Archived: New Additions Loney, Escobar, and Johnson Will Make Rays Better Simply By Default

Published 4-5-2013.

New Additions Loney, Escobar, and Johnson Will Make Rays Better Simply By Default

The Tampa Bay Rays come into 2013 with pretty much the same questions about the offense as they have in the last few off seasons.   While their pitching, defense and coaching are top-shelf, Rays since 2010 have ranked 27^th, 25^th, and 27^th in Major League Baseball in batting average.   The offense has struggled to make contact and avoid strikeouts, putting a lot of pressure on the pitching staff.   This offseason the Rays offense got better by removing guys who strike out too much and adding James Loney, Yunel Escobar, and Kelly Johnson, three veterans who are more consistent offensive threats.  Loney, Escobar, and Johnson’s career on base percentages are .339, .353, and .338 respectively, compared to Upton’s .298, Pena’s .330 and Elliot Johnson’s .304 in 2012.   Overall the team’s ability to get on base has suffered in recent years, ranking a middling 16^th in MLB (.317). Other offensive production stats such as batting average, runs, and slugging percentage were also declining, particularly in the infield, with culprits like Sean Rodriguez (.213-6-32), Carlos Pena (.197-19-61) Elliot Johnson (.242-6-33) logging significant at-bats.   These guys struck out way, way too much. If the Rays give the new additions comparable at-bats in ’13, those offensive numbers will trend positively and equate to more wins.

With a combined 2,651 games under the collective belts, these new players are solid, if unspectacular, and represent upgrades to a Ray lineup that has had three perfect games thrown against since 2009.  The Rays will still play National League-style small ball but will be better at it with these three getting plate appearances.  When star third baseman Evan Longoria got hurt last year the offense struggled and the Rays fell behind in the standings hitting only.240 as a team, striking out the second most in the American League (1,323- only the Oakland A’s were more worse). 

Addressing that problem directly, they chose not to re-sign centerfielder B.J Upton (signed with Atlanta) or first baseman Carlos Pena (singed with Houston) and lost super-utilityman Jeff Keppinger to the White Sox.  While Upton, Pena, and Keppinger produced at times for the Rays offense in 2012, only Jeff Keppinger (.325 BA in 2012) will truly be missed.  In 2012, Pena hit less than his weight and Upton only walked 45 times and struck out a mind-boggling-for-a-centerfielder 169 times, which likely negated any positive impact his 28 homers and 31 steals had.  

So, as they have in the past, the Tampa Bay front office dug deep into baseball sabermetrics and looked for more efficient, albeit cost-friendly, hitters on offense.   These new additions will be great pieces to a title run in 2013 remember this is a team that has coaxed decent performances out of the Casey Kotchmans and Jason Bartletts of the world.   Their tight-knit unique clubhouse culture can withstand other teams’ castoffs—think Luke Scott and the former Fausto Carmona among others.  Loney, particularly, was regarded by the Dodgers as a stand-up clubhouse guy, which GM Andrew Friedman probably valued as well.

The Rays have hit in the .250 for years yet have still won plenty of games.  If these vets, can provide an uptick in batting average and get more men on base the Rays will be tough to beat.  One of the reasons the Rays play small ball and focus on getting on base by any method is that speaking from a park’s perspective, Tropicana Field statistically ranks as one of the most-pitching friendly parks in baseball.  A study was done by ScoutingBook.com ranking ballparks and found that between 2010-2012, for every 100 runs scored in an MLB average park, only 83 runs were scored in Tropicana Field.  The domed stadium features a quick turf that favors a line-drive, spray hitting approach, like Carl Crawford in his prime.  The Rays brass is betting that the new Rays can take advantage of the quick surfaces in the dome.

As a first baseman, the enigmatic Loney doesn’t hit home runs nearly as much as most 1B--he’s only gone deep 73 times in 3,177 at bats.   Despite the lack of power, the lefthanded Loney plays good defense and has a line-drive type approach at the plate.  He’s had back-to-back 90 RBI seasons with the Dodgers in 2008 and 2009, so he can produce in the middle of the lineup. Over his 929-game career, he has hit his fair share of doubles (176) and triples (20) and has never struck out more than 95 times in a season.  Loney makes contact--his walk/whiff ratio is a tidy 273/425 over his career despite having four seasons in which he recorded 500+ at-bats.  Carlos Pena, by contrast, struck out 503 times in his last 439 games as a Ray.  Much like the departed Keppinger, Johnson will actually play a lot of positions for the Rays including right field, designated hitter and first base. 

