Will Angel Villalona be wearing orange for the San Francisco Giants or the federal penitentiary system?

Since we published Part I of our San Francisco Giants season review, a couple of their players have been in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Angel Villalona, considered one of the team’s top prospects and the first baseman of the future, is the prime suspect in a shooting death in the Dominican Republic, but earlier this week the victim’s family – who received a cash settlement from Villalona – has asked the a judge to drop the case. Amazing what a throwing few dollars around will do to a murder charge. However, the prosecutor still plans to pursue the charges against Villanlona, so he hasn’t exactly bought himself a free pass quite yet.

Giant ace Tim Lincecum, meanwhile, was nabbed while speeding and carrying 3.3 grams of pot. He’s going to get off with a slap on the wrist, and it’s not as if this is some kind of performance-enhancing drug that would improve his play on the field. Sure, Doritos and Twinkies sales are up all around San Francisco, but this is hardly something that will require an asterisk beside his Cy Young award.

Speaking of Giant hurlers, we need to talk about Randy Johnson’s 2009 campaign, which very well could be the final season of his tremendous career. He became the 24th pitcher to reach 300 wins, but then wound up missing over two months with a shoulder injury. When the Big Unit returned, he pitched out of the bullpen and wasn’t very effective. You know he’s going to want to start again should he decide to return for another season, and it’s hard to imagine the Giants having room for him.

Johnson will take some time over the winter to mull his options, but after compiling a 303-166 record for six teams and racking up a ridiculous 4,875 strikeouts – second only to the great Nolan Ryan and the most ever by a lefty – it’s probably time for him to call it a day. After five Cy Young awards, you’ve got to figure Johnson is a slam dunk first ballot Hall of Famer. So go home, Randy and sit by the phone until Cooperstown comes calling.

While the Unit’s 300th win was a definite highlight in San Francisco, how about the no-hitter Jonathan Sanchez tossed on July 10? Better yet, how about the progress the young lefty made in his second full season as part of the Giant rotation? His K/9 bounced back, he was much harder to hit and Sanchez became a different pitcher after the no-no, making huge strides in the second half. If there were any questions whether he’s a fixture in the rotation, they have been answered by Sanchez’s post-break performance.

In the bullpen, Brian Wilson solidified his role as closer, nailing down 38-of-45 chances and doing so in much less shaky fashion than he did in his first season as the closer. He’s quickly morphing into one of the more dominant firemen in the game, so feel free to draft him with great confidence next spring.

Now, as we discussed in Part I, the Giant offense was quite pathetic, but imagine how bad it would have been without Pablo Sandoval, the team’s hefty third baseman. In his first full season, this switch hitter hit .330, smacked a crapload of tape-measure home runs and drove in 90 runs.

In the outfield, Nate Schierholtz got super hot in June and early July, prompting a Wire Troll recommendation, but we missed the boat on this one as he struggled down the stretch, hitting a mere .240 after the break. This 25-year-old finally stuck as a big leaguer this season, but given his struggles against righties, all he managed to prove was that he could be a decent power bat off the bench against lefties. The fact is that this kid has serious power potential, but you wouldn’t have known it this year as he managed a mere five dingers.

The weak side of a RF platoon? That doesn’t sound very Fantasy-worthy to me, but with Randy Winn on his way out of town, Schierholtz will be given a chance to win more PT in right, but he’ll need to fend off Andres Torres, Fred Lewis, John Bowker and perhaps even Eugenio Velez. He has upside potential, but I don’t like Schierholtz’s chances of holding Fantasy value in any standard sized leagues, even NL-only ones, unless he starts hitting righties better.

Speaking of Velez, perhaps he and Schierholtz make perfect platoon partners as Velez struggles against lefties. He has tremendous potential as a top-of-the-order hitter, but he’ll need to work on his patience and his baserunning. New hitting coach Hensley Meulens should make this a priority – turning Velez into a Major League quality hitter.

Catcher Bengie Molina – in his walk year just in time for the arrival of Buster Posey — slipped a bit after an excellent 2008, and he’s almost assuredly gone as the Giants aren’t expected to try to re-sign him. And why would they? Block the best catching prospect in the game? Uh, maybe not. Molina flashed more power last year, smacking 25 doubles, a triple (how the hell did that happen?) and a career-best 20 homers, but he wasn’t as productive as he was the season before. The fact that he had his worst OBP since 2002 didn’t help matters. The Mets may make a play for Molina, but it’s worth noting that the sluggish catcher hit much better at home (.309 BA, 856 OPS) than he did on the road (.225 BA, 610 OPS). This is definitely some food for thought for those of you in keeper leagues or for Fantasy owners trying to get an early fix on what Molina might be worth in 2010.

This was definitely a season of progress for the Giants, one that earned manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean well deserved contract extensions. Bochy’s fate might be tied to how well Meulens does as far as developing a more patient approach for the Giant hitters; as for Sabean, he’ll be judged by his ability to land an impact bat either through free agency or trade this winter.

We’ll take a look at a few more of the Giant hitters and discuss early hot stove activity in Part III, coming soon.

Allen Iverson has left the Grizzlies and no one knows when and if he’ll be back.

There hasn’t been much to be overjoyed about so far this season if you’re a Memphis Grizzlies fan. This team has dropped six straight, Allen Iverson is already a major distraction and they have to play Wednesday in Houston, a place where Memphis has lost six straight times.

I wondered about how much better – if at all – Memphis would be with the addition of volume shooters Iverson and Zach Randolph, and the early answer is not at all, as the team is off to its worst start since 2005-06.

Iverson started the year on the sidelines with a torn hammy, missing the first three games. He came back and was unimpressive in three games off the bench and the whining about being a reserve started almost immediately. Now, AI has left the team for personal reasons and is apparently at home in Atlanta. And the way the team is talking, it’s not a sure bet that he’ll be back.

“If we get to that place, and it’s good, then if Allen does come back, then obviously, he has to fit into that place,” said Coach Lionel Hollins. Note the key phrase in this sentence: “if Allen does come back.”

Hell, if his own freaking coach doesn’t know if he’s coming back or not, what’s a Fantasy owner to think?

Iverson is only owned now in just over half of Yahoo! leagues, and I can see that number falling rapidly as his leave of absence extends.

Meanwhile, the defense in Memphis has been a joke. The Grizz are giving up 112 points per game after showing progress in that area last year. Of course, The Answer isn’t the answer to that problem whether he’s there or not.

This team has such a great young core, but the mistakes they made this offseason that everyone seemed able to spot except them are coming back to haunt them already. No, obviously it’s not too late to salvage this season, but Memphis has serious work to do to get off the schneid. And it’s going to have to start with some good old fashioned D.

The Pirates have surprisingly taken on Akinori Iwamura’s (left) contract.

Congratulations to the New York Yankees on winning the World Series last week. After nine long years of suffering, the Bronx Bombers have again proved that grossly out-spending everyone in the game does in fact work. Well done! Moving on, let’s not disappoint our loyal Kansas City and Pittsburgh readers and take a quick look at some of the recent goings-on in the world of baseball.

The Tampa Rays sent Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates for Jesse Chavez. I’m a bit surprised that the Pirates would take on Iwamura’s $4.85 million salary for 2010, but don’t expect his stay to be long in the Steel City. The 30-year-old is looking at free agency in 2011 and is sure to be shopped to a contender in mid-summer of next year. The Rays now resolve what once was a congested middle-infield situation and can pencil in Ben Zobrist full-time at second base for 2010.

Aroldis Chapman, the 21-year-old southpaw flame thrower, is still making his rounds in an attempt to secure a deal that would make him both the highest paid MLB player — and for that matter the only player — from the Principality of Andorra. Is he ready for the majors? Question marks abound concerning his control, or lack thereof, but the allure of that 100 mph heat from a lefty is going to earn the top prospect a huge payday this winter.

Kenji Johjima exercised his opt-out clause and is returning to Japan for 2010. This lets the Mariners off the hook for that much-criticized April 2008 contract extension. He has since signed on with the Hanshin Tigers for a reported $22.2 million over four years plus performance-related bonuses. Ultimately, Johjima’s desire to play in a full-time capacity — something that was probably not going to occur in the majors — prompted his decision. Johjima was a class act during his time with the Mariners and we wish him nothing but good fortune as he attempts to lead Hanshin to victory in the Japan Series in 2010.

The Twins exercised the $10.5 million option for 2011 on Michael Cuddyer’s contract. Yes, you read that correct, 2011. The Twins had five days to make a decision and after his monster year in 2009 it is a solid move. Injury free in 2009, Cuddyer posted the numbers that many expected after his breakout campaign in 2006. The Twins are going to need a big season out of him in 2010 if they hope to repeat as AL-Central champions, but bear in mind that Target Field is supposed to play more neutral than the Metrodome, a place that really helped Cuddyer this season (910 OPS at home).

Bobby Abreu has reportedly re-signed with the Angels, penning a two-year deal worth $19 million plus an option year. The Halos’ signing of Abreu for $5 million in the 2008 offseason was a huge steal as he enjoyed a great year in 2009 with his seventh consecutive season of 100+ RBI and 11th straight season of 20+ stolen bases. He maintained his great strike zone judgment this year and looks to be a perfect fit for the Angels looking to 2010.

The Twins and Brewers completed a deal in which Carlos Gomez and J.J. Hardy changed teams. This deal is a win-win for both parties with the Brewers filling a hole at the top of their lineup with the young speedster Gomez, and the Twins acquiring a solid defensive shortstop to replace free agent Orlando Cabrera.

The White Sox have sent Chris Getz and Josh Fields to the Royals for Mark Teahen. The interesting news here is that Gordon Beckham, the converted shortstop, now looks to be a converted corner infielder, as the ChiSox are planning on moving him to second base for 2010. From the Royals’ perspective, this deal makes absolutely no sense at all. Getz moves to an already crowded infield with Alberto Callaspo, Yuniesky Betancourt and Mike Aviles currently on the roster. Alex Gordon is currently penciled in at third base so why add Fields? There is a reason the Royals consistently finish at or near the bottom in the AL Central and this deal doesn’t improve their chances for moving up in 2010. The White Sox, on the other hand, buy themselves some time while waiting for 20-year-old Dayan Viciedo to be Major League ready, but Teahen, with just 27 homers and a .263 mark over the last two seasons combined, is far from being all that much of an improvement over Fields.

The Marlins are rumoured to be working towards a $36 million total payroll heading into 2010. In New York, they call that A-Rod and a middle reliever. Florida has already moved Jeremy Hermida to the Red Sox for a pair of pitching prospects, but look for more moves in the coming weeks. If the Fish can find a home for Dan Uggla, outstanding rookie Chris Coghlan could return to his natural position at second base. Fantasy fans should be drooling over the possibility of Coghlan qualifying at second base in 2010.

Cameron Maybin is scheduled for surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder, but after his strong September is penciled in as the starting centrefielder for Florida in 2010. The 22-year-old is definitely on my “sleeper” list heading into 2010.

To wrap things up, let’s take a quick look at some of the option moves that have occurred over the past several days. In what is probably the biggest no-brainer to date, the Nationals declined the $10 million option on Austin “Lack of Powers Kearns. I guess that .195 BA and three big flies just wasn’t what the Nats were looking for. Kearns walks away with a $1 million buyout, so probably won’t be standing in line for food stamps any time soon. Some of the other player option moves in the past week are as follows:

• Alan Embree, RP: The Rockies declined his $4 million option for 2010, making him a free agent.
• Yorvit Torrealba, C: The Rockies declined the $4 million option for 2010 and are committing to Chris Ianetta for 2010.
• Ross Gload, 1B: The Marlins declined the $2.6 million option for 2010. He could wind up in Houston.
• Mike Pelfrey, SP: The Mets exercised the $500,000 option on Pelfrey for 2010. The 25-year-old is a bargain at that salary.
• J.J. Putz, RP: The Mets declined the $9.1 million option for 2010. An incentive-laden deal is probably in the works, but if he’s healthy, Putz could be a very valuable player in 2010.
• David Weathers, RP: The Brewers declined the $3.7 million option for 2010. Milwaukee is not expected to try to bring the veteran back.
• Coco Crisp, OF: The Royals declined the $8 million option for 2010. Despite his great batting eye, it was a lost year for Crisp.
• Yasuhiko Yabuta, RP: The Royals declined the $4 million option for 2010. A return to Japan in 2010 is a possibility for Yabuta.
• Miguel Olivo, C: The Royals declined the $3.3 million option for 2010. After he swatted 23 homers this year, he should be guaranteed a decent contract this offseason.
• Cliff Lee, SP: The Phillies exercised the $9 million option for 2010. This was another no-brainer as Philly looks to secure a long-term deal with its new ace.
• Brandon Webb, SP: The Diamondbacks exercised the $8.5 million option for 2010. For Zona, it was either roll the dice or lose Webb to free agency. If he’s healthy, he’ll be a bargain at that price.
• Jermaine Dye, OF: The White Sox declined the $12 million option for 2010. Could the Tigers make a play for him?
• Chad Tracy, 1B – The Diamondbacks declined the $7 million option for 2010. With the free agent market for frst basemen thin, Tracy shouldn’t have trouble finding work.
• Jon Garland, SP: The Dodgers declined the $10 million option for 2010. Had a nice little run in September for the Dodgers and will secure a good payday as a free agent.
• Pedro Feliz, 3B: The Phillies declined the $5.5 million option for 2010. Philadelphia appears to be looking for more offense out of third base. Is Adrian Beltre on the off-season shopping list?
• Alex Gonzalez, SS: The Red Sox declined the $6 million option for 2010. Apparently, Boston will be shopping for a new shortstop this winter.

