Archive for December, 2010

Week 14 Spread Selections

Thursday, 9 December, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

 

Thursday football not only means fantasy football lineup submissions. It means brainstorming on that first game versus the spread. We’ve got week fourteen penned better than an Oprah book club nominee. Take a look at who we have with analysis on each pick.

Last Week’s Record: 7-9

Overall Record: 99-90-4

 

Indianapolis -3- As much as people want to see Manning lose and bring his woes up another level, everyone knows he is going to battle for this victory. As bad as the Colts issues have been, Tennessee’s is likely worse. They can’t get Chris Johnson back on track, and have switched quarterbacks more than the Oakland Raiders.

Oakland +4- Jacksonville’s played above their talent level all season long. They stay in games by controlling the ball, and limiting their turnovers. Oakland is riding high after their upset victory over the Chargers. Look for them to come out strong and force Jacksonville to get out of their slow attack.

Pittsburgh -8.5- We’re expecting a few defensive touchdowns in this one. Cincinnati is going to come out for the first few drives. Once those attempts don’t work, look for this team to pack it in. They have no heart and it’s showed all season. Blow out city.

New England -3- Tom Brady won’t have the ease of racing up and down the field as he did against the Jets. It’ll be a better battle. New England’s defense has to continue to show it’s growth in order for the Patriots to pull this one out. Yet, were taking the Patriots as they’ll win the turnover battle and make that extra big play.

Cleveland +1- Cleveland’s outing against Miami didn’t deserve a win, but they let the opposing team make the mistakes. This game has another sloppy outing written all over it. It’s been snowing like crazy in New York this week. Will see how the weather is on Sunday, but expect a low scoring punt fest here.

New York Giants- The line isn’t officially set here but the Giants are a playoff bound team. They’ve feasted on opposing quarterbacks with major weaknesses all season. There’s no doubt Brett Favre will start at the expense of the Vikings. He has nothing left out there but his streak.

Detroit +6.5- The Packers are the type of team that like to play close games. A lot of their wins they pull away at a point in the second half, but it takes awhile for them to get going. Detroit’s been hanging in all season against opposing teams. They’re ready for a signature statement win for 2010, and we think they’ll get it here.

Atlanta -7.5- This team wants to play at home in the playoffs. They’re not going to let a letdown happen against the Panthers to jeopardize that.

Washington +1.5-A team respects a coach that makes bold decisions. Shanahan did that by ending the tirade with Albert Haynesworth for the rest of this season. Washington’s had a rough go this past month, but is not nearly as bad as the team that took a butt kicking last week. Tampa Bay is reeling and we think they’ll have an after taste of last week’s crushing loss derail them.

St. Louis +9.5- There are people that keep saying the NFC West shouldn’t have representation in the playoffs. They’re not on national television much but St. Louis has played solid ball this year. Sam Bradford just doesn’t make mistakes. They have a few good drives a game and their defense has been a force.

Seattle +5.5- 13-10.….Which team wins, doesn’t matter. Seattle covers.

Miami +5.5- You can’t bet against the Dolphins on the road. It’s been a mistake all year as they just play better as a team. We all remember how Mark Sanchez ended last year on a tailspin almost costing the Jets a playoff spot. It won’t get that bad but Jets fans will be nervous in this one.

Denver– The difference in this game is one team has made a change. That’s Denver. The Cardinals have been horrific trying to move the football for five straight games.

Kansas City +6.5- Bettors can get ahead of the Chargers wagon jumpers now. Everyone’s betting on the fact that San Diego closes out years. Not this one, their play has been inconsistent due to numerous issues. The fact is Kansas City has played better this year, and will show it Sunday.

Philadelphia -3.5- Jason Garrett’s done this and that….yadda yadda yadda. How will he plan on disguising and blanketing against Mike Vick? He won’t. Then the game plan of running the ball twenty times each with Felix Jones and Tashard Choice will shift to air the ball. Everyone has seen when the Cowboys have been forced to throw they’ve struggled. With Dez Bryant out that spells double trouble, as he has been the only one to step up.

Baltimore -3- If Baltimore can get back to rushing the football, maybe they’ll get rolling again. Last year the Ravens rediscovered rushing the ball right about this time, and stormed over playoff opponents. Their play call to pass with three minutes to go just was atrocious. Watch them run and Ray Rice have his best game of the season.

Playoff Run Gamble Starters

Tuesday, 7 December, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

All the trash talking amongst your buddies and you’ve made it. Distinguished and separated yourself from the majority of your buddies to reach the playoffs. You don’t want the praise of yourself to end just there. If you win it all you can rant and rave until next August or September’s fantasy draft. Heck, if there is a lockout you could extend it over a year. Nobody wins a fantasy title the easy conventional way. You have to go outside the box and take risks. Who are some contrarian players you can utilize for the final stretch?

