"Give me 6 hours to chop a tree down, and I will spend the first 4 hours sharpening the axe.-'' Abraham Lincoln. No matter what your striving for in life, preparation is key. This is especially true when it comes to the game of Fantasy Football. Of course you have to execute and things sometimes still have to fall your way, but if your not fully prepared going in, your not going to be happy with the outcome. So for the 85% of you guys who year in and year out complain about coming up empty handed, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
The biggest factor in a successful fantasy football season is obviously the draft. Don't get me wrong, there is still so much more you have to do to win other than a good draft, but you'll have no chance without at least a decent one. There are many factors that go into having a strong draft, and having a good strategy is the biggest. You have to know what you want to do depending on your draft position, league rules and scoring, and knowledge of the game . Have some sort of idea of what you might do when unexpected things happen, or you lose out on a guy or 2 you were ready to take. That's definitely going to happen allot.
I'm a firm believer unless you have a no brainer pick fall into your lap, its always smart to use some of the time you have been allowed when your on the clock. Check the way your teams rounding out. See what you really need and not what just might look good. Make sure your making the right situational pick as well. I mean you usually have to pick what your biggest need at the time is, but in the right situations (typically for me 8-10th round) its a good idea to go with the best player available. Its never a bad idea to bolster your team with talent and it can also provide key trade value to strengthen your team throughout the season when things such as injuries, under performing, or just holes in your roster leave you in need.
In order to know which players fits these situations you must have basic
NFL knowledge, but you also have to go the extra distance. Stay up to date throughout the off season on key players and there teams movements. Injuries (Dez Bryant), Suspensions(Vincent Jackson), Contract negotiations(Darrelle Revis), Changing teams(Brandon Marshall), or staying on a team that adds competition(Jamal Charles) are all factors that should be heavily taking into consideration when analysing players. Another big thing that I personally take full advantage of are contract year players. If an underachieving or above average player are going in a contract year DRAFT THEM. You will not be disappointed. You should be able to figure out the reasons why on your own.
Okay I think I gave you enough of my secrets and tips for one piece. Actually before I go there is another big one I just can't hold in. Go into the drat with NO emotional ties. Unless, that is, your just playing to have a good time which is absolutely fine seeing as it is just a game. But if your playing for $$ and really playing to win, you can't let your heart get in the way. I'm a Cleveland fan so its kind of easy for me to stay away but even a guy that might of helped you win a big game 2 years ago, or does really good for you in Madden, don't do it. Trust me unless he's the best pick for you at that time, your going to regret it in the long run.
Well that's it for now but be sure to check back in the next couple of days for part 2 of the series. Also follow me on twitter at pwill12 for all kinds of sports updates and live breaking news as it happens.
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Why Not, Cleveland?
Why Not, Cleveland?
I have been following Cleveland sports for my entire life and I always have the same question going through my mind, why not, Cleveland? What I mean by this, is why do the big name players not want to come here, or, why do Cleveland teams not try to get them here? For example, we have the whole summer Cavaliers fiasco and Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson and Shaq are still on the market and we have not made any serious attempts at acquiring any of these players. Why not? What does Cleveland have to lose now? We can pretty much guarantee that with no big names and no great talent that by the end of the season, the seats will be empty. Sure fans will come in the beginning to show support with Mr. South Beach gone, but without a winning team, that is just temporary. So how long do we have to wait until Cleveland becomes one of those places that really try to win?
Let’s switch this over to the Cleveland Browns. Why did the Browns not go after T.O? Is it because of the off the field issues, or even the on the sideline issues? WHO CARES! He is a good football player at a position that we really need a veteran player with some talent. Instead, now we have to play against him 2 times this year, along with Ocho and Antonio Bryant. That should be entertaining. I say you have to fight fire with fire and Cleveland always seems to fight fire with lollipops and cotton candy.
I guess in the end, maybe someday, we will realize that you need to do what all the other teams do to win a championship, obviously, because everyone else finds ways to win while we sit back and wonder, why not, Cleveland?
- Adam Stokes
I have been following Cleveland sports for my entire life and I always have the same question going through my mind, why not, Cleveland? What I mean by this, is why do the big name players not want to come here, or, why do Cleveland teams not try to get them here? For example, we have the whole summer Cavaliers fiasco and Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson and Shaq are still on the market and we have not made any serious attempts at acquiring any of these players. Why not? What does Cleveland have to lose now? We can pretty much guarantee that with no big names and no great talent that by the end of the season, the seats will be empty. Sure fans will come in the beginning to show support with Mr. South Beach gone, but without a winning team, that is just temporary. So how long do we have to wait until Cleveland becomes one of those places that really try to win?
