A People’s Pro Bowl? Not Quite

Last month the People’s Pigskin offered a primer for those who wanted to use fantasy football stats to determine who really deserved to go to the Pro Bowl. On Tuesday the National Football League announced the rosters for football’s all-star game.

Of course, those rosters are nowhere close to final; anyone making the Super Bowl will not play in the Pro Bowl, and every year several players miss the game because of injuries (some of them major, and some of them legitimate). But it’s never too early to look at the rosters and see how they would compare to rosters set by fantasy football points.

AFC OFFENSE

Quarterback: This year the NFL picked Peyton Manning (currently 3rd among quarterbacks with 271 fantasy points, according to ESPN), Tom Brady (4th, 256) and Philip Rivers (5th, 251). So far, so good.

Running back: Chris Johnson (1st among running backs, 304), Maurice Jones-Drew (3rd, 247) and Ray Rice (4th, 220). Again, pretty good, and Rice got his fullback, Le’Ron McClain, on the roster.

Wide receiver: Andre Johnson (1st among receivers, 199), Reggie Wayne (5th, 175), Brandon Marshall (tied for 7th, 166) and Wes Welker (10th, 154). Here we have our first legitimate snubs: Randy Moss (2nd, 189) and Vincent Jackson (tied for 7th, 166).

Tight end: Dallas Clark (1st among tight ends, 158) and Antonio Gates (3rd, 149). Again, solid choices.

Offensive line: Here we turn once again to our friends at Trench Fantasy for help. In the first half of 2009, according to Trench Fantasy, the top-scoring AFC fantasy offensive lines were New England (1 lineman Pro Bowler, Logan Mankins), Pittsburgh (none) and Indianapolis (1, Jeff Saturday). By comparison, we have 2 representatives of the New York Jets (Alan Faneca and Nick Mangold) and 1 each from Miami, Denver, Cleveland and San Diego. No one from Tennessee, though; looks like Chris Johnson opened his own holes.

NFC OFFENSE

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers (1st among quarterbacks, 308), Drew Brees (2nd, 280) and Brett Favre (8th, 246). One possible snub: Tony Romo (7th, 249).

Running back: Adrian Peterson (2nd among running backs, 254), Steven Jackson (10th, 174) and DeAngelo Williams (11th, 166). A couple of snubs: Frank Gore (7th, 190) and Ryan Grant (8th, 186). And none of these runners even got a fullback to the Pro Bowl. That honor went to Leonard Weaver.

Wide receiver: DeSean Jackson (3rd among receivers, 186), Miles Austin (4th, 185), Larry Fitzgerald (6th, 173) and Sidney Rice (14th, 146). Here we have a few candidates for snubhood, including Roddy White (9th, 162) and Steve Smith of the New York Giants (11th, 153).

Tight end: Vernon Davis (2nd among tight ends, 154) and Jason Witten (9th, 94). Again, a few nominees for snubdom, including Brent Celek (4th, 128) and Tony Gonzalez (5th, 114).

Offensive line: According to Trench Fantasy, the top NFC fantasy offensive line in the first half of 2009 was New Orleans (with 2 Pro Bowlers, Jonathan Stinchcomb and Jahri Evans). We also have 2 line representatives from Minnesota (Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson) and Dallas (Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode), along with 1 each from Philadelphia and the New York Giants.

AFC DEFENSE

(For the defensive units, we will be borrowing individual defensive player stats from FFToday.)

Defensive line: Here’s where things get dicey. Actual Pro Bowlers: Robert Mathis (9th among defensive linemen with 85.5 fantasy points), Mario Williams (tied for 12th, 81.5), Dwight Freeney (14th, 79.5), Vince Wilfork (tied for 85th, 43), Haloti Ngata (tied for 90th, 42.5) and Casey Hampton (tied for 97th, 40.5). Your top snubs: Aaron Schobel (2nd, 113.5) and Jarret Johnson (11th, 82).

Linebacker: Brian Cushing (3rd among linebackers, 159), Ray Lewis (8th, 130.5), Elvis Dumervil (9th, 129.5), James Harrison (10th, 129) and DeMeco Ryans (25th, 112.5). Top snubs: David Harris (4th, 145) and D.J. Williams (tied for 5th, 133.5).

