Thursday, September 25, 2008

3FL Notes: S8: Week 4 Preview

The league is perfectly tiered after three weeks of competition. And things are about to get more interesting - six NFL teams are on a bye this week, so many 3FL teams will be starting second and third stringers.

Kind of like the Steelers...



Week 3 Recap

Top Scoring 3FL Team: Dumbbums - 70 points

Player MVPs:
Michael Turner (RB/Atl) - 23 points
Baltimore Ravens Defense - 21 points
Brett Favre (QB/NYJ) - 19 points



Predictions Tally

The Comm-nosticator: 11/18 - 61.11%
League Voting: 9/18 - 50%
Yahoo! Projections: 8/18 - 44.44%

Go vote! Also, remember to vote on the 3FL blog questions in the sidebar. Both sets of polls close at 12:55pm each Sunday.



Week 4 Information

Sunday Night: Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears
Monday Night: Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Bye Week: Detroit, Indy, Miami, New England, NY Giants, Seattle



The Comm-nosticator’s predictions for week 4:

Renegades (-1/2) vs. Dumbbums
Normally having Carson Palmer as your QB would be a good thing. But this year he has dropped to a role as a bye week fill in for the 'Bums. With B.Westbrook questionable and some favorable matchups, the Renegades should be able to even out their record at 2-2.

ray ray haw (-1) vs. Predacons
The haw saw their 5 man bench outscore their 9 man starting lineup...by 12 points. That won't happen again this week (since 4 of 5 on his bench are on a bye), and they should cruise to victory over the J.T. O'Sullivan led Preds.

Baltimorons (-1/2) vs. The Comfy Chair
Even though the Chair now has the Farve-Stuckey hook up, the 'Morons should be able to squeak by based on J.Cutler's easy matchup. Plus, TO won't be held scoreless for two weeks in a row. Right?

Misfits (-1) vs. Yuengling Brewers
The Brewers have not yet earned a win this season, and running into Minc. with some soft matchups this week will not change things. After only 3 weeks the Misfits have scored twice as many points as the Brewers. The Steelers/Ravens Defensive matchup on MNF will be fun to watch, but this game will probably be over before that one begins.

Spiked Vipers (-1/2) vs. Marauders
Coach Hoss has some things to do before Sunday's games. Like hit the free agent pool and give an inspiring speech to the Steelers offensive line. The Vipers have no significant injuries or bye week holes, and they'll have a chance to sit back and enjoy the games.

And the game of the week...

Lightning (-1/2) vs. Rough Riders
The RBs of these two teams go head-to-head on Monday night to determine the victor. Coach Thad has a WR in his pocket for prime time, too, and that could make the difference. As long as D.Anderson can remain the starter in Cleveland for one more game...

Good luck this week.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

3FL Notes: S8: Week 3 Preview

Last week saw another team hit the century mark, the Vipers change their logo, and the Commish's neighborhood lose power for the entire Steelers game.

Odds on a repeat of those things? Maybe, none, and I hope not.



Week 2 Recap

Top Scoring 3FL Team: Baltimorons - 101 points

Player MVPs:
Jay Cutler (QB/Den) - 31 points
Anquan Boldin (WR/Ari) - 25 points
Kurt Warner (QB/Ari) - 25 points



Predictions Tally

The Comm-nosticator: 7/12 - 58.33%
League Voting: 6/12 - 50%
Yahoo! Projections: 6/12 - 50%

You have until Sunday @ 12:55pm to vote this week.



Week 3 Information

Sunday Night: Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers
Monday Night: New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers
Bye Week: None until week 4



The Comm-nosticator’s predictions for week 3:

Lightning (-1/2) vs. The Comfy Chair
It's a shame, but one of these teams will start the year 0-3. That's a tough hole to climb out of in this league. The slight edge to get on the winning track goes to Coach Thad, since the Chair's QB and DEF play against each other.

Predacons (-1) vs. Rough Riders
The Riders have started this season with a string of bad luck and things may not be any easier this week. Coach Bev does have some favorable matchups, though, and depending on the injury status reports the Preds may need the entire game on MNF to avoid the upset special.

