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Archive for the ‘Fantasy Baseball’ Category
FSC Poll: Who’s the #1 Pick in Fantasy Baseball 2010
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010The Official Thanksgiving Day Line-up
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009Want to know what’s on the FSC this Turkey Day? Look no further!
- All times EST
8am-8:30am: Steve Wyremski, Retired Rookie Radio
8:30am-10am: Rick Serritella, All Access Football
10am: Tony Cincotta, Fantasy Football Facts
11am: Pat Hegewald, RapidDraft.com Radio
12pm: Craig Davis, Two Feet in Bounds*
1pm: Rob Reed, Baseball Geeks
2pm-3:30pm: Lyle Konkiel, The Fantasy Football Guys*
3:30-4pm: Mike Nazarek, Fantasy Football Mastermind*
4pm-6pm: Joe Everret, The Fantasy Exchange
6pm: Dustin Ashby, WCOFF: Fantasy Sports Night in America
7pm: Matt Camp, FantasyGuru.com Radio
8pm: Chris Wassel, The Program
9pm: Oliver Benton, Phat Guys on Fantasy
10pm: Jim Day, Talkin’ Turkey with Fantasy Taz
*Replay/Prerecorded
Fantasy Basketball Expert Mock Draft Analysis from Rich Wilson
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009You can catch Rich Wilson with Tony Cincotta on Fantasy Basketball Basics every Monday at 11:00 EST. Rich Wilson also writes for www.FantasyPros911.com. If you would like to play Fantasy Basketball this year against two of the best write Tony Cincotta at Tony.Cincotta@FantasyPros911.com …
The NBA Fantasy Basketball mock draft season officially began on Wednesday, September 23, when MockDraftCentral hosted its first Expert Mock Draft. I was honored to be chosen to match wits with eleven other Fantasy Basketball writers and enthusiast.
The draft consisted of 15 rounds and had the format of four guards, four forwards, two centers, and five bench positions. The type of league, Rotisserie or H2H was never communicated, but the Experts appeared to draft as if it were a Rotisserie league.
Here’s how it went…
Round 1
1. Lebron James Karen McCaslin, Hoops Klyce
2. Chris Paul Kyle McKeown, Rotowire
3. Dwyane Wade Matt Buser, Buser Sports
4. Kevin Durant Tom Lorenzo, RotoExperts
5. Danny Granger Steve Alexander, Rotoworld
6. Kobe Bryant Tim Trout, Beckett Sports Media
7. Dirk Nowitzki Dave Gawron, Roto Community
8. Deron Williams Geoffrey Stein, Mock Draft Central
9. Amare Stoudemire Jeff Andriesse, RotoExperts
10. Chris Bosh Shannon McKeown, Rotowire
11. Al Jefferson Rich Wilson, FantasyPros911
12. Pau Gasol BJ VanderWoude, Game Time Decisions
Round 1 started off with immediate controversy as the first player taken was Lebron James instead of Chris Paul. While James will provide all around fantasy contribution, it’s hard to take him ahead of Paul when CP3 will lead the league in assists and steals, plus provide great percentages. You can also argue taking Granger ahead of Durant or Williams ahead of Nowitzki, but in the end, I thought round one followed most pre-season projections.
I selected Al Jefferson for solid rebounding, scoring, and blocks. A slight risky pick given he’s coming off knee surgery, but all indications are that he is fully recovered.
Round 2
1. Brandon Roy BJ VanderWoude
2. Steve Nash Rich Wilson
3. Devin Harris Shannon McKeown
4. Jose Calderon Jeff Andriesse
5. Chauncey Billups Geoffrey Stein
6. Joe Johnson Dave Gawron
7. Vince Carter Tim Trout
8. Dwight Howard Steve Alexander
9. Jason Kidd Tom Lorenzo
10. Gerald Wallace Matt Buser
11. Andre Iguodala Kyle McKeown
12. Caron Butler Karen McCaslin
This draft illustrates why you must get an elite point guard (PG) by the end of the second round. If you don’t they will be gone. I started the PG run with Steve Nash and believe he’s the best PG after Paul and Williams. You’ll get 10.0-11.0 assists per game (APG), three-point shooting, and great percentages. Devin Harris is also a nice pick in the second round as he’ll be the main guy in New Jersey. Caron Butler is a bit of stretch with Gilbert Arenas coming back, so expect some degradation in scoring and overall output.
