2022 Heavyweights Draft Grades

As reigning champion I have many fond memories of 2021, whether it was beating Thomas by 200 points in the semis or having the championship game over John sewn up before brunch ended. Or maybe it was keeping the winning streak rolling with a rotating cast of RB2s that included Chris Carson’s fetid corpse, Rex Burkhead, Jaret Patterson, Jeff Wilson Jr., Justin Jackson and Boston Scott. I guess it goes to show that you can never count yourself out.

Actually, Gabe, you can probably count yourself out this season sorry bro. Killer draft parties though. As Devon put it: “I’m in a survivor league. I survived the Heavyweights draft.” Print the t-shirts already

2022 Draft Grades

That above quote inspired me to do a Survivor theme for this year’s grades. No, not the fantasy game, but rather the CBS show that is somehow still cranking out new seasons.

Draft Key

Immunity: the player’s ‘best’ pick

Off the island: voted off, banished, gone – the player’s ‘worst’ pick

Tribal Council Verdict: overall grade

1 – Ben

Were you on auto-draft? This is chalky AF. Fortunately, it’s pretty good chalk though

Immunity: Michael Carter, 10th rd. – Finished his rookie campaign just outside the top five in average YAC, and just outside the top twenty in YPC.

Off the Island: Miles Sanders, 4th rd. – Has made a career out of being mostly ineffective when healthy and rarely healthy. Excited yet?

Tribal Council Verdict: B

2 – Dan G

The FBI has cleared Dan of any involvement with the attempted robbery of Washington RB Brian Robinson.  I repeat, the FBI has cleared Dan of any involvement. Drafting Antonio Gibson is not a motive people

Immunity: Amon-Ra St. Brown, 6th rd. – There are lot of receivers going based purely on hype. We actually got to witness St. Brown in practice, last season, where he was a top-three wide receiver down the stretch.

Off the Island: Breece Hall, 4th rd. – I know I just praised the Michael Carter pick but that was 10th round. Fourth round for the backup Jets running back is too rich for my blood.

Tribal Council Grade: B-

3 – Troy

Little known fact: Troy wrote this song about Christian McCaffrey

Some interesting mid to late round flyers.

Immunity: Tyler Allgeier, 10th rd. – The bloom came off the rose down the stretch last year for Cordarelle Patterson as he withered like…well, a 30 year old wide receiver playing running back.

Off the Island: Austin Ekeler, 4th rd. – My regression poster child for 2022. Twenty touchdowns helped sugarcoat an otherwise pedestrian ’21 campaign on the ground (and surprisingly-sparing usage through the air)

Tribal Council Grade: B-

4 – Griz

James Cook called and asked wtf is going on with the sticker game this year my dude? Also, is that Manny Pacquiao in round 14?

Immunity: Amari Cooper, 10th rd. – From the “SOMEBODY’s gotta catch the passes” playbook.

Off the Island: Chris Godwin, 6th rd. – Just not a fan of wide receivers in their first season off major knee surgery

Tribal Council Grade: B

5 – Gooch

I just hope he remembered to put the ping pong ball in the draft machine

Immunity: Allen Lazard, 7th rd. – Aaron Rodgers’ number one target being treated like a Monkeypox patient in drafts this season

Off the Island: Lamar Jackson, 5th rd. – Just too much going on between the contract talks and lack of proven talent at receiver

Tribal Council Verdict: B-

6 – Gabe

Is this a keeper league now?

Immunity: JuJu Smith-Schuster, 6th rd. – What’s post post-hype look like? Probably this dude, who is going from an offense run by Big Ben’s corpse to one run by some guy named Mahomes.

Off the Island: George Pickens, 8th rd. – I’m out on anybody who has been tasked with catching passes from Mitch Trubisky.

Tribal Council Verdict: C+

7 – Thomas

Trades??

Immunity: Rashaad Penny, 7th rd. – Seattle should be doing everything to keep the ball out of Drew Lock’s hands.

Off the Island: Ryan Tannehill, 14th rd. – Sure it’s a late pick, but Tannehill blows

Tribal Council Verdict: B+

8 – Bmike

I just realized I have no idea if the league moved to .5 ppr or not.

Immunity: Damien Pierce, 8th rd. – Preseason darling looks to be living up to the hype and should get the lion’s share of carries.

