Draft order was from tankathon
1 - New York Jets - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson - The Jets are terrible in every faucet, but Sam Darnold certainly hasnt inspired any confidence he can be the QBOTF this season even once Adam Gase is removed. Trevor Lawrence has been QB1 for this draft ever since his first game for Clemson and I dont see this changing any time soon.
2 - Atlanta Falcons (via New York Giants - Trades 1.06, 2.37, 2022 2nd for 1.02) - Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State - This move will likely be a bit of a shocker, but I truly believe the Falcons need a reset. Matt Ryan might be a great QB, but he’s 35 at this point, and there isnt much future left in Atlanta. Justin Fields has been electric at Ohio State, and plopping him down into a team with a decent OL and fantastic receivers will make the somewhat murky future of the Falcons that much brighter. Is this a steep price? Yes. Is it worth every penny? Also yes.
3 - Miami Dolphins (via Jacksonville Jaguars - Trades 1.04, 2.49, 4.113 for 1.03, 3.67) - Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon - Assuming Tua is the franchise QB for the Dolphins, the Phins NEED to protect him, especially considering his reputation for frailty. So they offer the Jaguars an offer they can refuse in order to grab Penei Sewell, who might be the best OT prospect since Joe Thomas came out of Wisconsin. Sewell should be an immediate rock at RT for Tua, and fill the hole that Tunsil left when he was traded.
4 - Jacksonville Jaguars (via Miami Dolphins via Houston Texans) - Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama - The Jaguars have needs everywhere. The WR corps is good but lacks a true star, the EDGE group has been toothless following Josh Allen’s injury, and Schobert has been atrocious after signing that big contract. But the CB most of all has needed help, considering the Jaguars defense has been torched through the air. Surtain is an elite cover corner in every way, and should provide a nice young CB tandem for the Jaguars to replace the one they lost.
5 - Dallas Cowboys - Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami - Demarcus Lawrence is still pretty good, but Aldon Smith is not a long term solution at EDGE. Rousseau, however, can be. He’s a fantastic athlete with an array of moves, and with Surtain off the board here, Rousseau is my pick for the player who will help beef up the Cowboys defense the most.
6 - New York Giants (via Atlanta Falcons) - Jamarr Chase, WR, LSU - This was a close one here. The Giants really need an inside linebacker and Darius Slayton has been a great player for them. But Jamarr Chase is just that good. And the rest of the Giants receivers outside of Slayton dont exactly inspire any confidence. Daniel Jones might or might not still be the Giants QB of the future, but Jamarr Chase should absolutely be their WR1 going forward.
7 - Washington Football Team - Trey Lance, QB, NDSU - Haskins is probably done. I dont foresee any sort of happy conclusion to his time in Washington, and thus Ron Riveria is probably going to look to install his own guy at QB. Trey Lance might not be a near finished product the top 2 QBs are, but he has gobs of potential and has a ceiling that might even surpass Fields or Lawrence. Will Trey Lance end up being Mahomes/Josh Allen or just another big armed bust? That’ll be up to the Washington coaching staff, but he’s a fantastic prospect for Washington to figure out.
8 - Los Angeles Chargers - Alex Leatherwood, OG/T, Alabama - Herbert looks like a franchise QB so far, so the Chargers look to fix the most glaring issue on their team, their offensive line. Leatherwood has been a starter on the Alabama OL ever since he got on campus, and he’s got plenty of experience protecting Tua, Mac Jones, and all those Bama QBs. He should be a day 1 starter at RT, and if Bulaga and Turner both come back and play at high levels, he can still contribute by sliding inside to RG or LG.
9 - New England Patriots - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama - The Patriots desperately need a QB of the future, but even if they did draft one, who exactly would he be throwing to? The receiving corps is more barren than the Sahara, especially thanks to some brutal misses at WR. stares at N’keal Harry. Enter DeVonta Smith, who’s surpassed his teammate Waddle as the #2 WR on my big board. Any concerns he had last year are all gone now, especially with Waddle out. It’s been the DeVonta showdown at Alabama, punctuated with a 200+ yard 4 TD performance against Mississippi State. Smith has Charmin soft hands and fantastic route running, and most importantly, gets fantastic separation. He’s a bit thin at only 175, but his frame should fill out nicely once he gets to the NFL. He should easily be the best receiver on the Patriots, and could be their best WR since Randy Moss and Wes Welker still play for New England.
10 - Minnesota Vikings - Wyatt Davis, iOL, Ohio State - Kirk Cousins isnt the answer in Minnesota, but throwing a rookie QB behind that O-line might as well be throwing them to the wolves. So, the Vikings grab the best iOL prospect in the class and beef up their interior with Wyatt Davis. Davis is an absolute bulldozer up front, and will run over almost anyone in his way. There's very few flaws with his game, and he should be a plug and play guy from day 1. Count this pick as killing 3 birds with one stone. Helping Cousins, helping Dalvin Cook and the run game, and protecting whoever the Vikings pick as the QB of the future.
11 - Chicago Bears (Via Cincinnati Bengals - Sends 1.18, 3.82, 2022 CHI first for 1.11) - Zach Wilson, QB, BYU - Trubisky isn't it, and the Bears pretty much threw away a 4th and cap space trading for Foles. The Bears need an answer at QB, and with the Panthers looking to pounce on the very last of the top tier QB prospects in my eyes, the Bears bite the bullet. With an aging defense and their Super Bowl window closing fast, they jump just over Carolina to draft Zach Wilson. Wilson has been flying up the draft boards recently, torching defenses on his possible Heisman campaign. He’s got great mobility, especially when it comes to extending plays, and solid pocket presence. Most of all, there’s a bit of reckless brilliance that reminds me a little of guys like Stafford, Mahomes and Allen. Its a fine line to balance and Wilson does have his flaws - such as too much aggressiveness and concerns about his shoulder’s durability, but if the Bears can keep Allen Robinson, then I can foresee a very fruitful connection in the future between the two, as well as a chance for Wilson to be the best QB in Bears history (Yes, its that bad).
12 - Carolina Panthers - Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State - Every few years or so, there’s a blue chip prospect that drops too far. Guys like Ceedee Lamb, Derwin James, or Marshon Lattimore that fall out of the top 10 due to no fault of their own, but the needs of the teams before them. This year, that guy is Micah Parsons, who falls into the waiting laps of the ecstatic Panthers. Parsons is a special linebacker, athletic, versatile, rangy and smart. He’s disruptive everywhere, and his ability to slip blocks and penetrate the offensive line definitely shows his background as a defensive end. Outside of perhaps not being the most consistent run defender, something thats barely an issue, the only flaws are nitpicky. A year after losing Luke Kuechly, Carolina has their replacement.
13 - Detroit Lions - Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama - The Lions really need some interior help on the defensive line, but in all honesty, I dont really like much of this iDL class. The #1 guy on my board is only there because everyone above him dropped like a rock. So, I have the Lions addressing another need at Linebacker with Dylan Moses. While it is unfortunate that Parsons didnt drop one more pick, Moses is certainly no consolation prize. He’s a fantastic linebacker in his own right, He’s an elite athlete with plenty of range and can hit like a truck. He also knows when to wrap up and is generally a sure tackler, which is a rather underappreciated trait. He does need to improve his ability to diagnose plays and shed blocks, but overall, he’s a force at ILB, and would be a great replacement for both the uninspiring. Jarrad Davis or Jahlani Tavai.
14 - Denver Broncos - Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State - From what Ive seen of the Broncos, Drew Lock has shown plenty of promise, and Garrett Bolles has actually been playing at a near elite level all season. That leaves one last problem for the Broncos, their secondary. Bryce Callahan has been fantastic all year and I've heard some praise for Michael Ojemudia, but AJ Bouye has been a disappointment, and that's when he’s on the field. Shaun Wade should be able to be that final piece in the Broncos secondary they need. It was close between Farley and Wade, but with the season the Broncos have had, Wade’s ability to stay on the field was the tiebreaker. Of course, that's only a bonus to Wade’s fantastic coverage ability, especially from the slot, and his run defense reminds me of Trae Waynes’s ability to stop the run at corner. With how complex NFL offenses are now, Wade’s ability to be both a slot and outside corner means he can follow a #1 WR wherever they go, which is surely should help him become an elite CB at the next level.
15 - San Francisco 49ers - Creed Humphrey, iOL, Oklahoma - The 49ers offense depends on their run game, and their run game depends heavily on their offensive line. And although the 49ers OL isn't as bad as it was early in the season, it's still comfortably in the bottom half of the league. Not to mention with Trent Williams becoming an FA as well as almost all their corners, C Weston Richburg is probably gone, and possibly the rest of the interior OL as well. So, the 49ers grab the first replacement in Creed Humphrey. Shanahan has historically run a zone blocking scheme for his OL, and that makes center an extremely important position for the 49ers to address. With plenty of experience in Oklahoma’s zone blocking scheme, Humphrey and the 49ers should be a match made in heaven. Thats not even mentioning his football smarts or his leadership. Humphrey should be a centerpiece in the 49ers offensive line for years to come.
16 - Miami Dolphins - Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama - Although EDGE is definitely a more pressing need for the Dolphins, how can anyone pass up reuniting Tua and his old college buddy? Of course, Waddle isnt just Tua’s former WR. He’s an explosive receiver who shreds the turf just like his former teammate Henry Ruggs III, a player with a great catch radius and the ability to dart to the holes in coverages, and a great kick/punt returner. Adding a burner like Waddle who can stretch the field should only help Tua, Parker, Williams, and the rest of the Miami offense.
17 - Las Vegas Raiders - Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia - The Raiders EDGE corps isnt barren the way it was two years ago, but Maxx Crosby hasnt lived up to the hype he had after a stellar rookie season, and although Clelin Ferrell is an elite run defender, he’s nowhere near as good of a pass rusher. They need to add someone who can GET after the QB, and although there are better EDGEs left, I think Ojulari is the best pure pass rusher on the board. He’s got fantastic hand usage and his low center of gravity lets him bend the corner through contact really well. There’s some work to be done on run defense, but Ojulari does give me flashes of Ngakoue at times, and his versatility would allow for Ferrell to slide inside and be a mismatch there. This might be a little high on his currently, but I dont think Ojulari is someone who will end up rising on draft boards in the future.
18 - Cincinnati Bengals (via Chicago Bears) - Dillion Radunz, OT, NDSU - The Bengals offensive line is injured to hell, but even when they were healthy, it was pretty obvious they were not protecting Joe Burrow all that well. When losing Bobby Hart is an actual problem, then you know the OL is terrible. Thats why I have the Bengals selecting OT Dillion Radunz out of NDSU. There are some question marks about athleticism and competition level, but Radunz’s technique is elite, and his toughness is unquestionable. He should be a welcome addition to the Bengals offensive line, and will provide solid protection for Burrow.
19 - Philadelphia Eagles - Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech - The Eagles WR situation was looking dire, but thanks to the emergence of second year WR Travis Fulgham, they can look to shore up another issue. The Eagles secondary has been pretty terrible for a few years now, and they need to find a solid answer. Farley can be that. He’s an outstanding press corner, and mirrors opposing receivers so well that he might as well be running their routes. He’s long, physical, and impressively sticky. He should be able to lock down the #1 CB position for the Eagles that they have sorely missed.
20 - Cleveland Browns - Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan - Myles Garrett is having a DPOY level season, but once again he’s missing someone disruptive on the opposite side of him. Oliver Vernon is gone soon, and Clayborn is no long term solution. They need to grab the compliment to Garrett, who although is a one-man wrecking ball, is still one man. Kwity Paye is a very strong power rusher who can uses his bull rush well to set the LOS. He’s a tank with fantastic explosiveness and a pretty high ceiling, and his ability to cause problems against the opposing offensive line should be welcome on the Browns defense.
21 - Jacksonville Jaguars (Via Los Angeles Rams) - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida - The Jaguars TE group is pretty weak right now, and Pitts talent should place him much higher than here. He’s an extremely versatile weapon in the way that most modern TEs are, able to line up all over and cause issues for the opposing defense. He’s not an elite blocker, but the effort is there and it's just simply an issue of fixing his technique and making him stronger. As a receiver, he’s a fantastic route runner with soft hands and a huge catch radius, just as good as any TE or even some WRs. Pitts should be a fantastic weapon for Minshew or whoever the Jaguars decide their QBOTF is.
22 - Arizona Cardinals - Jay Tufele, iDL, USC - The Cardinals passing defense is pretty terrible, and corner is a definite need. However, there’s more ways to improve a passing defense than just adding corners, and Tufele is too much value to pass up here for the Cardinals. Tufele can be a dominant force at 1 or 3T, with his explosiveness and powerful hands, which allows him to be utterly unblockable at times. And adding such an interior force would boost the Cardinals pass rush even more, which could also help improve their defense. If Tufele can become more consistent, there’s no good reason why the Cardinals defensive line can’t become one of the best in the NFL.
23 - Indianapolis Colts - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina - Xavier Rhodes has had a resurgence for the Colts, but its hard to say how long that will last, and there have been issues with the other corners getting torched. Jaycee Horn should help with that problem. A physical aggressive corner who knows how to properly use his size as leverage against opposing WRs, Horn would benefit greatly from Rhodes, and could be a great compliment alongside him as well.
24 - Baltimore Ravens - Trey Smith, iOL, Tennessee - With the retirement of Marshall Yanda, the Ravens have had a huge hole at LG that they still haven't been able to fill. And with their offense becoming more and more run heavy due to the addition of JK Dobbins and Lamar Jackson’s rushing abilities, one guy came to mind here. Trey Smith, the OG out of Tennessee, seemed like the natural fit. Smith is an absolute road grader in the run game, absolutely flattening whatever defensive players who are unfortunately enough to get into his way. He’s solid enough in pass protection, but more importantly, his fantastic run blocking paired alongside Orlando Brown Jr should lend itself to an absolutely terrifying run game from the Ravens.
25 - New Orleans Saints - Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota - Emmanuel Sanders is a fine WR2, but there’s definitely room for improvement, and with Michael Thomas becoming more erratic in his behavior, it wouldn't hurt to pick up an insurance policy here. Thats why Ive got New Orleans picking Bateman, as he’d provide a great compliment to Thomas, while also being good enough to be a star WR in his own right. Bateman’s a big play machine, someone who not only runs great routes, but gobbles up YAC once he has the ball. He should be a fantastic addition to the potent Saints offense, and would be a great 3rd option after Thomas and Kamara.
26 - Tennessee Titans - Joseph Ossai, EDGE, Texas - The Titans went up against a Bengals Oline that was starting 3rd stringers and recorded 0 sacks. Thats all I need to say about how terrible the Titans pass rush is. Landry is still pretty promising, but at this point Clowney is neither an answer to the pass rush woes nor is he likely staying long term in Tennessee. Joseph Ossai could be the answer to both, though. A quick trigger pass rusher who has plenty of room for improvement, Ossai presents a tantalizing option for Tennessee as someone who has the ability to become a very dominant pass rusher. He’d be a great fit in the Titans hybrid defense, and could grow into a cornerstone alongside Simmons and Landry on the DL.
27 - Green Bay Packers - Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson - Yes, I know the Packers have Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams and that they picked an RB in the second last year. But the thing is that David Bahktiari is also a free agent this year, and considering he’s going to demand a market resetting deal, cuts will need to be made somewhere. And that's not even mentioning Davante Adam’s contract is expiring a year later. With those two thoughts in mind, I dont think either Jones nor Williams will be back due to cap issues. But with Rodgers still wanting to win now, a stud like Etienne will be a great replacement, if not more. Etienne is an elite RB, who can break off huge chunks of yardage at a time and rip defenses apart with his burst. He’s also improved his catching ability to where he can be a every down RB. With Green Bay still a SB contender for the near future, Etienne can be that thing that pushes them into Super Bowl winners.
28 - Jacksonville Jaguars (via Buffalo Bills - sends 2.36, 4.116 for 1.28) - Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas - With so much drat capital at their hands, the Jaguars part a little with their haul in order to jump into the first round and secure a quality OT. Cosmi is an intriguing prospect with tons of athleticism and excellent smarts, someone who wins via brains and technique rather than pure brawn. With enough practice and proper coaching, Cosmi can be a stonewall OT for whoever the Jaguars decide to ride with in the future.
29 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Quincy Roche, EDGE, Miami - The Buccaneers defensive overall has been absolutely elite this year, but there are some question marks on the future of their defensive line. Both Suh and Barrett are on one year deals, and Gholston certainly isnt the future at EDGE/DE. Grabbing someone young for the future is a definite need, someone like Quincy Roche. Roche is a fluid, explosive and long EDGE with great hands and a ton of moves. He’s got the ability to play both EDGE and rush LB, although he does need to bulk up a little bit at the NFL level. Still, overall Roche should be a great successor on the EDGE position for Tampa Bay.
30 - Kansas City Chiefs - Terrane Marshall Jr, WR, LSU - The Chiefs do have a ton of needs everywhere else, but sometimes talent is just way too much to pass up. Marshall has been fantastic at LSU with Chase out - which is more impressive with how bad LSU has been, and he’s got all the physical traits to be an elite WR. He rarely gets caught in press coverage and with his ball skills and frame, excels in contested catch situations. With a very deep iOL class and Watkins very likely gone in a season or two, adding Marshall Jr to that already deadly Chiefs offense will make nightmare fuel for opposing defensive coordinators.
31 - New York Jets - Josh Myers, iOL, Ohio State - The Jets interior offensive line has been a serious issue for the last few years, which has hamstring the run game and severely hurt their QBs. Replacing one of their iOL with Josh Myers is a good first step to fixing that issue. Myers is a very mobile iOL who is a great anchor and provides stability in both the pass and run game. With Trevor Lawrence now on the team, protecting him should be priority 1, and Myers can be his Jeff Saturday.
32 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota - Steelers LT Villanueva’s contract will expire soon, and although the Steelers have some great prospect that could replace him, neither is really a sure thing. Adding another OT could better mitigate that risk, just in case Villanueva leaves and neither Banner nor Okorafor end up panning out. Faalele is a very risky but high upside OT, who’s an absolute dancing bear. He might be huge, but his mobility is insane for his size, and he possesses excellent feet as well as a strong anchor against power rushers. There’s definitely technique issues here that need to be ironed out, but Faalele has the tools to be an absolutely dominant OT, and with how good the steelers have been historically at coaching up offensive line, he should definitely become a stalwart on the OL.

