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Kimbrel, Johnson Look Dominant

djames — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:54:12 +0000

Here’s a look at the top five fantasy relief pitchers as we’re close to the end of the first month of the regular season.

1. Jim Johnson, Orioles:

Part of Johnson’s success has been that the Orioles are playing much better than anticipated, but kudos for Johnson for converting the opportunities he’s been given. Though Johnson isn’t much of a strikeout threat, he’s been perfect this season and he should be a high value guy if you were able to get him. If you get the right price, though, Johnson is the kind of guy you might want to consider selling.

2. Grand Balfour, Oakland Athletics:

Like Johnson, Balfour isn’t making many people whiff, but he’s been money so far in his save opportunities and given fantasy owners a boost in their bullpen.

3. Aroldis Chapman, Reds:

Though Chapman isn’t a closer, he still has been incredibly valuable and should be all season long due to his strikeout potential.

4. Jay Guerra, Dodgers:

Guerra has been crucial to the early success of the Dodgers, even if he’s stumbled a little bit over the last couple of outings. If Guerra can settle down again, he could be in line to get a ton of saves this season.

5. Fernando Rodney, Rays:

Rodney has been in the right place at the right time. If Craig Kimbrel is the game’s most dominant closer, and a good bet to finish as one of the top guys at the end of the year, Rodney is just a model of consistency. Rodney looks like a steal so far.

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Jeter a Big Surprise in April

djames — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:43:26 +0000

Though your fantasy teams need a few studs to have a shot, a lot of the time it comes down to the steals that you were able to get. So far no one has been more of a steal than Derek Jeter, who is having one of the best opening months of his career. Here’s a look at the players that have been the biggest surprise this April.

Derek Jeter:

DJ has been nothing short of amazing, with an average over .400 heading into the final games of April. The Yankees wouldn’t be where they are in the standings without Jeter’s great start, and you probably got him pretty late in the draft if you were able to get him. Considering that shortstop is usual a light-producing position, Jeter has given teams unbelievable value.

David Ortiz:

Big Papi simply isn’t done mashing, apparently. Approaching the end of the month, Ortiz was leading the American League in batting average while putting up RBIs in bunches as well. Don’t expect a full season like that, but Ortiz is off to a great start.

Jake Peavy:

Considering most thought his career was over, it’s amazing that he should finish April as the top producing pitcher in the league. If you were able to get him and have enough faith to play him, good for you.

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Peavy Surprise Top Pitcher in April

djames — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:37:36 +0000

Here’s a look at the top five fantasy starting pitchers as we come close to the end of the first month.

1. Jake Peavy:

Who saw this one coming? Though Peavy obviously was a former stud, many assumed that his career was headed downhill, mainly because that’s what the stats have been saying for a while. But Peavy has been unbelievable so far this year, with a 1.88 ERA and 3-0 record in his first four starts. So far, Peavy looks like the steal of the draft.

2. Kyle Lohse:

Coming off of a very good 2011 season, people need to start paying attention to Kyle Lohse. The Cardinals haven’t missed a stride without Albert Pujols, and much of that has been their dependable pitching led by Lohse.

3. Justin Verlander:

After an MVP win, a rarity for a pitcher, Verlander is at it again, with a league-leading 31 striketouts in his first four starts. Verlander is an absolute horse and he looks to be well worth his high draft status.

4. Phil Umber:

Well, this one is misleading because of his perfect game, but if you happened to have him in your starting rotation, good for you. We’ll have to see what Umber can do the rest of the year, but a perfect game is a perfect game.

5. Jared Weaver:

Weaver continues to establish himself as one of the most consistently dominant starters in the game, even if he gets about half of the credit he actually deserves.

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Kemp in Class of His Own So Far

djames — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:26:29 +0000

With the baseball season just about a month in, there is the usual combination of surprises, though many of the big names are once again putting up big numbers. Here’s a look at the type five hitters so far this fantasy season.

