Fantasy Team Photo

Should You Draft Closers Or Trade For Saves?

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

One of the hardest positions to draft for on your fantasy baseball team is your closer. While there are some closers out there who get the job done every year, there are just as many closers out there who have one or two great years, only to flame out rather quickly. In addition, since every team out there need’s a closer, you may be able to get just as many saves out of a closer on a bad team as you would from a closer who is on a great team. Just to make things even more stressful, one must remember that since closers typically only pitch one inning per save, you may get a closer that has a lot of saves, yet has a huge ERA that cost’s you point’s in that category.

So do you worry about getting a high quality closer in your draft or do you trade for one later on? While you never want to use one of your first couple of picks on a closer, if you can get a really high quality one with your seventh or eighth pick, go for it. If you can’t, just pick whoever is left with your last pick and spend the next couple of week’s paying attention to who is available. There is typically an undrafted closer that is racking up saves that you can get as a free agent.

The Wide Receiver-Wide Receiver Draft Strategy

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A good wide receiver can really amp up a mediocre fantasy football team. So what are the keys to drafting high fantasy scoring wide receivers?

Of course, as with any player, look at scores from the previous year to get an idea of how a receiver might perform. Better yet, look at the last three years to see if he is a consistent contributor. But if a player has signed with a new team or there have been significant changes to the existing team, there are some other factors to look at.

First, look at the quarterback. Even if you aren’t going to draft the quarterback, receivers from teams with good throwing quarterbacks are generally going to do better than others. If the team tends to have a lot of volitility at the quarterback position or has a rookie quarterback, this is going to spill over onto other team members.

Also evaluate the team’s offensive strategy. If the team has more of a ground and pound mentality, the wide receivers may not have the kind of numbers to make a fantasy owner happy.

If the receiver tends to be injury prone, be prepared to drop him mid-season, no matter how good he is, if he stays true to form.

Should Your First Draft Pick Be A Running Back?

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Fantasy football differs in many areas to the team on the field. Quarterbacks reign on the field, but in fantasy football running backs are key.

Running backs have the most potential for points in conventional scoring leagues. They touch the ball more than any other player (besides the quarterbacks) on the offense. Most leagues will give one point per 10 yards rushing. Most teams’ feature back will rush for between 80 and 100 yards, giving you 8 to 10 points each week. They also get the most chances at the goal line to punch the ball into the endzone.

In PPR leagues, or points per reception, your running back has even more potential for scoring. A back like Matt Forte from Chicago routinely catches five or more passes adding valuable points to your team each week. Running backs in the New Orleans system will also be a major part of the passing game. Each week you could expect several catches for points.

On average the running backs will give your team the most points. There are some outliers at other positions, but most of the time the top scorers will be running backs. Also if you stock up great players at that position you will have more talent to use in trades down the line to address other issues on your team.

Planning the Perfect Fantasy Football Party

admin — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

It’s almost time again to start planning for Fantasy Football season. The draft is done and the rosters are full – who’s on your team? We’ve got the best advice for getting prepared to host the fantasy kickoff party to end all kickoff parties…
Get the right TV: You need a plasma. A big screen, plasma TV and don’t skimp on the HD. While you’re at it, get satellite from a provider like http://www.direct.tv/ so you’ll have access to not only the game but the great extra channels as well.
Start planning a menu: It may sound girly but you should start thinking about what you want to serve now. Foods shaped like footballs are always a big hit as are items on sticks. Seek out microbreweries in your area that have some great beers for the big event also.
Get the supplies: Think about what you’ll need to make the party over the top. You’ll have to have legal pads for everyone to write on but what about a giant trophy for whoever did best in the draft? It’s your call – just do it big and do it right.