Off the Island: Corey Patterson, 7th rd. – I accidentally typed “Corey Patterson” and decided to leave it as an Easter egg for you baseball fans. Please refer to my previous notes on Cordarelle

Tribal Council Verdict: B-

9 – Julian

Are you and Robbie Anderson like friends in real life or something? Just wondering

Immunity: Christian Kirk, 7th rd. – Pegging the Jags as one of my ‘out of nowhere’ teams this season. Also, Jacksonville overpaid too much money not to make Kirk a key cog in this offense.

Off the Island: Josh Jacobs, 3rd rd. – The Josh McDaniels offense has not produced many stars at the RB position.

Tribal Council Verdict: B-

10 – Stan

Stan’s draft set-up

Immunity: Brandon Aiyuk, 7th rd. – One of my strategies is to alternate drafting Aiyuk and his teammate Deebo Samuel every other year. Guess who’s turn it is this season.

Off the Island: Justin Herbert, 4th rd. – Great quarterback in real life, but I’d rather take 4/5ths of the fantasy production and draft a Kirk Cousins nine rounds later

Tribal Council Verdict: B

11 – Donnie

Like a fantasy Mona Lisa, this is either one of the best drafts or the worst; I keep waffling between the two.

Immunity: Kadarius Toney, 11th rd. – With Kenny Golladay relegated playing with the scrubs in the last preseason game, the door would appear open for the talented Toney to at least have the opportunity to showcase that talent he flashed for a few games in his rookie season.

Off the Island: Robert Woods, 9th rd. – Still out on receivers in their first year off a major knee injury. Tanehill still blows

Tribal Council Verdict: Mona Lisa

12 – Devon

Okay people, move along, there’s nothing to s…just kidding, Terry McClaurin is a cool dude. I do like Pollard and Williams as potentially-elite handcuffs

Immunity: Derek Carr, 11th rd. – Carr has somehow managed to be both overrated and underrated throughout his career. I’m leaning somewhat to the former but if he’s ever going to have a big boy fantasy season it’s gotta be this year, given the weapons in Vegas.

Off the Island: Javonte Williams/Melvin Gordon 2nd/7th rd. – An over-priced committee.

Tribal Council Verdict: C+

2021 Kenny Powers Draft Grades

 

In honor of the 18 week NFL season, here are 18 reasons that – win or lose – we keep coming back to this silly game year after year:

1. Trash-talking the shit out of your friends
2. Finally, something productive to do at work
3. Those late-night study sessions leading up to the draft – more prep than you did for the SATs
4. That “Christmas Morning” feeling you get on draft day and the first Sunday of the regular season
5. An awful TNF game between Jacksonville & Detroit that you have to watch because you have four players going
6. Knowing you have something to do on Thursday, Sunday & Monday nights 
7. Also, since it’s another COVID year, probably Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday nights as well
8. Waking up at four AM to pee on Wednesday and adding a random D/ST
9. That excited feeling when you have the number one waiver claim and someone gets hurt
10. The subsequent, “I’m going to hell”, realization you have for being happy someone got hurt
11. It’s a security blanket in case your real-life NFL team sucks
12. The yo-yo gauntlet of emotions of having a 50 yard TD wiped out by a Morgan Moses holding penalty, and the subsequent blind rage of wanting to drive to Morgan Moses’ house and kicking his Amazon Prime boxes off the porch
13. Hearing Tony Romo or the Manning’s tell you on TV why your player is awesome while your league-mates are around and giving “I told you so” middle fingers to them
14. The adrenaline rush of a MNF comeback from 50 points down (and, on the other side of things, the unbridled relief of a comeback falling just short)
15. Hiding from your significant other in order to tinker with your lineup for the 200th time
16. That crazy log-jam at the end of the Kenny Powers regular season.  You lament that one game you left 35 Mecole Hardman points on the bench because that was the difference between 4th and 8th place
17. The thought that, no matter how poorly you finished last year, you get a fresh start
18. Trash-talking the shit out of your friends

Whew, that was harder to come up with those than I thought it would.  Eighteen is a lot, it’s gonna be a long season!  Without further ado, here are the grades for this year’s draft.

