It’s the last Fantasy Football PantsCast of this decade. We give you a lovely playoff edition that involves angry outbursts, philosophical discussions, and a trip to the chiropractor for one of us.
We also have the awards of the week for this, the final PantsCast of 2009.
Make it a New Year’s Resolution to listen; it’s a goal you can actually achieve!
It's fantasy football playoff time and we discuss some of the crazy performances this week that undoubtedly affected your leagues.
We also discuss the issue of pre-game traffic. Why do drivers become such a-holes in game day traffic? Is it something about going to the game, or are there just that many jerk drivers out there?
Plus we have all of the weekly awards for cream of the crop and the cream of the crap.
The PantsCast is up for this week. In this episode Jason Dula and I will discuss:
-What the hell happened to the AFC West fantasy players?
-How fantasy football can ruin your game watching experience
-The rash of running back injuries in Week 10
-You even get to hear my girlfriend's television program mixed with my little puppy's squeaking toys in the background to show that is a completely professional podcast.
-Plus, fantasy grenades, torpedoes, and fires in a hole somewhere....
Wide receivers are a bigger crap shoot more than any other position in fantasy football. There is no bigger group of knuckleheads and inconsistent performers. One week Santana Moss gets you 190 yards and three touchdowns while sitting on your bench. You start him the next week and he gets one catch for five yards leaving you with a rictus of shattered dreams as you chew on your couch pillow. Screw you Santana Moss. Not that I'm bitter...
Fantasy Football is all about luck, luck with weather, luck with injuries, luck with the playoffs. So you might as well have some fun.
The following is a list of a few receivers who might be fun to follow this year no matter where they are ranked on your pre-season fantasy list:
Yes, I admit it. I'm a fantasy football dork. I check out the lists and try to pick the team that will greatest chance of winning me an imaginary trophy.
Then there are others like my girlfriend who's sole goal in a fantasy draft is to get her favorite kicker and to get someone she finds cute/funny/fat. She refuses to draft Baltimore Ravens because they are thugs and she would pass on Randy Moss even if he was guaranteed to get 27 touchdowns next season.
I'm beginning to think she's got the better way because fantasy football is often about luck. Luck with injuries, luck with weather, luck with not losing in the playoffs. So you might as well draft a team you're interested in following throughout the season. After all, what fun is fantasy football if you don't like to watch the players you drafted?
Here's a list of running backs who might be interesting to watch this season:
1. Adrian Peterson- He's the top pick of most drafts, so your chances of getting him are nil, but just check this video out:
That's a freakin marble statue running at you. The mere sight of Peterson makes defensive players truckle and go hide under a bench somewhere. I don't care if it sounds gay, that man is a beast. Too bad he went to Oklahoma in college which requires me to hate him.
Are you a deadly serious fantasy football player who lives and breathes fantasy every second you have a life force? Then this preview isn't for you because I flout you and your obsession with mathematical theories in an attempt figure out which player will score more touchdowns. It's often about luck: luck with injuries, luck with weather, luck with not losing in the playoffs.
So I give you the SportsPants preview: a way to at least draft players in interesting situations that you can enjoy as you follow them this year. These are players who you can watch this season for other reasons than just being good.
Quarterbacks:
1. Drew Brees- He's the top ranked signal caller, but that's not the reason he's on my list. See, Brees just lost his mom recently. Not only that, she was a five alarm crazy mom. No doubt that questions about this relationship will pop up from time to time and if Brees has a bad game, he very well could punch the person asking them. He will also throw for six trillion yards, so he's a good pick.
Conan O'Brien recently shot some Ringling Brothers acrobats out of giant cannons on his talk show. It was sort of fun to watch, but not really because everyone knew what they were doing. I don't know about you, but I watch extreme-type sports for the accidents, not the professionalism.
I believe O'Brien knows this, which is why he decided to take the cannon trick one step further and shot wax Fonzie and wax Tom Cruise out of those same cannons. Aside from the hebetude, the two wax figures are exactly like the real guys; in fact wax Tom Cruise is actually a little more tolerable than his real-life counterpart.
Just watch the episode and tell me this couldn't be a yearly activity for frustrated fantasy football/baseball fans who get let down by the failure of their high round draft pick or the inexplicable career game from an opponent's player during the fantasy playoffs. Take your frustration out on the player's wax counterpart. Next up for me: Joseph Addai.
