Greenies Speak

In the most stunning upset in CTDB Super Bowl history, Gang Green defeated the heavily favored, perennial championship contender Chunky Monkeys. Backing their way into the playoffs on a 3 game losing streak and a 5-8 regular season record, Gang Green got hot at just the right time. Such a dramatic upset has not been seen since the likes of the Giants championship run over the undefeated Patriots and even more so Broadway Joe's guaranteed win for the true Green and White. No doubt this unlikely win will go down in history alongside those memorable games.

No one believed the Gang could overcome such great odds, defeating last year's champion and winner of the division, Battle Angels on their way to the Big Game. The last few years however, CTDB has been a league of parity where anyone can beat anyone on any given week. Green's strategy of being good enough to make the playoffs and getting hot at the right time paid off in spades.

"I'm still in shock. This is truly a dream come true. Splitting the championship with good friend GM Jon in 2007 was awesome, but finally winning a championship outright is extremely satisfying and I can't put into words how good it feels," said GM Greg on the field after the game.

Randy Moss, Super Bowl MVP, and one of the biggest steals in league history said in response to recent criticism about his play, "This championship is even sweeter than my monster season in 2007. Despite all the haters out there I'm a team player and winning this championship outright is what it's all about."

"I'm going to really enjoy this one. I know how hard it is to get here. Even though I didn't get the start in the Super Bowl I know we did it the right way, as a team," said Hines Ward, who has been with Gang Green from the beginning and his days seem to be numbered as he is a free agent next year. Ward was benched at the very last minute in favor of newly acquired Jerome Harrison in a brilliant move that may have sealed the deal to the Green's 2nd championship.

After years of consistently winning with no name talent, Gang Green could be on the rise with young talent in Vincent Jackson and Sidney Rice and possibly finally finding a franchise quarterback in Matt Schaub, but next season can wait as they savor the incredible feeling of winning their very own undisputed championship.

Super Bowl VIIII

So it's happened, the biggest upset in CTDB history and it basically encapsulates what's been happening this entire decade for us. The Chunky Monkeys romp their way to the playoffs, with a roster brimming with talent, and then get upturned somehow. Meanwhile, Gang Green churns along with a roster devoid of any top tier superstars and manages to just keep winning baby. Last week we talked about Team of the Decade? There can be no question anymore, it's Green Team, with two Super Bowl wins, an excellent overall wins record, and a huge heads up matchup record against the Monkeys. Is it any coincidence that kryptonite is green? I doubt it, since Greg's team has managed to turn a five win regular season into a championship. In fact, Gang Green slip slopped their way into the playoffs on the heels of four losses and managed to get hot at the right time, and played three playoff opponents who scored less than 90 points each week. Remember, the four leaf clover is also green!

So yeah, the Superman-esque Monkeys came out flat, losing 88-111. That's all there is to say. Chris Johnson was his usual stellar self with 142 rushing yards and a touchdown, and star receiver Anquan Boldin continued his good play with 15 points. That's all the highlights the Monkeys had. His big move at the quarterback position, from Peyton Manning to Vince Young, resulted in one less point, even though Manning only played a half of a game -- scoring nine pts. Late season sensation Jamaal Charles piled up another fine week with 124 yards combined but was actually outpointed by LaDanian Tomlinson (18 to 13), who turned in two touchdowns from the bench. And key Monkeys' contributor Mike Sims-Walker collapsed with two points, scoring less than both the kicker and the defense.

But even as Evan pulled an absolute clunker, Greg still needed to play the game and take advantage of a tremendous opportunity. Gang Green's stars really showed up this week in full force. QB Matt Schaub has been on a tear lately and continued his (playoff) MVP performance with a 24 point showing, following 29 and 22 points in his previous games. With Schaub as the steady rudder for this squad, Greg has been able to boom and bust with the rest of his roster. Last week, Thomas Jones crapped out with five points. This week he had only low single digits heading into the fourth quarter but then pounded his way to a touchdown and over one hundred yards as the Greenies ground out the clock. Critics may say that Randy Moss doesn't try all the time but he always shows up in big games, scoring three huge touchdowns to put up a tremendous 24 points. The trade for Mr. Moss a few years ago has resulted in a premiere performer for Greg and launched him to both of his Super Bowl victories.

And you don't become a champion without making all the right moves. Heading into the weekend, Greg had Hines Ward lined up as he was looking to go run and shoot. After seeing Evan start out strong on Thursday night with Charles Johnson, Vince Young, and Nate Kaeding (who totaled 38 pts), he made the switch from Ward to running back sensation Jerome Harrison. Good move? How about 148 yards and a touchdown for Harrison, totaling 18 points, versus just five for Hines? That thirteen points made a difference, giving Greg breathing room for the eventual victory. Whew. Sidney Rice's 14 points on Monday night was just the cherry on top of a great weekend for Gang Green.

With possible rule changes in the near future, Greg's stunning victory and playoff run might be the capper to an incredible first cycle for CTDB. Clearly establishing himself as the team and GM of the decade, Greg can no longer be overlooked for accolades and cheers. So Greg, it's true, you're the best around!

Battle for the Best

This is it, the biggest game of the season. And what a matchup we have lined up. Gang Green, winner of only five games in the regular season, are in the Super Bowl for the third time in their franchise's history. At their first appearance, in Super Bowl IV, they lost by one point. Then after a name change (from Green Team), they tied and became co-champs in Super Bowl VII. Will this be the year they capture a title outright? There's going to be a huge hurdle in their way though, as the Chunky Monkeys are heavily favored.

The Monkeys are also in the big game for the third time. They won in Super Bowl VI, lost last year in VIII, and will now face a huge underdog this weekend. In a season that featured quite a bit of league parity, the Monkeys were the highest scoring team, won the Inscrutable Drama Kings division (again) and seem to poised for a huge win that could secure their place in the CTDB pantheon. Only two teams have ever won two titles (Buffy and Dirty Birds) and one of these franchises win join that coveted club and actually leapfrog both Buffy and Dirty Birds as "Team of the Decade" because the Monkeys and Gang Green have the top two records in the league. Really, look it up. Through our first ten years together as a league, the Monkeys have a winning percentage of 66.4% (74-37-2) while Gang Green has the second best overall with a 56.3% (62-48-1)

Last week the Monkeys crushed the Dirty Birds, 119-97, in a matchup that was never very close. Behind Peyton Manning's 38 points and four TDs, along with Jamaal Charles' 23 points, the Monkeys cruised from the beginning. In the other divisional final, Gang Green snuck by defending champs Battle Angels by a narrow margin (86-78) as Drew Brees collapsed with only 14 points, and got outplayed by Matt Schaub, who had twenty two. That sets up this week's game, with the Greenies versus the Monkeys for bragging rights and potential Team of the Decade status. It does seem like Gang Green has the Chunky Monkey's number. While the Monkeys have winning records against every other franchise in the league, they've only managed to beat Greg's team three times (out of ten tries). That bodes well for the underdog. What doesn't bode well is Evan's talent edge and regular season track record. However, should Gang Green win, this would be an upset of Giants vs Pats 2008 proportions. Let's look at the matchups.

Quarterback: Shockingly, Evan is starting Vince Young instead of Peyton Manning. It's not surprising since Peyton will likely play very little as the Colts wrap up a dominant regular season, but it is kind of crazy that the leader of the Monkeys' franchise will be on the bench. In fact, what's actually crazy is that Vince wasn't even on the roster last week, as he was a waiver wire pickup just three days ago. Young has been on a tear recently, with games of 25, 23, and 29 in the last four weeks, so don't be surprised if he provides 90% of Peyton's value.

