AFFL Team Pre-Draft Preview '15: HBK Shant Michaels

HBK owner Shant Apelian

For the next twelve days, the AFFL will give you a break down of each manager and preview their 2015 Fantasy season. We will take a look at what the team has done up to this point, their current keeper situation, and take an early look at how the difficulty of their schedule. Teams will be previewed in reverse draft order, starting with 12 and ending at 1. You can further see more about each manager and team by clicking on the teams tab and visiting each team page.

9. HBK Shant Michaels

History:

• One of the leagues founding members
• 2006 Champion with Bomba
• 4th place finish 3x
• Failed to make playoffs '09-'12
• 6 of 9 seasons finished with six wins or less.
• Isn't afraid to draft Rookies.
• Solid Keepers over the past two seasons.

When we ask the question, who is the league's "flashiest" manager, there is only one answer: HBK. Since '08 HBK has had a flair for the dramatic and a brand that is all about respecting the styles of his idol, Shawn Michaels. In true HBK fashion, Michaels' teams have been about players who have flash, and that "sex appeal." It's this kind of approach that has left HBK without much sustained success over the past years. Since venturing on his own in the '07 season, team "sexy boy" has only had three winning seasons, winning only four games in two seasons, and failing to win six games in two-thirds of the time. That's not good. Because of this, It's easy to forget that manager Shant was a co-champion in with Bomba in '06. The good news is that despite failing to make the playoffs in four years straight, HBK has seen the post-season in the last two, reaching the semi-finals in 2013. This is something to build on.

HBK teams are a blend of a conservative and radical approach. Seemingly stubborn to move on many trades early in the season, the team often becomes a player in the trade market late. With the flair for the dramatic, HBK has been known to make his presence known during draft day, and typically takes risks on players others wouldn't, namely rookies. Eddie Lacy was one such risk that has turned into a two year keeper, as was Alshon Jeffery.  Despite the drafting abilities, the team is fairly strong in-season, and will make roster moves that help sustain a competitive edge. What has been lacking in HBK's department is foresight. Often times, when faced with tough decisions or risky choices, the team is afraid of making the wrong move, and so makes no move at all. A perfect example of this was his decision to stay with Stafford in the 2013 semi-finals despite reports of a snow game. Conversely, Bomba benched Kurt Warner in 2008 for Shaun Hill when the weather in New England called for snow. The decision won Bomba the title. Not benching Stafford cost HBK a chance at a title.

Expect things to get better for team sexy boy. He hasn't peeked as a franchise yet, and needs to continue making the playoffs to help the league forget the dark years of playoff-less football. If he can manage to make the right choices and take enough risk, his entire brand will benefit from it.

2015 Preview

Potential Keepers = Good

• Eddie Lacy #9
• Alshon Jeffery #28

Schedule = Good

• x2 = Vosgee Gyank and BDiddy

Draft

Eddie Lacy and Alshon Jeffery are almost locks to be kept by HBK when the draft roles around. Both players are elite and offer good enough value for where they are being kept. Selecting at the ninth spot will mean that HBK is going to be the first pick of the back third of the draft, where Cobra, Prime and Jaj await. Watching them battle for picks will be very interesting. With HBK's history of poaching rookies, we would expect that a few of those players won't make the latter half of the draft more times than not. With an RB and WR locked up in rounds one and three respectively, HBK has the option of going with any position in round two. Typically, based on his history, an RB would be where the Michaels will lean, and Gordon, Gurly, Spiller or Morris could be had. If he elects to go WR, Kelvin Benjamin or Andre Johnson. We don't anticipate a quarterback to go early to HBK, but you never know.

Schedule

Based on last years finishes, HBK gets to play Vosgee and BDiddy twice. Both teams were lottery teams, and while don't expect them to both be horrible, based on last years records, this is an advantage for HBK. Neither of the match-ups with the teams will benefit HBK, as they mostly occur outside the bye weeks. Week 10 is when Vosgee comes to town, but all keepers will be active. Unfortunately, HBK didn't luck out with the keepers' bye weeks, as both the Bears and Packers are on bye the same week, week 7. That week, Bomba, the team HBK plays will be at an advantage. Otherwise, the four games against the two division opponents in the Dolma division should be winnable depending on how well HBK drafts.