It's been a while, but I'm back with some fantasy baseball news and notes. Call it a hodgy, podgy edition of The Nerd where I'm just going to give some thoughts. As usual, I encourage any feedback, hate-mail, or positive reinforcement.
***Rick Porcello needs to be owned in more than 35% of leagues. Come on, the kid's been legit for a bit now. He's only gone more than 6 innings twice, which is a slight concern, but he's 5-0 with an ERA of 1.50 in the month of May. Not bad, certainly worth an add for his next turn though it is against Boston. Also in this same category of pitching well recently but nearly on enough rosters is Brian Bannister.
***I don't get save chasing when the guy you're chasing with isn't any good. Maybe it's just my leagues, but a guy like Joel Hanrahan repeatedly is being picked up or dropped because he has the offiical tab of "closer". Nevermind the small factors that he's terrible, pitches for one of the worst teams in the league, and that the Nats have the worst bullpen in the league. Nevermind those things, let's just go and grab a closer. John Grabow? If Matt Capps isn't getting you too many save chances, why even bother with the more worrisome Grabow?
***Not that anyone really needed this advice, but please, I beg of you, stay away from Kenshin Kawakami at all costs. I picked him up for a spot start on Wednesday against the Giants, a putrid offensive club. Regardless of the fact that he was hit hard, he was no where near the strike zone when he wasn't finding Giant bats. One pitch he uncorked nearly went over the screen. Having gotten to actually watch that game, I can definitively say he's not worth an add no matter how good he looks in a previous start. Doesn't throw enough strikes to trust on a consistent basis.
***What's gotten into Nelson Cruz recently? We all knew he could mash, so the homer surge of late isn't much of a surprise. But, the formerly labeled 4A player has 9 steals on the season, 5 of them coming in the last 7 games. Seems like he's getting the green light, and owners could be looking at a David Wright/Matt Holliday type season where he isn't going to light the base paths on fire, but takes advantage of various situations and still racks up good numbers in the theft department.
***Additional Texas Rangers Slugger Update: Chris Davis, despite having 12 bombs this year, some how has not had a game where he has had more than 2 RBIs. Think about it...
***Keep Jeremy Guthrie on your short list of pitchers to add...He's coming off a good start and really has just had a rough start to the year. He's been a good pitcher for two years at the top of that Orioles rotation (not like that's saying much) and has had some struggles with the long ball this year. Got a feeling he's going to rebound, and soon.
This man is only owned in 15% of Yahoo! leagues. How on Earth is that possible?
I don't know how, but it seems like the fantasy world is sleeping on a 42-year old man. A 42-year old knuckleballer, no less. Tim Wakefield may not be your savior, but I'll guarantee you won't lose any gray hairs over owning him.
Guys like Paul Maholm (59%), Wandy Rodriguez (54%), Jair Jurrjens (72%), or Mark Buerhle (62%) are all being shown way more love. Why? Well, I guess it's because there's nothing mysterious about him, no real room for growth. And I can totally see that as an initial reason to avoid him. But, think about it for a moment. How many times do you find yourself rooting for a great start from some guy that pitches for a decent team where it seems like it could go either way? These guys are the sort of unknowns that make fantasy baseball pitching staffs crumble. The Mark Buerhle's of the world make this whole thing much easier.
Now, I wouldn't say to load up on only these guys, because they're not anchors, and they have their flaws. But, what's wrong with consistency from a back-end fantasy starter? Here's a few thing to consider about Wakefield. First, in the last 5 years (including this year) Wakefield's registered decisions in 83% of his starts. Think about that. How many times does a pitcher of yours pitch great but get no support or not go long enough to factor in the decision so you can't get a win? Not really an issue with Wakefield. Second, over the last 6 seasons, his ERAs and WHIPs have stayed remarkably consistent at around 4.30 and 1.30. Finally, he plays for a powerhouse in the Red Sox, and has had at least 10 wins six of the last seven years.
Coming from a Yankee fan, it's hard to recommend picking up a Red Sox starter, but that's exactly what I'm doing. I don't claim this to be some sort of discovery, or brilliant, light-shedding post, but I really feel like a guy like this should be owned. 15% is pathetic. Ben Sheets, who is out for the entire year, is owned in 22% of leagues. Come on already.
Wakefield won't be your ace, and he shouldn't be. But, what's wrong with a little consistency, some K's, and a few wins along the way?
