NFL Fantasy Football - GAABoard Superbowl 2023

[declan85]

still in the game against the galway bay tribesmen despite the best  efforts of the steelers -2 points ffs  30 points up with gbt projected to get 29 however he has wes welker , the patriots and patrick chung can't see them been held to 29 . The red zone is deadly   I Found myself watching this most of the night instead of the actual game

Jaysus I was only 24 behind earlier this afternoon and now I'm 30. Where did these extra points appear from?

A lot of stat corrections are done on Monday usually where a forced fumble or a tackle was awarded to the wrong player. Thats the likely reason...

[the Deel Rover]

still in the game against the galway bay tribesmen despite the best  efforts of the steelers -2 points ffs  30 points up with gbt projected to get 29 however he has wes welker , the patriots and patrick chung can't see them been held to 29 . The red zone is deadly   I Found myself watching this most of the night instead of the actual game

Jaysus I was only 24 behind earlier this afternoon and now I'm 30. Where did these extra points appear from?

antoine winefield was awarded points for an interecption that he did not have this morning

[ceiphas50]

need a miacle from moreno 2night 2 get the W,Left the points on the bench which is the most frustating part, bowe n evans combined for a massive 2.85 points,actually combined wrong word evans didn't score,thats probably going to happen a lot more this season due to the extra talent available though.......wish the colts would clear up the manning situation 2

[magpie seanie]

Got there in the end but got a good run for my money from the Shower of Tramps (that's turk isn't it?). This is going to be a dog eat dog league this season.

Am in 2 other leagues this year so suffered the same number of defeats this week as I did in my previous fantasy "career" to date! Very unlucky in both though!

AZ - think the ESPN draft room is first class but not sure the rest of it is better than Yahoo.

[magpie seanie]

Question - made a bit of a boo boo picking up a Defense from a waiver wire (not our league). I dropped my starting tight end instead of the Defense I wanted to get rid of. I've immediately stuck in a waiver claim (I'm 4th on list). Question is - should I post this up on league forum and ask that no-one else pick him up or keep shctum and hope the guys with priority 1-3 don't go for him?

[AZOffaly]

Do you know the lads?
On our league you'd be fine, but if it's a league with Yanks, you might just be drawing attention to yourself. How many in the league, how many TE slots? Unless it's a big name TE not many will pick him.

[magpie seanie]

Its Owen Daniels so not soooooo big but don't want to lose him. Its a random league, no idea who the others are. Only one TE in play and I've just picked up Hernandez off the waiver wire so not the end of the world if someone gets Daniels ahead of me.

Probably best if I say nothing?

[The Claw]

I'd probably check what TEs the lads have a look at their bench and gauge whether it is likely that they will pick him up. If so, I'd just post if on the board.

[magpie seanie]

Two of them have top 3 guys and no backup on bench, the other has a top TE and a good backup. Think I'll say nothnig and hope for the best - its my own stupid fault if I get caught out.

Any reason why our waivers haven't processed?

[AZOffaly]

Waivers should have a date on them. If it's passed that date, then it's just a Yahoo error.

[Oraisteach]

AZ, I know you're a very busy three-headed commissioner, but any chance of posting the results of the first wee kfor all three leagues since you have sole access to all three.

If not, no bother at all.

[AZOffaly]

Hang tough, I'll pull something together

[AZOffaly]

And so the first week of the 7th year of GAA Board fantasy NFL is in the books, and I thought I'd take a different slant on it this year. Given the fact that we have 3 leagues, with the same players featuring in all the leagues, it would be very confusing to go down the route of a commentary on each game. Suffice to say the results were as follows

Joe Montana Superbowl Championship
Faithful Turfmen 'B' 162.74 – 111.23 Ballyhaise Bills
Galway Bay Tribesmen 146.10 – 120.89 Mayo Warriors
Coolera Bears 150.93 – 134.38 Shower of Tramps
L'Esprit de Biff 167.87 – 104.89 hegan's helmets
Smackdown Clowns 166.23 – 156.99 New York Jets V

Wins for the Turfmen, Tribesmen, Bears, Biffs and Clowns, with L'Esprit de Biff taking top scoring honours in a division where every team topped the ton. Game of the week must be the Clowns beating the Jets 166.23 to 156.99.