While you try to figure out who’s scarier — Oleksiy Pecherov or his skanky douchebag — maybe Ryan Hollins will get a chance to start.

With Minnesota continuing to struggle, especially defensively (Sunday the T-Wolves let Portland shoot 50 per cent from the field and were outrebounded 49-39), isn’t it time to give someone else a chance to fill in for the injured Kevin Love? Sure, Oleksiy Pecherov had that one big game last week, but he’s disappeared since. And on Sunday, Ryan Hollins saw more action than Pecherov. Might Minny give the young big a chance to start? I’m not suggesting you run out and pick up Hollins, who is clearly still a project, but I’m keeping my eye on this situation. We expected Hollins to be a key bench player for the Wolves, but perhaps he’ll emerge with some value if he gets a chance to start. Deep sleeper alert.

Speaking of the Blazers, coach Nate McMillan has refused to send Steve Blake to the bench, so instead, he’s shifted two-guard Brandon Roy to SF (sending Martell Webster to the bench) so he can finally insert Andre Miller into what is now a three-guard starting lineup. Well, it’s weird, but it’s working as the Blazers have won both games since the change. Roy isn’t off to a great start, and not surprisingly — given all the PG turmoil — he’s struggled with his shot. Sunday, he sunk just 1-of-6 in his worst offensive game of the young season. He didn’t even get to the line once, which really sucks considering he’s been superb from the charity stripe so far, draining a career best 85 per cent. On the plus side, Roy was able to pitch in despite the offensive stinker. He matched his season high with six boards and set a new season high with seven assists. Yes, it’s been a somewhat sluggish start for the hugely popular Roy, but don’t worry – you’ll get a great return on your first round investment soon enough.

Game of the Night

New Orleans, surprising many with their struggles in the early going, visits the Clippers, who are surprising no one with their losing record. However, this is a chance for the Clippers to get back to .500 against a team that is floundering. And they come in to this game hot, having won three straight games to shake off an 0-4 start. Unbelievably, this matches the longest winning streak LA had all of last season. Yes, the Clips are pathetic. But how about some love for Chris Kaman? I grabbed him in the ninth round this year, and so far am loving the results. He is LA’s leading scorer and rebounder and, with Blake Griffin still MIA, Kaman is getting as much PT as he can handle and he’s making the most of it. I’m sort of torn here…I keep cringing when I see the workload he’s tackling, knowing full well that he’s among the most injury-prone men in the game. But how can I help but be overjoyed at all those minutes when Kaman is suddenly the go-to guy in the Clip offense? He’s averaging 16 FGAs per game, a huge boost considering his previous high was 12.5. His FT shooting has even improved (career-best 79.5 per cent) and the big mountain man is scoring a shocking 23 PPG. I’m loving the production, but am wondering if I should sell high. The Hornet D has been pretty sad so far, so Kaman could be in for another big night Monday.

He’s back now, but Jason Spezza is just one of many stars who has missed time this season.

Seeing strange players and a ton of callups that have you looking at your program like WTF is this? Well, you are not alone. A rash of injuries has plagued the NHL the likes of which I have not seen in a decade or two. Usually when you see injuries coming in succession you see it affect the second-, third- and even fourth-line players. However, this year the star is definitely feeling the injury bug and several are either currently hurt or have missed time this season. Guys like Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Jason Spezza and Roberto Luongo are all nursing the dreaded ouchies, although Spezza returned a few days ago. 

In all, there are now approximately 115 players in the NHL with some kind of injury that is keeping them out of the lineup. That is hair less than four players per team.

So what can you do to combat the crazy bug (bad pun)? Well for one, just hope your player also does not get the swine flu (right, David Krejci?). This is just nuts seeing all these players out of the lineup. Literally whole Fantasy rosters decimated by injuries.  I have seen cases of teams with six, seven, or even eight players on the IR, DTD, or out (O) of the lineup. Compounding the problem, this does not seem to be getting better but only worse. I have seen more AHL callups than I can count.

There was an estimate that roster moves are up almost 20 per cent from this time last year. Talk about insanity for the fans of teams…but for the Fantasy hockey fan, it is maddening.

For example, the Devils are already without guys like Patrik Elias, Jay Pandolfo and Johnny Oduya. Now you can add Rob Niedermayer and Colin White to the list as both are listed day to day. Even the innocent hit can be harmful. Just falling awkwardly is cause for panic. The hysteria has not even reached its apex.

No one knows what is next, but here are three players that you can get (one forward, one defenseman and one goalie) that may just help and they are likely on your waiver wire.

Niclas Bergfors, RW, New Jersey Devils: : He has slumped mightily and that has caused a lot of owners to cut bait and run. However, not so fast everyone! Bergfors has 43 shots in 13 games and three PPGs including two on Wednesday. He has a deceptively fast windup similar to Ranger star Marian Gaborik and eventually he was bound to start getting it behind the goalie and that happened Wednesday in a big way. As Bergfors finds his role with New Jersey a bit easier expect his scoring to go up. Honestly, you could do worse at this point. What? Wait for Olli Jokinen to break out? Yeah, that’s a good one!

Filip Kuba, D, Ottawa Senators: When Kuba is 100 per cent, he can get you 40-to-50 points. That is gold in these days and right now he is healthy. Defensemen usually do not score a point a game anyway these days (except for Mike Green last year). Kuba is the type of player who is ideal on the power play. His low, hard shot can set up easy rebounds for forwards and be an instant boost to your Fantasy team. Most leagues still have Kuba listed as quite available. Grab him now before any more defensemen get injured and not only will you not regret it but at the very least you will have a back-up plan in place in case any more guys go down. By the way, do not expect Anton Volchenkov to continue to lead the Sens in scoring from the blue line.

Ondrej Pavelec, G, Atlanta Thrashers: We’ve been saying for a while that if Pavelec could ever get over his “monthly,” he could be a starter. Now he gets his chance as Kari Lehtonen is out an additional 6-to-8 weeks after having back surgery. Pavelec can turn in 50-save stunners like he did against Ottawa, but he can also implode like an explosive cocktail we all know. However, with options dwindling fast and the fact that he is available in most leagues (at least for now) he’s a viable pickup. I firmly expect Pavelec to be the starter for most of the rest of the season. Get him now! Literally read this and see if he is available. If not, try to trade for him ASAP.

Next week we will have some fun and salute the vets…literally. Thanks again and enjoy the hockey-like weather.

After Craig Anderson played so well as a backup for the Panthers, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised about what he’s done this season.

This week’s Fantasy Hockey Roundtable asked “Is Craig Anderson Vezina Trophy material, or is he nothing more than fool’s gold for the rest of the season?”

Find out what what the panel had to say about this issue.

Honestly? I’m a little in love with Anderson, a player featured prominently in Friday’s edition of Ice Chips.

Thanks to a wonky back, normally durable Tayshaun Prince could be out a long time, and surgery is a possibility.

Welcome to the Week Three edition of The Wire Troll, our weekly look at players who may be available on your league waiver wire but could see a spike in their Fantasy value in the immediate future.
This past week, injury news ruled the landscape, and the players involved ranged from the shocking (Tayshaun Prince of Detroit saw his streak of 496 consecutive games come to an end) to the utterly predictable (Kevin Martin of Sacramento, Devin Harris of New Jersey and Michael Redd of Milwaukee…you didn’t really blow a high draft pick on any of the Gossamer Guards, did you?)

Redd will be reportedly miss two weeks with a strained patellar tendon in his knee, while Harris may miss another three weeks with his groin injury. K-Mart underwent surgery on his wrist and will be out 6-to-8 weeks, but at least there’s a reasonably good chance he won’t get hurt off the court.

The same cannot be said for Chicago’s Tyrus Thomas, who fractured his arm while weightlifting and is down for 4-to-6 weeks. Another notable injured star is Troy Murphy of Indiana, whose back injury was reportedly so bad he couldn’t tie his shoes (guess they wouldn’t let Murph play barefoot). Meanwhile, Vince Carter of Orlando is still trying to get back in the lineup after suffering a sprained ankle back on October 30.

Murphy, Carter, Prince and the Knicks’ Nate Robinson are all expected back this week – though all are risky plays in weekly lineup leagues. Bench Murphy, whose Pacers only play twice anyway. Weekly leaguers will again have to muddle through without Orlando’s Rashard Lewis (suspension), but they will have access to the long-range bombing (and maddening inconsistency) that is Denver’s J.R. Smith, who should be back in action following his seven-game ban. Smith is not a recommended play until he shakes off the inevitable rust.

Though we have a whole new slate of potential waiver wire grabs for you this week, don’t forget to review our picks from the first Wire Troll of the season, as many of those players could provide some value if they’re still languishing on the wire.

Four game weeks: DAL, GS, HOU, LAC, MIN, NO, OKC, PHI, PHO, POR, TOR, UTA

Two-game weeks: IND, MIL, SAC, WAS

CENTRES

Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers: Hibbert was a popular sleeper pick after his stellar pre-season performance, but the seven-footer was slow out of the gate when the games started to count. Many Fantasy owners were quick – too quick – to cut bait, and now you can take advantage. Hibbert racked up three straight double-doubles – along with 11 blocks – November 3, 4 and 6, and could be poised to deliver on the promise he showed back in late October. He is owned in roughly half of Yahoo! leagues, but that number is sure to grow if he continues scoring, boarding and blocking at his current rate. Add the big fellow immediately; he looks like he has found his comfort zone and should be helpful in just about every Fantasy league at this point.

Oleksiy Pecherov, Minnesota Timberwolves: Pecherov has stepped into Kevin Love’s big shoes and is faring quite nicely, thank you – averaging 15 points and 6.3 rebounds through his first three starts of the season. Don’t over-invest here: Love is talking about returning from his broken hand November 20, and Pecherov’s NBA track record is not impressive. However, if you’re in a deeper league you could do a lot worse than Pecherov in the short term.

Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks: Yes, you read that right; the man once referred to as the best pick-setter in the NBA (yee-haw!) has actually become Fantasy-relevant. With Drew Gooden nursing a strained rib cage muscle, ED is seeing big minutes and putting up strong numbers. Dampier has always been a good shot blocker, but he was averaging nearly a double-double through his first five games of the season – to go with 14 blocks. It remains to be see how long Dampier’s body can withstand 30-plus minutes per night, and he’s sure to lose playing time when Gooden returns – but for now Dampier is a good short-term add if you’re in need of boards and blocks (or picks).

FORWARDS

Chris Douglas-Roberts, New Jersey Nets:  Douglas-Roberts looks to have taken over as the top scoring threat in Jersey now that Harris is on the shelf. Harris may be out for as long as three more weeks, so the time is definitely right to grab CDR. He tossed in 25, 20 and 19 points in consecutive games after Harris went down, so it’s clear that the Nets will look to their swingman to be Mr. Outside to Brook Lopez’s Mr. Inside. Douglas-Roberts is worth rostering in just about every Fantasy league while Harris is sidelined, and he has enough upside to possibly be a season-long member of your squad. He’s battling a case of the flu at the moment, so weekly lineup players may want to stay their hand until CDR is confirmed healthy.

