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Yea...that happened. 380 yards and 6 TD's and I still lost to my uncle. In what was an absolute shootout, my uncle beat me 155 to 137. Brady got me nearly 60, Welker got me 32, and Westbrook showed promise with 19 points without a TD. But the rest of my team fell flat. Steve smith only got 6, Winslow got me 3 points after getting 26 on my bench last week, Lynch is getting killed by Fred Jackson(its cool though it was Ronnie Browns bye week) Braylon Edwards was mostly shut out, and my kicker Baronias never got close to seeing the field against the Pats. My uncle got 44 points from Schaub, 34 from Moss, 18 from AP, 22 from Owen Daniels, and 20 from New England. All things considered, I am about as happy with a 2-4 team as I can be. And with a matchup against my grandpa next week who's in last place, I foresee a good bounce back coming.

In my must win ATVN league, this one was over by 1. As I expected, Schaub absolutely ripped it, given me a much welcome problem of which top 5 QB to start each weeks, Rivers or Schaub. My RB's each got me 30 points D will finally broke out and Thomas Jones cemented his status at the #1 back in NY. Great pickup for me. Another free agent pickup Heath Miller put up Witten like numbers in Witten's bye week and was huge. Overall, 7 of my starters got double figures, and I had top score in the league with 164 points. Next week, a big matchup vs Drew Brees and Casey. A win there would be absolutely huge. Also in week 2, my trade is looking great. Chris Johnson has absolutely sucked horribly, and while Welker is healthy and solid, Schaub has played out of his mind in the last 6 quarters.

So 2-4 in both of my leagues, but my teams are looking really good. If I can finally get a few close calls to go my way, I'm expecting big things in December. Thanks for reading.

Ok tomorrow is my favorite day of the week. NFL Sunday means I got 2 more matchups, and the one in ATVN is a must win. At 1-4, I'm playing Brian who I'm tied with at 1-4. The loser of this matchup can pretty much kiss the playoffs goodbye. In an 8 team league with 14 weeks of play, you probably need a 7-7 record to make playoffs. So 1-5 and 2-4 hugeeee difference. In my family league, I'm 2-3 and have a tough matchup vs my uncle who is 4-1 and tied for 1st. A win here would be huge, and dropping to 2-4 would be tough in a league where the difference between 3rd and 8th is just one game. Here are the matchups.

Me vs my Uncle.


Tom Brady vs. Ten- I'm banking on huge numbers from Brady with both the starting corners for the Titans not playing.

Steve Smith vs. NO- In a game that looks to be a potential shootout, I like Steve Smith alot.

Wes Welker vs. Ten- Should get his usual 10 catches a game hopefully a TD

Braylon Edwards vs Buffalo- Hoping he can continue his great production from Monday night against a downright awful team.

Brian Westbrook @Oak- Needs to get healthy and get more touches in an offense that has been on fire in the air but not the ground.

Marshawn Lynch @NYJ- They are slowing working Lynch back into the system, and soon he'll be an every down back again.

Kellen Winslow vs. Car- Hoping he can get half his production from Sunday, especially against a defense that is weak against the TE.

Rob Bironas- If the offense can get going, I hope for alot of PAT's and FGs

New York Jets- Hope they can make up for the less then goose egg they put up last week that cost me.

Uncle Mike


Matt Schaub @ Cin- Gonna be a shootout sadly expecting big numbers

Brandon Marshall @SD- Worried bout him last year he had 18 catches against them

Percy Harvin vs Bal- Mite not play that would be huge.

Randy Moss vs Ten- Brady as my QB should cancel out most of his production.

Adrian Peterson vs Bal- Bout as good a defense I can ask for against this beast.

Brandon Jacobs- @ NO- Hoping Bradshaw steals some carries this week again

Owen Daniels- @Cin- Gonna get some solid points

Stephen Gostkowski vs Ten- Def gonna get some looks as the Pats should be moving the ball all day.

New England vs Ten- Hoping the D doesn't play as well as the O will.

ATVN: Me vs Brian


Matt Schaub @Cin- Hate having overlaps but this matchup is too juicy. Hoping for a good, not great game lol

Chad Ochocinco vs Hou- Hope the head to head with Andre will help motivate Ocho.

