Fantasy Sportsaholic

It's Baseball Time!

2011-02-16T04:29:00.000-06:00

I haven't been keeping in touch and for that I apologize. I'll see how I do this time around.

I just recently moved to Hong Kong after living and working in South Korea for over a year. Fantasy Sports is different from this side of the world. What makes it different? Time for one. I am 12 to 13 hours ahead of U.S. East Coast time. Daylight Saving time isn't observed so the time varies depending on the time of year. South Korea is 1 hour ahead of Hong Kong so last year I was even farther ahead time-wise. That makes playing Fantasy Sports different in and of itself. You have to plan your draft times differently. What is a "normal" draft time in the U.S. is not a normal time here. While living in South Korea I typically planned all my drafts for Friday or Saturday since it would be Saturday or Sunday for me.

Now I am in Hong Kong, I will again have to plan my draft times carefully. I work M-F from 2 pm until 8 pm and Saturday from 9 am until 6 pm. So I can do weekday drafts so long as they will finish before noon or so my time. So a Tuesday 9 PM draft in the USA will be a Wednesday 10 am draft for me. Get it?

The other major difference is simply keeping up with the games. Night games there are morning or even noon games here. But it can also be an advantage working the wires since most games use 2 AM or so ET as the time for clearing waivers. That in around 3 PM here so while players sleep in the US I can see who is a Free Agent or which waivers were won.

Now it's time for MLB and I'm using the net for information more than ever. I use to buy Fantasy magazines but here they are hard to get and expensive to have shipped from the States so one has to adjust to using mostly on-line services. I did before but I always had the hard copy also. Now it is mostly digital.

I'll try to get back into the habit of posting again. Until then, ....

I told you so ....

2009-04-27T15:46:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I blogged - I seem to twitter more these days. But I'll try to make an honest effort to get back to blogging about Fantasy Sports.

This season I have 2 roto teams on FoxSports whose lineups Include SP and RP and whose lineups are set daily. I also have 1 "Ultimate" team on Sporting News which includes SP and RP also and whose lineups are set daily. The difference is in the number of scoring categories and how scoring is kept. The FoxSports leagues are standard 5x5 roto, the ultimate has more scoring categories and has negatives for outs, strike outs, CS, and for pitchers for walks, hit by pitch, runs allowed, and hits allowed.

My other 3 regular fantasy teams are "once a week" leagues where you set your lineups prior to the first game being played on Monday. My CBS Sports team includes 5 SP and 2 RP while the MLB.com teams only include "team" pitching - you get points based on how well or poorly that team's pitching staff does in the game. I grabbed Boston in 1 league and was left with the Marlins in another. The first weeks the Marlins were the better staff to own but Boston has been looking much better of late. I added Seattle as an alternate in my league with Boston but have Boston going this week.

ALWAYS EVALUATE your team. Where are your weaknesses? Who is under performing? Who is on the Free Agent list in your league that can help you win now?

One of the keys to winning Fantasy Sports is making the right moves during the season as to who you have on your roster, and who you play versus sit on your bench. Don't get trapped by "names". It is stats that matter in Fantasy Sports and only stats. Adam Jones should be starting in your league above much more established "names". Chances are Adam wasn't even drafted or if it was it was a late inning "flier". He has been great. Detroits' Inge is another unheralded player who has been burning it up. I have no idea how long he will stay this hot but he has been one of the better players to own especially if you have him filling in your Catching position.

But both of these players should now be owned. Who is out there available? Look at your Free Agent list. Sort it by points if your league offers that option. If not, sort by RBIs and see who is at the top. Are they outperforming your player(s) at that position? Sort next by Runs and then SB. If your team is power Short you can also sort by Home Runs BUT the RBI sort should have given you those HR hitters also.

In Pitching I always sort by Strikeouts. And I then look at the pitchers who are striking out a lot of batters AND have either a good WHIP or good ERA - preferably both. Eventually a pitcher who strikes out a lot of batters and has a good (low) WHIP and ERA will get their share of wins or saves. If I am choosing between two similar pitchers, I choose the one that has the better offense behind them. This year that has been Toronto. One Pitcher who is worth a look (I grabbed him) is the Blue Jays Scott Richmond. His 2 Wins are nice but what entices me is his K/9 ratio and his low WHIP and ERA. He plays for a team that currently is hitting and scoring as well as any team. So he is a "pick up". Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros also has a great k/9 and a great WHIP and ERA but the Astros are not giving him any runs. If he pitched for the Blue Jays this year he'd be undefeated probably. I still like Wandy but right now I'd expect Scott to get more wins of the 2. Also Justin Masterson should be owned. Washington's Jordon Zimmermann should be owned or watched closely. He has already given me 2 wins and I expect him to only get better.

