Fantasy Postseason Blog - Articles, Tips, and News for Playoff Fantasy Sports

Perry's Playoff Prognostications

2012-01-06T11:16:00.002-05:00

Like everyone else who puts their ramblings about the future on the ledger, I am usually wrong. Rather than trying to pick who is going to win each game in the Wild Card round of playoff, I decided to give the underdogs an upset percentage. Yes, I am hedging my bets. I am doing this not so much because I hate being wrong, but because I don't see much point in being sure about something that is untenable. Let's go from most likely to upset to least likely:

Denver 35% chance to beat Pittsburgh

The Steelers may be the best of the eight Wild Card teams, but they have been crushed by injuries on offense. Rashard Mendenhall is out, All Pro center Maurkice Pouncey will be sitting with an ankle injury, and Ben Roethlisberger is hobbled by a high ankle sprain. The team has adjusted to injuries along the offensive line well in the past and I think Isaac Redman is a decent enough running back. However, the Bronco defense has enough talent to take advantage of the Steeler problems. I don't see Denver scoring a lot of points on the potent Pittsburgh defense, even without safety Ryan Clark. This will likely be a low scoring affair and if Tim Tebow has any magic left in his much maligned left arm, I think the Broncos could pull off the upset at home.

Cincinnati 30% chance to beat Houston

The Texans eeked out a win over the Bengals in Week 14, which would turn out to be their last win of the regular season. They haven't had much to play for with the division wrapped up, but Houston is not good enough take weeks off. The return of Andre Johnson, even at less than 100%, will help the Texan offense. One interesting note about the Bengals: all seven of their losses were against teams that made the playoffs, while all nine of their wins were against non-playoff competition. They were 5-3 on the road and their earlier loss to Houston was in Cincinnati. This game will feature more running plays than any of the other three Wild Card games. Both teams have strong offensive lines and this will likely be another close game. I will now give you an insight that no one else could have thought of ever before: this game will hinge on turnovers. Andy Dalton had 13 interceptions in 16 games, and T.J. Yates had three in six games.

Atlanta 30% chance to beat the Giants

From Weeks 10 to 15, the Giants lost four of five games. Three of those losses came to eventual NFC playoff teams (San Francisco, New Orleans, and Green Bay), but they also lost to Philadelphia and Washington. The one team that it appears New York could beat every time is Dallas. The Giants were 4-4 at home. Atlanta, meanwhile, won five of their last seven games. All five wins came against non-playoff teams and both losses came to teams that are still playing (Houston and New Orleans). The clear key to the game is Michael Turner. If the Falcon offense can consistently gain yards on the ground, they will be able to use play-action to their benefit. Neither team features a strong defense, so I could see this game being the shootout that everyone expects the next game to be.

Detroit 7% chance to beat New Orleans

I have not forgotten what the Saints did to me last year. I was sure they would win in the Wild Card round over Seattle and drafted New Orleans' players heavily. That did not work out and I have not forgiven them. However, I like the Saints at home and I don't think the Lions are good enough to keep up with them. Detroit kept things respectable in their last visit to the Super Dome (which also hosts the Alabama-LSU championship game on Monday) with a 17-31 loss in which Nbamukong Suh did not play. Down the stretch, the Lions were able to beat up on non-playoff teams that made their offense seem more potent than it really is. They scored 41 points in a losing effort against the Packers' second team defense, which should tell you all you need to know about the Lion defense. The Saints, meanwhile, scored 90 points in their last two homegames and scored 42 points or more four times in their last six games. I think Suh is very good, but he'll be facing a pair of All Pro guards. I just don't see Detroit winning this game.

Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Postseason

2012-01-04T13:49:00.005-05:00

The best way to win your Fantasy Postseason league is to get a quarterback on a team that outperforms its seeding. With the said, let's trot out a ranking of the quarterbacks. I think there are three tiers, so let's divide them this way:

Tier 1: Quarterbacks you want

1. Aaron Rodgers

2. Tom Brady

3. Drew Brees

The difference between these three quarterbacks is not as great as perhaps as it may seem with the Packers running out to a 15-1 record. Rodgers is the most valuable player and had an unbelievable season, but for our purposes Brees and Brady are right there. Brees has the possibility of playing an extra game, but only gets one home game. Rodgers and Brady get two home games (if they win). The Saints were able to win their last three road games against Atlanta, Tennessee and Minnesota (after losing at Tampa and St. Louis). Brees' inside/outside splits are more important than his home/road splits. He played five games outside and had 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He did have three TD's, no interceptions, and 419 yards against the Packers in Week 1, but the game at San Francisco scares me. Because of that, I am putting Brady slightly ahead of Brees. Because of Rodgers and Brees, Brady's excellent season was somewhat overlooked. He had 5235 yards and 39 TD's for the second best season of his career. Because the AFC and NFC East posted just one playoff team, the Patriots only played three playoff teams this season. They lost to the Steelers and Gaints, but beat Denver badly a couple of weeks ago. He actually had more TD's (23) on the road than at home (16). I'd be happy with any of the three quarterbacks and check your league settings because if you can get two of these guys, you should.

Tier 2: Quarterbacks you can live with

4. Ben Roethlisberger

5. Eli Manning

6. Matthew Stafford

7. Matt Ryan

Roethlisberger would be higher if he were healthy and had Rashard Mendenhall behind him. He hasn't thrown a TD pass since Dec. 8 and only had 21 scores this year. On the road, Big Ben only had seven TD's and ten interceptions. Even though the Broncos didn't win in the last two weeks, their defense looked pretty decent against the Chiefs (ok, whose defense didn't look against Kansas City?). Of the four quarterbacks in Tier 2, I think Roethlisberger has the best chance of playing two games. Manning and Stafford have the highest upsides. Manning had a remarkable season. For people with short term memories, the Giants have been playing well (they did lose to the Redskins in Week 15). Somehow, he had 4933 yards with 29 TD's. He had 900 fewer yards last year and two more TD's last year. I think Stafford is going to be overrated. He had a huge game last weekend against the Packers' second string defense. The Green Bay first string defense wasn't all that great. He did have 408 yards against New Orleans in Week 13, but only had one TD. The Saints are pretty good at home and the noise will affect the Lion offensive line. For a dome QB, Ryan had pretty good stats on the road. He had 600 more yards away from home with 12 TD's and seven of his 12 interceptions. In outdoor games, he had nine TD's and three picks. The Giants are favored against Atlanta, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Matty Ice (and more importantly, Michael Turner) get a win in the Meadowlands.

Tier 3: Quarterbacks you aren't going to win with

8. Joe Flacco

9. Alex Smith

10. Andy Dalton

11. Tim Tebow

12. T.J. Yates

In his four years in the league, Flacco has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks. He has through for 3600 yards the last three seasons (2971 in his rookie season) with 20 TD's and 10-12 picks. In six games against teams in the playoffs, he threw eight TD's and two interceptions. He won't wow you like Ray Rice, but Flacco is fairly close to a Tier 2 QB. Last year in the playoffs, Flacco had three TD's and a pick with 390 yards in two games. He has already played in seven playoff games. That is seven more than the other QB's in Tier 3. The Bengals, 49ers, Broncos and Texans are run-first teams. The Final Four QB's will be asked not to lose their games. I have Smith rated atop the four because his team has the best chance of playing in two games. The first pick of the 2005 draft did throw for 3150 yards in his career-best season, but did not top 291 yards in any one game. He threw just five picks. The 49ers will likely play the Saints and Packers - two teams with sub par passing defenses, but Smith doesn't have the ability to take advantage. Dalton had a nice rookie season, but only had two 300-yard games (both against playoff teams - Denver and Baltimore - in losses). He had 189 yards and one TD against the Texans in Week 14. Tebow looked pretty bad against the Bills and Chiefs, but he comes with the ability to get some rushing yards. Yates will have Andre Johnson back for the playoff game, but Johnson may not be 100%. The Texan QB is battling a shoulder problem of his own. I expect Houston to blast away with Arian Foster and Ben Tate behind one of the better offensive lines against the Bengals.

New Feature: Multiple Teams Per Fantasy Owner

2012-01-01T19:29:00.001-05:00

At the request of users, we have added the ability for an owner to have multiple teams in a given fantasy league. This will allow someone to have multiple "entries" in a player pool contest.

This feature is current only for "Pick N' Root" Off-line leagues where no free agency or trades exist.

To enable this feature league commissioners need to set the 'Allow Managers to Own Multiple Teams' setting to 'Yes'. The default value is 'No'.

Users can create multiple teams by simply joining their given league again - or clicking on the 'Click To Create Another Team' button which is available on their league home page if this feature is enabled.

If the NFL Playoffs Started Today (Week 16)

2011-12-27T10:45:00.002-05:00

Most fantasy football leagues are done. Champions have been crowned full-time fantasy players start concentrating on baseball. I actually enjoy Week 17 battles, which are generally ruled by the lesser known players. This year, almost every team has something to play for in Week 17. The exceptions are the Texans, Packers, Lions, and Falcons who have nothing to gain by playing their starters. Something in me thinks that Jim Schwartz will have his starters out there against the second-team Packers anyway. Here is how the standings look after Week 16. I've included every team with a possibility of making the playoffs.

NFC
1. Green Bay 14-1 (DET)
2. San Francisco 12-3 (stl)
3. New Orleans 12-3 (CAR)
4. New York Giants 8-7 (DAL)
5. Detroit 10-5 (gb)
6. Atlanta 9-6 (TB)
-----------------
7. Dallas 8-6 (nyg)

AFC
1. New England 12-3 (BUF)
2. Baltimore 11-4 (cin)
3. Houston 10-5 (TEN)
4. Denver 8-7 (KC)
5. Pittsburgh 11-4 (cle)
6. Cincinnati 9-6 (BAL)
-----------------
7. Oakland 8-7 (SD)
8. Tennessee 8-7 (hou)
9. New York Jets 8-7 (mia)

Yes, there are still four teams vying for the last two spots in the AFC. If Oakland wins and Denver loses, the Raiders win the AFC West. Both teams host AFC West rivals in late games. The Bengals hold the keys to their own destiny for the sixth seed. They will have to go through the Ravens to get it, and Baltimore needs to win to keep their AFC North lead over the Steelers, who head to Cleveland. If Cincinnati should lose, the Titans can make the playoffs by beating the suddenly very beatable Texans. If the Bengals and Titans lose, the Jets can still make the playoffs by beating the Dolphins in Miami. If all three teams lose, the Bengals are in. The Jets and Titans play in the early game, so Cincinnati will know if the game is meaningful by the time they play in the late afternoon.

There is less intrigue in the NFC. The Cowboys and Giants will play in the Meadowlands for the right to represent the NFC East, which I think is the worst division in football this year. The Saints can still get the second seed by beating the Panthers and having the 49ers lose to the Rams, which seems unlikely. The Rams are in the race for the first draft pick, but it would be interesting to see if they wanted Andrew Luck since they already have Sam Bradford. By the way, St. Louis has only scored 26 points over the last four weeks, although Bradford was shut down and played in just one of those games.

The current Wild Card games would feature the Falcons heading to New Orleans (where they got pasted last night) and the Lions going to New York. Drew Brees has nine TD's in his last two games and could be considered for the top pick. The Saints might have a tough time against the 49ers (if they can beat the Falcons again), but the Packer secondary might be ripe for some points in a potential New Orleans-Green Bay NFC Championship. I also like the Lions to put up some nice points against the Giants before heading to a third meeting with Green Bay.

I think Cincinnati would relish another shot at the Texans. The Bengals lost on a last second TD two weeks ago and would just need to convert some of those first half field goals into touchdowns for a fairly convincing win. The bloom may be off the rose for the Broncos who were beaten badly in Buffalo. The Bills had lost seven straight coming into the game and Tim Tebow had his worst game as a pro. While it would not be an easy win for Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger should be rested and ready to go.

Here is your top 20 list for the day:

1. Aaron Rodgers (1)
2. Drew Brees (2)
3. Tom Brady (3)
4. Frank Gore (4)
5. Ray Rice (5)
6. Calvin Johnson (12)
7. Rob Gronkowski (6)
8. Jordy Nelson (10)
9. Arian Foster (7)
10. Rashard Mendenhall (11)
11. Ben Roethlisberger (14)
12. Matthew Stafford (NR)
13. Michael Turner (8)
14. Jimmy Graham (16)
15. Marques Colston (NR)
16. Mike Wallace (NR)
17. Tim Tebow (13)
18. Eli Manning (NR)
19. Cedric Benson (NR)
20. Antonio Brown (20)

Fell out
Tony Romo (9)
Dez Bryant (14)
Roddy White (16)
Willis McGahee (17)
Shonn Greene (18)
Matt Ryan (19)

Also considered
Ahmad Bradshaw
Andre Johnson
Torrey Smith
Wes Welker
Joe Flacco
Santonio Holmes
Plaxico Burress
Julio Jones
Marques Colston
Pierre Thomas
Jake Ballard
Brandon Jacobs
Darren Sproles
Kevin Smith
Julio Jones
A.J. Green

If the NFL Playoffs Started Today (Week 15)

2011-12-20T09:10:00.002-05:00

We've just been to the NFL Playoffs optometrist and the scenario is getting clearer. There were a lot of surprise losers and I've decided to eliminate a number of teams that are still mathematically alive, but have a St. Louis Cardinals-level chance of making the playoffs. If they are still alive after next week, then I'll include them. Here's how things shake out.

NFC
1. Green Bay 13-1 (CHI, DET)
2. San Francisco 11-3 (sea, stl)
3. New Orleans 11-3 (ATL, CAR)
4. Dallas 8-6 (PHI, nyg)
5. Atlanta 9-5 (no, TB)
6. Detroit 9-5 (SD, gb)
-----------------
7. New York Giants 7-7 (nyj, DAL)

AFC
1. New England 11-3 (MIA, BUF)
2. Baltimore 10-4 (CLE, cin)
3. Houston 10-4 (ind, TEN)
4. Denver 8-6 (buf, KC)
5. Pittsburgh 10-4 (STL, cle)
6. New York Jets 8-6 (NYG, mia)
-----------------
7. Cincinnati 8-6 (ARI, BAL)

In the AFC, the Patriots were the only of the top four teams to win and now control their own destiny. With home games against the Dolphins and Bills, who have less wins combined than New England, my guess is that the road to the Super Bowl flows through Foxboro. In the win against the Broncos, the Patriot defense looked susceptible to running attacks. Their offense, however, is in the same league as the Packers and Saints.

