I try to always keep an open mind and my wits about me. Other than that, anything goes! Makes for some unpredictable adventures out there in the real world. I've worked in the publishing industry for 10+ years and have been a member of the FSWA for 5+ years. Go Steelers!
Website URL: http://www.drinkfive.com
Taking stock of the NFL division by division during the off-season this year has proved to be very insightful. Often times we - as fantasy football players - take inventory of players' talents (mostly their projected floors and ceilings) but can overlook the impact that the team around them, has on their individual efforts. This week we take a look at the AFC North and what the teams there have been up to so far, leading up to the 2015 NFL season.
(Listen to the Fantasy Football Podcast: 6/2/15, AFC North Spotlight & Jess's Birthday!)
Baltimore Ravens
Adds:
Matt Schaub (QB)
Buck Allen (RB, Rookie)
Breshad Perriman (WR, Rookie)
Maxx Williams (TE, Rookie)
Departures:
Bernard Pierce (RB, free agent)
Torrey Smith (WR, to SF)
Jacoby Jones (WR, to SD)
Owen Daniels (TE, to DEN)
Issues:
The WR1 (Steve Smith) is a senior citizen, WR2 (Breshad Perriman) is a rookie and WR3 is an unknown – Kamar Aiken (who had 1 good game last year against MIA, going 6/65, 1TD).
Maxx Williams is a promising rookie TE but they usually take a few years to develop – getting rid of established talent for young, unproven players could be costly for the Ravens’ offense and thusly for fantasy owners in 2015. However, new OC (ex-bears coach Marc Trestman) is rumored to have a way with quarterbacks. So much so that he is nicknamed, “The Quarterback Whisperer.”
Flacco had his Best Year Ever in 2014, and he looks primed to finally break 4,000 yards this year. Can he do it with the talent he now has at wide receiver? The answer is yes, but it's a tough gamble without proven receiving weapons outside of Steve Smith. Regardless of the possible yardage bump in 2015, though, Flacco has generally been a middling quarterback in the fantasy world because he doesn't often sling a large number of touchdowns.
Justin Forsett carried the load surprisingly well last year, racking up 1200+ rushing yards for 8 TD’s and bolstering that number with 44 receptions for 263 yards. How far will 4th rounder Buck Allen cut into that total this year, if at all? Will second-year RB Lorenzo Taliaferro step up to the plate and cut into those receptions? It's likely that Forsett won't completely dominate the backfield, but here's a RB that - although turning 30 this year - has not been used extensively in the past and still has some miles left in the tank. Barring injury, he should at least match his stats from 2014.
Cincinnati Bengals
Adds:
Not much, if anything on offense
Departures (free agents, unsigned as of yet):
Jermaine Gresham (TE)
Greg Little (WR)
Brandon Tate (WR)
Dane Sanzenbacher (WR)
Issues:
From an NFL and fantasy perspective, not much has changed with the Bengals over the past several months. They did sign DE Michael Johnson which should help out, but the majority of their rookies likely won’t even play in 2015, barring injuries.
The Andy Dalton line will remain rock solid this year (at about 3500 yards and 22 TDs), and his receivers will also look the same on paper. A.J. Green should provide his usual fantasy production, and Marvin Jones should step right into the #2 role just like we talked about last year. Of course, if he gets injured again or underwhelms during the first few games we’ll likely go right back to Mohamed Sanu (only a fantasy option when receiving a high volume of passes from Dalton).
The RB position is more interesting for us to delve into: Jeremy Hill broke out in 2014 as a rookie for 1100+ yards and 9 TDs.. at this point it’s all but certain that Hill will continue to receive the majority of the short-yardage carries and Bernard will serve as a high-octane change-of-pace and passing-down back. Assuming that Hill’s production puts him somewhere at the low end of the top 10 RBs at the end of the year, where will that leave Bernard? It's likely that Bernard will fall to the 6th or 7th round in redraft leagues, though his value in PPR leagues could certainly prove to be higher than that.
Cleveland Browns
Adds:
Josh McCown (QB)
Duke Johnson (RB, Rookie)
Dwayne Bowe (WR)
Brian Hartline (WR)
Departures:
Brian Hoyer (QB, to HOU)
Josh Gordon (WR, Suspended)
Issues:
It’s pretty obvious, the Browns’ issues are focused almost entirely on the pitiful offense that they have displayed over the past few seasons. The defense is not half bad. But for some reason, the decision-makers in Cleveland have been and are still unable to get their heads out of their asses.
Yes, it’s difficult to get a QB in the NFL.. last year’s pick of Johnny Manziel was just about the worst thing that Cleveland could have done for themselves. Unfortunately, they went and picked up the 35-year-old Josh McCown from Tampa Bay. Josh is a good guy, but he’s played for 6 different teams in the NFL and his career is almost over.. in other words, this offense isn’t going anywhere.
