The first annual RAB Fantasy Football League came to a close last week, and I’d have to say it was a smashing success. Managing a squad in a twenty team league took some foresight and plain old luck, but it was a blast. We’ll definitely being doing this again next year.

Resident RABer tommiesmithjohncarlos took the league title despite getting a combined 0.00 points out of his kicker and Titans’ stud Chris Johnson in the championship game. He defeated me, JSBrendog (rocks) and Punk in Drublic (run by longtime reader Aaron) on his way to the title. I settled for a seventh place finish, which I’m happy with since this is my first experience with fantasy football in about five seasons.

In the last update I bragged about my seven-week winning streak heading into a final week battle with JSbrendog to determine second place, but that probably wasn’t such a good idea. I lost by 36+ points and had to settle for the sixth seed in the postseason. TSJC then sent my team packing with a 26.86 point defeat in round one of the playoffs. Brandon Jacobs’ poorly timed knee injury is what did me in, as I was forced to start Leonard freaking Weaver in my lone postseason game.

So for triumph, TSJC’s prize was a fancy new … nothing. All he got is bragging rights, and something tells me he’ll use them to fullest extent possible. Final standing after the jump, see you next year.

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There’s only one week left in the regular season of our first ever fantasy football league, and just one of the twenty teams has clinched a playoff spot. The last time I updated you on the league’s goings-on, I was tenth in the league with a 5-4 record, but riding the wave of a three week winning streak. One month later, that streak is still alive at seven wins, and I’ve gone from the middle of the pack to near the top of the standings.

The trade deadline came and went with much controversy (I’m not going to explain, long story), and now teams are stuck mining the unbearably barren free agent pool for fill-ins. I grabbed Ken freaking Dorsey a few days ago to replace Vince Young as my backup to Chad Pennington for no other reason than because Dorsey will actually get some playing time during the rest of the season. Ryan Grant, Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Walter and Calvin Johnson continue to carry my squad.

Loyal RABer JSBrendog and I lock up for a UUUUUUGE battle this week. We’re tied for second in the league with identical 9-4-0 records, but I’m technically in third because my team has picked up 5.4 fewer points on the season. The winner of the week clinches a playoff spot and the second best record in the league, the loser’s playoff fate will be decided by the what the six teams with an 8-5-0 record do. You’re doing going down, fool.

Current standings are after the jump.

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The last (and only other) time I posted an update of our fantasy football league I was buried with a 2-4 record, good for 15th place in a 20 team league. I had lost Rashard Mendenhall (who was primed for an increase in carries due to Willie Parker’s injury) and Vince Young to injury and suicidal thoughts, respectively, and San Diego’s sorely underperforming D was no help either. The future looked bleak.

But then something unexpected happened. I got huge games out of Calvin Johnson, Ryan Grant & Brandon Jacobs in Week 7, leading to a 34+ pt win. The following week my team gritted & scrapificated out a 3.24 pt win behind my boy Chad Pennington to pull to .500. Solid contributions across the board led to a firm 20 pt win last week, and viola, I’m suddenly right in the thick of the playoff hunt at 5-4.

With five weeks to go before the postseason (the top eight teams will make it), I’m tied with four others for seventh place, although my lack of total points has relegated me to tenth. Three of my final five games come against the teams currently in second, third and fourth place, so I’m going to have to earn my way to the playoffs.

I lost one of my most consistent point getters when Michael Pittman landed on the IR, so my 3 RB / 2 WR lineup suddenly became a 2 RB / 3 WR setup with Antwaan Randle El falling into a full-time gig. The waiver wire & free agency pool is barren, and attempts to acquire a fill-in RB via trade have proved fruitless. The trade deadline is next Friday, and barring some minor tweaks, it looks like I’ll be going to war with my current roster.

I’m sure some of the other players will chime in via the comments. Current standings after the jump.

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Back in August, a few of us casually brought up the idea of starting a fantasy football league, and an idea that went from “yeah, it sounds like it’ll be a nice hobby” exploded into a massive 20-team league with more than enough trash talk to go around.

Having this many teams means that resources are scarce. Free agency and the waiver wire are basically barren, backup QB’s are at a premium, and third string RB’s are often trade targets. My original roster has undergone quite a facelift, although it hasn’t helped much.

Gone are Rashard Mendenhall (injury), Kevin Faulk, Dennis Northcutt & Joe Jurevicius, replaced by John Carlson, Bobby Wade, Justin McCareins & Harry Douglas. That’s how scarce decent players are. Vince Young’s meltdown has forced me to start Chad Pennington, and Todd Heap’s suckiness threw Carlson into a key role. San Diego’s defense is sorely missing Mr. Merriman, as is my team. Michael Pittman’s been a Godsend, covering for Ryan Grant, who’s allergic to the endzone.

My top two players are Brandon Jacobs & Calvin Johnson, scoring 72.10 & 65.20 points, respectively. The second tier includes Pennington, Pittman, Kevin Walter & Antwaan Randle El, all of whom are in the 53-60 point range. I own exactly one of the top 52 point getters in the league, and just four of the top 65. It’s shaping up to be a long season, unless VY starts performing like he’s playing USC every week.

Standings after the jump. If any of the other teams want to chime in, leave your two cents in the comments (if I missed a link to someone’s site, let me know).

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