The tour around my dynasty fantasy football leagues continues with my Farmington Strike Team. This was the league that got inspired by one of the horrible commissioners. I serve as a co-commissioner in the appropriately titled Legends 
of the Fall http://www7.myfantasyleague.com/2014/home/14326#0 with Sam Thun aka @gridironguy. It originally started off as a 20 man keeper league, but increased to a 25 man keeper league in 2013 with cuts due in the spring from 35 roster spots. Technically this is not a true dynasty league, rather a big keeper one. Starting lineups are the following: 1 QB, 2-4 RBs, 2-4 WRs, 1-3 TEs, 1 K, 2-5 DL, 2-5 LBs, 2-5 DBs. All touchdowns are worth 6 pts other than 5 pts for passing touchdowns. This is a regular PPR league, save for 1.5pts for tight ends. For the IDPs, it is a tackle heavy scoring. I had a great team in 2012, winning the entire league and then crashed in 2013 with a second to last finish. Here is my team:
QBs- Ben Roethlisberger, Jake Locker, Zach Mettenberger (start 1)
Roethlisberger should be solid for the next 3-4 years, but Locker is a weak QB2. This league is always quarterback centric and I am never willing to overpay for a solid backup. Mettenberger got selected just in case of emergency.
RBs- Shane Vereen, Mark Ingram, Jeremy Hill, Khiry Robinson, Stevan Ridley, Lance Dunbar, Donald Brown, Isaiah Crowell (start 2-4)
This is the weakest position on the team. Vereen and Ingram are decent RB2 and RB3, respectively. I do not have a proven RB1 and thankfully I have the horses at wide receiver and tight end that I should not need to start more than two backs each week. Hill, Robinson, and Dunbar have big upside and should produce well for a couple of weeks this season. Perhaps each gets a bigger cut of their offense’s pie in the next few years. With Brown and his three-year contract, there is a waiting game as both Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead are free agents in 2015. Crowell was a hopeful pick that may explode with upside or stink with failure. All of these backs are in the prime years of their careers though.
WRs- Randall Cobb, Roddy White, Mike Evans, Eric Decker, Kenny Stills, Markus Wheaton, Martavis Bryant (start 2-4)
At wide receiver, I have a lot of youth to exploit. Only White has a short shelf-life. Cobb could move on next season, but gets to catch passes from one of the best. Evans and Stills could make the leap this season into top twenty production. Decker takes a huge hit at quarterback, but should be more than serviceable as a WR3. I also have the second best Steelers wide out, but I’m not sure which one that is: Wheaton or Bryant?
TEs- Jimmy Graham, Dennis Pitta, Mychal Rivera, David Ausberry (start 1-3)
In a premium tight end scoring league, it is difficult to beat the combo of Graham and Pitta. I also think that the Raiders will struggle with throwing downfield making whichever Oakland tight end that steps up a solid fantasy producer.
K- Mason Crosby (start 1)
Crosby got picked up in the first round of waivers. He kicks for a high scoring offense. I got nothing else.
DLs- Lamarr Houston, Mohammed Wilkerson, Geno Atkins (start 2-5)
There are no superstars here, but all three present top 24 production. Houston should be better in Minnesota than Oakland. Wilkerson may improve on his numbers and if Atkins is healthy, he is a difference maker on the Bengals defensive line.
LBs- Lavonte David, Alec Ogletree, Bobby Wagner, Sean Lee, Brad Jones, Brian Orakpo, Telvin Smith (start 2-5)
If Lee was healthy, you might say this is the strength of my team. I love my first three backers as each can find a spot in the top ten. Jones was not very effective or healthy last year. Orakpo might be unleashed as a pass rusher which should help his production. Smith is a pure upside selection. Hopefully Jacksonville can find a place for him to roam around.
DBs- William Moore, Brandon Boykin, Deone Bucannon (start 2-5)
My defensive backs are solid play makers. Moore might see more tackle opportunities with the Falcons inside backer issues. Boykin plays on a Philly team with a powerful offense, so he might see an increase in targets when teams get pressed into playing from behind. Bucannon was a free agent pickup due to the Cardinals issues at linebacker and the injury to the Honey Badger.
Outlook for this season: While I have greatly improved my team from last season, this team might not be ready for primetime yet. If I do make the playoffs, it will be the result of my WRs, TEs, and LBs.
