Sports Troopers

Week 1 Pickups

2006-09-14T11:55:00.000-04:00

Did the team you drafted play like a bunch of sissy girls in Week 1? Here are some possible free agents you might want to target after decent Week 1 showings:

Reche Caldwell WR NE - I know Doug Gabriel was the hot pick-up last week , but it may take him several weeks to adapt to the Pats offense and who knows if he'll develop a connection with QB Tom Brady. With Deion Branch exiting stage left to head over to Seattle, Reche Caldwell's value is on the up and up. He caught a couple passes last week for 33 yards, but should see his numbers increase this week against the Jets.

Drew Carter WR CAR - Jake Delhomme found his go to guy towards the end of the 2005 season when Steve Smith was covered, and it seems that has carried over to '06. Smith might be out another week and the Panthers only true speedster at wideout is this guy. He caught 5 balls for 62 yds in Week 1 against a stingy Atlanta defense, so look for him to better those numbers against the Vikings this week. Even if Smith does return, the former Buckeye is worth a flyer due to his size (6'3" 200lbs), his speed, and big play ability.

Jerricho Cotchery WR NYJ - The Justin McCareins experiment is officially over after he failed to do anything after his breakout season in Tennessee two seasons ago. We know that someone other than Laverneous Coles has to catch some passes in New York, and Mr Cotchery was that guy in Week 1. He had 8 balls thrown his way, caught 6, and hauled one in for a TD. This guy might be the best of the bunch on this list. Go get him.

Reggie Williams WR JAX - Now here was an unexpected surprise. With all the hype surrounding the young WR corps in Jacksonville led by Matt Jones and Ernest Wilford, third year WR Reggie Williams seemed to garner most of QB Byron Leftwich's attention on Sunday. Although I can't argue with his stats, 6 catches for 47yds and a TD, I'm not sure if Reggie is quite the man yet. The former UCLA standout has been a huge disappointment over his first two seasons and until he does this on a consistent basis, proceed with caution.

Vernand Morency RB GB / Samkon Gado RB HOU- Just recently traded for one another, each might see his role expanded, and each has an outside shot at eventually taking on full time RB duties for their new teams. Morency is backing up Ahman Green who's playing on the reconstructed quad muscle, and Gado should get goalline carries at the least for the Texans. Additionally, Wali Lundi is the only guy preventing him from being the full time back. Gado has more short term upside while Morency is a must have for Green owners.

Marques Colston WR/TE NO - Colston is a nice pick up due to the fact that he qualifies as both a WR and a TE in most fantasy formats. He caught 4 balls and a TD week 1 and with Drew Brees getting warmed up and the Packers on the schedule next, Marques could be a great fit if you need TE help.

Najeh Davenport RB PIT - Mr. "I take dumps in people's closets" might have found himself a new role being the short yardage and goaline back to replace Jerome Bettis in Pittsburgh. Although Willi Parker looked good in week 1 vs the Dolphins, most experts don't think he'll keep it up all year if he has to carry the load alone. Dumpenport looks like a good fit in steel city.

Targeting Sleepers and Dodging Busts

2006-08-14T21:03:00.000-04:00

Every fantasy football manager should come prepared on draft day with some sort of sensible strategy. Draft day is not a pick-up game of street ball; it’s the most important day of your fantasy season. You must do your homework ahead of time and arrive with a gameplan. Some owners firmly believe in drafting running backs with their first two picks in order to solidify the scarce position, while others preach the mantra “always go with the best player available.” You must also consider factors like the number of remaining players at a certain position or tier, and the needs of owners drafting right before and after you.

Most fantasy football veterans have learned over the years that they cannot win by being too conservative, nor by being reckless and drafting nothing but sleepers. Shrewd drafting includes building a solid core of fantasy players and taking a reasonable amount of risks throughout your draft that could payoff in a big way. Today I will address the issue of when to draft Sleepers & High Risk/Reward players.

There are a couple types:
A. Players who find themselves with a unique opportunity to excel or exceed expectations. This often includes rookies or other players who now find themselves in a favorable situation (often due to offseason movement). See: Joseph Addai and Ronnie Brown.
B. Players returning from serious injury or who have been injury-prone over the years. See: Carson Palmer / Braylon Edwards and Chris Brown / Kurt Warner. (In baseball, Jim Thome is a good example of someone paying huge dividends for owners willing to take the risk on the Whitesox slugger this year.)

So where do you draft these guys?
First of all, I would advise against drafting a player in the first 2-3 rounds who poses any significant risk or “bust potential.” Those first few picks need to be the foundation that will carry your team through a long and grinding season. It would be unwise to count on a monster season from an unproven rookie… no matter how ideal his situation appears to be. (See: Cedrick Benson ’05)
Secondly, you need to have a good idea where these players are being picked on average, before you enter the draft room. ESPN’s Live Draft Results is a valuable tool that can help you decide when to pull the trigger on the players you have targeted.

Our sleepers & busts are listed based on the player’s average draft position on ESPN.com. Here's who you need to target and dodge on draft day:

Target:
1. Jamal Lewis (37th overall on ESPN’s Live Draft Results) - Lewis rushed for 2,000 yards just three years ago and will turn only 27 years old later this month. He stayed out of prison this offseason, so expect a big rebound this year.
2. Frank Gore (80) - Not officially the starter in San Fran yet, but he might as well be. Kevan Barlow was given every opportunity to claim the job but he's fallen flat on his face the last couple of seasons. An injury may be the only thing that could get in Gore's way. Landing a starting RB in the 6th round would be a steal in any fantasy draft.
3. Nate Burleson (90) - Nate walks into a perfect situation in Seattle. The former Viking will be a great complement to veteran wideout Darrell Jackson. Jurevicius was shipped out of town, paving the way for a true breakout season from Burleson.
4. Koren Robinson (105) - The speedster was given a second chance last season with the Vikes and has been rewarded with a starting spot at WR going into 2006. Ko-Ro is still only 26 years old and just a few years removed from a 1240-yard season. Great pick if he can stay out of trouble.
5. L.J. Smith (109) - The Eagles' tight end could very well be D-Nabb's favorite target this season, considering there won't really be any other options. WR Reggie Brown showed some potential last season but will struggle facing the league's top corners and double coverage. And on the other side they got Todd Pinkston... enough said. Look for Smith to eclipse 900 yards and 8 TDs this season. He'll be a top three TE in 2007.
6. Greg Jones (140) - Brittle Fred Taylor is the only thing keeping Jones (6-1, 250lbs) from becoming an every-down bruiser in the NFL. He already gets the looks at the goal-line, so he deserves to be drafted before the man slated to start ahead of him.
7. Ernest Wilford (169) - There's lots of talk about freakish former Arkansas QB Matt Jones breaking out in Jacksonville this season, but Wilford may end up being Leftwich's #1 target, especially in the red zone. His size (6-4, 223lbs) and endzone prowess (7 TDs in '05) make him a sneaky pick.
8. Kevin Curtis (171) - Forget Isaac Bruce, the younger and speedy Curtis will take over the reigns as Torry Holt's accomplice stretching the field in St. Louis. He should garner plenty of QB Marc Bulger's attention and top 1,100 yards and 8 TDs.

Dodge:
1. Corey Dillon (34th overall on ESPN's Live Draft Results) - Dillon was old when he was drafted out of Washington in 1997. He'll be 32 in October (with plenty of mileage) and the Pats now have rookie Laurence Maroney ready and waiting to take over whenever necessary. Don't get fooled by name recognition.
2. Willie Parker (36) - Sure he's a quality RB starting for the defending Super Bowl Champs, but Willie is not guaranteed the goal line carries and that's what matters in fantasy folks.
3. Bears Defense (59) – Let’s put it this way. If you’re drafting any team defense in the fifth round of your draft you’re a buffoon who has an open invitation to join my league. I think I’d rather go with a top TE (Heap) or solid QB (Bulger) in the 5th and take the Falcons or Seahawks ten rounds later.
4. Fred Taylor (68) - Older, more fragile version of Willie Parker. Almost worthless in 2006.
5. Curtis Martin (81) - Just two seasons removed from leading the NFL in rushing, C-Mart is now on the verge of retirement with a bum knee. Say hello to the 3-headed monster rush attack of Blaylock/Houston/Suggs. One of them will probably end up with some value, but it's basically a crapshoot. I'd suggest avoiding that mess of a backfield.

Who are your sleepers/busts going into 2006?

Forgetten stars?

2006-08-13T11:37:00.000-04:00

I have seen WRs Randy Moss and Marvin Harrison drafted as late as the 8th and 10th WR in several online drafts. I know both players' numbers were down last year, but Moss was suffering through various injuries and had uncertainty at the QB position, while Harrison had more yards in '05 (1146) than he did in '04 (1113) and only caught 3 less TD's (12 in '05 vs 15 in '04). Are these 2006 draft positions justified? I don't understand the logic behind picking players like Plaxico Burress, Joey Galloway, and Chris Chambers ahead of these two. Am I wrong?

The not-so-common fantasy football chatter

2006-08-03T22:49:00.000-04:00

I've decided that I need to start participating a little more on this blog. I must say that I haven't exactly been much of a sports "trooper" the last few months. Now that fantasy football is upon us, I'd like to open up by posing a few burning questions that I need answered before my draft. Instead of the usual discussion revolving everyone's top 10 list (which hardly ever differs), let's debate the less obvious questions.

***Are the Bears going to give the ball to Cedric Benson this year and allow him to be the fantasy stud we've been hoping for?***

It doesn't appear so. A week into camp, Benson was anointed the starter, then tweaked his knee and sat a day. Uh, nevermind Cedric, we we're just playing. Open competition again. The Denver Broncos recently offered to trade Ashley Lelie straight up for Thomas Jones, to which Chicago passed on. This trade would have made sense being that the Bears desperately needed a second wideout to help an aging Mushin Muhammed on the other side. So all this tells me is that the Bears are still not certain who, if anyone, will be their featured back and have no intention of making that decision until one of the two backs emerges. Both players feel it is their job to lose, so I don't think either is backing down or willing to accept the backup job. Unless the injury bug hits, I see another RB by committee in the windy city for '06. Blah.

***Will Chester Taylor emerge as the starting running back in Minnesota, and if he does, will he last?***

Yes and yes. Chester is a poor man's Lamont Jordan. A few years ago Lamont looked like he could be the featured back with the Jets, but was stuck running behind Curtis Martin for the first few years of his career. Similarly, Taylor has been stuck behind Jamal Lewis in Baltimore. Lamont got his chance last season with the Raiders and proved he belonged as the featured back. Now it's Chester's turn. He's a little less known, and a little less gifted than Jordan is, but the Vikings have shipped away Michael Bennett (now with Kansas City) and more recently Moe Williams (now with the Rams) to make room in the backfield. Now all Taylor has to compete with are the likes of Mewelde "orgy boat" Moore and Cia-trick "s are for kids" Faison. Game over. Chester's in. 3rd round draft pick.

***Being that nobody's role is certain, and your draft is tomorrow, who do you draft first: Ron Dayne, Willie Parker, Reuben Droughns, or DeShaun Foster?***

Open mic...

A Dozen WRs I would draft ahead of RB Willis McGahee

2006-07-21T20:21:00.000-04:00

Conventional fantasy football wisdom stresses drafting running backs early and often as a formula for success. 2006 may be the year to buck that trend. Yes, Peyton Manning is clearly the top fantasy QB in the league and worthy of a first round pick, but it’s the top-tier wide receivers that should be going earlier than usual this season. While in the past, the first round of a 12-team draft may have included as many as 10 RBs selected; this season I urge you to consider one of the many cream-of-the-crop wideouts instead.
Bills running back McGahee is being drafted in the early second round (13th overall on ESPN's Mock Draft) and is typically the 10th RB off the board in most mock drafts right now. Tell me if I’m wrong, but I think that you should feel very confident that your top couple picks will be posting consistent numbers for you every week. McGahee, a running back who reached the endzone only 5 times last season on a team with no pass attack to challenge defenses, just does not fit the bill for me. The problem is there are so many NFL teams with question marks in their backfields this year. At least eight teams are looking at running by committee (San Francisco, New Orleans, Denver, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Carolina, Chicago) and many RBs are injury/durability risks (D. McAllister, C. Dillon, C. Brown, C. Williams, J. Jones, D. Foster, and C. Martin). This leaves only about a dozen running backs worthy of 1st or 2nd round consideration. So don’t hesitate to pull the trigger on a top notch wideout rather than reaching for a RB with question marks in the early rounds.

Here’s my list of 12 WR’s that I have ranked higher overall than Willis McGahee:

1. Steve Smith – Superman was unstoppable in most of the Panthers’ games last year. Carolina’s running game has plenty of question marks and Smith will again be the focal point of their offense. A peculiarly dominant wideout.
2. Chad Johnson – Presuming Carson Palmer is fully recovered from off-season surgery, Johnson should be the top receiver in the game this season. His touchdown celebrations alone are enough to warrant a spot on my fantasy team. Lemme see yo’ grill C.J.!
3. Torry Holt – Torry Holt is an exceptional receiver in his prime. His sidekick, Isaac Bruce has faded almost to the point of obscurity. Holt is unquestionably Marc Bulger’s #1 target and should be in for another monster campaign.
4. Marvin Harrison – The model of consistency at the elite level. Marvin the Martian may be 34 years old, but he should still haul in 12+ TDs from Colts' QB Peyton Manning.
5. Terrell Owens – Dallas was the perfect place for T.O. to land this offseason. Cowboy fans are already used to troublemakers and no-nonsense coach Bill Parcells should keep him in line anyway. QB Drew Bledsoe had a career year last season and is ready to do it again with T.O at his side in 2006. Owens has a lot to prove this season and he should deliver the goods.
6. Larry Fitzgerald – Fitzgerald’s transition from stud college wideout to stud NFL receiver didn’t take long at all. With Boldin lining up on the other side, defenses will have trouble containing either WR.
7. Hines Ward – Ward may be slightly overrated going into the season, but he still has room to improve on his fantasy numbers. With the departure of Randle El and Bettis retiring, the Steelers may be forced to lean more heavily on their Super Bowl MVP.
8. Reggie Wayne – If Harrison’s numbers slip at all this season, Wayne will be there to pick up the slack. With all the emphasis on defense and the running game last year, the Colts may revert back to the pass happy days of 2004. Edge’s move to the desert leaves Indy’s ground attack resting on the shoulders of a rookie and an unimpressive Dominic Rhodes. Look for Wayne to bounce back in ‘06.
9. Randy Moss – Once the top WR in the game, Moss has burned owners in recent years, struggling with injuries and inconsistent play. He’s a risky pick who could payoff if he clicks with new QB Aaron Brooks in Oakland.
10. Santana Moss – The diminutive receiver turned in a breakout season last year as the Redskins’ only legitimate option at WR. His overall stats will probably take a hit with the arrival of Randle El and Brandon Lloyd, but Moss is still the go-to-guy in the Nation’s Capital.
11. Plaxico Burress – The former Steeler proved what a difference a big-time receiver can make in the development of a young QB like Eli Manning. Over the first half of last season, Plaxico was a top 5 wideout while Eli was outgunning his older brother. Tiki Barber and Amani Toomer aren’t getting any younger, so expect Burress to be even more involved this season.
12. Anquan Boldin – The other half of the league’s best WR tandem, Anquan simply commands the ball. Boldin should see plenty of opportunities this season with Arizona’s improved and well-balanced offensive attack.

And one more to make it a baker's dozen...

13. Chris Chambers – The speedster broke out (1100 yds, 11 TDs) last year with Gus Frerotte and Sage Rosenfels lining up under center. The Dolphins acquired Daunte Culpepper to be their new starting QB, who, despite his horrid 2005 season, is a huge upgrade at the position. You’ll be hearing, “Culpepper looks deep to Chambers…” plenty this season.

Le Coupe du Monde

2006-07-10T23:34:00.000-04:00

World Cup 2006 Finals: ITALY vs. FRANCE - Recap

Roman Coliseum vs. Eiffel Tower

Winner: Italy
Pizza vs. Baguettes

Winner: Italy
Ferrari vs. Peugeot

Winner: Italy
Benito Mussolini vs. Napoleon Bonaparte

(bare-knuckle boxing)

Winner: Italy

Fellini's 8 1/2 vs. Godard's Breathless

Winner: Italy

ITALY WINS!!!

See... now wasn't that easier than actually watching soccer?

Now we can get on with our lives and prepare for a season of

"le Football americain"

Memorial Day Festivities

2006-05-30T22:36:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a fun and relaxing memorial day break. The swimming pool at my apartment complex opened over the weekend, so I went out there to get some sun yesterday. I was delighted to see a four-year-old boy wearing floaties, splashing around in the shallow end of the pool and celebrating the unofficial start of summer by incessantly singing "I'm in love with a stripper, I'm in love with a stripper!!!" The pre-schooler would've made Larry Hughes and Ron Artest proud. Check out the NBA ballers at Nelly's Miami beach house party over the weekend...

While those guys were making the best of their vacation, Wizards' MVP Gilbert Arenas was across town hangin' out with "least valuable" teammate Awvee Storey (1.7 points per game) getting arrested for standing in the middle of a busy street and failing to obey the orders of a bicycle cop. Not quite as fun as Nelly's get-together. Arenas was quoted as saying "You can't arrest me. I'm a basketball player. I play for the Washington Wizards." Wow, he really is underrated.

Oh, and also... the Cav's Donyell marshall has to be some kin to rapper Tone Loc:

May-Hem: NBA Final Four

2006-05-23T19:12:00.000-04:00

Well after all that drama in the first couple rounds, 3 out of 4 chalks made it to the NBA's conference finals after all. At least George Mason didn't make an appearance. LeBron and the Cavs nearly rattled off four straight wins to knock out the Pistons but fell just short. Elton Brand and the Clips proved to be a formidable playoff team. And B2B league MVP Steve Nash is still playing while fan-faves LeBron and Kobe will be watching from their sofas at home. Despite their 'underdog' label, the Mavs are now the team to beat after dethroning the champs in another epic battle last night.

Final Four Picks (revisited):
MIAMI over Detroit (7 games): Healthy Shaq + healthy Wade = Finals.

VS.

DALLAS over Phoenix (6 games): Dirk & Co. are 4 real.

Tuesdays With Pauly: NBA Playoff Predictions

2006-04-25T12:15:00.000-04:00

Admit it. You love this game. This year’s NCAA Final Four was the worst in recent memory, so I now urge you to turn to the NBA, yes the NBA, to satisfy your craving for entertaining hoops action. With Kobe, LeBron, Wade, and Carmelo bringing excitement and intrigue to the NBA playoffs, pro basketball is back on the map in a big way. There are several teams that have a legitimate shot at winning it all this year. The defending champ Spurs and the dynasty Pistons may be the favorites, but Dallas, Phoenix, Miami, and New Jersey are all capable contenders. Even the Clippers, Lakers, and Pacers could make some noise.

EAST:
Detroit vs. Milwaukee
I’m not sure if this series should even be played. I think Keith Hernandez has a better chance at becoming the next president of the National Organization for Women than the Bucks do at winning this series. Detroit will definitely be taking their brooms with them to Milwaukee. PICK: Pistons in four.

Miami vs. Chicago
Sure, the Bulls may have been on a hot streak heading into the playoffs but does anyone really think they have a chance in this series? This is the same team that blew a 2-0 lead against the Wizards in last year’s playoffs. Just look at it this way: The Heat have two of the top 10 players in the league (Employee #8 and White Chocolate… just kidding) while the Bulls don’t have anyone in the top 25. Shaq and Wade will continue to make it look easy. PICK: Heat in five.

New Jersey vs. Indiana
A couple of veteran playoff teams in what should be a great series. The Nets have the big three and a soft but skilled European center. The Pacers have a healthy Jermaine O’Neal to dominate upfront, Peja & Stephen Jax shooting from outside, and plenty of depth. Indiana is a better team than their record would indicate, so it should not be a surprise when they pull off the ‘upset.’ I like the Pacers to advance and beat the Heat in the second round as well. PICK: Pacers in six.

Cleveland vs. Washington
King James did not disappoint in his playoff debut as he dropped a triple-double on the Wizards. Neither team plays any defense but the Wizards need to actually show up to have a chance. Gilbert Arenas, still underrated, can match LeBron basket for basket on any given night, plus Jamison and Butler are there to pick up the slack if Arenas is off. I expect the home team to win nearly every game in this series with the more experienced Wizards possibly stealing one on the road. PICK: Wizards in seven.

WEST:
San Antonio vs. Sacramento
I initially thought the Kings might have a fighting chance in this matchup but after seeing them blown out in the first game and Artest now suspended for game 2, this series is basically over. Duncan and Ginobili may be nicked up, but Tony Parker is having a career year and the defending champs will be too much for the fading Kings to handle. PICK: Spurs in five.

Dallas vs. Memphis
Avery Johnson is Coach of the Year and deservedly so. Simply put, these are the same old Mavs but now they actually play D. With the new emphasis on defense coach Johnson has turned Mark Cuban’s franchise into a legitimate contender. Dirk is in his prime and this could very well be his year. Look for the Mavs to handle the Grizzlies and go on to upset Avery Johnson’s old team in the second round. PICK: Mavericks in five.

Phoenix vs. LA Lakers
What Steve Nash has been able to do with the Suns the last two seasons is nothing short of spectacular. Nobody in the league has the ability to make his teammates shine the way Nash can. His shortcomings on defense however should take him out of consideration for league MVP. The MVP race should come down to LeBron and Kobe, two of the best players to ever play the game. I don’t need to remind you that Kobe scored 81 points in a single game this season but I will. 81 POINTS! Without Kobe the Lakers would stink, but most people fail to give his sidekick Lamar Odom any credit. Odom seems to be a forgotten star lost in Kobe’s vast shadow. Speaking of under-appreciated sidekicks, the Suns’ Shawn Marion may be a highly coveted fantasy commodity but he is often overlooked by casual basketball fans. PICK: Suns in seven.

LA Clippers vs. Denver
No longer perennial losers, the Clippers are on their way to winning their first playoff series in three decades. Elton Brand is a franchise player a la Tim Duncan, and he now finally has a solid supporting cast. The Clips’ lineup is pretty loaded actually: Cassell, Mobley, and Kaman are all having great seasons and Corey Maggette returned just in time for the postseason. ‘Melo and the Nuggets definitely have their work cut out for them. Nene’s season-ending injury was much more detrimental than most people know. Plus, who else thinks Kenyon Martin should have sat out the first few months of the season to properly heal rather then playing 8-25 gimpy minutes every other night? A Staples Center showdown between the Lakers and Clippers would be delightful. PICK: Clips in six.

Eastern Conference Championship: DETROIT over Indiana
Western Conference Championship: DALLAS over LA Clippers
NBA Championship: DALLAS over Detroit

Return of the Jedi

2006-04-22T22:19:00.000-04:00

Mission Accomplished

Our long national nightmare is finally over. D-Bell has called it off. Operation Shut Down is officially over. And here is some crap that has been on my mind this afternoon as I watch the Heat Bulls game, as well as some other stuff that’s been on my mind since my last post 33 days ago. I’ll see how much I can type as I am playing injured with a mean case of the carpal tunnel, my fourth and fifth fingers are like 35% numb. I am listed as questionable on the injury report, but I practiced on Thursday.

Lebron James taking it to the Wiz was just too nice. Gil Arenas will play better in coming games buy if this series is Arenas v. James, I’m declaring this one ovah. Spurs just simply outclassed the Kings. I don’t really know what that means, but I’ve seen stuffy ESPN and newspaper types say things like that in the past and that’s just what that game felt like.

Well its halftime of the Heat game. What the hell is Udonis Haslem thinking. He got mauled, no question about it. I was actually screaming at the TV for a foul call on the play, but that’s no reason to fling your mouthpiece at the dude. Maybe it was the glare of ref Joey Crawford’s impossibly shiny dome. Haven’t you ever had a sudden glare of light hit you right in the eyes and then you throw something at nothing in particular. Even still, this the playoffs. I’m going to move on now because my concentration was just completely thrown as Mike Sweetney just missed back to back layups. Apparently somebody forgot to tell him the rim is at 10 feet, not 9 and a half. Hopefully I can get a few NBA playoff columns out, round 1 should be wrapping up in about August.

