2009 Fantasy Baseball Awards

Whenever I am asked about my opinions regarding MVP, Cy Young or rookie of the year awards, I generally respond that they don’t really matter all that much to me.

I realize a lot of people take them very seriously, and are very passionate about making the case for their choices, and that’s perfectly fine. I don’t need to add my voice to the chorus.

But when it comes to the year-end awards for fantasy, that’s another matter entirely. Here are 20 prestigious honors that I’m bestowing this season.

(Don’t get too worked up about some of the choices. Many of these were just an excuse to talk about some players I wanted to comment on.)

1. The biggest surprise award (among players drafted before the season) 

Mark Reynolds came off a 2008 season in which he hit .239 and set the major league strikeout record, and there were some questions about his playing time entering this year. It added up to a player who had an average draft position (ADP) of 219 in ESPN leagues. All Reynolds wound up doing was becoming the most valuable third baseman in fantasy this year. That’s pretty good value. While improvement was expected, nobody saw him becoming the top player at the position. The homers weren’t that much of a surprise, as he’d always been seen as a power threat coming up in the minors, but he also doubled his stolen base output and bumped his average up almost 30 points. Oh, and also set another strikeout record, but we can live with that.

2. The biggest surprise award (among players not taken on draft day in standard drafts)

There are plenty of worthy candidates, including some I will mention later as the recipients of other awards, but imagine you’re a 28-year-old minor leaguer who has just been released with a career .258 batting average and .762 OPS in 11 seasons in the minors. Naturally, you put up a .297 batting average, 21 homers and 10 steals in just 303 at-bats in the big leagues this season. What’s even more intriguing about the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ Garrett Jones is that he’s continuing to finish strong, hitting .309 with five homers this month.

3. The Mariano Rivera best use of the cutter award

Scott Feldman picked up a cutter last season, but refined it this year into the nastiest one this side of the award’s namesake, thanks to an overhauled delivery in which he went to a full windup to allow his long levers to get in sync and repeat his motion a little better. The result was a pitcher who, up until last week, still had a shot at winning 20 games. Although he’s limping a bit to the finish, this season was not a fluke, and I expect he’ll be undervalued next season.

4. The fantasy bust award (non-injury division)

Here’s some recent stat lines:

2006: .298 AVG / 24 HRs / 104 RBIs
2007: .363 AVG / 28 HRs / 139 RBIs
2008: .317 AVG / 21 HRs / 103 RBIs
2009: .301 AVG / 7 HRs / 47 RBIS

Congrats to Magglio Ordonez, who turned 35 this year, but for much of the year hit like he was 45. He started hitting for average in the second half, but by then it was too late for many of his owners, who gave Ordonez an ADP of 60 this season.

5. The most crushing fantasy injury award

Though due consideration was given to Jose Reyes and Jake Peavy, at least they produced something this year. All Brandon Webb gave us was one horrible Opening Day start and an ulcer. I do expect Webb to bounce back and be a good value play next year, but that doesn’t help the owners who counted on him to remain one of the most bankable pitchers in the game.

(Side note: Many readers know that my draft strategies don’t often include paying the going rate for top starting pitching. I generally wait until the round numbers get around the double-digit range before taking pitching. However, in the two online leagues I played in as part of the National Fantasy Baseball Championship, I veered from that usual path and picked up Webb early in one league, and Peavy early in the other. Way to go, me. Both teams will finish in the top three, but I wonder what would have been had I used those picks elsewhere. That will teach me to try something different.)

6. The rookie most likely to be a one-year wonder award

J.A. Happ is a decent fifth starter, but his 2.85 ERA and 1.22 WHIP this season will lead some to believe he’s much better than he actually is. Happ’s batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is just .266, which is the fifth lowest among starting pitchers, and 86 percent of his base runners have been stranded, the highest amount among starters. It all adds to up an ERA and WHIP that should be much higher. Don’t get me wrong: He’s still probably a useful starter next season, but he won’t see these numbers again.

7. The rookie whose performance matched the hype award

Even though Tommy Hanson threw just 127 2/3 innings entering his final start Friday, those innings were good enough that he will likely finish the season among the top 30 starting pitchers on our Player Rater. Hanson has a 2.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP going into his last outing, with 11 wins in 21 starts, while striking out more than eight batters per nine innings. That’s living up to the hype. One wonders if the Braves would be in the playoffs if they hadn’t waited as long to call Hanson up.

