Archive for November, 2010

Fantasy Basketball: Hot Pickups 11/24

Wednesday, 24 November, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

How many waiver wire moves have you made in your fantasy basketball leagues? With injuries, players getting benched, and poor production overall, it’s a must to keep tabs daily on available players. We have a roster full of talent mentioned in this weeks pickups. More than likely they are probably available in your leagues.

 

Donte Greene- Part of the change over in Paul Westphal’s starting lineup has Greene back in it. The former Cuse player was buried on the Kings bench, not mustering a minute for a handful of games. Westphal disliked his uninspired play and work ethic. That seemed to have triggered Greene to regain his focus. At 6’9, Greene can be a fantasy rotisserie league gem. He shoots the three, can block shots, steals, and go off on any given night. He just needs to stay on the floor.

Luther Head- The Kings have reshuffled the lineup in hopes of finding a spark. One move has put Beno Udrih on the bench and Head in the starting lineup. This may not last but Head is getting over thirty minutes a game. He has struggled from three so far, but has proven in the past to be solid from there. If you’re struggling for three pointers made you may want to snag Head.

Kris Humphries- Apparently Avery Johnson has Troy Murphy in his dog house. Murphy has battled a plethora of injuries and barely made it on the court this season. After searching for a player to fill that spot, Johnson seems to have found it in Humphries. Humphries does the dirty work that Brook Lopez tends to refrain from. By that we mean rebounding. Humphries seems to be a waiver wire gem, tracking double doubles consistently lately.

Eric Dampier- How much Dampier can provide is up in the air. What is a fact is that the Heat have no true big man that can play 25 minutes a game. Ilgauskus is good for around the fifteen to seventeen minute mark. With Haslem out, Dampier can come in and try to fill those double double stats of Haslems.

Jeff Teague- His preseason injury derailed him from challenging Mike Bibby as starter. Many analysts had Teague on their watchful player tracker. He hasn’t done anything dazzling yet, but it’s only a matter of time. We believe the Hawks will lean more on Teague in the latter parts of December and flirt with the switch before All-Star break.

CJ Miles- Miles has found a perfect sixth man role for himself. He is igniting the Jazz offensively and putting up starters numbers off the bench. Will see how long this lasts. Miles has had peaks in stretches before. Problem in the past was his minutes, which were shared at times with Ronnie Brewer and others. Now that the bench is full of youth, Miles is the primary weapon.

Jose Calderon- With Jarret Jack being traded, Calderon’s minutes will increase back to the past few years. In prior seasons he was notching near eight to nine assists a game. A crucial category for rotisserie league owners. Worried about Jerryd Bayless grabbing minutes, don’t be. Bayless is young and has had a hard time adjusting to the rigorous grind of the NBA. He’ll need more time to mature.

Week Twelve Spread Selections

Wednesday, 24 November, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

We delivered with yet another .500 week. Making it ten of eleven weeks where we have delivered for our readers. There’s nothing like the last week of November. Getting your NFL wins early on Thanksgiving. Trending the last handful of turkey days, there have been quite a few blowouts. We believe we’ve got the green light on a 3-0 start, as well as a great lineup of week twelve selections.

Last Week’s Record: 8-8

Overall Record: 84-73-4

 

New England -6.5- Over the years the Lions have been abysmal on Thanksgiving. They could make this one a tad bit interesting than past blowouts. Once halftime concludes and the second half begins we believe the Patriots will pull away for an easy victory.

Dallas +3.5- This team is believing more and more with Jason Garrett. Talent has never been a question in Dallas. Accountability has. Garrett seems to be doing that.

Cincinnati +8.5- As bad as the Bengals have been playing, the Jets have failed to cover the last three weeks against subpar teams. Houston, Cleveland, and Detroit. Heading to overtime in two of the three. If Carson Palmer could ever go a game without throwing multiple interceptions this team would easily be .500. Maybe this will be the game he tones his picks down.

Washington -1.5- The Redskins are still in contention by the slimmest of chances. This will be a battle of quarterbacks that have faced their share of adversity inside and outside the locker room. Part of McNabb’s tenure as a quarterback is he finds a way to get his team to the playoffs. It’ll be a tough feat with his surrounding talent but he may just get them there.

Buffalo +6.5- It should be blistering cold and a grind it out battle in Buffalo. Running the football is going to be the main factor. Don’t look at last week’s blowout of Oakland as an automatic indicator of back to back easy blowouts for Pitt. Buffalo has played everyone tough this year. Ryan Fitzpatrick deserves some praise for stepping in and rallying this team.

Houston- With the embroiled on and off again battle between Vince Young and Jeff Fisher, the rest of the season looks to be dreadful for Tennessee. Chris Johnson’s been overworked and hasn’t came close to living up to expectations. Rusty Smith will get a start and be a top target for Houston to resurface in the AFC South.

