Two of the responses I did get came from Professor John W Nulty and Frank Baliko, Esquire. Respectively, I was sent each team's positional grades and analysis on the teams as they currently stand. I will be giving out how the order averaged out as well as sharing the hard work of these two gentlemen in this post, but not before what I feel is an important message:
RESPOND TO THE LEAGUE TEXTS! If there is a pending trade it is now sent out by text to each member of the league. Each league member is supposed to be sending back at least a YES or NO but instead there are people who have not responded at all. It takes two seconds and shouldn't be rocket science. The league will only be as fun as we make it, and putting the extra energy in to be a real part of it will make everyone's experience better this year and in the future.
Now without further ado, lets get to the preseason rankings:
1. Neil (last season 4-9)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Neil 2nd):
QB: B- WR: B+ RB: A TE: A- Overall: A-
Frank's Analysis (has Neil 1st):
Neil
has set the stage very nicely. He has risen from the bottom up to the very top
in my opinion. I believe he is above average at each and every position and
straight killed it on draft day. Every position is deep, which is good, because
both of his running backs didn’t see much action last year. Regardless, if
RGIII plays the way many people believe he will, Neil is a virtual lock for the
playoffs.
My Two Cents:
I know Neil hated his Shonn Greene pick but he is going to be a very nice flex play. His only threat to carries is a pseudo-QB, which means he will still get 15-20 carries a game. On the other side of the coin (no pun intended), Dallas is still insistent on trying to use Felix Jones, taking a bit of value away from DeMarco Murray.
***Before going into who was second in the rankings, there was a tie between the next two, and that's how I'm leaving it. The order they are written in is not important, so pay no attention to it***
Tied-2. Danny (last season 9-4)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Danny 5th):
QB: B- WR: B+ RB: A- TE: B Overall: B+
Frank's Analysis (has Danny 2nd):
I
know for a fact the high-horseman does his homework for draft day and that reflects
on his team. All picks were of good
quality, and his team may be the deepest in the league as he will have bench players
nailing down double digit points every week. The reigning points winner once
again has set himself apart from the pack. Although Andre Johnson and Trent
Richardson are of injury concern, there are guys right behind them that can
potentially put up similar numbers. If need be, you know this guy isn’t afraid
to make moves.
My Two Cents:
I have to agree more with Nulty's grades than Frank's rankings here. Although I do believe he will find a way to improve his team as the year goes on, right now hes in the upper half of the middle pack.
Tied-2. Me (last season 7-6)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has me 1st):
QB: A- WR: A- RB: A TE: B+ Overall: A-
Frank's Analysis: (has me 5th)
Danny
may be the High-Horseman, but nobody rides it better than Dan. He’s already
predicted a Kumbardi title this year, but as highlighted in his team name, the
main concern will be durability. Not just one player or at one position, but
multiple. He gambled on a few guys that are already hurt, but he certainly
would be stronger if or when they return.
I really like the Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson 1-2 punch. They have
the potential to carry the team if other injuries strike. It was not too long
ago that both RBs were no brainer first round picks and the team will be
dangerous if they reclaim that “elite” title again.
My Two Cents:
Someone thinks I have the best team! My concern is more with early season results at the moment. By the second week of October I expect my team to be in full force as Mendenhall and Britt should be back from their injury and suspension, and AP should be back in form.
4. Frank (last season 6-7)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Frank 4th):
QB: B+ WR: B RB: A- TE: B Overall: B+
Frank's Analysis (has himself 6th):
By
keeping Arian Foster for the last time and snagging Matthew Stafford and Larry
Fitzgerald in rounds 1 and 2, I have a star at each position providing a nice
foundation. Because so many WRs were kept, it made a very deep position very
scarce and I’m not in love with any WR following Fitz. With all the running
back concerns, my duo is one of the best in the league. I hope to crush opponents
on the ground this year and that at least 1 of the 3 RB (Rashad Jennings,
Stevan Ridley or Lagarette Blount) emerges as an every week high end flex play. I’ve heard that a lot of people are down on Dalton, but all in all I like my
team, I’ll take the 6 spot and pray my year doesn’t end in Week 2 again. MJD,
please remain seated. I’d like to finally taste the playoffs.
