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      Lee dominates again as Phillies advance to NLCS

      October 13, 2009 /

      For the second time this postseason, Cliff Lee was dominant.

      Lee allowed just one earned run over 7 1/3 innings on Monday, as the Phillies knocked off the Rockies in dramatic fashion to advance to the NLCS where they will face the Dodgers.

      After the Rockies had jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the eighth, things looked bleak for Philadelphia heading into the ninth. Huston Street got two quick outs, but then got into trouble after Shane Victorino grounded into a fielder’s choice and then Chase Utley walked. Ryan Howard then doubled to deep right to score both Victorino and Utley, then Jayson Werth singled to center to score Howard.

      In the bottom of the ninth, reliever Scott Eyre got two outs but then allowed two runners to get on base with singles. But Brad Lidge managed to strike out Troy Tulowitzki to end the game.

      The Phillies will now advance to the NLCS to face a rested Dodgers team that made quick work of the Cardinals. It should be an evenly matched NLCS as both teams have pitching and a solid lineup from top to bottom.

      MLB

      Waiver Wire Watch: Week 6

      October 13, 2009 /

      Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

      Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

      Matt Hasselbeck (54.6) is out there in almost 46% of leagues and when he’s on the field, he’s clearly roster-worthy. He has a great upcoming schedule, so grab him before picking anyone else up on this list:

      Jason Campbell (40.1)
      After some early season struggles, Campbell is averaging 218 yards and 1.7 TD over the last three games. A nice matchup with the Chiefs awaits.
      Shaun Hill (13.4)
      Hill is on bye this week and didn’t play particularly well against the Falcons in Week 5. However, he has a tasty matchup with the Texans in Week 7, so if you’re looking for a bye-week fill in, you could do worse.
      Matthew Stafford (6.9)
      If he can play, which is unlikely considering the Lions have a bye in Week 6 and may decide to give him the extra rest, Stafford has a nice matchup with the Packers this week.
      Derek Anderson (3.7)
      Marc Bulger (1.3)
      Jake Delhomme (14.6)
      Chad Henne (1.6)
      Josh Johnson (1.4)
      Johnson posted 240 yards and 2 TD (along with three INT) against the Eagles. Not bad for a rookie.

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Football

      Henne, Wildcat help Dolphins beat Jets in thriller

      October 13, 2009 /

      It’s usually wise to expect the unexpected in the NFL. That’s why I’m not going to act the least bit surprised that Rex Ryan’s defense looked befuddled on Monday night while trying to defend second year quarterback Chad Henne and the Dolphins’ Wildcat formation.

      Thanks to Henne’s surprising accuracy (he completed 20 of his 26 pass attempts for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns) and the combination of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams running the Wildcat, the Dolphins topped the Jets 31-27 in one of the more entertaining games of the year.

      All right I admit – I’m a little surprised that Ryan’s defense was little match for the Wildcat. After all, if there were one defensive mind in the NFL that could shut down that formation, it would be Ryan right? Then why whenever the Dolphins needed a big play in the fourth quarter to keep the chains moving did they successfully use the Wildcat? Why can no defensive guru figure this formation out?

      The short answer is that Miami runs the Wildcat so well that even the stingiest of defensive coordinators can’t slow them down. Brown has been the perfect fit for the formation and even though he’s on the wrong side of 30, Williams still displays good burst when he runs. Simply put, the Dolphins have mastered the formation and will still give teams (any team, including Ryan’s Jets) fits while using it.

      The Wildcat also helped open things up for Henne in the passing game. He wasn’t asked to do too much, but he came up with a couple of huge completions when Miami needed them, specifically on a 53-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr. early in the fourth. It’s still early, but the Dolphins may have found their franchise quarterback.

      On the other side, Mark Sanchez turned in his second poor outing in consecutive weeks. He certainly wasn’t as bad as he was last week in New Orleans, but he was shaky to say the least. He finished with only 172 yards on 12 of 24 passing, although he did throw a touchdown pass to the newly acquired Braylon Edwards, who looked like a player with a new lease on life while hauling in five receptions for 64 yards.

