Another Year, Another Half-Dozen Fantasy Teams

Hey guys,

It's time once again for NFL dorks the world over to start perusing training camp reports, finding out who's "in the best shape of their lives," and seeking for the sleepers that will more than likely never awaken (Jared Cook).

It's time to sit online and do mock drafts in leagues that in no way resemble your own.  It's time to buy shamefully outdated fantasy football magazines because you failed to sufficiently do your homework before your draft, and your printer is broken, and you need a cheat sheet.  It's time to then "donate" that magazine from June to the guy in your league who's even more clueless than you, and watch him take Josh Gordon in the second round.

It's time to pony up several (hundred) dollars that you'll likely never see again.  You'd be better off buying lottery tickets.  It's time to rediscover your love of Matthew Berry and Scott Pianowski and twenty other dudes just like us except for their work ethic and willingness to perform under deadline pressure.

FANTASY FOOTBALL IS BACK!

To be perfectly honest, my main motivation for writing this piece is to bury Ryan's World Cup trash talk, and that's almost good enough justification even if I don't write another word.  Never mind that, let's talk drafting.

Since the dawn of fake football time, the conventional wisdom held that with your first two picks, you needed to take two running backs.  "RB-RB" remains a decent strategy, if you're fifty.  Maybe I'm biased because I always end up with low picks in every draft since I was a teenager and Priest Holmes was unstoppable.  But look, the failure rate of highly drafted running backs has been on the rise for many years.  RBs these days are mostly a disposable commodity in the NFL.  It sucks (for them), but that's the reality.

I feel like the better approach with running backs is to try to get one 'bell-cow' type dude, and then a WHOLE BUNCH of lottery tickets late - your Carlos Hydes (though I still think Frank Gore is immortal), your Devonta Freemans, your [fill in the blank with this year's Zac Stacy] on waivers after Week 6.

More and more, I've been leaning towards the stud wideouts and quarterbacks in the first two rounds.  I'll take at most one running back, unless somebody drops.  With pick 10, for example, I've been doing a whole lot of drafting Demaryius Thomas or AJ Green, followed by Aaron Rodgers early in the second.  An alternative using RB-RB would have me taking Demarco Murray and Giovani Bernard.  I feel a lot safer with the true blue-chippers early, regardless of position.  Safety with high picks, risks with low picks.

If you have a very high first round selection, however, you should totally go RB first.  Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte, and Adrian Peterson shouldn't be passed up for anybody except maybe Jimmy Graham or Calvin Johnson.  Basically, those should be your top six picks in virtually any draft, in virtually any order.  I would then follow up late in the second by getting a top notch guy at a different position from your first guy, whatever that happens to be.  Go for value.

I will have more thoughts and some love-hates as D(raft)-Day approaches.  My drafts for my three conventional leagues are August 23, 24, and 25.  And the defense only league (hell yeah the defense only league) drafts September 1.  Please comment if you have more thoughts, requests on specific topics of discussion, or just want to thank me for burying Ryan.

My Semi-Humble Lesson on Soccer

Well, it appears as though I got robbed. For a little bit, it looked like I was going to enjoy the prominence I deserve. It looked like Argentina was going to win the World Cup.

However, the German's cheated and won 1-0 in extra time. That's okay. I still reigned supreme in the Group Stage, and I was a cheating German away from taking the whole damn thing. Essentially, I had the most dominant team. I think that's undeniable. I'll just take the whole sweep next time.

But, out of the generous nature of my own heart and my own innate desire to compete, I will give you guys some tips to take with you as you ponder how to stack up with me in four years time. So, without further adieu, here are five tips to live by:

1) Be Me: This one is simple. You have to be me. If you aren't me, you're screwed.

2) Pick the Best Teams: This one is also simple. Don't pick bad teams *Cough* Tim and Tim *Cough* The rest of you will struggle with this one unless, of course, the first tip is met.

3) Actually Do Some Research: This one goes out to Tim Transon. You picked the two teams who were clearly going to finish last in their respective brackets in rounds 3 and 4. Don't do that. That was stupid.

4) Don't Make a Retarded Pick Second Overall: Tim Fodor, you still had Argentina and Germany on the board, and you went with Spain. This was as bad as it gets. May God have mercy on your soul.

5) Be Me: If you aren't me, there is really no point. Sorry. You might as well just concede if you're not me. If you're not me, than the rest of these tips are really just moot.