Greg will be playing Matt Schaub, who has been a top five QB this year, and only averages half a point less per week than Peyton. Despite Ben Roethlisberger's 44 points last week (in reserve), Greg wasn't tempted to go with Big Ben. Smooth move because Schaub is the leader of this team and is going up against a weak Dolphins' defense. It's hard to sit down a franchise player but Evan has done it, showing that he won't let emotion overcome his rationale. Due to this, we like his Vince move and think he'll make up well with Schaub. Edge: Even

Running Backs: We could make this a very short paragraph. In fact, we will. Last week Jamaal Charles and Charles Johnson combined for 37 points, and that's with Johnson "only" getting 160 yards rushing/receiving combined. Greg's backfield of Brandon Jacobs and Thomas Jones had ten points total. While the disparity won't likely be that large, it's clear that Evan's team is completely stacked at RB. So stacked that it looks like Greg will throw in a wrinkle of his own. Because his run game has been largely ineffective, he's going run and shoot, sitting down Brandon Jacobs. Might he regret that move, or even have made a mistake in having Jerome Harrison (last week's record setting Brown) sitting on his bench? Time will tell. Edge: Chunky Monkeys

Wide Receivers: It's a real toss up here because while Greg has big names, his four wides might struggle to all get on the same page. It's a good bet that either Vincent Jackson or Randy Moss will have a good game, but probably not both. Sidney Rice is going to put up double digits, but he's cooled off recently. Placing Hines Ward in for Brandon Jacbos will probably be a wash, but at least Ward will get a few points due to his receptions. We're thinking Gang Green's WRs will need to score three TDs between the four of them to have a great week.

On the other side of the ball, Evan's got Anquan Boldin coming off a nice showing last week, and Mike Sims-Walker has been an underrated receiver all year long. They should both catch touchdowns and combine for 25+ points. The question is if TE Jermichael Finely will replace any of Percy Harvin's production. It's interesting that Evan is going with such untested players (Vince and Finley, and Jamaal Charles to an extent), but that just shows his flexibility and willingness to gamble for gold. Edge: Gang Green

Defense and Kicker: While Shayne Graham and Giants Defense are both rated hot for Gang Green, there's not enough evidence here that either team has an edge for Def or K. The Monkeys have Nate Kaeding and the Cowboys and really, will either make the difference here? Probably not. Edge: Even

If I had told you that Peyton Manning, Matt Forte, and LaDainian Tomlinson would be sitting during championship week for the Monkeys, would you have believed me? Would you have said that the Monkeys were going to have a overwhelming talent edge and be an absolute juggernaut? Then again, if I had told you that a team led by Matt Schaub and um, Thomas Jones and Randy Moss, would upset their way to the Super Bowl, you wouldn't have believed it either right? So here we are, with pretty much a toss up for who will win. History tells us the Monkeys tend to collapse under pressure, while Gang Green capitalizes on their chances. History also tells us that a strong running game will lead to a championship, and the Monkeys clearly have the best RBs in this matchup. So here we go, Super Bowl X, and a chance to become the Best Franchise of the Decade!

SMG Playoffs - Rd 2

Greg does it again! Despite being a big underdog, he upsets Jimmy's team, almost doubling the Fobsters' total (111 to 65) and cruises to round two of the playoffs. Despite having a 5-8 regular season record, Greg proves that on any given Sunday you have a chance. For Jimmy, it was a crushing loss as no player scored more than 13 points and his receivers totaled 15 points between the three of them. Greg's defense, the Titans, put up 21 points just by themselves. And that was only Greg's second highest player because Matt Schaub had a huge game of 29 (and Thomas Jones had 21 pts). Heck, Randy Moss even got a negative one for his day and Greg still whooped that ass. So, which Goliath is up next for our intrepid David? Well how about Vu's team, the defending champion Battle Angels who had the best record in the league, scored the most points during the regular season, and boasts the best player in the game, QB Drew Brees? Let's take a look at the matchup.

Quarterback: This isn't even a matchup. League MVP Drew Brees is averaging 28 points a game. He's had scores of 49-31-32 in his most recent three games. Matt Schaub has been nice recently but he's not Brees. Edge: Battle Angels

Running Back: Last week, we said that Green Team's Thomas Jones and Brandon Jacobs weren't good enough to win. Well, thirty one combined points later and they prove their worth. Jones' big game came at the perfect time but he'll have to do it again if Greg wants to have a chance this week. Facing off against the New York duo will be Vu's backfield of DeAngelo Williams and Cedric Benson. While DeAngelo was a superstar late last year, churning Vu's team to a championship, he's been good but not great this year. Despite being statistically a top ten back, he's not had a breakout week since WK10, which was a very long time ago. Benson was similarly much better at the beginning of the year too, and has been injured and not scored 20+ since WK7. Edge: Even

Wide Receiver: With plenty of big names, this is a high powered receiver matchup. Vu boasts Andre Johnson, who has quietly been the best WR in all the land this year, averaging 16 points a game. Behind him is Greg Jennings and Vernon Davis, who are big names and capable of big games. Davis has finally emerged as an offensive force and has been over double digits in four straight games and is now the premier TE in the game. Jennings has been erratic and there's even a chance that the other Steve Smith could replace him, but as a third receiver, he's deadly.

The thing is, Greg counters with an even more explosive trio. Vincent Jackson finally got back on track last week, and while Randy Moss suffered a terrible game, he could be huge any time he plays. Sidney Rice has been in double digits for five straight games and is catching a lot of balls even if he's lost some deep play potential to other receivers on the Vikings. Edge: Even

Defense and Kicker: When they say that defense doesn't matter, Greg points to his Titans, who absolutely dominated and threw up a huge game last weekend. Can they do it again? It's doubtful because they seem like a boom or bust proposition. They've had two other twenty point games this year but they've also had low single digits in most other weeks. Vu's Saints Defense has been much steadier, averaging almost twelve points a game, which is good for best fantasy defense of the year. Kickers Nick Folk (Green) and Garrett Hartley (Angels) are both average real life kickers but because Hartley is working in New Orleans, he's got much higher upside. It seems like riding the Saints is going to work out for Vu in more ways than just at quarterback. Edge: Battle Angels

Wow, I never would of thought that Greg and Vu would match up well. I mean, this is a league leader facing off against a team that barely squeaked into the playoffs. But Greg has proven that his team is nothing if not surprising and we predict a good fight. Still, the powers of Drew Brees will just be too much to overcome and he's going to take the Battle Angels back to the Super Bowl for a championship defense.

IDK Playoffs - Rd 2

Win on the road and go to the Superbowl. That’s as simple as Dirty Birds running back, Adrian Peterson, wants to keep it. He knows the Monkeys are also looking to clinch their 2nd straight Superbowl appearance.

“It ain’t never easy. Our division, ain’t never easy. As coach tells us, we take it one game at a time but honestly, you guys know the history, we know these guys well. We’re divisional foes and we have a lot of game tape on these guys,” Peterson said Monday. “You just want to get to the Superbowl and this weekend will allow us to do that.”

If there was a division rival, its quickly turning into the Monkeys versus the Dirty Birds. These teams have faced off in the playoffs 4 out of the last 5 years (including this year and the last two conference championship games). Despite the Monkey’s vaunted offense throughout the years, the two teams have been pretty even when it counts. The Birds knocked off the Monkeys in the 2007 Conference Championship and the Monkeys re-paid the favor in 2008. On an all-time basis, the Monkeys have the second worst team record against the Birds (the Monkeys have an inexplicable losing record to Gang Green).

