Fantasy Sports Counselor

2011-09-18T13:24:00.003-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Is Fantasy Football Geeky?

I have been pondering the question if Fantasy Football is geeky or not. Many people will scoff at this converstation. After all, football has always been a “jock” thing and not a geek thing. But like most geeky things, fantasy football is based outside of reality. The fans of fantasy football are often obsessed like I am for a good Sci Fi show or Spidey comic books. Fantasy Football owners speak their own language and often discuss their success and failures Monday and Tuesday morning similarly to fans of BSG and LOST would do the day after their show.

Fantasy football may be fantasy but it is also based on real stats from real players. Fantasy football is stat based which is accepted for sports fanatics. It is sports related which is hard to reconcile with geekdom.

Fantasy football has become much more acceptable over the last twenty years. I remember when it was only for fringe few. Now, all sorts of people play fantasy football. Some of my friends used to never watch a football game but now that they are playing Fantasy Football, they watch football religiously.

Most of my fantasy football friends, are not jocks but many are geeks. I include myself in this group. We will often weave our conversations from sci fi to comics to fantasy football. Comics and fantasy football are the top two things I discuss with my father.

I really don’t know if fantasy football is really geeky or not. I do know that it lends itself well to many geeks and fits in our geeky nature. I am leaning towards including it in the more socially accepted geek obsessions. What do my readers think?

The Counselor is OUT:

But that was a different era!

2011-05-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

As sports fans, we like to discuss who is the greatest of all time for various sports. Mostly this is a futile venture but can lead to some interesting conversations. These conversations are killed with the phrase "But that was a different era!"

I have experienced this first hand numerous times. I was in a recent discussion about Michael Jordan and how I am not convinced that he is the greatest. My friend was adamant that Jordan is by far the greatest basketball player of all times. I asked him when Mikey scored one hundred points in a game, which he never did. My buddy gave me the standard kill phrase of "But that was a different era." I responded with, "yes it was and they did not have 3 point shots so it was more tough for Wilt Chamberlain than it would have been for Jordan."

Earlier this week on ESPN's Mike and Mike show, they were pronouncing Phil Jackson the greatest basketball coach of all time. The conversation turned to comparing him to Red Auerbac. One of their guests scoffed at the comparison and Proclaimed "But that was a different era."

The point of these debates are to compare and contrast players from various eras. To exclaim that it is unfair to contemplate the differences of players from different eras is ridiculous and ludicrous. When advocating someone as the Greatest, one is required to answer debate about players from other eras. Otherwise, this player is just the greatest of their era and not of all time.

The Counselor is OUT:

Dez Bryant Huppla

2011-04-03T23:32:00.002-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

This last week, a lawsuit was filed against Dez Bryant. He is accused of not paying his tab for $500,000 in jewelry. He may have stiffed his co-signer and the two jewelry stores for the cost of his new bling. If he did this, then Dez is showing his youth and immaturity.

Some people have blown this out of proportion. They are ranting and raving about Bryant. These same people declare he is falling apart and will self destruct the Cowboys.

We all know that wide receivers can be divas. Some of them like the flash and spot light. Dez appears to be one of them.

Dez Bryant has not physically harmed anyone. He was not stopped for driving drunk. He has not even ranted about his teammates and/or his coaches. It is not like he was caught with hookers and cocaine.

Bryant flashed his skill and talents on the field last season. Injuries prevented him from playing several games but he demonstrated why the Cowboys coveted him at the draft. He will be a playmaker for years to come.

I am not saying that we need to dismiss Bryant’s off the field issues. He should be held accountable for his bills and choices. If he owes this money for a vanity like jewelry, then he should be made to pay for it. I hope he learns from this and adds people around him to help him with his off the field and financial choices. But this is not at a level that will be detrimental to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Counselor is OUT:

Opening Day Renewal and Hope

2011-03-29T23:06:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

The air is full of the smells of the Spring. Scents of cut grass and pollinating pollinating trees hang and mix with the oxygen. Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is upon us.

Opening day of Baseball season brings me a sense of renewal. After a cold hard winter, it is the gateway to warm weather. The grass, trees, flowers, and plants are renewed and coming back to life. Even at age 40, the start of baseball season brings the promise of playing outside and the upcoming summer months (no longer 12 weeks of summer vacation but still).

Every baseball fan anticipates opening day. His or her team is undefeated. This could be the season that their team breaks out, returns to dominance, and could win the World Series. As a Texas Rangers fan, I am hopeful for a return to the Series and this time a championship. Even my family and friends that are Kansas City Royals fans believe that this could be their break out season. Opening Day is all about Renewal and Hope and I am grateful for it.

The Counselor is OUT:

Interview with Cardinals Minor Leaguer- C.J. Beatty

2011-03-19T10:08:00.003-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

(Original article posted in the March Edition of Sports Jabber Magazine)

Recently, St. Louis Cardinal Minor League Outfielder, C.J. Beatty, agreed to an interview with me for Sports Jabber Magazine. C.J. is a prospect who was the Top Athlete at North Carolina A&T for two years prior to being drafted. I gathered questions from the Sports Jabber community and made my list. I found C.J. to be a down-to-Earth guy who just loves to play baseball and who has high aspirations playing for the Cardinals in St. Louis.

I am sure you will enjoy his responses to our questions.

1) The first question and comments are from Sports Jabber’s Co-Owner Reg.
“First of all, I want to thank CJ, on behalf of SJ, for doing this interview.
Secondly, since you play in the organization of my favorite MLB team AND you & I attended the same GREAT school, you are now one of my favorite players. ;-)
What are some of your goals...in baseball and in life?
GO AGGIES!”

MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO ONE DAY BE A MAJOR LEAGUER! and SECOND....BE ABLE TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE ACHIEVE THIER DREAMS!

2) As Reg mentioned, you attended college at North Carolina A&T, near your hometown. Please tell our readers more about North Carolina A&T: size of enrollment; what is the school known for; and why you selected North Carolina A&T?

I THINK THERE ARE ABOUT 12,000 STUDENTS AT A&T. THE AGGIES ARE KNOWN FOR THE BEST HOMECOMING ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH...ALSO I THINK OUR HOMECOMING WAS RANKED IN THE TOP 5 IN THE NATION AT SOME POINT.

I COULD HAVE WENT TO ANY SCHOOL OF MY CHOICE....UVA, OHIO STATE, NC STATE, LSU, JUST TO NAME SOME… I CHOSE AGGIE LAND BECAUSE THEY ARE D-1, 30min AWAY FROM HOME, AND THEY GAVE ME A FULL SCHOLARSHIP.

3) You were twice named Athlete of the Year at North Carolina A & T. You were the big man on campus. Now you are in the minors. How does it compare going from being the best athlete on campus to playing in the minors?

FUNNY YOU ASK! I WAS USED TO BEING TREATED AS A KING, NOW I’M AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL AGAIN TRYING TO CRAWL BACK ON TOP! BUT IT’S FUN.

4) You were drafted in the 26th round in the 2009 Draft after your Junior year. At that point, did you consider staying in school for another year in hopes your draft stock might rise? If so, what convinced you to go to the minors?

WELL....IN BASEBALL, IT’S DIFFERENT. WHEN YOU ARE A JUNIOR, YOU HAVE SOME PULL. BUT WHEN YOU GO PRO AFTER YOUR SENIOR SEASON, REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU ARE, YOUR STOCK IS NOT AS VALUABLE. ONLY BECAUSE SCOUTS KNOW YOU "HAVE" TO SIGN. PLUS THE CARDINALS PAID FOR THE REST OF MY EDUCATION!

5) You had a wrist injury your rookie season that cut your season very short. Last season, your batting average was significantly down from your college stats with North Carolina A&T. Were you still recovering from the wrist injury or was it from a learning curve of professional baseball?

NO....MY WRIST WAS TOTALLY HEALED. IT’S THAT LEARNING CURVE THAT EVERYONE GOES THROUGH. EVERY YEAR I LEARN MORE AND TRAIN HARDER....SO WE SHALL SEE :-)

6) The Cardinals are a storied franchise. They have the second most World Series rings. The have a long list of great players from Stan the Man to Ozzie Smith to Mark McGuire to Albert Pujols. Is it intimidating or inspiring to be with an organization like the Cardinals with such history and iconic greats? Who is your favorite Cardinal of all time?

Noooooooo noooo! MAN I FEEL LIKE A KID IN A CANDY STORE BEING IN THE CARDINALS
ORGANIZATION! IT’S A JAW-DROPPING EXPERIENCE. I REALLY DO LOOK UP TO ALBERT
BECAUSE OF HIS STRONG WORK ETHIC!

7) This is your second Spring Training with the Cards. How are you approaching it this season?

THIS SEASON, I PICKED A DIFFERENT THEME! LAST SEASON, IT WAS "SHOW ‘EM WHATCHA GOT." THIS SEASON IT’S "COME EARLY...LEAVE LATE, STAY HUNGRY AND HUMBLE."

8) C.J, I live in Springfield, MO. It appears likely that you will be sent to AA Springfield Cardinals this season at some point. Any thoughts on how life may change being so far from home in a small city in Missouri?

UMMMMM.....NOT TOO MUCH THOUGHT! I’M SO FOCUSED ON CLIMBING THE CHARTS THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW FAR OR HOW COLD OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AT THE GAMES! I WANNA PLAY FOR TONY ONE DAY AND IMMA TRY MY VERY BEST TO GET THERE.

9) You have been involved with the group L.E.A.D. Tell our readers a little bit about L.E.A.D.

WELL, IT STANDS FOR LAUNCH, EXPOSE, ADVISE, DIRECT. IT’S A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION GEARED TOWARDS HELPING INNER-CITY KIDS OF ATLANTA, GA PLAY BASEBALL AT A HIGHER LEVEL. JASON HEYWARD IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE AND HE AND I WORK REAL CLOSE WITH THIS GROUP.

Here are some other questions from our readers.

10) CJ, who inspired you to be so involved with the kids at school and the youth groups
that you speak to?

WELL TO BE HONEST....I KINDA INSPIRED MYSELF. I USED TO ASK MY PARENTS GROWING UP, WHY, WHY, WHY SOME PRO ATHLETES HAVE A PROBLEM SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS OR SPEAKING TO SCHOOLS! FROM THEN ON, I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF TO BE AN ATHLETE THAT WOULD SIGN EVERY AUTOGRAPH AND TALK TO KIDS AND HELP THEM BE ANTHING THEY WANNA BE.

11) What got you interested in baseball to begin with?

FUNNY STORY TOO! MY MOTHER WAS A MOM THAT COULDN’T STAND SEEING HER SON AT THE BOTTOM OF A FOOTBALL PILE.....SO MY DAD DIRECTED ME TO BASEBALL....GOTTA KEEP THE WOMEN HAPPY RIGHT?!?! lol

12) Who was your favorite team/players growing up?

NEW YORK YANKEES BABY! DEREK JETER WAS AND STILL IS MY IDOL.....HE PLAYS THE GAME THE RIGHT WAY AND IS A CAPTAIN.

13) Can you tell us about your first experience of attending a Major League ballgame?

IN ONE SIMPLE BUT STRONG WORD! "WOW"
EVEN TIL THIS DAY I GO AND SAY TO MYSELF......
"I CAN’T WAIT TO PLAY HERE." IT’S LIKE HEAVEN TO ME .

14) What are your other hobbies besides baseball?