Walter Payton 'B' Championship
Faithful Turfmen 154.64 – 135.43 Revis and Butthead
Ruthless Rossies 152.29 – 115.98 Crossmaglen Hitmen
Capt Pat's Vikings 142.69 – 148.71 Red Hand Helmets
Rehab is 4 Quitters 97.05 – 120.94 Craigyhill Terrors
Royal Badgers 158.40 – 130.19 O'Neill's Chargers

More high scoring in the 'B' Championship as the Badgers top scored with 158.40, while the Vikings and Helmets fought out a titanic tussle with just 6 points separating them at the end. The Turfmen, Rossies and Terrors will also be happy to start 1-0.


Jerry Rice 'C' Championship
Faithful Turfmen 'C' 130.70 – 104.88 Superdubs
Derry No Clues 111.96 – 103.84 Uibh Fhailians
Puppet Master 141.58 – 98.25 Curragh Rams
Oraisteach's Browns 179.67 – 119.29 Big apple Orchards
North Antrim Nuggets 111.55 – 137.82 Savage Bears

The Turfmen 'C' made it 3 from 3 for the Turfmen stable, while the No Clues, Puppet Master and Bears all claimed victories in the third tier. Pride of place, however, must go to the Browns, managed by Oraisteach, who tallied 179.67 points, the best score among all 30 teams.

In terms of a rundown, I thought I'd give a real life reprise of the games, mentioning the big Fantasy hitters and that might be more informative in general to all users.

So, here goes.

On Thursday the Packers outlasted the Saints in a thriller to get the season up and running, as Aaron Rogers and Drew Brees had a ding dong battle in a 42-34 victory for the Superbowl Champs. Rogers passed for 312 yards and 3 scores, while Brees actually outdid him in the stats department with 419 yards and 3 TD passes.  The rushing games were sedentary enough with rookie Mark Ingram the Saints top yardage man with 40, while James Starks from Green Bay was the day's top rusher with a modest  57 yards. With such high passing yardage, there were a few good receiving days, including Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Marques Colston and top of the bunch Devery Henderson with 100 yards and a touchdown on 6 receptions.

The roundup of Sunday's slate of games begins in Baltimore, Maryland, where the Ravens absolutely destroyed Big Ben and the AFC Champion Steelers on a scoreline of 35-7. 7 turnovers in one game is unheard of in the NFL, and when it's such a team as the Steelers, then eyebrows are raised even more. Perhaps rumours of the Ravens' defensive demise were exaggerated, and Fantasy owners were feeling smug if they started the birds. Speaking of smug owners, the managers who own Ray Rice will be happy as the Raven's top man rushed for 107 yards on 19 attempts and a TD, as well as another TD reception and 42 yards on 4 catches. If Rice was the player of the game, Joe Flacco pushed him close with 3 TD passes and 224 yards, while Anquin Boldin looked sharp early, even though he faded as the game went on, and finished with 74 yards and a TD on 4 receptions. For the Steelers, Roethlisberger had the proverbial nightmare with 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles, but he did manage 280 yards to the right jerseys and a TD.  Rashard Mendenhall didn't produce as owners would have hoped with only 45 yards on 12 carries as the Steelers had to abandon the run. Mike Wallace had a promising game with 107  yards on 8 receptions, but again the Steelers were throwing more than they will normally.

The first battle of Ohio saw the Bengals overcome the Browns and Colt McCoy in a tight struggle, thanks largely to recently incarcerated running back Cedric Benson, who took advantage of his new freedom to run for 121 yards and a touchdown.  Colt McCoy was the top QB on show with 213 yards and 2 TDs, but the Texas Alum had less than 50% completion percentage, which will not do the job in the NFL. There were no outstanding receiving performances on the day, with Mohammad Massaquoi the best of a mediocre bunch with 3 for 77.