Defensive back: Brian Dawkins (3rd among defensive backs, 128), Darrelle Revis (13th, 117.5), Champ Bailey (tied for 43rd, 96.5), Jairus Byrd (46th, 95), Ed Reed (85th, 78) and Nnamdi Asomugha (tied for 166th–that’s right, one hundred and sixty-sixth–with 40.5). Top snubs: Tyvon Branch and Bernard Pollard (tied for 5th with 126 points each), along with pretty much everyone in the defensive backfield wearing a Cincinnati Bengals jersey.

NFC DEFENSE

Defensive line: Jared Allen (1st among defensive linemen, 132), Julius Peppers (5th, 110), Trent Cole (6th, 108.5), Darnell Dockett (tied for 12th, 81.5), Jay Ratliff (23rd, 70) and Kevin Williams (tied for 37th, 61.5). Tops among the snubbed: Will Smith (3rd, 111) and Andre Carter (4th, 110.5).

Linebacker: Patrick Willis (1st among linebackers, 180), Jonathan Vilma (tied for 11th, 128.5), Lance Briggs (tied for 19th, 117), DeMarcus Ware (tied for 21st, 115.5) and Brian Orakpo (tied for 50th, 91.5). Your all-star-caliber snubees: Jon Beason (2nd, 160.5) and London Fletcher (tied for 5th, 133.5).

Defensive back: Charles Woodson (1st among defensive backs, 159), Darren Sharper (2nd, 141), Adrian Wilson (tied for 7th, 122.5), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (tied for 10th, 120), Asante Samuel (tied for 24th, 105.5) and Nick Collins (tied for 40th, 97.5). The biggest snubs: Dashon Goldson (4th, 127.5) and Terrell Thomas (tied for 7th, 122.5).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: No real surprises here. For the NFC, we have David Akers (1st among kickers with 148 ESPN fantasy points). For the AFC, we have Nate Kaeding (2nd, 142).

Punter: Again, no real surprises. For the NFC, we have Andy Lee (2nd in the NFL with a 47.7-yard average). For the AFC, we have Shane Lechler (1st with a sick 51.1 average).

Kick returner: No major shockers here, either. For the NFC, it’s DeSean Jackson (yes, as both a receiver and a returner). For the AFC, it’s Josh Cribbs, and if he needs an introduction, it’s time to take up a new hobby.

Special teamer: Again, I have nothing here. Flip a coin.

To keep this post brief–OK, shorter than it could have been–I limited myself to 2 snubs per unit. But please note that in several cases I could have listed as least twice as many. Clearly, whoever had the final word on the Pro Bowl has never been a fantasy football commissioner.

And in case you were wondering, the number of Pro Bowlers currently on the People’s Pigskin roster … drumroll, please … zero. Well, unless you count Trent Cole, Patrick Willis and Asante Samuel as members of the Philadelphia and San Francisco defense/special teams.

We’ll be back later with some updates on the final Landshark Maniacs predictions.

Pick the People’s Team – Week 17

OK, fellow fantasy football fans. It’s all come down to this.

There’s one week left for the People’s Pigskin to claim the title of Best of the Rest. The Southern Rebels currently hold a 2-point lead, and it’s time for you, the Internet, to vote on our lineup for the final week of the NFL regular season. Here’s how the lineup looks right now.

Quarterback. Our current starter is Kurt Warner, whose Arizona Cardinals face the Green Bay Packers and still have a chance at earning the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a bye. If you want to bench Warner, Matt Cassel can come off the bench.

Running back. Warner’s teammate, Chris “Beanie” Wells, remains a starter. He’s joined by Matt Forte, who seems rejuvenated after Monday night’s victory. His Chicago Bears get the Detroit Lions this week. Either one can be benched in favor of Derrick Ward. (Please note that the plan is to keep Donald Brown on the bench, since the Indianapolis Colts have shown they are quite willing to bench starters late in the season, even if a 16-0 season is on the line.)

Flex. This spot seems to be good luck for Greg Jennings, so he’s staying right there. His Green Bay Packers get the Cardinals. Again, Derrick Ward is available to fill his slot.

Wide receiver. The starters remain Chad Ochocinco, whose Cincinnati Bengals play the New York Jets on Sunday night, and Nate Washington, whose Tennessee Titans visit the Seattle Seahawks. If either receiver is benched, T.J. Houshmandzadeh gets the call. (Please note that the plan is for Austin Collie, like Brown, to stay on the bench because of the Colts’ bench-happy ways.)

Defense/special teams. The San Francisco 49ers won’t be going to the playoffs, but they do get the starting nod here, since they get to close out their season against the Detroit Lions. If you don’t like that matchup, you can vote to start the Philadelphia Eagles instead.

