Season Preview 2017

I'm a little slow getting this put together after a 1-year hiatus, but this is my attempt at resurrecting my annual draft review/season preview post. I'm looking forward to seeing how my first fantasy team as a married man will turn out.

QB

Aaron Rodgers

What is there to say? Rodgers consistently rates as among, if not THE, best QB's in the league seemingly every season. The receiving corps looks to be as strong as ever, leading the LFB braintrust to expect another massive season from Green Bay's signalcaller. LFB relies on its returning veteran to lead the team on and off the field.


RB

Todd Gurley
Isaiah Crowell
Ty Montgomery
Jonathan Stewart
C.J. Prosise
Thomas Rawls

What the RB group lacks in a top round RB, it attempts to make up for with depth. The ultra talented (Former STL) Ram, Todd Gurley looks to escape from a putrid offense to once again torture defenses. The addition of Sammy Watkins and a change in offense coaches hopefully will give Gurley room to operate. Crowell looks to carry the early down work for a Cleveland offense not loaded with much talent to fear, but a well coached unit none the less. Montgomery looks to build on his success last season after switching to RB. He'll have plenty of help in that offense and the masterful Rodgers to hit him out of the backfield.  Jonathan Stewart looks to stay healthy and build upon years of success in Carolina, while holding off the young gun drafted to take his spot. Finally, the Seattle pair of Prosise and Rawls will battle for touches along with Eddie Lacy. Prosise should also handle the 3rd down duties. The hope around LFB HQ is that one or both of these RB's make the leap and demand numerous touches per game.

WR

Julio Jones
Sammy Watkins
Brandon Marshall
Jeremy Maclin
John Ross

The alpha dog here is obvious. Julio Jones looks to continue torching defenses as part of an Atlanta team trying to avenge the heartbreaking end to their season. Jones has all the tools you could dream of, a just good enough supporting cast to not steal his spotlight, and a solid QB. Health is the major concern for Julio. A healthy season should equal a special season from the former Alabama WR.  Health is a concern for Watkins as well. A special talent, Sammy has been nagged by injuries his entire career. Here's hoping the move to the warmer West Coast helps him see his first full season. Brandon Marshall, maybe the toughest WR around with Boldin retired, will look to continue a memorable career. He should have room to work with Odell Beckham on the other side, not that he needs much space to make plays. Jeremy Maclin looks to carry the load in the Baltimore passing game. He should provide a steady target for the self-professed elite QB Joe Flacco. Finally, rookie speedster John Ross looks to turn his combine record 40 time into splash plays in Cincy.

TE

Delanie Walker
Hunter Henry

A tale of experience and youth. The rock steady Tennessee TE looks to grow his bond with the electric Mariota. The safety blanket in the Titans offense looks to have good years left in those legs while providing veteran leadership for the LFB squad. Meanwhile, Hunter Henry looks to surpass the legendary Antonio Gates as the top TE for Philip Rivers and the Chargers. The ultra talented Henry should thrive if given the opportunity.

K

Matt Prater

The veteran Prater has proven himself a successful NFL kicker by this point. He looks to cash in drives Stafford and Co. stall out on. The strong legged K can also knock home kicks from long distance.

DEF

Arizona

The athletic, versatile Arizona defense will look to guide the Cardinals back to the playoffs, and LFB hopes to ride that defense back to our playoffs as well. A solid front 7 backed by some incredible DB's makes for a potentially scary unit.

Draft Review and Season Preview 2015

I'm a bit behind schedule, but its that time of year again.  Last season featured many highlights and a steady performance that kept the dream of a repeat alive until a heart breaking Monday night left those dreams in shambles.  It is now time to regroup and chart a new course for glory.  As always, here are some of my thoughts on my team/draft broken down by position.

QB

Aaron Rodgers

The best QB in the league.  While Rodgers is widely considered to be a hair below Andrew Luck in most experts' fantasy rankings, there is full confidence at LFB HQ that Rodgers can rank in fantasy where he does on Sundays, #1.  The loss of Jordy Nelson is obviously a huge blow to his receiving corps, but there is plenty of talent to target, including a personal favorite in Randall Cobb. Rodgers' steady hand will be key to guiding an otherwise youthful squad.

