Blog Category » Site Updates

Did You Receive Our Holiday Gift?

Posted by dave on December, 22nd 2011

I hope you all didn’t think I was kidding when I said we were going to give you a holiday gift. We gave away $7,815 last week thanks to our 1,364th place finish in our own Beat the Expert contest (out of 1,576!). We’d like to say we picked bad players on purpose (yes, we started Sexy Rexy as our QB), but our sponsor might not like that answer too much.
 
This week might be a little tougher since we’re bringing in our heavy guns — the top three expert performers this year in this contest (they each beat out over 90% of the field). Andy Behrens from Yahoo, Chris Wesseling from Rotoworld, and Justin Sablich from The NY Times are all playing in this final “Championship” week. Beat all three experts and you’ll win $10. Finish in the top 11 and you’ll win a share of the $1,000 prize pool. This is your last chance to win free money!
 
If you’re already NFL’d-out, then I’ll take this opportunity to let you know that we launched consensus fantasy basketball rankings. The NBA gets started this Christmas Day. Finally!
 
If MLB is more up your alley, you’ll be pleased to know that we’re working on launching some cool stuff for fantasy baseball. Give us a hand by filling out this very short survey. Thanks!
 
Happy Holidays and enjoy the game tonight!

Free Weekly Contests: Where to Compete for Cash

Posted by dave on November, 5th 2011

There’s a guy in my league that’s 0-8. His record got me thinking about what I would do if I had no chance of making the playoffs. After punching a hole in my wall, I’d probably have a clearance sale of my top players. You know, accept a bench player + a twelve-pack of beer as fair trade value. I’m not the commish this season, so I’m cool with shady behavior.
 
The next thing I’d do is scratch my competitive itch by playing at one of the weekly fantasy football sites. These sites let you play for cash and prizes one weekend at a time. No season long commitment. If you’re 0-8, it’s a great way to win back your league buy-in. If you’re 8-0, it’s a great way to make money with your proven superior knowledge of the game.
 
We’ve introduced some of you to one of these sites, FanDuel, through our exclusive $1,000 Beat the Expert contest and our Start/Sit Accuracy Challenge. FanDuel’s been a great partner and I’m not just saying that because they sponsor our great prize giveaways. We’ve already given away more than $20,000 of their money this season!
 
There are literally dozens of these sites with more launching every week. To help you find the best ones, we’ve put together a new Contests & Games page. The content there will be updated periodically to share great promotions and offers from the top daily fantasy sites.
 
So if you’re feeling the itch and you can’t hop on a flight to Vegas, I suggest checking out one of the sites we recommend. Oh, and despite my gambling references, playing daily fantasy games for cash is a legal activity. Scratch away!
 

The Roundup: Headline News for Week 9

Posted by Jenny on November, 5th 2011

Just when I thought my brother’s team had finally gotten over all the bye week and injury problems, we got the news on Friday morning that his No. 2 running back had re-injured his hamstring during practice for the second straight week and would likely miss yet another game.  What a disaster Peyton Hillis has been so far for his fantasy owners! I think we’d better get to this week’s news before I start losing my mind and cursing him out…
 
Wide Receivers:
 
Hakeem Nicks is listed as questionable for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots:  His hamstring injury has held him out of practice all this week, and according to FF Today, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz get an automatic boost in their projections if Nicks can’t play.
 
Andre Johnson will miss his fifth straight game this Sunday against the Browns with a hamstring injury:  Jacoby Jones, Kevin Walter and the Tight Ends have been trying to fill Andre’s big shoes while he’s been out.
 
Hines Ward is listed as questionable but expected to be active this Sunday against the Ravens:  After missing last Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, he returned to a limited practice on Wednesday.
 
Oakland announces the signing of T. J. Houshmandzadeh:  The Raiders will presumably use him as a slot receiver, with either Jacoby Ford, Darrius Heyward-Bey or Denarious Moore coming off the field.  Houshmandzadeh will also likely play this Sunday - at least on third downs in the slot - against the Broncos.
 
Running Backs:
 
Darren McFadden has been ruled out for this Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a sprained foot:  Michael Bush is expected to start this week in McFadden’s place with Taiwan Jones as the backup running back for the Raiders.
 
