NFL Fantasy Football

[benedgell]

Am I doing well? Hadn't realised the season had started.

[Alex Holowczak]

Ben Edgell and Peyton Manning
Are we already facing the prospect of a team winning called
NFL_is_Rugby's_little_sister

While that was clearly an excellent performance from Manning (that's undoubtedly going to win week 1), there's still 13 more regular season games to go. He'll only be 1-0 when he surely wins this week.

On the flip side of the coin, from a friend who's not a chessplayer...

"Ffs! I pick Jacoby Jones for my fantasy NFL team and in the first half he gets taken out of the game... by a rookie... from his OWN TEAM!"

[Alex Holowczak]

Am I doing well? Hadn't realised the season had started.

Denver Broncos beat Baltimore Ravens 49-27 last night, and your QB, Peyton Manning, threw 7 TD passes, tying an NFL record. More importantly, he also threw for 462.8 yards, earning you 46.28 points.

It would appear that the Ravens are missing Ray Lewis...

[Mick Norris]

For those of us who don't follow the draft (or to be honest, much of the regular season), any chance of a brief rundown of who the likely contenders are?

Or even briefer, are the 49ers likely to be competitive again?

[Matthew Turner]

The draft system makes the NFL more competitive, so at the beginning of the season most teams have some sort of chance (unlike soccer). This year Denver are the favourites but they are still 7 or 8/1 to win the superbowl. After last night's performance they will have certainly cemented their favourites status.
Then we've got the 49's and Seattle who impressed last year as well as the usual suspects Green Bay and New England.
I have had a little pre-season bet on Houston who looked cracking value at 17 or 18-1

[Alex Holowczak]

For those of us who don't follow the draft (or to be honest, much of the regular season), any chance of a brief rundown of who the likely contenders are?

Or even briefer, are the 49ers likely to be competitive again?

I think most commentators would expect the 49ers to win the NFC West; Seattle are probably their main rivals for that title. So you can probably expect them to make the playoffs.

Outside of that, the top teams in the NFC are likely to be the Packers and the Falcons. The East could be very competitive. In the AFC, the Broncos, Patriots and the Texans should be strong. The Bengals might make the playoffs too.

Inclined to agree with Matthew that Broncos are the favourites.

Green Bay at San Francisco this weekend, with the double-whammy of Rodgers being my FF Quarterback. Probably foolish, and I should have gone for Dalton, the Bengals QB...

[Mick Norris]

Thanks to Matthew and Alex

[John McKenna]

From yesterday's Metro - Falcons Best Bet to End Ravens' Reign - Baltimore Ravens begin their defence tonight (Thurs. - who won?) seeking to become the first team in 8 yrs. to retain the Vince Lombardi Trophy. But odds are stacked aginst them following the deparure of players to retirement (e.g. Ray Lewis) and trades (e.g. Anquan Boldin to SF 49ers). The picture gets murkier... the last (favourites) to win were the Idianapolis Colts in 2007. That's bad news for Peyton (not Chelsea!) Manning and the Denver Broncos, who are 7/1 faves... and... worth noting 3 of the top 4 in the betting all play in the AFC. Atlanta Falcons... last year's beaten NFC conference finalists... are worth a big bet at 18/1... each-way if you want insurance against them struggling in the cold in the Super Bowl in Feb.

A. Draft-Dodger

[Matthew Turner]

Atlanta are like Houston, they don't really have any big name players and they don't really stand out for doing anything amazingly well. However, they also don't really have (m)any weaknesses. I think people question Atlanta's running game, but it is probably OK and the rule changes last year make the NFL very much a passing league.

[John McKenna]

Thanks Matthew that reminded me of one soccer pundit who already did the stats on Stoke City's games so far this season. Under new manager, Mark Hughes, they are doing more of a short-passing game, as opposed to previous seasons when Tony Pulis had them doing the big-kick-and-rush game. I still don't know the result of last night's Raven's game was but I will look it up.

[John McKenna]

Manning throws 7 TDs as Broncos trample Ravens!!

15:30 - Just noticed above (I really should get a bigger screen or at least read the thread) -

09:39 Alex H >Denver Broncos beat Baltimore Ravens 49-27 last night, and your QB, Peyton Manning, threw 7 TD passes, tying an NFL record. More importantly, he also threw for 462.8 yards, earning you (Ben Edgell) 46.28 points.

It would appear that the Ravens are missing Ray Lewis...<

[Alex Holowczak]

Atlanta are like Houston, they don't really have any big name players

Arian Foster not a big name player, then?!

[David Gilbert]

Atlanta are like Houston, they don't really have any big name players

Arian Foster not a big name player, then?!

Err Julio Jones?

[Matthew Turner]

They are very good players, but they don't get the level of attention that other players do, because
A) They are not quarterbacks
B) They play for Atlanta and Houston

I am sure they are both better than Tony Romo, but they don't have the same level of name recognition.

[David Gilbert]

They are very good players, but they don't get the level of attention that other players do, because
A) They are not quarterbacks
B) They play for Atlanta and Houston

I am sure they are both better than Tony Romo, but they don't have the same level of name recognition.

Then I give you Matthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan. 5th rated QB in the NFL last year in terms of passing yards, ahead of Arron Rodgers, ahead of Peyton Manning, ahead of RGIII, ahead of Colin Kaepernick, ahead of Joe Flacco, ahead of Eli Manning, ahead of Michael Vic, ahead of Ben Roethlisberger, ahead of Andrew Luck, and errr, ahead of Mark Sanchez.