Mr. Fantasy Week 4By Michael Weber- Semolina PilchardsThe league so far is showing extreme parity. There are 7 teams tied with a 2 – 1 record, 4 teams tied with a 1 – 2 record, and 1 hard luck team with an 0-3 record. Quite frankly, C&D have the second highest point total overall averaging 92 points a game and they have lost their first three games by a combined 10 points. That just goes to show that in the Joe Montana Division, every team can go off at any time. Jaguars –14 vs. Semolina Pilchards Jags have had tough luck in their first three weeks, starting out with a measly 1-2 record. As they drafted not only Dante Culpepper but also Cris Carter, they record eclipses Minnesota’s record. Last week, Minnesota took their first step towards getting their offense back on track. However, it seems like the loss of Robert Smith looms like a dark shadow over this team. Unless Michael Bennett picks it up, they are going to be a one-dimensional team. This week Minny plays at NO, but if the Giants QB could move the ball through the air against them, then imagine what Minny can do. Pilchards counter Culpepper with either Trent Green from KC or Chris Weinke from Carolina. Up to this point, the Pilchards have missed every week on which QB to play. Needless to say, they will miss again this week and end up with their usual 6-10 points out of the QB position. Jags throw Corey Dillon and Emmitt Smith against the Pilchards Tomlinson and Anderson. LaDainian Tomlinson has had an awesome season so far and may be the steal of the draft with the Pilchards taking him in the 5th round. Since Edgerrin James is on a bye this week, the Pilchards put Mike Anderson to task against the Jags. However, based on statistical analysis of the Denver Coach’s play calling, it appears that this week Olandis Gary will get around 17 carries and Mike Anderson will get around 5. The Pilchards recent pickup Tony Richardson is friggin’ injured after last week although he was drafted to play this week since Tomlinson is not off until Week 17. Jags WR’s Carter and Toomer match up against the Pilchards Bruce and Jimmy Smith. Sure Smith and Bruce look good on paper, but how may times will the Pilchards get only 4 points out of one of the WR positions. Kicker battle is a tie with Elam against Wilkins but Defense again swings the Jags way with Phila vs. NYG. Jaguars skin and fry the Pilchards to the tune of 107-93. C&D TD Makers –7 vs. Suicide Kings We already discussed C&D being the hard luck story of the season so far. This team has great potential and Mr. Fantasy thinks this week they will finally score more than an opponent. Suicide Kings have just as much potential and their total points and the fact that they are on top of their Division indicates this. C&D have either Brunell or Testaverde this week going up against the Kings Miami QB. Brunell has been hurt and the JESTS have really played badly this year. The Jests had better figure out something quick or they’ll be spending the winter in their easy chairs- again. I guess this just goes to prove that not only is Parcells a great Coach- but he is also a great Motivator. Kings’ Manning is on a bye so they match up Fiedler against whoever C&D picks. Fiedler is a fantasy backup for a good reason. Expect him to score around 15 points this week. C&D have Marshall Faulk and nobody else at the RB position due to injuries and real sucky third and fourth stringers. Kings don’t have much either with an injured Duce. They have Bennett from Minny who doesn’t look like the answer, Jackson from Cleveland, and my pick for Sleeper of the Week, Michael Pittman. Yes, he is the starter again. Thomas Jones just plain out sucks. C&D has Crowell and Rod Smith up against Torry Holt and David Boston. Kickers and D go with a slight edge towards C&D. With the Kings without Manning this week, the edge of what seems to be two teams that this week are virtually devoid of superstars, goes to C&D as they get over the hump for their first victory beating the Kings 74- 67. Mighty Caesars –12 vs. Show Me the Money Go figure. Mighty Caesars have both of their starters on a bye last week at the RB position. They substituted their two backups "who shouldn’t even be in football" according to Coach Bindler, the Caesars opponent last week as he and Coach Weber lamented about their Week 3 losses. Nobody has the luck that their third and fourth string running backs score a combined 60 something points during THE WEEK THAT THEY START THEM! This team is blessed. If they ever get a team logo, it will probably have the "hand of god" on it. This week they have McNabb going up against Show Me’s Kurt Warner. Advantage Show Me. At RB, the Caesars should destroy Show Me when they pit their starters, Ricky Williams and Bettis up against Ron Dayne and Mike Alstott although Show Me is