Fantasy FanHouse will be chiming in throughout the NFL draft with fantasy analysis of each fantasy relevant pick.
Wow. I mean, just wow. Rashard Mendenhall kind of plummeted in the draft didn't he? And when he landed right in Mike Tomlin's lap, the Pittsburgh head coach scooped him up. And it was a very smart move.
Willie Parker is obviously the starter for the Steelers, but there have always been concerns about his ability to bash between the tackles, even when he was racking up huge seasons, yardage-wise. Now the Steelers won't have to face those questions as much, because Mendenhall will serve as a bruising back that will compliment Parker perfectly.
Single season leagues are probably going to wait and take Mendenhall, because Parker is a pretty solid first rounder. However, I tend to think he's got sleeper written all over him because of Parker's injury history and his different style of running. If you like to gamble, you're going to be thinking about this guy in the early teens during drafts, and certainly, he's a must have handcuff for Parker.
In terms of dynasty leagues, I think Mendenhall has to be at or near the top of drafts. He's a brusing, talented runner and he's landed in a situation where the offensive line has always been stressed. Is Parker the long term answer for Pittsburgh? At least for the next two years because of his contract. But I'd put my money on Mendenhall being the guy you will want long term. And if that's the case, he may end up being the most valuable guy in this draft when we look back on things in about three to four years.
Stud or Shelton? is a look at some players outperforming expectations. It's a way of assessing whether the player in question can be expected to continue his hot pace, or whether he'll turn into Chris Shelton. (For those with short memories, Shelton was the Detroit Tigers player who hit 9 HR in the first 13 games of the season, making everyone salivate and proclaim him the next Babe Ruth. By July, he was back in Triple-A and is now back in the farm system ... of the Texas Rangers.)
Everyone is such a negative Nelly these days, wondering why supposed studs like David Ortiz, Prince Fielder and Andruw Jones are doing so poorly. And honestly speaking, we take care of a lot of that in our Slump or Suck section.
So, let's take a look at someone having a good start to the season instead.
For instance, Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth. Here's a guy who didn't win the starting centerfield job until the end of Spring Training, and probably wasn't drafted in many mixed fantasy leagues despite being pimped by more than a few fantasy pundits.
So far those folks (a group that did not include myself) are feeling pretty sharp: McLouth is a top-10 fantasy player overall, batting a crisp .382 (with a .453 OBP), knocking in 16 RBI in his first 19 games, and scoring the same amount of runs. This follows his 2007 season, where in just 329 at bats, he hit 13 HR and stole 22 bases.
So, is it a sign of things to come? Certainly, I haven't found anyone who thinks McLouth is going to stay a top-10 player all season. But will he be good enough all year long to warrant a starting spot in your outfield?
The Sophomore Jinx is a mere myth to many people, but the theory certainly has some merit and proof behind it. Due to higher expectations, awareness of the player's abilities, a certain level of (too much) comfort, and/or just plain bad luck, some players just seem to do worse in their second NHL season than their first.
A prime example would be Penguins center Jordan Staal, who was all the rage last season after putting up 29 goals and 42 points at the tender age of 18. With seven shorthanded goals, and regular time on key defensive assignments, Staal looked like a stalwart. Surely, somebody who can put up those numbers as such a young age was destined for stardom. Just look at how teammate Sidney Crosby blossomed!
Well, Staal has "staalled" with just FOUR(!) points in 23 games this season, and is on pace for a whopping 7 goals and 7 assists. On a team with quite a few struggling players, Staal sticks out like George W. Bush at a Mensa Barbeque. After his bachelor party incident this past summer, the shine has come off of the star prospect, and fantasy league players are quickly becoming anxious.
Staal: "Obviously, my confidence isn't at its peak. I don't want to take risks sometimes, when maybe that's the best play. I have to go to the net, try beating guys one-on-one down low and moving my feet down there. If I do that, I'll create more chances and hopefully get on a roll."
Veteran winger Mark Recchi has long been one of the NHL's most underrated offensive producers. Last season, at the age of 39, Recchi paired well with Sidney Crosby to put up 68 points in 82 games, including his 15th career 20-goal campaign.
This season, it's been a whole different story for the "Recchin Ball" as he's really shown his age. Recchi has put up only 8 points despite being surrounded with loads of offensive talent. Coach Therrien has responded by making Recchi a regular healthy scratch (four of the last five games), and the Pittsburh Post-Gazette reports that Recchi's agent is rather confuzled and anxious:
"It's safe to say I've had some conversations with Ray [Shero] regarding the current status," Curran told the gazette. "When any player finds himself not playing, you call and find out how things are, what's going on."
While some believe that Sidney Crosby's point totals were enchanced by playing with the likes of Recchi, I always believed otherwise. It's more than likely that Recchi's natural decline was heavily masked by Crosby's playmaking skills and work along the boards. While Recchi has the smarts, his body no longer can keep up with the fast pace of today's game like it used to. If Recchi had played for any other team, he likely would have retired.
For proof? How about Recchi's tenure with Carolina, where he put up just 7 points and a -8 in 20 games. Once Recchi was torn from the loving bosom of The Kid, his production dipped dramatically, and "Rex" was no longer able to score a bunch of easy points.