8. The rookie whose performance didn’t match the hype award

It’s safe to say David Price has been somewhat disappointing this year. A 4.60 ERA and even the 7.2 strikeouts per nine were a bit underwhelming compared to expectations. Price has just not had the same wipeout slider that he showed in the past, as he’s had trouble commanding it at the big league level and making it less of a chase pitch that still has the necessary bite. His changeup has actually progressed reasonably well, and he could probably go to it more often. The raw ability didn’t go anywhere, so it’s logical to expect a good step up next season.

For those wondering, although Matt Wieters did get off to a slow start when he first came up, he has hit .309 with five homers since the break as he gets settled in against big league pitching. I don’t have any concerns about him going forward.

9. The “why you don’t pay for saves” award

Andrew Bailey will get the nod in a close race with David Aardsma, as Bailey’s ERA (1.88) and WHIP (0.90) give him slightly more value than Aardsma despite the Seattle Mariners closer’s 11 more saves (though I would suspect most teams would prefer the extra saves). Bailey also gets bonus points for not even registering on even the deepest of the team’s saves depth chart entering spring training.

Here’s a chart comparing teams’ Opening Day stoppers with who wound up recording the most saves for their clubs:

	Opening Day closer	Most saves on team
Angels	Brian Fuentes	Brian Fuentes
A’s	Brad Ziegler	Andrew Bailey
Astros	Jose Valverde	Jose Valverde
Blue Jays	B.J. Ryan	Jason Frasor
Braves	Mike Gonzalez	Rafael Soriano
Brewers	Trevor Hoffman	Trevor Hoffman
Cardinals	Jason Motte	Ryan Franklin
Cubs	Kevin Gregg	Kevin Gregg
Diamondbacks	Chad Qualls	Chad Qualls
Dodgers	Jonathan Broxton	Jonathan Broxton
Giants	Brian Wilson	Brian Wilson
Indians	Kerry Wood	Kerry Wood
Mariners	Brandon Morrow	David Aardsma
Marlins	Matt Lindstrom	Leo Nunez
Mets	Francisco Rodriguez	Francisco Rodriguez
Nationals	Joel Hanrahan	Mike MacDougal
Orioles	George Sherrill	George Sherrill
Padres	Heath Bell	Heath Bell
Phillies	Brad Lidge	Brad Lidge
Pirates	Matt Capps	Matt Capps
Rangers	Frank Francisco	Frank Francisco
Rays	Troy Percival	J.P. Howell
Red Sox	Jonathan Papelbon	Jonathan Papelbon
Reds	Francisco Cordero	Francisco Cordero
Rockies	Huston Street*	Huston Street
Royals	Joakim Soria	Joakim Soria
Tigers	Fernando Rodney*	Fernando Rodney
Twins	Joe Nathan	Joe Nathan
White Sox	Bobby Jenks	Bobby Jenks
Yankees	Mariano Rivera	Mariano Rivera

* It’s worth noting that because Street and Rodney were named closers very late in spring, many teams that had their drafts earlier selected Manny Corpas and Brandon Lyon instead.

Eight closers wound up not getting the most saves on their team. That’s actually a low number compared to recent years, as the turnover is usually in low double-digits.

Also worth noting, here are other players who recorded five or more saves (through Wednesday’s games):

Carlos Marmol, 15
C.J. Wilson, 14
LaTroy Hawkins, 11
Ryan Madson, 10
Scott Downs, 9
Juan Gutierrez, 8
Jim Johnson, 8
Franklin Morales, 7
Randy Choate, 5
Ramon Troncoso, 5

You often hear the “never pay for saves” mantra on this site, but it’s not quite that simple. I look at it more like “never pay the going rate for top closers.” I just think spending a lot of auction dollars or higher draft picks on them isn’t the most efficient use of your draft day resources, especially with saves always coming into the league every year from unexpected sources. In my mixed leagues this year, I eschewed the bigger names in favor of various combinations of Brian Wilson (ADP: 193), Trevor Hoffman (ADP: 216), Frank Francisco (ADP: 179) and Chad Qualls (ADP: 206), and acquitted myself just fine with saves.

10. The quietly useful in deep AL-only leagues award

This player hit .282, slugged .508, mashed 14 homers and stole five bases in just 202 at-bats, all while winding up with eligibility at first, third and the outfield in most leagues.

His name? Ryan Raburn.

(Ty Wigginton had a similar type of season, but he was expected to be useful in AL leagues this year. Raburn wasn’t.)

11. The quietly useful in deep NL-only leagues award

Angel Pagan hit .298 with six homers and 13 steals in 85 games, manning center field while Carlos Beltran was out.