Let’s switch this over to the Cleveland Browns. Why did the Browns not go after T.O? Is it because of the off the field issues, or even the on the sideline issues? WHO CARES! He is a good football player at a position that we really need a veteran player with some talent. Instead, now we have to play against him 2 times this year, along with Ocho and Antonio Bryant. That should be entertaining. I say you have to fight fire with fire and Cleveland always seems to fight fire with lollipops and cotton candy.
I guess in the end, maybe someday, we will realize that you need to do what all the other teams do to win a championship, obviously, because everyone else finds ways to win while we sit back and wonder, why not, Cleveland?
- Adam Stokes
Reverse Jinx Gods Beware
5/13/2010
Apparently, the Reverse Jinx Gods are completely aware of my picks for the NBA postseason. Sure, maybe I was asking for it when I picked the Dallas Mavericks to make the finals, but now they're just being downright cruel.
After watching the Cavs get outright humiliated last night, I awoke with two realizations. The first being, I will not be allowed to watch any sports show today without having the feeling of a sinking heart. It's the same feeling you get when you find out that one of your favorite NFL players from last year might wrongfully get an award stripped from him, even though he truly earned that award after the first month of the season while passing multiple drug tests.
The second realization is that I can now be called the self-proclaimed Jinx Master. Harsh words, I know, but hear me out for a second. Being the Houston/Cleveland sports fan that I am, going into the season, there was no hope for the Rockets with Yao out. All of my hope for a championship resided with the Cavaliers. (Side Note: My other hope for the season was that the Rockets would tank for a great lottery pick. Way to compete just enough to receive the lowest chance at the top pick.) Throughout the regular season, the Cavs built themselves up to be the best team, just as expected.
Now, fast forward to the postseason. As I hinted at before, I picked the Cavaliers to beat the Mavericks in the finals in 6. (Cavs vs. Mavs = Gotta Haves!!) I also was predicting the Thunder to upset L.A., the Blazers to beat Phoenix, the Nuggets to beat Utah, and Miami to upset Boston. Could I have been more wrong? Possibly. As the second round began, I could have sworn that Utah, San Antonio, and Atlanta would at the very least win one game at home. What happens? Nada. The only true contested series was the one I felt was a sure thing. Cleveland over the injury-riddled Boston in five. Now the Cavs are on the brink of elimination. I shouldn't be surprised, and neither should you. Growing up as a Cleveland fan, we know that our sports teams are not allowed to win a championship. We must live with this and accept it, for the better of our health.
In an attempt to change Cleveland sports history, here is my new proclamation. Celtics vs. Lakers = History Makers. Or really, in this case it would just be adding on to history, but it's the only rhyme I could think of at the moment. (So, if the reverse jinx gods saw that last prediction, Cleveland fans, we're looking at a happy ending with us beating the Suns. No offense, Phoenix.) I encourage every Cleveland fan to adopt this new strategy. Clearly, our teams never win, so we must do something different, we should just start rooting for the bad guys. I'm looking at you Pittsburgh.
Kelson Kerruish
Cavs Show Championship Form
April 18, 2010
1 down, 15 to go.
The Cavs appeared vastly superior to the eighth seeded Chicago Bulls in a 96-83 victory that was not nearly as close as the thirteen point deficit would indicate. The Cavs absolutely rocked Chicago while getting reacquainted with each other as teammates and missing a number of open threes. For Chicago, it could have been a lot worse.
Cleveland controlled the glass against one of the alleged best rebounding teams in the NBA, 50-38. Andy Varejao had 15 boards and Antawn Jamison added 10. Speaking of Jamison, he is listed at 235 pounds, making him the lightest member of the Cavs frontcourt playoff rotation. Next smallest is LeBron, listed at 250, but he is probably closer to 270. So the 6'10" 260 pound Andy is probably the second smallest of the frontcourt playoff rotation (also including Shaq and Z). Conversely, the largest player in the Bulls playoff frontcourt rotation is 7' 260 pound backup center Brad Miller, roughly the same size as Andy. Joakim Noah is listed at 6'11" 232 pounds (giving up 3 pounds to Jamison!), and the wispy annoyance may be even lighter than that. My point, the Cavs can just physically manhandle the Bulls frontcourt throughout this series.
It wasn't merely frontcourt dominance. While Derrick Rose had a typically great game, the rest of Chicago's backcourt was severely overmatched. Mo Williams went for 19 points and 10 assists, perfectly balancing point guard distribution with his own marksmanship from midrange and the outside to maximize his production. Anthony Parker and Delonte West both shot poorly, but contributed otherwise and helped on defense and moving the ball and facilitating. Yes, Derrick Rose was the best guard on the court, but the Cavs clearly had the superior backcourt.
All in all, I am very much looking forward to the crushing destruction of Chicago's basketball team over the next three games. Enjoy mediocrity Bulls fans. With this team, it looks like your franchise will be that way for a long, long time.