New receivers Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline don’t look like they’ll be adding much to the equation here, either. Bowe’s anemic play over the past few seasons should continue which leads me to believe that this #1 WR will be over-drafted, even in the later rounds of fantasy drafts – just because I can’t trust him to put up any consistent amount of points. Hartline had arguably his worst year ever last year – we know that he can catch the football and be a good spoke in the system, but it looks like the move to Cleveland may be the end for poor Brian.
Andrew Hawkins is actually an interesting prospect, since he tends to get the most volume of passes in this offense, especially without Josh Gordon around to suck them up. A slot receiver by every definition, he could have a few high-scoring games in PPR leagues especially.. impossible to predict which ones, though!
The RB situation in Cleveland is also equally murky: it looks like Isaiah Crowell has taken over the job there, but the Browns also have Terrance West, as well as rookie Duke Johnson. If my memory doesn’t fail me, there were plenty of weeks last year where the Browns RB you started wasn’t the one that got the carries. It remains to be seen this season, but I’m staying out of the whole situation.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Adds:
Sammie Coates (WR, Rookie)
Jesse James (TE, Rookie)
DeAngelo Williams (RB)
Departures:
Lance Moore (WR, to DET)
Issues:
From a fantasy perspective, the Steelers are just the team that you want to have a piece of recently. QB Ben Roethlisberger had his best season ever in 2014, throwing for just shy of 5000 yards and racking up an impressive 32 TDs in the air. An improving offensive line has a lot to do with the Steelers' success in the passing game, and it has gotten even better this off-season. Look for more of the same from Roethlisberger, though he might not quite hit his numbers from last year due to the 12 TDs he put up over a 2-game span in weeks 8 and 9 in 2014.
Antonio Brown is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL and should be treated as an elite talent for the foreseeable future in fantasy leagues, especially PPR leagues where he didn't even have close competition for the top spot. The more interesting tale is told with the other WRs in Pittsburgh, Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton and rookie Sammie Coates.
Bryant put together a string of high-flying games last season and was a great target for Big Ben in the red zone, totaling 8 TDs. Very impressive play indeed, but he did it with a relatively small amount of receptions and yardage. In fact, he only played on about 50% of the Steelers' snaps over the course of the season. The word on the street is that Bryant has been bulking up in the off-season and should only be better this year with his rookie season behind him. If that's the case, it would be wise not to sleep on a receiver who could easily put up top 20 numbers in 2015 but is currently being drafted around #30.
Markus Wheaton played the other snaps that Bryant didn't get in 2015 and he performed fairly well, catching 53 receptions for 644 yards and 2 TDs but was obviously not being looked at as a red zone target. Ben and Wheaton had some issues with their chemistry and that may change for the better, but I would still expect Bryant's playing time to start cannibalizing Wheaton's. Rookie Sammie Coates is a project that may see some playing time and production later in the season - but he's off the redraft radar for me. Scary to think what kind of damage Pittsburgh's offense under Todd Haley could do with four talented wide receivers and Le'Veon Bell in the years to come, though.
Speaking of Bell, he's currently suspended for the first 3 games of the season (although the team is hoping to get that reduced before the start of 2015). In his place, newly acquired RB DeAngelo Williams will make the first few starts. It'll be intriguing to see what Williams can do behind the newly bolstered offensive line, but let's be serious - we're all just waiting for Bell to come back and start putting up fantasy points like he did last year. A multi-talented running back, Bell will more than likely finish in the top 5 regardless of his suspension and probably top 3 in PPR leagues. I would shy away from drafting him 1st overall, but will be shocked if he's still around in the draft when pick #5 or 6 comes around.
On this week's fantasy football podcast we broken down all of the teams in the AFC North. Some have gone through some major changes, while others remain largely unchanged. How will off-season moves affect players' fantasy values for the 2015 season? Tune in and find out our thoughts on just that!
(Listen to the Fantasy Football Podcast: 6/2/15, AFC North & Jess's Birthday!)
It's still the off-season, but we're really looking forward to kicking off the 2015 season with some draft shows - getting specific with strategies and honest advice on who the top performers at each position will be (and who will bust!). Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes to get notifications whenever we release a new episode. We also broadcast the shows live at http://www.mixlr.com/drinkfive on Tuesday nights at 9pm CT. Feel free to browse over and join in the discussion!
Welcome to the TV Soup podcast, home of drinkfive.com’s television review series. In this episode we share our thoughts about the season finale, "Daredevil". Since the show has already been renewed for another season, we're already looking forward to new episodes! A great finale, there are still quite a few questions that remain unanswered and leave the viewer wanting more. Check out the podcast to hear exactly what we thought about it!
