Mikey D

~MSU's basketball schedule is out! Woo! All I can say is Jesus Christ this schedule is killer. Nobody can ever- and I mean ever- say Izzo doesn't play tough competition. Here are some of the highlights:
-South Carolina (ESPN's annual 24-hour college bball marathon)
-Connecticut (Potential matchup in the Maui Invitational)
-Kentucky (Potential matchup in the Maui Invitational final)
-@ Duke (ACC-Big Ten Challenge- The final game of the challenge)
-Syracuse (in NY, Coaches vs. Cancer)
-Texas (Continuing our annual home-and-home with the Longhorns)

And that's just non-conference! The conference schedule is always tough, but this year we only have to play the Buckeyes once (and Indiana once as well, too). That still means two against Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. And we finish the year against Michigan in Ann Arbor...during their spring break. Think the crowd might have an green and white feel to it?

~Sports Illustrated wrote a piece on some 5-year old kid that can hit an 85mph pitch. I haven't read the article, but that's pretty fucking insane. I did watch this video that shows him hitting a pitching machine set at 85mph. Very impressive. And his fielding is pretty damn slick, too.

~Okay, fantasy predictions...

Prediction: Jamaal Charles will look a lot like Chris Johnson, only in a red jersey.
Okay, Charles was an absolute beast at the end of last year. He would have been a sure-fire top-10 back if the Chiefs hadn’t gone and grabbed 1400 yd runner Thomas Jones. Heck, his draft stock is falling even more because Thomas Jones has been named the starter. But I’m still going to go ahead and predict Charles as a top-10 back.

First, some stats to marinate over from last year:

Top 3 RB YPC (yards per carry):
-Jamaal Charles, 5.9
-Chris Johnson, 5.6
-Ray Rice, 5.3

Runs Longer than 40+ Yards Leaders:
-Chris Johnson, 7
-Jamaal Charles, 5 (remember, only played half a season)
-Frank Gore, 4
-Ray Rice, 3
-MJD, 3
-AP, 3

And did you know Charles led all running backs in yards after contact? The guy does all the things Chris Johnson does, and in some cases, better.

If you paid attention to the preseason games it fairly obvious to see that Charles is on a different level than Jones. Earlier in the offseason new offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss dubbed Charles the “centerpiece” of his offense. Head coach Todd Haley recently said, in reference to Jamaal Charles, that the preseason is about getting guys practice, but also not showing your full hand. Could the Chiefs just be keeping their stud in the stables until the season starts?

With his skill set and talent, along with the number one most favorable schedule for running backs, I’m buying on Jamaal Charles this year in a big way.

Prediction: Mark Sanchez will throw at least 18 picks this year.
I’ve tried to talk myself into Sanchez as a decent fantasy quarterback, but I can’t do it. The guy has Braylon Edwards, Jericho Cotchery, Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller, and now LT to throw to. He has one of the league’s best offensive line and a productive running game to keep defenses honest. He’s in his second year of Brian Schottenheimer’s offense. And yet I still think he’ll suck.

Most quarterbacks don’t make a significant jump in stats until their 3rd year (well, the good ones at least). Matt Ryan is a good example. He had a solid rookie year and everyone expected great things from him (including me) his sophomore campaign, but in many ways it looked like he regressed, at least stat-wise. But those are the growing pains. So when I look at Sanchez and his 12-20 TD-INT ratio, that’s a lot to improve on to even be a trustworthy fantasy backup. I watched him against the Giants in the first preseason game, and the interception he threw was absolutely horrid. I know it’s just one game, but that one was bad. I think he’s in for another long year.

Prediction: Bernard Scott will be this year’s waiver-wire darling.
Miles Austin. Jerome Harrison. Sidney Rice. Jamaal Charles. Every year they win leagues. The guys you get in Week 8 after a monster performance that you ride till the end of the year. My favorite to explode, given the opportunity, is Bernard Scott. He’s currently the second running back behind Cedric Benson, but given the chance to start you could see a Jamaal Charles-like finish to the season. He’s another explosive, dual-threat back that just needs that opportunity.

Prediction: JerMichael Finley will be this year’s top fantasy tight end.
Book it. The guy is a physical specimen. In a lot of ways he reminds me of Vernon Davis in that he’s got speed and hops. He broke out towards the end of last year, and especially in the playoffs with a 150-yard performance against the Cardinals. He’s a gigantic redzone threat, especially considering the undersized receivers the Packers have in Driver and Jennings. And it helps to have your QB say things like this: “He's a great player. He's going to be a big part of our offense. Anytime I get the ball, I'll look for him.” Throw in the fact he’s got the 2nd easiest schedule for tight ends and he could have a Vernon Davis-type breakout season.

Prediction: Joseph Addai will reach 850 yards rushing, 300 yards receiving, and 10 total touchdowns. Donald Brown will basically be irrelevant.
With Addai getting older and Brown being a former first-round pick, some people think this is the year Brown wins the lion share of the carries. After all, Addai’s overall numbers last year were far from impressive.

But while Addai might not break off 50 yard runs (or 20, for that matter), he does do all the little things. He’s a great redzone back. He’s a great receiver. And maybe most importantly, he’s a great pass protector. Those things keep you on the football field, and Addai’s just better than Brown at them. And the last time the Colts had a back that was entering his free agent year (Edgerin James), they worked him like a dog. I think one last hurrah and double-digit TD season is reasonable for Addai, and then it’s bye-bye.

Prediction: Jay Cutler will throw for 4000+ yards, 27+ TDs, and less than 26 INTS, bettering every one of his 2009 stats.
Jay Cutler threw the ball the fourth most times last season and then the Bears brought in Martz. But how much more can the Bears throw? They threw a shit ton last season, and they’ll throw a shit ton this season. This year, however, they will throw more effectively. I think Cutler will improve on his 3600 yards and 27 TDs, and will lower his 26 INTS (wow that’s a lot). I’ll put Cuter at 4200 yards, 29 TDs, 20 INTs. The Martz effect.

Prediction: The top fantasy running back this year will be…Adrian Peterson
AP finished with 17 total touchdowns last year. That’s a lot, and that’s with Brett Favre throwing it all over the place. The offensive line is still decent, but Favre’s weapons have decreased due to injuries. You have to think that means more opportunities for All Day.

But nobody is really talking about the absence of Chester Taylor, who was the Viking’s primary 3rd down back because he was a receiving threat. This year the Vikings want AP to be that guy, so expect an uptick in APs receiving stats. He may not be the homerun hitter Chris Johnson is, but he’s still a playmaker. Get the ball in his hands and good things will happen. Plus what are the chances CJ rushes for 2000 yards again? Nahhhhhh that would never happen again…

Prediction: Larry Fitzgerald will finish with 7 or less touchdowns this season.
That's how much I hate the Arizona QB situation. Matt Leinart has already been benched. I mean the guy couldn't even make it to Game 1 before getting pulled. And his backup? Derrik Anderson? If only INTs counted as TDs, he'd be golden. And it's not like there are a lot of weapons to take the pressure of Fitzgerald. Early Doucet is unproven, and Steve Breasten is a great WR3, but really that's all he is. If I was a defensive coordinator I'd quadruple cover Fitz and let the rest of that junk for an offense try to beat me.

Prediction: Vince Young will be a starter for Kevin's team by Week 3.
He just loves him too much.

~Mikey D