So there you have it. The 5 essential tips to winning the World Cup pool... You know what? Screw it. I'll give you one more BONUS tip:

6) Don't Be STEVE NOFFKE: If you're Steve Noffke, I think we can pretty much all agree you're screwed. So, don't be him. If you are Steve, there may be some hope: Lobotomy.

In four years, I don't want to hear that my tips were for nothing. If you fail to read this, well, then that's on you. Goodluck!

ACSS World Cup Pool

Now that the Group Stage is over, we can focus on the Knockout round and the winner of the second half of our pool. The good news is everyone still has teams left.

Stats

Players with 3 Team(s) Left: 3
Players with 2 Team(s) Left: 2
Players with 1 Team(s) Left:3

We had 2 4th round picks make it through with Nigeria for Colin and Costa Rica for Ryan

We had 2 3rd round pick make it through as well with Algeria for Mark Fodor and Mexico For Ryan

Lastly, only two first round picks didn't make it through. Spain (#2 overall) for Tim Fodor and Portugal (#7 overall) for me

Here is a list of the teams each player has left. Here's a link to the knockout round schedule

• Dave Weir
• Geramany
• Netherlands
• Mark Fodor
• Uraguay
• France
• Algeria
• Tim Fodor
• Greece
• USA!
• Ryan Parrent
• Argentina
• Mexico
• Costa Rica
• Colin O'Shea
• Colombia
• Chile
• Nigeria
• Steve Noffke
• Belgium
• Tim Transon
• Switzerland
• Dan Noffke
• Brazil

ACSS World Cup Pool Standings

Hello Everyone

Congrats to Ryan. He won the group stage by 2 points over Colin.

I think we can already give away the award for biggest flop of the tournament to the #2 overall pick Spain! Congrats Tim Fodor on that one. I am excited because my first round pick Portugal was in the running, but  won't have to take that crown.

Below are the standings.These standings are as the completion of play for all Groups

Team	Points	Goal Dif
Ryan Parrent	24	7
Colin O'Shea	22	9
Dave Weir	20	9
Mark Fodor	17	0
Steve Noffke	17	-5
Dan Noffke	13	-4
Tim Fodor	11	-11
Tim Transon	11	-5

Here is the team by team breakdown

Dave Weir	Points	Goal Dif		Colin O'Shea	Points	Goal Dif
Germany	7	5		Columbia	9	7
Netherlands	9	7		Chile	6	2
Bosnia & Herz	3	0		Croatia	3	0
South Korea	1	-3		Nigeria	4	0
Total	20	9		Total	22	9
Mark Fodor	Points	Goal Dif		Steve Noffke	Points	Goal Dif
Uruguay	6	0		Portugal	4	-3
France	7	6		Belgium	9	3
Algeria	4	1		Ivory Coast	3	-1
Honduras	0	-7		Japan	1	-4
Total	17	0		Total	17	-5
Tim Fodor	Points	Goal Dif		Tim Transon	Points	Goal Dif
Spain	3	-3		Switzerland	6	1
Greece	4	-2		Italy	3	-1
USA!	4	0		Ghana	1	-2
Australia	0	-6		Iran	1	-3
Total	11	-11		Total	11	-5
Ryan Parrent	Points	Goal Dif		Dan Noffke	Points	Goal Dif
Argentina	9	3		Brazil	7	5
England	1	-2		Russia	2	-1
Mexico	7	3		Ecuador	4	0
Costa Rica	7	3		Cameroon	0	-8
Total	24	7		Total	13	-4

2014 Armchair Superstar World Cup Pool

Hello Everyone

Welcome back 4 years later to the Armchair Superstar world Cup Pool. We have 7 players coming back from last time and have lost Derek Wilson, but we picked up this blog's favorite reader who isn't a write Tim Fodor (Mark's little brother).

Here are the rules

• Buy-In $20
• 8 Players 
• 4 Teams Per Player
• Team Selection: 4 round snake order draft. Rules explained below. I will get Jamie to rig randomly select the draft order posted below. 
•  Ways to win 
•  ½ Pot goes to Player with the World Cup Winning Team 
• ½ Pot goes to Player with most points in Group Stage  
• Tiebreakers for the group stage will be determined the same way as FIFA does (See section 42.5) which basically goes as follows 
•  Goal Difference in all group Matches
• Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches 
• And then more if needed

Draft

Last time we did this, and I think it worked out pretty well, we did a "slow" draft. Basically the draft start as soon as this post goes up. The person with the #1 pick can take as long or as short as they'd like. As long as all picks are in by the first match which is the 12th.

