Author: John Paulsen (Page 111 of 937)

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 16: Where we have heroes…and we have goats…yet again

      December 27, 2010 /

      Welcome to the third edition of “Heroes & Goats” where we identify a few borderline players who stepped up big in the fantasy playoff along with a few who were major disappointments. If you’re like me and are sweating out a championship game — I’m up 36 in one league against Drew Brees and Garrett Hartley tomorrow night, which puts me in a precarious position — you’ll no doubt see a few familiar names below. Let’s start with our heroes.

      HEROES

      Danny Woodhead
      Rob Gronkowski
      I started both of these players in the aforementioned title game, and they stepped up big. Woody scored on a 29-yard run early in the game and finished with 125 total yards, while Gronkowski went for 4-54-2 with Aaron Hernandez sidelined. Gronk became a very solid TE1 start once Hernandez was ruled out, but Woody was a fringe guy that fantasy owners were running out there and hoping for the best. He delivered.

      Matt Forte
      Johnny Knox
      It took a certain amount of courage to start Forte this week given his matchup with a good Jets rush defense and his spotty production at times. But he gained 169 total yards and scored on a 22-yard run. I was going against Knox in the aforementioned title game, which is why I’m still sweating that win out. Knox caught two TDs and racked up 92 yards through the air while facing Darrelle Revis and a pretty good Jets’ pass defense.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      Shaky stud RBs, sleepers and duds

      December 24, 2010 /

      The fine folks over at FantasyPros asked me to answer a few pertinent questions heading into Week 16. My answer to the first question is below, and you can see the remaining Q&A by clicking through to the full article.

      1. Give us your quick take on a few running backs that are making their owners nervous:

      a) Adrian Peterson. If he plays this week against Philadelphia, how will he perform assuming Joe Webb gets the start at QB?
      b) Knowshon Moreno. If he recovers and plays this week against Houston, how will he perform assuming Tim Tebow gets the start at QB?
      c) Dallas Running Backs. Now that Marion Barber is possibly back in the mix, do you downgrade Tashard Choice, Felix Jones, both, or neither?

      a) His matchup with the Eagles is decent, so if AP looks good at practice, it would be really tough to bench him. I have him ranked at #14 behind Blount and the Law Firm and ahead of Torain and F. Jackson. I think I’ll leave him there if he’s a go for Sunday but still seems to be favoring the injury. I think 70-90 total yards and a TD is a reasonable expectation given the circumstances, assuming he’s a full-go. There is lots of downside here, however.

      b) Moreno is not a guy who has played well through injuries in the past, so I’m very leery. The matchup might seem great, but the Texans have been decent against opposing RBs this season. He has a chance to find the endzone, but I don’t think it will be a big yardage day, unless Denver really utilizes him in the passing game.

      c) If Barber is a go for Sunday, it s a small downgrade to both Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, but I think Choice has passed Barber on the depth chart. He’s been too productive to turn back to Barber, in my opinion. That said, the Cowboys have really struggled in the redzone, so they may give Barber a chance at the goal line, which would cut into the value of both Choice and Jones since they have been sharing those duties.

      Click here to see the full article at FantasyPros, where I identify a couple of sleepers as well as a dud for Week 16.

      External Sports, Fantasy Football

      If Nostradamus were in your fantasy football league…

      December 23, 2010 /

      It’s Labor Day weekend and you’re at your buddy Phil’s house waiting for the draft to start. Tank, who played a little football in college (and thinks he’s a fantasy genius because of it) is sitting on the couch with his laptop on the coffee table.

      Tank: So who did you get to fill in for Doug?

      You: He’s my long lost uncle. I met him at our family reunion last month.

      Phil: Is he solid?

      You: I guess. He told me to let him know if there were any fantasy leagues with spots open. Sounds like he’s a pretty avid player.

      Tank: I can’t believe Doug’s wife forbade him to play. That’s ridiculous.