Legend:

Avg. Age: Average age of all position players
Homer Factor: How much did being a fan of something factor into the decision-making? Graded on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the least and 10 being the highest
Overall Grade: a composite of all elements

_____________________________________________________________________________

Ben

The 2021 KP Draft opened with a smidge of drama. Team Ben was batting leadoff, making Zeke in play for the #1 pick. In the end, they were somehow able to muster restraint and settled for C-Mac.
Studs at every position save for tight end. Josh Allen kept in the 10th round helps out a lot as well.

Avg. Age: 24.06
Homer Factor: 2 – Gallup 13th round (Dallas School of Hard Knocks), Drake 9th round (favorite Canadian recording artist)
Overall Grade: B+

Griz (John)

The league’s hard-luck loser (never made the playoffs) made a strong push to change that, this season. They scored two top RB’s to start and then drafted ALL the WR’s – seriously, like all of them.
The loss of Etienne was a tough break, but was mitigated by the Hail Mary draft pick of Gus Edwards in the final round.

Avg. Age: 24.68
Homer Factor: 2 – Jeudy 7th round (Denver Broncos), Beckham Jr. 8th round, Bernard 15th round (Madden ’15)
Overall Grade: B

Bob (Not A) Machine

Beginning the draft with fantasy darling Antonio Gibson stashed away allowed Team Bob to shore up other positions early. They were able to snag some number one wide receivers late, but lack a clear stud at that position.
On a positive note, they waited until the near end of the draft before they blue themself (Tucker 15th round)

Avg. Age: 27.06
Homer Factor: 10 – Rodgers 7th round, Gesicki 11th round, Parker 14th round (Packers/Penn State/Dolphins)
Overall Grade: B-

El Jeffe

The league’s real life Kevin MacArthur (never won his own league) finally got off the schneid in 2020. Team Jeff will embark on its title defense after employing a Zero-RB strategy, leaving the draft with only three running backs.
Fortunately, TE is set with Waller the Baller and they are deep at the WR position as well.

Avg. Age: 25.6
Homer Factor: 3 – Higgins 5th round (Bengals) Gronk 15th round (Brady-Gronk Fanclub)
Overall Grade: B-

BMike

Team BMike, the league’s perennial ringer, put that big cranium to good use again and should be strong out of the gate. This squad won’t win any ooh’s and ahh’s from a preseason fantasy darling standpoint, opting for substance over flash.

Avg. Age: 26.67
Homer Factor: Elliot 1st round, Cooper 4th round (Closet Dallas fan)
Overall Grade: B

Dan

Be wary facing this team after week six, when Michael Thomas is slated to be back. He joins a talented WR group which already includes Davante Adams.

The upside of this draft will ultimately hinge on the right knee of Sanquon Barkley – a predicament that became even magnified with the unfortunate loss of J.K. Dobbins.

Avg. Age: 24.93
Homer Factor: 4 – Cooks 9th round (Brandin Cooks’ #1 Fan)
Overall Grade: B

JT

A strong tandem of running backs in Chubb/CEH and some intriguing, upside players in the middle rounds (Pitts/Callaway/Dillon) are the highlights. We’re almost willing to overlook Cam Newton in the 10th round and his inability pronounce his own kicker’s name

Almost

Avg. Age: 26.87
Homer Factor: 4 – Calloway 7th round (University of Tennessee), Wilson 6th round, Newton 10th round (mobile QBs)
Overall Grade: B-

Matt

Other than having unreasonable faith in Zack Moss, crushed it!

Avg. Age: 23.86
Homer Factor: 4 – McClaurin 11th Round (WFT)
Overall Grade: B

Corey

Team C-Dubb spent the early portion of the draft alternating between running backs and E&J shots. Hopkins and Aiyuk lead a WR position group which thins out after that. Also wins this year’s Syracuse award for the first team to “go orange”.

Avg. Age: 25.06
Homer Factor: 100 – WFT Defense 9th round (WFT)
Overall Grade: B-

Gabe

Team Gabe got a favorable draw from the draft machine, allowing them to keep Dalvin Cook all the way down at the 10-spot. Even average play from the missionary position duo of Stafford/Burrow will make this starting lineup formidable. Running back depth would be the only nitpick.

