Stinkball

FOR IMMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 7, 2010

StinkBall.com Fantasy Football Member Wins Autographed Football from Tight End Vernon Davis

Asheville, North Carolina – StinkBall.com Fantasy Football started an end of the season special contest with Week 17 of the NFL season: The 2009 Vernon Davis StinkBall Challenge. The contest runs 4 weeks and each week the first place StinkBall member receives an autographed football signed by Vernon Davis, #85 of the San Francisco 49ers. On January 6, 2010 StinkBall.com announced the first week’s winner: David Boyer. There are now 3 footballs left to win, one for each week of the NFL playoffs.

StinkBall.com was launched in September 2009 and offers a new twist on fantasy football. Instead of creating a team of the best players, members must predict that week’s worst NFL performances and create a team of the poorest players. Teams are awarded points for fumbles, sacks and interceptions. Stinkball.com requires no draft and members complete weekly lineups from a database of NFL players. Teams are currently free and members can also start public and private leagues.

Stinkball.com is owned and operated by fantasy football aficionado, Jason McCoy, a pioneer of what he calls “fallacy sports”. Fallacy sports is a new fantasy genre focused on games where members must predict poor performances in order to win. The idea is to give experienced fantasy players and sports experts a fresh experience unlike other fantasy websites. In order to win members must use unique strategies and think about sports in a way they generally don’t.

“Stinkball.com is so excited about working with Vernon Davis this season as he continues to establish himself as both an NFL and fantasy football superstar. In 2009,” states McCoy, “Vernon is showing the fans and fantasy players what he is really made of and we expect his talent and strength to add a lot to the fantasy experience over the next few years”.

StinkBall.com will accept new members for the 2009 Vernon Davis StinkBall Challenge until the playoffs are over. Members have until 1 hour before games to sign up and set weekly lineups. For more information visit http://www.stinkball.com/vernondavis.

Media Contact:

Jason McCoy , StinkBall.com Fantasy Football

14 Wales Street Asheville, NC 28803

(828) 545-6007

Jason@stinkball.com

Take the Vernon Davis Stinkball Challenge!

If you have never been on the site you must Add a Free Team:

1. Click Add a Free Team

2. Click JOIN NOW

3. Click CONFIRM YOUR ORDER

4. If you are a new member REGISTER for the website by putting in your name, email, password etc. Make sure to complete the CAPTCHA.

5. Click MY ACCOUNT and then click MANAGE TEAMS and follow the steps below.

If you have already added your team and you need to SET YOUR LINEUP do follow these steps:

1. Login with your Username (email) and Password CLICK HERE.

2. You will now have been rerouted to the homepage of the site. Click MANAGE TEAMS in the top right hand corner of the homepage.

3. You will now see your Manage Teams page and you will see below the header INDIVIDUAL TEAMS at the top a link that says SETUP TEAM. Click SETUP TEAM.

4. Give your team a name and click SAVE.

5. You will now be taken to your Set Lineup page. Here you can click the ADD button on the right for each required position. When you click Add you will be able to scroll down and view all available players for this position. Once you have filled all required positions your team lineup is automatically set and your team status below your lineup will say VALID.

6. To join a league click MANAGE TEAMS in the upper right hand corner and follow the steps below.

*Note: All StinkBall members, regardless of what leagues they are members of, will be eligible to win an autographed football form Vernon Davis each week.

1. Once you have added your free team and set your lineup you can CREATE AND JOIN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LEAGUES. Login and Click on MANAGE TEAMS in the upper right hand corner of any page.

2. Here you will see your INDIVIDUAL TEAMS listed first, then PUBLIC LEAGUES and PRIVATE LEAGUES. To join the 2009 VERNON DAVIS STINKBALL CHALLENGE PUBLIC LEAGUE scroll down until you see this league listed under PUBLIC LEAGUES.

3. Click the JOIN LEAGUE link next to the 2009 Vernon Davis Stinkball Challenge. This will take you to the league page.

4. On the right of the league page you will see a list of your UNASSIGNED TEAMS. Next to the name of the team you want to add to the league click the ADD TEAM TO LEAGUE link.

5. This takes you a page where you confirm you have the right team in the right league. Click SAVE. This will take you back to the SET LINEUP page. You can change your lineup until  one hour before the games.

***Note: Always remember you can click MANAGE TEAMS in the upper right corner on any page to return to your list of teams.

Starting Week 17, Stinkball.com is Proud to host the 2009 Vernon Davis Stinkball Challenge!!