Picks can be submitted via the blog in the comments, article or you can text me and I will update this article with the new picks.

Here's a link with all the available teams.


I will do my best to update the blog as often as I can with Matches being completed. I know I enjoyed this last time so I hope everyone does as well

Alright, now what you've all been waiting for, the draft order.

And Brazil goes too.........................

Round 1

1. Dan Noffke       Brazil
2. Tim Fodor         Spain
3. Ryan Parrent     Argentina
4. Dave Weir         Germany
5. Mark Fodor       Uruguay
6. Colin O'Shea     Columbia
7. Stephen Noffke Portugal
8. Tim Transon      Switzerland

Round 2

1. Tim Transon      Italy
2. Stephen Noffke  Belgium
3. Colin O'Shea      Chile
4. Mark Fodor        France
5. Dave Weir          Netherlands
6. Ryan Parrent      England
7. Tim Fodor          Greece
8. Dan Noffke        Russia

Round 3


1. Dan Noffke             Ecuador
2. Tim Fodor               USA!
3. Ryan Parrent           Mexico
4. Dave Weir               Bosnia and Herzegovina
5. Mark Fodor             Algeria
6. Colin O'Shea           Croatia
7. Stephen Noffke       Ivory Coast
8. Tim Transon            Ghana


Round 4


1. Tim Transon          Iran
2. Stephen Noffke     Japan
3. Colin O'Shea         Nigeria
4. Mark Fodor           Honduras
5. Dave Weir             South Korea
6. Ryan Parrent         Costa Rica
7. Tim Fodor             Australia
8. Dan Noffke           Cameroon



You can pay me via chase quickpay at snoffke@gmail.com. If you don't have chase let me know.

Grading the Bears Draft

I really like how Phil Emery and his crew handled this year's draft.  Let's go through pick by pick and talk about our new rookies.

Rd 1, pick 14: Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech.  I thought this pick was going to be Aaron Donald (went at 13 to the Rams).  But apparently Fuller was the Bears' target all along.  It seems as though a lot of analysts, Mike Mayock included, think he might be the best corner in the entire draft.  I thought his highlights were impressive.  His ideal player comparison in the NFL is Charles Tillman - 'nuff said.  Good fit, good potential.

Rd 2, pick 51: Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU.  He's HUGE (6'3" 315), and absolutely fits a major need on the defensive line.  I gotta admit he wasn't on my radar since he was a borderline top 10 guy, but watching his highlights he looks strong and tough and obviously LSU has a reputation for churning out pros.

Rd 3, pick 82: Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State.  I love guys who had good college careers and Sutton was the Pac-12 DPOY the last TWO years!  He looks slower and a bit less athletic than Ferguson but seems to be more of a hole-stuffer at defensive tackle.  I think this was an extremely smart pick.  These two defensive tackles could complement each other for years, especially learning from all the vets the Bears brought in via free agency on the defensive line.

Rd 4, pick 117: Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona.  Ka'Deem is a BOSS.  He has had some legal issues but c'mon, who hasn't?  This guys is a legit starting quality talent in the NFL.  Offensive POY in the Pac-12 last year (way to go with the trivia picks, Emery), and just pops out at you on tape.  He's going to be an excellent guy learning behind Forte.  Love this pick, excited to see him in a Bears uniform.  If Forte goes down at any point next year, I would pick him up in fantasy without any hesitation.

Rd 4, pick 131: Brock Vereen, S, Minnesota.  Yet another mid round safety.  Eventually, we have to get one right, right?  Jerry Kill, Vereen's coach at Minnesota, had a lot of nice things to say about him.  And his big brother Shane Vereen has done well with the Patriots the last couple years when he's been healthy.  Haven't watched enough of Brock to comment on his NFL future with any kind of authority.  But go Big Ten.

Rd 6, pick 183: David Fales, QB, San Jose St.  He put up great college stats, I've never watched him.  Might be a wasted pick, but can't hurt from a depth perspective.

Rd 6, pick 191: Pat O'Donnell, P, Miami.  Sure, why not?  First punter of the draft I believe.

Rd 7, pick 246: Charles Leno Jr, OT, Boise St.  He's got the size and the pedigree, and Emery struck gold with OT Jordan Mills in the fifth round last year, so I'll give this pick the benefit of the doubt.  Check out ESPN's take on Leno, which points out that the last few Boise State left tackles haven't been half bad!  (Daryn Colledge, Ryan Clady, Nate Potter)

All in all, this looks like a solid B+/A- draft to me.  I feel like all four of the top four picks are going to make important contributions on the field next year, and that all eight guys are going to stick on the roster.  Fales is the only real question mark.  We got guys from strong programs and power conferences, which I dig.  Carey could end up being one of those Lance Briggs-type genius midround picks, and all three of the top guys are studs in my opinion.

