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National Football League in London

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DraftKings-Week 2 Picks

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It’s time to pick some Fantasy fellas for Week 2, after some of the amazing performances (& ridiculous injuries) in Week 1, I am a little more prepared for this week.
If you want to play along with us, join our DraftKings League ‘NFL in London’, it’s a fun group with free and paid contests to whet your fantasy appetite.
Join here:

https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA

Here are some of my picks to look at for Week 2 in DraftKings.

QB

Aaron Rodgers $6900

After the smokeshow he laid on the Vikings, it’s hard to imagine Rodgers dropping his numbers against the Lions. After the Bears and Trubisky laid on multiple 4th quarter touchdowns last week, AR should have a good 4 TD game. Compared to Mahomes, he’s a pretty good value.

Josh Allen $6700

He can throw, he can run, he is the Buffalo chicken wing. Allen is facing the woeful Dolphins this week, which means that he should be able to feast on their dolphin meat like Cam Newton did last week. If Cam can run the fins ragged by using his feet, Allen will also look to have a pretty good ground day. Unlike Cam, Allen has some great receivers who will turn and burn the field all day. The only worry I have is Miami plays unusually well at home in September with humidity and hurricane season working to their advantage.

RBs

Nyheim Hines $5300

With Marlon Mack going down last week, Nyheim Hines & Jonathan Taylor jump up the ranks to 1 & 2. Look for Rivers to use them both effectively against the Vikings defence. Minnesota was weak against the run last week against the Packers, so look for this 1-2 punch of guys to punch the Vikes in the face. Hines should get a couple of short run TDs.

Todd Gurley $6100

Gurley was able to find success against the Seahawks last week, so he should be able to continue grabbing points against the Cowboys this week. Gurley is a great distraction for Matt Ryan as he can be used effectively on the run and in short passing situations.

Miles Sanders $6000

Will he play or will he stay now? Sanders practised this week fully, which is a good sign for any fantasy fans. The Eagles will need him against the fierce front of the Rams who threw Zeke around last week. He still might not be fully used, but if he is, he will be good value for short yard TDs.

WRs

Robby Anderson $5200

Anderson has his groove back thanks to Teddy B and the Panthers. He was wicked last week going 6/8 114 yards and a touchdown. The Bucs were torched by the Saints receivers last week, so Robby could get a few yards while Tampa figures out how to stop McCaffery.

Darius Slayton $5000

Slayton was on fire in Week 1 against the Steelers, going 6/9, 102 yards and 2 touchdowns. If he can get that against Pittsburgh, then the Bears will have to look out. They got burned hard by Stafford last week, and Slayton will carve them up if they don’t figure out how to stop him.

Davante Adams $8100

Rodgers number one guy will be his number one target against the Lions on Sunday, and he will be poised for another big performance. Even if they double team Adams, he still finds ways to make ridiculous catches. He had 156 yards and 2 TDs last week, he can probably top that this week.

TE

Tyley Higbee $4700

The big man on the Rams was an often target for Goff last week for some pretty nifty catches. He is bound to make some bigger plays against an Eagles team that struggles to contain good tight ends.

Zach Ertz $5600

And on the other side of the ball, the guy the Eagles will look to in short and long yard situations. Heck, Wentz will look for him all day. He’s a little pricier, but he’s sure to get at least one TD on Sunday.

DEF

Buccaneers $2900

Sure, they got torched by the Saints last week, but they were able to put some pressure on Brees to be able to stay in the game. The Panthers have a very weak O-line, so look for the Bucs D to get to Teddy B and disrupt some big plays.

If you want to join us and play for FREE, we have our Sunday Funday Contest. It rolls on every week. You can join that here.
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Enjoy your Sunday and let us know if you want to play in any of our Fantasy Leagues. The more the merrier!

 

 

 

Week 1 Results

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What a topsy turvy weekend in the NFL! Some of the biggest winners lost, and some of the teams that looked to live in Loserville for a long time actually showed some spunk. It was nice to have the game back & to feel a bit of normal again.