It’s always interesting to see where Dwight Howard will be taken. I’ve seen him go as high as top five in a H2H league and the fourth round in a Rotisserie league. Round two is too rich for my blood in a Rotisserie league as Howard single handily destroys your FT% category.
Round 3
1. Tim Duncan Karen McCaslin
2. Glibert Arenas Kyle McKeown
3. Troy Murphy Matt Buser
4. Brook Lopez Tom Lorenzo
5. Derrick Rose Steve Alexander
6. Carlos Boozer Tim Trout
7. Carmelo Anthony Dave Gawron
8. Kevin Garnett Geoffrey Stein
9. Kevin Martin Jeff Andriesse
10. Josh Smith Shannon McKeown
11. David West Rich Wilson
12. Antawn Jamison BJ VanderWoude
My eyes got as big as saucers when I saw Kevin Garnett falling. I knew I wanted to get scoring, rebounding, and great percentages in the third round and hadn’t even considered Garnett in this slot. However, a few picks before it was my turn, our host, Geoff Stein grabbed him for what I believe was the first value pick of the draft.
I knew somebody would take Gilbert Arenas too early and it happened. He could be a bargain in the third round, but more than likely will return fourth or fifth round value. Brook Lopez might be a bit of stretch early in the third round, but I really like him this year. I settled on David West, a solid pick in the third round, but now I need to turn my attention back to grabbing the next best available guard.
Round 4
1. Paul Pierce BJ VanderWoude
2. Rajon Rondo Rich Wilson
3. Elton Brand Shannon McKeown
4. David Lee Jeff Andriesse
5. Andrea Bargnani Geoffrey Stein
6. LaMarcus Aldridge Dave Gawron
7. Andris Biedrins Tim Trout
8. Rashard Lewis Steve Alexander
9. Shawn Marion Tom Lorenzo
10. Ray Allen Matt Buser
11. Monta Ellis Kyle McKeown
12. Charlie Villanueva Karen McCaslin
Some very interesting picks in the fourth round. While Andrea Bargnani had a very nice season last year, I like my big men to rebound and block. By picking Bargnani as your main power forward (PF) or center, you’re going to be playing catch up in rebounding and blocks. I’m a believer in Shawn Marion this year, and while the fourth round is probably a round to early, I can’t fault the pick.
Elton Brand in the fourth round is the right position for him, but he’s still too much risk for me. I still have nightmares of him as my first round selection last year. The nightmare always ends with me throwing things at my computer screen as I watch his pathetic play before mercifully going down with a shoulder injury.
I went for more assists and steals with Rajon Rondo. While it’s a round too early for Rondo, I didn’t think he would be there when my next pick came up 23 selections later. Call this one a draft positional pick.
Round 5
1. Maurice Williams Karen McCaslin
2. Emeka Okafor Kyle McKeown
3. Mehmet Okur Matt Buser
4. Jason Richardson Tom Lorenzo
5. Russell Westbrook Steve Alexander
6. Stephen Jackson Tim Trout
7. Tony Parker Dave Gawron
8. Michael Redd Geoffrey Stein
9. Al Horford Jeff Andriesse
10. Baron Davis Shannon McKeown
11. Marcus Camby Rich Wilson
12. Rudy Gay BJ VanderWoude
The fifth round in Expert Drafts always seems to be round that someone will reach for a player to make a statement. Maurice Williams is that pick. A nice college player for Connecticut, Williams just hasn’t found his way in the NBA; plus, he has the dreaded “fat clause” in his contract. He must weigh under 207 pounds with less than 10% body fat in order to receive his maximum contract. The Williams pick aside, I thought the fifth round returned fair value all around.
