And the league tightens up! Our once dominant Martyball has struggled of late, losing 4-5 to me two weeks ago and picking up a 3-6 loss to Mr. Green in week 14. Super Green! Martyball is still our #1 seed, but only a 2 game cushion over the BassetHounds and down to a single-digit lead over spots 2-4. That #6 seed for the REL playoffs is wide open! Here’s how the rest of week 14 went down in the REL:
1. Martyball – IFBL (88-36-2)
FAAB Remaining: $68 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
2. Barking BassetHounds (85-37-2)
FAAB Remaining: $35 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
If you look at the Yahoo ranks for my team for the last 7 days, they generally suck across the board. A poor shooting week helped me to lose both ratios en route to a 4-4-1 tie with Hoopus Alleyoopus (losing steals and a tie in blocks). John Henson sure would have helped blocks this week (as I observed he was starting since Zaza is down). But then I would have lost threes without Kevin Martin. Maybe Henry Sims would have helped since he contributed four blocks while his replacement Jason Smith did not have any. But Jason Smith still had the better week in every other category and Henry Sims still sucks. So it was just a sub par shooting week and we move on.
On the health front Kevin Martin came back. His shooting was off, but he was the difference this week in threes. Luol Deng has been ill but is returning this week. And Deron Williams is coming back, but probably at least to start out in a reserve role with Jarrett Jack is playing well. I smell a timeshare there (or a trade). All-in-all my team is gradually getting healthier as the tough part of my schedule continues with a matchup against 3rd place Scurry To The Left. Next week will be a long awaited finals rematch with Slim. And then a matchup against 5th place Kap’s Team, winner of this week’s Wayne Ellington feeding frenzy (my second place bid of $33 falling short by $8).
3. Scurry to the Left (80-44-2)
FAAB Remaining: $68 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
4. Slim – Razzball (80-45-1)
FAAB Remaining: $21 FAAB Moves this week: Cory Jefferson ($0)
Not a whole lot happened for me this week. I made a few trade offers but nothing materialized. The only move I made was to drop Dwight Powell who lost his role in the Mavs rotation for Cory Jefferson. I had to replace Powell with a PF since I only have 3 and with the Nets more than likely about to blow things up there is a chance for Cory Jefferson to get a significant role. In that role I’m hoping for 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks, a few boards always helps, but more than anything I’m holding out hope that he turns into a “3-and-D” guy for the rest of the season. And really who knows, he might just have a spot in the rotation next year too. I realize this is probably not going to work out but who were my other options? Amundson? Marvin Williams? Leuer? So boring. If Jefferson ever gets reliable minutes I’m pretty sure he will be anything but boring. I went back and forth with dropping Bojan Bogdanovic but I figured it would probably be wise to hold onto him for another week or so, at least till we see what happens in Brooklyn.
5. Kap’s Team (73-50-3)
FAAB Remaining: $39 FAAB Moves this week: Wayne Ellington ($41), Matthew Dellavedova ($0)
6. Team Tough Guy Town (66-56-4)
FAAB Remaining: $100 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
7. Breaking Batum (66-59-1)
FAAB Remaining: $45 FAAB Moves this week: Louis Amundson ($5)
Last week was a success. We did what we needed to and took care of business against a team that has been dead for months. Interestingly enough he ended up accepting a trade and processed some waiver wire transactions. We will see if he sticks around or just flakes out after a few days. None the less a big 7-2 victory moved us into 7th place just 1.5 games back from the last playoff spot. Additionally, this week we did significantly better against the rest of the field than previous weeks. We are FINALLY healthy and ready for the stretch run.
We were able to add Tony Parker for the prospects of Jae Crowder turning his career around and being a solid contributor as a 1 dollar keeper. Now we just hope that with the Western Conference as tight as it is we will not get Popped down the stretch. We went big on Wayne Ellington looking to upgrade our final bench spot, but it was not enough to win the bid. This was really disappointing. We backed down our bid after his less than exciting performance yesterday, but we still would have lost out had we not made this move. Our waiver wire feel has been off significantly this year placing serious bids on Whiteside, Galloway, Lamb, and Ellington all to come up short. We have also added players in advance of big break outs only to cut them lose a week too soon. We are continuing to work out the balance of aggressive pursuit and effective FAAB management.
We have Pete Nice this week another team looking to get back into the playoff hunt. Had we played him last week it would have been a 7-2 victory and that was with out registering a game from newly acquired Tony Parker. Hopefully our team holds strong and we will be regaining the six seed after this week. Good luck!
8. Youth Movement (64-60-2)
FAAB Remaining: $5 FAAB Moves this week: Jon Leuer ($0)
9. Hoopus Alleyoopus (62-63-1)
FAAB Remaining: $0 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
I went 4-4-1 against the 2nd place Barking Bassethounds this week by winning the percentage categories, steals and turnovers. Not the most honorable categories to win but I will take what I can get. In my 4 weeks of taking on top 5 teams I went 15-20-1.
I still have severe depth issues with 4 members of my team not playing at all and 6 other players with 10 points or under on the week. Garnett has been brutal lately. Jameer Nelson is back to torturing me by shooting 19% ON THE WEEK. In order to rectify these depth issues in the future, I used the remainder of my FAAB last week on Larry Sanders and made traded one of my supporting players for a cheaper contributor. Unfortunately all 3 of my waiver claims were rejected since I am broke.