“Honestly, I expect to see them now. We’ve seen them the last couple of years and they have a good team. AP and S-Jax are as good as its gonna get in this league and everyone knows about their passing game. Wes Welker, Larry Fitz and Austin Miles …. Our DBs are going to have a heck of a game on their hands,” said Monkey’s captain, Ladainian Tomlinson, during this morning’s media session.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s match up:

Quarterback. Perhaps, the greatest weakness to this Dirty Bird lineup. With Carson Palmer suffering through an injury along with difficult matchups (Minnesota last week and San Diego this week), GM Jon Yang has scoured the waiver to pick up some fillers. Last week was David Garrard. Result? 8 points. bleh. This week, sources indicate that Yang will go with Jason Campbell. Campbell has been on a bit of a tear the last 3 weeks, averaging 28 points a week. The Monkeys have also had a similar issue. GM Evan Shiue signed Brett Favre and Vince Young a few weeks back knowing that a QB rotation will become necessary. While the Monkeys have yet to officially announce their starting QB, its likely they’ll stick with co-captain, Peyton Manning. Manning has been a star this year and the Monkeys expect no different this week. ADVANTAGE: MONKEYS

Running back. For the first time in a long long time, the Monkeys backfield is no longer the dominant stable backfield that the league has become used to. This year, GM Shiue has rotated between 4 different backs this year. The Monkeys have found a superstar in Chris Johnson but with Tomlinson tailing off (slightly) and Forte having a down year, the Monkeys have found themselves turning to first year back Jamaal Charles at times. We know that CJ will be in the lineup this week but the second back remains to be seen. Tomlinson has publicly lobbied for the start but there’s a good chance that we’ll see Charles in the backfield as well. As for the Birds, the issue is less with the matchup but more health. More specifically, Steven Jackson. S-Jax ran for a season-low 47 yards last week while dealing with a back injury. Assuming S-Jax is healthy, he and Adrian Peterson form the top tandem in the league. The two have combined for nearly 2,500 yards so far this year (through 14 weeks) – good for number 2 and 3 in the league. ADVANTAGE: BIRDS

Wide Receivers. If you add Larry Fitzgerald, Wes Welker, and Miles Austin you get … the best receiving core in the league. Hands down. The three have totaled for 248 catches, 3,150 yards and 24 touchdowns! Okay, so the Birds weren’t always this good … Austin literally came out of nowhere. But when healthy, there is no better receiving core. However, there’s a catch. There always is. Larry Fitz injured his knee last week. It didn’t look good but reports (from Larry’s tweets himself!) say that he’s “sore but ok”. Monkey coaches have publicly told the media that they are preparing as if Larry will play. We’ll see. On the flip side, the Monkeys have some uncertainty. The Monkeys receivers, strangely enough, have all scored roughly amount the same number of points (about 10 points per game) and are right next to each other in the rankings. Anquan Boldin is a certainty to start. With 68 catches, 800 yards and 4 touches … Quan leads the Monkeys in catches and yards this year. Rookie receiver, Percy Harvin, who’s been dealing with migraines will also start if healthy. Harvin has reeled in an impressive 48 catches and 680 yards to go with 6 TDs as a rookie this year. The third receiver slot is the mystery. The Monkeys have Sims-Walker and Kenny Britt on the roster but its unclear who will play. Sims-Walker has had a nice year but is dealing with injury. Britt has been hot but is a rookie. Word on the street is that the Monkeys have been active on the phones with potential free agent. We’ll know soon enough…. ADVANTAGE: BIRDS

Kicker. The Monkeys have Nate Kaeding. The best and most accurate kicker this year. We’re not sure who the Dirty Birds are playing. ADVANTAGE: MONKEYS

Defense. The Monkeys have yet to declare a defense while the Birds counter with the Packers. The Packers have been a top 3 defense this year. ADVANTAGE: Incomplete.

Wow. This one will be a tough one. “With all the star power on the field muddied by the injuries, this game will be a tough game to call.” Long time ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen opined in his weekly analysis. “The Monkeys are not only dealing with injuries with their receivers, I have no clue who they’ll start in the backfield with CJ. However, the Birds have similar issues. I’m not sure if Steven Jackson can play this week and certainly Larry Fitzgerald won’t be at 100%. My guess is that both will play but the Monkeys are deeper than people think. They’ve sort of flown under the radar this year as they’ve had one of their weaker regular seasons in their franchise history (8-5 entering the playoffs). However, this is a team that still won their division and can be very very dangerous. Don’t call me on it but I say Monkeys win by at least 10 here.”

A look back...
The Dirty Birds survived a terrible week. QB, David Garrard, scored 8 points with 139 passing yards and 26 rushing yards but no touchdowns. Steven Jackson barely mustered 5 points with 47 rushing yards. Larry Fitz played little over a half after sustaining a knee injury and finished with 3 points. Despite all of this the Birds mustered 84 points on the backs of AP (26 points with 97 rushing yards and 2 touches) and another clutch game by Miles Austin (71 receiving yards and a touch). Ante Up, who had been one of the hottest teams all year, laid an egg. MVP candidate, Aaron Rodgers (A-Rod), took himself out with a 0 touchdown, 1 fumble performance resulting in 9 points. Starters, Lesean McCoy, Robert Meachem, Reggie Wayne and Chad OchoCinco had a terrible day and combined for less than 30 points. If it weren’t for young Ray Rice’s 166 rushing and 53 receiving yards performance (to go with a long touchdown)...this team would’ve scored under 70 points. Dirty Birds got lucky...but sometimes its better to be lucky than good.

SMG Playoffs - Rd 1

Fobsters (7-6) vs Gang Green (5-8)
We've seen this matchup before. In 2007, Gang Green and the Fobsters faced off, with Greg having the higher seed and squeaking by Jimmy in a tight matchup. This year, things look to be a bit different as they are definitely headed in opposite direcitons heading into the playoffs. The Fobsters are riding a three game win streak while Gang Green has lost four in a row. They only got into the playoffs because the Phreaks and Jubas are both on three losing streaks as well. Let's take a look at the matchups.

Quarterback
Normally Tom Brady versus Matt Schaub would be a no brainer but Brady hasn't been the steadiest of quarterbacks and Schaub is the seventh ranked QB this year. Looking into the stats however, Brady is superior and much steadier than Schaub, who is in a three week decline that has him scoring 27, 20, and 14 points recently. Maybe Greg will find another QB for this week but either way, Tom Terrific should be worth 20 points. Edge: Fobsters

Running Back
Brandon Jacobs and Thomas Jones, Greg's Big Apple combo hasn't been quite as effective as in years past. Jones is still a Top 10 back but he's topped twenty points only twice this season and has been averaging closer to 13 points the past six weeks. While Jacbos has underachieved all season, he's hot now after a a 23 point performance last week, but most of that was from a 70+ yard TD reception. I guarantee that's not happening again. Greg really missed Ronnie Brown, who was so hot to start the season.

Of course, it's not like the Fobsters have much of a ground game either. Does Laurence Maroney and Kevin Smith scare you? Maroney has actually been pretty good the past few weeks but turned up a dud last weekend (with four points). Smith has been erratic but occassionally breaks out and has accumulated enough points to be the thirteenth best RB this year. He seems to be trending up and will serve as the Fobsters driving force on the ground. Side note, how far has Reggie Bush fallen? He used to be a decent fantasy play but is almost useless nowadays. Sad. Edge: Fobsters

Wide Receiver
Speaking of falling off, how about that Calvin Johnson? Much like the sequel, this Transformer has been just terrible, barely ranking in the top 25 of wide receivers. He's been injured and unproductive but the good news is that he's had two huge weeks in the past four, so he could really help Jimmy out in the passing game. And Pierre Garcon, Jimmy's great FA pickup, has been scoring 12, 13, 14, 16 points in recent weeks, as he learns to connect with Peyton Manning. Even Jason Witten, with a down year, has had two 100+ yard games in a row and is peaking at just the right time. This all sounds great for the Fobsters right?

