You've read all the articles, made your own position rankings, studied coaches tendencies, and so on and so forth, but how much will this really help you when draft day comes around?
Yes, doing all of these things will have you more prepared than many of the other owners in your leagues, but there is one more thing that you can do that will put your draft preperation over the top...Mock Drafts.
Seriously, what better way to learn than by experience? Do a handful of mock drafts in the weeks leading up to your big money draft, and you will be infinitely more prepared to nail that sleeper as late as you possibly can and end up with the best team possible.
My favorite Mock Draft is on ESPN, but there are many other sites out there with mocks like; Yahoo!, fantasyfootballcalculator.com, and www.fantasyfootballhub.com/mock_drafts.html along with many others.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Other noteworthy draft picks
19.) Atlanta Hawks-Jeff Teague: Point Guard-Wake Forest
After posting a terrific season for the Deacons, Teague was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. He figures to be one of the first off the bench each game and should provide some instant offense for them.
Projected line: 9.0 PPG 2.0 RPG 3.5 APG 0.70 SPG 45% Fg 38% 3P 80% FT
35.) Detroit Pistons-DaJuan Summers: Small Forward-Georgetown
Summers is a big, strong, athletic wing player with a nice skill set. He does need a little work refining his outside game-mainly ball handling and his jump shot, but given. Given his size (6'8" 245), he could see some additional time at PF if the Pistons go small.
Projected line: 4.0 PPG 3.0 RPG 1.5 APG 0.40 BPG 0.40 SPG 45% FG 35% 3P 72% FT
36.) Memphis Grizzlies-Sam Young: Small Forward-Pittsburgh
He's currently stuck behind the uber-talents named Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo, but Sam Young should find some minutes. He's a savvy scorer and a good defender, so if an injury opens up extra PT for him, you need to consider him.
Projected line: 7.0 PPG 3.5 RPG 1.0 APG 0.70 SPG 45% FG 33% 3P 74% FT
55.) Portland Trailblazers-Patrick Mills: Point Guard-St. Mary's
Half way through the year, Mills was a projected mid first round pick, but a midseason wrist injury somehow turned him into a borderline draftable guy. He could push Bayless for playing time.
Projected line: 7.5 PPG 1.8 RPG 2.0 APG 0.6o SPG 42% FG 30% 3P 84% FT
After posting a terrific season for the Deacons, Teague was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. He figures to be one of the first off the bench each game and should provide some instant offense for them.
Projected line: 9.0 PPG 2.0 RPG 3.5 APG 0.70 SPG 45% Fg 38% 3P 80% FT
35.) Detroit Pistons-DaJuan Summers: Small Forward-Georgetown
Summers is a big, strong, athletic wing player with a nice skill set. He does need a little work refining his outside game-mainly ball handling and his jump shot, but given. Given his size (6'8" 245), he could see some additional time at PF if the Pistons go small.
Projected line: 4.0 PPG 3.0 RPG 1.5 APG 0.40 BPG 0.40 SPG 45% FG 35% 3P 72% FT
36.) Memphis Grizzlies-Sam Young: Small Forward-Pittsburgh
He's currently stuck behind the uber-talents named Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo, but Sam Young should find some minutes. He's a savvy scorer and a good defender, so if an injury opens up extra PT for him, you need to consider him.
Projected line: 7.0 PPG 3.5 RPG 1.0 APG 0.70 SPG 45% FG 33% 3P 74% FT
55.) Portland Trailblazers-Patrick Mills: Point Guard-St. Mary's
Half way through the year, Mills was a projected mid first round pick, but a midseason wrist injury somehow turned him into a borderline draftable guy. He could push Bayless for playing time.
Projected line: 7.5 PPG 1.8 RPG 2.0 APG 0.6o SPG 42% FG 30% 3P 84% FT
NBA Draft-Fantasy spin 1st half of 1st round
1.) Los Angeles Clippers-Blake Griffin: Power Forward-Oklahoma
While being the most talented player in the draft, he won't have a huge impact fantasy-wise next season because of the logjam at the front court positions.