The Ravens, Texans, and Steelers all lost on the road. Because the Ravens swept the Steelers and beat the Texans, Baltimore will have to lose again to lose their spot. The Week 17 game against the Bengals will be a big game for both games. The Steelers have the easiest schedule, but will likely remain the five seed. The Texans have the least to play for since they are pretty settled into the three-seed, at least.

There will also be a good fight for the six-seed. The Bengals have to hope that the Ravens have nothing to play for in Week 17, which seems unlikely. If the Jets lost to Philadelphia, they are susceptible to losing to the Giants and the Dolphins who have won five of seven. Either Wild Card winner could go to Houston and win. The Texans are 5-2 on the road and home. The Denver-Pittsburgh game would also be very intriguing.

In the NFC, the Packers proved human. It was odd that the Packers lost and the Colts won in the same week. The Dolphins (and Lions) can pop their champagne. Sadly, Green Bay won't lose next week against Caleb Hanie, Kahlil Bell, and Dane Sanzenbacher, and should get the top seed through the playoffs.

I still think the Saints could move past the 49ers for the second seed. As good as San Francisco was last night, they are not a shoo-in to beat Seattle next week on the road. The Saints passed their road tests in Weeks 14 and 15. They come home for the Falcons and Panthers.

Speaking of Atlanta, the Falcons look like they have settled into the Wild Card slot next to the Lions. The intrigue in the NFC lies in the mediocre East. Dallas hosts Philadelphia before heading to New York for what looks like a playoff game. The Giants and Jets should be a pseudo-playoff game as well. I don't think Detroit matches up well with New Orleans in Round One. I'd give them a better shot in San Francisco to turn out the 49ers' lights. Atlanta and Dallas (or the Giants) would be a good game as well.

Here is the list of this week's top 20:

1. Aaron Rodgers (1)
2. Drew Brees (2)
3. Tom Brady (3)
4. Frank Gore (5)
5. Ray Rice (6)
6. Arian Foster (4)
7. Rob Gronkowski (9)
8. Michael Turner (11)
9. Tony Romo (NR)
10. Jordy Nelson (9)
11. Rashard Mendenhall (8)
11. Calvin Johnson (13)
12. Tim Tebow (17)
13. Ben Roethlisberger (10)
14. Dez Bryant (NR)
15. Jimmy Graham (15)
16. Roddy White (NR)
17. Willis McGahee (20)
18. Shonn Greene (18)
19. Matt Ryan (NR)
20. Antonio Brown (NR)

Fell out
Eli Manning
Ahmad Bradshaw
Andre Johnson
Mike Wallace

Also considered
Torrey Smith
Wes Welker
Joe Flacco
Santonio Holmes
Plaxico Burress
Julio Jones
Marques Colston
Pierre Thomas
Jake Ballard
Miles Austin
Laurent Robinson
Felix Jones

If the NFL Playoffs Started Today (Week 14)

2011-12-13T11:03:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I waited (and maybe waded) through the Monday game. After giving it some more thought, I decided to only include teams that had won more games than they have lost. If the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Chargers continue to charge up the standings, perhaps I'll include them next week. Things are getting very intriguing. Nothing is settled except for the top spot in the NFC, and that has been fairly well settled for the last few weeks.

NFC
1. Green Bay 13-0 (kc, CHI, DET)
2. San Francisco 10-3 (PIT, sea, stl)
3. New Orleans 10-3 (min, ATL, CAR)
4. New York Giants 7-6 (WAS, nyj, DAL)
5. Atlanta 8-5 (JAX, no, TB)
6. Detroit 8-5 (oak, SD, gb)
-----------------
7. Chicago 7-6 (SEA, gb, min)
8. Dallas 7-6 (tb, PHI, nyg)

AFC
1. Houston 10-3 (CAR, ind, TEN)
2. Baltimore 10-3 (sd, CLE, cin)
3. New England 10-3 (den, MIA, BUF)
4. Denver 8-5 (NE, buf, KC)
5. Pittsburgh 10-3 (sf, STL, cle)
6. New York Jets 8-5 (phi, NYG, mia)
-----------------
7. Tennessee 7-6 (ind, JAX, hou)
8. Cincinnati 7-6 (stl, ARI, BAL)
9. Oakland 7-6 (DET, kc, SD)

The only question with Green Bay is whether they will go for the undefeated season. They still need to win this week to ensure their homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, so they should be able to pull off the win in Kansas City. The Packers' second team could probably beat the Bears now. Ho hum.

The top of the AFC holds the most intrigue. There are four teams at 10-3 and it appears that strength of victory will determine the standings if everyone wins out. The Steelers are the only one of the four teams that has three conference losses (two to Baltimore) so they are on the outside looking in with a pretty tough game this weekend at San Francisco. The Texans may be hurt by their weak schedule to conclude the season, although Tennessee could help matters by winning a few games (as they should).

In the NFC, there are three tiers. The Packers are a tier by themselves. The Saints and 49ers are fighting out for the second seed. Either way, the Saints will host one game and should be a good source of points. They would probably not travel as well as the 49ers to Green Bay. The third tier is the rest of the teams fighting for spots four through six. The Giants won an unbelievable game to take the lead in the NFC East. The Falcons and Lions also won their way into the top six, while the Bears and Cowboys fell out. Atlanta should be able to take care of Jacksonville at home this week, but their game at the Superdome in Week 16 should be an interesting one. The Raiders looked horrible this weekend at Green Bay, but Detroit is not a lock to win any game.

The Jets also won their way into the playoffs with a nice win over the Chiefs. They have road games against the Eagles and Dolphins with a semi-road game against the Giants in Week 16. Tennessee and Cincinnati could slide up to the sixth spot if the Jets should lose.

The Wild Card match ups currently have the Lions visiting New Orleans and Falcons head to New York in the NFC. The Saints spanked Detroit 31-17 in Week 13 and that would be a good match up for the home team. The Giants are just 3-3 at home and the Falcons are 4-3 on the road, so Atlanta would have a good shot at pulling the upset in that one (weather permitting).

I don't know if you realize this (I certainly didn't), but the Patriots have not won a playoff game since 2007. Last year, they lost to the Jets in the Divisional round and two years ago they were beaten by Baltimore in the Wild Card game. They are currently slated to face the Jets for the third time this year and second straight year in the playoffs. In the regular season, New England won both match ups handily. The Steelers and Broncos are still set to play. I'll be very interested to see what the Patriots do in Denver this weekend.

Since I forgot to put up a top ten player list last week, I'll go for a top 20 list this week:

This week's top ten players:

1. Aaron Rodgers (1)
2. Drew Brees (2)
3. Tom Brady (3)
4. Arian Foster (5)
5. Ray Rice (4)
6. Frank Gore (7)
7. Rob Gronkowski (9)
8. Rashard Mendenhall (8)
9. Jordy Nelson
10. Ben Roethlisberger (5) - I am not sure he can hold up
11. Michael Turner
12. Eli Manning
13. Calvin Johnson
14. Ahmad Bradshaw
15. Jimmy Graham
16. Andre Johnson - assuming he comes back
17. Tim Tebow
18. Shonn Greene
19. Mike Wallace
20. Willis McGahee

Also considered
Torrey Smith
Wes Welker
T.J. Yates
Joe Flacco
Antonio Brown
Santonio Holmes
Plaxico Burress
Roddy White
Matt Ryan
Julio Jones
Marques Colston
Pierre Thomas
Jake Ballard

2011-2012 College Bowl Fantasy Projections and Rankings

2011-12-11T08:43:00.001-05:00

Following are Fantasy Postseason's top College Bowl Fantasy projections by position:

Quarterbacks

Rank	Name	Position	Team	Prj Score
1	Robert Griffin III	QB	BAY	39.69
2	Case Keenum	QB	HOU	36.27
3	Chandler Harnish	QB	NO-ILL	36.25
4	Collin Klein	QB	KSU	34.60
5	James Franklin	QB	MIZZ	32.18
6	Denard Robinson	QB	MICH	31.93
7	Alex Carder	QB	W-MICH	30.45
8	Ryan Aplin	QB	ARK-ST	29.59
9	Tyler Tettleton	QB	OHIO	29.58
10	Brandon Weeden	QB	OKST	28.57
11	Kellen Moore	QB	BSU	28.57
12	Brett Smith	QB	WYO	28.16
13	Russell Wilson	QB	WISC	27.93
14	Andrew Luck	QB	STAN	27.80
15	Landry Jones	QB	OKLA	27.79
16	Ryan Tannehill	QB	TX-A&M	27.70
17	Cody Fajardo	QB	NEV	27.59
18	Tajh Boyd	QB	CLEM	27.50
19	Austin Davis	QB	SO-MISS	26.23
20	Geno Smith	QB	WVA	25.75

Running Backs

Rank	Name	Position	Team	Prj Score
1	Montee Ball	RB	WISC	34.33
2	Trent Richardson	RB	ALA	28.54
3	LaMichael James	RB	OREG	27.46
4	Bernard Pierce	RB	TEMP	26.80
5	Ronnie Hillman	RB	SD-ST	26.48
6	Joseph Randle	RB	OKST	26.01
7	Robert Turbin	RB	UTAH-ST	25.33
8	Adonis Thomas	RB	TOL	23.98
9	Doug Martin	RB	BSU	22.93
10	Chris Polk	RB	WASH	22.58
11	Giovani Bernard	RB	UNC	21.52
12	Cyrus Gray	RB	TX-A&M	21.26
13	Marcus Coker	RB	IOWA	21.22
14	Rex Burkhead	RB	NEB	20.92
15	John White	RB	UTAH	20.59
16	Terrance Ganaway	RB	BAY	20.41
17	Isaiah Pead	RB	CINC	20.28
18	Cameron Marshall	RB	ASU	20.21
19	Charles Sims	RB	HOU	19.48
20	Michael Hayes	RB	HOU	19.12

Wide Receivers

Rank	Name	Position	Team	Prj Score
1	Jordan White	WR	W-MICH	27.23
2	Kendall Wright	WR	BAY	24.74
3	Justin Blackmon	WR	OKST	23.40
4	Patrick Edwards	WR	HOU	23.12
5	Marvin McNutt	WR	IOWA	20.31
6	Sammy Watkins	WR	CLEM	20.26
7	Eric Page	WR	TOL	19.58
8	B.J. Cunningham	WR	MSU	19.55
9	Rishard Matthews	WR	NEV	19.15
10	Chris Givens	WR	WAKE	18.81
11	Jeremy Ebert	WR	NW	18.78
12	Stedman Bailey	WR	WVA	18.27
13	Tyler Shoemaker	WR	BSU	18.26
14	Jarius Wright	WR	ARK	18.22
15	Dwight Jones	WR	UNC	18.21
16	Ryan Swope	WR	TX-A&M	18.14
17	Quinton Patton	WR	LATECH	17.82
18	Michael Floyd	WR	ND	17.78
19	Keenan Allen	WR	CAL	17.72
20	Mohamed Sanu	WR	RUTG	17.60

Tight Ends

Rank	Name	Position	Team	Prj Score
1	Ladarius Green	TE	LA-LAF	14.39
2	Gavin Escobar	TE	SD-ST	13.65
3	Coby Fleener	TE	STAN	11.73
4	Tyler Eifert	TE	ND	10.82
5	Dwayne Allen	TE	CLEM	9.98
6	Jake Stoneburner	TE	OSU	9.76
7	Colt Lyerla	TE	OREG	9.64
8	Austin Seferian-Jenkin	TE	WASH	9.27
9	Orson Charles	TE	UGA	9.10
10	Drake Dunsmore	TE	NW	9.03
11	Joseph Fauria	TE	UCLA	8.86
12	Clay Sears	TE	TULSA	8.85
13	David Paulson	TE	OREG	8.53
14	Jacob Pedersen	TE	WISC	8.03
15	Philip Lutzenkirchen	TE	AUB	7.78
16	Dallin Rogers	TE	UTAH	7.76
17	Rory Anderson	TE	SCAR	7.64
18	Michael Egnew	TE	MIZZ	7.56
19	Zach Ertz	TE	STAN	7.54
20	Chris Gragg	TE	ARK	7.38

Defenses

Rank	Name	Position	Team	Prj Score
1	Alabama	DEF	ALA	15.08
2	Cincinnati	DEF	CINC	14.67
3	South Carolina	DEF	SCAR	14.33
4	Rutgers	DEF	RUTG	13.92
5	Utah	DEF	UTAH	13.92
6	LSU	DEF	LSU	13.54
7	Arkansas State	DEF	ARK-ST	13.42
8	Georgia	DEF	UGA	13.08
9	Michigan	DEF	MICH	12.83
10	Penn State	DEF	PSU	12.75
11	Michigan State	DEF	MSU	12.54
12	Florida State	DEF	FSU	12.42
13	Virginia Tech	DEF	VT	12.31
14	Louisville	DEF	LOU	11.67
15	Boise State	DEF	BSU	11.67
16	Wisconsin	DEF	WISC	11.54
17	Oklahoma State	DEF	OKST	11.50
18	Florida International	DEF	FLA-INTL	11.17
19	Mississippi State	DEF	MISS-ST	11.08
20	North Carolina State	DEF	NCST	10.92

Kickers

Rank	Name	Position	Team	Prj Score
1	Quinn Sharp	K	OKST	11.36
2	Randy Bullock	K	TX-A&M	10.58
3	Mike Hunnicutt	K	OKLA	10.09
4	Danny Hrapmann	K	SO-MISS	9.78
5	Jordan Williamson	K	STAN	9.44
6	Matt Hogan	K	HOU	9.08
7	Matt Weller	K	OHIO	9.00
8	Mathew Sims	K	NO-ILL	8.92
9	Zach Hocker	K	ARK	8.92
10	Dustin Hopkins	K	FSU	8.67
11	Drew Alleman	K	LSU	8.46
12	Chandler Catanzaro	K	CLEM	8.38
13	Jeremy Shelley	K	ALA	8.33
14	Caleb Sturgis	K	FLA	8.27
15	John Potter	K	W-MICH	8.25
16	Tyler Bitancurt	K	WVA	8.25
17	Jack Griffin	K	FLA-INTL	8.17
18	Grant Ressel	K	MIZZ	8.14
19	Anthony Cantele	K	KSU	8.08
20	Allen Hardison	K	NEV	8.00