One other note.  I was happy to see Michael Sam get drafted.  He deserves huge praise for the way he's gone about this thing and the bravery he has demonstrated in being so open and being a standard bearer for GLBT folks everywhere.  Good on the Rams and Jeff Fisher for going out and drafting him and being so classy - it was really a cherry on top of what was already a good draft for them.

GO BEARS!

Ryan's Mock Draft 2.0

The second mock draft will include potential trades. So here we go:

1 - Texans - Jadeveon Clowney - DE

2 - Rams - Greg Robinson - OT

3 - Jaguars - Khalil Mack - DE/OLB

4 - TRADE! Buccaneers - Sammy Watkins - WR

5 - Raiders - Mike Evans - WR

6 - Falcons - Jake Matthews - OT

7 - Browns - Blake Bortles - QB (From Bucs)

8 - Vikings - Aaron Donald - DT

9 - Bills - Taylor Lewan - OT

10 - TRADE! Jets - Odell Beckham - WR

11 - TRADE! Dolphins - Zach Martin - OT/G

12 - TRADE! Eagles - Brandin Cooks - WR

13 - Rams - Bradley Roby - CB

14 - Bears - Kyle Fuller - CB/S

15 - Steelers - Eric Ebron - TE

16 - Cowboys - Johnny Manziel - QB

17 - TRADE! Titans - Anthony Barr - DE/OLB

18 - Lions - HaHa Clinton-Dix - S

19 - Ravens - Calvin Pryor - S (From Titans who got it from Dolphins)

20 - Cardinals - Ryan Shazier - ILB

21 - Packers - Darqueze Dennard - CB

22 - Giants - Xavier Su'a-Filo - G

23 - TRADE! Browns - Teddy Bridgewater - QB

24 - Bengals - Justin Gilbert - CB

25 - Chargers - Jeremiah Attachou - DE/OLB

26 - TRADE! 49ers - Cody Lattimer - WR

27 - Saints - Louis Nix III - NT

28 - Panthers - Marqise Lee - WR

29 - Patriots - DaQuan Jones - DT

30 - TRADE! Vikings - Derek Carr - QB

31 - Broncos - Jimmy Garrappolo - QB

32 - Seahawks - Keith McGill - CB

2014 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

Alright, well, I have no idea how this draft is going to go, but I am going to attempt a mock draft. I'll do one thursday as well, and that one may have trades. This one will be trade free. This one is only going to be a 1 round mock draft. Without further adieu, here it is:

1 - Texans - Jadeveon Clowney DE

Big athletic pass rusher. I don't think QB is a good pick here, so unless they move down this has to be it, or Khalil Mack. They can still get good value in the second round though at QB.

2 -  Rams - Greg Robinson OT

Jake Long spent time injured, and they need to keep Sam Bradford upright and healthy if they ever want a chance to compete.

3 - Jaguars - Blake Bortles - QB

I would have them taking Khalil Mack but they play a cover 2 defense. I cannot see them taking a LB at that spot. I considered WR, but really, it only makes sense if they land a QB.

4 - Browns - Khalil Mack - OLB/DE

The Browns are shocked when Mack falls to them and they do not pass up the opportunity to add another elite defender. Although, if Mack is still there at this point, I would fully expect Atlanta to blow their load to move up to take him.

5 - Raiders - Johnny Manziel - QB

The Raiders are desperate for nearly every offensive and defensive position. However, they go ahead and roll the dice on Manziel, hoping he can save this franchise from death.

6 - Falcons - Jake Matthews - OT

The Falcons had a terrible offensive line last year. They take the offensive tackle that I believe ends up being the best tackle to help protect Matt Ryan.

7 - Buccaneers - Sammy Watkins - WR

The Bucs are ecstatic to grab Watkins this late in the draft. If Watkins is still there I do fully expect the Bucs to move out of their spot though, and snag some more picks.

8 - Vikings - Jimmy Garropolo - QB

SURPRISE!!!! The Vikings snag Garropolo long before anyone believes he's going to be taken. The draft pundits go crazy and the Vikings get their guy.

9 - Bills - Mike Evans - WR

The Bills desperately want another receiver to help EJ Manual improve alongside Stevie Johnson. Mike Evans is a HUGE target.