Winter Movers and Shakers

www.fantasyteamphoto.com — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The baseball season regular season is an endurance testing 162, the marathon of fantasy sports for mentally strong owners. Then again, even in the out-of-season winter months, between player movement and off-season surgeries, a fantasy baseball player’s calendar is fully booked. In case you’ve fallen behind in your preparation as we amble towards an early spring draft date, here’s a look at some of the higher profile moves of the summer and how they should play out in 2011.Adrian Gonzalez (SD to Boston) Though he’s put up more than capable numbers during his time spent in San Diego, Petco Park is traditionally a graveyard for power hitters. Still, Gonzalez has managed 30 homeruns in each of the past 4 seasons, including a career high 40 long balls in 2009. With the lefty slugger now stroking to the short right porch at Fenway Park, 40 homers stands as closer to a floor projection than his potential ceiling. Throw in a supporting cast of much higher merit and A-Gon is poised for career highs in both HRs and RBI this coming season.Adrian Beltre (Boston to Texas) Beltre has hit over .300 and/or broken the 100 RB plateau in just two seasons, 2004 and 2010, both contract years. Immediately following his last contract, Beltre dropped from a .334 avg, 48 HRs and 121 RBI to a .255 avg, 19 HRs and 87 RBI. The third baseman just signed a 5-year deal check back in 2015 when the then 36-year old Beltre suddenly finds his 3^rd wind. Regardless of who’s batting around him or what kind of launching pad he calls home, don’t expect such impressive numbers without a payday looming.Dan Uggla (Florida to Atlanta) Much has been made of Uggla’s relocation to Atlanta; however, it is hard to imagine the slugging second basemen improving upon his 2010 campaign. Batting well above his .263 career clip at .287 (up from .243 in 2009), the spaces in the Turner Field outfield should help to keep the average steady, but don’t expect a rise in power or RBIs as compared to his Marlin days. Uggla hovers around the 30 HR plateau year in year out, never more than 33 or less than 27, not to mention the Ted is a pitcher’s park. The Braves’ success is also the product of strong pitching, lacking the table setters and speed on the base paths to provide higher than average RBI opportunities. Uggla won’t struggle, but marked improvement is doubtful.Zack Greinke (KC to Milwaukee) For a one year removed Cy Young winner to switch teams, Greinke’s change of address passed with relatively little fanfare. Moving from the AL to the NL manifests itself positively on the stat sheet, boding well for the new Brewer ace. While Miller Park caters more to batters, Greinke has the kind of untouchable stuff that makes such considerations irrelevant when his head is right. On that note, Milwaukee seems like a mundane, pressure-free enough destination for Greinke’s fragile psyche to stay screwed on straight. Expect a return to 2009 form.

Mid Season Duds

www.fantasyteamphoto.com — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 13:30:39 +0000

Brett Favre Forgive us, we know you are certainly tired of hearing the name. But only 1 season after he came to Prince’s favorite franchise and partied like it was 1999, many fantasy owners were expecting the rager to continue on for another season. Blame the Sidney Rice injury, blame sext messaging, blame the battering toll of almost 2 full decades of NFL games, whoever the culprit, somebody definitely laid a deuce in the coat closet. It looked as if there might be signs of life with Randy Moss making his prodigal return, but that short lived experiment couldn’t even make it to Sidney Rice’s return, at which point Moss and Rice split wide with Harvin over the middle could’ve made even Viking ghosts Jeff George and Daunte Culpepper look like 2010 Pro Bowl contenders. Yes, Favre surpassed the 400 yard mark against the Cardinals just a week after Moss’ departure, but do you really want Old Man Bret manning your starting roster spot?Shonn Greene There is simply no reason a 25-year old second round ADP running back should be lose a position to a 31-year old veteran cast-off, even if that cast-off is one of the most prolific RBs in NFL history. LaDainian Tomlinson is outperforming Shonn Greene by nearly every measuring stick thus far. Hopefully Greene owners drafted LT as a handcuff so they at least got 1 valuable commodity out of the Jets backfield. On the bright side, Tomlinson looks to be running out of steam as games progress, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry in weeks 6 and 8, and 3.7 in week 9. Whether this trend continues or results in any less carries remains to be seen.Jerome Harrison A preseason sleeper in some circles after finishing last season strong, Harrison looked to be the front man going into the year with rookie Montario Hardesty lost to a preseason knee injury. How you parlay an inside shot at Cleveland starter into little-used Philadelphia reserve is beyond us, but Harrison has certainly done nothing on the field in 2010 to foreshadow a rise from the ashes. Kudos to current Browns RB Peyton Hillis for taking advantage of the opportunity, a could’ve-been selection for Mid Season Stud.