Picking Week 1 results against the spread can often be tough given all the time off, but 2020 has made that even more difficult by trashing the preseason and the growth/ injuries that go with it.
Wade & Ryan both took a stab at week 1, with Wade hitting out a respectable 10-5-1, while Ryan managed a more modest 4-11-1.

Let’s take a look at some of the games they got right/ wrong.

Seahawks 38 vs Falcons 25

Wade got this one wrong, siding with past numbers that have Pete Carroll not usually performing well in week 1 since 2013. Of course it was Russell Wilson who performed like a champ, spreading the ball to nine different receivers and running the ball a few times himself. Atlanta didn’t help themselves, dropping balls and getting costly penalties. Atlanta showed rally, but were also very inept on D. Ryan liked the Seahawks to cover, and they were able to do just that.

Bears 27 Lions 23

Who wrote off Trubisky? Wade and other Bears fans did, so it was surprising to see him launch a 4 TD push to overcome the pesky Lions. Mitch was off in the first half, hitting guys on the numbers who should have made some easy catches. Luckily for Bears fans, the biggest drop came in the 4th when the Lions dropped a huge catch which would have been a pretty gimme TD. Wade had the Bears to win, and they came out with a big one. Trubisky played pretty good.

LA Chargers 16 Bengals 13

Wade called a Bengals upset, giving them their first win of the season at home…and it almost happened. Another bad miss from a kicker on  Week 1 (have they all gotten worse) could have sent this game to OT, but alas the football Gods had other plans. Burrow looked good, and Tyrod looked marginal in this low scoring affair. Bengals should be proud of how they played, even if this did end in betting push.

LA Rams 20 Cowboys 17

Wade was a big believer in a Rams upset in this game, and they really came out pumping all cylinders. Goff was on fire, and Robert Woods was an easy target in a game that really underscored the D problems that Dallas has going forward. If the Rams can bully them around like this, then the Cowboys are up for a tough season of potential blowouts. CeeDee Lamb had a respectable first outing, but Zeke looked a bit flat, especially after Aaron Donald picked him up to hit Dak.

Bucs 23 Saints 34

This was the game that everyone was waiting for, and both Wade & Ryan predicted a 33-30 victory for TB12 and the Bucs. In hindsight, not a good call. Tom Brady was picked off 2 times and he couldn’t muster any offence in a game that showed that he still makes some pretty blinding errors. Brees didn’t play great, but looked a lot better than his 40 something counter. New Orleans also made a lot of costly defensive pass interference plays that gouged them for 100 yards+ in penalties. Everyone learned a valuable lesson in this one. The Bucs and Saints both look to roll next week.

Make sure you listen to our podcast so you can hear Wade & Ryan make all of their weekly picks. We will also be starting to promote venues across the UK who would be up for showing NFL games this season.
We know that this new rule of 6 will make things more difficult, but it’s better than a 9pm curfew which would essentially cancel the viewings for an entire season.

DraftKings Week 1

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The NFL is back, and so is your chance to win some money playing in our DraftKings Fantasy NFL contests. We have loads of great offers with DraftKings, including our deposit $10 get $10 back offer.
Adding Fantasy Football to your NFL week just makes things more fun, especially if you want to trash talk your friends.

To celebrate the start of the season, I have made some tips and picks to help you get some value with your DFS this weekend. Make sure you join our NFL in London League on DraftKings, where you can win cash and prizes. Hopefully we will also have a live event or two this season depending on how this whole nasty virus affects us all.

Here are some of my top picks to look at for Week 1.

QB

There are a lot of key match-ups to kick off week 1, so you want to make sure that you are getting value with every pick you make. In terms of QBs you want to see which guys are playing the worst D’s, then you can find out which guy is going to get you some solid points.

Joe Burrow-$5800

Welcome to the NFL Joe, first up is the speedy Chargers D-line. You ready? Surprisingly I think that he will be. Joe has loads of (old) tools at his disposal which should give the Chargers backfield some problems. If Joe Mixon can mix it up, it will take pressure off of Burrow who should have some time to hit some of his WRs downfield. He’s pretty good value for what he should produce.