Ahmad Bradshaw is listed as doubtful for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots:  His foot injury has held him out of practice all this week. According to Rotoworld, Brandon Jacobs would be a top-20 fantasy back if Bradshaw sits out.
 
Chris Johnson remains Titans’ starter at running back:  Despite being called “the biggest bust” as well as “the toxic fantasy asset” of this season by many, Johnson will remain Tennessee’s starting running back, according to Coach Munchak.  However, given the fact that he was outperformed by his backup, Javon Ringer, in last week’s game against the Colts, fantasy gurus like Andy Behrens from Yahoo!Sports believe Ringer has earned a greater role in the Titans’ ground game going forward.
 
LeGarrette Blount will likely return to the starting lineup this Sunday against the Saints after missing two games with a left knee sprain:  He is also expected to be the Bucs’ primary third-down back going forward with Earnest Graham lost for the season with a torn right Achilles.
 
Ryan Mathews is listed as questionable for this Sunday’s game against the Packers with a groin injury he suffered in Week 8:  With Mathews’ availability for this week in question, Mike Tolbert is expected to get most of the touches at running back this Sunday.
 
Montario Hardesty will be sidelined at least two weeks with a torn calf muscle he suffered during last Sunday’s game:  With Hardesty injured, the Browns were hoping Peyton Hillis would return to action this week after missing the last two games.  However, Hillis re-injured his hamstring during Friday’s practice and is expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks.  As a result, Chris Ogbonnaya is likely to start for the Browns this Sunday against the Texans.
 
Felix Jones will miss his third straight game this Sunday with a high ankle sprain: DeMarco Murray is expected to start in Jones’ place once again this week against the Seahawks.
 
Daniel Thomas is likely to be a game-time decision for this Sunday’s game against the Chiefs:  According to Rotoworld, if Thomas ends up sitting out his second straight game this week, Reggie Bush should easily lead the Dolphins in touches this Sunday, though Steve Slaton and Lex Hilliard may be mixed in as well.
 
Mark Ingram will mis his second straight game this Sunday against the Bucs with a heel injury:  With Ingram sidelined, Pierre Thomas and Christopher Ivory should again split early-down and short yardage work with Darren Sproles assuming his typical passing-down role.
 
Tashard Choice has been ruled out for this Sunday’s game against the 49ers with a hamstring injury after being claimed off waivers by the Redskins earlier this week.
 
Quarterbacks:
 
Sam Bradford will be a game-time decision for this Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.  A.J. Feeley will start if Bradford can’t play.
 
Kevin Kolb is listed as doubtful for this Sunday’s game against the Rams with multiple injuries:  John Skelton is expected to start at quarterback if Kolb can’t play.
 
Tight Ends:
 
Fred Davis is listed as questionable but expected to play this Sunday against the 49ers:  He returned to practice on Thursday from an ankle sprain and will likely be active.
 
Jermaine Gresham is likely to be inactive this Sunday against the Titans:  His hamstring injury has held him out of practice all this week, and he is expected to sit out this week’s game.  Donald Lee will fill in.
 
That about wraps it up for us this week.  Enjoy the games and good luck everyone!

Week 9: Top 2 Experts vs. the Field

Posted by neumann on November, 5th 2011

To put it simply, the top experts we tracked were on their game last week. Once again, the bulk of the advice they handed out in our weekly roundup vs. the field was on target (Fred Davis is the only clear miss).

 

Before we get to the top experts’ week 9 advice, here’s a quick recap of last week’s players they liked & disliked compared to the field, and how each player ultimately performed.

 

Read More »

The Roundup: Headline News for Week 8

Posted by Jenny on October, 29th 2011

The pure joy my brother and I felt after his team pulled off the luckiest and the most improbable win of this season on Monday night unfortunately didn’t last long, as we found out the very next day that one of his precious running backs was lost for the season with a torn ACL he suffered during last Sunday’s game.  Indeed, Week 7 created so many injury situations all around the league. We’ll get you caught up with this quick summary of all the most important news from the week.
 