I traded my $22 Chandler Parsons this week for a $1 DJ Augustin. This may help me this year due to Augustin having starting PG duties for the rest of the season, but I made this move mostly thinking of the future. At first glance, I thought that this wasn’t something I wanted to do, as DJ Augustin is 27 years old and is what he is at this point. But then I looked at Chandler Parsons and he is 26 years old, so it isn’t like he still has a ton of upside either. If Dirk were to retire after this year or next, Parsons role could increase, but I don’t think that is going to happen. Not only that, but since Dallas acquired Rondo, Parsons’ numbers have decreased. I think Augustin will be a rotation player next year no matter where he plays. He has shown with the Bulls last year and with the Pistons this year that he can produce. 21 PPG, 8.3 APG, 2 3PG on 51% shooting since taking over the starting role. With $1 Augustin and three $7 players, or two $10 players, I am very confident I can address my depth problems and replace the production of Parsons.
10. JB Gilpin – Razzball (60-65-1)
FAAB Remaining: $0 FAAB Moves this week: Marvin Williams ($0), Jakarr Sampson ($0)
So kids, a cautionary tale fraught with intrigue and MURDER! Well, yeah, so I pulled another “JB” and fell into a trap. What trap you ask? Overmanaging my team. Feeling like I’m the smartest in the room, which trust me (I mean, look at my record!), I’m not. Playing against a lightly scheduled team (political speak there, nice huh?!), I decided as early as Wednesday to bench guys to protect my FT%. Through Saturday’s games, I had benched 5 games worth of production that ended up with 5-8 FT nixed from the numbers. Of course, my guys kill FT on Saturday (.900) and my opponent… didn’t (.714)… making the whole thing moot and FT not even close. And as you’d obviously imagine, it cost me a category it shouldn’t have, as through Saturday night we were tied in assists, with those 5 games cut out costing me 5 dimes. I mean, I’m not crazy to think 8 of my decent guys (other than Knight on Saturday) would do better than 4 assists?! Kawhi and Cojo for NO DIMES?! Anyway, I go into Sunday with Whiteside and Tarik Black vs. Tayshaun Prince thinking I’ve cost myself a cat. Whiteside beasts but no dimes, nothing new there, and not surprisingly Prince gets a DNP since he’s been sulking saying he want to play for a contender. Pretty sure it’s gonna be a tie… But WHATTYA KNOW?! Jordan Hill gets hurt, and after Byron Scott said Tarik Black wouldn’t play, he ends up playing 18 emergency-ish minutes and picks up… one assist. WOOOOO! Fantasy Basketball is nuts man. So after about a month ago costing myself boards chasing %s, I repeated my horrific overmanaging faux pas. But by the graces of the fantasy gods, it didn’t cost me this time. Lesson learned, lesson learned…
That was really long… Briefly wrapping up I’ve finally, FINALLY got all my best players healthy. Rubio likely won’t play too many minutes this first week back, but whatever, he’s suiting up. I’ve got another opponent this week lower in the standings, and even though I didn’t make up any ground on a playoff spot (still 7.5 out of that 6th seed), I’m healthier and got a stud like Whiteside to hopefully round out my team. Nabbed some interesting guys with my no FAAB as I just need any sort of production, and both should play. Yes, even after my “immaculate assist” from Tarik Black, I cut him for Sampson who is a tad interesting albeit uber-raw. With Whiteside, I don’t need any barely ownable big man stats, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Black has a good week while Jordan Hill is out.
11. The Nature Boy (60-65-1)
FAAB Remaining: $88 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
12. Pete Nice – Razzball (60-65-1)
FAAB Remaining: $25 FAAB Moves this week: Austin Rivers ($15)
13. SethDaSportsMan (55-71-0)
FAAB Remaining: $14 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
14. ChazTop–KevinBottom (53-72-1)
FAAB Remaining: $100 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
15. High as Greg Kite (53-72-1)
FAAB Remaining: $4 FAAB Moves this week: Tyler Johnson ($0)
16. Mr. Green – Nowhere (51-73-2)
FAAB Remaining: $8 FAAB Moves this week: Spencer Hawes ($16)
So I hear Martyball is pretty good? If last week was the best final score I’ve had in the two years of this league, then this was the most impressive performance in those two years. Welcome back to the pack Martyball!
A 6-3 victory, losing points by 8 thanks to Bosh’s 18 on Sunday. The other two categories I lost were assists, which I think its safe to say I’m punting since my #1 PG is, ummm, Schroder? Maybe Udrih? The other cat I lost is 3’s, which I’ve been punting all year, although my team is slowly getting better at them. As for the categories I won? There was no doubt about any except TO and FT%. For the TO win I thank Bosh’s 4 turnovers on Sunday. Then there was FT% which I just barely held onto.
Knocking off the #1 team, even with Oladipo and Carroll missing games to injury, now that feels good! It was very close to being a 7-2 win too. Looks like overall it was the worst week for playoff teams that I can remember, as only Slim managed a win.
I managed to snag Hawes with my FAAB, and apparently I would have been fine without bumping up my bid on Sunday. Oh well, he’s a 26 year old guy coming off a top 45 fantasy season. His per 36 numbers are right around what he normally does with the exception of his shooting percentages. He just needs to get used to his new role and get some more minutes I think. Did I mention he’ll be $1?
So thats 23-13 in the last four healthyish weeks. In the next two weeks i get the 17th and 19th ranked teams. Looks like its back to my softer second half schedule.
The schedule is a little screwy starting in week 16 though. Due to the all star break you’ve basically got 3 days of games in one matchup, followed by 4 days of games in the next matchup. I’m thinking Yahoo should have just combined those weeks. That would have also solved our scheduling issue of having to play one team twice.
17. Ben – RotoGold (51-74-1)
FAAB Remaining: $50 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
18. Cigar Smoking Monkey (48-77-1)
FAAB Remaining: $100 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
19. Like A Josh – IFBL (47-78-1)
FAAB Remaining: $85 FAAB Moves this week: n/a
20. The Struggle is Real (43-83-0)
FAAB Remaining: $92 FAAB Moves this week: Henry Sims ($6), Dewayne Dedmon ($2)
