Jordan's 2010 Power Rankings - Week 13

When we consider the bullet list of reasons that teams win in the Nelson League, folks are quick to tick off savvy drafting, phenomenal luck, good matchups, and other data points. Waiver pickups are not usually at the top of the list, but analysis tells us that they should be.

Last year, Tony picked up Miles Austin and Sidney Rice on waivers, catching a sweet little wave and riding it all the way to the Super Bowl. Matching up against Hugh’s powerhouse in the Big Dance, he trotted out Justin Forsett as his #3 running back – another late addition.

In 2008, Northboro was sucking wind in the middle of the year. Stephen Jackson was hurt, and the Steroids were pushing out non-entities like Kevin Faulk and Warrick Dunn to try and steal a touchdown. The situation was bleak, as we rode a 4-game losing streak into week 12. In week 12, we were matched up against Rocky Brook, and our season rested on the fortunes of a patchwork lineup that included waiver warriors Peyton Hillis, Larry Johnson, and Lance Moore. Those three guys went off for 32 points, and we were 6-6. Of course, we lost to Tony in week 13, because that’s how we roll, but we were able to squeak by John in week 14, secure a playoff spot and set ourselves up for a title run, reinforced by Stephen Jackson’s return to health.

Waivers are one of the few things a manager actually controls during a fantasy football season, and guys that work the waiver wire successfully usually reap solid returns on their investments.

This week’s rankings…

1. Northboro - Northboro hit the jackpot on waivers this year by grabbing Peyton Hillis, Brandon Lloyd and Michael Vick. All of them are playing against the Bete Noir this week – Tony is in town. The Steroids would really like to avoid getting our collective butts handed to us as we did in week 6. Thursday was a nice start – we got 46 from Michael Vick, Neal Rackers, and the amazing Arian Foster.
   
   
2. Dangerous Minds - Mike is hammering away, trying to get his club ready for the playoffs. He added Brian Westbrook off the scrapheap this week – a logical reaction to Frank Gore’s injury. Westbrook was terrific last week, but the San Francisco coaching staff is a little nervous about overloading the fragile 31 year old. They probably shouldn’t be – Westbrook has been playing hurt for years.
   
   
3. Georgia Satellites – Rice Bowl II is on tap this week, and based on matchups John should be preparing himself for a thorough ass-kicking from the Commish. Check out this nightmare – Rashard Mendenhall at Baltimore, Ray Rice against Pittsburgh, Percy Harvin and Austin Colle both questionable. Meanwhile, the Minds have Chris Ivory against hapless Cincinnati, Matt Forte at Detroit, and Duane Bowe against Denver (although Champ Bailey won’t be giving him a 25 yard cushion this week.) If Mike wins, John seeds 4th, having lost to Garvey twice. Welcome to Northboro, Big Fella!
   
   
4. Garvey’s Gangsters – With a 1-game lead over Mike in the standings, and holding the tie-break against John, Garvey just needs a couple of wins to secure second place. The Gangsters got 18 from Leshon McCoy on Thursday, and are matched up against the Hugh’s Midwest Marauders this week. If John loses to Mike this week, Mr. Garvey can prepare himself for a game with Dangerous Minds week 15. If John wins, Garvey needs a victory to secure a playoff seeding against the Satellites.
   
   
5. Rocky Brook – Of the four teams vying to avoid finishing in the Nelson League cellar (which, by the way, is fully furnished and has a wide screen with Satellite), this is the one club that has a chance to finish .500. Tom has a favorable matchup with the Northern Spies this week, and a game against Rich Garvey to finish the year. At one point this year, Tom was 2-5, so he’s recovered nicely.
   
   
6. Tony’s Phight-in Camels – Tony typically rolls against Northboro, and he got a very nice 28 points from the three guys he threw out there on Thanksgiving. I played Tony Turkey Day week a year ago, and got a dagger in the chest when Tony beat me 62-61. This year, the savvy hump master will have to find a way to make up an 18 point deficit in a 5 on 5 game. Adrian Petersen went from needing an MRI to practicing in full on Saturday, which is why we draft him so early every year – he’s not only as good as they get, but he’s a warrior, too. Mike Tolbert has been a very effective waiver pickup for Tony this season. He’s scored 9 TDs so far.
   
   
7. Midwest Marauders - Hugh has terrific matchups, and got 7 from Andre Johnson on Thursday, but he heads into Sunday spotting Mr. Garvey 11 points. Jamal Charles against Denver and a surging Jay Cutler against pathetic Detroit are particularly scrumptious.
   
   
8. Northern Spies – Rich will be experiencing that special kind of cognitive dissonance that only comes from playing fantasy football. On Monday night, all of New England will quit whatever they are doing and head to the TV to watch a titanic collision between the Jets and the Pats. Rich, a devout Pats Fan, has the Jets’ Mark Sanchez, and his opponent Rocky Brook has Tom Brady. For the Deslauriers, it’s been that kind of year.