Week 12 Power Rankings

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!  Remember there are three games on Thursday, so remember to set your lineups.  Things are really heating up with only two weeks left.  We have only three teams that are eliminated so far, so at the end of this week things should become pretty clear on who is headed to the post season.  I also want to congratulate Mike for his performance last week.  He became the only team to eclipse the 200 point mark so far this year!

1. Pat

Previous (1)

Pat had one of the hardest luck loses of the season in week 11.  He put up 174 points and lost to Mike.  The bad luck shouldn’t discourage this high powered team and I expect them to get an easy win this week.  This team literally scores points at will.

2. Jeff

Previous (4)

After a letdown in the middle of the season Jeff is back at number two.  His team has put up solid points week after week.  I wrote a few weeks ago that if Jeff won out he still had a chance at the playoffs.  With Chris Johnson hitting his stride I see that happening and Jeff winning his next two.

3. Mike

Previous (10)

Mike makes my biggest jump of the year this week.  His team just put up 200 points!!  I should have put him at number 1.  He has taken the high week two out of the last three weeks.  The sad part about all this is that the cards didn’t fall right for Mike this year and he has been eliminated from the playoffs.  It’s a shame because Mike’s team is clearly hitting its stride. 

4. Dan

Previous (6)

Just as I was starting to doubt Dan, he gave me reason to believe once again.  He had a great week putting up 149 points in taking down Anton.  The emergence of Woodhead has given Dan a very consistent team.  Dan should make the playoffs and is always a team to be reckoned with. 

5. Pop

Previous (7)

Pop did what Pop does again in week 11.  He put up a very sub-par performance and won yet again.  Aaron Rodgers has been saving the Packers all year and he has also been saving Pops all year.  As long as he keeps putting up 40 point weeks, Pop’s is going to be in every matchup.

6. Garret

Previous (5)

Garret won in week 11, but he falls one spot here because I am just not impressed with his wins of late.  His team doesn’t really do anything special.  You pretty much know what you’re going to get from them every week.  That is with the exception of Brandon Marshall who gets worse every week.  Don’t get me wrong, Garret has a solid team and is headed to the playoffs, I just expect more from him than what we’re seeing. 

7. Alex

Previous (9)

Alex is 12^th in the CBS power rankings, yet he’s got a playoff spot all but locked up.  How does that happen?  Luck, skill, luck and having your own rival blog is my best guess.  This team is about to get a lot stronger with Vincent Jackson coming back.  He’s not in the same situation as Sidney Rice because he has been healthy all year. 

8. Chris

Previous (2)

After the seven game win streak Chris finds himself in the midst of a two game skid.  He still leads his division, but there is cause for concern.  His team is not scoring points and his luck of playing the worst team every week seems to be over.  Chris really needs a win this week to get back on track.

9. Kristen

Previous (8)

Just when Kristen looked like she was set to take off, her best player all year gets hurt.  The injury to Nicks couldn’t have come at a worse time.  Kristen needs to win the next two games to get in the playoffs and without Nicks that is going to be very difficult. 

10. Logan

Previous (3)

It’s clear to me now that Logan was ranked way too high.  He put up the low week last week and is all but done and looking toward next year.  I think my judgment was clouded when it came to this team because I see its owner everyday and he talks up his team.  I was too close to the team in this one.  I apologize and promise it will never happen again. 

11. Shawn

Previous (11)

Shawn puts up big points every week, but winds up losing.  Last week he squared off against another tough luck team in Jeff.  It turned out that at the last second Gates couldn’t go and Shawn in turn got the loss and won the bad luck award. 

12. Clay

Previous (13)

Clay had a very solid performance last week.  Manning played well and he won.  Like I said all year, if Manning plays well Clay wins.  If Manning plays bad Clay loses.  It’s as simple as that.