10 - Lions - Eric Ebron - TE

The Lions want to be able to out gun everyone so they add Eric Ebron hoping he becomes the next Jimmy Graham. It's a bit of shocker considering they need help in their secondary and linebacking corp, but this was the best value at a position of need.

11 - Titans - Odell Beckham - WR

The Titans need some receivers. They are going to give Jake Locker this one last year to prove his worth, and they are going to give him the players he needs to succeed.

12 - Giants - Taylor Lewan - OT

The Giants couldn't block anyone last year and Eli Manning showed he was worthless. While he didn't catch nearly as much flack as Jay Cutler did for his offensive line's play, despite Cutler playing incredibly well and Manning playing like poo, the Giants do need to protect him if they want to do anything in the near future.

13 - Rams - Bradley Roby - CB

It's looking like the Rams are in love with Roby. Shocking as it may be, the Rams select Roby this early (or trade down).

14 - Bears - Aaron Donald - DT

If the Bears have the draft fall this way and way Aaron Donald, Kyle Fuller, Haha Clinton-Dix, Calvin Pryor, and Justin Gilbert are all still available, I think they will be trading down. Either way, the Bears select Aaron Donald and have a nasty pass rush.

15 - Steelers - Justin Gilbert - CB

The Steelers snag Justin Gilbert as he tumbles down the draft board. He's got all the intangibles you'd want in a corner, but his raw talent is what causes him to drop this far.

16 - Dallas - Zack Martin - OT/G

The Cowboys need to continue to improve their offensive line. Zack Martin can play either tackle or guard, and since they don't need a left tackle, I would guess Martin would slide inside.

17 - Ravens - HaHa Clinton-Dix - S

The Ravens are looking to replace Ed Reed after his departure. HaHa Clinton-Dix is there for them to take and they are ecstatic by it.

18 - Jets - Darqueze Denard - CB

The Jets take the corner who is great in coverage and can help their defense improve instantaneously. Rex Ryan hopes he can get a playmaker that can help save his job this year.

19 - Dolphins - Xavier Su'a-Filo - OG

The Dolphins are desperate for offensive line help. Like many other offensive line prospects in years past, it looks like a giant reach to draft Su'a-Filo. However, the Dolphins are ecstatic to have him.

20 - Cardinals - Anthony Barr - OLB

The Cardinals are shocked that Anthony Barr falls this deep. As a result, they snag him up as quickly as possible.

21 - Packers - Calvin Pryor - S

The Packers select Calvin Pryor hoping to improve the horrid defense that they have. They lost MD Jennings in the offseason, so this pick makes a lot of sense.

22 - Eagles - Kyle Fuller - CB/S

Kyle Fuller ends his tumble down the draft board. Being the most complete option, as he can play nearly every defensive back position on the field, and being a big defensive back, the Eagles have no choice but to land him.

23 - Chiefs - Brandin Cooks - WR

The Chiefs are desperate for some offensive help. Rumors are that Andy Reid loves Cooks, so, if he's still there, I cannot see them passing him up.

24 - Bengals - Jason Verrett - CB

The Bengals are desperate for some secondary help. Their corners are incredibly old and they are looking to get younger. This pick makes a lot of sense.

25 - Chargers - Louis Nix III - NT

If the run on defensive backs goes as I'm prognosticating the Chargers are going to be forced to trade up. However, for the sake of this mock, they go with the big nose tackle out of Notre Dame.

26 - Browns - Derek Carr - QB

Shocked that he's still available, the Browns select the QB they wanted from the start. Derek Carr can come in and help this offense move the ball, and if he hits, the Browns will be one of the best teams in the AFC.

27 - Saints - Ryan Shazier - ILB

The Saints get the best ILB in the draft, in my opinion, and he's a giant steal. Ryan Shaizer is going to be a monster, and if he drops to 27 I wouldn't be mad if the Bears traded into the second round to get him.

28 - Panthers - Marqise Lee - WR

The Panthers lost Steve Smith and are looking to upgrade at the position. Marqise Lee is a solid choice here, and the hope is he and Cam Newton can form a great combo for the years to come.

29 - Patriots - Cody Latimer - WR

Tom Brady really suffered because the Patriots refused to keep the reliable Wes Welker. Now, they look to improve that position, as Gronk has suffered season ending injuries in back to back years.

30 - 49ers - Kelvin Benjamin - WR

This concludes the wide receiver run with seven taken in the first thirty two picks. The 49ers are desperate for help in the passing game and Benjamin is their guy. He's six foot five and can be a huge red zone target.