SP I like who haven't performed well yet are Liriano, Verlander and Kershaw. Ok Kershaw has had the 1 spectacular game that he followed by 2 duds. Liriano and Verlander have been victims of too many walks and too many home runs. I am holding both and looking for a turn around as they get "into the groove".

RP to watch - Marmol in Chicago and R. Soriano in Atlanta. IF they are ever given the closer role they will be worth owning. Until then I would watch them. IF Toronto's Scott Downs is still available in your league, he shouldn't be. Grab Him!

It's almost time

2009-02-12T12:52:00.004-06:00

I am waiting impatiently for MLB fantasy to start. I missed out on fantasy hockey and fantasy basketball this year because of time demands teaching ESL. I was determined to play fantasy baseball regardless but as of last Friday I am no longer teaching ESL. I didn't quit to play fantasy baseball but an effect of my resignation is that I will now have the time to play.

I'll start gearing up soon. How about you?

Waiting for MLB 2009 to start

2009-01-11T21:11:00.003-06:00

I missed out on fantasy basketball and fantasy NHL this year. I drafted my fantasy NFL teams early and did fairly well. I had 2 teams make it to the finals but had QBs let me down in both finals. Mcnabb let me down in one (I lost by 12 points) and the next week he played great while Tony Romo let me down big-time and I again lost by a few points. If either QB had just and average game in my fantasy finals I would have won. But they didn't so I finished 2nd in both leagues. In my other leagues I went down earlier in the playoffs. So be it.

Now I am patiently waiting for MLB. I was so busy teaching ESL and tutoring when draft time arrived for fantasy basketball and hockey that I didn't even bother trying. But I will find a way to make time to draft a few MLB teams. I need the diversion fantasy sports provides. It is a form of stress relief from my otherwise busy and hectic schedule.

I am hoping to get ESL ironed out so I have enough free time to enjoy fantasy baseball. Time will tell.

Burning Bridges in Green Bay

2008-08-06T09:20:00.003-05:00

A lot of people probably think this is about Bett Favre burning bridges in Green Bay. It isn't. It is about GM Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy burning bridges. When one reads between the lines, Brett Favre was not wanted in Green Bay. The Packers have "spun" the news to make the populace believe Favre is the villain, but according to Favre they have distorted the facts and lied about him. All to make themselves look better. For some reason I find myself believing Favre.

In today's Green Bay Gazette, here are some of the quotes

"sources said that when Favre showed up at Lambeau Field, he wasn’t allowed into the locker room or onto the field, and he watched part of the scrimmage from a luxury box."

"when he arrived in Green Bay before the Packers’ Family Night scrimmage on Sunday and was unable to get Thompson or McCarthy to return his phone calls."

Does that sound like a management that is going to give the player a fair chance at being QB? yes they said it would be an open competition, Favre went to Green Bay with that expectation. But it seems he was neve to be really given that opportunity. Just another press play by the Packers?

"That, combined with his anger over the Packers’ efforts to keep him retired, plus what he considered false stories leaked by the team about his offseason waffling, made it impossible for him to play for the Packers again after his talks with McCarthy and Thompson failed to bridge those differences.

“Mike told me, ‘Hey, we're a better team with you on it’ but wanted to know if I have a problem with an open competition,” Favre told ESPN. “I don't have a problem with competing – you know that, but Aaron should be the starter right now because he's been out here all this time. This is more than about an open competition, and I can do that, absolutely, but this is going to be mass confusion (if there’s a competition) and that's not good for this team.

“I'll practice my butt off, if it comes to that, and I think we all know what the end result will be, but this probably isn't going to work. And I truly understand that if I was in Mike's shoes, I'd see it basically the same way he sees it, I'm sure. And I think if he was in my shoes, he'd see it my way. I think we both agree on that. They want to know if I'm committed, but I want to know if they're 100 percent committed. The problem is that there's been a lot of damage done and I can't forget it. Stuff has been said, stories planted, that just aren't true. Can I get over all that? I doubt it.”