Avg. Age: 25.93
Homer Factor: negative 10 – not drafting Justin Fields (Bears fan?)
Overall Grade: B+

Opening Arguments: Thoughts from last night’s game

by Matthew Cassidy

One)

The game’s best pitchers are described as being surgeon-esque with their precision. Anthony Fauci (a real-life doctor) is not one of those pitchers

Two)

Action-based sports like basketball and hockey, where game play is predicated on movement, will likely be able to hold viewers’ attentions, without them constantly noticing the absence of fans.

Baseball is not only a game of continual downtime, it’s an experience. The full experience requires the requisite trappings we’ve all grown accustomed to: hot dogs, beer vendors, kiss cam, kids with their gloves, etc.

Solution: MLB should auction off tickets for one group of fans per section, with the proceeds split between local COVID relief charities and displaced stadium employees.

There’s no reasonable expectation that stands will be full anytime soon, but I think people would pay a premium for the right to take in a live sporting event. That money could go to a good cause.

Three)

-Few clubs stand to benefit more from the extended layoff than Washington: only Uber drivers racked up more odometer miles than this rotation did, in 2019.

2019 Innings Pitched (regular season and postseason combined):

Stephen Strasburg: 245.1
Patrick Corbin: 225.1
Max Scherzer: 202.1

For Strasburg and Corbin, those figures marked a career-high. For Scherzer, it was – put in Oregon Trail terms – a grueling pace. He turns 36 soon and could barely get out of bed by the end of the World Series.

Four)

Every Giancarlo Stanton home run (like his first-inning bomb, last evening) seems to unfold on the pages of a tragic novel.

Since his 2010 debut, Stanton has managed to cleat up in only 70% of his club’s games.  He’s battled everything from knee surgery to a balky hamstring.  Now 30, in what should be one of the prime years of his career, he will play in a shortened season for different reasons.

Of the top twenty career home run leaders, only two players have a better home run/game rate than Stanton does. You’ve heard of them:

.311 McGwire
.285 Ruth
.265 Stanton
.259 Sosa
.255 Bonds
.250 Rodriguez
.241 Ramirez
.241 Thome
.236 Griffey Jr.
.235 Killebrew

With 303 home runs, Stanton should make a run at some lofty figures by the time he’s done, barring reasonable health. It’s just a shame that we will always be left wondering what could have been.

Five)

-ESPN+ users should have the option to mute A-Rod

Redskins 2020 Draft Preview

by Matthew Cassidy

The Washington Redskins enter draft week

A detail view of a Washington Redskins helmet is seen prior to an NFL football game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, September 24, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. New York won 32-21. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)

on the heels of another lackluster regular season campaign, but this time a slivering halo of light awaits at the end of the tunnel. They are in coveted possession of the draft’s second pick.

A lot hangs in the balance with a top five selection. Their level of success can shape the narrative of a franchise’s entire decade. Fortunately, their presumed selection, Ohio State defense end Chase Young, is a transcendent talent who possesses the ability to lead the Redskins back to the Promised Land.

Sound familiar? Washington was in a similar position in 2012, when they traded for and used the 2nd pick to select Baylor quarterback, Robert Griffin III. They had a veteran head coach then in Mike Shanahan. They have one now with the hiring of Ron Rivera, who Skins fans hope can harness the talents of a talented young roster.

All that talent failed to coalesce in 2019, which is why they are here. Defensively, they were bad (30th against the run, 48.9% third down conversions allowed) and on offense, they were even worse (dead last in points per game).

Thus, they find themselves in the fresh hell of being simultaneously loaded and lacking, residing in the “playoff contender” and “bottom-dwelling franchise.”

Entering this draft, their list of needs reads like a grocery list. Especially glaring are the lack of top notch depth at the following positions:

Left tackle
Guard
Tight End
Wide Receiver
Defensive End
Cornerback
Safety
Linebacker

Adding a rare talent like Chase Young represents a potentially-big step up the mountain. How the Redskins fare with their other picks will help determine how steep that incline is.

And so, welcome to LMP’s 2020 Redskins draft preview. It’s not a prediction by any stretch, it’s a collection of players that I believe will be available/fill some needs.

While I was unable to address the offensive line early, I did what I could while working within the constraints of not having a second round pick.

Round 1, Pick 2

Chase Young, OSU, DE
6’5”, 264 lbs
Stats: 16.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 21 tackles for loss

When in doubt, don’t over-think things. A player with Young’s skill-set would unlock many doors for his fellow defenders. From a marketing perspective, the local native instantly raises the Redskins’ Q-score from its currently non-existent state.

