2009 National Championship

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2009 National Championship Game

Florida VS Oklahoma

On January 08, 2009 the Florida Gators will meet the Oklahoma Sooners in the National Championship game. I am still scratching my head wondering how this happened. Out of the 4 one loss teams whose loss was the worst? I think that goes without saying. If Florida was in any other conference than the SEC they wouldn’t be playing in this game. College football is so corrupted with the SEC and the bowls that it makes me sick. I will be the first one to admit that I thought Alabama would beat Florida. I was wrong about that. The fact that Florida jumped Texas while they were idle is a slap in the face to any college football fan. Florida played a great game against the #1 team in the country there’s no doubt about that, but to jump a team that didn’t have a chance to play. The fact that they had to watch 2 teams that they beat play for their division is a disgrace. Texas lost to a very good Texas Tech in the last few seconds on an unbelievable catch. It was a catch that gets dropped 9 out of 10 times. They didn’t get beat down. They lost to a top 10 team that finished the season at 11-1. Florida lost to Mississippi 8-4 and they were 2-2 when they played Florida. If you were wondering who their 2 losses were they were Wake Forest (7-5) and Vanderbilt (6-6). On the other hand Texas beat Oklahoma head to head, but that only matters in every other sport in the world. If you can’t tell by my words I am bitter about this match up especially since I will be at the game. My first National Championship Game and I am already bitter before I get to Miami. That being said I have no choice but to pick Florida because of the way they beat Alabama. They will also have Percy Harvin back for this game and he is one of college football’s best all around players. Tim Tebow was the reason that they beat Alabama and I can’t see Oklahoma shutting him down. I am making my pick under protest because if Texas was in this game I would be picking them to be the 2009 National Champions.

CC Sabathia to the Yankees

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CC Sabathia to the Yankees
The Yankees pitching staff was 9th last year in the American League posting a 4.58 ERA. So what do they do to correct that? They throw 161 Million dollars and a dozen of doughnuts at CC Sabathia. Rumor has it the doughnuts are what sealed the deal. If you own a food cart now would be a good time to park it in the parking lot at Yankee stadium. Is he worth it? No way. Does he solve the Yankees problems? No Way. I am not saying that he doesn’t make the pitching staff better, but this doesn’t put them in the World Series. It does solve the one problem that the Yankees had of what to do with the extra food after the games. My advice for the Yankees would be make sure that he pitches on Dollar dog night. That way he will only be able to hit up the hot dog guy between innings. That being said any pitcher that pitches for the Yankees has a chance to win a game. His numbers will rise as will his uniform size. He will have a big fantasy impact in the beginning of the season, but will he be able to maintain it all season? We will see. I still wouldn’t pick him over Jake Peavy or Brandon Webb, but I would take him if those 2 were gone. CC had a great year last year there’s no doubt about that, but keep in mind he pitched 253 innings. That’s a lot of wear and tear for a season. He also pitched 241 innings in 2007. That’s awesome fantasy production there’s no doubt. I think that is a lot of stress on any ones arm. He pitched 10 complete games in 2008, but I don’t imagine he will do that again. The Yankees aren’t going to take save opportunities away from Rivera. This move defiantly increases Rivera’s fantasy value and production. CC will be under tremendous amounts of pressure from the local media and the fans. As long as he can shake off the pressure, not get hurt and pitch on Dollar dog night he should put up top 3 fantasy pitching numbers. My prediction is that he breaks 300 by June. 300 pounds that is. I still rank him #3 in pitching.

