Fantasy football: Spotting the next great tight end

Tuesday August 4, 2009 7:24 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Life is all about options.

For instance, I wouldn’t normally buy chicken nuggets out of an office vending machine. But when the other choices are bland energy bars and economy-size packs of Twizzlers, I’ll roll the dice on some poultry jerky every time.

Believe it or not, similar thinking applies to NFL tight ends.

Ask yourself this: What do the top fantasy football tight ends – Dallas’ Jason Witten, San Diego’s Antonio Gates and Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez -- all have in common?

Their offenses have no more than one top-flight wide receiver, meaning their quarterbacks have little choice but to use their tight ends as No. 1 or No. 2 options in the passing game. 

When evaluating this year’s class of tight ends — especially when trying to identify some breakout candidates — it’s important to first look at the wide receivers on their teams.

Here are a few tight ends who are in ideal situations to thrive this season:

Greg Olsen, Chicago
If the regular season began today, the Bears’ starting wideouts would be Devin Hester, a former defensive back still learning to play receiver, and Earl Bennett, who has never caught a pass in the NFL. New Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who leaned on his tight ends in Denver, should quickly learn that Olsen is his most reliable option.

John Carlson, Seattle
The Seahawks reeled in a big fish in free agency with wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who is expected to be quarterback Matthew Hasselbeck’s new go-to guy. However, No. 2 wideout Deion Branch has never had a 1,000-yard season and can’t seem to stay healthy, likely paving the way for a big year from Carlson, who was the seventh highest scoring fantasy tight end as a rookie in 2008.

Dustin Keller, N.Y. Jets
Wide receiver Laveranues Coles signed with Cincinnati, leaving Jerricho Cotchery as the Jets’ top receiver. The candidates to start opposite Cotchery are an unimpressive group of inexperienced players – Chansi Stuckey, Brad Smith and David Clowney. Reports out of Jets spring practices indicated that Keller was clearly Gang Green’s best receiver.

- - - -

Some tight ends facing stiff competition for targets:

Heath Miller, Pittsburgh
The Steelers’ Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes account for one of the league’s better wide receiver duos.

Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesot
Bernard Berrian is entrenched as the No. 1 wideout, and Vikings coach Brad Childress has fallen in love with rookie Percy Harvin.

Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans
The Saints have too many strong receiving options – including Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson and Reggie Bush – for Shockey to post elite stats.
 

Fantasy Football: Playoff heroes often overrated

Thursday July 30, 2009 3:13 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Any time a player has a big game in the playoffs, you can bet he will emerge as the next hot item — like iPhones or Tickle Me Elmos — in the following season’s fantasy football drafts.
Fantasy owners love trendy players and big names. That’s why playoff heroes, including the following, often see their fantasy stock become inflated — going a round or two earlier than they should.

Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh
Holmes achieved NFL stardom when he made the game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLIII. However, he has never had a 1,000-yard season and has averaged just 52 catches during his first three NFL seasons. Yet Holmes’ current ADP (average draft position) is in the fifth round in 12-team leagues.

To compare, Holmes’ teammate Hines Ward, who has averaged 75 receptions since 2006 and has scored five more touchdowns than Holmes over the past three seasons, is being selected in the seventh round.

Darren Sproles, RB, San Diego
The diminutive Sproles amassed 256 yards of offense and three touchdowns in the Chargers’ two playoff games in 2008. But San Diego star LaDainian Tomlinson was limited to five carries in those contests because of a groin injury.

Now LT is back, and Chargers coach Norv Turner recently said Sproles’ primary role would again be as a special teams ace.

Yet Sproles, who accounted for just 672 yards of offense in the 2008 regular season, is being drafted late in the seventh round, ahead of Seattle’s Julius Jones, Baltimore’s LeRon McClain and Tampa Bay’s Earnest Graham — all of whom are expected to have even greater roles in their teams’ committee backfields.

Adam Vinatieri, K, Indianapolis
It’s been nearly six years since Vinatieri kicked his last Super Bowl-winning field goal for the Patriots, but his reputation has endured the test of time.