Round 3, Pick 66

Kyle Dugger, Lenior-Rhyne, S
6’1”, 217 lbs
Stats: 4.49 40, 42” vertical

Kyle Dugger is a rising star who may be a hot commodity come draft day. If he’s still on the board, the Redskins could do worse than securing one of the most explosive athletes in this draft.

At 24, he’s a tad older than your average draft prospect. Also, he played against inferior, DII competition, so you can throw the stats out the window. Still, he has the size, range and tackling ability to line up opposite Landon Collins next season.

Round 4, Pick 108

Devin Asiasi, UCLA, TE
6’3” 257 lbs
Stats: 44 receptions, 641 yards, 4 touchdowns

The Redskins received a virtual bagel in terms of offensive tight end production in 2019.

Enter Asiasi, an emerging talent who broke out in his junior campaign at UCLA. He’s not a burner, but he’s quick. That, combined with his big frame, allows him to make things happen after the catch.

Round 4, Pick 142

James Proche, SMU, WR
5’11”, 201 lbs
Stats: 111 receptions, 1,225 yards, 15 touchdowns

Washington has an outside burner in Terry McLaurin. Proche isn’t a pure slot receiver, but he possesses the elite catch radius and hands to fast become a favorite target for quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

Round 5, Pick 162

Tyre Phillips, Mississippi State, IOL
6’5”, 331 lbs
Stats: 5.37 40, 25 vertical, 8.17 3 cone drill

Ereck Flowers’ departure in free agency has left a big hole in the offensive line. Phillips is a truck of a man who provides a big boost in the run game. He’s slow, and may have a difficult time acclimating as a pass-blocker, but the Skins will take what they can get, this deep in the draft.

Round 7, Pick 216

Myles Bryant, Washington, CB
5’8”, 183 lbs
Stats: 4.62 second 40, 31.5” vertical, 6.81 second three-cone drill

Names come and go, but the “help wanted” sign in Ashburn remains perpetually lit. Bryant profiles as a nickel or slot corner, with the tenacity and smarts to play above his physical limitations.

Round 7, Pick 229

Terence Steele, Texas Tech, OT
6’6”, 312 lbs
Stats: 27 bench press reps, 27.5″ vertical

The seventh and final round is like pawing through the $5 DVD bin at Wal-Mart. At this point, teams are clutching for even the slimmest glimmers of potential.

Steele has the frame and raw strength to grow into a regular contributor. He has a ways to go, but could eventually be in regular rotation at RT.

The E Street Shuffle: Life after Bruce might not be as rosy as it seems

by Matthew Cassidy

 

“them boys are still on the corner, loose and doin’ that lazy E street shuffle
as them sweet summer nights turn into summer dreams” – Bruce Springsteen

The NFL’s regular season is over.  Today is often referred to by head coaches and executives as Black Monday, because more of them are sent packing on this day than on any other calendar date.

The Washington Redskins have given the pink slip to Team President Bruce Allen.  It was announced this morning through a statement on the team’s website that Allen has been “relieved of his duties”.

Allen, who is the son of HOF Redskins coach George Allen, had occupied his position since 2010.  Today’s statement squashed any rumors that Bruce would be retained in some capacity by adding he will “no longer be with the organization”.

For many fans, this announcement was cause for celebration.  Allen, like his predecessor Vinny Cerrato, had become synonymous with losing, as well as the steady erosion of a once-proud fan-base.

His departure paves the way for a hit of the proverbial reset button as the dawn of a new decade approaches.  Presumably, the search has already begun for a successor, who will hopefully be granted the authority to reshape the organization as they see fit.

Of course, nothing is ever so simple when your owner is Daniel Marc Snyder.

It was also announced today that Ron Rivera will likely be hired as head coach.  Rivera, who was recently fired by the Carolina Panthers, would become the 7th head coaching hire of the Snyder era (not counting interim head coaches).

The Snyder Era

• Marty Schottenheimer 2001

• Steve Spurrier 2002-2003

• Joe Gibbs 2004-2007

• Jim Zorn 2008-2009

• Mike Shanahan 2010-2013

• Jay Gruden 2014-2019

 

Rivera (firing notwithstanding) is a former player and was a capable coach for the Panthers.  Since 2011, he went 76-63-1 with four playoff berths and one Super Bowl appearance (lost to the Denver Broncos).