TV Soup Podcast: Daredevil, "Daredevil" Review
As this is the season finale, we've finished season 1 of Daredevil and will be moving on to discuss another TV show going forward. At the moment, we're undecided - should you have any ideas for shows that you'd like us to discuss on this weekly podcast, please shoot an email over to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let us know your thoughts!
Fight or Flight
Wilson Fisk barges into the hospital with Vanessa, who has been poisoned by something in the drinks that were offered at the benefit they were attending. Immediately, he tries to get his way and get Vanessa immediate care. “Don’t you know who I am?” asks Fisk to a young woman working in the hospital when she refuses him entrance to the room that they take her into - “doesn’t matter,” she says, “fill out the paperwork.”
What will happen if Fisk loses his newfound love? Wilson Fisk without Vanessa at this point – especially if she was taken from him in this way – would likely send him into a chaotic freefall, even more out-of-control than he currently is.
“There was a time when I believed that I was complete – that I needed no one to understand who I am”. “If she dies..” Fisk suggests that Vanessa be sent away if she recovers so that she doesn’t have to be in danger any longer by staying at his side.
Battered and Bruised
Karen finds Matt still visibly hurt and thinks he may not be telling the truth about being in a car accident. It’s pretty amazing that for all of this time she doesn’t seem to have caught on to Matt’s after-hours escapades but, of course, she is dealing with a number of her own issues at the moment.
TV Soup Podcast: Daredevil, "The Path of the Righteous" & "The Ones We Leave Behind" Review
Both Claire and Karen are telling Matt to be more careful – his injuries are showing more and more and it’s becoming more difficult to hide his nightly exploits from the people that he associates with during the day. He doesn’t have to hide them any longer from Foggy, but Foggy doesn’t want anything to do with him for the time being. I suppose Karen will eventually find out if she continues to spend a great deal of time with Matt, but I don’t think it will be anytime soon.
A Turning Point
“Fisk killed his father, people need to know that”. Karen tries to get Ben to write up the story – Ben is still upset that Karen was lying to him when she brought him to the home on false pretenses. Ben says that Fisk can simply spin this like anything else. Good point.
Karen appeals to Ben’s morals and he lets her know that someone may have poisoned the drinks at the benefit – and that perhaps there are already people that are going after Fisk and his people (the news of this is currently being covered up).
Karen really does appreciate the people in her life that care about her and are worried/concerned with her well-being. She’s starting to develop a good relationship with Ben. She is abducted at the end of the evening by Wesley.
Wesley spends a long time talking to Karen about Fisk’s mother and her visit. “If you’re going to kill me, just do it,“ Karen says. “I’m not here to kill you, Ms. Page, I’m here to offer you a job.”
Wesley wants Karen to convince Ben that Fisk is a good man and that he should no longer be trying to find faults in him and his character. He suggests that if she doesn’t comply, he will slowly kill everyone that she cares about before coming after her.
Karen is able to take a moment of distraction (Fisk calling) to grab the gun from the table and shoot Wesley. He had unloaded the first chamber of the gun, but the rest of the bullets were just where they needed to be. Bye, Wesley.
Wesley knows that Ben was there as well, which doesn’t bode well for him in the short term.
It’s Personal
Karen is still trying to get the word out about Fisk’s mother, but Foggy is of the same opinion as Ben was – “it won’t be enough”.
Foggy wants to talk to Karen about what he found out about Matt but he is still keeping his mouth shut out of the remaining respect he has left for his old friend. “It’s personal,” is all he’ll say.
Angels & Demons
On one of his many visits to talk to the priest, Matt has an intense conversation about good and evil. Maybe devils were created as a warning to us all – to tread the path of the righteous. The priest basically admits to knowing that Matt is the masked man – I’m not sure that Matt can trust the priest, but then we don’t know very much information about him and his history.
One would think that someone as careful as Matt would have thought all of these things through, but then again he often just bursts onto a scene without giving the situation enough thought beforehand. The priest has basically given Matt his name and purpose here.
Becoming Daredevil
Matt finds out more about Fisk’s body armor – he’ll need to figure out a way past it if he is to finally be rid of Fisk. Turns out the source of this armor was a man named Melvin Potter, who is not very intelligent but is possessing of a huge amount of strength and endurance.
Melvin is being made to work for Fisk – he is afraid that if he doesn’t do what Fisk says, ‘Betsy’ will be hurt. Betsy is someone that Melvin cares about. Matt talks Melvin into making him something.. “a symbol” out of the armor that he works with. Looks like we’re talking about a new, upgraded costume! Thank goodness for that, because Matt likely would not have lasted much longer getting his ass kicked at least once per episode.
Reconsideration
Fisk shows up at Karen’s house - he has quite an imposing presence. He says, “It gets easier” (referring to Wesley’s death by her hand), “the more you do it”. Thankfully, she wakes up – it was just a nightmare. All of this is weighing on Karen quite heavily.
