Historically, the tight end position has not featured very many players who have helped sell NFL tickets, but in more recent years the position has evolved. There are now a number of tight ends who post impressive receiving numbers year in and year out. Here I rank the tight [...]]]> Nfl Tickets ? Fantasy: Top 5 Tight Ends

Historically, the tight end position has not featured very many players who have helped sell NFL tickets, but in more recent years the position has evolved. There are now a number of tight ends who post impressive receiving numbers year in and year out. Here I rank the tight ends who I think will turn in the five best fantasy performances this season.

1. Antonio Gates, San Diego: This collegiate basketball player turned NFL star is hands down the best tight end in the league. His combination of speed, size, hands and the ability to use his body make him basically uncoverable. Gates is quarterback Philip Rivers’ favorite target and consistently puts up incredible numbers for a tight end. He’s one of the many players on the Chargers whose playmaking ability help sell NFL tickets in San Diego.

2. Jason Witten, Dallas: Witten is Tony Romo’s number two option behind Terrell Owens. Witten is big, strong and has great hands. In Dallas’ pass-happy offense, Witten gets plenty of balls thrown his way. He’ll consistently put up top-tier tight end numbers for years to come.

3. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis: Peyton Manning and the Colts love to run two-tight end sets and Clark is one of Manning’s favorite targets. If Marvin Harrison has trouble staying healthy again, the team is going to depend heavily on Clark. He had a breakout season in 2007 and should only improve in 2008.

4. Kellen Winslow, Cleveland: We all know he’s “a soldier,” but he’s also the son of one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game, Kellen Winslow Sr. Winslow has the talent to be the best tight end in the league and has put together some really good seasons thus far. His athleticism and speed are off the charts for a player of his size and strength, making him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.

5. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City: This receiving tight end trend is so new that there was a time in Gonzo’s career that he was pretty much the only consistent receiving threat in the NFL other than Shannon Sharpe. He’s not the first guy to do it, but he’s seemed to help usher in its acceptance more than any other player. Tony is not what he used to be, but he’s still a top five fantasy tight end. Quarterback Brodie Croyle should use him a lot.

Some up and coming tight ends I’d also keep an eye on are Vernon Davis and Heath Miller. Never has the NFL had so many tight ends so skilled in the passing game. These guys serve as an extra receiver and make the game more exciting, only increasing sales in NFL tickets.

norman tugwater and adrian peterson share details on their first business meeting.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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NFL teams are starting to report to training camp. The first team to have the full team report was the Washington Redskins on the 20th. They started off training camp with an injury to Phillip Daniels one of their starting defensive ends. Luckily for [...]]]> In Fantasy Football, the Most Important Thing is to Do a Little Homework

NFL teams are starting to report to training camp. The first team to have the full team report was the Washington Redskins on the 20th. They started off training camp with an injury to Phillip Daniels one of their starting defensive ends. Luckily for them, the Miami Dolphins have been looking to trade Jason Taylor and they filled their needs for the fairly low price of a couple of draft picks. The Giants were just able to trade Jeremy Shockey for a couple of draft picks.

But, the best part of the NFL season is about to start – fantasy football. It’s the time when you dream that you have the money to have your own NFL franchise, enjoy beating your friends with your team, and maybe winning a couple of dollars for winning in the playoffs. It is also a good way to network and meet people from all parts of the world.

In fantasy football, the most important thing is to do a little homework and figure out what players you want to draft. The first couple of rounds are easy. Everyone is taking Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Tom Brady. The fun part is trying to uncover value in the later rounds. Who do you think is going to have a break out year? Will a new coach or offensive coordinator help or hurt the players on a certain team? Or is a rookie just going make a quick impact like Adrian Peterson did last year?

104inc.com is a team of websites that can help you win. Some of the sites in the 104inc family are 104Football or 104Baseball. If you want to know a little about sports, 104inc can help you.

The best fantasy football players are generally the guys who sell the most NFL tickets. Here I rank the wideouts who I think will turn in the five best fantasy performances this season.

1. Randy Moss, New England: There is no way you can’t put Moss at the top of [...]]]> Nfl Tickets ? Fantasy: Top 5 Wide Receivers

The best fantasy football players are generally the guys who sell the most NFL tickets. Here I rank the wideouts who I think will turn in the five best fantasy performances this season.

1. Randy Moss, New England: There is no way you can’t put Moss at the top of this list considering the record-breaking season he put together last year. Tom Brady loves to go to Moss, especially with the deep ball and Randy should put up another big year. He won’t duplicate last season’s stats, but he should remain as top dog as far as fantasy pass-catchers go.

2. Terrell Owens, Dallas: Normally you’d expect a 34-year-old receiver to begin a steady decline in his production, but T.O. isn’t normal. The guy is a physical specimen and might be in better shape than anyone else in the NFL. He’s part of one of the most potent offenses in the league and has a quarterback in Tony Romo that loves to get him the ball. He’s a touchdown machine and there’s no reason to think he’s going to slow down just yet. Even superhuman T.O. will get old someday, but I don’t see it happening this season. Get your popcorn ready and get some NFL tickets to see this guy play.