Not a million miles away from Ohio, it was a case of Oh-oh in Indianapolis as the Colts had a glimpse of what a season without Peyton Manning might look like. The Houston Texans strolled into town and obliterated back up QB Kerry Collins and the Colts by 34 points to 7 in a big early season AFC South showdown. Matt Schaub was an efficient 17 of 24 for 220 yards and a TD, but he didn't need to be much more.  The Texans made light of Arian Foster's absence as  backup Ben Tate torched the Colts 'D' for 116 yards and a TD, while big time receiver Andre Johnson chipped in with 7 receptions and a TD to go with his 95 yards. The Texans may just be ready to take the mantle from the Colts in the AFC South, even if Manning returns. For the Colts, Reggie Wayne did his bit with 106 yards and a TD receiving, and Kerry Collins wasn't horrible, with 197 yards and a TD, but he wasn't, well, Peyton Manning. The ground game was tepid, with Joseph Addai the best of a poor showing with 39 yards.

Also in the AFC South, a close and tight game went the way of the home town Jacksonville Jaguars, despite dispensing with the services of David Garrard just a few days before the opener, as they beat the Tennessee Titans 16-14. This was a matchup between two of the top running backs in the league, and Maurice Jones-Drew outshone the top paid back in the league, Chris Johnson, with 97 yards and a score, while Johnson was held to 24 yards on the ground. Kenny Britt, of the Titans, was the big receiving story in the game as he hauled in 136 yards worth of passes on 5 catches, 2 for TDs. Those 2 TDs were Matt Hasselbacks only 2 TD tosses in the game, but he also had 263 yards in a solid debut for the Titans. Luke McCown did just enough to get the win, but he won't be having fantasy owners reaching for the waiver wire.

One of the shocks of the day took place in Kansas City, Missouri, as the Chiefs were rocked 41-7 at Arrowhead by the Buffalo Bills of all teams. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a stellar day with 4 TD passes off only 208 yards , while Fred Jackson racked up 112 yards on the ground. Steve Johnson and David Nelson each had 4 catches for 66 yards, which is about as balanced a 1-2 receiving threat as you can get.  As might be expected, the Chiefs were a ghost town for fantasy points, with Matt Cassel having 119 yards and 1 TD pass, while their best rusher had 56 yards, and the best receiver had 26 yards. Enough said.

Meanwhile, up in the Windy City, the Chicago Bears had an impressive victory over one of the fancied pre-season teams in the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears prevailed 30 points to 12, and managed to keep the Falcons danger men out of the endzone, and the fantasy reckoning as well. Michael Turner did have 100 yards, and Matt Ryan passed for 319 yards but had an INT and a fumble, while Roddy White had 8 catches for 61 yards, but none made the endzone.  Jay Cutler got the better of the QB Battle with 312 yards and 2 TDs, although the Falcons only TD came from a pick 6 Cutler threw. Matt Forte looked more like himself with 158 all purpose yards, including 90 receiving, and a TD.  Brian Urlacher was the defensive player of the game with a fumble recovery for a TD, and an interception, as well  as 6 tackles.

In Tampa Bay, the Detroit Lions served notice that they may indeed be a force even though they are in a competitive division as they came away with a 27-20 victory. Matthew Stafford is a big factor for the Lions at QB, and if he can stay injury free his 305 yards and 3 TDs show what a weapon he can be. Of course he has weapons to aim at, and Calvin Johnson hauled in 2 TDs from Stafford. Jahvid Best had 72 yards on the ground on 21 carries, and has the potential to be more productive in fantasy terms as well, as has TE Brandon Pettigrew. For Tampa, Josh Freeman was dinged up, but managed to return to the game and accrue 259 yards and a passing TD, but when he is also the Buccs top rusher with 26, you can see the problems they had. Kellen Winslow and Earnest Graham had decent receiving games but Winslow is a Tight End, and Graham is a Running Back. Mike Williams did receive a TD pass, but with only 50 yards, the receiving corps are going to have to step it up better than that.

In Saint Louis, the Rams provided staunch opposition to the 'dream team' Eagles, but at the end of the day Philly were able to prevail 31-13. Worryingly for Rams fans, and fantasy owners, Sam Bradford left the game in the 4th for X-Rays on a finger injury. He hadn't lit up the game in any case, with 17/30 for 188 yards, and no TDs. Steven Jackson may be a bigger worry for fantasy owners. He looked great in 2 carries early on, racking up 56 yards including a 47 yard score, but pulled a play later with a suspected thigh injury. He left the game, and must be a worry for future games. Veteran Cadillac Williams took over and had 91 yards, so he may be a viable handcuff option for Jackson owners. Michael Vick, the preseason MVP favourite in many peoples eyes had an ok day with the arm, 14 of 32 for 187 yards and 2 TDs, but his running was again a huge weapon as had 97 on the ground. LeSean McCoy took up where he left off last year with 122 yards and a TD on the ground, while DeSean Jackson also hit the high notes with 102 yards and a receiving TD.