RB

Carlos Hyde

TJ Yeldon

Todd Gurley

Tre Mason

Darren McFadden

Darren Sproles

Matt Jones

Early draft strategy left LFB in search of RB talent capable of carrying the load vacated by a lack of an early round back. A youthful group of backs supplemented by the experienced pair of Darren's look to be up to the challenge.  The leader of the group is a man familiar to MFFL managers, Ohio St. alum Carlos Hyde.  This talented runner showed glimpses of a promising future last season as the backup to the ever consistent Frank Gore.  This year, the job, and 49er run game, is all Hyde's.  Skill and opportunity line up for a potential break out year for LFB's preseason top dog.  If Hyde is to get meaningful help at the RB spot it is likely to come from a couple of uber talented SEC rookie backs.  TJ Yeldon and Todd Gurley burst on to the collegiate scene together three years ago and look to do the same this year in the LFB backfield.  Yeldon leaves the comfortable home of the Crimson Tide running attack for the rehab project that is the Jacksonville offense.  However, TJ has been handed the reins to the ground attack and looks to capitalize on the opportunity.  Lesser RB's have shown inconsistent success in that offense, now its time for a real back to takeover.  Finally, in what likely looked like a Rams homer pick (and very well may have been), Gurley comes to LFB.  He won't be ready for week 1, but look for Todd to follow in the footsteps of former Rams rookie backs Zac Stacy and teammate Tre Mason and explode onto the scene around week 5 after beginning the season as a non-factor.  The difference here is the immense talent Gurley possesses.  Healthy again after a torn ACL and running in an offense constructed to play to his strengths, Gurley could be a top back for the second half of the season.  In the meantime, Tre Mason looks to carry the load in St. Louis.  A talented back in his own right, Mason is an explosive back with sneaky power.  

Rounding out the backfield are a few backs with potentially growing roles.  Darren McFadden has gone from a hyped potential superstar to oft injured disappointment after many years in the black hole that is the Oakland Raiders.  Presumably healthy, McFadden is now running behind the best OL in the league.  Rumors are he may end up starting and hopes around LFB HQ are that he shows some of his old promise for his new team.  In a similarly positive offensive environment lies Darren Sproles.  The diminutive veteran currently sits behind two talented but injury prone runners in one of the league's best offensive systems.  Its hard to keep the little guy off the field and he might just find a new role as a part-time slot receiver.  He might need some breaks but the upside still lies with the little guy.  Finally, rookie Matt Jones looks to find a role in Washington.  The bruising former Gator has excelled in preseason and looks to push Alfred Morris for carries.  If he can build on his early success, Jones might very well be able to carve himself a meaningful role in no time.

WR

Dez Bryant

Brandin Cooks

Jarvis Landry

Devin Funchess

DeVante Parker

A pair of explosive pass catchers from offensive juggernauts top a young but hungry WR corps.  Leading the way is 1st round pick Dez Bryant.  The passionate Cowboy WR has consistently rung up top flight numbers for a few years now.  These efforts have placed Bryant squarely in the conversation for the league's best pass catcher.  Along with his competitiveness, one of Bryant's elite traits is his ability to high point the ball and reel in passes above DB's.  Dallas frequently makes use of this skill in the red zone, hopefully leading to a large TD total again for Dez.  Paired with the powerful Bryant in the LFB starting lineup is the shifty Cooks.  Brandin looks to be the top target for Drew Brees after a successful (if abbreviated) rookie season and the departure of Jimmy Graham.  Look for Cooks to catch plenty of balls while also providing the game breaking big play.  

Following the two lead receivers is the consistent Jarvis Landry.  Landry proved to be a reliable option for Ryan Tannehill last season and the two look to build on that chemistry moving forward.  With some new weapons in Miami, look for Landry to keep hold of his top spot while having some added space to work in with the new deep threats stretching defenses.  Dolphins and LFB teammate DeVante Parker should pair well with Landry.  The ultra talented rookie from the despised University of Louisville has gamebreaking talent but first move get back to speed from an offseason injury.  A slow start may be in the cards but the talent will play and a big second half could be in order for Parker.  Finally, another east coast rookie looks to make waves in Carolina.  Devin Funchess looked to be the second half of an imposing WR pair, but an injury to Kelvin Benjamin moves the spotlight to Funchess.  Greg Olsen will take some pressure off Funchess as he settles into the NFL, but the passing game in Carolina leaves many targets to be had and the talent void out wide leaves Funchess with a promising opportunity.