Still, the potential hiring seems like yet another case of Dan Snyder inserting himself into the mix and mucking things up.  The normal order of business would be to hire a general manager, who would then be granted the authority to search for and install his own guy as head coach.

Doing things the opposite way is putting the cart before the horse.  Two of the most important decisions a general manager must make is their head coach and his quarterback.  In order to put their own stamp on things, they would likely prefer to have at least a strong say on both issues.

Whomever is named Bruce Allen’s successor will arrive in Washington to find both quarterback and head coach already filled by the owner’s handpicked choices.  Clearly whomever is brought on as general manager will have to agree to make do with those choices as a condition of their hiring.

Which leads to the ultimate question of what exactly will change, under the new regime?  We will have to sit through the Ron Rivera era to find out.  Allen’s firing may seem like the dawn of a new era, but it’s not.  It’s the start of another cycle of failure.

 

 

Trimming the Competition: DFS Plays for Thanksgiving 2019

by Matthew Cassidy

 

Happy Thanksgiving!  I’m thankful to be in the playoffs in two of my full-season fantasy leagues as well as in the hunt in another.  Here is my DFS lineup for Thanksgiving 2019.  Prices are from DraftKings.  Here’s to a safe and wonderful holiday to all.

Total spent: $50,000

Rem. Salary: $0

 

QB: Mitchell Trubisky $5,300

Say what you will about rib injuries and the like, there’s one skill the former number two pick has shown in his brief pro career: give him a clean pocket and let him deliver throws on schedule and he can make some plays. The Lions, for their part, are 28th at getting after the quarterback.

RB: Ezekiel Elliott $7,400

The Bills are associated with their hard-nosed defense. They’ve actually been closer to middle-of-the-pack in terms of run defense, allowing 104.4 YPG (14th). Last week, Phillip Lindsay rushed for 4.4 YPC. Zeke is 7th in rushing yards, but ranks 2nd in Football Outsiders’ “Effective Yards” behind only Christian McCaffrey.

RB: Tarik Cohen $5,000

Cohen has averaged 14.8 DraftKings points over his last three contests. His weekly involvement in the Bears passing game gives him a higher floor than, say, his backfield running mate, David Montgomery.

WR: Allen Robinson II $6,700

Only 12 receivers average more targets per game than Robinson, who has been a steady source of fantasy points, despite inconsistent quarterback play. Play Robinson, despite the potential for shadow coverage from Lions cornerback Darius Slay. The former Jaguar posted 6 catches for 86 yards against the Lions in week 10.

WR: Calvin Ridley $6,600

Russell Gage is the trendy pick, but with Julio Jones looking likely to at least suit up, Ridley is the safer bet, especially with Devonta Freeman making his return from injury as well. Matt Ryan is chucking the ball 39.7 times per game, and the Falcons will likely have to throw to keep up with the Saints.

WR: Michael Gallup $5,500

Tre’Davious White can only cover one receiver at a time, meaning him and Amari Cooper will likely be playing on their own island all game. That’s fine for Gallup, who is a big play waiting to happen.

TE: Dawson Knox $2,900

The Bills rookie tight end has slowly been carving out a bigwrrole in Buffalo’s offense. It hasn’t shown up in the box scores yet, but he leads Bills tight ends in routes run. Expect quarterback Josh Allen to be under siege all day, which could lead to a lot of soft, dump off passes. I also expect the Cowboys to show up this week, meaning the game has big garbage time potential as well.

Flex: Alvin Kamara, $8,100

Kamara checks in as the second most-expensive play, today, behind his teammate, Michael Thomas. Thomas has been UNREAL, but Atlanta cornerback Desmond Trufant is a stud; it’s no coincidence that the Falcons’ defensive resurgence has occurred around the time Trufant returned from a toe injury.

I expect Thomas to see a healthy dose of Trufant so, for what it’s worth, I expect this to be more of a Kamara game. Don’t get cute, fire up the studs.

D/ST: Chicago, $2,500

At that price, I expect Chicago to be played in 99% of DFS lineups. It’s not going to win you your contest, but you simply can’t pass up the Bears at that price, going up against Lions third-string quarterback, David Blough. Who? Exactly.