2011-2012 Bowl Game Matchups

2011-12-07T18:38:00.001-05:00

Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Temple vs. Wyoming
Dec. 17 2 p.m. ESPN

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Ohio vs. Utah State
Dec. 17 5:30 p.m. ESPN

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Dec. 17 9 p.m. ESPN

Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl
Florida International vs. Marshall
Dec. 20 8 p.m. ESPN

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
TCU vs. Louisiana Tech
Dec. 21 8 p.m. ESPN

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Arizona State vs. Boise State
Dec. 22 8 p.m. ESPN

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Nevada vs. Southern Miss
Dec. 24 8 p.m. ESPN

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl
Missouri vs. North Carolina
Dec. 26 5 p.m. ESPN2

Little Caesars Bowl
Western Michigan vs. Purdue
Dec. 27 4:30 p.m. ESPN

Belk Bowl
Louisville vs. NC State
Dec. 27 8 p.m. ESPN

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
Toledo vs. Air Force
Dec. 28 4:30 p.m. ESPN

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl
California vs. Texas
Dec. 28 8 p.m. ESPN

Champs Sports Bowl
Florida State vs. Notre Dame
Dec. 29 5:30 p.m. ESPN

Valero Alamo Bowl
Washington vs. Baylor
Dec. 29 9 p.m. ESPN

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
BYU vs. Tulsa
Dec. 30 Noon ESPN

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Rutgers vs. Iowa State
Dec. 30 3:20 p.m. ESPN

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest
Dec. 30 6:40 p.m. ESPN

Insight Bowl
Iowa vs. Oklahoma
Dec. 30 10 p.m. ESPN

Meineke Care Bowl
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern
Dec. 31 Noon ESPN

Hyundai Sun Bowl
Georgia Tech vs. Utah
Dec. 31 2 p.m. CBS

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt
Dec. 31 3:30 p.m. ABC

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Illinois vs. UCLA
Dec. 31 3:30 p.m. ESPN

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Virginia vs. Auburn
Dec. 31 7:30 p.m. ESPN

TicketCity Bowl
Houston vs. Penn State
Jan. 2 Noon ESPNU

Outback Bowl
Michigan State vs. Georgia
Jan. 2 1 p.m. ABC

Capital One Bowl
Nebraska vs. South Carolina
Jan. 2 1 p.m. ESPN

Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl
Ohio State vs. Florida
Jan. 2 1 p.m. ESPN2

Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio
Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Jan. 2 5 p.m. ESPN

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Stanford vs. Oklahoma State
Jan. 2 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Michigan vs. Virginia Tech
Jan. 3 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Discover Orange Bowl
West Virginia vs. Clemson
Jan. 4 8:30 p.m. ESPN

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Kansas State vs. Arkansas
Jan. 6 8 p.m. FOX

BBVA Compass Bowl
SMU vs. Pittsburgh
Jan. 7 1 p.m. ESPN

GoDaddy.com Bowl
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
Jan. 8 9 p.m. ESPN

Allstate BCS National Championship Game
No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama
Jan. 9 8:30 p.m. ESPN

If the NFL Playoffs Started Today (Week 13)

2011-12-05T11:15:00.004-05:00

With tonight's battle between the Chargers and Jaguars unlikely to have any playoff relevance, I can get a jump start on the week by posting this after Sunday's action. Here are the current playoff standings. The rest of the team's schedule is in parens with home game in caps. The Packers and 49ers have clinched their divisions.

NFC
1. Green Bay 12-0 (OAK, kc, CHI, DET)
2. San Francisco 10-2 (ari, PIT, sea, stl)
3. New Orleans 9-3 (ten, min, ATL, CAR)
4. Dallas 7-5 (NYG, tb, PHI, nyg)
5. Chicago 7-5 (den, SEA, gb, min)
6. Atlanta 7-5 (car, JAX, no, TB)
-----------------
7. Detroit 7-5 (MIN, oak, SD, gb)
8. New York Giants 6-6 (dal, WAS, nyj, DAL)

AFC
1. New England 9-3 (was, den, MIA, BUF)
2. Baltimore 9-3 (IND, sd, CLE, cin)
3. Houston 9-3 (cin, CAR, ind, TEN)
4. Denver 7-5 (CHI, NE, buf, KC)
5. Pittsburgh 9-3 (CLE, sf, STL, cle)
6. Cincinnati 7-5 (HOU, stl, ARI, BAL)
-----------------
7. Tennessee 7-5 (NO, ind, JAX, hou)
8. Oakland 7-5 (gb, DET, kc, SD)
9. New York Jets 7-5 (KC, phi, NYG, mia)

It looks like someone is going to back into the NFC playoffs. The top three seeds won and the next five teams all lost. I think the 49ers are safe in their number two seed. Although they do play three road games, they are against their terrible division opponents. Seattle and Arizona have won five games each and three each at home, but it was hard not to like the way San Francisco took care of business against the Rams this week. I could see the Saints losing this week at Tennessee and even at Minnesota (they did lose at St. Louis earlier this season).

The Wild Card match ups in the NFC did not change, but the Bears lost another key offensive piece. I had the misfortune of hearing Mike and Mike on ESPN complaining that the Bears screwed Matt Forte by not paying him before he got hurt. I would never watch Mike and Mike willingly, but they were on in the gym. Football players get hurt and Forte already has a contract. In any case, his injury is a very bad one for Chicago and I think they will fall out of the playoff race. They could be replaced by the Lions, who are no great shakes either. With two games left against the Cowboys, the Giants still have a shot at the playoffs. That's remarkable when one considers how many injuries that have befallen their defense. I don't think both NFC East teams will make the playoffs, so Detroit will sneak in by the two sweetest words in the English language: de and fault.

In the AFC, the top five teams all won and the Ravens slipped by the Texans for the second seed. Based on their remaining schedules, I think Baltimore will hold onto the division crown over Pittsburgh, so the Steelers will punch a ticket to face the AFC West champion. The Ravens beat the Texans, so they have the tie-breaker. New England holds an edge over the Ravens and Texans based on strength of victory and conference win percentage, respectively. In other words, every seed is in play.

Cincinnati has proved not as good as their division betters. They could really help their playoff spot by beating Houston this weekend. That should be a good game. The teams are currently slated to meet in the first round of the playoffs, so it could also be a great playoff preview. The Houston running game is impressive, but the loss of Andre Johnson to a hamstring pull is a bad injury for the team. The Texan offensive line will be put to the test.

Lastly, let me spend a few words on the Broncos. Tim Tebow seems to be the most compelling figure in the league. He is certainly charismatic, but I am not really interested in what he does off the field. I feel the same about all players, be they sinners or saints. I will note that during the Broncos five-game winning streak, they have not beaten a team that is currently in the playoff field. I imagine they will pull off another win against the offensive-less Bears, but their Week 15 game against New England will be the key. The Lions had a couple of comeback wins in the beginning of the season, but they have since fallen back to earth. I have a feeling that the same thing will happen to Denver against quality competition.

Tips on winning your 2011 NFL Playoff Fantasy League

2011-12-03T10:09:00.008-05:00

The time is nearly upon us once again. The NFL playoffs will be here in about a month's time and you need to decide upon your fantasy playoff drafting strategy. Do you select that stud QB that plays on a team that will be knocked out in one round, or do you lean upon an approach where you pick players (even mediocre ones) on teams that are certain to advance?

I'm going to help you answer this question through an analysis of last year's results based on Fantasy Postseason's standard NFL Playoff fantasy scoring values.

Following are the top 20 scorers from last year in order:

Rank	Player	Pos	Team	Fan Pts	Games	PPG
1	A. Rodgers	QB	GB	115.60	4	28.90
2	Packers DEF	DEF	GB	74.50	4	18.63
3	J. Nelson	WR	GB	63.35	4	15.84
4	G. Jennings	WR	GB	61.00	4	15.25
5	B. Roethlisberger	QB	PIT	59.52	3	19.84
6	R. Mendenhall	RB	PIT	55.95	3	18.65
7	M. Hasselbeck	QB	SEA	52.40	2	26.20
8	M. Sanchez	QB	NYJ	47.90	3	15.97
9	J. Starks	RB	GB	43.10	4	10.78
10	J. Cutler	QB	CHI	41.00	2	20.50
11	H. Ward	WR	PIT	38.35	3	10.12
12	L. Tomlinson	RB	NYJ	37.00	3	12.33
13	Ravens DEF	DEF	BAL	37.00	3	12.33
14	J. Jones	WR	GB	35.65	4	8.91
15	M. Forte	RB	CHI	33.90	2	16.95
16	B. Stokley	WR	SEA	33.80	2	16.90
17	M. Wallace	WR	PIT	33.50	2	16.75
18	R. Rice	RB	BAL	32.30	2	16.15
19	M. Williams	WR	SEA	30.80	2	15.40
20	Steelers DEF	DEF	PIT	30.50	3	10.17

What can we learn by looking at the top scorers from last year's playoffs?

1. The QB Rule: Draft quarterbacks regardless of how far you think their teams will go. There are 5 QBs in the Top 20 scorers, and 7 in the Top 25 (D. Brees and J. Flacco rank #22 and #24).

2. Longer not Stronger: Maintain a disposition towards drafting players on teams that are going to advance provided that they are reasonably productive. There are 6 players in the Top 20 that averaged less than 15 points per game. That number goes up to 10 players in the Top 20 if you consider players that scored an average of less than 16 points per game.

3. Hot Wildcards: If you can catch lightning in a bottle and draft players on the wild card that goes to the Superbowl you're golden. There are 6 players from the Green Bay Packers that made the Top 20 -- mostly because they played 4 games (Rodgers notwithstanding -- he's simply off the charts with a per game average of 28.90). Note that since the Wild Card was introduced in 1970 only 10 wildcards have made it to the Superbowl -- although it has happened 3 times within the last six (Packers - 2010, New York Giants - 2007, and the Steelers 2005).

4. What's a Kicker?: No kickers were able to crack the Top 20. Even Mason Crosby of the Green Bay Packers which played 4 games only ranked #23. Kickers are unpredictable -- never use early draft picks on them.

NFL Postseason Matchups (Thru Week 12)

2011-11-29T15:43:00.000-05:00

If season ended today:
NFC:
#1 Green Bay (Bye)
#2 San Francisco (Bye)
#3 New Orleans vs. #6 Atlanta
#4 Dallas vs. #5 Chicago

AFC:
#1 Houston (Bye)
#2 New England (Bye)
#3 Baltimore vs. #6 Cincinnati
#4 Oakland vs. #5 Pittsburgh

If the NFL Playoffs Started Today (Week 12)

2011-11-29T12:05:00.002-05:00

One of the many interesting things about projecting the playoffs is that the teams and match ups change each week. There aren't seismic changes at this point of the season, but the landscape changes just a bit. Another interesting factor will be whether teams that clinch (i.e. the Packers very soon) will rest their players. The Packers won't clinch homefield advantage for a few weeks because the 49ers are just two games behind, but an Aaron Rodgers injury would destroy Green Bay's season.

Speaking of clinching, the 49ers have now clinched at least a share of the NFC West and will have to lose to division opponents to fall below 13-3. This is a gigantic achievement for Jim Harbaugh. I don't know how well the 49ers match up against the Packers. If everything went well, San Francisco would control the ball and keep the score low. A few Packer turnovers would help the 49er cause, but there are a lot of ifs and buts that would need to add up to a 49er win. San Francisco would need to beat either Dallas or Chicago in the divisional round.

The big news in the NFC is that the Falcons have moved past the Lions for the sixth seed. I watched Atlanta's victory over the Vikings and was not very impressed. Minnesota is not a good team and was playing without its best player (Adrian Peterson), but the Falcons hit a terrible second half lull. It looked like a pretty even game. Atlanta has the more favorable schedule, but if they happen to lose I think either Detroit or the Giants will slip past them. In the projected first round, Atlanta would head to New Orleans for the second time in three weeks. The Saints beat the Falcons in the Georgia Dome in overtime three weeks ago, when coach Mike Smith made the controversial call to go for it on fourth-and-one from his own 29-yard-line. I agreed with the call, even if it does cost the team a home playoff game. In the other Wild Card game, the Bears would travel to Dallas. Chicago won in Arlington last year, but will need to solidify the quarterback slot. Caleb Hanie was inconsistent in his first game, but he has a month to learn on the job. Jay Cutler could also be back, but he will have been on the shelf for six weeks. Dallas has won four straight against non-playoff teams and has needed last second field goals to beat Washington and Miami in the last two weeks.

In the AFC, the top two seeds are in flux. As it currently stands, the quarterback-less Texans are the top seed. Like San Francisco, they are the beneficiary of a weak division and have won five straight. Their game against Atlanta this weekend is intriguing. How quickly can T.J. Yates, a 24-year-old graduate from UNC, get up to speed. The Patriots appear to be the AFC's best team and own the second seed over the Ravens based on a better win percentage in conference games.

The AFC Wild Card games would be the Bengals and Ravens meeting for the third time as well as an old school Raider-Steeler battle. The Ravens beat Cincinnati in Week 11 in a fairly competitive game. The teams also meet again on New Years Day in Week 17. That game may be meaningful, even though the next four weeks for Baltimore include this run: Browns-Colts-Chargers-Browns again. The Ravens should be 12-3 at that point and may be able to rest their starters. The Bengals take on the Steelers next week followed by an important trip to Houston. They then have a two-week NFC West reprieve against the Rams and Cardinals in Weeks 15 and 16.

The Steelers did not look great on Sunday night against the Chiefs. Granted, Arrowhead Stadium is a difficult place to play and Pittsburgh did come through with a hard fought win. In addition to their game against Cincinnati this week, they head to San Francisco in week 15. They also face the Browns twice and the Rams in Week 16 on Christmas Eve. Oakland is going to have to hold off the Tim Tebows in the AFC West. Denver heads to Minnesota this week followed by home games against the Bears and Patriots. Meanwhile, the Raiders travel to Miami and Green Bay in the next two weeks. It is going to be a great race in the AFC West.