13. Gill

Previous (12)

Gill chocked last week.  All he had to do was meet his quota of 120 points, but was unable to do so.  Ahmad Bradshaw needed 15 points for the win on Sunday night.  In 7/9 games this year he was able to get at least 15 points.  He got 2.9 points, his lowest total in two years.

14. Anton

Previous (14)

Anton’s winning streak of one ended in week 11.  Bummer….

Week 11 Power Rankings

Hey everyone!  It took me forever to get around to writing this week.  However, I did my rankings before Thursday’s game between the Dolphins and Bears so take that into consideration when you’re reading this.  Last week no one gained any ground as the entire NFC division won.  Good luck to everyone this week. 

1. Pat

Previous (1)

Pat showed why he has the best team in week 10.  He won a hard fought game against Logan without Drew Brees and Colston.  Pat seems to score over 120 every week, so if you plan on taking him down you better score in bunches.  With a win this week Pat can make playoff reservations for week 14. 

2.  Chris

Previous (2)

In my predictions article last week I predicted that Chris would finally snap that 7 game win streak.  I was surprisingly spot on.  Chris got creamed by Kristen as she put up the high week and he put up the low week.  Chris hasn’t had to bounce back after a loss since week one.  It will be interesting to see if Chris can get a win this week or if last week was a sign of what’s to come.

3. Logan

Previous (3)

Logan was one Desean Jackson catch away from taking out PSell last week.  Logan has struggled to put up points all year, but has been very productive of late.  He is ranked 13^th in the CBS power rankings, but I feel he is a real threat and not a team you want to take lightly.

4. Jeff

Previous (7)

Jeff has put up the second most points in the league and is 5-5.  Logan has put up the least amount of points in the league and is 5-5.  Needless to say, fantasy football is unpredictable.  Jeff knows that better than anyone.  He has had a roller coaster season and is desperately seeking consistency.  The one thing for sure is that Jeff’s team is loaded with talent and can hang with anyone. 

5. Garret

Previous (5)

Garret found a way to hang on in week 10.  Moreno had his best game as a pro and is looking healthy.  It looks like Reggie Bush is coming back this week and Garret couldn’t be happier with the stretch run coming up.  The one concern I have for this team is Brandon Marshall’s lack of production.  He has been flat out terrible.  Garret is seeking a trade for him, but I don’t see anything getting done. 

6. Dan

Previous (4)

The Steelers Defense really let down Dan last week.  It seems that one player a week is not performing for Dan and its costing him.  This team is in a slide and it has to come to a stop this week.  Look for White and Mendenhall to carry the load this week and get Dan over the hump and back on the winning side. 

7. Pop

Previous (6)

Pops had the pickup of the week in Keiland Williams.  Unfortunately he still lost to Jeff.  Pops is that team that doesn’t really scare you on paper, but somehow finds a way to compete week in and week out.  Pops knows how to win and with one this week will be looking great for a playoff spot.

8. Kristen

Previous (10)

We all should thank Kristen for finally taking down Chris.  Or should I say we should all thank Michael Vick!  What he did on Monday night was incredible.  If he can play at that kind of level the rest of the way he may single handily lead Kristen to the playoffs.

9. Alex

Previous (9)

Week ten was a great bounce back week for Alex.  His boys played awful in week nine but came back with vengeance and blew out Mike.  Alex proved he has the resiliency to be a playoff team.  Tom Brady finally put up good numbers and Jackson did what he is supposed to do. 

10. Mike

Previous (8)

Mike asked me for some lineup advice last week and I screwed him over.  I told him to start the wrong Kicker and WR.  My bad advice cost Mike 36 points.  He still would have lost by one, but if he played Lynch instead of Benson he would have won.  What I am getting at is that Mike has a lot of depth and tough decisions every week.  He can win almost any matchup; he’s just got to put the right guys in on Sunday.

11. Shawn

Previous (12)

Despite putting up 140 points Shawn became the first team to lose to Anton all year. He gave it a great effort, but Anton was bound to win at least one.  It’s fitting it happened to Shawn.  He has had rotten luck all year and is looking toward next season. 