While no one will confuse him with Roberto Alomar in the field, Kelly Johnson offers a needed power/speed combo, averaging 20 homers and 14.3 steals the last three seasons.  He’ll need to work with Rays hitting coach Derek Shelton to make more contact as his batting average has declined somewhat in the last three seasons.  Like Loney, Johnson has a knack for triples, with five seasons of five or more.  Johnson strikes out more than the Rays would like (a career 405/829 strikeout-to-walk ratio) but does a great job avoiding grounding into double plays only 49 in 935 career games.  

His former batterymate in Toronto, shortstop Yunel Escobar, may turn out to have the most impact of any of the three Rays additions.  He has power (career .282 batting average) and can get on base (career .353 OBP) and make all the plays from short.  His walk-to-strikeout ratio is 298/366 is outstanding, considering he’s played in 787 games.   Escobar has to make Rays fans excited considering the man he is replacing as every shortstop Elliot Johnson hit .242-6-33 in 2012 in 123 games and walked a paltry 24 times.

The Rays will be better on offense in 2013 than they have in years past.  They have added established major league hitters that could hit a collective .275 which would excite any Rays fan.  While the transition into the Rays way will take some time for these veterans, they will prevent opposing pitchers by going through the Rays lineup as easily, as they all put the bat on the ball.  On the quick turf of Tropicana, they’re just what the Rays need –less strikeouts, more hits.

http://www.parkfactors.com/TB

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TBR/2012.shtml

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/batting/year/2012/sort/strikeouts/type/expanded/order/true

The Minnesota Wild (20-10-2): Relentless, Resilient and on a Roll

Published 3-20-2013.

What a difference two weeks make! Since we last gathered the Minnesota Wild (20-10-2) were fighting to separate themselves from the pack and aim for a nice six seed in the playoffs.  The grinders of the north land, the Minnesota Wild are the hottest team in the Western conference, winners of seven straight thanks to a surging offense, staunch defense, and the increased physicality we saw peaks of in early March.   The Wild, as you may recall, were dead last in goals for in the National Hockey League as late as February 26^th. With serious concerns about making the playoffs after big splashes in free agency.  Now, as of, March 28^th, the Wild are 14^th in the league in goals per game (2.7) and have gotten even better on preventing goals, ranking 5^th.  

The offense has been on fire as of late, averaging 3.64 goals since February 26^th, outscoring opposing teams 31-17 in the last seven contests.  Whereas the Wild were aiming for three goals a night with their solid goaltending, Minnesota has now scored four goals in five of their last seven and eight of their last fourteen.  What’s different?  In one word, resilient; while the Wild have jumped out to 1-0 leads in ten of their last twelve contests, they’ve persevered through deficits, actually overcoming three one-goal deficits in a 7-4 win against Dallas (first time winning in that city in a decade) and handling business down 3-2 versus Phoenix in the third stanza to prevail against the Coyotes 4-3 in overtime.   They aren’t beating cellar dwellers either; the last five games (Phoenix, Dallas. San Jose, Detroit, Vancouver) are all teams with winning records.  The two games that got this hot streak going were back-to-back triumphs against the Avalanche, where the goals kept snowballing for Minnesota, scoring eleven in two games.  Not to be overlooked in the Wild ascension in the Western Conference rankings is the stellar goaltending of Niklas Backstrom who is 15-3-1 in his last 19.  He has shown no signs of losing any grip on playing time in the crease, recently saving 33 in a 2-0 blanking of San Jose last Saturday.   He now is tied for first in the NHL in wins (18) with Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pens and is near or in the top ten in saves, save percentage and goals against average.

Of course the offense is the major story with Minnesota after being such a concern early on.  Mikko Koivu has come around in a big way with 12 points in his last ten games, and Ryan Suter has put his sluggish start in the rear view as well and has his sights on scoring from the blue line and Norris Trophies, as we all hoped he would.  Devin Setoguchi has eight goals and seven assists in his last fifteen, a production rate the Wild will gladly take.

We would be remiss if we didn’t discuss the Wild’s penalty killing percentage (85.9) which puts them fourth in the league.  It illuminates the resiliency and pressure the team is able to apply on opponents, even when short-handed.   The team’s gelling and great coaching has created an overall team awareness throughout the roster and the resulting patience has them like wolves knowing exactly when to strike.  This hasn’t gone unnoticed througoht the league and teams power play units can’t get comfortable when the man advantage is negated like that. 

This is a different team; a gritty team.  This version of the Minnesota Wild is playing with an intensity and purpose not seen around here in long time.  This version won’t be repeated whatever happened in 2012. You can book it.

Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft. 7-Rounds

Vikings: Don't Want Greatness to go to Waste

The Minnesota Vikings have a few holes to fill going into 2013.  As any pundit or front office type in the NFL will tell you, the best teams are always built through the draft.  The Vikings are around 13-15 million under the salary cap which will allow them to address needs as well.  But you want to bake the cake in-house and then perhaps shop outside for the fancy frosting; The Vikings could look at various free agents to address glaring needs. A combination of both will work best.  Let’s look at some of those glaring needs.

Secondary - The Vikings have a traditionally been vulnerable in the secondary and 2012 was no exception.  Harrison Smith made some big plays and free safety looks to be set a long time.  However, the secondary as a whole gave up 28 touchdowns and picked off only 10 passes; both near the bottom of the NFL team rankings in those categories.  Cornerbacks and strong safety, in particular are needing upgrades.

The ageless wonder, Antoine Winfield will be 36 before the season commences; Chris Cook has played 22 games in three seasons and A.J. Jefferson defended five passes all year and picked none off.  Josh Robinson played well so there may be enough there to only need to pick one corner and one safety.  As far as safeties, Jamarca Sanford gots lots of tackling practice but no picks.

On offense the passing game was in a 1980s time warp with only the hapless Chiefs totally fewer yards through the air (2,713) as the Vikings.  Giving Christian Ponder as many weapons as possible will be the order of the day.  At this point, it’s entirely within the realm of possibility  that Percy Harvin is gone and that leaves Jarius Wright, Jerome Simpson, Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu as your top aerial threats.  That simply won’t get it done in a division that features Megatron, Brandon Marshall, and the Packers never-ending supply of receiving minions.  If Wright can work the slot then the draft does features the types of 6’3-6’4 with speed type playmakers that can aid this offense.

So onto the picks..

Cordarelle is Not So Cordial to Opposing Defenses

1^st Round, Pick 23. Cordarelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee.  Patterson is one of two or three receivers this year that will grade in the first round.  A beast in the open field; Patterson is smooth, explosive and is a natural deep threat that has the type of instincts with the ball in his hands you can’t really teach.  Has a really high ceiling; Mel Kiper thinks he is the best receiver in the draft.  Think of a thinner Demaryius Thomas, but more polished.  

2^nd Round, Pick 52. David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State.  As mentioned ealier, in a division with several All-Pro wideouts of the 6’4 and up variety the Vikings need to be able to matchup with these guys.  Amerson is 6’2 and 193 and and has good speed and backpedal and rarely bites on double moves.  He is a physical tackler and is a natural fit in the Tampa 2 the Vikings play.

3^rd Round, Pick 83. Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers.  A former safety who has great speed to cover tight ends and running backs on deeper routes; excellent wrap up tackler.  Good coverage skills in zone and good motor.

4^th Round, Pick 99, Jonathan Bostic, ILB, Florida. Bostic replaced Brandon Spikes as the interior linebacker for the Gators in 2010 and has much improved over his senior season at Florida.  Plays much bigger than his size; run defense is his specialty but can also rush the passer.

4^th Round, Pick 117, E.J Manuel, QB, Florida State. The Vikings know that Ponder needs a backup who can move the chains throwing and running.  E.J Manuel has big-time arm and athletic ability in the pocket.

5^th Round, Pick 117, Menelik Watson, RT, Florida St. 6’6” – 320 pound Watson who is extremely athletic for a man his size.  He may not be available this late.

6^th Round Pick 197, J.J Wilcox, SS, Georgia Southern – Physical, tough sleeper who is ranked as a top five safety on some sites. 4.55 speed in a 6’0” 215 frame and a great value pick here at a need position.

7^th Round Pick 213, Josh Boyd, Mississippi State – At 6’3” 300 pounds, Boyd is a huge bulking run defender who will stuff the gaps and is quick off the snap.  He won’t get many sacks, however.

Minnesota Twins Season Preview 2013

The Minnesota Twins head into the 2013 season with admittedly more questions than answers after a 66-96 finish in 2012, good for last in the American League Central.   Good news about 2012: The team scored 80 more runs than it did in 2011, with outstanding offensive seasons from free agent left fielder Josh Willingham (.260 – 35 HR – 110 RBI) and Joe Mauer (.319 – 85 RBI, 90 Walks) plus an encouraging return to action from 2010 MVP  Justin Morneau (.267- 19 HR – 77 RBI).   The offense also got surprise contributions from C/IB/DH Ryan Doumit  (.275 -18 HR- 75 RBI) and Trevor Plouffe (24 HRs).  The table was set by speedsters Ben Revere and Denard Span (57 stolen bases combined).  