This week's top ten players:

1. Aaron Rodgers (1)
2. Drew Brees (2)
3. Tom Brady (3)
4. Ray Rice (4)
5. Arian Foster (6)
6. Frank Gore (7)
7. Ben Roethlisberger (5) - I'm worried about the Steeler offense after what I saw on Sunday.
8. Tony Romo (9)
9. Rob Gronkowski (9)
10. DeMarco Murray (unranked)

Fell out
Rashard Mendenhall (8)

Also considered
Michael Turner
Jimmy Graham
Marques Colston
Michael Bush
Jordy Nelson
Greg Jennings
Darren McFadden
Carson Palmer

If the NFL Playoffs Started Today (Week 11)

2011-11-22T11:53:00.003-05:00

Let me be the first to welcome the Dallas Cowboys to the playoff field. By virtue of their win over the Redskins, and the Giant loss to the Eagles, Dallas has taken over first place in the surprising mediocre NFC East. I thought the Cowboys were the best team in the division last week, so it makes sense to me that they are now on top. They had to eek out their win over Washington, so I am not terribly confident about they chances. One could double that lack of confidence based on their recent playoff history. We welcome them nevertheless.

As the NFC East champion, the Cowboys would face the slowly sinking Lions in the first round of the NFC playoffs. Detroit reverted to their early season ways in falling behind Carolina before making a furious comeback on Sunday. This is not the pattern that can be repeated for playoff success, although the Lions did use it successfully in Week 4 against Dallas. Jahvid Best needs to return to add some balance to the Detroit offense. As you probably know, the Lions host the Packers on Thanksgiving, which should offer an interesting preview of what Detroit can do against a playoff team. They have been beaten by the last three teams that they faced that were in the playoff race (49ers, Falcons, and Bears). Dallas’ recent run of success has been helped by a healthy Tony Romo and an even healthier running game. DeMarco Murray was averaging more than six yards per carry before the Redskins stacked the line against him. The Cowboy offensive line has gelled nicely. Murray and Romo could be decent Fantasy Postseason picks.

While the other Round 1 match up in the NFC - the Saints hosting the Bears - hasn’t changed, the complexion of the game is completely new. As a Bear fan, I am saddened by the loss of Jay Cutler for the regular season. However, I actually think the Bears will be ok without him. He has proven himself to be a gutty quarterback, but his best asset – his rocket arm – is not used often in the Bear offense because the line is so shaky. After an adjustment period, my guess is that Caleb Hanie will be ok and the Bears still make the playoffs. I still don’t like their match up against the Saints because I think the weaknesses in the line – be they in front of Cutler or Haney – would be magnified again in the Superdome. The Bears would have a better chance against the Falcons, if Atlanta can pass New Orleans. That Week 16 game in New Orleans between the Falcons and Saints could be a key. The Saints still have four home games, including the next two weeks against the Giants and Lions. The Packers and 49ers continue to control the bye seeds in the NFC.

The top two seeds in the AFC fell out of their perches, despite neither one losing this week. The Steelers and Texans were on the late bye, while the Patriots and Ravens moved up via wins over Kansas City and Cincinnati, respectively. The Patriots now control their AFC fate and do not play another team that is currently in the playoffs. Baltimore faces San Francisco on Thanksgiving evening in their last true test prior to the postseason. I wish I received NFL Network just for that game.

Both first round games in the AFC are intriguing based on current standings. The Texans would host the Bengals and the Raiders would host the Steelers. One of my first NFL memories is the Raiders and Steelers facing off in the mid-1970’s. Oakland’s hold on the top spot in the AFC is tenuous as the Tebow-led Broncos have won three in a row, including a game at the Black Hole. The Raiders may be the beneficiary of Caleb Hanie as they get the first crack at the Cutler-less Bears on Sunday. They hit the road for a suddenly difficult game in Miami and then to Green Bay. Now that Pittsburgh has been swept by Baltimore, they are somewhat unlikely to win the AFC North (and how about all four wild card teams coming from northern divisions). They would still be heavily favored in a game against Oakland and have won five of their last six.

Houston is in a similar situation as the Bears. They have a much better running game than Chicago, but their defense is not as stout. They do not have to worry too much about their playoff lives because they hold a two-game and a head-to-head advantage over the Titans. The Texans would face their potential playoff match in Week 14 at Paul Brown Stadium. An Andy Dalton-Matt Leinart playoff pairing would be something to see. As proven in the last two weeks, the Bengals are not as good as the Steelers or Ravens, but they are likely better than the wild card teams that they hold a one-game edge on (Broncos, Titans, Jets, and Bills). The Bengals will have to take care of business against the Browns, and later the Rams and Cardinals because they face the Steelers and Ravens again and will be hard pressed to get to ten wins. My guess is the Jets pose the biggest threat to the sixth seed in the East. They face six non-playoff teams down the stretch.

Here are my top ten players for the playoffs. Last week’s ranking in parentheses:
1. Aaron Rodgers (1)
2. Drew Brees (3) – I like the Saints to beat the Bears more now.
3. Tom Brady (2)
4. Ray Rice (6) – he is the Raven offense
5. Ben Roethlisberger (5)
6. Arian Foster (4) – a game against the Bengals front seven worries me
7. Frank Gore (7)
8. Rashard Mendenhall (8)
9. Tony Romo (unranked)
10. Rob Gronkowski (unranked)

Fell out
Matt Forte (9)
Calvin Johnson (10)

Also considered
DeMarco Murray
Jordy Nelson
Jimmy Graham
Darren McFadden

If the NFL Playoffs Started Today (Week 10)

2011-11-15T14:40:00.004-05:00

Let me know if this sounds familiar: you are grinding out another fantasy football season. Your team is in the middle of the pack and you are going to need a miracle (such as Matt Leinart playing like he was back at USC) to win your league. You can start looking forward to next season, you can concentrate on your fantasy basketball team (or maybe not), or you can do what I am doing: looking forward to the playoffs. It helps if your team of choice is in the battle for the playoffs. If you are a Dolphin or Colt fan (sorry Miami and Indianapolis), your season will end in seven weeks. It’s time to look at the fantasy postseason playoffs. It’s never too early to start. As such, each Tuesday I’ll check in with the current playoff standings, the potential match ups, and a quick list of top players for your draft.

As things stand after ten weeks (and most teams playing nine games), we have Green Bay and San Francisco looking at byes in the NFC, and Houston and Pittsburgh with the best records in the AFC. Unless the aforementioned Leinart is better than his first six years in the NFL, the Texans seem likely to fall without Matt Schaub. Houston has a bye next week, but only one other team on the schedule (Cincinnati) that is currently in the playoffs. The Falcons and Titans may also give Houston some competition, but Jacksonville, Carolina, and Indianapolis are also on the slate. Maybe they can hold up. I watched the 49ers over the weekend against the Giants and don’t really think they’ll do much damage in the playoffs. San Francisco should still get a bye because of their horrible division rivals, but they are working with a below average quarterback. They will be tested by Baltimore on Thanksgiving and the Steelers in Week 15. Can the Packers go undefeated? They have road games against the Lions and Giants, but both of those teams are deeply flawed and probably can’t take advantage of the Green Bay defense. A Christmas date with the Bears could be a problem. I’d love it if my team were to play the Grinch.

The current wildcard match ups in AFC are the Patriots as the AFC East champion against the Bengals and the Raiders and Ravens. If Chad Ochocinco was still in the NFL, he’d be the focus of the first game. What? He still is playing? With only 11 receptions in nine games, you’ll forgive me for thinking Ochocinco was simply a reality TV person. It would be an interesting game. The Bengals have already won four games on the road and may be able to move the ball on the Patriot defense. New England lost in their first playoff game against the Jets last season, but Tom Brady would still be an early draft pick in Fantasy Postseason leagues. The Ravens would be heavy favorites despite playing at Oakland (and losing to the Seahawks this past week). Oakland would likely have Darren McFadden back and I could see them upsetting the Ravens. I think McFadden would be a nice sleeper pick, although Ray Rice, Arian Foster, and Rashard Mendenhall would all be chosen ahead of him.

In the NFC, the Saints would host the Bears for the second time this season and the Giants and Lions would face off. In Week 2, the Saint defense made mincemeat of the poor Bear offensive line. Jay Cutler was sacked six times and looked very frustrated. The Bear line has improved since then, but the Saints are tough to beat at home. I am not impressed by the Giants. They have a signature win over the Patriots, but the rest of their wins have been over the dregs of the league (and they lost to the Seahawks and Redskins at home). I wouldn’t be shocked if the Cowboys win the division. The bloom is also off the rose for the Lions who have lost three of their last four. Maybe Jim Harbaugh took their soul with his heavy-handed backslap. The Lions get the Packers twice as well as a game at the Superdome, so they could also fall out of the playoffs. Maybe the Falcons could still take their spot. If matched up against the Giants, I still think the Lions would win.

Here is my prospective top ten draft picks:

1. Aaron Rodgers

2. Tom Brady

3. Drew Brees

4. Arian Foster

5. Ben Roethlisberger

6. Ray Rice

7. Frank Gore

8. Rashard Mendenhall

9. Matt Forte

10. Calvin Johnson

MLB Playoffs 2011 End

2011-10-29T14:45:00.005-04:00

The MLB Playoffs at fantasypostseason.com are over. Congratulations to our league winners!

Fantasy League Sign-Ups Calendar

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

College Football......Dec 2011
NFL Playoffs..........Dec 2011
College Basketball...Feb 2012
NBA Playoffs..........Mar 2012
NHL Playoffs..........Mar 2012
MLB Playoffs..........Sep 2012

USA Today: Fantasy Baseball Windup

2011-09-30T19:50:00.000-04:00

Playoff fantasy baseball offers owners a second chance:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/fantasywindup/index

Postseason Hitters in the National League

2011-09-29T11:59:00.001-04:00

And that’s how you end a sports season: dramatic games that decided the playoff fates of four teams that ended in the same few hours. It seems like the right teams got in with possible apologies to the Red Sox and Braves, who both bottomed out in September. Both St. Louis and Tampa Bay head into the playoffs with a head of steam, but that may or may not mean anything when the playoffs start this weekend. With the match ups set, I can now look at the hitters in the National League with more specificity.

Before I get into the hitters, I did not look at the Cardinal pitchers in my earlier preview. For whatever reason, I saw the possibility of the Rays making the playoffs, but it seemed unlikely that the Cardinals would also make the leap. Yet, here we are. The St. Louis starters have been excellent down the stretch. Chris Carpenter is the big name on the staff and he had his third straight fine year after missing the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Carpenter hurled 237.1 innings and struck out 191 batters. He had a 2.15 ERA in September and had two shut outs. He also shut down the Phillies for eight innings on September 18 in a 5-0 win over Philadelphia. Kyle Lohse has been the Cardinal ace in September. He has allowed a combined four earned runs in four starts. Lohse, who was primarily a journeyman before hooking up with Dave Duncan, has had his best season. The 30-year-old right-hander had a 3.39 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Like Carpenter, he beat the Phillies in September. Lohse allowed allowed one unearned in a 4-3 win on September 18. Jaime Garcia also beat the Phillies in September (sense a trend?). He allowed one run to the Phillies over seven innings. The 25-year-old Garcia made 32 turns through the rotation and had a 3.56 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. The three Cardinal pitchers give St. Louis a puncher’s chance at pulling the upset over Philadelphia and should be considered as late draft fodder.

The Cardinal offense has also been excellent. Like their starting rotation, St. Louis has three star hitters. Unfortunately, one of the stars, Matt Holliday is having troubles with his injured hand. He hit just .254 in September. He was limited to 124 games this season because of various maladies and you may want to wait to see if he is in the lineup this weekend before drafting him. Holliday only had two hits in 17 at bats against Philly pitching this season. For the first time in his ten-year career, Albert Pujols failed to get 100 RBI. In other words, he is a failure (or perhaps the hitters in front of him are failures). Pujols played in 147 games and hit 37 homers, but was limited to a career-low 27 doubles. In September, he hit .355 with a .561 slugging percentage. Phat Albert smacked Cardinal pitching around for a .385 average in 26 at bats. Last year, Lance Berkman was an afterthought with the Yankees, but he bounced back with a more Berkman-like year with the Cardinals. He finished with 31 homers and a .301 average. Berkman opened the season with a sweet April and finished with a hot September. He hit .374 this month and crushed Philly pitching all season with 14 hits in 30 at bats. If you are in a deep league, you can consider Yadier Molina and Allen Craig. Molina hit .337 after the All-Star break and hit 32 doubles this season. Craig hit .327 in September, but was limited to four hits in 23 at bats against the Phillies.

The Philly offense is second rate compared to their impressive pitching staff. Ryan Howard is the lineup’s big bopper, but he hit .253 this season and struck out 172 times. While he hit just .263 against Cardinal pitching, he was walked seven times and had a .481 on-base percentage. While he did not do much in the 2010 playoffs, Howard had three homers and 17 RBI in the 2009 World Championship season. The Phillies’ best hitter has been Hunter Pence, since he arrived from Houston. He hit .324 with 11 homers in 54 games with Philadelphia. Since he was in the NL Central, he faced Cardinal pitching quite a bit and had a good bit of success. Pence had 22 hits in 63 at bats (.349). Only five of those hits were for extra bases. The Phillies have big names in the middle of the infield, but neither Chase Utley nor Jimmy Rollins had their best season in 2011. Utley was limited to 103 games and hit just .259. He had nine hits in 28 at bats against Cardinal pitching, but all of his hits were singles. Before going 0-for-6 in the season finale, Rollins had 11 hits in the four previous games. He hit .282 against the Cardinals. Catcher Carlos Ruiz hit .333 against the Cardinals and .301 in September. He could be a decent last round batter. Raul Ibanez should probably be skipped at least for the first round. He only had two hits in 23 at bats against St. Louis.

In Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, the Brewers have the best one-two punch in baseball. The Brewer right fielder had his best season in his excellent five-year career. He finished with 33 homers, 111 RBI, and a career-high 33 steals. He hit above .300 in every month save May and was 5-for-12 against Diamonback pitching with a pair of homers. Braun hit .330 in September with eight homers. Fielder put an exclamation point on his season on Tuesday with a three-homer day to push his total up to 38 dingers. For the third straight season, Fielder walked more than 100 times and had a career-high .415 on-base percentage. Cecil’s son had some problems with Arizona pitching: he had six hits in 27 at bats and struck out 11 times with just one walk. Corey Hart also did not hit well against the Diamondbacks. He hit just .138, but three of his four hits left the yard. Hart hit .284 in September. Nyjer Morgan is a table setter for the Brewers and hit .292 in September with 14 runs. He hit .333 against the Diamondbacks. Like Hart, Rickie Weeks could not solve Arizona pitching. He hit .148 in 27 at bats against the Diamondbacks.

Justin Upton has had his breakout season in 2011. The 24-year-old hit a career-high 75 extra base hits, including 31 homers. He cut down on his strikeouts a bit with 126 K’s in 591 at bats (compared to 152 K’s in 495 at bats in 2010). Upton had moderate success against the Brewers wit a .286 average and two homers in 28 at bats. If you are looking for a Diamondback who wore out Milwaukee pitching, you can look at catcher Miguel Montero, who hit .421 with two homers in 19 at bats. Montero hit .313 in September and cranked four homers. Leftfielder Geraldo Parra also hit reasonably well against the Brewers seven hits in 22 at bats. Keep an eye on Chris Young, who hit .280 in the 2007 playoffs and hit the 20-20 mark for the third time in his low batting average career.

Perry Missner is a freelance writer.

Postseason Hitters in the American League

2011-09-28T10:06:00.004-04:00

The American League features the three best offenses in baseball. The next two will determine whether the Red Sox join their slugging buddies, the Yankees and Rangers, in the playoffs. What is kind of interesting about all three offenses is that none of them feature a single batter who has had a tremendous season. The best hitter in the American League is Jose Bautista and he will spend the winter hoping the Blue Jays get him some more help. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Rangers each feature deep lineups with no easy outs and the Divisional Series could feature some high scores.

The Rangers have eight batters with at least 20 doubles. Five of those hitters also have at least 25 homers. At the beginning of the season, it appeared that Michael Young did not like losing his third base job. He bounced back quickly and had a career-high .338 average with his sixth season of at least 200 hits. Young only had 11 homers, but had 41 doubles and 106 RBI. He hit .357 after the All-Star break, and hit .400 off of Yankee pitching. Adrian Beltre had his second straight excellent season. Last year, he was with the Red Sox and this year he hit .293 with 32 homers and 105 RBI in just 122 games. Beltre missed August with a hamstring strain, but hit 11 homers in September to prove that he is healthy. The free swinger only had 25 walks this season, so he may have some difficulty against better pitching in the playoffs. Ian Kinsler matched Beltre’s team-leading 32 homers and scored a team-high 121 runs. Kinsler played in a career-high 154 games and hit .337 in September with 11 homers. The second baseman hit just .111 against the Yankees, but hit six homers off of Red Sox pitching and five off of the Rays. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz combined for 240 games. Hamilton missed the majority of May, but managed hit 25 bombs and an even .300. Cruz also missed a large chunk of May and the first half of September. Since returning from his hamstring strain, he hit just .200 with two extra base hits in 37 at bats. Cruz only had one hit in 17 at bats against Yankee pitching. The hottest hitter on the team in September has been Mike Napoli. The catcher is hitting .418 in September with 13 walks and 11 extra base hits. He could be a decent late round flyer.

It seems that the Yankee lineup is in a state of transition. MVP candidate Curtis Granderson led the squad with 41 homers, while former MVP Alex Rodriguez had an injury plagued campaign and only played in 99 games. This will be the first season since 1997 that A-Rod will not hit 30 homers. He has just 16 with one game left and is hitting just .197 after the All-Star break. Granderson had never hit more than 30 homers prior to this season. He crushed Ranger pitching for six homers in 32 at bats and a .438 average. Granderson had less success against his former team, hitting just .160 against the Tigers. Mark Teixeira was second on the team with 37 homers, but he has struggled in September. The first baseman is only hitting .227 with four extra base hits in 75 at bats. In his last two years as a Yankee, Teixeira is only hitting .250. He had not hit below .280 since 2004. The middle of the infield had once again become a strength for New York. Robinson Cano led the team with a .305 average and contributed more than 100 runs and RBI for the second straight year. He has hit at least 34 doubles in each of his seven major league seasons and has hit 25 or more homers three years running. Cano hit just .200 against the Tigers with two extra base hits in 25 at bats, but hit four homers and a triple against the Rangers. Derek Jeter hit .330 after the All-Star break to show that he still has some skills at age 37. Captain Jetes scorched through August with a .387 average and hit .314 in September. The shortstop had ten hits in 26 at bats against the Rangers (.385). Lastly, don’t overlook Nick Swisher, who led the team with a .373 on-base percentage. He had a quiet September (.197), but hit .367 against Texas.

Miguel Cabrera stands in as the most dangerous hitter in the American League. He won the batting championship with a .343 average and led the Tigers in virtually every offensive statistic. Miggy also heads into the playoffs on a hot streak with 14 hits in his last five games. Granted, that was at home against the Orioles and Indians, but if you believe in the Tigers you should take Cabrera early. He last played in the postseason in his rookie year 2003 with the Marlins. Cabrera hit above .400 against both the Yankees and Rangers. In his first year as a Tiger, Victor Martinez has had an excellent season. He hit .324 with 38 doubles and 102 RBI. He hit a season-high four homers in September (12 on the season). Martinez did not hit well against the Rays (.238), so he will hope that Tampa Bay doesn’t win today. Alex Avila was the best hitting catcher in baseball (Martinez and Napoli mostly DH’ed). He hit .296 with 19 homers and 33 doubles. Unlike most catchers, the 24-year-old did not fade in the second half (.307, nine homers). He hit above .380 against both the Rangers and Rays. Jhonny Peralta always finds a way onto my fantasy teams because how many shortstop eligible players hit 20 homers? Peralta also had a career-high .301 average, but only hit six of his homers after the break. He hit .260 or worse against all four prospective playoff teams. Magglio Ordonez has played well in September. He is hitting .400 in a somewhat limited role. In two playoff runs (2000 with the White Sox and 2006 in Detroit), he has not hit above the Mendoza line.

Of the two teams vying for the Wild Card spot today, the Red Sox have the more fearsome offense. Despite their September swoon, Boston has MVP candidates in Adrian Gonzalez and Jacoby Ellsbury as well as hitting depth with David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, and Carl Crawford. You can probably scratch Kevin Youkilis off your list since the third baseman hasn’t played since September 15 with hip troubles. After playing only 18 games in 2010, Ellsbury has remained upright and had this season’s most surprising power. After hitting 20 homers in his first four seasons, the 28-year-old has mashed 32 bombs this year to go along with 38 steals and 119 runs. He has hit 21 homers since the All-Star break and hit .365 in September. Ellsbury hit six homers against both the Yankees and Rays. In his first year in the American League (since being a youngster with the Rangers back in 2004 and 2005), Gonzalez hit a career-high .338. Some of his long hits that would have been homers in the past fell for doubles this year, but he did hit 27 homers and 45 doubles. He hit only .131 vs. the Rays, .183 vs. the Yankees, and .130 vs. the Tigers, but had 15 hits in 36 at bats against the Rangers. In his 14^th year in the league, Ortiz hit 29 homers and .308. Big Papi also swatted 40 doubles. He hit more homers (five) against the Yankees than any other team (well, he hit five against the Blue Jays), but had problems with Rays pitching (.180). Pedroia bounced back from an injury-shortened 2010 with 101 runs and a .303 average. He hit 20 homers for the first time in his career and had 26 steals. He hit .406 against Yankee pitching, but just .160 against the Tigers. Crawford’s first year as a Red Sock was a struggle. He hit a career-low .255 and only walked 23 times in 129 games. He did hit well in the 2008 playoffs with six extra base hits and seven steals in 16 games.

If the Rays jump past the Red Sox today (or tomorrow in a one-game playoff), they have a lot of inviting hitters. Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton led the team in homers with 29 and 23, respectively. Neither batter was able to hit above .250 and Upton struck out 160 times. The center field is hitting .347 in September with five homers. Longoria is also hitting well in the last month at .282 with his own five dingers. Johnny Damon keeps clicking along. He had 16 homers and 19 steals in his 16^th year in the league. He only hit .143 against Ranger pitching. Other hitters consider if Tampa Bay makes the postseason include Ben Zobrist, Casey Kotchman, and Matt Joyce. Zobrist is only hitting .218 in September and did not hit well against the other playoff teams. Kotchman was taken out of the last game with chest tightness. He hit .298 against the Yankees. Joyce hit a career-high 19 homers and hit .391 against the Tigers.

Perry Missner is fantasy college hoops greatest champion. You can challenge "Big Chief College Basketball" in a league today. He is also the Treasurer of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.

Postseason Pitchers in the National League

2011-09-27T15:04:00.003-04:00

Draft Philly pitchers.

If I were a smartass (and I am) and more concise (apparently, I am not), I would leave the Fantasy Postseason article on National League pitching to those three words. The Phillies staff allowed nearly 70 fewer runs than the next closest staff (if the Braves do eventually make it) and they have three starters with the lowest ERA’s among the participants in the playoffs on the NL side. While there may be some debate about their offense, there is no doubt that the Philadelphia pitching staff is the best in baseball. Along with their trio of top starters, they have excellent long relievers, and a sensational late inning crew. Draft Philly pitchers.

Unlike 2010, the Phillies won’t have a chance to run into a team that actually has a better staff, since the Giants didn’t make the playoffs. The rotation starts with prohibitive Cy Young favorite Roy Halladay who has an excellent six-year run. This year, he had a career high 220 K’s to go along with a career-low 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. After three straight years of nine complete games, Halladay only completed eight this year and had but one shutout. Halladay was also excellent in last year’s playoff with three starts and 17 base runners in 22 innings with 20 strikeouts. He was equally dominant before (2.45 ERA) and after (2.19) the All-Star break. Halladay had a 1.70 ERA in September, with only a four-run, eight-inning outing against the Cardinals as the only black mark on his record. He should be the first pitcher taken and should be among the first five picks.

Cliff Lee’s season has almost been as impressive as Halladay’s. The 33-year-old has had two completely dominant months. In June, he allowed one run over five starts and he allowed just two runs in five August starts. Lee started the season a bit slowly with a 4.00 ERA over the first two months, but that makes his 2.38 ERA for the season all that much more impressive. After the All-Star break, Lee has authored a 1.71 ERA with 95 K’s in 89.1 innings. He limited the Brewers to three earned runs over 13 innings, but did not factor into the decision of either of his two starts against Milwaukee. The lefty had a 3.86 ERA against the Diamondbacks, but limited them to two runs in a seven-inning win on August 17 (those were his only runs allowed that month). Halladay only faced Arizona once, but pitched a complete game with three runs. The Brewers touched up Doc for a season-high six runs in April, but Halladay wrought his revenge on September 9 by holding Milwaukee to one run over eight innings at Miller Park.

Quietly, Cole Hamels had the best season of his six-year career. He allowed just a 0.98 WHIP and just 165 hits in 213 innings. While Lee was dominant in June and August, Hamels wasn’t far behind. He had a 1.31 ERA in six starts. Somehow, the Phillies only managed to win two of those games. In August, Lee had a 2.32 ERA in four starts and Philadelphia won three, but Hamels only got credit for one win. Don’t get me started on how silly wins and losses are for pitchers. Hamels tossed a complete game against the Brewers on September 8. His offense managed to give him seven runs for his only September win, despite a respectable 3.60 ERA. If the Phillies should need a fourth starter, they can go to either Kyle Kendrick or Vance Worley. Kendrick had a 3.17 ERA in 15 starts, but is likely to come out of the bullpen. Worley provided a 3.03 ERA and could be used for long relief. The Philadelphia bullpen has also been a strength this season. Ryan Madson has settled into the closer role with 32 saves in 34 opportunities. He has converted his last nine opportunities and hasn’t given up a run since August 19 (when he gave up six against the Nationals). Antonio Bastardo and Brad Lidge have been excellent in middle relief for most of the season. Lidge, the former closer, has given up two runs in the last two months. Bastardo was dominant until September. The wheels have fallen off in the last month and opposing offenses have scored runs on Bastardo in five of his last seven outings. Prior to that, he has only allowed five earned runs all season. You may want to let someone else draft him.

The other three teams are going to get short shrift in this National League playoff preview, but I’ll make up for it on the offensive side. The Diamondbacks have one really excellent starter: former Yankee Ian Kennedy. Yankee fans can’t complain too much about Kennedy because the trade netted them Curtis Granderson. Kennedy has only given up more than three runs once since July 3. He did not face the Braves this year, but held the Phillies to three runs over 12 innings (2.25 ERA) in two starts. The right-hander shut out the Brewers for seven innings on July 21. The other Arizona starters are likely to be Daniel Hudson and Joe Saunders. Saunders has a 2.38 ERA in five September starts and pitched well against the Brewers and Braves. The former-Angel was hit hard by the Phillies (8.49 ERA). Hudson was not particularly successful against any of the prospective playoff teams. Diamondback closer J.J. Putz has had his best season with 45 saves. He has converted 23 straight saves.

I remember reading prior to the season that the Brewer pitching staff might have some trouble because the team had deemphasized defense. The Milwaukee starters have fared well. Yovani Gallardo, the incumbent, has been the ace of the staff. The 25-year-old Mexican has four straight quality starts since given up eight runs to the Cardinals on September 1. For the season, he has 207 K’s in 207.1 innings with a 2.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He pitched well against the Braves, Diamondbacks, and Phillies with a seven-inning win over Philadelphia on September 11. Gallardo has struck out 36 batters in his last three starts. In their first years in the National League, Shaun Marcum and Zach Greinke have looked good, although neither pitcher has showed a huge bump in stats from the conversion to the NL. Marcum has a 1.16 WHIP. He allowed four runs in his lone six-inning outing against Arizona. Greinke has struck out 197 batters in 165.1 innings. After the All-Star break, he has provided a 2.56 ERA. The former-Royal did not face Philadelphia this year, but was hit hard in his one game against the Diamondbacks (four innings, five runs, four earned). The Brewer bullpen is very strong with John Axford (45 saves, 84 K’s), Francisco Rodriguez (31 K’s in 27 innings), and LaTroy Hawkins (20 holds).