Alabama Vs Florida

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No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Florida
This is going to be a great game. Florida has been running up the score on all the teams that they have played, but they haven’t played a team like Alabama. Alabama is a power team that pushes people around and then kicks them when they are down. In fact, I think I seen one of Alabama’s lineman smacking around a Clemson’s players Mom after the game was over on Aug. 30th. That big mean offensive line likes to man handle teams. The line led by tackle Andre Smith likes to control the field and open up holes for some guy named coffee. John Parker Wilson hasn’t put up huge numbers, but he has done what is more important than stats, win! He has managed his games well and hasn’t made that many mistakes. He also has a pretty good line protecting him, an awesome receiver in Julio Jones and a pretty good running back that goes by the name Glen Coffee with a rush average of 6.2 yds per carry. Florida has a great quarterback in Tim T-bone... I mean Tebow. He is very talented and smart with the ball. He has only thrown 2 interceptions all year. Tebow will be limited to how many times he touches the ball. Alabama leads the SEC in scoring drives of more than 5 minutes. They are a ball control team and have dominated the line of scrimmage all year long. Something else to keep in mind is that Alabama’s Defense is #1 in the SEC and #3 in the NCAA. I remember watching the Clemson game on Aug 30th and watching in amusement as Alabama’s line was punishing Clemson’s defense. I also remember watching a certain sports station (who I won’t name-starts with an ES) and they were riding Clemson telling me how thunder and lightning were going to run all over Alabama’s Defense. Nice call on that one ES.. CJ Spiller had 7 yards and James Davis had 13 yards. Maybe they can re-air their hype report and call them Dud and Pud. Fast forward to right now and that same station has been riding Florida like they are the Boston Red Sox. Once again Nick Saban is going to make ES.. look bad. It’s time to put the women and children to bed because this is going to be an ugly brawl. Alabama wins 28-21.

Just a side note Alabama is undefeated. On Aug. 30th Clemson proved 2 things to the world: 1 Alabama has a damn good football team and 2) Clemson remains to be the most Over-rated and Over hyped team 2nd to the Boston Red Sox at ES..

What happens in Vegas

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Friday December 05, 2008 1:30PM: O.J. Simpson, convicted of robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after five years. I guess what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas ... for at least 15 years.

This time of the year

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This is the best time of the year. It's championship week for College Football. Pro football has 4 weeks left in the season, and most fantasy leagues are starting their playoffs this week or next. This is also the point where all of your hard work should be paying off with a playoff spot. It's also the point of the season that makes you sick to your stomach. Maybe you were fighting for a playoff spot and you had Marion Barber on your team and you had to watch him walk into the locker room. This time of the year is tricky because if you were riding a stud all year he may see less carries because his team is going to get him some rest for the playoff. You really need to do your research this time of the year. Look at your roster and look for players on teams that are fighting for a playoff spot. Keep an eye on any of your players that may have minor injuries that may get less playing time. Go to your players team home page and see if there coach
has said anything about limiting there playing time. This is the time of the year that you need to do your research and make educated deicions on setting your line up. Good luck to any managers that have made the playoffs and for the ones that didn't make the playoffs it's time to get ready for baseball. Check out my site www.1fantasyguru.com for my early player rankings.

2009 FedEx Orange Bowl

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FedEx Orange Bowl Here's the possible FEDEX Orange Bowl matchup:

Boston College vs. Cincinnati



We have been going to the Orange bowl for 4 years and here are some of the places that we have eaten at and liked in the FT. Lauderdale/Miami area:


www.theletub.com Le Tub

www.catfishdeweys.com catfish deweys

Rustic inn Crab House www.rusticinn.com

www.anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

Bass Pro Shops & Islamorada Fish Company www.basspro.com www.fishcompany.com/locations_daniabeach.aspx

International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame & Museum www.igfa.org/mgi.asp

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino www.seminolehardrock.com

Cincinnati fans here's one that you will recognize in FT. Lauderdale :
www.skylinechili.com

Some fun Places:

Everglades National Park www.nps.gov/ever/

Everglades Tours www.evergladestours.com

Everglades Holiday Park www.evergladesholidaypark.com

College football needs a playoff system

Looks like the BCS managed to cause another controversy! Looks like Texas is getting the shaft. It’s funny because I thought I remembered watching Texas beat Oklahoma. It has to be hard for Texas to watch the 2 teams that they beat playing for their conference championship. That has to be a tough pill to swallow for all of the Texas fans. It’s time to remove the politics out of college football and have some sort of playoff system. Funny thing is when Missouri beats Oklahoma it’s going to be more egg on the face of college football. ESPN has been ridding Florida like they are the Red sox. Too bad they are backing the wrong team again! Alabama’s big offensive line is going to push Florida around. They are projecting Alabama to play in Sugar bowl. The last time I checked Alabama was undefeated. They are the only team that deserves to be where they are. They have proved their selves on the football field, not by opinons. It is time to remove the politics and opinions from college football. College football needs a playoff and they need it now. If you think back before the season started Georgia was the greatest team in college football. Fast forward to now and they are ranked 16th and they are 9-3. Nice call! More egg for the face!