Rachel Schneider
ENG 477
Date 1/11/2021
Marsha Blackburn
A Writing Portfolio
I want to write my own fiction stories one day; I have had a book or two swimming around in my head so I will put the computer to good use and get that typed out one of these days. In this instance I chose my 5 stories and even though one is a marketing inquiry I had fun writing it, so here are my things and some background some of them.
Resume: It is a basic one because my photo ones were not particularly good, and this is an honest resume besides the ones I made for class and I did fudge on those.
Cover letter: I made up the cover letter though there is a penguin Books but it is always fun to use your imagination!
Hike with Drew: I got the concept from a Writer’s Digest and entered it into a contes I never got a response but good practice.
Short Story Vegas: Was one I did for another class but in here I changed it and the story was much better the second time.
Marketing Flyer: This was fun to do those are stock photos of the dogs and squeaky toys, but I like Pit Bulls and dog toys are fun as well.
Scott part 1-This is a story I am working on with another writer, warning its very sexy and some naughty words are in there as well.
Writing Samples: I made these three samples up one day because as I have looked for writing work, I have seen people want a sample of your work, so I came up with these.
Rachel
Schneider
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3867 Houghton Ave Riverside CA 92501 📷
951-743-8911 📷
[email protected] 📷
Rachel Schneider 📷
Rachel7Tori-Twitter 📷
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Objective
To get a career going in the fiction/short story writing industry my imagination can run with any scenario and to write is to live.
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Education
Bachelor of Arts in English | Grand Canyon University
2017 – 2021
Took 15 different writing courses, creative writing and even two fun marketing classes all to polish up my craft. Carried a 3.0 GPA and did the courses all online as well.
No Degree Obtained | Riverside Community College
June 1994 – December 1996
Took these college courses but did not finish got 32 Units of Child Development Courses though which is what I was going for
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Experience
Cafeteria Worker 1
2008 Currently Employed.
Cook, Prep, serve food in a middle school setting, also clean, count inventory and do next day prep, cash handling and POS register experience.
Bell Ringer | Salvation Army
November 2007 – December 2007
Rang bell and collected donations for the salvation Army in front of various stores during the holiday season.
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Skills
Food handlers Card
CPR First Aid certified
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Grammar Proficiency
Spelling Proficiency
Can work from home
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Activities
Have good use of social media and can help update or bring in new followers with my creative writing side. Have a Reddit account as well with 30 stories up on that site. Can speak a little Spanish and Hebrew as well.
951-743-8911
[email protected]
3867 Houghton Ave Riverside CA 92501
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Rachel Schneider

