Unlike the show, I work alone in my studies. Not able to rock a goatee like Jamie Hyneman. And sadly, I don't set things on fire. I'll let you do that to Matthew Berry's projections. I decided to sit down and examine different variables and if/how they would effect a players fantasy ranking using the top ten fantasy players from 2001 to the present for my study. First off, we'll break down QBs.

- Average number: 9.5 (59% of games won) 9.4 since 2006, 9.6 since 2007

       ~ Further study looking into wins: Since 2001, 48 times has a top ten QB had 9+ wins. Only 32 times has one had 8 or less wins.

- 22.01 pass attempts/per sack - League average was 14.6 (numbers are from 2002 by the way)

- Average rush offense was 16th in the league. In fact, the worse the rush offense, the better that it for the QB. Since 2001, top ten QBs have had a rushing attack 16th or worse 46 times, compared to just 34 times for teams that had a rushing offense 15th or better.

Conclusions

More successful QBs tend to be better bets to be more successful in fantasy. And as the disparity in wins show (48 times has a QB had 9+ wins) success on the field usually translates to success in fantasy.

The top ten QBs get sacked a lot less than average. That doesn't mean you have to have a good offensive line, though that definitely helps, but that the QB has a quicker release or is more apt to throw it to their checkdown options.

More often than not, an average to below average rushing attack will benefit a QB.  

Next is the study I did on running backs.

Looking at points per game (PPG allowed by the defense) 

1st-15th: Occurred 46/80 times
16th-32nd: Occurred 34/80 times (Should also be noted that only eleven times since 2001 has a back with a PPG defense ranked in the 25th-32nd category finished in the top ten, the lowest from any QB or RB study I've done by far.)

Looking at yards per game (YPG allowed by the defense)

1st-15th: Occurred 39/80 times
16th-32nd: Occurred 41/80 times

The top ten running backs pass offense - again, these numbers date back from 2001 - averaged to be ranked 15th in the league. However, the difference between the potential of a running back being successful because of a good or bad pass offense doesn't seem to matter.

Running backs who had pass offenses of 16th or worse finished in the top ten 41 out of 80 times. Those who had 15th or better finished in the top ten 39 times. Not much of a difference.

We can conclude from this that it does not matter how good a teams pass offense is when trying to determine a players' fantasy ranking.

The bolded part above is what I think is the most important thing to take away from all these numbers. Whenever you hear someone claim that he'd take running back "X" over running back "Y" because back "Y" has a poor pass offense and teams will stack the box.  That may seem logically correct, but the stats certainly don't back it up.

Myth busted.

Seoul, South Korea - USA West became the first team from the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" (www.M-1Global.com) season to clinch a semifinal final playoff berth on Saturday night. The post-season berth was locked down after taking first place in Group B by defeating the defending 2008 M-1 Challenge Champions, Team Russia Imperial.

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