Get the chance to win an autographed football from #85 Vernon Davis himself in a just a few easy steps.

1. Add a FREE team at Stinkball.com.

2. Join a public league or start a private league and invite your friends.

3. Set your lineup by choosing the NFL players you think will produce the worst performances that week.  Who will throw an interception, who will fumble and who will get sacked? These are the players you’re looking for.

4. Watch the games over the weekend and if your team scores the most Stinkball points you will win a signed football from Vernon Davis of the 49ers.

5. If you are a winner you will be contacted late Monday or early Tuesday after all games are concluded.

Check out our end of the season contests and find out more about why experienced fantasy football fanatics and NFL experts are taking the

Vernon Davis Stinkball Challenge!

by Jason McCoy

The Importance of Exploring A Variety of Fantasy Football Leagues

Each year I participate in a variety of fantasy football leagues. I enjoy the challenge of using my fantasy skills and football knowledge in different ways. This season I have 3 ESPN Keeper Leagues: 2 PPR (points per reception) and 1 non-PPR. I also participate in an FSTA (Fantasy Sports Trade Association) Expert League that is PPR and hosted on myfantasyleague.com.

Currently in the ESPN leagues I am in first (PPR), 2nd (PPR), and 4th (non -PPR). In all of these leagues the top 6 teams make the fantasy playoffs, so I am in great shape for the playoffs. In the FSTA Experts League, I am in last place in my division. Since there are 2 divisions of 5 teams each and the top 2 teams in each division make the playoffs I have been eliminated from playoff contention.

The 2009-2010 season is my first as part of a fantasy football expert league. This has been a humbling learning experience. I learned that in PPR leagues it is very important to get at least one stud wide receiver and to wait on selecting a quarterback. I have also come to understand that winning in an expert league is a lot tougher. In the expert league my opponents are the best in fantasy football and I must face the fact that there are others out there with more skill and knowledge than myself.

Fantasy Football Leagues

PPR or Non-PPR? That is the Question!

Fantasy football is a popular pastime and there are many ways to play that game. Different types of leagues have different starting, scoring and team rules and requirements. So how do you know whether to play a PPR or standard scoring league? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Points Per Reception leagues are dismissed entirely by some, however those who play understand PPR often creates a more exciting experience. I enjoy playing both PPR and Non-PPR since they both force me to strategize in unique ways in order to win.

FantasyFootball.com writer Jonathan Bales discusses this in a November 24^, 2009 article. (1) According to Bales in PPR leagues “wide receivers instantly gain more value, and running backs who catch the ball out of the backfield (Ray Rice, Reggie Bush, Maurice Jones-Drew) see their value skyrocket when compared to those RBs who are not great receivers (Michael Turner, Adrian Peterson).” Bales continues to say, “that, if utilized correctly, a PPR scoring system creates fast-paced, high-scoring leagues where the value of each position, unlike in standard scoring leagues, is relatively even.  The equalization of positional value makes drafts, waiver wire pick-ups, and even flex position plays more interesting.”

What are keeper leagues?

Keeper leagues allow team owners to keep players on a roster from one season to the next. The number of players an owner keeps varies generally from 2 to 5. KFFL.com writer Kevin Fitzpatrick believes, “While participants of all skill levels can enjoy single-season leagues, keeper leagues tend to cater to more advanced players, as the strategy, planning and knowledge required are more extensive. However, as the complexities of your fantasy football league increase, so, too, must the rules governing your owners. While a standard league can survive on a fairly basic set of regulations, a keeper league’s rules need to be more comprehensive.” (2)

I agree with this synopsis since the considerations of a keeper league differ greatly from those of a standard scoring league. In order to win you must think outside the box. If you want an even harder challenge check out a dynasty league. These are leagues in which almost every player on the roster can be kept from one season to another. The rules of these types of leagues are even more complex

Loser Leagues: A New Trend in Fantasy Football

Loser leagues are a new trend in fantasy football. Sites like Stinkball.com focus on predicting the worst players in order to win. Stinkball.com offers no draft, you simply pick the players you think will allow the most fumbles, sacks and interceptions each week. In loser leagues you must truly understand the scoring system and be aware of what is happening in the NFL since you can be penalized for choosing players that don’t actually play. (3)

Auction and Salary Cap Leagues

Auction leagues can be more difficult since team owners must know exactly what players to bid on since each owner begins the draft with a specified salary cap. (4) These types of leagues can be complex and fun. In salary cap leagues the player’s salary or value rises each week based on their performance and the points they’ve been awarded. Owners must build the strongest team without exhausting their funds; this requires more attention to variables not discussed on standard scoring leagues. (5)