Writer

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Penguin Books

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Dear JENNIFER MCGREGOR,

1/21/2021
Jennifer McGregor
Fiction Publisher
4587 Tropicana Rd.
Las Vegas NV 89102
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I have included my resume for the short story writer for young adult novels. It has been a few years, but I currently work in a middle school, so I do see all the angst and sass that goes with being a young teen. I do hope my writing samples can help me move to the top of the list. I look forward to working with Penguin Books and letting kids know being a teen is hard at first, but it does not last forever.
Sincerely,
Rachel Schneider
Rachel Schneider
3867 Houghton Ave
Riverside CA 92501
It had been a long cold winter Drew and I could not get out for a morning hike till today. Being 75 degrees, we did not have to wear many layers. He is an extremely sweet inquisitive boy who always asks a lot of questions. Why does moss grow on the north side of trees” he asks? Its times like this when it would be nice to have my husband here, but he is overseas where the work is. “well, it’s not just the north side it’s on the shadier side because that is where the moisture is.”
On we went looking at snails on the ground watching the deer pass by along a ridge. Being quiet as to not startle them. “Mom he whispered it’s a bunny den they are coming out for food, he leaves a few carrot and lettuce scraps from last night’s dinner. I walked down the path and spotted some glorious Blue Jays and a Downey Woodpecker. “Listen Drew the woodpecker is getting the bugs out of the trees.” My sweet Drew was staring at the Bunnies, they are cute and fluffy after all. We followed our path down further after the bunnies went back to the den.
The skies were getting cloudy, so I hoped the rain was not going to come back. Though the weather report said there was a chance. My little explorer with his school uniform on was undeterred, I wish I could wear shorts on a 75 day and not be cold, it is always nice to be young. Walking along our path we spot some squirrels running in circles around the tree. “Why do the chase each other like that” Drew asks. “Maybe it’s a game for them like ring around the Rosie.”
On we trek to our favorite stream where the deer family are taking their drinks. I tell Drew we cannot skip stones right now we do not want to scare them. We look through the grass for more of his favorite bugs, saw some worms just below the dirt by a tree. Looking up we see a big spider web being made between two branches. The crows were making their calls in the distance. We are finally able to skip our stones in the stream. He gets some great skips going, and we collect some new rocks for our little garden back home.
Walking past the stream we climb up the embankment and up along the ridge where we see a Fox off in the distance. He or she walks the opposite direction we are going so it is a relief we can continue to the clearing. Where there are more bugs, rocks, and Bunnies. We pass the Deer family as they run up the hill to were, they mostly frolic or maybe they live up there. We stop for a snack of Apples, Almonds, and some cheese sticks. When we were finished Drew put a couple of slices in his pocket to feed the Bunnies, I am sure.
“Mommy we’re getting to the clearing now we can see the Bunnies and the last time Daddy, and I were here I got some neat rocks too.” Drew told ne enthusiastically, I did love his passion for nature, though again my husband is much better at the nature stuff. I am a pastry Chef ask me about desserts and I am your woman, about why moss grows on trees and hello Google. Since Dad is unavailable, I step in and let him explore and see the world outside of the house and off the screen.
It is just another half mile and it is on to the clearing. He starts to pull me hand a little harder I know he is excited. We pass under the tree I glance up and see the Fox again. Then we stop and see “Daddy home……
Name: Rachel Schneider
Course: ENG 361
Date: 4/14/2020
Instructor: Debbie Graves
One Week In Las Vegas
The countdown started Friday at 2pm I got the week off from this thing I call a job (just over broke). The car was packed, it was time to hit the road. The traffic was average and climbing the Cajon Pass was not that bad. I stopped in Baker to have my favorite meal at Bob’s Big Boy, the chili spaghetti, no onions. After making my way back on the highway the traffic picked up going out of Baker, through to Primm and Stateline. I had to stop for gas at Whiskey Pete’s, so I also went in and got some snack goodies. My favorite trail mix and some cheese potato chips because vending machines are too expensive. The road was beckoning so off I went, traveling through Jean is always nice, not much to see. A prison, a few remaining casinos, some outbuildings, and a truck stop. There slogan was always fun 40 smiles closer than Vegas. You can get bored so be sure to pack some music you can have your own car concert. “I’ll face it with a grin I’m never giving in, on with the show” (Show Must Go on by Queen)
Finally, the Vegas skyline is in sight, the lights are not on yet, but they will be needing to navigate around the strip. I do say a few words the terrible drivers. This vacation was so needed my job is crazy, my kids are older now and do not need mom around anymore. Off they went to grandma’s house and I booked the week at the Delano, it is attached to the Mandalay bay so perfect access to all the fun of the strip, and just enough luxury to not look cheap. Getting the valet to take the car I check into my genuinely nice room I have a great view of the Luxor light (that comes off the top of the hotel) and the Excalibur. Now off to indulge in that genuinely nice bathtub and get some overdue reading done. My bathroom with a view has the Luxor light and that is the brightest light on the Vegas strip it comes right out of the top of the Pyramid shaped hotel. A brightness of 42.3 billion candela, you could read a paper from 10 miles straight up if you wanted to.
Once I was well soaked and finished with my chapters it was time to find something to eat besides my snack foods. After cruising the room service options, I settled on some Mexican food of chorizo and eggs with nice corn tortillas. That hit the spot so with the extra energy it was time to get out for a stroll of the property. The indoor pool is nice but small and I want to soak up the sunshine and get some exercise so I shall hit the outdoor pool tomorrow. Back in the lobby I grab those ads for things to do in the city so I can plan out the rest of my trip. There are thousands of things to do in Vegas. Do not be disappointed if you do not get everything done, that is what the next trip is for. I have a beautiful week and I want to have a good time and not have to wait for anybody, I can do what I want. I got those and cruised up through the lobby and toward the casino on my way there I saw a sign for a food and wine festival. With that guy Zac from the travel channel. Thinking hmm I did not know he was interested in food or wine. I went down and found my favorite penny slot game Lucky cat. After 15 minutes I came out putting 20 in and winning 500, so I called it a night and went to the bar to catch a hockey game and grab a fun fruity drink (I like tequila sunrise, (Tequila, grenadine, and cranberry juice). As I am rooting for the Golden Knights (local Vegas hockey team) I looked over to my left and there was Zac from the travel channel, and he likes hockey too this is awesome, and I am trying not to be a fan girl.
The game was in intermission and the Knights were winning so it was time for a new fruity drink so this time I turned around to get back to the bar and bumped right into Zac, boy was my face red. After some apologies and an offer to buy my next fruity drink (a Strawberry Daiquiri) it was a yes and I spilled that I was a fan. He told me he does have an interest in food and wine not just chasing ghosts with his crew. We had some great conversation and when the game came back on, we both sat in the booth cheering the golden knights to their victory. Now I am buzzed and standing up was going to be fun, but Zac was a true gentleman and helped me to my feet. He offered to buy me dinner. The Taco Hut was a good place the tortillas were fresh, and the company was so cool. The conversation turned to food, wine, travel, and some stuff about me. The midnight hour rolled around, and Zac had an early morning, so we said goodnight, but he was staying one floor above me, so we agreed to go to the diner in the lobby for breakfast or brunch. At 10am I was enjoying my company and this great stick to your ribs breakfast (scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns and some great watermelon) The food offerings in Vegas are so varied you can get everything from a hot dog and beer for 1.99 at the Orleans, to a 5-star meal at Caesar’s Palace the buffets are great too. Although sometimes you want a nice sit-down dinner.
The conversation was effortless the attraction was deep. We made plans to see each other again after the food contest he was judging was over. Saying goodbye was a bit hard but the hand holding was sweet and made me feel like a schoolgirl again. After saying goodbye and I did watch him walk into the convention hall I went back to my room to plan out the rest of my day. I chose a tour of the Mob Museum, they say that Vegas was built with Mob money, but it was a Mormon founded town that later Hollywood discovered. Then many people in Hollywood who were well connected (such as East Coast mobsters) financed Bugsy Segal to build the Flamingo Hotel. As I was putting my shoes on, I got a knock on the room door and as I opened it, I got some flowers (pink roses) and an all-access pass to the food and wine festival courtesy of Zac. Let us just say the Mob Museum can wait for later I got to go to a food and wine festival and spend the rest of the week with Zac. “hi Zac thanks for the flowers it was sweet of you to remember.” He said, “It’s always right to remember a ladies flower preference because that’s the right thing to do.” Smiling the rest of the day I meet other travel channel celebrities and got to taste some great foods and many different wines. The food and wine offerings at the hotels and restaurants are varied, the Las Vegas area have become very international, so the varieties are endless.
The week went by in a blur of food, wine, conversation, and some sweet dates. I never thought I would get over the break-up that happened the week before. Getting a private Vegas tour was something completely special. I did get to see the Mob Museum, Mandalay Bay Fine Art Museum, seven magic mountains, Pinball Hall of fame and a private dinner at the food and wine festival. My days in Vegas were down to one. We had reservations at Rivera right here at the Delano the view is amazing, the food is impressive with Italian and French offers. “I have had a wonderful time this week Zac thank you for mending my broken heart.” He looked at me for a minute and said, “it’s been a pleasure to get to know you and I would not mind visiting your hometown, you always have a reason to come back to Las Vegas. The next food and wine festival is around Christmas, this one will include chocolate.” Hitting the 15 early the next morning I have visions of Christmas, a pass to the food and wine festival, also a brand-new relationship to take back home with me.
The End
When writing a short story, you want to keep it from rambling and have enough details to keep it fresh. When your reader gets into the story you want them to feel like they are there with you, going to the food and wine festival, on that hike through the seven-mountains or touring the mob museum. The details are the thing to see and make sure to watch out for punctuation and common language. An average short story is within 6,00 words or 24 pages. If you wanted too you could go short-short story and that is between 500 and 2,00 words. That comes out to be 6 pages (Minot, Steven Ch. 7 pg. 41), talk about short stories. The story is all your length and style matter as much as how you want it to come into focus.
Minot, Steven and Theil Daniel Three genres the writing of literary pose, poems and plays Ninth edition Pearson Publications 2012
Bouncing Dog Toy Emporium
August 18,2019📷📷
24755 Holly Grove Way
Brookings OR, 97415
Dear Dogs, Rule the World
I am Rachel Schneider from the Bouncing Dog Toy Emporium we make extra bouncy dog toys for our furry friends. We investigated different marketing companies and choose you to do our direct to customer marketing. The way the website is set up the customers can get the product’s directly from you is easier than a multi-level marketing plan. The distribution of Bouncy Dog Toy will be a one level channel, we will provide the toys you market, and we sell them. I would like to get some videos of our company dogs Mac and Stella playing with the toys so you can post on the website. A link for the company can also be included so the consumers know where the toys came from, what they are made of and any other facts about Bouncing Dog Toy Emporium.
Sincerely, Rachel V Schneider
Mac and Stella company dogs and testers 📷
📷 📷📷 📷A sample of our products, our bounciest toys.
Scott’s Story Part 1
I am Scott Thorn, and I am going back to WDU for the first time in 15 years, I went here for a year but after I came out as gay there really were no gay dudes. I am all men but yeah lesbians were all around some BI guys but no real gay dudes. I went back to the mainland and attended Preston University I majored in administration and minored in Literature. I did at one point in my life have a girlfriend and wanted to marry her, but I could not quash the gay lifestyle. That part of my life is over and now the old school offered me a counseling job, have not done this in a while. I get to help students toward there after college career.
I sit here on this boat and keeping an eye on my 75 Triumph I have some nerves, but it is mostly about seeing this place again, so as the boat pulls up, I get my bike going and make a stop at my new on campus apartment. Its west facing because I like sunsets more than sunrise, so I did not know it needed so much work. I have some handy skills but a little at a time. The kitchen is decent and so is the bathroom. The floors will need some polish and the deck needs to be stained, this is a duplex, so I hope the neighbors are quiet. It is furnished and done nicely so I cannot complain too much, but back on the bike to see the Dean.
I get my bike set with the kill switch and walk up the way to the Admin building, I am pretty much the only one dressed. I am wearing my good black jeans and my dress shirt, in my favorite color Maroon. I do remember this place was obsessed with sex so I will stick out wearing clothes, as I enter the building at least more admin people are dressed. Miss Grant the secretary shows me to my new office, its spacious much bigger that my last one at Preston where I shared a cubicle with another person. I have files from past students and current ones, so I started filing them when Dean Kane walks in, booty shorts and a tank top. “Welcome back to WDU Scott, we look forward to seeing you succeed you come very recommended.” I could hardly concentrate because this Dean was hung but I persevered and said, “Thank you sir I look forward to helping young students find there after WDU careers.”
After he left, I had to get my rise to settle then I continued filing and looking through some files. Clarissa Love that was a name that got around even all the way to Preston. I think she does the Jax in the bedroom or something like that. I started looking around and thought I need some life in this office so I asked Miss Grant about decorating and she said I could do what I wanted but no painting, so I went to town and checked out a flea market. I found some pictures of the beaches of Canada, some old homes in the area and a few movie posters from Rocky horror Picture Show (it is my favorite). The flea market said they will deliver to the school tomorrow so I told them I will be there at 9am.
Now with my day done I get to the store to buy some groceries and realize this place uses sextons and I was down to my last few, so now I will need to exchange but thankfully a bank is nearby so I can get some of my mainland money exchanged. I pull up to my new pad off load my few groceries and notice some other tenant left beer in the fridge, talk about luck. I got the beer went to the deck and watched the sunset over the sky. It was going to be new here, but I needed a fresh start after getting dumped and losing the job because my ex was in upper management, never will I do that again. I will find someone who does not work in the school system. After I ate a roast beef and cheddar sandwich for dinner, watched some cooking shows it was time for bed. As I was brushing my teeth, I heard the neighbors having sex. Oh, goody they are not quiet. hope they do not have super energy either. Tomorrow is my first full day and I have decorating to do, fantastic they stopped, that is the thing with us older people we do not fuck like bunnies anymore. As far as I know the neighbors are lesbians so who knows.
Sample 1- If I try my hardest, I could muster up enough courage to ask the prettiest girl in school to prom. I had a suit; bolo tie and I will shine my old boots up. The thing is my courage is not as strong as my best friend Nick, now there is one brave dude who just asked the girl I wanted to go to prom with and of course she said yes. I gather myself close my locker and put on my best smile for them both. Nick and I high five and I hug her, trying to be genuine but it is hard. I head to my Social studies class and sit down next to Megan she looks at me with some concern I tell her what happened, she then asks me to Prom…...
Sample 2-Wishing I did not have to be here I sit at the back of the funeral and think about my old high school principal. I grew up in a small town and everyone knew everyone, we only had one school and you went there for kindergarten through senior year. After my graduation I packed up my old car and headed out to what I thought was the real world. Living in a bigger city only helped spur my loneliness so who says you cannot come home again, well Mom for starters because I abandoned my family, I am not welcome at home ever again (so tired of her drama), so I am staying at Principal Mason’s house yes, the same principal that I am at a funeral for I held her hand as she lay there succumbing to cancer……
Sample 3-If you really want to get over a breakup getting back on the horse will help things along. I thought that too seven lousy dates ago so here I am on date number 8 and I am not seeing any birds singing or rainbows in the sky. He steps away to take a call he is a particularly important lawyer after all (I need to fix my picker) after he comes back, he says it go time the jury has come back so off he goes. I finish my drink and head back to my brownstone close by, I pass the new chocolate shop that just opened, and I get inside and see chocolate heaven. Looking around I do not see him at first but there he is my old college lab partner Sam I just saw a rainbow…….

Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words, continuing in the footsteps of daprice82. For anyone interested, I highly recommend signing up for the actual site at f4wonline and checking out the full archives.
• PREVIOUS •
1987
FUTURE YEARS ARCHIVE:
The Complete Observer Rewind Archive by daprice82

1-4-1988	1-11-1988	1-18-1988	1-25-1988
2-1-1988	2-8-1988	2-15-1988	•

• The big story this week is WWF has announced a 14-man tournament for Wrestlemania IV. The word going around is that there will be four other matches: a battle royal (which ought to get another dozen guys on the card for the big payday, probably two tag matches (Dave speculates Demolition vs. Strike Force and Bulldogs vs. Islanders) and an Intercontinental title defense for Honkeytonk Man. The leading candidate for challenger there is Brutus Beefcake, so they’ll need to get on top of shooting an angle for that this week if they want to try and get it over. Anyway, the real meat of Wrestlemania is this tournament, and the bracket has already been announced on the syndicated shows.

Jack Tunney announces Wrestlemania tournament
Dave’s hand-drawn bracket

• So looking at this bracket, what are the likely outcomes? Dave thinks there’s really only two possibilities, and there’s only two possibilities for the final match. Hogan vs. DiBiase is the obvious finals if Hogan is to win, and if Hogan’s filming schedule for his upcoming movie (it begins in April) allows for it, this will be the finals. If he can wrestle during the summer, Dave expects him to win, if not he expects DiBiase to win overall since the winner of the tournament needs to be a heel to drop it back to Hogan when the company decides the time is write (Dave thinks the ppv in August looks like that time). If DiBiase wins, Dave thinks it’s going to be Don Muraco he beats in the finals, however. Dave then goes down the bracket and explains who he thinks wins when, ruling out combinations of guys (if Roberts beats Rude, Bravo beats Muraco, so we get Roberts vs. Bravo, for example). Savage doesn’t go out in the first round, obviously, but neither should Steamboat lose to Valentine, so that’s probably our token face vs. face match leading probably to a draw or double elimination. Notice anything weird about this bracket, though? WWF changes plans and redraws the bracket. They swap Roberts/Rude and DiBiase/Duggan’s place so DiBiase is on the same side of the bracket before Wrestlemania, so all this speculation by Dave ultimately goes nowhere because that one shift completely changes the tournament. More on that change when it happens. Dave is definitely right about one thing, though: there are going to be way too many matches on this show, so they're definitely going to have to have some fuck finishes to get the number of matches down in the tournament so things work.
  
• The Main Event’s final rating was a 15.1 and a 25 share, ranking 31st for the week. Dave feels like this has to be a major disappointment for WWF and NBC, as both figured the show would be in the top 10 easily. It won its time slot and the rating was better than the 11.6 average NBC has gotten in that slot with Rags to Riches, but it’s not as big a winner as they hoped. So in the LA Times and USA Today, Dick Ebersole (who co-produced the show with Vince) said that they weren’t interested in a weekly prime-time show because it would hurt live gates. But the reality is they won’t even be offered a slot, because they won’t be able to sustain competitive ratings. Dave was really surprised by the rating, and this show’s rating was the most interested he’s been in something wrestling related for a long time, because it was a test of just how much the general public would bite on wrestling. And what we’ve learned is that to the general public the biggest wrestling match possible, with the biggest hype possible (Andre vs. Hogan) with a month of buildup on all shows and even big news media attention (almost every newspaper ran a feature about the show at some point during the build) only got mediocre mainstream support. Wrestling fans are supremely loyal and will watch no matter the time slot, and the same show on Saturday night at 11:30 pm would have gotten at least a 12 rating), but moving to prime time didn’t get them a big increase in viewers. It renders moot the question of how first-time viewers will take the evil twin angle and such, because few of the viewers were first-time watchers. The audience was the same wrestling audience we’ve always had, and 85% of the general public just ignored the show and hype outright. Nothing wrong with that, people like and dislike what they want to, and WWF can still make loads of money off the 12-15% of people who do have an interest in wrestling.
  
• But this really puts Hulk Hogan and his appeal/drawing power into perspective. To the cult wrestling audience, he’s bigger than any wrestling star has ever been in the U.S. But he’s not mainstream, not really. He can help get wrestling on prime time network television a couple times a year, but they can’t build wrestling on him to make a mainstream appeal. And Hogan, for as over as he is here, clearly falls short of the most over acts to have graced Japan (Inoki in his heyday) and boxing (Larry Holmes, for example). WWF did prove they can be put in a weak time slot during sweeps with a lot of hype behind a special card and win the slot, which is no small thing. We can probably expect another prime time special in the future, but probably no more than one or two a year. You won’t read about wrestling’s resurgence in Time Magazine, and networks won’t discover Crockett’s shows because nobody’s looking at wrestling as a hot item (if the show had cracked the top five, maybe they would). The long and the short of it is, WWF is no worse off than they were two weeks ago, and Wrestlemania will still make a lot of money. And although Vince has gotten WWF to the point where they are making more money off wrestling than any other promotion in history, their “mainstream” interest in this country doesn’t even come close to New Japan’s tv heyday (1982-1985), and Hogan’s ability to draw a rating is probably more than anyone else in the modern era in the U.S., but probably isn’t as strong as Chigusa Nagayo’s ratings drawing power is in Japan.
  
• And you might be wondering if it’s appropriate to compare to Japan, or if the comparison is ridiculous given cultural differences. Dave notes that the U.S. is more tv oriented in Japan, which should put things in greater perspective - Hogan has all the advantages of American television culture and is still behind Nagayo and Inoki in terms of relative mainstream appeal/drawing power in their culture. In short, Dave had a conversation with a WWF employee a couple months ago about wrestling style (serious, hardcore vs. sports entertainment fast food) and if it was the style, being the best run promotion, or how much money they spend that makes WWF number 1. Their conclusion was that they couldn’t figure out a clear answer. No other promotion that offers a traditional product has hundreds in the front office, $250,000 to spend on every tv taping, etc. There’s no way to control for the sheer magnitude of advantages WWF has to be able to tell if they would be beatable, and the only way to know the answer about style would be if there was another promotion that had a traditional style but also had the production values, the front office staff, etc. And on the flip side, would people like Carlos Colon, Riki Choshu, Antonio Inoki, or Chigusa Nagayo be as over as they are if their local markets had a dozen different wrestling promotions on tv?
  
• [Memphis] Financial News Network announced on Tuesday that they’ll start airing CWA Wrestling weekly beginning in April. Dave forgot to write down the time slot, but thinks it’s Saturday nights at 9 pm eastern. ESPN signed a new exclusive deal with AWA for 2 years, which kicks World Class off ESPN. Angelo Savoldi’s ICW in New England got a deal with Tempo cable, so all other wrestling will be dropped from that service.
  
• AWA is “restructuring the company.” No word on what that means other than that their Las Vegas card this Sunday will be their last for about a month before they reopen in late March. Maybe they’ll change some major things about how they run? Dave thinks Verne’s gotten tired of people making decisions that cost him money, so he’ll probably be booker again. From what Dave hears, Curt Hennig will be the only wrestler getting paid during the time off, so expect Verne to fob him off to Memphis for the interim. The Midnight Rockers will probably also work Memphis in that time. No idea about the rest of the roster, but they’ll probably have to find new work in other territories if they can find work in wrestling, or regular jobs if they can’t.
  
• Over in Puerto Rico they sold out on January 30 a big show at Roberto Clemente Coliseum. That’s roughly 32,000 fans to watch Carlos Colon vs. Iron Sheik for the Universal Title, with manager Chicky Starr in a shark cage above the ring. Carlos won, of course, as Sheiky baby is heading back to WWF. Dave talks a bit about Carlos - he’s over like Rover, but the man’s comebacks are dull as hell. It’s a bizarre thing, what gets over with crowds.
  
• Stampede’s February 5 show had what was probably the best match in Calgary in months. Bruce Hart and Brian Pillman defended the International Tag Titles against Great Gama and Jerry Morrow, with three assigned referees (Wayne Hart, heel ref Jurgen Herman, and heel ref for Karachi Vice Akeem Singh). Herman wound up being the main referee, but got knocked down by Gama, and after that when Pillman went up top to do a dive, Akeem threw powder in his eyes and Gama did a cobra hold. When Herman came to, he saw Pillman passed out and awarded the match and titles to the heels and they celebrated with champagne until Wayne Hart told Herman what happened and the decision was reversed.
  
• Les Thornton has been given a promoter’s permit by the Calgary Boxing & Wrestling Commission. He’ll start running shows against Stampede in the spring.
  
• WWF is doing a Wrestling Challenge taping on March 9 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. That’s about 20 miles from Greensboro, so they’re encroaching a bit on Flair country, which means they’re making moves to kill the competition dead.
  
• WWF has a Saturday Night’s Main Event scheduled for March 12, to be taped on the 7th.
  
• Honkeytonk Man was supposed to drop the Intercontinental Title at The Main Event but vetoed the title change. Lots of chaos backstage as a result of it, and the match was also supposed to be shorter than it wound up being. He held out and refused to job and he’s still champion, so in the end he got what he wanted. You might wonder why not just have Savage win anyway and not give in by having him shoot on Honkeytonk, but the key is Honkeytonk realized that Vince wouldn’t want to take a chance of anything bad happening on tv, and you definitely aren’t going to want a match turning into a shoot and getting real violence on live tv. This also probably explains why he’s not in the tournament.
  
• Billy Jack Haynes apparently asked Vince McMahon for help starting a promotion in Oregon to run against Don Owen’s promotion. Vince wasn’t biting, and this ultimately is the real reason he was let go, probably, as those close to him say it wasn’t his health, but that he wanted to get out anyway because he wasn’t being pushed (and neither was Brady Boone).
  
• Jesse Ventura will get to do color commentary this season on some New York Yankees games for local pay-tv. He’s apparently thrilled about this.
  
• Correction: Bam Bam Bigelow didn’t have arthroscopic knee surgery. He just took a week off to rest his knee, and isn’t planning to get surgery until just after Wrestlemania.
  
• Bam Bam also had a drug possession charge dismissed against him in Freehold, New Jersey on the grounds that the evidence was obtained illegally and that state police had no grounds to search his car. They found a small bag of marijuana under his seat and he got a misdemeanor possession charge, but again, no probable cause to search so that’s a 4th amendment violation. They pulled him over and searched his car, apparently, because he waved at the officers. If convicted, he would have been in big trouble because he’s still on probation from a 1986 conviction for threatening to kill a local sex worker (that’s a big yikes right there), so he would have caught a 5 year prison sentence for revocation of probation.
  
• Memphis has a revolving door of talent, as Bill Dundee is leaving and Manny Fernandez, Scott Hall, and several others have disappeared. Dundee is going to the new promotion that will be running out of Knoxville. New to the area this week are the Rock & Roll Express, Tommy Rich, and Samoans Samu and Kokina. Samu is Afa’s son, and Kokina is, from the information Dave has, Sika’s son (he’s Afoa’s son, not Sika’s son). Kokina is impressively large at 400 lbs, but Samu is definitely the more impressive wrestler. Kokina, of course, will later on travel to Japan for a kayfabe sumo career and come back to the WWF as Yokozuna.
  
• [Memphis] Tommy Rich is apparently a babyface, going by his recent interview. He apologized for all the bad things he did and said he was wrong to team with Austin Idol and Paul E. Dangerously, but he said he still hates Jerry Lawler. There’s legit heat between him and Lawler which is why Rich left last year anyway while he was a top heel. So he said he wanted all the fans in Memphis who hated Lawler to come support him. Expect a 50/50 crowd for their february 15 grudge match - although the promotion can’t draw without him, there is a large group of fans who don’t like that he’s constantly on top of the card.
  

Watch: Tommy Rich calls on the fans who hate Jerry Lawler

• [Memphis] The manager with the preacher gimmick has dropped that gimmick, and the Choir Boys tag team are gone. Too much negative attention in the form of phone calls to the studio last week. The manager, Ernest Angel, now manages CWA Tag champs Max Payne and Gary Young, and his behavior has been toned down and he’s apologized somewhat for his behavior the previous week.
  
• Continental (Alabama) had its last week this week as a unified promotion this week, since the Knoxville office ran its first show this weekend. They drew 7,000 in Knoxville on February 12. Dave’s not sure what the eventual talent split will work out, but known guys going to Knoxville are Johnny Rich, Bill Dundee, Hector Guerrero, Ron Fuller (didn’t he announce his retirement a few weeks ago?), Austin Idol, Lord Humongous, Doug Furnas, Mongolian Stomper, the Armstrongs, and Tracy Smothers.
  