I LOVE PLAYING CHESS, XBOX LIVE, POKER, AND SPADES.

15) Do you play fantasy baseball or any other fantasy sports?
How good are you at them if you play?

NO, I’M NOT INTO THAT YET.... BUT MY FRIENDS HAVE TALKED ME INTO PLAYING THIS
SEASON....I HEARD IT GETS REAL COMPETITIVE! SO I’M READY BABY!

16) How long do you expect it to take before you are promoted to the big club?

UMMMM....I’M NOT SURE. HOPEFULLY IF IT’S GOD’S WILL, I WILL BE PINCH HITTING IN
2 YEARS FOR TONY IN A TIGHT SITUATION :-)

17) Final question for you C.J. You have your own website and you are well known on Twitter and Facebook. Can you give our readers your contact information for these sites?

SURE NO PROBLEM....

WEBSITE: WWW.CJBEATTY.COM
EMAIL: cjbeatty44@yahoo.com
TWITTER: @cjbeatty44
FACEBOOK: FOR MY PERSONAL PAGE: CJ BEATTY
FOR MY FAN PAGE: C.J. BEATTY

Thank you once again for your time and willingness for this interview.
If you are assigned to AA Springfield, I hope to have an opportunity to interview you
in person.

NO NO NO.... THANK YOU! I REALLY ENJOYED IT.....TAKE CARE.

The Counselor is OUT:

National League Preview

2011-03-19T09:48:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

(Original article posted in the March Edition of Sports Jabber Magazine)

Spring Training is in full swing. The fans are optimistic about their teams since every team is undefeated. The itch for green grass, cold beer, and the smell of hot dogs entangle the fans. Hope springs eternal during Spring Training.

It is also the time of the year where the prognosticators bring out their crystal balls in an attempt to clearly see October. I will pretend I am Carnac the Magnificent and give my predictions.

NL East
1) Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have the best rotation in baseball: Halladay; Lee; Hamels; Oswalt; and Blanton. They won 97 games last season before adding Cliff Lee. At times last year, they struggled to score runs and having lost Jason Werth is not going to help. They should have more than enough starting pitching to make up for it and to have the best record in the National League.

2) Atlanta Braves
The Braves are an up and coming team. Too bad they are in the same division as the Phillies. The team’s big names are Heyward, McCann, and Uggla. The pitching staff is lead by Tim Hudson, Derrek Lowe, and Jair Jurrjens. I expect the Braves to contend for the Wild Card.

3) Florida Marlins
The Marlins are a good team that could compete in most other divisions. They have a good starting pitching staff: Johnson; Nolasco; and the inconsistent Javier Vazquez. Hanley Ramirez is the star of this team as a Short Stop. The Marlins can make some noise but it will be tough in this division.

4) New York Mets
Just examine the big names (at least before they become Mets): Santana; Beltran; Wright; Reyes; Bay; and Rodriguez. Every season, this team looks great on paper but they do not fulfill their potential. I don’t think this season will be any different. It looks like the same old Mets to me.

5) Washington Nationals
I really like the Nationals in five years if they keep their young players and do not trade them away. They are building something special in Washington but they are not there yet. They did bring in Jason Werth to add to the veteran presence of Livan Hernandez and Pudge Rodriguez. This team will surprise some people but will not win more than 75 games.

NL Central
1) Milwaukee Brewers
This division is the hardest to judge. I could see any of the top four teams winning this division. The addition of Zach Greinke tips the Brewers over the top for the division in my opinion. Braun, Hart, and Fielder lead this team’s offense. The Brewers should win this division in a tight race.

2) Cincinnati Reds
The Reds won the division last season with 91 wins and will compete for it this season. The offense will be good with Votto, Bruce, and Rolen leading it. The pitching staff should be decent but they do not have the one good Ace on their team. They will be in the hunt for the NL Central and the Wild Card.

3) Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have a good rotation if they can stay healthy but their offense is not frightening too many people. The addition of Garza to the rotation with Dempster and Zambrano should be formidable. They will put pressure on the Brewers and Reds but in the end they will fall apart as usual.

4) St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals went from the top of the division for these rankings to the fourth when Adam Wainwright injury requring Tommy John elbow surgery. He is done for the season. The Cards still have their “Co-Ace” Carpenter but he will be 36 in April. Albert is still a stud but will the non-contract extension lead to distractions later in the season. The Cards could still win this division but I think the odds are becoming stacked against them.

5) Houston Astros
The Astros will miss Oswalt, who they traded last year at the trade deadline. Wandy Rodriguez is close to becoming the Ace of this staff. Brett Myers is a good pitcher. This team looks like they have too little offense to make a run at the division title but they should be close to being a .500 team.

6) Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates lost 105 games last season. It appears they will lose another 100+ games this season. They have a few really good pieces like 3B Pedro Alverez and OF Andrew McCutchen. But the Pirates do not have enough talent to be competitive.

NL West
1) San Francisco Giants
The World Champs should win the NL West. Their rotation is really good with Lincecum, Cain, and Sanchez leading the way. In the Bullpen, Fear the Beard will continue to close games down. Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey are young cornerstone to the offense of this team. The Giants will be hard pressed to win the series again but they should make the playoffs and anything can happen once you make the playoffs.

2) Colorado Rockies
The Rockies have a lineup of young position players who have a ton of upside. They will soon be a team to be feared with Ian Stewart, Carlos Gonzalez, Seth Smith, and of course SS Troy Tulowitzki. They have a decent pitching staff lead by Ace Ubaldo Jimenez and Closer Huston Street. This team is good and could fight for the NL West and the NL Wild Card.

3) LA Dodgers
The Dodgers have a decent team with a good pitching staff. The rotation is solid with Kershaw, Billingsley, Lilly, and Kuroda. They have a couple of outfielders leading their offense in Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. They should be around .500 again this season. They could get hot and contend but I would not count it.

4) San Diego Padres
The Padres overachieved last year when they won 90 games. I would not look for them to overachieve again. They will be lucky if they go .500 this season. Mat Latos is a stud young pitcher who is developing into a true Ace. The rest of the staff is decent but not good enough to content for the NL West this season.

5) Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks have a good offense. They are going to need it if they are going to win games. Justin Upton, Chris Young, Kelly Johnson are upper level players that have major upside. Their pitching staff is below average.

NL Wild Card: Atlanta Braves
NL Champion: Philadelphia Phillies
World Series Champ: Philadelphia Phillies

NL MVP: Ryan Braun
Runner Up: Albert Pujols

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
Runner Up: Zach Greinke

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Baseball- What Kind of League is right for you - part 3

2011-03-08T20:48:00.009-06:00

Fantasy Baseball Draft vs. Auction

Draft Leagues uses a method of taking turns to pick the players you want for your team. The most common draft style is the snake draft. The snake draft has the teams set in order. If there are ten teams in the league (most leagues have between 8 and 16 teams), then it will go from 1 to 10 in order for the first round. Then the second round goes back from 10 to 1. This order is usually set up as either random or the inverse order of where teams finished from the last season.

Ideally the draft should set up teams to have the teams have a fairly even superstar, great players, good players, average players, and sleepers. The teams rarely work out that way but ideally by taking turns, the teams should be evenly matched.

Auction leagues are set up with each team having a set amount of auction dollars (not real money) and bidding on players. The most common dollar amounts allotted teams is $260 since that was the amount used in the original rotisserie leagues. This can vary from league to league. In most leagues, the auction dollars are only tracked during the draft but some leagues will ensure that you stay under the cap during the entire season.

The auction owners take turns with one owner throwing out a player for a specific dollar amount (usually in $1 increments). Each owner is given a chance to bid more on the player. When no one else bids a higher amount on the player, the owner who bid the most gets the player. The money bid on that player is subtracted from owners allotted money. Then the next owner throws out a player and the process begins again. You do have to have enough money to fill your entire roster. There is equal opportunity for every owner to get specific players.

There are very different strategies for each style. The snake draft strategy is to spend the early round picking the stud players. You need ;to get the big names early or you will not pick them up. The middle rounds should be used to pick up good players to fill in your active roster. The last rounds are used for picking up those flyer players and the undervalued guys.

The auction is a very different creature. In the early rounds when people have a ton of money, you are often better served by throwing out players either you do not want or you do not want at the price that others will want them for. You do not want to sit back and wait for all the good players to be taken but you can be wise on what players you are willing to pay for early. Some owners will draft early and overpay for players and be left with very little money for the rest of their team. Other owners will sit back and keep all their money and not be able to get the top level players. You do not want to be either team.
If your auction is a live in person draft, then there is strategy to reading the other owners and bidding up players so they get the player at a higher amount of money. Be aware of this strategy because you can find the other owner was doing the same thing to you or they had a hard number they were willing to pay for players. Never bid a dollar more for a player than you are willing to get the player for.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Baseball- What Kind of League is right for you - part 2

2011-02-27T20:56:00.003-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

This is a series to assist fantasy owners in selecting the best kind of league for you. Fantasy Baseball has numerous variations and differences which can either enhance your fantasy experience or lessen the enjoyment. I hope to bring some understanding for those new to Fantasy Baseball and give some options to the savvy veteran owners.

Redraft vs Keeper vs Dynasty

Redraft leagues are fantasy leagues where your league redrafts or re-auctions a team every season. You get a fresh start at picking players every year. If you did poorly one season, then the next year you get a clean slate. The same is also true if you won the league the season before. There is no reward to picking up potential players unless they break out this season. It is better in these leagues to leave potential players for others to gamble on and pick up the proven commodities except as a late round selection or a cheap auction pick up.

Keeper Leagues are leagues that allow you to carry a predetermined amount of players from one season to the next. I have seen leagues that allow you to keep 3 players and leagues that allow you to keep 15 players from season to season. In auction leagues, you can usually keep the player for the amount you drafted them at for a limited time. Some leagues have contracts for auction leagues that you sign players longer term but then you have to keep those signed players. In draft leagues, often you can keep the player at the draft round you picked them up for. In other draft leagues, the kept players come off of the amount of players you can draft.

Keeper Leagues do reward you for draft well one season to the next since you can keep a certain amount of players. A strategy in keeper leagues is to pick up some players with potential or that are rookies. Since you can keep these players year to year, you might be able to find the next Pujols for a bargain basement price. But you should primarily pick up trusted veterans for most of your team if you want to win now.

Dynasty Leagues are similar to keeper leagues in the fact you can keep your players. In most Dynasty Leagues, you can keep your entire roster from season to season. You have a draft or auction every season to pick up free agents and rookies after the initial season’s auction or draft. Players with potential and youth are a premium in these leagues. Since you can carry the entire roster to the next season for the entire existence of the league, you need to think about winning now and you need to pick ups veterans but also need to think about how to win in 5 years from now.

Part 3 will discuss the differences of Draft (AKA Snake Drafts) vs Auctions.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Baseball- What Kind of League is right for you - part 1- Roto vs H2H

2011-02-23T22:17:00.000-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

This is a series to assist fantasy owners in selecting the best kind of league for you. Fantasy Baseball has numerous variations and differences which can either enhance your fantasy experience or lessen the enjoyment. I hope to bring some understanding for those new to Fantasy Baseball and some options to the savvy veteran owners.