Phillip Rivers-$6000

This is also Phillip Rivers first game, just not his first ever. Bolstered by one of the top O-lines in the league, Rivers should have lots of time to connect with TY Hilton down the field, burning the Jags D relentlessly. I see this as a high scoring game, so Rivers should factor in at least 3 TDs.

RB

Running backs have declined in the past few years in terms of points scored and definitiveness, so it’s hard to try to find the true value backs instead of splashing out on the big boys who can be inconsistent.

Sony Michel-$4600

Cam Newton will be looking to use his legs against the Fins, so who knows who he will be dishing off to. At $4600 Michel is a steal, as Cam will probably use him in short yard situations which could mean a few TDs.

Miles Sanders-$6300

A bit pricier for a guy who is still dealing with a lower body issue. Sanders is one of my faves for an outrageous season of fantasy points, and I like him to gash the frontline of the Washington D. Look for him to gain some big ground and even bigger points

WR

DeSean Jackson-$4900

The Eagles speedster may have declined slightly over the years, but he still stands up as the go to guy for Wentz. He has the potential to snag the deep ball and run ragged over the Washington team, causing mayhem throughout the game. Good value at $4900.

TY Hilton-$5800

As mentioned earlier, TY Hilton is now matched with the arm of Phillip Rivers. Given that these guys will have been practising all summer, I see them being in a good rhythm for a solid victory over the hapless Jags. At $5800 he should be good for a score of two.

TE

Jack Doyle-$3600

With Burton injured for the Colts, Rivers has another fine target in Jack Doyle. He’s quick, strong and will give the Jags midfield plenty of headaches. A steal at $3600.

Hayden Hurst-$4300

With Austin Hooper banged up, Hurst will be looking to fill some pretty big boots. Hurst has the wheels and hands to satisfy Matt Ryan and should feature heavily as they cross the Seahawks midfield.

DEF

Vikings-$2500

But they’re facing Aaron Rodgers! Yes, but they also have an incredible secondary that looks to feast on tip balls and ill-timed passes. For $2500 they will be able to put pressure on AR, and probably pick off a ball or two as well.

Bears-$3300

Sticking with the NFC North, the Bears are facing the broken back of Matt Stafford. They will apply plenty of pressure on MS, and Mack will be looking to toss the often injured QB around all day.

If you want to join some of our contests, feel free to click the links and play along.

Free Contest 1
https://www.draftkings.co.uk/contest/draftteam/91321103

Free Contest 2
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And make sure you enter the $2 DraftKings Europe pool for a chance to win $500 in their contest

https://www.draftkings.co.uk/contest/draftteam/90978605

Good luck, and happy drafting in Week 1.

Week 1 Picks

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Praise to the NFL Gods! We’re back with the 2020 season, and Wade & Ryan couldn’t be happier.
This whole year has felt like a Cowboys vs Patriots Super Bowl, with screaming idiocy everywhere, but at least we can find comfort in the start of another year of football.
The guys might not be able to predict what the bloody hell is going to happen in the next 6 months, but at least they will steer you right in their NFL picks.

The first week of the NFL is always tricky to handicap, as there are so many unknown factors and new dynamics rolling off of training camp. 2020 is an even tougher year to predict, as the lack of preseason and physical preparation are all going to factor into some wild and crazy scores. Injuries will also be a major issue, as the lack of a preseason means some of these guys might be soft and brittle the first time someone plows into them.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull have done the research, looked at the tape, read a few fantasy magazines and are ready to prognosticate. Wade had a whopping 64% correct against the spread last season, while Ryan came in with 57% correct. Will Wade be able to repeat his wizardry this year? Let’s find out with some of their top picks.

