Is Todd Helton Back?

Todd Helton is just two homers short of what he hit last year in 118 games and his batting average is seventy points higher. So, is Todd Helton back?

Analysis: Todd Helton is the fourteenth best fantasy first baseman thus far this year, it’s pretty impressive when considering the thirty-seven year old was left for dead coming into the 2011 season. You have to love what Helton is doing at the plate, making contact. His strikeout rate is half of what is was last year and three percent below his career average of 14 percent. His BABIP, ISO and wOBA all check out around his career levels so it appears Todd Helton is back, at least for now. You have to consider as the season wears on the veteran his performance will drop but with his contact rate (92%) you’d have to imagine his batting average will not dip below .300 and hitting in Coors Field should help hide his diminishing power. You really have two options with Helton- in deeper leagues pick him up off the wire or sell him for a team need/shallow position. He’s a perfect depth player in roto leagues with his batting average as well as his run and RBI totals.

Projection: Helton should bat around .300 with 40 runs and 40 RBI the rest of the season. Expect his play to drop a bit, so act accordingly.

Rangers’ Borbon to DL, trifecta complete

Julio Borbon was placed on the disabled list Saturday, joining Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton as the other Opening Day outfielders on the DL. AAA outfielder Endy Chavez was recalled and RHP Brandon Webb was transfered to the 60-day DL to make room for Chavez on the 40-man roster.

Borbon was on the heels of a 10-game hitting streak and a 17-game stretch that saw his batting average jump 100 points, up to .270.

Endy Chavez will take over the center-field responsibilities for the time being. He hit leadoff for Ron Washington on Saturday, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He was hitting well at AAA (.305 BA), but if he struggles there for more than a couple of games, expect another lineup shuffle by Ron Washington.

The player to keep an eye on in this situation is Leonys Martin, a recently signed Cuban import who made his professional debut Thursday, going 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and a steal. Professional scouts have conflicting ideas on who he plays like, with projections of Juan Pierre with a better arm, or Kenny Lofton, or Jacoby Ellsbury.

Borbon has played well enough so far and has the talent to be a solid player, so he’ll be given a chance if/when he comes back from the disabled list.  If he struggles or doesn’t recover fully from the injury, Martin could see the Major Leagues sometime between the All-Star Break and the trading deadline.

Martin is not a blip on the fantasy radar yet. In keeper leagues, he’s worth a speculation buy.

NBA Final Four

 

 

We’ve finally reached the NBA’s Final Four as the marathon also known as the Association’s second season continues.

With the possible exception of Boston’s absence, the Eastern Conference Finals pitting the Miami Heat against the  Chicago Bulls, probably comes as no surprise.

We got a peak a night early (thanks  to Oprah) and the Bulls look like they are going to be a real handful. Chicago remains a shooting guard (that can create his own shot) away from being unbeatable. Defensively, Chicago stifled Dwayne Wade and Lebron James with Charles Barkley going as far to call them the finest defensive team he has ever seen. How about Taj Gibson? NBA Insiders are well aware of the value the Bulls received landing the former USC star late in the first round several seasons ago. His dunk over Wade and the put back slam now have him a You Tube sensation as well.

http://www.fantasysp.com/news/nba/629217/video-taj-gibson-returns-the-favor-to-dwyane-wade

For now, Luol Deng has stepped up as a scoring option to Derek Rose, and his emergence has tempered Lebron’s impact. Its going to be a long series and Miami still needs only steal one at the United Center to gain home court advantage.

The Western Conference without the Lakers is a shocker. Losing Los Angeles as a media market is a crushing blow to advertisers as the ratings are certain to suffer, expecially if Oklahoma City outlasts Dallas.

The Lakers loss was shocking. Dallas had the depth, but the sweep was the biggest surprise in recent NBA playoff memory. What was the difference for the Mavericks? Tyson Chandler, pure and simple. Chandler, in a contract year, provided the rebounding, shot blocking, interior defense and overall toughness and enthusiasm the Mavs were lacking. The Mavs are on a mission. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry are out to win the title that was so close several years ago with an eventual finals loss to Miami. Head Coach Rick Carlisle and Jason Kidd have both come close but seeking their first titles.

