Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

6/24/14, Tight Ends, GRONK SMASH, Graham Score, Cameron Crows

Tonight we enjoyed a few 2XONE's from Southern Tier Brewing and they were excellent. We've gone through the QB's, the RB's and the WR's over the last three weeks, so now it's time for the last two-letter position, the TE's.

As has been our tradition, we came up with our top 10 Tight Ends going in to the 2014 season.

1. Jimmy Graham

2. Julius Thomas

3. GRONK SMASH

4. Vernon Davis

5. Jordan Cameron

6. Jason Witten

7. Greg Olsen

8. Jordan Reed

9. Eric Ebron

10. Martellus Bennett

We wound up talking a lot more about tight ends, about just how damn big they're gettin' these days. We also discussed second year tight ends, which are much slimmer pickings compared to the other positions.

This week, there was no particular TV show we came to the table to break down, but we went over a bunch of shows we've seen recently. Then Dave went down a list of network shows that I think both of us agree that we won't be watching. Maybe next week, we'll talk about some good cable shows, including "The Leftovers", so make sure you watch that one.

Make sure to join us next week, live at 9pm CST on blogtalk radio (www.blogtalkradio.com/drinkfive). You can now sign up for our newsletter on the side panel of our website. We will send you direct updates during the season including all the info you need to set your lineups. Send us your questions and we'll answer them on the podcast. Ask us on our Facebook page, follow us on twitter (@drinkfive), or send us an e-mail 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.. You can also grab the podcast on iTunes.

7/15/14, Jimmy Graham Wins, Matt Jamison Loses

On this episode, we go through another mock draft, but this time it was a PPR draft. We fill the time talking about all the good beer we've been drinking lately, but mostly about Dave's awesome chili.

Later on in the show, we talk about Jimmy Graham's new contract and his semi-victory in his arbitration case. Finally, we got into the third episode of HBO's "The Leftovers", check out Dave's review of it here.

Make sure to join us next week, live at 9pm CST on blogtalk radio (www.blogtalkradio.com/drinkfive). You can now sign up for our newsletter on the side panel of our website. We will send you direct updates during the season including all the info you need to set your lineups. Send us your questions and we'll answer them on the podcast. Ask us on our Facebook page, follow us on twitter (@drinkfive), or send us an e-mail 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.. You can also grab the podcast on iTunes.

Welcome to the article geared to winning the Fanduel Sunday Million.  This week I've made heavy picks around two games that I expect to be fantasy gold mines (Steelers/Falcons and Bears/Saints).  Good luck gamblers!

QB – Matt Ryan, ATL ($7,900):  Going on the cheaper side for my quarterback selection this week.  Ryan goes up against a Steelers defense giving up the 4th most passing touchdowns to opposing QBs so expect him to toss a few in the air to White and Douglas.

RB – Justin Forsett, BAL ($7,700): Forsett has a great match up against a Jacksonville Jaguars defense giving up the 3rd most rushing touchdowns in the league and 130.3 yards per game.  Expect some involvement from Forsett in the passing game this week too.

RB – Jonathan Stewart, CAR ($6,700): It looks like DeAngelo Williams will be sitting out another week which leaves Stewart to get the bulk of the carries against a Tampa Bay defense near the bottom of the league against opposing running backs.  Great volume play for the price here.

WR – Antonio Brown, PIT ($9,100): This is a dream matchup here, the top fantasy wide receiver going up against a Falcons defense giving up the most yards per game to opposing wide receivers.  Should be a huge day for Brown which should compliment my QB pick of Ryan if this turns into a high scoring affair.

WR – Roddy White, ATL ($7,000): Julio Jones should be sitting out on Sunday which gives White a huge boost in value.  Besides that I love this play complimented with the aforementioned Ryan and Brown.

WR – Marquess Wilson, CHI ($4,500): With Brandon Marshall out for the season Wilson will step in as the number two receiving option on a pass happy Chicago Bears team.  He will face a terrible Saints defense ranking near the bottom of the league against the pass so this play has a ton of upside for the price.

TE – Jimmy Graham, NO ($6,900): Graham has posted back to back terrible weeks but this should be where he gets back on track playing a Bears defense ranked 28th against the pass.

K – Steven Hauschka, SF ($5,200): The matchup of Seattle/San Fran should be dominated by defense which means great field goal opportunities from both clubs.  I like taking the home team kicker on this one.

DEF – Kansas City Chiefs ($4,900): The Chiefs get a plus match up playing at home against an Oakland Raiders team that turns the ball over the 3rd most in the league.

So when the dust clears from Week 1 of the fantasy football season (Tuesday morning, bright & early), we're left to clear out the injured & usurped players and find some order in the chaos of early season decisions. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind here is that it will still take some time for offenses to gel this year and so player performances may be more variable than usual. You may want to wait a few weeks before dumping someone just because he had a disappointing amount of targets in the opener.

Guys that jump out to me this week to overperform expectations: Phillip Rivers, David Montgomery, Parris Campbell, Jimmy Graham, and Arizona Cardinals (DST). 

Pay attention to these rankings throughout the season, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player analysis. Have any specific lineup questions? Feel free to tweet us @drinkfive with any of your questions or comments!