Payroll Compliance Overview Colorado Department of Transportation
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To look up current federal wage determinations by trade and county, see SAM.gov Wage Determinations. While you’re gaining experience with the reporting process bid for city projects and build yourself up to state and federal work. Some states and cities will have different names for their reporting agency. Once you win a job — before the work even starts — find out the name of the reporting office and request a list of their requirements. Taxes & Deductions — An employee’s tax withholdings and deductions taken out of the prevailing wage earnings. Keep in mind certified payroll has evolved alongside technological advances.

  • Contributions and payments made on behalf of the employee are also reflected on the A-1-131, unlike the WH-347.
  • Nine possible wage decisions, and the applicable decisions will be included in the contract.
  • Complying with the Davis-Bacon Act also protects you from penalties and fines.
  • With expertise that covers the full range of employment and labor law, Van Goodwin routinely defends employers in complex employment litigation in both state and federal courts, as well as in agency proceedings before the U.
  • You’ll be glad you did if you ever need to refer back to them.

The Prevailing Wage Rate Determinations list wage and fringe benefit rates based on collective bargaining agreements established for a particular craft or trade on the locality in which the public work is performed. In New Jersey, rates vary by county and statewide and by the type of work performed. Prevailing wage rates are wage rates based on the collective bargaining agreements established for a particular craft or trade in the locality in which the public work is performed.

Certified Payroll Report retention

certified payroll contracts require certified payroll reporting for you, however. A certified payroll report is an accounting of everything you paid your employees while working on a contract for a government client. Tracking Form is a tool prime contractor shall utilize a payroll to ensure that all subcontractors have submitted certified payroll reports.

But by having these specific details accessible, the process of filing certified payroll can run more efficiently. Hours — The hours an employee worked that week and a complete break down of the pay rates for those hours . No matter what, the prevailing wage has to be met in some capacity. Contractors usually don’t have a choice in the matter — it all depends on what the contract of the prevailing wage job permits. If a contractor has a choice, then the best option will depend on company circumstances like the size of the work force or the bandwidth of the budget. Whether your construction company is focused on adding more employees, working with new unions or taking on more jobs – HCM TradeSeal helps you focus on growth. Combined with Paychex’s reliable HR and payroll technology, HCM TradeSeal connects your systems together to produce a seamless payroll, costing and reporting cycle.

Who Needs to File Certified Payroll Reports?

They have the knowledge and experience to handle all types of payroll processes, including certified payroll. Certified payroll is mandatory for contractors and subcontractors who work on various types of federally funded construction contracts that are over $2,000.

The contractor is paying their workers the correct prevailing wage — as outlined by their contract. Agencies may require extra steps when it comes to reporting mandated information.

The Importance of Being Certified Payroll Compliant

Prevailing wage is the minimum amount an employer can pay their laborers while they work a government-funded job. The Davis-Bacon Act requires interviews to determine if the contractor is complying with the Federal Davis-Bacon prevailing wages.

Even during economic turmoil, there will still be federal money given to states and cities for different endeavors. Having a strong record of compliance can give construction companies a competitive edge during bidding. Continue to utilize Acumatica’s powerful capabilities, while shifting HR and payroll management to Paychex. Use Paychex Flex as your external HR and payroll system, while maintaining detailed job cost information in NetSuite. Use Paychex as an external HR and payroll system, while continuing to use JD Edwards’ powerful enterprise management features. Take advantage of Procore’s powerful project management capabilities, while managing HR and payroll with Paychex Flex. HCM TradeSeal and Paychex Flex users can enjoy seamless connectivity with construction’s most popular ERP systems.

Take It or Leave It: WR
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Larry Fitzgerald (ADP 29.7, WR10): I get it. I feel your pain. I found myself with my hand caught in the cookie jar last year when I tried to bid Larry Fitzgerald up in an auction (when I wanted nothing to do with him) and ended my playoffs with him on the bench. One of the hardest things to do in fantasy football is to try to look at something objectively when you’ve been burned but I’m going to be brave and say it: when his QB situation isn’t absolute trash, Larry Fitzgerald is a Top 5 WR. Literally. Excluding his rookie season, Larry Fitzgerald has not been in the Top 5 in WR points three times in his career: in 2006 (Matt Leinart), 2010 (Derek Anderson/John Skelton) and 2012 when he dealt with one of the worst QB situations I’ve ever seen (Skelton/Kolb/Hoyer/Lindley). This year he has Carson Palmer who, while turnover prone, airs it out like crazy as well and shouldn’t resemble last year’s disaster. Bruce Arians had Andrew Luck passing over 4,000 yards last year and there’s no reason to think Palmer can’t as well. Floyd and Roberts should be improved enough to draw some coverage away from Fitz and give him more legitimate opportunities. All this is to say: I’m not betting against Larry Fitzgerald to finish out of the Top 5 again. He’s still young (29) and his skill set hasn’t diminished, he’s Arizona’s go-to guy by far and he’s incredibly consistent when his QB situation is acceptable. The fact that you can get him in the 3rd and add nearly a full round of value vs. players without his incredible track record is icing on the cake. It’s OK Larry; I’m not holding 2012 against you.