Projected line: 13.5 PPG 8.0 RPG 1.5 APG 1.5 BPG 47.5% FG 65% FT
2.) Memphis Grizzlies-Hasheem Thabeet: Center-UCONN
Tremendous upside pick, he won't see a ton of time as a rookie simply because he is so raw and unpolished. He'll come off the bench his first year and could provide a decent amount of blocks, but little else.
Projected line: 3.5 PPG 5.0 RPG 0.5 APG 1.75 BPG 48% FG 65% FT
3.) Oklahoma City Thunder-James Harden: Shooting Guard-Arizona State
Possibly the most complete player and pro-ready player in the draft, he could step in and contribute immediately. He plays with a few other scorers though, so he may be a 3rd or 4th option his first year in the league.
Projected line: 15.0 PPG 4.5 RPG 3.5 APG 1.25 SPG 45% FG 32% 3P 75% FT
4.) Sacramento Kings-Tyreke Evans: Shooting Guard-Memphis
A natural scorer, Evans might still be a year or two away from being able to contribute consistently on this level.
Projected line: 9.0 PPG 2.5 RPG 2.0 APG 0.70 SPG 44% FG 28% 3P 72% FT
5.) Minnesota Timberwolves-Ricky Rubio: Point Guard-Spain
Apparently the second coming of the great Pistol Pete, the 18 year old Rubio is the biggest risk/reward and/or upside pick of the lottery. It will probably take him a few years, at least until age 20 in my opinion, for him to be a consistent force in the league.
Projected line: 6.0 PPG 2.0 RPG 5.0 APG 0.55 SPG 43% FG 32% 3P 77% FT
6.) Minnesota Timberwolves-Jonny Flynn: Point Guard-Syracuse
Very interesting pick, considering the T-wolves JUST selected another promising pick less than 5 minutes before they picked Flynn. The Syracuse product is an extremely quick and talented PG with solid finishing ability and distribution skills. Will probably be more effective than Rubio in Year One.
Projected line: 13.0 PPG 3.0 RPG 6.5 APG 1.50 SPG 44% FG 30% 3P 80% FT
7.) Golden State Warriors-Stephen Curry: Point Guard/Shooting Guard-Davidson
The perfect place for a player with Curry's skill set, I expect him to produce very well his first season.
Projected line: 15.0 PPG 3.o RPG 4.0 APG 1.30 SPG 44% FG 39% 3P 90% FT
8.) New York Knicks-Jordan Hill: Power Forward-Arizona
An energetic, athletic big man-Hill fits in very well with Coach D'Antoni's Run N' Gun system. He should get plenty of minutes off the bench and could produce at a reasonable clip his rookie year.
Projected line: 10.0 PPG 7.5 RPG 1.0 APG 1.40 BPG 48% FG 68% FT
9.) Toronto Raptors-DeMar DeRozan: Shooting Guard-USC
DeRozan was a disappointment for most of his Freshman year, however he did turn it around at the end of the year. I expect him to have experience some bumps and bruises along the way in his rookie year. Once he develops a somewhat respectable jumper, he'll blossom.
Projected line: 7.5 PPG 3.0 RPG 1.5 APG 0.50 SPG 43% FG 68% FT
10.) Milwaukee Bucks-Brandon Jennings: Point Guard-Italy
Jennings is a top of the line athlete with great ball handling skills and tremendous passing ability. He struggles with his shot and sometimes tries to play too spectacular instead of just getting the job done. Also, he was the first High Schooler to buck the "One and Done" rule and head overseas, heads to the NBA with more pro experience than most rookies. That being said, he's still a year or two away from fulfilling his potential.
Projected line: 5.0 PPG 1.5 RPG 5.0 APG 0.40 SPG 41% FG 33% 3P 75% FT
11.) New Jersey Nets-Terrence Williams: Small Forward-Louisville
A terrific athlete with a ton of versatility, T-Will should see solid minutes his rookie season and contribute across the board.