Not so fast. Greg's team is stacked at the receiver position. Deep threats Vincent Jackson and Randy Moss anchor the team and Randy is capable of exploding at any time (he's the second best WR this year, with four 20+ games). Jackson had four 20+ games up through WK 9 but none since. In fact, Jackson hasn't topped double digits since then so there's a little bit of concern. However, he's still capable of contributing at any time. It may not matter though because Jackson is really the number three receiver on this team, if you can believe it. FA pickup Sidney Rice has been a top ten WR this year and is exactly in the mold of Ross and Jackson, boom or bust deep threats. For example, the past four weeks have resulted in two 23 point games and 11 and 10. That's steady enough and we like Greg's chances for two of his guys to go big. Edge: Gang Green

Defense & Kicker
This is always an overlooked portion of matchups. Usually it's not a big deal as they should cancel each other out. But it boggles my mind that both GMs are going with defenses that are doing horrible the past three weeks. Sure the Ravens and Titans may sound like big names but neither of them have even put up five points in recent weeks. Greg's kicker, Nick Folk, has missed four field goals in four straight games and has scored 14 total over that span. Meanwhile, Jimmy's kicker has been the hottest in the game. David Akers has been in double digits most weeks and could provide a nice five or six point cushion over Folk's "work." Edge: Fobsters

Fearless Forecast
The good news for Greg is that he's actually outscored Jimmy this season (who has been the lowest scoring team in the league). The bad news is that Jimmy is heating up at the right time and has strung up games of 91-94-121 recently while Greg has been sub 80s, barring one 106 explosion -- which he lost. So I'm gonna go with the hot team here, Fobsters by fourteen.

IDK Playoffs - Rd 1

At the time this article is going to press, while its not officially in the books, it does appear the first round playoff matchup is set. Boys and girls, set your tivo to the Dirty Birds and Ante Up as this one is going to be a doozy.

The focus, of course, will be on Ante Up as this was the team that finished with the worst record last year. The same team that had the first pick in this year’s draft. But oh what a draft it was. Outside of veteran receiver, Reggie Wayne, the entire starting lineup as of Week 13 comprised of new players. Wow.

Quarterback. With the first pick of the draft, Jae surprised teams a bit with a quick selection of Aaron Rodgers. That pick now looks genius. Rodgers is the second highest scoring player this year, ahead the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers. With over 3,100 yards, 22 td passes and just 5 picks, Rodgers has had an MVP type of year. On the flip side, Jon counters with Carson Palmer and Matt Ryan. While Palmer has experienced somewhat of a renaissance year with Ochocinco back, both quarterbacks have been pedestrian at best. Ryan has had his moments but has been inconsistent with injury. With Ryan still injured, its likely we’ll see Palmer under the gun next week. Edge: Ante Up

Running Backs. Jon is stacked at the skill positions and the Dirty Bird backfield is no exception. Led by the incomparable Adrian Peterson and the multi-dimensional Steven Jackson, the 3rd and 5th best backs in the league respectively, the Dirty Bird backfield is set. On the other side of the field, Ante Up will counter with Most-Improved Player of the Year candidate, Ray Rice and young rookie back, LeSean (Shady) McCoy. Entering the year with Brian Westbrook and Steve Slaton as the starters, Ante Up has completely reworked his lineup. Rice is now a certain keeper and is the 4th highest scoring running back this year. McCoy has shown flashes of brilliance and certainly has extreme athleticism. Expect these two to be in the keeper roster entering next season. Edge: Dirty Birds

Wide Receivers. Reggie Wayne, alongside of Aaron Rodgers, is the unquestioned captain of this young Ante Up team. Wayne is flanked by new starters, Chad Ochocino (probably the best pick of this year’s draft) and newly acquired Robert Meachem. Don’t forget, some dude named TO was also recently signed off the waiver wire. If there’s a veteran component to this Ante Up lineup, there’s no question that it’s the receiving core. Wayne, Owens and Chad Johnson – rewind 3 years and you have a ridiculous receiving lineup. As stacked as Jon is in the backfield, his receiving core is quite possibly even more impressive. Led by the best receiver in the league (sorry Reggie Wayne), Larry Fitz – the Dirty Bird receiver core is complemented by the ridiculous Wes Welker and Miles Austin. For those that don’t know, that’s 3 of the top 6 receivers this year. While we all knew Larry and Wes were awesome, who the hell is Miles? Who cares … this is an uber athletic passing game. Get the damn ball! Edge: Dirty Birds

Fearless Forecast. Jae’s team has had a great year. Regardless of what happens here, Ante Up now has a solid fleet of keepers that will stabilize the roster for years. However, Jon’s roster is just too deep. There’s too much firepower and experience here. Dirty Birds by 15.

Final Standings 2009

Monkeys Resign Favre

With little fanfare, the Monkeys made a quiet move that reunited long-time teammates last week. On November 18th, Monkeys management met Brett Favre in a local diner in the Bay Area and signed him to a one year contract. Despite being unfamiliar with most of the players on the team today, Favre is no stranger to the Monkeys franchise. For those that remember, Brett Favre was an original draft choice of the Chunky Monkeys franchise in their original 2001 draft. As he will for the 2009 team, Favre served as a back-up to Peyton Manning in 2001. Along with Manning, co-captain LaDainian Tomlinson was also on the 2001 team where he was a fresh faced rookie from TCU.

Monkeys GM, Evan Shiue, told the media earlier “Its great to have Brett back. We actually even gave him his old locker back, next to Peyton’s. To be honest, we were surprised Brett was out there. He’s been having an MVP type of season. We all had dinner last week with LT and Peyton and it was nice to talk about the good ol’ days. I now Fred Taylor and Derrick Mason are still active in the league and all those guys are good friends. But most importantly, Brett will play a very important role in our lineup in the playoffs. Besides being the great clubhouse leader that he’s always been, we anticipate Brett to get significant snaps this season.”

ESPN’s Adam Shefter said “Great move by the Monkeys. The team will needed a back-up to Peyton Manning and you can’t get much better than Brett Favre. The Monkeys have been a little underrated this year with their ups and downs earlier this season and the show that the Angels have put on this year but this is a good good team. They have 4 starting quality backs which they rotate and 4 receivers that are very capable. This may be one of the most complete Monkeys team in recent history. The local word in town is that this team is as good, if not better, than the championship 2006 team. First round bye is a lock so lets see where we are in a few weeks.”

Monkeys 2009 Line-up

QB1: Peyton Manning
QB2: Brett Favre
RB1: LaDainian Tomlinson
RB2: Chris Johnson
RB3: Matt Forte
RB4: Jamaal Charles
WR1: Anquan Boldin
WR2: Percy Harvin
WR3: Mike Sims-Walker
WR4: Jerricho Cotchery
K: Nate Kaeding
D: San Diego

Playoffs Preview

With only one team mathematically eliminated, this is shaping up to be one of the best final regular season weekends in CTDB history. With 3 playoff spots at stake (the top seeds are in), the battles this week will be fierce. Here’s a look at each team and their chances.

SMG Division

• Battle Angels. 1st seed, 1st round bye. Vu has put together another stunning season with not only the best record in his division (only winning team actually), it’s the best record in the whole league.