Fantasy Nerd Note: For anyone that reads this, if you have any questions or comments or things you think should be debated fantasy-wise, please either email me or post in the comment section.I would like this to be more interactive, more player and team specific, but I need to hear from you. That said, I don't claim to be any sort of "expert" or "guru", so that's why I'd rather have it be a discussion (where I berate you and tell you how stupid you are because I know more than you) than some sort of Q&A. I have the same access to numbers/stats/video that you do. I just have more time on my hands. Ok, that's my schpiel.
Insert your incredibly struggling, hard-to-drop even harder to keep player. The question of dropping them, in many cases, seems ludicrous, and usually is. But, because you can't drop them (and sometimes, that's literal with the Can't Cut List), these players became a real nuisance. Let's review some of the major pains in the arses...
Chien-Ming Wang - The two-time 19 game winner couldn't have possibly gotten off to a worse start to his 2009 campaign. Unless he was hit by a bus or somehow tore every ligament in his knee and arm throwing a pitch, I don't see how much worse it could be. Wang's allowed a ridiculous 23 ER in 6 innings over three of the worst starts in history, and he's only gotten out of the second inning twice. As is the natural order of things, his next scheduled start is in Boston, and there are rumblings the Yankees might not let him make that one, though he says he wants to. Wang says there's nothing wrong with him, but still, this has become a serious disaster. I'd say, DROP HIM, and if he puts together a few good starts at some point, then consider it.
David Ortiz - The Cookie Monster hasn't really done much of anything this season. Actually, since Manny left town in the end of July last year, Ortiz is hitting .245, with only 9 homers and 47 RBIs in over 230 ABs. Scarier than that? He's got just two extra-base hits this year, and has already struck out 14 times in 12 games. Reasons for the early slump include a wrist injury, possible slow down of his bat speed, and (this one's me) lack of a scary batting mate in the lineup. He'll certainly dig himself out of this, but, to what extent? KEEP HIM, but I wouldn't be expecting anything amazing. More 2007 than 2006 the rest of the way out for Mr. Ortiz.
Jimmy Rollins - The 2007 NL MVP also isn't hitting a lick this year, off to a .152 clip 11 games into the 2009 season. I wouldn't worry too much about Rollins, because nothing appears to be physically wrong with him and April has been his worst month throughout his career. Last night's pinch-hit home run could be the jumpstart he needs to get going. He also hasn't been striking out a ton, and has a batting average on balls in play (BABIP) of just .158, meaning that the pitches he is hitting just aren't falling in, yet. KEEP HIM, he'll be fine.
Carlos Zambrano - Big Z has opened 2009 poorly, but not as poorly as his totals may suggest. With a 5.21 ERA, it doesn't look pretty, and it certainly hasn't been great. Then again though, allowing 7 runs in his last start blew up the early numbers (prior to that start, he'd pitched to a 3.00 ERA in two starts). All this said, I want to get it out there that I think (and, so does Eddie) that Zambrano is highly overrated in this arena. Here's a guy that's had an ERA right near 4 two years in a row, and has seen his strikeout totals go down 3 years in a row. With a WHIP of near 1.30 the last 3 years, he's not much more than a decent SP in fantasy circles, but his name and past won't allow him to be treated as such. KEEP HIM, though consider avoiding him next year.
Josh Hamilton/Chris Davis - In the midst of one of the best offenses in the major leagues sit these two pre-season fantasy studs. Granted, the expectations for each slugger were a bit different. Hamilton, the Natural, was simply expected to continue tearing apart the league as he did last year. Davis, more of the slugger, was expected to build upon his incredibly impressive 80-game tryout last year, which saw him hit 17 bombs. Projections of 35+ dingers weren't out of the ordinary. As it is now, the two are hitting a combined .209 with less combined homers and RBIs than 7 single major leaguers, including the uber-sluggers Mark DeRosa and Aaron Hill. What to do? Well, to be honest, it depends on your team. If you gambled a lot on these guys, that's probably a bad thing. I know, easy to say now, right? But, in fairness, neither of these guys have done it for long enough (or at all) where you should feel confident about future production. I know the easy thing to say is that Hamilton will turn it around at the least, but, I can't say for certain that either of these guys will live up to pre-season promise. Let's term these guys WAIT AND SEE due to the small career sample sizes. Give them a few more weeks, then we'll talk.
Early in the season, I think we all have a tendency to get a little nuts when it comes to some of the statistics of our players. Or, for that matter, of players we don't have, but just have to find room for.