Diamond In the Front

Unfortunately, a pretty good offensive season by the Twins hitters was for naught as the pitching couldn’t miss bats (.274 batting average against – 29^th in the MLB) and couldn’t strike guys out (943 strikeouts as a staff – 30^th in the MLB).  One pitcher struck out more than 100 batters, presumptive ace Scott Diamond, with 109.  So when aggrandizing the Twins chances in 2013, let’s take a glass half-full approach and consider the starting pitching staff as addition by subtraction.  Gone are Francisco Liriano (traded to Pirates), Nick Blackburn (moved to the pen) and Carl Pavano (released); these four all had ERAs over 5.3. 

Since the success of the Twins is predicated upon pitching let’s look at the potential five-man rotation as things have taken shape during the offseason. Scott Diamond- The staff ace from last year, Diamond went 12-9 with a sparkling 3.54 ERA despite overpowering stuff.  Logged 173 innings and looks to be a workhorse and innings-eater. Look for 200 innings, 13-15 wins and a sub 4.00 ERA.Vance Worley- The former Phillies fourth starter comes over in the Ben Revere trade.  Was very good in 2011, then fell off a bit in 2012 with a troublesome elbow.  He can strike guys out but needs his command.  If he’s healthy he’s in the running for the “staff ace” title.Kevin Correia – A back end rotation guy who had quietly decent years with the Padres and Pirates (46-43 win/ loss in four years), he was owner Terry Ryan’s free agent snare in the offseason, signing a two-year deal.  His game is command; doesn’t strike guys out but doesn’t walk them either (46 passes in 171 innings in 2012).  Mike Pelfrey – Another back end guy for the Mets who was two years removed from 15-9 and 3.66 with New York in 2010; coming off Tommy John surgery May 1, 2012.

The fifth starter will be among a group of guys, namely Brian Duensing, Cole DeVries, Rich Harden, Liam Hendricks and others.  As far as power pitchers, Hendricks and newly acquired Trevor May may provide some strikeouts to the more finesse-sided group.

Twins Need More of Old Morneau

The starting lineup is projected to look like this:

1. Darin Mastroianni, OF  -  Speedy guy  (30 swipes, easy) with some power
2. Jamey Carroll, 2B           -  No power, but will hit for average
3. Joe Mauer, C                  -  Expect usual 300-10-80 season from him
4. Josh Willingham         -  Usual .260-25-90 from him
5. Justin Morenau           - Could bounce back in a big way
6. Ryan Doumit                   - Could continue to progress
7. Chris Parmalee               -  Relatively unknown
8. Trevor Plouffe                 - Pressed to hit 20 HR’s again
9. Pedro Florimon               - Speedy guy who will surprise

In summation, the Twins can play and be competitive in a relatively wide-open AL Central (with the exception of Detroit) with the aging White Sox, an enigmatic Royals squad and a Cleveland team with its own pitching problems.  Their offense could be aided tremendously with a healthy Justin Morneau, and surprises from their unknowns Mastrioanni, Parmalee and Florimon.  If they can get decent pitching from Liam Hendricks and/or Rich Harden, the Twins could be sneaky good in 2013.

No Mercy for Percy..What's Wrong With Percy Harvin?

Trade For Harvin: Those With  No Kid Gloves Need Not Apply

It appears Percy Harvin may have worn out his welcome in Viking-land.  There were whispers that his ankle wasn’t the only reason that sidelined Harvin in December when Minnesota was pushing hard, ultimately successfully, for a playoff spot.  While not officially being benched for “contract detrimental” it seems that Harvin has repeatedly had heated exchanges withcoach Leslie Frazier over various topics.  Harvin is as a dynamic of an offensive talent as there could possibly be in a 5’10” 190 pound receiver.  He is blessed with exceptional agility, speed and toughness that makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.  The Vikings have lined him up at both wideout positions, in the slot, in the backfield and has made gamebreaking plays at special teams.  Opposing defenses first focus on Adrian and then spend any additional energy and time making sure they account for number 12. 

