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Episode 009: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Episode 009 The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Baseball Edition June 30th to July 6th

Featuring Jake Ciely (@allinkid) of RotoExperts.com

Jake Ciely

About My Guest:  

In addition to covering the NFL, MLB and College Football, Jake “All In Kid” Ciely is a poker enthusiast. Involved with Fantasy Sports since the mid 1990s, Jake went “All In” when he joined RotoExperts in 2010 and was a finalist for the FSWA Newcomer of the Year. As with poker, he rarely loses, and deals you the best odds to win with Fantasy Sports with his sought after, self-created metrics. If you want to come up Aces, get the deal from our Senior Writer by following him on Twitter @allinkid or emailing jakeallinciely@rotoexperts.com
Jake’s recent work:  Fantasy Football Rookie Values in Redraft Leagues – HERE
Episode Summary:  Jake Ciely of RotoExperts.com joins me to talk some Fantasy Baseball and we find out the reason for his nickname that stuck. (@allinkid)
Episode Breakdown
  • Intro
  • Get to know Jake Ciely
  • Fantasy News Impact on topics from Taijuan Walker’s Monday call up to if Homer Bailey is turning it around in Cincy, and much much more.
  • 2 Start Streaming Pitchers for the week of June 30th to July 6th
  • The Coach’s Office   1- Kalhoun, Yelich or Eaton ROS. 2- Taijuan Walker or Marcus Stroman ROS. 3- Todd Frazier as a keeper?  4- Is Allen Craig dropable and would Mookie Betts be the pick up?
  • Waiver Wire Adds for June 30th
  • Outro

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.

 A big thank you goes out to Jake Ciely (@allinkid) for coming on the podcast and bringing the fantasy good stuff for episode 09 of the podcast.  I would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat.  You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

 

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2014 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball Outlook

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I have to admit I haven’t been this excited about an NBA draft since LeBron was taking his talents to the NBA.  The injury to Joel Embiid can’t even dampen my mood.  There are players all throughout this draft that are going to be big time dynasty fantasy basketball assets, and a few are going to help people win some fantasy titles this year.

My Top 20 Fantasy Prospects

Andrew Wiggins 6’8″ Kansas   Andrew Wiggins is so explosively athletic that it will be tough to not picture him being the best player to come out of this draft.  He has an excellent jump shot to go along with his freakish athletic ability and ideal size.  He will play the two or the three right away when he gets into the NBA as his game doesn’t need much work even though he is a one and done college prospect.  I suggest you make a significant trade offer to get up to the one spot in your dynasty rookie draft to pick Wiggins.

Joel Embiid 7’0″ Kansas  Embiid is a bit of a gamble at the second spot in my rankings because of his injury history, but I think he’s going to be worth the gamble.  His offensive game grew by leaps and bounds this season as he developed a low post game and a decent mid range jumper to go along with his NBA ready defensive ability.  The foot injury that will keep him out for the beginning of the season along with the back injury that cost him his chance to help Kansas win a title will see him slide in your rookie drafts.  Don’t let him get past you.  There just aren’t enough skilled big men in the game and he could develop into one of the better ones in the entire NBA.

Jabari Parker 6’8″ Duke  I would like Parker a whole lot more if he was more athletic and better defensively.  Basically Parker is going to score a bunch no matter where he goes.  He’s a great shooter who can get to the rim and can shoot off the dribble and on the move.  He’s not the best defender and it will be interesting to see which position he ends up guarding on the defensive end of the floor.  He’s too small to guard legit fours and may be too big to stick with quicker wing players.  Even with all of that you can see him go as high as 1st overall in your rookie drafts because he can score and shoot the 3 with ease.

Julius Randle 6’9″ Kentucky Randle has an issue with his foot that may require surgery and if it does post draft you may see him tumble down some rookie drafts.  I wouldn’t let him slip past this spot because of what he can do in the paint.  Think Z-Bo lite.  Randle is a true power forward who enjoys banging on the block and has the hands and athleticism to finish inside.  He probably will be the first from this class to average a double double and could be that source of rebounds your team is lacking.

Dante Exum 6’6″ Australia All I know about Exum is what I have seen on YouTube and on some scouting sites.  He is a freakish athlete that is long and can handle the ball.  He is an excellent passer and possesses a body that can develop into a huge miss match at the point guard position in the NBA.  He may not contribute to your fantasy team year one as he will need a little bit of time to develop, but he could end up being Russell Westbrook-like if he develops as many think he will.