McCarthy’s meeting with Favre made clear the intensity of Favre’s resentment toward the Packers and Thompson for what’s happened this offseason.

Some of that came out in Favre’s interviews on Fox News in mid-July, when he said he didn’t trust Thompson because he thought Thompson had lied about several personnel matters they discussed..."

With Favre set to depart for Tampa Bay or New York probably, Thompson and McCarthy have to hope the Packers do better than the team Brett QBs this season. While a poll in Green Bay that asked fans "who was most concerned about the long-term future of the Packers, Favre and his supporters, or General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy" was answered the Packers' Management, don't be fooled by the answer. It was a weighed question designed to favor the Management. Obviously Favre is not a 5 year plan for the Packers. But if the question had been phrased "Who is most concerned about the Packers winning this season" I suspect the vote would have been different. And if fans had been asked which QB gave them a chance at winning a Superbowl this season, Favre or Rodgers, who do you think the fans would have chosen?

Now Thompson and McCarthy must hope that Rodgers can get them into the playoffs and that Favre has a bad season. If Favre is productive with his new team, then it will take more than making the playoffs for Thompson and McCarthy to survive in Green Bay. Thompson and McCarthy have placed their bet on Rodgers. It is probably an all or nothing bet. If Rodgers doesn't win and win a lot, look for Thompson and McCarthy to be leaving Green Bay.

Not Bad for a Rookie

2008-08-05T07:08:00.003-05:00

Who's the rookie I'm talking about? Myself. This is my first season to play fantasy sports. I started last September with ESPN Fantasy Football when a group at my church formed a league. I decided to join and became quickly addicted, this this blog.

After football was NBA basketball, then NHL hockey (which I knew virtually nothing about to begin) and then in the Spring fantasy baseball. I drafted three teams on MLB.com and this week is the championship. Two of my three teams made it to the championship week and my third team second in its division but missed the wildcard slot of the playoffs by a few points (I had a better record than the #4 team but fewer points for).

So now I wait and see if I finish first or second in two out of three fantasy leagues. I'm not really sure why MLB.com concludes its fantasy season so early but it does.

I also have 3 teams on CBSSports and another on Yahoo. Two of my three CBS teams are contending for first place (the other is in third but way behind the leader). I messed up in my Yahoo draft by not paying close enough attention to the scoring rules. I drafted great starting pitching only to discover the league is weighted to hitting and relief pitching. I'm in the middle in that league but learned my lesson - I now read the scoring rules and roster requirements very carefully of the leagues I join.

In one NFL draft that attention seems to have produced fruit. The league rewards Return Yards (10 yards per point; 25 points at 50 yards; 50 points at 100 yards; 100 points at 150 yards). During the draft a couple of other team managers were making fun of me and talking about me being a rookie as I drafted players such as Jerious Norwood, Tedd Ginn, Jr, Nate Burleson and Devin Hester. They didn't pay attention to the scoring format. Tedd Ginn Jr suddenly becomes one of the most valuable WRS while he sits undrafted in most leagues. The same for WR Nate Burleson, RB Leon Washington, Jerious Norwood. RB Maurice Jones-Drew had value anyway but becomes much more valuable in such a format. Since return yards are also included in DST, a team such as Cleveland suddenly jumps ahead of other defenses since Cribbs is such a great returner and returns both kicks and punts. In fact, Cribbs is fore casted to be a top WR in this league solely due to his return yards.

So pay attention to those scoring rules. Learn from my rookie mistake!

Crowded backfield in Denver

2008-08-05T06:53:00.003-05:00

I recently read a fantasy magazines view of the Denver running backs as "if you could combine all of them into one player, you would have a fantasy stud" - my paraphrase rather than a direct quote. Their comment was made in the Spring before Travis Henry and Mike Bell were released (and replaced) but is still a valid point. It appears many running backs will get carries in Denver and guessing which one will get the majority is like playing the shell game - blink and you lost which shell hides the ball.

Yesterday's Denver Post places Anthony Aldridge in the mix now along with Selvin Young, Andre Hall, and Ryan Torain. If you haven't heard of Aldridge, I'm not surprised. He isn't mentioned in 6 of the 7 fantasy football magazines I looked at, and I haven't seen him mentioned as even a sleeper by anyone online. ESPN Magazine was the only one that had him on the depth chart in their publication. So you may want to make one of the Broncos' RB a sleeper pick in your draft but be ready to change horses midstream off the waiver wire this season if you do.

