It's Only Fantasy, Not Reality

Let's get one thing straight, right from the get-go. I play fantasy hockey, but I also have a real life, OK? I'm not sitting in my basement with bloodshot eyes staring for hours upon hours at a computer screen to assess every last statistic out there in order to outwit the other team owners in my league.

That said, I don't like to be embarrassed either. I mean, I do work in hockey, and have been a writer and broadcaster in the National Hockey League for 20 years. So that means I am supposed to come to the table with a semblance of knowledge.

Taking part in a fantasy hockey league is all about the fun, so I am walking a fine line here. It is fun, as long as I don't embarrass myself.

(Continued to Jim Cerny's Rink Rap)

Sip on This Fantasy Juice

The 2009 NFL season kicked off with a bang last weekend, providing us fans with the excitement, action, and superb highlights that we've come to expect out of the country's greatest sports league. While there wasn't a catastrophic injury that will impact fantasy owners like the one suffered by Patriots QB Tom Brady in week 1 of the 2008 season, there were a few that will surely hurt fantasy owners for the next few weeks.

Donovan McNabb, Anthony Gonzalez, and LaDanian Tomlinson all got banged up and will not see any action in week 2, causing owners to look elsewhere for production at key positions. You never like to see players go down, but it's part of the game and an important aspect of fantasy football is dealing with adverse situations like early season injuries to your stars.

Finding viable replacements can be a bit tricky this early since there's such a small sample size of games to analyze, but there are a lot of good reads throughout the Internet where you can find helpful information to help you make those decisions. I recommend http://www.rotoworld.com/ as a site that has thoughtful commentary geared towards fantasy owners.

(Continue to Inside Fantasy Sports)

Time to Bring the Juice

Copyright Spenser Ayres Photoshop Productions

Seeing as how the NFL season begins today (remember that the Steelers host the Titans tonight, but please do not put Kerry Collins into your starting lineup because he's playing a prime time game), most drafts have already taken place. The decision-making is not over, however. The most important decisions you'll make from now until the season's end is who to start from week to week.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is more frustrating in fantasy football than benching a guy that goes off for a monster game while the guy you started in his place puts up a dud. Of course, it's nice to see your players do well, but successful fantasy owners ensure that they're getting the best players in their starting lineups on a weekly basis.

(Continue to Inside Fantasy Sports)

NFC West Team-By-Team Picks

Before I get to this post's topic (NFC West Value Picks) I want to have a short discussion about dedication. In football it takes the full dedication of 53 men towards one common goal to have a successful season. Players, coaches, and team staffers must all push themselves and each other year-round to get to February's spectacle: The Super Bowl. Blogging also takes dedication. Here I am sitting outside on a patio in Maui looking out at the Pacific Ocean, maintaining a commitment to my readers by typing away to bring them the information they're looking for. That, people, is dedication. Back to football, though. By request, I'll be starting my day today by discussing my value picks from the NFC West. Here they are:

Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers: The way I see it, there should be three 49ers on fantasy rosters this season: RB Frank Gore, TE Vernon Davis, and WR Josh Morgan. I've heard a lot of talk about how new Offensive Coordinator, Jimmy Raye, plans on using Vernon Davis frequently in the passing game, but I've heard that every year since Davis was drafted by the team in 2006. ...

(Continue to Inside Fantasy Sports)

NFC East Team-By-Team Picks

Yesterday I broke down the most valuable players on each AFC West team based upon their average draft position. It was brought to my attention that I did not list the players' positions, so I went ahead and edited yesterday's post to include that information. I appreciate the feedback. Please keep it coming. With that said, let's get to today's divisional breakdown. Here are my value picks out of the NFC East.

Marion Barber, RB, Dallas Cowboys: It must be the threat of Felix Jones and Tashard Choice that's causing Marion Barber to slip late into the late 2nd round/early 3rd round territory. While it's becoming a grim reality that running back committees have decreased the value of many running backs, I feel that Barber is a guy that can flourish in such a system. A smash mouth runner that punishes opposing defenders, Barber needs a backup that can spell him throughout games, keeping him fresh so that he can continue to hand out blows well into the fourth quarter. Sure, this means he's a stretch to rush for over 1,000 yards, but he's never done that.

(Continue to Inside Fantasy Sports)

AFC West Team-By-Team Picks

One of my favorite aspects of fantasy football is that it enables fans to broaden their knowledge of the players that make the sport what it is. We all have our favorite team (or teams) which we follow attentively, but fantasy football provides an opportunity for fans to learn about and support players on the 31 other teams that fill out the NFL, as good or bad as those teams may be.

(Continue to Inside Fantasy Sports)