AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: BDiddy

BDiddy Baret (middle), Mikey (left), Tiggy (right)

For the next twelve days, the AFFL will give you a break down of each manager and preview their 2015 Fantasy season. We will take a look at what the team has done up to this point, their current keeper situation, and take an early look at how the difficulty of their schedule. Teams will be previewed in reverse draft order, starting with 12 and ending at 1. You can further see more about each manager and team by clicking on the teams tab and visiting each team page

1. BDiddy

History:

• Two 3rd place finishes ('09, '10)
• Made playoffs in four of seven seasons
• Has never won more than eight games in a season (twice)
• Ten wins in last two seasons combined.
• 44-48 lifetime record (48%). 4-4 playoff record (71%)

Since joining the league in 2008, the team named after the famous rap artist Sean Combs, PDiddy, has managed to put together a resume with mixed results, but has been a steady presence in the league none-the-less. After finishing with a lowly 4-9 record during the '08 season, Diddy managed to make the playoffs for the next four seasons straight, collecting two third place finishes in the process. In doing so, the quickly established themselves as a yearly contender. However, with the high comes the low, and Diddy has failed to make the playoffs the last two years, amassing five wins in each season. Even in the years that the team made the playoffs and finished at the top of the group, they only had eight wins and never more. This points to the idea that Diddy hasn't exactly dominated the league. If they want to be considered elite, a nine win season would do wonders.

Some may say that the drop-off from the playoffs is a result of "too many cooks in the kitchen. BDiddy is the only AFFL franchise run by three managers and they get a lot of heck for it. Since adding a third manager to the franchise, Diddy has failed to finish higher than third place. Is Tiggly Wiggly the reason for the lack of success of the team? It would be far fetched to blame the struggles on one manager. Diddy has a unique way of running things and the division of labor falls on all three managers equally.

Where "Buff Daddy" makes his mark is in-season management. The team does a great job of picking up players and making winning moves. If drafting is an art form, than Diddy is Picasso. They have a variety of strategies or "plans" mapped out prior to the draft each season, and quickly shift strategies as players fly off the board. It's fun to watch and highly entertaining.

The team is also very strong in the trade department. Rarely do you see a Diddy trade go sour on them. A great example of this is last season where Diddy capitalized on the uncertainty of the Ray Rice appeal to trade to fleece Cobra Kai of Zach Ertz and Alfred Morris. It was a brilliant move, as Ray Rice didn't play all year and Josh Gordon was a non-factor. In 2013, they pulled the same kind of trade with Prime Time, nabbing Tom Brady for Darryl Richardson who got benched shortly after trading him. It's safe to say that BDiddy wins when it comes to the trade market.

It seemed like every year BDiddy was on the brink of breaking through and winning the AFFL title only to fall short. Recently the team hasn't tasted success like in years past. 2015 could be a chance for the BDaddy to move into the top half of the league in regards to successful franchises. An AFFL title would legitimize the three manager structure, the years of great trading, and all else the team has going for it. A breakout season is always just around the corner. 

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Poor

• None

Schedule = Medium

• x2 = HBK and Hangin'

Draft

Diddy is the only team that doesn't have any great keeper options. This is why jumping the odds and selecting first in the draft was so crucial for them. In so doing, they will have a choice of Lynch or Dez Bryant at the first overall pick. Subsequently, they will then choose thirteenth, or first in the second round, and have top tier RB or WR talent still available. There is also a good chance that Aaron Rodgers will be available at that spot should the team wish to nab the #2 ranked QB. It would be wise for Diddy to load up on a top tier RB in his early picks, as the one area that has plagued him the past two years was the RB department. Lynch would be a fine grab, as would Demarco Murray. Forte is there too. Expect the team to load up on enough talent to feature a balanced roster and be competitive out the gate. This is something that couldn't be said of the team in the past two years. It very well could be said now.