Projected line: 12.0 PPG 6.0 RPG 3.5 APG 1.00 SPG 0.60 BPG 45% 30% 3P 62% FT
12.) Charlotte Bobcats-Gerald Henderson: Shooting Guard-Duke
A good, athletic slasher out of Duke, Henderson will be used more for his defense his rookie year. Don't expect a lot of coutning stats.
Projected line: 8.0 PPG 4.0 RPG 2.0 APG 1.00 SPG 44% FG 30% 3P 75.0% FT
13.) Indiana Pacers-Tyler Hansbrough: Power Forward-North Carolina
Psycho T is, and always will be a hustle player with limited athleticism and a fair amount of skill. I envision his career path following the same road as Eduardo Najera-probably a bit more offense though.
Projected line: 8.0 PPG 6.0 RPG 1.0 APG 0.30 BPG 46% FG 83% FT
14.) Phoenix Suns-Earl Clark: Small Forward- Louisville
A very talented player. Earlier in the offseason he was a projected top 10 pick, I'm not sure what happened to change that but I'm sure the Suns aren't complaining. I think he will be a solid contributer his rookie year.
Projected line: 10.0 PPG 6.0 RPG 2.5 APG 0.95 SPG 0.70 BPG 45% FG 28% 3P 66% FT
15.) Detroit Pistons-Austin Daye: Small Forward-Gonzaga
6'10" and 190 pounds. Yes, you read that right. 6'10" and 190 pounds! He won't contribute at all until he gains at least 20 to 30 pounds. He does have a very interesting skill set though.
Projected line: 3.0 PPG 1.5 RPG 0.3 APG 0.40 BPG 43% FG 37% 3P 80% FT
While being the most talented player in the draft, he won't have a huge impact fantasy-wise next season because of the logjam at the front court positions.
Projected line: 13.5 PPG 8.0 RPG 1.5 APG 1.5 BPG 47.5% FG 65% FT
2.) Memphis Grizzlies-Hasheem Thabeet: Center-UCONN
Tremendous upside pick, he won't see a ton of time as a rookie simply because he is so raw and unpolished. He'll come off the bench his first year and could provide a decent amount of blocks, but little else.
Projected line: 3.5 PPG 5.0 RPG 0.5 APG 1.75 BPG 48% FG 65% FT
3.) Oklahoma City Thunder-James Harden: Shooting Guard-Arizona State
Possibly the most complete player and pro-ready player in the draft, he could step in and contribute immediately. He plays with a few other scorers though, so he may be a 3rd or 4th option his first year in the league.
Projected line: 15.0 PPG 4.5 RPG 3.5 APG 1.25 SPG 45% FG 32% 3P 75% FT
4.) Sacramento Kings-Tyreke Evans: Shooting Guard-Memphis
A natural scorer, Evans might still be a year or two away from being able to contribute consistently on this level.
Projected line: 9.0 PPG 2.5 RPG 2.0 APG 0.70 SPG 44% FG 28% 3P 72% FT
5.) Minnesota Timberwolves-Ricky Rubio: Point Guard-Spain
Apparently the second coming of the great Pistol Pete, the 18 year old Rubio is the biggest risk/reward and/or upside pick of the lottery. It will probably take him a few years, at least until age 20 in my opinion, for him to be a consistent force in the league.
Projected line: 6.0 PPG 2.0 RPG 5.0 APG 0.55 SPG 43% FG 32% 3P 77% FT
6.) Minnesota Timberwolves-Jonny Flynn: Point Guard-Syracuse
Very interesting pick, considering the T-wolves JUST selected another promising pick less than 5 minutes before they picked Flynn. The Syracuse product is an extremely quick and talented PG with solid finishing ability and distribution skills. Will probably be more effective than Rubio in Year One.
Projected line: 13.0 PPG 3.0 RPG 6.5 APG 1.50 SPG 44% FG 30% 3P 80% FT
7.) Golden State Warriors-Stephen Curry: Point Guard/Shooting Guard-Davidson
The perfect place for a player with Curry's skill set, I expect him to produce very well his first season.
