Forget McNair...

[MizzouRah]

Is Billy Volek the real deal?

34 points for me today in Fantasy football? Are you kidding me??

HAHAHAHAH!! YESSSS!!!! I'm still down 121-112, but damn what a showing. To think I almost started Brian Griese.


Todd

[Easy Mac]

Yes, he is

[Glengoyne]

He kept David Carr on the Bench at Fresno State. He makes very few mistakes.

[Easy Mac]

a one-legged chimp could keep Carr on the bench

[QuikSand]

He's going to be "one of those guys" in fantasy football - since most leagues are in their playoffs this week.

My team in one league, the top-scoring team in my league all year, is up against a rudderless ship who had QB problems all season but did okay on their RB play -- and who picked up Volek on the wire a week or two ago. Now, I'm in the process of getting stung badly in the semifinals, unless I get some late heroics.

There are going to be a lot ot similar stories, I suspect. People who stumbled on the liked of Volek, Jerry Porter, Larry Johnson, and the like at the right time and won "the big game" against a foe who overmatched them based on the full season.

[GoldenEagle]

Has anyone tried him out in FOF? He is a decent scrambler and is good in the the short to medium passing range.

(Thinks about how sad it is to compare a player to FOF)

[Vince]

And then he goes and runs one in.

[Glengoyne]

And then he goes and runs one in.
All those points, and the Titans still can't finish within three of the Raiders. If I lose the office pool this week, I will have the Tennessee defense to blame.

[MizzouRah]

45 points! ..and I win!!!!

Thank you, I'll take my $75 in small bills.

Next week, it's for $100 more!!!!


Todd

[Maple Leafs]

In my league, the #4 seed picked Volek off the waiver wire an hour before game time today and started him (over Brady). He's going to knock off the #1 seed, who's won the league two years running, unless the Pats D does something special tomorrow night.

[MizzouRah]

I won! I won!! I won!!!

HAHAHAH!!!!!!!

$100 total, now for another $100 next week.


Todd

[QuikSand]

In my league, the #4 seed picked Volek off the waiver wire an hour before game time today and started him (over Brady). He's going to knock off the #1 seed, who's won the league two years running, unless the Pats D does something special tomorrow night.

That's almost exactly where I am... the #5 seed tore me (the #1 seed) up by starting Volek over Brady, and unless the Pats D comes through big, I'm cooked.

[Suicane75]

thats the thing i dont get about Fantasy Football, you play all year, and a dude can pick some bum off the scrap heap and end your season, it just seems so random to me. Quick, I know you play in a high stakes Fantasy Baseball league, how do you deal with dichotomy in styles between the 2?

[mtaystl03]

I need something special out of Harrison/Manning tonight and Branch/Vinatieri tomorrow.

Anyways, back to Volek didn't he have something like 30 TD's to 3 INT's his Senior year then went undrafted. He is for real in my book. KC and OAK are weak sauce but he has done it before too.

[Easy Mac]

Yes, yes he did.

[MizzouRah]

I won! I won!

Next week it's the Championship game for $200.

Oh, I have to mention Larry Johnson as well!! Terriffic day young man.


Todd

[Samdari]

In my league, the #4 seed picked Volek off the waiver wire an hour before game time today and started him (over Brady). He's going to knock off the #1 seed, who's won the league two years running, unless the Pats D does something special tomorrow night.

That happened in my league too - only the team I co-own with Mrs Sam was the #4 seed.

[QuikSand]

thats the thing i dont get about Fantasy Football, you play all year, and a dude can pick some bum off the scrap heap and end your season, it just seems so random to me. Quick, I know you play in a high stakes Fantasy Baseball league, how do you deal with dichotomy in styles between the 2?

Unless I had money to burn, I don't think I'd be interested in a high stakes fantasy football league. I generally have very good success in my football leagues, but it's all about getting into the final X of the playoffs, where it's just single elimination from there. This week, I'm cooked because all I had was a nothing-to-play-for Donovan McNabb at QB, while my foe had a waiver-pickup Billy Volek. I outscored him by 15% over the course of the year, had a record 3 games better, but in the true American sports tradition, we chuck the records and have a playoff at the end. It leaves too much to chance, for a big investment, to me -- no single fantasy football game is much more than a 70% proposition, anyway.

With baseball, playing roto-style, it's about your accumulated yearlong stats -- things are *far* more in the manager's control for the final money positions. If you think you're good enough to be "investing" in this kind of thing, baseball is a far sounder way to go than football.

I still love fantasy football, and will certainly keep playing, but the week-to-week matchups that make it soe fun to follow generally are also its ugly weakness in terms of "justice."

[Galaril]

How about the titans wideout Drew Bennett his numbers the last couple of weeks amazing: 28 catches for 517 and 8 TD's in the last 3 games.

[gottimd]

How about the titans wideout Drew Bennett his numbers the last couple of weeks amazing: 28 catches for 517 and 8 TD's in the last 3 games.

