The Dozen - Slushie Sundays Week 3 Recap

Well this is certainly not how we envisioned the league to look after three weeks. Aside from Dave's squad remaining undefeated of course. Regardless, it has been the bizarro world in the first quarter of the Slushie Sundays Fantasy Football League. Early preseason favorites are not only 1-2 (Josh, Aaron and Brian) but they're also struggling to score points. Yes, scoring has been down early on but this week we experienced a great set of games in the NFL with plenty of points on the board. Will these teams bounce back? Who knows. Brian had a great roster last year and caught a horrific string of bad luck that boxed him out of a late playoff berth. Although all wins matters equally, setting the tone early is normally in everyone's best interest. 

Surprisingly, especially with last season's flurry of roster moves, there haven't been any trades. Shocking I know, but it appears as though maybe teams have become more conservative with their draft picks and are now realizing the danger of unloading picks. There's still time for this to change but it is interesting, even with only three weeks into the season. I applaud teams for not panicking and sticking to their picks and allowing the new waiver bidding system to do it's job. As I hoped, in my opinion, it's creating an extra layer of strategy to an already competitive league. We've seen teams completely burned by it (Chris Casey) and some bids for significant money paying off (Tarik Cohen). Extra strategy but also less desperation, as teams that budget their salary careful realize they could change the landscape of their roster with economical bidding. Hope you all are enjoying the difficulty of an added dimension like myself.

Of the teams missing out on the postseason in 2016, it's fair to say each team has shown improvements already in the young season. Dom and Chris Casey are scoring over 100 points per game while Will was a monster Larry Fitzgerald game away from being 2-1. As for Brian, his team boasts one of the best lineups in the league, simply a lack of touchdowns has crippled a few matchups. The parity of this league is it's true hallmark. Granted, only four champions in six years isn't the best example, but the fluctuation of teams from each year is nice to see. Dave is the perfect example.

For years, Dave swore off fantasy football and was begged to join the league. After a rough couple seasons, he teetered on the edge of not wanting to continue playing. However, he decided to stick with it and has ripped off what looks to be a third straight successful season. With his amazing run to an upset victory in the Super Bowl V, to an earnest title defense cut short by an upset from Joe, Dave is poised to show he belongs as an elite owner. His title ensures his clout along the league and our full respect (as always) but Dave would rather be feared than loved. While displaying phenomenal sportsmanship - which was recently criticized - we know that Dave is hungry to get back to the glory days of his title run. 

Back in 2015, he was the people's champ, an outsider who through a grassroots movement represented the downtrodden fantasy owners, inspiring wisdom and confidence to those less fortunate all the way to fantasy immortality. But he's never forgot where he came from and never took anything for granted. Putting it man hours each week and season to ensure sustained greatness like his idol, Coach K. Although focused on season and week-long goals, he's always looking to the future and making sure his team represents sustained success, whether it's through integrity, respect from his fellow owners or just winning games. I am so proud of you Dave, and as a fan from the beginning, I've enjoyed every part of the ride. 

1. Are Bonita Fish Big? (3-0) 

Week 3 Result: Why You Pee On My Car? - 121.1 to 104.1
The Good: Dave's running backs are VERY good. Each member of his RB triad had huge performances in each of their respective games. Gurley, Hyde and Freeman combined for nearly 75 points in Dave's Week 3 victory and he needed every single yard to get past Aaron. Okay, I wrote this on Monday morning to hedge myself. It wasn't that close but a formidable comeback by Aaron nonetheless. To be honest, everyone aside from Cam Newton exceeded their projection and showed how dominant this team can be. It's not hard to determine this when 3 of your running backs are currently the top-six of their respective positions. Hoping to keep his record clean, he faces Chris Casey, who's also been putting up significant points thus far in 2017.

The Bad: Cam Newton. He looks hurt and the loss of Greg Olsen only makes things worse. His inability to currently throw the ball deep and outside the numbers is alarming, in addition to his lack of playmakers as Ted Ginn has moved on, and Kelvin Benjamin was banged up again. Expect the Panther's offense to continue to struggle and for Dave to look elsewhere at the QB position. They face New England next week, another favorable matchup and something to closely monitor. Only other hole is who will step up as a third wide receiver between Mike Wallace, Mohamed Sanu and Tyrell Williams.