Could Be a Boon For the Right Team

Unfortunately, Harvin is basically a pain the-you-know-what to deal with combined with a pretty lengthy injury history.  He legitimately suffers from debilitating migraines and has recurring ankle and knee issues that accompany a guy of his stature that goes ham every play and doesn’t run out of bounds ala Ted Ginn, Jr.  No one questions whether Harvin gives 100%.  The problem is he has a Steve Smith-type mean streak that he actually acts upon, reportedly hurling weights at ex-coach Brad Childress at one point in 2010.  Harvin had a history of problems in high school, allegedly inciting a riot at one point.  In college, a lot has been made of the type of program ex-Gator coach Urban Meyer ran, and Harvin being in the “Circle of Trust” thought the rules applied differently to him even allegedly throwing wide receiver coach Billy Gonzales to the ground by his neck.   These are all alleged incidents; Percy Harvin, as far as we know has never gotten into serious or documented trouble.  He even won the Korey Stringer Good Guy award in 2010, given to a Vikings player who exemplifies professionalism when dealing with the media.

But consider the Minnesota organization once-bitten and twice-shy.  Diva players who think the rules don’t apply was the rule in previous regimes and the front office has made complete progress in drafting guys who won’t end up on the police blotter.  Vikings coach Leslie Frazier is as even-keeled as they come but make no mistake; he has full confidence of the front office and won’t stand for insubordination, manipulation or faking injuries.   Frzaier went 3-13 in 2011 and may be talking contract after going a sparkling 10-6 in 2012.  They’ve drafted solidly and he doesn’t owe particular allegiance to Harvin as he was a leftover from a previous era. 

Maybe Harvin, temperamental as he is talented, doesn’t want to play for the Vikings.  He was thought to have a trade request in June 2012 before Minnesota went 10-6.   If the Vikings want to trade him, there are numerous franchises who would entertain offers.  The Vikings should play coy and send mixed messages to opposing franchises so they don’t get low-balled on a problem child, like when they traded Randy Moss to Oakland for a fourth-round pick.  

Fantasy Hockey Week 4: The Fasth and the Furious

I hope each of you fantasy hockey owners know that there is still draft-worthy talent and guys that are ready to help right now on the waiver wires.   This week we have a really hotly added goalie, one that's not so hot, and some worthy defensemen from some of hockey's smaller markets.

Pick Him Up Fasth

Another goalie has heat up the waiver wire uncontrollably in NHL Fantasy Week 4 and his name is Viktor Fasth (G, Ducks)   a 30-year old rookie from the Swedish Elite League.  He’s been on fire in his last four games, including his last outing, a 3-0 win over the Avalanche, in which he stopped all 31 shots in his first career shutout.  He has now a .962 save percentage and an unbelievable 0.98 GAA, which are sensational numbers.  He poses a threat to incumbent Jonas Hiller and is now owned in 50% of ESPN leagues and 32% of Yahoo leagues.  Given that his play is top five so far in fantasy goaltending, you should grab him immediately if he’s still available or suffer the consequences.  He has made a seamless transition to the NHL and should be transitioned over to your fantasy squad with all deliberate speed.

Fedor Tyutin (D, Blue Jackets) is only owned in 1/3 of most standard leagues and the reliable Russian has played well on the Blue Jackets blue line.  He’s already got eight points in a season where most fantasy pundits thought his scoring would be down.  He’s getting plenty of minutes and has shaved his plus/minus down to minus-4.   He’s probably not going to score 38 points as is his current pace but scoop him up and benefit from the hot streak.

The Man is an Island(er)

A return to the states is in store for Lubomir Visnovsky (D, Islanders) who after a contentious dispute, will not be able to play for HC Slovan Bratislava, the KHL team he opted to play with rather than New York.  The Isles dug in on this one because their struggling line play, and they could use Visnovsky's services on either power-play unit.  Lubomir is only two years removed from being the top offensive-defenseman in all of hockey so their is fantasy value here.  Just monitor the situation to see if is willing to play at all.  He'll get some playing time but how motivated will he be to produce?

Leland: Wheelin and Dealin?

Also keep in mind that Miikka Kiprusoff is out with an injury which means Leland Irving (G, Flames) is the main guy in the crease for Calgary.  Danny Taylor was called up from AHL Abbotsford to back Irving up.  This is a deep waiver wire acquisition until Irving shows us a little more minding the net but is worth a flyer in any case.  Since Kiprusoff is out indefinitely and may be playing down the injury, Irving will have a chance to show he is the Flames ‘tender of the future.

Ales Hemsky (RW, Oilers) has also gone under the radar in fantasy (in the 10% ownership range) but just had his first multi-point game of the season (a goal and an assist) in a 3-2 loss to Dallas Wednesday night.  Hemsky was fantasy-relevant three years ago and was thought to be a fading star in the Edmonton offensive galaxy.  He’s at a 19-goal pace and if he can continue to work on his plus/minus (-4 on the year) or your league’s settings don’t factor that then he’s a good value because he’s done it before and has talent around him.