Drew Brees goes in 1st Round of Draft

2008-08-02T23:25:00.003-05:00

According to mockdraftcentral the average draft position of New Orleans' Saints' QB Drew Brees is 30.87 with a highest draft position of 20 and a low of 40. WELL that sure changed tonight as he went #7 in my fantasy football draft on fleaflicker. I should know, I was the one who drafted him with the seventh pick. Why did I draft him so high? A couple of reasons.

One reason is that I think Drew Brees may be the best fantasy QB this season. Yes better than Brady, better than Peyton and better than Romo (although I drafted Romo also). Last season Brees was second only to Brady in passing yards with 4,423 yards to Brady's 4,806. It is very possible if not probable that Brees will pass for at least 4,400 yards again this year as his receiving corp has improved with the addition of TE Jeremy Shockey and a healthy 2nd year WR Robert Meachem. Shockey should also result in more clear space for RB Reggie Bush.

Brees also led the NFL last season in pass attempts (652) and pass completions (440). He also threw for 28 TDs (but 18 INTs). I expect Brees to be better this season than last when he had a very slow start. I also look for his TDs to increase (only passing stat Romo bested Brees last season - Romo had 36).

Anyway my second reason I drafted Brees 7th was the nature of the league and my draft position coupled with mock draft results. This league starts: 2 QB, 3 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 Team DST and 2 Utility slots (can be any position). There are 8 teams and my draft position was 7. All of the Elite RBs are taken before I get a chance so I could either take an elite WR, a Top 5 QB or a second tier RB. I did 3 mock drafts which simulated our draft. In the first 2 I took a RB and QB in the first 2 rounds and ended up with a mediocre team at the end. In the Third I took Brady in the first and the computer had the person behind me grab Brees. I did the draft again and drafted Brees first and the computer took Randy Moss 8th and a RB 9th leaving me Tom Brady. In each of the mock drafts, the computer had Romo going first among the QBs (before my position at 7). In the 2 mocks when I took QB-QB in the first 2 rounds, I did much better. The reality struck me. QBs were a premium in this draft because of its format. So I drafted Brees first knowing I would get either Romo, Palmer or Big Ben with the 10th pick. I got Romo.

My draft ended up as:
4 QBS out of 4 allowed:

QB Drew Brees - 1.7
QB Tony Romo - 2.2
QB Jason Campbell (a surprise he was available in Rd 9 -- 9.7
QB Brett Favre - worth a later pick just in case he plays --20.2

5 RBS out of 6 allowed:

RB Darren McFadden - 3.7
RB Jonathan Stewart - 6.2
RB Tommy Jones - 8.2
RB Brandon Jacobs - 10.2
RB Chris Johnson - 15.7

7 WRS out of 7 allowed

WR Andre Johnson - 4.2
WR T. Houshmandzadeh - 5.7 I was shocked he was still on the board in the 5th
WR S. Holmes - 7.7
WR S. Moss - 14.2
WR L. Coles - 16.2
WR B. Johnson - 17.7
WR A. Bryant - 19.2

2 TEs out of 3 allowed

TE J. Shockey - 11.7
TE V. Davis - 12.2

1 K out of 3 allowed

K Gould - 21.7

and 2 DSt out of 3 allowed

DST Seattle - 13.7
DST Saints - 18.2

Total roster is 21 players with 8 being on the bench.

After the draft I dropped Antonio Bryant (who I like as a sleeper) because I though my WRS were strong and my RBS "iffy". I replaced him with Miami RB Ricky Williams who the Dolphins are proclaiming as their best player in camp. With Ronnie Brown coming off an ACL injury, adding Ricky made sense to me.

Darren McFadden was my 3rd pick because my mocks showed he would be gone before I got another chance in Rd 5, and I needed a home run threat since the league has bonuses not only for yards but long runs. Being from Arkansas I really like DMAC's chances this season in Oakland. He is fast and strong. If he can avoid injury, he will be a Top 10 RB this season if not in the Top 5. He is also a good receiver and can even throw (the UA used him as a QB at times). He is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball from anywhere on the field. Chris Johnson in Tennessee may be the only RB faster than McFadden. That is why I grabbed Johnson also.