2. Sergio Dipp (2-1) 
Week 3 Result: Defeated Team New Year - 113.2 to 92.4
The Good: Depth. Depth. Depth. Just call him *horrific pun alert* 'Johnny Depth'. I'll be here all night, please try the veal folks. Back to business, Dom's team really came together once again as a cohesive unit to post another high scoring week. It may be tough to choose a lineup each week, but it's far easier to have multiple options. With Panther's offense in flux, Christian McCaffrey expected an uptick in targets and they weren't kidding. 117 total yards plus 9 catches and he's establishing himself as a weapon. Not to mention Gronk, who feasted on a tough matchup in Houston and shows again why he's so valuable with a clean bill of health. Drew Brees also had zero problems against a staunch Carolina defense and Sergio Dipp is rolling right now.

The Bad: Tough to point out any too glaring after back to back great weeks but there's constantly room for improvement. Latavius Murray has already been cut and everyone else is still producing in some capacity. Melvin Gordon did leave the game with another knee injury which is some cause for concern but initial reports seem like it's nothing major. As I've said, the depth of this team can take care of this if it happens to be a major injury. Dom still expects Gordon to play a major role in his matchup against Nick for bragging rights in the household. Winner gets to 3-1.

3. Death Row Records (2-1) 
Week 3 Result: Defeated Mommy's Little Kerwynn - 120.7 to 70.4
The Good: Although Lamar Miller and Bilal Powell have failed to impress thus far, Nick may have found a diamond in the rough with Chris Thompson. He's been on his squad for years but now he's finally beginning to receive playing time. Should be a shot of life into his roster until Doug Martin returns. As for the receivers, they were strong once again with a return to form for TY Hilton. The change to Jacoby Brissett may have saved his fantasy value until Andrew Luck's return. Production from the running backs paired with a strong trio of receivers could make this lineup extremely potent. Matt Stafford has continued to be a strong replacement and has been able to handle the load of a QB1. He'll face a tough task next week against Minnesota. As for Nick, he takes on Dom, in a battle for fantasy supremacy in the Caputo household.

The Bad: Tight End has historically been a weakness on Nick's teams. Usually not one to go for a highly ranked player, he sticks to value picks and Jack Doyle might not be able to carry the entire weight of the position all year. Maybe it was just an off game this weekend and thankfully Brisset found Hilton enough to offset Doyle but another backup on the roster would be nice. Things will certainly change moving forward but his running backs need work as a whole. Someone needs to step up. Looking at you, Lamar and Bilal.

4. Why You Pee On My Car? (2-1) 
Week 3 Result: Lost to Are Bonita Fish Big? - 121.1 to 104.1
The Good: Signs of life from the receiving core. Obviously, AB was not the issue but the lack of production from Pierre Garcon and Brandon Marshall was troubling. Thankfully, they responded, with Garcon exploding for 142 yards in a shootout against the Rams while Marshall silenced critics for the time being with 6 catches and 88 yards. The team is scoring more points each week, Derrick Henry continues to get plenty of touches but Aaron will need much more than 8 points per game. Another aspect overlooked is special teams, where Chiefs Defense and Matt Prater have combined for 20 points each week. Any little bit of contribution helps. Aaron really has his work cut out for him this week against Josh. He's hungry for a 2nd win and is projected to win by 25 at the moment.

The Bad: As if Aaron couldn't be thinner at running back, there's goes ole Darren Sproles breaking his arm and tearing his ACL on the same play. Although Sproles wasn't expected to post huge numbers, he was consistent, something truly lacking on Aaron's end. He'll need to find a solution through waivers this week to simply fill out his roster. Current options on his team include Mike Tolbert and Chris Ivory.

5. Kissing Suzy Kolber (2-1) 
Week 3 Result: Defeated Let's Play A Game - 112.5 to 91.6
The Good: As much as it surely pains Vin, the Patriots are the lifeblood of his fantasy roster. With yet another epic performance from Tom Brady, he's got his season right back on track after stumbling out of the gates. It was vintage Brady, and to the disgust of his owner, it was exactly what the doctor ordered this weekend. Even with two players in the lineup who didn't suit up, he nearly put up the most points in Week 3 and has jumped all the way up to #5 in "The Dozen". Realistically, the Brady/Cooks duo won't have anything close to this production each week but with these two playing, KSK always has a puncher's chance. Facing Chreeyusz he has a tough matchup with a team looking to shake their 2 game losing streak. Chris will certainly be conflicted watching the Patriots, while also hoping they run all over Carolina's defense.