Noah Vonleh 6’10” Indiana Vonleh is another youngster that came out of college early.  He is big and fast with long arms and excellent range for such a young big.  He could pitch in with some decent numbers as a rookie, but he has an excellent upside as a big that can fill multiple categories.

Aaron Gordon 6’9″ Arizona Gordon is an unfinished product coming out of college, but there are two things he can do really well.  He can defend and he can run the floor and finish above the rim.  He should be able to contribute in steals, rebounds and the occasional points barrage when he gets in the pen floor, but his real value is down the road if he develops a jumper with some range.  He could be Shawn Marion or he could be even better, either way he will help your fantasy team.

Zach LaVine 6’6″ UCLA LaVine is a stash that you’re going to have to reach for.  Players with his athleticism and and shooting ability don’t fall in rookie drafts even if they are two seasons away from contributing.  I’m excited about his upside, but I may let him go past this spot if I am in a position to win now.

Dario Saric 6’10” Croatia Saric is a stash at this point because he decided to stay in Europe for at least another two years.  He would have been a top ten pick in the draft had he decided to make the jump this year, but alas his decision may benefit you as he slides down rookie draft boards.  He could develop into one of those bigs that fills almost every category as he already has NBA range on his jump shot.

Marcus Smart 6’3″ Oklahoma State Smart made the headlines for all the wrong reasons this year.  He could have been a top five pick if he came out last year, but this year he will end up a big piece on a better team.  I think he can be better than Kyle Lowry and we all know what Lowry did this year in fantasy.

Elfrid Payton 6’4″ Louisiana Lafayette Payton has a lot of speed and toughness and can already run and defend at an NBA level.  He will have to put on some muscle, but he could be a steal for a fantasy team that needs some youth at the point guard position.

Tyler Ennis 6’3″ Syracuse Ennis would be in the top 5 if he was 6’6″, but instead he’s 6’3″ and will fall in the NBA draft.  Ennis is a great passer and floor general who has some range on his shot and can defend.  If he develops an NBA 3 point shot he would be a steal down there.

Adreian Payne 6’10” Michigan State Payne can stretch the floor playing the four or the five in the NBA and should be able to defend and rebound right away.  I like Payne for all of these reasons, but he could be a guy you might get a little later than here because he lacks ideal athletic upside.

Doug McDermott 6’8″ Creighton Dougie Buckets as he’s known in draft circles is going to be a volume scorer that will help your team in 3P% and FT% while scoring his fair share.  I realy like McDermott and am going to target him anywhere I need a boost in threes and in percentages.

Nik Stauskas 6’7″ Michigan Stauskas is arguably the best shooter in this draft and should be a weapon in the NBA right away.  I will also try and target him in leagues where I lack three point shooting and where I have some guys bringing down my three point percentages.  I would rather take him at the end of the second round ideally in most rookie drafts.

PJ Hairston 6’5″ North Carolina I really wonder where we would be talking about Hairston going in this NBA draft if he didn’t get in trouble at North Carolina.  I love his athleticism and his shooting and he has a big strong two guard body that could cause some real match up problems in the NBA.  I realy love Hairston and his value could skyrocket if he lands in a really good spot.

James Young 6’8″ Kentucky Young is a really good shooter and is built to play the three in the NBA.  Teams love to use long threes that can stretch the floor and hit the corner three while also slashing to the basket and Young can do all of it.  He may take some time to develop, but don’t be fooled if he slips in the NBA draft.

Gary Harris 6’5″ Michigan State Harris is going to benefit from being a complete guard that can score and defend at the next level.  He should be in for big rookie minutes and will fill lots of categories for your fantasy team.  He just doesn’t have the elite upside that others have above him in my rankings.  Very solid second round pick though.

Shabazz Napier 6’1″ UCONN Napier is a bit undersized to play the point at an elite level in the NBA and is a bit older for an ideal dynasty pick, but he can score and is a tenacious defender.  He should be in line for minutes right away where ever he lands in the draft and if he lands i the right spot he could flourish.

Glen Robinson III 6’7″ Michigan Robinson is a real talent that was a bit of an enigma in college.  He can score with his athleticism and can defend when motivated.  He needs to work on his jumper, but I don’t see why he can’t fix it at the next level.

