Fantasy Sports Review

Wikipedia defines karma as “the effects of all deeds actively create past, present, and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one’s own life, and the pain and joy it brings to him/her and others.” John Lennon believed in the idea of “Instant Karma”, which refers to a more immediate concept of accountability for your actions. Basically, what comes around, goes around. Why does the Commish Report care about karma? Why does anybody in the wide world of fantasy sports care about karma?

Fantasy owners believe in karma, or as I like to call it “The Fantasy Gods”, because one bad “karma” player can bring down your whole fantasy team. Every year on draft day I stay away from certain players because I do not want to upset these so-called “Fantasy Gods”. The recent trade of Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers sparked an age-old debate on whether team chemistry does indeed bring championships. This question has been routinely answered in many circles in the affirmative. One can simply look back at the recent success of the Boston Celtics and the back-to-back college basketball titles of the University of Florida Gators to see how team chemistry does indeed bring home the hardware.

After hours of diligent research, the Commish Report is proud to bring you the First Annual Karma Squad. The Karma Squad consists of players (in the last ten years) that one should never add to their fantasy roster for fear of destroying your team chemistry. One bad apple does destroy the bunch. In no particular order, without further ado:

Barry Bonds: He may be the homerun king but he comes with more baggage than Delta.

Travis Henry: Putting his marijuana issues aside, the man has fathered at least nine children among nine women. Just think about that little fact. Nine children with nine different women. NINE children with NINE different women. He is also reportedly in fiancial trouble which may explain his lack of funds to afford a box of condoms.

Chris Henry: This former Cincinnati Bengal’s rap sheet includes drunk driving, drug possession, assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism. He has also been suspended more times than the combined number of fake knee injuries between Manny Ramirez and Paul Pierce.

Chad Johnson: His on the field antics will not sit well with your fantasy coach and for argument sake let’s just include the entire Cincinnati roster. You do not want Rudi Johnson on your team either. How can you trust anybody on your team that spells Rudi with an “i”?

The Portland Trailblazers of the late 90’s which was also known as the Jail-Blazers: See Cincinnati Bengals above.

Brett Favre: I do not want anybody on my fantasy team that cannot make up their mind about retiring. If somebody offers me 20 million dollars, to stay retired I would take the money faster than Terrell Owens took a bottle full Vicodin (don’t get me started on a player that tries to commit suicide on the middle of the season). Let’s include Barry Sanders, Michael Jordan, Michael Strahan and Tiki Barber on this list.

Steve Smith: Punching your fellow teammate in the nose is no way to make friends. Maybe he should try and stay healthy for an entire season before he makes any more friends.

Gary Coleman: Whatchu talkin’ ’bout Commish? Just check out the video of his first at bat for the Madison Mallards minor league team. He gets ejected for corking his bat ala Sammy Sosa.

Coaches for my All Karma Team include Mark Richt, head football coach of the University of Georgia for his fine display of sportsmanship against the University of Florida last October in Jacksonville, Florida. Ordering a full team celebration in the end zone is a fantastic way to celebrate a touchdown and mold the young minds of his student athletes; Ozzie Guillen, current manager of the Chicago White Sox, for ordering his pitchers to bean certain opposing batters; and Bobby Bowden for wearing a Indiana Jones fedora and headsets, even though he has not coached in two decades

I would also like to include Howard Schultz as the team owner. Not only did he ruin the once storied Seattle Sonic franschise but his little coffee shop franschise seems to be in a little financial trouble.

Please forward me any additional players (past or present) that failed to make my First Annual All Karma Team roster.

Choosing the right player who is in just the Right Spot is critical for winning your fantasy football league. And that doesn’t mean you have to have one of the top picks to select San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson, Kansas City’s Larry Johnson or St. Louis’ Steven Jackson. It’s all about location, location, location when a player is in the Right Spot. Is he playing on a good team? Is he surrounded by a good supporting cast? Does the offensive feature him? And is he in a contract year?

