NFL Draft....Fantasy Implications....

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Colts got their man

Andrew Luck                      QB          Colts

What else is there to say here?  Luck is a once in a generation talent and a must add in all dynasty leagues.  We feel he will have low end starter value right away

Robert Griffin III              QB          Redskins

RGIII generated as much, if not more, buzz than Luck himself.  He has landed in a great spot to produce immediately.  He should flourish in Shannahan’s offense.  Another dynasty must and low end starter for 2012

Trent Richardson              RB           Browns

Richardson will be the top rookie fantasy producer in 2012 without a doubt.  He is a player to target in the early rounds of the draft.

Matt Kalil                          OT          Vikings 

Great pick by the Vikings, and will help AP on his road to recovery

Justin Blackmon               WR         Jaguars

Love the player hate the situation.  Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne at QB are going to kill his value.

Morris Claiborne              DB          Cowboys

Will have great value in IDP leagues.  Look for 4+ INTs in 2012     

Mark Barron                       S              Buccaneers

Stepping into a young upstart Defense.  We like Barron to produce decent tackle and INT totals in 2012

Ryan Tannehill                  QB          Dolphins             

Not a fan of this selection at all.  Was unproven at the college level and is a major project in the pros.  He could one day be a solid player but not anytime soon

Luke Kuechly                    ILB          Panthers             

Will be a tackling machine right out of the gate.  A solid mid round IDP selection

Stephon Gilmore               DB          Bills       

Gilmore will start right out of the gate and is in a great situation with the additions of Mario Williams, and Mark Anderson rushing opposing passers

Dontari Poe                        DT           Chiefs  

Didn’t dominate at a lower level conference.  We don’t see this workout warrior accumulating enough stats to make a difference in IDPs

Fletcher Cox                      DT           Eagles  

Cox on the other hand we love.  He is disruptive and will contribute right away

Michael Floyd                   WR         Cardinals             

Great talent and should see his share of Balls in 2012.   Late round selection material

Michael Brockers             DT           Rams    

Brockers is in a similar situation as Cox.  Probably late round draft material

Bruce Irvin                          OLB        Seahawks

HAAATED this pick and don’t have much hope for contributions next season

Quinton Coples                    DE           Jets                       

Great talent but no heart.  Doesn’t fit Jet’s scheme either.  Rex Ryan however tends to get the most out of his defensive players.  Ten sacks is not out of the question

Dre Kirkpatrick                  DB          Bengals               

Vicious hitter from the corner position.  Won’t add too many INTs however

Melvin Ingram                  DE           Chargers

We see ten plus sacks in Ingram’s future.  We loved this pick from a fantasy perspective as well as a football one             

Shea McClellin                 OLB        Bears    

He has a high motor is a oldest most annoying draft nick saying out there but it holds true for McClellin.  He reminds us of Justin Smith of the 49ers

Kendall Wright                 WR         Titans   

Will produce #s around 600 yards and 4 TDs.  Late round player in most leagues

Chandler Jones                 DE           Patriots               

The Patriots are always reloading in the draft.  Jones will enter a nice rotation in New England and should have 5+ stats

Brandon Weeden               QB          Browns

Will start immediately but doesn’t have any receiving corp to speak of.  Backup material

Riley Reiff                           OT          Lions     

Will help keep Stafford off his back in the pocket

David DeCastro                 OG         Steelers              

Perfect choice for the Steelers power running game.  Will open up lanes for whoever is carrying the rock in DA BURGH

Dont'a Hightower             ILB          Patriots               

In IDPs that give major points for tackles Hightower will be a solid high to mid round pick

Whitney Mercilus             DE           Texans 

Will step right into the spot vacated by the loss of Mario Williams.  He may not be the same player but similar production is not out of the question

Kevin Zeitler                      OG         Bengals               

Another Guard in the first round how boring……

Nick Perry                           DE           Packers               

Perry on one side and Matthews on the other could be dangerous.  Another guy with double digit sack possibilities

Harrison Smith                    S              Vikings 

Not expecting much out of Smith fantasy wise in 2012

A.j. Jenkins                        WR         49ers    

Enters into a crowded WR situation in San Fran.  Good player but wont contribute much right away

Doug Martin                      RB           Buccaneers        

Somewhat puzzled by this pick.  Blount is the starter and Martin will probably get around 10 carries a game

David Wilson                     RB           Giants  

Wilson is in a much better situation than Martin.  With Jacobs gone and Bradshaw with constant foot problems Wilson has the possibility of getting major touches for the Champs.