Andres Nocioni, Sacramento Kings: Oops – Just a few hours after logging 14 points and six rebounds in his first start of the season, Nocioni was busted for suspicion of DUI. It’s doubtful that he’ll miss much – if any – time, though, and the fact remains that he’s now the Kings’ starter at small forward. The injury to Martin (Martin? Injured? Wow – who knew?) opens the door for someone to take over as the top scorer in Sac Town, and Nocioni has never been shy about taking a shot. Add Nocioni in deeper leagues, and be prepared to add him in all formats if he goes on a hot streak.

Matt Barnes, Orlando Magic: Barnes’ Fantasy value is directly tied to the absence of Lewis, who will return from his league suspension November 16. For now, Barnes is knocking out some solid Fantasy lines, but the party figures to end for both he and Ryan Anderson when Lewis makes it back onto the court. Either Barnes or Anderson makes a nice filler for the back end of your roster this week, but be ready to cut bait (or sell high) on both these players come the end of next week.

Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls: With Thomas out of the lineup for 4-to-6 weeks with a broken arm, Gibson becomes the undisputed starter at power forward for the Bulls. Don’t look for big-time blocks or steals (a la Thomas) from Gibson, but the rookie should be a decent source of points and rebounds as long as he’s playing starter’s minutes. Gibson is worth adding in deeper leagues right away, and all Fantasy managers should have him on their radar screens in case he has a breakout game.

GUARDS

Larry Hughes, New York Knicks: Hughes will remain in the Knicks’ starting lineup for the immediate future, at least according to head coach Mike D’Antoni. Hughes has stepped into the void created by the absence of Robinson, who’s expected to miss up to two weeks with a sprained ankle, but the veteran should retain some Fantasy value even after little Nate returns. Hughes can be inconsistent, but he should be good for at least a dozen points per night.

Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves: Brewer has quietly (which is the way basketball-related things happen in Minnesota) cobbled together a pretty decent stat line over the first six games of the 2009-10 campaign (12.8/4.8/2.8). His 6′9″ frame creates match-up problems aplenty in the backcourt, and he has cashed in by averaging over two steals and one block per game. Brewer should not be available in leagues with more than 12 teams, and some mid-size league managers should take a hard look at the one-time hot prospect that finally seems to be delivering on that promise.

Randy Foye, Washington Wizards: Mike Miller looks to be out for at least another week, and while he’s gone Foye should be in line for increased minutes. Nick Young is the starter at the two for now, but Foye’s ability to score the ball makes him a much more palatable Fantasy option. Add Foye if you’re in a deep league and in need of points, assists and threes, but his role as a reserve makes him not yet ready for widespread Fantasy relevance.

Dahntay Jones, Indiana Pacers: Jones has outperformed former starter Brandon Rush this season, and earned his first start of the season November 4. Thirty-eight minutes, 19 points and 12 rebounds later, a change could be in the offing in Indy. Jones does not have Rush’s outside shot (only 44 treys in 329 lifetime games), but appears to have found a home in the Pacer offense. Don’t over-invest in Jones, but he makes a fine short-term pickup in larger leagues – especially while Murphy is on the mend.

Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings: Udrih was thoroughly underwhelming as the Kings’ starting point guard last season, but the injury to K-Mart means a chance at redemption. Former starting point guard Tyreke Evans will likely slide over to Martin’s two-guard spot, with Udrih once again manning the point. Don’t set the bar too high – this is Beno Udrih, after all – but he could be a serviceable Fantasy option for those managers in dire need of backcourt help.

J.J. Redick, Orlando Magic: A quick word on Redick, who has been a popular waiver target this week: His numbers have been solid, but his value is directly tied to the absence of Carter. Once Vinsanity returns (and that looks like it could be very soon), Redick’s minutes will plummet. Proceed with caution and be prepared to cut bait.

John Madden once said that winning is a great deodorant. Fans bathe in it.

Bear with me through our latest voyage. Thanks to the Phils’ World Series loss, I’m in a bit of an ornery mood these days. My email box and Facebook account has been swamped with arrogant and cocksure emails from Yankee fans celebrating title 27. And most of them I can’t even put in print.

On Thursday, I estimated I had roughly five congratulations in me towards Yankees fans. I work around them all day, teach them, and call some of them friend. Nonetheless, I’m rationing out the kudos like it’s a small supply of Ramen noodles on a deserted island. In fact, I only dished out two. Somehow, I don’t think the other three are leaving my mouth anytime soon.

One of the reasons for my anger is the multi-layered facade of Yankee fans and fans of the Dallas Cowboys. Individuals use their team preferences as a bully pulpit to make themselves feel better about their otherwise somewhat questionable lives. Can you blame them, though? As John Madden once said, winning is a great deodorant. Fans bathe in it.

Tired of waiting around for the local team to win or to spite their dad or to look cool for the girls in high school, we have become a nation of front runners. If you read TMW from two weeks ago, you know that I’ve crafted a plan to eliminate such nonsense.

In honour of the Eagles playing the Cowboys this weekend, it’s time to call into question perhaps the biggest set of frontrunning fans that don’t sport the interlocking NY on top of their heads.

I’m willing to bet most Cowboy fans under the age of 30 can’t answer 60 per cent of these questions accurately without checking out Wikipedia.

Without further ado, let’s fire up a sample of the first ever TMW Fan Certification Test:

1 . Which of these future NFL head coaches never played for the Dallas Cowboys?

A. Mike Ditka
B. Dan Reeves
C. John Madden

2. What player said that Terry Bradshaw could not spell cat if you spotted him the c and the t?

A. Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson
B. Larry Cole
C. Mike Hegman
D. Dixon Edwards

3. How many times has Dallas appeared in the Super Bowl?

A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8

4. The only player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl MVP as a member of the losing team is:

A. Bob Lilly
B. Mel Renfro
C. Darren Woodson
D. Chuck Howley

5. Dallas lost three straight NFC title games during the 1980-82 seasons. Who was the starting quarterback for the Cowboys in all three?

A. Steve Pelluer
B. Gary Hogeboom
C. Danny White
D. Roger Staubach

6. The first time the Cowboys reached the playoffs in the Jimmy Johnson era was 1991. Who started the team’s playoff game at Chicago for the injured Troy Aikman?

A. Babe Laufenberg
B. Steve Walsh
C. Steve Beuerlein
D. Danny White

7. Who scored the go-ahead touchdown in the famous Ice Bowl?

A. Jim Taylor
B. Max McGee
C. Bob Hayes
D. Bart Starr

8. Dallas acquired what Pro Bowl defensive end from the San Francisco 49ers prior to the start of the ’92 season?

A. Fred Dean
B. Pierce Holt
C. Charles Haley
D. Tim Harris

9. In Super Bowl XII, Robert Newhouse fired a touchdown pass on a halfback option to which receiver:

A. Butch Johnson
B. Drew Pearson
C. Golden Richards
D. Alvin Harper

10. On its way to Super Bowl X against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas defeated Minnesota in the divisional round. Which player caught a Hail Mary for the go-ahead touchdown?

A. Drew Pearson
B. Tony Dorsett
C. Butch Johnson
D. Preston Pearson

See answers at bottom of column.

The Culverhouse Index

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Detroit Lions, 1-6 (8): Detroit showed some limited promise this season, but then the Rams came into town and showed otherwise. A bad loss for the Lions.

2. St. Louis Rams, 1-7 (1): They were holding steady at the top spot until they finally came up with a win.

3. Kansas City Chiefs, 1-6 (4): Can’t the Chiefs stay on bye?

4. Washington Redskins, 2-5 (3): Can’t the Redskins stay on bye?

5. Tennessee Titans, 1-6 (2): Finally, there is life. I’m not sure Vince Young is the answer at quarterback, but with Chris Johnson running the ball it doesn’t matter at the moment.

6. Oakland Raiders, 2-5 (6): At least they played well against the Chargers this season.

7. Cleveland Browns, 1-7 (5): They’ve scored six points or fewer in five of eight games this season.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 0-7 (7): First win? Maybe December 6 at Carolina.

9. Buffalo Bills, 3-5 (9): Terrell Owens is on pace for 46 catches this season. Ouch.

10. Carolina Panthers, 3-4 (10): Incredibly, the Panthers are one win away from being 4-4. The league is a bit down in ’09.

Ten Things We Learned in Week Eight

1. The Owen Daniels injury is going to slow the Texan passing game: Destined for a Pro Bowl this season, Daniels went down with a season-ending torn ACL injury. The timing could not be worse for the Texans. Quarterback Matt Schaub is playing the best football of his career while the team plays a huge game against the Colts on Sunday.

2. Perhaps the Giant defense just isn’t that good: Over their last three games, the Giants have surrendered 112 points, allowing 37 points per game over the same stretch. That’s what happens when C.C. Brown is covering people.

3. Percy Harvin is secretly one of the NFL’s most valuable players in 2009: Anytime the Vikings are reeling this season, Harvin finds a way to dig them out of trouble. The rookie from Florida leads the league in yards per touch at 19.8.

4. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart pack a mean punch, as long as Jake Delhomme isn’t killing them: If Delhomme doesn’t turn the ball over, it makes things far easier for Williams and Stewart. Over the last three weeks, the Panthers have rushed for at least 250 yards twice.

5. The Jets = overrated: The bandwagon started to fill up after the Week Two win over New England. However, the Jets’ fourth loss in the last fifth games has made the bandwagon quite a bit lighter. New York’s special teams turned Ted Ginn into a combination of Dante Hall and Devin Hester. How else do you explain the Dolphins scoring 30 points despite gaining just 104 yards?

6. Steve Slaton is killing your Fantasy team one week at a time: Benched by Texan head coach Gary Kubiak last week in Buffalo, Slaton appears to be in great danger of losing playing time to backup Ryan Moats. Slaton has lost five fumbles and is averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Sounds like a benching to me.

7. Anquan Boldin may never actually get his money: Boldin did not pose as a model teammate over the past year in part due to a lack of financial security. Now, Arizona’s star receiver has been unable to stay healthy for much of the season. After being hounded by a hamstring ailment, he is now battling ankle problems.

8. Part 1 of Operation 2006 has begun: Whenever you have a quarterback on the wrong side of 30, it is not a good thing in the long run. Arizona and Tennessee got away with it 2008. At least for Tennessee, the story turned differently this season as Vince Young finally made his way into the starting lineup. With the Cards in first, Kurt Warner is not in danger in Arizona…as long as he stops having those five-interception performances.

9. Don’t look now, but outside of Minnesota and New Orleans the NFC is a mess: Eliminate Detroit, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. What else do we know about the NFC? Everyone else hovers between two and five wins. Looks like December should be a mess for tiebreakers.

10. Bob Sanders is out for the year…adjust your Fantasy lineups accordingly: Surprise, surprise. Sanders is out for the year with a torn bicep. Further compounding matters is a season-ending injury to Marlin Jackson, who hurt himself in practice earlier this week. When backs get into the Indy secondary (which Frank Gore did last week), look out.

Week Eight BPITW Poll

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

1. Adrian Peterson (1): It seems like the Vikings run at least 50 plays per game inside of the 10 yard line, making it all the more easier for Peterson to score.

2. Peyton Manning (2): Joseph Addai had more touchdown passes than Manning last week.

3. Drew Brees (3): He doesn’t have many tough matchups left on the schedule, but a big battle versus New England in the Superdome looms in a few weeks.

4. Chris Johnson (NR): Watch this video. Now. Do it.

5. Cedric Benson (4): The Ravens will keep Benson under 100 yards rushing on Sunday. Take it to the bank.

6. Ronnie Brown (5): He will a key figure in Sunday’s matchup against New England.

7. Ray Rice (6): The Bengal defense should be a bit softer this time around without Antwan Odom.

8. Tom Brady (10): His productivity this week will be tied to his defense’s ability to get the Dolphins off the field.

9. Andre Johnson (5): The Colts have only allowed three touchdown passes thus far. Johnson could have a good day though against an injury-depleted secondary.

10. Maurice Jones-Drew (7): Too bad he was outdone by Johnson…Chris and Gus.

Video of the Week

It’s one thing to lose a World Series. Losing a World Series to the Yankees hits another stratosphere of misery. It’s time to drown my sorrows in a sad song…and football.