If the Braves hold onto their one-game lead over the Cardinals, they will enter the postseason with the weakest pitching staff. Both Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson are likely done for the year. That leaves Tim Hudson, Brandon Beachy, and Derek Lowe as playoff starters. Lowe has playoff history, but was not a good pitcher this year (1.52 WHIP). Hudson has had his second straight excellent season with a 1.14 WHIP and 154 K’s in 208.2 innings. He shut out the Brewers on one hit in early May and did not allow a run to the Diamondbacks over seven innings on August 21. Beachy has allowed four runs in his last three starts. He does have 169 K’s in 141.1 innings. The Brave bullpen is very good with youngsters Craig Kimbrel (46 saves, 126 K’s in 76 innings) and Johnny Venters (95 K’s in 86 innings), but both have had their struggles in September.

Perry Missner is a freelance writer. You can read his other ramblings on College Fantasy Hoops Insider and Fantasy Football Oasis.

Postseason Pitchers in the American League

2011-09-26T13:30:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, I looked at the baseball standings and figured everything was cut and dried. There were four teams in the National League and four teams in the American League that held nice leads and all that mattered were the individual match ups. Fast forward to now and there is real drama for both wild card slots. The Cardinals are challenging the Braves and the Rays are only a game behind the free falling Red Sox. If you are drafting your Fantasy Postseason teams before the end of the season, you’ll have to factor in the Cardinals and Rays. I will do the same. This is the first of a four-article series dealing with the postseason rosters. Today, I’ll concentrate on pitching in the American League. Tomorrow, I’ll hop over to the senior circuit.

If the season ended today, the Yankees would face the Tigers in the first round, and the Red Sox and Rangers would meet in the American League Divisional Series. The two American League East teams and the Rangers have scored the most runs in baseball, but the Yankees and Red Sox have big problems in the starting rotation. Even ace C.C. Sabathia has been human down the stretch. The big lefty has had some of the best second halves in recent memory, but he submitted a 4.62 ERA in August and 3.08 ERA in September. In his nine starts over the last two months, Sabathia has submitted five quality starts and struck out more than a batter per inning (74 K’s in 68.2 innings), but he doesn’t feel like the sure thing like in the past. I’d consider taking Mariano Rivera as the top Yankee pitcher over Sabathia because the last number 42 has been his usual automatic self. The 41-year-old has converted his last 15 save opportunities and has only given up one run in September. Among the other Yankee starters, it is a grab bag. Ivan Nova seems likely to be their second starter, but he has never pitched in the postseason or thrown so many innings in a season. I’d stay away from Bartolo Colon (6.64 ERA in September) and A.J. Burnett (6.88 ERA after the All-Star break).

The Red Sox fade has been mentioned in many other places, but it all comes down to their starting pitching. They are paying John Lackey and Josh Beckett nearly $33 million and neither has been healthy or effective enough to earn their paychecks (not that how much they make matters to fantasy leagues). Beckett has actually had a pretty good season despite his injured ankle. He missed a start in September, but has a 2.70 ERA for the season with 170 K’s in 187 innings. In five starts against the Yankees, he has submitted a 1.85 ERA and four wins. Beckett has also been excellent against Tampa Bay with two wins and 0.87 ERA over three starts. Beckett did give up six runs to the Orioles in his last start on September 21. Hopefully, Jon Lester’s last start isn’t a harbinger for the playoffs. The 27-year-old southpaw gave up eight runs in 2.2 innings to the Yankees. He has given up 16 runs in his last three starts, which equals his longest streak of non-quality starts (matched in May). Prior to being beaten by New York, he gave up four runs in two consecutive starts against the Rays. I love middle relievers, but would not recommend Daniel Bard who has given up 11 runs in nine innings in September. Jonathan Papelbon only has one save in September, but he has only had two chances. I’d wait to pick Red Sox pitchers since the team seems primed to be swept, if they can make the playoffs.

If the Rays squeeze past the Red Sox, they have a number of excellent pitching options. Their surprise ace this year has been James Shields, who has 11 complete games after completing five games in the first five years of his career. After submitting a 5.18 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 2010, Shields seemed destined for the dustbin of mediocrity. He has bounced back with a 2.84 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 32 starts in 2011. “Big Game James” has been beaten by the Red Sox and Yankees in his last two starts and given up four runs in each game. His ERA for the season is almost a run higher on the road (3.35) than at home (2.38). Prior to his September road losses, he beat Texas and Boston at Tropicana Field, and limited both potent offenses to one run. Jeremy Hellickson and David Price make for excellent second and third starters. Hellickson carries the burden of a rookie pitcher who has pitched many more innings than in any other season, but the 24-year-old has actually been more effective after the All-Star break (2.50 ERA) than he was before it (3.21). In four September starts, he has a 2.28 ERA, but just ten K’s in 27.2 innings. Price has not allowed more than three earned runs in his last eight starts, although he did allow three unearned runs (along with two earned) in his last start on September 23 against the Blue Jays. The lefty has 29 K’s in 26.2 innings in September. Closer Kyle Farnsworth is coming back from elbow troubles and a career of being unable to close. He has done a fine job as the Ray stopper this season by converting 23 of 29 save opportunities. His previous career high was 16 saves over 11 seasons as a reliever. Joel Peralta had four saves while Farnsworth was out, and has a 0.90 WHIP with 60 K’s in 66.2 innings.

The Rangers have five starters with 29 starts or more and at least 13 wins, so their starting group has been solid. C.J. Wilson has five straight quality starts, which included two impressive performances against the Rays in early September. The lefty has struck out 41 batters in his last 35.1 innings, and has pitched well against both Boston (1.46 ERA in two starts) and New York (2.25 ERA in one start over eight innings). Derek Holland could well be the Rangers second starter and he has authored a 2.20 ERA over five September starts. The 24-year-old southpaw bounced back from a tough August (5.13 ERA) and struck out at least six batters in each of his five September starts. He was much better on the road (3.39 ERA) than at the Ballpark in Arlington (4.69 ERA). Another lefty, Matt Harrison, has had a breakout season with a 3.46 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 179.2 innings. Like Holland, Harrison bounced back from a rough August (6.07) with a nice September (2.92). It helped that Harrison faced Seattle twice and Cleveland before they started hitting. Closer Neftali Feliz is one of my favorite pitchers and had a nice sophomore season of closing. He converted 30 of 36 save opportunities and had 50 K’s in 60.1 innings. Darren Oliver is enjoying his third stint with the Rangers over his 17-year career. He has a 2.12 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 51 relief innings. The former starter has reinvented himself over the last five years as one of baseball’s premier middle men.

I’ve saved the best for last with the Tigers’ Justin Verlander. The American League Cy Young Award winner and potential MVP is having a career year. He has 250 K’s in 251.1 innings and an amazing 0.92 WHIP. He showed he was somewhat human in his last start by giving up five runs to the Orioles. He was coming off a pair of starts in which he blanked the White Sox and A’s over 15 innings. Verlander has at least six strikeouts in his last 18 starts (dating back to a June 19 game at Coors Field). He has a 1.72 ERA in two starts against the Red Sox, but gave up six runs to the Yankees in 12 innings. He should be the first American League pitcher selected. If I were making a top five list of American League pitchers, I’d leave second empty because the gap between Verlander and the rest is that big. Doug Fister has been a nice number two option since coming from Seattle. In his last seven starts, he has allowed four earned runs. Fister has a 0.90 WHIP since joining Detroit. Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and Brad Penny have submitted 30 starts each, but Scherzer has the best stats with a 4.37 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. Scherzer gave up seven runs in two innings in his one appearance against Boston, but pitched better against the Rays and Yankees. Jose Valverde has had his best year in the majors with 47 straight converted save opportunities. He has walked 34 batters, but only allowed 50 hits in 70.1 innings.

Posted by Perry Missner

Your Fantasy Draft -- Now with Video!

2011-09-21T17:18:00.002-04:00

Fantasy Postseason has integrated with TokBox's OpenTok API to provide video conferencing during the live draft experience.

Here are the steps required to add video to your live draft:

1) In league setup, commissioners need to set 'Enable Live Video Sharing for Draft' to Yes.

2) League members should be running Adobe Flash 10.3 or newer for echo suppression. Also note that users may want to use headphones or earphones if their mic and speakers are too close together.

3) After entering the draft room from your league's home page, users need to select the Enable Live video option under the 'Options' panel.

4) At this point, users will need to provide local camera access to fantasypostseason.com and they will be ready to have a video-enabled live fantasy draft. The current video feed will show the user that is currently drafting.

Fantasy Baseball Playoffs - 2011

2011-09-19T23:35:00.000-04:00

League registration for the MLB playoffs at fantasypostseason.com is now open - create or join a league today! Drafts begin on 9/21/11; the playoffs begin on 09/30/11.

Rotoworld - NHL Fantasy Postseason League Recap

2011-06-20T15:40:00.000-04:00

We were pleased to have the Rotoworld team on board during the NHL playoffs.

Please review the following League Recap.

NHL Playoffs 2011 End

2011-06-16T17:45:00.002-04:00

The NHL Playoffs at fantasypostseason.com are over. Congratulations to our league winners!

NBA Playoffs 2011 End

2011-06-13T23:42:00.001-04:00

The NBA Playoffs at fantasypostseason.com are over. Congratulations to our league winners!

New Feature: Automatic Daily Lineup Setting

2011-05-10T08:35:00.006-04:00

A new feature has been added to ease daily lineup management for leagues with benches. We have added an Automatic Daily Lineup Setting option. When this feature is enabled, the system will prepare a valid lineup for you automatically. It will start players that are playing on that given day, and bench players that are not. The feature also takes into consideration a given player's fantasy points projection and provides players with higher projections precedence.

Lineups are set immediately after daily waiver processing runs at 11 AM EST.

The feature can be enabled/disabled by checking the 'Auto Lineup Setting' checkbox on the 'My Team' page as shown.

Rotoworld - Fantasy Postseason NBA Draft Results

2011-04-21T00:04:00.000-04:00

Rotoworld conducted their draft for the NBA playoffs at fantasypostseason.com, on Monday night. Check out their results here.

For player news throughout the NBA playoffs, please be sure to closely monitor
Rotoworld (NBA).

The Bottom Four Teams in the West

2011-04-14T12:22:00.002-04:00

In this fourth and final installment of the Fantasy Postseason NBA playoff preview, we’ll look at the five through eight seeds in the west. While I indicated yesterday that I was not optimistic about the first round of the eastern playoffs, it should be stated that I am often wrong and, as they say, there is a reason these games are played on the court and not on paper. Now that the western match ups are set, there are some intriguing pairings. While the teams with home court advantage should be favored, these series might continue past four games. There are values among the bottom four teams.

5. Denver Nuggets (vs. 4. Oklahoma City Thunder)

No Carmelo? No problem. Despite trading their somewhat disgruntled superstar at the end of February, the Nuggets finished the season by winning 17 of their last 24 games without Anthony. The post-trade Nuggets faced the Thunder twice in the last two weeks and lost to Oklahoma City both times. Nevertheless, coach George Karl’s team has an intriguing combination of talent. Ty Lawson, who left the regular season finale with a sprained ankle, finished the season on a flurry. He averaged more than 15 points and 6.5 assists in the last two months. Lawson will make for a nice value, even if he is matched up against Russell Westbrook. With Kenyon Martin and Nene, the Nuggets have size in the starting lineup to match up against the Thunder’s thunder. Martin averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 rebounds against Oklahoma City, and Nene provided another 15.5 points and 8.8 rebounds. The wildcard, as always with the Nuggets, is guard J.R. Smith. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 12.3 points off the Nugget bench and hit 39.0% of his threes.

6. Portland Trailblazers (vs. 3 Dallas Mavericks)

If there is one series in which people are going to pick an upset, it is this one. The Blazers have beaten the Mavericks twice since March 15 and seem to have some individual match ups working in their favor. Even though their star, Brandon Roy, has looked like a shade of his previous self. He has only averaged 8.0 points after the All Star break and should not be drafted. Wes Matthews, however, has moved into the starting slot and averaged 15.9 points this season. He hit 57.1% of his threes against Dallas. The new ingredient in the Portland mix is Gerald Wallace who has averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds since joining the Blazers. Without Roy leading the way, LaMarcus Aldridge has an opportunity to shine. He has averaged better than 20 points in every month since November and burned Dallas for 27.8 points. Finally, Marcus Camby returned for the season finale after struggling with a neck injury. The 14-year veteran averaged 10.3 rebounds this season.

7. New Orleans Hornets (vs. 2. Los Angeles Lakers)

Against the Lakers, the Hornets have an advantage at one position: point guard. Granted, the difference between Chris Paul and anyone the Lakers put on him is cavernous, but Paul will have to play above his usual greatness to help the Hornets be competitive against the two-time defending champions. In the regular season, the Lakers swept the four games. Paul did play well against the Lakers: He shot 56.1% from the field, averaged 15.8 points and 10.3 assists, and made 55.6% of his threes. With David West on the sideline with a torn ACL, Carl Landry has stepped in. He had 24 points and ten rebounds in his one appearance as a Hornet against the Lakers. If your league requires a center, Emeka Okafor could be a possibility. The former Connecticut Husky averaged 12.3 points and 10.3 rebounds against Los Angeles. Keep an eye on former-Laker Trevor Ariza who played well in the playoffs for Los Angeles in 2008-09.

