Team Boyer fell one game short of beating out T-Money for the Nittany North Division title last season. In 2011, he should be able to fend off both T-Money and the Toasters for the division title and playoff berth.Boyer had an excellent draft, retooling his team and working around keeper QB Tom Brady and RB Michael Turner. After a rough 2010 where the Nittany North beat up on each other before T-Money finally stumbled away with the division title, Boyer should have enough punch to outlast the rest.
The rest of the League agrees with my opinion as Boyer earned 24 points and six first-place votes to take first in the Nittany North in the preseason poll. T-Money and the Dottsville Toasters tied with 15 points in the poll, but T-Money gets second place because he edged the Toasters in first-place votes 2-1.
The Dottsville Toasters also had a tough season in 2010, and for the longest time, it looked like 2011 was going to be the same, but Chris Johnson has signed and he’ll report in time to have an impact for the Toasters.
T-Money’s squad also has the potential make a run for the playoffs, but I feel this could be the first time in JFL history that the Money Man misses the postseason.
It’s Boyer’s year.
1. Team Boyer
2010 Record: 7-6
Career Record : 36-34
Playoff Record (Appearances): 2-3 (3)
Quarterbacks ★★★★★
I don’t really have to explain myself too much here.
Tom Brady is easily worth five stars, and Kyle Orton was a late-round steal as a backup. Orton quietly puts up decent fantasy points and he should be fine during the one week Boyer will need him. Orton finished 2010 with 3,652 yards and 20 TDs, and he was robbed of the last three games because Josh McDaniels’ dumpster fire got out of control. Orton will be better with Jon Fox at the helm.
Still, Boyer shouldn’t need Orton. The starting gig will belong to Mr. Brady, who had 3,900 yards, 36 TDs and just four interceptions. I’m not sure the word “ridiculous” really conveys how sick those numbers are.
Running Backs ★★★★☆
Michael Turner and LeGarrette Blount could be a deadly combo at running back. Turner had a great fantasy season with 1,371 yards and 12 TDs. Blount would have had similar numbers had the Bucs used him all season. Blount’s first double-digit carry performance came in Week 7 last season, and after that, he took off, rushing for 1,007 yards and six TDs. If healthy, he’ll blow past those numbers.When it comes to backups, Boyer could be in great shape with Ryan Grant, who is trying to come back from injury, and Marshawn Lynch, who showed signs of becoming the Seahawks feature back — remember that wild playoff TD run? — but then again, who knows with him.
Touchdown vulture Willis McGahee also finds a spot on this roster, but Turner and Blount should see the majority of the carries for Boyer this season.
Wideouts ★★★½☆
The wideouts are not the strong suit of this team, yet Boyer picked up some decent guys.
There isn’t a clear-cut No. 1, top-tier wideout, and in fact, you may consider these guys No. 3 wideouts, but they are not bad third-tier receivers.
Dez Bryant had a stretch of six games during the middle of the season where he scored all six of his touchdowns, but he was quiet outside those games. If Tony Romo can stay healthy, these two could develop some nice chemistry and score some nice points for Boyer. He would then have the chance to cancel out some points when he faces T-Money, who has Romo. The same tactics could be used with Kevin Walter who will catch passes from the Toasters’ Matt Schaub.
Both Bryant and Walter can be effective, but in all likelihood, the most effective WR on this team will be Steven Johnson, who emerged last season as Ryan Fitzpatrick’s favorite target, catching 82 passes for 1,073 yards and 10 TDs. Those two should continue to grow together and I expect similar numbers this season.
And Austin Collie was a star last season until concussion plagued him after Week 6. He had six TDs in the first six weeks, and then he added two more in his return in Week 14. If he’s healthy, he could be a great steal in the draft for Boyer.
Tight Ends ★★★★★
Antonio Gates is arguably one of the best tight ends out there. He made 50 receptions last season for 782 yards and 10 TDs, and that’s from 10 games. He missed six games last year as had a few injuries, a risk that comes with Gates every year. If healthy, Boyer should start him in the WR/TE slot each season.
Team Outlook
Boyer competed in Super Bowl I and it’s looking like he has a team that can challenge the other two power squads in the Nittany Conference, Channel 4 News Team and Chinese Organ Thieves. He should rack up the regular-season wins, especially when he plays the Liberty Conference, and that should propel him to a division title.