• Fobsters. Fobsters are in! If Jimmy’s team wins, he locks up the second seed. If he loses, a Gang Green win will likely give Greg the second seed through the points scored tie breaker. However, in the worst case scenario, the Fobsters own the tiebreaker over the Phreaks with a 2-0 heads up record for the final playoff slot.

• Gang Green. A win will likely secure Greg another playoff spot; coupled with a Fobster loss, the Green team could actually sneak into the second slot. With a split with the Phreaks this year, Greg did have a fantastic scoring year which gives him a solid chance in case of a win by the Phreaks. However, a loss coupled with either a Phreaks OR Jubas win means Gang Green would fall out of playoff contention. This would be a stunning collapse with a 3 game losing streak already in place. Broncos anyone?

• Phreaks. Despite a very up and down year, Ping’s team has a shot this year. But they need to win. They also need some help! However, the Phreaks are playing the worst team in the league this week which gives them a shot. The big matchup that all the Phreaks will be following will be the Dirty Birds v Gang Green matchup. A Dirty Birds win means the playoffs for the Phreaks – assuming they take care of business against the Jammers.

• Fat Jubas. Alive. But barely. On the bubble, but burstin’ is around the corner. The Jubas need to win (duh) but they also need the Phreaks AND Gang Green to lose next week. No easy task but weirder things of happened.

IDK Division

• Chunky Monkeys. Like the Angels, its over here. The Monkeys have the first slot locked up. Monkeys are already looking forward to their first week playoff bye. Whapow!

• Dirty Birds. A win secures the Birds the second slot. However, a loss makes things tricky. A win by either Ante Up or Buffy will result in a 3rd place seeding. HOWEVER, if both teams win, the Birds could be on the outside looking in. Similar to the Jubas, a lot of things would need to go wrong but you never know.

• Ante Up. This is where things get tricky with Ante Up entering the final week in a dead heat tie with Buffy. The cleanest way for the Ante Up to get in is to just win. Ante Up, with a regular season split with Buffy, owns a commanding league in the points scored tie breaker. A loss with a Buffy win means Ante Up is out.

• Buffy. See above. Buffy definitely needs to win. On the wrong end of the tie breaker, Buffy needs to win against the Angels (no easy task). They also need Ante Up to lose. If both the Birds and Ante Up lose, the Buffy could actually rise to the second seed. However, GM Roger just wants in. Talk about a big game!

• Tiiite End Jammers. The only team mathematically eliminated. A tough season for the Jammers but they’ll be back next year.

Ice Ice Baby

With four more regular season games to go, the Dirty Birds are making a drive to keep their playoff hopes alive. Coming off a huge win against division rival Buffy, the Birds have righted the ship at 4-4-1 but have been under fire for poor coaching. Their roster boasts runnings backs Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson, along with Larry Fitzgerald and Wes Welker. That's four top fifteen players, with Peterson and Fitzgerald top five producers. In addition, young receiver Miles Austin has been having a hell of a season but hasn't gotten off the bench for any of his monster games. Instead he's only contributed 25 points to the Birds' bottom line. The player that was starting in front of him? Braylon Edwards, who has been pretty awful until very recently. And what about the quarterback position? Sophomore QB Matt Ryan has been in a slump (15 and 10 pts in his last two outtings) but has never left the starting lineup despite having Carson Palmer behind him, who has been on fire since Week 2. Bad coaching or just brand loyalty? You decide.

GM Jon told the media today that he expects to win the rest of his games and advance to the top seed in the division, or at least to the second seed. With a tough schedule coming up against the other division, including the last two defending champions, the Birds are in for a make it or break it month.

Early Season Review: Part 2

Gang Green (3-1)
Led by a surprising Joe Flacco who has been a top 10 QB this year so far, Gang Green has found itself a top a surging Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses division. Ronnie Brown has been the rock of the team with 4 TDs this year. While Brandon Jacobs has been up and down, the real strength of the Gang Green is in the WR core. VJax is a legitimate starter this year while veterans Randy Moss and Hines Ward have been steady (not yet spectactular). We expect Moss to heat up as Brady gets up to speed which represents only upside for Gang Green. We may be looking at the run away leader this year for the SMG division.

Battle Angels (2-1-1)
The defending champion could easily be tied for first if it weren't for a strange tie last week. Drew Brees had a ridiculous start to the season then threw two straight clunkers Brees will turn it around and the Angels sure hope he does as Brees is the cornerstone in their high powered offense. Pierre Thomas and DeAngelo Williams are the starters in a solid backfield while Andre Johnson, Greg Jennings, and Steve Smith headline one of the deepest receiving core in all of CTDB. While AJ has been a beast, Steve Smith and Jennings have been up and down. There will more ups than downs in the weeks to come so we another strong season for the Angels.

Fobsters (2-2)
Fobsters is in third place!! Tom Brady is back! Thats about it really. But its better than nothing - for a team that finished with no wins a few seasons back. The rest of Jimmy's team is unspectacular at best. Reggie Bush is a bust given his draft position and hype that he came with. Kevin Smith has quietly been a top 10 back this year. Despite all-world talent, Megatron has been just above-average. Santana Moss and Witten have been serviceable which just about where Fobsters expect them to be. All that put together - what do you get? A potential fringe playoff team particularly if Brady continues to improve. The Fobsters will likely face stiff competition from the slumping Fat Jubas though as the weeks progress.

Fat Jubas (1-2-1)
The Fat Jubas are known for their slow starts despite one of the best looking rosters this year. Kurt Warner is probably at the end of his career but with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, its hard not to put up numbers. The Jubas, like the Monkeys, are very deep in their backfield with Frank Gore, Michael Turner, Ryan Grant along with Glenn Coffee and lightning bug, Darren Sproles. Even with an injury to Gore, the Jubas are still able to field a competitive backfield for the next few weeks. As for the receivers, the Jubas are led by resurgent Marques Colston and Brandon Marshall. Dallas Clark and Tony Gonzalez also often see the field. The Jubas are one of the few teams in CTDB history to start two TEs. Go figure...

Philadelphia Phreaks (1-3)
Probably the unluckiest team in CTDB history, the Phreaks have scored 383 points, good for 5th in the league. However, on the flip side, opponents have scored 469 points off the Phreaks. Thats nearly 120 points per game per week. Safe to say, the Phreaks defense has some holes to plug in. Donny McNabb has been hurt again but looks to return this week against the Bucs. Perhaps, the tide is turning and Phreaks can get on track for a winning season. On the plus side of things, McNabb's replacement, the venerable Brett Favre has been tearing it up. And Maurice-Jones Drew has been justifying his early draft status too. If the schedule (and injuries) would let up, the Phreaks do have some talent.

Early Season Review: Part 1

The Inscrutable Drama Kings have always been the undisputed "better" division until recently. With the Battle Angels dominant run last year, the tables may have turned. Three of the Drama Kings have the lowest scoring teams in the league -- and by a wide margin. While the Drama Kings do boast the two highest scoring teams, the rest of the division is looking a bit weak. Still, there's a lot of football left to be played isn't there?

Chunky Monkeys (3-1)
After one week with a losing record, the Monkeys have righted the ship and ripped off three straight wins to find themselves at a familiar position, at the top of the standings. There's a changing of the guard however as the team is in clear transition. QB Peyton Manning has stepped up and been better than ever (or just as good as normal) with nine TDs to only three INTs so far. The big change is the fact that LaDainian Tomlinson is reaching the end of his stardom. He's been hurt and has posted only nine points through the first four weeks. New franchise back Chris Johnson had a huge game in WK2 but has been only middling otherwise. WR Anquan Boldin has been quieter than normal but Evan's selection of Percy Harvin (24 pts) and Jerricho Cotchery (51 pts) has picked up the slack -- especially with Anthony Gonzalez still injured. The big question is what is happening to Matt Forte? Is he a franchise back? Or will it be Fred Jackson who turns out to be the better performer? Either way, the Monkeys have depth and Peyton and that has proven to be plenty.