Fantasy Football Resources:

(1)http://fantasyfootball.com/ppr-vs-non-ppr-weighing-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-point-per-reception-scoring/

(2)http://www.kffl.com/article.php/72775/

(3)http://www.stinkball.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=3&zenid=78c99ce98ad4c32cc481867f3ab81b5e

(4)http://www.pcdrafter.com/auction.shtml

(5)http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/fantasy-football6.htm

by Jason McCoy

At the beginning of the season many fantasy football experts made their predictions and backed them up with solid facts and expert knowledge. However, at the end of the day life and football aren’t always predictable so you watch, collect, analyze and synthesize data on games, players, coaches, teams and trends each season so next year you will have even more insight into how to dominate your leagues and win big.

So far the 2009 NFL season has produced some interesting twists, as well as fulfilled some of my expectations, but who knows what will really happen when we still have most of the second half of the season to follow.  In September I made some pretty clear predictions about what teams would succeed and fail, in a few cases it seems I was dead on in my thinking, in other cases things have not gone as I planned. Here are a few examples:

My Best and Worst Predictions for the 2009-2010 NFL Season

My Best Prediction:
The Vikings and Saints would win their divisions.

My Worst Prediction:
Tampa Bay and the New York Jets would win their divisions.

My Thoughts on the 2nd Half of the 2009-2010 NFL Season

As we draw closer to the Super Bowl I think we are going to see a few key things happen. First, Dallas will win the NFC East. Second, Philadelphia and San Francisco will win the two NFC wild cards. Third, the NFC representative of the Super Bowl will be New Orleans or Dallas. Although New Orleans is the best team in the NFC right now Minnesota or Dallas have the strength and skill to beat them.

As far as the AFC is concerned I have been surprised at how well the Colts have played this year. Houston has also shocked me with their unbelievable inconsistency. I predict the AFC representative in the Super Bowl will be the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have really been a surprise this year, however they do need to watch out for the Colts or the Patriots

The Best Games in the 2009-2010 NFL Season

So far this year the best games played have been the Patriots vs. the Colts on November 15, the Browns vs. the Lions on November 22 and the Packers vs. the Vikings on October 5. All of these games were memorable and exciting.  Coming up I predict the Vikings vs. the Bengals on December 13 will keep everyone on the edge of their seats. This game will show us if the Bengals truly have a chance to make it to the Super Bowl or if Favre has the chance to end his career with a Super Bowl win.

The Cowboys vs. the Saints, scheduled for a rare Saturday game on December 19, should be a fantastic showdown. There is a chance the Saints will enter the game undefeated and the Cowboys are a team that could hand the Saints their first loss of the season. The Christmas day game featuring the Chargers vs. the Titans will be a treat. Even though the Titans haven’t lived up to RB Chris Johnson’s prediction that they would win 10 games in a row, they are still contenders for the playoffs.

Football: An Irresistible Addiction for NFL and Fantasy Sports Fans Alike

As the Super Bowl draws closer I expect to see even fiercer competition and any teams planning to step up their game in the 2nd half of the season will emerge in the next few weeks. As I said in the beginning life and football aren’t always predictable and sometimes the most exciting experiences come from what no one saw coming. This is why so many fantasy football fanatics are addicted to watching the games on TV and participating in fantasy leagues. I can’t wait  to see what the final outcome will be this season and whether my predictions are correct or not I will enjoy the season to the fullest.

Who Fell Short this Fantasy Football Season?

Every year there are triumphs and failures, surprises and predictable behaviors that unfold throughout the football season. Sometimes NFL teams and players that evoked low expectations send a shock wave through the fantasy leagues with unbelievable, breakout seasons no one knew would happen. Other times teams and players let down both their regular and fantasy football fans by falling short of their best. I guess football players are human too, and no one can be at the top all the time. Here are some of this season’s biggest fantasy football disappointments.

Disappointment #1 Tampa Bay Bucanneers

Sometimes you consider taking a chance on a team. You have a feeling of inspiration and hope that this team can be more than anyone ever expected. Unfortunately you’re wrong. This year anyone who believed in the possibility that the Tampa Bay Bucanneers would be good realized they made a mistake. Tampa Bay stinks. It’s the simple truth.