TE

Jason Witten

The reliable veteran in a youthful attack.  Playing in a friendly offense and seemingly always open, Witten should produce consistent points from the TE spot. His contributions on the blocking end don't translate to the fantasy world, but the running game behind that stellar OL should open the middle of the field for Witten to work his magic.  He has been doing it for years and doesn't appear to be slowing down just yet.  

K

Adam Vinatieri

Coming off arguably the greatest season ever for an NFL kicker, Vinatieri may show some slippage and actually miss a couple kicks.  However, kicking for the Andrew Luck lead offense in a domed stadium, Vinatieri looks to be a steady source of points. The ball should be flying all around Lucas Oil Stadium, and that includes between the goalposts.

DEFENSE

Miami Dolphins

A solid defense lead by Cameron Wake last season, Miami looks to take another step forward following the signing of controversial but all world DT Suh.  A potentially terrifying pass rush supported in the back end by Brent Grimes looks to generate havoc and limit opponents.  The schedule opens with the dysfunctional Redskins and includes two matchups each with the Tyrod Taylor Bills and Geno Smith Ryan Fitzpatrick Jets.  Look out for a big year out of South Florida.  

Overall, this looks to be a youthful but promising roster.  The march through the East and back to the Championship Game is a long, difficult road but the legs will be fresh and the energy high. This year's edition of La Flama Blanca is ready to roll.

2014 Draft Review

I apologize for the delay in posting.  I'm going to try not to put much weight in week 1 results for the purposes of this post.

The burden to repeat after last season's run is a a heavy one, but this draft is designed to lead the way.  The Yahoo assigned B- is a far better mark than last season's D, even if tied for 2nd lowest in the league.  We have set up to construct a deep and talented team capable of proving Yahoo graders wrong once again.  To recap, we will go through positions like last season's recap.

QB

Peyton Manning

The record setting QB came to La Flama Blanca via the 11th overall selection. Coming off a massive year in the NFL's best offense, Peyton is primed for another high scoring season.  Some regression is to be expected after such lofty totals but we believe he is in line for another big year.  Without a backup currently in place, we are relying on an aging Manning to stay healthy.  However, he would start essentially every week anyway, so a backup will have to wait.

RB

LeVeon Bell
Zac Stacy
Alfred Morris
Ben Tate
Ahmad Bradshaw

Depth is the name of the game here.  Without a RB from the top two rounds, and choosing at the tail end of the 3rd, the goal was to assemble a deep RB corps to make up for the lack of a top selection.  LeVeon Bell lead off the party, the talented Steelers RB is counted on to lead LFB's backfield as well as the Pittsburgh one.  With a high pedigree (2nd round NFL draft choice), impressive size and ability, and a  heavy workload, Bell will be given opportunities to thrive in the Steel City.  Next, the Vanderbilt alum Zac Stacy from my beloved St. Louis Rams.  Zac is coming off a big end to last season and is primed to lead a rushing attack STL plans and will need to lean on with Bradford out and less than ideal replacements.  Alfred Morris has been a steady contributor in the run game for Washington since his arrival, even is there is still room to improve in the passing game.  We will rely on him for steadiness and hope for a breakout year with a healthier RGIII and new offensive scheme.  Ben Tate flashed talent in his years backing up Arian Foster in Houston and now has the lead role in Cleveland.  Tate carries some injury risk (hopefully he is fine for next week) and must adjust to being the top dog.  However, the talent and workload should be there.  If he can avoid the curses of Cleveland he has a shot at a big year.  Finally, Ahmad Bradsaw completes the RB unit.  The ex-Giant backs up the underwhelming Trent Richardson for now, but hopes to see more time as the season goes on.  He is supposedly healthy after neck surgery (always scary) and younger than one might expect.  The talent is there if the opportunity and health cooperate.

WR

Demaryius Thomas
Reggie Wayne
Jeremy Maclin
Sammy Watkins
Justin Hunter
Markus Wheaton