12. The “making the most of Matt Holliday being dealt” award

Holliday himself is ineligible for the award, though it would certainly fit. However, Holliday’s departure from the Oakland Athletics‘ outfield opened up more playing time for Rajai Davis, and he made the most of it. Since the trade, Davis has hit .329 with 28 steals in 63 games, and his 30 steals since the All-Star break are the most in baseball.

13. The “patience is a virtue” award

A high-profile signing as a Cuban defector, Kendry Morales spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues prior to this year waiting for an opportunity to play every day. Although to be fair, he probably wasn’t quite ready yet. When the Los Angeles Angels were unable to re-sign Mark Teixeira, he finally got the chance and made the most of it. Not bad for a guy who wasn’t drafted in many ESPN leagues.

14. The second-half collapse award

Ricky Romero was one of the stories of the first half of the season, pitching lights-out in his first three starts and having a 3.00 ERA and 1.26 WHIP at the break.

In the second half: 5.57 ERA and 1.82 WHIP, as he’s looked more like the pitcher who has struggled in the minors for much of his career. That good changeup hybrid he has can’t help much if he doesn’t command the fastball.

15. The “can still play this game” award

This hitter went from an injury-marred 2008 where he hit .249 with three homers in 249 at-bats to a full campaign hitting .277 with 30 bombs. Kudos to Michael Cuddyer, who started hitting in spring training and didn’t stop, looking more like the Cuddyer who hit 24 homers and drove in 102 in 2006. He was a nice find for astute owners on the waiver wire as an undrafted player.

16. The Adam LaRoche All-Star award (second-half performance after doing nothing in the first half)

My old favorite Howie Kendrick hit just .239 with a .644 OPS in the first half and lost his job. Since his return, his .376 batting average is the best in baseball since the break, with six homers and four steals, despite manager Mike Scioscia’s keeping him out of the lineup semi-regularly.

As for LaRoche himself, he hit .250 with 12 homers and a .783 OPS in the first half, and .323 with 13 homers and a .958 OPS in the second half.

17. The “temporary bump in the road” award

Ricky Nolasco had some very bad luck over the first two months of the season, with his peripheral numbers indicating he was still a good pitcher. Still, he wound up being demoted temporarily. Even now, only 61 percent of his runners being left on base this season is the lowest mark among starters (compare that to J.A. Happ). Since returning to the big leagues on June 6, Nolasco has a 3.81 ERA and 1.01 WHIP and is striking out more than 10 batters per nine innings while hardly walking anyone. Have no worries about him next year. Some will look at the high ERA for the season (5.06 entering his final start Friday), but you’ll know better.

18. The “third organization’s the charm” award

When Carlos Gonzalez was coming up in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, he drew comparisons to Alex Rios but has been known more for the players he’s been dealt for (Dan Haren, Matt Holliday) than his performance. The raw skills made him coveted, but some maturity issues were part of the reason the Colorado Rockies were his third team as a pro. However, with those issues behind him, along with cutting down on his propensity for overswinging, Gonzalez has hit a ridiculous .323 with 12 homers and 11 steals since the break as he starts to fulfill some of his potential.

19. The concussion recovery award

Hopefully David Wright plays as well next season after his concussion as Aaron Hill (.288, 36 HRs, 107 RBIs) did this year. Hill wound up finding something with his hand positioning, thanks to hitting so much off a tee during his recovery, and coupling that with a heavier bat, he found more power this year.

20. The best use of a 16th-round pick award

Batting division: Adam Lind (ADP: 156)
Pitching division: Chris Carpenter (ADP: 159)

By Jason Grey
ESPN.com

Week Four Injury Report

Here is what you need to know before setting your lineup for Sunday. Of course there are other players in jeopardy of missing their week four game, but these are the players who would likely start on your team if they were not injured. Check in next Friday for next weekend’s injury report.

Player: Felix Jones
Injury: Sprained PCL in left knee
Listed As: Out
Prediction: Out
Comments: Earlier reports suggested Jones may be out until week seven, but that remains to be seen. He will take at least two weeks off with Dallas having a bye during week five. Jones injured his knee in his first start of his career. He had a total of 104 yards on nine carries and one reception in the 21-7 win over Carolina.

Player: Marion Barber
Injury: Quad
Listed As: Probable
Prediction: In but limited
Comments: Barber suffered his injury in the New York Giants game in week two. He is healthy enough to play, but not ready for the entire workload. Dallas had the opportunity to sign Chauncey Washington from their practice squad, but passed. Meaning they fully expect Barber to play vs Denver.