I am in the Championship game because of Bennett. That is two weeks in a row he saved me. I am now guaranteed of at least $450 for second place and if I win next week $750. Now I am screwed though because I have McNabb an they will probably sit him because they have home field advantage, and my only other options are Garcia (injured) and Eli "Bring the Thunder" Manning. Bennett gave my team the chance to survive the onslaught of Culpepper.

[Hoya1]

Is Billy Volek the real deal?

34 points for me today in Fantasy football? Are you kidding me??

HAHAHAHAH!! YESSSS!!!! I'm still down 121-112, but damn what a showing. To think I almost started Brian Griese.


Todd

I did start Griese today :mad: :mad: :mad:
In my league it was a 50 pt difference

[rkmsuf]

don't forget, Volek is playing against the dregs of NFL defense and I guess there is some kind of inside deal not to cover Bennett.

Particularly yesterday, neither team seemed to care what went on and that will lead to big stats offensively.

[Samdari]

thats the thing i dont get about Fantasy Football, you play all year, and a dude can pick some bum off the scrap heap and end your season, it just seems so random to me. Quick, I know you play in a high stakes Fantasy Baseball league, how do you deal with dichotomy in styles between the 2?

Its just like high stakes poker - all you can do is give yourself the best chance to win. After that, there is a high degree of randomness in who actually wins. Someone winning a league due to picking up Billy Volek is like someone drawing you out on the river when you were a 3-1 favorite.

[KevinNU7]

Part of being in a good fantasy player is finding the diamonds throughout the season. Don't whine because the #4 seed got Volek and you decided to stick with McNabb

[gottimd]

I'm not complaining, was that directed at me? I was just saying how I am stuck with McNabb for the Championship, I agree with you completely, because I have bennett as well.

Which brings me to a point at the beginning of the season, I was shopping Bennett around for a RB. I had alot of receivers on my teams, but my depth at RB was horrendous. I had Portis, than I had fodder after that, and you have to start 2 RB's. The responses I got for the trades for bennett, were basically summed up by other teams saying "Bennett's white, he sucks". Well thought out decision by those other teams. So needless to say, I am in the championship and 2 out of the 4 teams I offered Bennett to are in 15th and 16th place, and the others didn't make the playoffs.

[MizzouRah]

don't forget, Volek is playing against the dregs of NFL defense and I guess there is some kind of inside deal not to cover Bennett.

Particularly yesterday, neither team seemed to care what went on and that will lead to big stats offensively.

I certainly can understand this, but I really think this guy could be the real deal. I wonder what direction Tennesse will go next year?


Todd

[Radii]

Luckily the guy that picked up Volek in our league is in the lower half of the playoffs(we do 1-4 and 5-8 playoffs yahoo style in this league). I used a mid-season Drew Brees pickup to win 5 straight and make it in the playoffs, and I got very lucky to have this be the week I face manning(plus making a couple of good roster decisions, ie picking up the Redskins D for the game against the 49ers).

In two of my three legues I look to make the finals.

My other league where I'm in the finals is a full 40 man roster keeper league w/ individual defensive players and ~18 starters, it's a ton of fun. In that league, everyone seems to overvalue RBs, and ignore defense. despite the fact that there are 12 teams, and all 12 keep ~4-6 DL, 5 LB, and 5 DBs on their roster at all times, I picked up 3 or 4 top 30 defensive guys off the waiver wire during the season and have by far the top defense in the league.

[JeeberD]

This past offseason one of the local radio guys was going on day after day about how the Cowboys needed to pick up Volek.

I haven't caught his show recently, but I bet he's going on about how right he was now...

[QuikSand]

Its just like high stakes poker - all you can do is give yourself the best chance to win. After that, there is a high degree of randomness in who actually wins. Someone winning a league due to picking up Billy Volek is like someone drawing you out on the river when you were a 3-1 favorite.

I understand probability fairly well.

The difference between fantasy sports and high stakes poker, in your analogy, is frequency of trials.

I play in four fantasy football leagues, two for some stakes. Yes, the circumstance you describe is a matter of chance, and the favorite doesn't alwaws win. We all understand that.

In my "main" league, I have been in the final four in 13 of 15 seasons. That's a nice accomplishment. I have won the thing once of those 13 years. Some weird bad luck has hit me, and I lost with some teams hat deserved to lose. That's taken 15 years to get through.

In poker, I might put myself in similar situations... where I have a decent shot to win, and if I'm playing well, I'll have the best of it. I might go into a similar down streak, losing several times in a row to underdogs and the like. But it's a lot easier to get to "the long run" in poker, because you're taking this kind of chance time and time again, evert sitting, every time. You have the mass of statistics on your side, that if you are playing well and correctly, the quirks of probability will start to even out -- you can see the long run from where you are.

In fantasy sports, I lose this 60-40 shot this week, and I'm done. I get some money for my nice season, but the #5 seed with Billy Volek guy might very well win it all and take the big prize. I understand it going in, I still love to play the game, but you have to recgnize it for what it is -- you play all year for a "chance" and then yopu cross your fingers and hope it works out in the end. (Look at all the Peyton Manning-powered juggernaut teams who probably got shitcanned this week in their fantasy playoffs)

[Samdari]

I understand probability fairly well.