Some other news on the wire:

• Veteran Bruin goalie Tim Thomas, expected to be out for the year, was traded to the Islanders for a draft pick in a cap-related move'; probably something that keeper owners should pay attention to.

Fantasy NBA Week 15: Quick Adds With Long Term Potential

Last week’s hot adds included Nate Robinson and Eric Bledsoe, point guards who have been lighting it up in the last few games.  There are so recent injuries that have given some young blood more grind and may make a fantasy impact on your team.  Bledsoe and Robinson are both now owned in more than 2/3 of ESPN fantasy leagues so they still may be on the wire, but if they aren’t take a look at…

Time to Check Out "Taj" 2.0?

Not a point guard, but big man Taj Gibson (PF/C, Bulls) has logged significant minutes with both Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah not quite ready to return.  He has responded by posting nearly four straight double-doubles (just missing with nine rebounds on back to back nights of the first two).  In his last five, Gibson has averaged 13.2 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3 blocks while shooting a tidy .564 from the field.  He’s averaged 39.0 minutes in that stretch so monitor Boozer and Noah’s returns when deploying him. He put up 19 and 19 at the Hawks on February 2^nd; he will continue to provide double-doubles when given playing time.

Successful Free-Lance "ing"

Lance Stephenson  (SG, Pacers) has started a lot of games at the two for the Pacers but hadn’t really done anything fantasy-relevant until his last five games.  The Pacers have been insisting Stephenson get more aggressive and something clicked with him.  And clicked it has; in the last five games he’s been a consistent offensive threat for Indiana—15.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and a healthy 4.2 dimes.  This is a guy with some fantasy upside that is available on the wire now.  He’s up to 37% from downtown and shoots a high percentage from the field for a two (.487).  Only downside is that he doesn’t have multi-position eligibility like so many other swingmen and Danny Granger will eventually return.  It’s quite possible that he remains fantasy-relevant as the first guy off the bench when a deep Indiana team is all 100%.   Stephenson has interesting fantasy potential because of his ability like Eric Bledsoe, the week before him, to help you in mutliple categories.

Another “two” guard in the East is making all sorts of fantasy waves (on waivers); Nick Young (SG, Sixers) has put together some nice games in the absence of Jason Richardson.  In the last seven games, the big shooting guard has averaged 16.9 points, 3.7 boards, and nearly two threes per contest.  He’s gotten a major increase in playing time and Richardson could be out much longer than originally expected (knee).  The offensively-challenged Sixers will miss Richardson, but Young and possibly Damien Wilkens will be major benefactors of run.

Up All Night Playing Speights

Cleveland has been missing a big man presence to compliment their franchise point guard Kyrie Irving ever since Anderson Varejao went down over a month ago.  Enter in newly acquired Marreese Speights (PF/C, Cavaliers)  who has shown to be a pretty consistent source of scoring.  He doesn’t have Varejao’s rebounding prowess but with increased playing time his offensive skill set may be more diverse than the big Brazilian. In his last five, Speight has averaged 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds a game while shooting 87% from the line and 53% from the field.

Fantasy Hockey Week 3/4 NHL: Saves on The Waiver

It feels good to see Vladimir Tarasenko and Cory Conacher, two young awesome rookies, continue their torrid play so far in Week 3.  While this week's waiver saviors aren't quite at that talent level we do offer some goalie help, including a growing 'tender controversy in Pittsburgh. One of the most exciting things in fantasy is to grab those super rooks before everyone  else, and then watch dude ball, grind,puck, and dominate and become a major source of fantasy points be it NBA, NFL, MLB or the National Hockey League.  Some players just have the skills that you don't need to see the whole resume to snag and start.  Here's to Tarasenko and Concacher being top options yearlong this year in fantasy hockey.  Both are part of feared offenses; it might be time to trade now.  Let's look at the waiver saviors in Week 3.

Vokoun: Growing Goalie Contronversy?

Tomas Vokoun (G, Penguins)  may create a goalie controversy in Pittsburgh, posting a shut-out Thursday night, stopping 28 shots in a 3-0 blanking of a good New York Rangers team.   The veteran Vokoun has a 1.81 goals against average and a .940 save rate (3^rd in the NHL so far) to being this young season and presumed starter Marc-Andre Fleury has posted a 2.94 and a .890 comparatively.  Fleury allowed four goals against the Islanders and five against the Maple Leafs so he has been vulnerable to the meltdowns that plagued him last year in the playoffs against the Flyers.  Vokoun was added to push the young Fleury and netminder for the Pens is such a fantasy-friendly proposition that Vokoun is getting scooped up at an alarming rate.  It may be time to follow suit; he’s owned 36% in ESPN leagues and less than 50% in Yahoo..