Pierre Garcon (ADP 63.95, WR24): When we first saw Pierre Garcon in 2012, he had piled up 109 receiving yards and a TD… before halftime. Unfortunately, Garcon hurt his toe hauling in a long TD catch and it bothered him for most of the year along with a shoulder injury that required surgery. Out of casino online curiosity, I did my best to try to take last year’s numbers and project them to a full season, sampling only the games when both RGIII and Garcon were actually healthy (Garcon’s stinkers almost exclusively came when he wasn’t recovered from injury). The end result ended up being a staggering output to the tune of 80 receptions, 1300 yards casino pa natet and 10 TDs. Understandably, getting both Garcon and RGIII healthy and on the field together seems like the planets aligning these days but consider: Garcon is fully recovered from his shoulder surgery, says the foot issue he played through is a non-issue to play through now and RGIII is ahead of schedule rehabbing his knee and cleared for Week 1. Should RGIII air the ball out more as has been suggested, Garcon will be the primary beneficiary as RGIII has mentioned several times that Garcon will be his go-to guy and crutch. Of all NFL receivers, Garcon was targeted 3rd most per route run behind Brandon Marshall and Percy Harvin (kudos to ESPN Stats and Info) which speaks to both their chemistry and Garcon’s upside as a major target. If Garcon enters the season looking as good as he supposedly has in camp, he could be a major steal at his ADP and even a breakout star; don’t sleep on Garcon just because we didn’t see a lot of him last year.

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Marques Colston (ADP 46.33, WR17): I can understand the infatuation with Colston to some degree; he’s produced 1,000 yards and at least 7 TDs over the past 4 seasons. However, with where his ADP is this year, I’m staying away. While his nagging foot injuries are a concern; the main reason I want nothing to do with Colston where he’s going is his lack of upside. While Brees should be counted on to throw roughly the same number of passes, there’s just no room for more targets. Graham, Thomas, Sproles, Moore, new TE2 Watson and even newly re-acquired Meachem are all going to see their fair share of passes. Not only does that represent downside to his 83 catches last year, it’s going to mean he disappears in games. In 2012 alone, he had 9 games with 4 or fewer catches; those numbers may work for a speedster but it’ll give a possession guy like Colston problems. With no room for target growth and plenty of room for his targets to shrink, I see no reason why he’s going in the 4th round. Simply put, there are better options out there.

Take It or Leave It: RB
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Trent Richardson (ADP 8.84, RB9): Richardson is a hard guy to include because the injury risk could make this blow up in my face but I’m going to do it anyway, mainly because I could write about the Browns all day… and because he’s going to be a fantasy football stud. Norv Turner (more on him later) has come out and said he’s targeting at least 300 carries and 60 catches for Richardson this year. Assuming he’s healthy enough to average even a measly 4.0 YPC (last year’s 3.6 was a fluke brought on by playing hurt), that’s enough volume for over 1600 all purpose yards, extra points in a PPR, double digit TDs and if he can improve his YPC even more, the sky is the limit. If that doesn’t sell you enough, take a look at what Norv’s RBs have done with him as OC:

1991 – Emmitt Smith: 1563 rushing yards (led NFL), 258 receiving yards, 13 TDs
1992 – Emmitt Smith: 1713 rushing yards (led NFL), 335 receiving yards, 18 TDs
1993 – Emmitt Smith: 1486 rushing yards (led NFL), 414 receiving yards, 10 TDs
2001 – LaDainian Tomlinson: 1236 rushing yards, 367 receiving yards, 10 TDs
2002 – Ricky Williams: 1853 rushing yards (led NFL), 363 receiving yards, 17 TDs
2003 – Ricky Williams: 1372 rushing yards, 351 receiving yards, 10 TDs
2006 – Frank Gore: 1695 rushing yards, 485 receiving yards, 9 TDs
2013 – Trent Richardson: ???