Up in the capital, the Washington Redskins had a great win over the New York Giants, 28-14, and a man that will feature in very few 10 team leagues, Rex Grossman, was the star of the show. The Redskins QB threw for 305 yards and 2 scores against the Giants Defense, while Timmy Hightower validated his good preseason form with 72 yards rushing and a TD, as well as 25 yards receiving. Grossman's favourite target was Santana Moss, with 6 receptions, but Tight End Fred Davis had 105 yards receiving on just 5 catches. For the Giants, it was a disappointing start to the season, and Eli Manning didn't manage to find the endzone with 268 yards and a pick thrown in for good measure. The much heralded running attack never really motored either, with a combined 73 yards for Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, although Bradshaw did hit paydirt. Hakeem Nicks did give his owners some hope though, with 7 receptions for 122 yards total, but nothing in the endzone.

Out in the desert, the Arizona Cardinals hung on in a crazy game as Can Newton, the Panthers QB, blew away all sorts of records in his rookie debut. 422 yards and 2 TDs may say more about the Cardinals secondary and pass rush than it does about Cam, but it was some performance for a debutant, and didn't deserve to end on the losing side. Steve Smith, the evergreen receiver, dispelled doubts about his conditioning with 2 TD catches and 178 receiving yards in total. Greg Olsen, the TE also had 78 yards from Newton. With all those balls flying around the air, it was no wonder that DeAngelo Williams (30 yards) and Jonathan Stewart (26 yards) were quiet enough.  The Cardinals only hung on thanks to a 4th down stop on their own 2 yard line to preserve a 28-21 win, but Kevin Kolb and Beanie Wells will have encouraged their fantasy owners. Kolb was 18/27 for 309 yards and 2 TDs, while Wells gained 90 yards on the ground and had a rushing TD as well. Early Doucet reappeared on the fantasy radar with 105 yards and a TD off 3 receptions, while Larry Fitz had just 3 catches for 62. Of course if Doucet, King, Heap and Roberts keep making plays, defences may give Larry a bit more space as well.

In an NFC West showdown in the city by the bay, the 49ers had a great win over the Seahawks, largely thanks to special teams, and particularly Ted Ginn Jr, as the former Ohio State Buckeye had a 102 yard kickoff return and a 55 yard punt return for touchdowns. Alex Smith at QB had a slow start with 124 yards passing and won't be on many 10 team rosters, but  he didn't make many mistakes either.  Frank Gore had a decent, but not great, 59 yards on the ground, while Vernon Davis the TE was the most productive receiver with 47 yards on 5 catches. For Seattle, Tavaris Jackson was as advertised, as feared, and while he had 197 yards and 2 TDs, he also had an interception and 2 lost fumbles. Stanford Rookie Doug Baldwin was a surprising receiving leader across both teams with 83 yards and a TD, and it will be interesting to see if this is the start of a good career for him.  Big Mike Williams had 4 catches also, but for only 34 yards.

Down the coast in lovely San Diego, the Chargers overcame a shocking start, and a dodgy first half in general to get by the Vikings 24-17. Percy Harvin took the opening kickoff 103 yards to the house, to start off on a savage note, but while the Vikings had some success on the ground, Adrian Peterson had 98 yards on 16 carries, Donovan McNabb had a very strange day, and one that won't have Fantasy owners worrying about their waiver position. McNabb's line read 7 of 15 for 39 yards (!), 1 TD and 1 INT.  Obviously in such a scenario it'll be hard for receivers to shine, even though Michael  Jenkins caught the TD.  For San Diego, Philip Rivers had a so-so day, but he showed the potential he has on a high powered passing offense. He had 2 INTs, but added 335 yards and 2 scoring passes as well. Mike Tolbert, splitting time with Ryan Matthews at running back in San Diego had a great scoring day as a receiver and a rusher, without a pile of yardage. He found himself in the endzone 3 times, once rushing and also twice as the recipient of those Rivers passes. Antonio Gates was Rivers favourite receiver, apart from check downs to Tolbert, with 8 receptions for 74 yards, while Vincent Jackson owners will be slightly worried about a 2 for 31 yard day.