The truth, as usual, finds itself somewhere in the middle. Some guys start off blazing, others not so much, and all we as owners really want to know is, what do I make of these early season numbers? Well, have no fear. I'm going to list a few guys that have had some extreme starts to their 2009 campaigns, and whether or not you should be concerned.
Cliff Lee - The 2008 AL Cy Young winner got absolutely blasted in his first outing, and wasn't much better today against Toronto. All in all, Lee has allowed 22 baserunners and 11 runs in 10 innings. Last year, he didn't give up his 11th run until May 24th. Now, while some may look at this rocky beginning as a bump in the road, I'm from the camp that says, Cliff Lee just ain't that good. Maybe not as bad as he's been, but certainly not as good as he was. Remember, in 2007, he spent part of the season in the minors. BE AWARE
Emilio Bonifacio- Who? He was the guy that got dealt to the Nats in that blockbuster deal last summer, bringing Jon Rauch to Arizona. Ah yes, Emilio. Of course. Now, he's playing 2nd base for the Fish, and he's hit the snot out of the ball thus far, to the tune of a loony .579 BA, with 11 hits in his first 19 ABs. He has nice speed, doesn't try to do too much, and was supposed to be a nice prospect (from what I'd heard) with the D-backs. Obviously, he can't keep up this production, but I would think he could be like this year's Freddy Sanchez, with some more zip on the bases. DON'T WORRY
Miguel Cabrera - 10 RBIs, 3 bombs, and a plus .600 BA through 5 games. Wow. I'll stop (I promise) saying stupid things like, "obviously he can't keep up this level of...", because we all know that. What I will say is, people seem to sleep on Miggy, and the fact that last year he lead the AL in homers overall, and in RBIs in the second half. As I read elsewhere, the guy's been around so long, people seem as if they forget that at 25 going on 26 in 7 days, he's just now entering what should be the prime of his career. Expect an enormous year. DON'T WORRY
Nelson Cruz - Mr. 4A himself has finally started to hit. As of this afternoon, his batting average was over .300, and he was one of only 5 guys in the league with at 3 or more homers. But, I still have my doubts. This is a guy that, even counting last year's incredible finish to the season, still sports a .255 career average. Now, maybe full time PT will help him out (though Andruw Jones isn't helping matters by like baseball again), but I'll need to see it before I believe it for a full season. BE AWARE
Derek Lowe - First game of the year, he was lights out. Second game of the year, while he was out there before the rain delay, he again was quite good. I'm not so sure I buy it. This is a guy that's been a good pitcher for a while, but he's been consistent with his level of production. He's had an ERA near the mid 3's each of the last four years, and has a career era of 3.74. He'll be good, and maybe better than that this year, but Lowe's likely going to revert back to what he's been at this point in his career. Still a great option for teams, but not the Cy Young candidate he's been pitching like. BE AWARE
C.C. Sabathia - Trust me, I watched the whole game, Sabathia was garbage in his first Yankee outing. He couldn't locate his fastball, he wasn't throwing as hard as he normally does, and everything else, as a result, was incredibly hittable. However, over the course of his career, April's been his worst month, in every average category. Not to mention, last year, before he went on his blistering tear from May forward, he gave up 28 runs in 6 starts in March and April. DON'T WORRY
Heath Bell - This one really has nothing to do with Bell, personally. I'm sure he'll be a fine closer this year, and the two early saves are a nice start. But, when your rotation runs out Shawn Hill, Walter Silva (who the hell are you, by the way), and Kevin Correia 3 out of every 5 days, I'm not so sure I like the chances for save opportunities. BE AWARE
es angry outbursts, philosophical discussions, and a trip to the chiropractor for one of us.
Wide receivers are a bigger crap shoot more than any other position in fantasy football. There is no bigger group of knuckleheads and inconsistent performers. One week Santana Moss gets you 190 yards and three touchdowns while sitting on your bench. You start him the next week and he gets one catch for five yards leaving you with a 
Yes, I admit it. I'm a fantasy football dork. I check out the lists and try to pick the team that will greatest chance of winning me an imaginary trophy. 
Are you a deadly serious fantasy football player who lives and breathes fantasy every second you have a life force? Then this preview isn't for you because I 
I have a new fantasy sports tradition for people:
This man is only owned in 15% of Yahoo! leagues. How on Earth is that possible?