Quarterbacks

Chad Henne- It sounds insane to think about plugging in Henne, but a quarterback with his strengths figures it out that last month of December. You see it almost every year where a promising quarterback starts to produce without hiccups and gives their team hope going into the off-season. Currently, Miami is a .500 team because they’ve been inconsistent. That’s exactly what Henne’s problem has been. With Miami basically eliminated, look for Henne to play with free reign and perform better.

 

Shaun Hill/Drew Stanton- We’ve never been too high on the Detroit Lions but Jim Schwartz has things turning around up there. This team is fighting hard each week, and they’ve fared well with three different quarterbacks. Stanton doesn’t make poor decisions and being a former running back in high school, has the ability to scramble. The timetable for Hill’s return is in the air, but he is a better option with his arm. One plus to either or is Jahvid Best’s health. His role has still been diminished the past few weeks, but he is showing that early season explosion in the open field. That should open things up big time for the Lions to hit Megatron deep.

Ryan Fitzpatrick- Fitz had his poorest outing of the year this past weekend against Minnesota. It was a surprise considering how well he has done against top tier defenses, which the Vikings have not been. The problem in that game was critical turnovers, that just got the offense in a funk they couldn’t get out of. Other than that game though, Fitz has been reliable. He runs the Bills offense extremely well and is going to make a big play or two every game.

 

Running Backs

Knowshown Moreno- Virtually non existent due to injuries and poor offensive philosophy by the Broncos, Moreno broke out this past week. With the firing of Josh McDaniels you’d expect the play calling to shift to more of a balanced attack. Orton’s hot start has faded fast as teams are applying pressure and shutting off the quick dink and dump outlet throws. Players may want to plan their vacations now, but with an interim coach he’ll make these last four games feel like September.

James Starks- We profiled Starks with Legarrette Blount as our second half of the season sleeper running backs. Starks took a bit longer than Blount but got the bulk of the carries this past week. He wasn’t stellar but seems to be the new favorite back in Green Bay. With the potency of Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, Starks should be Rodgers-fed from a fantasy standpoint. Capitalizing off their quick drives and red zone possessions.

Rashad Jennings- Jacksonville’s starting to figure out they have a duel threat backfield. Jones-Drew and Jennings have been a combined tear as of late. If Jacksonville wants to hold off the rest of their divisional rivals then they’re going to need to continue to run the ball. Jennings is becoming a factor notching eleven fantasy points the past two weeks.

 

 

 

Wide Receivers

Davone Bess- At this point Miami doesn’t know if Brandon Marshall’s lingering injury will prevent him from stepping back onto the field. Even if he does, Marshall and Henne have not necessarily been the best of connections. Who has been is Davone Bess. Bess runs the short routes that Henne is comfortable in delivering. They seem to be on the same page every week. Bess is an extreme deep play but his upside comes in the department that you know he is going to catch six to eight passes as week.

Justin Gage- Tennessee can’t even get the ball to Randy Moss. Quietly that story has not surfaced as a headliner. Kerry Collins was rushed back due to how poor the rookie Rusty Smith performed. With Collins he has always been able to deliver the ball to Gage and Britt. Britt is out, so that makes Gage his top target. Hopefully Collins can get back in rhythm, as they face a Colts team that’s been giving up a ton of points.

Blair White- Peyton has had to deal with a plethora of mounting criticism since Sunday. How will he respond? We don’t doubt him, and we think he’ll deliver a fabulous finish to the season. Injuries have killed him but in the past he has found a go to guy to replace that area. White’s done it a few different weeks. As their third receiver, we think he’ll resurface as a monster December receiver for stats.

Fantasy NBA: Dec 6th Hot Pickups

Monday, 6 December, 2010

By Zack Cimini

New opportunities have surfaced for our red hot fantasy scoops this week. Don’t let the long NBA season catch you slipping on prime time guys. Chances are these players are sitting on your waiver wire. Pounce on them with a disappointing unproductive player and catch up in some key categories. In a rotisserie league you would be surprised on how much ground you can gain by utilizing the waiver wire like a hot stock. Once you’ve mustered the peak out of the athlete there will be some new key bait on the wire to bring in.

Kyle Lowry- Fantasy owners that have utilized Lowry throughout Aaron Brooks ankle injury are likely on the fence what to do with him in a week. After all, Brooks will be back and is one of the top conditioned athletes in the NBA. Calculating near max minutes per game. Lowry has shown that he can run the Rockets offense and be a key contributor for this team. It is up in the air on how many minutes he’ll get, but we believe he’ll be a key role player. It should be noted that against the Bulls the other night, Adelman went with a different lineup that featured Lowry and had Kevin Martin on the bench.