Updates

I am currently updating my site and will be for the next few days. I am going to be creating test pages on here.

NCAA Men's Tournament bracket challenge 2009

I am working on a NCAA Men's Tournament bracket challenge. Check it out at here: CLICK for link I will be working on it during the season and will have it ready in before the tournament starts. I would like to get as many people in as possible. It will be done just like the football pool was done. I will email the info out before the start of the tournament. Tell your friends.

Fantasy College football

This year was the first year I ever competed in fantasy College Football. It was a good year for the Guru. I played in the championship game, but came up short. Overall it was an impressive preformance for a rookie. I went 8-4 and 5-0 in my division. I am ready for next year. College is more detailed than pro fantasy is and I hope that more people get involved in it. Another wining season.... another championship game. The guru continues to set the standard. Here's the story from sportsline: CHAMPION!

Nov. 19, 2008

Patriots won the Fantasy Wars Championship by a score of 109 to 71 over IRISH. Kendall Hunter led the team in scoring in the championship round and Graham Harrell led the team in scoring for the season. Congrats once again to Patriots on a terrific Fantasy collegefb Season. Hope to see you all next year!

Standings

Overall · Breakdown · Power







Week: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12


East Division
Team W L T PCT GB Strk Div Wks PF Back PA
IRISH 8 4 0 0.667 0 L1 5-0-0 0 1097.2 457.2 1044.5
Paterno Pride 7 4 0 0.636 1 L3 3-2-0 2 1405.8 148.8 1172.2
MinnesotaMark 4 6 0 0.400 4 W2 1-4-0 0 994.2 560.2 1109.8
Elkhart Elite II 3 7 0 0.300 5 L1 2-2-0 1 856.5 698.0 1085.8
Real Deal Jr. 1 9 0 0.100 7 L6 1-4-0 0 522.5 1032.0 1102.5


West Division
Team W L T PCT GB Strk Div Wks PF Back PA
Patriots 12 0 0 1.000 0 W12 5-0-0 7 1554.5 0.0 945.0
Irish Rob 8 3 0 0.727 4 L1 3-1-0 2 1282.5 272.0 1029.2
The Untouchables 5 5 0 0.500 7 W1 3-2-0 0 993.8 560.8 982.8
GOIHAWKS 4 6 0 0.400 8 L2 1-4-0 0 975.0 579.5 940.8
NBY Bandits 1 9 0 0.100 11 L5 0-5-0 0 724.2 830.2 993.8


Standings Updated as of: 11/19/08 3:50 PM EST

Tune in for the Game of the Week live online at CBSSports.com. Watch Online

Second Base

Chase Utley is the biggest question mark due to his upcoming hip surgery. There's no doubt that he is the best fantasy 2nd baseman in the game when he is healthy. I expect him to be playing opening day, but I will be following his progress and updating his ranking accordingly before opening day. Here's the way I see 2nd base for 2009:

