Friday, August 30, 2013

The NBA's Crucial Year Three part 1: "Money Earning"

The third season of an NBA player's career is the most important because it is integral to their financial well-being that they perform well or display the potential to be a coveted member of an organization's future.  When a player is drafted, there is no need to negotiate their contract because the amount they make depends on where they were chosen in the draft; this is often referred to as their "rookie deal".  Rookie deals are for a guaranteed two years; this only applies to first round draft picks.  However, a team may exercise an option for a third year, most will do this unless a player is a complete bust.  There's also an option for a fourth year.  If a player can have a breakout type of season in year three, the organization will most likely offer them a contract extension starting at the maximum amount allowed 25% of the salary cap which would kick in at the start of the fifth season.  In part one of this series, I take a look at some first rounders going into their third season that need to ball so hard  for their agents to be taken seriously when the word "max" is spoken.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Paper Pigskin Point Potential NFC East

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football).  I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles.  I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

Philadelphia Eagles  237 passing ypg  117 rushing ypg  (posted August 28, 2013)

QB:  Fans in Philly and around the NFL have been used to Andy Reid pacing the sidelines for the last 14 years methodically calling intricate pass plays.  Reid is no longer in town and his successor has a style that is the polar opposite.  Chip Kelly is implementing a system that advocates getting plays started without using much of the play clock.  What this means for the quarterback is that he'll have an abundance of opportunities to score points.  It's unknown what the ratio of run to pass will actually be, what is known is that Michael Vick can run very well and is encouraged to do so.   Vick's value is predicated on his ability to gain rushing yards in large chunks even though it's common knowledge that he has one of the strongest arms in the league albeit he isn't very accurate.  Vick is a high end QB2 with top five upside.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Paper Pigskin Point Potential AFC West

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football).  I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles.  I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

Kansas City Chiefs  170 passing ypg  150 rushing ypg  (posted August 27, 2013)

QB:  New head coach Andy Reid is planning to to turn around the culture of losing in Kansas City and he's going to start with his quarterback.  Reid runs a pass heavy system that is the polar opposite from the team that Alex Smith was traded from.  Alex Smith could be one of the biggest sleepers at any position this season.  As the 49ers quarterback, his role was to hand the ball off and make sure he doesn't turn it over.  As a Chiefs quarterback, he will be passing it often.  Smith completed 70% of his passes in 10 games last season before being demoted.  Rest assured, Smith will be doing much more than managing games under Reid.  Smith has been one of the last QBs drafted, it doesn't make sense considering who is calling the plays for him.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Paper Pigskin Point Potential NFC North

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football).  I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles.  I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

Green Bay Packers  253 passing ypg  106 rushing ypg  (posted August 26, 2013)

QB:   Aaron Rodgers is the most efficient play maker in the league.  Last season he threw a touchdown pass for every 110 yards and was only intercepted eight times compared to 39 touchdowns.  Rodgers should be one of the first two quarterback selected always.  The Packers play at a deliberate pace on offense, if not for this, Rodgers' Paper Pigskin production would be threw the roof.  His lack of negative points resulting from interceptions and his running ability is what keeps him on the same level as a 5,000 yard passer.  The legitimate threat of a rushing attack in Green Bay will open up more opportunities for big plays.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Paper Pigskin Point Potential AFC South

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football).  I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles.  I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

Houston Texans  239 passing ypg  133 rushing ypg  (updated September 2, 2013)

QB:   Matt Schaub is an accurate quarterback that executes the game plan designed by coach Gary Kubiak.  Unfortunately, the scheme doesn't call for a high volume of passes.  Houston is a prolific running team, and with the success they've had with it, there's no need for this to change.  There is hope for an increase in production due to the addition of an acrobatic rookie wide receiver.  Schaub should be drafted as a backup if your QB1 has a bye in weeks 11 or 12.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Paper Pigskin Point Potential NFC South

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football).  I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles.  I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

New Orleans Saints  312 passing ypg  99 rushing ypg  (updated September 1, 2013)

QB:  Drew Brees is capable of stat lines that will win many Paper Pigskin matchups by himself.  The Saints' defense gets shredded regularly, which forces the offense to try to win shootouts.  Brees doesn't take many bad hits and is a sure bet to finish in the top five overall.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Paper Pigskin Point Potential AFC North

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football).  I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles.  I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

Cincinnati Bengals  224 passing ypg  109 rushing ypg  (posted August 24, 2013)

QB:  Andy Dalton has lead the Bengals to playoff births in his first two seasons. Similar to Joe Flacco, Dalton wins games in real life but not so much in Paper Pigskin.  What makes the ginger different is that Cincinnati have added to their supporting cast to go with one of the best targets outside.  Wait until the 10th round when backup QBs start to come off the board to select Dalton, the extra options on offense might be enough to elevate him to a borderline QB1.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Paper Pigskin Point Potential NFC West

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football). I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles. I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

San Francisco 49ers  206 passing ypg  156 rushing ypg  (posted August 23, 2013)

QB:  Colin Kaepernick has all the tools to produce Paper Pigskin greatness from the quarterback position; running speed, throws lasers, and rarely turns the ball over.  The only question that's needs to be answered before he can be considered a no brain top five pick is if Coach Harbaugh will choose to unleash him with the read option and air it out or will he pound defenses with the pure power running game and short passing.  If the playoffs type aggressiveness is the decision, expect a top three year from Kaep.  If Harbaugh decides to be conservative, you'll still get solid low QB1 contribution.  A late 4th/early 5th round selection is merited.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Paper Pigskin Point Potential AFC East

This is a series on my 2013 outlook of players you would want to have on your Paper Pigskin team (fantasy football). I'll be organizing them by division.  What you'll find here are my views based on years of playing experience and countless hours of geeking out researching stats, trends, and articles. I'll advise where to reach and whose hype not to believe.

New York Jets  181 passing ypg  119 rushing ypg  (posted August 31, 2013)

QB:  There's no purpose in drafting a Jets quarterback if Mark Sanchez is deemed the starter.  The reasons won't be his 4-year career stats of 55% completion or his 68 touchdown to 69 interception ratio or his 3,000 yards per year average.  The reason he shouldn't be drafted is because Marty Mornhinweg, his new offensive coordinator, runs a vanilla West Coast offensive scheme.  Many teams use WC offense with much success but Marty's version is more evenly balanced between pass and run; this can lead to wins for the real football team but not good for your Paper Pigskin team.  In addition the offensive scheme, there's just not enough receiving talent on this team to help Sanchez pad his stats.  On the other hand, if Geno Smith gets the nod, there's plenty of potential for him to score points due to his running ability. If he does get the start, just know that rushing yards add addition value for QBs.  Use a late round flier on Smith because the game is changing.