31 - Broncos - Teddy Bridgewater - QB

The Broncos will likely lose Peyton Manning to retirement this season, or the next. As a result, they grab the QB that is falling down everyone's board, and hope they can turn him into the next Aaron Rodgers.

32 - Seahawks - Keith McGill - CB

McGill was tested out as an athletic freak. The Seahawks lost Brandon Browner. The Seahawks go for the long and fast McGill to be the replacement, and hope they can continue to dominate with big corners. This totals 8 defensive backs taken in the first 32 picks.

Opening Day

Since today is opening day I wanted to post my predictions for the season.

NL 

East
Nationals
*Braves
Mets
Phillys
Marlins

Central
Cardinals
*Brewers
Pirates
Reds
Cubs

West
Dodgers
Diamondbacks
Giants
Rockies
Padres

AL 

East
Rays
*Yankees
Red Sox
Blue Jays
Orioles

Central
Tigers
Indians
Royals
White Sox
Twins

West
Rangers
*Angels
Mariners
Athletics
Astros

If you haven't guessed the teams with the asterisks are the wild card teams.

WS
I will take the Dodgers over the Rangers in the world series.

Awards
NL Cy Young - Stephen Strasburg
AL Cy Young -  CC Sabathia
NL MVP - Bryce Harper
AL MVP - Prince Fielder
Manager of the Year - Ron Washington
Comeback Player of the Year - Josh Hamilton
Rollaid Relief Man of the Year - Addison Reed

Happy Opening Day Everybody. Here's to hoping that this year is your teams year.

MLB Sleepers for 2014

As this is the day before the REAL Opening Day for 2014 (No, I don't count the two games played on a cricket field on Australia or the game tonight), I figured I would make it official by releasing my "Sleeper" picks for the 2014 season.  These are guys I believe will perform above their expectations.

Some rules I made for myself were to only take one player at each position, and only one player from each team.  While I do think both the Padres and Rangers have a few guys who I think will come out of nowhere to surprise a lot of people, I wanted to give some other teams a shout-out as well.  I also avoided superstars coming off of bad years (Kemp, Pujols, Verlander, etc.).

So, here we go.  My 2014 "Sleepers" are:

C - Matt Wieters (BAL) - Wieters is one of those names that falls into the category of proven guys off of bad years, but he was never a superstar.  Look for 20+ home runs from Wieters, and if he can hit close to .250, you might see 80+ RBIs from him as well in that stacked offense.

1B - Jose Abreu (CWS) - A ton of scouts are talking about his power, and this is the position you want your power from.  25+ home runs is not out of the question, as the wind will be blowing out in the summer.  The RBIs may be tricky to guess in that streaky offense, but if guys like Adam Eaton can perform as well as they can, 85 is a number I'd feel comfortable with.

2B - Kelly Johnson (NYY) - Yes, he is currently listed as the starting third basemen on the Yanks' website, but he carries second base eligibility this season.  Power is hard to find up the middle, and this guy could easily top 20 homers at Yankee Stadium.  If he can hit around the .250 mark, you could see 20 homers, 60 RBIs, 80 runs, and 15 steals from him.  And those are conservative estimates.

3B - Mike Olt (CHC) - Yes, we all know about his vision problems, but we seem to forget that he was once a top prospect and considered untouchable by the Texas Rangers.  His vision seems to be better, as he smacked the ball around a bit in Spring Training, and has made the Opening Day roster for the Cubs.  If he can hit better than .230, I wouldn't be surprised to see him hit 20 home runs and drive in 70.  Not too bad for a guy who is only owned in 7% of leagues.

SS - Andrelton Simmons (ATL) - This is a guy who is on the rise, and fast.  He hit 17 homers last season, while hitting below .250.  I'd like to see him raise that batting average to around .270, which is not out of the question.  He hit much better than that in the minors.  If he does, expect 20+ home runs, 65+ RBIs, double digit steals, and close to 90 runs.  For example, that's close to the numbers that Ian Desmond put up a couple years ago, and got him a third round draft price the next season.

OF - Khris Davis (MIL) - Davis is currently a starting outfielder in a Brewers offense that is loaded with potential.  They have solid guys like Braun, Lucroy, and Ramirez, as well as Carlos Gomez, whose production has risen every year.  Davis hit 11 home runs in just 56 games with Milwaukee last year, so we could easily see 25+ from him in a great hitters park.  I'd like to see him run a little more, as he had just 13 stolen base attempts last year between the minors and the majors.  If he can raise that number to 20 or more, we can see double digit steals as well.