Schedule

Without any keepers, there is no way of knowing how Diddy's core roster will be built, making the assessing of a schedule difficult. Playing HBK and Hangin' twice is a mixed bag, as one team is a playoff team, and the other a lottery team. However, HBK has two keepers in the high rounds (1-3) while Hangin' selects in the top four and has keepers in rounds (4 & 5). Both teams will have a strong core to start, but Hangin' will have two high picks to add to their keepers, potentially making them quite formidable. As for bye weeks, both match-ups versus HBK will be on non-bye weeks, so both rosters will be at full strength. Week eight will be the only week that the Hangin' battle will take place during bye weeks, but their roster will not be affected. All their keepers will be active. Division games are crucial and a strong draft for Diddy will be needed if they hope to have a shot at the postseason. These four games could be tough.

AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: Awesomeness

Awesomeness owner David

For the next twelve days, the AFFL will give you a break down of each manager and preview their 2015 Fantasy season. We will take a look at what the team has done up to this point, their current keeper situation, and take an early look at how the difficulty of their schedule. Teams will be previewed in reverse draft order, starting with 12 and ending at 1. You can further see more about each manager and team by clicking on the teams tab and visiting each team page.

2. Awesomeness

History:

• Back-to-Back champion '09-'10
• Finished top three first three years in league
• Made playoffs in four of seven seasons
• One of two teams to win eleven games in regular season
• Finished in last place back-to-back seasons. two and three win seasons.
• 45-46 lifetime record (49%). 5-2 playoff record (71%)

Hey there Awesomeness! It's been awhile. After exploding onto the AFFL scene with a top two finish in each of their first three years in the league, team amazing has gone ice cold, making the playoffs only once in the past four seasons and finishing dead last in the past two. What happened?  The Awesome one was once dominating the league in all sorts of ways. They were the first AFFL franchise to win back-to-back championships and the first team to win eleven games during the regular season.  After such a hot start for the franchise, it became a forgone conclusion that Awesomeness would be at the top of the AFFL almost every season, battling with the Atomic Bomba for the league title. Both franchises managed to make the finals every year for six straight seasons, squaring off against one another in two. Looking back, it was an incredible feat, one that may not be duplicated for quite some time if at all.

Putting the championships aside, Awesomeness's resume has many blemishes. We have already mentioned the losing seasons, but what is most troubling is the amount of wins in those years. No champion has ever had a season, let alone two, as bad as the one this franchise has produced over the last two years. Five combined wins in that span is very shocking. While bad luck and injuries were the main cause of it, other teams face the same obstacles yearly yet have managed to overcome their crippling situations through trades or FA pick-ups. A strong showing is crucial in 2015 so as to remind the league of just how dominant the Awesome one once was.

Awesome teams are often built with proven veterans that offer very little risk. The squad doesn't make many moves during the season and isn't very involved in the trade market. This could be one of the areas the team may want to address in 2015. Relying heavily on the draft is wonderful if the draft goes well. However once a season begins and the team starts to dig themselves into a hole, action needs to be taken, and that might mean trading away some rewarding pieces to take risks. In the years when the team was successful, they drafted well. In the years where things have gone south, the core that was drafted began to fall apart, but little was done to rectify the situation. Better in-season management will help the squad greatly and more player movement might be the change Awesomeness needs to return to glory.

2015 is a huge year for the team as they look to avoid history and become one of the four AFFL franchise that have gone three consecutive years without making the playoffs. It's company nobody thought would be possible for team Awesomeness after they won back-to-back titles. Fortunately, with relatively solid keepers and an early draft position, the team is positioned to have a great draft; and if history is any guide, should they have a solid draft, the results will be awesome.