As far as baseball is concerned, alls I a can say is lets go Mets. Here’s a pair of Metropolitans media that’s been floating around the net for a while that I just can’t get enough of.

The first is just pure cool, RBI Baseball meets 1986 Game 6. And after that is a link to song that is supposed to be the theme song for the Mets 2006 season. It is perhaps the worst 71 seconds ever committed to recording. The fact that anybody would actually believe that this appeals to someone is just sad. Anyone involved with this should be excised from society. Death would be too easy an escape for those people. I can’t even come up with anymore words for it.

Heres a link to the Met's official version, but this clip seems a bit more appropriate unfortunately.

That's all I've got for now. BTW all you right coasters make sure you check out the Opie and Anthony show as they kick off a new era of morning radio. I've been listening to those clowns uncensored for over a year now and highly recommend them.

2006 MLB Predictions

2006-04-02T10:53:00.000-04:00

.

Do you smell something? Why yes… it’s opening day for Major League Baseball 2006! Break out the peanuts & cracker jacks, and hand me a frosty brew in a rubberized 24oz bottle.
Here are some predictions for the upcoming season:

AL East: NY Yankees – Boston’s lineup is not as fearsome as it once was (the likes of J.T. Snow, Mark Loretta, Alex Gonzalez, and Mike Lowell will be getting everyday at-bats…. ugh).

AL Central: Cleveland – The Tribe will just be having too much fun this year not to win the division title. Chicago’s magical season last year was just that, an illusion. I think Jon Garland personifies my point.

AL West: Oakland – They may have the best pitching in the league and a very underrated offense (see Eric Chavez, Bobby Crosby, and Dan Johnson).

AL Wild Card: Toronto – Offseason acquisitions may be just enough to propel the Blue Birds to their first postseason berth since 1993.

NL East: NY Mets – David Wright is a stud, Beltran will rebound, and Delgado & Wagner were great acquisitions. The new look Mets will put an end to Atlanta’s reign atop the East.

NL Central: Chicago Cubs – Sure, half of their pitching staff may be on the DL already, but it’s one of the best rotations in the game. If four out of five starters can stay healthy the Cubbies will surprise a lot of people.

NL West: San Diego – The Padres win baseball’s version of the NFC North by default.

NL Wild Card: St. Louis – They’ll be lucky to win 90 games. Rolen and Edmonds are too fragile. Morris, Walker, and Sanders departed, while Sidney Ponson and Juan Encarnacion were brought in as unimposing replacements. Pitching is suspect, but Pujols & Co. will still get them back to the playoffs.

ALCS: Oakland over Cleveland.
NLCS: NY Mets over Chicago Cubs.
2006 World Series: Oakland over NY Mets.
(Sorry JB, did you really think I’d have your Mets winning it all? Come on now, I wouldn’t want to jinx them).

AL MVP: Travis Hafner. Dark Horse: Eric Chavez.
NL MVP: Albert Pujols. Dark Horse: Carlos Delgado.

AL Cy Young: Rich Harden. Dark Horse: Kelvim Escobar.
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy. Dark Horse: John Patterson.

AL Comeback Players: Bobby Crosby, Brian Roberts.
NL Comeback Players: Carlos Beltran, Clint Barmes.

AL Breakout Player: Dan Johnson.
NL Breakout Player: Rickie Weeks.

Late Round Gems

2006-04-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here are some players that might not be on your Top 10 fantasy list at each position, but will most likely be on it by mid-season. Most can be snagged up in the late rounds of your draft or in some cases might be available off the waiver wire. I anticipate that each one of these players will be starting for your team by mid-season (if not before). If you have a few bench spots you can afford to dedicate for the long-term, these guys are well worth the wait:

C- Josh Willingham - Florida

Think Craig Wilson in '04 or Chris Shelton in '05. Here's a power hitting catching prospect for the Marlins who very well could be playing 2 or 3 positions this year, making him an outfielder or a first baseman who's eligible at catcher. Josh batted .337 with 19 home runs and 54 RBI in 66 games at Triple-A Albuquerque last year, so the man can rake. The only knock on this guy is that his defense behind the plate stinks. Who cares? This isn't fantasy gold gloves, this is fantasy baseball. Grab this guy and thank me later.

1st - Conor Jackson - Arizona

The only thing holding Jackson back from playing time is current D-back 1st basmena Tony Clark. It won't be long before the injury bug gets Tony and allos for Conor to step up. He's got great size (6'3" 225 lbs) and has one of the best strikeout-to-walk ratios in the minors. If given the playing time (which seems inevitable soon), Jackson could be a ROY canditate and you can look for him to bat over .300 and blast 20 bombs before the year is over.

2nd - Josh Barfield - San Diego

The reason Mark Loretta was so expendable this off-season was because the Padres knew what they had in Barfield. He's got a great eye at the plate and can run, so expect to see him at the top of the line-up this year. He got some experience in the lead-off spot during the spring and was simply on fire, batting .426 with 2 HRs, 10 doubles, 20 R's and 17 RBI. He's got decent pop and good speed, and is definelty worth the risk in the later rounds. Go pick him up if you drafted a second or third tier 2nd baseman already.

3rd - Edwin Encarnacion - Cincinnati

Joe Randa was shown the door in Cincy to make way for Edwin Encarnacion. The Reds like his defense, but his offensive skills are even more impressive. Scouts say Encarnacion has the potential to hit 25-plus homers if he can remain patient at the plate. He is known as a wild swinger and his alarming strikeout rate may delay him getting the starting job at 3rd base (Rich Aurillia would move to the corner, ugh). Keep an eye on Edwin; when he gets his chance to start he's gonna be nice.

OF - Curtis Granderson - Detroit

Curtis isn't much of a secret anymore these days because fantasy baseball experts have been raving about his great combination of speed and power. He stole 22 bases in Triple-A Toledo last year, and has 6 HRs this spring. He'll most likely be leading off for the Tigers on opening day, so if he's out there, he's a must.

Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 21-60

2006-03-31T23:51:00.000-05:00

21. Roy Oswalt (SP) – He’s won 20 games each of the last two seasons and strikes out a solid 7 batters per 9 innings. Houston’s Ace is a safe pick.

22. Roy Halladay (SP) – A broken leg derailed his sensational season last year. Halladay is fully recovered and his arm should be fresh and ready to dominate once again.

23. Carlos Beltran (OF) – Last year’s first round bust may turn out to be this year’s third round steal. He should be a lock for a 30/30 campaign and will produce a ton of runs now that he’s healthy. We expect Beltran to rebound in a big way in 2006.

24. Chase Utley (2B) – Second base has got to be the thinnest position this year, and the Phillies’ middle infielder will come at a premium on draft day. Another candidate for a 30/30 season, Utley is the top dog at second base.

25. Travis Hafner (DH) – The lumberjack was the heart and soul of the Indians’ late season surge and is poised for an MVP campaign this year. If you missed out on David Ortiz, Hafner will give you nearly identical numbers at a discount. Just remember he’s only eligible as a designated hitter in most fantasy leagues.

26. Ichiro Suzuki (OF) – Don’t let his “down year” last season discourage you. Ichiro is a certifiable fantasy stud. He’ll be at the top of the league in batting average, score 100+ runs, steal 30+ bases, and he’s not scared to chip in a dozen long-balls as well.

27. Aramis Ramirez (3B) – Power, Power, Power. A-Ram could top 40 homers this season, plus he’s morphed into a .300 hitter since moving from Steel City to Wrigley Field. He should improve on his 92 RBI from a year ago with Juan Pierre setting the table for the Cubs in 2006.

28. Juane Pierre (OF) – Speak of the devil…You gotta love this little guy. He has only 9 home runs in six major league seasons, but he’s a .305 career hitter and has swiped at least 45 bags five straight years now. Sweetness.

29. Chone Figgins (2B, 3B, OF) – Figgins is the preseason favorite to lead the AL in stolen bases again. His multiple-position eligibility could really help if you find yourself in a bind.

30. Chris Carpenter (SP) – He may have won the NL Cy Young award last year, but his injury history has got to be a concern. If he can stay healthy he should post solid numbers again, but probably won’t be worth the price on draft day.

31. Carlos Zambrano (SP) – Prior and Wood were all the rage at one time in Chi-town, but Zambrano has turned out to be the best (and most reliable) of the trio.

32. Pedro Martinez (SP) – His toe injury is a concern as is his overall durability. If he can avoid the DL he’d be a steal at this spot. He’s the same high risk/high reward pitcher that he’s always been.

33. Lance Berkman (1B, OF) – Built like a tree trunk, Berk loves droppin’ doubles in the gaps. He is an OBP god (91BB/72K last season) and is nearly immune to slumps. Just plug him into your lineup and he’ll take care of the rest.

34. Brad Lidge (RP) – Forget about his post-season struggles and focus on his numbers as Houston’s closer the last couple years: ~2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 71 saves, and an absurd 260 strikeouts in just 165.1 innings. That’s over 14 Ks per 9 innings!!! You could argue drafting him ahead of Rivera.

35. Rich Harden (SP) – Anchoring the next generation of Oakland’s top notch starting rotation, Harden looks to be fully recovered from offseason surgery on his non-throwing shoulder and will contend for the AL Cy Young this year.

36. Andruw Jones (OF) – He led the majors with 51 homers last year, but he’ll probably be ignored until the second or third round in most fantasy drafts. His .267 career average is mediocre at best and he hasn’t been a threat on the base paths since last millennium. Let someone else overpay for his services.

37. Francisco Rodriguez (RP) – Nasty, just downright filthy stuff. K-Rod’s 45 saves last year ain’t too shabby either.

38. Derek Jeter (SS) – The last of the top tier shortstops, Jeter is a nice player to target in the 4th round. Now batting second in the Yankees lineup since Damon joined the club, Jeter should have more RBI opportunities and at age 31 has not shown any signs of slowing down.

39. Felix Hernandez (SP) – Could he be the youngest Cy Young winner ever? Sure you could go with a reliable veteran like Tim Hudson (boring), but why not take a chance on the 19-year-old phenom if he makes it to the 4th round?

40. Grady Sizemore (OF) – Only one proven season under his belt, but 22 HRs and 22 SBs is quite a feat for a 22-year-old. Batting leading off for an exciting young Cleveland lineup, Sizemore is a nice player to target in your draft.

41. Ben Sheets (SP) – The U.S. Olympic gold medallist will start the season on the disabled list with a strained muscle. His injury is a minor setback and he should be ready to go within 2-4 weeks. When healthy Sheets can be one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. He’s also the #1 starter for a young and improved Brew Crew, so don’t let him drop too far.

42. Victor Martinez (C) – It’s finally time for the first catcher to be selected. Martinez had a putrid first couple months last season (batting .213 w/ 4 HRs) but then really turned to it on to finish the season with .305 and 20 homers. He’ll swat 30+ long balls this year and is well worth paying a premium over old-timers Varitek, Pudge, and Posada.

43. Adam Dunn (1B) – There’s some concern about Dunn’s right hand which he fractured late last season. He opted to let it heal on its own rather than have it surgically repaired. It may be nothing to worry about, in which case Dunn is good for 45 dingers and a .250 avg. His value goes up significantly in simulation leagues that use OBP (w/ 100+ walks each of the last two seasons).

44. Carlos Delgado (1B) – Getting older and still playing in a pitcher’s stadium. That said, he’s always got a great OBP and should be very productive batting in the heart of the Mets’ order.

45. Paul Konerko (1B) – Once a major a liability in batting average, Konerko has hit for .277 and .283 the last two season and belted 41/40 HRs. With Thome joining the Sox lineup, Konerko should be able to match last season’s output without much trouble.

46. Alfonso Soriano (2B, OF) – The Washington Nationals second baseman, err, left fielder will slip in most drafts and he should. Soriano’s batting average has decreased steadily over the last four years (.300, .290, .280, .268) despite playing in Texas for the past couple seasons. His plate discipline is still atrocious (33BB/125K’s last season) and he’ll now be playing half his games at the worst hitter’s park in baseball, RFK Stadium. Fonzy would be lucky to end up with a .270avg, 25 HRs, and 25 SBs. Don’t overbid.

47. Joe Nathan (RP) – You don’t have to jump the gun early and draft Mariano Rivera in the 2nd round to land a top-notch reliever. Nathan has been spectacular as the Twins’ closer the last two seasons (87 saves, 183 Ks in 142.1 innings). He’s not young (31), but Nathan is as solid as they come.

48. Ryan Howard (1B) – He has 10 HRs so far in spring training, but does that really mean anything? Well Andruw Jones hit 11 in last year’s preseason and went on to breakout with 51 round-trippers, tops in the majors. What you think?

49. Gary Sheffield (OF) – Sheff is a big time bust candidate. The steroid cloud hangs over his head and he’s entering his 19th season in the majors at age 37. It’s a contract year for Sheffield, so some might say he’ll be motivated, but I think he’s more likely to fall off completely.

50. Eric Chavez (3B) – Age: 28. He should avoid another April slump and deliver a career season. Great value pick.

51. Carlos Lee (OF) – His batting average dropped 40 points last year when he moved to Milwaukee, but he set career highs in other categories. He’ll be good for 30 HRs, 100 RBI, and 10 SBs.

52. Hideki Matsui (OF) – “Godzilla” may need a new nickname after hitting only 23 home runs last season. Matsui is still very productive though, and should post 100RBI/100R in the middle of that high-priced Yankees’ batting order.

53. Johnny Damon (OF) – Moves from one high-octane offense in Boston to another in the Big Apple. As a lefty batting at Yankee Stadium he should be good for a 20/20 season. He’s a traitor and he did get a haircut and shave, so beware of bad karma.

54. Coco Crisp (OF) – I put Johnny D. and the chocolate cereal back-to-back because they should post very similar numbers leading off for their respective AL East juggernaut offenses.

55. Richie Sexson (1B) – If you’re in search of 40 homers with a .250 average and 150 strikeouts, look no further… Sexson is your man.

56. Randy Johnson (SP) – Speaking of strikeouts, the Big Unit is still capable of leading the league in Ks if he can manage to avoid injury at the age of 42. His ERA/WHIP numbers are not what they used to be, but he can still crank out 20 wins taking the mound for the Yanks. Not bad for the 15th pitcher off the board.

57. John Smoltz (SP) – Last year Smoltz was a full-time starter for the first time since the 1999 season. He notched 14 wins in ’05 and posted numbers right on par with his career averages.

58. Tim Hudson (SP) – Leo Mazzone is no longer in his corner, but Hudson’s game shouldn’t be affected too much.

59. Dontrelle Willis (SP) – It will be impossible to repeat last year’s numbers, but most fantasy GMs already know that. Don’t forget about D-Train if he slips into the middle rounds.

60. Josh Beckett (SP) – There’s quite a bit of debate as to where the 2003 World Series MVP should be drafted since making the move to Beantown. The young hurler is immensely talented but has visited the disabled list many-o-times throughout his career, mostly with nagging finger blisters. The bigger issue to consider though is the change of venue: Fenway is definitely a hitter’s park which will hurt Beckett’s ERA/WHIP, but he should also see a boost in his win total considering the run support he’ll get. I like JB enough to draft him here, but I wouldn’t rely on him as my #1 starter.

Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 1-20

2006-03-20T21:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, so you shredded your NCAA Tourney brackets because you had Ohio State and Kansas in the Final Four. Nice picks jackass. Anyways, now you've turned your attention to the upcoming baseball season which is suddenly just around the corner. You better be prepared for you FLB draft. Here's the first installment of our preseason Fantasy Baseball Rankings:

1. Alex Rodriguez (3B) – A-Rod gets the nod over Pujols for the best in the land due to his 3B elgibility and a slight edge in the steals department. Rodriguez has been unbelievably consistent throughout his career and has been a top fantasy pick for over a decade now. He’s smashed more than 40 HRs in 7 of his last 8 seasons and is good for about 20 SBs. He’s no longer SS eligible, but he is the complete package.

2. Albert Pujols (1B) – The most feared hitter in baseball, Pujols just turned 26 in January. The reigning NL MVP has turned in the most impressive first 5 seasons in the history of the game, with a .332 career AVG and 201 HRs. Now that he’s added SBs to his repertoire (17 last year) he too is worthy of #1 overall.

3. Mark Teixeira (1B) – Another youngster who has yet to enter his prime, Teixeira is a true power hitter batting third in a loaded Texas Rangers lineup. Mark has improved on his numbers across the board each season, so don’t be surprised when he launches 50+ bombs to top the majors in 2006. Tex is quite the consolation prize if you miss out on A-Rod and Pujols.

4. Johan Santana (SP) – Venezuelan lefty Johan Santana is hands down the top pitcher in the game right now. He won the AL Cy Young in 2004 dominating opposing hitters (20-6, 2.61 ERA, 265) and should have won last year but did not have enough W’s to beat out fatty Bartolo Colon. He’ll have his occasional hiccups, but when he’s on he dominates. Plus, he’s finished very strong the last couple seasons.

5. Vladimir Guerrero (OF) – Vlad just may be the best all-around player in the game. He hits for great average (.324 career), rarely strikes out (48 Ks in 520 AB’s last season), and is a great fielder with a cannon for an arm. The free-swinging Dominican should be a lock for 120+ RBI in the heart of that Angels lineup. He’s still in his prime, but his days of swiping 30-40 bags are behind him.

6. Derek Lee (1B) – The question with Lee is whether last year’s monster season was for real or not. His MVP-type numbers (.335/46/107) were all career highs and he will be looking to repeat that performance in ’06. His huge jump in batting average may be a bit of a fluke (his previous high was .282) but his power surge is definitely legit (he added a league-leading 50 doubles to his 46 dingers in 2005). Plus he stole 15 bases in 18 attempts, which is a nice bonus coming from a power-hitting first baseman. Draft D-Lee with confidence.

7. David Ortiz (1B, DH) – Big Papi has definitely earned the rights to his nickname since moving to Fenway three years ago. Not only has he been an offensive juggernaut the last couple seasons (88 HRs and 287 RBI) but the Red Sox DH is also about as clutch as they come (aka “Señor Octubre”). As long as he’s eligible at 1B in your league he’ll make a very nice anchor for your squad.

8. David Wright (3B) – The youngster had a fantastic season in 2005, but the 23-year-old is just getting started. 30HRs/30SBs are definitely within reach this season and his run production should also see a spike with the Mets revamped lineup. Wright is pure fantasy gold at the hot corner.

9. Manny Ramirez (OF) – The other half of Boston’s Dominican Bash Brothers, Manny is an RBI factory and a career .314 hitter. So he’s a pedestrian fielder, a big pouter, and tends to miss a handful of games every year. If you’re not a fan drop him down your cheat sheet some, just don’t ignore his ridiculous numbers.

10. Carl Crawford (OF) – Who else in the league is a threat to hit 20 HRs and steal 50 bases this season. Probably no one. If he could be a little more patient at the plate (24BB/84Ks), Crawford could emerge as the top fantasy OF by next season.

11. Jason Bay (OF) – In some inner circles in Pittsburgh Jason Bay is known as “The People’s Batting Champion” or “TPBC”, but I like referring to the young stud as "Jason Bay of Gibraltar". Or how about “Jason Canadian Bay-con?” Ok that may be pushing it. Bay is a talented five-category hitter who would be even higher on this list if he didn’t play for the lowly Bucs.

12. Bobby Abreu (OF) – The Phillies’ outfielder is an on-base machine as he has registered 100+ walks in each of his last seven seasons. Abreu offers a great combo of power and speed and has been very durable over his career. At age 32 Bobby may be starting to decline a bit, but you should definitely grab him if he slips into the second round of your draft.

13. Miguel Cabrera (3B, OF) – After the Marlins dismantled over the offseason, many are downgrading Cabrera’s value for ’06. At only 22 years old he will be asked to carry a rebuilding Marlins franchise, but I expect Cabrera to continue to improve on his already gaudy numbers despite the lack of veteran talent around him. His batting average has improved dramatically over the past three seasons (.268 to .294 to .323) as he becomes more disciplined at the plate. His young supporting cast is not without talent, so 40 HRs and 120 RBI are within reach.

14. Jake Peavy (SP) – Anytime a starting pitcher strikes out more batters than innings pitched in a full season he belongs near the top of your list. Peavy did just that for his second straight season and has now established himself as a legit fantasy ace. He has been just as solid on the road as he is at pitcher-friendly Petco Park and he is just 24 years old. Look for Jake the Body to contend for the NL Cy Young this season.

15. Todd Helton (1B) – Once a sure-fire first rounder, Helton has slipped from the fantasy elite. Todd is ready to prove his doubters wrong and bounce back in a big way this season. He’s definitely on the right track since finishing ’05 very strong (batting .367 in the second half). The friendly confines at Coors Field definitely boost his power numbers, but Helton is professional hitter. As long as he can stay healthy, look for a nice rebound in 2006.

16. Miguel Tejada (SS) – The best power hitting shortstop in baseball deserves a good look early in the second round. Tejada tailed off last year after a strong first half, so let’s hope he doesn’t lose interest after the All-star break again. Look for him to top 30 HRs and push 110 RBI this season.

17. Jose Reyes (SS) – Time for a mini-run at the scarce position of shortstops. The Mets’ SS led the NL with 60 SBs and could flirt with 75+ this season. An improved lineup behind him should boost his total runs scored as well. If your league uses OBP instead of AVG, drop Jose down a few spots because he simply hasn’t learned how to take a base on balls yet.

18. Jimmy Rollins (SS) – J-Roll carries a 36-game hit streak into the 2006 season, but my guess is it won’t reach 40 games. He provides decent power and plenty of speed, plus he’s entering his prime at age 27. He can be a bit volatile, but if Rollins can stay focused… look out.

19. Michael Young (SS) – What a stud this guy is turning out to be. The Rangers’ shortstop won the AL batting title with a .331 average and displayed some real power with 24 home runs and 40 doubles. Playing in Texas does wonders for most hitters, but Mike’s home/away splits were nearly identical last year: a very good sign. He’s scored 100+ runs for three straight seasons now and should chip in 8-10 SBs as well.

20. Mariano Rivera (RP) – I usually advise against drafting closers early on in your draft because their value is tied almost exclusively to one category: saves. Relievers don’t throw enough innings to affect your ERA/WHIP too much, and saves are often times a result of situational luck. Rivera, however, is such a dominant closer that he just managed to crack our preseason Top 20. He hasn’t had fewer than 40 saves or an ERA above 2.00 since the 2002 season, and last year he sported a miniscule 0.87 WHIP, while fanning 80 batters in 78.1 IP. Scary.

More to come soon...

MLB Preview: AL Central

2006-03-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

So, after thousands (ok maybe one’s) of emails demanding (ok maybe no emails at all) that I bring people their promised MLB divisional previews I have finally decided to satiate the internets’ vampiric hunger for my gospel. Here ya go:

5. Kansas City Royals

As was stated many times, and so eloquently, in one of the most beloved of American periodicals, if I may be so bold as to quote one of the greats, “BLECCH!!”

They are trying to pawn off the signings of guys like Scott Elarton, Doug Mientkiewicz and Mark Grudzielanek as a move in the right direction. If that direction is anything other than “most infield consonants to start in a major league game,” then they are in big trouble. They’d be better off putting Dick Vermeil and Trent Green on the right side of the infield.

Can’t you totally see Vermeil coming off the field after a close 6-4-3 is turned and getting all misty. He’d probably even have one of those little mini tissue bags in his back pocket like mom used to give you to take to school when you had the sniffles in first grade.

Oh and their star pitcher of the future, Zack Greinke, has left spring training under mysterious circumstances. I’d call him crazy but honestly who among you wouldn’t be a bit unnerved playing for this joke of a team.

That’s more cyber ink than this team deserves, lets move on before I boot.