You’re reading that right: with Norv as OC, his starting RB has never put up below 1,600 all-purpose yards and double digit touchdowns (except that slacker Gore who only got 9 TDs as he ran for 2,180 APY). His RBs are more likely to put up 1,800 APY and lead the NFL in rushing than they are online casino canada to miss those marks. Yes, we’re talking top notch talent putting those stats up but Richardson is no exception. He has the ability, pedigree and offensive line to ascend to elite status this year. The health is the big question mark because he’s been mostly kept out of the pre-season thus far but make no mistake… if he stays on the field, he’s a superstar in the making in this system.

Maurice Jones-Drew (ADP 28.49, RB17): I’ll get it out of the way – yes, the Jaguars are terrible and Jones-Drew is coming off a big injury. I don’t care, I’m drafting him anyway at this ADP. The Jaguars have been mediocre since 2007 and MJD has still found a way to put up the fantasy numbers. Supposedly his foot is healthy, he looks good in camp and he has all the extra motivation in the world to light it up this year. After his contract dispute before last season’s injury shortened campaign, MJD is entering a contract year and will have to prove himself once more. Don’t bet against him, especially given how strong willed he is and the kind of numbers he has put up in the past on mediocre teams. Consider what you’re getting around this ADP if you go elsewhere. He’s going in early NFFC drafts after Darren McFadden (is there a bigger injury risk in football?) and barely ahead of DeMarco Murray who himself looks like he’s anything but durable. MJD has easy RB1 upside and if he stays healthy the entire year (as it seems he will) could be a Top 10 back without breaking a sweat. To me, that’s a bargain in the 3rd round.

Lamar Miller (ADP 46.51, RB22): I’ve already written Miller up in a sleeper article so I won’t go on here but yes; I like him that much this year.

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DeMarco Murray (ADP 31.03, RB 18): I’m really not sure who is taking DeMarco Murray at an early 3rd round ADP but if they are, they’re probably doing it with visions in their heads of that 4 game stretch in 2011 where Murray ripped off 601 yards and 2 TDs in only 75 carries (8 YPC!) with 80 receiving yards on top of it all. I’m here to advise you scrub that time from your memory and focus on today. Since then, in 14 games, Murray has carried the ball 225 times for 886 yards (3.93 YPC), 4 TDs and piled on 330 receiving yards. Decent enough though unspectacular numbers for fantasy purposes until you realize that he’s missed 9 games in the past 2 seasons with injuries and has had a minor hamstring injury already this off-season. Yes, the Cowboys look like they may run more in 2013 but Murray’s style of play simply gets him hurt. It’s impossible to take on Murray without expecting him to miss games. When you factor that in with his exorbitant price tag and the fact that he hasn’t been an elite player lately even when on the field, I’m looking elsewhere at the RB position.

Who to Draft: Tony Romo or Dez Bryant?
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My first draft of the season and I didn’t know who to take, Tony Romo or Dez Bryant. You’re probably baffled at how this is possible, but let me explain the history and the scoring system and you’ll understand the predicament.

This is the 20th year of this league, I joined 7 years ago. Like fantasy football, joining the league was a little luck and a lot of skill.

They already had 12 players so I was left out. One of my friends had a team, but he admitted he knew nothing about fantasy football. He just liked to gamble so that’s why had played for several years.

I hated missing out on a league, so I asked if we could be co-managers. He said that didn’t make sense since again, he knew nothing of fantasy football. (I told we would draft LT first overall and he said “Who”s LT?”) That said, he decided to let me manage the team. He even paid the entire entry fee and agreed if I won, we would split the winnings. He only had two mandatory agreements.

“You have to draft Sebastian Janikowski and you can’t change the team name.”

“What? Why?”

“Sebastian helped me make the playoffs once and his name is crazy like our team’s name: the Kookamunga Crackakillas.”

Sounds like a fine deal to me.

The fantasy gods rewarded my friend”s good nature. I drafted Sebass with my last pick and the Kookamunga Crackakillas went 11-5 to win the championship. We even paid the karma forward by taking some of the winnings and throwing a keg party for the league. After that, my friend rode off into the sunset as a champion and relinquished control to me.

So that’s the history. Here’s how the league scoring system works that led to my predicament. Touchdowns yard bonus.

6 points for a TD, 3 points if it’s over 10 yards, 3 more points if it’s over 40 yards. You also get milestone bonuses too. 3 over 100 yards rushing/receiving, 3 over 300 yards passing, and then 3 more points for every casino online 50 yards on top. Anything else is worth 0 points.

This scoring system injects QBs with steroids and then lets them do three lines of coke. Drew Brees scored 381 points last year. AP only scored 151. Dez Bryant led WRs with 110 points.

So it’s no shock that 7 QBs went in the first round in this draft.

That’s not a typo, 7 QBs in the first round. QBs in this league are like RBs in standard scoring leagues.