Demaryius Thomas has a heavy burden as the top draft choice and undisputed leader of this WR corps.  Playing with Manning in that Denver offense should do much to ease the burden.  An athlete freak with solid hands playing with a legend QB, Thomas should be in line for a massive season.  He will be counted on to produce week in and week out.  Reggie Wayne, the old steady veteran, was the next choice after a run on RBs.  Returning from a knee injury last season, Wayne hopes to return to Andrew Luck's favorite target status.  Indy will wing the ball around a good amount (no matter how much they want to be a running team), and Wayne has little competition in his role. Even if he has to ease into it, a bounce back season is expected.  Jeremy Maclin also returns from a knee injury.  Maclin has the benefit of returning to a Chip Kelly offense as potentially the top target.  A dynamic playmaker, Maclin needs to stay healthy.  If he can do so, he has the talent and scheme to put up some major numbers.  Sammy Watkins comes next as the leader of LFB's young WRs looking to break out.  The Bills bet their future on Watkins to a large degree and he is out to prove them correct.  A freak athlete, Watkins is likely already the top target for Buffalo in his rookie year.  If he can stay healthy and overcome some rookie obstacles he could prove to be a special one.  Justin Hunter is another explosive young WR. Part of a blossoming WR group in Tennessee, Hunter has gamebreaking ability.  The biggest concern is Jake Locker at QB, both in his ability and ability to stay healthy.  The tools are there for Hunter to do big things.  Finally, Markus Wheaton rounds out this group.  Another explosive athlete, Markus looks to capitalize on the loss of Emmanuel Sanders as well as Pittsburgh's increased passing focus.  If LFB teammate Bell can get the ground game humming, Wheaton could have even more opportunities.  He is in line to get his shot, now he must thrive.

TE

Greg Olsen
Ladarius Green

The hope is for Olsen to perform more like last season's early acquisition at TE (Julius Thomas) and less like the drafted TE from last year (Brandon Myers).  As arguably the top receiving target in Carolina, Olsen should see plenty of balls thrown his way from Cam Newton and co.  Olsen has shown in the past that he knows how to maximize his targets and will need to this season for Carolina and LFB to shine.  To back up Greg, we brought Ladarius Green late in the draft.  Still a bit raw, Green is an incredible athlete.  After spending time learning from the old master, Antonio Gates, Green hopes to outperform Gates this season and help Phillip Rivers to another big year.  The talent is there for a huge season from the TE spot, its time to make due on the promise.

Kicker

Greg Zuerlein

Greg the Leg will look to kick LFB to success.  Owner of arguably the biggest leg in the league and playing his home games indoors, Greg will look to bomb away again this season.  A ferocious pass rush for the defense should hopefully lead to some extra opportunities and an offense built around the run game should move the ball but maybe not enough to rack up TD's.  When drives stall, Greg is ready to finish them.  Anything across midfield is in his range, he just needs the chances.

DEF

Buffalo Bills

The Bills lost two big pieces to their defense in DC Mike Pettine and FS Jarius Byrd but return a good group of players and look to repeat a solid effort from last season.  Despite their promises, LFB has moved on to Tampa Bay by the time of this writing, hoping the addition of Lovie Smith can turn a defense with many talented players can take off this season.

Overview

A deep and talented roster looking to make its way through the long and arduous journey that is the NFL/MFFL season.  It will take some fortunate bounces for a repeat, but  we are ready to give ourselves the best chance possible.

2013 Season Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVfhCby26ok

Post-Draft Season Preview

Now that the draft has come and go we can really get prepared for the upcoming season.  Just as my St. Louis Rams get passed over in national media reports because of other NFC West teams (watch out for them btw), La Flama Blanca seems to be overlooked in the MFFL.  Who knows what's going on with the Yahoo Draft Report Card, but I can promise you we will outperform that outrageous D+. Let's take a look position by position.

QB

La Flama Blanca is absolutely loaded at the QB position.  Led by Aaron Rodgers, arguably the top real-life and fantasy QB, LFB should be putting up points left and right each week through the air.  When Rodgers is on a bye, or the matchups dictate a roster move, we can turn to what may have been the steal of the draft in Russell Wilson.  After a mediocre first few NFL games, Wilson exploded and put up ridiculous numbers over the last 12 or so weeks.  Armed with excellent mobility to pair with consistent accuracy, Wilson feels misplaced as a QB2 but provides LFB with plenty of value.

RB

The La Flama Blanca RB stable is led by lead horse and first round pick Lesean McCoy.  "Shady" projects to be an excellent fit in the uptempo spread scheme brought to Philadelphia by Chip Kelly.  Kelly emphasizes the run and his RB's at Oregon put up huge numbers.  Add in just enough of a passing attack to loosen defenses but not enough to allow the Eagles to soar and you are looking at a massive season from #25 in Green.  An early run on RB's left LFB searching for quality runners to complete the stable and we feel we have found some electrifying runners.  Fresh off a NCAA National Championship, the punishing Eddie Lacy looks to be the main man running the ball in Green Bay and should see plenty of favorable looks with the aforementioned Rodgers torching offenses through the air.  Ryan Mathews is a former first round pick and talented runner looking to stay healthy.  His OL in SD looks to have improved last season and an iffy conference gives Mathews the chance to be an impact player if healthy.  Mark Ingram brings Heisman worthy talent to a crowded New Orleans offense but could be a major player if the defense can hold up and keep the Saints from constantly engaging in air-heavy shootouts.