Many fans and experts expect the Pittsburgh Penguins to do some real damage this season. With a roster packed with more explosiveness than a Chinese fireworks factory, the Penguins ought to run roughshod over much of the NHL. You can only hope and pray that the likes of Crosby, Recchi, Malkin, Sykora, Whitney, Staal, and Gonchar have an off night and score only 3 goals between the lot of them.
Well, after five games, the Penguins sit at 2-3-0, and haven't looked like a very good team. Sidney Crosby is struggling, by his standards, with six points in five games, and last year's rookie sensation Jordan Staal has nary a goal to his credit.
As of now, M-A Fleury sports an awful 4.11GAA and 87.1SV%, numbers that put him near the bottom of the league, statistically. This isn't just a short-term trend dealio, either.
In a move that likely only concerns you if you're a fantasy baseball player or a Pirate fan, the Pirates announced before their game against the Dodgers last night that Matt Capps would be replacing Salomon Torres as closer, effective immediately. Jim Tracy swears it has nothing to do with Torres' four blown saves this year:
"I don't feel like Salomon did a bad job as closer," Tracy said. "But the flip side is that he has shown he can go greater distances, get multiple outs, and his resiliency is stronger than where Matt's would be. Let's face it: The problem getting through the seventh inning and getting back to those guys has been our biggest issue."
So if you're a fantasy player that owns Torres (and if you are, I feel bad for you, I'll assume you're in a deep league and it's not your fault), should you pick up Capps? Or if you need relief help, is Capps your answer?
Honestly, I'm not so sure. He's got great numbers this year with his 3.07 ERA and his 1.09 WHIP, but he got beaten around pretty good in May to the tune of a 5.40 ERA. Still, he's got fantastic control (of his six walks this year, four are intentional). He's also very durable; he made 85 appearances as a rookie last year and he's on pace for 93 this year. I suppose the real question is how many saves a guy can pick up as the closer for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Or, you know, if his arm will fall off after 180 appearances in his first two big league seasons.
"I saw Sidney get absolutely mauled at the Memorial Cup in London, Ont., a few years ago, and he did just fine (winning the tournament scoring title)," McGuire said.
"You have to understand, Sidney and other great players have been targeted since they were 10 years old. They know how to deal with it."
"Crosby handles the rough stuff just fine," McGuire said. "All the great players do. Besides, Sidney usually plays with Recchi and Ryan Malone, or Staal."
Crosby will likely be shadowed by Mike Fisher and the defensive tandem of Phillips-Volchenkov, something The Kid is all too used to by now.
So, how have other legendary players fared in their first playoff tests in the past?
Wayne Gretzky Age 19: 3GP 2-1-3PTS Age 20: 9GP 7-14-21PTS
Mario Lemieux Age 23: 11GP 12-7-19PTS
Steve Yzerman Age 18: 4GP 3-3-6PTS
Joe Thornton Age 19: 11GP 3-6-9PTS
Vincent Lecavalier Age 23: 11GP 3-3-6PTS
By those standards, the great players do good things in the playoffs, regardless of age. Anything less than a point-a-game for Sidney would be a disappointment.
To most in the hockey world, this is no big surprise, especially after finishing with 102 points last season as an 18-year old.
"It's a nice accomplishment, and I didn't come into this season expecting it," Crosby told reporters after setting up both Pittsburgh goals in a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night. "I tried to have the best season possible, and I was lucky enough to get it."
Crosby is the youngest Art Ross winner ever, although Wayne Gretzky was slightly younger when he tied Marcel Dionne for the league lead with 137 points in 1979-80. Dionne got the trophy that year for scoring more goals, however.
Crosby also beat out Gretzky by 140 days to become the youngest player ever to post 200 career points. Crosby, who now has 222 regular-season goals and assists, reached 200 at 19 years 207 days old.
The NHL's top scorers this season:
Player GP G A PTS
Sidney Crosby 79 36 84 120
Joe Thornton 82 22 92 114
V. Lecavalier 82 52 56 108
Dany Heatley 82 50 55 105
M. St. Louis 82 43 59 102
Fantasy FanHouse will be chiming in throughout the NFL draft with fantasy analysis of each fantasy relevant pick.
Stud or Shelton? is a look at some players outperforming expectations. It's a way of assessing whether the player in question can be expected to continue his hot pace, or whether he'll turn into 
The Sophomore Jinx is a mere myth to many people, but the theory certainly has some merit and proof behind it. Due to higher expectations, awareness of the player's abilities, a certain level of (too much) comfort, and/or just plain bad luck, some players just seem to do worse in their second NHL season than their first. 
Veteran winger Mark Recchi has long been one of the NHL's most underrated offensive producers. Last season, at the age of 39, Recchi paired well with Sidney Crosby to put up 68 points in 82 games, including his 15th career 20-goal campaign.
Many fans and experts expect the Pittsburgh Penguins to do some real damage this season. With a roster packed with more explosiveness than a Chinese fireworks factory, the Penguins ought to run roughshod over much of the NHL. You can only hope and pray that the likes of Crosby, Recchi, Malkin, Sykora, Whitney, Staal, and Gonchar have an off night and score only 3 goals between the lot of them.
In a move that likely only concerns you if you're a fantasy baseball player or a Pirate fan, the Pirates announced before their game against the Dodgers last night that 
Sidney Crosby has taken the hockey world by storm in 
Sidney Crosby took just two seasons to reach the top of the scoring latter, 