Answers to Cowboys quiz: 1. c. 2. a. 3. d. 4. d. 5. c. 6. c. 7. d. 8. c. 9. c. 10. a.

If you’ve answered between eight and 10 correctly, you’re in great shape and more than likely over 30 years old.

Don’t worry, Cowboy fans. Your fans aren’t the only ones with frauds placed within…and yes, I’m looking at you, Steeler Nation.

Episodes from Liberty City makes sure the GTAIV series goes out with a BANG!

When Grand Theft Auto IV came out in early 2008, Microsoft gave gamers some incentive to purchase it on the Xbox 360 instead of the PS3 by offering two exclusive downloadable expansions to be released at a later date. The first of those, The Lost and Damned, came out back in February, while the second, The Ballad of Gay Tony, arrived last week. In conjunction with that second offering, Rockstar also released a retail version entitled Episodes from Liberty City, which combines both of the Xbox 360 exclusives in disc format and does not require a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV to play.

Both titles expand on the story told in Grand Theft Auto IV, with The Lost and Damned putting you in the midst of a biker gang and The Ballad of Gay Tony taking players uptown to try their hands at being a paid killer moonlighting as a club manager. All three titles intersect at various points and help flesh out details that were skipped over in the original to paint a more complete picture. The question remains, however, does Rockstar deliver a compelling enough experience for those that may have finished Grand Theft Auto IV over a year ago to return? Let’s take a look.

Controls (4/5)

Both episodes control identically to Grand Theft Auto IV, which can be both good and bad. Things are pretty straightforward when you’re on foot: you can run (A), sprint (tap A), jump (X) and enter/jack vehicles (Y) with ease. The only really tricky part comes with the auto-aim function, which is activated by holding down the left trigger. Do this and you’ll lock on to a nearby person. Nine times out of 10 it’ll be someone you want to shoot, but occasionally you’ll find yourself targeting a civilian instead of a drug dealer or someone hiding behind a car rather than the guy above him firing at you. In theory you can switch targets by flicking the right stick in the direction of the desired target, but in practice it doesn’t always seem to work.

In these instances you can utilize free aim, which is done by pressing down the left trigger only half way and then moving the right stick around to fire wherever you want. As you might guess from the description, only partially depressing a trigger can be a bit temperamental, particularly when you’re in the heat of a firefight. Of course, you’re able to turn off auto-aim at any time, but most will still find it easier to deal with the sporadically wonky auto-aim than doing all the work themselves.

The cover system, which is vital to successful combat, will also frustrate once in a while, but for the most part it works well. You enter and leave cover with the right bumper, then pop up to bring the pain with your vast arsenal when pressing the right trigger. My only issue is that sometimes you’ll think you’re in the right position only to end up on hugging a pillar with your back to the enemy instead of hiding on the other side of it. Again, though, this is a minor issue.

When you’re not traveling on foot you’ll have access to all sorts of transportation alternatives, including cars, motorcycles, helicopters and even a tank. The basic control scheme is the same for all ground-based vehicles and it works well. Those who rode a motorcycle in Grand Theft Auto IV but did not purchase The Lost and Damned when it came out will be in for a pleasant surprise as Rockstar went back in and totally revamped the experience. You’ll no longer get tossed by every bump, and the whole thing just feels infinitely more responsive.

Where the controls become a struggle for me is when piloting helicopters. For starters, there’s a lot going on with the left/right triggers controlling lift, the bumpers rotating you left and right and the left stick tilting your helicopter to move forward/back and to the sides. When piloting an attack chopper, you can add in face buttons to fire your machine guns (A) and rockets (X). Even factoring in a learning curve, the act of flying a helicopter is never as fun as it should be. It simply isn’t responsive enough and at times feels like you’re piloting a brick. Plus, you’re not given lock-on capabilities or even a targeting reticule, which makes aiming a pain. The controls weren’t so bad that I couldn’t pass helicopter-based missions, but a quick scan of the message boards will turn up plenty of complaints about them. I’d like to see this area get some added attention before the next release to make raining death from above the fun time it should be.

Graphics/Sound (5/5)

Let’s just get this out of the way. When traversing Liberty City you’ll clip through objects, see things suddenly appear as you approach and details filling in on distant buildings. Yes, there are a number of graphical hiccups to be found in all three chapters of the game. However, even a year and a half after the initial release of Grand Theft Auto IV, I’ve still yet to see another title on the market that can match what Rockstar has done in creating Liberty City as a vibrant, breathing world that feels completely organic and lived in.

Graffiti litters buildings and subway cars, trash cans are on the corners to be picked up, pedestrians cover their heads with newspaper when it rains and so much more. It’s all these little touches that make you feel that you’re traveling through a place where life is happening whether you’re there or not. The animations are smooth and the explosions…oh, such explosions.

Although both downloadable episodes are being released together here, you’ll almost certainly notice that The Ballad of Gay Tony is the better looking of the two. Coming out eight months later and without the grain effect used to give The Lost and Damned a grittier feel that drained Liberty City of some of its vibrancy, The Ballad of Gay Tony makes a lot of subtle improvements to the overall graphics, though the character models look basically unchanged and are starting to show their age. Still, this is truly one of those titles where visually the whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts.

When it comes to voice acting, there’s Mass Effect, the Grand Theft Auto series and then everybody else. Both halves of Episodes from Liberty City feature a wide range of characters, all of whom are voiced effectively and force you to become invested in the story. The dialogue is natural and unforgiving, pulling no punches in the usage of racial slurs, profanity and bravado that permeate your dealings with Liberty City’s underbelly.

It’s impossible to oversell what a phenomenal job Rockstar does with that aspect of the series. Every character has personality, and I always looked forward to the next mission in both games to delve deeper into the stories. While everyone does a superior job, I have to recognize the wildly entertaining work of Omid Djalili as Yusuf Amir, whose outlandish missions in The Ballad of Gay Tony represent a steep departure from the more realistic ones seen in the two earlier releases.

Beyond the excellent voice acting, Rockstar once again provides a deep and memorable soundtrack as well, including numerous radio stations to choose from as you race around Liberty City. The sound effects are spot on, and the ambient noise of the city more than holds its own in making it feel like it’s teeming with life.

One last item to pass along is that you owe it to yourself to watch the in-game TV show Princess Robot Bubblegum (you can do so in Luis’ apartment). It’s unquestionably one of the funniest things I’ve seen in any medium in recent memory. Major kudos to whoever pulled that off.

Gameplay (4.75/5)

The first half of the package, The Lost and Damned, casts you in the role of Johnny Klebitz, who is the Vice President of a biker gang called The Lost. Johnny has been in charge since Billy Grey entered rehab, but with Billy being released he wants to immediately resume his place as leader. This leads to the central conflict of the story with Billy and Johnny clashing over how The Lost should operate. Billy wants them to be knee deep in the drug game and essentially throw caution to the wind when dealing with their enemies, while Johnny prefers a smarter, less reckless approach. That’s not to say Johnny plays the role of a saint. On the contrary, Johnny does more than his fair share of loathsome acts and is by far the least likable main character in the three installments.

Thankfully, the absence of a truly affable protagonist doesn’t mean the story isn’t compelling. It’s all vintage Grand Theft Auto stuff with a solid variety of missions and some added gameplay elements like the ability to summon members of your gang to assist you on missions. This can be invaluable when the odds are stacked against you, and there are some RPG elements to be found as well as the more you summon backup the most proficient they become under fire…assuming they survive.

Belonging to a gang has some added benefits as well, such as being able to have guns or bikes delivered to you with a phone call. Whereas Niko Bellic was an immigrant looking to make connections, Johnny already has them. In that same vein, the entire map is opened from the start in both downloadable stories since they’re established residents. However, despite all three games taking place in Liberty City, they’re all focused in different sections. The Lost and Damned is primarily in Alderney, which is a poorer and more rundown area than anywhere else in the game.

In addition to a new story and some gameplay adjustments, The Lost and Damned also brings brand new social activities to take part in, such as arm wrestling and playing cards. None of them are particularly memorable, but they can serve as fun little distractions. Also debuting here are several new weapons, including an assault shotgun (AKA the street sweeper), auto pistol and grenade launcher. Add all of that to 25 gang wars to take part in, bike races with an achievement for whacking people off and an all new seagull hunt and you should find plenty to do in Johnny’s shoes.

However, while The Lost and Damned was fun, it pales in comparison to the final piece of the trilogy, The Ballad of Gay Tony. This time around you’ll be rubbing elbows with Liberty City’s upper crust as Luis Lopez, right-hand man to pre-eminent club owner Anthony “Gay Tony” Prince. Unlike the first two installments where you had to work hard to move up in the world and afford the finer things (like top of the line weaponry), here you’ve already arrived financially and will have no trouble affording guns or anything else you may need. It’s a refreshing take that provides a much different perspective.

The basic story is that Tony’s clubs — Maisonette 9 and Hercules (you can guess which the gay one is) — aren’t holding up too well in today’s economy, and in an effort to get some financial relief he’s borrowed heavily from some unsavoury characters. That leaves Luis in a bind as he tries to do favours for Tony’s creditors to keep them from collecting on money Tony doesn’t have. It’s a tightly focused story that moves along at a brisk pace and does a good job of creating a relationship you wind up caring about (Tony and Luis), something The Lost and Damned did not.

As mentioned above, you’re going to be running errands from high-end clientele this time, and that gave Rockstar an excuse to go completely over the top with its missions. Those that played and enjoyed Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will certainly like the direction The Ballad of Gay Tony takes as you’ll be doing all sorts of crazy things, like stealing and then flying a military helicopter or base jumping off the roof of the tallest building in Liberty City. Yeah, there are a few clunkers in the mix, but the vast majority of missions are really fun to play. One cool feature that was added is the ability to replay any mission as often as you’d like once you beat the game, which is something you’ll want to do.

Of course, what fun would a collection of fantastic missions be without an equally amazing arsenal of guns to complete them with? The Ballad of Gay Tony sees to it that you are armed to the teeth very early on and rearmament is never more than a phone call away. The explosive shotgun is one of the most bad ass weapons I’ve ever wielded in a video game. It turns cars, trucks and helicopters into smoldering piles of rubble in just a few shots, which is unendingly satisfying. There are also upgraded machine guns, sniper rifles and sticky bombs. And then, there’s the height of excess, a golden SMG.

Mini-games are a big part of the Grand Theft Auto open world experience, and The Ballad of Gay Tony features my favourite one to date, BASE jumping. Ironically, I didn’t think I’d enjoy jumping out of planes and off buildings in an effort to land on an exact point. However, it’s wonderfully executed and a lot of fun to do. Some of the others don’t hold up as well, namely club management (disappointingly dull) and drug wars (repetitive), but hey, when the ability to engage in underground cage fighting is included alongside doing elaborately choreographed dances in a gay club, how much can you really complain?

Both titles offer additional multiplayer modes, though trying to find a game on The Lost and Damned appears to be an exercise in futility these days. It’s unfortunate, as when it launched back in February it came with a cool mode called Witness Protection where one team played as NOOSE officers and tried to escort a witness to a safe location while the other team played as The Lost and tried to kill them. If you can scrape enough people together it’s definitely worth trying out.

Sticking with multiplayer, The Ballad of Gay Tony creates smaller environments for Deathmatch games, which really ratchets up the intensity. It also doesn’t hurt that all those wonderful new weapons are now fully accessible online. Team-oriented BASE jumping can also be done in Free Mode, but there weren’t a whole lot of new things added to online play.

Overall (4.75/5)

Episodes from Liberty City complements the original release and offers players two very different experiences while staying true to the formula that has made this franchise a success. With well over 20 hours of single-player gaming to be found here, picking this up is a no brainer for anyone that has enjoyed the Grand Theft Auto series.

Craig Anderson better get used to black tie affairs considering how well he’s playing this season.

An old wise man once told me that your Fantasy hockey team and real hockey team for that matter are only as good as your netminders. Laugh as you will, but this is something that is very true. October and November are often very nasty months when you think about it. This year is no exception. Add injuries and swine flu to the mix and one may have to dodge more minefields than they can handle in their quest to find good goaltending. Thankfully we have The Matrix in Craig Anderson. Obviously Neo is no relation, but Anderson best typifies the moves needed to play the net in this year’s NHL. Goals are going to go in. It is not your neutral zone trap early ’90s NHL anymore. Shots and goals are up by about 8 to 10 per cent this season. Sure, it is early, but expect this trend to continue to a point.