Rotisserie vs Head to Head
Rotisserie Baseball, named for a New York City restaurant where the concept was originated, - La Rotisserie Française, was the original fantasy sport. Roto (short for Rotisserie Ball) complies statistics through out the season. The stats are broken down into categories, usually between 8 and 12 categories. The stat categories are split with half on offense and half on pitching. Typical statistic categories often are Homers, RBI, Stolen Bases, and Average on Offense and ERA, WHIP (Walks+Hits/Innings Pitched), Wins, and Saves for pitching. Your stat categories are compared to all the teams in the league and each category is ranked. If there are 10 teams in a league, a team will be give 10 points for the best in that category and all the way down to one point for the worst in the category. Your points for each category are added together for a grand total. The team with the most grand total points at the end of the season wins the league. Your position in the league can change greatly day to day. Earlier in the season the changes are more dramatic than later in the season. In a league with 8 categories and 10 teams, an owner could have as much as 80 points or as little as 8 points at any time. It is difficult to come close to the max or minimum points.

Head to Head is much more like Fantasy Football and is becoming more popular every season because of it. You play against another team in your league each week. You are given points for winning categories against your weekly opponent (categories are the same type as used in Roto leagues). Those points compile to determine your ranking in the league. The top teams make the playoffs. The playoffs are usually win the week and play the next round, lose and go home. The best regular season team does not often win the league.

There are some strategic differences in the leagues. In a Roto style, a team needs to be somewhat productive in category to be successful. With Head to Head, you can punt or minimized productivity in a category such as Saves or Steals and still win the league. I am a firm believer in not punting categories but some people are successful using this strategy

Part 2 will discuss Redraft Leagues vs Keeper Leagues vs Dynasty Leagues

The Counselor is OUT:

Greatness of Fantasy Baseball is also Detriment

2011-01-19T20:46:00.002-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

Ten years ago, Fantasy Football was only for sports geeks like me. Over the last decade, Fantasy Football has taken the nation by storm. It is no longer just for stat nerds. I now know a higher percentage of people who participate in Fantasy Football than don’t. There are leagues for all levels of fans including Girls Only Leagues where it is accepted to pick players by the color of their jerseys and tightness of their behind sides.

Fantasy Baseball has not enjoyed the mainstream focus that Fantasy Football has. Fantasy Baseball is the the father of all fantasy sports. It was the original. Yet it is primarily only for stat geeks. Most of the die hard baseball fans I know do not play fantasy baseball. They only care about the stats of their team and do not desire to be distracted with Fantasy Baseball.

In my opinion, the greatness of Fantasy Baseball is also its detriment when it comes to attracting the mainstream public. This applies to both the traditional Rotisserie and the Head to Head Fantasy Baseball games. I will list four points why I think Fantasy Baseball is a superior game and why it limits the marketability of it.

1) Seven days a week compared one game a week.
There are baseball games every day of the week. Most MLB position players will play 5-6 games a week. This compared to one game a week with the NFL unless it is their bye week.

Advantage: One bad game will not kill you when you have several games a week. If your Star power hitting Outfielder strikes out 5 times in one game, he has the chance to come back and hit .400 and 4 homers for the rest of the week. In NFL, if your star Wide Receiver is shut out from catching the ball then you get no points for him.

Disadvantage: Many people don’t desire to keep up with their players every day of the week. In a Head to Head league, you often change your line up daily. In a traditional Rotisserie league, you still have to examine injuries, DL stints, and pick up for under performing players.

2) Fantasy Baseball season is longer than Fantasy Football.
Fantasy Baseball season is usually over 20 weeks and then the playoffs. The Fantasy Football season is usually 13-14 weeks and then the playoffs.

Advantage: The longer Baseball season help the cream float to the top. Some teams will start off fast but they have to maintain the pace. It is a marathon instead of the sprint of Fantasy Football.

Disadvantage: We are a fast food generation. We want things quick and fast and get bored with things that take time. Many Fantasy Baseball owners will get bored and stop paying attention after the first month. These owners rarely return next year.

3) Defense is half of your stats in baseball.
Pitching is half of your stats. Fantasy Football rarely uses defensive stats. A small minority use Individual Defensive Players. Even with IDP, the offense stats usually over weigh the IDP stats.

Advantage: Pitching is a key to baseball and is half of the stats of Fantasy Baseball leagues. It allows the owners to find a balance between their offensive and defensive teams. It is a closer representative of owning your own team. Defensive is a huge part of any NFL game but is rarely relevant in Fantasy Football.

Disadvantage: Offense is “sexy”. Chicks dig the long ball. Many fans do not care about defense and do not wan to mess with tracking stats for it.

4) Baseball is more entrenched with stats than football.
Statistics are a for most baseball fans. Football fans are not usually that focused on the stats.

Advantage: Fantasy sports are based on statistics and comparing to other teams stats. Fantasy Baseball is tied closely to specific statistics. Many fans can rattle off what the stats of their favorite players. It is a perfect marriage.

Disadvantage: It is difficult to change and tweak the stats used in Fantasy Baseball because of the tradition. It is much easier to change the values of a touchdown, field goal, or 10 yard rush.

The Counselor is OUT:

7-9 Seattle's playoff victory is a good thing

2011-01-08T19:41:00.001-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

The reigning Super Bowl Champ New Orleans Saints fell to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks in today's playoff match. All week I continued to hear about the disgrace of the Seahawks making the playoffs. This so called disgraceful team just took down the defending champs. I believe this is actually a good thing.

Before you question my sanity, let me give you the reason I believe this is a positive for the NFL.

One of the great strengths of the NFL is the equality in the league. There really is not that much difference between a 7-9 team and a 10-6. This allows teams to make the playoffs that missed out last year. It is the reason for the Mantra of Any Given Sunday (or Saturday). Unlike in other professional sports, any team making the playoffs can win the Super Bowl. Most of the fans grow tired of the same teams playing deep in the playoffs (like the Patriots and Steelers). This victory does give hope to all the fans.

The Counselor is OUT:

Review of the Texas Rangers and 7 questions

2011-01-08T17:48:00.000-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

The Texas Rangers were one of the biggest surprises of the 2010 season. Their young pitchers stepped up and pitched well even in the Heat of an August in Dallas. The youth of the Ranger's offense made considerable advances and scored points in bunches. Midway through the season, Texas acquired Ace Cliff Lee. Lee did not pitch that well during the season but stepped it up in the post season and helped lead the Rangers to their first World Series appearance.

The Rangers targeted three key pitchers during the off season. Their top priority was to re-sign Cliff Lee. They lost out on the Lee sweepstakes to the Phillies. They were attempting to trade for Cy Younger winner Zack Greinke but lost out to Milwaukee. Tampa Bay's Matt Garza was the third option but the Rangers were rejected by the Rays when they traded Garza to the Cubs. The Rangers did sign 3 time All Star and Cy Young winner Brandon Webb but Webb is recovering from surgery and has not pitched since April of 2009.

The Rangers did make a big splash in free agency by signing 3rd Baseman Adrian Beltre. Beltre is a power hitter who will add some needed power to the Rangers order. He should add some protection behind Josh Hamilton. This will move Perennial All Star Michael Young to 1st Base.

Questions about the 2011 Texas Rangers

1) Can Brandon Webb return to his former self? He has 3.27 career ERA but he is now 31 years old. He could be the steal of free agency if he comes close to his past numbers.

2) Can the Rangers pitching staff achieve at the same level as last season? At this time, a rotation of Wilson, Lewis, Hunter, Webb, and Feldman does not scare many teams. They will need to be a smart pitching staff like they were last year to have the same level of success.

3) Will Michael Young adjust to 1st Base? He adjusted well when he moved from Second to Short and then Short to Third including All Star Seasons for all three positions. He will not be a power hitting 1st Baseman but the Rangers do not have a power hitting 1st baseman.

4) Will Beltre be able to add protection for Hamilton? Beltre is now 31 years old. He had a great season last year with Boston with 28 homers and a batting average of .321. I don't see a reason why should should not continue to hit for decent average and power but probably not those numbers.

5) Can the Rangers hold off the other A.L. West teams? Last year the Angels severely under achieved. The Rangers did improve from the season before but would not have won the division if the Angels would have performed up to expectations. The Rangers will need to continue to improve and mature as a team if they want to win their division again and make the playoffs.

6) Will the Rangers continue to pursue an #1 starter? After missing out on their top 3 targets, I think they will start the season with their current pitching staff. If they are playing well in late June and early July, I look for the Rangers to make a trade for a #1 guy like they did last year.

7) Can the Rangers win the World Series this year? Yes they can. They will need their team to come together like last season. The Rangers have a lot of potential but they also have potential for a disappointing season after their success last year.

The Counselor is OUT:

Thoughts on Cowboys Hiring Jason Garrett as their New Head Coach

2011-01-06T23:49:00.003-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

I have mixed feelings about the Dallas Cowboys hiring Jason Garrett as their new Head Coach. There are things I really like about Jason. I also have concerns about Garrett.

Positives:
1) Garrett changed the culture in Dallas. This to me is the biggest selling point for Jason. After starting the season 1-7 and the players quiting on Wade, Jason was able to rally the troops. He implemented harder practices, hitting during practice, personal responsibility for behavior, expectation of showing up on time, and dressing up for road games. The team responded positively to these changes.

2) Jason know the system. Jason understand the current system in Dallas. I am sure he will want to make some changes. But he will not come in and cause the Cowboys to spend the next 5 years rebuilding because of his scheme changes.

3) Garrett knows how to deal with Jerry and management. It can take some time to understand how an organization works. He will have no issue here.

Concerns:
1) The Offense was part of the problem under Wade. Garrett was the Offensive Coordinator for the first 8 games where they went 1-7. They did not run the ball and the play calling was predictable. We could not protect Romo because we could not run the ball. This was a gigantic issue.

2) Record was not that impressive. Yes we went 5-3 under Jason and over a full season that would be an acceptable 10-6. But the last win that we squeaked out was against an Eagles team that rested most of their starters. I do understand that we started a third string QB but this team should have dominated the Eagles backups. If they had started their starters, we would be 4-4 under Jason and that would only be an 8-8 season.

3) He has never been a head coach at any level. He did a decent job for his half season but he has never been in charge of an off season or a draft. This is a concern for the Red Headed Genius.

Conclusions
Ultimately Jerry did not consult my opinion. He picked Garrett and believes in him. The players appear to be backing this decision full hearted. As much as I have some reservations about this selection, I am not sure Jerry would have gotten a bigger name coach. Other teams were asking permission to interview him. I throw my support behind Jason and hope he can continue to change the lazy culture of the Dallas Cowboys. I will continue to hope that Jerry made the correct decision.

The Counselor is OUT:

New Years Day should be Bowl Day

2010-12-15T21:37:00.002-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

The Tostitos BCS Championship Game is on January 10th this year. When I heard this I was taken back by it. My first thought was, “why is it so late in the year?” I do understand the answer is money but I am frustrated with that answer.

I know I might sound like some old timer with these thoughts but I hate that the College football season does not end on New Years Day. When I was a youth, all of the big College Bowl games occurred on January 1st. There were some minor Bowl games during the week after Christmas, but the 1st was College Bowl Day. We would watch the top level Collegiate football all day long.

This season there are 7 Bowl games after the New Year. There are a few big historical Bowl games on this list like the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl and of course the BCS Championship Bowl game. But there are other ones that are not big name games after New Years like GoDaddy.Com Bowl, and Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

When the BCS game started, they slated it to January 2nd. I did not like it then. Now it is on January 10th. When does this extending of the season end? Is Martin Luther King Jr Day the next big Collegiate Bowl day? Why not push it back to the weekend before the Super Bowl or put it on Presidents Day? Why not start March Madness off with the BCS Game?

