FOXSports.com Fantasy Buzz » posts from October 2012

• Fantasy Football Morning Update: Giants' Nicks out again

  October 05, 2012 by JohnHalpinFOX

  Hey, I really enjoyed that Cardinals-Rams ... ah, who am I kidding? That was a horrible football game, with the good fantasy players not doing much of anything. If you ever start either of those quarterbacks, don't come back here.

  ***

  If you need help getting ready for Sunday's games after reading today's blog entry, here's what you can do before kickoff:

  • Send your questions to me via Facebook or Twitter. You can also tweet lineup questions to my colleagues Joel Beall, Ryan Fowler and Mike Harmon.
  • Listen to hosts Harmon, Peter Burns and Nate Lundy on the FOX Fantasy Freaks on FOX Sports Radio Sunday from 9 a.m. until noon ET. You can tweet questions to those guys as well.
  • Join a pregame chat with Beall and me on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
  • Review my Week 5 rankings, along with all the great information at our fantasy football news page.

  On to the news:

  • Giants WR Hakeem Nicks (foot, knee) will not play on Sunday. That'll be three games out of five for Nicks, and the phrase "lost season" is starting to creep into my head. With teammate Ramses Barden (concussion) also looking iffy, Domenik Hixon again looks like a pretty good start this week.
  • Packers WR Greg Jennings (groin) will miss Sunday's game, with the hope that a week of rest will finally heal his injury. James Jones maintains his fantasy relevance as a WR3, with Randall Cobb close behind.
  • Rams WR Danny Amendola left last night's game with an injury that is rumored to be a broken collarbone. Ugh.
  • Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez was back at practice Thursday, but probably won't play until Week 6. Teammate Rob Gronkowski (hip) was back at practice after resting on Wednesday, and is expected to play.
  • Bears RB Matt Forte appears ready to go this week after aggravating his ankle injury against the Cowboys Monday night.
  • Saints WR Lance Moore (hamstring) hasn't practiced this week, and his status for Sunday night's game is up in the air. Due to the late start, if the words "gametime decision" appear in the same sentence with Moore's name this weekend, you might need to bench him.
  • In case you missed it, Jets WR Santonio Holmes is out for the season because of a foot injury. TE Dustin Keller (hamstring) and WR Stephen Hill (hamstring) still haven't practiced this week, either. If you want to take a deep flier on a Jet receiver, Jeremy Kerley is probably your guy.
  • So, the Chargers listed Jackie Battle ahead of Ryan Mathews on the depth chart this week, causing a widespread freakout among Mathews' fantasy owners. I have Mathews at RB13 this week, and Battle at RB29. The Saints' defense is terrible, having allowed 186.8 rushing yards per game so far. Please start Mathews if you have him. If it doesn't work out, you can yell at me next week.
  • The Steelers will get RB Rashard Mendenhall, LB James Harrison and S Troy Polamalu back this week. Earlier in the week, head coach Mike Tomlin called Mendenhall the team's "lead dog." I've got him at RB21.
  • QB Matt Hasselbeck will start for the Titans this week in place of the injured Jake Locker. WR Kenny Britt (ankle) still hasn't practiced this week, so you might want to bump Nate Washington and Kendall Wright up in your rankings. Wright has been targeted 19 times in the last two weeks. Hmm ...
  • Texans RB Ben Tate (toe) missed Thursday's practice, and his status for the Monday nighter against the Jets will probably be determined on Saturday. Tate's role as Arian Foster's sidekick has been more limited than expected, so you probably aren't going to start him anyway. Unless you're me, who drafted Tate as a third back in one league behind Isaac Redman. %$#@!
  • Chiefs RB Peyton Hillis (ankle) missed another practice on Thursday. You weren't counting on him for anything, right?
  • Nick Novak will again kick in place of Nate Kaeding (groin) for the Chargers. Since the Chargers should score a bunch of points on Sunday night, Novak seems like a good plug-in option. 
  • WR Laurent Robinson (concussion) still isn't practicing for the Jaguars. If someone (besides Justin Blackmon) needs to catch the ball for this team against the Bears, you might want to grab TE Marcedes Lewis as a red-zone option.
  • Don't forget your byes: The Cowboys, Bucs, Lions and Raiders are off this week.

   

  Good luck this weekend!

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• Fantasy Baseball Morning Update: Will Miggy play?