What I have listed below is not necessarily the best goalies in the league, but the ones that are going to make some saves that they not only have no business making but make them often enough in games to have a high save percentage. Here are their stories.

Craig Anderson, Colorado Avalanche: Imagine going from Florida to Colorado and realizing you are the starter on a team that absolutely stunk last year. Add in a few prospects and some aging players with no Joe Sakic and you have the recipe for disaster…right? Wrong! Now the 10 wins are great and the 2.11 GAA is nice too, but it is the .936 save percentage that jumps out. Even better is that Anderson has a .940 save percentage in the third period and beyond, and that figure leads the NHL. The OMG factor is the fact that Anderson faces about 35 shots a game in Colorado — about four less than he did in Florida. He had good practice and obviously has benefited well from the extraordinary high amount of activity.

Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres: The second best on this slightly unconventional list is where Miller ranks (now, that is if you really want to call this a ranking). When it’s Miller Time in Buffalo, opposing teams are really in trouble. Though slight in stature at about 173-to-175 pounds soaking wet if you will, Miller has an amazing ability to be flexible without looking flexible. I watched the game he had against the Devils last week pretty closely. He makes saves look quite easy, so it’s no wonder he has given up two goals or less against New Jersey in nine of his last 10 starts. Be aware that Miller has a tendency to get injured at times, but there are few better at his position when he is “on.”

Now for two more that could be on their way to this list…

Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes: There is no question that he is a good goalie with quick reflexes, but sometimes that is what gets him in trouble. The “moody Russian” as he was called many times in Anaheim has gotten a second lease of life in Phoenix this year. He has three shutouts already and a sparkling .927 save percentage to go along with the 1.88 GAA. Bryzgalov may think a bit too much, but his moves are almost as fast as his thoughts. The key will be how Coach Dave Tippett’s system helps him in the second half, which is when he tired last year under “The Great One.” Obviously a coaching upgrade in Phoenix will aid Bryzgalov and his body (plus an Olympic break). Now, that is a blessing for Phoenix fans.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins: Yes, he has won a Stanley Cup so stop gushing, Penguin fans. Fleury is quietly putting together a nice early portion of the season. He has always had the acumen to play brilliant between the pipes, but this year he is showing the consistency with the amazing saves. The new focus is not unnoticed on me. Sure Fleury only has a .916 save percentage right now, but expect that to go up when Pittsburgh is fully healthy. The scary thing is he has 10 wins already and has made two or three “Save of the Year” type stops. Keep Fleury in mind when again looking for save percentage along with the spectacular.

Mike Chen, currently caring for his beloved dog, should be back for the next edition of Ice Chips. In the meantime, this is Chris Wassel escaping before he gets the swine flu. Aloha.

The Brad Penny signing turned out pretty well for the Giants — and the ladies were definitely appreciative of his efforts.

Despite again being saddled with one of the worst offenses in the majors, the San Francisco Giants were able to make great progress in 2009, improving their record by 16 wins and remaining in the playoff hunt until the season’s final week.

For the Giants, it was all about pitching, as a staff led by Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain ranked second in the National League in ERA, BAA, OPS against and WHIP. Hell, even Brad Penny, cut from the Red Sox and signed to a minor league deal by the Giants at the end of August, was brilliant down the stretch – going 4-1, 2.59 in six starts with San Francisco.

That the staff was as good as it was without any contributions from Noah Lowry, a 14-game winner in 2007, but out the past two seasons with injuries, speaks volumes about how good a job they’ve done scouting and drafting pitchers. Lowry is probably done as a Giant, as he’s been removed from the roster and will become a free agent as he tries to revitalize his career elsewhere. Frankly, with all the great young arms already there and the others on the way, they don’t need him.

The offense, on the other hand, was again rather wet noodle-esque, ranking dead last in the NL in OBP and OPS and hitting the second-fewest home runs in the majors. It cost hitting coach Carney Lansford his job and now the task falls to Hensley Meulens, promoted from being the hitting coach at Triple-A, to teach the Giants to take a more patient approach at the plate.

Let’s harp on the poor offense first. Perhaps the easiest to single out as underperforming based on his salary is centrefielder Aaron Rowand, who has regressed each season since he arrived in San Francisco after being signed to what now looks like a disastrous contract. Rowand’s power actually bounced back a tad this year, but come on – it’s pathetic.

His walk rate was down and his strikeout rate was up, and that’s a deadly combo. This right-handed stick had an OPS of just 636 against lefties! WTF? While Rowand looked like a solid waiver wire pickup in late-May — and Tim, as usual, was bang on with that one as Rowand hit .320 and had his best month of the season in June – he really faltered down the stretch with an OPS of 629 in the second half. As the season progressed, his power really waned and by season’s end Rowand wasn’t even a must-own player in NL-only leagues.

There’s talk that he may be headed to the Cubs in exchange for Milton Bradley – who would bring with him to San Francisco a whole different kind of headache, so we’ll see how that plays out. I’m sure the Giants would love to rid themselves of the albatross of a contract that they unwisely gave to Rowand.

Utility infielder Juan Uribe enjoyed a fine bounceback campaign, and was quite productive for the Giants, but he’s a free agent and wants a multi-year deal, so San Francisco would be wise to let him walk. The last thing the Giants can afford to do would be to make another mistake in free agency a la Rowand in 2008 and Edgar Renteria in 2009.

Last year, the Giants threw around a lot of money early in the free agency game, and not all of it was spent wisely. The Renteria signing, in particular, has been a major bust so far. For starters, he’s had a tough time staying healthy in recent seasons, and this year his elbow was a problem for a good chunk of the season, finally necessitating season-ending surgery in September. But this was the worst season of Renteria’s career anyway you look at it. He scored less runs and had less hits than ever before; his power is completely gone; he hit a career worst .250 and struggled through a 635 OPS. Renteria is another right-handed bat that was vulnerable against lefties (629 OPS), and he was brutal after the break (621 OPS), especially in September, when he hit just .116 and had an OPS of 365. Obviously the elbow was a factor, but this dude was signed to help beef up the San Francisco offense – not bring it down. We weren’t overly bullish on Renteria’s prospects for 2009, listing him No. 16 among shortstops in our pre-season rankings, but by season’s end, Renteria wasn’t even a top 30 shortstop, which means that he was only worth owning in deep NL-only leagues. Yikes.

The Giants also tried to beef up the offense at the deadline, acquiring Freddy Sanchez, who was having a fine year for the Pirates. Unfortunately, Sanchez struggled with health issues, and was only able to play 25 games for the Giants over the final two months and change. Regardless, the team recently gave him a two-year extension, so he will get another chance to show what he can do at the keystone corner next season.

Another culprit was Randy Winn, long a dependable hitter, but one who definitely started showing his age in 2009. He had his lowest run total since 2001 and had 10 less extra-base hits than he did in 2008. Overall, this was Winn’s worst season since 2000. The reason? The veteran switch-hitter clearly can no longer hit lefties anymore – his OPS as a right-handed hitter was 384. Uh, ya. Can you say platoon player, please? Anyways, Winn’s a free agent, so it might not be the Giants’ problem anymore. But Winn is yet another Giant who slumped in the second half, with his OPS dropping 100 points after the break. Heading into the season, we had him pegged as a top 70 outfielder, but he was barely a top 90 flyhawk in 2009, which meant that Winn was only useful in NL-only leagues, and even then, probably as a bench player.

I can see it’s going to take more than one part to dissect this team, so we’ll continue this later in the week.

Ty Lawson had a sweet debut, but let’s not get carried away until he gets more PT.

Ty Lawson was a hot pickup in Week One after his great NBA debut, even making an appearance in our first NBA Wire Troll of the season. But let’s take a bit of a chill pill here. While Lawson deserves to be on your watch list and has already exhibited that he’ll be a huge pickup if Chauncey Billups gets hurt, right now he’s only worth rostering in deeper leagues. Tuesday night, for instance, Lawson saw only 13:25 worth of action, even though Denver won easily in Indy. I love the fact that the former Tar Heel has gotten at least one steal in every game so far, so clearly he’ll be a great source of steals once he lands a steady 20 to 25 MPG gig, but like I said, for now, just watch.

We all knew that Kevin Durant was poised for superstardom this year, but how about the leap that Jeff Green has taken? He’s getting seriously heavy minutes this season and has responded brilliantly. Green is employing his perimeter game more, but he’s not simply settling for outside shots – he’s also getting to the line more often. His rebounds and steals are up too, and Green is truly proving to be an across-the-board talent in the early going, so kudos to those of you who drafted him. It’s early, but what a combo: heavy minutes, over 50 per cent shooting from the field, 83.3 per cent from the line, two treys per game, 7 RPG, 2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.3 BPG and over 19 PPG. Wow. Can you say Fantasy stud? And he’ll play the entire season as a 23-year-old! No wonder we were so bullish on the young Thunder corps when we previewed the team in September.

As we expected, Matt Barnes is starting to have an impact off the Magic bench, making him a decent wire target as long as Rashard Lewis is suspended (another six games to serve) and Vince Carter is out. In the last two games, Barnes is starting to get more touches and has picked up the rebounding, assists and blocks while scoring in double figures in both contests. Barnes is averaging 1.5 SPG, but all six of his thefts came in one game, so that’s an anomaly. If you need a short-term boost, Barnes makes for a nice pickup for the next week or two.

Game of the Night

The Golden State Warriors are seeking their first win of the season – one of just three teams still winless so far – and will get a good opportunity Wednesday at home against the Grizzlies, who have only won once in their first four games. Defense is once again the issue in the early going for the Warriors. Last season, they gave up more points than any other NBA team, and through their first two games this year, they’re even worse. Fortunately, the Grizzlies are coughing up even more points than Golden State, so tonight could be a serious offensive bonanza – bring out your fringe Fantasy players! Look for a big night from Monta Ellis, who’s off to a fine start. He’s taken a bigger role in the offense, and although he no longer shoots many from downtown – he’s used to put up almost two 3-ball attempts per game, but has only hoisted one try in the first two games – he’s improved his scoring by being more aggressive. Ellis is getting to the line more often, upping his average to 22.5 PPG along the way. It’s a tradeoff Fantasy owners are probably willing to take, although having a guard that doesn’t sink 3-pointers does force you to seek treys from a non-traditional source.

The Atlanta Braves sure got the better end in the Adam LaRoche-Casey Kotchman deal.

A couple of months ago, we pegged Casey Kotchman as our Daily Dump and that was a bit of a slam dunk. While he saw a bit more action down the stretch, Kotchman continued to scuffle in Beantown, batting just .214 with a 545 OPS in September, faring only slightly better in his three games in October.

In the ALDS, he was a complete non-factor, going hitless in his only at-bat. Then again, it’s not as if the left-handed hitter is Mr. Dangerous off the bench with a 760 OPS vs. righties. Oooh…better bring in a lefty specialist to deal with that. Clearly, the Braves got the better of this deadline deal as Adam LaRoche provided a real spark for Atlanta, while Kotchman languished on the bench in Boston. No longer a full-time player – and definitely not threatening to become one in Boston – even Kotchman’s legendary walk rate dipped this season.

He’s obviously a much better player than he showed down the stretch, and he’s only 26 so there could still be a very big season or two in his bat, but Kotchman needs PT to perform. And he won’t get much of that in Boston, barring injuries. So, barring a change in his situation, go ahead and scratch Kotchman off your cheat sheets for 2010 unless you’re in a very deep AL-only league.

We’ve already done our 2009 wrap up of the Atlanta Braves, but I wanted to talk about how their catchers did this year.

Quick, among players who spent the entire season with the Braves, who led the team in slugging percentage? Chipper Jones? Not even close. Brian McCann? Good guess, but no cigar. Try back-up catcher David Ross. Signed as a free agent in December to a two-year deal for what now seems like a bargain price of $3 million, Ross enjoyed his finest season since 2006 (I clearly underestimated his ability in my 2008 Free Agency Report).

