The Greatest Show

Continuing our series of franchise recaps, we have just a few teams left and none is higher caliber than Buffy, the only two time solo winner of the CTDB Super Bowl. Invited to every legends gathering and a consistent winner and active general manager, Roger has contributed many wins, articles (especially his "Game of the Week" posts), and loads of fantasy experience during the past decade. Buffy has always been a crowd favorite and a premier gate draw as they consistently boast big name stars and a winning attitude. Let's take a closer look at one of the most decorated franchises in the league.

Historical Record
During year one of our keeper denomination, Buffy came out of the gates with a mega team that dominated on their way to our inaugural championship. They averaged 115 points per season and blew everyone out of the water. Loaded with a young team that won ten straight games to close out the season, the other owners were worried that Roger might remain at the top for years to come. Surprisingly, Buffy wouldn't see the playoffs again for two years, even with a roster that boasted Rams Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt during their primes.

When Buffy made the playoffs again in 2004 -- barely squeaking in as a wild card team with a losing record -- they made history again. With a spurt of five wins in a row, they upset their way to another championship by defeating favorite after favorite. At this point in time, Buffy had taken two of the first four Super Bowls and looked poised for more.

Unfortunately, the next few years would bring Buffy only two more playoff berths and no shot at another championship. A remarkable stat for you: Buffy didn't suffer their first playoff loss until 2006 as every time they had made the post-season they won the whole damn thing. However, aside from that initial 10-3 regular season record, Buffy has actually hovered around six or seven wins each season, with only a dramatic dip in 2008. This tells us that Buffy has always managed to stay competitive but haven't quite been able to recreate the dominance of their first year.

Still, there were highlights galore with this team over the years. They set and reset the single game high score mark a few times. They set the standard for many categories in the first season's record books. They were the one team that took down the Chunky Monkeys in 2006, preventing them from achieving a perfect season. They also hold the record for lowest single game score, at 29 points, set in 2003. They have intense intra-division rivalries -- they've been tie-broken out of the playoffs three times -- and are looking to separate themselves from the championship pack as they close in on three titles.

Core Roster
Buffy's initial drive to success involved pairing a good QB with great receivers and then run-and-shooting with a versatile back. This worked great when the combination included MVPs Marshall Faulk and quarterback Rich Gannon. During their first championship run, Buffy had Torry Holt, David Boston, Rod Smith, and free agent find Qadry Ismail running routes and tearing up defenses. Even with good running back options behind Faulk (such as Charlie Garner and Corey Dillon), Buffy chose to go with a heavy air attack that mirrored the NFL St. Louis Rams'.

The initial five keepers remained pretty steady with Gannon, Faulk, Holt, Boston, and Smith being key parts of the team until 2004 when there was a change at the top with Matt Hasselbeck and other journeymen QBs at the helm. By then Faulk was in decline and had given way to Corey Dillon and Michael Pittman. Torry Holt teamed up with his real life running mate Isaac Bruce, Joe Horn, and one year wonder Michael Clayton to help Buffy win their second championship.

A trade in 2005 signaled that Buffy's core was headed in another direction as a two back attack was now mandatory. A move for Ahman Green, which cost Buffy Joe Horn, didn't work out so well but it was a much needed change.

There's been a revolving door of running back options since. Willie Parker, Jamal Lewis, and Marion Barber have all put in time with this team. Often they've been paired with one season stand-ins such as Ladell Betts, Kevin Jones, Lendale White, or Travis Henry. There's been a lot of turnover in the backfield and GM Roger has had his work cut out looking for another superstar runner.

At least Torry Holt stayed strong for most of the decade, before finally fading (and being cut in 2009). Steady Derrick Mason has been on and off the roster, and a variety of teasers such as Terry Glenn, Joey Galloway, Laveranues Coles, Jerry Porter, TJ Houshmanzadeh, and Donald Driver have been used to fill out the receiving corps. Buffy loves his big name maybe game receivers and has always drafted accordingly in the late rounds. The 2008 draft turned up eventual stud Roddy White and solid tight end Antonio Gates, who would prove to be perfect transition pieces. Special shout out to kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who was drafted in the sixth round (!) during our first draft and has since then, more often than not, been property of Buffy.