Mid Season Mixed Bag

www.fantasyteamphoto.com — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:05:47 +0000

Jahvid Best Through 2 Weeks he looked like a runaway Rookie of the Year candidate and a must start running back, immediately nearing the upper echelon. Yet, after those first 5 touchdowns, Best has been unable to find paydirt in his last 5 contests. We aren’t ready to write Best off completely, as he still has some value in his contributions in the passing game and is still getting the Lion’s share of the Lions’ carries, but a little more of that early-season big play capability would be a welcome return.Jamal Charles It appears everyone but the Chiefs know what a talent they have in Charles, yet Kansas City seems reliant on running Thomas Jones first and Charles second. Not a recommendation for a complete abandonment of Jones altogether, as the 2-back system has been proven to work, however, Charles is obviously the better player in this duo, at least at this stage in their respective careers. When he gets enough carries to work with, Charles has done everything in his power to put up valuable fantasy numbers, but whether the split begins to favor the younger back as the season progresses is no guarantee. With only 2 TDs to date, this yardage totals are solid, but the total specs could be better, more of a product of his role in the offense than level or performance.Carson Palmer Arguably the biggest boom-or-bust QB in the league right now. Palmer has benefitted from Terrell Owens’ age-defying stretch of games over the past 5 contests (battling it out with Kyle Orton for surprise-Stud snubs), but still makes far too many mistakes and bad throws to warrant a full endorsement. If the match-up is right he can be a huge hit, but even against weak Ds he’s no sure thing, as evidenced by lackluster performances against Carolina and Tampa. Yet in matchups against Cleveland, Atlanta and New England Palmer looked All-World. Will Owens and Ochocinco run out of gas or will Palmer air it out all season? From week to week your guess is as good as ours.

Mid Season Studs

www.fantasyteamphoto.com — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:27:43 +0000

Darren McFadden A lot of analysts projected the Raiders run game might produce a solid runner this year, albeit most opted for Michael Bush. Those who drafted late in the preseason were likely helped out by Bush’s hand injury, realizing McFadden would get the early crack at the job. Despite missing two weeks due to injury, McFadden has shown no sign of relinquishing his strong hold on the starting RB job, involved heavily in both the run and pass game. It appears as if all the talent in the world is finally panning out with the inept JaMarcus Russell now out of the picture, with Run DMc looking like the can’t-miss prospect everyone was so high on coming out of Arkansas.Calvin Johnson Heading into the Week 7 Bye, Megatron racked up 437 yards and 5 TDs, including 4 in weeks 4 through 6. Not that impressed? Consider he spent 5 and a half of those 6 games catching passes from Shaun Hill, not to mention had a Week 1 TD called back on an openly questionable call. In Stafford’s first week back from injury sense he took the business end of a Julius Peppers belly-flop, Johnson added 101 yards and 3 TDs to his season totals. Impressive thus far, explosive going forward, get on the bandwagon now. One small setback, against Revis and the Jets no less, shouldn’t worry any owners out there.Arian Foster There’s really not much more you can say about Arian Foster. No, he hadn’t replicated his Week 1 231-yard 3 TD explosion onto the scene consistent running numbers, then week 9 happened. A week 5 no-show against the Giants remains the only black mark on his season record so far, already topping 100 yards in 4 of 7 contests, plus solid contribution on the receiving end thus far, an added bonus.