Fantasy Football Fools’ Nick and Chadam pick the NFL spreads each week in “A Fool and His Money.” You don’t have to bet with them; in fact, it might be better for your wallet if you don’t. But for fantasy football players, Nick and Chadam provide a look inside the matchups from Vegas’ perspective and thoughts on which games and players will be critical in bringing home a win.
This week, we’re debuting “A Fool and His Money” in a slightly different format with a consensus opinion rather than the two versus takes. Tell us what you think, and feel free to comment.
Are there morals in fantasy football?
Think about it. Is it okay to pick a player you hate to be on your fantasy team? Is it okay to take advantage of lesser players in your league and swindle them in unfair trades?
And I don’t mean trades where you feel you are getting an advantage. I mean straight swindling people like Peyton Manning for J.T. O’Sullivan.
I have fantasy morals, and I must admit that I violated them last night during my fantasy basketball draft.
I hate T-Mac and the Rockets and have serious disdain for Yao Ming. The reasons are my own, yet I drafted them last night because, at the time, they were steals.
This morning, I feel nauseous and wrought with guilt. Ed. Note: Morning sickness?
I am currently trying to trade them both because I can’t handle it. I love fantasy sports, but I don’t want to have to trade my soul and the enjoyment of rooting for (or against) teams to get a few extra points each week. My advice is not to make the same mistake I did.
I also think taking advantage of the less interested and less knowledgeable players in a league is completely garbage — not because the weaker trade partner is getting shafted but because it hurts everyone else in the league.
Some people may pretend the trades are legit or that they deserve the advantage because they took the initiative to pull it off. Bullshit.
You cheapen the game when that happens and institute a degree of doubt into who the true contenders and champions are. Keep the sport pure, and don’t do this legalized form of cheating.
Now, to the picks!
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
SPLIT DECISION!
Chadam Takes: Ravens (+1.5) over BROWNS
Nick Takes: BROWNS (-1.5) over Ravens
In taking the Browns, Nick says: I’ve been treading water the last few weeks to stay above .500. Last week was particularly rough when I lost two picks by 0.5 points that could have put me at 9-5. I went 7-7, and Chadam is catching back up to me. Cleveland’s defense has kept them in games recently, and I like them to win at home.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs
Fools Take: Buccaneers (-8) over CHIEFS
Nick says: I correctly picked the Chiefs to keep it close last week, but the Bucs are going to come in angry after that disappointment in Dallas.
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
SPLIT DECISION!
Chadam Takes: BILLS (-5) over Jets
Nick Takes: Jets (+5) over BILLS
In taking the Jets, Nick says: The Bills are going to start panicking soon. Watch out.
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams
SPLIT DECISION!
Chadam Takes: RAMS (+3) over Cardinals
Nick Takes: Cardinals (-3) over RAMS
In taking the Cardinals, Nick says: The Cardinals looked respectable in defeat last week. Boldin was still a beast, even with all those screws in his jaw. Donnie Avery is starting to show why he was the first receiver drafted this year.
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Fools Take: BEARS (-12.5) over Lions
Nick says: I like the Bears to win the NFC North. They’ve showed some major improvement this year on offense and their defense will only get better as the season gets colder.
Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings
Fools Take: Texans (+4.5) over VIKINGS
Nick says: I like the Vikings to win, but the Texans have looked good the past two weekends. Maybe they can make it three in a row.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals
SPLIT DECISION!
Chadam Takes: BENGALS (+7) over Jaguars
Nick Takes: Jaguars (-7) over BENGALS
In taking the Jaguars, Nick says: Good teams probably look past the Bengals, and that’s when they will have their chance to prevent 0-16. Unfortunately, mediocre teams look forward to playing the Bengals and give them their full attention.
Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos
SPLIT DECISION!
Chadam Takes: Dolphins (+3) over BRONCOS
Nick Takes: BRONCOS (-3) over Dolphins
In taking the Broncos, Nick says: I want to take an efficient Chad Pennington versus that Broncos defense, but I think Denver coming out of a bye week at home will be too much for the Dolphins.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Fools Take: GIANTS (-7.5) over Cowboys
Nick says: Shutting down the Bucs was nice, but the Cowboys defense will need to muster a lot more to slow down the Giants’ offensive attack.
Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks
Fools Take: Eagles (-7) over SEAHAWKS
Nick says: The Seahawks won’t look that good two games in a row. McNabb should go off seeing how I just traded him away in my fantasy league. That’s usually how those things work. On a similar note, expect big things from Marques Colston next week.
Atlanta Falcons at Oakland Raiders
Fools Take: Falcons (-2.5) over RAIDERS
Nick says: Nothing against the Raiders except they suck, their owner sucks, their coach sucks and their fans suck. I also like the new duo of Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. A lot.
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Fools Take: Patriots (+5.5) over COLTS
Nick says: Do the Colts need this one or what? If they do win, it will be because they escaped, not because they dominated.
Green Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans
Fools Take: TITANS (-5.5) over Packers
Nick says: I got this brilliant plan, ya see. DON’T PICK AGAINST THE TITANS!
Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins
SPLIT DECISION!
Chadam Takes: REDSKINS (-1.5) over Steelers
Nick Takes: Steelers (+1.5) over REDSKINS
In taking the Steelers, Nick says: I like my Redskins, but the Steelers are too good to lose two in a row. If the Redskins had lost last week and the Steelers had won, I would probably switch my pick around.
Last Week:
Chadam: 9-5
Nick: 7-7
Current Standings after Week 8:
Chadam: 57-54-2
Nick: 59-52-2
Simmons: 60-51-3
I enjoy reading your column each week. One suggestion is to include your record, most include both, the previous week and ytd.
You might also add a seperate 3 or 4 plays, designating them as best bets and or plays you’d make if you were a betting man.
Lastly, along with the best bets, you could also show the record for those plays.
Lets be honest, as much as the government would love to believe their tightening up of the ways players can move money back and forth, has cut back on ‘problem gambling,’ but theres still about 5 billion dollars wagered each fall weekend. Thats 50 and 110 billion dollars bet on football illegaly, each year. It could be twice that.
So would there be demand if you tweaked your site to be a tad more “player friendly.”
We, non-professional players, are always looking for sources. A place or places that just might help us tweak our cards. I’m a 62 y/o M.D., who’s money wagers are secondary, all of the males in our family pick each game ats, for the right to keep “the cup.”
i track ~75 to 100 sites for info, I keep track of their records weekly, keeping the best, which is how I found you. (ties count as w’s so I have you at 9 and 10 last week.)
Anyway, my 2 cents…..hope it helps.
Dr Smith
I enjoy reading your column each week. One suggestion is to include your record, most include both, the previous week and ytd.
You might also add a seperate 3 or 4 plays, designating them as best bets and or plays you’d make if you were a betting man.
Lastly, along with the best bets, you could also show the record for those plays.
Lets be honest, as much as the government would love to believe their tightening up of the ways players can move money back and forth, has cut back on ‘problem gambling,’ but theres still about 5 billion dollars wagered each fall weekend. Thats 50 and 110 billion dollars bet on football illegaly, each year. It could be twice that.
So would there be demand if you tweaked your site to be a tad more “player friendly.”
We, non-professional players, are always looking for sources. A place or places that just might help us tweak our cards. I’m a 62 y/o M.D., who’s money wagers are secondary, all of the males in our family pick each game ats, for the right to keep “the cup.”
i track ~75 to 100 sites for info, I keep track of their records weekly, keeping the best, which is how I found you. (ties count as w’s so I have you at 9 and 10 last week.)
Anyway, my 2 cents…..hope it helps.
Dr Smith
@S J Smith MD:
Thanks for the suggestions, Dr. Smith. We’re always interested in reader feedback on how we could tighten up our features.
We normally include the records at the bottom each week, so that’s an easy fix. But what do you mean by “player friendly?”
@S J Smith MD:
Thanks for the suggestions, Dr. Smith. We’re always interested in reader feedback on how we could tighten up our features.
We normally include the records at the bottom each week, so that’s an easy fix. But what do you mean by “player friendly?”