OF - Peter Bourjos (STL) - Not much power from this guy, but 10+ home runs is about what is expected.  You're not here for the homers, though.  The Cards love to run, and Bourjos has the speed to steal over 40 bases.  A ton of people are high on Billy Hamilton this year, and rightfully so.  He can run.  But so can Bourjos, and the Cards obviously think highly of him, as they gave up David Freese to get him.

OF - Leonys Martin (TEX) - Another guy who brings you steals, and is in an offense that will allow him to score runs as well.  I think the power improves a bit this year, and he hits 15+ home runs.  If he stays around the 10 homer mark, don't worry.  The price tag isn't too high, and he still has a ton of speed and is surrounded by talent.

SP - Andrew Cashner (SD) - This man can flat out pitch.  He has one of the best fastballs in the big leagues that you never hear of, and he pitches in maybe the best park in the majors.  If he can get the run support, expect 12+ wins and 175+ Ks.

RP - Rex Brothers (COL) - LaTroy Hawkins is currently the closer in Colorado.  Oh, you still need to hear more?  Well, Hawkins' career ERA is well over 4, and his WHIP is over 1.40.  Still need more?  Brothers has a career ERA of 2.82 and a WHIP below 1.40.  Brothers is simply the better option.  He takes the closing job before the end of May and gets close to 30 saves, if not more.

Monday Trivia

Name all the players on the Bulls to have their number retired. You can ignore the non player banners.

Pre-Bracket Bracketology

Andrew, Dan, and I came up with as bracket at about 2:00 PM CT.  The link is below.

http://betterbracketmaker.com/#!/85010be4f5235

Weekend Watch 03/14/2014

Welcome back to the weekend watch. It’s been awhile but let’s jump into it.

All Weekend Conference Tournaments

I will be watching lots of college basketball this weekend and will highlight a few of the championship games below, but the point is, even though I’m only going to highlight the Championship Games of the tournaments, I will be watching more rounds then just that.

Friday

8 PM EST: Nashville Predators vs Chicago Blackhawks (Comcast Sports Net)

This game shouldn’t be much of a game as the Blackhawks are 2^nd in their division, 3^rd in the conference while the Predators are last in the conference and 3^rd to last in the conference. Saying all that, Nashville always gives the Blackhawks trouble, I would keep an eye on this game because it might be closer than it should be.

Who I want to win: Chicago Blackhawks

Who I think will win: Chicago Blackhawks

Saturday

NCAA Conference Championship games

Sunday

Of all sports days this weekend, Sunday looks the best.

1 PM EST: NASCAR Food City 500 @ Bristol Motor Speedway (FOX)

I know you guys are thinking I’m still drunk on NASCAR after my trip to Daytona for the 500. While that might be the case, Bristol is one of the better races of the year that I used to watch before I started going to Daytona. It’s a .5 mile track with 43 Cars on it. Even though it’s not as fun since the track has been repaved, there is always a lot of action, passing and wrecking. If you are nursing a St Patrick’s Day celebration hangover and want to watch something other than College Basketball, try and catch the last 30 laps of this race, I think you will enjoy.

Who I want to win: Tony Stewart

Who I think will win: Kyle Busch

NCAA Basketball Selection Show (CBS)

QUEUE THE MUSIC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz2ESWAEVnA

Now that you are as jacked up as I am, this is the best non-sport sports event of the year outside the NFL Draft. Who’s in, who’s out, who are you going to pick for your brackets, just a great show.

Who I want to win: Indiana, ok they need a miracle to get in but whatever

Who I think will win: It’s too early still, but screw it I’ll say Kansas

7:30 PM EST: Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks (NBC)

Now that Detroit and Chicago are in different divisions and missing out on more rivalry games we should cherish the ones we get. Both teams are playing for something as Chicago is trying to catch St Louis (I don’t think they will) for the top seed in the division while Detroit is trying to make the playoffs as a number 8 seed. This was a fantastic series in last years playoffs, well at least for Blackhawks fans, and I’m looking forward to this one as well. I will leave Jeremy Piven to have the last words on this game here.