12. Gill

Previous (13)

Donald Brown is not the answer at RB, Ben Watson is not the answer at TE and Miles Austin is not the answer at the flex position.  Gill’s team has too many holes in it to be taken seriously. 

13. Clay

Previous (11)

A very rare event occurred last Sunday.  Payton Manning was the player who let Clay down.  He had 185 passing yards and no touchdowns.  He was everyone’s number one QB for week 10 but bombed.  Clay still has an outside chance at the playoffs, but he can’t afford Manning to slip up again. 

14. Anton

Previous (14)

Anton overcame three touchdowns on Sunday night by rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski to get his first win of the season.  Anton has to be relieved to finally get a Win.  I winless season would have been pretty embarrassing.   

Week 10 Predictions

*Logon at Pat*

I would have loved to see this matchup next week when neither team would have players on byes. This is a matchup between two of the best team in the league right now, but this week it will come down to who made better waiver wire decisions. Logan is absolutely screwed when it comes to running backs and Pat is screwed when comes to wide receivers. I can’t find a huge advantage either way in this matchup, so I am going to use my one coin flip a week. Heads for Pat, tails for Logan. WINNER: PAT

*Anton at Shawn*

Anton is 0-9 and without his best player this week. Shawn is coming off a victory and looking to become relevant again. This is easily the most unexciting game of the week. The only question to be answered is can Anton finally get one in the win column? The smart money says no. WINNER: SHAWN

*Kristen at Chris*

On paper Kristen should steam roll through Chris this week. However, we all know that’s not the case when it comes to Chris. He always finds a way to make it interesting and pull it out in the end. Kristen has great match ups this week with Rice at Atlanta and LT at Cleveland. It’s impossible to count Chris out, but I think this is the week his streak ends. WINNER: KRISTEN

*Jeff at Pop*

This matchup brings us a team trying to reinsert themselves in the playoff chase with Jeff and a team looking to take that next step in Pops. Right now Pops is playing with one running back and no defense. His receivers are strong, but I don’t see them being able to make up those points. Jeff’s team is on a roll and he has “A” roster going this week. Pops is known for his upsets, but Jeff is bound and determined to get back to .500. WINNER: JEFF

*Alex at Mike*

Mike is coming off a monster week and Alex is coming off a miserable week. After analyzing this match up, Mike has the advantage at every position but defense/special teams. Mike is on a roll right now and I don’t expect that to stop. Eli Manning could put up a 50 spot this week. No I am not kidding; Dallas is really that bad right now. Alex will make Mike earn this victory with solid performances from his studs, but in the end Mike should breeze by Alex with no problem. WINNER: MIKE

*Gill at Clay*

Gill should feel like he is playing his own team this week. Clay will be starting three of the players Gill traded him a few weeks ago. It’s going to be ironic when those three players go off and stick it to Gill for trading them. With a solid performance from Manning and big days from Crabtree and Bryant, Clay should take care of Gill and prove to the rest of the league he got the better end of their trade. WINNER: CLAY

*Garret at Dan* ******GAME OF THE WEEK******

Numbers 4 & 5 in my power rankings will face off in this week 10 battle. They look virtually the same on paper. Both Teams have struggled of late and are 5-4. There is a lot of pressure on both teams. The winner will get the much needed victory and the loser will drop to an ugly 5-5. I expect this to be a shootout as both teams are at full strength this week. In the end I think Dan’s team has a little more talent and that will be the difference in this tight game. WINNER: DAN

 

Week 10 Power Rankings

Hello Everyone! This week I am on location in Greeley for the Thursday night game between the Ravens and Falcons.  Make sure to get your lineups set if you plan on playing anybody in tonight’s game.  I can’t believe we only have four weeks left.  There is still so much to be decided.  By my calculation every team but one is still mathematically in the hunt for one of the six playoff spots.  It’s awesome that everyone is taking fantasy so seriously this year.  We had 20 transactions on the waiver wire last night!  Keep up the good work and good luck to everyone this week.