8. Memphis Grizzlies (vs. 1. San Antonio Spurs)

The Grizzlies feel like the feel-good story of the west. They beat out teams like the Suns and Rockets for the eight seed and the right to meet the Spurs. Memphis split the season series against San Antonio and power forward Zach Randolph is a load for any team. Randolph made the most of his time against the Spur frontline and averaged 23.0 points and 14.8 rebounds in the four games against San Antonio. He is almost guaranteed you to get four double-double bonuses. Unfortunately, Randolph’s great play has caused Marc Gasol to quiet down. The Spaniard averaged 8.0 points and 7.3 rebounds, and probably should not be drafted. In the backcourt, the Memphis surprise has been Tony Allen. The former Celtic averaged 17.0 points against the Spurs and made 71.1% of his shots. In other words, that rate is unlikely to continue. Mike Conley Jr. also played well against San Antonio with 15.5 points and 5.5 assists. The Grizzles could steal a game or two and make Randolph a decent draft pick.

The Bottom Four Teams in the East

2011-04-13T14:31:00.001-04:00

The match ups in the east have been set for the past few days. In that time, my opinion of the series has not changed: I don’t think the bottom four teams will win much. Were I a betting man (and despite my fantasy indulgence, I am not), I’d guess that the Hawks, Knicks, 76ers, and Pacers will win less than four games combined. Based on that, it might be a wise strategy in your drafts to just to ignore these four teams. However, if you want to take a flyer on some of the players on the lesser teams in the east, I’ll provide some details and opinions about each one. One caveat: I wish my team, the Milwaukee Bucks, were among the top eight, but they were stymied by injuries. Maybe next year.

5. Atlanta Hawks (vs. 4. Orlando Magic)

The Hawks actually won the season series against the Magic. They won three of the four meetings, including a Mar. 30 win in which Josh Smith had 26 points, six boards, and four assists. Smith played well in all of the games against Orlando. He averaged 17.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.3 blocks. He has been somewhat limited by a knee injury as the season closed, but he may have been just resting up for the playoffs. Joe Johnson averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists against the Magic. He averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 11 games in the playoffs last year. The last of the fantasy worthy Hawks is Al Horford who provided 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists against Orlando. Jamal Crawford averaged 12.0 points on 38.1% shooting from the field against the Magic. Even if he won’t, I’ll pass.

6. New York Knicks (vs. 3. Boston Celtics)

The Knicks face the Celtics in the season finale tonight, but you shouldn’t expect to learn anything of consequence in this glorified preseason game. Well, it is not even that, so let’s see some ticket refunds! The Celtics gave Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo off in their last game, and Amare Stoudemire did not play in the Knicks’ last game. Will Carmelo Anthony play tonight? The Celtics have won the first three games of the series, but only the third game on Mar. 21 featured Anthony in a Knick uni. He scored 22 points in the loss. Stoudemire has averaged 27.3 points and 9.7 rebounds against Boston. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Celtic fringe players (such as Glen Davis) outscore Anthony and Stoudemire for the playoffs. Caveat emptor.

7. Philadelphia 76ers (vs. 2. Miami Heat)

If the 76ers win tonight against the Pistons, they will have had their first winning season since 2002-03, which was Larry Brown’s last season patrolling the Philadelphia bench. Allen Iverson led the squad with 27.6 points. In other words, the 76ers should be satisfied with their season because I don’t think they match up very well against the Heat. Miami swept all three games in the season series. A few years ago, Elton Brand may have been able to put up some numbers against Miami, but age and injuries have robbed him of some of his skills. He provided just 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds against the Heat. Miami also troubled Andre Iguodala, who averaged 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Iguodala will be asked to concentrate on defense. Jodie Meeks led the 76ers with 17.5 points in two games against Miami. Jrue Holiday shot just 34.4% from the field against Miami.

8. Indiana Pacers (vs. 1. Chicago Bulls)

Although the Pacers were able to win an overtime thriller against the Bulls on Mar. 18 in the teams’ last meeting, the Bulls should be able to roll through Indiana. A couple of Bulls did suffer a couple of minor injuries in the Bulls’ win over Nets. Joakim Noah sprained his ankle and Ronnie Brewer sprained his thumb. Nevertheless, the Pacers are going to need to play very well to win a game in the series. Danny Granger is the fantasy star and he averaged 20.0 points in three games against Chicago. Tyler Hansbrough had 29 points in the overtime win and also averaged 20.0 points in two games against the Bulls. Darren Collison will be tasked with slowing down Derrick Rose. I don’t like his chances. Rose had 42 points in the overtime loss, but managed just 27.0 points and 6.5 assists in the regular season series against the Pacers.

Top Four Teams in the West

2011-04-12T13:26:00.001-04:00

The lines of distinction in the Western Division aren’t quite as clear as they are in the East, but there is a five-game difference between the number four-seed (Oklahoma City) and the five-seed (Denver). So, to balance yesterday’s report on the top four teams in the East (where are all of the playoff match ups are nicely set), we’ll take a look at the top –seeded Spurs along with the Mavericks, Lakers, and Thunder, who are all bunched within a game of each other. It is interesting to note that three of the four hottest teams in the west are the Nuggets, Trailblazers, and Grizzlies who have all won seven of their last ten games (the Thunder are also 8-2 in their last ten and have won five straight), but we’ll talk about those other teams when the match ups can be written in ink.

1. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs have had a remarkable season. They have quietly won an NBA-best 61 games and weathered a slump at the end of March while Tim Duncan worked himself back into the lineup after spraining his ankle. San Antonio has won their last four games, although three of those four teams will not make the playoffs. While the team is still led by Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker (and all three might be slightly undervalued because they are not exciting picks), the others have contributed more this season and could be Fantasy Postseason draft values. George Hill is providing 11.6 points and 2.6 assists. The third year pro from IUPUI is hitting 44.1% of his threes at home, and the Spurs will likely have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Gary Neal might not be a household name, but he is making 42.0% of his threes and providing 9.7 points. DeJuan Blair could also be a nice late round find because double-doubles get a bonus in default scoring.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder were the chic pick to make a lot of noise in the west after taking the Lakers to the limit in last year’s playoffs. Kevin Durant hasn’t quite blossomed into the MVP candidate that some people predicted, but that may be less because of his own play than the emergence of point guard Russell Westbrook. The third year player from UCLA has broken out with 21.9 points and 8.2 assists. While his perimeter shooting has improved (33.3%), Westbrook can still get better from long range. That’s a pretty scary thought. Durant is leading the league at 27.9 points, so he is the best bet to get the 30-point default bonus. If the Thunder do meet the Spurs in the second round, then Serge Ibaka would be a nice value pick. In three games against San Antonio, Ibaka averaged 12.3 points and 11.0 rebounds (compared to season averages of 9.9 points and 7.6 rebounds). Kendrick Perkins may take away some of Ibaka’s value. The former Celtic has been relatively quiet in his Thunder tenure, but has snagged 31 rebounds in his last two games.

2. Dallas Mavericks

It’s surprising to see the old Mavericks here at the two-slot, isn’t it? They consistently win 50 games, but generally don’t do much in the playoffs. Maybe this year will be their year to break through and make it back to the finals to meet the Heat, like they did five years ago. More than any other playoff team, Dallas splits their triple-double stats among various players. Dirk Nowitzki, and to a lesser extent, Jason Terry, score, Tyson Chandler rebounds, and Jason Kidd passes. Shawn Marion does a little of everything. While this may seem like a bounce back year for Marion, his stats are right in line with his first year in Dallas (12.5 points, 6.9 rebounds). Marion has scored 18.7 points in three games against the Lakers and has scored 18.8 points in six games in April. He could be a nice value.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

Did the Lakers peak too early? Los Angeles has now lost five straight games after winning 17 of their previous 18 games. Perhaps coach Phil Jackson just has the team which is going for a three-peat hiding in the reeds, but they have now lost home court advantage in the second round, if the records hold and the Lakers and Mavericks advance. They could even fall to the four-seed, if they can’t get back on the winning track in the regular season. Kobe Bryant is making just 42.4% of his shots from the field. He may have taken his foot off the gas pedal with just 3.3 rebounds this month. He will get his shots and his points, so he still makes for an excellent first round pick. The most intriguing statistical factoid of the losing streak is Andrew Bynum’s 13.3 rebounds per game. Bynum has snagged 56 boards in his last three games. While his performance may take away from Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom’s value a little, Bynum makes for an intriguing mid-round draft pick.

FantasyHockey.com NHL Draft Results

2011-04-11T22:52:00.006-04:00

The great folks at FantasyHockey.com conducted a draft for the NHL playoffs on Sunday night at Fantasy Postseason. Check out their results here.

Rotoworld Joins the NHL Fantasy Postseason!

2011-04-11T22:13:00.004-04:00

We are pleased to announce that the NHL team at Rotoworld has created an NHL fantasy playoff league at fantasypostseason.com, and will be documenting their league experiences in the coming weeks.

For player news throughout the NHL playoffs, please be sure to closely monitor Rotoworld (NHL).

Top Four Teams in the East

2011-04-11T11:00:00.002-04:00

While it may be unwise to look past the first round of the playoffs, there is a clear demarcation in both conferences. The top four teams in the east and west have separated themselves from the pack and it would not surprise me to see them all advance past the first round. (Of course, I also picked three one-seeds in the NCAA tournament.) Today and tomorrow, I will concentrate on the future (the semifinals) before coming back to the near present (the first round) when the match ups are set.

We were fortunate on Sunday to have previews of the Eastern semifinals. The Heat beat the Celtics in Miami and the Bulls beat the Magic. Orlando’s Dwight Howard did not play because of a suspension because of too many technical fouls. These games may not have provided a good preview for the Eastern semifinals, but we can look back at the series between the teams to get a read (albeit one of a small sample) to see what will happen in a few weeks. Let’s take a look at each team:

1. Chicago Bulls

I guess an argument can be made for taking Kobe Bryant with the top pick in Fantasy Postseason drafts, but I would go with Derrick Rose. Some may say that the Lakers have the easier path to the finals, but Bryant isn’t the force he used to be. Rose is the end-all, be-all for the Bulls and has played well against the top teams in the East. For those who believe that Rose doesn’t have the playoff experience of players like Bryant, I happen to think that playoff experience is overrated. Rose did pretty well in the NCAA tournament as a freshman when he destroyed future NBA guards such as D.J. Augustin, Darren Collison, and Mario Chalmers. I have to admit that I was wrong about coach Tom Thibodeau. I thought he received too much credit after the Celtic defense improved when they acquired Kevin Garnett, who I used to refer to as a one-man zone. Thibodeau has helped the Bulls get to the next level quickly. The Bulls also have a nice sneaky pick in Luol Deng who is averaging 17.5 points and 6.0 rebounds. He might get drafted behind Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, but may outscore (fantasy-wise) both of his frontcourt mates.

4. Orlando Magic

The Magic shuffled their deck by gathering in two members of the run-and-gun Warriors from nearly a decade ago. Since the trades that brought in Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas, Orlando has gone 34-22. The team was 16-8 at the time of the trades, so Richardson and Arenas have not provided the boost that some people might have hoped. For fantasy fans, both guards have seen their production dwindle since coming to Florida. Arenas shouldn’t be drafted in standard Fantasy Postseason leagues since he is only averaging 8.0 points in 21.8 minutes off the Magic bench. Richardson is providing 14.1 points, but has seen all of his shooting percentages dip since leaving Steve Nash’s side. Howard has played well against the Bulls prior to his suspension. In three games against Chicago, Howard averaged 24.3 points on 67.5% shooting from the field with 12.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. The sleeper on the Magic may be Hedo Turkoglu, who was so good for the Magic in their 2009 run to the NBA Finals. Since returning to the Magic, Turkoglu is averaging 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and a career-high 5.2 assists.

2. Miami Heat

While I have detested ESPN’s coverage of the Heat (it seems as the Worldwide Leader has foisted Miami into a section above the rest of the NBA), I have to admit that I have been rooting for the Miami three to do well. What was so wrong with what LeBron James and Chris Bosh did? While “The Decision” program may have been a bad decision, who wouldn’t want to move from Cleveland (and the NBA’s worst team – tied with Minnesota) to Miami? People seemed to question the fact that LeBron didn’t want “to be the man.” No, he just wanted to win and play with his friends. Before blowing out the Celtics on Sunday, the Heat had lost three straight games to the previous Big Three (plus Rondo). Dwyane Wade has not played well against Boston and in the four regular season meetings only averaged 12.8 points on 28.1% from the field. You may want to degrade Wade a bit on your draft chart. James, meanwhile, has provided 28.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists against the Celtics. I would select him third after Rose and Bryant. There really aren’t any sleeper options on the Heat. James, Wade, and Bosh score almost 70% of the team’s points. No one else averages more than 7.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, or 2.6 assists.

3. Boston Celtics

I have been skeptical of the Celtics this season. This is an old team. Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen are all at least 33 years old and Garnett looks quite different from the Minnesota version. The team also seems to be relying on 39-year-old Shaquille O’Neal to provide something more than nothing. All of those numbers greater than 30 add up to trouble, and O’Neal has only played five minutes since Feb. 1. Maybe Boston is just resting him in hopes that he’ll be able to provide a solid 20 minutes against the Heat, but I think those hopes are fleeting. It also goes without saying that this team could probably use Kendrick Perkins, even if they knew they wouldn’t be able to lock him up for the future. Jeff Green has provided 9.2 points off the Celtic bench and could make for a late round flyer in Fantasy Postseason drafts. Don’t undervalue Rajon Rondo because he is scoring just 10.6 points. His 11.2 assists give him decent value. Although Glen Davis has tailed off in April (8.2 points on 34.5% shooting, 3.7 rebounds), his March totals (13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds) are more indicative of his value and he could make a nice draft pick.

"5 And 5" Star Rated Players for 2011 NBA Playoff Fantasy

2011-04-09T18:39:00.000-04:00

There are only 4 players out of the 287 in our NBA playoff pool that have both 5-star position ratings and 5-star ratings on their team using our default scoring system. Here they are:

1. LeBron James F MIA
2. Derrick Rose G CHI
3. Dwight Howard C ORL
4. Kevin Durant F OKC

Indeed, there are some notable names that are missing. Kobe is not on the list because he is only slightly ahead of Pau Gasol and there are other strong fantasy options on the Lakers in Odom and Bynum. Wade didn't make it because of LeBron's out of this world fantasy numbers.

If you want to learn more about these rating systems, see the Fantasy Drafting and Relative Value Ratings post.