New York Giants -7- Jacksonville’s staved off Jack Del Rio’s firing, and David Garrard’s seat on the bench with their November ride. This is the time where reality sets in. Jacksonville has holes galore surrounding their team, and happened to catch a few breaks to gather some wins. New York’s coming off a mistake ridden game that cost them a divisional victory. Were thinking Garrard’s three interception performance last week, won’t conclude a victory this time around.

Cleveland – How fast things have declined in Carolina. A few seasons ago they were hosting a divisional round playoff game against the Cardinals. Since Jake Delhomme’s epic meltdown this team has lost its identity all together. Now they’ll be ripped apart by an emerging Browns team.

Tampa Bay +7.5- This line has a lot more to do with non Tampa believers than it does with actuality. Baltimore has been hyped up too much in our books. Besides Anquan Boldin they’ve had a tough time finding a reliable receiver. Ahem, TJ Houshmanzadeh…Donte Stallworth. Derrick Mason’s made some big catches here and there but he is not a second receiver anymore. Thus, Joe Flacco has struggled to put together a complete game. Tampa hangs around in games and will get some big plays through the passing game with Mike Williams.

Philadelphia -3- All we have to say is Jay Cutler. This will be a game where Martz will have to do more than call a few quick slants to Jonny Knox and Devin Hester. Philadelphia will be ready for the Martz dink and dump approach. Their lack of talented receivers is going to make this an easy fare for the Eagles. Blowout city.

Green Bay +2- The Packers came into the year in a lot of minds as favorites in the NFC. They went through a tough stretch of losses mainly due to injuries. Somehow they’ve managed to piece their team together and look like contenders again. Atlanta may have that infamous one loss at home with Matt Ryan starting, but it’s headed for two this weekend.

Oakland- Miami doesn’t want to run the football for some reason and would rather drop back and throw without Brandon Marshall in the lineup. The play calling against Chicago may have ruined their season. Oakland on the other hand is going to go back to their bread and butter. Running the football. They should do it well, as Miami has had a tough time stopping the run lately.

Seattle +1.5- Probably one of the tougher games to call this week. You really can’t get a firm grasp of what these two teams are capable of. They’ve both had their struggles but have also had great weeks as well. Will rate this one in the hands of the home team, Seattle. It’s getting closer to December and this latest cold front has caused some snow and poor weather up in the Northwest.

Denver -4- This games a test of whether of not Josh McDaniels has his team aboard or not. They’ve taken a few drubbings and whispers are circulating on whether McDaniels has control of this team. A home game against the Rams is a good way to find out.

San Diego +3- The way Philip Rivers is playing he is willing his team to victories. His been down this road so many times that he knows what it takes to revitalize a team. With Vincent Jackson back it’s just what the doctor ordered for Philip Rivers. He is a surgeon right now the way he is slicing and dicing up secondaries. After this game he’ll be the clear front runner for MVP.

San Francisco -1- Monday night ratings have to be plummeting with these horrific matchups. No one cares to watch this one but they’ll be plenty of money riding on it. Frank Gore has some of his biggest games against the Cardinals. It’ll be another breakout game for him and Ken Whisenhunt’s name will have to surface on the hot seat.

 

Week 11: Automatic/Don’t Do It

Thursday, 18 November, 2010

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

David Garrard – Fresh from his game-winning hail-Mary throw to Mike Thomas against the Houston Texans in week 10, Garrard should have another good game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Browns are 24th in the league in pass defense, and Garrard has been on a roll in recent weeks, with a four-touchdown game against the Dallas Cowboys in week eight, and his game against Houston, which came after a bye week.

Matt Cassel – Cassel’s highest single-game passing total during the first nine weeks was a modest 250 yards, but against the Denver Broncos in week 10, he put 469 yards and four touchdowns. Those are rare numbers, but look for Cassel to continue producing against the Arizona Cardinals, who are 27th in the league in pass defense, and last in scoring defense, giving up 29 points per game.

Don’t Do It: Ryan Fitzpatrick – Fitzpatrick and the Buffalo Bills play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, who held Peyton Manning to only 185 yards and no touchdowns. Fitzpatrick put up similar numbers last week with 146 yards and a touchdown in the Bills’ first win of the season. The combination of a Bengals’ pass defense coming off of a good week and Fitzpatrick coming off of a bad one should be enough for you to bench him.

Rashard Mendenhall – Mendenhall should have a big game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, who give up almost 125 rushing yards per game. The Raiders are also second in pass defense, so Mendenhall could be a big contributor.

Peyton Hillis – Hillis and the Cleveland Browns should have a productive day against a weak Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense. The Jags give up almost 115 rushing yards per game, and Hillis is also second the Browns in receptions, increasing his potential for fantasy points on Sunday.

