Kyle’s View

The trade deadline proves to bring more thunder. Another all-star changed teams as the trade deadline passed Thursday. Manny Ramirez is now a Los Angeles Dodger, after much talk and complaining on Manny’s part, the Red Sox made his wishes come to fruition. As this deal happened the Pirates joined the party to make the trade work. The Pirates sent Jason Bay to Boston and the Pirates got prospects in return, including touted prospect Andy Laroche who joins his brother Adam in Pittsburgh.

In another move that shocked everyone Ken Griffey Jr. was traded to the White Sox forNick Masset infielder Danny Richar. The move will allow Nick Swisher to play first base in place of Paul Konerko who was been hitting a dismal .214 since returning from the DL. During Konerkos DL stint, Swisher plauyed first and the White Sox went 13-7. The move allows Griffey to play for a team with serious title contention.

(images courtesy www.espn.com)

In a move that shocked baseball fans and media alike the Detroit Tigers sent Future first ballot Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez to the Yankees for Kyle Farnsworth who was pitching well of late. The move was made to fill the vacancy left by Jorge Posada’s injury that sidelined him for the season. The acquisition of Farnsworth will sure up the Tigers bullpen and Farnsworth could become the closer if newly anointed closer Fernando Rodney does not produce in the roll. This move will allow Brandon Inge to return to his old position and catch full time. Inge has been playing very well and is a big part of the tigers upswing after a terrible start. This is the latest trade in one of the biggest trading deadlines in recent history and i don’t foresee the trade barrage slowing down until the deadline passes

(images courtesy www.espn.com)

1. LaDainian Tomlinson

Lt is all sorts of fantasy goodness. He is the undisputed choice for the number one pick. He is the only player who can get you a touchdown rushing, receiving, and passing. You can’t truly appreciate his greatness until you own him.

2. Adrian Peterson

AP came out of nowhere to be a top 5 fantasy player last season. He literally ran his way into the hearts of fantasy owners who were stoked with 200 yard games, multi-touchdown gems and consistent goodness all season. He will continue to impress this season as the Vikings are competing all season to win the NFC North.

3. Stephen Jackson

Steven Jackson has all the talent to be a top 3 running back. He combines both speed and power to create a dynamic running attack for the Rams. He does have a couple questions for the upcoming season. He has had issue with injuries which would seriously hurt his fantasy value. He also has yet to report to camp and this could also hamper his value. All that said I think Steven Jackson returns to his 2006 status and has a tremendous season.

4. Brian Westbrook

Brian Westbrook a lot of what makes LT a fantasy stud. He has the running ability to consistently get 100 yard games and a touchdown or two. He also provides a receiving threat out of the backfield that is always wanted in a number one back. He will continue to produce to his level and owners will not be disappointed they drafted him.

5. Marion Barber

He is going to be the guy in big D this year and this means even better numbers for a pro bowler and fantasy stud that was a back up and time splitter last season. He will share some time with rookie Felix Jones which will be a good thing. It will allow Barber to stay healthy and have the energy to be an impact all season. Also the Cowboys have an excellent aerial attack that will make the opponent stay balanced and give Barber plenty of running room.

6. Terrell Owens

Speaking of the Cowboys aerial attack, T.O. is set to return to the fantasy elite this season. He will produce monster numbers in one of the best offenses in football. He could be the Randy Moss of last season. Tony Romo will take another step forward and only improve a very good Cowboy offense. Patrick Crayton will be effective and help keep the double teams off of T.O. Jason Witten will also force the defense to single cover Owens and keep the defense honest.

7. Randy Moss

Randy Moss will provide monster numbers once again this season. The departure of Donte Stallworth will give Moss that much more opportunity, especially in the redzone. The Patriots will run more than last season which will bring his numbers down but will force the defense to stay honest and give Randy a ton of opportunities.

8. Joseph Addai

Joseph Addai has been a really good fantasy player since the Colts drafted him. He provides a great mix to Peyton Manning and the Colts passing attack. The Colts have a great offensive line that will open holes and create running room for Addai to run through. Something like 1200 yards and double digit touchdowns should be where Addai finishes. The only concern is injury for Addai. But the return of Dominic Rhodes and last years back up Kenton Keith able to provide a change of pace Addai should be a stud all season.

9. Tom Brady

Tom Brady was in the top 3 if not the best fantasy player last season. His consistent 300-500 yard passing game with multiple touchdowns kept teams winning for many weeks. He was a stud and did not disappoint anyone. He played all season while going for the perfect season keeping his numbers going through the playoffs and almost single handedly carried teams. He will once again be a stud this season. The patriots will be running more and the likelihood of another perfect season seems almost impossible which will lead to less need late in the season as the Pats prepare for another super bowl run. He will be good and be very helpful to whatever team drafts him.