Jack Bacevice
1 down, 15 to go.
The Cavs appeared vastly superior to the eighth seeded Chicago Bulls in a 96-83 victory that was not nearly as close as the thirteen point deficit would indicate. The Cavs absolutely rocked Chicago while getting reacquainted with each other as teammates and missing a number of open threes. For Chicago, it could have been a lot worse.
Cleveland controlled the glass against one of the alleged best rebounding teams in the NBA, 50-38. Andy Varejao had 15 boards and Antawn Jamison added 10. Speaking of Jamison, he is listed at 235 pounds, making him the lightest member of the Cavs frontcourt playoff rotation. Next smallest is LeBron, listed at 250, but he is probably closer to 270. So the 6'10" 260 pound Andy is probably the second smallest of the frontcourt playoff rotation (also including Shaq and Z). Conversely, the largest player in the Bulls playoff frontcourt rotation is 7' 260 pound backup center Brad Miller, roughly the same size as Andy. Joakim Noah is listed at 6'11" 232 pounds (giving up 3 pounds to Jamison!), and the wispy annoyance may be even lighter than that. My point, the Cavs can just physically manhandle the Bulls frontcourt throughout this series.
It wasn't merely frontcourt dominance. While Derrick Rose had a typically great game, the rest of Chicago's backcourt was severely overmatched. Mo Williams went for 19 points and 10 assists, perfectly balancing point guard distribution with his own marksmanship from midrange and the outside to maximize his production. Anthony Parker and Delonte West both shot poorly, but contributed otherwise and helped on defense and moving the ball and facilitating. Yes, Derrick Rose was the best guard on the court, but the Cavs clearly had the superior backcourt.
All in all, I am very much looking forward to the crushing destruction of Chicago's basketball team over the next three games. Enjoy mediocrity Bulls fans. With this team, it looks like your franchise will be that way for a long, long time.
Jack Bacevice
Cavs Gear Up For Big Playoff Run
April 8, 2010
In a little more than a week the real season starts for the Cavaliers. In case it hasn't been clear to you, the Cavs have always had much bigger goals than winning the Central and having the league's best regular season record. This team and the whole organization is about one thing, hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy above their collective heads in a parade down Euclid in June.
We are about to find out if they can reach their goal.
The Cavs certainly seem to have the pieces to win it all. They boast The Best Player on the Planet cruising to his second straight MVP award. Cleveland also has a massive center with 4 championship rings soon to return from thumb surgery and supposedly in excellent shape. There is a slick shooting point guard who is adjusting nicely to his role change following the arrival of an All-Star power forward who can put up 20 a game with ease.
The Cavs also have the depth/role players/bench to support their stars and help win a championship. There's the gritty combo guard who can score both inside and out and likes "hot sauce in my bag." The big center from Eastern Europe who has a couple of All-Star appearances in his distinguished career and the hyper-athletic young big guy from N.C. State provide excellent front court depth. That front court is also backed by a Brazilian defender extraordinaire who never ever ever stops making plays to help the Cavs. The Cavs also have a glut of talented wing players with length who can score, like the one who played in Israel or the one who played in the D-League or the one who grew up on the Eastside of Cleveland. There's really nothing this team shouldn't be able to handle.
If you are not excited and optimistic about the upcoming playoffs, take another look at that Cavs roster. Excited and optimistic is how you should feel.
Jack Bacevice
In a little more than a week the real season starts for the Cavaliers. In case it hasn't been clear to you, the Cavs have always had much bigger goals than winning the Central and having the league's best regular season record. This team and the whole organization is about one thing, hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy above their collective heads in a parade down Euclid in June.
We are about to find out if they can reach their goal.
The Cavs certainly seem to have the pieces to win it all. They boast The Best Player on the Planet cruising to his second straight MVP award. Cleveland also has a massive center with 4 championship rings soon to return from thumb surgery and supposedly in excellent shape. There is a slick shooting point guard who is adjusting nicely to his role change following the arrival of an All-Star power forward who can put up 20 a game with ease.
The Cavs also have the depth/role players/bench to support their stars and help win a championship. There's the gritty combo guard who can score both inside and out and likes "hot sauce in my bag." The big center from Eastern Europe who has a couple of All-Star appearances in his distinguished career and the hyper-athletic young big guy from N.C. State provide excellent front court depth. That front court is also backed by a Brazilian defender extraordinaire who never ever ever stops making plays to help the Cavs. The Cavs also have a glut of talented wing players with length who can score, like the one who played in Israel or the one who played in the D-League or the one who grew up on the Eastside of Cleveland. There's really nothing this team shouldn't be able to handle.
If you are not excited and optimistic about the upcoming playoffs, take another look at that Cavs roster. Excited and optimistic is how you should feel.
Jack Bacevice
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