Who I want to win: Chicago Blackhawks

Who I think will win: Chicago Blackhawks

Scouting Report 14 - Dee Ford - DE #3

So, I'm obviously a little bit behind here. I'm going to try to get 3 in today. The first guy I'm going to look at is Dee Ford. He is the third ranked defensive end. Here are his vitals:

Name: Dee Ford
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 240 lbs
Position: 3-4 OLB/4-3 DE (probably a better fit at 3-4 OLB)
College: Auburn
Stats: 31 tackles, 10.5 sacks (only played in 12 of 14 games)
Projected Round: 1-2

The first game I'm going to look at is Auburn vs. Florida State (this past year's national title game). In that game Dee Ford had 3 tackles and 2 sacks. The game took place on January 6, 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSxiVqlYFY8

Dee Ford appears to be really quick. It looks like as soon as he is out of his stance he is able to explode towards the line of scrimmage. Having said that, he appears to have average reaction time to the ball being snapped. But his quickness allows him to overcome this. He also uses several moves to beat offensive linemen, including his speed.  He is able to over power linemen with his strength, he uses his hands well, he has a spin move, and he has a swim move. He is able to generate consistent pressure with these moves. He also appears to be a smart player, and not easily duped into biting on misdirection plays.

Having said that, he doesn't appear to maintain his gap integrity on running plays. I wouldn't call him a good run  defender by any mans. He also seems to tackle high, which will lead to a lot of broken tackles in the NFL. While he seems to have good speed and quickness, I didn't notice good closing speed. I'm not sure if that means he takes poor angles or what, but he just doesn't appear to have that ideal closing speed. Finally, he looks like he gives up on running plays once they are beyond him.

The next game I'm going to look at is the 2014 senior bowl with Dee Ford.

In this game it looks like he has the very rare ability to fly off the at the snap. He was consistently the first out of his stance at the snap, sometimes he was running before the linemen even broke out of their stance. His speed and quickness were also on display. He managed to grab two sacks. He relied mostly on his edge rush in this game. He also does a good job of recognizing when he's not getting to the quarterback and getting his hands up. He does a good job of reading option plays as well. he appears to be a smart player. On running plays, he appears to play more conservative as well.

The more I see of him, the less concerns I have. However, he appears to have two major issues: 1) He doesn't take great angles when he's pursuing ball carriers. This allows ball carriers to gain a few extra yards. Those extra yards are important. 2) He tackles way to high. It's going to be a huge problem in the NFL. Especially against huge QB's and running backs. In this game a running back runs right through his attempt at a tackle because he is trying to bring him down at his shoulder pads. He needs to get lower.

The final game I'm going to look at is Auburn vs. Clemson from 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWL6ILIE60M

His ability to speed rush is on display again. I've also failed to mention, but noticed in each game, he does display good balance. I'll repeat it again as well, he has a plethora of moves to work with in the pass rushing game, which makes him all that more effective. But is strength is his speed. When he is lined up as a wide-9 DE or the LEO he flies around the edge. He also looks great when he's standing up and rushing the passer off the edge. However, he's not as effective when he's lined up as a pure 4-3 DE. With that said, he still manages to get good pressure.

Another thing I noticed is that he really needs to improve his pad level. It may help with his tackling, but he seems to come up to the offensive linemen with a slightly high pad level. He also gets manhandled in the running game. The offensive linemen just move him out of the way. In this game, he also seemed to be overly aggressive. To his credit, this was over a year ago, and he did seem to vastly improve in that area.  But, he was consistently getting beat in the running game and on misdirection plays.

Overall, I think he can be a very effective pass rusher in the NFL if he is a 3-4 LB. I don't think he's ready to be an every down player at this point, because he really needs to improve his strength when he takes on blockers in the running game. Having said that, he does display the elite ability to pressure the QB. He is quick off the snap, very athletic, and pretty sound on his fundamentals. He needs to improve his tackling and his pad level as well, and the angles he takes when chasing down ball carriers. I don't think the Bears will draft him because he appears to be a 3-4 guy solely. Having said that, I could see him getting around 10-12 sacks consistently in the NFL.

Monday Trivia

 

Since Ryan has actually started posting on the Blog and I’ve realized we’ve had this Blog for 5 years and used to post 300+ posts a year when we started I am going to try and bring back 2 of my old recurring themes, no no no I’m not going to finish the countdown of my top Top 10 sports moments,

although I should (Even though it wasn’t a post associated with that countdown, the perfect game post was my number 1 moment). Also, Top Chef is out of season right now so it won’t be Power Rankings.

I am going to bring back Monday Trivia and the Weekend Watch on Friday Mornings. So here we go with Trivia

Of the four Major Sports, the City of Chicago has won 25 Championships. Name the Teams and the Years they won them.

As always, Answers will be in the comments.