2014 Midseason Report (Top 4)

Our fantasy league’s regular season is at the halfway point.  There’s been quite the action.  Our reigning champions, the Top Dawgs, are still searching for their first win.  So needless to say, all hopes of a repeat are out the window, down the road, and in the drain.  As for the other nine teams, everyone is still in playoff contention.  Let’s take a look at it all, starting with the top 4.

The remaining six teams will be published in the coming day.

The Misfits  (5-1) 501.72 Points

The new kid on the block is leading the way.  Jim’s Misfits are just edging Sons Of Anarchy for 1st place by just 15 points.  His 501.72 points are on a near record breaking pace.  We have had only one team break the 1000 point threshold through a 12 Week Regular Season (GB Gamblers with 1019.1 in 2006).

While Jimmy Graham hasnt been living up to his first round status yet, Demarco Murray and Jordy Nelson have been the leaders here.  Both are the #1 fantasy players at their position and they’ve been consistent week-in and week-out.  Combine that with Tom Brady starting to light it up and the Misfits are becoming a force to believe and feared.

Notables:
Misfits have learned how to win the close ones.  They topped GB Gamblers in Week 2 by 0.91 points.  Then, in Week 4, they won a tight one in a shootout with the Darque Warriors with a score of 106.28 – 104.51.

Sons Of Anarchy  (5-1) 486.88 Points

Sons of Anarchy are quickly trying to shed last years image (Toilet Bowl Chump).  After a great 4-0 start, they are now sitting pretty with a 5-1 record.

Consistency is clearly the key here.  While they haven’t had an insane 1-week explosion yet, every week they are posting very winnable numbers (87.17 75.87 87.15 71.39 80.92 84.38).  Their boyfriend and second round draft pick, Aaron Rodgers, is the clear leader here.  In games started, he is averaging 23 points per game.  This is a good head start for the supporting cast to fill in the rest.  Also, if by chance Rodgers falls to another injury, SOA also owns a very capable fill-in.  Colin Kaepernick is currently the 9th scoring QB in the league.

Questions:
Can Marshawn Lynch’s back hold up all season?  With Reggie Bush having continual knee issues and Sproles having his own injury to overcome, SOA need Lynch continue to be the workhorse down the stretch if they have any chance of overcoming these other top teams.  If that answer is a yes, then Anarchy will be battling late into the season.

 GB Gamblers (4-2) 481.37 Points

After a disappointing 0-2 start, the Gamblers are wreaking havok and are the proud owners of a 4 game win streak. If this streak continues, they could be in first place any week.  Also, looking back, GB would almost have been 5-1, but they lost that nailbiter to the Misfits by 0.91 in Week 2.

Cam Newton may have been drafted to be this team’s starter (6th Round), but the Gamblers have been utilizing Jay Cutler (10th Round) while Newton gets back to his old self.  Cutler may not be posting insane fantasy numbers, but they are valuably consistent (16.29 when started).  A real driving force for this team has been the play of Randall Cobb and Steve Smith, as they rank the #3 and #4 WRs in the league.  Sprinkle in Matt Forte, the league’s #4 RB, and the Gamblers have studs throughout this team.

Ifs:  The Gamblers have a few weapons that could really ignite this team.  If Eddie Lacy can regain his form of 2013, their RB duo would be FIERCE.  Then, add the possibilities of Josh Gordon and his Week 11 return and this Gambler team could rise to another level.  Stay tuned.

Jesters (4-2) 432.33 Points

So the Jesters know a few things about injuries.  Starting QB, Robert Griffin out.  Number 1 draft pick, Montee Ball, out.  Their 8th round pick, Knowshon Moreno, done for the year.  Ben Tate and Arian Foster have missed their share of games.  Heck, the Bengals tried their best to take out Greg Olsen last week by twisting the crap out of his ankle after the play!

With all of those setbacks though, the Jesters are at a great spot at midseason.  4-2 is certainly no joke.  Julius Thomas has been a key contributer here.  He ranks as the top TE in the league and his positional advantage is very valuable.  Antonio Brown has proven worth of Miami’s Keeper designation.  He is locked into the the #2 WR spot this far into the season.  Though Arian Foster is a continual injury worry, his past 2 weeks performances have been reminiscent of years past.

Can He?  Can the Jesters prove their worth and remain a playoff contender?  Their first four weeks werent the most impressive scores (66.64 61.46 63.95 63.45), but they’ve stepped it up the last 2 weeks with scores of 83.73 and 93.1.  If they want a chance at the title, they are going to need those injury replacements to step it up.