WR

The WR corps training at La Flama Blanca HQ is truly terrifying.  Randall Cobb brings electrifying versatility.  The Packers KR/PR/WR/RB can do it all.  His sure hands look to have him as Rodgers' favorite target going into the season and his elusiveness and knack for the big play ensure he will be doing more than just accumulating catches.  Wes Welker provides a steady hand for the offense.  As he transitions from one HOF QB to another he should remain a consistent 100 reception threat capable of shredding defenses from the slot. Hakeem Nicks brings a physicality to the WR corps and should post huge numbers from Eli if he can shake the injury bug.  The St. Louis combo of Chris Givens and Tavon Austin look to make noise in the new and improved Ram offense.  With breakneck speed and an improved OL to protect their QB, Sam Bradford, this tandem will give defenses headaches all season.  Givens looks to build off a successful rookie season and show he is more than just a deadly deep threat and Austin looks to prove his enormous collegiate numbers were no fluke.  Finally, Andre Roberts looks to build off his quick start to last season and capitalize on having a capable QB for the first time in Arizona since the Warner days.  Look for LFB to reel in huge point totals from this group all season.

TE

Brandon Myers is currently trusted to be the guy at TE for La Flama Blanca.  Coming to New York from Oakland Myers looks to build on a quality season last year in the Bay with a bigger season reflecting the upgrade in QB/offense he has to work with.  Myers projects to be a steady presence in the LFB lineup.

K

The K spot at La Flama Blanca rests in the capable hands (leg?) of Greg "The Leg" Zeurlein.  Also known as Legatron or Young GZ, Zeurlein boosts ridiculous leg strength (breaking the Rams longest FG record twice in the same game) to go with consistent accuracy.  An improved Rams offense should give "The Leg" a few more gimme points on PAT's, but his giant leg puts them in scoring range basically as soon as Bradford moves them across midfield.  Greg should be a busy man, and the potential for extra points from the long FGs makes Zeurlein an attractive fantasy K.

Def

La Flama Blanca is anchored at the Defense position by the always reliable Pittsburgh defense.  The infusion of young talent, led by the dominating Jarvis Jones, combined with the holdovers and Dick LeBeau's genius puts the Steelers in position to stifle the offenses they will encounter during their favorable schedule.  Expect a few big weeks as this impressive group feasts on below average QB's/offenses.

Summary

La Flama Blanca looks to be a deep squad poised to make significant noise in season 2 of the MFFL.  With consistent point production sure to come from each spot on the roster, and talented reserves, La Flama Blanca will be a force to be reckoned from the opening kick.

Meet the Man

Whats up guys?  Since almost none of you know me I'll give a quick intro into myself.  I was born in raised in St. Louis, MO.  I am a diehard Kentucky Wildcat, St. Louis Rams, and St. Louis Cardinals fan.  I'm coming off a great year with championships in both Men's College Basketball and the World Series.  My Rams have been a joke for years now but we look to get that turned around under Jeff Fisher. Fantasy wise I've been playing for years now, many of those in leagues I was the commissioner for.  I tend to be pretty successful but obviously it comes down to avoiding injuries and a little luck those last couple weeks to walk away champion.  Anything else you want to know feel free to ask.  Let's get started.

Q and A with Stinger

Stinger with the big dinger here with La Flama Blanca.

What was the first thought or opinion you had when you heard mr. miller was starting a fantasy league?

1. I wasn't surprised.  The man lives fantasy football. 

How did you choose your team name?

2. I was struggling with a team name, but anything Kenny Powers inspired is always a good way to go.

What type of manager should people expect?

3. Pretty straight forward, professional approach.  Willing to wheel and deal if I feel it can help my squad, but not going to deal on unfavorable terms.  Any delays in responses to trades are just a deliberation period.  

Do you have any words for your rival?

4. As a Rams fan its been a rough couple of years now, but my team looks to be more GSOT then Spags era chumps