Having one of those top guys can help, but it’s not the answer. Just look at how each of those players struggled last season: Tomlinson was off his game, Johnson failed to dominate after the Chiefs lost a few key linemen, and Jackson suffered through injuries.

Further down the draft board, running backs like Cleveland’s Jamal Lewis, Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker, Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook, Indianapolis’ Joseph Addai, Dallas’ Marion Barber and Jacksonville’s Fred Taylor thrived. Then there were the surprise backs of 2007, including rookies Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) and Marshawn Lynch (Buffalo) and emerging runners like Earnest Graham (Tampa Bay) and Ryan Grant (Green Bay) — who flourished when finally give a chance.

There are always players who come out of nowhere and produce big numbers, like wide receiver Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints a few years ago or the above mentioned Grant. So for this discussion, we’ll leave the players that burst on the scene out of the equation. There is no way to predict it, unless you have a hunch. But drafting smart and winning your league should be about more than just a hunch.

Arm yourself with facts

Know what players are having good camps. Know who is winning the position battles. Know what teams have improved themselves in the offseason, both through free agency and the draft. And that doesn’t mean just offensive players either. If a team made substantial improvements on defense, that success should transfer over to offensive skill guys because generating turnovers or more three-and-outs on defense will give the offense more opportunities to score.

You can never have enough depth

If you’ve done your homework, then you are poised to build a strong, competitive team. Everyone can pick out the top players at each position. That’s easy. It doesn’t take a ton of skill. But when you get into the middle-to-late rounds, choosing wisely can make all the difference. And those smart choices are all about the right player in just the Right Spot.

How to draft a gem

With a former offensive line coach taking over the head coaching reigns in Miami, look for running back Ronnie Brown to have an impressive season. It’s not just the coach, but with Bill Parcells overseeing the operation you can bet on a commitment to running the ball. And with No. 1 overall pick and offensive tackle Jake Long leading a new group of line additions, the Dolphins should be leaning on Brown heavily. Especially when their quarterback situation is shaky at best.

How to avoid a lemon

Don’t draft Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Johnson. Unless he gets traded or finally signs a big deal, it’s far too risky to draft him. He’s one of the best receivers in the league, but thanks to his power struggle with the Bengals, he might not play a down as he is threatening to sit out the season. He’s simply in the wrong spot.

Brown and Johnson are just examples, and Johnson is pretty obvious, but each example makes a strong point. Know who has the tools around him to succeed. Who is in the Right Spot. By studying up and keeping your ear to the ground this summer, you just might be the envy of your league when the dust settles following your draft. And just maybe, a championship will follow.

-Mike Bibby and Ron Artest each returned for the Kings last night, with both coming off the bench. Beno Udrih actually was effected the most by their returns, only playing 18 minutes in Sacramento’s loss to Toronto. Francisco Garcia and John Salmons each played 29 minutes, combining for only 19 points. There are a lot of rumors about Bibby and Artest being on the traded, but until they are Udrih, Garcia and Salmons aren’t as enticing fantasy plays.

-Starbury says he needs surgery on his injured ankle and it is unsure when the Knicks guard will return. He’s averaging 13.9 ppg and 4.7 apg, but seriously, there’s no need to put up with the drama Marbury has been through this year. Cut your loses and pick up Nate Robinson or some other young point guard, like the Grizzlies’ Mike Conley.

-Speaking of point guard drama, where’s my Jamaal Tinsley story? Oh, right here. The team says Tinsley missed Wednesday’s game because of a sore knee, but teammate Stephen Jackson says it was because of suspension. If you wondered why Tinsley slipped so far in your draft, this is why. His 13.4 ppg, 8.5 apg and almost 2 steals a game are nice, but incidents like this seem to follow Tinsley.

-Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says the team will not be trading Ocho Cinco. Doesn’t matter to fantasy owners, wherever Johnson is playing next year he will be a number one fantasy receiver.