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Good

• Adrian Peterson #2
• Deandre Hopkins #59

Schedule = Difficult

• x2 = Cobra Kai and Grabbers United

Draft

With Adrian Peterson out to get revenge on the league after sitting out a year, Awesomeness has himself one of the top RB's in 2015 and a player that he can build around. Hopkins is also nice value in the fifth round and could have a monster year as the only pass catching option in Houston. With two solid players at RB/WR, the team is set-up nicely to build a strong core. The team will draft early in the second round, so more than likely, they will have the option of selecting a top tier WR or RB or perhaps Aaron Rodgers. Nabbing a player like Rodgers to pair with AP will give the team a great safety blanket should the rest of the draft go sour. A top WR, say AJ Green, will also be a great alongside AP. It's a win-win situation early in the draft. We don't think that there is anyway that the team could screw this up.

Schedule

An early peek at the division schedule reveals two very difficult opponents: Cobra and Grabbers. Cobra has been playing well the past few years and will be bolstered with great keepers in the middle rounds. Grabbers will have Luck and Gronk ready to do battle weekly. If Awesomeness hopes to contend in the Mazoon division, they will need to draft well. Match-ups against Cobra won't be effected with bye weeks. Both teams will have all keepers available. The same goes for the match-ups against Grabbers. Looking at week 5, AP's bye week, Vosgee will be at full strength, putting Awesomeness at a slight disadvantage. Hopkins has a bye the week the team plays Hangin' & Bangin' who will have all keepers available. Looks like Awesomeness will have his work cut out for him when in more than a few of their division games.

AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: Magnum Sev.i

Magnum Sev.i owners Danny and Sevag

For the next twelve days, the AFFL will give you a break down of each manager and preview their 2015 Fantasy season. We will take a look at what the team has done up to this point, their current keeper situation, and take an early look at how the difficulty of their schedule. Teams will be previewed in reverse draft order, starting with 12 and ending at 1. You can further see more about each manager and team by clicking on the teams tab and visiting each team page.

3. Magnum Sev.i

History:

• Last team to Join AFFL 2010
• Made playoffs twice in five years (2nd and 3rd place finishes)
• 3 seasons with less than six wins.
• Life time record of around 50% (32-33)
• Historically in the playoff hunt until the last week of season
• Sneaky trader. Takes risks and they pay off.

Respecting the 'stache isn't given, it's earned. Magnum Sev.i earned the respect of the AFFL after they reached the finals in their inaugural year in the league, a feat that only four other teams could claim to have done.  After a down year in 2011, they returned to the post-season in 2012, losing in the semi-finals and finishing in third place, joining three other teams to have a finals appearance and at least a third place finish within three seasons: Bomba, Awesomeness, and Prime Time. That's pretty good company to be with. Sev.i's strong start has slowed down quite a bit of late, as the team has failed to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The young franchise is still making a name for itself, and should they once again manage to finish in the top three or win-it-all in 2015, they will surely be considered to be one of the premier teams in the league.

The MSi brand is built around a conservative approach with timely risk. You won't find MSi selecting players that aren't proven or don't come close to a sure thing. When drafting, the team will often find players that have the biggest upside with low risk (Knowshon Moreno in the 13th anyone?) However, during the season, MSi waits until just the right moment to pull off a trade that will propel him into the postseason. In middle of the 2014 season, the team was struggling to stay relevant.  With a 3-4 record and in dire need of a victory to stay alive in the playoff race, MSi opted to trade their big ticket Calvin Johnson for Emmanuel Sanders despite heavy ridicule from other managers. The trade resulted in a win for MSi that week, and spurred a three game win streak, keeping MSi relevant until the end. It was a move that many managers wouldn't make because of the "name" status of a guy like Calvin Johnson, but MSi has shown he is all about production not personality.

The league considers MSi a formidable team with managers that know what they are doing, but it seems to be an all or nothing proposition with them. If history is our guide, the team will either finish in the top three or have a miserable season. There is no in-between. Having failed to make the playoffs the past two years, MSi is looking to stop the downward spiral and return to their winning ways in 2015. Four teams have gone three seasons or more without making the playoffs (Vosgee, HBK, Cobra, and Grabbers) and we're fairly certain that MSi doesn't want to be included in that group.