Lets end the insanity and make New Years Day the big Bowl game day that it was in years past.

The Counselor is OUT:

Is Jason Garrett the answer in Dallas?

2010-11-21T16:27:00.001-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

Two weeks ago, I would have laughed at this question, “Is Jason Garrett the answer in Dallas?” The only thing that brought more fear to me than leaving Wade Phillips as the coach, was to give the position to Jason Garrett because his offense appeared to under achieving more than Wade’s defense. After two victories under Garrett, I am not so quick to deny the validity of the question.

During the first 9 weeks of the season (only played 8 games because of bye week) , the Dallas Cowboys average right around 10 penalties a game. In the two weeks under Jason “Red Headed Genius” Garrett, the number penalties have almost dropped in half. The Cowboys have averaged 5.5 penalties over the last two weeks.

Under Wade this season, the Cowboys continually turned over the football. They were -10 on the turnover ratio for Wade’s eight ball games. Over the last two games, the Cowboys are plus 3.

Jason Garrett is having the Boys work on the small details. He has them wearing pads and practicing at full speed during the week. He is enforcing meeting times and making the players be responsible. He even implemented a dress code for the players for flights and game day. You can see this has made a difference by watching how different this team has approached both of these games under Garrett. It is hard to argue with the declining penalties and turnovers.

It does appear that Garrett has been the answer over Wade Phillips for these two games. After just two games, I am not willing to declare Garrett the long term answer in Dallas. They need to continue to stay focused and disciplined. If Garrett can get the Cowboys to play more focused and to continue to work on the details this season, then he just may be the long term answer in Dallas.

The Counselor is OUT:

Rangers Win First Playoff series

2010-10-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

As a Texas Rangers fan, this is a time of celebration. Congratulations Rangers. Don't celebrate to long because you will be facing the New York Yankees come Friday.

It is a strange story how I became a Rangers fan. I grew up and still live in Southwest Missouri. In the early 80s both the ST. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals were fantastic. Since they were both so good, the local fans would argue over which team was better. I grew tired of these debates so I picked a random team from the list of MLB teams. I had no idea where the Texas Rangers played (other than in Texas). I continued to cheer for both the Cardinals and Royals but from that time forward, I am a Texas Rangers Fan first.

As I started rooting for the Rangers, I quickly learned that this team was not like the Royals and Cardinals of the early 80s. The Rangers were not a winning team and did not have a positive mentality. It did not matter because I picked them as my team and I continued to cheer for them.

I loved the Nolan Ryan years for the Rangers. I still smile when I think about Nolan Ryan beating the snot (and blood) out of Robin Ventura.

I hoped and dreamed the Rangers of the late 90s when the made the playoffs but then ousted by the Yankees.

I am very excited about the Rangers victory over the Rays. It was a strange series with the road team winning each game. I was enthralled with tonights game with the Rangers aggressive base running to take the lead and keep it on the Rays. Go Rangers and beat the Yankees.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football: Pick Up or Dump

2010-09-14T23:02:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Pick Up or Dump is a section about what players you should pick up on the waiver wire this and those players you should drop from your roster.

Pick Up

1) RB Arian Foster - Texans

Huge Up Side for all season and in keeper leagues

Foster is already owned in many leagues. ESPN is showing him available in 15 % of leagues and Yahoo shows him available in 29 % of their leagues. If he is available in your league, pick him up quick. He will not be available for long after last weekend's performance. He will not rush for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns every week but he should be a solid #2 RB for you.

2) RB Brandon Jackson - Packers

Huge Up Side for all season and for keeper leagues

Running back Ryan Grant was placed on the Injured Reserve with a torn ligament in his right ankle. This has promoted Jackson to the starter. Grant has 1253 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Jackson was drafted 4 years ago to be the starter until Grant beat him out for the starting gig. Look for Jackson to attempt to prove he should be the starter.

3) QB Michael Vick- Eagles

Some Up side and potential

Michael Vick had a great week one coming in for QB Kevin Kolb who had a concussion. It is unlikely that Kolb will have recovered enough to play this next weekend. If Vick continues to play well, he could start a QB Controversy in Philly. Kolb was not having a good game when he got his concussion.

4) WR Dexter McCluster - Chiefs

Long term Up Side and Potential especially in a keeper league

McCluster had a huge weekend as a return specialist. He has a lot of potential as a wide receiver in an improving Chief's offense.

5) WR Mike Williams - Bucs

Major Upside and Potential especially in a keeper league

Rookie receiver Mike Williams is the number one receiver already in Tampa. He has a ton of potential. He had 5 catches and a touchdown in weekend.

Dump

1) WR Anthony Gonzalez - Colts

Gonzalez was the up and coming Wide Receiver for the Colts at the beginning of last season. He went down with an injury and has lost his place. He is injured again with an ankle injury. Many believed he would be back to that same level but he is clearly behind Collie and Garcon.

2) WR Patrick Crayton - Chargers

Crayton was traded to the Chargers. Many thought he would step into a starting role since Jackson is still holding out. It is clear after this last weekend that Crayton is no better off with the Chargers than he was with the Cowboys.

3) WR Chaz Schilens - Raiders

Chaz was the top receiver on the Raiders coming into season. He had a decent season last year and was expected to progress with a new QB. With his injury, his potential for a big season is dropping fast. I suggest dropping his a quick.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 1 Fantasy Football Injuries- Thursday Edition

2010-09-08T21:00:00.005-05:00

Here are the Thursday edition of Week 1 fantasy injuries and my commentary. I am posting a Thursday's edition and the regular Weekend edition. The Thursday Edition will list injuries for the Thursday's games only.

Packers:
QB Brett Favre is probable with a sprained ankle. Favre will continue his record of most starts and will play on Thursday night's opening of the NFL season. I look for a shootout from two of the best QBs in the league.

WR Sidney Rice is out indefinitely with a hip injury. He is expected to miss about half the season.

Saints:
WR Marques Colston is probable with a bruised kidney. He suffered the bruise in the final preseason game but will start. The kidney should not affect his fantasy value.

The Counselor is OUT:

Updated Cheatsheets

2010-08-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

All of the fantasy football cheatsheets have been updated on Saturday September28th. Check the original posts for the Top 150 and each position and those are the updated cheatsheets.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football Sleepers

2010-08-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Here is my list of fantasy football sleepers. A sleeper is someone that is undervalued and should reward you for picking them up. I have three different levels of sleepers: Sleepers, Deep Sleepers, and Rip Van Winkle Sleepers.

Sleepers
These players most likely will be drafted but are being drafted lower than their estimated value. I rank them in order that they may be able to be productive starters or rotation guys.

1) Ryan Matthews, RB, San Diego Chargers
If you have not seen a Chargers pre-season game, you are missing the up and coming stud running back. Do not sleep long on Matthews. He is a great #2 RB for you and may be a stud #1. If you are in a keeper league, make him a priority.

2) RB Arian Foster Texans
Foster had a good year last season after becoming the starter. It looked like he had lost his job to the rookie RB Tate but an season ending injury has given Foster the starting job again. Look for him to prove he deserves it.

3) RB Carnell Williams - TB
Cadilac has become a forgot runningback. Don’t forget about him. He is a great flex or third RB and could prove to be a really good #2.

4) RB Michael Bush- RaidersEverything points to Bush as the starter for the Raiders. He is being drafted far after McFadden. He is a great backup and could prove to be a starter.

5) QB Jay Cutler- Chicago
Cutler starts his second season in Chicago. He has been sporatic but this may be the season that he puts it together. He is a fine backup and could become your starter.

6) RB Jahvid Best-Detroit Lions (Rookie)
Rookie runningbacks are often good picks later in the draft. Many are cautious of Best because he is on the Lions. I look for Best to have a good rookie year and would be a good #4 back for you.

7) WR Mike Williams - TB (Rookie)
Rookie Wides are often a bust but Williams has displayed in the pre-season that he is the best WR on the Bucs roster. I would be pleased with him as a fourth WR. I would definitely pick him up in a keeper league.

8) WR Jacoby Jones- TexansJones toys has toyed with my sleeper list the last couple of years. It is possible that he might beat out Walter before the end of the season as the #2 WR in a potent Texas passing attack.

9) WR James Jones - GB PackersJones has become a forgot man in the Packers offense. He looks like he is now on the same page with Rodgers. He has lots of potential this season.

10) WR Johnny Knox- Chicago
Knox came out of no where for many last season as a spot starter who was very hot and cold. I look for Knox to continue to develop with Cutler and to put up decent #3 WR numbers at the cost of a #5 WR.

Deep Sleepers
These guys should be bench players for you but could pay off and become starters if the situation turns their way. Don’t overpay for them but these players do have good upside.

1) RB LaDainian Tomlinson- Jets
LT is past his prime but still has some moves and may get all the goal line carries.

2) WR Mike Wallace- Pittsburgh Steelers
Wallace has potential especially when Big Ben returns.

3) TE Dustin Keller- Jets
Keller has a ton of potential and should be the safety value for a developing Sanchez.

4) TE Zach Miller- Raiders
Miller has a new QB and should return to the world of owned TEs.

5) WR Chaz Schilens- Oakland Raiders
Schilens has some good games last season and should have a better season with a new QB.

6) WR Kenny Britt- Titans
Britt has ton of potential. If Young continues to develop at QB, Britt will have a good year.

7) WR Julian Edelman- Patriots
Edelman is known as a poor man’s Welker. He has a chance to come out of no where like Welker did a couple of seasons ago.

8) WR Early Doucet- Arizona
Doucet has a lot of potential and has moved up the depth chart but his QB situation could keep him from breaking out this year.

9) RB Marshawn Lynch Buffalo
Remember that Lynch was a fantasy stud just a few seasons ago and he is only 24 years old. I look for him to get traded or prove himself this season. This is a hit or miss pick.

10) RB Willis McGahee- Baltimore
McGahee continues to produce from time to time. If Rice gets injured then McGahee could become very valuable.

Rip Van Winkle Sleepers
These players are flyers in the late rounds. They have potential to have a break out year but are also likely to do nothing for you except be waived for a pick up.

1) WR Devin Aromashodu- Bears

2) WR Laurent Robinson- STL

3) WR Jordon Shipley- Cincinnati

4) RB Montario Hardesty- Browns

5) QB Josh Freeman-, Buccaneers

6) WR Dwayne Jarrett - Carolina

7) QB Matthew Stafford - Detroit

8) QB Chad Henne Miami

9) QB Alex Smith- SF

10) RB Kenneth Darby- STL

The Counselor is OUT:

What to Bring to Your Fantasy Football Draft

2010-08-27T23:36:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

If you have a live draft or auction, then I have 10 suggestions. These are the things to bring with you to a draft.

1) Your custom draft list- you should be making these in advance and editing every week or so until you are done with all your drafts.

2) Pencil and paper to track your players, other owner’s players, auction prices, and to mark off players from your list.

3) Be a good guest and bring snacks to share with others- people prefer to trade with people that they like and bringing snacks sure helps.

4) Bring beer that others like- it is better to get them drinking than for you to drink (limit it if you do partake).

5) Calculator if you are in an auction league- need to track everyone's money.

6) Injury report- this is for you and to share with other owners- it will make you look knowledgeable and a nice guy.|

7) Projected depth charts for all the NFL teams- this is for you only.

8) List of sleepers for late rounds and keep auction players.