Under center, Buffy managed to find a steady leader in Carson Palmer, who had a three year run for Buffy and will be back in 2010 as well. Due to Palmer's declining health and semi-erratic play, Buffy had the foresight to nab Philip Rivers for a season and a half, and that would soon parlay into a huge offseason. Speaking of offseasons, after years of not being involved in many trades (the archives only note that one Horn-Green trade), Buffy took the leap this offseason and participated in two blockbusters that would result in an entirely new look for them.

First they acquired RBs Michael Turner and Matt Forte for Philip Rivers and Roddy White. Then they turned around and turned Turner into RB Steven Jackson and WR Wes Welker. With a Rams RB back in the fold, will Buffy now achieve the post-season success that have eluded them since their second Super Bowl win? The legendary run-and-shoot is but a memory and Buffy now has a strong ground game and possession receivers headed into the upcoming season. If the new crew and philosophy can lead them to another title, Buffy would vault himself to the top of the "Greatest CTDB Team of All Time" discussion. Or simply just end the debate outright.

Season Breakdowns
2009: 7-6; Edged out of playoffs by tie-breaker with Dirty Birds
2008: 4-9; Lost four in a row to slide out of playoff contention
2007: 6-7; Sneaks into the playoffs but eliminated in the first round to eventual co-champion Dirty Birds
2006: 7-5-1; Starts off 0-3-1 but pushes hard to finish second in the division, losing to eventual champion Chunky Monkeys
2005: 7-6; Edged out of the playoffs by tie-breaker with Dirty Birds
2004: 6-7; Wins last five games in a row on way to record second championship
2003: 7-6; Despite a winning record, edged out of playoffs by tie-breaker with Ante Up
2002: 5-8; An up and down season gives way to total collapse as three losses to close out the year ends their repeat hopes
2001: 10-3; Wins the inaugural Super Bowl in dominating fashion, with ten straight wins on the way to the championship

Stats (full)
Highest Avg Game Score, Season: 118.00 (2001)
Most Points Scored, Game: 163 (2006)
Least Points Scored, Game: 29 (2003)
Best Margin of Victory, Game: 90 (2004)
Worst Margin of Defeat, Game: -71 (2005)
Longest Winning Streak, Season: 10 (2001)
Longest Losing Streak, Season: 5 (2004)

Amelica's Tweam

What's harder to do in a fantasy season? To go winless or to win them all? Well we've had a few teams flirt with both but so far, the only franchise that has been able to get a coveted zero in the win/loss columns for an entire season is the Fobsters. Tragically, they went 0-13 that season and were almost booed out of their city. This franchise is the only one to have gone through an ownership change in CTDB history so a little slack should be called for right? Of course, with only two winning seasons in nine, there's a case to be made here for them as the least successful franchise in history. Let's take a look at how Skool/Fobsters have done over the previous decade.

Historical Record
This is a tale of two franchises. Original owner Jon C. made his contributions early, playing from 2001-2004 and compiling a record of 23-29 while winning a regular season division title in the process. However, despite two playoff appearances in four years, Skool never won a post-season game.

New owner Jimmy, even having played one whole extra season, has only mustered 21 wins during his reign (21-43-1) -- and that includes the disastrous winless season. However, under his stewardship, the Fobsters won a playoff game in 2007 and discounting the first two disastrous seasons, they've been playing nearly .500 ball. So let's just chalk up those transitional years as time for fob star Jimmy to get his bearings. Now that his language skills are up to speed, we'll look forward to what he'll bring to the table as he looks to establish a winning tradition and secure some more playoff victories for the Fobsters.

Well, let's not leave before we get a chance to look at the records that Skool/Fobsters have managed to compile over the years. With this many mentions in the record book, the fans have much to cheer/cringe over.

