Fantasy Sports Archive

The most depressing loss ever

By
Zuri
Published: December 21, 2009Tags:
The most depressing loss ever

Drew BreesJust played in my fantasy football championship, riding the tidal wave of the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees and the unscrupulousness of the San Francisco 49ers’ defense.

It was all scripted for another 100-point outing, a score I had put up on opponents for five straight weeks. Brees was averaging 30 points a game, the 49ers defense vaulted me into the championship on a historic 22-point outing (7 takeaways rocked the Arizona Cardinals).

And then, it happened. The Saints, winners of 13 straight and unblemished in the 2009 season, lost their friggin’ minds. It was not Brees’ day. Nor was it mine. But Tony Romo’s. (And unsurprisingly, not Nick Folk’s).

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First Fantasy Football draft out of the way

By
Zuri
Published: September 1, 2009Tags:

Im excited about what Ryan Grant can do.

I'm excited about what Ryan Grant can do.


I like what I’m working with:

QB – Donovan McNabb
RB – Clinton Portis
RB – Ryan Grant
WR – Roy E. Williams
WR – Hines Ward
WR – Antwaan Randle El
TE – Dallas Clark
D/St – San Francisco 49ers
K – Joe Nedney

BN – Willis McGahee, RB
BN – Eli Manning, QB
BN – Roscoe Parrish, WR
BN – Chris Chambers, WR
BN – Cadillac Williams, RB
BN – Todd Heap, TE
BN – Koren Robinson, WR

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Top 20 running backs for the 2009 NFL fantasy season

By
Zuri
Published: August 23, 2009Tags: ,

This is much overdue after I pumped out the other lists. But that’s because this is a make or break position. If you don’t get it right, you’ll be screwed. Guaranteed.

I remember selecting Shaun Alexander fourth overall in 2007. His worst year ever. Add to the fact he was on the “can’t cut list” in Yahoo! and I was stuck with a dud. Don’t let that happen to you. Read this post, and pick one of these backs and you won’t have that worry. (OK, maybe a little.)

Adrian Peterson is my No. 1. I'm pretty sure it's a consensus.

Adrian Peterson is my No. 1. I'm pretty sure it's a consensus.

  1. Adrian Peterson — Out of the gates, I’m going with a guy who could very well be on his down year. That meaning, the year in which he gets injured gruesomely in some freak accident. But I’m at the point where I hate the what-if scenario, and without that to opine on, Peterson is the legitimate No. 1 going in 2009. He’s dethroning LaDainian Tomlinson who has sat on this spot for four years. A very worthy honor. Last season: 10 touchdowns, 1,760 rushing yards, 10 100-yard games.

  2. Michael Turner — At 27, we’re looking for the second most astounding season from a the former San Diego benchwarmer. This guy literally shook off the cob webs and starting sprinting to the end zone. Definitely a surprise on the fantasy landscape last year with the production he put out. And with the development of Matt Ryan, he should continue to get the carries necessary to break the 1,500-yard mark and at least 10 touchdowns. Don’t make the same mistake twice, pick him asap. Last season: 17 touchdowns, 1,699 rushing yards, two 200-yard games, six 100-yard games.

  3. DeAngelo Williams — Expect him to continue to be the boss of the Carolina offense as Jonathan Stewart has been injured twice already this offseason. That’s as simple as it gets. Just look at the numbers. Last season: 20 touchdowns, 1,515 rushing yards, eight 100-yard games.

    4. Read the rest of this entry »

Top 15 Quarterbacks for 2009 NFL Fantasy season

By
Zuri
Published: August 9, 2009Tags: ,

Last year, I implemented a then new strategy (for me at least) where I treated a highly touted quarterback, such as Tom Brady, like he was a running back.

You could tell from the prior year (2007), that it was worth a second or even first-round pick after Brady and the Patriots went 16-0 and he passed for 50 touchdowns. That kind of production, although undervalued in some leagues with 1 to 2 points less per score, still outperforms the majority of NFL running backs. And this year is no different, with the best scoring back topping out at 20 touchdowns combined (DeAngelo Williams).

Here’s my list of top 15 quarterbacks for your fantasy teams:

He outranks Tom Brady because he's absolutely amazing. Oh, and Brady was hurt last season.

He outranks Tom Brady because he's absolutely amazing. Oh, and Brady was hurt last season.

  1. Drew Brees — Last season was an amazing one for Brees, tossing eight 300-yard games, 34 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He’s got the weapons at wideout (Marques Colston) and out of the backfield (Reggie Bush). And he’s the definition of gun slinger in my book, outranking the next guy only because he’s not coming off of an injury. Last season: 34 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 5,069 yards, two 400-yard games and eight 300-yard games.

