A Fantasy Football Letter to Daniel-Son

 Dear Dan III - 

It’s only dawned on me based upon recent events that one day your Dad will share with you the game we all love and play (from the sidelines), “football.” It’s a wonderful game where you basically run into another human being as hard as possible. Also, if this game doesn’t exist anymore due to some yet-to-be-discovered health risk, let the record show I’m surprised either. 

Now I don’t know how old you are or what Google search has to lead you to this post, but it’s safe to assume you’re able to read. Also, I’m not sure if you believe in Santa or not, but I’m not going to ruin your innocence either. 

The purpose of this future dated article is because as you grow up, you are primarily dependent on your father for everything you know*. I imagine your head is full of beliefs such as your Dad used to be a “stud*,” used to look like “The Rock*” and pretty much everything centers around life in both the late nineteen hundreds* and early two-thousands. I’m sure you get the point… 

However, the focus of this article is on the subject of fantasy football, which I’m sure your Dad has mentioned that he’s never lost* a game, or missed the playoffs* in a season and that he wins it all* every year. For the record, I don’t blame him. You want your son to think of you as a type of hero, but there are some things in life that simply are not no matter how hard we may try to fly* like Superman. (He does have his own website though) 

It’s highly tempting to discuss that first-place winner in 2012, but let’s just talk about your Dad for now. He has lost a weekly match-up. He has missed the playoffs. He’s even lost in the Super Bowl to that same first-place winner above and he’s definitely 0-3 so far in 2021. Again, he’s got a lot of fatherly qualities I’m sure you’ve appreciated, but accurate stories aren’t one of them. Please feel free to reach out with any other Qs you may have about Pops. 

Love, 

Uncle Reece (aka HBK)

*Now that is a very scary thought… 

**An old term no one uses anymore

***A super old dude by the time you’re able to read this

****We’re equally as old but not as cool as the guy above

*****https://did-dan-lose.mystrikingly.com/ 

******I’m now convinced that is what he tells your Mother 

*******You wouldn’t be the first little boy to try it

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

“I’d take a Chiefs win over a fantasy win, but can’t I have both?” – Steven #weekone

"If You're Scared And You Know It..."

Steven isn't the only one who can write songs around here...in honor of D-Day, I've remastered a song we all know to the rendition of "if you're happy and you know it" (click, means selecting auto). It's super catchy and I've been singing it all morning, once it gets stuck in your head, (and you see a frozen GM on clock) by all means...please join me! 

If you're scared and you know it, auto draft (click, click)

If you're scared and you know it, auto draft (click, click) 

If you're scared and you know it, and your research probably shows it

If you're scared and you know it, auto draft (click, click) 

Now, everyone!

Happy Draft Day, Boys! 

HBK

We're 24 Hours Away...

The Elite League 2016 Mock Draft

Shameless Ad: This entire article was created on the Samsung Note 4 representing both what can be done a Sprint smartphone and gives everyone in the league no excuse for producing content. Yes, I've sold out...#companyman

Gentlemen, we have 10 GMs and a draft day set in place. I've decided to have a little fun as the season draws nigh. As I've said before, "the true test of how well you know someone is when you go purchase something for them." The same is true in fantasy football after a decade, too.

After 10 seasons (in the 11th year) with many of you, I think I've gotten to know you all very well. So here is my mock draft (of what I think you all will do) for the first round in Elite League 2016:

It's Almost Football Season...

Individual Defensive Player Scoring System

Gentlemen –

Editor’s Note: All credit for the creativity and research of this this scoring system should go to JB.

This season is the commencement of a new decade in the Elite. What an honor and privilege it is to belong to such a merry group of competitive and bitter men. Celebrate. It’s almost football season.  

In addition to our league’s “Points per Catch” & “Points per Carry,” (Again, please read all of the rules) we will be adding a new aspect of the game from the other side of the ball…Individual Defensive Player.

I confess the prospect of this was daunting. An offensive player usually scores either by yards or scores.  The scoring options available for an IDP can expand up to 15 different possibilities: sacks, interceptions, blocks, pass deflects, tackles, assisted tackles, interceptions, safeties, forced & recovered fumbles, etc.

How do you properly estimate adding such a complexity to a weekly scrimmage? Do I need to draft an IDP in early or late rounds? How do you choose the best IDP from a list of over 500 availabilities?

So…here’s the layout for how we’re going to do this:  

For the 2016 season, individual defensive players will be associated with the defense & special teams you select depending on your roster. Instead of picking from 500, you only pick from a group of 50.