1. Pat

Previous (1)

Pat is human after all.  He didn’t get the high week this week, but still took down perennial power and league commissioner Dan.  Pat’s toughest test the rest of the year will come this week with the Saints bye.  Pat is forced to start Mark Sanchez and Anthony Armstrong.  It will be a tough week for Pat, but I love Foster and MJD’s matchups.  If Pat can pull it out this week, look for him to get a first round bye come playoff time.

2. Chris

Previous (2)

Chris did what he does again in week 9.  His team plays mediocre and then pulls it out in a nail biter on Monday night.  Chris always seems to get those tough points late in games, whether it’s a last second TD or a catch that puts a receiver over the century mark to get the yardage bonus.  Right now Chris is finding every way to win fantasy games and is a league leading 8-1.

3. Logan

Previous (5)

Logan’s fantasy luck continued in week 9.  He had a below average week but still got the W because Alex had seven players with under ten points.  Everything is going Logan’s way right now.  Everyone wanted to play Pat in week ten and guess who the lucky team is?  Yep, it’s Logan’s.  Logan is in my top three because I truly believe the fantasy gods are looking out for him right now.

4. Dan

Previous (3)

Dan has struggled of late.  Still his team is too good to stop believing in.  If you’re a QB for Dan, I would be scared to death of a shoulder injury.  Romo went down a few weeks ago and last week Stafford went down.  Dan has resorted to the well traveled Shaun Hill as his QB for week ten.  Hill should produce enough to keep Dan competitive.  This team is one loss away from panicking, so it will be interesting to see how they perform this week.

5. Garret

Previous (4)

Garret should thank me for only dropping him one point after his dismal performance last week.  The whopping 64.26 points he put up last week is an A-Town low this year.  In his defense he was without four of his studs.  However, Garret needs to start playing like a top 5 team or he is going to be the odd man out come December. 

6. Pop

Previous (7)

Despite not having the second best team in the league, Pop is tied for the second best record in the league at 6-3.  His team is a lot like Chris’ team, in that he finds a way to win week in and week out despite having very little talent.  Pop has proved me wrong all year, but I am still not buying into this team being one of the league’s elite. 

7. Jeff

Previous (10)

Jeff let me know verbally and on the field that he shouldn’t have been ranked ten last week.  Boy was he right.  Jeff went off last week and put up the second highest point total.  Jeff has made some great last minute pickups this year that have kept him very competitive.  The real question is: can this team find that consistency it takes to win week in and week out in this league? 

8. Mike

Previous (12)

Congratulations Mike!  You got the high week last week, cracked my top 10 for the first time all year and take this week’s Frontier Airlines Flight of the Week.  Mike’s team is clicking on all cylinders right now.  Mike’s team is a top 5 scoring team, but has a bottom 3 record.  Needless to say, this team has run into some bad luck this year, but I think things are about to change.  Look out for STIFFD.  

9. Alex

Previous (6)

Just when we thought Alex was taking the next step he reminded us why his team name is Team Shit Show.  Alex’s performance last week was pathetic.  Having seven players score under ten points is never a good thing.  I am interested to see if last week is what we can expect the rest of the year from this team or will they turn it around and make a real run at the playoffs?

10. Kristen

Previous (9)

Kristen put up another solid outing in week 9, but fell victim to the high week.  Her team is like the starter in baseball that always gets a quality start, but can never win in the late innings.  On a positive note, Vick looked great coming off the concussion and Rice had one of his best games of the season.  Although there’s still four weeks left, this week is a must win for Kristen. 

11. Clay

Previous (8)

Clay’s team really goes as Payton Manning goes.  If Manning throws for 300 and 3 TD’s then Clay wins, if he doesn’t then Clay loses.  The rest of Off in the Woods is very average.  They won’t put up goose eggs, but they won’t go off either.  That is with the exception of Terrell Owens, who is having a great comeback year. 