1. Matt Kemp:

After nearly winning the MVP last season, Kemp has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Kemp is leading the entire league in homers and RBIs, and even his strikeouts are somewhat down. Though he’s been running less than he had been before, that’s perhaps inevitable.

2. Josh Hamilton:

Hamilton is the driving force in the Rangers lineup, a complete hitter who looks like he’ll be in MVP candidate every season that he’s healthy. Once again, Hamilton is putting up elite power numbers while also hitting for a very high average, giving him a ridiculous start to the 2012 season.

3. Ian Kinsler:

The secret i s now officially out about Kinsler, and there’s no excuse for not knowing how good he actually is. Kinsler’s all around game makes him an elite player, particularly at a position (2B) that is very thin in terms of production.

4. Derek Jeter:

It’s not going to last the whole season (right?), but Derek Jeter has been absolutely on fire to start the season, giving the Yankees a huge shot in the arm while some of their big players have struggled.

5. David Ortiz:

Apparently Ortiz doesn’t feel like slowing down the way that everyone assumes he will. Ortiz is slimmer than ever but his power numbers are still great. If he can even play most of the season at a pace anywhere near this, he’ll end up a huge steal considering where he had to be drafted.

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NBA Playoffs: Players Looking to Take Next Step

djames — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:18:13 +0000

Though the NBA playoffs will likely be dominated by headlines surrounding some of the premier players in the game, it’s often the next tier of superstars that decides who ends up winning the championship. With the standings just about settled, here’s a look at the other great players that will be looking to make a dent in the postseason.

Rajon Rondo:

With Doc Rivers getting his team some rest towards the end of the season, Rondo and the Celtics look ready to roll. Rondo has been known to take his game to the next level when it comes playoff time, and one more good playoff run should elevate him to the elite level of NBA point guards. For many, he’s already there.

Carmelo Anthony:

Anthony, more than anything, needs to do his talking on the court. It’s been a bipolar year for the Knicks, but Anthony has them playing good basketball as they head down the stretch of the regular season. Anthony would love to give Miami or Chicago a run for their money and show that he can play great ball when it matters the most.

Russell Westbrook:

Critics have lambasted Westbrook for holding back their offense on occasion, as he’s known for being too much of a scorer and not enough of a distributor. Westbrook needs to score, of course, but he needs to find a nice balance that compliments his teammates. If Westbrook can take a couple less shots a game and increase his assists, he could really guide them deep into the playoffs.

Thunder Soar into Playoffs

djames — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:42:41 +0000

The Thunder wrap up the regular season tonight with a game against the Nuggets, but fans are looking forward to the playoffs even if the players say that they’re not. As the second overall seed, the Thunder are expected to do some serious damage, though they’ll have to find a way to play team basketball so that they can handle a team like the streaking San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder were the team that had the inside track on the number one seed in the West, the Spurs have now won eight straight and taken complete control.

But what the Thunder can fall back on is pure talent, and they have plenty of it. While the Spurs have unbelievable team chemistry, the Thunder have an elite player in Kevin Durant and another guy in Russell Westbrook who can be just as dominant for stretches. The key, however, might just lie with James Harden, who is still recovering from his wicked hit from Meta World Peace. Harden gives the Thunder a versatile third option who can get to the rim and put pressure on a defense that has to commit elsewhere. With their big three and Serge Ibaka blocking some shots down low, the Thunder can play with anyone in their path starting this weekend.

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Bulls Need Health to Win

djames — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:08:33 +0000

Though the Bulls have locked up the first overall seed in the East, they will have their work cutout for them if they think they’re going to end up in the NBA Finals. And that work gets even tougher with Derrick Rose limping around with a bum ankle, an injury that shouldn’t keep him out of any playoff action, but one that could also be a big problem in terms of their championship hopes. Even with a healthy Rose, though, the Bulls will eventually have to go through the Heat, or a team that manages to knock them off, creating a whole new set of problems.