Player: LaDainian Tomlinson
Injury: Sprained Ankle
Listed As: Probable
Prediction: In
Comments: LT practiced in full on Friday according to ESPN’s John Clayton. While he may not be 100%, he is certainly ready to play. Keep in mind, he splits time with Sproles even when healthy. So expect that to continue.

Player: Clinton Portis
Injury: Bruised Calf
Listed As: Questionable
Prediction: Out
Comments: Portis has not practiced yet since his injury, and that usually leads to a week off. He was kicked is last week’s loss to the Detroit Lions. Jim Zorn says the chances of Portis playing are “50-50″ and will be a “game-time decision”. Ladell Betts and Marcus Mason have been playing with the starters all week.

Player: Wes Welker
Injury: Knee Ailment
Listed As: Questionable
Prediction: Out
Comments: Considering Welker relies on his speed more than anything, I would expect the Patriots to keep him sidelined until he can contribute effectively. Wes did practice this week, but has been limited in the past three practices.

2009-2010 Fantasy Basketball: Position Rankings

Guards

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans
2. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
3. Dwayne Wade, Miami
4. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City
5. Deron Williams, Utah
6. Devin Harris, New Jersey
7. Brandon Roy, Portland
8. Joe Johnson, Atlanta
9. Gilbert Arenas, Washington
10. Tony Parker, San Antonio
11. Jose Calderon, Toronto
12. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia
13. Steve Nash, Phoenix
14. Derrick Rose, Chicago
15. Rajon Rondo, Boston
16. Chauncey Billups, Denver
17. Caron Butler, Washington
18. Monta Ellis, Golden State
19. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
20. O.J. Mayo, Memphis
21. Vince Carter, Orlando
22. Kevin Martin, Sacramento
23. Ben Gordon, Chicago
24. Baron Davis, Los Angeles Clippers
25. Michael Redd, Milwaukee

Forwards

1. LeBron James, Cleveland
2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City
3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
4. Chris Bosh, Toronto
5. Amar’e Stoudemire, Phoenix
6. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
7. Carmelo Anthony, Denver
8. Al Jefferson, Minnesota
9. Tim Duncan, San Antonio
10. Danny Granger, Indiana
11. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia
12. Antwan Jamison, Washington
13. Carlos Boozer, Utah
14. Kevin Garnett, Boston
15. David West, New Orleans
16. Paul Pierce, Boston
17. Caron Butler, Washington
18. LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland
19. Zach Randolph, Memphis
20. Stephen Jackson, Golden State
21. Hedo Turkoglu, Toronto
22. Gerald Wallace, Charlotte
23. David Lee, New York
24. Josh Howard, Dallas
25. Jeff Green, Oklahoma City

Centers

1. Dwight Howard, Orlando
2. Amar’e Stoudemire, Phoenix
3. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
4. Al Jefferson, Minnesota
5. Brook Lopez, New Jersey
6. Zach Randolph, Memphis
7. Emeka Okafor, Charlotte
8. David Lee, New York
9. Mehmet Okur, Utah
10. Al Horford, Atlanta
11. Andris Biedrins, Golden State
12. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee
13. Spencer Hawes, Sacramento
14. Marc Gasol, Memphis
15. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers
16. Nene, Denver
17. Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland
18. Kevin Love, Minnesota
19. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto
20. Brad Miller, Chicago
21. Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers
22. Greg Oden, Portland
23. Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers
24. Tyson Chandler, Charlotte
25. Joakim Noah, Chicago

The Ravens offense is…good?

On the count of three name the first thing that comes to your mind when I say Baltimore Ravens. 1…2…3!

Defense, right?

It goes back to the Brian Billick/Marvin Lewis years. When the Ravens had one of the best defenses in NFL history. In 2000, the phenomenal defensive cast took the team all the way to the promise land. Now, the Ravens are taking a different route to what may be their second Lombardi Trophy.

Former Player of the Years Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, former rookie of the years Peter Boulware and Terrell Suggs, Rod Woodson, and Sam Adams have established this label the Ravens have had ever since that 2000 season. Now, Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Derrick Mason are putting a new spin on things.

In the first three games, Baltimore has scored 103 points. That is an average of 35 points per game – the highest average in the AFC and second only to New Orleans in the NFL.

What used to be a ground-and-pound/win-with-defense team has turned into an air-it-out/attack-with-points team. And it all starts with Joe Flacco.

This kid is something. Remember when Raven fans were freaking out at the beginning of last season because they all “knew” Flacco was a “bust”? Troy Smith of all people actually started over Flacco in a few games. Fret no longer.

Flacco had a fine rookie campaign last season (2900 yards, 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions), but it is all coming together this season.