No changes at tight end (Kevin Boss) or kicker (Jay Feely).

The lineup poll is open and will remain open until Sunday. So will the fantasy football MVP poll right below it. Please vote now.

We’ll be back with some thoughts on the Pro Bowl rosters.

Call It a Halftime Report

The People’s Pigskin remains in contention for the highly sought title of Best Fantasy Football Team Not to Make the Landshark Maniacs Playoffs.

Our team currently trails the Southern Rebels by a score of 94-92. As of Monday afternoon, that makes our matchup the closest one in the league. Here’s how we got here.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 24 of 38 passing, 313 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 rush for 10 yards, 1 fumble and 19 fantasy points. Warner’s Arizona Cardinals wrapped up the NFC West title last week, and this week Warner became the second quarterback (after Fran Tarkenton) to throw at least 100 touchdowns for two teams.

Derrick Ward, RB. The stats: 7 rushes, 32 yards and 3 fantasy points. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled off a mother of an upset against the New Orleans Saints, but it was despite Ward’s performance, not because of it.

Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB. The stats: 17 rushes for 68 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 reception for 25 yards and 14 fantasy points. Wells will definitely go much higher this fall in fantasy drafts.

Greg Jennings, Flex. The stats: 4 receptions, 111 yards and 11 fantasy points. The Green Bay Packers played their way into the NFL playoffs, and Jennings got everything but the touchdowns.

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 31 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 rush for minus-2 yards and 9 fantasy points. Ochocinco, on the other hand, got nothing but the touchdown, which wrapped up the AFC North title for his Cincinnati Bengals.

Nate Washington, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 39 yards and 3 fantasy points. You may notice that his stats are nearly identical to Ochocinco’s in every way except one: no visits to the end zone.

Kevin Boss, TE. The stats: 5 receptions, 49 yards and 4 fantasy points. Not a single New York Giant covered himself in glory Sunday in the team’s final appearance in Giants Stadium, and Boss was no exception.

Jay Feely, K. The stats: 2 for 2 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 8 fantasy points. A much better afternoon for Feely and the rest of the Jets than last Sunday. His team is now in “win and you’re in the playoffs” status.

San Francisco 49ers, D/ST. The stats: 3 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks, 6 points allowed and 21 fantasy points. Not bad at all for a team with no postseason bid to motivate it.

Bench. Matt Cassel, Donald Brown and Austin Collie scored 9 fantasy points each. The Philadelphia Eagles defense scored 4.

We’ll be back with our lineup poll for week 17. Until then, enjoy Monday night’s thrashing.

A Sunday Evening Update

The People’s Pigskin had an enjoyable final Sunday of 2009. As we wait for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins to kick off, the Internet’s favorite football team enjoys a 92-81 lead over the Southern Rebels.

There are no Pigskin players in Sunday night’s game or Monday night’s game. The Rebels have two players in the Sunday night matchup: Quinton Ganther of the Redskins and Jason Witten of the Cowboys. If they score 10 or fewer fantasy points, the Pigskin will hold the lead at the halfway point in our matchup. (Remember that we’re combining week 16 and week 17 scores to determine the title of “Best of the Rest.”)

We’ll be back with a more detailed breakdown. Until then, enjoy the football.

The People’s Choice – Week 16

Another round of voting has come and gone for the People’s Pigskin, and once again you, the Internet, have spoken. You voted to keep our lineup the way it is now for our matchup against the Southern Rebels. (Results can be found at the bottom of this post.) You can follow that matchup live by clicking here.

As we come to the end of another fantasy football season (but not the end of this experiment; more details later), it’s time to look back at which players excelled and which ones sputtered. Therefore, you, the Internet, have a very important task this week: Pick fantasy football’s most valuable player. The poll is up and will stay up until next Sunday. Be sure to vote.

We’ll be back with an update later.

Saturday Afternoon Update

Those of you fortunate enough to have access to NFL Network on Christmas night (either in your own home or whoever was hosting was you) got the gift of seeing the San Diego Chargers make mincemeat of the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, one of the victims of this slaughter was Nate Washington, who put up only 3 fantasy points for the People’s Pigskin. Washington was the only Titans receiver to get more than 1 catch. That means he was Vince Young’s favorite target, but that’s cold comfort for fantasy football players.