2. T-Money
2010 Record: 8-6
Career Record : 37-35
Playoff Record (Appearances): 2-5 (5)
Quarterbacks ★★★☆☆
I say it every year. Tony Romo is a scary option. He starts out strong, and fades late. Still, T-Money sticks with his quarterback.
“That’s my quarterback!”
Well, maybe not for long. Eli Manning is on the bench and after 4,002 yards and 31 TDs in 2010, Manning may take his spot. One big thing will have to happen for this to take place, and that is Manning cutting down on the turnovers. He had 25 picks and five fumbles last year and losing 50 fantasy points during the season from one player can be tough.
I feel Manning will certainly cut down on the turnovers, but I also foresee a drop in stats. His offensive line isn’t as strong as it was last year, and he lost Steve Smith and Kevin Boss, two key figures in his passing attack.
It could be a not-so-fun merry-go-round at QB for T-Money this season.
Running Backs ★★★☆☆
Well, if Manning cannot do it for the Giants, T-Money is looking for the running backs to do it. He has both Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, so with that scenario, he may be looking to start both of those guys, as well as Frank Gore.
Gore has been a mainstay for T-Money over the last couple seasons, and if he stays healthy, he should get 1,000 yards this season. He missed several games last season and had just 853 yards. The more disturbing number, though, is the three TDs last season. The 49ers didn’t score much last season, and with the offense not looking much brighter in 2011, it could be a big question mark to have Gore as the No. 1 back.
That’s why it could be the Giant backfield for T-Money. They combined for more than 2,000 rushing yards and 17 TDs. It’s a gamble to pick which one will get the points each week, so that’s why it may be worth starting both of them.
T-Money also is hoping that Mark Ingram can do what the rookie backs of 2010 couldn’t do, and that is impress us. Ingram has a lot of company in the pass-happy Saints offense, so it will be interesting to see if he can get going. Drew Brees could really benefit from a potent ground attack and Ingram has the chance to provide that. Still, after all the rookie flops last season, I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid yet.
Also on the roster, but not expected to do much is Thomas Jones and Toby Gerhart. If anyone is going to score points out of this duo, Jones has the best chance as he comes in for goal line situations for Kansas City.
Wideouts ★★★½☆
I may be a little harsh here, but I have questions about two of his receivers who could be fantasy stars.But first, let’s talk about the man who is worthy of five stars alone. Dwayne Bowe had 1,162 yards and 15 TDs last season, and I think he’ll get back to that this season. The big thing will be: Can he be more consistent. He had six games last season where he had 5.7 points or less, and a seventh game where he had 8.6 points. He exploded in weeks 10, 11 and 12 to help T-Money win the division, and that will be key. The weeks where Bowe scores 33.2 points and 37.6 points, T-Money’s opponents are in a deep hole. Bowe will have a few games like that this season where he will single-handedly win T-Money games.
It’s in those off weeks where T-Money will rely on guys like Santonio Holmes and Steve Smith (Carolina). Holmes had a so-so season last year, with 746 catches and six TDs. One would imagine that a successful Plaxico Burress will open up some more opportunities for Holmes, but I’m not too high on Mark Sanchez this year, so this will be a question mark to start the season. In Carolina, Smith has to deal with yet another QB, and another rookie. The biggest upside to this is that Cam Newton has actually looked pretty good in the preseason and as his coaches point out, his play has been even more impressive since he was not able to practice until after the lockout.
T-Money also has Braylon Edwards (49ers this year) and Mike Williams (the Seattle version), who I do not expect a lot from. Both have quarterback issues and therefore I do not trust them at WR.
Tight Ends ★★★★☆
Like many teams, T-Money will rely on starting a tight end to fill a void. And he’s got two good ones in Marcedes Lewis and Kellen Winslow. Winslow became a popular target as the season went on and as Josh Freeman progressed. I figure that relationship will continue to grow this season and Winslow could easily push his TD total from five to seven or eight in 2011. Lewis had 10 last season and I’m sure he’ll get close to that total again in 2011, if David Garrard remains the starter.