The Bad: Injuries, primarily to the running back position. Rob Kelley wasn't able to go on Sunday night - thankfully it didn't matter - but he represented Vin's only starting running back on his roster as Paul Perkins is slowly losing his share of carries. Charles Sims has touched the ball 7 times all season which is odd and Theo Riddick hasn't scored as much as he's capable of. Someone needs to step up if this team wants to compete going forward. Unfortunately, Kelley faces the Chiefs defense, putting the onus on Brady and Cooks to be great once again. Keep an eye out for the health of Michael Crabtree as well, who's already at a disadvantage facing the Broncos secondary.

6. Schenectady Schmeckles (1-2) 
Week 2 Result: Defeated Dewsy McDukeSters - 128 to 112.9
The Good: Aaron Rodgers and Larry Fitz, the elder statesmen of the roster provided massive games to push Chris over the top for his first and much needed victory of the season. After trailing the entire Sunday, a frantic comeback led by Aaron Rodgers put him in position to steal a victory. Even with Terrelle Pryor contributing nothing, Larry Fitzgerald, needing 12 points had a memorable game as we've known throughout his entire career. Nearly 30 points, many coming in crunchtime, sealed a victory for the Schmeckles. Other bright spots have included Zach Ertz, the 2nd best TE in fantasy currently and steady play from Frank Gore and Tevin Coleman. It's certainly a committee at running back, but they continue to produce. After a great team win, they'll need to replicate it yet again facing the undefeated team of Are Bonita Fish Big?

The Bad: Terrelle Pryor. Once again, the 2nd keeper was M.I.A. against the Raiders, even with Kirk Cousins carving up the secondary. He's severely underperformed thus far and if this team is going to be successful, they'll need WR1 production out of Pryor. Certainly things will turn around but with a thin lineup as is, the time is now for TP11 to show up. If it does this week, it will be against the vaunted Chiefs secondary. The odds are not in his favor. As for Chris, he takes on the hottest team  in the league and another win would be impressive.

7. Dewsy McDukeSters (1-2) 
Week 3 Result: Lost to Schenectady Schmeckles - 128 to 112.9
The Good: The result may not have been ideal but the McDukeSters showed why they're one of the most underrated teams in the league. Russell Wilson exploded for 42 points, while AJ Green and Doug Baldwin had massive games and Leonard Fournette continued his strong rookie campaign. Looking over Will's roster, aside from Dom, you can make a case he has the most depth. Maybe an extra TE and an upgrade at the position would be ideal but you can't be anything but impressed so far.  It will be interesting to see how Will uses the wide variety of talent on his roster. Hopefully, less scoring from his opponent this weekend too as he faces Joe, who continues to struggle in the early going.

The Bad: The tight end position is scarce. Well actually, it's just Zach Miller. Not saying this would have won him the matchup but 2.2 points weren't great. Not to mention 1.5 points from Jacquizz Rodgers while Duke Johnson was stuck on the bench. Also, who expected the Ravens defense to get smoked by Jacksonville? What was a great week for the most part for Will was done in by a few missteps. If not for that, he's 2-1 right now with an extremely potent roster.

8. Team New Year (1-2) 
Week 3 Result: Lost to Sergio Dipp - 113.2 to 90.1
The Good: The effects of the Denver game did not linger for Dak Prescott. Although not throwing as often, he was efficient and put up over 25 points, adding a rushing touchdown. Also a great sign was Stefon Diggs linking up with Case Keenum for 33 points. Assuming he remains the QB for a few more weeks, Chris will be happy to know the rapport is strong enough to provide a huge boost in the flex position. Jarvis Landry continues to be bombarded with short targets from Jay Cutler and expect even more against New Orleans this Sunday. Finally, DeMarco Murray silenced any doubts with a long touchdown run against Seattle in an impressive bounce back performance. Expect big things from Travis Kelce as well after a one catch and one yard week against the Chargers.

The Bad: The Raiders tandem of Amari Cooper and Marshawn Lynch really let Chris down (not the only Caputo to experience that on Sunday). An overall bad performance, Lynch was barely on the field, especially in a goal line situation which could've led to an easy score. As for Coop, he's dropping passes at a league leading rate. Next week, it doesn't get any easier playing the Broncos in Denver (shit!). A stingy defense that has shut down corners and a run stuffing defense. It does not bode well for Chris in this matchup, hopefully he fares better overall against Kissing Suzy Kolber to get back to 2-2.

9. Famous Jameis (1-2) 
Week 3 Result: Lost to Big Baby Boi - 82.6 to 81.4
The Good: Kareem Hunt continues to be the story of the fantasy season, toppling record after record in the early stages of the season. With another huge performance against the Chargers, he's established himself as an RB1 the rest of the season. Already paired with Jay Ajayi, it creates a dynamic force paired with a great set of wide receivers. Michael Thomas turned in another strong game and is living up to preseason hype. The biggest surprise was Sammy Watkins, who had one of the best games of his career Thursday night. If Ben can receive strong production from the Buffalo transplant all season, he should be able to compete in the postseason. The consistency remains to be seen. He will face Brian this week, trying to avoid a three game losing after a strong week one.