12. Shawn

Previous (13)

Shawn got a win last week, but only put up 85 points.  He just can’t seem to get it going.  Ronnie Brown finally got in the end zone, but was on the bench.  Shawn needs to chalk this season up as a bust and look to next year. 

13.  Gill

Previous (11)

Gill was Chris’ latest victim in week 9 losing by 8 points on Monday night.  Miles Austin is officially the most inconsistent and annoying player in the league.  He has four games of over 100 yards receiving and four games of fewer than 40 years receiving.  Gill is without a second running back and now a flex player.  It’s tough to compete when you’re really only playing seven players a week.

14. Anton

Previous (14)

I really thought Anton was going to win last week.  He was up 62 points and all Pop had left was the Packers D and Aaron Rodgers.  And wouldn’t you know it, the Packers D returned two picks for TD’s and put up an astonishing 34 points!  Rodgers had three for three TD’s and put up 33 points.  In the end Anton lost by four points and moved to 0-9.  If you can’t win when you’re up by 62, I don’t know how this team is ever going to win.

 

Week 9 Power Rankings

Hello everyone!  Things are really heating up in the A-Town Fantasy Football League.  All but three teams are still within 3 games of the division lead.  We have ten teams that are .500 or better.  The second half race is really heating up.  This week I went back and looked at where I have ranked every team each week so far this year.  This will show you each teams trend and show you who is really on a roll right now and who has the most inconsistent teams.

1. Pat

Previous (9,3,5,2,4,8,3,2)

Pat has been one of the most consistent teams this year.  He has put up the high week in three straight weeks now.  I will halve to check the archive but I believe that is a A-Town record.  Pat’s team seems to have no weakness.  The only thing that could derail this team is the Saints bye in week 10. 

2. Chris

Previous (8,12,6,6,6,3,4,4)

Chris has been on me to get him in the top 2 for a long time now and in week 9 he finally gets his wish.  I have no choice but to believe in this team now.  In our most competitive season yet, Chris has won 7 in a row and has a 2 game lead in his division.  Will someone ever take down Chris?

3. Dan

Previous (1,1,1,1,1,2,2,1)

Dan is a lot like the Colts.  You give them credit and respect all the time because they are always one of the top teams.  I realized this and have ranked Dan out of the top two for the first time all season.  I understand that Dan was missing White and Smith last week. I am just not convinced right now that Dan’s team is who they were at the beginning of the season.  On a positive note, Matt Stafford looks like a very adequate replacement for Romo. 

4. Garret

Previous (2,6,3,3,3,7,5,3)

Garret has been a top team all year.  His team is very talented and has plenty of depth.  Marshall needs to start finding the end zone and the emergence of Arian Foster has taken away from Schaub’s pass attempts.  Garret had a rough game in week 8, but I look for him to bounce back strong in week 9.

5. Logan

Previous (7,9,9,9,13,14,11,5)

Logan has scored the least amount of points and is 13^th in CBS power rankings.  Yet I have lost my mind and ranked him in the top 5 for the second week in a row.  Logan started out very slow, but he made a great trade for McFadden and Lloyd, two of this year’s most surprising and best players.  The Kenny Brit injury is going to sting, but Jackson will be back this week after suffering a concussion.  Logan also has a very favorable schedule coming up.

6. Alex

Previous (13,11,14,14,14,13,9,7)

Alex has won 4 in a row and is a team to be reckoned with.  I feel embarrassed because of where I ranked him the first 6 weeks of the year.  Alex told me he was going to use that as fuel to be a top team and that’s exactly what he’s doing.  Alex has some tough bye week guys this week so it will be interesting to see if he can fight through adversity and get that winning streak to 5.