Team Outlook
T-Money has a lot of question marks in my mind, and he’s been in this situation with me before. Yet somehow, he’s pulled it together and made the playoffs in all five years of the JFL. It’s hard to say he’s not going to make it six straight — although I’ve already said he won’t — and that is why the door must be left open for him to make the playoffs.
In order to do so, he is going to need the following. Tony Romo to have a year like 2007 or 2009; Frank Gore to bounce back healthy and put up his 2009 numbers; Dwayne Bowe to be the star he should be; and some help from the TE, K and Defense positions.
3. Dottsville Toasters
2010 Record: 6-7
Career Record : 37-32
Playoff Record (Appearances): 3-1 (2)
Quarterbacks
★★★★☆
Set for now. Potentially building for the future.Matt Schaub had 10 quality starts (20 or more points) last season and his offense will continue to flourish with Arian Foster’s emergence.
Two things could affect Schaub’s stats this season, and they both revolve around what will be an improved defense.
Last season, the Texans couldn’t stop anyone. Therefore, Schaub was forced to lead the Texans to late scores and comebacks. And as we all know, that requires passing. So, if the defense does its job this season, there could be less passing opportunities, but then again, if the defense gives the ball to the offense more, maybe it will all just equal out.
If for some reason he steps back this season, Colt McCoy and Jake Locker both looked good during the preseason. McCoy has the chance to break out this season, while Locker is a backup at this point.
I love McCoy’s upside in Cleveland and I can see a scenario where McCoy gets a start over Schaub.
Running Backs ★★★☆☆
With Chris Johnson back, the Toasters should be OK. Still, Johnson hasn’t practiced and his first hit will come in Week 1 of the regular season. We saw what happened to the Jets Darrelle Revis last season as he hurt his hamstring in the opener after his long holdout, and he wasn’t the same for the rest of the season.
A setback for Johnson could really hurt the Toasters’ chances at competing for a division title.
However, if he is his norm, and Jahvid Best takes another step forward, the Toasters could find himself with two of the most dynamic backs in the JFL.
James Starks and Ronnie Brown could work into nice TD vultures, and Kendall Hunter is … well, after doing some research, he appears to be the backup Frank Gore. But he’s not the good backup. You know, the one who steals TDs at the goal line. No, that’s Anthony Dixon, so that leaves Hunter just sitting around a waiting for Gore to go down. … Which is always a possibility.
Wideouts ★★★½☆
Calvin Johnson had 12 TDs and he’s easily Matthew Stafford’s favorite target. The Toasters are hoping for a full season of Stafford because that will allow for Johnson to take off. There could be close to 15-17 TDs for Johnson if that happens.
And the Toasters will need that because the rest of the WR corps is a bit shaky. Mario Manningham had nine TDs, but he had just five double-digit weeks during the regular fantasy season. He did take off in Week 15, posting three straight 100-yard games, scoring four TDs, but it’s tough to believe that he’ll keep that up heading into 2011.
The Toasters have a pair of interesting St. Louis wideouts in Mike Sims-Walker and Donnie Avery. Both have potential, but there’s so many wideouts in St. Louis right now, it’s hard to say who’s going to get the most targets from Sam Bradford.
Eric Decker is a bit of an unknown, although he had a great preseason and may supplant Eddie Royal, which could help the Toasters.
And then there’s Jacoby Ford, who had just two TDs last season. … And he’s still a Raider. Enough said.
Tight Ends ★★★★★
With all those questions at WR, it should be easy for the Toasters to start my favorite tight end of 2011, Owen Daniels. I think Matt Schaub is going to find him often during the season. I’m personally predicting more than 10 TDs for the tight end.
Team Outlook
The outlook for the Toasters is optimistic. Chris Johnson came out of nowhere in 2009 to lead the Toasters to the Super Bowl IV title and there’s no reason why Johnson can’t come back and do it again. As long as Calvin Johnson remains a No. 1 wideout, and if another WR can step up, there’s no reason why the Toasters can’t spoil the preseason poll and take this division. It’s definitely something that I can see happening. However, while I can see it happening, I personally feel Team Boyer is too strong and with two playoff teams coming from the Nittany South, that leaves only one team coming from the North.
I personally have the Toasters finishing second in this division behind Team Boyer.
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