So what do the Bulls have to do in order to get by the Heat this year? Obviously Rose’s health is important, but Rose also needs someone to step in as a legitimate two-scorer, one who can spell him by taking over for a few minutes. Luol Deng is the obvious choice, an underrated player nationally but one who can take over the game for stretches with his defensive effort and ability to get to the cup. Also needing to have a big postseason, of course, is Carlos Boozer, who had a so-so season down low. But while Boozer would really give a boost if they got something in the post, another post player to watch is Omer Asik, a guy who should be able to come off the bench and be effective down low for stretches. When you have teams as good as the Bulls and the Heat (or whoever else), sometimes it’s a guy like Asik who turns the tides. No matter how it plays out, though, the playoffs promise to really be a test for the Bulls as they chase their title dreams.

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Heat Resting Stars as Playoffs Approach

djames — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:08:37 +0000

With Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh dealing with minor injuries, the Miami Heat took a well-deserved night off tonight as they go up against the Boston Celtics tonight. With the Spurs leading the charge on resting players this season, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, and now the Heat get to focus on the upcoming playoffs, where they’ll square up against the Knicks or the Sixers. Though the Bulls will take down the first seed, the Heat has risen as the favorite in the Eastern Conference due to the banged up Bulls roster, namely Derrick Rose.

No matter how Rose is able to play, though, there are two teams the Heat will face before they can get that far. Carmelo Anthony is really carrying the Knicks right now and they look much more dangerous than they looked just a month ago and the Sixers have some young energy that could test the Heat if they don’t have their legs. But no matter what transpires in the playoffs, the Heat put together another very good regular season, cruising to the two-seed in a grinding 66-game schedule. Now they look to be in a very good position to chase that championship that everyone has been talking about since before the Big Three even played together.

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A Look at the Spurs’ Chances

djames — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:20:24 +0000

The San Antonio Spurs weren’t supposed to be the team to snag the number one seed in the Western Conference, though that looks exactly like what’s about to happen. Every time that pundits look at the Spurs’ older roster and assume that the Spurs should finally be winding down, they come out and put together a season like this year, one in which their selfless style of ball carved up NBA defenses all season long. As the Spurs gear up for another run at a championship, NBA fans should take a step back and appreciate how good the Spurs have been and continue to be.

For starters, the Spurs were picked as a team that would probably struggle with the rigorous 66-game schedule following the lockout. Instead, even when Manu Ginobili went down for a long period of time, they were able to rally around Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, then when Ginobili got back in the swing of things, they took it up a notch and really showed their championship potential. Though the Spurs have had some disappointing early exits in recent years, it wouldn’t be wise to bet against the Spurs as they head into the postseason playing great basketball.

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From Robinson to Duncan

djames — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:27:57 +0000

This all started with David Robinson, believe it or not. The most underrated part of success in the NBA, by far, is team chemistry, and that’s something that the Spurs have had in spades for a long time now. As other teams struggle to construct their team with big stars and enormous expectations before they even take the court, the Spurs have proven what can be done with a system you can believe in, an elite coach and a completely selfless superstar. And it’s in having that selfless superstar in Tim Duncan that has provided the corner stone for the Spurs for more than a decade. Many fans are likely surprised that they’re in place to finish as the number one overall seed, though they shouldn’t be.

But Duncan can also thank David Robinson for showing him how it’s done. With a spectacular career starting to wind down, David Robinson seamlessly worked with Duncan when the Spurs snagged him with the first overall pick, starting a dynasty that has been more successful than any this side of Jordan’s Bulls. Now with Duncan, you’re seeing a post player who is still very productive, not to mention still capable of dominating nights on occasion, but a guy willing to defer to Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. With it once again clicking in San Antonio as the Spurs head into the playoffs as the league’s hottest team, it’s hard not to like their chances due to their rare team chemistry and peaking talent. Even if Duncan isn’t the player of old, he’s still the one who makes it all work.

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