Ante Up (2-2)
Here's something, Jae looks to be making the push into playoff status early. Behind first round pick QB Aaron Rodgers, Ante Up has been putting up the points with a balanced attack led by Reggie Wayne (68 pts), the remergence of Chad Ochocinco (49 pts), and dual threat running back Steve Slaton. There's still some holes on this team though. Brian Westbrook has been dinged up early and his backup LeSean McCoy hasn't really stepped up. Also, there's no third receiver on this team as Devin Hester and Antonio Bryant have been clear disappointments. Still, the season is young and Ante Up has a statement to make this year.

Buffy (2-2)
This is going to sound redundant but here's another team being carried by their quarterback. Philip Rivers has been hot hot hot and he's bringing TE Antonio Gates along for the ride. The problem is that big names Roddy White, TJ Houshmandzadeh, and Donald Driver haven't been performing (Buffy stalwart Torry Holt was finally, unceremoniously, released). Roger's team needs to get his receivers up to speed and then hope that RB Marion Barber gets healthy quick. Without him, the team has been relying on Willis McGahee, Julius Jones, and Ahmad Bradshaw to run the ball. Those three have only combined for 46 points total.

Dirty Birds (2-2)
After starting off with two wins, the Birds have crashed back to Earth and are sliding back to the pack. All world Adrian Peterson has been bottled up except for WK1 and has been increasingly average. QB Matt Ryan was looking terrific until being shut down by the Patriots but he should continue to be a franchise player. What is really hurting the Birds is their receivers. Larry Fitzgerald has been decent but Braylon Edwards, Wes Welker (injured), and whoever Jon has nabbed off the waiver wire have been pretty terrible. With Steven Jackson racking up the yards but not the TDs, the Birds need some WRs to step up to get out of their slump.

Tiiite End Jammers (1-3)
Despite losing three straight, the Jammers actually look okay on paper. QB Tony Romo has been effective, the "other" Steve Smith has made a name for himself, Joseph Addai and Santonio Holmes have both been serviceable, and the rest of the team have had their moments. The problem though is that they don't have any explosiveness. Aside from a 130 point outburst in WK1, they've only topped 80 points once. That and they've had a rough schedule, soaking up back to back poundings from division leaders Chunky Monkeys and Ante Up in WK2-3. The Jammers have some things to look forward to as big names Clinton Portis, Dwayne Bowe, and Roy Williams have underperformed a bit and can only improve.

Get Your Phreak On

Our favorite world traveler is finally back in the Bay and rumors have it that his new pad is decked out with multiple televisions and the NFL Sunday package. We'll send in a league spy to check the place out, on Sundays of course. The Philadelphia Phreaks have had quite the roller coaster history with CTDB. A few ups, a few downs -- a lot of downs -- but always a consistent voice and writer of awesome articles. Let's take a look shall we?

Historical Record
It hasn't been easy for the Phreaks. Just two winning records in nine years, a pair of 2-11 seasons, injuries, injuries, and more injuries. In fact, the injury bug that hits this team has often been so bad that our league has the "Phreak Curse," which is like Murphy's Law that demands "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Despite all this, the Phreaks have been to the playoffs four times and almost made the Super Bowl on two separate occasions (2002 and 2006). Through it all, the Phreaks have always been gritty, active, and full of fight.

In general, Ping's teams have generally been middle of the pack, with some epic tailspins -- eleven losses in a row in 2003 -- but also with some accompanying fireworks too. For example, in 2004, they set a then record for most points scored in a game. One year prior, they set the record for highest individual fantasy performance, 57 points by RB Clinton Portis. Most years, the Phreaks will have a few weeks of absolute blazing performances followed by an injury (or two) and then a disappointing end to the season. The only year that the Phreaks ended the regular season on an upswing was 2004, when they won three in a row but finished short of the playoffs.

Is this franchise snake bitten? Hard to say. Karma demands that what comes around goes around but the loyal Phreaks fan base have been waiting for almost a decade and they're eager for a championship. Luckily, through a fantastic 2009 draft and another well assembled running game, GM Ping is looking to give them just that this year. Let's toast to the Phreaks future success and for the many awesome articles to come from this venerable franchise.

Core Roster
No team is more aptly named than the Philadelphia Phreaks. With the name "Philadelphia" in the name, the Phreaks have declared their allegiance to the City of Brotherly Love and have had Eagles players littering the roster every year. Generally speaking, this isn't a great idea, to have every player from one franchise. In terms of the Eagles, it tends to mirror their up and down seasons. I mean, QB Donovan McNabb is one of the finest fantasy QBs in recent memory but he's also hurt quite a bit.

The true stalwarts on this roster have been Eagles Defense and David Akers. Both of these slots are always steady. The Eagles field good defenses and always have good kicking production. GM Ping often gets enamored with any young Eagles receiver and that hasn't panned out like ever. Remember Freddie Mitchell? Where's James Thrash? Donte Stallworth was okay. Kevin Curtis had two nice games. Hank Baskett is less famous than his fiance right now. In fact, the Eagles down the field passing game has always been a work in progress, and same with the Phreaks. Despite many familiar names that have come through over the years (Isaac Bruce, Keyshawn Johnson, Plaxico Burress, Santana Moss, Javon Walker, Jerry Porter, Chris Chambers, Roy Williams), the only franchise worthy WR this team has produced is TJ Houshmanzadeh, whose best years are already behind him as he was just released. The supplemental pickup of Terrell Owens this year keeps with the trend of taking veteran receivers who might be slightly past their prime.

But while the receiving corps have been mostly undistinguished, the Phreaks have been fantastic on the ground. In their inaugural season, they had Emmitt Smith and Stephen Davis past their primes but still very effective. In 2002, they hit the jackpot by drafting Jamal Lewis and trading for Clinton Portis. With these two as franchise cornerstones, the Phreaks could churn out the yards. And often did, until one or the other got hurt. Or went to jail. After those two, there was a series of swing for the fences young RB picks like Kevin Jones, Julius Jones, DeShaun Foster, and Tatum Bell before finding that little wrecking ball, Maurice Jones-Drew in 2006 and promising workhorse Marshawn Lynch in 2007. That was followed up by the selection of Darren McFadden last year and so the table is set for the Phreaks to run wild again.

The formula for the Phreaks has never changed. Have a grinding ground game, draft some Eagles receivers (this year it's DeSean Jackson), and put it all on Donovan's arm -- and health. While this hasn't always produced consistent results, it has given the Phreak fans something to cheer about and nobody has more loyalty and hope than those fans in Philly.

Season Breakdowns
2008: 6-7; Finished in fourth place despite a strong start at 4-3.
2007: 2-11; Lost seven in a row and finished with the worst record in the league.
2006: 7-6; Started out 6-1 and went to the playoffs but updended by the Fat Jubas. Donovan McNabb and Clinton Portis both went down.
2005: 5-8; Despite a losing record, made the playoffs and put up quite the fight versus eventual champ Flaming Shrapnel (lost by 4) in the first round.
2004: 6-7; Started off 3-1, lost six in a row, and then won last three games to barely miss the playoffs.
2003: 2-11; Held water at 1-1 until losing eleven games in a row. Ouch.
2002: 7-6; A series of trades dramatically reshaped the roster and the Phreaks were rolling until McNabb went down in November.
2001: 5-7; Originally named TAGHeuer, they made the first round of the playoffs despite a losing record and were promptly bounced.