7. Pop

Previous (14,14,12,8,5,5,7,9)

Pop’s doesn’t have the most talented team in the league, but he finds guys that can be productive.  He has a very strong defense and the hottest kicker in the league.  A lot of teams don’t worry too much about their defense and kicker, but it can make all the difference on Sunday.  This team is very scrappy and will give you a fight every week.

8. Clay

Previous (10,4,4,7,7,6,8,10)

Clay started as my 10^th team then hung out around the top 7 and last week went back to ten.  It looked like I had Clay pegged right from the beginning, but last week’s trade has brought him depth and optimism.  It is going to be very important for Clay to choose the right players on a weekly basis.  I hope he’s paying attention and his skills are sharp. 

9. Kristen

Previous (11,13,11,5,2,1,1,6)

Nine might be a little too low for this talented team.  That saying, Kristen has lost three in a row and dropped to 4-4.  Kristen’s entire team was on a bye in week 8, but if she wants to get back in my top five she needs to step it up and put up a big number in week 9.

10.  Jeff

Previous (4,2,2,4,8,4,6,8)

This is me officially giving up on my favorite team heading into the season.  Jeff came out strong and looked so promising.  However, recently his team has vastly underperformed and had some bad luck.  Jeff has scored a lot of points, but has lost a lot of close games.  It’s still possible for this team to make the playoffs, but they are going to have to go 4-1 in the last five matchups.

11. Gill

Previous (3,5,7,10,10,9,12,13)

Once upon a time the strength of this team was its depth at every position.  Now Gill has literally no depth and a major problem as Torain went down with a hamstring injury last week.  Despite the 5-3 record this team is still one of the weakest teams in the league.

12. Mike

Previous (12,10,13,12,11,11,10,12)

I have talked with Mike a lot about his team and we both agree that his team is very solid.  Mike has a lot of quality players and puts up a god amount of points.  He just can’t find a way to win.  If he doesn’t win I will have a hard time ranking him inside my top ten.  I would approach this team with caution; Mike never gives up.

13. Shawn

Previous (5,8,8,11,9,10,13,11)

This is officially not Shawn’s season.  Every time he puts up a big number his opponent has their best week of the year.  I honestly believe this team is better on paper than Chris’ and Alex’s teams who are in my top 6.  Shawn just can’t get any luck and I have accepted that.

14. Anton

Previous (6,7,10,13,12,12,14,14)

Will Anton win a game this year?  The odds are still in his favor, but I am starting to get a little worried.  The best part about finishing last is that you usually get to choose first where you want to draft next year, except in our league the winner of pick um gets that honor.  Tough year for Nor Cal Flyin Fish.

Week 8 Power Rankings

Hello again everyone!  Our season is now officially more than half over.  There are a few teams that have been weak the first half of the year, who look poised for greatness in the second half.  I did my rankings this week on much more that just stats, I also took momentum and whose players are the hottest right now.  There are six NFL teams on byes in week 8 so make sure you get your lineups set before the games.

1. Dan

Previous (2)

 Dan reclaimed top dog status by beating my number one team the last two weeks.  In my opinion Roddy White has been the best fantasy player this year.  Dan is still searching for a second running back and Tony Romo went down with a broken collarbone.  Dan’s season now rests in the hands of the very talented but unproven Matt Stafford. 

2. Pat

Previous (3)

Pat is on fire!  He has had the high week two weeks in a row now.  It seems he has two or three players that go off every week.  Right now Pat can do no wrong and if you play him, expect to get a loss.

3. Garret

Previous (5)

Garret has been hovering around this spot all year.  His team is incredibly talented and his running backs are finally getting healthy.  If he can get consistent production out of Moss he should continue to put wins. 

4. Chris

Previous (4)

Chris again played the low score of the week.  It seems that if you play Chris you are going to have your worst performance of the season.  Chris is putting up just enough points to win.  This isn’t the BCS, it doesn’t matter how much you beat your opponent by.  Right now Chris has the best record in our league and sees the playoffs in his future. 