Reimer Reasons..Is Toronto Going to Score Enough?

Provided the Maple Leafs don’t trade for Roberto Luongo, there is growing fantasy value with goalie James Reimer (G, Maple Leafs).  Reimer didn’t get much fantasy love in 2011-12, in which he oscillated between injury (19 games with a concussion?) and ineffectiveness (3.10 GAA) but he’s been decent this year with a .910 save percentage (15^th in the league).  He’s worth a pickup for matchups at this point with a bit of upside; an improving Toronto defense could make him much more fantasy useful.

It is may be useful to you to inquire on the waiver wire status of Evgeni Nabokov (G, Islanders).   He’s no spring chicken, but he’s quietly 4-1-1 this season although his 3.14 GAA and .906 aren’t exactly record-setting.  What is encouraging is that the Islanders offense is improving and playoffs look very doable at this point.  He’ll give you wins at this point.  He’s owned in about half of standard fantasy hockey leagues.

Jiri Hudler (LW, Flames) the diminutive Czech has shown flashes of offensive mastery (57 points in 2009 with Detroit) and already has four points in two games.  He’s missed the beginning of the season dealing with the death of his father.  He may benefit from the move to Calgary as most folks who know the game still believe in Hudler’s potential.   Calgary doesn’t have anywhere near the goal-scoring arsenal as Detroit did so Hudler will be counted upon to score and facilitate.  Word out of Calgary is that the second line is all his and that he could even jump to the first line if oft-injured Mike Cammalleri gets hurt.  Hudler can play either wing so that screams fantasy potential as well.  I just don’t think we’ve seen all that Hudler can do on the ice yet.

Tom Gilbert (D, Wild) Already has six points in seven games for Minnesota and is gaining adds as we speak.  He is still on the second-team power play but if he were to bump Jared Spurgeon from the top-pair position and ends up playing alongside big-free agent acquisition Ryan Suter? His fantasy upside would rise significantly.  He’s added much more in Yahoo (only owned in about 15% of leagues) than ESPN where he was drafted in most leagues.

Fantasy Basketball Week 15: Assist Man Assistance?

We've got some ground to make up with some major trades (Rudy Gay to Toronto) and are a couple all-NBA point guards with injuries recently. One, Chris Paul, who is second in the league in assists per game (9.7) has been battling injury and is seemingly permanently on day-to-day status.  The other, Rajon Rondo, just got injured Sunday and is out for the season; Rondo was leading the league in assists per game by a wide margin (11.1).  Rondo’s injury is devastating to the Celtics and puts a crimp in fantasy owners assist-category totals; but there is a surplus of decent “1s” in the league (but probably not on the waiver wire).  It may be time to bake up a trade for second-tier assist leaders Greivis Vazquez or Jose Calderon (who himself was traded to Detroit as part of the Gay trade); or you can take advantage of Rondo’s absence by picking up some these point guards.

Jerryd Is Keeping Competition At Bay(less)

Mike Conley, the point guard for the Grizzlies, has also been sidelined with an injury and Jerryd Bayless (PG/SG, Grizzlies)  has seen some fantasy-relevant stats in his absence. He's getting major looks from fantasy owners not only because Conley missing time, but Rudy Gay was recently shipped to Toronto, meaning more minutes at the "two" as well.  Bayless is a more of a two guard anyway, but slid over while Conley was out.  Now with Gay gone, Bayless is the hottest fantasy basketball add this week because of his last five contests, as he’s averaged 15.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.4 boards in 32.4 minutes.

Bledsoe: A 15-5-5 Guy?

Eric Bledsoe (PG, Clippers)  is continuing to get scooped up at a decent rate as Chris Paul’s injury continue to linger.  Even though Paul is technically day-to-day (knee) there’s no telling when Chris Paul will return; Bledsoe is seeing a lot of adds because of his last five game averages: 11.6 points, 5.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds.  The Clippers have an assist-friendly lineup to boot and Bledsoe continues to be a very strong rebounder for a 6’1” point guard. We may just be scratching the surface of Bledsoe’s talents: in a game against the T-Wolves he scored 10 on 3 for 14; which is his one drawback (FG%) but still added ten assists and six steals. All of the wire! Get him.