3. Braylon Edwards, Cleveland: Braylon is one of the most talented wide receivers in the league, and showed that in his breakout campaign in 2007. He’s Derek Anderson’s go-to guy and there’s no reason to think that he won’t build on last season’s performance. He’s got an incredible combination of size, speed, route running, hands and work ethic. He’s got what it takes to be one of the greats. If Derek Anderson is the real deal, Braylon will not disappoint.

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona: I’d put him higher if the quarterback situation in Arizona was on more solid ground. Leinart doesn’t have the best arm strength and Kurt Warner is 86 years old. Fitzgerald is one of the best receivers in the game and should put up great yardage numbers, but he needs to find the end zone more often.

5. Andre Johnson, Houston: When this guy is healthy, it’s scary how good he is. I’ve never seen a guy of his size and strength that is as fast as he is. QB Matt Shaub loves to go to him and there isn’t a corner in the league that can shut down Johnson. Expect big things if he stays on the field.

I’d also keep an eye out for resurgent years from Torry Holt and Steve Smith. These receivers make spectacular catches on a weekly basis that have fans clamoring to get NFL tickets.

This is a Sports Betting fantasy. What if Super Bowl XL were replayed today – before the 2006 season begins, but after the off-season moves? Would the Steelers manage to repeat their dominating defensive performance, as they did in their 21-10 victory last February? Or [...]]]> Sports Betting Fantasy? What If The Super Bowl Could Be Re-Played Today

This is a Sports Betting fantasy. What if Super Bowl XL were replayed today – before the 2006 season begins, but after the off-season moves? Would the Steelers manage to repeat their dominating defensive performance, as they did in their 21-10 victory last February? Or would the Seattle Seahawks show the world that they just had one bad game and were defeated on any given Sunday?

Let’s take a look at the personnel changes for each team in the off-season. For the Steelers, 3 starters were lost to free agency (Chris Hope, Kimo von Oelhoffen and Antwaan Randle El). Additionally, Jerome “The Bus” Bettis made his final stop at the Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit. Although Bettis did not make much of an impact on the field, Randle El did throw a 43-yd touchdown pass on a trick play reverse to Hines Ward for the knockout blow in the 4th quarter of the game. Hope and von Oelhoffen were key components to a “bend but don’t break” defense that allowed nearly 400 yards in the game, but held the Seahawks to 5-17 on third down. Replacing these departed players this season will be first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes (WR for Randle El), Washington free agent Ryan Clark (FS for Hope) and 2005 backup end Travis Kirschke (DE for von Oelhoffen). All in all, the players the Steelers lost were much better than the ones they replaced them with. The emotional impact of Bettis as team leader also cannot be measured.

The Seahawks did lose three significant players from the Super Bowl squad: Steve Hutchinson (G), Andre Dyson (CB) and Marquand Manuel (FS). However, the players brought in to replace them are not a significant downgrade at each position. Seattle used its first round draft pick on Univ of Miami CB, Kelly Jennings. Jennings will likely split time with veteran Kelly Herndon. Veteran Erict Pruitt will fill in dutifully for Manuel and Floyd Womack should fulfill the expectations placed on him several years ago in replacing Hutchinson. Perhaps the most significant off-season move could be the acquisition of Niners free agent linebacker, Julian Peterson. Once a dominant force that had to be accounted for on every play, Peterson has been slowed by injuries and attitude problems. If Peterson can return to his old form, you can practically punch Seattle’s return ticket to Super Bowl XLI.

So if they kicked it off today, how would it come out? I like the moves the Seahawks made in the off-season to improve an already great team. In this era of free agency, a team can always expect to lose a couple of key components. However, on paper at least, it appears that the Steelers lost a little more than the Seahawks. I also don’t think you can underestimate the impact of losing Bettis, either. Ii felt that the Steelers got a little lucky to catch the Seahawks on a bad day in Super Bowl XL, and don’t think it would happen twice. My prediction would be 31-14, with Seattle marching up and down the field with little difficulty.

Related Fantasy Sports Articles

It might be January, but it’s not too early to start thinking about fantasy baseball and Dr. Stat is here to prepare you for draft day. Every week, I’ll be posting one or two new sections of my 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit until I’ve covered every [...]]]> Dr. Stat’s 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit: Second Basemen Rankings

It might be January, but it’s not too early to start thinking about fantasy baseball and Dr. Stat is here to prepare you for draft day. Every week, I’ll be posting one or two new sections of my 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit until I’ve covered every position. Here are my early 2009 top 25 players at the 2B position. I posted my 1B/DH Rankings earlier this week.

Statistical Key: Batting Average/Home Runs/Runs Batted In/Runs Scored/Steals

Note: Assumes Standard 12-team Head-to-Head or Roto League Settings

1. Chase Utley -  Philadelphia Phillies

He may have turned 30 last month and is coming off of hip surgery, but Utley remains the epitome of what you want from the second base position. While his average dipped in 2008, he still homered a career-high 33 times and drove in 104 runs, both tops at his position. Be aware that he might not be fully recovered from the surgery by Opening Day, but don’t let that stop you from making him the first 2B off the board on draft day.