Don’t Do It: Darren McFadden – McFadden is having a great season, and should continue that for the rest of the year, just not on Sunday against the Steelers. They are first in rushing defense, but 26th in pass defense, which means the Raiders should get move the ball through the air on Sunday.

DeSean Jackson – Anytime Michael Vick is starting at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, you should start Jackson. Vick’s arm strength and Jackson’s speed can combine for a big play at any moment. Jackson has a 21.5 yards per catch average, and though the Eagles play the New York Giants, who have a great pass defense, Jackson and Vick are too dangerous of a duo right now.

Reggie Wayne – The Indianapolis Colts face the New England Patriots, in what has been the NFL’s best rivalry for years. Manning should have no trouble throwing the ball against the Patriots, who are 30th in pass defense. As Manning’s most dependable target, look for Wayne to get a good chunk of the numbers Manning puts up.

Don’t Do It: Michael Crabtree – Crabtree and the San Francisco 49ers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that opposing wideouts have struggled against recently. Atlanta Falcons’ receiver Roddy White had a tough game against them in week nine, as did receiver Steve Smith and the Carolina Panthers in week ten. Don’t expect Crabtree to put up many points on Sunday.

 

 

 

Week 11 Spread Selections

Thursday, 18 November, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

It was only a matter of time before a string of games caught us late. We took some bad losses with Cleveland giving up a touchdown instead of a field goal. Buffalo squeezing out only a two point victory and the flipside of a couple of blowouts. Staying above .500 on a weekly basis was almost done but last week’s 6-8 record put a halt to that. Were poised for a ten win week to bounce back.

Overall Record: 76-65-4

Last Week’s Record: 6-8

 

Miami -1- Miami is poised to start their first home win streak of the season. Even with Tyler Thigpen starting, Miami’s style of play doesn’t change. They’re a game managing team each week. As long as Thigpen gets protection and doesn’t turn the ball over, they will come out of this short week with another win.

Oakland +7.5- Pittsburgh seems to be having issues sticking to the run game since Roethlisberger has came back. In fact, they’ve been fortunate to win games against Miami and Cincinnati as of late. Oakland is playing some great football right now that just hasn’t been seen on a national level. Will take the points and this might be one of the better money line plays of the week.

New York Jets -7- We think Schaub will be out there, if not this line may get up to the double digit range. Either way we are anticipating a blowout. The Texans have struggled versus solid defenses all season. Rex Ryan’s been waiting for this type of matchup where his defense can win the game outright.

Baltimore -10- The Ravens have been awful in double digit favorite games, losing against the spread versus Buffalo and Cleveland. With Clausen in the game, you figure that the Panthers probably won’t score more than ten points. This could be one of the uglier games of the season as the Panthers have nothing to play for. With key injuries to star players that lessens the effort emphasis.

Washington +7- The Redskins have to overlook last week’s Monday Night nightmare. They’re still a .500 team and have a shot just like numerous teams at getting into the playoff picture. A loss here will crush those chances. Tennessee has been one of the more erratic teams this year. One week you think they can be an AFC favorite contender and the next they look like a bubble team. We like this to be one of the closer games of the week decided by a kicker with no time left.

Dallas -6.5- Now they’ll start rolling off some wins to cause a stir on whether Garrett should be named permanent head coach.

Green Bay -3- As much as we don’t want to root against Brett Favre, his year and career is done Blame it on Childress or whomever, but the Vikings lone wins have come by dramatic fashion against the Cowboys, Cardinals, and Lions. Green Bay’s played fabulous all season and is coming off a bye week.

Cincinnati -5.5- Carson Palmer and Ryan Fitzpatrick might combine for six or seven interceptions this game, but Palmer will neutralize his turnovers a tad bit better.

Jacksonville -1- As we said last week, over the last six to seven weeks, David Garrard is playing at a top ten quarterback level. He has had these type of spurts throughout his career, and then fades into slumps like an NBA shooting guard. We think he’ll keep his magic rolling another week.

Arizona +8- Kansas City’s record all season has been better than their talent on the field. With their defense finally exposed it’s only going to show the glaring weaknesses of Matt Cassel. A big slide to end the year is forthcoming.

Seattle +12- Until New Orleans shows us a game where they play four quarters of football than will keep taking the points.

Atlanta -3- The way Matt Ryan and Roddy White are connecting the lines makers must be wanting to give this game to sports bettors. They exposed the vaunted Ravens defense by scoring in forty seconds. There may be strikes and drives quicker than that in this game.

Tampa Bay +3- The miracle talks of Mike Singletary and the 49ers winning the division at 7-9, or whatever other imaginary scenario will come to a screeching halt this week.