  October 03, 2012 by JohnHalpinFOX

  The headline for Tuesday morning's baseball post in this space was "Pedroia Calls it a Year." On Tuesday afternoon, Pedroia decided he was going to play despite his fractured left ring finger. This scrappy little guy deserves a round of applause, because while many of your fantasy players are looking for any excuse to shut things down, he's doing everything he can to stay on the field.

  ***

  Hisashi Iwakuma dropped the hammer on the Angels with six scoreless innings, raising our streaming starter record to 107-63. Today's pick is Cubs' lefty Travis Wood (owned in 6.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Astros. If you need a backup option, see if you can grab Oakland's A.J. Griffin (31.4 percent owned) in this afternoon's huge game against the Rangers, or maybe Cardinals' rookie Shelby Miller (0.2 percent owned) against the Reds. Since the Cardinals clinched a wildcard berth last night, Miller will start in place of Adam Wainwright.

  On to the news:

  • If Josh Hamilton doesn't hit a home run this afternoon, there's a decent chance that Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera won't play tonight in order to preserve his Triple Crown. I wish I had better advice than "wait and see," but ... wait and see.
  • Tigers SP Max Scherzer has been scratched from tonight's start after twisting his ankle during Monday's postgame celebration. Reliever Luis Marte will start in Scherzer's place.
  • Even though the Dodgers were eliminated on Tuesday, Clayton Kershaw will make his final start of the season today. The Giants say they'll play their regulars against Kershaw.
  • Blue Jays DH Edwin Encarnacion (trapezius muscle) missed his third straight game on Tuesday, and you shouldn't expect to see him in the lineup tonight.
  • Today's schedule includes six afternoon games, with Braves-Pirates leading off at 12:35 p.m. ET. You're not going to forget to set your lineup on time on the last day of the season, are you?
  • Remember that the regular season might not end today. If the Orioles win and the Yankees lose tonight, there will be a one-game playoff on Thursday in Baltimore for the AL East title. Your fantasy league will almost certainly count stats from that game.
  • On the AL MVP debate: I'd vote for Mike Trout, but wouldn't have a problem if Cabrera wins. To listen to the opposing camps discuss this issue, you'd think that Trout was nothing more than a good, speedy defender who should be happy with his AL Rookie of the Year Award, and that Cabrera is a big fat loser whose terrible defense outweighs his largely team-dependent offensive contributions. The only thing I like less than opinions on this right now is the stream of political rants on my Facebook page.
  • Ben Sheets will start for the Braves today, and then retire. Sheets is only expected to throw a couple of innings, so don't get all sentimental and try to pick him up.
  • Astros 2B Jose Altuve (groin) and 3B Scott Moore (shoulder) won't play today.
  • Brewers 1B Corey Hart won't play today after re-aggravating his foot injury.
  • R.A. Dickey has apparently been pitching all year with a torn abdominal muscle. And I thought I was already impressed.
  • Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins (calf) probably won't play today. I thought about simply making a list of who will play today, but it would be filled with a bunch of guys I've never heard of who wear number 67.
  • Did you know that Padres SS Everth Cabrera leads the National League in steals with 43, even though he didn't come up from the minors until mid-May? It's too bad Cabrera can't hit, since stolen bases alone don't guarantee job security.

   

  This is probably my final baseball post of the 2012 season. If the Yankees and Orioles play Thursday, I'll write a brief entry if there's anything interesting or fantasy-relevant to tell you. Otherwise, thanks for following the blog all year. This concludes my fifth season of posting every weekday morning, and I truly appreciate your support.

  I'll try to have my initial 2013 rankings ready by early November. If you have any offseason questions, you can always reach me via Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy the playoffs!

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• Fantasy Baseball Morning Update: Pedroia calls it a year

  October 02, 2012 by JohnHalpinFOX

  Nine of MLB's 10 playoff teams have been determined, with the Cardinals leading the Dodgers by two games for the final NL wildcard spot. The Nationals and Tigers clinched division titles last night, so watch for days off if you own any of their players. Except Miguel Cabrera, who's going to get every chance to win the Triple Crown.

  ***

  Alex Cobb's latest strong outing raised our streaming starter record to 106-63 for the season. Today's pick is Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma (owned in 7.4 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the recently-eliminated Angels. If you need a backup option, Kevin Correia (9.3 percent owned) might not be a bad choice against the Braves, who have nothing to play for. Wednesday's selection is Travis Wood (6.3 percent owned) versus the Astros.