4. Detroit Tigers

The addition of Kenny Rogers is interesting after a career year. Studying his career I want to say last year was an aberration. Throughout his career he has always been consistently mediocre, but rarely injured. He’s made less than 30 starts only once since 1998, has averaged about 12 wins a year although with an ERA closer to 5 than to 4. But into the first week of June last year he had an ERA under 2 and Detroit is a pitchers paradise. He’s also a bit temperamental but not too bright. Hey Gambler if you don’t like being bugged by news reporters, pushing a CAMERA might not be the best way to go about expressing this opinion, what with the whole capturing on tape aspect and all.

He’ll be good for the Tigers staff in general. I like the lineup, should be about as good as they were last year. The team may even be able to make a run at second or more likely third in the division if Magglio can produce and Pudge can rejuvenate after a down a year (read: play well without ‘roids [allegedly]).

3. Minnesota Twins

I think I like the Tiggers better than I do the Twins this year but the Twinkies always seem to play over their heads and the Tiggers under, so Twins get the 3 slot.

Johan Santana and Joe Nathan are filth, plain and simple. Staff and rotation are solid-to-good and ought not to be a problem, losing Romero and adding Rincon was a nice enough move. Lets move on.

I like Mourneau with a full season under his belt to have a breakout year. Joe Mauer is still young and seems to be slowly building his career but he is certainly moving in the right direction. Luis Castillo was a nice pickup from the Dolphins Stadium swap meet a couple months ago, but the rest of the team seems to be in the same “good for a few months but unreliable over 162” category. Hunter, Stewart, Ford, now Rondell White. And with Tony “T-Bat” Batista penciled in at third I am officially nauseous.

Not a disaster by any means, but this team does have issues.

2. Cleveland Indians

C.C. Sabathia is only 25 years old. What’s up with that?

He’s got 5 good season’s under his belt (and quite a belt it is) and is due to make “the leap” soon. His WHIP was at a career low last year but most of his numbers seem not to have changed much over his career. Look for him to step up in the absence of Millwood and perhaps get motivated by the exciting play of the young up and comers around him.

The addition of Paul Byrd is nice, should be good for 15 wins. Guillermo Mota and Bob Wickman are a nice one two punch out of the pen. With Victor Martinez, Jhonny Peralta, Travis Hafner, and Grady Sizemore the Injuns have a quality young nucleus that ought to keep Cleveland fans and Drew Carey happy for years to come (as wells as a great list of names for characters on an eighties cop show; “and starring Erik Estrada as Lt. Vic Martinez” ).

1. Chicago White Sox

The Sox seem to have made some pretty good moves this off season. A team reminiscent of the 2002 Angels in their run to the World Series has not made the same mistake that those Angels did in the 2003 season. Thinking that they would be able to change very little and not lose any of the momentum that propelled them the year before.

The Sox added once highly touted Javier Vazquez, who I believe is poised to make the leap the Yankees assumed he was destined for a couple seasons back when they traded Nick Johnson for him. With the lack of pressure, there are already 4 rock solid starters ahead of him, he should be able to thrive.

If Dye and Podsednik can stay healthy (big “ifs” by the way), and the addition of Rob Mackowiak, the outfield should be solid until youngster Brian Anderson comes along. Mackowiak also plays just about every position on the field.

The addition of Thome I am not completely sold on, obviously if he produces like he always does that would be nice, but after his putrid start last season followed by months on the DL, one has to be worried.

But with solid infield defense and an excellent staff and pen, look for the Sox to be right there in the WS hunt again in 2006.

Eye Carumba

2006-03-12T15:20:00.000-05:00

This one ain't for the faint of heart kids. While i put the finsishing touches on the AL Central, why don't you take a look at Allen Ray of Nova's eye nearly pop off of his face last night.

You Wouldn't like Barry when He's Angry

2006-03-08T13:59:00.000-05:00

Last week when I started on my little adventure of baseball divisional season previews I never actually counted the weeks till opening day. Turns out I'm going to have to do like 2 preveiews a week or else my previews will break into the season. After a lazy weekend and a surprisingly busy Monday and Tuesday at work, I'm gonna try and punch through with a division for friday and then another over the weekend. meanwhile Paul's post reminded me of these 2 pics I saw in Sports Illustrated a couple of years ago. took me a while to find them, but I knew I would. It's pretty incriminating stuff I think.

Tuesdays with BARRY: A Tribute

2006-03-07T15:31:00.000-05:00

"Doctors ought to quit worrying about what ballplayers are taking. What players take doesn't matter. It's nobody else's business. The doctors should spend their time looking for cures for cancer." -5/21/02

"It's still Hank's record. And whether I break it or not, what's important is that whoever does it, you just hope it inspires some little kid down the road to say, 'He did it. I could do it.' I'll be on his side." -2/23/06

Yeah Barry. You're a great inspiration to children all over the world. If the kids could just find a way to get their hands on the Cream and the Clear, insulin, human growth hormone, testosterone decanoate (a fast-acting steroid known as Mexican beans) and trenbolone, a steroid created to improve the muscle quality of cattle.... then maybe one day they can hit 1000 HRs too.

YOU NEED TO QUIT BASEBALL NOW. Leave the Bambino and Hammerin' Hank alone.

MLB: Preview: AL West part II

2006-03-03T02:13:00.000-05:00

“He’s an idiot. He’s selfish. That’s why we don’t miss him,” hinted Kenny Williams, White Sox GM, with a slightly perturbed look on his face. "Jerry has done everything over the course of 16 years to protect that man, to make accommodations for him, concessions for him,” the distraught GM continued. “He loaned him money, at times, when he needed money.

“If he was any kind of a man, he would quit talking about things in the paper and return a phone call or come knock on someone's door," Williams continued. “If I had the kind of problems evidently he had with me, I would go knock on his door,” Williams said call-outingly.

This is bloody brilliant. Williams, with the weight and momentum of a World Series win in his corner coming to the defense of owner Jerry Reinsdorf totally railroading Frank Thomas. A future hall of famer, But with a underwhelming 200 plus missed games over the last 2 seasons and a hey day that stretches over the dirtiest (allegedly) era of professional American sport.

I’m gonna say Frank deserves better than this under the he-only-acts-like-this-because-he-is-allowed-to clause. It wasn’t like the Big Hurt made the comments that spurred this outburst to Tom Verducci for a Sports Illustrated cover story, it was for a paper that services a Chicago suburb called the Daily Southtown. Kenny Williams is the man responsible for getting this story on Sportscenter.

On the other hand I have to applaud Williams at the very least for crapping on a guy that clearly pissed him off on more than one occasion. Tact can often be uglier than speaking honestly. How many times have you seen people go on TV and speak down to people and spew clichés, and not just in the sports world (COUGH, Bush administration, COUGH).

Anyways, on to the AL West preview part deux:

2. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

First off let me just say “stop.” Please. I live in Los Angeles. The Angels do not. Period. The only close approximation of this situation is the Jets and Giants playing in New Jersey. Fortunately for Jets and Giants fans, Jersey is more than willing to be NY’s canteen boy for the foreseeable future. This is a decision made purely based on money, there is no other logical explanation, and to tell people otherwise is just lying. Don’t want to get off on a full fledged rant here but I just wanted to get that off my chest.

Best bullpen in baseball. That being said, I still think they are over rated. Francisco Rodriguez is filth, but he has been touched and it has happened in big games, same thing goes for Scot Shields. One excuse that I will lend them is that they are worked a lot by manager Mike Sciossia. The addition of J.C. Romero ought to offer them a nice respite as will having a healthy Brendan Donnelly.

I thought I liked this offense more than I actually do. The more I looked at it, the less impressed I became. Vlad is a beast and I think we can all agree on that so let’s just move on. Chone Figgins is a steady OBP guy and clearly a force on the base pads, so he will be near the top of the league in runs. As for the rest of the team, I’m not that impressed.

They’ve lost more than they’ve added and are starting the preseason with the thinking that youth will step up and age related wear and tear will hold off for one more season. Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad are old and in the declining years of their careers, and both were overrated to begin with.

Orlando Cabrera has had several hot streaks over his career, but has never played a full season that made you get excited.

And lastly, the Angels seem to be relying a bit on Dallas McPherson and Casey Kotchman, two highly touted, but totally unproven youngsters. Sounds like a recipe for inconsistency if you ask for me. (By the way, how McPherson and Kotchman were not star college quarterbacks based solely on their names, I have no idea. I can practically hear Mel Kiper Jr. discussing the Jets interest in trading up to get them.)

Colon is coming off a Cy Young year and should put up more of the same numbers this season. Lackey is a good number 2, and usually plays up to the bigger moments. The rest of the rotation has a lot of question marks not much different from their lineup. Escobar is always battling the injury bug, Santana is young and unproven and Jeff Weaver is solid, but unreliable in a pinch. Again inconsistency.

Overall, I like the Angels to look like a first place team at several points during the year but ultimately fall short of the big prize. In the offseason I thought they were one good acquisition away from being the team to beat. Look for the ’06 Angels to fall just short.

1. Oakland Athletics

(Note: When I started writing this column, the A’s were ranked second in the division.)

Love the pitching, just love it. How can you not? There are obvious health risks involved, and some guys are still developing into major leaguers, but still, how can you not love these guys? They are all in their mid twenties, Zito is in the always magical walk year of his contract, Harden was absolute filth when healthy last year, Dan Haren and Joe Blanton showed signs at times, and they are just 25 years old each, and the addition of Esteban Loaiza has visions of a .500 pitcher with a 4 plus ERA dancing in fan’s heads. This staff should definitely be fun to watch.

The A’s starting infield is probably my favorite in baseball. Chavez, when he gets rolling is scary and if he can shake the rust off offensively for the first half of a season, he can win himself an MVP. Crosby and Ellis are scrappy and young and are candidates for making the leap to stardom if they can quit running in to each other on the field. With the addition of Bradley and Frank Thomas, Swisher is the clear candidate at first. Swisher had stretches last year where no one in the league was better, and with a year of experience under his belt, look for more consistency this season.

The outfield is a bit of a different story. I was about to bash Mark Kotsay, mostly because he seems to get a good amount of hype based solely around “hustle” and “intangibles,” I usually try not to let those things be a major identifier when talking pro athletes. Turns out he actually hasn’t sucked the last couple years, when he wasn’t battling injuries and he turned in some solid numbers.

Jay Payton is the type of guy that was talked about in “Moneyball” that was the opposite of good. He looks like a star. Muscles, speed, quicks. Fortunately for us, unfortunately for Jay, baseball is a sport and not an Olympic competition. Let me put it this way, Vince Young thinks Payton’s a little slow on the uptake. Regardless he played pretty well for the A’s at times last year, but don’t be surprised if he flakes out.

Milton Bradley, on the other hand, is what has been coined in the American vernacular as a “douche bag.” Plain and simple, he's this generations Carl Everett. He burns bridges like Ricky Williams burns the ganj. Can’t put it much better than Cedar did a few weeks back. He can put up some solid numbers, but nothing that makes him worth the head aches.

Frank Thomas, I’ve got very little feel for the Hurt coming into ’06. I can see 10 games played followed by retirement, or I can see 140 games with MVP numbers as he attempts to bitch slap Kenny Williams for running his mouth.

Huston Street anchoring the pen should be nice per last season’s showing and the rest of the pen is pretty solid. Losing Rincon shouldn’t be problem, he never seemed as good as advertised to me anyways. Justin Duchscherer was an All Star last year, and Kiko Calero and Jay Witasick ain’t too shabby. As a matter of fact the more I write about this team the more I like them. Let me get on to first place already before I change my mind. (Note: See I told ya.)

Before I sign off, one prediction as the WBC begins today, there will be at least one serious injury that is going to tank this thing before it ever gets off the ground. Maybe I’m not going out on a limb here but my guess would be Griffey Junior. Darkhorse sleeper Derek Jeter.

Lawrence Phillips.... sore loser or just gangsta?

2006-03-02T11:12:00.000-05:00

Remember back when you were younger and used to play pickup football games on the street or backyard with other kids in the neighborhood? Sometimes there was the cool bigger kid with the thin moustache who always insisted on being all-time QB. Well last summer, 30-year-old former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips was the "big kid" playing a pickup game with some teenagers on a soccer field in South Los Angeles. Apparently the past-his-prime Phillips was schooled by the kids and the game ended in a dispute... perhaps over whether little Timmy really tagged Lawrence with both his hands before the former Cornhusker dove into the endzone with the Nerf Turbo football. Humiliated and pissed off, Phillips walked off but decided to take matters into his own hands and drove a stolen car onto the field in an attempt to run the boys over. He hit three kids with the vehicle but they managed to escape without serious injury. Already wanted by the law for choking his girlfriend until she passed out, Phillips was tracked down, arrested, and is now ready to stand trial for assault and could join Cecil Collins in the pen for up to 13 years if convicted.
I hate it when bad things happen to good people. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Lawrence.

Who's your favorite gridiron felon? O.J.? Rae Carruth? Byron "Bam" Morris? Michael Irvin? Eugene Robinson? Cecil Collins? Najeh Davenport?

March Madness - 1st Round Nightmares

2006-03-02T00:28:00.000-05:00

I'd like to preface this post by first giving a warm welcome to SportsTroopers' newest contributor - JB. It's a true pleasure sir.

The NCAA conference tournaments are lurking right around the corner, and it's do or die time for several teams hoping to sneak into the big dance. I'm writing this for all of you college head coaches out there who frequent this blog page, and I'm offering you a bit of advice - go home and pray on your hands and knees that the teams on this list either have a late season collapse, lose early in their conference tourneys, or somehow get snubbed by the selection committee. Any one of these schools could be a nightmare first round draw and the big dogs better not sleep on 'em. Check 'em out:

Arkansas - The Hogs have been the talk of the SEC over the last several weeks, pulling off upset after upset in conference play. The piggies beat Florida and Alabama in Fayetteville, and shocked #10 Tennessee on the road (who had not yet lost in Knoxville.) With junior guard Ronnie Brewer (18.2 PPG) leading the way, the Razorbacks would be a scary early draw.

Indiana - With all the turmoil surrounding coach Mike Davis' job security and eventual resignation at year's end, Indiana had been until recently, forgotten about as a possible tournament team. The Hoosiers are coming off one of their best and most inspired performances of the year, in a 78-71 win over #18 Michigan State. This team is playing with a nothing to lose mentality and big man Marco Killingsworth is a tough match-up for anyone down low (keep in mind he dominated Duke's Sheldon Williams earlier in the year)

Northern Iowa - The Missouri Valley Conference is as strong as ever with potentially 5 teams making the brackets. Northern Iowa had been tough all year long, but has found itself on the losing end of 4 of its last 5 games. That being said, the Panthers still have an impressive resume; one that includes 5 wins over Top 25 teams (including Iowa, and LSU on the road). Although NIU has stuggled as of late, nobody wants to face a team that has shown the ability to beat the bigger programs.

Missouri State - The Bears have the 2nd toughest schedule in the conference (NIU) and all of their losses have come to top 50 teams. Don't underestimate the momentum of their current 5 game winning streak and a victory vs. Northern Iowa on March 3rd would get them in to show us what they've got.

Arizona - The Wildcats have the highest ranked non-conference schedule in the nation. Despite their 17-10 record, they will most likely make the tournament and have the experience of playing elite teams. Although Arizona is 0-5 against the Top 25, this team has challenged all of its opponents and is capable of playing with anyone. Look for them to get in, and if the match-up is right, they could suprise. Watch for senior guard Hassan Adams (17.9 PPG, 2.7 STL).

MLB: Preview: AL West

2006-02-28T21:16:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful time of year for the American sports fan.

The NBA season is finally exciting. After getting over the midseason hump the crappy teams start to fall away as the good teams start to separate themselves from the pack with only seeding issues in their future. We are only a few weeks from that magical time of year when sports fans collectively go “I cant believe this season is still going on, can we get to the playoffs already.”

Also we are closing in on March Madness. Every year we get a chance to see basketball in its purest form (where the best athlete’s are forced to either succumb to a boring system that allows slow, uncoordinated white folk to excel, or skip college altogether and collect million dollar contracts in the NBA far before they are ready to handle it).

NASCAR is still a bunch of guys with mustaches driving in a circle.

The Arena League exists though I don’t know enough about it to even make fun of it.

Bode Miller’s perfecto at the Olympics still has our hearts aflutter.

But most importantly, pitchers and catchers reported.

So naturally, this week I will debut my first Trooper submission from the front lines of Sportsfanistan, previewing the up coming baseball season that is on the mind of so many of us.

I’ll start with a quickie this week to ease myself into a regular sort of writing process and preview the American League West, a division containing only 4 teams. That’s right 4 teams, I double checked it myself. How a league that feels like it has 6 or 7 teams too many has a division with 4 teams is baffling, but I digress.

It’s an interesting division really. Dominated by Seattle for quite a few years, Oakland has been pestering them, and subsequently Anaheim, for the last decade or so. Texas consistently seems, at their best, to be a day late and a buck short (YICHH, I feel like I should be wearing a fedora with a piece of paper that says “PRESS” on it when I typed that). So how’s it stacking up for ’06, let’s take a look, shall we:

4. Texas Rangers
This season the Rangers attempted to upgrade in there most obvious problem area, pitching. They signed free agent’s Vincente Padilla and Kevin Millwood, clearly in an attempt to recapture that magical Phillies season of 2004 where the 2 combined as a one two punch on a team that finished with the 4th worst ERA in the league. Oh and they also signed Adam Eaton, a mediocre pitcher from a team that played in one of the best pitchers parks in baseball, big woop.

Look, I know Millwood stepped up last year, but he's done that before, and consistently stinks it up for years at a time following his kick-it-up-a-notch seasons. Not to mention the sweaty band box he’s moving into.

Padilla might fare well, groundball pitcher and all, but Cy Young he ain’t. Serviceable middle-to-late rotation guy, perhaps. Not exactly the adjective a fan looks for when describing an off season acquisition, “serviceable.”

One major problem area I see is the departure of “The Professor,” Orel Hershiser. He looks like he should be teaching physics, or inventing things that require complex equations on a chalk board. Losing a guy of that caliber (and by “that caliber” I mean “looking really intelligent”) cannot be a good thing.

They have a good, maybe even great, offense with stars, some budding into superstars. The addition of Brad Wilkerson is pretty good if he manages to stay healthy. I can guarantee you this, offense will not be the downfall of the Texas Rangers.

As for the bully, I’m gonna say a bounce back year is in order for Francisco Cordero but the rest of the pen is a mystery to me. Predicting middle relievers is about as easy making a Brokeback Mountain joke (you see what I did there).

Anyhoo, on a scale of 1 to 5 million, I rate them 3,723,437.

Just kidding. Screw ratings and grades. Their pitching is mediocre to good in a crappy park to pitch in, their hitting is one of the best in baseball and their pen has a strong anchor with a lot of question marks. So there.

3. Seattle Mariners
Not overwhelmingly better than the Rangers, but I think they will be better by season’s end. Beltre can’t be worse than he was last year and Sexson is always good for a healthy number of jacks. Ichiro will have 200 hits, he always does, and he may even get reenergized after a slumpish 2005 with the addition of new Japanese import Kenji Johjima. Every position player who has come over from Japan that hasn’t gone to the Mets has been an impact player, so look for Kenji to make some noise and possibly win Rookie of the Year honors. Jeremy Reed is a good young player, who I think people should look out for in 2006.

The three headed monster to fill the left field/designated hitter spot includes the solid Raul Ibanez, the crazy Carl Everett and the first-10-games-of-the-season-suspended-for-steroid-use Matt Lawton. Actually not too shabby. Looking back at Everett’s ’05 he was surprisingly productive for the World Champs with 87 RBI and 23 jacks, though I wouldn’t expect those totals this year. Ibanez is almost a guaranteed 85 RBI (jealous much), and Matt Lawton’s bacne should be rounding into midseason form by June.

Their pitching staff deals with something of a bizarro Coors Field effect, they seem to suffer away from home and strive in the spacious surroundings of Safeco. Jamie Moyer shouldn’t be a major leaguer at his age, but what the hey. If I had a choice between circling bingo night on my 365 days of Mel Torme calendar or front lining a professional baseball team, I think I’d choose the baseball thing too.

I love the Jarrod Washburn signing. He’s a lefty and winner who has performed on the big stage. Joel Pineiro has to put it together one of these days, why not now and Gil Meche is anybody’s guess. I don’t see much coming from him, but he can contribute if he doesn’t totally stink the joint up.

And then there is young Felix Hernandez. At 19 he won’t be pushed to anything more than 180 or so innings this year, but with his Gooden-esque entrance into the majors he clearly can develop into something special. Don’t be surprised if he motivates the entire team in the process. If he has any charisma at all, we can be looking at the next Dontrelle at the very least. Stay tuned for this one kids.

As for the bullpen, Everyday Eddie should be solid as usual. No standouts in the rest of the pen though. This could be a problem. Let’s just hope a dream season from King Felix doesn’t get torpedoed by the likes of J.J. Putz and Clint Nageotte.

I am predicting that the starting pitching will be good to very good although the pen is a real problem. The lineup can make some noise especially if Reed and Beltre can live up to expectations. Doubt we’ll see the putridity of the last 2 years with this team.

That’s all for today. Look for part 2 of the AL West later this week. Meanwhile here’s a teaser for ya, local news style.

A certain baseball team that claims to be from one city is actually from another, are your children safe? We’ll tell you, right after this.

Tuesdays with Pauly - NBA Exchange

2006-02-28T11:09:00.000-05:00

Most fantasy hoops trade deadlines are coming up this week or next. The following is some BUY/SELL advice for those of you trying to shake up your rosters for the stretch run.

BUY:
C Yao Ming – T-Mac may be struggling lately but Yao has been super-fantastique. Shaquie Chan is still only 25 years old and entering the prime of his career. The foot injury that sidelined him for a month is all but forgotten and Yao is ready to finish the ‘05-’06 season as the #1 center in the league. With 35+ minutes every game this past week, the 7'6" Chinese National has absolutely dominated opponents to the tune of 27/16/2, 55%FG, 85%FT and 1.5 bpg. Yao is the complete package at center and should be a 1st round pick for several years to come.

G/F Josh Smith – Everybody knows the high-flying Josh Smith has tremendous shot-blocking ability for a swingman, but now he’s becoming more comfortable on offense as well. Smith is crashing the boards and scoring more now with consistent minutes. His shooting percentages will hurt you, but take a look at his overall numbers since Valentine’s Day: 14/10/4 with a preposterous 4 swats a night! The young Atlanta Hawks are trending upwards (7-6 record over the last month) and J-Smooth can help your team do the same.

G/F Josh Childress – Childress has not started a game since before Thanksgiving, but has proven to be a reliable fantasy contributor off the bench. J-Chill has really stepped up his game over the last month averaging 14/6/2, 0.7 threes, 1.3 steals, and sensational percentages (59%FG, 82%FT). He’s gotten very comfortable in his reserve role and is getting a hearty 33 minutes a night in February. Childress should continue to progress the rest of this season and can help you make that playoff push.

PG Mike James – What a pleasant surprise the journeyman point guard has been this season. Over the last month MJ has been spectacular, putting up second-round-type averages of 23/3/6 with 2.7 treys and 48%FG shooting. James is playing like a legitimate #1 fantasy PG and is a great guy to target in a trade.

G/F Morris Peterson – Another Raptor who’s been steady all year and is heating up lately, MoPete has been rather underrated this season. 19/5/2 with 2.8 threes and more than 2 steals over his last dozen games... those are numbers that can help propel any fantasy team to the top of the standings.

SELL:
PG Sam Cassell, PF Chris Webber, G Allen Iverson – All three have been great this year and have miraculously stayed healthy. Something's gotta give though... 2 out of 3 will probably miss significant time before season’s end. Plus, A.I. has hit only one three-pointer in all of February. (See if you can swap Iverson for Pierce or Arenas)

PG Stephon Marbury – Let’s put it this way, I’d rather have Rafer Alston than a healthy Starbury right now. His bum shoulder has given him problems for weeks and the situation in New York is an absolute mess. At this point, Orlando’s Carlos Arroyo could have more value down the stretch. (You may want to target a PG like Mike James or Delonte West if you can get a gullible owner to bite on name recognition.)

F/C Raef Lafrentz – Raef’s already limited fantasy value will go back to nil when big men Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins return from injuries to Boston's lineup later this week.