• #1 Lowest Average Game Score, Season: 73.69 (2006)
• #3 Lowest Average Game Score, Season: 81.93 (2001)
• #1 Leasts Points Scored, Season 958.0 (2006)
• #1 Least Wins, Season: 0 (2006)
• #2 Least Wins, Season: 2 (2005), tied with Phreaks
• #1 Worst Average Point Differential, Season: -38.0 (2006)
• #1 Longest Losing Streak, Season: 13 (2006)
• #1 Worst Power Ranking, Season: 2004 and 2006

Core Roster
You would think a team with this little team success would have struggled with instability and lack of talent over the years. That's actually not the case at all. The Skool version of the team boasted big names like Daunte Culpepper, Tiki Barber, Isaac Bruce, and Tony Gonzalez right from the get go, when all of them were easily in their primes. Jon C. always had an eye for young talent and unearthed running back Deuce McAllister early on, and had success with speedsters Peerless Price and Donte Stallworth. A 2002 trade of Isaac Bruce for Stephen Davis set the stage for years with a solid backfield while the eventual addition of the two disruptive Johnsons -- Chad and Keyshawn -- kept Skool's team full of big names.

The biggest issue Skool faced was injuries. Daunte Culpepper had tremendous campaigns but got injured quite a bit (leading to a few games worth of QBs like Jay Fiedler) and even flat out benched once. Isaac Bruce, Deuce McAllister, Stephen Jackson, and Tiki Barber were all injury prone or simply ineffective for long stretches. After a promising first few years, Skool's talent base eroded and his tendency to go for proven but declining veterans did him no favors.

When Jimmy came on board, the keeper list was headed by Chad Johnson, Deuce McAllister, and Tony Gonzalez as Culpepper, Barber, Davis, and most of the stars from years before had faded away. A special mention goes here to Tony G for his longevity, especially on a team that has done well with premier pass catching tight ends. Jimmy has shown a fondness for collecting tight ends, as he's even once featured a three tight end set with Gonzalez, Jason Witten, and Kellen Winslow.

With a top three pick three times in four years, GM Jimmy has had his choice of potential talent. Those picks turned into Reggie Bush (2006), Calvin Johnson (2007), and Kevin Smith (2009). Of the three, only Calvin Johnson is still with the team and despite flashes of brilliance from Bush and Smith, they were never the franchise back the Fobsters needed. Hard charging Earnest Graham strung together one and a half good seasons but he's no longer with the team. Interestingly, Cadillac Williams, traded to the Fobsters in a minor deal in 2006, is the new man in the backfield in 2010, after being on and off the roster.

After five years as the face of the franchise, and being the loud mouthed rock during the transitional years, wide receiver Chad Johnson was traded in 2008 (for Larry Johnson, who never worked out) and his fiery presence left a hole in the locker room.

The biggest coup for Jimmy was acquiring QB Tom Brady right before 2007 -- his record setting year --for a low draft pick. That catapulted him to the franchise's most successful year to date and gave the Fobsters a leader on the field. Of course, Brady's subsequent injury really hurt the Fobsters and they go into 2010 looking for some more talent across the board. They've still got Brady, are hoping for a bounce back year from ultra-talented Calvin Johnson, and unearthed free agent find WR Pierre Garcon last year. The Fobsters will continue to fill in the pieces as they look toward notching that third winning record.

Season Breakdowns
2009: 6-7; Had a little win streak heading into the playoffs but was quickly upset by eventual champion Gang Green in the first round
2008: 5-8; Started 4-3 but then lost six games in a row and ended the season fourth place in the division. Franchise QB Tom Brady was lost for the season early.
2007: 8-5; Secures a playoff berth and turns the franchise around despite losing in the divisonal finals to eventual co-champ Gang Green
2006: 0-13; Record setting winless year, 'nuff said
2005: 2-10-1; First year of new ownership and a last place showing, but faced toughest schedule in the league
2004: 4-9; Last place finish with four and five game losing streaks to start and end the season pushes old ownership out the door
2003: 7-6; Finished first in the division and received a bye, only to be upset by Flaming Shrapnel in the playoffs
2002: 6-7; After an injury plagued year, finished one spot out of the playoffs, edged out by tie-breaker
2001: 6-7; Despite having only one game over the century mark, Skool defies all the skeptics and finishes second in the division and wins the Super Mojo Award for most unlikely playoff season.