The former DELAWARE BLUE HEN has torched defenses so far in 2009. He has totaled 839 yards, 6 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. Those of you math whizes know that he’s on pace to come out with around 4500 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Which makes him a run of the mill fantasy stud.

Joe Flacco, all 6′6″ 240 lbs of him, is averaging 280 yards per game and has a 102 QB rating. Consider this: He has six touchdowns. Flacco did not reach that mark until week 9 of his rookie season.

AMAZINGLY, Flacco is only picked up in 80% of Yahoo! leagues. Honestly, it’s a crime if he’s not on a team by now. I mean, really… What does he have to do?

There are only four quarterbacks having better fantasy seasons. Guys such as Rivers, Romo, Brady, Warner, Roethlisberger are ALL chasing Flacco right now.

If you have any questions at all, contact me at StLDieHard24@gmail.com.

Week Three Injury Report

Here is what you need to know before setting your lineup for Sunday. Of course there are other players in jeopardy of missing the week two game, but these are the players who would likely start on your team if they were not injured. Check in next Friday for next weekend’s injury report.

Donovan McNabb (PREDICTION: OUT)
The cracked rib that has been killing McNabb since first injuring it in Philadelphia’s Week One matchup is still lingering. He has yet to practice since being crushed in the endzone by about five Panther defenders and is listed as doubtful.

With Week Four being the Eagles’ bye week, I would expect Andy Reid to just give Donovan another week off. They are playing a team (Kansas City Chiefs) that Kevin Kolb can most certainly handle. Michael Vick and Jeff Garcia are finally available, but Vick is expected to be the first backup.

McNabb went 10-for-18 for 79 yards and two touchdowns before being injured, but Kolb (and the new additions) should have no problem against the Chiefs.

Marion Barber (PREDICTION: OUT)
Barber, literally, ran until he couldn’t run any more last Sunday night against the Giants. The former Golden Gopher rushed for nearly 130 yards on only 18 carries.

He will not do that this week.

An earlier report suggested Barber would be out for at least three weeks. That is not the case. In fact, Jerry Jones tells reporters that the team hasn’t ruled out playing Barber in Week Three. Although, he did say that they were leaning towards NOT playing him. I’m not sure what he is getting at, but there ya go.

The Cowboys’ site said Barber has a “strained left quadriceps muscle” but he did participate in practice beginning on Wednesday.

With two capable backups (Felix Jones / Tashard Choice), you would think Dallas would just play it safe. Especially since this type of injury is one notoriously known for worsening if pushed to the limit.

Granted the game isn’t until Monday night, but I just do not think it is worth the risk. His thigh is not 100%. If you push your luck hard enough…it will push back.

LaDainian Tomlinson (PREDICTION: OUT)
LT was limited in his Week One game due to this very injury, and it has yet to go away. Tomlinson will likely do exactly what he did last week. Sit on the bench.

The once fantasy football superstar has not practiced since before Week One. He rushed for a mere 55 yards on 13 carries before officially being pulled from the game.

Similar to the situation in Dallas, San Diego does not and should not push it. Darren Sproles along with Michael Bennett have done it before, and will do it again. Considering LT is a 30 year old running back, I would suggest giving him just one more week off if at all possible.

Brian Westbrook (PREDICTION: IN BUT LIMITED)
Brian Westbrook is hurt. It snows in Canada. I mean seriously! Haven’t I read this book already???

This is exactly why I have NEVER drafted Brain Westbrook in my eight years of fantasy football. However, that is for another time.

Ya know that “surgically repaired” ankle that was “surgically repaired” in the offseason? Yeah, that’s the one. It is banged up yet again.

This time it’s being called a sprained right ankle and Westbrook hasn’t practiced on it in a week. Nevertheless, Westbrook is expected to play on Sunday. He only ran for 58 yards when heathly, so I’m not sure what they are hoping for by playing him when he is not healthy.

Anquan Boldin (PREDICTION: IN)
Boldin is “close to 100%” according to Arizona reporters and should be able to play without limitations this weekend.

The nagging hamstring injury suffered earlier in preseason has been steadily improving over the past couple weeks.

The Cardinal coaching staff may have made a mistake by playing him in the season opener (2 receptions, 19 yards), but Boldin was back to his old self  in Week Two when he recorded eight receptions and 70 yards.

That’s it for this week. If you have any questions at all, contact me at StLDieHard24@gmail.com.

As always, take it easy.

Why Does Tony Romo Suck In Night Games?

I can’t take it anymore. Watching Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo on primetime is maddening. He has terrible judgment under the lights. He’s careless with the football, throwing picks all over the place. But I need proof, so I did some research.