NBA: Second-Half Saviors?

2006-02-27T00:25:00.000-05:00

Some of you might find yourselves at the bottom of the standings in your fantasy basketball leagues and may feel that you don’t have a shot at a second half comeback. Well, considering there are less than 30 regular season games left, if you are in the cellar you’re probably done. But for those of you in the middle of the pack, you’re still very much in the thick of things. Whether your league is roto or head-to-head, there’s still enough time to recover from those draft day mishaps (Marbury/Francis), injuries (O’Neal/Okafor), and boneheaded management decisions (trading Billups for Boozer and Deron Williams in November). The following is a list of players who are likely to improve their numbers in the second half and could help carry your team to a championship. Some were first half disappointments who are ready to recover, while others now have an opportunity to shine due to recent trades or injuries.

PG Raymond Felton – Chris Paul may be the runaway pick for Rookie of the Year, but fellow ACC point guard Raymond Felton has a good chance of keeping pace with Paul the rest of the way. Check out their February numbers: Paul’s 16/4/9 with 1 trey and 2.4 steals -versus- Felton’s 17/5/7 with 1.6 threes and 1.6 thefts. Keep in mind Raymond is putting up those stats playing alongside PG Brevin Knight who is averaging 14 pts and 10 dimes himself this month. Felton could feasibly start to outperform Paul if injury-prone Knight were to miss any time. Ray actually scored 31 points, a season high for ALL rookies, the other night at Phoenix. Now, as an everyday starter the rookie out of Chapel Hill is primed for a brilliant second half.

F/C Tyson Chandler – After being a complete dud for the first 10 weeks of the season, Chandler has really stepped up his game since returning to the starting lineup about a month ago. Over his last 16 games he’s managed a very impressive 8/13/1 on 66% shooting, plus 1.3 bpg. The five-year veteran is still only 23 years old and he appears to be over his early season health concerns. It’s encouraging to see Chandler playing 30+ minutes a night these days and his steady work on the glass and defense make him a great contributor to your fantasy squad. Also consider: F/C Jeff Foster... virtually a Chandler clone, except he's less reliable and has no upside.

PF Al Jefferson – For those of you that drafted him, anything Jefferson does in the second half will probably be too little too late. Al suffered a couple of injuries at some very inopportune times this season. Notably, a hobbling injury during the preseason thwarted any chance at a starting gig early on, and then shortly after Mark Blount was traded Jefferson sprained his ankle and lost an opportunity for an increased role. So he’s disappointed us with limited playing time and inconsistency most of the season, but now it’s time to welcome Big Al back with open arms. Just look at what 2nd round draft pick Ryan Gomes has been doing lately (three straight double-doubles) with a full workload while both Jefferson and Perkins are sidelined. Jefferson is due back sometime this week and I expect him to get into a groove rather quickly to finish the year strong, much like he did last season.

C Nazr Mohammed – Probably the hottest pickup this week, Mohammed is averaging 12 pts, 11 boards and 2.5 blocks per game over his last four. The eight-year veteran supplanted Rasho Nesterovic as the starting center in San Antonio’s lineup last week. Rasho’s overall stats have been on the decline for three straight years now and it appears Coach Papa has had enough. In 51 starts this season, the 7-foot Slovenian has reached double digit rebounds in only one game, while Mohammed has a whopping 45 boards in his last four contests. Mohammed was a double-double machine last year in New York, so we know that he is capable of keeping it up. Nazr should continue to see plenty of minutes as a starter and is an excellent addition for the remaining games this season.

F/C Chris Wilcox – If the former Terrapin wants to have a monster second half he will. Wilcox has superior talent and all he needs to excel at the pro level is to stay focused and motivated. The Clippers got tired of his inconsistency and lack of effort so they decided to ship him north in exchange for a 6’10 European sharpshooter. Wilcox should have plenty of incentive to play hard, and these next two weeks are key. With pasty big men Nick Collison and Robert Swift both out for the time being, Wilcox will be given every opportunity to win a permanent starting spot at the four. I really think the rest of this season will be a crucial phase for Chris. If he plays up to his potential and remains consistent it should mark the beginning of a long and successful NBA career, but if he falters he runs the risk of falling into the dreaded “Stromile Swift Syndrome.” Let’s just wish him the best.

F Travis Outlaw – Portland's centers Theo Ratliff and Joel Przybilla are both out for the next couple weeks with injuries. Third-string center Ha Seung-Jin will not be able to contribute more than 10-15 min a night, so the Blazers will be forced to go with a smaller lineup for the foreseeable future. 21-year-old Travis Outlaw was inserted into the starting lineup Friday and could flourish if he can hold on to a starting spot. Also keep in mind that both Miles and Randolph are injury risks, so if either were to go down that should guarantee Outlaw major minutes. In four starts this season Outlaw is averaging 10/6/2 with 1.3 steals and 1 block per game. Unspectacular, but solid and efficient. T.O. is a super-athlete who is ready to showcase his talent in his third season in the league. 12/7/3 and 1.5 steals/blocks down the stretch would be a welcome addition to most fantasy teams. The 18-37 Trail Blazers should get Telfair, Webster, and Outlaw plenty of minutes in an effort to develop the young players and see what they got going into next season.

PG Marcus Banks – Most of us considered the former lottery pick a bust and a throw-in as part of the Celtics/Timberwolves trade last month, but Marcus is starting to raise some eyebrows in Minnesota. Offseason acquisition Marko Jaric has been deemed a mistake and Banks has been getting more and more playing time ever since coming to town. As a matter of fact, the young point guard out of UNLV got his first start last night and turned in an impressive line of 13/5/8 with 3 steals, a block, and just one turnover. Look for Banks to hang on to the starting job and to be a viable fantasy contributor from here on.

PG Shaun Livingston – In the NBA it’s all about opportunity. If Sam Cassell were to go down with an injury (isn’t he way overdue?), Shaun would likely step up and not only fill-in nicely but probably produce better fantasy numbers than the 60-year-old extraterrestrial. Livingston has not really had a chance to get into a rhythm this season mostly due to the Clippers’ success with Cassell at the helm. Los Angeles maintains the third best record in the West (31-23) and Coach Dunleavy knows this is not the time to get his underage point guard the quality minutes he needs to get through his growing pains. Dunleavy has actually toyed with his lineup (mostly b/c of injuries to Maggette and Ross) a few times this season and started the 6’7 Livingston alongside Cassell, but not to much success. Young Shaun probably won’t have any value the rest of this season unless Cassell were to go down, but since it is a very real possibility (maybe it’s just a hunch) you gotta keep him on your radar.

ALSO: I wanted to include Orlando’s recently acquired F/C Darko Milicic and PG Carlos Arroyo, but I think they may get their own post later in the week.

Do you have any other candidates for “Second-Half Saviors”?

2006 Fantasy Football Outlook

2006-02-19T11:52:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday, the NFL season is over, and I have no idea what to do with myself. Might as well start planning for next year's fantasy draft. Here's a quick snapshot of what the first round of your 2006 draft might look like:

1. Larry Johnson - How many owners made the playoffs last year riding this guy's coat tails? In some leagues he may have been a waiver wire pickup, but in most cases he was drafted in the late rounds in case Priest Holmes went down. Holmes did go down, and LJ's stock skyrocketed. Johnson finished the year with 1750 yds and 20 TD's - this after only becoming the full time starter in Week 9. As a starter he never once rushed for less than 100 yds, and had two performances of over 200 yds. Behind one of the most dominant rushing offensive lines in the league, LJ is a clear cut #1 pick.

2. LaDainian Tomlinson - LT has been atop the first round list for several years now and there is no reason why he won't be just as productive as previous seasons in 2006. He finished with 1462 yds and 18 TDs on the ground and was able to haul in 51 receptions for an additional 370 yds and 2 TDS. With San Diego QB Drew Brees suffering a late season injury, his future with the team is certainly up in the air. This may or may not have a direct effect on Tomlinson's productivity. Keep an eye on the QB situation in San Diego.

3. Shaun Alexander - He led the league in rushing yards and rushing TD's. He won the NFL MVP award. So why is he not first on the list? Two reasons. 1) He is yet to re-sign a contract with Seattle and 2) the Seahawks have been rumored to be shopping left guard Steve Hutchinson for a defender (Ravens' MLB Ray Lewis leads the list of candidates). Hutchinson was a key factor in Alexander's success along the left side of the line. If Alexander re-signs and Hutchinson is gone, his numbers will suffer as a result. Jacksonville, Arizona, and Carolina, have all shown interest in Alexander. There is no guarantee that any of these teams will be a good fit for him.

4. Edgerrin James - Another great year for Edge (1506 yds, 13 TDs). However, it looks like it won't be enough for the Colts to keep him. Rumor has it that WR Reggie Wayne will be re-signed, while James will miss out on the fun. Look for him to sign with one of the teams in the running back market (Arizona, Jacksonville, etc)

5. Tiki Barber - I'm not sure how he keeps doing it, but Barber finished 20 yds behind the league MVP and rushed for over 1500 yds for the second straight season. The emergence of young QB Eli Manning and WR Plaxico Burress has opened up the Giants playbook and allowed Tiki to run free with the field spread. Tiki is one of the best pass catching RB's in the league as well, hauling in 54 balls last season.

6. Peyton Manning - The only quarterback to make the list this year, Peyton continues to be the cream of the crop at his position. He's a student of the game, makes very few mistakes, and is a consistent fantasy performer. It looks as though the Colts will commit to re-signing all of the receiving options they have, but with Edgerrin James mostly likely leaving town, how will this effect the passing game? Edge is more than an exceptional runner, he is an outstanding blocker, and knows this offense well. Look to see what Indy does via the draft to fill his big shoes.

7. Clinton Portis - I would have liked to put Clinton higher on the list, but I don't want my hometown biases to get in the way of my objective analysis (GO SKINS!). Portis has rushed for 1500+ yds in 3 out of his last 4 seasons. He has been consistent, has managed to avoid the injury bug, and with newly acquired offensive coordinator Al Saunders, the sky is the limit. Portis' rushing attempts will most likely go down, but the quality of each carry will improve with an revamped and more dynamic passing game. His TD total will likely see the greatest improvement under Saunders.

8. Steve Smith - After a season ending injury in week 1 of the 2005 season, Smith rebounded with the best year of his career in 2006. He led the league by posting 1563 yds and 12 TDs. Although it may he hard for Smith to duplicate those numbers again, his stats cannot be ignored. As long as Carolina has some sort of running game, and the number 2 and 3 receivers on the team can contribute at all, Smith should produce again.

9. Anquan Boldin - If this guy can stay healthy, he's the best receiver in the league. He has a great combination of size, power, and speed. In only 14 games he finished with 1402 yds and 7 TDs. With Arizona looking to improve their running game, and Larry Fitzgerald on the other side, Anquan is due for his best season yet. Look for his TD total to improve in '06. Draft him with confidence.

10. Rudi Johnson - Rudi claims that he tore cartilage in his knee sometime during the second game of the season and wasn't fully healthy all year long. Pretty impressive for a guy who ran for 1458 yds and 12 TDs. He has had off-season surgery and says that he will be ready for mini-camp later on this year. There are, however, rumors that RB Chris Perry could see an expanded role in 2006. The definition and extent of that expanded role could be directly correlated to how Johnson's knee looks early on.

11. Chad Johnson - The gold-toothed, loud-mouthed, river dancing Chad Johnson posted the best year of his career last year with over 1400 yds and 9 TDs. Although he can be considered among the elite receivers in the league, QB Carson Palmer's knee injury in the AFC playoffs is extremely concerning. Without a healthy Palmer, Johnson's value deminishes considerably.

12. Larry Fitzgerald - Although Fitzgerald had the better statistical year than Boldin, he did play in 2 more games, and saw mores single coverages than his counterpart. A phenomenal athlete with a knack for going up and getting the ball, Fitzgerald's numbers should mirror last year's performance. Look for Larry's yardage to dip slightly with his TD total staying put.

13. Lamont Jordan - Lamont finally got his opportunity to be a featured back with the Raiders last year, and he did not disappoint. His numbers were nothing to compare to the elite backs of 2005, but he made my list based on the potential he has for next season. Jordan found that his number of carries dwindled during the second half of games, as the Raiders often times went to the air in attempt to make the score competitive. Under old-school head coach Art Shell, Lamont will get his carries and will also be a big contributor in the passing game as he was last year. A break-out season is on the horizon.

14. Antonio Gates - Yes, a TE in the first round. Antonio Gates is no ordinary TE however. This guy produced more fantasy points than 90% of the league's wide receivers. In 15 games he accounted for 1101 receiving yds and 10 TD's. Outside of Ladainian Tomlinson, he is the first option on offense in San Diego (and he's a TE).

Who got shafted from my list? Who doesn't belong?

Tuesdays with Pauly - NBA Appeal

2006-02-07T21:26:00.000-05:00

Dead Sexy:
PG Raymond Felton – A top candidate for a second-half breakout, Felton is getting comfortable as a starter in the Bobcats’ lineup. Despite playing out of position, the rookie has flourished starting alongside veteran PG Brevin Knight. Save for one game he left early due to injury, the former Tar Heel is putting up 19/6/10 with 1.6 treys and 2 steals a night over the last ten days. He has officially taken SG Kareem Rush’s starting spot in the rotation, and there is always the possibility of either Knight or Rush being traded, thus solidfying Felton’s already rising value. Go get him if you can!
G/F Mickael Pietrus – Averaging 15/5/2 with 1.8 threes and 1.2 steals in six games since replacing zombie Mike Dunleavy in Golden State’s starting lineup, the pride of Guadeloupe has caught the eye of many in the fantasy hoops world. The Warriors have been taking their time with the youngster, watching him develop and steadily improve his numbers in his third season in the pros. An athletic swingman who can do just about everything, Mickael is an intriguing pickup with good prospects for the second half of the season. As long as he’s starting in Oakland he should be starting for your fantasy team as well.
SF Jumaine Jones – He is playing for his fifth team in six years, but JJ has been doing an admirable job filling in for injured Bobcats’ SF Gerald Wallace. Jones reminds me a lot of Employee #8 Antoine Walker with his squandered size and a penchant for jacking up as many three-pointers as possible. He’s been a reserve or spot starter his entire career, never averaging more than 10 points in a season, and that is exactly the role he serves for your fantasy team: a short-term pickup. It’s hard to believe that the journeyman will only have 26 candles to blow out on his birthday this Friday (I would have guessed 30 before looking it up). Over his last 9 games in Charlotte’s SLU, Jones is averaging 16/6/1 with 2.3 treys and 1.3 thefts per game. He is a definite start as long as Wallace is sidelined.

Good Lookin':
PG Marcus Banks – Most considered Banks as a throw-in for the T-Wolves in last month’s blockbuster trade with Boston. Marcus has been making the best of his 29 mpg off the bench (14/2/4), and is now vying for more playing time and perhaps a starting gig if Marko Jaric doesn’t get his act together. Jaric actually registered a DNP-Coach’s Decision last night while veteran Anthony Carter got the starting nod and Banks saw 34 minutes of action. Keep an eye on this situation and stash the former Celtic on your bench if you can.
F/C Raef LaFrentz – A perpetually crowded Celtics frontcourt has suddenly thinned out following the departure of Mark Blount and an injury that will keep Al Jefferson out until after the all-star break. I’ve never been a fan of the former Jayhawk, but you can’t dismiss Raef’s combination of 3-point and shot-blocking ability from the center position. He should see at least 25-30 mpg for the next couple weeks and is a decent short-term pickup for those in need of a second center.

Gettin' Ugly:
PF Vladimir Radmanovic – Last month, shortly after new coach Bob Hill inserted Radmanovic into Seattle’s starting lineup, I was ranting and raving about the promising outlook for the rest of his season. An unrestricted free agent by year’s end, Radman had plenty of incentive to produce, plus he was the starting PF for the second-highest scoring team in the NBA. He hit 8 three-pointers at MSG on January 8th and looked to be one of the season’s best fantasy waiver wire pickups. Fast forward 30 days, and Vlad-Rad is being shown the door by many of his owners. His minutes have decreased steadily the last couple weeks and he’s averaging 8/5/2, with an ugly 35%FG and less than one rainmaker over his last 11 games. Plus, to add injury to insult, he just sat out last night with a strained quad muscle. "Outlook not so good," after all.
PG Marko Jaric – Another Eastern European baller, Marko Jaric has disappointed many of us who had high hopes for him this season. The table seemed set for the former Clipper to have a breakout year when he replaced the ostensibly old/frail Sam Cassell as the Timberwolves starting point guard. Instead, Marko has actually regressed this season – averaging less than 10 pts / 5 assists per game and struggling from behind the arc. The Minny/Beantown trade also happened to land the ‘wolves another young PG in Marcus Banks, who has been cutting into Jaric’s minutes. In the meantime, Cassell has inexplicably stayed healthy and helped lead the Clips to a 29-12 record (4th best in the West) thus far. Who knew?

SUPER BOWL XL - Predictions

2006-02-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

Ask anyone their prediction for Super Bowl XL and they'll give you an answer. So I hit the mean streets of suburbia in search of the popular consensus as to which team would prevail in this year's big game. Not to my suprise, everyone's got an opinion... The UPS guy who delivers to my job says the Steelers win in a laugher, while making refferences to what Steve Young and the 49ers did to the Chargers back in SB XXIV (SF49-SD 26). I was throwing darts with some random guy at the bar on Friday night who told me that TOM Hasselbeck would be the MVP of the game and that Seattle would win by 10. I got my haircut at a new barber shop on Wedendsay morning, so I had to ask the nice Asian lady working on my mop for her two cents. After telling her which two teams were in the game, she yelled "PITSBURR!" without any hesitation. And last but not least, whenever I'm in a gambling funk, I go back to my roots and get the opinion of the one person who has no idea - my wife. I'd venture to say that she predicts correctly at around a 90% clip, simply based on the color of uniforms, what landmarks are associated with each city, and what celebrity is from there. This time her answer was one I couldn't ignore.

"So honey, who's gonna win the Super Bowl? Steelers or Seahawks?"
"Steelers are from Pittsburgh right? And Seahawks are from where?"
"Seattle. So who do you like?"
"Seattle."
"Why, Seattle?"
"Because your mom was born is Seattle and 'Steelers' sounds stupid"

Seattle it is. My mom was BORN in Seattle. It's a no-brainer. And seriously, 'Steelers' isn't exactly the most creative of names is it? It does sound stupid. God, my wife is so smart.

Let's analyze this pick a little more carefully. One can say that Pittsburgh is more battle tested, comes from a tougher conference, and has played the tougher schedule. But Seattle has won 13 of its last 14 games, with the one loss coming in a meaningless game in which NFL MVP Shawn Alexander was pulled in the second half. This is going to be a close game from start to finish, but Seattle will have too many weapons on offense and too much speed on defense (especially on Ford field's indoor turf). With the media focus being on Jerome Bettis, the Steeler coaching staff will most likely come out of the gates throwing. While big Ben Roethlesburger is a stud and makes very few mistakes, I see his Super Bowl stat line being very similar to the performance he turned in against Cincinnati during their last regular season meeting. Alot of yards, touchdowns, AND interceptions. I think for the Steelers to win, Willie Parker, and not Jerome Bettis, will have to consistently tear off 7 and 8 yard runs, keeping the Seahawk defense vulnerable. While in order for Seattle to win, they will need to make Big Ben throw the ball, and more importantly, throw the ball to Seahawks. And he will.

Take the 4 points those clowns in Vegas are giving you and enjoy the win.

SEATTLE 24 - Pittsburgh 23

Super Bowl XL MVP pick - Darrell Jackson (128 yds, 2 TD's)
Super Bowl XL MVP pick (dark horse) - Lofa Tatupu (sack, fumble recovery, INT for a TD)

Shut Up D-Nabb

2006-02-02T00:49:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how tired I am of people using the race card where it simply doesn't make sense. And now that it's come from someone who I thought was an intelligent, analytical player, and someone who was above using it, I'm ready to gripe. Everyone knows Terrell Owens deserves a kick in the teeth for all the dumb things he's said throughout his career, especially when it comes to his relationship with Eagles QB Donovan McNabb.

During the NFL's regular season, ESPN's Michael Irvin made several comments about the struggling Philadelphia Eagles. One comment stated that if Brett Favre had been quarterbacking the Eagles instead of D-Nabb, that the team would be 5-0 (they were 3-2 at that point). So a few days later, Terrell Owens was asked what he thought of Irvin's comments, to which he replied: 'I think that's a fair assessment, if we had Brett Favre we'd probably be undefeated.' Maybe not the best answer, but he answered the question regardless.

In a recent interview Donovan McNabb lashed out saying, "That's like me going out and saying, `Hey, if we had Steve Largent. If we had Joe Jurevicius. It was definitely a slap in the face to me. It was a slap in the face because, as deep as people want to go into it, it was black-on-black crime." WHAT?!?
He went on...."It's different to say, `If we had Michael Vick or Daunte Culpepper or Steve McNair or Byron Leftwich,"(four black starting quarterbacks) "But to go straight to Brett Favre, that kind of just slapped me in the face like, `Wow ..."'

So essentially, D-Nabb is offended that he wasn't compared to another black quarterback.

First of all, let's look at why Irvin (not T.O.) decided to use Favre as an example... His opinion was based on the fact that McNabb was currently struggling with a multitude of injuries and Brett Favre, a certain Hall of Famer, had just led the 0-4 Packers to a 52-3 win over the Saints. Irvin was feeding off Favre's 3 TD performance, and what looked to be a team turning the corner with Favre at the helm.

I'm not one to defend Terrell Owens, but he was simply asked a hypothetical question and answered it. He wasn't asked which quarterback in the league is better than yours. He wasn't asked to name a list of players who would be a better fit in Philly. And although I don't agree with T.O.'s answer, he wasn't being racist. He was giving his take on a comment that Michael Irvin made and was asked to remark on it. For Donovan McNabb to call this a "black-on-black crime" is simply ridiculous. It was McNabb's comments that should be deemed unreasonable. How dare you compare me to that white quarterback Brett Favre! He's white! He can't be better that me! I'm sure Brett's feeling good right now after reading McNabb's rant. McNabb's choice of two white wide receivers was surely no accident either. What did Congressman Steve Largent do to you? Or Joe Jeruvicius? Huh? Do you think Tim Dwight and Brandon Stokely are pissed they were left off the list?

Shut up D-Nabb

Tuesdays With Pauly - NBA Appeal

2006-01-31T13:21:00.000-05:00

Dead Sexy:
F Danny Granger – Phew… The Ron Artest saga is finally over and Indiana can forget about the headcase and move on. Rookie Danny Granger stands to benefit the most from Artest’s departure. He is coming off back-to-back double-doubles and posted career highs of 21 pts, 14 boards, and 3 treys in his last outing. Peja Stojakovic makes his Pacers debut tonight, but Granger will likely get the starting nod at the four. Jermaine O’Neal is out for at least two months, which opens up plenty of opportunities and playing time for Granger. The versatile rookie out of New Mexico is a great pickup and should be a solid contributor the rest of the season.
F/C Tyson Chandler – The “baby bull” is now 23 years old and has yet to develop into a reliable fantasy player in his fifth season in the NBA. Big things were expected out of Chandler this year mainly due to the departure of fellow prep-to-pro Eddy Curry. After struggling with asthma and inconsistent minutes most of the season, Chandler has been a dominant force over the last 10 days. Undersized F/C Mike Sweetney was benched last week and Chandler has gone off since then. In his last four starts he’s averaging 12/14/2 with a ridiculous 78%FG, a steal, and two swats per game. If he’s still available on your waiver you need to scoop him up ASAP.
F/C Kendrick Perkins / PF Al Jefferson – As long as we’ve been waiting for these two 21-year-old ballers to get the minutes they deserve, it’s about time the Celt’s started fresh and shipped Mark Blount cross-country. Perkins (9/7/1, 2 blks, 60%FG since returning to SLU) is the safer bet to help your fantasy squad right away because he is seeing consistent minutes starting at center. Jefferson (11/8/0.4, 1 block, 49%FG over last 8 games), on the other hand, may be riskier but could very well push your team to the top of the standings by averaging a double-double the second half of the season. Note: Newly acquired C Michael Olowakandi should not be a factor, as Boston is committed to developing its younger players. (Plus he stinks)

Good Lookin’:
C Robert Swift – Much like the Celtics, the 18-26 Sonics appear to be in the midst of a youth movement. 20-year-old Robert Swift has reportedly been working and training hard to earn more playing time and was subsequently rewarded with a spot in Seattle’s starting lineup. The 7-footer replaced ineffective rookie C Johan Petro, and has excelled in his new role, averaging 10/9/0.4 and 1.4 blks in 5 starts. There’s no guarantee that Swift will hold onto his starting spot, but he should grab plenty of offensive rebounds for the league’s second highest scoring team. He is a decent pickup if you’re in need of a second center.
G/F John Salmons – Salmons replaced Kyle Korver in the Sixers' starting lineup a couple weeks ago in an effort to improve the team's play on defense. Salmons struggled in his first five starts, failing to post more than 9 points or 3 rebounds in a game, but has exploded in his last two contests (18/8/7), while Allen Iverson sat out with a sprained ankle. His performance in those two wins may have bought him some more time in the SLU and he should continue to make noise as long as AI is sidelined.