As the MSi book is being written, it remains to be seen which title will be headlining the 2015 chapter. Will it be the 'stache is back with a playoff comb or the stache' gets snipped for the third time in a row? With all due respect, we await the answer.

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Poor

• E. Sanders #27

Schedule = Difficult

• x2 = Grabbers and Prime Time

Draft

MSi doesn't have many options when it comes to keepers. Most all of their players would be overvalued if they were kept. Other AFFL teams will have the luxury of building from a solid core of keepers that have great value, but MSi will need to build their team from the ground up. Emmanuel Sanders provides moderate value in the third round, but nothing exceptional. Having the WR locked up in the third, MSi would still be expected to go WR or RB in the first round. The team could elect to draft Aaron Rodgers if they feel comfortable with Sanders as their top wide-out. Selecting third in the draft will also mean that they will get pick number fifteen, as snake drafting doesn't start until at the end of the second round. There will be plenty of great RB/WR combo's avail to the team as well as TE. Fortunately for MSi, they should have enough top talent avail to them at the start of the draft to offset not having many keepers. Of course, the latter rounds are where a teams money is made, and it will be crucial for their draft to be solid until the end to offset a lack of value at the top.

Schedule

MSi faces one of the more grueling division schedules of any team in the AFFL. Both Grabbers and Prime Time were playoff teams last season and enter the 2015 year with great keepers. MSi will need a strong draft in order to ensure that the team can compete against these two squads as both teams should be very formidable. Week 7 is the only week when byes will effect the Grabbers match-up, and MSi will be without Sanders that week while both keepers will be avail for Grabbers. Grabbers has the early advantage. Neither one of the match-ups against Prime Time will effect keepers for either team. We will know more about these rosters as it pertains to bye weeks, but it looks like wins will have to be earned for MSi in the four games he plays within the division this year.

AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: Hangin' & Bangin'

Hangin' and Bangin' owners Dre and Avo

For the next twelve days, the AFFL will give you a break down of each manager and preview their 2015 Fantasy season. We will take a look at what the team has done up to this point, their current keeper situation, and take an early look at how the difficulty of their schedule. Teams will be previewed in reverse draft order, starting with 12 and ending at 1. You can further see more about each manager and team by clicking on the teams tab and visiting each team page.

4. Hangin' and Bangin'

History:

• One of the founding teams of the AFFL
• Made playoffs 4 of last 6 seasons
• 51-53 Lifetime AFFL record (49%) 0-5 in playoffs
• 5 seasons with 6 wins or less including one 4 win season
• Historically involved in the most games decided by less than a point
• Great foresight to trade for great keepers this year: Hill (4th), Evans (5th)

Welcome to team Enigma. After changing there franchise name more than any other team (7 times in 9 years), Team Bangin' remains a mystery. The franchise has had some success in recent seasons, making the playoffs every year between '09-'11, and four of the past six seasons. Only a few teams could claim such a feat. Even after a down year in 2012, the team bounced back to make the playoffs in '13, only to be eliminated in the first round. There in lies the problem. Despite the many playoff appearances the team has yet to win in the post-season. They are the only team with more than two playoff appearances that has zero post-season wins.  Incredible. This ultimately leaves H&B to feel more like a "paper tiger" than a true fantasy lion. Their resume looks great at times, but feels empty. Thus begins the mystery of what this team really is. Are they a winner or a loser? Seems like they are somewhere in-between.

H&B has had the misfortune of being involved in many of close wins and losses in the AFFL, more so than any other team. Nay a season goes by without a scoring change of some kind to a H&B match-up that would lead to a win/loss . In '07, a stat correction helped Bangin' win by less than three-tenths of a point against HBK. In '08 the team beat Varout by .6 points. In '09, a last second dump off to Wes Welker helped H&B beat Bomba by .9. In '12, BDiddy defeated H&B by .64. The list goes on. The narrow losses during these years often cost the team playoff opportunities, which would have drastically changed their image. Instead, H&B remains a team that is either unlucky or merely unable to manage their way to AFFL stardom. We don't believe in curses, but if the team continues to make the post-season and fail to win, we would have to wonder if they are indeed cursed. After all, that was their team name in '07.