Utley, Chase 2B PHI

Kinsler, Ian 2B TEX

Pedroia, Dustin 2B BOS

Roberts, Brian 2B BAL

Uggla, Dan 2B FLA

Phillips, Brandon 2B CIN

Johnson, Kelly 2B ATL

Cano, Robinson 2B NYY

Ramirez, Alexei 2B CHW

Lopez, Jose 2B SEA

Polanco, Placido 2B DET

DeRosa, Mark 2B CHC

Sanchez, Freddy 2B PIT

Figgins, Chone 3B ANA

Aviles, Mike SS KC

Weeks, Rickie 2B MIL

Ellis, Mark 2B OAK

Kendrick, Howie 2B ANA

Hudson, Orlando 2B ARI

Iwamura, Akinori 2B TB

Lopez, Felipe SS STL

Castillo, Luis 2B NYM

Belliard, Ronnie 2B WAS

Hill, Aaron 2B TOR

Iguchi, Tadahito 2B PHI

Loretta, Mark SS HOU

Matsui, Kazuo 2B HOU

Grudzielanek,Mark2BKC

Scutaro, Marco SS TOR

Hall, Bill 3B MIL

Izturis, Maicer SS ANA

Miles, Aaron 2B STL

Uribe, Juan SS CHW

Eckstein, David SS ARI

DeWitt, Blake 2B LA

Punto, Nick 3B MIN

Durham, Ray 2B MIL

Carroll, Jamey 2B CLE

Kennedy, Adam 2B STL

Amezaga,AlfredoCFFLA

Harris, BrendanSSMIN

Castillo, Jose 3B HOU

Barfield, Josh 2B CLE

First Base Rankings 2009

Pujols, Albert 1B STL

Cabrera, Miguel1BDET

Morneau,Justin1BMIN

Teixeira, Mark 1B ANA

Howard, Ryan 1B PHI

Gonzalez, Adrian1BSD

Fielder, Prince 1B MIL

Berkman,Lance1BHOU

Atkins, Garrett 3B COL

Dunn, Adam LF ARI

Huff, Aubrey 1B BAL

Lee, Derrek 1B CHC

Youkilis, Kevin 1B BOS

Delgado,Carlos1BNYM

Kotchman,Casey1BATL

Jackson, Conor 1B ARI

Loney, James 1B LA

Votto, Joey 1B CIN

Pena, Carlos 1B TB

Lopez, Jose 2B SEA

Butler, Billy 1B KC

Giambi, Jason DH NYY

Martinez, Victor C CLE

Swisher, Nick CF NYY

Cantu, Jorge 3B FLA

Davis, Chris 3B TEX

Overbay, Lyle 1B TOR

Konerko, Paul 1B CHW

Blake, Casey 3B LA

Jacobs, Mike 1B KC

Sandoval, Pablo 1B SF

LaRoche,AdamA.1BPIT

Helton, Todd 1B COL

Guillen, Carlos 3B DET

Blalock, Hank 1B TEX

Millar, Kevin 1B BAL

Teahen, Mark RF KC

Belliard,Ronnie2BWAS

Garciaparra,Nomar1BLA

Posada, Jorge C NYY

Sexson, Richie 1B NYY

Vidro, Jose DH SEA

Aurilia, Rich 1B SF

Garko, Ryan 1B CLE

Bautista, JoseA.3BTOR

Tracy, Chad 1B ARI

Catalanotto,Frank1BTEX

Lo Duca, Paul C FLA

Thames,MarcusLFDET

Hatteberg,Scott1BCIN

Kotsay, Mark CFBOS

Lamb, Mike 3B MIL

Casey, Sean 1B BOS

Duncan, Chris 1BSTL

My site

Please stop by and check out my site. I have made a lot of improvements.

the guru is back

I am back and you will be hearing a lot from me in the future. I have made some updates to my site recently. I will continue to add more things. I just added a message board so stop by and drop a line. Also check out the hottest blond page and make sure you vote.

Tuesday night's game

Tuesday night's game:

Tonights game was a good one. Mount St. Mary's came out flat and didn't look like they wanted to move on. They were taking poor shots and missing shots inside the paint. In the second half they looked like a new team. They were making good decisions passing and shooting. It looked like they were gaining confidence as the game went on. They looked weak on the boards and in the paint. Unfortunately they have to play North Carolina next, and they don't have a shot. The biggest problem that Mount St. Mary's is going to face is rebounding. They had problems boxing out and getting offensive rebounds and that's not a good sign when you have to play North Carolina with Tyler Hansbrough on the boards. They played a good game, but they are 1 and done. North Carolina by 15.

John Lackey

CBS's Scott Miller has reported that Angle's Ace John Lackey has a right bicep strain and will miss at least a month if not more. Make sure that you make adjustments to your rankings. It is possible that he will miss more than a month and this will have a huge impact on his fantasy numbers.

March madness

NCAA Men’s tournament

March is the most exciting month of the year. There's nothing like March madness. This year won't be any different. O.J. Mayo against Michael Beasley is going to be a great match up! North Carolina has an easy road playing the first 2 rounds in Raleigh and Charlotte. Possibilities of an old school match up of North Carolina Georgetown. Memphis is coming off of a 33-1 season and has a legitimate chance of winning it all if they can get past Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is an interesting team because they like to slow teams down and out muscle their opponents. Watch out for Georgia they have won 3 straight games in the SEC tournament to get in the NCAA tournament. A team that is playing on emotions is more dangerous than a talented team. Xavier could put an end to their run. The best part of this tournament is that it is so unpredictable. It’s time to fill out your brackets and let the madness begin! Check out my site www.1fantasyguru.com