Gettin’ Ugly:
PG Bobby Jackson – It was a good run while it lasted. The feisty veteran delivered some nice numbers as a starter after Damon Stoudamire fell to injury, but recently acquired PG Chucky Atkins was given the start last night. B-Jax failed to score in only 18 minutes of play, and is now relegated to his familiar role as spark-plug off the bench. He’ll still have some good games occasionally, but he won’t be reliable enough to deserve a spot on your fantasy roster anymore.
G/F Grant Hill – The granddaddy of all injury risks is still out for another week, and he may not have much value even when he returns. Coach Brian Hill plans on bringing him back slowly, using him as the team’s “sixth man”. Grant Hill’s replacement, Hedo Turkoglu, has finally found his groove and is playing exceptionally well during his absence. Formerly disgruntled Steve Francis is also back to form, and Jameer Nelson who was on fire before missing time with a ankle injury is due back any day now. Orlando’s lineup is suddenly crowded and Grant Hill’s fantasy relevance may have come to an end.
F/C Emeka Okafor – Last year’s ROY has been a major disappointment this season. Okafor had already regressed from his rookie campaign with lower point and rebound averages and an ugly 41.5% shooting, before getting hurt. He has now missed 20 games due to a severe ankle sprain and the Bobcats announced yesterday that they expect their star PF to sit for “at least another five weeks”! Who knew a twisted ankle could keep a player sidelined for half a season? If you can get anything for him in a trade, go for it… Otherwise, you may need to dump him if you need the roster space.

Tuesdays With Pauly - NBA Appeal

2006-01-24T00:16:00.000-05:00

Dead Sexy:
PF Kenyon Martin – I gave up Martin and traded him away about a month ago in my league. I got decent value in return, so I’m not kicking myself quite yet. But if the oft-injured former #1 pick continues to put up numbers and remains healthy (ha!), then I may regret it. After frustrating owners with his terribly inconsistent play and DNPs over the first couple months of the season, K-Mart finally appears to be getting it together. Over his last 5 contests Kenyon is averaging 18pts, 11rbds, 1.2 stls, 1.6 blocks, and most importantly a robust 35.2 minutes per game. It’s only been two weeks since he missed his last game, so Martin is no sure thing. Just hold your breath and pray that his knee/back holds up.
G/F Jalen Rose – Currently averaging 12/3/2.5, worst since the 1998-99 season, Rose is obviously heading into the twilight years of his career. Jalen & Co. were thoroughly humiliated when Kobe dropped 81 points on their heads Sunday night, but his recent upswing should please his fantasy owners. He is now back in the starting lineup for the Raptors and over his last 8 games is averaging 21/3/4, 1.3 threes, and excellent shooting (52FG%, 84FT%). Young Chris Bosh is unquestionably the #1 option on the team, but if Jalen can keep up his scoring output (especially from long range) he makes a solid everyday starter.
G/F Hedo Turkoglu – Career reserve, Hedo Turkoglu has yet to live up to the potential many saw in him, and he may never. Despite his 6’10 stature, he looks more like a poor-man’s Peja Stojakovic at small forward, rather than anything resembling a Dirk Nowitzki in the frontcourt. The Turkish assassin is averaging a career high 31.4 mpg and is currently seeing even more playing time due to Grant Hill and Jameer Nelson’s injuries. Whether in the starting lineup or providing a spark off the bench Hedo may provide the help your fantasy team needs. He’s playing his best ball of the season in January, and is averaging 19/6/3 over his last 5 games. Pick him up and play him while he’s hot… Who knows, maybe one of these days he’ll unleash that inner beast.
F/C Melvin Ely – Ely will likely be a popular pickup this week if only because of the minutes he’ll see for the injury-depleted Charlotte Bobcats. Starters Emeka Okafor, Gerald Wallace, Kareem Rush and rookie Sean May are all currently out with various injuries. After sitting out with his own injury, Ely suits up for the first time in 2006 tonight at San Antonio. He has put up decent numbers in 5 starts this year (11/6/1, and 1.2 bpg) and should be in line for 30-35 minutes a night for the foreseeable future. As long as he can stay healthy, he should put up 15 and 8 with a couple swats a night. The Bobcats have dropped 11 of their last 12 games so they are desperate for someone to step up and make a contribution. The former lottery pick makes for a shrewd pickup right now.

Good Lookin':
F/C Eddie Griffin – This clown has probably bounced on and off your league waiver wire more than any other player out there. Eddie Griffin has always been a fantasy perplexity, showing flashes of greatness about once every full moon. He offers a unique combination of blocks and three-point range, but never seems to garner enough playing time to be a consistent fantasy starter. T-Wolves coach Dwane Casey basically gave up on former #1 pick Olowakandi and inserted Griffin into his starting lineup about a month ago. In 13 starts, Eddie G. has frustrated most fantasy owners by averaging only 24.7 minutes a night, but he has now at least entered the realm of fantasy relevance. He is coming off back-to-back double-doubles (15pts/12 rbds/3.5 blks) and faces the tenacious Detroit Pistons tonight. The Kandi Man has missed the last two games with a tooth-ache (poor baby), and its nice to see Griffin excelled with the extra playing time. The fact that Minnesota has been looking to trade for frontcourt help (namely C Mark Blount) is not encouraging, but this is definitely a situation to keep your eye on. I’d actually urge you to take a shot and pick Griffin up now because he at least always provides help in the blocks department (2.4bpg) and is now eligible at center.
G/F Michael Finley/Brent Barry – My sympathies go out to all those who drafted Manu Ginobili in the 2nd round with visions of him taking that next step to NBA superstardom this season. Ginobili can’t seem to shake the injury bug this year as he has gone down yet again with an injury to his right ankle. They called it a sprain, but Manu had to be carried to the locker room and coach Poppa was quoted as saying, "He'll be out a while, that's for sure." My guess is that he probably won’t see any action for nearly a month, but could be out even longer if there is any further damage to the ankle. When Ginobili missed time earlier this season Finley stepped in and filled the void, but it was fellow veteran Brent Barry who got the starting nod on Sunday. Both players have limited upside considering they’d be the third scoring option at best (behind Duncan & Parker), but whoever winds up with more playing time will have some fantasy value.
G Leandro Barbosa – The Brazilian point guard stepped into the Suns starting lineup after recently returning from a knee injury. Averaging 14/3/3 and 2 rainmakers over his last four games, Barbosa could be a decent plug-in for your lineup. The SG/SF situation in situation in Phoenix is rather murky, with Barbosa, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, James Jones, and Eddie House all competing for minutes. Diaw’s fantasy value takes a serious hit with Barbosa supplanting him in the SLU, so it may be a good time to shop him around to see what you can get. If the Suns keep scoring 150 points a night there may be enough to spread around after all.

Gettin' Ugly:
SF Kyle Korver – This pretty boy’s game has turned ugly real quick. Coach Mo’ Cheeks decided to sit him down in favor of John Salmons last week. The demotion is probably just a move to light a fire under Korver, and he may be back to his usual self in no time. Or perhaps Cheeks believes his sharp-shooting energy is more suitable coming off the bench. He is killing fantasy owners right now, averaging a measly 5 pts on 23% shooting over his last four games. You can’t really drop him, so hopefully Kyle will get it together soon. Just keep him on your bench until further notice.
F/C Ike Diogu – I’m not sure exactly what happened to Ike… after being promoted to the Warriors’ starting lineup last month he went on to shoot exceptionally well (62%FG, 83%FT), but was subsequently benched last week. He has scored 5 total points over his last four games, as his minutes have been reduced to next to nothing (7.7mpg) since returning to the pine. It’s no surprise that starting PF Troy Murphy and SF Mike Dunleavy have seen plenty of action and posted impressive numbers lately. I suspect that the Golden State front office may have asked coach Mike Montgomery to showcase one or both of his starting forwards as trade bait. If Murphy is traded, Diogu may very well take his starting spot at the 4, so be sure to keep tabs on him.
SF James Jones – J.J. was a sneaky pick on draft day after some spectacular preseason performances, but he has really gotten lost in Phoenix’s shuffle lately. Most of his value comes from his three-point shooting as it is, and now the play of Bell/Barbosa/Diaw has him lucky to get more than 20 minutes a game. Barring any injuries at the SG/SF spots, Jones is basically rendered useless.

Holy Kobe Cow!

2006-01-23T08:39:00.000-05:00

Kobe Beef is a legendary delicacy of Japan, a type of beef that is so well marbled that it goes right off the charts for Prime grading in any other country. The cows that produce Kobe Beef are massaged and fed beer to increase the quality of the meat, which costs an obscene amount, often $300 a pound or more for the real thing from Japan.

Being in the crowd to witness Kobe Bryant score an absurd 81 points en route to a comeback victory over the Raptors last night must have been better than sitting down for a Kobe Beef steak dinner in Tokyo. Chants of "MVP! MVP!" filled the Staples Center last night. It was the second highest point total of all-time next to Wilt Chamberlain's fabled 100-point performance in 1962. Michael Jordan never scored more than 69 in one game (and that took overtime). So does Kobe's incredible feat elevate him into the elite group of players considered the best to ever play the game? Probably. But let's take a moment to focus on what Kobe is doing this '05-'06 season. In his 10th year in the league, the 27-year-old is leading the league in scoring with 36 points per game. He has never averaged more than 30 in his career, so that is quite an incredible leap. He is shooting more than ever with 27.7 shot attempts per game, yet he's managing to hit a very respectable 45.2% from the floor - his best FG percentage since '01-'02. The Lakers are now 22-19 and in the thick of the playoff hunt, all thanks to the phenomenal one-man show. It was just a month ago when Bryant scored 62 in only 3 quarters of a blowout win over Dallas, and he has apparently taken his game to a new supernatural level. It seems he just recently discovered that there is absolutely no limit to his potential. Over his last 11 games he is averaging: 45.5 pts, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.8 steals and a whopping 3.8 three-pointers a night! If he keeps up anything near this pace he will be a top candidate in the league MVP race and probably wins MVP honors in most fantasy leagues. Many Kobe Bryant owners were discouraged by his relatively slow start to the season as he was hitting only 0.8 threes a night and shooting 42% from the field in November. Those that shrewdly bought low on the Laker earlier in the season are sitting pretty right now. In the world of fantasy basketball people say that points are overrated, but when a player dominates the category like Kobe has, he propels himself to top 5 status. LeBron and KG were consensus #1 and #2 picks this year, but when all is said and done don't be surprised if Kobe finishes the season on top. According to ESPN's player rater, Kobe's 36 points per game this year are more valuable than Ben Wallace's 12.7 boards, Sam Dalembert's 3.4 blocks, and Brevin Knight's 2.4 steals. MJ may have passed the torch to KB, but Kobe isn't ready to let go anytime soon... no matter what King James says.
No more hatin' #8.

Conference Championship Picks

2006-01-20T21:02:00.000-05:00

This was supposed to be the Colts’ year. Peyton Manning appeared to have exorcised his demons when Indianapolis crushed the Patriots 40-21 at Foxboro week 9. They seemed destined to cruise through the playoffs and win Super Bowl XL. They seemed like one of the greatest teams ever.
The Chargers knocked the wind out of the Colts’ sail and put an end to their quest for perfection by defeating Indy 26-17 on Dec. 18. Then, Coach Tony Dungy endured his family tragedy and the Colts, sadly, were never the same. It’s a shame that their magical season turned sour so quickly and ended with a first round exit in the playoffs. The game against the Steelers was unforgettable, yet tarnished by controversy. Manning was not himself when he placed blame on some of his teammates, but it was a devastating loss and he was talking out of frustration. Peyton is still the best quarterback in the league and he'll find his way to a championship in time.
With the Colts out of the picture, we now have a wide-open field with four teams remaining. The Broncos, Steelers, Seahawks, and Panthers are each very capable of winning it all, but let's try and pick some winners for this weekend’s Conference Championship games...

AFC Championship:
STEELERS (+3.5) at Broncos
It’s about time we give the Pittsburgh Steelers some credit, especially QB Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben is more than just an efficient quarterback who avoids mistakes and manages games. He has proven that he’s a big-game QB who makes things happen. Manning wants to blame his O-line, but Roethlisberger was the key to the Steelers slaying the Colts last week. The Steelers came into Indy with a perfect game plan and Roethlisberger executed. Bill Cowher and his coaching staff knew they had to take an early lead in order to defeat the seemingly invincible Colts. Ben came out firing and hit WR Antwan Randle El and TE Heath Miller for two scores in the first quarter. Manning was flustered for most of the game by the likes of Pittsburgh’s James Farrior (10 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Troy Polamalu (7 tackles and 1 INT err oops).
The Colt’s managed to limit the Steelers’ much-talked-about running game to 2.7 yards/carry with no rush for more than 13 yards. But the wackiness that ensued at the end of the game fell just short when Roethlisberger made the game saving tackle of his life. It was a wild game, but the Steelers dominated for most of it and proved to me that they are now the team to beat.
Now the Steelers visit INVESCO Field at Mile High where the Broncos are a perfect 9-0 this year. Some might be worried about a let down after defeating the mighty Colts last weekend, but Pittsburgh is playing with exuberance and confidence. The Steel Men have an attitude that says, “We don’t care if the league and its refs try to conspire against us! We will overcome and beat you down anyway!” Ok, maybe not Bill Cowher, but many of his players feel that way.
The Steelers and Broncos feature two of the most dynamic running games in the league with strikingly similar RB tandems. Jerome Bettis and Mike Anderson are the bruisers, while Willie Parker and Tatum Bell are the young slashers for their respective teams. Interestingly enough, each team is also stout against the run. Denver ranks #2 (85.2 ypg, 4.0 avg) and Pittsburgh #3 (85.5 ypg, 3.4 avg). With all the attention on the running backs in this game, the deciding factor will probably be the quarterback play. Here’s where I have to give the edge to Pittsburgh. Not only because of the poise and confidence that Roethlisberger has displayed this postseason, but he also faces the league's 29th ranked pass defense in Denver (227.7 ypg). Much hyped CB Champ Bailey (9 INTs this season including last week’s backbreaker against New England) is an exceptional athlete but he is still only one man. He’ll have the tough task of covering Steelers #1 wideout Hines Ward, and Roethlisberger is not afraid to spread the love either. WRs Antwan Randle El, Cedric Wilson and rookie TE Heath Miller are all viable secondary targets (Roethlisberger hit six different receivers last week on 14 completions). Denver will likely have trouble putting pressure on Big Ben considering they failed to sack Tom Brady last week and ranked 28th in the league this season with only 28 sacks.
Denver’s Jake Plummer has also been playing exceptionally well, but he faces Pittsburgh’s improving secondary and a defense that was 3rd in the NFL with 47 sacks.
This should be a good game between two evenly matched teams, but I have a tough time picturing Jake the Snake hoisting up a championship trophy. Ben Roethlisberger leads his STEELERS to Super Bowl XL after a 24-17 victory in Denver.

NFC Championship:
Panthers at SEAHAWKS (-3.5)
Carolina has been my pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl for a while now, but I’m afraid I have to pull the ol’ bait-and-switch on y’all. Last week I expressed some concern over Panthers’ dinged up RB DeShaun Foster and mentioned that he does have a “capable backup” in Nick Goings. Capable backup? Sure. Super Bowl-bound running back? I don’t think so. Foster is out now with a broken ankle and Carolina head coach John Fox was lamenting the fact that he placed RB Stephen Davis on injured reserve earlier in the year, thus excluding him from their playoff roster. Way to give your starting running back a vote of confidence this weekend John! Goings is no slouch, and you could even argue that he has a nose for the endzone (6 TDs in eight starts last year), but he still was an undrafted RB out of the University of Pittsburgh in '01. The Panthers’ backfield is starting to look like this year’s Packers. They’re running out of options as it is, and if Goings gets hurt what will be there next move? Send a scout to Nigeria to find the next Samkon Gado? Or perhaps give Ki-Jana Carter or Lawrence Phillips a call. My point is, DeShaun Foster has been an integral part of this playoff team and his injury really impedes Carolina’s chances on Sunday. I can't imagine Goings finding much room to run against a Seattle run defense (#5, 94.4 ypg) that held Clinton Portis to 41 yards on 17 carries last week. You now have the NFL offensive MVP, Shaun Alexander, facing off with Carolina's third-string backup, Nick Goings. Edge: league MVP.
Of course the Panthers still have their #1 weapon in WR Steve Smith. Will somebody please put a man on him? Or maybe two or three. Is there nothing opposing defenses can do to slow this freak down? Dallas managed to limit Smith to one catch for 18 yards in a week 16 win at Carolina. Mike Holmgren, I suggest you get on a conference call with Bill Parcells and his coaching staff… ASAP. Seattle ranked 25th against the pass, so they will inevitably have trouble dealing with the little squirt. If the Seahawks can find a way to contain Smith, they should have no trouble getting past the Panthers on their way to the Big Show in Detroit. They will also put plenty of pressure on veteran QB Jake Delhomme after leading the league in sacks (50).
On offense, Seattle can go a lot of different ways. Shaun Alexander may be limited due to the concussion he sustained last week and has typically been a “no-show” in the playoffs anyway. So don’t expect a monster game out of him. Matt Hassellbeck will again need to be the guy to lead the way this week. He shouldn’t have much trouble finding his favorite target, Darrell Jackson, who torched the Redskins excellent secondary last week for 143 yards and a score. WRs Joe Jurevicius, Bobby Engram, and TE Jerramy Stevens will also be in the mix. The Seahawks should look a little sharper this week as they get that “perennial playoff chokers” monkey off their backs. Matt Hasselbeck carries his SEAHAWKS to a 27-17 win.

Guess who?

2006-01-19T20:21:00.000-05:00

.

A good friend of mine, Mr. Jason Berger, was so gracious as to turn my attention to this wonderful gem. Please take a moment out of your busy schedules to get a good look at this picture. Does this lesbian look familiar? Of course she doesn't. You know why? Because before he left to Vietnam to rediscover his family roots, major league relief pitcher Danny Graves, was half the size of this ogre. GOOD GOD DUDE! What the hell happened to you? Get a haircut hippy, and mix in a salad while you're at it. Not in a million tries would I have guessed who this was without seeing the caption. Do the Cleveland Indians know he looks like this? Well, I guess they do now... Graves Returns to Vietnamese Homeland.

MLB Itch

2006-01-14T00:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know that the NFL playoffs are not even half way over, but I’ve had an itch to talk baseball all week long. And it's my blog, so I'll cry if I want to. I know it’s only January and there are plenty more off-season acquisitions to be made, but here are several teams who have caught my eye and made some interesting early pickups - some I agree with, some I most certainly do not:

Pittsburgh Pirates - Here's a team you love to root for, because they typically have a roster filled with tough, hard playing, underpaid nobodies. But this year, they've opened up the wallet (more like smashed the glass piggy bank) and are spending a little bit of money to sign more of the same tough, hard playing, underpaid guys who AREN'T nobodies. The additions of Sean Casey and Joe Randa give the Bucs a solid pair of corner infielders who have a knack for getting on base - although they don't exactly have the power numbers you'd like to get from those positions. Pittsburgh is also hoping that newly acquired veteran outfielder Jeremy Burnitz (24HRs) can generate that missing and much needed power. With budding stars Zack Duke (SP), Ryan Doumit (C), and Chris Duffy (CF), generating a buzz this off-season, I have yet another reason to keep hope alive for the Pirates in '06.

Baltimore Orioles - Oh my beloved Orioles. The plan was to sign nobody and complete a full decade of consecutive losing seasons. But Miguel Tejada had to open his big mouth didn't he? He had to ask that the O's bring in better players or he would demand a trade. So, to appease the fans as well as Tejada, the Orioles in their infinite wisdom sign Baltimore's favorite blast from the past Jeff Conine, washed up Red Sox legend Kevin "Cowboy-Up" Millar, and Cubs castoff Corey Patterson. Ughhh. What stinks as an O's fan is that these guys are good guys. Guys you want to cheer for. But Conine is old, Millar is past his prime and may have been an overachiever in Boston as it is, and the once highly touted Patterson batted .215 with 37 strikeouts in only 128 ABs last year. Yikes. As much as I want to root for these guys, I'm not sure that these were the signings that Tejada had in mind.

Washington Nationals - Who's idea was it to forget to ask second baseman Alfonso Soriano if he was cool playing some outfield this year for the Nats? Maybe checking with him first would have been a good idea by Washington’s front office folks before they decided to pull that 3-for-1 player deal with the Rangers. Soriano has said on several occasions, including the day of the trade, that he wouldn’t step foot on the diamond this season at any position other than second base. In fact, he even said it to the Rangers last year when that possibility was discussed. It is clear that Soriano only cares about being the greatest power hitting second baseman of all time. That would all be lost with a move to the outfield, where his bat would still be among the best in the game, but would lose its luster. I’m not sure that sending three players to Texas, including clubhouse favorite Brad Wilkerson, in exchange for a guy who doesn’t want anything to do with D.C. or the National League, was such a great idea. Even if Soriano does decide to suit up for the Nats in an attempt to boost his stock for next year’s free agent market, he won’t be happy when his homerun balls aren’t going yard anymore like they did in the good ‘ol days in Arlington. RFK is no Texas Stadium. To make things worse he’s not even the best second baseman in the D.C. - my man Jose Vidro is (barring a slow return from last year’s injury). Bottom line, it seemed like a good idea at first, but Washington didn’t think this one through.

NY Mets – I can’t argue with New York’s acquisition of career All-Star first baseman Carlos Delgado. And I understand that with Delgado’s injury plagued season last year, that the Mets would be wise to go out and get an insurance player to back him up. But Julio Franco was not the first name that came to mind. Do you realize how old this joker is? Methuselah Franco has 23 big league seasons under his belt, was born in 1958, and is turning 48 this year. I feel safe.

Oakland Athletics – Milton Bradley? Why would you sign Milton freakin' Bradley? This guy is an unstable, psychotic, racist, clubhouse cancer. He’s baseball’s poor man version of Terrell Owens, Keyshawn Johnson, and Ron Artest rolled into one. His record includes a beer bottle throwing incident with a fan, a scuffle with an African-American reporter he called an “Uncle Tom” and a “sellout”, an ongoing feud with former teammate Jeff Kent (also stemming from claims of racism), and a well documented string of domestic violence allegations spanning 11 months that saw 3 police visits to his home in response to 9-1-1 phone calls. At one point, I really thought that Bradley had the potential to be an All-Star after seeing him play in Cleveland. But his off the field problems have crushed those thoughts. I don’t know how the A’s can justify parting with their best young prospect in Andre Ethier for a guy with this much baggage. You want cancer? Chew tobacco. Don’t sign Milton Bradley.

