            
                            
                    

    
        
    
        
        
Longhorns Improve in 2018

                            

                Written by Russell Dowden on .                Posted in TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.                            

                
        
        
                    


                
                                    
The Longhorns will have a chance to play for a Big 12 Championship this season and possibly boast a 9-2 Record overall. At least that is the hope for this Texas Fan. But, the Horns will be better by a few wins this year due to an improved offense and a defense that is young and building a foundation.  As Hunter Cooke pointed out the other day on this site, the Big 12 is the weakest conference out of the Power 5  in 2018.


Herman’s young team needs to improve on the offensive side of the ball this year if they are to get to double digit wins and his pair of young QBs will have to settle down sand have some composure in the pocket for this to happen this fall. The Texas class this spring was #3 in the nation and Herman’s quote from national signing day gave hope for the fan base on the 40 acres.


Key Quote: “There’s going to be a lot of competition on the defensive side. On both sides of the ball really. But I think we all can see, whoa, that side of the ball just got real in a hurry,” Herman said of the defensive outlook on National Signing Day. “To sign the three best safeties in the country (Caden Sterns and B.J. Foster), as well as what we think are the two best corners in the country, Jalen Green and D’Shawn Jamison, then the two best defensive tackles in the state in Moro Ojomo and Keondre Coburn, then the best pass-rusher in the state with Joseph Ossai, then Mike Williams and Daniel Carson as well.”


The defense led by Todd Orlando should be the a nice surprise in 2018. Brandon Jones is a big factor since the loss of DeShon Elliot to the NFL. DBU boast seniors Davante Davis, PJ Locke , & Kris Boyd, along with a several freshman defensive backs in Jalen Green, Anthony Cook, and Caden Sterns, along with Turner Symonds & BJ Foster. While we are optimistic this year after Herman’s first season going 7-6 with a bowl win, Horns fans are hungry for more than a mediocre season after some hard years under Charlie Strong. We think that the record will vastly improve this season and the record in 2018 will go up a few wins.


Our prediction is that Herman’s sophomore year will earn a few more wins in 2018 and gain back fans loyalty at Texas. The Horns should improve to a 9-2 record based on conference strength and a better looking offense and a young defense with several players returning.


Hook Em!

                
                
            

        
        
        
        
        
    




                




    
    
    
    

        
            

            
                            
                    

    
        
    
        
        
If Reality isn’t Enough, try Fantasy Football

                            

                Written by Thomas L. Seltzer on .                Posted in NFL FOOTBALL, TEXAS SPORTS.                            

                
        
        
                    


                
                                    
If you love football, you will love fantasy football. This is your opportunity to be an NFL team general manager/coach, adding an extra layer of fandom to regular professional football watching. The best way to get started is to join a league. You can play in a league with your buddies, or join by yourself. The most popular leagues are sponsored by Yahoo and ESPN. I prefer the latter. Both use a head-to-head scoring format, in a 13-week regular season and 3- or 4-week playoff bracket system. League drafts are starting now.




Drafting your team is the first step, and participating in a live draft is exhilarating. However, you don’t need to participate in the draft. Last year, I had a schedule conflict and couldn’t attend my draft, so my team was selected by ESPN, via auto pick. If you don’t know anything about the game, auto pick is a good way to start. After you assemble a team, you’ll rely on what your players do in actual games every week to generate fantasy points. The team with the most fantasy points each week wins his/her head-to-head match.




At its core, fantasy football is a math-based game based on the real-life production of players. Each week, you fill out a roster by “starting” players at the various positions allowed based on your league settings. These usually include one quarterback (QB), two running backs (RB), two wide receivers (WR), one tight end (TE), one kicker (K), one defense (D/ST) and one FLEX (usually RB or WR). There are a total of nine in your starting lineup, but you also have seven players on your bench. Bench player stats don’t count.




The statistics your starting players accumulate on the field (yards, touchdowns, etc.) contribute to their point total for the week. The point totals of all of the players in your starting lineup are tallied, and if you have a higher total than your opponent (another member of your league) you win that week. You set your lineup based on your perception of who will play best on a given week. There are standard leagues and PPR (point-per-reception) leagues, where tight ends and running backs receive a point for each reception.