Projected line: 15.0 PPG 3.o RPG 4.0 APG 1.30 SPG 44% FG 39% 3P 90% FT
8.) New York Knicks-Jordan Hill: Power Forward-Arizona
An energetic, athletic big man-Hill fits in very well with Coach D'Antoni's Run N' Gun system. He should get plenty of minutes off the bench and could produce at a reasonable clip his rookie year.
Projected line: 10.0 PPG 7.5 RPG 1.0 APG 1.40 BPG 48% FG 68% FT
9.) Toronto Raptors-DeMar DeRozan: Shooting Guard-USC
DeRozan was a disappointment for most of his Freshman year, however he did turn it around at the end of the year. I expect him to have experience some bumps and bruises along the way in his rookie year. Once he develops a somewhat respectable jumper, he'll blossom.
Projected line: 7.5 PPG 3.0 RPG 1.5 APG 0.50 SPG 43% FG 68% FT
10.) Milwaukee Bucks-Brandon Jennings: Point Guard-Italy
Jennings is a top of the line athlete with great ball handling skills and tremendous passing ability. He struggles with his shot and sometimes tries to play too spectacular instead of just getting the job done. Also, he was the first High Schooler to buck the "One and Done" rule and head overseas, heads to the NBA with more pro experience than most rookies. That being said, he's still a year or two away from fulfilling his potential.
Projected line: 5.0 PPG 1.5 RPG 5.0 APG 0.40 SPG 41% FG 33% 3P 75% FT
11.) New Jersey Nets-Terrence Williams: Small Forward-Louisville
A terrific athlete with a ton of versatility, T-Will should see solid minutes his rookie season and contribute across the board.
Projected line: 12.0 PPG 6.0 RPG 3.5 APG 1.00 SPG 0.60 BPG 45% 30% 3P 62% FT
12.) Charlotte Bobcats-Gerald Henderson: Shooting Guard-Duke
A good, athletic slasher out of Duke, Henderson will be used more for his defense his rookie year. Don't expect a lot of coutning stats.
Projected line: 8.0 PPG 4.0 RPG 2.0 APG 1.00 SPG 44% FG 30% 3P 75.0% FT
13.) Indiana Pacers-Tyler Hansbrough: Power Forward-North Carolina
Psycho T is, and always will be a hustle player with limited athleticism and a fair amount of skill. I envision his career path following the same road as Eduardo Najera-probably a bit more offense though.
Projected line: 8.0 PPG 6.0 RPG 1.0 APG 0.30 BPG 46% FG 83% FT
14.) Phoenix Suns-Earl Clark: Small Forward- Louisville
A very talented player. Earlier in the offseason he was a projected top 10 pick, I'm not sure what happened to change that but I'm sure the Suns aren't complaining. I think he will be a solid contributer his rookie year.
Projected line: 10.0 PPG 6.0 RPG 2.5 APG 0.95 SPG 0.70 BPG 45% FG 28% 3P 66% FT
15.) Detroit Pistons-Austin Daye: Small Forward-Gonzaga
6'10" and 190 pounds. Yes, you read that right. 6'10" and 190 pounds! He won't contribute at all until he gains at least 20 to 30 pounds. He does have a very interesting skill set though.
Projected line: 3.0 PPG 1.5 RPG 0.3 APG 0.40 BPG 43% FG 37% 3P 80% FT
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Fantasy Baseball: Closers
Due to either struggles or injuries, the following closers may be available in your leagues, they should turn it around soon so try picking them up.
Kerry Wood-CLE
He's been very un-Kerry Wood like this season, but that could just be because he is in a new league. He is far too talented to continue to struggle like this.
Jose Valverde-HOU
Valverde hasn't been great this year, and he is currently on the DL, but it won't surprise me if he ends the season with 30+ saves.
Brian Fuentes-LAA
Fuentes is in a similar boat to Kerry Wood, struggles mainly due to being in a new league. He does already have 8 saves so it may be harder to pry him away, but if you can, you could be rewarded with 50 or so saves seeing how the Angels like to use their closers.