Here is every regular season game Tony Romo has played in at 8pm or later. . . . . .

W7, 10/23/06, L 36-22, 14-25, 56.00%, 227 yrds, 2 td, 3 int, 73.7 rating

W8, 10/29/06, W 35-14, 24-36, 66.70%, 270 yrds, 1 td, 1 int, 86.6 rating

W14, 12/10/06, L 42-17, 16-33, 48.50%, 249 yrds, 1 td, 2 td, 58.8 rating

W15, 12/16/06, W 38-28, 22-29, 75.90%, 278 yrds, 2 td, 1 int, 113.9 rating

W16, 12/25/06, L 23-7, 14-29, 48.30%, 142 yrds, 1 td, 2 td, 45.5 rating

W1, 09/09/07, W 45-35, 15-24, 62.50%, 345 yrds, 5 td, 1 int, 128.5 rating

W3, 09/23/07, W 34-10, 22-35, 62.90%, 329 yrds, 2 td, 1 int, 100.8 rating

W5, 10/08/07, W 25-24, 29-50, 58.00%, 309 yrds, 2 td, 6 int, 49.9 rating

W9, 11/04/07, W 38-17, 20-25, 80.00%, 324 yrds, 3 td, 1 int, 141.7 rating

W13, 11/29/07, W 37-27, 19-30, 63.30%, 309 yrds, 4 td, 1 123.5 rating

W16, 12/22/07, W 20-13, 28-42, 66.70%, 257 yrds, 1 td, 1 int, 81.2 rating

W2, 09/15/08, W 41–37, 21-30, 70.00%, 312 yrds, 3 td, 1 int, 123.2 rating

W3, 09/21/08, W 27–16, 17-30, 56.70%, 260 yrds, 1 td, 1 int, 82.6 rating

W11, 11/16/08, W 14-10, 19-27, 70.40%, 198 yrds, 1 td, 2 int, 72.8 rating

W15, 12/14/08, W 20-8, 20-30, 66.70%, 244 yrds, 2 td, 0 int, 113.7 rating

W2, 09/20/09, L 33-31, 13-29, 44.80%, 127 yrds, 2 td, 3 int, 29.6 rating

Average: 20-32, 62.34%, 261 yrds, 2.06 td, 1.69 int, 89.1 rating

In real life NFL, winning is all that matters. Romo is a fantastic 12-4 in night games. However, fantasy owners need stats, and Romo is well below his daytime stats. His 62% completion rate is great and his average yards are serviceable. However, his TD-turnover ratio is poor.

Regardless, his 16-game primetime average would make most owners pleased with his fantasy QB#1 status. If you’ve owned him you know he’s a tease. In 11 games started in 2006, Romo was approximately the fourth best fantasy quarterback according to average points per game. In 2007, he was approximately the second best fantasy quarterback. Last season, he was approximately the sixth best fantasy quarterback according to average points per game (he missed three games due to injury). Is 261 yards, 2.06 TD’s, and 1.69 turnovers what you want from a fantasy ace? Not even close! There is no need to dissect his day game stats… he’s a fantasy force. His consistent top six quarterback status in the past three seasons suggest he puts up fantastic day numbers to counter his pedestrian night game numbers.

Keep your expectations low when Romo plays in night games. He’s afraid of the dark! It’ll help ease the pain if you lose a close fantasy game because of his ineptitude.

These are guaranteed 2009 primetime games before NBC flexing kicks in (week 11-17):

Mon, Sep 28 vs Carolina 8:30 pm
Sun, Nov 8 @ Philadelphia 8:20 pm .

By Joseph Buccellato
KeeperLeagueGM.com

Mario Manningham: Quite The Fantasy Catch

Plaxico Burress who? Mario Manningham has emerged as the primary big-play threat in the New York Giants offense.

He’s been able to torch the coverage easily against both the Washington and Dallas defenses. His acceleration and burst make his routes nearly perfect. Not to mention his unique ability to shed defenders. During both of the first two games, Manning and ManningHAM hooked up for short screen plays that developed into 30 yard touchdown plays.

Manningham has 208 receiving yards on 13 receptions with two touchdowns on the young season. Before 2009, Manningham had seven career receptions for 84 yards.

The former Michigan star obviously has Eli’s trust. “Manningham played outstanding,” Eli Manning said. “It started back in the spring. He came up to me and asked what he could do to get better. He wanted to have a good year. In training camp, he did whatever he could to get into the offense and be more productive. He’s worked extremely hard. He continues to make plays. He’s an explosive receiver and his talent is starting to come out.”