Jodie Meeks- He came out a year early from Kentucky for one reason. In an era where it is hard to find pure shooters, Meeks is a deadly assasin. Philadelphia had him buried for quite awhile but he showed enough spurts last year to start off this season a little higher on the depth charts. Like many NBA coaches, the 76ers have tweaked their starting lineup for hopes of a jump start. Meeks has done more than anticipated by tallying some big marks. If you’re in need of three pointers made/percentage, Meeks is your guy.

Jerryd Bayless- The story of what went wrong in New Orleans likely won’t surface. In Toronto, Bayless is finally getting a chance to show off his talents not just in practice. Jose Calderon is a decent point guard but doesn’t possess the athletic tangibles to compete against most point guards. Bayless does. He has an improved jump shot and if he cuts down on his erratic drives, should take over the starting job sooner than later.

Earl Barron- The Suns lack a true center with Robin Lopez out with injury woes yet again. Phoenix has utilized freak athlete, Hakim Warrick, to spell the void there. Against teams with true talented big men though, the Suns know they will need Barron’s big body. In a handful of games, Barron has came in and pulled down some hard fought boards. Barron’s not yet a waiver wire pickup but a guy to keep your eye on. In Phoenix’s frenetic style, stats are going to be skewed. Especially playing for a all world wonder as Steve Nash.

Ed Davis- In college he played on one of the more disappointing North Carolina teams to date. He left early and went to the infamous city many talents have demanded not to be sent. Davis then suffered an training camp injury that forced him to miss over a month of NBA action. He stepped onto the court December 1st, and in three games has done fairly well. Obviously he is not in game shape yet. By putting up 8 points and 6 boards for an average is a solid barometer thus far. As most rookies though he’ll suffer against the better tier teams. Starting off against the Knicks, Wizards, and OKC is a good week for most fantasy matchups.

Week 13: Automatic/Don’t Do It

Friday, 3 December, 2010

by Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Quarterbacks

Peyton Manning – After his uncharacteristically bad performance against the San Diego Chargers last week, look for Manning to redeem himself against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Cowboys rank 25th in passing defense, and 30th in points allowed. Also, Manning isn’t going to have two bad games in a row.

David Garrard – Look for Garrard to have a good game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He struggled against the New York Giants last week, but should put up good numbers against the Titans’ defense, which gives up almost 250 passing yards per game.

Don’t Do It: Carson Palmer – Palmer and the Bengals play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, a team that has a stingy defense that is ranked third in pass defense, seventh in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed. Also, Palmer has thrown at least two interceptions in his last three games.

Running Backs

Fred Jackson – Jackson has been performing well the whole year, and he should have another big day against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are ranked fifth in rushing defense, but Jackson is great a great receiver as well. He had 104 receiving yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, so he is a threat in both the ground and passing game.

Steven Jackson – Jackson and the St. Louis Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, who rank 31st in rushing defense. Jackson hasn’t had great games recently, so he’s due for a strong performance. Look for that to happen this Sunday.

Don’t Do It: BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Green-Ellis hasn’t been putting up pro-bowl numbers, but he’s had three touchdowns in the past two games. Look for his yardage and touchdown total to fall this weekend when the New England Patriots take on the New York Jets on Sunday, who rank fourth in the NFL in rushing defense.

Receivers

Dustin Keller – The last time the Jets played the Patriots, Keller had his best game of the year, with seven catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. Keller should have a similar performance when the two teams play again. He hasn’t caught a touchdown since week four, but that should change this weekend.

Lance Moore – Throughout the season, Moore has been one of the New Orleans Saints’ leading receivers. He leads the team in touchdown catches, and should be worth a starting spot this weekend when he and the Saints play the Bengals, who have a below-average defense.

Don’t Do It: Roddy White – The last time the Atlanta Falcons played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we told you not to start White, and he only had four catches for 49 yards that game. The Falcons play the Buccaneers again this week, so don’t expect White to have a good game. He’s been averaging less than 10 yards per catch his last two games, so even if he does catch a lot of passes, they may not be for very many yards.

 

 

 

Humphries Making Most of PT

Thursday, 2 December, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

First year head coach, Avery Johnson stepped in knowing he has a young and talented team. With an early pick they went ahead and drafted Derrick Favors. Most picks drafted that high step in right away and garner bulk minutes. Johnson hasn’t granted Favors high minutes and has put who he feels is deserved on any given night. Particularly he has sent do it all shooting guard Terrence Williams to the developmental league, after repeated tardy violations.

Probably his strangest move though is the way he has handled Troy Murphy. Murphy has said to be healthy for quite a while after starting the year banged up. Johnson has felt that Murphy isn’t ready and hasn’t provided much of an explanation other than that. With minutes to be offered up, the Nets have received more than what they’ve bargained for with power forward Kris Humphries. Humphries has been a monster for production grabbing a heavy amount of rebounds in short stints on the floor.