How use the free agent wire

In a weekly head to head scoring league the object is to win as many weeks as possible. You can use the wavier wire to help you but you will need to gamble. If your league gives a point for each inning pitched it makes it an easier gamble. Look at the weeks probable pitchers and figure out how many games you will have to know if you think you will need help. Pay perticular attention to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Figure out what free agents are pitching and pick up your best options. Keep in mind that other owners may be doing the same thing so pick them up early. You will have to be willing get rid of some pitchers on your bench, but you may be able to a week or two that you may have lost by a few points. Do your homework and you may get lucky and steal a few games. Good luck.

The top shorstop

Who is the #1 Shortstop?

1. Jimmy Rollins. I have him ranked #1 because of his proven stats. Some experts are expecting a decline in his numbers this year. I don’t see it. Even if he does show a decline the hitter’s ball park and a stacked line-up should make up for it. He is 29 years old and it is scientifically proved that a male athlete reaches his prime at 27 years old. Does this mean that once an athlete turns 28 his career is finished? Not at all. Every one of his stats has gone up from 2005 and 2006 except for walks. In 2006 his walks went up from 47(2005) to 57 and dropped to 49 in 2006. He had 191 hits in 2006 and 212 in 2007. The 10 walks that he lost in 2007 were made up with hits. His three year averages are as follows: 200h 22HR 77RBI 79K’s 39SB 5CS 597points. 2008 projections are as follows: 196HI 27HR 85RBI 75K's 37SB 8CS 608Points. I prefer to go with a veteran with proven stats.
2. Hanley Ramirez: Hanley comes in at #2 but has the potential to be #1. I tend to value proven stats over potential. Hanley has all the potential in the world. Last year he hit 29 homers and stole 51 bases. The trade of slugger Miguel Cabrera could have an effect on his stats. As of now he is still slated to be the lead-off hitter. If Florida decides to move him down in the line-up he may see fewer at bats and may not see a lot of good pitches to hit. His numbers should go up and he should be in the top 10 fantasy players. He has nothing but upside at this point. 2007 numbers were: 212HI 29HR 81RBI 95K’S 51SB 14CS 622Points. 2008 projections are as follows: 189HI 25HR 75RBI 110K 49SB 14CS 560Points
3. Jose Reyes: The most appealing aspect of Reyes’s game would be his speed. In 2007 he stole 78 bases. His steals have increased in the last three years from 60 in 2005, 64 in 2006 and an incredible 78 in 2007. This is a great if you are in a roto style format, but it isn’t as important in a head to head format. In points based league you get one or two points for a steal. So if he stole 70 bases this would give him 140 points. That would be the same as a hitter hitting 20 homeruns. If you look at the rest of his stats they dropped in 2007. His 2007 numbers were: 191HI 12HR 57RBI 78SB .280BA and his 2006 numbers were: 194HI 19HR 81RBI 64SB .299BA. Reyes stole 14 more bases, but his RBI’s dropped 24 in 2007. His projected totals are 184HI 14HR 60RBI 80K's 69SB 19CS 570Points. It may not be clear who #1 is in the shortstop position, but it’s clear it’s not Reyes. He is still a top 5 in his position, but he clearly needs to improve his totals to take over the top spot.