Brad Lidge-PHI
When things are going bad for Brad as they are now, its beyond ugly, but when he is on, he's one of the games best. I think he will turn this around shortly and be back to being dominant.
Kerry Wood-CLE
He's been very un-Kerry Wood like this season, but that could just be because he is in a new league. He is far too talented to continue to struggle like this.
Jose Valverde-HOU
Valverde hasn't been great this year, and he is currently on the DL, but it won't surprise me if he ends the season with 30+ saves.
Brian Fuentes-LAA
Fuentes is in a similar boat to Kerry Wood, struggles mainly due to being in a new league. He does already have 8 saves so it may be harder to pry him away, but if you can, you could be rewarded with 50 or so saves seeing how the Angels like to use their closers.
Brad Lidge-PHI
When things are going bad for Brad as they are now, its beyond ugly, but when he is on, he's one of the games best. I think he will turn this around shortly and be back to being dominant.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Fantasy Football: Impact Rookies
Every year, a handful of rookies come from the digs of college football bust on to the NFL scene and contribute greatly to many a fantasy football championship. Some of these players are well known commodities like Adrian Peterson and Matt Ryan, while others like Marques Colston and Brandon Jacobs come out of nowhere to sweep us off our feet.
Below is a list of rookies that could have a significant impact
Quarterbacks (ranked from most likely success to least)
Matthew Stafford-Detroit Lions
Mark Sanchez- New York Jets
The only two quarterbacks that I see having any fantasy relevance this year are the big two, Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. That being said, I don't see Sanchez getting into many games at all this year as I see Rex Ryan taking a more controlled approach to this rookie.
Stafford on the other hand may be forced into action early, maybe even week 6 or so, because the Lions have a little less than nothing to offer from the QB position.
Don't go too crazy though, wait until the later rounds to nab either of these guys or better yet, try to either sign them off the waiver wire when/if they are announced to start.
Runningbacks
Chris Wells (ARI)
Knowshon Moreno (DEN)
LeSean McCoy (PHI)
Donald Brown (IND)
Andre Brown (NYG)
James Davis (CLE)
Chris Wells will get every opportunity to produce, as he is easily the most talented runner on the Cardinals. He could get 300+ touches and double digit TDs. He's going around Round 9 or 10 in early mocks-which I think is far too low
Knowshon finds himself in a difficult situation, as he is playing for a coach that likes to pass a lot (who comes from a coach who is a fan of the Runningback by Committee), and is in a 6 or 7 deep backfield. He is their most talented back though so he should receive 50 or so percent of the carries. He is going in round 6 or 7 in early mocks, which would be solid value for him
With the recent news of yet another Westbrook surgery and the subtraction of Correll Buckhalter, McCoy's value is rising steadily. Any of the inevitable injuries to Westbrook and McCoy will be fantasy gold. Consider using a late round target on him.
Donald Brown is coming into a situation where he will split carries with Joseph Addai. I think Addai will bounce back and I also think Brown is a tad overrated so I'm projecting maybe 500 yards, tops.
Andre Brown will be taking over the "wind" part of the Giants running game which got Derrick Ward 1000 yards last year, so consider looking for him on the waiver wire later on in the season
James Davis is worth keeping an eye on as he steps into a very bad running "attack" in Cleveland, and therefore could manage to muster up a few carries.
Wide Receivers
Percy Harvin (MIN)
Michael Crabtree (SF)
Hakeem Nicks (NYG)
Deon Butler (SEA)
Jeremy Maclin (PHI)
Tiquan Underwood (JAX)
The rookie WR I feel will contribute most from day 1 is Percy Harvin from Florida. He won't net a ton of receptions- maybe 50 or 60, but he will receive a fair amount of carries in addition to those receptions. He's going between round 14 and 16 on average, which sounds about right to me.
Michael Crabtree down the line will be a dominating presence from the receiver position, that being said though, I don't like him this year due to him coming from an extreme spread option and the QB situation in San Fran isn't exactly great. People are expecting big things right away, but be smart, let someone else fall for it this year, then snatch him up the following year.