Why did I take both Shockey and Davis at TE when they both have the same BYE week? Well I didn't know at the time both had week 9 Byes but I would have taken them both anyway. Both are potential breakout candidates at TE. If only 1 breaks out, I'll drop the other. They were the only TEs I wanted left on the board.

Sleepers, darkhorses and those who are just moving on up

2008-08-01T10:35:00.003-05:00

It's fantasy football time and I have been having fun trying to see the future without a crystal ball. One thing I learned last year is that some players who everyone thinks is a sure fire must will end the season as a bust and someone who goes undrafted to start the season will finish as a must have. The manager who guesses correctly which "studs" to avoid on draft day and which sleeper to grab will probably win your league.

Last season our league champion drafted what on paper looked to be a weaker team than several other teams. He drafted QB Tom Brady, WR Randy Moss and rookie RB Adrian Peterson. He was at a disadvantage in that he was at work and offline while the rest of us was gathered together in a draftroom. His disadvantage turned to gold as he ended the season with 3 of best players at their position = QB, RB and WR.

So who to draft this year, who to avoid and who are the diamonds that everyone else mistakes for coal?

I am keeping a list of those who are moving up or down in my estimation as I read about the training camps. Among RBs, Willis McGahee is one that is moving down my draftboard. Why? Because the Ravens OL is young, inexperienced and bitten by the injury bug in training camp. That means the new OL is having trouble getting to play together and gel. The Ravens also have inexperienced and unproven QBs competing for the starting job. All of that plus a rookie RB in Ray Rice who may steal quite a few touches and TDs from McGahee is sending Willis down to a RB 2 or RB3 on my depth charts come draft day.

Moving up is Bengals' Chris Perry who looks like he may be the #2 RB for the Bengals this season. Look for him to get 10 to 15 touches a game even as Rudi is back as the workhorse back. RB Kenny Watson moves down for the same reason. But Rudi could be steal on draft day as his average draft position has fallen tremendously. He was a Top 10 pick a year ago and is now being drafted in RB3 and RB4 territory. If he stays healthy, he is still RB1/RB2 material so if you get him as a RB3 or RB4 you have a steal.

Another Bengal RB to watch is rookie James Johnson out of Kansas State. He is the talk of the Bengals' training camp and may send DeDe Dorsey to another team. QB Palmer had this to say "I can't wait to watch JJ, No. 39 on offense play," Palmer said of free agent rookie tailback James Johnson of Kansas State. "He's Warrick Dunn, great hands, explosively fast, real exciting to watch." Cincinnati Enquirer I do not suggest drafting James Johnson as a sleeper - there are better candidates out there such as Chris Johnson, Ray Rice, R. Mendenhall - but he is a player to watch and IF the injury bug strikes the Bengals RBs someone who may surprise. Mostly I see him as a player for next year's draft unless you are in a dynasty league. Then you may want to take a sleeper pick on him.

To see all of my Undervalued and sleeper picks, visit my website http://timnew.com/fantasy_sports

Brett Favre buyout

2008-07-31T18:50:00.006-05:00

Can the Packers do anything else to shoot themselves in the foot? Offering Brett 20 million dollars to stay retired? Stupid. The Packers have put themselves into a corner. If they do not take Brett back now and do worse this year than last year, fans will crucify the GM and Head Coach. And rightly so. Favre took the Packers to the AFC finals and lost a close one. Anything less than that this year without Brett will rebound upon the Packers business people. And honestly, I do not see Rodgers getting the Packers that far. He may have the talent, but he doesn't have the experience. And that lack of experience will keep the Packers from excelling this year. With Favre the Packers are legitimate Superbowl contenders this year. Without him, they position themselves to contend in a few years. Will Packer fans be happy with that?

On another point, I think it would be hilarious if Brett was to offer the Packers a buyout. The Packers offered him $20 million to stay retired. How would they respond if Brett offered them $2 million or so to be released? That would be a $14 million deal for the Packers - they get cash plus don't have to pay Brett his $12 million.

And what about the Red Socks paying to get rid of their best player - Manny Ramirez? I wish some of these people with money to burn would send some to me. For a mere million dollars I would write blogs that praised such bone headed moves by management. Boston just wrote off this year and probably the next few. They now become a rebuilding team. Yes they got Jason Bay, but Bay is no Manny.

In one respect the trade does help me in my fantasy leagues. I have Broxton as one of my closers in several leagues and Manny helps him a lot.