  On to the news:

  • Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia has shut it down for the season because of a broken finger. Speedy Pedro Ciriaco played in Pedroia's place on Monday, and figures to do so in the final two games.
  • Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins missed Monday's game with a calf injury, and his status for Tuesday/Wednesday is TBD.
  • Royals 1B Eric Hosmer (rotator cuff) and 3B Mike Moustakas (groin) are both probably done for the season. 
  • If you had a pitcher start last night - like CC Sabathia, Felix Hernandez, etc. - you can waive him now as long as your league rules allow it.
  • You can stop waiting for Troy Tulowitzki now. He's probably not going to play for the Rockies this week, though this story on the team's website isn't exactly definitive.
  • The Yankees have changed tonight's starting pitcher, opting for David Phelps instead of Ivan Nova.
  • The Blue Jays hope that DH Edwin Encarnacion (trapezius muscle) will be able to play today and/or tomorrow.
  • With the Tigers having clinched, SP Max Scherzer might make an abbreviated appearance on Wednesday.
  • The Padres have shut down rookie SP Casey Kelly, and will start Anthony Bass in his place tonight against the Brewers.
  • The Twins will sit a worn-down Justin Morneau for the season's final games, though he might make a pinch-hitting appearance.
  • Does it make you feel better about C.J. Wilson's horrible second half to know that he's been pitching with bone spurs in his elbow? No? OK.
  • Marlins SP Josh Johnson has been shut down with a minor hamstring injury after being scheduled to pitch Monday. Remember when we all worried about drafting Johnson because we didn't think he'd stay healthy? Johnson made 31 starts, posting an 8-14 record with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. If his velocity can creep back up just a little bit next season, he could be really interesting again.
  • Orioles OF Chris Davis is having a strong finish, with homers in five consecutive games. If you need power, Davis is available in 59.4 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, and eligible at 1B/3B/OF.
  • Braves 2B Dan Uggla missed Monday's game with a swollen hand. Remember that since the Braves have nothing to play for, they could opt to give Uggla an extra day to recover.

   

  See you back here tomorrow morning.

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• Fantasy Football Morning Update: Nicks' knee not improving

  October 02, 2012 by JohnHalpinFOX

  Did you see the beating that the Bears gave the Cowboys last night? I know the first two interceptions weren't Tony Romo's fault, but I'm not sure about the next 67 of them.

  On to the news:

  • Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said Monday that WR Hakeem Nicks' knee injury isn't getting better. When asked how concerned he is about Nicks, Coughlin said, "How much concern can I show you?" There's not a lot of detail beyond that, but if you own Nicks, you need to have a backup plan for Week 5.
  • Packers WR Greg Jennings had a recurrence of his groin injury on Sunday, and head coach Mike McCarthy said that keeping Jennings sidelined for a week is "definitely an option." I'll have an update on Jennings' status in Friday's entry. James Jones (5-56-2) appeared to be the main beneficiary of Jennings' absence, and he's available in 87.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.
  • The Thursday game this week is Cardinals-Rams, while the Cowboys, Lions, Raiders and Buccaneers have byes. Set your lineups accordingly.
  • Speaking of Thursday, I wonder if the short week will play a part in Steven Jackson's availability. Jackson didn't practice Monday because of his lingering groin injury. Teammate Danny Amendola (ankle) also took the day off, but there haven't been any dire statements about his status.
  • Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall (knee) is expected to make his 2012 debut this week. Look for Mendenhall to start, but not to get a full workload right away.
  • The Jets haven't made any announcements about Santonio Holmes' foot injury, but it doesn't sound good. We should know more later this week.
  • Titans QB Jake Locker is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Vikings due to his shoulder injury, and the Tennesseean reports that "indications are he could miss multiple games." I don't want to pick up Matt Hasselbeck any more than you do, but if you're desperate, he's an option.
  • Here's an update on the Ryan Mathews-Jackie Battle fantasy mess in San Diego. Head coach Norv Turner seemed to suggest Monday that using Battle so much early in Week 4 was about easing Mathews back into action, and not sending him a message about fumbling. Mathews' owners should be patient - he'll be fine.
  • Texans RB Ben Tate missed Monday's practice with a toe injury, and his status is TBD. Arian Foster owners will be happy to know that head coach Gary Kubiak doesn't seem concerned with Foster's heavy workload.
  • Looking to pick up Patriots RB Brandon Bolden after his 137 yards and a score on Sunday? I don't blame you, but Bill Belichick can be shifty with his running backs. I'd hesitate to start Bolden against the Broncos.
  • Did anyone else get a fantasy win because of Jason Witten's garbage-time heroics in last night's final two minutes? Witten caught 13 passes for 112 yards and a TD against the Bears, so we can stop worrying about him now.
  • Matt Cassel will start at quarterback this week for the Chiefs, but it sounds like his job security isn't so great.
  • The Redskins lost another defensive player on Sunday? I'd suggest starting all your Falcons against them this week, but you're probably already doing that.
  • Joel Beall will be in the FOXSports.com fantasy chat room today at 3 p.m. ET, and I'll make my weekly appearance on Thursday at 2. Make sure to send your questions!

