Singer M.I.A. somehow made it to the Super Bowl 46 halftime show and flipped the bird. I didn’t realize she was even relevant anymore and hasn’t had a hit since ‘Paper Planes’. This is one way to get your name out there again.

One of my Twitter followers @OMGitsnoyo hooked us up with a link to her new video, which as he called it pretty dope.

How did I get mixed up with this a$$hole T...

Week 6 Links

Wired Up!: Week 6 Pickups

Week 5 Links

Trendspotting:  Trends on the Waiver Wire

Minute Men:  Looking at all the Minutes logged through week 5

Wired Up!:  Week 5 Pickups

Above the Rim:  Players values

I have to fight through the pain T...

Luol Deng was back in the lineup tonight after missing 7 games due to injury.  He went 9 for 19 from the floor, including 3 for 7 from 3-point range, finishing the game with 21 points and 9 boards.

Derrick Rose was happy to get Deng back: “He makes the game easy,” Rose said. “He makes everybody comfortable out there. It feels good when we have all our leaders out there.”

Deng’s injury will not get better until after the season when he is able to have surgery, so his effectiveness may chance from game to game.  He will just have to wait and see how much pain he can tolerate.

Deng has not been the fantasy force we had hoped for this season and this injury may cause him to continue to be inconsistent. 

I got the belt and the MVP T...

NFL MVP: Aaron Roders

Terez Sez:

Many believed Drew Brees should of been MVP especially after Matt Flynn threw 6 TDs in week 17, as that one game was an indication of how ANY QB can come into the Packers system and put up huge numbers.  I don’t agree.  Brees lost to the Rams and Bucs this season.  The RAMS and the BUCS!  The Rams are picking 2nd in the draft and the Bucs 5th in case you were wondering.  Rodgers threw 45 TDs with only 6 INTs while only losing one game all season.  Drew Brees threw 1 more TD and 8 more picks, but also had 155 more attempts!  I’m not downplaying what Brees did at all, with breaking Marino’s record and everything else, but Rodgers was the MVP IMO.

Offensive Player of the Year:  Drew Brees

Terez Sez:

I read many people today say “How can Brees be the OPY and not the MVP?”…well, here’s my take:  The AP voted for Rodgers MVP and deservedly so, but still wanted to recognize the amazing season that Drew had.  They wanted to give both awards and split them up accordingly.

Play of the year: Randall Cobb’s Kickoff Return

Terez Sez: Please.  See the video below, it was the Jerome Simpson flip.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton

Terez Sez:

This was a no-brainer as Newton was a tour de force this season.  I only question how the hell Andy Dalton received 3 votes.   Cam Has only scratched the surface of what he is capable of and the Panthers should continue to surround him with talented players to only help him get even better.

Comeback Player of the Year:  Matt Stafford

Terez Sez:

Another deserved award.  Stafford has not been able to stay on the field in his first 2 seasons, but in 2011 he posted over 5,000 yards passing and 41 TDs.  Stafford is as talented a QB in the NFL and he will only get better.  Doesn’t hurt having Megatron to throw the ball to.

See how pitchers miss my bat these days T?

Fantasy Bust 2012

Bust is a pretty strong word when describing a guy who hit 39 homers and drove in 11 runs, but calling him an “Overrated poor man’s Ryan Howard” just seemed like too much work.  Don’t get me wrong, Tex is still going to hit home runs, and drive in runs, but that’s where it ends with him.  His career low average of .256 in 2010, was bested by a .247 mark in 2011.  He also showed less plate discipline, once a strength of his, by swinging at a career worst 28% of pitches outside of the strike zone.  That caps a five year trend of worsening strike zone management by Big Tex.  2010-2011 both marked the first time since his rookie season that Texeira had a slugging % less than .500.  He is hitting line drives at a less rate, fly balls at a higher rate, and swinging and missing at more pitches than ever.  He set a career low BABIP of .239 in 2011, which bested his career low mark in 2010.  Although the .239 mark is lower than it should have been for a hitter the caliber of Tex, it continues a 2 year downward trend in BABIP, meaning it’s probably never going get to where it once was.  Basically, we are trending about a whole lot of trends that show Tex is on the downside of his career. 

Tex is a notoriously slow starter.  His low to mid .200 BA pre-allstar break was followed up by a .310+ post breakout.  I’m not sure he has that kind of run in him anymore.  Is it worth the risk to fall into the BA abyss?  Historically, BA is the toughest offensive category to improve on.  Is he still going to give you 30+ homers?  Of course he is.  Is he going to drive in 100+ runs?  More than likely.  So is he awful?  Not even close.  Is he a top 30 hitter?  I’d say not.  There are too many stats that point towards another down year for Tex.  In 2010 he was outproduced by 1B eligible players such as Michael Young and Lance Berkman.  Not exactly young bucs are they?  I think Yankee Stadium has a little bit to do with the decline in Tex’s production.  It’s easy to go to bat with the approach of “get it in the air and it has a shot to leave the yard”.  That’s what the Yankees want from him. Unfortunately, from a fantasy perspective, this doesn’t make him any better than a poor mans Ryan Howard.