My strategy has always been the same, unless I get a top tier QB, I focus on the best RBs and WRs and take a QB late. This has worked for 7 years running. I have made the playoffs 6/7 years drafting Jon Kitna, Kurt Warner, RG3, Matt Schaub, and Alex Smith late because my RBs and WRs were always the top performers.

But then this year happened. Back to my predicament.

Sitting at The scope of the material is as vast as the author’s industry experience, accommodating the beginner trying to establish free-credits-report.com for the first time and more experienced consumers seeking greater knowledge of all aspects of free-credits-report.com . pick 11, Rodgers, Brees, AP, Foster, Martin, Peyton, Stafford, Ryan, Brady and Lynch all went in front of me. I looked at my Tier List. Romo was the last of the top tier QBs on my board for this league. (1- Brees, Rodgers 2- Brady, Manning, Stafford, Romo, Ryan) The top tier RBs were all gone. Calvin Johnson sits alone among my top tier WR list. (I have him getting 1500 plus yards and 15 TDs this year)

I drafted Megatron, figured I would lose Romo to the next pick but get Bryant or Green next and draft Dalton or Vick much later on. However, the team sitting at 12 drafted Newton and Trent Richardson.

So I had a dilemma. Do I take Romo here (last year, he put up the 5th most points for a QB in this league with Miles Austin injured half the season) or do I stick with my plan and take the top WR or RB?

My WR Tier list had plenty of talent (2-Green, Bryant, Dez, Marshall, Fitz, Julio) and so did my RB Tier list (2-Ridley, Spiller, McCoy, Rice, Morris, Jackson).

At the end of the day, the Tier List is always right. Taking the last player on a tier list is the best value you can ask for. So I took Romo, even though I didn’t want to.

Why did I ever doubt the tier list strategy? Turns out, the tier list was right. Fitzgerald came back to me in the 3rd round (the last of my tier 2 WRs). I also grabbed Roddy White on the swing (all RBs on tier list 2 were gone) and then took Vincent Jackson and Eddie Lacy to round out my starting lineup. (we play 1 RB, 1 WR, and 3 flex) I grabbed Miles Austin and Andre Brown as backups and finished up with Mark Ingram, Lance Moore, Denarius Moore, and Fred Jackson. I also drafted the Bears defense.

And you guessed it, Sebass himself is my kicker.

I’m betting the combo of Romo and Fitzgerald will put up more points in this league than Dalton/Bryant. I know the Cowboys” offense is going to throw a ton this year (3rd most attempts last year, 3rd in yards, and DeMarco Murray is not helping his cause) With Bryant getting better and Miles staying healthy, Romo could see 33-35 TD passes this year. I am more inclined to think this is a possibility over Dalton making huge strides. I went against my normal strategy in this league, but in the end, don”t doubt the tier list.

Take It or Leave It: QB
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A departure from my normal rambling style, this series will be a few quick hits about guys that I like/dislike this year. I’m really tempted to write more but I think this is pretty self-explanatory; without further ado…

Take

Cam Newton (ADP 49.49, QB5): Cam Newton stunk to start the year last year, so much so that some people missed his monster second half. Projecting his last 8 games out to a full year and Cam would be at: 3934 passing yards, 26 TD, 8 INT | 788 rushing yards, 8 TD. Even in a QB friendly scoring system like NFBC, that guy right there is your 2012 #1 fantasy QB folks. And before you accuse me of projecting too much, take a look at Cam’s 2011 stats and realize that aside from the reduced turnovers, that projection is right in line with what he did TWO years ago (and he’s only getting better). Even if Newton runs the option less as is being suggested, his passing numbers should get better with the extra volume and help make up the difference. Think the risk inherent with Cam is worth giving up over 2 rounds of value at the top of the draft? I don’t.

Matthew Stafford (ADP 66.90, QB7): Another 2012 disappointment, Stafford let owners down in a big way by throwing 21 less TDs in 2012 than he did in 2011. What’s there to like about Stafford, then, in 2013? The Lions throw the ball and they throw it a lot. They led the This by zydot shampoo is present in the urine for up to 80 hours. league in passing attempts in 2011 and in 2012 set the single season attempt record with 740. That isn’t a typo, that’s absurdity. While I wouldn’t expect a repeat, even 650 passes would’ve put him 2nd in the NFL last year casino online behind Drew Brees. Stafford 2011 and Stafford 2012 are darn near equal in yardage (near 5,000) and INTs (16/17); the TDs just weren’t there last year. Yes, his mechanics got sloppy casino online and lazy at times last year (weren’t they in 2011 as well?) and he hasn’t had a great camp but my bet is that the guy who put up 41 TDs the year before and is slinging it over 40 times a game won’t put up a second season with 20 TDs. Even if you don’t want to bet on Stafford, do you really want to bet that Calvin Johnson is good for only 5 TDs this year? The addition of Reggie Bush electrifies the offense and Larry Warford will hopefully be a capable replacement for Stephen Peterman who allowed more pressure than any other starting guard last year. There’s a ton of fantasy points to go around in Detroit and Stafford is going to be the one with the ball in his hands.