1. If you draft the Denver Broncos, as “team owner” (for as long as you have that DST) you have the flexibility to select: a) Von Miller b) D’Marcus Ware c) Aquib Talib d) Chris Harris, etc. 
1. If you start Von Miller in week 2 and opt to start Harris in week 3, you can do that.
1. No one else can utilize players from that defensive unit if you’re the owner.
2. If you draft the Denver Broncos, you CANNOT own J.J. Watt (Texans DST) as your team’s IDP. 
3. If during the week, you drop your DST, you must also drop your IDP for that team, too.
4.  If Josh Norman scores off an interception, both Washington DST & Norman receive 6 points.

Please note: Keeping multiple IDP on your bench is pointless as you only have 5 roster spots and the entire unit (including players) belongs to you for the time. Tip: The DST is the more important waiver.  

Please note: For this first season in draft, if you excitedly select “Darrelle Revis” in the 5^th round, I will not allow another GM to select “Cardinals DST” in the 14^th, thus making you have to give up that player. After this season, if you make that novice mistake, I’m not going to step in and intervene a veteran play.  

It’s extremely important that you understand this as once the season begins, this rule cannot be altered.

If you have any questions, my virtual door is always open.

If you do not like this prospect, you have the option to vote “Yay” or “Nay” to IDP in 2016.

We’re essentially graduating from high school and we’re all freshmen in this advanced college system.

Good luck, boys.

- The Commish 

Straight Out Clowning...

Gentlemen. Start your engines. The 2015 season of the Elite League begins. If you're not up to date with the most recent trends of the internet, I'm not going to waste the time to catch you up. All you need to know is there is no other way to start a new season than by shots fired. As much I would have liked to feature all of you, I only had a six carrier so I had to use my best ammo. Welcome to year 10. 

Here's how it works: "Straight Outta" either means what you "represent" or what you don't have :) 

Gotham Knights would still draft Daunte Culpepper if the NFL.com didn't say, "NO."

The Bane is actually from a place called "Farmington"...this is a probably a compliment. 

This one made me laugh out loud. 

Get the blade count on your razor up, Sith!

Bonus: 

I don't care if 10 more years go by...I just can't resist myself when it comes to The Educators. 

Dude could only take so many losses...
P.s. Niners are "straight outta players"

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

"2009 called...they want to know if we'll ever do a 12 team league, again..." #weeknine

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

My NFL and fantasy team had the same score for most of the day... #week3 

The Big Ten Celebration

The Chiefs GM visiting various leagues draft rooms.

THIS IS A MUST READ…

The Elite Mock Draft 2014

Last night exceeded my expectations and I was already excited for last night. I love fantasy football and I love our league. Last night Draft was set to start at 8:00 PM CST. By 7:35 PM, I logged in to find 7 GMs already online. My guess is that if we could have opened the draft room an hour prior, some of you would have been online by then, too.  

Last Friday, I thought it would be great to create a "Mock Draft" for the Elite's 2014 draft. I've seen it done over and over on ESPN...why not in our league, too? Another reason I enjoyed seeing our picks prior to draft is because I've played this game for nearly a decade with most of you...I think I can figure out (ideally) what most of you typically do in the first round of draft. 

The only reason I didn't post this sooner was because I thought it might give others an advantage (as an opponent, I can't afford) if GMs were not previously aware of what another GM above them might do. I got many wrong, but here's how I thought every one's first picks would play out:    

The Elite Lottery 2014 Draft

Good Evening Gentlemen –

Welcome to the 2014 The Elite League NFL Lottery Draft. In nine years of playing fantasy football, we’ve done an Auto Draft, Live Draft & Online Draft…but never have we known our picks more than 30 minutes prior to draft. We will still be following a Snake Draft format and Draft Day: September 1^st, 2014. Below are the lottery selection results based upon to NFL.com randomization:

The Elite 2013

2013 Elite League Power Rankings

It’s been a few years since I've done this, but this is one of the first years where we have no newcomers (the average years of GM experience among us: 5 years). I usually wait till after draft but that’s not a GM ranking, that’s a “based on the players you have drafted” ranking. 

My power ranking takes into consideration every year (not just last year); everyone is ranked first by championships, next by finals appearances, than by experience. (My ranking has nothing to do with whether you’ll make this year’s playoffs or not) Here are my overall preseason rankings and “a few” predictions:

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

Me: “I love our league because we’re all boys and we all…” Francois: “…secretly hate each other…”

@reecevalentine: “We’re all boys but some guys I want them to lose EVERY week” (twitter status) @bishopdemps: “I don’t even want these dudes to be able to find matching socks when they get dressed ‘cuz of football.” (response via my tweet)

#weekeleven

The Elite 2012

Gone Fishing and New Traditions!

So this is what the off season is like... 

After five years, we’ve all come to know each other…we’ve played, trash talked, even had our first live draft. This will be that group of guys fifteen years from now you’ll still be playing with simply because it’s always been that way. With that said, after five years I feel that we need our own traditions, sayings, and inside jokes that pertain only to this league. I, the Commish, hereby make a motion that these names be kept...forever

Draft Weekend