AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: Cobra Kai

Cobra Kai owner Sayyad

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.

10. Cobra Kai

History:

• 2013 AFFL Champion
• 2014 3rd place finish
• Has made playoffs 4 of 8 years
• Has won 9 games during regular season only once.
• Has routinely had great quality keepers over past two years.
• Analytics used to determine best draft strategy
• Shrewd trade dealer. Once had five separate multi-player trades in two day span

Cobra Kai has become a viable force in the AFFL rather quickly, coming out of nowhere to win the league title in 2013 and becoming the first non-Lalazarian team to do so since Hartan did it in 2007.  Prior to the 2013 season, Cobra had gone three season without making the playoffs, and had only one victory in the post-season in the years between '07-'09. His history isn't one that showcases much dominance over a long period of time  (54-51 lifetime record; 51% winning percentage; 5-4 playoffs). In fact, he has won at least nine games during the regular season only once, while all other AFFL Champs and Prime Time have done it multiple times: Bomba (5), Prime (3), Hartan (2), Awesome (2), Jaj (2). Critics may add all this up and say his AFFL title was merely a flash in the pan. Then again, Kai could just now be finding himself. Since the AFFL turned into a keeper league, Cobra has relied heavily on analytics to guide his team to the top, and its worked. He is often times one of the most tuned in managers in the league, and crunches the numbers as well as or better than anyone else. Entering the 2015 season, Kai has plenty of keeper of options and is viewed as one of the teams that shouldn't be taken lightly on anyone's schedule.

Cobra makes his money during the season, primarily with his in-season management. While he hasn't drafted terribly in years past by any means, his in-season roster moves and trades are what have typically defined the Cobra brand. Weekly starting line-ups hardly have big points wasted on the bench. Kai works the phones like nobodies business, frequently exploring trades to make his teams better every week. He's one of the shrewdest traders in the business, frequently exploring multi-team and multi-player deals. It was this kind of work that resulted in his championship in 2013. You can rest assured that as the trade deadline approaches, Cobra will use whatever leverage he has to improve his roster for one final playoff push.

With a title under his belt, and a third place finish last year, Cobra can further solidify his place at the head table with another strong finish in 2015. He has established himself as one of the top teams in the league, and if he can continue to show sustained success, he will quickly move into the realm of elite.

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Good

• Jordy Nelson Pick #22
• Lamar Miller Pick #52
• Jordan Matthews #71

Schedule = Medium

• x2 = Jaj Cousteau and Awesomeness

Draft

Jordy Nelson should be one of the keepers Cobra hangs onto prior to the draft, and we anticipate he will do just that. Pick number twenty-two is good value for one of the top WRs in the game. Depending on Kai's draft strategy, he could elect to keep either Lamar Miller or Jordan Matthews. Lamar Miller could be had in the fourth round, so it's possible that Kai will keep Matthews and draft Miller to retain both. The interesting part of the draft will be watching The last four teams, HBK, Cobra, Prime, Jaj battle it out for picks. All four have similar situations, with one RB and one WR as a keeper. Cobra may elect to do what everyone else isn't doing in the back four and that might not be a bad idea. At pick #10, we'd expect Cobra to select any position, including quarterback. A Rodgers to Jordy combo would be very tempting. If he chooses to go with a WR, Megatron should be there for the team to select.

Schedule

Bye weeks are crucial to any team, and by the looks of things. Cobra will face both Jaj and Awesomeness with all keepers available. Cousteau's team could be very strong with Brown and Charles, and despite the poor showing the last few years, Awesomeness has AP and Hopkins as keepers. Both teams won't be push-overs come the regular season. Looking at Cobra's keeper's byes, he will face Sev.i week five without Lamar Miller, Hartan week 7 without Jordy Nelson, and Bomba week 8 without Jordan Matthews. All those teams will have keepers intact, so Kai will be at a slight disadvantage in those games as it sits now. Of course, this is an extremely early look and more will be known after the draft. As it stands now, Cobra looks to have a fairly mixed bag when it comes to ease of schedule.

AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: Prime Time

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.

11. Prime Time

History:

• 2014 runner-up
• One of four original founding managers.
• Made playoffs 6 of 9 seasons
• Has finished in the top 3 five times in 9 seasons.
• Has had a winning record in every season but two.
• Never had less than six wins
• Drafted two Qbs in the first three rounds twice. Backfired both times.

When you think of the AFFL and its teams, there are few that jump right out. Prime Time, a.k.a. the bully, is one of those few. He has been a presence in the league since its inception, and while many will say that Prime Time teams are over-hyped, he has the resume to back it up. Last years runner-up has finished in the top three in two-thirds of the seasons he's been in the league. If that's not impressive enough, Prime has had winning seasons every year except two, and has never finished with less than six wins. There isn't another team in the league that can claim that same feat. Consistently good, and always a threat for the post-season, Prime Time is, simply put, one of the elite franchises of the AFFL. 