-Nene is out indefinitely with a personal medical issue. Nene missed most of this year after having surgery on his left thumb, but given his center eligibility and last year’s numbers (12.2 ppg, 7 rpg) he’s a popular fantasy guy. Until we find out more about his return, though, he’s doing nothing for you this year.

-Zach Randolph owners already knew this, but the Knicks forward only played 10 minutes against the Raptors on Friday. Don’t worry too much yet, he’s still averaging a double-double (16.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg). But, these trade rumors should be a considered.

-Rockets trainer Keith Jones said he expects Tracy McGrady to come back Saturdaywhen Houston plays the Spurs. Speaking of T-Mac, Jay Mariotti reported in his column yesterday that the Bulls are interested in acquiring the All-Star. Hilarious, when you consider their history with McGrady.

-Looks like Darren McFadden is skipping his senior year at Arkansas. It’s way too early to say this, but he’s going to be an impact fantasy back next year. Remember, I love rookie running backs.

-And because I made one statement too early, Chad Johnson will be next years Randy Moss.

-Ken Rosenthal is reporting the Cardinals are trading Scott Rolen to the Blue Jays for Troy Glaus. Rolen desperately needed to get away from Tony LaRussa, we should expect a huge improvement from his 2007 stats (.265, 8 HR, 58 RBI). As for Glaus, I doubt he will hit for a high enough average to be a consistent cleanup hitter, where the Cards need some kind of protection for King Albert.

-Mike Cameron has reportedly signed with the Brewers for one year. He has always provided his fantasy owners with a nice combo of homers and steals, but his career .251 average hurts.

This Fantasy Football Start’em Sit’em could be one of the most important of the season for many of you. You could be one of the fringe owners looking to earn a spot in your leagues first round of playoffs next week. There is no room for error and its a loooooong offseason.

With that said you probably have a lot to go over before you finalize your starting roster, so lets get right to it. Here are this weeks picks:

Start’em if you got’em
Thomas Jones RB (NYJ) - Jones has been pretty inconsistent running the ball this year but I have a feeling he will get it going this weekend against Miami like he did in their last meeting (110 yards on the ground). The Dolphins are ranked 30th in the league because they are allowing 148 yards per game as well as allowing the second most rushing touchdowns in the league with 13. Hell, Willie Parker had to run through a swamp on Monday night and still posted 81 yards on them. Put Jones down for 125 and a at least 1 touchdown.

Final stats: 75 yards and a touchdown.
Final thoughts: Leon Washington was a factor in this one as well. Leon posted 68 yards and 2 touchdowns of his own.

Minnesota defense - These guys looked great last week when they shut down the Giants and took three of four picks to the house. Better yet they will be playing at home with a ton of confidence against a Lions team that has allowed a league high 47 sacks this season and likes to turn the ball over (14 picks and 11 lost fumbles). Not good when your playing a Vikes team that can make you pay for those turnovers. The last time these teams met they had three picks. Look for the Vikes to give up 20 points but get 4 sacks, 4 turnovers and at least 1 touchdown this week against the Lions.

Final stats: 10 points allowed, 3 sacks, 2 turnovers and, if your league counts special teams touchdowns, 1 TD.
Final thoughts: Solid performance for the Vikes. Their offense controlled the ball for a little over 37 minutes which kept the defense fresh.

Sit’em if you’ve got em
Shaun Alexander RB (SEA) - He practiced Wednesday and is most likely going to return from injury this week. But, the only thing he will be successful at is taking carries away from Maurice Morris. Not only did Coach Holmgren state that they will split carries but I just bet Morris will get the majority of the third down duties akeeping Alexander virtually dormant on the passing game. Combine all that with the fact that Phili is a top ten defense in the rushing category and he will be lucky to get more than 50 yards and as far as touchdowns go, look for Weaver to get the carries at the goal line.