The Harper Era Begins......

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

News hit the fantasy wire yesterday earlier than expected that the most hyped phenom since Steve Strasburg(who ironically is starting this game) was making his debut.  At only age 19 Bryce Harper is making his debut tonight, as I type this actually.  Surprisingly Harper was owned in less than 30% of most leagues.  Well that has changed quickly hasn't it? 

Straight brims are BACK

What can we expect from Harper?  Well he wasn't exactly tearing things up in Triple A Syracuse.  I do expect him to produce starting caliber numbers right away however.  He has all the intangibles to make a difference even if he doesn't carry a high batting average right away.  His speed and power potential are enough to be serviceable as your third outfielder, and his ceiling is immeasurable.

Our advice is to pick him up immediately if he somehow is still available, and ride it out.  He may struggle early but don't panic.  There is always a chance he is totally over matched and sent back down to the minors.  If that does happen at least you were the astute owner in your league that took the chance on adding a stud outside the first few rounds of your draft.

WAIVER WIRED.....

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Welcome to this weeks edition of our waiver wire report.  With the season in full swing we are now more able to diagnose which players are for real and which players are pretenders.  Below is a list of some guys we think you should jump on if still available.

Stephen Drew - Drew went down late last year with a bad ankle break.  He is a bit behind schedule on his rehab but reports out of Arizona are that he is running the bases hard and is slated for an early May return.  He is a perfect fit for those who passed on Shortstop early in their drafts.

Drew could make your lineup smile

Jon Jay - Yes we know he has a bum shoulder right now but it has been noted that the injury is not serious and Jay should be back to smashing the ball all over the field this weekend.


Nate Schierholtz - Yes he is a journeyman outfielder but he is tearing the cover off the ball of late.  Grab him and ride this streak out.

Alejandro De Aza - You may be late to this party but De Aza is on fire to start the season.  He has a bit of pop and blazing speed.  Scoop this guy up already

Barry Zito - Only owned in 41% of ESPN leagues at the time of this article Zito is pitching like he actually deserves that contract.

AJ Burnett - Another veteran hurler who has started strong.  Maybe the quiet confines of PNC park are just what the doctor ordered for AJ.

Now this is baseball! (thanks to Yahoo sports)

Humber Perfection.....Big Comebacks

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

What a day to decide to do nothing with your weekend but sit in front of the TV and watch Baseball.

PERFECTION

It all started with a live look in to perfection unfolding in Seattle, as I was watching my New York Yankees getting smoked in Boston.  I was pacing back and forth in my attic as I watched each pitch by Phil Humber leave his hand.  It ended with the 21st perfect game in Baseball history.  (wouldn't you know it a guy in my league streamed him)  When Fox switched back to the Yankees/Sox the score was 9-5.  To my delight the Sox imploded and the Yankees took the game 15-9.

Let's talk about Humber for a second.  He was once a top prospect but floundered and is just coming off Tommy John Surgery.  Let's not get ahead of yourself on him.  He is still nothing more than a guy you stream in the right matchup.  I would keep an eye on him however.  If you do already own him why not hold onto him for a couple more starts.

Speaking of the Yankees they did receive some very ominous news on the Michael Pineda front.  Pineda has been shut down with another shoulder setback.  This does not sound good at all.  Don't be surprised to hear Pineda on the 60 day DL any day now.

Here is Humber's Final out (thanks to Fox Sports)

I loved watching this!

Closer Conundrums........

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Don't drink the water.....in the bullpen

Is there something in the water down in the bullpen? We are barely a week and a half into the season and fantasy teams are scrambling to fill their saves category.  What is an owner to do?  Hopefully you were lucky enough to be near the computer when the announcement of your closer visiting Dr. Andrews came through.  If this is the case you probably were able to gain first crack at the next in line for the job.  The problem is many of these situations are very cloudy.  The only one that seems to be sorted out already is in Tampa.

Kyle Farnsworth:
As mentioned above Farnsworth, who is slated to miss 4 to 6 weeks, has a direct replacement.  Fernando Rodney, who is a former closer himself, has nailed that job down.  Most thought that Joel Peralta was the guy but Rodney stormed past him early and has a tight hold.  Rodney is owned in only 52 percent of ESPN leagues and we feel that number is way low.  Add him immediately if you can.

