Week 8

Looking Back:

Sons of Anarchy and Team Hurricain was the close game last week, with the three others being pretty much blowouts. DommyBear's last player left the field with the team down by roughly 20, and it only got worse. In furtherance of the argument that projected stats are useless, Hines Ward and Fred Jackson combined for less than one point (!), and defense for both Dom's and my team nearly tripled the projected stats. Gov got a great performance from Ryan Grant to push him over the top in that contest. Air it Outtt also saw great play from Philip Rivers and Vernon Davis, with the former hitting Vincent Jackson for franchise's new receiving record, catching 142 yards in 30 minutes of play.

Looking Forward:

Sons of Anarchy v. DommyBear:

First things first. Dom has depth-problems this week. His D is on a bye, and he needs to fill Hines Ward's WR spot. He has some decent benched players, but the best are RBs, and that would require some shifting to free up the flex spot instead. Gov on the other hand has Warner/Fitzgerald teeing off against Carolina, and is at full strength. This one looks pretty one sided, with the players that DommyBear does have going up against teams like N.O. and Indy. Barring some very skilled roster-shifting/adding/dropping of players, and maybe Matt Ryan rebounding from last weeks loss for a huge comeback, (and a Miles Austin repeat of last week...), I think the only part of this battle worth watching will be which manager gets to cuddle with Queefy. My Pick: Sons of Anarchy to catch snippets of victory in-between T.V. cutouts.

The A Team vs. Team Hurricain:

Uh-Oh. We all knew this week would come... New England is on a BYE! That means half the A-Team is on a BYE too, and my best guess says that there will not be any roster-shifting to correct for this. This one isn't even worth discussing. My Pick: The A Team to be forced to forfeit because half the team didn't show up, giving Team Hurricain the win without his players even having get out of their warm-up gear.

Mr Horsey v. Air It Outtt:

I should start by saying I really want Mr. Horsey to win. Nothing would be better for me than having the No. 5 team knock the No. 2 team down a bit. Brian Westbrook got hurt last week, and while he'll probably play against NYG, I think that D. will get after him early and hard, and he won't be 100% either. Antonio Gates should do well against OAK, as should Boldin against Carolina. Nothing needs to be said about Brees. Rivers should do better against OAK than is currently projected, but on the flip side I did see OAK beat the Eagles a few weeks ago... We'll see. My Pick: Mr Horsey won't lead wire-to-wire, but I hope he wins by a nose.

M240 v. Raiderettes:

Andre Johnson didn't practice today with a lung contusion, and Hou. is apparently designing more and more plays with Slaton as a receiver. Im hoping this mitigates Johnson's production, even slightly. Romo is playing Seattle, which could be a big day out for him. Look for him to keep hitting Miles Austin... Matt Forte and Ronnie Brown are both solid backs, but on the flipside so are Peterson and Slaton, with the former OVERDUE for some big breakout runs. I've just picked up Shonn Greene of the Jets, who should be getting a lot more carries now that Leon Washington is out with a broken leg. I don't know which D to start, which QB, or how much I trust Maclin as an up-and-comer. This is going to be a close one I think. Once again, I don't feel exceptionally confident having lost Welker for a week to the BYE, but I'm hoping to come away with this. My Pick: M240

Week 7

Looking Back:

Sons of Anarchy took a second straight loss to Mr. Horsey last week, which is good news for the Caballero, but potentially troubling for the Anarchists. That being said, Drew Brees' domination in the Giants game was a major factor for Mr. Horsey, as was Sons decision (which I heard considerable consternation surrounding) not to start Ray Rice. Hindsight is 20/20, but one can't be too judgmental. If last week showed me anything its that projected stats OFTEN MEAN NOTHING. The A Team, with an absentee owner and 2 unfilled starting spots almost defeated the well-coached Raiderettes. In doing so, they scored more than DOUBLE their projected total. Granted, games with a margin of victory north of 55 pts. are exceedingly rare, but in this same week Matt Hasselbeck scored less than 2 pts, while Wes Welker and Randy Moss both exceeded 30 pts. thanks to the misfortune that befell Tennessee. Projected points may let you feel confident during the week while you set your lineup and dream of an upcoming 8.7 point margin of victory over your opponent, but in reality I think last week proved that gut-feeling is worth at least as much as the Rotowire numbers.

I want to move on to the look forward, but I would also like to point out my narrow margin of victory over air it outtt last week. I was pretty sure I was going down against a very strong opponent, but i escaped. I've also learned my lesson. While its good to give your picks a few weeks to get going, players like Santana Moss, and Steve Smith (Car.), and T.O. need a serious second look.