      There is a knock on the door. It’s your Uncle Nostradamus.

      N: What up, yo?

      Tank: Nice beard, man. Rocking the ZZ Top look.

      Phil: Thanks for filling in last second.

      N: No worries. Where is everyone?

      Phil: We’ve got them on speakerphone.

      N: Schweet. What’s my pick?

      Tank: Well, Doug, a.k.a. the man with no balls, had the #12 pick, so you’re right after me. Wait, don’t you have a cheat sheet or anything?

      N: (tapping his head with his hands) It’s all up here, my man.

      The draft begins. It gets to Tank’s pick (1.11). He gets excited.

      Tank: I can’t pass up Randy Moss here in a PPR league. The guy is money with Brady and he’s in a contract year.

      Nostradamus chuckles.

      Tank: What?

      N: Nothing. Is it my pick?

      Phil: Yeah.

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Larry Brown out, Paul Silas in

      December 23, 2010 /

      Per ESPN:

      After a miserable start to the season in which he took shots at his players and himself, Larry Brown is out as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats in another messy exit in his well-traveled career.

      The team announced later Wednesday that former Charlotte Hornets coach Paul Silas, who lives in the Charlotte area, will take over on an interim basis.

      Here’s what team owner Michael Jordan had to say about the move:

      “I met with Coach Brown two weeks ago about the team’s performance and what we could do to improve it,” Jordan said. “We met again this morning after practice. The team has clearly not lived up to either of our expectations and we both agreed that a change was necessary.”

      Charlotte is 9-19 on the season and has lost four straight. The Bobcats won 44 games last season, so their start is obviously a big disappointment. Brown has a reputation for being able to turn around a franchise, but he has a tendency to wear out his welcome when things aren’t going well.

      SIlas is a pretty good coach. His teams in Charlotte always played hard, so his presence should (somewhat) revitalize the roster. We’ll see.

      For what it’s worth, Brown’s camp is saying that he fully intends to coach again.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News

      Five Ohio State players suspended

      December 23, 2010 /

      The Buckeyes will be shorthanded to start the 2011 season, as five players (including QB Terrelle Pryor) will miss the first five games of the season for receiving improper benefits. Per ESPN:

      Five players were found to have sold awards, gifts and university apparel, plus receive improper benefits in 2009. In addition to missing five games next season, Pryor, Mike Adams, Daniel Herron, Devier Posey and Solomon Thomas must repay money and benefits ranging in value from $1,000 to $2,500. The repayments must be made to a charity.

      Jordan Whiting must sit out the first game next year and pay $150 to a charity for the value of services that were discounted because of his status as a student-athlete.

      All of the players be eligible for the Jan. 4 Allstate Sugar Bowl, however.

      What did they sell, you ask?

      Pryor must repay $2,500 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring, a 2009 Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award and his 2008 Gold Pants, a gift from the university.

      Herron must repay $1,150 for selling his football jersey, pants and shoes for $1,000 and receiving discounted services worth $150.

      Posey must repay $1,250 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring for $1,200 and receiving discounted services worth $50.

      Adams must repay $1,000 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring.

      Thomas must repay $1,505 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring for $1,000, his 2008 Gold Pants for $350 and receiving discounted services worth $155.

      Good grief. Leave it to the NCAA to come down hard (five games?) on a program for breaking the rules, but still allow the players to still play in the upcoming bowl game. While these players were in the wrong, it’s telling that these unpaid student-athletes, who generate millions in revenue for the NCAA, have to resort to selling their championship rings to put some cash in their pockets.

      Looking ahead to the Buckeyes’ 2011 schedule, they’ll have to face Akron, Toledo, Miami (FL), Colorado and Michigan State without their star QB. Their first game back will be on Oct. 8 at Nebraska.

      What do you think — is what amounts to a half-season suspension fair for what Pryor and the other players did?

      College Football, External Sports, News, Rumors & Gossip

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