NFL Week 8 - READ NOW!
Welcome back, not like anyone is out there. At any rate, here are my ideas for bye-week fantasy replacements, along with strong NFL picks for you gamblers out there.
NFL Week 8 - Bye Week Teams: Atlanta, Dallas, KC, Arizona, Seattle, Baltimore
QB - Honestly, this is a tough one - I am not against going for Sage Rosenfels (HOU) against San Diego, however you most likely would get a lot more out of Trent Edwards (BUF) if available - against the NY Jets.
RB - Chris Henry (TEN) - from the Titans (not the Bengals felony-WR) should get a lot of carries and perform well against a marginal Oakland Raider defense. Although not available in many leagues (due to people being smarter than I thought) Jesse Chatman (MIA) comes in with a 5.9 average yards per rush, already has a touchdown, and should be a nice start this week.
WR - First of all, pick up K. Walter (HOU) if you haven't already - he is the real deal, and Andre Johnson is not looking good as far as getting back from injury. Next, get Chris Henry (CIN) before he starts. He was cleared to come back to practice, and will be a fantasy star when he returns Nov. 11th. As for fantasy fill-ins, I like Reggie Brown (PHI), Mushin Muhammad (CHI) or A. Gonzales (IND).
TE - Owen Daniels (HOU) - surprise, he will score this week.
DEF - Tennesse (against Oakland) or New Orleans (against San Francisco without Gore).
NFL Picks
PHI - 1 over MN - Ridiculous line, Eagles will win by double-digits.
NY Giants -10 over MIA - Easy win in London this week over a team with no Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receivers, or Middle Linebacker (Z. Thomas out this week with injury).
Tampa Bay -5 over Jacksonville - Jax is hurting - Jones-Drew's knee is worse then they are letting on, new quarterback questionable, and Tampa's defense is tough - easy win here.
Denver -3 over Green Bay - Cutler is a leader, Green Bay has a terrible track record against Denver, especially in the thin air.
If anyone cares that this column continues, or if you would like to request NFL or NHL picks, e-mail me at trick1978@yahoo.com
Thanks~
Tuesday Morning Regular - October 16th, 2007
Howdy and Hello Sports Fans!
I would like to congratulate and welcome the Colorado Rockies to the World Series - while they have quite some time before they play another game, they have earned this honor. I hope they continue to play loose, have fun, and shove their tiny payroll right up whatever team they end up facing's behind (for the record, I think Boston will end up there). Honestly, I still think the 'Sox will win it all, but Cleveland is playing tough - so who knows?
If anyone watched the New York Giants/Atlanta Falcons game last night - why?
Speaking of terrible, I feel for you Chicago Bear fans out there this week. Run over, stomped, and humiliated on what is supposed to be honorable ground (Soldiers Field, Chicago) by a rookie and a team that is luke-warm at best. You should be ashamed, and need to come back next week hungry for respect.
Other thoughts on the NFL week that was:
Kansas City Chiefs - Lookin' good - back to basics (L.J. and Tony G.) and I heard they might even get Priest Holmes back in action. They dumped the dead weight that was Michael Bennett to Tampa Bay, have a favorable schedule coming up, and their defense is TOUGH. Too bad this team is in the already-stacked AFC, but if this continues, next year should be a winner.
Minnesota Vikings - Don't look now, but they have a superstar. Also, LOOK now, they have a mentally challenged man as a head coach. Not only did they almost give away a game they were winning by 14 points (way to back off and play prevent D) but they also risked their best athlete in many years by using him to return kicks. Fire Brad Chidress now and I hope the middle school football team he ends up coaching does not suffer too badly from the downgrade.
Dallas is still a good team, but New England is the best football team I have ever seen, bar none. No huge heads (Randy is playing within the scheme), Brady gets everyone involved, and they do not even have an NFL-caliber running back playing with the team. This team, if they can stay within themselves and listen to their coach right through the end of the season, should go down as the best ever.
Carolina Panthers - I had to mention it, as did everyone in the national media - Vinnie Testaverde played the best game a senior citizen has ever played. Enjoyable to watch, snappy throws, makes this writer remember the good old days when ancient quarterbacks still played and led their teams with honor (you, Steve DeBerg - strap one on let's play!).
Nothing else new to report - stay tuned later this week for Fantasy Football bye-week replacement options and gambling "LOCKS".
Fantasy NHL (Hockey) Update
Welcome to my first NHL Fantasy Update column. Not many people understand the joys of playing Fantasy Hockey, but, let me tell you, it is an absolute blast!
I will run down some of the hotter players, and give some ideas on free agent pick-ups that can help your team in the coming weeks and months.