benefiting from Tiki Barber possibly being out and Warrick Dunn definitely being out. Caesars throw Tim Brown and probably Travis Taylor against Show Me. For those of you not in the know, turns out Suicide Kings made a great move cutting Stokely last week, cause HE’S BEEN BENCHED! Travis Taylor is primed for a start. However, if history holds true, he will be injured within a couple of weeks and that will be all we hear from Taylor this year. However, I am willing to bet that he will probably have two TD’s this week since he belongs to the Caesars who are watched over by "the hand of god". Show Me has Owens and Shannon Sharpe neither of whom have done much this year. Kicker matchup is even, while the Defensive matchup benefits the Caesars as Show Me’s vaunted TB defense has been sucking fantasy wise. Mighty Caesars pull out another incredible victory 84-72. TBFC –60 vs. What’s the Point TBFC and What’s the Point were involved in a controversial trade which resulted in a rule shakeup. TBFC gave up Tampa QB, Warrick Dunn, and Minny D for NE QB, Ahman Green, and Pittsburgh defense. What’s the Point had decided to hitch their wagon to Tampa by already possessing Keyshawn Johnson and adding a Combo with the QB and then deciding to make it a triplet with Warrick Dunn. As Tampa goes so will go the Point. As Warrick Dunn is now out for 2 weeks they say, the Point forgot one thing. This week they play TBFC. They better HOPE that TB defense can stop the Packers and that the Tampa Offense has a lot of passing yards. QB battle is won by TBFC pitting Oakland QB against the TB QB. Similarly the RB position is won by now pitting Ahman Green and Eddie George against Kevan Barlow and Kevin Faulk. TBFC also on paper wins the WR battle with Joe Horn and JJ Stokes (they have Marvin Harrison on a bye this week) against Keyshawn Johnson and Derrick Alexander. TBFC Kicker Wade Richey is a leading fantasy kicker and has scored MORE THAN TWICE the COMBINED score of the Points Kickers. Likewise TBFC’s St. Louis Defense has scored twice that of the Points Minnesota Defense. At this point, I have to think that TBFC made the move of a lifetime and I think they have a good chance of NOT LOSING another game this year. TBFC crushes the Point 127-67. TNT Explosion –22 vs. Undertakers TNT was the third of the 2 and 0 teams to lose last week. This resulted in true league parity with 11 teams separated by points or a game. Undertakers were one of the 0 and 2 teams to win by beating the undefeated Pilchards. Even so, Undertakers probably had their game of the year last week and likely won’t score over 70 points the rest of the season. TNT pits Aaron Brooks going against a broken and injured Minnesota Defense. Undertakers counter with their best player, Jeff Garcia, but he probably will score a few points less than Brooks this week. The Undertakers RB’s Stephen Davis and Stacey Mack should outperform TNT’s Lamar Smith and Maurice Smith. TNT wins the WR battle with Randy Moss and Tony Gonzalez up against Robinson and Rice or Hakim. If TNT plays their Frisco Kicker this week, they should more than double the score at this position over the Undertakers. Both Defenses are even in this matchup. TNT is in a must win situation to keep up with the Caesars and TBFC in their Division. A loss will send them falling back with a matchup against a Division foe next week, and even though it is C&D playing them, remember that C&D are the second highest scoring team so far. Undertakers got one of their few victories that they will achieve this year and this week, Mr. Fantasy says they go down to TNT, with a final score of 80-68. Dragon Slayers –16 vs. Sandbaggers Dragon Slayers have quietly opened the season with a 2-1 record, holding tight with the Suicide Kings. Sandbaggers start the season also with a 2-1 record by beating up on the Undertakers and the Point. Both teams have good QB’s with the Dragon Slayers putting Favre up against Griese. Minny QB had a good game against Tampa D last week and very likely Favre can have just as good a game. Griese is always a top QB, but this year, Favre has so far more than equaled him. At RB the Dragon Slayers again win the matchup with Curtis my favorite Martin and James Stewart against the Sandbaggers Buckhalter from Phila who may split time with Duce and Hearst who has been a fantasy zero. Again at WR, the Slayers have the better matchup. With Freeman and Muhammed going up against Moulds and Kennison, you can expect the Slayers to probably triple the scoring the Sandbaggers get from the WR position. At this point, Kickers and Defenses don’t matter since the Slayers have already been proven superior. Sandbaggers fall to 2-2, but still retain their Division lead as they lose the the Dragon Slayers 106-90.
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