Fantasy FanHouse

Troy Tulowitzki Headed to the DL, No Word on Anger Management Classes

Will Brinson — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:45:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Injuries, Fantasy MLB

What's more popular than stupid baseball injuries? Nothing, really, unless you count baseballs to the groin, which aren't really enjoyable. Add Troy Tulowitzki to the list of players who have hurt themselves doing something stupid, as the Colorado Rockies shortstop is headed to the disabled list after hurting his hand while slamming a baseball bat in frustration.

After being taken out in the seventh inning as part of a double switch, Tulowitzki walked down to the dugout hallway and smashed a bat to the ground in frustration. The bat cracked in his right hand, causing a laceration that stretched from his palm to his index finger.

"I'm obviously sorry to my teammates because I feel like I'm letting them down more than anything, [and] the organization," Tulowitzki said. "Hopefully, it's not too long before I'm back out there, but it's hard to take."

Doh. That's why ... you never slam a baseball bat to the ground in frustration. They are, after all, still made of deadly, sharp and splinterable wood. And yes, palm --> index finger laceration does not sound particularly enjoyable either.

Tulo's injury kind of sums up the Rockies season pretty well though. Chock full of potential and expectations, only to be painfully overhyped once we realized what was going on.

Fantasy Spin: Tulo will hopefully only be out for a few weeks, but this kind of laceration seems like the type of thing that could end up really bugging him down the stretch, given that "hand" is one of those things that is generally considered useful when fielding a baseball and/or batting.

Troy Tulowitzki Headed to the DL, No Word on Anger Management Classes originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Holliday Set to Return Tuesday

Will Brinson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Injuries, MLB Rumors, Fantasy MLB

Things are not looking "good" for the Colorado Rockies, but they are certainly not as bleak as they were a few days ago. That's what the return of a few disabled players will do for you. And given that, the Rockies should be in pretty good spirits come Tuesday night, when Matt Holliday plans on making his return from the disabled list.

A left hamstring strain on May 24 forced Holliday to the disabled list, but after three games at Triple-A Colorado Springs he is ready to return. Holliday is slated to return Tuesday for the opener of a three-game set against the Giants at Coors Field.

He finished his stint on Sunday by hitting a home run in his first at-bat and going 2-for-4 in the Sky Sox's 6-3 loss to Salt Lake City. In three games, Holliday was 6-for-10 with a home run, a double and three RBIs during his rehab.

Holliday is clearly the most important player in the Rockies lineup; his home/road splits aside (he's average outside of Coors) he is still their MVP candidate and all world masher. While trade talks have been discussed, it seems unlikely that Holliday will get shipped out just yet.

The chance the Rockies actually make the postseason are pretty slim, but one has to think as long as a chance is there, Holliday will remain in a Colorado uniform. Oh, and everyone knows about his splits too. Which doesn't help his trade value.

Fantasy Spin: Get Holliday active tomorrow morning, obviously. The guy's a masher and a homestand against the Giants is a pretty nice welcome back present. On the other hand, if/when he comes off hot, you should go ahead and shop him, given the aforementioned splits. If he gets dealt this season, his value takes a hit.

Matt Holliday Set to Return Tuesday originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ian Stewart Might Hang Around With That Whole Second Base Position Available

Will Brinson — Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Transactions, MLB Kids Are Alright, Fantasy MLB

Just a few short hours after I mentioned that Ian Stewart was getting no love from fantasy circles -- or real world circles -- he might suddenly be getting a lot more value in both worlds. With the return of Garrett Atkins, and the continued absence of Clint Barmes, Troy Tulowitzki and about eight other middle infielders, Stewart is getting starts at second base.

Stewart field five ground balls, including a pair of impressive plays in the sixth inning, in Colorado's 7-4 loss to Philadelphia, and finished 1-for-3 with a double. It was Stewart's first career start at second base.

'Is he going to be as athletic as Jonny [Herrera] or Q [Omar Quintanilla]? Probably not," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "They're just a little more nimble. As far as athleticism, he did some nice things in Spring Training. We'll see how it works out. He made plays that were there for him.'