Each week will proceed like this until the end of the fantasy regular season (Week 13). At this point, the teams with the best win-loss records will enter the fantasy playoffs, for win-or-go-home head-to-head matchups. Depending on the number of teams in your league, the playoffs can last three, or four weeks. Whoever wins all of his/her games in the playoffs is the league champion. Last year, I was playing in a 10-team ESPN league, and six made the playoffs. Two teams got a bye in the first week of the playoffs.




Winning is simple (not easy). You choose the best players, through the draft and waiver wire, work around injuries and decide the right players to start each week. Remember, you have 16 players on your team but only nine in your starting lineup. The points scored by the others on the bench don’t count. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right starters. Look at matchups, which are critical. You can spend a little, or a lot of time looking at the stats to determine who to start each week. It can become a second job if you let it.




One mistake you must avoid in the draft is wasting a draft pick on a quarterback in the early rounds. There is large supply of good quarterbacks. If you’re in a 10-team league, there will be ten starting quarterbacks selected, but there are a total of 32 NFL quarterbacks, and most of them are good enough to draft. Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady might get drafted as early as the fourth round. But you will probably be able to get Alex Smith in the 12th round. Smith averaged 18.3 fantasy points last year – the same as Brady.




The most important players to draft in the early rounds are running backs and wide receivers. In my opinion, you will want to select a workhorse running back in the first round. This is a guy who will get a lot of carries each week. If you’re in a PPR league, you want a running back who also catches a lot of passes. Some leagues award a point for each reception, and some just a half-point. This makes a big difference. There is a short supply of really good running backs, so don’t hesitate to load up on running backs early on.




Wide receivers are harder to predict. Antonio Brown is in a league by himself, and you can draft him in the first round with a high level of confidence. He won’t be available in the second round. DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones and Odell Beckham are in the second tier. Then you have Michael Thomas, Devante Adams, Keenan Allen and A.J. Green in the third tier. I would predict that all seven of the second-  and third-tier wide receivers will be gone in the second round. But I’d still rather have two top running backs on my team.




The middle rounds are also important, and this is where no one seems to agree on the talent. By the time you get to the third round, you’ll see pundits with a variety of opinions on the talent of these players. My advice is to read about the different players and make your own decision based on what sounds right. I will enter this year’s draft with an idea of who I will draft, and who I won’t draft. Then, I’ll let the players come to me, based on my draft order and what other players decide to do. This is not entirely predictable.




The late rounds (12-16) are the rounds where you will want to pick up your quarterback, defense and kicker. You may even select your tight end in one of the late rounds, but you would also be justified to spend a third-round pick to select Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots’ tight end. Gronk is in a class by himself, and he is Brady’s favorite receiver. If I can draft Gronk in the third round, I will do so. However, if someone else gets him first, I will wait. The No. 2 tight end if Travis Kelce, and he is projected to go late in the third round.




After the draft, you take off your general manager hat and put on your head coach hat. Who will you start in week 1? You’ll probably be going with the guys you drafted in the earlier rounds until they prove to be inferior to other players acquired later. But you also need to look at opponent strength and matchups, as I stated earlier. Dig into the statistics because this is the key to your success. You’re going to have injuries throughout the season, and you will also have bye weeks. You need to bench all players during their bye weeks.




I don’t want to minimize the importance of the draft, but you will not win or lose a fantasy championship with a draft. Last season, my No. 1 pick overall in the draft was David Johnson, and he was injured in the first quarter and lost for the season. Andrew Luck, my drafted quarterback, never played a game in 2017. I still managed to win the championship because I worked the waiver wire. I found Saints running back Alvin Kamara on the waiver wire in week three but dropped him. Later, I had to trade to get him, but it was worth it.




You won’t know how good, or bad, your fantasy team is after the draft. They may look good on paper, but the guys you think are studs could be duds. You could also have a rash of injuries. The good news is that there are always undiscovered stars waiting to be acquired on the waiver wire. You must be looking for that talent. Fantasy football is like life – you get out of it what you put into it. The harder you work at it, the luckier you will get in winning games and ultimately the coveted league championship. Have fun, and Godspeed.




Read Thomas L. Seltzer’s blog daily at www.doubtingthomassports.com.