New England -3.5- For the first time in the matchups between the two, Peyton Manning may be overwhelmed. The Colts are to banged up to compete with one of the elite teams in the NFL. Maybe by playoff time this can be a good matchup. Manning’s even struggled in his last few wins due to lack of weapons.

Philadelphia -3- Let the Mike Vick all world MVP season continue.

Denver +10- The dink and dump offense gets stopped by no one. It’s frustrated opposing defenses so much that Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney are now catching deep balls for touchdowns.

Fantasy NBA Waiver Wire: Eric Bledsoe

Thursday, 18 November, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

The one and done philosophy is frowned upon by college coaches and NBA scouts. There are only a handful of athletes in college that should be taken advantage of this leap. That never is the case, and when the majority of Kentucky’s team all left as freshman it made waves. One name that was included in the whispered chants of should of stayed was Eric Bledsoe.

Bledsoe fell a bit and landed with the Los Angeles Clippers. A role that looked perfect for Bledsoe to sit back and learn from NBA veteran, Baron Davis. How quick a tune can change from normal patterns. Baron Davis has been hobbled early on in the season and can’t seem to shake a bum knee. The lingering affects of multiple surgeries and age have doubts on whether Davis will see much action at all. So at 19 years old, Eric Bledsoe has stepped onto the court and done a fabulous job on leading the Clippers.

They’re young as a whole, but Bledsoe has shined with starter’s minutes. He is currently averaging 10 points, four rebounds, and five assists a game. With the Clippers playing late at night most aren’t seeing his action. It’s shocking that he is still available in over half of Yahoo Fantasy NBA leagues. Especially since he has had an array of stat filling games in the month of November. Like most rookies you have to take a hit in a few columns with Bledsoe. The only major rotisserie league stat that he will hurt you in is with turnovers, and off nights field goal percentage wise.

His all around game though is worth seeking on the waiver wire. Obviously the Clippers will reduce his minutes somewhat if Baron Davis can prove he can step onto the court. Maneuvering to Bledsoe after his early season showcase will likely be a move sooner than anticipated. He is definitely one of the better blossoming surprises early on in the 2010 NBA season.

Week Ten’s NFL Spread Choices

Thursday, 11 November, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

 

It’s a short NFL week as Thursday’s game makes us have to get our picks and lineups in a day early. Get use to it as the NFL has slated this for the next eight weeks. We’ve got your Thursday winner and another winning week ahead.

 

Overall Record: 70-57-4

Last Week’s Record: 7-5-1

Baltimore +1- Roddy White is expected to play not near full strength. He has been the catalyst to this offense. There other receivers our average at best and will force Matt Ryan into a few mistakes.

Cincinnati +7.5- Lots of points given to the Bengals here. The Colts have been fortunate to grab as many wins as they have, but in most games they play to the level of their competition. Cincinnati is going to play spoiler in a lot of games the rest of the season.

Jacksonville +1.5- One of the hottest quarterbacks in the league not being discussed is David Garrard. Buried on fantasy quarterback rankings he has outdone projections immensely. Houston’s bottom ranked defense is going to be in for a long day.

Tennessee +1.5- Miami is trying to rev up some mistake free football by inserting Chad Pennington. That’s a bad move to make when trying to move forward in years 2011 and 2012. Tennessee is going to embarrass Miami on their home turf.

Minnesota- -1- A season without Brett Favre not having mayhem surrounded by him and his team is just not possible. Minnesota’s ready to start rolling and get back in playoff position.

Buffalo -3- Win one…we think so.

Cleveland +3- The meltdown in the last four minutes that gave the Jets a win against Detroit, will not happen against the Browns. They’re playing fantastic football led by their defense. They’ve bought into Eric Mangini’s system and are going to be a team to reckon with next year.

Tampa Bay -6.5- Talk about a team that’s shut it down. Carolina appears ready to cut lose their long time coach, John Fox, after giving him no leverage the past few seasons. We all have witnessed Jimmy Clausen’s performances, this is a no brainer.

Kansas City -1- The last time Denver faced a double threat rushing attack, they were torched all game. The barrage of long runs might only happen in spurts this game but it’ll be enough for an ugly final score.

St. Louis +6- This will be a game that comes down to the last drive. The under is looking lovely in this one.

Arizona -3- Arizona is once again the favorite to take this division. This is a pivotal game but Derek Anderson should give the offense enough balance to pull off a few big pass plays. Arizona is also one of the better teams at home. Surprised this line isn’t more in the 4.5-5 range.

Dallas +13.5- Just when Wade Phillips gets axed watch the Cowboys step up and play to their talent level.

New England +4.5- Are the Patriots set for two straight losses to pull back to 6-3? It’s probable but they’ll cover this spread.

Washington +3- His whole career McNabb’s answered critics. The rest of this season he is showcasing himself for a handful of potent ional suitors, as he’ll be bolting from this toxic situation.