The Thunder are the media darling and the new fan favorite nationwide. The exciting combination of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook is excting and promises to keep Oklahoma City a player in the West for many years to come. The addition of Kendrick Perkins in the trade with Boston at the deadline gave the Thunder the interior physicality that they lacked. Shooting guard James Harden is getting close to giving Durant and Westbrook a full third option, their own version of  the Big Three.

The NBA finals don’t begin for two more weeks, over which time we will enjoy what should a pair of very exciting conference finals matchups.

Delmon Young Returns From DL

Delmon Young is returning from the 15 day disabled list after straining his left oblique muscle. Young has struggled this year hitting .228 without a home run in sixteen games.

Analysis: Delmon Young may have had an inflated RBI total last year but we know who he is. Delmon is a lifetime .291 hitter and his power is slowing developing. His ISO has increased in each of his last three years from 2008-10 and he has a little bit of speed to offer as well. Young is a perfect sleeper now in roto leagues that don’t bother with OBP, he just hacks at everything (60.6 Swing%). If you have been following fantasy baseball at all this year you know this is a great time to buy low on the outfielder who is available in half of fantasy leagues nationwide. This isn’t a Sam Fuld or Jonny Gomes (combined 0 HR since April 18) situation where he will fall off the face of the planet, Delmon is a professional hitter who provides five-cat numbers. Don’t count the Twins or Delmon Young out this year.

Projection: From this point on you can expect a .290 batting average, 12-15 home runs, five plus stolen bases and competitive run and RBI totals from Delmon Young. Buy him low, buy him now and don’t look back.

NFL: Free Agency can’t come soon enough

 

 

The NFL draft filled some clubs needs, but not all teams, and not all holes. Once the labor talks have ended, Free Agency will be fast and furious. To be eligible for unrestricted free agency, a player must have six years of playing experience.

Limited free agency in early March included San Diego signing safety Bob Sanders, Washington picking up safety O.J. Atogwe, the Panthers adding tight end Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans coming to terms with defensive lineman Shaun Rogers and the Patriots trying to fill the Richard Seymour vacancy from a year ago with his college teammate at Georgia, Marcus Stroud.

Many teams are in need of a quarterback and there’s not exactly a deep pool of signal callers. Teams like Washington, Miami, Buffalo, Seattle and Arizona failed to address the need in the draft.  Baltimore’s Marc Bulger, Houston’s Matt Leinart, Tennessee’s  Vince Young and Seattle’s’ Matt Hasselbeck are expected to garner the most interest. Veteran Redskins QB Donovan McNabb and Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer are not expected to return to their current teams and may end up being the most sought after. When all is said and done, it may resemble the movie Trading Places.

There is no shortage of running backs, with Miami’s duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, San Diego specialist Darren Sproles and Cincinnati workhorse Cedric Benson possibly on the move.

A real mixed bag at wide receiver led by veterans Terrell Owens, Steve Smith and Randy Moss. The younger set of former high draft picks; the Jets tandem of  Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes along with my favorite, Minnesota’s Sidney Rice. How about Plaxico Burress? Who will give the troubled former Giants star a second chance.

Three offensive tackles with a solid pedigree, Baltimore’s Jared Gaither, Washington’s Jamaal Brown and Matt Light of the Patriots will be heavily pursued as immediate starters.

The premiere defensive lineman in free agency is Green Bay end Cullen Jenkins. Those looking for linebackers will be taking a long look at Washington’s Rocky McIntosh and San Francisco veteran Takeo Spikes.

The most sought after free agency will undoubtedly be Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The entire NFC East is said to be lining up to bid on Oakland’s shut down cover man. Other corners certain to attract interest include Washington’s Carlos Rogers and the Jets Antonio Cromartie.

Free Agency will not be limited to veterans. Clubs have had time to review and analyze top college talent that slipped through the draft. We will visit that another day.