Stats (full)
Highest Avg Game Score, Season: 104.93 (2007)
Most Points Scored, Game: 145 (2002)
Least Points Scored, Game: 50 (2001)
Best Margin of Victory, Game: 72 (2007)
Worst Margin of Defeat, Game: -93 (2006)
Longest Winning Streak, Season: 6 (2007)
Longest Losing Streak, Season: 13 (2006)

CJ2K Traded!

Minutes before the deadline for the Juba’s second overall pick in the 2010 draft, the third blockbuster of the summer was reached. In an offseason where we saw the likes of Peyton Manning, Michael Turner, Roddy White, Philip Rivers, Steven Jackson, Wes Welker change uniforms …. It was only fitting that there was one last big move before the start of the season – which included the top player in the fantasy universe. At 11:20 AM PT, Jubas GM agreed to a proposed deal that would net the Jubas team the undisputed best player in the fantasy universe – Chris Johnson.

The price, however, was steep. In exchange for Johnson, GM Eric agreed to send the rights to rookie Ryan Mathews, Brandon Marshall, the second pick in the 2010 draft and the second pick in the 2011 draft to the Monkeys. In addition to Chris Johnson, Eric received a 2nd and 4th rounder this year and a 4th rounder in 2011.

The trade effectively pairs together two former Monkey running backs in Chris Johnson and Frank Gore for the Fat Jubas. The tandem is expected to be the best backfield in CTDB this year. On the flip side, the Monkeys found themselves deep with talent and for the first time in franchise history, stocked with receiver talent. In the first season where carry-overs no longer exist, Monkey management made sure to go deep for their bench. Likely starters, Ryan Mathews and Jamaal Charles, will be backed up by veteran Pierre Thomas. New receivers, Roddy White and Brandon Marshall, will lead a new aerial attack anchored by veteran Anquan Boldin. Dwayne Bowe is also expected to see a fair amount of playing time this year as well.

ESPN Analyst, John Clayton, was skeptical of the move for the Monkeys. “It was a great move for the Jubas. Any time you get an opportunity to get Chris Johnson, you do what you can do get a player of that caliber. I wouldn’t be surprised to see CJ2K achieve 2,500 rushing yards this year. For the Monkeys, I sense rebuilding. After years of Peyton and LT, management wanted to start fresh and they got it. I think Ryan Mathews and Jamaal Charles will have good years but they both have plenty to prove before this trade starts to make sense However, QB Rivers will have a pretty impressive receiver set to throw to. The trio of Boldin, Roddy White and now Brandon Marshall is likely the best receiver line up this franchise has seen. Dwayne Bowe is no slouch either.”

In his announcement to the press, Monkey GM Evan, had this to say about the trade. “It was EXTREMELY difficult to trade CJ but let me be clear – we are very very happy that Ryan Mathews is a Chunky Monkey. We anticipate that he will be a very good running back for this franchise. We certainly wish Chris the best with the Jubas. He had an amazing year last year and we appreciate his contributions to our franchise. However, the opportunity to trade for Ryan and Brandon Marshall and it was move we felt that we, as an organization, had to make. As for Brandon Marshall, Brandon is an extremely talented receiver and we expect that he, Anquan and Roddy will form the best passing attack this franchise has ever seen. This was the year for us to remake our team and I think we’ve undoubtedly achieved that. There will be many first time Monkeys and it’ll be up to our coaching staff to make sure our team plays cohesively. I believe we can do that quite effectively. See everyone in the playoffs.”

All Time Head to Head Records: 2010

2010 Keepers

A Whole New World

In CTDB's long and storied history, there have been relatively few twists added to the successful formula. However, as we approach our tenth anniversary season, we thought it would be a good time to re-examine the rules that have taken us to where we are. After a delay and some nasty behind the scenes fighting and power plays, the new rule tweaks for our 2010 season have been ironed out. Here's what's changed:

Gone Baby Gone

• There are no more carryovers for bye weeks.
• Bonus points for long touchdowns are eliminated. Previously it was +1 point for TDs for fifty or more yards.