2008 Stats: .292/33/104/113/14

2009 Projections: .311/31/108/111/16

2. Ian Kinsler – Texas Rangers

You could make a legitimate case for Kinsler to be ranked #1 and I wouldn’t argue with you. He was having a massive season before a sports hernia derailed him after 121 games. His ability to hit for both power and average and steal bases makes him a roto beast and a 30/30 season is completely possible. If you draft him ahead of Utley, I won’t blame you. He’s four years younger that the Philadelphia second baseman and has the edge on the basepaths, but Utley hits for a little more power and posts a better OPS. Overall, you can’t go wrong with either guy.

2008 Stats: .319/18/71/102/26

2009 Projections: .309/20/84/105/33

3. Dusin Pedroia - Boston Red Sox

Yes, he astounded us all and won the AL MVP Award. However, that doesn’t automatically make him a first or second round fantasy pick. There’s no denying that he posted an outstanding season, but don’t get carried away. No, I’m not doubting the guy, as I think we’ve all learned not to do that. He’s a top-35 pick in standard leagues. If your league counts statistics like total bases or extra base hits, he’s even more valuable. Either way, he’s the third best player at his position and should be drafted as such.

2008 Stats: .326/17/83/118/20

2009 Projections: .316/19/88/104/17

4. Brian Roberts – Baltimore Orioles

The dude gets no love, yet puts up one consistent season after another. Among all second basemen in 2008, Roberts was first in stolen bases and walks, second in doubles and triples and third in hits, runs and OBP. The only way we’d like him more is if he was traded to the Cubbies.

2008 Stats: .296/9/57/107/40

2009 Projections: .302/10/62/110/43

5. Brandon Phillips – Cincinnati Reds

His average hurts him, but he went 20-20 for the third straight season and plays in a hitters park. If only he could even out his hot and cold spells (his monthly averages ranged from .200 to .292), he’d be more reliable. A season similar to 2007, in which he hit .288 with 30 homers, 94 RBIs and 32 stolen bases, is not at all out of the question.

2008 Stats: .261/21/78/80/23

2009 Projections: .274/24/86/91/27

6. Robinson Cano – New York Yankees

Robbie’s 2008 campaign was painful to watch, but he did hit .307 after the All-Star break. He’ll need to remember how to hit much earlier this year to justify drafting him where I’ve ranked him, but I’m expecting a bounce-back season from Cano. If he doesn’t have to spend the rest of the season digging himself out of a .151 April, he’ll be more relaxed at the plate and therefore more productive. Last season he got drafted too high, while this season he’ll likely get drafted too low.

2008 Stats: .271/14/72/70/2

2009 Projections: .289/18/81/79/4

7. Dan Uggla – Florida Marlins

After Uggla’s huge first half, I recommended selling him high at the All-Star Break. He went on to post a .226/9/33 second half and led all 2B with 171 strikeouts. He’s the Ryan Howard of his position, but can’t be passed on because of his 30/100 potential. Just prepare yourself for plenty of swings and misses along the way.

2008 Stats: .260/32/92/97/5

2009 Projections: .268/30/93/102/7

8. Alexei Ramirez – Chicago White Sox

It would be easy to get carried away and draft this kid way too high, but control yourself on draft day. While his rookie season was undoubtedly impressive, he carries with him the risk of the dreaded sophomore slump. If he can avoid lengthy cold spells and take a few more bases on balls (one every 27 at-bats), he’ll be a potent pick. Shortstop eligibility will only help matters. At 27 years old, it will be fun to watch what he can do in his first full season. Just don’t overpay.

2008 Stats: .290/21/77/65/13

2009 Projections: .285/24/84/77/15

9. Jose Lopez – Seattle Mariners

Another player who doesn’t get near the respect he deserves (most likely because he plays in Seattle), Lopez finished second in hits, third in RBIs, and fifth in AVG and doubles among all players at his position. At just 25 years old and coming off his best season as a pro, there’s no reason to think he can’t produce similar numbers in ‘09. He should be the second Mariners player off the board come draft day, after Ichiro of course.

2008 Stats: .297/17/89/80/6

2009 Projections: .289/19/94/86/8

10. Mark DeRosa – Cleveland Indians

The game’s ultimate utility player, DeRosa’s 11th major league season produced power numbers that we had never seen from him before. While he might not hit 20+ homers in his first season in Cleveland, he’ll play all over the diamond and produce worthy fantasy numbers once again. You can’t put a price tag on multi-positional eligibility, which is what truly makes him even more valuable.

2008 Stats: .285/21/87/103/6

2009 Projections: .281/16/76/88/4

11. Placido Polanco – Detroit Tigers

It’s hard to argue with a guy who’s always flirting with a .300 average and 100 runs and can be taken late on draft day. If your strategy is to get the power and RBI men earlier in the draft and fill your role positions late, Polanco is your man. He’s 33 years old and his numbers will likely drop off slightly again in 2009, but he’s a reliable player from a position that is anything but after the top 10.

2008 Stats: .307/8/58/90/7

2009 Projections: .310/6/55/82/7

12. Mike Aviles -  Kansas City Royals

Is this guy for real? .325/.354/.480 in 102 games? He’s 5′9″ and 27 years old and entering his first full season in the pros. What we appreciated about him last season was his consistency. He hit .330 in June and July, .339 in August and .308 in September. While he doesn’t hit for power (he homered once every 41.9 at-bats), he’s productive in the hits, average and extra-base hits categories and even sprinkles in some stolen bases for good measure. Plus, he has shortstop eligibility.