5. Logan

Previous (5)

Logan takes this week’s Frontier Airlines Flight of the week.  I know that Logan has the lowest point total in the league, but the trade for McFadden and Lloyd have really sparked this team.  His starting nine are as good as anybody in the league.  Look for this team to make a second half charge and get into the playoffs. 

6. Kristen

Previous (1)

Kristen is on a losing streak and desperately needs a win.  Unfortunately in week eight her three top players are on a bye.  If Kristen drops to 4-4, her playoff chances will start to fade.

7. Alex

Previous (9)  

Wow! Alex won last week by less than a point.  He is on a roll and has somehow improved his record to 4-3.  I have to say, I am very impressed with this team’s performance.  I wrote them off after week 3 and they are defiantly proving me wrong.     

8. Jeff

Previous (6)

Jeff lost in the absolute worst way in week 7.  He thought he had won, but a scoring error by CBS gave Alex a fumble on a kick return.  We of course don’t count fumbles lost on returns so the two points was credited back to Alex and Jeff got the loss.  It will be interesting to see how Jeff responds in week 8 after such a disappointing loss. 

9. Pop

Previous (7)

Pops team really let him down as three of his players failed to record a point.  His running back situation is horrific with Addai hurt.  I don’t see how Pop is going to stay competitive unless he can find some running backs in the immediate future. 

10. Clay

Previous (8)

Clay has been looking to add quality players on his team and he did that in a trade this week.  Clay gave up Reggie Wayne for four players that give his team depth.  I love that Clay was able to get Dez Bryant in the trade.  He seemed to be Kitna’s favorite target on Sunday.  I think the trade will spark Clay’s team to a second half run.

11. Shawn

Previous (13)

Shawn outlasted Mike in a week seven shootout.  Michael Turner had his best game of the year and Thomas Jones continued to run well.  I think it’s officially time for this team to look another direction at running back.  Ronnie Brown just simply isn’t getting the job done.

12. Mike

Previous (10)

This is probably too low to rank Mike, but it’s where he fits in this week.  He was a tough luck loser putting up 132 points.  Eli Manning has been fantastic and the depth at running back for this team is a nice strength.  Mike has lost a few close ones this year, but you can always count on him to compete and give you a tough game. 

13. Gill

Previous (12)

Gill again made the wrong lineup decisions in week 7.  Gill traded all his depth this week for Reggie Wayne.  If one guy gets hurt on his roster, Gill is going to be in a lot of trouble.  I don’t like endorsing teams that are just one concussion away from a miserable season. 

14. Anton

Previous (14)

I decided to interview Anton this week about his team.  All he had to say was “Team Trash.”

World Series Preview

Ok so first things first.  I have to give credit when it’s due.  My rival blog writer Alex somehow picked both the Rangers and Giants to be in the World Series.  Although he did take my advice and pick bold, he deserves a lot of credit because almost on one was predicting a Rangers v. Giants WS.

With the Rangers and Giants in the series I doubt anyone on the east coast will even watch.  That’s a dam shame because this could be a matchup for the ages.  True baseball fans are not going to miss a pitch of the 2010 World Series. 

Let’s break down this matchup: 

Pitching: The Giants have arguably had the best pitching staff for the entire season.  Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez keep the Giants in every game.  Their bullpen is rock solid led by all-star closer, Brian “black beard” Wilson.  The Giants have built their team around pitching and it is their strongest assist for this series.  That being said, the Rangers may have an inferior staff, but they have the best pitcher in this series.  Cliff Lee has been unbeatable in the playoffs the last two years.  If the Rangers decide to do so they can pitch Lee three times in this series.  That is terrible news for the Giants and their NL offense.  Remember how unfair it was last year when Cliff Lee mowed through NL hitters from August through late October?  This year he did the hard part first facing the formidable AL offenses and now gets his pay day, the Giants National League offense.  C.J. Wilson should also be extremely effective against the Giants and give the Rangers a strong one two punch.  The question mark for the Rangers is their third and forth starters and their bullpen.  Feliz, the Rangers closer, is a rookie and may panic under the pressure of closing out a World Series game.  If the Giants can build the Rangers pitch count and get to the bullpen early, they have a good chance to score some late runs.  Advantage: Giants