Centers - Mike Comrie (NYI) and Nik Antropov (NSH) are surprises, and should provide good statistical support for the near-term. Watch their trends, and if they go cold look to players from strong teams (better +/- and improved chances for assists) - including Jeff Hamilton (CAR) or Pierre-Marc Bouchard (MIN)
Wings - Anything Ottowa is hot right now, but for those of you looking for surprises and free agent pick-ups look towards little known players such as Jeff Hamilton (CAR) or Anze Kopitar (LOS). If your league rewards penalty minutes (PIM) I like Corey Perry (ANA)
Defensemen - J. Spacek (BUF) and R. Hainsey (CLB) appear poised to have solid seasons, and should be available in a majority of leagues. I am a fan of M. Malik (NYR) and believe he is on a team that should support him having a great year.
Goalies - Don't look now, but the Columbus Blue Jackets are looking GREAT! They play defense, meaning the shots that their goal tender does see are on a line and easily blocked. This adds up to "mucho value" for Pascal Leclaire. He is tied with Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom for most shut outs, has only one less win, and a PERFECT save percentage. While I do think he will give a goal up eventually, he should be a great pick-up for the short and long-term.
Feel free to ask or send questions, I will be here all year and watch close to every game that is played - oh, and
~ GO WILD! ~
NFL Week 6 Fantasy Football and Gambling Primer
Hello again NFL fans - below are the bye week teams and by-position fantasy replacement ideas.
Below that are my favorite picks this week, for you gamblers out there!
Bye Week Teams: Buffalo, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, San Francisco
QB - I still am on the Matt Schaub bandwagon, however he faces a tough test in Jacksonville this week. Instead, look to Damon Huard (KC) or Chicago QB Brian Griese for numbers.
RB - Tough spot here - E. Graham is #1 in Tampa now that both the Cadillac and the Pittman are down with injuries. I am not a huge fan of his match-up against a stout Tennessee defense. Look to L. Betts (WSH) or V. Morency (GB) for some surprise yards, maybe a score.
WR - Reggie Brown (PHI) is a good pick-up here against the Jets and coming off a bye week, else pick up Michael Jenkins (ATL) for the Monday night game against the Giants.
DEF - LOVE the Arizona Cardinals this week against a hapless Carolina team - else look to Miami if they are still available - creampuff game against Cleveland this week, and they are MAD.
~ WEDNESDAY "LOCKS" ~
Philadelphia -3 over New York Jets
Cincinnati -3 over KC Chiefs
Miami +5 over Cleveland Browns
Arizona -3.5 over Carolina
San Diego -10 over Oakland Raiders
New York Giants -3 over Atlanta Falcons
Tuesday Morning Regular - October 9th, 2007
~ Welcome to the Tuesday Morning Regular, covering the NFL and any other sporting news I see fit to comment on ~
To start off this week, I would like to congratulate the Buffalo Bills for their performance last night on Monday Night Football. After a thirteen year absence from our national Monday night past time, the Bills put on quite a show of heart, determination, and dedicated fan support. While they did not come up with the win, they provided an excellent example for people who watch sports, play sports, or manage sports on how to show up for a big game, even when there may be a shortage of talent or huge odds against a victory. Kudos Buffalo Bills, you have won many new fans with your gutty performance.
Next, onto my pet peeve of the week, which would be the NFL officiating crews. Specifically, I would like to call attention to both last night's Monday night game (Cowboys v. Bills) and the Sunday night game between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. In each game there was an identical catch made, one by Greg Olsen (TE - Chicago Bears) and Terrell Owens (WR - Dallas Cowboys). In both instances, the receiver went up, caught the ball, brought one foot down in-bounds and was pushed out by the defender. In the case of Greg Olsen, it was called a touchdown due to the defender pushing him out of bounds. In the case of the "person who needs no introduction" (T.O.) it was ruled incomplete. These type of "judgement" calls are becoming more "opinion" or even more accurately "personal prejudice" calls, and need to be stopped. NFL, call your referees together and get these calls put into a strict procedure, otherwise there will be much public animosity to deal with, and potential racial issues.
Onto more positive notes - I enjoyed watching the Bears play tough and win in Green Bay. Tough to do, but I hang the loss on both Brett Favre (stop trying to do everything on every play - the INT to Urlacher in your own zone is unacceptable, even for rookies - you know better Brett) and on fumbles by "sure-handed" receiver James Jones. Green Bay has a very talented team, and will be there in the playoffs, but must avoid trying to win on every play and focusing on fundamentals.
San Diego Chargers - Nice win against a weak, beaten Denver Broncos team. Travis Henry will not talk his way out of suspension, and this is a case of a underachieving team (Chargers) kicking proverbial butt due to the massive chip on their shoulders. Watch out AFC, the Chargers are back.