I selected Marcus Camby. Yes, I know he’s brittle and will only play 60-65 games, but I will purchase a late round insurance policy in Kendrick Perkins or Brendan Haywood and have a dominating center who will provide elite rebounding, blocked shots, with great percentages.
As I review my picks, I’m really happy with the base of my team. I’ve got two “bigs” in AJ and Camby, two solid point guards, plus David West providing overall production. My percentages are solid across the board as well. It’s time to look for three-point shooting and scoring to round out my team.
Round 6
1. Nene Hillario BJ VanderWoude
2. Manu Ginobili Rich Wilson
3. Jeff Green Shannon Mckeown
4. Al Harrington Jeff Andriesse
5. Leandro Barbosa Geoffrey Stein
6. Andre Miller Dave Gawron
7. Hedo Turkoglu Tim Trout
8. Andrew Bynum Steve Alexander
9. Eric Gordon Tom Lorenzo
10. Jameer Nelson Matt Buser
11. O.J. Mayo Kyle McKeown
12. Raymond Felton Karen McCaslin
The Experts started going for centers in the sixth round. In some cases they were their first center; which given the scarcity of centers in a two center league, is a dangerous strategy.
I’m still a believer in Andrew Bynum, despite his knee injuries over the past two seasons. Here’s why…in the 15 games before his injury, Bynum averaged 20.8 points per game (PPG), 8.9 rebounds per game (RPG), and 2.0 blocks (BPG), while shooting 60% from the field.
I selected Manu Ginobili as my sixth round pick. I like the solid skill set and believe his injuries are behind him after finally having surgery to correct his ankle problem. With Ginobili, I get solid three-point shooting with 16.0-18.0 PPG.
In reviewing my team, I still need more scoring and rebounding. I have my eye on Mr. Ball Hog himself, Zach Randolph or the up and coming star in Golden State, Anthony Randolph. Will either be there??? Read on…
Round 7
1. Ben Gordon Karen McCaslin
2. John Salmons Kyle McKeown
3. Anthony Randolph Matt Buser
4. Tyrus Thomas Tom Lorenzo
5. Blake Griffin Steve Alexander
6. Spencer Hawes Tim Trout
7. Kevin Love Dave Gawron
8. Paul Millsap Geoffrey Stein
9. Jason Terry Jeff Andriesse
10. Mike Bibby Shannon McKeown
11. Zach Randolph Rich Wilson
12. T.J. Ford BJ Vanderwoude
Blake Griffin, the first rookie out of what will likely be a disappointing rookie class was taken with the fifth pick in round seven. I think the seventh round is one to two rounds too high for Griffin, but he has the talent to justify the pick.
Mike Bibby and T.J. Ford are fine picks for your second PG on your squad, but if you’ve waited this late to pick either as your primary PG, you could be in some trouble. There’s just not enough production there to justify either as your main PG.
I grabbed Zach Randolph in the seventh round for his scoring and rebounding. Everywhere Randolph has played, he’s averaged a double/double, and I expect that to continue in Memphis. However, if truth be told, I was disappointed in not getting the other Randolph.
A lot of indicators point to Anthony Randolph having a break out year. In the final 15 games of last season, Randolph scored nearly 11.0 PPG, had 8.3 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. Also, reports out of the summer leagues in Vegas were extremely positive with words like dominating and impressive being tossed around.
Round 8
1. Richard Jefferson BJ VanderWoude
2. JR Smith Rich Wilson
3. Michael Beasley Shannon McKeown
4. Trevor Ariza Jeff Andriesse
5. Andrew Bogut Geoffrey Stein
6. Luis Scola Dave Gawron
7. Luol Deng Tim Trout
8. Boris Diaw Steve Alexander
9. Jason Thompson Tom Lorenzo
10. Ron Artest Matt Buser
11. Greg Oden Kyle McKeown
12. Wilson Chandler Karen McCaslin
Some very nice value picks were made in round eight. Trevor Ariza and Wilson Chandler in particular are poised to move to the upper echelon of the NBA. Jason Thompson is also an interesting pick with a great deal of upside, even if he plays for the hapless Kings. Finally, I really like Luis Scola this year as somebody will have to score in Houston.