• [Oregon] The Frank Bonema Memorial Show is scheduled for February 16. Boneme was their long-time tv announcer who passed away five years ago. Curt Hennig vs. The Grappler (Hennig as babyface) for the AWA Title is the main event. The show will also have a battle royal for the TV Title, Mike Miller vs. Rip Oliver in a cage, The Assassin vs. Avalanche in a mask vs. headgear match (Avalanche lost his hair in a match and has been wearing headgear like Kurt Angle or Molly Holly to hide it), and a couple more matches.
  
• Steve Estes, a former wrestler local to the Kansas City area, pleaded guilty to a Class B felony. The charge was related to the hold-up of a Mexican restaurant in October. He was charged with a Class A felony, but the charge was reduced on plea bargain. He faces five to fifteen years.
  
• Mean Gene Okerlund’s son Todd is on the U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey team right now. At the time of writing the team will have won their first game, but their fortunes turn south over the rest of the group stage and they don’t qualify to go to the knockout rounds of the tournament.
  
• Mad Dog Vachon is suing the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinic for several million dollars. His claim is that if he had received proper treatment he would never have needed to have his leg amputated. This starts a big series of cases lasting all the way until 1994, and you can read the final case summary here.
  
• There’s a movie in Japan called “The Crazy Family” which includes the family’s 13 year old daughter doing nothing but weightlifting and training and singing so she can be like Chigusa Nagayo. It’s from 1984, so I don’t know why Dave’s only just noticing it now.
  

Watch: The Crazy Family (1:09:00 to see one of the training scenes)

• Florida has dropped legislation that would have created a state athletic commission that would regulate wrestling. Legislators met with Duke Keomuka and Gerald Briscoe, and were subsequently convinced that wrestling is pure entertainment and not a sport at all.
  
• In Southern California a new group is starting up called the American Women’s Wrestling Federation. They’re running ads for beautiful women who want to be trained as wrestlers. Mando Guerrero and Debbie Pelletier (The Killer Tomato, later Dallas in GLOW) will be training, and Dave remarks that Debbie doesn’t know the first thing about wrestling.
  
• Bruiser Brody is promoting a show in St. Louis at the Fox Theater on March 4. He’ll face Jerry Blackwell in the main event, and Sam Muchnick will be there to raise the winner’s hand. The building is apparently the nicest building within 500 miles of St. Louis and not the sort of place that would ordinarily let wrestling in. Muchnick apparently felt used by the NWA at a recent taping by constantly showing him on camera and making it out like he endorsed the NWA and that they have continuity with the NWA he ran back in the day. So that’s why he’s on board. Crockett’s NWA has a show in St. Louis two days later.
  
• Wrestling fanzine publisher David Leehy promoted a show that drew 200 in Richmond Virginia on February 5 for Virginia Wrestling Association.
  
• Ohio’s state senate passed a bill that would put a 5% tax on all wrestling receipts, with money raised going to the boxing commission. The money would be earmarked for creating a medical advisory board for boxing. No regulation of wrestling is proposed in the bill, and the bill still has to pass the house. Seems a bit unfair.
  
• WCCW drew 3,800 (buy one ticket, get a second for a penny, same deal for concessions) in Dallas on February 12.
  
• Michael Hayes is back in WCCW as a babyface. No surprises there. They’re building to a Hayes concert on March 5 at the Sportatorium, and that’ll probably have a big angle. Somebody’s gotta attack Hayes. Won’t be Terry Gordy, since he’ll be in Japan, but somebody will.
  
• WCCW’s tv show is airing mainly tapes of old matches. That’s fine in the Fort Worth area, since they had no live cards for two weeks, but Dave’s puzzled nonetheless. Maybe they somehow missed a taping?
  
• Ken Mantell has this idea of reopening Wild West and starting their tv back up and having Wild West and World Class feud. Where’s the logic in that? Plus, there are enough promotions that this would only confuse the average fan.
  
• Steve Williams told the press in Japan he’ll be coming to work in World Class. It’s not been announced stateside yet, but he said he’d wrestle in WCCW as UWF champion and defend the belt against the Von Erichs.
  
• AWA is putting all the heat with the recent Hennig/Gagne title match on Stanley Blackburn. They’d billed the match as a title match, Gagne won and was presented with the title, but Stan refused to honor the title change because it was a cage match. Something to talk about in the month they don’t run shows, I guess, but this is what passes for creative in AWA.
  
• AWA will use the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena as their new home base now that the Minneapolis Auditorium is gone. There’s some concern that the arena’s ban on alcohol will adversely affect ticket sales.
  
• Despite some screw ups, New Japan did fairly good business with their most recent tour and jr. heavyweight tournament. Inoki beat Choshu decisively on February 4 to retain the IWGP Title, which puts a final end to Choshumania and any chance he had of regaining the popularity he’s lost over the past six months. On the final night of the tour, Shiro Koshinaka won the Top of the Super Juniors tournament. Vader and Inoki went to a double countout for the IWGP Title that saw the return of the masked pirate who was attacking Inoki last year.
  
• In bad wrestling stuff in New Japan, Choshu’s performance has noticeably slipped and Buzz Sawyer seems to be trying to sabotage Owen Hart. Choshu just looks like he doesn’t even want to be in the ring anymore. As for Sawyer, he’s been teaming with Owen and when Owen starts up his more flashy offence, Sawyer starts barking, howling, and playing to the crowd to distract them from what Hart’s doing. Buzz Sawyer is a total buzzkill.
  
• New Japan plans to tour Brazil in late March.
  
• Steve Williams gave an interview saying he’s tired of touring all over the U.S. and he wants to spend more time with his wife. He also said the NWA broke a bunch of promises they made to him when they bought out UWF, and he seemed pretty upset that Dusty never followed through with the promised unification match with Flair. He said “I don’t go back to NWA Crockett promotions anymore. I’d like to wrestle for promotions which set a high value on ability. New Japan is good because they use Vader, Buzz Sawyer, Bob Orton and Owen Hart who can do hard wrestling.
  
• All Japan Women is looking pretty healthy right now. They drew 3,500 fans on January 28 for a big grudge match pitting Yumiko Hotta and Hisako Uno against Yumi Ogura and Kazue Nagahori. It was last year on April 27 when Ogura tombstoned Hotta off the middle ropes and broke her neck, and there was worry that Hotta would never wrestle again. The next night they drew 4,500 as Ogura won the AJW Title (their tertiary belt after the “Red Belt” WWWA World Singles Title and the “White Belt” WWWA All Pacific Title) from Bull Nakano via disqualification. Both shows work out to over 100,000 gates given ticket prices in Japan, and AJW’s merch machine is better than anyone else, as they get more money selling merch per capita than any other promotion. Monster Ripper (Rhonda Singh from Stampede, in the future Bertha Faye), is working here now too.
  
• Paul Boesch was elected/appointed to the NWA board of directors, making him the first non-promoter ever on the board. Back in the NWA’s glory days, the board would select the world champion, but that’s probably pretty much up to Jim Crockett now and the board is more or less a figurehead thing. The real value for the NWA here is using Boesch’s name value in the Houston area, and he’ll be starting as they return to Houston on March 4. He’s not on board as the promoter, however, and has no financial stake in the show, so it’s pretty much just a “Hey, remember Paul Boesch? He’s with us” kind of thing.
  
• More details will be forthcoming about the Crockett Cup next week, but Dave has a bit to report right now. The original plan was two sites on two dates: April 9 in Greenville for the first round and April 10 in Greensboro for the finals, but they’re already advertising on tv now that the Cup will take place in Greensboro in late April. No information on if they’ll be filling out the 24 team slots with outside teams, but if they can get World Class and Stampede, maybe even New Japan involved that could help. But with the egos involved it might be impossible.
  
• Crockett’s TBS show this weekend had a balding, blond jobber named Randy Hogan. Subtle.
  
• Shane Douglass is back in Crockett and is using a sleeper hold for his finisher. He seems to be getting a bit of a push, but they don’t seem to know what they’re doing, as Schiavone is calling him the 1986 rookie of the year and Jim Ross is calling him the 1987 rookie of the year.
  
• Road Warrior Animal’s eye injury is legit and he’ll be out of action for a few weeks. He broke his orbital bone when Konga the Barbarian botched a move on him and was nearly blinded (similar injury to what Maeda inflicted on Riki Choshu). They were billing him as returning this past weekend, which had Dave thinking it was a work at first. Dave’s not sure how effective the angle with the weights was in terms of increasing crowd turnout. So far, middling turnout says not very effective.
  
• It’s astonishing how fast Luger’s face run has fizzled. Luger’s the kind of guy you can look at and in a snap decision decide he’s a future top babyface star and begin the push, but when you look at him close you realize he just doesn’t have it. He’s got the body, the good looks, the hair, all the surface level stuff you want in a guy. It almost convinces you he’s over and the future of the business. But having a good body and blond hair is pretty common, and his looks aren’t anything special either. He could still be a big star and almost certainly will be a star at some level in the future, but he just doesn’t have the connection to the audience that will make him the guy. He didn’t have it in Florida (the promotion literally died trying to get him over as a babyface in 1986), and he doesn’t have it now. Sting needs a lot of work on promos, and he’s not got the body Luger has, but he has the connection with the fans and has just eclipsed Luger in their eyes. And it’s super obvious to anyone watching. The crowd comes alive for every little thing Sting does, and they don’t really care about Luger and Windham when they talk. Sting’s look comes across as more cool to the fans too. Dave has this feeling that Crockett will want to keep all three at the same level, ensuring nobody gets over enough to make a difference. And Luger’s not to blame for the crowd reaction. The promotion wasted no time making him just one of the boys after his face turn, and Dave thinks they should have given him a few months of a major singles babyface push rather than just ruining the impact of his face turn by making him a tag team guy.
  
• An anonymous wrestler or referee from Oregon writes in about the latest athletic commission business in Oregon. Short version: Don Owen and the commissioner were arguing over enforcement of certain rules in the combined boxing and wrestling rule book. The commissioner wanted to regulate wrestling exactly the same as boxing. He saw a guy thrown over the top and saw the top rope break during a match, leading to a nasty spill. He told Owen that having four ropes would fix that problem, and he didn’t like seeing heels use foreign objects in front of the referee and would appoint a commission referee if that kind of stuff continued. Three weeks later, he came back with a changed point of view after meeting commissioners from other states. Clearly someone smartened him up about what wrestling actually is, and he changed his mind about the ropes and foreign objects, though he did want drug testing and a ban on blading. He lied in the media that he said what he said about the ropes and referees, but he did say it. In the writer’s opinion, the commission is on the right track now. They check tickets closely, seem concerned for the welfare of fans and wrestlers alike, and have introduced changes that the Northwest has needed for a while. It doesn’t solve the big problem out there, though. And that problem is that Don and Barry Owen run things like it’s the 1940s and are afraid to try new things. They also don’t want to pay well, and with the death of the territories happening, they can get away with it because there aren’t that many places to work. A lot of wrestlers would prefer if Sandy Barr ran things in the region, because he’s been seen as very fair. Finally, unrelated, a paragraph about shoot style and shooting that I think is very interesting as we see things like MMA begin to take nascent form in the next few years:
  

One other thing I would like to touch upon. That is the people who seem to get off on “shooting style” pro wrestling. Shooting is NOT pro wrestling. In fact it’s the very antithesis of pro wrestling. Why anybody who claims to be a pro wrestling fan would like to see it is beyond me. Pro Wrestling is an art form. Making it look good WITHOUT hurting anyone is what makes you a good worker. Good technique, a light touch and a gift for gab is what constitutes a top-notch pro. Wrestlers who deliberately hurt people in the ring may be feared, but they are not respected. We find many of these asses in Japan, but we have our share in the United States and Canada as well. When you give someone your body, you expect them to take care of it. People pay to see action and drama. Legitimate wrestling matches have never proven to be able to draw any significant following.