The difference between fantasy sports and high stakes poker, in your analogy, is frequency of trials.

I play in four fantasy football leagues, two for some stakes. Yes, the circumstance you describe is a matter of chance, and the favorite doesn't alwaws win. We all understand that.

In my "main" league, I have been in the final four in 13 of 15 seasons. That's a nice accomplishment. I have won the thing once of those 13 years. Some weird bad luck has hit me, and I lost with some teams hat deserved to lose. That's taken 15 years to get through.

In poker, I might put myself in similar situations... where I have a decent shot to win, and if I'm playing well, I'll have the best of it. I might go into a similar down streak, losing several times in a row to underdogs and the like. But it's a lot easier to get to "the long run" in poker, because you're taking this kind of chance time and time again, evert sitting, every time. You have the mass of statistics on your side, that if you are playing well and correctly, the quirks of probability will start to even out -- you can see the long run from where you are.

In fantasy sports, I lose this 60-40 shot this week, and I'm done. I get some money for my nice season, but the #5 seed with Billy Volek guy might very well win it all and take the big prize. I understand it going in, I still love to play the game, but you have to recgnize it for what it is -- you play all year for a "chance" and then yopu cross your fingers and hope it works out in the end. (Look at all the Peyton Manning-powered juggernaut teams who probably got shitcanned this week in their fantasy playoffs)

Oh, I understand the difference in frequency of trials. The randomness of a single given trial just seems similar to me to poker.

[Galaril]

I certainly can understand this, but I really think this guy could be the real deal. I wonder what direction Tennesse will go next year?


Todd

Well, they're going to sit Chris Brown their 1,000 yard back and Mcnair the rest of the year due to injuries and are well on to their way to a 4-12 year(Ouch) .But they are looking to get a 3rd or 4th overall pick in the draft. Their GM Floyd Reese is a wizard at analyzing the draft class and getting greta value in the mid-late rounds. I would say once they are healed next year and fire their conditioning/strength coach they will be up their in the AFC.

[MizzouRah]

Well, they're going to sit Chris Brown their 1,000 yard back and Mcnair the rest of the year due to injuries and are well on to their way to a 4-12 year(Ouch) .But they are looking to get a 3rd or 4th overall pick in the draft. Their GM Floyd Reese is a wizard at analyzing the draft class and getting greta value in the mid-late rounds. I would say once they are healed next year and fire their conditioning/strength coach they will be up their in the AFC.

I guess McNair is still your #1, but Volek could really open up this "bump and grind" offense with his passing skills.


Todd

[DanGarion]

Too bad he didn't do as good as Kerry Collins did for me as a last second addition to my team to take out the team that was 12-1-1 because they have Manning and Harrison... ;)

Both Collins who I added on Friday, and Porter who I added on Dec 1st lead me to the promise land, and not only that they helped me kick my best friends ass, who loves to brag. :D

[Eaglesfan27]

I lost my big money fantasy football league because of Kerry freaking Collins. Least I was the guy who won it all last year (and made much more than I lost this year) because of my last minute pickups.

[Vince]

I, like most others in the thread, came into this week as the #1 seed, and was defeated by a Billy Volek-powered team. Compounding the damage was the fact that he owned Bennett too. Ouch. My last second replacement of Chris Brown for Nate Burleson worked pretty well, but it's tough to compete with Volek's day.

But like Quik said -- you play to put your team in this situation, then hope for the best.

[Ksyrup]

In my "main" league, I have been in the final four in 13 of 15 seasons. That's a nice accomplishment. I have won the thing once of those 13 years.
QS...the Atlanta Braves of fantasy football.

[Easy Mac]

Has anyone tried him out in FOF? He is a decent scrambler and is good in the the short to medium passing range.

(Thinks about how sad it is to compare a player to FOF)
Just to let you know, I picked him up after the 2004 season in my game (prior to GE's post). He started 2005 on the bench, but my starter (a rookie) got hurt in the 5th game. Volek went 17-22, 130, 1 TD and a win over the hated Falcons (go Panthers!). The next game against Green Bay, he dueled Favre, but we came up short and lost, but he was 26-34, 355, 2 TD and 1 INT. His 3rd start he was 24-35, 213, 1 TD in a 1 point loss to the Vikings.

So in 3 games, he's 67-91, 698 yards, 4 TD's, 1 INT and a 105.4 passer rating. He's also run 7 times for 46 yards.

So yes, he is a good scramber and seems to complete the mid-range passes well. Of course, he's only rated 20/55.

[Easy Mac]

and just to dola,

We currently sit tied for 1st in the tough NFC South. We're in a 3-way tie at 2-5, 1 game ahead of 4th place Atlanta, but we're playing New Orleans for the division lead today.

[JeeberD]

Has anyone tried him out in FOF? He is a decent scrambler and is good in the the short to medium passing range.

(Thinks about how sad it is to compare a player to FOF)

He did pretty well for me in the preseason in the NAFL, but his ratings really aren't much to look at... :(