Stats
Highest Avg Game Score, Season: 111.43 (2002)
Most Points Scored, Game: 174 (2004)
Least Points Scored, Game: 38 (2006)
Best Margin of Victory, Game: 114 (2004)
Worst Margin of Defeat, Game: -77 (2001)
Longest Winning Streak, Season: 5 (2006)
Longest Losing Streak, Season: 11 (2003)

Grading the 2009 Draft

It's a brand new season and a full fledged changing of the guard is around the corner. For the first time in a long time, LaDainian Tomlinson isn't the undisputed best back in fantasy. In fact, it can be said that he's no longer even in the top five. A slew of sophomores and third year players are poised to take over the league and that means some old time keepers are starting to outlive their star status. For Buffy, releasing franchise cornerstone WR Torry Holt marked a clear break from the past. Other stars like RB Brian Westbrook, Chad Ochocinco, Marvin Harrison, Donald Driver, and Terrell Owens are clearly on the downside of their careers. CTDB is headed for change and the next few years could result in a drastic change in power. So how did the draft go this year? Well, surprisingly light on rookies and young players, and maybe one last fling with the old guard.

1. Ante Up
After having another down season, Ante Up finally get the first overall pick. Last year they selected second and had a stellar draft, bringing in the backfield of the future in RBs Steve Slaton and Jonathan Stewart. Brian Westbrook and Reggie Wayne have some more time left but it's questionable whether WR Antonio Bryant was a better keeper than Colts up and coming receiver Anthony Gonzalez (of course, two Colts' WRs might be one too many). With his first pick, Jae solidified his quarterback position with Aaron Rodgers, who was explosive and has a lot of promise. If he can stay healthy, he's a franchise QB in the making. Two more promising RBs were selected this year, Ray Rice and LeSean McCoy. The writing is on the wall for Brian Westbrook as Jae has wisely selected his backup. With Chad Ochocino (Rd2) and Devin Hester (Rd4) also on board, Ante Up should have a good season, especially with a strong defense also on board in the Vikings D.
Grade: B+

2. Buffy
Buffy fell to 4-9 last year but he's hoping to be on the upswing. After selecting WR Roddy White last year in the draft and netting TE Antonio Gates, the passing game is in good hands, especially with QB Philip Rivers calling the shots. In fact, Buffy may be looking to pass a lot this year because he took three more WRs with his first picks. TJ Houshmanzadeh is on a new team and possibly a steal in the supplemental draft, Lance Moore is promising and productive, and old stalwart Torry Holt has been brought back for sentimental reasons. However, the selection of K Stephen Gostkowski in Rd4 is a bit curious as the backfield is thin, with RBs Marion Barber and Willie Parker both looking at possible time shares. Can young runners Ahmad Bradshaw and Jamaal Charles pick up the slack if one of the starters goes down? We'll roll the dice with GM Roger's draft strategy and put faith in his selection of a K before backup running backs.
Grade: B-

3. Fobsters
The Fobsters are no strangers to high picks in the draft. Save one glorious season, they've had a top three pick three times in the past four years. Last year's weak draft directly contributed to their losing season. Needing receivers, they traded Chad Ochocinco for Larry Johnson (a wash) and drafted Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Witten, and Patrick Clayton. In hindsight, only Witten was worth the roster spot -- he's now a keeper. Let's hope this year's first few selections fare better. Prognositcators are in love with Detroit RB Kevin Smith and he's sorely needed as Larry Johnson and Reggie Bush aren't stars (anymore and never was, respectively). Eddie Royal, Santana Moss, and Chris Chambers should complement the passing game well and we love the promise of rookie RB Shonn Green. Throwing in the rottweiler Giants D is nice too. With Megatron Calvin Johnson on board and QB Tom Brady returning, look for the Fobsters to return to contention... for a winning record.
Grade: B+

4. Philadelphia Phreaks
Despite a luxurious ocean cruise to Mexico and back, GM Ping put their game face on and will fight to get to a .500 record this year. They selected RB Darren McFadden first overall last year and that pick has yet to pay a lot of dividends. For now, he'll share the backfield with fellow keepers Maurice Jones-Drew and Marshawn Lynch. That's a pretty solid running game, the problem is, the passing for the Phreaks was soft heading into the draft. QB Donovan McNabb is still mighty fine but DeSean Jackson isn't a number one receiver. The one year rental of Terrell Owens will help a lot here, and Bernard Berrian's stock just went sky high after Brett Favre became a Viking. Round four WR Kevin Walters almost had 1000 yards with his 8 TDs last year. Post-draft, that's a good starting quartet. Eagles rookie Jeremy Maclin has some speed but he was picked by Ping to increase the Philly presence. We really like Ping's selection of rookie RB Donald Brown, who will join a crowded backfield.
Grade: A-

5. Tiiite End Jammers
The Jammers snuck into the playoffs with a losing record last year and might be headed lower thsi season. The off-season was not kind to them. QB Tony Romo lost Terrell Owens while WR Lee Evans added a competitor. Clinton Portis is another year older (slower) and Joseph Addai will be challenged by rookie Donald Brown. Hey, at least Dwayne Bowe won't have to share the ball with Tony Gonzalez anymore! Lei saw his needs and went for WRs with upside -- just like he did last year when he took Bowe, Evans, Chambers, Justin Gage and Ted Ginn. This year's selections of Roy Williams, Santonio Holmes, and Domenik Hixon all have a chance to be the number one receivers on their respective teams. We'd put Donnie Avery on that list too but he's out 4-6 weeks to start the season. Other than that, rookies RB Chris "Beanie" Wells and WR Michael Crabtree have potential but not a lot of immediate success slated for them. We don't know where the Jammers are headed this season, but we're not high on their chances for dramatic improvement.
Grade: C+

6. Dirty Birds
With a solid keeper core, the Birds don't have many holes. RBs Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson are franchise talents, and WR Larry Fitzgerald is the best in the game. The jury is out on Braylon "Brick Hands" Edwards but there's hope he'll return to form. At least Wes Welker is still the game's most dependable slot receiver. The problem for the Birds is that Peterson and Jackson are injury prone. Thus, rookie RB Knoshown Moreno was selected in the first round. And promptly got injured in pre-season. He belongs on this team already. Sophmore sensation QB Matt Ryan was selected to appease the fan base and to pilot the Birds into the future. Old time veterans like WR Laveranues Coles, RB LenDale White, and QB Carson Palmer provide decent if totally unexciting backups.
Grade: C+

7. Fat Jubas
The Jubas must really like Packer's RB Ryan Grant. He was a keeper last year and draft quickly this year. How much upside can Grant have? Along with the return of Grant, TE Tony Gonzalez was quickly scooped up again to round out the receiving trio along with Marques Colston and Brandon Marshall. But this team is a running team, with Michael Turner and Frank Gore leading the way. That's a really great running game isn't it? Behind them, Eric took another Chargers' backup, Darren Sproles. TE Dallas Clark and "I don't know who he is" WR Brian Robiskie probably won't get on the field much, unless one of the starters get injured. With his last pick, Eric took Redskins' WR Devin Thomas, who won last year's Rookie Madden Bowl. With four running backs and two star receivers, the Jubas are stacked. But wait, what happens if QB Kurt Warner goes down? The backup is. The backup is. Wait for it, nobody. Perhaps the Jubas will just surf the waiver wire, or pray for Warner to make another miracle season, or just pick up Matt Leinart. He's gotta be available right?
Grade: C