• Another writer writes in about the Observer yearbook and how a large chunk of it was super professionally done and could be the basis for expansion into a proper book, but there’s also sophomoric and childish stuff (like the nicknames) that hurt it. The writer thinks Dave’s passed the point of just being a fanzine and shouldn’t bog down the quality of his publication with stuff of that sort. Dave, for his part, thanks the writer for his points, but maintains he’s never wanted or claimed the Observer as a professional publication. The Observer is a publication for hardcore wrestling fans and plays on a lot of the inside humor they want to hear.
  
• There’s an entire page devoted to letters about The Main Event. Some folks think Andre should retire with what dignity he still has, because he just shouldn’t be in a ring anymore. Some loved the finish to the title match, others hated it and found it ridiculous. One reports that just before the show started, the local tv announcer pivoted from Wheel of Fortune to the show by saying “Join Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant next for live wrestling comedy.”
  
• Correction on the above about Road Warrior Animal’s injury: He apparently hurt his eye the night before the bench press contest. A move was done wrong, or he took it wrong, but either way, his eye popped out of socket. Major credit to him showing up the next day to do the contest angle before going to the hospital. It explains Ellering’s comments about $50,000 not being worth the price of an eye, which didn’t make sense at the time.
  
• New Japan has changed plans and their big show they were going to have in the Tokyo Dome (capacity 55,000) will now be at a tennis stadium in Tokyo (capacity 10,000) on May 7. Looks like he’ll wrestle Vader, Willem Ruska (a former gold medalist judoka), or Chris Dolman (a sambo wrestling champion), and none of those pairings has the drawing power to fill the Dome. If he really wanted to sell out the Dome he’d need Koji Kitao (who was recently kicked out of sumo) or a big name boxer like Michael Spinks or Larry Holmes, but he couldn’t get them. On Kitao, he recently was contacted by Wajima, which means Baba’s on the hunt for him, although things are so early they haven’t even had preliminary talks yet.
  

THURSDAY: Clash of the Champions is born, the Wrestlemania lineup has been finalized, Road Warrior Animal update and clarification, and more

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The next time you decide to go to Las Vegas or to wherever your favorite casino maybe, make sure you follow these Five Gambling Tips You Cannot Miss. There are a few very simple things that you can do that will stretch your gambling bankroll and get the casino to reward you for your play. The five gambling tips you cannot miss are to sign up for the players club, know the rules of the game you are playing, know how much you are going to gamble, know when you will quit, and making sure you get comped for your table game play.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they come to Las Vegas is not signing up for the casino players club when they gamble. Sometimes people simply don't know it exists or they think they have to pay a fee to join. But signing up for a casino players club is completely free and is required in casinos if you want to be rewarded for your slot and video poker play. Another benefit to players clubs is often the casinos will send you promotions in the mail for free or discounted rooms that you can use the next time you come to Las Vegas!
The next tip you cannot miss for gambling in Las Vegas is to know the rules of the game you are playing. While this isn't that important if you are just playing reel slots it is absolutely required if you are playing a game that requires you to make a decision. A good example is when you are playing video poker, if you don't know the proper drawing strategy you will reduce the payback percentage of the machine. Most table games also fall into this example such as blackjack, requiring a player to decide when to hit, stand or take insurance. Not knowing the rules when you are playing a game in the casino can cost you a significant amount of money over the course of you vacation!
Another important tip when you are planning to go to a casino is knowing how much you are going to risk before you go. For example before you even walk into a casino, you should plan how much money you will lose and not go a penny over. A good way to plan this before going on vacation is to split your gambling bankroll up for each day you will be at the casino.
The next gambling tip is to plan when you are going to quit and walk away from the tables. Similar to knowing how much you are willing to risk, having a plan for when you will stop gambling when you are ahead is a must. There are few feelings worse when you are playing then being up and then losing it all back. For example if bought into a blackjack game for $500 and manage to win a little and get it up to $1000 or more, you will be quite devastated if you leave with nothing. A good tip is to plan to quit gambling after you have doubled up. The higher you set this goal the less likely you will actually reach it.

Part 3 of 3

Part 1 Right Here: https://dfaroto.com/nfl/week-12-matchup-strategy-guide-part-1

Part 2 Right Here: https://dfaroto.com/nfl/week-12-matchup-strategy-guide-part-2

GLOSSARY

DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) calculates a team's success based on the down-and-distance of each play during the season, then calculates how much more or less successful each team is compared to the league average.
DVOA Pass/Run Defense Rank: Team’s NFL rank in DVOA pass or run defense so far this season. #1 means best DEF against the pass/run, #32 means worst DEF against the pass/run.
ATS = Against the spread
DVOA from https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamdef/2019

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (-3)

Jaguars ATS: 5-5-0 Titans ATS: 4-5-1
Projected Team Totals: Jaguars 19.25 Titans 22.5

Jaguars

Opp (TEN) Pass DVOA: #22
Opp (TEN) Run DVOA: #4
Injuries to Watch DEF (TEN): None
Injuries to Watch OFF (JAX): TE Seth DeValve (OUT)
Key WCB matchups: D.J. Chark vs. Adoree’ Jackson (Rotoworld)
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): D.J. Chark (23%) Dede Westbrook (19%) Leonard Fournette (16%) Chris Conley (15%) Keelan Cole (7%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 11: Leonard Fournette (71%, 15, 7) Ryquell Armstead (22%, 3, 2) Devine Ozigbo (7%, 0, 0)
QB/WTE Breakdown
The return of Nick Foles (upgrade) didn’t go according to plan, as Jacksonville was throttled by the Colts, 33-13. Foles himself didn’t look too shabby, compiling 295-yards passing and two touchdowns with an interception in his first game back from a broken clavicle. Going up against a top-5 Run DVOA and a bottom-tier Pass DVOA in the Titans, one would surmise that Doug Morrone’s game plan would be to pass on TEN rather than run, but we also thought that should be the Colts game plan for Thursday Night Football and look where that got us... Either way, Foles gets the upgrade, it’s likely he’ll need to throw to overcome a suddenly surging TEN team fresh off an upset of KC - the Titans give up 17.6 FPPG to QBs and 23.3 to wideouts - consider Foles a back-end QB1 option.
It’s likely that waiver wire pickup of the year D.J. Chark (upgrade) is shadowed by stud CB Adoree Jackson. Jackson is ranked as PFF’s No. 36 corner this season (Rotoworld), so he’s no slouch. Still, Chark has earned every week WR1/2 treatment, and most wideouts have won their matches with Jackson over the last two years (Rotoworld). The loss of CB Malcolm Butler for TEN is big from a depth perspective, but Butler has hardly been elite this season. With Butler out and Jackson on Chark, it sets Chris Conley (upgrade PPR) up nicely with a date against CB LeShaun Sims (Rotoworld). Conley can be considered as a solid WR3 streamer this week in most PPR formats. Dede Westbrook (stash) also draws a solid matchup against Slot CB Logan Ryan, but he’s been hard to trust in lineups this season. With Foles back last week, he disappointed with a 4-30-0 receiving line on just 6 targets. It’s just one game however, and we saw in preseason plus Week 1 before Foles went down, how heavily Westbrook was used. Stash him if you can, but it’s probably best to take a wait and see approach before getting him in your lineup. JAX continues to be heavily injured at the TE position, with Josh Oliver (OUT) being the latest causality to hit the IR. No need to roster a JAX TE at this point.
RB Breakdown
After last week's blowout loss to IND, Doug Marrone mentioned that it was a “Big Mistake” not to run Leonard Fournette (downgrade) more often. While that may be, the lack of running game wasn’t the sole reason they lost. As long as Fournette continues to get the touches, he’ll stay in the RB1 ranks. This week projects as tough sledding though, TEN ranks 4th in Run DVOA, only gives up 102-yards rushing per game, and cedes only 17.7 FPPG to RBs. Start Fournette as usual, just keep expectations in check. His volume and passing game usage have kept his floor high all year, and it seems likely that positive touchdown regression is coming. Ryquell Armstead remains Fournette’s handcuff.

Titans

Opp (JAX) Pass DVOA: #11
Opp (JAX) Run DVOA: #30
Injuries to Watch DEF (JAX): None
Injuries to Watch OFF (TEN): OL Kevin Pamphile (D) TE Delanie Walker (D)
Key WCB matchups: None
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): Delanie Walker (18%) Corey Davis (16%) A.J. Brown (15%) Adam Humphries (14%) Jonnu Smith (11%) Derrick Henry (6%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 10: Derrick Henry (71%, 25, 2) Dion Lewis (29%, 0, 0)
QB/WTE Breakdown
Unfortunately for us Oregon Duck fans, the Ryan Tannehill (downgrade) experiment is going swimmingly as the Titans are now 3-1 with the Texas A&M product at the controls. You weren’t starting him in any format anyway, but JAX has been significantly tougher to beat through the air than on the ground, so the volume shouldn’t be there to consider streaming the journeyman QB - JAX cedes 17.8 FPPG to QBs and 20.7 FPPG to WRs.
Along those same lines, you shouldn't be considering any of the TEN receivers either, the volume just hasn’t been there. A.J. Brown is seeing the most targets with Tannehill under center, but averaging only 5/6 per game. That’s just not enough to bank on. Corey Davis and Adam Humphries are the same story. It’s expected that Delanie Walker sits again this week even though he’s returned to practice, making Jonnu Smith a viable streamer for one more week. Consider him a low-end TE1 while Walker remains sidelined - JAX gives up 7.4 FPPG to the position.
RB Breakdown
If you took the risk on Derrick Henry (upgrade), congratulations, you have been handsomely rewarded. The former Alabama running back has crushed his way to the overall RB7 position, and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. On tap is a matchup against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, fire up Henry as usual - JAX gives up 134.6-yards a game on the ground, plus 21.1 FPPG to RBs. Henry should again vie for the overall RB1 finish this week. Dion Lewis (downgrade) just isn’t seeing the field enough to warrant consideration in any format.
Score Prediction: Titans 27, Jaguars 24

Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots (-6.5)

Cowboys ATS: 6-4-0 Patriots ATS: 7-3-0
Projected Team Totals: Cowboys 19.5 Patriots 26

Cowboys

Opp (NE) Pass DVOA: #1
Opp (NE) Run DVOA: #13
Injuries to Watch DEF (NE): LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (Q) S Patrick Chung (Q) S Nate Ebner (Q) CB Jason McCourty (Q) DE John Simon (Q)
Injuries to Watch OFF (DAL): OG Connor Williams (Q)
Key WCB matchups: Amari Cooper vs. Stephon Gilmore (Rotoworld)
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): Michael Gallup (23%) Amari Cooper (22%) Randall Cobb (16%) Jason Witten (14%) Ezekiel Elliott (10%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 11: Ezekiel Elliot (89%, 18, 3)
QB/WTE Breakdown
The Cowboys picked up a much needed win against the Lions last week, but now head on the road to play one of the best teams in the league. Dak Prescott (downgrade) has turned out to be a huge draft bargain for owners that snagged him, as he a top-5 fantasy QB on the season in most formats. However, the Patriots boast the #1 pass defense DVOA, and have given up the fewest FPPG to QBs this year. The only QB to really break them down was Lamar Jackson, and while Prescott does have quality mobility in the pocket, he’s certainly no LJax when it comes to dual-threat abilities. Prescott is still a low-end QB1 due to his weapons and quality play all year long, but owners would be wise to weigh their options before plugging him into lineups. The Cowboys low projected team total is concerning, and the Patriots have been a machine at creating turnovers.
While it doesn’t provide owners much solace in retrospect, Amari Cooper (downgrade) admitted a knee injury limited him against the Lions last week. He claims that the injury won’t affect him this week, so he’ll be close to 100%. However, the bigger concern is the Patriots ability to shut down #1 WRs, more specifically Stephon Gillmore’s shut down abilities at CB. Cooper will likely see Gillmore in shadow coverage most of the day, so he’s deserving of a slight downgrade. In previous seasons, Cooper had been extremely susceptible to shadow matchups, but he seems to have overcome that somewhat this year. While a low-floor game is possible, Cooper should still be fired up as a high-end WR2 in this tough matchup. Michael Gallup may benefit from the increased attention to Cooper, but the rest of the Patriots secondary isn’t exactly exploitable. The Patriots have given up more than 200 yards passing only twice this year, so its unwise to expect a big day from any Cowboys receiver (Rotoworld). Instead, consider Gallup a solid WR2, and fire him up in most season-long leagues while avoiding him in DFS formats. Randall Cobb (bench) has been surprisingly productive the past two weeks, but is best to avoid this week against the Patriots. He’s no more than a WR4 this week, but should still be owned in most leagues, especially in PPR formats.
RB Breakdown
The Cowboys have gone away from their run game slightly the past two weeks, instead focusing on their electrifying passing game. That may change this week, as the Patriots will likely limit Prescott’s ability to fling the ball around at will, and the game-flow may dictate a grind it out defensive battle. Ezekiel Elliot (auto-start) remains a true workhorse, playing 89% of the snaps last week, and may be asked to carry the offense this week with the Pats slightly more vulnerable to the run than the pass. They still give up the fewest FPPG to RBs, but the Cowboys elite offensive line will make this a matchup to watch. Consider Elliott an elite RB1 this week on volume and talent alone, as he can get his points in a variety of ways.