My Two Cents:
There's a couple of things about owning Andy Dalton that scared me all last year. He faces the Steelers and Ravens D twice each every season. For me that means you need a very good 3rd QB behind him and play the match-ups. I'm just not sure Weeden is that guy, as he has the same problem.
5. Joe (last season 7-6)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Joe 3rd):
QB: A WR: A- RB: B TE: B Overall: B
Frank's Analysis (has Joe 3rd):
I’ll start out by complementing Joe on his
strength at each and every position. His #1 and #2 up and down the roster all
have the potential to put up scary good numbers. Jay Cutler is a very good QB2. Taking a similar approach to Adam last year, Joe has a different Matt Ryan
connection, this time with Julio Jones, and that will be fun to watch. It isn’t
the deepest team in the league, and unlike me, he is praying for MJD to get off
the couch and back on the field. Will we
see the MJD of last year, or will he become the next CJ? A lot rides on Joe’s
first round pick.
My Two Cents:
I don't see a realistic situation where MJD sits the year out. He will play, even if he isn't ready for the start of the season. Joe also ends up with my personal favorite kicker in Rob Bironas. That shiny headed bastard rules.
6. Nulty (last season 7-6)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has himself 7th):
QB: A WR: B RB: B- TE: A Overall: B+
Frank's Analysis (has Nulty 4th):
In
my opinion the reigning champ didn’t have a strong draft, but who needs it
when you have Aaron Rogers, Ryan Mathews, AJ Green and Jimmy Graham stashed
away? Ben Roethlisberger is good enough to be a low end QB1, and coupling him with
A-Rod is just dirty. A lot will ride on the health of Ryan Mathews as, like most
of the teams, his running game isn’t very deep. Until Mathews gets back, it may
be a rough start to the season. Even if he is dug into a little bit of a hole,
he is set up well enough to threaten a repeat.
My Two Cents:
It's going to be interesting to see how Nulty uses the flex spot this year. Nobody on the bench really stands out, and he may just have to go by match-ups or hope for an injury somewhere else around the league. Having Graham may be enough to cover up that hole though.
7. Rich (last season 8-5)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Rich 10th):
QB: B- WR: B+ RB: A TE: B- Overall: B
Frank's Analysis (has Rich 7th):
Richie's is one of the few teams with a solid
rushing attack. Having Michael Turner, Reggie Bush in the flex looks good going
into the season. His quarterbacks on the other hand make me a little nervous.
Schaub looks healthy and thus far has had a strong preseason. Christian Ponder
is one of the lower end QB2’s in the league and for Richie to make a run, he
has to show some improvement. You have to applaud the guy though. Not only does
he have a nice QB3, but his early FA awareness landed him a 4th QB that a lot
of people are buzzing over. Richie may have to make some moves, but seasons
past have shown he is not afraid to do it, nor are they usually the wrong
moves.
My Two Cents:
LeSean McCoy may be a stud, but otherwise this team is full of question marks. Also worth noting that even if Russel Wilson gets the job out of camp, he may struggle and lose the job back to Matt Flynn.
8. Russ (last season 6-7)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Russ 8th):
QB: B+ WR: A- RB: B- TE: A Overall: B+
Frank's Analysis (has Russ 8th):
Before
the season started, Russ had the big trade with Nulty sending two great WRs his
way. The Eli to Cruz combo is something that almost all of us can enjoy and
Russ can enjoy it twofold. He has a nice little team with few blemishes. Gronk
alone can win you a week, as I found out last year, but there is a good
supporting cast to work with. The main concern would be running back, but he
has yet another Giant, David Wilson, who looks like he is ready to take on a large
role for the G-men this year. He may
also have to play a big role for Russ this year too.