The Giants have many receivers on their roster that can have some fantasy relevance, but outside of Hakeem Nicks, they lack a big, strong receiver. He won't produce Pro Bowl numbers off the bat, but could contribute in a deep league.
Deon Butler is a small, quick receiver who I think could thrive in an offense like Seattle's, he could contribute a few solid games this year, but he probably shouldn't be drafted.
Jeremy Maclin was an intriguing pick for Philly, seeing as they have a similar young receiver in DeSean Jackson. I don't see Maclin contributing like Jackson did as a rookie though because he is so raw right now.
Call me crazy, but I think Tiquan Underwood from Rutgers could do some damage this year. He's a burner with a little height entering a very shallow receiving group in Jacksonville.
Tight Ends
Brandon Pettigrew (DET)
Cornelius Ingram (PHI)
While many people think Pettigrew will step in and be an immediate receiving impact, they should take into account the fact that Detriot's O-line is terrible and they will be in need of Pettigrew's blocking prowess to slow down the opponent's rush on pass plays. He still could manage 40 or 50 catches though, which could be worthy of a late round selection.
Cornelius Ingram dropped in the draft because of concerns over his ACL, but he is now in a TE friendly scheme in Philly and should reap the benefits of that. 50 receptions isn't entirely out of the question, although he does have some competion in Brent Celek.
Below is a list of rookies that could have a significant impact
Quarterbacks (ranked from most likely success to least)
Matthew Stafford-Detroit Lions
Mark Sanchez- New York Jets
The only two quarterbacks that I see having any fantasy relevance this year are the big two, Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. That being said, I don't see Sanchez getting into many games at all this year as I see Rex Ryan taking a more controlled approach to this rookie.
Stafford on the other hand may be forced into action early, maybe even week 6 or so, because the Lions have a little less than nothing to offer from the QB position.
Don't go too crazy though, wait until the later rounds to nab either of these guys or better yet, try to either sign them off the waiver wire when/if they are announced to start.
Runningbacks
Chris Wells (ARI)
Knowshon Moreno (DEN)
LeSean McCoy (PHI)
Donald Brown (IND)
Andre Brown (NYG)
James Davis (CLE)
Chris Wells will get every opportunity to produce, as he is easily the most talented runner on the Cardinals. He could get 300+ touches and double digit TDs. He's going around Round 9 or 10 in early mocks-which I think is far too low
Knowshon finds himself in a difficult situation, as he is playing for a coach that likes to pass a lot (who comes from a coach who is a fan of the Runningback by Committee), and is in a 6 or 7 deep backfield. He is their most talented back though so he should receive 50 or so percent of the carries. He is going in round 6 or 7 in early mocks, which would be solid value for him
With the recent news of yet another Westbrook surgery and the subtraction of Correll Buckhalter, McCoy's value is rising steadily. Any of the inevitable injuries to Westbrook and McCoy will be fantasy gold. Consider using a late round target on him.
Donald Brown is coming into a situation where he will split carries with Joseph Addai. I think Addai will bounce back and I also think Brown is a tad overrated so I'm projecting maybe 500 yards, tops.
Andre Brown will be taking over the "wind" part of the Giants running game which got Derrick Ward 1000 yards last year, so consider looking for him on the waiver wire later on in the season
James Davis is worth keeping an eye on as he steps into a very bad running "attack" in Cleveland, and therefore could manage to muster up a few carries.
Wide Receivers
Percy Harvin (MIN)
Michael Crabtree (SF)
Hakeem Nicks (NYG)
Deon Butler (SEA)
Jeremy Maclin (PHI)
Tiquan Underwood (JAX)
The rookie WR I feel will contribute most from day 1 is Percy Harvin from Florida. He won't net a ton of receptions- maybe 50 or 60, but he will receive a fair amount of carries in addition to those receptions. He's going between round 14 and 16 on average, which sounds about right to me.