  2. Tom Brady — He only threw 11 passes last season before a season-ending injury, but I’m assured that he’s bounced back and is in top form (50 touchdowns in 2007) by the looks of his girlish smile. Plus, he has the No. 1 receiver on his team. He’s already doing pretty good.

  3. Peyton Manning — I think his nickname should forever be “The Audibler.” It’s just so fitting to his style. And when he’s in control, and on top of his game, he’s the best in the NFL. Last season wasn’t so good for him because his go-to guy, Marvin Harrison, was injured for the majority of the year. Now with Harrison out of the mix as a free agent, he can spend more time looking at Reggie Wayne streaking and Dallas Clark in the seams. Last season: 28 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 4,002 yards and four 300-yard games.

    4. Read the rest of this entry »

Top 25 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

By
Zuri
Published: August 7, 2009Tags: ,

If you had a horrible receiving game last year like I did, it can affect your whole fantasy strategy from week to week. This year, unlike years past, I’m pulling for a wide receiver by at least the third round, no later than the fifth. To me, that’s saying something.

Here’s my list of receiving threats, from both tight ends and wideouts, that will get you where you want to go.

The only homeless man to make or break a team at the wide receiver position.

The only homeless man to make or break a team at the wide receiver position.

  1. Randy Moss — You must hate this pick already. He’s cocky, disruptive when he’s on a losing team (see Raiders) and absolutely the most gifted athlete on the field at all times. The problem is, the kid needs motivation. Enter newly healed, newly wedded and newly back with a vengeance, Tom “I’m a certified superstar” Brady. The quarterback boost will up his 69 catches and 11 touchdowns to his 2007 level, in which he tore up the league with Brady for 98 catches, 1,458 yards and a record 23 touchdowns. I expect big things. Bonus points for being the only receiver in a multi-millionaires league that looks homeless. Stay classy Randy.

  2. Larry Fitzgerald — What Fitzgerald Jr. did in the post season was absolutely amazing (30 catches, 546 yards, 7 touchdowns). What he did in the season? Well, what we expected him to do (96 catches, 1,431 yards, 12 touchdowns). I’ve been watching this guy since his junior year at Pittsburgh and his development is right on target. He comes up big when the spotlight is on and he thrives under pressure, most notably a Super Bowl performance for the ages (7 catches, 127 yards, 2 touchdowns). Now, if only Kurt Warner knew who the man was….

  3. Andre Johnson — Here’s the 2008 stat line: 115 catches (wowser!), 1,575 (pretty freaking awesome), and 8 touchdowns (WTF!?!?!). There’s no doubt Johnson is going to get the ball, but can and will he get in the end zone? Does it matter. With production at this height, assuming he can maintain it, the scoring options for most fantasy teams will make him a no-brainer. He’s like your second running back. Jump on his back and ride. The only worry is if Matt Schaub goes down, he’s gonna be catching passes from Rex Grossman. Ouch. Somebody, knock on wood.

    4. Read the rest of this entry »

Top 10 defenses for the 2009 NFL fantasy season

By
Zuri
Published: August 5, 2009Tags: ,

Fantasy Football season is kicking into gear and I’m desperate to get back to my winning ways. I literally haven’t had a top three finish since 2005. That’s four years of bottom tier bitterness. I don’t think my liver or wallet can handle it. So this year, I’m prepping by doing research on every aspect of the game, including the creation of top players in every statistical category that matters.

Without further ado, the Top 10 defenses and Top 10 kickers (no comments).

James Harrison, the reigning defensive player of the year, is not the smartest cookie. But he is sure as hell a terrific linebacker.

James Harrison, the reigning defensive player of the year, is not the smartest cookie. But he is sure as hell a terrific linebacker.

  1. Pittsburgh — The Super Bowl champions still have Troy Polamalu and defensive player of the year James Harrison, who has recovered from an offseason dog bite, not including his embarrassing reason for skipping the team meeting with the president this summer. Don’t forget the fact that last year, the Steelers held their opponents to a an NFL low 237.2 yards per game. That’s head over heals better than everyone in the bottom 10 of that statistical category. This is the safest pick of the year, simply because it will hold opponent scoring to a minimum (league best 13.9 points per game).