Speaking of fantasy football, there’s still time for you to vote on our poll about what to do with the rest of our lineup for week 1 of our battle against the Southern Rebels. That poll will close on Sunday before kickoff, so please vote now.

While you’re pondering how you’ll vote, you can also check out the Alice in Chains Fantasy Football Charity League. Ten musicians/personalities have agreed to auction various items next month to benefit a charity. Which charity? The one chosen by the winner of this fantasy league. The finalists: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who’s playing for Mending Kids International, and Matt Willig, the former NFL lineman, who’s playing for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. You can follow their two-week matchup by clicking here.

We’ll be back Sunday with the results of our lineup poll.

A Christmas Day Update

This update will be brief, since there’s a good chance you’re checking this blog and your other fantasy football sites in between holiday conversations with friends, relatives, neighbors and various hangers-on.

First, thanks to those of you who voted in the Nate Washington and Christmas football polls. You voted to keep Washington in our starting lineup for week 1 of our fifth-place matchup against the Southern Rebels. Washington and the rest of the Tennessee Titans host the San Diego Chargers tonight, and you can watch keep track of the Pigskin-Rebels matchup by clicking here.

You also voted to keep playing football on Christmas Day. Santa Claus (who undoubtedly played defensive end in college with his knowledge of sacks — ho, ho, ho) would be pleased. You can see the results of both polls below.

Speaking of polls, there’s still time to vote on the rest of our lineup. That poll will close Sunday.

Fearless Predictions – Season Finale

There’s still time to vote on the Nate Washington and Christmas football polls (both of which will close tomorrow) and the lineup poll (which will close Sunday). In the meantime, it’s time for one last set of predictions for the Landshark Maniacs fantasy football league. Again, these are two-week matchups, so week 17 will be in play here, too.

Last week’s predictions went 4-1, raising our season record to 41-29. The only miss was the win by the Southern Rebels, our opponent in the final round. Here’s hoping the Rebels don’t hold that against us.

Let’s start with the ninth-place matchup between the Houston Wreckin’ Crew and Ravens Fan T Sizzle. In this game, it will be important to mind your Ps and Qs–that is, the “probable” and “questionable” statuses throughout both lineups. This matchup will hinge on Michael Turner, who could put up big numbers for the Crew or injure himself on his first carry and put up a doughnut (as he did in last week’s game against the Pigskin). My guess is that Turner will show up for the last two weeks and fuel a victory for the Crew.

Next is the seventh-place match between the D.C. Destroyers and T-bay jacks 151rum stumblrs. Both sides have plenty of players fighting for playoff spots, but the most intriguing player is Chris Johnson, who is chasing a postseason bid, a 2,000-yard season and possibly Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. Since the Titans need to win both games to get into the playoffs, they’ll be motivated to feed Johnson the ball early and often. That will mean big fantasy points for him and a victory for the Destroyers.

The fifth-place match for the title of Best Landshark Maniacs Team Not to Make the Playoffs (yes, I just made that title up) pits the People’s Pigskin against the Southern Rebels. Which team is the pick here? Let me give you a hint: In the immortal words of Terrell Owens, “I’d love me some of me.”

In the playoff consolation game for third place, we have the Hawaiian Surfriders facing Tinks Revenge. As of this writing, the Surfriders have not selected a kicker, but it probably won’t matter. Ray Rice is a contender for fantasy football find of the year, and his team is in a “We need to win both games to get into the playoffs” situation, so he’ll get the ball early and often. The Revenge gets the win and the proverbial bronze medal.

Finally, we have the Landshark Maniacs championship game, Northeast Dragons vs. Big Lough O. One thing that’s striking about this matchup is the proliferation of 1s and 2s under the “position rank” column. We can honestly say that the two best teams are meeting for the title. (Note to college football fans: We used a playoff to get here. We did not need a fraudulent set of polls and computer numbers. Remember: Playoffs rule.)

Anyway, it’s hard to find a player who won’t be in a position to put up a ton of points over the next two weeks. Even Drew Brees has a reason to keep slinging the ball in the fourth quarter. (The New Orleans Saints have not wrapped up home-field advantage.) The difference here may be the wide receivers. Given the choice, I’ll take Brandon Marshall, Andre Johnson and Vincent Jackson over Roddy White, Terrell Owens and even Wes Welker. As a result, I’ll take the Dragons to win it all.

We’ll be back tomorrow with poll results. Have a merry one.