Hitting: The Rangers scored a whopping 90 runs more than the Giants this year.  The Rangers lineup is full of big bat all-stars and the Giants lineup is full of average veterans and a young stud.  The Rangers love to lead the yard and have a good eye.  There one through seven hitters strike fear into any pitcher.  They also led the league in two out hitting, an invaluable asset in the post season.  The Giants are a very scrappy offense.  Meaning they make the best of their opportunities.  They are good at manufacturing runs and never waste an at bat.  Look for Buster Posey to try and shoulder the load for this offense.  The Giants style of offense should actually be effective in this series, but the Rangers have a lot more talent in their lineup.  Advantage: Rangers 

Base Running:   On the season the Rangers stole 123 SB and the Giants stole 55.  There’s a lot more than just base stealing when it comes to base running, but you can’t ignore the gap between the numbers.  Andrus has already stolen eight bases this post season for the Rangers.  Kinsler, Cruz and even Hamilton will take off whenever they want.  Torres poses the only real base threat for the Giants.  Something to watch in this area is: Tim Lincecum has struggled all year holding runners on, so it will be interesting to see if the Rangers run early and often.  The Rangers go first to third better than any team in baseball.  They are aggressive and put pressure on the defense.  The Giants aren’t a bad base running team by any means, but the Rangers have the clear cut advantage here.  Advantage: Rangers

Defense:  When you build your team around pitching you usually accompany that with a first class defense.  That’s exactly what the Giant’s have done.  They are very sharp on defense and make all the plays.  They play in the national league and are use to small ball and bunting situations.  When you build your team around offense you tend to lack in the defensive are.  This is exactly what has happened to the Rangers.  They have big, strong, offensive guys who play sub-bar defense.  There only two bright spots on defense are journeyman Bengie Molina and flashy rookies short stop Elvis Andrus.  Advantage: Giants

Intangibles:  Both the Rangers and Giants are glad to be playing each other rather than one of last year’s World Series contenders.  The NL finally won an all-star game meaning the Giants will have home field advantage.  This year that actually is an advantage as AT&T Park is one of the more tricky stadiums in baseball.  It frequently has strong wind gusts and has a very unique outfield.  Both managers have done a great job this year and are up for manager of the year.  Everything Bruce Bochy has done this year seems to work out for the Giants.  Ron Washington and the Rangers are favored in the series by the Vegas odds makers.  This will put pressure on the Rangers, a team who hasn’t had a lot of players in this position before.  The Giants will relish the underdog role and play their hearts out.  They are on a role, not knowing if they would make the playoffs on the last day of the regular season to hosting game one of the World Series.  I think both teams have a lot going for them in this series and I don’t see a clear advantage for either team in the intangibles category.  Advantage: Even

Outcome:  I have been thinking about this series since Wilson threw a back door slider and froze Ryan Howard to send the Giants on.  My first instinct told me to go with the Rangers, their big offense and ace Cliff Lee.  Unfortunately it’s not that easy for me.  The Giants have come up with just enough offense all year and are very experienced in one run games.  They know how to win baseball games and it scares me to pick against a team that knows how to win the close ones.  With that said I always feel more comfortable picking the team with the most talent to win.  October is a time for players to step up and become heroes.  The Rangers have more talent and I believe it is their time.  No matter what the outcome is, these two teams are going to treat us to some great baseball.  However, wouldn’t it be great for baseball and America if Cliff Lee pitches on short rest and beats the Giants in game 7 at AT&T Park?  Winner: Rangers in 7