9) As much knowledge as you can find about the other owners including their favorite teams, players, and typical draft strategies. It is always good to chit chat with owners to help understand who they like and don’t like.

10) You ability to adapt to change with the draft. Things will not go as you planned. You will need to leave your plan and list from time to time.

The Counselor is OUT:

Overrated Fantasy Players

2010-08-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Every season there are players who are taken too early in the draft for various reasons. This does not mean these players are bad players or that you should not draft them. These hyped players will not give you the bang for your pick or your auction dollars that other players might give you. Here is my list of players that I consider to be overrated.

1) QB Aaron Rodgers- Packers
Rodgers is a great player. I have ranked as my 4 best QB and should be taken in the middle of the first round. In many mock drafts, Rodgers is going in the mid first round as the first quarterback taken. Aaron was sacked 50 times last year. He is likely to get injured if he continues to get pounded.

2) RB DeAngelo Williams- Carolina Panthers
Williams had a great fantasy season in 2008- 1,515 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns. He had an average season in 2009- 1,117 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Stewart is another year more mature and should continue to steal carries. This year they have Matt Moore as their starting QB and if things go badly, rookie Jimmy Clausen. I expect 8 men in the box all year round. He is currently going in the late first round to early second round. He should be drafted in the late second to early third round.

3) WR Larry Fitzgerald- Cardinals
There is a huge difference in Kurt Warner being your QB and Matt Leinart. I have watched a some of the Cardinals preseason games and I will be down grading their whole team. Fitz may be the best receiver in the NFL but he will have to demonstrate it continually to justify the early second round pick. I would move him to the end of the second round to be a decent value.

4) RB Chris “Beanie” Wells - Cardinals
As stated above, this team will not be the same without Kurt Warner. He is going at the end of the third round as the 15th overall runningback. He is going all most a hundred picks before Tim Hightower and Hightower is ahead of Wells on the depth carth.

5) Jets Defense
There is no doubt that the Jets have a great defense. Even the best defenses should not be drafted in the first 10 rounds. The Jets are going in the middle of the 6th round. Stop the insanity.

6) WR Chad OchoCinco- Bengals
Chad may benefit from T.O. being in Cincinnati. I doubt he will benefit enough to justify the middle fourth pick when T.O. is going in the middle seventh round. Chad only had a 1,166 yard and 5 TD season last year.

7) RB LeSean McCoy- Eagles
Do you think the Eagles will run the ball? Really? I like McCoy and think he does have potential especially catching the ball out of the backfield. But I do not see value in picking him at the end of the thrid or beginning of the fourth round.

The Counselor is OUT:

Who to take with the #1 overall pick?

2010-08-23T22:48:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Who to take with the #1 overall pick?

You can make the case for a few different guys. I will discuss three different guys. In a few lines I will give you the reasons you should chose of these guys and then why you might want to chose someone else.

1) Chris Johnson- RB- Tennessee Titians- 24 years old.

    Positive:
Johnson is the top contender for the number one spot. He rushed for 2,006 yards, 16 touchdowns, and an NFL-record 2,509 yards from scrimmage in 2009. He rushed for more than 100 yards in 11 consecutive games.

   Negative:
358 carries. That is the number of carries that Johnson had last year. Historically this large number of carries. Most of the runningbacks who have had 350+ carries during one season will have a much more pedestrian season the next year. Sometimes the player ends up with an injury plagued season.

2) Adrian Peterson- RB- Minnesota Vikings- 25 years old.

    Positive:
Peterson is a competitive running back who is on a great team with Brett Favre. Favre forces the defense to respect the pass and this will give All Day some running room. Peterson has been a top 5 fantasy player over the last three seasons. He had 18 touchdowns last season.

   Negative:
FUMBLE! Peterson has had a bad case of the fumbles with 16 over the last 2 seasons. His rushing yards per carry has gone down every season.

3) Maurice Jones- Drew- RB- Jacksonville Jaguars- 25 years old.

    Positive:
Maurice is a well rounded back who is coming into his own. Last season he had 1,391 yards on 312 carries with 15 TDs. He also had 53 receptions for 374 yards and one TD. I look for Jones-Drew to have a break out season this year.

   Negative:
He is not the home run hitter that Johnson is. He is not the power back of Peterson. He appears to be at the level below.

When weighing out the positives and negatives, I would personally draft Peterson number 1. I understand the rationale for drafting any of these three at overall number 1 slot.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football Defense List

2010-08-22T16:32:00.001-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Below is my cheatsheets for Defenses. The highlighted rows are the start of new Tiers. Remember that Defenses and Kickers are inconsistent in value and should be saved until the end of the draft to pick.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football Kicker List

2010-08-21T23:10:00.001-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Below is my cheatsheets for Kickers. The highlighted rows are the start of new Tiers. Remember that Defenses and Kickers are inconsistent in value and should be saved until the end of the draft to pick.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football TE List

2010-08-17T22:35:00.005-05:00

The Counselor is IN:
Below is my cheatsheets for Tight Ends. The highlighted rows are the start of new Tiers.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football WR List

2010-08-16T22:16:00.002-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Below is my cheatsheets for Wide Receivers. The highlighted rows are the start of new Tiers.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football RB List

2010-08-15T19:35:00.004-05:00

The Counselor is IN:
Below is my cheatsheets for runningbacks. The highlighted rows are the start of new Tiers.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football QB List

2010-08-14T23:21:00.001-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Below is my cheatsheets for quarterbacks. The highlighted rows are the start of new Tiers.
When Favre makes it official that he will play for the Vikings, then I would move him up the list to #8 in the first Tier of QBs.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football top 150 list

2010-08-11T23:26:00.001-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Here is my list of the top 150 players. This is the first draft. We will be revising it as the season approaches. You will notice that there are no defenses or kickers on this list. There should not be. Let me know what you think.

The Counselor is OUT:

Customize your cheatsheets

2010-07-31T17:44:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

I love it when I enter a draft or auction room and many of the individuals are flipping through their recently purchased fantasy magazines. This scene screams that these fantasy owners have not done their due diligence in research ahead of time. They are using cheatsheets which are months old without the latest information. I start to salivate about my chances in these leagues.

A little more effective but still a mistake to surf to your favorite fantasy football website right before the draft, print out their list, and carry it to the draft. This information is usually updated in the last few days but it is limited to the rules and scoring of this site and more importantly it is only one opinion.

Another issue when bringing the printed out list from one site, like“ESPN”,is many of the owners will have examined the same list multiple times and some of them may be using it themselves. Those owners will know what players you have listed and in what draft order and whom you may be likely to pick with your next selection if they can guess where you got your list.

If you examine the top 12 players on 5 different websites, most of the players will be the same names but in a slightly different order. After the top 25, the differences are usually profound on where is player is ranked. Customizing will help you to rank the players where you believe they need to be on your sheet and will give you a better overall understanding.

There are Fantasy Football leagues with a variety of scoring options out there. I am in a league that is Touchdown heavy which only gives points for scoring and a few rare bonus points for yards. Previously I was in a league that gave huge bonuses for Tight Ends to increase their value. In both of these leagues, I had to change my cheatsheets to match the rules. If your league, like many leagues, is not a regular scoring league, then you will need to customize your cheatsheets. If it is a standard league, I gave the reasons for you to customize your sheets above.

When you are starting out, here are a few tips to customizing your lists.

1) Get multiple cheatsheet lists to compare. There is nothing wrong with buying your favorite fantasy football mag but do not let it be your only source. Some of the magazines will give you free updates online which can be helpful. You will have the FSC Cheatsheets available for free. There are plenty of other websites out there where you can get free cheatsheets. Cowboys Pride, Sports Jabber, The Bleacher Report and Yardbarker have posters who give out their lists. There are sites that have customizable cheatsheets like FF Toolbox to help with leagues with non-standard scoring rules. Of course there are the big FF sites like ESPN, Yahoo, and NFL that have their lists available. Do not rule out the pay sites because they can bring a ton of information and research with their lists for reasonable low amount of money such as my favorite Pigskin Addiction, which is well worth the money if you are in a league that has sizable prize money.

2) Compare and contrast each list. You will see that every list has a different take on how they think each player will perform. This is one of the most time consuming aspects to customizing your cheatsheets. Don’t let it grind on you. You are doing what is required to give yourself the best chance to win.

3) Make your own list. I use a spreadsheet to create my lists which allow you to move players around fairly easily. You can combine the various lists and add your own twists, bias, and gut feelings. It is your list. If you think Peterson will have a terrible year then move him far down your list (I am not advising it but ...). This is also very time consuming but well worth it.

4) Remember the off weeks. It is important to add bye weeks to your list. Every draft there is at least one person that drafts two QBs off the same week. They are not watching their off weeks. Having these listed on your cheatsheets is a great way to stay on top of the bye weeks.

5) Cheatsheets contain an overall list. You should have the top 150 - 200 hundred players ranked on your sheet. Your overall list is most important in the first half of the draft. You are looking to bring in the best players for your team especially in the first half of the draft.

6) Cheatsheets contain individual position lists. It is extremely helpful during a the draft to have a list for each position. In the second half of the draft, you will be more concerned with finding the best player at specific positions and may not be concerned with the overall list. These can give you a quick reference without having to scroll through the top 200 to find the best tight end left.

7) Tier your lists. Tiers work by grouping players together that are comparable. You want to Tier the position rankings. It is not as important to Tier the over all list but some people find it helpful. The advantage of using Tiers give you a visual on the level of that position players left and will assist you in deciding when to draft a player.

The Counselor is OUT:

Pre-Draft Preparation and Cheat-sheets

2010-07-27T22:55:00.002-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

Before Draft day, there is much preparation to be done. Here is a list of the things to examine. Most of them are related to your cheat-sheets. Your cheat-sheets should be the results of your hard work. It is also important to know your league.

1) Know your league rules and scoring
This may appear obvious but many of the owners do not fully grasp the rules and scoring of their league. They may not know that Tight Ends get a 5 point bonus if they have over 5 catches per game or that interceptions are minus 2 points. Owners need to know how to pick up players for injuries and if their league has injured list spots or does the league have a waiver wire. You need to know all of the rules and how they will affect your team and what kind of backups you need to draft.

2) Customize your cheat-sheets
I will update and re-post the article from last season about why you need to customize and how to customize your cheat-sheets. In a nutshell, you need cheat-sheets which are specialized to your league and your preferences. Stay tune and the article will be posted in the next couple of days.

3) Overall and Positions with your cheat-sheets
It is important that your cheat-sheets should have an overall rankings of the players especially at the beginning of the draft. Equally important is the rankings of each position on your cheat-sheets. This allows you to easily find the best wide receiver left on the board, according to your rankings. During the draft, you usually have less than a minute to pick your next selection so you need quick access to your lists.

4) Tier your cheat-sheets
Along with the customizing the rankings, you need to Tier your lists. Tiers work by grouping players together that are comparable. You want to Tier the position rankings. It is not as important to Tier the over all list but some people find it helpful. The advantage of using Tiers give you a visual on the level of that position players left and will assist you in deciding when to draft a player.

5) Other important information on your cheat-sheet
It may be important to include other informaiton on your lists. The off weeks for the player is very important because you do not want to draft your top three running backs with the same off week. There may be other important infomation to include depending on your needs and your league.

6) Fantasy Mock Draft
Nothing prepares you for an event like practice. Fantasy Mock Drafts are your practice before Draft Day. There are a ton of sights that have mock drafts set up such as ESPN.com and NFL.com. Most allow you to pick your draft position so if you know your draft position ahead of time then you can practice from that position numerous times.