The truth is that the 36-year-old Vinatieri, now with Indianapolis, is far from an elite kicker these days. Last season, he was 28th in the league in field goals and 22nd in scoring among kickers.

Vinatieri should not be selected in the 13th round (his current ADP); he probably should not be drafted at all.

Mets have a long way to go in second half

Tuesday July 14, 2009 8:58 PM By Jason Fink

Mets ace Johan Santana needs to regain his dominant form in the second half

By Jason Fink

Ravaged by injuries to three of their four tops hitters, 40 percent of their starting rotation and their marquee set-up man, the Mets could be in worse shape at mid-season.

However, there are huge question marks about when the Mets' star players will return and how well they will be able to perform. At six-and-a-half games back in their division, making the playoffs will take near-flawless baseball - something the team has not come close to doing.

Manager

Jerry Manuel's juggling act with the Mets' lineup has the right blend of

improvisation and steadiness at the till, but he must be faulted for the

team's jittery defense and frequent lack of focus. B-First base

Since Carlos Delgado's surgery in May, Daniel Murphy has emerged as the

leader of the replacement platoon. His defense has been surprisingly good, but the 24-year-old (.248 avg/5 HR/26 RBI) gives the impression he's not going to be much more than a deep-count battler in the box. C+

Second base

Luis Castillo has been better than he was last season, when the boos rained down on him nightly at Shea, and except for that one glaring error against the Yankees, he’s been solid defensively. His .285 average and .386 on-base percentage are both good but he’s lost a step on the bases and no longer beats out those slow rollers in the hole. B

Shortstop

The Mets may miss Jose Reyes more than anyone, as he ignites the offense and gives the team a swagger they sorely need. Alex Cora brings grit and professionalism but he’s simply not an everyday player. His .246 average and complete lack of power (0 HR and 12 RBI in 187 AB) makes him one of the most punchless hitters in a punchless lineup. D

Third base

David Wright is having his strangest offensive season. His .325 average, 24 doubles and 20 SB put him on pace for career highs but so does his 87 strikeouts. His meager five HRs continues to baffle (even away from cavernous Citi Field, he has only 2) and he has often looked overmatched by mediocre pitchers. B

Catcher

Even though they traded away Ramon Castro, their best-hitting catcher, Brian Schneider and Omir Santos have been productive, as the Mets lead the league in RBI out of the catching position, with 57. Santos, though his bat has slowed lately, has provided some of the team’s biggest clutch hits. A-

Outfield

It’s hard to overestimate the impact of losing Carlos Beltran, one of the game’s best all-around players. Newcomer Jeff Francoeur isn’t a huge upgrade from Ryan Church, though the Mets believe his ceiling is higher.

Veteran Gary Sheffield has done as much as anyone could have hoped, leading the team with 10 HR and second behind Beltran with a .478 slugging percentage, but the fact that the 40-year-old, signed to be a part-time player, is now the clean-up hitter just shows what deep trouble this lineup is in. C+

Starting pitching

The Mets need ace Johan Santana to regain the brilliance he showed early this season and past history suggests he will. Mike Pelfrey (7-4/4.47 ERA) has shown flashes of being a real No. 2 starter but he’s been inconsistent, susceptible to the big inning. Oliver Perez is, well, Oliver Perez: His 28 walks in 26.2 innings is maddening, especially because he can be so good when he’s on.

Both Livan Hernandez and Fernando Nieve started strong but are now hanging onto their spots by a thread, especially with Jonathan Niese and Nelson Figueroa pitching so well in the minors. B

Relief pitching

This was supposed to be where the most improvement was made and Francisco Rodriguez (22 saves, 1.90 ERA) has been stellar. The disappointment of J.J. Putz’s injury and the regression of Bobby Parnell (2-3/4.37 ERA), who was unhittable early in the season but has unraveled, has forced Manuel to mix and match to come up with a bridge to K-Rod.