Patriots

Opp (DAL) Pass DVOA: #19
Opp (DAL) Run DVOA: #17
Injuries to Watch DEF (DAL): LB Leighton Vander Esch (OUT) LB Joe Thomas (Q) S Donovan Wilson (Q)
Injuries to Watch OFF (NE): QB Tom Brady (Q, expected to play) OT Marcus Cannon (Q) WR Phillip Dorsett (Q) WR Julian Edelman (Q, expected to play) RB Damien Harris (Q) WR Mohamed Sanu (Q, likely OUT) WR Matthew Slater (Q)
Key WCB matchups: None
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): Julian Edelman (25%) Mohamed Sanu (18%) James White (17%) Phillip Dorsett (13%) Rex Burkhead (9%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 11: James White (38%, 9, 7) Sony Michel (26%, 12, 4) Rex Burkhead (25%, 7, 3) Brandon Bolden (12%, 0, 0)
QB/WTE Breakdown
It’s hasn’t always been pretty, but Tom Brady and Bill Belichick continue to find ways to win. This year, it’s been 100% due to the Pats outstanding defense, as Brady has been mostly relegated to an elite game manager in his old age - well that, and the lack of elite offensive weapons around the GOAT. The Cowboys have been very good against the pass from a fantasy standpoint - only giving up 14.8 FPPG to QBs, and 16.8 FPPG to WRs, 4th best - but their DVOA metrics show that they boast a bottom-half secondary. Regardless, it’s hard to recommend Brady as a sure-fire QB1 with all the injuries piling up on offense.
Mohamed Sanu (ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (concussion) are likely out for Sunday, although they haven’t been formerly ruled out yet so be sure to check back before kickoff. That leaves Julian Edleman (upgrade volume), and rookies N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers to hold down the fort. Outside of Edleman who can be considered an every week WR1, there isn’t much to like here. Harry caught 3 passes for 18-yards in his Patriots debut last week, but only played 32 snaps. Meyers played even less last week, catching just 1 pass for 7-yards. He has largely been out of the rotation when all the other NE wideouts are healthy. If you must stream a Patriots wideout, it seems like Harry is the better bet, but the matchup isn’t great, plus it’s nearly impossible to predict where the volume goes week to week in Belichick's game plans. It’s just as likely that the running backs or tight ends pick up the slack, rather than the rookie wideouts. Ben Watson has played a near full time role in the last four games, soaking up 11-15 targets for 124 scoreless yards (Rotoworld). He can’t be trusted as a TE1, but does have some streaming appeal considering the injuries to the receiving corps - DAL gives up 8.8 FPPG to TEs, 5th worst.
RB Breakdown
Dallas has been decent against the run this year, but they will be missing their best run-stopping linebacker in Leighton Vander Esch. This is great news for Sony Michel (upgrade standard), who has mostly disappointed this year - failing to clear 100-yards rushing in a single game so far - his six rushing touchdowns have saved his value. DAL has given up one rushing touchdown a game so far in 2019, 23rd worst in the NFL, so it’s likely that Sony finds his way into the endzone again. That is, if touchdown opportunities are not vultured. New England played four running backs last week, as James White (upgrade PPR), Rex Burkhead, and even Brandon Bolden saw snaps. Michel and White are the only two that should be considered, with Michel better suited for standard formats and White for PPR.
Score Prediction: Patriots 24, Dallas 17

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers (-3)

Packers ATS: 7-3-0 **49ers ATS: 5-4-1
Projected Team Totals: Packers 22.25 49ers 25.25

Packers

Opp (SF) Pass DVOA: #2
Opp (SF) Run DVOA: #19
Injuries to Watch DEF (SF): DE Dee Ford (OUT)
Injuries to Watch OFF (GB): OG Cole Madison (OUT)
Key WCB matchups: None
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): Davante Adams (27%) Aaron Jones (13%) Marquez Valdes-Scantling (12%) Jimmy Graham (12%) Geronimo Allison (12%) Allen Lazard (12%) Jamaal Williams (9%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 10: Aaron Jones (50%, 13, 0) Jamaal Williams (50%, 13, 1)
QB/WTE Breakdown
Held in check Week 10 by a solid Panthers secondary, Aaron Rodgers (downgrade) comes out of the bye to face an even more impressive defense. The Niners rank as the second best pass defense by DVOA and have given up the second fewest FPPG to QBs this season. Rodgers’ entire group of weapons is healthy, and he looks as impressive as ever in terms of efficiency and ball placement. However, the biggest difference this year has been his lack of TDs, as the running backs have vultured a huge number of the scoring opportunities. Now going up against a vaunted Niners pass defense on the road in a game that has the makings of a defensive grind-it-out type battle, Rodgers is deserving of a downgrade this week. He’s still a solid top-15 option, but is outside the top-10 for us this week. If you have a safe alternative option with higher upside, benching Rodgers wouldn’t be the worst call. Rodgers floor has been relatively safe this year, scoring under 12 points just once, but his ceiling is capped by the lack of TDs and the difficult matchup.
Somehow still searching for his first TD of the year, Davante Adams is healthy and ready to return to his WR1 ways. This might not be the best week for a blowup spot, but Adams has been a target share monster when healthy this year. He was able to push through a tough matchup against the Panthers before the bye in Week 10, and should have little trouble producing a solid line again this week. The Niners are a shy-away type matchup - 7th fewest FPPG to WRs - but Adams is too talented and too secured of a role to consider benching. The Niners also don’t shadow receivers, so Adams will be able to lineup in different spots and find ways to exploit any hole or gap in the coverage. Expect Rodgers to pepper him with targets, and view him as a WR1 this week on volume and talent alone. Unfortunately for the Packers secondary targets, the volume and consistency just hasn’t been there. With Adams healthy, none of Marquez Valdes-Scantling (drop), Geronimo Allison (deep PPR), Allen Lazard (drop), or Jimmy Graham (downgrade) have been able to surpass 6 targets in the past two weeks. MVS saw his snap % drop to 16% in Week 10, so he is drop in most formats at this point. Allison could have some deep PPR value down the stretch, but is also a drop depending on league size and depth. Lazard has actually been the #2 WR the past two weeks for the Packers, but is unlikely to be a worthwhile target the rest of the way. Graham is worth rostering in most leagues, as the TE position is so shallow and Graham has shown some big-play and red zone ability this year, but this likely isn’t the week to use him. The Niners have given up the second fewest FPPG to opposing TEs, and Graham’s floor is extremely low if he doesn’t score a TD. Keep him on benches this week.
RB Breakdown
Despite having only three games with 100+ total yards, Aaron Jones (auto-start) has been able to churn out high-end RB1 value on the strength of 14 total TDs. The Niners are suddenly somewhat vulnerable on the ground - 19th ranked DVOA but 2nd fewest FPPG to RBs on the season - and the Packers boast one of the best run-blocking units in the league. Expect them to look to #establishtherun early on, and Jones should receive multiple opportunities near the goal-line. He’s still in a committee, but Jones is a solid RB1 again this week. The other half of the RBBC is Jamaal Williams (PPR RB2), and his pass-game chops and trustworthy hands have earned him a near 50% share of this backfield. With Jones getting almost all of the goal-line opportunities, Williams has scored most of his TDs on short passes, but Rodgers is the best graded QB in the NFL at throwing to his RBs (ESPN). Williams makes for an intriguing RB2/flex, but is more valuable in PPR formats due to his uncertain carry count each week. Both backs should likely be in lineups, but Jones has a significant edge on Williams due to his role as the goal-line back on one of the better offenses in the NFL.

49ers

Opp (GB) Pass DVOA: #16
Opp (GB) Run DVOA: #28
Injuries to Watch DEF (GB): None
Injuries to Watch OFF (SF): OT Joe Staley (OUT) RB Matt Breida (D) TE George Kittle (Q) WR Deebo Samuel (Q) WR Emmanuel Sanders (Q)
Key WCB matchups: None
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): George Kittle (25%) Deebo Samuel (18%) Emmanuel Sanders (15%) Ross Dwelley (10%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 11: Tevin Coleman (49%, 15, 4) Raheem Mostert (49%, 8, 3) Jeff Wilson (1%, 1, 1)
QB/WTE Breakdown
Despite missing many of his top weapons, Jimmy Garappollo (downgrade) shredded the Cardinals vulnerable secondary for 424 yards and 4 TDs last week. It’s not clear which (if any) of the injured Niners will return this week, but Jimmy G proved he can put up numbers in the right matchup. Unfortunately, the Packers have been quite stout against the pass this year, and this projects as a game the Niners will win with good defense and a solid running game. Green Bay has given up the 8th fewest FPPG to QBs but their pass DVOA has slipped the past few weeks to just about league-average. If all of his weapons are healthy, Jimmy G is worth consideration as a QB2 streamer, but if he’s working with Kendrick Bourne and Ross Dwelley as his top targets, it will be hard to roll him out there against a good defense. Keep an eye on the injury report before you consider plugging him into your lineup, and be wary of chasing the points from last week’s matchup against an Arizona team known for giving up big fantasy lines.
Saturday injury reports from beat writers suggest that the Niners may be close to full health in the passing game this weekend. George Kittle (upgrade if healthy) has a good chance to play and faces a Packers defense giving up the 3rd most FPPG to TEs. If he is active, and there aren’t any reports about a limited snap count, deactivate and drop Ross Dwelley, and immediately plug Kittle back into your lineup as a solid TE1. Emmanuel Sanders (downgrade) and Deebo Samuel are also expected to play, but both are listed as game-time decisions. If active, Sanders should be viewed as a low-end WR3 due to his solid volume but potential for re-injury and tough matchup. Samuel is also in the WR3 mix, as he is coming off back-to-back 100+ yard receiving games. The Packers haven’t shadowed receivers since early in the season, but they do boast a quality secondary - they’ve given up the 8th fewest FPPG to WRs. Keep a close eye on injury reports leading up to kickoff, but be aware that tough decisions may be required due to the late evening kickoff. Proceed with caution with all three of the Niners top passing options, but your patience may be rewarded if this turns into a shootout (as Vegas projects with a 47.5 oveunder). Still, this is a run-heavy offense with a quarterback that hasn’t been overly impressive outside of his blow-up performances against the Cardinals, so keep expectations in check.
RB Breakdown
Well that was fun. Tevin Coleman (upgrade) and Raheem Mostert (flex deep-PPR) split the backfield with Matt Breida (doubtful) out last week, but Jeff Wilson (why?) outscored them both on his one snap and one touch, busting a 25-yard TD catch to seal the game for the Niners. Breida is likely to sit again this week, so we THINK that Coleman will lead the backfield with Mostert mixing in as a change-of-pace and on passing downs. However, in this backfield you just never know. The opportunity is there - the Packers give up the 3rd most FPPG to RBs - and the Niners will likely look to exploit it given Green Bay’s stout secondary. Despite the uncertainty, treat Coleman as a solid RB2 who is likely to bounce-back this week. Mostert is a flex option in deeper PPR leagues, but his role is less solidified and his chances of a TD are lower than Coleman’s. We like the Niners chances of having success on the ground, and Coleman is the likely beneficiary. Keep an eye on Breida’s injury status, as his involvement would complicate things.
Score Prediction: Packers 21, Niners 20

Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5)

Seahawks ATS: 5-5-0 Eagles ATS: 4-6-0
Projected Team Totals: Seahawks 23.25 Eagles 24.75