Do not expect your draft to go just like the Fantasy Mock Drafts because it won’t but it should give you an idea of where players are going in the draft. Face to Face drafts are much less likely go like a mock draft than an online draft.

7) Understand the tendencies of your league Owners
If you are in a reoccurring league, you can examine the draft tendencies of the owners over the seasons. Most of us are creatures of habits. Most will use similar draft strategies from year to year.

8) Know your own tendencies
If you know the tendencies of your fellow league owners, some of them are likely to know your tendencies. It is important to be aware of your tendencies and if you are tipping your next pick. When possible during the draft, it is good to occasionally change up slightly to cause confusion to your opponents but don’t do something crazy just to do it, like drafting a kicker in the first round.

The Counselor is OUT:

Early Round Fantsy Football Draft Strategy

2010-07-20T17:53:00.005-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

There are different philosophy and theories when looking at Fantasy Football drafts. We will examine some of the of the early round strategies and discuss advantages and disadvantages of these philosophies.

1) Running back/Running back
This has been one of the major strategies in Fantasy Football for a long time. Because quality running backs are in short supply, you pick a top back with your first and second picks. Usually you follow it up with a WR or QB in the third and fourth round and then take a back up RB by the fifth round.

Advantages:
The running backs are the most consistent score players over the course of the season and from season to season. They can be the bread and butter of your team. Having two studs can lead you to the playoffs.

Disadvantages:
The league has changed from every team having one premiere running back on a team to the running back by committee style which dominates the NFL. There are a handful of top running backs that are studs and are premiere players but not enough to get two unless you are extremely lucky. The running backs you will now get in the second round are often at the same level as a running back you can pick up in the fifth round.

2) Wide Receiver/ Wide Receiver
This strategy is like the RB/RB strategy but instead of RB in the first two round, you take the top Wide Receivers on the board. Third through fifth rounds, you usually try to get your two starting RBs and your QB.

Top level Wide Outs are also at a rarity. Getting one of the studs should be a top priority. Getting two can also lead you to the promise land.

Advantages: Two top wide receivers can more than make up for mediocre running backs.

Disadvantages: Wide receivers are not consistent producers from year to year. The top WR one season can easily fall out the top 10 the next year. I have seen this strategy back fire most of the time.

3) Best Quarter Back
This strategy picks the best QB available in the first round. This has been a pretty popular strategy over the last few years. It has been a balancing strategy in leagues where RB/RB dominated as the main strategy.

Advantages:
Pick up a stud QB to lead you team. Some leagues are very QB heavy and you need a top QB. If a QB has a super season like Brady had a few years ago, he can single handed win your league for you.

Disadvantages:
Quality Quarter Backs have become much more available. The NFL has become a pass happy league. There is at least 8 quality quarter backs. You can pick up a quality QB in the 3 round and after.

4) Top Tight End
This strategy often occurs in leagues which give special bonuses to Tight Ends. I appreciate leagues that do give extra bonuses for TE because often Tight Ends are less valuable to a team than their 4th WR. This strategy suggests drafting one of the top 5 (if not very top TE) in by the fourth round.

Advantages:
There are only a few truly stud Tight Ends out there.

Disadvantages:
Even in leagues which give extra bonuses to Tight Ends, the difference in a fourth round TE and 8 round Tight End are only a few points a game. Those points can be made up with picking up quality QB, WRs, and RBs. Tight End touchdowns vary extremely from season to season and if rarely see double digits.

5) Best Player on the Board
This strategy sounds easy and logical. You take the best player available to you in the first few rounds for your league rules. You do not worry about the shortage at a position or runs on positions.

Advantages:
Getting the best player available is a smart way to draft. It is the best way for an NFL team to develop and grow from the draft and will add the highest impact players to your team.

Disadvantages:
This method discounts the needs you have to fill out a starting roster with the best possible team over all. If the best player on the board according to your rankings are wide receivers for the first 4 rounds, then you have four great WR but no top QBs or RB and in most leagues you can only start 2-3 WRs.

6) Best Player With Balanced Approach
This is my favorite strategy. It calls for a balanced approach in the draft. Get the best player available when possible but you need to appropriately fill out your roster. If you hit the end of the third round with out a quarter back and their has been a run on QBs and only one left that you would consider a top level guy, then you should draft him even if you have him ranked far less than a WR or RB which is still left.

Advantages:
You are still looking for the best players available for your team. It allows you to make flexible changes as the draft goes on.

Disadvantages:
Some owners can not handle flexibility. They need a solid list to pick from or they may go off the deep end. This strategy can also lead to a team pulling the trigger on a player way too early because they think he will be gone before their next selection.

The Counselor is OUT:

Time to think Fantasy Football

2010-07-13T22:01:00.003-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

The Baseball All Star game is currently going on. The All Star game is not just the traditional half way point for MLB, but it is time to pull out the fantasy football mindset and get to work. Many FF drafts will be occurring in less than a month. It is time to start making lists of players and examining strategies. The moment is upon us. If we do not start now, we might be the guy who is printing off the canned list from the 4 Letter network (not that their list is bad but it is not specific to your league or your needs).

The Fantasy Sports Counselor will be coming out of the fog and start posting regularly again. You can expect articles on how to prepare, strategies, and our list of players and values.

The Counselor is OUT:

Strasburg lives up to hype and delights

2010-06-08T21:33:00.003-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

I am not a fan of the Washington Nationals. I do not own Stephen Strasburg in any fantasy leagues (but after tonight I wish I did). I have no vested interest in Strasburg or his success. I admit the hype of the kid caught my attention. I tuned in to watch his first game in the Majors.

I know about his huge success in the minors but that is just the minors. I honestly thought he should have made the team at the end of Spring Training. I believed that he could be a decent starter for Washington.

I expected Strasburg to have a decent first game. I believed if he would give 3 earned runs over 6 innings and maybe strike out a handful, then it would be a successful first game. I never imaged that Strasburg would strike out 14 over 7 innings. He did give up a two run homer but then went on to strike out 7 in a row.

It is difficult to talk about a rookie pitcher being the real deal after one start against the Pirates. But this kid looks to be it a perennial Cy Young candidate. You never know if an injury or mental challenges may steal away his vitality. At least for this night, Stephen Strasburg lived up to his outrageous hype.

The Counselor is OUT:

360 Degree Inside look at Texas Stadium Implosion

2010-05-22T20:54:00.002-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

This is an amazing look at the implosion of Texas Stadium from the inside. You can move the image in full 360 degrees during the implosion and while paused. Check it out. It is mind blowing.

The Counselor is OUT:

JaMarcus Russell will catch on but should he?

2010-05-10T21:02:00.003-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

There is no doubt in my mind that former number 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell will be picked up by a team before the start of the 2010 season. He will probably be the backup for the team that finds room for him. With his huge arm and tons of untapped potential, someone will believe that they can develop Russell where the Raiders failed. After all, the Raiders are not exactly the ideal place to develop a young quarterback.

The huge arm on Russell does bring comparisons to Jeff George. In the three years in Oakland, Russell started 25 games and went 7-18. He threw for 4083 yards, 18 Tds, 23 Ints, and a 52.1 completion percentage. George had better stats with his first team. Russell started 49 games for Indianapolis with 27602 yards, 154 Tds and 113 Int. and 57.9 completion percentage

Jeff George’s numbers were better than Russell’s numbers. Russell was not given the opportunity to play regularly that George was given and George had an additional season. The biggest number that jumps out is George’s 57.9 completion percentage versus Russell’s pathetic 52.1 completion percentage.

The biggest difference between George and Russell has been their attitudes. George was a bad boy and a cancer in the locker room. He could bring a clubhouse to its knees faster than Terrell Owens. Russell does not have the prima donna attitude of George but he appears to have a worse attitude. It appears he does not care about playing football, improving, winning, or team. It seems he only cared about getting his payday for being the number one overall pick. To me, this is far worse.

The Counselor is OUT:

Post Draft Blues

2010-04-24T21:25:00.002-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

I am sitting in my easy chair relaxing. I have a bla feeling and I am unmotivated to do anything. It is the post NFL Draft Blues.

The NFL Draft is the high point of the off season for NFL Fans. There is a level of Christmas morning anticipation the new players which our team will select. We ask ourselves questions like: "Will our team go and get that great player that I loved in college last year?"; "Will our team listen to the fans and focus on that one position?"; or "Will our GM (or owner) go make a crazy move and cause me to yell at the TV?"

I have been preparing for the Draft for several months. At Cowboys Pride, we have been examining mock drafts and prepping our owns. There is a sense of relief when you finally complete a project but there is also a let down.

I loved the Cowboys pick of Dez Bryant. He was worth moving up to select. I do think he is a huge talent and will upgrade the Cowboys all ready good receivers.

I am sure the Cowboys' other picks will work out. I think they were value picks. But I am discouraged that we did not meet the needs of the Free Safety and Offensive Line with early picks. I am sure some of my frustration has led to my blues.

The Counselor is OUT:

NFL Draft live thread for CowboysPride.net on Thursday evening

2010-04-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

I will man the NFL Draft live thread for CowboysPride.net on Thursday evening. Grab your computer while you watch the Draft and tell me what you think. Historically, the Fantasy Sports Counselor has blogged the first round live. Instead, I will bring my thoughts and commentary to the live thread and give you a chance to response.

It should be fun. I will be live at Buffalo Wild Wings on Battlefield in Springfield, MO. If you are in the area stop by and see me. Watching the Draft, hanging with the guys, eat wings and drinking beverages, while giving my "expert" draft coverage should be a fun challenge.

At 9:00 pm, Doyle and I will take the Air Waves Cowboys Pride Radio on Blog Talk Radio for a two hour NFL Draft Extravaganza. We hope to bring the Cowboys pick to you live and give you our thoughts, cheers and or tears. I will keep the Live Thread section going while juggling everything else.

The Counselor is OUT:

Larry's 2010 Mock Draft

2010-04-18T21:29:00.004-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

1. STL: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Year in and year out, the Rams have passed on the top Quarter Backs. This year they will take one. They have passed on Stafford, Sanchez, Ryan, Flacco, and ect.

Other options:
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame- some analysts have Clausen ranked higher than Bradford.

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska- The Rams could opt for the stud DT and pick up a QB in the Second round or trade back into the first round. The rumors are that the Rams were impressed with Colt McCoy.

2. DET: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
I watched Ndamukong Suh dominate offensive lines in the Big 12. He was a man amongst boys in one of the best NCAA Football Conferences. This will make the Lions defense roar.

Other options:
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
McCoy is also a stud DT. You can make arguments that he is even better than Suh in certain aspects of his game and may be a better prospect. I think Suh goes first but would not blink if they go with McCoy.

Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
As my buddy Doyle has stated, Stafford is the franchise for the Lions. They need to start protecting him much better. Okung would be an ideal LT to start protecting Stafford. I think Suh is too much a stud for them to pass up and I look for the Lions to pick up a good lineman in the 2 round.

3. TB: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Tampa Bay’s Coach Morris wants to revamp the Buc’s Defense. They would love a Defensive Tackle in the mold of Warren Sapp and McCoy has a good chance of being this type of player. McCoy will be a great addition for the new Bucs D.

Other options:
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
If Suh is still on the board with McCoy, Morris will do a jig and have to select between stud A and stud B for his defense. If Detroit takes McCoy, then Tampa will be excited to have Suh instead of McCoy.

Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Berry should only be the pick if McCoy and Suh are both off the board. It is not ideal for Tampa but they would satisfied this stud Safety.

4. WAS: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
All Pro QB- check, a bunch of over the hill running backs- check, Left Tackle- NEED ONE! Williams is a better match than Okung with the Redskins zone blocking scheme according to some experts. I agree with their diagnosis.

Other options:
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Okung is regarded as the best Offensive Lineman in the draft. He could easily be the selection here.

5. KC: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
This would be a dream scenario for Kansas City. They need to shore up their sparse offensive line. He would allow Alberts to be moved to either RT or guard. This would help protect their investment of Matt Cassel.

Other options:
Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa or Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Okung may already be off the board. If that happens, the Chiefs will have to pick between two very good back up options for tackle.

Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Safety has been a hole for the Chiefs for some time. Berry would instantly improve their defense. This is not out of the realm of possibility.

6. SEA: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
All Signs are pointing towards LT Walter Jones retiring. This is huge hole (pun intended) for the Seahawks line. I look for them to take the best tackle on the board. If the draft goes this way, I would expect them to select a great pick of Bulaga.

Other options:
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State or Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
One of the three big tackles should be left on the board. If they do not select Bulaga, then they should select either Okung and Williams.

Eric Berry, S, Tennessee or Earl Thomas, S, Texas
Seattle could use assistance at Safety. Berry is seen as the best but Thomas has been climbing up draft boards. Either one would instantly assist the Seahawks defense.

7. CLE: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Cleveland has a ton of needs but one of the glaring needs is for help at Safety. Berry is the best Safety on the board according to most experts. He is your pontifical Free Safety which can be a ball hawking center fielder or a guy that drops in the box for run support. Berry was projected as a top 5 pick but because of the needs at Tackle for many teams, Berry might just be available here.

Other options:
Earl Thomas, S, Texas
Thomas is shutting up the draft boards for many experts. I have heard that numerous teams have changed their ranking to put Thomas in front of Berry. If Cleveland ends of being one of these teams or if Berry is snatched up earlier, Thomas will be a great fit for their need.

Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame or Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Bradford will not drop to 7th but there is a lot of noise about Cleveland trading up for Bradford. If they stay pat, they could select Clausen. It does not appear they are very interested in Clausen but you can never trust what teams are saying before the draft.

8. OAK: Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
The Raiders under Al Davis love players that perform well at the Combine. No player had a better Combine than Campbell. They have a huge need for a legitimate Left Tackle. That being said, you never know what the Raiders will do. They are the ultimate wild card in any draft.

Other options:
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Davis is a really talented Offensive Tackle and may have the most upside of any tackle in the draft. He has been knocked for being lazy and not a hard worker. This would be a better pick for the Raiders but what is the likely hood that the Raiders will take the Better Pick?

Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
The rumors are out there that Oakland has an interest in Clausen. That would mean that the Raiders would have to admit that Russell was a failure. This is a possibility and Oakland does like to make a splash at the draft.

9. BUF: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
I have gone back and forth several times with this pick. One moment I have Clausen penciled in and the next moment, I have Williams. Buffalo is changing to a 3-4 base defense. They have a mammoth need for a Nose Tackle. They will not find another nose tackle in this draft.

Other options:
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame Clausen continues to be on the other options list. He would clearly meet a huge need for the Bills as their QB. They need a face of the franchise. They have been down this road before and it sound like they are not completely sold on Clausen. This is one of the reasons I dropped him back behind Williams.

Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers or Any OT
If Davis is on the Board, he would be a good selection. They have a real need for their offensive line.

10. JAX: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Morgan is a great pass rusher. He is 6-4 and 272 pound and has good speed around the corner. The Jags only had 14 sacks last year. Morgan’s addition should add badly needed sacks.

Other options:
Joe Haden, CB, Florida or Earl Thomas, S, Texas
The Jags also have a need to shore up their secondary. Either Haden or Thomas would fit a need for this team. Both are good options and are about at the level for Jacksonville to pick between if they decide to go with secondary instead of DE.

11. DEN: Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama
The Broncos continue their conversion to the 3-4. They have huge need at inside linebacker. McClain is a perfect fit. The Broncos could select a WR or even Clausen but my money is on McClain.

12. MIA: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
Look for the Dolphins to convert Pierre-Paul to an OLB in the lines of DeMarcus Ware. He has a ton of potential and a fierce motor. Plus he can do backflips and that moves prospects up my draft board.

13. SF: Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Biggest need for the 49ers is cornerback. The best corner in the draft is on the board. It should not be hard to pull the trigger on this pick.

14. SEA: CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson
The Seahawks need a running back. How about one who can run fast, catch the ball out of the backfield, and score touchdowns? I think Spiller will be a good fit for Seattle.

15. NYG: Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
The Giants have several needs but aging linebackers need to be replaced. Weatherspoon is a great pick up for the Giants. As a Missouri Tigers fan, I hate to see Weatherspoon go to the Giants.

16. TEN: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
DE Kyle Vanden Bosh is gone. The Titans need some playmakers on the Defensive Line and Graham is a play maker.

17. SF: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
I doubt if San Fran is sitting around thinking about Clausen but if he falls to the 49ers at 17, they have to consider him. Alex Smith has not worked out the way they expected. Clausen is the most ready for the Pros of the QB prospects. This will give Ten Ginn someone to throw the ball to him. I am sure that Coach Singletary would prefer a defensive pick.

18. PIT: Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
The Steelers could use an upgrade at Corner. Wilson is an outstanding prospect at Corner. They could go with a Defensive Lineman or even an Offensive Lineman but with Wilson still available, they should select him.

19. ATL: Everson Griffen, DE, USC
Griffen is a pass rusher and the Falcons need a pass rushing DE. This would be a good fit.

20. HOU: Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State
The running game for Houston was anemic. Matthews is an upgrade for Houston. He should step in as the starter from day one.

21. CIN: Taylor Mays, S, USC
The Bengals could use an upgrade at both safeties. Mays can play either safety position. He is a hard hitting safety.

22. NE: Jared Odrick, DE, Penn State
Over the last few years, the Pats have lost their big time pass rushers. Odrick should help fill their need as a Defensive End.

23. GB: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Like many teams, the Packers are looking to upgrade their offensive line. Rogers would be happy if he could stay off his back. Davis was a top ten prospect before the Combine.

24. PHI: Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas
Philly needs to upgrade their defense. They need help with their defensive line and their linebackers. Kindle is the best of the group that is left on the board.

25. BAL: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahome State
Bryant is a top five talent but has free fallen because of concerns about work ethic. This would be a steal for the Ravens and would give Flacco a great target. Wide Receiver is not the biggest need but Bryant would be too good to pass up.

26. ARI: Jerry Hughes, LB, TCU
Arizona could go several ways. They could use a left tackle but the best are off the table. They could use a top Defensive End but they are also gone. Breaston should be taking over for Boldin so that is not a huge need for them. They need help at Outside Linebacker so Hughes is a solid pick for them.

27. DAL: Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
The Cowboys need help on their offensive line. Iupati is a prefect fit for them. He may or may not be able to play Left Tackle for them but he sure could help at Guard and maybe Right Tackle. He is coveted by the Cowboys and many of their fans.

28. SD: Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
The one thing that the Chargers need more than a RB is a Nose Tackle. Cody will meet this need. The Chargers do have an early pick in the 2nd round and there will be a good running back at that point. I am not sure he will be available at the 8th pick in the second round (40).

29. NYJ: Demaryius Thomas, WR, Notre Dame
The Jets do have Edwards and Holmes at Wide Out but neither one of them have contracts past this season. Thomas can sit back, learn, and develop behind Edwards and Holmes. The Jets need to build up targets for Sanchez.

30. MIN: Nate Allen, FS, South Florida
The Vikings do not need many upgrades for starters. But safety is an area that they could use an upgrade both at Free and Strong Safety. Allen will be a great addition to the Vikings.

31. IND: Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Jeff Saturday is a great Center for Indy but is aging at 35 years old. Pouncey can help their O line, and one day replace Jeff Saturday. They might go with a Defensive Tackle instead. But I look for them to keep up the protection of Peyton.

32. NO: Brian Price, DT, UCLA
The Saints need help on the defensive side of the ball. Their biggest need appears to be at Defensive Tackle. Price may be a little raw but will bring huge upside at a position of need.

The Counselor is OUT:

#1 Jayhawks beaten by Mid-Major Northern Iowa

2010-03-20T19:24:00.001-05:00

The Counselor is IN:

The Missouri Valley's Northern Iowa finally broke their two decade old drought by moving past the first round in the Big Dance on Thursday. The reward for their hard work was to play the overall number 1 team in the Tournament on Saturday. They did not stand a chance to advance to the Sweet 16 against the Kansas Jayhawks or did they?

Northern Iowa came out and dominated most of the game with their top ranked defense. Kansas fought their way back into the game with a couple of minutes left. The juggernaut Jayhawks were pressing the Northern Iowa Panthers and were within striking distance to win the game and were only 1 point down. Then Ali Farokhmanesh hit a 3 pointer with 34 seconds left and around 30 seconds left on the shot clock to seal the victory. He took a shot that most coaches would be upset about but it paid off.

The unthinkable happen. None of the experts would even consider this possibility. In fact, ESPN radio was debating even if Kentucky had a chance against Kansas in the finals if Kentucky made it. I guess they missed the memo that the Panthers were going to show up.

The Counselor is OUT:

CowboysPride.NET is coming back

2010-03-04T22:45:00.005-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

CowboysPride.NET is coming back. Cowboys Pride merged to with Sports Jabber last July. It has been operating under their site since them.

I am partnering with my buddy Doyle to bring new life to Cowboys Pride. The site will be up and fully running on April 1, 2010. Look for future updates about this.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Baseball Prospects 2010

2010-03-01T20:20:00.004-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

Here is a list of prospects that I like. Prospects are young players who may still be in the minors, rookies, or other young guys yet to fulfill their potential in the majors.

SP Wade Davis - Tampa Bay
Davis is built like a Tight End- 6'5" and 220lbs. He has 4 solid pitches including a 90+ mph fastball. He was a strikeout fiend in AAA with 7.9 per 9 innings. I expect Davis to make the Rays rotation out of camp.

SS Alcides Escobar - Milwaukee
Escobar is known for his defense but put up very impressive offensive numbers in AAA last year- .298 BA and 42 SB. He can add a lot of speed to your team for low price.

SP/RP Neftail Feliz - Texas
Feliz had a good year in AAA last year but was outstanding as a reliever for the Rangers with a 1.74 ERA. It is possible he might move to the rotation and if he does, his average and whip will go up but I look for him to adapt. He is a year or two away from dominating but is worth picking up especially in keeper leagues.

OF Jason Heyward - Atlanta
Heyward blew through the minors last year and showed why he is a great hitting prospect. He could make the starting lineup in the outfield for the Braves by Opening Day.

1B Justin Smoak - Rangers
Smoak will be pushing Chris Davis for the 1B starting position by this time next season so Davis better pull it together today. Smoak brings a good glove, batting average, and on coming power. Look for Smoak to start in AAA and light it up.

2B Scott Sizemore - Detroit
In the weakest fantasy position, Sizemore could make a difference this year for your team. He brings 20/20 potential with .300 BA. He is the kind of kid you will root for even if you are not a Tigers fan or own him on your fantasy team.