Obviously in his back-up capacity to McCann – one of the best backstops in the biz – he didn’t see enough action to be Fantasy worthy except in extremely deep NL-only leagues. But in terms of his real baseball value, he was a very reliable bat, allowing the Braves to spell McCann a bit more often this season. Ross was quite productive, and despite a decline in his walk rate, he enjoyed a very good OBP. Strangely, the right-handed hitting Ross has been somewhat of an anomaly the past couple of seasons, performing better against righties than lefties. This season, the splits were downright shocking as he recorded a 996 OPS against righties – almost 350 points higher than what he did against southpaws. You’d think this would make him a valuable bat off the bench, but the Braves generally only carried two catchers, so using Ross as a PHer would have almost forced them to take McCann out of the game.

As mentioned, Ross is signed through 2010, and McCann isn’t going anywhere, so Ross will have to reprise his role as a backup. But should McCann suffer an injury, Ross could be a very strong pickup, so he needs to be on your watch list for 2010.

Speaking of McCann, when we last checked in on him, he had just finished scuffling through a down month of August. While he turned things around in September (four homers, 20 RBI, .275 BA), he still didn’t exactly finish on fire. October was no hell, either (2-for-9, but a pair of ribbies). Overall, McCann did not have quite as good as year as he did in 2008, and his strike zone judgment in particular suffered, a key reason why he lost 20 points in batting.

His number dropped in the second half, which is quite typical for catchers who tend to wear down as the season progresses, but McCann still delivered at least 35 doubles for the third straight season and he put up a career best in RBI, so Fantasy owners can’t be too disappointed. Still, when looking at the big picture, it’s hard not to be impressed with what McCann has accomplished in his career at the tender age of 25. He recently had his high school number retired, and the way things are going in his big league career, the Braves may one day follow suit.

Obviously, McCann will again be one of the first catchers off the board in drafts next spring.

D.J. Augustin could give Raymond Felton a run for his money.

Raymond Felton continues to struggle from the floor as an NBA point guard. His FG percentage has dipped in each of his three seasons, and judging by his performance Monday (4-for-12), he’s not about to start draining them soon. The fact that this stinker came against New Jersey – one of the worst teams in the NBA as far as opponents’ FG percentage goes – makes it even more alarming. Felton showed signs of life when he shot the ball very well down the stretch last season, but he has not carried that over into this campaign. Felton’s six assists to 14 turnovers in the last two games can’t be thrilling you, either.

D.J. Augustin has a chance to make hay with Felton struggling, and he’s sunk 46.4 per cent of his shots in the past three games. Note that Augustin almost played as many minutes as Felton did on Monday. This could brew into a position battle very soon – especially with the Bobcats’ offense in such desperate need for a kick start. As long as the team is doing okay (2-2 so far), coach Larry Brown probably won’t rock the boat, but if the Cats slip into a losing skid, there could be changes.

Not much attention has been paid to Chuck Hayes in the wake of Yao Ming’s injury. While guys like Luis Scola and Carl Landry have been hyped, no one is talking about Hayes. Well, have you noticed that it has been Hayes getting the starts at centre for the Rockets? Okay, so he’s not going to be lighting it up with 20-point games, but he’s a solid rebounder who will pitch in given the minutes he’s been getting. Monday, Hayes shot very well (6-for-8), scoring 12 points with nine rebounds, three steals and three assists. You could do worse from your centre spot, so I suggest at least putting Hayes on your watch list. Just saying…

Brook Lopez was a ridiculously hot commodity during the drafting season, and with good reason – he’s poised to take a major step forward. So far, so good for the sophomore centre, but we need to remember that he’s a very young big man, and with that comes inconsistency. So you’ve got to rein in your expectations somewhat and learn to take the good with the bad. Monday, for instance, as the Nets fell to 0-4 on the season, Lopez shot very well, going 8-for-14 for 18 points while swatting another four shots. Fantastic, right? But then you see that he only managed five rebounds, failed to get an assist or steal and worst of all – committed seven turnovers. Gulp. That’ll leave a mark.

Didn’t it seem like Darius Songaila might have a chance to have value with the Hornets this year? Uh, maybe not. Now that Emeka Okafor is healthy, Songaila isn’t seeing nearly enough PT off the bench to be worth tracking. In fact, he’s never been more useless.

The Sacramento Kings finally busted their victory cherry Monday, beating the equally woeful Memphis Grizzlies in overtime. Andres Nocioni has been quiet so far, but he did pitch in with a pair of treys plus two blocks on Monday as he managed a 13-point game. Not bad, but he’s seeing less PT than needed to provide a serious boost for your team. Has he already been passed on the depth chart by rookie Omri Casspi? Given the amount of minutes Casspi’s gotten the past couple of games, that seems to be the direction this team is headed. I’d recommend giving Nocioni another couple of games and then cutting bait if he doesn’t start getting closer to 25 MPG.

Tuesday’s Action

The Jazz is off to its worst start in seven years and things don’t get any easier with a trip to Dallas on Tuesday night. What’s going on with Utah? Well, for starters, the defense has been atrocious. The Jazz D wasn’t great last year, but so far this season it’s been ugly, with the team giving up more than 108 PPG. On offense, team leader Deron Williams has been struggling with his shot. Two years ago, D-Will shot 50.7 per cent, but last year he slipped to 47.1 per cent. Okay, maybe the ankle was a problem last season, but he’s over that now, right? Well, he’s hit just 14-of-39 (35.9 per cent) in his last two games, dropping him to 42.6 per cent for the season. It’s early, but this is a troubling trend for those of you who spent your first rounder on Williams.

I’ll be interested to see how the Wizards — who are definitely improved so far, despite all the injuries — match up against the Cavs in Cleveland Tuesday. Antawn Jamison won’t be back for another couple of weeks, but Washington will get Caron Butler (bruised left kneecap) back, so make sure he’s in your lineup. Butler’s return will likely mean that Randy Foye heads back to the bench, while Mike Miller returns to SG after starting at SF last game.

The D-Backs will be without top pitching prospect Jarrod Parker next year.

Has it only been two years since the Diamondbacks last tasted the postseason? Last year, they slipped to 82-80, but were still in the mix for a playoff spot, falling just short of another division title in a weak NL West. This season, however, Arizona plummeted to the division basement, finishing 70-92 – the third-worst record in franchise history.

What went wrong?

Personally, I think it was a combination of things: the bullpen lacked a solid bridge from the starters to the closer, especially after some mid-season deals; as strong as the rotation was, the back end was brutal; and the attack was somewhat one dimensional, and didn’t feature enough consistent threats in the lineup.

Obviously the fact that ace Brandon Webb was only able to make one start because of shoulder issues was a deathblow. He’s been an absolute stud in recent years, and removing him from the rotation watered down the back end. The good news is that the team is expected to pick up his 2010 option, and he’ll be healthy and ready to go next year. The return of Webb in and of itself should help get this team back to .500.

Of course, while Zona may get Webb back, it may lose No. 2 starter Doug Davis, a free agent this winter. Davis may re-sign to stay in the desert, but it’s unclear for now. He had a strong first half, but got cuffed around after the break. Davis struggled with home run problems all season long, something that might be helped somewhat with a move away from Arizona (even though 60 per cent of the long balls he allowed this year came on the road).

Worse yet, the club’s top pitching prospect, Jarrod Parker, will miss all of 2010 after Tommy John surgery, taking him out of the mix for the rotation. Parker likely needed another full season in the minors, but he might have been knocking on the door by late 2010. Now, we’ll have to wait at least another year before he’s anywhere near ready to help.

Even without Webb, the front end of the rotation was a strength. Dan Haren hurled 24 quality starts in 33 tries, enjoying yet another superb season and setting a career high in strikeouts along the way.

Davis wasn’t always sharp, but always gave the team a chance to win. And Jon Garland was a workhorse before being dispatched to the Dodgers for infielder Tony Abreu, who will be in the mix for the starting second base job next Spring.

In the bullpen, Chad Qualls was more or less a success in his first full season as a closer, although it was not without its drama as he was quite inconsistent at times. Still, the fact that he only blew five of his 29 save chances (after blowing eight of 17 last year) has to qualify as an improvement. However, Qualls was more susceptible to the long ball and his K/9 slipped – not the kind of thing you want to see from your closer. He did a great job vs. righties (.214 BAA), but lefties hit almost .300 against the righty.

Qualls went down at the end of August with a busted kneecap, prompting the Snakes to turn to untested Juan Gutierrez to close. Gutierrez was a perfect 8-for-8 after Qualls went down, and that may prompt the somewhat budget-conscious D-Backs to deal Qualls this winter. If Qualls is traded, by the way, Fantasy owners need to note that his ERA away from Chase Field was 4.74 this year. Just some food for thought there.

Clay Zavada was a revelation, but after his ridiculously good start, he was vulnerable to the long ball, hurting his second-half results. Still, he showed enough to suggest that he can handle a late-inning role in 2010.

On offense, first baseman Brandon Allen took a big step forward as a prospect this season, showing tremendous power and a great batting eye upon arriving at Triple-A Reno after being acquired from the White Sox in the Tony Pena deal. Unfortunately, that advanced batting eye was a rarity, considering his professional experience so far. Allen is currently in the AFL, trying to work out the kinks as he eyes a potential starting job at first base next season for Arizona.

Over at the hot corner, Mark Reynolds was a monster, enjoying a career year with the dingers and steals, and if you played in some kind of surreal Fantasy league in which strikeouts were a good thing, he was clearly the MVP. Reynolds already held the major league mark for strikeouts in a season (204 in 2008), but he shattered that mark by 19 whiffs this season. How he maintained a BA even as high as .260 is a mystery. That BABIP correction is going to hurt, big guy. Still, he was only big leaguer this season to top 40 homers, 100 RBI and 20 thefts. Sweet.

Outfielder Chris Young had a very forgettable season, and even needed to be farmed out for a while. But he came back at the end of August with a vengeance, smacking over half of his 15 homers in the season’s final four weeks. Let’s hope this bodes well for a recovery in 2010, because let’s not forget this dude was a near 30-30 guy just two years ago.

Another lost year for a D-Back outfielder was had by Conor Jackson, as he contracted Valley Fever virus and played just 30 games. The team is going to see if he can stay healthy in Winter Ball before committing to him for 2010.

Still in the outfield, Eric Byrnes is the highest paid player on the team after signing that ill-fated three-year, $30-million deal in 2007, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and has severely underperformed when active. His future in Arizona is also very much in doubt. The Snakes may try to deal him or buy him out, but will need to eat some coin whatever they decide.

The New York Rangers may send Wade Redden packing soon based on the rapid development of rookie Michael Del Zotto.

This week’s Fantasy Roundtable is up! Your lovable panel was asked: “Which NHL rookie has impressed you the most so far this season?”

There’s a whole lot of answers that rhyme with Smell Hotto. I’m just saying…

Check it out!

Jason Richardson will return from his suspension this week.

Welcome to a new season of The Wire Troll, NBA version, where we take a look at some productive players who, for one reason or another, might be languishing on your league’s waiver wire. Just as there’s no crying in baseball, languishing is not to be tolerated in the world of hoops…so we’ll seek to give you an early heads-up on some up-and-coming players who just might be ready for prime time duty on your Fantasy roster.

The NBA season is barely out of the starting gate, but already some patterns are beginning to emerge that may affect Fantasy rosters for at least the near future. Injuries and suspensions have claimed a couple of stars, leaving the door open for their replacements to rack up a bevy of Fantasy points. Meanwhile, a few rookies have stepped to the fore and served notice that the class of ‘09 just might have as many pleasant surprises in store as their counterparts from a season ago.

The season is in its infancy, but acting upon these early indicators may allow you to get in on the ground floor of a budding Fantasy Cinderella story.

Weekly line-up leaguers take note: Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis will remain on league suspension for the entire week, while Suns’ two-guard Jason Richardson should be back in action following his two-game suspension.

On the injury front, Antawn Jamison and Kevin Love will not play this week, and keep an eye on the status of Pau Gasol (hamstring), Vince Carter (ankle), Rip Hamilton (ankle) and Mehmet Okur (knee/ankle). The news looks to be good for Charlotte guard Raja Bell (wrist), who may return this week. Fantasy owners in deeper leagues should have Bell on their radar.

Note that two other very high draft picks — Devin Harris and Caron Butler — are now out. Harris will miss Monday’s game, meaning another start for Rafer Alston, who put up a good line the other night. Butler, meanwhile, is expected to be back in action Tuesday night.