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Aaron Rodgers (ADP 18.67, QB1): Don’t get me wrong, I love Rodgers, but between the issues with his supporting cast and the fact that depth at QB is as thick as mama’s meatloaf this year, I’m likely passing unless he falls well below his ADP. When your opponent is taking elite players at other positions in the 2nd (around that ADP, guys like Graham, Morris, Bay Bay Thomas, etc.) and filling in QB with elite upside guys like Kaepernick/Wilson/RGIII/Luck in the 5th/6th, you’re not going to have an easy time making up that ground with the WR/RBs left at that point. Losing Bryan Bulaga (with a rookie replacement) on a line that gave up 51 sacks last year is a brutal blow and including Jennings’ FA exit and Jordy Nelson’s bulky knee, there are a lot of questions about GB’s offense. Can Rodgers succeed despite the adversity? Sure, he’s done it before, but it might mean very good numbers instead of outstanding. That’s not what I want from my QB if I’m taking him in the mid-2nd in a draft teeming with QB talent and upside. Rodgers will almost assuredly be a great player to own in 2013… but taking him in the 2nd isn’t going to lead to many great teams. Let someone else pay a premium at QB this year.

Just ADPin' in the Draft Pool
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Any good high-stakes drafter (like you, of course) knows that preseason draft ADP (average draft position) lists are an invaluable tool while preparing for your own drafts. We at RotoSaurus use the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) as our primary source of ADP information, mainly because their contests are both for large monetary prizes and uninfluenced by their own pre-ranking system. We have found (and it”s the same with baseball) that when fantasy owners create their own rankings and tiers, the results of those drafts are much more true to where players SHOULD actually be taken. Now, every NFFC draft is different, but their averages are much more useful in the long run than, say, Mock Draft Central, which is a site that has a preranked list of draftable players. Not that MDC isn”t another useful source of ADP info; we still use their results as well. However, you always have to take their lists grano salis.

Using lists from these two sites, I would like to take a look at a few players whom I feel should be drafted a little differently than their ADP is indicating right now (whether that is up or down). As always on this site, we will look at things through our PPR lenses. Come with me on this monumental journey, won”t you?

Undervalued: TEs Jimmy Graham, Saints (NFFC: 18, MDC: 22), and Jason Witten, Cowboys (NFFC: 53, MDC: 57)

I am confused by how low Graham is going in PPR leagues, but Witten is downright baffling. I”ve never been a huge proponent of drafting tight ends early, but these two guys are reliable, heavily-targeted options for their QBs. Graham and Witten were targeted 135 and 150 times in 2012, respectively, and there is no reason at all to believe that these numbers will drop much, if any. The only other TE that was targeted more than 105 times was old man Tony Gonzalez! Do I need to continue? OK, I will! Graham played almost all of last year with major wrist pain that caused a number of drops; surgery has since corrected that and he is 100% healthy now. His 85/982/9 line from last year is the floor, people. The guy went for 99/1310/11 in the 2011 season. Witten hasn”t had less than 940 receiving yards in the last six seasons, and he”s missed one game in his ten-year career. These guys are essentially #1/2 wideouts that you can play at TE; there are a number of great WR this year. Draft one of these guys early.

Overvalued: RB Darren McFadden, Raiders (NFFC: 29, MDC: 35)

Run DMC”s draft stock has fallen a little bit since LT Jared Veldheer”s triceps injury, but not nearly enough for my liking. Veldheer will miss at least half of the season, leaving revolving door Alex Barron as his replacement on the left edge. You can couple the bad offensive line situation with the fact that McFadden still has not played more than 13 games in any of his five seasons, all of which gives you a back to stay away from on draft day. The Raiders” coaches have overtly stated that they have to change their offensive gameplan with Barron at LT, and Matt Flynn”s arm isn”t scaring any NFL defenses. There are better options like David Wilson, Stevan Ridley, and Frank Gore that should be available after McFadden gets taken; target one of them instead.