The Magnificent Seven: The 2012 NLDS rematch has some familiar faces

by Matthew Cassidy

Tonight, the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals will reconvene for a rematch of the 2012 NLDS.  I’ll spare Nats fans the indignity of recapping the ending to that series.

Both clubs have continued to be benchmarks of success, averaging roughly 90 wins apiece since 2012. The Cardinals are seeking their second World Series appearance this decade.  The Nationals, of course, are still looking for their Fall Classic debut.

Seven years is a long time. It’s nearly the span of two presidential terms. You can obtain a bachelors and masters degree in that frame.

2012 saw the debuts of “Call Me Maybe”, Windows 8, The Avengers movies and Bryce Harper.

The Nationals and Cardinals rosters have undergone major changes over that time. Harper is in Philadelphia, and Washington fans have a new, young outfielder in Juan Soto to fawn over.

Still, some things have remained constant from then to now (Google Maps anyone?), including seven Nationals and Cardinals players, who will still be called upon to perform in big moments for this upcoming series.

The stats and accolades I have listed are everything they’ve done from 2013-present. They are listed in ascending order by the WAR* (wins above replacement) they’ve accumulated in that span.

*WAR figures compiled using the Baseball Reference version of the stat

Matt Adams

Adams plays the Benedict Arnold role as the only player on this list to switch teams. Adams was once a top prospect, but was often hampered by untimely injuries and never really learned how to hit lefties (.208 lower OPS vs. southpaws).

Still, he’s managed to hang onto a major league job, which is more than most of us can say.

WAR: 5.7
Earnings: $12.99 million

Ryan Zimmerman

Call him the O.G. Bryce. Zimmerman was the franchise’s first homegrown star to make a true impact at the big league level. Through his career, he’s never been spectacular, but he’s been steady.

He was a force in that 2012 series, batting .381 with two home runs. He’s no longer the focal point of the offense, but the Nationals will still be hoping he has one or two big knocks left in that bat.

All-star 1x
WAR: 7.5
Earnings: $102 million

Kurt Suzuki

The well-traveled Suzuki is on his second stint with the Nats. Now 35, he’s still swinging a potent bat. He finished 2019 with the second-highest home run total of his career (17).

All-star 1x
WAR: 8.5
Earnings: $30.2 million

Adam Wainwright

It feels like Wainwright has been around forever. Drafted all the way back in 2000, he’d already won 80 games by the time the 2012 NLDS rolled around.

That year serves as a nice midway mark for Wainwright’s career, as he’s won 82 more since then despite missing a year to injury.

All-star 2x
Gold Glove 1x
Silver Slugger 1x
WAR: 16.2
Earnings: $111.5 Million

Yadier Molina

Out of all the players on this list, Molina is the best bet to make the pilgrimage to Cooperstown. Only 24 catchers have a higher career WAR at the position. At 37, he could still hang on a few more years and further solidify his credentials.

All-star 5x
Gold Glove 4x
Silver Slugger 1x
WAR: 18.7
Earnings: $112 Million

Matt Carpenter

This late bloomer’s career was just starting to take off back in 2012 – at the age of 26. That’s practically ancient in today’s era of baby-faced superstars.

The versatile defender has logged time at all three bases and even did a brief stint in the outfield. He won’t be a HOF candidate, but he’s been more than solid.

All-star 3x
Silver Slugger 1x
WAR: 25.8
Earnings: $50.25 million

Stephen Strasburg*

The obvious asterisk here is that Strasburg did not appear in the 2012 NLDS. The Nationals had made the controversial decision to shut the right-hander down for the season.

Since then, Strasburg has blossomed into the pitcher that Nationals fans dreamed about after the club selected him as the number one overall pick in 2009. He’ll get a chance to contribute this time around.

All-star 3x
Silver Slugger 1x
WAR: 27.1
Earnings: $100.7 million

Nothing To Lose: five reasons why the Dwayne Haskins era needs to start now

by Matthew Cassidy

It’s week six, and the Washington Redskins’ season is effectively over.

If last week’s defeat to the Patriots is any indication (played before a predominantly-New England crowd at Fed Ex), Skins fans have already taken that message to heart.  The only folks watching this season closely are Vegas odds-makers, who are scrambling to set the lines high enough each week to ensure even action. They can’t set them high enough.