Misfits (-1/2) vs. ray ray haw
A classic in the making. These teams look about even, but what is really up with LaDanian's toe? That answer could change things. So could Sunday night, with 5 players participating in the Cowboys/Packers game. Like you needed another reason to stay up and watch...

Dumbbums (-1/2) vs. Yuengling Brewers
J.Kitna will step in this week and try to get the Brew Crew their first win. But the undefeated 'Bums counter with Steve Smith back from suspension. Still, it will be closer than you think.

Baltimorons (-1) vs. Marauders
Another week, another 'Morons comeback. But is it the Marauders turn this week? Can V.Jackson score more than 18 points? The answers to those two questions will have to be the same...

And the game of the week...

Renegades (-1/2) vs. Spiked Vipers
I flipped a coin to decide this one. It should be an instant classic, as these two match up really well on paper (on screen, actually). The Vipers will be finished at around 7:30pm on Sunday and they'll have to watch as the Renegades make a comeback attempt with their three remaining players. Even StatTracker can't wait.

Good luck this week.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

3FL Notes: S8: Week 2 Preview

The top stories of opening week were all about big performances and big injuries. The waiver wire is getting quite a workout...



Week 1 Recap

Top Scoring 3FL Team: Misfits, Inc. - 106 points

Player MVPs:
Donovan McNabb (QB/Phi) - 25 points
Willie Parker (RB/Pit) - 24 points
Michael Turner (RB/Atl) - 23 points



Predictions Tally

The Comm-nosticator: 3/6 - 50%
League Voting: 3/6 - 50%
Yahoo! Projections: 2/6 - 33.33%

You have until Sunday @ 12:55pm to vote this week.



Week 2 Information

Sunday Night: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns
Monday Night: Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Bye Week: None until week 4



The Comm-nosticator’s predictions for week 2:

Spiked Vipers (-1/2) vs. Yuengling Brewers
Too close to call. Seriously. It will be a back and forth battle, but someone will have to end up 0-2 to start the season.

Misfits, Inc. (-2) vs. Rough Riders
The top scoring team from last week plays the lowest scoring team from last week. Ouch. And that's not just about T.Brady's knee...

Predacons (-1/2) vs. The Comfy Chair
M.Turner will never again turn in a performance like he did in week 1, but the Preds look to have a slight advantage in this one. The scores will end up within a field goal of each other, and (appropriately) we'll have to wait for the kicker's battle on Monday night to see who gets the victory.

Baltimorons (-1) vs. Lightning
The injury bug struck Coach Thad's WRs hard last week. Meanwhile, the 'Morons completed a big Monday night comeback and are looking to repeat that storyline. Can the Lightning really root against Santonio?

Marauders (-1/2) vs. Renegades
This will all come down to the night games, with 5 of the most important players to each team getting ready for prime time. The C.Johnson question mark gives Coach Hoss the slightest of advantages.

And the game of the week...

ray ray haw (-1/2) vs. Dumbbums
This is going to be a good one, all the way through until Monday night. These teams are as evenly matched as they come (at least in week 2). Can LaDanian prove he was worth the #1 pick? Or will Westbrook steal the show?

Good luck this week.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

3FL Notes: S8: Week 1 Preview

Can the Renegades defend the title? Will the Lightning score over 1,000 points again this season? Are the Predacons ready to return to the playoffs? Only the 3FL season will have the answers...

It all starts on Thursday night!
Remember to have your starting lineups set 5 minutes before the games start this week. Any players in the Redskins vs. Giants game will be locked in whichever lineup position you have them at 6:55pm EDT on Thursday.

Voting is back!
You can once again vote on who YOU think will win each 3FL game. All votes need to be in before the Thursday night game, so vote soon. It won’t take you long. I'll keep a tally again this year and we can see how the predictions turn out.

And don't forget to vote in the 3FL Polls on the sidebar on the right side of this blog.