Thus far this season he is averaging around eight points and eight boards a game. Lately his rebounds have been rising to the double digit mark. New Jersey really doesn’t have too many big men that like to rebound. Center, Brook Lopez is comparable to Amare Stoudemire in the fact that he doesn’t grab as many rebounds as you would like. Dirty work is not something they teach at Stanford.

Troy Murphy has been getting a few minutes here and there this past week. Murphy has been a David Lee sorts in years past. Able to get double doubles on any given night and mix in the three ball as well. Big men that stay around the basket figures to be limited for New Jersey.

Scoop up Humphries as he’ll figure to still get around twenty to twenty five minutes a game this year. His versatility for a team lacking depth is too much for him to get buried on the bench.

Week 13 Spread Selections

Wednesday, 1 December, 2010

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Turkey day did us well, and hopefully for the majority of you as well. The month of December is upon us. Bowl games, playoff pictures shaping up, and fantasy playoffs. It’s one of the best months of the year for football fans. Don’t free fall the bankroll you’ve built up all season. Let us guide you to some solid bets and stay away from games.

 

Last Week’s Record: 8-8

Overall Record: 92-81-4

 

Houston +8.5- Vick’s made it look easy all season long, now he’ll have to bounce back from a loss. We anticipate him having a rougher go at it to start this one off. Houston’s defensive line can pose some issues for Vick. In the end though it’ll be the air attack that from Vick that gets this win.

Buffalo +5.5- The Bills are underrated every week by Vegas. They’ve got great team chemistry but just can’t get a win. Until they fail miserably we will keep taking the points with them.

Miami -4.5- When you tick off a quarterback you like to see them respond the way Henne did last week. After being benched and wrote off, he came out and got it done without Brandon Marshall as a weapon. All Miami has to do is shut down Peyton Hillis and this will be a blowout.

Jacksonville- Regardless if it’s Kerry Collins at quarterback, there is no saving this Titans team. Remember Collins orchestrated to their 0-6 start last season.

Kansas City -9- McDaniels lost control of this team and likely will lose his job at the end of the season. The dink and dump looked so great early on in the year. What it does though is create a liability to rush their defense back on the field. They have no running game after making the bone headed trade of shipping Peyton Hillis.

Washington +7- Just when you’re ready to count out the Redskins they pull off a win out of no where. They’re a .500 team at best but hang tough in most games. Only against Philadelphia were they truly blown out.

Detroit – Do we trust Jay Cutler……no? We’d like to see Shaun Hill out there for this game, but if not Drew Stanton has experience and will likely have ten points to spare with.

Green bay -9.5- For whatever reason the Cardinals made the 49ers look like the NFL’s best. Reality comes back this week as the Packers will show them what a true contender looks like. Brian Westbrook becomes a feature back for the first time in a year and a half. Troy Smith’s inaccurate throws won’t just hit the ground versus the Packers.

New Orleans -7- It’s a game of turnovers in the NFL. Carson Palmer and the Bengals are good for an average of two to three a game. New Orleans will capitalize off of those and will predict they’re all from Carson Palmer’s arm.

Atlanta -3- They played Tampa Bay just a few weeks ago and won the game handily. They seem to be even better over the last three to four weeks. Pulling off major wins that has them destined for a home field advantage. Tampa is free falling fast. Another loss and their chances at making the playoffs is pretty much done.

San Diego -13- Oakland looked like they had a shot at something special when they ran all over Denver. Then the woes at quarterback began. No matter if it’s Campbell or Gradkowski they can’t find the rhythm that was there early on. This game goes back to a good old fashioned Chargers whooping over the Raiders.

Seattle -6- Seattle needs this to keep pace with the Rams. It’s a perfect matchup for them but they must stop the run. The Panthers have a good duel backfield with Stewart and Goodson. Last week the Seahawks were exposed by Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones.

Dallas +5- Peyton Manning usually responds to criticism better than 90 percent of the NFL. It’s hard to do that when your team is in such poor shape with injuries. Dallas has too much talent to let Manning rip them apart by himself.

St. Louis -3- You’ve got to slate the Rams as the favorites to win the division. Their defense has rose up to the occasion, and Sam Bradford is playing better than any rookie has in a long time. Remember he stepped in and started from week one.

Baltimore -3- You can guarantee this spread will likely be dead on. All fares against the Ravens and Steelers have been close. Coming down to the last minute and decided by a field goal. There is no real advantage from a bettors standpoint. Keep the money in your pocket and try to win a prop bet on the game.

New York Jets +3.5- The Jets aren’t going to let Danny Woodhead beat them. They’ll take the Cleveland Browns philosophy and pound the ball down their throats. Expect heavy dosages from Shonn Greene and LT.