The Bad: An absolute heartbreaker for Ben this weekend, losing by a handful of yards. Couple duds from Austin Hooper and Jay Ajayi but the rest of the team played well. Last in the league in points allowed is also a concern. Obviously, no control over this from Ben but he's giving up over 110 points per game when the league is in a scoring drought. Granted, this was an extremely winnable matchup but Ben will look to bounce back against Brian. Not the ideal candidate he was hoping for but several of his players possess favorable matchups. Look for Jay Ajayi to respond against New Orleans, a team who has been ravaged by the run all year.

10. Let's Play A Game (1-2) 
Week 3 Result: Lost to Kissing Suzy Kolber - 112.5 to 91.6
The Good: Dalvin Cook, once again looked like an absolute steal in the draft. Aside from Kareem Hunt, Cook's been the most impressive rookie and is carrying Brian's lineup in addition to team leader Matt Ryan. Although he's at 1-2 has shown he's still able to put up points. Julio Jones and LeSean McCoy have racked up plenty of yards but have yet to find the endzone. This will certainly change moving forward and wouldn't you know it, they play against one another this weekend. Brian desperately hoping to snap this losing skid before it spirals out of control like last season, will face Ben in a battle of hungry 1-2 squads.

The Bad: To be honest, not much is wrong aside from Dez Bryant slowly becoming less productive even though he sees plenty of targets. If anything, it's a lack of touchdowns as I addressed earlier. Shady and Julio have yet to score and Matt Ryan, while playing consistently well, has only thrown four. This will change, and when it does, look out for this roster because they look strong. As for the bench, the receivers are non-existent after the top three and Andy Dalton probably deserves to be re-evaluated.

11. Big Baby Boi (1-2) 
Week 3 Result: Defeated Famous Jameis - 82.6 to 81.4
The Good: No one needed a win more than Joe on Sunday. Although his team had great individual performances, a few of them remained on the bench. Regardless, it is still a positive sign for a team struggling to put up points. LeVeon Bell, as expected, bounced back against the Bears for a typical 19 point game while Jordan Howard led all starters with 29. Thankfully, Howard isn't showing signs of injury and with Ty Montgomery's increased usage, Joe can rival Dave with the best trio of RBs in the league. As for the receivers, Mike Evans drew a tough assignment against Xavier Rhodes while Kelvin Benjamin avoided another ACL tear. It looks as though he's okay but he might take the week off on Joe's roster at least. Joe faces Will this weekend and is still in desperation mode. His 85 points per game will not cut it and The McDukeSters have been able to score early on.

The Bad: For a team that's struggling, there isn't much to write about in terms of negatives. Tough matchups caused for poor roster decisions that nearly blew the week. Any setbacks with Kelvin Benjamin could leave Big Baby Boi very thin at receiver since Zay Jones has been a non-factor and Corey Davis remains out. Rishard Matthews most likely gets the start this weekend. If Graham can replicate last season's production, I see no reason why Joe can't make the final four and perhaps the Slushie Bowl once again.

12. Mommy's Little Kerwynn (1-2) 
Week 3 Result: Lost to Death Row Records - 120.7 to 90.1
The Good: Odell Beckham, presumably for the forseable future is healthy and performing like we all expect. A massive secondhand was the lone bright spot for Josh's squad. With the loss of David Johnson, Zeke and OBJ will need to outperform most weeks in order to keep pace. As we've seen, low scoring has plagued the league thus far and 100+ points goes a long way. He'll have another favorable matchup as the Giants take on a Bucs secondary that was ravaged by Case Keenum. Tarik Cohen's pickup paid off yet again, with another strong game, even with Jordan Howard commanding the majority of touches. Also, an uptick in touches for Joe Mixon could return him to Josh's starting lineup.

The Bad: Mostly poor in this weekend's performance. Derek Carr had a forgettable night in primetime while the rest of Josh's lineup struggled. This team, who last year pounded teams into oblivion on a weekly basis has yet to score over 100 points in a given week. Granted, injuries have piled up but this is not what we've expected from Josh's roster. Hoping to bounce back to .500, he'll face Aaron, another one of his bitter rivals. No love lost in this matchup after years of smack talk. Certainly a game to circle for next weekend.