Looking Forward:

Air it Outtt v. Raiderettes:

This one is tough to call as an inside source tells me Raiderettes isn't entirely set on its starting roster. As it stands, the Projected Stats favour Air it Outtt, but im not sure. I like Randy Moss against Tampa, Reggie Wayne against StL, and Vernon Davis in general. That said, I think New Orleans is due for a loss, and might have to throw more than hand it to Pierre Thomas. Also, Benson seems over-valued against Chicago. Its week 7, some of these teams are due... On the other side, I really like Brown against N.O. I think that game should be close, and I'm hoping that Miami comes out on top, to be honest. Jacobs is my favorite RB, but against Ari. I see New York exploiting the high yards-allowed situation by the Cardinals.

My Pick: These are two teams coached by true fans of the game, and this is tough to call. Lets go crazy... Ill call 2 straight losses for Air it Outtt. Raiderettes.

Mr. Horsey v. The A Team:

Mr. Horsey is playing the un-managed 'A Team', but according to the stat-rats, he has a game in his hooves. Both D's are predicted to OWN their opponents, and both teams are starting stud quarterbacks. I hope Boldin has a bad day out because they're playing the G-Men, and I think the projected stats are legit in this case. Fitzgerald and Breaston will get the majority of the grabs over the injured (Questionable) Boldin. On a second note, Mr Horsey needs to get rid of T.O. He's not performing. It was an OK idea when he was a F.A., but things have changed. There are lots of better W/R candidates. My Pick: Mr. Horsey because i'm hoping The A Team goes all Detroit '08 on us.

Sons of Anarchy v. Team Hurricain:

This is a matchup. Two RBs on bad teams going up against good teams. Two kickers slated to kick often and well. Its all tied up... I like Team Hurricain because I think Peyton does better than Warner against his little brother, and Collie has the potential to gain from that matchup too. That said, Addai should get a lot of touches IF Indy gets off to a huge lead at the half. Of course, StL is due, and sometimes the teams with the worse records can come out and get you... or they can lose another. I think Hurricain because I anticipate Sons' Defence to have a worse week against Pittsburgh than the statisticians. Big Ben (rarely) falls hard. My Pick: Sons of Anarchy to seek comfort in Indian desserts after taking a hard-fought loss to Team Hurricain

M240 v. DommyBear:

Statistically Im looking good. Schaub is leading the league in TD passes, and is going up against S.F. which has allowed >320 yds/game of offense. Combined with Slaton catching a bunch of those passes, and Peterson due for a breakout run, Im feeling OK. Not sure which Defence to start... How much do I trust the Giants? Jets have been disappointing but everyone is great against Oakland. Im thinking I let them have a go against Jamarcus Russell. That said, Dallas Clark should have a good week, and Michael Crabtree is an unknown entity. Could be great, could be horrible. My Pick: ME

Ending Thoughts:

This should be a good week for ActionKacton football. The standings are close, and the results have been often upsets and/or blowouts.

Also, we should work out some sort of beer-drinking, football viewing, stats-on-laptop-tracking Sunday in the weeks to come.

Good luck everyone!

Week 6

Looking Back on week 5.

The most interesting thing that happened Week 5 was Sons of Anarchy having the perfect season bubble burst. Raiderettes beat them handily, opening the league wide open, although it is still relatively early.

It was also a week that showed me how fantasy points can have little to do with team points. I started Schaub at QB (Hou.), and nowone would have given Houston a chance to beat Warner and the Cardinals. However, he put up over 20 pts. and threw over 160yard in the 4th quarter alone... If a team has no defence, the QB has to throw... A LOT... and sometimes he completes those throws, even if the team loses in the end. On the flipside, I dropped Addai because he's a great RB, but Indy doesn't run. Hardly insightful comments, but this season has been good because its made me interested in watching games, and players, that I previously would have neither known nor cared about.

Looking ahead to Week 6:

The A Team v. Raiderettes:

Not much to say here... The A Team hasn't really shown up to play so far this season, sometimes leaving spots on the starting roster blank through game day, etc. From an outsider's perspective it seems a team heavily based on the Patriots, which might have worked well several years ago, but they are outclassed this year in most respects, which has been having bad repercussions for The A Team. That said, they're playing Tennessee the coming week, so they should have a good week out. Both Raiderettes and The A Team have BYE spots that have not yet been filled... too early to call this one without seeing who fills the spots in. My Pick: Raiderettes - if history tells us anything about The A Team not fielding 10 men on game day.

Sons of Anarchy v. Mr Horsey:

Looks to be close. Both teams are not starting their No. 1 picks at QB as of now, but its projected to be within 2 points. I like DeSean Jackson to have a good week at Oakland - McNabb is starting to show his stuff this season, and Oakland is just plain awful. Similarly, both Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald have a chance to beat up on the Seahawks (although id love to see them ignored in favour of Breaston...) My Pick: Mr Horsey - It just wouldn't be fair for him to fall 1-4, the damn league's named after him! Plus, if he becomes uninterested, he might just quit watching Sundays in favor of greener pastures. Get it together, Mr. Horsey... if you can handle a Moustachio situation, you can handle Sons of Anarchy.