If Stewart can step in and play second, and one would think he could, he would instantly become a tremendous asset to the Rockies on the offensive end. He would also instantly have everyone saying "It took you this long to figure this out?"

Stewart has been -- pun intended -- pining on the bench behind Atkins for some time now and despite no real power option at second, the Rockies decided to develop him in the outfield.

Fantasy Spin: If Stewart is going to start and stick at second for the Rockies, he is a must add. Unless you have Chase Utley and Brandon Phillips or something. He has a ton of power and positional eligibility there would give him the upside of being a pretty stout option for fantasy owners.

Ian Stewart Might Hang Around With That Whole Second Base Position Available originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kids Are Alright: Quiet Debut for Ian Stewart

Will Brinson — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Kids Are Alright, Fantasy MLB

Fantasy owners are constantly sweating Ian Stewart. He is a tremendously talented prospect who has flashed power, a little speed and decent discipline throughout his career as a minor leaguer. More importantly though, he has always been blocked from playing at the MLB level, mainly because of Garrett Atkins' emergence.

This season, in 171 ABs at the Pacific Coast level, he hit 10 taterjacks, stole six bases and rocked out a .281/.374/.614 line. And now suddenly, because of the rash of Colorado injuries, he has been in the bigs for close to a week, and there has been little to nothing said about his promotion.

Part of the reason for that is he has only one hit, so he hasn't set the world on fire. The other part is that Atkins should return to a starting gig soon and Stewart is seen as a future outfielder. But the Rockies are horrible this year and are not getting any better with those injuries and Atkins has to be seen -- especially when you consider his full season home/away splits from 2007 -- as a pretty tradeable commodity.

The Rox might not move him, but Stewart might get some playing time anyway. And he is talented. And he is the future. But the future isn't shining particularly bright right now, and that makes him a pretty cheap buy option.

You can't reasonably expect huge returns from the young Rock right now and he could be headed back to the AAA sooner than later, but his owner has to at least be concerned, and that means you have a shot to creep in and steal him away while the getting is good.

Kids Are Alright: Quiet Debut for Ian Stewart originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 27 May 2008 23:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Troy Tulowitzki Out Until at Least After the All Star Break

Will Brinson — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Injuries, MLB Rumors, Fantasy MLB

The recent news that Rockies young superstar Troy Tulowitzki will hit the disabled list just got a lot worse. Doctors realized today that the tear in Tulowitzki's right quadriceps is going to keep him out much longer than the originally prognosticated two weeks, according to a statement from his agent.

'Best case scenario is six weeks. The realistic one is a few months,' agent Paul Cohen told The Associated Press on Thursday. 'We're hoping it's a couple months, but we won't know until they do further medical tests.'

Cohen said team doctors will have a better feel for a timeline next week after 'massive swelling and bleeding' subside. 'It's a non-surgical tear, which could be a good thing.'

The combination of "massive swelling" and "bleeding" is about as pleasant and hopeful as "barely broken" and "light hemorrhaging". This a massive blow to the Rockies, of course, who also recently lost Jeff Baker for an unknown amount of time.

The injuries forced Clint Hurdle to put catcher Chris Iannetta at third and Garrett Atkins at second for the remainder of the game on Tuesday. It's a shame too, because Tulowitzki, even if he is slightly overrated on offense because of his monster season last year, is one of the best defensive players in the game. He's like reverse Derek Jeter, really.

Now, the other side of this coin is that he just got straight paid. And he will probably be back this season. And certainly, I don't think his career is over. But it's not like torn quad muscles heal themselves really, really fast or really, really easily. Just thought I'd point that out to anyone who thinks Evan Longoria is foolish for taking his money now.

Again, Tulo's not done for the season by any stretch, and we certainly wish him well, but this is at least something to think about when young players start turning down large contract offers because they want to bankroll at arbitration.

Fantasy Spin: Seasonal leagues have to at least consider dropping Tulo, especially if you're dealing with any other injuries or don't have an open DL slot. Keepers obviously want to hold him. Clint Barmes becomes a nice add because he'll be getting tons of at bats at shortstop, while Garrett Atkins is a really, really sneaky buy low, because if any more injuries strike the Rockies infield, he could end up with second base eligibility.