Undervalued: RB DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (NFFC: 107, MDC: 125)

I know how this looks, but hear me out. I will admit that DeAngelo hasn”t looked all that great this preseason, but I have my reasons for this one. First off, Jonathan Stewart (feet, ankles) is nowhere near playing Week 1, as he hasn”t even left the stationary bike this preseason. The coaches are coming to grips with the fact that he is probably going to have to start the season on the PUP list. With Stewart out until midseason, Williams is the unquestioned workhorse back for the Panthers. Cam Newton will obviously run the ball as well, but you can expect DeAngelo to get 15-18 carries and a couple catches a game, with plenty of opportunities in the red-zone. In addition, former aerial-assaultist OC Rob 2 justin-bieber-news.info Bieber”s new single The thing is that in fact, the best-data-recovery.com when deleting remain on the media, just their Windows does not display and no longer take care about their safety. “Boyfriend” debuts at no. Chudzinski is now coaching the Browns, and new OC Mike Shula is going to run a much more simplified offensive scheme; read: more running plays and quick hits. DeAngelo is currently the 38th running back off the board in NFFC drafts, but he”s starting to casino online climb. I”d say he”s worth a ninth or tenth-round pick.

Overvalued: WR Danny Amendola, Patriots (NFFC: 44, MDC: 45)

Amendola has shown that he can be a high-reception guy, and the fact that he is now paired up with Tom Brady has fantasy drafters salivating. That said, I feel like all these people are ignoring the glaring number of negatives and concerns that come with this guy. To start off, he”s 5″11″ and has never remotely been considered a red-zone target (he has never compiled more than 3 TDs in a season). His last two seasons, he has played a total of 12 games due to injuries, and he is currently nursing another Belichickian “undisclosed” injury that the Hoodie has called “no cause for concern.” Everyone knows about the head coach”s tendencies for playing injury games, but you still have to wonder about a guy on whom you”re spending a fourth-round pick. Amendola”s highest season of receiving yards is 689 in 2010, the year he had 85 receptions, which is good for an 8.1 YPC average. 8.1!! He has two career 100-yard games in four seasons in the NFL. Everyone, cool your jets…can you really justify inserting an injury-prone slot receiver who has a ton to prove as your #2 WR just because he”s now on Tom Brady”s team? Danny Amendola is not Wes Welker. Draft players like Dwayne Bowe and Marques Colston instead.

Undervalued: WR Josh Gordon, Browns (NFFC: 88, MDC: 94)

I still cannot for the life of me believe where Gordon is going in fantasy drafts. Nevermind the fact that all three of us at RotoSaurus Football are Browns fans (pity us); that”s irrelevant. This dude is scary talented, and his two-game suspension has owners undervaluing him quite a bit. He runs great routes, makes difficult catches look routine, and is now in a new, improved offensive scheme. The new Browns O under coach Chud is definitely tuned toward maximizing the output of his skill position players, of which Gordon is the #1 WR. Gordon is 6″4″ and his long strides make him a great deep threat; he averaged 16.1 YPC on 50 receptions last year in the God-awful WC offense of Pat Shurmur. Brandon Weeden has the arm to get the ball to Gordon deep; plan on being the savvy owner who takes advantage of Gordon”s 8th/9th-round ADP (39th WR off the board in the NFFC!). You”ll be blessed with 14 games of a #1/2 caliber fantasy wideout.

Undervalued: K Josh Brown, Giants (NFFC: 222, MDC: NR)
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Just kidding. Gotcha, lol

Remember This Motto – “CYA on Draft Day”
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Assumptions are a part of life. Take this whole “I’m glad to be writing articles for RotoSaurus this year.”

That statement alone involves two big assumptions.

1. I will enjoy writing for RotoSaurus each week. Our relationship will not end up like the gentleman from Jurassic Park who tries to hide in the bathroom.
2. You, the reader, will find just enough positives in my articles to come back each week to read some more and maybe, just maybe, re-tweet an article or post one on your Facebook wall.

Those statements are assumptions because I can’t predict the future. This opportunity between RotoSaurus, you, and myself could be the best ménage a trois in history. It’s also possible this could end up like Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren, and his SUV.

Now, of course I researched RotoSaurus and invested time to make the best decision, but in the end, those are still two big assumptions. In order to not make an ass of RotoSaurus and me, I have a backup plan. I didn”t quit my day job.

The same assumptions take place in fantasy football. When you draft a player, you do so based on certain hopes and aspirations. Sure you try to avoid assumptions as much as possible with thorough research (I hope). But staying healthy and repeat or improved performance is always iffy. So if you don’t want to end up in the bottom half of your league, on draft day, remember to cover your ass.