  2. Tennessee — With the team’s second pick (62nd overall), the Titans selected Sen’Derrick Marks from Auburn at defensive tackle. The big man will help bolster the 4-3 defense, anchored at left defensive end by Jevon Kearse a.k.a. the Freak (sorry Tim Lincecum). They’ve still got Keith Bullock and Kearse to lead the Titans, which is better than most defenses can say. And after a 2008 season in which the Titans held opponents to 14.6 points per game — second best to the Steelers — I have faith that there will be more goal line stands in store.

    3. Read the rest of this entry »

Who I should’ve picked in my fantasy baseball draft

By
Zuri
Published: April 23, 2009Tags: ,

Tim Lincecum / AP photo
Been taking heat from people about my “homer” pick, a pitcher in the first round of our fantasy baseball team.

I’m still laughing at that one.

I posted here my entire fantasy draft. There are 10 people in my league to give you some sort of idea of how long it took people to draft. As noted before, I took Tim Lincecum fourth overall. That’s the same Tim Lincecum that led the majors in strikeouts and took the Cy Young last year.

What I realized, before any criticism could be leveled and my draft had occurred, is that some players are invariably more valuable than any particular formula designed for fantasy sports. Football is a good example.

In fantasy football, generally speaking, users are encouraged to select a running back with their first and possibly second picks. But if you’ve been following the league in the last three years, there really is only five top backs. After that, they are all middle of the road in terms of production (rushing yards, touchdowns, receiving yards). After that top five, if there is a player that equates in terms of production points, it would be wise to take that player. Most recently, quarterback Tom Brady filled that role. Fifty passing touchdowns in one year will do that to a formula. Tony Romo also comes to mind. When Michael Vick returns, he’ll also be a player to look at in that situation.

My point is, Lincecum fills that role. With 265 strikeouts in 227 innings last year, he averaged 1.16 an inning. One in every 3 1/2 batters, he struck out. That’s absolutely amazing. In fact, so amazing, they gave him a nice piece of hardware for it. That’s pretty valuable. More so than some corner infielder that will possibly slump for a month.

Admittedly, after Lincecum’s rough start, I worried that he was making the “homer” remark look very accurate. But he’s bounced back, tallying 13 strikeouts in his last start. (That’s the Timmy I love.)

But I digress. If I didn’t pick Lincecum at the No. 4 spot, I would’ve had some very nice options available to me. In fact, you could say I jumped the gun in that regard. (What can I say, I’m a biased Giants fan). There were easily seven players to choose from who are absolutely dynamic. I was lucky enough to pick up two of them in the next two rounds. But out of my reach and off the table at No. 4 were Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes.

Personally, I don’t think Ramirez was worthy of the hype. And if Pujols was there at No. 4, I would’ve grabbed him. He’s just dope.

While I don’t regret taking Lincecum, I could see with conventional wisdom going after Josh Hamilton (went No. 8) or Dustin Pedroia (No. 11 in 2nd round).

(How sad is this, I can’t even make a decision between those two.)

It’s weird, after I took Lincecum, the guy after me took Johan Santana. CC Sabathia was the next pitcher taken in the second round, 16th overall.

What’s your fantasy baseball draft strategy? Top player on the table? Or your favorite player on the table? By need first, or want first? Answer below.

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Related:

Follow up on my last column, “Betting on disclosure”

By
Zuri
Published: April 13, 2009Tags: ,

I realize that I might have left a little interest as to who I picked up on my fantasy baseball teams. I think I did a pretty good job with my picks, however poorly they’re doing for me through week 1. (I’m told I have to have patience in fantasy baseball.)

Anyways, I selected a big-name crowd for the most part. The crown jewel of which is Tim Lincecum, who has struggled through his first two starts. I’ve got faith in him though that he’ll bounce back. Don’t sit on the kid for long.

Here’s my draftees taken directly from Yahoo! Sports:

Team: addisports
1. (4) Tim Lincecum
2. (17) Evan Longoria
3. (24) Carlos Beltrán
4. (37) Geovany Soto
5. (44) Alexei Ramírez
6. (57) Adam Dunn
7. (64) Dan Haren
8. (77) J.J. Hardy
9. (84) Nate McLouth
10. (97) Joakim Soria
11. (104) Joba Chamberlain
12. (117) Fred Lewis
13. (124) Derrek Lee
14. (137) Ricky Nolasco
15. (144) Brian Fuentes
16. (157) John Danks
17. (164) Lastings Milledge
18. (177) Scott Baker
19. (184) Willy Taveras
20. (197) Plácido Polanco
21. (204) Mike Napoli

Notice the selection of Fred Lewis, who is batting like crazy in left field (9-of-20, .450 average, three doubles and a triple). Only problem is he’s acting like a lemming in left field, throwing a crazy off the mark relay in the opener and misjudging a fly ball in a loss to the San Diego Padres this weekend.

