2016 Highland GraveDiggers

2001 - 2016 

Highland GraveDiggers (8-5-1-0) started their 15th NFL.com Fantasy Football season in perfect fashion, but came up short and missed the playoffs, their 2nd straight year. The GraveDiggers are 2-time NFL.com Fantasy Football League Champions and 2-time division champions.

The team won their first two games, but the tide rolled in as the team would lose weeks 3, 4, and 5, which was rough, but with some roster changes, week 6 looked promising with a 93-90 victory. The team won another game in week 7 with a score of 64-50 and were 4-3-0 at the halfway mark of the season.

While the team was able to turn things around quickly, things changed in week 8. The team didn't win or lose a game, but received a dreaded 74-74 tie. Dreaded, meaning the tie would come back to haunt the 4-3-1 GraveDiggers as they headed to the playoffs in week 15, or so they thought.

A tie was better than a loss, but the GraveDiggers had to move on and they did with a week 9 victory, but a painful week 10 loss.

Week 12 rolled around and the GraveDiggers played the #1 team in the league, whom were 10-2-0. The team got a victory against them earlier in the season, but this time they came back with a 65-151 victory of their own. Four weeks later that #1 team would go on and win the league championship.

The GraveDiggers picked up a nice week 13 victory and won their final game of the season by beating the 4th place team in the league 65-63. We both had the same record (8-5-1) and 2nd place in our divisions. With 3 division leaders heading to the playoffs, the 4th team is basically the wild card team.

I had the season winning record against that team, which week 14 was our only meeting. They had more season points for than I did. 1,162.00 against my 1,097.00, so the other team made the playoffs by 65 points for.

The GraveDiggers headed to the consolation bracket and squeezed by their first game 66.00 to 65.00, but flopped in the 5th place game by 75.00 to 97.00

The team had a good season, but it would've been much better with a playoff run. Last season they finished 6-8-0 and missed the playoffs.
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At the start of the 2016 the GraveDiggers started Green Bay Packers quarterback (QB) Aaron Rodgers over Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford, which both put up big points for fantasy owners last season, and were no different this year.

The GraveDiggers started Stafford for weeks 6-9, and Rodgers still out performed Stafford, but in the long run it didn't hurt the team, but the GraveDiggers started Rodgers heading into week 10 and continued to start him for the rest of the season and into the consolation bracket, which was the right move, because from weeks 11-16, Stafford struggled point wise.

San Diego Chargers running back (RB) Danny Woodhead and Indianapolis Colts' Frank Gore were the starting RB's heading into week 1. Philadelphia Eagles RB Darren Sproles and Arizona Cardinals Chris Johnson were benched.

After week 2, Woodhead was injured and out for the season. It was a blow to the team, as Woodhead was the starting RB for the GraveDiggers. Sproles became a starter heading into week 3.

With Sproles being on a bye in week 4, (team released Chris Johnson due to lack of points) the GraveDiggers picked up Detroit Lions RB Dwayne Washington, but became a dud by scoring 0 points. He wouldn't score any points for fantasy owners until week 9. The GraveDiggers released him heading into week 5. They picked up Baltimore Ravens RB Terrance West, which was a plus, as he became the starter for the Ravens, as the team released Justin Forsett.

Gore and West strengthened the RB position. Sproles was in the starting position once again due to the Ravens (West) having a week 8 bye.

The two started for the rest of the season, but didn't have a great week 16 consolation bracket game. Gore scored 5 points and West scored 3 points. Sproles scored 10 points, but the team lost 75.00 - 97.00, so it wouldn't have made a difference.

The GraveDiggers made a bold move by starting two tight ends (TE) at the start of the season. The team started Carolina Panthers WR Ted Ginn over N.Y. Giants WR Victor Cruz, who put up some good numbers in week 2. From the get go, the team started TE Jordan Reed (Washington Redskins) and Panthers TE Greg Olsen. Reed started over Tennessee Titans TE Delanie Walker and Olsen started over injured TE (heading into the season) Tyler Eifert (Cincinnati Bengals). Benched was N.Y. Giants WR Dwayne Harris.

With a 2-3-0 record heading into week 6 and a 3-game winless streak, the players that were benched (Walker & Cruz) weren't doing any better point wise, infact, they were doing worse. The team released Eifert (due to being injured and not playing) and picked up Tampa Bay WR Adam Humphries off waivers.