If there is one word that would define a PT team  it's depth. PT drafting strategies aim to build depth at all positions, but give extra attention to the running back group. Frequent pick-ups and small moves that could pay bigger dividends later characterize the teams approach. However, the more peculiar part of the team is the aura that surrounds it. PT teams are like the creature in a horror movie that comes from the swamp that can't be stopped. The smorgasbord of players and mesh-mash of personnel always seem to perform when the team's back is up against the wall.  It doesn't matter how bad the team's drafts are initially, by mid-season, and despite a losing record, Prime will find a way to become relevant. Whether it be through a trade, a waiver pick-up, or having one of his many handcuff RB's get a starting gig, things seem to always work out.

There have been a few red styes in PT history. We wouldn't characterize PT as one of the best drafters in the league by any stretch of the imagination. He successfully lost the opportunity to be characterized as such after he drafted two top tier quarterbacks with his first three picks on two separate occasions thinking that he could trade one for a top tier WR or RB. With other managers knowing he was desperate to trade, the market value for those players plummeted and he was forced to almost give the players away for nothing, a decision that ended up costing him the playoffs during one season.

With the second highest winning percentage of active managers at 58%, and considering the previously mentioned top three finishes, PT should be considered a dynasty. However, despite the success and high level of consistency, PT has failed to reach AFFL Nirvana and solidify his name in the pantheon of other AFFL champions. While lady luck is on PT's side during the season, she doesn't want to stay for the final dance when it comes to the playoffs. Prime hopes to change that this year.

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Excellent

• Levon Bell Pick #26
• Brandon Cooks Pick #48

Schedule = Medium

• x2 = Jaj Cousteau and Magnum Sev.i

Draft

Drafting Levon Bell in the ninth round two years ago has paid off huge dividends for Prime. He now is able to keep the consensus overall #1 pick in most any fantasy draft at pick #26. Cooks is also great value at pick #48, about a full round after where he usually goes. With an RB/WR in place in the middle rounds, and still having a 1st and 2nd round pick, PT has the luxury of going building more depth at those positions if he cares, or going Aaron Rodgers at pick 11 if he's there. Should he opt to build his WR depth a player like Megatron or Aj Green (highest avail) he would then more than likely would add an RB in the second round to cover Bell's pending two game suspension. We are fairly certain that running backs will be the primary targets for PT during the middle rounds, something the team does nearly every draft. The intriguing question will be to see if teams that are drafting around him (cobra kai and Jaj) steal many of his mid round picks to do the same, as all three teams have similar keeper builds in RB/WR. As long as he doesn't take two quarterbacks with his first two picks, he should be primed to start the year strong. Not as strong as when Bell gets back on the field, but strong none-the-less.

Schedule

As it looks right now, Prime won't be affected by any of the bye weeks to the teams that he is forced to play twice. Jaj's team will have two very strong keepers on it in Antonio Brown and Charles, so it is highly likely that his team will be stronger than most. Magnum may have only one keeper in Emmanuel Sanders, so his squad is yet to be finalized. We can anticipate that since the team is drafting in the first six rounds, they will get enough play-makers to roster a competitive team. Looking at the rest of teams, PT will have Bell on bye week 11, while HBK will have both keepers available. That's a long way away, but something to note. We can safely say that as of now, the four games he plays against the teams he play twice in the tough Mazoon division won't pose too much of a problem for PT.

AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: Jaj Cousteau

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Jaj Cousteau manager Chris Sirounian

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.

12. Jaj Cousteau

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History:

• Current AFFL Champion
• Has made playoffs 4 of last 6 years
• Has only won seven or more games twice in a regular season
• Drafted Arian Foster 4 rounds early the year he broke out
• Traded for Antonio Brown in losing season for keeper purposes. Helped win title.
• Weekly waiver pick-up fiend

For the past several years, Jaj Cousteau has been the wild card in the AFFL Fantasy deck. When you think he will zig, he zags. When you think you've got him figured out, he changes. Cousteau is one of the rare fantasy managers that doesn't play by any given ranking system or rules. He marches by the beat of his own drum and isn't afraid to do what he feels is best.

However, the history of his managerial skills produce a mixed bag. He began his AFFL career making the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. He also became the fifth team to win an AFFL title last season, sneaking into the postseason as a sixth seed and running the table. Despite the few years of success, Cousteau has managed to only have a "winning season" (seven wins or more) in only two of his six years in the league. Two of his playoff births were garnished with six wins seasons, and one can argue that this was more a product of luck than of true strength of roster.