Two picks that I don’t like are Michael Beasley and Greg Oden. While both players are young and appear to have a lot of upside, there are clear warning signs, particularly for Oden. The lumbering center has no footwork, easily gets into foul trouble, and has yet to develop a shot. The blogs are filled with him working hard over the summer on his finesse game, but I’m not buying it.
I was very happy with my pick of JR Smith and based on the MockDraftCentral.com chat room, others liked the pick as well. Smith has very high upside and has a chance to lead the league in three-point shooting as well as become a top-tier scorer. Unfortunately, he’ll miss the first seven games of the season, but I’ll grab another three-pointer specialist to cover those games later in the draft.
Round 9
1. Mario Chalmers Karen McCaslin
2. Tracy McGrady Kyle McKeown
3. Rasheed Wallace Matt Buser
4. Ramon Sessions Tom Lorenzo
5. Mike Conley Steve Alexander
6. Tyson Chandler Tim Trout
7. Josh Howard Dave Gawron
8. Lamar Odom Geoffrey Stein
9. Francisco Garcia Jeff Andriesse
10. Lou Williams Shannon McKeown
11. Corey Maggette Rich Wilson
12. Chris Kaman BJ VanderWoude
High upside third-tier guards dominate the ninth round. In particular, Mike Conley and Ramon Sessions provide the greatest upside with both poised for a continuation of decent breakout seasons last year. Lou Williams is also very intriguing as he becomes the main PG on a pretty decent Sixers team.
On the negative, investing in Tracy McGrady in the ninth round is risky as he’ll likely miss the first third of the season recovering from micro-fracture surgery and if history is a guide, will continue to miss games throughout the season.
I’m not happy with my selection of Corey Maggette. Don’t get me wrong, I like Maggette for his scoring, great FT%, and 5.0 RPG, but round nine is too high. Plain and simple, I got caught out. Time was ticking down and I had to make a split second decision between three players in my queue and while uttering an expletive and clicking the mouse at the same time, Maggette was mine.
Round 10
1. Chris Duhon BJ VanderWoude
2. Nate Robinson Rich Wilson
3. Stephen Curry Shannon McKeown
4. Chris Andersen Jeff Andriesse
5. Shane Battier Geoffrey Stein
6. Aaron Brooks Dave Gawron
7. Richard Hamilton Tim Trout
8. Allen Iverson Steve Alexander
9. Marvin Williams Tom Lorenzo
10. Rodney Stuckey Matt Buser
11. Joakim Noah Kyle McKeown
12. Marc Gasol Karen McCaslin
Allen Iverson is finally selected in the tenth round. Let that settle in for a minute… how the mighty have fallen. In this case, I believe he’s fallen too far and will provide more value than the 116th player in the league. A top 75 player is a better ranking than 116.
Chris Andersen is a nice pick in the tenth round and can provide a team with a third of the blocks needed in the category. Joakim Noah is also nice value in the tenth round and should continue to improve on a semi-breakout season last year.
I made up for a so-so pick in the ninth round by selecting Nate Robinson. While I contemplated taking Iverson, I think Nate Robinson will provide more value and has the added benefit of playing on the fantasy friendly New York Knicks. I’ll take the 16.0-18.0 PPG, 4.1 AGP, 1.3 SPG, and 3.9 RPG in the tenth round every time.