The team got a 93.00-90.00 win in week 6. It didn't make a difference, but the team benched Ginn and started Sproles in the flex position (WR or RB could start) Sproles scored 3 points while Ginn scored 10, but it didn't make a difference with the win intact. The team was back at .500 at 3-3-0 and won again in week 7 to go 4-3-0 at the midway point of the season.

Due to two byes, Walker started while the team picked up St. Louis Rams WR Kenny Britt. That gave the team a boost with a week 7 victory, with him as a starter.

Due to another bye, Britt was benched and Olsen started, but scored 0 points. The team pulled out of week 8 with a 74-74 tie.

The GraveDiggers released Humphries (never started) and picked up Cincinnati Bengals WR Brandon LaFell, which was a step up. He was benched for week 8 and scored 0 points.

The trio of Olsen, Walker, and Ginn continued to give the GraveDiggers victories and the team was 5-3-1 heading into week 10.

The Tennessee Titans had a week 13 bye, thus Walker was benched and Britt started once again. The GraveDiggers snatched a 100-70 victory as Britt scored 10 points. Ginn put up 12, while Olsen put up 2. Olsen continued to struggle, but with him in the lineup, the team continued to add victories and he stayed as a starter.

The team was 7-5-1 heading into the final game of the season. Olsen was benched as Walker returned to the lineup from the bye week. Rodgers and Gore were the only two that put up big points and the GraveDiggers slid by with a 65-63 victory and grabbing the 4th place tie in the league.

Missing the playoffs was rough, but with Britt, Walker, and Ginn in the lineup, the team (yet again) hitched a 66.00-65.00 victory, but lost painfully the next week 75.00-97.00 and settled for 6th place out of 12 teams in the league.

The GraveDiggers were very strong at the kicking (K) position. The team drafted New England Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski and Green Bay Packers Matt Crosby. Gostkowski started the first 8 weeks of the season. The Patriots were on a bye week and Crosby started and continued to do so until week 11. Gostkowski returned to the starting position and finished off the season.

The Denver Broncos defense (D) started all 16 weeks (excluding bye week) with the Detroit Lions D taking over that week.

Player of The Year: QB Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
Biggest Disappointment: TE Jordan Reed (Washington Redskins)
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TEAM HISTORY (2001-2016)


Highland GraveDiggers (8-5-1)

Est. 2001
15th season

Overall Record:  114-108-2 (224 games)

Winning Percentage:  .513 (51%)

Playoff Record (including Consolation) 10-9-0

Playoff Winning Percentage:  .526 (53%)

2-time NFL.com Fantasy League Champions (2005, 2014)
2-time NFL.com Fantasy League Division Champions (2005, 2010)

Best Record: 9-5-0 (2005)

Worst Record: 4-10-0 (2008)

Division Champions- 2005, 2010

NFL.com League Champions- 2005, 2014

*2001*7-7-0 
(Lost 2nd round of playoffs, finished 6/10 in league)- Yahoo

*2002*
9-5-0 (Lost 2nd round of playoffs, finished 5/10 in league)- Yahoo

*2003*
8-6-0 (Lost 2nd round of playoffs, finished 4/10 in league)- Yahoo

*2004*
7-6-1 (Lost 2nd round of playoffs, finished 4/10 in league)- Yahoo

*2005*
9-5-0 (Western Division & NFL.com League Champions)- NFL.com
Note: 2005 NFL.com returned to being a free Fantasy League. I started playing on NFL.com

*2006*
9-5-0 (Missed playoffs, first time in team history)- NFL.com
Note: Best record in team history

*2007*
8-6-0 (Missed playoffs, 2nd straight year)- NFL.com

*2008*
4-10-0 (Missed playoffs, 3rd straight year)- NFL.com
Note: Worst record in team history

*2009*
6-8-0 (Missed playoffs, 4th straight year)- NFL.com

*2010*
8-6-0 (Division Champions, lost 3rd place game)- NFL.com

*2011*
5-9-0 (Missed playoffs, finished 8/12 in league)- NFL.com

*2012*
4-10-0 (Missed playoffs, 2nd straight year)- NFL.com

*2013*
8-6-0 (Lost 1st round of playoffs, finished 5/12 in league)- NFL.com

*2014*
8-6-0 (NFL.com League Champions, finished 4/10 in league)- NFL.com
Note: Most exciting playoff series in fantasy history, defeated two 12-2-0 teams, won both games by 6 points.

*2015*
6-8-0 (Missed playoffs, finished 6/10 consolation bracket)- NFL.com

*2016*
8-5-1 (Missed playoffs, 2nd straight year, finished 6/12 consolation bracket)- NFL.com
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