2008 Stats: .325/10/51/68/8

2009 Projections: .306/13/66/78/11

13. Mike Fontenot, Chicago Cubs- With Mark DeRosa gone, this sleeper should be the Cubs Opening Day second baseman after going for .305/9/40/42/2 in 119 games last season. I may have him ranked a bit high here, but he’s shown he can hit and bats in one of baseball’s best lineups.

14. Orlando Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks- Oh, if the O-Dog could only stay healthy! Hudson played in just 107 games last season, but still posted respectable numbers. He’s a top-ten 2B when he’s healthy, but has averaged 135 games over the past six seasons.

15. Keylly Johnson, Atlanta Braves- An all-around decent producer at a very thin position. In a phrase, you know what you’re getting when you draft him.

16. Akinori Iwamura, Tampa Bay Rays- Little pop, but finished seventh in runs, eighth in hits and first in triples among all second basemen. Unfortunately, only Uggla struck out more times.

17. Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels- His M.O. is hits and average, neither of which he can give us if he can’t stay on the field.

18. Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays- A concussion limited him to just 55 games in 2008. Is a season similar to 2007 (.291/17/78) in the cards?

19. Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers- So much promise, yet so much disappointment. His 20-20 potential isn’t worth it if he can’t hit even .240.

20. Alexi Casilla, Minnesota Twins- Respectable numbers (.281/7/50/58/7) in 98 games last season, including three months over .300 until he hit .228 over his last 36 games. What he can produce over an entire season remains to be seen.

21. Clint Barmes, Colorado Rockies- If he can hit over .300 again and avoid any off the field mishaps, he’ll be a fine late-round pick in deep leagues.

22. Felipe Lopez, Arizona Diamondbacks- He’s only hit double-digit homers once in nine seasons and can’t steal bases like he used to. A revamped season in the desert is a pipe dream.

23. Jeff Kent, Free Agent- The veteran is currently a free agent will turn 41 in March. Retirement may be more likely than a full-time job anywhere, but he can still hit the baseball.

24. Kazuo Matsui, Houston Astros- Can hit and run, but has played in 100 or more games just twice in six years and never more than 114.

25. Mark Ellis, Oakland Athletics- Will surgery on his right shoulder completely kill his ability to drive the ball?

Though I generally don’t buy systems for a single game, Final Fantasy X was pretty much -the- reason I got a ps2 a few years back. After the outstanding FFIX, I was wondering if they could top it. The short answer is “almost”. As you all know, you can’t really say a certain [...]]]> Final Fantasy X Review.

Though I generally don’t buy systems for a single game, Final Fantasy X was pretty much -the- reason I got a ps2 a few years back. After the outstanding FFIX, I was wondering if they could top it. The short answer is “almost”. As you all know, you can’t really say a certain Final Fantasy is better than another (unless it’s 7, because that’s the single worst one in the series). Most of them have different fighting systems from eachother, none up until recently have been sequels of eachother, and they’re just plain different altogether. Final Fantasy X sure as heck is different in a lot of ways. For one, it did away with leveling up more or less. I know, I was surprised too. Even better is how it brought in the ability to switch your characters in and out of fights at all times. Why did it take 10 games for them to finally do that? Then there’s the voice actors for all the major and some secondary characters, breath taking FMVs that still hold up 5 years later, a great cast of characters, fun side-quests, no overworld map, a freakin’ sports mini-game, and one of the most talked about endings in gaming history, and you’ve got a sure winner.

Sadly, you take up the role of one of the sissiest rpg characters to date- Tidus. It’s not so much that he’s a sissy for dumb reasons- his dad never showed any affection for him as a child, and left without a trace years ago. But it’s more in his voice. See, Tidus sounds like Michael J. Fox if he were 17. Yeah, not good. But Tidus is a star Blitzball player (think water polo and rugby combined) who’s in the middle of a big game when suddenly, out of nowhere, comes a massive attack on his city of Zanarkand. Everything around him begins to be destroyed, and he barely comes out of it alive. After getting a sword from his guardian, Auron (quite possibly the most bad-ass FF character ever), the two begin to fight of monsters that are spawn from Sin, a huge squid-like creature that’s causing the chaos. Soon though, the two are seperated via a portal, and Tidus meets up with a traveling group known as the Al Bhed. After a little while, they get seperated as well, and this time, Tidus ends up on the shore of a calm island…with Blitzball players. Where the hell is he? That’s a good question. Apparently, Zanarkand was destroyed many years ago according to anyone that he asks. After making friends with Wakka, the captain of a Blitzball team (who has never won a game in all the years they’ve been playing no less), he’s taken to a town where a summoner is beginning her pilgrimage. Yuna, the daughter of a summoner who defeated Sin a few years ago to bring a calm to their world, is going to try to stop Sin as well. She’s accompanied with her other guardians, Lulu and Kimahri. Lulu is a sexy black mage who puts Garnet and any other rpg vixen to shame, and Kimahri is supposed to be the strongman of the group. I’ll get more into him later on. They head out, looking for Sin and helping those who have suffered at its hand while Tidus looks for answers to his questions. It won’t be an easy trip- religion plays a key part of the plot, and there are fiends everywhere. For once, a Final Fantasy has a reason for the monsters: fiends are spirits of the dead that refused to rest. We find out early on that Yuna has to send the spirits away to the Farplane in order for them to rest.