Nate Burleson vs. Ari- Mite get lost in all of the Wr's here but should still give me 10ish points.

Braylon Edwards vs Buf- see above

DeAngelo Williams @TB- Poor week last week but Tampa's D sucks so hoping for some big points here

Thomas Jones vs Buf- Should see alot of the goaline against this Defense.

Heath Miller vs Cle- One of big ben's favorite targets should put up Jason Witten like numbers in his absence.

Mason Crosby vs Det- Should see plenty of the field against a horrible Defense

Pittsburgh vs Cle- I expect big numbers against the worst offense in football.

Brian


David Garrard vs Stl- Looked awful last week but this D looks just as awful.

Percy Harvin vs Bal- PLEASE DONT PLAY!

DeSean Jackson @Oak- Hoping Asumogha(however u spell his name) shuts him out

Greg Jennings vs Det- Could be very dangerous against bad defense

Brian Westbrook @Oak- Dam the cross overs! Hate them!

Ahmad Bradshaw @NO- Facing Jacobs in the other league, really hoping the Giants pass early and often.

Brent Celek @Oak- Putting up great numbers

Jason Elam vs Chi- Hoping for a low score here

Cincinnati vs Hou- Should be a shootout so hoping for some negative points here.

Ok those are the matchups. As always I'll post how my players are doing on my twitter @tayke2. And I'll post a full recap Sunday nite. Thanks for reading.

I started an internship at Fox College Sports last week and I'm really loving it. I've had a ton of great opportunities there already, including writing an article previewing one of their football games, actually helping out on editing pieces rather then just logging for 6 months(some people know who I'm talking about I won't name names), and having a leading role in a demonstration of the west coast offense that will air at halftime of the Kansas State Texas A&M game on Saturday. Also a big perk is getting TV series over half off at the Fox store! Today I got How I met your Mother Season 1,2, and 4...Always sunny season 3 and 4, and Arrested development season 3...all of them for 16 bucks each! Awesome.

Got fantasy football coming up two more matchups including a must win in my atvn to still have a shot at the playoffs. I'll post match ups this weekend when they are final and results like I did last weekend. Also thinking about doing fantasy basketball. Haven't decided. Also stoked about the USC Notre Dame game I think we'll win by 14 points or so we are looking pretty good. Also for anyone who hasn't seen yet, Stafon Johnson is back at SC!!
Awesome to see him back fight on stafon!

Lastly, I mite be playing some live poker next week! Think I mite run down to the hustler's casino in Gardena Wednesday for a 200 buck 6 handed tournament. Its been too long since I played live, and I loveeee 6 handed so we'll c. Also mite play some more online now that my 1500 dollar check is in the mail. Its the money i won when I went on that sick heater a few weekends ago not that all the money I planned on cashing out is out, I'll be back on the grind soon. Thats it for me thanks for reading guys.

Well going into tonite, I needed exactly 21.75 points from Ronnie Brown and NYJ defense to beat my brother. Well Ronnie brown had a great game, giving me...21.75 points. BUT!! The last go ahead TD gave 31 points, meaning my defense had -1 points. And given they had 0 sacks, ints, and fumbles, I lost by .75 points. This after a .08 loss earlier this year. Fucking brutal. 1 point from 3-2. Oh well, I'm not as desperate in the family league. 8 of 10 teams make the playoffs there. In the atvn league though, I'm tied for last at 1-4 with only 4 of 8 making it. Next week is a MUST WIN in atvn. Luckily, its against the guy I'm tied with in last Brian, and 4 of his starters, the Dallas Cowboys, have a bye. So again on paper, easy win. But as this week proved, nothing is guaranteed. Thanks for reading.

Having played a ton of poker, I'm used to sweating the "classic coin flip". The all in pre flop of 77 vs AK that ultimately determines the winners of several tournaments. However, fantasy football has these as well, and in a way, they are more frustrating, because you are ultimately in control of the situation. In yesterday's match up for my brother, I had two coin flips, and one of them went terribly wrong.