Let me know who I missed in the 2014 NBA Draft and what you think either here or on Twitter @Coachesser.

Adreian Payne

 

 

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Episode 008: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Episode 008 The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Baseball Edition

Flying Solo mid-week

 

Episode Rundown

News and Notes –  Cashner back on the DL.  Gerrit Cole coming off the DL on Saturday.  Buchholtz coming off the DL tonight.  Huge ups to Tim Lincecum for his 2nd No hitter against the Padres.  Matt Adams is hot!   Yoenis Cespedes is also hot!  14/37 with his 1st inning double tonight.  Erasmo Ramirez demoted to AAA, his spot in the rotation lines up with Taijuan Walker.  Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia on the DL with bad shoulders.  Alex Wood back in the Braves rotation after the injury to Gavin Floyd.

Streaming options for late in the week

Brandon Cumpton against the Mets

Kyle Gibson against the Rangers

Mike Bolsinger against the Padres

Drew Smyly against the Astros

Colin McHugh against the Mariners

Yohan Pino against the Royals

Free Agents Jesse Hahn- 6.8% owned on ESPN.  27 K’s in 22 and 1/3 innings, 3QS.  Charlie Morton continues to pitch well with no luck, 11 K’s today and was overshadowed by David Price.  Matt Shoemaker is pitching well for the Angels.  Pick him up and ride him while he’s hot.

The Coach’s Office-Twitter- How hard should I go after David Price in a trade?  Facebook-Is Devin Mesoraco going to regress or is he a legit top 5 Catcher going forward?  Facebook-If I’m in 13th place in a 14 team keeper league with 6 teams making the play offs should I start selling off now or wait until after the All Star break?

Join me next week when I have Jake Ciely, The All-in-Kid (@allinkid) on the podcast to talk about some fantasy baseball.

 

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.

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Episode 007: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Episode 007: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Baseball Edition For June 16th to June 22nd

Featuring T or as he’s known in the Twitterverse (@Whudey)

@Whudey's Perusing The Perimeter Podcast

@Whudey’s Perusing The Perimeter Podcast

About My Guest:

Host of Perusing the Perimeter @ProjectRoto Radio. #3   Ranker 2013  Member Twitter Baseball/Football 2013 Champion!

You can find all of T’s recent articles Here.

Episode Summary:  I get to know my man T a little bit better and talk all about the week that was in Fantasy Baseball as well as what we can expect in the near future.  We talk about all the current news as well as answer some questions from the audience.

Episode Breakdown:

  • Intro
  • We get to know @Whudey a little bit as I ask him about his beloved Reds and Bengals as well learn a little bit about his podcast Perusing The Perimeter that he hosts with @Slimcliffy.
  • News- Wainwright injury scare, Gio Gonzalez activated from DL for Wednesday start, Votto returned this week from injury, Cargo has a small tumor with tentacles removed from his troublesome finger, Tulow and Hanley are a little banged up, Polanco’s hot start, Taveras demotion, Matt Adams brings the hammer with him off the DL, Josh Donaldson breaks an o for 33 with a seeing eye single, Sergio Romo and Ernesto Frieri Struggling, Drew Hutchinson’s crazy Road/ Home split continues this week.  W-L 1-3 8.72 ERA at home, W-L 4-1 1.79 ERA on the road.
  • Hits and misses from last week’s episode with @RSandersRX of RotoExperts.com
  • 2 Start Streamers and Late Week Saviors
  • The Coach’s Office- Q1) What does my guest @Whudey expect from Mat Latos going forward?  Can he be that fantasy ace that most teams are missing?   Q2) Twitter Question- Who do we each like for the rest of the year from this grouping ( Marcus Stroman, Kevin Gausman, Chase Whitley)  Q3)  Because of the struggles of some of the top pitchers picked in drafts this year does it still make sense to pay for pitching in Roto leagues next year?
  • Waiver Wire Adds
  • Outro

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.

I want to thank my buddy T (@Whudey) for coming on the podcast and being his awesome self.   I would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat.  You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

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Robert Turbin Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

Dynasty owners who were stubborn with their investment in Toby Gerhart look like they will finally reap the rewards in 2014.  Gerhart is out from behind the enormous shadow of the all-world Adrian Peterson in Minnesota and is poised to be the main ball carrier and running back option out of the backfield for the Jacksonville Jaguars.  While, Gerhart patiently waited for his chance to shine, many dynasty owners had given up on him even though he put up very respectable numbers when given the chance for the Vikings.