There was major concern regarding the Giants’ passing attack. Problem solved. Manningham and Steve Smith are amoung the league leaders in all major receiving categories. Manningham is 9th in the NFL with 13 receptions and Steve Smith sits atop the National Football League with 16.

Domenik Hixon and Hakeem Nicks are both out with injuries and nearly all of the pass attempts are aimed towards Manningham and Smith. While Smith is owned in the majority of leagues, Manningham may be available. He is taken in 50% of all Yahoo! leagues, but only 20% in CBS leagues. Depending on your league/roster size, he may very well be out there. If he is, take my advice: PICK HIM UP. Now.

Have questions? Need advice? Ask Justin. StLDieHard24@gmail.com

Week Two Start ‘Em – Sit ‘Em

Week 2 QB Studs:
Tom Brady vs NYJ, Aaron Rodgers vs CIN, Kurt Warner vs JAC, Drew Brees vs PHI

Also Consider:
David Garrard vs ARI, Trent Edwards vs TB, Jason Campbell vs STL, Joe Flacco vs SD, Brett Favre vs DET, Matt Cassel vs OAK, Mark Sanchez vs NE

Must Avoid:
Carson Palmer vs GB, Jay Cutler vs PIT, Eli Manning vs DAL, Kyle Orton vs CLE

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Week 2 RB Studs:
Adrian Peterson vs DET, Clinton Portis vs STL, Chris Johnson vs HOU, Maurice Jones-Drew vs ARI

Also Consider:
Fred Jackson vs TB, Larry Johnson vs OAK, Jamal Lewis vs DEN, Michael Bush/Darren McFadden vs KC, LenDale White vs HOU, Darren Sproles vs DAL, Mike Bell vs PHI

Must Avoid:
Beanie Wells vs JAC, Reggie Bush vs PHI, Felix Jones vs NYG, Willie Parker vs CHI

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Week 2 WR Studs:
Larry Fitzgerald vs JAC, Randy Moss vs NYJ, Calvin Johnson vs MIN, Greg Jennings vs CIN

Also Consider:
Jerricho Cotchery vs NE, Torry Holt vs ARI, Derrick Mason vs SD, Donald Driver vs CIN, Devin Hester vs PIT, Bernard Berrian vs DET, Percy Harvin vs DET

Must Avoid:
Laveranues Coles vs GB, Patrick Crayton vs NYG, Steve Breaston vs JAC, Kevin Walter vs TEN

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Week 2 TE Studs:
Antonio Gates vs BAL, John Carlson vs SF, Tony Gonzalez vs CAR, Jason Witten vs NYG

Also Consider:
Heath Miller vs NE, Donald Lee vs CIN, Visanthe Shiancoe vs DET, Dustin Keller vs NE, Brent Celek vs NO, Todd Heap vs SD, Ben Watson vs NYJ

Must Avoid:
Anthony Fasano vs IND, Vernon Davis vs SEA, Zach Miller vs KC, Kellen Winslow vs BUF

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Week 2 Dream Team

QB: Tom Brady vs NYJ (proj: 305 yards, 3 touchdowns)
RB: Adrian Peterson vs DET (150 yards, 2 touchdowns)
RB: Clinton Portis vs STL (115 yards, 1 touchdown)
WR: Randy Moss vs NYJ (130 yards, 2 touchdowns)
WR: Larry Fitzgerald vs JAC (95 yards, 2 touchdowns)
WR: Greg Jennings vs CIN (85 yards, 1 touchdown)
TE: Antonio Gates vs BAL (70 yards, 1 touchdown)
K: Ryan Longwell vs DET (3 field goals, 4 pat’s)
DEF: Minnesota Vikings vs DET (17 pa, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions)

Week Two Injury Report

My apologies for no injury report last week, but hey, I was swamped with things. Give me a break! Anyways, here is what you need to know before setting your lineup for Sunday. Of course there are other players in jeopardy of missing the week two game, but these are the players who would likely start on your team if they were not injured.

Donovan McNabb (PREDICTION: OUT)
The Eagles quarterback had to be helped off the field last Sunday after being crushed by three Panther defenders on his three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. In the time he did play, McNabb threw for a total of 79 yards and did score twice.

The official injury was announced as being a single cracked rib. Andy Reid tells reporters that it is broken “almost all the way through.”

McNabb hasn’t practiced all this week, and wasn’t really expected to. Kevin Kolb took the bulk of the first-string snaps, along with newly acquired Jeff Garcia getting a couple. In a news conference on Friday, Reid said that Kevin Kolb is likely to be the starter, Donovan is listed as doubtful, and Garcia will be the #2 or #3 depending on if McNabb starts.