Round 11
1. Roy Hibbert Karen McCaslin
2. Courtney Lee Kyle McKeown
3. Ronnie Brewer Matt Buser
4. Yi Jianlin Tom Lorenzo
5. James Harden Steve Alexander
6. Al Thornton Tim Trout
7. Thaddeus Young Dave Gawron
8. Andrei Kirilenko Geoffrey Stein
9. Jermaine O’Neal Jeff Andriesse
10. Samuel Dalembert Shannon McKeown
11. Mike Dunleavy Rich Wilson
12. Brad Miller BJ VanderWoude
Round 12
1. Jamal Crawford BJ VanderWoude
2. Brendan Haywood Rich Wilson
3. Peja Stojakovic Shannon McKeown
4. Tyreke Evans Jeff Andriesse
5. Antonio McDyess Geoffrey Stein
6. Shaquille O’Neal Dave Gawron
7. Kendrick Perkins Tim Trout
8. Marco Belinelli Steve Alexander
9. Brandon Bass Tom Lorenzo
10. Mike Miller Matt Buser
11. Mickael Pietrus Kyle McKeown
12. DJ Augustin Karn McCaslin
Round 13
1. Hasheem Thabeet Karen McCaslin
2. Terrence Williams Kyle McKeown
3. Kirk Hinrich Matt Buser
4. Danilo Gallinari Tom Lorenzo
5. Kelenna Azubuike Steve Alexander
6. Beno Udrih Tim Trout
7. Tayshaun Prince Dave Gawron
8. Randy Foye Geoffrey Stein
9. Carl Landry Jeff Andriesse
10. Jonny Flynn Shannon McKeown
11. Kenyon Martin Rich Wilson
12. Kyle Lowry BJ VanderWoude
Round 14
1. Travis Outlaw BJ VanderWoude
2. Raja Bell Rich Wilson
3. Channing Frye Shannon McKeown
4. Hakim Warrick Jeff Andriesse
5. Roger Mason Geoffrey Stein
6. Rudy Fernandez Dave Gawron
7. Quentin Richardson Tim Trout
8. Luke Ridnour Steve Alexander
9. Anderson Varejao Tom Lorenzo
10. Darko Milicic Matt Buser
11. Andres Nocioni Kyle McKeown
12. Marreese Speights Karen McCaslin
Round 15
1. Brandon Rush Karen McCaslin
2. DeMar DeRozan Kyle McKeown
3. Robin Lopez Matt Buser
4. Ronny Turiaf Rom Lorenzo
5. Chris Wilcox Steve Alexander
6. Udonis Haslem Tim Trout
7. Grant Hill Dave Gawron
8. Anthony Parker Geoffrey Stein
9. Ryan Gomes Jeff Andriesse
10. Tyler Hansbrough Shannon McKeown
11. Zydrunas Ilgauskas Rich Wilson
12. Jerryd Bayless BJ VanderWoude
The last five rounds were full of high risk/high reward players. The reality of any draft is that only 10%-20% of the players taken in the late rounds will actually remain on the owner’s fantasy team for the entire season. The remaining players will rotate on and off the waiver wire all season long. Here’s who I think are the keepers from the end game of this draft:
1. James Harden – A very polished player coming out of college, James Harden could become this year’s OJ Mayo for the Thunder. Word was also very positive out of the summer league. A nice pickup in the end game.
2. Andrei Kirilenko – Another once great fantasy stud that has dropped too far in this draft. While he’s longer a fourth round selection, a ninth or tenth round slot is where his value should wind up.
3. Jermaine O’Neal – It all depends on health for Jermaine O’Neal. If he can stay healthy, he’s a great insurance pick for players like Marcus Camby and Elton Brand.
4. Mike Dunleavy – There are whispers that Mike Dunleavy might start the season for the Pacers. While I’m not convinced, there’s still too much upside in Dunleavy to have him drop to the late rounds of a draft. In round eleven, he’s a steal.
5. Brendan Haywood – Missed most of last season due to injury and as suspected, fell to round 13 of this draft. For a starting center on a team that should be much improved this year, Haywood has a lot of upside. In fact, don’t be surprised if Haywood averages a low-end double/double this year.
6. Kelenna Azubuike - I guess Fantasy Basketball players have forgotten about the flurry of 30+ point games that Azubuike had at the end of last season. This guy can flat out score and is nice value in the end-game.
7. Tyreka Evans – A big PG that will take the reins in Sacramento, Tyreka Evans has both the skills and opportunity to compete for Rookie of Year honors. A great pickup in the twelve round.
After the pre-season begins, MockDraftCentral will be hosting additional Expert Mock Drafts and it will be interesting to see how the drafts will change. Will Allen Iverson move up? Will Gilbert Arenas remain a third round pick? Who in the rookie class will make a strong move up the draft boards? Stay tuned, it’s going to be fun