If you haven't visited my fantasy Sports pages, take a gander http://timnew.com/fantasy_sports. I have now added even more Fantasy Football information including my subjective sleeper list and list of undervalued players as I follow the training camps.

I have also added twitter. It's a fun addition to the Internet. My id is timdnew

Time for Fantasy Football again

2008-07-22T16:21:00.003-05:00

When the NFL season kicks off I will officially be in my sophomore year as a fantasy sports manager. Last year I began playing fantasy sports when my church started a league on ESPN. I quickly became hooked and now have played Fantasy basketball, fantasy baseball, fantasy hockey and already have a half-dozen fantasy football teams drafted this year with another draft planned for this Thursday on Sporting News. That will leave me with ESPN to draft.

I plan to play fantasy football on ESPN (again), NFL.com, Yahoo, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and Sporting News just so I can experience and compare the features each has to offer. I have teams on 4 of the 6 already drafted. I am also playing in a couple of IDP leagues this year plus one with return yardage.

If you want a one stop site for Fantasy Resources, check out my website: http://timnew.com/fantasy_sports as I seek to collect a wealth of resources for the fantasy sports fan. I am doing it for myself but it should be a valuable "portal" for any fantasy sports player. I am currently collecting Training Camp resources and adding them to the site. Come visit and comment.

NBA Hot Shots - week 9

2007-12-28T17:22:00.000-06:00

Are you needing some help at PG or maybe in the trenches at PF or Center? Usually finding gems at these positions at this time of year is difficult. But there may just be a couple lurking in your fantasy league's pool.

Players such as Charlotte Bobcat Center Nazr Mohammed, Cleveland Cavalier Anderson Varejao, Milwaukee's Yi Jian, and Houston Rocket Luther Head were some of the players I highlighted on Screaming Sports this past Monday as players to grab if available. See Screaming Sports Post

A couple to add to the list are Washington Wizard Roger Mason who has been exceptional the past 3 games and Josh Boone of the New Jersey Nets. Boone has been in double figures the past 3 games and had no fewer than 8 rebounds. Not bad for a waiver wire grab here at the end of the year. He seems to have found favor in New Jersey and is getting the minutes.

Roger Mason has replaced Antonio Daniels who in turn replaced Gilbert Arenas. The past 2 games has seen him score 20 and 24 points respectively. He also has averaged 4.5 assists and 5 rebounds while playing over 40 minutes a game. He is 16 of 27 from the field and 7 of 14 from behind the arc (he was just 1 of 5 against Indiana but bounced back with 6 of 9 against Charlotte). He is also an excellent free throw shooter 90.9% on the season. As he gets the minutes, I expect his assists to increase.

I dropped Boone from my NBA Rotisserie league because someone dropped Yi this week after he had a poor outing. I say I dropped Boone. Actually I conditionally dropped him while making a waiver claim on Yi. I hope I am successful. I chose to drop Boone rather than Varejao because Josh has not proven to be a good free throw shooter and that is an area my NBA team is doing well. I consider Boone and Varejao to be similar in ability to give you 7 to 10 rebounds a night and about 10 to 15 points. I am holding onto Bargnani hoping he turns his season back around. The report is that he is tired from playing all summer.

Kiss of death?

2007-12-01T12:50:00.000-06:00

Kiss of death?

I recommend them, and the next game they fall apart. What kind of fate is that? I recommended Marko Jaric and he had a good start last night. He had 4 points and 4 assists in the opening minutes. Then he sprained his ankle. I haven't heard how serious the sprain is but he didn't play anymore yesterday.

Louis Williams from Philadelphia saw a total of 9 minutes of PT. I haven't heard if that was injury related or not but 9 minutes isn't going to make anyone a fantasy play.

NHL

On happier news, Havlat is back in Chicago. In his first game back he scored 2 goals for the Blackhawks and yesterday had an assist on their first score against Phoenix. After that Byfuglien took over. Basically an unknown in fantasy hockey circles before last night, Byfuglien scored 3 goals and had an assist as the Blackhawks jumped out to an early 5-0 lead over the Coyotes.

To place that into perspective, before Friday he had 3 G, 1 Assist, -1, 11 PIM, 1 PPP and 20 SOG for 24.5 fan Pts. Friday he was a Plus 2 and had 5 shots on Goal and added 4 Penalty Minutes for good measure in addition to the 3 Goals (2 on PP) and assist. In my league that totals 19 fantasy points. Not a bad coming out party. I added him to my watch list since this was his first game skating with a new line. Maybe it is a foretaste of things to come. But I'm not going to grab him until I see more.

