Fantasy Basketball- This Week’s Waiver Wire Pickups

By: Fantasy Furnace...

On Monday, March 10, fantasy basketball enters it 20th week and for most, it will be the last week of the regular season. With the playoffs quickly approaching, here is an opportunity to fine tune your team and prepare to fight for that  elusive fantasy trophy or if you’re in a money league, $$. Go over the areas that need tweaking and make your adjustments now before the other managers do the same. Here are our pickups for your playoff push…

Al-Farouq Aminu-SF-Hornets- It’s not important whether or not you can correctly pronounce his name. What is vital are his stats and how can they help your team. If your lacking in rebounds Aminu could be your man. In his last three games he’s brought down 38 boards, 7 blocks, and 4 steals! That has to help some of you… In four of his last eight games he’s tallied double-digits in rebounds, however he’ll only average around 7-8 points a night. His FT % is a serviceable 75.5% while his FG % is also a strong 47.5%. Aminu is owned in 35% of most leagues and if rebounds & blocks are keeping you out of the playoffs then consider grabbing him ASAP!

#0 Al-Farouq Aminu is a must add for those that can use his 12.6 average rebounds over his last 3 games. Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Marco Belinelli-SG-Bulls- With Kirk Hinrich out (foot) and Nate Robinson mostly ineffective of late (3-13 from downtown), Belinelli has gotten the starting nod over the last five games scoring 20 or more points in the last three of them. He also has drained 10 three-pointers and collected 15 assists in those three. Belinelli is all about two categories; points and threes so as he continues to be the best option for a shorthanded Bulls roster, consider adding him to yours. Owned in only 15% of leagues, he’s there for the taking in deeper formats.

Enes Kanter-C-Jazz- The third all-around pick in the 2011 draft has been getting a few extra minutes over the past four games and has taken advantage by almost doubling his usual shot attempts. He has averaged 17 points and 10.5 rebounds over that time and has shown little signs of easing up. Kanter certainly qualifies as a low-risk, high-reward big guy at the five. Barely owned (15%), the 1st rounder out of Kentucky can be a perfect...

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The Sandman Exits…Say in ain’t Mo!

By: Fantasy Furnace...

…And the Core Four could be down to one following the end of the 2013 season. With Jorge Posada already retired and Andy Pettitte, who is ALWAYS retiring, the news that the best closer in MLB history is retiring after this year would leave just Derek Jeter remaining of the legendary group of four.

And what a run the Yankees and baseball have had watching this talented, classy, always professional athlete and human being perform on one of the biggest stages in all of sports! Yankee Stadium! To say that Mariano Rivera is an icon would be an understatement. After all he finished in the top five in the AL Cy Young voting 5 times!

If you watched him on a regular basis, you almost took him for granted. Not that you didn’t appreciate the job he did, but you just knew that the chances of him closing out a game with a save was almost imminent as the Bronx Bombers getting to the postseason. Problem is that most of us don’t realize what we have until it’s gone…

With Enter Sandman blasting in the background, the crowd clapping and cheering, #42 would trot in from center field, and you just knew that Mo would get the job done…

Although still in uniform for one more year, Rivera’s resume thus far will be a major part of his legacy. Consider this. Discounting last year due to ACL surgery , Mariano has averaged 40 saves a season. If he comes close to that number, there isn’t a reliever pitching today or probably EVERwho will come anywhere close to the save record, currently at 608, that he has amassed. No one…ever!!

And we haven’t even begun to discuss what this artist of a pitcher has accomplished in the postseason. The two stats, both records, that jump off the page are his 0.70 postseason ERA and...

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2013 Fantasy Baseball: Our Top 10 Sleepers to Watch-Hitters

By: Fantasy Furnace...

Well, here we are in the final weeks of exhibition games, just before the regular season gets underway. Many of you have already either drafted or are preparing to and this final installment of our pre-season Sleepers to Watch as well as our Players To Avoid  will hopefully give some of you enough of an edge to better compete in your leagues this season. As always, if during the year you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to send them to: fantasyfurnace@yahoo.com. (Last season we received over 1250 such emails)! Good luck to all the owners out there…

Erick Aybar-SS-Angels- Last year owners of this speedster got a real treat when, after the All-Star break, Aybar went off and had an explosive second half (.326-6-22 with 15 steals). Now poised to settle in batting second, Aybar should garner more runs and stolen bases on a team where such stars as Mike Trout and Albert Pujols are also part of this potent lineup. He already has a lofty batting average which should end up at around .285 by season’s end.

Lorenzo Cain-OF-Royals- Going late in drafts, here is another speedster with some major league pop that was a sleeper candidate last season, but injuries (hip, hamstring), limited him to just 61 games. With Royals top prospect Will Myers getting traded to Tampa Bay, Cain will be in an everyday role at the top of the lineup for years to come as long as he can stay healthy. You can modestly expect him to turn in numbers like 15 HRs, 25 stolen bases, 75 runs, with a .280 BA.

#6 Lorenzo Cain brings a combination of speed & power to owners. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images North America

Kyle Seager-3B-Mariners- Right off the bat, (if you’ll pardon the pun), we wouldn’t normally recommend that you draft a Mariner, but Seager qualifies because he potentially can be a five category contributor, especially for those in deeper formats. He lead his team last year in both homers and RBIs, however his only downside is that his hitting was awful at Safeco Field while he flirted with .300 on the road. On the plus side of his 20 home runs, 10 were hit from both sides of the plate. We also like the fact that he has some speed, enough for about 15 SBs, plus he could be 2B eligible in some formats.

Allen Craig-1B,OF-Cardinals- Definitely undervalued and available in mid-rounds of drafts, his OPS  has been over .875 for two straight seasons. He hits for average and has some pop to his bat making him a good second tier OF. He started last year platooning and then had a knee injury and still managed to end the season with 22 HRs, 91 RBIs, and a .303 batting average. His dual-eligibility is also a plus. We cannot see why Craig, if healthy, can’t post a line of 28/110/.305 this season.

#21 Allen Craig should net owners with home runs in the mid to high 20′s. Photo: edition.cnn.com

Billy Hamilton-OF-Reds- The shortstop/converted outfielder, is without a doubt, one of the fastest players in the league. Between Triple-A and Double-A, Hamilton swiped...

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College Football Predictions Are A Waste Of Time Right?

By: Chris Magill

March has begun, and that means college football spring practices are kicking off across the country. Every team theoretically has a chance to hoist the BCS championship trophy at the end of the 2013 season. As is the case with every offseason, there have been several storylines and plenty more to come, no doubt. It is easy to make predictions and assumptions this time of year. Many fans and analysts believe Alabama will once again finish on top of the rankings, which would be their fourth title in five years. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is also expected to repeat as the Heisman trophy winner. Legendary Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin is the only player in history to win the award twice. While these and other expectations seem to be extremely likely as of now, let's remember how the last few seasons played out. 

During this time last year, soon-to-be draftee Matt Barkley was the toast of college football. Returning for his senior year, the USC quarterback was heavily favored to win the Heisman and lead the Trojans on a national championship run. Southern Cal instead became the first preseason number one team since 1950 to lose six games in a season and Barkley's season ended prematurely after suffering a shoulder injury in late November. Instead, Manziel, a redshirt-freshman during 2012, took home college football's most prestigious honor as well as handing the Alabama Crimson Tide their only loss of the season, creating much anticipation for the Aggies this fall.

Speaking of Alabama, it seems evident that head coach Nick Saban will win his fifth national championship, continuing to solidify his legacy. The team seems unstoppable. They cruised past Notre Dame in the title game, making the Irish's undefeated regular season seem phony. Quarterback AJ McCarron and running back TJ Yeldon lead a plethora of returning stars poised to three-peat as kings of the college football world. The Crimson Tide also landed another number one recruiting class, another reason why it would be outrageous to think their dynasty will end anytime soon. However, let's not forget the 2010 season. Expected to defend their first title in this run, Alabama finished the regular season 9-3 after being unable to sustain a 24-0 lead against archrival Auburn, the eventual BCS champs. With all that said, it should be mentioned that the Crimson Tide have been ranked preseason number one ever since the start of that year, living up to the hype the last two times around.

So many other storylines have been made already. Will Georgia continue their rise to greatness? The Bulldogs were five yards away from defeating Alabama in the SEC Championship, after critics labeled them overrated. How will Oregon adjust to life without head coach Chip Kelly? The offensive mastermind turned Oregon into a national powerhouse over a four year span. Before Kelly took over the reins, the Ducks were used to being on the other side of blowouts, usually placed on schedules as early season warm-up games. Is Penn State a legit force in the Big Ten? We are all aware of the revolting scandal revealed in November 2011. The sanctions that followed included a four-year bowl ban, leaving the program for dead. The Nittany Lions were the laughingstock of the NCAA, and started off the season 0-2. Playing with a sense of pride, they rattled off five straight wins and finished 8-4, completely exceeding expectations. Penn State also signed a premier signal-caller from the 2013 class, Christian Hackenberg. The program seems to be in very good hands with second-year coach Bill-O-Brien.

Fall cannot get here soon enough. The most popular college sports season is, unfortunately, also the shortest. It should be another great year, and there will no doubt be plenty of other surprises that will come up between now and the title game next January. Expect the unexpected for 2013.

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2013 Fantasy Baseball-Sleepers To Watch: Pitchers

2013 Fantasy Baseball-Sleepers To Watch: Pitchers

By: Fantasy Furnace...

 Now that we have told you about the players, both hitters and pitchers to AVOID drafting, we have now listed the players who we think will be Sleepers To Watch this season. We begin with the pitchers, both starters & relievers. (Hitters will follow…) Good luck in your drafts!

Steve Cishek-RP-Marlins- Not exactly a household name in most of the country, Cishek, who took over as Miami’s closer when Heath Bell struggled last season, will begin this year as their closer as well. With only 18 career saves on his resume, he is definitely Sleeper material if he can keep the bases on balls down. Last year he gave up passes to 29 batters in just 63 innings of work but has kept his ERA down to a respectable 2.57 in 116 career appearances. His biggest obstacle however, will be the lack of run support by a Marlins team with players named Adeiny Hechavarria, Donovan Solano, Rob Brantly, and Justin Ruggiano on the field. Not a first tier closer but one that could possibly net you 28-32 saves this season.

Sean Doolittle-RP-Athletics- In deeper roto leagues, this novice who only has one major league season to his credit, could turn out to be a huge Sleeper if current closer Grant Balfour should struggle. And at 36 years of age and just one season as closer under his belt, you never know. If Doolittle is called upon to close at some point in the season, he would be a natural. His 17.3K/9 rate in the minors plus last year’s 11.4K/9 with the Athletics, are proof enough. In 47 innings last year, he struck out 60 and walked just 11. We think, if given the opportunity, Doolittle will ‘do a lot’ for your team. Keep that name in mind…

#62 Former slugging 1st baseman, Sean Doolittle is pumped for the upcoming season. A SP sleeper to watch for! Photo: nytimes.com

Homer Bailey-SP-Reds- What a second half of the season he had! 100 strikeouts against just 24 base on balls. Plus an amazing September where Bailey struck out 9 batters or more in a game three times. Don’t forget to throw in a no-hitter and a post season game vs the San Francisco Giants when he struck out 10! So why are we touting him as a Sleeper? Because as of this writing, Bailey is not getting the attention he deserves in draft rooms, going at about 175-180 in most leagues. That’s way too high for someone we think will finish the 2013 season with 16 wins, 170 strikeouts, 3.66/1.21 and an almost sure shot to log 200 innings.

#34 Homer Bailey is primed to have a sleeper-type yearoff of his outstanding Sept. & post -season last year. Photo: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America

Hisashi Iwakuma-SP-Mariners- After being a starting pitcher in Japan...

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