10. Marshawn Lynch

if not for Adrian Peterson’s monster season last year, everyone would be talking about the fantasy rookie of the year as well as the NFL rookie of the year being Marshawn Lynch. I was able to get him late in my draft and had him sit on my bench. He was the nicest surprise for my season. He was able to step in when my first pick Steven Jackson went down with an injury. He continued to produce awesome numbers all season and was a huge boost to my team. He should be awesome on a weekly basis this season.

Tuesday Mark Texeira became the latest big name to swap teams before the trade deadline. The Braves got Casy Kotchman who was making strides and becoming a solid everyday first baseman. Kotchman is the player the braves coveted. They were also looking to aquire pitching and wanting top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart but the Angels were unwilling to part with Adenhart, however they were able to get Stephen Marek in addition to Kotchman who could provide help to the Braves pitching staff. This trade improves an already potent lineup. Texeira will provide power to the lineup and should produce a ton of RBIs with people like Torri Hunter and Chone Figgins getting on base in front of him. Texeira just wants to be part of team, “Hopefully I can just go over there and be one more piece of the puzzle.” The Angels were a title contender before the deal but they just catapulted themselves to the top of the list with this trade.

(images courtesy www.espn.com)

With the 2008 Fantasy season rapidly approaching and drafts happening over the next couple of months, I figured now was a good time to spread some advice that I have learned over my 10 years of playing fantasy. I will be updating weekly throughout the season. I hope to provide help to anyone who would like it. Here are some tips for your draft and planning for the season.

-Never take a quarterback in the first round.

This is a rule I follow because the effects it causes on the rest of your draft. Tom Brady was amazing last year and carried teams all season. However his numbers will be down this year simply because they Patriots will be more dedicated to the run, causing less passing attempts. Also with 18-0 not in the picture Brady will not be as active in the final games of the season which will also hurt his fantasy value. The reason I refer to Brady is because he is usually drafted in the 4-8 range depending on the league. The rest of your draft is then much worse because of this pick. Running backs are very important to your fantasy team and they rapid decrease in studs to solid players happens between round 1 and 2 assuming you play in the standard 10-12 team league. The draft will quickly go downhill after you pick Brady or Manning. You find yourself starting guys like Matt Forte or Selvin Young as a number one back because you were unable to grab an elite back. Once you draft a QB you quickly turn to wide receiver because that is where the talent lies. If you take a running back or elite wideout like Randy Moss with your first pick and then comeback with another solid back you find your team will star looking very nice. Then in a round three or four pick you have the ability to get studs like Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Tony Romo, or Ben Roethlisberger.

The only exception to the rule is if you get one of the last two picks and can ensure you will get another stud on your next pick. This is still not set in stone so be careful if you employ this technique

-Wait to take your kicker and Defense

There is no need to draft a defense or kicker until late in the draft when you can get a solid defense and kicker late in you r draft. I generally use the 8th round as a solid starting point to start looking at defense. I look at team needs and plan accordingly. This is also a good time to see when kind of gems you can find in the player pool. This is when I take my gambles on young running backs or slumping wideouts who are ready to break out. When selecting a defense you want to pick a team that can get turnovers. These will provide a solid point total for your team. Also if that team has a good running game that is a plus because it means the offense for the other team will be on the bench, thus not on the field scoring points and hurting your point totals.

As for kicker the last two rounds are a good time to take a kicker. Generally if you get one of the top 6 or so kickers you will be fine. They will provide the point totals you need and you are able to take flyers on rookies and long shots that could become players that make an impact later in the season.

More advice will follow in the coming days including positions breakdowns and a top 10 list.

Less than 24 hours after opting out of his current deal with the Golden State Warriors,   Baron Davis signs a reported 5 year and 65 million dollar contract. He joins a team that could pose a threat in the westen conference. It still remains to be seen what Elton Brand will do after opting out of his contract today. The Clippers could a be a big player this offseason to keep up with the Lakers who they not only share a city but an arena.

With the final year of large deals hanging over their heads two of the NBA’s stars made the move to option out of thier deals. Baron Davis and Elton Brand decided to forego their final season within their current contract and test the waters in free agency.  This means they want to leave their current situation or feel like they can make more money with a new team. In this case i think both players want to opt out for a chance to win a championship. Elton Brand has been talked about a lot leading up to and on draft night. Their is a rumor that the Heat and Clppers are trying to work a sign and trade deal to send Elton to Miami in exchange for Shawn Marion who is also in the final year of his deal. The Clippers are looking to rebuild around Al Thorton who had a really good rookie year and often injured Shaun Livingston. Marion would fit in well with what the Clippers are looking to do. Also they have been shopping Corey Maggette, who could provide a slasher and scorer to a team ready to take the next step such as Toronto or Cleveland.

As for Baron Davis his future is up in the air. After the ending to last season not going according to plan and the Warriors not making the playoffs and Don Nelson sitting him the entire second half of a game that could of put them in the playoffs, it seems Davis wants to move on and see what his options for a title are. He would really love to go home and play for the Clippers which is a serious option or Lakers which would require a pay cut, but would offer a title shot. Other than that maybe Orlando could be an option.