2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Advice & Analysis
 Kahlil Bell (See credits below) Ernest Hemingway was a grade A cut of pure manliness. The guy drove ambulances in World War I, ran with Spanish rebels, mixed it up with the intelligencia in Paris, became a legend at bars in Key West and Cuba and was the author of one of my favorite novels, "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Not totally irrelevant to these exaltations of one of the best writers — if not the best writer — in American history is a running back from the Chicago Bears who happens to share a namesake with a damn fine book. Kahlil Bell, RB, Chicago Bears: 121 yards rushing, 38 yards receiving This guy is an interesting dude. His UCLA profile lists his hobbies as basketball, video games and dancing. Not the most intimidating litany of man I've seen, and certainly not the kind of list that would gain him entry into Ernest Hemingway's circle of friends. So no gun running between Key West and Cuba for Bell and Ernest. Not a big deal. Hemingway, unfortunately, is dead like many of our fantasy playoff teams. Khalil Bell, however, is alive, like the lot of you lucky suckers who are pushing for a title this week. I'd like to say that there is some sort of pedigree in Bell's college career that would indicate great things to come, but there's not. Bell totaled 1741 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns in his four-year career as a Bruin. You'd have to go back to Bell's high school days at Marin Catholic in NorCal to find the good stuff — He rushed for 2292 yards and 31 TD's his senior season. Bell went undrafted out of college, then signed on with the Bears in 2009 after being dropped by the Vikings. He does hold the distinction of holding the NFL record the longest gain on his first rushing attempt — 72 yards in 2009 against the Eagles. Projections: Bell's last game against the Vikings looks like a juicy one; definite potential to be a 150+ total yards/1 TD game. So here's my first recommendation: If Bell is still available in your league, man up, make Ernest proud and drop that pansy league of yours to play with real men, the kind of men who snaked Bell off the waiver wire weeks ago. My second recommendation is this: If you have Bell, play him. With so many teams entering week 17 non-chalantly because of irrelevance or a locked playoff seeding, Bell's emergence in fantasy circles is a haven for points. He is pretty much guaranteed to play the entire game. Looking to next season, Bell might be a good handcuff pickup whose stock will go up if he is traded to a team where he will be the top running back on the roster. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! (December 17, 2011 - Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America) Add Comment  Greg Little (credits below) The time, dear friends, is short. In about 17 days, the fantasy football season will, in most cases, be over. The bright light that once was a veritable banquet of stats, prognostications and moments of both exultation and gut-wrenching remorse soon will fade into the distance and be replaced by lesser vices like fantasy basketball and baseball. Until that zenith hour, my comrades, we will fight on. This week's diamond-in-the-rough is a not-so-tiny-receiver from the Cleveland Browns. Greg Little, WR, Cleveland Browns: 5 rec, 131 yards, 1 TD Little is one of those Tony Gonzalez types: He played both basketball and football at his college, the University of North Carolina. Little sat out his 2010 college season after being busted for taking travel accommodations and jewelry while on the 'Heels football team. Despite riding the pine for his inclinations towards free nights in the Comfort Inn and for bling, Little was drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft by the Cleveland Browns. He clocked a 4.53 40-yard dash time and has a 40.5-inch vertical leap. Little played his high school football in North Carolina, and was a USA Today All-American. Projections: Little is on the bottom end a very talented group of freshman NFL receivers that includes A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Doug Baldwin. The former Tarheel wideout has had some decent games against bad defense, and substandard performances against good defenses. It is important to note, however, that Little is the premier wide receiver on the Browns. His 57 catches are 20 more than now-IRed tight end Ben Watson. Despite that, I'd be hesitant to start him the rest of the season. His final two games are against the Steelers and the Ravens. Keep an eye on him for next year, though. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! (November 26, 2011 - Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images North America)  TJ Yates (credits below) The Gold Mine is in it's last few weeks of existence for the 2011 fantasy season. Some of you out there are in the second leg of your fantasy football playoffs. I, on the other hand, am not, the result of not having enough points to win a tiebreaker in one league; and losing Matt Forte the week before my playoffs in my other league (not to mention the early exit of Greg Jennings and Matt Moore sealing my fate in last week's work league matchup...damn you, fantasy gods!). Frustrations aside, lets highlight this week's diamond-in-the-rough. T.J. Yates, QB, Houston Texans: 300 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT Yates is on the radar now that he's led Houston to its first playoff appearance and its first division title. Before Sunday's last second victory, Yates was a mediocre backup for those that lost the steady services of Matt Schaub. As in other Gold Mine columns, the question is, where did Yates come from and where is he going? T.J. is an interesting story. He wasn't one of those guys that was a star all four years in high school. In fact, Yates didn't play ball until his senior season. He passed for 17 touchdowns and ran for seven more. Yates was a four-year starter at University of North Carolina, where he set the record for most career passing yards, and most passing yards in a season. Not bad for a dude that picked up the pigskin his final year in high school. The Texans drafted Yates in the 5th round of the 2011 NFL Draft, a round that also included Iowa standout Ricky Stanzi and Idaho signal caller Nate Enderle. Yates' performance against the Bengals was an impressive one: On the road, for one, and against a pretty decent defense. The Texans have a soft schedule from here on out, beginning this weekend with the Panthers. Houston faces Indianapolis next week and concludes the season against the Titans. It's hard to say how they will handle Yates: Will the Texans grind out the season with Arian Foster, who faces two of the worst run defenses in the league? Or will they let Yates throw more often now that a division title is in the bag? Either way, if you are in a jam and need to start someone this week for your playoff matchup, consider Yates. He's owned in only 5% of Y! leagues. For those that dabble in Yahoo's Salary Cap leagues (a must-play for serious fantasy enthusiasts), Yates will cost you a mere $8.45. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! (August 31, 2011 - Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images North America)   Jason Avant Fresh off a ham hangover, a tryptophane overdose and a freakin' cornucopia of chuckles following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Crankgate scandal, I present to you another installment of the Gold Mine, where I dig deep on the waiver wire to find a guy who has a decent week and isn't owned by many teams. Jason Avant, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: 110 yards, 1 TD Avant played high school football in two places: as a freshman at MacArthur High Schol in Decatur, Ill., and finished at Geroge Washington Carver Military Academy in Chicago. Carver is the home to Golden State Warriors' star Tim Hardaway, owner of that killer crossover. Avant gained All-American honors as a free safety. The future Eagle played his college ball at Michigan, where he began his career playing second-fiddle to Braylon Edwards...you know, the guy whose aerial love affair with Derek Anderson made the pair a one-hit wonder a few seasons ago. In his senior season, Avant caught 82 passes for 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns. The guy has a cerebral side to him — he reportedly is an ace at Scrabble and spent an offseason learning piano. Projections: Injuries to Jeremy Maclin have led to Avant's emergence in Philly's offense. This past game against the Patriots, Avant's eight receptions topped all Eaglers receivers, tight ends and running backs. Only Jeremy Maclin has caught more passes than that in one game than Avant's eight against Philly and his nine spot against the Bills. Avant's 44 receptions for the season put him two behind Maclin and one ahead of tight end Brent Celek. The Eagles' matchups the rest of the way are just ho-hum, and Avant isn't really the guy the Eagles go to in the red zone (only 1 TD this season). However, he seemed to have great rapport with Vince Young. Keep an eye on him down the stretch. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! (September 10, 2011 - Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America) This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.  John Skelton (credits below) Welcome to the Week 11 Gold Mine. If you haven't heard the word, the Gold Mine is intended to be a get to know with one player who emerged from obscurity to put in a decent performance...sort of a pre-date with a player before you make a decision about whether or not you want to spend money on them in a committed relationship. This week's Gold Mine spotlight shines on Arizona Cardinals' QB John Skelton. Week 10 performance: 315 yards, 3 TD's, 2 INT's v. Philadelphia Eagles According to Wikipedia (damn you Jimmy Wales and your scary portrait pictures that make seize up in fear every time they pop up), Skelton was born in the dirty little border town of El Paso, Texas. He played his high school football at Burges High School, home to an Army general and an astronaut. From there, he moved on to the football powerhouse (sarcasm) of Fordham University. There doesn't seem to be any standout football players from Fordham. However, the school is home to the once-for-all greatest coach in NFL history, Vince Lombardi. It's hard to knock Fordham with this in mind; and of course, who can diss Skelton's alma mater when it's also the alma mater of Denzel Washington and Alan Alda? Projections: Skelton chucked the ball a lot his senior season, leading the NCAA FCS in passing yards with 3,713 yards. He likes to throw the ball. It's hard to say whether he'll keep up his week 10 performance. Aside from next week's game against the Rams, he faces plenty of decent defenses: San Francisco, Dallas, Cincinnati and Cleveland. He'd be a nice add to replace a Matt Cassel or Rex Grossman, but it's not difficult to see that his fantasy playoff matchups could really sink you if you start hiim. CLICK HERE TO ENTER OUR NFL JERSEY SWEEPSTAKES GIVEAWAY ON FACEBOOK! Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! (November 12, 2011 - Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images North America)  Jonathan Baldwin Down in the depths of the the ever-hostile Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, several noteworthy events took place. First, Philip Rivers followed up his deplorable performance against the Chiefs with another ghastly performance, thus solidifying his standing as one of the biggest first-half busts of the season. Second, Dwayne Bowe was held without a touchdown, thus dashing the dreams of anyone who was hoping a 10 point-showing would win them their head-to-head matchup. Third, the Gold Mine found its eighth treasure of the season. Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Kansas City Chiefs: You've got to hand it to the Pittsburgh Panthers — Larry Fitzgerald and LeSean McCoy have had pretty sweet careers so far in the National Football League. Is Baldwin the next successful alum? Let's take a look at his lineage. Baldwin was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, also the hometown of Mike Ditka; Ty Law; Darrelle Revis; Pete Maravich, Tony Dorsett, and a former United States Surgeon General. Gold star for Baldwin. Singer Henry Mancini also was born Aliquippa, which normally would be a negative were it not for Chevy Chase's mention of the song in "Fletch." Point, Baldwin. The lanky receiver's middle name is "Dupree," which happens to to be the surname of Marcus Dupree, the infamous running back from Oklahoma who recently was featured in an episode of ESPN E:60. Demerit, Baldwin. According to Wikipedia, Baldwin's cousin Charles Fisher played cornerback for the Bengals. Fisher tore all the major ligaments of his knee in his first game of his NFL career, but went on to work in personnel for the Packers and Seahawks. Skull and crossbones for Baldwin's football future, but one brownie point for his career after football. Fitz also was a receiver at Pitt. Round of applause for Baldwin. The final tally: besides a skull and crossbones and a near-demerit, Baldwin passes the lineage test. The pedigree is there. Will it work to his advantage? Projections: One argument against Baldwin's ability to produce respectable numbers in the future is that he plays opposite one of the league's best receivers in Dwayne Bowe. On the flip side of that argument is the Victor Cruz clause — Cruz plays opposite Hakeem Nicks and still manages to put up great numbers. The Chiefs' schedule for the next three games also is favorable for Baldwin's future: New England (horrendous), Miami (fairly crappy) and Denver (uninspiring with hints of lame and suck). KC's next three games are pretty much a death wish— Pittsburgh, Chicago and the Jets. The Chiefs play a weak Packers pass defense at week 15, right around fantasy playoffs. The immediate future looks promising for Baldwin. Pat on the back. The mid-range prognosis is pretty nasty. Soap in the mouth. The long-term indicators are fairly positive. Smiley face sticker. PS: Charger's RB Curtis Brinkley had a great game but was examined for a concussion afterwards. With Ryan Mathews dealing with hamstring issues and Mike Tolbert fighting injuries, Brinkley might be gold if his concussion tests check out. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Football Advice, Fantasy Football Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Football Gold, Week 9, Jonathan Baldwin, Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel, Curtis Brinkley, Mike Tolbert, Ryan Mathews (July 30, 20112011-07-30 16:00:00 - Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America)  Dezmon Briscoe The Gold Mine heads into week eight searching for more diamonds in the rough; you know, the guys that were labeled "bust" that slipped a good game under the eyes of the fantasy experts, or maybe the Kurt Warners of the world who were bagging groceries one week and lobbing touchdowns the next week. The Gold Mine is here to find these guys and let you know where they came from and what they might be capable of. Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6 catches, 73 yards, TDFamiliar with the name Ugo Ihemelu? Not many people are. He's a 28-year-old defender for the MLS's FC Dallas. He's pretty much the only other semi-famous athlete, along with Briscoe, to graduate from Cedar Hill High School in Dallas. Not much pedigree there. Briscoe went on to play for the Kansas Jayhawks. As a sophomore, he hauled in 92 catches for 1407 yards and 15 touchdowns. His junior seasons turned out to be another successful campaign —84 catches, 1337 yards, and 9 touchdowns, as well as a selection on the All-Big 12 team. Briscoe declared for the NFL Draft after his junio season, and that's when he lost whatever mojo he had going in Lawrence. Briscoe was drafted by the Bengals, and then promptly cut before the season started. The Bucs picked up Cincinnati's sloppy seconds. Briscoe scored his first touchdown of his career in a game against the Saints in the final throes of the 2011 season. Projections: Briscoe is battling Mike Williams and Preston Parker for Josh Freeman's attention. He doesn't have a great track record; before Sunday's decent performance he only had 10 catches for 123 yards. Who knows how many chances he'll get to make an impact. Arrelious Benn (15/243/2) is the team's deep threat. Mike Williams (31/317/1) is the team's lackluster star. Preston Parker (23/310/2) is the pesky Welkerman of the team. Where does that leave Briscoe? In a mediocre stew of ho-hum receivers. Put him on your watch list, but don't go scrambling to shove Briscoe in your cavern of a bye-week lineup thinking you are getting the Groupon daily deal. Briscoe still has a lot to prove. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Football Advice, Fantasy Football Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Football Gold, Week 8, James Duren, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dezmon Briscoe, Josh Freeman  Greg Salas (credits below) The Gold Mine is thin this week. Many of the free agents that hit double digits in points this week already are guys we've heard of: Devin Hester, Arelious Benn, Donald Brown, Jacoby Ford and the like. As for most of the other fool's gold strewn about the fantasy landscape, very few dudes registered any interest on the metal detector. So here's a name that most of us have never heard of... Greg Salas, WR, St. Louis: 8 catches, 77 yards Greg who? You know, Greg Salas from Chino High in California, the same power(less)house that produced Saints DT Sedrick Ellis, former White Sox utility man Geoff Blum, and the head of the MIT physics department. Pretty impressive, no? All obscure and semi-obscure references aside, Salas is a guy not many people know about that could be a great sleeper pickup. Salas played his college football at Hawaii in the post-June Jones years. In 2010, he dropped a Rafi Bomb on the college football world and snatched up 119 passes for 1889 yards. No receiver in the country topped his yardage total. He was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the best receiver in the country. Projection Sure, sure, he looks like another Amendola. However, Salas is a few inches taller and beefier and posted 8 receptions last game. Amendola posted more than 8 catches only once last year. Salas is a bigger target than Amendola. Mike Sims-Walker is out of town. The freeway to fantasy sub-superstardom is paved free and clear for Salas. Looks like he and Danario Alexander will see their fair share of receptions in the coming weeks against mediocre defenses. Salas' value isn't the kind of stock that will revolutionize your season, but he could be a sneaky flex play for the rest of the season. Also, his 15 PPR points last week could've been used by owners who prayed for production from Harry Douglas. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! (September 18, 2011 - Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images North America) Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Football Advice, Fantasy Football Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Football Gold, Week 7, James Duren  Tim Tebow (credits below) Let me begin this week's Gold Mine column by time warping back to the weeks leading up to the 2011 season. I seem to remember publishing a story about the over-hyped, over-rated quarterback we know and love by named Matthew Stafford. The defining quote of my pre-season prognostication was: "I, sir, will not buy into the hype." Well, it turns out I should have. I should have spent more time figuring out where I would draft Stafford rather than formulating tongue-in-cheek salvos specially made for Stafford-turned-fantasy-Jesus. So, enough with tongue-in-cheek entries. Back to the Gold Mine. Tim Tebow, QB, Denver Broncos: 79 passing yards, 31 rushing yards, 1 TD Tebow played his high school football in Florida. He stayed in his home state for college, attending Florida University and playing football for the "Gators," as they're known. Tebow evolved into a rushing, passing whirlwind, leading the Gators to two national championships. Because of his publicly professed Christian faith, Tebow become known by supporters and detractors as "Baby Jesus." The dual-threat QB was drafted by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The selection baffled draft day junkies, many of whom had never heard of Tebow until his name was called by the commissioner. During a training camp hazing ritual, teammates shaved the top of the likeable QB's head, leaving him a ring of hair that made him look like the San Diego Padres' swinging friar mascot. The relatively unknown Tebow burst on the scene this past Sunday, relieving ineffective starter Kyle Orton in a coaching move that nobody saw coming. While not much is known about Tebow despite his impressive collegiate credentials, it's clear that he provides a spark for his team and is capable of scoring through the air as well as on the ground. Look for the second year quarterback to have good games against bad defenses and pedestrian performances against good defenses. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! (September 11, 2011 - Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America) Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Football Advice, Fantasy Football Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Football Gold, Week 6, James Duren  Curtis Painter (credits below) After a brief vacation to the Bahamas and Key West, the Gold Mine is back. What better way to bring back the Gold than with Mr. Goldilocks himself, Indianapolis Colts QB Curtis Painter. The newcomer's decent game against Tampa Bay vaults him to the top of fantasy football's John Doe list in the absence of gilded performances by other relatively (or completely) unknown players. Painter's line: 281 yards, 2 TD's Painter played prep football at Lincoln High School in Vincennes, Indiana. He was a finalist for Indiana's Mr. Football after his senior season. Painter took his skills to Purdue University, where he redshirted his freshman year. Painter's first full season as a starter came in his sophomore year, and he made his opportunities count. He broke Drew Brees' school record and the Big Ten's record for most passing yards in a season (3,985). In his junior year, he tied Brees' Big Ten record for most passing attempts, and he broke school record for most passing yards in one game (540). Needless to say, Painter knows how to throw the ball. The Colts crafted Painter in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He rode the bench behind Petyon Manning, Jim Sorgi, and recently, Kerry Collins, before throwing his first touchdown of his career Monday night. His 87-yard connection with Pierre Garcon bested Manning's longest pass play. Trumping Drew Brees and Petyon Manning? Not bad. Projection: It's hard to say what Painter will do in his next couple of games. Monday's performance was a bit fluky — Bucs defenders missed numerous tackles on both of Garcon's catch-and-run TD's; and they dropped two interceptions, one of which might have been a pick six. The verdict? Painter got lucky, but, as the old saying goes, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. Time will tell how effective Painter will be. Written by James Duren exclusively for www.thefantasyfix.com. Follow The Fantasy Fix on Twitter @thefantasyfix or for Free Fantasy Sports Advice use our Quick Fix to get help with your team! DO YOU THINK PAINTER IS WORTH A PICKUP FOR YOUR ROSTER? WHAT IS YOUR PROJECTION? (August 25, 2011 - Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images North America) Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Football Advice, Fantasy Football Blog, Fantasy Sports Blog, Fantasy Football Gold, Week 5, James Duren, Curtis Painter, Indianapolis Colts | CategoriesAll  |
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