Let’s look at an example from (I’ll give Bob the best credit card for faithfully presenting David’s arguments as a unified whole). one of my drafts last year. I drafted LeSean McCoy with the 8th overall pick. Now I wasn”t thinking he would replicate his 2010 numbers, but I assumed if he got about 20-25 touches a game and didn”t get injured, he would put up 1500 total yards and 10 TDs. You know what happened. I made a huge ass of myself.

The biggest assumptions involve players taken in the first round. So be smart about it. Later on in the draft go for high risk, high reward players at the same position as your number one pick. In the 4th and 5th rounds, I took Adrian Peterson and Trent Richardson. Ass covered.

Another assumption I had last year was thinking Carson Palmer would be a great sleeper pick at QB. Again, I assumed casino spiele the second half of his 2010 season was legit, Denarious Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey’s speed would let him throw long (Palmer averaged 0.63 YPA higher with D&D than with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh in Cincy’s prime!) and Palmer would throw a lot because their defense was horrible. Well, the Raiders defense was horrible, and so was Palmer. Me=ass again.

But I remember to CYA. I took a high risk, high reward player as a backup QB in case Palmer flamed out. The round after I drafted Palmer I took RGIII. Ass=covered.

That draft was for the same team and I made the playoffs.
Looking ahead to this year, your first round pick and your starting QB (which may or may not be the same pick depending on your scoring system) carry the biggest assumptions of all. Even with all the research in the world, in fantasy football, crap does not discriminate. It can fall on anyone at any time. So make sure your back up plan is in place.

If you take Jamaal Charles in the first round this year thinking Andy Reid will turn him loose, don’t be afraid to follow him up with Chris Johnson or David Wilson a couple rounds later. If you draft any of the Big 4 “2nd Year QBs” (Kap, Wilson, RGIII, or Luck) take a chance on Vick, Dalton, or Bradford in case of injury or a sophomore slump.

In one league, one manager’s team was in the bottom third and the manager was making excuses why his team was so bad instead of near the top. This is an actual quote from that person. “It is a 100% legitimate reason when 4 of your top 5 draft picks are injured or severely under performing.”

Don’t be that guy. That’s only a legitimate reason if you’re a bad drafter. Injuries happen every year. Under performing happens every year. This year, don”t make excuses. Just cover your ass.

2013 Top 25 Players Overall
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RotoSaurus has released its first set of rankings for the 2013 season, the 2013 Top 25 Overall list. You can either click on the link or use the permanent link in casino online the main menu bar at the top of any page. Dusty, Brad, and Spectre have all completed their own separate rankings (which you can also view on that page), and then those lists have been averaged to give you the official RotoSaurus Top 25. Check back everyday as we continue to roll out more lists!

2013 Fantasy Football Sleeper: Lamar Miller
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I truthfully have no idea how to begin this so I’m going to wing it and hope my ravings are somewhat coherent. This is the first in a series of sleeper articles, predicated on the belief that a trained monkey can draft the first 2 rounds of a fantasy football draft. The mid-late rounds are where your league is won and lost; my goal is to shine some light on guys I think will help you conquer those rounds and stand atop the smoldering heap when it’s all over. The first is my favorite sleeper for 2013: Lamar Miller.

I’ll hopefully be writing a series of articles detailing how I analyze and draft each position but running back is one in particular where the breakout players are actually pretty identifiable if you know where to look; Miller possesses a lot of those good characteristics and I’ll outline them below. Coming into the league, Miller was graded as a 1st/early 2nd round talent with a few knocks. Most notably: a shoulder injury, some character questions and a concern that his pass blocking (or lack thereof) would keep him off the field… but there was no denying his speed and playmaking ability. While he got nothing more than a handful of carries last year behind Reggie Bush (averaging 4.9 YPC), the Dolphins think so highly of him in 2013 that they let Bush leave in free agency and are giving Miller a crack at the gig. Here’s some reasons why you should care:

Lamar Miller is a major home run threat

If touches are going to be limited, there’s nothing I want more than a home run threat. Feed the ball enough times to guys like Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles, C.J. Spiller, Adrian Peterson etc. and they will eventually make a big play and take one to the house. Even if they’re only getting 10-ish touches a game, they can still produce enough juice in that small sample to justify a fantasy start. I’d take a guy like that over someone getting 18 carries and averaging 3-point-nothing (like most of the RBs Philbin had while in Green Bay). While Miller might not possess the lateral agility of the guys listed above (although he’s working hard on it this off-season with Frank Gore), he’s every bit as much of a big play threat. Now, consider that if you just give Miller the touches he and Bush accumulated last year, he’s already getting the ball 20 times a game; that means ample opportunities to hit fantasy pay dirt for a guy with the skills to take advantage. See where this is going?