Kiss leveling up via experience good-bye, because it’s all a matter of Spheres now. After fights, you’ll earn a certain amount of AP that goes towards how many spaces you can move on the Sphere Grid, a massive chart full of bonuses and moves for your characters to gain. You will use Strength, Magic, Speed, Luck and other Spheres to level your stats up now. What’s cool is that your characters are all fairly balanced early on with their moves. Wakka is the most accurate fighter, Lulu’s black magic kills fiends who are strong against physical attacks, Rikku can steal, Yuna can summon and heal, Auron’s a freakin’ sentinel, Tidus is fairly fast, and Kimahri…well, he can be an extra target. But after you gain enough AP and Spheres, you can have them all doing whatever moves you’d like. Wakka could use healing magic, Auron could cast Ultima, and Lulu could be as strong as the heavy hitters physically. Many say that Kimahri is “the first real customizable character”, but I don’t see it that way. True, his placement on the grid allows him to be anyone you want since he doesn’t have any one stat he’s best at, but god, give the guy something better than being closest to Rikku’s side. If you manage to level him up enough, he can steal an hour or two before you get Rikku to join the party. At best, he’s a poor man’s Rikku, and that’s not much. Kimahri is a blue mage, being able to use a select few attacks that enemies use. None of which are useful, though it’s funny how his strongest attack is Self-Destruct, which has him blow himself up on an enemy. And for added comedy, have Kimahri use an item in battle. He uses it by scratching his caboose. The air ship here is a hell of a lot better than previous ones. Eliminating a true overworld map to wander on, you just select your destination from the ship’s map, and you’re there. Essentially, it does what previous ships did, but minus the slow flying around and landing just right to reach those strangely deployed buildings. You can also customize weapons and armor to your delight. Do you want more than 9,999 HP? Go on and do it. Want Auto-Haste? Go nuts. Want to be cheap like me and have Auron’s armor consist of Break HP Limit, Auto-Haste, Auto-Protect, and Auto-Shell? Be my guest. Overdrive attacks are toned down a little bit in this installment, not being anywhere near as cheap as a certain Gunblade move. Though Wakka is the strongest character of the game, and quite possibly any FF. His Attack Reels can hit the enemy for up to 12 times, and if you have Break Damage Limit, that’s a lot of damage. Finally, I was surprised at how mature Square managed to make X’s story while keeping it light hearted for the most part. The idea of a religion becoming corrupt and nothing but lies is something very few games have approached.

When it was released, X was the top of the food chain. The in-game graphics were unrivaled, and it took a lot to happen on-screen at once in order for any slowdown in the 30 fps. Backgrounds were beautiful, and some didn’t even look like they were pre-rendered. Character models are all unique and have a vast supply of animations, and spell effects couldn’t look any better. But then there’s the FMVs. To this day, I haven’t seen an FMV that matches the sheer awesomeness of the one where Auron makes a comeback and takes on a fiend. The sound is equally fanstastic, consisting of a flawless soundtrack and mostly good voice actors. Like I’ve already mentioned, Tidus’ voice actor could’ve been done better by Steve Irwin, the Croc Hunter. I’d like to know how bad the others were that he beat out for the part, because that must’ve taken skill. Everyone else does great though. Wakka, the happy-go-lucky Blitzball player is surprisingly voiced by the guy who did Bender on Futurama. Yuna’s voice matches her part, as do Rikku and Lulu’s. And Auron sounds perfect. His voice could’ve ruined his character, but luckily, that didn’t happen. The supporting voice actors do great too, and I recognized a few that I’ve heard on various animated shows.

X definately isn’t for everyone. People are still making fun of Tidus, complaining about the lack of an overworld map, and I don’t think anyone’s settled on a definate conclusion to the plot and how everything ended up the way it did. But for those who can accept change in what was becoming a stale series, it’s a breath of fresh air.

Read more Final Fantasy X Reviews

Fantasy Sports Girl Candace has a Part 2 look at who to sit and start in some of this weekends matchups in the NFC. Get all your fantasy football updates this season @www. fantasysportsgirl.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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A park that a player hits in will certainly effect his fantasy baseball stats since he gets to play in that park half of the time. A good fantasy baseball manager takes this into consideration when picking players who have changed teams for [...]]]> Fantasy Baseball Ballparks Effect Hitters Stats; Look Who Will Post Big Numbers in 2008

A park that a player hits in will certainly effect his fantasy baseball stats since he gets to play in that park half of the time. A good fantasy baseball manager takes this into consideration when picking players who have changed teams for the new season.

Another factor is whom to play in that particular week. If one of your part timers is playing in Philly and Cincy that week, you may want to give him a shot on your major league roster.

When it comes to analyzing parks for the best chances for success, Fantasy Baseball Dugout has done much of the homework for you.

According to The Sporting News, the following seven ballparks were considered hitters parks.

1. Citizen’s Bank Park (Philadelphia) — 241 homeruns in 81 games last year! Babe Ruth must have wished he hit here, with steroids instead of hot dogs and beer.

2. Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati) — didn’t the Reds old stadium look the same as the Phillies? This was their answer?

3. Coors Field (Colorado) — we’ve all heard about the thin air there. If Juan Pierre played here half the season, he’d probably have had a homerun last year (Pierre had 668 at bats last year and no dingers).

4. Yankee Stadium (New York) — of course, a lot of this stat has to do with the season that A-Rod had last year.

5. Comerica Park (Detroit) — had Gary Sheffield not had that collision with Placido Polanco last year, these numbers may have been higher.

6. US Cellular Field (Chicago White Sox) — Since 1999, there have been more than 200 dingers hit here every season!

7. Miller Park (Milwaukee) — led by boppers like Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, the Brew Crew out-homered the NL average by 62 homers last year.

So whom do we see as hitters who may benefit from park changes this season? I guess you could call these guys hitting sleepers for 208. Let’s take a look:

1. Nick Swisher (Chicago White Sox) — Swisher hit 78 dingers in the past three years while playing in Oakland’s cavernous McAfee Coliseum. A move to US Cellular Field will help Swisher’s homerun totals. It is possible also that Swisher will hit # 2 in the lineup behind Orlando Cabrera and in front of Jim Thome and Paul Konerko. If that’s the case, Swish is going to get some pitches to hit.

2. Mike Cameron (Milwaukee) — Cameron, a 13 year vet, enjoyed his most productive power season in ‘04 with the Mets when he banged out 30 homers. He had 21 and 22 the past two seasons in the MLB’s worst hitting park–Petco. In Milwaukee, he will return to those 30 homerun totals despite hitting lower in the lineup and seeing less good pitches.

3. Jacque Jones (Detroit) — Jones should benefit from playing at Comerica. After an injury plagued 2007 season when he hit just five homers, Jones will likely hit in the # 9 spot which should help his totals as well.

4. Pedro Feliz (Philadelphia) — Anytime a player gets traded to Philly, he’s got to be looked at as possibly having a better season. The former Giant will patrol third base except when Charlie Manuel wants to put in non-fan favorite Wes Helms. Feliz has been a mark of consistency with 22-20-22-20 homers in the past four seasons. Look for Feliz to love that left field porch in front of Harry the K’s restaurant at the Bank.

5. Cliff Floyd (Tampa Bay) — FBD has always been in awe of the raw power of the 6-4, 230 pound, left handed hitting Floyd. It will be interesting to see what the Rays do with the veteran on a team that should be more competitive this season. Floyd will see some action in right field or at DH with right handed hitting Jonny Gomes who had 17 homers last year, but hit just .244 last year and Rocco Baldelli. If the Rays fall out of the race early, however, the veteran Floyd’s playing time may suffer.

6. Ryan Zimmerman (Washington) — No, the former Virginia Cavalier has not been traded, but the new Nationals Park in Washington will help this up and coming star. The Nationals old park was more suited for a football field (which it was). FBD is expecting the new park to show a homerun bump for all the Nationals players over last year.

7. Milton Bradley (Texas) — Bradley played in two pitchers’ parks last season, Oakland and San Diego, where he popped 13 homers in just 209 AB’s. Bradley should get more opportunities with the Rangers this year and will be in a key RBI spot, the 5 hole, in the Texas lineup.

8. Geoff Jenkins (Philadelphia) — The left handed hitting Jenkins was an off-season pickup from the Brewers. He has hit 212 homers in the past ten seasons. He will platoon in right field with right handed hitting Jayson Werth who was a big part of the Phillies late season surge last year.

9. Austin Kearns (Washington) — At 6-3, 245, Kearns is built for power. He played in 161 games last year and hit 16 homeruns. Kearns is going to love the new Nationals Park.

10. Lastings Milledge (Washington) — Milledge is a good all around player who is going to get his chance in center field with the Nationals after being acquired from the Mets along with Paul LoDuca. Elijah Dukes, acquired from the Rays, may push Milledge for some playing time, but Milledge should have the edge.

As you are anlyzing your fantasy baseball draft plans, be sure to bump up the stats of the ten hitters listed above. They will all have stronger years in 2008 based on their more hitter-friendly ballparks.

I have had the opportunity to play many different video games. The violence in some is just incredible, and in many ways very scary and worrisome. For the most part, I have grouped video games into two categories for myself. One is Fantasy and the other is reality. Reality games [...]]]> World Of Warcraft – Fantasy Vs Reality

I have had the opportunity to play many different video games. The violence in some is just incredible, and in many ways very scary and worrisome. For the most part, I have grouped video games into two categories for myself. One is Fantasy and the other is reality. Reality games are games that have been created from an event such as a war that actually took place or a certain type of group such as the police, or maybe simply playing as a gang member. Let\’s not forget the road racing games and sports, which are a few of the games we can classify as non-violent.

The second types of games are fantasy games, which are best described as science fiction Themes. They can be space games, or they can be a witches and wizards type of games, which is where World of Warcraft would fall into.

Both games, if played enough with enough focus and with enough intensity can make you believe that you are actually in the game or part of it, the actions you make the game make are actions you are really doing. This is the scary part because I believe a reality game can make someone mix the game with what is going on right in front of their face. A fantasy game, sure you can believe you\’re in it, but it\’s harder to believe that when your walking around in the park that the game is in front of your face.

