Burning Questions
Thanksgiving is weird. It is one of the only days of the year where despite watching terrible football and trying to decide which is worse, being as full as you are or contracting a rare disease that causes you to only like Luke Bryan songs, you are totally and completely happy. Perhaps it’s the family and friends, or maybe it’s the candied sweet potatoes? All I know despite being in immense physical pain some eleven hours after eating, I couldn’t be in a better mood.
The problem with all this is I didn’t have time to put much thought into this week’s article. But because you all deserve my best effort, I brainstormed for the better part of three minutes trying to come up with a clever theme or intro that didn’t involve Thanksgiving. Why would I try and avoid the obvious option?
- It is a played out concept.
- It is the easy, lazy option.
On the other hand, there is one main argument for giving in:
- It is the easy, lazy option.
I’m still experiencing meat sweats, am barely awake and my gravy IV drip is almost dry, so I think we all know where this is going….
Welcome to this very special Thanksgiving thankfulness of being thankful themed Burning Questions, thankfully!
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Which player are you most thankful for?
Over the course of the summer I was up and down on Allen Robinson. In a search for clarity, I talked to a handful of my DLF brethren, but found their opinions were all over too. Some thought he had a WR2 ceiling, and many were worried Blake Bortles would hold him back while others beamed even at the mention of his name. Then I got a hold of Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception piece on the Jag’s sophomore standout.
With a glowing review from Matt and some personal film study under my belt, I moved Robinson up in my rankings and went about adding him in a few leagues where I didn’t already own him. This is how I ended up with the Penn State product on seven of my 12 rosters, something I am beyond thankful for.
Which player are you least thankful for?
It would be easy to pick any one of around 394 injured stars, but I’ll go with C.J. Anderson. I only own the Broncos’ back on two of those aforementioned 12 teams, but the cost of acquisition in each was high enough that they both sting like hell.
Anderson has been much, much better the last several weeks, looking healthy for the first time in a long time. The problem is, as much as I don’t see Ronnie Hillman as a lead back type, he has played well enough that Anderson is stuck on the bad end of a timeshare.
Long term, I’m not sure either guy is the answer, but I do believe Anderson is both a more complete player and better suited for the lead role. Hopefully he gets, then capitalizes on, a chance to prove me right, pulling my bacon out of the fire on the way.
Are you thankful for Black Friday?
Yes, and I don’t even shop. I’m just thankful is it helps me identify who in my life I need to cut out because they are the type of person to get up in the middle of the night to wait in line to save money on things they don’t need while fighting off aggressive, angry shoppers looking to do the same.
You can’t possibly be thankful for this rookie class, can you?
Injuries to Kevin White, Phillip Dorsett, Tevin Coleman, and Breshad Perriman have conspired to make this class a disappointment. That would be enough on its own, but other first round picks Ameer Abdullah, Devante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Melvin Gordon and Dorial Green-Beckham have been disappointing despite being mostly healthy all season.
All the injury mayhem and under performance has led to a nearly across the board value drop, as eight of the 12 first round rookie picks in our July ADP have seen their draft position slip. Going back to part two of my five part rookie draft study published in April, only nine the last 36 top-18 picks entering this season saw a year-to-year drop in ADP. To put it simply, the number of depreciating players this season is trending to be about three times worse than what we’ve seen in recent history.
Thankfully, dynasty is all about the long game. Instead of looking at all the rookies as risky investments, look at them as buy-low opportunities. Despite having almost zero film telling us if White, DGB, Parker, Dorsett or Perriman belong on an NFL field, their injuries/lack of playing time don’t diminish the abilities and potential that had us investing draft capital in them. For me, the risk with these young fellers is no greater now than it was in May.
Things get trickier for Coleman (stuck behind Devonta Freeman), Abdullah (can’t stop fumbling), Agholor (in a truly dysfunctional offense) and Gordon (offensive line is better than wet tissue paper, but just barely). Sure, a bit more faith is required, but we’ve seen enough flashes from all four that there is reason to believe they could still fulfill the promise we saw this summer.
To answer the original question, no, I’m not overly thankful for this class’ 2015 performance, but I am very thankful potential stars are being traded at a discount. As a bargain hunter, I’m not sure what more I could ask for?
Which NFL coach are you most thankful for?
Oh, this is easy.It’s Jim Tomsula.
With a beautiful lip caterpillar, gold chain, track suit and ever-present perspiration, I don’t care if he is probably the worst coach this side of the NFL version of Nick Saban. The only thing that matters is Tomsula is the single best piece of coaching comedy since the Art Shell I don’t belong here what’s happening I’m confused face.
Which NFL coach are you least thankful for?
Jeff Fisher. There is no second place. #FreeBrianQuick
What else are you thankful for?
I am genuinely thankful for our subscribers and their patience with my nonsense. I am thankful for my fellow DLF writers and their patience with my nonsense. I am thankful for the DLF partners and their patience with my nonsense.
Basically, I’m thankful that so many people allow me to be me, have some fun and talk just enough football to (barely) justify my continued Senior Writer status.
See you all next week.
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- How to Win Without Watching Football - July 22, 2021
- 2018 Summer Sleeper: Chicago Bears - July 9, 2018
- NFL Draft Aftermath: Winners and Losers from the AFC North - June 18, 2018