Betting on disclosure

By
Zuri
Published: April 11, 2009Tags: ,

The biggest dilemma any sports writer can go through nowadays — besides facing the chopping block — is figuring out whether or not he or she should draft the local star on their fantasy sports team.

Hell, figuring out if the writer even wants to put some money in a fantasy sports league in the first place is a situation in need of conflict resolution.

I’ve discovered very simply that it’s easy to bypass the ethical boundaries of the job at hand when you’re somewhat distant from the subjects in which you “fantasize.” But the worry that folks like myself, beat writers and others in the industry should have is considering when the fun ends and when the price of playing the games affect the way the sport is covered.

The honorable answer is that journalists, particularly those in sports, should hold themselves to high standards and forego the urges of taking part in the office Super Bowl pool, March Madness brackets and withhold from gambling on the sports books— especially when it comes to teams which the writer may cover.

From my standpoint, not playing is killing the golden goose and that just sounds crazy to me. I’m having way too much fun playing fantasy football, picking the over-under on the Super Bowl and putting my two cents (literally) on who’ll win the NCAA championship. This year, I’ve expanded to fantasy baseball and I’m planning on taking all of my friends money. What other way can a sports writer make extra dough in these tough times?

But my conscience eats at me.

I twittered during my fantasy baseball draft how I drafted Tim Lincecum fourth overall, No. 1 on my team. Lincecum, the defending National League Cy Young winner and the San Francisco Giants opening day starter, is more than deserving of the generous draft position. But he’s also a guy I’m more than likely going to write about 15 to 20 times this year. And if I’m not going to be writing about him specifically, I’m going to be diving into the great and terrible underbelly of the Giants clubhouse. It’ll be magnificent. And it’ll be a quandary.

Herein lies the dilemma: Am I rooting for Cy Young Tim, or am I providing commentary on the Giants? As I noted before, distance is a factor. I’m not writing 162 gamers on the team, therefore I have no issue that a Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle might, but the worry is that it may affect what little I will write about the team and even the pitcher.

After consulting with the Society of Professional Journalists ethics committee, there are lines that need to be drawn in the sand. The first starts with transparency. Readers should know who a writer is betting on, whether it’s on the hometown team or against it. I think you would want to know if I dropped a grand against the Sacramento Kings. Even if it were the smartest bet in the world, I wouldn’t be surprised if it offended our readership. It would be best to not go down that path.

The fuzzy area is how the betting and fandom trickles down to the pools, particularly fantasy sports. As a sports writer, do you root for Manny Ramirez because you have him as your left fielder? When the Dodgers play the Giants, do you secretly wish he homers off of the hapless Barry Zito? Do you feel guilty collecting the money, knowing you didn’t take any Giants or A’s on your team? Do you feel like a cheerleader, knowing you have five Giants or A’s on your squad? (I’ve got three.)

Andy Scholtz of SPJ’s ethics committee told me in short, there needed to be a separation of church and state, although there’s wiggle room depending on position and proximity to the coverage.

“Can you separate your rooting interests from your profession,” Scholtz asked. “A columnist is paid to have opinions. You want to let people know if you have a particular interest.”

My interests are simple: Go Giants; go 49ers; go Warriors. Any questions?

I work in the belief that being a fan makes me a better sports writer and that influence will undoubtedly make me a more interested and gracious person to cover our professional sports teams. It undoubtedly keeps me sane.

Whether I make money off of it in the extracurricular, is just icing on the cake.

This column originally appeared in The Union.

Top 9 players for fantasy baseball and their backups

By
Zuri
Published: April 7, 2009Tags:


The Major League Baseball season started in full swing Monday with 13 games. But if you’re like me, and many of you are, you weren’t really paying attention yet because there happened to be a little thing called the NCAA championship going on. No problem. But if you’ve got any of my last-minute procrastination qualities as well, you’re also late to the fantasy baseball season.

So while you’re preparing to draft, check out my two top players for every position. These are hard hitters that will bring you fortune as the season goes by.