DommyBear v. Team Hurricain:

Another situation with one team needing to fill the BYE slots. I think Maurice Jones-Drew's projected totals are high... Stl. is bad, but sometimes its the worst teams that you have to worry about... especially as it gets deeper into the season and they have something to prove. On the other hand, will they do well enough to force Jacksonville to rely on Garrard... someone who's only thrown 5 touchdowns this season and lost 4 fumbles? We'll see...

In fact, both QBs could end up handing the ball off too much to put up huge numbers... especially McNabb. Oakland secondary isn't as bad as the front-line, so the long-ball won't look as attractive as giving to Westbrook or throwing underneath... My Pick: DommyBear

M240 v. air it outtt:

Sad to say stats favour my opponent this week. Going to have to make some changes, but not sure how to approach this week... sometimes the numbers just aren't with you. That said, I can't root against myself. Heres hoping for 4-1.

ActionKacton-Week 4

Looking Back

DommyBear lost to Air it Outtt, putting Air it Outtt at the top of the rankings, with a perfect record thru 2 weeks. Its hard to pinpoint a weakness in Air It Outtt. Rivers is 9 away from 1000 yards passing already, Darren Sproles has been getting lots of work with L.T. out, Pierre Thomas stepped up last week to make up for Brees' slightly disappointing outing... Altogether a solid team, with no injuries. Easy to understand why they lead.

Sons of Anarchy share a perfect record, again with solid players and no injuries. The One-Two punch of Kurt Warner completing to Larry Fitzgerald makes Sons an annoying team to play against, as I found out in Week 2. Just when you think your doing ok... a 40 yard touchdown pass bumps Gov's team up like a hundred points or something outrageous.

M240's Team beat Mr. Horsey handily, with Slaton and Moss finally coming out of their slumps. Wes Welker still isn't playing, but Steve Breaston was a fine substiture, even though they lost to Indy.

Raiderettes lost to Team Hurricain. I suspect this is because the Cowgirls quarterback is a sissy girl. Also, Hurricain has one of those lineups like Air it Outtt, solid throughout with no injuries.

Looking Ahead

DommyBear v. Raiderettes:

Tough to call as it stands now. DommyBear has no quarterback to field because of Bye-Weeks, which I take responsibility for. When i was drafting that team I picked Matt Ryan, and then worked off a requested players list from Dom for the 2nd pick, without checking the Bye situation. Hopefully he is in the process of picking someone up from waivers. Hard to call because the matchup will change depending on who Dom decides to field in place of his Bye players. He has a few solid choices on the bench. Raiderettes have the advantage this week in my opinion. Brandon Jacobs should have a good game against KC, and the Romo/Crayton situation could prove valuable. Any team with Jacobs and Forte sharing the backfield is one to watch. My Pick: Raiderettes

Sons of Anarchy v. Air it Outtt

The battle of the undefeated teams. When Air it Outtt subs Chi. defence in for golf-course bound Philly, the projected stats should be within a few points of each other.

Phillip Rivers is going up against a tough Pittsburgh defence, albeit one that has struggled in recent weeks. Pierre Thomas, likewise, is going to face the Jets Defence, which has allowed only 27 pts. in 3 games. Sons, on the other hand, have several players involved in the GB, Minn. game. It should be epic.

L.T. hopes to come back, possibly limiting Sproles. Thomas has to face NYJ, and Moss has to face tough Baltimore Defence. Its a hard call, but the matchups for the key players favour Sons of Anarchy. My Pick: Sons of Anarchy

Team Hurricain v. Mr. Horsey

Keith is in a tough spot here. Lots of players have BYEs this coming weekend. Kevin Smith is a game-time decision, possibly putting Mr. Horsey even farther up the creek in terms of filling his roster. Hurricain on the other hand has Peyton Manning playing Seattle. Let me repeat that. PEYTON MANNING gets to beat up on the Seahawks. The only thing to consider is that if they jump out ahead early, maybe Addai starts running more and Peyton throws less. Either way, itll be a good day out for the elder Manning. I hate to do it, but this week I think Mr. Horsey, through no fault of his own, might come up lame. My Pick: Team Hurricain to ride Mr. Horsey like its name was Riley.

M240 v. The A Team

I think I've got this. Gore is out due to injury, but A Team does have a deep reserve of RBs to put in. Best guess would be Fred Taylor, but he would be against Baltimore Def., not fun for any RB. In addition, Tomlinson might not even start, which would necessitate another RB swap, or a re-organization to include Lance Moore. Whatever happens, I like M240 to win this week. Peterson is expected to have a big game against GB, and Rodgers is expected to have a good game against Minnesota. Some favour GB, some Minn. I hope they're both right. Also, Santana Moss is going to TB, where even Jason Campbell and crew should be able to do some damage. Slaton is running into Oakland... My Pick: Me

Should be a good one.