Robert Turbin owners are in an even tougher situation in Seattle.  Not only is Turbin behind the rock-steady Marshawn Lynch, but he has the next Adrian Peterson, Christine Michael, leaving tread marks on him as he flies past him on the depth chart.  I have seen some Turbin owners become disillusioned with his future prospects when all they ever hear is how good Christine Michael is going to be.    I’m here to say stay strong brothers of Turbin ownership.

You are going to have to play the long game with Robert Turbin.  Turbin is signed cheaply though the 2015 season in Seattle, and is too valuable to the Seahawks as a pass catching option, who can pass protect.  While those skills are appreciated in Seattle, they may be even more appreciated somewhere else in 2016.

What does Turbin have going for him in 2016?

There are a ton of 27 year old and older starting running backs in the league right now.

Photo credit: Getty images

Photo credit: Getty images

Jamaal Charles 27

Matt Forte 28

Adrian Peterson 29

Marshawn Lynch 28

Chris Johnson 28

Ryan Mathews 27

Toby Gerhart 27

Reggie Bush 29/ Joquie Bell 27

Rashad Jennings 29

Maurice Jones-Drew 29

Frank Gore 31

Pierre Thomas 29

Arian Foster 27

Steven Jackson 30

Ray Rice 27

Not only are there a ton of older running backs at the back end of their productivity, but there are a couple of teams that are unsettled at the position.

Patriots- Is Ridley over his fumbling issues?  Can Shane Vereen make it through a season healthy?

Cardinals- Can Andre Ellington carry the load?

Dolphins- Knowshon Moreno is probably a stop gap if he even starts.  Lamar Miller has not shown mcuh in his two seasons.

Redskins- Does Alfred Morris fit the new offense?  Are Lache Seastrunk or Roy Helu able to be three down backs?

Robert Turbin will be 26 as an unrestricted free agent in 2016 when NFL teams may just be primed to pick up a young veteran who can play all three downs.

Turbin is a very strong and talented running back.  He just happens to be joined in the Seahawks backfield with two studs.  Here’s a highlight video of his rookie season from YouTube.  Careful it’s NSFW.  Watch without sound if you are at work or offended by curse words in songs.

Turbin’s size and speed stack up well against two running backs in Carolina, that he could eventually replace.  Here’s a chart from MockDraftable.com that shows his Combine Stats and how they rate against other running backs.

One more thing he’s got going for him, that actually means next to nothing in football skill terms, is he has the biggest biceps on a running back since Thomas Jones or Eric Bieniemy.

Things that are not in his favor:

-Robert Turbin does not have the pedigree that Toby Gerhart did coming into the NFL.  Gerhart was a Heisman Trophy runner up, to Mark Ingram, and won the Doak Walker award as the best running back in the country his senior year at Stanford University.  Turbin was a small school running back, Utah State, and was drafted 106th overall in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft.  Where you’re picked and where you went to school don’t matter after you’re in the league, but if you don’t shine in your chances and really create an impression that you’re an NFL starter caliber running back then you have an uphill battle when it comes to getting a chance to start in free agency.

-The 2015 NFL draft class looks like it will be loaded with talent at the running back position.  While running backs may not ever go as high as Trent Richardson just a few years ago, they still dominate from the second round on as NFL teams try to stack talent in their backfields.

Karlos Williams Florida State

Todd Gurley Georgia

TJ Yeldon Alabama

Melvin Gordon Wisconsin

and at least for or five more backs that could be drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round.

-There are young backs behind some of the old guard around the NFL that may be able to step into a lead back role.

KC-Knile Davis

CHI-Ka’Deem Carey

NYG-Andre Williams or David Wilson

BLT-Lorenzo Taliferro or Bernard Pierce

SD- Marion Grice

ATL-Devonta Freeman

SF-Carlos Hyde

My Final Thoughts on Robert Turbin’s dynasty fantasy football outlook:

I’m not trying to sell you on the fact that Robert Turbin will eventually be a top ten fantasy football back in any format.  I’m just trying to sell you on the fact that there is an opportunity in Turbin’s future to become a valuable piece in your dynasty fantasy football team.  I think he’s more talented then Rashad Jennings and Jennings looks to have grabbed the starting job in New York, at least for the time being, and he’s younger and more talented then some running backs that other people have ranked ahead of him.