Divisional Playoff Picks

2006-01-13T01:09:00.000-05:00

REDSKINS (+10) at Seahawks (unabridged version)
Shaun Alexander finally received the recognition he deserves this year, winning the league MVP award after scoring 28 times this season to break the league TD record. You think the NYGiants might be kicking themselves for selecting butterball Ron Dayne ahead of him in the 2000 draft? Shaun “T.Ditty” Alexander might as well be anointed MVP of the new millennium as well. The workhorse back has averaged nearly 20 TDs a year over the past five seasons and has yet to miss a game due to injury in his career.
The Redskins have their own star running back in Clinton Portis. The former Bronco turned in his third 1,500-yd campaign in four years, and scored 11 TDs this season (up from just 5 last year). While Portis has been great during the 6-game win streak (104ypg, 7TDs), Washington’s other offensive weapon, Santana Moss, has cooled off. After piling up 743 yards in his first 6 games of the season, Moss has caught for more than 83 yards only once since week 7. The main reason for Moss’s decline in the second half is that opposing defenses figured out that he is the ‘skins only legitimate WR and subsequently double-teamed him almost every play (David Patten was their second leading WR with an embarassing 22 catches for 217yds and 0 TDs). The Redskins should be looking to reverse this trend considering Seattle’s strength on defense is against the rush (5th in the league at 94ypg), not the pass. Going to emerging star TE Chris Cooley early and often will help alleviate some of the pressure on their lone wideout.
As Tony Kornheiser said yesterday, the Redskins were very, very lucky to come away with a victory in Tampa last weekend. Yes, their defense played well, but the ball definitely bounced their way and the refs ruled incomplete a game-tying TD catch that would have sent the game to OT (or possibly another 2-pt conversion heartbreaker). They also got some good (lucky) news this week when they heard safety Sean Taylor would NOT be suspended for spitting at Michael Pittman, and also former Seahawk CB Shawn Springs is expected to return from injury and suit up this weekend.
The Redskins’ offense was non-existent last week as displayed by their top three threats: Brunell (7 for 15, 41yds, INT), Portis (16 carries, 53yds, TD), and Moss (2 catches for 18yds). Injuries are hampering both Brunell and Portis, but they’ll definitely need a better showing in rain-drenched Seattle on Saturday to have a shot at advancing to the NFC Championship game.
The Seahawks may have had the best record in the NFC this year, but that’s really not saying much. Seattle also has a miserable history in the playoffs, losing their last six postseason games, and they now face the hottest team in the league.
The difference in this game will be Seattle's QB Matt Hassellbeck and the numerous weapons he has at his disposal. If Greg Williams’ defense focuses strictly on Alexander, then Hasselbeck will use the play action to burn them through the air. After missing a good portion of the season, #1 WR Darrell Jackson is finally healthy, 6’5 Joe Jurevicius had a career year with 55 catches and 10 TDs, and Bobby Engram is a great #3. Also, don’t forget about young tight end Jerramy Stevens who also posted career highs in catches (45) and TDs (5). NFL teams don’t go 13-3 by accident, and this one will be too much for the ‘skins to handle.
It’s been a fun ride for Washington and their fans, but… they will finally run out of steam this weekend. REDSKINS hang around, but fall short 27-20.

Patriots at BRONCOS (-3)
Those pesky reigning dynasty New England Patriots! I always underestimate Bill Belichick’s squad and they always win. So why should I stop now? Because I’m stubborn damn it. Ok, maybe the inexperienced Jaguars led by a rusty QB on the road weren’t the best pick to knock off the champs. The Patriots are currently playing much better than they were early in the season, but I still have my doubts. First of all, I’d really like to know how Tom Brady managed to throw for 4,110 yards this season without having a 1,000 yard receiver? Secondly, 31-year-old Corey Dillon (yes, he’s only a year younger than Curtis Martin & Marshall Faulk) struggled this season averaging 3.5 yds/carry en route to a pedestrian 733 yards on the ground.
The Broncos, on the other hand, have the best 1-2 RB combo in the league with Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell. They should combine for 150+ yards and a couple scores. QB Jake Plummer has been a lightning rod for criticism in years past, but put together perhaps his most efficient season to date by throwing for 3,366 yards, 18 TDs and only 7 INTs. Veteran WR Rod Smith and playmaker Ashley Lelie will get their opportunities to challenge that weak New England secondary (only the 49ers were worse defending the pass). As long as Jake the Snake doesn’t pull a Neil O’Donnell, the BRONCOS will win 24-17.

Steelers at COLTS (-9.5)
If you think the Steelers have a chance in this game you must have forgotten that it wasn’t until week 15 that the Colts suffered their first loss. A very good San Diego team, desperate for a win, came into Indy with the right game plan and beat a Colts team that was obviously worn out with all the talk about perfection. You must also have forgotten that the Colts crushed the Steelers 26-7 on Monday night Nov. 28th.
Don’t let the Steelers 31-17 rout of the Bengals last week fool you. Cincinnati was devastated by a potentially career-ending injury to stud QB Carson Palmer and they still managed to keep the game close with backup Jon Kitna under center until Pittsburgh pulled away late. The Steelers may have a formidable running game and a great coach in Bill Cowher, but what are RBs Willie Parker & Jerome Bettis gonna do when they find themselves down 21-0? Plus, I don’t think Cowher will be able to stop Peyton Manning unless he personally clubs the QB in the knee during pre-game warm-ups. The Colts are well rested, focused, and should play some inspired football after head coach Tony Dungy and family endured the tragic loss of his son last month. The Colts will cruise on their way to the Super Bowl and establishing themselves as one of the greatest teams of all time. Paul R.’s LOCK OF THE WEEK…. COLTS put the Steelers to shame 31-14.

PANTHERS (+3) at Bears
“Smashmouth football” is the name of the game. The #2 and #3 ranked defenses faceoff in this rematch from week 11. Chicago won the first meeting 13-3, but some things have changed since November 20th. The Bears have a new starting QB in Rex Grossman and the Panthers have a new featured back in DeShaun Foster. Defensive Player of the Year, Brian Urlacher, predicts that the first team to 13 points will win this game, and he’s right on target. This will be a hard-fought battle with both teams trying to control the game by running the ball. I am a little concerned about Foster’s nagging toe injury, but Nick Goings is a capable, albeit unspectacular, backup. There are two simple reasons why Carolina will prevail at Soldier Field on Sunday. First, is the playmaking ability of top wideout Steve Smith. He is always a threat to score (even on the ground as he did last week), and the Bears do not have a player of his caliber on offense. Second, and probably more importantly, is Carolina’s experience. Coach John Fox and QB Jake Delhomme own 4-1 postseason records, while Chicago’s coach Lovie Smith and QB Rex Grossman both make their playoff debuts this weekend. Plus, there’s something about Grossman’s decision to sit out the final week of the season, rather than prepare for the playoffs, that makes me think he’s not a team leader and will be prone to making mistakes in a big game like this. PANTHERS take one step closer to Super Bowl XL with a 20-10 victory.

Tuesdays with Pauly - NBA Appeal

2006-01-10T00:07:00.000-05:00

Dead Sexy (Hot Pickups)
PF Vladimir Radmanovic - It took a couple games for RadMan to get adjusted to his new starting gig, but he has come on strong in his last two outings. On Sunday he hit 8 (count 'em) three-pointers en route to scoring 30 against the Knicks, and last night he scored 15 and led all players with 12 rebounds. Don't forget he is 6'10 with the potential to become a Nowitzki-type PF in the future. Vladimir shoots tons of threes, so he'll run hot and cold, but he should definitely be in your fantasy lineup now that he finds himself starting for the NBA's third highest scoring team.
PG Rafer Alston - A miserable start and an injury led many fantasy owners to drop him, but Alston has returned with a vengeance in 2006. He has posted 15/4/8.5 along with over 2 treys and 2 steals per game in the new year. Alston has made it his New Year's resolution to bounce back and outperform fellow journeyman PG Mike James, whom he was traded to Houston for. Also, Rafer appears to be the #1 scoring option right now for an injury riddled Rockets team (Yao, TMac, D. Anderson). If you haven't already, pick him up and enjoy the ride.

Good Lookin' (Keep an eye on them)
F Travis Outlaw - Drafted out of high school three years ago, it's hard to say how good this super athlete could be. Outlaw only started 2 games in his career before being plugged into Portland's starting lineup last week. He has averaged 32mpg, 10/6/2 in three starts and should continue to get plenty of burn along with the rest of the kids in Portland. Plus, it's nice to know he's not afraid to shoot from long range (although he's only hit 1 of 20 this year). We'll be keeping tabs on Outlaw's progress.
SF Josh Childress - The former Stanford standout appears to have taken a step back in his sophomore season with most of his numbers down this year. In only 27mpg this season he has still averaged 1.3 steals and upped his shooting percentage to 53% from the floor and 56% (9 of 16) from long range. His multi-category contributions and fantasy upside make him an intriguing player to keep on your radar.
G Luther Head - When Luther Head plays 30+ minutes he has fantasy value even if only for his three point shooting. He's a streaky shooter who had some nice games when filling in for starter Rafer Alston earlier this season. With all the injuries that Houston is dealing with right now, the rookie guard should be in line for more minutes and could be a decent short-term pickup.
F/C Eddie Griffin - The notorious fantasy hoops tease, Eddie Griffin has started the last 6 games at Center for the TWolves in place of Olowakandi. He impressed with a monster game on Dec. 28th (22/12/2 with 4 blocks) but has since returned to his 20mpg, averaging an atrocious 5 pts and 4 rebounds a night. Lets hope he puts forth the effort to win the trust of coach Dwane Casey, so that he may get the minutes needed to become a roto stud.

Gettin' Ugly (Drop 'em if you have to)
PF Kenyon Martin - KMart is a very good fantasy player when he is healthy and playing consistently. The problem is, Kenyon has missed ten games this year and and was limited in several others due to lingering tendinitis in his knee. Never known for his durability, Martin has also missed time recently with a bad back. The opportunity for him to excel is there (Camby and Nene out), but he is posting career low numbers this season and it may be time to cut bait on the former #1 overall pick.
PG Chris Duhon - The former Blue Devil has been a decent fantasy contributor this year (10/3/6 with 1.7 treys and 1.2 steals per game) but he has been heading in the wrong direction during the Bulls current win streak. Duhon was recently benched in favor of veteran PF Othella Harrington, as Coach Skiles attempts to put a bigger lineup on the floor. The Hinrich/Gordon/Deng/Harrington/Sweetney starting lineup seems to be clicking and Duhon has seen his minutes decrease from 33 to 22 to 20 over the last 3 games. The streaky guard still has value in deeper leagues, but he cannot be reliable without consistent minutes.
F Michael Finley - Finley filled in nicely when starter Manu Ginobili was injured, but the Argentinian is back on the court and cutting into Finley's playing time. The veteran forward is 33 years old and more of a role player now for the loaded San Antonio Spurs. Feel free to drop him as there are probably better options available.
Celtics frontcourt - Wow, what a mess this has been all season. You have two soft veterans (Lafrentz and Blount) who are underachieving and two talented but raw youngsters (Jefferson and Perkins) not getting enough minutes to be consistent. Plus, the fact that Pierce, Davis, and West are the 1, 2, 3 scoring options isn't helping the situation either. Breakout candidate Al Jefferson may have to wait until Paul Pierce is shipped out of town before he starts to display his true potential. Steer clear of this headache at all costs.
PF Reggie Evans - A career 54% FT shooter, Evans was at least grabbing rebounds before being benched in favor of Radmanovic. He is now completely useless and you need to drop him like a bad habit.

Wild-Card Weekend Picks

2006-01-05T08:32:00.000-05:00

Wild-Card Weekend usually results in home-team favorites advancing to the next round, but I'm picking 3 out of 4 underdogs this week. I think every one of these games could go either way, but I am simply going with the superior team in my view, regardless of their seeding.

Redskins at BUCCANEERS (-2.5)
After a 5-6 start, Washington pulled off a rather impressive 5-game win streak to finish the season and roll into the playoffs. RB Clinton Portis has led the charge averaging 115 ypg and scoring 6 TDs over that span. The Redskins try to make it six in a row in Tampa this weekend as they should be eager to avenge their 36-35 loss to the Bucs in November. Momentum would appear to be on their side, but they may be running out of gas by the time they get to Florida on Saturday. You may be surprised to hear that the Buccaneers had the #1 overall defense in the league, yielding only 278 ypg this year (Redskins were #9, allowing 298 ypg). Rookie of the Year, RB Cadillac Williams, is back on track after a midseason slump. He is averaging nearly 100 yds rushing over his last 7 games. Redskin-slayer Mike Alstott should also see his share of touches. And let's not forget about the Bucs passing game... it was week 10 against the Redskins that Chris Simms had his breakout game, passing for 279 yds, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs. A key factor this weekend will be the status of underrated Redskin CB Shawn Springs. Listed as questionable, he probably won't suit up, and may be a liability if he tries to play through his groin injury. This opens up the door for Simms' favorite target, WR Joey Galloway (131 yds, 1 TD in week 10 matchup), to burn the Redskins on Saturday. The 34-year-old veteran had a career year, racking up 1287 yds and 10 TDs this season. Defensive Coach Greg Williams should also be mindful of WR Ike Hilliard who gets the start this week in place of injured/ineffective WR Michael Clayton. The Bucs at home will be too much for the mistake-prone Redskins to handle. BUCCANEERS advance after a 27-17 victory.

JAGUARS (+8) at Patriots
The Patriots have won 9 straight postseason games and hope to win their 4th Super Bowl in 5 years. They overcame some early season struggles to win the lowly AFC East and now look ready to make another run. This year's team, however, is simply not as good. Does their 26th ranked defense (330 ypg) look like that of a Super Bowl contender? Its unfortunate that the more dangerous Chargers and Chiefs both missed the playoffs this year due their tougher division and schedules. The only thing the Pats have going for them is their experience and of course coach Bill Bellichick. The 12-4 Jaguars, on the other hand, sport the 6th ranked defense (291 ypg) in the league and have plenty of talent on offense as well. You thought the Broncos had good running backs? Take a look at the Jags' backfield. RBs Fred Taylor, Greg Jones, LaBrandon Toefield, and Alvin Pearman have all proven themselves as effective ball carriers this season. They are all healthy and should be ready to grind it out in the cold weather in Foxboro. QB Byron Leftwich is set to return this weekend, but may be rusty after a five-week absence with an ankle injury. Veteran WR Jimmy Smith is still as solid as they come and young wideouts Ernest Wilford, Matt Jones, and Reggie Williams are all BIG targets that should be able to overpower the Patriots secondary. The Jaguars tend to play up or down to their competition, always making games close; but look for the better team to come away with the victory. JAGUARS upset the Patriots 23-20.

PANTHERS (+3) at Giants
A very interesting matchup in the Meadowlands on Sunday featuring several exciting stars on offense. The Giants were a surprise this year as Eli Manning matured at an impressive pace and led his team to their first division title since 2001. The off-season acquisition of bigtime WR Plaxico Burress was the smartest move the organization could have made to help the development of their young quarterback. The Giants' dynamic offense, anchored by MVP candidate RB Tiki Barber, was third in the league in scoring at 26.4 ppg. Will they have success against Carolina's 3rd ranked defense? The visiting Carolina Panthers have their own weapons to unleash as well. Diminutive WR Steve Smith managed to lead the NFL in catches (103), receiving yards (1,563), and TD catches (12). He should have a big game against a NYG secondary that ranks 27th against the pass. The emergence of explosive RB DeShaun Foster should not be overlooked either. The injury-prone back had his best game of the season last week in Atlanta, rushing for 165 yds and a TD. He is probable again this week and should deliver another solid performance. Carolina is still the team to beat in the NFC. PANTHERS win 31-24.

Steelers at BENGALS (+3)
These division rivals split during the regular season with each team winning on the road. The Steelers have rediscovered their identity and are riding a four-game win streak into the playoffs. The Bengals seem to be going in the other direction by dropping their last two games of the season after securing the division title. Pittsburgh's momentum and confidence could really overwhelm the inexperienced Bengals, but Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis should not let that happen. The Steelers will do everything they can to control the game and slow things down by feeding the rock to the Parker/Bettis combo. The most important factor in this game will be who gets on the board first. If the Bengals go up early by 10-14 points, the Steelers will be forced to throw the ball and may find themselves in a shoot-out that they cannot win. The Bengals may in fact abandon their running game, to a certain degree, in an attempt to force the shootout. The Steelers have been great against the run this year, but their pass defense has its holes. Look for Carson Palmer to throw the ball 40+ times and WRs Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh to combine for 3 scores. BENGALS will score enough points to win... 34-27.

Bowl Guide 2005 - BCS Edition

2006-01-02T03:24:00.000-05:00

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Jan. 2nd - Ohio State vs Notre Dame

After the national championship game, this year's Fiesta Bowl is sure to be the most compelling game to watch. Irish head coach Charlie Weis has turned a program that has struggled to regain its identity in recent years, into one of the most exciting offenses in the country. In a single season he seems to have recaptured the mystique that is Irish football. Lead by QB Brady Quinn and WR Jeff Samardzija, the Irish have been able to score on just about every team they've faced this year. Ohio State's linebackers led by AJ Hawk, have put their stamp on a fearless and nasty defense that flies to the ball and delivers bone crushing hits when it get there. This will be Notre Dame's toughest test of the year, and Ohio State will be facing the most dynamic offense it has seen this season. If Notre Dame has a weakness it's in their secondary. Buckeye QB Troy Smith will need to have early success running the option, in order to free up the secondary for the playaction pass. Notre Dame will have some success moving the ball, but Ohio State will be too dominant physically for the Irish. Troy Smith will be this game's MVP as he leads the Buckeyes both on the ground and in the air. Look for him to throw for 3 TD's and run one in himself. OHIO STATE 37- Notre Dame 27

Nokia Sugar Bowl - Jan. 2nd - Georgia vs West Virginia

Georgia's last game was a dominant win over LSU in the SEC championship game, and while West Virginia doesnt have the marquis win on their resume, they have quietly dominated the Big East all year. Nobody knows how good WVA stars Pat White (QB) and Steve Slaton (RB) can be against one of the best teams from a power conference like the SEC. But this could be te perfect stage to show us all. This may turn out to be a low scoring slugfest with both offenses struggling to find a nitch. Georgia QB DJ Shockley will find himself frustrated early on with the Mountaineer defense, but should be able to wear them down with a steady dose of QB sneaks and mid range passing game. Look for this to be close game through three quarters, with the Bulldogs forcing a late turn over in the passing game to escape with the win. UGA 23- West Virginia 17

Bowl Guide 2005 - Part VI

2006-01-02T03:20:00.000-05:00

AutoZone Liberty Bowl - Dec. 31st - Tulsa vs Fresno State

Fresno State was among the best teams in the country for the first 3 months of the season, but has since gone on a 3 game losing streak to end what could have been a marvelous year. Tulsa can score, and should not be underestimated in this spot. FRESNO STATE 34-Tulsa 24

EV1.net Houston Bowl - Dec. 31st - TCU vs Iowa State

Iowa State finished the year off with a disappointing loss to Kansas, but after what we witnessed from Kansas in their bowl game, maybe that loss wasn't as bad as we had originally assumed. TCU has alot of weapons on both sides of the ball, but their biggest strength and the reason they'll win is their overall team speed. They gang tackle on defense, and they have burners at the skill positions on offense. TCU 27- Iowa State 20

AT&T Cotton Bowl - Jan. 2nd - Texas Tech vs Alabama

The Red Raiders bring the best passing offense in the land to face an Alabama defense ranked second in college football. This will prove to be an interesting match-up. Alabama comes into this game on a two game losing streak, while Tech's nay-sayers point to a lack of quality wins on their schedule. Alabama QB Brody Croyle must prove that he can give the Crimson Tide enough spark on offense to compliment the effort the defense gives. He will. Barely. ALABAMA 23 - Texas Tech 21

Outback Bowl - Jan. 2nd - Iowa vs Florida

Iowa finished the regular season with nice wins over Wisconsin and Minnesota, and continues to improve. Florida has had an up and down year, but Urban Meyer's team has a lot of talent that he wants to showcase in this game. The question we want to see answered is whether or not Florida's Chris Leak can run the spread offense against the Hawkeye stingy defense, or will Iowa's speedy linebacker corps keep Leak off balance forcing him to make mistakes? This will be an emotional game filled and dictated by momentum swings. Leak will make one too many mistakes and cough the ball up late ending the Gators chances. Minor upset. IOWA 23- Florida 20

Toyota Gator Bowl - Jan. 2nd - Louisville vs Virginia Tech

I was one of many who thought that when Louisville QB Brian Brohm went down this year with an ACL tear, that the cardinals were finished. But backup Hunter Cantwell's performance since has been impressive and he along with workhorse RB Michael Bush (24 TDs) give Lousville a real chance to win this game. With classic familiarity Virigina Tech is showing signs of yet another late season collapse - losing to an overrated Florida State team in the ACC chamionship. Virginia Tech cannot allow it self to abandon the run as it did in that loss to the 'Noles. Although Louisville has more explosive offensive skill position players, Tech should be able to control both lines of scrimmage. As long as the Hokies are motivated to win this game rather than focusing on the fact that they could have been in a BCS game, they have the edge. Tech's defense is capable of shutting down just about anyone in the country, and Marcus Vick always gives you a chance on offense. Look for TE Jeff King and RB Mike Imoh to be the impact players. VIRGINIA TECH 27- Louville 23

Capital One Bowl - Jan. 2nd - Auburn vs Wisconsin

Other than not showing up for the season opener against Georgia Tech, Auburn has played consistenly great football all year. They are very balanced on both sides of the ball, complementing its bruising run game on offense, with a swarmingly fast defense to frustrate its opponents. Wisconsin does one thing, and one thing well - run the ball with Brian Calhoun. And that is what they will try to do here too. HC Barry Alvarez will be coaching his last game for the Badgers, so expect them to come out ready to play. Although his players want to send Alvarez out with a win in his finale, the Tigers will be too much to handle. They are too fast and too physical for Wisonsin, and they will pull them away late. AUBURN 28 - Wisconsin 13

NFL Week 17 Picks and Fantasy Observations

2005-12-30T11:33:00.000-05:00

I don't have many picks for the final week of the regular season because most games being played around the league this weekend are meaningless, but I'll give it a go anyway:

Redskins at EAGLES (+8)
The Redskins have won 4 straight and hope a win at Philly on Sunday will help carry their momentum into the playoffs. They could even win the NFC East with a victory and a NYGiants loss at Oakland on New Year's Eve. RB Clinton Portis is hitting his stride at the right time and young TE Chris Cooley has continued his career season with 5 TD catches in December. Portis and WR Santa Moss are 29 and 37 yards away, respectively, from setting single-season franchise records for rushing (1,432 yds) and receiving (1,436 yds), so they should get plenty of touches. Washington will stack the defensive line on Sunday to smother speedy RB Ryan Moats and invite Mike McMahon to throw the ball. Eagles coach Andy Reid would love nothing more than to knock a division rival out of the playoffs to finish the season, so look for the birds to be giving it there all. Thirdback Mike McMahon (he's not quite a quarterback nor a halfback) should not be starting in the NFL but he has the ability to make some things happen. The key to the Eagles' success on offense will be avoiding mistakes and getting the ball to Moats and rookie WR Reggie Brown in the open field. The Eagles will need a couple of big plays to hang with the Redskins, so don't be surprised if Andy Reid has some tricks up his sleeve. There is no reason why the 'skins shouldn't handle McMahon and the Eagles, but I'm going to stick with my long awaited upset special and pick Philadelphia. QB Koy Detmer may actually be the one that leads his team to a second-half comeback win. The Redskins in recent years have been notorious for getting their loyal fanbase excited, giving them false hope; only to let them down in the end. The Eagles will pull off the upset with the ball bouncing their way and a defensive/special teams score. Redskins 20 - EAGLES 21.