Before we get to the headlines, though, I’d like to remind everyone to get your Start/Sit Challenge picks in for this week. We’re giving out prizes to the top 50 entries and you’ll also be able to see exactly where you rank among the 70+ experts we track. It only takes 2 minutes to answer our 10 “Who would you start?” questions (unless you agonize over them like I do). Now onto the news…
 
Wide Receivers:
 
Andre Johnson will miss his fourth straight game this Sunday against the Jaguars:  He’s been sidelined with a hamstring injury since Week 5, and although he returned to practice and made some progress this week, he’s still not at full speed yet and will sit out another week.
 
Percy Harvin is listed as questionable but expected to play this week:  He returned to a limited practice on Thursday with a rib injury, and despite the questionable tag, he is likely to be in the lineup for this Sunday’s game against the Panthers.
 
Malcom Floyd is listed as questionable for this week:  The hip injury he suffered during last week’s game against the Jets has limited him in practice this week, and it looks like he is headed toward a game-time decision for Monday night’s game against the Chiefs.
 
Hines Ward is listed as questionable but highly unlikely to play this Sunday:  His ankle injury has held him out of practice all this week, and he is expected to miss this week’s game against the Patriots.
 
Santana Moss is expected to miss 5-7 weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured left hand on Monday.
 
Running Backs:
 
Marshawn Lynch is expected to be active for this Sunday: He returned to a full practice on Thursday after suffering a back injury in Week 7 and is likely to be in the starting lineup for this week’s game against the Bengals.
 
Mark Ingram has been ruled out for this Sunday: The heel injury he suffered during last week’s game against the Colts has held him out of practice this week, and he will be sidelined for this week’s game against the Rams.
 
Daniel Thomas is listed as questionable but expected to be active for this week:  He returned to a limited practice on Thursday with a hamstring injury, and despite the questionable tag, he will likely play this Sunday against the Giants.
 
Mike Tolbert will most likely miss this Monday night’s game against the Chiefs with a hamstring injury.
 
Peyton Hillis is listed as questionable for this week:  After suffering a setback during Wednesday’s practice, his availability for this Sunday’s game against the 49ers remains in doubt.
 
Joseph Addai is listed as questionable for this week:  He returned to a full practice on Friday, and will most likely be a game-time decision for this Sunday’s game against the Titans.
 
Jahvid Best will be sidelined for the second straight week with a concussion:  He’s been ruled out for this Sunday’s game against the Broncos and will be held out through the Lions’ Week 9 bye.
 
Beanie Wells is listed as questionable for this Sunday:  He returned to a limited practice on Thursday with a knee injury and will be a game-time decision for this week’s game against the Ravens.
 
Cedric Benson will serve his one-game suspension this week and therefore miss this Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.
 
Tim Hightower is out for the rest of this season with a torn left ACL he suffered during last week’s game against the Panthers.
 
Earnest Graham is done for the season with a torn Achilles tendon:  The Bucs placed him on the injured reserve list on Tuesday.
 
Willis McGahee has been ruled out for this Sunday: His hand injury has held him out of practice all this week, and he will be inactive for this week’s game against the Lions.
 
Quarterbacks:
 
Matthew Stafford is listed as questionable but expected to play this Sunday:  The ankle injury he suffered in last week’s game against the Falcons has limited him in practice this week, but he is likely to start this week against the Broncos.
 
Sam Bradford has been ruled out for this week:  He’s been held out of practice all this week due to an ankle injury and will sit out this Sunday’s game against the Saints.
 
Matt Moore is listed as probable for this Sunday:  Despite nursing a bruised rib injury, he returned to a full practice on Wednesday and is expected to start this week’s game against the Giants.
 
Tarvaris Jackson is listed as questionable but likely to start this Sunday against the Bengals:  His pectoral injury has limited him in practice this week, but despite the questionable tag, he is expected to play this week.
 
Tight Ends:
 
Chris Cooley is out for the season with a combination of injuries:  The Redskins placed him on the injured reserve list on Tuesday as a result of a broken finger and complications from a knee injury he suffered previously.
 
Benjamin Watson is listed as questionable for this week:  He returned to practice on Friday after suffering a concussion during last week’s game, but his status for this Sunday’s game against the 49ers remains uncertain.
 
Todd Heap is listed as questionable for this Sunday:  He was limited in practice this week due to his hamstring injury and will be a game-time decision for this week’s game against the Ravens.
 
That does it for us this week.  Enjoy the games everybody and good luck!
 
 
Photo Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5