Case in Point: a good example of a reality game is Grand Theft Auto, which is a very controversial game. I\’ll admit it, I\’ve played it, and I\’ve had fun, but it really concerns me what the meaning is behind the game and how real it truly is. I work in Law Enforcement now and for anyone who has played that game they know that the police are often killed. I can\’t play that game anymore because the reality of that fact is too real for me.

If I had to choose between the two types of video games reality or Fantasy I would much rather watch someone, or more specific a younger person play a fantasy game than a reality game because sure, it probably still has violence, but it still is a problem solving game, which are the ones I like to play, and it does not connect reality to the actions you are playing.

There have been a number of violent crimes that have been at least attempted to be connected to the perpetrator playing some sort of violent game. Most of the games I have heard about involved in these types of cases would fall into the reality type of games. I can\’t say I have ever heard someone in court say \”I killed someone because I played World of Warcraft\”
 
It\’s a problem that honestly is not going to go away because violence is an unfortunate part of human nature. Violent games sell, so as long as people are willing to buy them, people will be willing to make them, and as technology keeps getting better than the reality of games and the violence included in them will keep getting more real.

The only solution is to monitor the people who play them such as children. If something just isn\’t right about how they are acting, maybe its time for a game adjustment. World of Warcraft is great so if you have to choose between games, I would suggest to stay in the Fantasy types or non-violent games all together.

The first thing you want to do to play fantasy baseball is find, or form, a fantasy baseball league. Ten to twelve teams is usually the norm in a league, though you may have anywhere from four to 24 teams in a given league. Each team in the fantasy league must consist [...]]]> How To Play Fantasy Baseball

The first thing you want to do to play fantasy baseball is find, or form, a fantasy baseball league. Ten to twelve teams is usually the norm in a league, though you may have anywhere from four to 24 teams in a given league. Each team in the fantasy league must consist of 23 players. Many of the leagues you will find use only American or National League players, so the number of quality players is limited.

Your team’s roster will consist of nine pitchers, five outfielders, two catchers, one player for each of the three bases, a middle infielder, one corner man, and a miscellaneous player (designated hitter in AL based fantasy leagues, utility man in NL based fantasy leagues.

Players: Choosing Your Team

Each owner is given a list of players, and their eligible positions on draft day. There are two methods used to select your team in a fantasy baseball league. One method is the draft method, the other is the auction method.

Draft method- The teams are arranged in a random order. Following this order, owners take turns selecting players until all teams have twenty three players. The draft order is usually reversed for even numbered rounds. Before drafting starts, decide if the league will wipe the slate clean for the next season, or whether it will protect seven to fifteen players.

Auction method- In the auction method, each fantasy baseball team owner will start with 260 units of credit. Owners will take turns opening bids on players. Bidding proceeds, as with a normal auction, until only the highest bidder remains. Bidding will have a minimum increase of one unit of credit. With the auction method, you can force teams to stay under the 260 credit unit salary cap, or allow the purchase of remaining players once the bidding is complete and the owners have their teams completed.

Players and Their Eligibility

A player may play any position that he played in at least 20 major-league games the previous year. If he doesn’t have a position that he did play 20 times, he is eligible for the position he played the most often. The player is also allowed to play any position that he may appear in through the season.

How Fantasy Baseball is Scored

Cumulative scoring system-
There are a total of eight categories each team will be scored on. These are batting averages (pitcher excluded), home runs, runs batted, stolen bases, run average, wins, saves, and WHIP (Walks and Hits divided by total Innings Pitched). At the end of the season, each team is ranked from first to last in each category. In a ten team league, first place in each category will receive ten points. Second place receives nine, so on and so forth. The champion of the league is determined by the highest score at the end of the year.

Head to head scoring system-
Based on the same eight categories, teams play a game each week with another franchise. Each team will receive a point for each category they win, and ties are thrown away. Alternatively, teams can receive two points for wins, and one point for ties. If tied games will not be allowed to stand, strikeouts, doubles, runs, triples, and home team wins are excellent tie breaking categories.

The Doctor is in! This is designed to be more than just a summary of the past week’s hottest and coldest MLB fantasy players. The Fantasy Thermometer is here to provide deeper analysis and make you aware of current trends that go beyond looking at rankings and weekly performances. I [...]]]> Dr. Stat’s Fantasy Thermometer: June 10th, 2008

The Doctor is in! This is designed to be more than just a summary of the past week’s hottest and coldest MLB fantasy players. The Fantasy Thermometer is here to provide deeper analysis and make you aware of current trends that go beyond looking at rankings and weekly performances. I want this to be as helpful as possible to fantasy readers, so your comments and feedback are encouraged, as they will help me to determine how to compile The Fantasy Thermometer each week. This week includes a new format, as I’ve compiled a hot starting lineup, two hot starting pitchers and one hot relief pitcher. I’ve included a short list of cold, underachieving players as well. Thanks for reading; all comments are appreciated.

WHO’S HOT ON DR. STAT’S THERMOMETER

Catcher: Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay Rays

Over the past month, he’s hit .360 (89 at-bats). Last week, he hit .333 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs. He’s been fairly consistent all season. Despite having fewer at-bats, Navarro is 9th among catchers in RBIs, is hitting .349 and has played almost every day since the last week of April.