Michael Crabtree down the line will be a dominating presence from the receiver position, that being said though, I don't like him this year due to him coming from an extreme spread option and the QB situation in San Fran isn't exactly great. People are expecting big things right away, but be smart, let someone else fall for it this year, then snatch him up the following year.
The Giants have many receivers on their roster that can have some fantasy relevance, but outside of Hakeem Nicks, they lack a big, strong receiver. He won't produce Pro Bowl numbers off the bat, but could contribute in a deep league.
Deon Butler is a small, quick receiver who I think could thrive in an offense like Seattle's, he could contribute a few solid games this year, but he probably shouldn't be drafted.
Jeremy Maclin was an intriguing pick for Philly, seeing as they have a similar young receiver in DeSean Jackson. I don't see Maclin contributing like Jackson did as a rookie though because he is so raw right now.
Call me crazy, but I think Tiquan Underwood from Rutgers could do some damage this year. He's a burner with a little height entering a very shallow receiving group in Jacksonville.
Tight Ends
Brandon Pettigrew (DET)
Cornelius Ingram (PHI)
While many people think Pettigrew will step in and be an immediate receiving impact, they should take into account the fact that Detriot's O-line is terrible and they will be in need of Pettigrew's blocking prowess to slow down the opponent's rush on pass plays. He still could manage 40 or 50 catches though, which could be worthy of a late round selection.
Cornelius Ingram dropped in the draft because of concerns over his ACL, but he is now in a TE friendly scheme in Philly and should reap the benefits of that. 50 receptions isn't entirely out of the question, although he does have some competion in Brent Celek.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Players I'm trying to get at a discount
Melvin Mora-3B
Over the last 5 or 6 years (minus 2007), he has been a very consistent contributor, averaging about a .285 BA, 20 or so home runs and about 90 RBIs. He's struggled both at the plate and with injuries early on, but I think he'll make a solid comeback and have a nice 2nd half.
Howie Kendrick-2B
Already this season he's been wildly inconsistent, being drafted with promise, struggling out of the gate, then hitting everything that gets thrown his way, to now once again struggling. I'll be more than willing to trade for one of the best young hitters in baseball at a discount.
Valdimir Guerrero-OF/DH
You want to know what I like hearing more than almost anything else? When experts on ESPN say a star is done because of a below average 25 at bats and an injury. People freak out and are willing to take him for next to nothing. Vlad can still hit for power (10.67 AB/HR) and average (never had a BA under .300 his entire career) and while he may have started out slow, if you can grab him cheap, you'll be glad you did.
Lance Berkman-1B
He has gotten off to a painfully slow start, but nothing about his history says that he will not turn this around. If you can get him for something less than a 4th round talent, then fire away on that deal.
Matt Holliday-OF
I know that several people thought he would struggle away from Coors Field, and he has so far, but he's just too talented a hitter to not turn it around. He hit a home run yesterday so your chance at getting him cheap may be coming to an end.
Kelly Johnson-2B
Second Base isn't a very deep position, so many of you are probably hurting here. Johnson has been one of the best 2B in all of baseball the last few years so don't let an early season struggle keep you from reaping the benefits of what he could give you.
Brian McCann-C
Catcher is never a deep position, and if you can grab a top tier guy when he is hurt, underperforming, or both, then you better jump on it!
Prince Fielder-1B
He's starting to get a reputation as a slow starter since both this year and last he's come out of the gate with little or no power. Thats good for you though, as you could probably pick him up fairly cheap right now (for a star that is). Act quick though because he is slowly turning it on.
Derek Lee-1B
He's been downright awful this year, but he is a very talented player who should turn it around. The worst is definitely behind him, so picking him up wouldn't be a bad idea.
Geovany Soto-C
People may be wary of him being in the "Sophomore Slump". Me? I think its just taking his swing a little bit to get right. He is in a very good lineup and is a very good hitter himself so look for this to turn around shortly.
Chris Young-OF
He is too young and too talented to keep this pace up. Expect him to finish with 20 home runs and 20+ steals, albeit with a terrible batting average.