Drafting help

One of the things that will separate an average manager from a champ is the ability to find quality players in the middle and the end of the draft. I am a firm believer that you win your league in the middle and end of your draft. In the same sense, I believe that this also where you lose your league. Most managers focus on what players they are going to draft in the first few rounds. Everyone should end up with studs in the first few rounds unless you are completely clueless. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that you don't need to do your homework on the top 24. I am just saying that you should focus on the middle and late rounds just as much as the beginning rounds.
Most owners go to a draft prepared with a strategy and by the 5th round it is out the window and they are drafting on the fly. This isn’t always a bad thing, but for some owners it is. You can abandon your draft strategy in the middle of the draft also. The difference will be if you did your homework you will still be able to get quality picks in the middle and at the end of the draft.
If you are doing a draft on CBSsportsline or yahoo they will have pre-rankings in their draft rooms. Most owners don’t take the time to adjust them or put in their own information. If you are paying attention to the other owners in the draft you can get a feel for how they are drafting. You may notice that they are just taking the next guy in the rankings. Use this to your advantage. Compare your rankings to the pre rankings and try to judge where the players you are targeting are going to be selected. That way you should be able to judge whether you can wait for your player or if you have to take him with your next pick. You should also pay attention to the other team’s rosters and needs. For example if you are targeting a 2nd baseman and 7 other teams need a second baseman you may need to adjust your rankings to accommodate this. But, if you did your homework and know that the next 8 2nd baseman are very close in numbers you can wait and try to pick up another player in a different position that will have better numbers. This is what is known as a value pick. You end up getting a stud in another position while the other owners are scrambling to get players that are going to put up the same numbers as the guy you draft a few rounds later. The only way you could know this is if you did your homework.
Remember if you have a sleeper in mind chances are another owner has him in mind also. Any website you go to have some sleepers listed on it. Some names pop up on more than one site or magazine. More than likely if you are sold on a player you may have to reach for him a lit bit earlier than you would have normally drafted him. Keep an eye on where the player is being drafted in mock drafts and real drafts. This will give you an idea of where you should be able to draft your player. Try to read up as much as you can about those players and follow what they are doing in spring training. Make sure that you look at the players career stats, and the reasons sites or magazines think they are going to have better stats than they are projected. It’s nice when a sleeper works out for you, but it’s not fun if you didn’t get it right. Keep an eye on players coming off of injuries because this is one of the best place to find a sleeper.
The Bottom line is if you want to win you have to do your homework. Use projections and your scoring system to make your own rankings. Most of all practice practice and practice. Go to mockdraftcentral.com or sportingnews.com and do mock drafts until your fingers fall off and then use the nubs. There’s no substitution for preparation and practice. Good luck. If you have any questions contact me at the_guru@comcast.net. If like what you see check out my site at: www.1fantasyguru.com

Changing his ways

Changing his ways.

In every sport there are athletes that do stupid things that make you scratch your head. Some of the stupid things that they do are giving fans the finger, making unnecessary comments to reporters, spitting on fans and attacking officials or umpires verbally and physically. Most people can’t understand why million dollar athletes can’t control their tempers. Every professional athlete is competitive or they wouldn’t have made it to the professional level. Some athletes are so competitive that they can’t control their emotions. Take away the money and fame and professional athletes are normal people like you and me. It is easy to get angry at almost anything. What is important is how you deal with your anger.
So why is this important to fantasy baseball? Most fantasy players tend to shy away from these high risk types of athletes. If you are smart you may be able to capitalize on this. A prime example of this would be Randy Moss. Before the football season the talk was that Randy Moss would destroy the New England Patriots. Randy didn’t destroy the Patriot’s he destroyed the rest of the League. I took a chance on Randy and he repaid me with great numbers. His talent was never questioned; it was his character and his ability to control his attitude that was questioned. There comes a point in an athlete’s career when they grow up and put the team in front of their selves.
I think this may be the year that Milton Bradley gets it. He has moved to a new team and a new ballpark. The ballpark in Texas should beneficial to Bradley’s numbers. I think that he realizes that San Diego may have had a chance to do well in the playoffs if he didn’t get injured. He had to sit on the thought of his bad judgment for the entire off season. Bradley knows that his actions had a direct impact on the Padres demise. I think this is going to fuel him to prove that he good ball player not a bad decision maker. I believe this year he is out to prove himself. He has the potential to be in the top 25 outfielders if he learns to control his anger issues. It may be a good idea to draft him at the end of the draft and put him on the bench and see what he does.

Who should I keep?