So…..if Turbin happens to be dropped in your dynasty league scoop him up and carve out a nice spot on your bench that may pay off decent dividends in 2016.  If you can sneakily include him in a potential trade acquisition where you are set up at the running back position for the next two years then do it!

 

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Episode 006: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Episode 006 of The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Baseball Edition for the week of June 10th to June 17th

Featuring Ricky Sanders (@RSandersRX)of RotoExperts.com

Ricky Sanders of RotoExperts.com

Ricky Sanders of RotoExperts.com

About My Guest:

After starting several freelance Fantasy Sports blogs, Ricky caught his first break in the Fantasy industry when he joined Going9Baseball.com. He was also a contributor to FakePigskin.com and FantasyBasketballMoneyLeagues.com before becoming a member of the RotoExperts staff. Ricky is a proud and active member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Don’t hesitate to contact him with your questions on Twitter @RSandersRX.

Some Recent Articles by Ricky Sanders:

http://rotoexperts.com/70049/fantasy-football-colin-kaepernick-is-overpaid-and-overrated/

Episode Summary:  Ricky and I talk about another injury to a stud young starting pitcher.  Who you should run to the waiver wire to add.  Which 2-Start starting pitcher will help you win your week in fantasy baseball. We also discus Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and his Fantasy feud with Dan Strafford.
Episode Breakdown:
  • Intro
  • We get to know Ricky and find out if Dan Strafford is his biggest nemesis in the Fantasy Sports Community.  I find out how far Ricky is willing to travel to try a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  We talk a little daily fantasy sports and also find out how he came to be a RotoExpert.
  • News and Notes- Where do you find Gerrit Cole’s replacement for your fantasy team.
  • Hits and Misses from last week’s episode with Josh Collacchi of XNSports.com
  • 2 Start Streamers for June 10th to June 17th
  • The Coach’s Office- Here’s where my guest and I will answer your questions from Facebook and Twitter.
  • Waiver Wire Adds
  • Outro

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.

I would like to extend a big thank you to my friend Ricky Sanders for coming on The Fantasy Coach Podcast.  Make sure you follow him on Twitter (@RSandersRX) and catch all of his fantasy articles at RotoExperts.com.  I would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat.  You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

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2014 Fantasy Football Standard Rankings

2014 Fantasy Football Standard Scoring Rankings

Standard Scoring

Believe it or not people still play in leagues that use standard scoring.  I know that seems hard to believe, and you may picture them as baby-boomers waiting for their AARP insurance reply, but that’s not necessarily the case.  Some proponents of standard scoring like the fact that it rewards owners for having players that actually score touchdowns.  Some of these fantasy players are younger than you would think and think doing some standard leagues gives them some advantage over players who are only used to PPR scoring.

Without anymore build up here are my standard rankings as of June 1st, 2014 as they look on FantasyPros.com.


Fantasy Football Rankings powered by FantasyPros
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Episode 005: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

 

Episode 005 of The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Baseball Edition for the week of June 2nd to June 9th

Featuring Josh Collacchi (@JoshCollacchi) of ProjectRoto.com among others

 

Fantasy Baseball Podcast Guest

A candid shot of my guest Josh Collacchi of ProjectRoto.com, XNSports.com, PFF-Fantasy, and eDraft.com

About My Guest:

Josh writes about fantasy sports for Pro Football Focus Fantasy, XNSports.com, eDraft.com, ProjectRoto.com, and has been featured in the Boston Herald and Chicago Tribune.  He covered the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama last year, and have covered the last two NFL drafts.

He also created FantasyVA, which is a metric on eDraft focusing on fantasy baseball values, and is currently working on another metric for pitchers, details on that coming soon.
You can find his work:
PFF Fantasy: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/author/jcollacchipff/ (DFS NFL, Fantasy Football)
XNSports: http://www.xnsports.com/author/joshcollacchi/ (NBA DFS, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Football)
eDraft: http://edraft.com/our-journalists/archive/josh-collacchi (Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Football, NFL draft)
ProjectRoto: http://projectroto.com/author/josh-collacchi/ (Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Football, DFS)

Episode Summary:  Josh and I go over all the big news in Fantasy Baseball as well look for ways to help your teams win this coming week.  We cover everything from the call-up of Oscar Taveras and the excellent outings from Marcus Stroman and Rubby De La Rosa to the injuries to Will Myers and A.J. Pollock.