Parise gets the hat trick

Devils forward Zach Parise had his first hat trick on Friday night in a 4-0 win against the Montreal Canadiens. Parise scored a goal in each period and assisted on Brian Gionta's third period goal.

Atlanta recalls Goalie Kari Lehtonen Saturday from an AHL reconditioning assignment after missing 16 games with a groin injury. Kari started the season awful before the injury. However not only did teh Thrashers recall Lehtonen but he is starting at Goalie tonight for them. Needing a Starting Goalie, I added him by dropping Mike Smith. I won't get the benefit (or detriment) of Lehtonen until tomorrow. I now have him, Coyotes' Bryzgalov who had an awful game last night against Chicago and Montreal plattooner Huet as my 3 Goalies. Other than Goalie, I have a strong fantasy team with:

C Mike Ribeiro (Dal - C)
C Martin Straka (NYR - C,LW)
C Jason Williams (Chi - C,RW)
C Zach Parise (NJ - C,LW)

LW Evgeni Malkin (Pit - C,LW)
LW Ilya Kovalchuk (Atl - LW)

RW Martin Havlat (Chi - RW)
RW Justin Williams (Car - RW)
RW Martin Erat (Nsh - LW,RW)

D Bryan McCabe (Tor - D)
D Nicklas Lidstrom (Det - D)
D Brent Burns (Min - D)
D Shea Weber (Nsh - D)

We can play 2 Centers, 2 LW, 2 RW, 4 Defensemen and 2 Goalies daily. Having players like Erat and all of my Centers other than Ribeiro able to play multiple positions helps. I am currently 4th out of 12 in my Yahoo Point league. With a little consistentcy at Goalie, I could get to #1.

A time to give

2007-11-30T17:10:00.000-06:00

This past week saw the unfortunate death of an NFL player in his prime. Redskin safety Sean Williams died after being rushed to the hospital after being shot in his leg. The bullet cut his femoral artery, and blood loss caused his ultimate death. At the age of just 24.

His death served as a reminder to me of the importance of donating blood. No, lack of blood supply at the hospital was not a cause of Sean's death. But he needed blood just for a chance at life. Everyday, people are in need of blood to stay alive. The local Red Cross calls me regularly to donate. The need is great, but so few take the time to donate.

Last month the call was different. They wanted me to consider giving platelets rather than blood. The process is similar but takes longer as your blood is cycled through the machine to remove platelets while the rest of your blood returns to your body. For me the process took about 85 minutes. I watched a DVD while the blood cycled. Platelets are needed for Cancer victims (my grandfather was one) and other conditions. Fewer people give platelets than give blood so the need is great.

While one can give blood only every 54 days, one can give platelets every 2 weeks.

I am undecided on when I will give platelets versus blood. Perhaps I will alternate. Both are needed. My blood is CMV negative. I don't know exactly what the CMV stands for other than it is a common virus that most people have encountered and developed antibodies in the their system against. Only blood that is CMV negative (doesn't have the antibodies) can be used with New Born infants or people having an organ transplant. So my blood is needed. But so is yours if you are healthy.

Please consider giving blood or platelets. For the little time it takes you to give, you could give years of life to another. And you never know when it will be you or your loved one that is needing the blood or platelets. If you can give, please do so. This is a gift that keeps on giving.

NBA Assists

2007-11-30T16:18:00.000-06:00

Looking for help with your NBA Fantasy team? here are some players who may be sitting on your Free Agent list that could be a great pick-up:

Grab:

Minnesota's Marko Jaric qualifies as both a guard and a forward in most leagues. In NBA.com leagues he qualifies as a PG and a SF. On the season he is averaging just 9.5 PPG, 2.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists. BUT in the past 3 or 4 games he has been great! He has scored 14, 20, 21, and 12 while doling out 6 assists in the first 3 and 7 assists in his last outing along with 7 rebounds. He is shooting 48.5% from the field and over 40% from 3 PT land. If you need help with assists, he could be a good addition while also giving points and rebounds. At 6' 7" he is an odd combination of PG and SF and he has Al Jefferson to throw the ball to on the inside.