Four-game weeks: ATL, BOS, DEN, DET, LAL, MEM, MIN, NJ, NO, NY, ORL, PHO, SAC, UT, WAS

Two-game week: SA

CENTRES

Andray Blatche, Washington Wizards: While Jamison is on the shelf – and that’s expected to be at least two more weeks – Blatche should see plenty of minutes. He made good on that run in his first game this season, posting 20 points, seven boards and two blocks against Dallas. While Jamison is out, Blatche should be on most Fantasy rosters. Even after ‘Tawn makes it back, Blatche will be the first big off the bench for the Wizards, and his rebounding and shot blocking ability make him a worthwhile roster addition in deep (180 or more rostered players) leagues.

Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies: The arrivals of Zach Randolph and Hasheem Thabeet were supposed to cleave the Fantasy value of Gasol, but the big man apparently didn’t get that memo. He went off for 21 points, 15 boards and three blocks in his first game of the year, and looked every bit the part of a dominant big man. The jury’s still out on whether Gasol will be able to score on a consistent basis, but the boards and blocks figure to be there in any event.

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers: Speights may become the Sixers’ top big off the bench after tossing in a career-high 26 points in the opening game. Caution is advised, though, as he followed up that big night by playing only 12 minutes in his next game. The 6-foot-10 inch Speights is certainly a player to watch in all Fantasy formats, and may see his minutes increase if Elton Brand continues to struggle with picking up the “Princeton” offense. Speights is a good add in deeper leagues at this point, but be prepared to pull the trigger in all formats if he wins the job as sixth man in Philly.

Channing Frye, Phoenix Suns: Now that Frye has finally landed a starting gig, he’s definitely making the most of his time on the floor. He averaged 17 points, six boards and 3.5 trey balls through his first two games, and looks like a worthwhile add in just about every league. He’s not a shot blocker, but Frye’s quickness and ability to run the floor makes him an ideal fit in Phoenix’s up-tempo system. He should produce solid steal numbers as a result, and those treys are oh so sweet indeed. Friday night he looked absolutely sick, canning his first half dozen tries from beyond the arc before finally missing one.

FORWARDS

Travis Outlaw/Martell Webster, Portland Trail Blazers: The shoulder injury to starting small forward Nicolas Batum, who’s out until at least January, has opened the door for both Outlaw and Webster. Outlaw tossed in 23 points, while grabbing four rebounds, dishing two assists and posting two steals and a block his first game, while Webster responded with 14/3/2/2/1 in eight fewer minutes. Outlaw may still be available in some leagues, while Webster is almost certainly hanging around out there somewhere. Don’t over-invest here, but recall that Webster put up decent numbers back in ‘07-08 before missing all but one game last year due to injury.

DeJuan Blair, San Antonio Spurs: The rookie appears to have won the job as Tim Duncan’s backup in San Antonio, and that can translate to some very nice Fantasy lines for Blair when the Big Fundamental takes a night off. Blair also figures to rack up some solid minutes when the Spurs are involved in a blowout, and that nifty 14 points and 11 boards he posted in his NBA debut should show you that the talent is definitely there. Add Blair in deeper leagues, and Duncan owners should strongly consider rostering the rookie as well.

Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic: Anderson also carries centre eligibility in some leagues, and his 16 points, four treys and five boards in the Magic’s opening game makes him add-worthy in some deeper leagues. Make your move now if you need his support, though – Anderson’s minutes should plummet after Lewis serves his 10-game suspension.

Yi Jianlian, New Jersey Nets: Yi is averaging 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds with two blocks per game through his first two outings, and his potential makes him worth a dice roll in most league formats. He has been inconsistent to say the least during his career, though, so be prepared to cut bait if his fortunes head south.

Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks: Gallinari looks to have rediscovered his shooting touch in the regular season, and can be of help to owners in need of threes. His health will always be a concern, but while he’s dialed in he’s worth a look for Fantasy owners in larger leagues.

Shelden Williams, Boston Celtics: Those same deep league owners should keep an eye on Williams; the Celts figure to be on the good end of a lot of blowouts this season, and Williams looks to be in line to rack up plenty of garbage time minutes. It may not be quality time, but Fantasy owners won’t complain about the 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block he posted during one rout, nor the 10/10/2/2 he put up the following night. He won’t see meaningful minutes if the game is close, but if things get out of hand – and they often will – Williams could shine.

GUARDS

Rasual Butler, Los Angeles Clippers: Butler had a tough opening game (having Ron Artest in your face all night will do that to you), but he rebounded nicely with 19 points, three treys and four assists the following night. Butler should see plenty of action off the bench for the hapless Clippers, and his scoring, three-point shooting and serviceable shot-blocking talent are welcome additions for owners in deeper leagues.

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks: All Jennings did in his first NBA start was just miss posting a triple-double – though his 17-9-9 line was marred by five turnovers. The young PG figures to make mistakes aplenty as he learns the NBA game, but the talent for Fantasy stardom seems to be there. Jennings is worth adding in just about every league – though his value is diminished if your league counts turnovers.

Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets: Lawson may be backing up one of the game’s most durable players in Chauncey Billups, but the rookie’s impressive 17-4-6 line in his NBA debut may well earn him more minutes going forward. If you own Billups, Lawson is a must-add if you can spare the roster space; he looks like a polished NBA point guard who could pile up monster numbers should Mr. Big Shot suffer an injury.

Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings: Sacramento plans to emphasize youth this season, and point guard Evans is at the forefront of that movement. The fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft averaged 16 points, 3.5 boards, two assists and 1.5 steals through his first two games, so he’s definitely worth grabbing in most formats if he’s still available. Beware the turnovers that are bound to come (3.0 his first two games) but Evans’ skill set should allow him to blossom into a solid Fantasy starter – possibly as early as the second half of this season.

You may not agree with his shirt colour choices or his eyebrow grooming techniques, but there’s no arguing with Jair Jurrjens’ results.

With the World Series well underway, I’m going to start taking a look at how teams did in 2009 as we ramp up for the 2010 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit.

The Atlanta Braves had a lot of things go right in 2009. Paced by Jair Jurrjens and Javier Vasquez, the rotation was back to being a major strength, leading the National League with 99 quality starts. In mid-September, the Braves went on a major run, winning 15 of 17 to pull within two games of the Wild Card lead.

Unfortunately, the prevailing memory of 2009 will be a final week collapse in which the team lost a season-worst six games, including getting swept by the woeful Nats, eliminating any hopes of getting back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

The Braves did enjoy a 14-game improvement to finish 86-76, good for third place in the NL East after a fourth-place showing in 2008, but there are plenty of concerns heading into 2010.

Team speed needs to be addressed; when Matt Diaz – yes, Matt Diaz, who had never stolen more than five bases in a season prior to 2009 — is your leading basestealer, you know that’s not a team strength.

How much does Chipper Jones have left in the tank is another worry. Jones endured an 0-for-19 slump in the final week to finish at a career-worst .264 (exactly 100 points below his 2008 average, which won him a batting title). But he’s still a dangerous power hitter, right? Uh, maybe not. Jones’ streak of 14 straight seasons of 20 homers or more to begin his career – a record he shares with another great third baseman, Eddie Mathews – was snapped.

Another concern the team faces is lagging attendance. Yes, the economy could very well be responsible, but it’s surprising that such an improved team would suffer a 12 per cent decline in attendance, drawing their lowest numbers of fans since 2003.

And 2010, regardless of the outcome, will truly be the end of an era as Bobby Cox has declared that he will retire at the end of next season. Wouldn’t it be perfect if he could go out a winner?

The Braves are no longer one of the biggest spenders in the game, but they aren’t the Florida Marlins, either. Atlanta is about to sign Tim Hudson – who made a very successful return in September from Tommy John surgery – to a three-year extension, a move that will help solidify the rotation for the next few seasons. Hudson is 34, but his impressive work down the stretch proved he still has plenty left to offer.

Before Hudson’s return, one of the key members of the rotation in the first half was Derek Lowe, but we started warning you to sell high fairly early in the season. He still looked like a top 25 starter when we did our SP rankings in late June, but Lowe was simply ugly down the stretch, recording a 5.05 ERA with a .335 BAA after the break. Owners will look at that nice 15-10 record – the fourth time Lowe has earned 15 or more wins – and think that they’re getting a quality starter, but don’t be fooled.

The Braves already have five starters under contract for 2010, so Vazquez could be dealt this offseason as the team looks to beef up the attack. That would still leave Lowe as the No. 4 starter for 2010, but I’d be very wary of drafting him too early next Spring.

Speaking of beefing up the attack, while Diaz’s dozen steals were a nice bonus for owners, it was his hitting prowess that was most impressive. In fact, no NL right fielder who had at least 100 plate appearances put up a higher BA or on-base percentage than Diaz. His massively improved ability to draw a walk made him a legitimate fantasy option, especially in leagues where OBP counts. Diaz has always hit lefties well, but this season’s .412 BA/1104 OPS against them was just sick. And after struggling severely vs. righties last year (.159 BA), Diaz was more than passable (.255) against them in 2009.

Of course, the Braves have more outfield help on the way in the form of Jason Heyward, considered the best prospect in the game. However, a leg injury has forced him out of the AFL, which is unfortunate, because the Braves hoped to find out if he was ready for a job in the big leagues. Even so, this kid could very well be starting for Atlanta at some point next season. Expect him to provide some much-needed power for the Braves; his upside is off the charts.

In the infield, Martin Prado is a good sleeper candidate. He took over the keystone corner from the struggling Kelly Johnson, and will be the everyday second baseman for Atlanta in 2010. He’s a proven .300 hitter, and could approach 20 homers as he enters his prime power years.

The bullpen wasn’t as good as the rotation, but it wasn’t chopped liver, either, ranking fifth in the NL in ERA. That’s even more impressive when you consider that Jorge Campillo – who made 25 starts for the Braves in 2008 and was pretty darned good at times — missed most of the season with rotator cuff problems. He was a candidate for the fifth starter job this Spring, but wound up pitching only out of the bullpen for the brief time he was healthy. Campillo has since been removed from the 40-man roster, so it’s doubtful he’s in the team’s plans for 2010.

One of the nicest surprises out of the bullpen was the performance of workhorse Peter Moylan. Not only did the Aussie break the team record for appearances in a season with 87, but the groundball specialist was extremely effective, inducing a dozen double plays and going the entire season without yielding a single long ball.

Overall for the Braves, this was a fine rebound season that was somewhat tainted by a very crappy final week.

With the new WWE story designer, you can actually book main events that don’t include the names Cena, Orton or Triple H!?!? Blasphemy!

Ah, professional wrestling. At times it’s my favourite guilty pleasure/pseudo sport, while at other times it makes me embarrassed to even be watching. However, although my interest in the real thing wavers greatly, my love of pro wrestling video games is a constant that pre-dates watching my first real match. I’ve always found the genre to be more enjoyable than traditional fighting games (a la Street Fighter or Tekken) in terms of one-on-one gaming because the moves are plausible and there’s some background to everything.

How deep does this love go? Well, I can rattle off a half-dozen genre-defining titles (No Mercy, anyone?) in my sleep spanning multiple generations and platforms. But that barely scratches the surface. I had my original PlayStation modified to play Japanese games because the domestic market wasn’t bearing enough squared circle fruit. Ditto for the N64 and Dreamcast. Despite that dedication level, I’ve been disappointed with recent releases. Thankfully, our long national nightmare is over, because WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 delivers a package rich in both content and replayability.

Controls (4.5/5)

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 ups the ante on the number of moves players can unleash by doubling the number of grapples, adding the ring apron as a location to attack from and increasing your ground-based options. Yet despite all the additions, they keep things simple to control, which makes for an excellent in-game experience.

Your attacks are broken down into strikes (X) and grapples (right stick), but you’ll be executing tons of different moves off those two basic commands. Think of it like a family tree, where moves branch off of one another. For example, you can start with a strong collar and elbow grapple by holding down the right bumper and pushing the right stick up. Once engaged, you then move the right stick up, down, left or right and your wrestler with pull off one of the four moves assigned to that grapple. You’re given four different strong grapples with four moves off of each, meaning you’ll have 16 possible attacks whenever you lock up. Plus, each strong grapple features a strike (press X while locked up) and a submission move (click the right stick), bringing the total of 24 moves.

