Category: News (Page 143 of 199)

      ‘Good chance’ Brian Westbrook won’t play against Giants

      October 27, 2009 /

      According to Philly.com, the Eagles are unlikely to rush Brian Westbrook back, even for a big game like Sunday’s tilt against the Giants.

      From a fantasy perspective, Westbrook’s owners knew that he was going to miss a few games throughout the season, so they shouldn’t be surprised or angry about this news. LeSean McCoy is a capable backup, but it’s not like next week’s game against the Giants is a tasty matchup for either RB.

      Desperate owners should look to Shonn Greene and/or Beanie Wells, who may be available. Greene is going to get most of Leon Washington’s touches and Wells is getting more and more work in the Arizona backfield. He’s a much better natural runner than Tim Hightower, though Hightower has more experience and better hands.

      If Greene and Wells are gone, Mike Bell is another option. He is getting all of the Saints’ goal line work and has 27 carries in the last two games. He’s not going to post Westbrook-like numbers, but he should help fantasy owners get by. If Bell isn’t available, Justin Fargas ran really hard against the Jets and has a nice matchup against the Chargers in Week 8.

      Fantasy Football, News, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Blake Griffin to miss six weeks with a stress fracture

      October 27, 2009 /

      This is very bad news for the once-likely Rookie of the Year. (LA Times)

      Clippers’ rookie power forward Blake Griffin, the No. 1 overall draft choice in June, has a stress fracture of the left patella, or kneecap, and could miss as much as six weeks of the season.

      Tests revealed the fracture and a second opinion later in the day backed up the results and conclusion of the first doctor.

      A Clippers spokesperson said it is a non-displaced fracture. But the team will take a conservative approach, meaning Griffin could be out of action until December. On top of the fracture, Griffin is also dealing with tendinitis of the left knee and has been said to have been playing with some measure of pain.

      He suffered the stress fracture in the team’s final exhibition game against New Orleans on Friday, wincing after he came down on a dunk late in the third quarter.

      The Clippers (wisely) shipped Zach Randolph to Memphis to clear minutes for Griffin, so they are suddenly a little thin on the front line. Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby will likely see an increase in playing time, and DeAndre Jordan and Craig Smith should see a big jump in minutes as well.

      With Griffin sidelined, the race for Rookie of the Year is pretty wide open, though I have to give Tyreke Evans frontrunner status for the time being. He is going to get a ton of minutes and should be immediately effective at the NBA level. The Bucks’ Brandon Jennings is my darkhorse pick.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News

      John Wall ineligible?

      October 24, 2009 /

      Maybe, according to SEC commissioner Mike Silve. Per ESPN…

      A source also told ESPN.com that Kentucky has been investigating Wall’s eligibility for months because his former AAU coach was a certified agent.

      Brian Clifton, Wall’s AAU coach, was a certified agent with FIBA, basketball’s international governing body, for nearly a year. Under NCAA rule that equates to Wall accepting illegal benefits from an agent. Consequently Wall could have to repay any and all expenses Clifton footed during that period before he can play with Kentucky.

      NCAA rule also stipulates that an athlete can be withheld from at least 10 percent of a team’s games as part of the punishment.

      Wall was one of the top recruits — if not the top recruit — of the ’09 class and if he’s ineligible for any part of the season it’s going to be a blow to the Wildcats. If not for the NBA’s age-limit rule, Wall probably would have headed straight for the pros, so this is another situation that could have been avoided if qualified high schoolers could bypass the collegiate ranks and play in the NBA immediately after graduating.

      College Basketball, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Is LaMarcus Aldridge worth $65 million?

      October 23, 2009 /

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      According to Yahoo! Sports, the total value of the contract is $65 million to $70 million, with some hard-to-reach bonuses.

      This summer, I pegged his value at $13-$14 million per season, and he signed for an average of $13 M plus potential bonuses.

      So is he worth it?

      Bill Simmons has this to say about the deal:

      It continues to floor me that anyone would overpay someone who isn’t a franchise player during these rocky economic times. Like Portland this week — the Trail Blazers inked LaMarcus Aldridge to a five-year, $65 million extension, a deal that might have made sense in the 2006 market, but not right now. I like LaMarcus Aldridge. He’s solid. In this climate, he should not make more than $8 million or $9 million a year. The cap might drop $6 million next season for all we know. Also, inking anyone to an extension that early means you can’t trade him for two solid years. You’re basically marrying the guy. Which means Portland married a power forward who doesn’t play inside and grabs seven to eight rebounds a game. With nobody else bidding for him, no real urgency to do a deal for another year and no idea whether declining revenue will keep wrecking the cap. This makes sense … how? And you thought the NBA was getting smarter.

      Simmons often does this — he second guesses a signing and then lists all the perceived faults of the player. Let’s not forget that Aldridge averages 18.1 points on 48% shooting, which creates lots of driving lanes for Brandon Roy. The Blazers don’t want a power forward that hangs out in the lane. They already have a couple of centers that do this. Portland wants to surround Roy with shooters so that he can get to the rim with ease.

      The Blazers probably overspent a little, but they have the peace of mind that they have their second best player locked up for the next five years. There was no way to convince him that he is only worth “$8 million or $9 million” without letting him hit free agency. (He’s worth more than that, for the record.) By the time he’s convinced, there’s so much ill will between the two sides that a deal never gets done.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Fantasy Quick-Hitters: Boldin, Gonzalez, Morris, Jennings, Cotchery and Roy Williams

      October 23, 2009 /

      Things are looking up for Anquan Boldin. We’ll see if he practices today (Friday), but he went through a tough workout with the trainer and reportedly looked a lot better than he did on Wednesday. If he’s able to go, it’s a hit to Steve Breaston, who would be a nice play if Q sits.

      HC Caldwell: A. Gonzalez “feeling really good.” Finally, there’s some sort of update on his status. The Colts’ coach was still pretty vague, not setting a timeline for Gonzalez’s return. Rotoworld suggests that Gonzalez would start on the outside with Austin Collie in the slot, so Pierre Garcon’s value would take the biggest hit. But Collie and Gonzalez are pretty similar players, so the Colts are more likely to rotate Collie and Garcon depending on the situation. Garcon is a deep threat while Collie is a possession receiver.

      Sammy Morris won’t play in Week 7. He apparently wasn’t on the flight to London. What’s funny is that if this were a home game, the Patriots would be playing coy all the way up until kickoff. As it stands, Laurence Maroney has a very nice matchup against the Bucs. He looks like a solid RB2/flex play this week.

      Greg Jennings practices and is expected to play. The Browns give up a ton of big plays, so Jennings is a nice start this week. In other news, James Jones is the full-time WR3, so if Jennings or Donald Driver were to miss anytime, his stock would likely jump the most. He’s worth rostering in deep leagues.

      Jerricho Cotchery ruled out for Week 7. He wasn’t a particularly good start to begin with. His role opposite Braylon Edwards isn’t defined and the Jets face a tough Oakland pass defense. I’d avoid Edwards as well, though he should see enough targets to make him startable in bigger leagues.

      Roy Williams might sit out Week 7. HC Wade Phillips says that Williams is in pain when he catches the ball, but that it has gotten better through the week. Miles Austin is a nice start even if Williams plays, but if he sits out, Patrick Crayton becomes pretty startable against the Falcons. (Austin usurped Crayton as the starter opposite Williams during the Cowboys’ bye week.)

      Fantasy Football, News, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

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