Disappointment #2 Steve Slaton-Houston Texans

There’s no other way to say it except Slaton has been a huge disappointment. Why? Because he fumbles and he’s been benched. Early in the season the Texans misused his talents. Slaton is not a “between the tackles type” runner. First, the coach should have spread him out and used him in the passing game

Disappointment #3 Matt Forte-Chicago Bears

Matt Forte has not lived up to his superstar performance in 2008-2009. It’s hard to determine exactly what is holding him back, but it appears to be happening partially because the Bears are trying to emphasize the passing game and partially because Jay Cutler has been a disappointment as QB as well. Cutler’s inconsistency cuts down on Forte. In addition a lot of the wide receivers are inexperienced and lack a certain level of talent. Bears fans can hope Forte will be alright and pick it up when it gets colder because once they start pounding the ball and players get tired of getting run into by a running back over and over.

Disappointment #4 Laveranues Coles-Cincinnati Bengals

Although there is still a lot of talk about how Coles is a #3 fantasy WR and has the rest of the season to step up his game, the reality is he has not been so spectacular the first half of the season. Time will only tell if he can make up for his slow start or if he will end it by lowering fans’ expectations.

Disappointment #5 Texans Defense

I’m not no sure the Texans defense was a disappointment since most fantasy sports and football experts know they’ve been the worst in the league for some time now. If you were hoping to see a change this season then you are probably feeling let down this far into the season. According to NFL Fanhouse writer Stephanie Stradley in her article “Texans Defense Is the Worst in the NFL”, “The Texans defense has been worst-of-the-league bad over the last four years.” “Explanations for the predictable struggles are easier to identify than the solutions,” Stradley continues. If you’ve been hoping for this situation to turn around this season, I wouldn’t hold your breath.

The NFL’s Worst Football Players Are Still the Country’s Best

So before I begin the discussion of the NFL’s worst players this year let’s be honest. Even the NFL’s worst players are better than 99% of the population. Think about it, there are over 300 division schools with an estimated 80 college football players each; this equals approximately 24,000 NFL wannabe’s. By the time these athletes reach the NFL only 1700 end up on an NFL team! These are some of the elite of the elite athletes in the world.

Quarterbacks: An Easy Target for Fantasy Football Critics

Any quarterback can be compared to the lead singer of a band. Even though there are other members, the mistakes and failures of the lead singer are the first things people see. Of course you can’t blame everything on the QB since the coach is the one calling the plays, but in the heat of the game trust me, you’ll watch the QB screw up and you’ll blame him immediately. Also you may notice in this list of this season’s worst NFL players I don’t hate on the rookies. Players like Mark Sanchez are still learning the ropes and referring to someone like him as the “NFL’s worst” is premature.

Boo! Hiss! Fantasy Football Let Downs!

Jamarcus Russell - QB Oakland Raiders

Russell has never been really, truly impressive. There are a lot of stats and data to back up why he has been called an “NFL bust”, but the biggest reason he is one of the NFL’s worst is his boring, unenthusiastic attitude. He makes football seem like a mundane job, he doesn’t appear fully invested. It’s hard to inspire passion in your fans when you continue to play without it.

Jake Delhomme - QB Carolina Panthers

On BleacherReport.com writer Michael Schottey recently wrote, “Although expectations for Delhomme were lower than for his fellow southerner, Delhomme has played tremendously awful.” Schottey points out that Delhomme is ignoring a “great running game and a host of options” due to his “tunnel vision for Steve Smith.” The bottom line is Delhomme has thrown multiple interceptions and the Panthers may have to rethink their strategies if his performance does not improve.

2 Peas in a Pod: Kerry Collins and Vince Young-QBS Tennessee Titans

These two teammates I put together because it appears the fate of one affects the fate of the other. First, Kerry Collins sucks. 2009 so far is one of the worst seasons of his career. There is no reason he isn’t throwing balls regularly to Britt and Cook. When it comes to Vince Young I’m worried; any time you have to bench someone like Kerry Collins for Vince Young you are in trouble. QBs must be really smart. Their intelligence is what makes them exceptional. They have to memorize 80 plays and strategize in mere seconds on the field. They must also be leaders. In my opinion, Young does not score high on the intelligence scale so I’m not sure if he is better or worse than Collins this season.

Fantasy Football’s Worst Defense

Continuing the trend of the last four years, this season the Houston Texans are dead last in total defense and deserving of recognition as part of the NFL’s worst. The Texans defense is made up of inexperienced players, except for Zgonina. This makes it harder for them to work together as a team. In a recent article “Texans Defense Is the Worst in the NFL” posted on Oct 01, 2009 by Stephanie Stradley on nfl.fanhouse.com, Stradley points out that the Texans are dealing with new coaches, a serious lack of leadership, no real continuity and position holes in this season’s roster. Stradley argues these are the reasons the Texans are the NFL’s worst defense. Is there hope for the future? Maybe, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.