Troy Tulowitzki Out Until at Least After the All Star Break originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 01 May 2008 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tulowitzki Could Be Disabled List Bound

Will Brinson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Injuries, Fantasy MLB

It's a shame, that right after Clint Hurdle's bench-him-to-spur-a-hot-streak move got Troy Tulowitzki's bat working a little bit, that it appears the second year shortstop appears likely to head to the disabled list with a strained quadriceps injury.

Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger said Tulowitzki will fly to Denver on Wednesday morning, and the club hopes to arrange an MRI for him by the afternoon. He's likely to be placed on the 15-day disabled list.

'He is in a lot of pain and discomfort, and a lot of spasm after the injury,' said Dugger, who refused to speculate on how much action Tulowitzki will miss.

Tulo being forced to leave early on Tuesday resulted in a crazy shift of the Rockies infield, with catcher Chris Iannetta playing third base, Clint Barmes playing shortstop and third baseman Garrett Atkins playing second (note that Jeff Baker's injury also caused this). Clearly, losing Tulowitzki affects the Rockies both offensively, and more importantly, defensively.

There should be some roster shifting -- MLB.com reports that Omar Quintanilla has been called up -- and clearly the Rockies are going to need someone to step up in order to try and keep pace with the Diamondbacks.

Fantasy Spin: If Atkins gains 2B eligibility in your league because of this, well, you need to pounce on him before his owner figures it out. Iannetta's third base eligibility would actually make him less useful, since he's a catcher anyway, but he's starting to come on pretty nicely. Tulo meanwhile, should be benched until further notice.

Tulowitzki Could Be Disabled List Bound originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brian Fuentes: Your New, Old Rockies Closer

Will Brinson — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:18:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, Fantasy MLB, MLB Always Be Closing, MLB Waiver Wire

Well, that didn't take very long, did it? Manny Corpas is out as closer, according to MLB.com, and Brian Fuentes will replace him. Fuentes, as you likely remember (from a few hours ago), was the closer last year who lost his job immediately after being named to the All Star team. Corpas took over and never let go of the gig, helping to shut down opposing teams in the midst of a ROX-tacular ROX-tober. But, clearly, he has faltered this year, going just four for eight in save opps.

'I think what you need to do is what's best for the club and that's to give the ball to Brian right now, get the heat off Manny and give him an opportunity to work his way out,' Hurdle said.

While Fuentes had accepted his role as a setup man and not complained, it was no secret that he wanted to close. He has made the All-Star team each of the past three seasons as a closer and was off to a good start last year before his bad run in June eventually led to a stint on the disabled list.

I like this move. A lot actually. As much guff as I gave Hurdle for benching Troy Tulowitzki in what I thought was a premature manner, it's refreshing to see someone with a quick hook on his closer, and an unwillingness to recognize when someone just isn't working out. (Pointing fingers all up in your face, Ned Yost.

Bonus Fantasy Spin: Fuentes is an immediate add, obviously, given that he will have the opportunity to save games for the Rockies (for the rest of the season, presumably, if he doesn't screw it up.) I would not drop Corpas in larger leagues just quite yet though -- he can be a dominant setup guy who provides nice middle relief K's and while Hurdle made the switch now, there's no guarantee it stays like that all season. Smaller leagues can dump Corpas immediately though.

Brian Fuentes: Your New, Old Rockies Closer originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smyth Out Six to Eight Weeks

Jes Golbez — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:12:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, General NHL, Avalanche, Western, Fantasy Hockey, NHL Injuries

As if two straight losses against the lowly Phoenix Coyotes wasn't bad enough for the Colorado Avalanche, the Rocky Mountain club will now be without power winger Ryan Smyth, who will be gone 6-8 weeks with a broken ankle. This is already on the heels of captain Joe Sakic's hernia surgery, which will keep him out of the lineup for just as long, if not longer.

"The fracture was discovered following additional medical tests which included an MRI exam," Avalanche head trainer Matthew Sokolowski said yesterday in a release. "We expect him to make a full recovery."