1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals — Voted No. 1 among all Yahoo! fantasy baseball users and the reigning MVP of the National League, Pujols is a dynamic force. He’s averaged 39 home runs in the last three seasons, 118 RBIs and 106 runs. His on-base percentage last year was second only to the Atlanta Braves’ Chipper Jones, while topping the majors with .653 slugging percentage. Having Pujols puts a dent into that weekly head-to-head matchup. Backup: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies — Any coach will tell you don’t hesitate to pick up power in the infield. Your corner infielders need to be Goliaths in the box. Why go against logic on this one? Howard is the next best choice, battling with Pujols as the dominant first baseman of Major League Baseball for the past three years, claiming an MVP in 2006.

2B: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox — As the reigning MVP of the American League, and only arguably so, Pedroia takes No. 1 here not because of the hardware he’s sporting, but because of the invaluable luck he gets from batting in the second spot of the Red Sox lineup. His 17 homers last year were nice, but his high batting average (.326) takes the cake. Backup: Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox — I know what you’re thinking. Why snub Chase Utley? Well, I’m not too hot about anybody returning from hip surgery. That specifically affects the batting motion. I don’t expect him to play anywhere near his level from prior seasons. And I’m really high on Ramirez after a stellar rookie season in which he put up 139 hits, 77 RBIs, 21 home runs and stole nine bases in 136 games played. Plus, you get the added bonus of a kid that can play shortstop. Can you say, upside?

3B: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays — A year ago, it would have been blasphemous to not have Alex Rodriguez in this spot. Now, it just falls in line with common logic that a man recently off hip surgery is not going to perform up to his same standards. (Do you hear that Utley fans?) Longoria impressed with 27 homers, a .531 slugging percentage and 85 RBIs last year. With the Rays in the spotlight, I have a feeling this young star will continue to shine. Backup: David Wright, New York Mets — He may be on one of the most frustrating teams in Major League Baseball, but he’s definitely a diamond in the rough. With no lingering affects from last season, Wright will likely reproduce the 33 long balls and 124 RBIs.

SS: Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies — He’s your favorite, he’s my favorite and he is the best player at his position when healthy. Don’t underestimate his healthy return, pushing past the 137 games he played last year. His 47 stolen bases were an eye-popper. Backup: Jose Reyes, New York Mets — With 56 stolen bases under his belt, 113 runs, a .358 on base percentage and 68 RBIs, he’s a statistical monster. He’s got a leg up on Hanley Ramirez but he’s got to show me something to best Rollins.

C: Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs — Soto had a pretty good rookie year, earning him NL rookie of the year honors. His 141 hits, 35 doubles and 86 RBIs outweigh his 121 strikeouts. He’s another upside guy, standing tall in a room full of nobodies. Backup: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves — Batting .301 last year, adding 23 home runs, 87 RBIs and 153 hits make McCann the safe pick. He’s not very sexy, but he gets the job done.

LF: Matt Holiday, Oakland Athletics — There’s no legitimate reason Holliday shouldn’t be on the top of your list. His numbers last year exemplified the standard: 25 home runs, 88 RBIs, .321 batting average, .409 on-base percentage, and .538 slugging percentage. His 107 runs scored were only bested by Carlos Beltran (116) and Nate McLouth (113) among outfielders. Go with the hometown favorite. It’ll relieve your conscience. Backup: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs — Herein lies proof of my fandom rather than oblivious fact. I prefer Soriano because he is a ball player in every sense of the word. He’s always willing to take the strikeout instead of the walk. Expect him to always be aggressive and fill the stat sheet — even the Ks column.

CF: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers — What’s 130 RBIs between friends? Add in 98 runs, 32 homers and a .530 slugging percentage, Hamilton is the center fielder of choice. His 126 strikeouts are cause for pause, but he is a gamer if I ever saw one. Backup: Grady Sizemore — His 33 homers, 90 RBIs and 101 runs make him a sexy No. 1 or 2. As a leadoff hitter, he’ll get the necessary at bats for another 30-90 season.

RF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners — His numbers don’t do him justice, but his game is untouchable. He’s never been a power hitter, but his 213 hits and .311 batting average make him an icon at the right field or center field position. Backup: Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles — What’s not to like about Markakis, who boasts a .306 batting average, 87 RBIs and 106 runs on the year with 20 homers to boot? He’s got all the intangibles to make your season go smooth.

SP: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants — He is the gem of the Bay. In one and a half seasons, The Freak has stolen my heart as the greatest pitcher to stand on a Giants mound in decades. His 265 strikeouts plowed through the opposition and there’s no hint that he will do otherwise this season. Mark my words: Lincecum will repeat as Cy Young. Backup: Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks — He’s Lincecum’s only real challenge. At 22-7 last season with 183 strikeouts, he’s as much a force to be reckoned with in the NL. Expect him to wreak havoc.