My favorite NBA 50-Cent lookalike Nate Robinson (PG,SG, Bulls) has filled in nicely as a scorer/facilitator with the no-Rose Bulls for the last few games.  Wednesday night he went ham on Milwaukee, going 9 for 11 for 24 points, 4 assists and 3 steals in 26 minutes, being efficient and brilliant at the same damn time.  Robinson has shown opponents no mercy in his last five, averaging 18.2 points a game, 4.6 assists, and 3.2 boards, shooting nearly 40% from downtown and 55% from the field.  He’s known for these hot streaks so ride this wave while you can.  He can get you assists pretty consistently these days although he isn’t the passer that Bledsoe or even Bayless is.

Avery Bradley (PG/SG, Celtics) Rondo’s backup and while he’s a lock to get minutes and points for the remainder of the year barring his own injury, the jury is out on whether or not his assists will increase as the director of an aging, yet capable Boston team.  His career high in assists in the NBA is seven, set last season and he had a career high of six in college.  That’s not going to get it done in the NBA level; although with Rondo in Boston what opportunity was Bradley going to get to get dimes, running with the second team? I’ll say he averages five a game for the duration of this year.  He won’t cost you at the charity stripe and can actually shoot from downtown unlike Rajon, so there’s upside there.

Fantasy NBA Basketball Advice Week 14: Alan Anderson, Earl Clark and Shannon Brown

As we reported a few months ago, Hornets are officially going the way of the dodo bird, or pelican as the New Orleans franchise will be known as from this point on.  The logo is an angry bird; but personally, I think they could’ve done much worse--at least the pelican is interwoven in the history of the region and is a resilient bird.

Alan Anderson: The Allen Iverson School of Point Accumulation in a 6"6' Package

Our recommendation for the fantasy basketball owners looking for small forwards is to peruse the recent offerings by Raptors swingman Alan Anderson (SF, Raptors).  Who would’ve thought that so many recent fantasy waiver wire additions (Ed Davis, Terence Ross, Amir Johnson) would come from this 16-27, albeit improving, squad? Anderson’s main value is scoring and threes, his excellent FT% is marred by his Brandon Jennings-esque FG% in 12-13 but is improving (.427 in his last five).  He’s had some uptick in his other stats in his last five as well, averaging 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists.  Right now,  he’ll get you buckets.

Spencer Hawes: Anybody Remember Mike Gminski?

Spencer Hawes (C/PF, Sixers)  Hawes bears a strong resemblance to this guy, A Sixers legend. The big man is on a tear lately averaging 16.3 points, 7.7 boards and 3.0 dishes over his last three as he continues to get minutes off the bench in place of Andrew Bynum, who should return sometime after the All-Star break).   He will likely stay on the bench but is only owned in 44% of ESPN leagues and 48% of Yahoo leagues.  He’s a big that doesn’t get rebounds commensurate with his height but can shoot the occasional three and passes better than many big men.

One guy who does rebound is the rookie from Ohio State, Jared Sullinger (PF, Celtics) who has added a toughness on the glass not seen since Kendrick Perkins.  Even though the short C’s are in freefall, Sully was back at it again against the Cavaliers grabbing 10 and adding a dozen points.  He is more of a one-category helper at this point, but potential is there.  He’s owned in 12% in ESPN leagues and rising.

Shannon Brown (SG, Suns)  has been heating up for an otherwise cold Phoenix Suns squad averaging 14.7 points and 2.7 steals in his last six games.  While he’s getting 25-30 minutes of grind like this, Brown can knock down threes and sprinkle in some rebounds and dishes.  His only limiting factor is that he only has shooting guard eligibility but if you have had enough of Ben Gordon’s lack of fantasy multi-category usefulness, and depending on your league values steals, Brown may be able to do something for you right now.

The New Lakers: 8th Seed or Bust, But Clark Will Get Some Grind

Another historically great team in a bit of a slump are the crappy Los Angeles Lakers, who have lost 9 of their last 11.  They’re old, slow and grumpy (Dwight Howard) and they aren’t helped by a coach (Mike D’Antoni) whose philosophies are a poor fit for the current roster.  There is fantasy help on this roster for our concerns, however, in the form of Earl Clark (PF/SF Lakers) the Lakers new starting power forward.  In his last seven games, five of them starts, Clark has averaged 11.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists.  In case you were wondering, Pau Gasol now comes off the bench to back up the grumpy Howard.  It’s going to continue to be a long season in Lakerland, but Clark should continue to gets lots of run for your fantasy squad.