A quick run-down of notable games -
Jags defense showed up huge in K.C. - impressive. Next - L.J. has to re-appear or the Cheifs season is doomed.
NY Giants showed themselves resiliant and talented against the Jets, but that defense must become more consistent if they want to compete for a playoff spot.
Arizona is better off without Leinart for the short-term, but long-term this team will wither with age and a poor offensive line. While I like the fight the Rams put up, that team is dismal at best.
Tennessee is a team to be reckoned with, even if all they beat was Atlanta. Their defense was stout, impressive, and basically won the game for them. Vince Young must be more calm, and the Titan plan should be RUN, RUN, RUN.
Yawners in Washington and San Francisco - nice effort Dilfer, but 49er fans need to wait until next year to have anything to cheer for. While I do like the offense put up by Washington (and my fantasy-surprise QB pick in J. Campbell) I am hard-pressed to see this team going deep this season - too many injuries to key wide receivers.
That is all for the Tuesday Regular - I will be posting a fantasy update tomorrow to deal with next week's bye teams (Buffalo, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, San Francisco) along with my "Super Picks" for you gamblers out there.
Later!
Colorado Rockies, Manny Corpas, CHEATERS?
Game 1, Colorado Rockies versus Philadelphia Phillies.
This will be somewhat controversial (and possibly whiney) but what was the deal with the Colorado Rockies closer Manny Corpas splashing sports drink (Gatorade?) on the chest of his jersey and then getting some on his right (throwing) hand? In watching the middle of the ninth inning, it is clear that as Manny Corpas stands on the dugout steps he takes a drink from a Gatorade cup, splashes it on his chest on purpose, gets some on his right hand and looks at his hand, moving his fingers together as if to test tackiness. I hate to be a conspiracy guy, but this seems like a clear violation of foreign substance rules for a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Manny had a 1-2-3 inning when he pitched, with a lot of movement on his pitches that seemed a bit more than usual.
As for the drinks in the dugout, these Gatorade mixes are made by hand, and there is a potential that a mix could be "heavy", resulting in more sticky properties of having the fluid on your hand (say, if you are a pitcher looking for an edge). This may seem trivial (and it probably is), but I want a clean game, and all of this cheating is wearing very thin.
I miss the days of pure baseball, when our athletes were coming off all night drinking binges after pounding a buffet table of bacon and eggs. There is a sweet innocence, and a feeling that, hey, "I can do that!", even though none of us could imagine hitting a gato-ball. Play fair boys, the game deserves it.
PLAY BALL!
Tuesday Morning Regular
Welcome to my first official Tuesday Morning Regular column. This will focus on the NFL, both upcoming match-up highlights for Week 5 and fantasy football news and notes.
If you have a Fantasy Football question on a start/sit situation, feel free to post a comment or send a message - I promise to try and get to every one.
On to Week 5 - on bye this coming week we have the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, and Philadelphia Eagles. Below will be some ideas for those of you who need to pick up a free agent (or two) in order to fill those bye-week holes.
QB - Matt Schaub (HOU) - If this guy is still available, go for him quick. He is consistent, puts up solid yardage numbers, and has an improving receiving core. (If not available - J. Campbell for WASH - surprise pick here, but I do not see Detroit stopping the pass outdoors next week.)
RB - Tough one here, however I do like Sammy Morris (NE) if available (going against CLE) - otherwise, going against my previous advice, STL has to start someone at RB, so look to B. Leonard to get at least 60 yards, maybe (big maybe) a score against Arizona.
WR - I am looking at Green Bay here - go for either James Jones or Greg Jennings (probably gone, but worth a try). Also look at Andre Davis (HOU) for another strong option.
DEF - I am really falling for Kansas City - they have a favorable match-up for not giving up yards or points (vs. JAX) - and they are forcing turn-overs. Other option would be the Titans, matching up against Joey Harrington (ATL).
As for you "Pick-em" players out there, I will release "Rock Solid Locks" every Tuesday, with updates (if needed based on injury) on Friday mornings.
Below are games I see as strong picks, with early lines posted as well.
New Orleans (-3) OVER Carolina - Panthers are without their defensive leader (Dan Morgan), their rushing game is poor, and New Orleans is over-due for a win.
Kansas City (+2) OVER Jacksonville - Unreal - take the money line here, KC will win at home, great defense and a struggling Jacksonville rush offense makes for a sweet play.
NY Giants (-3) OVER NY Jets. In-state rivalry, Giants defense playing lights out, little Manning ready to stake his claim.