Sunday night saw 'America's team' travel to play the feisty Jets and Jerry Jones will certainly see this as a game thrown away as Tony Romo and the Cowboys had one of those 4th quarters that make people question their right to be called contenders. Nick Folk's kick won the game for the Jets, but Tony Romo's pick moments before was the critical moment, as Revis Island claimed another victim. Mind you, a blocked Matt Briar punt that was returned for a TD by the Jets special teams 5 minutes earlier was just as important in the larger picture. Romo also fumbled, unluckily, as he was trying to eke out some more yardage. In fantasy terms, Romo was ok, despite the turnovers as he had 342 yards and 2 TDs, while Jason Witten and Miles Austin were productive receivers. Felix Jones had 44 yards and a TD on the ground as well. Mark Sanchez, or Sanchise as the press call this 'Franchise' player, was encouraging in his opening game of just his third season as he had 335 yards and 2 TDs, as well as an INT himself. He spread the ball around too, which is a good sign for the Jets, if not great for fantasy owners, as Tomlinson caught 6 for 73, Plexico avoided shooting himself in the arse to get 4 for 72 and a TD, Santonio Holmes had 6 for 70 and Dustin Keller had 5 for 61 and the other TD. The Jets' ground game was worrying for fantasy owners, and Shonn Greene's 10 for 26 yards will not do at all.

Monday night's first game saw one of the all time Fantasy points feasts, especially through the air, as the Miami Dolphins fell 38-24 to the New England Patriots. The Patriots, and Tom Brady looked awesome, but Chad Ochocinco was not a big factor at all, which is slightly worrying for his owners. Wes Welker was outstanding, but in general commentary is superfluous. Just look at the lines, and you'll see why a lot of fantasy ties had dramatic late swings with totals like this.
Passing- Brady 32/48 – 517 yards – 4TDs – 1 INT; Henne 30/49 - 416 yards – 2 TDs, 1 INT.
Receiving – Welker 8-160, 2TD; Hernandez 7-103 1TD; Branch 7-93; Gronkowski 6-86 1 TD
                  Marshall 7-139; Bess 5-92; Fasano 5-82; Bush 9-56 1TD; Hartline 4-47 1TD.
Yep, that's 62 completions combined, 97 passing attempts, 933 passing yards and 6 passing touchdowns. Incredible stuff. Not surprisingly, the running backs didn't have much to do with things, but Danny Woodhead did manage 69 yards with his legs, while Chad Henne actually had 59 yards and a TD on the ground as well.

The last game of the weekend was a more sedate affair in fantasy terms, unsurprisingly, but it still featured a record tying performance as Sebastian Janikowski, the Raiders kicker, took advantage of the thin air in Denver to kick a 63 yard field goal to help beat the Broncos 23-20. Kyle Orton had the Te-boo boys after him in the first half, but finished with a respectable 304 yards 1 TD and 1 INT. HE is certainly a better option than Tim Tebow at the moment, and fantasy owners must be hoping the Broncos don't do something stupid there. Jason Campbell, in a win, was very ordinary. 105 yards and a TD with no INTs is just about serviceable in this league, but you need other players to lift the team if you are to win, and you could say Darren McFadden's 150 yards on the ground was just what they needed. McFadden didn't find the endzone, but Campbell himself did on a QB keeper. The Broncos were more productive through the air, and Brandon Lloyd had a decent 8 for 89 showing, but they featured 9 different pass catchers, which took away from any one being dominant. Knowshon Moreno was a huge disappointment, with 8 carries for just 22 yards, and fantasy owners will need to keep an eye on that to make sure Denver don't lose faith with the 3rd year starter.

[Oraisteach]

Wow!  What a tour de force. Amazing work.

[AZOffaly]

It´s easier when you´re just talking about the real games. Trying to figure out who owned whom in the past was a nightmare. With 3 leagues it was just not a runner.