Seahawks

Opp (PHI) Pass DVOA: #12
Opp (PHI) Run DVOA: #7
Injuries to Watch DEF (PHI): S Ruby Ford (OUT)
Injuries to Watch OFF (SEA): TE Luke Willson (D)
Key WCB matchups: None
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): Tyler Lockett (23%) D.K. Metcalf (20%) Jaron Brown (11%) Chris Carson (10%) David Moore (8%) Josh Gordon (6%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 10: Chris Carson (95%, 28, 4) Rashaad Penny (4%, 2, 0) Nick Bellore (1%, 0, 0)
QB/WTE Breakdown
Seattle's defense has not been good by most metrics this year, but sometimes it doesn’t matter when you have the best quarterback in the league, Russell Wilson (upgrade). Philly got everyone back in their secondary at the beginning of November, and it shows in DVOA, they have steadily climbed the rankings almost into the top-10. Regardless, Wilson should be active in all lineups, he’s been too good to sit. PHI gives up 17.1 FPPG to QBs and a whopping 27 FPPG to WRs - but both of those numbers are heavily skewed by Philly’s injured secondary in the beginning of the season.
Tyler Lockett (upgrade) spent a few nights in a bay area hospital after a season defining win against division rival SF in Week 10, but he has healed over the bye week and is ready to rock and roll. This game carries the second highest projected point total of the week, and Lockett needs to be in all lineups. Both Lockett and D.K. Metcalf (upgrade) have been force fed fantasy friendly targets this season - Lockett has 8 end zone targets; Metcalf has 13 - Lockett has 17 deep ball targets; Metcalf has 16 (Rotoworld). Lockett is a WR1 and Metcalf an upside WR2. Josh Gordon was mixed-in last week, but still only saw a 37% snap rate. He’s a strong candidate to see the field more, but it’s likely that David Moore and Malik Turner stay in the rotation, spoiling Flash as a solid fantasy option. He should be stashed but not started. SEA continues to find fantasy relevant TE gold this year, with Jacob Hollister being the latest to breakout. Ed Dickson was placed back on IR Friday, after being activated on Wednesday, and Luke Willson is making his way back from a hammy injury. Still, with a dearth of options at the TE position, you could do worse, continue to roll Hollister out there as a low-end TE1.

RB Breakdown

Another congratulations seems in order, for those who took the leap and drafted Chris Carson (downgrade). He’s turned into an every week RB1, and most folks got him outside of the first three rounds during draft season. Great work. Sadly, PHI has a very imposing front seven - they cede only 86-rushing yards per game, and just 15.4 FPPG to the position. Still, Carson has earned every week RB1 treatment regardless of matchup, so get him active, just keep expectations in check. Rashaad Penny has essentially been a bust in the NFL to this point, Carson owners can handcuff if they feel the need, but he shouldn’t be rostered in shallow formats.

Eagles

Opp (SEA) Pass DVOA: #18
Opp (SEA) Run DVOA: #16
Injuries to Watch DEF (SEA): DE Jadeveon Clowney (Q) CB Neiko THorpe (Q)
Injuries to Watch OFF (PHI): T Lane Johnson (OUT) WR Nelson Agholor (Q) RB Jordan Howard (Q) WR Alshon Jeffery (Q)
Key WCB matchups: None
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): Zach Ertz (25%) Alshon Jeffery (24%) Nelson Agholor (18%) Dallas Goedert (13%) DeSean Jackson (13%) Miles Sanders (9%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 11: Miles Sanders (82%, 13, 4) Boston Scott (18%, 7, 0)
QB/WTE Breakdown
The Eagles season has been extremely up and down, resulting in a 5-5 record, yet they still have a window to make playoffs. That would involve getting ahead of the 6-4 Cowboys to win the NFC East, as the NFC wildcard is probably already locked up between SF/SEA/MIN. Carson Wentz has been dealing with a plethora of injuries to his wideouts, and it’s likely that he will again be without at least one. Due to the injuries, it’s hard to recommend Wentz as anything more than a low-end QB1/2 streamer, even in a good matchup - SEA gives up 18.8 FPPG to QBs and 23.1 to WRs.
Both Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor are considered truly questionable for Sunday, but it’s not like Agholor should have been in lineups anyhow. Jeffery has been as touchdown dependent as they come, but if he suits up, he can be treated as a low-upside WR3. It’s unlikely that Jordan Matthews is relevant even with the injuries, so continue to fade the veteran wideout. PHI has been utilizing two-TE formations in the absence of Jeffery (Rotoworld), and will likely continue to do so with the injuries to the wideouts. Zach Ertz (upgrade) and Dallas Goedert (upgrade) continue to be the focal points of the passing game, and should be in most lineups moving forward - SEA surrenders 8.8 FPPG to TEs, 8th worst. Goedert himself is averaging 5.6 targets a game over the last 5 (ESPN), he needs to be treated as a low-end TE1 on a weekly basis.
RB Breakdown
With Jordan Howard sitting last week, Miles Sanders (upgrade PPR) was handed the keys to the backfield, but the tough matchup against the Patriots prevented any sort of breakout. Still, Sanders saw 85% of snaps, and if Howard is again inactive, he can be rolled into lineups as an upside RB2. Jay Ajayi is expected to be involved in some capacity, but he can’t be trusted in any format. It would not surprise us, however, if Ajayi managed to snipe a few goal line carries from the talented rookie. If Howard is active, the RBBC is likely in full effect again, relegating both Howard and Sanders to just flex status. Still, it seems likely than not that Howard sits again, as he hadn’t been cleared for contact as of Friday afternoon. SEA cedes 17.4 FPPG to RBs. It’s worth mentioning that All-Pro Tackle Lane Johnson is sitting, which could very well hurt the PHI run game.
Score Prediction: Seahawks 24, Eagles 23

Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Los Angeles Rams

Ravens ATS: 5-5-0 Rams ATS: 7-3-0
Projected Team Totals: Ravens 24.75 Rams 21.75

Ravens

Opp (LAR) Pass DVOA: #17
Opp (LAR) Run DVOA: #3
Injuries to Watch DEF (LAR): None
Injuries to Watch OFF (BAL): WR Chris Moore (D)
Key WCB matchups: Marquise Brown vs. Jalen Ramsey (Rotoworld)
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): Mark Andrews (24%) Marquise Brown (21%) Nick Boyle (11%) Willie Snead (10%) Mark Ingram (6%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 11: Mark Ingram (46%, 16, 4) Gus Edwards (40%, 8, 0)
QB/WTE Breakdown
The MVP season just keeps rolling along for Lamar Jackson (cheat code). Although his only game over 300 passing yards was Week 1 against the Dolphins non-existent defense, he has more rushing yards than many teams’ starting running back. The Rams are aren’t an overly imposing matchup - 17th ranked pass DVOA and 12th fewest FPPG to QBs - but not even the Patriots vaunted defense was able to stop LJax. He’s likely to finish top-3 overall among fantasy QBs, and has a great shot at the #1 overall spot. Lock him into your lineup as usual.
The Ravens have been one of the more run-heavy teams in the league, and when they do throw, the ball is spread around quite nicely. The only consistent pass-game option for fantasy has been TE Mark Andrews (auto-start). Expect Andrews to remain Jackson’s main option moving forward, especially in a week where Jalen Ramsey will be shadowing the top WR for Baltimore, Marquise Brown (downgrade). Andrews is a top-6 TE1 again this week, while Brown is deserving of a downgrade due to the stud CB’s coverage. Ramsey has shut down almost ever WR he’s been matched up against, and Brown hasn’t been a high volume player since returning from his ankle injury. Brown is more of a WR4 this week, albeit one with the upside for a big-play TD every week, and should be benched if owners have a more trustworthy option. All other Baltimore pass-catchers are off the fantasy radar at the moment, so don’t get cute and consider starting Willie Snead, Seth Roberts, or Miles Boykin. The volume simply isn’t there, even with Ramsey’s attention on Brown, it would be impossible to say which WR would have a breakout week.
RB Breakdown
The Ravens have done an excellent job of distributing the carries to keep their stud RBs healthy. Mark Ingram (auto-start) has consistently received around 50% snaps and 15-20 touches, even in close games that may have tempted them to use him more. This is good for his long-term health and production, and it hasn’t hurt his ability to pop big games for fantasy owners. Gus Edwards (downgrade) also got in on the action last week, breaking a 63-yard TD run to finish with 100+ yards for the first time this season. It would be unwise to chase these points this week, as Edwards was on pace for his usual 4-8 points before the long run. The Rams are a tough matchup on the ground - 3rd ranked DVOA and 10th fewest FPPG to RBs - so Edwards doesn’t make for a good streamer this week. Ingram remains in the RB1 mix despite the tough matchup, and his involvement in all areas of the game on one of the best offenses in the NFL keeps his floor and ceiling as high as most elite backs.

Rams

Opp (BAL) Pass DVOA: #3
Opp (BAL) Run DVOA: #25
Injuries to Watch DEF (BAL): DT Michael Pierce (Q)
Injuries to Watch OFF (LAR): WR Brandin Cooks (Q) OT Rob Havenstein (Q)
Key WCB matchups: None
Relevant Target Share %’s (season): Cooper Kupp (25%) Robert Woods (20%) Gerald Everett (15%) Brandin Cooks (14%) Todd Gurley (9%) Josh Reynolds (8%)
RB Snap %/Touches/Targets Week 11: Todd Gurley (75%, 28, 3) Malcolm Brown (20%, 5, 0)
QB/WTE Breakdown
The Rams offense has a lot of issues, but Jared Goff (downgrade) has been chief among them. Coming off a breakout season, many thought he would be a top-10 QB considering the high pace of the offense and his wealth of weapons, but instead he sits outside the top-20 in most formats. The Ravens are a tough matchup with their secondary at full health - giving up the 6th fewest FPPG to QBs - so it’s safe to bench Goff (or drop him) outside of deep 2 QB leagues. His fantasy playoff schedule isn’t overly favorable, but he does face the Cardinals next week, so perhaps consider keeping him on your roster for Week 13 before moving on to better options. The one factor Goff has going for him this week is that he’s playing at home, but that’s becoming a thinner and thinner argument these days.
The good news is that Cooper Kupp was able to get a catch last week after being goose-egged in Week 10 vs. the Steelers. The bad news: he caught three balls for 53 scoreless yards. The Ravens have been somewhat vulnerable to slot WRs this season - giving up solid lines to Julian Edelman, Jarvis Landry, Juju Smith-Schuster, and others - and Kupp is likely to be extremely active as Goff’s top target this week even if he gets Marlon Humphrey in coverage. Consider Kupp on the WR1/2 borderline, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him breakout of his slump with a big game on Sunday. Brandin Cooks (downgrade) is likely to return this week, but will face tough matchups on the outside and is becoming a dangerous re-injury threat every game. Consider him a boom-bust WR3 that has a low floor in this suddenly deficient offense. Robert Woods has been able to put up decent lines despite his lack of TDs (1 total) and remains in low-end WR2 range for this week. He should be in your lineup, but owners shouldn’t get their hopes up for a “boom” week. Gerald Everett (downgrade volume) surprisingly saw only 25% of the snaps last week, and now looks to be part of a 3-way timeshare at TE. The Rams should look to establish the run again this week, considering that is the Ravens weakness, so Everett is a only a TE2 while splitting time with the run-blocking TEs on the Rams roster. There are likely better streaming options.
RB Breakdown
Sean McVay finally unleashed Todd Gurley (upgrade) last week, and while he still looks like he’s lost a step this year, the results were quite positive for the Rams. He racked up 100+ total yards for the first time since Week 1, and dominated both the snaps and touches in the backfield. The Ravens aren’t an overly imposing matchup on the ground - 25th ranked run DVOA but 8th fewest FPPG to RBs - and with Goff struggling, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams go back to Gurley for 20+ touches again this week. The issue will be whether he can hold up to that type of workload, but with LAR in must-win mode, it’s now or never for Gurley. He’s been off the injury report through practice this week, which is a great sign after such a heavy workload. Consider Gurley an RB1 this week, as his increased usage in the pass-game would be a huge positive development for his value. Malcolm Brown (stash) remains a premier hand-cuff due to his position behind Gurley’s balky knees, but he has almost no standalone value at this point. Keep him rostered if you have the space.
Score Prediction: Ravens 24, Rams 20