Hasselbeck, Grant among the best fantasy starters for Week 9

Michael Fabiano-NFL.com

Check out Fabiano’s “Sit Em” and Start Em” lists. I may not agree with all of his opinions but he has some interesting ideas and thoughts on where things are headed in week 9 of the 2009-2010 football season. I found his take on Knowshon Moreno, David Garrard and Eli Manning thought provoking.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL FABIANO!

Click Here to watch NFL.com

Like all good things in the world, the Stinkball.com Fantasy Football system has evolved over time.

In the last few months we have made a lot of tweaks, upgrades and adjustments and we can’t thank you enough for your patience and feedback as we test this unique, new fantasy football contest.

Our leaderboards have been updated with total scores for the season and Week 6 data for individual teams. Our stats interface is still being updated but if you want to see what player stats would have looked like in 2008 you can get a bird’s eye view into the NFL players that may perform the best as Stinkball stars.  Compete in weekly contests with your friends or in one of our public leagues or compete in our season long contest and win one of our cash prizes.

The 2009-2010 season long contest began with Week 5 so you still have time to throw your team in the ring.

Join our community and prove you know football strategy backwards and forwards. Predict the NFL’s worst and your team will WIN!

Review our scoring rules for a better understanding on how the Stinkball system calculates and ranks the most disappointing performances in the NFL each year.

Stinkball.com-YouStink! YouWin!

We are  two weeks into the NFL season, and to put it mildly, the Super bowl is still anybody’s game.  So far we’ve seen some old hands make it rain, some fresh blood showing that they have what it takes to win, and some disappointments drafted in the first or second round.  Fear not for your picks, we still have the bulk of the season ahead of us, and fantasy football leagues will have a lot more surprises.  Here’s a rundown of the best (and worst) of fantasy football news.

In Life and in Football, Experience Matters

The first few weeks have reminded us all why established players consistently rank as the top fantasy football players.  Drew Brees holds the #1 Quarterback spot for on NFL.com.  Now in his fourth year with the Saints, the man moves the ball quickly and confidently.  There’s no doubt that he was in control against Philadelphia, and he knows his assets (see Colston and Henderson).  Tom Brady didn’t perform as expected against the Jets, but by no means does that mean that he’s lost his touch.  My prediction is that he’ll have a very strong season.  Andre Johnson has never played better for the Houston Texans. And let’s not forget about Tony Gonzalez, the first Tight End in NFL-history to accrue more than 11,000 yards.  This man has fantasy football stud written all over him.

NFL Rookie Report

Some of the rookies and younger players are poised for a breakout season.  Denver may have a new star quarterback on their hands with Kyle Orton.  Now in his fifth year in the NFL, he’s quick to the snap and his accuracy looks solid.   Calvin Johnson is playing smart and skillfully for the Lions, but quarterback Matthew Stafford has a lot of work ahead of him.  The Minnesota Vikings are in-the-pocket with newcomer Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson.  Both Harvin and Peterson work well with Brett Favre, and the trio performed some notable power plays against the Browns and Lions.  No doubt we’ll be seeing more from them in the future.  And for best in defense, look to the Baltimore Ravens.  They shut down both Kansas City and San Diego with top-notch performances.

NFL Injury Updates

On the unfortunate side, let’s talk about the injuries.  Brian Urlacher is out for the season, which leaves Chicago with a lackluster defensive line.  They’ve been rebuilding their defense for the past two years.  Without Urlacher, it’s going to take some seriously creative coaching to help them hold their own against the top teams.  The Indianapolis Colts are feeling the same heat after losing Anthony Gonzalez.  The other wide receivers on the roster are mediocre at best, which leaves their passing game in deep waters.  And the Seattle Seahawks fare no better with their quarterback Matt Hassellbeck out with a broken rib.  They expect him back on the field soon, but in the meantime, we’ll probably see Seneca Williams starting.  Finally, Cowboys running back Marion Barber suffered a painful quadriceps strain that’s going to keep him on the bench for a minimum of two weeks.

All of these events early in the season will shape the eventual outcome of the Super Bowl, but what that outcome will be is anybody’s guess. Be sure and stay updated on NFL player news each week so you can make sound, successful decisions when it comes to your fantasy leagues and teams this year.

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