Pedro Feliciano (10 ER and 31 SO in 35.2 IP) has been very good but he’s primarily just a lefty specialist. Of course, after last year, this group looks like the Gas House Gang. B

Max Dickstein contributed to this story.

New York's hometown All-Stars

Tuesday July 14, 2009 4:21 PM By Pete Catapano

Derek Jeter is making his 10th All-Star appearance tonight. (AP Photo)

By Pete Catapano

The second place Yankees will be sending three players tonight for the mid-summer classic: perennial All-Stars Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera along with Mark Teixeira, who’s making his second trip.

Just as noteworthy is who didn’t get picked for this year’s game; the biggest name being Alex Rodriguez, who wasn’t chosen for the first time after missing the beginning of the year while recovering from hip surgery.

Derek Jeter

Jeter, now 35, is on pace for one of his seasons in some time as gets the starting nod for AL SS. Making his 10th appearance, Jeter was the leading vote getter in the AL, finishing with nearly five million in votes. Jeter finished the first half with a .321 average, 10 homers, 37 RBIs and 17 steals.

Mark Teixeira

In his first year with the Yanks, the switch-hitting first baseman is making his first All-Star trip since 2005. After a brutal April, Teixeira, 29, has been his usual threat at the plate, leading the Yankees with 21 HRs, 63 RBs and scoring 56 runs. The two-time Gold Glove winner has also made just one error this season.

Mariano Rivera

Every year fans wonder if the now 39-year-old Rivera is starting to lose it. And as usual he’s quieted doubts again this season, by converting 23 of 24 saves, posting a 2.43 ERA and striking out 43 in 37 innings while walking only three. Making his 10th appearance, it’s hard to imagine AL manager Joe Maddon going with someone else with a ninth-inning lead.

Their two wins over the weekend aside, some have argued that the Mets have been playing like little leaguers for a good chunk of the summer.

Tell that to their four players chosen for the 80th All Star game.

Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez, David Wright and Carlos Beltran will represent the Mets in St. Louis, although Beltran will miss the game with his nagging knee injury.

Although thee Mets record doesn’t reflect it, the three All-Stars set to play tonight have helped keep the team in the playoff hunt.Johan Santana

The 30-year-old lefty is making his fourth All-Star appearance and is representing the National League for the first time. While he has dropped three of his last five starts and has just a 10-7 record, Santana is still without question one of the top starters in the majors. Nearly unhittable in the first month of the season with a 3-1 record and 1.10 ERA, Santana is tied for second in the NL in wins and is seventh in strikeouts with 112.

David Wright

His power seems to have evaporated seemingly overnight with just five homers (he had 33 last year), but Wright, 26, is still hitting at a .324 clip with 44 RBIs, 24 doubles, three triples and 20 SBs. Those numbers rightfully put him as the starting third baseman this year. This is his fourth straight All-Star appearance.

Francisco Rodriguez

The Mets right-handed closer, who set the major league record for saves last season with 62, is making his fifth All-Star appearance and fourth straight. This season, K-Rod is tied for the NL lead with 23 saves and is 2-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He’s also struck out 42 in 42.2 innings and converted his first 16 save opportunities.

Johan Santana with Josh Becket, left, and Justin Morneau (AP Photo)

Pedro close to signing with Phillies: Report

Monday July 13, 2009 6:34 PM By Pete Catapano

Pedro Martinez could sign with the Phillies as soon as Wednesday (AP Photo)

By Pete Catapano

Former Met ace Pedro Martinez is inching closer to joining the Amazin’s top rival, reports say.

Martinez, 37, is expected to take a physical with the Philadelphia Phillies today and sign with the team as early as tomorrow.

The veteran righty, who’s a lock for the Hall of Fame, hasn’t pitched since Sept. 25 with the Mets.

Martinez was reportedly looking for $5 million for this season but with few takers, he’s willing to take even less than a prorated percentage of that figure, according to Fox Sports.

Last season, Martinez missed almost two months of after straining his left hamstring in spring training, then went 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA in 20 starts.