PANTHERS (-3.5) at Falcons
The Panthers finds themselves in a similar situation as the Redskins this weekend. They need a win to secure a playoff spot and could also win their division if the Saints do them a favor by knocking off the Bucs. Carolina lost their grip of the division lead with a couple of disappointing losses to Tampa and Dallas over the last three weeks, so now its crunchtime and they MUST come away with this victory. I still believe Carolina is the team to beat in the weak NFC (Seahwawks are soft and unproven, Bears have no offense, and the NFC East is a crapshoot). The Falcons' defense has been decimated by injuries, All-Star CB DeAngelo Hall is out, and fellow Pro Bowler Warrick Dunn is questionable with a pulled hammy. The Panthers' fast defense has been able to contain Michael Vick in the past and should do so again on Sunday. Carolina RB DeShaun Foster will have a big game on the Georgia Dome turf, and both wideouts Steve Smith and Drew Carter should find the endzone. PANTHERS win 27-17 as they get geared up for the playoffs.

Well, that's all the picks I got for you this week; so check this out...

Fantasy Observations:
I was just knocked out of the playoffs in my fantasy league last week. Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne inevitably did me in by warming the bench when I needed them most. I could also complain about Terrell Owens, but I knew the risk when drafting the headcase and I probably wouldn't have made the playoffs without him, since he carried my team the first half of the season. So how about some last minute fantasy observations for those of you still fighting for that league championship this weekend.

Plug them in:
RB Julius Jones - Most Julius Jones owners probably didn't make the playoffs because of the terrible season he's had, but if you survived with him on your team or traded for him you should be giddy heading into your fantasy championship game. He has an ideal matchup this week as the Cowboys face a terrible Rams defense in a game they must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. After struggling all season with injuries, Jones snapped out of his funk and exploded for 194 yds and 2 TDs last week at Carolina. Julius will finish the regular season with a bang as he tops that performance in primetime Sunday night.

QB Josh McCown - Arizona coach Denny Green has been playing musical chairs at QB all season and an injury to Kurt Warner has put Josh McCown back in the saddle again. The young quarterback will be airing it out all day against the Colts seccond-string defense. The best 1-2 combo in the league, WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, will have an absolute field day. McCown just might be the best fantasy start at QB for week 17. Expect 300+ yards and 3 TDs as McCown makes his final audition for next year.

RB DeShaun Foster - The Panthers' tailback has been limited in practice this week but should be ready to go on Sunday in Atlanta. As mentioned above the Falcons defense is banged up, plus they rank 23rd in the league against the run as it is. Foster will have plenty of room to run and should break a couple long ones on that fast artificial turf. DeShaun's 115 yards and TD will help lead the Panthers to victory.

RB Tatum Bell - The Broncos are holding starter Mike Anderson out with an alleged ankle sprain, but my guess is Mike Shanahan just wanted to give Tatum Bell the bulk of the carries in an attempt to claim two 1,000-yard rushers this season. In order to reach the mark (he is 131 yards shy), Tatum will need to have his best performance of the year on Saturday against that stingy Chargers rush defense. It won't be impossible, but I'll predict 100 yards and a score.

WR Andre Johnson - A breakout season was expected of Johnson this year, but injuries and abysmal pass protection for QB David Carr held him back. Johnson hauled in 7 catches for 119 yds and a TD last week against the Jags and now faces the worst secondary in the league at San Francisco. Andre should burn the 49ers for 150 yds and a TD.

Good Luck to all this weekend.

Dead Sexy NBA Pickups!

2005-12-29T00:03:00.000-05:00

Code Red Alert: HOT Pickups
(Ok maybe not Jessica Alba hot, but you get the point)

1. F Eddie Griffin - The former Seton Hall standout has long been a fantasy stud waiting to happen. In his first start ever for the Minnesota Timberwolves last night, Griffin put up 22-12-2 and also added 2 threes, a steal, and 4 blocks. As if that wasn't enough, Eddie started at center and should be eligible at the position with a few more starts. If this is an indication of things to come, Griffin just might be your team's savior this season. I don't care how small your league is; go grab him NOW if he is still available.

2. F/C Ike Diogu - Last year's Pac-10 player of the year got his first career start with the Warriors last night. I think we all knew it wouldn't take long for $42-million ogre Adonal Foyle to lose his starting job. Foyle's 4 pts and 6 rbds per game were not exactly "gellin" with the new high-powered offense in Golden State. Diogu has definitely got game (excellent percentages) and his huge wingspan makes him a great rebounder & shot blocker. They say he's undersized for the NBA, but that's what they said about Barkley and Brand. I definitely like Ike.

3. F/C Stromile Swift - I don't want to get too excited, but... Stromile had his first "great" game in a long time last night scoring 26 and pulling down 13 boards. He should definitely be in your lineup at least while Yao is out. If he can keep it up and stay focused over the long haul we hope he can earn and keep a starting gig in Houston. I'll be watching him closely.

4. PF Kenny Thomas - I still think he looks a lot like QB Jeff Blake. Anyways, the Kings have lost half their team to injuries recently, most notably starting PF Shareef Abdur-Rahim is now out indefinitely with a broken jaw (ouch). Thomas steps right into the starting role, will average a double-double and give you solid percentages, but not much else. He's basically a Zach Randolph clone without the attitude. Fantastic for a waiver wire pickup.

5. F/C Melvin Ely - Starting PF Emeka Okafor is out for a couple weeks with a badly sprained ankle and F/C Melvin Ely has stepped up in his absence. In his third consecutive start last night Ely scored 20, grabbed 8 boards, and returned a couple shots to sender. Not bad for a fill-in. His percentages leave a lot to be desired but Melvin can still make a formidable contribution to your fantasy squad, even if only temporarily. His center eligibility obviously helps. You should also consider Bobcats' starting center Primoz Brezec if available.

6. PGs Raymond Felton & Shaun Livingston. See yesterday's post. Also note: Bobcats' starting PG Brevin Knight just went down with a sprained left ankle last night.

Another Good Point

2005-12-28T23:50:00.000-05:00

I had both point guards Shaun Livingston and Raymond Felton ranked higher on my 2005 draftday cheatsheets than veteran starters Sam Cassell and Brevin Knight. Was that really too outlandish? I mean come on, in most situations I always go for the young up-and-comer over the injury-prone old-timer. The idea is why not gamble on a kid with unlimited potential instead of settling for a vet, who may be a safer pick, with a ceiling on his fantasy production. Two months into the season, it appears I was wrong. BUT take note of recent developments:

At age 30, Charlotte PG Brevin Knight is having his best season as a pro; averaging 12.6 pts, 8.6 assts, and a whopping 2.5 steals per game. The veteran's stellar play has kept rookie PG Raymond Felton at bay so far this season. It will be nearly impossible for the former Tar Heel to leapfrog Knight on the depth chart, but he has recently worked his way into the Bobcats' starting lineup anyway. How? Felton has been starting out of position for injured SG Kareem Rush. Seems like a good idea to me. Raymond has shown what he can do with limited playing time and why not have him learn while on the court alongside Brevin Knight rather than behind him on the bench. Felton should do enough to fend off Kareem Rush when he returns from injury and relegate him to 3-point specialist off the bench. As long as the rookie can hang on to a starting spot and play 30+ minutes a game, he will be plenty productive.

A very similar situation has developed in Los Angeles. Last year, high school phenom PG Shaun Livingston jilted Coach K and a Duke education to head straight to the NBA. When scouts are labeling you "the next Magic Johnson" its tough to blame him. In his second season with the Clippers, Livingston has watched Alien3 star Sam Cassell play his best ball in years. Yet, with SF Corey Maggette out with a sprained foot (and now SF Quentin Ross also hurt) Coach Dunleavy has decided, or perhaps been forced, to start him in a three guard lineup along with Cassell and sharpshooter Cuttino Mobley. In six games, Shaun is averaging nearly 7 assists and 2 steals a night. As a starter he will help you in every category except 3-pointers (he simply does not dig the long ball), and if/when Cassell goes down with an injury Livingston could feasibly become a regular triple-double threat. Perhaps that "Magic" label will be rehashed in the not-so-distant future when discussing Livingston. He too deserves a spot in your daily lineup... until Maggette returns, at the very least.

Bowl Guide 2005 - Part V

2005-12-27T00:56:00.000-05:00

Don't tell me you're not hooked on reading these... 7-0 to start the bowl season ain't bad. Read on for more genius insight.

Vitalis Sun Bowl- Dec. 30th - Northwestern vs UCLA

In a game that I imagine could mirror the Nevada/UCF game yesterday, look for both offenses to go nuts. QB's Drew Olson and Brett Basanez will both throw for over 300 yards, while UCLA should get some help on the ground from RB Maurice Drew. Although UCLA is primed to be a potential upset victim in this spot, these players should have the memory of last year's bowl loss to Wyoming firmly entrenched in the back of their minds. As close as many of their games have been down the stretch, the Bruins have experience and triumphed in all of them. UCLA will hold on to dear life to squeek out the win. UCLA 49 - Northwestern 41

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl - Dec. 30th - Miami vs LSU

If you're a fan who loves defense, this is the game for you. On top of the defenses being among the best in the nation, the offenses here stink. One might say that LSU has a slight edge in that their last game was a loss on this very same field - the SEC Championship game to Georgia. So they're familiar with the setting to say the least. However, the Tigers may be without QB Jamarcus Russell who seperated his non-throwing shoulder in that same game. If that's the case, I can't see an unexperienced backup QB leading LSU past the 3rd ranked defense in the country. The Canes will be able to stay ultra-conservative in this game, protect the ball, and come up with the "W". MIAMI 23- LSU 9

Independence Bowl - Dec. 30th - Missouri vs South Carolina

After several years without him, my boy Steve "I'd wear a visor in a blizzard" Spurrier is back in a bowl game to face one of college football's unsung heroes in Mizzou's QB Brad Smith. Neither team is very exciting to watch primarily because Spurrier hasn't had the time to recruit the players he wants to run his "fun and gun" offense and because Missouri puts all its eggs in Brad Smith's basket. He'll have some exciting runs, and make a few spectacular throws, but Smith is a one man show with no supporting cast, as has been the case his entire career in Columbia. Shame on Mizzou. Give the man some help and you guys would win! In a low-scoring, closely played game, I'll take Spurrier's game planning over Gary Pinkel's any day.
SOUTH CAROLINA 22- Missouri 17

Meineke Car Care Bowl- Dec. 31st - North Carolina State vs South Florida

There's no reason why the Wolfpack shouldn't win this game. They have the 14th ranked defense in the nation, they've played the tougher ACC schedule, South Florida is in it's first bowl game in school history, and this game is being played in NC State's backyard. But ultimately this game will come down to which running back has the bigger day and which team makes the fewest mistakes. NC State RB Andre Brown and South Florida RB Andre Hall will be the primary offensive production for both teams - each averaging over 100 yds a game as starters. NC State head coach and Oakley sunglasses model Chuck Amato, has been on the hot seat all season in Raleigh and has to get this win. But I'll go out on a limb here with yet another bold prediction. Earlier in the season Amato benched senior QB Jay Davis in favor of junior Marcus Stone (which was the wise decision). However, Amato has said that Davis will get ample playing time in what will be his last game. THIS is where the mistake will happen. The Wolfpack will be in complete control of this game until Chuck decides to play quarterback carousel and Davis will throw a costly interception in NC State territory - leading to 6 points for the Bulls at the start of the 4th quarter. The Wolfpack never recovers, and this marks the beginning of the end for the Chuck Amato era. SOUTH FLORIDA 17- North Carolina State 16

NFL Week 16 Picks

2005-12-23T09:10:00.000-05:00

Home Sweet Home
The NFL playoff picture is starting to come into focus, but several teams are still fighting to land that postseason berth. There are a number of playoff hopefuls/spoilers to look at this week. Home-field advantage is the determining factor in most of my picks this Christmas weekend.

Steelers at BROWNS (+7.5)
Although Pittsburgh should be a lock for the playoffs, Cleveland may have a chance to trip them up on Saturday. The Browns are still playing hard and would love to knock their division rivals out of playoff contention. The Steelers have been cruising lately but they could make the mistake of taking the Dawg Pound lightly, especially knowing they'll be hosting the lowly Lions the following week to wrap up their season. Browns rookie QB Charlie Frye appears comfortable as the new leader of his young team and has performed quite well, completing an impressive 64% of his passes. Both teams will try to grind it out on the ground, but Frye will take plenty of shots downfield to playmaker Antonio Bryant. Cleveland's home crowd will help keep this game close. Steelers 20 - BROWNS 17

Chargers at CHIEFS (+2)
I don't think there is a tougher place to play in the NFL than Arrowhead Stadium. It is truly a travesty that both of these AFC teams will probably miss the playoffs this year. The Bolts still have a legitimate shot, but KC is done. The Chiefs have every reason to show up in a big way for this game. They have to be very disappointed in their last two losses, but the Chiefs might as well eliminate their division foes to salvage some pride. San Diego's #1 run defense, anchored by NT Jamal Williams, will have their work cut out on Saturday. The Chiefs offensive attack is just too dynamic for the Chargers to contain. And, yes, last week in Indianapolis were very different circumstances (playing for perfection is much tougher than the Chiefs playing the spoiler role). Also, you cannot ignore Tomlinson's recent struggles as evidenced by his 79 rushing yds per game and no TDs over the last three games. I'll be foolish and pick the Chiefs for a third straight week. Chargers 21 - CHIEFS 28

Cowboys at PANTHERS (-5)
Not only were the Cowboys' playoff hopes diminished last week, but they were absolutely manhandled, humiliated, and run outta town by a good (not great) Redskins team. The Cowboys don't usually fare too well on the road and the Panthers could wrap up the NFC South with a win. Drew Bledsoe may be having a great season, but he'll have another ugly game in Carolina with their speedy defense in his face. Bill Parcells and his coaching staff have made some questionable calls this year and will have some explaining to do when "America's Team" misses the playoffs. Cowboys 13 - PANTHERS 24
Side note: Terry Glenn reached 1,000 yds receiving last week. Can you believe he is the first Cowboy WR to do so since ROCKET ISMAIL is 1999? I guess QBs Anthony Wright, Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, Clint Stoerner, Drew Henson, Ryan Leaf, and Vinny weren't quite cutting it.

Giants at REDSKINS (-3)
The NY Giants will try to wrap up the division with a sweep of Washington this season. Both of these NFC East teams delivered the goods last week with convincing victories at home. The Redskins, however, are on a mission and the Giants will be their next victim. Plus, don't forget about the revenge factor here for an embarassing 36-0 romp the Redskins suffered at the Meadowlands in October. I'm not going to say too much about the matchup other than; Eli on the road = bad, and I will stick with my prediction that the 'skins will win every game until they fall to Ryan Moat's Eagles in week 17. DC is gonna get crazy with Super Bowl fever after this victory. Giants 17 - REDSKINS 27

Vikings at RAVENS (-3)
Neither of these teams are any good, but Kyle Boller and the Ravens will carry their confidence from Monday night's superb performance into this Sunday's primetime matchup. The Vikings were a fun story this year, with their aquatic shenanigans, the "impressive" win streak, and the resurrection of QB Brad Johnson's career. But, Minnesota has still only beaten one team with a winning record this season and Baltimore is ready and willing to put an end to their playoff talk. Nincompoop coach Mike Tice should and will be fired after all. Vikings 13 - RAVENS 19

Tuesdays with Pauly

2005-12-20T13:15:00.000-05:00

OUCH! Injury bug hits the NBA.

Several NBA starters have gone down with injuries recently. Let's take a look at the fantasy impact each might have:

C Yao Ming - "Ming Kong" just had surgery to correct a problem he had with bone inflammation caused by bacteria on his big toe. Weird. He will be sidelined for the next few weeks as he recovers. 58-year-old backup Dikembe Mutombo is also out this week with a dislocated finger. Who does that leave to play the 5 while those guys are out? Nobody really. Perennial underachiever Stromile Swift is the candidate most likely to benefit from increased playing time. Dealt to the Rockets in the offseason after spending five years as a reserve on the Grizzlies, many predicted a breakout season for the athletic big man. Instead, Swift has been averaging a familiar 21 minutes per game backing up softy Juwan Howard, and his overall numbers are the lowest they've been since his rookie campaign. These next few weeks may be Swift's best (and maybe last) chance to assert himself and showcase his ability before it's too late. Stro' should be able to take this opportunity and run with it. Now is the time to pick him up from your waiver wire and just hope he finally lives up to his potential. Former Terrapin Lonny Baxter will also be in the mix for Houston, but he has very little upside.

F/C Emeka Okafor - Last year's ROY started slowly this season, but was starting to put it together just before going down with a badly sprained ankle last night against the Kings. Unlike the situation in Houston, the Bobcats have some depth upfront and there are a handful of players capable of stepping up while Okafor is out. Starting center Primoz Brezec logged 46 minutes and scored a season-high 26 points in last night's OT win. The 7'1 Euro is averaging a paltry 5 rebounds and 0.2 blocks per game this year, but an increase in playing time should bump up his stat line just enough to make him serviceable in most leagues. Youngsters F/C Melvin Ely and PF Sean May are the ones to keep an eye on. Given enough minutes either one would likely have more value than Brezec and could make a contribution to your fantasy squad.

SG Bonzi Wells - Bonzi seems to have found a new home in Sacramento. He was leading the Kings with an unlikely 7.7 rebounds per game before going down with a "severe groin strain" last night. This is a big blow for Bonzi owners because he was coming on strong lately and it sounds like he may be out for an extended period with what might be a torn groin muscle. Some may view SG Kevin Martin (19/8/3 on Monday) as a hot pickup. SG Franciso Garcia should also see an increased role, but I don't see either having a major impact. From a fantasy perspective Bonzi's injury probably just means more scoring to go around for starters Bibby, Peja, and Shareef.

SF Corey Maggette - The Clippers' second leading scorer (21.7 ppg) has been out for the last couple weeks with a sprained ankle. His substitute SF Quinton Ross has been averaging a useless 6 pts and 3 rebounds per game in the starting role. The biggest beneficiary during Maggette's absence has been fellow Blue Devil Elton Brand. The MVP candidate has been unstoppable this year and has averaged 27/11/3 so far in December. Look for Brand's scoring to come back down to earth when Maggette returns.

PG Sebastian Telfair - Ok, the youngin' was not much of a fantasy force to begin with, but he showed flashes of his potential before tearing a ligament in his thumb. Coach Nate McMillan has stated that Telfair will probably come off the bench whenever he returns, leaving the PG rotation a mess in Portland. Former ACC fan favorites Steve Blake, Juan Dixon, and Jarrett Jack will each have some good games here and there, but I wouldn't recommend any of them for your fantasy team.

SG Manu Ginobili - The Argentinian sensation has let many owners down so far this season with injuries and inconsistency when on the court. Due to the Spurs depth, playing time is a concern even when healthy, and Manu probably will not match his playoff performance from last year anytime soon. Veteran Michael Finley has been filling in admirably and is a very good pickup as long as Ginobili is out. I have a feeling Manu may be out longer than expected and the ankle injury may linger if he returns too soon.

PG Brevin Knight / SG Kareem Rush - Charlotte's backcourt has been dinged up with minor injuries lately, giving rookie PG Raymond Felton the opportunity to show what he can do given enough playing time. Felton has started the last two games (once filling in for Knight and once for Rush) and has produced. Despite his ugly shooting percentages, the former Tar Heel has loads of fantasy upside, averaging 18/5/8 in 3 starts this year. Interestingly enough, the Bobcats are 3-0 in those games and Felton may earn a permanent spot in the starting rotation very soon. If available, go pick up Raymond right away.

PG Jason Williams - Lingering knee tendinitis has kept Williams sidelined for some time now and Pat Riley may feel more comfortable with Gary Payton running the show anyway, even when J-Will comes back. Both veterans have decent fantasy value with starter's minutes, so keep an eye on the situation when White Chocolate returns to action.

F Andrei Kirilenko - AK-47 is a roto stud when healthy, but fantasy owners have been very frustrated with his inability to stay healthy the last two seasons. It may be time to cut your losses and trade the Russian freak for someone you can rely on... perhaps a Mike Bibby or Jason Richardson?

Bowl Guide 2005 - Part IV

2005-12-18T19:53:00.000-05:00

Emerald Bowl - Dec. 29th - Utah vs Georgia Tech

Utah has had it's ups and downs this year, but seems to be putting a lot of the pieces back in place after losing several players to the NFL last year(notably QB Alex Smith- first overall).
The biggest hurdle facing the Utes in this matchup is the absence of QB Brian Johnson, a major key to running their spread offense. His replacement Brett Ratliff was a pleasant suprise vs BYU in the season finale, throwing for 4 touchdowns. This time around he won't have the luxury of facing a defense from the Mountain West. Georgia Tech's offense was somewhat disappointing this year considering veteran QB Reggie Ball and WR Calvin Johnson didn't put up the dazzling numbers we all expected. Johnson is widely considered to be among the best college receivers in the country, but his stats sure don't show that. Georgia Tech's tougher schedule, swarming defense, and experienced veterans, will be the reason they beat the Utes. GEORGIA TECH 27 - Utah 13

Holiday Bowl - Dec. 29th - Oregon vs Oklahoma

Water and Oil. Fire and Ice. Oklahoma's running game and Oregon's run defense. In yet another matchup of two teams that didnt do what they were expected to this year, something's gotta give. Oklahoma had just come off a national championship appearance and was supposed to be among the nation's best once again. Instead they started the year 2-3 and fell out of the national spotlight as did last year's Heisman trophy finalist Adrian Peterson. Oregon didn't start the season ranked in the top 25, but suprised us all by ending the season with only one loss to USC. This game should be a chess match as we get a chance to watch strength on strength. Now that Adrian Peterson is fully healthy, he'll be too much even for the impressive Ducks defensive front. OKLAHOMA 24- Oregon 19.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl- Dec. 30th - Virginia vs Minnesota

These two bowl contenders are very similar in strengths and weaknesses. Both have great running games, but neither team seemed to stay consistent enough on either side of the ball to warrant a better bowl appearance. Minnesota will feed the ball to future NFL 1st rounder Laurence Maroney all day long thus enabling the playaction pass to open up for some deep strikes. Viriginia will put all of it stock in QB Marques Hagans in hopes that he'll be able to control the clock with a combination of his slippery running style and plenty of high percentage passes. Both teams will attempt to string together long, ball-control type drives in hopes that the opponent will make the first crucial mistake. Although UVA touts itself on great linebacking, the rest of the defense is too soft to handle the brutal ground game Minnesota will unleash. MINNESOTA 27 - Virginia 24

Bowl Guide 2005- Part III

2005-12-17T00:46:00.000-05:00

Champs' Sports Bowl- Dec. 27th - Clemson vs Colorado

Colorado may be the least mentally prepared team entering this year's post season. The Buffalos have lost 3 games in a row at the hands of Iowa St, Nebraska, and Texas by a combined score of 130-22. That's pretty amazing considering that this team is supposed to be the best team in the Big 12 North. On top of the terrible string of games they've put together at the end of the year, Colorado's head coach and circus ring leader Mike Barnett has since been fired. As of today they are yet to hire his replacement, not that whoever they do hire is going to make a difference in this game. Clemson plays an exciting, but mistake riddled style of football led by QB Charlie Whitehurst - who always seems to come up big in bowl games. If Colorado has any intention of showing up for this game it will be a closely fought battle, but I don't see them coming out inspired at all at this point. Clemson wins in a sloppy one. CLEMSON 34-Colorado 20

Insight Bowl - Dec. 27th - Arizona State vs Rutgers

This has the making of a fun bowl game. Although Arizona St got the luck of the draw and will be playing a home game, Rutgers will be ready to play with the Sun Devils. Both teams are capable of big plays on offense. ASU's offense is downright scary; they're ranked 4th in the nation in total offense and 11th in total scoring. Rutgers' DBs will need to get physical with ASU standout wide receiver Derek Hagan early and often to disrupt what is normally a well oiled machine. Although the Scarlet Knights can score and have big play potential, I believe it's their defense, averaging a stingy 344 yds per game, that will be the difference for them. I know I'm risking being the goat or the hero with this prediction... but every bowl season there is a huge upset, and Rutgers, as double-digit underdogs will shock the nation. In a seesaw battle, the Jersey boys will withstand a late ASU surge to win. RUTGERS 34-Arizona State 31

MPC Computers Bowl - Dec. 28th - Boston College vs Boise State

Boise State plays yet another home Bowl game on its infamous blue smurf turf, and the Broncos have a history of catching teams snoozing when they come to visit Idaho. Boston College had an excellent season and deserves to be in a more glamorous bowl than this one, so the Broncos could have their hands full with an underappreciated and disrespected Eagle team. BC's DE Mathias Kiwanuka will be a man playing amongst boys in this game. He will terrorize QB Jared Zebransky all day long, forcing him out of the pocket and into making bad throws. BC's offensive line will be too much for the faster but smaller Boise St defensive front, so look for the running game to find big holes as Boise State's lineman find themselves getting blown off the ball by the second quarter. Under coach Dan Hawkins Boise State has averaged over 41 points per game this season. The question is, can they sustain that now that Hawkins has departed to coach Colorado, and now that they face the most physical defense they've seen all year? Doubtful... BOSTON COLLEGE 27- Boise State 17

Alamo Bowl - Dec. 28th - Michigan vs Nebraska

Two of the most storied teams in college football's rich history meet in a bowl game with little implications. Michigan was a disappointment this year, considering that the Wolverines ranked #3 to start the year. Nebraska on the other hand, has been working for two straight seasons on mastering Bill Callahan's transition from the wishbone option to the west coast offense. Callahan's supporters might point to the regular season finale as a sign that the pass offense is coming to life... but Nebraska beat a Colorado team in shambles by a score of 30-3. Although Michigan has underachieved and has shown signs of mediocracy, Nebraska actually IS mediocre and will not be able to compete with Michigan's athleticism. Keep in mind that Nebraska went 4-4 in the pathetic Big 12 North division. Turnovers and lack of speed cost Nebraska in this one. MICHIGAN 38- Nebraska 20

NFL Week 15 Picks

2005-12-16T09:37:00.000-05:00

CHIEFS (+3) at Giants
Kansas City lost a "must win" game at Dallas last week, but their playoff hopes are still alive because the Chargers stumbled at home against the Dolphins. The Chiefs amassed nearly 500 yards of total offense against a pretty good Cowboys defense but fell just short when Lawrence Tynes missed a field goal that would have sent the game to OT. Trent Green and his offense are clicking again, and we all know about the emergence of Larry Johnson as an elite back in the league. The Giants also have a potent offense, but Eli Manning has been shaky his last 3 games (3 TDs, 6 INTs). This should be another shootout, but look for the Chiefs who are more desperate for a win to eek this one out. CHIEFS prevail 27-24.

