CB Posse Fantasy Football League: Predictions: 2012 Edition

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Predictions: 2012 Edition

Fantasy, like all sports gambling, is the art of predicting the future.

I remember two years ago when I predicted Arian Foster’s breakout year (link). I was lucky enough to snag him in one draft and won the league. Had I snaked him from Sahil in the CBPFFL draft, it might have been me on top that year.

Last season, I made specific predictions (below) about Sahil’s team. Here are my judgments of his top picks:

1) “Rodgers will compete for top QB this year.” – He was the top QB.

2) “S. Jax will not be a top ten RB this season. I’m guessing at least half the RBs taken after this pick in the second round out score him.” – S. Jax finished as #10 RB and was only outscored by one of the five RBs taken after him in the round.

3) “Nicks is a beast that should pick up the slack.” – Nicks was 11^th scoring WR.

4) “Finley as the number one TE? Over Gates?” – Finley was far from deserving the number one TE pick, outscored by seven TEs, including Gates.

5) “When I saw Sahil that stuck himself with Jacobs as a RB2, I laughed out loud and knew he was done.” – Jacobs was outscored by 31 RBs last season, including the next five taken after this pick.

6) “Bryant is a safe WR2 and has great upside” – Bryant finished 19^th in WR scoring.

Five out of six is pretty good, and I continued that kind of accuracy throughout all my guesses. How do I do it? Just lucky. Mind your own business.

Here are my Love/Hate predictions for the upcoming 2012 season:

“Loves” - Players that will outperform last season’s total (ignoring unusual injury seasons): Brady, Vick, Cutler, Foster, Chris Johnson, McFadden, Hillis, Kevin Smith, Julio Jones, Gates, Fred Davis, Cook, Olsen, Martellus Bennett

“Hates” - Players that will underperform last season’s total: Newton, Eli Manning, Sanchez, Jones-Drew, Sproles, Turner, Reggie Bush, Tolbert, Cruz, Roddy White, Welker, Steve Smith (CAR), Jordy Nelson, Gronkowski, and Tony Gonzalez

Of course, these predictions led me to draft four “Loves” and avoid all the “Hates” in this year’s CBPFFL draft. If I get these 80% correct, I like my chances this season.

History of the League

In the fall of 1991, six young boys entered the hallowed halls of the Banfield Academic Center to embark upon a journey that would make them into men. They were lead by the eponymous Carl Brown and his obsession with Dennis Hopper. His group, which gathered each day in their private, brick-walled alcove, consisted of Steven Caggiano, James Pickard, Sahil Tak, Hank Zakroff, and Murat Zincir. Though other people drifted in and out, this was the core of the entity that would come to be known as the CB Posse.

CB Posse FF officially began in 1993. The early years of the league would be dominanted by Murat and Pickard, who took the trophy three time each. It wasn't until the seventh year of CB Posse FF that this dynamic duo of NFL knowledge failed to capture first place. Sadly, in 1999, as the Posse members finished college, only four owners played, and, due to lack of interest, the league would begin a decade long hibernation.

In 2009, Pickard asked Hank whether he would be interested in getting the league back together. After an emphatic "YES!" from his friend, Pickard made some phone calls and the league was reborn like a glorious phoenix from the ashes. The 21st Century has revolutionized FF into a more competitive monster. CB Posse FF went completely digital, and unless you can navigate the nearly endless amounts of NFL information available on the internet, you don't have a chance. Sahil would emerge as the dominant force, and he destroyed the league for back-to-back championships.

21st Century CB Posse FF has seen significant expansion. Murat and Pickard have lured several local friends into the ranks. Murat's New York crew has been dominant, consistently finishing near the top, and even claiming several championships. CB Posse FF has also become multi-generational, as young Jack Caggiano has boldly followed his parents' footsteps. Even the trophy underwent massive expansion, and is renamed The Caggiano.