Desperate for pitching help, the world champion Phillies are 14th in the National League with a 4.61 team ERA, but lead the second place Marlins by four games in the NL East and the fourth place Mets by 6.5 games.

Last week, Martinez is reported to have worked three innings in a simulated game against a Phillies summer league team, with his fastball clocked at up to 93 mph.

"I feel the best I have for some time," Martinez said.

Martinez is 214-99 with a 2.91 ERA in 17 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal, Boston and the Mets. He helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004.

(with AP)

A glance at Giants' receiver battle

Thursday July 9, 2009 2:43 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Domenik Hixon (Photo by Getty Images)

By Ryan Chatelain

It’s one of the burning questions heading into training camp: Who will emerge as the Giants’ starting wide receivers?

Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer are now gone, leaving five wideouts legitimately vying for two starting jobs.

Here’s a quick look at what is sure to be one of the league's more intriguing position battles this summer. Camp opens Aug. 3 at the University of Albany.

Steve Smith

The third-year player caught 57 passes last season, albeit for only 574 yards and one touchdown. This possession receiver has probably the best chance of any wideout to land a spot in the starting lineup – but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll end up as the Giants’ leading receiver.

amNY odds to start: 2-to-1Domenik Hixon

If the season began today, Hixon would likely line up as a starter. While he is the early front-runner to replace Burress, he also must stave off Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss and first-round draft pick Hakeem Nicks.

amNY odds to start: 3-to-1

Hakeem Nicks

As the new guy in the mix, the rookie will be watched closely in training camp. Nicks is 6-foot-2 and runs decent speed (4.49 in the 40-yard dash). However, few rookies deliver in their first seasons. It might be unfair to expect big things out of Nicks this year.

amNY odds to start: 8-to-1

Sinorice Moss

Many Giants fans have already labeled the former second-round pick a bust. But Santana Moss’ little brother reportedly impressed coaches in offseason practices. The third-year player is most likely in competition for the No. 3 job.

amNY odds to start: 20-to-1

Mario Manningham

He’s the sleeper in this competition. The second-year player is a big-play threat who put up huge numbers at the University of Michigan.

amNY odds to start: 30-to-1

Column: Too soon to be ‘Fed’ up

Wednesday July 8, 2009 8:09 PM By Max J. Dickstein

By Max J. Dickstein

Roger Federer won his record-breaking 15th major title at Wimbledon, but his work is not necessarily done. (Getty Images)

Now that Roger Federer clinched tennis immortality with his record-breaking 15th Grand Slam victory on Sunday, what next?

The achievement at Wimbledon quieted the fever pitch of Federer’s story, but the 27-year-old has more to accomplish. Here are three further goals:

Solve Nadal

Head to head, Rafael Nadal is Federer’s superior; the Spaniard holds a 13-7 career edge against the game’s greatest champion.

But Nadal has suffered of late. In June, for the first time, he lost at the French Open, in the fourth round. Knee tendinitis cost him the defense of his 2008 Wimbledon title. While Federer won in Paris and London, idle Nadal lost the No. 1 ranking.

As long as Nadal recovers fully, a ninth Grand Slam final between the rivals still seems inevitable. But Federer’s ability to overcome the problems the lefty compels him to solve is anything but inevitable.Reign at U.S. Open

Wimbledon is the seat of Federer’s power and source of his prestige. But the last five Septembers in Flushing Meadows have also belonged to the Swiss, who consistently demoralizes the men’s field in the final major of the year.

New York also tends to unleash the dark, merciless side of Federer’s persona. In 2007, he wore all black, embraced the nickname “Darth Federer” and took the court to the chords of “The Imperial March” before each match.

Win the Grand Slam and Olympic gold

Federer has won all four majors, but not in the same year. He has an Olympic gold medal, but in doubles. Federer will aim for both feats before he retires after the London 2012 Olympics.

Meanwhile, he’ll have a new fan: Mirka, his wife, is eight months pregnant with their first child.

