Player News – Page 125 – FantasySP Blog

David Lee and his Underwhelming Season

David Lee puts up a decent game every once in a while, but his season stats at this point are not what was expected of him.

Analysis: I really thought that the change of scenery to the high scoring Golden State Warriors would have brought pleasant stats to Lee, but that simply hasn’t been the case. He’s averaging 4 less points a game than he did last season with the Knicks. He is taking 2 fewer shots a contest, but more important is his FG%. His percentage has dropped from around 55% in the last 3 seasons to a career low of 49% this season. Steph Curry is an excellent playmaker and he should have had more of a positive effect on Lee, unfortunately that hasn’t been the case. Another unfortunate stat difference between this year and last is the drop in rebounding. Lee is averaging 9.5 boards a game this season, which is down from the 11.7 a game he average last season. Those owners who thought Lee was due for a surge this season have been kicking themselves waiting for him to get started, but it just doesn’t seem like this is his season. He did put up a nice fantasy night tonight with 26 points and 12 boards, but that kind of production hasn’t been very constant.

Projection: David Lee can’t seem to find his groove this year and has been a big time fantasy let-down. Lets remember that he is in the first year of a big contract and is pretty comfortable right now. Perhaps too comfortable. Look for Lee to come out better next year, but I don’t see him averaging much better stats for the rest of this season.

Taylor Hall Out For Season

The first overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft will be sidelined eight weeks with an ankle injury, which is the remainder of the NHL regular season.

Analysis: The 19 year old injured his left ankle while fighting with Blue Jacket Derek Dorsett Thursday night. This is a major blow to fantasy hockey squads across the nation. Hall had scored 5 goals and 3 assists over his last ten games and was really playing the very best hockey of his young career. He also recorded five 4 shots on goal or more games in that same span and had 4 power play points. He really was turning into a point per game player. The high ankle sprain is a setback and he will be 100 percent healthy for next year but where does this leave your fantasy squad at the LW/C position since Hall had dual eligibility? Fellow Oiler MPS or Magnus Paajarvi is a logical pickup at left wing and should see a bump in his ice time. At center you may want to consider LA King Jarret Stoll who has four points in his last five games and is a plus two on the season with over 17 minutes of average time on ice.

Is Alex Rodriguez Finally at 100%?

In a very candid, upbeat interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesca earlier this week, Alex Rodriguez made it clear that he is now fully recovered from his 2009 hip surgery.

Analysis: Make no mistake; This isn’t the same A-Rod who used to choke under pressure, and then give scripted answers to the throng of media waiting for him after each big game. This isn’t the same A-Rod whose guarded, uptight persona caused noticeable tension in the clubhouse. This is the A-Rod who drove in 18 runs in the 2009 postseason en route to his first ring. This is the A-Rod who opened this spring’s introductory press conference by joking about “Popcorn-gate”, his televised moment of PDA with Cameron Diaz during the Super Bowl. This is the A-Rod who feels at home in his own skin, a feeling that has eluded him since arriving in New York seven years ago. Coming into camp visibly trimmer, the future Hall of Famer appears ready to roll, and sounds determined to improve on his 2010 output. Granted, he did hit 30 bombs and drive in 125 runs, a great season for 98% of his peers. However, Rodriguez is not like the rest of the league. Matter of fact, he’s far from it. Arguably the most talented player of this generation, his surgery definitely slowed him down whether he will admit it or not. Never one to make excuses, Rodriguez did admit that he has done significantly more rehab than training over the last 2 or 3 years at the instruction of his surgeon, Dr. Marc Philippon. Those restrictions were lifted by his doctor this past November and A-Rod is back to training at his old pace, a scary thought for American League pitchers. Although he won’t admit that his rehab has directly affected his production, reading between the lines says otherwise.

Projection: A-Rod owners should be giddy about his current state of mind and physical condition as he comes into this season with no limitations, hungry for another championship. Surrounded once again by a ridiculous lineup, it is not inconceivable that he return to his MVP form of 2007 where he led the league in runs, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases. Rodriguez doesn’t get the respect that he used to on Draft Day, and this could be a boon for those who believe in his potential resurgence. It’s time to treat Rodriguez like a first round pick once again, whether the other owners in your league believe that or not.

Ivan Nova Poised to Win Major Role

After two scoreless outings thus far this spring, the Dominican native has already put himself in good position to win a spot at the back of the Yankees unsettled rotation.

Analysis: Much has been made this offseason about the Yankees 4 and 5 spots in their starting rotation, with a host of characters in camp trying to secure one of these coveted jobs. Among these staff hopefuls are veterans Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, along with the 24-year-old Nova. Originally signed as an amateur free agent in 2004 but stolen away from New York in December 2008’s Rule 5 draft, the 6’4″ right-hander was returned to the Yankees after a horrible spring training just a few months later. This looks like a blessing for the Bombers, as Nova appears to be coming into his own after making seven big league starts last season. He’s created a significant amount of buzz over the past seven days among Yankees staff and scouts alike, retiring all six Phillies he faced on Sunday and hurling three shutout frames yesterday against the Rays. With a little over three weeks of Grapefruit League action remaining, Nova is currently a favorite for the starting rotation.

Projection: Barring a complete meltdown, a trade or signing (the chances of this are very slim according to GM Brian Cashman), or a godlike resurgence from the portly Colon, Nova will head north at the end of this month as one of the Yankees starters. Perhaps the biggest knock on the youngster last year was his inability to finish six innings each turn. This was never an issue for Nova as he worked his way up from the GCL to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he’ll be able to overcome this obstacle at the Major League level. As his confidence grows, so will his penchant for challenging hitters as opposed to nibbling around the plate and inflating his pitch count early in the game. These types of growing pains have surfaced in even the best arms, but are always magnified tenfold when pitching in the Bronx. I do not see endurance being a problem this year, and that spells good Fantasy numbers for Nova. Backed by a solid defense, a lockdown bullpen, and one of the best offenses in the league, look for Ivan to provide 12-14 wins over 28-30 starts. If he can improve the bite on his curveball to go along with his impressive sinking fastball, then count on him for a solid number of strikeouts as well.

Pushing Aramis Ramirez

Issue: Aramis Ramirez the Cubs’ 33 year old cleanup hitter has hung up some gaudy seasonal numbers over his 13 year career, but the last 2 were disappointments due to a shoulder separation on 2009 and a bruised thumb in 2010. If his gloss is tarnished, how far should we push the bidding in our 2011 Auction?

Analysis: He played in only 82 games in 2009 and 124 games last season, playing through the injury. The change from season to season looks like this: .317/.389/.506 in 2009 vs. .241/.294/.452 in 2010. His post All Star Game stats improved- 15 HR, 51 RBI, .321 OBP, .276 BA. Those 2nd half numbers may well push the bidding up. Beware because of 2 reasons. First, obviously older now than his best seasons, Aramis has injured 16 different body parts in his career, including thigh (6 times), thumb (4), shoulder (4), groin (4), wrist (3), knee (3), and lower back (3). Second, his supporting cast will diminish his counting category stats. Don’t count on 100 R and 100+ RBI. Marlon Byrd will be hitting in front of Aramis. Byrd kills LHP, but there are significantly more RHPs (.267/.328/.389). Newly acquired Carlos Pena hit .196 last season and will bat 5th for the Cubbies.

Projection: 475 PA, 25 HR, 70 R, 85 RBI, 1 SB, .289 BA.