New Rules, New Rules

• Starting lineup requirements remain the same but bench positions have been expanded +2 to a total of six.
• There will now be a Toilet Bowl for the non-playoff teams to determine the #1 and #2 draft positions each year. Please read this post for details.
• The waiver wire system has been dramatically changed. We will be using CBS' automated blind bidding auction process. Please refer to the separate post for details.
• [Update 9.09.10] The waivers system is intact but with a slight change: the order will reset each week to reverse standings order.
• Special Teams Points: A blocked punt, PAT, or FG now notch +2 for the team defense/special teams.
• Defensive Scoring: A total revamp with the following ranges:

Defensive Yards:

• Less than 100 yards allowed: +6 points
• 100-199 yards allowed: +4 pts
• 200-299 yards allowed: +2 pts
• 400-449 yards allowed: -2 pts
• 450-499 yards allowed: -4 pts
• 500-549+ yards allowed: -6 pts

Defensive Points:

• 0 Points allowed: +6 pts
• 1-6 points allowed: +4 pts
• 7-13 points allowed: +2 pts
• 22-27 points allowed: -2 pts
• 28-34 points allowed: -4 pts
• 35-45+ points allowed: -6 pts

Rules Shot Through the Heart

• Decimal Scoring: Include decimal scoring instead of rounding (down) to nearest point.
• Passing Yards Increase: The proposed rule would change every 25 passing yards per 1 point. The original rule was 20 yards per 1 point and now remains the same.
• Negative Points for FG Misses: The rule would have assigned -1 point for each FG miss.

Eh, I don't think so Jeeves. Another time.

• Point Per Reception: Currently we have 0.5 points per reception, and there was talk of going a full point per reception
• Expansion: There was some momentum for expansion but ultimately it was decided against
• Head Coach: Adding a Head Coach position was brought up and quickly denied
• Requiring a second running back: There was a motion to require another RB slot
• Blogging: Each owner would be required to submit one article per season

One more thing...

• Lineup deadline is 5 minutes before gametime for each player
• Illegal rosters score zero points in standings. So if you do not have a full starting roster, lacking a K or Def say, your scores that week will be disqualified

Update [9.09.10]
1. The illegal rosters score zero points for the week rule has been eliminated.
2. The free agent auction system is gone and is now a waivers system, with a reset each week in reverse order of standings.

Introducing: Toilet Bowl and the Free Agent Auction

Toilet Bowl

Instead of just handing the first picks of the draft to the teams that perennially suck, we have decided to hold a Toilet Bowl for the four non-playoff qualifiers. This means that every team will get a chance to keep fighting deep into the post-season. How the Toilet Bowl will work is below:

• The four teams not in the playoffs are routed to the consolidation tourney, aka The Toilet Bowl.
• Matchups are not conference exclusive, so reseeded #7 plays #10 and #8 plays #9. Use the same playoff matchup seeding rules to determine seeds.
• The Toilet Bowl winner and runner up get the #1 and #2 overall picks for the following year’s draft, but only in the first round. Then the draft reverts to reverse order of standings.

Free Agent Auction

In addition, we have fielded some complaints over the years about how the waiver wire and free agent system works. Currently if you are lower in overall standing than everyone else, you get the pick of the free agent litter on Wednesdays (or whenever the waiver wire was run). This year we will try out an automated blind bidding auction process. As it's run by CBS and this is our first time using it, there might be some kinks to work out. However, this is how I believe it works:

• The yearly budge for all acquisitions is set at $100 total
• The minimum bid for a free agent is $0
• Waiver wire runs daily Tuesday through Saturday (we may have to see how this works and change it)
• Free Agent Auction Tiebreaker resets each week to inverse order of standings
• Dropped players will not be auctioned for at least 1 (one) day

Currently the system is automated but there is an option for the commissioners to manually approve add/drops. The advantage of this -- from what I've read -- is that the automated option doesn't allow you to rank which players you want to bid on first. We'll see how this plays out.