My Two Cents:
While he is particularly strong at the WR position, he finds himself with Frank Gore as his RB1. Being weak at RB is going to make it tough as that is usually the most consistent position week in and week out. Boom or bust weekly potential here.
9. Adam (last season 7-6)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Adam 6th):
QB: A- WR: B RB: B+ TE: B+ Overall: B+
Frank's Analysis (has Adam 10th):
I’m
not convinced that Adam knew what his own name was on draft day and the busy
summer left him little time to prep. He picked a lot of guys already taken, yet
he managed to snag my favorite QB duo in the league. Those two should be enough
to carry the team, and they may have to as the receiving corps is lack luster. Beanie Wells is probably the starting flex for Adam with few alternative
options. He is coming off a knee surgery, though, and the Cards will probably
use Ryan Williams a considerable amount. I could go on, but Adam doesn’t even
have Facebook to see this.
My Two Cents:
I also really like Adam's QB combo, but he lacks an actual QB3. His WRs get really shallow really fast, and his kicker tweaked something in yesterday's game. It's also worth noting that this site is accessible outside of Facebook.
10. Ed (last season 5-8)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Ed 9th):
QB: B WR: A- RB: A- TE: B Overall: B+
Frank's Analysis (has Ed 9th):
In
a competitive league, every team has a weakness. For Ed, that would be QB. He
decided to keep Carson Palmer and Alex Smith which wasn’t a bad idea. However,
he did not use even one pick on the QB position, and in a 2 QB league, that is risky. The upside of the strategy, though, is that he went RB and WR early and often. He avoided picks like Plaxico Burress, leaving him pretty well stacked. To be a contender though, Ed might have to
make a move for a stronger QB if the two begin to struggle. Making moves is not
Ed’s specialty so it may be a long year for the guy.
My Two Cents:
Not having a 3rd QB will hurt Ed, but it's also worth noting that he managed to draft T.O. with his final pick, and that less than a week later, T.O. has been released by the Seahawks. One may call this foreshadowing for Ed's year.
11. John "Pizza Night" Kaminsky (last season 8-5)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Kaminsky 11th):
QB: C+ WR: A RB: A- TE: B Overall: B
Frank's Analysis (has Kaminsky 12th):
For
an autodrafted lineup, it could be a lot worse. I wouldn’t say Kaminsky is
strong at any position, but he isn’t completely left for dead either. With his two
backup QB’s in a controversy, Peyton Manning has to be the Peyton of old, and
Blaine Gabbert has to emerge. Matt Forte and Steven Jackson aren’t very
exciting, but they are solid, proven backs that may have to carry the team. It
may be the shallowest roster in the league, but what do you expect if you
didn’t pick any of your own guys? Kaminsky put himself behind the 8ball and
therefore the poor ranking here.
My Two Cents:
When we asked for the original commish to come back into the league, we were trying to get him back, not just fill a hole. It was questionable whether or not he would put his all into this league post return, but the whole draft night debacle already has that in doubt. It's also interesting to note that his two backup QBs are not penciled in to start for their teams.
12. Tom (last season 4-9)
Professor Nulty's Grades (has Tom 12th):
QB: B WR: B- RB: C TE: A- Overall: B-
Frank's Analysis (has Tom 11th):
Tom
made some suspect moves during the draft. I was not a fan of the Greg Jennings
pick when Jordy was already on the team.
I like Donald Brown this year, his upside is significant, but he
shouldn’t be an RB1. He’s going to have to keep an eye on the waiver wire if an
RB pops up. Making him even shallower at the position is the possibility of
Starks not playing. That being said, I like the upside of Luck as the QB2, but
it’s not enough to get Tom out of the ditch. Gates has to have a comeback year,
or we may have a two time Appendo winner on our hands.
My Two Cents:
I still say that the "winner" of the Appendo should have to drink from it. Drink the juices!!! Tom's team actually has the chance to be good. All he needs is for Frank Gore, Jamaal Charles and Greg Jennings to all tear their ACLs.
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