STEELERS (-3) at Vikings
Coach Mike Tice has gotten things under control as the Vikings seem to have overcome the "Love Boat" distraction despite the misdemeanor charges filed this week. Brad Johnson (yes the same one that was there 10 years ago) and the Vikes have rattled off a surprising 6 straight wins and positioned themselves for a postseason run. They deserve credit for the streak, but here's the thing... those 6 straight wins do NOT impress me one bit. Week 10 they caught the Giants off guard and had some luck on special teams to win the game. Now check out this stat: the combined record of the rest of the teams they beat this year is a dreadful 26-65! The Steelers, on the other hand, are a solid all-round team who will use their surging ground attack and defense to dominate the game. The Vikings playoff hopes are just an illusion and their "impressive" streak ends on Sunday when the legitimately playoff bound Steelers come to town. STEELERS sink the Vikings' ship... 24-10 final.

CHARGERS (+7.5) at Colts
The Colts are unquestionably the best team in the league this year, but if there was a game on their schedule that could put an end to their quest for a perfect season, this is it. As you know, I like teams that are in "must win" situations, and it is truly do-or-die for the Chargers this weekend. San Diego's dynamic trio of Tomlinson, Brees, and Gates will have to show up in a big way to challenge the Colts in Indy; and I think they'll do just that. The Colts have made things look easy this year by crushing their opponents week-in and week-out, but the pressure of "perfection" must be exhausting as it mounts each week. You may not know that the Chargers have the #1 rush defense in the NFL, and a solid 4-2 record on the road. There is a good chance for an upset here and San Diego will keep it close regardless. Take the underdogs with the points in what should be a game to remember. CHARGERS 31 - Colts 34.

Cowboys at REDSKINS (-2.5)
I'd like to say the Cowboys are going to ride into Washington to avenge a heartbreaking loss against the 'skins earlier this season, but for some reason I still see the Redskins beating Dallas and New York to stir DC into a frenzy just before losing in Philly to end their season. The NFC East has been impossible to figure out this year, with no team able to pull away in the division. The Cowboys are the better team and are coming off of a big win against the Chiefs, but the Redskins believe they can do this. Clinton Portis should continue his hot streak with 100+ yds and a score, while Bledsoe turns in a mediocre performance this week against a tough defense and deafening crowd. REDSKINS sweep the Cowboys this year with a 23-14 victory.

Falcons at BEARS (-3)
This is not a matchup Michael Vick should be looking forward to. Vick usually fares better at home, with all 6 of his rushing TDs this season coming at the Georgia Dome. #7 is already dinged up and the Bears speedy cover-2 defense spells bad news for the Falcons this Sunday night. The Bears will get after Vick all night and should smother the Falcons offense. Vick's favorite target Alge Crumpler could do some damage but it won't be enough. Chicago's offense has been inept this year, but they should muster enough points to win with Thomas Jones running hard and maybe a touchdown from TE Desmond Clark. BEARS win 20-10.

Fantasy Football Focus

2005-12-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

So you've managed to get your fantasy football team to the playoffs by avoiding draft day duds like Culpepper, Curtis Martin, Jamal Lewis, Andre Johnson, and Julius/Kevin Jones. Congrats... I tip my hat to you. Most leagues' playoff games begin this weekend, so its time to get focused and ensure you have the right players in your lineups. Setting your lineup can get tricky this time of year because several NFL teams will be resting their stars for the playoffs. Look for players on NFL teams fighting for a playoff spot and also youngsters on teams playing the spoiler role. The following are the guys that will help carry your fantasy team to a league championship:

The No-Brainers
RB LaDainian Tomlinson / RB Larry Johnson - Shaun Alexander may have carried your team to the fantasy playoffs but these two stud RBs will be the playoff MVPs. Unfortunately for Alexander owners, the Seahawks have already won their division. Shaun has seen a downtick in carries lately and will probably play no more than a half in Seattle's remaining games. The Chargers desperately need to end the Colts bid for a perfect season this Sunday and will rely heavily on Tomlinson's playmaking ability when they make their push for the final wild card spot in the AFC. The Chiefs are in the same situation as their division rivals; they too are fighting for their playoff lives when they visit the Meadowlands this Sunday. Larry Johnson may be even more valuable than LT down the stretch as he has been running wild the second half of this season. He is averaging 142 rushing yds and nearly 2 TDs per game over the last 6 weeks! Coincidentally, Kansas City hosts San Diego in a key week 16 matchup that should be a high scoring affair.
RB Clinton Portis - Many would argue that the former Bronco has been a disappointment in Washington, and they'd be right. But that's besides the point. After waiting until week 7 to find the endzone, Portis has come on strong lately with 241 yds rushing and 3 TDs in his last two games. Joe Gibbs has his team believing they can win out and make the playoffs. That is great news for Portis owners, because in order to run the table the Redskins will have to run the ball. Look for big games against division rivals NYG, Dallas, and Philly to wrap up the season.
RB Tiki Barber - The Tiki torch has been lighting up opponents by avergaging 135 total yds per game this season. He gets knocked for being undersized, but Barber can do everything and is always a threat to score from anywhere on the field. The Giants host the Chiefs this weekend (fantasy goldmine) and it will be a dogfight in Washington to maintain their division lead the following week. Despite the emergence of Peyton's little brother this year, Tiki is still the focal point of the Giants' offensive attack.
ALSO: QB Drew Brees, QB Jake Delhomme, WR Hines Ward, WRs Boldin/Fitzgerald.

The Not-so-Obvious
RB DeShaun Foster - The youngster has been the most talented back on his club ever since being drafted out of UCLA in 2002, but he has never really flourished. Stephen Davis' creaky knees have been relegated to short yardage situations while the more versatile Foster has finally seized the starting job in Carolina. Davis is still a threat to steal some goal-line touches, but DeShaun's explosiveness and favorable matchups against the Saints, Cowboys, and Falcons make him a solid fantasy starter for the playoffs.
WR Chris Chambers - Believe it or not Miami also thinks they could surprise and make a postseason appearance. I think I probably have a better chance of winning American Idol next year, but go ahead Dolphins, dream big. The speedy wideout has been spectacular over the last three weeks... catching 29 balls for 460yds and 3 TDs!
RB Reuben Droughns - The other former Broncos RB has quietly put together a very solid season with the Browns in 2005. Former prospect Willie Green is all but forgotten, and super-fragile Lee Suggs, listed as week-to-week since opening day, has managed only 1 carry for -4 yds all season long. Wow. So much for the running-back by committee. Droughns should be productive down the stretch and is entrenched as the featured back in Cleveland going into next year.
ALSO: WR Terry Glenn, RB Jerome Bettis, TE Jason Witten.

What team does he play for?
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rams)- After orchestrating an unbelievable comeback win in Houston three weeks ago, Fitzpatrick has been atrocious over the last two weeks, throwing 6 INTs and no TDs. So why would I recommend a third-string rookie QB out of Harvard to lead your fantasy team to a championship? Sure, the nerdy quarterback has looked like a rookie, but he also ran for a TD in each of his last two games and still has many weapons at his disposal in St. Louis. The Rams face terrible pass defenses (Eagles and 49ers) at home the next couple weeks and finish the season with a chance to extinguish the Cowboys' playoff hopes in Dallas. Fitzpatrick is a bigtime sleeper for your fantasy playoffs.
RB Ryan Moats (Eagles) - Who? It doesn't matter. He is the only healthy body left on the Philadelphia offense. Moats is actually a talented back with homerun potential. The Eagles will be visiting porous defenses in St. Louis and Arizona the next couple weeks and are potential spoilers against the Redskins the final week of the season. If your fantasy team is hurting for a second RB, Moats is definitely your man.
ALSO: RB Marion Barber (Cowboys), RB Cedrick Houston (Jets).

Tuesdays with Pauly

2005-12-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

Recap of the weekend's games:

Well the Bills failed to show up against the Patriots. McGahee went down with an injury and Tom Brady's offense moved the ball at will. The Bills can't wait to kick back and relax this offseason because they obviously gave up and packed it in immediately after their debacle in Miami.

Turns out that Jake Delhomme, not Simms, was the QB that was rattled and confused by the opposing defense on Sunday. Chris Simms apparently took Steve Young's comments to heart and has been displaying the "mental toughness" Young accused him of lacking. With Tampa upsetting Carolina, and the Falcons handling the lowly Saints Monday night, the NFC South is now wide open again. Parity in the NFL is no joke.

The Redskins and Cardinals both tried their best to turn the ball over on every posession. Joe Gibbs' team got a break on special teams and won an ugly ugly game.

The Steelers reestablished themselves as contenders in the AFC as they rode the Bus for 101yds and 2 TDs over the Bears. Kyle Orton did not turn the ball over but delivered another mediocre performance without a score. Coach Lovie Smith will have to reinsert Grossman into the lineup if Orton struggles again when Chicago hosts the Falcons this weekend. Pittsburgh pulled into the lead for that last wild card spot as the Chargers and Chiefs both took a step back with tough losses.

The game of the week (KC at Dallas) turned out to be a thriller. Fantasy stud Larry Johnson rumbled for 143yds and 3 TDs on the ground. It was not enough though, as veteran Drew Bledsoe orchestrated a comeback victory in the final minutes of the game. The oft-criticized QB is having a career year in his 13th NFL season. Definitely the team's MVP, Bledsoe is determined to lead his Cowboys to the playoffs and quite possibly make a Super Bowl run.

Coming into Sunday's game the Giants probably weren't taking the decimated Eagles seriously, but they managed to escape Philly with a win in overtime. They maintain a slim lead over the Cowboys and Redskins in the NFC East.

Bowl Guide 2005 - Part II

2005-12-13T02:22:00.000-05:00

Grab yourself a sandwich, I told you there'd be more...

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl - Dec 22nd - Navy vs Colorado St

First of all, are they freaking serious with this name? The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl??? I understand why Tostitos or AT&T slaps their name on bowl games - maybe it'll sell more corn chips or calling cards or keep Carrot Top dialing down the center. But does the San Diego County Credit Union think that Bob Oslowski in Cheboygen is gonna switch financial institutions after watching? I think there are better ways to spend your advertising dollars people. More lollipops for the drive through teller windows comes to mind. Anyways, here's what's gonna happen. Navy's QB Lamar Owens will be the best athlete on the field and will keep Colorado State's defense on its heels all game long with his uncanny ability to run the option. The Midshipmen can't stop anyone from scoring, but the Rams' offensive unit has looked pedestrian as of late. In a game that could go either way, I'll be a homer. NAVY 27- CSU 24

Fort Worth Bowl - Dec 23rd - Houston vs Kansas

Houston QB Kevin Kolb will win or lose this game. If you've ever watched this guy play, he reminds me a lot of players like UTEP's Justin Palmer or Florida State's Chris Rix last year. Not neccessarily in athleticism or style, but in their Jeckle and Hyde on-the-field performances. On one play Kolb will hit his receiver in stride for a 60 yard completion in perfect coverage, and the next play will throw across his body, off his back foot, into double coverage and watch the middle linebacker return it 60 yards for the score. Kansas plays great D so Kolb cannot afford to make any mistakes. The Jayhawk offense on the other hand better dust off the ol' playbook, cuz they're gonna need a couple big plays on either side of the ball to get on the scoreboard. Although Houston can put up some points, this will be a relatively low scoring game until the end when the Rock Chalk Jayhawks jar the ball loose on Houston's tenth attempt at a wide receiver bubble screen and take it to the house. KANSAS 26 - Houston 16

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl- Dec. 24th - Nevada vs UCF

Although neither team is a household name when it comes to bowl appearances, I expect both teams to come out of the gates fired up to play. Central Florida is making its bowl debut versus a team in Nevada that hasn't been bowling in a decade. John Daly, I mean Digger Phelps, I mean George O'Leary (man those guys look alike) has done an unbelievable job in turning around a team that was winless just a year ago. But will his players have enough in the tank to finish the cinderella season on top? Both offenses will score, but with Nevada's tougher schedule and impressive finale against Fresno State, I can't see them laying down for this one. It will be close throughout, but the Wolfpack will find a way to leave the Knights in the dark early in the fourth quarter and won't look back. NEVADA 33 - UCF 24

Motor City Bowl- Dec. 26th - Akron vs Memphis

This game is worth watching if only to get one last glimpse at college football's least talked about stud. Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams has been doing it all for the Tigers since his he arrived on campus four years ago. He's rushed for over 1700 yards and 15 TD's this year, padding the stats for what is sure to be a hall of fame college career. Akron has played well enough to validate it's invitation to this game, but I am not overly impressed with them. Although the Zips finished the season on a high, this is the same team that lost to Army and Ball State (two lousy teams) and narrowly escaped a loss to lowly Buffalo (one of the worst teams in the country). Memphis isn't exactly a powerhouse either, but lost close games to Tennessee, Tulsa, and Mississippi. In a coin toss I'll side with the team that has the game breaker on the field. DeAngelo Williams will end his career with the Tigers celebrating. MEMPHIS 24 - Akron 23

Bowl Guide 2005 - Part I

2005-12-12T00:19:00.000-05:00

College Bowl season is upon us and I feel it is my duty to share my wealth of knowledge with the world. I've decided to break this Bowl Guide into several chapters to avoid overwhelming anyone with data, while at the same time giving each game its due commentary and analysis. I'll try to post one a day until all 28 glorious games are covered. Despite what Paul R. may suggest, I DO advocate gambling. Read this column carefully, save your allowance, and the money you stole from your mom's purse to buy cigarrettes, and bet it all according to my predictions. I will not ask you for any credit or commission, just a title - call me Robin Hood. I serve the common man. Enjoy peasants...

New Orleans Bowl - Dec 20th - Arkansas State vs Southern Miss

Our bowl season starts off with the (*yawn) New Orleans Bowl. The only real reason I'll be watching this game is because we've gone over 2 weeks (17 straight days to be exact) without seeing a college football game. The New Orleans Bowl, actually taking place in Lafayette, LA, features two schools in different stages of their bowl histories. While Southern Miss is appearing in this game for the second straight year, Arkansas State will be making its first ever bowl appearance. Southern Miss will move the ball behind Dustin Almond's strong arm, while the ASU Indians will try to play ball control using their ground attack. Arkansas State only has 1 win away from home this season, so Antonio Warren (ASU-RB) has to have a career game if his team is going to have a chance. Although the Eagles don't have the staple defensive units that they've been known for in years past, they should be too strong on both sides of the ball to allow ASU to hang around for more than a half. SOUTHERN MISS 31- Arkansas State 16

GMAC Bowl - Dec 21st - Toledo vs UTEP

Both of these teams had high aspirations coming into the season, but both fell short of expectations. UTEP was the bigger disappointment. At 8-1, the Miners of El Paso were well on their way to winning the conference title, but collapsed in late November losing two straight to lowly UAB and Southern Methodist. Jordan Palmer, better known as Cincinnati Bengals' Carson Palmer's kid brother, was a major contributor in those losses, throwing 7 picks and losing 2 fumbles to close out the year. That being said, Palmer and Toledo QB Bruce Gradkowski should air it out all day in this sure to be shoot-out. TOLEDO 38 - UTEP 31

Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl - Dec 22nd - BYU vs California

For the last two seasons Cal has disappointed no doubt. Last year's Bears team led by the likes of QB Aaron Rodgers and RB JJ Arrington were embarrassed in their bowl game by Texas Tech. This year once again, Cal let us down by anti-climactically losing 4 games to rival PAC-10 teams. Granted, 3 of the 4 losses were to ranked teams (UCLA, Oregon, and USC), but outside of USC, none of those teams deserved to be ranked in the first place. BYU is the same team it usually is, a high-scoring, no defense-playing, group of undersized no name players. BYU's John Beck will throw for 300 yards in a fast paced offensive gameplan, while Cal's once Heisman hopeful running back Marshawn Lynch will run wild. Don't be suprised if he breaks a few long TD gallops on his way to winning the game MVP and bringing home the win. If the boys from Berkley can hold onto the football and have any sense of pride left, the scoreboard will read...CALIFORNIA 34- BYU 24

NFL Week 14 Picks

2005-12-09T12:41:00.000-05:00

For all you shady gamblin' types out there, this weekly post is just for you. We will select a handful of games every week to make predictions either against the spread or on the over/under. Disclaimer: We can not be held responsible for any ill-advised wagers that may lead to losing your christmas shopping money or car/home/wife, but if you do break the bank at your sportsbook then obviously we deserve all the credit. We do NOT advocate illegal gambling of any sort unless of course its for a good cause; like getting that hi-def plasma TV you've always wanted. Seriously though, don't gamble unless you're in Vegas kids. Our picks are in CAPS.

Patriots at BILLS (+4)
Yes, the Bills choked and lost an opportunity to win their first road game of the season when they blew a 23-3 lead last weekend in Miami. They've now lost three straight and are essentially out of playoff contention. The Pats, on the other hand, come to town looking to secure the division title with a victory. Call me crazy, but I see the Bills as spoilers this weekend. They have a 4-2 record at home and match up wells against the defending Super Bowl champs. Veteran Eric Moulds will not suit up this weekend due to suspension, but Lee Evans is the speedy wideout that will burn the Patriots depleted secondary. Evans has been QB J.P. Losman's favorite target this season and has come on strong as of late with 5 TDs in his last four games. Both teams will try to control the clock by running the ball, but Willis McGahee will be the dominant back in this game (rushed for 136 yds in their last meeting). Look for both Evans and McGahee to hit paydirt on Sunday while the Buffalo D does just enough to keep Tom Brady & company in check. BILLS win 20-17.

Buccaneers at PANTHERS (-5.5)
Tampa hopes to pull even for the division lead with a win in Carolina on Sunday. Bucs QB Chris Simms has come a long way this season, but this matchup will give him problems. The Panthers will focus on shutting down rookie Cadillac Williams and invite Simms to beat them through the air. This will cause Simms to force some bad throws and the team will struggle to put up points without a balanced attack on offense. MVP candidate Steve Smith will do his thing, but the hot hand lately has been versatile running back DeShaun Foster. He finally takes over as the feature back in Carolina while Stephen Davis' creaky knees are relegated to short yardage situations. Carolina has won 8 of their last 9 and they are ready to prove they are the team to beat in the NFC. The superior team here wins convincingly... PANTHERS roll 24-10.

REDSKINS (-4) at Cardinals

Joe Gibbs' squad has disappointed this season by losing several close games and failing to reach their potential. After three straight heartbreaking losses in November, the 'skins handled an inferior Rams team this past weekend. Santana Moss, who is vital to the team's success, tweaked his hammy this week but is expected to play without any problems. Portis will have a solid game on the ground, but the 'skins Defense must step up and put pressure on immobile QB Kurt Warner. If they can rattle the former grocery bagboy and force some turnovers, the offense will handle the rest. The Redskins will win this game in Arizona and return home to host division foes Dallas and NYGiants. Now, Washington is talking about winning out the season and making the playoffs! Funny thing is they are very capable of doing so. I predict they win the next three games to stir Washington fans into a frenzy just before finishing the season with a devestating loss in Philly to miss the playoffs. Unwarranted Super Bowl talk begins in the nation's capital this week after another convincing win on the road. REDSKINS win 31-17.

Bears at STEELERS (-6)

The Bears are the feel good story of the year with their stifling Defense carrying them to an impressive 9-3 record thus far. However, this is an absolute must-win for the Steelers. They are coming off back-to-back losses to NFL elite (Colts and Bengals) and need a win to stay in the playoff picture. Pittsburgh will get back to basics this week by grinding it out with their running game and shutting down the Bears offense. QB controversy begins next week after Kyle Orton turns the ball over 3 times in Pittsburgh and Rex Grossman insists he deserves his job back. STEELERS make a statement with a 20-3 victory.

There you have it. And now for some observations on other games around the league: The Jaguars should hang around and give the Colts a scare in a close game. It's the 49ers turn to lose 42-0 to the Seahawks this week. KC at Dallas is the game of the week as it is do-or-die for both teams. Enjoy the games everyone!

Movin' On Up

2005-12-08T09:12:00.000-05:00

Celtics youngster Al Jefferson may not be old enough to remember the 70s sitcom, but he is Movin' On Up nonetheless. Boston currently owns an 8-10 record in a tough Eastern Conference and is looking to the future. Jefferson was a popular fantasy sleeper pick in the preseason but was slowed by injuries and continued to be limited in games with foul trouble. In the first month of the season Big Al only cracked 20 minutes once, but has played 31/20/21 min in his last three games. He recorded his first double-double of the season on Tuesday and posted 16 pts, 9 boards, and a couple blocks last night. If this recent trend is any indication, Jefferson is on the verge of breaking out. He should be slated for an increased role and may crack the starting lineup soon. Fellow prep-to-pro Kendrick Perkins was already recently promoted to a starting gig at center due to his defense and rebounding prowess. Coach Doc Rivers has been giving the talented frontcourt tandem more burn lately as he seeks to aid the development of his big boys. Some might say that it is too early to say the Celts have given up on their season, but Jefferson and Perkins may in fact give the team the best chance to win NOW. It's not like Lafrentz and Blount have been an intimidating presence in the paint (they've COMBINED for a whopping 9 rebounds a game this season). Its time for the Celtics to add a formidable presence downlow to complement scorers Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis. If Jefferson and Perkins are given the opportunity to excel they may actually help carry their team to the playoffs as soon as this season. Perkins' offensive game is lacking thus limiting his fantasy value, but you should definitely scoop up Big Al in your fantasy leagues before he is no longer available.

Welcome!

2005-12-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

Good Day Friends,
Welcome to Sports Troopers. This is our first day in action, and we thank you for stopping by. Our blog will serve as an open forum to discuss all topics in the world of sports with a focus on weekly picks and expert (ha!) fantasy sports advice. You are welcome to ask questions, post comments, and ramble about your favorite topic of the day. Coming soon... our first substantive post!