In the ultra competitive Northwest Division and Western Conference environment, the Avs are clinging to a playoff spot by a single point. The loss of Ryan Smyth will surely help the likes of Anaheim, Columbus, and St. Louis, who are all chasing the Avs.

Without a lot of top prospects in the minors, one wonders if GM Francois Giguere will be ready to make a deal or two. While Giguere stated that he expected other Avs forwards to step up during Sakic's absence, it'll be hard to fill in the gaps left by missing TWO of the team's best offensive forwards. No other player can bring Smyth's level of strength and tenacity in the trenches, save for Andrew Brunette, a Ryan Smyth-lite. If I look at the Avs now, I see a team that is liable to lose a lot of physical battles in the offensive zone.

Gentlemen, start your rumor engines.

Smyth Out Six to Eight Weeks originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sakic to Miss 2-3 Months with Hernia Surgery

Jes Golbez — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:39:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, General NHL, Avalanche, Western, Fantasy Hockey, NHL Injuries

Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche got some very bad news yesterday as their beloved captain is going to be out a very long time with a nasty hernia.

Hopefully, the injury isn't so severe that it could mean the hastened end to Joe Sakic's illustrious career in the NHL. It's certainly not easy to recovery from a painful hernia, and Sakic is at that age where each passing month is a fight against father time to maintain a high level of physical ability.

"Joe's rehabilitation has not progressed as anticipated and upon further evaluation the decision has been made to perform surgery in order for him to fully recover," Avalanche team physician Andrew Parker said.

If Sakic misses the length of time prescribed, it will be the longest absence of his NHL career. Prior to the injury, which has kept him out 12 straight games, Sakic had played in 232 consecutive games.

Sakic was struggling somewhat this season putting just 22 points in 24 games (with a gross -6) and looking rather 'tired', and now we know why.

Amazingly, the Avalanche have gone 8-4-1 since their captain has been out of the lineup, as some of the other forwards have picked up the slack. Of course, this short-term trend is unlikely to continue, and the Avs could find themselves fighting for their playoff lives by the time Sakic gets back.

While I realize the Avs have some pretty good offensive depth in their lineup, Sakic is one of those rare players that makes others better. Guys like Andrew Brunette, Marek Svatos, and Ryan Smyth need Sakic to feed them the puck to be fully effective. In the long run, the loss of Sakic is likely going to create a huge ripple effect in the Western Conference and Northwest Division.

Sakic to Miss 2-3 Months with Hernia Surgery originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Spin: Travis Henry Wins Appeal

Will Brinson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:07:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Fantasy Football, NFL Waiver Wire, Injury Report

The Denver Broncos are the biggest catch-22 in all of fantasy. No other system cranks out more prolific and start worthy running backs from seemingly out of nowhere, yet no other team is so maddeningly indecisive about who's gonna start for them. Usually, that's Mike Shanahan's fault. Today, it was Travis Henry ~~somehow~~ winning his appeal against the NFL following a positive test for marijuana that had him facing a year long suspension and had fantasy owners greedily awaiting the emergence of Selvin Young as the lone yard-churner in Mile High.

What does this mean for fantasy owners in the final three or four weeks of the season? First of all, let's look at the Broncos' schedule the rest of the way home: they get the Chiefs (115.8 rushing yards per game allowed) at home, followed by road trips to Houston (122.2) and San Diego (111.8). Then they close out Week 17 with Minnesota (70.5) at home. Hopefully your playoffs don't extend that far, as both Young and Henry will be worthless against the Vikes' rush defense. But the other matchups are nice, and San Diego is decent with the Chargers actually playing defense ever since Adrian Peterson gashed them.

The bigger question is, "who gets the rock?" It's probably going to be somewhat of a timeshare (love you Shanny!), akin to last week's action when Henry saw 15 carries and Young got seven (think percentages, not numbers, assuming health). In other words, this suspension just made Henry your RB2 for the rest of the season and Young a flex starter at best.

Fantasy Spin: Travis Henry Wins Appeal originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Under the Radar Stars: Paul Stastny

Jes Golbez — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:21:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, General NHL, Avalanche, Fantasy Hockey

Those of you in fantasy leagues will no doubt be aware of Paul Stastny, the young Avalanche forward who blasted out of the gates with 8 points in the first week of the season.