Daniel Thomas poses no threat to overtake Miller as starter

Sure, Thomas will vulture some goal line carries but every time he’s been given a workload, he’s struggled immensely (3.5 career YPC) and has justified his place on the bench. There’s nothing worse casino online than drafting a stud talent only to watch him buried behind a mediocre veteran for most of the year (see Spiller, C.J.) That’s a risk with any player who profiles as a first-time “feature” like Miller but don’t worry here. Miller doesn’t have a huge frame but he’s bigger, runs behinds his pads fairly well, has more power than the average speed back and looks poised to handle the workload. Even assuming Thomas keeps last year’s workload (100 touches), that still leaves over 300 touches there for the taking which is a very, very good thing.

The Dolphins are bending over backwards to praise Miller’s improvement in pass protection

Both Tannehill and Philbin have gone out of their way to praise Miller in this area which is absolutely huge for his development into a feature back. Almost 90% of Miller’s carries last year were on 1st/2nd down so clearly it was an area of concern that restricted his opportunities. If he’s showing an ability to stay on the field for all 3 downs, it solidifies the volume he requires to be a fantasy star. Obviously that’s a big if but I’m taking the Dolphins at their word for now. While he might not be an amazing receiver yet, he’s competent enough to produce in that category; at a level below Bush (who has been a glorified receiver out of the backfield for most of his career), but still relevant for fantasy purposes. If he ends up being a better receiver than advertised, his upside explodes.

The Dolphins offense is improving

Yes, losing Jake Long hurts on paper but in reality, Long was a shell of his former self last year. Jonathan Martin (cue the groans from Dolphins fans) scares the crap out of me at left tackle but I’d be more concerned that he’ll get Ryan Tannehill killed than Miller. Their shaky LT situation aside, Tannehill looks poised to take another step forward in his development and has new weapons in Wallace and Keller to grow with. The threat of Tannehill’s arm and Wallace’s speed should help open up the vertical parts of the Dolphins offense in a big way which will greatly benefit Miller by giving him space. Coupled with an improving defense that should keep the offense on the field more, Miami looks to improve in 2013 which opens up more opportunities for everyone.

Miller’s ADP: (Mock Draft Central – 39.00, RB18) (NFFC – 46.51, RB22)

Clearly the NFFC (1 PPR) is assuming that Miller isn’t going to be much Temple drivers ed of Motoring Clontarf reserves the right to terminate your access to any or all of the Communication Services at any time without notice for any reason whatsoever. of a pass catching back and it’s a fair assumption to be made given his history. Even assuming his ratio of rushes to receptions last year holds somewhat true (51 rushes, 6 receptions), with a bit of improvement this off-season and the increased workload he should still end up in the 20s which won’t cripple him. Why then is he going a full round behind guys like Ridley (who doesn’t catch any passes and may lose touches due to an increased workload for Shane Vereen) or David Wilson (who had even less receptions than Miller last year, has fumble issues and should get major carries siphoned by Andre Brown) just to name a couple? Don’t get me wrong, I think both could be valuable fantasy players this year but do I see an extra round of value there? Nope. It doesn’t make sense to me.

If Miller gets 300 touches (which seems like a legitimate possibility) and averages 5 yards per touch (which is easily doable by a guy with the breakaway speed for big plays), you’re looking at a 1,500 yard back with double digit touchdown potential. Sure, Miller is a risk given that he’s never handled a full workload before and his pass pro isn’t a proven commodity yet but I see fantasy star written all over him; he’s a perfect case of ability and opportunity colliding. When you’re drafting him in the 3rd/early 4th you’re paying for him as a decent RB2 but barring injury, I believe he ends the year near (and maybe in) the Top 10 at RB and is a star in the making. My love of Lamar Miller in fantasy this year might border on irrational but I’m all aboard his bandwagon. You should be too.

Update 8/20: The Dolphins are saying that the competition is neck and neck between Miller and Thomas for the starting job. Again, let me reiterate – Daniel Thomas is not good. He”s a big guy who runs as soft as Charmin and has both fumble and durability concerns. Jeff Ireland keeps talking Thomas up because he gave up 3 picks to move up to get him in the 2nd round a couple years ago and right now he looks like a colossal bust. I”m assuming that this talk is a combination of that and wanting to light a fire under Lamar Miller after a few pre-season mistakes because Miller is clearly more talented. Even if it does end up a timeshare at first, Thomas will likely play himself out of a role (again) or Miller”s talent will win out. Either way, as dumb as the Dolphins may be, don”t be too concerned yet. More than likely, this will just lower Miller”s ADP and make him an even more attractive bargain.