  • Intro
  • We get to know about Josh and find out how he is able to write for so many sites across so many sports.
  • Important News of the week-Injuries-Call-ups-Hot Streaks
  • Hits and Misses from last week’s episode with Jonathan from ToTeamFantasy.com
  • 2-Start Streamers
  • Sell High Candidates
  • Buy Low Candidates
  • Waiver Wire adds for this week

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.

I would like to thank my guest Josh Collacchi for taking time from his busy schedule, on short notice, to come on the podcast and would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat.  You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

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David Wilson: I Just Can’t Quit You

Last night I had the pleasure of joining my old Co-host from Trick Plays, Micah James (The FFMagicman), on his new show on FFToolBox Radio.  I had a blast with my old running mate, but one discussion really stuck in my craw all night

.

                                                                               Discover Sports Internet Radio with FFToolbox on BlogTalkRadio

An audience member asked us to discuss the New York Giants’ roster and their fantasy prospects for 2014.  I gave my best assessment of what I think the Giants have to offer for fantasy football players, but when it came to discussing David Wilson I was really at a loss. In reality I am not expecting anything from Wilson in fantasy football this season.  I desperately hope I’m wrong and that he grows as a football player exponentially this summer, but the reality is there isn’t much time for him to heal physically (fused neck) and make up for all the short comings in his game. (Pass-blocking, fumbling, and timing as a runner) I have to admit that I was a huge supporter of David Wilson last off season.  His athleticism is the stuff that fantasy dreams are made of.

If the measurables weren’t enough to keep your interest then the news that his direct competition for touches in the Giants backfield last season, Andre Brown, breaking his leg in the preseason may have swayed you to reconsider.  These factors plus the fact that I was covering the Giants for BigBlueView.com and got to see David Wilson in person at the Giants’ training camp had me hook-line-and sinker. I watched as he exploded all over the field.  He was returning kicks, flying through the line of scrimmage on runs and making leaping one-handed grabs in the passing game. (yes Eli was a little inaccurate even in the preseason)  If I could have pawned my wife’s wedding ring to buy more shares in David Wilson I may have done it.

The big issue ended up being that I was too close to the situation.  I was right up in there, drinking the cool-aid and writing it for everyone to see.  If I had just taken a step back I may have not been so bullish on the situation. Here’s the reason why: The Giants’s offensive line in the preseason showed all the signs of an aging unit that could fall off the cliff at any moment.  Center David Baas had been riddled with injuries since he became a Giant.  Former-All-Pro Guard Chris Snee was playing on a hip that was operated on and compensating with the other one that was just as injured.  David Diehl was a warrior for the Giants in the late 2000’s, but his best games were clearly behind him and he was still going to be a big contributor.

The only true hope was a rookie tackle that had short arms and was more of a technician than a mauler when it came to the running game.  The depth behind the aging lineman was where the Giants really faltered.  They didn’t have anyone that could actually come in and get the job done.  They had instead tried to fill those roles with projects like James Brewer. Besides an offensive line that was showing signs of cracks the Giants had one of the worst blocking tight ends in the league, Brandon Myers, penciled in as their new starter.  The bulked up former work-out warrior Adrien Robinson was supposed to be the key blocker at the tight end position, but he ballooned up to over 285 pounds and injured his foot in the preseason.

The fumbles by David Wilson against the Dallas Cowboys in week 1 were actually a culmination of mistakes that he had continued to make in the preseason.  The pressure was on the young man and he really struggled with it.  In redraft leagues I panicked right away.  I was not buying low as some were in the first few weeks of the season.  Instead I was selling him for a sliding scale from Frank Gore to Ryan Matthews.  By the end you were lucky to get Mark Ingram for him. In dynasty leagues it was tough to become a seller.  His value had taken a dip, but his potential was just so high that actually pulling the trigger on a deal was difficult.

All of these bad memories had me file David Wilson away as a cautionary tale in the back of my mind, but then after talking to Micah that file was reopened. I had to look at David Wilson for the opportunity and the player that he is THIS season. Wilson suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck last season and had spinal fusion in the off-season.  The Giants were pretty tight-lipped about his recovery, but then around the NFL draft Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reece started saying that they believed Wilson would be cleared to play this season and that he was in fantastic shape. I teased a few of my friends on Twitter with tweets about Wilson being back, but they were all in jest.