First was at QB: Whether to start Tom Brady @ Denver or Carson Palmer @ Baltimore

As with each coin flip, I made a pros and cons list. For Brady , Pros: They will pass the ball a ton, and he's always capable of having a 30 point game. Cons: In Denver's cold weather against a tough Defense that includes all world corner Champ Bailey who would likely(and he did) shut down Randy Moss. For Palmer, Pros: Looking like he's back at his 2007 form and has a ton of weapons around him, but cons: He was playing Batlimore's pass defense...thats really all you need to know lol. I decided to go with Brady, and as is often the case, it didn't matter much, but it turned ut to be the correct decision as Brady got 3 more points.

The other toss up was Kellen Winslow vs Mercedes Lewis. Winslow, pros: He's probably the #1 option for Tampa Bay especially in the red zone, and he's showing the talent he displayed in his college years. Cons: Tampa....Bay.....sucks. Mercedes Lewis- Pros: The offense WAS on fire, and lewis was showing his promise as a 1st round pick last year. Cons: The offense is pretty stacked, with Lewis being the 3rd or 4th option. Based on the matchups and the abilities of the offenses, I chose Mercedes Lewis. Well Lewis got 2.5 points, and Winslow got....26. He caught both of Tamps TD's and was the lone star of a terrible offensive game. Lol great.

Had I started Winslow, I'd have the victory wrapped up. Oh well still have a shot tonight. Got Ronnie Brown and the Jets defense, which sadly will be in opposition of each other as far as points are concerned. But I have hope considering there will be two rookie QB's starting. Ideal situation; Ronnie brown 100 yards rushing 6 catches and 1 TD. The Jets allow 10 points and get a few takeaways and sacks. Need 20 point...cross your fingers.

In the ATVN league, I lost my sure win against Jeremy, thanks in large part to Peyton Manning who screwed me over again for the 3rd time in 4 weeks by giving Wayne a TD and 15 points. I lost by 5, but I'm happy that my trade worked out for me. Ochocinco got 11 points, and Burelson ripped it for 25. Schaub had a sick second half giving me 25 points. And Bradon jacobs started off well, but fizzled while Amad Bradshaw shined. Not good. But on the other side, Chris johnson once again sucked, welker did well, and Palmer was ok. sadly though, 1-4 now means Playoffs might be tough. We'll c.

Thanks for reading if anyone has any questions about my team or theirs feel free to comment I'll glad give my 2 cents. Thanks guys.

So I'm up bright and early! (10 am pretty early for me lol) To watch some NFL Football. Alternating between the Raiders Giants and Cowboys Chiefs. Not my favorite games to watch cause I only have three players playing. Steve Smith and Bradan Jacobs from the Giants and Jason Witten for the Cowboys. Here are my matchups.

First vs my brother.

Tom Brady @ Denver Kevin Walter @Arizona
Steve Smith vs Oakland
Wes Welker @ Denver
Ronnie Brown vs NYJ
Brian Westbrook vs Tampa Bay
Merecedes Lewis @Seattle
Joe Nedney vs Atlanta
NYJ @Miami


Shaun Hill vs Atlanta
Calvin Johnson vs Pittsburgh
Bernard Berrian @St Louis
TJ Whosyamama? vs Jacksonville
Chris Johnson vs Indy
Michael Turner @ San Fran
Brent Clerk vs Tampa Bay
Neil Rackers vs Houston
San Fran vs Atlanta

I am a projected two point favorite in this game lol. About as even as it gets, but I'm worried my brother might take this one considering my QB situation. I had to choose between the lesser of two evils. Carson Palmer AT Baltimore, or Brady @Denver, a good defense and bad weather. As a rule of thumb, I rarely start a QB against Baltimore, and making no exception. Riding brady today we'll c if it pays off.

Other Match up vs my boy Jeremy Hall

Matt Schaub @Arizona
Kevin Walter @Arizona
Chad Ochocinco @Baltimore
Nate Burleson vs Jacksonville
Denaglo Williams vs Washington
Brandon Jacobs vs Oakland
Jason Witten @ KC
David Akers vs Tampa
Pittsburgh @Detroit


Ben Rothlisberger@ Detroit
Randy Moss @Denver
Reggie Wayne @ Tennessee
Kenny Britt vs Indy
Ray Rice vs Cincy
Tim hightower vs Houston
Ben Watson @ Denver
Joe Nedney vs Atlanta
Philadelphia vs tampa

On paper, this should be an easy win for me. I have some great matchups, including Schaub in what will be a shootout in the desert, and Pittsburgh against Detroit, along with Moss vs all pro Champ Bailey. So in theory I should win...but that...as they say...is why they play the game. Check out my twitter throughout the day at @tayke2, as I'll post updates throughout, and I'll post a recap tonite. Thanks for reading.