Pick the People’s Team – Week 16

With our recent victory over the Houston Wreckin’ Crew, the People’s Pigskin gets to play the Southern Rebels for fifth place (in other words, the top spot among nonplayoff teams) in the Landshark Maniacs fantasy football league. That means it’s time once again for you, the Internet, to help pick this week’s lineup. Here are the contenders.

Quarterback. Even though one of his touchdowns last week was changed to an Anquan Boldin run, we still have Kurt Warner in the starting lineup. He faces the St. Louis Rams this week. If that matchup isn’t juicy enough, you can vote to start Matt Cassel instead.

Running back. Another Arizona Cardinal, Chris “Beanie” Wells, stays in the starting lineup. He’s joined by Derrick Ward, who’s coming off our proverbial bench and facing the New Orleans Saints. If you vote to bench either one, we can call on Matt Forte.

Flex. Greg Jennings worked well in this spot last week, so he’s there again this week. He gets to play the Seattle Seahawks. If you want to bench him, we can pull Austin Collie off the bench.

Wide receiver. You already know about the Nate Washington poll, which will close Friday morning. The other starter, at least for the moment, is Chad Ochocinco, who plays the Kansas City Chiefs in the first home game for the Cincinnati Bengals since Chris Henry’s death. Austin Collie can take this spot, too.

Defense/special teams. A switch for the Pigskin here. Our starting defense is the San Francisco 49ers. They play the Detroit Lions on Sunday. If you want to bench the 49ers, we can put the Philadelphia Eagles on the field.

Kevin Boss remains our tight end, and Jay Feely remains our kicker.

The poll is now open. We’ll be back tomorrow with a Christmas Eve edition of the Landshark Maniacs predictions.

Something to Celebrate: Victory!

Before we get into last week’s results, we should let you know that there’s a new poll up. This one concerns Nate Washington, whose Tennessee Titans will face the San Diego Padres on Friday night. (Yes, on Christmas Day.) Nate currently sits in our starting lineup. Your votes will determine if he stays there. If you vote to bench him, Austin Collie will take his spot, at least temporarily.

Now, on to last week. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he’s given the People’s Pigskin a chance to play for the title of “Best of the Rest.”

The Internet’s favorite fantasy football team hung on Monday night to seal a 150-126 victory over the Houston Wreckin’ Crew. Here’s a breakdown of last week’s portion of the results.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 23 of 37 passing, 233 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 2 rushes for minus-2 yards, 1 fumble and 13 fantasy points. The turnovers remain a concern, but Warner remains upright, and that’s the important thing for Arizona Cardinals fans and fantasy football players.

Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB. The stats: 17 rushes for 110 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 reception for 13 yards and 18 fantasy points. Wells has settled nicely into the Cardinals lineup, and his value is sure to skyrocket in fantasy drafts next year.

Julius Jones, RB. The stats: 12 rushes, 65 yards and 6 fantasy points. ESPN also credits Jones with 2 receptions, but it also says he gained 0 yards on those catches. If a player gets the ball and doesn’t go anywhere, did he really make a catch?

Greg Jennings, Flex. The stats: 5 receptions for 118 yards, 1 touchdown and 17 fantasy  points. What’s more amazing: Jennings putting up those numbers against the Pittsburgh Steelers, or the fact that a receiver puts up those numbers against the Steelers is no longer surprising?

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 1 rush for 26 yards, 3 receptions for 79 yards, 1 touchdown and 15 fantasy points. Frankly, he should get an extra point for the way he paid tribute to Chris Henry in the end zone.

Austin Collie, WR. The stats: 1 rush for 2 yards, 3 receptions for 27 yards, 1 touchdown and 8 fantasy points. That’s about as low a point total as you can generate in a game where you score a touchdown.

Kevin Boss, TE. The stats: 3 receptions, 57 yards and 5 fantasy points. He didn’t get one of the dozens of touchdowns the New York Giants scored against the Washington Redskins, but at least he wasn’t scratched.

Jay Feely, K. The stats: 0 for 2 on field goals, 1 for 1 on PATs and minus-1 fantasy points. How many of you would have voted differently in our kicker poll if you had known Feely would react the way he did to Henry’s death?

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 3 sacks, 13 points allowed and 15 fantasy points. This defense may be the real key to the NFC East title.

Bench. Matt Cassel scored 22 points. (Who knew?) Derrick Ward scored 12. Nate Washington scored 9, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh scored 7.

We’ll be back tomorrow with a preview of our next matchup.