Karen and Foggy have a conversation at the office and Foggy reassures Karen that “everything is going to be alright” The mood turns decidedly more sour when Foggy turns to leave and finds Matt at the door.
Everyone is slowly leaving Matt’s side – Karen says “You know, I’m starting to feel like I made a mistake” [about coming to work at Nelson v. Murdock]. She is not leaving yet, however.
Later on.. “Matt.. is this what we are now? 3 People that don’t even talk to each other?” asks Karen.. this starts a conversation where Matt breaks down to Karen – he needs the support of his friends, he can’t go on alone as he has been and keeps burning bridges and keeping secrets from everyone. Although he doesn’t reveal his identity to Karen, this is a step in that direction.
Complications
Vanessa wakes up in her hospital bed - “why am I here,” she asks. Fisk explains that he has made arrangements for her to be taken out of the country, but she does not want to go along with those plans. “I knew being with you would be.. complicated.” She says. “Find whoever did this to us and make them understand.” “I’ll make them suffer for what they’ve done,” retorts Fisk. “I expect nothing less,” says Vanessa. These two are just made for each other.
Fisk finds out that Wesley was shot after his people located the body in the warehouse where he had brought Karen. In a fit of rage he beats one of his own men, just for following Wesley’s orders.
Fisk’s people are all beginning to blame the Japanese for the problems that they are coming up against recently (poisoned drinks, Wesley’s death). Fisk finds Wesley’s cellphone and realizes that the last call he made (the one that made him leave suddenly and resulted in his death) was to Fisk’s mother. Karen and Ben are still not safe.
Bach's Violin concerto No. 1 in A minor
Matt and Ben want to slow down Fisk’s takeover of the city so they’d like to cut off the main supply of money. Ben knows that a blind Chinese man is usually carrying the drugs around in a pack, so (using Ben’s information) Matt tracks the man into a car (playing classical music) as they drive through the city. It’s quite an impressive jaunt across the rooftops, really.
Now inside the building where the blind man was headed to, Matt witnesses the drug packing enterprise here firsthand. All of the workers have been blinded.
“All those people – you took their eyes,” accuses Matt of Madame Gao when they finally meet. “No, they blinded themselves,” she says. Madame Gao engages in a confrontation with Matt, knocking him out for a short time with what seems like very little physical force and managing to get away. Trying to get away himself, Matt gets in an altercation with a police officer where he attempts to explain that he is not deserving of the bad rap he is currently getting. Good luck with that, Matt.
Old Flames
Foggy allows Marci to see all of the information that they have gathered so far on Fisk (including the material handed over by the masked man (who Foggy now knows is Matt). Marci’s firm represents Fisk, but she seems genuinely interested in what Foggy has to show her.
Will she help or hurt them in the long run? It seems like Foggy and Marci had a trusting relationship and are starting it back up. Hopefully Marci won’t be stabbing Foggy in the back literally or figuratively – he’s such a genuinely nice guy.
The Long Farewell
Ben is desperately trying to get the editor of the paper to publish his latest story about Fisk killing his own father, etc but is not having any luck at all. He pushes so much that he gets suspended, and then eventually fired after accusing his boss of being on Fisk’s payroll.
Regardless of Ben’s situation with the newspaper, his wife will always be behind him 100% and suggests that he just try other news outlets in order to get the story out. The internet, etc. It looks like this story has legs and he is not going to give up on it anytime soon.
“I’m going to write about all of it. Tonight. Get it out there,” Ben says.
As Ben sits down to begin work on his new project, Fisk begins talking to him from the shadows. He explains that he had taken precautions after the Union Allied article was released and he also had found out that Ben went to talk to his mother. “I’m not here to threaten you,” he says at one point – “I’m here to kill you.” It’s unfortunate that we’ve grown to like Ben so much as a character of principle with a good heart, but those are the best characters to kill off in a series like this – it makes the most emotional impact and reinforces just how dark the heart of our villain, Wilson Fisk, can be.
Although viewers are certainly looking around on-screen for Matt, or anyone else to come to his aid at the last moment – Ben is killed in cold blood by Wilson Fisk, and his words will die with him.
Who is Madame Gao?
Looks like Gao and Owlsley have been working together the whole time, and are trying to get Vanessa away from Fisk. They were behind the whole poisoned drink thing. They’re having serious trouble getting rid of Fisk’s girlfriend. “Yeah, she’s a real mule,” says Owlsley.
When Owlsley asks where Gao is going, she says that “I will visit my homeland and reflect upon the future.” Pressed as to where that exactly is.. China, maybe? She retorts, “It is a considerable distance farther.” Is she an alien? Referring to another world outside of the Earth? I’m just loving this supernatural intrigue – we know what types of things exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but haven’t seen much of that yet in season 1 of Daredevil.