Final stats: 20 carries for 65 yards and a TD.
Final thoughts: The touchdown had more to do with Phili turning the ball over deep in their territory than anything. Also, Morris had almost identical stats (64 yards and a TD) with 15 less carries.

Phillip Rivers QB (SD) - In the last meeting with the Chiefs he had 211 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 picks. And that was at home in his own stadium. This week expect to see a repeat performance of the his last game against the Chiefs top ten passing defense.

Final stats: 10 for 21 for 157 and a TD.
Final thoughts: It was all LT in this one.

Sleepers: don’t be surprised if…
…Travis Henry RB (DEN) plays and has a big game against the Raiders. I’m not sure he is a true sleeper but he’s been out for awhile and you might be leery of putting him in. Don’t be. Kolby Smith and Chester Taylor both posted 150 plus on Oakland the last two weeks. Even Ron Dayne put up a 122 on them four weekends ago. There is no reason a rested and healthy running back in a Broncos uniform can’t put up big numbers versus the Raiders. I’ll say 125+ and two touchdowns.

…Chad Johnson WR (CIN) gives a repeat of his last performance against the Steelers. Back in week eight the Steelers held him to 5 catches for 51 yards.

Be sure to check out my Fantasy Football Waiver Wire post because you may be able to pick out a sleeper or two on your own.

As always, that is not all my friend. There are a few other stops you should make before finalizing your starting lineup.

First, make sure you stop by and see how the Fantasy Football Librarian can help you. Every week she posts all of the start’em sit’em articles, player ranking posts and waiver wire lists that she can find so that you don’t have to hunt for them yourself. Check her out and tell her the Goat says hi.

Second, you can get more in-depth NFL player projections throughout the week by checking out the Bruno Boys website over on MVN.com.

Third, be on the lookout for the weekly fantasy football start’em sit’em podcast I co-host with Marc Caviglia.

You always hear about the sleepers but you rarely, if ever, hear anyone predicting busts. I figured I would take a shot at pondering the demise of a few A list players.

So who are the busts this year? Good question. Only you can answer that for sure but here is a list of players that won’t be on my team come opening day.

Brandon Jacobs - You either like him or you don’t. What I don’t like is the fact that they have virtually no defense (and that was before Micheal Strahan started thinking retirement). They will more than likely be playing from behind and won’t be establishing the running game too often. The offensive line is pretty suspect with the offseason loss of LT of Luke Petigout and a few others. All that and you just get the impression that this team is really unstable and ready to implode. I could be wrong but to many risks for this consistency seeker.

Randy Moss - For those of you thinking that Moss is going to be the Moss that you watched grow in Green Bays end zone, think again. The Patriots are masters at game planning.They love to spread the ball around based on the opposing teams weaknesses. They won’t need to use his catching skills every game and he will be used as decoy in many games. Also, one of the strange things about Randy is he never stretches before games, notice how he already tweaked a hammy in preseason. I don’t know about you but it makes me nervous.

Chad Johnson - Will he score big? Oh yeah! Will he put up solid numbers week in and week out? I say no. Did you know that he posted 10+ fantasy points in only half of his games last year? And in those games he averaged a whopping 4.55 points per game. Is that the kind of consistency you want out of your number one? Not if you want to win.

Bears Defense - This one should ruffle some feathers in the windy city. I’m just not sure they are going to keep posting the numbers they have been. You just know someone is going to be all over these guys way to early based almost entirely on the last few years of fortunate scheduling. This year they play some very good offenses and they are missing a few key people; LB Lance Briggs so far and up front, Tank Johnson, Ian Scott and Alphonso Boone. Teams were running on them late last year and that should be even easier this year. Not a lot of pick and sack opportunities.

There you have it. The players that either give me the heeby jeeby’s or are just going to be to damn expensive for a value seeker like myself. I will, more than likely, have to pay to much and get little or nothing in return. No thanks!