Flashing back to the start of last season, most everyone and their mother expected Evgeni Malkin to win the Calder Trophy in a country fair cakewalk. As the season progressed, Paul Stastny came out of nowhere to make the race closer than ever expected. Thanks to breaking the rookie record for the longest points streak, Stastny started to become more of a household name, and almost helped the Avalanche not miss the playoffs (quite a feat, given how many games Jose Theodore gave away).

Paul Stastny, despite his pedigree (being the son of Hall of Famer Peter Stastny) had little hype and little press as he entered the NHL. How is it that such a good player stayed so far under the radar for so long? Even someone who follows Slovakian hockey players (or their sons) as much as I do didn't have this guy pegged as an NHL star.

Well, it starts with Paul's decision to play his junior hockey in the US Hockey League (USHL), rather than the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), or with the US National Development squad. Paul spent two seasons with the River City Lancers, far below the radar of most scouts. When most hockey hardcore fans first heard about the USHL, it was pretty much "Aww, isn't that cute, the US wants its own hockey league." The level of play wasn't nearly as good as the Canadian Hockey League, and few gave it more than a passing glance as a B-grade junior circuit.

Back to Paul. It wasn't until his decision to attend the University of Denver in the fall of 2004 that Stastny started to get a little notice as a prospect. After 42 points in 40 games with the UoD, the hometown Avalanche made Stastny their 2nd round pick in the 2005 Entry Draft, obviously having had a good look at the local prospect in a more competitive environment.

Stastny had one more good season with the UoD, and then was ready for the pros. Rather than apprentice in the AHL, Stastny jumped right into the fray as the Avalanche's 2nd line center, and has never looked back.

Nowadays, the USHL has become known as a legitimate breeding ground for talented prospects. Thanks to players like Stastny, and recent Islanders draftee Kyle Okposo, American kids can see better options to further their careers than simply moving up to Canada, or playing high school hockey.

Stastny recently took part in a conference call after being selected as the NHL's First Star in the previous week, where he discussed some of the career choices he's made to date.

His time with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA):
"I think WCHA was really good for me, big stepping stone to where I am now. Just obviously when I was there it was top-end competition all around, from the first place team to the 10th place team. It's starting to show more and more now with more guys leaving school early. And I think it's getting the respect that maybe it finally deserves."

On deciding to play with America for international play (Canada was another option):
"I could play either one so I didn't play many IHF competitions. But I think I had maybe a better opportunity or I think the U.S. wanted me and maybe looking to the future, my brother already played for the U.S. So like you said, it's always a dream of ours to play together and maybe one day we'll play together in an international event like that.

But obviously they gave me an opportunity and you can never turn that down."

Under the Radar Stars: Paul Stastny originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Might Wanna Get Yer Selvin On

Will Brinson — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:13:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Denver, Fantasy Football, NFL Waiver Wire, Injury Report

Per the House's Michael David Smith (via several sources), Travis Henry has reportedly failed a drug test for marijuana and could face up to a year suspension from the NFL. He has also reportedly sued the NFL to keep it under wraps, but as MDS points out, there's probably a lengthy Ricky-style suspension coming down the pipe.

In that same fashion, you may have noticed my boy Selvin Young averaging 9.2 yards per carry so far this season in a backup capacity. Mike Shanahan has taken a liking to the youngster out of Texas and he's looked very good in a reserve roll for the Broncos. For fantasy purposes before now, he was nothing more than a classic handcuff (despite the fact that the term is actually outdated because of all the RBBC's). Suddenly, Young looks like he might be the starter for the remainder of the year on a Broncos team that always seems to get over 1,000 yards out of its backfield.

It's obvious you should have stopped reading and gone to pick him up in any fantasy league right? This is what we calla freebie. Hustle up.

Might Wanna Get Yer Selvin On originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travis Henry Fails Drug Test, Sues NFL, Could Get One-Year Suspension

Michael David Smith — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:26:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Fantasy Football, Denver, The Word

Broncos running back Travis Henry has tested positive for marijuana and could be suspended for one year, Fox 31 in Denver is reporting.