I mean, the Giants had already moved on and signed their work-horse back in Rashad Jennings. The same Jennings that is 29 years old and has never rushed for over 750 yards in a season.  The same Rashad Jennings who’s career totals look like a down season for Adrien Peterson.  ( 1677 rushing yards and 13 TOTAL TDs) Well if Jennings isn’t the answer then it must be the running back the Giants drafted in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft.  Right?  Andre Williams is a gifted runner with some very surprising explosion numbers for a running back that is over 230 pounds, BUT he has smallish hands (9 Inches) and has never shown the ability to catch the football.  He really hasn’t shown the leg drive that would make him a short yardage back either, but he is a very good running back to add to a rotation. If Jennings can’t stay healthy, as he’s often showed in his career, then David Wilson is right back in the mix.  If he can somehow learn how to pass block to go with his pass catching skills then he could even slide right into Jennings role as lead back.  There’s a lot to get excited about and that’s why my former Co-host was so adamant that he will take a flier on Wilson late in some drafts because of the upside. So what else does David Wilson have going for him this year? First of all he’s back on the field.

Second, he has a brand new offensive line blocking for him. The Giants spent a lot of money in the off season getting quality bodies to either start of be key back ups.  They signed one of ProFootballFocus’s favorite offensive lineman in Geoff Schwartz from Kansas City.  They signed J.D. Walton and John Jerry to be key back ups on the interior of the offensive line.  They drafted the best Center available in the NFL Draft in Weston Richburg to potentially start and they signed Charles Brown to be a swing tackle. Third, he has a brand new offense.

Kevin Gilbride’s running game was built on slow developing running plays that really weren’t the best way to use David Wilson.  Ben McCadoo’s new West Coast Offense should be just what the doctor ordered.  Screens, Speed Draws, and quick fullback leads will get Wilson in open space quicker.  My excitement for the new offense is tempered by the fact that he has to learn a whole new blocking scheme with new responsibilities.  He will be learning this new offense all while coming back from a major injury. While he was clearly off my radar before last night he is back in my bag of late round darts at this point.

Even if he never becomes the fantasy star I thought he was destined for he can be a big contributor to a turn around for a Giants offense that was a fantasy wasteland last season.

Updated 8/4/2014:  David Wilson has been told by New York Giants team doctors that his career is over. After suffering a burner in practice the week before many people around the organization feared the worse when thinking of David Wilson’s football playing days.  Sure enough, the doctors confirmed that it was just too dangerous for Wilson to go back on the field.  Tom Coughlin told the media that the smile never left Wilson’s face, even when hearing the career ending news.  David Wilson’s quote put in perspective the fact that he still lived his dream, no matter how fleeting it was, and looks forward to dreaming a new dream and living that one as well.  While I am sad today as a Giants fan as a fantasy football owner who dreamed of his potential, most of me is just so happy that we get to see him walk away from the game instead of suffering another major injury on the field.

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Episode 004: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Episode 004 of The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Talking Fantasy Baseball with all your news, notes and Waiver Wire Additions

Featuring: Jonathan Vandersluis Owner/ Editor of TopTeamFantasy.com

Jonathan Vandersluis Owner/Managing Editor TopTeamFantasy.com

Jonathan Vandersluis
Owner/Managing Editor TopTeamFantasy.com

About My Guest:  Jonathan Vanderluis (@Jonathan_TFF on Twitter)

Jonathan has been playing fantasy sports for almost a decade, first football and then quickly to baseball and basketball too, and founded TopTeamFantasy.com in 2013. He has always been a numbers guy, so fantasy sports provided the perfect place for him to combine his analytical skills with his passion for sports. Jonathan makes Toronto, Canada his home, but loves to travel every chance he gets and explore new places. Follow Jonathan on Twitter@Jonathan_TTF, he’d be glad to answer any of your questions and help you win your fantasy league.

 

Episode Summary:  Jonathan and I go over all the big news in Fantasy Baseball as well look for ways to help your teams win this coming week.  We cover everything from what to do at first base with Prince Fielder out for the year to if selling high on Johnny Cueto is a good idea.

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.

I would like to thank my guest Jonathan Vandersluis for taking time from his busy schedule to come on the podcast and would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat.  You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

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