"5 And 5" Rated Players for 2011 NHL Playoff Fantasy

2011-04-09T18:26:00.000-04:00

Here are the NHL players that have both 5-star ratings at their position and 5-star ratings compared with other players on their team. Out of the 628 players in our NHL playoff player pool, only 7 meet this distinction.

1. Roberto Luongo G VAN
2. Sidney Crosby F PIT
3. Tim Thomas G BOS
4. Alex Ovechkin F WAS
5. Daniel Sedin F WAS
6. Jeff Carter F PHI
7. Steven Stamkos F TAM

See Fantasy Drafting and Relative Value Ratings for more information on Fantasy Postseason's 5-star rating system.

Rotoworld Joins the NBA Fantasy Postseason!

2011-04-08T17:00:00.007-04:00

We are pleased to announce that the NBA team at Rotoworld has created an NBA fantasy playoff league at fantasypostseason.com, and will be documenting their league experiences in the coming weeks. The first article from "Dr. A", is linked here.

For player news throughout the NBA playoffs, please be sure to closely monitor
Rotoworld (NBA) - their player advice has been an invaluable source of timely player info in our fantasy leagues for years.

Final Top Ten Scorers - College Basketball

2011-04-07T17:00:00.000-04:00

1) Kemba Walker/U Conn (230 pts)

2) Shelvin Mack/Butler (167.50 pts)

3) Tyler Zeller/UNC (159 pts)

4) Jamie Skeen/VCU (153 pts)

5) Jeremy Lamb/U Conn (150 pts)

6) Matt Howard/Butler (147 pts)

7) Derrick Williams/Arizona (138 pts)

8) Bradford Burgess/VCU (134 pts)

9) Alex Oriakhi/U Conn (129.50 pts)

10) Josh Harrellson/Kentucky (128 pts)

Congrats to U Conn and our Fantasy Postseason league champions.

Fantasy Hockey Player News

2011-04-01T15:00:00.004-04:00

This year we're excited to report that FantasyHockey.com will be providing player news for our NHL fantasy playoff leagues.

Top 10 Scorers prior to Sweet Sixteen

2011-03-22T22:45:00.003-04:00

Below are the top players for the 2011 college basketball tournament heading into the Sweet Sixteen (using our default scoring settings):

1) Kemba Walker/U Conn & Jimmer Fredette/BYU (89 pts)

3) JaJuan Johnson/Purdue (84 pts)

4) Tyler Zeller/UNC (78 pts)

5) John Henson/UNC (74 pts)

6) Harrison Barnes/UNC & Jacob Pullen/Kansas State (70 pts)

8) Billy White/San Diego State (65 pts)

9) Kawhi Leonard/San Diego State (62 pts)

10) Jordan Hamilton/Texas (61 pts)

Defending the First Four

2011-03-17T12:14:00.001-04:00

There has been a lot of complaining about the NCAA tournament’s First Four. Before I begin my defense of the past two day’s games, I’d like to state that I am a hard core college basketball fan. Like any hard core fan of anything, I suffer when casual fans talk about my thing. Do you think WoW players don’t go nuts when someone stands in a fire? Or that Bob Dylan fans can stand when someone complains about his nasally voice? They are missing the point that makes the thing great. So are fans who complaining about Tuesday and Wednesday night’s games.

Another admission: I like the idea of tournament expansion. I wrote about it here, but if you don’t want to read more of my words, I’ll boil it down for you: more elimination-style basketball is not a bad thing. We could just fold in the fairly useless NIT and other assorted postseason tournaments into the Big Dance. We could even call it the Bigger Dance. The casual fan said that it would be too much basketball (have they ever seen how many games there are every Saturday during the regular season) or that it was a blatant money grab by the NCAA. To the latter point, I say, “so what?” Why shouldn’t the NCAA grab as much money as they can? Wouldn’t it be un-American not to do that? The fact that they are making all of this money while keeping the money out of the pockets of the players is another matter (something I’ve also written about.)

Now, casual fans are whining about the First Four. First, there was this article on Deadspin, which asserts that the play-in games for the bubble teams ruined his bracket. Cry me a river. I am a big Bill Simmons fan, but he makes me cringe when he talks about college basketball. I listened to his podcast this morning and his complaints were that the teams were evenly matched in the First Four. Apparently, in order to facilitate his betting in the early rounds, he’d like the committee to make the games unevenly matched. He also complained about the games not being scheduled at the same time because that is a tenet of March Madness. My guess is that Simmons isn’t going to be happy when he learns about the staggered scheduling.

I guess people need a reason to whine about something. The First Four has not solved the annual outcry about teams snubbed by the committee, which wasn’t at all surprising. People love to get outraged by the bubble, don’t ask me why. Then people got upset when some of the First Four games weren’t competitive, although the first one was an excellent overtime game. VCU also had a nice showing in their win over USC. Good for them. I know a number of Ram fans who are already pleased by the First Four.

All in all, I think the First Four games came off well and added a nice wrinkle to the best sporting event on the calendar. Perhaps Georgetown and West Virginia were displeased by not knowing who they were going to play, but they come from the Big East and should be able to get by. Well, I am off to watch the “Second Round.”

One Person's NCAA Tournament Picks (Which Will Almost Certainly Be Wrong)

2011-03-15T12:26:00.005-04:00

Like fantasy football, there is a lot of luck to picking your NCAA bracket. You can study past tournaments, the teams, and the mascots, but none of them will help you as much as a crystal ball. Do you have a crystal ball? Well, I don’t, so I don’t put too much time on my picks. I just go with my gut and see how things turn out.

The smartest play is just to take the higher seeds. They are given better match ups by the committee for a good reason and the committee, whatever you may believe, is not a bunch of monkeys poking at a computer. Of course, just picking the higher seeds is boring and, to quote a Dead Milkmen song, “we’re daredevils. Just like our old men.” There is also the fact that if you actually hit on an upset pick, you’ll feel like a genius and you will remember it for years (like when I picked Drexel over Memphis in the 1996 tournament … not so many since then).

Despite my lack of confidence in my picks (my wife has beaten me in brackets competition in each of our ten years’ of marriage – so perhaps my lack of confidence is warranted), I feel the need to share them in a public forum. I have known for a month that I was going to pick a final of Ohio State and Kansas. It is boring, but they are the two best teams and I would really like to see them play. I’d also like to see Ohio State play Duke, so I put the Blue Devils in the Final Four as well. I know, I know – boring, but smart. To make things even duller in those three regionals, I went with North Carolina, San Diego State, and Purdue joining the three top seeds in the Elite Eight.

That gave me one region to play around with and I went wild! I am not impressed by the Big East in general and Pittsburgh in particular. I usually like the Panthers, but no one really stands out to me from nation’s biggest conference. I didn’t have any of the 11 Big East participants advancing to the Elite Eight (although I do have Marquette pulling off two upsets in the East over Xavier and Syracuse). Florida is somewhat overrated because they have an experience starting five. The parts don’t fit that well so that Chandler Parsons led the team in rebounds and assists, despite a plethora of guards and bigs that should be able to board and pass. Finally, there is Jimmer Fredette. He’s excellent, but I don’t think he can beat teams by himself. The top half of the bracket is going to be black and blue. Pitt and Wisconsin play slowly, but I think that plays into the hands of my upset pick: Old Dominion. The Monarchs knocked Notre Dame out of last year’s tournament and I think they’ll take care of Butler, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin in three games in which every possession is magnified.

On the bottom of the bracket, I am taking a huge flyer with Gonzaga. The Zags have a lot of interesting players and plenty of size. I think Steven Gray will recapture his November magic and Elias Harris will finally prove to be healthy. Center Robert Sacre can bang with anyone. Gonzaga’s first round opponent, St. John’s, will be missing their glue guy in D.J. Kennedy. BYU is missing Brandon Davies. Florida’s guards and pesky, but not the kind that can able to take advantage of the Zag backcourt. That leaves us with an incredible Monarch-Bulldog Elite Eight match up.

It could happen, but it probably won’t. Either way, I am going to watch and enjoy. I hope you do too.

"5 And 5" Star Rated Players for 2011 NCAA Tournament Fantasy

2011-03-14T16:04:00.007-04:00

Here are players that have both 5-star ratings at their position and 5-star ratings when compared with other players on their team. Out of the over 800 players in the NCAA bracket fantasy pool, there are only 8 with this distinction.

1. Marcus Morris F Kansas
2. Kawhi Leonard F San Diego State
3. Jimmer Fredette G BYU
4. Kemba Walker G UCONN
5. JaJuan Johnson C Purdue
6. Rick Jackson F Syracuse
7. Jon Leuer F Wisconsin
8. Jordan Taylor G Wisconsin

See Fantasy Drafting and Relative Value Ratings for more information on Fantasy Postseason's 5-star rating system.

Fantasy Drafting and Relative Value Ratings

2011-03-14T08:21:00.015-04:00

Winning in fantasy sports is all about understanding the relative value of players. At Fantasy Postseason, we offer a unique 5-star rating system that helps you figure out the relative value of players compared to other players at their position and compared with other players on their team. These ratings are calculated dynamically based upon your league's custom settings and can be a powerful tool in assisting you during draft time.

Position Rating

If your league contains positional roster requirements you want to pay attention to a player's Position Rating. You want to expend high draft picks on players that have a 4 or 5-star Position Rating. These players are standouts at their position.

Rating on Team

In postseason fantasy there is great emphasis placed on choosing the best players on teams that advance deep into the playoffs. A player's team rating gives you a sense for how well that player stacks up to other players on their same team. If a team is loaded with several really good players, these players will likely have a 3-star Team Rating. You should place less of a premium on these players and if possible, you should try to wait until later rounds before you draft them. However, if you have the opportunity to draft a 5-star player on a team that you think has a chance to win it all, you should snap up that player with a quickness.

College Basketball Tournament Player Pool

2011-03-13T23:14:00.002-04:00

This is now available at http://www.fantasypostseason.com

NCAA Tournament Players to Watch in the First Round

2011-03-13T09:33:00.002-04:00

Even though I’ve invested hours and hours into college basketball, I would never call myself an expert. There are just too many teams and players to ever really get one head wrapped around. Most experts, however, like to investigate “bracketology” and make predictions on which teams are going to make the NCAA tournament. I am more than content to let the committee do their job and select the pairings for the now 68 teams. That said, here are my five teams that are most likely to get snubbed by the committee. Nah, I am just kidding. Here is a list of five players who are unlikely to make it past the first round, but should be fun to watch on basketball’s greatest stage

Keith Benson, center, Oakland Golden Grizzles

Oakland will be a chic pick to upset whomever they play in the first round because they ran through the Summit league with a 17-1 record and had little trouble winning the conference tournament. Benson, a 6-foot-10 senior, is the biggest reason why (both literally and figuratively). The Golden Grizzly center averaged 18.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks. Fouls can be an issue and he did foul out of three games, but he has improved his ability to stay away from whistles. If Oakland were matched up in the first round against a team like BYU, Benson could have a big game and be a value pick.

Devin Gibson, guard, Texas-San Antonio Road Runners

The Road Runners were not the top seed in the Southland conference tournament, but they had the best player. Gibson, a 6-foot senior, had a triple-double (28 points, ten rebounds, ten assists) in the first round of the tournament and a 26-11-6 game in the second round. His teammates lifted him up against McNeese State in the final, but Gibson was bound to have an off game sooner or later. For the season, the Houston native averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.7 steals. It was the third time he had provided more than 80 steals in a season. UTSA did not play any likely NCAA teams, but Gibson will likely do all that he can to extend his collegiate career.

Kenneth Faried, forward/center, Morehead State Eagles

Faried is a well-known commodity in fantasy circles because he has been producing big numbers for the last three seasons. The 6-foot-8 postman led the nation in rebounding with 14.5 boards and also provided 17.6 points, 2.0 steals, and 2.4 blocks as a senior. He even has tournament experience from back in 2009 when the Eagles won the play-in game for the right to play Louisville in the first round. Faried had 14 points and 21 rebounds in the win over Alabama State and 14 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to the Cardinals. Morehead State will not likely be a 16-seed this year and Faried could have a big game if his first round opponent can not man up against him.

Orlando Johnson, guard, UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos

The Gauchos were just 8-8 in the Big West regular season and will likely be one of the bottom seeds in the conference, but they have Johnson and a slight reason to hope. The Loyola-Marymount transfer led the Big West in scoring at 21.1 points. Like Faried, he has experience losing in the first round of the tournament. Last year, the Gauchos represented the Big West and were beaten by Ohio State. Johnson scored 20 points in that game. In the Big West tournament, Johnson provided 85 points in three games and hit 50% of his three-pointers. He is on a hot streak and someone is going to have to guard him, even if he does have to play on Tuesday or Wednesday in one of the “First Four.”

Zeke Marshall, center, Akron Zips

If you only saw Marshall, a 7-foot sophomore, for one game this season and it was the MAC championship, you would have to think he has NBA potential. For one game, Marshall dominated like pundits thought he would prior to his freshman season. He had nine points, 13 rebounds, and nine blocks in the overtime win against Kent State to lead the Zips to the Big Dance. Unfortunately, the rest of his season was not quite as terrific. He routinely got into early foul trouble and managed averages of just 8.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. Marshall only played 22 minutes per game, so if he can stay on the court for 30 minutes, he could provide big first round returns.

Additional Fantasy Hockey Scoring Settings

2011-02-28T18:26:00.005-05:00

Per user request, we have added several additional hockey scoring settings to our playoff hockey fantasy game.

These new scoring settings for Skaters are:

Power Play Goal (PPG), Power Play Assist (PPA), Short Handed Goal (SHG), Short Handed Assist (SHA), Game Winning Goal (GWG), and Hits.

The new scoring settings for Goalies are:

Goals Against Average (GAA) <= 2.0, and Save % (SP) >= .920.

The goalie settings are threshold settings and points are award to fantasy players when those thresholds are met. For example, if a goalie has a 1.8 GAA for a game, that goalie will receive the points associated with the GAA <= 2.0 scoring setting.

College Basketball Fantasy Leagues

2011-02-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

College Basketball tournament league sign-ups at fantasypostseason.com are now open - create or join a league today! Drafts begin on Monday, March 14th.