First Base: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Philles

After a dreadful April (.168, 5 HR, 12 RBI), Howard hit .238 in May, with 10 HRs and 30 RBIs. Those are the numbers, along with an absurd number of strikeouts, that we expect from the former MVP. He’s always been one to start cold, and then heat up over the last four months of the season. All signs point to the usual happening again this summer.

Second Base: Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers

Playing for the Rangers and not being named Josh Hamilton doesn’t get you much respect. However, Ian Kinsler is one of the game’s brightest young players. For all players who qualify as second basemen, Kinsler is first in runs, second in steals and third in RBIs. He had a 19-game hitting streak going and had 2 or more hits in six of his last nine games.

Third Base: Joe Crede, Chicago White Sox

Last weeks numbers (.524, 5 HR, 12 HR, 9 R) are impressive, but were boosted by back to back games with 2 home runs. Looking deeper, he’s hit .341 over the past month and his on-base percentage is the highest it’s been since April 16. The White Sox are hot, and Crede is one of the biggest reasons why.

Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins

After making my Cold List last week, HanRam redeemed himself with a .357, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 2 SB week. After going 16 games without a single RBI, he’s back to being a force in the five major statistical offensive categories and is on a 7-game hitting streak.

Outfield: JD Drew, Boston Red Sox

His poor first season in Boston is a thing of the past, as Drew is on pace for a 25 HR/100 RBI season. He hit .296 in May and started June with a bang. Last week he went 11-for-20 (.550). He’s provided a lift for both the Red Sox and fantasy owners. You’re skeptical about putting your faith in him, but there’s no reason to believe he won’t keep producing, provided of course that he stays healthy.

Outfield: Johnny Damon, New York Yankees

Johnny hit .548 last week, fueled by a 6-for-6 day on Saturday. After hitting .276 in April, he hit .306 in May. His on base and slugging percentages have skyrocketed, and being on base more translates into more steals and runs. He turns 35 later this year, but he’s proven that when healthy, he’s still a valuable fantasy player.

Outfield: Milton Bradley, Texas Rangers

It’s hard to put into words the type of season that Bradley is having. He’s on pace to destroy his best single-season numbers. Since the start of 2007, only Chipper Jones and Albert Pujols have higher on-base percentages with 400+ at-bats. He was the number one ranked player last week, posting a line of .550, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 9 R and 4 SB. For the season, Bradley’s .340 average, 14 HRs, 43 RBIs and 44 runs are mind-blowing for a career .278 hitter.

Utility: Ryan Ludwick, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

Ludwick falls under the “How long can this guy keep this up?” category. Despite his hot start, Ludwick remained a free agent in many leagues until managers finally decided to put some faith in him. He hit .333 and drove in 16 runs in May. He is off to a slower start in June, so if a manager loses faith and drops him, pick him up.

Starting Pitcher: Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay Rays

Since coming off the disabled list on May 4, Kazmir has gone 6-1 with a 1.40 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP and 44 Ks. He’s been the best starting pitcher in fantasy over the last month, as his electric stuff dominates opposing hitters. If you drafted him late or traded for him when he started the season injured, you’re reaping the rewards now.

Starting Pitcher: Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds

While Josh Hamilton is having an incredible season, one can see why the Reds were willing to trade him. Not only did they Jay Bruce waiting in line, but they saw terrific potential in a young Edinson Volquez. He’s 9-2 with a 1.56 ERA. His WHIP and K/BB would be much lower if he walked fewer batters, as he’s walked almost as many batters (43) as he’s given up hits (52). His 96 K’s do lead all pitchers and he’s been able to limit the damage from the trouble he gets himself into. The most remarkable stat of all? He has allowed only 14 earned runs in 14 starts.

Relief Pitcher:Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels

He has 26 saves, which leads baseball, including 23 in a row. He’s only blown one save all season and averages almost one strikeout per inning. In the last 12 games, he’s allowed only 1 run and 4 hits. In short, he’s as dominant a closer as they come.

WHO’S HEATING UP ON DR. STAT’S THERMOMETER

Jose Guillen: OF, Kansas City Royals

Guillen hit .367 last week, with 4 HRs and 10 RBIs, as he lit up Yankee pitching. After hitting .192 in April, he hit .308 in May. Many people forget that he hit .290 with 23 HRs and 99 RBIs last season. If he hasn’t been picked up in your league yet, he will soon.

Justin Masterson: SP, Boston Red Sox

He’s gone at least 6.0 innings and has given up just 1 run in 3 of his 4 starts, walking 12 and striking out 18. Despite being backed by the Red Sox offense, he’s won two of those games 2-1. This shows he can pitch under pressure and in close games.

WHO’S COLD ON DR. STAT’S THERMOMETER

Victor Martinez: C, Cleveland Indians Last Month: .202, 0 HR, 7 RBI

David Wright: 3B, New York Mets Last Week: 4/22 (.191), 0 HR, 3 RBI

Alex Gordon: 1B/3B, Kansas City Royals Last Month: .235, 0 HR, 8 RBI

Brandon Phillips: 2B, Cincinnatti Reds Last Week: 5/30 (.167), 1 HR, 3 RBI

Brad Penny: SP, Los Angeles Dodgers Last Month: 35 IP, 0-5, 6.17 ERA, 1.69 WHIP