Grand Slam Man: Roger Federer beats Andy Roddick for record 15th Grand Slam title

Sunday July 5, 2009 8:36 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Roger Federer and his sixth Wimbledon trophy. (Getty Images)

By Max J. Dickstein

Roger Federer no longer need chase history; future players will chase him.

The Swiss completed his rise to the apex of tennis yesterday, turning back American challenger Andy Roddick in a wrenching five-set final at Wimbledon, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.

Federer’s 15th Grand Slam men’s singles title made him the greatest major champion, surpassing Pete Sampras’ 14 wins. In a surprise, Federer’s predecessor flew to England from California, joining other greats as spectators to history.

The match itself was a Grand Slam first, with a record 77 games played over four hours, 16 minutes. Federer broke serve for the first time on championship point, when Roddick shanked a forehand in the fifth set’s 30th game.

The No. 2-ranked Federer’s historic feat has present ramifications, too. The 27-year-old’s rapid-fire successes this summer, from his first French Open win last month to his sixth Wimbledon title, gave him to the No. 1 ranking, ahead of his Spanish rival, Rafael Nadal, who sat out the tournament with knee trouble.

Roddick, foiled again in his fourth Grand Slam final against Federer, played with controlled brawn from the first serve, defeating all six break points he had faced and weathering Federer’s career-high 50 aces before his shaky final game.

Despite his improved discipline, the 2003 U.S. Open winner blew a 6-2 lead in the first tiebreaker, when he was poised for a two-set edge. Just a few slips in his bold effort dropped Roddick to 2-19 against Federer.

Mets continue to unravel

Sunday July 5, 2009 7:46 PM By Pete Catapano

Mets catcher Omir Santos, front, watches Philadelphia Phillies' Paul Bako scores on a single by Shane Victorino on Saturday. (AP photo)

By Pete Catapano

It may be only the halfway point of the season, but Mets fans are fully frustrated.

The team entered the season with a shiny new ballpark and great expectations, but the Mets are coming apart with eight losses in the last 10 games, including a sweep to the rival Phillies over the weekend in which they Amazin’s scored just three runs.

How to save the season is anyone’s guess.

“They’re playing like a minor league team,” Luis Manuel Ortiz, 27, a Met fan from Harlem said after the team’s disheartening 2-0 loss to the Phillies yesterday.

And things probably won’t get easier soon for the Mets. Now a season-high three games below .500 at 39-42, the Mets start a three-game series with the league-best Dodgers tomorrow.

One person was so fed up yesterday he proposed on the team’s official message board that fans boycott a game at Citi Field by not entering the stadium until the third inning and wearing signs that say “enough” in blue letters.“We need to figure things out and get going,” said the Mets’ All-Star third baseman, David Wright, who went 0-for-11 in the series against the Phillies.

While the team has been decimated by injuries to its star players, it had stayed in contention with grit, some good pitching and the fortunes of being in a mediocre division.

However, the team has unraveled in recent weeks with embarrassingly bad defense and other head-scratching moments.

In fact, ESPN radio host and Yankees broadcaster, Michael Kay, said that manager Jerry Manuel’s decision to throw a pitch to Derek Jeter instead of walking him immediately with a pitcher on deck during the Mets’ recent series against their crosstown rival was a “fireable offense.” Kay, however, insisted that he didn’t say Manuel should be fired, according to the Daily News.

Manuel now has been at the helm of the team for just over a year, taking over last June, after the Mets wobbled through the first half of the season under manager Willie Randolph. While questions have been raised about how effective Manuel has been, there has not been the same outcry for his dismissal that lead to Randolph’s firing.

“I cannot blame Jerry Manuel for what’s happened, because he’s not playing with a full roster,” said John Strubel, writer for Mets online magazine Flushing9.com.

As far as the errors go, it’s hard to find an explanation for the on field miscues.

“They can’t make the most fundamental plays on a day-to-day basis,” Strubel said.

But fans aren’t ready to give up with their team just four games out of first place.

“We’re halfway through the season. I’m hoping we don’t lose, but I’m not expecting much,” said fan Nes Martinez, 21, of midtown.

Anastasia Economides contributed to this story.