Upside Projections:  .263, 37 homers, 115 RBI, 92 Runs

Downside Projections:  .242, 31 homers, 101 RBI, 85 Runs

I took the next step T, but I'm just scratching the surface...

We look at several similarly ranked players and pit them against each other to see who would be the best choice for 2012 fantasy drafts. These articles will be coming soon to a theater near you.

QBs

Cam Newton vs Matthew Stafford

Aaron Rodgers vs Drew Brees

Eli Manning vs Tony Romo

RBs

Ryan Mathews vs Darren McFadden

Marshawn Lynch vs Chris Johnson

Darren Sproles vs CJ Spiller

Adrian Peterson vs Jamaal Charles

WRs

AJ Green vs Hakeem Nicks

Julio Jones vs Jordy Nelson

Kenny Britt vs Dez Bryant

TEs

Rob Gronkowski vs Jimmy Graham

Vernon Davis vs Jermichael Finley

Big Play is my middle name T...

Justin Blackmon

WR, Oklahoma State

Height 6’1

Weight 207 lbs

Scouting Report

Speed

Blackmon doesn’t have top end speed which keeps him from being an elite WR.  He just doesn’t possess that second or third gear that allows him to run past defenders.

Size

Blackmon isn’t the biggest WR at 6’1 207, but uses body position and his natural strength to muscle the ball away from defenders.  He is most comparable to Dwayne Bowe or Anquan Boldin as they have similar styles. 

Hands

He has good hands, but had several lapses in his Junior season and dropped too many catchable passes.  Needs to continue to work on make the tough receptions over the middle and catching the ball at its highest point.

Route Running

He was handcuffed by what he was asked to do in the Oklahoma State offense.  He didn’t run all the routes in the route tree, but has the skills to do so.  He was used on the outside primarily, but also worked in the slot this season.  Blackmon will have to learn a more complicated offense in the NFL, but has the smarts and physical abilities to do so.

Potential Landing Spots

Rams (2) The Rams have been looking for a young WR since Torry Holt left.  Sam Bradford needs a partner in crime.

Vikings (3) Percy Harvin does his best work in the slot and needs someone to play on the outside and take pressure off of him.

Browns (4) The Browns need playmakers on offense. Bad.

Jaguars (7) When was the last time the Jags had a good WR, Jimmy Smith?

The Final Word

Character issues may hinder him from getting picked by teams that don’t like to take chances on players who have had a history with getting into trouble.  Blackmon has a misdemeanor DUI in 2010 and was forced to sit out a game.  He does possess all the tools necessary to be a #1 WR in the NFL despite playing in a simplified offense in college.  He should be a top 10 pick in the 2012 as many of the teams at the top of the first round are in need of playmaking WR in the passing game.

From a fantasy perspective Blackmon could make an immediate impact depending on where he lands.  Of the teams we mentioned above, the Rams may give him the most opportunities to get targets, but the Vikings with Harvin, AP, and Kyle Rudolph may have the most potential in 2012.

Highlights

Other Scouting Reports

RGIII: The Third Coming

Trent Richardson: The Council of Trent

I'm starting again T!! Ahhhhhhhh...

Coming off the Bench

Jared Dudley SG/SF, Suns (Owned in 37% of ESPN Leagues)

Back in the starting lineup and back to giving owners the stats we wanted when we named him a sleeper coming into the 2012 season.  He’s back to scoring with 15 points or more in 4 straight and back to hitting 3′s with 8 in the last 4 games.  He’s still available in a ton of leagues, so the time to pounce is now.

Greivis Vasquez PG, Hornets (Owned in 8.6% of ESPN Leagues)

With Jarrett Jack on the shelf, Vasquez has been getting a ton more playing time and making the most of it.  He should continue to get 25 minutes per game and continue to average 12 plus points per game with 7 plus assists per game while subbing for the injured Jack.  This may only be a short term fix, but if you need immediate help you could do worse.

Kyle Korver SG/SF, Bulls (Owned in 6.1% of ESPN Leagues)

With all the injuries that the Bulls have suffered in recent weeks, Korver is getting more and more time on the court.  In his last 3 games he has averaged 14 points a game and has 9 3-pointers.  He doesn’t add much in other categories, but when reaching off the wire you won’t find a better 3 pointer shooter.

Nikola Pekovic C, Timberwolves (Owned in 3.4% of ESPN Leagues)

Pekovic has been getting over 24 minutes per game over the last 5 games or so as Darco Milicic continues to fade away into obscurity.  In his last 2 games Pekovic has 40 points and 23 boards.  The Timberwolves should continue to give him starter minutes and he should continue to help fantasy teams at a shallow position.

Alonzo Gee SG/SF, Cavs (Owned in 0.8% of ESPN Leagues)

The Cavs are young and not very good.  Players like Gee are getting extended looks and plenty of playing time.  In the last 3 games, Gee has 45 points, 14 boards, and 8 robberies.  Gee should continue to see plenty of playing time on a bad team, which means plenty of offensive stats to go around.  The steals are gravy.