      Sanchez was far from the reason the Jets lost, but it has been clear the past two weeks that defensive coordinators are starting to figure out how to game plan for him. This is when it’s important for a young quarterback to learn from what he’s seeing on the field and not lose confidence in his abilities. He didn’t turn the ball over tonight, which was big considering he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble against New Orleans last week. But Sanchez needs to continue to learn from his mistakes and move forward in his development.

      NFL

      Pick up Sammy Morris!

      October 12, 2009 /

      I did mention this (our Twitter feed — scroll down) last week, but…

      With the news that Fred Taylor is going to undergo surgery, the crowded New England backfield suddenly becomes less crowded. In the first four games, Taylor accounted for 36% of the team’s touches (45 carries/124 total RB touches).

      If there was some question how this work would be divvied up amongst Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney prior to Week 5, there shouldn’t be any further confusion. Against the Broncos, Morris had 19 touches for 107 yards, including two catches for 39 yards. Faulk had seven touches for eight yards, while Maroney had five carries for 21 yards. In the first four games, Faulk averaged 6.8 touches, while Maroney averaged 8.8 touches. (It’s important to note that Maroney had 12 touches in Week 1, a game that Morris missed because of injury. Since then, he has averaged just 7.7 touches per game.)

      For his part, Morris averaged 7.3 touches in Weeks 2-4, working himself back from injury, so in Week 5, he essentially received all of Taylor’s workload. This makes sense, since the two are pretty similar players. Both are hard-nosed runners that thrive between the tackles, though Morris is better at catching the ball out of the backfield. And he has always been a Belichick favorite because he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the Patriots win. For the foreseeable future, that job will entail being the Patriots’ RB1.

      Is there a chance that the Pats go with the hot hand? Sure, but Faulk is nothing more than a fine third-down back, and probably won’t get the chance to get hot on first and second down. As for Maroney, I realize that he’s just 24, but is there anything in his recent past that would indicate that he’s capable of carrying a big workload for any length of time? It might not be a bad idea to handcuff the two (Morris and Maroney), but if Week 5 is any indication, Sammy Morris is the New England RB to own going forward.

      He has a rough schedule, but it’s not often you can pluck a #1 RB off the waiver wire. If he’s available, grab him.

      Fantasy Football

      2009 NBA Preview: Northwest Division

      October 12, 2009 /

      This year, we’re doing a division-by-division preview with quick-hitting analysis for every team in the league. If a franchise is a legitimate championship contender, I’ll focus on what stars have to line up for a title run. If a team is a playoff “also-ran,” I’ll identify the weaknesses that have to be shored up via trade, free agency or draft over the next couple of seasons to make it a contender. If a team is likely to miss the playoffs, I’ll take a look at the salary cap, and provide a blueprint for how the team should proceed in the near future to get back in the postseason. At the end of each divisional preview, I’ll provide some (random) thoughts for the fantasy hoopsters out there.

      For each division, I’ll pick the order of finish. You’ll also see the team’s league-wide preseason rank in parenthesis. Be sure to check back over the course of the next couple of weeks for previews of each division.

      Denver Nuggets (6)
      The Nuggets are coming off a 54-28 record and a Northwest Division title. Of their top rotation players, they return all but Linas Kleiza (Olympiakos) and Dahntay Jones (Indiana). HC George Karl hopes that J.R. Smith can be a consistent starting shooting guard, but he won’t be afraid to use Arron Afflalo if Smith doesn’t play solid defense (or with his head on straight). Much of the credit to Denver’s fine season is given to Chauncey Billups, who provided steady play and leadership at point guard, but the health of Nene and Kenyon Martin should not be overlooked. The Nuggets re-signed Chris “The Birdman” Andersen to provide energy, rebounding and shot blocking off the bench. If the front line can stay healthy, Billups can stay productive at 33, and Smith can fulfill his considerable potential, then the Nuggets have enough talent to reach the Western Conference Finals for a second straight season. Even so, it’s hard to see Denver upending a healthy Lakers or Spurs squad in a seven-game series.

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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