Beyond the grapples and strikes, you’ll also be able to run (left bumper), Irish Whip (B) your opponent, taunt them (d-pad) and pick up weapons (A) for more visceral damage. Anyone familiar with the series should have no trouble jumping right into a match, and for those new to the fray there’s a pretty comprehensive training mode that walks you through the different moves in terms of both how and when to do them.

Two new items that long-time fans and newcomers alike should embrace are the simplification of counters and addition of manual targeting. In the past, counters were mapped to both triggers — left for grapple counters, right for strikes. This year, all counters are handled by pressing the right trigger at the proper time (the prompt will appear over your opponent’s head to let you know when). It may seem like a minor change, but for series veterans it greatly reduces frustration.

Freeing up the left trigger also allowed THQ to implement a manual targeting system, allowing you to decide which opponent to focus on during matches that have more than two participants. After being forced to rely on the auto-targeting system in years past, this is a big deal.

As if that weren’t enough, each wrestler will have certain abilities (like using the ref as a shield, or stealing an opponent’s moves) that unlock additional moves. My favourite is the “object specialist,” which opens up new options to do with the game’s foreign objects. Watching my created wrestler pull off a one-man “Conchairto” or bust out the “Van Daminator” was tremendous fun.

Unfortunately, the A.I. can still be pretty hit or miss during the actual matches. On the lower difficulties you’ll often find your CPU opponent just stands around waiting to get pounded, while on the higher ones even the weakest of mat technicians suddenly transform into reversal machines. Partner A.I. seems better, though, as your tag team buddy hits the ring when a pin appears eminent to knock the CPU’s partner to the floor or to break up a near fall on you. The game does offer sliders to customize your experience, but unlike in 2k Sports’ recent releases, those sliders cannot be shared.

Graphics/Sound (4/5)

As has become expected, the visuals in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 are top notch. The wrestlers look like their real world counterparts, and thanks to some improved graphics in the create-a-wrestler department, your own doppelganger no longer sticks out like a sore thumb. Wrestlers also move very fluidly, and although you’ll still see the occasional arm sticking through an opponent’s body on suplexes, they manage to interact very realistically. This is particularly noticeable when transitioning from one strong grapple to another as wrestlers move from a collar and elbow tie-up to a side headlock seamlessly.

The graphical muscle is really on display during superstar entrances, where fireworks and excellent lighting effects make you feel like you’re really watching the product on TV. My only gripe as it relates to entrances (and subsequently the in-game action) is the arenas. Yes, the stages are spot on. However, I never felt like I was in a different location. Even the arena for WrestleMania 25 felt like the exact same spot with a fresh coat of paint. Not since the Toukon Retsuden series (I told you I imported!) on the PlayStation have I seen a game capture the feel of a large arena, and it’s something I’d love to see in future installments to give the PPVs a big time atmosphere.

Another area in which the graphics shine is showing off the damage you’ve incurred and inflected on your opponent. Chests redden with chops, limbs are favoured and superstars limp around after taking a beating — these last two are particularly important since the long-standing HUD that showed how your limbs were taking damage has been removed to give gamers a clearer picture of the action. Blood is also present, and although it always starts as a cut on the forehead, you’ll see the crimson mask spread as matches wear on. Blood will drip down your opponent, onto the mat and even onto you. It’s a pretty impressive feat when you see blood on your fists after punching a lacerated victim.

Not everything is a box of fluffy ducks graphically, though, as you’ll see faces that appear to be going through the mat on some submission holds and the ropes do some wonky things at times when wrestlers come in contact with them. The wrestlers’ mouths also look a bit off, and I don’t mean strictly in the sense of movements matching spoken words. All of those issues are minor, however, and the overall visuals are very good.

The audio is more of a mixed bag. Most of the wrestlers deliver their lines well, but a couple of them sound like they’re going through the motions. Commentary is hit or miss. The team of Todd Grisham and Matt Striker are the best of the group while Jim Ross and current TNA announcer Taz get stale in a hurry. Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler do a lot of the commentary during the story modes and they hold up pretty well. However, the commentary that takes place outside the stories is pretty repetitive. Personally, my favourite announcing in a wrestling game remains Giant Gram 2000, which was entirely in Japanese. I couldn’t understand 95 per cent of it — apparently DDT is DDT in any language — but their excitement level matched the action. I’m still waiting for any domestic sports title to capture that same emotion.

As you would expect, all the WWE entrance themes are present, and you can use any music downloaded to your console as well. My created wrestler comes out to Cypress Hill’s “Insane in the Brain,” and it loads immediately without issue. The crowd chants are varied and well done, while the sound effects are pretty much standard fare.

Gameplay (4.5/5)

The content front for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is once again loaded with multiple Road to WrestleMania stories, a career mode, numerous match types, online support and a boatload of creation tools, including the ability to generate your own storylines. It’s a serious tour de force that should keep even casual wrestling fans knee deep in fresh content for months.

Like last year, the Road to WrestleMania mode once again centres on specific superstars, which is both good and bad. It’s good because there’s a character-focused story with generally good voiceover work. It’s bad because only six wrestlers (Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Edge, Mickie James and Triple H/John Cena) are included. That means if you’re a fan of someone like MVP or Jeff Hardy you’ll be limited to career mode for your single player fix, which is just a series of matches with no story. On the bright side, there is an included Road to WrestleMania for any wrestler you create, and that one turns out to perhaps be the best of the bunch with an interesting mix of matches/scenarios and some clever humour sprinkled in.

As for the other storylines, they’re generally pretty solid, and I like that THQ decided to mix things up with backstage segments or guest referee roles instead of just wrestling every week. Still, you’ll find some frustrating moments within the Road to WrestleMania in regards to meeting specific match requirements, which in the interest of not giving spoilers I won’t mention specifically. Anyone familiar with WWE programming will undoubtedly be met with a sense of déjà vu for some of these stories, but they’re still fun to play overall.

Next up is career mode, which as noted above is simply a series of matches as you try to capture titles and eventually secure a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. Basically you’ll choose which championship to pursue and then be given a list of contenders. You then pick an opponent from that list to wrestle. After the match you’ll be graded on a five-star scale, and when you reach a certain threshold of stars you’ll be able to compete in a No. 1 Contender’s match. Win that and you can face the champion. Beat him and you’re prompted to pick another championship to go after. Its fine for what it is, but it’s a poor substitute for fans of the “lesser” wrestlers that didn’t qualify for a Road to WrestleMania story.

Thankfully, THQ’s big new addition addresses that issue, and it’s a game changer. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 introduces a story designer mode, allowing users to create all new storylines for any wrestler in the game and then upload them to share with other gamers. It’s a great idea, but there are a couple negatives to get out of the way first. The big one is that you’re only allowed to use a created wrestler 10 times during the entirety of your tale. That doesn’t mean 10 matches, that means 10 total appearances. So anyone dreaming of fielding a brand new wrestling promotion filled with created wrestlers will have to keep waiting. I also would’ve enjoyed a little more freedom to produce text, but as it stands each scene is limited to 12 word balloons. Even that amount is daunting to fill with a controller, so if you plan on creating involved storylines, pick up a USB keyboard as both the Xbox 360 and PS3 support it.

Outside of those issues, the story designer mode is a would-be booker’s dream. The game gives you a wealth of options when creating scenes in terms of location, situation, number of people involved and much more. You can mess with the camera to get just the right angle. You can have the crowd boo or cheer at any time during an interview. You can hot shot angles and blow through John Cena and The Undertaker in less than a month (AKA TNA booking), or you can go old school with the slow burn and have two wrestlers on a collision course as an overarching storyline that lasts years. Assign the belts to whomever you want, be a sadist and book an Iron Man Match with Big Show and Great Khali! All the tools are there at your fingertips, and it’s just a brilliant addition to the series.

Of course, it’s early in the process, and as a one-time writer for an online wrestling federation I’m still experimenting with different scenarios before unleashing my masterpiece (not a Chris Masters reference), but I fully expect this to add a ton of replay value to the game. My primary concern at this point is sorting through the flood of existing content already available just one week after the game was released. Hopefully online communities will start identifying the best storylines, thus making the quest to find worthwhile content easier.

Beyond the ability to create wrestlers and storylines, you’re also able to modify the outfits for existing WWE superstars as well as crafting multiple looks for your own wrestler. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 also allows you to make highlight reels that can then be turned into customized entrance videos for your character. A paint tool has been added to produce original emblems and tattoos. Plus, you can customize your entire move list and create both traditional and top-rope finishers. Your creations can be uploaded or you can download the work of others, which is a cool feature for those that want to use past performers like Brock Lesnar or Rob Van Dam without taking the time to create them.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 also comes packed with oodles of match types, including the usual favourites like cage, TLC and Hell in a Cell. New this year is the championship scramble where a title can change hands multiple times between the five participants in a specific time limit. It’s executed well and is a welcome addition. The other big change is a complete revamping of the Royal Rumble — a match that has long been among the most fun to watch on PPV and the least fun to play in games. This time around you’ll participate in mini games when trying to eliminate the other 29 competitors, making it fun to play as opposed to a chore.

Online play is once again supported beyond just downloading as you can take on other members of the WWE Universe in a variety of matches. The performance is decent, but I did detect some slight lag that seemed to throw off the timing of my reversals. I’m also a little disappointed not to see the Royal Rumble available online as it seems like a natural fit for multiple players.

Overall (4.5/5)

While I’m unwilling to crown WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 as the best wrestling game ever made, I highly recommend it as this is easily the most enjoyable wrestling title I’ve played on the current generation of consoles.

Even back when Ken Hitchcock was coaching the Flyers, Mike Richards was emerging as their leader.

BY ROB REATH

Intangibles. That was word Philadelphia Flyer General Manager Paul Holmgren used in justifying the lengthy contract he gave his captain Mike Richards. At the time, many suggested Richards was too young, not developed enough, and hadn’t achieved enough. That’s what some people said, anyways. Those close to the situation, who were well-versed with both the game and the player saw it differently.

Holmgren knew what he had on his hands — a keeper. He had a player who had won at every level before the NHL; a player who hated to lose; a mild-mannered person who possessed a burning desire to win; a player who would stand up to anyone and anything when it mattered.

It didn’t take long before the proof started showing. After former coach Ken Hitchcock had lost the dressing room in Philly following a bad loss, Richards commented “Typical Philadelphia Flyers game — we got the lead and then folded.” Vice President Bobby Clarke defended Richards, suggesting that players are the first to notice such things. No one characterized Richards as a coach killer because they knew better.

Richards’ work ethic and drive have excited every coach he’s played for. The point he was making was that there was a problem was not being addressed and while it was ugly and risky to talk about it, Richards spoke up.  
 
He also took a shot at Holmgren during a playoff post-mortem press conference, stating that he thought it was learning year for the GM too. Richards was referring to the incident where the Flyers’ salary cap problems had forced them to keep budding star Claude Giroux from practicing with the team.

Now, Holmgren casts a long shadow in NHL both as an intimidating fighter during his playing days and in his influence as an executive. Very few have thrown stones in his direction, fairly or unfairly. Stranger still, that criticism would appear from a player he could easily trade or otherwise have an impact on his career. Holmgren declined comment on the remark, but did mention that it was desirable to have a cushion for the cap

Holmgren took the comment in stride once again because those who know Richards also know comment like that were in the best interest of the team. It also signaled that Richards has claimed that team as his own, and everyone in the Philly organization is pleased as punch about it, from owner Ed Snider to Clarke, Holmgren, and present coach John Stevens.

One question remains: Where does Richards rank among some of the legendary Flyer leaders?

He scores, he fights, he sets up his teammates to score, he hits and kills penalties (and is often a threat to score short handed), and just recently has been vilified by the Philly media for not answering their questions. This occurred after he asked them not to keep bringing up a partying episode that occurred last season that many felt resulted in the trading of Joffrey Lupul.

Since then, Richards has been responding with one-word answers, if at all. He now joins the ranks of Clarke, Eric Lindros, Ron Hextall, Peter Forsberg, and many other Flyer leaders who were flayed in the Philly media over any human flaw that could be found Last weekend, when Richards nailed Florida Panther David Booth with a clean hit, it was the Philly press crying for a suspension the loudest. The media doesn’t like him there, but the players, fans and his bosses love him.
 
Congratulations, Mike. You are now truly a great Flyer captain and leader! Once the local press turns on you in Philly, it often means they just don’t have anything to write about and therefore you are doing great!