Where Hangin' makes their mark is in the trading department. While injuries and other mishaps have happened during a season, the team has done a great job of trying to pick-up via free agency or trade for the right player to remain competitive. The most recent evidence of this is their foresight to trade for Jeremy Hill and Mike Evans last season in hopes of having two great keepers in 2015. The gamble could pay off in a big way, as Hangin' is positioned at the front of the draft and has two great keepers along with three picks in the first three rounds. The knock on the team is that H&B teams fall apart as the season progresses. If they can maintain proper management through the second half of a season and use their foresight to bolster their team just before the playoffs, they could well be on their way to their first post-season victory. The league has been waiting for their arrival for sometime.

2015 is a crucial year for Hangin' if they wish to change their teams image from one of pretender to contender. What exactly will define team Hangin'? Will it be the close losses? Will it be bad luck? Or will it be a new era of success built on smart play? Ladies and gentleman, I present to you.. the enigma. We're waiting to solve the mystery.

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Excellent

• Jermey Hill #40
  
• Mike Evans #56
  
• Travis Kelce #64
  

Schedule = Good

• x2 = Hartan and BDiddy
  

Draft

Jeremy Hill and Evans should be the two keepers kept by H&B. Hill is being drafted in the late first/early second, while Evans is going at the end of the second. Both keepers offer great value in the 4th and 5th round respectively. Kelce could be kept if the team so chooses, but we would think the better play is the RB and WR. With three picks in the first three rounds and two in the top 16 picks, H&B will have a hard time screwing this up. The team can go any direction in the first round, including QB. They will get a crack at the best WR and RBs available at pick 4. In the second round, their embarrassment of riches will give them a lot of versatility. They can grab their QB or TE there or elect to continue building depth at RB/WR. We expect H&B to walk away from the draft with a ridiculous core of players in their first five picks, potentially a top player at each position. Should they play their cards right, they could be very formidable in 2015.  

Schedule

H&B will face off against Hartan and BDiddy twice this season. Each team is radically different in how they enter 2015. Hartan will have ODBJ for a late round keeper and, most likely, Lesean McCoy in the first. BDiddy on the other hand doesn't have a keeper of any value, but has the first pick. Both teams should be solid, but initially, Hartan looks to be the stronger of the two by means of OBDJ. H&B wont get the benefit of bye weeks effecting match-ups against Hartan, as the two square off week 1 and week 12. Both teams will be at full strength those weeks. BDiddy on the other hand comes to town week 8, a week where DeMarco Murray is on bye, should they draft him #1 overall. It is likely however that both those games will not be effected by bye weeks. Week 6 has Mike Evans on bye, the week that H&B plays Bomba. Bomba will have Randle on bye that week, so both teams will lose one player as of now. Prime Time is the match-up when Jeremy Hill is on bye, week 7. PT doesn't have a keeper sitting that game out, so he begins that match-up with a slight advantage.

AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: Vosgereechee Gyank

Vosgee owner Mardig

For the next twelve days, the AFFL will give you a break down of each manager and preview their 2015 Fantasy season. We will take a look at what the team has done up to this point, their current keeper situation, and take an early look at how the difficulty of their schedule. Teams will be previewed in reverse draft order, starting with 12 and ending at 1. You can further see more about each manager and team by clicking on the teams tab and visiting each team page.