Baltimore (-3) OVER SF 49ers. Baltimore was embarassed by in-state beating at Clevland last week. A. Smith is OUT for the 49ers, removing any chance they had. T. Dilfer replaces, and will be terrorized by angry Ravens.
Best of luck fantasy and pick 'em players - back next week with wrap-up and previews of Week 6!
Fantasy Update - Injuries and Notes
Another weekend goes by, and every fantasy owner must deal with and understand the impact of injuries on their teams or the teams they will be going against in the future. Below is an injury update list for some of the major players and teams affected, along with ideas on replacements that could make or break your 2007 Fantasy Football Season~
Cincinnati Bengals - Poor Rudi - great start, and he appears banged up pretty good. Kenny Watson is a strong runner, although Rudi has proven his toughness in the past. I would stick by Rudi here, but pick up Watson if you have him as insurance if available.
Houston Texans - Just when I thought this team was poised to break out, it was Ahman Green's shakey knees to the rescue. It appears Ron Dayne is not yet done terrorizing NFL buffets; however he did run and produce marginal numbers last week. Personally, this offense is lacking punch without Andre Johnson, but I was impressed by Andre Davis and his work with Schaub. Look to pick up Andre Davis, and avoid the Texans running back situation altogether.
New Orleans Saints - You know by now that the Deuce is no longer loose, in fact, he is quite stationary. This makes Reggie Bush quite valuable, and if you are smart I would trade for him now before he consistently puts up strong rushing, receiving, and touchdown numbers. The Saints offense will not stay down forever - buy low.
Oakland Raiders- This team is improving; however they lost a major weapon in LaMont Jordan. No reports for "sure" on what happened, but my information is that he sustained an injury that is serious. This being said, I would jump on Dominic Rhodes after this bye week - he is coming off suspension, and should get the bulk of the carries and touchdowns. Fargas is only a third down guy at best, and Rhodes could sneak onto the scene and surprise.
Philadelphia Eagles - Lost without Brian Westbrook, I expect that after this bye week the Eagles will play Westbrook even if he has a rib sticking out of his stomach. This being said, Correll Buckhalter holds no value, nor does any other Eagle if Westbrook misses any significant time. Watch this situation, and be wary of any Eagle trade offers until the Westbrook situation becomes clear.
St. Louis Rams - That Nike commercial has me wondering about a new potential curse - Stephen Jackson is the cornerstone of the St. Louis Rams, without him, that team has no chance to do anything. His back-up (B. Leonard) is not the answer, which stymies the Rams passing offense and turns this team into one of the worst in the NFL. While the report of the tear in Jackson's groin points to two weeks off, I see a longer stint away, and a hopeless season ahead. If you are a Jackson owner, I would trade and get what little you can from a hopeful Rams fan.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Bye-bye Cadillac - not that he was a huge producer, but now you have to deal with some guy named Earnest (Graham) and the constantly underachieving Michael Pittman. Both of these superstars will be running behind a patchwork line - my advice, look elsewhere for running help - with a pick-up of Earnest "goes-to-the-end zone" if you are desperate.
First and Foremost, October 1st
What a weekend of football! I myself enjoyed the NFL games, and was rather surprised by some of the outcomes.
1st, I would not want to be a Chicago Bear fan. Losing in the fourth quarter, the way they did, is not something to be proud of, especially to the Jon Kitna-led Detroit Lions. Let me get this straight, the Bears were planning to turn their season around by benching Rex Grossman? How does this address their terrible injury problem on the defensive side of the ball? Lovey Smith has a lot of work ahead of him, and the quarterback position should not be at the top of his list.
2nd, Congratulations Brett Favre, you broke the record and, more importantly, led your team to another victory. This could be the 'Pack's year, and there is no one more deserving than Mr. Favre. As for their opponent, the Minnesota Vikings are being led by potentially the worst coaching staff in pro football. Adrian Peterson is the most explosive offensive weapon on the field (either side), runs for over 100 yards on only ten carries in the first half, yet he touches the ball only three times in the second half and he is back on special teams returning kicks? Are you kidding me? Brad Childress should lose his job for putting what could be the best offensive weapon the Vikings have in on special teams - did he miss the whole Chad Greenway gone for the season special teams gaffe from last year? Unbelievable, how do these guys get these leadership positions?
For you fantasy players out there, another interesting week - tough to be an owner of any Rams players, and it was a huge disappointment for those of you on the Donovan McNabb wagon. Wide Receivers seemed to disappear, with Steve Smith, T.O., and Javon Walker (did not even play) throwing up poor performances. I am eager to watch Ocho Cinco tonight (Chad Johnson) but do not expect too much with the difficult task of scoring on the New England Juggernauts.
That is all for now - please feel free to comment, ask me questions, or just rant back at me ~
Have a week~
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