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But luck can't account for the skillful moves of manager Jaj when it comes to drafting and trading. It was his foresight (and perhaps being a Texan homer) that brought him to nab Arian Foster the year he broke out four rounds before anyone would consider taking him. It was also that same foresight that pushed Jaj to get Antonio Brown in a trade during the 2013 season to retain as a keeper in the third round, which eventually lead him to his AFFL title. Cousteau's best attributes are his in-season management, particularly his weekly roster moves. He has been known to make great pick-ups for his roster the week a player goes ballistic. (see Marvin Jones '13). It's this skill that has helped him turning disappointing seasons around and stay afloat through turbulent times.

His overall record to this point hovers just above 50% (40-38), but there is no doubt that that Cousteau has established himself as a yearly player in the merry-go-round that is the AFFL fantasy season.  With shrewd trading and drafting tactics, along with his "luck of the Jaj," Cousteau is a better than average bet to make some noise in any given season.

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Very good

• Jamaal Charles Pick #12
• Antonio Brown Pick #24

Schedule = Difficult

• x2 = Prime Time and Cobra

Draft

With two of the top keepers in the league at great value, Champ Cousteau already has a leg up on the rest of the league. He won't be drafting in the first two rounds should he keep Jamaal Charles and Antonio Brown as we think he should, but that won't matter; those two players have great value at those spots. Charles and Brown are both very likely to finish in the top five of their respected positions. Getting them for nearly 9 and 15 picks later than their ADP's respectively is amazing. The key for Jaj will be how he builds off these center pieces. He'll more than likely choose more depth at RB/WR in the 3rd round, but don't be surprised if he picks up a QB between rounds 4-6. If he can manage a few late round gems, and putting injury aside for a second, Cousteau should exit the draft with a fairly strong roster, and be an immediate threat to make a return trip to the playoffs.

Schedule

The Mazoon division was extremely tough last season, with four teams making it to the post-season and three of those teams finishing in the top three. While predicting strength of schedule is impossible before the draft, we can examine which team Cousteau will have to play twice, namely Prime Time and Cobra Kai. Ouch. The two teams that finished in second and third place respectively are going to be a tough out most weeks. Prime Time has a solid keeper in Le'von Bell, and Cobra is one year removed from winning the AFFL title. Neither team will be severely effected by bye weeks, meaning teams will clash at full strength barring injury. Both Prime and Cobra are highly skilled in setting line-ups and will surely give Jaj all he can handle. You can bet that wins will be difficult to come by for at least four games during the season.

PDiddy calls to congratulate BDiddy on selecting #1 in the 2015 AFFL draft

"Congratulations on getting that b****.  Now lets win this thing." Those were the words of Sean Combs to BDiddy owner Baret Chakarian shortly after team Diddy won the rights to select first in the 2015 AFFL Draft that will be held Aug. 28th at 830pm at the house of Cousteau. Awesomeness will select second with Magnum Sev.i selecting third.

"It was a great feeling knowing that King Diddy, the First Diddy, Papa Diddy, Oh Mighty God Diddy, was as fired up for winning the draft selection as we were," said Chakarian. "He's a busy guy. We're busy too, but not as busy as him. Good feeling."

Combs called Chakarian at 11:03 pm pacific time, and had a ten minute conversation with the AFFL manager. Contents of the conversation were not made public per BDiddy's request, but information leaked to the Courier said that Combs put together a short list of players he did not wish to see Chakarian draft. Baret is believed to be reviewing the list with fellow co-managers Monkey mike and Tiggly Wiggly.

Diddy entered the draft selection process with the fourth number of ping pong balls in the bin, giving the team a 13% shot at winning the first pick overall. With hardly a keeper to retain, selecting first is a huge boost for Diddy, who had been stuck in the middle of the draft during previous years. Co-manager Monkey Mike explained that had they not jumped into the top three they were simply "f***ed."

Failing to make the post-season over the last two years, BDiddy looks to bounce back in a big way in 2015 and return to the glory years where they were a steady fixture in the playoffs. Interestingly enough, the same can be said for the two teams selecting after them, Awesomeness and Magnum Sev.i. All three teams at the top of the draft have at one time been one of the power teams in the league, but have fallen from grace.  With the first overall pick, DIddy has a leg up on trying to rebuild. But don't use that term around Chakarian. He won't accept it.

"We're reloading bro. What rebuild? Do you see me wearing a construction hat? Then what is this rebuild ca ca-may-me? Save that rebuilding word for teams like Vosgee. I don't want to hear it bro."

Reloading starts August 28th. BDiddy has the first bullet in the chamber. Stay tuned.

2015 AFFL Draft Order Selection Show

Ping Pong balls were placed in the AFFL Lottery Machine and the results are in. Who got the first pick in the 2015 AFFL Draft to be held on August 28th? Watch the video below.

2015 draft selection show