5. Vosgereechee Gyank

History:

• Only one winning season in 8 years ('08)
• Three straight seasons with four wins ('12-14)
• Lowest lifetime record of current AFFL teams 40-64.(38%)
• Historically involved in controversial trades.
• Perhaps the best 2015 keeper in Cj Anderson (7th round)

We love the Gyank franchise. It is one of the more uniquely themed brands in the league. However there is just no beating around the bush, it hasn't been a successful brand up until this point. The Gyank has struggled to find winning seasons since joining the league in '07. After making the playoffs with an 8-5 record in '08, the team hasn't been back to the post-season since. What is more disconcerting is the fact that team Gyank hasn't had more than four wins in a season in the last three years. Yikes. Last season marked the first time the team had finished higher than ninth place in five years. With a lifetime record hovering in the high thirties, team two-fist needs to string some winning seasons together or the Gyank brand will be doomed to be the doormat of the league.

While Gyank hasn't effected the league much records wise, the team has been quite a powerful game changer in the trade department. For many years Vosgee was somehow in the center of controversial trades which resulted in an uproar from league managers. Whether it was Pierre Thomas for a waiver spot, or trading Ray Rice for a variety of uninspiring pieces, Vosgee has managed to make his mark on many seasons in a manner that we're sure he never intended. His history of trading could be scrutinized and picked apart, but there are many other managers who have made trades that were worse than his (see Prime Time: Brady for Darryl Richardson). Trading is never a certainty, and at least Gyank isn't afraid to do what he feels is best for his team. Eventually the deals he makes will begin to skew in his favor if they hadn't done so in the past. The law of averages says so.

Despite the lack of success in past seasons, there is much to be optimistic about in 2015. Gyank has never drafted poorly. There have been many years where he exited the draft with a roster that many thought was one of the best in the league (last season was an example). Be it bad luck, injuries, or poor line-up choices,  those rosters never materialized into winning seasons. What gives us hope for Gyank this year is the exceptional value in his keeper and draft position. CJ Anderson in the seventh round is a wonderful get for the "golden knuckles," and he gets the benefit of drafting in the top six and getting two picks in the top sixteen. This sets up very nicely for the teams chances of success. 

We're still waiting on Vosgee to break-out and climb the ladder to the top of the mazoon division, but his time is coming. He may need to change his approach and try something new this year, but eventually, we have faith that Gyank will make his presence known and be a player for the playoffs. Vosgee in da hooouuse? We sure hope so.

 

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Excellent

• Aaron Rodgers #5
• Frank Gore #17
• C.J. Anderson #80

Schedule = Fair

• x2 = Bomba and HBK

Draft

Cj Anderson is one of the best keepers in the AFFL. His seventh round value is exceptional. We know that Gyank will surely keep him. As for his other option, Gyank could keep Aaron Rodgers at pick five and start his draft off with two studs at their respective positions. While the typical drafting strategy usually calls on teams to not select QB's in the first round, with keepers eliminating many of the options in the top 25, it makes sense that quarterbacks inch closer to the top of the draft. Factor in that the AFFL is a six point TD league for QB's and Rodgers as a keeper isn't far fetched at all. Gyank could elect to keep Gore in the second round along with Anderson and draft Rodgers, giving him three pieces. Gore is typically going around that pick, so the value won't be there, but his upside as a Colts Rb still will be. Assuming that Anderson is the only keeper, we would expect Gyank to go either Rodgers in the first or an RB. Demarco or Forte will be available. A WR will be available as well, but Vosgee could get those at any point, including the second round. This is all theory. We don't know what Gyank will do. In either case, he's set up quite nicely.

Schedule

Vosgerechee will square off against Bomba and HBK twice during the season. We don't think that Gyank's squad will be poor, so these match-ups will be battles. Bomba is a lottery team for the first time in six years. We would expect his team to be a tad upset about this and provide much resistance to any opponent. Bye weeks won't be a factor in the match-ups between these two, so we'll call the Gyank vs Bomba battle a push. Games against HBK are the same, full roster of keepers available to both teams. We project HBK to be a strong squad as well. Looking at the week CJ Anderson is on bye, week 7, Jaj Cousteau will have both Brown and Charles active, giving Gyank a slight disadvantage to start. All-in-all, the schedule doesn't seem too daunting for Gyank pre-draft.