Tony Romo (PREDICTION: IN WITH FULL WORKLOAD)
Despite dominating the Tampa Bay defense for 353 yards and three touchdowns, Romo did sprain his ankle in the 34-21 victory.

An MRI was conducted earlier in the week to see just how bad the ankle was, and it came back negative (which is a good thing).

Romo did not miss any snaps in the opener, and isn’t expected to miss any in week two. He fully participated in practice on Wednesday without any lingering problems.

When speaking with Dallas reporters, Romo said, “I’ll be fine. There’s nothing wrong with it. It will be 100%.”

LaDainian Tomlinson (PREDICTION: OUT)
LT fantasy owners are already livid. Just think what they will be like when they catch wind of his newest injury.

Tomlinson rushed for 55 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown in a limited role against the Oakland Raiders last Monday night.

To add to the rest of his possible nagging injuries, he sprained his ankle during the Raider game. LaDainian has not practiced all week and has officially been ruled out for Sunday’s game.

Pierre Thomas (PREDICTION: IN BUT VERY LIMITED)
Unlike the rest of the players on this list, Thomas did not play in the Saints opening game. He has been dealing with a right knee sprain for a month, and is still recovering.

Thomas fully participated in practice on Wednesday, but was limited on Thursday. His leg was reportedly “wrapped” during practice, and “iced” afterwards (per Yahoo! Sports). Wednesday was the first time he had practiced in weeks.

Despite what it sounds like, Pierre says he will in fact play against the Eagles. However, I really doubt if he appears too often. If he does play, it will be in a very limited role.

His backup, Mike Bell, had an insane game vs the Detroit Lions in week one. Bell rushed for 148 yards on 28 carries and should get quite a few touches this coming week.

Anthony Gonzalez (PREDICTION: OUT)
This is the more serious of the injuries I am discussing today. Gonzalez may be in for a little vacation, if you will.

After stepping across the line of scrimmage in the first quarter of Indianapolis’ opener without touching a player, Gonzalez fell to the ground clutching his knee.

It has been announced as being a PCL sprain in his right knee. The ligaments are not seriously injured, but Gonzo will miss a significant amount of time. This type of injury usually, on average, requires at least 5 weeks of rehab. However, he could miss up to two months. The very best case scenario would be Gonzalez missing four games.

Peyton Manning, who should be concerned more than anybody, just hopes “it’s not a season ending injury.”

Anquan Boldin (PREDICTION: IN)
#81 was obviously bothered by his hamstring injury in week one, but decided to test the sore hammy anyway. The result was two receptions for 19 yards. Good decision, eh coach?

Luckily, it sounds like he did not damage anything more than it already was. He actually practiced this week more than he has in a month.

The word out of Arizona is that Anquan Boldin will be ready to play come Sunday.

 

That’s it for this week. If you have any questions at all, contact me at StLDieHard24@gmail.com.

As always, take it easy.

Eagles Stays Optimistic About Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb hobbled off the field Sunday after being crunched by several defenders on his three-yard touchdown run.

The Eagle’s had no problem winning their bout with the Carolina Panthers in week one, but had a big scare in the third quarter when McNabb went down. He limped to the locker room and was later said to have a “single cracked rib” on the left side.

Andy Reid refuses to rule out Donovan for week two, but does say, “He’s sore right now. He’s got a broken rib. We’ll just see how he does over the next little bit … He will struggle to practice with cracked rib, but he’s going to try and battle through it.”

Reid had no problem discussing the injury with reporters. However, McNabb, who everybody really wanted to talk to, opted not to enlighten us fantasy owners who may have big decisions to make this week.

Jay Glazer, NFL insider for Fox Sports, says a Philadelphia Eagle (did not specify) told him that McNabb was definitely out for the upcoming game. With Michael Vick watching games from the luxury box until week three, Kevin Kolb will get the start if McNabb does not play.

I’ve said it all along: Come week three, if McNabb is still injured or not playing well, you know what is going to happen in Philly. Actually, if you listen real closely, you can already hear Eagle fans chanting “WE WANT VICK, WE WANT VICK, WE WANT VICK!!!”.

McNabb once played four quarters with a broken ankle, so there is a real possibility he plays in a BIG game this coming Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. With that said, from what I have heard, I would say McNabb will not play this weekend.

Therefore, if you own him, I would suggest you find yourself a fill-in. If you have a decent backup, awesome. If not, look for guys like Joe Flacco, Shaun Hill, or Jason Campbell for this week two.

Until next time, take it easy.
- Jay -