Its one of my favorite things in the world to do. Every Sunday, every game matters, and its just awesome. I thought I'd post my teams here and do a Sunday update so you guys can follow along. I haven't been really feeling poker recently for whatever reason, but that will probably change soon with the "Piece of Ivey sweepstakes." I'll post the link to that later.

Ok so my first team is my family league. It consists of 10 people: myself, my dad, mom and brother. then my Uncle, Grandpa, Aunt, and Cousin. then two of her friends to round out the league. In this league, I am 2-2, but I really like my team and I think when everyone is 100% I have a good shot at taking the league down.

QB: Tom Brady- Has been so-so so far this year but the knee gets better every game and with a healthy Welker coming back, I expect big numbers soon.

WR: Calvin Johnson- This kid is a star in the making and is putting up great numbers on a horrible offense.

WR: Steve Smith(NYG)- Probably the biggest surprise of the season, Smith has filled the void for Plaxico and then some and is the top scoring WR of the year. Love to see the Trojans do well!

WR: Wes Welker: Look at Brady

RB: Ronnie Brown- A pleasant surprise so far, Brown is by far my most productive RB and is one of the best RB's this year.

RB: Brian Westbrook: I took a huge gamble with Westbrook at the #2 overall pick and so far he has let me down. But his knee is getting better and I expect him to return to his 15-20 point a game form soon.

TE: Kellen Winslow/Mercedes Lewis- Definitely my weak point, I'm counting on Lewis to continue his breakout year and give me some big numbers.

K: Joe Nedney and Rob Bironias- Its kicking..lets not waste our time.

DEF: Jets and Tennessee- Titans have been a big disappointment but the Jets have been holding through for me.

Bench: Lots of potential. Braylon Edwards has been a huge bust and I gambled on him by drafting him in all of my leagues. Hoping the change of scenery can get him back to his 2007 form. Also keep an eye on Marshawn Lynch back from suspension.

I have a public team but it was auto drafted and sucks and I dont care much about it lol. My other team is with a bunch of my school friends. We only got 8 teams, so they are a bit more stacked then usual. My team is 1-3, but is 4 points from 3 and 1. Lost one match up 140.52 to 140.44(not a typo .08 points) and lost another game by 3 points. Just pulled a huge trade will talk about it after.

QB: Phillip Rivers: Gonna lead the league in Yards this year but I'm hoping he ups the TD's for me.

WR:Kevin walter: Just getting back to full strength from his knee injury. Should get good production.

WR: Wes Welker- Mentioned before, getting healthy. Gets tons of catches but few TD's.

WR: Torry holt- Usually a dependable veteran, but the change of teams hasn't been good for him. Not doing well this year.

RB: Chris Johnson- #1 guy in fantasy but deceiving ranking as he had one bananas week and 3 sub par ones.

RB: Deangelo williams- I will live and die by him this year. Last year, he wasn't great till the 2nd half of the year. Hope that is the same this year.

TE: Jason witten- Best TE in football. Getting tons of catches but I need some TD's soon.

K: David Akers: still got one hell of a leg

DEF: Pittsburgh- I need Polamolu back. NOW!

Ok so the trade. Clearly my WR's suck balls and my RB's are stacked(also got Larry Johnson who's past his prime but still solid but stuck on a horrible team.) But I had to make a move to get some more productive wide outs. So I pulled a blockbuster trade. Chris Johnson, Carson Palmer, and Wes Welker for Chad Ochocinco, Nate buerlson, Matt Schaub, and Brandon Jacobs. I decided to trade CJ cause of his inconsistency. I needed good WR's and I got 2 guys who have double the points of my current top guys. Schaub is a stud and will give me two great QB's that I an switch out or maybe use as trading bait later this year. And Jacobs will give me solid rushing numbers. Overall, I think for my team, it was a good trade.

So those are my teams I'm going to try to update every Sunday, and I'll also talk about various subjects throughout football season. I want to start talking about more then poker, so expect future posts about College and Pro football. Sorry for the long read..thanks guys.