OF Austin Jackson - Detroit
Jackson would still be in the minors this season if he was still with the Yankees farm system. But Jackson was traded to the Tigers and they are licking them chops to see what this speedster can do. He is slated to be the opening day starting Center Fielder for the Tigers. He should steal between 25-35 bags.

OF Julio Borbon - Rangers
Borbon is the starting Center Fielder for the Rangers. He is a more polished Jackson and may have a bit more speed. I believe Borbon will swipe 30-40+ bases for you.

The Counselor is OUT:

Cowboys Pride Radio special edition

2010-02-28T20:43:00.002-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

As most of my readers know, I am the co-host on the Cowboys Pride Weekly Radio show on Blog Talk Radio. This week, Doyle and I will be making a huge announcement. Please tune in for the announcement on Thursday March 4, 2010 at 8:00 PM CST.

The Counselor is OUT:

32 Team Mock Draft @ Sports Jabber

2010-02-28T20:22:00.003-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

The fine folks at Sports Jabber, aka the Wally World of sports sites, is having a 32 Team Mock Draft. If you would like to try your hand at the being the General Manager for a team and pick the first 3 rounds of the NFL Draft, this is the game for you. You will need to sign up with Sports Jabber but it is a free sign up. There are several teams left. Here is a link to the post. If you stop by there, let them know I sent you.

The Counselor is OUT:

MLB Fantasy Dynasty Draft

2010-01-09T08:54:00.005-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

As The Fantasy Sports Counselor, I like to experience new and unique fantasy leagues. I am currently in the middle of a unique fantasy baseball draft. Most fantasy baseball leagues will not start drafting until very late January through early April but this one starts early. This will help me get prepared for the rest of the fantasy baseball drafts by forcing me to examine players now.

The league I am participating in is a a MLB Fantasy Dynasty Draft over at Talk-Baseball.com, a fun baseball centric forum. The draft preparation started with each team selecting a roster of a current MLB team (set on Jan 1, 2010). Not only do you have that team's roster as a base but their salary total for last season as your salary cap. You use last season's salaries for players and have to stay under that cap. Here are their categories: OFFENSE: OBP, HR, R, RBI, SB and PITCHING: W, S+H (saves plus holds), SO, ERA, WHIP.

After selecting your team, you take the 40 man roster and cut it down to 10-25 players. You need to be conscience of last year's salaries and the fantasy value of these players. You could take the full expected 25 man roster for a team but it should depend on the team you select.

After submitting keep roster, they have a 15 round draft of available free agents but you take on their salaries from last season. There is a lot of strategy to this. You have to weigh the fantasy potential of the player against their salaries and your team needs. Since you are not going in empty handed, you may or may not have specific positions of need that may need to be filled first. A small market team will be looking for more value and potential of a player over a fantasy stud that has a huge salary.

After the draft, you can have a roster up to 40 players until late in March where you have to set your 25 man roster. You must have your team lineup meet (Active-C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, IF, LF, CF, RF, [yes you have to have 20 games at an outfield position to qualify] OF, U, SP, SP, SP, SP, RP, RP, RP, RP- and 6 bench spots and one spot for a DL) and be under your salary cap. You also need to leave enough room to pick up other players for injuries and replacements.

I selected the Texas Rangers, since they are my favorite team and were still available. There are some benefits to picking the Rangers and some challenges. The big benefit is this team is loaded with young talent at the position players which have low salaries. They have a solid starter in Josh Feldman, who is young, talented, with #1 pitcher potential for #5 starter salary. They also have a solid closer and set up guy. The challenges I face in selecting the Rangers stem from their lack of quality starting pitching beyond Feldman and some of their young talent has not produced on the field yet such as Chris Davis at 1st base.

My first two picks were the high salaried stud pitcher - Roy Halladay and then the more moderate salaried Cy Young winner Zack Greinke to shore up my pitching staff. I then picked up 1B Kendry Morales, who has a fairly low salary, so I can let Chris Davis sit on the bench and develop as a prospect.

This is a fun experience and different than any other fantasy league I have been a part of. If you are looking for a new fantasy baseball challenge, let me encourage you to check out a MLB Fantasy Dynasty Draft. It will bring a lot of new wrinkles to your fantasy baseball season.

As the draft continues, I will try to update FSC on the status of my team and the challenges I face.

The Counselor is OUT:

Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

2009-12-26T10:46:00.004-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

This column's intent is to give the readers an idea of few good players in favorable match ups and a few good players in bad match ups. If you have a great player, then it may not advisable to bench him for someone in the Line 'em Up section. If I suggest that you bench one of your studs, you can only do this if you have a good option behind him. If you don't have a good player behind him, don't bench 'em. Remember every league is different and I am advising from a standard league.

Happy Fantasy Championship weekend for most leagues!

Line ‘em Up

QB Aaron Rogers Green Bay. Rogers has been gold all season and is a fantasy must start. This week he has a great match up against the 29^th ranked pass defense of the Seahawks. Look for big numbers from Rogers this week.

QB Tom Brady of New England. This is another no brainer. Brady has a great match up against the Jags 27^th ranked pass defense.

RB Cedric Benson of Cincinnati. Benson has been a very solid #2 RB this season to the surprise of most fantasy experts. This week he faces a very week KC rush defense (31^st against the run). He is a great start this week.

RB Pierre Thomas of New Orleans. Everyone thinks of the high flying passing offense of the Saints but the Saints have the 5^th ranked rushing offense. Thomas is a good start most weeks but a great start this week against the Bucs 30^th ranked rushing defense.

WR Anquan Boldin of Arizona. Boldin has been sporadic all season. He is a good start this week against their old city’s 30^th ranked defense for scoring points. Look for the Cardinals to score and score often.

WR Greg Jennings of Green Bay. As mentioned in the Rogers section, Jennings has a great match up this weekend. He should perform at a top WR 2 at the minimum.

Bench their Butts

QB Donovan McNabb of Philadelphia. McNabb is facing the second ranked pass defense in the Boncos. McNabb will still be better to start than the average fantasy backup but if you have a good option, you might want to bench his butt this weekend.

QB Eli Manning of New York Giants. Eli has been up and down as a fantasy starter all year long. You never know if you will get 5 or 20 points from him. This week he faces the surprisingly good Carolina pass defense. If you have another good option, you might consider starting him.

RB Jamaal Charles of Kansas City. Charles has been a good fantasy player since taking over the starting job in KC. This week he faces a tough 3^rd ranked Cincy rush defense. He is not a good start during this fantasy championship weekend.

***RB Ray Rice of Baltimore. Rice is a fantasy must play most weeks. It would be hard to bench him this week with for the Championship game but if you have another good option, you probably want to examine it. Rice is facing the #1 run stopping defense of the Steelers. The Steelers are in must win games and look for the Rush Defense to step up.

WR Sidney Rice of the Minnesota. Rice has become a good fantasy player and one of Favre’s favorites. This week he is going against the 7^th ranked pass defense. As crazy as it sounds, I look for Chicago to try to force Peterson to beat them. It is a good possibility that you might have a good replacement on your bench.

WR Steve Smith of the New York Giants. The Giants face the 4^th ranked pass defense in the Panthers. I would look for the Giants to focus on the run and not so much with the pass. Smith should have a down game.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 16 Fantasy Injury Report - Friday Edition

2009-12-25T10:29:00.003-06:00

Here are the Thursday (Friday this week) edition of Week 16 fantasy injuries and my commentary. I am posting a Friday's edition along with the regular Weekend edition. The Friday Edition will list injuries for the Friday's game only.

Chargers:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Titans:
WR Nate Washington has an ankle injury and is probable for this Friday's game. He was limited in practice this week. He should play and not be a concern.

The Counselor is OUT:

The top 10 ways to spend your time if you did not make your Fantasy Football Playoffs

2009-12-17T22:57:00.001-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

The top 10 ways to spend your time if you did not make your Fantasy Football Playoffs.

10) Spend time with family and friends. They have missed you during your fantasy football season.

9) Catch up on all the TV shows on you DVR

8) Finally take down your Halloween decorations

7) Clean your home

6) Decorate your Christmas tree

5) Make a count down calendar until next Fantasy Football Season

4) Do your Christmas shopping

3) Start watching football games for fun instead of cheering against players started against you

2) Spend more time on Sports Jabber hanging out with the guys

1) Start preparing for Fantasy Baseball Season

The Counselor is OUT:

Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

2009-12-15T22:05:00.002-06:00

The Counselor is IN:

Line ‘em Up

QB Donovan McNabb of Philadelphia. McNabb faces the 27^th ranked pass defense of the 49ers. Look for a big game out of him.

QB Matt Cassel of Kansas City. Cassel has been terrible as a fantasy QB. This week he has a chance to have a good week against the 25^th ranked pass defense of Cleveland. Cassel should look a little bit like he did last year against the Browns.v

RB Jamaal Charles of Kansas City. Charles is the starting back for Chiefs since Johnson left town. He ran for 143 yards last week. He is a good start against the 28^th ranked defense of the Browns.

RB Knowshon Moreno of Denver. Moreno has been great his rookie year. He has a great match up against the 30^th ranked rush defense of the Raiders.

WR Anquan Boldin of Arizona. Boldin has been sporadic all season. He is a good start this week against Detroit’s 32^nd ranked pass defense.

WR Calvin Johnson of Detroit. Johnson is good start anyway but this week he faces a good match up against Arizona’s 28^th ranked pass defense.

Bench their Butts

QB Ben Roethilisberger of Pittsburgh. Big Ben is a good fantasy starter. This week he faces the 3^rd ranked pass defense of the Packers. If you have another good option, I would go with the other options.

QB Matt Hasselbeck of Seattle. Hasselbeck is a below average fantasy QB. This week will be rough on him against a surprisingly good pass defense of the Bucs (#7 ranked).

RB Ryan Grant of Green Bay. Grant is a decent fantasy backup or flex player. This week he faces the best rush defense in the league in the Steelers. Leave Grant on the bench this week.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson of San Diego. LT is not the stud he used to be but he is a decent start most weeks. This week, he is facing the 3^rd ranked rush defense of the Cincinnati.

WR Randy Moss of the New England. Moss has not been a strong fantasy starter this season. He is facing the 5^th ranked pass defense of the Bills. At the beginning of the season, who would have guessed that the advise would be to bench Moss against the Bills?

WR Steve Smith of the New York Giants. The Giants face the 4^th ranked pass defense in the Redskins. I would look for the Giants to focus on the run and not so much with the pass. Smith should have a down game.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 15 Fantasy Injury Report - Thursday Edition

2009-12-15T21:15:00.004-06:00

Here are the Thursday edition of Week 15 fantasy injuries and my commentary. I am posting a Thursday's edition along with the regular Weekend edition. The Thursday Edition will list injuries for the Thursday's games only.

Colts:
WR Anthony Gonzalez is doubtful with a knee injury. He did not practice on Tuesday.

WR Pierre Garcon has an ankle injury and probable. He fully practiced on Tuesday.

QB Peyton Manning is probable with an upper leg injury. He fully practiced on Tuesday.

RB Joseph Addai has a knee injury and is questionable. He fully practiced on Tuesday.

RB Donald Brown is out with a chest injury.

K Adam Vinatieri has a knee injury and is out.

Jaguars:
RB Maurice Jones-Drew is probable with a knee injury. He fully practiced on Tuesday.

WR Mike Sims-Walker is probable with a calf injury. He missed practice on Tuesday.

The Counselor is OUT: