Donnie Avery’s senior year at Houston: ninety-one receptions, 1456 yards, and seven touchdowns. He runs a 4.2-4.3 forty-yard dash (depending on whether his hamstring’s torn), and his hands are soft.
But he’s another 5-11, 190-pound receiver with a history of muscle injuries, and many fantasy owners are at least subconsciously averse to taking a slot-receiver-cum-wideout who’s [...]
Archive for Josh Fagan
Donnie Avery Scouting Report: Protect Those Hamstrings
The NFL’s Worst Team? Your 2008/2009 St. Louis Rams
Watching Ron Bartell last week, I couldn’t help but wonder how Rams fans’ll react to an 0-16 start. Will they march to Scott Linehan’s home? Will they huddle under the Gateway to the West, wearing paper bags and chanting “Dick Vermeil”?
The ‘08/’09 Rams are every bit as bad as the ‘07/’08 Dolphins. And, you know [...]
Inside The Lines With Randall The Handle, Steve Rapp, And Jorey Middlestadt
Inside The Lines With Randall The Handle, Steve Rapp, And Jorey Middlestadt
NFL Gambling Show
This one?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s for all the gamblers out there who?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re stuck poring over the USA Today sports section for lines and totals.
Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. EST tune into a Toronto-based radio show dedicated to breaking down games, dipping into Vegas, and [...]
DeSean Jackson Scouting Report
At 5-10, 175, DeSean Jackson’s a rookie slot receiver seeing action on the outside. The Eagles, who are without Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, have been using Jackson as their own Hines Ward.
September 19th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Jerious Norwood Scouting Report: The Next Michael Turner
Should Jerious Norwood be backing up Michael Turner? No. He should be starting. Maybe not ahead of Turner, but there are plenty of teams that could use Norwood as their #1.
September 12th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Break Up The AL East
Sometimes the only way to precipitate change is to embarrass the people in charge. That could happen this year if the Toronto Blue Jays keep winning. They lost last night–6-5 to the White Sox–but at 11 games over .500 they’re looking at a 92-95-win season as a real possibility.
And they won’t make the playoffs. With [...]
Andre Ethier Scouting Report: Solid For Your Money
I’ll admit that about 3/4 of the way through the season I was a little upset with my Andre Ethier pick. I’d taken him for $1 in a 14-team mixed league, and undrafted guys like Eric Hinske were threatening to lap Andre in terms of value.
Worse, Juan Pierre was getting starts, scoring runs, and [...]
Buy Ryan Garko…Next Year: Ryan Garko Scouting Report
A couple of months ago, when things were really going wrong for Ryan Garko, I started wondering, “Is this guy the next Brian Daubach?”
August 18th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Duchscherer Comes Through: Justin Duchscherer Scouting Report
Last night Justin Duchscherer won his tenth game of the season. He’s 10-2 with a 1.78 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. It won’t last; don’t think that it’ll last. But it’s interesting to analyze the guy who’s suddenly the best pitcher in baseball.
July 9th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 2 comments | Continued
Stop Signing Jeff Weaver
In 2007 Weaver proved that he could not pitch in the American League. His 6.20/1.53/.315 OBA line was the equivalent of a 15-second 100 metre dash. He wasn’t as bad as some guy behind you at Baskin Robbins, but he wasn’t as good as the mediocre standard of the fifth starter.
July 7th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Manny Being Manny; And The Young, Functionally Disabled Boy Who Coined That Phrase
As a way of explaining behaviour, Manny being Manny is right up there with the cornmeal theory of infectious disease.
July 2nd, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Gabriel Morency’s Hat
A couple years ago Gabriel Morency was talking about the Dallas Cowboys. “I take my hat off to Tony Romo,” Morency said. Then he continued, saying something about the Patriots and the Chargers, but the “hat” line was what intrigued me.
June 24th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 2 comments | Continued
Adam Dunn Rips Toronto? Slams Canadian Currency?
This morning a friend emailed me a link to a Kevin Kaduk blog post presenting (rather than dissecting) the “feud” between Jays’s GM J.P. Ricciardi and Reds’s man-mountain Adam Dunn.
June 20th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Santiago Casilla Scouting Report: Close to Closing
The first time that I saw Santiago Casilla pitch, I rushed to one of my fantasy mags. I wanted to know what people were writing about a youngish eighth-inning guy with a mid-90s moving fastball and an unhittable power slider.
June 20th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Greg Smith Scouting Report: Old Glavine
Greg Smith’s cooled down a little after a hot start, but he’s still someone to look at as a source of long-term value. As a lefty pitching in Oakland’s massive meadow, he’s got the benefit of history on his side.
June 20th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Major League Baseball’s Worst (Ever?) Player: Tony Pena Jr.
We all know the power of nepotism. It’s why so many celebrities have children with gold and platinum records. It’s why Mordecai Richler’s family could build a cabin out of books they’ve published.
June 18th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Justin Masterson Scouting Report
As a Clay Buchholz owner I’ve kind of been a little impatient with the Sox’s strategy of calling up every AAA pitcher who can’t be moulded, fired, glazed, fired, and glazed again.
June 18th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
The Myth of the Good At-Bat
I’ve always hated “good at-bats.” If we’re talking about a hitter who gets himself into a good count, then goes the other way for a hit, the expression works.
June 15th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 2 comments | Continued
Tony Pena Scouting Report: See Ya Next Year
With Pena’s ERA down to 2.84, I thought I’d show him a little respect and take a quick look at this guy’s situation. Pena, 26, is pitching the eighth for Arizona.
June 14th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Will Matt Cain Ever Be Worth Owning?
I can’t help but wonder whether Matt Cain’s destined to be the next Jeremy Bonderman: a guy with great potential who’s always a start away from being a $20 pitcher; but a guy who, until he’s that $20 pitcher, will always be overhyped and overpriced.
June 7th, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued
Alex “GIDP” Rios
With 105 games left in the baseball season, Rios has grounded into ten double plays. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but consider this: In 711 ‘07 plate appearances, Rios grounded into nine twin killings; in 498 ‘06 at bats, six.
June 2nd, 2008 | Josh Fagan | 0 comments | Continued