We feel like this new way of acquiring free agents will add some drama and intrigue to the waiver wire. "Should I bid $20 on this hot new wide receiver in WK2 or save my money?" Notice that the minimum bid is $0 so you could likely continue to pick up free agents after your budget has run out, as long as nobody bids at least $1. I anticipate some fun strategy and angry words from utilizing this system.

Update [9.09.10]
The free agent auction system is gone and is now a waivers system, with a reset each week in reverse order of standings.

2009 Rosters

Taking into account the two offseason trades so far.

Another Blockbuster

As the new fantasy football season approaches, owners are getting fired up and trying to decide what their keepers will look like in our new CTDB environment. While rule changes are still being ironed out, one thing that won't change is the number of keepers per roster. While we already had a blockbuster trade earlier this offseason, ESPN has gotten news that another monster has just been signed off on. Division foes Buffy and Dirty Birds have agreed to exchange RB Michael Turner for RB Steven Jackson and WR Wes Welker.

Yes, the same Michael Turner that Buffy acquired six months ago has just been traded away again, after not notching a single game for their new owner. Oh wait, what is this? Digging deep into the archives, it has been revealed that Turner was actually Buffy's late round pick in the 2007 draft. This was before his trade to the Falcons and as LaDainian Tomlinson's backup, he was actually tabbed Buffy's "worst pick of that year." Little did we know that Turner would then explode onto the scene in 2008 and become a fantasy superstar -- albeit for just one season. Heading into the 2010-11 season, Turner is highly ranked but only rushed for 800+ yards last year (in eleven games). Without much receiving ability, it will be a tough act to follow up on his 1,700 rushing and 17 TD performance from 2008.

The running back Buffy gets in return for Turner has no questions about his consistency. Even with back issues last year, Steven Jackson finished second in the league in rushing and has never rushed for less than 1000+ yards since 2004. He also typically adds 40 or so receptions and another 300 receiving yards. The only downside with Jackson is his lowish touchdown numbers, due to being the only cog in the Rams' offense.

Shockingly, Jackson is actually a few months younger than Turner, even though it seems like Turner only exploded on the scene recently. All those years sitting behind LDT might have kept Turner fresh but he and Jackson are from the same NFL draft class. Some experts even have Jackson ranked ahead of Turner in this year's rankings so this trade could have been pretty even just one on one. However, the savvy owner that GM Roger is, he also acquired Wes Welker in the deal.

Seemingly short on receiving talent now that WR Roddy White was traded away, Buffy needed to find another pass catcher. A healthy Wes Welker could help fill that void. Mr. Consistency has put up three 100+ reception seasons in a row and piled up about 1200+ yards each of those seasons. Welker's touchdown numbers are low but he's a guaranteed double digit player each time out. Early thinking had Welker out until November after a horrific knee injury in the final regular season game last year but he seems to be recovering quickly. When healthy, Welker is easily a top fifteen receiver, and Buffy got him basically for free.

The real impetus behind this massive trade was to give the Dirty Birds and Buffy their respective favorite franchises' players. Jon is obviously a Falcons fan and he hasn't had a premier one since the heyday of Michael Vick. Roger used to boast both Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt in their primes but Faulk has long retired and Holt was cut by Buffy last year (and then redrafted as a Jaguar before being viciously cut again). By securing excellent players from their favorite NFL teams, both Jon and Roger hope to recover their championship magic from Super Bowls I and II.

With this move, Buffy continues a roster overhaul and it's possible that their 2009 keepers of Marion Barber, Philip Rivers, Roddy White, Antonio Gates, and Willie Parker could all be different after just one season. Currently they boast Steven Jackson, Matt Forte, Wes Welker, and probably some combination of Marion Jones, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Antonio Gates, and Donald Driver. As for the Birds, they needed some shaking up and had an extra keeper to spare with Adrian Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald, Miles Austin, and Knowshon Moreno all possible keepers alongside Jackson and Welker. After years of having the best running back duo on paper with Peterson and Jackson but only one co-championship to their name, GM Jon was looking for a chemistry changes.

Last year Buffy and Dirty Birds fought it out for a playoff spot and it seems like they're destined to clash again, this time with each other's players.