Brian Wilson:
News broke yesterday that the flamboyantly bearded fireballer is going to undergo his second Tommy John procedure.  Word is Santiago Casilla is the odds on favorite to assume the role, but don't sleep on Sergio Romo if only because his beard is nearly as fantastic as Wilson's.  Casilla is the guy to grab and Romo only if you were a Wilson owner who missed on Casilla.

Andrew Bailey:
What a mess in Beantown.  After letting Papplebon walk the Sox decided to roll with the oft injured Bailey, who didn't even make it to the regular season before breaking down.  Yes we know this injury was of the freak variety but still.  In his place is two Yankee castoffs in Mark Melancon and Alfredo Aceves have been getting rocked ever since.  The call for Daniel Bard has begun.  I give it a couple more weeks of ineptitude for Aceves and Melancon before Bard's starting days are over.  Since Bard is probably already owned in over 90% of ESPN leagues you are probably out of luck.

Drew Storen:
Storen recently had chips removed from his aching bow and has a due date to return somewhere near the All Star Break.  Henry Rodriguez and Brad Lidge are alternating in the meantime.  It does seem to be a pretty even split so adding either is a good plan to get you an extra save or 2 a week.

MLB Free Agent Report

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen


With our first week of match-ups coming to a close you may already be experiencing some lineup concerns.  With injuries to Ellsbury, Bailey, Pineda, and Berkman, to name a few, the waiver wire may already be in full swing.  Below we list some players that may be out there for you that you might want to pounce on right away.

Jordan Schafer - This speed demon isn't going deep very often but with 5 steals already he could be a steady source of steals.


Omar Infante - While you may already be late to this party if Infante is still on your wire snatch him up immediately.  He is producing big time and is in a powerful lineup.

Rodney is a #1 pickup

Jon Jay - After years of part time duty Jay is getting a full time nod in center for the Cards.  He has an all around game that could be plugged in as your last outfielder and not miss much of a beat.


Clayton Richard - Richard is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA and a sub 1 WHIP in 2 starts.  While Richard has had success before he is someone you would start when the match-up is right

Fernando Rodney - Another guy who may not still be around but he looks to be in line for a bunch of saves until Farnsworth returns

Brad Lidge/Henry Rodriguez - Will alternate save attempts for the season as Storen looks to be out with elbow troubles.  Lidge blew a save his last attempt so we are not sure if that will hurt his chances going forward.  If you need saves add either or both if you have the room.

Yoenis Cespedes's BOMB!!!

Those wondering about Cespedes's power potential have your answer!!!!

Thanks to Yahoo Sports for the video....

Pineda out until May

Your owners feel the same way

By Fantasy Boys Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen 

The Blockbuster trade of two young phenoms is not off to a good start, at least for the Yankees. News out of the Big Apple today is that Michael Pineda is out until May. This news is just as bad for fantasy owners grabbing the young fireballer in the mid rounds of their recent drafts. The situation is eerily similar to Josh Johnson last year. Johnson complained of a sore shoulder early on last year and was thought to only be out a month. Fast forward a year and Johnson is just made his first start since he was shut down. We obviously don't know if Pineda will face the same fate but we are certainly worried. It is smart to DL Pineda if the spot is available and monitor his progress. If this thing drags out too long you have to decide when you need to cut your losses. Targeting Pineda in a trade is something to think about as well. You might be able to get him for a low end starter if an owner is panicking. While we are nervous about Pineda his upside is worth that kind of gamble.

Ahhhh Real Opening Day

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Already mashing.........

FINALLY we hear the crack of the balls hitting the bats and the snap of fastballs hitting the catchers mits.  Was there anything more annoying than the almost week layover between the Mariner/A's series in Japan?   Ok I get opening things in Japan, in fact it was pretty cool to be getting up for work to see a live MLB game in progress.  The issue I have is why make me wait a full week before the rest of the league gets going?  I don't care if the A's and Mariners are jet lagged, it is their call to accept playing in those games. 

In league action today could this be the beginning of another year of the pitcher?  Roy Halladay, Justin Verlander, Stephen Strasburg, Justin Masterson and Kyle Lohse for christ's sake have already thrown gems.  I for one hope the bats wake quickly.  I love a pitchers duel just as much as the next guy but mashing is what gets the blood flowing.  Thank you Jose Bautista for getting it going early.  Keep it up will ya?