Philadelpia's Louis Williams (PG, SG) - he has come off the bench to ignite the 76'ers when Korver was out. He is averaging 11.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 3.6 APG. He had a career game when he played Washington on Nov. 20 hitting 10 of 13 from the field including 4 of 4 from beyond the arc for 25 Pts. Korver is back but Williams impressed enough while he was out that Williams is still getting minutes (about 22 a game). He has scored in double digits 5 of his last 6 games and since Korver returned (last 2 games) has 6 assists in each game. Again he is an assist play that can also give you points.

Memphis' PG Juan Carlos Navarro. He finally signed with an NBA team after his rights were traded to the Grizzlies where his friend Gasol plays. From Spain, this 6' 3" PG has been playing very well of late. A 3 PT threat, he can also rebound and dish the ball. One night he will give you 8 rebounds, the next maybe 7 assists plus double digit scoring. If the Grizzlies start playing more consistent, he could be a 15 PPG, 6 or 7 Rebounds a game and 6 or 7 assist per game PG, SG. He has done well for me since I added him last week. He is shooting over 40% from beyond the arc and over 88% from the charity stripe on the season while averaging 10.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 2 APG. All 3 are higher of late as he has assumed the starting PG role.

New Jersey's Sean Williams - I recommended him in a post I made on http://www.screamingsports.com back when he had back to back games of over 30 minutes. He immediately quit seeing the PT, and as a result his stats have dropped. But if you need someone to add block shots to your lineup, he is a good play still. As soon as they start giving 25 minutes or more a game, he will be worth double digit points, 6 or more rebounds and 2 to4 blocks a game. Worth having on your bench in leagues with limits on games played. You can play him now for block shots and hope it is a game where the Nets let him play 25 minutes or more so you also get the points and rebounds. Even in limited play he is good for about 7 PPG, 4 Reb and a block shot or 2. Sooner or later the Nets will let him play. You will want him then.

DROP:

Azubuike. He was a great play early but has not been producing in the past 2 weeks. Currently he is not a player you want. Maybe he will turn it around. I dropped him for Marko Jaric.

On the Bubble

Seattle's Damien Wilkins. He has not performed well since his great game against Atlanta. Of late he has been a player you'd rather have on your bench. He has potential but is struggling of late to score and hasn't been getting rebounds or assists sufficient for a fantasy play at SG, SF. I still have him in 1 league hoping he regains his early season play.

It's not too Late - you can be a sportsaholic too!

2007-11-10T12:09:00.000-06:00

This is my first year at playing fantasy sports and I am loving it!

Maybe your interest is piqued over fantasy sports but you haven't yet made the move to actually play. It isn't too late! Or maybe you have been playing fantasy baseball or fantasy football but haven't joined any fantasy league on basketball or hockey or Nascar. It isn't too late!

And don't feel that you have to be an expert to play fantasy sports. If that was a requirement I would not be having the fun I am now having. I certainly was no expert in fantasy football when I made the decision to play this year. The Pastor of our church is a sports fan and he wanted to start a league this year in our church. I knew nothing about fantasy sports. Nada. I didn't even watch a lot of NFL football on television. When I historically watched football on television it was usually college football or it was playoff games in the NFL. But I decided to play. And I have been having a lot of fun ever since I did.

Beginning a couple of weeks ago I joined in 3 NBA drafts and 1 hockey draft. If I didn't know much about NFL football, my knowledge of the NBA was no better. Again I tended to watch college games rather than professional games when I watched basketball. As for hockey, I live in the southern US. Hockey is not a well known sport here although there are teams in some of the larger cities such as Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Dallas, St Louis and Nashville. I had been to a couple of Calgary Flames matches several years ago but I really knew very little about the sport. And that is why I joined a fantasy hockey league.

If you want to know more about a sport, join a fantasy league for that sport. You will learn more about the sport than you ever though possible. It provides a perfect learning atmosphere. You will be motivated to learn because you will not want to lose. You will be safe learning because the other team owners probably are strangers and you won't fear appearing foolish. You are somewhat anonymous so can relax and ask those questions you are afraid to ask because others might think them stupid (by the way the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked). You will learn by seeing what the better teams are doing.

And you will be surprised how fun it all can be. The more you participate, the more fun you have.

If you have questions on a fantasy sport, ask. I'll be happy to try and address your question in a blog or email if you prefer.

Some places to play fantasy basketball are NBA.com and Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports also has fantasy Hockey and Nascar and Golf ....