Talking fantasy everything

Written by Xach on July 26, 2005

The weather outside might be steaming, but nevertheless, fall is on the way. Football marches closer by the day and so too does the NHL season. Even the nerdy chick in little Jack's grammar class knows we didn't have hockey last year. And many people didn't miss it too much. I didn't even miss it that much. And yet, for some reason I'm excited about it now. So here's to hockey. Here's to football. And here's to some of the more entertaining pennant races we've likely seen in some time.

It's time to talk fantasy . . . everything.

Baseball
As Kerry Wood prepares to admit he's done with his season -- or at least as he should be preparing -- it's clear that some fantasy busts will continue to be busted all season long. Take Todd Helton, for example. No matter what he does for his average (which has been soaring lately), there's no way for owners to recoup the diminished power numbers.

The more interesting cast of characters to look at, in my opinion, is the overachievers. I recently traded for Pat Burrell, for example. I'm beginning to fear he's well past his performance peak for the season. I hope it's not true, but I'm prepared for such a turn of events. Dontrelle Willis is another cat who I think may continue to slide. Dontrelle has a history of following brilliance with rubbish. I put Brett Myers in the same boat. And although Myers has looked much better in July than he did in June, there's just no evidence that he can last an entire season.

As the trade deadline approaches, it will be interesting to see how player values change. Last year there weren't any huge changes in player value at the deadline, but each year is different. We could see Jason Schmidt in a Red Sox or Cubs jersey before it's all said and done. Phil Nevin just declined a trade that would have done wonders for his fantasy value. Owners will likely now have to watch as he platoons with Xavier Nady for the remainder of the season.

We may also get to see some hot prospects coming down the pike in short order. Delmon Young (OF, TAM) and Felix Hernandez (SP, SEA) in particular could make instant fantasy impacts and should be having their respective cups of coffee in the next four weeks or so.

Football
You already know that Ricky Williams will be ruining running back fantasy values all over Vice City this coming fall. Ronnie Brown enthusiasts may now want to temper their expectations a bit. What you might not know is that Eddie George's agent has been talking to the Vikings. Will there ever not be a running back by committee in Minnesota? The entire fantasy world will either be rooting against Eddie George or else moving Vikings running backs further down in their preseason rankings. In either case, Onterrio Smith's absence may not be quite the boon Michael Bennett owners were hoping for. In Tennessee, Chris Brown and Travis Henry could play musical carries for a while. So that's one more running back situation to be wary of.

With Ricky Williams looking over Ronnie Brown's shoulder, Cedric Benson and Carnell Williams now appear to be the rookies to watch in 2005. If Benson's contract dispute is resolved before the preseason breaks, it looks like he has the best chance to lock down 20-plus carries a game. However, if his contract dispute continues, owners will want to handcuff him to Thomas Jones.

One word of note on defensive players: ESPN reports that Ty Law had a great workout for the Detroit Lions yesterday. They now look like the frontrunners in the Ty Law game and could make an offer as soon as today sometime.

Hockey
After taking the 2003 season off and then watching the 2004 season disappear completely, I'm back on the fantasy hockey scene this year. And for me that means more research than I should probably have committed to. But with competitive leagues come competitive obligations. So research I must. I am struggling with how to rank players after a full non-NHL season.

It appears Colorado may have to part ways with Peter Forsberg. If so, it will be interesting to see where the perennial fantasy MVP lands. His is but one of a seemingly endless number of situations that will be monitored closely in the next couple weeks. So far, the high profile victims of the new salary cap have been veterans, as Pierre Turgeon, Tony Amonte and John Leclair will all be looking for new homes.

I'll try and keep NHL information piping through Rotogods.com as I get further into my research. For now, all eyes are on Sidney Crosby, who figures to end up in Pittsburgh. He is already being compared to Wayne Gretsky and Mario Lemieux. And if that weren't enough, the 19 year old prodigy is already being counted on as the "savior" of the Penguins' franchise. Talk about pressure.

Basketball
If I may make a shameless plug, our very own Ape will be unveiling an off-season opus on NBA matters in the next day or two. Check back here to see what he's got to say. Sometimes the most significant changes in fantasy sports happen in the off-season, and Ape says he's got it all covered.

That's all for now, folks. Have a nice day.

--------------------------
For comments, suggestions, or to help Xach meet young, eligible female wookies, you can send Xach an E-mail or post a comment below.

-- Written by Xach on July 26, 2005