8. Gang Green
We just did a franchise review on Gang Green and talked about their lack of superstars. Winning consistently always gives them a low pick at the draft and this year is no exception. Draft picks Vincent Jackson, Ted Ginn Jr., and Felix Jones aren't likely to transform into top five talents anytime soon. However, Gang Green is already solid at every position with the three headed RB attack of Brandon Jacobs, Thomas Jones, and Ronnie Brown. Old school WRs Randy Moss and Hines Ward complement each other well but Greg will have to work quickly on the wire to pick up some future talent. QBs Jay Cutler and Matt Schaub will both be more than serviceable and that makes the selection of the number one defense on the board, Steelers D, in RD3, very defensible. The Greenies didn't draft any future stars but hey, they apparently don't need'em!
Grade: B

9. Chunky Monkeys
Every year it's the same old story. Low draft pick and an abudance of running back talent. Evan specializes in digging up dynamite young RBs and last year he hit the jackpot with Matt Forte and Chris Johson -- both of whom are now keepers. This backfield of the future comes at just the right time as longtime franchise cornerstone LaDainian Tomlinson is on his way out (but maybe not without another huge season). QB Peyton Manning is still consistent as rain but he'll be throwing to some new faces this year. Franchise WR Anquan Boldin is disgrutled but mighty fine. Terrell Owens and Chad Ochostinko are gone. First round pick Anthony Gonzalez was a great move and if Jerricho Cotchery, Percy Harvin, or Josh Morgan can do something/anything, the Monkeys will be delighted. Then again, they've always had a hole at the third WR position, and it really hasn't made much of a difference in their winning ways has it?
Grade: B

10. Battle Angels
The Angels had a dream season. After going 5-8 two seasons ago, they turned it all around, added four wins to the bottom line, won their division, and also took home the championship trophy for the cherry on top. And we kind of love their game. With reigning MVP Drew Brees flinging the ball all over the place to three bonafide number one receivers (Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, Greg Jennings), not many teams can keep up with their firepower. RB DeAngelo Williams was a revelation for the playoff run and could still keep churning this year despite competition from Jonathan Stewart. Vu smartly drafted a bunch of starting tailbacks should Williams falter however. We love his picks of Pierre Thomas, Derrick Ward, and Cedric Benson, who aren't big names but have more than serviceable games. Picking up Steve Breaston, the other Steve Smith and Chris Henry also gives them the ability to go run-and-shoot just like last year. We like the Angels to put up a stiff title defense and we can't see much drop off.
Grade: A-

The Gang of New York

Here we go, the start of the season and another franchise breakdown. This year we start off with an esteemed member of the Spunky Misunderstood Geniuses. Possibly the best team ever from that division? Read on and find out.

Historical Record
If I told you that a team had only missed one playoff appearance in our long history, had four seasons of 9-4 records, two divisional titles, two Super Bowl appearances, and one championship ring, wouldn't you call them the most consistently winning franchise in CTDB history (outside of the Chunky Monkeys)? The fact is that Greg's Gang Green -- formerly Green Team -- has quietly been a model of winning. Over the years, they've compiled a 60-44 record season record, and that's actually skewed because of two low mark seasons. In other words, Gang Green just wins baby.

The truly amazing thing is that the Greenies haven't had any top talent, like ever. We'll go into more detail further below but the most identifiable players for this franchise has been QB Brett Favre and WR Hines Ward. Hardly top five talent. Or even top ten. But GM Greg has kept his team well stocked with productive (but obscure) players through the waiver wire.

Looking back over Gang Green's history, they are a team of streaks. Nearly every year they start off white hot but then cool down -- or the other way around. They've almost never had up and down weeks, instead generally compiling at least a four game winning/losing streak somewhere in a season. What can account for this? A lapse in concentration when high on life? Motivational speeches when the chips are down? Whatever it is, other owners would do well to recognize and emulate Gang Green's consistently winning ways.

Core Roster
The faces of the franchise are WR Hines Ward and QB Brett Favre. Ward was acquired in the team's second season and has been the bedrock for the team. Of course, Hines has never been a top flight fantasy option, instead leading by example and always putting up consistent seasons. Favre was acquired in 2001 in a trade in exchange for WR Jimmy Smith and has usually ended up back on Gang Green even when not a keeper. Aside from those two guys, the roster history is littered with one year boomers and waiver wire wonders.

The crazy thing is that, generally speaking, GM Greg has been a terrible drafter. Check out this inaugural draft. QB Trent Green, RB Duce Staley, and RB Mike Anderson were their first three picks. Only Duce was a keeper the following year, mainly out of desperation. That first draft was rated a D+ by prognosticators. The Greenies haven't exactly done much better since either, mulching their way through studs like William Green, Anthony Thomas, Travis Henry, Kevan Barlow, Garrison Hearst, Cedric Benson, and Michael Pittman. The receivers acquired through the draft haven't been real talents either aside from Ward and TE Antonio Gates (traded away for WR Jerricho Cotchery recently). Rod Gardner and Marc Boerigter didn't exactly work out eh?

Ah, but the magical Midas touch of Greg on the waiver wire. He's been able to pick up WRs like Marty Booker, Darrell Jackson, Troy Brown, Santana Moss, Bernard Berrian, and Laveranues Coles at all the right times. RB Reuben Droughns in 2004 was the FA pickup of the year. Lamont Jordan was great for one year too. Thomas Jones has been alternately great and terrible since his inclusion on the team in 2006 but seems to have found a groove recently.

The immediate future looks good for Gang Green too. A trade for Randy Moss propelled them to a championship recently and they've found a pounding ground game behind Giants RB Brandon Jacobs and Thomas Jones. Heck, Ronnie Brown might still be a potential star, although it's looking less likely with repeated injuries. Even though most of his keeper core is on the wrong side of 30, there's no doubt Greg can continue to win by mixing and matching spare pieces.

It's pretty much inevitable that Brett Favre will end up on this team, as he's worked hard to fight out challengers like Eli Manning and Philip Rivers over the years. Greg is delighted that Favre is back in the league so he can spend a late round pick on him. What Gang Green has proven is that you don't necessarily need stars to win at fantasy, as long as you're a savvy GM with quick and accurate waiver wire fingers. But man, it sure would be nice to have a few franchise talents wouldn't it? All joking aside, Gang Green has been a force to be reckoned with and will continue to be every year if their history is any indication.

Season Breakdowns
2008: 9-4; Stumbled coming out of the gate but went 8-1 (with a five game streak) to power into the playoffs, losing to eventual champions Battle Angel.
2007: 9-4; Started off 7-1 but went cold before pulling it all together for a dramatic playoff run and a tie with the Dirty Birds for the championship.
2006: 5-8; A promising beginning but then a six game losing streak left them short of the playoffs. All this despite playing easiest schedule in the league (also scored the same PF/PA at 1127.0)
2005: 9-4; Won division again but upset by Flaming Shrapnel, losing by five in a nail biter.
2004: 9-4; First divisional title also translated to an appearance in the Super Bowl, where they lost by two points to Buffy.
2003: 7-6; Started off 1-5 but lost just one game after that to get a home playoff game. Upset by Flaming Shrapnel in the first round.
2002: 7-6; Started off hot but faded down the stretch (four game losing streak), making it to the playoffs but losing in the first round.
2001: 5-8; Recovered from 3-5 start to sneak into the playoffs, although it wasn't exactly an achievement at three games under .500.

Stats
Highest Avg Game Score, Season: 104.38 (2005)
Most Points Scored, Game: 155 (2005)
Least Points Scored, Game: 46 (2001)
Best Margin of Victory, Game: 93 (2006)
Worst Margin of Defeat, Game: -114 (2004)
Longest Winning Streak, Season: 7 (2005)
Longest Losing Streak, Season: 6 (2006)