Stephen Drew-SS
He had a very good second half last year after a poor first half. The same will happen this year too.
Russell Martin-C
He's started out painfully bad, but he is making more solid contact now and is being more effective on the basepaths. Another catcher I wouldn't mind going for.
Stay tuned tomorrow for some more buy low canidates.
Over the last 5 or 6 years (minus 2007), he has been a very consistent contributor, averaging about a .285 BA, 20 or so home runs and about 90 RBIs. He's struggled both at the plate and with injuries early on, but I think he'll make a solid comeback and have a nice 2nd half.
Howie Kendrick-2B
Already this season he's been wildly inconsistent, being drafted with promise, struggling out of the gate, then hitting everything that gets thrown his way, to now once again struggling. I'll be more than willing to trade for one of the best young hitters in baseball at a discount.
Valdimir Guerrero-OF/DH
You want to know what I like hearing more than almost anything else? When experts on ESPN say a star is done because of a below average 25 at bats and an injury. People freak out and are willing to take him for next to nothing. Vlad can still hit for power (10.67 AB/HR) and average (never had a BA under .300 his entire career) and while he may have started out slow, if you can grab him cheap, you'll be glad you did.
Lance Berkman-1B
He has gotten off to a painfully slow start, but nothing about his history says that he will not turn this around. If you can get him for something less than a 4th round talent, then fire away on that deal.
Matt Holliday-OF
I know that several people thought he would struggle away from Coors Field, and he has so far, but he's just too talented a hitter to not turn it around. He hit a home run yesterday so your chance at getting him cheap may be coming to an end.
Kelly Johnson-2B
Second Base isn't a very deep position, so many of you are probably hurting here. Johnson has been one of the best 2B in all of baseball the last few years so don't let an early season struggle keep you from reaping the benefits of what he could give you.
Brian McCann-C
Catcher is never a deep position, and if you can grab a top tier guy when he is hurt, underperforming, or both, then you better jump on it!
Prince Fielder-1B
He's starting to get a reputation as a slow starter since both this year and last he's come out of the gate with little or no power. Thats good for you though, as you could probably pick him up fairly cheap right now (for a star that is). Act quick though because he is slowly turning it on.
Derek Lee-1B
He's been downright awful this year, but he is a very talented player who should turn it around. The worst is definitely behind him, so picking him up wouldn't be a bad idea.
Geovany Soto-C
People may be wary of him being in the "Sophomore Slump". Me? I think its just taking his swing a little bit to get right. He is in a very good lineup and is a very good hitter himself so look for this to turn around shortly.
Chris Young-OF
He is too young and too talented to keep this pace up. Expect him to finish with 20 home runs and 20+ steals, albeit with a terrible batting average.
Stephen Drew-SS
He had a very good second half last year after a poor first half. The same will happen this year too.
Russell Martin-C
He's started out painfully bad, but he is making more solid contact now and is being more effective on the basepaths. Another catcher I wouldn't mind going for.
Stay tuned tomorrow for some more buy low canidates.
BABIP
For people who are looking for some way to project near future fantasy success of players, BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is a huge stat to keep an eye on as many of you probably know. However, if you dig a little deeper into the BABIP stat, breaking it down as much as possible and studying previous tendencies, you will be even better off.
This page here is an amazing compilation of varying BABIP stats for both pitchers and hitters, such as BABIP on groundballs, line drives, fly balls, and overall. It also includes the respective players stats in those categories for last season so you can see how the player is doing to his last years numbers and gives you the HR/Fly Ball %.
So if you really want a leg up on the competition, check out that link (by Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN.com) and start making some moves based on those stats!
This page here is an amazing compilation of varying BABIP stats for both pitchers and hitters, such as BABIP on groundballs, line drives, fly balls, and overall. It also includes the respective players stats in those categories for last season so you can see how the player is doing to his last years numbers and gives you the HR/Fly Ball %.
So if you really want a leg up on the competition, check out that link (by Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN.com) and start making some moves based on those stats!
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