Meanwhile, Newsday is reporting that Henry is suing the NFL to prevent it from using the results of the drug test to suspend him. If the lawsuit fails -- and it seems like an incredible long shot -- he could also appeal, but the chances are very good that Henry will be suspended for a year, and that the suspension will come soon.

Henry, who is leading the league in rushing, served a four-game suspension in 2005 after testing failing a drug test when he played for the Tennessee Titans. Henry signed a five-year contract with the Broncos in March that guaranteed him $12 million, but unless the Broncos' front office is a collection of the world's biggest idiots, they included a provision that allowed them to get his bonus money back if he failed another drug test.

More at Pro Football Talk.

Travis Henry Fails Drug Test, Sues NFL, Could Get One-Year Suspension originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Broncos Want to Trade Mike Bell

Michael David Smith — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 06:48:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Fantasy Football, Denver

Remember last year, how Broncos coach Mike Shanahan put undrafted rookie Mike Bell at the top of the team's running back depth chart, and all of a sudden fantasy players were scrambling to grab him, on the theory that whoever plays running back for the Broncos is guaranteed to have a good year?

Well, this year fantasy players are scrambling to dump him. As are the Broncos. He's been moved to fullback, and Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Broncos are trying to trade him.

Shanahan just doesn't feel the need to keep running backs around. He's already traded his top back from last year, Tatum Bell, and he's apparently happy to have free agent acquisition Travis Henry carry the load this year, with some help from undrafted rookie Selvin Young.

But would any team want to trade for Mike Bell? He was a decent player last year -- advanced stats show he was more effective than Tatum Bell -- but there's a perception around the league that assuming a running back will be productive in another offense because he's productive in Denver is a sure way to end up with a running back who can't run. The Broncos aren't likely to get much for Bell.

Broncos Want to Trade Mike Bell originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Mon, 03 Sep 2007 06:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL 30 To Watch: Javon Walker, Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos

Michael David Smith — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:11:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Fantasy Football, Denver

A regular look at 30 people who will affect the 2007 NFL season.

To fully appreciate how good Javon Walker was last season in his first year as a Denver Bronco, you have to understand just how bad the rest of the Broncos' passing game was.

The advanced stats at Football Outsiders ranked the Broncos' passing offense 22nd in the league. Receivers Rod Smith, Brandon Marshall and David Kircus all came out below average in the Football Outsiders wide receiver stats. But despite playing in an otherwise terrible passing game, Walker ranked 16th in the Football Outsiders stats.

And he could be even better this year. He's completely healthy this year, something he couldn't say as he recovered from a knee injury last year. And quarterback Jay Cutler should continue to improve and do a better job of hitting Walker in stride on deep balls to take advantage of Walker's speed.

Bottom line: As Cutler improves, Walker has a chance on improving on last year's great numbers and being one of the NFL's top receivers.

30 to Watch: See them all

NFL 30 To Watch: Javon Walker, Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Sakic Signs with the Avalanche for 1 More Season

Jes Golbez — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:08:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, General NHL, Avalanche, Western, Fantasy Hockey, NHL Live Blogging

Joe Sakic quickly answered any questions about his future plans by signing a 1-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche, ensuring that his wife won't have to call in the moving vans.

"I was really impressed with the way this team came together and am looking forward to next year," Sakic said in a statement. "To witness the growth of our young players and see how they performed with some of our other veterans was very encouraging and says a lot about the expectations we'll have for next season.

"As I've said in the past, at this stage in my career, I prefer to do one-year deals as I evaluate my play year-to-year," added Sakic. "But I'm looking forward to next season and we feel very lucky to be a part of such a great hockey market with such amazing fan support."

While Canucks fans have always hoped "Burnaby Joe" would want to come home, it's obvious that Sakic has no wish to go anywhere else or even test the free agent market.

With 100 points last season, Sakic is still one of the premier players in the league, even at 37 years of age. Personally, I think it's great that Sakic will remain with the one franchise that he has always been with. Sakic has truly become the face of the Avalanche/Nordiques, and it looks like it'll remain so until Sakic retires.

Joe Sakic Signs with the Avalanche for 1 More Season originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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