At least – unlike previous installments – there is no glimmer of hope, no chance of a late season rally; this team makes no guise about being bad. They’re actually in the running for the coveted number one draft choice.

It’s time to blow this whole thing up and, for once, it’s time for owner Daniel Snyder to step in and clean house. Jay Gruden has already been fired. That’s step one of what will hopefully be a complete renovation.

Meanwhile, the inconvenient truth remains: there are still eleven games to be played. The season will take on the feel of The Bachelor, with players auditioning for jobs in 2020.

Financial security aside, there is little left to play for. At 0-5, things literally can’t get any worse. Thus, it’s time to make one more change: start Haskins now. Here are five reasons why:

5) Case Keenum/Colt McCoy aren’t the future

This should be obvious to all , but the Redskins plans do not revolve around the duo of veteran journeyman.

At this point in their careers, it’s difficult to imagine them fulfilling any roles other than “professional backup” or “emergency stopgap”. They are good enough to come in for a few series, maybe even steal a game or two, but you’d really have to be drinking some spiked Gatorade to imagine relying on them for much more than that.

Furthermore, both of their contracts are up after this season. While it’s possible one is re-signed, that hardly merits getting them loads of reps now.

Instead, Bruce Allen should be kicking the tires on trading one of the veterans.  Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with the injury bug.  Even getting an extra 6th or 7th round pick would be worth it, rather than letting both leave for nothing.

4) His draft pedigree mandates at least a look

Gone are the days of an Aaron Rodgers or Philip Rivers wasting away on the bench. With the rare exception (Patrick Mahomes), highly-drafted rookie quarterbacks are getting their feet wet sooner and sooner.

Perhaps a 4th or 5th round flyer might not be expected to step in and contribute any time soon. Haskins wasn’t a dart throw; he was the Redskins’ first pick (15th overall).

Teams aren’t burning top draft capital on projects, these days. With the salary cap price tag ascribed to 1st round picks, the stakes are too high.

Besides, part of the reason Snyder mandated the Haskins pick is that he wanted to generate some much-needed buzz around a team that has made more headlines off the field than on it of late.

In a lost season, starting the kid would generate at least SOME viewing interest from Redskins Nation.

3) He needs reps

It’s well-documented that Haskins started a mere 14 games during his college career. They say there’s no substitute for experience, which is precisely what he needs at this point.

Haskins has the physical tools to make all the throws. He still needs to learn the subtleties of the position, while adapting to the speed of the pro game.

On his first drive during the Giants game, he missed a gimmie touchdown on a simple out route in the end zone. He made the correct read, but rushed the throw and sailed a missile that was well out of the receiver’s reach.

With repeated reps, the game should slow down and next time, I bet he drops that ball right in there for an easy six.

2) He’s not going to be “ruined”

The Redskins company line on Haskins has been that he is “not ready” to play. The media’s mantra is that putting him in would be irresponsible and would “ruin” him.

If Dwayne Haskins is so mentally-weak that he is going to be ruined by playing football, then one must wonder why the Redskins would have ever considered drafting him to begin with.  My guess: he’s not that weak.

Keep in mind that, while Haskins has limited starting experience, he played for some pretty big crowds at Ohio State, in games that carried much bigger stakes than any he will play in this year.

As for being unprepared for the pro game, the best NFL coaches can mold their offenses to work with the talent they have. You don’t have to travel far: look at the job Mike and Kyle Shanahan did with RGIII during his rookie season.

Haskins might not be fully-versed in all the West Coast Offense intricacies, but he should be able to make one or two simple reads. Simplify the playbook to its bare essentials and add more as he gains confidence.

1) There’s always next year

As mentioned before, it’s a lock the Redskins will end up with a high draft pick – perhaps one that lands in the top three. We all know that this is shaping up to be one of the most loaded-quarterback classes in recent memory.

You don’t need me to tell you that quarterback is the league’s most-coveted position. Moreover, hitching your wagon to the wrong guy can set your franchise back for a decade (see Bortles, Blake). Just ask the Browns or any number of bad teams how that’s worked out for them.

Therefore, it would behoove the Redskins to get a taste of Haskins and see just how big of a project he will be. Better to be too hasty and find that out now, with the chance to roll the dice again in next year’s draft, than to exercise patience and find out three years too late.

Besides, since when has this team exercised patience?