This is a big question you may have if you are in a keeper league. Obviously you can put up an argument for almost any player except for A-rod. If you can put up a reason on why not to keep A-rod you might want to find a new hobby. A-Rod aside, you can probably put up an argument for keeping or not keeping any other player. There are many things to consider when making your choice such as: would I draft this player with my first pick. Is there any player on my team that would be drafted in the first round? Also what is your keeper policy? Are you only able to keep a player for 1 year? If this is the case and you know your draft order is use it to your advantage. For example if you have the first pick and you have A-Rod keep your 2nd best player and draft A-Rod with the first pick. Now you will be able to have A-Rod for two more years.
Your keeper is considered your first pick. In some leagues you don't have to keep someone and you will pick in your spot. This may be a better option if you don't think any of your players are first round picks. Do you have a young hot shot that is being projected to light up the world? I prefer to go with the proven guys. Don't get me wrong I don't mind taking a chance on a young buck, but I would never take that chance for a keeper. Keep in mind projections are made up or are considered educated guesses. You can't argue with player’s stats from the year before. Baseball players are very consistent. So it is a good idea to look back at the last few years and see what there stats look like. It may be a good indication on what kind of numbers you can expect from that player. Another thing to consider is injuries. Does the player get hurt a lot? Does he miss a lot of games? What about his age? As players get older you expect a natural decline in numbers. A good example of this is David Ortiz. He really hasn't shown significant signs of decline. Is he going to be the type of player that completely dissolves in one season?
The best thing to do is look at the top 4 batters on your team and the top 4 pitchers. Use your point system and projections from a few different sites and figure out how many points they are expected to put up this year. You should look at the average draft position for the players that you are considering to keep. Keep in mind that when you go to a site like www.mockdraftcentral.com the majority of the drafts are roto based. It is always a good idea to do a few mock drafts so that you get a feel for where players are going. Just make sure you join a mock draft that reflects your type (head to head, roto) and your player requirements and scoring. You can also check out www.sportingnews.com to do some mock drafts.
Something else to keep in mind is your point system. If your league gives points for innings pitched then most of your pitchers have gained 150-220 points. This may give an edge to pitchers. This is also big in head to head weekly scoring leagues. The reason I say this is because if a pitcher goes out and gets 2 wins in a week with 10 K's and 14 innings pitched he just scored=54 points. A-Rod would have to hit 7 home runs or 26 doubles or 54 hits to compare. So your point system should also play a factor in who you decide to keep. Also, you have to feel confident about the player. It is hard to watch a player falling short of his expectations when you didn’t feel confident in keeping him in the first place.
If you don't figure out another option like a trade, or if your league allows it don't keep a player and you will have your pick in the first round when everyone else has selected their keeper as their first pick. You can recover from a bad keeper by getting valuable guys in the late rounds. Do your homework and be prepared and it won’t be an issue. If you have any questions feel free to email me at the_guru@comcast.net.

Tips for getting ready for your draft

Here are some important things that you need to know before your draft.
*Do your home work. There are plenty of sites with info that you need.
Here is some of the info you need to get:
•Player movment (does the feild favor hitting/pitching style) where is he going to hit in his new line-up. Will he have a better chance at RBI's. Does his new team like to run? Or play small ball where he will be expected to give up hits to move runners.
•Players age. Is he 27? Or may be 37?
•Who are injury risks? Who is coming off of injury? Who is injured? You should print up an injury repot the day of your draft. Don't make a mistake drafting some one who is injured.
•What players are expected to explode or be busts?
•What stats are they expected to put up
•What are there three year averages? Are they close to the projections.
•What is your scoring system
•Rank your player to reflect your point system
•Understand your draft spot. Are you the fourth pick and your not shure who you want? Would you be better of trading the pick and getting the 12 pick and get 2 studs that fit your style.
•Know the guys you are drafting against and use their tendencies to help you.
•Break down your cheat sheets so that they are buy position. Break each position down by groups by value. This will help you with your drafting. Use this and position scarcity to evaluate your pick.
•I am always infavor of best available player
•Position availability. Know your leagues rules and figure out what players are available to play more than one position.
•Try do do some mock drafts to get a feel what is going on.

1fantasyguru

Hello, and welcome to the home of the #1 fantasy Guru. I plan on using this site as an informative tool for anyone interested in fantasy sports. I will do my best to keep it up to date and will provide any information that is requested. I am also going to use this site to inform everyone about what is going on in my fantasy leagues. I am NOT a journalist nor am I a sports report, but I will attempt to give you my perspective on sports and fantasy issues. My rankings will be based on my expectations and using my point system. If you look around at different sites you will see most sites rankings are pretty similar, but my rankings will be based on my leagues scoring. Last but not least, I want to thank Bill McLaughlin for getting me involved in fantasy sports back in the day when. Bill you were a good friend to me RIP. You were the original GURU that would sit at our drafts without a book and draft playoff teams. Long Live The MEATBOX!