TNF-Texans vs Chiefs (-9) +54.5

The reigning Super Bowl champs kick off the season at home against a foe they face early on in the playoffs last year. Despite trailing 24-0 to Deshaun and the Texans, Mahomes was able to rally his team to go all the way. So how much is changed the season?
Hopkins is gone, Cooks is in and the running game now rests in the hands of Duke Johnson.
The Chiefs have much of their magic back, although some of the blocking on the O line is weaker due to some trades and opt outs.
Both Wade & Ryan like the Chiefs to win here, although Ryan sees the Texans keeping this game closer, while Wade predicts a blowout in from of a smaller Chiefs crowd.
Wade-Chiefs 31 Texans 20
Ryan-Chiefs 31 Texans 28

Dolphins vs Patriots (-6.5) +43

This is the first time we see Bill Belichick without his Tommy Boy, so how will he react to his new NFL normal? He’ll be fine, as BB is known for his meticulous planning for any opponent. Cam will add a nice healthy dose of dip and dash to the offence, and old man Edelman will prove his worth in some quick cuts and short routes. Fitzmagic will need to find his magic wand, as many of his tools have either been traded or regressed in the offseason. Fitz will have some success, but the Patriots D is still one to be feared in the league. Ryan likes the Dolphins to cover, whereas Wade sees this as another beatdown.
Wade-Patriots 30 Dolphins 17
Ryan-Patriots 24 Dolphins 20

Seahawks (-2) vs Falcons +49

The Seahawks are out for a title this year, and many believe that this could be ‘their year’, but first they have to get through some tough competition. The Falcons have struggled with great talent and bad injuries in the past few years, and one wonders if Matt Ryan will ever make a trip back to the Super Bowl in his career. The dome might be lacking in fans, but there will be a lot of eyes on new acquisition Todd Gurley and whether he can stay healthy.
Ryan likes the Seahawks to rough up the Falcons, with Russell Wilson having an impressive day hitting Tyler Lockett.
Wade on the other hand is quick to point out the traditional slow start of the Seahawks, and Pete Carroll not covering the spread on Week 1 since 2014. He has Atlanta in an upset.
Wade-Falcons 30 Seahawks 28
Ryan-Seahawks 31 Falcons 21

For the rest of the predictions, have a listen to our podcast for all the games and scores.
How will the boys do this week?
Make sure you join us one weekend for an NFL event once all of this malarky is behind us.
Stay safe, stay sane, let’s go NFL!

Fantasy Draft Party

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Like many at the start of September, we held our annual Fantasy Draft to commemorate the start of the season. Fantasy Draft’s are great ways to bond with fellow NFL fans to challenge each other in your game and playability knowledge of this great game. It’s also a good chance to emotionally bitch slap last year’s losers, bow to the finite rantings of last year’s winner, and plan for the future.

Our NFL in London Fantasy Pool is going on over a decade of play, with a melange of international fans who we have met in our hosting of NFL events across the city.
There are two leagues, the ‘Eh League’ which is comprised of the best of the best, and the ‘B League’, the relegation league where hopefuls can exchange a league win with that of the Eh loser. To be the best you have to beat the best.

We held this years draft at the Princess Alexandra Pub in Crouch End. It’s our lovely local run by our mate Nick Ford and his wife and 2 Alaskan Malmutes. With the crush of Covid, we opted for a nearby place that we could safely distance, as well as support an independent establishment. They have great burgers, Sunday roasts and stay open until 1am on Sundays so you can catch the second game, and be back in Kings Cross in 20 minutes.
https://princessalexandran8.co.uk/

We used the FanDraft software again this year, and cannot recommend this product enough. It is an easy and fun way to host your draft, and you can immediately export the results to input into your fantasy app. You can also make it fun with walk-on music, custom images and funny comments that I as the commissioner can input. We teamed it up with Facebook’s Messenger to create a private group that we could run for over 3 hours. Since we had folks in Dubai, New Zealand, Romania and Scotland, this was really a fun little addition.
https://fandraft.com/

It was nice to have a sense of ‘normal’ again, and hope that all of you also had a great one as well. It’s a messed up old world we live in, & a fantasy group is like a fraternity of sanity. No matter what shit people have to say about what on social media, NFL fantasy chat is all about the BS.
Let’s see what you have to say about it Monday morning.
Good luck everyone.