Week 1 Information

Thursday Night: Washington Redskins @ New York Giants
Sunday Night: Chicago Bears @ Indianapolis Colts
Monday Night Early: Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
Monday Night Late: Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders
Bye Week: None until week 4



And now the Comm-nosticator’s predictions for week 1:
The first week is always the toughest to predict, but here goes...

Lightning (-1/2) vs. Predacons
This one looks pretty even, but Peyton and Ocho Cinco are not yet at full strength. If the Preds want to win they'll have to start the season off with a Monday night comeback.

Rough Riders (-1/2) vs. Dumbbums
There are a lot of "expected to play in week 1" notes beside the players on these two teams. Except for S.Smith - he's suspended and for sure out until week 3. I wonder if anyone will notice...

ray ray haw (-1) vs. Spiked Vipers
How is the team with the number one pick this good? Include ome tough matchups for SpiVi and this father-son rivalry starts off with a whimper. As a consolation, the NFL reduced B.Marshall's suspension.

Marauders (-1/2) vs. Yuengling Brewers
The Yahoo Brew look pretty strong to open the season (even if their coach hasn't looked at them yet). But Coach Hoss will hope his first pick can mount a comeback and save week 1.

Renegades (-1/2) vs. Baltimorons
The last two league champions meet in a great battle this week, and it should be a close one. The 'Morons have their players spread out from Thursday night to Tuesday morning so it will be a waiting game for everyone.

And the game of the week...

Misfits, Inc. (-1/2) vs. The Comfy Chair
Minc has the slightest of edges in this one, but if J.Lewis doesn't play things could change. Who among them will stay up until 1:15am on Tuseday to see how it turns out?

Good Luck in Week 1 and for the rest of Season 8!

Go vote...

Monday, September 01, 2008

3FL Notes: 2008 Draft Analysis

The new Yahoo! software worked well and I think everyone had a good time during our online draft. Here is an analysis of the results (in draft order):

1. ray ray haw: LaDanian Tomlinson was the obvious first pick, and rrh only took about 7 seconds to make it. The rest of the team fills in nicely, with a top tier choice at each position.
Grade: A

2. Marauders: Coach Hoss wasn't able to be in attendance for the draft, and his team ended up a little less Hoss-like because of it. But the starters are still a force to be reckoned with. Grade: A-

3. Rough Riders: The Riders are led by Tom Brady, so who cares about the rest of the lineup? Especially the three TEs that ended up on the squad... Grade: B

4. The Comfy Chair: The Jets took a chance on Brett Favre, and so did the Chair - in the third round. The rest of the team looks OK for now. Grade: B

5. Yuengling Brewers: Once again, Yahoo! did a decent job of picking for the Beermen. Now it's just a matter of keeping up with the NFL news. Like a player getting cut by his team... Grade: B+

6. Dumbbums: Coach Coaldog had to work on draft night, but his team still ended up quite good without his online presence. Maybe he should put himself on the schedule for next year, too.
Grade: A-

7. Lightning: The LFO looks like a quality team this year. As long as the RBs stay healthy and Derek Anderson avoids helmet-to-helmet contact. Go spreadsheets! Grade: A

8. Renegades: The defending Super Bowl champions look good but not great after this year's draft. Of course that's what we said all last season, and look who is in possession of the trophy right now. Grade: B

9. Misfits, Inc.: Appropriately, FitsCorp ended up with a couple of Eagles and a Steeler. And even their backups look decent.
Grade: A

10. Baltimorons: Coach Drew's team boasts a deep WR corps and four starting RBs (for now). What more could you ask for?
Grade: A-

11. Spiked Vipers: The Vipers ended up with a questionable bunch of characters. The only thing for sure is that Brandon Marshall is suspended for the first game of the season. Grade: B

12. Predacons: Ugh. Last pick wasn't particularly kind to the Predacons. But depending on how things go, it could be a surprisingly good season for Coach Sinkerbeam. Or not.
Grade: B+

The Comm-nosticator makes his first predictions early next week. Stay tuned.