AFC: Zerger's Week One Preview

By Redlegs manager Lance Zerger 

Gentlemen (and Schuster): 

Welcome to the Week One newsletter for the OIL's AFC, which just recently drafted their 2015 rosters. Many owners were able to be in the same draft war room at AT&T Stadium. Schuster was available through conference call, and other owners across the Nation were able to participate via ClickyDraft. A big shout out to AFC Commissioner Nick Reed for working the clock and ensuring everyone had a fair shot throughout the draft. 

Draft Grades
Everyone is more than aware of the Yahoo! Draft Grades. Congratulations to Brosh, Fitzgerald, and Lynn for the outstanding draft grades they earned. This does not mean you are a shoe-in for the playoffs, but it is a great start.

Week 1 Matchups

The first matchup is the Doughboys, led by Nick Green vs. the Redlegs, who are led by Lance Zerger. If Zerger could draft as well as well as he likes to trash-talk then this league would be his for the taking. However, he ended up with a C for draft grade. The Doughboys had a slightly higher Draft Grade but interestingly enough, they are the underdogs for this week. Vegas weigh in giving the Redlegs a 62 percent chance to win the game. However, this might change a bit over the week as the Doughboys are currently looking for a Kicker and a decent Defense to take the field.

The second matchup has the Sawtooths taking on the Vultures, who were awarded the Best Draft medal. The Vultures seem to be a nine-point favorite coming out of the gates. But all it takes is an unsung hero to step up and close the gap for the Sawtooths. Can Carr, who is in his sophomore season, get the ball to Michael Crabtree? If so, which is very likely, then Crabtree could be a big time weapon for the Sawtooths, which is in a very interesting predicament this week, as his QB takes on his starting Defense.  Those will most definitely be matchups to keep our eye on this week. For the Vultures, is Big Ben going to be able to keep it going? Last year was one of his best fantasy years; however, he is without his number-one running back and could face a defense that is stocking up against the passing game.

The Hooligans go on the road to face the Warm Bodies. Vegas has not weighed in on this matchup due to the fact that both front offices are taking a Bill Belichick approach and not naming any starters. However, due to Adam Schefter insider information, Le'Veon Bell is not expected to play this week. The same for Jordy Nelson, Speaking of Jordy Nelson, it seems that the injury bug is going around the locker room for the Hooligans.  That front office is facing five players that went to sick hall and never came back. The rest of the league has taken to referring to them as the Sick Call Rangers. However, with a smart head coach like the Hooligans have, it will not be long until they will be on the right track and ready to take control of a playoff berth. 

The next game is a real "Beauty and the Beast" scenario. Big Nasty Musselman's Mutinous Apes go on the road to take on the defending champions: War Pony (managed by Venable). As of now, the game seems to be a push but Vegas is giving the Apes a six-point advantage. Once War Pony decides on a starting kicker it will not surprise anyone if this game becomes a push. Both have players playing on Monday night and this could lead to a late night of football watching for both managers (Venable is in the Pacific Time Zone while Musselman is in Hawai'i). It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the weekend.  

The Cocks will be fighting the Brewmasters in a matchup with no clear favorite. The Cocks will most likely name a starting a QB by Wednesday, but they chose Peyton Manning in the third round after taking Sam Bradford in the second, so it's unclear who wins that job. It may come down to the strength of their opponents and Bradford is facing a weak Atlanta defense.

Fitzgerald's Steel Reign next faces the Rebel Alliance, which is not known for speed; in fact there is a strong lack of speed with anything the Rebs associate with. Both had solid drafts and it will be interesting whether or not Steel Reign will be able to field a team capable of keeping up with Roe's Ass Clapping Alliance. I am sure they will, Vegas has the Rebel Alliance an overwhelming winner this weekend but that will change as the week goes on and Fitzgerald sets his lineup.  

The Negligent Discharges take on the Hillier team that made it all the way to the Thunder Bowl last year before falling to War Pony. As of now, the early week prediction has the Negligent Discharges as a favorite . . . not a fan-favorite unfortunately but a favorite nonetheless. However, it would not surprise anyone if Hillier works some magic and gets back into the playoff mix. But don't count out Schuster’s salty attitude that spews personal attacks against anyone in its way. Schuster vowed in the offseason to make the playoffs for the first time in his OIL career and is currently sitting in decent shape.

This concludes our weekly roundup. It should be a great weekend and it is awesome to just get the NFL season started.Good luck to all the teams out there this week.