   

  See you back here later this morning with a baseball entry, and on Friday with more football news.

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• Fantasy Baseball Morning Update: Teixeira set to return

  October 01, 2012 by JohnHalpinFOX

  If you're into real baseball and not just the fantasy version, check out Jon Paul Morosi's preview of the season's final three days. Mayhem could be on the horizon, especially in the American League.

  ***

  Kevin Correia got knocked around on Thursday, A.J. Griffin was pretty good on Friday, Marco Estrada dominated the hapless Astros on Saturday, and Edinson Volquez didn't get it done on Sunday. The mixed bag weekend leaves our streaming starter record at 105-63.

  Today's pick is Tampa'a Alex Cobb (owned in 13.8 percent of FOXSports.com leagues), since he's facing the Orioles, and they only win games in the final inning, anyway. If you need a backup option today, you can try Houston's Lucas Harrell (6.7 percent owned) against the Cubs. Tuesday's selection is Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma (6.9 percent owned) versus the Angels.

  On to the news:

  • Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira is expected to play tonight for the first time since aggravating a calf injury on September 8. Teixeira could be rusty, but you have to think that the Yankees will want to start him a couple of times this week to get him ready for the postseason.
  • Blue Jays DH Edwin Encarnacion left Sunday's game due to tightness in his upper left trapezius muscle (between the neck and shoulder). E5 will be examined again today, and while no shutdown has been announced, it could be coming.
  • Bobby Parnell got saves for the Mets on Thursday and Friday, and has been named as the team's closer for the rest of the season. Talk about a commitment! Seriously, Parnell comes with our recommendation in the season's final edition of Free Agent Frenzy.
  • Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre left Sunday night's game with a shoulder strain, but hopes to play tonight. If the Rangers clinch the AL West tonight, look for Beltre to get at least one of the final two games off.
  • It sounds like Royals 3B Mike Moustakas will be back in the lineup tonight despite leaving Sunday's game with groin tightness. 
  • Phillies 1B Ryan Howard is done for the season because of a broken toe. I hate when I drop lead pipes on my foot.
  • Mets rookie Jeurys Familia will make his first big-league start tonight against the Marlins. The hard-throwing Familia has a bright future, thought it might be as a reliever. NL-only owners can consider taking a chance on him today.
  • The Brewers have shut down SP Wily Peralta due to biceps soreness.
  • Remember when the Dodgers were going to put Kenley Jansen back in the closer's role? Yeah, that didn't work out.
  • Another day, and still no Carlos Gonzalez (hamstring) for the Rockies. CarGo hasn't been officially shut down, but don't expect to see him this week. SS Troy Tulowitzki (groin) is apparently still hoping to play one game before the season ends.
  • The Reds could opt to be cautious with 2B Brandon Phillips after he tweaked his groin on Sunday. Make sure he's starting tonight before putting him in your lineup.
  • Diamondbacks OF Adam Eaton is done for the season after breaking his right hand on Saturday. Keep Eaton in mind for 2013, because he could make a fantasy impact as the D-backs' leadoff hitter. If he gets the job, of course.
  • Jim Johnson has 50 saves. FIFTY! Holy cow!
  • If the Tigers don't clinch the AL Central before Wednesday, then Max Scherzer will probably start their season finale. If they do clinch, look for Scherzer to be held back for an ALDS game.

   

  See you back here tomorrow morning.

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