Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

6/03/14, 2014 Draft - Burgers, WR Talk, Mountains & Vipers

On this week's show, we start off with a couple of "news" stories, and I use that term loosely since it's the beginning of June. We're mainly hearing about guys showing up to camp a little too round and other guys who are already tweaking and tearing things. We then strove to get a consensus top 10 list of Wide Receivers going in to 2014, and I think we both agree on this list.

1. Calvin Johnson

2. Demaryius Thomas

3. Julio Jones

4. Brandon Marshall

5. Dez Bryant

6. A.J. Green

7. Antonio Brown

8. Randall Cobb

9. Alshon Jeffery

10. Keenan Allen

Somehow we managed to avoid making a bet this week as well, but I have the feeling that next week that will change. We also broke down the second year Wide Receivers that we see has poised to have a breakout year. Stay tuned to the website for an in-depth breakdown of second year guys in the next few weeks.

Finally, we got into the fight of the year. The Mountain vs the Red Viper was pretty sweet, and we both agree that they pulled it off flawlessly. Check out my review of the episode 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.

Finally, we've arrived at the fight that everyone has been talking about for two weeks. The fight was shocking, violent and surprising, everything that everyone should have expected. As a book reader, I was still surprised at how shocking the end of the fight was, even knowing what was ultimately to come.

First, let's rewind back to the violence that opened the show. The Wildlings are creeping ever closer to the wall, raiding all the way there. The most recent stop is Molestown, which is basically the brothel for Castle Black. The Wildlings are knocking on the wall (almost literally) and some shit's about to go down.

Reports before the season started were that they filmed a battle that was much bigger than "Blackwater", which took up an entire episode. Apparently this battle is going to be along the same lines, where it dominates the entire episode. Next week should be worthy of being the ninth episode of a season, which is traditionally the biggest one of every season.

A surprisingly heartwarming scene, if it can be called that, was between Roose Bolton and his son Ramsay Snow. Roose gave Ramsay the Bolton name, and is essentially legitimizing him and making him his heir. The impetus for this is a particularly gruesome scene featuring the slaughter of the remaining Ironborn holding out at Moat Cailin, the gateway to the North. I guess some good ole flaying is the way to a Bolton's heart.

In the Vale, we see Sansa grow up before our eyes. It turns out that she has actually has been listening to all the lessons that Littlefinger has been trying to teach her since she got to King's Landing. She spins a great web of lies, dropping a few truths in there just to get them to buy into it. This is basically the only way out for Littlefinger, who has no clear way to wiggle out of this one.

I don't really have much to say about Jorah Mormont being exiled from Mereen for betraying Daenerys a long time ago. These scenes were all beautiful but just straight up plot and as a book reader, almost came off as boring, but I'm not the one they're making the show for. It's clearly essential for show watchers.

Before the big fight, we get one, seemingly last, conversation between Jaime and Tyrion. Tyrion talks about his cousin who used to smash beetles senselessly. It's probably reading too much into this, but it sure does seem like quite a metaphor for George R.R. Martin and all the jokes on the internet about how he just loves killing off characters.

Speaking of killing off characters, we arrive at the final scene. On one side you have the flashy Oberyn Martell showing off his sweet spear skills to the crowd. The other, Gregor Clegane, a literal mountain. The Mountain is all brute force and it's clear that he is nothing more than a killing machine. Oberyn dances around him, much like Bronn said would be the only way to beat him, and delivers enough glancing blows to get him stunned, which allows him to spear the Mountain through the stomach.

Of course, for Oberyn, a man literally built of passion, just killing him is not enough. He must have revenge on his terms, and wants the Mountain to admit what he did and admit who told him to do it. Oberyn's thirst for revenge is his downfall, and this is an unexpected way to turn the revenge trope on its head. Just as shocking as the rest of the events we've experienced over the last 12 or so episodes, Oberyn quickly finds himself in the grasp of the Mountain and it's only seconds until he literally makes his head explode. This was shocking, even for a book reader who knew what was coming. Bravo Dan and David, they're taking Martin's story and somehow making it better on screen.

This week we were treated to a play in three acts that I like to call "Save Tyrion's Ass". Act I starts with Jaime chewing out his brother for throwing out the deal that he made for him. Tyrion was never really interested in that anyways, and took much more delight in ruining his father's long con. The act closes with Jaime confessing that he can't fight anymore and Tyrion is left hoping that the increasingly absent Bronn will help him out.

I like how Tyrion's scenes in this episode follow a three-act structure. It's just one example of the amazing skill that the writers have. They are often required to remind viewers who people are and remind them of past events that are about to be relevant to the story. This is often accomplished in the opening of the show, sometimes with semi-awkward scenes like when Dontos gave Sansa the necklace, but sometimes it's just done very subtly and elegantly.

The Hound and Arya have been having the best scenes of the season, and really this was the best one. Many props go to Rory McCann, who has not had a whole lot to say at times, but was amazing when he started talking about his brother. This piece of writing, delivered so well, accomplished two things. It was another step in the relationship between Arya and the Hound, but it also reminded the audience of The Mountain (his brother). Maybe I'm just a history fan, but I could listen to these characters tell stories about their past all day.

Anyway, back to "Save Tyrion's Ass", Act II. Bronn finally shows up, only to tell Tyrion that there's finally been a higher bidder. This is, regardless of the outcome, an excellent way for them to say goodbye to each other. It also follows the three act structure because it just gets worse for Tyrion, now that he actually has to just picture himself fighting the mountain.

Much to Tyrion's surprise, his third visitor is Oberyn Martell. Oberyn arrived in King's Landing seeking vengeance, and now it's as close as it's ever been. He volunteers to be Tyrion's champion, more for the chance to kill Gregor Clegane than because he wants to fight for Tyrion. It doesn't really matter to Tyrion, as he now has a chance, and that's all he was hoping for in the first place.